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Prevalence of mental health difficulties is demonstrably higher in prison rather than general populations. Compounding this, prisoners often display a reluctance to seek help, which can undermine rehabilitation. Recent years has seen an increase in studies exploring the factors involved in help‐seeking behaviours amongst prisoners. However, many of these studies come from different disciplines and do not use an overarching theoretical approach. Consequently, policymakers face a difficult task of synthesising and interpreting the findings from different perspectives. Using a deductive thematic analysis informed by a social identity framework, this current study aims to synthesis the existing research and provide an overarching theoretical perspective. Eleven databases were systematically searched for studies exploring help‐seeking behaviours in prisoners with mental health difficulties. Results indicate that prisons represent sites of enactment of a specific institutionalised identity that inhibits help‐seeking behaviour. Three themes relating to (1) the maintenance of positive group identity, (2) 'us' and 'them', and (3) inhibiting prison context were identified. This review provides an overarching coherent narrative of the experiences and perspectives of prisoners help‐seeking behaviour. This can enable policymakers develop theory‐based approaches to support this vulnerable cohort. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1991, Roth introduced a natural generalization of rank-metric codes, namely, tensor codes. The latter are defined to be subspaces of r-tensors, where the ambient space is endowed with the tensor rank as a distance function. In this work, we describe the general class of tensor codes and we study their invariants corresponding to different families of anticodes. In our context, an anticode is a perfect space that has some additional properties. A perfect space is one that is spanned by tensors of rank 1. Our use of the anticode concept is motivated by an interest in capturing structural properties of tensor codes. In particular, we indentify four different classes of tensor anticodes and show how these gives different information on the codes they describe. We also define the binomial moments and the weight distribution of a code with respect to a family of anticodes and establish a bijection between these invariants. We use the binomial moments to define the concept of a binomial moment determined code, which is an extremal code in relation to an inequality arising from them. Finally, we give MacWilliams identities for binomial moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large matrix multiplications commonly take place in large-scale machine-learning applications. Often, the sheer size of these matrices prevent carrying out the multiplication at a single server. Therefore, these operations are typically offloaded to a distributed computing platform with a master server and a large amount of workers in the cloud, operating in parallel. For such distributed platforms, it has been recently shown that coding over the input data matrices can reduce the computational delay by introducing a tolerance against straggling workers, i.e., workers for which execution time significantly lags with respect to the average. In addition to exact recovery, we impose a security constraint on both matrices to be multiplied. Specifically, we assume that workers can collude and eavesdrop on the content of these matrices. For this problem, we introduce a new class of polynomial codes with fewer non-zero coefficients than the degree +1. We provide closed-form expressions for the recovery threshold and show that our construction improves the recovery threshold of existing schemes in the literature, in particular for larger matrix dimensions and a moderate to large number of colluding workers. In the absence of any security constraints, we show that our construction is optimal in terms of recovery threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic disease, which progresses slowly from early to late stages over many years. Inflammation critically contributes to the pathogenesis of AMD. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of minocycline in a chronic model of AMD (i.e., the LysMCre-Socs3fl/flCx3cr1gfp/gfp double knockout [DKO] mice). Five-month-old DKO and wild type (WT) (Socs3fl/fl) mice were gavage fed with minocycline (25 mg/kg daily) or vehicle (distilled water) for 3 months. At the end of the treatment, visual function and retinal changes were examined clinically (using electroretinography, fundus photograph and optic coherence tomography) and immunohistologically. Three months of minocycline treatment did not affect the body weight, behaviour and general health of WT and DKO mice. Minocycline treatment enhanced the a-/b-wave aptitudes and increased retinal thickness in both WT and DKO. DKO mouse retina expressed higher levels of Il1b, CD68 and CD86 and had mild microglial activation, and decreased numbers of arrestin+ photoreceptors, PKCα+ and secretagogin+ bipolar cells compared to WT mouse retina. Minocycline treatment reduced microglial activation and rescued retinal neuronal loss in DKO mice. Our results suggest that long-term minocycline treatment is safe and effective in controlling microglial activation and preserving visual function in chronic models of AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate a class of Lee metric alternant codes with symbols in [MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], establishing a lower bound on the minimum Lee distance where certain restrictions are placed on the code parameters. Corresponding to this bound, we have devised a decoding algorithm which is implemented over a finite field. The algorithm proceeds by finding a Grobner basis of the module M of solutions to a key equation. We obtain a necessary characterization of the solution module by solving iteratively a linear sequence over a Galois ring and show that the particular solution sought by the decoder is minimal in M. The required solution can then be found in an appropriate Grobner basis of M. Index Terms--Alternant codes, decoding algorithms, Galois rings, Grobner bases, key equation, Lee distance.

