Individual differences in arithmetic fluency

Este estudio contrasta la hipótesis de que las dificultades que tienen algunos sujetos en el dominio de las tablas de multiplicar se deban a su incapacidad para afrontar la interferencia. Los resultados no muestran diferencias en medidas de interferencia en un tarea de recuerdo serial entre sujetos con alta y baja habilidad en la resolución de multiplicaciones. Sin embargo, se encuentran diferencias asociadas a su dominio de las representaciones numéricas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Proyecto PSI-2012-38423

The germplasm bank of the Botanical Garden of the University of Malaga.

The collection of the Germplasm Bank of the University of Malaga began recently associated with its Botanical Garden, in October 2021. The collection is made up of diaspores (fruits/seeds) of plant species belonging to the botanical garden itself and other native species of the vegetation of different areas of the province of Malaga. After the identification of the plants and the collection of the samples, standardized procedures are applied for their adequate conservation in the short and medium term in refrigerators at 4ºC, since the objective is to maintain a dynamic collection. Additionally, the database allows international exchanges and research activities such as viability studies or the elaboration of a photo atlas supported by morphometric studies of the preserved structures. The biodiversity conserved in this germplasm bank will be also very useful in a scenario of global change in which many species are being threatened, or even disappearing, since it constitutes a reservoir that guarantees the possible recovery of the different species whose diasporas have been preserved. Currently, the germplasm bank contains a total of 155 samples belonging to 115 taxa subject to strict protocols that guarantees the maintenance of their viability and genetic integrity, the sanitary conditions of the germplasm, its availability and the physical security of the collections.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Automatic processing of number identity and place-value in multi-digit numbers

The Arabic numerical system employs two dimensions to create multi-digit numbers: digits symbols and place-value. The present research explores in two numerical Stroop experiments to which extent number identity and number place-value processing is automatic in four-digit numbers. Whereas the automatic coding of place-value has been stated previously (see Kallai & Tzelgov, 2012), this has been studied in isolation using similar numbers (e.g., 0400-0040). Experiment 1 explored the access to numbers identity. Fifty-five volunteers were presented with pairs of four digit numbers that differed in one number (e.g., 0200-0400). They had to decide which number string was presented in bigger font size. Congruity between the physical size and the numerical value, distance between the numbers, and position of the discrepant numbers within the string, were manipulated. Results revealed congruity effects that were modulated by distance and position. Experiment 2 (N=90) jointly manipulated size congruity at the place-value (PV) and at the number identity (NI) dimensions (e.g., congruent NI & PV: 0100-5000; congruent NI & incongruent PV: 1000-0500; incongruent NI & congruent PV: 0500-1000; incongruent NI & incongruent PV: 5000-0100). Data analyses indicated an interaction between place-value and identity showing the automatic and simultaneous processing of both dimensions in four-digit numbers.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Internal Sulphate Attack in Cement-Based Materials Applying Non-Linear Ultrasonic Techniques

One of the most aggressive attacks to which cement-based materials can be exposed is that produced by sulphate. During this attack, expansive products are formed, causing volumetric strains in hardened materials, which brings microcracking and the reduction of their strength and durability. The use of non-destructive techniques for characterizing the microstructure of cement-based materials, and for following the development of deleterious processes which can affect them, has become an important research field. Among them, non-linear ultrasonic (NLU) techniques have shown to be useful for evaluating the material degradation. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using the NLU technique for the non-destructive evaluation of initial development of internal sulphate attack in cement-based materials. Cement pastes were prepared using ordinary Portland cement, to which an appropriate amount of calcium sulphate 2-hydrate was added during the setting for producing an internal attack in the samples. Furthermore, its effects in the microstructure have been followed with mercury intrusion porosimetry. The expansion and linear ultrasonic pulse velocity were also determined. The preliminary results indicate that the NLU technique could be useful for studying the development of sulphate attacks in the short-term, complementing the information provided by other techniques.This research was funded by the Conselleria de Educación, Investigación, Cultura y Deporte (at present re-named as Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital) de la Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) (grant code GV/2019/070), by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (grant code BIA2016-80982-R) and by the European Regional Development Fund (grant code BIA2016-80982-R). M. M. is indebted to Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte for a pre-doctoral fellowship (FPU16/04078)

