Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computing isotropic local contrast from oriented pyramid decompositions

Working with contrast instead of luminance can facilitate numerous image processing and analysis tasks. Unfortunately, a common definition of contrast suitable for all situations does not exist. We review existing contrast definitions for natural images and propose a new isotropic contrast measure, which is computed from oriented filters. We investigate some of its properties and apply it to natural images.
'It could be worse ... lot's worse!' Why health-related quality of life is better in older compared with younger individuals with heart failure.

BACKGROUND health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is markedly impaired in patients with heart failure (HF). Despite worse prognosis and physical status, older patients have better HRQOL than younger patients. OBJECTIVE to determine reasons for differences in HRQOL in older compared with younger HF patients. METHODS a mixed methods approach was used. HRQOL was assessed using the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire and compared among HF patients (n = 603) in four age groups (≤ 53, 54-62, 63-70 and ≥ 71 years). Socio-demographic/clinical and psychological factors related to HRQOL were determined in four groups using multiple regressions. Patients (n = 20) described their views of HRQOL during semi-structured interviews. RESULTS HRQOL was worse in the youngest group, and best in the two oldest groups. The youngest group reported higher levels of depression and anxiety than the oldest group. Anxiety, depression and functional capacity predicted HRQOL in all age groups. Qualitatively, patients in all age groups acknowledged the negative impact of HF on HRQOL; nonetheless older patients reported that their HRQOL exceeded their expectations for their age. Younger patients bemoaned the loss of activities and roles, and reported their HRQOL as poor. CONCLUSIONS better HRQOL among older HF patients is the result, in part, of better psychosocial status. The major factor driving better HRQOL among older patients is a change with advancing age in expectations about what constitutes good HRQOL.
Lecture attendance versus academic performance and prior knowledge of accounting students: An exploratory study at a South African university

This study investigates the impact of lecture attendance on first-year Accounting students’ academic performance and whether students’ prior accounting knowledge differentially benefit from lecture attendance registered or an accounting degree at a South African university. A mixed method was exploited; quantitative, descriptive in nature and fixed effects regression model. Data was collected firstly, from the university’s central computer system and from electronic card readers installed in lecture venues. The overall findings confirm an increase in the correlations’ strength between lecture attendance and academic performance. Furthermore when the study accounted for time-invariant by means of data fixed effects estimators these effects continued and concluded that attendance-performance and prior accounting have over time a significant impact on academic performance. This paper adds to several unique contributions to accounting education confirming the importance of students’ lecture attendance and prior accounting knowledge that could influence students’ academic performance over time. Further research could add value by identifying other reasons which could influence accounting students’ academic performance registered for an accounting degree.
Associations Between Antibullying Policies and Bullying in 25 States.

IMPORTANCE Bullying is the most widespread form of peer aggression in schools. In an effort to address school bullying, 49 states have passed antibullying statutes. Despite the ubiquity of these policies, there has been limited empirical examination of their effectiveness in reducing students' risk of being bullied. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of antibullying legislation in reducing students' risk of being bullied and cyberbullied, using data from 25 states in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a population-based survey of 63 635 adolescents in grades 9 to 12 from 25 states participating in the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System study (September 2010-December 2011). Data on antibullying legislation were obtained from the US Department of Education (DOE), which commissioned a systematic review of state laws in 2011. The report identified 16 key components that were divided into the following 4 broad categories: purpose and definition of the law, district policy development and review, school district policy components (eg, responsibilities for reporting bullying incidents), and additional components (eg, how policies are communicated). Policy variables from 25 states were linked to individual-level data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System on experiencing bullying and cyberbullying. Analyses were conducted between March 1, 2014, and December 1, 2014. EXPOSURE State antibullying legislation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Exposure to bullying and cyberbullying in the past 12 months. RESULTS There was substantial variation in the rates of bullying and cyberbullying across states. After controlling for relevant state-level confounders, students in states with at least 1 DOE legislative component in the antibullying law had a 24% (95% CI, 15%-32%) reduced odds of reporting bullying and 20% (95% CI, 9%-29%) reduced odds of reporting cyberbullying compared with students in states whose laws had no DOE legislative components. Three individual components of antibullying legislation were consistently associated with decreased odds of exposure to both bullying and cyberbullying: statement of scope, description of prohibited behaviors, and requirements for school districts to develop and implement local policies. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Antibullying policies may represent effective intervention strategies for reducing students' risk of being bullied and cyberbullied in schools.
New Transforms Tightly Bounded by DCT and KLT

