Safety-aware Adversarial Inverse Reinforcement Learning (S-AIRL) for Highway Autonomous Driving

Inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) has been successfully applied in many robotics and autonomous driving studies without the need for hand-tuning a reward function. However, it suffers from safety issues. Compared to the reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, IRL is even more vulnerable to unsafe situations as it can only infer the importance of safety based on expert demonstrations. In this paper, we propose a safety-aware adversarial inverse reinforcement learning algorithm (S-AIRL). First, the control barrier function (CBF) is used to guide the training of a safety critic, which leverages the knowledge of system dynamics in the sampling process without training an additional guiding policy. The trained safety critic is then integrated into the discriminator to help discern the generated data and expert demonstrations from the standpoint of safety. Finally, to further improve the safety awareness, a regulator is introduced in the loss function of the discriminator training to prevent the recovered reward function from assigning high rewards to the risky behaviors. We tested our S-AIRL in the highway autonomous driving scenario. Comparing to the original AIRL algorithm, with the same level of imitation learning (IL) performance, the proposed S-AIRL can reduce the collision rate by 32.6%.

Understanding the epidemiological HIV risk factors and underlying risk context for youth residing in or originating from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: A scoping review of the literature

Introduction HIV is the second leading cause of death among young people globally, and adolescents are the only group where HIV mortality is not declining. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of few regions seeing rapid increase of HIV infections (31.0%) since 2001. MENA youth are at particular risk of HIV due to dearth of research and challenges in accessing services. Objective The purpose of this scoping review is to establish the epidemiological HIV risk factors and underlying risk context for youth residing in or originating from the MENA region. Methods Online database searches were conducted using combination of search terms. Screening 5,853 citations, published between 1990–2019 with age groups 16 to 29, resulted in 57 studies included across 18 MENA countries. Results ‘Key populations’ engage in risky behaviors, including: overlapping risky behaviors among youth who inject drugs (PWID); lack of access to HIV testing, condomless sex, and multiple sex partners among young men who have sex with men (MSM); and high and overlapping risk behaviors among young sex workers. Challenges facing other youth groups and bridging populations include: peer pressure, inhibition about discussing sexual health, lack of credible sex education sources, low condom use, and lack of access to HIV protection/prevention services, especially testing. Conclusion Poor surveillance coupled with scarcity of rigorous studies limit what is known about epidemiology of HIV among youth in MENA. Homophobia, stigma around PWID, and illegal status of sex work promote non-disclosure of risk behaviors among youth and curtail serving this population.

Understanding Traffic Accidents among Young Drivers in Qatar

Young drivers are generally associated with risky driving behaviors that can lead to crash involvement. Many self-report measurement scales are used to assess such risky behaviors. This study is aimed to understand the risky driving behaviors of young adults in Qatar and how such behaviors are associated with crash involvement. This was achieved through the usage of validated self-report measurement scales adopted for the Arabic context. A nationwide cross-sectional and exploratory study was conducted in Qatar from January to April 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey was conducted online. Therefore, respondents were selected conveniently. Hence, the study adopted a non-probability sampling method in which convenience and snowball sampling were used. A total of 253 completed questionnaires were received, of which 57.3% were female, and 42.7% were male. Approximately 55.8% of these young drivers were involved in traffic accidents after obtaining their driving license. On average, most young drivers do have some risky driving behavior accompanied by a low tendency to violate traffic laws, and their driving style is not significantly controlled by their personality on the road. The older young drivers are more involved in traffic accidents than the younger drivers, i.e., around 1.5 times more likely. Moreover, a young male driver is 3.2 times less likely to be involved in traffic accidents than a female driver. In addition, males are only 0.309 times as likely as females to be involved in an accident and have approximately a 70% lower likelihood of having an accident versus females. The analysis is complemented with the association between young drivers’ demographic background and psychosocial-behavioral parameters (linking risky driving behavior, personality, and obligation effects on crash involvement). Some interventions are required to improve driving behavior, such as driving apps that are able to monitor and provide corrective feedback.

Public Health Approaches to Reducing Community Gun Violence

Successful public health efforts are data-driven, focused on unhealthy or unsafe environments as well as risky behaviors, and often intentional about reforming systems that are unjust and harm public safety. While laws and their enforcement can be important to advance public health and safety, including reducing gun violence, minimizing harms of exposure to the criminal justice system is also important. Research demonstrates that appropriately targeted efforts that invest in and support individuals and neighborhoods at greatest risk for involvement in gun violence can be successful in saving lives and reaping impressive return on investment.

Relationships between Risk Events, Personality Traits and Risk Perception of Adolescent Athletes in Sports Training

Personality traits have close relationships with risky behaviors in various domains, including physical education, competition, and athletic training. It is yet little known about how trait personality dimensions associate with risk events and how vital factors, such as risk perception, could affect the happening of risk events in adolescent athletes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the prediction of risk events by regression analysis with dimensions of personality, risk perception and sports, relations between risk events, risk perception, and the facets of the personality dimensions via data collecting from 664 adolescent athletes aged 13–18 years (male 364, female 300). Secondary intent is to assess school-specific levels of training risks among sports schools, regular schools, and sports and education integrated schools. The results show that psychology events are the strongest predicted by personality traits, risk perception, and sports, followed by injury and nutrition. Emotionality has the most significant positive correlation with risk events, while other traits have a significant negative correlation with risk events, except agreeableness. The integration schools are more conducive to the healthy development of adolescent athletes’ personalities. Moreover, the research indicates that sports training can strengthen the development directions of different personality characteristics.

