Quantum walks: background geometry and gauge invariance

Ciertos tipos de problemas no pueden resolverse usando los actuales ordenadores clásicos. Una forma de encontrar una solución, es mediante el uso de ordenadores cuánticos. Sin embargo, construir un ordenador cuántico es realmente complicado actualmente, debido a las limitaciones tecnológicas. Mientras tanto, los simuladores cuánticos han sido capaces de resolver algunos de estos problemas, ya que los simuladores cuánticos son más accesibles experimentalmente. Las llamadas caminatas cuánticas, en su versión discreta, son una herramienta muy útil para simular ciertos sistemas físicos. En el límite al continuo, se puede obtener una serie de ecuaciones diferenciales, particularmente, la ecuación de Dirac entre ellas. En la presente tesis, se seguirán estudiando las propiedades de las caminatas cuánticas, como posibles simuladores cuánticos. Podemos resumir los resultados en: i) Se introduce un modelo de caminata cuántica, en el que se simula, en el continuo, la dinámica de fermiones en una teoría de branas. Eso abre la posibilidad de estudiar diferentes modelos de teorías de Kaluza-Klein; ii) Se discute la invariancia gauge en caminatas cuánticas, acopladas a campos electromagnéticos, donde se exhiben similitudes y diferencias con modelos previos. Este modelo presenta conexiones con la invariancia gauge realizada en "lattice gauge theories"; iii) Se introducen caminatas cuánticas sobre redes no rectangulares, como la red triangular o hexagonal, con el propósito de simular la ecuación de Dirac en el límite al continuo. Estos modelos se pueden extender, por medio de operadores locales unitarios, que permiten reproducir la dinámica de fermiones en espacio tiempo curvo.There are many problems that cannot be solved using current \textit{classical} computers. One manner to approach a solution of these systems is by using \textit{quantum} computers. However, building a quantum computer is really challenging from the experimental side. Quantum simulators have been capable to solve some of these problems, as they are realizable experimentally. Discrete Time Quantum Walks (DTQWs) have been proved to be an useful tool to quantum simulate physical systems. In the continuous limit, a family of differential equations can be achieved, in particular, the Dirac equation can be recovered. In this thesis we study QWs as possible schemes for quantum simulation. Specifically, we can summarize our results in: i) We introduce a QW-based model in which a brane theory can be simulated in the continuum, opening the possibility to study more general theories with extra dimensions; ii) Electromagnetic gauge invariance in QWs is discussed, presenting some similarities and differences to previous models. This QW model also makes a connection to gauge invariance in lattice gauge theories (LGT); iii) We introduce QWs over non-rectangular lattices, such a triangular or honeycomb structures, for the purpose of simulating the Dirac equation in the continuum. We also extent these models, by introducing local coin operators, that allow us to reproduce the dynamics of quantum particles under a curved space time

Electromagnetic lattice gauge invariance in two-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks

Gauge invariance is one of the more important concepts in physics. We discuss this concept in connection with the unitary evolution of discrete-time quantum walks in one and two spatial dimensions, when they include the interaction with synthetic, external electromagnetic fields. One introduces this interaction as additional phases that play the role of gauge fields. Here, we present a way to incorporate those phases, which differs from previous works. Our proposal allows the discrete derivatives, that appear under a gauge transformation, to treat time and space on the same footing, in a way which is similar to standard lattice gauge theories. By considering two steps of the evolution, we define a density current which is gauge invariant and conserved. In the continuum limit, the dynamics of the particle, under a suitable choice of the parameters, becomes the Dirac equation, and the conserved current satisfies the corresponding conservation equation

Tecnología musteriense en la región madrileña : un discurso enfrentado entre valles y páramos de la Meseta sur

