Burden and epidemiology of Campylobacter species in acute enteritis cases in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter spp. is a significant etiological agent of bacterial gastroenteritis globally. In Burkina Faso (BFA), the actual impact of this pathogen on gastroenteritis is considerably underestimated, primarily due to inadequate surveillance systems. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the proportion of Campylobacter species responsible for acute gastroenteritis among patients of all ages in urban and rural areas of BFA, using molecular biology techniques. STUDY DESIGN & METHODS: Between 2018 and 2021, faecal specimens were obtained from 1,295 individuals presenting with acute gastroenteritis. These samples underwent screening for the Campylobacter coli/jejuni/lari complex utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Subsequently, positive samples were subjected to species-level differentiation through the application of species-specific primers. RESULTS: Campylobacter spp. was detected in 25.0% (324/1,295) of the samples analysed. The majority of positive samples (95%, 308/324) were obtained from children under 5 years of age. Species identification was performed on a subset of 114 isolates, revealing 51 Campylobacter jejuni, 10 Campylobacter coli, and 53 Campylobacter isolates that remained unspeciated. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a significant prevalence of Campylobacter species among patients with acute gastroenteritis, with a particularly high incidence observed in children under 5 years of age. Based on these findings, the implementation of routine Campylobacter surveillance in public health laboratories is strongly recommended to better monitor and address this health concern.

Genetic diversity of enteric viruses responsible of gastroenteritis in urban and rural Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Viral gastrointestinal infections remain a major public health concern in developing countries. In Burkina Faso, there are very limited updated data on the circulating viruses and their genetic diversity. OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the detection rates and characteristics of rotavirus A (RVA), norovirus (NoV), sapovirus (SaV) and human astrovirus (HAstV) in patients of all ages with acute gastrointestinal infection in urban and rural areas. STUDY DESIGN & METHODS: From 2018 to 2021, stool samples from 1,295 patients with acute gastroenteritis were collected and screened for RVA, NoV, SaV and HAstV. Genotyping and phylogenetic analyses were performed on a subset of samples. RESULTS: At least one virus was detected in 34.1% of samples. NoV and SaV were predominant with detection rates of respectively 10.5 and 8.8%. We identified rare genotypes of NoV GII, RVA and HAstV, recombinant HAstV strains and a potential zoonotic RVA transmission event. CONCLUSIONS: We give an up-to-date epidemiological picture of enteric viruses in Burkina Faso, showing a decrease in prevalence but a high diversity of circulating strains. However, viral gastroenteritis remains a public health burden, particularly in pediatric settings. Our data advocate for the implementation of routine viral surveillance and updated management algorithms for diarrheal disease.

Retrospective for the Dynamic Sensorium Competition for predicting large-scale mouse primary visual cortex activity from videos.

Understanding how biological visual systems process information is challenging because of the nonlinear relationship between visual input and neuronal responses. Artificial neural networks allow computational neuroscientists to create predictive models that connect biological and machine vision. Machine learning has benefited tremendously from benchmarks that compare different model on the same task under standardized conditions. However, there was no standardized benchmark to identify state-of-the-art dynamic models of the mouse visual system. To address this gap, we established the SENSORIUM 2023 Benchmark Competition with dynamic input, featuring a new large-scale dataset from the primary visual cortex of ten mice. This dataset includes responses from 78,853 neurons to 2 hours of dynamic stimuli per neuron, together with the behavioral measurements such as running speed, pupil dilation, and eye movements. The competition ranked models in two tracks based on predictive performance for neuronal responses on a held-out test set: one focusing on predicting in-domain natural stimuli and another on out-of-distribution (OOD) stimuli to assess model generalization. As part of the NeurIPS 2023 competition track, we received more than 160 model submissions from 22 teams. Several new architectures for predictive models were proposed, and the winning teams improved the previous state-of-the-art model by 50%. Access to the dataset as well as the benchmarking infrastructure will remain online at www.sensorium-competition.net.

Oesophagostomum stephanostomum causing parasitic granulomas in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

Nematodes belonging to the genus Oesophagostomum frequently infect wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) across widely separated field sites. Nodular lesions (granulomas) containing Oesophagostomum are commonly seen in the abdomen of infected chimpanzees post-mortem. At Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, previous studies have identified larvae of a variety of Oesophagostomum spp. in wild chimpanzee stool, based on sequencing of larval DNA, and nodular lesions associated with Oesophagostomum, identified morphologically to the genus level but not sequenced. Here we present three recent cases of parasitic granulomas found post-mortem in chimpanzees at Taï. We complement descriptions of gross pathology, histopathology and parasitology with PCR and sequencing of DNA isolated from the parasitic nodules and from adult worms found inside the nodules. In all three cases, we identify Oesophagostomum stephanostomum as the causative agent. The sequences from this study were identical to the only other published sequences from nodules in nonhuman primates-those from the wild chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania.

Diverse task-driven modeling of macaque V4 reveals functional specialization towards semantic tasks.

Responses to natural stimuli in area V4-a mid-level area of the visual ventral stream-are well predicted by features from convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained on image classification. This result has been taken as evidence for the functional role of V4 in object classification. However, we currently do not know if and to what extent V4 plays a role in solving other computational objectives. Here, we investigated normative accounts of V4 (and V1 for comparison) by predicting macaque single-neuron responses to natural images from the representations extracted by 23 CNNs trained on different computer vision tasks including semantic, geometric, 2D, and 3D types of tasks. We found that V4 was best predicted by semantic classification features and exhibited high task selectivity, while the choice of task was less consequential to V1 performance. Consistent with traditional characterizations of V4 function that show its high-dimensional tuning to various 2D and 3D stimulus directions, we found that diverse non-semantic tasks explained aspects of V4 function that are not captured by individual semantic tasks. Nevertheless, jointly considering the features of a pair of semantic classification tasks was sufficient to yield one of our top V4 models, solidifying V4's main functional role in semantic processing and suggesting that V4's selectivity to 2D or 3D stimulus properties found by electrophysiologists can result from semantic functional goals.

Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Beclometasone-Loaded Filomicelles on Activated Human Monocytes.

Polymeric micelles with a hydrophobic core represent versatile nanostructures for encapsulation and delivery of water-insoluble drugs. Here, water-insoluble beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) which is a potent anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent but limited to topical applications so far, is encapsulated. Therefore, this work used an amphiphilic block copolymer self-assembling into flexible polymeric filomicelles, which have recently proven to selectively target inflamed areas in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The small diameter and flexibility of these filomicelles is considered beneficial for transepithelial passages, while their length minimizes the unspecific uptake into nontargeted cells. This work successfully establishes a protocol to load the water-insoluble BDP into the core of the filomicelles, while maintaining the particle stability to prevent any premature drug release. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of BDP-loaded filomicelles is further investigated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human monocytes. In these ex vivo assays, the BDP-loaded filomicelles significantly reduce TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-12p70, IL-17a, and IL-23 release after 24 h. Additional time course study of drug-loaded filomicelles and their comparison with a common water-soluble and unspecific corticosteroid demonstrate promising results with significant immune response suppression in stimulated monocytes after 2 and 6 h. These findings demonstrate the potential of polymeric filomicelles as a vehicle for potent water-insoluble corticosteroids.

Structural implications of BK polyomavirus sequence variations in the major viral capsid protein Vp1 and large T-antigen: a computational study.

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a double-stranded DNA virus causing nephropathy, hemorrhagic cystitis, and urothelial cancer in transplant patients. The BKPyV-encoded capsid protein Vp1 and large T-antigen (LTag) are key targets of neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T-cells, respectively. Our single-center data suggested that variability in Vp1 and LTag may contribute to failing BKPyV-specific immune control and impact vaccine design. We, therefore, analyzed all available entries in GenBank (1516 VP1; 742 LTAG) and explored potential structural effects using computational approaches. BKPyV-genotype (gt)1 was found in 71.18% of entries, followed by BKPyV-gt4 (19.26%), BKPyV-gt2 (8.11%), and BKPyV-gt3 (1.45%), but rates differed according to country and specimen type. Vp1-mutations matched a serotype different than the assigned one or were serotype-independent in 43%, 18% affected more than one amino acid. Notable Vp1-mutations altered antibody-binding domains, interactions with sialic acid receptors, or were predicted to change conformation. LTag-sequences were more conserved, with only 16 mutations detectable in more than one entry and without significant effects on LTag-structure or interaction domains. However, LTag changes were predicted to affect HLA-class I presentation of immunodominant 9mers to cytotoxic T-cells. These global data strengthen single center observations and specifically our earlier findings revealing mutant 9mer epitopes conferring immune escape from HLA-I cytotoxic T cells. We conclude that variability of BKPyV-Vp1 and LTag may have important implications for diagnostic assays assessing BKPyV-specific immune control and for vaccine design. IMPORTANCE: Type and rate of amino acid variations in BKPyV may provide important insights into BKPyV diversity in human populations and an important step toward defining determinants of BKPyV-specific immunity needed to protect vulnerable patients from BKPyV diseases. Our analysis of BKPyV sequences obtained from human specimens reveals an unexpectedly high genetic variability for this double-stranded DNA virus that strongly relies on host cell DNA replication machinery with its proof reading and error correction mechanisms. BKPyV variability and immune escape should be taken into account when designing further approaches to antivirals, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines for patients at risk of BKPyV diseases.

Integrated biomarker responses in wild populations of the intertidal sea anemone Bunodosoma zamponii living under different anthropogenic pressures.

Bunodosoma zamponii is the most abundant anemone in Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Given that the presence of persistent organic pollutants (organochlorine pesticides and PCBs) and the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos has recently been reported in this species, two wild populations living under different anthropogenic pressures were studied and compared regarding basic aspects of their ecology and physiological response to oxidative stress. A population from an impacted site (Las Delicias, LD) and another from a reference site (Punta Cantera, PC) were monitored seasonally (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), for one year. Anemones from PC were larger and more abundant than those from LD for most sampling periods. During winter, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase activities were higher in LD. Moreover, protein content and antioxidant defenses were higher in anemones from PC during winter as well. Taking into account their ecology (size and abundance) and biomarker responses, the population from PC was comparatively healthier. Furthermore, such differences are in agreement with recent studies indicating a higher concentration of pollutants in anemones from LD (specially during the winter sampling). In this sense, considering that B. zamponii can bioaccumulate the aforementioned pollutants, its resilience to their presence, and the fact that biomarker response differed between sites, this species can be regarded as a proper sentinel species of environmental pollution. Overall, this anemone seems to be a good bioindicator to be considered in future biomonitoring and ecotoxicological studies.

Reported antibiotic use among patients in the multicenter ANDEMIA infectious diseases surveillance study in sub-saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to antibiotics has been shown to be one of the drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is critical to address when planning and implementing strategies for combatting AMR. However, data on antibiotic use in sub-Saharan Africa are still limited. Using hospital-based surveillance data from the African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of Common Infectious Agents (ANDEMIA), we assessed self-reported antibiotic use in multiple sub-Saharan African countries. METHODS: ANDEMIA included 12 urban and rural health facilities in Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of South Africa. Patients with acute respiratory infection (RTI), acute gastrointestinal infection (GI) and acute febrile disease of unknown cause (AFDUC) were routinely enrolled, and clinical, demographic, socio-economic and behavioral data were collected using standardized questionnaires. An analysis of ANDEMIA data from February 2018 to May 2022 was conducted. Reported antibiotic use in the ten days prior to study enrolment were described by substance and by the WHO AWaRe classification ("Access", "Watch", "Reserve", and "Not recommended" antibiotics). Frequency of antibiotic use was stratified by location, disease syndrome and individual patient factors. RESULTS: Among 19,700 ANDEMIA patients, 7,258 (36.8%) reported antibiotic use. A total of 9,695 antibiotics were reported, including 54.7% (n = 5,299) from the WHO Access antibiotic group and 44.7% (n = 4,330) from the WHO Watch antibiotic group. The Watch antibiotic ceftriaxone was the most commonly reported antibiotic (n = 3,071, 31.7%). Watch antibiotic use ranged from 17.4% (56/322) among RTI patients in Côte d'Ivoire urban facilities to 73.7% (630/855) among AFDUC patients in Burkina Faso urban facilities. Reported antibiotic use included WHO Not recommended antibiotics but no Reserve antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Reported antibiotic use data from this multicenter study in sub-Saharan Africa revealed a high proportion of WHO Watch antibiotics. Differences in Watch antibiotic use were found by disease syndrome, country and health facility location, which calls for a more differentiated approach to antibiotic use interventions including further evaluation of accessibility and affordability of patient treatment.

