Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection Among Barbers in Isfahan Province, Iran

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Shoaei

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV infections are among the most occupational hazards in the world, including Iran. Barbers have continued to expose to different infectious diseases. They may often be exposed accidentally to the blood and body fluids of their customers, through needle pricks, scissor cuts, tattooing and other beauty treatments. Objectives The aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of HBV, and HCV infections and to investigate the correlation between the HBs-Ab titer and some of the risk factors in the barbers of Isfahan city, Iran. Patients and Methods This cross-sectional seroepidemiological study was performed on 479 male and female barbers during July to September 2012 in Isfahan Province, Iran. Data were collected using a self-reporting questionnaire including demographic characteristics and main risk factors for HCV and HBV infections. A 5-mL venous blood sample was obtained from each subject. The levels of antigen and antibodies (HBs Ag, HBc Ab, HBs Ab, and HCV Ab were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by SPSS software, version 16. Results The mean age of the individuals was 39.6 ± 11.4 years. Two hundred and thirty-three cases (48.6% were men and 246 (51.4% were women. All the subjects were negative for HCV Ab. The seropositivity of HBV was 6.6%. No significant correlation was found between risk factors and being HBV-seropositive. Among our participants, it was found that most barbers had been exposed to razors or scissor cuts. Conclusions Our findings indicate that both HCV and HBV infections may not constitute occupational hazards for barbers; however, it is essential to promote awareness of these risks among barbers and effective HBV vaccination should be performed among them.

A Qualitative Study to Assess Barber Perceptions of the Feasibility of the Employer as a Health Advisor for Obesity Prevention.

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Roy, Siddhartha; Hansen, Andrew R; Ross, Levi; Larson, Rebecca

2018-04-01

Obesity has become a serious issue affecting millions of Americans, especially in the southern United States. One avenue for addressing obesity is the workplace setting. This formative research study examined the feasibility of an obesity prevention worksite intervention in the barbershop for African American barbershop owners (employers) and barbers (employees). The study proposes an intervention where the owner of the barbershop would be trained to educate his barbers about obesity prevention. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with the owners ( n = 5) and barbers ( n = 15) of five barbershops in Statesboro, Georgia, to determine the feasibility of the intervention. The results of this study indicated that the owners and barbers all felt that the intervention was feasible and could be implemented in the barbershop. The owners and barbers felt that obesity was an important issue in their community. Additional themes identified include program benefits, empowerment of owners and barbers, and motivational components to help produce healthy habits. The owners felt comfortable educating their barbers about obesity prevention, and the barbers were receptive toward the idea of being educated by their employer. In order for this intervention to be implemented and effective, it must be tailored to fit within the barbershop environment. This intervention addresses known health disparities that exist in the African American community and underscores the need for additional worksite health promotion programs in medically underserved communities.

Barber's Point, Oahu, Hawaii Drift Card Study 2002-2004

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Drift cards were be released from Barber's Point, Oahu, approximately once a month during the two year span to get an idea of the distribution of card drift under...

Barber-Say syndrome and Ablepharon-Macrostomia syndrome: An overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Maria, Beatrice; Mazzanti, Laura; Roche, Nathalie; Hennekam, Raoul C.

2016-01-01

Barber-Say syndrome (BSS) and Ablepharon-Macrostomia syndrome (AMS) are congenital malformation syndromes caused by heterozygous mutations in TWIST2. Here we provide a critical review of all patients published with these syndromes. We excluded several earlier reports due to misdiagnosis or

Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis C antibodies in the people visiting roadside barbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makheja, K.D.; Abro, A.H.; Kumar, S.

2010-01-01

Sharing of blades and shaving kits, especially unsterilized ones are known risk factors for the transmission of Hepatitis C. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis C antibodies reactivity among the patients admitted due to any medical condition and who have been visiting roadside barbers. Methodology: This was a descriptive study conducted from July 2007 to June 2008 in the Medical Unit-111, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi. The study was designed to include patient's demographics (age, occupation, marital status and education), clinical information and duration of the visits to roadside barbers with an approximate frequency of shavings per month. The patients with history of > 3 visits to a roadside barber during the last six months were included in the study. Whereas, the patients with history of liver disease, blood transfusion, surgery, dental treatment, tattoo marks, intravenous drug use, on regular injectable medicine (like insulin, etc), multiple sexual partners and on haemodialysis were excluded from the study. A blood sample was collected at the time of admission and the screening for HCV-antibodies was done by Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbant Assay (ELISA). Results: A total of 184 male patients were included in the study. The mean age + SD of the patients under the study was 33.8+13.2 years. The majority of study patients were uneducated and belonged to low socioeconomic group. Out of 184 patients, 70(38%) were found to be HCV-antibodies reactive. In comparison to younger patients (age <40 years), the older patients as well as those with history of longer duration of visits to roadside barbers had high prevalence of HCV-antibodies reactivity, P.015 and P.02 respectively. There was no statistical significant difference for the prevalence of HCV- antibodies reactivity among the different socioeconomic groups, educational level and marital status. Conclusion: In the present study, it is concluded that the sharing of

33 CFR 110.236 - Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point... Grounds § 110.236 Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal... regulations. (1) No vessels may anchor, moor, or navigate in anchorages A, B, C, or D except: (i) Vessels...

Psychometric Analysis of the Barber Suggestibility Scale in a Clinical Population.

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Pellicer Asensio, Xavier; Fusté Escolano, Adela; Ruiz Rodríguez, José

2018-04-01

The aim of the study was to administer the Barber suggestibility scale to a clinical population in Spain and to examine its psychometric properties therein. The reliability and factor structure of the adapted scale was compared with that of the original (American) scale and with data from two other versions (British and Puerto Rican samples). Sex differences in suggestibility were also analyzed. The Barber suggestibility scale was administered (without preliminaries) to a sample of 283 patients (130 women, 153 men) with a range of diagnoses: anxiety disorder (33.9%), substance-related and addictive disorder (25.8%), mood disorder (12.7%), somatic symptom disorder (4.6%), trauma- and stress-related disorder (3.5%), and other disorders (19.5%). Results indicated a higher degree of suggestibility among women, with the effect size being low (d = 0.26) for the objective subscale and moderate (d = 0.55) for the subjective subscale. Therefore, normative scores were reported by sex for both subscales. As a whole, the present clinical sample showed higher suggestibility than has been reported previously for nonclinical populations (p suggestibility scale showed a three-factor structure for the objective subscale and a more complex structure for the subjective subscale. These results suggest that the Barber suggestibility scale is a suitable instrument for assessing the degree of suggestibility in persons with a clinical disorder.

Experimental Infection of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera, Triatominae with Mycobacterium leprae Indicates Potential for Leprosy Transmission.

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Arthur da Silva Neumann

Full Text Available Leprosy is a chronic dermato-neurological disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae. In 2013 almost 200,000 new cases of leprosy were detected around the world. Since the first symptoms take from years to decades to appear, the total number of asymptomatic patients is impossible to predict. Although leprosy is one of the oldest records of human disease, the mechanisms involved with its transmission and epidemiology are still not completely understood. In the present work, we experimentally investigated the hypothesis that the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus and the hemiptera Rhodnius prolixus act as leprosy vectors. By means of real-time PCR quantification of M. leprae 16SrRNA, we found that M. leprae remained viable inside the digestive tract of Rhodnius prolixus for 20 days after oral infection. In contrast, in the gut of both mosquito species tested, we were not able to detect M. leprae RNA after a similar period of time. Inside the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus digestive tract, M. leprae was initially restricted to the anterior midgut, but gradually moved towards the hindgut, in a time course reminiscent of the life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, a well-known pathogen transmitted by this insect. The maintenance of M. leprae infectivity inside the digestive tract of this kissing bug is further supported by successful mice footpad inoculation with feces collected 20 days after infection. We conclude that Rhodnius prolixus defecate infective M. leprae, justifying the evaluation of the presence of M. leprae among sylvatic and domestic kissing bugs in countries endemic for leprosy.

Experimental Infection of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera, Triatominae) with Mycobacterium leprae Indicates Potential for Leprosy Transmission.

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Neumann, Arthur da Silva; Dias, Felipe de Almeida; Ferreira, Jéssica da Silva; Fontes, Amanda Nogueira Brum; Rosa, Patricia Sammarco; Macedo, Rafael Enrique; Oliveira, José Henrique; Teixeira, Raquel Lima de Figueiredo; Pessolani, Maria Cristina Vidal; Moraes, Milton Ozório; Suffys, Philip Noel; Oliveira, Pedro L; Sorgine, Marcos Henrique Ferreira; Lara, Flavio Alves

2016-01-01

Leprosy is a chronic dermato-neurological disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae. In 2013 almost 200,000 new cases of leprosy were detected around the world. Since the first symptoms take from years to decades to appear, the total number of asymptomatic patients is impossible to predict. Although leprosy is one of the oldest records of human disease, the mechanisms involved with its transmission and epidemiology are still not completely understood. In the present work, we experimentally investigated the hypothesis that the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus and the hemiptera Rhodnius prolixus act as leprosy vectors. By means of real-time PCR quantification of M. leprae 16SrRNA, we found that M. leprae remained viable inside the digestive tract of Rhodnius prolixus for 20 days after oral infection. In contrast, in the gut of both mosquito species tested, we were not able to detect M. leprae RNA after a similar period of time. Inside the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus digestive tract, M. leprae was initially restricted to the anterior midgut, but gradually moved towards the hindgut, in a time course reminiscent of the life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, a well-known pathogen transmitted by this insect. The maintenance of M. leprae infectivity inside the digestive tract of this kissing bug is further supported by successful mice footpad inoculation with feces collected 20 days after infection. We conclude that Rhodnius prolixus defecate infective M. leprae, justifying the evaluation of the presence of M. leprae among sylvatic and domestic kissing bugs in countries endemic for leprosy.

Barber: Sinfonie Nr. 1, Op. 9, Neeme Järvi / Bernhard Uske

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Uske, Bernhard

1991-01-01

Uuest heliplaadist "Barber: Sinfonie Nr. 1, Op. 9. Ouvertüre School for Scandal, Op. 5; Beach: Sinfonie e-Moll, Op. 32, "Gaelic". Detroit Symphony Orchestra /Neeme Järvi". Chandes cassette ABTD 1550; CD CHAN 8958 (72 minutes)

Barber-Say syndrome in a father and daughter.

Science.gov (United States)

Roche, Nathalie; Houtmeyers, Philippe; Janssens, Sandra; Blondeel, Philllip

2010-10-01

We report on a father to daughter transmission of Barber-Say syndrome (BSS), a rare, congenital disorder characterized by severe generalized hypertrichosis, macrostomia, ocular telecanthus, bulbous nose and atrophic skin. These two cases further support the autosomal dominant inheritance. Both presented with the typical BSS symptoms but the phenotypic expression in the father was milder. Treatment is challenging for both patients and doctors, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chadwick: Symphony No. 3 in F; Barber: Vanessa-Intermezzo / Andrew Achenbach

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Achenbach, Andrew

1994-01-01

Uuest heliplaadist "Chadwick: Symphony No. 3 in F; Barber: Vanessa-Intermezzo, Under the Willow Tree. Music for a scene from Shelley, Op. 7. Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, Op. 23a. Detroit Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Järvi." Chandos CD CHAN 9253

33 CFR 165.T14-204 - Safety Zone; fixed mooring balls, south of Barbers Pt Harbor Channel, Oahu, Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., south of Barbers Pt Harbor Channel, Oahu, Hawaii. 165.T14-204 Section 165.T14-204 Navigation and... Pt Harbor Channel, Oahu, Hawaii. (a) Location. The following area is a safety zone: All waters... position is approximately 2,500 yards south of Barbers Point Harbor channel buoy #2, Oahu, Hawaii. This...

Active Art Education in a University Museum: The Example of the Barber Institute

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Şehnaz Yalçın Wells

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Museums provide individuals with access to a variety of artworks at a quality and quantity that is not possible any other way. Museum education is of great importance to get effective benefit from museums. Nowadays museum education starts at an early age, and is simultaneously given in appropriate subjects of different lessons. Turkey has made important progresses in museum education and museum studies in recent years, but clearly there is much more to do when compared to more developed countries. These steps can be summarised (a increasing research into museum education and museology, (b staff training, (c creation of social awareness, (d development and application of new projects. Managing all these is not possible with the state’s efforts. Private entrepreneurs and civil society should take the initiative and contribute towards museum education and museology. The aim of this research is to determine the potential and function of art education, and to introduce the museum/art activities made in this context in the Barber Museum of Fine Arts Institute at Birmingham University, England. In line with these aims the answers to these questions are being sought: 1. How was Barber Institute Museum been established and developed? a What is the history of the museum’s foundation? b In the context of the development of museology and art, how can the establishment of the museum by a person/family be evaluated? 2. What are the institutional features of the Barber Institute Museum? a What are the administrative features of the museum? b What are the spatial features and importance of the museum? c What is the artistic significance of its collections? 3. How is museum/art education applied at the Barber Institute Museum? 4. How can the example of the Barber Institute be assessed in terms of museology and museum/art education? Method: This is a qualitative research study, and the case study method is used accordingly. This method foresees the portrayal

Fungal flora of the digestive tract of Rhodnius prolixus, Rhodnius neglectus, Diptelanogaster maximus and Panstrongylus megistus, vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas, 1909 Flora fúngica do trato digestivo de Rhodnius prolixus, Rhodnius neglectus, Diptelanogaster maximus e Panstrongylus megistus vetores de Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas 1909

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Aurea Maria Lage de Moraes

2004-12-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a study on the mycobiota in the digestive tract of four important species of triatomines: Rhodnius prolixus, R. neglectus, Diptelanogaster maximus and Panstrongylus megistus. The digestive tracts of 90 adults and 425 nymphs of these four triatomine species were studied and 365 fungal strains were isolated. The genera with the greatest number of species were Aspergillus, Penicillium (14 species in each genus, Acremonium and Cladosporium (three species in each genus, and the most frequent species, in decreasing order, were Aspergillus awamori, Penicillium corylophilum, Cladosporium herbarum and Aspergillus niger. It was concluded that, among the isolated fungi, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium corylophilum might be part of the natural flora of the digestive tract of triatomines.Um estudo da micobiota do trato digestivo de quatro importantes espécies de triatomíneos, Rhodnius prolixus, R. neglectus, Diptelanogaster maximus e Panstrongylus megistus, foi realizado. Foram examinados os tratos digestivos de 90 adultos e 425 ninfas destas espécies de triatomíneos e 365 cepas fúngicas foram isoladas. Os gêneros com o maior número de espécies encontradas foram Aspergillus, Penicillium (14 espécies cada, Acremonium e Cladosporium (3 espécies cada e as espécies mais freqüentes, em ordem decrescente, foram Aspergillus awamori, Penicillium corylophilum, Cladosporium herbarum e Aspergillus niger. Dentre os fungos isolados, concluímos que Aspergillus niger e Penicillium corylophilum possam fazer parte da flora natural do trato digestivo destes triatomíneos.

Description and characterization of the melanic morphotype of Rhodnius nasutus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae

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Fernando Braga Stehling Dias

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction For the first time we provide the description of the melanic (dark morphotype of Rhodnius nasutus and determine the pattern of genetic inheritance for this characteristic. Methods Dark morph R. nasutus specimens were crossbred with standard (typically patterned R. nasutus. Results We present the first occurrence of the melanic morphotype in the genus Rhodnius. The crossbreeding results demonstrate that the inheritance pattern of this characteristic follows Mendel's simple laws of segregation and an independent assortment of alleles. Conclusions Phenotypic variation of R. nasutus reinforces the heterogeneity found in the Triatominae. Descriptions of new species in this subfamily require rigorous validation criteria.

Barbers Point Sewage Outfall Fish Census from Annual Surveys 1991-2010 (NODC Accession 0073346)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located in Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, near Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) has been in operation since 1982. It releases...

Bilingual Skills Training Program. Barbering/Cosmetology. Module 7.0: Endocrine System.

Science.gov (United States)

Northern New Mexico Community Coll., El Rito.

This module on the endocrine system is the seventh of ten (CE 028 308-318) in the barbering/cosmetology course of a bilingual skills training program. (A Vocabulary Development Workbook for modules 6-10 is available as CE 028 313.) The course is designed to furnish theoretical and laboratory epxerience. Module objectives are for students to…

Bilingual Skills Training Program. Barbering/Cosmetology. Module 4.0: Skeletal System.

Science.gov (United States)

Northern New Mexico Community Coll., El Rito.

This module on the skeletal system is the fourth of ten (CE 028 308-318) in the barbering/cosmetology course of a bilingual skill training program. (A Vocabulary Development Workbook for modules 6-10 is available as CE 028 313.) The course is designed to furnish theoretical and laboratory experience. Module objectives are for students to develop…

Bilingual Skills Training Program. Barbering/Cosmetology. Module 6.0: Muscular System.

Science.gov (United States)

Northern New Mexico Community Coll., El Rito.

This module on the muscular system is the sixth of ten (CE 028 308-318) in the barbering/cosmetology course of a bilingual skills training program. (A Vocabulary Development Workbook for modules 6-10 is available as CE 028 313.) The course is designed to furnish theoretical and laboratory experience. Module objectives are for students to develop…

Penciptaan Drama Musikal Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sweeney Todd:Tukang Cukur Haus Darah

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Husni Wardhana

2013-11-01

seluruh pertunjukan. Kata kunci: penyutradaraan, drama musikal, kisah legendaris, Sweeney Todd, teater sekolah. ABSTRACT The musical drama Sweeney Todd: Th e Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The creative directing process of this drama has given many good lessons to the art work of performing arts, especially to musical drama performance. The musical drama has its own unique characteristics in its process and performance. This type of drama is very popular in the USA, and has been the only contribution from the USA to enrich the typical of world theater. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is as an English legend, especially in England. This script created by Christopher Bond has been performed for several times in all around the globe. Having seen from its creating history, the story of a barber who takes revenge has been through long adaptation process. Some big authors in this era, before proceeded by Christopher Bond’s creative touch, had creatively recreated this script. The musical drama Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was fi rstly created from the musical comedy drama and since 1920 has shown serious themes that are well known as Broadway music or American music. This drama has commonly been shown on a big stage West End and Broadway in London and New York, also in Australia and Asia. Moreover, it has also been performed by groups of school-theater and amateur theater. Most of the musical drama performances Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street are accompanied by music and are sung as well. The dialog is changed into songs. The actors are supposed to be able to sing, to act, and to dance. The musical drama is a performance that uses three main characteristics, namely: singing (solo, ensemble, and choir, dancing (individual and group, and acting, that dominates in most parts of the performance. Key words: directing, musical drama, legend story, Sweeney Todd, theater.

Risk factors associated with Trypanosoma cruzi exposure in domestic dogs from a rural community in Panama.

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Saldaña, Azael; Calzada, José E; Pineda, Vanessa; Perea, Milixa; Rigg, Chystrie; González, Kadir; Santamaria, Ana Maria; Gottdenker, Nicole L; Chaves, Luis F

2015-11-01

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a zoonosis of humans, wild and domestic mammals, including dogs. In Panama, the main T. cruzi vector is Rhodnius pallescens, a triatomine bug whose main natural habitat is the royal palm, Attalea butyracea. In this paper, we present results from three T. cruzi serological tests (immunochromatographic dipstick, indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA) performed in 51 dogs from 24 houses in Trinidad de Las Minas, western Panama. We found that nine dogs were seropositive (17.6% prevalence). Dogs were 1.6 times more likely to become T. cruzi seropositive with each year of age and 11.6 times if royal palms where present in the peridomiciliary area of the dog's household or its two nearest neighbours. Mouse-baited-adhesive traps were employed to evaluate 12 peridomestic royal palms. All palms were found infested with R. pallescens with an average of 25.50 triatomines captured per palm. Of 35 adult bugs analysed, 88.6% showed protozoa flagellates in their intestinal contents. In addition, dogs were five times more likely to be infected by the presence of an additional domestic animal species in the dog's peridomiciliary environment. Our results suggest that interventions focused on royal palms might reduce the exposure to T. cruzi infection.

The Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Performance Of Female Barbers in Relation to Job's Environmental Health: A Case Study of Malayer City

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Ali Almasi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Hygiene disregarding and usage of contaminated tools leads to viral infections, fungal, bacterial and skin diseases, eczema, warts, tetanus and so on. Thus assessment of knowledge, attitudes and performance of barbers in order to ensure the security and public health is really necessary. This study is aimed at determining the knowledge, attitude and performance of female barbers in relation to job's environmental health in Malayer city. In present descriptive- analytical study, 75 female barbers sampling of Malayer city were selected by clusters – systematic method. The data were obtained through questionnaires for completion and checklist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 statistical software. The result showed, 86.66% of people have attained correct awareness of regulations and 92.28% had positive attitude toward regulations and 86.38% of people in this study showed appropriate health practice. In order to, compare the average knowledge level in regard to parameters such as age, work experiences and income situation showed a statistically significant difference. In attitude and performance section, the difference between age and mentioned parameters was not statistically significant (P≥ 0.05. Despite the desirable level of knowledge, attitude and practice of barbers female in Malayer city, in order to improve the situation, to be better the presence of barbers in special guilds courses to train seriously.

Effects of precocene and azadirachtin in Rhodnius prolixus: some data on development and reproduction

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Eloi S. Garcia

1987-01-01

Full Text Available The results presented in this paper clearly indicate that precocene and azadirachtin are effective inhibitors of moulting and reproduction in the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus. The time of application is important and only applications of these substances early in the intermoulting period cause their effects in nymphs. The inhibition of moulting is fully reversed by ecdysone therapy. Precocene and azadirachtin also affected drastically the oogenesis and egg deposition in this insect. Precocene-induced sterilization is reversed by application of juvenile hormone III. However, this hormone is unable to reverse the effect of azadirachtin on reproduction. Ecdysteroid titers in nymphs and adult females are decreased by these treatments. In vitro analysis suggest that precocene and azadirachtin may act directly on the prothoracic glands and ovaries producing ecdysteroids. Based on these and other findings the possible mode of action of these compounds on the development and reproduction of Rhodnius prolixus is discussed.

Estudo sobre a utilização de Rhodnius neglectus para xenodiagnósticos realizados em marsupiais (Didelphis The utilization of Rhodnius neglectus in xenodiagnosis: a study performed on opossums

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Oswaldo Paulo Forattini

1976-12-01

Full Text Available Em marsupiais (Didelphis, portadores de infecção natural pelo T. cruzi, procurou-se levar a efeito xenodiagnósticos com o emprego de ninfas de Rhodnius neglectus e de Triatoma infestans e através do exame periódico de lotes formados por cinco insetos. Pôde-se observar o melhor rendimento por parte do exame do intestino posterior, mediante dissecção. O tempo ótimo foi situado no intervalo correspondente a 15 e 20 dias, e a eficiência de R. neglectus foi superior. Esse resultado, aliado à facilidade de sua manutenção em laboratório, sugere a utilização rotineira desse triatomíneo para fins de xenodiagnóstico.Third and fourth instars of Rhodnius neglectus and Triatoma infestans were fed on wild opossums (Didelphis with natural infeccions by Trypanosoma cruzi and, examined at regular 3.5 days intervals. Best results were obtained with rectum examinations and the infeccion was more easily detected from the 15th to the 20th days. R. neglectus showed better performance than T. infestans and so its utilisation in the xenodiagnosis technique is suggested.

Tripanosomiasis americana: determinación de riesgo epidemiológico de transmisión en el municipio de Amalfi, Antioquia American trypanosamiasis: determination of epidemiologic transmission risk in Amalfi, Antioquia, Colombia

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John Jairo Arboleda

2001-02-01

Full Text Available Se presenta por primera vez en antioquia un estudio sobre la enfermedad de Chagas, en el cual se evaluaron simultáneamente los tres componentes fundamentales de esta parasitosis: vector, parásito y reservorio. Se evaluaron 640 domicilios en 9 veredas del municipio de Amalfi, se capturaron 196 triatominos, pertenecientes a las especies Panstrongylus geniculatus (49%, P. rufotuberculatus (47%, Triatoma dispar (3% y Rhodnius pallescens (0.5%. En total se capturaron 33 animales silvestres, pertenecientes a las especies Didelphis marsupialis (8, Marmosa robinsoni (1, Hoplomys gimnurus (3, Dasypus novemcinctus (2, Proechymis sp (13, Oryzomis sp (3, Philander opossum (3, así como 63 perros (Canis lupus. Los indicadores de riesgo de transmisión de Tripanosoma cruzi por triatominos, fueron: dispersión (100%, infestación domiciliaria (14,5%, densidad (30,5%, hacinamiento (204,2% e infección relativa (12,5%. Se obtuvo una alta prevalencia de anticuerpos en los perros de las veredas Montebello (61.1% y La Gardenia (70.0% y serología positiva en un humano adulto. In this paper we report the first Chagas disease study in Antioquia-Colombia, in which the main components of this disease were simultaneously evaluated: vector, parasite and host. Field studies were carried out evaluating 640 houses in nine localities from the municipality of Amalfi; 196 triatomine bugs were captured: Panstrongylus geniculatus (49%, Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus (47%, Triatoma dispar (3% and Rhodnius pallescens (0.5%. Thirty three wild animals were captured: Didelphis marsupialis (8, Marmosa robinsoni (1, Hoplomys gimnurus (3, Dasypus novemcinctus (2, Proechymis sp (13, Oryzomis sp (3, Philander opossum (3 as well as 63 dogs (Canis lupus. Transmission risk indicators for Trypanosoma cruzi were: Dispersion (100%, Domiciliary infestation (14,5%, Insect density (30,5%, crowding (204,2% and Relative infection (12,5%. Of the nine localities studied, Montebello (61.1% and La

Unsaturated Glycerophospholipids Mediate Heme Crystallization: Biological Implications for Hemozoin Formation in the Kissing Bug Rhodnius prolixus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stiebler, R.; Majerowicz, David; Knudsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Hemozoin (Hz) is a heme crystal produced by some blood-feeding organisms, as an efficient way to detoxify heme derived from hemoglobin digestion. In the triatomine insect Rhodnius prolixus, Hz is essentially produced by midgut extracellular phospholipid membranes known as perimicrovillar membrane...

