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Polycomb repressive complex-1 (PRC1) is essential for the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. SCML2 is a mammalian homolog of Drosophila SCM, a Polycomb-group protein that associates with PRC1. In this study, we show that SCML2A, an SCML2 isoform tightly associated to chromatin, contributes to PRC1 localization and also directly enforces repression of certain Polycomb target genes. SCML2A binds to PRC1 via its SPM domain and interacts with ncRNAs through a novel RNA-binding region (RBR). Targeting of SCML2A to chromatin involves the coordinated action of the MBT domains, RNA binding, and interaction with PRC1 through the SPM domain. Deletion of the RBR reduces the occupancy of SCML2A at target genes and overexpression of a mutant SCML2A lacking the RBR causes defects in PRC1 recruitment. These observations point to a role for ncRNAs in regulating SCML2 function and suggest that SCML2 participates in the epigenetic control of transcription directly and in cooperation with PRC1.

Historically, the element of uncertainty in quantum mechanics has been expressed through mathematical identities called uncertainty relations, a great many of which continue to be discovered. These relations use diverse measures to quantify uncertainty (and joint uncertainty). In this paper we use operational information-theoretic principles to identify the common essence of all such measures, thereby defining measure-independent notions of uncertainty and joint uncertainty. We find that most existing entropic uncertainty relations use measures of joint uncertainty that yield themselves to a small class of operational interpretations. Our notion relaxes this restriction, revealing previously unexplored joint uncertainty measures. To illustrate the utility of our formalism, we derive an uncertainty relation based on one such new measure. We also use our formalism to gain insight into the conditions under which measure-independent uncertainty relations can be found.

Objective: To provide a descriptive audit of healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to COVID-19, and their contacts, to understand the dynamics of transmission among HCWs., Methods: Retrospective analysis of contact tracing data of infected HCWs was done from March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020 at a tertiary care center in New Delhi, India. Contacts were categorized according to the nature of contact and followed for 14 days., Results: Qualitative RT-PCR testing was performed on 106 HCWs (from a total of 257) owing to exposure or development of symptoms. Positive results were found in 16 HCWs (6.2%) who were exposed to 120 other HCWs, generating 197 exposure incidents. Of these, 30 (15.2%) exposure incidents were high risk with multiple exposures in 48 (40.0%) HCWs. Exposure to infected HCWs was noted in 3 (18.8%) of 16 positive cases. Of the 197 exposure incidents, 54 (27.4%) were deemed avoidable exposures. Infection prevention and control policies were periodically reviewed, and the department implemented mitigating steps to minimize the risk to healthcare providers., Conclusion: Instituting appropriate infection prevention and control policies and use of adequate precautions by HCWs is vital to minimize high-risk exposure to COVID-19., (© 2021 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Aim: To know the prevalence of sexual activity, their sexual behaviour and attitude towards sex among unmarried adolescent females., Materials and Methods: It was a hospital-based prospective observational study. The study duration was 1 year. The study participants were unmarried girls between the age group of 10-19 years who gave written informed consent. In the case of a minor, consent was obtained from parents also. Pre-designed, pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to evaluate the sexual behaviour., Results: Out of the 320 adolescents presented to the OPD, only 165 consented to participate in the study. Prevalence of sexual activity was 16.9% (28/165) in the study. Eight (8/165) adolescent girls have not attained menarche and all were not having any knowledge of sex. Three girls were the victims of sexual exploitation. Around 64% of these girls were sexually active with their classmates. All the sexually active females were having intercourse through the vaginal route, however non-vaginal route was also practiced by 6 girls. Home (11, 39%) was the preferred place followed by the hotel (10, 35.7%) for sexual activity., Conclusion: Prevalence of sexual activity is low among Indians as compared to the western world but it may be a tip of iceberg as it is a hospital-based study. This is the first study that assessed the route of intercourse, frequency of sexual activity, and place preferred by these adolescents to evaluate the sexual health behaviour., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Among the layered two dimensional semiconductors, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered to be an excellent candidate for applications