Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meanings of sitting in the context of chronic disease: a critical reflection on sedentary behaviour, health, choice and enjoyment

ABSTRACT Reducing sedentary behaviour or sitting is a new public health focus. Emerging research has, however, found that sedentary activities may be associated with health and mental health benefits for older adults. This article reports findings of the qualitative arm of a feasibility trial to reduce sedentary behaviour among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). From interviews (n = 21) conducted prior to the intervention we identified three themes: (i) participants sat to enable them to perform activities, such as housework, (ii) sitting, such as watching TV or fishing, was experienced as enjoyable and (iii) the most ill participants experienced sitting in terms of sadness, as the only thing they could do. Our observations draw attention to three issues. First, our participants did not always sit out of choice, they had to rest between activities and sat due to breathlessness and mournfulness. Second, the intrinsic value of enjoyment associated with sedentary activities comes into sharp relief in the context of progressive chronic disease, which makes it increasingly difficult to enjoy any activity or life. Third, trials, predicated on trying out a pre-defined solution, are particularly challenging for mixed methods qualitative research seeking to trouble categories, such as choice, health and enjoyment. In conclusion, we concur with research that has highlighted that sedentary activities may also have benefits; however, we would make a stronger case for appreciating alternative values, such as enjoyment of life, rather than just health, when appropriate, in research and in practice.
The Effects of Hyperparameters on SGD Training of Neural Networks

The performance of neural network classifiers is determined by a number of hyperparameters, including learning rate, batch size, and depth. A number of attempts have been made to explore these parameters in the literature, and at times, to develop methods for optimizing them. However, exploration of parameter spaces has often been limited. In this note, I report the results of large scale experiments exploring these different parameters and their interactions.
A Comparison of Residual Income and Comparable Firm Valuation of Initial Public Offerings

This study contributes to the body of research that examines the valuation of initial public offers (IPOs). The aim of this study is to assess the relative predictive ability of residual income valuation against the popular alternative of comparable firm valuation for predicting the offer prices of IPO firms. The results show that the residual income model outperforms a number of comparable firm multiples in predicting the offer price. The results suggest that fundamental valuation is a valuable tool in the IPO context for investors even when there is limited data available for estimating these models.
Living with autism: The experience of developmentally healthy adolescents and youths who have a sibling diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

Researchers have proposed that typically developing siblings of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or target siblings, are at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress particularly when compared to other clinical and community sibling groups. To date, evidence drawn from quantitative studies, utilising the target siblings’ mothers as the primary informants has been mixed. These studies have primarily focused on risk factors, while the role of protective factors in the experiences of target siblings remains unexplored in quantitative investigations. However, qualitative studies utilising target siblings as informants have emerged providing insights regarding the processes of coping and adaptation that target siblings and their families employ. Therefore, this mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative), multi-informant study sought to explore the role of risk and protective factors in the experiences of target siblings aged between 12 and 24 years (M = 16.58 years, SD = 3.10 years) utilising a two stage design. The two purposes of Stage One were to examine if target siblings were more distressed than community siblings as reported by the siblings themselves and their mothers on measures of psychological distress, and the protective factors of psychological resilience and family functioning; as well as to determine the role of psychological resilience and family functioning on the level of psychological distress in the target siblings. In the first part of Stage One 52 target siblings reported significantly lower levels of psychological resilience (large effect) when compared to 34 community siblings. No significant differences were detected on the measures of psychological distress (small effect) and family functioning (small effect) between the two groups of siblings. The mothers reported that target siblings displayed significantly lower levels of psychological resilience (medium effect) and significantly greater levels of LIVING WITH AUTISM iii psychological distress (medium effect) when compared to the reports of the mothers of the community siblings. The mothers of the target siblings reported similar levels of family functioning (small effect) when compared to the mothers of the community siblings. Using a hierarchical regression analysis family functioning and psychological resilience were identified as significant predictors of psychological distress in the target siblings. Greater family dysfunction was associated with greater psychological distress in the target siblings while higher levels of psychological resilience in the target siblings were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. In sum, the degree of discrepancy between the experiences of the target siblings and community siblings seemed to vary based on the domains measured as well as on the type of informant (i.e., siblings vs. mothers). However, the psychological distress experienced by target siblings was influenced by their psychological resilience and degree of family
Modelling the Correlation Between Two Putative Inhibition Tasks : A Simulation Approach

