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Influence of childhood excess weight on cognitive, behavioural and emotional outcomes
No full textBackground:
Obesity, considered a worldwide epidemic, generate great interest to the scientific community due to its impact on public health. Particularly in children because of their vulnerability. In view of the bidirectional relationship between obesity and neurodevelopmental aspects, this study aims to evaluate the effect of excess weight on cognitive and behavioural development.
Methods:
A total of 130 Spanish children (3 to 12 years) were included. Cognitive function and behaviour were assessed using the validated Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–V (WISC-V) and Behaviour Assessment System for Children-3 (BASC-3) tests, respectively. Individuals were classified into groups according to body mass index (BMI) (normal weight and overweight/obesity). Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to address the influence of excess weight on cognitive-behavioural functioning.
Results:
The results showed that infants who had overweight/obesity were more likely to have lower scores on the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ: OR adjusted = 3.81, p = 0.006), verbal comprehension (VCI: OR adjusted = 2.57, p = 0.045), fluid reasoning (FRI: OR adjusted = 2.79, p value = 0.030) and working memory index (WMI: OR adjusted = 3.59, p = 0.008). No statistically significant results were found between excess weight and behavioural outcomes after adjustment for confounding factors. Secondly, Spearman's correlation analyses revealed a set of inverse correlations between cognitive ability and various behavioural and emotional problems, especially in cases group.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, excess weight may be negatively associated with a worse cognitive performance. Further, poorer cognitive function may lead to greater vulnerability to neurobehavioral disturbances in children with excess weight. These results underscore the need of further investigation.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI23/01359)Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (FPU21/01931
Melatonin promotes skeletal muscle mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane contacts by restoring organellar membrane integrity and phospholipid composition in Zücker diabetic fatty rats of both sexes
No full textAbstract
Background
Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs) are essential for cellular homeostasis and play a crucial role in lipid metabolism and calcium signaling. In skeletal muscle (SKM), MAMs contribute to metabolic flexibility, and their disruption is implicated in metabolic disorders such as diabesity (obesity and its associated type 2 diabetes). Melatonin, known for its antioxidant, circadian rhythm and metabolic regulatory effects, has been shown to preserve ER and mitochondrial function. This study explores whether melatonin could restore organellar membrane integrity and phospholipid composition in SKM, promoting MAM reassembly under diabesity conditions.
Methods
5-Weeks-old male and female Zücker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and lean (ZL) rats were subdivided into untreated control group (C) and treated with oral melatonin group (M, 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 12 weeks). MAM integrity and ER‒mitochondria interactions in the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle were assessed via both in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) and transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial membrane integrity was evaluated by measuring mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening and cytochrome C release. Mitochondrial and ER phospholipid composition was analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).
Results
In this study, we observed for the first time that melatonin promoted MAM assembly and ER‒mitochondria contacts in the VL from both sex obese diabetic rats. It also improved mitochondrial membrane integrity and reduced cytosolic cytochrome C release. In mitochondria, melatonin restored oxidized cardiolipin (CLox) to total cardiolipin (CL) ratio by decreasing CLox and increasing total CL and its species (CL (72:7), CL (76:12)). In the ER, melatonin restored the phosphatidylcholine (PC) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) ratio by reducing total PC, and specific PC species (PC (38:2) and PC (42:6)) while increasing total PE and specific PE species (PE (34:0), PE (36:2), PE (40:7), PE (40:8)).
