The role of the terrain geometry on the flames propagation through a vegetative fuel bed

When a wildland fire occurs the domain geometry is a key parameter in governing the way the fire spreads across the terrain. The effect of this variable on the rate of flames propagation was investigated in this work by means of a computational fluid dynamics software specifically designed to simulate fires in wildland environment. The physics-based model - i.e. relied on the laws of conservation of momentum, energy and mass – was adopted under two different domain configurations (double-slope domains and canyon); the capability of the computational code to correctly predict the fire behaviour was verified by comparison with results of experimental tests available in the literature

Towards an Ecological Vision of Neurodidactics

Neuroeducation is a discipline that studies the teaching and learning processes from a neural perspective, in order to contribute to the educational field through interventions that seek to promote changes in the subjects of knowledge. On the other hand, neurodidactics is an emerging discipline with a recent theoretical development, whose implementation could contribute to the development of interventions, given its eminently practical nature in the field of teaching. That is why, in the present work, a journey through some of the conceptualizations of neurodidactics is exposed, trying to provide its differentiation of what is understood by neuroeducation; as well as an ecological vision of neurodidactics is proposed, as an approach that considers the classroom as a natural environment from which and for which pedagogical intervention strategies are developed in the light of neuroscientific findings, and positions the teacher as a mediator of this process, who plans their interventions to optimize the teaching and learning process.Fil: Muchiut, Álvaro Federico. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; ArgentinaFil: Vaccaro, Paola. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; ArgentinaFil: Pietto, Marcos Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET; Argentina. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; Argentin

Towards an Ecological Vision of Neurodidactics

Neuroeducation is a discipline that studies the teaching and learning processes from a neural perspective, in order to contribute to the educational field through interventions that seek to promote changes in the subjects of knowledge. On the other hand, neurodidactics is an emerging discipline with a recent theoretical development, whose implementation could contribute to the development of interventions, given its eminently practical nature in the field of teaching. That is why, in the present work, a journey through some of the conceptualizations of neurodidactics is exposed, trying to provide its differentiation of what is understood by neuroeducation; as well as an ecological vision of neurodidactics is proposed, as an approach that considers the classroom as a natural environment from which and for which pedagogical intervention strategies are developed in the light of neuroscientific findings, and positions the teacher as a mediator of this process, who plans their interventions to optimize the teaching and learning process.Fil: Muchiut, Álvaro Federico. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; ArgentinaFil: Vaccaro, Paola. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; ArgentinaFil: Pietto, Marcos Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET; Argentina. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicología; Argentin

Fire behaviour in canyons due to symmetric and asymmetric ignitions

The eruptive propagation of a fire is a particular behaviour characterized by a sudden increase in the rate of spread and intensity without any change in the external driving forces such as wind velocity and ambient temperature, vegetation type and moisture content. It is, therefore, a local or internal dynamic connected with the terrain configuration and the ignition position that regulates fire spreading and causes its acceleration. This phenomenon is particularly evident and common in canyons. This work aims to study the effect ignition position on the fire propagation in a canyon by means of a physically-based computational code. The code WFDS was shown to be effective to describe the fire behaviour throughout such a terrain configuration

Escala de Autorreporte de Funcionamiento Ejecutivo (AFE) para adolescentes: construcción, baremación y validación

