1,659 research outputs found

    Breeding Melons for Resistance to Viral and Fungal Diseases. Exploiting the Multi-Resistant Accession TGR-1551

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    [ES] Las cucurbitáceas son la segunda familia de hortícolas más importante a nivel mundial, solo por detrás de las solanáceas. Tradicionalmente su cultivo se ha llevado a cabo en las zonas templadas del planeta. Sin embargo, las condiciones de cambio climático, el comercio internacional y los modelos de agricultura intensiva favorecen la aparición de nuevas virosis y enfermedades fúngicas en zonas donde antes no estaban presentes. En este sentido, resulta esencial el monitoreo periódico de las principales zonas productoras, para así poder detectar los virus y hongos emergentes en cada territorio y adaptar los programas de mejora a los objetivos específicos de cada zona. En el caso concreto del melón (Cucumis melo) existe una gran variabilidad intraespecífica que puede servir como fuente de alelos de resistencia frente a estos patógenos. Sin embargo, las fuentes de resistencia suelen encontrarse dentro del germoplasma silvestre, normalmente originario de África o Asia, y en el que el nivel de domesticación es reducido. Para un mejor aprovechamiento de las accesiones resistentes, resulta necesario un estudio del control genético de los caracteres de interés, que permita localizar las regiones asociadas a la resistencia y diseñar marcadores moleculares asociadas a las mismas. Esto facilita los programas de mejora orientados a la introgresión de las resistencias manteniendo el fondo genético de las variedades de interés En la presente tesis doctoral, durante las campañas de verano de 2019 y 2020, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de la incidencia y diversidad genética de 9 especies virales potencialmente limitantes para el cultivo de cucurbitáceas en el sur este español. Se ha podido observar que los virus transmitidos por pulgones son prevalentes frente a los transmitidos por mosca blanca. Dentro del primer grupo destacó la presencia de watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), cucurbits aphid borne yellows virus (CABYV) y cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), ya que fueron detectados en todas las zonas y cultivos estudiados, apareciendo frecuentemente en infecciones mixtas. Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV) y tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) también fueron detectados en algunas zonas, pero con porcentajes de infección más bajos y normalmente en infecciones mixtas con WMV. Los análisis filogenéticos de los distintos aislados encontrados ha permitido la identificación de 7 nuevos perfiles moleculares de WMV y de aislados recombinantes de CMV, lo que es consistente con los resultados obtenidos en otros países y pone de manifiesto la gran variabilidad de estos patógenos. Las accesiones silvestres de melón recogidas en distintos bancos de germoplasma son un valioso recurso para los programas de mejora genética frente a estreses bióticos. La accesión africana TGR-1551 ha sido descrita previamente como resistente a WMV, CYSDV (cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus), CABYV y el hongo Podosphaera xanthii (Px, razas 1, 2 y 5) agente causal del oídio en melón. Además, es tolerante a la mosca blanca (Bemisia tabaci) y portadora del gen Vat (virus aphid transmission), el cual limita la transmisión de virus por pulgón. Por lo tanto, esta accesión constituye una buena fuente de alelos de resistencia y, al poder utilizar un único parental donante, su uso acortaría los programas de mejora. En el marco de la presente tesis doctoral, mediante el desarrollo de poblaciones segregantes de mapeo y el aprovechamiento de las tecnologías de genotipado masivo se han podido cartografiar los QTLs asociados a la resistencia a CYSDV derivados de esta entrada. En el caso de la resistencia a CYSDV, se han detectado dos QTL en el cromosoma 5. El primero de ellos es de efecto mayor y herencia dominante, estando asociado al desarrollo de síntomas. El segundo QTL, de efecto menor y también de herencia dominante, no confiere resistencia por sí mismo y está asociado a la carga viral durante la infección. Siguiendo una estrategia similar se han podido cartografiar y estrecha[CA] Les cucurbitàcies són la segona família d'hortícoles més important a