Intolerance of uncertainty modulates the insensitivity to reinforcer devaluation found in an avoidance task

The reinforcer devaluation paradigm has been regarded as a canonical paradigm to detect habit-like behavior in animal and human instrumental learning. Though less studied, avoidance situations set a scenario where habit-like behavior may be of great experimental and clinical interest. On the other hand, proactive intolerance of uncertainty has been shown as a factor facilitating responses in uncertain situations. Thus, avoidance situations in which uncertainty is favoured, may be taken as a relevant paradigm to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty as a facilitatory factor for habit-like behavior to occur. In our experiment we used a free-operant discriminative avoidance procedure to implement a devaluation paradigm. Participants learned to avoid an aversive noise presented either to the right or to the left ear by pressing two different keys. After a devaluation phase where the volume of one of the noises was reduced, they went through a test phase identical to the avoidance phase except for the fact that the noise was never administered. Sensitivity to reinforcer devaluation was examined by comparing the response rate to the cue associated to the devalued reinforcer with that to the cue associated to the still aversive reinforcer. The results showed that intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated to insensitivity to reinforcer devaluation. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and clinical implications of the habit-like behavior obtained in our avoidance procedure.

La construcción social del género en la cultura musical pop: una oportunidad para abordar el sexismo en la educación superior.

Nuestro trabajo tiene como principal objetivo explicar los problemas detectados en el futuro profesorado en relación al desconocimiento y/o a la distorsión del movimiento feminista y los debates en torno al género, que tienen relación directa en ocasiones con la imagen proyectada de mujeres y hombres en los medios de comunicación. Para paliar estas deficiencias, así como para promover la alfabetización mediática entre el alumnado, hemos optado por incorporar a los contenidos de las distintas asignaturas del área de Didáctica de las Ciencias Sociales, tanto de grado como máster, la lectura y la interpretación de textos audiovisuales, concretamente aquellos producidos por la industria musical hegemónica estadounidense, los vídeos musicales de las cantantes pop más seguidas actualmente como Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor, Jennifer López, Alicia Keys y el grupo Fifth Harmony. De este modo, incorporamos no sólo alta cultura sino también la cultura musical pop o cultura mediática, esencial en una sociedad en la que la ciudadanía está continuamente expuesta y contaminada visualmente por dichos medios audiovisuales

Intolerance of uncertainty predisposes to avoidance habit acquisition

Many mental disorders are characterised by the presence of compulsions and incontrollable habits. Most studies on habit learning, both in animals and in humans, are based on positive reinforcement paradigms. However, the compulsions and habits involved in some mental disorders may be better understood as avoidance behaviours, which involve some peculiarities, such as anxiety states, that have been shown to promote habitual responses. Consequently, we studied habit acquisition by using a free-operant discriminated avoidance procedure. Furthermore, we checked whether intolerance of uncertainty could predispose to avoidance habit acquisition. Participants learned to avoid an aversive noise presented either to the right or to the left ear by pressing two different keys. After a devaluation phase where the volume of the noise presented to one of the ears was reduced, participants went through a test phase identical to the avoidance learning phase except for the fact that the noise was never administered. Habit acquisition was inferred by comparing the rate of responses to the stimulus signalling the devalued reinforcer and to the stimulus signalling the non-devalued reinforcer. The results showed that intolerance of uncertainty was related to the absence of differences between the referred conditions, which entail avoidance habit acquisition.

Genetic Structure of the Florida Key Tree Cactus, Pilosocereus robinii, using Restriction Site associated DNA (RAD) markers

Rare plant conservation efforts must utilize current genetic methods to ensure the evolutionary potential of populations is preserved. One such effort involves the Key Tree Cactus, Pilosocereus robinii, which is an endangered columnar cactus native to the Florida Keys. The populations have precipitously declined over the past decade because of habitat loss and increasing soil salinity from rising sea levels and storm surge. Next-generation DNA sequencing was used to assess the genetic structure of the populations. Twenty individuals representative of both wild and extirpated cacti were chosen for Restriction Site Associated DNA (RAD) analysis. Samples processed using the HindIII and NotIII restriction enzymes produced 82,382,440 high quality reads used for genetic mapping, from which 5,265 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered. The analysis revealed that the Keys’ populations are closely related with little population differentiation. In addition, the populations display evidence of inbreeding and low genetic diversity.

