Description of Lutzomyia bianchigalatiae n. sp. a sand fly within the subgenus Pintomyia Costa Lima 1932 (Diptera; Psychodidae)

A new sand fly species is described based on males collected in Bananal, municipality of Mariana and the female from Sabará city, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Taxonomic remarks, geographic distribution and the description of new species are presented. The name Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) bianchigalatiae is in honour of Dr Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati, friend and researcher at the Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo.

IPH response to NI Health and Social Care Board 'Tranforming Your Care' consultation

The 'Transforming Your Care (TYC)' consultation relates to proposals for changes in the delivery of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland in the context of the TYC report published in December 2011. TYC is about making changes to ensure safe, high quality and sustainable services for patients, service users and staff. TYC sets out proposals in respect of how health and social services will need to adapt and be organised to best meet the needs associated with population ageing, increasing long-term conditions and other challenges. Key points from IPH response include: IPH welcomes the HSC commitment to transform health and social care services to meet Northern Ireland’s changing population health needs Inequalities are a dominant feature of health service utilisation patterns in Northern Ireland – for example hospital admission rates for self-harm and alcohol-related admissions in the most deprived areas are double the regional figure. IPH recommends that

IPH response to Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency Community Development Strategy

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and the Public Health Agency (PHA) launched a new Community Development Strategy for public consultation.  The HSCB and PHA want to see strong, resilient communities where everyone has good health and wellbeing, places where people look out for each other and have community pride in where they live. The HSCB and PHA seek a number of benefits from implementing this strategy including; a reduction in health and wellbeing inequalities, which also means addressing the social factors that affect health; strengthening partnership working with service users, the community and voluntary sectors and other organisations; strengthening families and communities; supporting volunteering and making best use of our resources. Key points from the IPH summary include IPH welcome the Community Development Strategy as an approach to enhance health and wellbeing and tackle health inequalities in Northern Ireland.   IPH recommend the current three strategy documents (Full and summary versions and the Performance Management Framework) are merged into one document for greater clarity. Reference to the Performance Management Framework is required in the main body of the text is to ensure good practice is implemented. IPH welcome the focus on tackling health inequalities using community development approaches however the contribution of community development approaches needs to be highlighted. HIA is a tool to support community engagement and provides a mechanism for HSCB and PHA to support the implementation of this strategy.

La participación social como método de conservación. Estudio de caso en el área de conservación arenal Huetar norte de Costa Rica

El presente estudio se realiza con la intención de contribuir a establecer las bases para una buena gestión del territorio en el Área de conservación arenal Huetar norte de Costa Rica mediante la participación social; garantizando la conservación del capital natural y el desarrollo económico, social y ambientalmente sostenible. Para ello, se ha colaborado en la formación del Consejo Local del Corredor Biológico Ruta Los Malécu-Medio Queso (CL CBRLM-MQ) y del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro (RNVSCN), formado por una coalición social que tendrá el objetivo de gestionar su propio territorio. Con la intención de capacitar a los integrantes de este consejo, y a los pobladores de la Zona Norte de Costa Rica en general, y orientarlos hacia la buena gestión de los recursos naturales, se ha realizado un análisis detallado sobre su percepción sobre los Servicios Ecosistémicos de la región. El resultado de este proyecto, es un manual de educación y comunicación ambiental sobre los servicios ecosistémicos de la Zona Norte para el educador/a. Con este manual se pretende capacitar a los pobladores sobre el valor de los SE, todo con la finalidad de promover cambios de actitudes y de conductas que fomenten una relación respetuosa con la naturaleza para alcanzar el desarrollo sostenible de la región y de esta manera mejorar la calidad de vida de los habitantes de esta zona.

Análisis de la dimensión ambiental de la tenencia de la tierra. El caso de la Zona Protectora y Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio de Costa Rica

El presente estudio consiste en la elaboración de un mapa del estado de tenencia de la tierra actual de la Zona Protectora y Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio situado al norte de Costa Rica. A partir de este resultado cartográfico se efectuarán estudios referentes al estado legal de las propiedades, al tipo de propiedad, a la ubicación de las propiedades dentro del Área Silvestre Protegida y al evalúo de los conflictos legales dentro de ésta. Por otro lado, se analiza la cobertura de la tierra y el estado de conservación. La metodología utilizada se basa en el uso de Sistemas de Información Geográfica y en la verificación de la información mediante puntos GPS tomados al campo y su análisis en la oficina. Los resultados muestran una reubicación de los planos más precisa y real que la indicada por el Catastro Nacional. Aunque las propiedades privadas son mayoritarias, el área de estudio presenta en general un porcentaje alto de masa boscosa, mientras que en las zonas limítrofes se encuentra una fragmentación del hábitat determinada por herbazales. Este estudio contribuye a una mejor gestión y conservación del Área Protegida y es un avance en el ordenamiento territorial del país.

Description of Eimeria motelo sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the yellow footed tortoise, Geochelone denticulata (Chelonia: Testudinidae), and replacement of Eimeria carinii Lainson, Costa & Shaw, 1990 by Eimeria lainsoni nom. nov.

Eimeria motelo sp. n. is described from faeces of the yellow-footed tortoise, Geochelone denticulata (L.). Oocysts are irregularly ellipsoidal or cylindrical, with slightly expressed lobed protrusions and irregularities at the poles, possibly caused by wrinkling of the oocyst wall, 17 (15-19) × 9.4 (8.5-11) µm, shape index (length/width) being 1.81 (1.45-2). The oocyst wall is smooth, single-layered, 0.5 µm thick with no micropyle. There are no polar bodies. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 8.9 (7.5-10) × 4.4 (4-5) µm, shape index 2.03 (1.7-2.5). A sporocyst residuum is present, composed of many granules of irregular size. The sporozoites are elongate, lying lengthwise in the sporocysts. Comparison with other species of the genus Eimeria parasitising members of family Testudinidae indicates that the presently described coccidium represents a new species. The name of Eimeria carinii Lainson, Costa & Shaw, 1990 is found to be preoccupied by a homonym, Eimeria carinii Pinto 1928 given to a coccidium from Rattus norvegicus. Therefore, it is replaced by Eimeria lainsoni nom. nov.

Neopolystoma fentoni n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) a parasite of the conjunctival sac of freshwater turtles in Costa Rica

Neopolystoma fentoni n. sp. is described from the conjunctival sac of Kinosternon leucostomum (Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril 1851) and Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima (Gray 1855) from the Guanacaste Conservation Area in Costa Rica. The new species differs from all other species of Neopolystoma, except N. elizabethae Platt 2000 in possessing a circle of eight genital spines that are recurved and possess a crescent-shaped base. N. fentoni n. sp. differs from N. elizabethae in lacking cecal diverticula and in a number of morphometric criteria.

The Implamentation and Evaluation of a Framework Supporting Effective First Contact Care across the Southern Health & Social Services Board (PDF 278 KB)

Interim report on the Southern Health and Social Services Board's Community Nursing Strategy Pilot Project

Evidence of colonization of man-made ecotopes by Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) in Costa Rica

Triatoma dimidiata adults have been frequently found, during the last five years, in a dog kennel and a chicken coop, in the back yard of a well-built house, 15 km from San José, the capital of Costa Rica. In the chicken coop nymphs were also found. Two of the 11 dogs from the kennel were serologically positive for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The inhabitants of the house, three adults and two children, were negative. This type of colonization by the insect, which is attracted to lights, is becoming common in old and new settlements, with different degrees of success, a fact with epidemiological implications and great relevance in the control strategies that can be applied.

