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Pleural plaques and risk of lung cancer in workers formerly occupationally exposed to asbestos: extension of follow-up
No full textInternational audienceBackground Occupational asbestos exposure is associated with pleural plaques (PP), a benign disease often seen as a marker of past exposure to asbestos and lung cancer. The association between these two diseases has not been formally proved, the aim of this study was to evaluate this association in the asbestos-related disease cohort (ARDCO) cohort. Methods ARDCO is a French multicentric cohort including workers formerly occupationally exposed to asbestos from 2003 to 2005. CT scan was performed to diagnose PP with double reading and lung cancer (incidence and mortality) was followed through health insurance data and death certificates. Cox models were used to estimate the association between PP and lung cancer adjusting for occupational asbestos exposure (represented by cumulative exposure index, time since first exposure and time since last exposure) and smoking status. Results A total of 176 cases (of 5050 subjects) and 88 deaths (of 4938 subjects) of lung cancer were recorded. Smoking status was identified as an effect modifier. Lung cancer incidence and mortality were significantly associated with PP only in non-smokers, respectively, HR=3.13 (95% CI 1.04 to 9.35) and HR=16.83 (95% CI 1.87 to 151.24) after adjustment for age, occupational asbestos exposure and smoking status. Conclusions ARDCO study was the first to study this association considering equal asbestos exposure, and more specifically, our study is the first to test smoking as an effect modifier, so comparison with scientific literature is difficult. Our results seem to consolidate the hypothesis that PP may be an independent risk factor for lung cancer but they must be interpreted with caution
The Field Q and the Equality 0.999 . . . = 1 from Combinatorics of Circular Words and History of Practical Arithmetics
No full textWe reconsider the classical equality 0.999. .. = 1 with the tool of circular words, that is: finite words whose last letter is assumed to be followed by the first one. Such circular words are naturally embedded with algebraic structures that enlight this problematic equality, allowing it to be considered in Q rather than in R. We comment early history of such structures, that involves English teachers and accountants of the first part of the xviii th century, who appear to be the firsts to assert the equality 0.999. .. = 1. Their level of understanding show links with Dubinsky et al.'s apos theory in mathematics education. Eventually, we rebuilt the field Q from circular words, and provide an original proof of the fact that an algebraic integer is either an integer or an irrational number
Dynamique de croissance de grands réseaux à l’aide de chaînes de Markov cachées
No full textThe first part of this thesis aims at introducing new models of random graphs that account for the temporal evolution of networks. More precisely, we focus on growth models where at each instant a new node is added to the existing graph. We attribute to this new entrant properties that characterize its connectivity to the rest of the network and these properties depend only on the previously introduced node. Our random graph models are thus governed by a latent Markovian dynamic characterizing the sequence of nodes in the graph. We are particularly interested in the Stochastic Block Model and in Random Geometric Graphs for which we propose algorithms to estimate the unknown parameters or functions defining the model. We then show how these estimates allow us to solve link prediction or collaborative filtering problems in networks.The theoretical analysis of the above-mentioned algorithms requires advanced probabilistic tools. In particular, one of our proof is relying on a concentration inequality for U-statistics in a dependent framework. Few papers have addressed this thorny question and existing works consider sets of assumptions that do not meet our needs. Therefore, the second part of this manuscript will be devoted to the proof of a concentration inequality for U-statistics of order two for uniformly ergodic Markov chains. In Chapter 5, we exploit this concentration result for U-statistics to make new contributions to three very active areas of Statistics and Machine Learning.Still motivated by link prediction problems in graphs, we study post-selection inference procedures in the framework of logistic regression with. penalty. We prove a central limit theorem under the distribution conditional on the selection event and derive asymptotically valid testing procedures and confidence intervalsLa première partie de cette thèse vise à introduire de nouveaux modèles de graphes aléatoires rendant compte de l'évolution temporelle des réseaux. Plus précisément, nous nous concentrons sur des modèles de croissance où à chaque instant un nouveau noeud s'ajoute au graphe existant. Nous attribuons à ce nouvel entrant des propriétés qui caractérisent son pouvoir de connectivité au reste du réseau et celles-ci dépendent uniquement du noeud précédemment introduit. Nos modèles de graphes aléatoires sont donc régis par une dynamique markovienne latente caractérisant la séquence de noeuds du graphe. Nous nous intéresserons particulièrement au Stochastic Block Model et aux Graphes Aléatoires Géométriques pour lesquels nous proposons des algorithmes permettant d'estimer les paramètres du modèle. Nous montrons ensuite comment ce travail d'estimation nous permet de résoudre des problèmes de prédiction de lien ou de filtrage collaboratif dans les graphes.L'étude théorique des algorithmes précédemment décrits mobilisent des résultats probabilistes poussés. Nous avons notamment dû recourir à une inégalité de concentration pour les U-statistiques dans un cadre dépendant. Peu nombreux sont les travaux ayant abordé cette épineuse question et l'existant considère des jeux d'hypothèses ne répondant pas à nos besoins. Aussi, la deuxième partie de ce manuscrit sera consacrée à la preuve d'une inégalité de concentration pour les U-statistiques d'ordre deux pour des chaînes de Markov uniformément ergodique. Dans le Chapitre 5, nous exploitons notre résultat de concentration pour les U-statistiques pour apporter de nouvelles contributions à trois domaines très actifs des Statistiques et du Machine Learning.Toujours motivés par des problèmes de prédictions liens dans les graphes, nous nous intéressons dans un dernier chapitre aux procédures d'inférence post-sélection dans le cadre de la régression logistique avec pénalité. Nous prouvons un théorème central limite sous la distribution conditionnelle à l'événement de sélection et nous en déduisons des procédures de test et des intervalles de confiance asymptotiquement valide
Two methyl internal rotations of 2-acetyl-4-methylthiophene explored by microwave spectroscopy and quantum chemistry
No full textInternational audienceThe microwave spectrum of 2-acetyl-4-methylthiophene (2A4MT) was recorded in the frequency range from 2 to 26.5 GHz using a molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer, revealing two conformers, syn and anti. Both methyl groups in the molecule, the acetyl methyl and the ring methyl groups, undergo internal rotation, causing resolvable splittings of all rotational transitions into quintets. The torsional barriers determined for the acetyl methyl and the ring methyl rotors are 324.919(94) cm-1 and 210.7181(61) cm-1 for the syn conformer; the respective values for anti-2A4MT are 281.201(17) cm-1 and 212.9797(41) cm-1. The experimentally deduced rotational constants and torsional barriers are compared to values obtained from quantum chemical calculations. The barriers to methyl internal rotation are also compared to those of related molecules in order to establish a "thiophene class" concerning the acetyl methyl torsion
Neutralising antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 omicron among elderly nursing home residents following a booster dose of BNT162b2 vaccine: A community-based, prospective, longitudinal cohort study
No full textInternational audienceBACKGROUND: The protective immunity against omicron following a BNT162b2 Pfizer booster dose among elderly individuals (ie, those aged >65 years) is not well characterised.METHODS: In a community-based, prospective, longitudinal cohort study taking place in France in which 75 residents from three nursing homes were enrolled, we selected 38 residents who had received a two-dose regimen of mRNA vaccine and a booster dose of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine. We excluded individuals that did not receive three vaccine doses or did not have available sera samples. We measured anti-S IgG antibodies and neutralisation capacity in sera taken 56 (28-68) and 55 (48-64) days (median (range)) after the 2(nd) and 3(rd) vaccine doses, respectively. Antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein were measured with the S-Flow assay as binding antibody units per milliliter (BAU/mL). Neutralising activities in sera were measured as effective dilution 50% (ED50) with the S-Fuse assay using authentic isolates of delta and omicron BA.1.FINDINGS: Among the 38 elderly individuals recruited to the cohort study between November 23(rd), 2020 and April 29(th), 2021, with median age of 88 (range 72-101) years, 30 (78.95%) had been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. After three vaccine doses, serum neutralising activity was lower against omicron BA.1 (median ED50 of 774.5, range 15.0-34660.0) than the delta variant (median ED50 of 4972.0, range 213.7-66340.0), and higher among previously infected (ie, convalescent; median ED50 against omicron: 1088.0, range 32.6-34660.0) compared with infection-naive residents (median ED50 against omicron: 188.4, range 15.0-8918.0). During the French omicron wave in December 2021-January 2022, 75% (6/8) of naive residents were infected, compared to 25% (7/30) of convalescent residents (P=0.0114). Anti-Spike antibody levels and neutralising activity against omicron BA.1 after a third BNT162b2 booster dose were lower in those with breakthrough BA.1 infection (n=13) compared with those without (n=25), with a median of 1429.9 (range 670.9-3818.3) BAU/mL vs 2528.3 (range 695.4-8832.0) BAU/mL (P=0.029) and a median ED50 of 281.1 (range 15.0-2136.0) vs 1376.0 (range 32.6-34660.0) (P=0.0013), respectively.INTERPRETATION: This study shows that elderly individuals who received three vaccine doses elicit neutralising antibodies against the omicron BA.