Estimation of Genetic Divergence and Gene Flow between Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina

Allele frequencies at seven polymorphic loci controlling the synthesis of enzymes were analyzed in six populations of Culex pipiens L. and Cx. quinquefasciatus Say. Sampling sites were situated along a north-south line of about 2,000 km in Argentina. The predominant alleles at Mdh, Idh, Gpdh and Gpi loci presented similar frequencies in all the samples. Frequencies at the Pgm locus were similar for populations pairs sharing the same geographic area. The loci Cat and Hk-1 presented significant geographic variation. The latter showed a marked latitudinal cline, with a frequency for allele b ranging from 0.99 in the northernmost point to 0.04 in the southernmost one, a pattern that may be explained by natural selection (FST = 0.46; p < 0.0001) on heat sensitive alleles. The average value of FST (0.088) and Nm (61.12) indicated a high gene flow between adjacent populations. A high correlation was found between genetic and geographic distance (r = 0.83; p < 0.001). The highest genetic identity (IN = 0.988) corresponded to the geographically closest samples from the central area. In one of these localities Cx. quinquefasciatus was predominant and hybrid individuals were detected, while in the other, almost all the specimens were identified as Cx. pipiens. To verify the fertility between Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus from the northern- and southernmost populations, experimental crosses were performed. Viable egg rafts were obtained from both reciprocal crosses. Hatching ranged from 76.5 to 100%. The hybrid progenies were fertile through two subsequent generations

A checklist of arthropods associated with pig carrion and human corpses in Southeastern Brazil

Necrophagous insects, mainly Diptera and Coleoptera, are attracted to specific stages of carcass decomposition, in a process of faunistic succession. They are very important in estimating the postmortem interval, the time interval between the death and the discovery of the body. In studies done with pig carcasses exposed to natural conditions in an urban forest (Santa Genebra Reservation), located in Campinas, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, 4 out of 36 families of insects collected - Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae (Diptera) and Dermestidae (Coleoptera) - were considered of forensic importance, because several species were collected in large numbers both visiting and breeding in pig carcasses. Several species were also observed and collected on human corpses at the Institute of Legal Medicine. The species belonged to 17 different families, 6 being of forensic importance because they were reared from human corpses or pig carcasses: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Piophilidae (Diptera), Dermestidae, Silphidae and Cleridae (Coleoptera). The most important species were: Diptera - Chrysomya albiceps, Chrysomya putoria, Hemilucilia segmentaria, Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Calliphoridae), Pattonella intermutans (Sarcophagidae), Ophyra chalcogaster (Muscidae), Piophila casei (Piophilidae); Coleoptera - Dermestes maculatus (Dermestidae), Oxyletrum disciolle (Silphidae) and Necrobia rufipes (Cleridae).

Noves tecnologies per l'estudi de l'arqueologia de Patagònia (Amèrica del Sud)

The goal of this project was the historical study of Patagonia, the southernmost human settled area of the world. Our aim has been the anlysis of those societies to understand how they maintained their socioeconomic system, that is to say, how social reproduction allowed resolving the basic contradiction between production and reproduction, which is characteristic of all hunter-gatherer societies. New computational technologies have allowed a bettwer integration of the big amount and diversity of data needed. We have analyzed the historical evolution of inter-group and intra-group social relationships among nomad patagonian societies. We have compared different social answers in front of the radical change of their immediate reality produced by european colonization. We have exhaustively analyzed the results of archaeological excavations from diferent regions. We have also integrated information from anthropology, ethnohistory and geography. We are developing computing programs to integrate geographical actual data with paleoenvironmental data about the dynamic nature of soil formation, vegetation, hidrography, etc., with information about the history of productive action and how products were distributed among different human groups.

Papel de la Interleucina 6 (IL-6) en la regulación de la expresión de Osteopontina (OPN) y CD44 tras axotomía del nervio facial

Investigación producida a partir de una estancia en la University of Sidney, Australia, entre octubre del 2008 y enero del 2009. Se ha desarrollado el proyecto titulado "Papel de la interleucina 6 (IL6) en la regulación de la expresión de Osteopontina (OPN) y de CD44 tras axotomía del nervio facial". Tras efectuar una transección del nervio facial, se indujo una reactividad glial en el núcleo facial (NF) localizado en el tronco cerebral, utilizando ratones transgénicos que sobrexpresan IL6 bajo promotor GFAP (tg GFAP-IL6), es decir selectivamente en astrocitos. Se han utilizado técnicas histoquímicas e inmunohistoquímicas, así como también se ha completado el estudio utilizando análisis de RPA, western blotting y citometría de flujo para la identificación de poblaciones celulares. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la OPN se expresa constitutivamente en las neuronas del NF. Tras axotomía del nervio facial, la expresión de OPN y CD44 incrementa en los ratones WT, mientras que en los tg GFAP-IL6 disminuye significativamente, sugiriendo que la IL6 podría estar involucrada en la modulación de la expresión de ambas moléculas. Sin embargo, no se ha visto diferencias en otros receptores de OPN como la integrina Alpha-5. La ctometría de flujo corroboró algunos de los resultados histológicos sobre la reactividad microglial y permitió concluir que la proporción de microglía activada (CD11b+/CD45+mid) y macrófagos (CD11b+/CD45+high) que expresan CD44 incrementa en in los tg GFAP-IL6 versus WT donde la mayor parte de microglia activada mostraba un perfil CD11b+/CD45+low.

L’impacte de les institucions internacionals sobre la Unió Europea: presa de decisions, integració i europeïtzació

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada a la Center for European Integration de la Freie Universität Berlin, Alemania, entre 2007 i 2009. El tema central del projecte consisteix en la descripció matemàtica de processos espai-temporals mitjançant la teoria dels Continuous-Time Random Walks. L'aportació més significativa del nostre treball en aquest camp consisteix en considerar per primera vegada la interacció entre diversos processos actuant de manera acoblada, ja que fins ara els models existents es limitaven a l'estudi de processos individuals o independents. Aquesta idea fa possible, per exemple, plantejar un sistema de transport en l'espai i a la vegada un procés de reacció (una reacció química, per exemple), i estudiar estadísticament com cada un pot alterar el comportament de l'altre. Això suposa un salt qualitatiu important en la descripció de processos de reacció-dispersió, ja que els nostres models permeten incorporar patrons de dispersió i comportaments temporals (cicles de vida) força realistes en comparació amb els models convencionals. Per tal de completar aquest treball teòric ha estat necessari també desenvolupar algunes eines numèriques (models de xarxa) per facilitar la implementació dels models. En la vessant pràctica, hem aplicat aquestes idees al cas de la dinàmica entre virus i el sistema immunològic que té lloc quan es produeix una infecció a l'organisme. Diferents estudis experimentals portats a terme els últims anys mostren com la resposta immunològica dels organismes superiors presenta una dinàmica temporal força complexa (per exemple, en el cas de la resposta programada). Per aquest motiu, les nostres tècniques matemàtiques són d'especial utilitat per a l'anàlisi d'aquests sistemes. Finalment, altres possibles aplicacions dels models, com ara l'estudi d'invasions biològiques, també han estat considerades.

Freshwater snails and schistosomiasis mansoni in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: I - metropolitan mesoregion

In order to elaborate a planorbid chart of the State of Rio de Janeiro a survey of freshwater gastropods in the Metropolitan Mesoregion of this State was performed and revealed the occurrence of 20 species: Antillorbis nordestensis (Lucena, 1954); Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818); Biomphalaria schrammi (Crosse, 1864); Biomphalaria straminea (Dunker, 1848); Biomphalaria tenagophila (Orbigny, 1835); Burnupia sp.; Drepanotrema anatinum (Orbigny, 1835); Drepanotrema cimex (Moricand, 1839); Drepanotrema lucidum (Pfeiffer, 1839); Ferrissia sp.; Gundlachia ticaga (Marcus & Marcus, 1962); Heleobia davisi Silva & Thomé, 1985; Lymnaea columella Say, 1817; Melanoides tuberculatus (Müller, 1774); Physa cubensis Pfeiffer, 1839; Physa marmorata Guilding, 1828; Pomacea sp.; Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1822); Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827) and Pomacea sordida (Swainson, 1823). Among the planorbid species B. tenagophila was the most frequent, occurring in all municipalities surveyed. The present study extends the distribution of B. straminea in the State of Rio de Janeiro and reports new records for A. nordestensis, B. schrammi, G. ticaga, H. davisi and the genera Burnupia and Ferrissia. An account about the current transmission areas of schistosomiasis mansoni in this Mesoregion is presented as well.

A bird's eye survey of central american planorbid molluscs

In the course of two trips to Central America (June 1967 and JulyAugust 1976) I had the opportunity of collecting topotypic specimens of Planorbis nicaraguanus Morelet, 1849, anatomically defined in this paper, and of P. yzabalensis Crosse & Fischer, 1879, the identity of the latter with Drepanotrema anatinum (Orbigny, 1835) is confirmed. The following planorbid species were also found: Helisoma trivolvis (Say, 1817) in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Belize; H. duryi (Wetherby, 1879) in Costa Rica; Biomphalaria helophila (Orbigny, 1835) in Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador; B. kuhniana (Clessin, 1883) in Panama; B. obstructa (Morelet,1849) in Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador; B. straminea (Dunker, 1848) in Costa Rica; B. subprona (Martens, 1899) in Guatemala; D. anatinum (Orbigny,1835) in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica; D. depressissimum (Moricand,1839) in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; D. lucidum (Pfeiffer, 1839) in Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua; D. surinamense (Clessin, 1884) in Costa Rica and Panama; and Gyraulus percarinatus sp. n. in Panama. The occurrence of B. kuhniana and D. surinamense is first recorded in Central America, and Gyraulus percarinatus is the first representative of the genus provenly occurring in the American continent south of the United States. The following synonymy is proposed: Planorbis declivis Tate, 1870 = Biomphalaria helophila (Orbigny, 1835); Planorbis isthmicus Pilsbry, 1920 = Biomphalaria kuhniana (Clessin, 1883); Planorbis cannarum Morelet, 1849 and Segmentina donbilli Tristram, 1861 = Biomphalaria obstructa (Morelet, 1849); and Planorbis yzabalensis Crosse & Fischer, 1879 = Drepanotrema anatinum (Orbigny, 1835), confirming Aguayo (1933).

Ètica i política : llums i ombres

Aquest treball vol donar una resposta a preguntes com les següents: Per què la política no ha tingut (mai?) ni té gaire bona fama?; realment és incompatible la recerca, la consecució i l'exercici del poder amb els dictats de l'ètica?; què han dit alguns dels pensadors més rellevants sobre la presumptament difícil relació entre l'ètica i la política?

DCU per a la configurabilitat d'una estació de treball clínic

Gairebé un 50% dels metges de la sanitat catalana realitzen actualment les seves tasques assistencials en entorns SAP. Donada la naturalesa de la seva feina, és fàcil afirmar que les aplicacions que utilitzen habitualment haurien d'haver estat desenvolupades centrant l'atenció en l'usuari i el context en què aquest realitza la seva feina. Però degut a diversos motius organitzatius, això no ha estat així. Aquest projecte pretén demostrar el valor afegit que pot aportar el Disseny Centrat en l'Usuari en el desenvolupament d'aplicacions assistencials en l'àmbit SAP Sanitat. S'ha realitzat una investigació prèvia de les necessitats reals dels usuaris, un anàlisi del context d'ús i dels diferents perfils de usuari, s'ha desenvolupat un prototip amb la nova tecnologia que aporta SAP per al desenvolupament de interfícies tipus web integrades en el sistema (SAP Webdynpro for ABAP), i finalment s'ha realitzat la corresponent avaluació heurística i el test de usuaris. S'ha arribat principalment a tres conclusions: en primer lloc, ha sorprès la bona disposició dels usuaris metges per a participar en aquesta mena de projectes; en segon lloc, ha quedat demostrada la importància de l'anàlisi del context, així com la rellevància que el dissenyador estigui quan més a prop millor de l'usuari final; i finalment, cal destacar que la tecnologia emprada ha limitat qualitativament diverses opcions de disseny.

Planorbidae, Lymnaeidae and Physidae of Peru (Mollusca: Basommatophora)

In the course of several trips to Peru I had the opportunity of collecting topotypic specimens of Biomphalaria andecola (Orbigny, 1835), B. helophila (Orbigny, 1835), B. pucaraensis (Preston, 1909), Drepanotrema limayanum (Lesson, 1830), D. kermatoides (Orbigny, 1835), and Lymnaea viatrix Orbigny, 1835, besides B. tenagophila (Orbigny, 1835), Helisoma trivolvis (Say, 1817), H. duryi (Wetherby, 1879), Physa acuta Draparnaud, 1801, and seemingly P. peruviana Gray, 1828. B. pucaraensis is considered a junior synonym of B. peregrina (Orbigny, 1835).

