The Role of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Signaling in Medulloblastoma Metastasis

Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor in children and one third of the patients remain incurable. Tumor metastasis is one of the primary reasons for its high mortality rate. Despite evidence of overexpression of PDGFRα and PDGFRβ in metastatic medulloblastoma, their individual roles remain controversial and equivocal. Analysis of their specific signaling pathway in medulloblastoma cells revealed that PDGFRα and PDGFRβ signaling events lead to distinct cellular functions: while PDGFRβ stimulated cell proliferation and invasion, the expression of CD44 to regulate progression via c-Myc and inhibited cell death, PDGFRα displayed the opposite effects. Studies also revealed that c-Myc plays an intermediary role by regulating the downstream molecules in PDGFRβ signal pathway such as CD44 and NFB. NFB activity was found to be down- regulated in the absence of PDGFRβ pathway, with its activity restored by the overexpression of c-Myc. Analysis of medulloblastoma patient tissues without a prior knowledge of their metastatic nature further confirmed that PDGFRβ-CD44 axis regulate medulloblastoma metastasis. Co-inhibition studies performed by simultaneous inhibition of both PDGFRβ and c-Myc either by using siRNAs or by using pharmacological inhibitors demonstrated an enhanced inhibitory effect on medulloblastoma cell proliferation and migration. Using miRNA profiling of Daoy cells lacking either PDGFRβ or c-Myc alone or both, a set of miRNAs regulated by both PDGFRβ and c-Myc in common were identified. Integrative analysis of these miRNAs and their targets revealed that activation of PDGFRβ signaling and overexpression of c-Myc may enhance medulloblastoma progression via modulating the expression of several miRNAs such as miR-1280, -1260 and consequently regulating the expression of oncogenic molecules, such as Jagged 2 and CDC25A, respectively. Specific inhibition of miRNAs, miR-1280 and -1260, and JAG2 demonstrated their vital roles in medulloblastoma cell proliferation and migration. These findings suggest that the PDGFRβ-CD44 is a regulatory axis modulating medulloblastoma progression via c-Myc and targeting PDGFRβ/c-Myc/CD44 may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of metastatic medulloblastoma

Will the Role of Infrastructure in Higher Education Become Redundant?-A Critical Study of the Expectation of Students

During the countrywide lockdown due to the pandemic, students attended online classes and it appeared that physical classes may not be necessary or lose their relevance in future as students could easily get access to online learning materials. Students sitting in the comfort of their homes could access the best learning materials available anywhere in the world and excel in their respective fields of study. One of the astounding questions that came for debate those days was whether we need huge college buildings and enormous infrastructure facilities when laptop, a mobile phone or any device serves the purpose. But interestingly, students slowly but steadily showed signs of boredom and ennui with the online classes and were eager to join the physical classes. Many of them went to the extent of demanding physical classes. This phenomenon has led to some of the significant questions that we, as educationists and policy makers need to seriously address with immediate priority.First and foremost, why is that students prefer physical classes in spite of the fact that best of the resource material is available on their finger tips? What are the expectations of students in the changed contemporary scenario? Will the words of Bill Gates on the complete irrelevance of physical campuses, classrooms and physical infrastructure prove to be prophetic?This paper will delve deep into these research questions by conducting an systematic empirical study of the phenomenon. The research partners wouldbe the managers of education, students, staff, parents and other stakeholders.It is envisaged that the outcome of the study will be of immense use in the context of most of the higher education institutions adopting virtual, blended or hybridized pedagogies. They will have tremendous implications to the higher education scenario of the future. Key words: Pandemic, Physical classes, Virtual classrooms, Blended mode, Higher Education DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-30-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

Effect of Organic Manures and Inorganic Fertilizers on Fruit Yield of Tomato

Treatments with organic manure, inorganic fertilizers and their combinations showed significant differences for fruit yield and yield attributing traits. Among the treatments, application of 20 t FYM/ha along with full dose of recommended NPK i.e. 150:60:60 kg NPK / ha recorded the highest fruit yield of 428.32 and 530.55 q/ha during the year 2002 and 2003, respectively with grand mean fruit yield of 479.43 q/ha. This treatment was on par with 40 tonnes FYM + 1/2 dose of recommended NPK during 2002 and 2003, which recorded mean fruit yield of 456.17 q/ ha. Both these treatments were significantly superior to recommended inorganic NPK fertilizer treatment (435.57 q/ha) as well as to application of different doses of organic manure alone such as FYM and green manure, indicating that integration of both organic manures and inorganic fertilizers are important for obtaining higher fruit yield in tomato. Addition of organic manure besides having favourable effect on crop yield was also found to be better in maintaining soil health and growth of succeeding crop

AN EVALUATION OF CPU EFFICIENCY UNDER DYNAMIC QUANTUM ALLOCATION

A model for a time-sharing operating system is developed in order to assess the effects of dynamic quantum allocation and overhead variability on central processing unit (CPU) efficiency. CPU efficiency is determined by the proportion of time devoted to user-oriented (problem state) tasks within a busy period. Computational results indicate that a dynamic quantum allocation strategy produces significant differences in CPU efficiency compared to a constant quantum. The differences are affected significantly by the variability among allocated quantum values and the demand on the system. Overhead variability also has a pronounced effect. A function that depicts overhead as decreasing with demand produces more stable values of CPU efficiency. The interaction between demand and the amount of overhead is observed to be significant

Hydropriming -a useful technique for seed invigoration in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Seed germinating ability and stand establishment determine the management options in crop production system. Physiological advancement of seeds through priming is a simple and cost-effective method to improve the germinability and stand of any crop. Studies were performed on seed invigoration through hydropriming at the division of PHT, SKUAST-Kashmir during the year 2016 to optimize the hydropriming duration for improved germi-nation and seedling vigour of okra (Pusa sawani) and parsley (curly type). Freshly harvested seeds were soaked in normal water for varying durations (okra- 12, 18 and 24 h; parsley- 24, 48 and 72 h) at (25±2°C) and re-dried to original moisture content at room temperature. Fifty seeds of each treatment were cultured in 14.0 cm Petri dishes lined with 5 layers of moist blotting paper. Observations on various germination parameters were recorded at (25±2°C). Priming of okra seeds for 18 h resulted in highest FGP (85.7%), GE (66.5%), GI (36.7), SDB (29.1mg) and SVI (2.49) coupled with minimum values of T50 (2.75 day) as well as MGT (2.38 day). However, the highest FGP (78.7%), GE (48.7%), SDB (3.13 mg), GI (12.8) and SVI (0.25) together with minimum T50 (7.2 day) and MGT (6.5 day) in parsley was recorded with 24 h priming duration. As such priming duration of 18 and 24 hours at 25±2°C were found optimal for enhanced and rapid seed germination with vigourous seedlings

Dynamic Quantum Allocation and Swap-Time Variability in Time-Sharing Operating Systems

No abstract available