Influência da temperatura e umidade no desenvolvimento ninfal de Rhodnius robustus Influence of temperature and humidity on the nymphal development of Rhodnius robustus

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Dayse da S Rocha

2001-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar as diferenças significativas de desenvolvimento ninfal da espécie Rhodnius robustus Larrousse, 1927, submetida a diferentes condições de temperatura e umidade, que se encontra distribuída na região Norte do Brasil (Acre, Amazonas e Pará e na Colômbia, no Equador, no Peru e na Venezuela. MÉTODOS: Formaram-se três grupos de Rhodnius robustus, mantidos em diferentes condições de laboratório: 33/40 (33+/-1°C e 40+/-5% UR -- umidade relativa, 33/70 (33+/-1°C e 70+/-5% UR e 28/70 (28+/-1°C e 70+/-5% UR, para observar o período de incubação dos ovos, o desenvolvimento de cada estádio, os percentuais de mortalidade e os número de repastos realizados. RESULTADOS: O menor período médio de desenvolvimento ninfal foi observado no grupo 28/70 com as médias: 14,4; 17,3; 20,3; 22,8 e 40. O desenvolvimento embrionário apresentou diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos utilizados (pOBJECTIVE: To assess the significant differences in the nymphal development of the Rhodnius robustus Larrousse, 1927 under different temperatures and humidity conditions. This is a species found in the northern region of Brazil (states of Acre, Amazonas, and Pará, Colombia, Equator, Peru and Venezuela. METHODS: Three groups of triatominae were kept under the following laboratory conditions: 33/40 (33+1°C and 40+/-5% of relative humidity -- RH, 33/70 (33+/-1°C and 70+/-5% RH, and 28/70 (28+/-1°C and 70+/-5% RH. The incubation period of the eggs, developmental time of each stage, mortality percentage, number of bloodmeals, and the total amount of time from the egg hatching to adult ecdysis were observed. RESULTS: The shortest average time of nymphal development was observed in the 28/70 group, with following averages: 14.4, 17.3, 20.3, 22.8, and 40. Significant differences were observed in the embryonic development between the groups (p<0.01. For all groups, the number of bloodmeals had a gradual increase near the adult phase

Observations on the Domestic Ecology of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Triatominae

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Abad-Franch F

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Rhodnius ecuadoriensis infests peridomiciles and colonises houses in rural southern Ecuador. Six out of 84 dwellings (7% surveyed in a rural village were infested (78 bugs/infested domicile; 279 bugs were collected in a single dwelling. Precipitin tests revealed R. ecuadoriensis fed on birds (65%, rodents (31%, marsupials (8%, and humans (15% - mixed bloodmeals detected in 37.5% of individual samples. Trypanosoma cruzi from opossums and rodents may thus be introduced into the domestic cycle. Wasp parasitoidism was detected in 6.5% of 995 R. ecuadoriensis eggs (only in peridomestic habitats. Control strategies should integrate insecticide spraying (indoors and peridomestic, better management of poultry, and housing improvements. A possible inefficacy of Malathion is reported.

Perimicrovillar membrane assembly: the fate of phospholipids synthesised by the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus

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Paula Rego Bittencourt-Cunha

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we describe the fate of fatty acids that are incorporated from the lumen by the posterior midgut epithelium of Rhodnius prolixus and the biosynthesis of lipids. We also demonstrate that neutral lipids (NL are transferred to the haemolymphatic lipophorin (Lp and that phospholipids remain in the tissue in which they are organised into perimicrovillar membranes (PMMs. 3H-palmitic acid added at the luminal side of isolated midguts of R. prolixus females was readily absorbed and was used to synthesise phospholipids (80% and NL (20%. The highest incorporation of 3H-palmitic acid was on the first day after a blood meal. The amounts of diacylglycerol (DG and triacylglycerol synthesised by the tissue decreased in the presence of Lp in the incubation medium. The metabolic fates of 3H-lipids synthesised by the posterior midgut were followed and it was observed that DG was the major lipid released to Lp particles. However, the majority of phospholipids were not transferred to Lp, but remained in the tissue. The phospholipids that were synthesised and accumulated in the posterior midgut were found to be associated with Rhodnius luminal contents as structural components of PMMs.

Recurrent Mutations in the Basic Domain of TWIST2 Cause Ablepharon Macrostomia and Barber-Say Syndromes

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Marchegiani, Shannon; Davis, Taylor; Tessadori, Federico; van Haaften, Gijs; Brancati, Francesco; Hoischen, Alexander; Huang, Haigen; Valkanas, Elise; Pusey, Barbara; Schanze, Denny; Venselaar, Hanka; Vulto-van Silfhout, Anneke T; Wolfe, Lynne A; Tifft, Cynthia J; Zerfas, Patricia M; Zambruno, Giovanna; Kariminejad, Ariana; Sabbagh-Kermani, Farahnaz; Lee, Janice; Tsokos, Maria G; Lee, Chyi-Chia R; Ferraz, Victor; da Silva, Eduarda Morgana; Stevens, Cathy A; Roche, Nathalie; Bartsch, Oliver; Farndon, Peter; Bermejo-Sanchez, Eva; Brooks, Brian P; Maduro, Valerie; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Ramos, Feliciano J; Chung, Hon-Yin Brian; Le Caignec, Cédric; Martins, Fabiana; Jacyk, Witold K; Mazzanti, Laura; Brunner, Han G; Bakkers, Jeroen; Lin, Shuo; Malicdan, May Christine V; Boerkoel, Cornelius F; Gahl, William A; de Vries, Bert B A; van Haelst, Mieke M; Zenker, Martin; Markello, Thomas C

2015-01-01

Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome (AMS) and Barber-Say syndrome (BSS) are rare congenital ectodermal dysplasias characterized by similar clinical features. To establish the genetic basis of AMS and BSS, we performed extensive clinical phenotyping, whole exome and candidate gene sequencing, and

Benthic faunal sampling adjacent to the Barbers Point ocean outfall, Oahu, Hawaii, 1986-2010 (NODC Accession 9900098)

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Benthic fauna in the vicinity of the Barbers Point (Honouliuli) ocean outfall were sampled from 1986-2010. To assess the environmental quality, sediment grain size...

Metabolism and gas exchange patterns in Rhodnius prolixus.

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Schilman, Pablo E

Insect's metabolic rate and patterns of gas-exchange varies according to different factors such as: species, activity, mass, and temperature among others. One particular striking pattern of gas-exchange in insects is discontinuous gas-exchange cycles, for which many different hypotheses regarding their evolution have been stated. This article does not pretend to be an extensive review on the subject, rather to focus on the work performed on the haematophagous bug Rhodnius prolixus, a model organism used from the mid XX century until present days, with the great influence of Wigglesworth and his students/collaborator's work. I have no doubt that the renovated field of insect gas-exchange has a bright future and will advance at large gaits thank to the help of this model organism, R. prolixus, whose entire genome has recently being unraveled. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Counterclockwise barber-pole sign on CT: SMA/SMV variance without midgut malrotation

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Clark, Paul [Tripler Army Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Honolulu, Hawaii (United States); Ruess, Lynne [Tripler Army Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Honolulu, Hawaii (United States); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and Pediatrics, Bethesda, MD (United States)

2005-11-01

We report on a 10-year-old girl who presented with worsening pain and anorexia after blunt trauma to the abdomen. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen was performed, and a counterclockwise rotation of the superior mesenteric vein around the superior mesenteric artery was seen. An upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series with small-bowel follow-through demonstrated a normally located duodenal-jejunal junction. This is the first case report of a counterclockwise barber-pole sign seen by CT with UGI that was negative for malrotation or volvulus. (orig.)

Counterclockwise barber-pole sign on CT: SMA/SMV variance without midgut malrotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, Paul; Ruess, Lynne

2005-01-01

We report on a 10-year-old girl who presented with worsening pain and anorexia after blunt trauma to the abdomen. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen was performed, and a counterclockwise rotation of the superior mesenteric vein around the superior mesenteric artery was seen. An upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series with small-bowel follow-through demonstrated a normally located duodenal-jejunal junction. This is the first case report of a counterclockwise barber-pole sign seen by CT with UGI that was negative for malrotation or volvulus. (orig.)

75 FR 38019 - Safety Zone; Fixed Mooring Balls, South of Barbers Pt. Harbor Channel, Oahu, HI

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0457] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Fixed Mooring Balls, South of Barbers Pt. Harbor Channel, Oahu, HI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: Due to the placement of six fixed mooring balls in an...

A new endemic focus of Chagas disease in the northern region of Veraguas Province, Western Half Panama, Central America.

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Azael Saldaña

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease was originally reported in Panama in 1931. Currently, the best knowledge of this zoonosis is restricted to studies done in historically endemic regions. However, little is known about the distribution and epidemiology of Chagas disease in other rural areas of the country. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out between May 2005 - July 2008 in four rural communities of the Santa Fe District, Veraguas Province. The study included an entomologic search to collect triatomines, bloodmeal type identification and infection rate with trypanosomes in collected vectors using a dot- blot and PCR analysis, genotyping of circulating Trypanosoma cruzi (mini-exon gene PCR analysis and the detection of chagasic antibodies among inhabitants. The vector Rhodnius pallescens was more frequently found in La Culaca and El Pantano communities (788 specimens, where it was a sporadic household visitor. These triatomines presented darker coloration and larger sizescompared with typical specimens collected in Central Panama. Triatoma dimidiata was more common in Sabaneta de El Macho (162 specimens. In one small sub-region (El Macho, 60% of the houses were colonized by this vector. Of the examined R. pallescens, 54.7.0% (88/161 had fed on Didelphis marsupialis, and 24.6% (34/138 of T. dimidiata specimens collected inside houses were positive for human blood. R. pallescens presented an infection index with T. cruzi of 17.7% (24/136, with T. rangeli of 12.5% (17/136 and 50.7% (69/136 were mixed infections. In 117 T. dimidiata domestic specimens the infection index with T. cruzi was 21.4%. Lineage I of T. cruzi was confirmed circulating in these vectors. A T. cruzi infection seroprevalence of 2.3% (24/1,056 was found in this population. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of Chagas disease endemicity in Santa Fe District, and it should be considered a neglected public health problem in this area of Panama.

Sediment Monitoring and Benthic Faunal Sampling Adjacent to the Barbers Point Ocean Outfall, Oahu, Hawaii, 1986-2010 (NODC Accession 9900098)

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Benthic fauna and sediment in the vicinity of the Barbers Point (Honouliuli) ocean outfall were sampled from 1986-2010. To assess the environmental quality, sediment...

Evocatin of the Spirit: A-capella-Werke von Gorecki, Pärt, Martin, Barber und Schönberg / Gerhard Pätzig

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Pätzig, Gerhard

1995-01-01

Uuest heliplaadist "Evocatin of the Spirit: A-capella-Werke von Gorecki, Pärt, Martin, Barber und Schönberg. Robert Shaw Festival Singers. Robert Shaw (AD: 1994). Telarc/in-akustik CD 80406 (WD: 72'15")

Diversity of anti-haemostatic proteins in the salivary glands of Rhodnius species transmitters of Chagas disease in the greater Amazon.

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Bussacos, Ana C M; Nakayasu, Ernesto S; Hecht, Mariana M; Parente, Juliana A; Soares, Célia M A; Teixeira, Antônio R L; Almeida, Igor C

2011-08-24

The triatomines in the tribe Rhodniini are the main vectors of the Trypanosoma cruzi to humans in recent outbreaks of acute Chagas disease in the Amazon. These insects dwelling in palm trees do not colonize the human domicile. Their success to transmit the infection relies partially on the efficacy of their salivary gland apparatuses. Here we show the transcriptome of the Rhodnius brethesi and Rhodnius robustus salivary glands, comprising 56 and 122 clusters, respectively. Approximately one third of these clusters are described for the first time. The LC-MS/MS analysis identified 123 and 111 proteins in R. brethesi and R. robustus sialome, respectively. Noteworthy, lipocalin platelet aggregation inhibitors, inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases, and Kazal domain proteins, which are essential for the insect's successful acquisition of blood meals, were found in our analysis. Moreover, glutathione S transferase and antigen-5, which play roles in the insect's defense and resistance against insecticide, were also observed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Un lote de armamento ibérico procedente de la necrópolis del Mas de Barberán (Nogueruelas, Teruel

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Izquierdo Peraile, Isabel

1999-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we publish an Ibenan set of weapons -swords, lances and dagger essentially-, coming from the cemetery of the settlement so-called Mas de Barberán (Nogueruelas, Teruel. An anthropomorphic stele with an inscription recently studied is associated to the same site. This stele represents an armed with disk-cuirass masculine personage.

En este trabajo presentamos un lote inédito de armamento ibérico espadas, lanzas y puñal esencialmente procedente de la necrópolis correspondiente al poblado del Mas de Barberán (Nogueruelas, Teruel. Al mismo yacimiento se asocia la estela antropomorfa con inscripción que representa un personaje masculino armado con disco-coraza, recientemente estudiada.

Source of salts in the Waianae part of the Pearl Harbor aquifer near Barbers Point water tunnel, Oahu, Hawaii

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Eyre, P.R.

1987-01-01

The salinity of the water supply of Barbers Point Naval Air Station has increased markedly since 1983. The Naval Air Station obtains its water, about 3 million gal/day, from Barbers Point shaft, a water shaft that taps the Waianae part of the Pearl Harbor aquifer underlying the dry, southeastern flank of the Waianae mountains on the island on Oahu, Hawaii. From 1983 to 1985 the chloride concentration of the water, increased from 220 to 250 mg/L and has remained near that level through 1986. The EPA has established 250 mg/L as the maximum recommended chloride concentration in drinking water because above that level many people can taste the salt. The high chloride concentration in shallow groundwater at all wells in the area indicates that most of the salts in the freshwater lens are contributed by rainfall, sea spray, and irrigation return water. At Barbers Point shaft, pumping may draw a small amount of saltwater from the transition zone and increase the chloride concentration in the pumped water by about 20 mg/L. Salinity of the lens decreases progressively inland in response to recharge from relatively fresher water and in response to an increasing lens thickness with increasing distance from the shoreline. The increase, in 1983, in the chloride concentration of water at the shaft was most probably the result of saltier recharge water reaching the water table, and not the result of increased mixing of underlying saltwater with the freshwater. The chloride concentration of the recharge water has probably increased because, in 1980, the drip method of irrigation began to replace the furrow method on sugarcane fields near the shaft. A mixing-cell model was used to estimate the effect of drip irrigation on the chloride concentration of the groundwater in the vicinity of Barbers Point shaft. The model predicted an increase in chloride concentration of about 50 mg/L. The observed increase was about 30 mg/L and the chloride concentration is presently stable at 245 to

Antifungal activity of the extracts and neolignans from Piper regnellii (Miq.) C. DC. var. pallescens (C. DC.) Yunck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessini, Greisiele Lorena; Cortez, Diogenes Aparicio Garcia; Dias Filho, Benedito Prado; Nakamura, Celso Vataru

2005-01-01

Piper regnellii (Miq.) C. DC. var. pallescens (C. DC.) Yunck (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Brazil to treat infectious diseases. The extracts obtained from the leaves of P. regnellii were investigated for their antifungal activities against the yeasts Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. The EtOAc extract presented a significant activity against Candida albicans with MIC at 125 μg mL -1 , and a moderate activity against both C. krusei and C. parapsilosis with MIC at 500 μg mL -1 . Candida tropicalis was not inhibited by this extract at concentrations as high as 1000 μg mL -1 . Based on these findings, the EtOAc extract was fractionated by silica gel column chromatography into nine fractions. The hexane and CHCl 3 fractions showed varied levels of antifungal activity against all test yeasts. Further column chromatography separation of the hexane fraction afforded the pure compounds eupomatenoid-6, eupomatenoid-5, eupomatenoid-3 and conocarpan. The structure of the compounds was based on spectral data ( 1 H and 13 C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, gNOE, IR and MS). Conocarpan was the only active compound on the yeasts. The antifungal property of P. regnellii extract provides preliminary scientific validation for the traditional medicinal use of this plant. (author)

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

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Rodrigo Zeledón

2001-08-01

Full Text Available 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.

Comparative Analysis of Repetitive DNA between the Main Vectors of Chagas Disease: Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus.

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Pita, Sebastián; Mora, Pablo; Vela, Jesús; Palomeque, Teresa; Sánchez, Antonio; Panzera, Francisco; Lorite, Pedro

2018-04-24

Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis affects six to seven million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America. This disease is transmitted by hematophagous insects known as "kissing bugs" (Hemiptera, Triatominae), with Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus being the two most important vector species. Despite the fact that both species present the same diploid chromosome number (2 n = 22), they have remarkable differences in their total DNA content, chromosome structure and genome organization. Variations in the DNA genome size are expected to be due to differences in the amount of repetitive DNA sequences. The T. infestans genome-wide analysis revealed the existence of 42 satellite DNA families. BLAST searches of these sequences against the R. prolixus genome assembly revealed that only four of these satellite DNA families are shared between both species, suggesting a great differentiation between the Triatoma and Rhodnius genomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) location of these repetitive DNAs in both species showed that they are dispersed on the euchromatic regions of all autosomes and the X chromosome. Regarding the Y chromosome, these common satellite DNAs are absent in T. infestans but they are present in the R. prolixus Y chromosome. These results support a different origin and/or evolution in the Y chromosome of both species.

Anticipation of Artemia sp. supply in the larviculture of the barber goby Elacatinus figaro (Gobiidae: Teleostei influenced growth, metamorphosis and alkaline protease activity

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Maria Fernanda da Silva-Souza

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The barber goby Elacatinus figaro is considered endangered due to overexploitation by the ornamental industry. Farming marine ornamental fishes, especially the threatened ones, can be one of the measures to minimize the pressure on the natural stocks. Among the priority issues for their production is the determination of the most appropriate feeding management. The feeding protocol commonly used in the larviculture of barber goby, when the start of Artemia sp. offer occurred at the 18th DAH (days after hatching (treatment T18, was modified, by anticipating brine shrimp supply in 6 days (treatment T12. Alkaline proteases activity, growth and metamorphosis of larvae were evaluated in both protocols. Juveniles at T12 showed higher weight (0.04 ± 0.001 g and lower activity of total alkaline proteases (1.3 ± 0.2 mU mg-1 protein compared to T18 (0.02 ± 0.001 g; 2.8 ± 0.4 mU mg-1 protein, respectively. With anticipation of brine shrimp, the commencing and end of larval transformation was observed earlier (at 24 and 34 DAH, respectively in comparison to those with the supply of Artemia sp. at 18 DAH (27 and 41 DAH, respectively. Thus, the Artemia sp. anticipation was beneficial during the larviculture of the barber goby, considering that larvae reached metamorphosis earlier.

Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 is involved in glycogen metabolism control and embryogenesis of Rhodnius prolixus.

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Mury, Flávia B; Lugon, Magda D; DA Fonseca, Rodrigo Nunes; Silva, Jose R; Berni, Mateus; Araujo, Helena M; Fontenele, Marcio Ribeiro; Abreu, Leonardo Araujo DE; Dansa, Marílvia; Braz, Glória; Masuda, Hatisaburo; Logullo, Carlos

2016-10-01

Rhodnius prolixus is a blood-feeding insect that transmits Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli to vertebrate hosts. Rhodnius prolixus is also a classical model in insect physiology, and the recent availability of R. prolixus genome has opened new avenues on triatomine research. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is classically described as a key enzyme involved in glycogen metabolism, also acting as a downstream component of the Wnt pathway during embryogenesis. GSK-3 has been shown to be highly conserved among several organisms, mainly in the catalytic domain region. Meanwhile, the role of GSK-3 during R. prolixus embryogenesis or glycogen metabolism has not been investigated. Here we show that chemical inhibition of GSK-3 by alsterpaullone, an ATP-competitive inhibitor of GSK3, does not affect adult survival rate, though it alters oviposition and egg hatching. Specific GSK-3 gene silencing by dsRNA injection in adult females showed a similar phenotype. Furthermore, bright field and 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining analysis revealed that ovaries and eggs from dsGSK-3 injected females exhibited specific morphological defects. We also demonstrate that glycogen content was inversely related to activity and transcription levels of GSK-3 during embryogenesis. Lastly, after GSK-3 knockdown, we observed changes in the expression of the Wingless (Wnt) downstream target β-catenin as well as in members of other pathways such as the receptor Notch. Taken together, our results show that GSK-3 regulation is essential for R. prolixus oogenesis and embryogenesis.

Analysis of antenal sensilla patterns of Rhodnius prolixus from Colombia and Venezuela

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Lyda Esteban

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Antennal sensilla patterns were used to analyze population variation of domestic Rhodnius prolixus from six departments and states representing three biogeographical regions of Colombia and Venezuela. Discriminant analysis of the patterns of mechanoreceptors and of three types of chemoreceptors on the pedicel and flagellar segments showed clear differentiation between R. prolixus populations east and west of the Andean Cordillera. The distribution of thick and thin-walled trichoids on the second flagellar segment also showed correlation with latitude, but this was not seen in the patterns of other sensilla. The results of the sensilla patterns appear to be reflecting biogeographic features or population isolation rather than characters associated with different habitats and lend support to the idea that domestic R. prolixus originated in the eastern region of the Andes.

Fish Census Data from Annual Surveys at Selected Shallow-water Sites Near the Barber's Point Sewage Outfall, Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, 1991 - 2010 (NODC Accession 0073346)

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located in Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, near Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) has been in operation since 1982. It releases...

Effects of juvenile hormone analogue on ecdysis prevention induced by precocene in Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae

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Patricia de Azambuja

1984-12-01

Full Text Available Precocene II, added to the meal of fourth-instar larvae of Rhodnius prolixus (25 mug/ml of blood, induced an in crease in the duration of the molting cycle. This effect was related to the decrease of both the nuclear area of the prothoracic gland cells and the mitotic activity in epidermal cellS. juvenile hormone analogue applied topically (60 mug/insect together with Precocene II treatment avoided atrophy of the prothoracic glands and induced a higher number of epidermal mitosis accelerating the time of subsequent ecdysis. A possible relationship between juvenile hormone and production of ecdysone is discussed.Adicionado ao sangue alimentar na dose de 25 mug/ml o precoceno II causou um aumento no período de intermuda em ninfas de 4o. estadio de Rhodnius prolixus. Este atraso da muda foi relacionado com a diminuição da área dos núcleos das celulas das glandulas protoracicas e com a queda da atividade mitotica das células da epiderme do inseto. Um análogo de hormônio juvenil aplicado topicamente (60 mug/inseto junto com o tratamento oral com precoceno II preveniu a atrofia das glândulas protorácicas e induziu um aumento no número de mitoses nas células da epiderme, diminuindo o período de intermuda nestes insetos.A possivel relação entre a ação do hormônio juvenil e a producao de ecdisona pelas glândulas protorácicas e discutida.

Community Structure of Fish and Macrobenthos at Selected Shallow-water Sites in Relation to the Barber's Point Outfall, Oahu, Hawaii, 1991 - 1999 (NODC Accession 0000174)

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This report provides the results of the eight years of an annual quantitative monitoring of shallow marine communities inshore of the Barbers Point Ocean Outfall...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Bright white dwarfs IRAC photometry (Barber+, 2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, S. D.; Belardi, C.; Kilic, M.; Gianninas, A.

2017-07-01

Mid-infrared photometry, like the 3.4 and 4.6um photometry available from WISE, is necessary to detect emission from a debris disc orbiting a WD. WISE, however, has poor spatial resolution (6 arcsec beam size) and is known to have a 75 per cent false positive rate for detecting dusty discs around WDs fainter than 14.5(15) mag in W1(W2) (Barber et al. (2014ApJ...786...77B). To mitigate this high rate of spurious detections, we compile higher spatial resolution archival data from the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We query the Spitzer Heritage Archive for any observations within 10 arcsec of the 1265 WDs from Gianninas et al. (2011, Cat. J/ApJ/743/138) and find 907 Astronomical Observing Requests (AORs) for 381 WDs. (1 data file).

A resposta de Rhodnius prolixus a estímulos térmicos

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Terezinha Fujita

1976-06-01

Full Text Available Uma série de experiências com formas adultas de Rhodnius prolixus, realizadas tanto no laboratório como em recinto de dimensões mais amplas, demonstrou uma acentuada atração para fontes de calor, com um máximo de atividades em torno dos 37 graus Centígrados. Nossos estudos revelaram que o inseto percebe estímulos térmicos a uma certa distância da fonte. Embora o reconhecimento de radiações infra-vermelhas possa servir para uma orientação do triatomíneo em direção ao animal de sangue quente, não acreditamos que seja o único fator envolvido. Com a continuação de pesquisas deste gênero visa-se o aperfeiçoamento de uma técnica que se preste para o combate ao vetor.

First report of Rhodnius stali (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae in the State of Acre and in the Brazilian Amazon

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Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract: INTRODUCTION: This paper reports, for the first time, the presence of Rhodnius stali in the state of Acre and in the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: Specimens of R. stali were collected by the Federal University of Acre in Rio Branco. RESULTS: The number of Triatominae species in the State of Acre increased from five to six. This was also the first report of R. stali in the Brazilian Amazon. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of R. stali is worrisome, since this species has been found naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi and there has been evidence of its domiciliation capabilities.

Effects of azadirachtin in Rhodnius prolixus: data and hypotheses

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E. S. Garcia

1991-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of azadirachtin A, a tetranortriterpenoid from the neem tree Azadirachta indica J., on both development and interaction between Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, and its vector Rhodnius prolixus were studied. Given through a blood meal, a dose-rsponse relationship of azadirachtin was established using antifeedant effect and ecdysis inhibition as effective parameters. A singlo dose of azadirachtin A was able to block the onset of mitosis in the epidermis and ecdysteroid titers in the hemnolymph, determined by radioimmuneassay, were too low for an induction of ecadysis. The survival of T. cruzi was also studied in R. prolixus treated with the drug. If the trypomastigotes were fed in presence of azadirachtin A the number of parasites drastically decreased. If the drug was applied after infection of the bug with T. cruzi, the parasite was still abolished from the gut. If the insect was pretreated with azadirachtin A before infection the same observation was obtained. A single dose of azadirachtin A was enough for a permanent resistance of the insect host against its reinfection with T. cruzi and for blocking the ecdysis for a long time. The effects of azadirachtin A on the hormonal balance of the host and growth inhibition of the parasite will be discussed on the basis of the present results.

Comportamiento de Rhodnius robustus Larousse, 1927 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae durante su alimentación en condiciones de laboratorio

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Camilo Rubio

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Introducción. A pesar del control de los insectos domiciliados, se siguen presentando casos de enfermedad de Chagas con la participación en la transmisión de especies peridomiciliarias y selváticas,una de las cuales es Rhodnius robustus, especie reportada con infecciones naturales de Trypanosoma cruzi y T. rangeli. Objetivo. Describir el comportamiento de R. robustus durante su alimentación en condiciones delaboratorio.Materiales y métodos. En cada estadio de desarrollo de R. robustus se analizó el tiempo promedio para alcanzar la repleción, número promedio de deyecciones, porcentaje de individuos que defecan durante la comida y ganancia de peso después de la alimentación. Resultados. Rhodnius robustus tardó entre 19:26 y 44:55 (minutos:segundos en alimentarse arepleción; los insectos defecaron en todos sus diferentes estadios durante la alimentación. El porcentaje de individuos que defecan durante la alimentación varía de 13,3 % a 93,3 %. Por otro lado, el consumo promedio de sangre en el quinto estadio, 337,19 mg, duplica la cantidad ingerida por los adultos, 161,25 mg. Conclusiones. En todos los estadios de R. robustus hay defecación durante la alimentación, factor que favorece su competencia vectorial. Sin embargo, el tiempo para la primera deyección, el porcentaje dedeyecciones y los individuos que defecan durante la comida, así como la cantidad de sangre ingerida, varían entre los estadios, lo cual indica que el comportamiento alimenticio está mediado por variables dependientes de la edad/estadio.   http://dx.doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v33i2.743

Efecto de la alternación de fuentes sanguíneas sobre la fecundidad y la fertilidad de Rhodnius prolixus Stal (Heteroptera: Reduviidae

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Elis José Aldana

2009-04-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se evidencia que si el éxito reproductivo de Rhodnius prolixus Stal está relacionado a la fuente alimentaria, entonces las necesidades biológicas del insecto son satisfechas en modos diferentes según el tipo de alternancia entre dichas fuentes de alimentación; tales diferencias son reveladas mediante los cambios en fertilidad y fecundidad del insecto. Se realizaron nueve alternancias, en cada una se suministraron dos alimentaciones, en unas se alternó la fuente de alimentación y en los controles se suministraron dos alimentaciones con la misma fuente. Las fuentes alimentarias fueron paloma, gallina y humano, esta última mediante un aparato de alimentación artificial; estas fuentes se escogieron en el supuesto que son fuentes alimentarias encontradas en los ecotopos silvestre, peri-domicilio y domicilio respectivamente. En todos los tipos de alternancia se encontró una relación lineal entre la fecundidad y el tiempo de oviposición, que la relación entre cantidad de sangre ingerida y la fecundidad varían, que la tasa de fecundidad aumenta en la segunda alimentación respecto a la primera y que la fertilidad fue superior al 95 %. Effects of alternating blood sources on fecundity and fertility of Rhodnius prolixus Stal (Heteroptera: ReduviidaeIn this work it is argued that if the reproductive parameters of Rhodnius prolixus Stal are related to the blood source upon which it feeds, then the insects biological needs must be satisfied in different ways by the alternation between blood sources, reveled through changes in the fecundity and fertility of individuals of this insect species. Nine experiments were conducted, each one consisting of two feedings, in which the blood source were either alternated or remained the same. The meal sources used were pigeon, hen and human blood, selected according to the resources found in the sylvatic, peri-domestic and domestic ecotopes respectively. It was found that the quantity of

Marshall Barber and the century of microinjection: from cloning of bacteria to cloning of everything.