Poots launches £18m state-of-the-art Telemonitoring NI service

Health Minister Edwin Poots today marked the roll-out of a ground-breaking hi-tech scheme which will enable more patients to monitor their health in their own homes. Following funding of £18m from the Department of Health, the newly named Centre for Connected Health and Social Care (CCHSC), part of the Public Health Agency, worked in partnership with business consortium TF3to establish the innovative Telemonitoring NI service. The service is now being delivered by the TF3 consortium in partnership with the Health and Social Care Trusts.Remote telemonitoring combines technology and services that enable patients with chronic diseases to test their vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure, body weight, temperature, blood glucose and oxygen levels at home on a daily basis. The service will now be rolled out to 3,500 patients across Northern Ireland per annum for a period of six years.Mr Poots today visited the home of Larne pensioner Michael Howard who has Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disorder (COPD) to hear how Telemonitoring NI has changed his life.During the visit Mr Poots said: "Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and COPD affect around three quarters of people over the age of 75. This is the generation from whom transport and mobility pose the biggest problems. The Telemonitoring NI service will allow thousands to monitor their vital signs without having to leave their own homes."It means that patients are able to understand and manage their condition better. Many say it has improved their confidence and given them peace of mind. With a health professional monitoring each patient's health on a daily basis, there is less need for hospital admission. Carers are also better informed with the pro-active support provided. It means earlier intervention in, and the prevention of, deterioration of condition, acute illness and hospital admissions."Telemonitoring NI is an excellent example of how the Health Service can innovateusing modern technology to deliver a better service for our patients."Eddie Ritson, Programme Director of CCHSC, PHA, said: "The roll-out of Telemonitoring NI represents a significant step towards providing quality care for the growing number of people with heart disease, stroke, some respiratory conditions and diabetes who want to live at home while having their conditions safely managed."This new service will give people more information which combined with timely advice will enable patients to gain more control over their health while supporting them to live independently in their own homes for longer."A patient will take their vital sign measurements at home, usually on a daily basis. and these will automatically be transmited to the Tf3 system. The resulting readings are monitored centrally by a healthcare professional working in the Tf3 triage team. If the patient's readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, they will be contacted by phone by a nurse working in a central team and if appropriate a healthcare professional in the patient's local Trust will be alerted to enable them to take appropriate action."Families and carers will also benefit from the reassurance that chronic health conditions are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis. The information collected through the service can also be used by doctors, nurses and patients in making decisions on how individual cases should be managed. "Using the service, Mr Howard, 71, who has emphysema - a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath - monitors his vital signs using the new technology every weekday morning. The information is monitored centrally and if readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, Mr Howard's local healthcare professional is alerted."Taking my readings is such a simple process but one that gives me huge benefits as it is an early warning system to me and also for the specialist nurses in charge of my care. Without the remote telemonitoring I would be running back and forward to the GPs' surgery all the time to have things checked out," he explained."Having my signs monitored by a nurse means any changes in my condition are dealt with immediately and this has prevented me from being admitted to hospital - in the past I've had to spend six days in hospital any time I'm admitted with a chest infection."The telemonitoring is not only reassuring for me, it also gives me more control over managing my own condition and as a result I have less upheaval in my life, and I'm less of a cost to the health care system. Most importantly, it gives me peace of mind and one less thing to worry about at my age."Patients seeking further information about the new telemonitoring service should contact their healthcare professional.

Lean meat

While it's handy to pick up some chicken nuggets or sausages to pop under the grill, these meats often contain more fat and salt than the fresh cuts. Lean meat on the other hand can be just as easy, as well as a bit of a hero round the kitchen. Apart from being lower in fat and salt, it's also high in vitamins and minerals, especially iron. A regular ‘superfood’, you could say.

Being Recognizable in Order to Overcome the Crisis: The Ambivalence of Islamis Actor's Struggle for Visibility in France and Switzerland

Since the 1990s, and especially since the early 2000s, passionate controversies (Göle 2014) have emerged around the new visibility of Islam in the public sphere across Europe. These controversies, which crystallized in the headscarf debate, seem even more disturbing given that women who wear it are often young, urban and educated: that is to say, "modern" (Göle 1997, 2011). Indeed, these young women wearing the hijab seem to disrupt the narrative of Western modernity, including the decline in religious practice (Hervieu-Léger 2006) or the narration of the process of secularization in Europe. It is in the context of these controversies that Islam is built imaginatively as a "public problem" that has to be "solved" (Behloul 2012). Thus, this social construction of the Muslim other has nurtured an assessment of the failure of multiculturalism in some European countries and a process of convergence around a single model of civic integration in Europe (Behloul 2012, Joppke 2004, 2010).

