Analysing motivation to do medicine cross-culturally : the international motivation to do medicine scale

Vaglum, Wiers-Jensen & Ekeberg (1999) developed an instrument to assess motivation to study medicine. This instrument has been applied in different countries but it has not been studied cross-culturally. Our aims were to develop a Motivation to do Medicine Scale for use in international studies and to compare motivations of UK and Spanish medical students (UK: n= 375; Spain: n= 149). A cross-sectional and cross-cultural study was conducted. The Vaglum et al. (1999) Motivation to do Medicine Scale (MMS) was used. The original MMS factor structure was not supported by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Exploratory Factor Analyses within each country identified four factors: 'People', 'Status', 'Natural Science' and 'Research'. Students scored higher on the 'People' and 'Natural Science' than on the other factors. The UK sample scored higher than the Spanish sample on the 'Research' factor and there were greater difference between genders in Spain for both 'People' and 'Research' factors. The scale is suitable for use in cross-cultural studies of medical students' motivation. It can be used to investigate differences between countries and may be used to examine changes in motivation over time or over medical disciplines

Aesthetic perception of photovoltaic integration within new proposals for ecological architecture

Architecture has become an important field of research on the mitigation of climate change. The 4literature contains a number of environmental studies of buildings conducted using the Life Cycle 5Analysis method, while others have analysed improvements in the energy efficiency. Important advances have also been made by integrating renewable energies within the building envelope. In architecture, however, it must be remembered that the formal aspect is as important as the functional one, and therefore rating the aesthetic perception of these new technologies is very interesting for future innovation projects and their integration within society. This work focuses on the aesthetic impact resulting from the use of photovoltaic systems that can be integrated within the building envelope or installed upon its surface. A survey was conducted using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) to evaluate the feelings that such systems arouse, through two classic dimensions of affect: hedonic valence (pleasant-unpleasant) and arousal (activation or emotional intensity). Overall, results (error range of 5%) show that all the prototypes were rated positively and with a medium level of arousal, but those that use integrated systems obtained higher values in both dimensions of affect. Respondents’ age was observed as an influential factor in these subjective evaluations

EU-Funded Projects with Actual Implementation of Renewable Energies in Cities. Analysis of Their Concern for Aesthetic Impact

Social acceptance and aesthetic impact of renewable energy (RE) in cities are topics scarcely considered in the literature even though they have attracted growing interest. Innovative Europeanfunded projects, therefore, should start to consider these concepts. This paper provides an innovative review of European projects with the aim of identifying those with actual implementation of RE and energy storage systems in urban environments and their concern for aesthetic impact. The search considered the five most relevant programs related to RE and climate change mitigation, including almost 14,000 projects. Furthermore, a survey and some interviews allowed to collect data about the selected projects. 0.1% of reviewed projects aimed at the actual installation of RE on an urban scale. However, there is a recent growing trend. The most used RE was solar, especially photovoltaic, while the most common system for energy storage was lithium batteries. We can affirm that these European projects do not currently show any particular concern for the aesthetic impact they cause in cities, nor for the social perception assessment. It would be advisable to consider technologies as products and basic components of work and daily life, and not only as a means of intervention to promote RE

Aesthetic impact of solar energy systems

The presence of solar energy systems has increased significantly in recent years both in rural areas –in the form of solar farms–, and in urban areas as part of building installations. This transformation of the landscape, in spite of the good social acceptance of solar energy, causes an aesthetic impact whose interest has been growing in literature in recent years. This study aimed to review prior literature in order to establish the objective factors, aesthetic perception and methods that are most relevant when assessing the aesthetic impact. As a result of the lack of consensus, a new qualitative theoretical framework is proposed that can serve as a basis for future research in the field of the integration of solar energy and its aesthetic impact. The framework comprises three sub-impacts: land use, solar system energy and glare. The results are discussed for future research and innovation in building photovoltaic integration and for SES site location and its environmental impact assessments

Musical preference but not familiarity influences subjective ratings and psychophysiological correlates of music-induced emotions

