This paper presents Awal, a community-powered initiative for developing language technology resources for Tamazight. We provide a comprehensive review of the NLP landscape for Tamazight, examining recent progress in computational resources, and the emergence of community-driven approaches to address persistent data scarcity. Launched in 2024, awaldigital.org platform addresses the underrepresentation of Tamazight in digital spaces through a collaborative platform enabling speakers to contribute translation and voice data. We analyze 18 months of community engagement, revealing significant barriers to participation including limited confidence in written Tamazight and ongoing standardization challenges. Despite widespread positive reception, actual data contribution remained concentrated among linguists and activists. The modest scale of community contributions -- 6,421 translation pairs and 3 hours of speech data -- highlights the limitations of applying standard crowdsourcing approaches to languages with complex sociolinguistic contexts. We are working on improved open-source MT models using the collected data.
A. Tarik Leblebici, Sumeyra Hassan, Erdal Panayirci
et al.
This paper proposes a joint communication and indoor positioning (JCP) system based on visible light communication (VLC) designed for high-precision indoor environments. The framework supports 2D and 3D positioning using received signal strength (RSS) from pilot transmissions, enhanced by the radical axis theorem to improve accuracy under measurement uncertainties. Communication is achieved using spatial modulation (SM) with M-ary pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), where data is conveyed through the modulation symbol and the active light-emitting diode (LED) index, improving spectral efficiency while maintaining low complexity. A pilot-aided least squares (LS) estimator is employed for joint channel and dimming coefficient estimation, enabling robust symbol detection in multipath environments characterized by both line-of-sight (LOS) and diffuse non-line-of-sight (NLOS) components, modeled using Rician fading. The proposed system incorporates a dimming control mechanism to meet lighting requirements while maintaining reliable communication and positioning performance. Simulation results demonstrate sub-centimeter localization accuracy at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and bit error rates (BERs) below 10^{-6} for low-order PAM schemes. Additionally, comparative analysis across user locations reveals that positioning and communication performance improve significantly near the geometric center of the LED layout. These findings validate the effectiveness of the proposed system for future 6G indoor networks requiring integrated localization and communication under practical channel conditions.
Social media use has been shown to be associated with low fertility desires. However, we know little about the discourses surrounding childbirth and parenthood that people consume online. We analyze 219,127 comments on 668 short videos related to reproduction and parenthood from Douyin and Tiktok in China, South Korea, and Japan, a region famous for its extremely low fertility level, to examine the topics and sentiment expressed online. BERTopic model is used to assist thematic analysis, and a large language model QWen is applied to label sentiment. We find that comments focus on childrearing costs in all countries, utility of children, particularly in Japan and South Korea, and individualism, primarily in China. Comments from Douyin exhibit the strongest anti-natalist sentiments, while the Japanese and Korean comments are more neutral. Short video characteristics, such as their stances or account type, significantly influence the responses, alongside regional socioeconomic indicators, including GDP, urbanization, and population sex ratio. This work provides one of the first comprehensive analyses of online discourses on family formation via popular algorithm-fed video sharing platforms in regions experiencing low fertility rates, making a valuable contribution to our understanding of the spread of family values online.
This study introduces a novel approach to understanding audience attitudes toward news media by applying network analysis, conceptualizing them as interconnected networks of cognitive and affective evaluations. Using survey data ( N = 500) from South Korea, this study examines attitude networks related to both general news media and specific outlets. Through pairwise comparisons, we identify distinct structural patterns and key relational links that reveal the complexity of audience responses. The results show that attitude networks vary qualitatively across news outlets, highlighting structural differences that might be overlooked by relying solely on aggregate scores. These insights offer a more nuanced perspective on audience-media interactions, enriching our understanding beyond traditional evaluation metrics.
BACKGROUND: Social media platforms are progressively developing as a rich source of mass communication. Increasing mental health awareness with the help of social media can be a good initiative to reach out to a large number of people in a short time frame. This study was conducted to understand the usefulness of social media platforms for health promotion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a qualitative study to evaluate the effectiveness of social media platforms in hosting health promotion campaigns in the field of mental health, which was observed over 5 months from May to September 2019 to reach more people for effective information dissemination. The campaigns were as follows (1) The Buddies for Suicide Prevention: an online campaign to create awareness about suicide prevention. The campaign included script writing, slogan writing, poster making, and short films making, organized for the general public who were interested to take part; (2) The #Iquitobacco was a 21-day campaign with an idea of tobacco cessation in the community, conducted among social media viewers who were willing to participate; and (3) #Migrainethepainfultruth was yet another campaign conducted among the social media viewers who were interested to participate. All the campaigns were conducted using two famous social media platforms commonly used by young adults. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and proportions were computed for the number of likes and shares. RESULTS: The Facebook and Instagram posts concerning all the campaigns brought about a considerable amount of reach to the targeted population. After the campaigns, the page reached to around 10.3 k people (both fans and nonfans). CONCLUSIONS: Use of social media to conduct mental health campaigns is an effective initiative as one can reach out to several people over a short time period. There is an increasing trend in the awareness of mental health with the effective use of digital media as a platform for disseminating information.
