Improved Bounds for the Excluded-Minor Approximation of Treedepth

Treedepth, a more restrictive graph width parameter than treewidth and pathwidth, plays a major role in the theory of sparse graph classes. We show that there exists a constant C such that for every integers a,b >= 2 and a graph G, if the treedepth of G is at least Cab log a, then the treewidth of G is at least a or G contains a subcubic (i.e., of maximum degree at most 3) tree of treedepth at least b as a subgraph. As a direct corollary, we obtain that every graph of treedepth Omega(k^3 log k) is either of treewidth at least k, contains a subdivision of full binary tree of depth k, or contains a path of length 2^k. This improves the bound of Omega(k^5 log^2 k) of Kawarabayashi and Rossman [SODA 2018]. We also show an application for approximation algorithms of treedepth: given a graph G of treedepth k and treewidth t, one can in polynomial time compute a treedepth decomposition of G of width O(kt log^{3/2} t). This improves upon a bound of O(kt^2 log t) stemming from a tradeoff between known results. The main technical ingredient in our result is a proof that every tree of treedepth d contains a subcubic subtree of treedepth at least d * log_3 ((1+sqrt{5})/2)

The role of MMP-12 gene polymorphism - 82 A-to-G (rs2276109) in immunopathology of COPD in polish patients : a case control study

Table 1S. Logistic regression analysis of association between -82 A-to-G SNP of MMP12 gene (rs2276109) and COPD – the multiple inheritance models. Description of data: This table contains the logistic regression results of modeled association between SNP rs2276109 of MMP12 gene and COPD. (DOCX 16 kb

The development of a minimally invasive zygoma fracture repair technique

Zygoma fractures are common and may potentially lead to negative aesthetic and functional consequences: cheek asymmetry, ocular globe asymmetry, infra-orbital nerve dysfunction. There has been a significant evolution in the treatment of zygoma fractures, with general transition from older, closed techniques to newer methods that involve greater exposure, more visualized reduction and increased stability of fixation. Little objective data is present to demonstrate the superiority of either technique. It is our hypothesis that each technique has significant disadvantages and the ultimate objective of this thesis was to develop and quantitatively demonstrate the superiority of a novel method of repair.First, we developed a quantitative method of zygoma position evaluation and demonstrated its validity and reliability in a clinical setting. Second, we quantitatively compared the accuracy and complication rates of closed and ORIF methods, demonstrating that although increased exposure improves accuracy, it carries a significant risk of access related complications. Third, we showed that routine orbital floor exploration is not necessary in the majority of zygoma fractures and thus the relatively high-risk incision required to perform it may typically be avoided. Fourth, we developed a c-arm imaging technique that allows for visualization of the zygoma and comparison of its position to the contra-lateral, uninjured side. The accuracy of the technique was shown in a cadaver zygoma fracture model. The technique was modified for clinical use by the addition of an intra-oral incision allowing fracture reduction with the c-arm in-situ as well as miniplate placement in an inconspicuous location. Last, the accuracy of the technique, its low complication profile and practicality were demonstrated in a clinical patient series.Les fractures du zygoma sont communes et peuvent potentiellement mener à desconséquences esthétiques et fonctionnelles négatives: asymétries des joues, globeoculaire asymétrique, nerf infra-orbital dysfonctionnel. Il y a eut une évolutionsignificative dans le traitement des fractures du zygoma, avec une transition générale detechniques plus anciennes et fermées, à de nouvelles méthodes qui impliquent une plusgrande exposition, une réduction plus visualisée et une augmentation de la stabilité defixation. Peu de données objectives sont aujourd’hui présentes qui pourraient démontrerla supériorité de l’une ou de l’autre technique. C’est notre hypothèse que chaquetechnique a des inconvénients importants et l’ultime objectif de cette thèse était dedévelopper et de démontrer de manière quantitative la supériorité d’une méthode deréparation innovante.D’abord, nous avons développé une méthode quantitative d’évaluation de laposition du zygoma et avons démontré sa validité et sa fiabilité dans un cadre médical. Ensecond lieu, nous avons comparé de manière quantitative la précision et les taux decomplications de méthodes fermées et ORIF, démontrant que bien que l’augmentation del’exposition permette d’augmenter le niveau de précision, elle porte un risque importantde complications dues à l’accession. Troisièmement, nous avons démontré quel’exploration routinière du plancher orbital n’est pas nécessaire dans la majorité desfractures du zygoma et donc que l’incision à relativement hauts-risques nécessaire pourl’exécuter peut être généralement évitée. Quatrièmement, nous avons développé unetechnique d’imagerie avec arceau « c-arm » qui permet une visualisation du zygoma etune comparaison de sa position par rapport au côté contra-latéral non blessé. La précisionde la technique a été démontrée sur un modèle cadavérique d’une fracture du zygoma. Latechnique a été modifiée pour son utilisation médicale en y ajoutant une incision intraoralpermettant la réduction de la fracture avec l’arceau « c-arm » in-situ ainsi que leplacement d’une mini plaque a un endroit discret. Enfin, la précision de la technique, sonpeu de risques au niveau des complications et son aspect pratique ont tous été démontrésdans une série de patients médicaux

