Escovopsis trichodermoides sp nov., isolated from a nest of the lower attine ant Mycocepurus goeldii

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A new species of Obtusitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from South America

Obtusitermes Snyder is a genus endemic to the Neotropics, restricted to northern South America and southern Central America. Obtusitermes panamae Snyder was described from Quipo, Panama. Herein, we describe Obtusitermes formosulus, n. sp., from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, based on the dimorphic soldier and polymorphic worker. These descriptions provide strong evidence that Parvitermes bacchanalis Mathews should not be included in Obtusitermes.

Novos táxons de Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) das Américas Central e do Sul

Novos táxons descritos: em Cerambycinae, Bomarion caudatum sp. nov., da Bolívia (Ectenessini); Nephalius levigatus sp. nov., do Brasil, Paraíba (Elaphidiini); Bothriospila pulcherrima sp. nov., do Brasil, Bahia (Bothriospilini); Cycnidolon rufescens sp. nov., do Brasil, Paraíba (Neoibidionini). Em Lamiinae: Cicatricallia gen. nov., espécie-tipo: C. cicatricosa sp. nov. de Trindade e Tobago (Calliini); Mimasyngenes clarkei sp. nov., de Trinidad e Tobago e Mimasyngenes fonticulus sp. nov., do Brasil, Piauí; Ibypeba gen. nov., espécie-tipo: I. camiri sp. nov., da Bolívia; Micratelodesmis gen. nov., espécie-tipo: M. minor sp. nov. (Desmiphorini); Lycidola affinis sp. nov. de Trinidad e Tobago (Hemilophini). Novos registros: Lycidola beltii Bates, 1872 para a Costa Rica e Alampyris fuscus Martins & Galileo, 2008 para o Panamá (Hemilophini).

Experimental infection of suckling mice by subcutaneous inoculation with Oropouche virus

Oropouche virus, of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus, serogroup Simbu, is an important causative agent of arboviral febrile illness in Brazil. An estimated 500,000 cases of Oropouche fever have occurred in Brazil in the last 30 years, with recorded cases also in Panama, Peru, Suriname and Trinidad. We have developed an experimental model of Oropouche virus infection in neonatal BALB/c mouse by subcutaneous inoculation. The vast majority of infected animals developed disease on the 5th day post infection, characterized mainly by lethargy and paralysis, progressing to death within 10 days. Viral replication was documented in brain cells by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and virus titration. Multi-step immunohistochemistry indicated neurons as the main target cells of OROV infection. Histopathology revealed glial reaction and astrocyte activation in the brain and spinal cord, with neuronal apoptosis. Spleen hyperplasia and mild meningitis were also found, without viable virus detected in liver and spleen. This is the first report of an experimental mouse model of OROV infection, with severe involvement of the central nervous system, and should become useful in pathogenesis studies, as well as in preclinical testing of therapeutic interventions for this emerging pathogen. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Duas espécies de Onciderini (Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) do Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelas

Hypsioma brabanti sp. nov. de Trinidad and Tobagoé descrita e ilustrada. Novo registro (Trinidad and Tobago) para Leus ramuli (Bates, 1865) é apresentado.

