Long-term outcomes of frozen elephant trunk for aortic dissection: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: To date a number of papers analysing outcomes of the frozen elephant trunk (FET) in acute aortic dissection has been published. However, there are limited comparative studies on long-term outcomes of FET in acute and chronic aortic dissection. The objective of the study was to analyze the long-term outcomes after FET procedure for aortic dissection (AD). METHODS: Between March 2012 and December 2022, a total of 123 FET had been performed for thoracic aortic disease. Patients with aortic dissection (n = 97) were divided into 2 groups: acute (n = 32, 33%) and chronic aortic dissection (n = 65, 67%). Pre-, intra- and postoperative data were retrospectively collected from electronic patient's records, including follow-up data of the analyzed patients. RESULTS: The incidence of stroke was 3.1%. The delirium rate was up to 9.3% in both groups with a prevalence in chronic aortic dissection (CAD) group without significant differences (P = 0.494). Paraplegia was diagnosed only in CAD patients (n = 2). Respiratory failure and the rate of renal replacement therapy were similar in the studied groups. Re-sternotomy was required in one (3.1%) patient with acute AD and 5 (7.7%) patients with chronic AD (P = 0.416). Overall 30-day mortality in the entire cohort, acute and chronic AD was 13 (13.4%), 7 (21.9%) and 6 (9.2%), respectively (P = 0.097). The overall survival rate at 60 months for the entire cohort, acute and chronic AD was 64.1 ± 5.9%, 62.3 ± 9.1%, 66.5 ± 7%, respectively (P = 0.265). Freedom from unintended distal aortic re-intervention at 60 months for the entire cohort of patients, acute and chronic AD was 74.2 ± 1.5%, 100%, 65.3 ± 2%, respectively (P = 0.355). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience showed acceptable long-term outcomes after the FET procedure including mortality and re-intervention rate in patients with aortic dissection regardless of acuity of the dissection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered in Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN 12618001329257) on August 7, 2018.

Optimal size of Frozenix for true thoracic aneurysms: is downsizing an option?

OBJECTIVE: During total arch replacement (TAR) using frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique with Frozenix for true thoracic aortic aneurysm (tTAA), oversized FET tends to be chosen similar to the endovascular devise selection. However, the oversized FET is considered a risk factor for intimal injury. The appropriate size selection of FET remains insufficiently understood. METHODS: Between October 2014 and March 2022, a total of 49 patients underwent TAR using Frozenix for tTAA. Out of 49 patients, four patients planned to staged surgery were excluded, 19 patients were operated on with an undersized Frozenix compared with the descending aorta (undersized FET group) and in 26 patients an equal or oversized Frozenix was used (oversized FET group). Clinical outcomes and postoperative diameter changes were investigated. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 0%. The mean diameter of Frozenix and the descending aorta was 30.7 mm and 28.8 mm, respectively, in the oversized FET group, and 26.7 mm and 30.1 mm in the undersized FET group. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) demonstrated no endoleaks not only in the oversized FET group but also in the undersized FET group. CT also revealed that undersized FET had expanded more than the original diameter in all cases except for two, with an average of 2.47 ± 1.53 mm. Additionally, the descending aorta covered with Frozenix shrank in 10 patients (53%). Postoperative adverse aortic events were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Undersized Frozenix tightly fit the descending aorta and resulted in complete sealing without endoleaks. Oversized FET is not strictly necessary considering the size-related adverse complications.

Performance enhancement of classifiers through Bio inspired feature selection methods for early detection of lung cancer from microarray genes.

