ANALYSIS OF TELECOMMUNICATION CHANNEL SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTICS WITH BLOCK CODING AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF THE MESSAGE SOURCE

Background. The direction of development of modern electronic communication systems tends to increase the speed of information transmission. In turn, increasing the speed requires the use of additional resources of the communication channel and tools to maintain the specified reliability of the transmission under limited conditions. But resources are not free. That is why there is a need to establish a relationship between the conditions for reliable transmission in high-speed channels and the spectral and energy parameters of the information transmission system. Objective. The purpose of the paper is to analyse and describe the effect of block noise-tolerant coding on the rate of transmission of symbols in the communication channel while ensuring the required reliability of information transmission at a constant speed of the message source by increasing the frequency involved. Methods. The initial stage of the study is the presentation of system parameters in case of inaccurate transmission. Then a block redundant code is synthesized, which ensures the reliability of information transmission and the procedure of spreading the spectrum at a fixed speed of the message source is performed. Results. Recommendations on the method of selecting coding parameters in the procedure of spreading the spectrum and provided that the speed of the message source is constant are formed. Conclusions. Analysis of the possibilities of noise-tolerant coding at different energies of the communication channel under conditions of increasing the channel transmission rate at a fixed speed of the message source. Keywords: speed; message source; reliability; noise immunity.

The role of source reliability in belief polarisation

Psychological studies show that the beliefs of two agents in a hypothesis can diverge even if both agents receive the same evidence. This phenomenon of belief polarisation is often explained by invoking biased assimilation of evidence, where the agents’ prior views about the hypothesis affect the way they process the evidence. We suggest, using a Bayesian model, that even if such influence is excluded, belief polarisation can still arise by another mechanism. This alternative mechanism involves differential weighting of the evidence arising when agents have different initial views about the reliability of their sources of evidence. We provide a systematic exploration of the conditions for belief polarisation in Bayesian models which incorporate opinions about source reliability, and we discuss some implications of our findings for the psychological literature.

Determinants of the Perceived Credibility of Rebuttals Concerning Health Misinformation

Users provide and share information with a broad audience on different forms of social media; however, information accuracy is questionable. Currently, the health information field is severely affected by misinformation. Thus, addressing health misinformation is integral for enhancing public health. This research can help relevant practitioners (i.e., government officials, medical and health service personnel, and educators) find the most effective correctional interventions for governing health misinformation. We constructed a theoretical model for credibility-oriented determinants refuting misinformation based on the elaboration likelihood model. We aggregated 415 pieces of valid data through a questionnaire survey. A partial least squares structural equation model evaluated this research model. The results indicated that both perceived information quality and perceived source credibility can enhance perceived information credibility. Under some circumstances, the influence of information quality on information credibility may be more important than that of the information source. However, the cognitive conflict and knowledge self-confidence of information receivers weaken the influence of information quality on information credibility. In contrast, cognitive conflict can strengthen the influence of source credibility on information credibility. Further, perceived information quality can be affected by information usefulness, understandability, and relevance, while perceived source reliability can be affected by source expertise and authority.

Quality and Reliability of YouTube for Patient Information on Facial Fillers

YouTube proves to be a source of health information for patients. This is the first study to analyze the source reliability and educational value of YouTube videos on facial filler treatments. On August 12, 2020, YouTube.com was queried using the keywords “facial filler” or “dermal filler” or “fillers.” A total of 100 were initially reviewed in which 74 videos met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Video characteristics were recorded, and each video was graded for source reliability and educational value by using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Global Quality Score (GQS), respectively. Furthermore, each video was assessed to determine whether there was discussion of 5 different topics that were deemed to be useful to patients prior to undergoing a facial filler treatment. A total of 74 videos met the inclusion criteria and had an average length of 436 seconds (7 minutes and 16 seconds), 146 805 views, 1906 likes, 73 dislikes, and 241 comments. Forty-five videos (61%) were posted with an intention to educate patients, whereas 29 videos (39%) were posted with an intention to describe a patient’s experience with facial filler treatment. Patient education videos were found to have a significantly higher educational value ( PGQS < .001). Patient experience videos showed no difference in reliability score ( PJAMA > .05) to patient education videos, but patient experience videos were found to have lower educational value compared with patient education videos ( PGQS < .001). In addition, both categories are not providing sufficient information for informed decision-making prior to treatment deemed by the 5 selected categories we found most informative. As patients will continue to seek educational material online, clinicians should use this information to help primarily educate patients with standardized and accurate information about their treatment.

