Genetic diversity of and field isolates from Honduras in the malaria elimination phase.

Malaria continues to be a major threat to public health in tropical regions, primarily affecting sub-Saharan Africa but also Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Malaria cases in Honduras have seen a significant decline and the country aims to eliminate the disease by 2030. This study examines the genetic diversity of and in Honduras using four molecular markers (, , , and ), and the chloroquine resistance marker in the context of the elimination phase.

Dysfunction of proprioceptive sensory synapses is a pathogenic event and therapeutic target in mice and humans with spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a varying degree of severity that correlates with the reduction of SMN protein levels. Motor neuron degeneration and skeletal muscle atrophy are hallmarks of SMA, but it is unknown whether other mechanisms contribute to the spectrum of clinical phenotypes. Here, through a combination of physiological and morphological studies in mouse models and SMA patients, we identify dysfunction and loss of proprioceptive sensory synapses as key signatures of SMA pathology.

Glucocorticoid response to naturalistic interactions between children and dogs.

Although research has shown that pets appear to provide certain types of social support to children, little is known about the physiological bases of these effects, especially in naturalistic contexts. In this study, we investigated the effect of free-form interactions between children (ages 8-10 years) and dogs on salivary cortisol concentrations in both species. We further investigated the role of the child-dog relationship by comparing interactions with the child's pet dog to interactions with an unfamiliar dog or a nonsocial control condition, and modeled associations between survey measures of the human-animal bond and children's physiological responses.

Genomic and virulence analysis of in vitro cultured Cryptosporidium parvum.

Recent advances in the in vitro cultivation of Cryptosporidium parvum using hollow fiber bioreactor technology (HFB) have permitted continuous growth of parasites that complete all life cycle stages. The method provides access to all stages of the parasite and provides a method for non-animal production of oocysts for use in clinical trials. Here we examined the effect of long-term (>20 months) in vitro culture on virulence-factors, genome conservation, and in vivo pathogenicity of the host by in vitro cultured parasites.