Smooth group representations on bornological vector spaces

We develop the basic theory of smooth representations of locally compact groups on bornological vector spaces. In this setup, we are able to formulate better general theorems than in the topological case. Still, smooth representations of totally disconnected groups on vector spaces and of Lie groups on Frechet spaces remain special cases of our theory. We identify smooth representations with essential modules over an appropriate convolution algebra. We examine smoothening functors on representations and modules and show that they agree if they are both defined. We establish the basic properties of induction and compact induction functors using adjoint functor techniques. We describe the center of the category of smooth representations.Comment: I corrected a mistake in the last section and added a french abstrac

Combable groups have group cohomology of polynomial growth

Group cohomology of polynomial growth is defined for any finitely generated discrete group, using cochains that have polynomial growth with respect to the word length function. We give a geometric condition that guarantees that it agrees with the usual group cohomology and verify this condition for a class of combable groups. Our condition involves a chain complex that is closely related to exotic cohomology theories studied by Allcock and Gersten and by Mineyev.Comment: 19 pages, typo corrected in version

Enhanced 3-D OCDMA code family using asymmetric run length constraints

Abstract : This paper suggests an enhanced performance of the 3-D optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) codes, a space/wavelength/time spreading family of codes. The initial codes are in the format wavelength hopping/time sequence (WH/TS), selected according to their performance requirements and the TS sequence is constructed to achieve a linear space- time complexity. The asymmetric run length constraints are introduced in that regard, such that the positive bit positions align with the encoder/decoder frequency spacing pattern, yielding a 3-D WH/WS/TS. The selected 2-D OCDMA codes are one- coincidence frequency hopping codes (OCFHC) and optical orthogonal codes (OOC). As a time sequence code, the OOC code length is extended with a code rate of 0.04. The complexity and the bit error rate (BER) are herein given and compared with previous work. The results of the performance show not only an improvement in the number of simultaneous users due to the code length extension, but better correlation properties and hence a better signal-to-noise ratio

Optimization of resources for H.323 endpoints and terminals over VoIP networks

Abstract: We suggest a method of optimizing resource allocation for real time protocol traffic in general, and VoIP in particular, within an H.323 environment. There are two options in the packet network to allocate resources: aggregate peak demand and statistical multiplexing. Statistical multiplexing, our choice for this case, allows the efficient use of the network resources but however exhibits greater packet delay variation and packet transfer delay. These delays are often the result of correlations or time dependency experienced by the system’s queue due to the variations observed in different point processes that occur at a point of time. To address these issues, we suggest a queuing method based on the diffusion process approximated by Orstein-Ulenbeck and the non-validated results of Ren and Kobayashi

An access optimization approach for FFH-OCDMA system’s fiber bragg gratings encoder

Abstract: This paper suggests an adaptive 2-D Optical CDMA coding system based on one-coincidence frequency hopping (OCFH) code combined with an optical orthogonal code (OOC) in the format OCFH/OOC, suitable for the fast frequency hopping optical code division multiple access (FFH-OCDMA) channel, encoded by the Bragg gratings encoder with an aim to optimize the access network in terms of number of users and transmitted power. As wavelength hopping (WH) code, the OCFH code is herein adapted to the constraints of the encoder: the Bragg gratings chain put on the optical fiber..

Rescue of a severe mouse model for spinal muscular atrophy by U7 snRNA-mediated splicing modulation

In spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of early childhood death, the survival motor neuron 1 gene (SMN1) is deleted or inactivated. The nearly identical SMN2 gene has a silent mutation that impairs the utilization of exon 7 and the production of functional protein. It has been hypothesized that therapies boosting SMN2 exon 7 inclusion might prevent or cure SMA. Exon 7 inclusion can be stimulated in cell culture by oligonucleotides or intracellularly expressed RNAs, but evidence for an in vivo improvement of SMA symptoms is lacking. Here, we unambiguously confirm the above hypothesis by showing that a bifunctional U7 snRNA that stimulates exon 7 inclusion, when introduced by germline transgenesis, can efficiently complement the most severe mouse SMA model. These results are significant for the development of a somatic SMA therapy, but may also provide new means to study pathophysiological aspects of this devastating diseas

Awareness on Oral Health Changes at Menopause and the Oral Healthcare Seeking Behaviors of Menopausal Women in a Selected Educational Institution

During menopause, a woman experiences hormonal changes that can affect the whole body, oral health-related problems like Xerostomia, increased dental caries, changes in taste, gingivitis, Burning mouth syndrome, periodontitis, and osteoporotic jaws. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the awareness of oral health changes of menopausal women and their oral health-seeking behaviors. The study employed the Descriptive- correlational, and Comparative designs through the use of the Frequency, Percentages, Mean, Standard Deviation, Kruskal Wallis, and Mann- Whitney Tests for statistical analysis. The study included 42 menopausal employees who were aged 40 – 65 years and above of a selected educational institution. They were recruited through Purposive Sampling and were requested to answer an online questionnaire via Google Forms. The total Awareness level of the participants had a mean score of 6.833 with a Standard Deviation of 2.76667, which can be interpreted as an average awareness level. For the Oral healthcare-seeking behaviors of the respondents, it showed a mean score of 3.4262 with a Standard Deviation of 0.46699, which can be interpreted as a good level of behaviors. The results of this study conclude that there is no difference in the awareness and behaviors of the menopausal women except in terms of medications which had a p-value of 0.009 which means that there was a significant difference between them. The awareness of oral health changes and oral health-seeking behaviors of menopausal women have a low positive significant relationship to each other. The researchers recommend that a new study be conducted by future investigators in a larger population of menopausal women in order to yield greater statistical reliability and validity.Keywords: menopause, behavior, awareness, oral health, wome

