Contradictory Outcome Research Articles

Market context matters: the impact of corporate diversification on REIT performance in Malaysia and Singapore

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of corporate diversification and growth opportunities on the performance of real estate investment trusts (REIT) in Malaysia and Singapore before and during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 33 public-listed REITs across Singapore and Malaysia. A dynamic panel system generalized method of moments (DPS-GMM) estimation is used to account for unobservable factors and a relatively short sample period (2009–2022).FindingsResults indicate that the impact of diversification is contingent on the market where the REIT is based and other institutional factors. The estimates also show that diversified REITs are better able to weather period of economic uncertainty.Practical implicationsWe provided a definitive answer as to why corporate diversification leads to conflicting outcomes – market and institutional factors, strategic intent and the overall economic environment. We also show that the impact of typical firm controls (i.e. free cash, size) can differ. Future firm-level work should thus study similar phenomenon more contextually and carefully consider these varying effects.Originality/valueThe literature is divided on the impact of diversification on firm performance. By using a two-country sample, we show conclusive evidence that this contradictory outcome is due to market and institutional factors. We also show evidence that strategic intent is an important factor that influences the outcomes of diversification, regardless of market. We also infer that excess cash aids the resilience of the firm, contrary to the negative perception of excess cash during normal times. Firm size, in contrast, does not contribute to firm performance during a crisis.

Importance of Green Supply Chain Management in Hospitality Business

Customers' rising demand for hygienic and sustainable food products and increasing local and international competition in the hospitality industry have transformed the industry. The focus of the research study is to determine the existing position of the Pakistani hospitality industry and the relevance of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), and its impact on firm performance. The focus on the sustainable and green supply chain in the hospitality industry is a hot topic. Businesses can effectively manage the practices and procedures to achieve competitive advantage and economic benefits. The study incorporates a quantitative research design focused on deriving insights into the possible relationship and impact of the GSCM factors on the performance of Pakistani hospitality businesses. The sample size for the research is 150 participants, including people from management positions in different restaurants in Karachi, Pakistan. The findings from the research help to identify that GSCM is a critical part of a firm's strategic objective in Pakistan as the application of green purchasing, customer relationship management and eco-friendly product designs are found to have a weak to a moderate yet significant impact on the performance. The outcomes derived from the literature review help to identify that applying the policies related to mentioned factors helps offer a significant strong impact on businesses in the manufacturing and service industry. The results for the Pakistani industry show that waste management does not have any significant impact on performance which shows a contradictory outcome compared to the literature findings. The research also provides focused implications and future recommendations for businesses and research improvements.

P-113 Association of Novel Mutations of TSPY1 Gene With Spermatogenic Failure Among Men

Abstract Study question Are the novel mutations of TSPY1 gene associated with idiopathic male infertility in men? Summary answer Sporadic TSPY1 gene mutation is one of the major causes of idiopathic male infertility among men. What is known already As per the published research, there are several studies including AZF micro-deletion, sex chromosome copy number variation but surprisingly studies on Y chromosome genes are not that much available. Due to the genetic cross-talks of different regulatory mechanisms involved in the spermatogenesis process, male infertility still remains idiopathic. Contradictory outcome of the analyses intrigues the association of the variations of TSPY1 gene with male infertility. Previous analyses did not reveal implication of TSPY1 gene as etiologic factor of male infertility. Study design, size, duration This was a population-based case-control study that includes 184 cases of spermatogenic failure and 197 age-matched fertile men as controls and the study was conducted between March, 2018 and February, 2021 to infer whether the genetic mutations are significantly associated with spermatogenic failure. Participants/materials, setting, methods The samples were collected from the Institute of Reproductive Medicine (IRM) and Genome-the fertility centre. All the selected individuals agreed to participate in the study and provided blood samples. We isolated DNA from the blood samples, designed specific primers and went for PCR. We performed Sanger’s dideoxy sequencing of TSPY1 gene reading frame followed by in silico analyses of detected variations to interpret their intuitive effects on transcript and protein level of TSPY1 gene. Main results and the role of chance We found one novel deletion namely MN734578 (NC_000024.10:g.9468830del) and one novel insertion MN719944 (NC_000024.10:g.9468815_9468816insA). Both these mutations exhibited strong association with male infertility. MN734578 showed compelling confederacy with male infertility increasing the risk factor against the odd 19.023 (P value 0.0027). Here the mutation was found in 8 out of 184 case individuals. MN719944 was found to be extremely correlated with male infertility increasing the risk factor by 14.547 folds (P value 0.0117). This mutation is found in 6 out of 184 case individuals. Both the mutations were not not found in the control individuals. In silico analyses using different software SIFT, PROVEAN, REGULATIONSPOTTER, HSF and SpliceAid suggest prospective disruption in splice sites and alteration in different isoforms of TSPY1 transcripts and amino acid sequence in TSPY1 protein. We calculated Odds ratios with respective 95% confidence interval (CI) by performing Fisher’s exact test. After Bonferroni's correction, a two-tailed P-value of less than 0.02 was considered statistically significant. Limitations, reasons for caution The origin of the novel mutations is unknown and the outcome does not provide mechanistic details how do de novo mutations imperil the process of spermatogenesis. Wider implications of the findings The study provides evidence in favour of implication of TSPY1 gene in male fertility. The outcome sheds light to get insight into the issue of unexplained male infertility in Bengali will help to manage fertility problem in men. Trial registration number Not applicable

Natural convective flow past a suddenly started vertical plate with uniform mass and heat flux in the presence of radiation, thermal diffusion

AbstractAn attempt has been made to investigate the problem of a natural convective radiative flow past an impulsively moving vertical plate with uniform mass and heat flux in the existence of the thermal diffusion effect. The resulting governing equations are solved by the Laplace transform technique in closed form. Effects of radiation, Prandtl number, Soret number, Grashof number, modified Grashof number, and Schmidt number are studied on temperature field, concentration field, velocity field, plate temperature, plate concentration, skin friction, and are demonstrated through graphs. The present study reveals that an intensification of the thermal radiation effect causes a downfall in the fluid temperature, plate temperature, and skin friction, but a contradictory outcome is spotted for plate concentration. One of the significant findings of this study includes that the increasing thermo‐diffusion effect hikes the concentration and frictional resistance of the field.

User-Centered Design of Companion Robot Pets Involving Care Home Resident-Robot Interactions and Focus Groups With Residents, Staff, and Family: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundGlobally, pressure is increasing on health and social care resources due to the aging population and growing prevalence of dementia. Companion robots, such as Paro, demonstrate strong potential for helping reduce this pressure through reported benefits including reduced agitation, depression, loneliness, care provider burden, and medication use. However, we previously identified that user-centered design of robot pets is both essential and understudied. We observed that commonly used robot pets are poorly matched to end-user requirements, and that end users and developers of robot pets differ significantly in their perception of appropriate design. This may explain some of the contradictory outcome research and variance in results for robot pets, such as Paro.ObjectiveIn response to the literature gap, we aimed to provide user-centered insights into the design of robot pets from key stakeholders to inform future robot development and the choice of robots for real-world implementation and research. We focused on understanding user requirements.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study with 65 participants from 5 care homes (26 care home residents, 29 staff members. and 10 family members). Care home residents formed groups of between 3 and 4 individuals and experienced free interactions with a range of 8 companion robots and toys, including Paro and more affordable alternatives. The robots provided had a range of esthetics, shell types, interactivity levels, and designs for comparison. Care staff and family members observed the interactions. All participants then engaged in focus groups within their stakeholder category to discuss preferences and user requirements in companion robot design. Both free interactions and focus groups were video and audio recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis.ResultsCare home residents, family members, and staff were open and accepting of the use of companion robot pets, with the majority suggesting that they would keep a device for themselves or the residents. The most preferred device was the Joy for All cat, followed by the Joy for All dog. In discussions, the preferred design features included familiar animal embodiment (domestic pet), soft fur, interactivity, big appealing eyes, simulated breathing, and movements. Unfamiliar devices were more often seen as toy-like and suitable for children, producing some negative responses.ConclusionsThis work provides important and user-centered insights into future robot designs for care home residents by means of a comprehensive comparison with key stakeholders. This work strongly supports the use of familiar embodiment in future robot pet designs, with domestic cat and dog morphologies appearing most acceptable. The results have implications for future robot designs and the selection of robot pets for both research and real-world implementations.

