The influence of sensationalist features in television news stories on perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism of viewers in different age groups

This study investigates whether the decreased trust in news media can be explained by the increase in sensationalism in news. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which viewers (N = 288) evaluated sensationalist versus non-sensationalist television news in terms of perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism. Each participant watched four television news stories that varied in the presence of two categories of sensationalism: arousing content and tabloid packaging. Findings showed that sensationalist television news tends to be more negatively evaluated than non-sensationalist news. In addition, critical views on arousing content appeared to be particularly visible among young and middle-aged adults. These findings suggest that the rise of sensationalist news could be an explanation of the declining trust in news media that is witnessed in a number of countries

A blended electronic illness management and recovery program for people with severe mental illness : qualitative process evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial

Background: We conducted a trial to test the electronic Illness Management and Recovery (e-IMR) intervention to provide conclusions on the potential efficacy of eHealth for people with severe mental illness (SMI). In the e-IMR intervention, we used the standard IMR program content and methodology and combined face-to-face sessions with internet-based strategies on the constructed e-IMR internet platform. During the trial, the e-IMR platform was sparsely used. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the added value of the e-IMR intervention and the barriers and facilitators that can explain the low use of the e-IMR platform. Methods: This process evaluation was designed alongside a multicenter, cluster randomized controlled trial. In this study, we included all available participants and trainers from the intervention arm of the trial. Baseline characteristics were used to compare users with nonusers. Qualitative data were gathered at the end of the semistructured interviews. Using theoretical thematic analyses, the data were analyzed deductively using a pre-existing coding frame. Results: Out of 41 eligible participants and 14 trainers, 27 participants and 11 trainers were interviewed. Of the 27 participants, 10 were identified as users. eHealth components that had added value were the persuasive nature of the goal-tracking sheets, monitoring, and the peer testimonials, which had the potential to enhance group discussions and disclosure by participants. The low use of the e-IMR platform was influenced by the inflexibility of the platform, the lack of information technology (IT) resources, the group context, participants' low computer skills and disabilities, and the hesitant eHealth attitude of the trainers. Conclusions: The extent of eHealth readiness and correlations with vulnerabilities in persons with SMI need further investigation. This study shows that flexible options were needed for the use of e-IMR components and that options should be provided only in response to a participant's need. Use of the e-IMR intervention in the future is preconditioned by checking the available IT resources (such as tablets for participants) providing computer or internet guidance to participants outside the group sessions, evaluating the eHealth attitude and skills of trainers, and tailoring eHealth training to increase the skills of future e-IMR trainers

Home media and science performance:A cross-national study

This study examines the effects of media resources in the parental home on the science performance of 15-year-old students. It employs data from the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) containing information on 345,967 respondents from 53 countries. Results show that media assets in the family home are indeed meaningful for children’s science performance, as a beneficial resource but also as a disadvantage. A positive reading climate in the parental home and the availability of computers benefits science performance. However, a television-rich home seems to hinder children’s school success. Furthermore, results indicate that, compared to less developed countries, in more modernized societies parental reading investments are even more beneficial to their children’s science performance, whereas a television-rich parental home is even more disadvantageous

Deep-Sea Fish Distribution Varies between Seamounts: Results from a Seamount Complex off New Zealand

Fish species data from a complex of seamounts off New Zealand termed the “Graveyard Seamount Complex’ were analysed to investigate whether fish species composition varied between seamounts. Five seamount features were included in the study, with summit depths ranging from 748–891 m and elevation from 189–352 m. Measures of fish species dominance, rarity, richness, diversity, and similarity were examined. A number of factors were explored to explain variation in species composition, including latitude, water temperature, summit depth, depth at base, elevation, area, slope, and fishing effort. Depth at base and slope relationships were significant with shallow seamounts having high total species richness, and seamounts with a more gradual slope had high mean species richness. Species similarity was modelled and showed that the explanatory variables were driven primarily by summit depth, as well as by the intensity of fishing effort and elevation. The study showed that fish assemblages on seamounts can vary over very small spatial scales, in the order of several km. However, patterns of species similarity and abundance were inconsistent across the seamounts examined, and these results add to a growing literature suggesting that faunal communities on seamounts may be populated from a broad regional species pool, yet show considerable variation on individual seamounts

Extensive Regulation of Diurnal Transcription and Metabolism by Glucocorticoids.

Altered daily patterns of hormone action are suspected to contribute to metabolic disease. It is poorly understood how the adrenal glucocorticoid hormones contribute to the coordination of daily global patterns of transcription and metabolism. Here, we examined diurnal metabolite and transcriptome patterns in a zebrafish glucocorticoid deficiency model by RNA-Seq, NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-based methods. We observed dysregulation of metabolic pathways including glutaminolysis, the citrate and urea cycles and glyoxylate detoxification. Constant, non-rhythmic glucocorticoid treatment rescued many of these changes, with some notable exceptions among the amino acid related pathways. Surprisingly, the non-rhythmic glucocorticoid treatment rescued almost half of the entire dysregulated diurnal transcriptome patterns. A combination of E-box and glucocorticoid response elements is enriched in the rescued genes. This simple enhancer element combination is sufficient to drive rhythmic circadian reporter gene expression under non-rhythmic glucocorticoid exposure, revealing a permissive function for the hormones in glucocorticoid-dependent circadian transcription. Our work highlights metabolic pathways potentially contributing to morbidity in patients with glucocorticoid deficiency, even under glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Moreover, we provide mechanistic insight into the interaction between the circadian clock and glucocorticoids in the transcriptional regulation of metabolism

Fuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird

© 2018, The Author(s). Under climate warming, migratory birds should align reproduction dates with advancing plant and arthropod phenology. To arrive on the breeding grounds earlier, migrants may speed up spring migration by curtailing the time spent en route, possibly at the cost of decreased survival rates. Based on a decades-long series of observations along an entire flyway, we show that when refuelling time is limited, variation in food abundance in the spring staging area affects fitness. Bar-tailed godwits migrating from West Africa to the Siberian Arctic reduce refuelling time at their European staging site and thus maintain a close match between breeding and tundra phenology. Annual survival probability decreases with shorter refuelling times, but correlates positively with refuelling rate, which in turn is correlated with food abundance in the staging area. This chain of effects implies that conditions in the temperate zone determine the ability of godwits to cope with climate-related changes in the Arctic

Effectiveness of a self-management training for patients with chronic and treatment resistant anxiety or depressive disorders on quality of life, symptoms, and empowerment : results of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Anxiety and depressive disorders are common mental disorders. A substantial part of patients does not achieve symptomatic remission after treatment in specialized services. Current care as usual (CAU) for these patients consists of long-term supportive contacts. Termination of CAU is often not considered to be an option due to persistent symptoms, a low level of functioning, and the absence of further treatment options. A new intervention, ZemCAD, offers a program focused on rehabilitation and self-management, followed by referral back to primary care. Methods: This multicenter randomized controlled trial was carried out in twelve specialized outpatient mental health care services in the Netherlands. Consenting and eligible patients were invited for the MINI interview and the baseline questionnaire. Assessments were done at 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) months post baseline. We used linear mixed model analysis (LMM) to ascertain the effectiveness of the ZemCAD group relative to the CAU group on quality of life, symptom severity and empowerment. Results: In total 141 patients were included. The results at 18-month follow-up regarding to quality of life and symptom severity, showed no significant differences between the ZemCAD group and the CAU group, except on the 'social relationships'-domain (d = 0.37). With regard to empowerment a significant difference between both groups was observed in the total empowerment score and one empowerment dimension (d = 0.45 and d = 0.39, respectively). After the ZemCAD intervention, more patients went from specialized outpatient mental health services back to a less specialized health care setting with less intensive treatment, such as primary care. Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest that patients with chronic and treatment-resistant anxiety and depression using the ZemCAD intervention improve on empowerment but not on symptom severity or quality of life. Since little is known about the effects of rehabilitation and self-management in patients with chronic and treatment resistant anxiety and depressive disorders, this is a first attempt to provide a proof-of-concept study in this under-researched but important field. Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register: NTR3335, registered 7 March 2012

Enjoyment of arousing television news: The role of age and sensation seeking

Contains fulltext : 126058-OA.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This study investigated the role of television news as entertainment by focusing on the enjoyment that viewers experience while watching television news stories. In particular, the study examined the relationship between arousing news stories and enjoyment, and explored the potential moderating role of age and sensation seeking. Participants (N = 288) watched four news stories and reported both their feelings of arousal and their enjoyment of each story. An ∩-shaped relationship between arousal and enjoyment was found. This relationship was not moderated by sensation seeking, but it was moderated by age: The level of arousal at which enjoyment reached its maximum was higher in younger viewers.11 p

ARISE: Building an infrastructure for species recognition and biodiversity monitoring in the Netherlands

ARISE (Authoritative and Rapid Identification System for Essential biodiversity information) is a digital infrastructure with the mission to provide semi-automated identification of all multicellular species in the Netherlands and innovate on biodiversity monitoring solutions. By applying DNA barcoding, artificial intelligence for species recognition based on images, sound and radar, and emerging technology for biodiversity monitoring, we can radically speed up the inventory of life on earth. The infrastructure relies on a species reference database, which brings together new and existing biodiversity information on all multicellular species in the Netherlands. ARISE will be open-access and organize data according to FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable). We will develop the infrastructure for the Dutch research community with financial support from the Dutch Research Council. ARISE is a partnership between the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the University of Amsterdam, Westerdijk Institute and the University of Twente. With an Agile development approach, we will build iteratively guided by use cases and real-life challenges. Facilities and services include streamlined and accesible species sampling and (meta)barcoding, machine learning services to analyse digital input and a digital platform where all data and services come together powered by a state of the art data management system based on digital objects. We will be driven by continuous feedback from external scientists and representatives of species monitoring organizations. With ARISE, we will provide the scientific community with the foundation for automated recognition and monitoring of the entire Dutch biodiversity. Furthermore, ARISE will provide a basis for better biodiversity monitoring to provide policy makers with more reliable information on biodiversity and ecosystem change. This presentation will give an overview of work in progress, demonstrating several pilot versions of facilities and services, and what we envision to build in the future