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This study explores contagious yawning in adult chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) in the presence of a non-biological humanoid agent, an android. Chimpanzees observed an android portraying specific facial expressions, including yawns and gapes. The results showed that adult chimpanzees exhibited across-agent yawn contagion, with a graded response: the highest contagion occurred when the android displayed a fully wide-open mouth (Yawn condition), a reduced response when the mouth was partially opened (Gape condition), and no contagion when the android’s mouth was closed (Close condition). Additionally, chimpanzees engaged in behaviours associated with drowsiness, such as gathering bedding materials, constructing nests, and lying down, while observing the android yawning. This suggests that yawning by an unfamiliar model may act as a contextual cue for rest, rather than merely triggering a motor resonance response. These findings contribute to the understanding of non-human primates’ susceptibility to contagiously induced behaviours, specifically yawns, even when triggered by an artificial agent. This study highlights the role of social factors in shaping yawn contagion and calls for further research on cross-species and cross-agent interactions.

Background To analyze differences in the recognition of anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibody (ACPA) citrullinated epitopes and isotypes in patients with palindromic rheumatism (PR) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods ACPA fine specificities (citrullinated peptides of enolase, fibrin, and vimentin) and isotypes (IgG, IgM, and IgA) were analyzed in 54 patients with longstanding PR and 54 patients with established RA. Results CCP2 tested positive in 66.7% of patients with PR and RA. The ACPA distribution of fine specificities and isotypes differed between PR and RA patients. PR patients had a lower frequency of fine ACPA specificities than RA patients, which was significant in the case of a peptide derived from vimentin (PR 24.1% vs. 59.3% RA; p  < 0.001). The mean number of ACPA specificities was lower in PR than in RA patients, and only 25.9% of PR patients recognized ≥2 additional specificities compared with 46.3% of RA patients. Significantly less isotype usage, especially IgA, was observed in PR patients. Conclusion The ACPA immune response differed in patients with PR and RA, with fewer fine specificities and isotype usage in patients with PR. Some patients with PR may have impaired maturation of the B-cell response against citrullinated peptides with no progression to RA.

Este trabajo muestra evidencias observacionales de cambios en los mecanismos de teleconexión atmosférica que afectan a África occidental (WA) y al área Euro-Mediterránea (EM), con otras regiones remotas. Se ha mostrado como el impacto de las anomalías de temperatura superficial del mar (SST) tropical en la precipitación en África occidental, ha cambiado a finales de los 1970S, lo cual es relevante para la mejora de las predicciones estacionales en dicha región. Estos cambios coinciden con una relación no estacionaria entre la variabilidad interanual del Atlántico y Pacífico tropical. Por otro lado, la conexión entre El Niño del Pacífico y la precipitación en la región EM a finales de invierno y durante la primavera ha cambiado a lo largo del siglo XX. Nuestros resultados muestran no estacionariedades, tanto en la atmósfera como en el océano, coincidentes con fases negativas de la Oscilación Multidecadal del Atlántico (AMO). Los resultados aquí obtenidos apuntan a una modulación físicamente coherente de la variabilidad interanual por la variabilidad multidecadal. También se ha mostrado como los modos multidecadales mencionados afectan a la variabilidad de las ciclogénesis explosivas (EC) sobre la región EM. Finalmente, con el objetivo de comprender la variabilidad de la AMO y su posible papel modulador, la capacidad de los Modelos de Circulación General (GCMs) para reproducir el patrón de la AMO, también ha sido estudiada. Dicho patrón sobre el Atlántico Norte es consistente en observaciones y simulaciones.

Objective: To determine which are the determinant factors of values of clinical and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in children from hypertensive parents. Material and methods: 108 children and adolescent (51 girls) were included in the study between ages from 6 to 18 years old. In all cases, the father, mother or even both had been diagnosed of essential arterial hypertension. 105 controls (54 girls) were included in the study with similar age range and sex. The measures of clinical BP were taken with a mercury sphygmomanometer and the measures of ambulatory BP (ABPM) were taken with a \"Spacelabs 90207\" oscillometric set, taking measures every 20 minutes during the activity period (from 08:00 to 22:00 h) and every 30 minutes during the sleep period (from 00:00 to 06:00 h). A multiple lineal regression study was carried out in order to judge the determinant factors of values of clinical and ambulatory BP; considering as independent variables the age, sex, height, obesity, newborn´s weight and the previous hypertension history within the family. Results: To be a son of hyper tense parents is the main determinant of values of BP systolic (SBP) clinical and ambulatory systolic, whichever period considered, of values of BP diastolic (DBP) clinical and ambulatory of 24 h and of the activity period when other parameters as age, sex, height and the newborn´s weight are included in the study. Conclusions: At the pediatric age, to be a son of hypertensive parents is a determinant factor for the hypertension development and shows its effect in the BP yet in the second decade of life. That´s why this must be kept in mind when assessing the routine health control.

