The Influence Of Media Bias Perception On Space Publications

In an ideal world, scientific research and news would be published and reported through non-bias outlets and readers would view those sources favorably. However, that is an unrealistic expectation of our current society in which many believe that any publication will contain some bias. This thesis aimed to discover three factors on the topic. One was to see whether members of the space community view various news sources as biased, and to what degree they do if so. The second factor was to see how the general public viewed those same sources. These data were then used to compare the opinions of the two groups to each other. The third factor was to determine whether interjecting a perception of bias influences how trustworthy and informative the reader rates news articles. To be clear, it was not the intent of this thesis to research whether or not media bias exists. Rather, the goals were to identify trusted news sources in each community, and to identify whether the perception of bias can influence a reader’s interpretation of the news. Consequently, while there is some tangential discussion on media bias, the overall aim of this thesis was to identify and quantify bias perceptions of respective communities. It was ultimately discovered that the space community and the general public share the same views on media sources. Most notably, that Science Journals and Science Blogs are the most trustworthy science news sources and that Social Media and YouTube are the least. Additionally, interjecting a perception of bias had no significant impact on the readers interpretation of the space news articles they read. Looking forward, there are several follow-on studies that could be done, but the most notable would be to a similar study that used a true random sample

A double continuum hydrological model for glacier applications

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Is symptom connectivity really the most important issue in depression? : Depression as a dynamic system of interconnected symptoms revisited

According to the network theory strong associations between symptoms drive the disease process. We compared those with and without diagnosed depressive disorders (DD+/DD-) and analysed the effects of differences in (a) network connectivity, (b) symptom thresholds, and (c) autoregressive loops (i.e. how strongly specific symptoms predict themselves) on the potential activation of symptoms over time using simulations developed by Cramer and others (2016). The parameters for the simulation (symptom connectivity and symptom threshold) were obtained from Ising models and cross-lagged panel network analyses. Data were from the nationally representative samples (Health 2000-2011 Study) of 4190 participants measured in 2011 (cross-sectional analyses) and 3201 participants measured in 2000 and 2011 (longitudinal analyses). DD diagnosis was based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and depressive symptoms were self-reported using the 13-item version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Differences in symptom connectivity between participants with and without DD were not observed, but the mean probability (threshold) of symptom existence in the DD + group was higher than in the DD-group (0.41 vs. 0.12). Simulation showed that there are more active symptoms in the DD + group after 10 000 time points (means 1.2 vs. 4.6) than in the DD-group. This difference largely disappeared when we used longitudinal networks, including autoregressive loops, in the connectivity matrix. Our results suggest that the differences in symptom thresholds and autoregressive loops may be more important features than symptom connectivity in differentiating people with and without DD.Peer reviewe

Three Decades of Internet- and Computer-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Depression : Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Internet- and computer-based interventions (IBIs) have been shown to provide effective, scalable forms of treatment. More than 100 controlled trials and a growing number of meta-analyses published over the past 30 years have demonstrated the efficacy of IBIs in reducing symptoms in the short and long term. Despite the large body of research, no comprehensive review or meta-analysis has been conducted to date that evaluates how the effectiveness of IBIs has evolved over time. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate whether there has been a change in the effectiveness of IBIs on the treatment of depression over the past 30 years and to identify potential variables moderating the effect size. Methods: A sensitive search strategy will be executed across the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Data extraction and evaluation will be conducted by two independent researchers. Risk of bias will be assessed. A multilevel meta-regression model will be used to analyze the data and estimate effect size. Results: The search was completed in mid-2019. We expect the results to be submitted for publication in early 2020. Conclusions: The year 2020 will mark 30 years since the first paper was published on the use of IBIs for the treatment of depression. Despite the large and rapidly growing body of research in the field, evaluations of effectiveness to date are missing the temporal dimension. This review will address that gap and provide valuable analysis of how the effectiveness of interventions has evolved over the past three decades; which participant-, intervention-, and study-related variables moderate changes in effectiveness; and where research in the field may benefit from increased focus.Peer reviewe

Biomarkers and long-term labour market outcomes: the case of creatine

Using the Young Finns Study (YFS) combined with the Finnish Linked Employer-Employee Data (FLEED) we show that quantities of creatine measured in 1980 prior to labour market entry affect labour market outcomes over the period 1990-2010. Those with higher levels of creatine (proxied by urine creatinine) prior to labour market entry spend more time in the labour market in the subsequent two decades and earn more. Creatine is not associated with high educational attainment. The associations between creatine and labour market outcomes are robust to controlling for other biomarkers, educational attainment and parental background. Creatine is a naturally occurring nitrogenous organic acid which supplies energy to body cells, including muscles. Our findings are consistent with high energy levels, induced by creatine, leading to productivity-enhancing traits such as a high propensity for effort, perseverance, and high-commitment.</div

Perfectionism and depressive symptoms : The effects of psychological detachment from work

