Mammalian ZAP and KHNYN independently restrict CpG-enriched avian viruses.

Zoonotic viruses are an omnipresent threat to global health. Influenza A virus (IAV) transmits between birds, livestock, and humans. Proviral host factors involved in the cross-species interface are well known.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyelolithotomy in a horseshoe kidney.

Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common indications for surgery in patients with a horseshoe kidney. Robotic-assisted surgery has become a staple in urologic practice, yet its application in stone management is largely undefined. We present a patient with a horseshoe kidney, who underwent a robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyelolithotomy (RPL) to treat a 3 cm stone burden.

Conserved and Unique Protein Expression Patterns Across Reproductive Stage Transitions in Social Hymenopteran Queens.

Hymenopteran queens are collectively highly fecund, often long-lived individuals that undergo dramatic physiological changes after they mate and establish a nest. However, the degree to which these changes are conserved among species with different life histories is not well-defined. We conducted a comparative proteomic study investigating differences between reproductive stages (virgin, mated and established queens) of Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, B.

Antenatal care services in Benin and Tanzania 2021/2022: an equity analysis study.

Introduction: Antenatal care (ANC) interventions improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, access to ANC may be inequitable due to sociocultural, monetary and time factors. Examining drivers of ANC disparities may identify those amenable to policy change.

A supergene-controlling social structure in Alpine ants also affects the dispersal ability and fecundity of each sex.

Social organization, dispersal and fecundity coevolve, but whether they are genetically linked remains little known. Supergenes are prime candidates for coupling adaptive traits and mediating sex-specific trade-offs. Here, we test whether a supergene that controls social structure in also influences dispersal-related traits and fecundity within each sex.

Ecological diversification preceded geographical expansion during the evolutionary radiation of desert ants.

Biological diversity often arises as organisms adapt to new ecological conditions (i.e., ecological opportunities) or colonize suitable areas (i.

Walking and Social Reminiscence in Gentrifying Neighborhoods: Feasibility and Impact on Cognitive, Physical, and Mental Health Among Older Black Adults in the SHARP Study.

Background And Objectives: Two exploratory 6-month pilots of triadic walking with culturally celebratory social reminiscence in gentrifying neighborhoods tested feasibility and health impact among normal and mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) older Black adults.

Research Design And Methods: Fourteen triads walked 1-mile 3×/week, using a navigational application with image-based reminiscence prompts. Focus groups evaluated perceived health impact and experience.

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee .

Epigenetic alterations are a primary hallmark of ageing. In mammals, age-related epigenetic changes alter gene expression profiles, disrupt cellular homeostasis and physiological functions and, therefore, promote ageing. It remains unclear whether ageing is also driven by epigenetic mechanisms in invertebrates.

Proteomic differences in seminal fluid of social insects whose sperm differ in heat tolerance.

In the coming years, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of heatwaves. In many organisms, heat stress provokes physiological perturbations and can lead to decreased male fertility. Bumblebees are endo-heterothermic but display interspecific differences in thermotolerance that could have conservation implications.

Facing lethal temperatures: Heat-shock response in desert and temperate ants.

Global climate changes may cause profound effects on species adaptation, particularly in ectotherms for whom even moderate warmer temperatures can lead to disproportionate heat failure. Still, several organisms evolved to endure high desert temperatures. Here, we describe the thermal tolerance survival and the transcriptomic heat stress response of three genera of desert (, , and ) and two of temperate ants ( and ) and explore convergent and specific adaptations.

Assessing the utility of pregnant women as a sentinel surveillance population for malaria in Geita, Tanzania, 2019 - 2021.

Objectives: Estimates of malaria burden and intervention uptake in Africa are primarily based on household surveys. However, their expense and infrequency limit their utility. We investigated whether data collected during antenatal care (ANC) can provide relevant information for decision-makers.

Sperm competition increases sperm production and quality in desert ants.

Sperm competition is a pervasive evolutionary force that shapes sperm traits to maximize fertilization success. Indeed, it has been shown to increase sperm production in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, sperm production is energetically costly, which may result in trade-offs among sperm traits.

Protective role of trehalose in the Namib desert ant, Ocymyrmex robustior.

Over recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to how low-molecular-weight molecules affect thermal tolerance in animals. Although the disaccharide sugar trehalose is known to serve as a thermal protectant in unicellular organisms, nothing is known about its potential role in insects. In this study, we investigated the effect of trehalose on heat tolerance in the Namib desert ant, Ocymyrmex robustior, one of the most thermotolerant animals found in terrestrial ecosystems.

Cataglyphis desert ants use distinct behavioral and physiological adaptations to cope with extreme thermal conditions.

Some ant species live in hot and arid environments, such as deserts and savannas. Worker polymorphism-variation in worker size and/or morphology within colonies-is adaptive in such ecosystems because it enhances resistance to heat stress and increases the efficiency of resource exploitation. However, species with small, monomorphic workers are also frequently found in these environments.

DNA methylation and expression of the egfr gene are associated with worker size in monomorphic ants.

The reproductive division of labour is a hallmark of eusocial Hymenoptera. Females are either reproductive queens or non-reproductive workers. In ants, workers often display further task specialisation that is associated with variation in size and/or morphology.

Long-term sperm storage in eusocial Hymenoptera.

In internally fertilizing species, sperm transfer is not always immediately followed by egg fertilization, and female sperm storage (FSS) may occur. FSS is a phenomenon in which females store sperm in a specialized organ for periods lasting from a few hours to several years, depending on the species. Eusocial hymenopterans (ants, social bees, and social wasps) hold the record for FSS duration.

Influenza virus replication in cardiomyocytes drives heart dysfunction and fibrosis.

Cardiac dysfunction is a common complication of severe influenza virus infection, but whether this occurs due to direct infection of cardiac tissue or indirectly through systemic lung inflammation remains unclear. To test the etiology of this aspect of influenza disease, we generated a novel recombinant heart-attenuated influenza virus via genome incorporation of target sequences for miRNAs expressed in cardiomyocytes. Compared with control virus, mice infected with miR-targeted virus had significantly reduced heart viral titers, confirming cardiac attenuation of viral replication.

Molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis.

Over the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the molecular adaptations used by organisms to cope with thermal stress. However, to date, few studies have focused on thermophilic species living in hot, arid climates. In this study, we explored molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis, one of the world's most thermotolerant animal taxa.

Genetic substructure and complex demographic history of South African Bantu speakers.

South Eastern Bantu-speaking (SEB) groups constitute more than 80% of the population in South Africa. Despite clear linguistic and geographic diversity, the genetic differences between these groups have not been systematically investigated. Based on genome-wide data of over 5000 individuals, representing eight major SEB groups, we provide strong evidence for fine-scale population structure that broadly aligns with geographic distribution and is also congruent with linguistic phylogeny (separation of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and Tsonga speakers).

Segment-specific kinetics of mRNA, cRNA and vRNA accumulation during influenza infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a segmented negative-sense RNA virus and is the cause of major epidemics and pandemics. The replication of IAV is complex, involving the production of three distinct RNA species; mRNA, cRNA, and vRNA for all eight genome segments. While understanding IAV replication kinetics is important for drug development and improving vaccine production, current methods for studying IAV kinetics has been limited by the ability to detect all three different RNA species in a scalable manner.

Using a multiple-delivery-mode training approach to develop local capacity and infrastructure for advanced bioinformatics in Africa.

With more microbiome studies being conducted by African-based research groups, there is an increasing demand for knowledge and skills in the design and analysis of microbiome studies and data. However, high-quality bioinformatics courses are often impeded by differences in computational environments, complicated software stacks, numerous dependencies, and versions of bioinformatics tools along with a lack of local computational infrastructure and expertise. To address this, H3ABioNet developed a 16S rRNA Microbiome Intermediate Bioinformatics Training course, extending its remote classroom model.

Hybridization and invasiveness in social insects - The good, the bad and the hybrid.

Hybridization may help drive biological invasions by reducing Allee effects, increasing genetic variation, and generating novel adaptive genotypes/phenotypes. Social insects (ants, bees, wasps, and termites) are among the world's worst invasive species. In this review, we study the relationship between hybridization and invasiveness in social insects.