Simultaneous optimization of colloidal stability and interfacial charge transfer efficiency in photocatalytic Pt/CdS nanocrystals

Colloidal stability and efficient interfacial charge transfer in semiconductor nanocrystals are of great importance for photocatalytic applications in aqueous solution since they provide long-term functionality and high photocatalytic activity, respectively. However, colloidal stability and interfacial charge transfer efficiency are difficult to optimize simultaneously since the ligand layer often acts as both a shell stabilizing the nanocrystals in colloidal suspension and a barrier reducing the efficiency of interfacial charge transfer. Here, we show that, for cysteine-coated, Pt-decorated CdS nanocrystals and Na2SO3 as hole scavenger, triethanolamine (TEOA) replaces the original cysteine ligands in situ and prolongs the highly efficient and steady H2 evolution period by more than a factor of 10. It is shown that Na2SO3 is consumed during H2 generation while TEOA makes no significant contribution to the H2 generation. An apparent quantum yield of 31.5%, a turnover frequency of 0.11 H2/Pt/s, and an interfacial charge transfer rate faster than 0.3 ps were achieved in the TEOA stabilized system. The short length, branched structure and weak binding of TEOA to CdS as well as sufficient free TEOA in the solution are the keys to enhancing colloidal stability and maintaining efficient interfacial charge transfer at the same time. Additionally, TEOA is commercially available and cheap, and we anticipate that this approach can be widely applied in many photocatalytic applications involving colloidal nanocrystals.

Biodiversidad estacional del macrozoobentos mesolitoral de fondos blandos en la playa de Salaverry, La Libertad – Perú

La biodiversidad del macrozoobentos en el mesolitoral de la playa de Salaverry se determinó durante setiembre 2015 a marzo 2016. Se establecieron cuatro transectos (A, B, C y D) y se fijaron tres estaciones. Además se determinó la biodiversidad estacional a través de los índices de Shannon - Wiener (H'), Margalef (d'), Equidad de Pielou (J'), Simpson (λ) y de Similitud de Bray- Curtis. Las muestras fueron colectadas quincenalmente, utilizando un cilindro de Penchaszadeh de 0,028 m2. Asi también se tomaron datos de temperatura, salinidad y granulometría. Las especies se identificaron utilizando claves taxonómicas de invertebrados marinos. Se registraron especies de las clases Polychaeta, Nemertea, Gastropoda, Bivalvia y Malacostraca (Subphylum Crustacea). La biodiversidad del macrozoobentos para primavera fue de 2,51 bits/ind y para verano de 1,91 bits/ind con una riqueza de 22 especies.

Knightly Masculinity, Court Games and Material Culture in Late Medieval Portugal: The case of Constable Afonso (c. 1480–1504)

This article explores the ways in which gender was used in order to transform an exiled and uneducated illegitimate child into a prince. Our study revolves around a member of the royal family, Afonso (c.1480–1504), who was brought up in hiding by peasants and who later, as a teenager, was reincorporated into the court. We argue that the keys to this process of rehabilitation were, on one hand, family politics centred around different configurations and on the other, his introduction into a court environment marked by the ideals of chivalry. Within this dynamic, material culture played a key role, because it gave the prince all the visual attributes of his new status, as well as allowing him the means to create a new self. We shall briefly introduce Afonso and his family context in order to give an insight into his life within changing political and dynastic contexts. Then, we will analyse the expression of manhood in the Portuguese court, using the spectacles at the court as a basis for observation, thus relating gender to material culture in a courtly environment.

La educación mediada por el mundo. Pistas para la promoción de prácticas educativas descolonizadoras

The educational processes are seen in this paper as “places” of colonization and freedom. Thus, the educational goals that have been assigned to education would condition the liberating possibilities of the teaching processes. As a result, the author suggests –from the interculturality paradigm– a series of keys for constructing both decolonized and decolonizing educational mediations.

CORREDORES ECOLÓGICOS DA MATA ATLÂNTICA: VISÃO INTEGRADORA DO PLANEJAMENTO TERRITORIAL NO CONTÍNUO DE PARANAPIACABA -ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - BRASIL

