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Disentangling f0 and spectral envelope contributions to speech-in-noise comprehension via selective spectrotemporal modulation filtering
No full textInternational audienceThe spectro-temporal modulation (STM) patterns present in speech carry information relevant for intelligibility, such as formants, pitch contour and syllable boundaries. The STM content of a signal can be represented and manipulated in the Modulation Power Spectrum (MPS) domain. Elliott & Theunissen (2009, PLoS Comput Biol, doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000302) showed that certain regions of the MPS are critical for intelligibility. They found that speech-in-noise comprehension was significantly impaired when removing temporal modulations below 12 Hz or spectral modulations below 4 cycles/kHz. However, a limitation of this approach is that the MPS representation jointly encodes the spectral envelope and harmonic structure, which are thus both affected by STM filtering. When comprehension drops, it is therefore impossible to determine if the effect was purely due to the degradation of envelope information or due to the removal of fundamental frequency (f0) cues.We address this limitation by applying the same filtering approach as Elliott & Theunissen, but separately processing the f0 contour and the spectral envelope. This makes it possible to independently transform these two components by including or excluding the f0 in the signal or by selectively reintroducing the f0 after filtering the spectral envelope. This approach thereby grants more specificity in the manipulations one can apply to a speech signal and should allow the disentanglement of the relative contributions of the acoustic components for comprehension. Using the PyWorld package, our processing pipeline decomposes a speech signal into its f0 and spectral envelope, calculates the MPS from the latter, applies a lowpass filtering in the spectral or temporal modulation domain, and subsequently resynthesizes a new speech signal given the filtered MPS and the unchanged or filtered f0. Using the same corpus of 100 sentences as in the original study, we aim to test how filtering restricted to the spectral envelope of the signal may affect speech-in-noise comprehension. Stimuli will be randomly drawn, and their presentation balanced between filtering conditions and signal-to-noise ratios. In this context, we expect speech comprehension to be higher compared to Elliot & Theunissen’s study, given the preserved pitch contour (aiding in auditory unmasking and stream segregation). In particular, the minimal spectral-modulation cutoff for speech-in-noise comprehension should be lower than estimated in the original study and provide a better estimate of the required resolution of the spectral envelope itself, without interference from a parallel processing pathway for pitch
Large-scale meta-analysis and precision functional assays identify FANCM regions in which PTVs confer different risks for ER-negative and triple-negative breast cancer
No full textInternational audienceThe breast cancer risk conferred by germline protein truncating variants (PTVs) in known and putative breast cancer genes has been extensively investigated. However, the effect of FANCM PTVs on breast cancer risk remains unclear. Our previous clinical, genetic and functional results on the N-terminal p.Arg658∗ and the two C-terminal p.Gln1701∗ and p.Gly1906Alafs∗12 variants suggested that FANCM PTVs may confer different risks for ER-negative (ER-neg) and triple-negative (TN) breast cancer subtypes. Here, we performed meta-analyses of seven studies totaling 144 681 breast cancer cases and 123 632 controls. FANCM PTVs were tested for association with breast cancer risk overall and the disease clinical subtypes by single variant and burden analyses. Two CRISPR-Cas9-based functional assays were also conducted to test the fitness of cells after knock-in of the p.Arg658∗, p.Gln1701∗ and p.Gly1906Alafs∗12 PTVs and the sensitivity of different FANCM regions to genome editing. Our results suggest that the N-terminal FANCM region upstream of p.Tyr725 harbors essential functions, whereas downstream regions appear dispensable. This is supported by our genetic data which indicate that all FANCM PTVs, excluding the two C-terminal p.Gln1701∗ and p.Gly1906Alafs∗12, are associated with an increased risk of ER-neg (OR = 1.41, P = 0.023) and TN (OR = 1.64, P = 0.0023). Notably, PTVs upstream of AA position 670 are associated with a moderate risk of developing TN breast cancer, and that even when the p.Arg658∗ carriers were excluded from the analysis. Importantly, our results confirm previous data indicating that p.Arg658∗ carriers are at moderate risk of developing ER-neg (OR = 2.08, P = 0.030) and TN (OR = 3.26; P = 0.0034), whereas carriers of p.Gln1701∗ and p.Gly1906Alafs∗12 should not be considered at increased risk. Our data are useful for counseling carriers of FANCM PTVs, but further analyses are warranted to obtain more precise risk estimates
Synergistic Dual-Halide Anion Engineering for Efficient Interface Passivation in 1.68 eV Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells for Indoor Photovoltaics
No full textInternational audienceWide-bandgap (1.68 eV) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are considered promising candidates for indoor photovoltaics due to their favorable optical properties. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) is significantly constrained by large open-circuit voltage (V OC ) losses, which primarily originate from intrinsic halide vacancy defects and uncoordinated Pb 2+ located at the surface and grain boundaries of the perovskite films. Additionally, the energy level mismatches at the perovskite/electron transport layer (ETL) interface further aggravate V OC losses by promoting non-radiative recombination. Herein, we report a synergistic dual-halide interface passivation strategy based on methylammonium iodide (MAI) and methylammonium chloride (MACl), in which the two halides play complementary and mechanistically distinct roles. MAI effectively reacts with and converts residual surface PbI 2 into the perovskite phase, while simultaneously passivating iodine-related vacancy defects. In parallel, MACl induces beneficial chloride incorporation at the 3 interface, enabling slight bandgap broadening and producing a favorable vacuum-level shift that optimizes energy-level alignment between the perovskite and electron transport layer. When applied together, MAI and MACl deliver a cooperative passivation effect, substantially suppressing non-radiative recombination, prolonging carrier lifetimes, and facilitating more efficient charge extraction. As a result, the optimized 1.68 eV PSCs achieve a notable PCE of 20.41% with a V OC of 1.262 V under standard AM 1.5G illumination, surpassing the untreated counterparts that achieve 18.48% with a V OC of 1.169 V. More importantly, under indoor lighting conditions, the modified PSCs exhibit outstanding performance, delivering PCEs of 36.74% and 32.36% under 1000 lux and 200 lux LED illumination, respectively, demonstrating their strong potential for indoor photovoltaics
The multiphase interstellar medium as a common origin for magnetic misalignment and TB parity violation
No full textInternational audienceWe present an original data analysis and a physical model that provide new insights into the origin of, and relationship between, two observables of the dusty, polarized Galaxy at intermediate and high latitudes: (i) the misalignment between HI filamentary structures and magnetic fields and (ii) the positive correlation measured in Planck data suggesting parity violation in the interstellar medium (ISM). We confirm an observational link between the two effects and find that both are predominantly produced at large angular scales (, multipoles ) with a significantly stronger signal in the northern hemisphere. We propose a model in which filaments and magnetic fields appear misaligned in projection because they are sourced by cold and warm gas phases distributed in different proportions in the Solar neighborhood, from the wall of the Local Bubble to larger distances. These projection effects at large angular scales can produce coherent signatures that propagate to smaller scales in power spectra without invoking local, small-scale filament misalignment. Within this frame, HI filaments remain statistically aligned with the magnetic field in 3D, although with a projected scatter of tens of degrees that requires further investigation. The multiphase, geometrical model presented in this work is supported by Planck polarization data at 30 GHz, where synchrotron radiation dominates, and at 217 and 353 GHz, where dust emission dominates. Our analysis also incorporates starlight polarization measurements. The model introduced here suggests a new interpretation of two unexplained observables and emphasizes the role of the large-scale magnetized ISM in shaping polarized Galactic emission, which has important implications for both Galactic astrophysics and cosmological foreground characterization
Aligner méthode historique et RAG : transformer un assistant conversationnel en chaîne de preuve auditable et discutable
No full textCet article examine les défis suscitées par le déploiement de systèmes de Génération Augmentée par Récupération (RAG) dans l'exploration de sources historiques numérisées. Partant du constat d'une acceptabilité disciplinaire fragile, il pose la question suivante : comment garantir, avec un RAG appliqué à des archives bruitées et hétérogènes, des conditions de vérification et de critique compatibles avec la méthode historique ? Présenté comme un exposé de position, ce texte ne décrit pas un système stabilisé : il propose un cadrage et des pistes préliminaires pour orienter le développement de dispositifs RAG alignés avec ces exigences. Il propose de rétablir un contrôle sur la chaîne d'interprétation en articulant trois conditions : traçabilité (retrouver précisément documents et passages), auditabilité (rendre inspectables les transformations et paramètres de la chaîne), et discutabilité (mettre l'énoncé en débat en séparant preuve et interprétation). La contribution principale est une grille d'auditabilité traduisant des exigences historiennes en conditions instrumentées : (1) ancrage documentaire (provenance et intégrité), (2) séparation explicite citation/paraphrase/inférence, (3) restitution du contexte et pluralité des sources, (4) traçabilité des conditions d'exécution et diagnostic d'erreurs (récupération vs génération), ( 5) mécanismes d'abstention lorsque la preuve est insuffisante
Quand les mots disent les choses: Une archéologie linguistique de la dyade mère-enfant
No full textInternational audienceThis paper tests the hypothesis that certain sound–meaning patterns associated with “mother” and “breast” may reflect a very ancient codiffusion, inherited from the earliest migrations of Homo sapiens and from the centrality of the mother–infant dyad. Within a framework of “linguistic archaeology,” four phonotactic traits are examined across 2,959 languages (“mother”) and 7,322 languages (“breast”) from the Lexibank and ASJP databases: [n]/[ŋ] and [na]/[ŋa] in initial position for “mother,” and [mu] and [amu] for “breast.” Their distribution is assessed through spatial analyses (Moran’s I, binomial z-scores on 2°×2° grids, random permutations, great-circle distances). The results reveal a non-random structuring for [n]/[ŋ] and [mu], with hotspots in Africa, South Asia, Island Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Australia, regions that align with the southern routes of early Homo sapiens dispersal. The forms [na] and [amu], more geographically restricted, appear as regional archaisms. The strong geographic co-occurrence between [n]/[na] and [mu], contrasting with the limited spread of [amu], suggests an ancient lexical core linking “mother” and “breast,” not reducible to articulatory biases alone. Without positing a single protolanguage, the study shows that linguistic areology can reveal fossil traces of an early cultural structuring around the mother–infant dyad, providing partial support for the hypothesis of an initial cultural unity disseminated during the first out-of-Africa dispersals of Homo sapiens.Cet article teste l’hypothèse selon laquelle certains patrons son/sens associés à « mère » et « sein » pourraient refléter une codiffusion très ancienne, héritée des premières migrations d’Homo sapiens et de la centralité de la dyade mère-enfant. Dans une perspective d’« archéologie linguistique », quatre traits phonotactiques sont examinés dans 2 959 langues (« mère ») et 7 322 langues (« sein ») issues des bases Lexibank et ASJP : [n]/[ŋ] et [na]/[ŋa] en initiale de « mère » ; [mu] et [amu] pour « sein ». Leur distribution est évaluée via des analyses spatiales (Moran I, z-scores sur grilles 2°×2°, permutations aléatoires, distances orthodromiques). Les résultats révèlent une structuration non aléatoire pour [n]/[ŋ] et [mu], avec des foyers en Afrique, Asie du Sud, Insulinde, Mélanésie et Australie, soit des zones concordant avec les routes australes des premières dispersions d’homo sapiens. Les formes [na] et [amu], plus localisées, apparaissent comme des archaïsmes régionaux. La forte cooccurrence géographique entre [n]/[na] et [mu], contrastant avec la diffusion restreinte de [amu], suggère un noyau lexical ancien liant « mère » et « sein », non réductible aux seuls biais articulatoires. Sans postuler de protolangage, l’étude montre que l’aréologie linguistique permet d’identifier des traces fossiles d’une structuration culturelle précoce autour de la dyade mère-enfant, offrant un appui partiel à l’hypothèse d’une unité culturelle initiale diffusée avec les premières sorties d’Afrique d’Homo sapiens
Une histoire des élites d’Italie centrale (Xᵉ-XIIIᵉ siècle). Dominer et se distinguer
No full textInternational audienceBetween the end of the tenth century and the mid-thirteenth century, central Italy underwent major upheavals: the fading of Carolingian structures, the rise of lordships, and the emergence of communes reshaped the social and political order. How did elites take part in these transformations and adapt their behaviours? At the crossroads of social history and anthropology, this study—focused on Umbria and Roman Tuscia—explores everyday power relations, which ultimately either gained legal recognition or drove political change. It shows how these relations reconfigured structures of power and social hierarchies, contributing to the evolution of both lordships and communes.Entre la fin du Xᵉ et le milieu du XIIIᵉ siècle, l’Italie centrale connaît des bouleversements majeurs : l’effacement des structures carolingiennes, l’essor des seigneuries et l’émergence des communes redéfinissent l’organisation sociale et politique. Comment les élites ont-elles participé à ces transformations et adapté leurs comportements ? À la croisée de l’histoire sociale et de l’anthropologie, cette étude centrée sur l’Ombrie et la Tuscie romaine explore les relations de pouvoir au quotidien, lesquelles finissent par obtenir une reconnaissance légale ou par entraîner des évolutions politiques. Elle montre comment ces relations ont redéfini les structures de pouvoir et les hiérarchies sociales, participant aux évolutions des seigneuries et des communes
New results of the Ecorc’Air citizen science project: Biomonitoring of Vehicular Air Pollution in Cologne, Germany
No full textInternational audienc