The standard decoding procedure for alternant codes over fields centers on solving a key equation which relates an error locator polynomial and an error evaluator polynomial by a syndrome sequence. We extend this technique to decode alternant codes over Galois rings. We consider the module M = {(a, b):as [equivalent to] b mod [x.sup.r]} of all solutions to the key equation where s is the syndrome polynomial and r is the number of rows in a parity-check matrix for the code. In decoding we seek a particular solution ([SIGMA], [OMEGA]) [member of] M which we prove can be found in a Grobner basis for M. We present an iterative algorithm which generates a Grobner basis modulo [x.sup.k+1] from a given basis modulo [x.sup.k]. At the rth step, a Grobner basis for M is found, and the required solution recovered. Index Terms--Alternant codes, decoding, Galois rings, Grobner bases, key equation, solution by approximations, solution module.

This paper investigates the theory of sum-rank-metric codes for which the individual matrix blocks may have different sizes. Various bounds on the cardinality of a code are derived, along with their asymptotic extensions. The duality theory of sum-rank-metric codes is also explored, showing that MSRD codes (the sum-rank analogue of MDS codes) dualize to MSRD codes only if all matrix blocks have the same number of columns. In the latter case, duality considerations lead to an upper bound on the number of blocks for MSRD codes. The paper also contains various constructions of sum-rank-metric codes for variable block sizes, illustrating the possible behaviours of these objects with respect to bounds, existence, and duality properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A t-(n, d, λ) design over Fq, or a subspace design, is a collection of d-dimensional subspaces of Fnq, called blocks, with the property that every t-dimensional subspace of Fnq is contained in the same number of blocks. A collection of n × m matrices over Fq is said to hold a t-design over Fq if the set of column spaces of its elements forms the blocks of a subspace design. We use notions of puncturing and shortening of rank metric codes and the rank metric MacWilliams identities to establish conditions under which the words of a given rank in a linear rank metric code hold a t-design over Fq. We show that for Fqm-linear vector rank metric codes, the property of a code being maximum rank distance (MRD) is equivalent to its minimal weight codewords holding trivial subspace designs, and show that this characterization does not hold for Fq-linear matrix MRD codes that are not linear over Fqm. Finally, using arguments based on covering radius and external distance, we establish various existence results that apply to both the rank and the Hamming metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider distance functions on a quotient module M / K induced by distance functions on a module M . We define error-correction for codes in M / K with respect to induced distance functions. For the case that the metric is induced by a homogeneous weight, we derive analogues of the Plotkin and Elias–Bassalygo bounds and give their asymptotic versions. These results have applications to coherent network error-correction in the presence of adversarial errors. We outline this connection, extending the linear network coding scheme introduced by Yang et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study properties and invariants of matrix codes endowed with the rank metric and relate them to the covering radius. We introduce new tools for the analysis of rank-metric codes, such as puncturing and shortening constructions. We give upper bounds on the covering radius of a code by applying different combinatorial methods. The various bounds are then applied to the classes of maximal-rank-distance and quasi-maximal-rank-distance codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we study both the index coding with side information (ICSI) problem introduced by Birk and Kolin 1998 and the more general problem of index coding with coded side information (ICCSI), described by Shum et al. in 2012. We estimate the optimal rate of an instance of the index coding problem. In the ICSI problem case, we characterize those digraphs having min-rank one less than their order and we give an upper bound on the min-rank of a hypergraph whose incidence matrix can be associated with that of a 2-design. Security aspects are discussed in the particular case when the design is a projective plane. For the coded side information case, we extend the graph theoretic upper bounds given by Shanmugam et al. in 2014 on the optimal rate of index code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Index coding is a source coding problem in which a broadcaster seeks to meet the different demands of several users, each of whom is assumed to have some prior information on the data held by the sender. A well-known application is satellite communications, as described in one of the earliest papers on the subject (Birk and Kol, 1998). It is readily seen that if the sender has knowledge of its clients’ requests and their side-information sets, then the number of packet transmissions required to satisfy all users’ demands can be greatly reduced if the data are encoded before sending. The collection of side-information indices as well as the indices of the requested data is described as an instance \mathcal I of the index coding with side-information (ICSI) problem. The encoding function is called the index code of $ \mathcal I$ , and the number of transmissions, resulting from the encoding is referred to as its length. The main ICSI problem is to determine the optimal length of an index code and instance $ \mathcal I$ . As this number is hard to compute, bounds approximating it are sought, as are algorithms to compute efficient index codes. These questions have been addressed by several authors (e.g., see Alon et al. 2008, Bar-Yossef et al. 2011, Blasiak et al. 2013), often taking a graph-theoretic approach. Two interesting generalizations of the problem that have appeared in the literature are the subject of this paper. The first of these is the case of index coding with coded side information (Dai et al. 2014), in which linear combinations of the source data are both requested by and held as users’ side-information. This generalization has applications, for example, to relay channels and necessitates algebraic rather than combinatorial methods. The second is the introduction of error-correction in the problem, in which the broadcast channel is subject to noise (Dau et al. 2013). In this paper, we characterize the optimal length of a scalar or vector linear index code with coded side information (ICCSI) over a finite field in terms of a generalized min-rank and give bounds on this number based on constructions of random codes for an arbitrary instance. We furthermore consider the length of an optimal $\delta $ -error correcting code for an instance of the ICCSI problem and obtain bounds analogous to those described in (Dau et al. 2013), both for the Hamming metric and for rank-metric errors. We describe decoding algorithms for both categories of errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Delsarte showed that for any projective linear code over a finite field with two nonzero Hamming weights there exist positive integers u and s such that and . Moreover, he showed that the additive group of such a code has a strongly regular Cayley graph. Here we show that for any regular projective linear code C over a finite Frobenius ring with two integral nonzero homogeneous weights there is a positive integer d, a divisor of , and positive integer u such that and . This gives a new proof of the known result that any such code yields a strongly regular graph. We apply these results to existence questions on two-weight codes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we compute the Fourier spectra of some recently discovered binomial almost perfect nonlinear (APN) functions. One consequence of this is the determination of the nonlinearity of the functions, which measures their resistance to linear cryptanalysis. Another consequence is that certain error-correcting codes related to these functions have the same weight distribution as the 2-error-correcting Bose-Chaudury-Hocquenghem (BCH) code. Furthermore, for field extensions of F2 of odd degree, our results provide an alternative proof of the APN property of the functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously reported that inhibition of the Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) signaling ameliorates IL-17A-mediated blood-retinal barrier (BRB) dysfunction. Higher levels of IL-17A have been observed in the blood and intraocular fluids in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), in particular those with diabetic macular oedema. This study aimed to understand whether JAK1 inhibition could prevent BRB dysfunction in db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes (T2D). An in vitro study showed that high glucose treatment disrupted the junctional distribution of claudin-5 in bEnd3 cells and ZO-1 in ARPE19 cells and that tofacitinib citrate treatment prevented high glucose-mediated tight junction disruption. Albumin leakage, accompanied by increased levels of the phosphorylated form of JAK1 (pJAK1), was observed in three-month-old db/db mice. Treatment of two-and-a-half-month-old db/db mice with tofacitinib citrate for two weeks significantly reduced retinal albumin leakage and reduced pJAK1 expression. pJAK1 expression was also detected in human DR retina. Our results suggest that JAK1 inhibition can ameliorate BRB dysfunction in T2D, and JAK1 inhibitors such as tofacitinib citrate may be re-purposed for the management of diabetic macular oedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We introduce two new infinite families of APN functions, one on fields of order for k not divisible by 2, and the other on fields of order for k not divisible by 3. The polynomials in the first family have between three and terms, the second family''s polynomials have three terms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Blood–retinal barrier (BRB) dysfunction underlies macular oedema in many sight-threatening conditions, including diabetic macular oedema, neovascular age-related macular degeneration and uveoretinitis. Inflammation plays an important role in BRB dysfunction. This study aimed to understand the role of the inflammatory cytokine IL-17A in BRB dysfunction and the mechanism involved. Human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line ARPE19 and murine brain endothelial line bEnd.3 were cultured on transwell membranes to model the outer BRB and inner BRB, respectively. IL-17A treatment (3 days in bEnd.3 cells and 6 days in ARPE19 cells) disrupted the distribution of claudin-5 in bEnd.3 cells and ZO-1 in ARPE19 cells, reduced the transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and increased permeability to FITC-tracers in vitro. Intravitreal (20 ng/1 μL/eye) or intravenous (20 ng/g) injection of recombinant IL-17A induced retinal albumin leakage within 48 h in C57BL/6J mice. Mechanistically, IL-17A induced Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) phosphorylation in bEnd.3 but not ARPE19 cells. Blocking JAK1 with Tofacitinib prevented IL-17A-mediated claudin-5 dysmorphia in bEnd.3 cells and reduced albumin leakage in IL-17A-treated mice. Our results suggest that IL-17A can damage the BRB through the activating the JAK1 signaling pathway, and targeting this pathway may be a novel approach to treat inflammation-induced macular oedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supracondylar foramen with a (seemingly) osseous peripheral arch noticed on the medio-distal feline humeri had remained disputed among anatomists. Some scholars have argued in favor of homology between this foramen and the supracondyloid foramen formed in presence of the ligament of Struthers in humans. Other theories include its presence as a retinaculum holding the median nerve and brachial artery to their anatomical position in a flexed elbow. Unfortunately, these