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The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a Tier 2 intervention within the context of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model implemented by Spanish first- to second-grade primary school teachers to improve at-risk students’ transcription skills. Teachers were instructed in the administration of a writing curriculum-based measure composed of 5 isolates measures (allographs, dictated words with arbitrary spelling or non-ruled, dictated words with rule-based spelling, dictated nonsense words, and dictated sentences) to identify at-risk students and to monitor their progress; and in the implementation of a systematic and explicit instructional program to improve transcription skills in at-risk students. A total of 164 at-risk students from 12 schools from the Canary Islands participated in the study. Teachers were provided with a support system that included a web-based training program for writing. Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. All students were assessed three times during the academic year. In a hierarchical linear growth modeling procedure, differences in growth rates of transcription skills were compared between students who received the intervention, those who did not, and their typically achieving peers. Additionally, the effects of the intervention in the experimental at-risk group were also analyzed, differentiating between those who left the risk status and those who remained at-risk. Children at-risk in the intervention condition appeared to benefit more in handwriting skills than at-risk children in the control condition, but to a lesser extent in spelling accuracy. Nevertheless, improvements in both transcription skills had only been made in the experimental risk group that had left the risk situation.

We report TeV gamma-ray observations of the ultra-high-energy source MGRO J1908+06 using data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory. This source is one of the highest-energy known gamma-ray sources, with emission extending past 200 TeV. Modeling suggests that the bulk of the TeV gamma-ray emission is leptonic in nature, driven by the energetic radio-faint pulsar PSR J1907+0602. Depending on what assumptions are included in the model, a hadronic component may also be allowed. Using the results of the modeling, we discuss implications for detection prospects by multi-messenger campaigns., Comment: accepted by ApJ, in press

We present the results of dark matter (DM) searches in a sample of 31 dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies within the field of view of the HAWC Observatory. dIrr galaxies are DM dominated objects, which astrophysical gamma-ray emission is estimated to be negligible with respect to the secondary gamma-ray flux expected by annihilation or decay of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). While we do not see any statistically significant DM signal in dIrr galaxies, we present the exclusion limits ($95\%~\text{C.L.}$) for annihilation cross-section and decay lifetime for WIMP candidates with masses between $1$ and $100~\text{TeV}$. Exclusion limits from dIrr galaxies are relevant and complementary to benchmark dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. In fact, dIrr galaxies are targets kinematically different from benchmark dSph, preserving the footprints of different evolution histories. We compare the limits from dIrr galaxies to those from ultrafaint and classical dSph galaxies previously observed with HAWC. We find that the contraints are comparable to the limits from classical dSph galaxies and $\thicksim2$ orders of magnitude weaker than the ultrafaint dSph limits., Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables

The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is a second-generation continuously operated, wide field-of-view, TeV gamma-ray observatory. The HAWC observatory and its analysis techniques build on experience of the Milagro experiment in using ground-based water Cherenkov detectors for gamma-ray astronomy. HAWC is located on the Sierra Negra volcano in M\'exico at an elevation of 4100 meters above sea level. The completed HAWC observatory principal detector (HAWC) consists of 300 closely spaced water Cherenkov detectors, each equipped with four photomultiplier tubes to provide timing and charge information to reconstruct the extensive air shower energy and arrival direction. The HAWC observatory has been optimized to observe transient and steady emission from sources of gamma rays within an energy range from several hundred GeV to several hundred TeV. However, most of the air showers detected are initiated by cosmic rays, allowing studies of cosmic rays also to be performed. This paper describes the characteristics of the HAWC main array and its hardware., Comment: Accepted for publications in Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A (2023) 168253 ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168900223002437 ); 39 pages, 14 Figures

In the quest for high-energy neutrino sources, the Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network has implemented a new search by combining data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory and the Astronomy with a Neutrino Telescope and Abyss environmental RESearch (ANTARES) neutrino telescope. Using the same analysis strategy as in a previous detector combination of HAWC and IceCube data, we perform a search for coincidences in HAWC and ANTARES events that are below the threshold for sending public alerts in each individual detector. Data were collected between 2015 July and 2020 February with a live time of 4.39 yr. Over this time period, three coincident events with an estimated false-alarm rate of, The National Science Foundation under grants PHY-1708146, PHY-1806854, The Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos of the Pennsylvania State University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Commission Européenne (FEDER fund and Marie Curie Program), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), LabEx UnivEarthS (ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-18-IDEX-0001), Région Île-de-France (DIM-ACAV), Région Alsace (contrat CPER), Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Département du Var and Ville de La Seyne-sur-Mer, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), Romania; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación, Investigación y Universidades (MCIU), Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento (refs. PGC2018- 096663-B-C41, -A-C42, B-C43, B-C44, PID2021- 124591NB-C41, C42, C43, (MCIU/FEDER), Generalitat Valenciana, Prometeo (PROMETEO/2020/019), Grisolía (refs. GRISOLIA/2018/119, /2021/192), GenT (refs. /2019/043, /2020/049, /2021/023) programs, Junta de Andalucía (ref. A-FQM-053-UGR18), La Caixa Foundation (ref. LCF/BQ/IN17/11620019), MSC program (ref. 101025085), Spain; Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Kuwait, US National Science Foundation (NSF), The US Department of Energy Office of High-Energy Physics, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), México, grants 271051, 232656, 260378, 179588, 254964, 258865, 243290, 132197, A1-S-46288, A1- S-22784, Cátedras 873, 1563, 341, 323, Red HAWC, México, DGAPA-UNAM grants IG101320, IN111716-3, IN111419, IA102019, IN110621, IN110521, VIEP-BUAP, PIFI 2012, PROFOCIE 2014, 2015, the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, The Institute of Geophysics, Planetary Physics, Signatures at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Polish Science Centre grant, DEC-2017/27/B/ ST9/02272, Coordinación de la Investigación Científica de la Universidad Michoacana; Royal Society—Newton Advanced Fellowship 180385, Generalitat Valenciana, grant CIDEGENT/ 2018/034, The Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation, NXPO (grant No. B16F630069), Coordinación General Académica e Innovación (CGAI-UdeG), PRODEP-SEP UDGCA- 499; Institute of Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR), University of Tokyo, NASA under award number 80GSFC21M0002

This study aimed to explore instructional practices used to teach words with irregular spelling patterns by Spanish-speaking teachers in 2nd and 3rd grade of elementary school. A sample of 320 teac...

Research findings: Universal screening is the first stage in identifying students at risk for reading difficulties within a Response to Intervention model. However, there is a lack of validated scr...

This study aimed to explore the utility of a math curriculum-based measurement (M-CBM) to identify Spanish-speaking students at risk of math failure in third grade. The M-CBM includes a set of number sense based single and composite screening for third graders. The study's sample included 236 Spanish third-graders from the Canary Islands tested in the fall, winter, and spring. Reliability and validity of all measures were explored, finding adequate indexes. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were conducted for both single and composite measures. All the measures revealed an area under the ROC curve values at or above 0.84, the composite measures ranging from 0.86 to 0.94. When comparing the single and composite measures, the latter revealed a higher classification accuracy for identifying students at risk in third grade than quantity discrimination, missing number, and multi-digit computation measures, but not for single-digit computation and place value measures. Finally, significant differences were found between at-risk and non-risk students learning growth throughout the school year.

This study examined the role of fidelity in the reading outcomes within a Tier 2 intervention implemented by Spanish kindergarten and first grade school teachers. For this purpose, differences in reading performance growth were analyzed among at-risk students who received a Tier 2 intervention with high fidelity, at-risk students who received the same intervention with medium fidelity, and an at-risk control group that did not receive a Tier 2 intervention. Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. All students were assessed three times during the academic year. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were conducted to explore differences in growth rate. The at-risk children in the intervention condition showed a higher growth compared to at-risk children in the control condition, and specifically when the intervention was delivered with a high degree of fidelity.

This study explored the efficacy of a Tier 2 intervention within the context of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model implemented by Spanish first- to third-grade primary school teachers to improve at-risk students’ early math skills. Teachers were instructed in the administration of a math curriculum-based measure composed of 5 isolated measures (quantity discrimination, missing number, single-digit computation, multidigit computation, and place value) to identify at-risk students and to monitor their progress; and in the implementation of a systematic and explicit instructional program to improve basic math skills in at-risk students. Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. The intervention was conducted with adequate fidelity and had a significant positive impact on all grades. Significant differences were found between experimental and control students at risk of math failure in the improvement rate of quantity discrimination, missing number, and place value in all grades. Experimental at-risk students showed a monthly improvement, assessed using a combination of screening and progress monitoring measures. In conclusion, Spanish first to third graders at risk of math failure benefited from a Tier 2 intervention based on basic math skills, implemented by in-service teachers.

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) is the bone mineral phase in vertebrate animals. When bones suffer illness or injuries, natural hydroxyapatite reconstructs and remodels its structure. It has been demonstrated that synthetic hydroxyapatite materials emulate bone properties and enhance bone-bonding ability through a biomimetic apatite coating, obtained when bioactive materials are immersed in a physiological-like media. In this research, the biomimetic apatite structure deposited in three synthetic hydroxyapatites (HAs: HAMS, HAUB, and HAUT), after being immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF), is studied. The synthetic HAs are obtained by co-precipitation, using three different stirring methods: magnetic stirring (HAMS), ultrasonic bath (HAUB), and ultrasonic tip (HAUT). The synthetic HAs are characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (X-RD), High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) before and after SBF assays. The crystal sizes of synthetic HAs are 12.567 nm, 15.188 nm, and 17.903 nm for HAMS, HAUB, and HAUT, respectively. Additionally, HAs have values between 0.940 and 0.942 nm for a-cell parameter, and values between 0.688 and 0.689 nm for c-cell parameter. After 28 days of immersion in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF), the materials show poor crystalline-fine films of biomimetic apatite covering their surfaces. These biomimetic apatite films have values between 0.946 and 0.969 nm for the a-cell parameter and values between 0.698 and 0.710 nm for the c-cell parameter. Hence, crystallinity, crystal size, and morphology of synthetic HAs are dependent on the stirring method used during the synthesis process, which affects the structural characteristics of the biomimetic apatite layers deposited on the synthetic HAs surfaces.

