DAU - Digital Archive of URL (Ramon Llull University)
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Measurement of the Z-Boson Mass
Get PDFThe first dedicated Z-boson mass measurement at the LHC with Z→μ^{+}μ^{-} decays is reported. The dataset uses proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded in 2016 by the LHCb experiment, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 fb^{-1}. A template fit to the μ^{+}μ^{-} mass distribution yields the following result for the Z-boson mass: m_{Z}=91,185.7±8.3±3.9 MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This result is consistent with previous measurements and predictions from global electroweak fits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Interfacial Assembly of Dye-Doped Microparticles Driven by Combined Optical and Non-Optical Forces
Get PDFOptical trapping has emerged as an alternative method for controlling the assembly of nano- and microparticles at the microscale. This process involves optical, electrostatic, capillary, and hydrodynamic forces. Additionally, absorption forces also come into play for particles containing chromophores. This work proposes and experimentally demonstrates a model for photoexcitation-mediated particle assembling using single particle tracking analysis. The dispersed dye-doped microparticles are pushed toward the air/solution interface by absorption force, leading to their association and formation of hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) assemblies. These observations indicate that the assembly is facilitated by coupling the absorption force with other non-optical forces. The results presented show the potential of using absorption forces to control and modify the structural order of particles, for optical assemblies as well as for general self-assembly of various materials (e.g., polymers, proteins) at an interface.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Infertility grief and filiation experiences 25 years later: detection of multiple cases from the mixed methods approach
Get PDFIntroduction: The diagnosis of infertility generates a significant psychological impact on the couples who experience it. The loss of fertility triggers a psychological mourning process that affects self-esteem and identity. The aim of this study is the follow-up of couples 25 years after conceiving children with artificial insemination of donor semen, to explore from a mixed methods approach the relationship between the mode of elaboration of infertility grief, the communication strategies of the genetic origins of babies and the filiation experience.
Method: The macrostages of the process are QUAL-QUANT-QUAL to integrate qualitative and quantitative elements. The indirect observational methodology has been used, based on in-depth interviews with infertile couples. The observational design is N/F/M: nomothetic (10 couples), incomplete intersessional follow-up (two time points) and incomplete intrasessional follow-up (single in-depth interview), and multidimensional. There are five dimensions proposed based on the theoretical psychoanalytic framework and the answers obtained, which are displayed in sub-dimensions up to the fourth level, and based on each of them a system of categories is developed. The observational instrument is ad hoc, and allows to systematize the transcriptions of the answers, obtaining matrixes of codes (249). After a process of transformation of the data, the quality control of the data is found, and a lag sequential analysis is carried out with the GSEQ5 software, with the aim of detecting regularities in the existence of behavioral patterns.
Results: The total number of behavior patterns was 55. From the results of the lag sequential analysis five multiple cases have been detected that show that there is a connection between the conducts of the mode of elaboration of infertility grief and the communication of genetic origins and filiation experience.
Discussion: Qualitative and quantitative elements have been integrated, which is innovative in this substantive area. Likewise, the rigor of a mixed methods approach has facilitated the identification of the deep hidden structure of nuanced aspects in grief coping analysis, which holds relevance for the psychological support of couples undergoing assisted reproduction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Credit cycles as predictors of labor market slack: Evidence from the U․S․
Get PDFThis paper empirically studies the relationship between credit and unemployment fluctuations in the U.S. economy for the period 1955–2023. Drawing on the business cycle literature that focuses on changes in output, we model unemployment dynamics using a Markov-switching framework extended with credit variables to assess the ability of credit to identify periods of labor market slack – instances where the unemployment rate exceeds its natural rate, exerting downward pressure on inflation. Our results show that contractions in real private credit carry valuable information for signaling labor market slack. Moreover, we find that cyclical variations in private credit have significant out-of-sample predictive power for labor market dynamics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A simple AI-driven process intensification protocol for active pharmaceutical ingredients synthesis
Get PDFThe synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) traditionally relies on batch reactors, which often exhibit challenges in terms of both selectivity and heat transfer control. This study investigated the Aza-Michael addition between methylamine and 2-vinylpyridine to synthetize betahistine, an analogue of histamine, converting a traditional batch process into a continuous flow reaction. The aim of the study was to define an intensification protocol capable of identifying optimized operating conditions to maximise betahistine production. A dedicated experimental setup was developed using a custom-built PTFE-based tubular microreactor which allowed for an optimal control of pressure, temperature, residence time, and reactants molar ratio. Analytical characterization was performed using both UHPLC and H-NMR. Process intensification was achieved using two different approaches: a traditional one, based on deterministic mathematical models to simulate the chemical reactions involved, and a modern approach based on Feedforward Neural Networks. The highest selectivity experimentally observed was approximately 82% at a 2:1 methylamine to 2-vinylpyridine ratio and 150°C, with a residence time of 4 minutes. Both optimizing approaches lead to the same results, confirming the advantages of using suitable intensification protocols for shifting to continuous flow batch processes, especially in pharmaceutical synthesis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The association between PhD holders’ experiences of professional support and work engagement and burnout
Get PDFMost new PhD graduates are going to have non-academic careers,but research on their work experience has so far been limited,particularly regarding the quality of professional interactions andhow they contribute to their occupational wellbeing. This paperreports on experiences of professional support among PhDholders working outside academia. The dynamics betweenprofessional support from colleagues, burnout symptoms andwork engagement were explored. Survey data from 557 PhDholders from across the disciplines in Spain were collected in2022 with a PhD employee survey. The data were analyzed usingstructural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed thatemotional support and instrumental organizational support actedas buffers against all burnout symptoms and increased workengagement, whereas informational support did not provide suchbenefits. The study extends the existing body of knowledge onPhD holders working outside academia by 1) illustrating PhDgraduates experiences of informational, emotional andinstrumental support experiences in their work beyond academia2) explaining the dynamics between professional support,burnout symptoms, and work engagement and 2) introducing anew instrument for studying professional support from thecolleagues of PhD holders working outside academia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The validity of subjective assessments of deprivation: Can it be true that poor people are happier than those who are well off?
Get PDFThis paper examines the validity of subjective information in assessing well-being under conditions of deprivation. It does so by comparing two mutually exclusive assumptions across disciplines. From one perspective, development studies have assumed that people are reconciled to deprivation, which is represented as their adaptive preference, leading commentators to underrate subjectivity and to focus on objective information (such as the Human Development Index (HDI), Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)). This is despite a growing awareness of the need for multidimensional analyses implied by the slogan ‘Moving beyond GDP’. From the alternative perspective, psychology has assumed that deprivation should be evaluated solely in terms of psychological need, leading commentators to overrate subjectivity and to focus on subjective information or self-assessment even when focusing on relatively advantaged populations. For a more comprehensive understanding of well-being, the conceptual gap needs to be addressed empirically. Against this backdrop, by using data from cities located in three emerging economies, the present study tests the validity of the assumptions by analysing objective and subjective information from both deprived and non-deprived populations. It concludes by demonstrating the validity of subjective assessments of deprivation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Heart rate recovery after the 6-min walk test in people with bronchiectasis
Get PDFBackground
The cardiac autonomic response to exercise and during recovery has been poorly explored in bronchiectasis.
Methods
A longitudinal study was conducted in adults with bronchiectasis. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected at baseline and after 12 months of follow-up. The heart rate recovery after the first (HRR1) and second minute (HRR2) of recovery in the six-min walk test (6MWT) was estimated in both assessments. Adjusted regression models were used to identify predictors of a delayed HRR1 (HRR1≤14).
Results
104 participants with a mean±sd age of 64±13 years and mostly women (67%) were included. A delayed HRR1 after the baseline 6MWT was identified in 36% of participants. These participants presented a higher proportion of males, increased body mass index, higher disease severity, more likely to require hospitalisation, more impact on quality of life, lower exercise capacity, lower heart rate at the end of the 6MWT and lower HRR2. Disease severity (β, 95% CI) (moderate and severe versus mild, −0.47 (−0.94 to −0.01)) and distance walked (0.34 (0.11 to 0.56)) were the independent variables associated with HRR1. Of the 45 participants who completed the entire follow-up period, 24% exhibited delayed HRR1. The presence of at least two exacerbations during the follow-up period (OR 16.89, 95% CI 1.44 to 197.48) was the only predictor of a delayed HRR1 in the assessment completed at the end of the study.
Conclusion
HRR1 is related to disease severity and is mainly affected by having severe exacerbations in people with bronchiectasis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The Third Sector of Social Action and Roma People During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThe most recent scientific literature shows the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on socially vulnerable groups such as Roma people. Non-profit social initiative organizations were active agents in overcoming the effects of the pandemic. This article shows the role that Third Sector of Social Action organizations played in alleviating the impact of the pandemic in collaboration with the Roma community itself, as part of the R&D&I research project ROM21, which studied the social agency of the Roma population in Spain regarding overcoming inequalities caused by the pandemic in relation to education, social services, and civic organizations. Based on the communicative methodology, discussion groups and interviews were conducted with Roma people and professionals from social services, civic organizations, and the health and education sectors, with 54 Roma women, 24 Roma men, 40 professionals, and 5 social activists participating. The results show the social initiative entities’ social action strategies in collaboration with the Roma community and the public administrations that responded to the needs that arose during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Design, Construction, and Validation of the Couple Identity Scale (EIPAR)
Get PDFAlthough couple identity has emerged as a relevant construct in clinical practice, there are few instruments to assess it, and none validated in Spanish. For this reason, we have designed and validated the EIPAR (Couple Identity Scale for its acronym in Spanish). It consists of 19 items scored on a five-interval Likert-type scale. The items were developed from published theory in the field and were organized into two subscales: (a) Relational Interaction (RI) and (b) Relational Life Project (RLP). A sample of 205 participants was selected by nonprobability snowball sampling; 69% of them were women. Participants completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the EIPAR. The two subscales obtained in the EIPAR scale showed adequate internal consistency indices, as well as in the assessment of the total scale. Furthermore, all items showed adequate item-total corrected item-total correlations. The convergent validity of the EIPAR scale with the DAS determined a high level of compatibility between the DAS dimensions and the EIPAR subscales, reinforcing the design and coherence of the latter. The EIPAR is confirmed as a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of couple identity, both for research purposes and for intervention with couples.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio