Psychology Education in the Post-Covid World

A major aim of psychology education is to train students in psychological literacy – the ability to apply psychological knowledge to everyday activities. In this paper we explore how well this has been achieved in recent years. As a result of Covid-19 the focus of teaching in recent months has inevitably been on developing online methods of teaching and attempts to develop psychological literacy have of necessity received less attention. However, we argue that the developments enforced by Covid-19 actually open up a range of new possibilities and that psychological literacy can benefit from these changes. In particular, we suggest that much of the transmission of psychological knowledge can continue to take place online and that universities should become places where the focus is on the application of that knowledge

Longitudinal Changes in the Relationship between Money, Financial Responsibility and Mental Health in the UK:Are we Becoming Less Future Focused?

This paper investigated the changing relationship between socioeconomic factors and mental health over time. Data were analysed from the Understanding Society Database, a representative sample of the UK population consisting of a potential of 150,393 respondents. Multiple regression coefficients over 13 years were compared over time to analyse effects of various financial predictors on mental health. Data was then split according to who reported financial responsibility for the household to investigate the effect of financial responsibility. While analysis suggested a similar pattern of predictors for mental health from the range of socioeconomic variables selected relative to other studies, temporal analysis demonstrated that perception of one's future financial position diminished in influence on mental health over time, whereas financial variables which were grounded in one’s current situation increased in predictive power. The results suggest that individuals are more concerned with current financial pressures and are less affected by what may happen in the future. The results also suggested that financial responsibility was not a strong predictor of the influence of financial situation on mental health. This finding has potential implications for employers, policy makers and mental health practitioners

Adaptability and Social Support: Examining Links with Psychological Wellbeing Among UK Students and Non-students

The purpose of this multi-study article was to investigate the roles of adaptability and social support in predicting a variety of psychological outcomes. Data were collected from Year 12 college students (N = 73; Study 1), university students (N = 102; Study 2), and non-studying members of the general public (N = 141; Study 3). Findings showed that, beyond variance attributable to social support, adaptability made a significant independent contribution to psychological wellbeing (life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, flourishing, and general affect) and psychological distress across all studies. Beyond the effects of adaptability, social support was found to make a significant independent contribution to most wellbeing outcomes (but not psychological distress in university students). In a multi-group analysis comparing predictors of psychological wellbeing in university students and non-studying adults, where the same outcome measures were used (Study 4; N = 243), it was found that adaptability played a stronger role (relative to social support) for university students, whereas social support played a stronger role for non-studying adults. Finally, (contrary to expectations) there was no evidence of an interaction between adaptability and social support predicting psychological outcomes—adaptability and social support operated as independent main effects. These findings demonstrate the importance of adaptability and social support in uniquely predicting psychological wellbeing in different sample groups. It is argued here that these two factors, should be given greater consideration in discussions of psychological wellbeing, and are relevant to psychological wellbeing at different major developmental life stages

Chiral molecule adsorption on helical polymers

We present a lattice model for helicity induction on an optically inactive polymer due to the adsorption of exogenous chiral amine molecules. The system is mapped onto a one-dimensional Ising model characterized by an on-site polymer helicity variable and an amine occupancy one. The equilibrium properties are analyzed at the limit of strong coupling between helicity induction and amine adsorption and that of non-interacting adsorbant molecules. We discuss our results in view of recent experimental results