Molecular characterization of the antibodies and their recombinant fragments recognizing Duffy antigen

PARIS7-Bibliothèque centrale (751132105) / SudocSudocFranceF

Plasmodium reichenowi EBA-140 merozoite ligand binds to glycophorin D on chimpanzee red blood cells, shedding new light on origins of Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract Background All symptoms of malaria are caused by the intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium merozoites. Merozoites invade erythrocytes using multiple binding ligands that recognise specific surface receptors. It has been suggested that adaptation of Plasmodium parasites to infect specific hosts is driven by changes in genes encoding Plasmodium erythrocyte-binding ligands (EBL) and reticulocyte-binding ligands (RBL). Homologs of both EBL and RBL, including the EBA-140 merozoite ligand, have been identified in P. falciparum and P. reichenowi, which infect humans and chimpanzees, respectively. The P. falciparum EBA-140 was shown to bind human glycophorin C, a minor erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein. Until now, the erythrocyte receptor for the P. reichenowi EBA-140 remained unknown. Methods The baculovirus expression vector system was used to obtain the recombinant EBA-140 Region II, and flow cytometry and immunoblotting methods were applied to characterise its specificity. Results We showed that the chimpanzee glycophorin D is the receptor for the P. reichenowi EBA-140 ligand on chimpanzee red blood cells. Conclusions We propose that the development of glycophorin C specificity is spurred by the P. falciparum lineage. We speculate that the P. falciparum EBA-140 evolved to hijack GPC on human erythrocytes during divergence from its ape ancestor

Adhesive properties of carcinoembryonic antigen glycoforms expressed in glycosylation-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cell lines.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an oncofoetal cell surface glycoprotein that serves as an important tumour marker for colorectal and some other carcinomas. Its immunoglobulin-like structure places CEA within the immunoglobulin superfamily. CEA functions in several biological roles including homotypic and heterotypic (with other CEA family members) cell adhesion. Cell-cell interaction can be modulated by different factors, e.g., post-translational modifications such as glycosylation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in carbohydrate composition of CEA oligosaccharides can influence homotypic (CEA-CEA) interactions. In order to modulate glycosylation of CEA we used two different glycosylation mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, Lec2 and Lec8. Lec2 cells should produce CEA with nonsialylated N-glycans, while Lec8 cells should yield more truncated sugar structures than Lec2. Parental CHO (Pro5) cells and the glycosylation deficient mutants were stably transfected with CEA cDNA. All three CEA glycoforms, tested in a solid-phase cell adhesion assay, showed an ability to mediate CEA-dependent cell adhesion, and no qualitative differences in the adhesion between the glycoforms were observed. Thus, it may be assumed that carbohydrates do not play a role in homotypic adhesion, and the interactions between CEA molecules depend solely on the polypeptide structure