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

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

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

Les études sur le genre en histoire au Cameroun : enjeux et défis d’un savoir en construction

Le présent article s’intéresse au développement des études sur le genre dans l’espace universitaire camerounais. Le propos vise à questionner les difficultés d’émergence d’un champ épistémologique dédié au genre en filière historique, en lien avec les discours dominants sur les rapports de sexe, intériorisés par les hommes et les femmes, ainsi que leurs effets sur la construction d’un savoir sur le genre. À partir d’une recherche de terrain couplée au traitement d’une littérature écrite de nature variée, l’étude a mis en lumière quelques obstacles historiques, épistémologiques et structurels au développement des études sur le genre dans les filières historiques au Cameroun. Il en ressort que la prégnance de la suprématie masculine en filière histoire, la faible audience et la féminisation marquée de l’historiographie camerounaise consacrée au genre, ainsi que l’insertion insuffisante de ce champ dans l’espace académique national bloquent son émergence en tant que domaine de savoir autonome.This article focuses on the development of gender studies in the Cameroonian University milieu. The purpose is to examine the difficulties of the emergence of an epistemological field dedicated to gender in the historical sector, in connection with dominant discourses on gender relations, internalized by men and women, as well as their effects on the building of knowledge about gender. From a field research coupled with an analysis of a varied written literature, the study highlights some historical, epistemological and structural obstacles to the development of gender studies in historical research in Cameroon. It turns out that the preponderance of male supremacy in history, the low audience and the marked feminization of Cameroon’s historiography devoted to gender, as well as the insufficient incorporation of this field into the national academic scene, block its emergence as an area of autonomous knowledge

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..