Behavioural studies of individual differences have shown mild but significant correlations in performance on tasks that require the withholding of a response to a prepotent stimulus, i.e., on so-called response inhibition tasks. Several computational models of response inhibition tasks have been developed, but the dominant models of such tasks have been produced in isolation of each other. Consequently they fail to present a coherent unitary picture of response inhibition. In this paper we consider two established interactive activation models of distinct response inhibition tasks – the stop signal task and the Stroop task – and explore potential mechanisms within those models that might underlie the observed behavioural correlation. Only one plausible account of the correlation emerges: that it results from shared mechanisms of attentional bias. This account does not map onto the classical concept of response inhibition. It is concluded that either the accepted models are flawed or that the concept of response inhibition as applied to these tasks is misleading (and hence counterproductive). More generally the work may be taken to support an architectural approach to modelling, albeit at the level of interactive activation models, rather than the more traditional production system models.
A tree switching protocol for multicast state reduction

We propose a new tree switching protocol (TSP) to reduce multicast routing states required for a forest of multicast trees. The protocol accomplishes this goal by selecting a base multicast tree and "switching" other multicast trees to the base tree. This results in more overlapping among the multicast trees and a net reduction in multicast state. A further reduction in the state is possible by applying state aggregation to the overlapped tree branches. Simulation results show that the tree switching operation alone could result in a very significant state reduction. The TSP is a distributed protocol running on top of any protocol independent multicast routing protocols. It is also loop-free and very efficient.
Effect of Propranolol on Word Fluency in Autism

Objective and BackgroundAutism is characterized by repetitive behaviors and impaired socialization and communication. Preliminary evidence showed possible language benefits in autism from the &bgr;-adrenergic antagonist propranolol. Earlier studies in other populations suggested propranolol might benefit performance on tasks involving a search of semantic and associative networks under certain conditions. Therefore, we wished to determine whether this benefit of propranolol includes an effect on semantic fluency in autism. MethodsA sample of 14 high-functioning adolescent and adult participants with autism and 14 matched controls were given letter and category word fluency tasks on 2 separate testing sessions; 1 test was given 60 minutes after the administration of 40 mg propranolol orally, and 1 test was given after placebo, administered in a double-blinded, counterbalanced manner. ResultsParticipants with autism were significantly impaired compared with controls on both fluency tasks. Propranolol significantly improved performance on category fluency, but not letter fluency among autism participants. No drug effect was observed among controls. Expected drug effects on heart rate and blood pressure were observed in both the groups. ConclusionsResults are consistent with a selective beneficial effect of propranolol on flexibility of access to semantic and associative networks in autism, with no observed effect on phonological networks. Further study will be necessary to understand potential clinical implications of this finding.
Estimating the Impact of Microcredit on Those Who Take it Up: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Morocco

This paper reports the results from a randomized evaluation of a microcredit program introduced in rural areas of Morocco starting in 2006 by Al Amana, the country’s largest microfinance institution. Al Amana was the only MFI operating in the study areas during the evaluation period. Thirteen percent of the households in treatment villages took a loan, and none in control villages. Among households identified as more likely to borrow based on ex-ante characteristics, microcredit access led to a significant rise in investment in assets used for self-employment activities (mainly animal husbandry and agriculture), and an increase in profit. But this increase in profit was offset by a reduction in income from casual labor, so overall there was no gain in measured income or consumption. We find suggestive evidence that these results are mainly driven by effects on borrowers, rather than by externalities on households that do not borrow. This implies that among those who chose to borrow, microcredit had large, albeit very heterogeneous, impacts on assets and profits from self-employment activities, but small impact on consumption: we can reject an increase in consumption of more than 10% among borrowers, two years after initial rollout.
The Role of Institutions in the Contractual Process

Human beings increase their productivity by specializing their resources and exchanging their products. The organization of exchange is costly, however, because specialized activities need coordination and incentives have to be aligned. This work first describes how these exchanges are organized in an institutional environment. It then focuses on the dual effect of this environment- as with any other specialized resource, institutions may be used for expropriation purposes. They enjoy specialization advantages in safeguarding exchange but they also make possible new forms of opportunism, causing new costs of exchange. Three perverse tendencies are identified:In the legal field, there is a surplus of mandatory rules and, at the same time, a deficit in default rules. Second, courts’ activity is biased against the quasi-judicial role of the parties and the market. Third, Market enforcement is based on reputational assets that are badly exposed to opportunism.
Misery wants control: The roles of helplessness and choice in the sadness–consumption relationship

Sadness has an appraisal theme of loss and helplessness and prior research has shown that sadness leads to increased (vs neutral or happy) hedonic food consumption (e.g. M&M’s). In this research, we test the robustness of sadness’ effect on consumption and further argue that it is the innate helplessness associated with sadness (situational helplessness) that links sadness and hedonic consumption. Specifically, we find that an opportunity to make a choice (increased sense of control) attenuates sadness’ effect on hedonic consumption (study 1) and that making a choice attenuates the helplessness experienced by sad individuals at that moment (general helplessness), thereby reducing hedonic consumption (study 2). Moreover, we show that this effect extends to choice for both self and others (study 2). Implications for research and practice are discussed. JEL Classification: M31
Return to RiskMetrics: The Evolution of a Standard

of such content or methodology. Such content and methodology are based on historical observations and should not be relied upon to predict future market movements. The information contained in this document is believed to be reliable, but RiskMetrics Group does not guarantee its completeness or accuracy. Opinions and estimates constitute our judgment and are subject to change without notice. Foreword This document is an update and restatement of the mathematical models in the 1996 RiskMetrics Technical Document, now known as RiskMetrics Classic. RiskMetrics Classic was the fourth edition, with the original document having been published in 1994. Since the initial publication, the model has become the standard in the field and is used extensively in practice, in academic studies, and as an educational tool. At the same time, the aim that risk models be transparent has become a guiding principle of the RiskMetrics Group, Inc. and has carried over to our subsequent models for credit, pension funds, and retail investors. However, there have been numerous modeling and technological advances, and the standard risk model has evolved significantly since 1996. While we at RiskMetrics have incorporated this evolution into our software offering and have regularly published updates to our methodology, it has been almost five years since we updated the formal statement of the model. Given our continued commitment to transparency, we have thus created this new document, Return to RiskMetrics: The Evolution of a Standard. We encourage our readers to provide feedback or submit questions by email at The authors would like to thank Christopher Finger and Allan Malz of RiskMetrics for their continuous support and invaluable comments. We would also like to thank Anne and Arnie Sternheim for editing this document.
Coupling Imaging Spectroscopy and Ecosystem Process Modelling - The Importance of Spatially Distributed Foliar Biochemical Concentration Estimates for Modelling NPP of Grassland Habitats

Information on canopy chemical concentrations is of great importance for the study of nutrient cycling, productivity and for input to ecosystem process models. In particular, foliar carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) drives terrestrial biogeochemical processes such as decomposition and mineralization, and thus strongly influences soil organic matter concentrations and turnover rates. This study evaluated the effects of using spatial estimates of foliar C:N derived from hyperspectral remote sensing for simulating NPP by means of the ecosystem process model Biome-BGC. The main objectives of this study were to calibrate spatial statistical models for the prediction of foliar C:N for grassland habitats at the regional scale, using airborne HyMap hyperspectral data, to use the foliar C:N predictions as input to the ecosystem process model Biome-BGC and derive NPP estimates and finally to compare these results to NPP estimates derived using C:N value reported in literature and derived from field measurements. Results from this research indicate that NPP estimates using the HyMap predicted C:N differed significantly from those when C:N values from "global" or "regional" measurements were used. Extending the current research to broader spatial scales can help to initialise, validate and adjust better ecological process models.
Demonstration of a Neural Circuit Critical for Imprinting Behavior in Chicks