in optoelectronics and integrated circuits due to its layer-dependent tunable bandgap in the visible region, high ON/OFF current ratio in field-effect transistors (FET) and strong light-matter interaction properties. In this study, using multi-terminal measurements, we report high broadband photocurrent response (R) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of few-atomic layered MoS2 phototransistors fabricated on a SiO2 dielectric substrate and encapsulated with a thin transparent polymer film of Cytop. The photocurrent response was measured using a white light source as well as a monochromatic light of wavelength λ = 400 nm-900 nm. We measured responsivity using a 2-terminal configuration as high as R = 1 × 103 A W-1 under white light illumination with an optical power Popt = 0.02 nW. The R value increased to 3.5 × 103 A W-1 when measured using a 4-terminal configuration. Using monochromatic light on the same device, the measured values of R were 103 and 6 × 103 A W-1 under illumination of λ = 400 nm when measured using 2- and 4-terminal methods, respectively. The highest EQE values obtained using λ = 400 nm were 105% and 106% measured using 2- and 4-terminal configurations, respectively. The wavelength dependent responsivity decreased from 400 nm to the near-IR region at 900 nm. The observed photoresponse, photocurrent-dark current ratio (PDCR), detectivity as a function of applied gate voltage, optical power, contact resistances and wavelength were measured and are discussed in detail. The observed responsivity is also thoroughly studied as a function of contact resistance of the device.

Introduction: Sputum smear microscopy is the cornerstone of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in India. Instructions on how to produce a good sputum sample are a part of RNTCP training manuals, but its assessment is not emphasised. Healthcare provider's instruction to expectorate a good sputum sample has limitations. Presumptive TB patients often submit inadequate (in quantity and/or quality) sputum samples, which may result in false-negative results. Objectives of the study are, among the selected RNTCP designated microscopy centres in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India, (a) to assess the effectiveness of mobile phone instructional video demonstrating sputum expectoration on sputum quality and quantity and (b) to explore the mobile phone video implementation challenges as perceived by the healthcare providers., Methods and Analysis: This is a pragmatic, prospective, non-randomised controlled trial in two pairs of RNTCP Designated Microscopy Centres (located at secondary and primary healthcare facilities) of Dakshina Kannada district, India. Presumptive pulmonary TB patients aged ≥18 years will be included. We will exclude who are severely ill, blind, hearing impaired, patients who have already brought their sputum for examination, and transported sputum. In the intervention group, participants will watch a mobile phone instructional video demonstrating submission of an adequate sputum sample. The control group will follow the usual ongoing procedure for sputum submission. This study would require 406 participants for each group to achieve a power of 90% for detecting a difference of 15% between the two groups. The participant enrolment started in December 2019., Ethics and Dissemination: Yenepoya University Ethics Committee, Mangaluru, India, has approved the study protocol (YEC-1/158/2019). It complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, local laws, and the International Council for Harmonization-good clinical practices. Investigators will present the results in scientific forums, publish in a scientific journal, and share with RNTCP officers., Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2019/06/019887)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aim: To assess the glycaemic profile and glycaemic variation in the second and third trimesters of normal pregnancies., Methodology: Healthy pregnant women aged 19-35 years between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation were recruited for ambulatory glucose profile monitoring. A total of 18 women in the second trimester, 15 women in the third trimester and 9 healthy non-pregnant women were recruited providing, respectively, 205 days (19,680 data points), 147 days (14,112 data points) and 100 days (9,600 data points) for analysis., Results: Mean blood glucose level was 20.2% lower in the second trimester and 10.6% lower in the third trimester than non-pregnant women (p < 0.001). In pregnancy, it took 15 to 20 minutes more to reach peak postprandial blood glucose levels compared to non-pregnant women (p = 0.003). Glycaemic variability was more in the third trimester (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: There is tight blood sugar control along with lower mean blood glucose in healthy pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women. Despite this tight glycaemic control, glycaemic variability is higher during pregnancy., (© The Author(s) 2019.)

