Sex differences in early experience and the development of aggression in wild chimpanzees.

Sex differences in physical aggression occur across human cultures and are thought to be influenced by active sex role reinforcement. However, sex differences in aggression also exist in our close evolutionary relatives, chimpanzees, who do not engage in active teaching, but do exhibit long juvenile periods and complex social systems that allow differential experience to shape behavior. Here we ask whether early life exposure to aggression is sexually dimorphic in wild chimpanzees and, if so, whether other aspects of early sociality contribute to this difference. Using 13 y of all-occurrence aggression data collected from the Kanyawara community of chimpanzees (2005 to 2017), we determined that young male chimpanzees were victims of aggression more often than females by between 4 and 5 (i.e., early in juvenility). Combining long-term aggression data with data from a targeted study of social development (2015 to 2017), we found that two potential risk factors for aggression-time spent near adult males and time spent away from mothers-did not differ between young males and females. Instead, the major risk factor for receiving aggression was the amount of aggression that young chimpanzees displayed, which was higher for males than females throughout the juvenile period. In multivariate models, sex did not mediate this relationship, suggesting that other chimpanzees did not target young males specifically, but instead responded to individual behavior that differed by sex. Thus, social experience differed by sex even in the absence of explicit gender socialization, but experiential differences were shaped by early-emerging sex differences in behavior.

Postmortem Computed Tomography Is a Reliable, Reproducible, and Accurate Method in Measuring Body Length.

ABSTRACT: Currently, traditional body length measurement at postmortem analysis involves processes, which are susceptible to human error and not reviewable or reproducible in case of data loss. Many facilities are now adopting routine postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) scanning, which provides a permanent and reviewable radiological record of body dimensions. Previous literature has validated the use of PMCT in estimating body and organ weights, but not in body length measurement. This retrospective study aimed to determine whether body length can be accurately and reliably measured when compared with traditional measurements in 50 consecutive adult cases. Our findings revealed that body length measured using PMCT had high intrarater and interrater reliability across different experience levels in raters (Pearson correlation coefficient and interclass correlation: >0.99, P < 0.01). Although body lengths measured using PMCT were significantly shorter (mean, -1.2 cm; 95% confidence interval, -1.75 to -0.65 cm; P < 0.05), it was deemed clinically insignificant and correlated well with those measured at postmortem examination (Pearson correlation coefficient and interclass correlation, >0.97; P < 0.01). While care will need to be taken to ensure the body in the body bag is in reasonable anatomical position for scanning purposes, overall, body length measured uniform PMCT is reliable, reproducible, and accurate.

Community perceptions of contributors and solutions related to neighborhood violent crime: A qualitative interview study.

The current study is part of a community engaged planning phase and aimed to identify perceptions related to the prevalence of violent crime, crime contributors, the relationship between the community and law enforcement, and potential interventions and solutions. In March 2021, semistructured interviews were conducted with individuals from five groups who resided or worked in Bessemer, Alabama: (1) Law Enforcement, (2) Residents, (3) Civic Leaders, (4) Community Leaders, and (5) Victims of Crime. Interviews lasted approximately 60 min and were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the guidelines of thematic analysis using NVivo 12. Emerging themes were examined in accordance with the CDC Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. Participants (N = 18) were 50.0% female and 77.8% African American with an age range of 25-59 (mean = 43.4 years). Themes that emerged related to crime were: (1) impact, (2) contributors, and (3) solutions. Results indicate that impacts of violent crime at the individual level focused on fear, which led to widespread mental health issues. Relationship level impacts included a lack of trust of law enforcement and neighbors, and community level impacts were decreased neighborhood social cohesion as well as decreased safety. At the societal level, the poor reputation of the city was consistently highlighted. For contributors of crime, being a youth under age 30, drugs, and money were discussed as factors at the individual level. At the relationship level, participants mentioned poor parenting and gangs as crime contributing factors to violent crime. Furthermore, contributing issues related to underresourced schools as well as a poor relationship with law enforcement were brought up at the community level. Similarly, poverty was the overarching contributing issue at the societal level. Solutions that emerged included: education and training in life skills, focusing on young people, family/parenting, conflict resolution programs, programs within schools, improved relationships with law enforcement, and inclusive economic opportunities. Intervention plans are discussed that can merge these stakeholder findings with other data sources.

Acute necrotizing duodenitis in diabetic ketoacidosis.

