Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Distressing Hallucination-Like Experiences in a Nonclinical Sample

The presence of psychotic-like experiences in the general population has been amply reported. Nevertheless, the degree of concern or anxiety that such experiences may generate is an aspect that has not received as much appraisal. In this sense, mindfulness is an approach to intervention based on the modification of the individual's relationship with the symptoms, instead of their elimination. The goal of the present study is to compare the effect of mindfulness training on distressing hallucination-like experiences. Eighteen participants were assigned to the experimental group, and they received 8 sessions of mindfulness training; 20 participants were assigned to a control group that viewed 8 sessions of a video forum. The results showed that upon completing the mindfulness training, there was a significant and large effect on the decrease of anxiety caused by hallucination-like experiences. These results were maintained at the 16-week follow-up. The repercussions of these results are underlined

Una Experiencia en el uso de metodologías activas en la asignatura Arquitectura de Computadores

Este trabajo presenta un análisis de la experiencia en el uso de la metodología de Aprendizaje Basada en Proyectos (ABP) en la asignatura Arquitectura de Computadores del Grado en Informática de la Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU). De este estudio se desprende que un 95,7% del alumnado está satisfecho con esta metodología docente y continuaría en futuros cursos utilizándola. Además, el estudio realizado revela que esta metodología ayuda a la capacitación transversal del alumnado, no supone aparentemente ningún sobreesfuerzo y tiene efectos positivos en las calificaciones del alumnado.SUMMARY -- This paper presents an analysis of the experience in using the project-based learning (PBL) methodology in Computer Architecture subject of the Degree in Informatics Engineering offered in the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). This study shows that 95.7% of the students are satisfied with the teaching methodology, and they would continue using it in future courses. In addition, the study shows that this methodology contributes to the students' cross training, apparently does not generate any great increment in the students' effort and has positive effects on the obtained grade

Pyrolysis-GC-MS for the Rapid Environmental Forensic Screening of Contaminated Brownfield Soil

An abandoned chemical plant in Asturias (Spain) was studied using a multi-faceted molecular fingerprinting approach, demonstrating that it is possible to: (1) carefully unravel tangled evidence resulting from multiple pollution sources, and (2) recognize major contaminants largely ignored by conventional analyses. This methodology employed a battery of GC-MS analyses of liquid chromatographic fractions of soil extracts, plus the pyrolysis products of the soil extract\u27s asphaltene fraction and the whole soil itself. In this example, coal tar distillation and the subsequent production of naphthalene, phenols and polymer resins are responsible for most of the soil contamination. Styrene, naphthalene, indene, and their methylated derivatives and dimers (most notably, naphthyl-methylnaphthalene) are particularly abundant and/or distinctive. It is remarkable that most of the contaminants were detected simply by pyrolysis-GC-MS, demonstrating its effectiveness for rapid environmental forensic screening of organic contamination. Commonly used environmental analytical approaches would likely have overlooked the predominant pollutants at this site. This could lead to serious shortcomings in remediation planning and implementation. The novel methodology presented herein appears practical and applicable to complexly-contaminated brownfield sites around the world

Empleo de modelos de series temporales para la mejora de la calidad de las series históricas en pesquerías

Abstract: The so-called baca trawl fleet of the port of A Coruña working in the VIIIc ICES Division Area has been used since 1985 as the tuning fleet for the analytical assessment of the southern stock of hake Merluccius merluccius (L., 1758). The historical series of cpue dates from 1983 to 2000 with data missing from 1998. From January 1999, landings were estimated by means of monthly samplings in port. The predictions of the arima model fit the 1983-1997 series, and estimates of the transfer function model from the 1983-2000 series made it possible to complete the series, and to detect errors and possible changes in the orientation of the fleet. The comparison of the two models confirms the series’s stability over time, validating the estimates made in the last two years.Empleo de modelos de series temporales para la mejora de la calidad de las series históricas en pesquerías La flota de baca del puerto de A Coruña que opera en el área VIIIc del CIEM se usa desde 1985 como flota de calibración en la evaluación del stock sur de merluza Merluccius merluccius (L., 1758). Se dispone de una serie histórica mensual de cpue (1983-2000), excepto para 1998, año del que no se posee información. Desde enero de 1999 los desembarcos han sido estimados a partir de muestreos mensuales en lonja. Las predicciones efectuadas por el modelo arima ajustado a la serie 1983-1997 y las estimaciones del modelo de función de transferencia, considerando la serie 1983-2000, han permitido completar la serie, así como detectar errores o cambios en el comportamiento de la flota. La comparación de ambos modelos confirma la estabilidad de la serie, validando las estimaciones efectuadas en los dos últimos años.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Low-dose spironolactone-pioglitazone-metformin normalizes circulating fetuin-a concentrations in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND: Fetuin-A is a glycoprotein produced in the liver and related to metabolic syndrome; fetuin-A secretion is divergently regulated in different pathological conditions. In girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin sensitization results in a more favorable endocrine-metabolic outcome than oral contraception; we assessed whether those differences are underscored by changes in circulating fetuin-A. METHODS: Fetuin-A concentration endocrine-metabolic markers and hepatovisceral fat were measured longitudinally in 35 PCOS girls [age, 16 yr; body mass index (BMI), 23 kg/m2] randomized to receive either oral contraception [ethinylestradiol-levonorgestrel (n = 18)] or a low-dose combination of spironolactone, pioglitazone, and metformin (SPIOMET, n = 17) over 12 months. Healthy adolescent girls (age- and BMI-matched) were used as controls (n = 25). RESULTS: Pretreatment fetuin-A serum levels in PCOS girls were lower than those in controls. After 12 months on treatment, fetuin-A raised to control levels only in the SPIOMET subgroup (P = 0.009, versus oral contraception); this increase was paralleled by a healthier metabolic profile with less hepatic fat (by MRI); baseline serum fetuin-A as well as the changes over 12 months was inversely related to hepatic adiposity. CONCLUSIONS: A low-dose combination of insulin sensitizers and an antiandrogen-but not oral contraception-normalizes fetuin-A levels in adolescent girls with PCOS. This trial is registered with ISRCTN29234515

African climate warming advances spring arrival of the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix

La fecha de la primera llegada de la Codorniz se ha avanzado bruscamente entre 1983 y 2004 en el noreste de España. Estos cambios fenológicos se correlacionaron significativamente con las temperaturas registradas durante los meses previos en la franja subsahariana pero sólo en su parte más occidental. Esto indica que ésta podría ser el área de invernada para algunas poblaciones ibéricas. El fuerte efecto del tiempo atmosférico sobre la fenología de los movimientos migratorios en esta especie beneficia su conservación, ya que la respuesta encontrada es adecuada y coherente con el avance del ciclo de la vegetación en la Península Ibérica

Engineering periodic dinuclear lanthanide-directed networks featuring tunable energy level alignment and magnetic anisotropy by metal exchange

The design of lanthanide multinuclear networks is an emerging field of research due to the potential of such materials for nanomagnetism, spintronics, and quantum information. Therefore, controlling their electronic and magnetic properties is of paramount importance to tailor the envisioned functionalities. In this work, a multidisciplinary study is presented combining scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray linear dichroism, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, density functional theory, and multiplet calculations, about the supramolecular assembly, electronic and magnetic properties of periodic dinuclear 2D networks based on lanthanide-pyridyl interactions on Au(111). Er- and Dy-directed assemblies feature identical structural architectures stabilized by metal–organic coordination. Notably, despite exhibiting the same +3 oxidation state, there is a shift of the energy level alignment of the unoccupied molecular orbitals between Er- and Dy-directed networks. In addition, there is a reorientation of the easy axis of magnetization and an increment of the magnetic anisotropy when the metallic center is changed from Er to Dy. Thus, the results show that it is feasible to tune the energy level alignment and magnetic anisotropy of a lanthanide-based metal-organic architecture by metal exchange, while preserving the network desig

