Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Grade of Helicobacter pylori colonisation in relation to gastritis: a six-year population-based follow-up study.

The prevalence and density of Helicobacter pylori (HP) colonisation was assessed twice, with an interval of six years from antral and corpus biopsies from a randomly collected Estonian urban population sample. Positive HP colonisation was found in either at 1st or 2nd or in both examinations in 85 out of 86 subjects in whom gastritis without atrophy (chronic inflammation without atrophic changes, SG) either developed or remained during the follow-up at the SG level. There was a clear intraindividual tendency to keep the grade of HP colonisation at an unchanged level during the follow-up: the hypothesis of random variation of HP colonisation during follow-up could be statistically rejected. Close to half of the subjects had at both examinations an identical grade of HP colonisation in the antral or corpus mucosa. Distinct changes in HP colonisation were observed in three instances: (1) the appearance of HP colonisation occurred concomitantly with appearance of gastritis; (2) the development of antrum atrophic gastritis (AG) occurred with concomitant diminution and eventual disappearance of HP in the antral side, and (3) normalization of antral mucosa occurred with persistence of corpus AG with concomitant disappearance of HP colonisation at both sites of the stomach mucosa. The grade of HP colonisation increased with increase in severity of SG and decreased with the progression of AG changes. In the antrum at the SG level a distinct increase was seen both in the grade of HP colonisation and in the severity of SG up to middle age, but in the corpus mucosa only HP colonisation but no SG progression was seen in the younger age-groups. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effectiveness of School Policies Prohibiting Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Use

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of school policies aimed to reduce adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. More specifically, the study investigated whether more severe school policy measures are related to the increased or decreased instances of overall alcohol and marijuana use on and beyond school grounds among grade 10 and 12 students. I used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS). After controlling for a number of prior measures of environmental and demographic factors that are significant predictors of adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, the school policy measures showed no impact on either alcohol or marijuana use at any level of its consumption. This was true for both grade 10 and grade 12 students. The study’s findings suggest that instead of constructing punitive policy measure, policymakers should develop prevention and intervention programs that more specifically target the needs of adolescents, peers, parents, and teachers.
New development: The protective role of conservatism in public sector accounting

This article picks up a discussion in international business accounting about the appropriate definition and use of conservatism (or prudence) and calls for a similar discussion in public sector accounting. If financial reports present an overly optimistic situation, politicians might use them to justify spending public money that is not there, risking the sustainability of services and ‘borrowing’ from future generations.
Alzheimer's disease is a vasocognopathy: a new term to describe its nature

Abstract Considerable evidence now indicates that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a vascular disorder with neurodegenerative consequences. As a result, AD and vascular dementia (VaD) can each be described as a 'vasocognopathy'. The term better describes the origin of the disease (vaso: vessel/blood flow), its primary effect on a system (-cogno: relating to cognition) and its clinical course (-pathy: disorder). Evidence that AD is a vasocognopathy is partly supported by the following multidisciplinary findings: (1) epidemiologic studies linking AD and vascular risk factors to cerebral hypoperfusion; (2) evidence that AD and vascular dementia (VaD) share practically all reported risk factors; (3) evidence that pharmacotherapy which increases or improves cerebral perfusion lowers AD symptoms; (4) evidence of preclinical detection of AD candidates using regional cerebral perfusion and glucose uptake studies; (5) evidence of overlapping clinical symptoms in AD and VaD; (6) evidence of parallel cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative pathologic markers (including plaques and tangles) in AD and VaD; (7) evidence that cerebral infarction increases AD incidence by 50%; (8) evidence that chronic brain hypoperfusion can trigger hypometabolic, cognitive and neurodegenerative changes typical of AD; (9) evidence that most autopsied AD brains contain cerebrovascular pathology; (10) evidence that mild cognitive impairment (a transition stage for AD) converts to AD or VaD in 48% and 56% of cases, respectively, within several years. The collective evidence presented here poses a powerful argument for the re-classification of AD as a vascular disorder. Re-classification would allow a new strategy that could result in the tactical development and application of genuinely effective treatments, provide earlier diagnosis and reduce AD prevalence by focusing on the root of the problem.
Politics or Economics? International Migration during the Nicaraguan Contra War

