Asymptotic Equipartition Theorems in von Neumann algebras

Preliminary version. Comments are welcomeInternational audienceThe Asymptotic Equipartition Property (AEP) in information theory establishes that independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) states behave in a way that is similar to uniform states. In particular, with appropriate smoothing, for such states both the min and the max relative entropy asymptotically coincide with the relative entropy. In this paper, we generalize several such equipartition properties to states on general von Neumann algebras. First, we show that the smooth max relative entropy of i.i.d. states on a von Neumann algebra has an asymptotic rate given by the quantum relative entropy. In fact, our AEP not only applies to states, but also to quantum channels with appropriate restrictions. In addition, going beyond the i.i.d. assumption, we show that for states that are produced by a sequential process of quantum channels, the smooth max relative entropy can be upper bounded by the sum of appropriate channel relative entropies. Our main technical contributions are to extend to the context of general von Neumann algebras a chain rule for quantum channels, as well as an additivity result for the channel relative entropy with a replacer channel

From parliamentary history to digital and computational history: a NLP-friendly TEI model for historical parliamentary proceedings

International audienceThis paper introduces a new method for the digital and computational analysis of historical parliamentary proceedings. The paper presents an XML-TEI model specifically designed for encoding historical parliamentary documents; this model is exemplified through the analysis of parliamentary debates from the French Chamber of Deputies (1889-1893). The first part of the paper discusses the motivations behind the model's development. The second part outlines the methodological choices in constructing the model and the need for schema adaptation. We subsequently detail our method for automatic encoding of such large corpora. Finally, we propose an approach to annotate parliamentary debates using natural language processing analyses, focusing on topic modelling

Functional Signatures of Surface Pollen and Vegetation Are Broadly Similar: Good News for Past Reconstructions of Vegetation

International audienceABSTRACT Aim Pollen assemblages are widely used to infer paleoenvironment features, aiming at reconstructing both past climates and biomes. However, the functional link between environmental conditions and pollen assemblages is not straightforward and requires thorough testing to be used confidently. Here, we use a trait‐based approach to assess the consistency of functional signatures between pollen and plant assemblages. Location Arid Central Asia (ACA). Taxon Spermatophytes (pollen‐producing plants). Methods We assess whether trait values and trait distributions are consistent for surface pollen samples and extant vegetation in the Arid Central Asia biogeographic region. A working plant checklist was compiled for ACA in order to assign trait values to pollen types and vegetation taxa. This was done for two widely used methods of pollen aggregation schemes (coarse and fine pollen type depend on the level of pollen identification). The functional signatures of pollen and vegetation samples were compared both at the taxon and community levels, using large‐scale trait and vegetation databases, for the six traits of the global spectrum of plant form and function (i.e., plant height, seed mass, leaf area, specific leaf area, nitrogen content per leaf mass, and stem‐specific density). Results Trait distributions and bivariate trait relationships were broadly similar for pollen types and vegetation taxa, which is also the case for the multivariate spaces of the global spectrum of plant form and function. At the community scale, the trait values weighted by taxon abundance significantly differed among biomes, and these differences were consistent for both pollen aggregation schemes and extant. Main Conclusions The pollen aggregation scheme does not impact the organisation of the functional space of the global spectrum of plant form and function, which compares well with that based on species actually present in the vegetation plots. This is also true at the community scale. These findings are very promising for improving climate and biome reconstructions from pollen assemblages and pave the way to a “pollen functional biogeography”

Recovery of cyclic words by their subwords

A problem of reconstructing words from their subwords involves determining the minimum amount of information needed, such as multisets of scattered subwords of a specific length or the frequency of scattered subwords from a given set, in order to uniquely identify a word. In this paper we show that a cyclic word on a binary alphabet can be reconstructed by its scattered subwords of length $\frac34n+4$, and for each $n$ one can find two cyclic words of length $n$ which have the same set of scattered subwords of length $\frac34n-\frac32$

Thermodynamic modeling of aqueous and mixed-solvent alkali chloride solutions using an ion-pairing equation of state

International audienceIn this work, the Binding-MSA (BiMSA) theory is implemented in an equation of state for the first time. The proposed model, BiMSA-electrolyte polar perturbed chain statistical associating fluid Theory (BiMSA-ePPC-SAFT), is applied to aqueous and mixed solvent electrolyte systems (water + methanol and water + ethanol) to investigate the impact of ion pairs. In a first step, a comparison is made between the Bjerrum and Wertheim theories for the calculation of the ion-ion association strength. The results obtained show that the Bjerrum theory is more successful in describing the association of ions especially in mixed solvent systems. In a second step, different types of relative static permittivity (RSP) models are implemented and compared. The obtained results reveal that using the Bjerrum theory with a volume-dependent RSP yields an ion-ion association strength that strongly changes with salinity. The models are further analyzed focusing on the relative importance of the various types of association (ion-solvent, solvent-solvent, solvent-cosolvent and cosolvent-cosolvent). It was observed that in an aqueous solution, ion-solvent and solvent-solvent association bonds are stronger and more important than those of ion pairing. However, for the mixed solvent systems, in high alcohol concentration, ion pairs exhibit the strongest bond

Stratégies ciblant la peau en prévention des allergies alimentaires

National audienceLa stratégie de prévention des allergies alimentaires (AA) reposant sur l’introduction précoce des allergènes solides apparaît insuffisante, au vu de l’augmentation de l’incidence des AA malgré les changements de recommandations. Une stratégie complémentaire visant à restaurer la barrière cutanée en appliquant des émollients est étudiée depuis plusieurs années. Les études cliniques évaluant son efficacité fournissent des résultats divergents, mais les protocoles d’étude sont très hétérogènes : certains émollients utilisés sont en réalité délétères pour la barrière cutanée tandis que le rythme ou la surface d’application peuvent être insuffisants pour avoir un impact positif sur la barrière cutanée. Il ressort de ces études que l’application d’un émollient à pH acide (autour de 5,5) et idéalement à base de céramides serait bénéfique en prévention primaire des AA. Par ailleurs, il est également important d’éviter les produits cosmétiques contenant des allergènes, y compris des dérivés alimentaires. Ces quelques conseils simples peuvent dès à présent être dispensés par les médecins de soins primaires

Le commun des mortelles : faire face au féminicide

Ouvrage grand publicInternational audienceLes meurtres de femmes parce qu'elles sont des femmes ne constituent pas une nouveauté de notre temps. Plusieurs générations de féministes, depuis la fin du XIXe siècle, ont dénoncé à leur façon le caractère genré du phénomène. C'est d'abord à elles que cet ouvrage rend hommage en retraçant leurs combats et leur pensée. C'est ensuite à l'expérience des victimes qu'il s'intéresse. Loin de subir passivement ces formes extrêmes de la domination masculine, celles-ci se sont souvent efforcées de dénoncer, de résister, d'agir contre leurs agresseurs. L'examen des archives met en lumière, de la Révolution française à aujourd'hui les grands traits d'un fait social banalement structurel

Competition between ordered morphologies of functionalized silver nanoparticles elucidated by a joint experimental and multiscale theoretical study

International audienc

Arbovirus Epidemics as Global Health Imperative, Africa, 2023

International audienceArboviruses represent a major cause of illness in Africa and have the potential to trigger widespread epidemics. We present data on arbovirus epidemics in Africa in 2023 and demonstrate the need for global public health authorities to intensify efforts in the surveillance and control of arbovirus diseases. Data were collected from the World Health Organization Weekly Bulletin on Outbreaks and Other Emergencies, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weekly Event Based Surveillance Report, and other online sources. In 2023, a total of 7 arboviruses were responsible for 29 outbreaks across 25 countries in Africa, 22 of which occurred in West Africa; the outbreaks resulted in 19,569 confirmed cases and 820 deaths. Arbovirus epidemics in Africa pose a threat not only to public health within the continent but also globally, underscoring the urgent need for substantial investment in arbovirus surveillance, research, and preparedness capacities in Africa to prevent and respond to health crises effectively

"Le vilain qui od sa fame vit aler son dru" de Marie de France - Édition et notes d'après le manuscrit York, Minster Library, XVI s. K-12 Pt. I

Édition et notes du "Vilain qui od sa fame vit aler son dru" de Marie de France d'après le manuscrit York, Minster Library, XVI s. K-12 Pt.