Modular Entanglement

We introduce and discuss the concept of modular entanglement. This is the entanglement that is established between the end points of modular systems composed by sets of interacting moduli of arbitrarily fixed size. We show that end-to-end modular entanglement scales in the thermodynamic limit and rapidly saturates with the number of constituent moduli. We clarify the mechanisms underlying the onset of entanglement between distant and non-interacting quantum systems and its optimization for applications to quantum repeaters and entanglement distribution and sharing.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Study of the high energy Cosmic Rays large scale anisotropies with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

We present the analysis method used to search for an anisotropy in the high energy Cosmic Rays arrival distribution using data collected by the ANTARES telescope. ANTARES is a neutrino detector, where the collected data are dominated by a large background of cosmic ray muons. Therefore, the background data are suitable for high-statistics studies of cosmic rays in the Northern sky. The main challenge for this analysis is accounting for those effects which can mimic an apparent anisotropy in the muon arrival direction: the detector exposure asymmetries, non-uniform time coverage, diurnal and seasonal variation of the atmospheric temperature. Once all these effects have been corrected, a study of the anisotropy profiles along the right ascension can be performed

Searches for cosmic neutrino sources with ANTARES, KM3NeT and IceCube and time calibration of ANTARES

La astronomía con neutrinos de alta energía es una disciplina relativamente joven. Nació de la necesidad de extender la astronomía convencional más allá de los mensajeros electromagnéticos habituales para intentar responder la cuestión pendiente del origen de los rayos cósmicos de alta energía. Recientemente, el único telescopio de neutrinos del tamaño de un kilómetro cúbico actualmente en funcionamiento, IceCube, comunicó la primera observación significativa de un flujo difuso de neutrinos de alta energía de origen astrofísico junto con la primera asociación convincente de neutrinos astrofísicos con una fuente cósmica individual, abriendo una nueva era para la astronomía de neutrinos de alta energía. ANTARES, siendo actualmente el más grande telescopio de neutrinos submarino, ubicado en el hemisferio norte, provisto de una excelente visibilidad del Plano Galáctico, y con una muy buena resolución angular, es una herramienta muy eficiente para el estudio de fuentes puntuales de neutrinos cósmicos. Gracias a estas características, ANTARES ha podido poner límites relevantes sobre el origen del flujo astrofísico de neutrinos reportado por IceCube, en particular sobre una posible contribución galáctica. La calidad de los datos de ANTARES y la competitividad de los resultados obtenidos ha sido posible gracias a considerables esfuerzos en el desarrollo y mantenimiento del telescopio, incluida la calibración temporal del detector, que es un factor crucial para la resolución angular del instrumento. La experiencia adquirida con ANTARES jugará un papel importante en el desarrollo de la red de telescopios de neutrinos, KM3NeT. Desplegado en dos sitios en el mar Mediterráneo, KM3NeT explorará el cielo del sur con una sensibilidad y resolución angular sin precedentes. Se espera que detectará el flujo de neutrinos reportado por IceCube dentro de unos pocos meses de operación y que podrá hacer declaraciones definitivas sobre el flujo de neutrinos de varios candidatos galácticos. La calibración temporal del detector ANTARES y la búsqueda de fuentes de neutrinos cósmicos con los detectores ANTARES, KM3NeT y IceCube han sido los dos temas principales abordados en esta Tesis. Para lograr una resolución angular mejor que 0.3 grados en ANTARES para eventos de tipo traza con energías superiores a 10 TeV, se necesita una precisión de 1 ns en la calibración temporal relativa entre fotomultiplicadores. La calibración temporal del detector ANTARES se ha realizado para dos años (2017 y 2018) del período de toma de datos utilizando un método desarrollado recientemente. El nuevo procedimiento combina varios pasos y diferentes fuentes de calibración natural, tales como eventos de muones atmosféricos y eventos que provienen de la desintegración radiactiva del K40 presente en el agua de mar. Se han realizado cuatro búsquedas diferentes de fuentes astrofísicas de neutrinos. El primer análisis es una actualización de la búsqueda de fuentes puntuales estándar de ANTARES utilizando 11 años de datos. En el segundo análisis se ha explotado la complementariedad de los telescopios ANTARES y IceCube combinando los datos de ambos detectores para buscar fuentes de neutrinos cósmicos en el cielo Sur, mejorando la sensibilidad en comparación con los análisis individuales. En el tercer análisis, se ha realizado una búsqueda de correlaciones de tiempo y espacio entre los datos de ANTARES y los candidatos de neutrinos astrofísicos de alta energía detectados por IceCube, para probar un posible origen transitorio de los eventos de IceCube. Además, un resultado adicional de esta Tesis ha sido la primera estimación de la sensibilidad a las fuentes puntuales de la Fase 1 de KM3NeT/ARCA.High-energy neutrino astronomy is a relatively young discipline. It derived from the opportunity of extending conventional astronomy beyond the usual electromagnetic messengers in order to attempt to answer the outstanding question in astroparticle physics about the origin of high-energy cosmic rays. The only currently operating kilometer-sized neutrino telescope, IceCube, has recently reported the first significant observations of a high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux and the first evidence for neutrino emission from an individual cosmic source, opening a new era for high-energy neutrino astronomy. ANTARES, being the current largest underwater neutrino telescope, located in the Northern Hemisphere, provided with an excellent visibility of the Galactic Plane, and with a very good angular resolution, is a well suited tool for the study of point-like signals of cosmic neutrinos. Thanks to these features, ANTARES has been able to place relevant constraints on the origin of the astrophysical neutrino flux reported by IceCube, in particular on any possible Galactic contribution. The high quality of the ANTARES data and the competitiveness of the results obtained have been possible thanks to considerable efforts in the development and maintenance of the telescope, including the time calibration of the detector, which is a crucial factor for the angular resolution of the instrument. The experience acquired with ANTARES will play an important role in the development of the much larger array, KM3NeT. Deployed in two sites in the Mediterranean sea, it will explore the Southern Sky with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. It is expected to detect the neutrino flux reported by IceCube within a few months of operation and it will be able to make definite statements about a neutrino flux from several Galactic candidates. The time calibration of the ANTARES detector and the search for cosmic neutrino sources using the ANTARES, KM3NeT, and IceCube detectors have been the two main topics addressed in this Thesis. In order to achieve an angular resolution better than 0.3 degrees in ANTARES for track-like events with energies above 10 TeV, an accuracy of 1 ns in the relative time calibration among PMTs is needed. The time calibration of the ANTARES detector has been performed for two years (2017 and 2018) of the data taking period using a recently developed method. The novel procedure combines several steps and different natural calibration sources such as down-going atmospheric muon events and events coming from K40 decay in seawater. Four different searches for astrophysical neutrino sources have been performed. The first analysis is an update of the ANTARES standard point-like source search using 11 years of ANTARES data. In the second search, the different characteristics of the ANTARES and the IceCube telescopes are exploited by combining data from both detectors to perform various searches for point-like and extended sources of neutrinos in the Southern Sky, improving the sensitivity compared to the individual analyses. In the third search, the ANTARES data are scanned to search for time and space correlations with IceCube high-energy astrophysical neutrino candidates, in order to test for a possible transient origin of the IceCube events. Finally, the last analysis provides the first estimation of the sensitivity of KM3NeT/ARCA Phase 1 to point-like sources

Prosthetic bypass for restenosis after endarterectomy or stenting of the carotid artery

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of prosthetic carotid bypass (PCB) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in treatment of restenosis after CEA or carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2014, 66 patients (57 men and 9 women; mean age, 71 years) presenting with recurrent carotid artery stenosis ≥70% (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial [NASCET] criteria) were enrolled in a prospective study in three centers. The study was approved by an Institutional Review Board. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. During the same period, a total of 4321 CEAs were completed in the three centers. In these 66 patients, the primary treatment of the initial carotid artery stenosis was CEA in 57 patients (86%) and CAS in nine patients (14%). The median delay between primary and redo revascularization was 32 months. Carotid restenosis was symptomatic in 38 patients (58%) with transient ischemic attack (n = 20) or stroke (n = 18). In this series, all patients received statins; 28 patients (42%) received dual antiplatelet therapy, and 38 patients (58%) received single antiplatelet therapy. All PCBs were performed under general anesthesia. No shunt was used in this series. Nasal intubation to improve distal control of the internal carotid artery was performed in 33 patients (50%), including those with intrastent restenosis. A PTFE graft of 6 or 7 mm in diameter was used in 6 and 60 patients, respectively. Distal anastomosis was end to end in 22 patients and end to side with a clip distal to the atherosclerotic lesions in 44 patients. Completion angiography was performed in all cases. The patients were discharged under statin and antiplatelet treatment. After discharge, all of the patients underwent clinical and Doppler ultrasound follow-up every 6 months. Median length of follow-up was 5 years. RESULTS:No patient died, sustained a stroke, or presented with a cervical hematoma during the postoperative period. One transient facial nerve palsy and two transient recurrent nerve palsies occurred. Two late strokes in relation to two PCB occlusions occurred at 2 years and 4 years; no other graft stenosis or infection was observed. At 5 years, overall actuarial survival was 81% ± 7%, and the actuarial stroke-free rate was 93% ± 2%. There were no fatal strokes. CONCLUSIONS: PCB with PTFE grafts is a safe and durable alternative to CEA in patients with carotid restenosis after CEA or CAS in situations in which CEA is deemed either hazardous or inadvisable

