Social support relationships for sexual minority women in Mumbai, India: a photo elicitation interview study

Little research exists on women who do not identify as heterosexual in India. Social support for sexual minority women may protect against the effects of discrimination. An examination of significant social relationships may point to both strengths and weaknesses in this support. We aimed to understand relationship prioritisation and communication patterns associated with the social support of sexual minority women in Mumbai. In partnership with the Humsafar Trust, India’s oldest and largest sexual and gender minority-advocacy organisation, we conducted photo-elicitation interviews with 18 sexual minority women, using participants’ photographs to prompt dialogue about their social support. Intimate partners were a source of dependable support and many of those without relationships were seeking them. Participants’ extended networks included friends and family as well as less formal relationships of social support. Participants mediated their communication with particular social network members, which involved filtering information sexual identity, romantic interests, and personal aspirations, among others. The diverse relationships that sexual minority women have in their social support networks may be used to guide programmes to improve health outcomes

A multi-method study of health behaviours and perceived concerns of sexual minority females in Mumbai, India

Background: This multi-method study explores the perceived health status and health behaviours of sexual minority (i.e. self-identifying with a sexual identity label other than heterosexual) females (i.e. those assigned female at birth who may or may not identify as women) in Mumbai, India, a population whose health has been generally absent in scientific literature. Methods: Using community-based participatory research approaches, this study is a partnership with The Humsafar Trust (HST). HST is India’s oldest and largest LGBT-advocacy organisation. An online survey targeted towards sexual minority females was conducted (n = 49), with questions about sexual identity, perceived health and wellbeing, physical and mental healthcare access and experiences, and health behaviours (including substance use). Additionally, photo-elicitation interviews in which participants’ photos prompt interview discussion were conducted with 18 sexual minority females. Results: Sexual minority females face obstacles in health care, mostly related to acceptability and quality of care. Their use of preventative health screenings is low. Perceived mental health and experiences with care were less positive than that for physical health. Participants in photo-elicitation interviews described bodyweight issues and caretaking of family members in relation to physical health. Substance use functioned as both a protective and a risk factor for their health. Conclusion: Our findings point to a need for more resources for sexual minority females. Education on screening guidelines and screening access for sexual minority females would also assist these individuals in increasing their rates of preventative health

Mustard Stalk and Straw: A New Source for Production of Lignocellulolytic Enzymes by the Fungus Termitomyces Clypeatus and as a Substrate for Saccharification

Agro residue of mustard obtained as mustard stalk and straw (MSS) was investigated for the first time for production of lignocellulolytic enzymes by Termitomyces clypeatus and also for use as substrate for saccharification. MSS with high cellulose and hemicellulose content was utilized as sole source of carbon by the fungus for productions of enzymes such as (CMcase, �-glucosidase, xylanase and �-xylosidase) in submerged fermentation. Production of enzymes were further increased by 2–10 folds on supplementation with common agro-residues such as wheat bran and rice straw (MWR) in 1:1:1 ratio and by using alkali treated MSS (TMSS). The enzymes obtained from MWR and TMSS media could saccharify 10% (w/v) wheat bran up to 53% and 58% in 24 h, and xylan up to 52% and 81% in 12 h, respectively. MSS was used for saccharification by enzymes of T. clypeatus grown in cellulose media after pretreatment with hot water and NaCl respectively, where extent of saccharification was doubled to 80% by salt treatment as compared to that with hot water. The results indicated that MSS can be used as a potential and cheap renewable raw material from India for production of bio-ethano

Increased Enzyme Secretion by 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose in Presence of Succinate by Suppression of Metabolic Enzymes in Termitomyces Clypeatus.

Regulatory mode of secretion of proteins was detected for the industrial glycosidase, cellobiase, under secreting conditions (in presence of TCA cycle intermediates like succinate etc.) in the filamentous fungus Termitomyces clypeatus. The titers of key metabolic enzymes were investigated under secreting and nonsecreting conditions of growth and compared to the corresponding production of intra and extracellular levels of cellobiase. Results were compared in presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a potent glycosylation inhibitor in the secreting media. Inclusion of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in presence of succinate caused about 10 to 100 times decrease in titers of the metabolic enzymes hexokinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, isocitrate lyase and malate dehydrogenase leading to increased secretion of cellobiase by more than 100 times. The intracellular concentration of cAMP (86-fold decrease in presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose under secreting conditions) and turnover rate of proteins also dropped significantly. In this suppressed metabolic state, a 10-fold increase in the titer of the secreted cellobiase was noticed. The results indicated elucidation of carbon catabolite repression like phenomenon in the fungus under secreting conditions which was more pronounced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The interdependence between secretion and regulation of metabolic enzymes will help in better understanding of the physiology of these highly adapted organisms for increasing their secretion potential of glycosidases like cellobiase with high industrial value

