The Inverse Amplitude Method and Adler Zeros

The Inverse Amplitude Method is a powerful unitarization technique to enlarge the energy applicability region of Effective Lagrangians. It has been widely used to describe resonances from Chiral Perturbation Theory as well as for the Strongly Interacting Symmetry Breaking Sector. In this work we show how it can be slightly modified to account also for the sub-threshold region, incorporating correctly the Adler zeros required by chiral symmetry and eliminating spurious poles. These improvements produce negligible effects on the physical region.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

Nature of the f_0(600) from its N_c dependence at two loops in unitarized Chiral Perturbation Theory

By using unitarized two-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory partial waves to describe pion-pion scattering we find that the dominant component of the lightest scalar meson does not follow the q-qbar dependence on the number of colors that, in contrast, is obeyed by the lightest vectors. The method suggests that a subdominant q-qbar component of the f_0(600) possibly originates around 1 GeV.Comment: 4 pages, 1 Figure. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Estado y prioridades de conservación de los anfibios del departamento del Quindío, Colombia

stat i prioritats de conservació dels amfibis del departament del Quindío, Colòmbia En aquest article presentem una avaluació de l’estat i les prioritats de conservació dels amfibis al Quindío amb l’objectiu de proposar accions per conservar-los. Vam generar una llista d’espècies d’amfibis del departament, vam modelar la distribució potencial de les espècies amenaçades amb l’algoritme de màxima entropia de MaxEnt i en vam avaluar la representativitat en el Sistema Departamental d’Àrees Protegides del Quindío (SIDAPQ). A més a més, vam prioritzar les àrees per a la conservació dels amfibis amb l’algoritme ILV4 adjacency de ConsNet. Vam registrar 45 espècies d’amfibis, el 24,4% de les quals es troben incloses en alguna categoria d’amenaça de la Llista Vermella de la UICN. Els amfibis amenaçats van presentar una distribució i uns registres superiors al 50% dins del SIDAPQ. Les àrees prioritzades per assolir objectius de representativitat del 10, 20 i 30% de la distribució dels amfibis estan totalment fragmentades i només tenen el 30% de la distribució prioritzada al SIDAPQ. Davant d’aquest escenari, proposem una estratègia de conservació de caràcter paisatgístic que inclogui els agroecosistemes, tractant de mantenir-ne l’heterogeneïtat i eliminant-ne o disminuint-ne els factors d’amenaça.Conservation status and priorities of amphibians from the Quindío Department, Colombia We reviewed the conservation status and priorities for amphibians from the Quindío region of Colombia, with the purpose of proposing conservation actions. We modeled the potential distribution of threatened species using the maximum entropy algorithm in MaxEnt and evaluated representability in the Departmental System of Protected Areas for Quindío (Spanish acronym: SIDAPQ). We prioritized areas for amphibian conservation using the algorithm ILV4 adjacency in ConsNet. We recorded 45 species, 24.4% of which are included in threatened categories on the IUCN Red List. Over 50% of the distribution and records of the threatened amphibians occurred inside the SIDAPQ. Prioritized areas to achieve representation goals of 10, 20 and 30% of amphibian distribution are highly fragmented and have only approximately 30% of prioritized distribution in the SIDAPQ. Considering this scenario we propose a conservation strategy on the landscape level that includes agroecosystems, maintaining their heterogeneity and eliminating or mitigating threat factors.En este artículo presentamos una evaluación del estado y prioridades de conservación de los anfibios en el Quindío con el objetivo de proponer acciones para su conservación. Generamos una lista de especies de anfibios del departamento, modelamos la distribución potencial de las especies amenazadas con el algoritmo de máxima entropía de MaxEnt y evaluamos su representatividad en el Sistema Departamental de Áreas Protegidas del Quindío (SIDAPQ). Además, priorizamos las áreas para la conservación de los anfibios con el algoritmo ILV4 adjacency de ConsNet. Registramos 45 especies de anfibios, el 24,4% de las cuales se encuentran incluidas en alguna categoría de amenaza de la Lista Roja de la UICN. Los anfibios amenazados presentaron una distribución y unos registros superiores al 50% dentro del SIDAPQ. Las áreas priorizadas para alcanzar los objetivos de representatividad del 10, 20 y 30% de la distribución de los anfibios están altamente fragmentadas y sólo tienen el 30% de la distribución priorizada en el SIDAPQ. Ante este escenario, proponemos una estrategia de conservación de carácter paisajístico que incluya los agroecosistemas, tratando de mantener su heterogeneidad y eliminando o mitigando los factores de amenaza

