Spatio-temporal dynamics of Alticini (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in a fragment of Araucaria Forest in the state of Parana, Brazil

Alticini fauna from five areas, two with different types of management (Borda and Araucaria) and three with different levels of conservation (Fase 1, Fase 2 and Fase 3), in the Araucaria Forest of the Parana was captured with malaise traps. The material was collected weekly, from September/1999 to August/2001, in the Parque Estadual of Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa. 1,891 individuals of 106 Alticini species were collected with only seven species common to all areas. Despite the proximity between sampling areas, the number of species shared between pairs of areas was low, not reaching 40%, with the Araucaria and Fase 1 areas being the most similar. The community structure of the areas Fase 1 and Fase 2 were most related. Fase 1, in initial stage of succession, showed the largert variation in the abundance and richness from one year to another.

State of Iowa Public Drinking Water Program 2006 Annual Compliance Report, June 2007

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administers the Public Drinking Water Program in Iowa under delegation of authority from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 1996 re-authorized Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that each state that has been granted primary implementation authority prepare an annual report on violations of national primary drinking water regulations within the state, make the report readily available to the public, and submit it to the EPA. This report fulfills this responsibility in Iowa for the 2006 calendar year, and includes violations of maximum contaminant levels, maximum residual disinfectant levels, treatment technique requirements, major monitoring or reporting requirements, action level exceedances, and operation certification requirements.

A new species of Amblyseius Berlese (Acari, Phytoseiidae) from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

A new species of Amblyseius Berlese, A. vitis sp. nov. is described from Dois Lajeados, State of Rio Grande do Sul. The specimens were collected on Stachys arvensis L. (Lamiaceae) and Plantago tomentosa Lam. (Plantaginaceae).

State of Iowa Substance Use Epidemiological Profile, February 2008.

A report by the Iowa Epidemiological Outcome Workgroup showing the substance use epidemiological profile for the state of Iowa. The data shows the consumption patterns and consequences of adults and youths, males and females in Iowa.

Phlebotomines (Diptera, Psychodidae) in the Ribeira Valley Speleological Province - 1. Parque Estadual Intervales, state of São Paulo, Brazil

The identification of the sandfly fauna and investigation of some ecological aspects of its populations in areas frequented by tourists of the PEI, an Atlantic forest reserve with many caves, were the objective of this study. Captures were undertaken monthly from January 2001 to December 2002, with automatic light traps installed in 13 ecotopes, including caves, forests, domiciliary and peridomiciliary environments, and by aspiration in armadillo burrows. Additionally, although not at regular intervals, Shannon traps were installed in forests and anthropic environments, aspirations were made on cave walls, among roots and fallen leaves, and some insects were captured while biting researchers. A total of 891 sandflies belonging to 21 species were captured. Six hundred specimens representing 19 species were captured with light traps, 215 in anthropic (2.24 insects/trap) and 385 in extra-domiciliary (1.46 insects/trap) environments. Brumptomyia troglodytes was the most abundant species (the Standardised Index of Species Abundance = 0.705). Pintomyia monticola predominated in the Shannon traps and showed anthropophilic and diurnal activity. Psathyromyia pascalei predominated in the aspirations; the largest number being in armadillo burrows. Eleven species were captured in caves; although some might be troglophiles, the majority used these ecotopes as resting places. Nyssomyia intermedia, Nyssomyia neivai and Migonemyia migonei, implicated in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Southeastern Brazilian region, were all found, though in such low densities as to suggest minimal risk of the disease in the PEI.

