Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in analgesic exposures reported to Texas Poison Centers following increased regulation of hydrocodone

Abstract Context: In October 2014, the Drug Enforcement Administration reclassified hydrocodone to schedule II, increasing regulations on use. The impact of rescheduling hydrocodone on opioid exposures is unclear, especially in states with special restrictions required for prescribing schedule II agents. Objective: To assess whether changes in exposures to prescription opioid analgesics and heroin as reported to poison centers occurred in the 6 months after hydrocodone rescheduling. We hypothesized that hydrocodone exposures would decrease, while less tightly regulated opioids, such as codeine and tramadol, would increase. Materials and methods: This study compares opioid analgesic exposures reported to Texas Poison Centers before and after this change in a state that requires special prescription pads for Schedule II agents. Cases included all opioid analgesic exposures reported to a statewide poison center network, comparing exposures from 6 months before to 6 months after heightened regulations. Specific opioids with large changes in reported exposures were further characterized by patient age and exposure intent. Results: Hydrocodone exposures decreased from 1567 to 1135 (28%, p = 0.00017), decreasing for all ages. Codeine exposures increased significantly from 189 to 522 (176%, p = 0.00014), including a 263% increase for age >20 years. Codeine misuse increased 443% and adverse drug events 327%. Oxycodone exposures increased from 134 to 189 (39%, p = 0.0143), increasing only among patients age >20 years. Reported heroin exposures increased from 156 to 179 (15%, p = 0.2286) and tramadol from 666 to 708 (6%, p = 0.0193). Other opioid exposures changed little or had limited reports. Discussion: The increased regulation of hydrocodone was followed temporally by a decrease in reported hydrocodone exposures, but also increases in codeine, oxycodone and tramadol exposures. This may reflect a shift in prescribing practices, changes in street availability of hydrocodone or decreased drug diversion. Conclusion: The increased regulation was temporally associated with decreased hydrocodone exposures reported to Texas Poison Centers.
Neuropathological Characteristics of Brachial Plexus Avulsion Injury With and Without Concomitant Spinal Cord Injury

Neonatal brachial plexus avulsion injury (BPAI) commonly occurs as a consequence of birth trauma and can result in lifetime morbidity; however, little is known regarding the evolving neuropathological processes it induces. In particular, mechanical forces during BPAI can concomittantly damage the spinal cord and may contribute to outcome. Here, we describe the functional and neuropathological outcome following BPAI, with or without spinal cord injury, in a novel pediatric animal model. Twenty-eight-day-old piglets underwent unilateral C5–C7 BPAI with and without limited myelotomy. Following avulsion, all animals demonstrated right forelimb monoparesis. Injury extending into the spinal cord conferred greater motor deficit, including long tract signs. Consistent with clinical observations, avulsion with myelotomy resulted in more severe neuropathological changes with greater motor neuron death, progressive axonopathy, and persistent glial activation. These data demonstrate neuropathological features of BPAI associated with poor functional outcome. Interestingly, in contrast to adult small animal models of BPAI, a degree of motor neuron survival was observed, even following severe injury in this neonatal model. If this is also the case in human neonatal BPAI, repair may permit functional restoration. This model also provides a clinically relevant platform for exploring the complex postavulsion neuropathological responses that may inform therapeutic strategies.
PTPN9 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in Eca109 cells and is negatively regulated by microRNA-126

Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9), also named PTP-MEG2, is an important member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family that is involved in variety of human diseases. However, the role of PTPN9 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains to be established. The present evaluated the potential effect and underlying mechanism of action of PTPN9 in ESCC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect PTPN9 protein expression in 84 ESCC tumor specimens and 30 normal esophageal tissues. The association between positive expression of PTPN9 and clinicopathological features and prognosis was analyzed. The prognostic role of PTPN9 was further investigated using multivariate regression analysis. PTPN9-small interfering RNA and microRNA (miR-126)-mimics were transfected into Eca109 cells to construct PTPN9 silencing and an miR-126 ectopic expression cell model. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, cell counting kit-8, Transwell assays and flow cytometry were used to investigate the role of PTPN9 in the process of ESCC progression and its potential downstream signaling pathway. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PTPN9 was upregulated in ESCC tumor specimens compared with normal esophageal tissues. The χ2 test indicated that positive expression of PTPN9 was correlated with tumor node metastasis stage, tumor classification and node classification. Patients with PTPN9 positive expression had shorter survival time, compared with those that were PTPN9 negative. Multivariate regression analysis with the Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that PTPN9 expression was a prognostic factor of overall survival for patients with ESCC. Using RNA interference, the present study demonstrated that knockdown of PTPN9 significantly suppressed cell proliferation and invasion in Eca109. Additionally, it was hypothesized that miR-126, described as a tumor suppressor in ESCC, may act at least in part via its inhibition of PTPN9 at the post-transcriptional level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that PTPN9 is overexpressed in ESCC and associated with poor survival, and may therefore be important in the pathogenesis of ESCC.
Resolution of causality violation in the classical radiation reaction.