Gene expression in the microarray is assimilated with redundant and high-dimensional information. Moreover, the information in the microarray genes mostly correlates with background noise. This paper uses dimensionality reduction and feature selection methods to employ a classification methodology for high-dimensional lung cancer microarray data. The approach is enforced in two phases; initially, the genes are dimensionally reduced through Hilbert Transform, Detrend Fluctuation Analysis and Least Square Linear Regression methods. The dimensionally reduced data is further optimized in the next phase using Elephant Herd optimization (EHO) and Cuckoo Search Feature selection methods. The classifiers used here are Bayesian Linear Discriminant, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Decision Tree, SVM (Linear), SVM (Polynomial), and SVM (RBF). The classifier's performances are analysed with and without feature selection methods. The SVM (Linear) classifier with the DFA Dimensionality Reduction method and EHO feature selection achieved the highest accuracy of 92.26 % compared to other classifiers.

The genome sequence of the Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758).

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Deilephila elpenor (the Elephant Hawk-moth; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Sphingidae). The genome sequence is 414.1 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z and W sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.37 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 11,748 protein coding genes.

A novel adaptive weight bi-directional long short-term memory (AWBi-LSTM) classifier model for heart stroke risk level prediction in IoT.

Stroke prediction has become one of the significant research areas due to the increasing fatality rate. Hence, this article proposes a novel Adaptive Weight Bi-Directional Long Short-Term Memory (AWBi-LSTM) classifier model for stroke risk level prediction for IoT data. To efficiently train the classifier, Hybrid Genetic removes the missing data with Kmeans Algorithm (HKGA), and the data are aggregated. Then, the features are reduced with independent component analysis (ICA) to reduce the dataset size. After the correlated features are identified using the T-test-based uniform distribution-gradient search rule-based elephant herding optimization for cluster analysis (GSRBEHO) (T-test-UD-GSRBEHO). Next, the fuzzy rule-based decisions are created with the T-test-UDEHOA correlated features to classify the risk levels accurately. The feature values obtained from the fuzzy logic are given to the AWBi-LSTM classifier, which predicts and classifies the risk level of heart disease and diabetes. After the risk level is predicted, the data is securely stored in the database. Here, the MD5-Elliptic Curve Cryptography (MD5-ECC) technique is utilized for secure storage. Testing the suggested risk prediction model on the Stroke prediction dataset reveals potential efficacy. By obtaining an accuracy of 99.6%, the research outcomes demonstrated that the proposed model outperforms the existing techniques.

Fatal infection caused by a genetically distinct elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus type 5 in a captive Asian elephant in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) infection is the most common cause for lethal hemorrhagic disease in captive juvenile Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Although EEHV1 is known as the most likely cause of fatal haemorrhagic disease in Asian elephants, EEHV5 was lately involved in lethal cases of haemorrhagic disease in captive elephants. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report the first death of a four-year old Asian elephant diagnosed with EEHV5 in Germany. Molecular diagnosis yielded detection of EEHV5 DNA in all tested tissues. Histopathological examination revealed typical features of hemorrhagic disease in all examined organs. EEHV5 was sequenced from total DNA isolated from heart tissue by Illumina and Nanopore sequencing. Sequencing data showed 3,881 variants, distributed across the entire genome, compared to the published EEHV5 sequence. CONCLUSIONS: We have detected EEHV5 in a fatal disease case of a male Asian elephant. Whole genome sequencing revealed substantial differences of our DNA isolate compared to available EEHV5 sequences. This report of fatal haemorrhagic disease associated with EEHV5 infection should raise awareness for EEHV5 as an important elephant pathogen. Genome sequencing and downstream SNPs analysis will further encourage future research to understand genetic diversity, pathogenesis and virulence of EEHVs with respect to developing new diagnostic methods, prophylactic strategies, and implementation of surveillance and control measures.

Female African elephant rumbles differ between populations and sympatric social groups.

Vocalizations often vary in structure within a species, from the individual to population level. Vocal differences among social groups and populations can provide insight into biological processes such as vocal learning and evolutionary divergence, with important conservation implications. As vocal learners of conservation concern, intraspecific vocal variation is of particular interest in elephants. We recorded calls from individuals in multiple, wild elephant social groups in two distinct Kenyan populations. We used machine learning to investigate vocal differentiation among individual callers, core groups, bond groups (collections of core groups) and populations. We found clear evidence for vocal distinctiveness at the individual and population level, and evidence for much subtler vocal differences among social groups. Social group membership was a better predictor of call similarity than genetic relatedness, suggesting that subtle vocal differences among social groups may be learned. Vocal divergence among populations and social groups has conservation implications for the effects of social disruption and translocation of elephants.

Total aortic arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk technique for intramural haematoma of the thoracic aorta.

Presenting this video tutorial, we want to demonstrate a step-by-step surgical approach to acute intramural haematoma of the thoracic aorta without a definite entry tear. Limited by the aortic valve proximally, the intramural haematoma involved the aortic root, ascending aorta, aortic arch, including adjacent parts of supra-aortic branches, and descending aorta extending to the diaphragmatic level. The operative strategy involved urgent total aortic arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique and anatomical reimplantation of the three supra-aortic vessels. The direct open over-the-wire technique was used to cannulate the right axillary artery, and standard venous cannulation was performed while brain protection was achieved with bilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

Divergence and serial colonization shape genetic variation and define conservation units in Asian elephants.

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are the largest extant terrestrial megaherbivores native to Asia, with 60% of their wild population found in India. Despite ecological and cultural importance, their population genetic structure and diversity, demographic history, and ensuing implications for management/conservation remain understudied. We analyzed 34 whole genomes (between 11× and 32×) from most known elephant landscapes in India and identified five management/conservation units corresponding to elephants in Northern (Northwestern/Northeastern), Central, and three in Southern India. Our data reveal signatures of divergence and serial colonization and a potential dilution of genetic diversity from north to south of India. The northern populations diverged from others more than 70,000 years ago, have higher genetic diversity, and have low inbreeding (pi = 0.0016 ± 0.0001; FROH > 1 MB = 0.09 ± 0.03). Two of three populations in Southern India have low diversity and are inbred, with very low effective population sizes compared with census sizes (pi = 0.0014 ± 0.00009 and 0.0015 ± 0.0001; FROH > 1 MB = 0.25 ± 0.09 and 0.17 ± 0.02). Analyses of genetic load reveal the purging of potentially high-effect insertion/deletion (indel) deleterious alleles in the southern populations and a decreasing number of deleterious alleles from north to south in India. However, despite dilution and purging for the damaging mutation load in Southern India, the load that remains is homozygous. High homozygosity of deleterious alleles, coupled with low neutral genetic diversity, make southernmost populations high priority for conservation attention. Most surprisingly, our study suggests that patterns of genetic diversity and genetic load can correspond to genomic signatures of serial founding events, even in large, highly mobile, endangered mammals.

Historical Account of Managing Overabundant Wild Asian Elephants in Myanmar by the Kheddah System of Capture: Philosophy, Principles and Practices.

When standard methods of human-elephant conflict mitigation are not successful, free-ranging wild elephants may continue to come into close contact with people. This results in more frequent and severe conflict, with consequences ranging from crop raiding to loss of human and elephant lives. Understandably, in such situations, local communities may want to be rid of entire herds of elephants. Historically, one of the strategies the Myanmar Government practiced to resolve human-elephant conflict was the capture of whole herds using the Kheddah system. This involved trapping the herd in a stockade, immediately followed by on-site post-capture taming. After taming, the captured elephants were utilized as logging elephants. Elephants worked in timber extraction, retired at age 55 years and were then cared for by the Government until they died. The capture of wild elephants by the Kheddah system was formally banned in Myanmar in 1985 but occasional, small-scale, captures were allowed until 2013 under the strict control of the Myanmar Government. These operations were aimed primarily at capturing elephants involved in human-elephant conflict, rather than to supplement the working elephant population. One of the last Kheddah operations, organized and managed by the author, was conducted in 1996 at the Taikkyi township of the Yangon Region, as a last resort to end human-elephant conflict in an emergency. While chemical immobilization was being used at this time, it was not logistically possible with the high numbers of elephants engaged in the conflict. This review aims to record the history of an activity that was an important element of Myanmar's timber industry more than three decades ago. In this paper, the author presents a description of Kheddah not to endorse it, but to document (1) the Myanmar elephant population management strategy in the past, before it is forgotten, and (2) the practicality of the Kheddha operation when the singly selected commonly- used immobilization or noosing method of elephant capture is unfeasible. The author attempts to shed light on the modern veterinary procedures that may significantly reduce the notorious historical outcome of Kheddha, especially the resulting mortality of captured elephants, should the Kheddha system of capture ever be used as an emergency solution for ongoing problems of human-elephant conflict in the range states of Asia.