It is well known that the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and Karhunen-Loève transform (KLT) are two good representatives in image and video coding: the first can be implemented very efficiently while the second offers the best R-D coding performance. In this work, we attempt to design some new transforms with two goals: i) approaching to the KLT's R-D performance and ii) maintaining the implementation cost no bigger than that of DCT. To this end, we follow a cascade structure of multiple butterflies to develop an iterative algorithm: two out of N nodes are selected at each stage to form a Givens rotation (which is equivalent to a butterfly); and the best rotation angle is then determined by maximizing the resulted coding gain. We give the closed-form solutions for the node-selection as well as the angle-determination, together with some design examples to demonstrate their superiority.
Correspondence between retrospective and momentary ratings of positive and negative affect in old age: findings from a one-year measurement burst design.

OBJECTIVES AND METHOD Using 5 measurement bursts spanning 1 year, this study examined correspondences between retrospective end-of-year ratings and momentary ratings of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) in 53 older adult participants from the Berlin Aging Study. RESULTS Average momentary assessments were moderately positively correlated with retrospective ratings of PA and NA. Hierarchical regression analyses further indicate that mean momentary PA best predicted retrospective PA over and above peak or recent momentary PA, whereas no such pattern emerged for NA. No evidence for age differences in these patterns was found. DISCUSSION Our discussion focuses on the implications of affective memory biases for examining affective experiences as they occur in peoples' daily lives and points to implications concerning methods and theory development.
Using Grounded Theory to Examine the Readiness of School Counselors to Serve Gang Members

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand and explain how training and work setting experiences influence readiness of professional school counselors for serving gang members in schools. A purposeful sample consisted of secondary school counselors (n = 5) and school leaders (n = 7) in a southeastern metropolitan school district. Blended themes from the counselors and leaders were: (a) professional development attitudes, (b) actual and potential roles when working with students in gangs, and (c) counselors’ collaborative role in discipline process. The Collaborative C.A. R.E. theory that emerged from the thematic analysis highlighted the absence of collaboration between school counselors and leaders. Specific findings identified reasons for the lack of collaboration and led to recommendations for practice and further research.
Primary Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease: Is It an Attainable Goal?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, and the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. The prevalence of AD is predicted to rise as life expectancy grows across populations. The exact cause of this devastating disease is still unknown; however, it is an aging-related multi-factorial disorder, and growing evidence supports the contribution of modifiable environmental factors to unmodifiable factors such as gene and ageing itself. The recent advancement of methodologies and techniques for early diagnosis of AD facilitates the investigation of strategies to reduce the risk for AD progression in the earliest stages of the disease. Pharmacological attempts at curing, halting or modifying it have, by and large, been unsuccessful, and no breakthrough is seen in the near future. However, a lot of elements that seem to contribute to the disease such as risk factors have been identified, mainly from epidemiological and basic research studies. Many of these are amenable to lifestyle modification. Therefore, prevention in the preclinical stage is likely the most effective way to decrease the incidence of this age-associated dreadful neurodegenerative condition, and its associated burden for individuals and society. We provide an overview of modifiable risk factors for AD along with the supporting evidence.
An Empirical Examination of an Offender x Situation Interaction Typology of Male AdolescentSexual Offending

This thesis empirically examined the validity of Wortley and Smallbone’s (2006) offender x situation interaction typology of sexual offending, using a sample of male adolescent sexual offenders. Driven primarily by applied concerns with the situational prevention of sexual offending, this typology draws on the ideas that have emerged from interactional psychology to emphasise the interdependent influence of internal (dispositional) and external (situational) factors on sexual offending. It proposes the existence of three sexual offender types (‘Predatory’, ‘Opportunist’, and ‘Situational’), distinguished based on the strength of their predisposition towards sexual offending, and three offence situation types (‘Challenged’, ‘Tempted’, and ‘Precipitated’), that vary in the extent to which they allow/encourage sexual offending. It highlights that those with stronger predispositions towards sexual offending will do so across a wider range of situations, including those that inhibit/discourage such behaviour, while those with weaker or ambivalent motivations will limit their sexual offending to situations that are perceived to encourage such behaviour, or make it easy and safe to engage in.
One laptop per child Birmingham: case study of a radical experiment

