Corrected Bell and Noncontextuality Inequalities for Realistic Experiments

Contextuality is a feature of quantum correlations. It is crucial from a foundational perspective as a nonclassical phenomenon, and from an applied perspective as a resource for quantum advantage. It is commonly defined in terms of hidden variables, for which it forces a contradiction with the assumptions of parameter-independence and determinism. The former can be justified by the empirical property of non-signalling or non-disturbance, and the latter by the empirical property of measurement sharpness. However, in realistic experiments neither empirical property holds exactly, which leads to possible objections to contextuality as a form of nonclassicality, and potential vulnerabilities for supposed quantum advantages. We introduce measures to quantify both properties, and introduce quantified relaxations of the corresponding assumptions. We prove the continuity of a known measure of contextuality, the contextual fraction, which ensures its robustness to noise. We then bound the extent to which these relaxations can account for contextuality, via corrections terms to the contextual fraction (or to any noncontextuality inequality), culminating in a notion of genuine contextuality, which is robust to experimental imperfections. We then show that our result is general enough to apply or relate to a variety of established results and experimental setups.Comment: 20 pages + 14 pages of appendices, 3 figure

One-year changes in brain microstructure differentiate preclinical Huntington's disease stages.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether brain imaging markers of tissue microstructure can detect the effect of disease progression across the preclinical stages of Huntington's disease. METHODS: Longitudinal microstructural changes in diffusion imaging metrics (mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy) were investigated in participants with presymptomatic Huntington's disease (N = 35) stratified into three preclinical subgroups according to their estimated time until onset of symptoms, compared with age- and gender-matched healthy controls (N = 19) over a 1y period. RESULTS: Significant differences were found over the four groups in change of mean diffusivity in the posterior basal ganglia and the splenium of the corpus callosum. This overall effect was driven by significant differences between the group far-from-onset (FAR) of symptoms and the groups midway- (MID) and near-the-onset (NEAR) of symptoms. In particular, an initial decrease of mean diffusivity in the FAR group was followed by a subsequent increase in groups closer to onset of symptoms. The seemingly counter-intuitive decrease of mean diffusivity in the group furthest from onset of symptoms might be an early indicator of neuroinflammatory process preceding the neurodegenerative phase. In contrast, the only clinical measure that was able to capture a difference in 1y changes between the preclinical stages was the UHDRS confidence in motor score. CONCLUSIONS: With sensitivity to longitudinal changes in brain microstructure within and between preclinical stages, and potential differential response to distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, diffusion imaging is a promising state marker for monitoring treatment response and identifying the optimal therapeutic window of opportunity in preclinical Huntington's disease

Highlighting of the interactions of MYD88 and NFKB1 SNPs in rats resistant to decompression sickness: toward an autoimmune response

Decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological disorders includes an inappropriate inflammatory response which degenerates slowly, even after the disappearance of the bubbles. There is high inter-individual variability in terms of the occurrence of DCS that could have been mastered by the selection and then the breeding of DCS-resistant rats. We hypothesized the selection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to autoimmunity operated upon a generation of a DCS-resistant strain of rats. We used the candidate gene approach and targeted SNPs linked to the signaling cascade that directly regulates inflammation of innate immunity transiting by the Toll-like receptors. Twenty candidate SNPs were investigated in 36 standard rats and 33 DCS-resistant rats. For the first time, we identify a diplotype (i.e., with matched haplotypes)—when coinherited—that strengthens protection against DCS, which is not strictly homozygous and suggests that a certain tolerance may be considered. We deduced an ideal haplotype of six variants from it (MyD88_50-T, _49-A, _97-C coupled to NFKB_85-T, _69-T, _45-T) linked to the resistant phenotype. Four among the six identified variants are located in pre- and/or post-transcriptional areas regulating MyD88 or NFKB1 expression. Because of missense mutations, the other two variants induce a structural change in the NFKB1 protein complex including one damage alteration according to the Missense3D algorithm. In addition to the MyD88/NFKB1 haplotype providing rats with a strong resistance to DCS, this also highlights the importance that the immune response, here linked to the genetic heritage, can have in the development of DCS and offer a new perspective for therapeutic strategies

Rapid testing versus karyotyping in Down's syndrome screening: cost-effectiveness and detection of clinically significant chromosome abnormalities

In all, 80% of antenatal karyotypes are generated by Down's syndrome screening programmes (DSSP). After a positive screening, women are offered prenatal foetus karyotyping, the gold standard. Reliable molecular methods for rapid aneuploidy diagnosis (RAD: fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR)) can detect common aneuploidies, and are faster and less expensive than karyotyping

Rapid response to the M_w 4.9 earthquake of November 11, 2019 in Le Teil, Lower Rhône Valley, France

On November 11, 2019, a Mw 4.9 earthquake hit the region close to Montelimar (lower Rhône Valley, France), on the eastern margin of the Massif Central close to the external part of the Alps. Occuring in a moderate seismicity area, this earthquake is remarkable for its very shallow focal depth (between 1 and 3 km), its magnitude, and the moderate to large damages it produced in several villages. InSAR interferograms indicated a shallow rupture about 4 km long reaching the surface and the reactivation of the ancient NE-SW La Rouviere normal fault in reverse faulting in agreement with the present-day E-W compressional tectonics. The peculiarity of this earthquake together with a poor coverage of the epicentral region by permanent seismological and geodetic stations triggered the mobilisation of the French post-seismic unit and the broad French scientific community from various institutions, with the deployment of geophysical instruments (seismological and geodesic stations), geological field surveys, and field evaluation of the intensity of the earthquake. Within 7 days after the mainshock, 47 seismological stations were deployed in the epicentral area to improve the Le Teil aftershocks locations relative to the French permanent seismological network (RESIF), monitor the temporal and spatial evolution of microearthquakes close to the fault plane and temporal evolution of the seismic response of 3 damaged historical buildings, and to study suspected site effects and their influence in the distribution of seismic damage. This seismological dataset, completed by data owned by different institutions, was integrated in a homogeneous archive and distributed through FDSN web services by the RESIF data center. This dataset, together with observations of surface rupture evidences, geologic, geodetic and satellite data, will help to unravel the causes and rupture mechanism of this earthquake, and contribute to account in seismic hazard assessment for earthquakes along the major regional Cévenne fault system in a context of present-day compressional tectonics

Early liver transplantation for severe alcohol-related hepatitis not responding to medical treatment: a prospective controlled study

peer reviewedBackground: Early liver transplantation for severe alcohol-related hepatitis is an emerging treatment option. We aimed to assess the risk of alcohol relapse 2 years after early liver transplantation for alcohol-related hepatitis compared with liver transplantation for alcohol-related cirrhosis after at least 6 months of abstinence. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, non-randomised, non-inferiority, controlled study in 19 French and Belgian hospitals. All participants were aged 18 years or older. There were three groups of patients recruited prospectively: patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis who did not respond to medical treatment and were eligible for early liver transplantation according to a new selection scoring system based on social and addiction items that can be quantified in points (early transplantation group); patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation after at least 6 months of abstinence (standard transplantation group); patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis not responding to medical treatment not eligible for early liver transplantation according to the selection score (not eligible for early transplantation group), this group did not enter any further liver transplantation processes. We also defined a historical control group of patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis unresponsive to medical therapy and non-transplanted. The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of 2-year rate of alcohol relapse after transplantation in the early transplantation group compared with the standard transplantation group using the alcohol timeline follow back (TLFB) method and a prespecified non-inferiority margin of 10%. Secondary outcomes were the pattern of alcohol relapse, 2-year survival rate post-transplant in the early transplantation group compared with the standard transplantation group, and 2-year overall survival in the early transplantation group compared with patients in the not eligible for early transplantation group and historical controls. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01756794. Findings: Between Dec 5, 2012, and June 30, 2016, we included 149 patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis: 102 in the early transplantation group and 47 in the not eligible for early transplantation group. 129 patients were included in the standard transplantation group. 68 patients in the early transplantation group and 93 patients in the standard transplantation group received a liver transplant. 23 (34%) patients relapsed in the early transplantation group, and 23 (25%) patients relapsed in the standard transplantation group; therefore, the non-inferiority of early transplantation versus standard transplantation was not demonstrated (absolute difference 9·1% [95% CI –∞ to 21·1]; p=0·45). The 2-year rate of high alcohol intake was greater in the early transplantation group than the standard transplantation group (absolute difference 16·7% [95% CI 5·8–27·6]) The time spent drinking alcohol was not different between the two groups (standardised difference 0·24 [95% CI −0·07 to 0·55]), but the time spent drinking a large quantity of alcohol was higher in the early transplantation group than the standard transplantation group (standardised difference 0·50 [95% CI 0·17–0·82]). 2-year post-transplant survival was similar between the early transplantation group and the standard transplantation group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·87 [95% CI 0·33–2·26]); 2-year overall survival was higher in the early transplantation group than the not eligible for early transplantation group and historical controls (HR 0·27 [95% CI 0·16–0·47] and 0·21 [0·13–0·32]). Interpretation: We cannot conclude non-inferiority in terms of rate of alcohol relapse post-transplant between early liver transplantation and standard transplantation. High alcohol intake is more frequent after early liver transplantation. This prospective controlled study confirms the important survival benefit related to early liver transplantation for severe alcohol-related hepatitis; and this study provides objective data on survival and alcohol relapse to tailor the management of patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis. Funding: The present study has been granted by the French Ministry of Health—Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2010

Organocatalytic Gram-Scale Synthesis and Alkylation of Heteroaryl and Electron-Rich Aryl α-Substituted γ-Lactones

International audienceThe synthesis of γ-lactones α-substituted with heterocycles and electron-rich aromatic rings is described. The method, based on a sequence involving an organocatalytic addition of boronic acid to the 5-hydroxyfuran-2(5H)-one, followed by reduction and lactonization, gives access to broad range of γ-lactones on a gram scale. Among these, γ-lactones bearing a benzofuran, a benzothiophene, and an indole ring were alkylated in mild catalytic conditions to construct α-quaternary stereocenters. Interesting mild oxidation reaction, using molecular oxygen, was also highlighted during this study

Deep learning for multi-site ms lesions segmentation: two-step intensity standardization and generalized loss function

International audienc