Nutzungsdifferenzierung der Bodenkarte 1:50.000 Niedersachsen

Die neue Kartenserie der Bodenkarte von Niedersachsen im Maßstab 1:50.000 (BK50) liegt flächendeckend digital vor und ist räumlich und inhaltlich eng mit anderen Kartenwerken bzw. Datenbanken des LBEG (Geologische Karte, Bodenschätzung, Forstliche Standortskartierung, Profil- und Labordatenbank u.a.) abgestimmt. Innerhalb des Niedersächsischen Bodeninformationssystems NIBIS dient sie im Wesentlichen dem Bedarf der mittleren Planungsebene für Fragen der Landes- und Umweltplanung insbesondere des Bodenschutzes. Die tatsächliche Bodennutzung beeinflusst unmittelbar den Aufbau und die Eigenschaften des Bodens. Land- und Forstwirtschaft führen zu Modifikationen der Standorteigenschaften vergleichbarer Böden, die dann nutzungstypische Merkmalsausprägungen aufweisen (z.B. Grundwasserabsenkung und Erosion unter Ackernutzung, Auflagehumusformen und Podsolierung unter Waldnutzung). Um diese Umgestaltung systematisch in der Bodenkarte von Niedersachsen zu hinterlegen, werden fünf Bedeckungs-/Nutzungstypen (Acker, Grünland, Laubwald, Nadelwald und Sonstige Nutzung) aus Daten des Amtlichen Topographisch-Kartographischen Informationssystems (ATKIS) und z.T. CORINE Land Cover (CLC) abgeleitet und sowohl die Bodenflächengeometrien als auch deren beschreibende Bodenflächendaten als nutzungsspezifische Varianten entsprechend angepasst. Im Poster werden diese Grundlagen zur Konzeption der nutzungsdifferenzierten Bodenkarte zusammenfassend dargestellt und erläutert

MHz Unidirectional Rotation of Molecular Rotary Motors

A combination of cryogenic UV-vis and CD spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy at ambient temperature is used to study a new class of unidirectional rotary molecular motors. Stabilization of unstable intermediates is achieved below 95 K in propane solution for the structure with the fastest rotation rate, and below this temperature measurements on the rate limiting step in the rotation cycle can be performed to obtain activation parameters. The results are compared to measurements at ambient temperature using transient absorption spectroscopy, which show that behavior of these motors is similar over the full temperature range investigated, thereby allowing a maximum rotation rate of 3 MHz at room temperature under suitable irradiation conditions

Expression of Lineage Transcription Factors Identifies Differences in Transition States of Induced Human Oligodendrocyte Differentiation

Oligodendrocytes (OLs) are critical for myelination and are implicated in several brain disorders. Directed differentiation of human-induced OLs (iOLs) from pluripotent stem cells can be achieved by forced expression of different combinations of the transcription factors SOX10 (S), OLIG2 (O), and NKX6.2 (N). Here, we applied quantitative image analysis and single-cell transcriptomics to compare different transcription factor (TF) combinations for their efficacy towards robust OL lineage conversion. Compared with S alone, the combination of SON increases the number of iOLs and generates iOLs with a more complex morphology and higher expression levels of myelin-marker genes. RNA velocity analysis of individual cells reveals that S generates a population of oligodendrocyte-precursor cells (OPCs) that appear to be more immature than those generated by SON and to display distinct molecular properties. Our work highlights that TFs for generating iOPCs or iOLs should be chosen depending on the intended application or research question, and that SON might be beneficial to study more mature iOLs while S might be better suited to investigate iOPC biology

Adaptability and Social Support: Examining Links With Psychological Wellbeing Among UK Students and Non-students

The purpose of this multi-study article was to investigate the roles of adaptability and social support in predicting a variety of psychological outcomes. Data were collected from Year 12 college students (N = 73; Study 1), university students (N = 102; Study 2), and non-studying members of the general public (N = 141; Study 3). Findings showed that, beyond variance attributable to social support, adaptability made a significant independent contribution to psychological wellbeing (life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, flourishing, and general affect) and psychological distress across all studies. Beyond the effects of adaptability, social support was found to make a significant independent contribution to most wellbeing outcomes (but not psychological distress in university students). In a multi-group analysis comparing predictors of psychological wellbeing in university students and non-studying adults, where the same outcome measures were used (Study 4; N = 243), it was found that adaptability played a stronger role (relative to social support) for university students, whereas social support played a stronger role for non-studying adults. Finally, (contrary to expectations) there was no evidence of an interaction between adaptability and social support predicting psychological outcomes—adaptability and social support operated as independent main effects. These findings demonstrate the importance of adaptability and social support in uniquely predicting psychological wellbeing in different sample groups. It is argued here that these two factors, should be given greater consideration in discussions of psychological wellbeing, and are relevant to psychological wellbeing at different major developmental life stages