City University London

About: City University London is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5735 authors who have published 17285 publications receiving 453290 citations.

Resilience through the lens of interactionism: a systematic review

Abstract: This systematic review presents findings from a conceptual and methodological review of resilience measures using an interactionist theoretical framework. The review is also intended to update findings from previous systematic reviews. Two databases (EBSCOHost and Scopus) were searched to retrieve empirical studies published up until 2013, with no lower time limit. All articles had to meet specific inclusion criteria, which resulted in 17 resilience measures selected for full review. Measures were conceptually evaluated against an interactionist framework and methodologically reviewed using Skinner's (1981) validity evidence framework. We conclude that inconsistencies associated with the definition and operationalization of resilience warrant further conceptual development to explain resilience as a dynamic and interactive phenomenon. In particular, measures of resilience may benefit from a greater focus on within-person variance typically associated with behavioral consistency across situations. The use of alternative measurement modalities to self-report scales, such as situational judgment tests, is proposed as a way of advancing knowledge in this area.

High-risk sexual behaviour increases among London gay men between 1998 and 2001: what is the role of HIV optimism?

Abstract: Objective: To examine whether HIV optimism (i.e. optimism in the light of new HIV drug therapies) can account for the recent increase in high-risk sexual behaviour among London gay men.Methods: Gay men (n = 2938) using London gyms were surveyed annually between 1998 and 2001. Information was collected on HIV status, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the previous 3 months, and agreement with two statements concerning the severity of and susceptibility to HIV infection. Those who agreed were classified as 'optimistic'.Results: Between 1998 and 2001, the percentage of men reporting high-risk UAI (i.e. UAI with a casual partner of unknown or discordant HIV status) increased: HIV-positive men 15.3-38.8%; HIV-negative men 6.8-12.1%; never-tested men 2.1-7.7%; (P < 0.01). Overall, less than a third were optimistic. In cross-sectional analysis, optimistic HIV-positive and -negative men were more likely to report high-risk UAI than other men (P < 0.05). However, the increase in high-risk UAI between 1998 and 2001 was seen in those who were optimistic and those who were not (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, the modelled increase in high-risk UAI over time remained significant after controlling for HIV optimism (P < 0.01), with no significant interaction between optimism and time.Conclusion: Among London gay men, no difference was detected between those who were optimistic and those who were not in the rate of increase in high-risk sexual behaviour between 1998 and 2001. Our findings suggest that HIV optimism is unlikely to explain the recent increase in high-risk sexual behaviour in these men. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Comparison of implicit and explicit feedback from an online music recommendation service

Abstract: Explicit and implicit feedback exhibits different characteristics of users' preferences with both pros and cons. However, a combination of these two types of feedback provides another paradigm for recommender systems (RS). Their combination in a user preference model presents a number of challenges but can also overcome the problems associated with each other. In order to build an effective RS on combination of both types of feedback, we need to have comparative data allowing an understanding of the computation of user preferences. In this paper, we provide an overview of the differentiating characteristics of explicit and implicit feedback using datasets mined from Last.fm, an online music station and recommender service. The datasets consisted of explicit positive feedback (by loving tracks) and implicit feedback which is inherently positive (the number of times a track is played). Rather than relying on just one type of feedback, we present techniques for extracting user preferences from both. In order to compare and contrast the performances of these techniques, we carried out experiments using the Taste recommender system engine and the Last.fm datasets. Our results show that implicit and explicit positive feedback complements each other, with similar performances despite their different characteristics.

Adults raised as children in lesbian families.

Abstract: A longitudinal study of 25 young adults from lesbian families and 21 raised by heterosexual single mothers revealed that those raised by lesbian mothers functioned well in adulthood in terms of psychological well-being and of family identity and relationships. The commonly held assumption that lesbian mothers will have lesbian daughters and gay sons was not supported by the findings.

Wind-induced vibration mitigation in tall buildings using the tuned mass-damper-inerter (TMDI)

Abstract: In this paper the classical linear tuned mass-damper (TMD) is coupled with an inerter, a two-terminal device resisting the relative acceleration of its terminals, in various tuned mass-damper-inerter (TMDI) topologies to suppress excessive wind-induced oscillations in tall buildings causing occupants’ discomfort. A parametric numerical study is undertaken involving a top-floor-TMD-equipped planar frame capturing accurately the in-plane dynamic behavior of a 74-storey benchmark building exposed to a quasi-stationary spatially-correlated wind-force field accounting for vortex shedding effects in the across-wind direction. It is found that the TMDI reduces the peak top floor acceleration more effectively than the TMD by considering smaller attached mass values, and TMDI topologies in which the inerter spans more stories in linking the attached mass to the host structure. Moreover, the inclusion of the inerter reduces dramatically the TMD stroke while it was verified that the magnitude of the developing inerter forces can be readily accommodated by the host structure. Pertinent illustrative examples are included showcasing that the TMDI meets code-prescribed serviceability design requirements for new tall buildings using significantly smaller attached mass compared to the TMD, and that inerter devices can be used to upgrade the performance of existing TMD-equipped tall buildings without changing the attached mass.