Strong versus weak embodiment: Spatial iconicity in physical, abstract, and social semantic categories

Background Perceptual and action systems seem to be related to complex cognitive processes, but the scope of grounded or embodied cognition has been questioned. Zwaan and Yaxley (2003) proposed that cognitive processes of making semantic relatedness judgments can be facilitated when word pairs are presented in ways that their referents maintain their iconic configuration rather than their reverse-iconic configuration (the spatial iconicity effect). This effect has been observed in different semantic categories using specific experiments, but it is known that embodiment is highly dependent on task demands. Method The present study analyzed the spatial iconicity effect in three semantic categories (physical, abstract, and social) using the same experimental criteria to determine the scope of embodied cognition. In this reaction-time experiment, 75 participants judged the semantic relatedness of 384 word pairs whose experimental items were presented in their iconic or reverse-iconic configurations. Results Two mixed-effects models with crossed random effects revealed that the interaction between word meaning and spatial position was present only for physical concepts but neither for abstract nor social concepts. Conclusions Within the framework of strong and weak embodiment theories, the data support weak embodiment theory as the most explicative oneThe work reported in this article was supported by Grant PSI2013-47219-P from the Ministry of Economic and Competitiveness (MINECO) of Spai

Las habilidades metacomprensivas dependen del tipo de texto: un análisis desde el Funcionamiento Diferencial de los Ítems.

Background: Metacomprehension skills determine an individual reader’s ability to judge their degree of learning and text comprehension and have considerable importance in their ability to learn from reading. Given that many comprehension processes are influenced by text characteristics, the aim of the present study was to analyze whether different types of text have significant impact on metacomprehension skills at two different points in primary education. Method: A total of 823 students (4th and 6th years of primary school, 9 to 11 years old) read three different texts (narrative, expository and discontinuous texts) taken from ECOM-PLEC.Pri, a standardized Spanish test for reading comprehension (León, Escudero, & Olmos, 2012). Students were classified by their metacomprehension skills. A Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis was conducted in order to analyze whether the underlying reading comprehension and metacomprehension processes differed across text types. Results: Results showed a considerable divergence of performance for reading narrative texts as opposed to expository and discontinuous texts. These differences were related to academic level. Conclusion: Text characteristics such as the type of text can have a great impact on metacomprehension skills and, consequently, on learning.Antecedentes: la metacomprensión supone la habilidad que uno mismo posee para juzgar su grado de aprendizaje y comprensión de un texto, adquiriendo una gran importancia en la comprensión lectora. Dado que los procesos de comprensión se encuentran infl uenciados por las características de los textos, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar si diferentes tipos de texto afectan de manera signifi cativa a la habilidad metacomprensiva de estudiantes de distintos niveles de Educación Primaria. Método: un total de 823 estudiantes de 4º y 6º de Primaria (9 y 11 años) leyeron tres textos diferentes (narrativo, expositivo y discontinuo) tomados de la prueba estandarizada de comprensión lectora ECOMPLEC.Pri (León, Escudero, y Olmos, 2012). Los estudiantes fueron clasifi cados por su nivel de metacomprensión obtenido en la prueba. Un Análisis Diferencial del Ítem (DIF) se aplicó para analizar si los procesos de comprensión lectora y de metacomprensión difi eren entre tipos de texto y niveles académicos de los participantes. Resultados: los resultados mostraron una notable divergencia en el rendimiento metacognitivo del texto narrativo frente a los textos expositivo y discontinuo. Estas diferencias estaban relacionadas con el nivel académico. Conclusión: el tipo de texto puede tener un gran impacto en las habilidades de metacomprensión y, consecuentemente, en el aprendizaje de textosThis study was supported by Grant PSI2013-47219-P from the Ministry of Economic and Competitive (MINECO) of Spain, and European Union

Bioimpedance real-time charazterization of neointimal tissue inside stents

It is hereby presented a new approach to monitor restenosis in arteries fitted with a stent during an angioplasty. The growth of neointimal tissue is followed up by measuring its bioimpedance with Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Besides, a mathematical model is derived to analytically describe the neointima’s histological composition from its bioimpedance. The model is validated by finite-element analysis (FEA) with COMSOL Multiphysics®. Satisfactory correlation between the analytical model and the FEA simulation is achieved for most of the characterization range, detecting some deviations introduced by the thin "double layer" that separates the neointima and the blood. It is shown how to apply conformal transformations to obtain bioimpedance models for stack-layered tissues over coplanar electrodes. Particularly, this is applied to characterize the neointima in real-time. This technique is either suitable as a main mechanism of restenosis follow-up or it can be combined with proposed blood-pressure-measuring intelligent stents to auto-calibrate the sensibility loss caused by the adherence of the tissue on the micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS).Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Spain): projects TEC2013-46242-C3-1-PMinisterio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Spain): projects TEC2013-46242-C3-2-

Quantifying the ideational context: political frames, meaning trajectories and punctuated equilibria in Spanish mainstream press during the Catalan nationalist challenge

This article presents a quantitative method for mapping semantic spaces and tracing political frames’ trajectories, that facilitate the analysis of the connections between changes in ideas and socio-political phenomena. We test our approach in Spain, where the Catalan conflict fostered a competition in terms of decontestation of meanings of key political concepts. Using unsupervised machine learning, we track the salience, level of semantic fragmentation and fluctuations in meanings of 216 frames in the two largest Spanish newspapers, El País and El Mundo, throughout 8 years. This is achieved via the extraction, vectorization, and comparison of over 70,000 words. We apply Latent Semantic Analysis, an innovative methodology for the alignment of semantic spaces, and new institutional theory. Our exploratory study suggests that the evolution of many nationalism-related frames resembles a punctuated equilibrium model, and that political events in Catalonia, acted as critical junctures, altering the meanings reflected in the Spanish press

Adaptación de una escala de Habilidades Socioemocionales para profesorado de Educación Infantil, Primaria y Secundaria

This paper performs an exploratory factorial analysis of the data collected by questionnaire in a sample of 254 teachers and 233 professors from the province of Soria (Spain) on the Socio-emotional Factor of the ECAD-EP scale, originally designed to assess competency patterns and teacher profiles. of primary education. Through parallel analysis, comparison of models and study of the factorial structure, the use of the scale for the group of teachers (both in the original primary sample and in the sample now included for infants) and secondary school teachers is adapted, thus expanding their formative-reflexive opportunities in the process of self-evaluation and teacher improvement. In addition, the results obtained show an underlying structure of three factors and a difference by teaching group in factors 2 (Instructional and emotional self-efficacy) and 3 (Invigoration of collaborative work). On the other hand, there are no differences between teaching groups in factor 1 (Respect for diversity), nor are there gender differences in any of the three factors. The implications for the design of formative-reflexive modalities of differential strategies for the various levels of teacher performance are considered.Este trabajo realiza un análisis factorial exploratorio de los datos recogidos por cuestionario en una muestra de 254 maestros y 233 profesores de la provincia de Soria (España) sobre el Factor Socioemocional de la escala ECAD-EP, diseñada originalmente para evaluar competencialmente patrones y perfiles docentes de educación primaria. Mediante análisis paralelo, comparación de modelos y estudio de la estructura factorial, se adapta la utilización de la escala para el colectivo de maestros (tanto en la muestra de primaria original como en la ahora incluida de infantil) y de profesores de secundaria, ampliando así sus oportunidades formativo-reflexivas en el proceso de autoevaluación y mejora docente. Se obtienen, además, resultados que evidencian una estructura subyacente de tres factores y una diferencia por colectivo docente en los factores 2 (Autoeficacia instruccional y emocional) y 3 (Dinamización del trabajo colaborativo). Por otro lado, no aparecen diferencias entre colectivos docentes en el factor 1 (Respeto a la diversidad), ni tampoco diferencias de género en ninguno de los tres factores. Se consideran las implicaciones para el diseño de modalidades formativo-reflexivas de estrategias diferenciales para los variados niveles de desempeño docente

Older people’s personal strengths during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic

Background: Although several biopsychosocial variables could play an important role as risk and protective factors of mental health, COVID-19 outbreak studies among older people have seldom focused on protective factors. The purpose of this study was to analyze how older adults’ personal strengths predict their well-being and emotional distress. Method: 783 Spanish people aged 60 and over completed a survey that included sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health, direct or indirect infection by COVID-19, resilience, gratitude, experiential avoidance, family functioning, emotional distress and well-being. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was performed. SEM invariance was also used to analyze whether there were differences between older people affected by COVID-19 and those not affected. Results: The best model supports the mediation effect of resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance on older people’s well-being and emotional distress. Whether participants or relatives had been infected by the virus or not did not affect the results. Conclusions: Variables used as criteria in older adults are related to well-being and emotional distress, but only indirectly and mediated by resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance. This confirms the importance of considering psychological strengths in older people’s well-being. Interventions focused on these personal resources should be considered.The authors thank all the participants in the study. This work was funded by Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities (CEU-Santander, grant number MCOV20V3

Fundamento y diseño de un proyecto de evaluación de la integración educativa de los niños con necesidades especiales por su deficiencia visual

Este artículo pretende dar a conocer una investigación de evaluación de la educación integrada con niños ciegos y deficientes visuales en España que se está realizando por la O.N.C.E. con un grupo de profesores de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. En él se hace un resumen de los objetivos y naturaleza de la investigación evaluativa emprendida, valorativa, iluminativa y formativa, y un análisis del diseño, variables y metodología usada en la investigaciónThis article feports a research work on the evaluation of educational integration with blind and visually handicapped children in Spain. The research is being conducted by the O.N.C.E. in collaboration with a group o teachers of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. It outlines the objectives and nature of the evaluative study undertaken (valuative, instructive and formative) and analyzes the design, thé variables and the methodology used in the stud

HCV-coinfection is related to an increased HIV-1 reservoir size in cART-treated HIV patients: a cross-sectional study

