RNA Interference highlights the role of CCaMK in dissemination of endosymbionts in the aeschynomeneae legume arachis

In legume–rhizobia symbiosis, Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase (CCaMK) is essential for rhizobial invasion through infection threads in the epidermis and nodule organogenesis in the cortex. Though CCaMK is actively transcribed in the infected zone of nodules, its role in the later stages of nodule development remain elusive because of the epidermal arrest of “loss-of-function” mutants. In Aeschynomeneae legumes such as Arachis hypogea, rhizobia directly access the cortex, where nodule organogenesis as well as endosymbiont dissemination take place by multiplication of infected cortical cells. We characterized CCaMK (GI:195542474) from A. hypogea and downregulated the kinase through RNA interference (RNAi) to understand its role during organogenesis of its characteristic aeschynomenoid nodules. In CCaMK downregulated plants, the inception of nodules was delayed by approximately 4 weeks and nodulation capacity was decreased (>90%). The infected zones of the RNA interference nodules were scattered with uninfected or binucleated cells as opposed to the homogeneous infection zone in empty-vector-transformed nodules. Symbiosomes in RNAi nodules were pleomorphic with diverse geometrical shapes or arrested during division in the final stages of their fission as opposed to uniform-sized, spherical symbiosomes in empty-vector-transformed nodules. Together, our results reveal CCaMK to be essential for development of functional aeschynomenoid nodules, with a critical role in rhizobial dissemination during nodule organogenesis

The Formation And Decomposition Of Nickel Carbide In Evaporated Nickel Films On Graphite

Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study nickel carbide (Ni3C) formed during the evaporation of nickel onto the surface of single-crystal graphite. It is shown that Ni3C formed in this manner extends from the surface to close to the interface. A model is proposed to explain the mechanism of Ni3C formation. The 1s photoelectron peak from Ni3C is observed to have a binding energy 0.6 eV lower than that of pure graphite. This is attributed to the lack of any significant ionic bonding in Ni3C. © 1978

Introducing seahorse analyzer to mammalian cell culture process development

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Compiler optimization to improve data locality for processor multithreading

Over the last decade processor speed has increased dramatically, whereas the speed of the memory subsystem improved at a modest rate. Due to the increase in the cache miss latency (in terms of the processor cycle), processors stall on cache misses for a significant portion of its execution time. Multithreaded processors has been proposed in the literature to reduce the processor stall time due to cache misses. Although multithreading improves processor utilization, it may also increase cache miss rates, because in a multithreaded processor multiple threads share the same cache, which effectively reduces the cache size available to each individual thread. Increased processor utilization and the increase in the cache miss rate demands higher memory bandwidth. A novel compiler optimization method has been presented in this paper that improves data locality for each of the threads and enhances data sharing among the threads. The method is based on loop transformation theory and optimizes both spatial and temporal data locality. The created threads exhibit high level of intra-thread and inter-thread data locality which effectively reduces both the data cache miss rates and the total execution time of numerically intensive computation running on a multithreaded processor

C-AMTE: A location mechanism for flexible cache management in chip multiprocessors

This paper describes Constrained Associative-Mapping-of-Tracking-Entries (C-AMTE), a scalable mechanism to facilitate flexible and efficient distributed cache management in large-scale chip multiprocessors (CMPs). C-AMTE enables fast locating of cache blocks in CMP cache schemes that employ one-to-one or one-to-many associative mappings. C-AMTE stores in per-core data structures tracking entries to avoid on-chip interconnect traffic outburst or long distance directory lookups. Simulation results using a full system simulator demonstrate that C-AMTE achieves improvement in cache access latency by up to 34.4%, close to that of a perfect location strategy. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Ethical and human rights considerations related to access to anemia diagnosis

Important disparities exist in anemia diagnosis globally. We examine individuals’ and populations’ access to anemia diagnosis, the accuracy of diagnostic tests, and the interpretation of test results through the lens of key ethical considerations. These include the human right to health and the Rawlsian concept of the social contract, as well as ethical principles, such as autonomy, self‐liberty, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. We discuss factors that influence individuals’ and communities’ access to high‐quality health services, including geography, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Geographic and other differences exist in the types of diagnostic equipment and methods used to diagnose anemia, potentially leading to differential classification of anemia across individuals and populations. A diagnosis of anemia also requires follow‐up to understand etiology and appropriate treatment. However, this is not done consistently, in clinical care or in population‐based surveys. To better understand the problem and track countries’ progress, a need exists for disaggregated, longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data on disparities related to anemia. Moving forward, it will be important for countries to improve equitable access to high‐quality health services, particularly primary health care services, and to address barriers to the ability of individuals or communities to effectively enjoy the right to health

A class of spaces containing all generalized absolutely closed (almost compact) spaces

[EN] The class of θ-compact spaces is introduced which properly contains the class of almost compact (generalized absolutely closed) spaces and is strictly contained in the class of quasicompact spaces. In the realm of almost regular spaces, the class of θ-compact spaces coincides with the class of nearly compact spaces. Moreover, an almost regular θ-compact space is mildly normal (= K-normal). A θ-closed, θ-embedded subset of a θ-compact space is θ-compact and the product of two θ-compact space is θ-compact if one of them is compact. A (strongly) θ-continuous image of a θ-compact space is θ-compact (compact). A space is compact if and only if it is θ-compact and θ-point paracompact.Kohli, J.; Das, A. (2006). A class of spaces containing all generalized absolutely closed (almost compact) spaces. Applied General Topology. 7(2):233-244. doi:10.4995/agt.2006.1926.SWORD2332447

Using structural equation modelling to untangle sanitation, water and hygiene pathways for intervention improvements in height-for-age in children <5 years old

AbstractBackgroundDespite a strong theoretical rationale for combining water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) interventions to improve child health, study findings are heterogeneous with little understanding of the mechanisms for these effects. Our study objective was to demonstrate the utility of structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess intervention effects on height-for-age z score (HAZ) through the complex system of WaSH pathways.MethodsWe used data from a matched cohort effectiveness evaluation of a combined on-premise piped water and improved sanitation intervention in rural Odisha, India. Height/length was measured in children 0�59?months old (n?=?1826) from 90 matched villages in February�June 2016. WaSH behaviours and infrastructure were assessed through household surveys and observation, respectively. We used SEM to calculate the standardized path coefficients and the total contributions of WaSH pathways to HAZ.ResultsIntervention improvements on HAZ were through the sanitation pathway (coverage ? use ?: 0.722; use ? HAZ ?: 0.116), with piped water coverage indirectly affecting HAZ through improved sanitation use (?: 0.148). Although the intervention had a positive association with handwashing station coverage, there was no evidence of a total hygiene pathway effect on HAZ or further direct effects through the water pathways.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the utility of SEM to assess the mechanisms through which combined WaSH interventions impact HAZ as a system of pathways, providing a more nuanced assessment than estimation of the total intervention effect. Our finding, that water impacts HAZ through the sanitation pathway, is an important and actionable insight for WaSH programming.</jats:sec