Proteína C reactiva, marcador inflamatorio asociado con ANCA en tuberculosis pulmonar

Antecedentes: la proteína C reactiva es uno de los marcadores inflamatorios denominados “reactantes de fase aguda” que se produce en el hígado en respuesta a procesos infecciosos o inflamatorios. En los pacientes con tuberculosis se ha descrito la formación de anticuerpos anticitoplasma de neutrófi los (ANCA). Objetivo: determinar la concentración de proteína C reactiva, evaluar su comportamiento como marcador de la respuesta inflamatoria y analizar su correlación con los ANCA en los pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar, antes y después de iniciar el tratamiento antifímico. Pacientes: se eligieron pacientes con sospecha de tuberculosis pulmonar. Una vez confirmado el diagnóstico, se obtuvieron las muestras de suero para analizar los datos clínicos y de laboratorios. La determinación de ANCA se realizó con estuches comerciales de inmunofluorescencia y la de proteína C reactiva con ELISA, antes y después de iniciar el tratamiento antifímico. Resultados: se obtuvieron 50 muestras de suero de pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar. En la primera (94%) y segunda obtención (90%) de los sueros se registró un valor de proteína C reactiva menor de 5 mg/L. El valor promedio de proteína C reactiva fue de 3.05 ± 8.27 mg/L en la primera muestra y de 4.49 ± 11.2 mg/L en la segunda (p = 0.46). Los pacientes positivos a ANCA tuvieron valores más altos de proteína C reactiva en su segunda muestra (p = 0.001). Discusión: existe una asociación entre la proteína C reactiva y la producción de anticuerpos anticitoplasma de neutrófilos en un subgrupo de pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar. Su significación es incierta, pero quizá desempeñan alguna función patogénica en la respuesta inflamatoria pulmonar

“Stairway to Tarteso’s Heaven”: the monumental staircase of the archaeological site of Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Badajoz, España). First evidences of the manufacture of blocks with lime mortar in the Iberian Peninsula

En este trabajo se presenta un análisis arquitectónico y material de la escalera monumental que preside el patio del yacimiento de Casas del Turuñuelo. El análisis de los escalones inferiores nos ha permitido documentar la primera evidencia de la fabricación de un mortero de cal de manera antrópica empleado para la producción de bloques paralelepípedos, a modo de sillares. El trabajo recoge una visión histórica del hallazgo, así como una valoración acerca del impacto que supuso la adopción de esta tecnología y las ventajas funcionales de la misma. Así mismo, se presentan los resultados de los análisis arqueométricos realizados sobre cinco de los escalones mediante los que poder afirmar que nos encontramos ante el primer mortero de cal empleado para la elaboración de sillares en la protohistoria de la Península Ibérica.This work gives a new architectural and material analysis of the monumental staircase that presides over the courtyard of the archaeological site of Casas del Turuñuelo. The analysis of the lower steps has allowed us to document the first evidence of a lime mortar manufacture used to produce parallelepiped blocks, as ashlars stones. The work offers a historical vision of the finding, as well as an impact assessment resulting from the adoption of this technology and its functional advantages. Moreover, the results of the archaeometric analyses carried out on five of the steps are also presented. Through these analyses we can affirm that we are faced with the first lime mortar used in the Protohistoric Iberian Peninsula

Diversidad bacteriana en suelos de zonas contaminadas y no contaminadas de una mina de cobre = Bacterial diversity in soils from contaminated and uncontaminated areas of a copper mine

Para entender la dinámica ecológica del suelo es de primordial importancia realizar un esquema de la distribución filogenética de las distintas bacterias que viven en él. Los análisis moleculares, en especial el metagenómico, puede aportar información detallada sobre la diversidad, estructura y funcionamiento de los microorganismos presentes en un suelo, información que pueden servir como base para su manejo y recuperación. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la diversidad de las comunidades bacterianas en dos zonas de un suelo minero ubicado en la comunidad de Madrid. Los muestreos se realizaron en dos zonas de la mina identificadas como zona 1 (suelo no afectado) y zona 3 (zona de escombrera). Se realizaron análisis metagenómicos de las comunidades bacterianas presentes, con muestras de ambas zonas. Del total de secuencias bacterianas evaluadas, sólo el 1% mostró coincidencias en las bases de datos del Centro Nacional para la Información Biotecnológica (NCBI). Los resultados mostraron que el número de secuencias del dominio Bacteria es mayor en la zona 1 que en la zona 3. Aunque no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los diferentes filos de bacterias por zona, sí se observaron diferencias en cuanto al número de especies dentro de los diferentes filos y entre las zonas de muestreo