Integrable su(3) spin chain combining different representations

The general expression for the local matrix $t(\theta)$ of a quantum chain with the site space in any representation of su(3) is obtained. This is made by generalizing $t(\theta)$ from the fundamental representation and imposing the fulfillment of the Yang-Baxter equation. Then, a non-homogeneous spin chain combining different representations of su(3) is solved by developing a method inspired in the nested Bethe ansatz. The solution for the eigenvalues of the trace of the monodromy matrix is given as two coupled Bethe equations. A conjecture about the solution of a chain with the site states in different representations of su(n) is presented. The thermodynamic limit of the ground state is calculated.Comment: PlainTex harvmac, 30 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Journal of Physics

Endothelial dysfunction is an early indicator of sepsis and neutrophil degranulation of septic shock in surgical patients

Producción CientíficaBackground: Stratification of the severity of infection is currently based on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, which is difficult to calculate outside the ICU. Biomarkers could help to stratify the severity of infection in surgical patients. Methods: Levels of ten biomarkers indicating endothelial dysfunction, 22 indicating emergency granulopoiesis, and six denoting neutrophil degranulation were compared in three groups of patients in the first 12 h after diagnosis at three Spanish hospitals. Results: There were 100 patients with infection, 95 with sepsis and 57 with septic shock. Seven biomarkers indicating endothelial dysfunction (mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-ProADM), syndecan 1, thrombomodulin, angiopoietin 2, endothelial cell-specific molecule 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and E-selectin) had stronger associations with sepsis than infection alone. MR-ProADM had the highest odds ratio (OR) in multivariable analysis (OR 11·53, 95 per cent c.i. 4·15 to 32·08; P = 0·006) and the best area under the curve (AUC) for detecting sepsis (0·86, 95 per cent c.i. 0·80 to 0·91; P < 0·001). In a comparison of sepsis with septic shock, two biomarkers of neutrophil degranulation, proteinase 3 (OR 8·09, 1·34 to 48·91; P = 0·028) and lipocalin 2 (OR 6·62, 2·47 to 17·77; P = 0·002), had the strongest association with septic shock, but lipocalin 2 exhibited the highest AUC (0·81, 0·73 to 0·90; P < 0·001). Conclusion: MR-ProADM and lipocalin 2 could be alternatives to the SOFA score in the detection of sepsis and septic shock respectively in surgical patients with infection.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grants PI15/01959, PI15/01451 and PI16/01156

A genome-wide association study follow-up suggests a possible role for PPARG in systemic sclerosis susceptibility

Introduction: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising a French cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) reported several non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing a nominal association in the discovery phase. We aimed to identify previously overlooked susceptibility variants by using a follow-up strategy.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods: Sixty-six non-HLA SNPs showing a P value &#60;10-4 in the discovery phase of the French SSc GWAS were analyzed in the first step of this study, performing a meta-analysis that combined data from the two published SSc GWASs. A total of 2,921 SSc patients and 6,963 healthy controls were included in this first phase. Two SNPs, PPARG rs310746 and CHRNA9 rs6832151, were selected for genotyping in the replication cohort (1,068 SSc patients and 6,762 healthy controls) based on the results of the first step. Genotyping was performed by using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: We observed nominal associations for both PPARG rs310746 (PMH = 1.90 × 10-6, OR, 1.28) and CHRNA9 rs6832151 (PMH = 4.30 × 10-6, OR, 1.17) genetic variants with SSc in the first step of our study. In the replication phase, we observed a trend of association for PPARG rs310746 (P value = 0.066; OR, 1.17). The combined overall Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis of all the cohorts included in the present study revealed that PPARG rs310746 remained associated with SSc with a nominal non-genome-wide significant P value (PMH = 5.00 × 10-7; OR, 1.25). No evidence of association was observed for CHRNA9 rs6832151 either in the replication phase or in the overall pooled analysis.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusion: Our results suggest a role of PPARG gene in the development of SSc

Distribution and outcomes of a phenotype-based approach to guide COPD management: Results from the CHAIN cohort

