Characterizing genetic variation on the Z chromosome in Schistosoma japonicum reveals host-parasite co-evolution.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide; it is caused by Schistosoma, the only dioecious flukes with ZW systems. Schistosoma japonicum is endemic to Asia; the Z chromosome of S. japonicum comprises one-quarter of the entire genome. Detection of positive selection using resequencing data to understand adaptive evolution has been applied to a variety of pathogens, including S. japonicum. However, the contribution of the Z chromosome to evolution and adaptation is often neglected. METHODS: We obtained 1,077,526 high-quality SNPs on the Z chromosome in 72 S. japonicum using re-sequencing data publicly. To examine the faster Z effect, we compared the sequence divergence of S. japonicum with two closely related species, Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni. Genetic diversity was compared between the Z chromosome and autosomes in S. japonicum by calculating the nucleotide diversity (π) and Dxy values. Population structure was also assessed based on PCA and structure analysis. Besides, we employed multiple methods including Tajima's D, FST, iHS, XP-EHH, and CMS to detect positive selection signals on the Z chromosome. Further RNAi knockdown experiments were performed to investigate the potential biological functions of the candidate genes. RESULTS: Our study found that the Z chromosome of S. japonicum showed faster evolution and more pronounced genetic divergence than autosomes, although the effect may be smaller than the variation among genes. Compared with autosomes, the Z chromosome in S. japonicum had a more pronounced genetic divergence of sub-populations. Notably, we identified a set of candidate genes associated with host-parasite co-evolution. In particular, LCAT exhibited significant selection signals within the Taiwan population. Further RNA interference experiments suggested that LCAT is necessary for S. japonicum survival and propagation in the definitive host. In addition, we identified several genes related to the specificity of the intermediate host in the C-M population, including Rab6 and VCP, which are involved in adaptive immune evasion to the host. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides valuable insights into the adaptive evolution of the Z chromosome in S. japonicum and further advances our understanding of the co-evolution of this medically important parasite and its hosts.

Shared Decision-Making at the Intersection of Disability, Culture, and Language Accessibility: An Educational Session for Medical Students.

Introduction: People with disabilities and those with non-English language preferences have worse health outcomes than their counterparts due to barriers to communication and poor continuity of care. As members of both groups, people who are Deaf users of American Sign Language have compounded health disparities. Provider discomfort with these specific demographics is a contributing factor, often stemming from insufficient training in medical programs. To help address these health disparities, we created a session on disability, language, and communication for undergraduate medical students. Methods: This 2-hour session was developed as a part of a 2020 curriculum shift for a total of 404 second-year medical student participants. We utilized a retrospective postsession survey to analyze learning objective achievement through a comparison of medians using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (α = .05) for the first 2 years of course implementation. Results: When assessing 158 students' self-perceived abilities to perform each of the learning objectives, students reported significantly higher confidence after the session compared to their retrospective presession confidence for all four learning objectives (ps < .001, respectively). Responses signifying learning objective achievement (scores of 4, probably yes, or 5, definitely yes), when averaged across the first 2 years of implementation, increased from 73% before the session to 98% after the session. Discussion: Our evaluation suggests medical students could benefit from increased educational initiatives on disability culture and health disparities caused by barriers to communication, to strengthen cultural humility, the delivery of health care, and, ultimately, health equity.

Viruses contribute to microbial diversification in the rumen ecosystem and are associated with certain animal production traits.