The main objective of this study was to analyze what writing measures, or combination of measures, would be most appropriate for early detection of students at risk of presenting future difficultie...

The main purpose of this study was to validate the curriculum-based measure Indicadores de Progreso de Aprendizaje en Matemáticas (IPAM [Indicators of Basic Early Math Skills]) in a local, Spanish-speaking context. This tool has been designed to identify first-grade students at risk for mathematics learning disabilities. The IPAM includes five measures (i.e., quantity discrimination, multi-digit computation, missing number, single-digit computation, and place value), which were analyzed as single measures and as part of a composite measure. In this study, 176 first graders were administered the curriculum-based measurement IPAM at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The results showed that the composite measure of the IPAM was the best indicator of risk status. Reliability and concurrent and predictive validity results were adequate. Furthermore, receiver operating curve analysis and hierarchical linear model supported the capacity of the IPAM to correctly identify students’ risk status and growth rate during first grade.

A study was conducted to analyze the factorial structure and measurement invariance of the Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Indicadores de Progreso de Aprendizaje en Matematicas (IPAM [Indicators of Basic Early Math Skills]), in 2nd grade Spanish students. The model proposed is a one-factor model in which the five IPAM tasks (i.e., number comparison, missing number, single-digit computation, multi-digit computation, and place value) serve as observable indicators for a single underlying factor (i.e., number sense). The IPAM, composed of three parallel forms (i.e., A, B, and C), was administered to 252 Spanish second graders, three times throughout the school year (i.e., fall, winter, and spring). Consequently, the goodness of fit of the proposed model was analyzed for each measurement time. Furthermore, longitudinal measurement invariance was explored to analyze whether the measurement model would remain stable throughout the three-time points of measurement. Discriminant, predictive, and concurrent validity were also tested. The results support that the number sense latent factor explains the common variance of the observable indicators throughout the school year. Each latent factor was found highly related to the next. Moreover, the IPAM showed adequate indices for discriminant, concurrent and predictive validity. We conclude that the IPAM is an appropriate measure to assess number sense competence in second grade.

This paper reports on the $γ$-ray properties of the 2018 Galactic nova V392 Per, spanning photon energies $\sim$0.1 GeV to 100 TeV by combining observations from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the HAWC Observatory. In one of the most rapidly evolving $γ$-ray signals yet observed for a nova, GeV $γ$ rays with a power law spectrum with index $Γ= 2.0 \pm 0.1$ were detected over eight days following V392 Per's optical maximum. HAWC observations constrain the TeV $γ$-ray signal during this time and also before and after. We observe no statistically significant evidence of TeV $γ$-ray emission from V392 Per, but present flux limits. Tests of the extension of the Fermi/LAT spectrum to energies above 5 TeV are disfavored by 2 standard deviations (95\%) or more. We fit V392 Per's GeV $γ$ rays with hadronic acceleration models, incorporating optical observations, and compare the calculations with HAWC limits., 18 pages, 14 figures; revised for referee comments; section 5 revised

The extragalactic background light (EBL) contains all the radiation emitted by nuclear and accretion processes in stars and compact objects since the epoch of recombination. Measuring the EBL density directly is challenging, especially in the near- to far-infrared waveband, mainly due to the zodiacal light foreground. Instead, gamma-ray astronomy offers the possibility to indirectly set limits on the EBL by studying the effects of gamma-ray absorption in the very high energy (VHE:$>$100 GeV) spectra of distant blazars. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov gamma ray observatory (HAWC) is one of the few instruments sensitive to gamma rays with energies above 10 TeV. This offers the opportunity to probe the EBL in the near/mid IR region: $\lambda$ = 1 $\mu$m - 100 $\mu$m. In this study, we fit physically motivated emission models to Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) GeV data to extrapolate the intrinsic TeV spectra of blazars. We then simulate a large number of absorbed spectra for different randomly generated EBL model shapes and calculate Bayesian credible bands in the EBL intensity space by comparing and testing the agreement between the absorbed spectra and HAWC extragalactic observations of two blazars. The resulting bands are in agreement with current EBL lower and upper limits, showing a downward trend towards higher wavelength values $\lambda>10\, \mu$m also observed in previous measurements., Comment: Submitted to ApJ

The latest High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) point-like source catalog up to 56 TeV reported the detection of two sources in the region of the Galactic plane at galactic longitude 52° < ℓ < 55°, 3HWC J1930+188 and 3HWC J1928+178. The first one is associated with a known TeV source, the supernova remnant SNR G054.1+00.3. It was discovered by one of the currently operating Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT), the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S), and identified as a composite SNR. However, the source 3HWC J1928+178, discovered by HAWC and coincident with the pulsar PSR J1928+1746, was not detected by any IACT despite their long exposure on the region, until a recent new analysis of H.E.S.S. data was able to confirm it. Moreover, no X-ray counterpart has been detected from this pulsar. We present a multicomponent fit of this region using the latest HAWC data. This reveals an additional new source, HAWC J1932+192, which is potentially associated with the pulsar PSR J1932+1916, whose γ-ray emission could come from the acceleration of particles in its pulsar wind nebula. In the case of 3HWC J1928+178, several possible explanations are explored, in an attempt to unveil the origins of the very-high-energy γ-ray emission.

Learning mathematics is a complex process that requires the development of multiple domain-general and domain-specific skills. It is therefore not unexpected that many children struggle to stay at grade level, and this becomes especially difficult when several abilities from both domains are impaired, as in the case of mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). Surprisingly, although MLD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting schoolchildren, most of the diagnostic instruments available do not include assessment of domain-general and domain-specific skills. Furthermore, very few are computerized. To the best of our knowledge, there is no tool with these features for Spanish-speaking children. The purpose of this study was to describe the protocol for the diagnosis of Spanish MLD children using the BM-PROMA multimedia battery. BM-PROMA facilitates the evaluation of both skill domains, and the 12 tasks included for this purpose are empirically evidence-based. The strong internal consistency of BM-PROMA and its multidimensional internal structure are demonstrated. BM-PROMA proves to be an appropriate tool for diagnosing children with MLD during primary education. It provides a broad cognitive profile for the child, which will be relevant not only for diagnosis but also for individualized instructional planning.

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) gamma-ray observatory is located close to the equator (latitude $18^{\circ }$ N), at an altitude of 4100 m above sea level. HAWC has 295 water Cherenkov detectors (WCD), each containing four photomultiplier tubes (PMT). The main purpose of HAWC is the determination of the energy and arrival direction of very high energy gamma rays produced by energetic processes in the universe, HAWC also has a scaler system which counts the arrival of secondary particles to the detector. In this work we show that the scaler system of HAWC is an ideal instrument for solar modulation and space-weather studies due to its large area and high sensitivity. In order to prepare the scaler system for low energy heliospheric studies, we model and correct the efficiency variation of each PMT of the array, which result in a capability to measure variations $> 0.01\%$ with high accuracy. Using the singular value decomposition method, we correct the rate deviations of all PMTs of the array, due to changes in efficiency, gain and operational voltage. We isolate and remove the atmospheric modulations of the PMTs count rates measured by the TDC-scaler data acquisition system. In particular, the atmospheric pressure at the HAWC site exhibits an oscillating behavior with a period of ∼12 hours and we make use of this periodic property to estimate the pressure coefficients for the HAWC TDC-scaler system. These corrections performed on the TDC-scaler system make the HAWC TDC-scaler system an ideal instrument for solar modulation and space-weather studies. As examples of this capability, we present the preliminary analysis of the solar modulation of cosmic rays at three time scales observed by HAWC, with an unprecedented accuracy.

Rambutan is an exotic fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is composed of peel, pulp, and seed; the pulp is the only edible part of the fruit. The cultivars of rambutan have been expanded in many parts of the world, and its consumption is principally fresh but also is processed in the industry in the production of juices, jams, or jellies, resulting in the peel and the seed as byproducts with potential applications in the industry due to their physicochemical properties, especially the seed. The peel has been reported as an interesting 96source of bioactive compounds and a source of lignocellulosic material that can be used for applications such as bionanocomposites. Rambutan seed is the part of the fruit where most physicochemical properties are reported and is considered for its high amount of fat and starch. The physicochemical properties of rambutan seed fat and starch can be compared with other commercial raw materials used widely in the industry, like cocoa butter or corn starch. So, rambutan seed seems to be a potential new source to be used as a raw material in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory surveys the very high energy sky in the 300 GeV to $>100$ TeV energy range. HAWC has detected two blazars above $11\sigma$, Markarian 421 (Mrk 421) and Markarian 501 (Mrk 501). The observations are comprised of data taken in the period between June 2015 and July 2018, resulting in a $\sim 1038$ days of exposure. In this work we report the time-averaged spectral analysis for both sources above 0.5 TeV. Taking into account the flux attenuation due to the extragalactic background light (EBL), the intrinsic spectrum of Mrk 421 is described by a power law with an exponential energy cut-off with index $\alpha=2.26\pm(0.12)_{stat}(_{-0.2}^{+0.17})_{sys}$ and energy cut-off $E_c=5.1\pm(1.6)_{stat}(_{-2.5}^{+1.4})_{sys}$ TeV, while the intrinsic spectrum of Mrk 501 is better described by a simple power law with index $\alpha=2.61\pm(0.11)_{stat}(_{-0.07}^{+0.01})_{sys}$. The maximum energies at which the Mrk 421 and Mrk 501 signals are detected are 9 and 12 TeV, respectively. This makes these some of the highest energy detections to date for spectra averaged over years-long timescales. Since the observation of gamma radiation from blazars provides information about the physical processes that take place in their relativistic jets, it is important to study the broad-band spectral energy distribution (SED) of these objects. To this purpose, contemporaneous data in the gamma-ray band to X-ray range, and literature data in the radio to UV range, were used to build time-averaged SEDs that were modeled within a synchrotron self-Compton leptonic scenario., Comment: 16 pages, 5 tables, 9 figures