The issue of whether Central Americans in the United States are ‘political’ or ‘economic’ migrants has been widely debated, yet little empirical research has informed the controversy. Earlier studies have relied primarily on cross-sectional aggregate data. In order to overcome these limitations we draw on recent surveys conducted in five Nicaraguan communities by the Latin American Migration Project. Using retrospective data, we reconstruct a history of a family's migration to the United States and Costa Rica from the date of household formation to the survey date and link these data to national-level data on GDP and Contra War violence. While out migration to both Costa Rica and the United States is predicted by economic trends, US-bound migration was more strongly linked to the level of Contra War violence independent of economic motivations, especially in an interactive model that allows for a higher wartime effect of social networks. We conclude that elevated rates of Nicaraguan migration to the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s were a direct result of the US-Contra intervention. The approach deployed here – which relates to the timing of migration decisions to macro-level country trends – enables us to address the issue of political versus economic motivations for migration with more precision than prior work.
The prevalence and factors associated with aspirin resistance in patients premedicated with aspirin

Objective Aspirin is a key drug used in treating patients with a high risk to develop stroke, myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular events. However, a considerable fraction of the patients develops aspirin resistance, which is a multi-factorial process that can occur due to patient’s non-compliance, improper dosing, other co-morbidities or drug-drug interactions. This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and factors associated with aspirin resistance among Jordanians. Methods The study was performed on a sample of 418 adult patients who were taking aspirin as an antiplatelet agent. To determine aspirin resistance, platelet function was assessed using a multiplate analyzer. Results Data shows that about 18.7% (78) of the patients were aspirin resistant. Aspirin resistance was associated with female gender (P < 0.05) and was higher among diabetic subjects (P < 0.05). Statins use was correlated with improved aspirin response (P < 0.05). No association was found between aspirin response and: age, body mass index, education, smoking status, family history of cardiovascular disease, aspirin dose and duration of aspirin use (P > 0.05). In addition, aspirin resistance was not related to parameters such as HbA1c and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), comorbidities including dyslipidaemia, and hypertension, and concurrent use of other medications such as beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (P > 0.05). Conclusion The incidence of aspirin resistance is high in the Jordanian population. Aspirin resistance is associated with female gender and diabetes. On the other hand, the use of statins improves response to aspirin.
The effect of periodontal therapy on lymphocyte blastogenesis to plaque associated microorganisms.

Dental Research Institute and Departments of Oral Biology and Periodontics, Schoo! of Dentistry and theDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Schoo! of Medicine, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,Michigan, U.S.A.The effect of clinical treatment on the in vitro lymphocyte blastogenic response to a panel of dentalplaque-associated microorganisms, as well as non-oral antigens, was assessed longitudinally in a groupof twenty-three patients during treatment for periodontitis. The patients' blastogenic response to thenon-oral antigens remained constant, without significant change, throughout the three year study.Following scaling, root planning, and ora! hygiene instruction {hygiene phase), an increased blastogenicresponse to the plaque-associated stimulants {except B. gingivalis) was observed. Responses measuredafter periodontal surgery and one year following the hygiene phase (first maintenance year) were lowerthan pretreatment values. Between the first and second yearly maintenance phase evaluations there wasa significant increase in the blastogenic response to A. viscosus. B. gingivalis. and F. nucleatum. Thus,periodontal therapy initially resulted in a reduction of plaque antigen-induced lymphocyteblastogenesis. However, the responses increased again with time in the absence of deteriorating clinicalparameters,(Accepted for publication August 19, 1982)
Projective Windows: Arranging Windows in Space Using Projective Geometry

In augmented and virtual reality, there may be many 3D planar windows with 2D texts, images, and videos on them. Projective Windows is a technique using projective geometry to bring any near or distant window instantly to the fingertip and then to scale and position it simultaneously with a single, continuous flow of hand motion.
Intraoperative Transcranial Ultrasonic Monitoring for Cardiac and Vascular Surgery

The brain is the only organ not routinely monitored by any direct method during the administration of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists rely primarily on indirect physiologic evidence provided by blood pressure, peripheral pulse oximetry, heart rate, and respiratory and anesthetic gas concentrations to determine that brain blood flow and oxygenation are adequate. The reasons for this practice are that: (1) after millions of anesthetics significant numbers of adverse neurologic outcomes have not occurred, (2) the interpretation of transcranial Doppler, electroencephalogram, and near-infrared cerebral oximetry requires experienced personnel, and (3) the evidence of cost-benefit to support monitoring is limited. Brain monitoring generally has been confined to procedures where the brain is exposed to unique insults and risks specific to the procedures and where reliance on indirect physiologic evidence of cerebral integrity has been proven to be unreliable. Transcranial Doppler monitoring is valuable in the assessment of established surgical techniques, refinement of recent surgical techniques, and development of new techniques and instrumentation. Brain monitoring with transcranial Doppler is of particular value when deviations from established surgical or anesthetic techniques may place the brain at risk for cerebral hyper-or hypoperfusion, gaseous or particulate embolization, or their combined effects. This paper discusses applications of transcranial Doppler in coronary artery bypass surgery, aortic arch procedures, pediatric cardiac surgery, carotid endarterectomy, and a few other special cases. The insight into cerebral physiology is unique to the continuous window on the brain that transcranial Doppler provides.
The Use of a Computerized ECG Interpretation System in an Epidemiologic Study))

ECG tracings of 10,059 men aged 40 and over first participating in 1963 in the Israel Ischemic Heart Disease Project were interpreted by computer at the Instrumentation Field Station in Washington. The computer, using criteria developed by the Field Station, reported a high prevalence of ischemic heart disease. Computer interpretation of a sample group of ECGs was compared with that of a group of cardiologists using the same criteria. It was concluded that a computer diagnosis of normal could be accepted, but those readings denoted as abnormal by the computer had to be reinterpreted by cardiologists using uniform criteria that were modified as a result of their combined clinical experience. The final analysis of these tracings together with a sample of computer normals showed a much lower prevalence of ischemic heart disease. Differences between magnetic and standard ECG tracings are described and the advantages of computer interpretation indicated.
Enhanced Expression of Osteocalcin mRNA in Human Osteoarthritic Trabecular Bone of the Proximal Femur Is Associated with Decreased Expression of Interleukin‐6 and Interleukin‐11 mRNA

Few studies have investigated the factors or mechanisms that may lead to structural changes in OA bone. This study examines the in vivo expression of messenger RNA encoding the osteoclastogenic cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and interleukin‐11 (IL‐11), together with the osteoblastic marker osteocalcin (OCN) and the calcitonin receptor (CTR), which in bone is exclusively expressed by osteoclasts. Total RNA was isolated from intertrochanteric trabecular bone from OA patients, and from controls taken at autopsy. The patterns of mRNA expression of IL‐6, IL‐11, OCN, and CTR were examined using reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) by determining the relative ratios of the amplified products with respect to glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Both IL‐6 and IL‐11 mRNA were significantly less abundant in OA than in the control group. Expression of IL‐11 mRNA decreased significantly with age for both groups. OCN mRNA expression was significantly more abundant in OA, and there was no significant difference for CTR mRNA between the two groups. For both OCN and CTR in OA, expression increased significantly with increasing age. These differences in expression between the OA and control groups are consistent with an hypothesis that biochemical and genetic factors in bone can contribute or perhaps underlie the degenerative joint changes seen in OA. (J Bone Miner Res 2000;15:332–341)
Identifying Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in Online Shopping

Online shopping is a widespread and popular phenomenon today. Both academia and practitioners are increasingly interested in identifying the factors that affect customer satisfaction in online shopping. In this study, 339 responses were received and subsequently analyzed. We determined conclusively that customer satisfaction is positively related to customer perceived value towards the shopping experience. The results also confirm that customer perceived value is positively correlated with the information quality, trustworthiness, and service quality of the e-Commerce website. Website quality is not a concern that arises unexpectedly.
Clinical Significance of Serum Cytokine Measurements in Untreated Colorectal Cancer Patients: Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Type I – An Independent Prognostic Factor

The aim of this study was to exploit the potential clinical use of circulating cytokine measurements in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The levels of cytokines and cytokine receptors were assessed by ELISA in the sera of 50 healthy volunteers and 157 patients with previously untreated CRC and then related to clinicopathological features and prognosis. All tumors were verified histologically as colorectal adenocarcinomas and staged according to TNM classification. The levels of circulating interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) significantly increased with the clinical stage of CRC, and the levels of IL-6, soluble tumor necrosis factor (sTNF) receptor type I (RI), soluble interleukin 2 receptor α and TNFα with tumor grade, while IL-6, IL-8, M-CSF, IL-1ra and sTNF RI levels significantly rose with bowel wall invasion. None of the cytokine or soluble cytokine receptor levels were influenced by age, gender and colon versus rectum localization. sTNF RI, IL-8, IL-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor measurements demonstrated the highest diagnostic sensitivity. sTNF RI was found elevated in the greatest percentage of all CRC patients, in the greatest proportion of stage I patients and presented the best diagnostic sensitivity. In addition, the sTNF RI level strongly correlated with tumor grade and invasion and proved to be an independent prognostic factor.
Immunohistochemistry of Pneumocystis carinii infection.

Pneumocystis carinii is the pre-eminent pulmonary pathogen and leading cause of death in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The diagnosis of this organism depends upon the morphologic demonstration of the cyst wall, trophozoite, or sporozoite in specimens from the lower respiratory tract. A variety of histochemical stains have been used to identify P. carinii, each with considerable limitations in specificity. Extrapulmonary spread and unusually destructive pulmonary patterns associated with P. carinii, although once considered rare, are seen occasionally in patients with AIDS. Traditional stains have proven to be less reliable in extrapulmonary sites. In 13 patients with AIDS, we stained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded autopsy lung and other visceral organ sections using monoclonal antibody 3F6 (Dako, Santa Barbara, CA) to P. carinii. The antibody stained P. carinii in the lungs of seven patients with P. carinii pneumonia by Gomori methenamine silver stain (GMS). Numerous aggregates of P. carinii cysts were marked within alveoli, as is usually seen with other stains. No antibody staining was present in autopsy lung sections from non-AIDS patients with viral, fungal, or bacterial pneumonia. Clinically occult extrapulmonary P. carinii infection was seen in 4/7 (57%) patients with P. carinii pneumonia at autopsy. Monoclonal antibody to P. carinii stained organisms in all four (100%) patients with disseminated disease, as compared with 1/4 (25%) staining with GMS. Antibody staining of P. carinii was demonstrated in sections of thyroid, adrenal, and carinal lymph node (one patient), esophagus (one patient), kidney (one patient), and heart, thyroid, kidney, adrenal, liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen, and bone marrow (one patient). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Potential for new technologies in clinical practice.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Cost-effective neurorehabilitation is essential owing to financial constraints on healthcare resources. Technologies have the potential to contribute but without strong clinical evidence are unlikely to be widely reimbursed. This review presents evidence of new technologies since 2008 and identifies barriers to translation of technologies into clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS Technology has not been shown to be superior to intensively matched existing therapies. Research has been undertaken into the development and preliminary clinical testing of novel technologies including robotics, electrical stimulation, constraint-induced movement therapy, assistive orthoses, noninvasive brain stimulation, virtual reality and gaming devices. Translation of the research into clinical practice has been impeded by a lack of robust evidence of clinical effectiveness and usability. Underlying mechanisms associated with recovery are beginning to be explored, which may lead to more targeted interventions. Improvements in function have been demonstrated beyond the normal recovery period, but few trials demonstrate lasting effects. SUMMARY Technologies, alone or combined, may offer a cost-effective way to deliver intensive neurorehabilitation therapy in clinical and community environments, and have the potential to empower patients to take more responsibility for their rehabilitation and continue with long-term exercise.
The lupus autoantigens and the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Thus, the nucleosome, the U1 snRNP, and the Ro scRNP appear to elicit hierarchies of antibodies in patients with SLE, just as any complex foreign protein might do when injected into an experimental animal. There must be a permissive factor in operation that allows these normally weak antigens (the great paradox of SLE! ) to escape tolerance mechanisms. That factor could be an exogenous agent, such as a chemical that structurally alters selected macromolecules. Such a mechanism seems likely in patients with drug-induced lupus in whom autoimmune responses are focused against the same histone epitopes that are recognized by sera from patients with spontaneous SLE. Alternatively, foreign substances may elicit cross-reactive antibodies that recognize "self" determinants, or endogenous metabolic disturbances might enhance exposure of selected macromolecules to the immune system. In any case, it now seems clear that the result in SLE patients is autoimmunity with a repetitive focus. Future research should concentrate on the 3 particles described here in order to identify common denominators that set them apart from other cellular elements and which predispose them to a role as autoantigens, to determine the extent to which these particles make contact with the immune system, and to learn how structural, humoral, or metabolic alterations might predispose individuals to respond to them immunologically.
Schwann Cell‐Derived Desert Hedgehog Signals Nerve Sheath Formation

ABSTRACT: Reciprocal signaling between axons and Schwann cells during development is well established. The contribution of Schwann cells to the formation and maintenance of the protective nerve sheaths (endo‐, peri‐, and epineurium) has been less studied. Although mesenchymal cells contribute to all these structures, only perineurial cells contribute to the diffusion barrier between nerves and surrounding tissues. During development, prospective perineurial cells shift from a mesenchymal to epithelial phenotype, forming concentric layers of cells around the nerve fascicles that collectively form a barrier against unwanted molecules and cellular infiltration. We have studied the role of Schwann cells in the formation and maintenance of this barrier. The signaling molecule Desert hedgehog is expressed in Schwann cell precursors, and in Schwann cells until at least postnatal day 10, while its receptor patched is seen in mesenchymal cells surrounding the developing nerve at embryo day 15. In Desert hedgehog knockout mice, the connective tissue sheaths in adult nerves appear highly abnormal by electron microscopy. There is almost no epineurium, and the perineurium is thin and highly abnormal. In addition, perineurial‐like cells invade the endoneurial space, forming mini‐fascicles around small bundles of nerve fibers similar to those seen in regenerating nerves. Functional tests reveal that the diffusion and cellular infiltration barrier is compromised, demonstrating that Desert hedgehog signaling from Schwann cells to the mesenchyme is involved in the formation of a morphologically and functionally normal perineurium.