Little is known about respiratory viruses infection in Guinea. Influenza surveillance has not been implemented in Guinea mainly because of the paucity of laboratory infrastructure and capacity. This paper presents the first influenza surveillance data in Guinea.

Swabs were obtained from August 2018 through December 2019 at influenza sentinel sites and transported to the Institut National de Santé Publique for testing. Ribonucleic acid was extracted and tested for the presence of influenza A and B by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Positive samples were further characterised to determine the subtypes and lineages of influenza viruses.

A total of 862 swabs were collected and tested. Twenty-three per cent of samples tested positive for influenza A and B viruses. Characterisation of positive specimens identified influenza A/H1N1pmd09 (2.5%), influenza A/H3N2 (57.3%), influenza B/Victoria lineage (36.7%) and 7 (3.5%) influenza B with undetermined lineage. Influenza B virus activity clustered in August through November while influenza A/H3N2 displayed two clusters of activities that appeared in May through August and November through December.

For the first time in Guinea, the epidemiology, diversity and period of circulation of influenza viruses were studied. The results indicate the predominance and the periods of activities of influenza B Victoria lineage and influenza A/H3N2 which are important information for preventive strategies. It is warranted to extend the influenza surveillance to other parts of Guinea to better understand the epidemiology of the viruses and monitor the emergence of influenza strains with pandemic potential.

Exceptionally preserved fossil eggs and embryos provide critical information regarding paleoembryogenesis, reproductive strategies, and the early ontogeny of early arthropods, but the rarity of preservation of both eggs and egg-bearing organisms in situ limits their use in detailed evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) studies. Burgess Shale-type deposits preserve rare instances of egg-bearing arthropods as carbonaceous compressions; however, the eggs are usually poorly preserved with no compelling evidence of embryos. We describe the first record of a brooding specimen of Waptia cf. W. fieldensis from the Spence Shale, a Cambrian (Wuliuan Stage) Burgess Shale-type deposit in northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho. This is the first record of an egg-bearing arthropod from the Spence Shale and it exhibits two distinct modes of preservation among eggs within the single clutch: carbonization and phosphatization. Unlike the egg-bearing Burgess Shale specimens, many eggs of this Utah specimen are also preserved three-dimensionally. In addition, synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy reveals internal distributions of mineral phases, along with potential remnants of the egg membrane and attachment structures, but, as in the Burgess Shale, no explicit traces of developing embryos. The distinct modes of preservation highlight the existence of diagenetic microenvironments within some eggs, but not in others during fossilization.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To determine the prevalence of myocardial diastolic dysfunction (DD) and association of serum concentration of the cardiac biomarker serum soluble ST2 in HIV-infected as compared to uninfected Tanzanian adults at the time of HIV diagnosis. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In this cross-sectional study we consecutively enrolled HIV-infected participants and uninfected controls at a large, referral HIV clinic in Mwanza, Tanzania. Standardized history, physical examination, echocardiography and serum samples were obtained. The primary outcome was prevalence of myocardial diastolic dysfunction in HIV-infected as compared to uninfected adults. The secondary outcome was the association of baseline serum sST2 concentration with diastolic dysfunction prevalence. Regression models were used to quantify the associations. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We enrolled 388 HIV-infected, ART naïve and 461 HIV-uninfected controls. Participants with HIV had a higher prevalence of DD (OR = 2.44, p = 0.001, controlled for age, sex, hypertension and BMI) and more severe dysfunction (66.7% vs 42.5%, p = 0.056) at an earlier age. Baseline serum sST2 concentration was significantly associated with DD in HIV-infected but not uninfected participants (p = 0.04 and 0.90, respectively). More HIV-infected adults with concurrent DD exceeded the threshold of 35ng/mL as compared to controls (15.7% vs 5.3%, p<0.0001). Additionally, a significant population level shift to higher sST2 concentration was observed in HIV-infected adults with dysfunction as compared to both HIV-infected without and HIV-uninfected adults with dysfunction (Kolmogrov-Smirnov test: p = 0.02 and 0.04). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: In a large population of HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV infection is associated with myocardial diastolic dysfunction. This dysfunction is associated with higher sST2 concentrations. Therefore, we conclude that the sST2 pathway may provide insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of dysfunction in HIV-infected adults.

The middle (Wuliuan Stage) Cambrian Burgess Shale is famous for its exceptional preservation of diverse and abundant soft-bodied animals through the “thick” Stephen Formation. However, with the exception of the Walcott Quarry (Fossil Ridge) and the stratigraphically older Tulip Beds (Mount Stephen), which are both in Yoho National Park (British Columbia), quantitative assessments of the Burgess Shale have remained limited. Here we first provide a detailed quantitative overview of the diversity and structure of the Marble Canyon Burgess Shale locality based on 16,438 specimens. Located 40 km southeast of the Walcott Quarry in Kootenay National Park (British Columbia), Marble Canyon represents the youngest site of the “thick” Stephen Formation. We then combine paleoecological data sets from Marble Canyon, Walcott Quarry, Tulip Beds, and Raymond Quarry, which lies approximately 20 m directly above the Walcott Quarry, to yield a combined species abundance data set of 77,179 specimens encompassing 234 species-level taxa. Marble Canyon shows significant temporal changes in both taxonomic and ecological groups, suggesting periods of stasis followed by rapid turnover patterns at local and short temporal scales. At wider geographic and temporal scales, the different Burgess Shale sites occupy distinct areas in multivariate space. Overall, this suggests that the Burgess Shale paleocommunity is far patchier than previously thought and varies at both local and regional scales through the “thick” Stephen Formation. This underscores that our understanding of Cambrian diversity and ecological networks, particularly in early animal ecosystems, remains limited and highly dependent on new discoveries.