81 research outputs found
Author response
No full textDetecting pathogens and mounting immune responses upon infection is crucial for animal health. However, these responses come at a high metabolic price (McKean and Lazzaro, 2011, Kominsky et al., 2010), and avoiding pathogens before infection may be advantageous. The bacterial endotoxins lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are important immune system infection cues (Abbas et al., 2014), but it remains unknown whether animals possess sensory mechanisms to detect them prior to infection. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster display strong aversive responses to LPS and that gustatory neurons expressing Gr66a bitter receptors mediate avoidance of LPS in feeding and egg laying assays. We found the expression of the chemosensory cation channel dTRPA1 in these cells to be necessary and sufficient for LPS avoidance. Furthermore, LPS stimulates Drosophila neurons in a TRPA1-dependent manner and activates exogenous dTRPA1 channels in human cells. Our findings demonstrate that flies detect bacterial endotoxins via a gustatory pathway through TRPA1 activation as conserved molecular mechanism.sponsorship: Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie Alessia Soldano Luis Franco Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Bassem A Hassanr Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0702.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0077.15 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0680.10 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0681.10 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0503.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0654.15 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0761.10N Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0596.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0565.07 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar KU Leuven GOA/14/011 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar European Commission IUAP P7/13 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekensr KU Leuven OT/12/091 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar KU Leuven PF-TRPLe Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talavera (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0702.12, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0077.15, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0680.10, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0681.10, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0503.12, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0654.15, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0761.10N, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0596.12, KU Leuven|GOA/14/011, KU Leuven|OT/12/091, European Commission|IUAP P7/13, KU Leuven PF-TRPLe)status: Publishe
Les plages de Beyrouth : privatisation et communautarisation d’espaces publics
No full textBeirut beaches appeared on the western side of the city, which was once the most cosmopolitan district. The author describes these public spaces and the way of life prior to the war. He also considers the main evolutions that took place through the war period.El-Jisr Bassem. Les plages de Beyrouth : privatisation et communautarisation d’espaces publics. In: Reconstruire Beyrouth. Les paris sur le possible
Academic freedom at Palestinian universities : a human rights report
No full textBassem Eid traces the history of Palestinian Universities over three
periods - the Israeli occupation early 1970s until the Intifada, the
Intifada and its aftermath and the current era. The author examines
the serious problems and restrictions faced by University students
and intellectuals. He denounces a series of human rights violations
particularly the rights of freedom of expression and association. Such
violations include deportations, violence against students, arrests and
detentions without formal charges and unfair dismissal of professors
who spoke their minds. These human rights violations are not solely
a result of Israeli oppression but also a result of the interference of
the Palestinian Authority. The author probes into the University
Security Administration and the presence of undercover agents
within the universities, who monitor and report the activities of
individuals, are associated with the Islamic bloc or who criticise the
Palestinian Authority.peer-reviewe
Corrections to “D2D-V2X-SDN: Taxonomy and Architecture Towards 5G Mobile Communication”
No full textIn the above article [1], the following author bios must be updated as their posts and positions were upgraded, and the profile picture of Bassem F. Felemban was previously incorrect.Scopu
Optimizing Joint Data and Power Transfer in Energy Harvesting Multiuser Wireless Networks
No full textEnergy harvesting emerges as a potential solution for prolonging the lifetime of the energy-constrained mobile wireless devices. In this paper, we focus on radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting for multiuser multicarrier mobile wireless networks. Specifically, we propose joint data and energy transfer optimization frameworks for powering mobile wireless devices through RF energy harvesting. We introduce a power utility that captures the power consumption cost at the base station (BS) and the used power from the users' batteries, and determine optimal power resource allocations that meet data rate requirements of downlink and uplink communications. Two types of harvesting capabilities are considered at each user: harvesting only from dedicated RF signals and hybrid harvesting from both dedicated and ambient RF signals. The developed frameworks increase the end users' battery lifetime at the cost of a slight increase in the BS power consumption. Several evaluation studies are conducted in order to validate our proposed frameworks. 1 2017 IEEE.Manuscript received August 25, 2016; revised February 16, 2017 and May 9, 2017; accepted June 9, 2017. Date of publication June 22, 2017; date of current version December 14, 2017. This work was supported by the National Priorities Research Program under Grant NPRP 5-319-2-121 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The review of this paper was coordinated by Prof. Y. Li. (Corresponding author: Bassem Khalfi.) B. Khalfi and B. Hamdaoui are with Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA (e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]. edu).Scopu
Uncomputability in Information Theory
No full textWe present a powerful approach for learning about uncomputability and undecidability in informationtheory. Our approach is to use automata from automata theory that have undecidable properties toconstruct channels for which an information-theoretic quantity is uncomputable or undecidable. Wedemonstrate this approach by showing that, for channels with memory, capacity is uncomputable andinformation-stability is undecidable
Repair of damaged end regions of prestressed concrete girders using fiber reinforced polymer composite materials
No full textOver the past couple decades, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a lightweight and efficient repair and retrofit material for many concrete infrastructure applications. FRP can be applied to concrete using many techniques, but primarily as either externally bonded laminates or near-surface mounted (NSM) bars or plates. These repair methods have been shown to be effective when used to provide supplemental flexural and shear reinforcement for reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete beams. One problem afflicting bridge girders in cold climates is the deterioration of the girder ends due to deicing salt exposure, thus reducing their shear strength. This thesis presents the results of the beginning stages of an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) sponsored study to use FRP materials to repair and retrofit the damaged ends of prestressed concrete beams.
