Impact of health education on knowledge and practices about menstruation among adolescent school girls of rural part of district Ambala, Haryana

Background: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of health education on knowledge regarding menstruation, misconceptions related to it as the prevalence of RTI is still very high in India.  Aims: To study the existing level of status of hygiene, knowledge and practices regarding menstruation among adolescent school girls and to assess the change in their knowledge level and practices after health education. Materials A community-based pre and post interventional study was conducted among 200 adolescents’ girls of class IX and X of rural part of district Ambala. Multistage random sampling technique was used to draw the representative sample. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered and later health education regarding menstruation and healthy menstrual practices was imparted to the girls. Post-test was done after 3 months to assess the impact of health education. Pre- and post-intervention, data were compared using the paired t test, z test for proportions, chi-squared test for paired proportions. Difference between Proportions of the pre-post data and its 95% confidence interval has been calculated of the findings. SPSS for Windows software version 20 (IBM, Chicago, USA) have been used for data analysis. The level of significance has been considered at p value < 0.05. Results: In the pre-test, menstrual perceptions amongst them were found to be poor and practices incorrect while in the post-test, there was a significant difference in the level of knowledge (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in pre and post-test with regard to restrictions followed during menses (P>0.05) while in the post-test preceding health education, significant improvements were observed in their practices. Conclusion: Overall significant improvement was found in knowledge and practices regarding menstruation among adolescent school girls

CoMeT: An Integrated Interval Thermal Simulation Toolchain for 2D, 2.5 D, and 3D Processor-Memory Systems

Processing cores and the accompanying main memory working in tandem enable the modern processors. Dissipating heat produced from computation, memory access remains a significant problem for processors. Therefore, processor thermal management continues to be an active research topic. Most thermal management research takes place using simulations, given the challenges of measuring temperature in real processors. Since core and memory are fabricated on separate packages in most existing processors, with the memory having lower power densities, thermal management research in processors has primarily focused on the cores. Memory bandwidth limitations associated with 2D processors lead to high-density 2.5D and 3D packaging technology. 2.5D packaging places cores and memory on the same package. 3D packaging technology takes it further by stacking layers of memory on the top of cores themselves. Such packagings significantly increase the power density, making processors prone to heating. Therefore, mitigating thermal issues in high-density processors (packaged with stacked memory) becomes an even more pressing problem. However, given the lack of thermal modeling for memories in existing interval thermal simulation toolchains, they are unsuitable for studying thermal management for high-density processors. To address this issue, we present CoMeT, the first integrated Core and Memory interval Thermal simulation toolchain. CoMeT comprehensively supports thermal simulation of high- and low-density processors corresponding to four different core-memory configurations - off-chip DDR memory, off-chip 3D memory, 2.5D, and 3D. CoMeT supports several novel features that facilitate overlying system research. Compared to an equivalent state-of-the-art core-only toolchain, CoMeT adds only a ~5% simulation-time overhead. The source code of CoMeT has been made open for public use under the MIT license.Comment: https://github.com/marg-tools/CoMe

Performance, Power and Cooling Trade-Offs with NCFET-based Many-Cores

Negative Capacitance Field-Effect Transistor (NCFET) is an emerging technology that incorporates a ferroelectric layer within the transistor gate stack to overcome the fundamental limit of sub-threshold swing in transistors. Even though physics-based NCFET models have been recently proposed, system-level NCFET models do not exist and research is still in its infancy. In this work, we are the first to investigate the impact of NCFET on performance, energy and cooling costs in many-core processors. Our proposed methodology starts from accurate physics models all the way up to the system level, where the performance and power of a many-core are widely affected. Our new methodology and system-level models allow, for the first time, the exploration of the novel trade-offs between performance gains and power losses that NCFET now offers to system-level designers. We demonstrate that an optimal ferroelectric thickness does exist. In addition, we reveal that current state-of-the-art power management techniques fail when NCFET (with a thick ferroelectric layer) comes into play

FMDV replicons encoding green fluorescent protein are replication competent

The study of replication of viruses that require high bio-secure facilities can be accomplished with less stringent containment using non-infectious 'replicon' systems. The FMDV replicon system (pT7rep) reported by Mclnerney et al. (2000) was modified by the replacement of sequences encoding chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase (CAT) with those encoding a functional L proteinase (Lpro) linked to a bi-functional fluorescent/antibiotic resistance fusion protein (green fluorescent protein/puromycin resistance, [GFP-PAC]). Cells were transfected with replicon-derived transcript RNA and GFP fluorescence quantified. Replication of transcript RNAs was readily detected by fluorescence, whilst the signal from replication-incompetent forms of the genome was >2-fold lower. Surprisingly, a form of the replicon lacking the Lpro showed a significantly stronger fluorescence signal, but appeared with slightly delayed kinetics. Replication can, therefore, be quantified simply by live-cell imaging and image analyses, providing a rapid and facile alternative to RT-qPCR or CAT assays

Multi-omic Profiling Reveals Dynamics of the Phased Progression of Pluripotency

Pluripotency is highly dynamic and progresses through a continuum of pluripotent stem cell states. The two states that bookend the pluripotency continuum, naive and primed, are well characterized, but our understanding of the intermediate states and transitions between them remains incomplete. Here, we dissect the dynamics of pluripotent state transitions underlying pre- to post-implantation epiblast differentiation. Through comprehensive mapping of the proteome, phosphoproteome, transcriptome, and epigenome of embryonic stem cells transitioning from naive to primed pluripotency, we find that rapid, acute, and widespread changes to the phosphoproteome precede ordered changes to the epigenome, transcriptome, and proteome. Reconstruction of the kinase-substrate networks reveals signaling cascades, dynamics, and crosstalk. Distinct waves of global proteomic changes mark discrete phases of pluripotency, with cell-state-specific surface markers tracking pluripotent state transitions. Our data provide new insights into multi-layered control of the phased progression of pluripotency and a foundation for modeling mechanisms regulating pluripotent state transitions (www.steamcellatlas.org)

Climate change effects on pest spectrum and incidence in grain legumes

Global warming and climate change will influence activity, diversity, distribution and population dynamics of insect pests including the grain legumes. Several insect pests damage grain legume crops, of which the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera; spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata; spiny pod borer, Etiella zinckenella; pod fly, Melanagromyza obtusa; aphid, Aphis craccivora; defoliators, Spodoptera litura and S. exigua; thrips, Megaleurothrips usitatus and Caliothrips indicus and the bruchid, Callasobruchus chinensis cause extensive losses in grain legumes. The incidence and extent of losses due to these pests varies across seasons, locations, and cropping systems. The pest spectrum on grain legumes will change considerably due to impending global warming and climate change. The geographical distribution of some of the pests might extend to temperate regions in Europe and America, while the outbreaks of some other pests will become more frequent. Several outbreaks of pod borer, H. armigera and spotted pod borer, M. vitrata have been recorded on grain legumes in India, which at times have resulted in complete crop loss. The scale insect, Ceroplastodes cajani in pigeonpea and beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, mealy bug, Ferrisia virgata, and white fly, Bemisia tabaci in chickpea have emerged as new pests; while leaf miner, Porphyrosela neodoxa, mealy bugs, Drepanococcus cajani, and Coccidohystrix insolita are some of the emerging pest problems in pigeonpea in India. In addition, there will be greater genotype x environment interactions for expression of resistance to insect pests, and this warrants a greater effort for identification of diverse sources of resistance and need for integrated pest management packages that will be effective under global warming and climate change

Overexpression of BLM promotes DNA damage and increased sensitivity to platinum salts in triple negative breast and serous ovarian cancers

Background: Platinum based therapy is an effective treatment for a subset of triple negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients. In order to increase response rate and decrease unnecessary use, robust biomarkers that predict response to therapy are needed. Patients and methods: We performed an integrated genomic approach combining differential analysis of gene expression and DNA copy number in sensitive compared to resistant triple negative breast cancers in two independent neoadjuvant cisplatin treated cohorts. Functional relevance of significant hits was investigated in vitro by overexpression, knockdown and targeted inhibitor treatment. Results: We identified two genes, the Bloom helicase (BLM) and Fanconi anemia complementation group I (FANCI), that have both increased DNA copy number and gene expression in the platinum sensitive cases. Increased level of expression of these two genes was also associated with platinum but not with taxane response in ovarian cancer. As a functional validation, we found that overexpression of BLM promotes DNA damage and induces sensitivity to cisplatin, but has no effect on paclitaxel sensitivity. Conclusions: A biomarker based on the expression levels of the BLM and FANCI genes is a potential predictor of platinum sensitivity in triple negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Short description: Through integrated analysis of gene expression and copy number data from two independent clinical trials in triple negative breast cancer, we identify two genes, BLM and FANCI, involved in double-strand DNA repair where increased expression is related to sensitivity to platinum induced DNA damage. Further functional validation reveals that overexpression of BLM alone promotes DNA damage

Cellular responses of Candida albicans to phagocytosis and the extracellular activities of neutrophils are critical to counteract carbohydrate starvation, oxidative and nitrosative stress

Acknowledgments We thank Alexander Johnson (yhb1D/D), Karl Kuchler (sodD/D mutants), Janet Quinn (hog1D/D, hog1/cap1D/D, trx1D/D) and Peter Staib (ssu1D/D) for providing mutant strains. We acknowledge helpful discussions with our colleagues from the Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms Department, Fungal Septomics and the Microbial Biochemistry and Physiology Research Group at the Hans Kno¨ll Institute (HKI), specially Ilse D. Jacobsen, Duncan Wilson, Sascha Brunke, Lydia Kasper, Franziska Gerwien, Sea´na Duggan, Katrin Haupt, Kerstin Hu¨nniger, and Matthias Brock, as well as from our partners in the FINSysB Network. Author Contributions Conceived and designed the experiments: PM HW IMB AJPB OK BH. Performed the experiments: PM CD HW. Analyzed the data: PM HW IMB AJPB OK BH. Wrote the paper: PM HW OK AJPB BH.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

miR-132/212 knockout mice reveal roles for these miRNAs in regulating cortical synaptic transmission and plasticity

miR-132 and miR-212 are two closely related miRNAs encoded in the same intron of a small non-coding gene, which have been suggested to play roles in both immune and neuronal function. We describe here the generation and initial characterisation of a miR-132/212 double knockout mouse. These mice were viable and fertile with no overt adverse phenotype. Analysis of innate immune responses, including TLR-induced cytokine production and IFNβ induction in response to viral infection of primary fibroblasts did not reveal any phenotype in the knockouts. In contrast, the loss of miR-132 and miR-212, while not overtly affecting neuronal morphology, did affect synaptic function. In both hippocampal and neocortical slices miR-132/212 knockout reduced basal synaptic transmission, without affecting paired-pulse facilitation. Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by tetanic stimulation was not affected by miR-132/212 deletion, whilst theta burst LTP was enhanced. In contrast, neocortical theta burst-induced LTP was inhibited by loss of miR-132/212. Together these results indicate that miR-132 and/or miR-212 play a significant role in synaptic function, possibly by regulating the number of postsynaptic AMPA receptors under basal conditions and during activity-dependent synaptic plasticity