Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file

Colombian consensus on the treatment of Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS)

Introducción: el espectro de acretismo placentario (EAP) es una condición asociada a sangrado masivo posparto y mortalidad materna. Las guías de manejo publicadas en países de altos ingresos recomiendan la participación de grupos interdisciplinarios en hospitales con recursos suficientes para realizar procedimientos complejos. Sin embargo, algunas de las recomendaciones de estas guías resultan difíciles de aplicar en países de bajos y medianos ingresos. Objetivos: este consenso busca formular recomendaciones generales para el tratamiento del EAP en Colombia. Materiales y métodos: en el consenso participaron 23 panelistas, quienes respondieron 31 preguntas sobre el tratamiento de EAP. Los panelistas fueron seleccionados con base en la participación en dos encuestas realizadas para determinar la capacidad resolutiva de hospitales en el país y la región. Se utilizó la metodología Delphi modificada, incorporando dos rondas sucesivas de discusión. Para emitir las recomendaciones el grupo tomó en cuenta la opinión de los participantes, que lograron un consenso mayor al 80 %, así como las barreras y los facilitadores para su implementación. Resultados: el consenso formuló cinco recomendaciones integrando las respuestas de los panelistas. Recomendación 1. Las instituciones de atención primaria deben realizar búsqueda activa de EAP en pacientes con factores de riesgo: placenta previa e historia de miomectomía o cesárea en embarazo previo. En caso de haber signos sugestivos de EAP por ecografía, las pacientes deben ser remitidas de manera inmediata, sin tener una edad gestacional mínima, a hospitales reconocidos como centros de referencia. Las modalidades virtuales de comunicación y atención en salud pueden facilitar la interacción entre las instituciones de atención primaria y los centros de referencia para EAP. Se debe evaluar el beneficio y riesgo de las modalidades de telemedicina. Recomendación 2. Es necesario que se definan hospitales de referencia para EAP en cada región de Colombia, asegurando el cubrimiento de la totalidad del territorio nacional. Es aconsejable concentrar el flujo de pacientes afectadas por esta condición en unos pocos hospitales, donde haya equipos de cirujanos con entrenamiento específico en EAP, disponibilidad de recursos especializados y un esfuerzo institucional por mejorar la calidad de atención, en busca de tener mejores resultados en la salud de las gestantes con esta condición. Para lograr ese objetivo los participantes recomiendan que los entes reguladores de la prestación de servicios de salud a nivel nacional, regional o local vigilen el proceso de remisión de estas pacientes, facilitando rutas administrativas en caso de que no exista contrato previo entre el asegurador y el hospital o la clínica seleccionada (IPS). Recomendación 3. En los centros de referencia para pacientes con EAP se invita a la creación de equipos que incorporen un grupo fijo de especialistas (obstetras, urólogos, cirujanos generales, radiólogos intervencionistas) encargados de atender todos los casos de EAP. Es recomendable que esos grupos interdisciplinarios utilicen el modelo de “paquete de intervención” como guía para la preparación de los centros de referencia para EAP. Este modelo consta de las siguientes actividades: preparación de los servicios, prevención e identificación de la enfermedad, respuesta ante la presentación de la enfermedad, aprendizaje luego de cada evento. La telemedicina facilita el tratamiento de EAP y debe ser tenida en cuenta por los grupos interdisciplinarios que atienden esta enfermedad. Recomendación 4. Los residentes de Obstetricia deben recibir instrucción en maniobras útiles para la prevención y el tratamiento del sangrado intraoperatorio masivo por placenta previa y EAP, tales como: la compresión manual de la aorta, el torniquete uterino, el empaquetamiento pélvico, el bypass retrovesical y la maniobra de Ward. Los conceptos básicos de diagnóstico y tratamiento de EAP deben incluirse en los programas de especialización en Ginecología y Obstetricia en Colombia. En los centros de referencia del EAP se deben ofrecer programas de entrenamiento a los profesionales interesados en mejorar sus competencias en EAP de manera presencial y virtual. Además, deben ofrecer soporte asistencial remoto (telemedicina) permanente a los demás hospitales en su región, en relación con pacientes con esa enfermedad. Recomendación 5. La finalización de la gestación en pacientes con sospecha de EAP y placenta previa, por imágenes diagnósticas, sin evidencia de sangrado vaginal activo, debe llevarse a cabo entre las semanas 34 y 36 6/7. El tratamiento quirúrgico debe incluir intervenciones secuenciales que pueden variar según las características de la lesión, la situación clínica de la paciente y los recursos disponibles. Las opciones quirúrgicas (histerectomía total y subtotal, manejo quirúrgico conservador en un paso y manejo expectante) deben incluirse en un protocolo conocido por todo el equipo interdisciplinario. En escenarios sin diagnóstico anteparto, es decir, ante un hallazgo intraoperatorio de EAP (evidencia de abultamiento violáceo o neovascularización de la cara anterior del útero), y con participación de personal no entrenado, se plantean tres situaciones: Primera opción: en ausencia de indicación de nacimiento inmediato o sangrado vaginal, se recomienda diferir la cesárea (cerrar la laparotomía antes de incidir el útero) hasta asegurar la disponibilidad de los recursos recomendados para llevar a cabo una cirugía segura. Segunda opción: ante indicación de nacimiento inmediato (por ejemplo, estado fetal no tranquilizador), pero sin sangrado vaginal o indicación de manejo inmediato de EAP, se sugiere realizar manejo en dos tiempos: se realiza la cesárea evitando incidir la placenta, seguida de histerorrafia y cierre de abdomen, hasta asegurar la disponibilidad de los recursos recomendados para llevar a cabo una cirugía segura. Tercera opción: en presencia de sangrado vaginal que hace imposible diferir el manejo definitivo de EAP, es necesario extraer el feto por el fondo del útero, realizar la histerorrafia y reevaluar. En ocasiones, el nacimiento del feto disminuye el flujo placentario y el sangrado vaginal se reduce o desaparece, lo que hace posible diferir el manejo definitivo de EAP. Si el sangrado significativo persiste, es necesario continuar con la histerectomía haciendo uso de los recursos disponibles: compresión manual de la aorta, llamado inmediato a los cirujanos con mejor entrenamiento disponible, soporte de grupos expertos de otros hospitales a través de telemedicina. Si una paciente con factores de riesgo para EAP (por ejemplo, miomectomía o cesárea previa) presenta retención de placenta posterior al parto vaginal, es recomendable confirmar la posibilidad de dicho diagnóstico (por ejemplo, realizando una ecografía) antes de intentar la extracción manual de la placenta. Conclusiones: esperamos que este primer consenso colombiano de EAP sirva como base para discusiones adicionales y trabajos colaborativos que mejoren los resultados clínicos de las mujeres afectadas por esta enfermedad. Evaluar la aplicabilidad y efectividad de las recomendaciones emitidas requerirá investigaciones adicionales.Q4Pacientes con Espectro de Acretismo Placentario (EAP)Introduction: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a condition associated with massive postpartum bleeding and maternal mortality. Management guidelines published in high income countries recommend the participation of interdisciplinary teams in hospitals with sufficient resources for performing complex procedures. However, some of the recommendations contained in those guidelines are difficult to implement in low and medium income countries. Objectives: The aim of this consensus is to draft general recommendations for the treatment of PAS in Colombia. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three panelists took part in the consensus with their answers to 31 questions related to the treatment of PAS. The panelists were selected based on participation in two surveys designed to determine the resolution capabilities of national and regional hospitals. The modified Delphi methodology was used, introducing two successive discussion rounds. The opinions of the participants, with a consensus of more than 80 %, as well as implementation barriers and facilitators, were taken into consideration in order to issue the recommendations. Results: The consensus drafted five recommendations, integrating the answers of the panelists. Recommendation 1. Primary care institutions must undertake active search of PAS in patients with risk factors: placenta praevia and history of myomectomy or previous cesarean section. In case of ultrasound signs suggesting PAS, patients must be immediately referred, without a minimum gestational age, to hospitals recognized as referral centers. Online communication and care modalities may facilitate the interaction between primary care institutions and referral centers for PAS. The risks and benefits of telemedicine modalities must be weighed. Recommendation 2. Referral hospitals for PAS need to be defined in each region of Colombia, ensuring coverage throughout the national territory. It is advisable to concentrate the flow of patients affected by this condition in a few hospitals with surgical teams specifically trained in PAS, availability of specialized resources, and institutional efforts at improving quality of care with the aim of achieving better health outcomes in pregnant women with this condition. To achieve this goal, participants recommend that healthcare regulatory agencies at a national and regional level should oversee the process of referral for these patients, expediting administrative pathways in those cases in which there is no prior agreement between the insurer and the selected hospital or clinic.Recommendation 3. Referral centers for patients with PAS are urged to build teams consisting of a fixed group of specialists (obstetricians, urologists, general surgeons, interventional radiologists) entrusted with the care of all PAS cases. It is advisable for these interdisciplinary teams to use the “intervention bundle” model as a guidance for building PAS referral centers. This model comprises the following activities: service preparedness, disease prevention and identification, response to the occurrence of the disease, and debriefing after every event. Telemedicine facilitates PAS treatment and should be taken into consideration by interdisciplinary teams caring for this disease. Recommendation 4. Obstetrics residents must be instructed in the performance of maneuvers that are useful for the prevention and treatment of massive intraoperative bleeding due to placenta praevia and PAS, including manual aortic compression, uterine tourniquet, pelvic packing, retrovesical bypass, and Ward maneuver. Specialization Obstetrics and Gynecology programs in Colombia must include the basic concepts of the diagnosis and treatment of PAS. Referral centers for PAS must offer online and in-person training programs for professionals interested in improving their competencies in PAS. Moreover, they must offer permanent remote support (telemedicine) to other hospitals in their region for patients with this condition. Recommendation 5. Patients suspected of having PAS and placenta praevia based on imaging, with no evidence of active vaginal bleeding, must be delivered between weeks 34 and 36 6/7. Surgical treatment must include sequential interventions that may vary depending on the characteristics of the lesion, the clinical condition of the patient and the availability of resources. The surgical options (total and subtotal hysterectomy, one-stage conservative surgical management and watchful waiting) must be included in a protocol known by the entire interdisciplinary team. In situations in which an antepartum diagnosis is lacking, that is to say, in the face of intraoperative finding of PAS (evidence of purple bulging or neovascularization of the anterior aspect of the uterus), and the participation of untrained personnel, three options are considered: Option 1: In the absence of indication of immediate delivery or of vaginal delivery, the recommendation is to postpone the cesarean section (close the laparotomy before incising the uterus) until the recommended resources for safe surgery are secured. Option 2: If there is an indication for immediate delivery (e.g., non-reassuring fetal status) but there is absence of vaginal bleeding or indication for immediate PAS management, a two-stage management is suggested: cesarean section avoiding placental incision, followed by uterine repair and abdominal closure, until the availability of the recommended resources for safe surgery is ascertained. Option 3: In the event of vaginal bleeding that prevents definitive PAS management, the fetus must be delivered through the uterine fundus, followed by uterine repair and reassessment of the situation. Sometimes, fetal delivery diminishes placental flow and vaginal bleeding is reduced or disappears, enabling the possibility to postpone definitive management of PAS. In case of persistent significant bleeding, hysterectomy should be performed, using all available resources: manual aortic compression, immediate call to the surgeons with the best available training, telemedicine support from expert teams in other hospitals.If a patient with risk factors for PAS (e.g., myomectomy or previous cesarean section) has a retained placenta after vaginal delivery, it is advisable to confirm the possibility of such diagnosis (by means of ultrasound, for example) before proceeding to manual extraction of the placenta.Conclusions: It is our hope that this first Colombian consensus on PAS will serve as a basis for additional discussions and collaborations that can result in improved clinical outcomes for women affected by this condition. Additional research will be required in order to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of these recommendations.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6822-0374Revista Nacional - IndexadaCN

