Phylogenetics based on partial ORF2 of Triatoma Virus in Triatomines Collected Over a Decade from Domiciliary Habitats

The only virus sequenced and studied in triatomines is the Triatoma virus (TrV), from the the Dicistroviridae family which causes delayed development, reduced oviposition and premature death of infected insects. With the goal of expanding the sequences already obtained in previous years and verify if any changes occurred in their genomic sequences, 68 samples of triatomines from several provinces of Argentina were analyzed. Sixteen positive samples were obtained by RT-PCR using the VP3-VP1 subregion of ORF2 as a diagnostic method; after sequencing, 11 samples were obtained from T. infestans. These new sequences showed no significant differences in the analyzed regions, which were not grouped by species or habitat or geographical distribution. There were no differences when compared to the sequences found during 2002-2012, all obtained from the wild. We conclude that despite being an RNA virus, the different sequences show high homology.Fil: Susevich, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); ArgentinaFil: Marti, Gerardo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); ArgentinaFil: Balsalobre, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); ArgentinaFil: Echeverria, Maria Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Numerical Analysis of Urea to Ammonia Conversion in Automotive Selective Catalytic Reduction Realistic Conditions

[EN] The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a technology employed for NOx reduction purposes which is based on the injection of an Urea Water Solution (UWS) into the exhaust line. Conversion of this injected urea into ammonia is a key step to ensure high SCR efficiency. In order to study this phenomenon, a three-dimensional model of the urea-water injection process has been created to recreate realistic conditions. A Lagrangian-Eulerian approach has been followed to model liquid and gas phases, respectively. Droplet evaporation as well as relevant chemical processes have been included to recreate the thermolysis and hydrolysis phenomena, and the results have been validated against literature data. Then, the validated model has been applied to recreate an in-house experimental facility that measured spray macroscopic and microscopic characteristics by means of diffused back illumination (DBI) visualization. Probability density functions of the UWS droplet sizes as well as the velocity distributions have been obtained at three different regions of interest to be compared with the experimental data set. Contours of isocyanic acid and ammonia mass fractions have been included to show the chemical transformation from urea into its products. The model accurately replicates the experimental results, and it stands as a good methodology to predict the main spray characteristics as well as the chemical processes that take place in actual SCR systems.This research has been partially funded by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades through project RTI2018099706-B-100. Additionally, the experimental hardware was purchased through FEDER and Generalitat Valenciana under project IDIFEDER/2018/037. Additionally, the Ph.D. student J.M.-G. has been funded by a grant from the Government of Generalitat Valenciana with reference ACIF/2020/259 and financial support from The European Union.Payri, R.; Bracho Leon, G.; Marti-Aldaravi, P.; Marco-Gimeno, J. (2021). Numerical Analysis of Urea to Ammonia Conversion in Automotive Selective Catalytic Reduction Realistic Conditions. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 60(39):14329-14340. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.1c02627S1432914340603

Computational Study of Urea-Water Solution Sprays for the Analysis of the Injection Process in SCR-like Conditions