Small populations of Palaeolithic humans in Cyprus hunted endemic megafauna to extinction.

The hypothesized main drivers of megafauna extinctions in the late Quaternary have wavered between over-exploitation by humans and environmental change, with recent investigations demonstrating more nuanced synergies between these drivers depending on taxon, spatial scale, and region. However, most studies still rely on comparing archaeologically based chronologies of timing of initial human arrival into naïve ecosystems and palaeontologically inferred dates of megafauna extinctions. Conclusions arising from comparing chronologies also depend on the reliability of dated evidence, dating uncertainties, and correcting for the low probability of preservation (Signor-Lipps effect). While some models have been developed to test the susceptibility of megafauna to theoretical offtake rates, none has explicitly linked human energetic needs, prey choice, and hunting efficiency to examine the plausibility of human-driven extinctions. Using the island of Cyprus in the terminal Pleistocene as an ideal test case because of its late human settlement (~14.2-13.2 ka), small area (~11 000 km2), and low megafauna diversity (2 species), we developed stochastic models of megafauna population dynamics, with offtake dictated by human energetic requirements, prey choice, and hunting-efficiency functions to test whether the human population at the end of the Pleistocene could have caused the extinction of dwarf hippopotamus (Phanourios minor) and dwarf elephants (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes). Our models reveal not only that the estimated human population sizes (n = 3000-7000) in Late Pleistocene Cyprus could have easily driven both species to extinction within < 1000 years, the model predictions match the observed, Signor-Lipps-corrected chronological sequence of megafauna extinctions inferred from the palaeontological record (P. minor at ~12-11.1 ka, followed by P. cypriotes at ~10.3-9.1 ka).

The Elephant in the Room: Clinical Progression and Management of Elephant Ear Plant Toxicity in an Adult.

Elephant ear plants are popular ornamental plants renowned for their large foliage. These plants have been implicated in various inadvertent and deliberate ingestions. The leaves and roots of these plants contain raphides, which are needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals. Ingestion of these crystals results in a localized inflammatory response, typically manifesting as irritation, edema, hypersalivation, and dysphagia. Herein, we describe a case of an older gentleman who presented to our institution following intentional ingestion of the leaves and roots of an elephant ear plant. This report describes the clinical manifestations secondary to the toxicities related to the ingestion of this plant and displays the successful conservative management approach employed following multiple diagnostic studies.

Non-circulatory arrest aortic arch replacement.

The definitive management of combined aortic arch and descending aortic pathologies such as aneurysms and dissections is either a single or staged operation associated with high morbidity and mortality. Stroke, kidney dysfunction, coagulopathy and high blood transfusion requirements are all affiliated with hypothermic circulatory arrest and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass times. Considering the perilous nature of these operations, the authors describe a step-by-step zone 2 arch replacement as a staged frozen elephant trunk procedure, which provides an adequate landing zone for a later-placed endovascular stent yet maintains a short cardiopulmonary bypass time and no circulatory arrest.

First report of garlic common latent virus in elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) in single and mixed infection in South Korea.

