University of Jyväskylä

About: University of Jyväskylä is a education organization based out in Jyvaskyla, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 8066 authors who have published 25168 publications receiving 725033 citations. The organization is also known as: Jyväskylän yliopisto & Kasvatusopillinen korkeakoulu.

Multivariate Nonparametric Tests

Abstract: Multivariate nonparametric statistical tests of hypotheses are described for the one-sample location problem, the several-sample location problem and the problem of testing independence between pairs of vectors. These methods are based on affine-invariant spatial sign and spatial rank vectors. They provide affine-invariant multivariate generalizations of the univariate sign test, signed-rank test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Kendall and Spearman correlation tests. While the emphasis is on tests of hypotheses, certain references to associated affine-equivariant estimators are included. Pitman asymptotic efficiencies demonstrate the excellent performance of these methods, particularly in heavy-tailed population settings. Moreover, these methods are easy to compute for data in common dimensions.

Azimuthal anisotropy of D-meson production in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV

Abstract: The production of the prompt charmed mesons D0, D+, and D*+ relative to the reaction plane was measured in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision of √sNN=2.76TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at central rapidity in the transverse-momentum (p_T) interval 2–16 GeV/c. The azimuthal anisotropy is quantified in terms of the second coefficient v2 in a Fourier expansion of the D-meson azimuthal distribution and in terms of the nuclear modification factor R_AA, measured in the direction of the reaction plane and orthogonal to it. The v2 coefficient was measured with three different methods and in three centrality classes in the interval 0%–50%. A positive v2 is observed in midcentral collisions (30%–50% centrality class), with a mean value of 0.204+0.099−0.036 (tot. unc.) in the interval 2

Multicomponent Density-Functional Theory for Electrons and Nuclei

Abstract: We present a general multi-component density functional theory in which electrons and nuclei are treated completely quantum mechanically, without the use of a Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The two fundamental quantities in terms of which our theory is formulated are the nuclear N-body density and the electron density expressed in coordinates referring to the nuclear framework. For these two densities coupled Kohn-Sham equations are derived and the electron-nuclear correlation functional is analyzed in detail. The formalism is tested on the hydrogen molecule $H_2$ and its positive ion $H_2^+$ using several approximations for the electron-nuclear correlation functional.

Perceived age as a predictor of old age mortality: a 13-year prospective study

Abstract: Objectives To examine whether in older people perceived age is associated with risk of total mortality independent of chronological age. Design Prospective population-based study (Evergreen project) with mortality surveillance for 13 years after the baseline. Setting Face-to-face interview among community-dwelling residents of the city of Jyvaskyla, Finland. Subjects 395 men and 770 women aged 65-84 years at baseline. Measures Perceived physical age and perceived mental age were rated either as younger, the same or older in comparison with subject's chronological age. Death dates were received from the official register of the province of Central Finland. Confounders used were chronological age, education in years, number of long-term illnesses, self-rated health, depression score (Beck's 13-item depression scale), and cognitive status. Results Mortality rates per 1,000 person-years from the older to younger perceived physical age category were 99, 65 and 59 in men, and 81, 54 and 36 in women. In the perceived mental age categories, correspondingly, mortality rates were 139, 63 and 64 in men, and 82, 55 and 44 in women. The fully adjusted relative risk (RR) of death over 13 years with the perceived younger physical age category as referent was 1.42 (95% CI 1.00-2.02) in the older category and 1.28 (1.03-1.60) in the same age category (P=0.049). The crude RR of mortality for perceived mental age categories was 1.56 (1.09-2.23) in the older and 1.10 (0.92-1.31) in the same age as compared with the younger category (P=0.046). Adding cognitive status into the model diminished the predictive value of the model (P=0.545). Conclusions Perceived age predicted worsening of health as described as mortality. Perceived age may indicate general well-being and faith in the future, potentially reflecting changes in health.

Language development and literacy skills in late-talking toddlers with and without familial risk for dyslexia.

Abstract: The relationship between late-talkers’ language development and reading and spelling outcomes was examined in children with and without familial risk for dyslexia. The late-talking subgroups were defined using parent- and test-based assessments of receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar at 2 and 2.5 years as intake criteria. The language skills of late talkers and the remainders of these two groups were assessed at 3.5, 5, and 5.5 years. Reading/spelling outcomes were compared at the end of the second grade. Late-talking toddlers of the at-risk group who had both poor receptive and expressive skills performed less well than all other groups on language measurements at 5.5 years. In contrast, the control group’s late talkers with an expressive delay reached the language level of their age-mates already by 3.5 years, and maintained their age-appropriate position two years later. The most significant differences in the reading skills were found between the at-risk children with receptive and expressive delay and the remainder of the controls. Age-appropriate early language skills did not, however, ensure norm-level fluent reading in the at-risk group. The remainder of the at-risk group performed at a significantly lower level than did the remainder of the controls, both on the oral reading and spelling tasks.