The microps group of Lutzomyia França with descriptions of two new species from South America (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Six species of phlebotomine sand flies in the genus Lutzomyia França from South America are included in the newly-created species group microps. References and illustrations of the species are given, including descriptions of two new forms - L. nematoducta n.sp., male and female from northern Brazil, and l. preclara n.sp. male from Colombia and Peru. The males in the species group microps are keyed.

First report of Ascarophis Van Beneden, 1871: A. Brasiliensis n.sp. (Nematoda, Ascarophidinae) and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) Pereira/Annereaux, 1946 (Nematoda, Procamallaninae) in South America

Ascarophis brasiliensis recovered from the stomach of Trachinotus carolinus (L. 1766), is proposed as a new species and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pereirai Annereaux, 1946 is redescribed from a new host: Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steind., 1875). A. brasiliensis is more closely related to A. crassicolis Dollfus & Campana-Rouget, 1956, from which it differs mainly by the absence of cervical cuticular expansion and size of the eggs. The new species is also compared to A. cooperi johnston & Mawson, 1945 and A. girellae (Yamaguti, 1935) Campana-rouget, 1955. The validity of the proposed species is discussed.

Description of Lutzomyia (Coromyia) disneyi, n. sp. (Diptera: Psychodidae-Phlebotominae) from Belize, Central America

The commonest sand fly in limestone caves in Belize, Central America, previously, referred to as Lutzomyia beltrani (Belize form), is described as Lutzomyia (Coromyia) disneyi n. sp.

Hispanic population in the USA: the opportunity to create a shared brand

El tema d’aquest treball de recerca ha nascut gràcies a l’experiència viscuda a Carolina del Sud (EEUU) com estudiant i treballador. És un fet que la població hispana als Estats Units és cada cop mes important, el que ha provocat un canvi en la mentalitat de les empreses del lloc. S’han adonat que no és suficient amb seguir l’estratègia de comunicació que tenien anteriorment, i ara han de fer mes cas a un nou públic objectiu. Saber com han de fer-ho es la fita d’aquest treball.

Creation of an Age-Adjusted, Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry-Derived Trabecular Bone Score Curve for the Lumbar Spine in Non-Hispanic US White Women.

The trabecular bone score (TBS, Med-Imaps, Pessac, France) is an index of bone microarchitecture texture extracted from anteroposterior dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images of the spine. Previous studies have documented the ability of TBS of the spine to differentiate between women with and without fractures among age- and areal bone mineral density (aBMD)-matched controls, as well as to predict future fractures. In this cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 3 geographically dispersed facilities in the United States, we investigated age-related changes in the microarchitecture of lumbar vertebrae as assessed by TBS in a cohort of non-Hispanic US white American women. All subjects were 30 yr of age and older and had an L1-L4aBMDZ-score within ±2 SD of the population mean. Individuals were excluded if they had fractures, were on any osteoporosis treatment, or had any illness that would be expected to impact bone metabolism. All data were extracted from Prodigy dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry devices (GE-Lunar, Madison, WI). Cross-calibrations between the 3 participating centers were performed for TBS and aBMD. aBMD and TBS were evaluated for spine L1-L4 but also for all other possible vertebral combinations. To validate the cohort, a comparison between the aBMD normative data of our cohort and US non-Hispanic white Lunar data provided by the manufacturer was performed. A database of 619 non-Hispanic US white women, ages 30-90 yr, was created. aBMD normative data obtained from this cohort were not statistically different from the non-Hispanic US white Lunar normative data provided by the manufacturer (p = 0.30). This outcome thereby indirectly validates our cohort. TBS values at L1-L4 were weakly inversely correlated with body mass index (r = -0.17) and weight (r = -0.16) and not correlated with height. TBS values for all lumbar vertebral combinations decreased significantly with age. There was a linear decrease of 16.0% (-2.47 T-score) in TBS at L1-L4 between 45 and 90 yr of age (vs. -2.34 for aBMD). Microarchitectural loss rate increased after age 65 by 50% (-0.004 to -0.006). Similar results were obtained for other combinations of lumbar vertebra. TBS, an index of bone microarchitectural texture, decreases with advancing age in non-Hispanic US white women. Little change in TBS is observed between ages 30 and 45. Thereafter, a progressive decrease is observed with advancing age. The changes we observed in these American women are similar to that previously reported for a French population of white women (r(2) > 0.99). This reference database will facilitate the use of TBS to assess bone microarchitectural deterioration in clinical practice.