The study of high-energy gamma rays from passive Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) in our Galaxy is an indirect way to characterize and probe the paradigm of the "sea" of cosmic rays in distant parts of the Galaxy. By using data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, we measure the gamma-ray flux above 1 TeV of a set of these clouds to test the paradigm. We selected high-galactic latitude clouds that are in HAWC's field-of-view and which are within 1~kpc distance from the Sun. We find no significant excess emission in the cloud regions, nor when we perform a stacked log-likelihood analysis of GMCs. Using a Bayesian approach, we calculate 95\% credible intervals upper limits of the gamma-ray flux and estimate limits on the cosmic-ray energy density of these regions. These are the first limits to constrain gamma-ray emission in the multi-TeV energy range ($>$1 TeV) using passive high-galactic latitude GMCs. Assuming that the main gamma-ray production mechanism is due to proton-proton interaction, the upper limits are consistent with a cosmic-ray flux and energy density similar to that measured at Earth., 6 figures, 6 tables

The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention implemented by elementary school teachers within the context of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. For this purpose, a Tier 2 or secondary intervention was implemented by Spanish-speaking teachers in grades K-3 after receiving training to implement RtI components with fidelity. A total of 1,923 at-risk students were assigned to treatment (in reading,n= 542; in math,n= 483) or control (in reading,n= 406; in math,n= 492). Teachers were provided with a support system that included two web-based training programs for reading (i.e.,Letraprogram) and math (i.e.,Primateprogram). Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. All students were assessed three times during the academic year. A hierarchical linear growth modeling was conducted, and differences in the growth rate of reading and math performance were analyzed between at-risk students who have received the intervention and those who have not received it. Children at-risk in the intervention condition appeared to benefit more than at-risk children in the control condition. Moreover, findings indicate that the earlier the intervention, the greater the percentage of students who leave the situation of risk of learning difficulties in reading and math.

Male-only hauling grounds occur in close association to breeding colonies in several otariids. The occasional use of human-built infrastructure by these groups is also common. We observed permanent male aggregations of southern sea lions, Otaria flavescens, in urban contexts, such as two of the main fishing harbors in Argentina and investigated how they changed over 35 years. These haul-outs are located approximately 700 km from Uruguayan and northern Patagonian breeding grounds. Males in urban colonies have functional connections with both populations. A predictable pattern of dispersion during the breeding season, returning for winter, indicate site fidelity. Harbor habitats present ever changing stimuli, threats and challenges to habituated sea lions. Sequential, rapid and spontaneous changes in the location of the aggregations may be a response to quick learning and socially transmitted knowledge. Food provision via consumption of fish offal—complemented with natural foraging—provide support to these aggregations over prolonged periods. The presence of hundreds of sea lions in harbors represents a management challenge. Fidelity to resting areas and rapid habituation to human presence makes it difficult to design strategies that can deter sea lions from intensive use of critical sectors of port activity. Interaction with fishing gear results in frequent entanglements. The risk of transmission of diseases from and to dogs and other domestic animals is a major potential problem for individuals in unnatural aggregations.

The purpose of this study was to describe a Spanish protocol that includes reading, writing, and math Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs) aimed at early detection of students at risk of presenting learning disabilities (LD). Early identification of LD is a critical component of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. In early grades, the screening of foundational skills mentioned above can provide a data-based guideline for identifying students requiring a more intensive response-based intervention before starting elementary school. We designed different CBMs based on indicators of basic early reading, writing, and math skills [Indicadores de Progreso de Aprendizaje en Lectura, Escritura y Matematicas, IPAL, IPAE, and IPAM respectively] that aim to fulfill the twofold objective of universal screening and evaluation of the Spanish students’ progress. For reading, IPAL includes alphabetic principle, phonological awareness, concepts about print, and riddles in kindergarten. In first and second grades, IPAL includes alphabetic principle, nonsense words fluency, maze sentences, and oral reading fluency. In addition, it includes phonemic segmentation for first grade and prosody for second grade. For writing, IPAE includes copying letters, writing allographs, dictated letters, dictated words with arbitrary spelling, dictated words with rule-based spelling, dictated nonsense words, dictated sentences, writing sentences, and writing a story for first-third grades. Finally, for math, IPAM includes number comparison, missing number, number identification, quantity array, and counting aloud for kindergarten, and number comparison, multi-digit computation, missing number, single-digit computation, and place value for first-third grades.

This study examined the role of fidelity in the reading outcomes within a Tier 2 intervention implemented by Spanish kindergarten and first grade school teachers. For this purpose, differences in reading performance growth were analyzed among at-risk students who received a Tier 2 intervention with high fidelity, at-risk students who received the same intervention with medium fidelity, and an at-risk control group that did not receive a Tier 2 intervention. Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. All students were assessed three times during the academic year. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were conducted to explore differences in growth rate. The at-risk children in the intervention condition showed a higher growth compared to at-risk children in the control condition, and specifically when the intervention was delivered with a high degree of fidelity.