nivell mundial, només per darrere de les solanàcies. Tradicionalment el seu cultiu s'ha dut a terme a les zones temperades del planeta. No obstant això, les condicions de canvi climàtic, el comerç internacional i els models d'agricultura intensiva afavoreixen l'aparició de noves virosis i malalties fúngiques en zones on abans no estaven presents. En aquest sentit, resulta essencial el monitoratge periòdic de les principals zones productores, per a d'aquesta manera, poder detectar els virus i fongs emergents en cada territori i adaptar els programes de millora als objectius específics de cada zona. En el cas concret del meló (Cucumis melo) existeix una gran variabilitat intraespecífica que pot servir com a font d'al·lels de resistència enfront d'aquests patògens. No obstant això, les fonts de resistència solen trobar-se dins del germoplasma silvestre, normalment originari d'Àfrica o Àsia, i en el qual el nivell de domesticació és reduït. Per a un millor aprofitament de les accessions resistents, resulta necessari un estudi del control genètic dels caràcters d'interés, que permeta localitzar les regions associades a la resistència i dissenyar marcadors moleculars associats a aquestes. Això facilita els programes de millora orientats a la introgressió de les resistències mantenint el fons genètic de les varietats d'interés. En la present tesi doctoral, durant les campanyes d'estiu de 2019 i 2020, s'ha dut a terme un estudi de la incidència i diversitat genètica de nou espècies virals potencialment limitants per al cultiu de cucurbitàcies en el sud-est espanyol. S'ha pogut observar que els virus transmesos per pugons són prevalents enfront dels transmesos per mosca blanca. Dins del primer grup va destacar la presència de watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), cucurbits aphid born yellows virus (CABYV) i cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), ja que van ser detectats en totes les zones i cultius estudiats, apareixent sovint en infeccions mixtes. Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV) i tomatoleaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) també van ser detectats en algunes zones, però amb percentatges d'infecció més baixos i normalment en infeccions mixtes amb WMV. Les anàlisis filogenètiques dels diferents aïllats trobats ha permés la identificació de set nous perfils moleculars de WMV i d'aïllats recombinants de CMV, la qual cosa és consistent amb els resultats obtinguts en altres països i posa de manifest la gran variabilitat d'aquests patògens. Les accessions silvestres de meló recollides en diferents bancs de germoplasma són un valuós recurs per als programes de millora genètica enfront d'estressos biòtics. L'accessió africana *TGR-1551 ha sigut descrita prèviament com a resistent a WMV, CYSDV (cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus), CABYV i el fong Podosphaera xanthii (Px, races 1, 2 i 5) agent causal de l'oïdi en meló. A més, és tolerant a la mosca blanca (Bemisia tabaci) i portadora del gen Vat (virus aphid transmission), el qual limita la transmissió de virus per pugó. Per tant, aquesta accessió constitueix una bona font d'al·lels de resistència i, en poder utilitzar un únic parental donant, el seu ús acurtaria els programes de millora. En el marc de la present tesi doctoral, mitjançant el desenvolupament de poblacions segregants de mapatge i l'aprofitament de les tecnologies de genotipat massiu s'ha pogut cartografiar els QTLs associats a la resistència a CYSDV derivats d'aquesta entrada. En el cas de la resistència a CYSDV, s'han detectat dues QTL en el cromosoma cinc. El primer d'ells és d'efecte major i herència dominant, estant associat al desenvolupament de símptomes. El segon QTL, d'efecte menor i també d'herència dominant, no confereix resistència per si mateix i està associat a la càrrega viral durant la infecció. Seguint una estratègia similar s'han pogut cartografiar i estrényer els *QTLs de resistència enfront de Px. En aquest cas es tracta d'una epistàsia dominant-re[EN] Cucurbits represent the second most important horticultural family worldwide, second only the Solanaceae family. Traditionally, their cultivation has been concentrated in temperate regions across the globe. However, climate change conditions, international trade, and intensive agricultural practices are contributing to the emergence of new viral and fungal