<i>B</i>. <i>bacilliformis</i> transmission routes.

<p>¹ Humans are the only known reservoir. ² Despite a report by Noguchi et al [<a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005863#ppat.1005863.ref006" target="_blank">6</a>], no confirmatory result has been published.</p

Main facts on Carrion's disease.

<p>Main facts on Carrion's disease.</p

Detection limit for the 3 PCR approaches studied both for blood samples and dried blood spots.

<p>Detection limit for the 3 PCR approaches studied both for blood samples and dried blood spots.</p

Amplification sizes in different <i>Bartonella</i> spp. for each of the three PCR approaches in study.

<p>Amplification sizes in different <i>Bartonella</i> spp. for each of the three PCR approaches in study.</p

Kinship analysis and allelic dropout: a forensic approach on an archaeological case

<p><b>Background:</b> This study relies on the discovery of two pit burials (LTA and LTB) of the Bronze Age Cogotas I archaeological culture (<i>circa</i> 3600–2950 BP) in Spain. LTA was a single burial and LTB contained three skeletal remains of two adults and a newborn or foetus at term.</p> <p><b>Aim:</b> The central question posed by this find was whether the LTB tomb constituted a traditional nuclear family (father, mother and son or daughter).</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Ancient and forensic DNA protocols were employed to obtain reliable results. Autosomal, X-STR markers and mitochondrial DNA were amplified. Subsequently, different kinship probabilities were estimated by means of LR values calculated using the Familias 3 software. Furthermore, an allelic dropout sensitivity test was developed in order to evaluate the influence of allelic dropout phenomena on the results.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> It was possible to determine the molecular sex of all individuals and to establish a maternal relationship between the perinatal individual and one of the adults.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> The remains in the LTB tomb were not a traditional nuclear family (father, mother and son/daughter) and it was probably a tomb where two women, one of them pregnant, were buried.</p

Serum biomarker concentrations according to <i>B</i>. <i>bacilliformis</i> IgM and IgG serostatus.

<p>Boxplots illustrate the 25^th and 75^th quartiles, and whiskers the percentile 10–90 of biomarkers significantly associated with IgM or IgG seropositivity. P-values were computed through unadjusted linear regressions.</p

Correlations of serum biomarker concentrations and IgM and IgG levels against <i>B</i>. <i>bacilliformis</i>.

<p>Only biomarkers with statistical significant associations with antibody levels are shown. P-values were computed through unadjusted linear regressions. The grey area shows the 95% confidence interval for predictions from the linear model.</p

Epidemiologic and demographic characteristics of study participants stratified by RT-PCR, IgM and IgG results.

<p>Epidemiologic and demographic characteristics of study participants stratified by RT-PCR, IgM and IgG results.</p

Correlations of eotaxin and EGF concentrations with <i>B</i>. <i>bacilliformis</i> bacteremia by RT-PCR.

<p>Scatter plots of subjects with detectable bacteremia by RT-PCR. Only biomarkers with statistical significant correlations with antibody levels are shown. <i>r</i>_s and P-values were computed through Spearman rank correlations. The grey area shows the 95% confidence interval for predictions from the linear model.</p

Combinations of markers associated with detectable <i>B</i>. <i>bacilliformis</i> bacteremia obtained through partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA).

<p>(A) Graphs of marker loadings to the 3 components of the PLS-DA. Bars quantify the importance (loadings) of each marker for the specific PLS-DA components that were significantly associated with RT-PCR results. Biomarkers that substantially contributed to the components (loadings > |0.3|) are highlighted in black. (B) PLS-DA plots representing each sample (dots) with respect the 3 first PLS-DA components.</p