La visión bioregional de la conservación es reciente en Brasil. El planeamiento de mosaicos de las áreas protegidas con las intervenciones previstas en la zona tapón es un alternativa para corregir los dibujos actuales de áreas de protección. Lo Continuum Ecológico de Paranapicaba en el estado de Sâo Paulo (Brasil) se puede considerar uno de los corredores restantes más importantes de Mata Atlântica, reducidos hoy solamente a 7.3% de su extensión original. El Continuum Ecológico de Paranapiacaba tiene un alto nivel de biodiversidad. Se caracteriza por la vegetación que presenta gran diversidad estructural, y por lo tanto, así como  la presencia de  las  especie-llaves  endémicas, que  requieren  los  esfuerzos  efcientes para su conservación. Las estrategias que vienen siendo adoptados por  los parceiros de  la conservación buscan demostrar que es posible construir las ofertas adecuadas del uso y de la exploración sostenible de los recursos naturales. El empalme de algunas iniciativas socioambientales con el mosaico de las unidades de conservación, busca una “buena vecindad” a las unidades de la conservación que se hallan en el área-núcleo del Continuum. Palabras clave: Mata Atlântica, bosque lluvioso, buffer zone, conservación, áreas protegidas Abstract The bioregional vision of the conservation is recent in Brazil. The planning of mosaics of areas protected with interventions planned in the buffer zone is an alternative to correct the current drawings of Protecting Areas. The ecological Continuum of Paranapicaba in  the State of São Paulo  (Brazil) can be considered one of  the most  important  remaining corridors of Atlantic Rainforest, today reduced only 7.3% of its original extension. High level of biodiversity  is characterized by forest vegetation  that presents great structural diversity, and consequently, as well as presence of endemic species-keys, that require effcient efforts for its conservation. The strategies that come being adopted for partners of the conservation search to demonstrate that it is possible to construct to adequate proposals of use and sustainable exploration of the natural resources. The joint of the some social-environmental initiatives with the mosaic of Units of Conservation, searchs to construct a “good neighborhood” to the Units of Conservation that if fnd in the area-nucleus of Continuum.Key words: Mata Atlântica, rainforest, buffer zone, conservation, áreas protegidas

Ellen Key e la rete delle scuole nuove in Europa (1899-1914)

La ricerca parte dall’intento di indagare le relazioni che intrattenne Ellen Key con i fondatori delle scuole nuove in Europa a cavallo del Novecento e il contributo che lei offrì alla loro disseminazione. All’inizio del Novecento Ellen Key era al centro del dibattito pedagogico e femminista, non solo in Svezia ma in tutta l’Europa Centrale e anche in Italia, dove compì lunghi soggiorni (1900-1901 e 1906-1908). La pedagoga svedese fu un’intellettuale che sostenne strenuamente la libertà di espressione e di stampa, fu promotrice di una Carta dei diritti dei bambini e fautrice di politiche sociali per la protezione della maternità e della relazione madre-bambino. Al volgere del Ventesimo secolo si verificò l’emergere di una serie di esperimenti pedagogici innovativi che presero le mosse dalla Abbotsholme school fondata da Cecil Reddie, nel 1889, e si diffusero in Francia con la fondazione della Ecole des Roches da parte di Edmond Demolins, in Germania con le scuole di campagna (Landerziehungsheime di Ilseburg, Haubinda e Bieberstein) fondate da Hermann Lietz, la comunità scolastica di Wickersdorf e la Odenwaldschule di Paul Geheeb. Ellen Key si relazionò con questi importanti esperimenti pedagogici e, grazie ai suoi continui spostamenti, visitò alcune scuole nuove. Nello specifico la ricerca prende le mosse dall’analisi dei manoscritti e dei carteggi del fondo Ellen Key, presso la Biblioteca Reale di Stoccolma e la biblioteca privata di Ellen Key a Villa Strand. Dai documenti analizzati emerge come la scrittrice svedese, abbia assunto un ruolo di mediatrice per la disseminazione delle Scuole Nuove che nei primissimi anni del Novecento raggiunsero un elevato grado di diffusione.

Forme (形 XING) e Visioni (象 XIANG): Nuove prospettive di ricerca per una storia comparata della Screendance in Europa e in Cina

La presente tesi si propone di trattare il soggetto della screendance, giovane disciplina in continua definizione nata combinando cinema e coreografia, da una prospettiva alternativa, coerente con le ultime trasformazioni sociali. La ricerca, suddivisa in quattro parti, inizia da una ricognizione critica sulla terminologia utilizzata per indicare la screendance nel suo sviluppo storico in Europa e in Cina durante il XX secolo. Adoperando una metodologia basata sugli strumenti della storiografia comparativa, vengono utilizzati come chiavi di lettura i due concetti taoisti di xiang o visione e xing o forma, l’uno riferito al contesto culturale, storico e artistico di una data società umana in un dato periodo storico, e l’altro alludente alle forme artistiche specifiche definite da quei principi. Nel focalizzarsi sul confronto tra i differenti sviluppi della screendance nel corso del XX secolo in Europa e in Cina, nella seconda parte, la tesi affronta una comparazione diacronica delle trasformazioni di xiang delle due aree geografiche, insieme a una comparazione sincronica delle xing, rendendo più evidenti analogie e divergenze di numerosi case studies occidentali e cinesi.  Uno sguardo sul panorama europeo, attento alle differenze nella disseminazione della screendance attraverso i festival in Gran Bretagna, Francia, Belgio e Italia, costituisce il focus della terza parte. Con la quarta ed ultima parte, la tesi riserva ampio spazio alla disamina della situazione contemporanea della screendance, seguendone la diffusione negli ultimi quattro decenni attraverso i festival e, più recentemente, i nuovi canali social di creazione e condivisione di contenuti video, e prospettando un futuro in cui la realtà della screendance europea e quella cinese potranno confrontare le proprie identità culturali. Il ricco apparato documentario include un elenco dei festival di screendance europei e cinesi, e una serie di interviste inedite ai maggiori operatori e professionisti del settore, italiani ed europei.

