Journals
2025 EN
McGovernLind Brenna R. · Proffitt Kathryn A. · King Scot E. E.
+10 more
Abstract Systems of the body develop in a modular manner. For example, neural development in primates is generally rapid, whereas dental development varies much more. In the present study, we examined development of the skull, teeth, and postcrania in a highly specialized leaping primate, Galago moholi . Eighteen specimens ranging from birth to adult were studied. Bones, teeth, and the cranial cavity (i.e., endocast) were reconstructed with Amira software based on microCT cross‐referenced to histology. Amira was also used to compute endocast volume (as a proxy for brain size). Reconstructions of the wrist and ankle show that ossification is complete at 1 month postnatally, consistent with the onset of leaping locomotion in this species. Endocranial volume is less than 50% of adult volume at birth, ~80% by 1 month, and has reached adult volume by 2 months postnatal age. Full deciduous dentition eruption occurs by 2 weeks, and the young are known to begin capturing and consuming arthropods on their own by 4 weeks, contemporaneous with the timing of bone and ankle ossification that accompanies successful hunting. The modular pattern of development of body systems in Galago moholi provides an interesting view of a “race” to adult morphology for some joints that are critical for specialized leaping and clinging, rapid crown mineralization to begin a transitional diet, but perhaps more prolonged reliance on nursing to support brain growth.
Journals
2025 EN
Wilhelm Wytse · Eleuteri Vesta · Koops Kathelijne
+3 more
ABSTRACT Wild chimpanzees drum on tree buttresses during dominance displays and travel, generating low‐frequency sounds that are audible over distances of more than 1 km. Western chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ) in the Nimba Mountains of Guinea selectively choose trees and buttresses when drumming, potentially based on their resonant properties, suggesting that these chimpanzees are optimizing their drumming signals. We investigated whether male eastern chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii ) from the Waibira community in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, also show preferences in tree and buttress choice, exploring whether selectivity is a species‐wide feature. We tested chimpanzee preferences for tree species and diameter, number of buttresses, and buttress area and width, by comparing trees and buttresses used in drumming bouts with nearby unused trees and buttresses. Waibira chimpanzees drummed preferentially on two tree species: the tropical hardwood Cynometra alexandrii and the softwood Chrysophyllum albidum . Chimpanzees selected trees with a larger diameter over nearby trees with a smaller diameter, and buttresses were more likely to be used for drumming if they had a larger area or larger width. These results suggest that chimpanzees in the Waibira community select trees and buttresses based on physical properties, most likely related to acoustically relevant characteristics. These findings support the argument that buttress drumming is a goal‐directed behavior and contributes to our understanding of chimpanzees' use and optimization of their long‐distance acoustic signals.
Journals
2025 EN
Capitanio John P. · Tancredi Daniel J. · Zarrabi Jasmin
+2 more
ABSTRACT In captive primate facilities, relocations—moves, within the facility, from one cage to another—can be common events. On the one hand, relocations are generally regarded as relatively benign events, as past studies have generally shown only transient elevations in cortisol concentrations following relocation. On the other hand, the frequency of relocations has been associated with adverse health and behavioral outcomes. As part of a larger project examining the effects of stress on follicular development, we relocated adult female rhesus monkeys on a weekly basis for several months in each of 3 years, and measured concentrations of urinary cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, as well as hair cortisol. Results for urinary cortisol and epinephrine were similar: significant elevations immediately following initiation of relocations during Years 1 and 3, and reductions in concentrations by the end of the relocation sequences in Year 1. No changes were seen for these two measures in Year 2. In contrast, elevated norepinephrine concentrations were found for all 3 years. Significant elevations in hair cortisol concentrations were found for Years 2 and 3, and suggested persisting and cumulative effects of relocations on the hypothalamic−pituitary−adrenal axis. Together, these results suggest that relocations may not be the benign events suggested by earlier studies. Given that all organs of the body are innervated by the sympathetic nervous system (the principal source of norepinephrine in blood and urine) and that cells of the body have glucocorticoid and catecholamine receptors, our results suggest possible mechanisms by which repeated relocations may result in adverse health outcomes. Repeated relocations may be a valuable model for experimentally generating moderate stress; however, we encourage colony managers and scientists to minimize such events to enhance the welfare of the animals.
Journals
2025 EN
Byun Catherine A. · Lutz Meredith C. · Lewis Rebecca J.
