Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decodability of group homomorphisms beyond the johnson bound

Given a pair of finite groups G and H, the set of homomorphisms from G to H form an error-correcting code where codewords differ in at least 1/2 the coordinates. We show that for every pair of abelian groups G and H, the resulting code is (locally) list-decodable from a fraction of errors arbitrarily close to its distance. At the heart of this result is the following combinatorial result: There is a fixed polynomial p(•) such that for every pair of abelian groups G and H, if the maximum fraction of agreement between two distinct homomorphisms from G to H is Λ, then for every ε> 0 and every function f:G -> H, the number of homomorphisms that have agreement Λ + ε with f is at most p(1/ε). We thus give a broad class of codes whose list-decoding radius exceeds the "Johnson bound". Examples of such codes are rare in the literature, and for the ones that do exist, "combinatorial" techniques to analyze their list-decodability are limited. Our work is an attempt to add to the body of such techniques. We use the fact that abelian groups decompose into simpler ones and thus codes derived from homomorphisms over abelian groups may be viewed as certain "compositions" of simpler codes. We give techniques to lift list-decoding bounds for the component codes to bounds for the composed code. We believe these techniques may be of general interest.
Interleukin-6 Is Crucial for Recall of Influenza-Specific Memory CD4+ T Cells

Currently, our understanding of mechanisms underlying cell-mediated immunity and particularly of mechanisms that promote robust T cell memory to respiratory viruses is incomplete. Interleukin (IL)-6 has recently re-emerged as an important regulator of T cell proliferation and survival. Since IL-6 is abundant following infection with influenza virus, we analyzed virus-specific T cell activity in both wild type and IL-6 deficient mice. Studies outlined herein highlight a novel role for IL-6 in the development of T cell memory to influenza virus. Specifically, we find that CD4+ but not CD8+ T cell memory is critically dependent upon IL-6. This effect of IL-6 includes its ability to suppress CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg). We demonstrate that influenza-induced IL-6 limits the activity of virus-specific Tregs, thereby facilitating the activity of virus-specific memory CD4+ T cells. These experiments reveal a critical role for IL-6 in ensuring, within the timeframe of an acute infection with a cytopathic virus, that antigen-specific Tregs have no opportunity to down-modulate the immune response, thereby favoring pathogen clearance and survival of the host.
The New Kaldor Facts: Ideas, Institutions, Population, and Human Capital

In 1961, Nicholas Kaldor used his list of six "stylized" facts both to summarize the patterns that economists had discovered in national income accounts and to shape the growth models that they were developing to explain them. Redoing this exercise today, nearly fifty years later, shows how much progress we have made. In contrast to Kaldor's facts, which revolved around a single state variable, physical capital, our six updated facts force consideration of four far more interesting variables: ideas, institutions, population, and human capital. Dynamic models have uncovered subtle interactions between these variables and generated important insights about such big questions as: Why has growth accelerated? Why are there gains from trade?
Neuropsychological correlates of organic alexithymia

Deficits in emotional recognition and perception following traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been associated with alexithymia (Henry et al., 2006; Williams et al., 2001). This study examined the prevalence of alexithymia in a TBI population, and its relationship to injury severity, neuropsychological ability and affective disorder. A total of 121 patients completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), a measure that addresses 3 distinct characteristics of the alexithymia concept; difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking. Patients also completed a neuropsychological assessment and measures of depression and anxiety. Results confirm a high prevalence of alexithymia after TBI, relative to the general population and an orthopedic control group. There was no relationship between injury severity and the presence of alexithymia. A negative relationship was found between alexithymia and verbal and sequencing abilities, but there was no relationship with executive dysfunction or any other cognitive domain. Moderate correlations were obtained between alexithymia and affective disorder; regression analyses indicated that alexithymia, depression, and anxiety should be considered distinct, but overlapping constructs. The results of this study suggest that increased neuropsychological attention should be directed towards emotional change after head injury and its relationship with cognition and psychosocial outcome. (JINS, 2007, 13, 471–479.)
Risk of Brain Tumors in Children and Susceptibility to Organophosphorus Insecticides: The Potential Role of Paraoxonase (PON1)

