Symbol Coding Research Articles

Resonant Actualization of Cultural Codes as a Determinant of Mental and Social Transformations (Part 1)

The unification of cultural codes forms the basic set of code symbols (image+sense), which are the basis for recognition, orientation, social cooperation, and response to external appeals. The result of unification is a stable system of deterministic goal-setting and behavioral equivalents. Cultural codes, as a derivative of upbringing, education, and cultural landscape, are the result of spatiotemporal transformation (from fields of reception to displacement from consciousness and compression) of organized information constructs - "dominants" encoded in the form of electro/magnetic patterns. "Dominant" in this message is a generalized definition of organized, hierarchical constructs (packages) of information carriers, forced out of the conscious levels of the psyche and continuing to circulate in closed, reverberant neural circuits. The "dominants" forced out of consciousness circulate through recurrent neural circuits, the activity of which is reduced to several stable states, performing the functions of information retention. The electrical and magnetic parameters of the repressed "dominants" are the basic potential of frequency resonance upon presentation of a perceptual/cognitive construct that is close in frequency parameters - a "code key" at the entrance to the psyche system. The basic principle of information exchange is the formation of the initial resonance potential: the arsenal of "dominants," the concentration of information in frequency electro-magnetic patterns. The interaction of the "information universe" with the arsenal of "dominants" is a resonant process of frequency coincidence of the patterns of the "code key" and the "dominant" displaced from consciousness, which results in actualization, the appearance of an object of resonance in the field of voluntary attention, in consciousness. The updated "dominant," as a "resonant operator," determines the dynamics of the system as a whole for the period of relevance. The phase transition in the socio/cultural environment is the result of changes in the hidden meanings of social frames. The dynamics of the perception of the transformation of frames under changing (appearing new) hidden meanings ["habituation">"acceptability">"acceptability”] determines the growth of the frustration potential associated with acquired needs. The transformation of basic cultural codes rebuilds the mechanism of reproduction of the ethnocultural matrix and congruent social structures.

Establishing construct validity of neuropsychological tests in cancer survivors.

Cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI) are frequently reported among cancer survivors, and attention is the most frequently assessed cognitive domain in CRCI. However, there is no consensus as to whether attention is impaired. We suggest that a major reason for this lack of agreement is a lack of construct validity for neuropsychological attention tests. We propose to assess the construct validity of neuropsychological attention tests with respect to experimental paradigms from cognitive psychology. Self-reported cancer survivors (N=314) completed an online battery comprising six experimental attention paradigms and eight neuropsychological tests. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the fit of five models derived from a general population sample (N=636) in a previous study (M. Treviño, Cogn Res Princ Implic, in press). We then subjected the best-fitting model to a measurement invariance analysis. The best-fitting model was a six intercorrelated factor structure, comprising Capacity, Search, Digit Span, Arithmetic, Sustained Attention, and Flanker Interference factors. Configural and weak invariance held, indicating that the factor loadings were invariant across groups. Strong invariance, indicating that intercepts were also invariant, held except for the Approximate Number Sense test. According to our factor model, Spatial Span and Digit Symbol Coding measure attentional capacity, while the Trail Making Test (A&B) and Letter Cancellation tests measure visual search ability. However, Digit Span and Arithmetic tests do not measure attention. We hope that these results will lead to better scientific models, better patient education, and, ultimately, improved outcomes for survivors.

Hyperbolic cone metrics and billiards

A negatively curved hyperbolic cone metric is called rigid if it is determined (up to isotopy) by the support of its Liouville current, and flexible otherwise. We provide a complete characterization of rigidity and flexibility, prove that rigidity is a generic property, and parameterize the associated deformation space for any flexible metric. As an application, we parameterize the space of hyperbolic polygons with the same symbolic coding for their billiard dynamics, and prove that generically this parameter space is a point.

A classification for optimal quaternary locally repairable codes

In recent years, several new types of codes were introduced to provide fault-tolerance and guarantee system reliability in distributed storage systems, among which locally repairable codes (LRCs) have played an important role. A linear code is said to have locality $r$ if each of its code symbols can be repaired by accessing at most $r$ other code symbols. For an LRC with length $n$, dimension $k$, and locality $r$, its minimum distance $d$ was proved to satisfy the Singleton-like bound $d\leq~n-k-\lceil~k/r\rceil+2$. Since then, many studies have been done for constructing LRCs meeting the Singleton-like bound over small fields. In this paper, we study quaternary LRCs meeting Singleton-like bound through a parity-check matrix approach, using tools from combinatorial designs and finite geometry. From this, we prove that there are $27$ different classes of parameters for optimal quaternary LRCs. Moreover, for each class, explicit constructions of corresponding optimal quaternary LRCs are presented. In addition, using tools from finite geometry, this paper also introduces a new method to determine the existence of the optimal LRCs.

Remote self-administration of digital cognitive tests using the Brief Assessment of Cognition: Feasibility, reliability, and sensitivity to subjective cognitive decline.

Cognitive impairment is a common and pervasive feature of etiologically diverse disorders of the central nervous system, and a target indication for a growing number of symptomatic and disease modifying drugs. Remotely acquired digital endpoints have been recognized for their potential in providing frequent, real-time monitoring of cognition, but their ultimate value will be determined by the reliability and sensitivity of measurement in the populations of interest. To this end, we describe initial validation of remote self-administration of cognitive tests within a regulatorily compliant tablet-based platform. Participants were 61 older adults (age 55+), including 20 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). To allow comparison between remote (in-home) and site-based testing, participants completed 2 testing sessions 1 week apart. Results for three of four cognitive domains assessed demonstrated equivalence between remote and site-based tests, with high cross-modality ICCs (absolute agreement) for Symbol Coding (ICC = 0.75), Visuospatial Working Memory (ICC = 0.70) and Verbal Fluency (ICC > 0.73). Group differences in these domains were significant and reflected sensitivity to objective cognitive impairment in the SCD group for both remote and site-based testing (p < 0.05). In contrast, performance on tests of verbal episodic memory suggested inflated performance during unmonitored testing and indicate reliable use of remote cognitive assessments may depend on the construct, as well as the population being tested.

Symbolic kraals: Subterranean food stores, hidden wealth and ethnographic errors

Iron Age studies in South Africa are dominated by Huffman’s (1982, 1986, 1993, 2001) ethnographically derived Central Cattle Pattern model, which identifies the cattle-based bridewealth institution of South Eastern Bantu-language speakers by the spatial distribution of specific archaeological features. The idea of the spatial expression ‘on the ground’ of a variety of symbolic codes was Adam Kuper’s (1980, 1982) interpretation of predominantly Swazi ethnography. Surprisingly, Kuper’s work has never been interrogated and consequently his misunderstanding of the ethnography was carried into the Central Cattle Pattern and interpretations of the last 1600 years of Iron Age, farmer archaeology in southern Africa. Two particular features, burials and subterranean grain storage pits, and their relationship to cattle-kraals are explored. Because cattle are central to the Central Cattle Pattern, much archaeological attention has been given to looking for evidence of cattle at archaeological sites, either by dung, bones or cattle-kraals. The paper presents the views of contemporary Swazi, Xhosa and Mfengu people that suggest the symbolic importance of cattle-kraals; in the extreme they may not reflect the presence of livestock at all, yet their persisting presence demonstrates the continuing importance of cattle, real or imagined.