theories lack investigative rigor. The emergence of non-invasive imaging modalities, such as micro-computed tomography, has enabled researchers to inspect the internal anatomy of bones without dismantling them. Thus, a micro-computed tomographic investigation was conducted on three feline (Felis catus) humeri specimens while the internal anatomy of the supracondylar foramina was examined. Unlike the humerus, the thin peripheral arch of the feline supracondylar foramen failed to elicit any osseous trabeculae or foci of calcification. While adhering to the humeral periosteum at its origin, the non-osseous arch, typical of a muscular tendon, attaches into the bony saddle related to the medial humeral epicondyle suggestive of a tendon or aponeurotic extension of a (vestigial) brachial muscle, with the coracobrachialis longus emerging to be the most likely candidate., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2024. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

A plethora of applications using polysaccharides have been developed in recent years due to their availability as well as their frequent nontoxicity and biodegradability. These polymers are usually obtained from renewable sources or are byproducts of industrial processes, thus, their use is collaborative in waste management and shows promise for an enhanced sustainable circular economy. Regarding the development of novel delivery systems for biotherapeutics, the potential of polysaccharides is attractive for the previously mentioned properties and also for the possibility of chemical modification of their structures, their ability to form matrixes of diverse architectures and mechanical properties, as well as for their ability to maintain bioactivity following incorporation of the biomolecules into the matrix. Biotherapeutics, such as proteins, growth factors, gene vectors, enzymes, hormones, DNA/RNA, and antibodies are currently in use as major therapeutics in a wide range of pathologies. In the present review, we summarize recent progress in the development of polysaccharide-based hydrogels of diverse nature, alone or in combination with other polymers or drug delivery systems, which have been implemented in the delivery of biotherapeutics in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

Objective: Myeloid cells are critically involved in inflammation-induced angiogenesis, although their pathogenic role in the ischemic retina remains controversial. We hypothesize that myeloid cells contribute to pathogenic neovascularization in retinopathy of prematurity through STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) activation. Approach and Results: Using the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, we show that myeloid cells (CD45 + IsolectinB4 [IB4] + ) and particularly M2-type macrophages (CD45 + Arg1 + ), comprise a major source of STAT3 activation (pSTAT3) in the immature ischemic retina. Most of the pSTAT3-expressing myeloid cells concentrated at the hyaloid vasculature and their numbers were strongly correlated with the severity of pathogenic neovascular tuft formation. Pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 reduced the load of IB4 + cells in the hyaloid vasculature and significantly reduced the formation of pathogenic neovascular tufts during oxygen-induced retinopathy, leading to improved long-term visual outcomes (ie, increased retinal thickness and scotopic b-wave electroretinogram responses). Genetic deletion of SOCS3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 3), an endogenous inhibitor of STAT3, in myeloid cells, enhanced pathological and physiological neovascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy, indicating that myeloid-STAT3 signaling is crucial for retinal angiogenesis., Conclusions: Circulating myeloid cells may migrate to the immature ischemic retina through the hyaloid vasculature and contribute to retinal neovascularization via activation of STAT3. Understanding how STAT3 modulates myeloid cells for vascular repair/pathology may provide novel therapeutic options in pathogenic angiogenesis.

Purpose: Müller glia are important in retinal health and disease and are a major source of retinal VEGF-A. Of the different VEGF family members, the role of VEGF-A in retinal health and disease has been studied extensively. The potential contribution of other VEGF family members to retinal pathophysiology, however, remains poorly defined. This study aimed to understand the role of VEGF-B in Müller cell pathophysiology., Methods: The expression of different VEGFs and their receptors in human MIO-M1 and mouse QMMuC-1 Müller cell lines and primary murine Müller cells was examined by RT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. The effect of recombinant VEGF-B or VEGF-B neutralization on Müller cell viability and survival under normal, hypoxic, and oxidative (4-hydroxynonenal [4-HNE]) conditions was evaluated by Alamar Blue, Yo-Pro uptake, and immunocytochemistry. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, aquaporin-4, inward rectifying K+ channel subtype 4.1, glutamine synthetase, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 under different treatment conditions was examined by RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, and Western blot. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channel activity was assessed using a Fura-2-based calcium assay., Results: VEGF-B was expressed in Müller cells at the highest levels compared with other members of the VEGF family. VEGF-B neutralization did not affect Müller cell viability or functionality under normal conditions, but enhanced hypoxia- or 4-HNE-induced Müller cell death and decreased inward rectifying K+ channel subtype 4.1 and aquaporin-4 expression. Recombinant VEGF-B restored Müller cell glutamine synthetase expression under hypoxic conditions and protected Müller cells from 4-HNE-induced damage by normalizing transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channel expression and activity., Conclusions: Autocrine production of VEGF-B protects Müller cells under pathologic conditions.