The least doubling constant of a metric measure space

We study the least doubling constant $C_{(X,d)}$, among all doubling measures $\mu$ supported on a metric space $(X,d)$. In particular, we prove that for every metric space with more than one point, $C_{(X,d)}\ge 2$. We also describe some further properties of $C_{(X,d)}$ and compute its value for several important examples.Comment: 16 pages. Theorem 3.1 has been included improving previous estimates for general metric spaces, and therefore some partial results from the older version have been remove

Cognitive Control and Bilingualism: The Bilingual Advantage Through the Lens of Dimensional Overlap

Past research shows that the bilingual experience may enhance cognitive executive function. In this experiment, we evaluated cognitive control in bilinguals relative to monolinguals by using a dimensional overlap model to predict performance in a task composed of Stroop and Simon stimuli. A group of 24 Spanish monolinguals and 24 bilinguals with differing first languages and all having Spanish as a second language (L2) did a picture naming task and a task composed of Stroop and Simon stimuli, where the effect of different overlap conditions (spatial/color) between stimuli and responses were examined. The tasks were performed in Spanish for both groups and performance was indexed with behavioral and electrophysiological measures. We hypothesized that the bilinguals’ daily language practice in L2 reflected overlap conditions similar to the Simon task. Both naming a picture in L2 and the Simon task would involve conflict at the response level. L2 picture naming entails interference between two potential oral responses, to name in L2 vs. L1 (correct vs. incorrect responses, respectively). Similarly, incongruent stimuli in the Simon task produce interference because the irrelevant dimension (spatial location) overlap with an incorrect response. In contrast, the manual Stroop task involves a different type of conflict between two overlapping stimulus dimensions (the ink color and the color meaning). We predicted for these reasons a superior performance in Simon tasks over Stroop tasks for bilinguals, while monolinguals were expected to have a similar performance in both tasks. We also expected to see a correlation between the performance on the picture naming task and the Simon task in bilinguals. However, the behavioral results did not confirm these hypotheses. In fact, both groups had similar congruency effects as measured by reaction times and error rates, and there was no correlation between the picture naming and Simon task in bilinguals. Despite this, the electrophysiological data suggested a relationship between the picture naming task and the P300 congruency effect in bilinguals. Our findings provide insights into the neurocognitive bases of language and serve as a research avenue for language behaviors in bilinguals.Spanish Government PID2019-111359GB-I00/SRA State Research Agency/10.13039/50110001103

Ambiguous Sentence Processing in Translation

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by a grant awarded to Pedro Macizo by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-111359GB-I00/SRA State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033) . The study was undertaken in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and followed the ethical standards delineated by this journal and by the Ethical Committee of the University of Granada (number issued by the Ethical Committee:957/CEIH/2019) and each participant provided written informed consent before taking part in the experiment.The goal of our research was to explore the possible online co-activation of both the target language (TL) syntactic structure representation and TL attachment strategies in translation, and to look over a possible interaction between both syntactic properties. To this purpose, Spanish (L1) – English (L2) bilinguals were instructed to read complex noun phrases with an ambiguous relative clause in Spanish to either repeat them in Spanish or translate them into English. The final word of the sentences and the syntactic congruency between the source language (SL) and TL syntactic structure were manipulated. The results revealed co-activation of both TL syntactic properties: participants interpreted sentences more accordingly to the TL preferred strategy (low attachment) in the reading for translation task, read congruent sentences faster, and used the TL preferred interpretation strategy in the congruent condition of the sentences more. These results indicated TL activation at different syntactic levels during comprehension of the SL in translation.Spanish Government PID2019-111359GB-I00/SR

The processing of prices across numerical formats

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by a grant awarded to Pedro Macizo by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-111359GB-I00 / SRA State Research Agency /10.130 39/501100011033). The study was undertaken in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration. The Ethics Committee at the University of Granada approved the experimental procedures (Number issued by the Ethical Committee: 957/CEIH/2019) and each participant provided written informed consent before taking part in the experiment. In order to comply with APA Ethics Code Standard 8.14a (sharing research data for verification), the stimuli, experimental procedure, data and analyses reported in this manuscript have been stored in a freely accessible repository (reference links have been indicated in the manuscript). The authors declare no conflict of interest.We evaluated whether the format in which prices are presented determines the processing of their magnitude. A price comparison task was used in which two-digit prices with Arabic digits, written number words and auditory number words were presented in the euro currency. Prices were number-monetary category (NMC) compatible (49 euros - 36 cents) when the number and monetary category of one price were larger than those of the other (49 > 36, euros > cents); or NMC incompatible (49 cents - 36 euros) when the number of one price was larger but the monetary category smaller than those of the other (49 > 36, cents 3, 9 > 6); and UD incompatible prices when the decade of one price was larger but the unit smaller than those of the other (46 euros - 39 cents, 4 > 3, 6 < 9). The results showed NMC compatibility effects in all numerical formats. However, the UD compatibility effect was not found in any numerical format. The results are discussed within the hybrid model of multisymbolic magnitude processing.Spanish Government PID2019-111359GB-I00/SRA State Research Agency/10.130 39/50110001103

The value of banknotes: relevance of size, colour and design

In the current study, we evaluate the relevance of three physical features when people retrieve the monetary value of banknotes. To this end, three monetary comparison tasks were designed in which in each trial a pair of banknotes were presented and participants selected the one with higher monetary value. In each task, a different banknote feature (size, colour and design) was examined and a congruent and an incongruent condition (the value of the physical feature corresponded or not to its actual value, respectively) were compared to a neutral condition (no information about the physical feature was provided). We found a pattern of facilitation and interference effects which suggests that size is the most relevant physical feature for accessing the monetary value of banknotes followed by colour. However, the availability of a variety of designs across banknotes seemed not to facilitate the performance of the task, but rather the opposite, hindering the monetary comparison task.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA. This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Reference of the project: PID2019-111359 GB-I00/SR

Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign Language

This paper investigates the influence of gestures on foreign language (FL) vocabulary learning. In this work, we first address the state of the art in the field and then delve into the research conducted in our lab (three experiments already published) in order to finally offer a unified theoretical interpretation of the role of gestures in FL vocabulary learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, we examined the impact of gestures on noun and verb learning. The results revealed that participants exhibited better learning outcomes when FL words were accompanied by congruent gestures compared to those from the no-gesture condition. Conversely, when meaningless or incongruent gestures were presented alongside new FL words, gestures had a detrimental effect on the learning process. Secondly, we addressed the question of whether or not individuals need to physically perform the gestures themselves to observe the effects of gestures on vocabulary learning (Experiment 3). Results indicated that congruent gestures improved FL word recall when learners only observed the instructor’s gestures (“see” group) and when they mimicked them (“do” group). Importantly, the adverse effect associated with incongruent gestures was reduced in the “do” compared to that in the “see” experimental group. These findings suggest that iconic gestures can serve as an effective tool for learning vocabulary in an FL, particularly when the gestures align with the meaning of the words. Furthermore, the active performance of gestures helps counteract the negative effects associated with inconsistencies between gestures and word meanings. Consequently, if a choice must be made, an FL learning strategy in which learners acquire words while making gestures congruent with their meaning would be highly desirable.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant PSI2016-75250-PSpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-111359GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

On the distortions in calculated GW parameters during slanted atmospheric soundings

The significant distortions introduced in the measured atmospheric gravity wavelengths by soundings other than those in vertical and horizontal directions, are discussed as a function of the elevation angle of the sounding path and the gravity wave aspect ratio. Under- or overestimation of real vertical wavelengths during the measurement process depends on the value of these two parameters. The consequences of these distortions on the calculation of the energy and the vertical flux of horizontal momentum are analyzed and discussed in the context of two experimental limb satellite setups: GPS-LEO radio occultations and TIMED/SABER ((Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry/Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere-Energetics and Dynamics)) measurements. Possible discrepancies previously found between the momentum flux calculated from satellite temperature profiles, on site and from model simulations, may to a certain degree be attributed to these distortions. A recalculation of previous momentum flux climatologies based on these considerations seems to be a difficult goal.Fil: de la Torre, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Alexander, Pedro Manfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Schmidt, Torsten. German Research Centre for Geosciences; AlemaniaFil: Llamedo Soria, Pablo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Hierro, Rodrigo Federico. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The impact of bilingualism in within-language conflict resolution: an ERP study

We compared Spanish (L1)–English (L2) bilinguals and Spanish monolinguals in a semantic judgment relationship task in L1 that produced within-language conflict due to the coactivation of the two meanings of a Spanish homophone (e.g., “hola” and “ola” meaning “hello” and “a wave” in English). In this task, participants indicated if pairs of words were related or not (“agua-hola,” “waterhello”). Conflict arose because a word (“agua,” “water”) not related to the orthographic form of a homophone (“hola,” “hello”) was related to the alternative orthographic form (“ola,” “wave”). Compared to a control condition with unrelated word pairs (“peluche-hola,” “teddy-hello”), the behavioral results revealed greater behavioral interference in monolinguals compared to bilinguals. In addition, electrophysiological results revealed N400 differences between monolinguals and bilinguals. These results are discussed around the impact of bilingualism on conflict resolution.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019- 111359GBI00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Combinación de quimioterapia y radioterapia en el tratamiento del carcinoma de cérvix: análisis de resultados en nuestro medio y estudio de la influencia de la duración del mismo en la supervivencia

[ES] El cáncer de cérvix (CC) es en frecuencia la cuarta neoplasia maligna en la mujer, siendo su incidencia muy dispar entre países desarrollados o en vías de desarrollo. Su aparición está relacionada con la infección por el virus del papiloma humano (HPV) en la mujer (4,14,15,16,17). Es un tumor que tiene una prueba de cribado muy efectiva como es la toma de citología por vía vaginal ,que permite además identificar las lesiones premalignas y debido a las vacunas que se han desarrollado en los últimos años, se espera que su frecuencia disminuya a pesar del aumento de indicencia de la infección viral en los últimos 30 años (12) . Los tipos histológicos más frecuentes son el carcinoma epidermoide y el adenocarcinoma (4,14,15,16,17). El tratamiento es muy efectivo, tanto la cirugía en estadios iniciales como la combinación de quimio y radioterapia en los mas avanzados. (4,14,15,16,17)