355 research outputs found
Genomic characterization of multi-parental populations of sorghum and rice
No full textThis thesis describes research work performed at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (UIUC) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on genetic analysis of two important cereal crops, sorghum and rice. Research presented in chapters 1 and 2 was performed at UIUC under the supervision of Dr. Patrick J. Brown, and research presented in chapter 3 was performed at IRRI under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth L. McNally.
Sorghum is the world’s fifth most important cereal crop and is critical for food security in semi-arid regions. Chapter 1 describes the generation of genetic linkage maps for eight sorghum recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data. In this work, 1626 RILs from eight biparental populations were genotyped using a modified GBS protocol with Y-adapters. For SNP calling used the TASSEL5 GBS pipeline, and genetic linkage maps were produced using ASMap, an R package that implements MSTMap algorithm. Chapter 2 describes the skim (~5X) sequencing of 240 bioenergy sorghum genomes, using a whole-genome sequencing library preparation protocol that was developed in-house and is cost- effective and less labor-intensive than existing methods.
Rice is a staple food for most of the world’s population, and 90% of the rice produced globally is used for human consumption. Rice production requires a significant amount of fresh water. Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses of rice and is responsible for up to 40% yield loss of total world production, annually. Modern rice cultivars have lost most of their genetic diversity, and the use of crop wild relatives (CWRs) in breeding needs to be explored. IRRI has developed four backcross introgression line (BIL) populations using wild progenitors of Asian cultivated rice as donor parents. Chapter 3 describes the genotype data analysis of these four populations and phenotyping of a subset of each of the four populations under well-watered and managed water stress conditions. This field experiment was conducted at IRRI in the Philippines during the 2018 dry season. Analysis of phenotype data collected for the subsets indicates considerable genotypic variation, and researchers have shown interest in using these lines in their breeding programs. A total of sixteen lines, four from each population, were selected based on the 2018 DS and are being tested at IRRI for physiological traits.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2021-12-01The student, Pradeepa Hirannaiah, accepted the attached license on 2019-11-05 at 15:40.The student, Pradeepa Hirannaiah, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2019-11-05 at 15:42.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2019-11-06 at 15:55.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #14529 on 2020-02-28 at 17:21:49Made available in DSpace on 2020-03-02T22:12:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2019-11-06Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 113878
Lift date: 2022-03-02T22:12:26Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 113878
Lift date: 2022-03-02T22:15:21Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 113878
Lift date: 2022-03-02T22:18:25Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 113878 on 2022-03-03T10:15:30Z
The Survival Of The National Institute Of Library And Information Sciences In A Turbulent Public University
No full textThe public university system of Sri Lanka faces a number of difficulties. The National Institute of Library and Information Sciences (NILIS) was established affiliated to a university with World Bank aid. However NILIS had to face several problems at the inception and it was almost closed down. The author describes the threats encountered by LIS schools in other countries and the strategies at the macro and micro level, adopted especially by the developed countries, to survive and develop. She further explains different strategies adopted for the survival of NILIS. Expansion in participation with other departments and expansion alone using a variety of innovations take prominence here
The role of MAPKs in CNS demyelination
No full textMAPKs are protein kinases that play crucial roles in regulating cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. In the central nervous system (CNS), p38 MAPK and Erk1/2 play an essential role during development of the oligodendrocyte lineage and are necessary for myelination. However, the effects on mature myelin, particularly under pathological conditions remain unclear. In various neurodegenerative diseases, mature myelin deteriorates, leading to myelin loss and neuronal dysfunction. Several growth factors and cytokines are found to be increased in the demyelinated lesions suggesting that the extracellular stimuli may contribute to the myelin pathology and the subsequent changes in oligodendrocyte phenotypes. In this study, we investigated the effects of growth factor signaling on mature oligodendrocytes and the myelin. Specifically, we investigated the role of Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK activation in triggering oligodendrocyte demyelination. Using an in vitro model for CNS demyelination, we show that growth factors that are found upregulated in CNS lesions, such as FGF-2 promotes myelin breakdown through activation of the Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK pathways. We also show that ectopic activation of either Erk1/2 or p38 MAPK is sufficient to induce demyelination. Our study also indicates that growth factor or MAPK-induced demyelination was not associated with cell death, indicating the possibility of oligodendrocyte de-differentiation. To further investigate this, in chapter three we characterized the phenotype of mature oligodendrocytes following MAPK activation. Ectopic activation of Erk1/2 in mature oligodendrocytes resulted in the down-regulation of myelin proteins and a drastic change in cell morphology. A similar phenotypic change was also observed upon ectopic activation of p38 MAPK. Interestingly, after inducing the phenotypic changes, Erk1/2 activation but not p38 MAPK was sufficient to direct non-proliferating mature oligodendrocytes to re-enter the cell cycle. This result suggests that mature oligodendrocytes may have the ability to regenerate and remyelinate following the myelin loss. These studies also demonstrate that MAPKs are crucial in regulating this process. In chapter four, we investigated whether Erk1/2 mediates oligodendrocyte demyelination induced under pathological conditions. To this end, we used an in vitro model for white matter injury in which diffused axon injury is mimicked by mechanical stretching of the myelinated axons in culture. Our data shows that axonal stretch injury induces oligodendrocyte demyelination independent of axon degeneration and inhibition of Erk1/2 activation has a protective effect on the myelin. Altogether, these results suggest that MAPKs play an essential role in triggering oligodendrocyte demyelination and promoting phenotypic changes that may contribute to the subsequent regenerative process of remyelination.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Pradeepa Gokin
HLA class I downregulation is associated with enhanced NK-cell killing of melanoma cells with acquired drug resistance to BRAF inhibitors.