In South Korea, the cultivation area of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is increasing as elephant garlic is milder and sweeter than garlic (A. sativum) (Kim et al., 2019; Lu et al., 2011). Viral diseases can decrease garlic productivity by up to 50% in South Korea (Nam et al., 2002). In 2022-2023, virus-like symptoms such as mosaic and yellow stripes were observed on leaves of elephant garlic in a 432㎡farm with disease incidence of approximately 40% in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Seventy-two leaf samples were randomly collected from symptomatic plants in 2022 (n=46) and 2023 (n=26). Total RNAs were isolated from individual samples using the Total RNA Prep Kit (BioFact, Daejeon, Korea), and then two-steps RT-PCR was performed using the First Strand cDNA Synthesis kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and the TaKaRa TaqTM (TaKaRa Bio Inc.). These samples were tested for 13 viruses with virus-specific coat protein primers including garlic common latent virus (GarCLV) (supplementary Table 1). In 2022, GarCLV, garlic virus (GarV)-B, GarV-C, and GarV-D were detected with the expected amplicon sizes of their CP genes (960, 735, 780, and 753 bp, respectively) in four different plants. In 2023, the CP gene of GarCLV was detected in 26 samples and 4 of 26 samples were positive for GarV-B. The leaves infected with GarCLV and GarV-B in mixed infection showed synergistic effect with extended mosaic and yellow stripes than the leaves with single infection (supplementary Fig. 1). All amplicons were cloned into a pGEM-T Easy vector (Promega Co., USA), and sequenced at Bionics Co. Ltd., South Korea. The resulting nucleotide (nt) and amino acid (aa) sequences were analyzed using DNAMAN software version 5.1. Since all isolates were collected from a farm in Yangpyeong-gun, name of these isolates started with "YPG." The nt and aa sequences of the isolates were compared with those of other strains/isolates. All 27 GarCLV-YPG isolates sequences were deposited (Accessions: OP981636, and PP533185-PP533210). The GarCLV-YPG sequences shared 78.90%-94.40% nt and 92.10%-99.40% aa identities with other GarCLV strains and isolates, and they showed higher similarity (99.40% aa) to isolates produced from A. sativum in China and India (supplementary Table 2). GarV-C-YPG showed the highest similarity (99.20% aa) to isolate G81(GenBank MN059141) from A. sativum in China. GarV-D-YPG showed the highest similarity (99.20% aa) to isolates (G82, GenBank MN059388; BR, MT279193) from A. sativum in China and Brazil. Twenty-two quinoa plants (Chenopodium quinoa, local lesion host) were individually inoculated using the sap from 22 GarCLV infected plants. Chlorotic and necrotic spots appeared on inoculated leaves 12 days post-inoculation; no chlorotic and necrotic spots symptoms were observed on any other leaves except for the inoculated leaves. RT-PCR was performed and the targeted amplicon size for GarCLV was detected. In transmission electron microscope, filamentous particles of approximately 620-730 nm length and 12 nm diameter, similar to the particle description for members of the family Betaflexiviridae, were observed in the saps of symptomatic leaves of elephant garlic and quinoa plants infected with only GarCLV. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on GarCLV detection in elephant garlic in South Korea. We hypothesized that the presence of GarCLV in mixed infection with GarV-B might have increase the symptom severity in the elephant garlic. Further study is needed to proof the synergistic effect in mixed virus infection.

The frozen elephant trunk technique in acute aortic dissection: the ultimate solution? An institutional experience.

