National University of Distance Education

We describe an as yet unidentified bias relevant to comparative cognition research: WEIRD-centrism. This bias leads us to take as the gold standard the practices, capacities, or concepts of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) humans, that is, humans who grew up in WEIRD societies and whose behavior has been shaped by the influence of WEIRD cultural norms and practices. We identify how the bias impacts the study of practices, capacities, and concepts, and offer two suggestions for mitigating the bias. The first is to use what we are calling a multibaseline approach, which involves starting with constructs that come not from our experiences as humans, but from our growing understanding of other species. The second is to make use of philosophical analysis and conceptual engineering, which includes identifying minimal concepts of psychological capacities as well as a dimensional approach that depicts the many ways in which a capacity can be instantiated. We hope that these tools will allow us to better understand the similarities and differences both within and between species.

Accurate temporal expression normalization, the process of assigning a numerical value to a temporal expression, is essential for tasks such as timeline creation and temporal reasoning. While rule-based normalization systems are limited in adaptability across different domains and languages, deep-learning solutions in this area have not been extensively explored. An additional challenge is the scarcity of manually annotated corpora with temporal annotations. To address the adaptability limitations of current systems, we propose a highly adaptable methodology that can be applied to multiple domains and languages. This can be achieved by leveraging a multilingual Pre-trained Language Model (PTLM) with a fill-mask architecture, using a Value Intermediate Representation (VIR) where the temporal expression value format is adjusted to the fill-mask representation. Our approach involves a two-phase training process. Initially, the model is trained with a novel masking policy on a large English biomedical corpus that is automatically annotated with normalized temporal expressions, along with a complementary hand-crafted temporal expressions corpus. This addresses the lack of manually annotated data and helps to achieve sufficient capacity for adaptation to diverse domains or languages. In the second phase, we show how the model can be tailored to different domains and languages using various techniques, showcasing the versatility of the proposed methodology. This approach significantly outperforms existing systems.

Despite the proportion of older people caring to someone aged 65 + is increasing worldwide, the research about the impact of caregiving on health remains focused on intergenerational support. This study conducts a scoping review to explore the international evidence about how caring affects the older carers’ health, identifying the knowledge gaps and future lines of research. The study performs a scoping review of 12 studies published between 2010 and 2022, conducted following the five-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. Evidence so far revealed that caregiving has a negative impact on the physical, mental, and emotional health of the older caregivers. However, positive health outcomes were also observed. The impact of caregiving on older carers’ health is an emerging research topic that needs further theoretical and methodological developments, as well as multidisciplinary approaches, to advance in the understanding about how caregiving affect older carers’ health.

Anomalous experiences are often viewed as red flags for psychosis—yet many individuals who report them show no signs of clinical disorder. This study reveals a paradox: traits associated with the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) do not increase Anomalous Perceived Phenomena (APP). Instead, when considered within the Psychosis Continuum Model (PCM), sensitivity appears to act as a suppressor. Drawing on data from 1215 adults, we tested the Integrated Temperamental-Sensitivity Theory of Anomalous Experience (ITSTAE), a multifactorial model integrating temperament, HSP traits, and PCM dynamics. As expected, psychotic traits predicted higher APP scores. However, HSP traits only became predictive when moderated by PCM—and notably, the effect was negative. The more sensitive the individual, the fewer anomalous perceptions they reported under psychotic pressure. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) confirmed the model’s fit, with explained variance in APP rising from 47.1% to 61.4% when PCM mediation was included. Multitrait-Multimethod (MTMM) analyses further validated the conceptual independence of HSP and PCM. These findings challenge psychiatric reductionism and suggest a more nuanced, non-pathologizing lens on altered perception. Far from signaling fragility, heightened sensitivity may serve as a buffer—a cognitive shield—against psychosis-linked anomalous experiences. This model reframes sensitivity not as vulnerability, but as a form of psychological complexity.

Objective This review provides a foundational overview on the relationship between the gut microbiome (GM) and borderline personality disorder (BPD), first inquiring into the etiology of BPD, then examining the role of the GM and its microbial products on the pathophysiology of BPD, and finally exploring microbial associations with personality traits across childhood and adulthood. Method A non-systematic, narrative approach is employed. The literature search was conducted across the PubMed and Scopus databases without restrictions on language and publication date. Main Findings The development of BPD is influenced by the interaction of biological and psychosocial factors, especially genetic predisposition and adverse childhood experiences. Specific gut microorganisms and their products play important roles in host mechanisms, modulating the host immune system, regulating inflammatory processes, and influencing brain function and behavior. Conclusions Current evidence indicates that the etiology and symptoms of BPD involve disruptions and imbalances within the GM, as it generates metabolites capable of influencing brain functions via pathways such as the vagus nerve and immune system. Undoubtedly, more studies will be necessary to establish further evidence on the role of the GM in BPD.