Creative personality in the dimensions of the phenomenon of national and cultural memory

The purpose of the study is to substantiate the theoretical foundations of cultural understanding of the problem of creative personality as a creator, bearer, and representative of national and cultural memory. The research methodology is based on the application of the method of phenomenological analysis to reveal the essence of the phenomenon of memory, penetration into the implicit layers of value-semantic semantics of the content of the concepts "communicative memory", "cultural memory"; the method of hermeneutic interpretation is used to understand the phenomenon of "national-cultural memory"; method of semiotic analysis - when addressing the structures of consciousness that generate the value-content continuum of culture; the method of intentional analysis was used in the reconstruction of semantic intentions of the phenomenon of a creative personality. The scientific novelty of the article is that for the first time a theoretical concept was proposed, which allows considering the problem of cultural memory in terms not only of the collective but also of the individual dimension, namely - through the prism of the phenomenon of the creative personality. In this regard, it is substantiated that the methodological basis for the study of creative personality can be: the anthropocentric approach, personalized approach, as well as the method of "representative figures" and the biographical method. The author's clarification of the concept of "national-cultural memory" is offered. Conclusions. The problem of national and cultural memory is theoretically significant for modern cultural science and Ukrainian society in general. The concept of "national-cultural memory" in the dimensions of the phenomenon of creative personality can be interpreted as a sign-symbolic formation that accumulates significant values for national culture, ideals, norms and other cultural characteristics, can be created, stored and transmitted by creative personality texts that acquire the meaning of "places of memory", as well as works of art, in which in a conceptualized artistic form embodied and passed on to the next generation of symbolic codes and universal meanings as a spiritual heritage of the historically formed community of people.&#x0D; Key words: phenomenon of creative personality, cultural memory, communicative memory, national-cultural memory, culturological comprehension.

Random Interleaving Pattern Identification From Interleaved Reed-Solomon Code Symbols

Random interleavers are widely employed in digital communication systems to combat channel fading and burst errors. In applications such as grant-free access by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, accurately identifying a specific irregular interleaving pattern within an interleaver period is vital to both terminal recognition and data recovery. In this work, we investigate effective approaches for random interleaving pattern identification in Reed-Solomon (RS) coded data streams. We first propose an algorithm of low computational complexity to detect positions of code symbols belonging to the same RS codeword group (RSCG) under modest bit error rate. We further develop another low-complexity algorithm to successfully identify random interleaving patterns for RS code symbols within each RS codeword under moderate to high error rate applications. Our theoretical analysis and simulation results corroborate to demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithms.

Nonlinear Repair of Reed-Solomon Codes

The problem of repairing linear codes and, in particular, Reed Solomon (RS) codes has attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to their extreme importance to distributed storage systems. In this problem, a failed code symbol (node) needs to be repaired by downloading as little information as possible from a subset of the remaining nodes. By now, there are examples of RS codes that have efficient repair schemes, and some even attain the cut-set bound. However, these schemes fall short in several aspects; they require a considerable field extension degree. They do not provide any nontrivial repair scheme over prime fields. Lastly, they are all linear repairs, i.e., the computed functions are linear over the base field. Motivated by these and by a question raised by Guruswami and Wootters, 2017, on the power of nonlinear repair schemes, we study the problem of nonlinear repair schemes of RS codes. Our main results are the first nonlinear repair scheme of RS codes with asymptotically optimal repair bandwidth (asymptotically matching the cut-set bound). This is the first example of a nonlinear repair scheme of any code and also the first example that a nonlinear repair scheme can outperform all linear ones. Lastly, we show that the cut-set bound for RS codes is not tight over prime fields by proving a tighter bound, using additive combinatorics ideas.

Negative symptoms, striatal dopamine and model-free reward decision-making in schizophrenia.

Negative symptoms, such as lack of motivation or social withdrawal, are highly prevalent and debilitating in patients with schizophrenia. Underlying mechanisms of negative symptoms are incompletely understood, thereby preventing the development of targeted treatments. We hypothesized that in patients with schizophrenia during psychotic remission, impaired influences of both model-based and model-free reward predictions on decision-making ('reward prediction influence', RPI) underlie negative symptoms. We focused on psychotic remission, because psychotic symptoms might confound reward-based decision-making. Moreover, we hypothesized that impaired model-based/model-free RPIs depend on alterations of both associative striatum dopamine synthesis and storage (DSS) and executive functioning. Both factors influence RPI in healthy subjects and are typically impaired in schizophrenia. Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia with pronounced negative symptoms during psychotic remission and 24 healthy controls were included in the study. Negative symptom severity was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative subscale, model-based/model-free RPI by the two-stage decision task, associative striatum DSS by 18F-DOPA positron emission tomography and executive functioning by the symbol coding task. Model-free RPI was selectively reduced in patients and associated with negative symptom severity as well as with reduced associative striatum DSS (in patients only) and executive functions (both in patients and controls). In contrast, model-based RPI was not altered in patients. Results provide evidence for impaired model-free reward prediction influence as a mechanism for negative symptoms in schizophrenia as well as for reduced associative striatum dopamine and executive dysfunction as relevant factors. Data suggest potential treatment targets for patients with schizophrenia and pronounced negative symptoms.