Risk for severe COVID-19 increases with age. Different vaccination strategies are currently being considered, including those aimed at slowing down transmission and those aimed at providing direct protection to those most at risk. The objectives of the current study were i) to assess age-related incidence and survival between PCR-diagnosed COVID-19 cases (n = 61,993) in the Autonomous Community of Aragon from March to November 2020, and ii) to characterize age differences regarding the course of the disease in hospitalized patients in a tertiary university hospital. We found a similar incidence of COVID-19 in individuals between 10 and 79 years. Incidence increased in those over 80 years possibly because of the elevated transmission within the nursing homes. We observed a profound disparity among age groups; case fatality rates (CFRs) were near 0 in cases younger than 39 years throughout different waves. In contrast, there was an age-dependent and progressive increase in the CFRs, especially during the first pandemic wave. SARS-CoV-2 infection caused a more severe and rapid progression in older patients. The elderly required faster hospitalization, presented more serious symptoms on admission, and had a worse clinical course. Hospitalized older individuals, even without comorbidities, had an increased mortality risk directly associated with their age. Lastly, the existence of comorbidities dramatically increased the CFRs in the elderly, especially in males. The elevated incidence of COVID-19 and the vulnerability of the elderly call for their prioritization in vaccination and targeted prevention measures specifically focused on this aged population.

Synthetic peptides have been shown to be valuable tools for viral laboratory diagnosis and can provide uniform, chemically well-defined antigens for antibody analysis, reducing inter- and intra-assay variation. The main aim in the development of peptide-based diagnostic tests is to recognise specific antibodies induced by the whole viral proteins but using selected short fragments containing the most potent antigenic determinants. The success of this approach depends on the extent to which synthetic peptides are able to mimic the immunodominant epitopes of antigens. In recent years, synthetic peptides that mimic specific epitopes of infectious agents proteins have been used in diagnostic systems for various human diseases. The present review summarizes some of the drawbacks of the use of relatively short linear peptides as antigenic substrates and the subsequent chemical strategies developed in order to overcome the low peptide reactivity against specific antibodies. Moreover, it outlines the most significant bibliography published in the last five years which provides validated peptide based tests potentially useful for diagnosis of viral, bacterial, parasitic and autoimmune diseases.

Based on the structure of an HIV-1 entry inhibitor peptide two stapled- and a retro-enantio peptides have been designed to provide novel prevention interventions against HIV transmission. The three peptides show greater inhibitory potencies in cellular and mucosal tissue pre-clinical models than the parent sequence and the retro-enantio shows a strengthened proteolytic stability. Since HIV-1 fusion inhibitor peptides need to be embedded in the membrane to properly interact with their viral target, the structural features were determined by NMR spectroscopy in micelles and solved by using restrained molecular dynamics calculations. Both parent and retro-enantio peptides demonstrate a topology compatible with a shared helix–turn–helix conformation and assemble similarly in the membrane maintaining the active conformation needed for its interaction with the viral target site. This study represents a straightforward approach to design new targeted peptides as HIV-1 fusion inhibitors and lead us to define a retro-enantio peptide as a good candidate for pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV-1.

Despite increased use of vaccine in routine immunisation, rotavirus remains a major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in low-income countries. We describe rotavirus prevalence and hospitalisation in Malawi pre and four years post vaccine introduction; provide updated vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates; and assess rotavirus vaccine indirect effects. Children under five years of age presenting to a referral hospital in Blantyre with AGE were recruited. Stool samples were tested for rotavirus using Enzyme Immunoassay. The change in rotavirus prevalence was evaluated using Poisson regression. Time series analysis was used to further investigate trends in prevalence over time. VE against rotavirus diarrhoea of any severity was estimated using logistic regression. Indirect effects were estimated by evaluating rotavirus prevalence in unvaccinated children over time, and by comparing observed reductions in incidence of rotavirus hospitalisation to those expected based on vaccine coverage and trial efficacy estimates. 2320 children were included. Prevalence of rotavirus in hospitalised infants (<12 months) with AGE decreased from 69/139(49.64%) prior to vaccine introduction to 197/607(32.45%) post-vaccine introduction (adjusted RR 0.67[95% CI 0.55, 0.82]). Prevalence in children aged 12–23 months demonstrated a less substantial decline: 15/37(40.54%) pre- and 122/352(34.66%) post-vaccine introduction (adjusted RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.57, 1.28). Adjusted VE was 61.89%(95% CI 28.04–79.82), but lower in children aged 12–23 months (31.69% [95% CI −139.03 to 80.48]). In hospitalised infants with rotavirus disease, the observed overall effect of the vaccine was 9% greater than expected according to vaccine coverage and efficacy estimates. Rotavirus prevalence among unvaccinated infants declined post-vaccine introduction (RR 0.70[95% CI 0.55–0.80]). Following rotavirus vaccine introduction in Malawi, prevalence of rotavirus in hospitalised children with AGE has declined significantly, with some evidence of an indirect effect in infants. Despite this, rotavirus remains an important cause of severe diarrhoea in Malawian children, particularly in the second year of life.