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2. Elderly individuals who had also been previously infected showed higher neutralising activity compared with naive individuals. Yet, breakthrough infections with omicron occurred. Individuals with breakthrough infections had significantly lower neutralising titers compared to individuals without breakthrough infection. Thus, a fourth dose of vaccine may be useful in the elderly population to increase the level of neutralising antibodies and compensate for waning immunity
Presence of polyethylene micro-particles in an agricultural soil affects microbial activities and plants
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Controlled natural selection of soil microbiome through plant-soil feedback confers resistance to a foliar pathogen
No full textInternational audienceBackground and aims The rhizosphere microbiome has been shown to contribute to nutrient acquisition, protection against biotic and abiotic stresses and, ultimately, to changes in the development and physiology of plants. Here, using a controlled natural selection approach, we followed the microbial dynamics in the soil of Arabidopsis thaliana plants infected with the foliar pathogen Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 (Pst). Methods Plants were iteratively cultivated on a pasteurised soil inoculated with the soil microbial community of the previous iteration isolated from the rhizosphere of plants infected with Pst (pst-line) or not (mock-line). Modification of soil microbial communities was assessed through an amplicon-based metagenomic analysis targeting bacterial and fungal diversity. Plant fitness and transcript abundance of stress hormone related genes were also analysed. Results At the tenth and eleventh iterations respectively, we observed a reduction in disease severity of 81% and 85% in pst-lines as compared to mock-lines. These changes were associated with (i) an early induction of defence mechanisms mediated by salicylic acid, in pst-line as compared to mock-line, shown by the decrease in transcript abundance of salicylic acid related genes, whereas jasmonic acid, ethylene or abscisic acid related genes remained unchanged and (ii) a shift in soil bacterial, and not in fungal, composition. Conclusions Our study suggests that these changes in soil bacterial composition are mediated by plant-soil feedback in response to Pst and resulted in an activation of SA-related immune response in the plant. This supports the concept of applying plant-soil feedbacks to enhance soil suppressiveness against foliar pathogens
Determinants of Evapotranspiration in Urban Rain Gardens: A Case Study with Lysimeters under Temperate Climate
No full textInternational audienceAccurate evaluation of evapotranspiration (ET) flux is an important issue in sustainable urban drainage systems that target not only flow rate limitations, but also aim at the restoration of natural water balances. This is especially true in context where infiltration possibilities are limited. However, its assessment suffers from insufficient understanding. In this study, ET in 1 m3 pilot rain gardens were studied from eight lysimeters monitored for three years in Paris (France). Daily ET was calculated for each lysimeter based on a mass balance approach and the related uncertainties were assessed at ±0.42 to 0.58 mm. Results showed that for these lysimeters, ET is the major term in water budget (61 to 90% of the precipitations) with maximum values reaching 8–12 mm. Furthermore, the major determinants of ET are the existence or not of an internal water storage and the atmospheric factors. The vegetation type is a secondary determinant, with little difference between herbaceous and shrub configurations, maximum ET for spontaneous vegetation, and minimal values when vegetation was regularly removed. Shading of lysimeters by surroundings buildings is also important, leading to lower values. Finally, ET of lysimeters is higher than tested reference values (evaporimeter, FAO-56, and local Météo-France equations)
A transverse index theorem in the calculus of filtered manifolds
No full textWe use filtrations of the tangent bundle of a manifold starting with an integrable subbundle to define transverse symbols to the corresponding foliation, define a condition of transversally Rockland and prove that transversally Rockland operators yield a K-homology class. We construct an equivariant KK-class for transversally Rockland transverse symbols and show a Poincare duality type result linking the class of an operator and its symbol