Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intestinal metaplasia at the esophagogastric junction in Japanese patients without clinical Barrett's esophagus

Objective:The significance of intestinal metaplasia found in biopsy specimens taken from healthy appearing squamocolumnar junction is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia at the esophagogastric junction in Japanese patients with no clinical diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus.Methods:A total of 103 specimens from consecutive surgeries were studied. All subjects underwent surgical resection for squamous carcinoma of the esophagus. Microscopic examination was performed from the squamocolumnar junction to 4 cm distal to the squamocolumnar junction. The extent of intestinal metaplasia was investigated in detail. Microscopic columnar-lined esophagus was defined as columnar epithelium with esophageal-type submucosal glands.Results:The extent of intestinal metaplasia varied and was usually identified at intervals. Intestinal metaplasia exactly at the squamocolumnar junction was identified in 29 of 103 specimens (28%). Microscopic columnar-lined esophagus was identified in five of the 103 (5%), four of which had intestinal metaplasia in the columnar-lined esophagus.Conclusion:Intestinal metaplasia occurs frequently in the region of the esophagogastric junction in Japanese patients with squamous cell cancer of the esophagus.
The effect of paranoia on the judging of harmful events

Objective. Social psychological research has indicated that intentional harm may be perceived as causing greater damage than unintentional harm. It has been proposed that this harm magnification is a consequence of a need to blame, condemn and punish (“blame motivation”). The objective of the current study was to replicate these findings and to test whether such judgements about harmful events are associated with the level of an individual's paranoia. Method. Three hundred adults read a scenario in which a head of a company causes a reduction in employees' pay. Participants were randomly allocated to versions in which the outcome of the executive's action was intended or unintended. Ratings were made of intent, harm caused and blame motivation. Participants also completed assessments of paranoia and anxiety. Results. Intentional harm was judged as causing worse outcomes than unintentional harm, explaining a small amount of variance in harm scores. Paranoia moderated judgements of intent and blame motivation but not the degree of harm caused; high paranoia, relative to low paranoia, was associated with the unintentional scenario generating higher attributions of intent and blame and the intentional scenario generating lower attributions of intent and blame. Anxiety levels did not affect judgements. Conclusions. The study supports the theory that there is a reasoning bias that magnifies the consequences of intentional harm relative to unintentional harm. In the initial judgement about intent, people with paranoia are less accurate in their use of contextual information.
Efficacy of perceptive rehabilitation in the treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain through a new tool: a randomized clinical study

