Strategies for the Use of Fallback Foods in Apes

Researchers have suggested that fallback foods (FBFs) shape primate food processing adaptations, whereas preferred foods drive harvesting adaptations, and that the dietary importance of FBFs is central in determining the expression of a variety of traits. We examine these hypotheses in extant apes. First, we compare the nature and dietary importance of FBFs used by each taxon. FBF importance appears greatest in gorillas, followed by chimpanzees and siamangs, and least in orangutans and gibbons (bonobos are difficult to place). Next, we compare 20 traits among taxa to assess whether the relative expression of traits expected for consumption of FBFs matches their observed dietary importance. Trait manifestation generally conforms to predictions based on dietary importance of FBFs. However, some departures from predictions exist, particularly for orang-utans, which express relatively more food harvesting and processing traits predicted for consuming large amounts of FBFs than expected based on observed dietary importance. This is probably due to the chemical, mechanical, and phenological properties of the apes’ main FBFs, in particular high importance of figs for chimpanzees and hylobatids, compared to use of bark and leaves—plus figs in at least some Sumatran populations—by orang-utans. This may have permitted more specialized harvesting adaptations in chimpanzees and hylobatids, and required enhanced processing adaptations in orang-utans. Possible intercontinental differences in the availability and quality of preferred and FBFs may also be important. Our analysis supports previous hypotheses suggesting a critical influence of the dietary importance and quality of FBFs on ape ecology and, consequently, evolution

Diagnosis of microaspiration syndrome in children with bronchial asthma using non-invasive methods

For the purpose of identification of a microaspiration syndrome among children as a possible reason of development of bronchial asthma we suggested a number of noninvasive methods: questioning, lactose identification, average capacity of lipophages in the induced sputum of a bronchial tree within 21 patients from 10 to 17 years. The conducted research resulted in 38% of children with bronchial asthma had a high probability of having of a microaspiration syndrome. The recommended research methods have been proved efficient.С целью выявления микроаспирационного синдрома у детей, как возможной причины развития бронхиальной астмы нами были предложены ряд неинвазивных методов: анкетирование, выявление лактозы, средняя нагруженность липофагов в индуцированной мокроте бронхиального дерева у 21 пациента от 10 до 17 лет. В результате проведенного исследования 38% детей с бронхиальной астмой имели высокую вероятность наличия синдрома микроаспирации. Была доказана эффективность предложенных методов исследования

Illicit opioid use and treatment: Challenges for Canada and beyond (Editorial)

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Benedikt Fischer about the contemporary phenomenon of illicit opioid use and another by Wim van den Brink and Christian Haasen about the summary of the treatment options for opioid dependence