No full textThe frequent development of drug resistance to targeted therapies in cancer patients has stimulated interest in strategies counteracting resistance. Combining immunotherapies with targeted therapies is one such strategy. In this context, we asked whether human NK cells can target melanoma cells that have acquired resistance to selective inhibitors targeting activating mutants of the B-Raf kinase (BRAF inhibitors, BRAFi). We generated drug-resistant cell variants in vitro from human BRAF-mutant melanoma cell lines MEL-HO, COLO-38, SK-MEL-37, 1520 and from primary melanoma cells freshly isolated from two patients. All drug-resistant cell variants remained susceptible to lysis by IL-2-activated NK cells; and two BRAFi-resistant lines (BRAFi-R) became significantly more susceptible to NK-cell lysis than their parental lines. This was associated with significant HLA class I antigen downregulation and PD-L1 upregulation on the drug-resistant lines. Although blocking HLA class I enhanced the extent of lysis of both BRAFi-R and parental cells to NK-cell-mediated lysis, antibody-mediated inhibition of PD1-PD-L1 interactions had no detectable effect. HLA class I antigen expression on BRAFi-R melanoma variants thus appears to play a major role in their susceptibility to NK-cell cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that NK-cell-based immunotherapy may be a viable approach to treat melanoma patients with acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors
Clinical evaluation of corono-radicular restorative design with fibre post restoration for fractured endodontically treated maxillary incisors: A randomised control trial
No full textAim: The primary aim was to evaluate and compare the survivability of corono-radicular direct composite (CRDC) restoration and fiber-reinforced composite post (FRC) followed by coronal restoration for fractured root canal-treated maxillary incisors with a tooth structure loss of 50%–70%.
Methods: A total of 56 teeth from 49 patients with fractured maxillary central and/or lateral incisors due to trauma were recruited for the study. The teeth were randomly allocated to two groups randomly by lot method. The two treatment groups were as follows: Group I – CRDC and Group II – FRC followed by coronal restoration. The postoperative review was performed at 3-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month period using intraoral periapical radiographs and clinical photographs. The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire was administered during 24-month review visit. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to assess the longevity of the restorations.
Results: There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the survivability of the restorations among the two treatment groups. The mean survival period for CRDC was 24 months and FRC followed by coronal restoration was 23.74 months. The patient's satisfaction assessed using the questionnaire was higher in CRDC (100%) than FRC followed by coronal restoration (81.5%).
Conclusion: Within the limit of the present study, both CRDC and FRC followed by coronal restoration were equally effective in the management of fractured maxillary incisors with 50%–70% tooth structure loss
Aggregate download throughput for TCP-controlled long file transfers in a WLAN with multiple STA-AP association rates
No full textWe consider several WLAN stations associated at rates r(1), r(2), ... r(k) with an Access Point. Each station (STA) is downloading a long file from a local server, located on the LAN to which the Access Point (AP) is attached, using TCP. We assume that a TCP ACK will be produced after the reception of d packets at an STA. We model these simultaneous TCP-controlled transfers using a semi-Markov process. Our analytical approach leads to a procedure to compute aggregate download, as well as per-STA throughputs, numerically, and the results match simulations very well. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Henoch Schonlein Purpura as a Cause of Renal Failure in an Adult
No full textHenoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) is an immune mediated disease associated Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition within the affected organs. While the disease is commonly seen in the pediatric age group, it is rarely seen in adults. We report the case of a 93-year-old Caucasian lady who presented with nonthrombocytopenic purpuric rash and acute kidney injury after an episode of bronchitis. Rapid and progressive deterioration of renal function prompted a kidney biopsy, which showed findings consistent with IgA nephropathy confirming the diagnosis of HSP. The patient was treated with high dose intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone; however, her kidney disease progressed to end stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis. HSP is usually a self-limiting disease in children. However, adults are at an increased risk of severe renal involvement including end stage renal disease. Purpuric skin rash with renal involvement should raise suspicion for HSP. This is the oldest known patient with HSP
A Study on Prevalence of Thyroid Disorders and Its impacts on Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in a Tertiary Care Centre in Villupuram
No full textBACKGROUND:
Thyroid disease is one of the most prevalent endocrine abnormalities discovered during pregnancy. It has been linked to poor maternal and fetal outcomes. The most common obstetric consequences related with thyroid abnormalities are abortion, preeclampsia, abruptio placenta, premature labor, and fetal issues such as prematurity, low birth weight, still birth, and perinatal mortality.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
To identify the prevalence of thyroid disorders in pregnancy and its impact in material and fetal outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Prospective study was conducted for a period of one year from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 600 participants were enrolled in the study.
RESULTS:
The mean age of participants in the case and control group were identified as 24.73 ± 3.72 years and 24.06 ± 3.31 years, respectively. TSH was between 4.21 - 10 mIU/ml in the majority of the participants in the case group with 35.14%, followed by 2.5 - 4.20 mIU/ml with 32.43%. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were identified with 1% and 5.17%, respectively. Preeclampsia, spontaneous miscarriage was the pregnancy outcomes identified in most of the participants in the case group with 13.51% and 8.11%.
CONCLUSION:
The study reveals a significant prevalence of thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism, underscoring the importance of including thyroid function testing in regular antenatal clinic screening. Thyroid dysfunction must be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible in order to minimize negative prenatal outcomes
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