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a perceptive rehabilitative approach, based on a new device, with regard to pain and disability in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Design: Single blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting: An outpatient academic hospital. Patients: Seventy-five patients with chronic low back pain. Interventions: Patients were randomized into three groups. Twenty-five subjects received 10 sessions in one month, based on specific perceptive exercises that were performed on a suitably developed device. Twenty-five patients entered a Back School programme. Twenty-five patients comprised a control group that received the same medical and pharmacological assistance as the other groups. Main outcome measures: Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale and McGill Pain Questionnaire. Disability was evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index and Waddell Disability Index. All measurements were recorded before treatment, at the end of the study, and at 12 and 24 weeks. Results: General pain relief was recorded in all the groups, which was elicited more quickly in the perceptive treatment group; significant differences in pain scores were observed at the end of treatment (P < 0.001 for visual analogue scale and P = 0.001 for Questionnaire) versus the other groups. Disability scores in the perceptive group did not differ significantly from those in the other group, whereas these scores significantly differed between Back School and control groups at the follow-ups (P < 0.01 for both scales). Conclusion: Perceptive rehabilitation has immediate positive effects on pain. Back School reduces disabilities at follow-up.
A common haplotype at the dopamine transporter gene 5′ region is associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is the major site of methylphenidate action, which is one of the main drugs used to treat attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most association studies with ADHD focused in a VNTR at the 3′‐untranslated region of the gene (3′UTR) presenting conflicting results. However, the most common explanation to inconsistent results is variable linkage disequilibrium with an adjacent functional variant, just a few number of DAT1 studies have reported LD structure across the gene. In this study, we screened 16 polymorphisms across the DAT1 gene to understand LD structure in a Brazilian sample of families with ADHD probands and to verify if there were evidence for a biased transmission of alleles and haplotypes from parents to their 243 children with ADHD. In the DSM‐IV combined subtype, we observed a preferential transmission of the haplotype A/C/C/C/A derived from five SNPs (rs2550948, rs11564750, rs261759, rs2652511, rs2975223) in 5′ region (P corrected = 0.018) and no association with any allele/haplotype at the 3′ region of the gene, including the 3′ VNTR and the VNTR of intron 8. These results suggest a role for the promoter region in ADHD susceptibility and that allele heterogeneity should be highly considered in DAT1 gene association studies highlighting the importance of this gene in the genetics of the disorder. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effectiveness of periodontal disease treatment during pregnancy in reducing the risk of experiencing preterm birth and low birth weight: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Treating periodontal disease during pregnancy to improve outcomes is controversial, and the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are conflicting. The authors performed meta-analysis of these RCTs to assess the overall effect of treating periodontal disease during pregnancy. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED The authors performed a meta-analysis of studies found by means of two database aggregators OvidSP (12 databases) and EBSCOhost (11 databases). They included RCTs in pregnant women with periodontal disease who were assigned to a treatment arm (scaling and root planing with polishing) or a control arm (no treatment or only prophylaxis). RESULTS Ten RCTs met the inclusion criteria for preterm birth (PTB), and eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria for low birth weight (LBW). The odds ratio of PTB in the treatment group was 0.589 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 0.396-0.875) and of LBW was 0.717 (95 percent CI = 0.440-1.169). Level of bias was the only significant predictor (P < .001) in subgroup analysis. High-quality studies (studies with low bias), which included 71.2 percent of participants, yielded the pooled estimates of 1.082 (95 percent CI = 0.891-1.314) for PTB and 1.181 (95 percent CI = 0.960-1.452) for LBW. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Pooled results from the highest-quality RCTs do not support the hypothesis of a reduction of PTB or LBW in women who are treated for periodontal disease during pregnancy.
An investigation of the South African land reform process from a conflict resolution perspective