ABSTRACT The immature period is an essential time of physical and behavioral development in which individuals prepare to navigate their environment as adults. Activity budgets provide valuable insight into the tradeoffs individuals make based on their energetic priorities. We hypothesized that energetic priorities differ across the stages of development based on the distinct social and ecological needs of that stage. We analyzed 31,113.5 h of focal instantaneous sampling data from 2007 to 2024 on 73 Verreaux's sifaka ( Propithecus verreauxi ) living in Kirindy Mitea National Park, Madagascar to investigate the effects of age class, sex, and seasonality on activity budgets. Juveniles and subadults devoted significantly more time to social activity than adults. Subadults fed less than other age classes, and we detected no differences in resting among age classes. Among all age classes, males devoted more time to social activity than females, and all age classes displayed sex differences in additional activities. All age‐sex classes exhibited similar seasonal patterns in activity budgets. Our results indicate that social activity may be especially important in the developmental period to gain experience and establish social relationships before adulthood. Sex differences in social activity appear to emerge earlier than adulthood as a predisposition for the reproductive roles of adulthood. Overall, we found that energetic priorities differ between stages of development, and evidence is mixed regarding whether these differences are primarily due to the onset of reproduction.
Journals
2025 EN
Villioth Jakob · Lim Jon · Hobaiter Catherine
+2 more
ABSTRACT Foraging is a fundamental aspect of the behavioural ecology of any species. Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) are generalist omnivores that inhabit a continuous range of forest environments. Accordingly, substantial differences in feeding ecology exist across chimpanzee sub‐species and populations. Despite a persistent importance for the role of ripe fruit, chimpanzee diets typically include a large variety of food types. While considerable data exist on the foraging behaviour and diets of chimpanzees, these are typically limited to studies of single communities in distinct populations. Previous studies in the Budongo forest, Uganda, have focused on the Sonso community; less is known of the foraging behaviour of the neighbouring Waibira community. Here, we present detailed descriptive data on diet, activity, and food availability from this community. These were collected between October 2016 and June 2017 from focal observations of ten adult males and nine adult females, phenological monitoring of 168 chimpanzee food trees, and 4 ha of botanical plots. These chimpanzees generally conformed to the view of this species as a ripe fruit specialist, but were notably less frugivorous than other study communities and showed a considerable reliance on young leaves, in particular the leaves of Celtis mildbraedii , and on the seeds of Cynometra alexandrii during the dry season. Dietary diversity was similar to that of the neighbouring Sonso community, and our results support the idea that significant folivory is a general foraging strategy for Budongo Forest chimpanzees.
Journals
2025 EN
David Christina · Nipperess Sharlene · Wiesel Ilan
+1 more
Abstract People with disabilities are more likely to be homeless than the general population and experience additional barriers to accessing housing. Despite this, there is limited research exploring the intersection of homelessness and disability, or the impact of responses such as permanent supportive housing (PSH) from the perspective of people with disabilities. This paper reports on research that explored the experiences of tenants with disabilities in a single site mixed tenancy PSH setting and the extent to which the housing and supports they received addressed psychosocial, welfare and health needs. The research also explored experiences of accessing Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as well as other community supports designed to promote inclusion. We found benefits included a sense of stability and ‘home’ whilst challenges related to the limits of congregate housing for this tenant cohort and workforce capacity to manage significant complexity and competing needs. The findings highlight the need for trauma‐informed practices and design, and commitment to workforce development and capacity consistent with tenant needs. We also identified significant challenges and barriers at the interface with the NDIS and other funded services with implications for more assertive in reach education, support and planning to promote community participation.
Journals
2025 EN
Theophanous Rebecca G. · Staton Catherine A. · Tupetz Anna
+5 more
ABSTRACT Introduction/Purpose Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important diagnostic bedside tool, yet a gap remains between Emergency Department (ED) POCUS programme implementation and achieving sustained POCUS use and retention. We performed an impact evaluation of a co‐designed POCUS programme implementation intervention and assessed programme acceptability, effectiveness and feasibility. Methods Our mixed‐methods cohort study implemented a co‐designed, multifaceted intervention using the consolidated framework for implementation research at a single Veterans Affairs ED (November 2021–October 2022) to enhance POCUS usability and sustainability, including provider education, image review and archival. Primary ED providers (20/25) participated in hands‐on POCUS training sessions between February and May 2022. We assessed POCUS program acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility via provider pre/post‐course surveys, interviews, and health record data using a validated tool (AIM‐IAM‐FIM; assessing ED POCUS, radiology ultrasound orders, and ED metrics). Results ED POCUS significantly increased (from 72 to 267 scans, p < 0.001) 6 months post‐intervention, with no significant change in radiology ultrasounds ordered (from 355 to 361, p = 0.417) or ED length‐of‐stay (from 6.7 to 7.5 h, p = 0.0849). Cardiac, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), soft tissue, musculoskeletal, and biliary ED POCUS were most common; and radiology studies were DVT, biliary and scrotal ultrasound. The pre/post‐intervention surveys showed provider comfort with performing and teaching diagnostic and procedural POCUS changed minimally. All respondents approved of POCUS use and education (acceptability), endorsed clinical tool applicability (appropriateness) and stated the course/training was doable (feasibility). Discussion/Conclusions POCUS use increased post‐program implementation. Future studies should evaluate program sustainability, incorporate methods to reduce radiology ultrasound and improve patient‐centered outcomes.
Journals
2025 EN
Weiner Michael W. · Kanoria Shaveta · Miller Melanie J.
+22 more
Abstract The overall goal of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is to optimize and validate biomarkers for clinical trials while sharing all data and biofluid samples with the global scientific community. ADNI has been instrumental in standardizing and validating amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. ADNI data were used for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Fujirebio and Roche Elecsys cerebrospinal fluid diagnostic tests. Additionally, ADNI provided data for the trials of the FDA‐approved treatments aducanumab, lecanemab, and donanemab. More than 6000 scientific papers have been published using ADNI data, reflecting ADNI's promotion of open science and data sharing. Despite its enormous success, ADNI has some limitations, particularly in generalizing its data and findings to the entire US/Canadian population. This introduction provides a historical overview of ADNI and highlights its significant accomplishments and future vision to pioneer “the clinical trial of the future” focusing on demographic inclusivity. Highlights The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) introduced a novel model for public‐private partnerships and data sharing. It successfully validated amyloid and Tau PET imaging, as well as CSF and plasma biomarkers, for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. ADNI generated and disseminated vital data for designing AD clinical trials.
Journals
2025 EN
Ng Ted K. S. · UdehMomoh Chinedu · Lim MeiAnn
+20 more
Abstract There is a pressing need for accessible biomarkers with high diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis to facilitate widespread screening, particularly in underserved groups. Saliva is an emerging specimen for measuring AD biomarkers, with distinct contexts of use that could complement blood and cerebrospinal fluid and detect various analytes. An interdisciplinary, international group of AD and related dementias (ADRD) researchers convened and performed a narrative review of published studies on salivary AD biomarkers. We critically appraised the current state of the literature, examining both consistencies and discrepancies in existing pre‐analytical variables and methodologies. We discussed how various pre‐analytical variables could influence the detection and quantification of salivary biomarkers, showed technologies available to standardize collection procedures, and proposed a standardized pre‐analytical protocol to guide future studies on salivary AD biomarker examinations. We identified potential contexts of use, gaps, and priorities and proposed future research directions. Highlights Given its non‐invasive nature, wider accessibility, and cultural acceptability, particularly in low‐resourced settings, saliva is a biofluid complementary to blood and CSF. Current salivary AD biomarker studies do not control for many confounding pre‐analytical variables during the sampling process, potentially leading to inaccurate salivary biomarker readings and conclusions, contributing to conflicting findings. Reviewing the current literature, including the consistencies and non‐consistencies observed in the existing parameters and methodologies, discussing how they can affect salivary AD biomarker detection and quantification. Proposing a standardized salivary pre‐analytical protocol, identifying the gaps and prioritizations needed to move this area forward, proposing future directions and potential contexts of use.
Journals
2025 EN
Rhodes Annie · Staton Ashley · French Evan
+10 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION The Virginia Memory Project (VMP) is a statewide epidemiological registry for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. It aims to support dementia research, policy, and care by leveraging the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Roadmap. METHODS To capture comprehensive data, the VMP integrates self‐enrollment and automatic enrollment using Virginia's All‐Payer Claims Database (APCD). It also adapts Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) modules for self‐reported cognitive and caregiving data, offering connections to research, clinical services, and education. RESULTS Virginia successfully codified the VMP in the 2024 general assembly session. DISCUSSION The VMP demonstrates a novel approach to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) surveillance by combining traditional registry functions with community engagement and workforce development. Future efforts will focus on increasing enrollment, especially among underrepresented groups, to enhance data‐driven dementia policy and care in Virginia. Highlights Integrated the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) domains into the newest statewide epidemiological dementia registry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Collected data and identified gaps in the current research related to dementia and Alzheimer's related diseases. Aimed to mitigate barriers to dementia registry enrollment by identifying significant underdiagnosis and underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority groups. Developed solutions to alleviate the current data and enrollment disparities and to connect individuals to research, physicians, and community groups.