The orthogonality dimension of a graph over R is the smallest integer d for which one can assign to every vertex a nonzero vector in R-d such that every two adjacent vertices receive orthogonal vectors. For an integer d, the d-ORTHO-DIMR problem asks to decide whether the orthogonality dimension of a given graph over R is at most d. We prove that for every integer d >= 3, the d-ORTHO-DIMR problem parameterized by the vertex cover number k admits a kernel with O(k(d-1)) vertices and bit-size O(k(d-1) log k). We complement this result by a nearly matching lower bound, showing that for any epsilon > 0, the problem admits no kernel of bit-size O(k(d-1-epsilon)) unless NP subset of coNP/poly. We further study the kernelizability of orthogonality dimension problems in additional settings, including over general fields and under various structural parameterizations.
BACKGROUND:Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) is an important international health concern. Despite increasing recognition of the public health burden of CB-PTSD, little is known about how CB-PTSD symptoms present across different countries. AIMS:This study examined cross-national differences in CB-PTSD symptom severity and presentation to inform culturally sensitive screening and intervention strategies. METHOD:Data were drawn from the International Survey of Childbirth-Related Trauma (INTERSECT) cross-sectional survey of 11,302 women 6-12 weeks postpartum in 31 countries using a standard protocol. CB-PTSD symptoms were assessed using the City Birth Trauma Scale, measuring DSM-5 symptom components (re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, hyperarousal). RESULTS:Participants were mostly married, aged 30-34 years, with average household income, and higher education. CB-PTSD symptom severity varied substantially across countries, with the highest mean scores in Pakistan (M = 23.49, SD = 13.23) and lowest in Nigeria (M = 1.89, SD = 3.66). Despite these differences, symptom patterns were largely consistent across countries, with avoidance symptoms lowest and hyperarousal symptoms highest. Exceptions were observed in countries with particularly high symptom levels. Decision tree analysis identified avoidance symptoms (>3.1) as the strongest discriminator of CB-PTSD cases vs non-cases (F(1,11,204) = 4820.54, p = .000), followed by negative cognitions and mood (>10; F(1,716) = 143.69, p = .000). CONCLUSIONS:While CB-PTSD severity varies internationally, symptom presentation is largely consistent, supporting its relevance as an international construct. Avoidance symptoms were the least commonly endorsed yet the most discriminative for identifying CB-PTSD in decision tree analyses, suggesting they may serve as a useful clinical flag for women who warrant more detailed assessment. Variations in symptom expression in countries with high levels of symptoms highlight the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to screening and assessment.
Abstract This article examines the perceptions of Jewish-Israeli television drama creators on their social and political roles during times of war and political crisis in Israel and Palestine. An analysis of interviews conducted between 2023 and 2024, during a period of significant upheaval—including an attempt at judicial overhaul, the 7 October 2023 terror attack near the Gaza Strip, and the multi-front Gaza War that resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties—reveals contradictions in the views of creators. While they aspire to artistic autonomy, market pressures and political constraints often lead to self-censorship. This self-justifying framework not only limits creative freedom but also silences political critique, further restricting their ability to reflect on political issues.
A set family ℱ is called intersecting if every two members of ℱ intersect, and it is called uniform if all members of ℱ share a common size. A uniform family ℱ⊆( [ [n]; k ]) of k-subsets of [n] is ε -far from intersecting if one has to remove more than ε·( [ n; k ]) of the sets of ℱ to make it intersecting. We study the property testing problem that given query access to a uniform family ℱ⊆( [ [n]; k ]) , asks to distinguish between the case that ℱ is intersecting and the case that it is ε -far from intersecting. We prove that for every fixed integer r, the problem admits a non-adaptive two-sided error tester with query complexity O(ln n/ε) for ε≥Ω ( (k/n)^r) and a non-adaptive one-sided error tester with query complexity O(ln k/ε) for ε≥Ω ( (k^2/n)^r) . The query complexities are optimal up to the logarithmic terms. For ε≥Ω ( (k^2/n)^2) , we further provide a non-adaptive one-sided error tester with optimal query complexity of O(1/ε) . Our findings show that the query complexity of the problem behaves differently from that of testing intersectingness of non-uniform families, studied recently by Chen et al. (2024).
Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis (POMS) affects children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional state, with consequences for parents as well. Parents of children with chronic illnesses often report elevated stress and psychological distress, yet their role in shaping children’s psychological outcomes in POMS remains underexplored. This study examined whether parental emotional state mediates the association between children’s disease-related factors and self-esteem. Thirty children and adolescents with POMS (ages 10–18) and their parents participated. Measures included child fatigue, processing speed, disease severity (EDSS), self-esteem, and parental stress and well-being. All participants scored within the low self-esteem range of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; M = 15.93, SD = 2.21), indicating reduced global self-worth. Among parents, emotional distress was evident, with 43
