Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
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Neurophysiological markers of the global/local biases in face perception
No full textGlobal/local biases in the visual processing of structurally complex stimuli occur under certain conditions of the beholder. Previous experiments using hierarchical letters (large letters made of small ones) have reported a global precedence in young adults. Here, we aimed to define neurophysiological markers of a possible global/local bias during the implicit processing of new faces. We performed two ERP experiments on young adults using hierarchical/compound facial stimuli, either congruent (eyes replaced by small faces) or incongruent (objects as eyes), with peripheral small objects and faces, respectively, grafted as distracters. In Experiment 1, the face-sensitive N170/VPP was largest for regular faces and progressively decreased through congruent and incongruent hierarchical faces, evidencing disruption of the global bias. In Experiment 2, N170/VPP was similar between both hierarchical faces and a new objects condition, likely due to the visual angle increase used to prevent a global bias. Moreover, an N200-350 with maximal amplitude for incongruent faces and objects appeared in both experiments, suggesting a perceptive mismatch with a canonical face template. Experiment 2 also revealed a posterior negativity ~220 —330 msec for objects and faces, likely indicating access to known categories, as well as an object-specific late positivity that could reflect pre-semantic, visual recognition of common objects. Source reconstruction highlighted the significant involvement of ventral (predominantly right-sided) visual regions in these ERP modulations. This experimental design can be useful to detect global/local biases and several markers of face and object processing related to individual differences and neurodegenerative diseases even before they manifest overtlyThis research was supported by Grants PID2022-139628NB-I00 and PGC2018-094937-B-I00 from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España. AJ-B was supported by a predoctoral research contract FPI-UAM from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. JFB-B was supported by the María Zambrano grants to attract international talent, NextGeneration European Union and Ministerio de Universidades de Españ
Descriptive Analysis of the Social Network of South African Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) and California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) in Managed Care
No full textThe supplemental video for this article is available in the “Supplemental Material” section of the Aquatic Mammals website: https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/supplemental-materialAbstract: This study describes the social network of a captive group of six adult female and one adult male South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus), observed on two days one month apart (23 December 2023 and 24 February 2024). Since the fur seals shared their enclosure with two adult male California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), a third observation (April 2024) focused on the mixed-species group. This resident otariid group was housed at the Faunia Madrid zoological facility in Madrid, Spain. A single observer recorded social behaviors using focal sampling with continuous recording for 65 minutes on 23 December, 70 minutes on 24 February, and 65 minutes on 24 April. Each fur seal was observed for a total of 200 minutes, while each sea lion was observed for 65 minutes. Additionally, three scans per session (pre-, mid-, post-observation) yielded 37, 42, and 39 scans, respectively, totaling 118 for fur seals and 39 for sea lions, allowing an assessment of space use in relation to access to valuable resources such as food. The results revealed stable interactive social networks for the most common affiliative behaviors (crossing swimming, rubbing, and synchronized swimming) in fur seals; no aggressive interactions were observed. Within the mixed-species group, two distinct subgroups emerged: one composed of the three oldest females and the adult offspring of two of them, and another consisting of the most recently introduced female along with the two male California sea lions. Sociograms generated allowed for the identification of both the most and least central individuals. Areas with greater resource availability were preferentially used by the animals compared to areas with fewer resources. Additionally, the animals that exhibited more frequency of use in the area with the greatest resource access were South African fur seals and California sea lions, and these animals also had the highest centrality value
Entrevista a Pedro Cordero (Coordinador de Proyectos Senior de JETRO)
No full textEntrevista a Pedro Cordero (Coordinador de Proyectos Senior de JETRO) en la que se trata la evolución de la inversión japonesa en España, las tendencias recientes de esta inversión y la internacionalización de las empresas japonesas en EspañaProyecto de investigación: FYL_074.24_INN: Aprendizaje Basado en Entrevistas, Casos y Experiencias sobre Economía y Empresa Japonesa (ABECE-Japón
Les indignés espagnols vus et relatés par trois écrivains belges