This study was centered on the influence of radio programme news on mental health communication amongst the residents of South-East Nigeria. The study was able to discuss the concept of radio, the role of radio on general health, the concept of mental health, radio and mental health, radio and early signs of mental health disorders and the symptoms. It also discussed the causes of mental health disorder, the role of radio on the remedy to mental health challenges which include psychotherapy or talking therapies, medication, and self-help. The study also adopted the focus group interview method as the method of data collection which gave room for the researcher to carefully select 10 health professional personnels who came for a health conference in Enugu which is the central area of the people in South-East Nigeria. From the questions asked the participants which started with, if the residents of South-East are much aware of the radio news programme on mental health. Majority of the respondents stated that the people are much aware of the programme, as well stated that the programme has made them to be informed about the causes of mental health challenges as well as remedies for those who are already victims. It was concluded the influence of radio news programme on mental health communication amongst the residents of South-East Nigeria cannot be overemphasized as the programme awareness has made them to know the causes of the illness as well as the possible remedies for the victims. It was finally recommended that the communication professionals should take it upon themselves to use any mass communication means in order to constantly inform the people on how to avoid falling into the danger of mental health illness, as well as the remedies for those who are already victims through the help of the health professional advisers.
Nour Hello, Mattia Merluzzi, Emilio Calvanese Strinati
et al.
This paper investigates how semantic communication can effectively influence and potentially redefine the limitations imposed by physical layer settings. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) enable the intelligent configuration of the physical layer of communication systems. However, its practical implementation is hampered by several limitations. The Semantic Communication (SemCom) paradigm introduces additional degrees of freedom that can be exploited to improve the robustness of communication against physical layer impairments. In essence, SemCom ensures that the data representation remains robust even under adverse physical conditions by emphasizing the transmission of meaningful information in a manner that is less susceptible to degradation. Through the use of SemCom, potential RIS gains are demonstrated in terms of RIS area size and the phase shift precision of its active elements.
The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has revolutionized various facets of our lives, particularly in the realm of social media. For students, these advancements have unlocked unprecedented opportunities for learning, collaboration, and personal growth. AI-driven applications are transforming how students interact with social media, offering personalized content and recommendations, and enabling smarter, more efficient communication. Recent studies utilizing data from UniversityCube underscore the profound impact of AI tools on students' academic and social experiences. These studies reveal that students engaging with AI-enhanced social media platforms report higher academic performance, enhanced critical thinking skills, and increased engagement in collaborative projects. Moreover, AI tools assist in filtering out distracting content, allowing students to concentrate more on educational materials and pertinent discussions. The integration of LLMs in social media has further facilitated improved peer-to-peer communication and mentorship opportunities. AI algorithms effectively match students based on shared academic interests and career goals, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating online community, thereby contributing to increased student satisfaction and retention rates. In this article, we delve into the data provided by UniversityCube to explore how LLMs and AI tools are specifically transforming social media for students. Through case studies and statistical analyses, we offer a comprehensive understanding of the educational and social benefits these technologies offer. Our exploration highlights the potential of AI-driven tools to create a more enriched, efficient, and supportive educational environment for students in the digital age.
The study examined the perception of Anambra state residents toward media campaigns against the consumption of uncertified herbal medicine. The essence of the study was to determine the extent of exposure of the residents to media campaigns against the consumption of uncertified herbal medicine. Study adopted two theoretical frameworks, and a survey research method was used. The study found, among others, that a majority of the respondents were moderately exposed to media campaigns against the consumption of uncertified herbal medicine; radio was the medium through which most of the respondents accessed media campaigns against the consumption of uncertified herbal medicine. Further findings revealed that the media campaigns against consumption of uncertified herbal medicine among the residents have not been so effective. The study concluded that the media campaigns against the consumption of uncertified herbal medicine convey uncertainty, a grey area by Anambra state residents. Thus, the study recommended that media should actively shed light on the dangers of consuming uncertified herbal medicine, committing themselves to features, editorials, radio presentations, news programmes, call-in-programs, and documentaries, among others.