Prior research suggests that childhood brain tumors (CBTs) may be associated with exposure to pesticides. Organophosphorus insecticides (OPs) target the developing nervous system, and until recently, the most common residential insecticides were chlorpyrifos and diazinon, two OPs metabolized in the body through the cytochrome P450/paraoxonase 1 (PON1) pathway. To investigate whether two common PON1 polymorphisms, C-108T and Q192R, are associated with CBT occurrence, we conducted a population-based study of 66 cases and 236 controls using DNA from neonatal screening archive specimens in Washington State, linked to interview data. The risk of CBT was nonsignificantly increased in relation to the inefficient PON1 promoter allele [per PON1-108T allele, relative to PON1-108CC: odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–2.2; p-value for trend = 0.07]. Notably, this association was strongest and statistically significant among children whose mothers reported chemical treatment of the home for pests during pregnancy or childhood (per PON1-108T allele: among exposed, OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2–5.5; among unexposed, OR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5–1.6) and for primitive neuroectodermal tumors (per PON1-108T allele: OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.4). The Q192R polymorphism, which alters the structure of PON1 and influences enzyme activity in a substrate-dependent manner, was not associated with CBT risk, nor was the PON1C-108T/Q192R haplotype. These results are consistent with an inverse association between PON1 levels and CBT occurrence, perhaps because of PON1’s ability to detoxify OPs common in children’s environments. Larger studies that measure plasma PON1 levels and incorporate more accurate estimates of pesticide exposure will be required to confirm these observations.
Meta-Analysis of Cell-based CaRdiac stUdiEs (ACCRUE) in patients with acute myocardial infarction based on individual patient data.

RATIONALE The meta-Analysis of Cell-based CaRdiac study is the first prospectively declared collaborative multinational database, including individual data of patients with ischemic heart disease treated with cell therapy. OBJECTIVE We analyzed the safety and efficacy of intracoronary cell therapy after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), including individual patient data from 12 randomized trials (ASTAMI, Aalst, BOOST, BONAMI, CADUCEUS, FINCELL, REGENT, REPAIR-AMI, SCAMI, SWISS-AMI, TIME, LATE-TIME; n=1252). METHODS AND RESULTS The primary end point was freedom from combined major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (including all-cause death, AMI recurrance, stroke, and target vessel revascularization). The secondary end point was freedom from hard clinical end points (death, AMI recurrence, or stroke), assessed with random-effects meta-analyses and Cox regressions for interactions. Secondary efficacy end points included changes in end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction, analyzed with random-effects meta-analyses and ANCOVA. We reported weighted mean differences between cell therapy and control groups. No effect of cell therapy on major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (14.0% versus 16.3%; hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.18) or death (1.4% versus 2.1%) or death/AMI recurrence/stroke (2.9% versus 4.7%) was identified in comparison with controls. No changes in ejection fraction (mean difference: 0.96%; 95% confidence interval, -0.2 to 2.1), end-diastolic volume, or systolic volume were observed compared with controls. These results were not influenced by anterior AMI location, reduced baseline ejection fraction, or the use of MRI for assessing left ventricular parameters. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized trials in patients with recent AMI revealed that intracoronary cell therapy provided no benefit, in terms of clinical events or changes in left ventricular function. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT01098591.
Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles Induce Mucosal Immunity and Protection against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2

ABSTRACT Previously we reported that calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CAP) represented a superior alternative to alum adjuvants in mice immunized with viral protein. Additionally, we showed that CAP was safe and elicited no detectable immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. In this study, we demonstrated that following mucosal delivery of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) antigen with CAP, CAP adjuvant enhanced protective systemic and mucosal immunity versus live virus. Mice were immunized intravaginally and intranasally with HSV-2 protein plus CAP adjuvant (HSV-2+CAP), CAP alone, phosphate-buffered saline, or HSV-2 alone. HSV-2+CAP induced HSV-specific mucosal IgA and IgG and concurrently enhanced systemic IgG responses. Our results demonstrate the potency of CAP as a mucosal adjuvant. Furthermore, we show that systemic immunity could be induced via the mucosal route following inoculation with CAP-based vaccine. Moreover, neutralizing antibodies were found in the sera of mice immunized intranasally or intravaginally with HSV-2+CAP. Also, the results of our in vivo experiments indicated that mice vaccinated with HSV-2+CAP were protected against live HSV-2 infection. In conclusion, these preclinical data support the hypothesis that CAP may be an effective mucosal adjuvant that protects against viral infection.
Study of antirestenosis with the BiodivYsio dexamethasone‐eluting stent (STRIDE): A first‐in‐human multicenter pilot trial

The aim of this multicenter pilot study was to evaluate the acute safety and efficacy of the dexamethasone‐eluting stent (0.5 μg/mm2 of stent) implanted in patients with de novo single‐vessel disease. This study included 71 patients, 42% of whom had unstable angina pectoris. An appropriately sized BiodivYsio Matrix Lo stent loaded with a total dexamethasone dose of 0.5 μg/mm2 of stent was used. Technical device success rate was 95%. Six‐month MACE occurred in two patients (3.3%). Binary restenosis rate was 13.3%. Late loss was 0.45. Late loss and percent diameter stenosis were lower in the unstable angina pectoris patients compared to the stable patients (0.32 ± 0.39 vs. 0.60 ± 0.55 mm, P < 0.07, and 26.86 ± 14 vs. 38.40 ± 16%, P < 0.02). This study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of the implantation of a dexamethasone‐eluting stent and its effect on in‐stent neointimal hyperplasia. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2003;60:172–178. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Robot trajectory optimization using approximate inference