"The hysteria of a little flue": effects of COVID-19 on HEIs in Brazil.

This essay will look at the key challenges public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) faced in Brazil during the COVID-19 lockdown. The pandemic led universities to close their campuses and adopt an online interface for academic activities. However, many of these institutions do not have the technological infrastructure for such, nor did the staff and students who suffered further social exclusions. The president of Brazil referred to the pandemic as a “little flu” and later on responded to measures adopting the lockdown as a “hysteric” act that “will lead to an economic crash”. Considering the lack of support from the government and the process of dismantling resources for public HE since the beginning of the new presidency elected in 2018, the COVID-19 lockdown quickly revealed the institutional racism, elitism and ableism evident in this administration’s agenda. The consequence of the agenda is the cuts on research funds and lack of infrastructure to provide online classes, as examples of the severe policies that promote the erasure of marginalised groups. Such policies follow Sylvia Wynter’s “Argument”, revealing a code of symbolic life and death of how human order organises itself through the coloniality of power/being. In order to show how such symbolic code is engraved in the Brazilian educational system, this study explores narratives of staff and students from three universities per region of Brazil to identify how the colonial legacies are correlated with postulates of power in the Brazilian HEIs setting during the pandemic. The paper discusses the challenges experienced while keeping the HE sector active during a pandemic that the government has belittled. The conclusions advocate for organised strategies at the union and social movements level to dismantle the colonial occupation put in place in the foundation of the HEIs and reinforced by the current necropolitical administration.

HAIR MOTIF GRAVESTONES IN SOUTH WEST TAURUS: THE CASE OF MUĞLA AND DENİZLİ

Kültür insanların yaratıcılığının kaynağıdır. İnsanoğlu kendisinden önceki nesillerin tarihini ve geleneklerini miras olarak almıştır. Buna bağlı olarak da eski ile yeniyi sentezleyerek yeni yaratmalar ortaya koymuştur. Türk kültür coğrafyasının her bir noktasında oluşan bu yaratmalar farklılıklar gösterse de temelde aynı noktada buluşurlar. Böylece aynı kültür dairesindeki insanları da ortak bir zeminde bir araya getirir. Bu yaratmalar hayatın her alanında olabilmektedir. Ancak ölüm ve sonrası ile ilgili inançlarda bu durum daha açık bir şekilde kendisini göstermektedir. Yaşanılan hayattan öte dünya alemine geçiş olarak düşünülebilecek ölüm olgusu ile beraber insan ölüyü ve onun ruhunu artık doğaüstü bir varlık olarak görmeye ve tanımlamaya başlar. Ölümün gerçekleşmesinden itibaren ortada kalan bir beden ve bu bedende yaşadığına inanılan, ölümsüz olan ruhun bedenden ayrılması süreci, karmaşık inanç sistemlerinin oluşmasına, dolayısıyla ruhu bedenden ve bu dünyadan ayırmak için farklı ritüellerin ortaya çıkmasına sebep olmuştur Türkler arasında ölümle ve ölenin ruhuyla ilgili; ölüm öncesinde, ölüm sırasında ve ölümden sonra yapılan bazı uygulama ve pratikler görülmektedir. İnsanlar arasında kültürel bilgi akışı farklı şekillerde olabilmektedir. Kültürel bilgi akışının unsurlarından bir tanesi de mezarlardır. Mezarlar sadece ölüleri gömmek için değil aynı zamanda kendini ifade etme aracı olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu sayede insanlar kendi kimliğini ve kişiliğini çevreye ifade edebilmektedir. Bununla birlikte mezarlar, bu dünya ve öte dünya arasındaki ilişkiyi somutlaştırmakta da bir ifade biçimidir. Mezarlar ve mezar taşları da yapılışları ve üzerlerindeki çeşitli sembollerle vb. soyut bir şekilde var olan düşünceleri somut bir şekle dönüştürmektedirler. Bu sayede ölen kişinin varlığı tekrar ortaya koyulmakta, böylece onun hayatını tekrar yaratma metaforuyla, ruhun yeni duruma kolaylıkla alışabilmesine imkân sağlanmaktadır. Bu sayede bir bakıma yaşam ve ölüm arasındaki uyum da ifade edilmeye çalışılmaktadır. Eski çağlardan beri sembolik birer kod olan mezar taşları üzerine yapılan semboller, şekiller, tasvirler vb. ona kutsallık sağladığı gibi aynı zamanda bu kutsallık sayesinde dokunulmazlık da sağlamaktadır. Böylece bir kaybediş, bir yok oluş karşında ölüm acısı içerisinde olan insanoğlu ölüme değil ölümsüzlüğe yönelik yaptığı bu uygulamalarla, yaşamdan sonra var olan hayatın sonsuzluğuna değer katmaktadır. Mezar taşları Türkler için bir geçmiş olduğu gibi aynı zamanda o geçmişin ruhunu taşımaları bakımında da önemlidir. Türk kültüründe saç ile ilgili inanışlar ve uygulamalar en eski dönemlerden günümüze, Sibirya’dan Anadolu’ya kadar tüm Türk coğrafyalarında görülmektedir. Bu kadar geniş bir zaman ve coğrafyada, saçın kültürel sürekliliğini sağlaması onun Türk kültüründeki önemini göstermesi bakımından dikkat çekicidir. Bu makalede genel anlamda Türk coğrafyasında saç ile ilgili inanışlar ele alınmıştır. Özeldeyse Muğla ve Denizli illerinde bulunan bazı mezar taşlarında görülen saç motifleri ve bunların Türk kültürü içerisindeki yeri hakkında değerlendirmelerde bulunulmuştur.

A Randomized Control Trial of Cognitive Compensatory Training (CCT) and Computerized Interactive Remediation of Cognition-Training for Schizophrenia (CIRCuiTS).

BackgroundVarious modes of delivering cognitive remediation (CR) are effective, but there have been few head-to-head trials of different approaches. This trial aimed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of two different programmes, Cognitive Compensatory Training (CCT) and Computerized Interactive Remediation of Cognition—Training for Schizophrenia (CIRCuiTs).MethodsThe study used a single-blind randomized, controlled trial to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of the two therapies. The study aimed to enroll 100 clinically stable patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years who had been diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Participants were randomized to either the CCT or CIRCuiTs therapy groups. The primary outcome measures were neurocognition using the Brief Assessment of Cognition Scale (BACS) and the Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia (SSTICS). The secondary measure was functional outcomes using the Social Functioning Scale (SFS).ResultsThere was no group difference in any of the outcome measures post-intervention or at follow-up. Both groups had a small improvement on their SSTICS scores between baseline (M = 30.52 and SD = 14.61) and post-intervention (M = 23.96 and SD = 10.92). Verbal memory scores as measured by list learning improved for both groups between baseline (z = −1.62) and 3-month follow-up (z = −1.03). Both groups improved on the token motor task between baseline (z = −1.38) and post-intervention (z = −0.69). Both groups had a decline in Symbol Coding scores between baseline (z = 0.05) and 3-month follow-up (z = −0.82).DiscussionThis underpowered study found no difference in effect between the two approaches studied. If future studies confirm this finding, then it has implications for services where cost and lack of computer technology could pose a barrier in addressing the cognitive domain of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The final sample size compromised the power of the study to conclusively determine a significant effect.

A BARTHESIAN ANALYSIS OF HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS BY EARNEST HEMINGWAY

The present study applies Roland Barthes’ five codes to Hills Like White Elephants (1927, later published in 1955 by Penguin Books), a short story by Earnest Hemingway, a popular minimalist writer of the 19th century. The study has examined the story in a qualitative manner by keeping in view Barthes’s five codes: proairetic, hermeneutic, semantic, symbolic and cultural ones. The present study first takes the critical overview of the story Hills Like White Elephants and then further analyzes it on a structural level by applying five codes as given by Barthes. The story opens with a long description of setting and the tense situation between the characters. The story is full of tension where several elements stand for connotative meanings. Patriarchal and authoritative nature of men is the prevailing theme in the story. Most importantly, binary oppositions (symbolic code) play a vital role in the structure of the story. The study concludes that the author has created a fine contrast between the personalities and feelings of The American (male) and the girl (Jig). Their conflicting nature, viewpoints, desires, feelings and emotions and their conflicting perception of the issue provide the content and construction of the plot of the story. The findings of the study reveal that all the Barthes’ five codes run through the narrative structure of the short story and help the reader to get new insight and meanings. Keywords: Structuralism, Barthes’ five Codes, Hills Like White Elephant, Earnest Hemingway.

PRBS orders required to train ANN equalizer for PAM signal without overfitting.

Artificial neural network (ANN)-based nonlinear equalizers (NLEs) have been gaining popularity as powerful waveform equalizers for intensity-modulation (IM)/direct-detection (DD) systems. On the other hand, the M-ary pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-M) format is now widely used for high-speed IM/DD systems. For the training of ANN-NLE in PAM-M IM/DD systems, it is common to employ pseudorandom binary sequences (PRBSs) for the generation of PAM-M training sequences. However, when the PRBS orders used for training are not sufficiently high, the ANN-NLE might suffer from the overfitting problem, where the equalizer can estimate one or more of the constituent PRBSs from a part of PAM-M training sequence, and as a result, the trained ANN-NLE shows poor performance for new input sequences. In this paper, we provide a selection guideline of the PRBSs to train the ANN-NLE for PAM-M signals without experiencing the overfitting. For this purpose, we determine the minimum PRBS orders required to train the ANN-NLE for a given input size of the equalizer. Our theoretical analysis is confirmed through computer simulation. The selection guideline is applicable to training the ANN-NLE for the PAM-M signals, regardless of symbol coding.

Baduanjin for executive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purposeMild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents age-related cognitive decline and affects various aspects of cognitive function, including memory, attention, executive function (EF), mental processing speed, speech–language skills, and visual–spatial skills. Among these, the EF is the most likely to decline with increasing age. Existing RCTs have shown that Baduanjin can improve the EF in MCI patients. In this study, we aimed to perform a systematic review to assess the efficacy of Baduanjin in improving the EF of patients with MCI. MethodsTen databases [English: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, OVID, and EBSCOhost; Chinese: Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and SinoMed] were systematically searched in April 2021. We herein included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) written in Chinese or English that assessed the effect of Baduanjin on the EF of patients with MCI. Two researchers used the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and assessed the risks of bias and performed a meta-analysis through the RevMan 5.4 software. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to evaluate the quality of the body of evidence. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines were followed. ResultsSixteen RCTs involving 934 patients with MCI were included. The duration of Baduanjin was 16–24 weeks. The study showed that Baduanjin could significantly improve the EF (P < 0.05) based on the evaluation of the EF of patients with MCI using Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Clock Drawing Test, the Digit Symbol Coding test, and the Trail Making Test. ConclusionBaduanjin significantly improved the EF of patients with MCI.