We show that the usual derivations of the Lorentz-Dirac equation are not valid at points where the charge's path is a nonanalytic function of time, and that such points inevitably appear when the applied force is freely alterable in the future, i.e., when one considers questions of causality. This enables us to avoid causality violation in classical radiation reaction, making the usual hedge of quantum effects at small distances quite unnecessary
Corporate Cash Holdings and Ownership Structure: A Quantile Regression Analysis

This study examines the impact of ownership structure on firm cash policy in varying cash holding regimes, using 131 Jordanian nonfinancial firms listed on Amman Stock Exchange for the period 2005-2013. This study allows for the possibility that the impact of explanatory variables can vary for different levels of cash holdings by utilizing a quantile regression estimation method. Specifically, in this study we argue that the impact of ownership concentration will differ according to the examined quantile. Controlling shareholders are expected to overinvest in liquid assets that are not subject to market discipline and are less costly to turn into private benefits compared to other assets. However, the ability of controlling shareholders to do so may be affected by the level of cash holdings. Therefore, the positive association between cash holdings and ownership is expected to be elevated in high cash holding firms. The findings of this study showed that in estimation methods that focus on the central tendency of the distribution, ownership is not significantly related to cash holdings. However, in a quantile regression model, the findings demonstrated that ownership becomes more positive and significant in upper quantiles.
A network-centric approach for access and interface selection in heterogeneous wireless environments

In this paper, we introduce a network-based approach for access and interface selection (AIS) in the context of resource management in heterogeneous wireless environments (UMTS, WLAN and DVB-T). We focus on the optimization of resource utilization, while ensuring acceptable quality of service (QoS) provision to the end users. Our objective is to optimally manage the overall system resources and minimize the possibility of QoS handovers (non-mobility handovers). The adopted architecture applies to typical heterogeneous environments and network entities (Access Routers) are enhanced with extra functionalities. We propose an AIS algorithm that exploits the multihoming concept and globally manages network resources at both radio access and IP backbone networks. The algorithm can estimate near-optimal solutions in real time and we also introduce a novel triggering policy. We present simulation results of typical scenarios that demonstrate the advantages of our approach. System performance metrics, derived from the simulations, show minimum degradations in high load and congestion situations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effect of Executive Management Support and Cost Accountant Competency on CMS Design Effectiveness and Its Consequences: An Empirical Research of Manufacturing Business in Thailand

The objective of this research is to examine the antecedents and consequences of cost management systems (CMS) design effectiveness of manufacturing businesses in Thailand. The effect of CMS design effectiveness on cost information quality is investigated. Moreover, the effect of cost information quality on business success is investigated. Furthermore, executive management support and cost accountant competency are assumed to become the antecedents of CMS design effectiveness. Electronics manufacturing businesses in Thailand are samples of the research. A mail survey procedure via the questionnaire was used for data collection from accounting controllers. The results indicate that CMS design effectiveness has a positive significant effect on cost information quality. Moreover, cost information quality also has a positive significant effect on business success. Additionally, both executive management support and cost accountant competency have a positive significant effect on CMS design effectiveness.
Does the Framing of Patient Cost-Sharing Incentives Matter? The Effects of Deductibles vs. No-Claim Refunds

Understanding how health care utilization responds to cost-sharing is of central importance for providing high quality care and limiting the growth of costs. We study whether the framing of cost-sharing incentives has an effect on health care utilization. For this we make use of a policy change in the Netherlands. Until 2007, patients received a refund if they consumed little or no health care; the refund was the lower the more care they had consumed. From 2008 onward, there was a deductible. This means that very similar economic incentives were first framed in terms of smaller gains and later as losses. We find that patients react to incentives much more strongly when they are framed in terms of losses. The effect on yearly spending is 8.6 percent. This suggests that discussions on the optimal design of cost-sharing incentives should also revolve around the question how these are presented to patients.
Barrels and septa: Separate circuits in rat barrel field cortex

The neural circuitry within sensory cortex determines its functional properties, and different solutions have evolved for integrating the activity that arises from an array of sensory inputs to cortex. In rodent, circumscribed receptors, such as whiskers, are represented in somatic sensory (S‐I) cortex in islands of cells in layer IV called “barrels” surrounded by narrow channels that separate barrels called “septa. ” These two cortical domains were previously shown to receive sensory inputs through parallel subcortical pathways. Here, by using small biocytin injections, we demonstrate that distinct intrinsic and corticocortical circuitries arise from barrel and septal columns. The intracortical S‐I projections originating from barrel columns are rather short‐ranged, terminating for the most part within the far boundaries of the most immediate neighboring barrel columns, whereas corticocortical projections reach the second somatosensory (S‐II) cortex. In contrast, the intrinsic projections arising from septal columns extend two to three barrels' distance along the row of whisker representation, producing terminals preferentially in other septal columns. Septal corticocortical projections terminate in the dysgranular cortex anterior to E‐row barrels and in the posteromedial parietal cortex in addition to S‐II. Whereas layer IV barrels are largely isolated from lateral connections, septa are the main conduits of intracortical projections arising from neighboring barrel and septal columns. These results indicate that the two subcortical pathways from whiskers to cortex continue as two distinct partially segregated pathways in cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 408:489–505, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hypertension and Risk of Stroke Recurrence

Background and Purpose Hypertension is a risk factor for initial stroke, but its relation to stroke recurrence is unclear. Therefore, we sought to analyze the effect of hypertension and its control on risk of stroke recurrence. Methods Within 1 month of onset, a population-based cohort of 662 patients from the Lehigh Valley with an initial stroke were enrolled. Hypertension was determined at enrollment by history. Blood pressure was also measured at enrollment and at each follow-up at 4- to 6-month intervals for up to 48 months (mean, 24 months). Stroke recurrence was verified by history, examination, and review of medical reports. Various criteria for control of blood pressure were defined. History of hypertension, measured blood pressure, and its control were analyzed in relation to stroke recurrence frequency using Kaplan-Meier and univariate, multivariate, and time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Results At enrollment, 59.4% of the cohort had a history of hypertension and 81 patients had a second stroke. Those with a history of hypertension had a significantly higher stroke recurrence rate than those without such a history (P=.01). Among those with measured diastolic blood pressure at enrollment ≥95 mm Hg, 43% had a stroke recurrence by the end of the study compared with only 19% below this cutoff (P=.005). Recurrence risk was reduced in a multivariate analysis as quality of diastolic blood pressure control increased (relative risk=8.4, 3.9, and 2.0 among those with poor, fair, and good control, respectively, compared with nonhypertensive subjects). Systolic blood pressure and its control appeared less or not significantly associated with stroke recurrence. Conclusions History of hypertension and elevated measured diastolic pressure after the initial stroke were associated with an increased risk of second stroke. Controlling diastolic pressure substantially reduced this risk.
The Rainbow Scale for Assessing Breast Ptosis: Validation of Three Different Views.

BACKGROUND Photographic scales have become an increasingly used tool in objectively assessing outcomes in aesthetic surgery. However, no online photographic scale for assessing breast ptosis has been developed yet that is readily available. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to validate the online Rainbow Scale for the assessment of breast ptosis for the anterior-posterior (AP), lateral, and oblique views. METHODS For the five grades of the Rainbow Scale format, standardized reference photographs were selected. Six plastic surgeons rated 15 photographs for each view three times. Intra- and inter-observer agreements were calculated by using the weighted kappa coefficient and differences in intra- and inter-observer agreements between the three views were assessed for statistical significance using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS The mean intra-observer agreements were 0.91 (range, 0.82-0.98) for the AP view, 0.88 (range, 0.77-1.00) for the oblique view, and 0.86 (range, 0.74-0.97) for the lateral view and did not vary significantly between all three views. The mean inter-observer agreements were 0.88 (range, 0.77-0.95) for the AP view, 0.84 (range, 0.72-0.94) for the oblique view, and 0.82 (range, 0.58-0.95) for the lateral view. The mean inter-observer agreements of the AP view varied significantly from the oblique view (P = .012) and the lateral view (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS The Rainbow Scale for breast ptosis has been validated for the AP view, the lateral view, and the oblique view and is reproducible and reliable for the assessment of breast ptosis in three different views in an online setup. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Diagnostic.
A class of location-independent variability orders, with applications

