Learning unification-based grammars using the Spoken English Corpus

This paper describes a grammar learning system that combines model-based and data-driven learning within a single framework. Our results from learning grammars using the Spoken English Corpus (SEC) suggest that combined model-based and data-driven learning can produce a more plausible grammar than is the case when using either learning style isolation.Comment: 10 page

A Guidance Template for Attack Sequence Specification in Cyber Attack Simulation

Over the past decade the cost and frequency of cybercrime has skyrocketed and is still increasing year over year. Major targets of cyber attacks are financial organizations, energy and utility companies, governmental agencies, and technology companies. However, almost all businesses are at risk. The increasing threat and cost of cyber crime is caused by many factors, including: the increasing reliance on cyber networks, constantly evolving exploitation and cyber attack methods, and insufficient development of defensive mechanisms to predict and prevent cyber attackers. Promising research in the proactive defense against cyber attacks exists in the field of cyber situational awareness (Cyber SA), but is limited partially due to the limited availability of cyber attack data from desirable attack scenarios. This work improves upon previous development of a cyber attack simulator capable of modeling complex cyber attacks consisting of computer networks, their defenses, and cyber attacker behavior. The main contribution of this work is the introduction of a new model called the Attack Guidance Template (AGT), responsible for the definition of simulated cyber attack sequences and for guiding the attacker to the goal of the attack sequence. The AGT allows the user to define desired cyber attack sequences with flexibility and ranging levels of specificity. This work also introduces an attack sequence analyzer to aid the user in understanding the likelihood of the model attack sequences being accomplished successfully with different attackers across various networks. To ensure the validity of these developments, both the analyzer and the AGT are verified and compared to the previous cyber attack guidance template

The relative influence of neighbourhood incivilities, cognitive social capital, club membership and individual characteristics on positive mental health

Previous research indicates that residents׳ perceptions of their neighbourhoods can have an adverse influence on their health and wellbeing over and above the influence of structural disadvantage. Contrary to most prior research, this study employed an indicator of positive wellbeing and assessed the impact of individual characteristics, perceived social and environmental incivilities, indicators of cognitive and structural social capital, and perceived safety. Analyses of data from a large regional UK representative study (n=8237; 69.64% response rate) found the most influential determinants of wellbeing were physical health problems, age, SES and cognitive social capital. Smaller, significant effects were also found for environmental and social incivilities, and for perceived safety. The effect of cognitive social capital was moderated by age, with a stronger effect found among those aged 65 years and over than among younger participants. Findings indicate that the promotion of positive mental health within communities may be facilitated by efforts to foster a greater sense of belonging among residents, and that older adults may benefit most from such efforts

Which older people decline participation in a primary care trial of physical activity and why: insights from a mixed methods approach

This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright 2014 Rogers et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background: Physical activity is of vital importance to older peoples’ health. Physical activity intervention studies with older people often have low recruitment, yet little is known about non-participants. Methods: Patients aged 60–74 years from three UK general practices were invited to participate in a nurse-supported pedometer-based walking intervention. Demographic characteristics of 298 participants and 690 non-participants were compared. Health status and physical activity of 298 participants and 183 non-participants who completed a survey were compared using age, sex adjusted odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals). 15 non-participants were interviewed to explore perceived barriers to participation. Results: Recruitment was 30% (298/988). Participants were more likely than non-participants to be female (54% v 47%; p = 0.04) and to live in affluent postcodes (73% v 62% in top quintile; p < 0.001). Participants were more likely than non-participants who completed the survey to have an occupational pension OR 2.06 (1.35-3.13), a limiting longstanding illness OR 1.72 (1.05-2.79) and less likely to report being active OR 0.55 (0.33-0.93) or walking fast OR 0.56 (0.37-0.84). Interviewees supported general practice-based physical activity studies, particularly walking, but barriers to participation included: already sufficiently active, reluctance to walk alone or at night, physical symptoms, depression, time constraints, trial equipment and duration. Conclusion: Gender and deprivation differences suggest some selection bias. However, trial participants reported more health problems and lower activity than non-participants who completed the survey, suggesting appropriate trial selection in a general practice population. Non-participant interviewees indicated that shorter interventions, addressing physical symptoms and promoting confidence in pursuing physical activity, might increase trial recruitment and uptake of practice-based physical activity endeavours.The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit Programme (Grant Reference Number PB-PG-0909-20055)

People of the British Isles: preliminary analysis of genotypes and surnames in a UK control population

There is a great deal of interest in fine scale population structure in the UK, both as a signature of historical immigration events and because of the effect population structure may have on disease association studies. Although population structure appears to have a minor impact on the current generation of genome-wide association studies, it is likely to play a significant part in the next generation of studies designed to search for rare variants. A powerful way of detecting such structure is to control and document carefully the provenance of the samples involved. Here we describe the collection of a cohort of rural UK samples (The People of the British Isles), aimed at providing a well-characterised UK control population that can be used as a resource by the research community as well as providing fine scale genetic information on the British population. So far, some 4,000 samples have been collected, the majority of which fit the criteria of coming from a rural area and having all four grandparents from approximately the same area. Analysis of the first 3,865 samples that have been geocoded indicates that 75% have a mean distance between grandparental places of birth of 37.3km, and that about 70% of grandparental places of birth can be classed as rural. Preliminary genotyping of 1,057 samples demonstrates the value of these samples for investigating fine scale population structure within the UK, and shows how this can be enhanced by the use of surnames

Psychologists’ Authenticity: Implications for Work in Professional and Therapeutic Settings

Derek J. Burks, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and postdoctoral psychology fellow at the Pacific Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), located within the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. He obtained his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Oklahoma. His current research focuses on health disparities, posttraumatic stress disorder among sexual-minority U.S. military veterans, and culturally appropriate mental health treatment for American Indians.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline