Host Family Research Articles

Conversations abroad: The effect of interlocutor type, relationship quality, and L2 proficiency on interaction in naturalistic settings

AbstractStudy abroad (SA) is touted for providing language learners with regular exposure to a second language (L2) in naturalistic settings. However, few studies have examined how interaction occurs in situ. This study analyzed 13 hours of naturalistic dyadic conversations self‐recorded by 15 US‐based undergraduate sojourners studying abroad for one semester in Spain. Conversations were analyzed for interaction metrics previously posited as relevant to L2 acquisition in SA: speaking time, negotiation of meaning, lexical assistance, and corrective feedback. The study then analyzed how these variables were conditioned by interlocutor identity (host family [HF] member, local native speaker [NS] peer, and nonnative speaker [NNS] peer), relationship quality (emotional proximity, interaction frequency), and sojourner L2 proficiency. Results show that sojourners produce by far the most output in interaction with NNS peers while receiving significantly more corrective feedback from—and negotiating for meaning more frequently with—HF members and NS peers. Interaction variables were not conditioned by emotional proximity but were significantly affected by frequency of contact. L2 proficiency exerted a significant influence on interaction with HF members and NS peers, but not NNS peers. Results highlight the diversity of interaction types available to sojourners and the distinct role each plays in L2 development.

Improving gut virome comparisons using predicted phage host information.

The human gut virome consists mainly of bacteriophages (phages), which infect bacteria and show high individual specificity and variability, complicating cross-study comparisons. Furthermore, existing taxonomic frameworks offer limited insight into their interactions with bacterial hosts. In this study, we propose using predicted phage host families (PHFs) as a higher-level classification unit to enhance functional cross-study comparisons. We demonstrate that bioinformatic predictions of phage hosts align with Hi-C sequencing results at the host family level in human and mouse fecal samples. We further show that PHFs reduce ecological distances and improve virome stability over time. Additionally, reanalysis of a large metagenomics data set revealed that PHFs are widespread and can help identify disease-specific virome patterns, such as those linked to inflammatory bowel disease.

The Roles of Leisure in Trauma Coping Among Ukrainian War Refugees in Poland

The Russian invasion of Ukraine gave rise to an unprecedented refugee crisis. The objective of this paper was to explore the roles of leisure in helping Ukrainian refugees who had settled in Poland to cope with war trauma. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) coping framework was used to structure the findings of this study. Data were collected using 21 in-depth interviews with Ukrainian refugees who had arrived in Poland after February 24, 2022. The findings showed that refugees engaged in emotion-focused coping, such as checking Ukrainian news and staying in touch with family and friends, obtaining emotional solace through contacts with other Ukrainians, their Polish host families, and the welcoming community, and using leisure for distraction. Refugees also employed problem-focused coping, such as using leisure to build a sense of belonging, provide a sense of continuity, learn about the new environment, and help with the war effort.

Comedy and refugee liminality: transformative narratives in German comedy film Welcome to the Hartmanns

This article analyzes the portrayal of refugees in comedy through the 2016 German film Welcome to the Hartmanns. The study highlights a shift in representation, whereby refugees are not depicted as vulnerable individuals in need of protection but as active, transformative figures. The refugee character in the film reshapes the life of his host family, establishing a new social order—an element central to comedic conventions. His uniqueness arises not from his race or origin but from his liminality—existing between countries, cultures, and identities. Situated at the intersection of refugee liminality and comedic theory, the article explores how his presence induces change, compelling the family to confront their past and embrace a new future. By positioning the refugee as a catalyst for transformation rather than a passive beneficiary of aid, Welcome to the Hartmanns challenges conventional narratives and invites viewers to reconsider refugees’ roles in host societies. The film demonstrates how comedy, beyond entertainment, can provide critical commentary on social issues, offering humor as a tool for fostering empathy and understanding in an increasingly complex world.

Dining on language and culture: mealtime conversations with host families as learning opportunities during study abroad

ABSTRACT This study examined the types of learning opportunities for second language learners in learner-host mealtime conversations during study abroad and the strategies employed by learners and hosts to enhance learning opportunities. Naturalistic data from 13 mealtime conversations among three host family-learner groups were video recorded for analysis. Qualitative analysis offered a broad understanding of the types of learning opportunities afforded in mealtime interactions and a summary of the strategies used by learners and hosts. The findings are discussed in light of prior research, and we consider their implications for study abroad program development and for participants.

Leveraging machine learning to uncover multi-pathogen infection dynamics across co-distributed frog families.

Amphibians are experiencing substantial declines attributed to emerging pathogens. Efforts to understand what drives patterns of pathogen prevalence and differential responses among species are challenging because numerous factors related to the host, pathogen, and their shared environment can influence infection dynamics. Furthermore, sampling across broad taxonomic and geographic scales to evaluate these factors poses logistical challenges, and interpreting the roles of multiple potentially correlated variables is difficult with traditional statistical approaches. In this study, we leverage frozen tissues stored in natural history collections and machine learning techniques to characterize infection dynamics of three generalist pathogens known to cause mortality in frogs. We selected 12 widespread and abundant focal taxa within three ecologically distinct, co-distributed host families (Bufonidae, Hylidae, and Ranidae) and sampled them across the eastern two-thirds of the United States of America. We screened and quantified infection loads via quantitative PCR for three major pathogens: the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), double-stranded viruses in the lineage Ranavirus (Rv), and the alveolate parasite currently referred to as Amphibian Perkinsea (Pr). We then built balanced random forests (RF) models to predict infection status and intensity based on host taxonomy, age, sex, geography, and environmental variables and to assess relative variable importance across pathogens. Lastly, we used one-way analyses to determine directional relationships and significance of identified predictors. We found approximately 20% of individuals were infected with at least one pathogen (231 single infections and 25 coinfections). The most prevalent pathogen across all taxonomic groups was Bd (16.9%; 95% CI [14.9-19%]), followed by Rv (4.38%; 95% CI [3.35-5.7%]) and Pr (1.06%; 95% CI [0.618-1.82%]). The highest prevalence and intensity were found in the family Ranidae, which represented 74.3% of all infections, including the majority of Rv infection points, and had significantly higher Bd intensities compared to Bufonidae and Hylidae. Host species and environmental variables related to temperature were key predictors identified in RF models, with differences in importance among pathogens and host families. For Bd and Rv, infected individuals were associated with higher latitudes and cooler, more stable temperatures, while Pr showed trends in the opposite direction. We found no significant differences between sexes, but juvenile frogs had higher Rv prevalence and Bd infection intensity compared to adults. Overall, our study highlights the use of machine learning techniques and a broad sampling strategy for identifying important factors related to infection in multi-host, multi-pathogen systems.

Geographical Distribution of Carnivore Hosts and Genotypes of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) Worldwide: A Scoping Review and Spatial Meta-Analysis.