Exploring the Face of the City

The book entitled “Exploring the Face of the City: Self-Representation Practices of Ukrainian Cities in the Industrial and Post-Industrial Age” (Kharkiv, 2021) was published at the end of 2021. It is devoted to the study of some theoretical and practical issues of urbanism. The main focus is on the symbolic spaces and cultural landscapes of five large cities of Eastern and Southern Ukraine — Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Kharkiv. The authors of the book are participants of the scientific project “CityFace: Practices of self-representation of multinational cities in the industrial and post-industrial age” (https://cityface.org.ua/), which was supported by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. They consider these cities as centers of socio-cultural interaction and various innovations, as dynamic systems that are constantly changing, searching for their own relevant “face.” The central place in the book belongs to the study of the practices of self-representation of cities (the use of symbols and emblems, the formation of a pantheon of local heroes, the celebration of “significant” events, etc.), as well as options for articulating certain achievements, features of the city and its citizens, that is, ideas that are able to rally the urban community around certain ideological constructions (self-stereotypes). In this regard, the authors were interested in places of collective memory, commemorative and ritual practices, the process of symbolic coding and recoding of urban space. This approach allows us to get closer to understanding the specifics of micro-regional identities, which is considered a very relevant scientific task today. The publication is intended for everyone who is interested in the history and current state of socio-cultural processes in Ukraine. In this case, the introduction to this book is published, which has been translated into English, with the hope that this text will attract additional attention of readers to the book.

Hyperbolic Lyapunov–Perron regular points and smooth invariant measures

AbstractFor a $C^{1+\alpha }$ diffeomorphism f of a compact smooth manifold, we give a necessary and sufficient condition that guarantees that if the set of hyperbolic Lyapunov–Perron regular points has positive volume, then f preserves a smooth measure. We use recent results on symbolic coding of $\chi $ -non-uniformly hyperbolic sets and results concerning the existence of SRB measures for them.

Differential diagnosis of schizophrenia using decision tree analysis based on cognitive testing

Background and objectivesTo explore the discriminatory ability of a decision tree model based on cognitive testing data for the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia. MethodsThis study enrolled 82 patients with schizophrenia and 82 patients with affective disorders. The cognitive function of the two groups of participants was assessed based on learning, symbol coding, digital span, trail making, and category fluency tests. The logistic regression model in the sklearn package in Python was applied to discriminate and analyse the data for all 11 variables in the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). ResultsThe recognition rate for schizophrenia and affective disorder using all 11 variables of the MCCB was 82%. ConclusionThe logistics model based on cognitive data distinguished patients with schizophrenia from those with affective disorder.

IMG-03. Impact of childhood cerebellar tumor surgery on cognition: Can fMRI serve as a surrogate marker?

BACKGROUND: Childhood cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas harbour excellent overall survival rates after surgical resection, but the patients may exhibit specific cognitive and behavioural problems emphasising our current understanding of the cerebellar role in cognition. Functional MRI has catalysed the mechanistic insights into brain functional systems and has already been linked with the neuropsychological performance. We aimed to exploit the question whether functional MRI can be used as a surrogate measure for the cognitive outcome assessment of these patients. METHODS: We investigated 13 patients (median age 22.0 years, range 15.2 – 31.7) after a median interval between surgery and examination of 15.0 years (range 4.2 – 20.8) and 16 matched controls. All subjects underwent a functional 3T MRI scans in a resting state condition and a battery neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: Patients showed a significantly increased functional connectivity in the precuneus compared to controls (p<0.05) and at the same time impairments in various domains of neuropsychological functioning such as a lower mean WIE IQ percentile (M = 48.62, SD = 29.14), lower scores in the TMT letter sequencing (M = 49.54, SD = 30.66), worse performance on the WIE subtest Digit Symbol Coding (M = 38.92, SD = 35.29), subtest Symbol Search (M = 40.75, SD = 35,28), and TAP divided attention task (M = 783.92, SD = 73.20). CONCLUSION: Functional MRI has the potential to serve as a surrogate measure for the cognitive outcome assessment. The precuneus brain region is heavily involved in the cerebral associative oversight of cerebellar cognitive function.