79 research outputs found
Cross-seeding by prion protein inactivates TDP-43
No full textAbstract A common pathological denominator of various neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of protein aggregates. Neurotoxic effects are caused by a loss of the physiological activity of the aggregating protein and/or a gain of toxic function of the misfolded protein conformers. In transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases, neurodegeneration is caused by aberrantly folded isoforms of the prion protein (PrP). However, it is poorly understood how pathogenic PrP conformers interfere with neuronal viability. Employing in vitro approaches, cell culture, animal models, and patients’ brain samples, we show that misfolded PrP can induce aggregation and inactivation of TDP-43. Purified PrP aggregates interact with TDP-43 in vitro and in cells and induce the conversion of soluble TDP-43 into non-dynamic protein assemblies. Similarly, mislocalized PrP conformers in the cytosol bind to and sequester TDP-43 in cytosolic aggregates. As a consequence, TDP-43-dependent splicing activity in the nucleus is significantly decreased, leading to altered protein expression in cells with cytosolic PrP aggregates. Finally, we present evidence for cytosolic TDP-43 aggregates in neurons of transgenic flies expressing mammalian PrP and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease patients. Our study identified a novel mechanism of how aberrant PrP conformers impair physiological pathways by cross-seeding
Phonons and vibrations and their influence on the optical processes in non-crystalline semiconductors
No full textStudies of transport and magneto-transport properties in nanocrystalline Y0.7Ca0.3MnO3 compound
No full textWillingness, preferred ways and potential barriers to use pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in China
No full textObjective To explore willingness and preferred ways to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), factors associated with willingness, and potential barriers to PrEP use among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Changsha, China. Design A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 25 June to 31 August 2019. Two hundred and fifty-five MSM were recruited from three community-based organisations (CBOs) in Changsha City. Willingness and potential barriers to use PrEP were examined using researcher-created scales. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with willingness to use PrEP. P values <0.05 were considered significant. Setting Three MSM inclusive CBOs in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Participants 255 HIV-negative MSM were recruited through their CBOs with snowball sampling. Results Less than half of the participants (43.1%) had heard of PrEP and 15.3% were willing to use PrEP. The participants reported higher willingness to use event-driven PrEP (3.70±0.07) than daily PrEP (2.65±0.07). Higher self-rated risk and fear of contracting HIV (OR: 14.47, 95% CI 2.19 to 95.53), awareness of PrEP (OR: 4.20, 95% CI 1.64 to 10.73), sharing one's own sexual orientation with parents or siblings (OR: 2.52, 95% CI 1.54 to 7.20) and having a university education or above (OR:0.29, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.72) were associated with willingness to use PrEP. Only 12.2% of the sample was concerned about potential barriers to PrEP use. Conclusion Efforts to improve awareness and knowledge of PrEP, teach self-evaluation of HIV infection risk and provide social and emotional support for MSM are needed to scale up PrEP implementation in China. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Wendy Cross, Louisa Lam and Bixwajit Banik” is provided in this record*
Bulk and surface modification of elastomers by electron beam irradation: Structure-property relationship
No full textFabrication of large array of uniform metal nanostructures by use of soft sphere lithography and plasma etching
No full textFemale perceptions of health hazards associated with indoor air pollution in Bangladesh
No full textThis paper will identify health hazards associated with indoor air pollution (IAP) in Bangladesh. Research into IAP in Bangladesh has been neglected for many decades. This neglect may reflect aspect of the marginalization of women in Bangladeshi society, especially as cooking is considered a social responsibility of women. The main purpose of the paper is to examine the extent to which female domestic cook experience health threats related with cooking environment and to understand their perceptions of the link between IAP exposure and poor health outcomes. One hundred female domestic cook in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh, were interviewed by using a semi-structured questionnaire interview method, educational level, oven and fuel types are used as proxy determinants of class, based on educational level, respondents were categorized into three classes, illiterate, graduate and above and in-between (from level one to level 12). It was found that the higher the educational level the respondents had, the more they were likely to be aware of health effects associated with IAP. The author draws a conclusion that respondents with minimum levels of education, using wood fired mud-ovens, are more likely to be exposed to IAP and, as a consequence, have greater health risks than other women. Finally, it is recommended that fuel efficiency intervention, such as, a pipe line gas supply, is urgently needed to reduce cook-related work loads and, ultimately, improve the health of women, particularly poorer women in Rajshahi city
Unraveling the Climate Crisis on the Silver Screen: A Comprehensive Analysis of "Kadvi Hawa" (2017) as a Representation of Environmental Concerns
No full textThis paper is an attempt to explore the 2017 Indian movie, "Kadvi Hawa", as a critical insight into the unequal effect of climate change on the innocent population, where incisive policy-making and immediate action are due to counter the looming climate disaster. The movie has become an effective means of creating awareness and empowering the people on environmental conditions because of the global climate crisis that has been on the rise. The "Kadvi Hawa"film directed by Nila Madhab Panda portrays the severe nature of life faced by farmers in drought-stricken areas of India and the devastating impact that climate change is having on the lives of farmers. The movie develops a story around the theme of resilience, adaptation, as well as the social and economic impacts of climate change through a heart touching narrative and by taking a local and human approach. In this paper, the author will analyze the narrative, characters, cinematography, and themes in the film to determine how the film presents climate change and whether the film can be used to influence the audience to take action and become empathetic towards the environment. Therefore, through the examination of the film plot, dialogue, and symbolism, the paper will aim to peek into the validity and efficiency of portraying climate change related subject matter. To sum up, this paper sheds light on climate change communication through the medium of film because it helps develop a more comprehensive grasp of climate change as it impacts the communities, ecosystems, and the planet in general. The case study of "Kadvi Hawa" offers a good insight into the purpose of art as an operational lever that motivates climate action and drives a sustainable solution to the global crisis
COVID-19 : factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries
No full textBackground: The current pandemic of COVID-19 impacted the psychological wellbeing of populations globally. Objectives: We aimed to examine the extent and identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study across 17 countries during Jun-2020 to Jan-2021. Levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale), and coping (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) were assessed. Results: A total of 8,559 people participated; mean age (±SD) was 33(±13) years, 64% were females and 40% self-identified as frontline workers. More than two-thirds (69%) experienced moderate-to-very high levels of psychological distress, which was 46% in Thailand and 91% in Egypt. A quarter (24%) had high levels of fear of COVID-19, which was as low as 9% in Libya and as high as 38% in Bangladesh. More than half (57%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping; the lowest prevalence (3%) was reported in Australia and the highest (72%) in Syria. Being female (AOR 1.31 [95% CIs 1.09-1.57]), perceived distress due to change of employment status (1.56 [1.29-1.90]), comorbidity with mental health conditions (3.02 [1.20-7.60]) were associated with higher levels of psychological distress and fear. Doctors had higher psychological distress (1.43 [1.04-1.97]), but low levels of fear of COVID-19 (0.55 [0.41-0.76]); nurses had medium to high resilient coping (1.30 [1.03-1.65]). Conclusions: The extent of psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping varied by country; however, we identified few higher risk groups who were more vulnerable than others. There is an urgent need to prioritise health and well-being of those people through well-designed intervention that may need to be tailored to meet country specific requirements. © 2021, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliates are named “Muhammad Aziz Rahman, Biswajit Banik, Masudus Salehin, Joseph Bindu, Louisa Lam, Mimmie Watts and Wendy Cross” are provided in this record*
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