Hybridization and Population Structure of the Culex Pipiens Complex in the Islands of Macaronesia

The Culex pipiens complex includes two widespread mosquito vector species, Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The distribution of these species varies in latitude, with the former being present in temperate regions and the latter in tropical and subtropical regions. However, their distribution range overlaps in certain areas and interspecific hybridization has been documented. Genetic introgression between these species may have epidemiological repercussions for West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. Bayesian clustering analysis based on multilocus genotypes of 12 microsatellites was used to determine levels of hybridization between these two species in Macaronesian islands, the only contact zone described in West Africa. The distribution of the two species reflects both the islands’ biogeography and historical aspects of human colonization. Madeira Island displayed a homogenous population of Cx. pipiens, whereas Cape Verde showed a more intriguing scenario with extensive hybridization. In the islands of Brava and Santiago, only Cx. quinquefasciatus was found, while in Fogo and Maio high hybrid rates (~40%) between the two species were detected. Within the admixed populations, second-generation hybrids (~50%) were identified suggesting a lack of isolation mechanisms. The observed levels of hybridization may locally potentiate the transmission to humans of zoonotic arboviruses such as WNV.

Current status of the whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus as an invasive pest in the CapeVerte Islands

In the last three decades, the spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus) has become an important international pest. The movement of plants and parts of plants (such as fruits) in international trade and tourism, and by natural dispersal, has favoured its introduction to new areas. In common with others whiteflies of economic importance, the immature and adult stages cause direct feeding damage by piercing and sucking of sap from foliage, and indirect damage following the accumulation all over host plants of honeydew and waxy flocculent material produced by the insects. Spiralling whitefly is a pest of tropical and subtropical crops, and highly polyphagous. Up to the 1970s, it had been recorded on 44 genera of plants, belonging to 26 botanical families (Mound & Halsey, 1978). This situation changed with the dispersal of the pest to new areas. Nowadays, the spiralling whitefly is one of the major pest of vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops around the globe (Lambkin, 1999). Important host crops include: banana (Musa sapientum), Citrus spp., coconut (Cocos nocifera), eggplant (Solanum melanogena), guava (Psidium guajava), Hibiscus rosa sinensis, Indian almond (Terminalia catappa), papya (Carica papaya), Rosa sp. and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) (Saminathan & Jayaraj, 2001). Spiralling whitefly has its origin in the tropical Americas, including Brazil. Although the pest has been recorded only once in Brasil, in the 1920s in the state of Bahia (Bondar, 1923), it now has official quarantine status because of its economic importance. In the Cape Verte Islands, on the West African coast, the pest was initially introduced in the first half of 2000; it has since become established, reaching urban, natural and agricultural areas of the islands that constitute the archipelago. Since then, the pest has been causing damage to many native plants, ornamentals and cultivated food crops (Anon., 2001; Monteiro, 2004). The present study was done in order to produce an inventory of the most common host plants of spiralling whitefly in this new habitat.

Tornabenea ribeirensis (Apiaceaeb a new species from São Nicolau, Cape Verde Islands (West Africa)

Many species of Apiaceae are found in the Macaronesien Region. Several have been introduccd by human activities, but a number of taxa is endemic to the different archipelagos or even rrstrictcd to a single island. The following enumeration is based mainly on HANSEN & SUNDING ( 1993). In the Arores 28 different taxa of Apiaceae occur; among them four endemic species [AUIMI; hrrrrii WATSON, A. trifoliatum (WATSON) TKEL., Clrtrc~,y~l~~ll~r~~~ cl:oricrm TREL.. SOErich trwrictr GUTIINICK ex SEUB.]. In Madeira the Apiaceae are very diverse and consist ol’ 29 species and subspecies. From the archipelago two monotypic genera, rC/c/trtio. velitru~rr t/ccipicvr.s (SCHRAD. & J. C. WENDL.) Ho~+hl. md kJorli:ia edu[is LOWE and ~hrcc cndcmic species [Oemmrlre diwricore (R. BR.) MABB.. I/nperrr/orio lotvei COSS. and Burrirr~r hre~$~lirrnr LOWE] are described. The Canary Islands have the highest numbcr of plant-species and a high level of endemism. 5-l taxa of Apiaceae are recorded including three endemic genera (Rtrrheopsis A. HANSEX & KUNKEL, Todm-oa PARL. and Tiqyrmm PARL.) and further I5 endemic taxa. The Apiaceae are represented in the Cape Verde Islands by I2 species. Most of the taxa have been introduced by human activities (LOBIN & ZIZKA 1957) like Amvhm grm’eo- 1efr.s L., Apirm grmvolerrs L, Foerricrrhrr urlgore MILL.. Corimrtlru~t~ srrtirvrrrr L. or Petrosilerrm crisprrm (FRILL.) A.W.HILL. These species are cultivated and some of them later became \\esdy. Other species like Ciclosper- UWL /e/~fo/~/l~ll~rrtr (PER%) SPRAGUE (= Apimr leproplr~llrr~rr) are weeds of cultivated grounds or wasted lands. All these species are today widespread in temperate. subtropical or tropical regions all over the world. The only native species are to be found in the endemic genus To~wI~~I~~~ PARL.

Phoenix in the Cape Verde Islands

The African Republic of Cape Verde consists of nine inhabited and several uninhabited volcanic islands set out in the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km off the most westerly point of the African mainland and 1500 km south of the Canary Islands @g. 2). Most are rugged and mountainous; three (Sal, Maio, and Boavista) are flat, desert islands with sand beaches. Precipitation is meagre and very erratic; indeed Cape Verde can be seen as an island extension of the arid Sahel zone. Three species of the genus Phoenix are recorded from the Cape Verde Islands, P. akzctyli&a L., P. canariensis Chabaud and P. atlantica A. Chev. While the former two species have almost certainly been introduced by man, the latter is said to be endemic to the islands. Perhaps because the Cape Verdes are a particularly isolated set of islands or because palms are notoriously awkward to collect, little is known about the taxonomy, origins and natural history of this species. Phoenix atlantica was described by the French botanist Auguste Chevalier (1935a) following field exploration in the Cape Verdes in 1934 (Chevalier 1934: 1153). Chevalier provided limited diagnostic characters, defining the species as a clustering palm with 2-6 trunks, 5-15 m in height with dark green leaves 2-3 m in length. He considered it to be most similar in form to P. &ctyZzjkra and P. canariensis, possessing characters of both (Chevalier 1935a). Chevalier’s description indicates that Phoenix atlantica can be distinguished easily from P. canariensis by its clustering growth form (P. canariensis always has a single, stout trunk) and its shorter, straighter leaves. However, the differences between P. atlantica and P. dactylzjkra appear much more subtle. For example, while P. dacfylifera is usually observed as single-stemmed, when left undisturbed for a number of years it becomes clustering like the Cape Verde Phoenix, so this character on its own is unreliable. Further alleged distinctions include acuminate (P. atlantica) versus rounded (P. dactylzjkra) petals in the male flowers (Chevalier 1935a, b, Greuter 1967: 249, and Brochmann et al. 1997), fruit 2 cm long (P. atlantica) versus fruit more than 2.5 cm long (P. dactyl&a) (Brochmann et al.

New data on the distribution and conservation status of some angiosperms of the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa

New data on the distributibn and conservation status of some angiosperms of the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa Intensive field work aud analysis of the state of biodiversity ou all islands during the years iYY.3 lo IYYY Icd lo lhc publication ol’several contributions lo the flora and vegelalion of the archipclago of Cabo Verde (Brochniann & al. 1997, Gornes & Vera-Cruz 1993. Gonles & al. I9YSa-h. 1998, Games 1997. Kilian & Leyens 1994, Leyens 1998. Leyens & Lobin 1995, Lobin & al. 1995) as well as to the compilation of the First Red Data List for the Cape Verde Islnuds (Lcyrus & Lobin 1996). the elaboration of the National Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation (SIPA 19YY) and ! compilation of all areas in urgent need of protection (Leyens unpubl. diplonla thc.\is IYYJ. Gwnes & al. iu prep.). As part UC the activities of the lnstituto National de Invcstig;u$o c Dcscnvolvitucnto Agriirio (INIDA) and the Dcpurtamcnto de GeociSncias do Institute Supcriot de Educ;u$o t ISE) iutcnsive t’icld studies were conducted PI many diffcrctu localilics OII xcvcr;~I islands. resulting in a thesis tGo~nes IY97) and several terminal study papers (Luz IYYY. Cosi;t 1994. Gonsalvez 1999). The results show that the vegetation and flora of the islands arc still IWI fully known and much more field work is needed. hllhot~gh Sanliiqw is one of lhc islands whcrc lhc firs1 holanicill iIlVcxligilliollx wcrr c:crriul WI (Wcbh 1x49. Schruidt 1x52. Chcvalicr IY35) and where uu~ny intensive field studirs wcrc

The rise and decline of children's labour participation levels during the early stages of industrialisation. Catalonia (1850-1925)

This article aims to analyse the reasons for the intensive use of childlabour in the 19th century and its subsequent decline in the first thirdof the 20th century in the context of an economy with a highly flexiblelabour supply like that of Catalonia. During the second half of the 19thcentury,factors relating to family economies, such as numerous familiesand low wages for adults, along with the technologies of the time thatrequired manual labour resources, would appear to explain the intensiveuse of child labour to the detriment of schooling. The technologicalchanges that occurred during the first third of the 20th century, thedemographic transition and adult wage increase (for both men and women)explain the schooling of children up to the age of 15 and theconsequent practical abolition of child labour in that new era ofeconomic modernisation.

Entrepreneurial structure of the mercantile company in pre-industrial Catalonia

The mercantile company was the basic form of enterprise in pre-industrial Catalonia. The aim of this paper is to study the formation and development of the mercantile companies in Barcelona whose end was the wholesale and retail sale of textiles in the botigues de teles (textile retail shops) throughout the eighteenth century. These firms were officially registered before a notary and their deeds reveal how these establishments were administered and managed.The study covers a sample of 121 mercantile companies, and the articles and documentation that were put into effect by 32 notaries who were active in Barcelona in the 18th century have been consulted in their entirety. From an initial selection of documentation, a total of 228 deeds registering companies have been found, 107 of which (47%) relate to the creation of companies whose various activities were centred in taverns, textile manufacturing, braiding.... While the 121 companies, which make up our sample and which account for 53% of the deeds registered with the notaries mentioned above, focused exclusively on the management of textile retail shops located in the commercial heart of the city. Thus one point of interest that the documentation reveals is that the majority of the mercantile companies registered by Barcelona notaries throughout the 18th century were establishments which traded in textiles. The first part of the article focuses on the structural characteristics of these enterprises, the number and socio-professional status of the partners and the extent of each partner s involvement in the administration and management. The second part of the article examines the capital investment made by each partner, their rights and obligations agreed on, the sharing out of profits and possible losses and the duration of the companies. The final aim of the paper is to highlight the evolution of these companies through one specific case.

Socio-economic inequalities in health in Catalonia

In this paper we measure the degree of income related inequality in mental health as measured by the GHQ instrument and general health as measured by the EQOL-5D instrument for the Catalan population. We find that income is the main contributor to inequality, although the share of inequality in mental health that can be explained by income is much greater than the corresponding share of inequality in general health. We also find that the variation in demographic structure reduces income related inequality in mental health but increases income related inequality in general health. The regional variations in both instruments for health are striking, with the Barcelona districts faring relatively bad with respect to the rest of geographical areas and Lleida being the health region where, all else held equal, the population reports the greatest level of health. A big share of inequality in the two health measures, but specially mental health, is due to the favourable position in both health and income of those who enjoy an indefinite contract with respect to the rest of individuals. We also find that risky working conditions affect both health measures and are able to explain an important share of socio-economic inequality.

Social spending and demographics: The role of public policies in the intergenerational redistribution of income. Empirical evidence from Spain and Catalonia

The demographic shift underway in Southern Europe requires a revision of some of thefundamental principles of the traditional welfare state. We analyze the evolution of several aspects of welfare and social expenditure over the last two decades. We find that in the context of the present demographic changes and real estate boom current social and pension policy leads to a new distribution of benefits and burdens which is highly intergenerationally unequal. We argue for a revised definition of public policy based on Musgrave's proposition as a possible rule for an intergenerationally fair distribution.