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.0c02494.[EN] Exhaust after-treatment devices for NOx reduction have become mandatory for achieving the strict diesel emission standards. The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) method has proven to be efficient in this task. Nonetheless, in order to improve the efficiency of the system, the urea-water solution (UWS) injection process needs to be properly characterized due to the limited geometry of the exhaust line and its flow conditions. In combination with the experimental analysis into the system in a dedicated test rig, computational fluid dynamics studies provide better insights into the physical phenomena. Therefore, the main objective of this investigation is to achieve validated droplet size and velocity distributions in the simulation when compared to experiments. Three different positions along the spray are evaluated for that. The methodology adopted includes an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach to study the UWS spray. The results obtained with it show a proper experimental validation as well as the Sauter mean diameter distribution for the conditions tested. The proposed model accurately reproduces the main spray characteristics for different injection pressures and ambient conditions. Thus, the main conclusions obtained sum up in a good methodology for predicting UWS sprays in SCR-like conditions.This research has been partially funded by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades through project RTI2018-099706-B-100. Additionally, the experimental hardware was purchased through FEDER and Generalitat Valenciana under project IDIFEDER/2018/037.Payri, R.; Bracho Leon, G.; Marti-Aldaravi, P.; Marco-Gimeno, J. (2020). Computational Study of Urea-Water Solution Sprays for the Analysis of the Injection Process in SCR-like Conditions. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 59(41):18659-18673. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.0c02494S18659186735941Han, L., Cai, S., Gao, M., Hasegawa, J., Wang, P., Zhang, J., … Zhang, D. (2019). Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3 by Using Novel Catalysts: State of the Art and Future Prospects. Chemical Reviews, 119(19), 10916-10976. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00202Reitz, R. D., Ogawa, H., Payri, R., Fansler, T., Kokjohn, S., Moriyoshi, Y., … Zhao, H. (2019). IJER editorial: The future of the internal combustion engine. International Journal of Engine Research, 21(1), 3-10. doi:10.1177/1468087419877990Dammalapati, S., Aghalayam, P., & Kaisare, N. (2019). Modeling the Effect of Nonuniformities from Urea Injection on SCR Performance Using CFD. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58(44), 20247-20258. doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.9b04149Triantafyllopoulos, G., Katsaounis, D., Karamitros, D., Ntziachristos, L., & Samaras, Z. (2018). Experimental assessment of the potential to decrease diesel NOx emissions beyond minimum requirements for Euro 6 Real Drive Emissions (RDE) compliance. Science of The Total Environment, 618, 1400-1407. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.274Inomata, Y., Hata, S., Mino, M., Kiyonaga, E., Morita, K., Hikino, K., … Murayama, T. (2019). Bulk Vanadium Oxide versus Conventional V2O5/TiO2: NH3–SCR Catalysts Working at a Low Temperature Below 150 °C. ACS Catalysis, 9(10), 9327-9331. doi:10.1021/acscatal.9b02695Xue, Z., Du, X., Rac, V., Rakic, V., Wang, X., Chen, Y., … Song, L. (2020). Partial Oxidation of NO by H2O2 and afterward Reduction by NH3-Selective Catalytic Reduction: An Efficient Method for NO Removal. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59(20), 9393-9397. doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.9b06896Nuguid, R. J. G., Ferri, D., Marberger, A., Nachtegaal, M., & Kröcher, O. (2019). Modulated Excitation Raman Spectroscopy of V2O5/TiO2: Mechanistic Insights into the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3. ACS Catalysis, 9(8), 6814-6820. doi:10.1021/acscatal.9b01514Yim, S. D., Kim, S. J., Baik, J. H., Nam, I., Mok, Y. S., Lee, J.-H., … Oh, S. H. (2004). Decomposition of Urea into NH3 for the SCR Process. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 43(16), 4856-4863. doi:10.1021/ie034052jZheng, G.; Fila, A.; Kotrba, A.; Floyd, R. Investigation of urea deposits in urea SCR systems for medium and heavy duty trucks. SAE Technical Papers, 2010, 2010-01-19.Strots, V. O., Santhanam, S., Adelman, B. J., Griffin, G. A., & Derybowski, E. M. (2009). Deposit Formation in Urea-SCR Systems. SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants, 2(2), 283-289. doi:10.4271/2009-01-2780Abu-Ramadan, E.; Saha, K.; Li, X. Modeling of the injection and decomposition processes of urea-water-solution spray in automotive SCR systems. SAE 2011 World Congress and Exhibition, 2011, 2011-01-13.Sowman, J., Laila, D. S., Fussey, P., Truscott, A., & Cruden, A. J. (2019). Nonlinear model predictive control applied to multivariable thermal and chemical control of selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment. International Journal of Engine Research, 20(10), 1017-1024. doi:10.1177/1468087419859103Varna, A., Boulouchos, K., Spiteri, A., Dimopoulos Eggenschwiler, P., & Wright, Y. M. (2014). Numerical Modelling and Experimental Characterization of a Pressure-Assisted Multi-Stream Injector for SCR Exhaust Gas After-Treatment. SAE International Journal of Engines, 7(4), 2012-2021. doi:10.4271/2014-01-2822Varna, A., Spiteri, A. C., Wright, Y. M., Dimopoulos Eggenschwiler, P., & Boulouchos, K. (2015). Experimental and numerical assessment of impingement and mixing of urea–water sprays for nitric oxide reduction in diesel exhaust. Applied Energy, 157, 824-837. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.015Van Vuuren, N.; Brizi, G.; Buitoni, G.; Postrioti, L.; Ungaro, C. Experimental analysis of the urea-water solution temperature effect on the spray characteristics in SCR systems. SAE Technical Papers, 2015, 2015-24-25.van Vuuren, N.; Brizi, G.; Buitoni, G.; Postrioti, L.; Ungaro, C. AUS-32 Injector Spray Imaging on Hot Air Flow Bench. SAE Technical Papers, 2015, 2015-01-10.Kapusta, Ł. J., Sutkowski, M., Rogóż, R., Zommara, M., & Teodorczyk, A. (2019). Characteristics of Water and Urea–Water Solution Sprays. Catalysts, 9(9), 750. doi:10.3390/catal9090750Rogóż, R., Kapusta, Ł. J., Bachanek, J., Vankan, J., & Teodorczyk, A. (2020). Improved urea-water solution spray model for simulations of selective catalytic reduction systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 120, 109616. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2019.109616Bebe, J. E.; Andersen, K. S. Validation of a CFD Spray Model Based on Spray Nozzle Characteristics. WCX 17: SAE World Congress Experience, 2017.Vojtíšek, M., & Kotek, M. (2014). Estimation of Engine Intake Air Mass Flow using a generic Speed-Density method. Journal of Middle European Construction and Design of Cars, 12(1), 7-15. doi:10.2478/mecdc-2014-0002Payri, R., Bracho, G., Gimeno, J., & Moreno, A. (2019). Investigation of the urea-water solution atomization process in engine exhaust-like conditions. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 108, 75-84. doi:10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2019.05.019Payri, R.; Bracho, G.; Gimeno, J.; Moreno, A. Spray characterization of the urea-water solution (UWS) injected in a hot air stream analogous to SCR system operating conditions. SAE Technical Papers, 2019, 2019-01-07.Sechenyh, V., Duke, D. J., Swantek, A. B., Matusik, K. E., Kastengren, A. L., Powell, C. F., … Crua, C. (2019). Quantitative analysis of dribble volumes and rates using three-dimensional reconstruction of X-ray and diffused back-illumination images of diesel sprays. International Journal of Engine Research, 21(1), 43-54. doi:10.1177/1468087419860955BASF. AdBlueTechnical Leaflet. 2006, https://www.gabriels.be/sites/gabriels/files/pdf/technische_fiche_adblue-_engels.pdf (accessed October 8, 2019).Senecal, P. K.; Pomraning, E.; Richards, K. J.; Som, S. Grid-Convergent Spray Models for Internal Combustion Engine CFD Simulations. Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference; American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2012.Patterson, M. A.; Reitz, R. D. Modeling the Effects of Fuel Spray Characteristics on Diesel Engine Combustion and Emission. SAE Technical Paper; JSTOR, 1998.Schmidt, D. P., & Rutland, C. J. (2000). A New Droplet Collision Algorithm. Journal of Computational Physics, 164(1), 62-80. doi:10.1006/jcph.2000.6568Chiang, C. H., Raju, M. S., & Sirignano, W. A. (1992). Numerical analysis of convecting, vaporizing fuel droplet with variable properties. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 35(5), 1307-1324. doi:10.1016/0017-9310(92)90186-vPayri, R., Gimeno, J., Martí-Aldaraví, P., & Viera, A. (2020). Measurements of the mass allocation for multiple injection strategies using the rate of injection and momentum flux signals. International Journal of Engine Research, 22(4), 1180-1195. doi:10.1177/1468087419894854Payri, R.; Salvador, F. J.; Gimeno, J.; Montiel, T. Aging of a Multi-Hole Diesel Injector and Its Effect on the Rate of Injection. SAE Technical Paper, 2020; pp 1–9Benjamin, S. F.; Roberts, C. A. Fuel Systems for IC Engines; IMechE; Woodhead Publishing: Cambridge, UK, 2012; pp 43–60.Gapin, A.; Demoulin, F.; Dumouchel, C.; Pajot, K.; Patte-Rouland, B.; Réveillon, J. Development of an Initial Drop-Size Distribution Model and Introduction in a CFD Code to Predict Spray Evolution Computational Techniques for Multiphase Flows. 7th International Conference on Multiphase Flow; ICMF; University of Florida: Tampa, FL USA, 2010.Lefebvre, A. H.; McDonell, V. G. Combustion: An International Series, 2nd ed. Press, CRC: Boca Raton, FL, 2017; pp 17–69.Senthilkumar, P.; Shamit, B.; Anand, T. Breakup Length of Urea Water Solution Jet in a Hot Cross Flow. 28th Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems - ILASS; Universitat Politècnica de València: Valencia, Spain, 2017.Halonen, S., Kangas, T., Haataja, M., & Lassi, U. (2016). Urea-Water-Solution Properties: Density, Viscosity, and Surface Tension in an Under-Saturated Solution. Emission Control Science and Technology, 3(2), 161-170. doi:10.1007/s40825-016-0051-1Heywood, J. B. Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, 2018; pp 42–57