The general stochastic optimal control (SOC) problem in robotics scenarios is often too complex to be solved exactly and in near real time. A classical approximate solution is to first compute an optimal (deterministic) trajectory and then solve a local linear-quadratic-gaussian (LQG) perturbation model to handle the system stochasticity. We present a new algorithm for this approach which improves upon previous algorithms like iLQG. We consider a probabilistic model for which the maximum likelihood (ML) trajectory coincides with the optimal trajectory and which, in the LQG case, reproduces the classical SOC solution. The algorithm then utilizes approximate inference methods (similar to expectation propagation) that efficiently generalize to non-LQG systems. We demonstrate the algorithm on a simulated 39-DoF humanoid robot.
[Internet Addiction Disorder in a Sample of 402 High School Students].

OBJECTIVES Internet Addiction Disorder can be defined as "the inability of individuals to control their internet use, resulting in marked distress and/or functional impairment in daily life. " It carries the same social aftermath of impulse control and substance misuse disorders such as loss of control, craving and withdrawal symptoms. AIM In this paper, we aimed to assess the prevalence of IAD in an Italian sample of high-school students. We also explored the relationship between Social Phobia and IAD diagnosis; lastly, we investigated the association between IAD and substance misuse. METHODS The research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Assessments administered in this study consisted of three parts: 1) collecting information about general and personal data of the subjects; 2) the Internet Addiction questionnaire proposed by Ko, composed by 9 different areas; 3) the Social Anxiety Spectrum Self-Report (SHY-SR) Lifetime Questionnaire. RESULTS 19 of 402 subjects (i.e. 4.7% of the sample) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for IAD, showing a slight predominance of males. 10.9% of subjects met diagnostic criteria for a Social Phobia Spectrum disorder. Six IAD subjects (31.8%) were also diagnosed with a social phobia spectrum condition. Within the group of students diagnosed with IAD, 4 (21.05%) subjects reported current or past use of drugs. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that there is a sizable population of youth already showing or at risk of developing some kind of problematic relationship with the web. Social Anxiety Disorder seems to be both a risk factor and a frequent co-morbid disorder of internet misuse. Further studies along with shared diagnostic criteria and tools will facilitate research on treatments for these rapidly expanding and disabling conditions.
Assessing competence in cognitive-behavioural therapy

Background Postgraduate courses on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) assess various competencies using essays, case studies and audiotapes or videotapes of clinical work Aims To evaluate how reliably a well-established postgraduate course assesses CBT competencies Method Data were collected on two cohorts of trainees (n=52). Two examiners marked trainees on: (a) two videotapes of clinical practice; (b) two case studies; and (c) three essays Results Essay examinations were more reliable than case studies, which in turn were more reliable than videotaped assessments. The reliability of the latter two assessments was considerably lower than that commonly expected of high-stakes examinations. To assess reliably standard CBT competencies, postgraduate courses would need to examine about 5 essays, 12 case studies and 19 videotapes Conclusions Reliable assessment of standard competencies is complex and resource intensive. There would need to be a marked increase in the number of samples of clinical work assessed to be able to make reliable judgements about proficiency
Substrate Specificity of the HEMK2 Protein Glutamine Methyltransferase and Identification of Novel Substrates*

Bacterial HEMK2 homologs initially had been proposed to be involved in heme biogenesis or to function as adenine DNA methyltransferase. Later it was shown that this family of enzymes has protein glutamine methyltransferase activity, and they methylate the glutamine residue in the GGQ motif of ribosomal translation termination factors. The murine HEMK2 enzyme methylates Gln185 of the eukaryotic translation termination factor eRF1. We have employed peptide array libraries to investigate the peptide sequence recognition specificity of murine HEMK2. Our data show that HEMK2 requires a GQX3R motif for methylation activity. In addition, amino acid preferences were observed between the −3 and +7 positions of the peptide substrate (considering the target glutamine as 0), including a preference for Ser, Arg, and Gly at the +1 and a preference for Arg at the +7 position. Based on our specificity profile, we identified several human proteins that contain putative HEMK2 methylation sites and show that HEMK2 methylates 58 novel peptide substrates. After cloning, expression, and purification of the corresponding protein domains, we confirmed methylation for 11 of them at the protein level. Transfected CHD5 (chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 5) and NUT (nuclear protein in testis) were also demonstrated to be methylated by HEMK2 in human HEK293 cells. Our data expand the range of proteins potentially subjected to glutamine methylation significantly, but further investigation will be required to understand the function of HEMK2-mediated methylation in proteins other than eRF1.
Family Functioning, Cultural Orientation, and Psychological Well-Being Among University Students in Lebanon

