Challenge of transition in the socio-professional insertion of youngsters with neurodisabilities.

Objective: To evaluate the activities of patients with neurodisabilities and assess their insertion problems in the professional world. Methods: It is based on medical records of 267 patients (224 with neurodevelopmental diseases and 43 with neuromuscular diseases), aged 16-25 years, followed in the transition clinic of young adults in the neurorehabilitation services of a tertiary center. Results: Nearly half of them (46.8%) were in a protected environment, 37.08% studied and only 3.4% worked. Their studies are much longer and they are less in university than Swiss people of same age. The competitiveness criteria are no mental retardation and to be completely independent. Finally, 29.2% reported work problems, the foremost being the lack of adaptation in the workplace. Conclusion: These results highlight the need to increase the integration of young adults with neuromotor disorders in the labor market.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition mediates docetaxel resistance and high risk of relapse in prostate cancer

Molecular characterization of radical prostatectomy specimens after systemic therapy may identify a gene expression profile for resistance to therapy. This study assessed tumor cells from patients with prostate cancer participating in a phase II neoadjuvant docetaxel and androgen deprivation trial to identify mediators of resistance. Transcriptional level of 93 genes from a docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines microarray study was analyzed by TaqMan low-density arrays in tumors from patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer (36 surgically treated, 28 with neoadjuvant docetaxel þ androgen deprivation). Gene expression was compared between groups and correlated with clinical outcome. VIM, AR and RELA were validated by immunohistochemistry. CD44 and ZEB1 expression was tested by immunofluorescence in cells and tumor samples. Parental and docetaxel-resistant castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines were tested for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers before and after docetaxel exposure. Reversion of EMT phenotype was investigated as a docetaxel resistance reversion strategy. Expression of 63 (67.7%) genes differed between groups (P < 0.05), including genes related to androgen receptor, NF-k B transcription factor, and EMT. Increased expression of EMT markers correlated with radiologic relapse. Docetaxel-resistant cells had increased EMT and stem-like cell markers expression. ZEB1 siRNA transfection reverted docetaxel resistance and reduced CD44 expression in DU-145R and PC-3R. Before docetaxel exposure, a selected CD44 þ subpopulation of PC-3 cells exhibited EMT phenotype and intrinsic docetaxel resistance; ZEB1/CD44 þ subpopulations were found in tumor cell lines and primary tumors; this correlated with aggressive clinical behavior. This study identifies genes potentially related to chemotherapy resistance and supports evi-dence of the EMT role in docetaxel resistance and adverse clinical behavior in early prostate cancer.

Russian transition in the early 21st century

Tässä tutkimuksessa käsitellään Venäjän talouden kehitystä uudella vuosituhannella. Kylmän sodan aikaan Neuvostoliitto oli suurvalta, jonka asema perustui sotilasmahtiin. Sotateollisuuden konversio palvelemaan nykytarpeita ei ole ollut helppo tehtävä. Vuoden 1998 talouskriisin jälkeen elintaso on toipunut verraten nopeasti, mikä on nähtävissä tarkastellessa kotitalouksien kulutusrakenteita, joita käsitellään tarkemmin luvussa 2. Siirtymätalouksissa vaihtotaseen vajeet ovat yleisiä, mutta luonnonrikkauksiensa ansiosta Venäjän vaihtotaseet ovat olleet huomattavan ylijäämäisiä, mitä pohditaan luvussa 3. Vaihtotaseen ylijäämien heijatusvaikutus on ollut Venäjän rooli pääomien nettoviejänä. Venäjän investointikertymä onedelleen erittäin vaatimaton suhteutettuna maan kehitysvaiheeseen. Jokaisessa menestyksekkäässä taloudessa investoinnit ovat pitkän aikavälintaloudellisen menestyksen avaintekijä. Venäjän erityispiirteitä tähän liittyen on kuvattu luvussa 4. Raportti päättyy talouden nykytilanteen analyysiin (luvut 5 ja 6).

Financial convergence in transition economies: EU enlargement

This paper analyses the financial impact of the enlargement of the European Union (EU) to include 10 new Central and Eastern European Nations (CEEN) on firms’ business and financial structures. To this end, we employ quantitative analytic techniques and financial ratios. In this context, we hope to discover whether firms in the new EU member States tend to converge with business in the Europe of the 15 in terms of the structure of firms’ financial statements. We examine the extent to which the increasing integration of the former may foster the convergence of productive structures. The methodology followed consists of an analysis of the evolution of 12 financial ratios in a sample of firms obtained from the AMADEUS data base. To that end, we perform a Dynamic Factor Analysis that identifies the determining factors of the joint evolution of deviations in the financial ratios with respect to the average value of firms in the EU-15. This analysis allows us to analyse the convergence in each of the CEEN nations with respect to the EU-15.