Do bisphosphonates alter the clinico-radiological profile of children with Perthes disease? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis is aimed to analyze the efficacy of bisphosphonates in the management of Perthes disease. A total of 8 animal and 7 human studies have been shortlisted for this analysis. In human studies, common variables for pain, Harris Hip Score (HHS), propensity for femoral head collapse, and total hip arthroplasty (THA), were assessed. In contrast, in animal studies, the data was recorded for epiphyseal quotient, trabecular volume, trabecular separation, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number. Meta-analysis of human studies on ONFH (Osteo-Necrosis of Femoral Head) revealed a statistically significant outcome in HHS [p<0.001; (95% CI: 4.79 - 8.87)], collapse of the femoral head [p=0.079; (95% CI: -0.16 - 0.01)], and THA [p=0.002; (95% CI: -0.19 - -0.04)] whereas the pain score showed an insignificant outcome [p=0.067; (95% CI: -0.62 - 0.04)]. The meta-analysis of selected variables in animal studies revealed a noteworthy outcome in bone volume (p<0.001, 95% Cl), trabecular number (p<0.001, 95% Cl), trabecular thickness (p<0.013, 95% Cl) and trabecular separation (p<0.026, 95% Cl) but not in epiphyseal quotient. Further, analysis of stratified datasets in animal studies revealed a contradictory outcome with significant observations described later in the paper. The use of bisphosphonates holds a promising treatment option in Perthes disease. Although, good quality RCTs are needed to validate it further.

Nuclear Security Awareness Survey at a University

The concept of assessing safety culture in an organization emerged with its application at the nuclear power industry and has expanded since then. An assessment of nuclear security, on the contrary, is still under-developed, especially at non-nuclear facilities, such as academic institutions and medical facilities. To identify the level of the awareness and understanding of credible nuclear and radiological threats, response preparedness, security culture, and the integrity of nuclear security systems among non-radioactive material users at a university setting; a campus-wide survey was deployed. A total of 3,336 non-radioactive material users, including students, faculty, and staff participated in the survey. The survey was divided into three categories: general awareness (GA), school specific awareness (SSA), and behavior response (BR) awareness. Because the overall population of a university is rarely homogenous, six demographic characteristic groups of age, gender, work-status, degree, ethnicity, and nationality were added to the survey to identify the disparities in the attitudes that exist within the group of non-radioactive material users and the survey response. The results indicated significant association of the demographic groups of gender, age, work-status, degree, and ethnicity with the mean response scores across the three survey categories. An ordinal logistic regression was performed to identify and predict the impact of the demographic characteristics on the survey response. Findings from this study predicted the work status demographic group of undergraduates and graduates (younger age sub-groups) to possess higher level of general and behavioral response awareness than the remaining relatively higher work status sub-groups and the corresponding older age demographic sub-groups. The results from the school specific awareness category demonstrated contradictory outcome than the GA and BR survey categories. The results of this investigation are valuable as it provides a provisional understanding of the disparities in perception on the degree of nuclear and radiological security awareness across a group of diverse socio-demographic characteristics.

¿La reversión de un cambio lingüístico? Pasado y presente de la variación en las relativas oblicuas de lugar en español

The panchronic perspective adopted in this study shows an apparently contradictory outcome in a phenomenon of variation and change that has a long tradition in Spanish. The variationist analysis of several oral corpora representative of current Peninsular Spanish displays an apparent regression of the pronominal forms of the relative in locative sentences (‘la casa en la que vivo’ [the house in which I live]), in favour of the adverbial ones (‘la casa donde vivo’ [the house where I live]). This result contrasts with a movement in the opposite direction, previously found in the analysis of a historical corpus composed of texts of immediacy, between the sixteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries. However, this apparent reversal of the change contrasts with the constraints attested in the internal grammar and the extralinguistic context, which reveal a robust persistence over time, and, in addition, with the same direction of effect. To sum up, mainly due to some irregularities between the corpora analyzed, rather than the reversion of a linguistic change, what the panchronic analysis reveals is a remarkable stability of the variation over more than five centuries of history. This result sheds light on variation not leading to language change, and confirms the need to transcend the most superficial aspects in the study of change.

Traumatic-Induced Coagulopathy as a Systems Failure: A New Window into Hemostasis.

