Exploring the factors associated with prelacteal feeds in Papua New Guinea: a population-based survey.

Background: Prelacteal feeding disrupts early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, and increases the risk of childhood illnesses and under-five mortality. Despite its negative health outcomes, newborns are given prelacteal feeds in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This study investigated the factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices among women in PNG.

Proteomic analysis of effects of 1% atropine in myopia therapy in Guinea pigs.

Myopia is a significant global public health issue. Key interventions for managing myopia include atropine treatment, optical correction, and surgical methods. This study focused on evaluating alterations in retinal protein expression after atropine therapy for myopia.

Selectivity in Buttress Drumming Tree Properties Among Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of the Waibira Community in Budongo Forest, Uganda.

Wild chimpanzees drum on tree buttresses during dominance displays and travel, generating low-frequency sounds that are audible over distances of more than 1 km. Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains of Guinea selectively choose trees and buttresses when drumming, potentially based on their resonant properties, suggesting that these chimpanzees are optimizing their drumming signals. We investigated whether male eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from the Waibira community in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, also show preferences in tree and buttress choice, exploring whether selectivity is a species-wide feature.

Urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): Reference range and the effect of age and sex.

Background: There are currently few reports on the normal urinary protein-to-creatinine (UPC) ratio of guinea pigs, and there is little information on the effects of age and sex on this parameter.

Methods: Urinary protein and creatinine concentrations were measured in a total of 161 clinically healthy guinea pigs, and the UPC ratio was subsequently calculated. The effect of age and sex on these parameters was assessed using Mann-Whitney U tests.

Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Trapezoidal and Arc-Shaped Membranes Mimicking the Organ of Corti.

In a previous study [H. Shintaku et al., Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 158 (2010): 183-192], an artificially developed auditory sensor device showed a frequency selectivity in the range from 6.

Stone selection by wild chimpanzees shares patterns with Oldowan hominins.

The use of broad tool repertoires to increase dietary flexibility through extractive foraging behaviors is shared by humans and their closest living relatives (chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes). However, comparisons between tool use in ancient human ancestors (hominins) and chimpanzees are limited by differences in their toolkits. One feature shared by primate and hominin toolkits is rock selection based on physical properties of the stones and the targets of foraging behaviors.

Sequence-Dependent Repolarization Is Modulated by Endogenous Action Potential Duration Gradients Rather Than Electrical Coupling in Ventricular Myocardium.

Background: Previous studies suggest the relationship between activation time (AT) and action potential duration (APD) in the heart is dependent on electrotonic coupling, but this has not been directly tested. This study assessed whether acute changes in electrical coupling, or other determinants of conduction or repolarization, modulate APD heterogeneity.

Methods And Results: Langendorff-perfused guinea pig hearts were epicardially paced and optically mapped after treatment with the gap junction uncoupler carbenoxolone, ephaptic uncoupler mannitol, ephaptic enhancer dextran 2MDa, sodium channel inhibitor flecainide, or rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium channel inhibitor E4031.

Metal accumulation in fish species of a vast hydrographic network in the Moyen-Ogooué and Haut-Ogooué Provinces of Gabon: Implications for human health.

With an obsolete livestock sector, Gabon relies on its huge hydrographic network rich in fish to supply its populations with animal proteins. This study aimed to conduct metal analyses in four fish species () frequently consumed by human populations in the Moyen-Ogooué and Haut-Ogooué Provinces of Gabon and infer the potential human health risks for those populations who rely on these freshwater produces as a source of proteins. Fish were sampled from Ezanga, Oguemoué, Onangué, Nguenè (Moyen-Ogooué) and Grand Poubara (Haut-Ogooué) Lakes during the high flow period (HF) and low flow period (LF) from 2021 to 2022, and analysed for seven heavy metals (HMs) using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) techniques.

Understanding the development of tuberculous granulomas: insights into host protection and pathogenesis, a review in humans and animals.

Granulomas, organized aggregates of immune cells which form in response to (), are characteristic but not exclusive of tuberculosis (TB). Despite existing investigations on TB granulomas, the determinants that differentiate host-protective granulomas from granulomas that contribute to TB pathogenesis are often disputed. Thus, the goal of this narrative review is to help clarify the existing literature on such determinants.

Retrospective clinical performance evaluation of the Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0, a rapid diagnostic test for human African trypanosomiasis based on recombinant antigens.

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests for the serological detection of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) have been developed to overcome the limitations of the traditional screening method, CATT/T. b. gambiense.

Reliable long-term individual variation in wild chimpanzee technological efficiency.

Variation in the efficiency of extracting calorie-rich and nutrient-dense resources directly impacts energy expenditure and potentially has important repercussions for cultural transmission where social learning strategies are used. Assessing variation in efficiency is key to understanding the evolution of complex behavioural traits in primates. Here we examine evidence for individual-level differences beyond age- and sex-class in non-human primate extractive foraging efficiency.

Geocultural differences in pre-schooler sleep profiles and family practices: an analysis of pooled data from 37 countries.

Study Objectives: To examine 1) multidimensional sleep profiles in pre-schoolers (3-6 years) across geocultural regions and 2) differences in sleep characteristics and family practices between Majority World regions (Pacific Islands, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America) and the Minority World (the Western world).

Methods: Participants were 3507 pre-schoolers from 37 countries. Nighttime sleep characteristics and nap duration (accelerometer: n=1950) and family practices (parental questionnaire) were measured.

Toxin and capsule production by Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis influence pathogenicity in macrophages and animal models.

Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) causes anthrax-like disease in animals, particularly in the non-human primates and great apes of West and Central Africa. Genomic analyses revealed Bcbva as a member of the B. cereus species that carries two plasmids, pBCXO1 and pBCXO2, which have high sequence homology to the B.

Long-read Transcriptomics of Caviid Gammaherpesvirus 1: Compiling a Comprehensive RNA Atlas.

Caviid gammaherpesvirus 1 (CaGHV-1), formerly known as the guinea pig herpes-like virus, is an oncogenic gammaherpesvirus with a sequenced genome but an as-yet uncharacterized transcriptome. Using nanopore long-read RNA sequencing, we annotated the CaGHV-1 genome and constructed a detailed transcriptomic atlas. Our findings reveal diverse viral mRNAs and non-coding RNAs, along with mapped promoter elements for each viral gene.

Selective Inhibitory Effect of Hesperetin on the Automaticity of the Guinea Pig Pulmonary Vein Myocardium.

The effect of a citrus-derived flavonoid, hesperetin, on the automaticity and contraction of isolated guinea pig myocardium was examined. Hesperetin inhibited the rate of ectopic action potential firing of the pulmonary vein myocardium; the slope of the diastolic depolarization was decreased with minimum change in the action potential waveform. The effect was dependent on the concentration; the EC value for firing rate was 56.

A human-like glutaminase-free asparaginase is highly efficacious in ASNS leukemia and solid cancer mouse xenograft models.

L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) is crucial in treating pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but its use is hampered by side effects from the immunogenicity and L-glutaminase (L-GLNase) co-activity of FDA-approved bacterial L-ASNases, often leading to treatment discontinuation and poor outcomes. The toxicity of these L-ASNases makes them especially challenging to use in adult cancer patients. To overcome these issues, we developed EBD-200, a humanized guinea pig L-ASNase with low Km and no L-GLNase activity, eliminating glutamine-related toxicity.

Marburg Virus Reaches Rwanda: How Close Are We to a Vaccine Solution?

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a highly virulent and often fatal disease caused by the Marburg virus, a member of the Filoviridae family, closely related to the Ebola virus. Historically, outbreaks have been sporadic but lethal across various African countries, with high case fatality rates (CFRs). In 2023, significant outbreaks occurred in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, with CFRs of 62.

A modiolar-pillar gradient in auditory-nerve dendritic length: A novel post-synaptic contribution to dynamic range?

Auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs) from a given cochlear region can vary in threshold sensitivity by up to 60 dB, corresponding to a 1000-fold difference in stimulus level, although each fiber innervates a single inner hair cell (IHC) via a single synapse. ANFs with high-thresholds also have low spontaneous rates (SRs) and synapse on the side of the IHC closer to the modiolus, whereas the low-threshold, high-SR fibers synapse on the side closer to the pillar cells. Prior biophysical work has identified modiolar-pillar differences in both pre- and post-synaptic properties, but a comprehensive explanation for the wide range of sensitivities remains elusive.

Global climate change and its impact on the distribution and efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis as a biopesticide.

This study is the first modeling exercise to assess the impacts of climate change on the current and future global distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt is a common Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium widely distributed in various environments, including soil and water. It is widely recognized as a source of effective and safe agricultural biopesticides for pest management in various climatic regions globally.

Mid-Pregnancy Placental Transcriptome in a Model of Placental Insufficiency with and without Novel Intervention.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects between 5-10% of all live births. Placental insufficiency is a leading cause of FGR, resulting in reduced nutrient and oxygen delivery to the fetus. Currently, there are no effective in utero treatment options for FGR, or placental insufficiency.

Effects of atropine on choroidal hemodynamics and VEGFA and HIF-1α expression in form-deprivation myopia guinea pigs.

We investigated the mechanism of action of atropine in myopia control by examining its effect on choroidal hemodynamics. Blood flow was evaluated using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence and molecular variation during the development of form-deprivation myopia (FDM) and atropine treatment in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were divided randomly into the normal control (NC), FDM, and FDM + 1% atropine (ATR) groups, and evaluated by spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) and axial length (AL).

An injectable sodium-mangiferin homopolymeric hydrogel accelerated skin full-thickness wound healing in guinea pig model.

In the treatment of joints, mucosa, and full-thickness wounds, traditional implant surgery presents not only inconvenience but also a significant risk of wound infection. Additionally, the pharmaceutical application of mangiferin(MGF) has been severely restricted due to its poor water solubility. In this study, we reported the synthesis and characterization of sodium-mangiferin (MGF-Na(S)) using the salt formation method.

retinal melanin detection with the calibrated depolarization index in polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography.

Significance: A data-based calibration method with enhanced depolarization contrast in polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) was developed and demonstrated effective for detecting melanin content in the eye.

Aim: We aim to mitigate the dependence between the measured depolarization metric and the intensity signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for improved visualization of depolarizing tissues, especially in low SNR regions, and to demonstrate the enhanced depolarization contrast to evaluate melanin presence.

Approach: A function for calibrating the depolarization metric was experimentally derived from the young albino guinea pig, assuming depolarization free in the retina.