Utilizing official statistics and data envelopment analysis in contructing a Philippine Vector-Borne Disease Vulnerability Index

Recent and past outbreaks and epidemic events of vector-borne diseases in the Philippines suggest a need for a tool to monitor situations in the country. With the objective to determine how vulnerable Philippine locations are to vector-borne diseases (VBD), a composite VBD vulnerability index (VBDVI) was constructed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The index incorporated various indicators collected from official statistics grouped into six dimensions. Statistical maps were also constructed to visualize and ascertain hotspots. According to results, lists of vulnerable locations differed across dimensions but province of Basilan appeared to be the most vulnerable while the province of Siquijor was the least vulnerable. Remarkably, most vulnerable locations were in Mindanao making the geographical area a potential hotspot of vector-borne diseases. Results of uncertainty analyses showed potential strengths and weaknesses that challenged the validity of VBDVI. Nonetheless, results showed that VBDVI appeared useful in classifying the most vulnerable locations. Comparison of actual rates and VBDVI presented concordance. Moreover, outputs showed an acceptable resemblance of VBDVI to actual rates with percentage errors ranging from 1.72% to 2.21% only. Though VBDVI was not constructed to directly predict outbreaks, it can give us comprehensive idea in identifying locations that need practical and apt support, and ultimately negate emerging threats of vector-borne diseases

Targeted insertion of regulatory elements enables translational enhancement in rice

In-locus editing of agronomically-important genes to optimize their spatiotemporal expression is becoming an important breeding approach. Compared to intensive studies on mRNA transcription, manipulating protein translation by genome editing has not been well exploited. Here, we found that precise knock-in of a regulating element into the 5’UTR of a target gene could efficiently increase its protein abundance in rice. We firstly screened a translational enhancer (AMVE) from alfalfa mosaic virus using protoplast-based luciferase assays with an 8.5-folds enhancement. Then the chemically modified donor of AMVE was synthesized and targeted inserted into the 5’UTRs of two genes (WRKY71 and SKC1) using CRISPR/Cas9. Following the in-locus AMVE knock-in, we observed up to a 2.8-fold increase in the amount of WRKY71 protein. Notably, editing of SKC1, a sodium transporter, significantly increased salt tolerance in T2 seedlings, indicating the expected regulation of AMVE knock-in. These data demonstrated the feasibility of such in-locus editing to enhance protein expression, providing a new approach to manipulating protein translation for crop breeding