Traumatic-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is often associated with significant bleeding, transfusion requirements, inflammation, morbidity, and mortality. This review considers TIC as a systems failure, not as a single-event manifestation of trauma. After briefly reviewing the meaning of TIC and the bewildering array of fibrinolysis phenotypes, we will discuss the role of platelets and fibrinogen in coagulopathy. Next, we will review the different TIC hypotheses and drill down to a single mechanistic domain comprising (1) thrombin's differential binding to thrombomodulin, (2) the expression of annexin II-S100A10 complex, and (3) the functional integrity of the endothelial glycocalyx. This triad forms the basis of the "switch" hypothesis of TIC. We will next address the potential limitations of current practice in treating a coagulation or fibrinolytic defect, and the next defect, and so on down the line, which often leads to what U.S. surgeon William C. Shoemaker considered "an uncoordinated and sometimes contradictory therapeutic outcome." The treat-as-you-go approach using sequential, single-target treatments appears to be a by-product of decades of highly reductionist thinking and research. Lastly, we will present a unified systems hypothesis of TIC involving three pillars of physiology: the central nervous system (CNS)-cardiovascular system, the endothelial glycocalyx, and mitochondrial integrity. If CNS control of ventriculoarterial coupling is maintained close to unity following trauma, we hypothesize that the endothelium will be protected, mitochondrial energetics will be maintained, and TIC (and inflammation) will be minimized. The Systems Hypothesis of Trauma (SHOT) also helps to answer why certain groups of severely bleeding trauma patients are still dying despite receiving the best care. Currently, no drug therapy exists that targets the whole system.

Stabilization of the boundary layer by streamwise control

In this paper, the effect of a special active control on the Blasius boundary layer is investigated with the Orr-Sommerfeld and the Reynolds-Orr energy equations. The control moves the wall in the streamwise direction proportional to the fluctuating wall shear stress which was proposed by Józsa et al. [“Active and passive in-plane wall fluctuations in turbulent channel flows,” J. Fluid Mech. 866, 689–720 (2019)]. Our results showed that the negative proportional parameters destabilize the flow, while the positive values lead to a contradictory outcome. According to the Orr-Sommerfeld equation, with the right choice of the parameter, the critical Reynolds number can be significantly increased. At the same time, the Reynolds-Orr equation predicts that any streamwise movement of the wall proportional to the wall shear stress slightly destabilizes the flow.

Influence of viscous dissipation on MHD flow of micropolar fluid over a slendering stretching surface with modified heat flux model

The current research article delivers a numerical study of an electrically conducting magnetohydrodynamic nonlinear convection flow of micropolar fluid over a slendering stretching surface. The flow is laminar and time independent. The influence of viscous dissipation, Joule heating, non-uniform heat source or sink, temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and thermal radiation is deemed. Heat-transfer characteristics are scrutinized with the aid of modified Fourier’s law. We presented simultaneous solutions for a flat surface and variable thickened surface. At first, appropriate similarity transformations are considered to convert the basic partial differential equations as ordinary ones and then solved by the successive application of numerical procedures such as shooting and fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Graphs are delineated to observe the influence of diverse nondimensional parameters on the flow fields. Along with the skin friction coefficient, couple stress coefficient and local Nusselt number are also discussed and bestowed with the support of the table. Results stipulate that the distribution of temperature increases with thermal relaxation and radiation parameters, but a contradictory outcome is spotted for Prandtl number. Also, the microrotation velocity is suppressed with an enhancement in magnetic field parameter, but an opposite trend is observed for buoyancy force.

The Negative Dialectics of Law: Luhmann and the Sociology of Juridical Concepts

This article proposes to read Niklas Luhmann’s sociological theory of law from the perspective of what may be called the negative dialectics of law: namely, the irreconcilable tension between law as a mechanism that reproduces institutional orders and stabilizes normative expectations, and law as a medium that empowers transformative action and motivates social innovations. Drawing on this tension, the article advances an interpretation of the critical potential of Luhmann’s conceptualization of law by pointing out that the normative form of society emerges out of conflicts about the form of the normative within society. This formulation supposes that the unfolding of law is not the rational completion of higher principles into unified social structures, but a contradictory outcome semantically produced through endless iterations of the difference between what is legal and what is illegal. In doing so, it argues for a sociological reconsideration of the work of juridical concepts in the everyday operation of legal communications, as well as in the normatively guided search for what is non-actualized within the existing scope of positive legal forms. By reading Luhmann along the lines of a critical engagement with the law, the article further calls for exploring constituent moments as instances of reflexive instability that signal the unmarked space of normativity and bring the politicality of concepts to the fore.

