9 minute read
2020 NEWS
7.1.2020 NUCLEAR AND ASTROPHYSICISTS DETERMINE THAT MID-SIZE STARS EXPLODE TO BECOME WHITE DWARFS OF DIFFERENT SIZES
The life cycle of stars depends on their size. At the end of their life cycles, lighter stars such as the Sun end up as white dwarfs and massive stars explode to become a spectacular supernova and leave behind a neutron star or a black hole. The destiny of mid-sized stars, however, has long remained a mystery. Now it has been demonstrated that they explode and become different sizes of white dwarfs, spewing a variety of elements around them.
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15.1.2020 NEW TYPE OF SHORT PROGRAMME INCREASES FLEXIBILITY AND AWARENESS TO RELIEVE WORK EXHAUSTION
Work exhaustion and stress can be relieved with a new type of short programme, which increases psychological flexibility and conscious awareness. It was developed at the Department of Psychology and is based on approval and dedication therapy. Subjects’ work exhaustion eased and working ability improved at the one-year follow-up.
17.1.2020 THE WAY YOU DANCE IS UNIQUE, AND COMPUTERS CAN TELL IT’S YOU
Our dance style is almost always the same regardless of the type of music, and a computer can identify the dancer with astounding accuracy. Researchers at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research used motion capture technology to understand how and why music affects us the way it does. They found out that your dance moves say a lot about you, such as how extroverted or neurotic you are, what mood you happen to be in, and even how much you empathise with other people. 5.2.2020 HIGH-PRECISION IMAGING REVEALED WHAT HOLDS THE WORLD’S SMALLEST LIGHTRESPONSIVE GOLD CHAIN TOGETHER
The manufacture of chemical sensors and catalysts based on gold nanoclusters gained new light from recent cutting-edge research. Chemists succeeded in determining the precise atomic structure of a chain of gold nanoclusters attached to each other. In this study the researchers revealed the disulfide-bridging bond between the bound nanoclusters. Linked gold nanocluster structures advance our understanding of the optical and electronic response of these systems, which could contain future insights for nanoelectronics and bioimaging.
12.2.2020 EVEN LIGHT EXERCISE CONTRIBUTES TO THE HEALTH OF OLDER PEOPLE
A new research method revealed that even very low-intensive exercise is connected to a lower fat percentage and a higher walking speed for older people who move little. Two-thirds of the participants in the 70 to 85 age group lacked even one minute of brisk walking in a week. With older people that move less, moving at any intensity was connected to a lower fat percentage and higher walking speed.
26.2.2020 CHILDHOOD INFECTIONS WEAKEN EDUCATION AND INCOME LEVEL
Despite Finland having public healthcare, childhood infections are connected with weaker labour market outcomes in adulthood. The main reason for this is the effect infections have on the level of education. For example, one’s socioeconomic status affects life expectancy: for people with lower income and education it is below average.
2.4.2020 NUMBER OF APPLICANTS INCREASED 12%: JYU MAINTAINS ITS POSITION AMONG THE MOST POPULAR UNIVERSITIES
JYU received 17,438 applications in the joint application process for higher education institutions. The number of applicants increased about 12 percent from 2018. The number of study places available for autumn 2019 was around 2,400. 15.4.2020 PARENTS THAT KNOW A CHILD’S PREFERENCES CAN ASSERTIVELY GUIDE EXERCISE
Parents who know their children’s preferences and participate in activities can guide children assertively without diminishing children’s enthusiasm for physical activity and exercise. However, children’s enthusiasm to move was most commonly associated with child-centred and stimulating parenting. Children perceived coercion as reducing their motivation for physical activity.
All parents did not experience the COVID-19 period in the same way, but their wellbeing ranged from good to poor. This was shown in a study by the Department of Psychology, which examined how the exceptional time could be seen in families' lives. Of the parents responding to the survey, 54% found the COVID-19 situation gloomy or hopeless, whereas 44% found the situation positive or hopeful. The wellbeing of parents with earlier stressing factors in their life diminishes when support networks and services disappear or decrease.
10.6.2020 FINANCIAL GROWTH HAS REACHED ALMOST ALL AGE GROUPS AND REGIONS
The difference in personal tax revenues between Uusimaa and other regions has narrowed in recent years. Researchers from the Faculty of Information Technology clarified the tax revenues of people over 15 in the 2000s based on the data of Statistics Finland. There was a positive shift in the economy of almost all regions in Finland after 2016. The shift is visible as increased tax revenue in almost all regions and all age groups in 2018.