Li and Shaked (2007) introduced the family of generalized total time on test transform (TTT) stochastic orders, which is parameterized by a real function h that can be used to capture the preferences of a decision maker. It is natural to look for properties of these orders when there is an uncertainty in determining the appropriate function h. In this paper we study these orders when h is nondecreasing. We note that all these orders are location independent, and we characterize the dispersive order, and the location-independent riskier order, by means of the generalized TTT orders with nondecreasing h. Further properties, which strengthen known properties of the dispersive order, are given. A useful nontrivial closure property of the generalized TTT orders with nondecreasing h is obtained. Applications in poverty comparisons, risk management, and reliability theory are described.
Comparison between nurses' professional needs and their perceptions of their job.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine how nurses' professional needs were met in nursing practice. DESIGN A survey design was used in this study. SETTING Data were collected from one metropolitan public hospital, one rural public hospital, and from postgraduate students in diploma/certificate course at a university in Victoria. SUBJECTS Participants consisted of 346 registered nurses (RNs), who had completed either a three-year nursing diploma or a degree course, and were working in hospitals at the time of the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Nurses' need to obtain professional rewards, challenges and support for their performance were compared with their perception of how their work environment actually reinforced those needs. In addition, desired nursing roles were compared with perceptions of actual roles carried out in practice. RESULTS The findings suggest there is a mismatch between nurses' professional needs and the intrinsic/extrinsic rewards they receive for their performance. There is also a mismatch between their desired nursing role and actual roles in practice. These mismatches are prominent in areas such as participation in policy decision-making, professional recognition and opportunity to earn a higher income. CONCLUSION The findings suggest there is a mismatch between nurses' professional needs and their actual nursing practice. As these mismatches may negatively impact upon nurses' work behaviour, it is important to reduce the gap between professional needs and the experience of actual nursing practice.
On terrorist attacks in Nigeria: Stance and engagement in conversations on Nairaland

Terrorist attacks in Nigeria have generated a huge body of conversations and debates on the Internet. This study investigates the contents of these online conversations on Nairaland and how such conversations exhibit stance and civic engagement in response to the attacks. Nairaland is an online community and public space that serves as a meeting place for Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who constantly follow-up on the events in Nigeria and participate in political debates about the country. This study argues that the frequent negative evaluations of Boko Haram and the attribution of the activities to Islam and the consistent constructions of northern Nigeria as ‘violent people’ and Islam as an ‘evil’ religion in Nairaland are potential to further worsen religious and ethnic relations in Nigeria.
Angiogenin-Cleaved tRNA Halves Interact with Cytochrome c, Protecting Cells from Apoptosis during Osmotic Stress

ABSTRACT Adaptation to changes in extracellular tonicity is essential for cell survival. However, severe or chronic hyperosmotic stress induces apoptosis, which involves cytochrome c (Cyt c) release from mitochondria and subsequent apoptosome formation. Here, we show that angiogenin-induced accumulation of tRNA halves (or tiRNAs) is accompanied by increased survival in hyperosmotically stressed mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Treatment of cells with angiogenin inhibits stress-induced formation of the apoptosome and increases the interaction of small RNAs with released Cyt c in a ribonucleoprotein (Cyt c-RNP) complex. Next-generation sequencing of RNA isolated from the Cyt c-RNP complex reveals that 20 tiRNAs are highly enriched in the Cyt c-RNP complex. Preferred components of this complex are 5′ and 3′ tiRNAs of specific isodecoders within a family of isoacceptors. We also demonstrate that Cyt c binds tiRNAs in vitro, and the pool of Cyt c-interacting RNAs binds tighter than individual tiRNAs. Finally, we show that angiogenin treatment of primary cortical neurons exposed to hyperosmotic stress also decreases apoptosis. Our findings reveal a connection between angiogenin-generated tiRNAs and cell survival in response to hyperosmotic stress and suggest a novel cellular complex involving Cyt c and tiRNAs that inhibits apoptosome formation and activity.
Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access and Artificial-Noise Aided Secure Transmission in FD Relay Networks

In this paper, we investigate an artificial-noise (AN) aided secure transmission for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) full-duplex (FD) relay network. We propose a novel joint NOMA and AN-aided full-duplex relay (NOMA-ANFDR) scheme to enhance the physical security. In this scheme, the optimal power allocation between the information and the AN signal is determined such that the capacity of the two end-to-end (i.e., two source-relay-destination pairs) channel are maximized to ensure the highest quality of cooperative transmission. To fully examine the benefits of the NOMA-ANFDR scheme, we derive a new closed-form expression for the secrecy outage probability.We show that the NOMA-ANFDR scheme significantly outperforms the joint NOMA and AN in half-duplex relay (NOMA-ANHDR) scheme as well as the NOMA-HDR scheme in terms of minimum secrecy outage probability and effect secrecy throughout. This result indicates that adopting the joint of FD and AN technique at relays can effectively enhance the physical layer secrecy performance in the NOMA cooperative network.