The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program has sought to transform education by developing and distributing to low-income children around the world an inexpensive computer with an innovative interface and applications. This article investigates the implementation of OLPC in Birmingham, Alabama, where some 15,000 of the group's XO laptops were distributed to all first- through fifth-grade public school students and their teachers. Surveys were collected from a representative sample of children before and after they received their laptops, supplemented by observations and interviews in a Birmingham school. The use of the XOs by teachers and schools, the ways social and technical infrastructure affected program implementation, and the types of XO use by students are examined. The disappointing results of the Birmingham program, which has been discontinued, are analyzed in relationship to OLPC's technocentric approach, the organization's principle of child ownership, and the design elements of the XO hardware an.
Experimental analysis of eligibility traces strategies in temporal difference learning

Temporal difference (TD) learning is a model-free reinforcement learning technique, which adopts an infinite horizon discount model and uses an incremental learning technique for dynamic programming. The state value function is updated in terms of sample episodes. Utilising eligibility traces is a key mechanism in enhancing the rate of convergence. TD(λ) represents the use of eligibility traces by introducing the parameter λ. However, the underlying mechanism of eligibility traces with an approximation function has not been well understood, either from theoretical point of view or from practical point of view. The TD(λ) method has been proved to be convergent with local tabular state representation. Unfortunately, proving convergence of TD(λ) with function approximation is still an important open theoretical question. This paper aims to investigate the convergence and the effects of different eligibility traces. In this paper, we adopt Sarsa(λ) learning control algorithm with a large, stochastic and dynamic simulation environment called SoccerBots. The state value function is represented by a linear approximation function known as tile coding. The performance metrics generated from the simulation system can be used to analyse the mechanism of eligibility traces.
Second Language Writing Teachers’ Perceptions of Themselves as Language Learners

While mother-tongue speakers of English might appear to some to be advantaged as teachers of Englishlanguage writing, it may also be the case that they are inherently disadvantaged if not experienced language learners themselves. Given limited prior research on second language (L2) writing teachers' awareness of themselves as language learners, the purpose of this study is to explore how L2 writing teachers’ beliefs about and practice of teaching L2 writing are influenced by their own language experiences. Two mother tongue English language speaking (EL) teachers of L2 writing took part in this qualitative case study. During a 15- week semester, their writing classes were periodically observed and audio-recorded. Additionally, each teacher was interviewed using stimulated recall. Findings revealed not only that the teachers’ previous language learning experience was an important contributor to their empathy with students as language learners but that the teachers’ memories of their own language teachers influenced their beliefs about the learning and teaching of L2 writing. Further research on the impact of language and literacy educators’ reflections on their own language learning is encouraged.
Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health

Objectives: Our aim in this study was to translate the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-A and B) scales to Arabic, linguistically validate them for use in a representative sample of the Lebanese population, and to check the reliability of these Arabic versions. Methods: This study is cross-sectional, conducted between November 2017 and March 2018, which enrolled 1332 community dwelling participants using a proportionate random sample from all Lebanese Mohafazat. Results: Three factor analyses for the anxiety scales were run over the whole sample (N = 1332). All of the HAM-A, STAI-A and STAI-B items could be extracted from the list. All items from all the scales did not over-correlate to each other (r > 0.9), did not have a low loading on factors (<0.3) or a low communality (<0.3). The factor analysis results showed 2 factors for HAM-A (Cronbach alpha = 0.921), 3 factors for STAI-A (Cronbach alpha = 0.928) and STAI-B (Cronbach alpha = 0.898). A signi ﬁ cantly high ICC was found between the HAM-A, STAI-A (ICC = 0.709) and STAI-B (0.704). In addition, a signi ﬁ cantly high ICC was found between the STAI-A and B scales (ICC = 0.884). Conclusion: The linguistically validated Arabic versions of these scales can be used to screen for anxiety among the Lebanese populations.
“But All Kids Yell at Their Parents, Don’t They?”: Social Norms About Child-to-Parent Abuse in Australia

