About the Authors

Mohamed R. Habib

Affiliations Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Azza H. Mohamed

Affiliation Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University,Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

Gamalat Y. Osman

Affiliation Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University,Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

Ahmed T. Sharaf El-Din

Affiliation Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt

Hanan S. Mossalem

Affiliation Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt

Nadia Delgado

Affiliations Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences CampusSan Juan, Puerto Rico, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Grace Torres

Affiliations Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences CampusSan Juan, Puerto Rico, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Solymar Rolón-Martínez

Affiliations Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences CampusSan Juan, Puerto Rico, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Mark W. Miller

Affiliations Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences CampusSan Juan, Puerto Rico, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Roger P. Croll

roger.croll@dal.ca

Affiliation Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: MRH MWM RPC. Performed the experiments: MRH ND SRM GT. Analyzed the data: MRH ND SRM MWM RPC. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AHM GYO ATSED HSM MWM RPC. Wrote the paper: MRH MWM RPC.