Mixture Model Approach for the Study of the Inner Flow Dynamics of an AdBlue Dosing System and the Characterization of the Near-Field Spray

[EN] Selective Catalytic Reduction stands for an effective methodology for the reduction of NOx emissions from Diesel engines and meeting current and future EURO standards. For it, the injection of Urea Water Solution (UWS) plays a major role in the process of reducing the NOx emissions. A LES approach for turbulence modelling allows to have a description of the physics which is a very useful tool in situations where experiments cannot be performed. The main objective of this study is to predict characteristics of the flow of interest inside the injector as well as spray morphology in the near field of the spray. For it, the nozzle geometry has been reconstructed from X-Ray tomography data, and an Eulerian-Eulerian approach commonly known as Mixture Model has been applied to study the liquid phase of the UWS with a LES approach for turbulence modeling. The injector unit is subjected to typical low-pressure working conditions. The results extracted from it comprise parameters that characterize the hydraulic behavior as well as jet intact length. The conclusions drawn from the model depict differences in the flow behavior between the injector three orifices, with an under-prediction of nozzle and spray characteristics of LES formulation with respect to traditional RANS turbulence treatment.The presented work is funded by a grant of Generalitat Valenciana, with reference ACIF/2020/259 and of the European Union. Partial funding comes as well from Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades through project RTI2018-099706-B-100. Additionally, the experimental hard-ware was purchased through FEDER and Generalitat Valenciana under project IDIFEDER/2018/037.Payri, R.; Bracho Leon, G.; Marti-Aldaravi, P.; Marco-Gimeno, J. (2021). Mixture Model Approach for the Study of the Inner Flow Dynamics of an AdBlue Dosing System and the Characterization of the Near-Field Spray. SAE International. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.4271/2021-01-054811

Experimental study of the injection conditions influence over n-dodecane and diesel sprays with two ECN single-hole nozzles. Part I: Inert atmosphere

In this research, two Engine Combustion Network (ECN) mono-orifice nozzles, referred to as Spray C and Spray D. respectively, were analyzed by performing visualization tests through Schlieren and Diffused Backlight Illumination (DBI) techniques under a wide range of ambient conditions in a non-reactive atmosphere. Spray C presents a straight nozzle designed with a sharp fillet in opposition to Spray D that has similar hydraulic properties, but with a convergent nozzle construction and a smoother corner. The experiments were carried out injecting two distinct fuels at different injection pressure ranges, from 50 MPa to 150 MPa with n-dodecane and to 200 MPa for diesel. The images were processed with Matlab home-built routines to calculate parameters as spray penetration, spreading angle, quasi steady liquid length, as well as the spray penetration derivative respect to the square root of time, presented in this document as R-parameter. The results showed a clear influence of nozzle geometry in all measured parameters, due mainly to the nature of Spray C to cavitation, which increase the spreading angle and consequently a reduction in vapor penetration. On the other hand, fuel properties also affected spray penetration due to its dependency on viscous forces expressed in terms of the Reynolds number and its volatility in case of liquid length. This last parameter was calculated employing two processing methodologies, finding a good general agreement between them.This work was supported by "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" of the Spanish Government in the frame of the projects "Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor", Ref. TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R. Moreover, the optical equipment employed in the project was purchased with investment from "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" FEDER-ICTS-2012-06.Gimeno, J.; Bracho Leon, G.; Marti-Aldaravi, P.; Peraza, JE. (2016). Experimental study of the injection conditions influence over n-dodecane and diesel sprays with two ECN single-hole nozzles. Part I: Inert atmosphere. Energy Conversion and Management. 126:1146-1156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2016.07.077S1146115612

Near field visualization of diesel spray for different nozzle inclination angles in non-vaporizing conditions

