Extended WKB method, resonances and supersymmetric radial barriers

Semiclassical approximations are implemented in the calculation of position and width of low energy resonances for radial barriers. The numerical integrations are delimited by t/T<<8, with t the period of a classical particle in the barrier trap and T the resonance lifetime. These energies are used in the construction of `haired' short range potentials as the supersymmetric partners of a given radial barrier. The new potentials could be useful in the study of the transient phenomena which give rise to the Moshinsky's diffraction in time.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Estudio comparativo de la eficacia del índice de masa corporal y el porcentaje de grasa corporal como métodos para el diagnóstico de sobrepeso y obesidad en población pediátrica

La OMS considera la obesidad como uno de los problemas de salud pública más importantes en el mundo, especialmente entre la población infantil y juvenil. Según esto, resulta prioritario mejorar y profundizar en el estudio de las diferentes metodologías de diagnóstico y valoración del estado nutricional en población pediátrica y adolescente. Actualmente, son utilizados como indicadores del estado nutricional el índice de masa corporal y el porcentaje de grasa corporal. Ahora bien, respecto del segundo, existe cierta controversia por considerar que tiende a sobreestimar el sobrepeso y la obesidad. Los objetivos a alcanzar con el desarrollo de este estudio fueron determinar la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en una población de escolares de entre 9 y 17 años de edad pertenecientes a 13 centros educativos de la ciudad de Granada y provincia. En segundo lugar, verificar posibles diferencias significativas a nivel de la precisión del índice de masa corporal y el porcentaje de grasa corporal para diagnosticar sobrepeso y obesidad.The World Health Organization (WHO) regards obesity as one of the most serious public health problems in the world that can affect young children and adolescents. Accordingly, a major priority is to find ways to more effectively study and analyze the various methods used to diagnose and evaluate the nutritional state of the pediatric and adolescent population. The nutritional indicators currently employed for this purpose are the body mass index and body-fat percentage. However, there is a certain controversy related to the body-fat percentage since it tends to overestimate overweight and obesity. The main objectives of this study were the following: (i) to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a population of primary and secondary school children between 9-17 years of age at 13 educational centers in the city and province of Granada; (ii) to verify possible differences regarding the accuracy of the body mass index and the body-fat percentage in the diagnosis of overweight and obesity

Spectral characterization of laser-accelerated protons with CR-39 nuclear track detector

CR-39 nuclear track material is frequently used for the detection of protons accelerated in laser-plasma interactions. The measurement of track densities allows for determination of particle angular distributions, and information on the kinetic energy can be obtained by the use of passive absorbers. We present a precise method of measuring spectral distributions of laser-accelerated protons in a single etching and analysis process. We make use of a one-to-one relation between proton energy and track size and present a precise calibration based on monoenergetic particle beams. While this relation is limited to proton energies below 1 MeV, we show that the range of spectral measurements can be significantly extended by simultaneous use of absorbers of suitable thicknesses. Examples from laser-plasma interactions are presented, and quantitative results on proton energies and particle numbers are compared to those obtained from a time-of-flight detector. The spectrum end points of continuous energy distributions have been determined with both detector types and coincide within 50-100 keV

The ALHAMBRA survey : Estimation of the clustering signal encoded in the cosmic variance

The relative cosmic variance ($\sigma_v$) is a fundamental source of uncertainty in pencil-beam surveys and, as a particular case of count-in-cell statistics, can be used to estimate the bias between galaxies and their underlying dark-matter distribution. Our goal is to test the significance of the clustering information encoded in the $\sigma_v$ measured in the ALHAMBRA survey. We measure the cosmic variance of several galaxy populations selected with $B-$band luminosity at $0.35 \leq z < 1.05$ as the intrinsic dispersion in the number density distribution derived from the 48 ALHAMBRA subfields. We compare the observational $\sigma_v$ with the cosmic variance of the dark matter expected from the theory, $\sigma_{v,{\rm dm}}$. This provides an estimation of the galaxy bias $b$. The galaxy bias from the cosmic variance is in excellent agreement with the bias estimated by two-point correlation function analysis in ALHAMBRA. This holds for different redshift bins, for red and blue subsamples, and for several $B-$band luminosity selections. We find that $b$ increases with the $B-$band luminosity and the redshift, as expected from previous work. Moreover, red galaxies have a larger bias than blue galaxies, with a relative bias of $b_{\rm rel} = 1.4 \pm 0.2$. Our results demonstrate that the cosmic variance measured in ALHAMBRA is due to the clustering of galaxies and can be used to characterise the $\sigma_v$ affecting pencil-beam surveys. In addition, it can also be used to estimate the galaxy bias $b$ from a method independent of correlation functions.Comment: Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press. 9 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Stellar populations of galaxies in the ALHAMBRA survey up to z∼1z \sim 1. I. MUFFIT: A Multi-Filter Fitting code for stellar population diagnostics

