Moleculars biomarkers in pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: from molecular biology to clinical application

El rabdomiosarcoma (RMS) es el tumor ma-ligno de partes blandas más común en la infancia. Se dis-tinguen principalmente dos subtipos histológicos: embrio-nario (RMSe) y alveolar (RMSa), teniendo el primero mejor pronóstico que el segundo. Estudios recientes han identifi-cado alteraciones moleculares (transcriptos de fusión PAX3 y PAX7) en el 80% de los RMSa. Estos transcriptos de fusión, además de definir el diagnóstico, le confieren propiedades biológicas al tumor independientemente del subtipo histoló-gico, que modifican su comportamiento. El estudio de estos marcadores podría ser incorporado a la estratificación de riesgo (edad, tamaño tumoral, tipo histológico, localización) al comprobarse que los mismos confieren un valor pronós-tico adverso. Objetivos: el objetivo del siguiente estudio fue implementar la búsqueda de los transcriptos de fusión PAX3 y PAX7 en las muestras de pacientes diagnosticados con RMS. Se plan-teó, también, el estudio de la asociación entre los marcado-res moleculares con la estratificación de riesgo y la respuesta terapéutica de pacientes pediátricos con RMS

A Reorder Buffer Design for High Performance Processors

Abstract. Modern reorder buffers (ROBs) were conceived to improve processor performance by allowing instruction execution out of the original program order and run ahead of sequential instruction code exploiting existing instruction level parallelism (ILP). The ROB is a functional structure of a processor execution engine that supports speculative execution, physical register recycling, and precise exception recovering. Traditionally, the ROB is considered as a monolithic circular buffer with incoming instructions at the tail pointer after the decoding stage and completing instructions at the head pointer after the commitment stage. The latter stage verifies instructions that have been dispatched, issued, executed, and are not completed speculatively. This paper presents a design of distributed reorder buffer microarchitecture by using small structures near building blocks which work together, using the same tail and head pointer values on all structures for synchronization. The reduction of area, and therefore, the reduction of power and delay make this design suitable for both embedded and high performance microprocessors

Biología de Lycoriella ingenua y Bradysia impatiens (Diptera Sciaridae)

Lycoriella (Lycoriella) ingenua (Dufour, 1839) and Bradysia impatiens (Johannsen, 1912) (Diptera: Sciaridae) are two black fungus gnats species studied that harm Pinus montezumae (Lamb, 1832) seedlings in forestry nurseries. These dipterous were morphological and molecularly identified and are mentioned for the first time as a pest in Mexico’s forestry nurseries. The proportion of sexes to Lycoriella ingenua was of one male per 1.25 females; to characterize this species eggs, pupas, larvae and cephalic capsules were measured. The morphometric data of body length and cephalic cage width of larvae through the hierarchical conglomerated method determined the larval instars of the species. For B. impatiens there are 2.4 females per male. In the definition of the larval instars, the best parameter was that of the cephalic capsule. Both species presented four larval instars. Both species were bred under lab conditions at 21 °C ± 2 °C. The whole cycle of L. ingenua required 30.5 ± 3.5 days. For B. impatiens the time to conclude biological cycles was of 27.5 ± 2.5 days. It was determined that both species of larvae consume Pinus montezumae root. The fungi associated to larvae and fungi of both species were identified. Fusarium circinatum was the most important and it is registered for the first time in nurseries of Pinus montezumae; this species was morphological and molecularly identified.Se estudiaron dos especies de mosquito fungoso negro, Lycoriella (Lycoriella) ingenua (Dufour, 1839) y Bradysia impatiens (Johannsen, 1912) (Diptera: Sciaridae), que causan daño a plántulas de Pinus montezumae (Lamb, 1832) en viveros forestales. Estos dípteros se identificaron morfológicamente y por métodos moleculares y se citan por primera vez como plaga en viveros forestales de México. La proporción sexual para L. ingenua fue de un macho por cada 1.25 hembras; para caracterizar esta especie se midieron huevos, pupas, larvas y cápsulas cefálicas. Con los datos morfométricos de longitud de cuerpo y ancho de la cápsula cefálica de larvas y mediante el método de conglomerados jerárquicos se determinaron los estadios larvarios de la especie. Para B. impatiens por cada macho existen 2.4 hembras. En la distinción de los estadios larvarios, el mejor parámetro fue el ancho de cápsula cefálica. Ambas especies presentaron cuatro estadios larvarios. Las dos especies se criaron en laboratorio a 21 ºC ± 2 ºC. El ciclo completo de L. ingenua requirió de 30.5 días ± 3.5 días. Para B. impatiens el tiempo para concluir ciclos biológicos fue de 27.5 días ± 2.5 días. Se determinó que las larvas de ambas especies consumen la raíz de Pinus montezumae. Se identificaron los hongos asociados a larvas y adultos de ambas especies, Fusarium circinatum fue el más importante y se registra por primera vez en viveros de P. montezumae; esta especie de hongo se identificó mediante morfología y por métodos moleculares

The mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Tabasco, Mexico

To document and update the mosquito species of Tabasco, Mexico, field collection trips were conducted in the two physiographic regions of Tabasco: the coastal plain of the southern gulf and the mountains of Chiapas and Guatemala. Mosquitoes were collected as immature and adult stages during the dry and rainy seasons from 2014 through 2015. Additionally, the Reference Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance (CAIM-InDRE) containing mosquitoes of Tabasco was re-examined. In total, 4,913 specimens were collected and examined, which are divided into seven tribes, 18 genera, 27 subgenera, and 104 species. Of these, one genus (Shannoniana Lane and Cerqueira), two subgenera (Georgecraigius Reinert, Harbach and Kitching, and Carrollia Lutz), and 21 species are new records for the mosquito fauna of Tabasco. Culex metempsytus Dyar is a new record for Mexico and Wyeomyia jocosa (Dyar and Knab) is removed from the Mexican mosquito fauna. Seventeen species historically reported were not found in the field collections conducted here. Taxonomic notes, new distribution limits, and comments about the medical importance of species of mosquitoes of Tabasco are discussed. Tabasco is the second state in Mexico with the largest mosquito richness (104 species), followed by Veracruz with 139 species

Discovery of Novel Viruses in <i>Culicoides</i> Biting Midges in Chihuahua, Mexico

Biting midges (Culicoides) are vectors of many pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, but their viromes are poorly characterized compared to certain other hematophagous arthropods, e.g., mosquitoes and ticks. The goal of this study was to use metagenomics to identify viruses in Culicoides from Mexico. A total of 457 adult midges were collected in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, in 2020 and 2021, and all were identified as female Culicoides reevesi. The midges were sorted into five pools and homogenized. An aliquot of each homogenate was subjected to polyethylene glycol precipitation to enrich for virions, then total RNA was extracted and analyzed by unbiased high-throughput sequencing. We identified six novel viruses that are characteristic of viruses from five families (Nodaviridae, Partitiviridae, Solemoviridae, Tombusviridae, and Totiviridae) and one novel virus that is too divergent from all classified viruses to be assigned to an established family. The newly discovered viruses are phylogenetically distinct from their closest known relatives, and their minimal infection rates in female C. reevesi range from 0.22 to 1.09. No previously known viruses were detected, presumably because viral metagenomics had never before been used to study Culicoides from the Western Hemisphere. To conclude, we discovered multiple novel viruses in C. reevesi from Mexico, expanding our knowledge of arthropod viral diversity and evolution

Characterizing environmental suitability of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Mexico based on regional and global niche models

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), is an invasive species and a vector of numerous human pathogens, including chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika viruses. This mosquito had been reported from 36 geographic locations in Mexico by 2005, increasing to 101 locations by 2010 and 501 locations (spanning 16 states) by 2016. Here we modeled the occupied niche for Ae. albopictus in Mexico to characterize the environmental conditions related to its presence, and to generate updated environmental suitability maps. The predictors with the greatest contribution to characterizing the occupied niche for Ae. albopictus were NDVI and annual mean temperature. We also estimated the environmental suitability for Ae. albopictus in regions of the country where it has not been documented yet, by means of: 1) transferring its occupied niche model to these regions and 2) modeling its fundamental niche using global data. Our models will help vector control and public health institutions to identify areas where Ae. albopictus has not yet been recorded but where it may be present. We emphasize that most of Mexico has environmental conditions that potentially allow the survival of Ae. albopictus, which underscores the need for systematic mosquito monitoring in all states of the country

Identification of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Mexico State, Mexico using morphology and COI DNA barcoding

Mosquitoes are commonly identified to species level using morphological traits, but complementary methods for identification are often necessary when specimens are collected as immature stages, stored inadequately or when delineation of species complexes is problematic. DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene is one such tool used for the morphological identification of species. A comprehensive entomological survey of mosquito species in Mexico State identified by COI DNA barcoding and morphology is documented in this paper. Specimens were collected from all the physiographic provinces in Mexico State between 2017 and 2019. Overall, 2,218 specimens were collected from 157 localities representing both subfamilies Anophelinae and Culicinae. A species checklist that consists of 6 tribes, 10 genera, 20 subgenera, and 51 species, 35 of which are new records for Mexico State, is provided. Three hundred and forty-two COI sequences of 46 species were analysed. Mean intraspecific and interspecific distances ranged between 0% to 3.9% and from 1.2% to 25.3%, respectively. All species groups were supported by high bootstraps values in a Neighbour-Joining analysis and new COI sequences were generated for eight species: Aedes chionotum Zavortink, Ae. vargasi Schick, Ae. gabriel Schick, Ae. guerrero Berlin, Ae. ramirezi Vargas and Downs, Haemagogus mesodentatus Komp and Kumm, Culex restrictor Dyar and Knab, and Uranotaenia geometrica Theobald. This study provides a detailed inventory of the Culicidae from Mexico State and discusses the utility of DNA barcoding as a complementary tool for accurate mosquito species identification in Mexico