Ray-tracing assessment of the robustness of Physical Layer Security key generation protocol

Nowadays, information security is a very important topic. In particular, wireless networks are experiencing an ongoing widespread diffusion, also thanks the increasing number of Internet Of Things devices, which generate and transmit a lot of data: protecting wireless communications is of fundamental importance, possibly through an easy but secure method. Physical Layer Security is an umbrella of techniques that leverages the characteristic of the wireless channel to generate security for the transmission. In particular, the Physical Layer based-Key generation aims at allowing two users to generate a random symmetric keys in an autonomous way, hence without the aid of a trusted third entity. Physical Layer based-Key generation relies on observations of the wireless channel, from which harvesting entropy: however, an attacker might possesses a channel simulator, for example a Ray Tracing simulator, to replicate the channel between the legitimate users, in order to guess the secret key and break the security of the communication. This thesis work is focused on the possibility to carry out a so called Ray Tracing attack: the method utilized for the assessment consist of a set of channel measurements, in different channel conditions, that are then compared with the simulated channel from the ray tracing, to compute the mutual information between the measurements and simulations. Furthermore, it is also presented the possibility of using the Ray Tracing as a tool to evaluate the impact of channel parameters (e.g. the bandwidth or the directivity of the antenna) on the Physical Layer based-Key generation. The measurements have been carried out at the Barkhausen Institut gGmbH in Dresden (GE), in the framework of the existing cooperation agreement between BI and the Dept. of Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering "G. Marconi" (DEI) at the University of Bologna.

Estudio político-criminal y dogmático sobre los delitos de financiación ilegal de partidos políticos

En el año 2012, el legislador español modificó el artículo 31 bis CP de modo que los partidos políticos quedaban sometidos al régimen de responsabilidad penal previsto para las personas jurídicas, tras haber sido excluidos del mismo en el año 2010. Tres años más tarde, en 2015, fruto del Plan de Regeneración Democrática del Partido Popular, se aprobó la última reforma al sistema de financiación de los partidos políticos, en la que se prohibieron las donaciones procedentes de personas jurídicas o se limitó la cantidad máxima donada por una persona física a 50.000 euros anuales. Ese mismo año 2015, se introdujeron en nuestro ordenamiento jurídico los delitos de financiación ilegal de los partidos políticos. Este conjunto de reformas dibujó un panorama completamente renovado en el ámbito de la financiación ilícita de las formaciones políticas. Así pues, el presente trabajo constituye un estudio omnicomprensivo en el que se busca analizar el fenómeno de la financiación ilegal de los partidos políticos en su conjunto, desde la regulación administrativa de la financiación de las formaciones políticas, hasta los nuevos tipos penales de financiación ilegal y la compleja aplicación del régimen de responsabilidad criminal de las personas jurídicas a las organizaciones partidistas. En este sentido, nuestro fin último ha sido aportar las claves interpretativas necesarias para que los operadores jurídicos puedan hacer frente a los distintos supuestos de financiación ilegal de los partidos políticos.

Cyber threat intelligence: identifying hardcoded secrets in GitHub

The usage of version control systems and the capabilities of storing the source code in public platforms such as GitHub increased the number of passwords, API Keys and tokens that can be found and used causing a massive security issue for people and companies. In this project, SAP's secret scanner Credential Digger is presented. How it can scan repositories to detect hardcoded secrets and how it manages to filter out the false positives between them. Moreover, how I have implemented the Credential Digger's pre-commit hook. A performance comparison between three different implementations of the hook based on how it interacts with the Machine Learning model is presented. This project also includes how it is possible to use already detected credentials to decrease the number false positive by leveraging the similarity between leaks by using the Bucket System.