Objetivo: Este estudio se propuso construir y validar la Escala AFE para adolescentes. Adicionalmente, buscó obtener datos normativos de dicha escala y realizaruna primera exploración del funcionamiento ejecutivo, desde la autopercepción deestudiantes secundarios.Método: La escala se aplicó a una muestra de 245 adolescentes (12-18 años) dela ciudad de Resistencia (Chaco-Argentina). Se implementó un análisis factorialexploratorio y luego un análisis factorial confirmatorio para estimar y confirmarlos constructos, utilizando dos submuestras con características sociodemográficassimilares. Se evaluó la confiabilidad y se obtuvieron los datos normativos medianteel uso de modelos de regresión lineal, utilizando las puntuaciones en la escala comovariables dependientes y distintas características sociodemográficas como variablespredictoras.Resultados: El análisis factorial exploratorio arrojó la presencia de cuatro factoresen la escala y sugirió la eliminación de 13 ítems por ser ambiguos o complejos. Elanálisis factorial confirmatorio sostuvo los constructos estimados y la escala quedóconformada por 27 ítems. El análisis de la fiabilidad señaló una buena consistenciainterna ( = 0.83) y capacidad de discriminación de los ítems a la subescala quelos agrupa (rho > 0.46). En general, la edad, el sexo de los adolescentes y niveleducativo de los padres resultaron significativos en predecir las puntuaciones de lassubescalas.Conclusión: El empleo de instrumentos con validez ecológica y estandarizados parauna población determinada, permitiría avanzar en la discriminación de necesidadesespecíficas de los adolescentes en situaciones de aprendizaje, y en la identificaciónde blancos de intervención de interés tanto para la educación como para la clínica.Objective: This study aims to develop and to validate the AFE Scale for adolescents. Additionally, it aims to obtain normative data from the scale and to perform a first exploration of executive functioning, from the self-perception of secondary school students. Method: The scale was administered to a sample of 245 adolescents (12-18 years old) from the Resistencia city (Chaco-Argentina). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to estimate and confirm the constructs of the scale, using two sub-samples with similar sociodemographic characteristics. Additionally, the reliability of the scale was evaluated and normative data were obtained through the use of linear regression models, using the scale scores as dependent variables and different sociodemographic characteristics as predictor variables. Results: The exploratory factor analysis revealed the presence of four factors in the scale and suggested the elimination of 13 items due their ambiguity or/and complexity. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the estimated constructs and the scale was composed of 27 items. The reliability analysis indicated a good internal consistency ( = 0.83) and discrimination capacity of the items to each sub-scale (rho > 0.46). In general, the age and sex of the adolescents, and the educational level of the parents were significant in predicting the scores of the sub-scales. Conclusion: The use of tests with ecological validity and standardized for a given population would allow progress both for discriminating specific adolescents’ needs in learning situations and identifying intervention targets, which are of interest for education and clinical practice.Fil: Mucchiut, Alvaro. Fundación Centro de Estudios Cognitivos; ArgentinaFil: Pietto, Marcos Luis. Fundación Centro de Estudios Cognitivos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vaccaro, Paola. Fundación Centro de Estudios Cognitivos; Argentin

GW190521: a binary black hole merger inside an active galactic nucleus?

GW190521, the most massive binary black hole merger confidently detected by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, is the first gravitational-wave observation of an intermediate-mass black hole. The signal was followed approximately 34 days later by flare ZTF19abanrhr, detected in AGN J124942.3+344929 by the Zwicky Transient Facility at the 78% spatial contour for GW190521s sky localization. Using the GWTC-2.1 data release, we find that the association between GW190521 and flare ZTF19abanrhr as its electromagnetic counterpart is preferred over a random coincidence of the two transients with a log Bayes factor of 8.6, corresponding to an odds ratio of $\sim$ 5400 to 1 for equal prior odds and $\sim$ 400 to 1 assuming an astrophysical prior odds of 1/13. Given the association, the multi-messenger signal allows for an estimation of the Hubble constant, finding $H_0 = 102^{+27}_{-25}\mathrm{\ km \ s^{-1} \ Mpc^{-1}}$when solely analyzing GW190521 and$79.2^{+17.6}_{-9.6}\mathrm{\ km \ s^{-1} \ Mpc^{-1}}$ assuming prior information from the binary neutron star merger GW170817, both consistent with the existing literature.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Intelligence, Executive Functions and Academic Achievement in Adolescents of 13 and 14 years old

El ámbito educativo, indudablemente, puede beneficiarse de los aportes de las neurociencias, enfoque desde el cual, en este estudio, se plantearon los objetivos de explorar la relación existente entre la capacidad intelectual (CI), las funciones ejecutivas (FE) y el rendimiento académico (RA) en adolescentes; analizar si la CI y las FE constituyen variables predictoras del RA, e indagar el funcionamiento ejecutivo de la muestra según la CI fuera baja o alta. Para ello, se realizó un estudio no experimental, transversal, descriptivo-correlacional, en el que participaron 36 sujetos de 13-14 años. Los instrumentos de evaluación utilizados fueron WISC-IV, BANFE-2 y el registro de calificaciones provisto por la institución educativa. Los datos obtenidos fueron sometidos a análisis descriptivos, de correlación y de regresión. Los resultados arrojaron correlación positiva significativa entre las variables CI y FE, y entre la prueba WISC-IV y RA, determinándose el CI como variable predictiva del RA, mientras que en relación con las FE evaluadas con BANFE-2 solo se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa con las subpruebas correspondientes al área prefrontal anterior. Además se observaron diferencias significativas entre los grupos de alta y baja CI en las FE de planificación, memoria de trabajo (MT) y fluidez verbal, en favor del grupo de alto desempeño intelectual. La conclusión se centra en la importancia de involucrar los hallazgos sobre los diferentes procesos cognitivos en el diseño de las estrategias pedagógicas para favorecer al máximo el RA del estudiante. Finalmente, las limitaciones versaron en relación con el tamaño muestral, y se proponen futuras líneas de estudio que posibiliten generalizar los resultados.The study of the relationship between executive functions, intellectual abilities, and academic achievement plays an important role in the field of cognitive neuroscience, particularly for their implications in the educational field. Intelligence has been linked to executive functions. In fact, core aspects of intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving and planning, are often included in the wide range of frontal lobe functions and over laps with the so-called higher-level executive functions. In addition, executive functioning abilities are associated with skills put in play when participating in learning activities at school. In this sense, different studies have demonstrated that a lower performance on executive function measures typically is associated with a lower performance across different academic areas. The aim of this work was focused on the relationship between intelligence and executive functions, and their ability to predict academic achievement. In the present study, a non-experimental, transversal and descriptive-correlational design was implemented to explore the relationship between intellectual abilities, executive functions, and academic performance in a sample of 37 adolescents (17 girls) aged 13-14 years. The information was collected through the school reports of participants, and their performance on tests BANFE-2 (neuropsychological battery of the executive functions and frontal lobes) and WISC-IV (Wechsler intelligence scale for children 4th Ed.). Also, adolescents were classified into two groups (high- and low performers) based on their performance on the general intelligence score. Participants with IQ scores below the median were assigned to the low-performing group, while participants with IQ scores above the median were assigned to the high-performing group. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive, correlation and regression analyses. Results showed a pattern of positive and significant correlations between executive functions variables (BANFE-2) and intelligence scores (WISC-IV). The 69 % of significant correlations indicated a moderate – strong degree of association (i. e., 49 <r(35) < 73), while the remaining of significant correlations showed a weak degree of association (i. e., 37 <r(35) < 50). Particularly, executive functions variables, such as working memory, mental flexibility, and planning, were highly correlated with the IQ score, verbal comprehension index, and processing speed index. Further, academic achievement was predicted by intelligence scores (i. e., IQ score, verbal comprehension index, working memory index and processing speed index) and variables related to metafunctions (i. e., abstract reasoning and metacognition). On average, intelligence scores and metafunctions explained a 20 % of the variance in academic achievement. Finally, results revealed significant differences according to the general intelligence level of the adolescents, especially in executive function variables that had shown a larger association with intelligence scores. In particular, differences in executive skills between adolescents with high and low intelligence scores, were mainly characterized by differences in the performance of tasks with working memory and/or mental flexibility demands. These results confirm the association between intelligence and executive functions, and the capacity of intelligence abilities and higher-level executive functions in predicting academic achievement in different areas. Likewise, these findings highlight the important role of intelligence and executive functions in learning and academic achievement, and contribute to the consideration of different cognitive domains in the design of pedagogical strategies with the aim of promoting student performance. However, it is difficult to generalize findings beyond the study sample and arrive at more precise conclusions. The sample size was small and the scores were below expected standards in both WISC-IV and BANFE-2. In a future work, would be required a wider experimental study to conduct complex models of analysis that allow more precise and rigorous examinations.Fil: Muchiut, Álvaro Federico. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicologia Numero 166 (uep 166); Argentina. Fundación Centro de Estudios Cognitivos; ArgentinaFil: Vaccaro, Paola. Fundación Centro de Estudios Cognitivos; ArgentinaFil: Pietto, Marcos Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET; Argentina. Instituto Superior de Neuropsicologia Numero 166 (uep 166); Argentin