Circadian Variation of Immune Cell Populations in Preterm Human Milk: A Preliminary Study.

Introduction: Breast milk contains both nutritional and non-nutritional components for the newborn, with some of the latter exhibiting marked diurnal variations in concentration. This study aimed to analyze the circadian behavior of specific immune cell populations and proinflammatory cytokines present in the transitional milk of premature infants. Methods: The study quantified cellular components, including stem and immune cells, using flow cytometry. Additionally, ELISA assays were employed to measure proinflammatory cytokine concentrations. Results: Flow cytometry analyses revealed a diurnal rise in the percentage of CD23+, CD32+, CD36+, CD2+, and Tγδ cell populations. Conversely, nocturnal increases were observed in the percentage of CD16+, CD19+, and CD4+ populations. Notably, CD3+ and CD8+ populations did not exhibit any rhythmic variations. Proinflammatory cytokine concentrations were found to be higher in daytime milk samples compared to those collected at night. Conclusion: This study demonstrates rhythmic fluctuations in both immune cell populations and proinflammatory cytokine concentrations within the transitional milk of premature mothers.

In vivo deciduous dental eruption in LuiKotale bonobos and Gombe chimpanzees.

OBJECTIVES: Existing data on bonobo and chimpanzee dental eruption timing are derived predominantly from captive individuals or deceased wild individuals. However, recent advances in noninvasive photographic monitoring of living, wild apes have enabled researchers to characterize dental eruption in relatively healthy individuals under naturalistic conditions. At present, such data are available for only one population of wild chimpanzees. We report data for an additional population of wild chimpanzees and the first dental eruption data for wild bonobos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected photographs and video footage of teeth from the open mouths of wild bonobos and East African chimpanzees of known age from LuiKotale, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gombe National Park, Tanzania, respectively. We scored the presence and absence of deciduous teeth from photographs and video footage to characterize deciduous dental eruption timing in these two populations. RESULTS: Deciduous dental eruption ages in our sample fall within the range of variation previously documented for captive chimpanzees, but eruption ages are later in wild than in captive contexts. We found substantial variation in deciduous canine eruption timing, particularly among bonobos. One bonobo had a deciduous canine present by 227 days old while another did not have a deciduous canine present at 477 days old. DISCUSSION: Our data indicate that deciduous teeth erupt later in wild individuals than in captive individuals. We also found that deciduous dental eruption timing varies considerably between individuals within our study populations, a pattern that is consistent with previous studies. Future studies should consider sources of variation in deciduous canine eruption timing and relationships with other aspects of life history as additional data become available.

Sensorimotor contingency modulates breakthrough of virtual 3D objects during a breaking continuous flash suppression paradigm.

To investigate how embodied sensorimotor interactions shape subjective visual experience, we developed a novel combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) within an adapted breaking continuous flash suppression (bCFS) paradigm. In a first experiment, participants manipulated novel virtual 3D objects, viewed through a head-mounted display, using three interlocking cogs. This setup allowed us to manipulate the sensorimotor contingencies governing interactions with virtual objects, while characterising the effects on subjective visual experience by measuring breakthrough times from bCFS. We contrasted the effects of the congruency (veridical versus reversed sensorimotor coupling) and contingency (live versus replayed interactions) using a motion discrimination task. The results showed that the contingency but not congruency of sensorimotor coupling affected breakthrough times, with live interactions displaying faster breakthrough times. In a second experiment, we investigated how the contingency of sensorimotor interactions affected object category discrimination within a more naturalistic setting, using a motion tracker that allowed object interactions with increased degrees of freedom. We again found that breakthrough times were faster for live compared to replayed interactions (contingency effect). Together, these data demonstrate that bCFS breakthrough times for unfamiliar 3D virtual objects are modulated by the contingency of the dynamic causal coupling between actions and their visual consequences, in line with theories of perception that emphasise the influence of sensorimotor contingencies on visual experience. The combination of VR/AR and motion tracking technologies with bCFS provides a novel methodology extending the use of binocular suppression paradigms into more dynamic and realistic sensorimotor environments.

Case report: Clitoromegaly as a consequence of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. An accurate medical and surgical approach.

We present a case of a woman with a history of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) diagnosed at the age of 12, who was referred to our unit for surgical treatment. Despite the initial diagnosis was an indirect inguinal hernia, it was a misdiagnosis. Once in our service, this was corrected into clitoromegaly secondary to CAH. Physical examination and imaging test discarded other abnormalities, such as secondary effects androgenization. Regarding surgical treatment, the techniques used were Spencer and Allen combined with Kumar, which are the most used for clitoroplasty but also less used in Peru.