We present MUFFIT, a new generic code optimized to retrieve the main stellar population parameters of galaxies in photometric multi-filter surveys, and we check its reliability and feasibility with real galaxy data from the ALHAMBRA survey. Making use of an error-weighted $\chi^2$-test, we compare the multi-filter fluxes of galaxies with the synthetic photometry of mixtures of two single stellar populations at different redshifts and extinctions, to provide through a Monte Carlo method the most likely range of stellar population parameters (mainly ages and metallicities), extinctions, redshifts, and stellar masses. To improve the diagnostic reliability, MUFFIT identifies and removes from the analysis those bands that are significantly affected by emission lines. We highlight that the retrieved age-metallicity locus for a sample of $z \le 0.22$ early-type galaxies in ALHAMBRA at different stellar mass bins are in very good agreement with the ones from SDSS spectroscopic diagnostics. Moreover, a one-to-one comparison between the redshifts, ages, metallicities, and stellar masses derived spectroscopically for SDSS and by MUFFIT for ALHAMBRA reveals good qualitative agreements in all the parameters. In addition, and using as input the results from photometric-redshift codes, MUFFIT improves the photometric-redshift accuracy by $\sim 10$-$20\%$, and it also detects nebular emissions in galaxies, providing physical information about their strengths. Our results show the potential of multi-filter galaxy data to conduct reliable stellar population studies with the appropiate analysis techniques, as MUFFIT.Comment: 31 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The ALHAMBRA survey: Accurate merger fractions by PDF analysis of photometric close pairs

Our goal is to develop and test a novel methodology to compute accurate close pair fractions with photometric redshifts. We improve the current methodologies to estimate the merger fraction f_m from photometric redshifts by (i) using the full probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the sources in redshift space, (ii) including the variation in the luminosity of the sources with z in both the selection of the samples and in the luminosity ratio constrain, and (iii) splitting individual PDFs into red and blue spectral templates to deal robustly with colour selections. We test the performance of our new methodology with the PDFs provided by the ALHAMBRA photometric survey. The merger fractions and rates from the ALHAMBRA survey are in excellent agreement with those from spectroscopic work, both for the general population and for red and blue galaxies. With the merger rate of bright (M_B <= -20 - 1.1z) galaxies evolving as (1+z)^n, the power-law index n is larger for blue galaxies (n = 2.7 +- 0.5) than for red galaxies (n = 1.3 +- 0.4), confirming previous results. Integrating the merger rate over cosmic time, we find that the average number of mergers per galaxy since z = 1 is N_m = 0.57 +- 0.05 for red galaxies and N_m = 0.26 +- 0.02 for blue galaxies. Our new methodology exploits statistically all the available information provided by photometric redshift codes and provides accurate measurements of the merger fraction by close pairs only using photometric redshifts. Current and future photometric surveys will benefit of this new methodology.Comment: Submitted to A&A, 15 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables. Comments are welcome. Close pair systems available at https://cloud.iaa.csic.es/alhambra/catalogues/ClosePairs

The ALHAMBRA Survey: Bayesian Photometric Redshifts with 23 bands for 3 squared degrees

The ALHAMBRA (Advance Large Homogeneous Area Medium Band Redshift Astronomical) survey has observed 8 different regions of the sky, including sections of the COSMOS, DEEP2, ELAIS, GOODS-N, SDSS and Groth fields using a new photometric system with 20 contiguous ~ $300\AA$ filters covering the optical range, combining them with deep $JHKs$ imaging. The observations, carried out with the Calar Alto 3.5m telescope using the wide field (0.25 sq. deg FOV) optical camera LAICA and the NIR instrument Omega-2000, correspond to ~700hrs on-target science images. The photometric system was designed to maximize the effective depth of the survey in terms of accurate spectral-type and photo-zs estimation along with the capability of identification of relatively faint emission lines. Here we present multicolor photometry and photo-zs for ~438k galaxies, detected in synthetic F814W images, complete down to I~24.5 AB, taking into account realistic noise estimates, and correcting by PSF and aperture effects with the ColorPro software. The photometric ZP have been calibrated using stellar transformation equations and refined internally, using a new technique based on the highly robust photometric redshifts measured for emission line galaxies. We calculate photometric redshifts with the BPZ2 code, which includes new empirically calibrated templates and priors. Our photo-zs have a precision of $dz/(1+z_s)=1$ for I<22.5 and 1.4% for 22.5<I<24.5. Precisions of less than 0.5% are reached for the brighter spectroscopic sample, showing the potential of medium-band photometric surveys. The global $P(z)$ shows a mean redshift =0.56 for I=0.86 for I<24.5 AB. The data presented here covers an effective area of 2.79 sq. deg, split into 14 strips of 58.5'x15.5' and represents ~32 hrs of on-target.Comment: The catalog data and a full resolution version of this paper is available at https://cloud.iaa.csic.es/alhambra

The ALHAMBRA survey : B−B-band luminosity function of quiescent and star-forming galaxies at 0.2≤z<10.2 \leq z < 1 by PDF analysis

Our goal is to study the evolution of the $B-$band luminosity function (LF) since $z=1$ using ALHAMBRA data. We used the photometric redshift and the $I-$band selection magnitude probability distribution functions (PDFs) of those ALHAMBRA galaxies with $I\leq24$ mag to compute the posterior LF. We statistically studied quiescent and star-forming galaxies using the template information encoded in the PDFs. The LF covariance matrix in redshift-magnitude-galaxy type space was computed, including the cosmic variance. That was estimated from the intrinsic dispersion of the LF measurements in the 48 ALHAMBRA sub-fields. The uncertainty due to the photometric redshift prior is also included in our analysis. We modelled the LF with a redshift-dependent Schechter function affected by the same selection effects than the data. The measured ALHAMBRA LF at $0.2\leq z<1$ and the evolving Schechter parameters both for quiescent and star-forming galaxies agree with previous results in the literature. The estimated redshift evolution of $M_B^* \propto Qz$ is $Q_{\rm SF}=-1.03\pm0.08$ and $Q_{\rm Q}=-0.80\pm0.08$, and of $\log \phi^* \propto Pz$ is $P_{\rm SF}=-0.01\pm0.03$ and $P_{\rm Q}=-0.41\pm0.05$. The measured faint-end slopes are $\alpha_{\rm SF}=-1.29\pm0.02$ and $\alpha_{\rm Q}=-0.53\pm0.04$. We find a significant population of faint quiescent galaxies, modelled by a second Schechter function with slope $\beta=-1.31\pm0.11$. We find a factor $2.55\pm0.14$ decrease in the luminosity density $j_B$ of star-forming galaxies, and a factor $1.25\pm0.16$ increase in the $j_B$ of quiescent ones since $z=1$, confirming the continuous build-up of the quiescent population with cosmic time. The contribution of the faint quiescent population to $j_B$ increases from 3% at $z=1$ to 6% at $z=0$. The developed methodology will be applied to future multi-filter surveys such as J-PAS.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 25 pages, 20 figures, 7 table

Metodología del estudio Guadix sobre los efectos de un desayuno de tipo mediterráneo sobre los parámetros lipídicos y postprandiales en preadolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad

El exceso de peso corporal de la población ha llevado a la Organización Mundial de la Salud a calificarlo como epidemia global. La prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad infantil en España se sitúa entre las más elevadas del continente europeo, y es aún superior en Andalucía. Las consecuencias para la salud de los niños no son tan evidentes como en los adultos, pero la obesidad infantil se está asociando con patologías que se creían eran sólo padecidas por los adultos, tales como el síndrome metabólico. La resistencia a la insulina es el factor de riesgo más importante en sujetos con obesidad severa, que junto con la obesidad visceral, exacerban la trigliceridemia postprandial, lo que incrementa el riesgo cardiovascular. Sin embargo y a nuestro entender, este fenómeno no ha sido debidamente estudiado por el momento en la población infantil. Las propiedades cardiosaludables del aceite de oliva, el ingrediente principal de la Dieta Mediterránea, han sido sobradamente puestas de manifiesto, que incluyen un mejor patrón lipídico postprandial. En este contexto, el objetivo de este estudio es determinar los efectos de un desayuno de tipo mediterráneo sobre parámetros lipídicos postprandiales en preadolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio cuasi experimental prospectivo multicéntrico, que compara los beneficios de una intervención dietética en una sola comida de tipo mediterráneo en el metabolismo lipídico postprandial en sujetos en edades preadolescentes (10-14 años) afectados por obesidad o sobrepeso (grupo estudio), con respecto a los sujetos normopeso (grupo control). Los resultados permiten ampliar el conocimiento sobre la fisiopatología de la obesidad de los niños y contribuir a las recomendaciones dietéticas para el mantenimiento de la población infantil. Más aún, aportan información sobre el desarrollo de aterogénesis durante el periodo postprandial, que puede comenzar a edades tan tempranas.The excess weight that characterizes much of the population of the world today has led the World Health Organization to declare a obesity pandemic. The number of overweight and obese children in Spain is among the highest in Europe, and this number is even higher in Andalusia. The health consequences of excess weight for children are not as evident as for adults. However, child obesity is now being associated with pathologies, such as the metabolic syndrome, which were previously believed to be only found in adults. Resistance to insulin is an important risk factor in subjects with severe obesity, which along with visceral obesity, make postprandial triglyceridemia more severe. This increases cardiovascular risk. However, in our opinion, this phenomenon has not been adequately studied in children. The hearthealthy properties of olive oil, the main ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, have been clearly highlighted in various studies. These properties include an improved postprandial lipid pattern. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of a Mediterranean-diet breakfast on the postprandial lipid parameters in a study group of overweight and obese preadolescents (age 10-14) in comparison to a control group of subjects with no weight problems. The results obtained provide greater knowledge of the physiopathology of child obesity and contribute to the elaboration of dietary recommendations for the maintenance of child health. Additionally, our results give information regarding the development of atherogenesis during the postprandial period, which can begin at a very early age