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2007

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2007

The fauna of phlebotomines (Diptera, Psychodidae) in different phytogeographic regions of the state of Maranhão, Brazil

Phlebotomine specimens were captured in domiciliary and forest environments in 47 municipalities between 1982 and 2005 with the aid of CDC light traps. A total of 91 species were found, of which four belonged to genus Brumptomyia and 87 to genus Lutzomyia, distributed among the following subgenera: Evandromyia (6), Lutzomyia (5), Micropygomyia (2), Nyssomyia (9), Pintomyia (2), Pressatia (3), Psathyromyia (6), Psychodopygus (14), Sciopemyia (4), Trichophoromyia (2), Viannamyia (2); species groups: Aragaoi (2), Baityi (1), Dreisbachi (1), Migonei (12), Oswaldoi (8), Pilosa (1), Saulensis (2), Verrucarum (4) and ungrouped (1). Species diversity was greatest in areas where there was dense evergreen seasonal forest (52 species), ombrophilous forest (31) and meridional cerrados (23) and lowest in areas with mixed forest (forest with babassu palms, cerrado and caatinga). The greatest similarity index was observed for restinga and open evergreen seasonal forest (J=0.48). Dense evergreen seasonal forest had greatest similarity with ombrophilous forest (J=0.38). The phlebotomine fauna was species rich and unevenly distributed in Maranhão, reflecting the phytogeographical complexity of the state, which is a result of the great variety of ecosystems and climate zones.

Thrips species (Thysanoptera, Terebrantia) inhabiting irrigated rice and surrounding habitats in Cachoeirinha, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

In Brazil, almost nothing is known about the thrips fauna associated with rice crops. This is especially true for Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), the major rice producer in Brazil, where no systematic surveys have been conducted. Thus, this work records preliminarily the species of suborder Terebrantia inhabitanting irrigated rice (RC) and three nearby habitats: the area selected for rice, before cultivation (BR), grassland (GR) and forest border (FB) in Cachoeirinha, RS (50º58'21"W; 29º55'30"S). Eight field trips were carried out between October/2004 and February/2005 to Estação Experimental do Arroz in Cachoeirinha. Thrips specimens were collected with sweeping net and transported to laboratory for identification. A total of 623 adults terebrantians were recorded, belonging to two families and 18 species. Frankliniella rodeos (55.5%), Neohydatothrips cf. paraensis (30.3%) and Frankliniella schultzei (5.6%), were the most abundant, comprising more than 90% of the individuals. FB showed the highest species richness (S=15), followed by GR (S=10), RC (S=9) and BR (S=6). FB presented a low number of individuals (14.0%), contrasting with GR (44.8%) and BR (36.7%). In general, thrips abundance in RC was low at EEA (4.5%), and few species seems to effectively use rice as a host-plant. Two species previously considered of economic importance were found, F. rodeos and F. schultzei, the latter a new record for rice in Brazil. Five species are new records to RS.

Phlebotomines (Diptera, Psychodidae) in the Speleological Province of the Ribeira Valley: 3. Serra district - area of hostels for tourists who visit the Parque Estadual do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), state of São Paulo, Brazil

Phlebotomines (Diptera, Psychodidae) in the Speleological Province of the Ribeira Valley: 3. Area of hostels for tourists who visit the Parque Estadual do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), state of São Paulo, Brazil. The study characterizes some ecological aspects of the phlebotomine fauna in an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) situated in the Serra district, Iporanga municipality where the hostels for tourists visiting the PETAR are located. Captures were undertaken on a smallholding and a small farm situated near the hostels, monthly between January/2001 and December/2003 with automatic light traps (ALT) in pigsty, hen-house and veranda of a domicile at the two sites, and in peridomicile of the small farm also with black/white Shannon traps. With the ALT a total of 87,224 phlebotomines representing 19 species and also two hybrids of Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto) and two anomalous specimens were captured. The standardized index species abundance was for Ny. intermedia = 1.0 and Ny. neivai = 0.935. The highest frequencies of the smallholding occurred in the pigsty, the Williams' mean/capture for Ny. intermedia being 63.7 specimens and for Ny. neivai 29.2, and on the small farm, in the hen-house, Ny. intermedia 402.6 and Ny. neivai 116.2. A total of 863 phlebotomines (Ny. intermedia: 75.4%; Ny. neivai: 24.3%) were captured with black/white Shannon traps; females of both species being predominant in the white trap. The high frequencies of Ny. intermedia and Ny. neivai, both implicated in CL transmission, indicate the areas presenting risk of the disease.

