Computer-Based Training in Math and Working Memory Improves Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children:Behavioral Results

Student academic achievement has been positively related to further development outcomes, such as the attainment of higher educational, employment, and socioeconomic aspirations. Among all the academic competences, mathematics has been identified as an essential skill in the field of international leadership as well as for those seeking positions in disciplines related to science, technology, and engineering. Given its positive consequences, studies have designed trainings to enhance children's mathematical skills. Additionally, the ability to regulate and control actions and cognitions, i.e., executive functions (EF), has been associated with school success, which has resulted in a strong effort to develop EF training programs to improve students' EF and academic achievement. The present study examined the efficacy of a school computer-based training composed of two components, namely, working memory and mathematics tasks. Among the advantages of using a computer-based training program is the ease with which it can be implemented in school settings and the ease by which the difficulty of the tasks can be adapted to fit the child's ability level. To test the effects of the training, children's cognitive skills (EF and IQ) and their school achievement (math and language grades and abilities) were evaluated. The results revealed a significant improvement in cognitive skills, such as non-verbal IQ and inhibition, and better school performance in math and reading among the children who participated in the training compared to those children who did not. Most of the improvements were related to training on WM tasks. These findings confirmed the efficacy of a computer-based training that combined WM and mathematics activities as part of the school routines based on the training's impact on children's academic competences and cognitive skills

Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

An International Study on Psychological Coping During COVID-19: Towards a Meaning-Centered Coping Style

Background/Objective This study examined the role of different psychological coping mechanisms in mental and physical health during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis with an emphasis on meaning-centered coping. Method A total of 11,227 people from 30 countries across all continents participated in the study and completed measures of psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety), loneliness, well-being, and physical health, together with measures of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and a measure called the Meaning-centered Coping Scale (MCCS) that was developed in the present study. Validation analyses of the MCCS were performed in all countries, and data were assessed by multilevel modeling (MLM). Results The MCCS showed a robust one-factor structure in 30 countries with good test-retest, concurrent and divergent validity results. MLM analyses showed mixed results regarding emotion and problem-focused coping strategies. However, the MCCS was the strongest positive predictor of physical and mental health among all coping strategies, independently of demographic characteristics and country-level variables. Conclusions The findings suggest that the MCCS is a valid measure to assess meaning-centered coping. The results also call for policies promoting effective coping to mitigate collective suffering during the pandemic

Predictores psicológicos de lesión en jóvenes deportistas

En el deporte de competición, una serie de factores fisiológicos, biomecánicos, ambientales y psicológicos interaccionan para provocar la susceptibilidad o un aumento en la vulnerabilidad del deportista a la lesión. Actualmente, se asume la importancia de las variables psicológicas en el origen de la lesión, una serie de investigaciones previas han señalado determinados factores, que podrían predecir las lesiones deportivas. El objetivo del estudio es analizar la influencia de las características psicológicas asociadas al rendimiento deportivo, la ansiedad rasgo competitiva y los estados de ánimo en la ocurrencia de lesiones. Los participantes fueron 115 deportistas integrantes de programas de tecnificación, a los cuales fueron administrados el Inventario Psicológico de Ejecución Deportiva (IPED), Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) y Perfil de Estados de Ánimo (POMS). Posteriormente, se registraron las lesiones durante un período de 10 meses. Los resultados indican que la autoconfianza y la ansiedad rasgo competitiva fueron predictores significativos del número de lesiones. Además, esta relación entre lesiones, ansiedad y autoconfianza se mantuvo cuando se controló el efecto de otras variables. Se discuten estos resultados y se propone una serie de consideraciones a nivel aplicado

R COMO ENTORNO PARA EL ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO EN EVALUACIÓN PSICOLÓGICA

R es un entorno libre para el análisis estadístico de datos y para la generación de gráficos que está cobrando un papel clave en un amplio espectro de áreas de conocimiento. Pese a que el usuario ha de interaccionar con el programa, principalmente, por medio de una consola de comandos; se están invirtiendo esfuerzos en proporcionar entornos gráficos amigables que aproximen al usuario novel a esta especie de lengua franca del análisis estadístico contemporáneo. Además, la flexibilidad y versatilidad del programa, en conjunción con una comunidad de desarrolladores y usuarios global, facilitan que R sea la herramienta elegida en muchos contextos básicos o aplicados. En este trabajo se presenta la utilidad potencial que supone R para la evaluación psicológica en general a la vez que se acentúa el rol que asume la estadística propiamente dicha como instrumento de progreso de la psicología al amparo del método científic

R AS THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DATA ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

R is a free computing environment for statistical data analysis and graph creation. It is becoming a key tool in a wide range of knowledge domains. The interaction with the software is mainly based on a command line interface but efforts are currently being made to develop friendlier graphical user interfaces that will help novice users to become familiar with this programming language. R is a flexible and powerful system thanks to the development community that is working together to improve its capabilities. As a result, it is the chosen statistical software in many applied and basic contexts. This paper highlights the potential usefulness of R for psychological assessment and related areas. Additionally, the relevance of statistical data analysis is emphasised as an instrument that will boost the progress of psychology under the umbrella of the scientific method