Acute necrotizing esophagitis (ANE), acute necrotising duodenitis (AND), and Wishnesky's lesions (WLs) are three peculiar upper gastrointestinal pathologies that can be seen in death from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Amongst these three, AND has only been recently described. Morphologically, ANE and AND present as generalized black discoloration of the intestinal tract, and florid necrosis and inflammation. Whereas WLs are discrete black lesions in the stomach with necrosis and muted inflammation. We report a case of isolated AND with an unusual morphology not previously reported. A man in his 60s was found dead at home who died from pneumonia complicated by DKA. The gastrointestinal tract showed isolated patchy and discrete AND in which macroscopically resembled WLs, but microscopy resembled ANE with florid necrosis and acute inflammation. This case, together with the literature, documented AND can be macroscopically diffuse or discrete resembling ANE or WLs respectively but microscopically resemble ANE. Furthermore, the potential of these lesions being found in isolation in DKA raises the possibility of both general and local mechanisms playing a role on their morphology and presentation.

Energetic costs of testosterone in two subsistence populations.

OBJECTIVE: Testosterone plays a role in mediating energetic trade-offs between growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Investments in a high testosterone phenotype trade-off against other functions, particularly survival-enhancing immune function and cellular repair; thus only individuals in good condition can maintain both a high testosterone phenotype and somatic maintenance. While these effects are observed in experimental manipulations, they are difficult to demonstrate in free-living animals, particularly in humans. We hypothesize that individuals with higher testosterone will have higher energetic expenditures than those with lower testosterone. METHODS: Total energetic expenditure (TEE) was quantified using doubly labeled water in n = 40 Tsimane forager-horticulturalists (50% male, 18-87 years) and n = 11 Hadza hunter-gatherers (100% male, 18-65 years), two populations living subsistence lifestyles, high levels of physical activity, and high infectious burden. Urinary testosterone, TEE, body composition, and physical activity were measured to assess potential physical and behavioral costs associated with a high testosterone phenotype. RESULTS: Endogenous male testosterone was significantly associated with energetic expenditure, controlling for fat free mass; a one standard deviation increase in testosterone is associated with the expenditure of an additional 96-240 calories per day. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that a high testosterone phenotype, while beneficial for male reproduction, is also energetically expensive and likely only possible to maintain in healthy males in robust condition.

Viruses in sanctuary chimpanzees across Africa.

Infectious disease is a major concern for both wild and captive primate populations. Primate sanctuaries in Africa provide critical protection to thousands of wild-born, orphan primates confiscated from the bushmeat and pet trades. However, uncertainty about the infectious agents these individuals potentially harbor has important implications for their individual care and long-term conservation strategies. We used metagenomic next-generation sequencing to identify viruses in blood samples from chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in three sanctuaries in West, Central, and East Africa. Our goal was to evaluate whether viruses of human origin or other "atypical" or unknown viruses might infect these chimpanzees. We identified viruses from eight families: Anelloviridae, Flaviviridae, Genomoviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Parvoviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Picornaviridae, and Rhabdoviridae. The majority (15/26) of viruses identified were members of the family Anelloviridae and represent the genera Alphatorquevirus (torque teno viruses) and Betatorquevirus (torque teno mini viruses), which are common in chimpanzees and apathogenic. Of the remaining 11 viruses, 9 were typical constituents of the chimpanzee virome that have been identified in previous studies and are also thought to be apathogenic. One virus, a novel tibrovirus (Rhabdoviridae: Tibrovirus) is related to Bas-Congo virus, which was originally thought to be a human pathogen but is currently thought to be apathogenic, incidental, and vector-borne. The only virus associated with disease was rhinovirus C (Picornaviridae: Enterovirus) infecting one chimpanzee subsequent to an outbreak of respiratory illness at that sanctuary. Our results suggest that the blood-borne virome of African sanctuary chimpanzees does not differ appreciably from that of their wild counterparts, and that persistent infection with exogenous viruses may be less common than often assumed.

Matriliny reverses gender disparities in inflammation and hypertension among the Mosuo of China.

Women experience higher morbidity than men, despite living longer. This is often attributed to biological differences between the sexes; however, the majority of societies in which these disparities are observed exhibit gender norms that favor men. We tested the hypothesis that female-biased gender norms ameliorate gender disparities in health by comparing gender differences in inflammation and hypertension among the matrilineal and patrilineal Mosuo of China. Widely reported gender disparities in health were reversed among matrilineal Mosuo compared with patrilineal Mosuo, due to substantial improvements in women's health, with no concomitant detrimental effects on men. These findings offer evidence that gender norms limiting women's autonomy and biasing inheritance toward men adversely affect the health of women, increasing women's risk for chronic diseases with tremendous global health impact.

Wild chimpanzees exhibit humanlike aging of glucocorticoid regulation.