El área madrileña es una región rica en yacimientos paleolíticos conocidos desde antiguo. Los depósitos de terrazas de los principales ríos de nuestra región han permitido conocer un elevado número de yacimientos vinculados a los entornos fluviales, sin que hasta el momento se conocieran testimonios fuera de estos contextos. En los últimos años, la política de gestión del patrimonio emprendida por la administración madrileña ha facilitado la localización de nuevos conjuntos bien datados que en el futuro próximo ampliarán nuestro conocimiento sobre la actividad de los grupos musterienses de nuestra región. En este trabajo, se ofrecen los primeros resultados obtenidos en el yacimiento de El Cañaveral - Madrid, cuya excavación ha puesto de relieve la importante concentración de hallazgos relacionados con la explotación de sílex, así como un primer avance de las estrategias empleadas en su obtención y explotación.L'àrea madrilenya és una regió rica en jaciments paleolítics coneguts des de fa anys. Els dipòsits de terrasses dels principals rius de la nostra regió han permès conèixer un elevat nombre de jaciments vinculats als entorns fluvials. En els últims anys, la política de gestió del patrimoni iniciada per l'administració madrilenya ha facilitat la localització de nous conjunts ben datats que en un futur pròxim ampliaran el nostre coneixement sobre l'activitat dels grups mosterians de la nostra regió. En aquest treball es presenten els primers resultats obtinguts en el jaciment d'El Cañaveral - Madrid, excavació que ha posat de relleu la important concentració de troballes relacionades amb l'explotació del sílex, així com un primer avenç de les estratègies utilitzades en la seva obtenció i explotació.Le secteur madrilène est une région riche en gisements paléolithiques connus depuis longtemps. Les réservoirs de terrasses des principales rivières de notre région, ont permis connaître des nombres importantes des gisements liés aux environnements fluviaux, sans que jusqu'au présent on connaisse des témoignages hors de ces contextes. Pendant les dernières années, la politique de gestion du patrimoine entreprise par l'administration madrilène a facilité la localisation de nouveaux ensembles bien datés qui dans le futur proche étendront notre connaissance sur l'activité des groupes musterienses de notre région. Dans ce travail, nous offrons (no estoy muy segura, pero creo que el verbo es así) les premiers résultats obtenus dans le gisement du Cañaveral - Madrid, dont l'excavation a souligné l'importante concentration de découvertes en rapport avec l'exploitation de silex, ainsi qu'une première avance des stratégies employées dans son obtention et exploitation.The area of Madrid is a very well known región regarding Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites since the 19th century. Fluvial terraces from the the main rivers of our region, have allowed to know a high number of sites within the fluvial deposits, althow testimonies from outside these contexts were still unknown. In the last years, the heritage policy undertaken by the Madrilenian administration has facilitated the location of new sites with numerical dates that, in the next future, will extend our knowledge on the activity of the mousterians groups in our region. In this work, we present the first results obtained in the deposit of the El Cañaveral site (Madrid), whose excavation has put out the important concentration of findings related to the flint outcrops, as well as the primarly strategies used in their catchment and exploitation

Frequency and Characteristics of familial melanoma in Spain: the FAM-GEM-1 Study.

Familial history of melanoma is a well-known risk factor for the disease, and 7% melanoma patients were reported to have a family history of melanoma. Data relating to the frequency and clinical and pathological characteristics of both familial and non-familial melanoma in Spain have been published, but these only include patients from specific areas of Spain and do not represent the data for the whole of Spain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational study conducted by the Spanish Group of Melanoma (GEM) analyzed the family history of patients diagnosed with melanoma between 2011 and 2013 in the dermatology and oncology departments. RESULTS: In all, 1047 patients were analyzed, and 69 (6.6%) fulfilled criteria for classical familial melanoma (two or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with melanoma). Taking into account other risk factors for familial melanoma, such as multiple melanoma, pancreatic cancer in the family or second-degree relatives with melanoma, the number of patients fulfilling the criteria increased to 165 (15.8%). Using a univariate analysis, we determined that a Breslow index of less than 1 mm, negative mitosis, multiple melanoma, and a history of sunburns in childhood were more frequent in familial melanoma patients, but a multivariate analysis revealed no differences in any pathological or clinical factor between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to that observed in other countries, familial melanoma accounts for 6.6% of melanoma diagnoses in Spain. Although no differences in the multivariate analysis were found, some better prognosis factors, such as Breslow index, seem more frequent in familial melanoma, which reflect a better early detection marker and/or a different biological behavior

Moral Sensitivity, Empathy and Prosocial Behavior: Implications for Humanization of Nursing Care

Humanization of nursing is related to certain social and moral variables. Moral sensitivity, empathy, and prosocial behavior help understand a situation and make decisions that benefit the patient. The objective of this study is to find out how these variables are related, and define the differences in moral sensitivity, empathy, and prosocial behavior in humanization of nursing. We also analyzed the mediating role of empathy in the relationship between moral sensitivity and prosocial behavior. The sample was made up of 330 Spanish nurses aged 22 to 56, who completed the HUMAS Scale and adapted versions of the Basic Empathy Scale, the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, and the Prosocial Behavior Scale. Descriptive analyses, bivariate correlations and multiple mediation models were calculated. The results found significantly different mean scores between all the groups in responsibility and moral strength, cognitive empathy, and prosocial behavior, and in moral burden, the differences were in the high-humanization-score group compared to the low-score group. Furthermore, the mediation models showed the mediating effect of cognitive empathy between the responsibility, strength, and moral burden factors on prosocial behavior, but not of affective empathy. The study concluded that humanization in nursing is closely related to moral sensitivity, cognitive empathy, and prosocial behavior. This facilitates a helping, caring, and understanding attitude toward patient needs, but without the affective flooding that affective empathy can lead to

A novel biocompatible polymer derived from D-mannitol used as a vector in the field of genetic engineering of eukaryotic cells

The design and preparation of new vectors to transport genetic material and increase the transfection efficiency continue being an important research line. Here, a novel biocompatible sugar-based polymer derived from D-mannitol has been synthesized to be used as a gene material nanocarrier in human (gene transfection) and microalga cells (transformation process). Its low toxicity allows its use in processes with both medical and industrial applications. A multidisciplinary study about the formation of polymer/p-DNA polyplexes has been carried out using techniques such as gel electrophoresis, zeta potential, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The nucleic acids used were the eukaryotic expression plasmid pEGFP-C1 and the microalgal expression plasmid Phyco69, which showed different behaviors. The importance of DNA supercoiling in both transfection and transformation processes was demonstrated. Better results were obtained in microalga cells nuclear transformation than in human cells gene transfection. This was related to the plasmid's conformational changes, in particular to their superhelical structure. It is noteworthy that the same nanocarrier has been used with eukaryotic cells from both human and microalga.This work was supported by the Consejería de Conocimiento, Innovación y Universidades de la Junta de Andalucía (FQM-206, FQM-274, FQM-135 and P20–01234); VI Plan Propio Universidad de Sevilla (PP2019/00000748), and the European Union (Feder Funds).Peer reviewe

Supplementary material. A novel biocompatible polymer derived from D-mannitol used as a vector in the field of genetic engineering of eukaryotic cells

S1. Experimental Section: S1.1. Synthesis and Characterization Data. S1.2. Fluorescence Measurements. S1.3. Zeta Potential Measurements. S1.4. Dynamic Light Scattering Measurements. S1.5. Circular Dichroism Spectra. S1.6. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis. S1.7. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). S1.8. In Vitro Assays S1.9. Transfection Assays. S1.10. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Nuclear Transformation. S2. Results and Discussion: S2.1. Characterization of Monomers and Polyurethanes. S2.2. Formation of the polyplexes PUMan/ctDNA. Figures: Fig. S1. FTIR spectra of PUMan and (MBocCis)DTDI. Fig. S2. SEC chromatogram of (MAL)DTDI. Fig. S3. SEC chromatogram of (MBocCis)DTDI. Fig. S4. SEC chromatogram of PUMan. Fig. S5. 1H NMR of (MAL)DTDI. Fig. S6. 1H NMR of (MBocCis)DTDI. Fig. S7. 1H NMR of PUMan. Fig. S8. TGA curve of PUMan. Fig. S9. Plot of EB emission intensities at different N/P values, circular dichroism spectra, zeta potential and hydrodynamic diameters of the PUMan-based polyplexes. Fig.S10. Electrophoresis of polyplexes PUMan/digested pEGFP-C1 and PUMan/digested Phyco69 at different N/P ratios. Fig.S11. Percentage of GFP positive cells after transfection with 3 μg of the plasmid pEGFP-C1 with the indicated reagents. The molar ratio PUMan:FuGENE and PUMan:DOPE was 1:1. Tables: Table S1. Thermal properties of PUMan and its precursors.Peer reviewe

Protective Role of the Interleukin 33 rs3939286 Gene Polymorphism in the Development of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the interleukin-33 (IL-33)-interleukin-1 receptor like 1 (IL-1RL1) signaling pathway is implicated in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 576 Spanish RA patients from Northern Spain were genotyped for 6 well-known IL33-IL1RL1 polymorphisms (IL33 rs3939286, IL33 rs7025417, IL33 rs7044343, IL1RL1 rs2058660, IL1RL1 rs2310173 and IL1RL1 rs13015714) by TaqMan genotyping assay. The presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by carotid ultrasound (US). RESULTS: RA patients carrying the TT genotype of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism had lower cIMT values than those homozygous for the CC genotype (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 0.71 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.76 ± 0.16 mm, respectively) while patients carrying the CT genotype had intermediate cIMT values (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.17 mm). Moreover, RA patients carrying the mutant allele T of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism exhibited significantly lower cIMT values than those carrying the wild allele C (mean ± SD: 0.72 ± 0.16 mm versus 0.75 ± 0.18 mm respectively; p = 0.04). The association of both genotype and allele frequencies of IL33 rs3939286 and cIMT levels remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at the time of US study, follow-up and center (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0023, respectively), evidencing that the potential effect conferred by IL33 rs3939286 may be independent of confounder factors. No association with other IL33-IL1RL1 genetic variants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results may suggest a potential protective effect of the IL33 rs3939286 allele T in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Ciencia Odontológica 2.0

Libro que muestra avances de la Investigación Odontológica en MéxicoEs para los integrantes de la Red de Investigación en Estomatología (RIE) una enorme alegría presentar el segundo de una serie de 6 libros sobre casos clínicos, revisiones de la literatura e investigaciones. La RIE está integrada por cuerpos académicos de la UAEH, UAEM, UAC y UdeG