Preferential oxidation of CO over Au/CuOx-CeO2 catalyst in microstructured reactors studied through CFD simulations

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation study of the preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) in microstructured reactors consisting in square and semicircular microchannels coated with anAu/CuOx¿CeO2catalyst is presented. The CO content of the feed stream was set at 1 vol.%. A parametricsensitivity analysis has been performed under isothermal conditions revealing that an optimal reactiontemperature exists that leads to a minimum CO content at the microreactor exit. The influence of thespace velocity, CO2concentration and oxygen-to-CO molar ratio in the feed stream (), catalyst loading,and microchannel characteristic dimension (d) on the microreactor performance has been investigated.Under suitable conditions, the CO concentration can be reduced below 10 ppm at relatively low tem-peratures within the 155¿175¿C range. A negative effect of the increase of d from 0.35 mm to 2.8 mmon the CO removal efficiency has been found and attributed to a more detrimental effect of the masstransport limitations on the oxidation of CO than that of H2. Non-isothermal CFD simulations have beenperformed to investigate the cooling of the CO-PROX reactor with air or a fuel cell anode off gas surrogatein parallel microchannels. Due to the very rapid heat transfer allowed by the microreactor and the stronginfluence of the reaction temperature on the exit CO concentration, a careful control of the coolant flowrate and inlet temperature is required for proper reactor operation. The microreactor behavior is virtuallyisothermal.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación ENE2009-14522-C04Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2012-37431-C0

On-surface self-organization of a robust metal-organic cluster based on copper(i) with chloride and organosulphur ligands

Direct sublimation of a Cu4Cl4 metal-organic cluster on Cu(110) under ultra-high vacuum allows the formation of ultra-large well-organized metal-organic supramolecular wires. Our results show that the large monomers assemble with each other by π-π interactions connecting dipyrimidine units and are stabilized by the surfaceWe thank Spanish MINECO (Grants: MAT2013-46753-C2-1-P, MAT2013-47878-C2-1-R and MAT2011-26534) for financial support. JIM acknowledges a CSIC-JaeDoc fellowship, cofunded by ES

Tuning the Magnetic Anisotropy of Lanthanides on a Metal Substrate by Metal–Organic Coordination

Taming the magnetic anisotropy of lanthanides through coordination environments is crucial to take advantage of the lanthanides properties in thermally robust nanomaterials. In this work, the electronic and magnetic properties of Dy-carboxylate metal–organic networks on Cu(111) based on an eightfold coordination between Dy and ditopic linkers are inspected. This surface science study based on scanning probe microscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, complemented with density functional theory and multiplet calculations, reveals that the magnetic anisotropy landscape of the system is complex. Surface-supported metal–organic coordination is able to induce a change in the orientation of the easy magnetization axis of the Dy coordinative centers as compared to isolated Dy atoms and Dy clusters, and significantly increases the magnetic anisotropy. Surprisingly, Dy atoms coordinated in the metallosupramolecular networks display a nearly in-plane easy magnetization axis despite the out-of-plane symmetry axis of the coordinative molecular lattice. Multiplet calculations highlight the decisive role of the metal–organic coordination, revealing that the tilted orientation is the result of a very delicate balance between the interaction of Dy with O atoms and the precise geometry of the crystal field. This study opens new avenues to tailor the magnetic anisotropy and magnetic moments of lanthanide elements on surfaces.The ALBA synchrotron is acknowledged for providing beam time at BOREAS beamline (proposal number 2015091454). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC, grant 766555) and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA, project 894924) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. This work has been financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (projects FIS2016-78591-C3-1-R, RTI2018-097895-B-C42, MAT2016-78293-C6-2-R, MAT2017-85089-C2-1-R, and PID2019-107338RB-C65); the Comunidad de Madrid (Projects S2013/MIT-2850, P2018/NMT4321, and S2018/NMT-4367); the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the program Interreg V-A España-Francia-Andorra (Contract No. EFA 194/16 TNSI); and “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (grants SEV-2016-0686, and SEV-2017-0706)