The author examined the relationship between perceived family functioning, the cultural orientations of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, and psychological well-being in a group of 182 university students in Lebanon. Factor analysis of the present data from the 12-item General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device (GF-FAD) resulted in the extraction of one general factor, accounting for 43% of the variance. On the basis of North American cutoff values, the author found that 60.5% of the university students perceived their family as healthy and that 39.5% perceived their family as unhealthy. Male students perceived their families as somewhat more dysfunctional than did female students. Muslim students perceived their families as more dysfunctional than did Christian students. As the author expected, family functioning was associated with the culture-related personality dimension of horizontal collectivism and with perceived psychological well-being. Overall, the findings supported the structure and usefulness of the GF-FAD in the Lebanese context and the importance of viewing family functioning from the perspective of individual cultural orientation.
A pilot study of high-throughput, sequence-based mutational profiling of primary human acute myeloid leukemia cell genomes

In this pilot study, we used primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell genomes as templates for exonic PCR amplification, followed by high-throughput resequencing, analyzing ≈7 million base pairs of DNA from 140 AML samples and 48 controls. We identified six previously described, and seven previously undescribed sequence changes that may be relevant for AML pathogenesis. Because the sequencing templates were generated from primary AML cells, the technique favors the detection of mutations from the most dominant clones within the tumor cell mixture. This strategy represents a viable approach for the detection of potentially relevant, nonrandom mutations in primary human cancer cell genomes.
Sparse recovery in Wigner-D basis expansion

We are concerned with the recovery of s-sparse Wigner-D expansions in terms of N Wigner-D functions. Considered as a generalization of spherical harmonics, Wigner-D functions are eigen-functions of Laplace-Beltrami operator and form an orthonormal system. However, since they are not uniformly bounded, the existing results on Bounded Orthonormal System (BOS) do not apply. Using previously introduced preconditioning technique, a new orthonormal and bounded system is obtained for which Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) property can be established. We show that the number of sufficient samples for sparse recovery scales with N1/6s log3(s) log(N). The phase transition diagram for this problem is also presented. We will also discuss the application of our results in the spherical near-field antenna measurement.
Implementing TQM in the health care service.

PURPOSE The present study seeks to present a case study over four years following an implementation process of total quality management (TQM) on an ICU (intensive care unit). DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The aim was to describe consequences shown in the organisational climate, workload and staff wellbeing. A case study design was employed using a longitudinal method of data collection. FINDINGS Downsizing due to diminishing resources was a parallel process probably disturbing the TQM implementation. The workload increased by 20 per cent, whereas organisational and individual variables remained stable over time. However, sick leave increased dramatically and was higher than the general level within the Swedish population. The ICU had the capacity to adapt successfully by regulating working hours to workload. It is speculated that another cause behind sickness absence exists other than the general opinion. The literature used for the discussion departs from the relation between people's understanding and acting, sensemaking, and organisational theories describing complex adaptive systems emphasizing attraction patterns. Organisational ambiguity was a main finding in an earlier study that was used for interpretation of the result in the present study. As ambiguity seems to be a major and increasing problem, it has consequences for management as well as for continuous quality development. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The implication of the study is the need to be able to successfully work in an ambiguous situation and use the quality system as a device in day-to-day work.
Unexplained hydrogen isotope offsets complicate the identification
and quantification of tree water sources in a riparian forest

Abstract. We investigated plant water sources of an emblematic refugial population of Fagus sylvatica (L.) in the Ciron river gorges in South-Western France using stable water isotopes. It is generally assumed that no isotopic fractionation occurs during root water uptake, so that the isotopic composition of xylem water effectively reflects that of source water. However, this assumption has been called into question by recent studies that found that, at least at some dates during the growing season, plant water did not reflect any mixture of the potential water sources. In this context, highly resolved datasets covering a range of environmental conditions could shed light on possible plant-soil fractionation processes responsible for this phenomenon. In this study, the hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope compositions of all potential tree water sources and xylem water were measured fortnightly over an entire growing season. Using a Bayesian isotope mixing model (MixSIAR), we then quantified the relative contribution of water sources for F. sylvatica and Quercus robur (L.) trees. Based on δ18O data alone, both species used a mix of top and deep soil water over the season, with Q. robur using soil water relatively deeper than F. sylvatica. The contribution of stream water appeared to be marginal despite the proximity of the trees to the stream, as already reported for other riparian forests. Xylem water δ18O could always be interpreted as a mixture of deep and shallow soil waters, but the δ2H of xylem water was often more depleted than the considered water sources. We argue that an isotopic fractionation in the unsaturated zone and/or within the plant tissues could underlie this unexpected relatively depleted δ2H of xylem water, as already observed in halophytic and xerophytic species. By means of a sensitivity analysis, we found that the estimation of plant water sources using mixing models was largely affected by this δ2H depletion. A better understanding of what causes this isotopic separation between xylem and source water is urgently needed.