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The search for neutrino-less double beta decay has attracted much interest in the last years due to the extraordinary consequences that could derive from its observation. In the view to provide experimental information on the nuclear matrix elements involved in the expression of neutrino-less double beta decay half-life, the NUMEN project is measuring cross-sections of double charge exchange and other quasi-elastic nuclear reactions using the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer. In particular, the newly proposed multichannel approach, applied both to the experimental and theoretical analysis, will be discussed.

In this contribution the connection between the Dipolar degree of freedom excited in Heavy Ion Collisions through pre-equilibrium dipolar modes and the Isospin-equilibration processes is discussed. The connection leads to the definition of a new observable the so called “dipolar signal”, able to describe the equilibration process in the momentum space related to the final fragmentation produced by the HIC. Preliminary results on this observable measured on the system 48Ca +27 Al at 40 MeV/nucleon and corresponding to different degrees of dissipation/centrality are presented. The beam was accelerated through the Superconductor Cyclotron at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud di Catania (Italy) and fragments were detected and identified with the 4π multi-detector CHIMERA.

The study of a network of nuclear reactions populated in the 18O + 12C collision is the main topic of the present paper. It was performed to test nuclear structure and reaction theories in describing the full reaction mechanism occurring in the (18O, 18F) single charge exchange nuclear reaction. From the experimental side, an 18O beam was produced at 275 MeV incident energy by the K800 superconducting cyclotron and the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer was used at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare to momentum analyse the ejectiles produced in the nuclear reactions within the same experimental setup. From the theoretical side, the proposed approach consists of analysing the whole network of nuclear reactions in the framework of a unique comprehensive and coherent theoretical calculation. This holistic approach, applied both to the experimental and theoretical analysis, is the main feature and novelty of the work presented here.

Integrating technological tools in teaching statistics can revolutionize educational methods, making learning more engaging, interactive, and effective. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a math application for Android in enhancing the teaching and learning of statistics for eighth-grade students in Alcalá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The project involved coordinating with local mathematics teachers to implement the app in the classroom, focusing on interactive digital content to improve student engagement. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, gathering data from 63 students through surveys that measured user satisfaction, topic relevance, interface usability, and the likelihood of recommending the app. The evaluation revealed a high likelihood of recommendation, with 74.6% of the students indicating they would "Almost always" recommend the app. Positive feedback was also noted in terms of user satisfaction and topic relevance. However, technical performance and content engagement were identified as needing improvement. The study also highlighted limitations, including a small sample size, reliance on self-reported data, and a short-term evaluation period. The Math app shows considerable promise as a tool for teaching statistics, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 4 and 9, involving quality education, industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Future work should address the identified limitations and focus on continuous improvement to enhance the app's effectiveness and reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity is associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inattentive symptoms, but not hyperactive‐impulsive symptoms, and may contribute to inattentive subtype etiology. Guided by prior work linking infant rhinorrhea and watery eyes without a cold (RWWC) to PNS dysregulation, we examined associations between infant RWWC and childhood ADHD symptoms in a longitudinal cohort of Black and Latinx children living in the context of economic disadvantage (N = 301 youth: 158 females, 143 males). Infant RWWC predicted higher inattentive (relative risk [RR] 2.16, p <.001) but not hyperactive‐impulsive (RR 1.53, p =.065) ADHD symptoms (DuPaul scale), administered to caregivers at child age 8–14 years. Stratified analyses revealed that these associations were present in females but not males, who were three times more likely to have higher ADHD current total symptoms if they had infant RWWC than if they did not. Additionally, associations between RWWC and inattention symptoms were observed only in females. RWWC may thus serve as a novel risk marker of ADHD inattentive‐type symptoms, especially for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automotive industry is entering a digital revolution, driven by the need to develop new products in less time that are high-quality and environmentally friendly. A proper manufacturing process influences the performance of the door grommet during its lifetime. In this work, uniaxial tensile tests based on molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on an ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) material to investigate the effect of the crosslink density and its variation with temperature. The Mooney–Rivlin (MR) model is used to fit the results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in this paper and an exponential-type model is proposed to calculate the parameters C 1 (T) and C 2 T . The experimental results, confirmed by hardness tests of the cured part according to ASTM 1415-88, show that the free volume fraction and the crosslink density have a significant effect on the stiffness of the EPDM material in a deformed state. The results of molecular dynamics superposition on the MR model agree reasonably well with the macroscopically observed mechanical behavior and tensile stress of the EPDM at the molecular level. This work allows the accurate characterization of the stress–strain behavior of rubber-like materials subjected to deformation and can provide valuable information for their widespread application in the injection molding industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in the isotopologic composition of water vapour are fundamental for understanding the relative importance of different mechanisms of water vapour transport from the tropical upper troposphere to the lower stratosphere. Previous comparisons obtained from observations of H2O and HDO by satellite instruments showed discrepancies. In this work, newer versions of H2O and HDO retrievals from Envisat/MIPAS and SCISAT/ACE-FTS are compared. Specifically, MIPAS-IMK V5, MIPAS-ESA V8 and ACE-FTS V4.1/4.2 for the common period from February 2004 to April 2012 are compared for the first time through a profile-to-profile approach and comparison based on climatological structures. The comparison is essential for the scientific community to assess the quality of new satellite data products, a necessary procedure to validate further scientific work. Averaged stratospheric H2O profiles reveal general good agreement between 16 and 30 km. Biases derived from the profile-to-profile comparison are around zero between 16 and 30 km for MIPAS-IMK and ACE-FTS comparison. For HDO and δ D, low biases are found in the MIPAS-ESA and ACE-FTS comparison in the same range of altitudes, even if associated with a larger de-biased standard deviation. The zonally averaged cross sections of H2O and HDO exhibit the expected distribution that has been established in previous studies. For δ D the tropical depletion in MIPAS-ESA occurs at the top of the dynamical tropopause, but this minimum is found at higher altitudes in the ACE-FTS and MIPAS-IMK dataset. The tape recorder signal is present in H2O and HDO for the three databases with slight quantitative differences. The δ D annual variation for ACE-FTS data and MIPAS-ESA data is weaker compared to the MIPAS-IMK dataset, which shows a coherent tape recorder signal clearly detectable up to at least 30 km. The observed differences in the climatological δ D composites between databases could lead to different interpretations regarding the water vapour transport processes toward the stratosphere. Therefore, it is important to further improve the quality of level 2 products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El aprendizaje colaborativo es una técnica de estudio que permite establecer las metas y objetivos de la actividad, de manera que los alumnos se sientan motivados y comprometidos a la hora de trabajar para conseguirlos. Facilita que se puedan organizar a los alumnos por equipos y crear pequeños grupos de trabajo de cuatro personas que se encargarán de cumplir distintas funciones. Se basa esencialmente en la participación de todos los estudiantes en la aprehensión de los conocimientos, pero para que tal participación sea realmente eficaz, los estudiantes deberán poseer un status social similar, lo que llevará a dificultades para conseguir una satisfactoria cohesión grupal en el aula. Este artículo estará basado en la revisión bibliográfica acerca del tema que se investiga.

El presente artículo detalla las percepciones que tienen los docentes sobre los conflictos o dificultades que presentan los estudiantes en el aprendizaje, así como las concepciones sobre la situación actual de la educación en Ecuador. La palabra crisis debe reservarse en educación para aquellas situaciones en que una institución o sistema es incapaz de cumplir sus fines o de dar respuesta a los nuevos fines que caigan dentro su ámbito de responsabilidad, hasta el punto de que ello implica una pérdida de legitimidad y se aboca a una reestructuración. Sin embargo, la situación de emergencia actual que se vive en el mundo ha generado una crisis en varias esferas de la vida y por consiguiente en la educación también. La educación también se puede definir como el proceso de socialización de los individuos. Al educarse, una persona asimila y aprende no tan sólo conocimientos, además asimila todo lo nombrado anteriormente. La educación actual es estandarizada y lineal, sin matices ni acordes una educación descolorida y sin motivación.

Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) of large intensity (106 pps or higher) are at the frontier in nuclear physics. We designed a novel detection system for RIBs diagnostics and tagging based on Silicon Carbide detectors and on custom frontend electronics ready to be coupled with a Real Data Management Unit. The full detection system is designed to measure the spatial distribution of the beam intensity and trajectory with sufficient spatial resolution (of the order of 1-2 mm). In addition, the detection system has to determine the RIB composition that can be obtained from the joint measurement of the energy loss (>E) of the ions passing through the sensors and the time of flight between two sensors or with respect to a given reference signal as the RadioFrequency signal of a Cyclotron. In this paper we present the full design of the proposed system together with the results of the first experimental qualification of the first mini-prototype. The paper also shows the steps towards the final detection system, housed in a DN160 spherical cross and able to cover an active area of 30 mm × 60 mm.

We describe the search of the Efimov state in 12C performed by analysing a large set of 3-α particles coincidence data measured at the LNS laboratories with the CHIMERA detector. The data are compatible with the presence of an Efimov state at the excitation energy of 7.485 MeV, with an excitation probability smaller than 0.3% of the population probability of the Hoyle state. The Efimov state gamma decay probability should be around 30%, much larger than the one of the Hoyle state. The population of this level is compatible with the Suda limit for the 3-α reaction rate in stars because its population should be possible only through direct 3-α reaction. More investigations improving the detector angular resolution are needed to confirm these preliminary observations.

In this work we present the preliminary results of analysing the 46Mn β+ decay channel as a way to study the 45V(p, γ)46Cr reaction. 46Mn was selected among other species in the cocktail beam delivered by the LISE fragment separator at GANIL (Caen, France) in order to study its beta decay and the excited states of its daughter nucleus 46Cr. As part of the validation process we present the 46Mn half-life, the proton and gamma emission peaks related to the 46Mn decay and compare them with the results from previous works.

Background: Overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance (IR) are strongly associated with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer. Different surrogate indices of IR are derived and validated with the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) test. Thus, using a computational approach to predict IR with Matsuda index as reference, this study aimed to determine the optimal cutoff value and diagnosis accuracy for surrogate indices in non-diabetic young adult men. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 93 young men (ages 18-31). Serum levels of glucose and insulin were analyzed in the fasting state and during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Additionally, clinical, biochemical, hormonal, and anthropometric characteristics and body composition (DEXA) were determined. The computational approach to evaluate the IR diagnostic accuracy and cutoff value using difference parameters was examined, as well as other statistical tools to make the output robust. Results: The highest sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cutoff value, respectively, were established for the Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (0.91; 0.98; 3.40), the Quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (0.98; 0.96; 0.33), the triglyceride-glucose (TyG)-waist circumference index (TyG-WC) (1.00; 1.00; 427.77), the TyG-body mass index (TyG-BMI) (1.00; 1.00; 132.44), TyG-waist-to-height ratio (TyGWHtR) (0.98; 1.00; 2.48), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (1.00; 1.00; 0.53), waist circumference (WC) (1.00; 1.00; 92.63), body mass index (BMI) (1.00; 1.00; 28.69), total body fat percentage (TFM) (%) (1.00; 1.00; 31.07), android fat (AF) (%) (1.00; 0.98; 40.33), lipid accumulation product (LAP) (0.84; 1.00; 45.49), leptin (0.91; 1.00; 16.08), leptin/adiponectin ratio (LAR) (0.84; 1.00; 1.17), and fasting insulin (0.91; 0.98; 16.01). Conclusions: The computational approach was used to determine the diagnosis accuracy and the optimal cutoff value for IR to be used in preventive healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models for classifying dried chili pepper quality. The models categorize images into five categories: "Extra", "First Class", "Second Class", "Trash", and "Empty", each representing different qualities and scenarios in a sorting machine. We compared architectures from the Torchvision library, including ResNet, ResNeXt, Wide_ResNet, and RegNet using Transfer Learning (TL) in a feature extraction approach. All models employ residual blocks, an innovative technique enhancing deep learning performance. The models were evaluated using crossvalidation and metrics such as Precision, Recall, Specificity, F1-score, Geometric_mean, Index of Balanced Accuracy, and the Matthews Correlation Coefficient. They were trained using SGD, Adagrad, and Adam optimizers. Our findings suggest that ResNet-152, trained with the Adagrad optimizer, achieved the highest mean validation accuracy of 96.62%. The selected model can assist agricultural producers in classifying their products according to international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]