Visualizing Risky Behaviors Induces a Stronger Neural Response in Brain Areas Responsible for Mental Imagery and Emotions Than Visualizing Neutral Behaviors

In the present study, we used a neuroimaging technique (fMRI) to test the prediction that visualizing risky behaviors induces a stronger neural response in brain areas responsible for emotions and mental imagery than visualizing neutral behaviors. We identified several brain regions that were activated when participants produced mental images of risky versus neutral behaviors and these regions overlap with brain areas engaged in visual mental imagery, speech imagery and movement imagery. We also found that producing mental images of risky behaviors, in contrast to neutral behaviors, increased neural activation in the insula – a region engaged in emotional processing. This finding is in line with previous results demonstrating that the insula is recruited by tasks involving induction of emotional recall/imagery. Finally, we observed an increased BOLD signal in the cingulate gyrus (mid-cingulate area), which is associated with reward-based decision making and monitoring of decision outcomes. In summary, we demonstrated that mental images of risky behaviors, compared to risk-free behaviors, increased neural activation in brain areas engaged in mental imagery processes, emotional processing and decision making. These findings imply that the evaluation of everyday risky situations may originate in visualizing the potential consequences of risk taking and may be driven by emotional responses that result from mental imagery.

Assessment of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors among First-Year Medical, Dentistry and Health Sciences Students in Turkey

This cross-sectional study, in which the first-year findings of a prospective followup study were presented, was conducted with 356 students enrolled in the firstyear of three faculties at a state university in Istanbul between November 1st and December 31st, 2019. With this study, it was aimed to evaluate the changes in certain healthy lifestyle behaviors, risky behaviors and depression levels of students enrolled at the different faculties of a public university in Istanbul during their university life. The data were obtained through a questionnaire of 65 questions, and the Beck Depression Inventory, which consisted of 21 questions. They were administered under supervision by providing preliminary information to the students. The mean body mass index, mean systolic blood pressure and mean diastolic blood pressure values of the students were 23.23 + 4.1, 108.97 + 15.21 and 66.98 + 10.08, respectively. The mean daily sleep time was 6.77 + 1.21 hours, the mean TV viewing time was 0.77 + 1.13 hours, and the mean time they spent with a smartphone, tablet or computer was 3.67 + 2.50 hours. Among the students, 37.07% were smokers, 26.12% consumed alcohol, and 4.77% used addictive substances. Of the students, 31.46% considered themselves at risk for depression. At the universities, there is a need for the implementation of health promotion programs focusing on promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition and reducing risky behaviors. In addition, these programs should be strengthened with the trainings on changing behaviors.

Sexual Risk Behaviors of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes in Comparison with Their Peers

Background: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) may differ from peers regarding sexual risk behaviors. Objectives: To explore sexual risk behaviors of adolescents with T1D in comparison with peers. Materials and methods: The subjects were 174 adolescents, 58 adolescents with T1D (mean ± SD age 16.3 ± 2.0 yrs, disease duration 6.7 ± 3.5 yrs and HbA1c:8.0 ± 1.3%) and 116 without (matched 1:2). Anonymous, self-reported questionnaires were used to evaluate sexual education and behaviors. Results: Fewer adolescents with T1D than those without had a sexual experience (74.1% vs. 87.4%, p = 0.033), with similar age of sexual debut. Among adolescents with T1D, ≥2 risky behaviors were observed less frequently than adolescents without T1D (8.62% vs. 23.27%, p = NS respectively) and in fewer girls than boys in both adolescents with T1D (0% vs. 18.5%, p = NS) and adolescents without T1D (11% vs. 44%, p = 0.022). Adolescents with T1D with ≥2 risky behaviors were older (p = 0.031), younger at first sexual intercourse (p = 0.031), with higher maternal education (p = 0.039). Early sexual debut was associated with higher maternal education (p = 0.014) and HbA1c (p = 0.049). Most adolescents without T1D with ≥2 risky behaviors were boys and older than peers. Conclusions: Adolescents with T1D and females were more cautious than adolescents without T1D regarding sex. The associations of increased risky behaviors with male gender, older age, younger age at sexual debut and higher maternal education in adolescents with T1D merit further investigation.

God’s Guardrails

This chapter explains why religious restraint operates differently based on teens’ social class background. It argues that what religion offers isn’t equally helpful to everyone. Working- and middle-class teens benefit from religious restraint because religion gives these kids access to social capital, which middle- and especially working-class kids can’t access elsewhere. Since boys are especially prone to getting caught up in risky behaviors that derail them from academic success, the social capital of religious communities creates crucial “godly” guardrails that help them stay on the path to college. The benefits of godly guardrails are not distributed evenly, because not everyone’s road to college looks the same. Professional-class kids don’t benefit from godly guardrails as much because they already have access to social capital through other social institutions.