BACKGROUND: The rumen microbiome enables ruminants to digest otherwise indigestible feedstuffs, thereby facilitating the production of high-quality protein, albeit with suboptimal efficiency and producing methane. Despite extensive research delineating associations between the rumen microbiome and ruminant production traits, the functional roles of the pervasive and diverse rumen virome remain to be determined. RESULTS: Leveraging a recent comprehensive rumen virome database, this study analyzes virus-microbe linkages, at both species and strain levels, across 551 rumen metagenomes, elucidating patterns of microbial and viral diversity, co-occurrence, and virus-microbe interactions. Additionally, this study assesses the potential role of rumen viruses in microbial diversification by analyzing prophages found in rumen metagenome-assembled genomes. Employing CRISPR-Cas spacer-based matching and virus-microbe co-occurrence network analysis, this study suggests that the viruses in the rumen may regulate microbes at strain and community levels through both antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. Moreover, this study establishes that the rumen virome demonstrates responsiveness to dietary shifts and associations with key animal production traits, including feed efficiency, lactation performance, weight gain, and methane emissions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a substantive framework for further investigations to unravel the functional roles of the virome in the rumen in shaping the microbiome and influencing overall animal production performance. Video Abstract.

From populations to networks: Relating diversity indices and frustration in signed graphs.

Diversity indices of quadratic type, such as fractionalization and Simpson index, are measures of heterogeneity in a population. Even though they are univariate, they have an intrinsic bivariate interpretation as encounters among the elements of the population. In the paper, it is shown that this leads naturally to associate populations to weakly balanced signed networks. In particular, the frustration of such signed networks is shown to be related to fractionalization by a closed-form expression. This expression allows to simplify drastically the calculation of frustration for weakly balanced signed graphs.

Environmental conditions play a key role in controlling the composition and diversity of Colombian biocrust microbiomes.

Drylands soils worldwide are naturally colonized by microbial communities known as biocrusts. These soil microbiomes render important ecosystem services associated with soil fertility, water holding capacity, and stability to the areas they cover. Because of the importance of biocrusts in the global cycling of nutrients, there is a growing interest in describing the many microbial configurations these communities display worldwide. However, comprehensive 16S rRNA genes surveys of biocrust communities do not exist for much of the planet: for example, in the continents of South America and the northern part of Africa. The absence of a global understanding of biocrust biodiversity has lead us to assign a general importance to community members that may, in fact, be regional. Here we report for the first time the presence of biocrusts in Colombia (South America) through 16S rRNA genes surveys across an arid, a semi-arid and a dry subtropical region within the country. Our results constitute the first glance of the Bacterial/Archaeal communities associated with South American biocrust microbiomes. Communities where cyanobacteria other than Microcoleus vaginatus prevail, despite the latter being considered a key species elsewhere, illustrate differentiable results in these surveys. We also find that the coastal biocrust communities in Colombia include halo-tolerant and halophilic species, and that niche preference of some nitrogen fixing organisms deviate from previously described global trends. In addition, we identified a high proportion (ranging from 5 to 70%, in average) of cyanobacterial sequences that did not match any formally described cyanobacterial species. Our investigation of Colombian biocrusts points to highly diverse communities with climatic regions controlling taxonomic configurations. They also highlight an extensive local diversity to be discovered which is central to better design management and restoration strategies for drylands soils currently undergoing disturbances due to land use and global warming. Finally, this field study highlights the need for an improved mechanistic understanding of the response of key biocrust community members to changes in moisture and temperature.

Changing Perceptions About the Dermatology Residency Application Process Among Applicants and Program Directors: 2020-2022.

Importance Over the last two years, dermatology has undergone significant reforms in the residency application process in efforts to reduce applicant stress, increase equity, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Objective We aimed to determine applicant and program director (PD) perspectives in implementing these changes over the last two application cycles.  Design, setting, and participants Anonymous online surveys were administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to PDs and applicants from the 2021-2022 dermatology residency application cycle. These results were compared with similar online surveys distributed after the 2020-2021 cycle. Results Coordinated interview release was introduced in the 2020-2021 dermatology application cycle. At that time, 57% of PDs and 84% of applicants wished that more programs participated in the release, compared to 53% and 84%, respectively, in the 2021-2022 cycle. In 2021, 28% of PDs reported matching applicants from their home institution higher on their list compared to 14% in 2022. In 2021 and 2022, 94% of PDs reported that diversity was an explicit goal in their application process. However, in 2021, 33% of PDs reported that they matched no UIMs (underrepresented in medicine) in their cohort, which grew to 39% in 2022. Conclusions This study identifies key trends in applicant and PD perspectives associated with changes in the application process such as coordinated interview release, virtual interviews, and emphasis on diversity. Additional data is needed from subsequent cycles in order to determine the efficacy of these reforms.