Temas Socio-Jurídicos. Volumen 20 No. 43 Diciembre 2002

Con la edición del número 43 de la Revista Temas Socio-Jurídicos se cierra el ciclo de los primeros veinte años, continuos, de labores de este medio académico destinado a divulgar la labor intelectual de docentes y discentes de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga. En medio del convulso e inestable escenario jurídico del país, se pretende contribuir a la construcción de un pensamiento jurídico ligado a la realidad social que plantea desde las distintas vertientes de la opinión tópicos inquietantes para el medio académico, procurando decantamiento y comprensión de los fenómenos al tiempo que propicia la controversía y la libre expresión de los diferentes puntos de vista, en desarrollo de los principios que orientan esta casa de estudios.With the edition of number 43 of the Socio-Legal Issues Magazine, the cycle of the first twenty continuous years of work of this academic environment is closed, aimed at disseminating the intellectual work of teachers and students of the Faculty. of Law of the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga. In the midst of the convulsive and unstable legal scenario in the country, intends to contribute to the construction of a legal thought linked to the social reality that raises from the different slopes of the opinion disturbing topics for the academic environment, seeking decantation and understanding of the phenomena while fostering controversy and the free expression of the different points of view, in development of the principles that guide this house of studies

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Pasados y presente. Estudios para el profesor Ricardo García Cárcel

Ricardo García Cárcel (Requena, 1948) estudió Historia en Valencia bajo el magisterio de Joan Reglà, con quien formó parte del primer profesorado de historia moderna en la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. En esta universidad, desde hace prácticamente cincuenta años, ha desarrollado una extraordinaria labor docente y de investigación marcada por un sagaz instinto histórico, que le ha convertido en pionero de casi todo lo que ha estudiado: las Germanías, la historia de la Cataluña moderna, la Inquisición, las culturas del Siglo de Oro, la Leyenda Negra, Felipe II, Felipe V, Austrias y Borbones, la guerra de la Independencia, la historia cultural, los mitos de la historia de España... Muy pocos tienen su capacidad para reflexionar, ordenar, analizar, conceptualizar y proponer una visión amplia y llena de matices sobre el pasado y las interpretaciones historiográficas. A su laboriosidad inimitable se añade una dedicación sin límites en el asesoramiento de alumnos e investigadores e impulsando revistas, dosieres, seminarios o publicaciones colectivas. Una mínima correspondencia a su generosidad lo constituye este volumen a manera de ineludible agradecimiento