diseases in regions where they were previously absent. In this regard, it is crucial to regularly monitor major production areas to detect emerging viruses and fungi specific to each region. This monitoring allows for the adaptation of breeding programs to the unique goals of each area. In the case of melon (Cucumis melo), it exists significant intraspecific variability that can serve as a source of resistance alleles against these pathogens. However, sources of resistance are often found within wild germplasm, typically originating from Africa or Asia, and characterized by limited domestication. To better utilize these resistant accessions, a study of the genetic control of desirable traits is necessary. This study aims to locate regions associated with resistance and design molecular markers linked to these regions. Such an approach streamlines breeding programs focused on introgressing resistance traits while preserving the genetic background of the desired varieties. During the summer campaigns of 2019 and 2020, this doctoral thesis conducted a study on the incidence and genetic diversity of nine viral species potentially affecting cucurbit cultivation in southeastern Spain. It was observed that viruses transmitted by aphids were more prevalent than those transmitted by whiteflies. Within the first group, the presence of watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), cucurbits aphid borne yellows virus (CABYV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) stood out, as they were detected in all the studied areas and crops, often in mixed infections. Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV) and tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) were also detected in some areas but with lower infection percentages, typically in mixed infections with WMV. Phylogenetic analyses of the found isolates have identified seven new molecular profiles of WMV and recombinant CMV isolates, which is consistent with results from other countries, highlighting the extensive variability of these pathogens. Wild melon accessions preserved in various germplasm banks represent a valuable resource for breeding programs against biotic stresses. The African accession TGR-1551 has been previously described as resistant to WMV, CYSDV (cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus), CABYV, and the fungus Podosphaera xanthii (Px, races 1, 2, and 5), which causes powdery mildew in melons. Additionally, it is tolerant to whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and carries the Vat gene (Virus Aphid Transmission), limiting virus transmission by aphids. Therefore, this accession constitutes as an excellent source of resistance alleles, and its use, as a single donor parent, can expedite breeding programs. Within the scope of this doctoral thesis, through the development of segregating mapping populations and the utilization of high-throughput genotyping technologies, the QTLs associated with CYSDV resistance from this accession have been mapped. In the case of CYSDV resistance, two QTLs have been detected on chromosome 5. The first of these, with major effects and dominant inheritance, is associated with symptom development. The second QTL, with minor effects and also dominant inheritance, does not confer resistance by itself and is linked to viral load during infection. A similar strategy was employed to map and narrow down the QTLs for resistance against Px. In this case, it involves a dominant-recessive epistasis, with the recessive gene located on chromosome 12 and the dominant gene on chromosome 5, specifically in the same region where the major CYSDV resistance QTL is located. Regarding resistance against WMV, previous studies conducted by the researchThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), grant number PID2020-116055RB (C21 and C22), and by the Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esports de la Generalitat Valenciana, grant number PROMETEO/2021/072 (to promote excellence groups, cofinanced with FEDER funds). M.L. is a recipient of a predoctoral fellowship (PRE2018-083466) of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades co-financed with FSE funds.López Martín, M. (2023). Breeding Melons for Resistance to Viral and Fungal Diseases. Exploiting the Multi-Resistant Accession TGR-1551 [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/20206

