A Cognitive Neuroscience of Social Groups

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how the human brain processes information about social groups in three domains. Study 1: Semantic knowledge. Participants were scanned while they answered questions about their knowledge of both social categories and non-social categories like object groups and species of nonhuman animals. Brain regions previously identified in processing semantic information are more robustly engaged by nonsocial semantics than stereotypes. In contrast, stereotypes elicit greater activity in brain regions implicated in social cognition. These results suggest that stereotypes should be considered distinct from other forms of semantic knowledge. Study 2: Theory of mind. Participants were scanned while they answered questions about the mental states and physical attributes of individual people and groups. Regions previously associated with mentalizing about individuals were also robustly responsive to judgments of groups. However, multivariate searchlight analysis revealed that several of these regions showed distinct multivoxel patterns of response to groups and individual people. These findings suggest that perceivers mentalize about groups in a manner qualitatively similar to mentalizing about individual people, but that the brain nevertheless maintains important distinctions between the representations of such entities. Study 3: Social categorization. Participants were scanned while they categorized the sex and race of unfamiliar Black men, Black women, White men, and White women. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed that multivoxel patterns in FFA--but not other face-selective brain regions, other category-selective brain regions, or early visual cortex--differentiated faces by sex and race. Specifically, patterns of voxel-based responses were more similar between individuals of the same sex than between men and women, and between individuals of the same race than between Black and White individuals. These results suggest that FFA represents the sex and race of faces. Together, these three studies contribute to a growing cognitive neuroscience of social groups.Psycholog

Modelación dinámica de la llegada trimestral de turistas Estadounidenses a México

The aim of this paper is to identify the economic factors that determine the arrivals of North American tourists to Mexico from a multi-ecuational and dynamic perspective. In particular, long-term relationships and impacts of disposable income, trade value between the two countries and relative prices in the arrival of tourists to Mexico are established. The use of a vector autoregression model (VAR) is proposed, the model allows the identification of causal relationships and the forecasting of the quarterly demand of tourists to Mexico for the period 1996-2011. The proposed VAR model accuracy was contrasted against Naïve and SARIMA models.La presente investigación establece como objetivo general, la identificación de los factores económicos que determinan la llegada de turistas Norteamericanos a México desde una perspectiva dinámica y multiecuacional. En particular se establecen las relaciones de largo plazo y los impactos del ingreso disponible, el valor comercial entre ambos países y los precios relativos, en la llegada de turistas a México. La estimación utiliza un modelo de vectores autoregresivos (VAR) que permite identificar las relaciones causales y pronosticar la demanda trimestral de turistas a México para el período de 1996 a 2011. Se contrastó la precisión del modelo VAR contra modelos de series de tiempo Naïve y SARIMA

Conflict within intimacy : a socio-demographic analysis of male involvement in physical intimate partner violence in Mexico

This study analyses, from a socio-demographic perspective, the role of different factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), the pathways through which these factors operate, and the specific circumstances in which violence occurs. The study puts emphasis on understanding IPV from the male point of view. To be able to understand the conditions in which conflict does or does not result in violence, both violent and non-violent men are investigated. For the analysis, a multidimensional framework is used which is based on the Ecological Model. The study uses an integrated analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. First, a survey for the population covered by the Mexican Social Security Institute is used to examine the association between IPV and relevant socio-demographic and contextual characteristics. Next, data from a quantitative sample factory-based survey is analysed to explore more specific quantitative information related to IPV. Finally, qualitative data gathered mainly through in-depth interviews are used to understand in-depth the contextual factors influencing IPV. There were found different pathways through which men could become or not become aggressors against their partners. These pathways are made up of different components and factors that operate at different levels of analysis and are interconnected among each other. Nevertheless, all of these components and factors have their roots in two cultural issues: the predominant culture of violence and the gender system ruling in the society. The first of these issues is mainly reflected in the acceptance of violence that is learned by individuals mainly during childhood through violent experiences within their natal family. The second issue, gender, dominates all the spheres that affect the use or not of physical violence by men against their female partners. However, it is within the relationship dynamics where gender plays an essential role in the use of IPV. The main policy implication is that there is a need for appropriate and specific prevention programmes that primarily target young men. These programmes should encourage and offer support. to men to reinterpret the social rules that are associated with violent behaviour.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Multivoxel Patterns in Fusiform Face Area Differentiate Faces by Sex and Race

Although prior research suggests that fusiform gyrus represents the sex and race of faces, it remains unclear whether fusiform face area (FFA)–the portion of fusiform gyrus that is functionally-defined by its preferential response to faces–contains such representations. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate whether FFA represents faces by sex and race. Participants were scanned while they categorized the sex and race of unfamiliar Black men, Black women, White men, and White women. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed that multivoxel patterns in FFA–but not other face-selective brain regions, other category-selective brain regions, or early visual cortex–differentiated faces by sex and race. Specifically, patterns of voxel-based responses were more similar between individuals of the same sex than between men and women, and between individuals of the same race than between Black and White individuals. By showing that FFA represents the sex and race of faces, this research contributes to our emerging understanding of how the human brain perceives individuals from two fundamental social categories

Impacto de la crisis 1993-1995. Estadísticas sobre el mercado de trabajo femenino

Este trabajo contiene información estadística sobre la población ocupada, cubre los diversos aspectos que la caracterizan y contribuye a dar una idea lo más apegada a la realidad del comportamiento del mercado de trabajo en los años de crisis (1993-1995). La información elaborada tiene como base la Encuesta Nacional de Empleo y la Encuesta Nacional de Educación, Capacitación y Empleo, de 1993 y 1995 que captan datos que otras fuentes estadísticas no hacen. La preparación de este material llevó dos años de intenso trabajo de becarios bajo la coordinación de la autora dentro del Proyecto "Integración Económica, México, Estados Unidos, Canadá y su impacto en la escolaridad y el mercado de trabajo femenino. Cao México", coordinado por María Luisa González Marín. La publicación de este banco de datos creemos será de gran utilidad para todos aquellos estudiosos del empleo y de la problemática que dos décadas de vigencia del modelo neoliberal han ocasionado sobre el mercado de trabajo

Tripod-shaped penta (p-phenylene)s for the functionalization of silicon surfaces

In order to obtain nanostructured thin films to be used in biosensor devices, several chemical functionalization methods have been developed, such as Click chemistry or Suzuki carbon-carbon coupling reactions on surfaces.1 With the aim to control the orientation and spacing between grafted functional groups on a surface, tripodal oligo (p-phenylene)s have become the ideal anisotropic adsorbates due to their shape-persistent and self-standing characteristics.2 Here we report the synthesis and characterization of several tripod-shaped oligo(p-phenylene)s molecules with legs composed of five phenylene units, compounds 1, 2 and 3. In these structures, each leg is end-capped with an NH-Boc, NH2 and N3 group, respectively. The functional arm contains an acetylene group. The presented synthesis has as key step the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. In particular, a iodine derivative from the silicon core molecule reacts with the appropriate tetra(p-phenylene) boron derivative, thus generating the final tripod-shaped structure. The azide end-capped leg in 3 is specifically designed for its covalent incorporation on alkynyl terminated silicon surfaces by an easy and reproducible way. As a preliminary study, we present the alkynyl-functionalized silicon wafers nanostructuration with tripod 3 through the cooper catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Fractionation and fluxes of metals and radionuclides during the recycling process of phosphogypsum wastes applied to mineral CO2 sequestration

The industry of phosphoric acid produces a calcium-rich by-product known as phosphogypsum, which is usually stored in large stacks of millions of tons. Up to now, no commercial application has been widely implemented for its reuse because of the significant presence of potentially toxic contaminants. This work confirmed that up to 96% of the calcium of phosphogypsum could be recycled for CO2 mineral sequestration by a simple two-step process: alkaline dissolution and aqueous carbonation, under ambient pressure and temperature. This CO2 sequestration process based on recycling phosphogypsum wastes would help to mitigate greenhouse gasses emissions. Yet this work goes beyond the validation of the sequestration procedure; it tracks the contaminants, such as trace metals or radionuclides, during the recycling process in the phosphogypsum. Thus, most of the contaminants were transferred from raw phosphogypsum to portlandite, obtained by dissolution of the phosphogypsum in soda, and from portlandite to calcite during aqueous carbonation. These findings provide valuable information for managing phosphogypsum wastes and designing potential technological applications of the by-products of this environmentally-friendly proposal.Junta de Andalucía P10-RNM-6300, P12- RNM-226

Construction and demolition waste as recycled aggregate for environmentally friendly concrete paving

Recycled aggregates (RA) from construction and demolition waste (CDW) instead of natural aggregates (NA) were analysed in the manufacture of new eco-friendly concrete. Fine (FRA) and coarse (CRA) recycled aggregates were used in different percentages as substitutes of natural sand and gravel, respectively. The results revealed that the use of RA in percentages of up to 50 wt.% is feasible. Additionally, RA were used to produce paving blocks in accordance with industrial requirements. Thus, values of water absorption lesser than 6.0% and tensile strength upper than 3.6 MPa were obtained, which are similar to those of a reference sample and within the limit values established by the regulations. These results were achieved by reducing the incorporation of cement, thereby saving production costs and minimizing environmental impact

Thermorresponsive magnetic nanoparticles as target drug delivery for cancer treatment

In this research, temperature sensitive microgels with magnetic core for controlled release of 5-fluoruracil was synthesized. Magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were prepared by coprecipitation method and the surface was functionalized by acrylic acid. Polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) were grown by free radical polymerization in presence of cross-liker and initiator. The size of the polymer was manipulated by changing the mole percent of the crosslinker and evaluated for their morphology (TEM), particle size, zeta potential, loading efficiency, drug content and drug release. Furthermore, microgels were tagged with FITC, a fluorochrome which could be applied for cell imaging. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that the microgels were not toxic. These complex nanoparticles (Fe3O4/pNIPAM/FITC/5-Fu) appear to be a great promise to be used in controlled drug delivery and tumor targeting.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Comparative study of dopaminergic activity of tetrahydro-1H-[3]-benzazepines and their precursors

The discovery of the tetrahydro-1H-[3]-benzazepine SCH23390 [1], represented one of the most important advances in the study of dopaminergic receptors due to their behavior as a selective D1 receptor antagonist. The high affinity and selectivity of this tetrahydro-1H-[3]-benzazepine has led to the search for new structures because of their potential dopaminergic activity, especially 1-aryl-substituted tetrahydro-1H-[3]-benzazepines. Furthermore, their precursors, the tetrahydroisoquinolines 1-substituted have shown to have activity for D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors.[2] We have carried out the synthesis of tetrahydro-1H-[3]-benzazepines 1,2-di-substituted by Stevens rearrangement (SR) on tetrahydroisoquinolinium salts. Stevens rearrangement is an efficient regio- and diastereoselective synthetic methodology. [3a,b] As part of our studies, we have performed the synthesis of benzazepines with modifications at the C-1 and C-2 positions with chlorine and hydroxyl groups at A-ring which is an important factor to modulate affinity at dopaminergic receptors. The interaction of these molecules with D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors have been studied to establish a structure-activity relationship by radioligand binding assays.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech