Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONTRIBUTIONS AUX PONDÉRATIONS DISTINGUANTES DE GRAPHES

This document describes some of the research work I have been conducting since the defence of my Ph.D. thesis at Université de Bordeaux, France, back in June 2014. It is more particularly focused on my contribution to distinguishing labellings of graphs, and the socalled 1-2-3 Conjecture that occupies an important place in this field. The general objective in this kind of problems is, given a (connected undirected) graph, to weight its edges in such a way that the adjacent vertices get distinguishable accordingly to some parameter computed from the edge-weighting. For instance, in the 1-2-3 Conjecture, raised by Karoński, Łuczak and Thomason in 2004, the aim is to weight the edges with 1,2,3 so that adjacent vertices get distinguished accordingly to their sums of incident weights. Although the 1-2-3 Conjecture was raised as nothing but a toy problem when it was introduced, several results in the recent years have established its deeper nature. The conjecture, by its very definition, has undoubtedly an algebraic nature. Some results have also established that it has some decompositional flavour. Although the conjecture is rather artificial, it is also related to other classical notions of graph theory, such as proper vertex-colourings of graphs. In this document, we focus on contributions to distinguishing labellings that stand as support to these points. This is done through two main chapters: • In the first chapter, we present results related to several aspects of the 1-2-3 Conjecture. The presented results are both on main aspects of the conjecture, i.e., that stand as evidence towards the main open questions related to it, and on more side aspects, i.e., that are helpful towards understanding better its general behaviour and mechanisms. These side aspects cover natural questions regarding the true importance of all weights 1,2,3 for the 1-2-3 Conjecture, the impact of requiring adjacent vertices to be “even more distinguishable”, and generalisations of the conjecture to digraphs. • In the second chapter, we present results on so-called locally irregular decompositions of graphs, which are a kind of decompositions attesting the very decompositional nature of the 1-2-3 Conjecture. The presented results include better decomposition results for graphs in general, as well as a general theory that is the key for relating locally irregular decompositions and the 1-2-3 Conjecture. Each chapter comes up with a concluding section describing consequences of the presented results on the field, as well as perspectives for research we have for the near future.
CEBPA mutants down-regulate AML cell susceptibility to NK-mediated lysis by disruption of the expression of NKG2D ligands, which can be restored by LSD1 inhibition

ABSTRACT NK group 2, member D (NKG2D) is one of the most critical activating receptors expressed by natural killer (NK) cells. There is growing evidence that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells may evade NK cell-mediated cell lysis by expressing low or no ligands for NKG2D (NKG2D-Ls). We hypothesized that CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), one of the most studied lineage-specific transcription factors in hematopoiesis, might influence the expression of NKG2D-Ls. To test this hypothesis, we first examined the endogenous expression of wild-type C/EBPα (C/EBPα-p42) in human AML cell lines and demonstrated that its expression level was highly relevant to the sensitivity of AML cells to NK cell cytotoxicity. Induction of C/EBPα-p42 in the low endogenous CEBPA-expressing AML cell line increased the sensitivity to NK-induced lysis. Moreover, decreased expression of C/EBPα-p42 by RNA interference in AML cells abrogated NK-mediated cytotoxicity. We further showed that the increase in NK susceptibility caused by C/EBPα-p42 occurred through up-regulation of the NKG2D-Ls ULBP2/5/6 in AML cells. More importantly, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled with high-throughput sequencing captured C/EBPα motif signatures at the enhancer regions of the ULBP 2/5/6 genes. Whilst, the AML-associated C/EBPα C-terminal mutant and N-terminal truncated mutant (C/EBPα-p30) diminished ULBP2/5/6 transcription. Finally, we identified that histone demethylase lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibition can restore the expression of ULBPs via induction of CEBPA expression in AML cells, which may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for CEBPA-mutated AML. Abbreviations: C/EBPα: CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α; TF: Transcription factor; AML: Acute myeloid leukemia; TAD: Transactivation domain; FS: Frameshift; NK: Natural killer; NKG2D: NK group 2, member D; NKG2D-Ls: Ligands for NKG2D; MHC: Major histocompatibility complex; MICA: MHC class I-related chain A; ULBP: UL16-binding protein; STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; LSD1: Lysine-specific demethylase 1; Ab: Antibody; PBMC: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; CFSE: Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester; PI: Propidium iodide; shRNA: Short hairpin RNA; ChIP: Chromatin immunoprecipitation; BM: Binding motif; HCNE: Highly conserved noncoding element; TSS: Transcription start site; HMA: Hypomethylating agent; AZA: Azacitidine/5-azacytidine; DAC: Decitabine/5-aza-29-deoxycytidine; 2-PCPA: Tranylcypromine; RBP: RNA-binding protein; MSI2: MUSASHI-2; HDACi: Inhibitor of histone deacetylases; VPA: Valproate; DNMTi: DNA methyl transferase inhibitor; SCLC: Small cell lung cancer
Associations between infant and maternal characteristics measured at child age 5 months and maternal feeding styles and practices up to child age two years

Facilitating positive feeding practices from infancy may be an important strategy to prevent childhood overweight and obesity. Since the feeding situation early in life constitutes a bidirectional relationship, it is important to understand the impact of both maternal and infant characteristics on maternal feeding practices to intervene in a customized and tailored way. Few studies have concurrently examined associations between maternal and infant characteristics in relation to early maternal feeding practices. The aim of the present study was to explore potential associations between infant and maternal characteristics measured at child age five months, and maternal feeding styles and practices during the child’s first two years. Cross-sectional data from a Norwegian randomized controlled trial in which participants responded to questionnaires at child age 5 months (n = 474), 12 months (n = 293) and 24 months (n = 185) were used to explore potential associations. All maternal and child predictor variables were collected at child age five months. Maternal feeding styles and practices were mapped using subscales from the Infant Feeding Questionnaire at child age 5 and 12 months and the Child Feeding Questionnaire and the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire at child age 24 months. The subscale-scores were split into roughly equal tertiles, and the upper or lower tertile for the outcome of interest were used to create binary outcome variables. Multivariable binary logistic regression models were conducted for each outcome. We found that maternal education and mental health symptoms as well as infant weight, temperament and feeding mode were associated with maternal feeding styles and practices over time. Our findings indicate that risk factors which may have long-term implications for child weight and health outcomes can be identified early. Larger, population-based studies with a longitudinal design are needed to further explore these pathways.
A 3-D groundwater isoscape of the contiguous USA for forensic and water resource science

A wide range of hydrological, ecological, environmental, and forensic science applications rely on predictive “isoscape” maps to provide estimates of the hydrogen or oxygen isotopic compositions of environmental water sources. Many water isoscapes have been developed, but few studies have produced isoscapes specifically representing groundwaters. None of these have represented distinct subsurface layers and isotopic variations across them. Here we compiled >6 million well completion records and >27,000 groundwater isotope datapoints to develop a space- and depth-explicit water isoscape for the contiguous United States. This 3-dimensional model shows that vertical isotopic heterogeneity in the subsurface is substantial in some parts of the country and that groundwater isotope delta values often differ from those of coincident precipitation or surface water resources; many of these patterns can be explained by established hydrological and hydrogeological mechanisms. We validate the groundwater isoscape against an independent data set of tap water values and show that the model accurately predicts tap water values in communities known to use groundwater resources. This new approach represents a foundation for further developments and the resulting isoscape should provide improved predictions of water isotope values in systems where groundwater is a known or potential water source.
Intention and practice on breastfeeding among pregnant mothers in Malaysia and factors associated with practice of exclusive breastfeeding: A cohort study

Background Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Malaysia is low despite its known health benefits. This study aims to determine the prevalence of intention to breastfeed among pregnant mothers, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice after delivery, and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice. Methods This was a prospective cohort study. All pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation or above from 17 antenatal health clinics in an urban district were invited to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used, encompassing sociodemographic, breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and intention towards the practice of breastfeeding. The participants were followed up one month post-natal for their practice of breastfeeding via telephone or during their post-natal follow-up appointment. Results 483 pregnant mothers participated in the study initially. 462 (95.7%) were contactable after one month. 99.4% (459/462) of participants intended to breastfeed. 65.4% (302/462) of participants practiced exclusive breastfeeding. There was no significant association between intention and practice of exclusive breastfeeding. Multiple logistic regression analysis shows, pregnant mothers with high breastfeeding knowledge (AOR = 1.138; 95% CI 1.008–1.284) and Malay ethnicity (AOR = 2.031; 95% CI 1.066–3.868) were more likely to breastfeed their infant exclusively. Conclusions Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice at one month in the studied district was 65.4%. Malay mothers and mothers with high breastfeeding knowledge were more likely to breastfeed exclusively. Thus, we recommend targeted intervention towards non-Malay mothers and increasing breastfeeding knowledge to all pregnant mothers.
Exploratory content analysis of direct-to-consumer pet genomics: What is being marketed and what are consumers saying?

