Learning in the navigational space: Age differences in a short-term memory for objects task Learning and Individual Differences

Age differences during development in visuospatial short-termmemory (VSTM) in navigation have not been sufficiently proven. The performance of typically developing children from five age groups (from 5 to 9 years old) and one group of young adults (from 25 to 30 years old) was studied in an Augmented Reality navigational VSTM task that involved remembering the location of objects presented in increasing span lengths. The main results showed that navigational VSTM has not fully developed at the age of 9. The measures of performance significantly improved between ages 8 and 9. The overall performance on our navigational task was not influenced by gender, but therewas a slight advantage for maleswhen the difficulty of the task increased regarding the performance accuracy and the errors committed. The Augmented Reality task correlated with traditional spatial tests. Possible cognitive, biological, and methodological explanations for the findings are discussed.This work was funded mainly by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the CHILDMNEMOS project (TIN2012-37381-C02-01) and confinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). Other financial support was received from the Gobierno de Aragon (Departamento de Industria e Innovacion), Fondo Social Europeo for Aragon, Fundacion Universitaria Antonio Gargallo, and Obra Social Ibercaja. We would like to thank the following for their contributions: the "Escola d'Estiu" and especially Juan Cano, Miguelon Gimenez, and Javier Irimia; the ETSInf for letting us use its facilities; the children who participated in the study and their parents who filled out the parent's questionnaires.Mendez Lopez, M.; Pérez Hernández, E.; Juan, M. (2016). Learning in the navigational space: Age differences in a short-term memory for objects task Learning and Individual Differences. Learning and Individual Differences. 50:11-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.06.028S11225

Estado del arte de los productos de información climática en Colombia

Este trabajo presenta el inventario del estado del arte de los productos de información climática en Colombia. Se espera que este documento se convierta en una guía, para conocer la oferta de información climática disponible en internet, que es relevante en la toma de decisiones agrícolas, identificando cuáles son sus principales usuarios y cuáles son los mecanismos de flujo de información utilizados. La metodología que orienta este documento se basa en el informe técnico, realizado por CATIE, sobre el estado del arte de los productos de información agroclimática en América Central (CATIE, 2015). Con este enfoque, La información fue colectada a través de búsquedas sistemáticas en el buscador web de Google con palabras clave. Adicionalmente, se realizó la revisión de las páginas Web de organismos como el servicio meteorológico y Ministerios de agricultura y de ambiente, y del sector publico/privado como: gremios, corporaciones y centro de investigación. Los resultados muestran aproximadamente 17 instituciones generando información climática, agroclimática y de seguridad alimentaria para Colombia. La mayoría de publicaciones con información agroclimática de forma periódica proviene de instituciones como IDEAM, CENICAFÉ, CENICAÑA y CIAT-CCAFS vinculadas a los cultivos de interés y difundida por AGRONET, páginas web de cada institución y redes sociales. Se recomienda tener un sistema unificado de consulta (metadato y mapa) sobre información de todas las estaciones meteorológicas activas en el territorio nacional, dada la dificultad para encontrar la información. El ámbito geográfico de las publicaciones abarca en muchos casos la escala nacional, pero se encuentra distintas publicaciones para las principales ciudades, enfoque en departamentos específicos. El tipo de usuarios a los cuales se dirige la información son, en su mayoría para técnicos o servicios de extensión, pero se encuentran algunas publicaciones enfocadas para agricultores a través de boletines en formato físico y medios audiovisuales. Se encontraron varias publicaciones con recomendaciones para apoyar la toma de decisiones en el sector agropecuario, ya sea por cultivos o por región productiva. La periodicidad de las publicaciones varía desde información en tiempo real, corto plazo (días), análisis decadales e información mensual. Se percibe en reuniones con diferentes usuarios de información climática un alto nivel de desconocimiento sobre toda la oferta y utilidad de dicha información para la toma de decisiones en el sector agropecuario

Mapeo de Actores y Necesidades de Información Agroclimática en los Cultivos de Maíz y Frijol en sitios piloto - Colombia

