An event-related potential study on the interaction between lighting level and stimulus spatial location

Due to heterogeneous photoreceptor distribution, spatial location of stimulation is crucial to study visual brain activity in different light environments. This unexplored issue was studied through occipital event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded from 40 participants in response to discrete visual stimuli presented at different locations and in two environmental light conditions, low mesopic (L, 0.03 lux) and high mesopic (H, 6.5 lux), characterized by a differential photoreceptor activity balance: rod > cone and rod < cone, respectively. Stimuli, which were exactly the same in L and H, consisted of squares presented at fixation, at the vertical periphery (above or below fixation) or at the horizontal periphery (left or right). Analyses showed that occipital ERPs presented important L vs. H differences in the 100 to 450 ms window, which were significantly modulated by spatial location of stimulation: differences were greater in response to peripheral stimuli than to stimuli presented at fixation. Moreover, in the former case, significance of L vs. H differences was even stronger in response to stimuli presented at the horizontal than at the vertical periphery. These low vs. high mesopic differences may be explained by photoreceptor activation and their retinal distribution, and confirm that ERPs discriminate between rod– and cone-originated visual processingThis work was supported by the grant PSI2014-54853-P and PSI2012-37090 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (MINECO

Does the gap-filling method influence long-term (1950-2019) temperature and precipitation trend analyses?

Incomplete climatic series require gap-filling approaches so they can be used in homogeneous long-term spatiotemporal trend analyses. Monthly mean Temperature (MT) and Precipitation (PR) databases from the meteorological stations of the Iberian Peninsula have a high percentage of data gaps: 80.21% and 73.25% for the period 1950-1979 (P1), and 61.82% and 58.03% for the period 1980-2019 (P2). The different gap-filling methods of the Emmentalsoftware were tested to determine their performance and whether the gap-filling method influences these trend analyses. The nonparametric Theil-Sen approach and the Mann-Kendall test were used to assess the trend magnitude and its significance. The results showed (i) similar patterns between the evaluated methods, but with (ii) spatial differences, especially during P1. (iii) The comparison between standardized gap-filled and unfilled series did not show significant differences for MT and PR, although a reduction in the trend variability occurred in the first case (filled). (iv) Summer mean temperatures showed the largest warming trend (0.27 °C/decade), while autumn showed the smallest (0.21°C/decade) (median data for P1 and P2). Overall, an increase of 1.45 °C occurred in the entire period (annual median). (v) PR did not show any clear trend in any month in the entire period. This research has shown how climate trends can be affected by a reduction in data variability due to the application of gap filling methods. Although accounting for variability is of crucial importance for climate analysis, ignoring discontinuities in derived climatic surfaces causes greater spatiotemporal inconsistencies in derived climate products

The delay of consequences and perceived risk: an analysis from the workers’ view point

This paper addresses the question of how construction workers perceive occupational risks. It is a question that has not been addressed in scientific research. Specifically, we answer the following research questions: what is the perception of risk of construction workers?; what aspects of risk significantly influence the formation of the overall perception of risk?; are there sociodemographic variables that help to understand the perception of risk of construction workers? and if this were the case, then what are these variables and how do they influence them? Ultimately, it examines the profile of perceived risk, its relation to the delay of consequences and the influence of socio-demographic variables. Respondents filled out a questionnaire in the presence of the survey-taker. The questionnaire was based on the psychometric paradigm, and was comprised of: (a) nine questions, each exploring a perceived risk attribute or dimension rated on a Likert 7-point scale, (b) a question on global risk perception, and (c) categorical questions about socio-demographic issues. The survey was conducted in the city of Granada (Spain). A profile of the construction workers’ perceived risk was obtained. Answers to each attribute were above the neutral line (scores above four). The profile shows the risk dimension with the highest score was the delayed consequences of exposure to risk conditions, a dimension that can be related to ergonomics and occupational hygiene. This is a new outcome since traditionally this dimension was given a lower score in the worker’s perception. A simple linear regression showed global risk may be explained in terms of the delayed consequences dimension (R2=0.29). Finally, a variance analysis (ANOVA) and several t-tests explored the relationship between this dimension and the sample’s socio-demographic variables. To conclude, the delay of consequences is the risk dimension workers perceived as the most critical in their daily chores. In addition, this risk dimension is decisive in creating a high global risk perception. Parenthood, a higher worker category and training are the only socio-demographic variables having an impact on this dimension of perceived risk. Hence, there is a direct relationship between these two variables.Este artículo aborda el problema del desconocimiento por parte de la ciencia de cómo perciben el riesgo laboral los trabajadores de la construcción. Específicamente, se da respuesta a las siguientes cuestiones de investigación: ¿cuál es el riesgo que perciben los trabajadores de la construcción?; ¿qué aspectos del riesgo influyen de forma significativa en la formación del riesgo percibido global?; ¿existen variables sociodemográficas que ayuden a entender la percepción del riesgo de los trabajadores de la construcción?, y en caso afirmativo, ¿cuáles son estas variables y de qué forma influyen? En definitiva, se examina el perfil del riesgo percibido, su relación con la demora de las consecuencias y la influencia de las variables socio-demográficas. Los participantes rellenaron un cuestionario en presencia del encuestador. El cuestionario se basaba en el paradigma psicométrico, y se componía de: (a) nueve cuestiones, donde cada una de ellas exploraba un atributo o dimensión del riesgo en una escala Likert de 7 puntos, (b) una pregunta global de la percepción del riesgo, y (c) preguntas sociodemográficas acerca de ellos mismos. La muestra se consiguió en Granada (España). Como resultado se obtuvo un perfil del riesgo percibido para el trabajador de la construcción. Las respuestas a cada atributo siempre estuvieron por encima de la línea neutral (puntuaciones superiores a cuatro). El perfil muestra que el atributo con mayor puntuación fue el atributo relacionado con la demora de las consecuencias en la exposición al riesgo, una dimensión que puede estar relacionada con la ergonomía y la higiene. Esto es un resultado novedoso ya que tradicionalmente esta dimensión ha obtenido una puntuación menor en la percepción que el trabajador tiene frente a la inmediatez de los efectos. Una regresión lineal muestra que el atributo global del riesgo puede ser explicado por la demora de las consecuencias (R2=0.29). Finalmente, mediante un análisis de la varianza (ANOVA) y varios análisis T se exploró la relación entre esta dimensión y las variables sociodemográficas de la muestra. En conclusión, la demora de las consecuencias es la dimensión del riesgo que los trabajadores perciben más crítica en sus tareas diarias. Además, esta dimensión del riesgo es determinante en la creación de una alta percepción del riesgo global. La paternidad, una categoría laboral superior y la formación son las únicas variables sociodemográficas que tienen impacto en esta dimensión de la percepción del riesgo. Por consecuente, hay una relación directa entre estas dos variables