Cortisol, a key product of the stress response, has critical influences on degenerative aging in humans. In turn, cortisol production is affected by senescence of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to progressive dysregulation and increased cortisol exposure. These processes have been studied extensively in industrialized settings, but few comparative data are available from humans and closely related species living in natural environments, where stressors are very different. Here, we examine age-related changes in urinary cortisol in a 20-y longitudinal study of wild chimpanzees (n = 59 adults) in the Kanyawara community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We tested for three key features of HPA aging identified in many human studies: increased average levels, a blunted diurnal rhythm, and enhanced response to stressors. Using linear mixed models, we found that aging was associated with a blunting of the diurnal rhythm and a significant linear increase in cortisol, even after controlling for changes in dominance rank. These effects did not differ by sex. Aging did not increase sensitivity to energetic stress or social status. Female chimpanzees experienced their highest levels of cortisol during cycling (versus lactation), and this effect increased with age. Male chimpanzees experienced their highest levels when exposed to sexually attractive females, but this effect was diminished by age. Our results indicate that chimpanzees share some key features of HPA aging with humans. These findings suggest that impairments of HPA regulation are intrinsic to the aging process in hominids and are side effects neither of extended human life span nor of atypical environments.

Binucleated Myocytes and Heart Weight: A Preliminary Study Linking Cardiac Hypertrophy and Myocyte Hypertrophy.

ABSTRACT: Hypertrophy of the heart is assessed by heart weight (and dimensions) and myocyte hypertrophy. Establishing an association between the two may be useful in assessing hypertrophy in cases where there are limitations in assessing the heart weight. This preliminary study explored the association between the number of binucleated myocytes (a feature of myocyte hypertrophy) in a randomly chosen single high-power field of the left ventricular free wall and heart weight in an adult White population. It also compared the number of binucleated myocytes between cases with increased heart weight (>400 g in female and >500 g in male) and cases with normal heart weight. Heart weight and number of binucleated myocytes correlated significantly in male only. Increased heart weight had a significantly higher number of binucleated myocytes, with 8.5 binucleated myocytes being able to segregate cases with increased heart weight (74% sensitivity and 79% specificity). The results of this study showed the number of binucleated myocytes may have a complementary role in assessing hypertrophy of the heart.

Gross Heart Dimensions From Postmortem Computed Tomography and Postmortem Examination Measurements: Heart Weight and Cardiac Hypertrophy.

ABSTRACT: An increased heart weight (cardiac hypertrophy) is associated with underlying heart disease and sudden cardiac death. Gross heart dimensions can be used to estimate heart weight as a surrogate for cardiac hypertrophy. These dimensions can be obtained from either postmortem computed tomography or postmortem examination. This study compared the gross heart dimensions, heart weight estimations, and ability to determine cardiac hypertrophy (>400 and >500 g) between these 2 methods. The results showed that gross dimensions from postmortem computed tomography were significantly smaller and overall had less accuracy in estimating heart weight than dissection. In terms of cardiac hypertrophy, both methods were comparable and had reasonably high sensitivity and specificity, albeit having slightly varied characteristics, to determine whether the heart showed hypertrophy.

MSW Students' Perspectives on Learning and Delivering a Protocolized, Low-Intensity Transdiagnostic Psychological Intervention: Implications for Experiential Learning.

Problem Management Plus (PM+) is a protocolized, low-intensity, transdiagnostic psychological intervention designed to be delivered by lay individuals. Faculty at the University of South Florida School of Social Work recognized PM + as a potential psychological intervention for master's students to learn to complement their clinical coursework and simultaneously provide an experiential learning experience to support their clinical skills. Before this pilot, the feasibility and acceptability of integrating PM + into a Master of Social Work (MSW) setting were unknown. Upon analyzing the students' feedback using inductive content analysis, it is evident that experiential learning using interventions is crucial to building the self-efficacy of MSW students. Students reported that PM + helped their personal mental health and client interactions, using the tools they learned even a year after the pilot. Future research should focus on integrating PM + into experiential learning experiences within social work and allied academic settings and professions.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug and poison-related deaths in Gold Coast, Australia.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is postulated to impact drug- and poison-related deaths. America has reported an increased in drug-related deaths, whereas Australia has reported a decline. Regional studies are scant and may not mirror national data. Characterising drug and poison-related deaths during COVID-19 at a regional level would inform local interventions and policies on the current and future pandemics. METHODS: A 4-year retrospective study from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) and from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic) of all drug and poison-related deaths admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital under Coronial investigation. RESULTS: Drug and poison-related deaths increased in both the proportion and absolute numbers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no statistical difference in age, sex, location of death, manner of death and classification of drugs and poison implicated. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is an increase in drug and poison-related deaths, the overall demographic and pattern have not changed. Further studies to account for the variation may enable implementation of targeted public health interventions to address the burden of related deaths in regional settings in the context of future pandemics.

