Impacts of long-lasting civil conflicts on education: Evidence from the 2014 Census of Myanmar

Geocoded conflict information was combined with the 2014 household census data to study the impact of long-lasting internal conflicts at township level on Myanmar's primary and secondary-level school attendance (i.e., the short-term impact) and years of education (i.e., the long-term impact). The impacts of internal conflicts on school attendance in 2014 were consistently negative. Then, we constructed quasi-panel data for primary-level schooling to find, again, consistently negative impacts of internal conflicts. The results are robust, even if incompleteness of census or migration are taken into account. The estimated magnitudes of the impacts are smaller than those of the findings from other countries: a 10% increase in the number of deaths result in a 0.01% decline in enrollment probability. Finally, we confirmed that exposure to conflicts during age 6-10 years has a negative but insignificant impact on years of education. Gender differences in terms of negative impact are almost negligible. By carefully reviewing previous papers and characteristics of Myanmar’s conflicts up to 2014 with respect to the mechanism of the negative effect of conflict on education, we argue that the small negative impact found in our analysis is due to the long-lasting and low-intensity nature of the conflicts, as well as the fact that schools and social services are provided by military forces. However, it is important to note that our analysis does not include data of the recent violence in Rakhine state

Impacts of long-lasting civil conflicts on education: Evidence from the 2014 Census of Myanmar

Geocoded conflict information was combined with the 2014 household census data to study the impact of long-lasting internal conflicts at township level on Myanmar's primary and secondary-level school attendance (i.e., the short-term impact) and years of education (i.e., the long-term impact). The impacts of internal conflicts on school attendance in 2014 were consistently negative. Then, we constructed quasi-panel data for primary-level schooling to find, again, consistently negative impacts of internal conflicts. The results are robust, even if incompleteness of census or migration are taken into account. The estimated magnitudes of the impacts are smaller than those of the findings from other countries: a 10% increase in the number of deaths result in a 0.01% decline in enrollment probability. Finally, we confirmed that exposure to conflicts during age 6-10 years has a negative but insignificant impact on years of education. Gender differences in terms of negative impact are almost negligible. By carefully reviewing previous papers and characteristics of Myanmar’s conflicts up to 2014 with respect to the mechanism of the negative effect of conflict on education, we argue that the small negative impact found in our analysis is due to the long-lasting and low-intensity nature of the conflicts, as well as the fact that schools and social services are provided by military forces. However, it is important to note that our analysis does not include data of the recent violence in Rakhine state

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging assessment for glossopharyngeal neuralgia : value of three-dimensional T2-reversed MR imaging (3D-T2R) in conjunction with other modes of 3D MR imaging

Background: To retrospectively examine the usefulness of gray-scale reversal imaging of T2-weighted images (3D-T2R) in conjunction with other modes of 3D MRI for preoperative assessments in patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) due to neurovascular compression. Material/Methods: Imaging findings on 3D-T2R, constructive interference in steady state (CISS), and MRA were analyzed with reference to operative charts in 10 patients with GPN. Results: Offending vessels were associated with the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) in 9 of 10 patients (90%). Eight of the 10 patients (80%) had offending vessels located at the supraolivary fossette. Of those eight patients, six (75%) had a shift of the ipsilateral vertebral artery to the affected side. Five (42%) and seven (48%) contact points were associated with the root entry/exit zone and the peripheral nerve system segment, respectively. In six of nine contact points (67%), 3D-T2R demonstrated the pathomorphological features at the contact points better than CISS. Conclusions: The offending vessels were mostly associated with posterior inferior cerebellar arteries, were frequently located at the supraolivary fossette, and had attachments at the root entry/exit zone and at the peripheral segment of the glossopharyngeal nerve, which was well demonstrated on 3D-T2R

Pivotal Role of Dendritic Cell–derived CXCL10 in the Retention of T Helper Cell 1 Lymphocytes in Secondary Lymph Nodes

