The particularity of emotional words. A grounded approach

This work focuses on emotional concepts. We define concepts as patterns of neural activation that re-enact a given external or internal experience, for example the interoceptive experience related to fear. Concepts are mediated and expressed through words. In the following, we will use “words” to refer to word meanings, assuming that words mediate underlying concepts. Since emotional concepts and the words that mediate them are less related to the physical environment than concrete ones, at first sight they might be depicted as abstract concepts. Evidence coming from several studies shows, instead, that the issue is more complex. In this work, we will briefly outline the debate and illustrate results from recent studies on comprehension of concrete, emotional and abstract words in children and adults. We will argue that emotional words can be accounted for from a grounded perspective and will contend that emotional words represent a particular set of words that differs from both the concrete and purely abstract ones

Some observations on lucifer Faxoni borradaile (Crustacea: Decapoda: Sergestidae) collected from a tidal estuary

A study of Lucifer faxoni conducted within the estuary of Potengi, Natal, Brazil, utilizing the pier of "Base Naval" showed that these planktonic organisms were present in the zooplankton samples

Words as social tools: flexibility, situatedness, language and sociality in abstract concepts. Reply to comments on “Words as social tools: language, sociality and inner grounding in abstract concepts”

The article is a reply to comments by other authors on the topic of abstract concepts

Bioactive potential of two marine picocyanobacteria belonging to Cyanobium and Synechococcus genera

Coccoid cyanobacteria produce a great variety of secondary metabolites, which may have useful properties, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anticoagulant or anticancer activities. These cyanobacterial metabolites have high ecological significance, and they could be considered responsible for the widespread occurrence of these microorganisms. Considering the great benefit derived from the identification of competent cyanobacteria for the extraction of bioactive compounds, two strains of picocyanobacteria (coccoid cyanobacteria < 3 µm) (Cyanobium sp. ITAC108 and Synechococ-cus sp. ITAC107) isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Petrosia ficiformis were analyzed. The biological effects of organic and aqueous extracts from these picocyanobacteria toward the nauplii of Artemia salina, sea urchin embryos and human cancer lines (HeLa cells) were evaluated. Methanolic and aqueous extracts from the two strains strongly inhibited larval development; on the contrary, in ethyl acetate and hexane extracts, the percentage of anomalous embryos was low. Moreover, all the extracts of the two strains inhibited HeLa cell proliferation, but methanol extracts exerted the highest activity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis evidenced for the first time the presence of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine and microcystin in these picocyanobacteria. The strong cytotoxic activity observed for aqueous and methanolic extracts of these two cyanobacteria laid the foundation for the production of bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest

Noise reduction and spatial resolution in CT imaging with the ASIR iterative reconstruction algorithm at different doses and contrasts – a phantom study

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess noise reduction and spatial resolution in computed tomography (CT) imaging with the ASIR (Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction, GE Healthcare) reconstruction algorithm at different kVp, mAs and contrasts. Methods and materials Acquisitions of the Catphan-504 phantom were performed on a PET/CT scanner (Discovery-710, GE Healthcare). CT images were reconstructed using both filtered back projection (FBP) and ASIR with different percentages of reconstruction (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). The image noise was estimated for different values of scanning parameters (i.e. tube-load, kilovoltage, pitch, slice thickness). Then, 3D/2D/1D noise power spectrum was estimated. Also, spatial resolution was assessed by obtaining the modulation transfer function (MTF) for a wide range of scanning parameters values and different contrast objects by the circular Edge Spread Function method (using CTP404 modulus) and the Point Spread Function method (using CTP528 modulus). . Results Image noise decreased (up to 50% as compared to FBP) with increasing the percentage of ASIR reconstruction (behaviour more relevant for higher spatial frequencies). Only for low tube load (<56 mAs) and low contrast objects (polistirene with respect to PMMA) acquisitions, MTF analysis showed that ASIR-reconstructed images were characterized by an appreciable reduction in spatial resolution, when compared to FBP-reconstructed images. Conclusion When compared to FBP, ASIR allows a relevant noise reduction without appreciably affecting image quality, except for very low dose and contrast acquisitions

Effects of weed control practices on plant diversity in a homogenous olive-dominated landscape (South-east of Italy)