New insights into small molecules inhibitors and protein-protein interactions of VirB8 : a critical conserved component of the type IV secretion system

Les systèmes bactériens de sécrétion de type IV (T4SS) sont constitués d’un ensemble de 8 à 12 protéines conservées. Ces dernières sont utilisées lors de la translocation de protéines, la translocation de complexes ADN-protéines mais aussi pour le transport de ces derniers au travers de la membrane cellulaire. Les T4SS, en tant que facteurs de virulence pour beaucoup de pathogènes comme Brucella suis, sont donc d’excellents modèles cibles pour le développement de médicaments d’antivirulence. Ces médicaments, en privant le pathogène de son facteur essentiel de virulence : le T4SS, constituent une alternative ou encore une amélioration des traitements antibiotiques utilisés actuellement. VirB8, un facteur d’assemblage conservé dans le T4SS, forme des dimères qui sont importants pour la fonction des T4SS dans ces pathogènes. De par ses interactions multiples, VirB8 est un excellent modèle pour l’analyse des facteurs d’assemblage mais aussi en tant que cible de médicaments qui empêcheraient son interaction avec d’autres protéines et qui, in fine, désarmeraient les bactéries en les privant de leur fonctions essentielles de virulence. À ce jour, nous savons qu’il existe un équilibre monomère-dimère et un processus d’homodimerization de VirB8 dont l’importance est vitale pour la fonctionnement biologique des T4SSs. En se basant sur des essais quantitatifs d’interaction, nous avons identifié (i) des sites potentiels d’interaction avec d’autres protéines VirB du T4SS mais aussi (ii) isolé des petites molécules inhibitrices afin de tester la fonction protéique de VirB8. Afin de déterminer les acides aminés importants pour l’hétérodimérization de VirB8 avec VirB10, nous avons effectué des expériences de mutagenèse aléatoire, de phage display et d’arrimage moléculaire in silico. Ces expériences ont démontré l’importance de trois acides aminés localisés sur le feuillet β : R160, S162, T164 et I165. Ces derniers seraient importants pour l’association de VirB8 avec VirB10 étant donné que leur mutagenèse entraine une diminution de la formation du complexe VirB8-VirB10. L’objectif actuel de notre projet de recherche est de pouvoir mieux comprendre mais aussi d’évaluer le rôle de VirB8 dans l’assemblage du T4SS. Grace à un méthode de criblage adaptée à partir de la structure de VirB8, nous avons pu identifié une petite molécule inhibitrice BAR-068, qui aurait un rôle prometteur dans l’inhibition du T4SS. Nous avons utilisé la spectroscopie par fluorescence, l’essai à deux hybrides, le cross-linking et la cristallographie afin de déterminer le mécanisme d'interaction existant entre VirB8 et BAR-068. Ces travaux pourraient permettre de nombreuses avancées, notamment en termes de compréhension des mécanismes d’inhibition du T4SS. Notre objectif ultime est de pouvoir caractériser la séquence d’évènements essentiels à l’assemblage et au fonctionnement du T4SS. De manière globale, notre projet de recherche permettrait de révéler les grands principes d’assemblage des protéines membranaires, les processus de sécrétion de protéines chez les bactéries mais aussi de proposer une nouvelle stratégie lors du développement de drogues antimicrobiennes.Bacterial Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are complexes that are constituted of 8 to 12 conserved proteins and used by many Gram-negative bacteria for the translocation of proteins and DNA-protein complexes as well as for the transport of DNA-protein complexes across their cell envelope. T4SS are excellent model targets for the development of antivirulence drugs as they are essential virulence factor for many bacterial pathogens, such as Brucella suis. Antivirulence drugs that deprive the pathogen of its essential virulence factor, the T4SS, would constitute alternatives to or enhancements of current antibiotic treatment. VirB8, a conserved core assembly factor in T4SS, forms homo- and heterodimers that are very important for T4SS function in these pathogens. Due to its multiple interactions, we hypothesized that VirB8 is an excellent model for the analysis of assembly factors but also a potential target for drugs that could target its protein–protein interactions, which would disarm bacteria by depriving them of their essential virulence functions. The existence of a monomer-dimer equilibrium and self-association of VirB8 were previously demonstrated as being essential for T4SS biological activity. Guided by quantitative interaction assays, we here identified (i) potential interaction sites with other T4SS components and (ii) isolated small molecules inhibitors as probes for protein function. To further determine the residues important for heterodimerization of VirB8 with VirB10, we conducted alanine-scanning mutagenesis, phage display and in silico docking. These experiments demonstrated that residues located on the β sheet R160, S162, T164 and I165. are involved in the association of VirB8 and VirB10 and mutagenesis of these residues led to a decrease in the heterodimer formation. The general objective of our research is to gain quantitative insights into the role VirB8 plays in T4SS assembly. Based on a structure-inspired high-throughput screening approach, we identified a promising compound BAR-068 that inhibits VirB8 interactions in the nM range. We used spectroscopy by fluorescence, a bacterial two-hybrid assay, chemical cross-linking and crystallography in order to decipher the mechanism of interactions of this inhibitor with VirB8. Ultimately, this may lead to advance the understanding of T4SS inhibition. Our ultimate objective is to characterize the sequence of events between VirB8 and other VirB factors that guides T4SS complex assembly and function. Our research will reveal general principles of membrane protein complex assembly that will enhance our knowledge of a number of different areas including bacterial protein secretion. In addition, this research will inform an innovative strategy for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs