Cognitive and personality variables as predictors of sexism against women in Spanish adolescents

Previous research on the antecedents of sexism against women have not considered simultaneously the effects of sex, personality, and cognitive variables (need for closure and critical thinking disposition) in relation to sexism. We evaluated whether in adolescence, these indicators could predict sexist attitudes towards women using structural models. The sample comprised 709 Spanish high-school students (mean age = 16.79). 51.5% were female. Sex (being male), need for closure and critical thinking were the most relevant predictors of sexism. The disposition to think critically is as relevant as the motivational dimension of cognition (need for closure) to predict sexism. Multi-group structural models by sex were estimated, and a moderator effect was found between openness to experience and sexism. We suggest future lines of research to disentangle the effects of personality and cognition on sexism and to guide intervention programs to reduce sexist attitudes among adolescents

BIM Use Assessment (BUA) Tool for Characterizing the Application Levels of BIM Uses for the Planning and Design of Construction Projects

[EN] The evaluation of BIM capabilities and repeatability enables a company or project to identify its current status and how to improve continuously; this evaluation can be performed with BIM maturity models. However, these maturity models can measure the BIM state but not specifically the application of BIM uses. Likewise, in interorganizational project teams with a diversity of factors from various companies, it is possible to evaluate the capacity at a specified time with specified factors, but it is not possible to evaluate the repeatability unless the client always works with the same project teams. Therefore, despite the existence of various BIM uses in the literature, there is no instrument to evaluate the level of implementation of them in construction projects. This research proposes a BIM Use Assessment (BUA) tool for characterizing the levels of application of the BIM uses in the planning and design phases of building projects. The research methodology was organized into three stages: (1) identification, selection, and definition of BIM uses; (2) proposal of the BUA tool for characterizing the level of BIM use application; and (3) validation of the BUA tool. The tool was validated using 25 construction projects, where high reliability and concordance were observed; hence, the BUA tool complies with the consistency and concordance analysis for assessing uses in the design and planning phases of construction projects. The assessment will enable self-diagnosis, stakeholder qualification/selection, and industry benchmarking.This work was supported by FONDECYT (1181648 to Alarcón L. F. and Mourgues C.) and CONICYT, Chile (PCHA/National Doctorate/2018-21180884 to Herrera R. F.).Rojas, MJ.; Herrera, RF.; Mourgues, C.; Ponz-Tienda, JL.; Alarcón, LF.; Pellicer, E. (2019). BIM Use Assessment (BUA) Tool for Characterizing the Application Levels of BIM Uses for the Planning and Design of Construction Projects. Advances in Civil Engineering. 2019:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9094254S192019Azhar, S. (2011). Building Information Modeling (BIM): Trends, Benefits, Risks, and Challenges for the AEC Industry. Leadership and Management in Engineering, 11(3), 241-252. doi:10.1061/(asce)lm.1943-5630.0000127Succar, B., Sher, W., & Williams, A. (2012). Measuring BIM performance: Five metrics. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 8(2), 120-142. doi:10.1080/17452007.2012.659506Sydow, J., & Braun, T. (2018). Projects as temporary organizations: An agenda for further theorizing the interorganizational dimension. International Journal of Project Management, 36(1), 4-11. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.04.012McHugh, M. L. (2012). Interrater reliability: the kappa statistic. Biochemia Medica, 276-282. doi:10.11613/bm.2012.03

Effect of fructose-containing feedstocks on the microstructure of multicomponent coatings deposited by suspension plasma spraying

This work addressed to investigate the use of fructose as an additive in the water-based suspension feedstock of a Y-TZP/Al2O3/SiC multicomponent coating manufactured by suspension plasma spraying. The effect of fructose on suspension rheology and surface tension and on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of the resulting coatings was assessed. It was observed that addition of fructose slightly affected the rheological behaviour of the suspensions while a strong decrease in the surface tension of water occurred. The fructose addition led to the development of columnar-like structures, probably associated with its effect on surface tension. X-ray diffraction patterns in the final coating displayed that crystallinity of tetragonal zirconia formed when fructose was added whereas silicon carbide crystalline phase was practically preserved. The determination of thermal conductivity showed that the formation of a controlled columnar structure along with inter-columnar porosity can be beneficial for thermal insulation