Background: Emerging viral diseases are spreading to new geographic locations, influenced by human activities and climate change. Morbillivirus canis (also known as canine distemper virus, CDV), the etiological agent of CD, is distributed worldwide and shared between wild and domestic animals. Methods: A systematic review using MeSH terms was carried out from 1985 to 2024, focusing the search on studies (PubMed and WOS) that would detect CDV and sequence it in a known genotype in Carnivora hosts. Articles were reviewed by four researchers, and after quality assessment, we selected 160 published papers for data extraction, analysis, and spatial meta-analysis. Considering species studied, geographical location, and classified genotypes we identify 457 different individual studies (records) from which 332 records CDV was sequenced into a classifiable 17 main genotypes. Spatial meta-analysis was performed using QGIS, revealing distributions of animals in which a CDV lineage has been isolated; geographical lineages overlapping on different hosts have been measured as a density function. Results: CDV host species belonged to the suborder Caniformia (93.7%) into families such as Canidae (75.2%), Mustelidae (9.7%), and Procyonidae (7.6%). Suborder Feliformia (6.1%) showed wild Felidae (5.1%) as the most represented family. Samples used were brain (13.74%), lung (12.4%), blood (10.8%), and nasal-eye discharges (8.9%; 8.1%). Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) (60.34%) and real-time-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) (26.57%) detecting H gene (62%) were most used to detect viral ARN. On genotypes, Europe/South America-1 (27.4%), Europe-3/Artic (15.5%), Asia-1 (14.5%), America-1 (11.2%), Europe-2/European Wildlife and Africa (Africa-1 and Africa-2) (7.6%) were the most represented worldwide, being America-1 and Europe/South America-1 the most widely distributed around the world. Conclusions: The analysis showed the wide multihost capacity and diversity of CDV, with dog (Canis lupus familiaris) as the most frequent (40%) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (30.2%) as the main wild host. Most of the detected lineages can be detected in several wild host families, in addition to the dog, suggesting constant spillover phenomena in shared habitats at the domestic-wild interface. The most cosmopolitan lineages mirror the distribution routes of their hosts, showing that it is difficult to establish a CDV-fixed picture in an interconnected world.

True Dynamics of Pillararene Host-Guest Binding.

Accurate modeling of host-guest systems is challenging in modern computational chemistry. It requires intermolecular interaction patterns to be correctly described and, more importantly, the dynamic behaviors of macrocyclic hosts to be accurately modeled. Pillar[n]arenes as a crucial family of macrocycles play a critical role in host-guest chemistry and biomedical applications. The carboxylated form with 6 or 7 repeating units is of high popularity due to increased solubility and the compatibility between cavity size and drugs. While prefitted transferable force fields are dominantly applied in host-guest modeling, their reliability and accuracy for macrocyclic hosts remain unjustified. In the current work, based on solid numerical evidence about energetics and dynamics, we prove that all transferable force fields fail to provide a correct description of host dynamics for the most popular carboxylated pillararenes. Therefore, all existing simulation reports on this host family could be biased due to the unsuitability of the force-field description. Such huge modeling problems do not occur in other host families that are relatively rigid (e.g., octa acids and cucurbiturils), highlighting the difficulties in modeling pillararene host-guest interactions. To pursue the true picture of the pillararene dynamics and host-guest binding, we fit high-quality molecule-specific parameters for the carboxylated pillararene based on ab initio calculations and perform an exhaustive conformational search of host-guest binding modes with advanced sampling techniques. We provide estimates of binding thermodynamics, report the true dynamic behavior of the WP6 host in the bound and unbound states, and reveal a general multimodal binding behavior of pillararene host-guest complexes. The current work serves as a critical step toward a reliable all-atom description of pillararene host-guest coordination.

‘What Frightful Children!’: The Disobedient and the Unruly in British Overseas Child Migration, 1939–45

This article examines the movement of British evacuee children and adolescents to Dominion countries during the Second World War. While these evacuees were spared from exposure to the violence of war, such as the bombing of major British cities, their move to safety came with certain demands on their behaviour. These young evacuees were expected to act with ‘ambassadorial dignity’ in all ways; they were to be polite, courteous, chaste, law-abiding and, above all, grateful to their host family and the country that took them in. But acting with ambassadorial dignity was a task beyond what many evacuees were willing or able to carry out. Their failure – or refusal – to act as expected was often interpreted as a form of disobedience. This article uses case studies of evacuee children and adolescents to illuminate the many ways that disobedience was conceptualized by adults in charge of these evacuees. Specifically, this article focusses on sexual disobedience, evacuees who rejected the standards of chaste heterosexuality expected of them, and bodily disobedience, where overweight bodies of pubescent girls were seen to pose a threat to the future of the ‘British race’ as envisioned by adult administrators of this evacuation.

Diaporthe species on palms – integrative taxonomic approach for species boundaries delimitation in the genus Diaporthe, with the description of D. pygmaeae sp. nov.