    Immune contexture monitoring in solid tumors focusing on Head and Neck Cancer

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    Forti evidenze dimostrano una stretta interazione tra il sistema immunitario e lo sviluppo biologico e la progressione clinica dei tumori solidi. L'effetto che il microambiente immunitario del tumore può avere sul comportamento clinico della malattia è indicato come "immunecontexture". Nonostante ciò, l'attuale gestione clinica dei pazienti affetti da cancro non tiene conto di alcuna caratteristica immunologica né per la stadiazione né per le scelte terapeutiche. Il tumore della testa e del collo (HNSCC) rappresenta il 7° tumore più comune al mondo ed è caratterizzato da una prognosi relativamente sfavorevole e dall'effetto negativo dei trattamenti sulla qualità della vita dei pazienti. Oltre alla chirurgia e alla radioterapia, sono disponibili pochi trattamenti sistemici, rappresentati principalmente dalla chemioterapia a base di platino-derivati o dal cetuximab. L'immunoterapia è una nuova strategia terapeutica ancora limitata al setting palliativo (malattia ricorrente non resecabile o metastatica). La ricerca di nuovi biomarcatori o possibili nuovi meccanismi target è molto rilevante quindi nel contesto clinico dell'HNSCC. In questa tesi ci si concentrerà sullo studio di tre possibili popolazioni immunitarie pro-tumorali studiate nell'HNSCC: i neutrofili tumore-associati (TAN), le cellule B intratumorali con fenotipo immunosoppressivo e i T-reg CD8+. Particolare attenzione è data all'applicazione di moderne tecniche biostatistiche e bioinformatiche per riassumere informazioni complesse derivate da variabili cliniche e immunologiche multiparametriche e per validare risultati derivati ​​in situ, attraverso dati di espressione genica derivati da dataset pubblici. Infine, la seconda parte della tesi prenderà in considerazione progetti di ricerca clinica rilevanti, volti a migliorare l'oncologia di precisione nell'HNSCC, sviluppando modelli predittivi di sopravvivenza, confrontando procedure oncologiche alternative, validando nuovi classificatori o testando l'uso di nuovi protocolli clinici come l'uso dell'immunonutrizione.Strong evidences demonstrate a close interplay between the immune system and the biological development and clinical progression of solid tumors. The effect that the tumor immune microenvironment can have on the clinical behavior of the disease is referred as the immuno contexture. Nevertheless, the current clinical management of patients affected by cancer does not take into account any immunological features either for the staging or for the treatment choices. Head and Neck Cancer (HNSCC) represents the 7th most common cancer worldwide and it is characterized by a relatively poor prognosis and detrimental effect of treatments on the quality of life of patients. Beyond surgery and radiotherapy, few systemic treatments are available, mainly represented by platinum-based chemotherapy or cetuximab. Immunotherapy is a new therapeutical strategy still limited to the palliative setting (recurrent not resectable or metastatic disease). The search for new biomarkers or possible new targetable mechanisms is meaningful especially in the clinical setting of HNSCC. In this thesis a focus will be given on the study of three possible pro-tumoral immune populations studied in HNSCC: the tumor associated neutrophils (TAN), intratumoral B-cells with a immunosuppressive phenotype and the CD8+ T-regs. Biostatistical and bioinformatical techniques are applied to summarize complex information derived from multiparametric clinical and immunological variables and to validate in-situ derived findings through gene expression data of public available datasets. Lastly, the second part of the thesis will take into account relevant clinical research projects, aimed at improving the precision oncology in HNSCC developing survival prediction models, comparing alternative oncological procedures, validating new classifiers or testing the use of novel clinical protocols as the use of immunnutrition

    High Voltage DC-biased Oil Type Medium Frequency Transformer; A Green Solution for Series DC Wind Park Concept