Transmission of Beauveria bassiana from male to female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Resistance to chemical insecticides plus high morbidity rates have lead to rising interest in fungi as candidates for biocontrol agents of mosquito vectors. In most studies fungal infections have been induced by exposure of mosquitoes to various surfaces treated with conidia. In the present study eight Mexican strains of <it>Beauveria bassiana </it>were assessed against <it>Aedes aegypti </it>by direct exposure of females to 6 × 10⁸conidia ml ^-1on a filter paper, afterwards, the transmission of the least and most virulent isolates was evaluated by mating behavior from virgin, fungus-contaminated male to females, to examine this ethological pattern as a new approach to deliver conidia against the dengue vector.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In an exposure chamber with a filter paper impregnated with 6 × 10⁸conidia ml ^-1of the least and most virulent strains of <it>B. bassiana</it>, 6-8 day old males of <it>A. aegypti </it>were exposed for 48 hours, and then transferred individually (each one was a replicate) to another chamber and confined with twenty healthy females of the same age. Clean males were used in controls. Survival, infection by true mating (insemination) or by mating attempts (no insemination) and fecundity were daily registered until the death of last female. Data analysis was conducted with proc glm for unbalanced experiments and means were separated with the Ryan test with SAS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All strains were highly virulent with LT₅₀ranging from 2.70 (± 0.29) to 5.33 (± 0.53) days. However the most (Bb-CBG2) and least virulent (Bb-CBG4) isolates were also transmitted by mating behavior; both killed 78-90% of females in 15 days after being confined with males that had previously been exposed for 48 hours to fungi. Of these mortality rates, 23 and 38% respectively, were infections acquired by copulations where insemination occurred. The LT₅₀for sexually-infected females were 7.92 (± 0.46) and 8.82 (± 0.45) days for both strains, while the one in control was 13.92 (± 0.58). Likewise, fecundity decreased by 95% and 60% for both Bb-CBG2 and Bb-CBG4 isolates in comparison with control. The role of mating attempts in this delivery procedure of <it>B. bassiana </it>is discussed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first report about transmission of <it>B. bassiana </it>by mating behavior from virgin, fungus-contaminated males to females in <it>A. aegypti</it>. Fungal infections acquired by this route (autodissemination) infringed high mortality rates (90%) in mated or approached females. However, prior to releasing virgin, fungus-contaminated males to spread <it>B. basasiana </it>among females of <it>A. aegypti</it>, this novel alternative needs further investigations.</p

Auxiliary power supply based on a modular ISOP Flyback configuration with very high input voltage

This paper proposes a Flyback-based Input-Series Output-Parallel (ISOP) Auxiliary Power Supply (APS), intended to feed the control system of the cells of a Solid-State Transformer (SST). The SST topology is based on a modular Multiport Multilevel Converter (MMC). Energization of the cells auxiliary circuitry is not trivial due to the high voltages involved (tens of kV for the electric power distribution system), most of the commercially available control and driving circuitry not being usable due to the isolation requirements. It is possible to energize the control circuitry from an APS, connected to the cell capacitor voltage. However, in the SST under consideration, cells target DC voltage is in the range of 1.5kV to 2.5kV. Design of an APS capable of feeding the auxiliary circuitry from such high voltage and the required isolation is not trivial. A modular APS using autonomous Flyback converters in Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) and based on commercial AC adapters is proposed in this paper. The solution is scalable and therefore applicable to cells with larger DC voltage

In Silico analysis of protein neoplastic biomarkers for cervix and uterine cancer

Comunicaciones a congreso

Detección de patógenos de importancia epidemiológica en cerdos ferales de Chihuahua y Durango, México

