Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are a novel potential reservoir for human visceral leishmaniasis in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy

Leishmaniasis is a complex human disease caused by intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania, predominantly transmitted by the bite of sand flies. In Italy, leishmaniasis is caused exclusively by Leishmania infantum, responsible for the human and canine visceral leishmaniases (HVL and CVL, respectively). Within the Emilia-Romagna region, two different foci are active in the municipalities of Pianoro and Valsamoggia (both in the province of Bologna). Recent molecular studies indicated that L. infantum strains circulating in dogs and humans are different, suggesting that there is an animal reservoir other than dogs for human visceral leishmaniasis in the Emilia-Romagna region. In this work, we analyzed specimens from wild animals collected during hunts or surveillance of regional parks near active foci of human visceral leishmaniasis for L. infantum infection in the province of Bologna. Out of 70 individuals analyzed, 17 (24%) were positive for L. infantum. The infection prevalence in hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), badgers (Meles meles), and bank voles (Myodes glareolus) was 80, 33, 25, and 11%, respectively. To distinguish the two strains of L. infantum we have developed a nested PCR protocol optimized for animal tissues. Our results demonstrated that most (over 90%) of L. infantum infections in roe deer were due to the strain circulating in humans in the Emilia-Romagna region

Verification of digital integrated circuits taking into account pad models

The digital integrated circuit is the main part of different sensors. It performs signal processing, controlling of a system and provides interface with external devices. Timing analysis is a basic verification method of digital integrated circuits. A new technique of digital blocks timing analysis taking into account the models of contact pads is proposed. The results of the I2C interface unit development using the proposed technique are presented

Endosymbiont Capture, a Repeated Process of Endosymbiont Transfer with Replacement in Trypanosomatids Angomonas spp

Trypanosomatids of the subfamily Strigomonadinae bear permanent intracellular bacterial symbionts acquired by the common ancestor of these flagellates. However, the cospeciation pattern inherent to such relationships was revealed to be broken upon the description of Angomonas ambiguus, which is sister to A. desouzai, but bears an endosymbiont genetically close to that of A. deanei. Based on phylogenetic inferences, it was proposed that the bacterium from A. deanei had been horizontally transferred to A. ambiguus. Here, we sequenced the bacterial genomes from two A. ambiguus isolates, including a new one from Papua New Guinea, and compared them with the published genome of the A. deanei endosymbiont, revealing differences below the interspecific level. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the endosymbionts of A. ambiguus were obtained from A. deanei and, in addition, demonstrated that this occurred more than once. We propose that coinfection of the same blowfly host and the phylogenetic relatedness of the trypanosomatids facilitate such transitions, whereas the drastic difference in the occurrence of the two trypanosomatid species determines the observed direction of this process. This phenomenon is analogous to organelle (mitochondrion/plastid) capture described in multicellular organisms and, thereafter, we name it endosymbiont capture