Listening to music prompts strong emotional reactions in the listeners but relatively little research has focused on individual differences. This study addresses the role of musical preference and familiarity on emotions induced through music. A sample of 50 healthy participants (25 women) listened to 42 excerpts from the FMMS during 8 s while their autonomic and facial EMG responses were continuously recorded. Then, affective dimensions (hedonic valence, tension arousal, and energy arousal) and musical preference were rated using a 9-point scale, as well as familiarity using a 3-point scale. It was hypothesized that preferred and familiar music would be evaluated as more pleasant, energetic and less tense, and would prompt an increase of autonomic and zygomatic responses, and a decrease of corrugator activity. Results partially confirmed our hypothesis showing a strong effect of musical preference but not familiarity on emotion correlates. Specifically, musical preference predicted valence ratings, as well as HR acceleration and facial EMG activity. Overall, current findings suggested a great influence of musical preference on music-induced emotions, particularly modulating hedonic valence correlates. Our findings add evidence about the role of individual differences in the emotional processing through music and suggest the importance of considering those variables in future studies

Emotion elicitation during music listening: subjective self-reports, facial expression, and autonomic reactivity

The use of music as emotional stimuli in experimental studies has grown in recent years. However, prior studies have mainly focused on self-reports and central measures, with a few works exploring the time course of psychophysiological correlates. Moreover, most of the previous research has been carried out either from the dimensional or categorical model but not combining both approaches to emotions. This study aimed to investigate subjective and physiological correlates of emotion elicitation through music, following the three-dimensional and the discrete emotion model. A sample of 50 healthy volunteers (25 women) took part in this experiment by listening to 42 film music excerpts (14 pleasant, 14 unpleasant, 14 neutral) presented during 8 s, while peripheral measures were continuously recorded. After music offset, affective dimensions (valence, energy arousal, and tension arousal) as well as discrete emotions (happiness, sadness, tenderness, fear, and anger) were collected using a 9-point scale. Results showed an effect of the music category on subjective and psychophysiological measures. In peripheral physiology, greater electrodermal activity, heart rate acceleration, and zygomatic responses, besides lower corrugator amplitude, were observed for pleasant excerpts in comparison to neutral and unpleasant music, from 2 s after stimulus onset until the end of its duration. Overall, our results add evidence for the efficacy of standardized film music excerpts to evoke powerful emotions in laboratory settings; thus, opening a path to explore interventions based on music in pathologies with underlying emotion deregulatory processes.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

A Rudimentary Machine. Experiences in the Design of a Pedagogic Computer

This paper describes a pedagogic computer named \M aquina Rudimentaria". This computer has been de- signed to be used in a rst course on logic design or com- puter architecture; orthogonality and simplicity have been the major goals. The description of the computer includes the de nition of both the machine and the assembly lan- guage, the implementation of the datapath and the opti- mization of the control unit. A programming framework has been designed to allow the development of small pro- grams in assembly language, their compilation and detailed simulation on the proposed architecture.Postprint (published version

ZnO on rice husk: a sustainable photocatalyst for urban air purification

A cost-effective and sustainable De-NOx photocatalyst is prepared usingzinc acetate and rice husk. ZnO@SiO2samples are obtained from the calcination of a homogenised precursor mixture at 600 C. ZnO nanoparticles (70 –180 nm) grow aggregated in spheres and well dispersed (40 –53 m2g-1surface area) covering the silicon skeleton. The corresponding band gap for ZnO@SiO2photocatalysts was estimated at3.1 –3.2 eV. When the samples are irradiated by sunlight in anitrogen oxide atmosphere the NO HNO2NO2NO3-photochemical oxidation takes place. In comparison to unsupported ZnO and TiO2-P25, ZnO@SiO2samples exhibit high NOXremoval values (70 %) and outstanding selectivity (> 90%), the latter related to the sensitivity of zinc oxide towards NO2gas. This new photocatalyst is easily recyclable and reusabl

Respuesta cardíaca de defensa y emocionalidad negativa en población normal

III Jornades d'Investigació per a l'Alumnat de la Facultat de Ciències de la SalutLa Respuesta Cardíaca de Defensa (RCD) es un patrón dinámico de reactividad cardíacaen respuesta a un estímulo aversivo, intenso e inesperado que consiste en doscomponentes sucesivos acelerativos y decelerativos, cuya significación psicológica seatribuye tanto a procesos atencionales como emocionales. De acuerdo con el modelode la cascada defensiva propuesto por Lang (1995), el segundo componente acelerativode la RCD puede interpretarse como un indicador de activación del sistema motivacionaldefensivo. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la relación entre laRCD y los niveles de ansiedad y depresión, como indicadores de emocionalidad negativa.La muestra experimental fue de 100 participantes, estudiantes de Psicología yCriminología de la Universitat Jaume I. La tarea experimental consistió en la presentaciónde un sonido intenso y aversivo (500 ms, 105 dB) tras un periodo de reposo de6 minutos. El registro de los componentes acelerativos y decelerativos se realizó durantelos 80 s posteriores a la presentación del estímulo acústico. Al finalizar la sesiónexperimental se administró una batería de cuestionarios, entre ellos el BDI y el STAI-R.Los análisis preliminares muestran una mayor reactividad cardíaca en los participantescon mayores puntuaciones en ansiedad y depresión. Estos datos sugieren que unamayor reactividad del sistema motivacional defensivo podría interpretarse como unfactor de vulnerabilidad para desarrollar trastornos de ansiedad y depresión. Podemosconcluir, por tanto, que la RCD parece ser un indicador fiable y válido de la hiperactividaddel sistema motivacional defensivo en personas que presentan una mayor predisposicióna reaccionar con sintomatología ansiosa o depresiva.The Cardiac Defense Response (CDR) is a dynamic pattern of cardiac reactivity in responseto an aversive, discrete, intense and unexpected stimulus consisting of twosuccessive accelerative and decelerative components whose psychological significanceis attributed to both attentional and emotional processes. According to the modelof the defensive cascade proposed by Lang (1995), the second accelerative componentof the CDR can be interpreted as an indicator of activation of the defensive motivationalsystem. This study aims to analyze the relationship between CDR and levels ofanxiety and depression as indicators of negative emotionality. The sample consisted of100 participants, students of Psychology and Criminology, from Jaume I University. Theexperimental task consisted in the presentation of intense and aversive sound (500 ms,105 dB) after a 6-minute rest period. Accelerative and decelerative components wereobtained during the 80 s after the presentation of the acoustic stimulus. At the end ofthe experimental session, a battery of questionnaires was administered, including BDIand STAI-R. Preliminary results show higher cardiac reactivity in participants withhigher scores both on anxiety and depression. These data suggest that a greater reactivityof the defensive motivational system can be a factor of vulnerability to developanxiety and depression disorders. We can conclude, therefore, that CDR may be interpretedas an index of the hyperactivity of the defensive motivational system in peoplewith greater predisposition to react with anxious or depressive symptoms

Correlatos psicofisiológicos periféricos de regulación emocional

II Jornadas de investigación para los estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludIntroducción: La regulación emocional puede definirse como la capacidad para influir sobre qué emociones tenemos, cuándo las tenemos y cómo las experimentamos y expresamos. La mayoría de estudios se han centrado en la reevaluación cognitiva, básicamente utilizando medidas centrales (fmri o erp). Sin embargo, pocos trabajos se han interesado por los correlatos psicofisiológicos periféricos de estos procesos (por ejemplo, reflejo de sobresalto, actividad electrodérmica o variabilidad cardíaca). Método: Tomando como grupo de referencia a la población adulta, en este trabajo se realiza una revisión sistemática de estudios recientes que, utilizando metodologías diversas, aportan evidencia empírica acerca de distintos correlatos psicofisiológicos de regulación emocional. Resultados: El análisis de la literatura experimental permite observar una clara modulación del reflejo de sobresalto, en función de las instruccio- nes de la tarea (i.e., aumento o disminución de emociones negativas o positivas). De manera similar, la conductancia de la piel y la variabilidad cardíaca varían dependien- do del contenido específico y de las instrucciones de la tarea. Conclusión: Estos re- sultados sugieren que los correlatos psicofisiológicos periféricos son un índice fiable de regulación voluntaria del afecto, mostrando cómo ciertas estrategias (como la ree- valuación cognitiva) pueden modular las respuestas fisiológicas.Introduction: Emotional regulation is defined as the ability to influence what emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience and express them. One of the most investigated strategies of emotional regulation is cognitiva reappraisal, basically using brain measures (fMRI or ERP). However, only a few studies have focused on peripheral psychophysiological correlates of these processes (e.g., startle reftex, electrodermal acivity or cardiac variability). Method: Here, we systematically review recent research focused on heallhy adult population that using diverse methodologies provide empirical evidence regarding different psychophysiological correlates of emotional regulatlon. Results: Results show that startle blink responses are modulated depending on the picture category and task instructions (i.e., increase or decrease of negative and positive emotions). Similarly, skin conductance and heart rate variability differ dependlng on the speclflc content and task instructions. Conclusion: These results suggest that peripheral psychophysiological correlates are a reliable index of voluntary regulation of affect, showing how certain strategies (such as cognitive reappraisal) can modulate physiological responses