Systematics of the Oswaldoi Complex (Anopheles, Nyssorhynchus) in South America

Abstract Background Effective malaria control relies on accurate identification of those Anopheles mosquitoes responsible for the transmission of Plasmodium parasites. Anopheles oswaldoi s.l. has been incriminated as a malaria vector in Colombia and some localities in Brazil, but not ubiquitously throughout its Neotropical range. This evidence together with variable morphological characters and genetic differences supports that An. oswaldoi s.l. compromises a species complex. The recent fully integrated redescription of An. oswaldoi s.s. provides a solid taxonomic foundation from which to molecularly determine other members of the complex. Methods DNA sequences of the Second Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS2 - rDNA) (n = 192) and the barcoding region of the Cytochrome Oxidase I gene (COI - mtDNA) (n = 110) were generated from 255 specimens of An. oswaldoi s.l. from 33 localities: Brazil (8 localities, including the lectotype series of An. oswaldoi), Ecuador (4), Colombia (17), Trinidad and Tobago (1), and Peru (3). COI sequences were analyzed employing the Kimura-two-parameter model (K2P), Bayesian analysis (MrBayes), Mixed Yule-Coalescent model (MYC, for delimitation of clusters) and TCS genealogies. Results Separate and combined analysis of the COI and ITS2 data sets unequivocally supported four separate species: two previously determined (An. oswaldoi s.s. and An. oswaldoi B) and two newly designated species in the Oswaldoi Complex (An. oswaldoi A and An. sp. nr. konderi). The COI intra- and inter-specific genetic distances for the four taxa were non-overlapping, averaging 0.012 (0.007 to 0.020) and 0.052 (0.038 to 0.064), respectively. The concurring four clusters delineated by MrBayes and MYC, and four independent TCS networks, strongly confirmed their separate species status. In addition, An. konderi of Sallum should be regarded as unique with respect to the above. Despite initially being included as an outgroup taxon, this species falls well within the examined taxa, suggesting a combined analysis of these taxa would be most appropriate. Conclusions: Through novel data and retrospective comparison of available COI and ITS2 DNA sequences, evidence is shown to support the separate species status of An. oswaldoi s.s., An. oswaldoi A and An. oswaldoi B, and at least two species in the closely related An. konderi complex (An. sp. nr. konderi, An. konderi of Sallum). Although An. oswaldoi s.s. has never been implicated in malaria transmission, An. oswaldoi B is a confirmed vector and the new species An. oswaldoi A and An. sp. nr. konderi are circumstantially implicated, most likely acting as secondary vectors.

Acto de presentación del libro "Canarias lee: 2009-2010" en la XXIII Feria del Libro de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Este acto tuvo lugar en la carpa institucional de la XXIII Feria del Libro de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, que se celebró en el Parque de San Telmo del día 29 de abril al 3 de mayo. El libro, que recoge los relatos premiados y finalistas del Premio de Relato Corto 2010, convocado por la Biblioteca y el Vicerrectorado de Cultura y Deporte de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ha sido editado por el Servicio de Publicaciones y Difusión Científica de la ULPGC . La presentación estuvo a cargo de Isabel Pascua Febles, vicerrectora de Cultura y Deporte de la ULPGC; Trinidad Arcos Pereira, directora de Selección y Relaciones con las Organizaciones Sindicales de la ULPGC y María del Carmen Martín Marichal, directora de la Biblioteca Universitaria

Pre-Columbian human occupation patterns in the eastern plains of the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivian Amazonia

Despite an increasing number of publications regarding the Pre-Columbian earthworks of the Llanos de Moxos, there have been no serious attempts to undertake a systematic survey of the archaeological remains of this lowland region in the Bolivian Amazon. Based on the GIS analysis of data gathered in the field and retrieved from satellite images, we discuss the spatial distribution of the Pre-Columbian settlements in a 4500 Km2 area of the Llanos de Moxos to the east of Trinidad, capital of the Beni Department, and their relationship with the geographical settings. Our findings shed new light on the prehistory of the region and bear important implications for our understanding of the impact of Pre-Columbian human occupation.

Human-environment interactions in pre-Columbian Amazonia: The case of the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia

The reconstruction of past environmental and historical events is much needed in Amazonia, a region at the centre of heated debates about the extent of pre-Columbian human disturbance of the natural ecosystems. Important aspects of this debate are to establish to what extent the rise of social complexity was influenced by the local geo-ecology; and what productive strategies were adopted in order to sustain these societies. The Llanos de Moxos (LM), in the Bolivian Amazon, is a vast floodplain made up of a variety of geo-ecological sub regions that host many different types of pre-Columbian earthworks. Therefore, it offers an excellent opportunity to compare different kinds of archaeological landscapes and their relationship to different pre-Columbian cultures and environmental settings. This paper analyses the links between pre-Columbian earthworks and the local geo-ecology in two regions of the LM: 1) the platform field region (PFR) in the north of Santa Ana de Yacuma, where the highest concentration of raised fields has been documented, and 2) the monumental mounds region (MMR) south and east of Trinidad, where >100 pre-Columbian monumental mounds are found. The study draws from remote sensing and GIS analysis, field work in the Bolivian lowlands, and laboratory analysis. Differences in the way people transformed the landscape in the PFR and MMR seem to respond to differences in the local geo-ecology of the two sites. The results also suggest that environmental conditions exerted an important, though not exclusive, control over the levels of social complexity that were reached in different areas of the LM.

Connecting and Educating Hindus: Hinduism Today and the Mediatization of a Global Hinduism

Hinduism Today is a quarterly magazine that appears in roughly 15.000 copies, shipped to nearly 60 countries worldwide. The majority of readers are Hindus in diverse diaspora countries, mainly Singapur, Malaysia, Mauritius, Trinidad und the USA. Its editors are monks of Kauai Adheenam, belonging to the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, situated in Kauai, Hawai’i, USA. One of the magazine’s declared goals is to foster global Hindu solidarity and educate Hindus worldwide about their religion. In this paper, I want to take a look at the history of this magazine in connection with the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, and at the development of the expressed aims behind its publication. For this, I draw on fieldwork done in Kauai in January, 2014. After a brief introduction to some theoretical and methodological preliminaries of my work, I shall, give an overview of the history of the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Following this, I will deal in more detail with the origins and development of the magazine and the websites connected with it. I will focus especially on the role the magazine was intended to play for global Hindu diasporas. A fourth chapter will analyze the modes of definition employed in order to depict Hinduism as a unified global religion. In conclusion, I shall briefly reflect upon the specific agenda of “Global Hinduism” and the strategies of positioning as followed by the publishers of Hinduism Today.

From Connecting Hindus to Uniting Global Hinduism: History and Guiding Principles of Hinduism Today

Hinduism Today is a quarterly magazine that appears in roughly 15.000 copies, shipped to nearly 60 countries worldwide. The majority of readers are Hindus in diverse diaspora countries, mainly Singapur, Malaysia, Mauritius, Trinidad und the USA. Its editors are monks of Kauai Adheenam, belonging to the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, situated in Kauai, Hawai’i, USA. One of the magazine’s declared goals is to foster global Hindu solidarity and educate Hindus worldwide about their religion. In this paper, I want to take a look at the history of this magazine in connection with the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, and at the development of the expressed aims behind its publication. For this, I draw on fieldwork done in Kauai in January, 2014. After a brief introduction to some theoretical and methodological preliminaries of my work, I shall, give an overview of the history of the Śaiva Siddhānta Church, founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Following this, I will deal in more detail with the origins and development of the magazine and the websites connected with it. I will focus especially on the role the magazine was intended to play for global Hindu diasporas. A fourth chapter will analyze the modes of definition employed in order to depict Hinduism as a unified global religion. In conclusion, I shall briefly reflect upon the specific agenda of “Global Hinduism” and the strategies of positioning as followed by the publishers of Hinduism Today.

Dossier: Voces del Caribe / Dossier: La autoficción en América Latina

En este nuevo número de los Cuadernos del CILHA reunimos una serie de trabajos referidos a los temas de la literatura del Caribe y de la autoficción en América Latina. El conjunto de trabajos referidos a la literatura del Caribe constituye un esfuerzo que le debemos a Lancelot Cowie y Nina Bruni, ambos de la University of West Indies, de Trinidad y Tobago. Estos profesores, para mayores datos, han creado en la Universidad anglófona el Centre for Latin America and Caribbean (CENLAC), un centro de estudios de la cultura latinoamericana. El dossier del Caribe, entonces, presenta una serie de investigaciones que abordan nuevas problemáticas y autores poco conocidos en el Cono Sur, por no decir desconocidos debido a la escasa o nula circulación editorial; así como también el dossier contiene trabajos sobre autores consagrados, aunque en esta oportunidad se ofrecen nuevas y renovadas miradas. Los estudios literarios del área del Cono Sur presentan una marcada ausencia de investigaciones sobre la producción caribeña. Entre las razones de tal déficit se puede mencionar la secular incomunicación que existe entre las diversas naciones latinoamericanas, una problemática que abarca por lo menos todo el período republicano, y que se intensifica, en la actualidad, con ciertas políticas editoriales metropolitanas. Una segunda razón, derivada de lo anterior, es el escaso conocimiento del movimiento cultural del Caribe que se posee en el Cono Sur. El título de este dossier, “Voces del Caribe", es bastante elocuente respecto de su contenido, ya que ofrece un panorama a través de discursos polifónicos, plurales y heterogéneos. Ello es así en virtud de que tales características son las que mejor representan el abigarrado universo caribeño, que es además plurirracial, plurilingüístico y caótico, en el sentido que le dio Antonio Benítez Rojo al Caos en su ya clásico estudio sobre la cultura del Caribe, La isla que se repite. Esperamos que con este esfuerzo de los Cuadernos contribuyamos en algo al acercamiento entre el Caribe y el resto de América Latina. El segundo dossier de este número ha estado a cargo de Miriam Di Gerónimo, investigadora y docente de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, especialista en narrativa breve y en la obra de Julio Cortázar. La Dra. Di Gerónimo ha reunido un conjunto de investigadores de prestigio internacional para tratar el tema de la autoficción en la literatura de lengua hispana. Como ella misma dice en la introducción los autores

Persona y naturaleza : de Pedro Lombardo a Martin Heidegger

Pese a los indicios que podrían encontrarse en la filosofía griega, la noción de persona es de origen netamente cristiano y no pudo haber sido formulada sino dentro de ese horizonte de pensamiento. El hombre ha sido creado a imagen de Dios y es persona porque, en primer término, Dios lo es. Aquí se enlazan, durante el medioevo, las cuestiones antropológicas y teológicas (trinitarias y cristológicas). Un ejemplo paradigmático se encuentra en las Sentencias de Pedro Lombardo y sus comentadores, entre los que hemos reparado especialmente en Tomás de Aquino. En este contexto, “naturaleza" (divina o humana) y “persona" son nociones íntimamente vinculadas, pues es propio de tales naturalezas el existir y manifestarse como seres personales. Esa relación, sin embargo, se pierde durante la modernidad, época en que persona y naturaleza se vuelven términos antagónicos. Martin Heidegger, agudo crítico de esa transformación en la historia del pensar, propone una concepción de lo humano que, no obstante su “ateísmo metodológico", finalmente parece aproximarse a la noción cristiana de persona.

El concepto de persona en el comentario de las sentencias de Guillermo de Ockham

En un primer examen de las auctoritates Ockham formula un claro acercamiento al esquema aristotélico-boeciano y a la definición de persona como sustancia en cuanto suppositum intellectualis, definición que encuentra conveniente aplicar tanto a lo creado como a Dios. Comienza luego una discusión más próxima y contemporánea con los moderni, que está centrada, por un lado en Escoto para quien la persona se ha de definir a partir de la relación; y por otro, con santo Tomás de Aquino. “Persona", para el Aquinate, no significa una naturaleza común quidditas, ousía o sustancia segunda, por el contrario, indica al individuo: “esta carne y estos huesos" pero lo significa de un modo vago e indeterminado. Precisamente, éste es el punto que Ockham discute: qué denota esta significación indeterminada; le dedica a la cuestión un amplio análisis que lo conduce a equiparar los conceptos de naturaleza y de persona. En un paso subsiguiente Ockham propone examinar las personas in divinis: no es posible establecer in divinis ninguna diferencia o distinción; si se afirma en Dios la presencia de tres personas y de una sola naturaleza la adhesión se presta por la fe sin que medie un acercamiento racional al tema. El aparato conceptual y metafísico para abordar el problema de la persona en sede divina, ha pasado por la criba de un examen que concluye, para Ockham, en la verdadera imposibilidad de elaborar una teología trinitaria.