8,607 research outputs found
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Associations Between Relocation and Seasonal Depression
No full textSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that is characterized by depressive symptoms that onset and remit at the same times each year. Whereas few people (about 1%) experience problems severe enough to be labeled SAD, many people (estimates range from 30%-90%) may experience mild to moderate changes in depressive symptoms in response to day length and other seasonal changes. Given that latitude affects the extent to which day length varies seasonally, this study explored the extent to which international college students’ relocation to a new latitude (44.57° N; Corvallis, Oregon) may affect their seasonal depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that 1) the severity of students’ current depressive symptoms (assessed in winter) would be related to the extent of latitudinal change between their previous residence and Corvallis, and 2) that lifetime histories of seasonal depression would be more prevalent among students from latitudes that are further from the equator. A convenience sample of 50 international students (N = 50, men=33, women=16, unreported=1) age 18 or older with evidence of English proficiency were recruited from an international learning center. Participants were surveyed on acculturative stress, social support, current depressive symptoms, and lifetime seasonal depressive symptoms. Nearly all (98%) participants came from a more southern latitude (mean latitude of origin was 27° N); thus many participants were potentially experiencing a significant latitudinal change, as well as more dramatic changes in day length. Half (49%) of participants reported clinically significant depressive symptoms. Contrary to the hypotheses, latitude change was not associated with severity of current depressive symptoms (r = 0.12). Current depressive symptoms were more related to lower social support (r = -.35, p < .05) and higher acculturative stress (r = .63 p < 0.001). Furthermore, latitude of origin was not related to lifetime history of seasonal depression (r = -.01). Thus, no support was found for the notion that latitude (considered a proxy for the magnitude of seasonal changes in day length) or change in latitude are powerful influences on international students’ depressive symptoms
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Changing with the seasons : does vitamin D affect mood?
No full textSeasonality is defined as a change in mood and behavior with the seasons. Research shows there is a possible connection between vitamin D levels and mood (Murphy & Wagner, 2008; Lansdowne & Provost, 1998). Given that vitamin D is produced when skin is exposed to sunlight and varies with sun exposure (Bertone-Johnson, 2009), the present study examined the relationships among vitamin D levels, season, and seasonality. Vitamin D levels were expected to be relatively 1) higher, but decreasing in fall; 2) lower, but stable in winter; and 3) higher, but increasing in spring. Further, it was hypothesized that these patterns would be stronger among participants with self-reported seasonality. College women (n=187) ages 18-25 (26.7% White/Caucasian) were recruited either in fall (n=82), winter (n=34), or spring (n=62) term. Participants’ vitamin D levels were measured from their blood samples collected at baseline (T1) and again 5 weeks later (T5). Participants reported their seasonality symptoms across their lifespan using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) at T5, and were grouped into two categories based on their SPAQ scores: at least moderate seasonality (n=88) and mild to no seasonality (n=94). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine mean level and change in vitamin D (from T1 to T5) for individuals in the two seasonality groups, and whether any differences depended on season of recruitment. Overall, vitamin D levels showed the expected patterns by season, but not by self-reported seasonality. That is, contrary to the hypothesis, individuals with at least moderate seasonality did not show significantly more pronounced seasonal changes in vitamin D in comparison to others. However, non-significant trends emerged, indicating the need to examine these relationships further. Future research will address study limitations by following a larger sample of participants throughout the entire year, assessing their vitamin D levels and current mood states at each season
Young men's suicidal behavior, depression, crime, and substance use risks linked to childhood teasing
No full textMagneto–Optical Kerr Effect Microscopy Investigation on Permalloy Nanostructures
No full textThis thesis focuses on the investigation of magnetic domains in ultrasmall permalloy (Ni80Fe20) structures down to nanometre size. Magnetic domains and domain walls in nano objects are often observed using a very high resolution and high power microscope such as magnetic soft x-ray microscope, magnetic force microscopy imaging and photoemission electron microscopy. A reason for this is because the Kerr signal in nanostructures is very weak. However the results from this thesis demonstrate that magnetic domains in permalloy magnetic nanostructures can still be observed with very good contrast using a Magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscope. The constructed Kerr microscope is a home-build wide field microscope and is able to produce magnetic domains image of permalloy nanowire as small as 245 nm, although the resolution limit of the microscope is 505 nm. For the first time, a magnetic domain in nanowire with width of 245 nm is observed using a wide-field microscope. The combination of hysteresis loops and magnetic domains observations for studying a magnetic sample provides a three-dimensional understanding of the magnetic characteristic of the sample. This is crucial in investigating nano samples as the