Focal dissection and rupture of left atherosclerotic subclavian artery: a rare cause of haemothorax.

We report a rare case of a focally dissected and ruptured atherosclerotic left subclavian artery leading to haemothorax. A man in his 50 s who suffered from hypertension and gout was found dead in bed unexpectedly. Postmortem examination showed a focally dissected and ruptured atherosclerotic left subclavian artery with relatively disease-free aorta and major branches. Although theoretically possible, focal atherosclerosis of left subclavian artery compounded by hypertension causing focal dissection and rupture is not previously reported in literature.

Significant difference in cardiac ventricular dimensions when measured using two different standard methods.

Cardiac ventricular dimensions measured at postmortem examination are used to assess whether there is hypertrophy of the heart chambers. However, there is no clear consensus on where these measurements should be taken. Some have proposed this should be measured at the mid-ventricular level, but others advocate it should be measured at a set distance (e.g. 20 mm) from the base of the heart. Twenty consecutive adult hearts were examined and showed the ventricular dimensions were significantly higher (mean: 5-15 mm, p < 0.01) when measured at a level 20 mm from the base of the heart compared to the mid-ventricular level. Of clinical significance is that in slightly less than half the cases, normal ventricular dimensions at mid ventricle level fell within the criteria considered pathological (> 40 mm) when measured at 20 mm from the base of the heart. In terms of actual ventricular dimensions, only the left ventricle diameter measured at 20 mm from the base of the heart correlated significantly (albeit moderately) with heart weight, suggesting it can be a predictor for cardiac hypertrophy.

Gabapentinoid detection in coronial casework in Gold Coast, Australia: a 5-year retrospective study.

Gabapentinoids is a class of drug with analgesic, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant properties and has a reported increase in prescription, use, and adverse outcomes. Regional studies are scant, and postmortem toxicological data may characterise patterns of regional use and inform local interventions. Characterising drug and non-drug-related deaths with gabapentinoid detection may also aid in toxicology interpretation. A 5-year retrospective study on all deaths admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital under where toxicological analysis was performed. Of the gabapentinoids, only pregabalin was detected over the study period, and annual rates of detection did not differ significantly over the period (7.4-12.4%). In cases where pregabalin was detected, it was 15 times more likely to be a drug-related death. Drug-related deaths where pregabalin was detected have higher levels of pregabalin, are younger, and had a greater proportion of concurrent opioid detection. Postmortem detection of pregabalin was associated with drug-related deaths. Higher levels, younger decedents, and concurrent use of opioids were found in drug-related deaths. Public health interventions and regulated prescribing to target concurrent pregabalin and opioid use may address the burden of pregabalin drug-related deaths.

Does scent attractiveness reveal women's ovulatory timing? Evidence from signal detection analyses and endocrine predictors of odour attractiveness.

Odour cues associated with shifts in ovarian hormones indicate ovulatory timing in females of many nonhuman species. Although prior evidence supports women's body odours smelling more attractive on days when conception is possible, that research has left ambiguous how diagnostic of ovulatory timing odour cues are, as well as whether shifts in odour attractiveness are correlated with shifts in ovarian hormones. Here, 46 women each provided six overnight scent and corresponding day saliva samples spaced five days apart, and completed luteinizing hormone tests to determine ovulatory timing. Scent samples collected near ovulation were rated more attractive, on average, relative to samples from the same women collected on other days. Importantly, however, signal detection analyses showed that rater discrimination of fertile window timing from odour attractiveness ratings was very poor. Within-women shifts in salivary oestradiol and progesterone were not significantly associated with within-women shifts in odour attractiveness. Between-women, mean oestradiol was positively associated with mean odour attractiveness. Our findings suggest that raters cannot reliably detect women's ovulatory timing from their scent attractiveness. The between-women effect of oestradiol raises the possibility that women's scents provide information about overall cycle fecundity, though further research is necessary to rigorously investigate this possibility.

Ovarian hormones in relation to naturally cycling women's conception risk: Empirical evidence and implications for behavioral endocrinology.