We examined the association of perfectionism with depressive symptoms and tested whether psychological detachment from work would both mediate and moderate the association. The participants were 76 primary school teachers (87% female) who responded to measures of perfectionism (Multidimensional Inventory on Perfectionism in Sports adapted for teachers), psychological detachment from work (The Recovery Experience Questionnaire), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II). Perfectionism comprised both adaptive and maladaptive dimensions. Adaptive perfectionism referred to striving for perfection, whereas maladaptive perfectionism involved negative reactions to imperfection and perceived pressure to be perfect. According to our results, negative reactions to imperfection were associated with higher depressive symptoms, and lower level of psychological detachment from work played a minor mediating role in the association. There was, however, no association between negative reactions to imperfection and higher depressive symptoms when detachment from work was high. Our findings suggest that striving for perfection and perceived pressure to be perfect might not contribute to depressive symptoms in teaching. Instead, teachers experiencing negative reactions to imperfection and low psychological detachment from work could be at risk for developing depressive symptoms. Finding ways to psychologically detach from work may benefit teachers characterized by negative reactions to imperfection. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Structural social relations and cognitive ageing trajectories : evidence from the Whitehall II cohort study

Background: Social relations are important for health, particularly at older ages. We examined the salience of frequency of social contacts and marital status for cognitive ageing trajectories over 21 years, from midlife to early old age. Methods: Data are from the Whitehall II cohort study, including 4290 men and 1776 women aged 35-55 years at baseline (1985-88). Frequency of social contacts and marital status were measured in 1985-88 and 1989-90. Assessment of cognitive function on five occasions (1991-94, 1997-99, 2003-04, 2007-09 and 2012-13) included the following tests: short-term memory, inductive reasoning, verbal fluency (phonemic and semantic) and a combined global score. Cognitive trajectories over the study period were analysed using longitudinal latent growth class analyses, and the associations of these latent classes (trajectory memberships) with social relations were analysed using multinominal logistic regression. Results: More frequent social contacts [relative risk (RRR) 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94 - 0.98] and being married (RRR 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 - 0.84) were associated with lower probability of being on a low rather than high cognitive performance trajectory over the subsequent 21 years. These associations persisted after adjustment for covariates. Of the subtests, social relations variables had the strongest association with phonemic fluency (RRR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94 - 0.97 for frequent contact; RRR 0.59, 95% CI 0.48 - 0.71 for being married). Conclusions: More frequent social contacts and having a spouse were associated with more favourable cognitive ageing trajectories. Further studies are needed to examine whether interventions designed to improve social connections affect cognitive ageing.Peer reviewe

Microwave Heating of Water in a Rectangular Waveguide: Validating EOF-Library Against COMSOL Multiphysics and Existing Data

EOF-Library, our open-source efficient coupler for Elmer FEM and OpenFOAM, is successfully validated against COMSOL Multiphysics, a commercial simulation package. We inform about discrepancies between our results and data from a series of research papers in the field. Simulations wherein microwaves are supplied to a water domain through a rectangular waveguide are used as benchmarks. The cases are conjugate problems involving fluid property dependence on temperature, microwave propagation and absorption, Marangoni effect and buoyancy-driven flow. We also report surface flow instabilities arising during prolonged microwave heating

The role of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and mother's emotional warmth in predicting adulthood sociability

The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) may function as a "plasticity gene" that increases or decreases sociability in those individuals susceptible to growing up in a beneficial versus more adverse environment. This study used data from 2289 (55% female) participants from the ongoing prospective Young Finns Study. Maternal emotional warmth was assessed in 1980 when the participants were 3-18 years old. Participants' sociability temperament was measured at five follow-ups, from 1992 to 2012. Emotional warmth in childhood and OXTR genotype were not directly associated with temperamental sociability. We found a nominally significant gene environment interaction (p = .03) suggesting that participants with a genetic profile of rs1042778 T-allele and rs2254298 A-allele are affected high versus low emotional warmth, whereas homozygotes of both G-alleles are unaffected by the same environmental influence. Our findings should be, however, interpreted as a null result as the interaction effect did not survive correction for multiple testing.Peer reviewe

Structural and functional aspects of social support as predictors of mental and physical health trajectories: Whitehall II cohort study

BACKGROUND: Social support is associated with better health. However, only a limited number of studies have examined the association of social support with health from the adult life course perspective and whether this association is bidirectional. METHODS: Participants (n=6797; 30% women; age range from 40 to 77 years) who were followed from 1989 (phase 2) to 2006 (phase 8) were selected from the ongoing Whitehall II Study. Structural and functional social support was measured at follow-up phases 2, 5 and 7. Mental and physical health was measured at five consecutive follow-up phases (3–8). RESULTS: Social support predicted better mental health, and certain functional aspects of social support, such as higher practical support and higher levels of negative aspects in social relationships, predicted poorer physical health. The association between negative aspects of close relationships and physical health was found to strengthen over the adult life course. In women, the association between marital status and mental health weakened until the age of approximately 60 years. Better mental and physical health was associated with higher future social support. CONCLUSIONS: The strength of the association between social support and health may vary over the adult life course. The association with health seems to be bidirectional