CRISPR-VAE: A Method for Explaining CRISPR/Cas12a Predictions, and an Efficiency-aware gRNA Sequence Generator

Motivation: Sizeable research has been conducted to facilitate the usage of CRISPR-Cas systems in genome editing, in which deep learning-based methods among others have shown great promise in the prediction of the gRNA efficiency. An accurate prediction of gRNA efficiency helps practitioners optimize their engineered gRNAs, maximizing the on-target efficiency, and minimizing the off-target effects. However, the black box prediction of deep learning-based methods does not provide adequate explanation to the factors that make a sequence efficient; rectifying this issue can help promote the usage of CRISPR-Cas systems in numerous domains. Results: We put forward a framework for interpreting gRNA efficiency prediction, dubbed CRISPR-VAE, and apply it to CRISPR/Cpf1. We thus help open the door to a better interpretability of the factors that make a certain gRNA efficient. We further lay out a semantic articulation of such factors into position-wise k-mer rules. The paradigm consists of building an efficiency-aware gRNA sequence generator trained on available real data, and using it to generate a large amount of synthetic sequences with favorable traits, upon which the explanation of the gRNA prediction is based. CRISPR-VAE can further be used as a standalone sequence generator, where the user has access to a low-level editing control. The framework can be readily integrated with different CRISPR-Cas tools and datasets, and its efficacy is confirmed in this paper.

Patient satisfaction with intraoral examination in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Objectives: While studies on satisfaction following medical procedures are well documented, but this is not so with dental procedures. Therefore, this study aims to determine the level of satisfaction in patient undergoing intraoral examination (IOE). Material and Methods: Consecutive patients attending the oral diagnosis clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital from April 2020 to September 2020 were interviewed using a questionnaire modified from the modified Group Health Association of America-9 questionnaire. Results: A total number of 103 consecutive dental patients were recruited as they all agreed to participate in the study. The age range was 18–77 years with a mean age of 35.8 ± 14.3 years. There were more males (51.5%). The overall satisfaction was 82.5%. The maximum satisfactory response was on doctor’s manner (93.2%), followed by staff ’s manner (89.3%), comfort during IOE (80.6%), adequate explanation (78.6%), and finally by waiting time (60.2%). There was association between occupation (P = 0.04) of the patients, type of dental condition (P = 0.03), waiting time (P = 0.01), doctor’s manner (P = 0.00), staff manner (P = 0.00), adequate explanation (P = 0.00), comfort during IOE (P = 0.00), and level of satisfaction. The problem rate was 16%. Conclusion: Although waiting time and adequate explanation ranked the highest in terms of unfavorable responses, the overall satisfaction of patients following IOE was generally good. The factors that influence satisfaction were occupation of the patients, type of dental condition, waiting time, doctor’s manner, staff manner, adequate explanation, and comfort during IOE.

The Myth of the Omnipotent Leader

Theorizing about leadership in new religious movements has often assumed that leaders have a powerful form of charisma with magical powers allowing leaders to exercise total control over the group and its members. This “myth of the omnipotent leader” is complemented by the “myth of the passive and brainwashed follower,” which assumes that those who participate have their agency overcome by the leader’s charisma and are under some sort of spell cast by the leader. Both myths mislead and belie societal conditions that lead to the formation of new religions as well as the inherent agency of those who participate. Examples from research on newer religious groups are presented to demonstrate the naiveté of assuming that the intertwined myths promoted in the media offer a full and adequate explanation of group formation and decisions by individuals to participate.

Studying based on Prophet's Hadith Perspective:

This discussion is intended to determine the degree of the Prophet's hadith. in Sunan Ibnu Majah No. 220. This hadith explains the virtues of scholars and the urge to study. This study uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method. Researchers used data collection techniques based on information in literary sources in hadith books, books, journals, seminar results, and discussions with experts relevant to the research theme. The data obtained then the researcher analyzes through qualitative data analysis through the data interpretation process, and the researcher provides an adequate explanation. Based on the results of the discussion, the hadith of the Prophet. in Sunan Ibnu Majah No. 220 is a dhaif hadith because in the hadith there is' illat (defect), a break in sanad, and a defect in the hadith narrator. From several lines of supporting hadith, none of the hadiths can raise the hadith's degree because all of them are weak in nature. From several lines of supporting hadith, none of the hadiths can raise the hadith's degree because all of them are weak in nature. However, according to some scholars, hadith dha'if can be used as hujjah (practiced) only for the basis of the virtue of charity (Fadla'il amal). The implication of this paper is to clarify the law (quality) of the Prophet's hadith. in Sunan Ibnu Majah No. 220. Hadith that has been in Takhrij can be scientifically accounted for its quality, so that it is no longer hesitant to be used as a source of Islamic law after the Al-Qur'an.

The professionalisation of domiciliary care workers in England following COVID-19

The growing pressure of an ageing population has resulted in an increased focus and interest in home or domiciliary care. This, plus changing lifestyle trends and the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates a review of care in the UK. The number of domiciliary carers has increased; of the 1.62 million social workers active in 2018, 685 000 were categorised as domiciliary carers. However, this group of carers are not recognised as healthcare professionals. Indeed, there is no formal recognition or definition of the role of the carer in the UK, and there seems to be an overlap between support workers and carers, without adequate explanation of what either of these roles mean in practice. This article highlights the need to pay particular attention to this care sector, particularly in light of both the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.

Gender and rural economic relations: ethnography of the Nrobo of South Eastern Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine gender and rural economic relations of the Nrobo of Southeastern Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to examine the subsistence strategies, gendered role patterns and gender gaps in economic relations of the Nrobo. Design/methodology/approach This study used ethnographic methods of participant observation – adopting chitchatting and semi-structured interviews. Also, focus group discussion (FGD) was used to cross-check the validity of data from the other instrument. Findings This study found among other things, that although there is still verbal expression of gendered roles division, it does not mirror what actually obtains in society, except bio-social roles. Ideological superiority of men reflects the patrilineal kinship arrangement of society. Theoretically, some of the hypotheses of gender inequality theory were disputed for lack of adequate explanation of gender and economic relations in an egalitarian-reflected society such as Nrobo. Originality/value This study, to the best of my knowledge, is the first attempt to ethnographically examine gender and economic relations among this group. As such it adds to the corpus of ethnographies on the Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria.

INSTITUTIONAL-FORMATION THEORY AND ITS CONSTITUTIVE PRINCIPLES

Статья посвящается поиску путей преодоления кризиса гуманитарных наук, которые не дали адекватного объяснения процессам постиндустриального развития общества. Предметом исследования являются социально-философские и социологические теории, в рамках которых изучаются процессы глобализации. В процессе исследования использовались методы сравнительного анализа. С их помощью было показано, что единственной теорией, ставящей перед собой цель определения универсальных закономерностей развития общества, остается формационная теория. Тем не менее она должна быть дополнена и переосмыслена с учетом результатов, полученных в рамках теорий социальных институтов, и функционалистских, структуралистских и структурно-функционалистских концепций. На этой основе были сформулированы принципы создания институционально-формационной теории, которая будет позволять с высокой степенью достоверности прогнозировать направления развития социума и адекватно объяснять идущие в нем процессы. The article is devoted to the search for ways to overcome the crisis in the humanities, which have not given an adequate explanation for the processes of the society post-industrial development. The subject of this research is socio-philosophical and sociological theories, within the framework of which the processes of globalization are studied. Methods of comparative analysis were used in the research. They helped to demonstrate that the only theory the goal of which is to determine the universal laws of society development is the formation theory. Nevertheless, it should be supplemented and reconsidered due to the results obtained within the framework of theories of social institutions, and functionalist, structuralist and structural-functionalist concepts. Based on this, the principles of creating an institutional-formation theory were formulated. It would allow predicting the highly reliable directions of the society development and providing an adequate explanation of its processes.

Triggering mixing and deceleration in FRI jets: a solution

ABSTRACT Since Fanaroff & Riley reported the morphological and brightness dichotomy of radio galaxies, and it became clear that the symmetric emission from jets and counter-jets in the centre-brightened, less powerful, FRI sources could be caused by jet deceleration, many works have addressed different mechanisms that could cause this difference. Recent observational results seem to indicate that the deceleration must be caused by the development of small-scale instabilities that force mixing at the jet boundary. According to these results, the mixing layer expands and propagates down to the jet axis along several kiloparsecs, until it covers the whole jet cross-section. Several candidate mechanisms have been proposed as the initial trigger for the generation of such mixing layer. However, the instabilities proposed so far do not fully manage to explain the observations of FRI jets and/or require a triggering mechanism. Therefore, there is not still a satisfactory explanation for the original cause of jet deceleration. In this letter, I show that the penetration (and exit) of stars from jets could give the adequate explanation by means of creating a jet-interstellar medium mixing layer that expands across the jet.

Modification of Layered Double Hydroxides Using First-Row Transition Metals for Superior UV-Vis-NIR Absorption and the Influence of the Synthesis Method Used

<div>Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with high and tailorable UV-Vis-NIR absorption were prepared through transition</div><div>metal (TM) modification. The synthesis method used and amount of TM present were found to influence the UV-Vis-</div><div>NIR absorption intensity, -range, and the optical bandgap.</div><div><div>It was found that the incorporation of TMs in MgAl-LDH results in the existence of a "UV-Vis-NIR absorption fingerprint", the intensity of which can be tuned by the amount of TM present. There also exist differences in the UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra and bandgaps obtained for MgAl-LDH synthesised using different synthesis conditions and methods, but these are not as visible when including transition metals. Further, the materials exhibit very complex spectra for which adequate explanation is lacking in literature. Finally, standard methods to determine the bandgap of materials, did not give conclusive results for all materials, only for some, and indicate that some of the materials might have multiple different transition types.</div></div>

Modification of Layered Double Hydroxides Using First-Row Transition Metals for Superior UV-Vis-NIR Absorption and the Influence of the Synthesis Method Used

<div>Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with high and tailorable UV-Vis-NIR absorption were prepared through transition</div><div>metal (TM) modification. The synthesis method used and amount of TM present were found to influence the UV-Vis-</div><div>NIR absorption intensity, -range, and the optical bandgap.</div><div><div>It was found that the incorporation of TMs in MgAl-LDH results in the existence of a "UV-Vis-NIR absorption fingerprint", the intensity of which can be tuned by the amount of TM present. There also exist differences in the UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra and bandgaps obtained for MgAl-LDH synthesised using different synthesis conditions and methods, but these are not as visible when including transition metals. Further, the materials exhibit very complex spectra for which adequate explanation is lacking in literature. Finally, standard methods to determine the bandgap of materials, did not give conclusive results for all materials, only for some, and indicate that some of the materials might have multiple different transition types.</div></div>