Key Life Differences for Older Men and Women

This article examines the issue of gender differences in attitudes towards life in older people. The study found that older women are more positive about life than men. To process the research results, such methods of mathematical statistics as the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Mann– Whitney difference criterion were used. Based on the results of the work carried out, recommendations were formulated for specialists working with the elderly.

3D Face Modeling Algorithm for Film and Television Animation Based on Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network

Through the analysis of facial feature extraction technology, this paper designs a lightweight convolutional neural network (LW-CNN). The LW-CNN model adopts a separable convolution structure, which can propose more accurate features with fewer parameters and can extract 3D feature points of a human face. In order to enhance the accuracy of feature extraction, a face detection method based on the inverted triangle structure is used to detect the face frame of the images in the training set before the model extracts the features. Aiming at the problem that the feature extraction algorithm based on the difference criterion cannot effectively extract the discriminative information, the Generalized Multiple Maximum Dispersion Difference Criterion (GMMSD) and the corresponding feature extraction algorithm are proposed. The algorithm uses the difference criterion instead of the entropy criterion to avoid the “small sample” problem, and the use of QR decomposition can extract more effective discriminative features for facial recognition, while also reducing the computational complexity of feature extraction. Compared with traditional feature extraction methods, GMMSD avoids the problem of “small samples” and does not require preprocessing steps on the samples; it uses QR decomposition to extract features from the original samples and retains the distribution characteristics of the original samples. According to different change matrices, GMMSD can evolve into different feature extraction algorithms, which shows the generalized characteristics of GMMSD. Experiments show that GMMSD can effectively extract facial identification features and improve the accuracy of facial recognition.

The Financial Identity Scale (FIS): A multinational validation and measurement invariance study among emerging adults

The transition from financial dependence on one’s parents to financial self-sufficiency is one of the most relevant transitions during emerging adulthood. It is important to have an instrument able to assess emerging adults’ financial capabilities and to detect its change over time. The current article aims to collect international evidence of the Financial Identity Scale (FIS) validity and reliability. Cross-sectional data collected from 2,501 emerging adults aged 18–25 and belonging to three different countries—U.S. ( n = 1,535), Italy ( n = 485), and Lithuania ( n = 481)—were adopted to test score structure validity, generalizability, sensitivity to difference, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency. Instead, four-wave longitudinal data, available for the American sample only ( n = 1,900), were adopted to test FIS structural stability and sensitivity to change. As recommended by the contemporary view of validity, different structural equation models were performed. Findings suggest that FIS scores are valid and reliable. The implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.