The application of traditional morphological and ecological species concepts to closely related, asexual fungal taxa is challenging due to the lack of distinctive morphological characters and frequent cosmopolitan and plurivorous behaviour. As a result, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) has become a powerful and widely used tool to recognise and delimit independent evolutionary lineages (IEL) in fungi. However, MLSA can mask discordances in individual gene trees and lead to misinterpretation of speciation events. This phenomenon has been extensively documented in Diaporthe, and species identifications in this genus remains an ongoing challenge. However, the accurate delimitation of Diaporthe species is critical as the genus encompasses several cosmopolitan pathogens that cause serious diseases on many economically important plant hosts. In this regard, following a survey of palm leaf spotting fungi in Lisbon, Portugal, Diaporthe species occurring on Arecaceae hosts were used as a case study to implement an integrative taxonomic approach for a reliable species identification in the genus. Molecular analyses based on the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) and DNA-based species delimitation methods revealed that speciation events in the genus have been highly overestimated. Most IEL identified by the GCPSR were also recognised by Poisson tree processes (PTP) coalescent-based methods, which indicated that phylogenetic lineages in Diaporthe are likely influenced by incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulation events. Furthermore, the recognition of genetic recombination signals and the evaluation of genetic variability based on sequence polymorphisms reinforced these hypotheses. New clues towards the intraspecific variation in the common loci used for phylogenetic inference of Diaporthe species are discussed. These results demonstrate that intraspecific variability has often been used as an indicator to introduce new species in Diaporthe, which has led to a proliferation of species names in the genus. Based on these data, 53 species are reduced to synonymy with 18 existing Diaporthe species, and a new species, D. pygmaeae, is introduced. Thirteen new plant host-fungus associations are reported, all of which represent new host family records for Arecaceae. This study has recognised and resolved a total of 14 valid Diaporthe species associated with Arecaceae hosts worldwide, some of which are associated with disease symptoms. This illustrates the need for more systematic research to examine the complex of Diaporthe taxa associated with palms and determine their potential pathogenicity. By implementing a more rational framework for future studies on species delimitation in Diaporthe, this study provides a solid foundation to stabilise the taxonomy of species in the genus. Guidelines for species recognition, definition and identification in Diaporthe are included.

Recovery from genocide through tourism: Srebrenica City of Hope Project

This manuscript is about how to recover from genocide through tourism. The focus is on Srebrenica, where genocide was committed by Serbs-Bosnian troops in July 1995. Tourism is a form of dealing with the genocide That is what Srebrenica City of Hope project does, fostering remembrance into the future, developing sustainable tourism, and strengthening the region economically. Focus is on community development, as well as natural and cultural heritage protection. In order to host visitors, 12 wooden houses were rebuilt according to traditional architecture. Tourists have the opportunity to stay overnight with host families, take part in guided excursions, enter in touch with the traditional soul of Bosnia, all of this while a new source of income opens up for the locals. The core of the project is the Srebrenica Memorial Centre and Cemetery in Potočari, whose aim is to preserve the memory of the genocide and fight against denial on the path of transitional justice and peace-building. Srebrenica City of Hope promotes tolerance, dialogue, and collective healing and moves forward by creating a network of people working together to cope with distressing memories. To this day, more than 2,600 persons joined the project, collecting visitors from five European countries.

Continental-scale interactions of Australian showy mistletoes and their hosts.

Showy mistletoes are obligate hemiparasites of woody plants. Host specificity is therefore a fundamental determinant of mistletoe diversity, persistence, geographic distribution, and abundance. Investigations of host specificity in Australian Loranthaceae have focused mostly on host range (taxon counts), but additional insights into specificity are gained by quantifying mistletoe prevalence on taxa in their host range and by exploring specificity in a phylogenetic context. We estimated measures of host specificity to characterize mistletoe-host interactions at a continental scale by using occurrence records in the Atlas of Living Australia. We calculated host taxon richness, mistletoe prevalence, and phylogenetic diversity, and used rarefaction curves to evaluate sampling coverage. Many mistletoe taxa were represented by few records that listed the host, which often was identified to genus only. Mistletoe genera were recorded on 29 orders and 80 families, and no association was observed between host richness and number of records per genus. Rarefaction curves suggested that additional host orders and families remain to be discovered for Amylotheca, Decaisnina, Dendrophthoe, and Muellerina. Four mistletoe genera were most prevalent on Myrtales, one on Fabales, and one on Laurales. Rosids were most often the recorded hosts (84.3% of all records). We found evidence of significant phylogenetic clustering in host use by Amyema, Amylotheca, and Decasinina. Our results, particularly the high prevalence on rosids, suggest that relationships of mistletoes with rainforest lineages may have been established early in the history of Australian Loranthaceae and that some lineages co-diversified with their hosts in arid regions.