MiR-199b-5p-Stonin 2 axis regulates metastases and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is one of the most fatal malignant endocrine tumors, and the prognosis remains poor because of the lack of effective therapeutic targets. In this study, we demonstrated that the level of miR-199b-5p was markedly downregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma. The ectopic expression level of miR-199b-5p in papillary thyroid carcinoma cell B-CPAP could inhibit growth, migration, and invasion as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and decreased cell metastasis in vivo, but silencing miR-199b-5p caused a contradictory outcome. Additionally, Stonin 2 (STON2) was identified as a direct target gene of miR-199b-5p. Consistent with the downregulation of miR-199b-5p, the overexpression of STON2 induced the growth, migration and invasion of B-CPAP cells. It was also demonstrated that miR-199b-5p suppressed papillary thyroid carcinoma cell aggressiveness by targeting STON2. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-199b-5p inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and increased the chemo-sensitivity of thyroid carcinoma B-CPAP cells toward the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel. Finally, in vivo experiments further demonstrated that miR-199b-5p suppressed tumor growth in nude mice. Thus, this study revealed that miR-199b-5p functions as antioncogene miRNA in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells and that the miR-199b-5p/STON2 axis might be a potential treatment option for papillary thyroid carcinoma. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):28-40, 2019.

Comparative Studies for What?

Comparative Studies for What?

Climate drivers and animal host use determine kelp performance over decadal scales in the kelp Pleurophycus gardneri (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae).

Primary producers respond to climate directly and indirectly due to effects on their consumers. In the temperate coastal ocean, the highly productive brown algae known as kelp have both strong climate and grazer linkages. We analyzed the demographic response of the kelp Pleurophycus gardneri over a 25-year span to determine the interaction between ocean climate indicators and invertebrate infestation rates. Pleurophycus hosts amphipod species that burrow in the stipe, increasing mortality. Although kelp performance is generally greater with more negative values of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and colder seawater temperatures, Pleurophycus showed the opposite pattern. When we compared the 1990s, a period of positive values for the PDO and warmer sea surface temperatures, with the following decade, a period characterized by negative PDO values, we documented a contradictory outcome for proxies of kelp fitness. In the 1990s, Pleurophycus unexpectedly showed greater longevity, faster growth, greater reproductive effort, and a trend toward decreased amphipod infestation compared with the 2006-2012 period. In contrast, the period from 2006 to 2012 showed opposite kelp performance patterns and with a trend toward greater amphipod infestation. Pleurophycus performance metrics suggest that some coastal primary producers will respond differently to climate drivers, particularly if they interact strongly with grazers.

Technology versus biology: the limits of pre-implantation genetic screening: Better methods to detect the origin of aneuploidy in pre-implantation embryos could improve the success rate of artificial reproduction.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have become the standard of care for the treatment of infertility. Within this realm, reliable prediction of the developmental potential of the pre‐implantation human embryo remains an overriding priority. One such technology, pre‐implantation genetic screening (PGS), is being increasingly deployed to select against embryonic aneuploidy [1]. However, a growing number of seemingly contradictory outcome reports are forcing a reevaluation of this approach. Here, we discuss how biological factors, notably mitotic aneuploidy during early embryonic development, limit the very rationale for PGS as a clinical diagnostic method. > … PGS is an example of technology compromised by biology The development of safe and efficient methods to select healthy euploid embryos constitutes a pressing need to improve the success of ART. PGS, as one strategy to achieve this, relies on the ploidy status of the trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst‐stage embryo [1] (Table 1). Considerable numbers of patients are undergoing PGS: In the USA alone, more than 5% of 106,902 non‐donor assisted reproduction cycles resorted to PGS during 2011 and 2012 [2]. However, the capacity of PGS to select euploid embryos has recently been questioned by the birth of healthy newborns whose originating blastocysts were deemed mosaic (euploid–aneuploid) [3]. Similar inconsistencies have previously been reported for euploid human embryonic stem cell lines, which have been derived from purportedly aneuploid blastocysts. We suggest herein that the utility of PGS is undermined by innate karyotypic mosaicism, the ontogeny and significance of which in early human development remain uncertain. Viewed in this light, PGS is an example of technology compromised by biology. It follows that the ability of PGS to reliably predict the ploidy status of the human embryo and its developmental potential is limited. View this table: Table 1. Blastocyst developmental potential as inferred from the PGS biopsy ploidy status ### The causes of embryonic aneuploidy Following fertilization and karyogamy, the human zygote undergoes 8–9 …

The vertebral trabecular model revisited: magnetic field distribution in the vicinity of osseous disconnections

In the current paper a vertebral bone model is introduced that can be used for studying trabecular thinning and the formation of trabecular disconnections. Magnetostatic simulations are applied in MR-osteodensitometry to deduce the quality of trabecular bone from experimentally obtained susceptibility effects. The course of trabecular bone loss, which results in distinct interruptions and consequently severe mechanical impairment, is not assessable in the majority of such applied models. In the novel approach introduced here, analytical solutions of prolate ellipsoids were used to compute the disturbed magnetic fields within the proposed 3D model. The performed simulations focused on two variants of the vertebral model: an intact model and a pathological model accounting for microdamage. For both variants, magnetic resonance spectra were simulated for different bone volume fractions. Subsequently, resonance signals were obtained from the Fourier transform of the distribution with respect to time. The resonance time courses were analyzed through common signal models to estimate the relaxation time of the corresponding free induction decay. Detailed computations revealed the significant contribution of the microdamage to the susceptibility effect. Further, when comparing the line broadening effect between the intact and disrupted models a contradictory outcome was found. The damaged osseous network for the lower bone fraction resulted in faster decay of the transverse magnetization. In conclusion, a significant contribution of trabecular disconnections to the susceptibility effect has been shown by the presented model. Future dedicated MRI experiments can explore the use of this effect to assess the integrity of cancellous bone.

Diasporic researcher: an autoethnographic analysis of gender and race in political science

ABSTRACTWhy do we find pervasive gender- and race-based discrimination and exclusion in the academy and in the field when feminist scholarship has, for decades, provided the tools necessary to make sense of and combat these very exclusions? I share my personal experience to ask what it means to produce knowledge as a woman of color in the academy and a diasporic researcher in the field. I draw on interpretive approaches, particularly autoethnography, to examine the contradictory situation where political science champions objectivity and meritocracy, which should make gender and race identities irrelevant, yet maintains gendered and raced hierarchies, which undermine efforts to diversify the discipline. I argue that this contradictory outcome is best explained by what I call exclusionary inclusion, where women and other minorities are formally included in academia, but always on a limited basis. I find that I am not seen by people either in the academy or in the field as a legitimate knowledge producer because of the gendered and raced nature of academia. These results suggest that not all scholars enjoy authority. This analysis is significant because it provides insight into the difficulty of achieving diversity within political science.

Appropriation and the dualism of human rights: understanding the contradictory impact of gender norms in Nigeria

This paper conceptualises appropriation as an analytical tool to capture the contradictory nature of human rights localisation. Here appropriation is understood as the intentional reinterpretation of ideas across cultural, spatial and temporal contexts aimed at definitional power. In the first part of the paper I lay out the concept and develop an operationalisation. In the second part I apply the framework to the case of contested gender reform in Nigeria. The analysis highlights the localisation of human rights norms as an amalgam of different competing appropriating acts, leading to a hybrid and contradictory outcome that bears both transformative and stabilising potential.

Role of motility-related protein-1 in promoting the development of several types of cancer (Review)

Motility-related protein-1 (CD9), a type of cell surface glycoprotein comprising a four-pass transmembrane domain that forms multimeric complexes with other cell surface proteins, belongs to the tetraspanins family. From previous studies, we know that CD9 is considered to function primarily as a progression and metastasis suppressor in a variety of cancers, including breast, non-small cell lung colon and myeloma. However, an expanding body of literature has shown the contradictory outcome that tetraspanin CD9 is also vital in promoting cancer progression in several types of cancer. This review summarizes the recent studies on CD9 and concludes that it does not always act as a progression and metastasis suppressor. Conversely, in specific cases, CD9 may promote tumor progression through the following three aspects: Facilitating tumor cell transmigration, increasing tumor cell motility and hastening the growth of some cancers. In addition, CD9 appears to be an important marker of cancer stem cells in certain types of tumor.