[EN] Accurate experimental data are often needed to validate computational fluid dynamics models. These models regularly rely on experimental results from single-orifice axially drilled nozzles that do not fully represent real injectors, as the difference in inclination angles creates turbulent conditions at the nozzle outlet, consequences of which on the spray development are not yet fully understood. In this work, near-field visualization was done for two nozzle inclination angles in non-vaporizing conditions. Spray tip penetration, spreading angle, and axis angle fluctuations are reported. Three hypotheses are analyzed: liquid jet breakup mechanism, internal flow development, and cavitation. Experiments were carried out using n-Dodecane, testing a single orifice axially drilled and a three-orifice injector, from the Engine Combustion Network. The spray was observed with a diffused back-illumination technique and a long distance microscope, only visualizing the first 6 mm of spray tip penetration, for three injection pressures and four gas densities at ambient temperature. The multi-orifice injector produced a spray with wider spreading angle, which resulted in smaller penetration values. Additionally, higher spray axis angle fluctuations were observed for the multi-orifice injector, which increased for higher injection pressure and, to a lesser extent, with decreasing chamber density. Further analysis was performed with spreading angle fluctuations measurements, where results showed good agreement with spray axis angle fluctuations trends, implying that complex internal flow structures, and even incipient cavitation, could be present in the multi-orifice injector and be the cause of these spray axis angle fluctuations.This work was sponsored by "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" of the Spanish Government in the frame of the project " Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor," reference TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R. Additionally, the optical equipment used for the project was purchased with funding from Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad FEDER-ICTS-2012-06.Payri, R.; Bracho Leon, G.; Marti-Aldaravi, P.; Viera-Sotillo, AA. (2017). Near field visualization of diesel spray for different nozzle inclination angles in non-vaporizing conditions. Atomization and Sprays. 27(3):251-267. https://doi.org/10.1615/AtomizSpr.2017017949S25126727

Modelling the potential geographic distribution of triatomines infected by Triatoma virus in the southern cone of South America

Background: Triatoma virus (TrV) is the only entomopathogenous virus identified in triatomines. We estimated the potential geographic distribution of triatomine species naturally infected by TrV, using remotely sensed and meteorological environmental variables, to predict new potential areas where triatomines infected with TrV may be found. Methods: Detection of TrV infection in samples was performed with RT-PCR. Ecological niche models (ENM) were constructed using the MaxEnt software. We used 42 environmental variables derived from remotely sensed imagery (AVHRR) and 19 bioclimatic variables (Bioclim). The MaxEnt Jackknife procedure was used to minimize the number of environmental variables that showed an influence on final models. The goodness of fit of the model predictions was evaluated by the mean area under the curve (AUC). Results: We obtained 37 samples of 7 species of triatomines naturally infected with TrV. Of the TrV positive samples, 32% were from sylvatic habitat, 46% came from peridomicile habitats and 22% from domicile habitats. Five of the seven infected species were found only in the sylvatic habitat, one species only in the domicile and only Triatoma infestans was found in the three habitats. The MaxEnt model estimated with the Bioclim dataset identified five environmental variables as best predictors: temperature annual range, mean diurnal range, mean temperature of coldest quarter, temperature seasonality and annual mean temperature. The model using the AVHRR dataset identified six environmental variables: minimum Land Surface Temperature (LST), minimum Middle Infrared Radiation (MIR), LST annual amplitude, MIR annual amplitude annual, LST variance and MIR variance. The potential geographic distribution of triatomine species infected by TrV coincides with the Chaco and the Monte ecoregions either modelled by AVHRR or Bioclim environmental datasets. Conclusions: Our results show that the conditions of the Dry Chaco ecoregion in Argentina are favourable for the infection of triatomine species with TrV, and open the possibility of its use as a potential agent for the biological control of peridomestic and/or sylvatic triatomine species. Results identify areas of potential occurrence that should be verified in the field.Fil: Ceccarelli, Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Balsalobre, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Susevich, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Echeverria, Maria Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gorla, David Eladio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia Tecnológica de Anillaco; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Gerardo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentin

First IAPV finding in Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Se llevó a cabo un relevamiento de virus patógenos de abejas en ejemplares de chinche verde Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) en el Cinturón Hortícola Platense (CHP). Se detectó la presencia del Virus israelí de la parálisis aguda (IAPV) mediante técnicas moleculares. Estos resultados permitirían inferir que las infecciones virales en los insectos son de gran importancia ya que podrían actuar como reservorios virales, información que podría ser útil para conocer la dinámica del virus en la naturaleza. Este trabajo detecta por primera vez la presencia de IAPV en N. viridula. Serán necesarios estudios adicionales para entender la ecología de estos virus en las comunidades de artrópodos del CHP y determinar el rol que cumplen las chinches como posibles reservorios de estos virus en el ambiente.In the La Plata Horticultural Belt (CHP, in Spanish), bee viruses were searched for the first time in green bug Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). The presence of the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) was detected using PCR technique. These results would allow to infer that knowledge of viral infections in insects could be of great importance since they could act as viral reservoirs, resulting in the spilling of pathogens to honey bees and other pollinators. This study made it possible to detect IAPV for the first time in N. viridula. Future studies are needed to understand the ecology of these viruses in arthropod communities of CHP and to determine the role that green bugs play as possible reservoirs of these viruses in the environment.Fil: Susevich, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Reynaldi, Francisco José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Gerardo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Echeverria, Maria Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Structural Insights into the HWE Histidine Kinase Family: The Brucella Blue Light-Activated Histidine Kinase Domain

In response to light, as part of a two-component system, the Brucella blue light-activated histidine kinase (LOV-HK) increases its autophosphorylation, modulating the virulence of this microorganism. The Brucella histidine kinase (HK) domain belongs to the HWE family, for which there is no structural information. The HWE family is exclusively present in proteobacteria and usually coupled to a wide diversity of light sensor domains. This work reports the crystal structure of the Brucella HK domain, which presents two different dimeric assemblies in the asymmetric unit: one similar to the already described canonical parallel homodimers (C) and the other, an antiparallel non-canonical (NC) dimer, each with distinct relative subdomain orientations and dimerization interfaces. Contrary to these crystallographic structures and unlike other HKs, in solution, the Brucella HK domain is monomeric and still active, showing an astonishing instability of the dimeric interface. Despite this instability, using cross-linking experiments, we show that the C dimer is the functionally relevant species. Mutational analysis demonstrates that the autophosphorylation activity occurs in cis. The different relative subdomain orientations observed for the NC and C states highlight the large conformational flexibility of the HK domain. Through the analysis of these alternative conformations by means of molecular dynamics simulations, we also propose a catalytic mechanism for Brucella LOV-HK.Fil: Rinaldi, Jimena Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Arrar, Mehrnoosh. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Sycz, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Cerutti, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Plataforma Argentina de Biología Estructural y Metabolómica PLABEM; ArgentinaFil: Berguer, Paula Mercedes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Paris, Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Estrin, Dario Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Marcelo Adrian. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Klinke, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Plataforma Argentina de Biología Estructural y Metabolómica PLABEM; ArgentinaFil: Goldbaum, Fernando Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Plataforma Argentina de Biología Estructural y Metabolómica PLABEM; Argentin

Delayed Puberty Due to a WDR11 Truncation at Its N-Terminal Domain Leading to a Mild Form of Ciliopathy Presenting With Dissociated Central Hypogonadism: Case Report

Pubertal delay in males is frequently due to constitutional delay of growth and puberty, but pathologic hypogonadism should be considered. After general illnesses and primary testicular failure are ruled out, the main differential diagnosis is central (or hypogonadotropic) hypogonadism, resulting from a defective function of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/gonadotropin axis. Ciliopathies arising from defects in non-motile cilia are responsible for developmental disorders affecting the sense organs and the reproductive system. WDR11-mediated signaling in non-motile cilia is critical for fetal development of GnRH neurons. Only missense variants of WDR11 have been reported to date in patients with central hypogonadism, suggesting that nonsense variants could lead to more complex phenotypes. We report the case of a male patient presenting with delayed puberty due to Kallmann syndrome (central hypogonadism associated with hyposmia) in whom the next-generation sequencing analysis identified a novel heterozygous base duplication, leading to a frameshift and a stop codon in the N-terminal region of WDR11. The variant was predicted to undergo nonsense-mediated decay and classified as probably pathogenic following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria. This is the first report of a variant in the WDR11 N-terminal region predicted to lead to complete expression loss that, contrary to expectations, led to a mild form of ciliopathy resulting in isolated Kallmann syndrome.Fil: Castro, Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Brunello, Franco Gino. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Sanso, Elsa Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Scaglia, Paula Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Esnaola Azcoiti, María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Izquierdo, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Villegas, Florencia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Bergadá, Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Ropelato, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Marcelo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Rey, Rodolfo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología; ArgentinaFil: Grinspon, Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentin