Male-driven grooming bouts in mixed-sex dyads of Kinda baboons (Papio kindae).

The behavior of the Central African Kinda baboon (Papio kindae) is not well documented. Having previously noted distinctive grooming behavior in several Kinda baboon populations, we investigated the topic more systematically in the Kafue National Park, Zambia. We recorded the duration and details of male-female dyadic interactions (approaches, withdrawals and time spent grooming) in the early morning and late afternoon.

Validation of the COSTIM bioassay for dendritic cell potency.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are increasingly prepared in vitro for use in clinical trials of human disease. Their utility in experimental immunotherapy has driven significant advances in the manufacture of these cells. Thus it has become imperative that, in concert with other quality control measures, a potency test be utilized for the GMP/GLP lot-release of DC products for preclinical and clinical studies.