In this chapter we present a comparison and evaluation of three alternative theoretical models of the reading-writing relationship through structural equation modeling of a Spanish-speaking school population: (a) a reading-writing model which postulates that reading has a direct influence on writing); (b) a writing-reading model which postulates that reading is influenced by writing and; (c) an interactive model which postulates that both skills are influenced reciprocally. Previous studies have been conducted in a language with opaque orthography as English. English, being an opaque language, has many inconsistencies in the grapheme-phoneme correspondences and vice versa; however, the Spanish is a language more regular and consistent. Therefore, the explanatory models on the relationship between reading and writing in languages with opaque orthography should not be extrapolated directly to languages with transparent orthography. So far, we have no studies of this nature in our language. Taking into account our findings, the chapter concludes by suggesting that the flow of information between reading and writing may be of a more universal nature based in the alphabetic systems.

The discovery of the TeV point source 2HWC J2006+341 was reported in the second HAWC gamma-ray catalog. We present a follow-up study of this source here. The TeV emission is best described by an extended source with a soft spectrum. At GeV energies, an extended source is significantly detected in Fermi-LAT data. The matching locations, sizes and spectra suggest that both gamma-ray detections correspond to the same source. Different scenarios for the origin of the emission are considered and we rule out an association to the pulsar PSR J2004+3429 due to extreme energetics required, if located at a distance of 10.8 kpc., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. To appear in ApJL

Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) may have been created by density fluctuations in the early Universe and could be as massive as $> 10^9$ solar masses or as small as the Planck mass. It has been postulated that a black hole has a temperature inversely-proportional to its mass and will thermally emit all species of fundamental particles via Hawking Radiation. PBHs with initial masses of $\sim 5 \times 10^{14}$ g (approximately one gigaton) should be expiring today with bursts of high-energy gamma radiation in the GeV--TeV energy range. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory is sensitive to gamma rays with energies of $\sim$300 GeV to past 100 TeV, which corresponds to the high end of the PBH burst spectrum. With its large instantaneous field-of-view of $\sim 2$ sr and a duty cycle over 95%, the HAWC Observatory is well suited to perform an all-sky search for PBH bursts. We conducted a search using 959 days of HAWC data and exclude the local PBH burst rate density above $3400~\mathrm{pc^{-3}~yr^{-1}}$ at 99% confidence, the strongest limit on the local PBH burst rate density from any existing electromagnetic measurement., Corresponding authors: K.L. Engel & A. Peisker. 13 pages, 5 figures

Early identification of learning difficulties is a critical component of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. In kindergarten, the screening of foundational reading skills can provide a data-based guideline for identifying students requiring a more intensive response-based intervention before starting elementary school. This study examines the classification accuracy and best predictors of a set of Spanish curriculum-based measures administered during kindergarten. The study’s sample included 189 students tested in the fall, winter, and spring. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted. The composite score of the curriculum-based measurement (CBM) revealed area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.83, 0.97, and 0.94 in the fall, winter, and spring, respectively. Phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge were the only isolated measures that demonstrated excellent AUC values throughout kindergarten. Logistic regression models showed that, when entered simultaneously, all measures were significant predictors of reading risk at some moment of the school year.

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov observatory (HAWC) is an air shower array devised for TeV gamma-ray astronomy. HAWC is located at an altitude of 4100 m a.s.l. in Sierra Negra, Mexico. HAWC consists of 300 Water Cherenkov Detectors, each instrumented with 4 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). HAWC re-uses the Front-End Boards from the Milagro experiment to receive the PMT signals. These boards are used in combination with Time to Digital Converters (TDCs) to record the time and the amount of light in each PMT hit (light flash). A set of VME TDC modules (128 channels each) is operated in a continuous (dead time free) mode. The TDCs are read out via the VME bus by Single-Board Computers (SBCs), which in turn are connected to a gigabit Ethernet network. The complete system produces ~ 500 MB/s of raw data. A high-throughput data processing system has been designed and built to enable real-time data analysis. The system relies on off-the-shelf hardware components, an open-source software technology for data transfers (ZeroMQ) and a custom software framework for data analysis (AERIE). Multiple trigger and reconstruction algorithms can be combined and run on blocks of data in a parallel fashion, producing a set of output data streams which can be analyzed in real time with minimal latency (< 5 s). This paper provides an overview of the hardware set-up and an in-depth description of the software design, covering both the TDC data acquisition system and the real-time data processing system. The performance of these systems is also discussed., 14 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A

We present the first catalog of gamma-ray sources emitting above 56 and 100 TeV with data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory, a wide field-of-view observatory capable of detecting gamma rays up to a few hundred TeV. Nine sources are observed above 56 TeV, all of which are likely Galactic in origin. Three sources continue emitting past 100 TeV, making this the highest-energy gamma-ray source catalog to date. We report the integral flux of each of these objects. We also report spectra for three highest-energy sources and discuss the possibility that they are PeVatrons., Accepted by Physical Review Letters

