Electrophysiological Evidence of Attentional Biases in Social Anxiety Disorder

Background: Previous studies investigating attentional biases in social anxiety disorder (SAD) have yielded mixed results. Recent event-related potential (ERP) studies using the dot-probe paradigm in non-anxious participants have shown that the P1 component is sensitive to visuospatial attention towards emotional faces. We used a dot-probe task in conjunction with high-density ERPs and source localization to investigate attentional biases in SAD. Method: Twelve SAD and 15 control participants performed a modified dot-probe task using angry–neutral and happy–neutral face pairs. The P1 component elicited by face pairs was analyzed to test the hypothesis that SAD participants would display early hypervigilance to threat-related cues. The P1 component to probes replacing angry, happy or neutral faces was used to evaluate whether SAD participants show either sustained hypervigilance or decreased visual processing of threat-related cues at later processing stages. Results: Compared to controls, SAD participants showed relatively (a) potentiated P1 amplitudes and fusiform gyrus (FG) activation to angry–neutral versus happy–neutral face pairs; (b) decreased P1 amplitudes to probes replacing emotional (angry and happy) versus neutral faces; and (c) higher sensitivity (d′) to probes following angry–neutral versus happy–neutral face pairs. SAD participants also showed significantly shorter reaction times (RTs) to probes replacing angry versus happy faces, but no group differences emerged for RT. Conclusions: The results provide electrophysiological support for early hypervigilance to angry faces in SAD with involvement of the FG, and reduced visual processing of emotionally salient locations at later stages of information processing, which might be a manifestation of attentional avoidance.Psycholog

Procedimiento para la purificación de Triglicéridos que contienen ácido Estearidónico en posición SN-2

Número de publicación: ES2363518 A1 (08.08.2011)También publicado como: ES2363518 A8 (10.04.2012), ES2363518 B1 (13.06.2012)Número de Solicitud: Consulta de Expedientes OEPM (C.E.O.) P201000070(23.01.2010)Procedimiento para la purificación de triglicéridos que contiene ácido estearidónico en posición sn-2. La invención se refiere a un procedimiento para la purificación de TGs ricos en SDA en posición sn-2 mediante cromatografía en columna gravimétrica, a un extracto de TGs ricos en SDA en posición sn-2 obtenido mediante dicho procedimiento y su uso en la industria.Univerisda de Almerí

Ethical leadership in an age of evaluation: implications for whole—school well-being

The evaluation and inspection of many public services, including education, has become increasingly common in most countries in the developed world (McNamara & O’Hara, 2004; MacBeath & McGlynn, 2002). There are various reasons why this may be the case. It can be argued that it is, on the one hand, part of the movement towards low trust policies derived from the ideology of neo-liberalism which seeks to apply the values of the market to the public sector. On the other hand, it can be argued that increased evaluation is a necessary and defensible component of democratic accountability, responsibility and transparency (O’Neill, 2002). The research reported here sets out to explore the idea of a personal vision or core of ethics as being central to educational leadership, through in-depth interviews with a number of school leaders. The chapter begins by briefly placing educational leadership in the modern context, characterised by the paradox of apparently greater decentralisation of responsibility to schools being in fact coupled with a further centralisation of actual power and greatly increased surveillance of performance (Neave, 1998). Relevant developments internationally, and then specifically in the context of Ireland, are described. It is suggested that in Ireland the modern educational context may indeed be creating difficult ethical and moral dilemmas for leaders to face. To see if this is so in practice, five in-depth interviews with school principals are reported. The evidence arising from these interviews indicates that school leaders do feel guided by a strong moral or ethical compass

Livestock Selective Behaviour in Natural Grasslands Challenges the Concept of Plant Preference in the Elaboration of a Successful Diet

Conciliating livestock production and conservation of grassland biodiversity is now an imperative. We propose that a way to reach that goal is to take advantage of the natural tendency of herbivores to exploit environmental heterogeneity. However, it would go against the well-rooted concept that mammalian herbivores have invariable preference for some plants. Preference was defined as being “what the animal selects when given the minimum of physical constraints” (Parsons et al. 1994). But after decades of studies, the concept of preference remains particularly inefficient in predicting observed patterns of selection by herbivores (e.g. Newman et al. 1992; Parsons et al. 1994; Provenza 2006). We performed detailed descriptions of cattle diet composition and foraging strategy in highly diversified natural pasture of South Brazil. We present here preliminary results that seriously question the concept of plant preference

