Community Needs Assessment on Immigrant Bangladeshi Womens Mental Health

This case summary conducted by the Urban Institute and Sapna NYC, a community-based organization serving low-income Bangladeshi women through health and empowerment programs, explores the findings of a community needs assessment focused on the mental health challenges and needs of Bangladeshi immigrant women living in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn and can help inform practice and policy in New York City. Data from our interviews indicated that the three major contributing factors to the mental health of women in our study were economic and financial insecurity, home life and social networks, and traumatic events. Based on these insights, we propose recommendations for policymakers and funders to better support the mental health of vulnerable and immigrant communities

Effect of RNA silencing suppression activity of chrysanthemum virus B p12 protein on small RNA species

Funder: Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAbstract: Chrysanthemum virus B encodes a multifunctional p12 protein that acts as a transcriptional activator in the nucleus and as a suppressor of RNA silencing in the cytoplasm. Here, we investigated the impact of p12 on accumulation of major classes of small RNAs (sRNAs). The results show dramatic changes in the sRNA profiles characterised by an overall reduction in sRNA accumulation, changes in the pattern of size distribution of canonical siRNAs and in the ratio between sense and antisense strands, lower abundance of siRNAs with a U residue at the 5′-terminus, and changes in the expression of certain miRNAs, most of which were downregulated

How cyanobacterial signalling system behaves in different media component with time? - a Genomics and Transcriptomics approach

In this study, we are aiming at deciphering the physiological and molecular mechanisms behind cyanobacterial IQ system i.e. the putative signalling component proteins [1] in Mastigocladus laminosus using a reverse genetics approach. Polymorphic Mastigocladus laminosus belongs to one of the least studied but most evolved family of cyanobacteria, the Stigonemataceae. Its unique properties to withstand extreme environmental conditions and economic value make it a suitable candidate for genomics and transcriptomics studies. Whole genome sequencing of M. laminosus was carried out using Illumina Miseq. Good quality paired end and mate pair library data were assembled into a draft genome. Annotation showed that a major portion of genes are part of several critical pathways such as two component regulatory system, ABC transporters, etc. We set up pilot experiments for finding suitable time points for checking the fatty acid production differential in strains growing in nitrogen supplemented and nitrogen depleted media. In both the conditions, between 0th day and 12th day the fatty acid production difference was the maximum. Taking the cue from this, we performed the transcriptome experiment. Results show that among the differentially expressed genes, the signalling genes of two-component systems are the predominant class. Chemotaxis family two component hybrid kinases are found in a cluster within the genome. Also several other non - ribosomal peptide synthetases /polyketide synthetases classes were the second most predominant class showing a promise of becoming a source of novel secondary metabolite production. Several heat shock protein coding genes have been identified. Phosphate and molybdate ABC transporter expression were upregulated with respect to time but not affected from the presence or absence of nitrogen in media. Our future work will include characterizing the finer details of the significant genes through pathway analysis and exploring the metabolome. From preliminary analysis of the genome and transcriptome of M. laminosus, it is evident that cyanobacteria have evolved to sense unfavourable condition by their huge interactive network of regulatory components and survived by producing compounds that are mostly unexplored yet from the earliest period of this planet

Effect of RNA silencing suppression activity of chrysanthemum virus B p12 protein on small RNA species.

Chrysanthemum virus B encodes a multifunctional p12 protein that acts as a transcriptional activator in the nucleus and as a suppressor of RNA silencing in the cytoplasm. Here, we investigated the impact of p12 on accumulation of major classes of small RNAs (sRNAs). The results show dramatic changes in the sRNA profiles characterised by an overall reduction in sRNA accumulation, changes in the pattern of size distribution of canonical siRNAs and in the ratio between sense and antisense strands, lower abundance of siRNAs with a U residue at the 5'-terminus, and changes in the expression of certain miRNAs, most of which were downregulated

Genome sequence resource for the oomycete taro pathogen Phytophthora colocasiae

Phytophthora colocasiae is a phytopathogenic oomycete that causes leaf blight and corm rot on taro (Colocasia esculenta), an important staple crop in the tropics. The impact of P. colocasiae is a serious concern for food security in Asian and Oceanic regions. Vietnamese strain 7290 of P. colocasiae was sequenced (Illumina) to assemble a draft genome of 56.6 Mb, comprised of 19,853 scaffolds and 19,984 predicted protein-coding genes. As in other Phytophthora species, P. colocasiae possesses numerous pathogenicity-related genes, such as the RxLR class of effectors. This draft genome sequence of P. colocasiae provides a resource to underpin the first steps in determining the molecular mechanisms of disease development in this pathosystem. </jats:p

