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Channel coding technology plays an important role in wireless communication systems, and it serves as a crucial mechanism to reduce interference during the transmission process. As the fifth-generation (5G) and sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems rapidly advance, requirements of the users on the quality and security of wireless service are increasing. To solve these problems, it calls for us to explore the new channel coding technologies. In this paper, a linear feedback coding scheme for fading multiple-access channels with degraded message sets (FMAC-DMS) is proposed. In this scheme, the transmitting beamforming and channel splitting are used to transform the channel with complex signals into scalar equivalent sub-channels. Then, the extended Schalkwijk-Kailath coding scheme (SK) is further applied to each sub-channel. The channel capacity, finite blocklength (FBL) sum-rate and FBL secrecy achievable sum-rate of the FMAC-DMS in single-input single-output (SISO) and multi-input single-output (MISO) cases are derived. Finally, we show that the proposed scheme not only provides a FBL coding solution but also guarantees physical layer security(PLS). The numerical and simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme as a channel coding solution. The study of this paper provides a new method to construct a practical FBL scheme for the FMAC-DMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, studies on competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks have become prevalent, and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have crucial implications for the development and progression of carcinoma. However, studies relevant to metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) are scant. This study aims to discover potential ceRNAs that may be related to the prognosis of mPCa. RNA-Seq data were obtained from the MiOncoCirc database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differential expression patterns of RNAs were examined using R packages. Circular RNA Interactome, miRTarBase, miRDB and TargetScan were applied to predict the corresponding relation between circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs. The Gene Ontology (GO) annotations were performed to present related GO terms, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) tools were applied for pathway annotations. Moreover, survival analysis was conducted for the hub genes. We found 820 circRNAs, 81 miRNAs and 179 mRNAs that were distinguishingly expressed between primary prostate cancer (PCa) and mPCa samples. A ceRNA network including 45 circRNAs, 24 miRNAs and 56 mRNAs was constructed. In addition, the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was built, and 10 hub genes were selected by using the CytoHubba application. Among the 10 hub genes, survival analysis showed that ITGA1, LMOD1, MYH11, MYLK, SORBS1 and TGFBR3 were significantly connected with disease-free survival (DFS). The circRNA-mediated ceRNA network provides potential prognostic biomarkers for metastatic prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social support plays an important role in adolescents' mental health and well-being, and even more so for disaster survivors. To measure the level of social support, one needs an appropriate tool to produce valid and reliable results; therefore, we aimed to measure the invariance across gender groups, and analyze the construct validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), a social support measurement tool which was theoretically constructed and has been well validated in many countries with various cultures and backgrounds. Methods: A school-based assessment was conducted in junior and senior high schools in a post-disaster setting in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. We analyzed 299 adolescent survivors of a volcanic eruption, aged 12~18 years who completed a 12-item Indonesian version of the MSPSS. Results: The factorial validity confirmed the three-factor structure of the scale (Family, Friends, and Significant Others) which met all of the criteria of parameter indices and provided evidence of high internal consistency reliability. The three-level measurement of invariance, which consisted of configural, metric, and scalar invariance, also performed very well across gender groups with our data and corresponded to the recommended parameters. Our composite reliability values were all fine (>0.7) and indicated that the items in the same construct were strongly correlated and reliable. Conclusions: The Indonesian version of the MSPSS was shown to be a valid, reliable, theoretically constructed, and applicable instrument for adolescent disaster survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only a few studies exist on the resilience of divorced women. Furthermore, relevant instruments for assessing the resilience of divorced immigrant Southeast Asian women are rare. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to develop and examine a new Resilience Scale-Chinese version (RS-C) that is specific to divorced immigrant Southeast Asian women in Taiwan. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, 20 items were used to evaluate face and content validities. In phase 2, a cross-sectional study was conducted. In total, 118 immigrant women participated in this study and were recruited from three nongovernmental organizations providing services for immigrants in Taipei City and Miaoli and Chiayi Counties. Psychometric properties of the instrument (i.e., internal consistency, test–retest reliability, item-to-total correlation, construct validity, and convergent validity) were examined. Significance was set at p < 0.05 for all statistical tests. Results: The final 16-item RS-C resulted in a three-factor model. The three factors, namely personal competence, family identity, and social connections, were an acceptable fit for the data and explained 54.60% of the variance. Cronbach’s α of the RS-C was 0.85, and those of its subscales ranged from 0.77 to 0.82. The correlation value of the test–retest reliability was 0.87. The RS-C was significantly associated with the General Self-Efficacy scale and the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12. Conclusion: The RS-C is a brief and specific self-report tool for evaluating the resilience of divorced immigrant Southeast