Luo Guo

Nov 25, 2024 | nature.com | Shidong Zhang |Tong Wu |Luo Guo

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is vital for stabilizing climate in East and South Asia and its glaciers and snow meltwater nourish key continental rivers. The region’s forests are not only ecologically essential but also fragile. The practices of local herdsmen, shaped by long-standing cultural traditions, significantly affect forest dynamics. This study examines the vital role that Tibetan Buddhist monasteries play in forest conservation on the QTP. We utilize data sources including extensive field surveys and geospatial data to assess the impact of monastery and village locations on forest conditions. Spatial analysis techniques, such as Moran’s I and Ripley’s K function, reveal significant clustering of monasteries and villages, which are closely linked with forest conditions. Our findings indicate that forests near Buddhist monasteries have higher aboveground biomass and better quality compared to other areas, suggesting that their presence supports better forest conservation practices. This positive influence is attributed to the cultural significance of these sites and the environmental consciousness promoted by Buddhist cultural teachings. Additionally, this study employs analytical methods including Random Forest and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to explore the drivers of forest quality. Initial aboveground biomass, climatic factors, and monastery density emerge as key influences on forest quality within monastery buffer zones, indicating that cultural factors are crucial in shaping forest landscapes.

Jun 5, 2024 | nature.com | Lei Han |Luoying Jiang |Mengzhao Xun |Jinghan Wang |Huawei Li |Zheng-Yi Chen | +24 more

Gene therapy is a promising approach for hereditary deafness. We recently showed that unilateral AAV1-hOTOF gene therapy with dual adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 1 carrying human OTOF transgene is safe and associated with functional improvements in patients with autosomal recessive deafness 9 (DFNB9). The protocol was subsequently amended and approved to allow bilateral gene therapy administration. Here we report an interim analysis of the single-arm trial investigating the safety and efficacy of binaural therapy in five pediatric patients with DFNB9. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity at 6 weeks, and the secondary endpoint included safety (adverse events) and efficacy (auditory function and speech perception). No dose-limiting toxicity or serious adverse event occurred. A total of 36 adverse events occurred. The most common adverse events were increased lymphocyte counts (6 out of 36) and increased cholesterol levels (6 out of 36). All patients had bilateral hearing restoration. The average auditory brainstem response threshold in the right (left) ear was >95 dB (>95 dB) in all patients at baseline, and the average auditory brainstem response threshold in the right (left) ear was restored to 58 dB (58 dB) in patient 1, 75 dB (85 dB) in patient 2, 55 dB (50 dB) in patient 3 at 26 weeks, and 75 dB (78 dB) in patient 4 and 63 dB (63 dB) in patient 5 at 13 weeks. The speech perception and the capability of sound source localization were restored in all five patients. These results provide preliminary insights on the safety and efficacy of binaural AAV gene therapy for hereditary deafness. The trial is ongoing with longer follow-up to confirm the safety and efficacy findings. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry registration: ChiCTR2200063181 . An interim analysis of a single-arm trial in 5 children with hereditary deafness shows that binaural AAV gene therapy is safe and leads to hearing improvement up to 13–26 weeks of follow-up.