Evidence of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Probiotics and Synbiotics in Intestinal Chronic Diseases

Probiotics and synbiotics are used to treat chronic diseases, principally due to their role in immune system modulation and the anti-inflammatory response. The present study reviewed the effects of probiotics and synbiotics on intestinal chronic diseases in in vitro, animal, and human studies, particularly in randomized clinical trials. The selected probiotics exhibit in vitro anti-inflammatory properties. Probiotic strains and cell-free supernatants reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines via action that is principally mediated by toll-like receptors. Probiotic administration improved the clinical symptoms, histological alterations, and mucus production in most of the evaluated animal studies, but some results suggest that caution should be taken when administering these agents in the relapse stages of IBD. In addition, no effects on chronic enteropathies were reported. Probiotic supplementation appears to be potentially well tolerated, effective, and safe in patients with IBD, in both CD and UC. Indeed, probiotics such as Bifidobacterium longum 536 improved the clinical symptoms in patients with mild to moderate active UC. Although it has been proposed that probiotics can provide benefits in certain conditions, the risks and benefits should be carefully assessed before initiating any therapy in patients with IBD. For this reason, further studies are required to understand the precise mechanism by which probiotics and synbiotics affect these diseases

MATTER in emotion research: Spanish standardization of an affective image set

This is a pre-print of an article published in Behavior Research Methods. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01567-9.Pictures with affective content have been widely used in the scientific study of emotions, from two main perspectives: on the one hand, dimensional theories claiming that affective experiences can be described according to a few fundamental dimensions such as valence and arousal, and on the other hand, discrete-category theories proposing the presence of a number of basic and universal emotions. Although it has been demonstrated that these two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the existing standardized affective picture databases have been created from the dimensional perspective, which has led to important gaps for research focused on discrete emotions. The present work introduces MATTER, a new database comprising 540 pictures depicting disgusting, fearful, neutral, erotic, mirthful and incongruent content, which provides normative values (total N = 368, mean = 120.47 ratings/picture) in valence and arousal dimensions, as well as in discrete affective (disgust, fear, erotica and mirth) and cognitive (incongruence and interest) features. A tentative classification into discrete categories is presented, and the physical properties of each picture are reported. Our findings suggest that MATTER constitutes a modern and suitable set of affective images including, for the first time, both mirth- and incongruence-related pictures. Additionally, it will enable the examination of affective and cognitive processes in fear/disgust and humor/incongruence fields

Surface Functionalization of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Improved Moisture Resistance

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous inorganic materials with promising properties in gas storage and separation, catalysis and sensing. However, the main issue limiting their applicability is their poor stability in humid conditions. The common methods to overcome this problem involve the formation of strong metal-linker bonds by using highly charged metals, which is limited to a number of structures, the introduction of alkylic groups to the framework by post-synthetic modification (PSM) or chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to enhance overall hydrophobicity of the framework. These last two usually provoke a drastic reduction of the porosity of the material. These strategies do not permit to exploit the properties of the MOF already available and it is imperative to find new methods to enhance the stability of MOFs in water while keeping their properties intact. Herein, we report a novel method to enhance the water stability of MOF crystals featuring Cu2(O2C)4 paddle-wheel units, such as HKUST (where HKUST stands for Hong Kong University of Science & Technology), with the catechols functionalized with alkyl and fluoro-alkyl chains. By taking advantage of the unsaturated metal sites and the catalytic catecholase-like activity of CuII ions, we are able to create robust hydrophobic coatings through the oxidation and subsequent polymerization of the catechol units on the surface of the crystals under anaerobic and water-free conditions without disrupting the underlying structure of the framework. This approach not only affords the material with improved water stability but also provides control over the function of the protective coating, which enables the development of functional coatings for the adsorption and separations of volatile organic compounds. We are confident that this approach could also be extended to other unstable MOFs featuring open metal sites

Surface Functionalization of Metal-Organic Framework Crystals with Catechol Coatings for Enhanced Moisture Tolerance

Robust catechol coatings for enhanced moisture tolerance were produced in one step by direct reaction of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) with synthetic catechols. We ascribe the rapid formation of homogeneous coatings around the metal-organic framework particles to the biomimetic catalytic activity of Cu(II) dimers in the external surface of the crystals. Use of fluorinated catechols results in hydrophobic, permeable coatings that protect HKUST from water degradation while retaining close to 100% of its original sorption capacity

Habituation and sensitization of protective reflexes: dissociation between cardiac defense and eye-blink startle

We examined the habituation and recovery of two protective reflexes, cardiac defense and eye-blink startle, simultaneously elicited by a white noise of 500 ms as a function of the time interval between stimulus presentations. Participants were 90 volunteers (54 women) randomly distributed into 6 inter-trial interval (ITI) conditions. They all received three presentations of the stimulus with a time interval of 30 min between the first and third noise. The timing of the second noise was manipulated in six steps, using a between-group design, in order to increase the ITI between Trials I and 2 and symmetrically decrease the ITI between Trials 2 and 3. Cardiac defense showed fast habituation at the shortest ITI (2.5 min), but reduced habituation and increased recovery at the longest ITI (27.5 min). In contrast, eye-blink startle showed sensitization irrespective of the ITI. This pattern of findings highlights dissociations between protective reflexes when simultaneously examined. The results are discussed in the context of the cascade model of defense reactions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Obesity prevention program through the use of a mobile application. intervention protocol

La obesidad infantil se está convirtiendo en un problema grave de salud, por lo que es necesario el diseño de programas escolares que den solución a esta situación. Así, el objetivo de este trabajo es diseñar una intervención preventiva de la obesidad infantil en escolares de primaria, centrada en la educación nutricional y el aumento de la actividad física (AF), a través del uso de las nuevas tecnologías como elemento motivador. La muestra está formada por 80 estudiantes del tercer ciclo de Educación Primaria, 38 chicos y 42 chicas de edades comprendidas entre 10 y 13 años. Para el desarrollo del programa de fomento de la AF y de la alimentación saludable, los participantes se dividen en dos grupos que llevan a cabo el mismo programa, pero un grupo además utiliza la aplicación móvil (app) «Class Dojo» como refuerzo del mismo. De esta forma esperamos mejorar el conocimiento sobre alimentación saludable y el nivel de AF de los escolares y que esto en el futuro pueda tener un impacto significativo sobre su índice de masa corporal (IMC). Palabras clave: Intervención, obesidad infantil, alimentación, actividad física, nuevas tecnologías, educación primaria.Childhood obesity is becoming a serious health problem, so it is necessary to design school programs that provide a solution to this situation. Therefore, the objective of this work is to design a preventive intervention for childhood obesity in primary school children, focused on nutritional education and increased physical activity (PA), using new technologies as a motivating element. The sample is made up of 80 students from the third cycle of Primary Education, 38 boys and 42 girls between the ages of 10 and 13. For the development of the program to promote PA and healthy eating, the participants are divided into two groups that carry out the same program, but one group also uses the "Class Dojo" mobile app (app) to reinforce it. Consequently, we hope to improve the nutrition knowledge and the PA level of schoolchildren and that this in the future can have a significant impact on their body mass index (BMI)

Flashing a smile: Startle eyeblink modulation by masked affective faces

Affective faces are important stimuli with relevance to healthy and abnormal social and affective information processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of brief presentations of affective faces on attention and emotional state across the time course of stimulus processing, as indexed by startle eyeblink response modulation. Healthy adults were presented with happy, neutral, and disgusted male and female faces that were backward masked by neutral faces. Startle responses were elicited at 300, 800, and 3,500 ms following stimulus presentation to probe early and late startle eyeblink modulation, indicative of attention allocation and emotional state, respectively. Results revealed that, at 300 ms, both face expression and face gender modulated startle eyeblink response, suggesting that more attention was allocated to masked happy compared to disgusted female faces, and masked disgusted compared to neutral male faces. There were no effects of either face expression or face gender on startle modulation at 800 ms. At 3,500 ms, target face expression did not modulate startle, but male faces elicited larger startle responses than female faces, indicative of a more negative emotional state. These findings provide a systematic investigation of attention and emotion modulation by brief affective faces across the time course of stimulus processing.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142906/1/psyp13012_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142906/2/psyp13012.pd