Mars Petcare introduced the first direct-to-consumer domestic dog genetic test in 2009 and Basepaws introduced the first direct-to-consumer cat genetic test in 2016. Social science research has evaluated numerous aspects of the human direct-to-consumer market, yet no such exploration has evaluated the occurrence of pet owners pursuing pet genetic tests. Using a mixed methods approach, we conducted an exploratory content analysis of direct-to-consumer pet genetic company webpages and consumer reviews shared on Amazon. Initial data reviews indicated some companies may be key industry players, relative to others. Our results present content frequency for each group (key industry players, all other companies), though the primary themes for each remained the same. Analysis showed genetic companies are primarily sharing product and purchasing information, along with trustworthiness to establish the merit of the company and their products. Companies also used statements directed towards pet owners that are suggestive of both pets and “pet parents” benefiting from the test results. The primary themes identified in consumer reviews involved consumers sharing their perception about the tests (e.g., accuracy), what aspects of the test results they focused on (e.g., breed information), and experiences with using the test (e.g., ease of use). Amazon reviews were primarily positive, though the companies with smaller review numbers had higher percentages of negative and ambiguous sentiments. Of interest, reviews most often indicated tests were being used to determine a pet’s breed identity, while companies most frequently promoted the health advantages of using their products. Reviews revealed some consumers respond to tests by sharing their pet’s results with someone or by altering their pet’s care. Considering these results in addition to the growing popularity of this industry and the advancements of genomic technology, further research is needed to determine the role pet genetic testing may have in society and on human-animal relationships.
Clinical efficacy of nivolumab is associated with tertiary lymphoid structures in surgically resected primary tumors of recurrent gastric cancer

Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint blocker, has been approved for advanced gastric cancer (GC), but predictive factors of nivolumab’s efficacy in patients with GC, especially immune cells such as tissue-resident memory T cells or those forming tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), remain unclear. Tissue samples were obtained from surgically resected specimens of patients with GC who were treated with nivolumab as third-line or later treatment. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the presence of TLS and CD103+ T cells and assess the association between TLSs and response to nivolumab treatment. A total of 19 patients were analyzed. In patients with partial response (PR) to nivolumab, numerous TLS were observed, and CD103+ T cells were found in and around TLS. Patients with many TLS experienced immune-related adverse events more often than those with few TLS (p = 0.018). The prognosis of patients with TLS high was better than those with TLS low. Patients with a combination of TLS high and CD103 high tended to have a better prognosis than other groups. Our results suggested that TLS status might be a predictor of nivolumab effectiveness.
Changes in anhedonia over the course of eating disorder treatment.

OBJECTIVE Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom referring to the loss of ability to experience pleasure, is heightened across eating disorder (ED) diagnoses. This study aimed to assess whether anhedonia changes during ED treatment and explore how changes in anhedonia relate to treatment outcome. METHOD Adults and adolescents in a partial hospitalization program for EDs (N = 499) completed the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the anhedonia subscale of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at admission and discharge. RESULTS Anhedonia scores significantly decreased from admission to discharge. Anhedonia at admission was also significantly different across ED diagnostic groups. To examine how study variables related to discharge EDE-Q scores, a hierarchical linear regression was conducted with demographic, diagnostic, and medication variables in the first step, anhedonia and EDE-Q scores at admission added to the second step, and anhedonia at discharge added to the final step. Greater anhedonia at discharge was related to higher EDE-Q scores at discharge. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that anhedonia changes significantly over the course of intensive treatment and changes in anhedonia relate to ED symptoms at discharge. Future research is needed to determine whether specifically targeting anhedonia in ED treatment may influence treatment outcomes. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE The findings from this study suggest that anhedonia may decrease during eating disorder (ED) treatment, and greater anhedonia may relate to elevated ED symptoms. These results provide support for the continued study of anhedonia in ED samples and indicate that anhedonia should be explored as a potential target for novel ED treatments.
The type of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine influences serological response in kidney transplant recipients

Vaccination is a promising strategy to control the ongoing pandemic; however, solid organ recipients tend to develop a weaker immune response to vaccination. Anti‐spike SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies titers were measured 2–4 weeks post‐vaccination completion in 131 KT patients without previous infection. Demographic, clinical, and laboratorial parameters were analyzed to identify which factors contributed to seroconversion. Factors that influenced seroconversion, that occurred in 76 patients (58%), were longer time post‐transplant, immunosuppression without an antiproliferative drug and vaccination with mRNA vaccines. Patients who received mRNA vaccines had significantly higher rates of seroconversion compared with adenovirus vector vaccines (67% vs 33%, P < .001) and higher anti‐spike IgG titers.
Sex differences in rat renal arterial responses following exercise training.

During aerobic exercise, hemodynamic alterations occure; while blood flow in skeletal muscle arteries increases, it decreases in visceral vessels due to mesenterial vasoconstriction. However, maintaining renal blood flow during intensive sport is also a priority. Our aim was to investigate the changes of vascular reactivity and histology of isolated renal artery of male and female rats in response to swim-training. Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: male sedentary (MSed), male trained (MTr), female sedentary (FSed), and female trained (FTr). Trained animals underwent a 12-week-long intensive swimming program. Vascular function of isolated renal artery segments was examined by wire myography. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was lower in FSed compared to MSed animals, and it was decreased by training in male but not in female animals. Inhibition of cyclooxygenases by indomethacin reduced contraction in both sedentary groups, and in MTr but not in FTr animals. Inhibition of nitric oxide production increased contraction in both trained groups. Acetylcholine induced relaxation was similar in all experimental groups showing predominant NO-dependency. Elastin and smooth muscle cell actin density was reduced in female rats after aerobic training. This study shows that, as a result of 12-weeks-long training, there are sex differences in renal arterial responses following exercise training. Swimming moderates renal artery vasoconstriction in male animals, while it depresses elastic fiber and smooth muscle actin density in females.
Emotions and emotion up-regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

In stressful situations such as the COVID-19-pandemic, unpleasant emotions are expected to increase while pleasant emotions will likely decrease. Little is known about the role cognitive appraisals, information management, and upregulating pleasant emotions can play to support emotion regulation in a pandemic. In an online survey (N = 1682), we investigated predictors of changes in pleasant and unpleasant emotions in a German sample (aged 18–88 years) shortly after the first restrictions were imposed. Crisis self-efficacy and felt restriction were predictors of changes in unpleasant emotions and joy alike. The application of emotion up-regulation strategies was weakly associated with changes in joy. Among the different upregulation strategies, only “savouring the moment” predicted changes in joy. Our study informs future research perspectives assessing the role of upregulating pleasant emotions under challenging circumstances.
Key changes to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of female genital tumours introduced in the 5th edition (2020)

An updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification of female genital tumours was published in autumn 2020. We discuss the major new additions to and changes from the prior 2014 classification with a discussion of the reasons underlying these. A feature of the new classification is the greater emphasis on key molecular events with integration of morphological and molecular features. Most of the major changes from the prior classification pertain to uterine (corpus and cervix) and vulval tumours, but changes in all organs are covered.
Photosynthetic assimilation of CO2 regulates TOR activity

Significance Photosynthetic organisms are responsible for the incorporation of inorganic carbon in the biosphere through a fundamental process known as carbon fixation. This reaction allows the reduction of inorganic carbon, mostly atmospheric CO2, to organic compounds such as carbohydrates and amino acids. Despite the biological relevance of carbon fixation in nature, how photosynthetic cells sense carbon availability remains poorly understood. Using the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we found that the photosynthetic assimilation of CO2 regulates the activity of the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase, a master regulator of cell growth and nutrient sensor widely conserved in all eukaryotes. Our study revealed that inorganic carbon fixation and photosynthesis regulate TOR activity, likely through the synthesis of central amino acids in carbon metabolism. The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is a master regulator that integrates nutrient signals to promote cell growth in all eukaryotes. It is well established that amino acids and glucose are major regulators of TOR signaling in yeast and metazoan, but whether and how TOR responds to carbon availability in photosynthetic organisms is less understood. In this study, we showed that photosynthetic assimilation of CO2 by the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle regulates TOR activity in the model single-celled microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Stimulation of CO2 fixation boosted TOR activity, whereas inhibition of the CBB cycle and photosynthesis down-regulated TOR. We uncovered a tight link between TOR activity and the endogenous level of a set of amino acids including Ala, Glu, Gln, Leu, and Val through the modulation of CO2 fixation and the use of amino acid synthesis inhibitors. Moreover, the finding that the Chlamydomonas starch-deficient mutant sta6 displayed disproportionate TOR activity and high levels of most amino acids, particularly Gln, further connected carbon assimilation and amino acids to TOR signaling. Thus, our results showed that CO2 fixation regulates TOR signaling, likely through the synthesis of key amino acids.
Sero-detection of antibodies to Avian metaavulavirus 2 in peri-domestic birds, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Avian metaavulavirus 2 (AMAV-2) previously known as the avian paramyxovirus-2 causes mild to severe respiratory disease, reduced hatchability and infertility of eggs, including increase in white-shelled eggs in chickens and Turkey breeders. When exacerbated by secondary pathogens and environmental stresses, infection is more severe leading to significant economic losses. This study was conducted to determine, if any, the presence of antibodies to Avian metaavulavirus 2 (AMAV-2) in peri-domestic birds in Bauchi State, Nigeria. In all, one hundred sera samples from pigeons (n = 10) and doves (n = 90 were collected in Bauchi, Nigeria. Based on hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test, overall seroprevalence of 27.0% (27/100) was recorded. In pigeon, the seroprevalence was 80.0% while 21.1% was recorded for dove with HI antibody titers ranging from 3log2 to 8log2. There was statistical significance obtained between dove and pigeon sera tested (p < .05). Until now and to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on AMAV-2 in poultry or wild birds in Nigeria. This study, thus, provides preliminary information on AMAV-2 seroprevalence in Nigerian peri-domestic birds. The need to conduct further studies in other avian species and wild birds in Nigeria is highlighted.