The history of human communication began with the oral or spoken tradition. Through the course of history, the dissemination of messages progressed from oral tradition to script, print, wired electronics, wireless electronics, and finally digital communication. This paper is about the use of radio in educating diverse cultures among Ado Ekiti residents. We are all different, hence, it is important to recognize each other's communication manners, and then learn to handle them. This paper examines intercultural communication and the importance of recognizing each other's communication manners and learning to handle it. Conditions for effective intercultural communication were discussed in the paper explaining the purpose and the principles of broadcasting, the nature of radio and television broadcasting, advantages and disadvantages of intercultural communication via broadcasting. It is imperative to note that communication is the active relationship established between people through language and several other forms whether it’s verbal or written communication. Therefore, it is germane to interpret what you see or hear exactly the way it is to evade needless confusion. When broadcasting, it is also very important to use simple and clear words while portraying your message so as not to be misinterpreted. This paper suggests the need for the government to promote the use of radio broadcasting in the state by providing adequate equipment and building the capacity of personnel in the industry. Dispensing information through this means would go a long way in educating, informing, and entertaining residents of the state with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Single-file transport occurs in various scientific fields, including diffusion through nanopores, nanofluidic devices, and cellular processes. We here investigate the impact of polydispersity on particle currents for single-file Brownian motion of hard spheres, when they are driven through periodic potentials by a constant drag force. Through theoretical analysis and extensive Brownian dynamics simulations, we unveil the behavior of particle currents for random binary mixtures. The particle currents show a recurring pattern in dependence of the hard-sphere diameters and mixing ratio. We explain this recurrent behavior by showing that a basic unit cell exists in the space of the two hard-sphere diameters. Once the behavior of an observable inside the unit cell is determined, it can be inferred for any diameter. The overall variation of particle currents with the mixing ratio and hard-sphere diameters is reflected by their variation in the limit where the system is fully covered by hard spheres. In this limit, the currents can be predicted analytically. Our analysis explains the occurrence of pronounced maxima and minima of the currents by changes of an effective potential barrier for the center-of-mass motion.
Umang Dubey, Prathamesh Bhole, Arindam Dutta
et al.
The increasing demand for the realization of global-scale quantum communication services necessitates critical investigation for a practical quantum secure communication network that relies on full-time all-location coverage. In this direction, the non-terrestrial quantum key distribution is expected to play an important role in providing agility, maneuverability, relay link, on-demand network, and last-mile coverage. In this work, we have summarized the research and development that has happened until now in the domain of quantum communication using non-terrestrial platforms with a specific focus on the associated challenges and the relevant models. Further, to extend the analysis beyond the existing know-how, a hybrid model involving the features of Vasylyev et al. model and Liorni et al. model is introduced here. The hybrid model entails us adapting a spherical beam to an elliptic beam approximation and effectively capturing the characteristics of transmittance in densely humid weather conditions and at low altitudes. Further, to understand the potential impact of the weather conditions of a region on atmospheric attenuation, as an example the average monthly visibility of Pune city was analyzed for the years 2021 and 2022. In addition, a simulation of a generic model is performed using a software-defined network paradigm where quantum teleportation is simulated between distant parties using a swarm of drones in NetSquid.
Vishnuprasad Padinjaredath Suresh, Gianluca Nogara, Felipe Cardoso
et al.
The aftermath of the 2020 US Presidential Election witnessed an unprecedented attack on the democratic values of the country through the violent insurrection at Capitol Hill on January 6th, 2021. The attack was fueled by the proliferation of conspiracy theories and misleading claims about the integrity of the election pushed by political elites and fringe communities on social media. In this study, we explore the evolution of fringe content and conspiracy theories on Twitter in the seven months leading up to the Capitol attack. We examine the suspicious coordinated activity carried out by users sharing fringe content, finding evidence of common adversarial manipulation techniques ranging from targeted amplification to manufactured consensus. Further, we map out the temporal evolution of, and the relationship between, fringe and conspiracy theories, which eventually coalesced into the rhetoric of a stolen election, with the hashtag #stopthesteal, alongside QAnon-related narratives. Our findings further highlight how social media platforms offer fertile ground for the widespread proliferation of conspiracies during major societal events, which can potentially lead to offline coordinated actions and organized violence.