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Korzh, Vladimir; Strähle, Uwe

2002-08-01

A hundred years ago, Dr. Marshall A. Barber proposed a new technique - the microinjection technique. He developed this method initially to clone bacteria and to confirm the germ theory of Koch and Pasteur. Later on, he refined his approach and was able to manipulate nuclei in protozoa and to implant bacteria into plant cells. Continuous improvement and adaptation of this method to new applications dramatically changed experimental embryology and cytology and led to the formation of several new scientific disciplines including animal cloning as one of its latest applications. Interestingly, microinjection originated as a method at the crossroad of bacteriology and plant biology, demonstrating once again the unforeseen impact that basic research in an unrelated field can have on the development of entirely different disciplines.

Técnica para extraer cantidad apreciable de hemolinfa y sacar fácilmente glándulas salivales en ninfas de quinto estadio y adultos de Rhodnius Prolixus

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Ernesto Osorno Mesa

1965-07-01

Full Text Available Se describen minuciosamente los diferentes pasos para extracción de hemolinfa con micropipetas, en ninfas de 5º estadio y adultos de Rhodnius prolixus, lo mismo que para el aislamiento de las glándulas salivales. Se anotan las ventajas y aplicaciones de estas técnicas, en investigaciones parasitológicas, especialmente sobre Trypanosomiasis.

COLONIZATION OF PALM TREES BY Rhodnius neglectus AND HOUSEHOLD AND INVASION IN AN URBAN AREA, ARAÇATUBA, SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

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Vera Lúcia Cortiço Corrêa Rodrigues

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to report on the colonization of palm trees by Rhodnius neglectus, its invasion in an urban area, in Araçatuba - São Paulo, and the control and surveillance measures that have been put in place. Domiciliary triatomine searches occurred in apartments upon the inhabitants' notification. The collected insects were identified and examined for natural infection and food sources with a precipitin test. To search the palm trees, tarps were used to cover the floor, and a “Munck” truck equipped with a tree-pruning device was utilized. Chemical control was performed with the utilization of a manual compression. In 2009, 81 specimens of Rhodnius neglectus were collected from the domiciles by the population. The precipitin test revealed a presence of human blood in 2.7% of the samples. Entomological studies were carried out in these domiciles and in those located within a radius of 200 meters. The search performed in the palm trees resulted in the capture of 882 specimens of triatomines, negative for tripanosomatids. Mechanical and chemical controls were carried out. New searches conducted in the palm trees in the same year resulted in the capture of six specimens. The mechanical and chemical controls of the palm trees, together with the population's work, proved to be effective, therefore preventing these insects' colonization of the city's domiciles.

Alimentación y defecación en triatominos del género Rhodnius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae alimentados con sangre humana

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E. Aldana

2001-06-01

Full Text Available Se estudió el comportamiento alimenticio y de defecación de Rhodnius prolixus Stal, 1859, R. robustus Larrousse, 1927, R. neivai Lent, 1953 y R. pictipes Stal, 1872 alimentados artificialmente con sangre humana en condiciones de laboratorio. La ninfa I de todas las especies no defecaron en la primera media hora después de haber iniciado la ingesta. R. pictipes no se acercó a picar en el alimentador artificial aunque si lo hizo cuando el alimento se ofreció directamente sobre el cuerpo humano. Las ninfas y adultos de R. prolixus mostraron índices de defecación (ID superiores a los correspondientes de las otras especies, y la ninfa III presentó el mayor ID=1.62. La mayoría de individuos de todos los estadíos de desarrollo aceptaron el alimento en un tiempo entre 0 y 3 min y se alimentaron en menos de 15 minutos.Feeding and defecaction behavior of Rhodnius prolixus Stal, 1859, R. robustus Larrousse, 1927, R. neivai Lent, 1953 and R. pictipes Stal, 1872, artificially fed on human blood, were studied under laboratory conditions. In all species, first instar nymphs did not defecate in the first 30 minutes after feeding. R. pictipes did not accept artificial feeding but fed directly on humans. Nymph and adult R. prolixus had a higher defecation index (DI than other species; third instar nymphs had the highest DI=1.62. In all instars, most individuals accepted the food in £ 3 minutes and finished feeding in less than 15 minutes.

Phase contrast X-ray synchrotron imaging for assessing external and internal morphology of Rhodnius prolixus

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Almeida, Andre P. de, E-mail: apalmeid@gmail.com [Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Nuclear Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Soares, Jose [Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Meneses, Anderson A.M. [Radiological Sciences Laboratory, State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Federal University of Western Para (Brazil); Cardoso, Simone C. [Physics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Braz, Delson [Nuclear Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Garcia, Eloi S. [Laboratory of Biochemistry and Physiology of Insects, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ (Brazil); Gonzalez, Marcelo S. [Department of General Biology, Federal University Fluminense (Brazil); Azambuja, Patricia [Laboratory of Biochemistry and Physiology of Insects, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ (Brazil); Barroso, Regina C. [Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2012-07-15

PhC-SR-{mu}CT is a nondestructive technique that allows the microanatomical investigations and 3D images reconstructions. This technique is performed in blood sucker, Rhodnius prolixus-one of the most important insect vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, ethiologic agent of Chagas' disease in Latin America-was able to provide excellent information about the microanatomy of the thorax and head allowing a new tool for further studies of development and physiology of triatomine by a non-invasive method of observation. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this work we used SR-PhC-{mu}CT to study the microanatomy of R. prolixus. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigate SR-PhC-{mu}CT to the 3D reconstruction of internal structures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We get information about the tissues responsible for the development of the insect.

Short and long-term effects of azadirachtin A on development and egg production of Rhodnius prolixus

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Eloi S. Garcia

1990-03-01

Full Text Available Azadirachtin A was given through a blood meal to 4th-instar larvae and to adult females of Rhodnius prolixus. Development (ecdysis and egg production were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Long-term experiments with subsequent four feedings on azadirachtin-free blood were performed with 4th-instar larvae and with adult females. Only in the low-dose azadirachtin larval groups (0.01 and 0.1 microng/ml of blood, development was partially restored; after a single 1.0 microng/ml treatment about 50% of the treated larvae were still alive 120 days later without any adult emergence. Similarly fed females had a dose-dependent lower survival and egg deposition rate. The results are discussed in relation to the mode of azadirachtin A action.

A Deep Insight into the Sialome of Rhodnius neglectus, a Vector of Chagas Disease.

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Paula Beatriz Santiago

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Triatomines are hematophagous insects that act as vectors of Chagas disease. Rhodnius neglectus is one of these kissing bugs found, contributing to the transmission of this American trypanosomiasis. The saliva of hematophagous arthropods contains bioactive molecules responsible for counteracting host haemostatic, inflammatory, and immune responses.Next generation sequencing and mass spectrometry-based protein identification were performed to investigate the content of triatomine R. neglectus saliva. We deposited 4,230 coding DNA sequences (CDS in GenBank. A set of 636 CDS of proteins of putative secretory nature was extracted from the assembled reads, 73 of them confirmed by proteomic analysis. The sialome of R. neglectus was characterized and serine protease transcripts detected. The presence of ubiquitous protein families was revealed, including lipocalins, serine protease inhibitors, and antigen-5. Metalloproteases, disintegrins, and odorant binding protein families were less abundant.The data presented improve our understanding of hematophagous arthropod sialomes, and aid in understanding hematophagy and the complex interplay among vectors and their vertebrate hosts.

Sensibilidad de diferentes especies de Rhodnius (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae a una cepa brasileña de Trypanosoma rangeli (SC58/KP1-

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Daniella Barreto-Santana

2015-03-01

Materiales y métodos. Se seleccionaron treinta ninfas de cada especie después de xenodiagnóstico artificial en sangre infectada con T. rangeli. Se examinaron periódicamente muestras de heces y hemolinfa. Los insectos con hemolinfas infectadas fueron alimentados en ratones a fin de comprobar la transmisión por picadura y posteriormente disecados para confirmar la infección de las glándulas salivales. Resultados. En Rhodnius pictipes se encontró un mayor porcentaje de infección intestinal que en las otras especies. Se detectaron epimastigotes y tripomastigotes en la hemolinfa de las cuatro especies, y se encontró que el parasitismo fue menor en las especies del linaje R. robustus. Rhodnius robustus y R. neglectus no transmitían T. rangeli a ratones por picadura: después de la disección, sus glándulas no estaban infectadas. Solo un espécimen de R. nasutus y dos de R. pictipes transmitieron el parásito por la picadura. La tasa de infección glandular fue de 16 % para R. pictipes y de 4 % para R. nasutus. Conclusiones. La capacidad infecciosa (hemolinfática, intestinal y glandular y la transmisión de T. rangeli (SC-58/KP1- fueron mayores y más eficientes en R. pictipes. Estos resultados refuerzan la hipótesis de que estos triatominos actúan como filtros biológicos en la transmisión de T. rangeli.

Impact of residual spraying on Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata in the department of Zacapa in Guatemala

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J Nakagawa

2003-03-01

Full Text Available As a vector control program to control Chagas disease in Guatemala, residual spraying of Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata was performed, and its impact was measured in the department of Zacapa. In order to identify infested villages and determine the degree of infestation, a baseline entomological survey to identify municipalities infested with vectors followed by an additional vector survey in areas known to be infested was conducted. Residual spraying using pyrethroid insecticides was performed at all the villages identified as being infested with the vectors. The residual spraying was shown to be highly effective against both vectors by the decrease in infestation indices after spraying. Analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the spraying showed that the average cost of insecticides per house is high when compared with that in Southern Cone countries.

Biocide activity of Annona coriacea seeds extract on Rhodnius neglectus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae

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Ângela Pinheiro Carneiro

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The use of synthetic insecticides for insect control may lead to different kind of problems, such as vector resistance to insecticides. To avoid these problems, a new research area to study botanical products as possible disease vectors controls, has become a feasible alternative. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the biocide activity of the ethanol extract of seeds of Annona coriacea on Rhodnius neglectus (Chagas disease vector nymphs and adults. For this, different concentrations extracts were evaluated: 25, 50, 100 and 200mg/ mL, and water in DMSO (20% was used as control. The experimental design was completely randomized and we conducted the bioassay with nymphs and adults, with 10 nymphs and 10 adults (five males and five females per treatment. Extract action was evaluated in both bioassays, in order to identify possible effects of mortality and life cycle interruption of nymphs and adults during a 28-day-period. The results obtained showed that the extract of A. coriacea was able to disrupt the development of nymphs and adults of R. neglectus, with a mortality rate of more than 90%, 36% and 100%, at the highest concentrations, respectively. There was also molting inhibition in nymphs, lower reproductive capacity in females, feeding deterrence and morphological changes in nymphs and adults. We concluded that the extract of A. coriacea has insecticide action on nymphs and adults of R. neglectus.La enfermedad de Chagas se convirtió en un problema de salud debido a su importancia epidemiológica, es producida por el protista Trypanosoma cruzi, cuyos insectos vectores son del género Triatoma y Panstrongylus. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la actividad biocida del extracto de Annona coriacea en las ninfas de Rhodnius neglectus y en sus adultos. Se evaluaron 14 concentraciones de 25, 50, 100 y 200mg/ml del extracto etanólico, así como el control, en este caso agua de DMSO (20%. Se utilizo un diseño completamente

The proctolin gene and biological effects of proctolin in the blood-feeding bug, Rhodnius prolixus.

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Ian eOrchard

2011-10-01

Full Text Available We have reinvestigated the possible presence or absence of the pentapeptide proctolin in Rhodnius prolixus and report here the cloning of the proctolin cDNA. The transcript is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS with some low expression associated with peripheral tissues. The proctolin prepropeptide encodes a single copy of proctolin along with a proctolin-precursor-associated peptide. We have biochemically identified proctolin in CNS extracts and shown its distribution using proctolin-like immunoreactivity. Immunostained processes are found on the salivary glands, female and male reproductive organs, and heart and associated alary muscles. Proctolin-like immunoreactive bipolar neurons are found on the lateral margins of the common oviduct and bursa. Proctolin is biologically active on R. prolixus tissues, stimulating increases in contraction of anterior midgut and hindgut muscles, and increasing heartbeat frequency. Contrary to the previous suggestion that proctolin is absent from R. prolixus, proctolin is indeed present and biologically active in this medically-important bug.

Resistance to starvation of Rhodnius neivai Lent, 1953 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae under experimental conditions

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Daniel R Cabello

2001-05-01

Full Text Available The period of resistance to starvation and the loss of weight until death of Rhodnius neivai in all stages of development were studied. Work was based on experiments conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. One hundred specimens of each nymphal instar were observed: 50 were fed on chicken and 50 on rabbit. Adult females and males were kept together and fed on each host. All bugs were weighed weekly until death. Laid eggs were collected weekly and observed during five weeks to obtain hatchability. Resistance to starvation was similar with both hosts and increased with the evolutionary stage, excepting the 5th nymphal instar and adults. With both hosts, loss of weight was abrupt in the first week and steady in the following weeks. In adults, on the first weeks after eating, there was little or no mortality, after which mortality increased rapidly with the starving time. Reproductive output was higher in the bugs fed on rabbit. R. neivai is among the least resistant triatomine species.

Phenotypic variability of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis populations at the Ecuadorian central and southern Andean region.

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Villacís, Anita G; Grijalva, Mario J; Catalá, Silvia S

2010-11-01

Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is an important vector of Chagas disease in Ecuador. Whereas only sylvatic and peridomestic populations are common in Manabi province, this species occupies domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic habitats in Loja province where high reinfestation of houses was observed. To explore the existence of phenetic changes linked to the domiciliation of the species, this study set out to analyze the wing and antennal phenotypes of R. ecuadoriensis in these two provinces where the vector presents different affinity for domestic habitats. The antennal phenotype and the wing size and shape distinguish the two geographical populations of R. ecuadoriensis. In Manabí, sylvatic and peridomestic specimens were very similar. In Loja, sylvatic and nonsylvatic (domestic and peridomestic) populations showed distinctive characteristics. Remarkable sexual dimorphism of wing and antenna, exclusive of domestic specimens, and high metric disparity in the wing shape of the domestic females point out the existence of a particular situation in this habitat. The results of this phenotypic analysis and previous evidence of behavioral differences support the hypothesis of disruptive selection acting upon R. ecuadoriensis populations.

Rhodnius prolixus en Nicaragua: distribución geográfica, control y vigilancia entre 1998 y 2009 Rhodnius prolixus in Nicaragua: geographical distribution, control, and surveillance, 1998-2009

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Kota Yoshioka

2011-11-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Presentar la perspectiva general del control de Rhodnius prolixus, el principal vector en la transmisión de la enfermedad de Chagas en Centroamérica, durante el período 1998-2009 en Nicaragua. Describir el control vectorial realizado y presentar la distribución geográfica de las localidades infestadas. MÉTODOS: Se estudió y analizó la información disponible en el Ministerio de Salud de Nica ragua. Se visualizó la distribución geográfica de R. prolixus mediante el programa visualiza dor de mapas Quantum GIS 1.5.0. RESULTADOS: Se determinó que 59 localidades en 14 municipios de 8 departamentos presen taron antecedentes de infestación con R. prolixus entre 1998 y 2009. La altitud de las locali dades infestadas oscila entre 160 y 1 414 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Se han tratado con más de dos ciclos de control químico 56 localidades. En el segundo ciclo de rociamiento se detectó la presencia del vector, pero durante el tercer ciclo no se lo encontró en ninguna localidad. CONCLUSIONES: La mayor concentración geográfica de R. prolixus se observó en dos depar tamentos de la región norte: Madriz y Nueva Segovia. La cantidad de localidades infestadas es menor en Nicaragua que en otros países centroamericanos. El control químico ha sido exitoso en las localidades intervenidas, pero es necesario fortalecer el sistema de vigilancia institucio nal y comunitaria tanto para vigilar la reinfestación con R. prolixus como para ampliar la cobertura del control vectorialOBJECTIVE: Present an overview of the control of Rhodnius prolixus, the principal vector in the transmission of Chagas' disease in Central America, during the period 1998-2009 in Nicaragua. Describe the vector control carried out and the geographical distribution of the infested localities. METHODS: The available information in Nicaragua's Ministry of Health was studied and analyzed. The geographical distribution of R. prolixus was visualized using the Quantum

Effects of the essential oil obtained from Pilocarpus spicatus Saint-Hilaire (Rutaceae on the development of Rhodnius prolixus nymphae

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Cícero B. Mello

Full Text Available Bioassays against fifth-instar nymphae of Rhodnius prolixus were conducted with essential oil of Pilocarpus spicatus extracted by hydrodistillation. The main results may be summarized as follows: (i high levels of toxicity and paralysis together with discrete moulting inhibition were caused by topical application of either 0.5 µL or 1.0 µL per insect of the crude essential oil; (ii partial fagoinhibition, high moulting inhibition, prolonged intermoulting period and high number of paralyzed insects, but no toxicity were observed after oral treatment using either 5 µL or 10 µL of Pilocarpus spilcatus essential oil per mL of ingested blood meal. The importance of these results in relation to the relevant biological events in R. prolixus is herein discussed.

Efecto teratogénico y toxico de ácidos grasos de cadena corta insaturados, en Rhodnius prolixus Teratogenic and toxic effect of unsaturated fatty acids of short chain, in Rhodnius prolixus

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Ivonne Gomez

1985-12-01

Full Text Available Se estudia el papel teratogénico de dos ácidos grasos insaturados de cadena corta, ácido octinoico y ácido undecilénico, sobre insectos de metamorfosis hemimetábola, Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera. La penetración de los ácidos, se realiza a través de la cutícula del abdomen y de los tarsos, se presenta como una acción independiente del grado de distensión de la misma, ya que sus efectos se registran tanto en los insectos repletos, como en los hambrientos; tanto en los tratados tópicamente como en aquellos donde la droga se aplicó al papel de soporte. Los ácidos estudiados aparentemente no afectan la formación de la cutícula, ni la melanización, como tampoco afecta el proceso de la muda. Los daños inducidos por estos ácidos se presentam al azar tanto en los apéndices locomotores como en los cefálicos, observándose un desplazamiento a la proboscide a medida que se incrementa la dosis. De las malformaciones en la proboscide, es el labio el mas dramáticamente dañado, aunque también se presentan daños en los otros apéndices bucales, aisladamente o junto con el daño del labio. El daño en los apéndices locomotores está frecuentemente desplazado al segundo y tercer par de patas, mientras que el par, fue el menos afectado. El ácido octinoico se comportó como teratogénico en las dosis que fueron letales para el insecto con el ácido undecilénico.The teratogenic role of two short-chain unsaturated fatty acids, octinoic acid and undecylenic acid on the hemimetabolic metamorphosis of the insect Rhodnius prolixus (Hemipter is studied. The acids penetrate through the cuticle of the abdomen and tarsi, independently of the amount of distention. The effects are registered equally in satiated or hungry insects, in those treated topically or in those where the treatment was applied to the support paper. The acids apparently do not affect the formation of the cuticle, melanization, nor the metamorphic process. The damage induced by

Functional anatomy of vagina muscles in the blood-feeding insect, Rhodnius prolixus.

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Chiang, R G; O'Donnell, M J

2009-11-01

The physiology of the muscles associated with the vagina in the blood-feeding insect, Rhodnius prolixus Stal, was investigated with the use of Methylene Blue staining to visualize the anatomy, and a micro force transducer to record spontaneous and neurally-evoked contractions. The vagina is associated with a dorsal muscle and a set of paired lateral muscles. The dorsal muscle extends from the base of the common oviduct to apodemes located laterally on sternite VIII, the first genital segment. The lateral muscles extend from a medially-located apodeme on the posterior edge of sternite VI around each side of the common oviduct to travel posteriorly along the side of the vagina before inserting laterally on apodemes on sternite VIII. The vagina muscles display spontaneous and neurally-evoked contractions that are prolonged but transient. The response to evoked contractions shows that the muscles are innervated by both excitatory and inhibitory motor axons. The degree of tension generated by evoked contractions is dependent on the frequency of stimulation with maximal tension being generated at 20-30Hz. This tension, which often exceeds 400mg, is transient and returns to a baseline within 1 to 2min during continuous stimulation. These results, which are the first to describe this chamber in this well-studied insect, are discussed with respect to the act of egg laying.

The effect of Ageratum fastigiatum extract on Rhodnius nasutus, vector of Chagas disease

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Bethânia A. Avelar-Freitas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Control of Chagas disease is based on insecticide spraying in domiciles in order to exterminate triatomine populations. However, since the vectors differ in susceptibility to currently used insecticides, the screening of the toxic potential of Brazilian flora may identify new molecules lethal to triatomines. This study evaluated the toxicity of ethanolic extract of Ageratum fastigiatum (Gardner R.M. King & H. Rob., Asteraceae, on Rhodnius nasutus, a known vector of Chagas disease. Ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of A. fastigiatum were prepared at 25 and 50 mg/mL concentrations, and 5 µL was applied to fifth-instar nymphs of R. nasutus (n=30. Controls included nymphs that were treated with 5 µL ethanol (n=30 or left untreated (n=30. The percentage of dead insects in each group was observed at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after application. The extracts of A. fastigiatum showed a mortality rate of about 37% and 77% after 120 h, at concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/mL, respectively. In control groups, the mortality rate remained under 7%. The extract of A. fastigiatum contains a coumarin, a molecule with recognized toxicity in insects, and which may be responsible for killing the triatomines.

Thinking with birds: Mary Elizabeth Barber's advocacy for gender equality in ornithology

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Tanja Hammel

Full Text Available This article explores parts of the first South African woman ornithologist's life and work. It concerns itself with the micro-politics of Mary Elizabeth Barber's knowledge of birds from the 1860s to the mid-1880s. Her work provides insight into contemporary scientific practices, particularly the importance of cross-cultural collaboration. I foreground how she cultivated a feminist Darwinism in which birds served as corroborative evidence for female selection and how she negotiated gender equality in her ornithological work. She did so by constructing local birdlife as a space of gender equality. While male ornithologists naturalised and reinvigorated Victorian gender roles in their descriptions and depictions of birds, she debunked them and stressed the absence of gendered spheres in bird life. She emphasised the female and male birds' collaboration and gender equality that she missed in Victorian matrimony, an institution she harshly criticised. Reading her work against the background of her life story shows how her personal experiences as wife and mother as well as her observation of settler society informed her view on birds, and vice versa. Through birds she presented alternative relationships to matrimony. Her protection of insectivorous birds was at the same time an attempt to stress the need for a New Woman, an aspect that has hitherto been overlooked in studies of the transnational anti-plumage movement.

Barber Pole Sign in CT Angiography, Adult Presentation of Midgut Malrotation: A Case Report

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Garcelan-Trigo, Juan Arsenio; Tello-Moreno, Manuel; Rabaza-Espigares, Manuel Jesus; Talavera-Martinez, Ildefonso

2015-01-01

Adult midgut volvulus is a challenging diagnosis because of its low incidence and nonspecific symptoms. Diagnostic delay and long-term complaints are frequent in this clinical scenario. We reported a patient referred to our diagnostic imaging unit with intermittent abdominal pain, bloating and episodic vomiting for several years. He underwent barium gastrointestinal transit and abdominal ultrasound, which revealed severe gastric dilatation, food retention and slow transit until a depressed duodenojejunal flexure, with malrotation of the midgut and jejunal loops being located in the right upper quadrant. Computed tomography angiography was performed, showing rotation of the small intestine around the mesentery root, suggestive of midgut malrotation. In addition, an abnormal twisted disposition of superior mesenteric artery with corkscrew appearance was seen, shaping the pole-barber sign which was evident in volume rendering three-dimensional reconstructions. The patient underwent scheduled surgical treatment without any complication and had good outcome after hospital discharge and follow-up. Computed tomography plays an important role in evaluation of adult midgut volvulus. In addition, angiographic reconstructions can help us to assess the anatomic disposition of mesenteric vascular supply. Both of these assessments are useful in preoperative management

Presence of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in sylvatic habitats in the southern highlands (Loja Province) of Ecuador.

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Grijalva, M J; Villacis, A G

2009-05-01

The main vectors of Chagas disease in Ecuador are Triatoma dimidiata and Rhodnius ecuadoriensis. The latter species occupies domestic and peridomestic habitats, as well as sylvatic ecotopes--particularly associated with Phytelephas aequatorialis palm trees--in the western coastal region of Ecuador. In the southern highlands, however, such palm tree habitats are uncommon, and sylvatic populations of R. ecuadoriensis have not previously been reported to date. This study was carried out in five rural communities in Loja Province in southern Ecuador, where manual triatomine searches were conducted in various sylvatic habitats. A total of 81 squirrel nests (Sciurus stramineus) and > 200 bird nests and other habitats were searched. One hundred three R. ecuadoriensis individuals were found in 11 squirrel nests (infestation index = 13.6%, density = 2 bugs per nest searched, crowding = 9.5 bugs per infested nest, colonization index = 72.7% of infested nests with nymphs). No triatomines were found in bird nests or other sylvatic habitats. The presence of sylvatic R. ecuadoriensis in the southern highlands of Ecuador has important implications for the long-term control of Chagas disease in the region because of the possibility of reinfestation of dwellings after insecticide-based control interventions.

Mecanismo antidiurético en Rhodnius Prolixus (Stal, 1859 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae

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Ivonne Gómez

1986-12-01

Full Text Available Se propone para R. prolixus un mecanismo antidiurético, cuya actividad se pone de manifiesto una vez transcurrido el periodo diurético y se mantiene hasta que el insecto es alimentado nuevamente. Presumiblemente este mecanismo actua a nivel del esfinter rectal proximal y es inhibido por la ingesta, distención mecanica del buche y desinhibición central por decapitación. Se sugiere que la actividad antidiurética es mantenida por vía nerviosa y se modifica cuando hay distensión del buche o canudo es interrumpida la senãl nerviosa por decapitación. Se pone de manifiesto que la excreción de orina en R. prolixus no es controlada exclusivamente por la hormona diurética, sino que factores no ligados a la hemolinfa mantienen en estado diurético y no diurético a los insectos.An antidiuretic mechanism is proposed for Rhodnius prolixus, whose activity is manifested when the diuretic phase has terminated and is maintained until the insect has fed again. Presumably this mechanism acts at the level of the proximal rectal sphincter and is inhibited by ingestion, mechanical distension of the gut and central desinhibition by decapitation. It is suggested that the antidiuretic activity is maintained by the nervous system and is modified when there is distention of the gut or when the nervous signal is interrupted by decapitacion. It is demonstrated that the excretion of urine in R. prolixus is not controlled exclusively by the diuretic hormone, but rather that factors not linked to the haemolvmph maintain the insects in a diuretic or nondiuretic state.