12.6.2020 TEST RELEASE OF PEARL MUSSEL JUVENILES BRED IN CAPTIVITY BEGINS IN MUSTIONJOKI AND ÄHTÄVÄNJOKI
The University of Jyväskylä is participating in a unique test in which juveniles of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel bred in captivity are released back into their home rivers in Finland. Mussels from the Mustionjoki and Ähtävänjoki rivers managed to breed in captivity at the Konnevesi research station. Now tiny mussel babies were returned to their rivers of origin in mesh-covered hole plates, where their growth and survival will be monitored as part of the large lake-protection project coordinated by Metsähallitus.
8.7.2020 COMPARISON SHOWS FINNS SPENDING MORE TIME ALONE
An increase in time spent alone has been observed during the coronavirus pandemic. However, according to studies, the social distance of Finns has changed already earlier. Utilising time use data, a group of researchers has studied changes in social interaction from the 1980s to the 2010s. Time spent alone – without face-to-face company – increased by about two hours a day. The increase in time spent alone is visible among both men and women and in all age groups.
5.8.2020 SHOULD CLEARFELLING BE ABANDONED?
The total abandonment of clearfelling in Finnish commercial forests is not the best option. Nevertheless, continuouscover silviculture should be the most common method to maintain forests. The best results are achieved by combining continuous-cover silviculture and clearfelling with good planning in forest treatment.
26.8.2020 REMOTE TEACHING SIGNIFICANTLY STRAINS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL OR INTENSIFIED SUPPORT
Remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic strained the everyday lives of families with children receiving special or intensified support and significantly weakened the parents’ resources. On the other hand, the children’s resources were better than in contact teaching. Clearly more than half (64%) of the parents hoped remote teaching to be one way to arrange teaching in the future as well. The results were extracted from a survey directed to parents. 29.10.2020 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDHOOD MAY HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS – CONNECTIONS FOUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAREERS
Those with plenty of physical activity in childhood have on average more employed months and fewer months of unemployment in a year in adulthood than those with less exercise in childhood. The differences in the attachment to the labour market are visible already from the outset of working careers and the differences remain almost the same at different stages of careers.
29.10.2020 DIETARY SUPPLEMENT MAY HELP IN THE TREATMENT OF FATTY LIVER
A recent study by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä was successful in partially preventing fatty liver disease in rats. Rats with fatty liver disease were fed a dietary supplement that is known to increase the growth of good bacteria in the gut. Along with with the increased abundance of the bacteria, the liver fat content decreased significantly. In addition, preliminary results from a human study seem promising.
24.11.2020 CAREER CHOICE IS A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR ADOLESCENTS
Finnish adolescents have growing pressures to find their future dream profession. According to a study, only a small portion of adolescents feels secure about the future working life and the majority worries about choices related to their career plans. Especially for young people in vocational education, worries about the future working life are connected to plans to interrupt education.
1.12.2020 ONLINE RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT ATTRACTS A BIG AUDIENCE
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Researchers’ Night, which has set attendance records for science events in previous years, was organised this year as an online event. The event attracted a few thousand spectators. In addition, the day programme for school-aged children received wide interest in the schools of Central Finland and beyond.
2.12.2020 PARTICIPATION IN COMPETITIVE SPORT IN ADOLESCENCE BRINGS MIDLIFE HEALTH BENEFITS TO WOMEN
Females who participate in competitive sport during adolescence have better fitness at midlife than females with no competitive sport background. Higher lean mass and bone density and better physical performance at midlife were associated with competitive sport participation at the age of 13 to 16 years. The study also found that bone density was lower if the woman has not had her first period until age 14 or older. 17.12.2020 CLUMSY KIDS CAN BE FIT TOO
According to a study at JYU, clumsy kids can be as aerobically fit as their peers with better motor skills. The study clearly showed that aerobic fitness is not linked to motor skills.
18.12.2020 INDIVIDUAL-CENTRED CULTURE PREDISPOSES WESTERN PARENTS TO EXHAUSTION
An international comparison study reveals that parents’ exhaustion is more common in individual-centred cultures than in community-oriented cultures. Serious weekly exhaustion also took place more commonly in individualcentred countries. Being individualcentred may also lead to loneliness. According to researchers, Finnish parents expressed in their answers that they were often lonely and that they lacked natural safety networks.
RANKING SUCCESS IN SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences was ranked ninth in the Shanghai Ranking. The list comprises 300 sport science schools from universities all over the world.
In the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, JYU’s research in education ranked 39th. With this placement, we are the best Nordic and sixth-best European higher education institution.
INTERNATIONAL TOP LEVEL
QS World University Rankings: JYU climbed to position 333. ⟶ Education 51–100 ⟶ Sport and health sciences 50 ⟶ Psychology 201–250 ⟶ Research in physics, humanities and mathematics 401–450
Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE): JYU ranked 401–500 ⟶ Psychology 67 ⟶ Psychology and humanities 201–250 ⟶ Business & economics and social sciences 251–300 ⟶ Physics 301–400 ⟶ Health sciences 401–500 ⟶ Computer science 501–600