The “Anthropocene” is not an innocent and neutral scientific characterization of a geological period, but rather the original title of a meta-narrative that relates, organizes, and comprehensively explains a diversity of events, from rising temperatures to human gene editing. In this narrative, the concepts of Nature and human being, the anthropological characterization of humanity, undergo a profound and dangerous transformation due to the axiological centrality of technology.

This paper assesses the potential of Indigenous youth to conserve their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and their perceptions of biodiversity conservation. We used the Nature’s Contributions to People framework to explore and co-identify with Indigenous co-authors the contributions that Indigenous youth recognize as related to traditional knowledge. There is a lack of evidence in global south literature regarding Indigenous youth and their relationship with nature, especially within the context of rural–urban mobility when attending universities. We interviewed 11 Indigenous undergraduate students from the Indigenous Lands of Paraná, Brazil, whose territories are affected by socioeconomic pressures and external drivers of deforestation and cultural heritage loss. Indigenous students self-reported that they disseminate and document traditional knowledge through academic projects while living in the city. The situation in their communities diverges from these urban experiences, especially concerning the differences between memories of the traditional practices and the current context. These young people are returning to the communities, developing projects and combining Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge to address local challenges. Yet they remain excluded from local decision-making processes. Through their narratives, we, as researchers, gained insights into sustainable practices that can help address the loss of TEK and its linkages to forest degradation.

The aim of this paper is to propose a set of dimensions and indicators to measure the incidence and trends of unmet social needs related to well-being and aggregate them into a composite index (USNI). We contribute to the current literature on the measurement of social needs through broader and more systematic indicators based on the principles of access, quality, and equity. Using different microdata sources, we take a selected sample of European countries that are representative of different welfare regimes to illustrate the possibilities of this proposal. Our results are not very sensitive to the use of different weighting schemes or aggregation methods and show that the degree of unmet needs is related to the country’s type of welfare regime.

Reverse vaccinology is a time- and cost-effective approach to identify potential vaccinable antigens for further in vivo experimental validation. Despite its wide application to multiple organisms, the use of in silico vaccine development tools to parasitic nematodes has been limited. Herein, we have used the rodent hookworm Nippostrongylus brasiliensis as a mouse model for the human hookworm Necator americanus to identify potential vaccine candidates against the latter. Our strategy combined advanced bioinformatic evaluations with knowledge-based criteria. A cumulative rating of antigenic properties was performed resulting in a global prioritization scoring for an updated N. brasiliensis proteome of 22,796 proteins assigned. Evaluation criteria included homology to the human counterpart N. americanus, absence of mammalian homologs, cellular location by computational predictors, as well as mass spectrometry data, proteolytic activity of the evaluated protein within the parasite, presence of conserved domains, predicted humoral epitopes, and MHC class II epitope population coverage. To assign one global score representing these characteristics, cumulative scoring was performed. This analysis provided a group of 56 potential candidates, including 11 proteins associated with parasite survival and establishment. Remarkably, the second highest score was assigned to an aspartic protease homologous of the N. americanus vaccine-candidate Na-APR-1, which supports the relevance of this approach. Allergenicity and toxicity of the selected molecules were also predicted to anticipate side effects of future candidates. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights for the rational design of new vaccines against N. americanus, the results of which, however, must be validated in vivo.

Behavior is dynamic because it results from the interactions between organisms and their environment. Reinforcement is the primary mechanism for explaining behavior, and it has evolved in various ways, allowing for the explanation of different aspects of behavior acquisition and maintenance. The adequacy of reinforcement in explaining behavior acquisition has mostly been tested on target behaviors. However, a broader understanding of behavior requires accounting not only for target behaviors but for all behaviors in a given situation. This article presents several experiments showcasing schedule-induced behaviors to analyze the variables that determine which behaviors are acquired and how they are organized. First, the effects of both physical and contingency-based constraints on the organization of behavior are examined. Second, the role of competition and collaboration between behaviors in determining their distribution is discussed. Third, a dual effect of reinforcers on behavioral patterns is proposed. It is concluded that behaviors interact with one another and with environmental stimuli, and behavioral patterns are continuously induced, updated, and reinforced. Data in this article highlight the need to focus on the moment-to-moment updating of behavioral patterns to fully understand behavioral dynamics.

