Mapping and modulating spatial attention asymmetries in young and older adults

Healthy young adults demonstrate a group-level, systematic preference for stimuli presented in the left side of space relative to the right (‘pseudoneglect’) (Bowers & Heilman, 1980). This results in an overestimation of features such as size, brightness, numerosity and spatial frequency in the left hemispace, probably as a result of right cerebral hemisphere dominance for visuospatial attention. This spatial attention asymmetry is reduced in the healthy older population, and can be shifted entirely into right hemispace under certain conditions. Although this rightward shift has been consistently documented in behavioural experiments, there is very little neuroimaging evidence to explain this effect at a neuroanatomical level. In this thesis, I used behavioural methodology and electroencephalography (EEG) to map spatial attention asymmetries in young and older adults. I then use transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate these spatial biases, with the aim of assessing age-related differences in response to tDCS. In the first of three experiments presented in this thesis, I report in Chapter Two that five different spatial attention tasks provide consistent intra-task measures of spatial bias in young adults across two testing days. There were, however, no inter-task correlations between the five tasks, indicating that pseudoneglect is at least partially driven by task-dependent patterns of neural activity. In Chapter Three, anodal tDCS was applied separately to the left (P5) and right (P6) posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in young and older adults, with an aim to improve the detection of stimuli appearing in the contralateral visual field. There were no age differences in response to tDCS, but there were significant differences depending on baseline performance. Relative to a sham tDCS protocol, tDCS applied to the right PPC resulted in maintained visual detection across both visual fields in adults who were good at the task at baseline. In contrast, left PPC tDCS resulted in reduced detection sensitivity across both visual fields in poor performers. Finally, in Chapter Four, I report a right-hemisphere lateralisation of EEG activity in young adults that was present for long (but not short) landmark task lines. In contrast, older adults demonstrated no lateralised activity for either line length, thus providing novel evidence of an age-related reduction of hemispheric asymmetry in older adults. The results of this thesis provide evidence of a highly complex set of factors that underlie spatial attention asymmetries in healthy young and older adults.

Diverticulosis y relación con el consumo de fibra en pacientes del Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana

Introducción: La diverticulosis es la condición más frecuentemente encontrada en la colonoscopia, condición asintomática, con un alto costo para el sistema de salud. Diversos factores han demostrado estar en relación con la aparición de la enfermedad. En nuestra población, esta información se desconoce; el objetivo del estudio es la caracterización de la población con diverticulosis y su relación con la frecuencia de la ingesta de fibra. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo de corte transversal con componente analítico. Realizado a todas las personas que asistieron al HUS a realización de colonoscopia entre Noviembre de 2015 y Abril de 2016. Se recolectaron datos de la frecuencia de fibra ingerida a través de entrevistas basadas. Resultados: Se estudiaron 278 personas, 55.7% mujeres. La prevalencia de diverticulosis fue de 21.58%, siendo más frecuente en mujeres ( 66,7%), 31% entre los 71-80 años, 2,16% tenían antecedente familiar de diverticulosis; principal sitio de afectación fue colon sigmoide en las mujeres y el colon descendente en los hombres. En las personas con diverticulosis el consumo de harina de trigo fue mayor (91,67% vs 86,7%), mientras el consumo de frutas fue mayor en las personas que no presentaron diverticulosis (83,49% vs 78,33%). Conclusiones: La prevalencia de diverticulosis es similar a lo reportado en la literatura. Así mismo se encontró un mayor consumo de fibra en la población sin divertículos lo que hace pensar que a pesar de que esta condición es multifactorial , el consumo de mayores cantidades de fibra puede prevenir la aparición de la misma

La cooperación internacional para el desarrollo como mecanismo de posicionamiento regional. Estudio de caso: cooperación sur-sur Turquía a los Balcanes durante el gobierno del akp (2003-2014)

El interés del presente Estudio de Caso es analizar la Cooperación Internacional Turca en un marco de Cooperación Sur – Sur con la Región de los Balcanes, específicamente con: Albania y Bosnia y Herzegovina. Entendiendo las dinámicas históricas que tiene la región con el Imperio Turco Otomano; las reformas internas realizadas por el partido AKP de Turquía y la fortaleza en política Exterior de éste evidenciada a través del Poder Blando de los Proyectos de Cooperación Internacional, se busca entender si la Cooperación sirvió como un mecanismo de posicionamiento como líder de Turquía en la región, ayudándole a autoproclamarse como tal utilizando mecanismos de exposición de habilidades, capacidades y recursos entre los años 2003 y 2014.