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    The electric energy generated by remote offshore wind parks is transported to the consumers using high voltage submarine cables. On the generation site, such transmissions are realized today by collecting the energy produced by several wind turbines in a bulky and expensive transformer placed on a dedicated platform. An alternative solution has been proposed recently, which allows to reduce the installation and maintenance costs by eliminating such a platform. It is suggested to equip each wind turbine in the wind park by an individual DC/DC converter and connect them in series to reach the DC voltage level required for an efficient HVDC energy transportation to the shore. The DC/DC converter is supposed to be a Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter, which can be made reasonably small to be placed on the wind turbine tower or even in its nacelle. The key element of the converter defining its size and mass is a special transformer, which operates at voltages comprising a high (switching) frequency component superimposed on a high DC offset voltage. DC insulation design of such a transformer and investigation of the effects of a high DC insulation level on the other electromagnetic properties of the transformer is the subject of the present research.In order to verify the concept a prototype of the transformer was built, and its evaluation presented. The unit has been manufactured for the rated power of 50 kW and rated voltages 0.4/5 kV including DC offset of 125 kV and square-shaped oscillations with the frequency of 5 kHz. The magnetic system was made of ferrite material and consisted of 10 shell-type core segments. The magnetic properties have been verified by measuring magnetization and losses at various frequencies in the range 1-10 kHz to cover the operational range of the DAB. The types and dimensions of the windings and their conductors were chosen to minimize the proximity and eddy current effects at higher frequencies. To reduce the size of the transformer and to allow for its efficient cooling, the active part was immersed in oil and cellulose-based materials (paper and pressboard) were used to build the high voltage insulation system. The principles for dimensioning the insulation of the transformer are discussed. The criteria used for selecting insulating distances were based on the consideration of the electric field strength obtained from FEM simulations and using the non-linear Maxwell-Wagner model accounting for local variations of the electric field caused by accumulation of interfacial charges induced by DC stresses. The properties of the materials needed for the calculations were obtained by measuring their dielectric constants and electric conductivities. The methodology used for the measurements conducted for conventional mineral oil and eco-friendly biodegradable transformer oils and, respectively, for oil-impregnated paper/pressboard, is presented. The methodologies used for obtaining parameters of the built transformer prototype needed for its integration in the power electric circuit of the DAB are introduced. A method developed for accurate calculations of the leakage inductance for the shell-type multi core transformers with circular windings is described. Two innovative methods for evaluations of parasitic capacitances based on high frequency equivalent circuits of the transformer are presented. The results of their verifications against performed Frequency Response Analysis measurements and FEM calculations as well as their accuracy are discussed.Thermal performance of the developed transformer prototype is analysed based on the results of computer simulations of heat transfer in its active part under rated load. Identified hot spots and solutions for their elimination are presented.Finally, the expected dimensions, weight, and efficiency of an actual DC/DC converter with the rated parameters corresponding to a 6 MW, 1.8 kV real wind turbine having a 250 kV offset DC voltage are estimated assuming that the developed transformer prototype is scalable. It is shown that the proposed solution allows for installing the full-scale converter having 2.2 Tons in weight and 1.8 m3 in volume on the bottom of the wind turbine’s tower

    Seamless Multimodal Biometrics for Continuous Personalised Wellbeing Monitoring

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    Artificially intelligent perception is increasingly present in the lives of every one of us. Vehicles are no exception, (...) In the near future, pattern recognition will have an even stronger role in vehicles, as self-driving cars will require automated ways to understand what is happening around (and within) them and act accordingly. (...) This doctoral work focused on advancing in-vehicle sensing through the research of novel computer vision and pattern recognition methodologies for both biometrics and wellbeing monitoring. The main focus has been on electrocardiogram (ECG) biometrics, a trait well-known for its potential for seamless driver monitoring. Major efforts were devoted to achieving improved performance in identification and identity verification in off-the-person scenarios, well-known for increased noise and variability. Here, end-to-end deep learning ECG biometric solutions were proposed and important topics were addressed such as cross-database and long-term performance, waveform relevance through explainability, and interlead conversion. Face biometrics, a natural complement to the ECG in seamless unconstrained scenarios, was also studied in this work. The open challenges of masked face recognition and interpretability in biometrics were tackled in an effort to evolve towards algorithms that are more transparent, trustworthy, and robust to significant occlusions. Within the topic of wellbeing monitoring, improved solutions to multimodal emotion recognition in groups of people and activity/violence recognition in in-vehicle scenarios were proposed. At last, we also proposed a novel way to learn template security within end-to-end models, dismissing additional separate encryption processes, and a self-supervised learning approach tailored to sequential data, in order to ensure data security and optimal performance. (...)Comment: Doctoral thesis presented and approved on the 21st of December 2022 to the University of Port

    Relevance of parental monitoring strategies in explanation of externalising behaviour problems in adolescence: Mediation of parental knowledge

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    A process model of parental monitoring (PM) proposes that PM occurs in two distinct stages: before the adolescent goes out and when they return home. Parental and adolescent responses to monitoring interactions impact on future monitoring episodes. Research suggests that passive PM strategies (e.g. child disclosure) correlate with higher parental knowledge and less behavior problems. Self-reported measures were used on a sample of 507 Belgrade secondary school students (42.1% male) to examine the mediating effect (mediation analysis using JASP) of parental knowledge (the Scale of Parental Monitoring) on the relationship of PM strategies (Child Disclosure, Parental Solicitation and Parental Control) (the Scale of Parental Monitoring) with externalising problems (Aggressive and Rule-Breaking Behaviour) (ASEBA, YSR). The research results show that Parental Knowledge mediate the relation of Child Disclosure and RuleBreaking Behaviour (z = -6.544, p < .001) and Parental Control and Rule-Breaking Behaviour (z =-3.770, p< .001). No direct link between Parental Control and RuleBreaking Behavior, as well as Parental Solicitation and Rule-Breaking Behavior were established. Full mediation of the link between Child Disclosure and Aggressive Behavior by Parental Knowledge is found (total indirect effect z = -4.050, p < .001). The research results were discussed in the context of the relevance of the PM strategies for greater parental knowledge and prevention of externalising problems in adolescence

    Production and characterisation of dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates

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    Remarkable progress in the field of ultracold atoms has enabled the study of a great variety of topics in many-body quantum mechanics. The precise control of key parameters, such as interactions, temperature, density, internal and external degrees of freedom, dimensionality and the trapping geometry makes them a powerful and flexible experimental platform. The ability to create degenerate samples of atoms which feature long-range and anisotropic dipole–dipole interactions besides the more conventional short-range and isotropic contact interactions drew considerable attention, enabling the creation of quantum droplets and a supersolid phase. This thesis reports on experimental and theoretical progress in investigating dipolar many-body quantum systems. We present an overview of our experimental apparatus and the techniques used for obtaining a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of erbium. We then discuss our experimental sequence for producing a quantum degenerate gas, creating a quasi-pure BEC with 2.2 x 10^5 atoms. To optimise the production of erbium BECs, we explore density- and temperature-dependent losses in 166Er and identify six previously unreported resonant loss features. Finally, to enable studies of density-dependent phenomena, we present a theoretical investigation of dipolar condensates in box-like traps, where we explore stability and how one can use it to replicate properties of an infinite, homogeneous system to study dipolar physics. We found that traps with hard walls trigger roton-like density oscillations even if the bulk of the system is far from the roton regime, so smoother potentials are better suited to recreate homogeneous conditions. This sets the ground for future experiments, where the atoms will be loaded into a box trap to enable studies of systems which are tightly trapped in one direction but homogeneous in the other two

    University of Windsor Graduate Calendar 2023 Spring

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    https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/universitywindsorgraduatecalendars/1027/thumbnail.jp