Conclusions
These findings highlight the potential role of melatonin as a therapeutic agent for preserving SKM mitochondrial membrane integrity and inter-organellar communication via MAM assembly during diabesity. Furthermore, the restoration of ER‒mitochondrial contacts by melatonin contributes to the maintenance of proper phospholipid exchange between both organelles, restoring the ER membrane phospholipid composition, and mitigating the metabolic dysfunctions associated with diabesity
Satiation modulates attentional capture by food-related images but not food-brand logos
No full textIn an obesogenic environment, individuals are frequently exposed to cues — such as images and smells — that signal the widespread availability of energy-dense, palatable foods. Through Pavlovian learning, these cues can predict the presence of food as a rewarding stimulus and motivate eating behavior, leading to excessive food consumption even when satiated. Several studies have investigated how food captures attention and how this effect can transfer to arbitrary stimuli artificially paired with food in the laboratory. This study examined whether environmental cues paired with food (logotypes) acquire the ability to bias attention and whether the motivational state of the subject modulates this effect. To this end, two experiments were conducted using reaction times to measure attentional capture. In Experiment 1, an odd-one-out task was used to measure attentional capture by food images and food-related logotypes when in a state of hunger. Consistent with prior findings, food images captured attention, and a similar bias was observed toward food-related logotypes. In Experiment 2, a satiation devaluation procedure — consisting of ad libitum food intake — was applied before the attentional task. The results show that attentional capture by food images disappeared after satiation, whereas the bias toward food-related logotypes persisted. These findings contribute to understanding how environmental food cues influence attentional processes and highlight their relevance to habitual eating behaviors, particularly in the absence of hunger.MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF/EU" - (PID2022-136219NB-I00)Research scholarship - (FPU21/01211)MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 - (CEX2023–001312-M)University of Granada - (UCE-PP2023–11
Deuteron-induced nuclear reactions to produce 177Lu: Extension of cross-sections data up to 33 MeV and impact on purity
No full textActivation cross-sections of lutetium and ytterbium radionuclides have been measured by deuteron-induced
nuclear reaction on natYb(d,x) at the GIP ARRONAX (Saint-Herblain, France) cyclotron facility with a beam
energy up to 33 MeV using the stacked-foil activation technique combined with high resolution γ-ray
spectrometry. The measured experimental values enable the extension of the cross-section to higher energies.
As a primary objective, we have focused on the cumulative measurement of the direct and indirect production
routes of the therapeutic radioisotope 177gLu, via 176Yb(d,n) 177 g,mLu and 176Yb(d,p) 177Yb → 177gLu respectively.
Post-irradiation gamma analysis, including a long gamma counting period, was performed to calculate the yield
of the undesirable metastable isotopic impurity 177mLu. The results showed that it was found to be lower than
our detection limit i.e. <0.0005% of 177gLu yield. Thick target yields for all detected radionuclides are also
calculated in this paper. These measurements enabled the estimation of the production yield and isotopic purity
of 177Lu obtained via deuteron-induced nuclear reactions for large production batches using highly enriched
176Yb2O3
samples (>99.5%).MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (PID2020-117969RB-I00)EUROfusion Consortium (Grant Agreement No. 101052200)Junta de Andalucía (Projects P20-00665 and B-FQM-156-UGR20, co-funded by FEDER Andalucía 2014–2020)Empresarios Agrupados Internacional, S.A. (funding from CDTI, Misiones DONES-EVO, Contrato UGR-OTRI 5270)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII, DTS22/00147)Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France (Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir, ANR-16-IDEX-0007
A Shepard-like Hermite interpolation operator with fourth approximation order
No full textFrom a first order Hermite interpolant on a triangle written in terms of barycentric coordinates, a Shepard-like interpolation is defined. It achieves fourth order of approximation. Its performance is checked by considering well-known test functions as well different Delaunay triangulations. The novel operator is compared to a Shepard-type operator and to a Hermite cubic interpolant over a Powell–Sabin partition.MCINN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ (CEX2020-001105-M
Non-funerary commensality in the Argaric Culture: Archaeozoological analysis of Structure E50.44 from Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén, Spain)
No full textActs of commensality are well recorded throughout the Late Prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as throughout the rest of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Moreover, meat played a fundamental role in marking social differences and strengthening communal ties in special celebrations laden with strong cultural, economic, political, and social connotations. Research on commensality associated with the Argaric Culture (2200–1550 BCE) of the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula has focused almost exclusively on finds of faunal remains in funerary contexts. This study opens a new line of research on this phenomenon through the analysis of an exceptional faunal deposit (Structure E50.44) brought to light in the acropolis of the settlement of Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén). The feature consists of a circular masonry pit and filled for the most part with faunal remains. Taxonomic and taphonomic analyses of the finds have identified species common to the site, notably cattle, caprines, pig, red deer, wild boar, rabbit, and hare. However, the most notable characteristic is its predominance of horse. The presence of butchery marks, the rarity of bones in anatomical connection, the abundance of prime meat-bearing elements belonging for the most part to adults of all species, in addition to a lack of structure’s deliberate internal organisation, allow linking it and its fill to an act of commensality that very probably represented an exceptional event for the residents of Peñalosa.Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain - (FPU20/05745)Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation (PAIDI) and the project ‘Cocinando nuevas propuestas - (QUAL21-13)European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - (C‐HUM‐354‐UGR23
Reflecting university image in the era of digitalization
Full text linkThe digital transformation of Higher Education institutions affects their teaching, research, and administrative functions, ultimately shaping their public image. This study examines the factors that influence graduates' perceptions of university image, focusing on socio-demographic characteristics, university experience, employment-related outcomes, and digitalization dimensions such as information quality, online communication, learning quality, social media presence, and electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM). A nationwide survey was conducted among 600 Spanish graduates using structured questionnaires with validated scales. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The findings reveal that graduate identification with the institution, the quality of shared information and websites, and e-WOM is significantly associated with the perceived image. Additionally, job market insertion plays a crucial role. The findings suggest the relevance of strategically managing digital presence and communication, especially on social media. By integrating digitalization into image-building strategies, the study offers a novel framework for understanding how institutional image is constructed in the digital era.Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación and ERDF Andalusia Program 2021–2027 - (C-SEJ-197-UGR23)Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain) - (PID2024-159497OB-I00
Charge-controlled memcapacitors for the output voltage ripple reduction in DC-DC buck converters
No full textMemcapacitors, due to their variable capacitance and non-volatile memory effect, are expected to cause a disruption across different areas of research and engineering. In the context of power electronics, memcapacitors have not yet been considered despite their potential for ripple reduction, voltage stabilization and improved energy efficiency. This work presents both simulation and experimental results demonstrating how incorporating a memcapacitor at the output of a DC-DC buck converter can significantly reduce the output voltage ripple. We first propose and validate a memcapacitor emulator that can be implemented using off-the-shelf components. After that, the memcapacitor emulator is used to study the output voltage ripple in the permanent regime of a DC-DC buck converter as well as its effect on the transient response. The results demonstrate that the use of a charge-controlled memcapacitor can reduce the output voltage ripple by up to 90 %. While the memcapacitor emulator serves as a practical tool for this investigation, the goal of this work is demonstrating the potential of memcapacitors for power electronics, evidencing the need for further research and development toward solid-state memcapacitor devices to unlock new possibilities for ripple reduction, energy efficiency, and voltage stabilization in advanced power electronics systems.This work was supported Junta de Andalucía – Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación through the project ProyExcel_00268. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada/CBUA
The presence of pronunciation activities in English textbooks for Primary Education: A mixed-method study
Full text linkAbstract Introduction: A careful analysis of the market for English textbooks for Primary Education in Spain reveals that, despite its breadth and variety, pronunciation teaching does not receive significant attention. In fact, it has often been neglected in favour of more traditional skills. Methodology: This mixed-method study employed a concurrent design, using a ten-question questionnaire developed by the researcher and validated by several experts. The sample consisted of textbooks from eight publishers, half Spanish and half international. The main objective was to identify how different publishers approached pronunciation activities in their textbooks. Results: The researcher conducted a Kruskal-Wallis test of the ten questions, analysing the results from the eight publishers for each question. The null hypothesis assumed that there was a normal distribution of data, while the alternative hypothesis posited that the means were different for each question. Discussion: The findings of this study confirm the research hypothesis, demonstrating that the publisher’s place of origin influences how pronunciation is treated in the textbooks. Conclusions: We examined how publishers included pronunciation in the textbooks. The study shows a clear relationship between the publisher’s country of origin and the emphasis placed on pronunciation in the textbook
Problem-size effect in 6 and 12-year-old children: from counting to memory retrieval
No full textCurrently, there is a heated debate regarding the cognitive processes involved in solving singledigit addition problems and their inherent problem-size effect. The problem-size effect corresponds to an increase in the solution times as the size of the operands increases, and two theoretical accounts (memory retrieval and automatized counting) have been proposed to explain this
effect. In the present study, we investigated the developmental changes behind the problem-size
effect to pit these accounts against each other. To do so, 61 first-grade and sixth-grade children
solved single-digit addition problems (with operands ranging from 0 to 9), and we scrutinized the
problem-size effect within both tie and non-tie problems. We observed that tie problems presented a problem-size effect in first-grade children and this effect disappeared by the sixth grade.
This is consistent with recent observations showing a developmental shift from counting to direct
memory retrieval for small tie problems (Bagnoud et al., 2021), and we extend these findings by
showing that this shift occurs at different speed for large ties. In contrast, non-tie problems always
presented a problem-size effect in the first-grade children and critically in the sixth-grade children. This is inconsistent with the automatized counting theory (Uittenhove et al., 2016), which
proposes different cognitive mechanisms for very-small and medium-small non-tie problems.
Conversely, our data are better accommodated by the memory retrieval accounts (e.g., Campbell,
1995), which posit that small non-tie additions are initially solved by algorithmic procedures, but
later transition to be solved by direct memory retrieval.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number
PID2019-111359GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)Predoctoral fellowship (reference number PRE2020-092085)University of Granada / CBUA (Open Access funding