No full textDans cette étude, nous nous proposons de relater l’impact du mouvement des « indignés espagnols » dans le champ littéraire belge en langue française. Dans sa fresque intitulée Barcelona ! (2015), outre qu’il rend un hommage à la Ciudad condal, Grégoire Polet non seulement dépeint la pluralité de la société catalane, mais multiplie les points de vue sur la fracture qui ne cesse de s’accroître entre les riches et les laissés-pour-compte, et ce alors que le courant indépendantiste se réveille progressivement. Dans son roman Pour avoir de l’espoir, faudrait du temps (2016), Pierre Orban relate les trajectoires professionnelles chaotiques d’une jeune Belgo-espagnole, récemment installée dans la capitale espagnole, et de ses proches, dans un pays qui vibre au son du 15-M. Quant à Nicolas Ancion, c’est à travers un thriller intitulé Invisibles et remuants (2015) qu’il décrit les conséquences de l’éclatement de la bulle immobilière dans un pays présenté jusqu’alors comme un modèle de réussite économique, mais où des citoyens indignés ont décidé de réagirIn this study, we set out to explore the impact of the Spanish “indignant” movement on Belgian French-language literature. In his fresco Barcelona! (2015), in addition to paying tribute to the Ciudad condal, Grégoire Polet not only depicts the plurality of Catalan society, but also multiplies points of view on the ever-widening divide between the rich and the disenfranchised, as the pro-independence current gradually reawakens. In his novel Pour avoir de l’espoir, faudrait du temps (2016), Pierre Orban recounts the chaotic professional trajectories of a young Belgian-Spaniard, recently settled in the Spanish capital, and her family, in a country vibrating to the sound of 15-M. As for Nicolas Ancion, it is through a thriller entitled Invisibles et remuants (2015) that he describes the consequences of the bursting of the real estate bubble in a country hitherto presented as a model of economic success, but where indignant citizens have decided to reac
Unveiling the Interactions of Doxorubicin with the Lipid Components of Liposomes for Its Delivery
No full textThe characterization of drug/lipid interactions is key to developing novel and more efficient drug delivery systems. In this work, we combine electrochemical measurements, attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to unveil the interacting mechanisms of doxorubicin (DOX) with lipid monolayers and bilayers containing a cytidine derivative nucleolipid, which serve as a model system of previously developed liposomes for DOX delivery. The nucleolipid was included in the liposome formulation to take advantage of its molecular recognition capabilities and its capacity to anchor gold nanoparticles. The compression isotherms of the Langmuir monolayers and interfacial capacitance measurements on a gold electrode modified with hybrid bilayers in the presence of DOX demonstrate the interaction of the drug with the nucleolipid polar heads. This is confirmed by computational simulations of a solvated DOX/bilayer complex, which show that the adsorption process is driven by stacking and electrostatic interactions involving the aromatic and nonaromatic moieties of DOX, respectively. Moreover, both ATR spectra of supported bilayers on silicon and simulations show that the presence of DOX does not significantly affect the tilt angles of the lipids. The system studied in this work is a promising therapeutic option for cancer treatment. The combined methodology applied to this study can serve as a reference for other studies of drug–carrier interactionsThis work was partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 through the project CNS2022-135720 and the Universidad de Sevilla through the project 2024/00000400. We acknowledge the generous allocation of computer time and continued technical support by the Centro de Computación Científica of the UAM (CCC-UAM
Hotel stays of individuals with a visual impairment: a qualitative study with a focus on sensory substitution
No full textSensory substitution devices (SSDs) hold the potential to assist individuals with a visual impairment with actions such as navigation and orientation. Even so, SSDs are not frequently used in everyday life. The lack of user involvement in the development of SSDs may be among the reasons for this discrepancy. To remedy the gap, this study explores the challenges that are encountered by individuals with a visual impairment in a situation in which SSDs may be particularly useful: the hotel environment. Semi-structured interviews conducted with eight individuals revealed three main themes: navigation and orientation challenges and strategies, wayfinding aids, and user needs. The findings highlight substantial challenges due to accessibility, localization, spatial configuration, obstacles, and dependency on others. Navigation strategies employed by the individuals included exploration, the use of mental maps, environmental cues, and asking for spatial directions. Whereas SSDs were considered to have future potential, issues of precision and information overload were common concerns. The study revealed a need of individuals for autonomy, control, and sociability, which is in line with the basic human needs proposed by Deci and Ryan in their self-determination theory. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of tailoring SSDs to the specific challenges that are encountered by individuals with a visual impairment. Furthermore, it is important to consider SSDs in the broader context of the needs of individuals, because the satisfaction of needs promotes people’s well-being and motivation to use SSDsThis project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 95600
Low-lying LUMO boosts conductance in antiaromatic dibenzopentalene versus aromatic analogues
No full textAntiaromaticity is a fundamental concept in chemistry, but the study of molecular wires incorporating antiaromatic units is limited. Despite initial predictions, very few studies show that antiaromaticity has a beneficial effect on electron transport. Dibenzo[a,e]pentalene (DBP) is a stable structure that displays appreciable antiaromaticity within the five-membered rings of the pentalene core. We have investigated derivatives of DBP furnished with pyridyl (Py) and F4-pyridyl (PyF4) anchor groups, and compared the conductance with purely aromatic phenyl and anthracene analogues. We find that the low-bias conductance of DBP-Py is approximately 60 % larger than that of the anthracene analogue Anth-Py and 250 % larger compared to the phenyl derivative Ph-Py. This is due to a better alignment of the LUMO with the gold Fermi level, which we confirm by conductance-voltage spectroscopy where the conductance of DBP-Py shows the greatest voltage-dependence. The F4-pyridyl compounds, which have lower LUMO energies compared to the pyridyl analogues, did not, however, form detectable molecular junctions. The strongly electron-withdrawing fluorine atoms reduce the donor capability of the nitrogen lone-pair to the point where stable N−Au bonds no longer formEL thanks the Comunidad de Madrid Atracci\u00F3n de Talento grant 2019\u2010T1/IND\u201016384 and from the Spanish MCIN (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) PID2021\u2010127964NB\u2010C21 and CNS2023\u2010145464. IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the \u2032Severo Ochoa\u2032 Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (CEX2020\u2010001039\u2010S). TG thanks NanomagCOST\u2010CM (S2018/NMT\u20104321) and DECOSMOL (EIGConcertJapan). This project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Project ID 441236036 and through grant no INST 40/575\u20101 FUGG (JUSTUS 2 cluster). We acknowledge financial support through the state of Baden\u2010W\u00FCrttemberg through bwHPC. LAZ thanks the Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033 for the grant PID2021\u2010125604NB\u2010I00 and the \u201CMar\u00EDa de Maeztu\u201D Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (CEX2023\u2010001316\u2010M). Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL
Caracterización de la enfermedad celíaca en la edad adulta: análisis de casos retrospectivo
No full textTesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina. Fecha de Lectura: 26-06-202
Dual-emission switching in a Mn(II)-based hybrid bromide via water coordination: Synthesis, structure, and processing
No full textThis work presents the synthesis, characterization, and functional evaluation ofa new luminescent manganese(II) hybrid halide, (pr-ted)2 [MnBr 4 ], containingthe organic cation (pr-ted)+ (1-propyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane).The compound exhibits green photoluminescence and undergoes a reversibletransformation to a red-emitting hydrated form, (pr-ted)2 [MnBr 4 (OH2 )],upon exposure to ambient humidity. Single-crystal X-ray diffractionreveals differences in coordination geometry between the two phases:a tetrahedral environment in the anhydrous form and a distorted trigonalbipyramidal in the hydrated phase. This structural change is responsiblefor the observed red shift in emission. The interconversion is fully reversiblethrough thermal treatment or vacuum exposure. Photoluminescenceand density functional theory calculations are employed to investigate opticalbehavior and electronic transitions. In situ X-ray powder diffraction confirmsthe humidity-induced phase transition. Both forms exhibit solubility in polarsolvents, enabling the fabrication of luminescent coatings via wet-processingmethods. Impregnation and nebulization approaches are explored.The impregnation process enables the fabrication of composites on porousmaterials, while the nebulization method produces homogeneous coatingson non-porous substrates. These coatings maintain reversible luminescentswitching, validating the potential of (pr-ted)2 [MnBr 4 ] as a responsivematerial for humidity sensing. The integration of humidity-sensitiveluminescent compounds into functional platforms using cost-effectivetechniques is demonstrated, for applications in environmental monitoringThis workwas supported by MCINN/AEI/10.13039/5011000011033 and EuropeanUnion Next Generation EU/PRTR, under the National Program of Sci-ences and Technological Materials (PID2022–138968NB-C21, PID2023-149077OB-C31, TED2021-12941A-I00 and PLEC2021-007906). J.T. is in-debted to the Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC2022-036283-I Fellowship).A.C.D. thanks PAIDI FQM-113 (Junta de Andalucia, Spain/FEDER). J.I.M.also acknowledges funding by CAM via the “Technologies program”(SYNMOLMAT-CM: TEC-2024/TEC-45