Intestinal immunity induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is imperfect and wanes with time, permitting transmission of infection by immunised children. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) does not induce an intestinal mucosal immune response, but could boost protection in children who are mucosally primed through previous exposure to OPV. We aimed to assess the effect of IPV on intestinal immunity in children previously vaccinated with OPV. We did an open-label, randomised controlled trial in children aged 1–4 years from Chinnallapuram, Vellore, India, who were healthy, had not received IPV before, and had had their last dose of OPV at least 6 months before enrolment. Children were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 0·5 mL IPV intramuscularly (containing 40, 8, and 32 D antigen units for serotypes 1, 2, and 3) or no vaccine. The randomisation sequence was computer generated with a blocked randomisation procedure with block sizes of ten by an independent statistician. The laboratory staff did blinded assessments. The primary outcome was the proportion of children shedding poliovirus 7 days after a challenge dose of serotype 1 and 3 bivalent OPV (bOPV). A second dose of bOPV was given to children in the no vaccine group to assess intestinal immunity resulting from the first dose. A per-protocol analysis was planned for all children who provided a stool sample at 7 days after bOPV challenge. This trial is registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India, number CTRI/2012/09/003005. Between Aug 19, 2013, and Sept 13, 2013, 450 children were enrolled and randomly assigned into study groups. 225 children received IPV and 225 no vaccine. 222 children in the no vaccine group and 224 children in the IPV group had stool samples available for primary analysis 7 days after bOPV challenge. In the IPV group, 27 (12%) children shed serotype 1 poliovirus and 17 (8%) shed serotype 3 poliovirus compared with 43 (19%) and 57 (26%) in the no vaccine group (risk ratio 0·62, 95% CI 0·40–0·97, p=0·0375; 0·30, 0·18–0·49, p<0·0001). No adverse events were related to the study interventions. The substantial boost in intestinal immunity conferred by a supplementary dose of IPV given to children younger than 5 years who had previously received OPV shows a potential role for this vaccine in immunisation activities to accelerate eradication and prevent outbreaks of poliomyelitis. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

ObjectiveTo analyse the association between anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (Anti-CarP) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.MethodsCross-sectional study including RA patients fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria. The main population comprised two groups: (1) RA patients diagnosed with RA-ILD (RA-ILD group); (2) RA patients without ILD (non-ILD RA group). Non-ILD RA patients in whom ILD was suspected underwent a diagnostic work-up and, if ILD was diagnosed, were switched to the RA-ILD group. ILD was diagnosed by high-resolution computed tomography and confirmed by a multidisciplinary committee. An independent replication sample was also obtained. Three Anti-CarP IgG autoantibodies against fetal calf serum (Anti-FCS), fibrinogen (Anti-Fib) and chimeric fibrine/filagrine homocitrullinated peptide (Anti-CFFHP) and one Anti-CarP IgA against FCS (Anti-FCS-IgA) were determined by home-made ELISA. Associations between Anti-CarP and ILD were analysed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted by smoking, sex, age, RA disease duration, rheumatoid factor and anticitrullinated protein antibodies.ResultsWe enrolled 179 patients: 37 (21%) were finally diagnosed with RA-ILD. Anti-CarP specificities were more frequent in RA-ILD patients (Anti-FCS 70% vs 43%; Anti-Fib 73% vs 51%; Anti-CFFHP 38% vs 19%; Anti-CarP-IgA 51% vs 20%, p<0.05 for all comparisons). Serum titers of Anti-CarP were significantly higher in RA-ILD patients. Anti-CarP specificities showed a robust effect towards increasing the odds of ILD in the multivariate analysis (Anti-FCS (OR: 3.42; 95% CI: 1.13 to 10.40), Anti-Fib (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 0.83 to 9.70), Anti-CFFHP (OR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.06 to 9.14) and Anti-FCS-IgA (OR: 4.30; 95% CI: 1.41 to 13.04)). Similar findings were observed in the replication sample.ConclusionsAnti-CarP were strongly associated with ILD. The role of homocitrullination in RA-ILD merits further investigation.