Effects of environmental temperature on life tables of Rhodnius neivai Lent, 1953 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae under experimental conditions

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Daniel R Cabello

1999-09-01

Full Text Available Changes in life tables of Rhodnius neivai due to variations of environmental temperature were studied, based on nine cohorts. Three cohorts were kept at 22°C, three at 27°C and three at 32°C. Cohorts were censused daily during nymphal instars and weekly in adults. Nine complete horizontal life tables were built. A high negative correlation between temperature and age at first laying was registered (r=-0,84. Age at maximum reproduction was significantly lower at 32°C. Average number of eggs/female/week and total eggs/female on its life time were significantly lower at 22°C. Total number of egg by cohort and total number of reproductive weeks were significantly higher at 27°C. At 32°C, generational time was significantly lower. At 27°C net reproductive rate and total reproductive value were significantly higher. At 22°C, intrinsic growth, finite growth and finite birth rates were significantly lower. At 22°C, death instantaneous rate was significantly higher.

Jaburetox-induced toxic effects on the hemocytes of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).

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Moyetta, Natalia R; Broll, Valquiria; Perin, Ana Paula A; Uberti, Augusto F; Coste Grahl, Matheus V; Staniscuaski, Fernanda; Carlini, Celia R; Fruttero, Leonardo L

2017-10-01

Jaburetox is a recombinant peptide derived from a Canavalia ensiformis urease that presents toxic effects upon several species of insects, phytopathogenic fungi and yeasts of medical importance. So far, no toxicity of Jaburetox to mammals has been shown. Previous reports have identified biochemical targets of this toxic peptide in insect models, although its mechanism of action is not completely understood. In this work, we aimed to characterize the effects of Jaburetox in hemolymphatic insect cells. For this purpose, the model insect and Chagas' disease vector Rhodnius prolixus was used. In vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that Jaburetox interacts with a subset of hemocytes and it can be found in various subcellular compartments. In insects injected with Jaburetox there was an increase in the gene expression of the enzymes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP), chitin synthase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nevertheless, the expression of NOS protein, the enzyme activities of UAP and acid phosphatase (a possible link between UAP and NOS) as well as the phosphorylation state of proteins remained unchanged upon the in vivo Jaburetox treatment. Nitric oxide (NO) imaging using fluorescent probes showed that Jaburetox augmented NO production in the hemocyte aggregates when compared to controls. Even though Jaburetox activated the hemocytes, as demonstrated by wheat germ agglutinin binding assays, the peptide did not lead to an increase of their phagocytic behavior. Taken together, these findings contribute to our understanding of toxic effects of Jaburetox, a peptide with biotechnological applications and a prospective tool for rational insect control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activity and Residual Effect of Two Formulations of Lambdacyhalothrin Sprayed on Palm Leaves to Rhodnius prolixus

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Mazariego-Arana Miguel Angel

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The insecticidal activity and residual effect of two formulations of lambdacyhalothrin were evaluated with Rhodnius prolixus;laboratory and field tests were conducted in the State of Chiapas, Mexico. The results indicate that the lethal concentrations of the active ingredient of SC (LC50 = 2.37 and LC90 = 8.5 mg, a.i./m² were 4-8 times than those with the insecticide WP applied on R. prolixus bugs in palm leaves, a common building material for thatched roofs. Other investigators in South America recommended applying 30 mg a.i./m² in porous materials; we obtained that the products WP and SC were 3.5 and 16 times more effective on palm leaves. Regarding the evaluation of the residual effects in field spraying, there was up to 15 months persistence after the application of WP in two doses (8.6 mg a.i./m² and 3.752 mg a.i./m² with SC. We consider R. prolixus highly susceptible to the employed pyrethroids; they could be used to control this vector in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.

Alpinia Essential Oils and Their Major Components against Rhodnius nasutus, a Vector of Chagas Disease

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Thamiris de A. de Souza

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Species of the genus Alpinia are widely used by the population and have many described biological activities, including activity against insects. In this paper, we describe the bioactivity of the essential oil of two species of Alpinia genus, A. zerumbet and A. vittata, against Rhodnius nasutus, a vector of Chagas disease. The essential oils of these two species were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. The main constituent of A. zerumbet essential oil (OLALPZER was terpinen-4-ol, which represented 19.7% of the total components identified. In the essential oil of A. vittata (OLALPVIT the monoterpene β-pinene (35.3% was the main constituent. The essential oils and their main constituents were topically applied on R. nasutus fifth-instar nymphs. In the first 10 min of application, OLALPVIT and OLALPZER at 125 μg/mL provoked 73.3% and 83.3% of mortality, respectively. Terpinen-4-ol at 25 μg/mL and β-pinene at 44 μg/mL provoked 100% of mortality. The monitoring of resistant insects showed that both essential oils exhibited antifeedant activity. These results suggest the potential use of A. zerumbet and A. vittata essential oils and their major constituents to control R. nasutus population.

Trypanosoma cruzi: effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the dynamic development in Rhodnius prolixus larvae.

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Cortez, M R; Provençano, A; Silva, C E; Mello, C B; Zimmermann, L T; Schaub, G A; Garcia, E S; Azambuja, P; Gonzalez, M S

2012-07-01

The effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the Trypanosoma cruzi population in the Rhodnius prolixus gut were investigated. T. cruzi were rarely found in the gut compartments of azadirachtin-treated larvae. High parasite numbers were observed in the stomach of the control and ecdysone groups until 10 days after treatment and in the small intestine and rectum until 25 days after treatment. High percentages of round forms developed in the stomachs of all groups, whereas azadirachtin blocked the development of protozoan intermediate forms. This effect was counteracted by ecdysone therapy. In the small intestine and rectum, epimastigotes predominated for all groups, but more of their intermediates developed in the control and ecdysone groups. Azadirachtin supported the development of round forms and their intermediates into trypomastigotes. In the rectum, trypomastigotes did not develop in the azadirachtin group and developed much later after ecdysone therapy. The parallel between the effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the host and parasite development is discussed on the basis of the present results because ecdysone appears to act directly or indirectly in determining the synchronic development of T. cruzi forms from round to epimastigotes, but not metacyclic trypomastigotes, in the invertebrate vector. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental variables, remote sensing and geographical information systems applied to the study of Rhodnius prolixus distribution in Colombia

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Guhl, Felipe

2010-01-01

A data base of the entomological survey performer during the Chagas Disease National Control Programme (CHDNCP) in 1997 - 2001 and temporal satellite images masp containing 57 environmental variables were used to build Rhodnius prolixus dispersion predictive maps in Colombia, based on temporal images, Fourier analyses and a discriminative multivaried statistical analyses of the variables studied. The maps show the dispersion of this species and its implication on the Chagas disease transmission in Colombia. A clear division in the predictive dispersion of R. prolixus in two geographical zones was found: one area in the southeast of the Eastern Cordillera associated with the environmental variables used in the present study and a second zone in the Andean Valleys, East of the Eastern Cordillera not much defined by the same variables. This would suggest that the Southwest Region. of Colombia presents a tendency to a wider dispersion of R. prolixus associated to other variables like human intervention. Sylvatic populations of R. prolixus were found recently in Attalea butyracea palm trees in this Region of the Eastern Planes demonstrating the prediction of the presence of this species.

Elemental changes in hemolymph and urine of Rhodnius prolixus induced by in-vitro exposure to mercury: A study using SR-TXRF

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Mantuano, Andrea; Barroso, Regina C. [Physics Institute/State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil); Almeida, Andre P. de; Braz, Delson [Nuclear Engineering Program/COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Cardoso, Simone C. [Physics Institute/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Penna, Patricia A.; Gonzalez, Marcelo S. [Laboratory of Biochemistry and Physiology of Insects/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Full text: In the last years have been studied the effects of the pollution of humans and others vertebrates, however, the effects on invertebrates are poorly knows. Some pollutants introduced in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are potentially toxic to living organisms. Almost the environmental pollutants, the heavy metals are not degradable and can persist during long time of many ecosystems causing ecologic changes often disastrous to species that habit there. Actually some works has shown that the heavy metals beyond be toxic and interfere on development and reproduction of some species of terrestrial and marine invertebrates. When are present in cells, the chemical form and connection type of metals are critical factors that determinate the toxicity. So, the ambient pollution has chronic effects and acute of animals health and can affect any systems and organs. The intoxications that current often are caused by aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel. Know that these elements can change cellular structures, enzymes and replace metal cofactors in enzyme activities. In insects, the effects of pollution change according to specie studied. The pollution can act on the weight reduction and increasing the relative growth rate. In this work, we investigated the effect of mercury exposure on the elemental content in hemolymph and urine of Rhodnius prolixus the insect vector of Chagas' disease, which is one of the most important vectors in Latin American and also, the most well-know studied insect in terms of both physiology and vector-parasite interactions. Five-stage nymphs of Rhodnius prolixus were collected from colony of a Laboratory Physiology and Biochemistry of Insects, Institute Oswaldo Cruz RJ. For treatment of insects, mercury chloride has been added to rabbit blood. After feeding the nymphs were separated and packed for two days for collection of hemolymph and urine. The SR-TXRF measurements were performed at the X

Elemental changes in hemolymph and urine of Rhodnius prolixus induced by in-vitro exposure to mercury: A study using SR-TXRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantuano, Andrea; Barroso, Regina C.; Almeida, Andre P. de; Braz, Delson; Cardoso, Simone C.; Penna, Patricia A.; Gonzalez, Marcelo S.

2011-01-01

Full text: In the last years have been studied the effects of the pollution of humans and others vertebrates, however, the effects on invertebrates are poorly knows. Some pollutants introduced in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are potentially toxic to living organisms. Almost the environmental pollutants, the heavy metals are not degradable and can persist during long time of many ecosystems causing ecologic changes often disastrous to species that habit there. Actually some works has shown that the heavy metals beyond be toxic and interfere on development and reproduction of some species of terrestrial and marine invertebrates. When are present in cells, the chemical form and connection type of metals are critical factors that determinate the toxicity. So, the ambient pollution has chronic effects and acute of animals health and can affect any systems and organs. The intoxications that current often are caused by aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel. Know that these elements can change cellular structures, enzymes and replace metal cofactors in enzyme activities. In insects, the effects of pollution change according to specie studied. The pollution can act on the weight reduction and increasing the relative growth rate. In this work, we investigated the effect of mercury exposure on the elemental content in hemolymph and urine of Rhodnius prolixus the insect vector of Chagas' disease, which is one of the most important vectors in Latin American and also, the most well-know studied insect in terms of both physiology and vector-parasite interactions. Five-stage nymphs of Rhodnius prolixus were collected from colony of a Laboratory Physiology and Biochemistry of Insects, Institute Oswaldo Cruz RJ. For treatment of insects, mercury chloride has been added to rabbit blood. After feeding the nymphs were separated and packed for two days for collection of hemolymph and urine. The SR-TXRF measurements were performed at the X

Life cycle, feeding and defecation patterns of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Lent & León 1958) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) under laboratory conditions.

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Villacís, Anita G; Arcos-Terán, Laura; Grijalva, Mario J

2008-11-01

Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the second most important vector of Chagas Disease (CD) in Ecuador. The objective of this study was to describe (and compare) the life cycle, the feeding and defecation patterns under laboratory conditions of two populations of this specie [from the provinces of Manabí (Coastal region) and Loja (Andean region)]. Egg-to-adult (n = 57) development took an average of 189.9 +/- 20 (Manabí) and 181.3 +/- 6.4 days (Loja). Mortality rates were high among Lojan nymphs. Pre-feeding time (from contact with host to feeding initiation) ranged from 4 min 42 s [nymph I (NI)] to 8 min 30 s (male); feeding time ranged from 14 min 45 s (NI)-28 min 25 s (male) (Manabí) and from 15 min 25 s (NI)-28 min 57 s (nymph V) (Loja). The amount of blood ingested increased significantly with instar and was larger for Manabí specimens (p Ecuador and Northern Peru.

Nuevos aspectos del método de xenodiagnóstico con Rhodnius prolixus

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Ernesto Osorno Mesa

1963-04-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of Xenodiagnostico is noted, as a biological method of making an etiological diagnosis of Chagas disease, It is pointed out that the fourth and fifth nymph stages are the most appropriate, not only because of the great amount of blood which they ingurgitate to repletion, but also because of the facility of the routine operations without the necessity of extraeting and placing the specimens in receptacles of superficial cleanliness in order to separate the full specimens from the empty ones. The advantages of a partial diet of blood is indicated in order to prevent the nymphs from becoming adults. The technique used in the study of spontaneous dejection in Rhodnius prolixus experimentally infected is described and the advantages noted. The article describes an original method "Dejectograma" of recording the total digestion of blood during one month in normal and infected fifth stage nymphs. The recording apparatus is an adapted thermograph which we call a "Dejectografo". Some observations are made concerning the discovery of evolved forms of S. cruzi, in several spontaneous dejections and the survival of metacyclic forms in hyaline for 30 hours between the slide and cover slide at a temperature of 150 C. Attention is called to the intermission of ejection of evolved forms of S. cruzi, with the conclusion that in order to avoid false negative results, dissection of the digestive tracts is necessary in these cases. The possibility of complete studies is set forth, aided by the techniques explained, and along the lines of the few observations made from pilot experiments.

Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Panstrongylus geniculatus and Rhodnius robustus adults invade households in the Tropics of Cochabamba region of Bolivia.

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Rojas-Cortez, Mirko; Pinazo, Maria-Jesus; Garcia, Lineth; Arteaga, Mery; Uriona, Liliana; Gamboa, Seyla; Mejía, Carolina; Lozano, Daniel; Gascon, Joaquim; Torrico, Faustino; Monteiro, Fernando A

2016-03-16

There are hardly any data available on the relationships between the parasite and the vector or regarding potential reservoirs involved in the natural transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Tropics of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Local families from communities were responsible for the capture of triatomine specimens, following a strategic methodology based on entomological surveillance with community participation developed by the National Chagas Programme of the Ministry of Health of Bolivia. We describe the collection of adult Panstrongylus geniculatus and Rhodnius robustus naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi from houses and from the hospital of Villa Tunari municipality. The flagellates found in the digestive tract of P. geniculatus belong to genetic lineages or DTUs TcI and TcIII, whereas only lineage DTU TcI was found in R. robustus. The detection of these vectors infected with T. cruzi reveals the vulnerability of local communities. The results presented here highlight the risk of Chagas disease transmission in a region previously thought not to be endemic, indicating that the Tropics of Cochabamba should be placed under permanent entomological and epidemiological surveillance.

Efisiensi Pendayagunaan Tempat Tidur dengan Metode Grafik BarberJohnson di Rs Lancang Kuning

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Edi Susilo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Pendayagunaan tempat tidur di rumah sakit seharusnya efisien dari aspek ekonomi maupun aspek medis. Untuk menyatukan dua aspek tersebut maka diperlukan suatu parameter yang tepat, yaitu; BOR, AvLOS, TOI, dan BTO. Menyajikan keempat parameter tersebut dapat digunakan suatu metode yaitu grafik barber-johnson, dimana kita dapat melihat tingkat efisiensi pendayagunaan tempat tidur di rumah sakit dengan jelas dan keempat parameter dipertemukan dalam satu titik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menilai tingkat efisiensi pendayagunaan tempat tidur di RS Lancang Kuning Pekanbaru tahun 2011. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian deskriptif. Populasi penelitian ini adalah formulir (RP 1 dan RL 1 periode tahun 2011, pengambilan sampel dengan menggunakan teknik total sampling. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi dan dokumentasi, analisis data dilakukan secara univariat. Dari hasil penelitian ditemukan bahwa pendayagunaan tempat tidur di RS Lancang Kuning Pekanbaru tahun 2011 dengan metode grafik BJ titik keempat parameter tidak bertemu pada satu titik melainkan terpisah 2 bagian, angka (AvLOS 8 hari dan TOI 11 hari sedangkan (BOR 50% dan BTO 15 kali. Hal ini kemungkinan disebabkan adanya kasalahan dalam sensus harian pasien rawat inap yang menjadi sumber data primer. Temuan ini diperkuat dengan tidak berjalannya sensus harian pasien rawat inap di RS Lancang Kuning Pekanbaru dengan baik. Selain itu, bila dilihat dari masing-masing titik parameter dalam grafik BJ berada di luar daerah efisien yang berarti menunjukan sistem yang berjalan kurang baik. Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah bahwa pendayagunaan tempat tidur di RS Lancang Kuning Pekanbaru pada tahun 2011 masih kurang efisien. Disarankan agar pihak manajemen mengevaluasi akan kurangnya permintaan tempat tidur dan unit rekam medis agar menjalankan kegiatan sensus harian pasien rawat inap sesuai dengan ketentuan

In vitro and in vivo documentation of quantum dots labeled Trypanosoma cruzi--Rhodnius prolixus interaction using confocal microscopy.

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Feder, Denise; Gomes, Suzete A O; de Thomaz, André A; Almeida, Diogo B; Faustino, Wagner M; Fontes, Adriana; Stahl, Cecília V; Santos-Mallet, Jacenir R; Cesar, Carlos L

2009-12-01

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are highly fluorescent nanocrystals markers that allow long photobleaching and do not destroy the parasites. In this paper, we used fluorescent core shell quantum dots to perform studies of live parasite-vector interaction processes without any observable effect on the vitality of parasites. These nanocrystals were synthesized in aqueous medium and physiological pH, which is very important for monitoring live cells activities, and conjugated with molecules such as lectins to label specific carbohydrates involved on the parasite-vector interaction. These QDs were successfully used for the study of in vitro and in vivo interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi and the triatomine Rhodnius prolixus. These QDs allowed us to acquire real time confocal images sequences of live T. cruzi-R. prolixus interactions for an extended period, causing no damage to the cells. By zooming to the region of interest, we have been able to acquire confocal images at the three to four frames per second rate. Our results show that QDs are physiological fluorescent markers capable to label living parasites and insect vector cells. QDs can be functionalized with lectins to specifically mark surface carbohydrates on perimicrovillar membrane of R. prolixus to follow, visualize, and understand interaction between vectors and its parasites in real-time.

The Triatomines of Northern Peru, with Emphasis on the Ecology and Infection by Trypanosomes of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Triatominae

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Cuba Cuba César A

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Information on the distribution and synanthropic behaviour of triatomines is essential for Chagas disease vector control. This work summarises such information from northern Peru, and presents new data on Rhodnius ecuadoriensis - an important local vector infesting 10-35% of dwellings in some zones. Three species are strongly synanthropic and may be suitable targets for chemical control of domestic/peridomestic bug populations. Panstrongylus herreri, the main domestic vector in the area, is probably present in sylvatic ecotopes in the Marañón river system. R. ecuadoriensis and Triatoma dimidiata seem exclusively domestic; biogeographical and ecological data suggest they might have spread in association with humans in northern Peru. Confirmation of this hypothesis would result in a local eradication strategy being recommended. Presence of trypanosome natural infection was assessed in 257 R. ecuadoriensis; Trypanosoma rangeli was detected in 4% of bugs. Six further triatomine species are potential disease vectors in the region (T. carrioni, P. chinai, P. rufotuberculatus, P. geniculatus, R. pictipes, and R. robustus, whilst Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, Cavernicola pilosa, Hermanlentia matsunoi, and Belminus peruvianus have little or no epidemiological significance. A strong community-based entomological surveillance system and collaboration with Ecuadorian public health authorities and researchers are recommended.

Transcriptome and gene expression profile of ovarian follicle tissue of the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus

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Medeiros, Marcelo N.; Logullo, Raquel; Ramos, Isabela B.; Sorgine, Marcos H. F.; Paiva-Silva, Gabriela O.; Mesquita, Rafael D.; Machado, Ednildo Alcantara; Coutinho, Maria Alice; Masuda, Hatisaburo; Capurro, Margareth L.; Ribeiro, José M.C.; Cardoso Braz, Glória Regina; Oliveira, Pedro L

2013-01-01

Insect oocytes grow in close association with the ovarian follicular epithelium (OFE), which escorts the oocyte during oogenesis and is responsible for synthesis and secretion of the eggshell. We describe a transcriptome of OFE of the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of Chagas disease, to increase our knowledge of the role of FE in egg development. Random clones were sequenced from a cDNA library of different stages of follicle development. The transcriptome showed high commitment to transcription, protein synthesis, and secretion. The most abundant cDNA was a secreted (S) small, proline-rich protein with maximal expression in the vitellogenic follicle, suggesting a role in oocyte maturation. We also found Rp45, a chorion protein already described, and a putative chitin-associated cuticle protein that was an eggshell component candidate. Six transcripts coding for proteins related to the unfolded protein response (UPR) by were chosen and their expression analyzed. Surprisingly, transcripts related to UPR showed higher expression during early stages of development and downregulation during late stages, when transcripts coding for S proteins participating in chorion formation were highly expressed. Several transcripts with potential roles in oogenesis and embryo development are also discussed. We propose that intense protein synthesis at the FE results in reticulum stress (RS) and that lowering expression of a set of genes related to cell survival should lead to degeneration of follicular cells at oocyte maturation. This paradoxical suppression of UPR suggests that ovarian follicles may represent an interesting model for studying control of RS and cell survival in professional S cell types. PMID:21736942

Epidemiologia da doença de Chagas na zona rural do Município de Teresina-Piauí, Brasil

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Dalva Neves da Costa Bento

1992-03-01

Full Text Available Na área rural do município de Teresina-Piauí, foram capturados 129 triatomíneos distribuídos em (a ecótopos artificiais: habitações (1 Triatoma brasiliensis, 1 Panstrongylus geniculatus, 1 Rhodnius pictipes e 1 Rhodnius prolixusj e galpão abandonado (7 Rhodnius nasutusj e (b ecótopos naturais: Orbignya martiana (41 Rhodnius neglectus, 33 Rhodnius prolixus e 41 Rhodnius nasutus, e Copernicia cerifera (3 Rhodnius neglectus,. Cerca de 22,6% dos triatomíneos capturados estavam infectados por flagelados, sendo 30% no ambiente artificial e 21,9% no ambiente natural. Dos 28 mamíferos capturados e examinados, 7 Didelphis aibiventris, 2 Rattus rattus e 1 Tamandua tetradacty la apresentavam-se positivos para flagelados. Os flagelados encontrados nos triatomíneos e nos mamíferos eram semelhantes ao Trypanosoma cruzi. Das 123 reações sorológicas, por imunojluorescência indireta, realizadas na população, duas (1,6% foram reativas.

Elemental content changes in hemolymph of Rhodnius prolixus due to mercury contamination: a study using SR-TXRF

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Mantuano, A.; Oliveira, A.P.; Barroso, R.C. [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Almeida, A.P.; Braz, D.; Cardoso, S.C. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Figueiredo, M.B.; Azambuja, P. [Fundacao Instituto Osvaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Gonzalez, M.S. [Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil)

2012-07-01

Full text: In recent years, the effects of pollution on the health of humans and other vertebrates have been extensively studied. However, the effects on some invertebrates are comparatively unknown. Research has demonstrated that toxic metals interfere with the reproduction, development and immune defenses of some terrestrial and marine invertebrates. Depending on environmental conditions, pollution produces chronic and acute effects on different systems and organs of animals. In general, some more toxic elements like arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel in contact with organisms change cellular structures, enzyme activities, and in some cases destroy the physiological integrities of the tissues. In insects, the effects of pollutants depend upon the species studied. In this work, we investigated the changes in elemental contents in the hemolymph of Rhodnius prolixus on 2 and 5 days after feeding on blood containing mercury chloride. R. Prolixus is an obligated hematophagous Hemiptera and one of the most important insect vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The SR-TXRF measurements were performed at the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) beamline facility in Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory LNLS/Brazil. The major elements Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, K were found in all hemolymph samples analysed. Insects treated with HgCl2 had reduced Cl and Ca levels, whereas the same treatment had enhanced Br levels in comparison with non- treated control insects. (author)

Differential effects of ambient temperature on warm cell responses to infrared radiation in the bloodsucking bug Rhodnius prolixus.

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Zopf, Lydia M; Lazzari, Claudio R; Tichy, Harald

2014-03-01

Thermoreceptors provide animals with background information about the thermal environment, which is at least indirectly a prerequisite for thermoregulation and assists bloodsucking insects in the search for their host. Recordings from peg-in-pit sensilla and tapered hairs on the antennae of the bug Rhodnius prolixus revealed two physiologically different types of warm cells. Both types responded more strongly to temperature pulses produced by switching between two air streams at different constant temperatures than to infrared radiation pulses employed in still air. In addition, both warm cells were better able to discriminate small changes in air temperature than in infrared radiation. As convective and radiant heat determines the discharge, it is impossible for a single warm cell to signal the nature of the stimulus unequivocally. Individual responses are ambiguous, not with regard to temperature change, but with regard to its source. We argue that the bugs use mechanical flow information to differentiate between pulses of convective and radiant heat. However, if pulses of radiant heat occur together with a constant temperature air stream, the mechanical cues would not allow avoiding ambiguity that convective heat introduces into radiant heat stimulation. In this situation, the warm cell in the tapered hairs produced stronger responses than those in the peg-in-pit sensilla. The reversal in the excitability of the two types of warm cells provides a criterion by which to distinguish the combination of convective and radiant heat from the stimuli presented alone.

[Development of Rhodnius pictipes Stal, 1872 fed on mice and through a silicone membrane (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae)].

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Rocha, D da S; da Fonseca, A H; Costa, F A; Jurberg, J; Galvão, C

1997-01-01

Rhodnius pictipes (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) from Serra Norte, State of Pará, Brazil, acclimatized in an insectary at the Laboratório Nacional e Internacional de Referência em Taxonomia de Triatomíneos, Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, were fed through a silicone membrane. In order to know the viability and the efficiency of this membrane compared with insects fed on mice, the number of bloodmeals taken, period of development of the five nymphal instars, longevity of adults, average amount of blood intake in each meal and percent of mortality were observed. A total of 310 insects, were used, comprising 50 nymphs of each instar, as well as 30 male and 30 female adults. Insects fed artificially had reduced minimal and maximal periods of development than the group fed on mice. The largest relative increase of body weight was observed in the 2nd instar followed by the 1st, and the amount of blood ingested increased during the development, to the 5th instar for both groups. There were no significant differences between the groups fed artificially and in vivo according to Tukey's test for p > 0.05. The percent of mortality in the 1st instar was 18% for artificially fed and 16% for the group fed on mice; these percentages decreased as insects developed until the 4th instar, without mortality, returning to increase in the 5th instar. R. pictipes was shown to be easily adaptable to artificial feeding, and could be considered as an important and viable experimental model.

Ecological aspects of Rhodnius nasutus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae in palms of the Chapada do Araripe in Ceará, Brazil

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Fernando Braga Stehling Dias

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to present aspects related to the ecology of Rhodnius nasutus Stål, 1859 in palms from Chapada do Araripe in Ceará, Brazil. The following five species of palms were investigated: babaçu (Attalea speciosa, buriti (Mauritia flexuosa, carnaúba (Copernicia prunifera, catolé (Syagrus oleracea and macaúba-barriguda (Acrocomia intumescens. Fifth palms were dissected (10 specimens for each species. The overall infestation index was 86%, with a total of 521 triatomines collected. The Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909 Index was 16.8% and two insects presented mixed infection with Trypanosoma rangeli Tejera, 1920. A precipitin test showed that R. nasutus from palms of Chapada do Araripe are associated with opossum and bird although other possible bloodmeals were observed. Our results showing a high index of infestation of the palms as well as T. cruzi infection, the association of R. nasutus with the most diverse species of palms and proximity of these palms to houses demonstrate the importance of this area for sylvatic T. cruzi transmission and suggest the need for epidemiological surveillance in the region of the Chapada do Araripe.

Rhodnius prolixus supergene families of enzymes potentially associated with insecticide resistance.

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Schama, Renata; Pedrini, Nicolás; Juárez, M Patricia; Nelson, David R; Torres, André Q; Valle, Denise; Mesquita, Rafael D

2016-02-01

Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. Once known as an endemic health problem of poor rural populations in Latin American countries, it has now spread worldwide. The parasite is transmitted by triatomine bugs, of which Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) is one of the vectors and a model organism. This species occurs mainly in Central and South American countries where the disease is endemic. Disease prevention focuses on vector control programs that, in general, rely intensely on insecticide use. However, the massive use of chemical insecticides can lead to resistance. One of the major mechanisms is known as metabolic resistance that is associated with an increase in the expression or activity of detoxification genes. Three of the enzyme families that are involved in this process - carboxylesterases (CCE), glutathione s-transferases (GST) and cytochrome P450s (CYP) - are analyzed in the R. prolixus genome. A similar set of detoxification genes to those of the Hemipteran Acyrthosiphon pisum but smaller than in most dipteran species was found in R. prolixus genome. All major CCE classes (43 genes found) are present but the pheromone/hormone processing class had fewer genes than usual. One main expansion was detected on the detoxification/dietary class. The phosphotriesterase family, recently associated with insecticide resistance, was also represented with one gene. One microsomal GST gene was found and the cytosolic GST gene count (14 genes) is extremely low when compared to the other hemipteran species with sequenced genomes. However, this is similar to Apis mellifera, a species known for its deficit in detoxification genes. In R. prolixus 88 CYP genes were found, with representatives in the four clans (CYP2, CYP3, CYP4 and mitochondrial) usually found in insects. R. prolixus seems to have smaller species-specific expansions of CYP genes than

2b-RAD genotyping for population genomic studies of Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in Ecuador.

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Luis E Hernandez-Castro

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the main triatomine vector of Chagas disease, American trypanosomiasis, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. Genomic approaches and next generation sequencing technologies have become powerful tools for investigating population diversity and structure which is a key consideration for vector control. Here we assess the effectiveness of three different 2b restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD genotyping strategies in R. ecuadoriensis to provide sufficient genomic resolution to tease apart microevolutionary processes and undertake some pilot population genomic analyses.The 2b-RAD protocol was carried out in-house at a non-specialized laboratory using 20 R. ecuadoriensis adults collected from the central coast and southern Andean region of Ecuador, from June 2006 to July 2013. 2b-RAD sequencing data was performed on an Illumina MiSeq instrument and analyzed with the STACKS de novo pipeline for loci assembly and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP discovery. Preliminary population genomic analyses (global AMOVA and Bayesian clustering were implemented. Our results showed that the 2b-RAD genotyping protocol is effective for R. ecuadoriensis and likely for other triatomine species. However, only BcgI and CspCI restriction enzymes provided a number of markers suitable for population genomic analysis at the read depth we generated. Our preliminary genomic analyses detected a signal of genetic structuring across the study area.Our findings suggest that 2b-RAD genotyping is both a cost effective and methodologically simple approach for generating high resolution genomic data for Chagas disease vectors with the power to distinguish between different vector populations at epidemiologically relevant scales. As such, 2b-RAD represents a powerful tool in the hands of medical entomologists with limited access to specialized molecular biological equipment.

Unsaturated glycerophospholipids mediate heme crystallization: biological implications for hemozoin formation in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus.

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Renata Stiebler

Full Text Available Hemozoin (Hz is a heme crystal produced by some blood-feeding organisms, as an efficient way to detoxify heme derived from hemoglobin digestion. In the triatomine insect Rhodnius prolixus, Hz is essentially produced by midgut extracellular phospholipid membranes known as perimicrovillar membranes (PMVM. Here, we investigated the role of commercial glycerophospholipids containing serine, choline and ethanolamine as headgroups and R. prolixus midgut lipids (RML in heme crystallization. All commercial unsaturated forms of phospholipids, as well as RML, mediated fast and efficient β-hematin formation by means of two kinetically distinct mechanisms: an early and fast component, followed by a late and slow one. The fastest reactions observed were induced by unsaturated forms of phosphatidylethanolamine (uPE and phosphatidylcholine (uPC, with half-lives of 0.04 and 0.7 minutes, respectively. β-hematin crystal morphologies were strikingly distinct among groups, with uPE producing homogeneous regular brick-shaped crystals. Interestingly, uPC-mediated reactions resulted in two morphologically distinct crystal populations: one less representative group of regular crystals, resembling those induced by uPE, and the other largely represented by crystals with numerous sharp edges and tapered ends. Heme crystallization reactions induced by RML were efficient, with a heme to β-hematin conversion rate higher than 70%, but clearly slower (t1/2 of 9.9-17.7 minutes than those induced by uPC and uPE. Interestingly, crystals produced by RML were homogeneous in shape and quite similar to those mediated by uPE. Thus, β-hematin formation can be rapidly and efficiently induced by unsaturated glycerophospholipids, particularly uPE and uPC, and may play a role on biological heme crystallization in R. prolixus midgut.

2b-RAD genotyping for population genomic studies of Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in Ecuador.

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Hernandez-Castro, Luis E; Paterno, Marta; Villacís, Anita G; Andersson, Björn; Costales, Jaime A; De Noia, Michele; Ocaña-Mayorga, Sofía; Yumiseva, Cesar A; Grijalva, Mario J; Llewellyn, Martin S

2017-07-01

Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the main triatomine vector of Chagas disease, American trypanosomiasis, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. Genomic approaches and next generation sequencing technologies have become powerful tools for investigating population diversity and structure which is a key consideration for vector control. Here we assess the effectiveness of three different 2b restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) genotyping strategies in R. ecuadoriensis to provide sufficient genomic resolution to tease apart microevolutionary processes and undertake some pilot population genomic analyses. The 2b-RAD protocol was carried out in-house at a non-specialized laboratory using 20 R. ecuadoriensis adults collected from the central coast and southern Andean region of Ecuador, from June 2006 to July 2013. 2b-RAD sequencing data was performed on an Illumina MiSeq instrument and analyzed with the STACKS de novo pipeline for loci assembly and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery. Preliminary population genomic analyses (global AMOVA and Bayesian clustering) were implemented. Our results showed that the 2b-RAD genotyping protocol is effective for R. ecuadoriensis and likely for other triatomine species. However, only BcgI and CspCI restriction enzymes provided a number of markers suitable for population genomic analysis at the read depth we generated. Our preliminary genomic analyses detected a signal of genetic structuring across the study area. Our findings suggest that 2b-RAD genotyping is both a cost effective and methodologically simple approach for generating high resolution genomic data for Chagas disease vectors with the power to distinguish between different vector populations at epidemiologically relevant scales. As such, 2b-RAD represents a powerful tool in the hands of medical entomologists with limited access to specialized molecular biological equipment.

Experimental evidence for the ancestry of allotetraploid Trifolium repens and creation of synthetic forms with value for plant breeding.

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Williams, Warren M; Ellison, Nicholas W; Ansari, Helal A; Verry, Isabelle M; Hussain, S Wajid

2012-04-24

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a ubiquitous weed of the temperate world that through use of improved cultivars has also become the most important legume of grazed pastures world-wide. It has long been suspected to be allotetraploid, but the diploid ancestral species have remained elusive. Putative diploid ancestors were indicated by DNA sequence phylogeny to be T. pallescens and T. occidentale. Here, we use further DNA evidence as well as a combination of molecular cytogenetics (FISH and GISH) and experimental hybridization to test the hypothesis that white clover originated as a hybrid between T. pallescens and T. occidentale. T. pallescens plants were identified with chloroplast trnL intron DNA sequences identical to those of white clover. Similarly, T. occidentale plants with nuclear ITS sequences identical to white clover were also identified. Reciprocal GISH experiments, alternately using labeled genomic DNA probes from each of the putative ancestral species on the same white clover cells, showed that half of the chromosomes hybridized with each probe. F1 hybrids were generated by embryo rescue and these showed strong interspecific chromosome pairing and produced a significant frequency of unreduced gametes, indicating the likely mode of polyploidization. The F1 hybrids are inter-fertile with white clover and function as synthetic white clovers, a valuable new resource for the re-incorporation of ancestral genomes into modern white clover for future plant breeding. Evidence from DNA sequence analyses, molecular cytogenetics, interspecific hybridization and breeding experiments supports the hypothesis that a diploid alpine species (T. pallescens) hybridized with a diploid coastal species (T. occidentale) to generate tetraploid T. repens. The coming together of these two narrowly adapted species (one alpine and the other maritime), along with allotetraploidy, has led to a transgressive hybrid with a broad adaptive range.

Experimental evidence for the ancestry of allotetraploid Trifolium repens and creation of synthetic forms with value for plant breeding

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Williams Warren M

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background White clover (Trifolium repens is a ubiquitous weed of the temperate world that through use of improved cultivars has also become the most important legume of grazed pastures world-wide. It has long been suspected to be allotetraploid, but the diploid ancestral species have remained elusive. Putative diploid ancestors were indicated by DNA sequence phylogeny to be T. pallescens and T. occidentale. Here, we use further DNA evidence as well as a combination of molecular cytogenetics (FISH and GISH and experimental hybridization to test the hypothesis that white clover originated as a hybrid between T. pallescens and T. occidentale. Results T. pallescens plants were identified with chloroplast trnL intron DNA sequences identical to those of white clover. Similarly, T. occidentale plants with nuclear ITS sequences identical to white clover were also identified. Reciprocal GISH experiments, alternately using labeled genomic DNA probes from each of the putative ancestral species on the same white clover cells, showed that half of the chromosomes hybridized with each probe. F1 hybrids were generated by embryo rescue and these showed strong interspecific chromosome pairing and produced a significant frequency of unreduced gametes, indicating the likely mode of polyploidization. The F1 hybrids are inter-fertile with white clover and function as synthetic white clovers, a valuable new resource for the re-incorporation of ancestral genomes into modern white clover for future plant breeding. Conclusions Evidence from DNA sequence analyses, molecular cytogenetics, interspecific hybridization and breeding experiments supports the hypothesis that a diploid alpine species (T. pallescens hybridized with a diploid coastal species (T. occidentale to generate tetraploid T. repens. The coming together of these two narrowly adapted species (one alpine and the other maritime, along with allotetraploidy, has led to a transgressive hybrid with a

Acidocalcisomes as calcium- and polyphosphate-storage compartments during embryogenesis of the insect Rhodnius prolixus Stahl.

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Isabela Ramos

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The yolk of insect eggs is a cellular domain specialized in the storage of reserve components for embryo development. The reserve macromolecules are stored in different organelles and their interactions with the embryo cells are mostly unknown. Acidocalcisomes are lysosome-related organelles characterized by their acidic nature, high electron density and large content of polyphosphate bound to several cations. In this work, we report the presence of acidocalcisome-like organelles in eggs of the insect vector Rhodnius prolixus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Characterization of the elemental composition of electron-dense vesicles by electron probe X-ray microanalysis revealed a composition similar to that previously described for acidocalcisomes. Following subcellular fractionation experiments, fractions enriched in acidocalcisomes were obtained and characterized. Immunofluorescence showed that polyphosphate polymers and the vacuolar proton translocating pyrophosphatase (V-H(+-PPase, considered as a marker for acidocalcisomes are found in the same vesicles and that these organelles are mainly localized in the egg cortex. Polyphosphate quantification showed that acidocalcisomes contain a significant amount of polyphosphate detected at day-0 eggs. Elemental analyses of the egg fractions showed that 24.5±0.65% of the egg calcium are also stored in such organelles. During embryogenesis, incubation of acidocalcisomes with acridine orange showed that these organelles are acidified at day-3 (coinciding with the period of yolk mobilization and polyphosphate quantification showed that the levels of polyphosphate tend to decrease during early embryogenesis, being approximately 30% lower at day-3 compared to day-0 eggs. CONCLUSIONS: We found that acidocalcisomes are present in the eggs and are the main storage compartments of polyphosphate and calcium in the egg yolk. As such components have been shown to be involved in a series of dynamic

Modeling horizontal gene transfer (HGT in the gut of the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus

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Durvasula Ravi V

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Paratransgenesis is an approach to reducing arthropod vector competence using genetically modified symbionts. When applied to control of Chagas disease, the symbiont bacterium Rhodococcus rhodnii, resident in the gut lumen of the triatomine vector Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae, is transformed to export cecropin A, an insect immune peptide. Cecropin A is active against Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. While proof of concept has been achieved in laboratory studies, a rigorous and comprehensive risk assessment is required prior to consideration of field release. An important part of this assessment involves estimating probability of transgene horizontal transfer to environmental organisms (HGT. This article presents a two-part risk assessment methodology: a theoretical model predicting HGT in the gut of R. prolixus from the genetically transformed symbiont R. rhodnii to a closely related non-target bacterium, Gordona rubropertinctus, in the absence of selection pressure, and a series of laboratory trials designed to test the model. Results The model predicted an HGT frequency of less than 1.14 × 10-16 per 100,000 generations at the 99% certainty level. The model was iterated twenty times, with the mean of the ten highest outputs evaluated at the 99% certainty level. Laboratory trials indicated no horizontal gene transfer, supporting the conclusions of the model. Conclusions The model treats HGT as a composite event, the probability of which is determined by the joint probability of three independent events: gene transfer through the modalities of transformation, transduction, and conjugation. Genes are represented in matrices and Monte Carlo method and Markov chain analysis are used to simulate and evaluate environmental conditions. The model is intended as a risk assessment instrument and predicts HGT frequency of less than 1.14 × 10-16 per 100,000 generations. With laboratory studies that

Cloning and Functional Characterization of Octβ2-Receptor and Tyr1-Receptor in the Chagas Disease Vector, Rhodnius prolixus

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Sam Hana

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Octopamine and tyramine, both biogenic amines, are bioactive chemicals important in diverse physiological processes in invertebrates. In insects, octopamine and tyramine operate analogously to epinephrine and norepinephrine in the vertebrates. Octopamine and tyramine bind to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs leading to changes in second messenger levels and thereby modifying the function in target tissues and insect behavior. In this paper, we report the cDNA sequences of two GPCRs, RhoprOctβ2-R, and RhoprTyr1-R, have been cloned and functionally characterized from Rhodnius prolixus. Octopamine and tyramine each activate RhoprOctβ2-R and RhoprTyr1-R in a dose-dependent manner. Octopamine is one order of magnitude more potent than tyramine in activating RhoprOctβ2-R. Tyramine is two orders of magnitude more potent than octopamine in activating RhoprTyr1-R. Phentolamine and gramine significantly antagonize RhoprOctβ2-R, whereas yohimbine and phenoxybenzamine are effective blockers of RhoprTyr1-R. The transcripts of both receptors are enriched in the central nervous system (CNS and are expressed throughout the adult female reproductive system. It has been shown in other insects that Octβ2-R is essential for processes such as ovulation and fertilization. We previously reported that octopamine and tyramine modulate oviducts and bursa contractions in R. prolixus. Our data confirm the importance of octopamine and tyramine signaling in the reproductive system of R. prolixus.

The distribution and function of serotonin in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. a comparative study with the blood-feeding bug, Rhodnius prolixus.

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Miggiani, L; Orchard, I; TeBrugge, V

1999-11-01

The blood-feeding hemipteran, Rhodnius prolixus, ingests a large blood meal at the end of each larval stage. To accommodate and process this meal, its cuticle undergoes plasticisation, and its gut and Malpighian tubules respectively absorb and secrete a large volume of water and salts for rapid diuresis. Serotonin has been found to be integral to the feeding process in this animal, along with a diuretic peptide(s). The large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, tends to feed in a more continuous and abstemious manner, and therefore may have different physiological requirements than the blood feeder. Unlike R. prolixus, O. fasciatus is lacking serotonin-like immunoreactive dorsal unpaired median neurons in the mesothoracic ganglionic mass, and lacks serotonin-like immunoreactive neurohaemal areas and processes on the abdominal nerves, integument, salivary glands, and anterior junction of the foregut and crop. The salivary glands and crop do, however, respond to serotonin with increased levels of cAMP, while the integument and Malpighian tubules do not. In addition, O. fasciatus Malpighian tubules respond to both O. fasciatus and R. prolixus partially purified CNS extracts, which are likely to contain any native diuretic peptides. Thus, while serotonin and diuretic peptides may be involved in tubule control in R. prolixus, the latter may be of greater importance in O. fasciatus.

Mariner transposons are sailing in the genome of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus.

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Filée, Jonathan; Rouault, Jacques-Deric; Harry, Myriam; Hua-Van, Aurélie

2015-12-15

The Triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus is a vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes the Chagas disease in Latin America. R. prolixus can also transfer transposable elements horizontally across a wide range of species. We have taken advantage of the availability of the 700 Mbp complete genome sequence of R. prolixus to study the dynamics of invasion and persistence of transposable elements in this species. Using both library-based and de novo methods of transposon detection, we found less than 6 % of transposable elements in the R. prolixus genome, a relatively low percentage compared to other insect genomes with a similar genome size. DNA transposons are surprisingly abundant and elements belonging to the mariner family are by far the most preponderant components of the mobile part of this genome with 11,015 mariner transposons that could be clustered in 89 groups (75 % of the mobilome). Our analysis allowed the detection of a new mariner clade in the R. prolixus genome, that we called nosferatis. We demonstrated that a large diversity of mariner elements invaded the genome and expanded successfully over time via three main processes. (i) several families experienced recent and massive expansion, for example an explosive burst of a single mariner family led to the generation of more than 8000 copies. These recent expansion events explain the unusual prevalence of mariner transposons in the R. prolixus genome. Other families expanded via older bursts of transposition demonstrating the long lasting permissibility of mariner transposons in the R. prolixus genome. (ii) Many non-autonomous families generated by internal deletions were also identified. Interestingly, two non autonomous families were generated by atypical recombinations (5' part replacement with 3' part). (iii) at least 10 cases of horizontal transfers were found, supporting the idea that host/vector relationships played a pivotal role in the transmission and subsequent persistence of transposable

MDL28170, a calpain inhibitor, affects Trypanosoma cruzi metacyclogenesis, ultrastructure and attachment to Rhodnius prolixus midgut.

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Vítor Ennes-Vidal

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. During the parasite life cycle, many molecules are involved in the differentiation process and infectivity. Peptidases are relevant for crucial steps of T. cruzi life cycle; as such, it is conceivable that they may participate in the metacyclogenesis and interaction with the invertebrate host. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this paper, we have investigated the effect of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 on the attachment of T. cruzi epimastigotes to the luminal midgut surface of Rhodnius prolixus, as well as on the metacyclogenesis process and ultrastructure. MDL28170 treatment was capable of significantly reducing the number of bound epimastigotes to the luminal surface midgut of the insect. Once the cross-reactivity of the anti-Dm-calpain was assessed, it was possible to block calpain molecules by the antibody, leading to a significant reduction in the capacity of adhesion to the insect guts by T. cruzi. However, the antibodies were unable to interfere in metacyclogenesis, which was impaired by the calpain inhibitor presenting a significant reduction in the number of metacyclic trypomastigotes. The calpain inhibitor also promoted a direct effect against bloodstream trypomastigotes. Ultrastructural analysis of epimastigotes treated with the calpain inhibitor revealed disorganization in the reservosomes, Golgi and plasma membrane disruption. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The presence of calpain and calpain-like molecules in a wide range of organisms suggests that these proteins could be necessary for basic cellular functions. Herein, we demonstrated the effects of MDL28170 in crucial steps of the T. cruzi life cycle, such as attachment to the insect midgut and metacyclogenesis, as well as in parasite viability and morphology. Together with our previous findings, these results help to shed some light on the functions of T. cruzi calpains. Considering the potential roles of

Connecting Amazonian, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest histories: Paraphyly, old divergences, and modern population dynamics in tyrant-manakins (Neopelma/Tyranneutes, Aves: Pipridae).

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Capurucho, João Marcos Guimarães; Ashley, Mary V; Ribas, Camila C; Bates, John M

2018-06-11

Several biogeographic hypotheses have been proposed to explain connections between Amazonian and Atlantic forest biotas. These hypotheses are related to the timing of the connections and their geographic patterns. We performed a phylogeographic investigation of Tyrant-manakins (Aves: Pipridae, Neopelma/Tyranneutes) which include species inhabiting the Amazon and Atlantic forests, as well as gallery forests of the Cerrado. Using DNA sequence data, we determined phylogenetic relationships, temporal and geographic patterns of diversification, and recent intraspecific population genetic patterns, relative to the history of these biomes. We found Neopelma to be a paraphyletic genus, as N. chrysolophum is sister to Neopelma + Tyranneutes, with an estimated divergence of approximately 18 Myrs BP, within the oldest estimated divergence times of other Amazonian and Atlantic forest avian taxa. Subsequent divergences in the group occurred from Mid Miocene to Early Pliocene and involved mainly the Amazonian species, with an expansion into and subsequent speciation in the Cerrado gallery forests by N. pallescens. We found additional structure within N. chrysocephalum and N. sulphureiventer. Analysis of recent population dynamics in N. chrysocephalum, N. sulphureiventer, and N. pallescens revealed recent demographic fluctuations and restrictions to gene flow related to environmental changes since the last glacial cycle. No genetic structure was detected across the Amazon River in N. pallescens. The tyrant-manakins represent an old historical connection between the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Life cycle, feeding and defecation patterns of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Lent & León 1958 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae under laboratory conditions

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Anita G Villacís

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the second most important vector of Chagas Disease (CD in Ecuador. The objective of this study was to describe (and compare the life cycle, the feeding and defecation patterns under laboratory conditions of two populations of this specie [from the provinces of Manabí (Coastal region and Loja (Andean region]. Egg-to-adult (n = 57 development took an average of 189.9 ± 20 (Manabí and 181.3 ± 6.4 days (Loja. Mortality rates were high among Lojan nymphs. Pre-feeding time (from contact with host to feeding initiation ranged from 4 min 42 s [nymph I (NI] to 8 min 30 s (male; feeding time ranged from 14 min 45 s (NI-28 min 25 s (male (Manabí and from 15 min 25 s (NI-28 min 57 s (nymph V (Loja. The amount of blood ingested increased significantly with instar and was larger for Manabí specimens (p < 0.001. Defecation while feeding was observed in Manabí specimens from stage nymph III and in Lojan bugs from stage nymph IV. There was a gradual, age-related increase in the frequency of this behaviour in both populations. Our results suggest that R. ecuadoriensis has the bionomic traits of an efficient vector of Trypanosoma cruzi. Together with previous data on the capacity of this species to infest rural households, these results indicate that control of synanthropic R. ecuadoriensis populations in the coastal and Andean regions may have a significant impact for CD control in Ecuador and Northern Peru.

An Insight into the Transcriptome of the Digestive Tract of the Bloodsucking Bug, Rhodnius prolixus

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Ribeiro, José M. C.; Genta, Fernando A.; Sorgine, Marcos H. F.; Logullo, Raquel; Mesquita, Rafael D.; Paiva-Silva, Gabriela O.; Majerowicz, David; Medeiros, Marcelo; Koerich, Leonardo; Terra, Walter R.; Ferreira, Clélia; Pimentel, André C.; Bisch, Paulo M.; Leite, Daniel C.; Diniz, Michelle M. P.; Junior, João Lídio da S. G. V.; Da Silva, Manuela L.; Araujo, Ricardo N.; Gandara, Ana Caroline P.; Brosson, Sébastien; Salmon, Didier; Bousbata, Sabrina; González-Caballero, Natalia; Silber, Ariel Mariano; Alves-Bezerra, Michele; Gondim, Katia C.; Silva-Neto, Mário Alberto C.; Atella, Georgia C.; Araujo, Helena; Dias, Felipe A.; Polycarpo, Carla; Vionette-Amaral, Raquel J.; Fampa, Patrícia; Melo, Ana Claudia A.; Tanaka, Aparecida S.; Balczun, Carsten; Oliveira, José Henrique M.; Gonçalves, Renata L. S.; Lazoski, Cristiano; Rivera-Pomar, Rolando; Diambra, Luis; Schaub, Günter A.; Garcia, Elói S.; Azambuja, Patrícia; Braz, Glória R. C.; Oliveira, Pedro L.

2014-01-01

The bloodsucking hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus is a vector of Chagas' disease, which affects 7–8 million people today in Latin America. In contrast to other hematophagous insects, the triatomine gut is compartmentalized into three segments that perform different functions during blood digestion. Here we report analysis of transcriptomes for each of the segments using pyrosequencing technology. Comparison of transcript frequency in digestive libraries with a whole-body library was used to evaluate expression levels. All classes of digestive enzymes were highly expressed, with a predominance of cysteine and aspartic proteinases, the latter showing a significant expansion through gene duplication. Although no protein digestion is known to occur in the anterior midgut (AM), protease transcripts were found, suggesting secretion as pro-enzymes, being possibly activated in the posterior midgut (PM). As expected, genes related to cytoskeleton, protein synthesis apparatus, protein traffic, and secretion were abundantly transcribed. Despite the absence of a chitinous peritrophic membrane in hemipterans - which have instead a lipidic perimicrovillar membrane lining over midgut epithelia - several gut-specific peritrophin transcripts were found, suggesting that these proteins perform functions other than being a structural component of the peritrophic membrane. Among immunity-related transcripts, while lysozymes and lectins were the most highly expressed, several genes belonging to the Toll pathway - found at low levels in the gut of most insects - were identified, contrasting with a low abundance of transcripts from IMD and STAT pathways. Analysis of transcripts related to lipid metabolism indicates that lipids play multiple roles, being a major energy source, a substrate for perimicrovillar membrane formation, and a source for hydrocarbons possibly to produce the wax layer of the hindgut. Transcripts related to amino acid metabolism showed an unanticipated priority for

An insight into the transcriptome of the digestive tract of the bloodsucking bug, Rhodnius prolixus.

