Rickettsia parkeri forms extensive, stable contacts with the rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Upon invasion into the host cell, a subset of bacterial pathogens resides exclusively in the cytosol. While previous research revealed how they reshape the plasma membrane during invasion, subvert the immune response, and hijack cytoskeletal dynamics to promote their motility, it was unclear if these pathogens also interacted with the organelles in this crowded intracellular space. Here, we examined if the obligate intracellular pathogen Rickettsia parkeri interacts with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a large and dynamic organelle spread throughout the cell.

Disruption of seasonal influenza circulation and evolution during the 2009 H1N1 and COVID-19 pandemics in Southeastern Asia.

East, South, and Southeast Asia (together referred to as Southeastern Asia hereafter) have been recognized as critical areas fuelling the global circulation of seasonal influenza. However, the seasonal influenza migration network within Southeastern Asia remains unclear, including how pandemic-related disruptions altered this network. We leveraged genetic, epidemiological, and airline travel data between 2007-2023 to characterise the dispersal patterns of influenza A/H3N2 and B/Victoria viruses both out of and within Southeastern Asia, including during perturbations by the 2009 A/H1N1 and COVID-19 pandemics.

Micronutrient dose response (MiNDR) study among women of reproductive age and pregnant women in rural Bangladesh: study protocol for double-blind, randomised, controlled trials.

Introduction: Optimising the micronutrient status of women before and during reproduction confers benefits to them and their offspring. Antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), given as a daily tablet with nutrients at ~1 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) reduces adverse birth outcomes. However, at this dosage, MMS may not fully address micronutrient deficiencies in settings with chronically inadequate diets and infection.

MVA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates encoding different spike protein conformations induce distinct early transcriptional responses which may impact subsequent adaptive immunity.

Introduction: Vaccine platforms such as viral vectors and mRNA can accelerate vaccine development in response to newly emerging pathogens, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the differential effects of platform and antigen insert on vaccine immunogenicity remain incompletely understood. Innate immune responses induced by viral vector vaccines are suggested to have an adjuvant effect for subsequent adaptive immunity.

A sedimentary ancient DNA perspective on human and carnivore persistence through the Late Pleistocene in El Mirón Cave, Spain.

Caves are primary sites for studying human and animal subsistence patterns and genetic ancestry throughout the Palaeolithic. Iberia served as a critical human and animal refugium in Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 26.5 to 19 thousand years before the present (cal kya).

MRI-based morphometric structural changes correlate with histopathology in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Background And Objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurohistopathology are important correlates for evaluation of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we used experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as an animal model of MS to determine the correlation between clinical EAE severity, MRI and histopathological parameters.

Methods: N = 11 female C57BL/6J mice were immunized with human myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 1-125, while N = 9 remained non-immunized.

TMEM106B C-terminal fragments aggregate and drive neurodegenerative proteinopathy in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans.

Introduction: Genetic variation in the lysosomal and transmembrane protein 106B (TMEM106B) modifies risk for several neurodegenerative disorders, especially frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The C-terminal (CT) domain of TMEM106B occurs as fibrillar protein deposits in the brains of dementia patients.

Methods: To determine the TMEM CT aggregation propensity and neurodegenerative potential, we generated transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans expressing the human TMEM CT fragment aggregating in FTLD cases.

Visual quality of life in NMOSD and MOGAD: profiles, dynamics and associations with ageing and vision.

Objective: In this multicentric study, we were interested in the vision-related quality of life and its association with visual impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in comparison to multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

Methods: We analysed extracted data from the German NEMOS registry including National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores, high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA), visually evoked potentials (VEP) and the scores for the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and other neurological tests which assessed their disease-related impairment. The mean follow-up time of our patients was 1.

Dengue virus importation risks in Africa: a modelling study.

Background: Dengue is a significant global public health concern that poses a threat in Africa. Particularly, African countries are at risk of viral introductions through air travel connectivity with areas of South America and Asia in which explosive dengue outbreaks frequently occur. Limited reporting and diagnostic capacity hinder a comprehensive assessment of continent-wide transmission dynamics and deployment of surveillance strategies in Africa.

NOD1 signaling regulates early tissue inflammation during helminth infection.

The role of innate receptors in initiating the early inflammatory response to helminth larval stages in affected tissues during their life cycle within the host remains poorly understood. Given its pivotal role in detecting microbial elements and eliciting immune responses, exploring the NOD1 receptor could offer crucial insights into immune responses to parasitic infections. By using the larval ascariasis model, the acute model for early Ascaris sp.

Controlled oligomerization of [1.1.1]propellane through radical polarity matching: selective synthesis of SF- and CFSF-containing [2]staffanes.

Selectivity in radical chain oligomerizations involving [1.1.1]propellane - i.

Dose-response effects of multiple Ascaris suum exposures and their impact on lung protection during larval ascariasis.

Background: Human ascariasis is the most prevalent geohelminthiasis worldwide, affecting approximately 446 million individuals. In regions with endemic prevalence, the majority of infected adults are frequently exposed to the parasite and tend to have a low parasite load. Further studies are necessary to provide more evidence on the dynamics of infection and to elucidate the possible mechanisms involved in regulating protection, especially during the acute phase, also known as larval ascariasis.

Different germline variants in the XPA gene are associated with severe, intermediate, or mild neurodegeneration in xeroderma pigmentosum patients.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by pathogenic variants in seven nucleotide excision repair genes (XPA to XPG) and POLH involved in translesion synthesis. XP patients have a >1000-fold increased risk for sunlight-induced skin cancers. Many Japanese XP-A patients have severe neurological symptoms due to a founder variant in intron 3 of the XPA gene.

Dynamics and ecology of a multi-stage expansion of Oropouche virus in Brazil.

In March 2024, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert in response to a rapid increase in Oropouche fever cases across South America. Brazil has been particularly affected, reporting a novel reassortant lineage of the Oropouche virus (OROV) and expansion to previously non-endemic areas beyond the Amazon Basin. Utilising phylogeographic approaches, we reveal a multi-scale expansion process with both short and long-distance dispersal events, and diffusion velocities in line with human-mediated jumps.

Assessing Dengue Virus Importation Risks in Africa: A Climate and Travel-Based Model.

Background: Dengue is a significant global public health concern that poses a threat to Africa. Particularly, African countries are at risk of viral introductions through air travel connectivity with areas of South America and Asia that experience frequent explosive outbreaks. Limited reporting and diagnostic capacity hinder a comprehensive assessment of continent-wide transmission dynamics and deployment of surveillance strategies in Africa.