Cancer Clinical Trials: Advancing Care, Inspiring Hope.

Cancer clinical trials are instrumental in driving forward medical advancements and enhancing patient outcomes. However, despite their significance, only a small fraction of adult cancer patients, less than one in 20, participate in these trials, indicating significant obstacles in recruitment and engagement. These trials not only assess treatment effectiveness but also serve as vibrant platforms where scientific ingenuity converges with human resilience, fostering a culture of exploration and empowerment. Furthermore, they spur innovation in treatment methods, supportive care, and survivorship strategies, addressing the diverse needs of patients. Moreover, clinical trials prioritize diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that treatments are relevant across various demographic groups and promoting equity in healthcare access. Despite challenges, cancer clinical trials have showcased remarkable resilience and adaptability, particularly in navigating the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring their flexibility and ingenuity. By acknowledging the invaluable contributions of patients and researchers, we recommit to propelling cancer science forward and reshaping the landscape of cancer care for future generations.

High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of the composition and diversity of the endophytic bacterial community in the roots of Dipsacus asperoides.

This study employed Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology to investigate diversity and community structure of endophytic bacteria in wild D. asperoides growing in three distinct regions. The study analyzed the impact of region on endophytic bacteria, uncovered the core bacterial community, and furnished valuable insights for the screening of endophytic bacteria. This study identified 6,540 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) coexisting with D. asperoides roots. These ASVs belong to 35 phyla, 84 classes, 204 orders, 365 families, and 708 genera. At the phylum level, the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while at the genus level, Acidothermus, Acidibacter, Bradyrhizobium, Frankia, and Pseudomonas emerged as the dominant genera. Furthermore, noticeable differences in endophytic bacterial communities were observed between the Yunnan and Guizhou regions. These findings can serve as a reference for the authentication of medicinal materials from various origins and the selection of active strains.

The positive role of authentic leadership in organizations negatively affected by cognitive diversity.

Workplace diversity has recently gained increasing significance and urgency in business organizations. This promotion may stem from information processing, and specifically from information elaboration. Information elaboration leverages diverse task-related information and skills possessed by members, fostering the exchange of diverse perspectives, elaborate discussions, and achieving high team performance. In this context, cognitive diversity, encompassing members' knowledge, skills, and perspectives, may have a positive impact. However, some previous studies suggest that cognitive diversity can lead to affective conflict and impede information processing. In organizations with highly homogeneous social and cultural backgrounds, cognitive diversity may not be effectively utilized in the information elaboration process, potentially yielding negative effects. Authentic leadership is recognized as a significant contributor to facilitating team processes including information processing, with various studies demonstrating its effectiveness. This study hypothesized that cognitive diversity negatively affects the information elaboration process, while authentic leadership has a positive effect. To test these hypotheses, we employed multilevel structural equation modeling analysis based on data collected from 375 respondents in 90 teams across various industries in Japan. The results showed that cognitive diversity negatively affects information elaboration at the individual level. By contrast, authentic leadership positively affects information elaboration at both individual and team levels. These findings suggest that the effect of cognitive diversity on information processing in the workplace may not always be positive, particularly in a sociocultural context that values homogeneity, as observed in Japanese organizations. This study advances the literature on authentic leadership by validating its effect on information elaboration and provides practical implications for diversity management. Additionally, it underscores the effectiveness of authentic leadership in leveraging team members' cognitive diversity to facilitate information elaboration.