Local dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are nearby dark-matter dominated systems, making them excellent targets for searching for gamma rays from particle dark matter interactions. If dark matter annihilates or decays directly into two gamma rays (or a gamma ray and a neutral particle), a monochromatic spectral line is created. At TeV energies, no other processes are expected to produce spectral lines, making this a very clean indirect dark matter search channel. With the development of event-by-event energy reconstruction, we can now search for spectral lines with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory. HAWC is a wide field of view survey instrument located in central Mexico that observes gamma rays from 100 TeV. In this work we present results from a recent search for spectral lines from local, dark matter dominated dwarf galaxies using 1038 days of HAWC data. We also present updated limits on several continuum channels that were reported in a previous publication. Our gamma-ray spectral line limits are the most constraining obtained so far from 20 TeV to 100 TeV., submitted to PRD

Steady gamma-ray emission up to at least 200 GeV has been detected from the solar disk in the Fermi-LAT data, with the brightest, hardest emission occurring during solar minimum. The likely cause is hadronic cosmic rays undergoing collisions in the Sun's atmosphere after being redirected from ingoing to outgoing in magnetic fields, though the exact mechanism is not understood. An important new test of the gamma-ray production mechanism will follow from observations at higher energies. Only the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory has the required sensitivity to effectively probe the Sun in the TeV range. Using three years of HAWC data from November 2014 to December 2017, just prior to the solar minimum, we search for 1--100 TeV gamma rays from the solar disk. No evidence of a signal is observed, and we set strong upper limits on the flux at a few $10^{-12}$ TeV$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at 1 TeV. Our limit, which is the most constraining result on TeV gamma rays from the Sun, is $\sim10\%$ of the theoretical maximum flux (based on a model where all incoming cosmic rays produce outgoing photons), which in turn is comparable to the Fermi-LAT data near 100 GeV. The prospects for a first TeV detection of the Sun by HAWC are especially high during solar minimum, which began in early 2018., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. See also companion paper 1808.05624. Accepted for publication in Physical Review D

We report the ground-level detection of a Galactic Cosmic-Ray (GCR) flux enhancement lasting $\sim$ 17 hr and associated with the passage of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) over the Earth. The MFR was associated with a slow Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) caused by the eruption of a filament on 2016 October 9. Due to the quiet conditions during the eruption and the lack of interactions during the interplanetary CME transport to the Earth, the associated MFR preserved its configuration and reached the Earth with a strong magnetic field, low density, and a very low turbulence level compared to the local background, thus generating the ideal conditions to redirect and guide GCRs (in the $\sim$ 8 to 60 GV rigidity range) along the magnetic field of the MFR. An important negative $B_Z$ component inside the MFR caused large disturbances in the geomagnetic field and a relatively strong geomagnetic storm. However, these disturbances are not the main factors behind the GCR enhancement. Instead, we found that the major factor was the alignment between the MFR axis and the asymptotic direction of the observer.

SS 433 is a binary system containing a supergiant star that is overflowing its Roche lobe with matter accreting onto a compact object (either a black hole or neutron star)

An indirect measurement of the antiproton flux in cosmic rays is possible as the particles undergo deflection by the geomagnetic field. This effect can be measured by studying the deficit in the flux, or shadow, created by the Moon as it absorbs cosmic rays that are headed towards the Earth. The shadow is displaced from the actual position of the Moon due to geomagnetic deflection, which is a function of the energy and charge of the cosmic rays. The displacement provides a natural tool for momentum/charge discrimination that can be used to study the composition of cosmic rays. Using 33 months of data comprising more than 80 billion cosmic rays measured by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, we have analyzed the Moon shadow to search for TeV antiprotons in cosmic rays. We present our first upper limits on the $\bar{p}/p$ fraction, which in the absence of any direct measurements, provide the tightest available constraints of $\sim1\%$ on the antiproton fraction for energies between 1 and 10 TeV.

Management of wastewater sludge continues to pose a challenge as its generation is rising as a result of an increase in wastewater treatment and because its quality varies widely. Lately, emerging pollutants have gained importance based on their persistence and potential risk once they enter the environment. Different treatment processes have been proposed to reduce their concentration, such as electrooxidation. Electrooxidation using boron doped diamond electrodes has properties that make them suitable for a wide variety of applications, including wastewater and sludge. Electrooxidation was applied to sludge from a wastewater treatment plant receiving industrial discharges located in Toluca, Mexico. Different pH and current densities were tested at the laboratory and, based on soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) reduction, operating conditions were set at a pH of 3 and a current density of 40 mA cm −2 during 1 h. Oxidation of organic matter was limited by the concentration of solids during treatment as phased separation (flotation) occurred due to gas generation and additional tests were performed to overcome this situation. 4,4′-(Propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol, Nonylphenol, and 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol were removed by 73%, 89%, and 82% under improved test conditions. Sludge volatile solids were degraded 23% and total COD 27%. Overall, the proposed process represents a promising technology to reduce emerging pollutants in wastewater sludge.

Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) are gravitationally collapsed objects that may have been created by density fluctuations in the early universe and could have arbitrarily small masses down to the Planck scale. Hawking showed that due to quantum effects, a black hole has a temperature inversely proportional to its mass and will emit all species of fundamental particles thermally. PBHs with initial masses of ~5.0 x 10^14 g should be expiring in the present epoch with bursts of high-energy particles, including gamma radiation in the GeV - TeV energy range. The Milagro high energy observatory, which operated from 2000 to 2008, is sensitive to the high end of the PBH evaporation gamma-ray spectrum. Due to its large field-of-view, more than 90% duty cycle and sensitivity up to 100 TeV gamma rays, the Milagro observatory is well suited to perform a search for PBH bursts. Based on a search on the Milagro data, we report new PBH burst rate density upper limits over a range of PBH observation times. In addition, we report the sensitivity of the Milagro successor, the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, to PBH evaporation events., Comment: Accepted to Astroparticle Physics Journal (25 Pages, 3 figures and 7 tables). Corresponding author: T. N. Ukwatta

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-ray Observatory is an extensive air shower detector operating in central Mexico, which has recently completed its first two years of full operations. If for a burst like GRB 130427A at a redshift of 0.34 and a high-energy component following a power law with index -1.66, the high-energy component is extended to higher energies with no cut-off other than from extragalactic background light attenuation, HAWC would observe gamma rays with a peak energy of $\sim$300 GeV. This paper reports the results of HAWC observations of 64 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by $\mathit{Swift}$ and $\mathit{Fermi}$, including three GRBs that were also detected by the Large Area Telescope ($\mathit{Fermi}$-LAT). An ON/OFF analysis method is employed, searching on the time scale given by the observed light curve at keV-MeV energies and also on extended time scales. For all GRBs and time scales, no statistically significant excess of counts is found and upper limits on the number of gamma rays and the gamma-ray flux are calculated. GRB 170206A, the third brightest short GRB detected by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on board the $\mathit{Fermi}$ satellite ($\mathit{Fermi}$-GBM) and also detected by the LAT, occurred very close to zenith. The LAT measurements can neither exclude the presence of a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) component nor constrain its spectrum. Instead, the HAWC upper limits constrain the expected cut-off in an additional high-energy component to be less than $100~\rm{GeV}$ for reasonable assumptions about the energetics and redshift of the burst., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, published in ApJ

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) gamma-ray observatory is a wide field of view observatory sensitive to 500 GeV - 100 TeV gamma rays and cosmic rays. It can also perform diverse indirect searches for dark matter (DM) annihilation and decay. Among the most promising targets for the indirect detection of dark matter are dwarf spheroidal galaxies. These objects are expected to have few astrophysical sources of gamma rays but high dark matter content, making them ideal candidates for an indirect dark matter detection with gamma rays. Here we present individual limits on the annihilation cross section and decay lifetime for 15 dwarf spheroidal galaxies within the HAWC field-of-view, as well as their combined limit. These are the first limits on the annihilation cross section and decay lifetime using data collected with HAWC., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Simulations of dark matter show a discrepancy between the expected number of Galactic dark matter sub-halos and how many have been optically observed. Some of these unseen satellites may exist as dark dwarf galaxies: sub-halos like dwarf galaxies with no luminous counterpart. Assuming WIMP dark matter, it may be possible to detect these unseen sub-halos from gamma-ray signals originating from dark matter annihilation. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC) is a very high energy (500 GeV to 100 TeV) gamma ray detector with a wide field-of-view and near continuous duty cycle, making HAWC ideal for unbiased sky surveys. We perform such a search for gamma ray signals from dark dwarfs in the Milky Way halo. We perform a targeted search of HAWC gamma-ray sources which have no known association with lower-energy counterparts, based on an unbiased search of the entire sky. With no sources found to strongly prefer dark matter models, we calculate the ability of HAWC to observe dark dwarfs. We also compute the HAWC sensitivity to potential future detections for a given model of dark matter substructure., Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures. submitted to JCAP

Se determinó la calidad del aire en el interior y exterior del Herbario Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemla (Herbario USCG), Index seminum y la sección de macrohongos del Herbario de Biología de Guatemala (Herbario BIGU). Para la recolección de los hongos microscópicos se utilizó la técnica volumétrica por impactación haciendo uso de un biocolector. Los muestreos fueron realizados de octubre de 2011 a marzo de 2012, la posterior identificación se hizo mediante la observación al microscopio de preparaciones con azul de lactofenol y por medio del API 20C AUX para identificación de levaduras. Los resultados obtenidos en los ambientes del Herbario USCG indican que la mayor concentración fúngica fue de 3580 UFC/m3 en el exterior y para el interior fue de 300 UFC/m3, en el caso del Index seminun en el exterior fue de 1860 UFC/m3 y en el interior de 2300 UFC/m3, para la sección de macrohongos del Herbario BIGU la mayor concentración observada fue de 2790 UFC/m3 para el exterior y de 1630 UFC/m3 para el interior. Durante los meses en los que se realizaron los muestreos se observó que los hongos predominantes en ambos ambientes en todas las áreas muestreadas fueron Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp. y Aspergillus sp. Se logró el aislamiento de géneros fúngicos de gran importancia por su acción celulolítica y fitopatógena como lo son Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. y Paecilomyces sp. El aislamiento de los géneros mencionados anteriormente permitió la creación de un cepario aplicando la técnica de conservación en aceite mineral. Se llevó a cabo la elaboración de una guía que contiene información acerca de procedimientos de limpieza y bioseguridad acorde a la infraestructura y materia prima de cada establecimiento.