Olive groves represent an important economic, agro-ecological, and cultural resource in the Mediterranean Basin. Weed management plays a fundamental role in their sustainable management. The aim of this work was to characterize and assess the plant diversity associated with different weed control practices, in a homogeneous olive-dominated landscape in the South-East of Italy. Sixty-five vegetation plots were sampled in orchards treated with different weed control practices: mowing, tillage, and use of chemical herbicides. The multi-response permutation procedure was used to test the hypothesis of no difference among the treatments. The relationships between plots were visualized by means of non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the relationships between weed control practices and life forms, chorotypes, and diversity indexes. The results showed that the three weed control practices determined slightly different plant communities. Chemically weeded orchards showed an impoverished floristic composition and the lowest diversity, whereas mowing and tillage yielded similar values. These latter two treatments differed for the percentages of hemicryptophytes and therophytes. Moreover, different from other studies, we did not find plant species of particular concern for biodiversity conservation. We hypothesize that this result is due to the monotonous structure of the agro-landscape we investigated, where natural elements are almost lacking. From this point of view, a correct management of agro-districts should consider both the agronomic practices at the level of the individual olive groves and the structure of the agro-landscape

Chemical Characterization of Vitreous Finds from Cosenza Cathedral (Calabria – Italy) by the Combined Use of Analytical Techniques

AbstractThis article presents an archaeometrical research carried out on twenty-six vitreous finds collected in the Cosenza Cathedral (Calabria, Italy). The glasses have been subdivided in two typo-chronological groups. The first group is composed of 14 vitreous samples dating to the 4th–6th century AD. The second group includes twelve samples; seven are stems of funnel-shaped hanging lamps which date between the 12th and the 13th century AD, two are bottlenecks of balsamaria and three are concave bases. The aims of this study were the determination of the chemical composition of vitreous finds and the individuation of the primary glass sources. The samples were characterized through Electron Probe Micro Analyser with Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer (EPMA-WDS) and Laser Ablation with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The data confirm that all the finds of the first group are "silica-soda-lime" type glasses characterized by a high content of Na2O and a low content of K2O and MgO. On the contrary, the samples of the second group, showing higher contents of K2O and MgO, are vegetable silica-soda-lime glasses. Their composition confirms the typological attribution to the medieval period

METAS ACADÉMICAS, ESTRATEGIAS Y AUTOEFICACIA: UN ANÁLISIS DIFERENCIAL ENTRE EL RENDIMIENTO ACADÉMICO ALTO Y BAJO DEL ALUMNADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA

En este artículo se trata de conocer, primeramente, las correlaciones &nbsp;existentes entre las metas académicas y las estrategias de aprendizaje, autoeficacia y el rendimiento académico del alumnado de Educación secundaria de&nbsp; Galicia (España) y del Norte de Portugal. Además el objetivo está en lograr el conocimiento de posibles diferencias significativas existentes de cada una de las variables y el&nbsp; rendimiento alto y bajo del alumnado.&nbsp; La muestra&nbsp; incluye 997 alumnos de 7º curso de Enseñanza Básica (Portugal) y de primer curso de Educación Secundaria (España) y 510 son del norte de Portugal (48% varones), de edades comprendidas entre 10 y 16 años, (M=12,4 años y DT =&nbsp; 0,94 años) y 487 son alumnos de Galicia (España) (51% varones), de edades entre 11 y 15 años, (M= 12,3 años y DT =&nbsp; 0,70). Los resultados señalan que son la Autoeficacia/autorregulación y estrategias de apoyo, las Metas de aprendizaje, las de Rendimiento/logro y las Estrategias de organización y comprensión las que mantienen una correlación positiva y significativa con el Rendimiento académico en la muestra de Portugal. En la muestra de Galicia se dan las mismas correlaciones, con la salvedad de que las Metas de aprendizaje, aunque con correlación positiva, no resultan significativas. Sin embargo las variables de Metas de valoración social, Metas de evitación de fracaso y Ansiedad ante exámenes guardan correlaciones negativas con el rendimiento académico. En cuanto a las diferencias significativas de las mismas variables en relación&nbsp; con el rendimiento alto y bajo se ha comprobado, en ambas muestras, que las variables Metas de rendimiento/logro, Metas de aprendizaje, Autoeficacia/autorregulación, Estrategias de organización y comprensión presentan diferencias estadísticamente significativas, lo que significa que en los alumnos de rendimiento alto muestran valores superiores frente a los alumnos de rendimiento bajo. Sin embargo, las variables Metas de evitación de fracaso, Metas de valoración social y Metas de ansiedad ante exámenes muestran valores más elevados los alumnos de rendimiento bajo frente a los de rendimiento alto. Con estos resultados se proponen algunas pautas de mejora del rendimiento para alumnos con dificultades en aprendizaje. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Palabras clave: autoeficacia, estrategias de aprendizaje, metas de rendimiento, metas acadêmicas de aprendizaje, rendimiento acadêmic