In the first phase of the study, direct shear pull-out tests on glass-FRP (GFRP) and carbon-FRP (CFRP) externally bonded laminate and NSM bar concrete specimens are performed. An accelerated aging scheme consisting of freeze/thaw cycling in the presence of a deicing salt solution is implemented to determine the effect of long-term environmental exposure on the FRP/concrete interface. In the next phase, three-point bending tests are performed on small scale prestressed concrete beams. End region deterioration is simulated by imposing damage to the cover concrete, and mortar and FRP repairs are applied to test their effectiveness. Finally, a 3D finite element (FE) model of a full scale prestressed concrete (PC) I-girder is used to investigate the effect of damage to the cover concrete and stirrups in the end region of the girder. Parametric studies are performed using externally bonded CFRP shear laminates to determine the most effective repair schemes for the damaged end region. The results of the shear pull-out tests of CFRP laminates that have undergone accelerated aging are used to calibrate a bond stress-slip model for the interface between the FRP and concrete substrate and approximate the reduced bond stress-slip properties associated with exposure to the environment that causes this type of end region damage. The results of this study indicate the potential for FRP repairs to be an effective means of recovering the original strength of PC bridge girders with damaged end regions, even after environmental aging.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2019-05-01The student, Ian Shaw, accepted the attached license on 2017-04-27 at 14:28.The student, Ian Shaw, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2017-04-27 at 14:32.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2017-04-27 at 18:48.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #11118 on 2017-08-10 at 15:07:14Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-10T20:33:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
SHAW-THESIS-2017.pdf: 34368389 bytes, checksum: e0540d2494ba0a646269e92471dbef91 (MD5)
Final_Master_s_Thesis-Ian_Shaw.docx: 12655240 bytes, checksum: a308388926dbbf7b12b666116e6cd0f6 (MD5)
LICENSE.txt: 4205 bytes, checksum: 6863b17cb8e19bc6665b4366ff5d8845 (MD5)
Previous issue date: 2017-04-27Embargo set by: Colleen Fallaw for item 102853
Lift date: 2019-08-10T21:27:21Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 102853 on 2019-08-11T09:15:39Z
Crucial role of Pro 257 in the thermostability of Bacillus phytases: Biochemical and structural investigation
No full textWe have previously cloned and characterized the thermostable phytase (PHY US417) from Bacillus subtilis US417. It differs with PhyC from B. subtilis VITE-68013 by the R257P substitution. PHY US417 was shown to be more thermostable than PhyC. To elucidate the mechanism of how the Pro 257 changes the thermostability of Bacillus phytases, this residue was mutated to Arg and Ala. The experimental results revealed that the thermostability of the P257A mutants and especially P257R was significantly decreased. The P257R and P257A mutants recovered, respectively, 64.4 and 81.5% of the wild-type activity after incubation at 75 degrees C for 30 min in the presence of 5 mM CaCl2. The P257R mutation also led to a severe reduction in the specific activity and catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. Structural investigation, by molecular modeling of PHY US417 and PhyC focused on the region of the 257 residue, revealed that this residue was present in a surface loop connecting two of the six characteristic 13 sheets. The P257 residue is presumed to reduce the local thermal flexibility of the loop, thus generating a higher thermostability
Variation in chemical composition and biological activities of two species of Opuntia flowers at four stages of flowering
No full textCan Finance and Credit Enable Economic Growth and Democracy?
No full textCan economic growth and democracy be fuelled by finance and credit? This chapter examines mechanisms that have positive effects on democratic transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, such as credit growth and the development of capital markets-based credit, based on a bond market and a Sukuk market, its sharia-compliant equivalent. The contribution analyses the general role of credit as a network of legally binding contracts of trust between economic actors, including the state, in any given country. By comparing the role and size of credit in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the MENA region, the author argues that, in general, the growth of credit’s role in MENA countries and, in particular, the development of debt capital markets in the region, strengthen public participation in the economic activity of the region. The spread of contractual obligations requires more transparent and accessible accounting and financial reporting, and a wider network of legally binding obligations. These powerful mechanisms therefore facilitate democratic transitions in MENA countries, even in autocratic regimes.La finance et le crédit permettent-ils la croissance économique et la démocratie ?La croissance économique et la démocratie peuvent-elles être alimentées par la finance et le crédit ? Cet article analyse les mécanismes ayant des effets positifs sur les transitions démocratiques au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord (MENA), tels que la progression générale du crédit et le développement d’un crédit fondé sur les marchés de capitaux, adossé à un marché obligataire et au marché Sukuk, son équivalent conforme à la charia. L’article examine le rôle général du crédit en tant que réseau de contrats de confiance juridiquement contraignants entre des acteurs économiques, y compris l’État, dans un pays donné. À partir d’une étude comparative du rôle et de l’importance du crédit dans les pays membres de l’Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques (OCDE) et ceux du MENA, le texte postule qu’en général l’augmentation du rôle du crédit dans les pays de la région et plus particulièrement le développement des marchés de capitaux d’emprunt, renforcent la participation du public à l’activité économique de la région. La multiplication des obligations contractuelles exige une comptabilité et une information financière plus transparentes et plus accessibles, ainsi qu’un réseau plus large d’obligations juridiquement contraignantes. Ces puissants mécanismes facilitent donc les transitions démocratiques dans les pays de la région MENA, et ce, même dans les régimes autocratiques
- …
