Retinal Fibre Layer Thickness Measurement in Normal Paediatric Population in Sweden Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose. To evaluate the correlation between peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and both age and refraction error in healthy children using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Patients and Methods. 80 healthy children with a mean age of 9.1 years (range 3.8 to 16.7 years) undergoing routine ocular examination at the orthoptic section of the Ophthalmology Department were recruited for this cross-sectional study. After applying cycloplegia, the peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured in both eyes using the Topcon 3D OCT 2000 device. Results. 138 eyes were included in the analysis. The average refractive error (SE) was +1.7 D (range −5.25 to +7.25 D). The mean total RNFL thickness was 105 μm ± 10.3, the mean superior RNFL thickness was 112.7 μm ± 16.5, and the mean inferior RNFL thickness was 132.6 μm ± 18.3. We found no statistically significant effect of age on RNFL thickness (ANOVA, f=0.33, p=0.56). Refraction was proven to have a statistically significant effect (ANOVA, f=67.1, p<0.05) in RNFL measurements. Conclusions. Data obtained from this study may assist in establishing a normative database for a paediatric population. Refraction error should be taken into consideration due to its statistically significant correlation with RNFL thickness

On the critical end point in a two-flavor linear sigma model coupled to quarks

We use the linear sigma model coupled to quarks to explore the location of the phase transition lines in the QCD phase diagram from the point of view of chiral symmetry restoration at high temperature and baryon chemical potential. We compute analytically the effective potential in the high- and low-temperature approximations up to sixth order, including the contribution of the ring diagrams to account for the plasma screening properties. We determine the model parameters, namely, the couplings and mass-parameter, from conditions valid at the first order phase transition at vanishing temperature and, using the Hagedorn limiting temperature concept applied to finite baryon density, for a critical baryochemical potential of order of the nucleon mass. We show that when using the set of parameters thus determined, the second order phase transition line (our proxy for the crossover transition) that starts at finite temperature and zero baryon chemical potential converges to the line of first order phase transitions that starts at zero temperature and finite baryon chemical potential to determine the critical end point to lie in the region 5.02<\mu_B^{\mbox{CEP}}/T_c<5.18, 0.14, where $T_c$ is the critical transition temperature at zero baryon chemical potential.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, discussion extended, explicit calculations included in appendices and version accepted for publication in EPJ

La vida en cuestión de segundos propuesta de optimización de la distribución de ayuda humanitaria ante una posible erupción del volcán Cotopaxi en el Cantón Rumiñahui"

The “Valle de los Chillos”, valley located at the Southeast of the metropolitan district of Quito, is one of the key points that would be affected in case of a Cotopaxi Volcano eruption. Plus, a disorganized increase of the population density has significantly increased the vulnerability and insecurity of citizens facing this threat. For this reason, this investigation’s goal is to design an efficient evacuation plan based on a mathematical model in order to safeguard the integrity of the Rumiñahui’s canton population in case of an volcano emergency, which will include: 1) determining the number of individuals affected, 2) opening shelters and distribution centers with pre-positioned inventory of aid packages. For this purpose, based on simulations using geographic information systems (GIS), it was determined which areas will be the most affected; information that served as input for the Integer Linear Programming Model used to minimize the total time required to evacuate people and the total cost of logistics rescue operation. For this, it’s necessary to open shelters and distribution centers to transport aid packages from the distribution centers to the shelters.El Valle de los Chillos, ubicado al Suroriente del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, es uno de los puntos que más se vería afectado en caso de una posible erupción del volcán Cotopaxi. Sumado a esto, el desordenado aumento de su densidad poblacional ha incrementado notablemente la vulnerabilidad e inseguridad de las personas frente a esta amenaza. Por tanto, el objetivo de esta investigación es diseñar un plan eficiente de evacuación basado en un modelo matemático que permita salvaguardar la integridad de la población del cantón Rumiñahui en caso de una emergencia por la erupción del volcán, el mismo que incluye: 1) la determinación de la cantidad de individuos afectados, 2) la apertura de albergues y centros de distribución con un inventario pre posicionado de paquetes de ayuda humanitaria. Para esto, se pudo determinar cuáles serían las zonas de mayor afectación, en base a simulaciones realizadas mediante sistemas de información geográfica (SIG). Esta información se tomó como entrada para realizar un Modelo de Programación Lineal Entera Mixta multi-criterio, el mismo que sirvió para minimizar el tiempo total requerido para evacuar a las personas y el costo de la operación logística del rescate, para lo cual, se tiene que abrir albergues y centros de distribución, al igual que transportar los paquetes de ayuda

QCD phase diagram in a magnetized medium from the chiral symmetry perspective: The linear sigma model with quarks and the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model effective descriptions

We review the main features of the QCD phase diagram description, at finite temperature, baryon density and in the presence of a magnetic field, from the point of view of effective models, whose main ingredient is chiral symmetry. We concentrate our attention on two of these models: The linear sigma model with quarks and the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. We show that a main ingredient to understand the characteristics of the phase transitions is the inclusion of plasma screening effects that capture the physics of collective, long-wave modes, and thus describe a prime property of plasmas near transition lines, namely, long distance correlations. Inclusion of plasma screening makes possible to understand the inverse magnetic catalysis phenomenon even without the need to consider magnetic field-dependent coupling constants. Screening is also responsible for the emergence of a critical end point in the phase diagram even for small magnetic field strengths. Although versatile, the NJL model is also a more limited approach since, being a non-renormalizable model, a clear separation between pure vacuum and medium effects is not always possible. The model cannot describe inverse magnetic catalysis unless a magnetic field dependent coupling is included. The location of the critical end point strongly depends on the choice of the type of interaction and on the magnetic field dependence of the corresponding coupling. Overall, both models provide sensible tools to explore the properties of magnetized, strongly interacting matter. However, a cross talk among them as well as a consistent physical approach to determine the model parameters is much needed.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, Expanded discussion, version to appear in EPJ A, contribution for the topical Issue "The QCD Phase Diagram in Strong Magnetic Fields

Evaluación de la respuesta clínica a la dieta alcalina y su papel en la sintomatología en la cistitis intersticial

La cistitis intersticial (CI) es una patología potencialmente devastadora. impactante no sólo en la condición física del paciente sino en su función psicosocial y calidad de vida. Los pacientes experimentan dolor, urgencia y aumento en la frecuencia al orinar y es importante que los abordajes terapéuticos reduzcan los síntomas y mejoren la calidad de vida del paciente sin incrementar los efectos adversos. Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de una dieta alcalina balanceada, en la sintomatología y calidad de vida de pacientes femeninos con cistitis intersticial. Material y métodos: Se incluyeron todas las pacientes con diagnóstico de cistitis intersticial en el Servicio de Urología Ginecológica, donde en conjunto con el Departamento de Nutrición Clínica, iniciaron una dieta alcalina balanceada y se les aplicó el cuestionario de O'Leary Sant. Resultados: En el presente estudio se obtienen los siguientes resultados: sin intervención nutricional (Q0), valorando el índice de severidad síntomas con una media de 26 clasificando este como una severidad extrema de los síntomas, al mes (Q1) de la intervención hay una mejoría en la severidad con una media de 14 con datos de severidad, y al tercer mes (Q2) una media de 9 con sospecha de cistitis intersticial, dando los resultados una clara tendencia a la mejoría en la sintomatología clínica, sin reportar significancia estadística. En la calidad de vida hay un claro decremento en la media de los resultados comparando el inicial con una media 22.5, al mes (Q1) una media de 12 y al tercer mes (Q2) 7, de igual manera hay un gran mejoría en la calidad de vida de las pacientes, sin ser estadísticamente significativo. Conclusiones: La dieta alcalina balanceada provoca un impacto positivo en la sintomatología y calidad de vida de pacientes con cistitis intersticial desde el primer mes de tratamiento