In HIV-1/HCV-coinfected patients, chronic HCV infection leads to an increased T-lymphocyte immune activation compared to HIV-monoinfected patients, thereby likely contributing to increase HIV-1 reservoir that is the major barrier for its eradication. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of HCV coinfection in HIV-1 viral reservoir size in resting (r) CD4+ T-cells (CD25-CD69-HLADR-). Multicenter cross-sectional study of 97 cART-treated HIV-1 patients, including 36 patients with HIV and HCV-chronic co-infection without anti-HCV treatment, 32 HIV patients with HCV spontaneous clearance and 29 HIV-monoinfected patients. rCD4+ T-cells were isolated and total DNA was extracted. HIV viral reservoir was measured by Alu-LTR qPCR. Differences between groups were calculated with a generalized linear model. Overall, 63.9% were men, median age of 41 years and Caucasian. Median CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were 725 and 858 cells/mm 3 , respectively. CD4+ T nadir cells was 305 cells/mm 3 . Proviral HIV-1 DNA size was significantly increased in chronic HIV/HCV-coinfected compared to HIV-monoinfected patients (206.21 ± 47.38 vs. 87.34 ± 22.46, respectively; P = 0.009), as well as in spontaneously clarified HCV co-infected patients when compared to HIV-monoinfected individuals (136.20 ± 33.20; P = 0.009). HIV-1/HCV co-infected patients showed a larger HIV-1 reservoir size in comparison to HIV-monoinfected individuals. This increase could lead to a greater complexity in the elimination of HIV-1 reservoir in HIV-1/HCV-coinfected individuals, which should be considered in the current strategies for the elimination of HIV-1 reservoir.Financial support was provided by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III to VB (PI15CIII/00031), by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness to MC (SAF2016–78480-R) and The SPANISH AIDS Research Network RD16CIII/0002/0001, RD16CIII/0002/0002 and RD16/0025/0013 - ISCIII – FEDER. MRLP is supported by ISCIII - Subdirección General de Evaluacion and European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER) (PIE 13/00040 and RD12/0017/0017 RETIC de SIDA). C.P. is supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) (grant number SFRH/ BPD/77448/2011 is part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union). V.B., A.F.R. and N.R. are supported by the Miguel Servet programme from Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (ISCIII) (grant number CP13/00098, CP14/CIII/00010 and CP14/00198, respectively)

Informe de Política Monetaria - Octubre 2020

Recent data suggest that the technical staff’s appraisals of the condition and development of economic activity, inflation and the labor market have been in line with current trends, marked by a decline in demand and the persistence of ample excess productive capacity. A significant projected fall in output materialized in the second quarter, contributing to a decline in inflation below the 3% target and reflected in a significant deterioration of the labor market. A slow recovery in output and employment is expected to continue for the remainder of 2020 and into next year, alongside growing inflation that should remain below the target. The Colombian economy is likely to undergo a significant recession in 2020 (GDP contraction of 7.6%), though this may be less severe than projected in the previous report (-8.5%). Output is expected to have begun a slow recovery in the second half of this year, though it is not projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 amid significant global uncertainty. The output decline in the first half of 2020 was less severe than anticipated, thanks to an upward revision in first-quarter GDP and a smaller contraction in the second quarter (-15.5%) than had been projected (-16.5%). Available economic indicators suggest an annual decline in GDP in the third quarter of around 9%. No significant acceleration of COVID-19 cases that would imply a tightening of social distancing measures is presumed for the remainder of this year or in 2021. In that context, a gradual opening of the economy would be expected to continue, with supply in sectors that have been most affected by the pandemic recovering slowly as restrictions on economic activity continue to be relaxed. On the spending side, an improvement in consumer confidence, suppressed demand for goods and services, low interest rates, and higher expected levels of foreign demand should contribute to a recovery in output. A low base of comparison would also help explain the expected increase in GDP in 2021. Based on the conditions laid out above, economic growth in 2020 is expected to be between -9% and -6.5%, with a central value of -7.6%. Growth in 2021 is projected to be between 3% and 7%, with a central value of 4.6% (Graph 1.1). Upward revisions compared to the July report take into account a lower-than-expected fall in first-semester growth and a somewhat faster recovery in the third quarter in some sectors. The forecast intervals for 2020 and 2021 growth tightened somewhat but continue to reflect a high degree of uncertainty over theevolution of the pandemic, the easures required to deal with it, and their effects on global and domestic economic activity.Box 1. Evaluation of the Predictive Capacity of Expected Inflation Measures. Authors: César Anzola-Bravo, Anderson Grajales-Olarte, Alexander Guarín-López, Julián Camilo Mateus-Gamboa, Jonathan Alexander Muñoz-Martínez, Carlos Andrés Quicazán-Moreno, Juan Sebastián Rojas-Moreno, Cristhian Hernando Ruiz-CardozoBox 2. Literature Review: Weighing the Drivers of Portfolio Flows to Emerging Market Economies. Authors: Andrés Sánchez-Jabb