The wasps Leptopilina heterotoma parasitize and ingest their Drosophila hosts. They produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the venom that are packed with proteins, some of which perform immune suppressive functions. EV interactions with blood cells of host larvae are linked to hematopoietic depletion, immune suppression, and parasite success. But how EVs disperse within the host, enter and kill hematopoietic cells is not well understood. Using an antibody marker for L. heterotoma EVs, we show that these parasite-derived structures are readily distributed within the hosts' hemolymphatic system. EVs converge around the tightly clustered cells of the posterior signaling center (PSC) of the larval lymph gland, a small hematopoietic organ in Drosophila. The PSC serves as a source of developmental signals in naïve animals. In wasp-infected animals, the PSC directs the differentiation of lymph gland progenitors into lamellocytes. These lamellocytes are needed to encapsulate the wasp egg and block parasite developme blood cells, but also tactically blocks the genetic programming needed for supplementary hematopoietic differentiation necessary for host success. In addition to its known functions in hematopoiesis, our results highlight a previously unrecognized phagocytic role of the lymph gland in cellular immunity. EV-mediated virulence strategies described for L. heterotoma are likely to be shared by other parasitoid wasps; their understanding can improve the design and development of novel therapeutics and biopesticides as well as help protect biodiversity. Weight loss after bariatric surgery varies widely between individuals, partly due to genetic differences. In addition, genetic determinants of abdominal obesity have been shown to attenuate weight loss after dietary intervention with special attention paid to the rs1358980-T risk allele in the VEGFA locus. Here we aimed to test if updated genetic risk scores (GRSs) for adiposity measures and the rs1358980-T risk allele are linked with weight loss following gastric bypass surgery. Five hundred seventy six patients with morbid obesity underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. A GRS for BMI and a GRS for waist-hip-ratio adjusted for BMI (proxy for abdominal obesity), respectively, were constructed. All patients were genotyped for the rs1358980-T risk allele. Associations between the genetic determinants and weight loss after bariatric surgery were evaluated. The GRS for BMI was not associated with weight loss (β = -2.0 kg/100 risk alleles, 95% CI -7.5 to 3.3, p = 0.45). Even though the GRS for abdominal obesity may be dependent on the association between the GRS and baseline BMI.PfSPZ-CVac combines 'PfSPZ Challenge', which consists of infectious Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (PfSPZ), with concurrent antimalarial chemoprophylaxis. CD437 cell line In a previously-published PfSPZ-CVac study, three doses of 5.12x104 PfSPZ-CVac given 28 days apart had 100% vaccine efficacy (VE) against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) 10 weeks after the last immunization, while the same dose given as three injections five days apart had 63% VE. Here, we conducted a dose escalation trial of similarly condensed schedules. Of the groups proceeding to CHMI, the first study group received three direct venous inoculations (DVIs) of a dose of 5.12x104 PfSPZ-CVac seven days apart and the next full dose group received three DVIs of a higher dose of 1.024x105 PfSPZ-CVac five days apart. CHMI (3.2x103 PfSPZ Challenge) was performed by DVI 10 weeks after the last vaccination. In both CHMI groups, transient parasitemia occurred starting seven days after each vaccination. For the seven-day interval group, the second and third vaccinations were therefore administered coincident with parasitemia from the prior vaccination. Parasitemia was associated with systemic symptoms which were severe in 25% of subjects. VE in the seven-day group was 0% (7/7 infected) and in the higher-dose, five-day group was 75% (2/8 infected). Thus, the same dose of PfSPZ-CVac previously associated with 63% VE when given on a five-day schedule in the prior study had zero VE here when given on a seven-day schedule, while a double dose given on a five-day schedule here achieved 75% VE. The relative contributions of the five-day schedule and/or the higher dose to improved VE warrant further investigation. It is notable that administration of PfSPZ-CVac on a schedule where vaccine administration coincided with blood-stage parasitemia was associated with an absence of sterile protective immunity. Clinical trials registration NCT02773979. Dried blood spots (DBS) are an established specimen type for clinical testing given their low cost, ease of collection and storage, and convenient shipping capabilities through the postal system. These attributes are complementary to the expansion of SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing, which may be used to inform community seroprevalence rates. The Luminex xMAP SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen assay utilizes magnetic beads labeled with three viral antigens (nucleocapsid [NC], receptor binding domain [RBD], spike S1 subunit) to detect anti-viral IgG-class antibodies, and has Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in serum and plasma. This assay was modified for use with DBS and validated against paired sera tested by one of two reference assays the Roche Diagnostics Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 ECLIA or the Euroimmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA. 159 paired DBS and serum specimens analyzed using the modified Luminex xMAP assay on DBS and the reference methods on serum showed an overall concordance of 96.9% (154/159). Use of multivariate pattern recognition software (CLIR) for post-analytical interpretation of the Luminex xMAP DBS assay results, instead of manufacturer provided interpretive thresholds, increased overall qualitative result concordance to 99.4% (158/159) between the modified Luminex xMAP DBS and reference results. Use of DBS for detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 provides comparable results to those obtained using serum. DBS concordance was improved with multivariate pattern recognition software (CLIR). We demonstrate that DBS are a reliable specimen type for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection using the modified Luminex xMAP assay.Use of DBS for detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 provides comparable results to those obtained using serum. DBS concordance was improved with multivariate pattern recognition software (CLIR). We demonstrate that DBS are a reliable specimen type for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection using the modified Luminex xMAP assay.