University admission marks in Catalonia: Some highlights from the empirical research

The results of the examinations taken by graduated high school studentswho want to enrol at a Catalan university are here studied. To do so,the authors address several issues related to the equity of the system:reliability of grading, difficulty and discrimination power of the exams.The general emphasis is put upon the concurrent research and empiricalevidence about the properties of the examination items and scores. Aftera discussion about the limitations of the exams' format and appropriatenessof the instruments used in the study, the article concludes with somesuggestions to improve such examinations.

Relationships of Scincid Lizards (Mabuya spp; Reptilia: Scincidae) from the Cape Verde Islands Based on Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Sequences

Partial DNA sequences from two mitochondrial (mt) and one nuclear gene (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA, and C-mos) were used to estimate the phylogenetic relationships among the six extant species of skinks endemic to the Cape Verde Archipelago. The species form a monophyletic unit, indicating a single colonization of the islands, probably from West Africa. Mabuya vaillanti and M. delalandii are sister taxa, as indicated by morphological characters. Mabuya fogoensis and M. stangeri are closely related, but the former is probably paraphyletic. Mabuya spinalis and M. salensis are also probably paraphyletic. Within species, samples from separate islands always form monophyletic groups. Some colonization events can be hypothesized, which are in line with the age of the islands. C-mos variation is concordant with the topology derived from mtDNA.

The burden of musculoskeletal disorders in Catalonia

INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs)are extremely common and one of the major causes of disease burden around the world. The original Global Burden of Disease Study was commisioned by the World Bank in 1991 and established the DALY(Disability Ajusted Life Years) as an indicator of disease burden. The DALY calculation allows an assessment of not only mortality but also disability, in terms of time lived in health states worse than perfect health.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in Catalonia in 2010, through calculation of the DALY index.

Growth and reproduction of the dolphinfish (Coryphaena equiselis and Coryphaena hippurus) in the Canary Islands, Central-East Atlantic (preliminary results)

The size, growth and spawning characteristics of pompano dolphin (N=150) and common dolphinfish (N=36) caught off the Canary Islands between May and September 1995 and between July and September 1996 were examined. Fork length (FL) of pompano dolphin was in the range 28.3-62.8 cm. In 1995, the mean length increased significantly from June to September. However, in 1996, the mean length was significantly larger in July than in September. The overall length-weight relationship was W=0.0287*FL2.774 (r=0.97), while these relationships by sex were as follows: W=0.031*FL2.758 (r=0.98) and W=0.0282*FL2.776 (r=0.97), for males and females respectively. Spawning takes place at the beginning of the Summer (June-July). All the individuals obtained showed developing gonads, but females showed a higher gonadosomatic index (GSI) than males. The highest GSI values were obtained in June (x- =3.10±1.73), and decreased progressively towards the end of the season (September), when the average of this index was x- = 1.86±0.87. Similarly, the condition index decreased significantly from June to September. The proportion of females was always significantly higher than males, except in July 1996 when it was 1:1. There was a high correspondence between growth rates determined by annuli scale interpretation and modal progression analysis. According to scale annuli interpretation, the individuals caught showed more than five age classes. However, there are doubts about age assignation from scales. Fork length of common dolphinfish was in the range of 76.5-103.0 cm. The length-weight relationships obtained for all the specimens caught was W=0.00095FL3.527 (r=0.96), while these relationships by sex were as follows: W=0.00398FL3.222 (r=0.94) and W=0.01656FL2.873 (r=0.91), for males and females respectively. Spawning probably takes place at the beginning of the Summer. All the individuals obtained showed developing gonads, although the GSI of females were higher than males. The highest GSI values were obtained in June (x- =5.50±2.17). In the same way, the condition index decreased from May to June. The proportion of females was always slightly higher than males (1:1.4), but the ratio was not significantly different from 1:1

El ave más valiosa del mundo (capítulo IV del libro "Bird islands of Perú")

Da una opinión valorativa, en base a fundamentos o criterios económicos, la importancia del Guanay, conocido en la ciencia como Phalacrocorax bouganvillei, en la producción del guano de isla y en el desarrollo económico del país, dándole el título de la ave más valiosa en el mundo.