Forty-Five Years of Caterpillar Rearing in Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) Northwestern Costa Rica: DNA Barcodes, BINs, and a First Description of Plant–Caterpillar–Ichneumonoid Interactions Detected

Foliage-feeding wild caterpillars have been collected and reared year-round by 1–30 rural resident parataxonomists in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica since 1978. The aim of the work was to describe the diversity and interactions of Lepidoptera and their associations with larval food plants and parasitoids in a diverse tropical community. A total of 457,816 caterpillars developed into a moth or butterfly, and these were identified to the family and species/morphospecies, with 151,316 having been successfully barcoded and assigned a Barcode Index Number (BIN) and/or “scientific name”. The host food plant was usually identified to the species or morphospecies. In addition to adult moths and butterflies, rearings also yielded many hundreds of species of parasitic wasps and tachinid flies, many of which were also DNA-barcoded and assigned a name and/or BIN. Increasingly over recent years, these have been identified or described by expert taxonomists. Here, we provide a summary of the number of species of ichneumonoid (Ichneumonidae and Braconidae) parasitoids of the caterpillars, their hosts, the host food plants involved, the bi- and tritrophic interactions, and their relationships to the caterpillar sampling effort. The dataset includes 16,133 and 9453 independent rearings of Braconidae and Ichneumonidae, respectively, collectively representing 31 subfamilies, all with parasitoid barcodes and host and host food plant species-level identifications. Host caterpillars collectively represented 2456 species, which, in turn, were collectively eating 1352 species of food plants. Species accumulation curves over time for parasitoids, hosts, and plants show various asymptotic trends. However, no asymptotic trends were detected for numbers of unique parasitoid–host and host–plant bitrophic interactions, nor for tritrophic interactions, after 1983, because climate change then began to conspicuously reduce caterpillar densities. Parasitoid host ranges, the proportions of specialists at the host species and host genus levels, host family utilisation, and host guild sizes show some differences among taxa and are discussed in turn. Ichneumonidae are shown to preferentially parasitise caterpillars of larger-bodied hosts compared to Braconidae. Several of the host plant species from which caterpillars were collected have been introduced from outside of the Americas and their utilisation by endemic parasitoids is described. The obligately hyperparasitoid ichneumonid subfamily Mesochorinae is dealt with separately and its strong association with microgastrine braconid primary parasitoids is illustrated. We discuss the implications for studies of tropical insect community food web ecology and make suggestions for future work. The aim was to make available the data from this remarkable study and to provide an overview of what we think are some of the more interesting relationships that emerge—other scientists/readers are expected to have different questions that they will go on to explore the data to answer.

EFFECTS OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION INTERVENTION PROGRAMME ON FARMERS’ MILLET YIELD IN SELECTED INSURGENCY AFFECTED COMMUNITIES OF BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed the effect of FAO intervention programme on Millet (Pennisitum glaucum) yield in some selected insurgency affected communities in Borno State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure (involving both purposive and stratified) was used to select 384 farmers for the study. Data were obtained with the aid of questionnaire and analysed using Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. Findings of the study reveal that majority (78.6%) of the farmers were males and married (85.7%). Their average age and household sizes were 44.52 years and 10 members respectively. Z-test analysis was employed to compare the yield of millet before and after FAO intervention and the result was significant at 1% (<0.01) which confirms significant difference in yield of the beneficiaries before and after FAO intervention. One-way Analysis of Variance was used to analyse the difference in yield of FAO beneficiaries IDPs, host families and returnees, and the result reveals that there was no significant difference in their yield because the p-value of (0.109) is greater than that of level of significance (0.05). It was concluded that the yield of the beneficiaries after FAO intervention was higher than the yield of millet before the intervention. The study recommended that should government should improve the security situation in the study area.