Electron-Induced State Conversion in Diamond NV Centers Measured with Pump−Probe Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have been exploited as reliable single-photon emitters, with applications in quantum technologies and metrology. Two charge states are known for NV centers: NV0 and NV–, with the latter being mostly studied due to its long electron spin coherence time. Therefore, control over the charge state of the NV centers is essential. However, the understanding of the dynamics between the different states still remains challenging. Here we show that electron excitation induces the conversion from NV– to NV0 through electron-induced carrier generation. We present for the first time ultrafast pump-probe cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, with electron pulses as pump, and laser pulses as probe, to prepare and read out the NV states. The experimental data is explained with a model considering carrier dynamics (0.8 ns), NV0 spontaneous emission (20 ns) and NV0NV– back transfer (500 ms). Our results provide new insights into the NV–NV0 conversion dynamics, and into the use of pump-probe cathodoluminescence as a nanoscale NV characterization tool.Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are reliable single-photon emitters, with applications in quantum technologies and metrology. Two charge states are known for NV centers, NV0 and NV–, with the latter being mostly studied due to its long electron spin coherence time. Therefore, control over the charge state of the NV centers is essential. However, an understanding of the dynamics between the different states still remains challenging. Here, conversion from NV– to NV0 due to electron-induced carrier generation is shown. Ultrafast pump–probe cathodoluminescence spectroscopy is presented for the first time, with electron pulses as pump and laser pulses as probe, to prepare and read out the NV states. The experimental data are explained with a model considering carrier dynamics (0.8 ns), NV0 spontaneous emission (20 ns), and NV0 → NV– back transfer (500 ms). The results provide new insights into the NV– → NV0 conversion dynamics and into the use of pump–probe cathodoluminescence as a nanoscale NV characterization tool

Photon Statistics of Incoherent Cathodoluminescence with Continuous and Pulsed Electron Beams

Photon bunching in incoherent cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy originates from the fact that a single high-energy electron can generate multiple photons when interacting with a material, thus, revealing key properties of electron–matter excitation. Contrary to previous works based on Monte Carlo modeling, here we present a fully analytical model describing the amplitude and shape of the second order autocorrelation function (g(2)(τ)) for continuous and pulsed electron beams. Moreover, we extend the analysis of photon bunching to ultrashort electron pulses, in which up to 500 electrons per pulse excite the sample within a few picoseconds. We obtain a simple equation relating the bunching strength (g(2)(0)) to the electron beam current, emitter decay lifetime, pulse duration, in the case of pulsed electron beams, and electron excitation efficiency (γ), defined as the probability that an electron creates at least one interaction with the emitter. The analytical model shows good agreement with the experimental data obtained on InGaN/GaN quantum wells using continuous, ns-pulsed (using beam blanker) and ultrashort ps-pulsed (using photoemission) electron beams. We extract excitation efficiencies of 0.13 and 0.05 for 10 and 8 keV electron beams, respectively, and we observe that nonlinear effects play no compelling role, even after excitation with ultrashort and dense electron cascades in the quantum wells

Knowledge co-production with traditional herders on cattle grazing behaviour for better management of species-rich grasslands

The research gap between rangeland/livestock science and conservation biology/vegetation ecology has led to a lack of evidence needed for grazing-related conservation management. Connecting scientific understanding with traditional ecological knowledge of local livestock keepers could help bridge this research and knowledge gap. We studied the grazing behaviour (plant selection and avoidance) of beef cattle (c. 33,000 bites) on species-rich lowland pastures in Central Europe and traditional herding practices. We also did >450 outdoor interviews with traditional herders about livestock behaviour, herders' decisions to modify grazing behaviour and effects of modified grazing on pasture vegetation. We found that cattle grazing on species-rich pastures displayed at least 10 different behavioural elements as they encountered 117 forage species from highly desired to rejected. The small discrimination error suggests that cattle recognize all listed plants ‘by species’. We also found that herders had broad knowledge of grazing desire and they consciously aimed to modify desire by slowing, stopping or redirecting the herd. Modifications were aimed at increasing grazing intensity in less-desired patches and decreasing grazing selectivity in heterogenous swards. Synthesis and applications. The traditional herd management practices presented here have significant conservation benefits, such as avoiding under- and overgrazing, and targeted removal of pasture weeds, litter and encroaching bushes, tall competitive plants and invasive species. We argue that knowledge co-production with traditional herders who belong to another knowledge system could help connect isolated scientific disciplines especially if ecologists and rangeland scientists work closely with traditional herders, co-designing research projects and working together in data collection, analysis and interpretation. Stronger links between these disciplines could help develop evidence-based, specific conservation management practices while herders could contribute with their practical experiences and with real-world testing of new management techniques.Fil: Molnár, Zsolt. Institute of Ecology and Botany; HungríaFil: Kelemen, András. Institute of Ecology and Botany; HungríaFil: Kun, Róbert. Szent István University. Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology; HungríaFil: Máté, János. Cattle Herder, Tatárszentgyörgy; HungríaFil: Sáfián, László. Cattle Herder, Tatárszentgyörgy; HungríaFil: Provenza, Fred. University of Utah; Estados UnidosFil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Barani, Hossein. Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; IránFil: Biró, Marianna. GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group; HungríaFil: Máté, András. Dorcadion Kft; HungríaFil: Vadász, Csaba. Kiskunság National Park; Hungrí