Broad-Host-Range Plasmids from Agricultural Soils Have IncP-1 Backbones with Diverse Accessory Genes▿

Broad-host-range plasmids are known to spread genes between distinct phylogenetic groups of bacteria. These genes often code for resistances to antibiotics and heavy metals or degradation of pollutants. Although some broad-host-range plasmids have been extensively studied, their evolutionary history and genetic diversity remain largely unknown. The goal of this study was to analyze and compare the genomes of 12 broad-host-range plasmids that were previously isolated from Norwegian soils by exogenous plasmid isolation and that encode mercury resistance. Complete nucleotide sequencing followed by phylogenetic analyses based on the relaxase gene traI showed that all the plasmids belong to one of two subgroups (β and ε) of the well-studied incompatibility group IncP-1. A diverse array of accessory genes was found to be involved in resistance to antimicrobials (streptomycin, spectinomycin, and sulfonamides), degradation of herbicides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxypropionic acid), and a putative new catabolic pathway. Intramolecular transposition of insertion sequences followed by deletion was found to contribute to the diversity of some of these plasmids. The previous observation that the insertion sites of a Tn501-related element are identical in four IncP-1β plasmids (pJP4, pB10, R906, and R772) was further extended to three more IncP-1β plasmids (pAKD15, pAKD18, and pAKD29). We proposed a hypothesis for the evolution of these Tn501-bearing IncP-1β plasmids that predicts recent diversification followed by worldwide spread. Our study increases the available collection of complete IncP-1 plasmid genome sequences by 50% and will aid future studies to enhance our understanding of the evolution and function of this important plasmid family

Thermogravimetric analysis of flax, jute, and UHMWPE fibers and their composites with melamine and phenol formaldehyde resins

AbstractThis article presents the thermal stability of flax, jute and ultrahighmolecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and their composites. Composites are fabricated using a combination of hand layup and compression moulding. Two types of resins namely phenol formaldehyde (PF) and melamine formaldehyde (MF) are considered. Stacking of eight layers of individual fabric was utilised to produce composite panels of 4 mm thickness. Alkali treatment of the flax and jute showed an enhancement in thermal behaviour, whereas UHMWPE fibers sustained the thermal degradation till 474°C. Among the two resin systems, neat MF resin degraded at 278°C with 84% mass loss, whereas PF resin had a final mass loss of 52.54% at 600°C. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed an increase in thermal stability of the composites considering both resin systems. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation on a small molecular unit of PF, MF, and their complexes with cellulose and molecular unit of UHMWPE indicated that the composites with natural fibers and MF matrix exhibited better thermal stability, while PF resin showed better binding characteristics for composites with UHMWPE fibers. The plausible intermolecular interactions between fibers and the matrix are discussed. The proposed application of the composites is to be used as intermediate wall linings of the furnaces

Diverse broad-host-range plasmids from freshwater carry few accessory genes

Broad-host-range self-transferable plasmids are known to facilitate bacterial adaptation by spreading genes between phylogenetically distinct hosts. These plasmids typically have a conserved backbone region and a variable accessory region that encodes host-beneficial traits. We do not know, however, how well plasmids that do not encode accessory functions can survive in nature. The goal of this study was to characterize the backbone and accessory gene content of plasmids that were captured from freshwater sources without selecting for a particular phenotype or cultivating their host. To do this, triparental matings were used such that the only required phenotype was the plasmid's ability to mobilize a nonconjugative plasmid. Based on complete genome sequences of 10 plasmids, only 5 carried identifiable accessory gene regions, and none carried antibiotic resistance genes. The plasmids belong to four known incompatibility groups (IncN, IncP-1, IncU, and IncW) and two potentially new groups. Eight of the plasmids were shown to have a broad host range, being able to transfer into alpha-, beta-, and gammaproteobacteria. Because of the absence of antibiotic resistance genes, we resampled one of the sites and compared the proportion of captured plasmids that conferred antibiotic resistance to their hosts with the proportion of such plasmids captured from the effluent of a local wastewater treatment plant. Few of the captured plasmids from either site encoded antibiotic resistance. A high diversity of plasmids that encode no or unknown accessory functions is thus readily found in freshwater habitats. The question remains how the plasmids persist in these microbial communities. © 2013, American Society for Microbiology