Synthesis and NLRP3-Inflammasome Inhibitory Activity of the Naturally Occurring Velutone F and of Its Non-Natural Regioisomeric Chalconoids

Plant-derived remedies rich in chalcone-based compounds have been known for centuries in the treatment of specific diseases, and nowadays, the fascinating chalcone framework is considered a useful and, above all, abundant natural chemotype. Velutone F, a new chalconoid from Millettia velutina, exhibits a potent effect as an NLRP3-inflammasome inhibitor; the search for new natural/non-natural lead compounds as NLRP3 inhibitors is a current topical subject in medicinal chemistry. The details of our work toward the synthesis of velutone F and the unknown non-natural regioisomers are herein reported. We used different synthetic strategies both for the construction of the distinctive benzofuran nucleus (BF) and for the key phenylpropenone system (PhP). Importantly, we have disclosed a facile entry to the velutone F via synthetic routes that can also be useful for preparing non-natural analogs, a prerequisite for extensive SAR studies on the new flavonoid class of NLRP3-inhibitors

A machine-learning based bio-psycho-social model for the prediction of non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease

Background: Mechanisms of myocardial ischemia in obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), and the interplay between clinical, functional, biological and psycho-social features, are still far to be fully elucidated. Objectives: To develop a machine-learning (ML) model for the supervised prediction of obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Methods: From the EVA study, we analysed adults hospitalized for IHD undergoing conventional coronary angiography (CCA). Non-obstructive CAD was defined by a stenosis < 50% in one or more vessels. Baseline clinical and psycho-socio-cultural characteristics were used for computing a Rockwood and Mitnitski frailty index, and a gender score according to GENESIS-PRAXY methodology. Serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines was measured with a multiplex flow cytometry assay. Through an XGBoost classifier combined with an explainable artificial intelligence tool (SHAP), we identified the most influential features in discriminating obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Results: Among the overall EVA cohort (n = 509), 311 individuals (mean age 67 ± 11 years, 38% females; 67% obstructive CAD) with complete data were analysed. The ML-based model (83% accuracy and 87% precision) showed that while obstructive CAD was associated with higher frailty index, older age and a cytokine signature characterized by IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-33, non-obstructive CAD was associated with a higher gender score (i.e., social characteristics traditionally ascribed to women) and with a cytokine signature characterized by IL-18, IL-8, IL-23. Conclusions: Integrating clinical, biological, and psycho-social features, we have optimized a sex- and gender-unbiased model that discriminates obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. Further mechanistic studies will shed light on the biological plausibility of these associations. Clinical trial registration: NCT02737982

Search for Multimessenger Sources of Gravitational Waves and High-energy Neutrinos with Advanced LIGO during Its First Observing Run, ANTARES, and IceCube

Astrophysical sources of gravitational waves, such as binary neutron star and black hole mergers or core-collapse supernovae, can drive relativistic outflows, giving rise to non-thermal high-energy emission. High-energy neutrinos are signatures of such outflows. The detection of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos from common sources could help establish the connection between the dynamics of the progenitor and the properties of the outflow. We searched for associated emission of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos from astrophysical transients with minimal assumptions using data from Advanced LIGO from its first observing run O1, and data from the Antares and IceCube neutrino observatories from the same time period. We focused on candidate events whose astrophysical origins could not be determined from a single messenger. We found no significant coincident candidate, which we used to constrain the rate density of astrophysical sources dependent on their gravitational-wave and neutrino emission processes

Event reconstruction for KM3NeT/ORCA using convolutional neural networks

The KM3NeT research infrastructure is currently under construction at two locations in the Mediterranean Sea. The KM3NeT/ORCA water-Cherenkov neutrino detector off the French coast will instrument several megatons of seawater with photosensors. Its main objective is the determination of the neutrino mass ordering. This work aims at demonstrating the general applicability of deep convolutional neural networks to neutrino telescopes, using simulated datasets for the KM3NeT/ORCA detector as an example. To this end, the networks are employed to achieve reconstruction and classification tasks that constitute an alternative to the analysis pipeline presented for KM3NeT/ORCA in the KM3NeT Letter of Intent. They are used to infer event reconstruction estimates for the energy, the direction, and the interaction point of incident neutrinos. The spatial distribution of Cherenkov light generated by charged particles induced in neutrino interactions is classified as shower- or track-like, and the main background processes associated with the detection of atmospheric neutrinos are recognized. Performance comparisons to machine-learning classification and maximum-likelihood reconstruction algorithms previously developed for KM3NeT/ORCA are provided. It is shown that this application of deep convolutional neural networks to simulated datasets for a large-volume neutrino telescope yields competitive reconstruction results and performance improvements with respect to classical approaches