The Critical Success Factors Towards Homestay Development in Penang

Since its introduction in 1988, the Homestay Programme in Malaysia has become an iconic rural tourism product. Tourists pay a reasonable price to stay with a host family and experience daily life alongside the local community. The pandemic outbreak in February 2020 severely impacted the tourism industry, causing many homestays to cease operations. In the post-pandemic period, the tourism industry, including homestays, is striving to regain momentum. Studies have been conducted to identify critical success factors influencing homestays' success. This study focuses on identifying these factors for homestays in Penang, Malaysia, considering perspectives from tourists, government agencies, institutions, industry players, and the community. A semi-structured interview and thematic analysis were used to process data collected from eleven informants with varying levels of involvement in homestays, ranging from those directly engaged in their development to those with little or no experience in visiting them. The interviews were conducted mainly in Bahasa Melayu, with the input translated into English. The data was then classified into several themes for further discussion.

Study abroad experiences in homestay: where complexity, dynamicity, and individuality stay

Abstract Informed by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, this study examines the nature of homestay as a situated language learning site, with an eye toward the development of American student guests and Chinese host families’ homestay experiences within the larger context of the study abroad (SA) program and local community. Drawing on data collected from host families and student guests, this study discovers benefits, conflicts, and co-adaptations in homestay; the evolution of host families’ dispositions toward homestay; student guests’ proficiency gains and interactions with hosts and locals; and contextual factors that influence the proficiency gains and interactions. The findings reveal that homestay is a dynamic, self-evolving subsystem, which constantly interacts with other dynamic subsystems, such as the SA program and local community, within the complex social ecosystem of the entire SA environment. This study also provides suggestions for the design and management of the homestay component in the SA program and future research.

A new species of Choleoeimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the invasive curious skink, Carlia ailanpalai (Sauria: Scincidae) from Guam, U.S. Territory.

The curious skink, Carlia ailanpalai Zug, occurs in the main group of the Admiralty Islands of Papua New Guinea but has also successfully invaded Guam, the Marianas, Yap, and Kosrae. A single coccidian, Eimeria zugi McAllister, Duszynski, Fisher, & Austin, 2013 was described from C. ailanpalai from Papua New Guinea. No additional coccidians are known from this host. Fourteen C. ailanpalai were collected from Cocos Island (Islan Dåno), Guam, U.S. Territory, and their feces examined for coccidians. A single skink (7%) was found to be passing oöcysts of a new species of Choleoeimeria. Oöcysts of Choleoeimeria cocosensis n. sp. are ellipsoidal to ovoidal with a bi-layered wall, measure (L × W) 21.1 × 12.9 µm, and have a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.6; a micropyle and an oocyst residuum were absent but fragmented polar granule(s) was present. Sporocysts are ovoidal and measure 8.6 × 6.3 µm, L/W 1.4; Stieda, sub-Stieda, and para-Stieda bodies were absent. Sporocyst residuum was typically a loose aggregate of various-sized granules between and across the sporozoites but sometimes a dense irregular mass between and across the sporozoites. Sporozoites were elongate, with a centrally located nucleus and a large spheroidal to subspheroidal posterior refractile body, but without an anterior refractile body. The new species can be differentiated from all other choleoeimerians from skinks by possessing one of the smallest oöcysts known from the host family. We also provide an updated summation of the choleoeimerians from skinks of the world. This article was registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) as urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6EFDF027-0A92-43C4-9AD0-E555252E7741.

Successful Refugee Cohabitation With Host Families: A Concept Analysis and Model Development.