Biomphalaria kuhniana (Clessin, 1883), planorbid mollusc from South America

The validity of Biomphalaria kuhniana (Clessin, 1883) is confirmed through morphological study of specimens from Surinam (type locality) and the area of Tucurui (Tocantins river, state of Pará, Brazil) in comparison with B. straminea (Dunker, 1848), and throught crossing experiments which revealed complete reproductive isolation between the two species. The full-grown shell of kuhniana is smaller (about 7.5 mm) than that of straminea (11 mm to 16.5 mm). Anatomically they differ in the degree of corrugation of the vaginal wall (little developed in kuhniana, conspicuous in straminea), number and shape of prostatic diverticula (kuhniana 4 to 9, shorter and less branched; straminea 9 to 18, longer and more branched),number of muscle layers at the middle of the penis (two in kuhniana, three in straminea), distal segment of the spermiduct usually straight or slightly wavy in kuhniana, more or less curly in straminea. Differences between B. kuhniana and B. intermedia (paraense & Deslandes, 1962) are less marked. The latter has a shell up to about 12 mm in diameter, 7 to 15 prostatic diverticula, two muscle layers at the middle of the penis, and a vaginal wall with a combination of a more or less developed corrugation (or sometimes a mere swelling) on the left of the spermathecal duct and a rudimentary pouch on the right of the duct. A Biomphalaria straminea complex is proposed to include that species as well as B. kuhniana and B. intermedia.

Filariopsis barretoi (travassos, 1921) (Nematoda: metastrongyloidea) lung parasite of primates from South America - taxonomy, synonyms and pathology

Nematodes and fragments of lungs from Cebus ssp., Callithrix jacchus (l.) and Saimiri sciureus (L.) were studied. The worms from Cebus and Callithrix must be called Filariopsis barretoi (Travassos, 1921). The names Filariopsis arator Chandler, 1931 and Filaroides cebi Gebauer, 1933 are synonymized to F. barretoi. The status of Filariopsis gordius (Travassos, 1921) remains uncertain. The pathology is described. The parasites are located in the pulmonary paranchyma, near the pleural surface, constituting nodules.

Biosyslematics and distribution of Simuliid vectors of human onchocerciasis in South America

A brief review is given of the taxonomic status, biology and medical importance, and distribution of the vectors of human onchocerciasis in Latin America. Key reference works are cited and distribution maps of each vector species in relation to the known onchocerciasis foci are given.

The genus lobatostoma (Trematoda: Aspidocotylea) in the pacific coast of South America, with description of Lobatostoma veranoi new species, parasite of Menticirrhus ophycephalus (Teleostei: Sciaenidae)

The presence of three aspidocotyleans trematodes in marine fishes from Perú and Chile is reported. One of them, Lobatostoma veranoi from the intestine of Menticirrhus ophicephalu (Sciaenidae) is considered a new species. Distinct characteristcs of the new species are:a cirrus sac smaller than the pharynx; tail overlapping posteriorly the ventral disk; testis in the last third of the body and the presence of 64-66 marginal alveoli. The two other species are Lobatostoma pacificum Manter, 1940 found in Trachinotus paitensis Cuvier, 1830 from Perú and Chile and Lobatostoma Anisotremum Oliva & Carvajal, 1984 from the intestine of Anisotremus scapularis (Tschudi, 1844) from Perú.

