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Engineered AAV capsids mediate transduction of murine neurofibroma and sciatic nerve
Get PDFGenetic diseases such as Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and Charcot-Marie Tooth disease involve Schwann cells (SCs) associated with peripheral nerves. Gene therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector mediated gene delivery is a promising strategy to treat these diseases. However, AAV-mediated transduction of SCs in vivo after intravascular delivery is relatively inefficient, with a lack of extensive characterization of different capsids to date. Here, we performed an in vivo selection with an AAV9 capsid peptide display library in a mouse model of NF1. We chose one capsid variant, AAV-SC3, which was present in NF1 nerves for comparison to two benchmark capsids after systemic injection. AAV-SC3 significantly outperformed one of the two benchmark capsids at levels of transgene mRNA in the neurofibroma. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed transgene expressing Sox10-positive SCs throughout the neurofibroma with AAV-SC3 injection. Next, we performed a pooled screen with four of the top capsids from our initial selection and AAV9 and identified one capsid, AAV-SC4, with enhanced biodistribution to and transduction of normal sciatic nerve in mice. This capsid displayed a peptide with a known laminin-binding motif, which may provide a conduit for future laminin-targeting strategies. Our results provide a baseline for future AAV-based gene therapies developed for NF1 or other diseases that affect SCs
Comparative study of informative acoustic features for VTOL UAV faulty prediction using machine learning
Get PDFThe propeller is one of the critical components in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. The risk of the mechanism's failure could result in significant harm, hazardous events and primary maintenance services. Thus, early flying condition monitoring is necessary to ensure a stable and safe UAV operation. The sound emitted by Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs offers valuable insights into their flight performance, serving as a crucial element for the efficient monitoring of flying conditions and early detection of potential faults. This paper will focus on developing fault detection and identification using audio data of different propeller conditions. The propeller faulty conditions are predicted based on informative features extracted from statistical time domain parameters of three audio wave features. Pitch, zero-crossing and short-time energy are selected as the significant audio features for the machine learning classification algorithm. UAV sounds collected in the experiment will be analysed and divided into a 60:40 ratio for training and testing datasets. Medium tree, Gaussian Naive Bayes and Ensemble Subspace k Nearest Neighbour algorithms are used for classification performance comparison. Among the three features, pitch produced the highest accuracy with 78.75% of training and 77.50% of testing using the Medium Tree algorithm
Parental predictors of childhood vaccination adherence in border areas of Southern Vietnam: a first look at minority communities
Get PDFObjectives: Suboptimal timeliness and coverage of childhood vaccination programs undermined their effectiveness in achieving population-level immunity. This issue is particularly concerning among minority populations, where disparities in vaccination adherence persist. To address this gap, the study assessed the extent of parental adherence to age-appropriate childhood vaccination and its predictors among the minority children under five years of age. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three districts of Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, and neighboring Cambodia. A total of 449 ethnic minority parents with children under five years old participated. Data were gathered through face-to-face household interviews using a structured questionnaire, complemented by direct observation of the children's vaccination cards to verify adherence. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors of vaccination adherence. Results: The adherence rate to childhood vaccination among children in the minority population was 18.9 %. Parental adherence was significantly higher for children under one year of age (aOR = 2.54, 95 % CI: 1.29–5.03) and for firstborn children (aOR = 3.48, 95 % CI: 1.36–9.92). Within the Health Belief Model framework, greater perceived barriers were associated with lower adherence (aOR = 0.32, 95 % CI: 0.21–0.49), while higher parental self-efficacy was linked to increased adherence (aOR = 1.84, 95 % CI: 1.11–3.11). Conclusion: This study revealed a low parental adherence rate (18.9 %) to childhood vaccination. A child's age, birth order, perceived barriers, and parental self-efficacy influenced adherence. These findings emphasize the need to incorporate these factors into targeted policies and interventions for improving immunization rates in minority populations and comparable settings
Digital finance, e-commerce development, and regional trade development