Objective: To compare glycaemic profiles in women with mild gestational diabetes (GDM) and those with a healthy pregnancy., Design: Observational study., Setting: Hospital-based., Population: Healthy nonpregnant, healthy pregnant, and women with GDM, diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test., Methods: Nine nonpregnant women, 33 healthy pregnant women, 29 pregnant women with GDM between 24 and 36 weeks' gestation, received ambulatory glucose profile (AGP) monitoring for a 2-week period. AGP values were compared in the three groups: 100 days (9600 data points) for nonpregnant women, 396 days (33 792 data points) for healthy pregnant women, and 348 days (34 408 data points) for women with GDM., Results: Mean glucose values for fasting and postmeals were highest in nonpregnant healthy women and lowest in healthy pregnant women (P < 0.001). Women with mild GDM had significantly higher blood glucose values than did healthy pregnant women, though still within the target range. Blood glucose values >160 mg/dl were observed in 41.4% (12/29) in the GDM group compared with 18.2% in women with a healthy pregnancy. The maximum peak of day and night time glucose was respectively 234 and 215 mg/dl in women with GDM compared with 183 and 171 mg/dL in the control group. Glycaemic variability as measured by interquartile range was higher in GDM pregnancies., Conclusions: Although the blood glucose level remained within the target levels in women with mild GDM, glycaemic variability and mean blood glucose levels were significantly higher among women with GDM than among women with a healthy pregnancy., Tweetable Abstract: Average blood glucose levels and glycaemic variability are significantly higher in women with GDM than in women with a healthy pregnancy., (© 2019 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Clitoromegaly is an important sign of virilisation and poses difficulty in sex determination, when present since birth. The diagnosis and treatment in an adult is a major challenge to the treating gynaecologist. The primary reason for its development is androgen excess due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian virilising tumours, neurofibromas, adrenal neoplasm and prolonged intake of anabolic steroids. A case of young nulliparous married woman who presented with primary amenorrhoea and clitoromegaly and was managed successfully has been reported., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: The objective of this study was (1) to find the prevalence of urogenital (UG) complaints after menopause, (2) to evaluate the various risk factors for UG problems in postmenopausal women, and (3) to assess the severity of the symptoms depending on the duration of menopause., Materials and Methods: This study is a prospective study conducted at the Specialty Outpatient Department in Safdarjung Hospital over a period of 1 year. Two hundred postmenopausal women during this period were screened for UG complaints by eliciting detailed history in a pro forma and were divided into two groups based on the duration of menopause. Women with preexisting complaints before menopause and those with some medical disorders such as diabetes, stroke, or neurological problems were excluded from the study. Data were analyzed by standard statistical analytical tests., Results: The prevalence of UG symptoms in our study was 67%. Group A constitutes 127 (63.5%) participants in which menopause attained was of 1-5-year duration. Group B comprises the women with >5-year duration of menopause and it includes 73 (36.5%) patients. Among the genital complaints, vaginal dryness was the most common complaint in both the groups (Group A: 62% and Group B: 48%) followed by vaginal discharge or infection (Group A: 28% and Group B: 25%). Around 19 (15%) in Group A and 10 (13.6%) in Group B were having burning micturition (dysuria), the most common complaint encountered. The UG complaints were not statistically significantly different in both the groups. The severity of the symptoms was significantly different in two groups with more severe complaints in Group A as compared to Group B., Conclusion: UG complaints associated with estrogen loss can occur episodically throughout a women's life, but it is most common and chronic in the duration in postmenopausal women., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Biometric measurements captured from medical devices, such as blood pressure gauges, glucose monitors, and weighing scales, are essential to tracking a patient's health. Trends in these measurements can accurately track diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and assist medication management for patients. Currently, patients record their results and date of measurement in a physical notebook. It may be weeks before a doctor sees a patient's records and can assess the health of the patient. With a predicted 6.8 billion smartphones in the world by 2022 1 , health monitoring platforms, such as Apple's HealthKit 2 , can be leveraged to provide the right care at the right time. This research presents a mobile application that enables users to capture medical monitor data and send it to their doctor swiftly. A key contribution of this paper is a robust engine that can recognize digits from medical monitors with an accuracy of 98.2%.