A substantial body of literature has examined how women's psychology and behavior vary as a function of conception risk across the ovarian cycle. These effects are widely believed to be outcomes of hormonal regulation, in particular effects of estrogens (E) and progesterone (P). Increasingly, researchers have sought to test predictions about how psychological processes or behavior vary as a function of conception risk by examining associations with estrogen (e.g., estradiol) and progesterone levels. Yet issues regarding how best to assess these associations arise. Should hormone levels be log-transformed? Do hormone ratios best capture their joint effects? How important are hormone interactions? How should outliers be treated? Across two large datasets, we examined hormonal predictors of conception risk, estimated from day of a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Log-transformed E and P levels predicted conception risk better than raw E and P levels did. The raw E/P ratio was a relatively poor predictor, whereas the log-transformed ratio (ln[E/P]) was a relatively good predictor. E × P interactions were detected but weak. Outliers were frequent, especially in distributions of raw hormone levels. Hormone measures predicted two psychological outcomes in these datasets-sexual desire and preferences for strength and muscularity-in parallel to how strongly they predicted conception risk. These results give rise to several recommendations regarding treatment of hormone measures and their use in analyses.

Female reproduction and viral infection in a long-lived mammal.

For energetically limited organisms, life-history theory predicts trade-offs between reproductive effort and somatic maintenance. This is especially true of female mammals, for whom reproduction presents multifarious energetic and physiological demands. Here, we examine longitudinal changes in the gut virome (viral community) with respect to reproductive status in wild mature female chimpanzees Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii from two communities, Kanyawara and Ngogo, in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We used metagenomic methods to characterize viromes of individual chimpanzees while they were cycling, pregnant and lactating. Females from Kanyawara, whose territory abuts the park's boundary, had higher viral richness and loads (relative quantity of viral sequences) than females from Ngogo, whose territory is more energetically rich and located farther from large human settlements. Viral richness (total number of distinct viruses per sample) was higher when females were lactating than when cycling or pregnant. In pregnant females, viral richness increased with estimated day of gestation. Richness did not vary with age, in contrast to prior research showing increased viral abundance in older males from these same communities. Our results provide evidence of short-term physiological trade-offs between reproduction and infection, which are often hypothesized to constrain health in long-lived species.

Metabolic acceleration and the evolution of human brain size and life history.

Humans are distinguished from the other living apes in having larger brains and an unusual life history that combines high reproductive output with slow childhood growth and exceptional longevity. This suite of derived traits suggests major changes in energy expenditure and allocation in the human lineage, but direct measures of human and ape metabolism are needed to compare evolved energy strategies among hominoids. Here we used doubly labelled water measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE; kcal day(-1)) in humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans to test the hypothesis that the human lineage has experienced an acceleration in metabolic rate, providing energy for larger brains and faster reproduction without sacrificing maintenance and longevity. In multivariate regressions including body size and physical activity, human TEE exceeded that of chimpanzees and bonobos, gorillas and orangutans by approximately 400, 635 and 820 kcal day(-1), respectively, readily accommodating the cost of humans' greater brain size and reproductive output. Much of the increase in TEE is attributable to humans' greater basal metabolic rate (kcal day(-1)), indicating increased organ metabolic activity. Humans also had the greatest body fat percentage. An increased metabolic rate, along with changes in energy allocation, was crucial in the evolution of human brain size and life history.

Viruses associated with ill health in wild chimpanzees.

Viral infection is a major cause of ill health in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), but most evidence to date has come from conspicuous disease outbreaks with high morbidity and mortality. To examine the relationship between viral infection and ill health during periods not associated with disease outbreaks, we conducted a longitudinal study of wild eastern chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii) in the Kanyawara and Ngogo communities of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We collected standardized, observational health data for 4 years and then used metagenomics to characterize gastrointestinal viromes (i.e., all viruses recovered from fecal samples) in individual chimpanzees before and during episodes of clinical disease. We restricted our analyses to viruses thought to infect mammals or primarily associated with mammals, discarding viruses associated with nonmammalian hosts. We found 18 viruses (nine of which were previously identified in this population) from at least five viral families. Viral richness (number of viruses per sample) did not vary by health status. By contrast, total viral load (normalized proportion of sequences mapping to viruses) was significantly higher in ill individuals compared with healthy individuals. Furthermore, when ill, Kanyawara chimpanzees exhibited higher viral loads than Ngogo chimpanzees, and males, but not females, exhibited higher infection rates with certain viruses and higher total viral loads as they aged. Post-hoc analyses, including the use of a machine-learning classification method, indicated that one virus, salivirus (Picornaviridae), was the main contributor to health-related and community-level variation in viral loads. Another virus, chimpanzee stool-associated virus (chisavirus; unclassified Picornavirales), was associated with ill health at Ngogo but not at Kanyawara. Chisavirus, chimpanzee adenovirus (Adenoviridae), and bufavirus (Parvoviridae) were also associated with increased age in males. Associations with sex and age are consistent with the hypothesis that nonlethal viral infections cumulatively reflect or contribute to senescence in long-lived species such as chimpanzees.