Evaluation of metaperception of goal orientation and moral functioning in soccer spectators

La violencia en el fútbol es un grave problema social. Algunas de sus manifestaciones están relacionadas con el espectáculo deportivo y su tratamiento en los medios de comunicación. La finalidad de este estudio ha sido analizar las propiedades psicométricas de dos escalas en español que miden la meta-percepción de orientación de meta y el funcionamiento moral en espectadores de fútbol. Los participantes fueron estudiantes universitarios (N = 616) que completaron cuestionarios valorando el tiempo dedicado al consumo de programas deportivos sobre fútbol, la meta-percepción de orientación de meta y el funcionamiento moral. Las escalas definitivas mostraron una adecuada validez de constructo, validez convergente y validez concurrente. Estos resultados indican que las nuevas escalas poseen adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, lo que permite una evaluación válida y fiable que mejore el entendimiento de los procesos que operan en los espectadores de deportes como el fútbolSoccer violence is a serious social problem. Some of its manifestations are related to competitive sport and its treatment by the mass media. The purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of two Spanish scales which measure the metaperception of goal orientation and moral functioning in soccer spectators. Participants (N = 616) reported the time spent viewing soccer sport programming, and rated metaperception of goal orientation and moral functioning. The scales exhibited adequate construct, convergent and concurrent validity. These results indicate that the new scales have adequate psychometric properties, allowing a valid and reliable assessment in order to explain the processes that take place in sport spectators like soccer viewer

Marcelleina parvispora (Ascomycota, Pezizales), a new Marcelleina species from Catalonia (Spain)

Marcelleina parvispora (Ascomycota, Pezizales), a new Marcelleina species from Catalonia (Spain). Marcelleina parvispora sp. nov. (Pezizales, Ascomycota) is described as a new ascomycete species from Catalonia (NE of continental Spain). This first Spanish collection belongs to a new, apparently saprotrophic species that grows in Eucalyptus sp. plantations. A comparison is made with related European species of MarcelleinaMarcelleina parvispora sp. nov. (Pezizales, Ascomycota), una nueva especie de ascomicete, aparentemente saprobia en plantaciones de Eucalyptus sp., procedente de Cataluña (NE de España continental). La descripción se acompaña de fotografías macro y microscópicas de sus singulares caracteres y de su comparación con algunas especies europeas próximas

Executive functioning skills and (low) math achievement in primary and secondary school

Schoolchildren with better executive functioning skills achieve better mathematics results. It is less clear how inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory combine to predict mathematics achievement and difficulty throughout primary and secondary school. This study aimed to find the best combination of executive function measures for predicting mathematical achievement in Grades 2, 6, and 10 and to test whether this combination predicts the probability of having mathematical difficulties across school grades even when fluid intelligence and processing speed were included in the models. A total of 426 students—141 2nd graders (72 girls), 143 6th graders (72 girls), and 142 10th graders (79 girls)—were cross-sectionally assessed with 12 executive tasks, one standardized mathematical task, and a standardized test of intelligence. Bayesian regression analyses found various combinations of executive predictors of mathematical achievement for each school grade spanning Grade 2 to measures of cognitive inhibition (negative priming) and cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency); Grade 6 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention), cognitive flexibility (local–global), and working memory (counting span); and Grade 10 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention) and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) and working memory (reading span). Logistic regression showed that the executive models derived from the Bayesian analyses had a similar ability to classify students with mathematical difficulty and their peers with typical achievement to broader cognitive models that included fluid intelligence and processing speed. Measures of processing speed, cognitive flexibility (local–global), and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) were the main risk factors in Grades 2, 6, and 10, respectively. Cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency) in Grade 2 and fluid intelligence, which was more stable in all three grades, acted as protective factors against mathematical difficulty. These findings inform practical considerations for establishing preventive and intervention proposals.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. EDU2011-2269

Polymer/trimer/metal complex mixtures as precursors of gold nanoparticles: tuning the morphology in the solid-state

The pyrolysis of several physical mixtures of AuCl(PPh3) with polymeric [NP(O2C12H8)]n or cyclic N3P3(O2C12H8)3 phosphazenes, formed as solid powders or films with different molar ratios, have been studied under air and at 800 °C. The characterization of the products has shown that the particle size and morphology are strongly dependent on the nature of the phosphazene, the phosphazene/AuCl(PPh3) molar ratio and on the preparation methodology. Gold nanoparticles (NPs) with mean sizes as small as 3.5 nm were obtained from a [NP(O2C12H8)]n/AuCl(PPh3) 1:1 film. The particle morphology was also strongly dependent on the experimentally conditions of the pyrolysis. Powdered materials exhibit a 3-D irregular morphology in the mixture [NP(O2C12H8)]n/AuCl(PPh3) 3:1 film, and gold foams in the 1:1 ratio, both from the [NP(O2C12H8)]n/AuCl(PPh3) as well as N3P3(O2C12H8)3/AuCl(PPh3) mixtures. These results show for the first time the possibility of controlling morphology and size of gold particles obtained by solid-state reactions

Mental Models in Deductive Reasoning.