Dietary diversity in pregnant women is key for maternal health and newborn growth and development. Food insecurity is one of the determinants of poor quality diets and can be measured by several indicators, but evidence of its association with dietary diversity in pregnant women is limited. We assessed the effect of food insecurity measured by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and by the household dietary diversity score (HDDS) on pregnant women's dietary diversity score in four rural areas of South Angola, using the baseline survey data of the MuCCUA trial (“Mother and Child Chronic Undernutrition in Angola” study). We constructed separate estimation models for each food insecurity indicator and adjusted for confounders on the overall sample and by “commune”. Among 1379 pregnant women, only 6.7% met the minimum dietary diversity for women, 78.3% of the households experienced moderate/severe food insecurity as measured by FIES and 73.8% showed food insecurity reflected by a low HDDS. Significant negative effects were found between food insecurity measured by low HDDS and pregnant women's dietary diversity after adjusting for confounders, in all the models. Experiencing moderate/severe food insecurity as measured by FIES (FIESmodsev) also had a negative effect on pregnant women's dietary diversity overall, but the effect was only maintained in two communes. Results were similar for severe food insecurity (FIESsev) but effect was lost after adjusting for confounders in three communes. Although low HDDS, FIESmodsev and FIESsev showed similar prevalences of food insecurity, their impact on pregnant women's dietary diversity was different in terms of strength and significance. Addressing food insecurity should be considered when designing multifaceted interventions for improving dietary diversity in pregnant women. Trial registration: Clinical Trials NCT05571280. Registered 7 October 2022.

Several studies argue that disabled people are trapped between being only desired in spite of impairment/disability or, alternatively, precisely because of it . In the latter case, disabled bodies are fetishized by ‘devotees’. The aims of this paper are (1) to theoretically examine how desire for impaired and disabled bodies and specifically devoteeism are conceptually constructed at the intersection of ableism and heterosexism and (2) to empirically explore how amputees experience and conceptualize their bodies as objects of sexual desire, the role of consent and how this relates to (or resists) the devotee narrative. To do that, we draw on a qualitative interview‐based study on the differences between six heterosexual men and women with amputations. The findings are divided into three themes: (1) Consent as a rhetorical device that condones devoteeism in an abstract way that does not necessarily problematize the undesirability of disability. (2) The intersection between gender and dis/ability regarding gendered understandings of ‘the devotee’. (3) Cripping desire and gender roles beyond devoteeism. In conclusion, devoteeism can be understood as a codification of desire that is simultaneously a product of ableism and heterosexism, and individuals with impairments ‘crip’ these oppressive systems by expanding desire beyond devoteeism.

Academic performance is a factor of concern and interest in the educational context for the improvement of the educational and economic system of any country. Determining the factors influencing it has been the subject of multiple investigations. This studyfocused on analysing which dimensions of school resilience could act as determinants of academic performance in a sample of 609 Spanish secondary education students, aged between 11 and 17 years. The School Resilience Scale (SRS) was used as a data collection instrument. The data were analysed using analysis of variance and discriminant analysis based on a canonical function model, which suggested the existence of a direct and significant relationship between academic performance and all dimensions of resilience, with somewhat larger effect sizes for the Internal Resources and Identity–Self-Esteem dimensions, which allowed us to classify students with particularly high levels of performance. The results also show that the school year was significantly associated with academic performance, with the highest percentages of students at the highest level observed in the 2nd and 3rd years.

A methodology based on displacement measurements from monitoring devices is proposed and tested. The goal is to detect the formation of cracks in arch dams and estimate their dimensions using a straightforward approach. The methodology involves interpolating displacement data against representative cases to identify anomalies indicative of cracks. A real dam was used as a case study, which began with the development of a 3D finite element model under several hypotheses. This model was analyzed using finite element method (FEM) calculations to simulate the displacements recorded by monitoring devices. The effectiveness of the methodology was evaluated based on the number and location of monitoring stations, demonstrating its ability to detect cracks and approximate their dimensions with acceptable accuracy.