Impact of game-based learning on understanding Lean Construction Principles

[EN] Lean philosophy introduces a new approach for maximizing value while minimizing waste, facilitating sustainable practices at the same time. Companies have become aware of these improvements and are demanding students well formed in Lean concepts. However, to meet this demand, universities must adapt their curricula to include courses that use alternative teaching methods to connect to real contexts. This paper seeks to analyze the benefits of lecture- and game-based learning for developing students¿ understanding of Lean Construction Principles. A case study is carried out in the ¿Lean Construction¿ course of the Master of Planning and Management in Civil Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València. A combination of a traditional lecture and three simple games is applied. Descriptive statistics, the Mann¿Whitney U-test, and the Wilcoxon test are performed to analyze the impact of each activity on the understanding of each Lean Construction Principle. Results highlight the importance of combining the lecture class with multiple games to effectively impart knowledge about Lean principles and their application in the construction industry. In addition, they emphasize the importance of selecting the game according to the Lean principle to be taught.This research was funded by CONICYT grant number PCHA/National Doctorate/2018-21180884 for funding the graduate research of Herrera, and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding, grant number BIA2017-85098-R. The APC was funded by School of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile.Herrera, RF.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Montalbán-Domingo, L.; García-Segura, T.; Pellicer, E. (2019). Impact of game-based learning on understanding Lean Construction Principles. Sustainability. 11(19):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195294S1161119Gao, S., & Low, S. P. (2013). The Toyota Way model: an alternative framework for lean construction. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(5-6), 664-682. doi:10.1080/14783363.2013.820022González, V. A., Orozco, F., Senior, B., Ingle, J., Forcael, E., & Alarcón, L. F. (2015). LEBSCO: Lean-Based Simulation Game for Construction Management Classrooms. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 141(4), 04015002. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000243Ballard, G., & Howell, G. (2003). Lean project management. Building Research & Information, 31(2), 119-133. doi:10.1080/09613210301997De Carvalho, A., Granja, A., & da Silva, V. (2017). A Systematic Literature Review on Integrative Lean and Sustainability Synergies over a Building’s Lifecycle. Sustainability, 9(7), 1156. doi:10.3390/su9071156Martínez León, H. C., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2017). Towards lean for sustainability: Understanding the interrelationships between lean and sustainability from a systems thinking perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 4384-4402. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.132Florida, R. (1996). Lean and Green: The Move to Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing. California Management Review, 39(1), 80-105. doi:10.2307/41165877Pellicer, E., Yepes, V., & Ortega, A. J. (2013). Method for Planning Graduate Programs in Construction Management. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 139(1), 33-41. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000120Jeong, W., Chang, S., Son, J., & Yi, J.-S. (2016). BIM-Integrated Construction Operation Simulation for Just-In-Time Production Management. Sustainability, 8(11), 1106. doi:10.3390/su8111106Ahmed, S. M., Yaris, C., Farooqui, R. U., & Saqib, M. (2014). Key Attributes and Skills for Curriculum Improvement for Undergraduate Construction Management Programs. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 10(4), 240-254. doi:10.1080/15578771.2014.900833Burch V, R. F., & Smith, B. (2017). Using simulation to teach lean methodologies and the benefits for Millennials. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(3-4), 320-334. doi:10.1080/14783363.2017.1303330Becerik-Gerber, A.M.ASCE, B., Ku, K., & Jazizadeh, F. (2012). BIM-Enabled Virtual and Collaborative Construction Engineering and Management. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 138(3), 234-245. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000098Clevenger, C., Glick, S., & del Puerto, C. L. (2012). Interoperable Learning Leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Construction Education. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 8(2), 101-118. doi:10.1080/15578771.2011.647249Kuriger, G. W., Wan, H., Mirehei, S. M., Tamma, S., & Chen, F. F. (2009). A Web-Based Lean Simulation Game for Office Operations: Training the Other Side of a Lean Enterprise. Simulation & Gaming, 41(4), 487-510. doi:10.1177/1046878109334945Pivec, M. (2007). Editorial: Play and learn: potentials of game-based learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(3), 387-393. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00722.xDe Freitas, S., & Oliver, M. (2006). How can exploratory learning with games and simulations within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated? Computers & Education, 46(3), 249-264. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2005.11.007Torres, M., & Macedo, J. (2000). Learning Sustainable Development with a New Simulation Game. Simulation & Gaming, 31(1), 119-126. doi:10.1177/104687810003100112Qian, M., & Clark, K. R. (2016). Game-based Learning and 21st century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50-58. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.023Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of Game-Based Learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. doi:10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533Badurdeen, F., Marksberry, P., Hall, A., & Gregory, B. (2009). Teaching Lean Manufacturing With Simulations and Games: A Survey and Future Directions. Simulation & Gaming, 41(4), 465-486. doi:10.1177/1046878109334331Deif, A. (2017). Insights on lean gamification for higher education. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 8(3), 359-376. doi:10.1108/ijlss-04-2016-0017Brioso, X. (2015). Teaching Lean Construction: Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Training Course in Lean Project & Construction Management. Procedia Engineering, 123, 85-93. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.10.062Thomson, R., & McLeod, J. (2015). New frontiers in qualitative longitudinal research: an agenda for research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(3), 243-250. doi:10.1080/13645579.2015.1017900Make a Card Simulationhttps://www.leanconstruction.org/learning/game-simulations/make-a-card-simulation/Thomas, H. R. (1991). Labor Productivity and Work Sampling: The Bottom Line. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 117(3), 423-444. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(1991)117:3(423)Gouett, M. C., Haas, C. T., Goodrum, P. M., & Caldas, C. H. (2011). Activity Analysis for Direct-Work Rate Improvement in Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 137(12), 1117-1124. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000375Dao, B., Kermanshachi, S., Shane, J., Anderson, S., & Hare, E. (2017). Exploring and Assessing Project Complexity. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(5), 04016126. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001275Park, C. S., Le, Q. T., Pedro, A., & Lim, C. R. (2016). Interactive Building Anatomy Modeling for Experiential Building Construction Education. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 142(3), 04015019. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000268Da Rocha, C. G., & Miron, L. I. G. (2018). The House Factory: A Simulation Game for Understanding Mass Customization in House Building. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 144(1), 05017007. doi:10.1061/(asce)ei.1943-5541.0000347Shaaruddin, J., & Mohamad, M. (2017). Identifying the Effectiveness of Active Learning Strategies and Benefits in Curriculum and Pedagogy Course for Undergraduate TESL Students. Creative Education, 08(14), 2312-2324. doi:10.4236/ce.2017.81415

Use of Antimicrobials from Plants in Feed as a Control Measure for Pathogenic Microorganisms

Animal Feed has become an increasing critical component of the integrated food chain, in 2010 about 1000 mt of animal feed was produced globally and 150 mt in the EU27. The animal feed has an important impact in the human health. The farm or feedlot is the origin of microorganisms introduced onto carcasses during slaughter and dressing. It appears that changes in diet and management practices could precipitate increased shedding of pathogens. Additionally, antibiotics are used in animals, not only for treatment or prevent diseases, but also to promote growth. As a result of the use of antibiotics, food can contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes with important public health consequences. Although antibiotics are banned as growth promoters in the European Union and some other countries, this is not the case throughout the WHO European Region. Travel and the globalization of trade further increase the risk of spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Peer reviewe

Method effects associated with negatively and positively worded items on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) : results from a cross-sectional survey with a representative sample of Catalonian workers

This study focused on the examination of the latent structure underlying the responses to the GHQ-12, considering the role of method effects associated with both, PW and NW items, and using two alternative parameterisations of the CFA measurement models. What should first be noted is that the studies that have included method effects in the measurement model of the GHQ-12 have been more the exception than the rule in previous research into the factor structure of this questionnaire. According to the results of the present study, we conclude that the GHQ-12 factor structure is best characterised by introducing latent method factors that capture both the method effects associated with NW and PW items (model 7). These results support the conclusion from previous research that the good fit obtained by multidimensional models (mainly the two-factor model and the three-factor Graetz's model) could simply be explained by the artificial grouping of PW and NW items. However, the interpretation of the latent (method) factors as purely integrating method bias due to wording is not straightforward. It is obvious that NW and PW items share the wording. It is also clear that this three bifactor model (one trait and two method factors) fitted the data best. And finally, there is a lot of empirical evidence on these wording effects. However, it is also relevant to discuss the large loadings of many items on the method factors, being these loadings sometimes larger than their loadings in the trait factor. The general factor explains a 52% of the shared variance, but there are some items that deserve careful attention. For example, items 3 ('playing useful part in things') and 4 ('capable of making decisions') had very low loadings on the trait factor. If we understand PW method factor as the only method bias, then it follows that these two items are purely method effects, but surely they must share some trait variance. In the same vein, items 10 ('losing confidence in yourself') and 11 ('thinking of yourself as a worthless person') load very high in the NW method factor and, as a reviewer pointed out, a likely (post-hoc) explanation is that wording bias are still confounded with a confidence/self-image factor. Therefore, the interpretation of these effects as purely method and, accordingly, the interpretation of an overall score for the scale difficult may be compromised. The second aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the method factors associated with both NW and PW items and three demographic variables, namely sex, age and educational level of the respondents. Regarding the sex, we found a statistically significant, but weak, relationship between PW and sex, so that men were more likely than women to endorse PW items. These results are in line with previous works that, in the context of RSES, have found sex differences in wording effects. 56 57 As for the explanatory role of age on method effects, we found that the relationship between age and the NW effect was not statistically significant, which supports previous research using other questionnaires (eg, self-esteem scales, 50 Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale 64). Moreover, our results give support to previous studies which had stated that, in older adults, the strongest method effects would be associated with PW items, rather than NW items. 55 58 As to the educational level, we found that there was not a significant correlation of this variable on the two method factors. This result supports and extends the evidence obtained in Tomás et al 50 who found that the educational level of the respondents had no effect on the negative method factor using self-esteem questionnaires. This results contradicts previous research on the relationship of the NW factor and the educational level/verbal ability with different questionnaires and samples. 