theoretical arguments with the experimental results are always constrained by the experimental part. Three kinds of nanostructure sample were observed using the Kerr microscope; a cross nanowire, zigzag nanowire and a nanowire with notch and a nucleation pad at one end. It was found that a cross nanowire can form magnetic domains upon reversal and the junction forms a magnetisation vortex. Findings from zigzag nanowire demonstrate a complex, multiple magnetic domains formation upon magnetisation reversal. A weak domain wall pinning effect was observed in the nanowire, causing a multiple domains formation in the nanowire upon reversal. It can be confirmed that this effect was caused by the high coercivity of the nucleation pad. For the nanowire with notch, it was demonstrated that the coercivities were different at negative and positive field. But for such case, there is a relationship observed between the percentage notch depth and the coercivity at the junction
Contextual analysis report: participatory citizenship in the European Union Institute of Education
No full textThe concept of citizenship as merely a legal concept has been considered too narrow for modern democratic society for a number of reasons:? Having legal rights is insufficient to enable equal possibilities for all citizens toactivate their rights. Participatory forms of Citizenship require the capability to exercise rights.? Gaining and maintaining rights requires constant action and vigilance from citizens,and a legal definition does not encompass these processes.? The legal definition emphasizes rights, and places less emphasis on obligations.Obligations of the state upon the citizen are not always legally framed, but occur as citizens’ perceptions of norms. These participatory norms, for example voting, are crucial for the health of democracy.? The legal definition focuses on the relationship between the state and the individual,and ignores the relationship between citizens and the associations they form, as wellas the importance of associative life in the balance of democracy. In this regard,citizens need to participate in civic and political life in order to ensure theaccountability of the state, and the legitimation of democrac
Peer teasing experiences of fathers and their children: Intergenerational associations and transmission mechanisms
No full textMeasurement of the ratio of prompt χ c to J / ψ production in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV
No full textThe prompt production of charmonium χ c and J / ψ states is studied in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The χ c and J / ψ mesons are identified through their decays χ c → J / ψ γ and J / ψ → μ + μ - using 36 pb - 1 of data collected by the LHCb detector in 2010. The ratio of the prompt production cross-sections for χ c and J / ψ, σ (χ c → J / ψ γ) / σ (J / ψ), is determined as a function of the J / ψ transverse momentum in the range 2 < p T J / ψ < 15 GeV / c. The results are in excellent agreement with next-to-leading order non-relativistic expectations and show a significant discrepancy compared with the colour singlet model prediction at leading order, especially in the low p T J / ψ region
The likely regional impacts of an agricultural emissions policy in New Zealand: Preliminary analysis
No full textHendy and Kerr (2005b) find that an emissions charge on agricultural methane and nitrous oxide of $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent would be likely to reduce New Zealand's net land-use related emissions for commitment period one in the order of 3%, with full accounting. The costs per farmer and as a percentage of profit would be very high. This paper considers the regional impacts of such a policy in New Zealand by allocating the emission charge across space according to the location of animals. We then combine our emissions charge information with data on the socio-economic characteristics of the affected areas. Obviously rural areas are heavily affected. In many respects, for example median income, ethnic mix, and percentage of working people with a university degree, the rural areas most affected have very similar socio-economic characteristics to other parts of rural New Zealand. Only in two ways do they appear to differ. Our findings indicate that areas with high emission costs tend to have high employment rates, but that they also have a disproportionately high number of unqualified people.climate change, land use, social impacts, methane, nitrous oxide, dairy, sheep, beef, distribution of costs, regional
The likely regional impacts of an agricultural emissions policy in New Zealand: Preliminary analysis
No full textHendy and Kerr (2005b) find that an emissions charge on agricultural methane and nitrous oxide of $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent would be likely to reduce New Zealand’s net land-use related emissions for commitment period one in the order of 3%, with full accounting. The costs per farmer and as a percentage of profit would be very high. This paper considers the regional impacts of such a policy in New Zealand by allocating the emission charge across space according to the location of animals. We then combine our emissions charge information with data on the socio-economic characteristics of the affected areas. Obviously rural areas are heavily affected. In many respects, for example median income, ethnic mix, and percentage of working people with a university degree, the rural areas most affected have very similar socio-economic characteristics to other parts of rural New Zealand. Only in two ways do they appear to differ. Our findings indicate that areas with high emission costs tend to have high employment rates, but that they also have a disproportionately high number of unqualified people.climate change, land use, social impacts, methane, nitrous oxide, dairy, sheep, beef, distribution of costs, regional
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