Choledochal cyst is a rare congenital malformation which is usually found in young children and adolescents but can rarely present in the adult age group. It can present with several complications like cholangitis, pancreatitis, biliary cirrhosis, portal hypertension, liver abscess, malignancy and rarely spontaneous rupture (in 2% of cases) causing biliary peritonitis. A case of spontaneous rupture of choledochal cyst during second trimester of pregnancy is reported where the patient was managed by minimal surgery, peritoneal washout, placement of T-tube and planned for definitive treatment in the postpartum period. The pregnancy continued till 35 weeks with favourable fetomaternal outcome., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Cornual (interstitial) ectopic pregnancy is an uncommon type of ectopic pregnancy which is located in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube. It accounts for 2%-4% of all ectopic pregnancies. Cornual pregnancies often pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge with a significant high morbidity and mortality as a result of massive intraperitoneal bleeding. A case of unruptured cornual ectopic pregnancy in a patient with abnormal uterine bleeding is reported which was successfully managed laparoscopically., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Unlabelled: Virus-specific CD8+ T cells in the lymphoid organs contract at the resolution of virus infections by apoptosis or by dissemination into peripheral tissues, and those residing in nonlymphoid organs, including the peritoneal cavity and fat pads, are more resistant to apoptosis than those in the spleen and lymph nodes. This stability of memory T cells in the nonlymphoid tissues may enhance protection to secondary challenges. Here, we show that lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-specific CD8+ T cells in nonlymphoid tissues were enriched for memory precursors (expressing high levels of interleukin-7 receptor and low levels of killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 [IL-7Rhi KLRG1lo]) and had higher expression of CD27, CXCR3, and T cell factor-1 (TCF-1), each a marker that is individually correlated with decreased apoptosis. CD8+ T cells in the peritoneal cavity of TCF-1-deficient mice had decreased survival, suggesting a role for TCF-1 in promoting survival in the nonlymphoid tissues. CXCR3+ CD8+ T cells resisted apoptosis and accumulated in the lymph nodes of mice treated with FTY720, which blocks the export of lymph node cells into peripheral tissue. The peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) expressed increased amounts of CXCR3 ligands, CXCL9 and CXCL10, which may normally recruit these nonapoptotic cells from the lymph nodes. In addition, adoptive transfer of splenic CD8+ T cells into PEC or spleen environments showed that the peritoneal environment promoted survival of CD8+ T cells. Thus, intrinsic stability of T cells which are present in the nonlymphoid tissues along with preferential migration of apoptosis-resistant CD8+ T cells into peripheral sites and the availability of tissue-specific factors that enhance memory cell survival may collectively account for the tissue-dependent apoptotic differences., Importance: Most infections are initiated at nonlymphoid tissue sites, and the presence of memory T cells in nonlymphoid tissues is critical for protective immunity in various viral infection models. Virus-specific CD8+ T cells in the nonlymphoid tissues are more resistant to apoptosis than those in lymphoid organs during the resolution and memory phase of the immune response to acute LCMV infection. Here, we investigated the mechanisms promoting stability of T cells in the nonlymphoid tissues. This increased resistance to apoptosis of virus-specific CD8+ T cells in nonlymphoid tissues was due to several factors. Nonlymphoid tissues were enriched in memory phenotype CD8+ T cells, which were intrinsically resistant to apoptosis irrespective of the tissue environment. Furthermore, apoptosis-resistant CD8+ T cells preferentially migrated into the nonlymphoid tissues, where the availability of tissue-specific factors may enhance memory cell survival. Our findings are relevant for the generation of long-lasting vaccines providing protection at peripheral infection sites., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)