Asian women and demonstrated adequate reliability and validity in this study. This RS-C instrument has potential applications in both clinical practice and research with strength-based resiliency interventions. However, additional research on the RS-C is required to further establish its reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have examined the prevalence of food intake difficulties and their associated factors among residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. The purpose of the study was to identify the best cutoff point for the Chinese Feeding Difficulty Index (Ch-FDI), which evaluates the prevalence of food intake difficulties and recognizes factors associated with eating behaviors in residents with dementia. Methods and findings: A cross-sectional design was adopted. In total, 213 residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan were recruited and participated in this study. The prevalence rate of food intake difficulties as measured by the Chinese Feeding Difficulty Index (Ch-FDI) was 44.6%. Factors associated with food intake difficulties during lunch were the duration of institutionalization (beta = 0.176), the level of activities of daily living-feeding (ADL-Q1) (beta = -0.235), and the length of the eating time (beta = 0.416). Associated factors during dinner were the illuminance level (beta = -0.204), sound volume level (beta = 0.187), ADL-Q1 (beta = -0.177), and eating time (beta = 0.395). Conclusions: Food intake difficulties may potentially be associated with multiple factors including physical function and the dining environment according to the 45% prevalence rate among dementia residents in long-term care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In budding yeast, Rga1 negatively regulates the Rho GTPase Cdc42 by acting as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for Cdc42. To gain insight into the function and regulation of Rga1, we overexpressed Rga1 and an N-terminally truncated Rga1-C538 (a.a. 538-1007) segment. Overexpression of Rga1-C538 but not full-length Rga1 severely impaired growth and cell morphology in wild-type cells. We show that Rga1 is phosphorylated during the cell cycle. The lack of phenotype for full-length Rga1 upon overexpression may result from a negative regulation by G1-specific Pho85, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK). From a high-copy suppressor screen, we isolated RHO3, SEC9, SEC1, SSO1, SSO2, and SRO7, genes involved in exocytosis, as suppressors of the growth defect caused by Rga1-C538 overexpression. Moreover, we detected that Rga1 interacts with Rho3 in two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Rga1 preferentially interacts with the GTP-bound form of Rho3 and the interaction requires the GAP domain and additional sequence upstream of the GAP domain. Our data suggest that the interaction of Rga1 with Rho3 may regulate Rho3’s function in polarized bud growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We performed the first meta-analysis of clinical studies by investigating the effects of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and subjective distress in PTSD patients treated during the past 2 decades. Methods: We performed a quantitative meta-analysis on the findings of 26 randomized controlled trials of EMDR therapy for PTSD published between 1991 and 2013, which were identified through the ISI Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature electronic databases, among which 22, 20, 16, and 11 of the studies assessed the effects of EMDR on the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and subjective distress, respectively, as the primary clinical outcome. Results: The meta-analysis revealed that the EMDR treatments significantly reduced the symptoms of PTSD (g = −0.662; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.887 to −0.436), depression (g = −0.643; 95% CI: −0.864 to −0.422), anxiety (g = −0.640; 95% CI: −0.890 to −0.390), and subjective distress (g = −0.956; 95% CI: −1.388 to −0.525) in PTSD patients. Conclusion: This study confirmed that EMDR therapy significantly reduces the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and subjective distress in PTSD patients. The subgroup analysis indicated that a treatment duration of more than 60 min per session was a major contributing factor in the amelioration of anxiety and depression, and that a therapist with experience in conducting PTSD group therapy was a major contributing factor in the reduction of PTSD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are an integral part of vector control recommendations for malaria elimination in China. This study investigated the extent to which bed nets were used and which factors influence bed net use among Jinuo Ethnic Minority in China-Myanmar-Laos border areas. Methods and Findings: This study combined a quantitative household questionnaire survey and qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews (SDI). Questionnaires were administered to 352 heads of households. SDIs were given to 20 key informants. The bed net to person ratio was 1∶2.1 (i.e., nearly one net for every two people), however only 169 (48.0%) households owned at least one net and 623 (47.2%) residents slept under bed nets the prior night. The percentages of residents who regularly slept under nets (RSUN) and slept under nets the prior night (SUNPN) were similar (48.0% vs. 47.2%, P>0.05), however the percentage correct use of nets (CUN) was significantly lower (34.5%, P<0.0001). The annual cash income per person (ACIP) was an independent factor that influenced bed net use (P<0.0001), where families with an ACIP of CNY10000 or more were much more likely to use nets. House type was strongly associated with bed net use (OR: 4.71, 95% CI: 2.81, 7.91; P<0.0001), where those with traditional wood walls and terracotta roofs were significantly more likely to use nets, and the head of household's knowledge was an independent factor (OR: 5.04, 95% CI: 2.72, 9.35; P<0.0001), where those who knew bed nets prevent malaria were significantly more likely to use nets too. Conclusions: High bed net availability does not necessarily mean higher coverage or bed net use. Household income, house type and knowledge of the ability of bed nets to prevent malaria are all independent factors that influence bed net use among Jinuo Ethnic Minority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]