Transmission of the malaria parasite to the mosquito vector is critical for the completion of the sexual stage of the parasite life cycle and is dependent on the release of male gametes from the gametocyte body inside the mosquito midgut. In the present study, we demonstrate that PfCDPK4 is critical for male gametogenesis and is involved in phosphorylation of proteins essential for male gamete emergence.

Summary The human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax remains vastly understudied, mainly due to the lack of suitable laboratory models. Here, we report a humanized mouse model to test interventions that block P. vivax parasite transition from liver stage infection to blood stage infection. Human liver-chimeric FRGN huHep mice infected with P. vivax sporozoites were infused with human reticulocytes, allowing transition of exo-erythrocytic merozoites to reticulocyte infection and development into all erythrocytic forms, including gametocytes, in vivo. In order to test the utility of this model for preclinical assessment of interventions, the invasion blocking potential of a monoclonal antibody targeting the essential interaction of the P. vivax Duffy Binding Protein with the Duffy antigen receptor was tested by passive immunization. This antibody inhibited invasion by over 95%, providing unprecedented in vivo evidence that PvDBP constitutes a promising blood stage vaccine candidate and proving our model highly suitable to test blood stage interventions.

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in order to analyse milk consumption by type, specifically high-fat milk vs. low-fat milk. Whereas trend analysis displays an overall increase in low-fat milk consumption over the last few decades in the United States, a number of individuals still consume high-fat milk varieties, and overall dietary intakes have yet to achieve recommended levels. In light of recent research regarding fat intakes, it is important to understand what factors might cause consumers to purchase high-fat options given the number of lowfat options available in the market. Through the use of Logistic regression, key socioeconomic and demographic variables are analysed in order to determine their impacts on the probability of consuming low-fat milk vs. high-fat milk. The results indicate that a number of factors do influence probability of low-fat milk consumption as compared with high-fat milk consumption. Most notably, probability of low-fat milk consumption appears to be positively related to age, education level, and income level. African Americans and other minorities had a lower probability of consuming low-fat milk when compared with White people in the sample population. Also, those respondents designated as low income or living in the South were less likely to consume low-fat milk.

Using the 1992-1993 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, with the 1997 follow-up, the parental decision to borrow and, for borrowers, the level of borrowing for dependent children's college education was analyzed. Parents with smaller household size and those being college graduates borrowed greater amounts. White parents borrowed greater amounts than their non-White counterparts. The age of the student, dependent students' income and parents' cash and savings each had a significant negative impact on the amount parents borrowed, while home equity was a significant positive factor. Greater college costs significantly increased parents' decision to borrow, as well as the borrowed amount. Greater amounts of grants significantly reduced the amount borrowed.

A comparison and assessment of research published in the 1980s and 1990s in the areas of consumer economics, consumption economics, family economics, household management, and family financial planning and counseling was performed. Four journals were selected for this study: Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, The Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Consumer Studies and Home Economics, and Journal of Family and Economic Issues. The following pieces of information were extracted from each article and transferred into table form: area of specialization, institutional affiliation of the researcher(s), source of data, sample size, topical classification, research methodology, and statistical analysis. The use of the tables should help to accelerate the work of educators, current and future researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students interested in locating an example of a particular area, topic, methodology, or statistical analysis.

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