Purpose: This concept analysis aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding the concept of successful refugee cohabitation with host families. It seeks to develop a conceptual model that integrates holistic nursing and healthcare practices into refugee cohabitation settings to enhance refugee well-being. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Walker and Avant's methodology for concept analysis. Findings: Successful refugee cohabitation with host families concept characterized by peaceful coexistence, power dynamics, hospitality, and cultural tolerance. Antecedents include refugee shelter needs, societal acceptance, humanitarian solidarity, and legal support. Consequences include refugee inclusion and integration, societal cohesion, psychological well-being, and refugee-host acceptance. Conclusions: Successful refugee cohabitation is defined as a private hosting arrangement that embodies shared living spaces and peaceful coexistence amid conflict or crises, fostering resilience and support for displaced individuals by local citizens. It combines hospitality, balanced power, and cultural tolerance, driven by refugee needs for shelter and a commitment to successful refugee settlement and integration. This hosting arrangement promotes societal development and cohesion, economic growth, psychological well-being, and foster inclusion and intergroup tolerance. The integration of holistic nursing principles into refugee cohabitation practices can foster more inclusive and healthy communities.

Molecular phylogeny of the Lecudinoidea (Apicomplexa): A major group of marine gregarines with diverse shapes, movements and hosts.

Gregarine apicomplexans are ubiquitous endosymbionts of invertebrate hosts. Despite their ecological and evolutionary importance, inferences about the phylogenetic relationships of major gregarine groups, such as the Lecudinidae and Urosporidae, have been hindered by vague taxonomic definitions and limited molecular and morphological data. In this study, we investigated five gregarine species collected from four families of polychaete hosts (Nereididae, Oenonidae, Hesionidae, and Phyllodocidae) using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We also generated small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences from these species and conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses to elucidate the evolutionary relationships within the Lecudinoidea. Our results include new molecular and morphological data for two previously described species (Lecudina cf. platynereidis and Lecudina cf. arabellae), the discovery of a new species of Lecudina (L. oxydromus n. sp.), and the discovery of two novel species, namely Amplectina cordis n. gen. et. n. sp. and Sphinctocystis inclina n. sp. These two species exhibited unique shapes and movements, resembling those of urosporids but with a phylogenetic affinity to lecudinids, blurring the border between lecudinids and urosporids. Our study emphasizes the need for further investigations into this highly diverse group, which has achieved great success across multiple animal phyla with diverse shapes and movements.

Ticks infesting terrestrial small mammals in a rural settlement in the Amazonas state, Brazil.

There is limited knowledge about tick diversity in the Amazon region. Here, we survey small terrestrial mammals for tick infestation at the Rio Pardo settlement, Amazonas State, Brazil. Sampling included rainy and dry seasons and four ecotones (primary forest, forest in regeneration, field crops and households). Each animal was inspected for ticks, which, if present, were placed in 70% alcohol and identified. Parasitological indexes were calculated and the presence/absence of ticks on hosts was tested for possible associations with independent variables (ecotone, host sex, host order, host family, host age and season). A total of 208 small mammals were captured, 47 individuals (10 species) in the primary forest, 124 (15 species) in the forest in regeneration, 11 (7 species) in the field crops, and 26 (4 species) in the households. A total of 14 small mammals were infested by ticks (overall prevalence: 6.7%; 95% CI: 3.72 - 11.04%), which consisted of 51 specimens that were identified into four species, as follows: Amblyomma humerale (32 nymphs); Ixodes luciae (6 females); Amblyomma coelebs (1 nymph); and Ornithodoros mimon (1 larva). In addition, 11 larvae were retained as Amblyomma spp. Only host order showed association (P = 0.002) with tick infestation, with marsupials 5.5 times more infested than rodents. Our record of O. mimon on D. marsupialis is the first on this host species, and the first record of a Argasidae tick in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that actively screened free-living terrestrial small mammals and provided data on prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of tick infestations in the Brazilian Amazonas state.