Population Genomics Provide Insights into the Global Genetic Structure of \u3ci\u3eColletotrichum graminicola\u3c/i\u3e, the Causal Agent of Maize Anthracnose

Understanding the genetic diversity and mechanisms underlying genetic variation in pathogen populations is crucial to the development of effective control strategies. We investigated the genetic diversity and reproductive biology of Colletotrichum graminicola isolates which infect maize by sequencing the genomes of 108 isolates collected from 14 countries using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) and wholegenome sequencing (WGS). Clustering analyses based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed three genetic groups delimited by continental origin, compatible with short-dispersal of the pathogen and geographic subdivision. Intra- and intercontinental migration was observed between Europe and South America, likely associated with the movement of contaminated germplasm. Low clonality, evidence of genetic recombination, and high phenotypic diversity were detected. We show evidence that, although it is rare (possibly due to losses of sexual reproduction- and meiosis-associated genes) C. graminicola can undergo sexual recombination. Our results support the hypotheses that intra- and intercontinental pathogen migration and genetic recombination have great impacts on the C. graminicola population structure

Population Genomics Provide Insights into the Global Genetic Structure of Colletotrichum graminicola, the Causal Agent of Maize Anthracnose

Understanding the genetic diversity and mechanisms underlying genetic variation in pathogen populations is crucial to the development of effective control strategies. We investigated the genetic diversity and reproductive biology of Colletotrichum graminicola isolates which infect maize by sequencing the genomes of 108 isolates collected from 14 countries using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Clustering analyses based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed three genetic groups delimited by continental origin, compatible with short-dispersal of the pathogen and geographic subdivision. Intra- and intercontinental migration was observed between Europe and South America, likely associated with the movement of contaminated germplasm. Low clonality, evidence of genetic recombination, and high phenotypic diversity were detected. We show evidence that, although it is rare (possibly due to losses of sexual reproduction- and meiosis-associated genes) C. graminicola can undergo sexual recombination. Our results support the hypotheses that intra- and intercontinental pathogen migration and genetic recombination have great impacts on the C. graminicola population structure. IMPORTANCE Plant pathogens cause significant reductions in yield and crop quality and cause enormous economic losses worldwide. Reducing these losses provides an obvious strategy to increase food production without further degrading natural ecosystems; however, this requires knowledge of the biology and evolution of the pathogens in agroecosystems. We employed a population genomics approach to investigate the genetic diversity and reproductive biology of the maize anthracnose pathogen (Colletotrichum graminicola) in 14 countries. We found that the populations are correlated with their geographical origin and that migration between countries is ongoing, possibly caused by the movement of infected plant material. This result has direct implications for disease management because migration can cause the movement of more virulent and/or fungicide-resistant genotypes. We conclude that genetic recombination is frequent (in contrast to the traditional view of C. graminicola being mainly asexual), which strongly impacts control measures and breeding programs aimed at controlling this disease.This research was supported by grants AGL2015-66362-R, RTI2018-093611-B-100, and PID2021-125349NB-100, funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) of Spain AEI/10.13039/501100011033; and by grant SA165U13 funded by the Junta de Castilla y Léon. F.R. was supported by grant FJC2020-043351-I financed by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. R.B. was supported by the postdoctoral program of USAL (Program II). F.B.C.-F. was supported by grant BES-2016-078373, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. S.B. was supported by a fellowship program from the regional government of Castilla y León. W.B. was supported by a productivity fellowship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq 307855/2019-8). Genome sequencing was funded by the UNC Microbiome Core, which is funded in part by the Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD P30 DK034987) and the UNC Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC P30 DK056350). P.D.E. was partially supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Federal Appropriations under Project PEN04660 and accession no. 1016474.Peer reviewe

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Espacio y territorios: razón, pasión e imaginarios

En este caleidoscopio de acercamientos hacia lo espacial y territorial, las visiones se mueven desde aquellas románticas y existencialistas, pasando por aquellas objetivistas y positivistas, hasta las estructuralistas y postestructuralistas. Por el espacio y el territorio se interesan con enfoques diversos numerosas disciplinas, desde la psicología, la etología o la literatura, y las ciencias naturales como la biología o la ecología, hasta las ciencias sociales y políticas, como la geografía, la antropología, la economía y la sociología. Este interés multidisciplinario demuestra la importancia y la complejidad del tema espacial y territorial, y reclama la necesidad de su estudio y comprensión interdisciplinarios, como se intenta con esta publicación

Free-hand 3D reconstruction and tumor segmentation of Laparoscopic Ultrasounds for pancreatic MIS interventions

Pancreatic cancer's treatment dilemma comes while trying to determine the precise nature of the lesion. The best approach is defined by diagnose of the tumor cells' staging. This paper presents a fast approach towards acquiring an estimation of the tumor positioning and size through laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) images. The method segments 2D images of pancreas and lesions before reconstructing the extracted tumors into a full 3D volume. The whole method is integrated into a visualization and analysis specialized software (3D Slicer) as a module to provide users with a better experience. Reconstruction positioning is aided by a tracking system for the LUS probe which generates the images. In order to validate the method, an experiment using ex vivo porcine pancreas was conducted. We demonstrate the feasibility of the tracked LUS navigation approach for the delimitation of tumor structures allocated in the pancreas. Results show time constrains, while accuracy suffers in some stretches according to the image quality. Distinguishable structures are successfully depicted on the reconstruction. Time constrains for image segmentation are considerably reduced to nearly a second per image when the method is integrated into 3D Slicer as a module over a common laptop computer. Full reconstruction is achieved in 33 seconds. This proves the usefulness of the application in addition to being able to display both 2D segmentation and 3D reconstruction methods results

Fusing technology into organizations with ITIL. Conference Proceedings

Actas del III Congreso Interacadémico itSMF España / Universidad Carlos III de Madrid celebrado el 13 de mayo de 2008 en la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Leganés, Madrid