41 64-69 Overall, the significant effects of sex and age on trait and method factors point out that women have a worse well-being, but this effect is partly modified by a method effect on the PW items, whereas the results for age suggest that older respondents have worse well-being and this effect is magnified by a method effect on the PW factor. The results on the individual differences related to the demographic variables considered in this study cannot only help to understand the presence of wording method effects but also to identify respondents who are prone to answering PW and NW items differently. In this sense, the relationship that appears as more evident is for the age and sex variables. Another practical consequence of our study concerns the relationship between the intended measure of the GHQ-12 (ie, the GPH factor) and other constructs of interest. Several studies have shown that method effects can inflate, deflate or have no effect at all on estimates of the relationship between two constructs (see Podsakoff et al 70 for a further review of the effects that method biases have on individual measures and on the covariation between different constructs). Thus, it is desirable that both the constructs of interest as well as the effects of method factors, like PW and NW, are considered in SEM models as a means of controlling these systematic sources of bias, and thus avoiding the drawing of inaccurate conclusions about the relationship between the substantive factors. Previous research on the GHQ-12 31 36 has outlined the asymmetry in the participants' responses as a function of the wording of the items, as well as the different responses scales for the PW and NW items. This asymmetry in the participants' responses as a function of the wording of the items is consistent with results from previous research into wording effects for contrastive survey questions. 71 The extent to which the presence of method effects is linked to the asymmetric pattern of responses and/or to the different response scales for the PW and NW items in the GHQ-12 should be examined in future research. Comparing the current work with previous studies into the factorial structure of the GHQ-12, to our knowledge, this is the first study that tests a comprehensive set of models including method effects associated with both PW and NW items and also explores some demographic correlates of these method effects. Another strength of this work was the fact that it used a large representative sample of workers, but the results might not be generalised to other specific populations, for example, adolescents and elderly retired people. Twitter @jmlosilla, @VivesJ_Research Contributors All authors meet the criteria recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). All authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data. MFR and JGM: drafted the article. JV and JML: critically revised the draft for important intellectual content. JMT: worked in the statistical analysis and interpretation of data. All authors agreed on the final version. Funding This work was supported by the Grant PGC2018-100675-B-I00, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Disclaimer All authors have agreed to authorship in the indicated order. All authors declare that this paper is an original unpublished work and it is not being submitted elsewhere. All authors do not have any financial interests that might be interpreted as influencing the research, and APA ethical standard were followed in the conduct of the study. Competing interests None declared. Patient consent for publication Not required. Ethics approval The research was not submitted to approval by an institutional review board since this is not a requirement at our universities for this type of study. Ethics approval was not sought for this study since this was a secondary analysis of anonymised data. Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. Data availability statement Data are available upon reasonable request.Objective Recent studies into the factorial structure of the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) have shown that it was best represented by a single substantive factor when method effects associated with negatively worded (NW) items are considered. The purpose of the present study was to examine the presence of method effects, and their relationships with demographic covariates, associated with positively worded (PW) and/or NW items. Design A cross-sectional, observational study to compare a comprehensive set of confirmatory factor models, including method effects associated with PW and/or NW items with GHQ-12 responses. Setting Representative sample of all employees living in Catalonia (Spain). Participants 3050 participants (44.6% women) who responded the Second Catalonian Survey of Working Conditions. Results A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the best fitting model was a unidimensional model with two additional uncorrelated method factors associated with PW and NW items. Furthermore, structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that method effects were differentially related to both the sex and age of the respondents. Conclusion Individual differences related to sex and age can help to identify respondents who are prone to answering PW and NW items differently. Consequently, it is desirable that both the constructs of interest as well as the effects of method factors are considered in SEM models as a means of avoiding the drawing of inaccurate conclusions about the relationships between the substantive factors

The persistence of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the human diet during the Lower Magdalenian in northern Spain: Insights from El Cierro cave (Asturias, Spain)

he dominance of red deer in Magdalenian records in Cantabrian Spain is a well-studied issue. Given the great accumulations of this species in those deposits, researchers have offered diverse interpretations of the phenomenon, related to ecology, orography or ethology. However, fewer papers carry out comparative intra-site analysis, which is able to document the existence of changes or continuities in the subsistence strategies at an archaeological site. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the archaeozoological analysis of Levels F and G in El Cierro cave (Asturias, Spain), both of them dated during Greenland Stadial 2, in the Lower Magdalenian (15,460 ± 75 and 15,580 ± 75 BP, respectively). Similar percentages of mammals have been documented in the two levels, as well as the same meat and fat consumption and processing strategies. Thus, this paper intends to determine how much energy red deer supplied to the diet of the humans that inhabited El Cierro, in comparison with other hunted and consumed fauna during the Lower Magdalenian. This study highlights the continuity of exploitation patterns of faunal resources in El Cierro cave during the Lower Magdalenian. This continuity is specifically seen in red deer, since the geographic characteristics of the Sella Valley, the abundance of the biotype, and the economic profitability of this species made it the main resource of animal origin for the hunter-gatherers at that site.This research was undertaken in the context of the Spanish projects HAR2014-51830-P funded by the Programa Nacional de Humanidades in the R&D Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and HAR2017-82557-P, funded by the Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia, of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and PhD scholarship Junta de Castilla y León and Fondo Social Europeo (R. Portero)

La ontología social y el círculo virtuoso de la educación pública

En este artículo argumentamos que la naturaleza pública o privada de la educación tiene una incidencia directa en las instituciones que conforman la realidad social. Para sustentar lo anterior, en primer lugar discutimos cómo, según Searle, habitamos un mundo de instituciones gobernadas por reglas y poderes deónticos, ontológicamente irreductibles. Luego, postulamos que la intencionalidad colectiva requiere de la confianza para mantenerse, y esta aumenta cuando gobiernan reglas y poderes deónticos en circunstancias normales. Finalmente, planteamos que la educación pública es una institución que, a diferencia de la privada, privilegia el espacio de lo común. Sócrates es un ejemplo de esto, al proponer una filosofía que no solo busca la verdad, sino que además privilegia el reconocimiento de la ley por sobre la satisfacción inmediata de deseos e inclinaciones personales. De todo esto se explica el círculo virtuoso: la educación pública, al ser inclusiva y beneficiar a todos, potencia las instituciones sociales que tutelan ese interés y, dentro de ellas, el servicio público

Podoplanin expression in the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Podoplanin expression is attracting interest as a marker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We therefore investigated the expression pattern and clinical significance of podoplanin during the development and progression of laryngeal carcinomas.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Podoplanin expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 84 patients with laryngeal premalignancies and 53 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas. We found podoplanin expression extending from the basal to the suprabasal layer of the epithelium in 37 (44%) of 84 dysplastic lesions, whereas normal epithelium showed negligible expression. Patients carrying podoplanin-positive lesions had a higher laryngeal cancer incidence than those with negative expression reaching borderline statistical significance (51% <it>versus </it>30%, <it>P </it>= 0.071). Podoplanin expression in laryngeal carcinomas exhibited two distinct patterns. 20 (38%) cases showed diffuse expression in most tumour cells and 33 (62%) focal expression at the proliferating periphery of tumour nests. High podoplanin expression was inversely correlated with T classification (<it>P </it>= 0.033), disease stage (<it>P </it>= 0.006), and pathological grade (<it>P </it>= 0.04). There was a trend, although not significant, towards reduced disease-specific survival for patients with low podoplanin levels (<it>P </it>= 0.31) and diffuse expression pattern (<it>P </it>= 0.08).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Podoplanin expression increases in the early stages of laryngeal tumourigenesis and it seems to be associated with a higher laryngeal cancer risk. Podoplanin expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas, however, diminishes during tumour progression. Taken together, these data support a role for podoplanin expression in the initiation but not in the progression of laryngeal cancers.</p

Long-term chromospheric activity in southern M dwarfs: Gl 229 A and Gl 752 A

Several late-type stars present activity cycles similar to that of the Sun. However, these cycles have been mostly studied in F to K stars. Due to their small intrinsic brightness, M dwarfs are not usually the targets of long-term observational studies of stellar activity, and their long-term variability is generally not known. In this work, we study the long-term activity of two M dwarf stars: Gl 229 A (M1/2) and Gl 752 A (M2.5). We employ medium resolution echelle spectra obtained at the 2.15 m telescope at the Argentinian observatory CASLEO between the years 2000 and 2010 and photometric observations obtained from the ASAS database. We analyzed Ca \II K line-core fluxes and the mean V magnitude with the Lomb-Scargle periodogram, and we obtain possible activity cycles of $\sim$4 yr and $\sim$7 yr for Gl 229 A and Gl 752 A respectively.Comment: Accepted for publication by Astronomical Journal (AJ