Radioterapia intraoperatoria en cáncer de mama precoz: análisis observacional frente a radioterapia externa

Introducción Una única dosis de radioterapia intraoperatoria (IORT) en cáncer de mama precoz (EBC) puede ser una opción frente a la radioterapia externa estándar (WBRT). Sin embargo, no existe consenso sobre su uso y resultados. Objetivo Analizar la morbilidad y resultados oncológicos de la IORT como monoterapia en el tratamiento del EBC. Métodos Se realiza un estudio analítico observacional unicéntrico, comparando una cohorte prospectiva IORT (2015-17) con una cohorte retrospectiva WBRT (2012-17). Los criterios de selección aplicados son: = 45 años de edad, carcinoma ductal infiltrante o variantes, tamaño tumoral radiológico = 3 cm, receptores estrogénicos positivos, HER2 negativo, cN0; criterios de exclusión: invasión linfovascular, multicentricidad/multifocalidad, mutaciones BRCA y tratamiento neoadyuvante. Se valoran características clínicas, tumorales, quirúrgicas, oncológicas y complicaciones. Resultados Se estudiaron 425 casos: 217 tratados con IORT y 208 con WBRT. La edad media en IORT y WBRT fue 67 ± 9, 5 y 64, 8 ± 9, 9 años, respectivamente (p = 0, 01). El riesgo ASA 3 en IORT fue 17, 7%, frente a 24 casos de WBRT (p = 0, 027). No hubo diferencias en resultados anatomopatológicos o estadificación. El seguimiento medio de IORT fue 24, 4 ± 8 meses, frente a 50, 5 ± 18 meses de WBRT (p < 0, 001). No se hallaron diferencias significativas en recidiva local, metástasis o mortalidad. Las complicaciones que precisaron reintervención u hospitalización resultaron equiparables. La radiodermitis precoz grave se presentó en tres casos IORT frente a 14 casos WBRT (p = 0, 01). Conclusiones La IORT como monoterapia en pacientes seleccionadas con EBC representa una opción alternativa frente a WBRT, especialmente en aquellas con edad avanzada y comorbilidades. Se asocia, además, con menos radiodermitis precoz grave. Introduction: In early breast cancer (EBC), a single dose of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) might be an option to standard whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT). However, there is no consensus about its use and clinical results. Aim: to analyse the morbidity and oncological outcomes of IORT as monotherapy in EBC. Methods: A single centre observational analytic study was performed. A prospective IORT cohort (2015-17) and a retrospective WBRT cohort (2012-17) were selected following the same criteria: = 45 y.o., invasive ductal carcinoma or variants, radiological tumour size = 3 cm, positive oestrogenic receptors, negative HER2, cN0; exclusion criteria: lymphovascular invasion, multicentricity/multifocality, BRCA mutation and neoadjuvant therapy. Clinical, histological, surgical, oncological characteristics and complications were collected. Results: A total of 425 cases were selected: 217 in IORT cohort and 208 in WBRT cohort. Average age in IORT and WBRT groups was 67±9.5 and 64.8 ± 9.9 y.o. respectively (p = 0.01). ASA 3 risk score patients were 17.7% in IORT and 24 cases in WBRT (p = 0.027). There were no differences in histological results or tumoral stage. Average follow up was 24.4 ± 8 months in IORT and 50.5 ± 18 months in WBRT (p < 0.001). No differences were detected in local recurrence, metastases or mortality. Complications that required reintervention or hospitalization were similar in both groups. A total of 3 and 14 cases developed early severe dermatitis in IORT and WBRT groups respectively (p = 0.01). Conclusion: IORT as monotherapy in selected patients with EBC stands for an alternative option versus WBRT. It seems especially useful in advanced-age patients with severe comorbidities. IORT associates lesser early severe dermatitis