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Early Detection of Pseudocapillaria tomentosa by qPCR in Four Lines of Zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton 1882)

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The intestinal nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa in zebrafish (Danio rerio) causes profound intestinal lesions, emaciation, and death and is a promoter of a common intestinal cancer in zebrafish. This nematode has been detected in an estimated 15% of zebrafish laboratories. Adult worms are readily detected about 3 weeks after exposure by either histology or wet mount preparations of the intestine, and larval worms are inconsistently observed in fish before this time.

Giardia Hinders Growth by Disrupting Nutrient Metabolism Independent of Inflammatory Enteropathy

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Giardia lamblia is one of the most common intestinal pathogens among children in low- and middle-income countries. Investigators performed translational investigations using the Malnutrition and Enteric Diseases (MAL-ED) male and female cohort, as well as mice of both sexes, to identify mechanistic pathways that might explain Giardia-induced effects on early childhood growth. They identified signatures in the urinary metabolome of young children, suggesting that host growth restriction during infection is mediated by dysregulated amino acid metabolism.

Leukocyte Tyrosine Kinase (Ltk) Is the Mendelian Determinant of the Axolotl Melanoid Color Variant

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The diversity of color patterns among amphibians is largely explained by the differentiation of a few pigment cell types during development. Mexican axolotls have a variety of color phenotypes, from leucistic to highly melanistic. The melanoid axolotl is a Mendelian variant characterized by large numbers of melanophores, fewer xanthophores, and no iridophores.

Effect of the Snake Venom Component Crotamine on Lymphatic Endothelial Cell Responses and Lymph Transport

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The pathology of snake envenomation is closely tied to the severity of edema in the tissue surrounding the area of the bite. This study focused on one of the most abundant venom components in North American viper venom, crotamine, and the effects it has on the cells and function of the lymphatic system. The authors found that genes that encode targets of crotamine are highly present in lymphatic tissues and cells and that there is a differential distribution of those genes that correlates with phasic contractile activity.

A Live Dengue Virus Vaccine Carrying a Chimeric Envelope Glycoprotein Elicits Dual DENV2–DENV4 Serotype-Specific Immunity

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Dengue vaccine development is challenging because some virus-specific antibodies are protective, whereas others are implicated in enhanced viral replication and more severe disease. Current dengue tetravalent vaccines contain four live attenuated serotypes formulated to induce balanced protective immunity. To simplify live-virus vaccine design, investigators identified co-evolutionary constraints inherent in flavivirus virion assembly.

Prolonged Experimental CD4+ T-Cell Depletion Does Not Cause Disease Progression In SIV-Infected African Green Monkeys

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Chronically simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)–infected African green monkeys (AGMs) partially recover mucosal CD4+ T cells, maintain gut integrity, and do not progress to AIDS. Investigators assessed the impact of prolonged, antibody-mediated CD4+ T cell depletion on gut integrity and natural history of SIV infection in AGMs. All circulating CD4+ T cells and more than 90% of mucosal CD4+ T cells were depleted. Plasma viral loads and cell-associated viral RNA in tissues were lower in CD4+-cell-depleted animals.

Establishment of a Practical Sperm Cryopreservation Pathway for the Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum): A Community-Level Approach to Germplasm Repository Development

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The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an important biomedical research model for organ regeneration, but housing and maintaining live animals is expensive and risky as new transgenic lines are developed. The authors report an initial practical pathway for sperm cryopreservation to support germplasm repository development. They assembled a pathway through the investigation of axolotl sperm collection by stripping, refrigerated storage in various osmotic pressures, cryopreservation in various cryoprotectants, and in vitro fertilization using thawed sperm.

ORIP Diversity Supplement Awards Helped a Young Investigator Advance His Career in Biomedical Research and Will Allow Him to Give Back to His Community

Dr. Corbin Schuster’s interest in biomedical research began during his undergraduate training, when he completed a 10-week internship at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. According to Dr. Schuster, after that experience, “My interest in biomedical research—particularly in the study of microorganisms and infectious diseases—just grew.”

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