How to speak the same language: key ideas from the forum on Catalan wildfire research

Postprint (published version

Relations between student procrastination and teaching styles: autonomy-supportive and controlling

Procrastination is a complex problem that can be defined as delaying an intended course of action (despite anticipating adverse consequences). Even when some students have equivalent motivation and skill levels, they tend to procrastinate more frequently than others. Approaches that analyse whether contextual influences may prevent or promote dysregulation processes associated with procrastination are scarce. According to Self-Determination Theory, contextual influences can facilitate self-regulated motivation (e.g. autonomous pursuit of interests or personal goals), if teaching style is autonomy-supportive and guarantees the satisfaction of students' basic psychological needs for perceived competence, autonomy and relatedness. Contrariwise, school context can also impede the development of autonomous motivation if teachers frustrate the satisfaction of their students' psychological needs by recurring to controlling teaching behaviours, such as controlling use of reward , negative conditional regard, excessive personal control, or intimidation. The goal of the present study was to assess the relations between controlling and autonomy-supportive teaching behaviours, psychological needs satisfaction (of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness), and four distinct measures of procrastination: general procrastination, decisional procrastination, procrastination linked to task avoidance and pure procrastination. Data based on public university undergraduate students (N = 672) shows that controlling teaching behaviours are associated negatively with psychological needs satisfaction and positively with procrastination. Contrariwise, autonomy-supportive teaching behaviours are positively associated with psychological needs satisfaction and negatively with procrastination.. The data obtained is useful for suggesting new lines of research to study the link between contextual influences and the prevention of academic procrastination in view of Self-Determination Theory. Also, our results suggest new pedagogical approaches where teachers can create contextual conditions that help to prevent or reduce procrastinating tendencies

Personality changes in patients suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy after surgical treatment : a 1-year follow-up study

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICObjective: To determine changes in dimensions of personality in a sample of patients suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy at the 1-year follow-up following surgery, compared to non-surgically treated controls. Methods: We conducted a prospective comparative controlled study, including drug-resistant epilepsy surgery candidates. Demographic, psychiatric, neurological, and psychological data were recorded. Presurgical and 12-months follow-up evaluations were performed. Personality dimensions were measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Revised version (NEO-FFI-R), anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS: HADA-Anxiety and HADD-Depression), psychiatric evaluations were performed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) Axis-I disorders classification. Statistical analysis consisted of comparative tests, correlation analysis, and the stepwise multiple regression test (ANOVA). Results: A 1-year follow-up was completed by 70 out of 80 patients. Through the study, the surgical group decreased in neuroticism and increased in agreeableness. The controls increased in consciousness, and these changes were predicted by the earlier age of epilepsy onset and lesser score in HADD at the baseline. No personality changes were associated with seizure frequency. The presurgical evaluation concluded that both groups had no differences in demographic, psychiatric, or neurological variables with the only exception being for the number of seizures per month, which was higher in the surgical group. Psychiatric comorbidity in patients was associated with their higher degree of neuroticism and agreeableness at the baseline. Comparing control and surgical groups at the one-year follow-up, the agreeableness personality variable was higher in the surgical group, and as expected, HADS scores were higher in the control group, and seizure frequency was also higher in the control group. Significance: Higher agreeableness was the most relevant difference in personality dimensions in patients who underwent surgical treatment compared with the non-surgical treatment group. After surgery patients decreased in neuroticism and increased in agreeableness scores

Influence of personality profile in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy on quality of life following surgical treatment : A 1-year follow-up study

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICThe objectives of this study are to determine the influence of personality profile in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy on quality of life (QoL) after surgical treatment and compare the results with a non-surgical control group at the 1-year follow-up. We conducted a prospective, comparative, controlled study, including 70 patients suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy. Demographic, psychiatric, neurological, and psychological data were recorded at the baseline and at the 1-year follow-up. Assessment of personality dimensions was performed using the NEO-FFI-R questionnaire; severity of anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and QoL was evaluated using the QOLIE-31. At the 1-year follow-up, comparing the control and the surgical groups, we detected differences in scores of most items of QoL, which were higher in those patients who had undergone surgery. High levels of Conscientiousness and Openness to experience at the baseline in patients who underwent surgery predicted better post-surgical outcomes in the QoL scores, whereas high neurotic patients showed worse QoL results. Postoperative changes in QoL in patients were associated with the personality profile at the baseline. QoL measures significantly improved in the surgical group compared with the non-surgical group but were not associated with baseline or postoperative seizure frequency at 1 year

Electrochemical Characterisation of Bio-Bottle-Voltaic (BBV) Systems Operated with Algae and Built with Recycled Materials.

Photobioelectrochemical systems are an emerging possibility for renewable energy. By exploiting photosynthesis, they transform the energy of light into electricity. This study evaluates a simple, scalable bioelectrochemical system built from recycled plastic bottles, equipped with an anode made from recycled aluminum, and operated with the green alga Chlorella sorokiniana. We tested whether such a system, referred to as a bio-bottle-voltaic (BBV) device, could operate outdoors for a prolonged time period of 35 days. Electrochemical characterisation was conducted by measuring the drop in potential between the anode and the cathode, and this value was used to calculate the rate of charge accumulation. The BBV systems were initially able to deliver ~500 mC·bottle−1·day−1, which increased throughout the experimental run to a maximum of ~2000 mC·bottle−1·day−1. The electrical output was consistently and significantly higher than that of the abiotic BBV system operated without algal cells (~100 mC·bottle−1·day−1). The analysis of the rate of algal biomass accumulation supported the hypothesis that harvesting a proportion of electrons from the algal cells does not significantly perturb the rate of algal growth. Our finding demonstrates that bioelectrochemical systems can be built using recycled components. Prototypes of these systems have been displayed in public events; they could serve as educational toolkits in schools and could also offer a solution for powering low-energy devices off-grid

Mitochondrial GSH determines the toxic or therapeutic potential of superoxide scavenging in steatohepatitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Steatohepatitis (SH) is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive production of superoxide, which can then be converted into H(2)O(2) by SOD2. Since mitochondrial GSH (mGSH) plays a critical role in H(2)O(2) reduction, we explored the interplay between superoxide, H(2)O(2), and mGSH in nutritional and genetic models of SH, which exhibit mGSH depletion. METHODS: We used isolated mitochondria and primary hepatocytes, as well as in vivo SH models showing mGSH depletion to test the consequences of superoxide scavenging. RESULTS: In isolated mitochondria and primary hepatocytes, superoxide scavenging by SOD mimetics or purified SOD decreased superoxide and peroxynitrite generation but increased H(2)O(2) following mGSH depletion, despite mitochondrial peroxiredoxin/thioredoxin defense. Selective mGSH depletion sensitized hepatocytes to cell death induced by SOD mimetics, and this was prevented by RIP1 kinase inhibition with necrostatin-1 or GSH repletion with GSH ethyl ester (GSHee). Mice fed the methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet or MAT1A(-/-) mice exhibited reduced SOD2 activity; in vivo treatment with SOD mimetics increased liver damage, inflammation, and fibrosis, despite a decreased superoxide and 3-nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity, effects that were ameliorated by mGSH replenishment with GSHee, but not NAC. As a proof-of-principle of the detrimental role of superoxide scavenging when mGSH was depleted transgenic mice overexpressing SOD2 exhibited enhanced susceptibility to MCD-mediated SH. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore a critical role for mGSH in the therapeutic potential of superoxide scavenging in SH, and suggest that the combined approach of superoxide scavenging with mGSH replenishment may be important in SH

Informe final del projecte “Qüestionaris d’autoavaluació de coneixements: incidència en el rendiment acadèmic; seguiment i valoració per part dels estudiants"