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José M C Ribeiro

Full Text Available The bloodsucking hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus is a vector of Chagas' disease, which affects 7-8 million people today in Latin America. In contrast to other hematophagous insects, the triatomine gut is compartmentalized into three segments that perform different functions during blood digestion. Here we report analysis of transcriptomes for each of the segments using pyrosequencing technology. Comparison of transcript frequency in digestive libraries with a whole-body library was used to evaluate expression levels. All classes of digestive enzymes were highly expressed, with a predominance of cysteine and aspartic proteinases, the latter showing a significant expansion through gene duplication. Although no protein digestion is known to occur in the anterior midgut (AM, protease transcripts were found, suggesting secretion as pro-enzymes, being possibly activated in the posterior midgut (PM. As expected, genes related to cytoskeleton, protein synthesis apparatus, protein traffic, and secretion were abundantly transcribed. Despite the absence of a chitinous peritrophic membrane in hemipterans - which have instead a lipidic perimicrovillar membrane lining over midgut epithelia - several gut-specific peritrophin transcripts were found, suggesting that these proteins perform functions other than being a structural component of the peritrophic membrane. Among immunity-related transcripts, while lysozymes and lectins were the most highly expressed, several genes belonging to the Toll pathway - found at low levels in the gut of most insects - were identified, contrasting with a low abundance of transcripts from IMD and STAT pathways. Analysis of transcripts related to lipid metabolism indicates that lipids play multiple roles, being a major energy source, a substrate for perimicrovillar membrane formation, and a source for hydrocarbons possibly to produce the wax layer of the hindgut. Transcripts related to amino acid metabolism showed an unanticipated

Ecological factors related to the widespread distribution of sylvatic Rhodnius ecuadoriensis populations in southern Ecuador

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Grijalva Mario J

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chagas disease transmission risk is a function of the presence of triatomines in domestic habitats. Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is one of the main vectors implicated in transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Ecuador. This triatomine species is present in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic habitats in the country. To determine the distribution of sylvatic populations of R. ecuadoriensis and the factors related to this distribution, triatomine searches were conducted between 2005 and 2009 in southern Ecuador. Methods Manual triatomine searches were conducted by skilled bug collectors in 23 communities. Sylvatic searched sites were selected by a directed sampling, where microhabitats were selected by the searchers and b random sampling, where sampling points where randomly generated. Domiciliary triatomine searches were conducted using the one man-hour method. Natural trypanosome infection was determined by microscopic examination and PCR. Generalized linear models were used to test the effect of environmental factors on the presence of sylvatic triatomines. Results In total, 1,923 sylvatic individuals were collected representing a sampling effort of 751 man-hours. Collected sylvatic triatomines were associated with mammal and bird nests. The 1,219 sampled nests presented an infestation index of 11.9%, a crowding of 13 bugs per infested nest, and a colonization of 80% of the nests. Triatomine abundance was significantly higher in squirrel (Sciurus stramineus nests located above five meters from ground level and close to the houses. In addition, 8.5% of the 820 examined houses in the same localities were infested with triatomines. There was a significant correlation between R. ecuadoriensis infestation rates found in sylvatic and synanthropic environments within communities (p = 0.012. Parasitological analysis revealed that 64.7% and 15.7% of the sylvatic bugs examined (n = 300 were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli

Ecological factors related to the widespread distribution of sylvatic Rhodnius ecuadoriensis populations in southern Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Chagas disease transmission risk is a function of the presence of triatomines in domestic habitats. Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is one of the main vectors implicated in transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Ecuador. This triatomine species is present in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic habitats in the country. To determine the distribution of sylvatic populations of R. ecuadoriensis and the factors related to this distribution, triatomine searches were conducted between 2005 and 2009 in southern Ecuador. Methods Manual triatomine searches were conducted by skilled bug collectors in 23 communities. Sylvatic searched sites were selected by a) directed sampling, where microhabitats were selected by the searchers and b) random sampling, where sampling points where randomly generated. Domiciliary triatomine searches were conducted using the one man-hour method. Natural trypanosome infection was determined by microscopic examination and PCR. Generalized linear models were used to test the effect of environmental factors on the presence of sylvatic triatomines. Results In total, 1,923 sylvatic individuals were collected representing a sampling effort of 751 man-hours. Collected sylvatic triatomines were associated with mammal and bird nests. The 1,219 sampled nests presented an infestation index of 11.9%, a crowding of 13 bugs per infested nest, and a colonization of 80% of the nests. Triatomine abundance was significantly higher in squirrel (Sciurus stramineus) nests located above five meters from ground level and close to the houses. In addition, 8.5% of the 820 examined houses in the same localities were infested with triatomines. There was a significant correlation between R. ecuadoriensis infestation rates found in sylvatic and synanthropic environments within communities (p = 0.012). Parasitological analysis revealed that 64.7% and 15.7% of the sylvatic bugs examined (n = 300) were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli respectively, and 8% of the

Exploring the Role of Rhodtestolin, A Cardio-Inhibitor from the Testes of Rhodnius prolixus, in Relation to the Structure and Function of Reproductive Organs in Insect Vectors of Chagas Disease

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Marli Maria Lima

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Rhodtestolin is a cardio-inhibitor that was first discovered in testes extracts of the blood-feeding insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Its role in reproduction remains unconfirmed, but if delivered to the female during spermatophore formation, it may serve to calm the female and/or relax the vaginal muscles to facilitate delivery and storage of the spermatophore. We describe here the anatomy of reproductive organs in R. prolixus and show that rhodtestolin is present in a low-molecular weight fraction of testes extracts separated by gel filtration, as well as in spermatophores delivered to the female during spermatophore formation. We also report that a rhodtestolin-like factor is present in the testes of R. brethesi, Triatoma dimidiata, T. klugi and Nesotriatoma bruneri, other Reduviidae, which are vectors of Chagas disease. Male secretions in insects are known to modify female behavior after copulation, and the presence of rhodtestolin in several genera of Reduviidae suggests that it plays an important role in reproductive success. Determining this role could lead to developing additional population control strategies for these bugs.

The biological assessment of flora and fauna as standards for changes in the near-shore ocean environment: a study of Barbers Point Harbor.

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Hokama, Y; Wachi, K M; Shiraki, A; Goo, C; Ebesu, J S

2001-02-01

The biological assessments of the flora and fauna in the near-shore ocean environment, specifically Barbers Point Harbor (BPH), demonstrate the usefulness of these biological analyses for evaluation of the changes occurring following man-made excavation for expansion of the harbor. The study included identification and enumeration of macroalgae and dinoflagellates and analyses of herbivores and carnivores in four areas within the perimeter of the harbor and the north and south entrances into the harbor. Numbers of macroalgae varied between 1994 and 1999 surveys, with significant decrease in numbers in stations C, D and E. Stations A and B were similar between 1994 and 1999 with a slight increase in 1999. The significant differences were shown with the appearance of Gambierdiscus toxicus (G toxicus) in 1999 among the algae in stations A and B. Assessment of herbivores and carnivores with the immunological membrane immunobead assay using monoclonal antibody to ciguatoxin and related polyethers demonstrated an increase in fish toxicity among the herbivore from 1994-1999 (22% increase) with a decrease (22%) in non-toxic fish. This was also demonstrated in the carnivores, but to a lesser degree. It is suggested that the biological analyses of the flora and the fauna of the near-shore ocean environment are appropriate to assess the changes that occur from natural and man-made alterations.

Ecologia de triatomíneos e transmissão do Trypanosoma cruzi, com especial referência ao Brasil

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Mauro Pereira Barreto

1976-12-01

thrive in artificial ecotopes. In addition to the role in the wild cycle of transmission of T.cruzi, they may come into contact with man and domestic or domiciliated mammals and transmit the infection both in natural foci and artificial ecotopes. Examples: Panstrongylus geniculatus, Triatoma rubrovaria, Triatoma arthurneivai, Triatoma patagonica, Triatoma eratyrusiforme, Rhodnius domesticus, etc. 3. Wild insects beginning to adapt to artificial ecotopes where they give rise to small colonies specially in animal dens, and, more rarely, inside human dwellings. In addition to the role in the wild cycle of transmission of T.cruzi, they may convey the parasite from natural to artificial ecotopes and, under certains circunstances, participate of the domiciliary cycle of T.cruzi. Examples: Rhodnius neglectus, Triatoma vitticeps, Triatoma platensis, etc. 4. Insects that breed indifferently in natural or artificial ecotopes. Although they havesuccededinadaptingthemselves to human dwellings and domestic animal dens, they are also found in many natural ecotopes. In addition to the role in the wild transmission cycle of T.cruzi they are important in the conveyance of the parasite frotn natural foci to artificial ecotopes and in the inicial infestation or in the reinfestation of these ecotopes, and are an efficient ring in the domiciliary chain of transmission of T.cruzi. Examples: Panstrongylus megistus, Rhodnius prolixus, Rhodnius pallescens, Triatoma sórdida, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma pseudomaculata, Triatoma quasayana etc. 5. Insects well adapted to artificial ecotopes, but sometimes still found in residual natural breeding places. They are most important in the domiciliary cycle of transmission of T.cruzi, but may play, at least in certain areas, a small role in the wild cyde of transmission of the infection. Example: Triatoma infestans. 6. Entirely domiciliated insects. In spite ofbeing found only in houses, they seem to have a minor role in the transmission of T

Ship's barbers

OpenAIRE

Unknown

2003-01-01

Showing two sailors having their hair cut (? one is possibly being shaved) on board ship. Three other sailors can be seen standing on the right-hand side of the photograph. The photograph is from an album inscribed 'H.M.S. Lancaster; Mediterranean Photographic Album: Diary of Events and Important Places Visited during the Commission 1910-1912' on the cover. This album was the property of Sydney Harold Liddle.

Identification and expression of the CCAP receptor in the Chagas' disease vector, Rhodnius prolixus, and its involvement in cardiac control.

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Dohee Lee

Full Text Available Rhodnius prolixus is the vector of Chagas' disease, by virtue of transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. There is no cure for Chagas' disease and therefore controlling R. prolixus is currently the only method of prevention. Understanding the physiology of the disease vector is an important step in developing control measures. Crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP is an important neuropeptide in insects because it has multiple physiological roles such as controlling heart rate and modulating ecdysis behaviour. In this study, we have cloned the cDNA sequence of the CCAP receptor (RhoprCCAPR from 5(th instar R. prolixus and found it to be a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR. The spatial expression pattern in 5(th instars reveals that the RhoprCCAPR transcript levels are high in the central nervous system, hindgut and female reproductive systems, and lower in the salivary glands, male reproductive tissues and a pool of tissues including the dorsal vessel, trachea, and fat body. Interestingly, the RhoprCCAPR expression is increased prior to ecdysis and decreased post-ecdysis. A functional receptor expression assay confirms that the RhoprCCAPR is activated by CCAP (EC50 = 12 nM but not by adipokinetic hormone, corazonin or an extended FMRFamide. The involvement of CCAP in controlling heartbeat frequency was studied in vivo and in vitro by utilizing RNA interference. In vivo, the basal heartbeat frequency is decreased by 31% in bugs treated with dsCCAPR. Knocking down the receptor in dsCCAPR-treated bugs also resulted in loss of function of applied CCAP in vitro. This is the first report of a GPCR knock-down in R. prolixus and the first report showing that a reduction in CCAPR transcript levels leads to a reduction in cardiac output in any insect.

Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius robustus–like (Hemiptera ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2013-06-09

Jun 9, 2013 ... non-directional deviations between the left and the right values of a ... 2011). For example, in Drosophila spp contradictory results have been .... of a lower selection pressure on individuals with reduced flying activity in ...

Domestic Rhodnius ecuadoriensis (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) infestation in Northern Peru: a comparative trial of detection methods during a six-month follow-up.

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Cuba Cuba, César Augusto; Vargas, Franklin; Roldan, Judith; Ampuero, Cynthia

2003-01-01

Two passive methods in the assessment of intradomiciliary infestation by Rhodnius ecuadoriensis were tested: (i) the Gomes Nu ez sensor box (GN), (ii) sheets of white typing paper and (iii) one active timed manual method. The study was carried out in the Alto Chicama River Valley, Province of Gran Chim , Department of La Libertad. The study design consisted of an initial searching of triatomines inside of the domestic environment by the manual capture active procedure (man/hour) covering all the studied houses. Then, matched pairs of GN boxes and paper sheets were simultaneously installed in the bedrooms of 207 households distributed in 19 localities. A comparative prospective trial of these passive detection devices were monitored at 2, 4 and, finally 6 months follow-up. Parasitological Trypanosoma rangeli and/or T. cruzi infections were investigated in two houses with high level of infestation by R. ecuadoriensis. 16.9% of the 207 households investigated by an initial active manual method were infested with R. ecuadoriensis. The proportion of infested houses fluctuated from 6.2 to 55.5% amongst the 19 localities investigated. T. rangeli natural infection was detected in R. ecuadoriensis specimens collected in two households. Parasite rates in the bugs ranged from 16.6 to 21.7% respectively. The most striking fact was an average rate of salivary gland infection ranging from 7.4 to 8.3%. At the end of the sixth month period, a cumulative incidence of 31.4% of positive GN boxes against 15.9% for paper sheets was recorded. All three methods combined detected domestic infestation in 129 (62.3%) of the 207 houses studied in the 19 localities. The range of houses infested varies from 6.7% to 92.9%. In areas with low bug density infestation rates, the methodology experienced in our studies, seems to be the best choice for investigations on domestic R. ecuadoriensis populations.

Psammolestes arthuri NATURALMENTE INFECTADO CON Trypanosoma cruzi ENCONTRADO EN SIMPATRÍA CON Rhodnius prolixus Y Triatoma maculata EN NIDOS DE AVES EN EL ESTADO ANZOÁTEGUI, VENEZUELA I Psammolestes arthuri NATURALLY INFECTED WITH Trypanosoma cruzi FOUND IN SYMPATRY WITH Rhodnius prolixus AND Triatoma maculata ON BIRD NESTS IN ANZOÁTEGUI STATE, VENEZUELA

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Pedro José Cruz-Guzmán

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In Venezuela, Chagas' disease is a public health problem with around 2 million people infected and more than 6 million under risk of infection. In this study the presence of the triatomid Psammolestes arthuri is reported in nests of different species of birds from rural communities of Anzoátegui State, some of them found naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi , in sympatry with other species of triatomines ( Rhodnius prolixus y Triatoma maculata . A total of 3,277 triatomine specimens were collected in 478 nests from 6 species of birds ( Phacellodomus rufifrons , Troglodytes aedon , Icterus icterus , I. nigrogularis , Cacicus cela y Psarocolius decumanus . It was found that 99.05% (3246/3277 of specimens were P. arthuri and 0.95% (31/3277 other triatomine species, from which 0.57% (19/3277 were R. prolixus and 0.37% (12/3277 T. mac ulata . Only 0.12% (4/3246 of P. arthuri were infected with T. cr u z i . The parasitological characterization of one T. cr u z i isolate in white male NMRI mice showed high affinity for cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle cells, with a peak parasitemia of 2.4 x 10 4 parasites/ mL blood stream forms of T. cr u z i and 100% mortality of inoculated mice. This isolate was molecularly typed as belonging to TcIII genotype. The results show that in Anzoátegui State, P. arthuri predominantly feed on blood of birds, representing a low risk for vector transmission of Chagas' disease to humans

Distribuição espacial de populações de triatomíneos (Hemiptera: Reduviidae em palmeiras da espécie Mauritia flexuosa no Distrito Federal, Brasil Spatial distribution of Triatominae populations (Hemiptera: Reduviidae in Mauritia flexuosa palm trees in Federal District of Brazil

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Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Para determinar e analisar a distribuição espacial de populações silvestres de triatomíneos no Distrito Federal, Brasil, foram amostradas 150 palmeiras da espécie Mauritia flexuosa em seis veredas de diferentes paisagens (silvestre, rural e periurbana na estação chuvosa. Os triatomíneos foram identificados morfologicamente, separados por sexo e estadio ninfal e examinados para verificar infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi e Trypanosoma rangeli. Vinte e oito (18,6% palmeiras estavam infestadas por Rhodnius neglectus e 14 (9,5% por Psammolestes tertius. A freqüência dessas espécies em palmeiras com e sem ninhos foi significativamente diferente, sendo superior nas palmeiras com ninhos de aves e mamíferos na copa. O maior número médio de insetos/palmeira foi observado nas áreas rurais, com estimativas de até 838 insetos/hectare. A composição etária das espécies apresentou um padrão diferente, Rhodnius neglectus com predomínio de ninfas e Psammolestes tertius com predomínio de adultos, sendo que muitos ovos de Rhodnius neglectus foram coletados indicando um evento reprodutivo em fevereiro de 2003. Entre os ninhos encontrados nas palmeiras, o do pássaro Phacellodomus ruber (Furnariidae apresentou as maiores abundâncias de triatomíneos, ocorrendo em 42% das palmeiras. A abundância relativa de Rhodnius neglectus e Psammolestes tertius foi maior em áreas rurais que possuíram maior número de ninhos nas palmeiras e menor densidade de palmeiras por hectare. Nenhum dos 96 triatomíneos examinados estava infectado por Trypanosoma cruzi ou Trypanosoma rangeli, apesar de encontrarmos infecção de Rhodnius neglectus por esses parasitas em estudos anteriores.To determine and analyze the distribution of Triatominae sylvatic populations in the Federal District of Brazil, 150 Mauritia flexuosa palm trees were sampled in six veredas of different landscapes (sylvatic, rural and peri-urban in the rainy season. Triatomines were

Feasibility Study of Engaging Barbershops for Prostate Cancer Education in Rural African-American Communities.

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Luque, John S; Roy, Siddhartha; Tarasenko, Yelena N; Ross, Levi; Johnson, Jarrett; Gwede, Clement K

2015-12-01

The barbershop is a promising setting where African-American men might receive information and education about prostate cancer. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of engaging rural barbershops as venues for barbers to deliver a prostate cancer education intervention to increase informed decision-making for prostate cancer screening among customers. Twelve barbershops were recruited from two separate micropolitan areas in Georgia as intervention and control sites. Structured interviews were conducted with 11 barbers in both sites about customer characteristics as well as their willingness to participate in the study. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. In the intervention site, six barbers completed a survey and a pre-/posttest prostate cancer knowledge instrument following training classes. Barbers reported a wide average range of customers served per week (50 to 300). African-American men made up an average of 87% of customers. Barbers thought prostate cancer was an important discussion topic, felt they would be comfortable discussing it, and supported the participation of their barbershop in the study. For intervention group barbers, there was a statistically significant difference between the average pretest knowledge score of 72% (mean 12.2, SD=3.2) and the posttest knowledge score of 89% (mean 15.2, SD=1.1) (P=0.03) on the 17-item prostate cancer knowledge instrument. Based on the multiple interactions with the barbers, there was high receptivity to the topic and consensus about the importance of addressing prostate cancer with their customers. Rural barbershops represent feasible venues for delivering a prostate cancer education intervention.

[Surgical instruments and the emblems of Alsatien craftsmen and the archives of Obernai (16th-17th centuries)].

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Christine

2011-01-01

This study presents some original data concerning the instruments used by Alsatian surgeons-barbers from the 16th to the 18th century. Emblems of professions frequently appear on private houses in Alsace, and 35 emblems of surgeons-barbers have been discovered; six, particularly chararacteristic, are analysed here (Soultz 1568, Marlenheim 1581, Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine 1587, Rosheim 1681, Rosheim 1733, and Wasselonne 1738). The razor (Schermesser), the lancet (Lanzette), and the "flame" (Lasseisen, Fliete) are the most frequently represented instruments. Unpublished inventories after death also bring instructive data and in particular those of the barbers Hans Artz of Molsheim (1597) and Jacob Pflieger of Obernai (c. 1608-1609). At last, are evoked unpublished mentions concerning two barbers originating from Obernai who exercised in Eastern Europe (Sebald Korn around 1583, and Johannes Baur around 1637).

New mosses records (Bryophyta for Goiás and Tocantins states, Brazil Ocorrências novas de musgos (Bryophyta para os Estados de Goiás e Tocantins, Brasil

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Denilson Fernandes Peralta

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Sixty-five moss taxa are new records for Goiás and Tocantins States. Of these, 44 are new records (40 - Goiás; four - Tocantins and 23 are new sites in each of the states (19 -Goiás; four - Tocantins. Ptychostomum pallescens (Schleich. ex Schwägr. Spence and Philonotis fontana (Hedw. Brid. are new records for Brazil, and are illustrated.Após o estudo da coleção do herbário SP, foram encontradas 65 novas ocorrências de musgos para Goiás e Tocantins. Deste total, 44 táxons são primeiras referências (40 - Goiás e quatro - Tocantins e 23 táxons tiveram a distribuição geográfica ampliada em cada um dos estados (19 - Goiás e quatro - Tocantins. As espécies Ptychostomum pallescens (Schleich. ex Schwägr. Spence e Philonotis fontana (Hedw. Brid. são novas citações para o Brasil e apresentam ilustração.

A Comparative Analysis of the Chemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antinociceptive Effects of the Essential Oils from Three Species of Mentha Cultivated in Romania

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Cristina Mogosan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This work was aimed at correlating the chemotype of three Mentha species cultivated in Romania with an in vivo study of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of essential oils. The selected species were Mentha piperita L. var. pallescens (white peppermint, Mentha spicata L. subsp. crispata (spearmint, and Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. (pineapple mint. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the essential oils isolated from the selected Mentha species was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS. The anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oils was determined by the rat paw edema test induced by λ-carrageenan. The antinociceptive effect of the essential oils was evaluated by the writhing test in mice, using 1% (v/v acetic acid solution administered intraperitonealy and by the hot plate test in mice. The results showed a menthol chemotype for M. piperita pallescens, a carvone chemotype for M. spicata, and a piperitenone oxide chemotype for M. suaveolens. The essential oil from M. spicata L. (EOMSP produced statistically significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects.

Relevancia de la infección natural por Trypanosoma cruzi en triatominos selváticos provenientes de seis municipios de Santander, Colombia

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Sergio Gómez

2016-06-01

genotipificación se realizó mediante PCR del espaciador intergénico del gen mini-exón (SL-IR, que amplifica fragmentos de 350 y 300 pb para T. cruzi I (TcI y T. cruzi II o V-VI (TcII-V-VI, respectivamente. Resultados: Se analizaron 50 especímenes adultos de Panstrongylus geniculatus (64% y Rhodnius pallescens (36% capturados principalmente en el domicilio y peridomicilio, respectivamente. La TI en los triatominos fue de 53,6% al examen directo y de 68,0% mediante PCR de satADN. La TI fue mayor para R. pallescens (77,8% en comparación con P. geniculatus (62,5%. Se observaron altas tasas de infección en triatominos provenientes de Floridablanca (90,9%, Bucaramanga (66,7% y Capitanejo (50,0%. En San Vicente de Chucurí y Lebrija también se detectaron altos índices de infección, no obstante, el número de vectores capturados en estos municipios fue muy bajo (entre 1 y 3. Se determinaron las DTUs de las poblaciones de T. cruzi presentes en el 41,2% de los triatominos selváticos positivos por PCR de satADN. En ambas especies vectoriales se evidenció el predominio de TcI (86% y una alta frecuencia (33% de infección mixta por TcI y TcII-V-VI en R. pallescens. Conclusiones: Se determinó la alta tasa de infección por T. cruzi en triatominos selváticos capturados en los municipios evaluados, lo cual resalta su importancia epidemiológica por la posibilidad de transmisión del parásito por vía oral, aún en zonas de baja endemia o donde no hay reporte de vectores domiciliados. Igualmente, es urgente la implementación de estrategias de control dirigidas a prevenir la intrusión domiciliaria de estos vectores.

Silencing of Iron and Heme-Related Genes Revealed a Paramount Role of Iron in the Physiology of the Hematophagous Vector Rhodnius prolixus

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Ana B. Walter-Nuno

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Iron is an essential element for most organisms However, free iron and heme, its complex with protoporphyrin IX, can be extremely cytotoxic, due to the production of reactive oxygen species, eventually leading to oxidative stress. Thus, eukaryotic cells control iron availability by regulating its transport, storage and excretion as well as the biosynthesis and degradation of heme. In the genome of Rhodnius prolixus, the vector of Chagas disease, we identified 36 genes related to iron and heme metabolism We performed a comprehensive analysis of these genes, including identification of homologous genes described in other insect genomes. We observed that blood-meal modulates the expression of ferritin, Iron Responsive protein (IRP, Heme Oxygenase (HO and the heme exporter Feline Leukemia Virus C Receptor (FLVCR, components of major pathways involved in the regulation of iron and heme metabolism, particularly in the posterior midgut (PM, where an intense release of free heme occurs during the course of digestion. Knockdown of these genes impacted the survival of nymphs and adults, as well as molting, oogenesis and embryogenesis at different rates and time-courses. The silencing of FLVCR caused the highest levels of mortality in nymphs and adults and reduced nymph molting. The oogenesis was mildly affected by the diminished expression of all of the genes whereas embryogenesis was dramatically impaired by the knockdown of ferritin expression. Furthermore, an intense production of ROS in the midgut of blood-fed insects occurs when the expression of ferritin, but not HO, was inhibited. In this manner, the degradation of dietary heme inside the enterocytes may represent an oxidative challenge that is counteracted by ferritins, conferring to this protein a major antioxidant role. Taken together these results demonstrate that the regulation of iron and heme metabolism is of paramount importance for R. prolixus physiology and imbalances in the levels of

Direct Energy Conversion Literature Abstracts

Science.gov (United States)

1962-12-01

TMMOELECTRIC 6 CONVERSION SYSTEMS. compiled by Edda 7p.. Aug.1960. (Spec. Bibl. 430) Barber. 48p., Mar. 1962. (Lit. Search 392) (Contract NAS 7-100) Covers...2865 BaranskiiP.I ............... 2905, 2945 Brogan, T.R. .............. 3322 Barber, Edda ................. . 2866 Brooklyn Polytechnic

A novel association between Rhodnius neglectus and the Livistona australis palm tree in an urban center foreshadowing the risk of Chagas disease transmission by vectorial invasions in Monte Alto City, São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Danila B; Almeida, Carlos E; Rocha, Cláudia S; Gardim, Sueli; Mendonça, Vagner J; Ribeiro, Aline R; Alves, Zulimar C P V T; Ruellas, Kellem T; Vedoveli, Alan; da Rosa, João A

2014-02-01

After several public notifications of domiciliary invasions, palm trees were investigated in downtown Monte Alto City, São Paulo State, Brazil, in proximity to the city hall building, the main church, condominiums and marketing establishments. One hundred seventy four palm trees of 10 species were investigated, in which 72 specimens of Rhodnius neglectus, a potential Chagas disease vector, were captured via manual methods. All insects were collected from dead leaves, organic debris and bird nests in the only three Livistona australis palm trees in the central park square. This was the first record of R. neglectus colonizing this palm species. Although no Trypanosoma cruzi was found by abdominal compression followed by light microscopy, the poor nutritional status of the bugs hampered the examination of gut contents for parasite detection. Furthermore, the central crowns of the trees, which shelter bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia), could not be carefully searched for insects due to difficult access. This new finding highlights the sudden alteration in insect behavior, probably as a result of man's interference. This report aims to warn those involved in the health system about this new threat, justifying detailed research of the area to evaluate the magnitude of this emerging public health issue. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estrutura de populações de Rhodnius neglectus Lent e Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg (Hemiptera, Reduviidae em ninhos de pássaros (Furnariidae presentes na palmeira Mauritia flexuosa no Distrito Federal, Brasil Population structure of Rhodnius neglectus Lent and Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg (Hemiptera, Reduviidae in bird nests (Furnariidae on Mauritia flexuosa palm trees in Federal District of Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Rhodnius neglectus Lent, 1954 {Rn}e Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg, 1965 {Pt} são triatomíneos que ocorrem em ninhos de aves, principalmente da família Furnariidae. O ciclo biológico dessas espécies é conhecido em condições de laboratório, sendo poucos estudos em ecótopos silvestres. Para analisar a infestação e estrutura de populações de Rn e Pt em ninhos de aves presentes na palmeira Mauritia flexuosa Linnaeus, em duas estações climáticas do Brasil Central, foram amostradas 41 palmeiras com evidências de nidificação de Phacellodomus ruber Vieillot, 1817 (22 na estação chuvosa e 19 na estação seca em quatro áreas do Distrito Federal. Os insetos foram capturados usando-se coleta manual na copa da palmeira, identificados morfologicamente, separados por sexo e estádio ninfal. Fezes e glândulas salivares de Rn foram examinadas para verificar infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909 e/ou T. rangeli Tejera, 1920. Trinta e cinco palmeiras com ninhos de P. ruber estavam infestadas por Rn (85% e 22 por Pt (53%. 442 indivíduos foram coletados na estação seca (200 Rn e 242 Pt e 267 na estação chuvosa (136 Rn e 131 Pt. O único fator relacionado significativamente com a densidade de triatomíneos nas palmeiras foi a área. A estrutura etária das populações mostrou: a maior abundância de adultos nas populações de Pt, b maior abundância de machos em ambas as espécies e c presença de fêmeas ovipondo em ambas as estações. Nenhum dos 177 triatomíneos examinados estava infectado por T. cruzi ou T. rangeli. A estrutura etária das populações de Rn e Pt não diferiu significativamente entre as estações amostradas, indicando ausência de marcada sazonalidade para essas espécies.Rhodnius neglectus Lent, 1954 {Rn}and Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg, 1965 {Pt} are triatomines that occur in bird nests, mainly furnarid nests. Their biological cycles are known in laboratory conditions and few studies were