Objective: Acute aortic dissection remains a serious emergency in the field of cardiovascular medicine and a challenge for cardiothoracic surgeons. In the present study, we seek to compare the outcomes of different surgical techniques in the repair of type A acute aortic dissection. Methods: Between April 2015 and May 2023, 213 patients (82 women, aged: 63.9 ± 13.3 years) with acute aortic dissection (205 type A and 8 non-A-non-B dissections) underwent surgical treatment in our department. A total of 45 patients were treated with the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique supported by the Thoraflex™ Hybrid prosthesis, 33 received total aortic arch replacement (TAR)-standard or conventional elephant trunk-treatment, and 135 were treated with hemiarch replacement (HR). Aortic arch surgery was performed in most patients under moderate hypothermic (28°C on average) circulatory arrest, with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion through the right axillary artery. Results: The rates of early mortality were 17.8% (38 perioperative deaths) in the whole population, 8.9% in the FET group of patients, and 33% and 17% in the TAR and HR group of patients, respectively (P-value 0.025). The rate of spinal cord injury was 2.3% (five patients), and a paresis of recurrent laryngeal occurred in 3.7% of patients (seven patients, four were treated with FET). Permanent neurological dysfunction occurred in 27 patients (12.7%). After a mean follow-up of 3 years, the rate of mid-term mortality of discharged patients was 19.4% (34 deaths: 7 FET, 4 TAR, and 23 HR) and the overall mortality rate was 33.8% [72 deaths: 11 FET (24.4%); 15 TAR (45.4%); 46 HR (34.1%)]. A total of 8 patients (17.8%) in whom FET was applied received additional endovascular treatment in the descending aorta. Conclusions: In our institutional experience, we found that the frozen elephant trunk technique with a high-end Thoraflex Hybrid prosthesis proved its surgical suitability in the treatment of acute aortic dissection with favorable outcomes. The FET technique and our perioperative management led to comparable neurological outcomes and reduced mortality rates in these emergency cases.

Aortic diameter remodeling after frozen elephant trunk as a predictor of early outcomes in thoracoabdominal aortic repair.

OBJECTIVE: Patients who underwent previous frozen elephant trunk implantation for Stanford type A aortic dissection remain at risk for secondary intervention due to unsuccessful distal aortic remodeling. We aimed to investigate the impact of distal aortic remodeling on early outcomes in patients who underwent 2-stage thoracoabdominal aortic repair. METHODS: A total of 106 patients who previously underwent frozen elephant trunk implantation and thoracoabdominal aortic repair between October 2014 and December 2022 were enrolled in this study. The extent of distal aortic remodeling was evaluated, including aortic diameter, area ratio of the false lumen/aortic lumen, and patency of the false lumen at 3 levels of the aorta. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the risk factors for early outcomes. RESULTS: The aortic diameter at the distal frozen elephant trunk was significantly larger in patients who died early than in surviving patients (79.19 ± 22.89 mm vs 46.84 ± 19.17 mm, respectively, adjusted P = .001). The optimal cutoff value for the aortic diameter at the distal frozen elephant trunk was 60 mm. Patients with an aortic diameter 60 mm or more at the distal frozen elephant trunk had worse early outcomes (P < .05), including prolonged intubation, early death, and postoperative complications. The aortic diameter at the distal frozen elephant trunk was identified as a significant risk factor for early death in patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic repair. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic repair with an aortic diameter 60 mm or more at the distal frozen elephant trunk have worse early outcomes. Moreover, an aortic diameter at the distal frozen elephant trunk is a significant risk factor for early death in patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic repair.

First-in-men experience with a novel frozen elephant trunk prosthesis featuring an endovascular side branch for left subclavian artery connection.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to enhance the efficiency of aortic arch replacement through the development of a novel frozen elephant trunk (FET) prosthesis with an endovascular side branch for left subclavian artery (LSA) connection. After successful pre-clinical testing, the feasibility and safety of implementing this innovative prosthesis in human subjects were investigated. METHODS: Between September 2020 and September 2021, 4 patients (mean age 67) with conditions such as penetrating ulcer, non A-non B aortic dissection and chronic arch aneurysm underwent surgery utilizing the customized device. Surgeries were performed under high moderate hypothermia (27°C), employing bilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) and distal aortic perfusion. Anastomosis of the FET prosthesis with the aortic arch occurred in zone 1, followed by separate reimplantation of the left common carotid artery and the brachiocephalic artery. RESULTS: All patients were discharged in good clinical condition. The mean aortic cross-clamp, antegrade selective cerebral perfusion and distal aortic perfusion times were 111, 71 and 31 min, respectively. Endovascular extension of the side branch for the LSA was required in all cases to prevent endoleak formation. One patient received a stent graft extension at the end of the operation, while 2 others underwent the procedure during their hospital stay. One patient was diagnosed with an endoleak at the first follow-up after 3 months, and endoleak sealing was achieved via the brachial artery with an extension stent graft. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary clinical outcomes suggest that the newly designed FET prosthesis shows promise in simplifying total arch replacement. These initial findings provide a foundation for planned clinical studies to further assess the effectiveness of this modified surgical hybrid graft, with particular attention to the length and diameter of the LSA sidearm.

