Diurnal gene expression patterns underlie time-of-the-day-specific functional specialization of tissues. However, available circadian gene expression atlases of a few organs are largely from nocturnal vertebrates. We report the diurnal transcriptome of 64 tissues, including 22 brain regions, sampled every 2 hours over 24 hours, from the primate (baboon). Genomic transcription was highly rhythmic, with up to 81.7% of protein-coding genes showing daily rhythms in expression. In addition to tissue-specific gene expression, the rhythmic transcriptome imparts another layer of functional specialization. Most ubiquitously expressed genes that participate in essential cellular functions exhibit rhythmic expression in a tissue-specific manner. The peak phases of rhythmic gene expression clustered around dawn and dusk, with a "quiescent period" during early night. Our findings also unveil a different temporal organization of central and peripheral tissues between diurnal and nocturnal animals.

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The current study describes, using immunohistochemical methods, the nuclear organization of the cholinergic, catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems within the brains of five microchiropteran species. For the vast majority of nuclei observed, direct homologies are evident in other mammalian species; however, there were several distinctions in the presence or absence of specific nuclei that provide important clues regarding the use of the brain in the analysis of chiropteran phylogenetic affinities. Within the five species studied, three specific differences (presence of a parabigeminal nucleus, dorsal caudal nucleus of the ventral tegmental area and the absence of the substantia nigra ventral) found in two species from two different families (Cardioderma cor; Megadermatidae, and Coleura afra; Emballonuridae), illustrates the diversity of microchiropteran phylogeny and the usefulness of brain characters in phylogenetic reconstruction. A number of distinct differences separate the microchiropterans from the megachiropterans, supporting the diphyletic hypothesis of chiropteran phylogenetic origins. These differences phylogenetically align the microchiropterans with the heterogenous grouping of insectivores, in contrast to the alignment of megachiropterans with primates. The consistency of the changes and stasis of neural characters with mammalian phylogeny indicate that the investigation of the microchiropterans as a sister group to one of the five orders of insectivores to be a potentially fruitful area of future research.

The genus Adansonia has a disjunct geographical distribution: six species are endemic in Madagascar, one in Africa, and one in Australia. The well‐known African baobab (Adansonia digitata) is an iconic tree with considerable ethnobotanical significance. In contrast to the other seven species, which are diploid, A. digitata is tetraploid. A common ancestor of A. digitata and the other diploid baobab species would be diploid; however, there are no diploid species recorded on the African mainland. Examining variation in floral and pollen characters and chromosome number in specimens from Africa identified a new diploid baobab species, Adansonia kilima sp. nov., which co‐exists with A. digitata in Africa. Adansonia kilima is restricted to moderate elevations (650–1500 m), in contrast to A. digitata, which is widespread throughout Africa but prefers elevations below 800 m. Adansonia kilima is superficially similar to A. digitata, but can be differentiated on the basis of floral morphology, pollen, and chromosome number. We used two chloroplast DNA markers and the nuclear ITS to examine phylogenetic relationships within Adansonia. Three lineages were observed: one containing the Malagasy species, one containing the Australian species, and one containing the African species. The relationships between these clades were difficult to resolve, but a link between the African and Australian clades emerged when the analysis used fewer replicate samples of individual Malagasy taxa, included indel characters and included fewer outgroup taxa. The ITS phylogeny demonstrated that A. digitata and A. kilima are genetically similar, suggesting that tetraploidy evolved relatively recently.

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Despite the recognised need for education and training in laboratory animal science (LAS) and ethics in Africa, access to such opportunities has historically been limited. To address this, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics (PAN-LASE) was established to pioneer a support network for the development of education and training in LAS and ethics across the African continent. In the 4.5 years since the establishment of PAN-LASE, 3635 individuals from 28 African countries have participated in our educational activities. Returning to their home institutions, they have both established and strengthened institutional and regional hubs of knowledge and competence across the continent. Additionally, PAN-LASE supported the development of guidelines for establishment of institutional Animal Ethics Committees, a critical step in the implementation of ethical review processes across the continent, and in enhancing animal welfare and scientific research standards. Key challenges and opportunities for PAN-LASE going forward include the formalisation of the network; the sustainability of education and training programmes; implementation of effective hub-and-spoke models of educational provision; strengthening governance frameworks at institutional, national and regional levels; and the availability of Africa-centric open access educational resources. Our activities are enhancing animal welfare and the quality of animal research undertaken across Africa, enabling African researchers to undertake world-leading research to offer solutions to the challenges facing the continent. The challenges, successes and the lessons learnt from PAN-LASE’s journey are applicable to other low- and middle-income countries across the world seeking to enhance animal welfare, research ethics and ethical review in their own country or region.

The consumption of khat (Catha Edulis, Forsk) is on the rise despite the much publicized associated deleterious health effects. How chemicals present in khat, affect various physiological and biochemical processes requires further scrutiny. A clear understanding of these processes will provide an avenue for countering khat-driven negative effects using appropriate pharmacological and/or nutritional interventions.Aim of the study: The current study investigated the effect of khat on vital physiological and biochemical processes such as oxidative stress, inflammation and immune responses and the role of Coenzyme-Q 10 (CoQ 10 ), a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, in modulating any negative effects due to khat exposure. Methodology: Three (3) weeks old forty (40) Swiss albino mice were randomly assigned into four treatment groups (n ¼ 10). The first group was the control that was not administered with khat or CoQ 10 . The second group received 200 mg/kg body weight (b/w) of CoQ 10 , while the third group received 1500 mg/kg b/w of khat extract and finally the forth group was co-treated with 200 mg/kg b/w of CoQ 10 and 1500 mg/kg b/w of khat extract. The experiment was conducted for 90 days after which samples were collected for physiological and biochemical analyses.Results: The effects of khat and CoQ 10 on the weights of brain, liver, kidney and spleen was determined. Administration of khat decreased the levels of RBCs and its subtypes (MCV, MCH, RDW-SD and RDW-CV), a clear indicator of khat-induced normochromic microcytic anemia. White blood cells (lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils and eosinophil) which are vital in responding to infections were markedly elevated by khat. Moreover, these results provide evidence for khat-induced liver and kidney injury as shown by increased biomarkers; AST, ALT, GGT and creatinine respectively. Standard histopathological analysis confirmed this finding for khat-driven liver and kidney injury. Further studies showed evidence for khat-induced inflammation and oxidative stress as depicted by increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and elevation of GSH in the brain, liver and spleen. Remarkably, this is the first study to demonstrate the potential of CoQ 10 in ameliorating khat-induced negative effects as outlined. CoQ 10 supplementation restored the khat-induced reduction in RBC subtypes, and was protective against liver and kidney injury as shown by the appropriate biomarkers and standard histopathology analysis. The other significant finding was the CoQ 10 -driven normalization of GSH and TNF-α levels, indicating a protective effect from khat-driven oxidative stress and inflammation respectively. Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that CoQ 10 may be useful in nullifying khat-driven deleterious events among chronic khat users.