Installation Restoration Program. Phase II - Confirmation/Quantification. Stage 1 for American Lake Garden Tract, Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-12-20

Lake Garden Tract which houses a grocery K’- store, a barber shop, a laundromat , fast food drive-in, and an automobile repair shop which no longer...store, a barber shop, an insur- ance brokerage, a laundromat , a fast food restaurant, and several equestrian " L . riding and boarding facilities

Allosteric regulation of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase activity of fat body and flight muscle from the bloodsucking bug Rhodnius prolixus

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Gutemberg G. Alves

2007-03-01

Full Text Available 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (phosphofructokinase; PFK activity from Rhodnius prolixus, a haematophagous insect which is usually a poor flyer, was measured and compared in two metabolically active tissues - flight muscle and fat body. The activity of this important regulatory glycolytic enzyme was much more pronounced in muscle (15.1 ± 1.4 U/mg than in fat body extracts (3.6±0.4 U/mg, although the latter presented higher levels of enzyme per protein content, as measured by western-blotting. Muscle extracts are more responsible than fat body to ATP and fructose 6-phosphate, both substrates of PFK. Allosteric regulation exerted by different effectors such as ADP, AMP and fructose 2,6-phosphate presented a singular pattern for each tissue. Optimal pH (8.0-8.5 and sensitivity to pH variation was very similar, and citrate was unable to inhibit PFK activity in both extracts. Our results suggest the existence of a particular PFK activity for each tissue, with regulatory patterns that are consistent with their physiological roles.A atividade da fosfofrutocinase (PFK de Rodnius prolixus, um inseto hematófago, o qual vôa somente pequenas distâncias, foi medida e comparada em dois tecidos metabolicamente ativos - músculo de asa e corpo gorduroso. A atividade desta importante enzima glicolítica regulatória foi muito mais pronunciada em músculo de asa (15,1 ±1,4 U/mg do que em extrato de corpo gorduroso (3,6 ±0,4 U/mg embora este último tenha apresentado níveis mais altos da enzima por quantidade de proteína, como medido por western-blotting. Extratos de músculo foram mais responsivos do que corpo gorduroso para ATP e frutose-6-fosfato, ambos substratos da PFK. A regulação alostérica exercida por diferentes efetores tais como ADP, AMP, frutose-2,6-bisfosfato apresentou um padrão singular para cada tecido. O pH ótimo (8,0-8,5 e a sensibilidade a variações de pH, foram muito similares e o citrato foi incapaz de inibir a atividade da PFK em

Attraction of Chagas disease vectors (Triatominae) to artificial light sources in the canopy of primary Amazon rainforest.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Marcelo C M; Barrett, Toby V; Santos, Walter S; Abad-Franch, Fernando; Rafael, José A

2010-12-01

Adult triatomines occasionally fly into artificially lit premises in Amazonia. This can result in Trypanosoma cruzi transmission to humans either by direct contact or via foodstuff contamination, but the frequency of such behaviour has not been quantified. To address this issue, a light-trap was set 45 m above ground in primary rainforest near Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil and operated monthly for three consecutive nights over the course of one year (432 trap-hours). The most commonly caught reduviids were triatomines, including 38 Panstrongylus geniculatus, nine Panstrongylus lignarius, three Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus, five Rhodnius robustus, two Rhodnius pictipes, one Rhodnius amazonicus and 17 Eratyrus mucronatus. Males were collected more frequently than females. The only month without any catches was May. Attraction of most of the known local T. cruzi vectors to artificial light sources is common and year-round in the Amazon rainforest, implying that they may often invade premises built near forest edges and thus become involved in disease transmission. Consequently, effective Chagas disease prevention in Amazonia will require integrating entomological surveillance with the currently used epidemiological surveillance.

Attraction of Chagas disease vectors (Triatominae to artificial light sources in the canopy of primary Amazon rainforest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo CM Castro

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Adult triatomines occasionally fly into artificially lit premises in Amazonia. This can result in Trypanosoma cruzi transmission to humans either by direct contact or via foodstuff contamination, but the frequency of such behaviour has not been quantified. To address this issue, a light-trap was set 45 m above ground in primary rainforest near Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil and operated monthly for three consecutive nights over the course of one year (432 trap-hours. The most commonly caught reduviids were triatomines, including 38 Panstrongylus geniculatus, nine Panstrongylus lignarius, three Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus, five Rhodnius robustus, two Rhodnius pictipes, one Rhodnius amazonicus and 17 Eratyrus mucronatus. Males were collected more frequently than females. The only month without any catches was May. Attraction of most of the known local T. cruzi vectors to artificial light sources is common and year-round in the Amazon rainforest, implying that they may often invade premises built near forest edges and thus become involved in disease transmission. Consequently, effective Chagas disease prevention in Amazonia will require integrating entomological surveillance with the currently used epidemiological surveillance.

Editorial Commentary: All-Suture Anchors, Foam Blocks, and Biomechanical Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Jefferson C

2017-06-01

Barber's biomechanical work is well known to Arthroscopy's readers as thorough, comprehensive, and inclusive of new designs as they become available. In "All-Suture Anchors: Biomechanical Analysis of Pullout Strength, Displacement, and Failure Mode," the latest iteration, Barber and Herbert test all-suture anchors in both porcine femurs and biphasic foam. While we await in vivo clinical trials that compare all-suture anchors to currently used anchors, Barber and Herbert have provided data to inform anchor choice, and using their biomechanical data at time zero from all-suture anchor trials in an animal model, we can determine the anchors' feasibility for human clinical investigations. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of the Parasite Load in the Digestive Tract of Rhodnius prolixus by Combined qPCR Analysis and Imaging Techniques Provides New Insights into the Trypanosome Life Cycle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe de Almeida Dias

Full Text Available Here we report the monitoring of the digestive tract colonization of Rhodnius prolixus by Trypanosoma cruzi using an accurate determination of the parasite load by qPCR coupled with fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging (BLI. These complementary methods revealed critical steps necessary for the parasite population to colonize the insect gut and establish vector infection.qPCR analysis of the parasite load in the insect gut showed several limitations due mainly to the presence of digestive-derived products that are thought to degrade DNA and inhibit further the PCR reaction. We developed a real-time PCR strategy targeting the T. cruzi repetitive satellite DNA sequence using as internal standard for normalization, an exogenous heterologous DNA spiked into insect samples extract, to precisely quantify the parasite load in each segment of the insect gut (anterior midgut, AM, posterior midgut, PM, and hindgut, H. Using combined fluorescence microscopy and BLI imaging as well as qPCR analysis, we showed that during their journey through the insect digestive tract, most of the parasites are lysed in the AM during the first 24 hours independently of the gut microbiota. During this short period, live parasites move through the PM to establish the onset of infection. At days 3-4 post-infection (p.i., the parasite population begins to colonize the H to reach a climax at day 7 p.i., which is maintained during the next two weeks. Remarkably, the fluctuation of the parasite number in H remains relatively stable over the two weeks after refeeding, while the populations residing in the AM and PM increases slightly and probably constitutes the reservoirs of dividing epimastigotes.These data show that a tuned dynamic control of the population operates in the insect gut to maintain an equilibrium between non-dividing infective trypomastigote forms and dividing epimastigote forms of the parasite, which is crucial for vector competence.

Profiling polyphenol composition by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn and the antibacterial activity of infusion preparations obtained from four medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziani, Borhane E C; Barros, Lillian; Boumehira, Ali Z; Bachari, Khaldoun; Heleno, Sandrina A; Alves, Maria Jose; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2018-01-24

The infusions of Thymus pallescens Noë, Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. et Dur., Ptychotis verticillata Briq. and Limoniastrum guyonianum Boiss. have been used as medicinal remedies for many diseases in Algerian folk medicine. These species have also been well documented as rich sources of phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds with wide diversified chemical structures, which exhibit far-ranging biological activities. Thus, the phenolic compound profile of the aqueous extracts, obtained by infusing, of the mentioned species was obtained by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, and their antibacterial activity was evaluated against clinical isolates. Several phenolic acids were identified and quantified, particularly caffeic acid derivatives along with glycosylated flavonoids. T. pallescens and S. satureioides contain 13 phenolic compounds, where rosmarinic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid present, while L. guyonianum presented myricetin-3-O-glucoside and myricetin-O-rhamnoside as the main compounds among the eight detected molecules. P. verticillata presented a profile of ten phenolic compounds, where 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid, followed by the flavone luteolin-3-O-glucoside. The antibacterial activity of the infusions ranged between 2.5 and 20 mg mL -1 (MIC values), and L. guyonianum showed the highest activity against all of the tested bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most sensitive and resistant strains, respectively. Thus, the studied plant species are sources of natural antibacterial substances that can be used to fight against pathogenic microorganisms.

Analysis of Human Communication during Assembly Tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-06-01

AD-A7l 43 ANALYSIS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION DURING ASSEMBLY TASKS in1(U) CRNEGIE-MELLO UNIY PITTSBURGH PA ROBOTICS INST UNCLSSIIEDK S BARBER ET AL...ao I Dur~~~~IngAbcbyTs; 7c .S:in i lSAo .0. Analysis of Human Communication During Assembly Tasks K. Suzanne Barber and Gerald J. Agin CMU-RI-TR-86-1...TYPE or REPORT & PE-Rioo CevCZaz Analysis of Human Communication During Assembly Inlterim Tasks I . PERFORMING 00RG. REPORT NUMBER 1. £UT~oOR~e) IL

Lichens as bioindicators of air quality in Dimitrovgrad (South-Eastern Serbia

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Stamenković S.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Air pollution detection in Dimitrovgrad has not been done yet. In this work different lichen have been used as a bioindication to establish different air pollution levels. At 18 investigated points 22 lichen taxa have been found. Using the Index of Atmospheric Purity (IAP it has been found that there are 3 different air pollution zones in Dimitrovgrad: 'lichen desert', 'transitional' and 'normal zone'. The most sensitive lichen taxa in Dimitrovgrad are Evernia prunastra, Ochrolechia pallescens, Parmelia sulcata, and Physcia tenella and the most tolerant are Phaeophyscia orbicularis, Physcia adscendens, Physconia distorta, Physconia grisea, and Xanthoria parietina. .

BROWN SPOT CAUSED BY CURVULARIA SPP., A NEW DISEASE OF ASPARAGUS

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B. SALLEH

1996-01-01

Full Text Available The distribution, aetiology and symptomatology of a new disease on asparagus ferns, which we have termed brown spot, is described. Descriptions of and a key to identification of the causal organisms, Curvularia brachyspora, C. eragrostidis, C. lunata and C. pallescens, are also presented. Pathogenicity tests showed that C. lunata was the dominant and most virulent of the four species. Inoculation with conidial suspensions or mycelial transfers through wounded ferns were more effective in inducing the disease than inoculations on unwounded ferns. This is the first record of C. brachyspora in Malaysia and the first report of this disease on asparagus.

ANALISIS PENGENDALIAN KUALITAS PRODUKSI BOGIE BARBER S2HD 9C MENGGUNAKAN METODE LEAN SIX SIGMA DENGAN PENDEKATAN DMAIC (DEFINE, MEASURE, ANALYZE, IMPROVE, CONTROL STUDI KASUS DI PT BARATA INDONESIA (PERSERO GRESIK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suparno Suparno

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengendalian kualitas dan pemborosan yang terjadi dalam produksi side frame S2HD 9C menggunakan metode lean six sigma dengan pendekatan DMAIC di PT Barata Indonesia (Persero Gresik. Side frame S2HD 9C merupakan bagian dari produk bogie barber S2HD 9C. Penelitian ini pada tahap six sigma difokuskan pada analisis defect dan capaian sigma, sedangkan pada tahap lean six sigma difokuskan pada analisis waste dan capaian sigma. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini ada 2 jenis yaitu data primer dan sekunder, yang bersifat kualitatif maupun kuantitatif. Data primer diperoleh dari observasi lapangan, sedangkan data sekunder diperoleh dari telaah dokumen. Dalam penelitian ini dilakukan sesuai dengan pendekatan DMAIC ( define, measure, analyze, improve, control . Setelah dilakukan analisis pada tahap six sigma diketahui terdapat 5 jenis defect yang terjadi pada periode Januari sampai April 2016. Yaitu: defect gas terperangkap 58.18%, defect core patah 21.82%, defect sand drop 12.73%, defect brake mould 5.46% dan defect misplace core 1.82%. Dan nilai capaian tingkat sigma dari masing-masing defect adalah sebagai berikut:  defect gas terperangkap 1235.71 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 4.52σ, defect core patah 463.392 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 4.81σ, defect sand drop 270.312 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 4.96σ, defect brake mould 115.848 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 5.18σ dan defect misplace core 38.616 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 5.45σ. Dalam tahap lean six sigma diketahui terdapat 4 jenis waste, yaitu: waste defect product, waste waiting time (delay, waste transportation dan waste excess process. Berikut ini merupakan nilai capaian dari masing-masing waste: waste defect product 6890 DPMO dengan tingkat sigma 3.96σ dan nilai capability process 1.31 dengan tingkat sigma 3.94σ, waste waiting time (delay nilai capability process 1 dengan tingkat sigma 3σ, waste transportation nilai capability process 1.31 dengan tingkat

[Demise of the wound physician vocation exemplified by the political representative Arnold Schlegel (1850-1924)].

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, D

1996-01-01

The name of Arnold Schlegel stands for a dazzling and complex personality. After being apprenticed to a barber surgeon in Württemberg, he spent about four decades in Switzerland working as an innkeeper. Yet, Schlegel distinguished himself as one of the leading representatives of the last non-academic surgeons in Württemberg. In contrast to most of his surgical colleagues, most of Schlegel's vocational activities are documented. This study is based on unpublished documents of different archives of Württemberg and Switzerland. The aim of the study is to illuminate the life of Arnold Schlegel and, in view of his policy, to illustrate the trying circumstances of contemporary barber surgery.

Letterman Army Institute of Research Annual Research Progress Report, FY 1981.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-10-01

five species of mosquitoes. These compounds were tested against sand flies ( Lutzomyia longipalpis), fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis ) and bugs (Rhodnius...BUESCHER, M.D., L.C. RUTLEDGE, R.A. WIRTZ, K.B. GLACKIN, and M.A. MOUSSA. Laboratory tests of repellents against Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera

Engineering, Manufacture and Preliminary Testing of the ITER Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator

Science.gov (United States)

Rista, P. E. C.; Shull, J.; Sargent, S.

2015-12-01

The ITER cryodistribution system provides the supercritical Helium (SHe) forced flow cooling to the magnet system using cold circulators. The cold circulators are located in each of five separate auxiliary cold boxes planned for use in the facility. Barber-Nichols Inc. has been awarded a contract from ITER-India for engineering, manufacture and testing of the Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator. The cold circulator will be extensively tested at Barber-Nichols’ facility prior to delivery for qualification testing at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's (JAEA) test facility at Naka, Japan. The TF Cold Circulator integrates features and technical requirements which Barber-Nichols has utilized when supplying helium cold circulators worldwide over a period of 35 years. Features include a vacuum-jacketed hermetically sealed design with a very low helium leak rate, a heat shield for use with both nitrogen & helium cold sources, a broad operating range with a guaranteed isentropic efficiency over 70%, and impeller design features for high efficiency. The cold circulator will be designed to meet MTBM of 17,500 hours and MTBF of 36,000 hours. Vibration and speed monitoring are integrated into a compact package on the rotating assembly with operation and health monitoring in a multi-drop PROFIBUS communication environment using an electrical cabinet with critical features and full local and network PLC interface and control. For the testing in Japan and eventual installation in Europe, the cold circulator must be certified to the Japanese High Pressure Gas Safety Act (JHPGSA) and CE marked in compliance with the European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) including Essential Safety Requirements (ESR). The test methodology utilized at Barber-Nichols’ facility and the resulting test data, validating the high efficiency of the TF Cold Circulator across a broad operating range, are important features of this paper.

Engineering, Manufacture and Preliminary Testing of the ITER Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

C Rista, P E; Shull, J; Sargent, S

2015-01-01

The ITER cryodistribution system provides the supercritical Helium (SHe) forced flow cooling to the magnet system using cold circulators. The cold circulators are located in each of five separate auxiliary cold boxes planned for use in the facility. Barber-Nichols Inc. has been awarded a contract from ITER-India for engineering, manufacture and testing of the Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator. The cold circulator will be extensively tested at Barber-Nichols’ facility prior to delivery for qualification testing at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's (JAEA) test facility at Naka, Japan. The TF Cold Circulator integrates features and technical requirements which Barber-Nichols has utilized when supplying helium cold circulators worldwide over a period of 35 years. Features include a vacuum-jacketed hermetically sealed design with a very low helium leak rate, a heat shield for use with both nitrogen and helium cold sources, a broad operating range with a guaranteed isentropic efficiency over 70%, and impeller design features for high efficiency. The cold circulator will be designed to meet MTBM of 17,500 hours and MTBF of 36,000 hours. Vibration and speed monitoring are integrated into a compact package on the rotating assembly with operation and health monitoring in a multi-drop PROFIBUS communication environment using an electrical cabinet with critical features and full local and network PLC interface and control. For the testing in Japan and eventual installation in Europe, the cold circulator must be certified to the Japanese High Pressure Gas Safety Act (JHPGSA) and CE marked in compliance with the European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) including Essential Safety Requirements (ESR). The test methodology utilized at Barber-Nichols’ facility and the resulting test data, validating the high efficiency of the TF Cold Circulator across a broad operating range, are important features of this paper. (paper)

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Habitat change in Rhodnius spp may represent an environmental challenge for the development of the species, particularly when feeding frequency and population density vary in nature. To estimate the effect of these variables in stability on development, the degree of directional asymmetry (DA) and fluctuating asymmetry ...

The characterization of new hormonal systems in arthropods with a focus on neuropeptide GPCRs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stafflinger, Elisabeth

Anopheles gambiae, Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens, the silkworm Bombyx mori, T. castaneum, N. vitripennis, and the bug Rhodnius prolixus but not in all the other sequenced insect genomes. Bioassays showed that only ACP can activate the ACPR, but not AKH or corazonin, showing that this system...

[Entomological study of Trypanosoma cruzi vectors in the rural communities of Sucre state, Venezuela].

Science.gov (United States)

García-Jordán, Noris; Berrizbeitia, Mariolga; Concepción, Juan Luis; Aldana, Elis; Cáceres, Ana; Quiñones, Wilfredo

2015-01-01

The ecological niche of Reduvidae vectors has been modified due to environmental changes and human encroachment into the rural areas. This study evaluates the current entomological indices of triatomines responsible for Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Sucre State, Venezuela. A cross-sectional and prospective study was conducted in 95 towns and 577 dwellings in the 15 municipalities of the state of Sucre, Venezuela, from August to November, 2008. Triatomine bugs were identified on the basis of morphological characteristics, and their feces examined for T. cruzi infection through direct microscopy. Positive slides were stained with Giemsa and parasites were identified by morphologic characterization. The entomological indices expressing the highest values were dispersion (16.67%) and household colonization (33.33%). The triatomine species captured were: Rhodnius prolixus , Rhodnius main intradomiciliary vector. Despite the low index of vector infection (1.72%), the existence of species with domiciliary and peridomiciliary reproductive success ensures the persistence of the epidemiological chain both for the disease and the parasite.

American Trypanosomiasis

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

infected reduviid bugs, including Triatoma sp, Panstron- gylus sp, and Rhodnius sp (Figs 2.9 & 2.10). These large bugs (sometimes called kissing or...cause abor- tion of the fetus or its premature delivery by the infected mother . Congenitally acquired infection may be asymptom- atic or it may

29 CFR 779.318 - Characteristics and examples of retail or service establishments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... dealers, furniture stores, restaurants, hotels, watch repair establishments, barber shops, and other such local establishments. (b) The legislative history of the section 13(a)(2) exemption for certain retail...

The 1997 Marine Corps Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Needs Assessment

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Culbertson, Amy

1998-01-01

.... In addition, use of the exchange, fitness and recreation facilities/services, food and hospitality facilities/services, and various other services offered on-base (e.g., barber shop) are described...

5 CFR 831.201 - Exclusions from retirement coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... under 35 CFR chapter I, subchapter E; (5) The appointment meets the definition of a provisional... Architects. Board of Barber Examiners. Boxing Commission. Board of Cosmetology. Board of Dental Examiners...

partial characterisation of a trypanosome-lysing

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2003-11-01

Nov 1, 2003 ... Crithidia or Leishmania parasites. Ibrahim et al.(9) further showed that the haemolymph factor was a lectin. ' andahat the midgut. also contained another lectin with different specificity. In Rhodnius prolixus Stal, the vector for Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, lectins from the haemolymph and the gut agglutinated ...

Six SNPs and a TTG indel in sheep desmoglein 4 gene are in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-07-18

, Kenya. 4CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, ..... Bazzi H, Demehri S, Potter CS, Barber AG, Awgulewitsch A, Kopan R,. Christiano AM (2009). Desmoglein 4 is regulated by transcription.

Improving Labour Market Outcomes for the Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Nonetheless, the share of agriculture in the region's economies continues to be ... moving rapidly into the informal sector, providing services such as barbering, ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, ...

DVD. Sweeney Todd : Fleet Streeti deemonlik habemeajaja / Egle Loo

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Loo, Egle

2008-01-01

Lühiarvustus õudusmuusikalist "Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" Stephen Sondheimi muusikali alusel : režissöör Tim Burton : peaosades Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter : Ameerika Ühendriigid - Suurbritannia 2007

Nitric oxide heme interactions in nitrophorin from Cimex lectularius

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christmann, R.; Auerbach, H., E-mail: auerbach@physik.uni-kl.de [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany); Berry, R. E.; Walker, F. A. [The University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (United States); Schünemann, V. [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany)

2016-12-15

The nitrophorin from the bedbug Cimex lectularius (cNP) is a nitric oxide (NO) carrying protein. Like the nitrophorins (rNPs) from the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus, cNP forms a stable heme Fe(III)-NO complex, where the NO can be stored reversibly for a long period of time. In both cases, the NPs are found in the salivary glands of blood-sucking bugs. The insects use the nitrophorins to transport the NO to the victim’s tissues, resulting in vasodilation and reduced blood coagulation. However, the structure of cNP is significantly different to those of the rNPs from Rhodnius prolixus. Furthermore, the cNP can bind a second NO molecule to the proximal heme cysteine when present at higher concentrations. High field Mössbauer spectroscopy on {sup 57}Fe enriched cNP complexed with NO shows reduction of the heme iron and formation of a ferrous nitric oxide (Fe(II)-NO) complex. Density functional theory calculations reproduce the experimental Mössbauer parameters and confirm this observation.

Establishment of a Permanent Campus for the Seafarers Training Center of the Paul Hall Institute for Human Development, in Kalaelova, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dietz, Neil

2006-01-01

... (the former Barber's Point Naval Air Station). The facility is located on Hawaii Army National Guard property licensed for use by the Seafarers Training Center, as the Hawaii campus of the Paul Hall Institute for Human Development...

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-02-15

Feb 15, 2017 ... Research Article. Special Issue ... In myriad studies implemented, the quality of life has been defined in different ways among which the .... service and trading users in living area. ... market, bakery, barber shop, restaurant, etc.

Exploration of direct and indirect associations of system-level policy-amenable variables with reading literacy performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scheerens, Jaap; Luyten, Johannes W.; van den Berg, Stéphanie Martine; Glas, Cornelis A.W.

2015-01-01

As expectations of the economic impact of educational attainment are soaring (Hanushek & Woessmann, 2009) and conjectures about successful national educational reforms (Mourshed, Chijioke, & Barber, 2010) are welcomed by educational policy-makers in many countries, a careful assessment of the

The role of avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits in matching patients with major depression to cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic therapy : A replication study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kikkert, M. J.; Driessen, E.; Peen, J.; Barber, J. P.; Bockting, C. L. H.; Schalkwijk, F.; Dekker, J.; Dekker, J. J. M.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Barber and Muenz (1996) reported that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was more effective than interpersonal therapy (IPT) for depressed patients with elevated levels of avoidant personality disorder, while IPT was more effective than CBT in patients with elevated levels of

Archaeological and Paleontological Salvage at Barbers Point, Oahu

Science.gov (United States)

1978-03-01

Ewa Plain, a former coral-algae calcareous reef that emerged following the post-Pleistocene sea-level subsidence. The topography that usually results...endangered floral species are present in this area, as well as several other rare and uncommon plants . No endangered species of fauna are recorded from...larger pits was used for cultivation and even today one comes upon bananas and Hawaiian sugarcane still growing in them [McAllister 1933:1091

29 CFR 779.317 - Partial list of establishments lacking “retail concept.”

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

.... Statistical reporting, business and financial data; establishments engaged in furnishing. Store equipment...; establishments engaged in the business of dealing in. Airplane crop dusting, spraying and seeding firms. Airports... machinery; establishments engaged in the business of dealing in. Banks (both commercial and savings). Barber...

Abnormal peri-operative haemorrhage in asymptomatic patients is ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

history so that prothrotnbin titne, activated partial throtnboplastin titne, bleeding .... was used as a screen in 12 000 patients and was unable to identify the ... 1982; 117: 48-51. 2. Barber A, Green D, Galluzzo T, Chung-Hsin T. The bleeding time.

Epidemiologia de um caso de doença de Chagas na Ilha do Mosqueiro - Pará

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adelson A.A. de Souza

1988-12-01

Full Text Available Os autores apresentam os resultados do estudo epidemiológico de um caso autóctone da fase aguda da doença de Chagas na ilha do Mosqueiro, Estado do Pará, aproximadamente 75km da capital, Belém. 0 caso já havia sido objeto de uma publicação anterior. Agora são apresentadas informações epidemiológicas. Nas proximidades da casa do paciente foram capturados em duas palmeiras de Inajá ('Maximilian regi ay e em uma de Mucajá (Acrocomia sclerocarpia 114 triatomíneos: Rhodnius pictipes, R. robustus, Panstrongylus lignarius, P. geniculatus e Microtriatoma trinidadensis, com tripanossomas em 31 deles. Na casa do paciente foram encontrados exemplares de Rhodnius pictipes, infectados com formas metacíclicas do Trypanosoma cruzi. Em 14 marsupiais, capturados na localidade, haviam 3 infectados com organismos semelhantes ao T. cruzi. A eletroforese dos isoenzimas nos tripanossomas isolados do paciente, de R. pictipes e de Didelphis marsupialis os classificou como zimodema 1. Os autores concluem que a doença de Chagas do paciente teve origem silvestre.

Women healers in the medical marketplace of 16th-century Lyon.

