A functional enzymatic assay as potential readout for a clinical trial of a schistosomiasis vaccine.

An estimated 200 million people are currently infected with schistosomiasis and an additional 800 million reside in high transmission-risk areas in 78 endemic countries. In this report we describe a functional enzymatic assay based on the core calpain antigen (Sm-p80) of the schistosomiasis vaccine, SchistoShield®. A 44 kDa soluble variant of the core Sm-p80 antigen (B7), was assessed for its enzymatic activity using a fluorescent synthetic substrate.

Racial Disparities in ALS Progression: Time to Clinical Events Observed in a Single Center.

Introduction/aims: Studies examining racial differences in ALS have previously focused on diagnostic delay and disease severity. Time to critical clinical events has rarely been investigated, despite its importance in revealing differences in ALS patients' disease courses. This study explores racial disparities in time to specific clinical events in Black and non-Hispanic White ALS patients at a single center.

The Need for Bioethics Departments in HBCU Medical Schools.

Most medical ethics courses lack a strong emphasis on cultural competency, leaving graduates less prepared to consider how race, culture, and ethnicity influence ethical decision-making for minority patients. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) play a critical role in training Black physicians and are uniquely positioned to address this gap. Establishing dedicated bioethics and medical humanities departments at HBCU medical schools would integrate cultural competency and attention to the lived experiences of marginalized communities as central components of bioethics education.

A tale of two belongings: social and academic belonging differentially shape academic and psychological outcomes among university students.

The benefits of belonging in academic settings are well established; however, past empirical research has for the most part conflated academic and social belonging. This study utilized latent class analysis (LCA) with a sample of undergraduates ( = 837) to determine whether distinct classes or profiles of belonging exist on a college campus and whether class membership predicts academic and psychological outcomes. Four distinct belonging classes emerged: , belonging (35%), , belonging (15%), , belonging (38%), and , belonging (12%).

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus H5N1 in Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) of the Chesapeake Bay, USA.

Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) have historically exhibited low levels of infection and antibodies to avian influenza virus (AIV). The recent global expansion of clade 2.3.