Intrapersonal positive future thinking predicts repeat suicide attempts in hospital-treated suicide attempters

Objective: Although there is clear evidence that low levels of positive future thinking (anticipation of positive experiences in the future) and hopelessness are associated with suicide risk, the relationship between the content of positive future thinking and suicidal behavior has yet to be investigated. This is the first study to determine whether the positive future thinking–suicide attempt relationship varies as a function of the content of the thoughts and whether positive future thinking predicts suicide attempts over time. Method: A total of 388 patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt completed a range of clinical and psychological measures (depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicidal intent and positive future thinking). Fifteen months later, a nationally linked database was used to determine who had been hospitalized again after a suicide attempt. Results: During follow-up, 25.6% of linked participants were readmitted to hospital following a suicide attempt. In univariate logistic regression analyses, previous suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and depression—as well as low levels of achievement, low levels of financial positive future thoughts, and high levels of intrapersonal (thoughts about the individual and no one else) positive future thoughts predicted repeat suicide attempts. However, only previous suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and high levels of intrapersonal positive future thinking were significant predictors in multivariate analyses. Discussion: Positive future thinking has predictive utility over time; however, the content of the thinking affects the direction and strength of the positive future thinking–suicidal behavior relationship. Future research is required to understand the mechanisms that link high levels of intrapersonal positive future thinking to suicide risk and how intrapersonal thinking should be targeted in treatment interventions

What young graduates earn when they leave study

This report examines outcomes for young people who complete a qualification in the New Zealand tertiary education system, looking at differences in incomes for different types of qualifications. Overview People take tertiary education for many reasons. They think about what they enjoy, what they are good at, what they are capable of and what will get them started on a career. Good careers are associated with better health, better well-being and more satisfying lives. So many young people are making their tertiary education choices to gain the skills they need for satisfying and rewarding work. They use a range of information sources to help them make these choices. The information in this report is designed to add to the data available to young people facing those decisions. This information is not just important to students and to their families. The Government makes a very large investment in tertiary education each year – funding tertiary education providers, providing subsidised student loans and granting student allowances. One major purpose of the Government’s investment is to help improve the New Zealand economy and society by raising the level of skill in the population – which helps make our society more productive, contributes to the creation of wealth and leads to better social outcomes. Studying the earnings of graduates is one way of looking at the contribution that the tertiary education system is making to New Zealand’s society and economy. So the information in this report contributes to an understanding of the value New Zealand receives for the investment we make in tertiary education. Key findings Earnings increase with the level of qualification completed. The biggest jump in earnings is between those with qualifications below degree level and those with degrees. Earnings remain consistently higher for those with higher qualifications. Those with higher qualifications consistently earn more for the first seven years post study, with no sign of these benefits decreasing. Employment rates increase with level of qualification gained. For example, in the first year after study, 54 percent of young bachelors graduates who stayed in New Zealand were in employment and 40 percent were in further study. Of young people who had completed a level 1-3 certificate and stayed in New Zealand, 35 percent were in employment and 48 percent were taking more study. Very few young people who complete a qualification at diploma level or above are on a benefit in the first seven years after study. For those who stay in New Zealand, the benefit rate is 6 percent for diploma graduates and 2 percent at bachelors level in each of the first seven years after study. But it is around 14 percent for those who graduated with certificates at levels 1-3. Earnings vary considerably by field of study. Young graduates with bachelors degrees in medicine earn the most of all bachelors graduates. The median income for medical graduates is over $110,300 five years after leaving study, compared to$51,600 for all young bachelors graduates. Bachelors degree graduates in creative arts have the lowest earnings among young bachelors graduates after five years and they have relatively high rates of benefit receipt. Some qualification types and some fields are associated with high rates of further study. Around half of all young people who complete a certificate or level 5-7 diploma move into further study the next year. Around 60 percent of young bachelors graduates in natural and physical sciences who stay in New Zealand were in further study one year after completion of a bachelors degree, and 32 percent after five years. Those who complete graduate certificates and diplomas have very high employment rates. Employment rates are around 80 percent or just below in the first three years after study for those who have completed a graduate certificate or diploma and who remain in New Zealand. Many of these graduates have completed this qualification as a way of improving their employment prospects or are studying while in employment. The effect of the recession on the earnings of young graduates is still apparent. Although the country as a whole has pulled out of recession, the effects on young people have lingered with graduate earnings continuing to drop in real terms compared to those reported in our first study, Moving on up, for most years after study and at almost all qualification levels. However, there are indications that the rate of decrease in earnings may have been slowing down for recent graduates by the end of the 2012 tax year