San Pedro Martir observations of microvariability in obscured quasars

Fast brightness variations are a unique tool to probe the innermost regions of active galactic nuclei (AGN). These variations are called microvariability or intra-night variability, and this phenomenon has been monitored in samples of blazars and unobscured AGNs. Detecting optical microvariations in targets hidden by the obscuring torus is a challenging task because the region responsible for the variations is hidden from our sight. However, there have been reports of fast variations in obscured Seyfert galaxies in X-rays, which rises the question whether microvariations can also be detected in obscured AGNs in the optical regime. Because the expected variations are very small and can easily be lost within the noise, the analysis requires a statistical approach. We report the use of a one-way analysis of variance, ANOVA, with which we searched for microvariability. ANOVA was successfully employed in previous studies of unobscured AGNs. As a result, we found microvariable events during three observing blocks: in two we observed the same object (Mrk 477), and in another, J0759+5050. The results on Mrk 477 confirm previous findings. However, since Mrk 477 is quite a peculiar target with hidden broad-line regions, we cannot rule out the possibility that we have serendipitously chosen a target prone to variations.Comment: Research note, 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Compositional and structural analysis of engineered stones and inorganic particles in silicotic nodules of exposed workers

Background Engineered stone silicosis is an emerging disease in many countries worldwide produced by the inhalation of respirable dust of engineered stone. This silicosis has a high incidence among young workers, with a short latency period and greater aggressiveness than silicosis caused by natural materials. Although the silica content is very high and this is the key factor, it has been postulated that other constituents in engineered stones can influence the aggressiveness of the disease. Different samples of engineered stone countertops (fabricated by workers during the years prior to their diagnoses), as well as seven lung samples from exposed patients, were analyzed by multiple techniques. Results The different countertops were composed of SiO2 in percentages between 87.9 and 99.6%, with variable relationships of quartz and cristobalite depending on the sample. The most abundant metals were Al, Na, Fe, Ca and Ti. The most frequent volatile organic compounds were styrene, toluene and m-xylene, and among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenanthrene and naphthalene were detected in all samples. Patients were all males, between 26 and 46 years-old (average age: 36) at the moment of the diagnosis. They were exposed to the engineered stone an average time of 14 years. At diagnosis, only one patient had progressive massive fibrosis. After a follow-up period of 8 +/- 3 years, four patients presented progressive massive fibrosis. Samples obtained from lung biopsies most frequently showed well or ill-defined nodules, composed of histiocytic cells and fibroblasts without central hyalinization. All tissue samples showed high proportion of Si and Al at the center of the nodules, becoming sparser at the periphery. Al to Si content ratios turned out to be higher than 1 in two of the studied cases. Correlation between Si and Al was very high (r = 0.93). Conclusion Some of the volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals detected in the studied countertop samples have been described as causative of lung inflammation and respiratory disease. Among inorganic constituents, aluminum has been a relevant component within the silicotic nodule, reaching atomic concentrations even higher than silicon in some cases. Such concentrations, both for silicon and aluminum showed a decreasing tendency from the center of the nodule towards its frontier

Experimentation on Emotion Regulation with Single-Colored Images

This paper introduces a series of experiments with the objective of assessing the influence of color in emotion regulation. For this sake, images with one single color or one single dominant color are shown to a set of participants who take part in the experimentation. Firstly, the architecture of the color emotion regulation system is introduced. The methodology for color emotion recognition is based on a novel approach of both direct and indirect emotion evaluation. Then, the experimental setup is discussed together with the testing procedure. The tests are based on questionnaires for emotional state evaluation, color preference and personality. Lastly, the experimental results are described and discussed

Developing Tools for Networks of Processors

A great deal of research eort is currently being made in the realm of so called natural computing. Natural computing mainly focuses on the denition, formal description, analysis, simulation and programming of new models of computation (usually with the same expressive power as Turing Machines) inspired by Nature, which makes them particularly suitable for the simulation of complex systems.Some of the best known natural computers are Lindenmayer systems (Lsystems, a kind of grammar with parallel derivation), cellular automata, DNA computing, genetic and evolutionary algorithms, multi agent systems, arti- cial neural networks, P-systems (computation inspired by membranes) and NEPs (or networks of evolutionary processors). This chapter is devoted to this last model

Mesa redonda “Claves en la formación del perfil ideológico y profesional de Rafael Altamira. Una historia de vida y un ejemplo para la reflexión”

En el 150 aniversario del nacimiento de Rafael Altamira y Crevea, desde el Área de Historia del Derecho y el Departamento de Traducción e Interpretación se ha organizado una Jornada para ofrecer al alumnado interesado en la figura del insigne personaje una visión actualizada de su condición de juez del Tribunal Permanente de Justicia Internacional en la Haya, entre los años 1921 y 1930