Sin resumenSin resume

Polyphosphazenes for the Stille reaction: A new type of recyclable stannyl reagents

Producción CientíficaThe random phosphazene copolymer {[N=P((CH2)7-Br)Ph]0,5[N=PMePh]0,5}n (2) and the block copolyphosphazene {[N=P((CH2)7-Br)Ph]25[N=PMePh]20}-b-[N=P(O2C12H8)]55 (5), having a branch with two randomly distributed units, have been synthesized and used as precursors for the stannyl derivatives {[N=P((CH2)7-SnBu2An)Ph]0,5[N=PMePh]0,5}n (3) and {[N=P((CH2)7-SnBu2An)Ph]25[N=PMePh]20}-b-[N=P(O2C12H8)]55 (6, An = p-MeOC6H4). Polymers 3 and 6 were tested as recyclable tin reagents in the Stille cross-coupling reaction with C6H5I, using various Pd catalysts and different experimental conditions. Polymer 6 can be recycled without significant release of tin, but its efficiency decreased after three consecutive cycles. This effect was explained by studying the self-assembly of the polymer under the same conditions used for the catalytic experiments, which evidenced the progressive coalescence of the polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) leading to stable and bigger core-shell aggregates by the attraction of the [N=P(O2C12H8)] rich membranes, thus decreasing the accessibility of the tin active centers.2017-12-15Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA302U13)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (CTQ2014-56345)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (CTQ2013-48406-P)Universidad de Oviedo (Project UNOV-13-EMERG-GIJON-08

Unless Reasoning

We report the results of two experiments investigating conditional inferences from conditional unless assertions, such as Juan is not in León unless Nuria is in Madrid. Experiments 1 and 2 check Fillenbaum’s hypothesis about the semantic similarity of unless with if not and only if assertions; both also examine inferential endorsements (Experiment 1) and endorsements and latencies (Experiment 2) of the four logically equivalent conditional formulations: if A then B, if not-B then not-A, A only if B and not- A unless B. The results of these experiments show the similarity of unless and only if, confirming that the representation of both conditionals from the outset probably include two possibilities directionally oriented from B to A; results also confirm the especial difficulty of unless assertions. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of recent psychological and linguistic theories of the meaning of unless.Se presentan los resultados de dos experimentos que investigan las inferencias a partir de enunciados condicionales a menos que, tales como “Juan no está en León a menos que Nuria esté en Madrid”. Los experimentos 1 y 2 comprueban la hipótesis de Fillenbaum sobre la similaridad semántica de los enunciados a menos que con si no y sólo si; ambos experimentos examinan las respuestas inferenciales (Experimento 1) y las respuestas inferenciales y las latencias (Experimento 2) de las cuatro formulaciones condicionales lógicamente equivalentes: si A entonces B, si no-B entonces no A, A sólo si B y no-A a menos que B. Los resultados muestran la similaridad de a menos que y sólo si, confirmando que la representación de ambos condicionales probablemente incluya desde el principio dos posibilidades orientadas direccionalmente desde B a A; los resultados también confirman la dificultad especial de las afirmaciones del tipo a menos que. Las implicaciones de los resultados se comentan en el contexto de las teorías psicológicas y lingüísticas sobre el significado de a menos que

Soccer in the mass media: Examining the role of metaperceptions of goal orientation on spectators’ moral functioning

Watching soccer can be a source of leisure and enjoyment. However, the behaviour of some spectators is a concern that might be related to competitive sport and its handling by the mass media. This study analysed the relationship between the exposure to soccer in the media and the spectators’ moral functioning. Participants were college students (N = 355), who completed questionnaires assessing the time spent watching/listening/reading soccer programming, metaperception of goal orientations, and moral functioning. Structural Equation Modelling analysis indicated that the exposure to soccer programming was positively associated with metaperception of ego orientation, which in turn was associated with low levels of moral functioning. The direct effects of the exposure of soccer programming on moral functioning were significantly reduced in the presence of metaperception of ego orientation, indicating that such metaperception mediates the association between these two variables. These findings help us to explain the processes operating in soccer spectators

Chronic excitotoxin-induced axon degeneration in a compartmented neuronal culture model

Glutamate excitotoxicity is a major pathogenic process implicated in many neurodegenerative conditions, including AD (Alzheimer's disease) and following traumatic brain injury. Occurring predominantly from over-stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors located along dendrites, excitotoxic axonal degeneration may also occur in white matter tracts. Recent identification of axonal glutamate receptor subunits within axonal nanocomplexes raises the possibility of direct excitotoxic effects on axons. Individual neuronal responses to excitotoxicity are highly dependent on the complement of glutamate receptors expressed by the cell, and the localization of the functional receptors. To enable isolation of distal axons and targeted excitotoxicity, murine cortical neuron cultures were prepared in compartmented microfluidic devices, such that distal axons were isolated from neuronal cell bodies. Within the compartmented culture system, cortical neurons developed to relative maturity at 11 DIV (days in vitro) as demonstrated by the formation of dendritic spines and clustering of the presynaptic protein synaptophysin. The isolated distal axons retained growth cone structures in the absence of synaptic targets, and expressed glutamate receptor subunits. Glutamate treatment (100 μM) to the cell body chamber resulted in widespread degeneration within this chamber and degeneration of distal axons in the other chamber. Glutamate application to the distal axon chamber triggered a lesser degree of axonal degeneration without degenerative changes in the untreated somal chamber. These data indicate that in addition to current mechanisms of indirect axonal excitotoxicity, the distal axon may be a primary target for excitotoxicity in neurodegenerative conditions