Planorbidae, Lymnaeidae and Physidae of Ecuador (Mollusca: Basommatophora)

In the course of a trip to Ecuador I had the opportunity of collecting topotypic specimens of the following nominal species of pulmonate molluscs: Biomphalaria cousini Paraense, 1966; Planorbis equatorius Cousin, 1887; P. canonicus Cousin, 1887; Lymnaea cousini Jousseaume, 1887 and P. boetzkesi Miller, 1879. Additional findings were: Helisoma trivolvis (Say, 1817), Biomphalaria peregrina (Orbigny 1835), Drepanotrema anatinum (Orbigny, 1835), D. kermatoides (Orbigny, 1835), D. lucidum (Pfeiffer, 1839), D. surinamense (Clessin, 1884), Lymnaea columella Say, 1817 and Physa acuta Draparnaud, 1805. P. boetzkesi and P. canonicus are considered junior synonyms of Gyraulus hindsianus (Dunker, 1848) and Biomphalaria peregrina (Orbigny, 1835), respectively.

Consumer Focused Review of Fruit and Vegetables

This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. It focuses on ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit and vegetables which are consumed raw, whether whole or prepared, and includes products packaged under vacuum or in a modified atmosphere that have not undergone any treatment (chemical, physical or biological) to ensure preservation, other than chilling. The key finding was that 75% of Irish consumers are now able to identify that they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but only a third (36%) of consumers say they are doing so. The average intake of fruit and vegetables is currently less than half that recommended, at 2.4 portions per day. Issues to do with cost, shelf life, preparation time and habit were seen by consumers as barriers to buying and consuming more fruit and vegetables. his review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. - See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Consumer-Focused-Review-of-Fruit-and-Vegetables.aspx#sthash.T98zN2UU.dpuf This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. It focuses on ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit and vegetables which are consumed raw, whether whole or prepared, and includes products packaged under vacuum or in a modified atmosphere that have not undergone any treatment (chemical, physical or biological) to ensure preservation, other than chilling. The key finding was that 75% of Irish consumers are now able to identify that they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but only a third (36%) of consumers say they are doing so. The average intake of fruit and vegetables is currently less than half that recommended, at 2.4 portions per day. Issues to do with cost, shelf life, preparation time and habit were seen by consumers as barriers to buying and consuming more fruit and vegetables. This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. It focuses on ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit and vegetables which are consumed raw, whether whole or prepared, and includes products packaged under vacuum or in a modified atmosphere that have not undergone any treatment (chemical, physical or biological) to ensure preservation, other than chilling. The key finding was that 75% of Irish consumers are now able to identify that they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but only a third (36%) of consumers say they are doing so. The average intake of fruit and vegetables is currently less than half that recommended, at 2.4 portions per day. Issues to do with cost, shelf life, preparation time and habit were seen by consumers as barriers to buying and consuming more fruit and vegetables. - See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Consumer-Focused-Review-of-Fruit-and-Vegetables.aspx#sthash.T98zN2UU.dpuf This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. It focuses on ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit and vegetables which are consumed raw, whether whole or prepared, and includes products packaged under vacuum or in a modified atmosphere that have not undergone any treatment (chemical, physical or biological) to ensure preservation, other than chilling. The key finding was that 75% of Irish consumers are now able to identify that they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but only a third (36%) of consumers say they are doing so. The average intake of fruit and vegetables is currently less than half that recommended, at 2.4 portions per day. Issues to do with cost, shelf life, preparation time and habit were seen by consumers as barriers to buying and consuming more fruit and vegetables. - See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Consumer-Focused-Review-of-Fruit-and-Vegetables.aspx#sthash.T98zN2UU.dpuf This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. It focuses on ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit and vegetables which are consumed raw, whether whole or prepared, and includes products packaged under vacuum or in a modified atmosphere that have not undergone any treatment (chemical, physical or biological) to ensure preservation, other than chilling. The key finding was that 75% of Irish consumers are now able to identify that they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but only a third (36%) of consumers say they are doing so. The average intake of fruit and vegetables is currently less than half that recommended, at 2.4 portions per day. Issues to do with cost, shelf life, preparation time and habit were seen by consumers as barriers to buying and consuming more fruit and vegetables. - See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Consumer-Focused-Review-of-Fruit-and-Vegetables.aspx#sthash.T98zN2UU.dpuf This review provides an update on the fruit and vegetable review conducted in 2007. It collates and considers the information available – academic, regulatory, public health – on the health and food safety implications of fruit and vegetables. - See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Research-reports/Consumer-Focused-Review-of-Fruit-and-Vegetables.aspx#sthash.T98zN2UU.dpuf