Rationale: The Spanish guideline for COPD (GesEPOC) recommends COPD treatment according to four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator phenotype with either chronic bronchitis or emphysema (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), frequent exacerbator phenotype with emphysema (FEE) or frequent exacerbator phenotype with chronic bronchitis (FECB). However, little is known on the distribution and outcomes of the four suggested phenotypes. Objective: We aimed to determine the distribution of these COPD phenotypes, and their relation with one-year clinical outcomes. Methods: We followed a cohort of well-characterized patients with COPD up to one-year. Baseline characteristics, health status (CAT), BODE index, rate of exacerbations and mortality up to one year of follow-up were compared between the four phenotypes. Results: Overall, 831 stable COPD patients were evaluated. They were distributed as NE, 550 (66.2%); ACOS, 125 (15.0%); FEE, 38 (4.6%); and FECB, 99 (11.9%); additionally 19 (2.3%) COPD patients with frequent exacerbations did not fulfill the criteria for neither FEE nor FECB. At baseline, there were significant differences in symptoms, FEV1 and BODE index (all p<0.05). The FECB phenotype had the highest CAT score (17.1±8.2, p<0.05 compared to the other phenotypes). Frequent exacerbator groups (FEE and FECB) were receiving more pharmacological treatment at baseline, and also experienced more exacerbations the year after (all p<0.05) with no differences in one-year mortality. Most of NE (93%) and half of exacerbators were stable after one year. Conclusions: There is an uneven distribution of COPD phenotypes in stable COPD patients, with significant differences in demographics, patient-centered outcomes and health care resources use

Corporate reputation in the spanish context: An interaction between reporting to stakeholders and industry.

ABSTRACT: The authors describe the intensity and orientation of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in four Spanish industries and explore the relationship that exists between both concepts and an independent measurement of reputation for CSR (CSRR). The results demonstrate that the CSR reporting is especially relevant and useful in the finance industry. Finance companies report significantly more CSR information than most industries in Spain, and this reporting is more closely linked to their CSRR than the CSR reporting of basic, consumer goods and services industries. Borra

Association between Use of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol and Postoperative Complications in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in the Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Study (POWER2)

Importance: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care protocol has been shown to improve outcomes compared with traditional care in certain types of surgery. Objective: To assess the association of use of the ERAS protocols with complications in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, prospective cohort study included patients recruited from 131 centers in Spain from October 22 through December 22, 2018. All consecutive adults scheduled for elective THA or TKA were eligible for inclusion. Patients were stratified between those treated in a self-designated ERAS center (ERAS group) and those treated in a non-ERAS center (non-ERAS group). Data were analyzed from June 15 through September 15, 2019. Exposures: Total hip or knee arthroplasty and perioperative management. Sixteen individual ERAS items were assessed in all included patients, whether they were treated at a center that was part of an established ERAS protocol or not. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and mortality. Results: During the 2-month recruitment period, 6146 patients were included (3580 women [58.2%]; median age, 71 [interquartile range (IQR), 63-76] years). Of these, 680 patients (11.1%) presented with postoperative complications. No differences were found in the number of patients with overall postoperative complications between ERAS and non-ERAS groups (163 [10.2%] vs 517 [11.4%]; odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.74-1.07; P =.22). Fewer patients in the ERAS group had moderate to severe complications (73 [4.6%] vs 279 [6.1%]; OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.96; P =.02). The median overall adherence rate with the ERAS protocol was 50.0% (IQR, 43.8%-62.5%), with the rate for ERAS facilities being 68.8% (IQR, 56.2%-81.2%) vs 50.0% (IQR, 37.5%-56.2%) at non-ERAS centers (P <.001). Among the patients with the highest and lowest quartiles of adherence to ERAS components, the patients with the highest adherence had fewer overall postoperative complications (144 [10.6%] vs 270 [13.0%]; OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-0.99; P <.001) and moderate to severe postoperative complications (59 [4.4%] vs 143 [6.9%]; OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45-0.84; P <.001) and shorter median length of hospital stay (4 [IQR, 3-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-6] days; OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P <.001). Conclusions and Relevance: An increase in adherence to the ERAS program was associated with a decrease in postoperative complications, although only a few ERAS items were individually associated with improved outcomes