Social networks use a variety of models from the spectrum of web technologies. These tools were designed for entertainment and communication purposes, and the most commonly used among students are the social media tools. Knowing this, teachers have incorporated traditional teaching strategies as part of increasing the ability of students to grasp the objectives. Considering that most students find social media tools interesting, most researchers have supported this strategy as one of the most innovative methods of improving the learning outcomes. Students today can learn almost everything on their own or with their teachers using the Internet, talk to people from all over the world, share experiences with their peers, get acquainted with the world and other people, customs and cultures through their own personal experience. Researching a particular topic to find information, literature by authors from around the world and literary criticism, there are things that can open their view of the world, as well as enable them to think critically and creatively. These are some of the most significant benefits of a global network. This study wants to indicate the level of awareness in teachers and students about the proper use of social media and media literacy as well as to address the necessity to overcome the lack of media literacy knowledge within youth as well as the wider population. It also focuses on pointing out the dangers that social media causes with illiterate youth. Students who daily take in a huge amount of information from a wide array of sources, are going to become better critical thinkers and smart consumers that recognize the point of view and recognize the author’s goal. Hopefully in future, teachers will pay more attention to what extent and in what manner their students use social media and pay particular attention to teach them how to be more alert when using social media.
This study aims to examine the latest academic research conducted in the last decade on the future benefits, challenges, and impact of Artificial Intelligence and its adoption in the communication profession. The study is grounded in the perceptions of reviews from relevant academic articles and emphasizes the technological innovations related to Artificial Intelligence applications within the public relations, advertising, and journalism professions. The followings are some of the key questions asked in the current study: 1) How is the implementation of Artificial Intelligence going to impact the jobs of the communication profession? 2) Can robots replace public relations, advertising, and journalism professionals? and 3) What kind of opportunities and challenges will AI-powered systems bring to these three professions? The findings suggest that Artificial Intelligence would benefit the communication profession and those who adopt Artificial Intelligence technologies would certainly gain a competitive advantage. It appears that the future of the communication profession would be a blend of both Artificial Intelligence technologies and human insight. Also, it is emphasized that it would be a rather narrow view to see that Artificial Intelligence would create robots to replace humans while performing various tasks or would outperform human intelligence in most of its dimensions.
In the translation into sign language, where does the ≪sense≫ reside and how can it be constructed in the target language? To what extent does the orality of sign languages, intended as the absence of a writing system, affect the translation process? What role do the characteristics of sign languages, first and foremost iconicity, play? The issues we address in this study are placed at the crossroads between sign language linguistics and translation studies, thanks to the awareness that both disciplines have, respectively matured in recent decades. As regards the linguistics of sign languages, we refer to the semiological model proposed by Cuxac and colleagues. On the subject of translation studies, our main reference is represented by Meschonnic, according to whom the sense is found in the ≪rhythm≫ (understood as form). Analyzing the translation process, and more specifically the poetic translation, allows us to observe the centrality of the body. We take into account the perspective of embodied cognition, based on the link between the language and the sensorimotor system. Therefore, we question the role of the body in the construction of the sense: the body is considered above all in its sensorial dimension, in its being an entity that perceives and enters into a relationship with the world. That makes us hypothesize a synesthetic construction of the sense. In order to follow in practice what is stated theorically, we present one of our translations: the translation into LIS of a poem in Italian, L'Infinito by Giacomo Leopardi. The translation into sign language makes it possible to observe the role of corporeality in the process of re-enunciation of sense.
Semantic communication (SC) goes beyond technical communication in which a given sequence of bits or symbols, often referred to as information, is be transmitted reliably over a noisy channel, regardless of its meaning. In SC, conveying the meaning of information becomes important, which requires some sort of agreement between a sender and a receiver through their knowledge bases. In this sense, SC is closely related to a signaling game where a sender takes an action to send a signal that conveys information to a receiver, while the receiver can interpret the signal and choose a response accordingly. Based on the signaling game, we can build a SC model and characterize the performance in terms of mutual information in this paper. In addition, we show that the conditional mutual information between the instances of the knowledge bases of communicating parties plays a crucial role in improving the performance of SC.
This paper presents an online system that leverages social media data in real time to identify landslide-related information automatically using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques. The designed system can (i) reduce the information overload by eliminating duplicate and irrelevant content, (ii) identify landslide images, (iii) infer geolocation of the images, and (iv) categorize the user type (organization or person) of the account sharing the information. The system was deployed in February 2020 online at https://landslide-aidr.qcri.org/landslide_system.php to monitor live Twitter data stream and has been running continuously since then to provide time-critical information to partners such as British Geological Survey and European Mediterranean Seismological Centre. We trust this system can both contribute to harvesting of global landslide data for further research and support global landslide maps to facilitate emergency response and decision making.