Interference of Sugars in the Coomassie Blue G dye Binding Assay of Proteins

The presence of sugars causes significant deviation from the actual absorbance of proteins in the Bradford protein assay. In these studies, polysaccharides and disaccharides at milligram levels mimicked proteins in microgram equivalents. Monosaccharides, which individually did not show any absorbance, interfered significantly by sequestering the dye species. The studies demonstrated that in a mixture of sugars and proteins, sugar interference was much higher than expected from sugar molecules’ individual contribution. Estimated protein values were increased 2 to 4 times after precipitation from fungal culture broths. Thus, in carbohydrate-rich samples, protein concentrations should be ascertained by precipitation from crude extracts and resolubilization in a noninterfering buffe

Enhanced Activity and Stability of Cellobiase (b-Glucosidase: EC 3.2.1.21) Produced in the Presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose from the Fungus Termitomyces Clypeatus

Generally less glycosylation or deglycosylation has a detrimental effect on enzyme activity and stability. Increased production and secretion of cellobiase was earlier obtained in the presence of the glycosylation inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose in filamentous fungus Termitomyces clypeatus [Mukherjee, S.; Chowdhury, S.; Ghorai, S.; Pal, S.; Khowala, S. Biotechnol. Lett. 2006, 28, 1773–1778]. In this study the enzyme was purified from the culture medium by ultrafiltration and gel-permeation, ion-exchange and high-performance liquid chromatography, and its catalytic activity was six times higher compared to the control enzyme. Km and Vmax of the purified enzyme were measured as 0.187 mM and 0.018 U mg�1, respectively, using pNPG as the substrate. The enzyme had temperature and pH optima at 45 �C and pH 5.4, respectively, and retained full activity in a pH range of 5–8 and temperatures of 30–60 �C. Interestingly less glycosylated cellobiase was resistant towards proteolytic as well as endoglycosidase-H digestion and showed higher stability than native enzyme due to increased aggregation of the protein. The enzyme also showed higher specific activity in the presence of cellobiose and pNPG and less susceptibility towards salts and different chemical agents. The b-glucosidase can be considered as a potentially useful enzyme in various food-processing, pharmaceutical and fermentation industries

Mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between perceived MSM related stigma and depressive symptoms among men who have sex with men in Nepal.

BackgroundPrevious studies have indicated the association between stigma and depressive symptoms among frequently stigmatized groups, such as men who have sex with men (MSM). While this association has been suggested in the literature, there is a dearth of evidence that examines whether food insecurity statistically mediates the relationship between stigma and depressive symptoms.MethodsThis cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2022 among a sample of 250 MSM in Kathmandu, Nepal, recruited through respondent-driven sampling. An unadjusted model including the exposure (stigma), mediator (food insecurity), and outcome variables (depressive symptoms) and an adjusted model that controlled for sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related confounders were used. Bootstrapping was utilized to estimate the coefficients of these effects and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Via bootstrap approach, we find out the mediating role of food insecurity in the association between stigma and depressive symptoms.ResultsDepressive symptoms, stigma, and food insecurity were 19.6%, 24.4%, and 29.2%, respectively, among MSM. Food insecurity was associated with higher age (b = 0.094; 95% CI = 0.039, 0.150) and monthly income (b = -1.806; 95% CI = -2.622, -0.985). Depressive symptoms were associated with condom-less sex in past six months (b = -1.638; 95% CI = -3.041, -0.092). Stigma was associated with higher age (b = 0.196; 95% CI = 0.084, 0.323) and PrEP uptake (b = 2.905; 95% CI = 0.659. 5.248). Food insecurity statistically mediated 20.6% of the indirect effect of stigma in depressive symptoms.ConclusionOur findings show that food insecurity affects the relationship between stigma and depressive symptoms in this population. Reducing food insecurity and addressing the stigma surrounding sexual orientation should be a priority when addressing mental health concerns among MSM in Nepal and other resource-limited countries with similar socio-cultural settings

In situ Reversible Aggregation of Extracellular Cellobiase in the Filamentous Fungus Termitomyces clypeatus