Macrovibrissae and microvibrissae inversion and lateralization in elephants.

Elephants are known for strongly lateralized trunk behaviors, but the mechanisms driving elephant lateralization are poorly understood. Here, we investigate features of elephant mouth organization that presumably promote lateralization. We find the lower jaw of elephants is of narrow width, but is rostrally strongly elongated even beyond the jaw bone. Elephant lip vibrissae become progressively longer rostrally. Thus, elephants have two lateral dense, short microvibrissae arrays and central, less dense long macrovibrissae. This is an inversion of the ancestral mammalian facial vibrissae pattern, where central, dense short microvibrissae are flanked by two lateral macrovibrissae arrays. Elephant microvibrissae have smaller follicles than macrovibrissae. Similar to trunk-tip vibrissae, elephant lip microvibrissae show laterally asymmetric abrasion. Observations on Asian zoo elephants indicate lateralized abrasion results from lateralized feeding. It appears that the ancestral mammalian mouth (upper and lower lips, incisors, frontal microvibrissae) is shaped by oral food apprehension. The elephant mouth organization radically changed, however, because trunk-mediated feeding replaced oral apprehension. Such elephant mouth changes include the upper lip-nose fusion to the trunk, the super-flexible elongated lower jaw, the loss of incisors, and lateral rather than frontal microvibrissae. Elephants' specialization for lateral food insertion is reflected by the reduction in the centering effects of oral food apprehension and lip vibrissae patterns.

The EEHV1A gH/gL complex elicits humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in mice.

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) causes lethal hemorrhagic disease (HD) in Asian and African elephants. Although rapid detection of viremia and supportive treatments may improve survival rates, an effective vaccine would mitigate the devastating effects of this virus. In elephants, chronic infection with EEHV leads to adaptive immunity against glycoproteins gB and gH/gL, the core entry machinery for most herpesviruses. We previously evaluated two EEHV gB vaccines in mice but not a gH/gL vaccine. Here, we found that inoculation of mice with an adjuvanted EEHV gH/gL subunit vaccine induced a significant antibody response that was similar to the response observed in elephants chronically infected with EEHV. Moreover, the gH/gL heterodimer elicited polyfunctional T cells with a Th1 phenotype but no detectable Th2 response. These results suggest that gH/gL, possibly in combination with gB, may be suitable immunogens for a vaccine comprising herpesvirus glycoproteins that are known to mediate cell entry and infection.

Adrenal and metabolic hormones demonstrate risk-reward trade-offs for African elephants foraging in human-dominated landscapes.

A key driver of the African savannah elephant population decline is the loss of habitat and associated human-elephant conflict. Elephant physiological responses to these pressures, however, are largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations as an indicator of adrenal activity and faecal thyroid metabolite (fT3) concentrations as an indicator of metabolic activity in relation to land use, livestock density, and human landscape modification, while controlling for the effects of seasonality and primary productivity (measured using the normalized difference vegetation index). Our best-fit model found that fGCM concentrations to be elevated during the dry season, in areas with higher human modification index values, and those with more agropastoral activities and livestock. There was also a negative relationship between primary productivity and fGCM concentrations. We found fT3 concentrations to be higher during the wet season, in agropastoral landscapes, in locations with higher human activity, and in areas with no livestock. This study highlights how elephants balance nutritional rewards and risks in foraging decisions when using human-dominated landscapes, results that can serve to better interpret elephant behaviour at the human-wildlife interface and contribute to more insightful conservation strategies.