2014PID-UB/042L’experiència s’ha realitzat durant els cursos 2014-2015 i 2015-2016, en quatre assignatures de l’àmbit de la Psicologia del Desenvolupament, en els graus de Psicologia i d’Educació Social. Ha consistit en posar a disposició dels estudiants, a través de Moodle, qüestionaris d’autoavaluació amb feedback sobre els continguts d‘aprenentatge, amb els següents objectius: a) donar suport als estudiants durant l’aprenentatge; b) promoure l’estudi continuat al llarg del curs i c) millorar el rendiment en les proves d’avaluació tipus test. Els qüestionaris inclouen preguntes d’alternativa múltiple amb una única opció de resposta vàlida. Cada resposta rep un feedback que, en cas d’error, orienta la reflexió o la revisió de determinats conceptes o idees. S’ha dut a terme l’anàlisi de la participació, les puntuacions obtingudes, la valoració de l’experiència per part dels estudiants i la incidència del projecte sobre les qualificacions en les proves finals d’avaluació. Els estudiants han valorat molt positivament l’experiència, la participació ha estat moderada i les qualificacions obtingudes en les proves finals han estat significativament més altes per part dels estudiants que han respost qüestionaris. No obstant, per comparació amb cursos anteriors, no s’ha produït una millora significativa en els resultats globals dels grups-classe en les proves finals

Qüestionaris d'autoavaluació de coneixements: Participació dels estudiants, incidència en el rendiment acadèmic i valoració.

Projecte: 2014PID-UB/042Durant el curs 2015-2016, en assignatures de Psicologia del Desenvolupament, es va oferir als estudiants la possibilitat de respondre, a través de Moodle, qüestionaris d’autoavaluació amb feedback sobre els continguts d’aprenentatge. Es van organitzar per temes i eren actius durant el període en que es treballava el corresponent tema a l’aula. Es presenta l’anàlisi del seguiment de la proposta per part dels estudiants, de la incidència en el rendiment acadèmic i de la valoració de l’experiència

Fomentar el raonament crític i analític en el treball individual i grupal en l’alumnat de Psicologia

Donada la pluralitat d’opcions teòriques, metodològiques i d’intervenció en l’àrea psicosocial, aquest àmbit requereix de professionals amb competències d’anàlisi, reflexió crítica i treball en equip. En els actuals estudis de grau de Psicologia, la primera d’aquestes competències està present en 4 assignatures obligatòries de l’àmbit de la psicologia social i, la segona, en 2. Malgrat tot, en la pràctica docent, ambdues es retroalimenten, ja que el raonament analític i crític es nodreix del diàleg en el treball en equip i a la inversa. A partir d’aquí, l’objectiu del present projecte ha sigut, a través de les diferents assignatures obligatòries, desenvolupar una seqüència coordinada d’activitats formatives per millorar l’assoliment d’aquelles competències i posar en pràctica uns sistemes d’avaluació de les mateixes. A l’hora de redactar el projecte es preveia introduir unes practiques docents que de manera seqüenciada l’alumnat donés mostres de les competències assolides en termes de raonament crític i treball en grup. Els resultats aconseguits responen a los objectius plantejats tot i que d’acord amb les noves practiques i eines docents s’han d’anar any darrera any adaptant a les noves realitats.Vicerectorat de Política Docent i PMI

Incidència de diferents modalitats de tutoria per petits grups en els aprenentatges dels estudiants

S'ha analitzat la incidència de tres modalitats de tutoria (presencial planificada i obligatòria; no presencial planificada i obligatòria; presencial oberta i a demanda) sobre les qualificacions en treballs escrits d'activitats grupals, en tres assignatures obligatòries del grau de Psicologia. Globalment, trobem diferències significatives a favor de les tutories presencials, planificades i obligatòries, i del caràcter planificat i obligatori, però no en totes les assignatures