“File” on the Historian A. P. Shchapov in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (1861–64): Novelty and Reliability of the Documents Collection

The article analyses the scientific works of Afanasy Prokopievich Shchapov (3.10.1831-25.02.1876) and his contribution to the national scholarship of the 1850s. Despite extensive literature on the issue, its source studies aspect remains untouched upon. For instance, documents of the file “On professor A. P. Shchapov in the State Archive of the Russian Federation” (1861– 64) were used selectively, out of the context, without analyzing the source features. The source-based approach involves, in addition to using the document in research, studying the collection as a whole. Taking into account the interdependence of documents in the file, the departmental and specific context of their origin expands the possibilities of establishing the degree of the source reliability. The article is to analyze the representativeness of the documents "On professor A. P. Shchapov in the State Archive of the Russian Federation" (1861–64).” It is based on studying the origin and content of the collection, its structure, internal connections and on comparison of individual documents and the “package.” The study has showed that the “file” as a “part of the past” objectively reflects content, forms, and methods of work of the ministries and departments, the role of the emperor in the decision-making. The materials of the dossier are the carriers of genuine clerical paraphernalia, facts of real activities of the departments, and plans of the Democrats in the 1860s. The social function of the “head” department, its ideological dominant determines the composition of the file. It includes sources of personal provenance, historical research of the scientist, and record management materials. They contain data on the life of the historian from February 1861 to March 1864. Each department aimed to obtain objective information, used document forms endorsed by personal signature of the minister. The materials are linked chronologically and thematically. The bureaucratic interest in accurate information and the inter-document context, as well as the direct comparison of documents testify to their reliability. The file of professor Shchapov, due to the specifics of the “ministerial” selection of documents, could not capture the history of Shchapov’s life and work in Kazan and St. Petersburg in 1861–64 in its entirety, but it preserved some unique elements of his biography.

Quality and Reliability of YouTube for Patient Information on Neurotoxins

YouTube is a common source of medical information for patients. This is the first study to assess the reliability and educational value of YouTube videos on neurotoxin procedures. YouTube.com was searched on June 15, 2020 using the keyword “Botox” or “neurotoxin.” A total of 100 videos were reviewed. Sixty-one videos met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Video characteristics were noted, and a score was assigned to each video using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Global Quality Score (GQS) to measure source reliability and educational value, respectively. A total of 61 videos that met the inclusion criteria had an average length of 589 seconds (9 minutes and 49 seconds), 210,673 views, 5,295 likes, 318 dislikes, and 478 comments. A total of 30 videos (49%) were posted with an intention to educate patients while 31 videos (51%) were posted with the intention to detail a personal experience with neurotoxin. Patient education videos were significantly more reliable (P JAMA< 0.001) and had more educational value (P GQS < 0.001) but were less popular than “personal experience videos.” Personal-experience videos posted by patients had higher popularity, more likes and comments, yet lower scores on reliability and education. Patients will continue to seek educational material online, and clinicians should utilize this information to help primarily educate patients with standardized and accurate information about their treatment. Key Points

“Talk About Cancer and Build Healthy Communities”: How Visuals Are Starting the Conversation About Breast Cancer Within African-American Communities

African-American (AA) women are at higher risk of breast cancer mortality than women of other races. Factors influencing breast cancer risk, including exogenous environmental exposures, and debate around timing of exposure and dose-response relationship, can cause misunderstanding. Collaboration with priority populations encourages culturally relevant health messaging that imparts source reliability, influences message adoption, and improves understanding. Through six focus groups with AA individuals in rural and urban counties in the southeastern United States, this study used a community-engaged participatory approach to design an innovative visual tool for disseminating breast cancer information. Results demonstrated that participants were generally aware of environmental breast cancer risks and were willing to share new knowledge with families and community members. Recommended communication channels included pastors, healthcare providers, social media, and the Internet. Participants agreed that a collaboratively designed visual tool serves as a tangible, focused “conversation starter” to promote community prevention and education efforts.

Coherence of probability judgments from uncertain evidence: Does ACH help?

Although the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses method (ACH) is a structured analytic technique promoted in several intelligence communities for improving the quality of probabilistic hypothesis testing, it has received little empirical testing. Whereas previous evaluations have used numerical evidence assumed to be perfectly credible, in the present experiment we tested the effectiveness of ACH using a judgment task that presented participants with uncertain evidence varying in source reliability and information credibility. Participants (N = 227) assigned probabilities to two alternative hypotheses across six cases that systematically varied case features. Across multiple tests of coherence, the ACH group showed no advantage over a no-technique control group. Both groups showed evidence of subadditivity, unreliability (which was significantly worse in the ACH group), and overly conservative non-Bayesian judgments. The ACH group also showed pseudo-diagnostic weighting of evidence. The findings do not support the claim that ACH is effective at improving probabilistic judgment.

On a Method For Reconstructing Computed Tomography Datasets from an Unstable Source

As work continues in neutron computed tomography, at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and other locations, source reliability over the long imaging times is an issue of increasing importance. Moreover, given the time commitment involved in a single neutron image, it is impractical to simply discard a scan and restart in the event of beam instability. In order to mitigate the cost and time associated with these options, strategies are presented in the current work to produce a successful reconstruction of computed tomography data from an unstable source. The present work uses a high energy neutron tomography dataset from a simulated munition collected at LANSCE to demonstrate the method, which is general enough to be of use in conjunction with unstable X-ray computed tomography sources as well.