This study aimed to evaluate in feral pigs the presence of Salmonella spp (Spp), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), swine influenza virus (SIV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App). The samples were obtained from pigs in the states of Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico. The tests analyzed for the animals from Chihuahua were nasal swabs for SIV, rectal swabs for Spp and PEDV, serum for PRRSV and PCV2, lung, liver, and lymph nodes for Spp, SIV, PRRSV, and PCV2, as well as serum for serological tests. From animals in the state of Durango, the following was collected: nasal swabs for SIV, rectal swabs for Spp and PEDV, and serum for PCV2 for molecular and serological studies. The molecular results in both states showed samples positive for PCV2, 73.3 % in Chihuahua and 91.3 % in Durango; likewise, two positive samples  were  obtained for  Spp in the state of Chihuahua  (13.3 %) and one in  Durango (6.6 %), for SIV there were two positive (8.7 %) in Durango. For PRRSV and PEDV, samples were negative in both states. Serological results in pigs from the two states showed positivity for PCV2, Spp, and App. Samples were negative for PRRSV, PEDV, and Mhyo in both states. It is important to highlight the molecular and serological detection of feral pigs positive for various infectious agents important in pig production with zoosanitary repercussions on public health, which implies an epidemiological relevance of these animals in the context of “one health”.El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar en cerdos ferales la presencia de Salmonella spp (Spp), el virus del síndrome reproductivo y respiratorio porcino (VPRRS), circovirus porcino tipo 2 (PCV2), virus de influenza porcina (VIP), virus de diarrea epidémica porcina (VDEP), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) y Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App). Las muestras se obtuvieron de cerdos en los estados de Chihuahua y Durango, México. Las pruebas analizadas para los animales de Chihuahua fueron hisopado nasal para VIP, hisopado rectal para Spp y VDEP, suero para VPRRS y PCV2, pulmón, hígado y linfonodos para Spp, VIP, VPRRS y PCV2, así como suero para pruebas serológicas. De los animales del estado de Durango se recolectó hisopado nasal para VIP, hisopado rectal para Spp y VDEP, y suero para PCV2 para estudios moleculares y serológicos. Los resultados moleculares en ambos estados mostraron muestras positivas para PCV2, 73.3 % en Chihuahua y 91.3 % para Durango, de igual forma se obtuvieron dos muestras positivas para Spp en el estado de Chihuahua (13.3 %) y una en Durango (6.6 %), para VIP hubo dos positivas (8.7 %) en Durango. Para VPRRS y VDEP, las muestras fueron negativas en ambos estados. Los resultados serológicos en cerdos de los dos estados mostraron positividad para PCV2, Spp y App. Las muestras fueron negativas para VPRRS, VDEP y Mhyo en ambos estados. Es importante remarcar la detección molecular y serológica de cerdos ferales positivos a diversos agentes infecciosos importantes en la producción porcina con repercusiones zoosanitarias en la salud pública, que implica una relevancia epidemiológica de estos animales en el contexto de “una salud”

Evaluation of a community-based trapping program to collect simulium ochraceum sensu lato for verification of onchocerciasis elimination

Background: Collection of the black fly vectors of onchocerciasis worldwide relies upon human landing collections. Recent studies have suggested that the Esperanza Window Trap baited with a human scent lure and CO2 had the potential to replace human hosts for the collection of Simulium ochraceum sensu lato in Southern Chiapas focus, Mexico. The feasibility of utilizing these traps in a community-based approach for the collection of S. ochraceum s.l. was evaluated. Methodology/Principal findings: Local residents of a formerly endemic extra-sentinel community for onchocerciasis were trained to carry out collections using the traps. The residents operated the traps over a 60-day period and conducted parallel landing collections, resulting in a total of 28,397 vector black flies collected. None of the flies collected were found to contain parasite DNA when tested by a polymerase chain reaction assay targeting a parasite specific sequence, resulting in a point estimate of infection in the vectors of zero, with an upper bound of the 95% confidence interval 0.13 per 2,000. This meets the accepted criterion for demonstrating an interruption of parasite transmission. Conclusions/Significance: These data demonstrate that Esperanza Window Traps may be effectively operated by minimally trained residents of formerly endemic communities, resulting in the collection of sufficient numbers of flies to verify transmission interruption of onchocerciasis. The traps represent a viable alternative to using humans as hosts for the collection of vector flies as part of the verification of onchocerciasis elimination

Use of organic fertilizers in solar photo-Fenton process as potential technology to remove pineapple processing wastewater in Costa Rica

Background: This work studied the use of the organic fertilizers DTPA-Fe and EDDS-Fe as iron chelates for solar driven photo-Fenton process at natural pH. This process was proposed to investigate its performance on removing a mixture of agrochemicals (propiconazole, imidacloprid and diuron) from pineapple processing wastewater to obtain a suitable effluent to be reused in the agricultural sector. Methods: Experiments were carried out in a solar simulator with a stirred cylindric photoreactor, with a volume of 150 mL and controlled temperature (20°C). The first set of experiments was carried out with ultrapure water to determine optimal iron and H2O2 concentrations. The second was performed with simulated wastewater of pineapple processing. Results: The optimized operational conditions for both iron complexes were 10 mg L-1 of Fe (III) and 25 mg L-1 of H2O2, since more than 80% of micropollutants (MP) (at an initial concentration of 1 mg L-1 of each compound) were removed in only 20 min with both DTPA-Fe and EDDS-Fe. The effect of organic matter and inorganic salts on radicals scavenging and chelates stability was also investigated in the experiments performed with synthetic pineapple processing wastewater. The results disclosed differences depending on the iron complex. Nitrites were the principal component influencing the tests carried out with EDDS-Fe. While carbonates at low concentration only significantly affected the experiments performed with DTPA-Fe, they were the major influence on the MPs removal efficiency decrease. In contrast, the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ only influence on this last one. Finally, the results of phytotoxicity disclosed the suitability of treated effluent to be reused in the agricultural sector. Conclusions: This work demonstrated that solar powered photo-Fenton catalysed by iron fertilizer EDDS is a suitable technology for depolluting water streams coming from pineapple processing plants at circumneutral pH, and its subsequent reuse for crop irrigation