Human Milk Composition Is Associated with Maternal Body Mass Index in a Cross-Sectional, Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Human Milk from Guatemalan Mothers.

Background: Maternal overweight and obesity has been associated with poor lactation performance including delayed lactogenesis and reduced duration. However, the effect on human milk composition is less well understood. Objectives: We evaluated the relationship of maternal BMI on the human milk metabolome among Guatemalan mothers. Methods: We used data from 75 Guatemalan mothers who participated in the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network trial. Maternal BMI was measured between 9 and <20 weeks of gestation. Milk samples were collected at a single time point using aseptic collection from one breast at 6 mo postpartum and analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry. A cross-sectional untargeted high-resolution metabolomics analysis was performed by coupling hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reverse phase C18 chromatography with mass spectrometry. Metabolic features associated with maternal BMI were determined by a metabolome-wide association study (MWAS), adjusting for baseline maternal age, education, and dietary diversity, and perturbations in metabolic pathways were identified by pathway enrichment analysis. Results: The mean age of participants at baseline was 23.62 ± 3.81 y, and mean BMI was 24.27 ± 4.22 kg/m2. Of the total metabolic features detected by HILIC column (19,199 features) and by C18 column (11,594 features), BMI was associated with 1026 HILIC and 500 C18 features. Enriched pathways represented amino acid metabolism, galactose metabolism, and xenobiotic metabolic metabolism. However, no significant features were identified after adjusting for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate procedure (FDRBH < 0.2). Conclusions: Findings from this untargeted MWAS indicate that maternal BMI is associated with metabolic perturbations of galactose metabolism, xenobiotic metabolism, and xenobiotic metabolism by cytochrome p450 and biosynthesis of amino acid pathways. Significant metabolic pathway alterations detected in human milk were associated with energy metabolism-related pathways including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02944682.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of microbial communities in the Seine river in the greater Paris area under anthropogenic perturbation.

Microorganisms play an important role in maintaining the proper functioning of river ecosystems and are promising candidates for environmental indicators. They are also highly sensitive to environmental changes. It is necessary to have basic knowledge about them in order to know the ecological status of river ecosystem. To our knowglege, there is very little information on the status of microorganisms in surface water of the Seine River, although the Seine River is one of the rivers that suffers the greatest impact from humain activities in the world due to a weak dilution effect. It is therefore necessary to carry out a microbial analysis to assess the ecological status of the Seine River and to use it as a reference to compare with the future state when, for instance, new disinfection technologies of wastewater are implemented. To this end, the microbial communities of the Seine surface water were analyzed, taking into account the spatial effect, including the tributaries, and from upstream to downstream of the Paris conurbation and the temporal aspect, with a monitoring over 4 seasons. The results showed that the microbiome of the water is highly diverse and involved a variety of functions. The main phyla making up the surface water microbiome were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, while other minor phyla were Deinococcota, Patescibacteria, Gemmatimonadota, Cyanobacteria, Bdellovibrionota, Acidobacteriota, Campilobacterota, Myxococcota, and Desulfobacterota. Overall, the microbial community did not change spatially (with the exception of some minor differences between upstream and downstream), but did vary seasonally. The main factors influencing this microbiome were temperature, nitrate and orthophosphate concentrations. The main predicted functions were related to cell metabolism, in particular carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, energy, vitamins and cofactors, and cell mobility. The microbial compositions showed a strong balance between microbial groups and were involved in the degradation of recalcitrant compounds.

The Silk roads: phylogeography of Central Asian dice snakes (Serpentes: Natricidae) shaped by rivers in deserts and mountain valleys.

Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene, widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity. The dice snake Natrix tessellata, widely distributed in the Western Palearctic is one such species. We aimed to resolve a detailed phylogeography of N. tessellata with a focus on the Central Asian clade with 4 and the Anatolia clade with 3 mitochondrial lineages, trace their origin, and correlate the environmental changes that affected their distribution through time. The expected time of divergence of both clades began at 3.7 Mya in the Pliocene, reaching lineage differentiation approximately 1 million years later. The genetic diversity in both clades is rich, suggesting different ancestral areas, glacial refugia, demographic changes, and colonization routes. The Caspian lineage is the most widespread lineage in Central Asia, distributed around the Caspian Sea and reaching the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan, and Eastern European lowlands in the west. Its distribution is limited by deserts, mountains, and cold steppe environments. Similarly, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lineages followed the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya water systems in Central Asia, with ranges delimited by the large Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. On the western side, there are several lineages within the Anatolia clade that converged in the central part of the peninsula with 2 being endemic to Western Asia. The distribution of both main clades was affected by expansion from their Pleistocene glacial refugia around the Caspian Sea and in the valleys of Central Asia as well as by environmental changes, mostly through aridification.

Stochastic processes shape the functional and phylogenetic structure of bird assemblages at the mine area in southwest China.

Understanding the mechanisms of community assembly is a key question in ecology. Metal pollution may result in significant changes in bird community structure and diversity, with implications for ecosystem processes and function. However, the relative importance of these processes in shaping the bird community at the polluted area is still not clear. Here, we explored bird species richness, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, and the assembly processes of community at the mine region of southwest China. Our results showed that the 3 dimensions of diversity at the mine area were lower than that at the reference sites. In the community assembly, the result was 0 < NRI/ NFRI < 1.96, which indicated deterministic processes (environmental filtering) might drive community clustering. The results of the neutral community model, and normalized stochasticity ratio, showed the dominant role of stochastic processes in shaping the bird community assembly. We further quantified the community-level habitat niche breadth (Bcom), and we found that there was no difference in Bcom-value between the mine area and reference sites. This indicates that the bird communities at the mine area and 3 reference sites were not subjected to extreme environmental selection (same or different resource allocation) to form a highly specialized niche. These findings provide insights into the distribution patterns and dominant ecological processes of bird communities under metal exposure, and extend the knowledge in community assembly mechanisms of bird communities living in the mine area.

Comparative analysis of sensory features, microbial diversity, and their correlations in light-flavor Daqu from different regions.

This study performed a comparative analysis of the sensory and microbial profiles of light-flavor Bijou (LFD) from Taiyuan (Shanxi Province) and Suizhou (Hubei Province) in China. The results of the electronic nose showed that the aromatic substances of the LFD from Taiyuan (TLFD) were significantly higher (p < .05), while alcohol and aldehyde substances were significantly lower (p < .05) compared with the LFD from Suizhou (SLFD). The average response values of sensors W1C (sensitive to aromatic hydrocarbons), W3C (sensitive to amine and aromatic components), W5C (sensitive to olefins, aromatics, and polar molecules), and W2S (sensitive to alcohol and aldehyde compounds) to TLFD were 0.26, 0.33, 0.34, and 7.72, whereas the response values to SLFD were 0.25, 0.32, 0.33, and 8.04, respectively. The electronic tongue results showed that the aftertaste A (bitter aftertaste) and aftertaste B (astringent aftertaste) of the TLFD were significantly higher (p < .05) and umami was significantly lower (p < .05) as compared to the SLFD. The relative intensities of the aftertaste A, aftertaste B, and umami indicators of TLFD were 0.10, -0.008, and -0.22, respectively, while those of SLFD were -0.23, -0.36, and 0.835, respectively. MiSeq high-throughput sequencing results showed that TLFD exhibited lower fungal richness and diversity compared to SLFD. The dominant bacterial genera were mainly Bacillus (58.12%), Kroppenstedtia (10.11%), and Weissella (6.26%), and the dominant fungal genera were Saccharomycopsis (67.53%), Rasamsonia (9.90%), and Thermoascus (7.10%). Streptomyces and Staphylococcus were identified as the key characteristic microorganisms in TLFD, while Kroppenstedtia, Rasamsonia, and Thermoascus were the key characteristic microorganisms in SLFD. Correlation analysis indicated a stronger correlation between microorganisms and sensory characteristics in SLFD samples. This study provides valuable insights into the sensory and microbiological characteristics of LFD from different regions and offers a new perspective for understanding the production of differently flavored light-flavor Baijiu.

