Asian elephant calf physiology and mahout perspectives during taming in Myanmar.

A quarter of Asian elephants are captive, with greater than 90% of these tamed and cared for by handlers (mahouts) in Asia. Although taming is a much-discussed welfare issue, no studies to our knowledge have empirically assessed its impact on calves, and dialogue surrounding taming often lacks perspectives of those involved. Here, we interviewed mahouts involved in taming and monitored five physiological measures (faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), serum cortisol, glucose, creatine kinase (CK) and heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L)) over the first 10 days of taming and following six months in 41 calves undergoing taming and 16 control individuals. These measures assess the duration and intensity of stress during taming. Interviews suggested mahouts had major concerns for their safety when discussing changing taming practices, an important consideration for future management. Calf physiological measures were elevated by 50-70% (FGMs/cortisol/glucose), 135% (H:L) and greater than 500% (CK) over the first few days of taming, indicative of elevated stress, not seen to the same extent in control adults. Some measures stabilized sooner (glucose/cortisol/CK/FGM: 7-10 days) than others (H:L: one-two months), indicating mostly acute stress. Our findings inform the welfare of approximately 15 000 captive elephants around the world. Future studies should compare taming in different populations and consider calf and mahout welfare.

HIV incidence and factors associated with testing positive for HIV among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Myanmar: data from community-based HIV testing services.

INTRODUCTION: In Myanmar, men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) are disproportionately affected by HIV, despite national HIV program scale-up. However, limited HIV surveillance capacity prevents monitoring of epidemic trends and program impact. This study aimed to estimate HIV prevalence and incidence and explore associated sexual risk behaviours among MSM and TW clients attending HIV testing clinics in Myanmar. METHODS: An electronic data management system was implemented in two community-based, MSM and TW -tailored HIV testing clinics in Myanmar in August 2016. Unique client identifiers enabled prospective monitoring of service engagement, testing frequency and outcomes. We estimated HIV incidence and rate of HIV diagnosis at baseline testing visit among clients over a 15 month period. Correlates of HIV diagnoses were identified using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: 2794 MSM and TW were tested for HIV. At their baseline test, 38% of clients reported any previous testing and 93% reported being sexually active over the previous three months, with 74% reporting sex with casual male partners and 28% reporting consistent condom use with casual partners. 291 clients tested positive for HIV for the first time at baseline (10.4%; 95% CI: 9.3 to 11.6). Twelve incident cases were detected among 279 clients receiving ≥2 tests (incidence = 10.1 per 100 person-years; 95% CI: 5.73 to 17.8). HIV diagnosis at baseline was significantly associated with being a transgender woman or a non-openly disclosing man who has sex with men, age 26 to 39 years, and reporting no testing history. CONCLUSIONS: High HIV incidence and new diagnoses being associated with reporting no testing history points to undiagnosed HIV driving transmissions in Myanmar. Repeat testing was uncommon. HIV programs in Myanmar must focus on promoting frequent HIV testing alongside adequate coverage of education and primary prevention interventions among MSM and TW.

Protein profiling of the dimorphic, pathogenic fungus, Penicillium marneffei.

BACKGROUND: Penicillium marneffei is a pathogenic fungus that afflicts immunocompromised individuals having lived or traveled in Southeast Asia. This species is unique in that it is the only dimorphic member of the genus. Dimorphism results from a process, termed phase transition, which is regulated by temperature of incubation. At room temperature, the fungus grows filamentously (mould phase), but at body temperature (37 degrees C), a uninucleate yeast form develops that reproduces by fission. Formation of the yeast phase appears to be a requisite for pathogenicity. To date, no genes have been identified in P. marneffei that strictly induce mould-to-yeast phase conversion. In an effort to help identify potential gene products associated with morphogenesis, protein profiles were generated from the yeast and mould phases of P. marneffei. RESULTS: Whole cell proteins from the early stages of mould and yeast development in P. marneffei were resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Selected proteins were recovered and sequenced by capillary-liquid chromatography-nanospray tandem mass spectrometry. Putative identifications were derived by searching available databases for homologous fungal sequences. Proteins found common to both mould and yeast phases included the signal transduction proteins cyclophilin and a RACK1-like ortholog, as well as those related to general metabolism, energy production, and protection from oxygen radicals. Many of the mould-specific proteins identified possessed similar functions. By comparison, proteins exhibiting increased expression during development of the parasitic yeast phase comprised those involved in heat-shock responses, general metabolism, and cell-wall biosynthesis, as well as a small GTPase that regulates nuclear membrane transport and mitotic processes in fungi. The cognate gene encoding the latter protein, designated RanA, was subsequently cloned and characterized. The P. marneffei RanA protein sequence, which contained the signature motif of Ran-GTPases, exhibited 90% homology to homologous Aspergillus proteins. CONCLUSION: This study clearly demonstrates the utility of proteomic approaches to studying dimorphism in P. marneffei. Moreover, this strategy complements and extends current genetic methodologies directed towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of phase transition. Finally, the documented increased levels of RanA expression suggest that cellular development in this fungus involves additional signaling mechanisms than have been previously described in P. marneffei.