Optimization of clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis in children

Introduction. Administration of antibiotics in case of acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATP) is reasonable only when the disease is caused by β-hemolytic streptococcus of A (BHSA) group, although clinical confirmation of its etiology is rather complicated. Objective. Improvement of the diagnosis and treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis in children, considering the etiological factor and the clinical characteristics of the course of this disease. Materials and methods. 102 children with acute tonsillopharyngitis were included in the study. The patients were divided in 2 groups. The first group included 68 patients with non-streptococcal acute tonsillopharyngitis (nATP), the second one – 34 children with streptococcal acute tonsillopharyngitis (sATP) with BHSA. The study was performed in the Children Regional Hospital, Chernivtsi, Ukraine, during the period 2014-2016. General clinical examination was performed in all the children, using MacIsaac, Centor and Breeze probabilistic-orientation clinical systems. Constellation pattern of ATP was simulated by successive Waald’s method in Kulbak’s modification. Results. MacIsaac and Centor clinical systems, with the total sum less than 3, with a specificity of 93.9% and a sensitivity of 12.5%, were indicative of non-streptococcal acute tonsillitis in children. The prospective 1-year observation of children who had ATP determined that every third child from the 1st group and half of the representatives from the 2nd group presented different complaints associated with vegetative-vascular dystonia syndrome. In case of impossible microbiological examination in patients with ATP, we have suggested the algorithm of a rational administration of antibiotics for its treatment. Conclusions. MacIsaac and Centor probabilistic-orientation clinical systems with the total sum of less than 3 are indicative of non-streptococcal acute tonsillitis in children, with a high specificity, but low sensitivity. Therefore, according to our research, to reduce the risk of insufficient diagnosis of acute tonsillopharyngitis caused by β-hemolytic streptococcus when microbiological examination is not possible, a multilevel algorithm for its treatment should be used

High-multiplicity muon events observed with EMMA array

Abstract High-multiplicity data, collected with a segmented scintillator array of the cosmic-ray experiment EMMA (Experiment with Multi-Muon Array), is presented for the first time. The measurements were done at the depth of 75 meters (210 m.w.e.) in the Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland. EMMA uses two types of detectors: drift chambers and plastic scintillation detectors. The presented data were acquired over the period between December, 2015 and April, 2018 using 128-800 plastic scintillator pixels probing the fiducial area of ˜100 m². The results are being interpreted in terms of CORSIKA simulations. Several events with densities in excess of 10 muons per m² were observed. At the next stage of the analysis, the high-multiplicity events will be matched with precision tracking data extracted from the multi-layer drift chambers of EMMA. Observation of high-density muon bundles was first reported by the LEP experiments: DELPHI, L3+C, and ALEPH. More recently, the ALICE experiment at CERN has provided new cosmic-ray results together with improved interpretation benefiting from the updated cross section values extracted from LHC results. While the tracking performance of ALICE is superior to EMMA, the duration of ALICE cosmic-ray measurements is very limited. Over the period of 2010–2018 the total exposure was only 93 days while EMMA, having a similar overburden provides a larger footprint and collects data continuously

Cosmic-ray muon flux at Canfranc Underground Laboratory

Abstract Residual flux and angular distribution of high-energy cosmic muons have been measured in two underground locations at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) using a dedicated Muon Monitor. The instrument consists of three layers of fast scintillation detector modules operating as 352 independent pixels. The monitor has a flux-defining area of 1 m² and covers all azimuth angles, and zenith angles up to 80°. The measured integrated muon flux is (5.26±0.21)×10⁻³ m⁻²s⁻¹ in the Hall A of the LAB2400 and (4.29±0.17)×10⁻³3 m⁻²s⁻¹ in LAB2500. The angular dependence is consistent with the known profile and rock density of the surrounding mountains. In particular, there is a clear maximum in the flux coming from the direction of the Rioseta valley

An upper limit on the diffuse flux of high energy neutrinos obtained with the Baikal detector NT-96

We present the results of a search for high-energy neutrinos with the Baikal underwater Cherenkov detector NT-96. An upper limit on the diffuse flux of ν e + ν μ + ν μ ̄ of E 2 Φ ν (E)<1.4×10 −5 cm −2 s −1 sr −1 GeV within neutrino energy range 10 4 –10 7 GeV is obtained, assuming an E −2 behavior of the neutrino spectrum