Entomological and ecological aspects of six sylvatic species of triatomines (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) from the collection of the National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica, Central America

A total of 797 specimens of wild adult triatomines, belonging to six species from the entomological collections of the Costa Rican National Biodiversity Institute, was studied from the standpoint of their relative abundance, as reflected by light traps, distribution in the country, seasonal variations and climatic and altitudinal preferences. Triatoma dimidiata was the most abundant species (32.9% of the total specimens), with a very extensive distribution in different ecological zones, being more common between 100 to 400 m above sea level mainly at the end of the dry season. T. dispar was the third in frequency (21.5%), with narrower distribution, more abundant between 600 to 800 m and scarce during the dry season. Panstrongylus geniculatus and P. rufotuberculatus, second and fourth in frequency (22.1% and 15.1%, respectively), were widely distributed on both the Pacific and Caribbean basins, the former being more common between 80 to 270 m all year round and the latter below 800 m mainly during the first semester. Eratyrus cuspidatus which represented only 4.9% of the insects, was also present on both basins mainly below 200 m with a tendency to be scarce during certain months of the year, and was found in all types of ecological zones. Finally, Rhodnius pallescens, the least abundant species (3.6%) was restricted to very humid areas below 20 m, on the north side and Caribbean basin. With the exception of R. pallescens, males were more commonly found than females. Some epidemiological implications related to the six species are discussed.

Characteristics of the bological cycle of Lutzomyia evandroi Costa Lima & Antunes, 1936 (Diptera: Psychodidae) under experimental conditions

Lutzomyia evandroi Costa Lima and Antunes, 1936 is found in Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, in areas of visceral and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and follows the same geographic distribution of L. longipalpis. The biological cycle, oviposition, morphological and behavioral characteristics of the species were studied under experimental conditions. The average number of eggs per wild caught female varied from 21 to 50 eggs along the year, with a peak occurring between January and March and another in August, with oviposition lasting for 4 to 12 days. The mean larval phase was 24 days. Ovipositing rates were influenced by rainfall and temperature indexes, with an increase of eggs per oviposition at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season, and a decrease at the peak of the rainy season.

Les ciutats turístiques, les noves ciutats. Anàlisi de l'evolució del model turístic en destinacions de litoral madures a partir de l'anàlisi de paràmetres urbanístics

La beca concedida ha anat destinada a desenvolupar la tesi doctoral que duu per nom "Les ciutats turístiques, les noves ciutats. Anàlisi de l'evolució del model turístic en destinacions de litoral madures a partir de l'anàlisi de paràmetres urbanístics". L’àrea d’estudi comprèn els municipis de Cambrils, Salou i La Pineda (Vila-seca) que conformen la Costa Daurada central, destinació madura de litoral mediterrani, que basa el seu desenvolupament d’acord el model turístic de sol i platja. Arribats en aquest punt de finalització de la beca, cal destacar que s’ha complert amb l'objectiu d'analitzar el procés de transformació de les ciutats turístiques, tot establint com el turisme litoral mediterrani s'ha convertit en un factor de creació de ciutat. Així mateix també s'han complert els objectius específics tals com: analitzar l'evolució de les destinacions turístiques consolidades del litoral mediterrani, recopilar informació per a la creació d'índexs i eines que serveixin per l'anàlisi del procés de tranformació de les ciutats turístiques a ciutats tradicionals a partir del tractament dels plans parcials, recopilar i analitzar les polítiques de planificació que han condicionat l'area d'estudi, modelitzar el procés de construcció de l'espai turístic a partir de l'establiment d'unes unitats bàsiques en la descripció i anàlisi territorial i paisatgístic, i crear un SIG per culminar el procés d'anàlisi tot creant una base de dades i la representació dels resultats en cartogradia temàtica. Pel que fa al disseny i l’execució de la metodologia, es poden considerar dos vessants, una vessant més qualitativa i una altra més quantitativa per al tractament de la informació recopilada. Igualment la generació de cartografia específica completa el procés amb la producció de cartografia específica, tal i com es desenvolupa en la present memòria. La tesi parteix del guió que contempla: un prier capítol d'introducció, un segon dedicat al marc teòric, un tercer apartat on s'exposaran les hipòtesis de les quals es parteix, i un quart dedicat a la metodologia. Pren especial importància l'apartat dedicat a l’ànalisi, així com el dedicat a la discussió dels resultats obtinguts, que es desenvoluparà en el sisè apartat. Per últim resta destacar el setè apartat dedicat a les conclusions a les que s'ha arribat.