Genome-wide patterns of latitudinal differentiation among populations of Drosophila melanogaster from North America.

Understanding the genetic underpinnings of adaptive change is a fundamental but largely unresolved problem in evolutionary biology. Drosophila melanogaster, an ancestrally tropical insect that has spread to temperate regions and become cosmopolitan, offers a powerful opportunity for identifying the molecular polymorphisms underlying clinal adaptation. Here, we use genome-wide next-generation sequencing of DNA pools ('pool-seq') from three populations collected along the North American east coast to examine patterns of latitudinal differentiation. Comparing the genomes of these populations is particularly interesting since they exhibit clinal variation in a number of important life history traits. We find extensive latitudinal differentiation, with many of the most strongly differentiated genes involved in major functional pathways such as the insulin/TOR, ecdysone, torso, EGFR, TGFβ/BMP, JAK/STAT, immunity and circadian rhythm pathways. We observe particularly strong differentiation on chromosome 3R, especially within the cosmopolitan inversion In(3R)Payne, which contains a large number of clinally varying genes. While much of the differentiation might be driven by clinal differences in the frequency of In(3R)P, we also identify genes that are likely independent of this inversion. Our results provide genome-wide evidence consistent with pervasive spatially variable selection acting on numerous loci and pathways along the well-known North American cline, with many candidates implicated in life history regulation and exhibiting parallel differentiation along the previously investigated Australian cline.

Two new species of Crawfordia Pierce from South America, (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae)

Several stylopized specimens were found among the Hymenoptera collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). A paper by Kogan & Oliveira (1966) described the parasites of Polybia represented among those specimens. I describe herein the first neotropical species of the genus Crawfordia parasitizing species of Psaenithia (Andrenidae, Panurgini). The presence of vestigial thoracic segmentation of the female cephalothorax is a peculiar trait of this genus of Strepsiptera. Triungulinids are described in detail for the first time in this genus.

Social Housing Policies in Latin America and Singapore: Lessons for China

This paper addresses the challenges facing China in accelerating the pace of rural-urban migration as part of its on-going economic development programme. It explains the push and pull influences on migration and in particular explains why a continuing focus on urbanisation is justified by the very large gap between rural and urban incomes and the relatively higher income elasticity of demand for urban-based goods and services. The provision of affordable housing is an integral part of this structural shift programme. The paper thus considers the most appropriate ways in which housing finance can be mobilised, and thence how both the quality and the affordability of the housing stock can be increased. Positive and negative lessons for China are offered from the different urbanisation experiences of Latin America (especially Colombia) and Singapore.

The Impact of democratization: a preliminary investigation on social policies and political violence in Latin America

The recent strides of democracy in Latin America have been associated to conflicting outcomes. The expectation that democracy would bring about peace and prosperity have been only partly satisfied. While political violence has been by and large eradicated from the sub-continent, poverty and social injustice still prevail and hold sway. Our study argues that democracy matters for inequality through the growing strength of center left and left parties and by making political leaders in general more responsive to the underprivileged. Furthermore, although the pension reforms recently enacted in the region generated overall regressive outcomes on income distribution, democratic countries still benefit from their political past: where democratic tradition was stronger, such outcomes have been milder. Democratic tradition and the specific ideological connotations of the parties in power, on the other hand, did not play an equally crucial role in securing lower levels of political violence: during the last wave of democratizations in Latin America, domestic peace was rather an outcome of political and social concessions to those in distress. In sum, together with other factors and especially economic ones, the reason why recent democratizations have provided domestic peace in most cases, but have been unable so far to solve the problem of poverty and inequality, is that democratic traditions in the subcontinent have been relatively weak and, more specifically, that this weakness has undermined the growth of left and progressive parties, acting as an obstacle to redistribution. Such weakness, on the other hand, has not prevented the drastic reduction of domestic political violence, since what mattered in this case was a combination of symbolic or material concessions and political agreements among powerful élites and counter-élites.