    Genomic profiling in rare kidney disease

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    Rare diseases (RD), generally defined by an incidence of less than 1:2000, affect about 3-6% of the population. To date, over 600 different genetic kidney diseases have been identified. Most of them with the exception of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are rare to ultrarare disorders. Due to their rarity and often genetic heterogeneity, analysis is difficult and diagnosis is frequently delayed. Clinically, (rare) kidney diseases (RKD) are mainly divided into the following categories: Congenital or developmental kidney and urogenital tract malformations, electrolytes or metabolic disorder, glomerular disease, secondary renal, hereditary renal cancer syndromes, or tubulointerstitial kidney disease. Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), are leading causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children, adolescents, and adults. Although several SRNS genes could be identified mostly in younger children, the genetic basis of SRNS/FSGS in adolescents and adults is far from being completely understood. Reliable discrimination of genetic versus non-genetic forms is an imperative as the identification of monogenic rare kidney disease has numerous implications in a precision medicine setting. Currently, the predominant application of short-read based sequencing techniques results in preferential detection of point mutations and small-sized deletions/insertions while larger structural aberrations (large deletions/insertions), gene rearrangements, and mutations in homologous or repetitive regions frequently escape detection. This project combines short-read based high throughput next-generation sequencing (GPS/WES/WGS) with unparalleled structural variant analyses to overcome previous limitations in genetic analyses. Clinically relevant examples, that such structural variants (SV) are important in rare kidney diseases, are complement activation gene cluster (RCA; chromosome1q32) in atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) as well as the deletion of the chloride channel ClC-Kb associated with Bartter syndrome type 3. The major goal of this project is to unravel the genetic basis of genetic forms of RKD like SRNS/FSGS, aHUS, and tubulopathies and to define a pipeline for the molecular genetic analyses of rare kidney diseases as a best-practice clinical routine at the University Hospital of Cologne. Specifically, my aim was to perform profound genome analyses using biosamples from a cohort of paediatric and adult SRNS/FSGS patients, that have been collected over the last years and integrate this with already existing genetic data. By a comprehensive genomic approach, we aim to improve the diagnostics of chronic kidney disease, enhance our IV understanding of the underlying pathomechanisms, and contribute to practice-changing discoveries by precision diagnostics, that allow individualized therapies

    Evaluating EEG–EMG Fusion-Based Classification as a Method for Improving Control of Wearable Robotic Devices for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation

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    Musculoskeletal disorders are the biggest cause of disability worldwide, and wearable mechatronic rehabilitation devices have been proposed for treatment. However, before widespread adoption, improvements in user control and system adaptability are required. User intention should be detected intuitively, and user-induced changes in system dynamics should be unobtrusively identified and corrected. Developments often focus on model-dependent nonlinear control theory, which is challenging to implement for wearable devices. One alternative is to incorporate bioelectrical signal-based machine learning into the system, allowing for simpler controller designs to be augmented by supplemental brain (electroencephalography/EEG) and muscle (electromyography/EMG) information. To extract user intention better, sensor fusion techniques have been proposed to combine EEG and EMG; however, further development is required to enhance the capabilities of EEG–EMG fusion beyond basic motion classification. To this end, the goals of this thesis were to investigate expanded methods of EEG–EMG fusion and to develop a novel control system based on the incorporation of EEG–EMG fusion classifiers. A dataset of EEG and EMG signals were collected during dynamic elbow flexion–extension motions and used to develop EEG–EMG fusion models to classify task weight, as well as motion intention. A variety of fusion methods were investigated, such as a Weighted Average decision-level fusion (83.01 ± 6.04% accuracy) and Convolutional Neural Network-based input-level fusion (81.57 ± 7.11% accuracy), demonstrating that EEG–EMG fusion can classify more indirect tasks. A novel control system, referred to as a Task Weight Selective Controller (TWSC), was implemented using a Gain Scheduling-based approach, dictated by external load estimations from an EEG–EMG fusion classifier. To improve system stability, classifier prediction debouncing was also proposed to reduce misclassifications through filtering. Performance of the TWSC was evaluated using a developed upper-limb brace simulator. Due to simulator limitations, no significant difference in error was observed between the TWSC and PID control. However, results did demonstrate the feasibility of prediction debouncing, showing it provided smoother device motion. Continued development of the TWSC, and EEG–EMG fusion techniques will ultimately result in wearable devices that are able to adapt to changing loads more effectively, serving to improve the user experience during operation
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