Temporal distribution of Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (Diptera, Culicidae), in a Hospital in Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

This study aimed at registering and monitoring the presence of Aedes aegypti in the University Hospital Júlio Muller, Cuiabá-MT, as well as investigating the influence of temperature and rainfall on its temporal distribution and egg densities in ovitraps. The study was performed from April/2007 to March/2008, utilizing ovitraps with 10% of hay infusion and a wood paddle as an oviposition substrate. For surveillance, one ovitrap was placed in each of the 12 points distributed throughout the hospital. Ovitraps were collected monthly at the end of a 5-day installation period. After egg counting, wood paddles were immersed in water to allow larval eclosion for species identification through optical microscopy. Egg Density Index (EDI), Positive Ovitraps Index (POI), and Mean Number of Eggs (MNE) were used for data analysis. The presence of A. aegypti in the hospital was registered throughout the study period, except in July. The MNE was proportionally higher in the internal area (n= 8.47 eggs/paddle) when compared to the external area (n= 5.46 eggs/paddle), and was higher in September/October 2007 and January/February 2008. A significant increase in EDI, POI and MNE was registered in periods where the average temperature was higher, and the increase in POI was also concomitant with an increase in rainfall. The continuous presence of A. aegypti in the hospital throughout the study period, points out the need of including this mosquito in the arthropod control list in this environment. This is particularly important, considering that A. aegypti is an important vector of several arboviroses.

New records for species of Theope (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae) for the state of Pernambuco and northeastern Brazil, with notes on their natural history

New records for species of Theope (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae) for the state of Pernambuco and northeastern Brazil, with notes on their natural history. Five new records for the state of Pernambuco and one new record for NE-Brazil are reported in this paper for the genus Theope. Relationship between ants and T. terambus was observed for the first time which also consists on the first ever recorded myrmecophilous interaction between Pheidole ants and a Theope immature. Schoepfia guianensis is reported as a probable hostplant for T. terambus. Illustrations of seven species of Theope which occur in the northeastern Atlantic Rainforest are provided.

State of Iowa’s Single Audit Report for the year ended June 30, 2005

State of Iowa’s Single Audit Report for the year ended June 30, 2005

State of the Judiciary, 2008.

Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court Marsha Ternus' presentation of the state of the Judiciary in Iowa.

State of the Judiciary, 2007.

Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court Marsha Ternus' presentation of the state of the Judiciary in Iowa.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI): state of the art techniques and future perspectives.

Transcatheter aortic valve therapies are the newest established techniques for the treatment of high risk patients affected by severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. The transapical approach requires a left anterolateral mini-thoracotomy, whereas the transfemoral method requires an adequate peripheral vascular access and can be performed fully percutaneously. Alternatively, the trans-subclavian access has been recently proposed as a third promising approach. Depending on the technique, the fine stent-valve positioning can be performed with or without contrast injections. The transapical echo-guided stent-valve implantation without angiography (the Lausanne technique) relies entirely on transoesophageal echocardiogramme imaging for the fine stent-valve positioning and it has been proved that this technique prevents the onset of postoperative contrast-related acute kidney failure. Recent published reports have shown good hospital outcomes and short-term results after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, but there are no proven advantages in using the transfemoral or the transapical technique. In particular, the transapical series have a higher mean logistic Euroscore of 27-35%, a procedural success rate above 95% and a mean 30-day mortality between 7.5 and 17.5%, whereas the transfemoral results show a lower logistic Euroscore of 23-25.5%, a procedural success rate above 90% and a 30-day mortality of 7-10.8%. Nevertheless, further clinical trials and long-term results are mandatory to confirm this positive trend. Future perspectives in transcatheter aortic valve therapies would be the development of intravascular devices for the ablation of the diseased valve leaflets and the launch of new stent-valves with improved haemodynamic, different sizes and smaller delivery systems.