Cellobiase (E.C. 3.2.1.21), is a widely exploited industrial glycosidase with a major role in biofuel industry. Its stability and shelf life are major bottlenecks in achieving a superior formulation for industry. In the filamentous fungus Termitomyces clypeatus, the enzyme is secreted in a co-aggregated form with sucrase; the separation of this co-aggregation results in substantial loss of the enzyme’s activity. The aim of the present study was to examine the mode of aggregation of the secreted cellobiase-sucrase coaggregate and its role in the stabilization of cellobiase. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering of purified co-aggregates revealed reversible, concentration driven self-aggregation of the extracellular enzymes to form larger entities. However, the intracellular enzyme aggregates were rigid, non-interacting, and possessed a higher percentage of disulphide bonds. Circular dichroic spectra of the two coaggregates indicated no significant difference in secondary structures. Self-association increased the stability of extracellular aggregates towards heat by 1.5 fold, SDS by 4 ~ 7 fold, and chaotropic agents, by 1.5 ~ 2 fold, than the intracellular counterpart. The Km of extracellular aggregate varied between 0.29 and 0.45 mM as a result of spontaneous aggregation and disaggregation, whereas that of intracellular aggregate was 0.22 mM irrespective of its concentration status. In situ detection of cellobiase in native PAGE revealed two activity bands of the extracellular enzyme, which indicated a minimum of two active dissociated aggregate species, as compared to a single band for the intracellular enzyme. These studies are believed to improve the understanding of aggregation of the fungal glycosidases, which remains to be a blackbox, to increase the efficacy of these enzyme

Comparative elucidation of properties of sucrase-cellobiase co-aggregate produced in media containing sucrose by <i style="">Termitomyces clypeatus</i>

468-479Production profiles and characterization of the sucrase-cellobiase (S-C) co-aggregates from the filamentous fungus Termitomyces clypeatus were compared in media containing 1% and 5% sucrose to understand the effect of cellular regulation over secretion and aggregation of these two industrially important glycosidases. The enzymes were secreted constitutively but in a high sucrose medium (5%), cellobiase secretion was reduced to a basal level of 0.03 U/mL. In intracellular, cell-bound and extracellular milieus, S/C ratios gradually declined in a predictable trend indicating participation of more cellobiase subunits for secretion. Sucrase was secreted via vacuoles in the fungus, following the same route as that of cellobiase and thus co-aggregates of S-C were present in the vacuolar fraction. The extracellular co-aggregates showed similar molecular sizes (>550 kDa) on zymography; however, SDS-PAGE revealed substantial difference in their subunit assemblies. Sucrase from the 5% medium showed a 2.6 times lower Km than 1% medium. These observations demonstrated the formation of a unique S-C co-assembly, optimally suited to its needs and accommodation of the constituent subunits, to be used for biotechnological applications

Stigma as a barrier and sex work as a protective factor for HIV testing among trans women in Nepal.

Stigma towards trans women in Nepal creates individual and system-level risks for HIV. A critical protective factor is access to HIV prevention. Research is needed to determine the impact of stigma on HIV testing among trans women in Nepal. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected using respondent driven sampling in 2019 on HIV risk among trans women in Nepal. Data analysis was restricted to trans women who were HIV negative at testing through the parent study. Descriptive statistics, tests for bivariable associations between HIV testing and stigma variables, and binomial Poisson regression were conducted to examine HIV testing outcomes. There were 173 participants who tested negative for HIV in our sample. The majority were under age 35 (59%) and most had a grade school education or less (64.7%). No trans women were homeless and most rented a room (70.5%) or owned their home (19.7%). The majority were currently sex workers (57.8%). Almost all HIV-negative trans women had ever been tested for HIV (90.8%), but only 53.5% in the last 3 months. The most frequently cited reason for not having been tested was thinking they were at low risk for HIV (40.9%) and being afraid of receiving a positive test result (22.7%). HIV and anti-trans stigma were high across most measures, including that almost all (94.2%) believed that most people in Nepal would discriminate against people with HIV. And most participants thought trans women were not accepted in Nepali Society (65.9%). Most participants also reported high social support (70.5%). Social cohesion among participants varied, with most experiencing medium (41.6%) or high (33.5%) social cohesion. Just over half had high social participation (55.5%). Participants who reported current sex work had lower prevalence of not testing for HIV in the last 3 months (prevalence ratio, PR = 0.54, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI = 0.32-0.92, p = 0.02). Every one-unit increase in social cohesion was associated with 1.05 times the prevalence of not testing for HIV in the last 3 months (95%CI = 1.01-1.09, p-value = 0.02). Trans women who did sex work were more likely to be HIV tested while those who were more socially connected to peers were less likely to have recently been tested for HIV. HIV stigma may result in fear of social rejection from peers if one tests positive. Interventions that focus on addressing stigma within trans women's social networks and strategies to mitigate HIV stigma in society may result in increased frequency of HIV testing among trans women in Nepal