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and risk of viral exposure among healthcare workers in the South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the frontline of combating COVID-19, hence are at elevated risk of contracting an infection with SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to measure the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on HCWs in central sub-Saharan Africa. SETTING: A cross-sectional serological study was conducted at six urban and five rural hospitals during the first pandemic wave in the South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). PARTICIPANTS: Serum specimens from 1029 HCWs employed during the first pandemic wave were collected between August and October 2020, and data on demographics and work-related factors were recorded during structured interviews. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was examined by ELISA. Positive specimens were further tested using a micro-neutralisation assay. Factors driving SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity were assessed by multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was high among HCWs (33.1%), and significantly higher in urban (41.5%) compared with rural (19.8%) hospitals. Having had presented with COVID-19-like symptoms before was a strong predictor of seropositivity (31.5%). Personal protective equipment (PPE, 88.1% and 11.9%) and alcohol-based hand sanitizer (71.1% and 28.9%) were more often available, and hand hygiene was more often reported after patient contact (63.0% and 37.0%) in urban compared with rural hospitals, respectively. This may suggest that higher exposure during non-work times in high incidence urban areas counteracts higher work protection levels of HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: High SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity indicates widespread transmission of the virus in this region of DRC. Given the absence of publicly reported cases during the same time period at the rural sites, serological studies are very relevant in revealing infection dynamics especially in regions with low diagnostic capacities. This, and discrepancies in the application of PPE between urban and rural sites, should be considered in future pandemic response programmes.

Clinical and functional spectrum of RAC2-related immunodeficiency.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in the small Rho-family guanosine triphosphate hydrolase RAC2, critical for actin cytoskeleton remodeling and intracellular signal transduction, are associated with neonatal severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), infantile neutrophilic disorder resembling leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD), and later-onset combined immune deficiency (CID). We investigated 54 patients (23 previously reported) from 37 families yielding 15 novel RAC2 missense mutations, including one present only in homozygosity. Data were collected from referring physicians and literature reports with updated clinical information. Patients were grouped by presentation: neonatal SCID (n = 5), infantile LAD-like disease (n = 5), or CID (n = 44). Disease correlated to RAC2 activity: constitutively active RAS-like mutations caused neonatal SCID, dominant-negative mutations caused LAD-like disease, whereas dominant-activating mutations caused CID. Significant T- and B-lymphopenia with low immunoglobulins were seen in most patients; myeloid abnormalities included neutropenia, altered oxidative burst, impaired neutrophil migration, and visible neutrophil macropinosomes. Among 42 patients with CID with clinical data, upper and lower respiratory infections and viral infections were common. Twenty-three distinct RAC2 mutations, including 15 novel variants, were identified. Using heterologous expression systems, we assessed downstream effector functions including superoxide production, p21-activated kinase 1 binding, AKT activation, and protein stability. Confocal microscopy showed altered actin assembly evidenced by membrane ruffling and macropinosomes. Altered protein localization and aggregation were observed. All tested RAC2 mutant proteins exhibited aberrant function; no single assay was sufficient to determine functional consequence. Most mutants produced elevated superoxide; mutations unable to support superoxide formation were associated with bacterial infections. RAC2 mutations cause a spectrum of immune dysfunction, ranging from early onset SCID to later-onset combined immunodeficiencies depending on RAC2 activity. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00001355 and #NCT00001467.

Selective Uptake Into Inflamed Human Intestinal Tissue and Immune Cell Targeting by Wormlike Polymer Micelles.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a globally prevalent chronic disease with no causal therapeutic options. Targeted drug delivery systems with selectivity for inflamed areas in the gastrointestinal tract promise to reduce severe drug-related side effects. By creating three distinct nanostructures (vesicles, spherical, and wormlike micelles) from the same amphiphilic block copolymer poly(butyl acrylate)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PBA-b-PEO), the effect of nanoparticle shape on human mucosal penetration is systematically identified. An Ussing chamber technique is established to perform the ex vivo experiments on human colonic biopsies, demonstrating that the shape of polymeric nanostructures represents a rarely addressed key to tissue selectivity required for efficient IBD treatment. Wormlike micelles specifically enter inflamed mucosa from patients with IBD, but no significant uptake is observed in healthy tissue. Spheres (≈25 nm) and vesicles (≈120 nm) enter either both normal and inflamed tissue types or do not penetrate any tissue. According to quantitative image analysis, the wormlike nanoparticles localize mainly within immune cells, facilitating specific targeting, which is crucial for further increasing the efficacy of IBD treatment. These findings therefore demonstrate the untapped potential of wormlike nanoparticles not only to selectively target the inflamed human mucosa, but also to target key pro-inflammatory cells.

Brain structure and function: a multidisciplinary pipeline to study hominoid brain evolution.

To decipher the evolution of the hominoid brain and its functions, it is essential to conduct comparative studies in primates, including our closest living relatives. However, strong ethical concerns preclude in vivo neuroimaging of great apes. We propose a responsible and multidisciplinary alternative approach that links behavior to brain anatomy in non-human primates from diverse ecological backgrounds. The brains of primates observed in the wild or in captivity are extracted and fixed shortly after natural death, and then studied using advanced MRI neuroimaging and histology to reveal macro- and microstructures. By linking detailed neuroanatomy with observed behavior within and across primate species, our approach provides new perspectives on brain evolution. Combined with endocranial brain imprints extracted from computed tomographic scans of the skulls these data provide a framework for decoding evolutionary changes in hominin fossils. This approach is poised to become a key resource for investigating the evolution and functional differentiation of hominoid brains.

The sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana (Actiniaria: Aiptasiidae) associated to rhodoliths at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica

Introduction: The sea anemones diversity is still poorly studied in Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica. Objective: To report for the first time the presence of the sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana. Methods: Some rhodoliths were examined in situ in Punta Ulloa at 14 m depth, by SCUBA during the expedition UCR-UNA-COCO-I to Isla del Coco National Park on 24th April 2010. Living anemones settled on rhodoliths were photographed and its external morphological features and measures were recorded in situ. Results: Several individuals of E. diaphana were observed on rodoliths and we repeatedly observed several small individuals of this sea anemone surrounding the largest individual in an area (presumably the founder sea anemone) on rhodoliths from Punta Ulloa. Conclusions: The geographic distribution is extended as well as their bathymetric distribution from the intertidal to 14 m depth. The photographs provide evidence of clonal reproduction by pedal laceration.

Introducción: La diversidad de anémonas de mar en el Parque Nacional Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, está aún poco estudiada. Objetivo: Reportar por primera vez la presencia de la anémona de mar Exaiptasia diaphana. Métodos: Algunos rodolitos fueron examinados in situ en Punta Ulloa a 14 m. de profundidad mediante SCUBA durante la expedición UCR-UNA-COCO-I al Parque Nacional Isla del Coco el 24 de abril de 2010. Especímenes vivos fijados sobre rodolitos fueron fotografiados y sus medidas y carácterísticas morfológicas externas fueron registradas in situ. Resultados: Varios individuos de E. diaphana fueron observados sobre rodolitos y observamos repetidamente pequeños individuos rodeando a un individuo mayor (presumiblemente la anémona fundadora) sobre rodolitos de Punta Ulloa. Conclusiones: La distribución geográfica de esta especie es extendida, como así también su distribución batimétrica desde el intermareal hasta los 14 m de profundidad. Las imágenes obtenidas aportan evidencia de reproducción clonal por laceración pedal.

Ocurrence of the sea anemone Telmatactis panamensis (Verrill, 1869) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria) at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica / Ocurrencia de la anémona de mar Telmatactis panamensis (Verrill, 1869) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria) en el Parque Nacional Isla del Coco, Costa Rica

The sea anemone fauna of Isla del Coco National Park (also known as Cocos Island Nacional Park), Pacific Costa Rica is poorly known. In the present work we report the first occurrence of the species Telmatactis panamensis. Individuals of this sea anemone (n=24) were collected at Chatham Bay intertidal and at 15m depth in Punta Ulloa, in both cases attached to rocks; during the expedition UCR-UNA-COCO-I in April 2010. We provide photographs of live individuals, external anatomy and an inventory of cnidae of the studied specimens. Possibly this species is extended to greater depth as observed by other authors in the Galápagos Islands.

La fauna de anémonas de mar es prácticamente desconocida para el Parque Nacional Isla del Coco (Costa Rica). En el presente trabajo se reporta por primera vez la presencia de la especie Telmatactis panamensis. Individuos de esta anémona de mar fueron colectados en el intermareal de Bahía Chatham y a 15m de profundidad en Punta Ulloa, en ambos casos adheridas a rocas; durante la expedición UCR-UNA-COCO-I en Abril de 2010. Se proveen fotografías de ejemplares vivos, datos de su anatomía externa y un inventario del cnidae de los especímenes estudiados. Posiblemente esta especie se extienda a mayor profundidad, tal como fue observado por otros autores para ejemplares de las Islas Galápagos.