Multiple mitochondrial introgression events and heteroplasmy in trypanosoma cruzi revealed by Maxicircle MLST and next generation sequencing

Background Mitochondrial DNA is a valuable taxonomic marker due to its relatively fast rate of evolution. In Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, the mitochondrial genome has a unique structural organization consisting of 20–50 maxicircles (∼20 kb) and thousands of minicircles (0.5–10 kb). T. cruzi is an early diverging protist displaying remarkable genetic heterogeneity and is recognized as a complex of six discrete typing units (DTUs). The majority of infected humans are asymptomatic for life while 30–35% develop potentially fatal cardiac and/or digestive syndromes. However, the relationship between specific clinical outcomes and T. cruzi genotype remains elusive. The availability of whole genome sequences has driven advances in high resolution genotyping techniques and re-invigorated interest in exploring the diversity present within the various DTUs. Methodology/Principal Findings To describe intra-DTU diversity, we developed a highly resolutive maxicircle multilocus sequence typing (mtMLST) scheme based on ten gene fragments. A panel of 32 TcI isolates was genotyped using the mtMLST scheme, GPI, mini-exon and 25 microsatellite loci. Comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial data revealed clearly incongruent phylogenetic histories among different geographical populations as well as major DTUs. In parallel, we exploited read depth data, generated by Illumina sequencing of the maxicircle genome from the TcI reference strain Sylvio X10/1, to provide the first evidence of mitochondrial heteroplasmy (heterogeneous mitochondrial genomes in an individual cell) in T. cruzi. Conclusions/Significance mtMLST provides a powerful approach to genotyping at the sub-DTU level. This strategy will facilitate attempts to resolve phenotypic variation in T. cruzi and to address epidemiologically important hypotheses in conjunction with intensive spatio-temporal sampling. The observations of both general and specific incidences of nuclear-mitochondrial phylogenetic incongruence indicate that genetic recombination is geographically widespread and continues to influence the natural population structure of TcI, a conclusion which challenges the traditional paradigm of clonality in T. cruzi

Diseño e implementación de los sistemas de control de un receptor solar volumétrico y de la etapa de potencia de una central eléctrica termosolar

XXIV JORNADAS DE AUTOMÁTICA (24) (24.2003.LEÓN, ESPAÑA)En este trabajo se muestran someramente los esquemas de control desarrollados e implementados para poder operar de forma automática una planta solar de receptor central, caracterizada porque la energía incidente no puede ser manipulada. El trabajo pretende mejorar los esquemas de control existentes hasta el momento y que se han utilizado para la operación de la planta TSA, aprovechando además la instalación de un nuevo receptor volumétrico en la planta. El trabajo se centra en la descripción los sistemas de control del flujo de aire a través de receptor y en los sistemas de control de la etapa de potencia al no disponer de resultados de operación en la actualidad porque el nuevo receptor volumétrico está en fase de instalación.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2001-2380-C02Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2002-04375-C0

A case of concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis and mucormycosis in an insulin-dependent diabetic patient

Conditions, where the patient's immune system is compromised are the main risk factor for mucormycosis. Approximately 23% of the world's population is estimated to have a latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and more than 10 million new cases were estimated in 2017. Pulmonary mucormycosis and tuberculosis co-infections are very rare. We present the case of a 56-year-old insulin-dependent diabetic patient with a pulmonary mucormycosis and tuberculosis co-infection. While the patient did not suffer from ketoacidosis, she had poor glycemic control. A chest X-ray and a computed tomography showed nodular and cavitary lesions in both lungs. The patient was diagnosed through a biopsy of the bronchial mucosa and an RT-PCR for M. tuberculosis from bronchoalveolar lavage. The patient was treated with the recommended 4-drug regimen for TB (i.e. isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol); concurrently, amphotericin B deoxycholate was administered to treat the mucormycosis infection. Thirty days after initial hospital admission the patient underwent a lobectomy on the right lung. The case described here is only the sixth case reported in the literature of concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis and mucormycosis and the third case associated with a TB and mucormycosis co-infection involving an uncontrolled DM patient to survive

Cuantificación de la Variabilidad de la Amplitud de la Onda T Mediante Técnicas de Re-parametrización Temporal

Los cambios de amplitud de onda T reflejan la dispersión de la repolarización y, por lo tanto, el riesgo arrítmico, pero pueden confundirse con diferencias en el dominio temporal. Nuestro objetivo es encontrar un marcador de variabilidad de amplitud de onda T, independiente de la variabilidad en el dominio temporal. Primero, comparamos la capacidad de dos algoritmos de re-parametrización para eliminar la variabilidad temporal, uno utiliza las ondas T originales y otro usa una transformada basada en la derivada (SRSF). Después, comparamos la robustez frente al ruido de dos marcadores de variabilidad de marcador de variabilidad de amplitud, , como la calculan en el dominio SRSF y utilizando las ondas T originales, respectivamente. Finalmente, usamos el marcador más robusto para medir la variabilidad de amplitud producto de una prueba de “Tilt”. El algoritmo de re-parametrización preferido fue el las ondas T. Además, demostró ser más robusto que . El SRSF porque no está afectado por diferencias en la amplitud de análisis de registros de electrocardiograma mostró que era supina (-5.5% vs. 6.5%, p<0.01). En conclusión, cuantifica significativamente menor durante el “Tilt” que en posición de forma robusta las variaciones fisiológicas de la amplitud de la onda T, demostrando su potencial para ser usado como predictor de riesgo arrítmico en la práctica clínica

ICA H 556 híbrido precoz de maíz para choclos.

Figuran algunas consideraciones generales con relación al uso de híbridos varietales en maíz y la forma como se obtiene la semilla. Señala las principales características agronómicas y morfológicas de las 2 variedades que dieron orígen al híbrido ICA H-556, a saber : Cundinamarca 431 y Cacahuacintle. Destaca las características más sobresalientes del híbrido mencionado, indicando que se recomienda exclusivamente para choclos. Figuran recomendaciones sobre su cultivoMaíz-Zea may

Properties of Ly-alpha and Gamma Ray Burst selected starbursts at high redshifts

Selection of starbursts through either deep narrow band imaging of redshifted Ly-alpha emitters, or localisation of host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts both give access to starburst galaxies that are significantly fainter than what is currently available from selection techniques based on the continuum (such as Lyman-break selection). We here present results from a survey for Ly-alpha emitters at z=3, conducted at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. Furthermore, we briefly describe the properties of host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts at z>2. The majority of both Ly-alpha and gamma-ray burst selected starbursts are fainter than the flux limit of the Lyman-break galaxy sample, suggesting that a significant fraction of the integrated star formation at z~3 is located in galaxies at the faint end of the luminosity function.Comment: invited talk, 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in ``Starbursts from 30 Doradus to Lyman Break Galaxies'', eds. R. de Grijs, R. M. Gonzalez Delgado, Astrophysics & Space Science Library Series, Kluwer (in press

Supergravity Duals of Noncommutative Wrapped D6 Branes and Supersymmetry without Supersymmetry

We construct the supergravity solution in 11 dimensions describing D6-branes wrapped around a Kahler four-cycle with a B-field along the flat directions of the brane. The configuration is dual to an N=2 noncommutative gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions. We also construct the four associated independent Killing spinors. The phenomenon of supersymmetry without supersymmetry appears naturally when compactifying to type IIA or 8d gauged supergravity. Therefore, this solution also provides an 11d background with four supercharges and four-form flux, which is not obtainable from 8d gauged supergravity.Comment: 17 pages. One typo, few comments and 1 reference adde