Este trabajo presenta los resultados del mapeo de actores y necesidades de información agroclimática en los cultivos transitorios de seguridad alimentaria: maíz y frijol arbustivo en sitios piloto en Colombia. A través del mapeo de los actores que transmiten información a los agricultores, la confianza en la información proporcionada, y las necesidades de información para la toma de decisiones, logramos entender el ancho espectro de problemas y prioridades a tomar en cuenta en la producción de estos cultivos, y proponer soluciones útiles, relevantes, confiables, sostenibles y aplicables. Con este enfoque, se llevaron a cabo 27 entrevistas semi-estructuradas con informantes clave y 12 grupos focales con un total de 151 agricultores en los departamentos de Córdoba y Santander. Los resultados evidencian que una de las prioridades de los agricultores es recibir información agroclimática confiable a escala local, que permita tomar mejores decisiones de siembra, variedades, insumos y manejo de suelos y cultivos ante eventos de variabilidad climática. Se evidencia una desconfianza en las instituciones oficiales que transmiten información climática y un sentimiento difuso de falta de interés de las instituciones hacia los pequeños agricultores. Los agricultores se endeudan para lograr producir fríjol arbustivo y maíz o subsidian la producción por otros cultivos, mientras el acceso a un seguro agrícola es limitado. El formato preferido para recibir información climática es a través de mensajes de texto (celular) y mensajes en la radio local. Grupos de interacción presencial o virtual entre agricultores y expertos parecen una alternativa útil y confiable para recibir y compartir información en tiempo real. Sin embargo, los agricultores están interesados en adoptar el manejo agrícola tras un pronóstico si: a) la información es local, b) proviene de una fuente considerada confiable como expertos u otros agricultores, c) se transmite en el momento adecuado para la toma de decisiones y d) si sus efectos son medibles, verificables y validados, por ejemplo, a través de resultados de pilotos o parcelas experimentales en dos años consecutivos. ENGLISH This working paper presents the results of the mapping of actors and of agroclimatic information needs in pilot sites in Colombia for two annual crops, fundamental for food security: maize and bush beans. The mapping of the actors that transmit information to farmers, the confidence the latter have in the information provided, and their information needs for decision-making, allows us to understand the broad spectrum of issues and priorities to be taken into account in the production of these crops, and suggest solutions that are useful, relevant, reliable, sustainable and applicable. Under this assumption, we conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with key informants and 12 focus groups with a total of 151 farmers in the departments of Córdoba and Santander. Results show that one of the priorities of farmers is to receive reliable local agroclimatic information that enables them to take decisions on planting, varieties, inputs, soil and crop management, that address climate variability. We find a generalized distrust of official institutions that transmit weather information, and a feeling that institutions are not interested in smallholders. Farmers resort to indebtedness to produce beans and maize, or subsidize production with cash crops, while access to agricultural insurance is limited. The format preferred to receive weather information is text messages (phone) and information through the local radio. The creation of groups of farmers and experts who interact in person or virtually seem a useful and reliable alternative to receive and share information in real time. However, farmers are only interested in adopting farm management changes after a forecast if: a) the information is local, b) the information is given by a trusted source such as experts or other farmers, c) the information is transmitted at the right time for decision-making d) the effects of taking these decisions are measurable, verifiable and validated, for example, through pilots or results from experimental plots in two consecutive years

Local, reliable and timely agro-climatic information: a requirement of Colombian farmers

Awareness of climatic information relevant for future decisions through climatic forecasts is not enough to support farmer’s decision-making. It is necessary to look for agricultural management alternatives that allow farmers to adapt to climatic conditions and implement efficient and sustainable management systems, within a framework of effective communication with farmers (Jones, 2003; Pulwarty et al., 2003). In Latin America are very few the initiatives related to climatic forecasts. The Project “Agroclimatic services and food security information for improved decision-making – AgroClimas” aims to support private and public sector actors in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras to implement and use agro-climatic risk management tools, validated and adjusted to the needs of final users. This info note presents results from a mapping of actors and agro-climatic information needs in crops important for food security (maize and bush beans), in pilot sites of the project in Colombia. The hypothesis underlying the study is that through mapping actors who transmit information (climatic, prices, technical and financial) to farmers, knowing if this information is considered reliable, identifying unattended information needs and preferred formats to receive it that would support production decisions, one can devise useful, relevant, reliable, sustainable applicable solutions

Impulsive generation of 100 dislocation loops in BCC iron

The conditions for the formation of 100 dislocation loops in body-centered cubic (BCC) iron were investigated via molecular dynamics simulations using a simplified model intended to mimic conditions in high energy collision cascades, focusing on the possible coherent displacement of atoms at the boundary of a subcascade. We report on the formation of 100 dislocation loops due to the fast displacement of a few hundred atoms with a coherent acceleration, in agreement with previous results for much larger cascade simulations. We analyze in detail the resulting atomic velocities and pressures, and find that they cannot be described within the usual formalism for a shock regime, since the pressure pulse only lasts less than 1 ps and does not match expected values from a Hugoniot shock. Our simulations include two interatomic potentials: Mendelev, which is extensively used for radiation damage simulations, and Ackland, which has been used for shock simulations because it can reproduce the experimentally observed transition from BCC to hexagonal close-packed structure at around 25 GPa, at high deformation rates. They both show similar evolution of defects, also indicating departure from a shock regime which is extremely different for these potentials.Fil: Bertoni, Andrés Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas. - Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas; ArgentinaFil: Deluigi, Orlando Raul. Universidad de Mendoza; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Dos Santos Mendez, Gonzalo Joaquín. Universidad de Mendoza; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Pérez Diaz, M.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Bringa, Eduardo Marcial. Universidad Mayor; Chile. Universidad de Mendoza; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentin

The O3N2 and N2 abundance indicators revisited: improved calibrations based on CALIFA and Te-based literature data

The use of IFS is since recently allowing to measure the emission line fluxes of an increasingly large number of star-forming galaxies both locally and at high redshift. The main goal of this study is to review the most widely used empirical oxygen calibrations, O3N2 and N2, by using new direct abundance measurements. We pay special attention to the expected uncertainty of these calibrations as a function of the index value or abundance derived and the presence of possible systematic offsets. This is possible thanks to the analysis of the most ambitious compilation of Te-based HII regions to date. This new dataset compiles the Te-based abundances of 603 HII regions extracted from the literature but also includes new measurements from the CALIFA survey. Besides providing new and improved empirical calibrations for the gas abundance, we also present here a comparison between our revisited calibrations with a total of 3423 additional CALIFA HII complexes with abundances derived using the ONS calibration by Pilyugin et al. (2010). The combined analysis of Te-based and ONS abundances allows us to derive their most accurate calibration to date for both the O3N2 and N2 single-ratio indicators, in terms of all statistical significance, quality and coverage of the space of parameters. In particular, we infer that these indicators show shallower abundance dependencies and statistically-significant offsets compared to those of Pettini and Pagel (2004), Nagao et al. (2006) and P\'erez-Montero and Contini (2009). The O3N2 and N2 indicators can be empirically applied to derive oxygen abundances calibrations from either direct abundance determinations with random errors of 0.18 and 0.16, respectively, or from indirect ones (but based on a large amount of data) reaching an average precision of 0.08 and 0.09 dex (random) and 0.02 and 0.08 dex (systematic; compared to the direct estimations),respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Monitoring new long-lasting intravitreal formulation for glaucoma with vitreous images using optical coherence tomography

Intravitreal injection is the gold standard therapeutic option for posterior segment patholo-gies, and long-lasting release is necessary to avoid reinjections. There is no effective intravitreal treatment for glaucoma or other optic neuropathies in daily practice, nor is there a non-invasive method to monitor drug levels in the vitreous. Here we show that a glaucoma treatment combining a hypotensive and neuroprotective intravitreal formulation (IF) of brimonidine–Laponite (BRI/LAP) can be monitored non-invasively using vitreoretinal interface imaging captured with optical coherence tomography (OCT) over 24 weeks of follow-up. Qualitative and quantitative characterisation was achieved by analysing the changes in vitreous (VIT) signal intensity, expressed as a ratio of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) intensity. Vitreous hyperreflective aggregates mixed in the vitreous and tended to settle on the retinal surface. Relative intensity and aggregate size progressively decreased over 24 weeks in treated rat eyes as the BRI/LAP IF degraded. VIT/RPE relative intensity and total aggregate area correlated with brimonidine levels measured in the eye. The OCT-derived VIT/RPE relative intensity may be a useful and objective marker for non-invasive monitoring of BRI/LAP IF

The Mass-Metallicity relation explored with CALIFA: I. Is there a dependence on the star formation rate?

We present the results on the study of the global and local M-Z relation based on the first data available from the CALIFA survey (150 galaxies). This survey provides integral field spectroscopy of the complete optical extent of each galaxy (up to 2-3 effective radii), with enough resolution to separate individual HII regions and/or aggregations. Nearly $\sim$3000 individual HII regions have been detected. The spectra cover the wavelength range between [OII]3727 and [SII]6731, with a sufficient signal-to-noise to derive the oxygen abundance and star-formation rate associated with each region. In addition, we have computed the integrated and spatially resolved stellar masses (and surface densities), based on SDSS photometric data. We explore the relations between the stellar mass, oxygen abundance and star-formation rate using this dataset. We derive a tight relation between the integrated stellar mass and the gas-phase abundance, with a dispersion smaller than the one already reported in the literature ($\sigma_{\Delta{\rm log(O/H)}}=$0.07 dex). Indeed, this dispersion is only slightly larger than the typical error derived for our oxygen abundances. However, we do not find any secondary relation with the star-formation rate, other than the one induced due to the primary relation of this quantity with the stellar mass. We confirm the result using the $\sim$3000 individual HII regions, for the corresponding local relations. Our results agree with the scenario in which gas recycling in galaxies, both locally and globally, is much faster than other typical timescales, like that of gas accretion by inflow and/or metal loss due to outflows. In essence, late-type/disk dominated galaxies seem to be in a quasi-steady situation, with a behavior similar to the one expected from an instantaneous recycling/closed-box model.Comment: 19 Pages, 8 figures, Accepted for Publishing in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A

Exosomes as Hedgehog carriers in cytoneme-mediated transport and secretion

The Hedgehog signalling pathway is crucial for development, adult stem cell maintenance, cell migration and axon guidance in a wide range of organisms. During development, the Hh morphogen directs tissue patterning according to a concentration gradient. Lipid modifications on Hh are needed to achieve graded distribution, leading to debate about how Hh is transported to target cells despite being membrane-tethered. Cytonemes in the region of Hh signalling have been shown to be essential for gradient formation, but the carrier of the morphogen is yet to be defined. Here we show that Hh and its co-receptor Ihog are in exovesicles transported via cytonemes. These exovesicles present protein markers and other features of exosomes. Moreover, the cell machinery for exosome formation is necessary for normal Hh secretion and graded signalling. We propose Hh transport via exosomes along cytonemes as a significant mechanism for the restricted distribution of a lipid-modified morphogen.PostprintPeer reviewe