Imprinting behavior in birds is elicited by visual and/or auditory cues. It has been demonstrated previously that visual cues are recognized and processed in the visual Wulst (VW), and imprinting memory is stored in the intermediate medial mesopallium (IMM) of the telencephalon. Alteration of neural responses in these two regions according to imprinting has been reported, yet direct evidence of the neural circuit linking these two regions is lacking. Thus, it remains unclear how memory is formed and expressed in this circuit. Here, we present anatomical as well as physiological evidence of the neural circuit connecting the VW and IMM and show that imprinting training during the critical period strengthens and refines this circuit. A functional connection established by imprint training resulted in an imprinting behavior. After the closure of the critical period, training could not activate this circuit nor induce the imprinting behavior. Glutamatergic neurons in the ventroposterior region of the VW, the core region of the hyperpallium densocellulare (HDCo), sent their axons to the periventricular part of the HD, just dorsal and afferent to the IMM. We found that the HDCo is important in imprinting behavior. The refinement and/or enhancement of this neural circuit are attributed to increased activity of HDCo cells, and the activity depended on NR2B-containing NMDA receptors. These findings show a neural connection in the telencephalon in Aves and demonstrate that NR2B function is indispensable for the plasticity of HDCo cells, which are key mediators of imprinting.
Incidence of Obstetric and Foetal Complications during Labor and Delivery at a Community Health Centre, Midwives Obstetric Unit of Durban, South Africa

The objectives of this retrospective cohort study were to estimate the incidence of obstetric complications during labor and delivery and their demographic predictors. A total of 2706 pregnant women were consecutively admitted to a midwife obstetric unit with labor pain between January and December 2007 constituted the sample. Among them 16% were diagnosed with obstetrical and foetal complications. The most frequently observed foetal and obstetric complications were foetal distress (35.5/1000) and poor progress of labor (28.3/1000), respectively. Primigravid and grandmultiparity women were 12 (OR = 11.89) and 5 (OR = 4.575) times, respectively, more likely to have complications during labor and delivery. Women without antenatal care had doubled (OR = 1.815, 95% CI, 1.310; 2.515) the chance of having complications. Mothers age <20 years was protective (OR = 0.579, 95% CI, 0.348; 0.963) of complications during delivery compared to women who were ≥35 years. National and local policies and intervention programmes must address the need of the risk groups of pregnant women during labor and delivery.
Toward Multi-domain Language Generation using Recurrent Neural Networks

In this paper we study the performance and domain scalability of two different Neural Network architectures for Natural Language Generation in Spoken Dialogue Systems. We found that by imposing a sigmoid gate on the dialogue act vector, the Semantically Conditioned Long Short-term Memory generator can prevent semantic repetitions and achieve better performance across all domains compared to an RNN Encoder-Decoder generator. However, in a domain adaptation experiment, the RNN Encoder-Decoder generator, with a separate slot and value parameterisation, is capable of learning faster by leveraging out-of-domain data. We conclude that the way to represent and integrate the semantic elements is of great importance to NN-based NLG systems. Further advances will therefore require a representation that is more scalable across domains without significantly compromising in-domain performance.
In Defence of Religious Schools and Colleges

It is often argued that religious schools and colleges promote intolerance, divisiveness, and fanaticism and that they violate the principle of academic freedom. Some writers also suggest that economic support for religious schools by the state violates the principle of the separation of church and state. Elmer Thiessen provides a philosophical defence of religious schools and colleges against these and other standard objections. He concludes with a radical proposal: a pluralistic educational system will better prepare students for citizenship in pluralist liberal democracies than a monopolistic state-maintained school system. In placing his argument within the context of liberal-democratic values Thiessen gives concrete examples of objections to religious schools and offers practical suggestions that follow from the philosophical treatment of the problem. In Defence of Religious Schools and Colleges bridges the gap between philosophical argument and educational practice. It will be of interest not only to philosophers and educational theorists but also to practitioners in education. Academics, policy makers, political theorists, lay-people, teachers, administrators, and parents B those who object to religious schools and colleges and those who find themselves trying to answer the objections B will benefit from reading this book.