Relaciones de la motivación con la metacognición y el desempeño en el rendimiento cognitivo en estudiantes de educación primaria / Links between motivation and metacognition and achievement in cognitive performance among primary school pupils

Diversas investigaciones destacan la importancia de la motivación en el rendimiento cognitivo y también la importancia de la motivación en la metacognición. El objetivo de esta investigación es indagar en las variables motivacionales que influyen en el rendimiento de tareas cognitivas y en la metacognición. La investigación se ha realizado en un colegio público de la Comunidad de Madrid. La muestra de este estudio corresponde a 354 alumnos de educación primaria, entre los 8 y 11 años de edad. Los instrumentos de medida seleccionados son: el cuestionario de Motivación hacia el Aprendizaje (MAPE-I), para las variables motivacionales; el Junior Meta-cognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI), para las variables metacognitivas y la batería de pruebas de Evaluación Neuropsicológica de las Funciones Ejecutivas en Niños (ENFEN), para la evaluación del rendimiento cognitivo. Los resultados obtenidos muestran efecto de la motivación de orientación al aprendizaje en relación con el rendimiento cognitivo en las pruebas que implican inhibición, flexibilidad y memoria operativa. También se observa efecto significativo entre la disposición al esfuerzo y la regulación del conocimiento. Igualmente, se analizan las relaciones entre las variables por curso para determinar el efecto de la edad. Se valoran las implicaciones educativas de los resultados

Sundry studies have emphasised the importance of motivation in cognitive performance, as well as its link to metacognitive development. The objective here is to explore the motivation variables that influence the performance of cognitive tasks, along with their effect on metacognition. The study sample consists of 354 primary school pupils aged 8-11 at a state school in the Community of Madrid (Spain). The following measuring instruments have been used for studying the variables: Motivación para el Aprendizaje y la Ejecución (MAPE-I) [Motivation for Learning and Execution], a questionnaire on motivation variables; the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI), for metacognitive variables, and the bat-tery of tests in the Evaluación Neuropsicológica de las Funciones Ejecutivas en Ni-ños (ENFEN) [Neuropsychological Assessment of Executive Functions in Children], for assessing cognitive performance. The results reveal a signifi-cant effect between the motivation for focusing on learning and cognitive performance in the tasks that involve inhibition, flexibility, and working memory. We also find a significant effect between increased effort and knowledge regulation. Furthermore, we analyse the relations between the variables by school year to determine the age effect. We evaluate the results' academic implications

A specialized reciprocal connectivity suggests a link between the mechanisms by which the superior colliculus and parabigeminal nucleus produce defensive behaviors in rodents.

The parabigeminal nucleus (PBG) is the mammalian homologue to the isthmic complex of other vertebrates. Optogenetic stimulation of the PBG induces freezing and escape in mice, a result thought to be caused by a PBG projection to the central nucleus of the amygdala. However, the isthmic complex, including the PBG, has been classically considered satellite nuclei of the Superior Colliculus (SC), which upon stimulation of its medial part also triggers fear and avoidance reactions. As the PBG-SC connectivity is not well characterized, we investigated whether the topology of the PBG projection to the SC could be related to the behavioral consequences of PBG stimulation. To that end, we performed immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and neural tracer injections in the SC and PBG in a diurnal rodent, the Octodon degus. We found that all PBG neurons expressed both glutamatergic and cholinergic markers and were distributed in clearly defined anterior (aPBG) and posterior (pPBG) subdivisions. The pPBG is connected reciprocally and topographically to the ipsilateral SC, whereas the aPBG receives afferent axons from the ipsilateral SC and projected exclusively to the contralateral SC. This contralateral projection forms a dense field of terminals that is restricted to the medial SC, in correspondence with the SC representation of the aerial binocular field which, we also found, in O. degus prompted escape reactions upon looming stimulation. Therefore, this specialized topography allows binocular interactions in the SC region controlling responses to aerial predators, suggesting a link between the mechanisms by which the SC and PBG produce defensive behaviors.

Enhanced UV-Reflection Facilitated a Shift in the Pollination System of the Red Poppy, Papaver rhoeas (Papaveraceae).

Evolutionary change is considered a major factor influencing the invasion of new habitats by plants. Yet, evidence on how such modifications promote range expansion remains rather limited. Here we investigated flower color modifications in the red poppy, Papaver rhoeas (Papaveraceae), as a result of its introduction into Central Europe and the impact of those modifications on its interactions with pollinators. We found that while flowers of Eastern Mediterranean poppies reflect exclusively in the red part of the spectrum, those of Central European poppies reflect both red and ultraviolet (UV) light. This change coincides with a shift from pollination by glaphyrid beetles (Glaphyridae) to bees. Glaphyrids have red-sensitive photoreceptors that are absent in bees, which therefore will not be attracted by colors of exclusively red-reflecting flowers. However, UV-reflecting flowers are easily detectable by bees, as revealed by visual modeling. In the North Mediterranean, flowers with low and high UV reflectance occur sympatrically. We hypothesize that Central European populations of P. rhoeas were initially polymorphic with respect to their flower color and that UV reflection drove a shift in the pollination system of P. rhoeas that facilitated its spread across Europe.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Xiphister atropurpureus (Perciformes: Stichaeidae).

Analysis of the marine black prickleback Xiphister atropurpureus Kittlitz using 76 bp paired-end Illumina sequences resulted in the assembly of its complete mitogenome. The mitogenome is 16,518 bp in length and contains an origin of light strand replication (OL), control region, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA, and 13 protein-coding genes. Content and organization of the X. atropurpureus mitogenome is consistent with other teleost. Phylogenetic analysis of X. atropurpureus resolves it in a clade with another member of the Stichaeidae, Chirolophis japonicus Herzenstein.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the horned lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from California, USA.

Analysis of Phrynosoma blainvillii Gray from Marina, Monterey County, California, using 150 bp paired-end Illumina sequences (Illumina, San Diego, CA) resulted in the assembly of its complete mitogenome. The mitogenome is 16,946 bp in length and contains a putative origin of light strand replication (OL), control region, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA, and 13 protein-coding genes. Its content and organization are similar to other Squamata. Phylogenetic analysis of P. blainvillii resolves it in a clade with P. sherbrookei Nieto-Montes de Oca, Arenas-Moreno, Beltrán-Sánchez & Leaché, sister in position to Uma notata Baird. Mitochondrial marker analysis of P. blainvillii from Marina shows that it belongs to a coastal Santa Lucia Mountain Range haplogroup that is distinct from other populations of P. blainvillii in California.

Early olfactory environment influences social behaviour in adult Octodon degus.

We evaluated the extent to which manipulation of early olfactory environment can influence social behaviours in the South American Hystricognath rodent Octodon degus. The early olfactory environment of newborn degus was manipulated by scenting all litter members with eucalyptol during the first month of life. The social behaviour of sexually mature animals (5-7 months old) towards conspecifics was then assessed using a y-maze to compare the response of control (naïve) and treated animals to two different olfactory configurations (experiment 1): (i) a non-familiarized conspecific impregnated with eucalyptol (eucalyptol arm) presented against (ii) a non-familiarized unscented conspecific (control arm). In addition, in dyadic encounters, we assessed the behaviour of control and eucalyptol treated animals towards a non-familiarized conspecific scented with eucalyptol (experiment 2). We found that control subjects explored and spent significantly less time in the eucalyptol arm, indicating neophobic behaviours towards the artificially scented conspecific. Treated subjects explored and spent similar time in both arms of the maze, showing the same interest for both olfactory stimuli presented. During dyadic encounters in experiment 2, an interaction effect between early experience and sex was observed. Control males escaped and avoided their scented partner more frequently than eucalyptol treated male subjects and than females. Both groups did not differ in the exploration of their scented partners, suggesting that avoidance within agonistic context does not relate to neophobic behaviours. Our results suggest that the exposure to eucalyptol during early ontogeny decreases evasive behaviours within an agonistic context as a result of olfactory learning. Altogether, these results indicate that olfactory cues learned in early ontogeny can influence olfactory-guided behaviours in adult degus.

Adherencia de los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica a las sesiones de hemodiálisis del Hospital Militar Central, Bogotá, D. C., 2006 2007 / Adhesion of hemodialysis sessions in patients with chronic kidney failure from Hospital Militar Central: Bogotá, D. C., 2006-2007

El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar la adherencia a las sesiones de hemodiálisis de 71 pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica (IRC), que asistieron a las sesiones programadas por el Hospital Militar Central, entre los meses de abril, mayo yjunio de 2007. Para recolectar la información se utilizaron dos cuestionarios: el primero, para caracterizar la población de estudio, y el segundo, para registrar la asistencia. En los resultados se halló un porcentaje de cumplimiento del 98.6 por ciento (1939 sesiones cumplidas de 1967 programadas); por tanto, sólo se incumplió el 1.4 por ciento (28) de las sesiones. Entre los factores que permitieron mantener la adherencia a las sesiones de hemodiálisis se identificaron: la concientización de estos pacientes sobre las consecuencias de la inasistencia a las sesiones de hemodiálisis, que los expone al descontrol de la enfermedad y a que el tratamiento sea ineficaz; la conformidad con el horario de las sesiones; la satisfacción con el personal de salud que los atiende y la aceptación de la enfermedad.