Child-to-parent abuse has been hampered by a lack of attention to what behaviors are commonly perceived as abusive and a poor understanding of when children’s behavior stops being difficult, but normative, and becomes abusive. This study investigated what Australian parents and young people perceived as abusive behavior by children toward parents. Convenience samples of (a) parents of young people aged 14 to 25 years (n = 201) and (b) young people aged 14 to 25 years (n = 586) were asked to define at what frequency they believed that 40 child-to-parent behaviors became abusive. Both parents and young people perceived that children could abuse their parents, but young people were more permissive when defining abuse than were parents for behaviors involving physical aggression without injury, financial abuse, humiliation, or intimidation. The findings have implications for child-to-parent abuse measurement, particularly in relation to how coercive and verbally aggressive behavior is (or is not) defined as abusive.
Circulating Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Indices of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Health: Data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Background Besides its well-established role in nerve cell survival and adaptive plasticity, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also involved in energy homeostasis and cardiovascular regulation. Although BDNF is present in the systemic circulation, it is unknown whether plasma BDNF correlates with circulating markers of dysregulated metabolism and an adverse cardiovascular profile. Methodology/Principal Findings To determine whether circulating BDNF correlates with indices of metabolic and cardiovascular health, we measured plasma BDNF levels in 496 middle-age and elderly subjects (mean age ∼70), in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Linear regression analysis revealed that plasma BDNF is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, regardless of age. In females, BDNF was positively correlated with BMI, fat mass, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, and inversely correlated with folate. In males, BDNF was positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, free thiiodo-thyronine (FT3), and bioavailable testosterone, and inversely correlated with sex-hormone binding globulin, and adiponectin. Conclusion/Significance Plasma BDNF significantly correlates with multiple risk factors for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular dysfunction. Whether BDNF contributes to the pathogenesis of these disorders or functions in adaptive responses to cellular stress (as occurs in the brain) remains to be determined.
Ejection of matrix-polymer clusters in matrix-assisted laser evaporation: Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular-level dynamic simulations are performed to investigate the mechanisms of molecular ejection and transport in laser ablation of frozen polymer solutions, as related to the matrix-assisted laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique for polymer film deposition. Coarsegrained description of molecular matrix and polymer molecules is used in the model, allowing for large-scale simulations of the ejection of multiple polymer molecules from MAPLE targets with different polymer concentrations, from 1 to 6 wt. %. The ejection of polymer molecules is observed only above the threshold for the collective material ejection (ablation). Ablation is driven by the phase explosion of the overheated matrix material, which proceeds through the formation of a foamy transient structure of interconnected liquid regions that subsequently decomposes into a mixture of liquid droplets and gas-phase matrix molecules. The polymer molecules resist the decomposition of the transient foamy liquid structure and stabilize the matrix droplets. In all simulations the polymer molecules are ejected as parts of large matrixpolymer droplets/clusters that are likely to retain a large fraction of matrix material at the time of the deposition on a substrate. The ejection and transport of large matrix-polymer droplets is related to high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of polymer films deposited in MAPLE, where morphologies of the films are found to be indicative of active processes of matrix vaporization and escape from the deposited matrix-polymer droplets.
Role of body size on cardiovascular function: can we see the meat through the fat?

Physiological comparisons of cardiovascular (CV) structure/function among individuals or groups of individuals are often difficult because of differences in body dimensions. To have meaningful clinical and scientific comparisons, differences in body size must be accounted for. Although there is a plethora of data demonstrating that body size is an important determinant of CV structure/function, and although most researchers recognize the need to adjust CV parameters for differences in body size, there remains considerable confusion as to the most appropriate method to account for these differences. Chirinos et al1 in this issue of Hypertension highlight 2 important issues facing CV research: which body dimension descriptor, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), or body surface area (BSA), is optimal for scaling various CV measures; and which mathematical scaling method should be used. Chirinos et al1 examined the relationship between measures of resting CV parameters, with height, body weight, and BSA and concluded, as have numerous previous studies, that BSA was the most appropriate descriptor, because it incorporates changes in both height and weight, which were evident between their lean versus obese groups. It is important that the selection of the body size descriptor be based both on the accuracy of its measurement, and its physiological relevance to the CV parameter. In most circumstances BSA is not measured, but rather is estimated through formulae. BSA incorporates both low (adipose tissue) and high (skeletal and cardiac muscle) metabolically active tissues. A greater muscle mass necessitates a larger energetic requirement, and thus theoretically, the scaling of CV parameters to …