Analysis of genetic diversity and structure of endangered Dengchuan cattle population using a single-nucleotide polymorphism chip.

This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and structure within the Dengchuan cattle population and effectively protect and utilize their germplasm resources. Herein, the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 100 Dengchuan cattle (46 bulls and 54 cows) were determined using the GGP Bovine 100K SNP Beadchip. The results showed that among the Dengchuan cattle, a total of 101,220 SNPs were detected, and there were 83,534 SNPs that passed quality control, of which 85.7% were polymorphic. The average genetic distance based on identity-by-state (IBS) within the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle was 0.26 ± 0.02. A total of 3,999 genome-length runs of homozygosity (ROHs) were detected in the Dengchuan cattle, with ROH lengths primarily concentrated in the range of 1-5 Mb, accounting for 87.02% of the total. The average inbreeding coefficient based on ROHs was 4.6%, within the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle, whereas it was 4.9% for bulls, and the Wright inbreeding coefficient (FIS) value was 2.4%, demonstrating a low level of inbreeding within the Dengchuan cattle population. Based on neighbor-joining tree analysis, the Dengchuan cattle could be divided into 16 families. In summary, the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle displays relatively abundant diversity and a moderate genetic relationship. Inbreeding was observed among a few individuals, but the overall inbreeding level of the population remained low. It is important to maintain this low level of inbreeding when introducing purebred bloodlines to expand the core group. This approach will ensure the long-term conservation of Dengchuan cattle germplasm resources and prevent loss of genetic diversity.

'Nothing About Us, Without Us': Research Priorities for Autistic Girls, Women and Gender Diverse People in Australia.

Autistic girls, women and gender diverse people have specific needs that are underrepresented in research. Research priorities are often established by funding bodies, researchers, parents, carers and health professionals and may not meet the needs of the diverse Autistic community. This co-produced project aimed to identify what research would benefit the lives of Autistic girls, women and gender diverse people in Australia. We interviewed 47 Autistic girls, women and gender diverse people aged seven and above and obtained feedback from an additional 411 Autistic people through an online survey. Autistic young people identified six key research priorities including (1) better understanding and support at school, (2) understanding our experiences, strengths and challenges, (3) autism specific mental health support, (4) Autistic friendships and relationships, (5) experiences of gender diversity and (6) accommodations to make life easier for us. Eight key research priority areas were identified by Autistic adults including (1) understanding and supporting specific needs in adulthood, (2) experiences of trauma, abuse and sexual violence, (3) supporting mental health and wellbeing, (4) addressing barriers in healthcare, (5) understanding and supporting physical health needs, (6) addressing barriers in education and the workplace, (7) understanding the role of society, embracing neurodiversity and the importance of Autistic identity and (8) co-designing research and supports with Autistic people. We provide a discussion around the importance of focusing on these research priority areas in future autism research in Australia.

Executive summary: Quality standards of care units for people with sexual and gender diversity.

Comprehensive biopsychosocial care for people with gender incongruence (ICD 11) who are transgender (trans) or gender diverse is a complex process in which the quality of the medical transition can only be guaranteed after a multidisciplinary approach, through teams that integrate professionals with training and experience not only in medicine but also in diversity and gender identity. Based on this, the Gonad, Identity and Sexual Differentiation working group of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (GT-GIDSEEN) has established minimum care requirements that aim to guarantee adequate health care for these people by professionals. A position paper has been produced and is available at https://www.seen.es/portal/documentos/estandares-calidad-gidseen-2024.

Genetic polymorphism and evidence of signatures of selection in the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein gene in Tanzanian regions with different malaria endemicity.

BACKGROUND: In 2021 and 2023, the World Health Organization approved RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix M malaria vaccines, respectively, for routine immunization of children in African countries with moderate to high transmission. These vaccines are made of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), but polymorphisms in the gene raise concerns regarding strain-specific responses and the long-term efficacy of these vaccines. This study assessed the Pfcsp genetic diversity, population structure and signatures of selection among parasites from areas of different malaria transmission intensities in Mainland Tanzania, to generate baseline data before the introduction of the malaria vaccines in the country. METHODS: The analysis involved 589 whole genome sequences generated by and as part of the MalariaGEN Community Project. The samples were collected between 2013 and January 2015 from five regions of Mainland Tanzania: Morogoro and Tanga (Muheza) (moderate transmission areas), and Kagera (Muleba), Lindi (Nachingwea), and Kigoma (Ujiji) (high transmission areas). Wright's inbreeding coefficient (Fws), Wright's fixation index (FST), principal component analysis, nucleotide diversity, and Tajima's D were used to assess within-host parasite diversity, population structure and natural selection. RESULTS: Based on Fws (< 0.95), there was high polyclonality (ranging from 69.23% in Nachingwea to 56.9% in Muheza). No population structure was detected in the Pfcsp gene in the five regions (mean FST = 0.0068). The average nucleotide diversity (π), nucleotide differentiation (K) and haplotype diversity (Hd) in the five regions were 4.19, 0.973 and 0.0035, respectively. The C-terminal region of Pfcsp showed high nucleotide diversity at Th2R and Th3R regions. Positive values for the Tajima's D were observed in the Th2R and Th3R regions consistent with balancing selection. The Pfcsp C-terminal sequences revealed 50 different haplotypes (H_1 to H_50), with only 2% of sequences matching the 3D7 strain haplotype (H_50). Conversely, with the NF54 strain, the Pfcsp C-terminal sequences revealed 49 different haplotypes (H_1 to H_49), with only 0.4% of the sequences matching the NF54 strain (Hap_49). CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate high diversity of the Pfcsp gene with limited population differentiation. The Pfcsp gene showed positive Tajima's D values, consistent with balancing selection for variants within Th2R and Th3R regions. The study observed differences between the intended haplotypes incorporated into the design of RTS,S and R21 vaccines and those present in natural parasite populations. Therefore, additional research is warranted, incorporating other regions and more recent data to comprehensively assess trends in genetic diversity within this important gene. Such insights will inform the choice of alleles to be included in the future vaccines.

On-farm crop diversity, conservation, importance and value: a case study of landraces from Western Ghats of Karnataka, India.

Landraces are important genetic resources that have a significant role in maintaining the long-term sustainability of traditional agro-ecosystems, food, nutrition, and livelihood security. In an effort to document landraces in the on-farm conservation context, Central Western Ghat region in India was surveyed. A total of 671 landraces belonging to 60 crops were recorded from 24 sites. The custodian farmers were found to conserve a variety of crops including vegetables, cereals and pulses, perennial fruits, spices, tuber and plantation crops. The survey indicated a difference in the prevalence of landraces across the sites. A significant difference with respect to the Shannon-diversity index, Gini-Simpson index, evenness, species richness, and abundance was observed among the different survey sites. Computation of a prevalence index indicated the need for immediate intervention in the form of collecting and ex situ conservation of landraces of some crops as a back-up to on-farm conservation. The study also identified the critical determinants of on-farm conservation, including (i) suitability to regional conditions, (ii) relevance in regional cuisine and local medicinal practices, (iii) cultural and traditional significance, and (iv) economic advantage. The information documented in this study is expected to promote the collection and conservation of landraces ex situ. The National Genebank housed at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi conserves around 550 accessions of landraces collected from the Central Western Ghats region surveyed in this report. Information collected from custodian farmers on specific uses will be helpful to enhance the utilization of these accessions.