No full textThis paper constructs an empirical model that includes digital finance, e-commerce development, and regional trade development, and selects 297 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2023 as samples for analysis. The study finds that the development of digital finance significantly promotes regional trade development. The mediation effect analysis shows that the development of digital finance diversifies the financing channels for e-commerce enterprises, drives the upgrading and transformation of related industries, and promotes regional trade development. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the development of digital finance significantly promotes trade development in western regions but has no significant impact on eastern and central regions, which may be related to the different levels of financial development in these regions
The utility of anatomy assessment in preclinical undergraduate medical curricula: a scoping review
No full textAnatomy assessments are crucial for developing critical thinking and analytical skills in preclinical undergraduate medical curricula. However, because there is little published empirical evidence, the value of anatomy assessment remains largely unexplored. The aim of this scoping review, conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review guidelines, was to explore the utility elements adopted in anatomy assessment within preclinical undergraduate medical curricula. A rigorous three-step search approach across five electronic databases (Scopus, WoS, PubMED, Wiley Online, and EBSCOHost) generated an initial pool of 721 records, which were assessed for duplication and eligibility, leading to the inclusion of 43 records from which data were extracted. The extracted data covered various utility elements of anatomy assessment including validity, reliability, practicality, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and educational impact, along with various assessment contexts such as assessed competencies, assessment function, and assessment tools. The findings indicate a strong emphasis on assessing cognitive competencies in anatomy education; psychomotor and affective competencies received less attention. Identified gaps include limited exploration of validity evidence, assessment methods, cost-effectiveness, and educational impact of assessment. Moreover, the study highlights challenges in implementing formative assessments alongside summative assessments, constraints in assessing psychomotor skills, and the subjective nature of assessing affective competencies. By addressing these gaps and leveraging innovative assessment tools and practices, educators can enhance the quality of anatomy education and prepare students better for their future careers in medicine
Retrospective analysis of equine traumatic injury: patterns and insights
No full textTraumatic injury is a catastrophic and second most frequent emergency condition that is significantly labor intensive and expensive to treat, raising a welfare concern in the equine industry. Even though the incidence is high, there is still a lack of data addressing the prevalence of these traumatic injuries, particularly in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to describe the occurrence and patterns of the traumatic injuries experienced by the subpopulation of horses in Malaysia. The records of horses reported to the University Veterinary Hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia between January and December 2023 were reviewed to determine traumatic injury cases and all data were analysed descriptively. Among 422 patient medical records, 99 horses (23.0%) were reported to have sustained a total of 107 traumatic injuries. Majority of the injuries were reported to occur in the stable (26.2%), while being ridden (18.7%), and during the competition (18.7%), in which most of the cases were associated with wounds (60.7%), but the occurrence of fractures (9.3%) and injured ligaments or tendons (15.0%) were also high. Occurrence of being kicked by another horse (11.2%) and penetration by sharp objects (11.2%) were the most common mechanisms of injury, whereby forelimbs (38.8%) and hindlimbs (29.8%) were injured the most, commonly at the distal aspect. This data will enable horse owners and veterinarians to employ better traumatic injury– preventative strategies
Strategies of translating Culture-Specific Items (CSIs) in Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum
No full textThis study focused on the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in Mo Yan’s novel Red Sorghum and the applicability of Functionalist Theory in analysing the data. This aim was divided into three specific objectives: identifying the strategies of translating CSIs, exploring their occurrence rates, and examining whether or not functionalist theory is applicable to the analysis of data. Drawing upon Aixelá’s translation strategies and Nida’s classification, this study examined translation strategies within the framework of functionalist theory. The results showed that the most commonly used techniques are absolute universalisation and linguistic translation. Second, different translation procedures are required for different classifications of CSIs. Thirdly, the study found that in order to maintain artistic and aesthetic value, an aesthetic rule shall be considered in literary translation
Ion-selective membrane-integrated water-gated AlGaN/GaN HEMT for high-stability detection of agricultural herbicides
No full textThis research work presents the development and characterization of a water-gated high electron mobility transistor (WGHEMT) sensor for real-time detection of herbicides, specifically glyphosate, paraquat, and diquat. Conventional FET-based sensors often suffer from design rigidity, as they are not modular and typically require complex fabrication steps for each specific target analyte. These limitations hinder their reusability for practical environmental monitoring applications. The WGHEMT utilizes a dual-pool electrolyte-gating mechanism with a replaceable ion-selective membrane (ISM) to modulate charge interactions at the AlGaN/GaN interface. Electrical and potentiometric responses were evaluated for both stock and commercial formulations, revealing that WGHEMT performance is highly dependent on herbicide concentrations. Paraquat consistently demonstrated the highest sensitivity due to its dicationic structure, while commercial glyphosate showed enhanced performance, attributed to improved ionic mobility from surfactants. Current sensitivity reached up to 761.029 µA/mg L−1 for commercial paraquat with excellent linearity (R2 = 0.96173). The WGHEMT exhibited strong stability and repeatability, with drift values under 1 % during time-dependent measurements for all herbicides concentrations. The WGHEMT adopts a modular approach through its interchangeable ISM, allowing flexible detection of various herbicides without requiring structural modifications. These results highlight the WGHEMT sensor's high sensitivity, reliability, and suitability for field-based herbicide monitoring, underscoring the importance of calibrating WGHEMTs with commercial formulations for accurate environmental assessment
(de)legitimation on Twitter: the case of speech acts in Buhari-Atiku campaign rhetoric during Nigeria’s 2019 elections
No full textThe 2019 Presidential Elections in Nigeria saw unprecedented intensity of campaign on Twitter, particularly between President Buhari and his challenger, Atiku Abubakar, the most dominant candidates of the two major parties, APC and PDP. The intense rhetoric was markedly amplified by Buhari's controversial decisions of suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria and postponing Presidential and National Assembly Elections. The President tried to justify his decisions, while Atiku challenged them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Speech Acts for (de)legitimation in Buhari-Atiku tweets on these incidents. Hence, while adopting Critical Discourse Analysis, the study applied Searle's (1969) Speech Acts, Reyes' (2011) Strategies of Legitimation in Political Discourse and van Dijk's (2006, 2011) Rhetorical Discursive Strategies. The data comprised 53 tweets from the official Twitter handles of Buhari and Atiku. The results indicate that while Buhari relied on Assertives (44%), Atiku relied on Expressives (40%) for (de)legitimation. Further analysis found that Buhari's Assertives were utilised to make claims, explain, and ultimately legitimate his decisions through Appeal to Emotions (55%) or Rationality (37%). But Atiku's Expressives were mainly used to delegitimate Buhari's decisions through Appeal to Emotions (87.5%), blaming the President for dishonest rationale, emphasising the unconstitutionality of the decisions and discrediting all explanations in order to arouse negative emotions. The study concluded that Assertives and Expressives are vital for constructing political (de-)legitimation on Twitter and that the strategy of Appeal to Emotions predominates (de)legitimatory discourse on Twitter
Relationship between Rafflesia host (Tetrastigma sp.) with plant community and microhabitat characteristics in Jerantut Tambahan Forest Reserve, Mukim Ulu Cheka, Jerantut District, Pahang (Hubung kait perumah Rafflesia (Tetrastigma sp.) dengan komuniti tumbuhan dan ciri mikrohabitat di Hutan Simpan Jerantut Tambahan, Mukim Ulu Cheka, Daerah Jerantut, Pahang)
No full textThis study assessed the plant species composition and community structure of the habitats of Rafflesia populations and its relationship with microhabitat at the Jerantut Tambahan Forest Reserve, Ulu Cheka, Jerantut, Pahang. The plant community survey utilised nested circle plot sampling with 10 m radius which include trees with 1.0 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) and above. A total of 62 species from 45 genera, 25 families, and 99 individuals were recorded. Dipterocarpaceae recorded the highest family with six species, followed by Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae both with five species. The total tree density was 396 individuals/ha (ind/ha) with Fabaceae recorded the highest with 44 ind/ha. The total basal area was 18.55 m2/ha where Dipterocarpaceae contributed the highest with 9.20 m2/ha at the family level, while at the species level, Shorea ovalis was the highest with 8.30 m2/ha and had the highest importance value index at 16.45%. The value of Shannon Diversity Index (H’) was 3.86, Evenness Index of 0.94 and Margalef Richness Index (15.5). This study recorded that soil pH influences the occurrence of four out of eight Rafflesia populations. This finding aid in conservation efforts by highlighting the key environmental factors that need to be maintained or restored to support Rafflesia habitats. Besides, the results are useful in predicting other potential sites where Rafflesia might thrive based on similar environmental conditions