Quantum social networks

We introduce a physical approach to social networks (SNs) in which each actor is characterized by a yes-no test on a physical system. This allows us to consider SNs beyond those originated by interactions based on pre-existing properties, as in a classical SN (CSN). As an example of SNs beyond CSNs, we introduce quantum SNs (QSNs) in which actor is characterized by a test of whether or not the system is in a quantum state. We show that QSNs outperform CSNs for a certain task and some graphs. We identify the simplest of these graphs and show that graphs in which QSNs outperform CSNs are increasingly frequent as the number of vertices increases. We also discuss more general SNs and identify the simplest graphs in which QSNs cannot be outperformed.Comment: REVTeX4, 6 pages, 3 figure

Understanding the Role of Women as Leaders in Mexican Politics: Looking Back and Moving Forward

The constant changes that occur in a globalized world have pushed gender equality to the forefront of many debates in the western world. Nevertheless, cultural values continue to influence the way in which governments, societies, and individuals behave in regard to the roles that men and women play. In Mexico, despite the cultural values that are embedded in society, women have been able to succeed in areas where, until a few decades ago, it would have been unimaginable. During the last forty years, the Mexican government has gone through a gradual transformation that has allowed women to become an active part of the political arena. Nevertheless, the path continues to be arduous, as deep-seated social values and prejudices still influence the thoughts of many individuals. Few studies have specifically addressed the involvement of women in Mexican history and politics, especially using first-hand accounts. This study aims to fill that gap and help understand the importance of the involvement of women throughout the history of Mexico, and offer a privileged insight to their lives and experiences. To do so, twelve women who have actively participated in Mexican politics through direct appointment, elections, activism, and academia were interviewed. While the sample is small, these twelve women are part of a very small and select group of female political leaders in Mexico, which include former first ladies, ministers of the Supreme Court, senators, congresswomen, ambassadors, members of different presidential cabinets, academicians, and activists. The common themes that the women interviewed discussed were culture and prejudice, the role of traits in leadership, gender quotas, the role of first ladies, the importance of political parties, and the possibility of having a female president. None of the leaders identified as politicians first; rather, they saw their family as a primary focus. This research gives a limited but rich and useful journalistic perspective on the careers of women who have helped shape contemporary Mexico. While the small convenience sample provides a limitation to generalizing the results, the women interviewed are all key leaders in Mexican politics and their experiences can inform the role and impact of women in Mexico

Basic exclusivity graphs in quantum correlations

A fundamental problem is to understand why quantum theory only violates some noncontextuality (NC) inequalities and identify the physical principles that prevent higher-than-quantum violations. We prove that quantum theory only violates those NC inequalities whose exclusivity graphs contain, as induced subgraphs, odd cycles of length five or more, and/or their complements. In addition, we show that odd cycles are the exclusivity graphs of a well-known family of NC inequalities and that there is also a family of NC inequalities whose exclusivity graphs are the complements of odd cycles. We characterize the maximum noncontextual and quantum values of these inequalities, and provide evidence supporting the conjecture that the maximum quantum violation of these inequalities is exactly singled out by the exclusivity principle.Comment: REVTeX4, 7 pages, 2 figure

Hadronic production of top-quark pairs in association with a pair of leptons in the POWHEG BOX framework

We present an implementation of $t\bar t \ell^+\ell^-$ ($\ell=e,\mu$) hadronic production at next-to-leading order in QCD matched to parton-shower event generators in the POWHEG BOX framework. The program we developed includes all leading-order contributions of order $\alpha_s^2\alpha^2$ for the specified final state, as well as the corresponding first-order QCD corrections. Decays of the top quarks have been simulated retaining spin-correlations in all tree-level matrix elements. We consider the case of the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and compare results for $t\bar t \ell^+\ell^-$ production in the fiducial volume where the invariant mass of the lepton pairs is centered around the $Z$-boson mass to corresponding predictions for $t\bar{t}Z$ on-shell production with $Z\rightarrow \ell^+\ell^-$. We find that off-shell effects in $t\bar t \ell^+\ell^-$ are in general small at the level of the total cross section, but can decrease the tail of the leptons' transverse momentum distributions by 10-20% and, in these regions, they are visible beyond the scale uncertainty due to renormalization and factorization scale variation. Moreover, we find that accounting for top-quark decays in the narrow-width approximation with tree-level spin correlations also gives origin to 10-20% effects in specific regions of the kinematic distributions of the $t\bar t \ell^+\ell^-$ decayed final state.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figure

Propuesta de Guía de Verificación para Proveedores que importan y comercializan materia prima de uso farmacéutico en El Salvador.

Los laboratorios nacionales fabricantes de medicamentos se enfrentan a una presión competitiva y requerimientos regulatorios, donde éstos buscan mantener altos estándares de calidad que les permitan conservar su espacio en el mercado, es por ello que los materiales de partidas utilizados durante la fabricación deben de cumplir con éstos estándares, siendo imprescindible que sus proveedores de materia prima de uso farmacéutico cumplan con las normativas aplicables vigentes; por lo que son sometidos a procesos de evaluación y selección de proveedores en el cual se evidencia que los proveedores cumplen con los requerimientos de las Buenas Prácticas de Almacenamiento, Distribución, Transporte y Manufactura. Se realizó un diagnóstico a laboratorios farmacéuticos nacionales, donde se seleccionó una muestra de 15 laboratorios a través del método de Muestreo Aleatorio Simple a partir del universo de 33 laboratorios farmacéuticos certificados con las Buenas Prácticas de Manufacturas por la Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos para el año 2021, verificado en el listado oficial publicado en la página web de la Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos, de los cuales se seleccionó una muestra de 30 laboratorios farmacéuticos; ya que los 3 restantes pertenecían a los laboratorios de medicamentos naturales; lo anterior con el fin de obtener el panorama actual acerca del proceso de evaluación de proveedores que realizan los laboratorios farmacéuticos nacionales. Seguidamente, se proporcionó a los laboratorios farmacéuticos una encuesta digital realizada a través de la plataforma de Google Forms., constituida por doce interrogantes de tipo abiertas y cerradas; de las respuestas obtenidas se realizó un análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo, evidenciando que los laboratorios farmacéuticos nacionales no disponen de una guía homologada para la evaluación y selección de sus proveedores de materia prima farmacéutica, por lo cual éstos utilizan una herramienta interna, donde clasifican los requerimientos utilizados según criterio o necesidad del mismo, categorizando sus proveedores según el nivel de cumplimiento obtenido durante la evaluación; además, cada laboratorio establece diferentes períodos de evaluación según la clasificación y el porcentaje de cumplimiento que haya obtenido el proveedor evaluado. Se dispuso como propósito durante ésta investigación que los laboratorios farmacéuticos cuenten con una guía de verificación para sus proveedores de materia prima de uso farmacéutico que englobe los requerimientos necesarios para trazar la calidad de la materia prima que se desea adquirir y así, poder evaluar periódicamente según establezcan la necesidad en el desempeño de sus proveedores, basándose en criterios fundamentales con el fin de conocer la calidad de materia prima que ofertan. Es por ello que se vio la necesidad de desarrollar una herramienta homologada descrita en trece apartados capitulares que van encaminados a conocer el nivel de implementación de un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad que englobe los requerimientos para el cumplimiento de las Buenas Prácticas de Almacenamiento, Distribución y Transporte que tienen los proveedores dentro de su organización; homologando criterios de evaluación de la Norma ISO 9001:2015 para el levantamiento de un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad en el que se incluyan las Normas de Buenas Prácticas de Almacenamiento, Distribución y Transporte. La presente investigación fue desarrollada con apoyo de laboratorios farmacéuticos nacionales y recursos electrónicos proporcionados por la Facultad de Química y Farmacia de la Universidad de El Salvador y la Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos en el período de septiembre de 2021 a octubre de 2022 y efectuando la investigación de campo y análisis de resultados en el periodo febrero a junio del año 2022

Design of a multimodal database for research on automatic detection of severe apnoea cases

The aim of this paper is to present the design of a multimodal database suitable for research on new possibilities for automatic diagnosis of patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Early detection of severe apnoea cases can be very useful to give priority to their early treatment optimizing the expensive and time-consuming tests of current diagnosis methods based on full overnight sleep in a hospital. This work is part of an on-going collaborative project between medical and signal processing groups towards the design of a multimodal database as an innovative resource to promote new research efforts on automatic OSA diagnosis through speech and image processing technologies. In this contribution we present the multimodal design criteria derived from the analysis of specific voice properties related to OSA physiological effects as well as from the morphological facial characteristics in apnoea patients. Details on the database structure and data collection methodology are also given as it is intended to be an open resource to promote further research in this field. Finally, preliminary experimental results on automatic OSA voice assessment are presented for the collected speech data in our OSA multimodal database. Standard GMM speaker recognition techniques obtain an overall correct classification rate of 82%. This represents an initial promising result underlining the interest of this research framework and opening further perspectives for improvement using more specific speech and image recognition technologies

Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) vessel architecture is linked to chilling and salinity tolerance in the Gulf of Mexico

Over the last several decades, the distribution of the black mangrove Avicennia germinans in the Gulf of Mexico has expanded, in part because it can survive the occasional freeze events and high soil salinities characteristic of the area. Vessel architecture may influence mangrove chilling and salinity tolerance. We surveyed populations of A. germinans throughout the Gulf to determine if vessel architecture was linked to field environmental conditions. We measured vessel density, hydraulically weighted vessel diameter, potential conductance capacity, and maximum tensile fracture stress. At each sampling site we recorded mangrove canopy height and soil salinity, and determined average minimum winter temperature from archived weather records. At a subset of sites, we measured carbon fixation rates using a LI-COR 6400XT Portable Photosynthesis System. Populations of A. germinans from cooler areas (Texas and Louisiana) had narrower vessels, likely reducing the risk of freeze-induced embolisms but also decreasing water conductance capacity. Vessels were also narrower in regions with high soil salinity, including Texas, USA and tidal flats in Veracruz, Mexico. Vessel density did not consistently vary with temperature or soil salinity. In abiotically stressful areas, A. germinans had a safe hydraulic architecture with narrower vessels that may increase local survival. This safe architecture appears to come at a substantial physiological cost in terms of reduction in conductance capacity and carbon fixation potential, likely contributing to lower canopy heights. The current distribution of A. germinans in the Gulf is influenced by the complex interplay between temperature, salinity, and vessel architecture. Given the plasticity of A. germinans vessel characters, it is likely that this mangrove species will be able to adapt to a wide range of potential future environmental conditions, and continue its expansion in the Gulf of Mexico in response to near-term climate change.The open access fee for this work was funded through the Texas A&M University Open Access to Knowledge (OAK) Fund

In vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics and energy utilization of three Mexican tree fodder species during the rainy and dry period

A factorial experimental design (3×2×3) was used to evaluate the effect of season of harvest and type of ruminal inoculums on in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics and energy utilization of three browse tree foliages (Lysiloma acapulcencis, Quercus laeta and Pithecellobium dulce). Browse species were harvested during the dry season (DS) and rainy season (RS) and incubated with three different ruminal inoculums: cow, goats previously adapted (AG) or not adapted (UG) to browse species fed in their daily diet. Chemical composition, total condensed tannin (TCT), free-condensed tannin (free-CT), protein-bound condensed tannin (PCT), fiber-bound condensed tannin (FCT) as well as in vitro assaying of ruminal gas production kinetics was determined, while the short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and metabolizable energy (ME) were estimated. Crude protein (CP) was considerably higher (season×browse; P<0.001) during RS. P. dulce had the lowest neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) and acid detergent fiber (ADFom) in both seasons, while L. acapulcencis had the highest values and Q. laeta values were intermediate, with an overall increase in fiber fractions in DS browse foliages (season×browse; P<0.001). TCT content in tree species revealed differences (P<0.01). FCT and PCT were lower in Q. laeta and P. dulce during the RS than in DS, lower (P<0.01) Free-CT fractions were observed in L. acapulcencis and Q. Laeta than in P. dulce, during both seasons. in vitro gas production parameters was increased (P<0.05) in DS than in RS in browses with low and medium tannins contents (i.e., P. dulce and Q. laeta); consequently, browses energy utilization (i.e., SCFA and ME) and organic matter degradability (OMD) as well as fermentation efficiency (i.e., partition factor; PF) were improved (P<0.05). Generally, P. dulce had the highest (P<0.001) ruminal fermentation parameters and energy utilization values (more in DS than RS), while lowest values were founded in L. acapulcencis. Ruminal fluid ofADandUGhad higher (P<0.001) browse ruminal fermentation kinetics, efficiency and energy utilization than cow’s rumen fluid. The browse fermentation and energy utilization was improved in DS versus in RS and the browse fermentation and utilization were highest (P<0.05) in AG ruminal fluid than the others. Our results suggested a better nutritive value of P. dulce and Q. laeta with low and medium tannins contents and high CP concentration in cows and goats during the DS. Goats previously fed browse species in diets had a better ability to degrade and ferment the browse species than other animals

Nutraceutic effect of free condensed tannins of lysiloma acapulcensis (kunth) benth on parasite infection and performance of pelibuey sheep

Abstract Forty-five Pelibuey sheep were experimentally infested with nematodes to evaluate the effect of three free condensed tannin (FCT) levels of Lysiloma acapulcensis on fecal egg counts (FECs), packed cell volumes (PCV), ocular mucosa colors (OMC), average daily gain (ADG), and adult nematode count. Five treatments were used: 12.5, 25.0, and 37.5 mg of FCT kg−1 of body weight (BW); sterile water (control); and ivermectine (0.22 mg kg−1 of BW) as chemical group. The data were processed through repeated measure- ment analysis. Even though the three FCT doses decreased (P < 0.05) the FEC, the highest reduction was obtained with 37.5 mg kg−1 of BW. No differences were observed in PCV and OMC. Higher ADG (P < 0.05) was observed with 37.5 mg kg−1 of BW of FCT. The count of adult nematodes (females and males) in the higher dose of FCT was similar to chemical treatment. Dose of 37.5 mg kg−1 of BW decreased the parasite infection and improved the lamb performance. Therefore, this dose could be used as a nutraceutic product in sheep production.This work was undertaken with funds from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (Project UAEM 1026/2014RIFC). Our gratitude also goes to the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the grant received by Cesar García Hernández