iii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations . iv Table of figures . v 1. Introduction . 1 2. Research methodology and research design . 6 2.1. Delimitation of the study . 9 2.2. Ethical considerations . 9 3. Conflict in society explained: Definitional excursion . 11 3.1. Social Conflict: A Definition . 11 3.2. The two Functions of Social Conflict . 13 3.3. What causes Social Conflict? 14 3.4. When Conflict escalates: Conflict Dynamics: Three Models . 15 3.4.1. The Contender-Defender Model . 16 3.4.2. The Conflict Spiral Model . 17 3.4.3. The Structural Change Model . 18 4. The Existence of Human Needs . 22 4.1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs . 23 4.2. Human Needs at stake: Deep-Rooted Conflict as a Special Type of Conflict 27 4.3. Towards a Human Needs Theory: Burton’s approach . 29 4.4. Land tenure: A basic human need? 33 5. The international Land Reform Debate: A Brief Overview . 36 5.1. Land tenure and land policy reform . 37 5.2. Land redistribution . 40 5.2.1. The argument of the higher efficiency of small farms . 44 5.2.2. The argument of Equity, Growth and Poverty Reduction . 46 5.2. 3. Fairness . 48 6. The negotiated Land Reform Model by the World Bank . 49 6.1. Communal Tenure Systems . 52 6.2. Establishing formal tenure security . 53 6.3. Improving the functioning of land markets . 54 6.4. Redistributive land reform . 56 6.5. Criticism of the World Bank approach . 60 7. Land Reform in South Africa . 63 7.1. Background: The rural geography of Apartheid . 64 7.2. The post-Apartheid Land Reform agenda: objectives and contents . 67 7.2.1. Tenure Reform . 68 7.2.2. Restitution . 69 7.2. 3. Redistribution . 71 7.2. 3.1. SLAG (Settlement/Land Acquisition Grant Scheme) and LRAD (Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) . 71 7.2. 3.2. PLAS (Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy) . 76 7.2. 3.3. LARP (Land and Agrarian Reform Project) . 77 8. Evaluation of the South African Land Reform policy . 79 8.1. Restitution . 80 8.1. 1. Restitution achievements to date . 80 8.1. 2. Assessment of restitution . 84 8.2. Redistribution . 86 8.2.1. Redistribution achievements to date . 86 8.2.2. Assessment of redistribution . 89 9. Conclusion and policy advice . 97 Bibliography . 104
Sustainability Disclosure in Integrated Reporting: Does It Matter to Investors? A Cheap Talk Approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the value-relevance of corporate sustainability disclosure through integrated reporting. Sustainability disclosure is subject to managers’ discretion. Besides, it is often hardly verifiable. In this respect, integrated reporting could provide the means for a verifiable disclosure, otherwise, in the jargon of game theory, it could be considered as a cheap talk. This paper investigates which of these hypotheses is most likely to occur in reality. In order to do this, a simple theoretical framework is introduced, where sustainability of corporate performances is modelled as a tail-risk for shareholders. Costless signaling games (cheap talk) and persuasion games are reviewed within this context, in order to derive competing theories of sustainability disclosure’s value relevance through integrated reporting. These alternative theories are tested empirically consistent with the theoretical framework presented, in order to identify key-parameters. In this respect, a systematic textual analysis (artificial intelligence) of integrated reports was employed as to build a synthetic measure of sustainability disclosure. The application of this methodology on a sample of European listed companies showed that sustainability disclosure through integrated reporting has no effect on market-valuations, confirming the null hypothesis of integrated reporting resulting in a cheap talk’s babbling equilibrium.
EFFECT OF UV IRRADIATION ON LETHAL INFECTION OF MICE WITH Candida albicans

Exposure of mice to UV radiation inhibits the induction and elicitation of the delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to Candida albicans. To determine whether UV irradiation also affects the pathogenesis of systemic C. albicans infection, C3H mice were exposed to a single dose of 48 kJ/m2 UV‐B radiation from FS40 sunlamps 5 days before or 5 days after sensitization with formalin‐fixed C. albicans and challenged intravenously (i.v.) with a lethal dose of viable fungi 6 days after sensitization (11 or 1 days after UV irradiation). Exposing unsensitized mice to UV radiation 11 days before lethal challenge had no effect on survival, but the survival time of mice exposed to UV radiation 1 day before challenge was reduced by more than 50%. In the latter group, decreased survival time correlated with persistence of C. albicans in the brain and progressive growth of C. albicans in the kidneys. Sensitization of unirradiated mice with formalin‐fixed C. albicans extended their survival time following lethal i.v. challenge with viable C. albicans. Exposing the mice to UV radiation 5 days before sensitization did not abrogate this beneficial effect of sensitization on survival, even though it significantly reduced the DTH response. Thus, immunity to systemic infection did not depend on the ability of the mice to exhibit a DTH response to C. albicans. The beneficial effect of sensitization on survival after lethal infection was abrogated, however, in mice exposed to UV radiation 1 day before lethal challenge with C. albicans. Furthermore, these mice were unable to contain the progressive growth of C. albicuns in the kidneys, in contrast to sensitized, unirradiated mice. The induction of cutaneous inflammation with turpentine had no effect on the survival rate of mice lethally infected with C. albicans, suggesting that inflammation alone is not sufficient to decrease the survival time of C. albicans‐infected mice.
Overall Safety of Ospemifene in Postmenopausal Women from Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 and 3 Trials

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the safety of daily oral ospemifene 60 mg, estrogen agonist/antagonist, used to treat moderate-to-severe dyspareunia due to postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy, which is part of genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Methods: Post hoc analysis of safety data (treatment-emergent adverse events [TEAEs]) pooled from six phase 2 and 3 randomized, double-blind, multicenter placebo-controlled studies, evaluating the effects of ospemifene 60 mg on the breast, cardiovascular system, and bone in postmenopausal women. Results: At least one TEAE was reported by 67.6% (840/1242) and 54.1% (518/958) of women taking ospemifene 60 mg and placebo, respectively. Most TEAEs were mild or moderate and occurred within 4 to 12 weeks. The most commonly reported TEAEs with ospemifene were hot flush (8.5% vs. 3.3% for placebo) and urinary tract infection (6.5% vs. 4.8%). Discontinuation due to TEAEs was 7.6% with ospemifene and 3.8% with placebo. Most women discontinued treatment due to adverse events (AEs): hot flushes, muscle spasms, headache, and vaginal discharge. Serious AEs occurred infrequently (ospemifene, 2.6%; placebo, 1.8%); most were not considered related to treatment. Breast cancer and other breast-related TEAE incidences were comparable between ospemifene (2.5%) and placebo (2.2%), and cardiovascular TEAE incidence, including deep vein thrombosis, was low with ospemifene (0.3%) and placebo (0.1%). Conclusion: No unexpected safety signals were reported, and discontinuation due to TEAEs was low, with use of ospemifene 60 mg versus placebo in six phase 2 and 3 trials, suggesting a lack of detrimental effects on the breast, bone, and cardiovascular health of postmenopausal women when ospemifene is used to effectively treat moderate-to-severe postmenopausal dyspareunia.
Chronic hepatitis B and C infection in the United States: a review of current guidelines, disease burden and cost effectiveness of screening

ABSTRACT Chronic hepatitis B and C infection are the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver related death in the world and in the United States respectively. Screening guidelines have been developed based on estimated prevalence determined by NHANES data. However, individuals with the most risk of chronic infection (incarcerated, homeless, immigrants, nursing home residents, and hospitalized persons) are underrepresented in this cohort leading to an underestimation of the true prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C infection. This has led to recent updates in the screening guidelines. This review examines the change in the guidelines, the likely true seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus, as well as the burden of chronic infection in this population.
Gendered and 'Ageed' Language and Power Inequalities: An Intersectional Approach

A great deal has been written about the causes of gender inequality, and much of this literature has tackled the role of language as a mechanism of social exclusion. More recent analysis of gender inequalities indicates how vital it is that we understand the impact that different social characteristics, including age, can have simultaneously on a person’s life situation. These factors should be examined together and at the same time, and as such they invite the kind of approach that is made possible by the concept of intersectionality. The aim of this article is to bridge the gap that exists between different streams of research. It approaches the analysis of gender and age from an intersectional perspective. It also draws on work on the reinforcement of gender inequalities through gendered language and engages with research on age-related social inequalities and especially on the specifi c gender bias of ageism and ageist language. We propose that an intersectional approach be brought to bear on the analysis of sexist and ageist language in order to draw these lines of inquiry together. In doing so we hope to contribute to a better understanding of the social position of women and men of different ages and the role of language in reproducing and reinforcing the inequalities of power created by attitudes to differences of gender and age. It is our belief that an intersectional approach has huge potential for future work in gender studies, sociolinguistic theory, and other avenues of research.
Intracranial Hemorrhage Associated With Vitamin K–deficiency Bleeding in Patients With Biliary Atresia: Focus on Long-term Outcomes

