Novel insights into the genetic diversity of Balantidium and Balantidium-like cyst-forming ciliates

Balantidiasis is considered a neglected zoonotic disease with pigs serving as reservoir hosts. However, Balantidium coli has been recorded in many other mammalian species, including primates. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity of B. coli in non-human primates using two gene markers (SSrDNA and ITS1-5.8SDNA-ITS2). We analyzed 49 isolates of ciliates from fecal samples originating from 11 species of captive and wild primates, domestic pigs and wild boar. The phylogenetic trees were computed using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood. Balantidium entozoon from edible frog and Buxtonella sulcata from cattle were included in the analyses as the closest relatives of B. coli, as well as reference sequences of vestibuliferids. The SSrDNA tree showed the same phylogenetic diversification of B. coli at genus level as the tree constructed based on the ITS region. Based on the polymorphism of SSrDNA sequences, the type species of the genus, namely B. entozoon, appeared to be phylogenetically distinct from B. coli. Thus, we propose a new genus Neobalantidium for the homeothermic clade. Moreover, several isolates from both captive and wild primates (excluding great apes) clustered with B. sulcata with high support, suggesting the existence of a new species within this genus. The cysts of Buxtonella and Neobalantidium are morphologically indistinguishable and the presence of Buxtonella-like ciliates in primates opens the question about possible occurrence of these pathogens in humans

Effects of bee density and sublethal imidacloprid exposure on cluster temperatures of caged honey bees

International audienceAbstractSurvivorship, syrup consumption, and cluster temperatures of honey bees were kept in hoarding cages with different numbers of bees. Cages with either 50, 100, 150, or 200 bees each were monitored over 4–6 weeks in incubators with 12h/12h 30° C/15° C temperature cycles to induce clustering. Survivorship and syrup consumption rates per bee were not different among the bee density groups, but cluster temperatures were. Cluster temperatures ranged from 0.45°C above incubator temperature in the 50 bee cages to 4.05° C in the 200 bee cages over the 1st 7 days, with each additional bee adding on average 0.02° C to cluster temperature. In another set of experiments, cages were established with about 200 bees each, and imidacloprid added to the syrup at 0, 5, 20, and 100 ppb. Imidacloprid in the syrup did not affect bee survivorship but it did reduce syrup consumption per bee, with bees fed 100 ppb imidacloprid syrup consuming on average 631 mg per bee over 28 days while average consumption among the other groups ranged from 853 to 914 mg. Cluster temperature was affected by imidacloprid treatment: bees fed 5 ppb imidacloprid syrup had higher cluster temperatures over the 1st 10 days, 4.17° C above incubator temperature, than either bees fed 100 ppb syrup or control (2.35 and 3.19° C, respectively)

Experimental and computational analyses reveal that environmental restrictions shape HIV-1 spread in 3D cultures

Here, using an integrative experimental and computational approach, Imle et al. show how cell motility and density affect HIV cell-associated transmission in a three-dimensional tissue-like culture system of CD4+ T cells and collagen, and how different collagen matrices restrict infection by cell-free virions

Analytical Models Synthesis of Power Electronic Converters

In this paper we proposes a synthesis of different mathematical models of power electronic converters based on Thevenin/Norton equivalent circuits. Those models, composed by impedances and harmonic noise sources, are helpful to predict the conducted ElectroMagnetic Interferences (EMI) generated by converters connected to the electrical network. Moreover, the extracted impedances are determining for sizing EMC filters. The proposed analytical model is tested with PSpice simulations and validated by experimental measurements, from DC frequency until 30MHz

Cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae; Cucumis spp., Cucurbita spp., Citrullus spp.)

The Cucurbitaceae is a remarkable plant family, deserving of attention because of its economic, aesthetic, cultural, medicinal, and botanical significance. In the Old and New Worlds, cucurbits have been associated with human nutrition and culture for more than 12,000 years (Brothwell and Brothwell 1969; Lira-Saade 1995). Thus, the Cucurbitaceae, along with the Brassicaceae and Asteraceae, can be considered families of extraordinary importance to humans, and they follow cereals and legumes in their economic significance to human economy (Whitaker and Davis 1962; Nayar and More 1998)