Various immune diseases are considered to be regulated by the balance of T helper (Th)1 and Th2 subsets. Although Th lymphocytes are believed to be generated in draining lymph nodes (LNs), in vivo Th cell behaviors during Th1/Th2 polarization are largely unexplored. Using a murine granulomatous liver disease model induced by Propionibacterium acnes, we show that retention of Th1 cells in the LNs is controlled by a chemokine, CXCL10/interferon (IFN) inducible protein 10 produced by mature dendritic cells (DCs). Hepatic LN DCs preferentially produced CXCL10 to attract 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)+CD4+ T cells and form clusters with IFN-γ–producing CD4+ T cells by day 7 after antigen challenge. Blockade of CXCL10 dramatically altered the distribution of cluster-forming BrdU+CD4+ T cells. BrdU+CD4+ T cells in the hepatic LNs were selectively diminished while those in the circulation were significantly increased by treatment with anti-CXCL10 monoclonal antibody. This was accompanied by accelerated infiltration of memory T cells into the periphery of hepatic granuloma sites, most of them were in cell cycle and further produced higher amount of IFN-γ leading to exacerbation of liver injury. Thus, mature DC-derived CXCL10 is pivotal to retain Th1 lymphocytes within T cell areas of draining LNs and optimize the Th1-mediated immune responses

Up-regulation of glomerular extracellular matrix and transforming growth factor-βbgr; expression in RF/J mice

Up-regulation of glomerular extracellular matrix and transforming growth factor-βbgr; expression in RF/J mice.BackgroundRF/J mice were first reported as a murine model of spontaneous glomerulosclerosis by Gude and Lupton in 1960, but the precise histologic characteristics and immunopathological background of this mouse have not been investigated further.MethodsMeasurements of serum levels of immunoglobulins, anti-single strand DNA (anti-ss-DNA) antibody, complement (C3), and circulating immune complex (IC) were performed. Analyses of glomerular histological and immunopathological lesions in association with the detection of mRNA expression of collagen IV, TGF-βbgr;, matrix protein turnover related enzymes, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were also performed in young (10-week-old) and elderly (60-week-old) RF/J mice with age-matched BALB/C mice as the controls.ResultsHigh levels of serum IgA and IgG from as early as 20 weeks of age were noted in the RF/J mice. Serum anti-ss-DNA antibody of aged RF/J mice increased up to 23% of that of aged MRL-lpr/lpr mice, and serum C3 concentration significantly decreased with age, reaching lower levels than that of BALB/c mice. IgA-IC levels were significantly high compared to BALB/C mice both in the early and late stages of life, whereas IgG-IC levels were high only in mice younger than 20 weeks. Semiquantitative and quantitative analyzes of renal histopathological findings revealed significantly marked and age-related mesangial matrix expansion in RF/J mice, with increasing frequency of global glomerular sclerosis and tubulointerstitial damage. On the other hand, although precise measurements of glomerular cell numbers also showed an apparent augmentation in both young and old RF/J mice compared to BALB/C mice, glomerular cellularity decreased with age in RF/J mice. Immunohistochemical study revealed massive immunoglobulin deposition from a young age in association with significantly higher accumulation of matrix proteins, such as types I and IV collagen and laminin from the early stage of life. In addition, in these glomeruli, transforming growth factor-βbgr;1 (TGF-βbgr;1) was highly expressed both in young and old mice. The mRNA expression of MMP-2 was up-regulated only in the early stage of life. Although PDGF mRNA of RF/J mice was significantly up-regulated in the early stage of life, the differences between the mice disappeared in the late stage of life.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that in RF/J mice, an immunopathological background inducing high serum immunoglobulin and IC levels from the early stage of life is closely related to mesangioproliferative glomerular lesions mediated by PDGF, and that development of massive extracellular matrix accumulation in glomeruli was induced by up-regulated expression of TGF-βbgr; with inappropriate regulation of protein turnover-related enzyme production

The leech excitatory peptide, a member of the GGNG peptide family: isolation and comparison with the earthworm GGNG peptides

AbstractA member of the GGNG peptide family was isolated from Hirudo nipponia (leech). GGNG peptides had only been isolated previously from earthworms. The C-terminus structure of the leech peptide, LEP (leech excitatory peptide), was –Gly–Gly–Asn–amide, while that of the earthworm peptides, EEP (earthworm excitatory peptide), was –Gly–Gly–Asn–Gly. LEP exerted 1000-fold more potent activities on leech gut than did EEP-2. On the other hand, EEP-2 was 1000-fold more potent than LEP on the crop-gizzard of the earthworm. Analog peptides of LEP and EEP-2 were synthesized, and the myoactive potency of each analog on the leech and earthworm tissues was compared

Mnagement of Information about Advarse Events in Clinical Trials

金沢大学医学部附属病院薬剤