Background and Aim: The prophylactic oral administration of vitamin K to newborns has markedly reduced the incidence of vitamin K deficiency (VKD); however, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is still one of the complications found in biliary atresia (BA) patients and is associated with VKD bleeding. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence and long-term outcome of ICH in patients with BA who previously received prophylactic vitamin K during the neonatal period. Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive infants with BA were treated and followed up at Kyushu University Hospital from 1979 to 2009. The clinical records and imaging study results were retrospectively reviewed in the infants with BA who presented with ICH. Results: ICH occurred in 7.95% of patients with BA. The onset of ICH occurred at 47 to 76 days after birth, before the patients underwent surgery for BA (9–37 days after the onset of ICH). Coagulopathy was found upon admission in all of the cases with available data and improved after intravenous administration of vitamin K. A craniotomy was required in 2 cases before the surgery for BA. During the 22 to 278 months of follow-up, some neurologic sequelae persisted in 5 of 7 cases. Follow-up head computed tomography scans showed a low-density area in the left hemisphere in 5 cases. Conclusions: Although vitamin K prophylaxis had been given during the neonatal period, ICH-associated VKD bleeding was still found in 7.95% of patients with BA. Persistent neurologic sequelae were found in 5 of 7 cases, with low-density area in the left hemisphere.
SARS: hospital infection control and admission strategies

Nosocomial clustering with transmission to health care workers, patients and visitors is a prominent feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Hospital outbreaks of SARS typically occurred within the first week after admission of the very first SARS cases when the disease was not recognized and before isolation measures were implemented. In the majority of nosocomial infections, there was a history of close contact with a SARS patient, and transmission occurred via large droplets, direct contact with infectious material or by contact with fomites contaminated by infectious material. In a few instances, potential airborne transmission was reported in association with endotracheal intubation, nebulised medications and non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation of SARS patients. In all SARS‐affected countries, nosocomial transmission of the disease was effectively halted by enforcement of routine standard, contact and droplet precautions in all clinical areas and additional airborne precautions in the high‐risk areas. In Hong Kong, where there are few private rooms for patient isolation, some hospitals have obtained good outcome by having designated SARS teams and separate wards for patient triage, confirmed SARS cases and step‐down of patients in whom SARS had been ruled out. In conclusion, SARS represents one of the new challenges for those who are involved in hospital infection control. As SARS might re‐emerge, all hospitals should take advantage of the current SARS‐free interval to review their infection control programmes, alert mechanisms, response capability and to repair any identified inadequacies.
Monetary policy and price stability in British post-war debate: restatement of evidence from economists’ papers presented to the Radcliffe Committee*

Abstract The article reconstructs the opinions expressed by academic economists in front of the Radcliffe Committee, whose Report was a document of considerable importance for the post-war theory of monetary policy. The Committee provided one of the first official occasions to discuss the nexus between inflation and unemployment in Britain and the role of monetary policy in achieving price stability. Analyzing the Report, the Memoranda and the Minutes of evidence put forth in front of the Committee, the article documents the innovative aspects of the Radcliffe doctrine on monetary issues and its complex connections with Keynesian and Post-Keynesian monetary theory.
Stimulation of autoantibody production in normal blood lymphocytes by malaria culture supernatants

Summary Supernatants from Plasmodium falciparum cultures containing soluble parasite material were mitogenic for normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) in vitro. This was evidenced by blast transformation and significant incorporation of 3H‐thymidine and confirms earlier reports of the mitogenic potential of malaria parasites. Lymphocyte activation by these malaria derived products was polyclonal as demonstrated by increased secretion of IgA, IgG and IgM by the stimulated cells. Using rat tissues and Hep‐2 cells as substrates, autoantibody activity was found in the IgM fraction of the secreted immunoglobulin. Speckled anti‐nuclear (ANA) antibody, anti‐globulins (rheumatoid factor) and anti‐intermediate filament antibodies were produced by the stimulated lymphocytes. No significant immunoglobulin secretion with autoantibody specificity was found in control cultures in which normal MNC were incubated with supernatants from non‐parasitized red cell cultures. The data supports the suggestion that polyclonal lymphocyte activation by parasite derived products occurs in vivo and, in addition, provides an explanation for the presence of autoantibodies in the serum of malaria patients.