Aportaciones al estudio reológico de pastas y morteros de cemento portland

The concrete could be considered as a thick solid particles suspension in fine particles suspension. The rhealogy of the last one influences very hardly the concrete behaviour, so that the importance to realize an study concerning the mortars and pastes rheology. The first objective of this work has been to determine the more adequated rheometer to characterize this kind of samples, considering the difficulty of the rheologic study of high concentration suspensions who tends towards the development of shear phenomena in the walls of the sensor system. Between the equipments with placa-placa sensor, coaxial cylinders and helicoidal band shaker, the first ones were discarded due to the high relationship between particle diameter and measure cavity that makes de viscose properties scarcely repetitive, whereas the last set doesn´t present this problem, in view of which we choose to use it to the obtention of rheologic properties of the samples studied. Secondly, we have try to describe the viscose behaviour of different pastes and mortars with different agregates and relations water/cement. For this purpose some sweeping of shake speed were realized as well as tests at constant speed, relating the viscosity evolution with the setting time. The analyse of the rheologic behaviour is affected by the fact of applying a shake that conduces to the system break who tends towards to be structured during the setting time. This specificity concerning the time, joined with the heterogeneity of the samples, makes difficult to obtain results with a good repeatability.El hormigón se puede considerar como una suspensión de partículas sólidas gruesas en una suspensión de partículas finas. La reología de esta última influye sustancialmente sobre el comportamiento del hormigón, de ahí la importancia de realizar un estudio sobre la reología de pastas y morteros. El primer objetivo de este trabajo ha consistido en determinar el tipo de reómetro más adecuado para caracterizar este tipo de muestras, considerando la dificultad que conlleva el estudio reológico de suspensiones de concentración elevada que tienden a desarrollar fenómenos de deslizamiento en las paredes del sistema sensor. Entre los equipos con sensor placa-placa, con cilindros coaxiles y con agitador de cinta helicoidal, fueron desechados los primeros debido a la alta relación diámetro de partícula/hueco de medida que presentan y que hace que las propiedades viscosas sean escasamente repetitivas, mientras que el último aparato no presenta este problema, por lo que se optó por su utilización para la obtención de las propiedades reológicas de las muestras en estudio. En segundo lugar, se ha tratado de describir el comportamiento viscoso de distintas pastas y morteros con diferentes agregados y relaciones agua/cemento. Para ello se realizaron barridos de velocidad de agitación y ensayos a velocidad constante, relacionando la evolución de la viscosidad con los períodos del fraguado. El análisis del comportamiento reológico se ve afectado por el hecho de aplicar una agitación que provoca la ruptura de un sistema que tiende a estructurarse durante el proceso de fraguado, por lo que esta especificidad en función del tiempo, unida a la heterogeneidad de las muestras, dificulta la obtención de resultados con una buena repetibilidad

Learning Search Algorithms: An Educational View

Artificial intelligence methods find their practical usage in many applications including maritime industry. The paper concentrates on the methods of uninformed and informed search, potentially usable in solving of complex problems based on the state space representation. The problem of introducing the search algorithms to newcomers has its technical and psychological dimensions. The authors show how it is possible to cope with both of them through design and use of specialized authoring systems. A typical example of searching a path through the maze is used to demonstrate how to test, observe and compare properties of various search strategies. Performance of search methods is evaluated based on the common criteria

Evolutionary and geographical history of the Leishmania donovani complex with a revision of current taxonomy.

Leishmaniasis is a geographically widespread severe disease, with an increasing incidence of two million cases per year and 350 million people from 88 countries at risk. The causative agents are species of Leishmania, a protozoan flagellate. Visceral leishmaniasis, the most severe form of the disease, lethal if untreated, is caused by species of the Leishmania donovani complex. These species are morphologically indistinguishable but have been identified by molecular methods, predominantly multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. We have conducted a multifactorial genetic analysis that includes DNA sequences of protein-coding genes as well as noncoding segments, microsatellites, restriction-fragment length polymorphisms, and randomly amplified polymorphic DNAs, for a total of approximately 18,000 characters for each of 25 geographically representative strains. Genotype is strongly correlated with geographical (continental) origin, but not with current taxonomy or clinical outcome. We propose a new taxonomy, in which Leishmania infantum and L. donovani are the only recognized species of the L. donovani complex, and we present an evolutionary hypothesis for the origin and dispersal of the species. The genus Leishmania may have originated in South America, but diversified after migration into Asia. L. donovani and L. infantum diverged approximately 1 Mya, with further divergence of infraspecific genetic groups between 0.4 and 0.8 Mya. The prevailing mode of reproduction is clonal, but there is evidence of genetic exchange between strains, particularly in Africa

Advances in accelerometry for cardiovascular patients: a systematic review with practical recommendations

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