Exploring the utility of EDA and skin temperature as individual physiological correlates of motion sickness

Motion sickness (MS) is known to be a potentially limiting factor for future self-driving vehicles – specifically in regards to occupant comfort and well-being. With this as a consideration comes the desire to accurately measure, track and even predict MS state in real-time. Previous research has considered physiological measurements to measure MS state, although, this is mainly measured after an MS exposure and not throughout exposure(s) to a MS task. A unique contribution of this paper is in the real-time tracking of subjective MS alongside real-time physiological measurements of Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and skin temperature. Data was collected in both simulator-based (controlled) and on-road (naturalistic) studies. 40 participants provided at total of 61 data sets, providing 1,603 minutes of motion sickness data for analysis. This study is in agreement that these measures are related to MS but evidenced a total lack of reliability for these measures at an individual level for both simulator and on-road experimentation. It is likely that other factors, such as environment and emotional state are more impactful on these physiological measures than MS itself. At a cohort level, the applicability of physiological measures is not considered useful for measuring MS accurately or reliably in real-time. Recommendations for further research include a mixed-measures approach to capture other data types (such as subject activity) and to remove contamination of physiological measures from environmental changes

Unsteady undular bores in fully nonlinear shallow-water theory

We consider unsteady undular bores in the fully nonlinear dissipationless shallow- water dynamics described by the Green-Naghdi system. We use the Whitham modula- tion theory to obtain an asymptotic analytical description for a full range of the depth ratio across the bore. The positions of the edges of the undular bore and the amplitude of the leading solitary wave are found as functions of this depth ratio. The formation of a partial undular bore with a rapidly-varying finite-amplitude rear wave front is predicted for depth ratios across the bore exceeding 1.43. The analytical results from the modulation theory are shown to be in excellent agreement with the full numerical solution for the development of an undular bore in the Green-Naghdi system

The Impact of Fundus Autofluorescence on the Management of Age-related Macular Degeneration

Background: Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) has been described as a topographical map of fluorophores that accumulate within the retinal pigment epithelium as a result of disease. Study aims: To evaluate whether FAF offers information relevant to age-related macular degeneration over that gathered via colour fundus photography (CFP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Ninety-three patients were imaged via CFP, OCT and FAF and the results analysed using Orange Data Mining artificial intelligence and SPSS software. Results: Pupillary dilation makes a significant improvement to FAF image quality. Nuclear sclerotic cataract of > 1.5 on the World Health Organisation scale indicates that there is ≃85% probability that the FAF image will not be of high quality. At > 1.9 there is ≃50% probability of the image not being clinically useful as defined by a novel grading scale. Age was negatively associated with FAF comfort. There is ≥ 90% probability of an abnormal FAF result for an eye with any of the following: > 50 small, > 40 intermediate, > 20 large drusen. Age > 92 years. > 30 packet years of smoking. Any pigmentary abnormalities. ≃80% for any reticular pseudodrusen (RPD). FAF results can be predicted via CFP and OCT data using machine learning with informedness of up to 70.2% and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.903. For transfer learning to be useful within primary care, image pre-processing is likely to be required. Geographic atrophy and pigment epithelial detachments appear to be linked to a patchy FAF pattern. RPD are linked to a reticular FAF pattern. Principle component analysis indicates that drusen were responsible for the greatest percentage of variability in this study’s data (38.6%). Conclusions: Clinical impact: FAF results can be predicted from CFP/OCT via machine learning with 70.2% informedness and AUC of 0.903. Drusen number/size were the most informative variables

Assessing impact of ICT intercultural work

This article reports on a school-based ICT initiative, called Dissolving Boundaries (DB) which links primary, (students aged 5-11), post-primary (students aged 12-18) and special schools (students aged 5-18) in partnerships across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The aim of the research was to investigate if participation in DB was associated with an increased awareness and understanding of life on the other side of the border. The ICT skills of students were also probed. Two cohorts of students were used in the study, one which had taken part in the Dissolving Boundaries program during an academic year and another cohort of similar age in the same schools, which had not taken part. Findings suggest that participation in the program contributed to students’ knowledge and awareness in general of the other jurisdiction. In terms of collaborative work, a large majority of DB students agreed that they could learn something new from working with another school. Participating students in the DB program showed much higher competence in those ICT skills associated with communication and collaboration than their non-participant peers