Os contratos de autonomia na gestão dos agrupamentos de escola em Portugal: uma análise a partir da perceção dos atores

No final da década de 70 a reforma da Administração Pública surge como preocupação dos governos. No início dos anos 80 a adoção da doutrina da Nova Gestão Publica, foi um dos acontecimentos mais marcantes para a administração pública dos países da Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Economico. A reforma na Administração Pública em Portugal iniciou-se após a rutura política e social de 1974. No início de 1986 Portugal entra para Comunidade Económica Europeia, o que representou uma maior abertura económica e um aumento na confiança interna da população, observando-se um avanço em termos de concretização de muitos direito sociais, entre outros, na educação. A modernização da administração pública na componente referente à área da educação, iniciou-se no final do ano de 1986, através da Lei de Base do Sistema Educativo, dando origem à descentralização dos serviços, introduzindo-se o conceito de autonomia. Os contratos de autonomia no meio escolar, são processos de administração que não influenciam os seus intervenientes, na realização das atividades pedagógicas, administrativas e gestionárias. Este estudo demonstra a opinião dos vários grupos que compõem um estabelecimento de ensino público Português. Na opinião da amostra deste estudo, os contratos de autonomia não são portadores de benefícios ou prejuízos para os estabelecimentos escolares, seja a nível pedagógico, a nível dos recursos humanos ou a nível administrativo e financeiro; Abstract: Contracts of autonomy in the management of grouping of schools in Portugal: An analysis based on the perception of the actors. At the end of the 70 the reform of public administration arises as a concern of governments. In the early 80s the adoption of the doctrine of the New Public Management, was one of the most important events for the public administration of the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development countries. The reform in Public Administration in Portugal began after the political and social rupture of 1974. In the beginning of 1986 Portugal joins the European Economic Community, which represented a greater economic openness and an increase in internal confidence of the population, shown by a progress in terms of implementation of many social rights, among others, in education. The modernization of public administration in the field of education began at the end of 1986 through the Basic Law of Education, leading to the decentralization of services, introducing therefore the concept of autonomy. Autonomy contracts in schools are management processes that do not influence their stakeholders in achieving the educational, administrative and management activities. This study shows the opinion of the various groups that form an establishment of Portuguese public education. According to the sample, the autonomy contracts don’t bring benefits or losses to schools, as far as educational practices and human resources are concerned, as well as on a financial and administrative level.

Matrimonio y vida cotidiana en el gravamen central costarricense (1851-1899)

ResumenEstudio basado en fuentes del Archivo de la Curia Metropolitana. Analiza la doctrina de la Iglesia Católica respecto al matrimonio, cómo son las relaciones matrimoniales en el gravamen central en la segunda mitad del S. XIX, los roles asignados al marido y a la mujer, así como las principales desviaciones: servicia, adulterio y problemas ocasionados por el alcoholismo.AbstractThis article is based on sources from the archives of the Catholic Church. It focuses on the doctrine of the Catholic Church regarding marriage, and on actual marital relations in the central graven of Costa Rica, during the second half of the nineteenth century, It also includes a discussion of the roles assigned to husband and wife, as well as the main deviant behaviours: extreme cruelty, adultery and problems caused by alcoholism.

Espionaje y política: la guerra fría y la inteligencia policial uruguaya, 1947-64

Fundamentalmente basado en documentación del Archivo de la Dirección Nacional de Información c Inteligencia de la Policía de Montevideo, este artículo resume una investigación que pretende contribuir en el avance de una "revaloración" de la frecuentada "excepcionalidad democrática" del Uruguay. Para ello, en el texto se documentan los orígenes y evolución de las sistemáticas estrategias de control desplegadas por el Estado uruguayo desde la persecución de "actividades comunistas" en los años 40 hasta la conformación de la doctrina de abatimiento del "enemigo interno" en los 60.Abstract:This article, mainly based on documents from the Archives of National Burcau of Information and Intelligence Police of Montevideo, summarizes research that aims to contribute to the "revaluation" of the popu­lar "democratic exceptionalism" of Uruguay. To do this, this essay documents the origins and evolution of the systematic control strategies deployed by the Uruguayan State since the persecution of "Communist activities" during the 1940s to the formation of the doctrine of abatement "internal enemy" at the 1960s. 

Existencia del derecho penal del enemigo en el derecho penal internacional

Sin duda alguna, el debate sobre el derecho penal del enemigo es una cuestión que está revolucio­nando el mundo del derecho, en general, y el derecho internacional en particular. Es un debate de actualidad que está llamando la atención de la comunidad académica, en tanto se plantea y se avizora un problema de fondo, en cuanto a la efectiva protección de los derechos humanos, por encima de un discurso de seguridad, que se viene planteando como eje central en la comunidad internacional, en la lucha contra el terrorismo y como estrategia jurídico-política al interior de Estados que dicen llamarse democráticos. Esta situación está revolucionando desde cualquier punto de vista la concepción tradicional del derecho, violentando flagrantemente la dignidad humana como eje central del Estado Social de Derecho, al poner en práctica lo que Jakobs denomina “dere­cho penal del enemigo”, práctica que también se viene fortaleciendo y traspasándose del ejercicio del ius puniendi de los Estados, como manifestación de soberanía, al derecho penal internacional.Abstract Without any doubt, the debate about the penal right of the enemy is a question that is revolutionizing the world of law in a general level, and international right in particular. It is a current debate that is drawing the attention of the academic community, as it poses as a basic problem: the effective protection of the human rights, over a security discourse which is presented as central in the international community in the fight against terrorism, and as a legal-political strategy to the interior of the so called democratic States. This situation is revolutionizing, from different points of view, the traditional conception of law, flagrantly violenting the human dignity as the central axis of the Social State of Right, putting in practice what Jakobs denominates “Criminal law for the enemy”. This practice is being fortified and transferring from the exercise of ius puniendi of the States, as manifestation of sovereignty, to the international penal right.