Science.gov (United States)

Klairmont-Lingo, A

1999-01-01

Although women's legal and marital status make them almost invisible in archival documents, what traces remain suggest that women participated in Lyon's medical marketplace in various ways and under various guises. At Lyon's municipally-funded poor hospital, the Hotel-Dieu, widows and wives of surgeons, repentant prostitutes, birth attendants, and cared for the destitute and sick of Lyon, in the capacity of midwives, physicians, surgeons, and barbers. Though the records almost always identify women practitioners simply as or by their first and last name, many of them engaged in the identical tasks as male practitioners. Outside of the hospital, wives acted as barbers or surgeons alongside or in place of their husbands when widowed. In the final analysis, municipal authorities accepted the help of female healers on the basis of their traditional medical knowledge, joint work identity with their practitioner-husbands, and proven skill.

Hospitality, Recreation, and Personal Service Occupations: Grade 8. Cluster V.

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, Olivia H.

A curriculum guide for grade 8, the document is devoted to the occupational cluster "Hospitality, Recreation, and Personal Service Occupations." It is divided into four units: recreational resources for education, employment, and professional opportunities; barbering and cosmetology; mortuary science; hotel-motel management. Each unit is…

40 CFR 63.4881 - Am I subject to this subpart?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... themselves: household, office, institutional, laboratory, hospital, public building, restaurant, barber and... conducted in an operation that is subject to the wood furniture manufacturing NESHAP in subpart JJ of this... janitorial, building, and facility maintenance operations. (4) Surface coating of only small items such as...

Distribution of triatomine species in domestic and peridomestic environments in central coastal Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Villacís, Anita G.; Moncayo, Ana L.; Ocaña-Mayorga, Sofia; Yumiseva, Cesar A.; Baus, Esteban G.

2017-01-01

Background Although the central coast of the Ecuador is considered endemic for Chagas disease, few studies have focused on determining the risk of transmission in this region. In this study we describe the triatomine household infestation in Manabí province (Central Coast region), determine the rate of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and study the risk factors associated with infestation by Rhodnius ecuadoriensis. Methodology/Principal findings An entomological survey found three triatomine species (Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus and P. howardi) infesting domiciles in 47.4% of the 78 communities visited (total infestation rate of 4.5%). Four percent of domiciles were infested, and nymphs were observed in 77% of those domiciles. The three species were found in altitudes below 500 masl and in all ecological zones except cloud forest. Within the domicile, we found the three species mostly in bedrooms. Rhodnius ecuadoriensis and P. rufotuberculatus were abundant in bird nests, including chicken coops and P. howardi associated with rats in piles of bricks, in the peridomicile. Triatomine infestation was characterized by high rates of colonization, especially in peridomicile. Flagelates infection was detected in only 12% of the samples by microscopy and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in 42% of the examined triatomines by PCR (n = 372). The most important risk factors for house infestation by R. ecuadoriensis were ecological zone (w = 0.99) and presence of chickens (w = 0.96). Determinants of secondary importance were reporting no insecticide applications over the last twelve months (w = 0.86) and dirt floor (w = 0.70). On the other hand, wood as wall material was a protective factor (w = 0.85). Conclusion/Significance According the results, approximately 571,000 people would be at high risk for T. cruzi infection in Manabí province. A multidisciplinary approximation and the adhesion to a periodic integrated vector management (IVM) program are essential

Distribution of triatomine species in domestic and peridomestic environments in central coastal Ecuador.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario J Grijalva

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Although the central coast of the Ecuador is considered endemic for Chagas disease, few studies have focused on determining the risk of transmission in this region. In this study we describe the triatomine household infestation in Manabí province (Central Coast region, determine the rate of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and study the risk factors associated with infestation by Rhodnius ecuadoriensis.An entomological survey found three triatomine species (Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus and P. howardi infesting domiciles in 47.4% of the 78 communities visited (total infestation rate of 4.5%. Four percent of domiciles were infested, and nymphs were observed in 77% of those domiciles. The three species were found in altitudes below 500 masl and in all ecological zones except cloud forest. Within the domicile, we found the three species mostly in bedrooms. Rhodnius ecuadoriensis and P. rufotuberculatus were abundant in bird nests, including chicken coops and P. howardi associated with rats in piles of bricks, in the peridomicile. Triatomine infestation was characterized by high rates of colonization, especially in peridomicile. Flagelates infection was detected in only 12% of the samples by microscopy and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in 42% of the examined triatomines by PCR (n = 372. The most important risk factors for house infestation by R. ecuadoriensis were ecological zone (w = 0.99 and presence of chickens (w = 0.96. Determinants of secondary importance were reporting no insecticide applications over the last twelve months (w = 0.86 and dirt floor (w = 0.70. On the other hand, wood as wall material was a protective factor (w = 0.85.According the results, approximately 571,000 people would be at high risk for T. cruzi infection in Manabí province. A multidisciplinary approximation and the adhesion to a periodic integrated vector management (IVM program are essential to guarantee sustainable preventive and control

Epidemiologia de um caso de doença de Chagas na Ilha do Mosqueiro - Pará

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adelson A.A. de Souza

1988-12-01

Full Text Available Os autores apresentam os resultados do estudo epidemiológico de um caso autóctone da fase aguda da doença de Chagas na ilha do Mosqueiro, Estado do Pará, aproximadamente 75km da capital, Belém. 0 caso já havia sido objeto de uma publicação anterior. Agora são apresentadas informações epidemiológicas. Nas proximidades da casa do paciente foram capturados em duas palmeiras de Inajá ('Maximilian regi ay e em uma de Mucajá (Acrocomia sclerocarpia 114 triatomíneos: Rhodnius pictipes, R. robustus, Panstrongylus lignarius, P. geniculatus e Microtriatoma trinidadensis, com tripanossomas em 31 deles. Na casa do paciente foram encontrados exemplares de Rhodnius pictipes, infectados com formas metacíclicas do Trypanosoma cruzi. Em 14 marsupiais, capturados na localidade, haviam 3 infectados com organismos semelhantes ao T. cruzi. A eletroforese dos isoenzimas nos tripanossomas isolados do paciente, de R. pictipes e de Didelphis marsupialis os classificou como zimodema 1. Os autores concluem que a doença de Chagas do paciente teve origem silvestre.The authors present the results of an epidemiological study relating to a case of acute Chagas' disease acquired in the island of Mosqueiro, State of Para, approximately 75 km from the capital Belem. The patient has been the object of a previous publication but now epidemiological information is reported. Near the house of the patient in two Inaja palm trees (Maximilian regia and one Mucaja palm (Acrocomia sclerocarpia 114 triatomine bugs were captured of the following species: Rhodnius pictipes, R. robustus, Panstrongylus lignarius, P. geniculatus and Microtriatoma trinidadensis. Trypanosomes were found in 31 bugs. In the house of the patient specimens of R. pictipes were captured infected with metacyclic forms óf Trypanosoma cruzi. In 14 marsupials captured in the locality three had infections with cruzi like trypanosomes. Enzyme electrophoresis of the trypanosomes isolated from the patient, R

Use of an Acoustic Camera to Evaluate the Performance of Tickler Chains and Draghead Deflectors for Sea Turtle Protection during Hopper Dredging in the United States of America

Science.gov (United States)

2018-05-01

15 Preliminary test in San Francisco Bay, California...15 Testing at Kalaeloa Barbers Point, Oahu, HI ......................................................................... 17 High-definition camera...instrumental in the study’s success by their extra effort and late-night welding . Critical support was also provided by Mr. Jon Hosaka, Mr. Tom Smith, Ms

41 CFR 301-10.201 - For what purposes may I use a Government vehicle other than a Government aircraft?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false For what purposes may I... Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES...) or (b) of this section and restaurants, drug stores, barber shops, places of worship, cleaning...

Editorial: Selling a sugar tax: the sweet smell of success?

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Williams, Ffion; Capewell, Simon

2016-09-01

This editorial briefly considers the increasing epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, the underlying drivers of junk food and sugary drinks, and the recent scientific and campaigning movements culminating in the UK Chancellor's surprise announcement of a Sugary Drinks Levy. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Batch culture fermentation of Penicillium chrysogenum and a report on the isolation, purification, identification and antibiotic activity of citrinin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

PrabhaDevi; DeSouza, L.; Kamat, T.; Rodrigues, C.; Naik, C.G.

Chem Soc., (1958) 4576-4581. 23 Lopez, C.J.L., Porcel, R.E.M., Ferron, V. M. A, Perez, S.J.A., Sevilla, F.J.M & Chisti Y. Lovastatin inhibits its own synthesis in Aspergillus terreus. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol., 31 (2004.) 48-50. 24 Barber, J...

Salud/Servicios Personales. Libro del Profesor. (Health/Personal Services. Teacher's Guide). B2. CHOICE (Challenging Options in Career Education).

Science.gov (United States)

Mid-Hudson Migrant Education Center, New Paltz, NY.

Written in Spanish, the guide comprises the first grade unit of a career education curriculum developed for migrant students. The guide covers 12 health and personal service occupations--blacksmith, television repairer, hairdresser/barber, day care worker, waitress, gas station attendant, family doctor, ambulance driver/attendant, dietician,…

Exploration of Direct and Indirect Associations of System-Level Policy-Amenable Variables with Reading Literacy Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Scheerens, Jaap; Luyten, Hans; van den Berg, Stéphanie M.; Glas, Cees A. W.

2015-01-01

As expectations of the economic impact of educational attainment are soaring (Hanushek & Woessmann, 2009) and conjectures about successful national educational reforms (Mourshed, Chijioke, & Barber, 2010) are welcomed by educational policy-makers in many countries, a careful assessment of the empirical evidence for these kinds of claims is…

Binding of tryptophan and iron by reptilion plasnna proteins

African Journals Online (AJOL)

transport functions. Albumin of the alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and other reptiles binds, amongst other ions, tryptophan (McMenamy & Watson 1968) and transferrin binds iron (Barber & Sheeler 1963). Multiple transferrins are present in the plasma of many reptiles. (Dessauer et af 1962) and the albumin region of the.

78 FR 24313 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Tip Reporting Alternative Commitment Agreement (TRAC...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-24

... Reporting Alternative Commitment Agreement (TRAC) For Use in Industries Other Than the Food and Beverage... Use in Industries Other than the Food and Beverage Industry and The Cosmetology and Barber Industry... Commitment Agreement (TRAC) For Use in Industries Other than the Food and Beverage Industry and The...

75 FR 11225 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Tip Reporting Alternative Commitment Agreement (TRAC...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

... Reporting Alternative Commitment Agreement (TRAC) for Use in Industries Other Than the Food and Beverage... Use in Industries Other Than the Food and Beverage Industry and the Cosmetology and Barber Industry... Alternative Commitment Agreement (TRAC) for Use in Industries Other Than the Food and Beverage Industry and...

Current Status of Genus Bryum Hedw. in Eastern Himalaya, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pooja Bansal

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A critical study on the genus Bryum Hedw., an acrocarpous moss of family Bryaceae, revealed the occurrence of 21 species from seven state of eastern Himalaya: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and West Bengal. Among these twenty one species, B. argenteum var. griffithii (Muell. Hal. Gangulee, B. billardieri Schwaegr., B. pallescens Schleich. ex Schwaegr., B. pseudotriquetrum (Hedw. P. Gaertn., B. Meyer & Scherb., B. pseudotriquetrum var. subrotundum (Brid. Gangulee and B. reflexifolium (Ochi Ochi are new additions to Meghalaya; B. billardieri Schwaegr. to Manipur while B. apiculatum Schwaegr., B. caespiticium Hedw. and B. pseudotriquetrum var. subrotundum (Brid. Gangulee are new for West Bengal. Identification key to all the known species of the genus occurring in eastern Himalaya, alongwith the notes on their ecology and distribution have been provided.

Hydrocarbon Biomarker Stratigraphy of C-Isotopic Excursions Marking Chemical Changes in the Ocean with Contemporanious Biotic Extinction-Radiation Events

Science.gov (United States)

Summons, Roger E.

2004-01-01

One paper recording progress in this topic has been accepted for publication. We report a method for the rigorous identification of biomarkers (crocetane and PMI) that may be specific for methanotrophic and methanogenic archaea and, perhaps, the process of anaerobic oxidation of methane. If catastrophic methane efflux from sub-sea methane hydrate is responsible for extinction events, as has been hypothesized by many workers, then we might expect to find biomarkers for methane oxidation in sediments marking some extinction boundaries. Unfortunately, identifying crocetane and PMI with certainty is not a trivial exercise and these biomarkers appear to have been mis-identified in a recent publication by workers from Curtin University. Barber et al. (2001) identified crocetane and PMI in sediments deposited in the basal Triassic of the Perth Basin, Australia. However, Barber et al. (2001) also found crocetane and PMI in many other sediments and oils in a way that was inconsistent with our knowledge of these systems.

Nothing Virtual About it: An Emerging Safe Haven for an Adaptive Enemy

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-02

to mines, disease, exhaustion, and horrid food to get their story.32 The fact the Soviets stated that they would kill reporters embedded with the Muj...assessment that ―starting around 2004, communications and inspiration shifted from face-to-face interaction at local halal ethnic restaurants or barber shops

Political Leadership in Issue Networks : How Mayors Rule Their World?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Denters, Sebastianus A.H.; Steyvers, Kristof; Klok, Pieter-Jan; Cermak, Daniel; Heinelt, Hubert; Magnier, Annick; Cabria, Marcello; Reynaert, Herwig

2018-01-01

In his controversial book If Mayors Ruled the World, US political theorist Benjamin Barber argued that mayors can and do play a major role in solving today’s grand societal challenges in domains like social inclusion and poverty, climate change and sustainability and safety and public order. It is

Origins of Medicine and Pharmacy at the Cape of Good Hope | Price ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In its formative days the Cape was dependent upon 'ignorant and unskilled' barbers for medical attention. Efforts by the Government to regularise the profession met with little success; physicians and surgeons kept pharmacies and 'pharmacists' visited patients in their homes. Medical chaos ruled for many years. S. Afr. Med.

Reconstructing Faculty Roles to Align with Self-Authorship Development: The Gentle Art of Stepping Back

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Deborah A.; Lane, Terry

2014-01-01

Student development has connections to important academic purposes in higher education (King, Baxter Magolda, Barber, Kendall Brown & Lindsay, 2009). In particular, a growing body of work on self-authorship, a social-constructive theory of development, has demonstrated relevance to the purposes of higher education (Baxter Magolda, 2001; King…

Mapping the Profit Motive: The Distinct Geography and Demography of For-Profit Charter Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, W. Brett

2015-01-01

For-profit charter schools represent a controversial new market-based education reform (Garcia, Barber, & Molnar, 2009; Conn, 2002). This essay explores how schools operated by for-profit corporations differ from those operated by non-profit organizations. Specifically, do for-profit charter schools locate in demographically distinct areas and…

Is Big Brother Watching You? The Evolving Role of the State in Regulating and Conducting Quality Assurance. CIQG Publication Series

Science.gov (United States)

Salmi, Jamil

2015-01-01

A recent report published in the United Kingdom proposed the image of "an avalanche" to describe the radical changes affecting tertiary education in many parts of the world (Barber, Donnelly and Rizvi, 2013). Indeed, powerful transformative forces of three kinds--rupture factors, crisis factors and stimulus factors--are challenging…

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-02-15

Feb 15, 2017 ... In myriad studies implemented, the quality of life has been defined in different ways among which the ... C) Happiness: the interaction between excitement and depression, affected by internal and external factors for a .... service and trading users in living area. ... market, bakery, barber shop, restaurant, etc.

Reverse-translational biomarker validation of Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors in mice: an illustration of the 4P's modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, Joseph P; Thogerson, Collette M; Dufour, Brett D; Würbel, Hanno; Murray, James D; Mench, Joy A

2011-06-01

The NIMH's new strategic plan, with its emphasis on the "4P's" (Prediction, Pre-emption, Personalization, and Populations) and biomarker-based medicine requires a radical shift in animal modeling methodology. In particular 4P's models will be non-determinant (i.e. disease severity will depend on secondary environmental and genetic factors); and validated by reverse-translation of animal homologues to human biomarkers. A powerful consequence of the biomarker approach is that different closely related disorders have a unique fingerprint of biomarkers. Animals can be validated as a highly specific model of a single disorder by matching this 'fingerprint'; or as a model of a symptom seen in multiple disorders by matching common biomarkers. Here we illustrate this approach with two Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors (ARBs) in mice: stereotypies and barbering (hair pulling). We developed animal versions of the neuropsychological biomarkers that distinguish human ARBs, and tested the fingerprint of the different mouse ARBs. As predicted, the two mouse ARBs were associated with different biomarkers. Both barbering and stereotypy could be discounted as models of OCD (even though they are widely used as such), due to the absence of limbic biomarkers which are characteristic of OCD and hence are necessary for a valid model. Conversely barbering matched the fingerprint of trichotillomania (i.e. selective deficits in set-shifting), suggesting it may be a highly specific model of this disorder. In contrast stereotypies were correlated only with a biomarker (deficits in response shifting) correlated with stereotypies in multiple disorders, suggesting that animal stereotypies model stereotypies in multiple disorders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of risk factors for hepatitis b and c in patients visiting a gastroenterology clinic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shazi, L.; Abbas, Z.

2006-01-01

Objective: To find out and compare the risk factors for hepatitis Band C infections in patients visiting a gastroenterology clinic. Design: A case-control study. Place and Duration of Study: The Liver Stomach Clinic, Karachi, from July 2004 to September 2004. Patients and Methods: Patients of hepatitis Band C visiting the clinic were interviewed and data were noted on a prescribed form. Patients with dyspeptic symptoms who were negative for both hepatitis Band C were taken as controls. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS package. Results: Total numbers of patients interviewed were 148; 63 with hepatitis C, 41 with hepatitis B and 44 in the control group. These patients hailed from various parts of Pakistan with diverse ethnicity. Comparing hepatitis C with the control group, important risk factors identified were lower level of education, the occupational exposure to the blood and syringes, history of blood transfusions, taking therapeutic injections and intravenous drips, and habit of getting shaved by barbers. Patients of hepatitis B were younger as compared to the control group. Their knowledge about spread of infection was poor. These patients had not received hepatitis B vaccine during childhood. Less number of risk factors could be identified in this group, Shaving from the barber's shop was also found to be a risk factor just like in hepatitis C. Conclusion: There is a need to educate general population about the possible risk factors associated with the spread of hepatitis C and B. Proper screening of blood products and universal precautions against the spread of infections are recommended. Treatment by in drips and getting shaved by barbers should be discouraged. Vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended. (author)

The thermoelastic Aldo contact model with frictional heating

Science.gov (United States)

Afferrante, L.; Ciavarella, M.

2004-03-01

In the study of the essential features of thermoelastic contact, Comninou and Dundurs (J. Therm. Stresses 3 (1980) 427) devised a simplified model, the so-called "Aldo model", where the full 3 D body is replaced by a large number of thin rods normal to the interface and insulated between each other, and the system was further reduced to 2 rods by Barber's Conjecture (ASME J. Appl. Mech. 48 (1981) 555). They studied in particular the case of heat flux at the interface driven by temperature differences of the bodies, and opposed by a contact resistance, finding possible multiple and history dependent solutions, depending on the imposed temperature differences. The Aldo model is here extended to include the presence of frictional heating. It is found that the number of solutions of the problem is still always odd, and Barber's graphical construction and the stability analysis of the previous case with no frictional heating can be extended. For any given imposed temperature difference, a critical speed is found for which the uniform pressure solution becomes non-unique and/or unstable. For one direction of the temperature difference, the uniform pressure solution is non-unique before it becomes unstable. When multiple solutions occur, outermost solutions (those involving only one rod in contact) are always stable. A full numerical analysis has been performed to explore the transient behaviour of the system, in the case of two rods of different size. In the general case of N rods, Barber's conjecture is shown to hold since there can only be two stable states for all the rods, and the reduction to two rods is always possible, a posteriori.

78 FR 53501 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-29

... Charged Tips (Other Than in the Food and Beverage Industry and the Cosmetology and Barber Industry). Form... Employer With Tipped Employees (Other Than in the Food and Beverage Industry and the Gaming Industry). Form... Commitment (TRAC) Agreement and Tip Rate Determination Agreement (TRDA) for Use in the Food and Beverage...

The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide: South Dakota Supplement

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

Establishment Statistical Factor Banks 0.04 Barber Shops 0.20 Beauty Salons 0.20 Car Wash without Recycling Equipment 4.90 Department Store with Lunch...body of water such as a lake or river specifically designated or zoned for public swimming by the Department of Game , Fish, and Parks, a federal

75 FR 81459 - Simplified Proceedings

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-28

...: (1) The Law Offices of Adele L. Abrams; (2) the United Mine Workers of America; (3) the Secretary of...) Industrial Minerals Association-North America; (6) Alliance Coal, LLC; (7) Chris Barber; (8) Arch Coal, Inc...; discovery would not be permitted except as ordered by the Judge; interlocutory appeals would not be...

Endogenous and exogenous factors in national development ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

radio stations saw his performance where he was adjudged the winner at the ... influence. This is consistent with Karin Barber's position that popular culture be read not ... of the writer apparently colour the poem in the figurative language of a political type, ..... It is always constructed through memory, fantasy, narrative and.

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Vol 24, No 1 (2016), Kidney injury molecule-1 and microalbuminuria levels in Zambian ... with an ipsilateral brachial plexus injury (a case report with literature review) ... Vol 20, No 1 (2015), Knowledge and occupational hazards of barbers in the ... course therapy among final year medical students in South Western Nigeria ...

"But, We Don't Have a Library": Exploring Approaches to Addressing Branch Campuses' Library Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Hostetler, Kirsten; DeSilva, Michele

2016-01-01

Librarians at Central Oregon Community College's Barber Library explored how to best serve the needs of three satellite campuses across a large geographic region. While initially intending to start an embedded librarianship program, a pair of surveys showed the relationships and awareness necessary for the foundation of such a program were…

46 CFR 7.110 - Mamala Bay, HI.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mamala Bay, HI. 7.110 Section 7.110 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Hawaii § 7.110 Mamala Bay, HI. A line drawn from Barbers Point Light to Diamond Head Light. Pacific Coast ...

46 CFR 15.1020 - Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hawaii. 15.1020 Section 15.1020 Shipping COAST GUARD... Trade § 15.1020 Hawaii. The following offshore marine oil terminals located within U.S. navigable waters of the State of Hawaii: Barbers Point, Island of Oahu. The waters including the Hawaiian Independent...

Knowledge, Attitude and Sources of Information about HIV/AIDS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There were misconceptions like availability of cure (18%) and transmission of HIV through handshake (14.5%). Majority (64.8%) thought only visibly stained instruments were infectious and 83.3% did not know that barbers were at risk of direct infection from the clients. Those with higher education had more HIV knowledge ...

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590)--Traek af kirurgfagets historie og dets medi- kamentelle aspekter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norn, Svend; Permin, Henrik; Kruse, Poul R

2010-01-01

-surgeons and this was in agreement with the medical doctors who felt that these procedures were beneath their dignity. The barber-surgeons were sometimes called "doctors of the short robe" to distinguish them from the medical doctors and surgeons who were called "doctors of the long robe", although university status was hardly...

Eupomatenoid-5 Isolated from Leaves of Piper regnellii Induces Apoptosis in Leishmania amazonensis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francielle Pelegrin Garcia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Leishmania spp. are protozoa responsible for leishmaniasis, a neglected disease that kills up to 50,000 people every year. Current therapies mainly rely on antimonial drugs that are inadequate because of their poor efficacy and safety and increased drug resistance. An urgent need exists to find new and more affordable drugs. Our previous study demonstrated the antileishmanial activity of eupomatenoid-5, a neolignan obtained from leaves of Piper regnellii var. pallescens. The aim of the present study was to clarify the mode of action of eupomatenoid-5 against L. amazonensis. We used biochemical and morphological techniques and demonstrated that eupomatenoid-5 induced cell death in L. amazonensis promastigotes, sharing some phenotypic features observed in metazoan apoptosis, including increased reactive oxygen species production, hypopolarization of mitochondrial potential, phosphatidylserine exposure, decreased cell volume, and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest.

The brotherhood-guild during the late Middle Ages and 16th and 17th centuries. The case of the brotherhood of surgeons, barbers, phlebotomists and doctors in Spain and in the New Spain / La Cofradía-Gremio durante la Baja Edad Media y siglos XVI y XVII, el caso de la Cofradía de cirujanos, barberos, flebotomianos y médicos en España y la Nueva España

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Luisa Rodríguez-Sala Gomezgil

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Brotherhoods and guilds are types of voluntary associations hardly distinguishable from one another. Guilds and brotherhoods emerged as necessary craftsmen’s associations, merchants and professionals looking for the defense of their trading interests in the face of encroachment by aliens and unqualified individuals. Their emergence during the High Middle Ages and the Low Middle Ages explain their tight loyalty to religious commitments, since the social life of those materialistic scenarios was totally influenced by religion. In this article we raise as a working hypothesis the study of the symbiotic relationship between both and we propose the concept of brotherhood-guild to design them. The five stages in their development are studied, some of their features, and later we portray their emergence in Spain, finally dealing with the question corresponding to the San Cosme and San Damian brotherhood, where physicians, surgeons, barbers, phlebotomists and pharmacists were joined together just as a brotherhood without the elements of the guild. In the final part I make a comparative study of features assumed by this type of voluntary association in New Spain, and pinpoint the survival of brotherhoods in some cities, specially the one of San Cosme and San Damian, aswell as the devotion to these two saints.

YouTube and Academic Libraries: Building a Digital Collection

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Allan

2013-01-01

Although still a relatively new technology with less than 10 years of history, YouTube's extensive reach and integration in mainstream society as well as lifelong learning habits of online users cannot be understated. This article examines how the YouTube collection at the University of British Columbia Library's Irving K. Barber Learning Centre…

Arhitektuuriuudised / Karen Jagodin

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Jagodin, Karen, 1982-

2006-01-01

Mario Garzaniti korrusmaja Brüsselis, Ryue Nishizawa kortermaja Tokyos, Hamburgi arhitektuuribüroo Blauraum loomingust, Michael P. Johnsoni eramu Phoenixis, jaapani arhitekti Kei'ichi Irie ja Power Unit Studio loodud monoliitbetoonist eramu Chita linnas, hollandi arhitektuuribüroo OMA loomingust, inglise büroo Peter Barber Architects lahendus Londoni ühe eeslinna kvartalile

2-DE-based proteomic investigation of the saliva of the Amazonian triatomine vectors of Chagas disease: Rhodnius brethesi and Rhodnius robustus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Costa, Camila M; Sousa, Marcelo V; Ricart, Carlos André O

2011-01-01

The triatomine bugs are obligatory haematophagous organisms that act as vectors of Chagas disease by transmitting the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Their feeding success is strongly related to salivary proteins that allow these insects to access blood by counteracting host haemostatic mechanisms...

Triatominos del departamento de San Martín, Perú, 2005

OpenAIRE

Cáceres, Abraham; Zavaleta, Gina; Ruiz, Juan; Vega, Silvia; Arevalo, Heriberto; Náquira, César

2005-01-01

La presencia de los triatominos transmisores de Trypanosoma cruzi y Trypanosoma rangeli ha sido reportada en todos los departamentos del Perú, excepto en Huancavelica. En el sudoeste, el Triatoma infestans es de hábitos domiciliarios y en la zona norte y nororiente hay numerosas especies de hábitos intradomiciliarios (Panstrongylus herreri, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis) aunque ocasionalmente ingresan a las viviendas (T. Carroni, P. geniculatus, P. chinai), mientras que otras son de hábitos silvestr...

A lightweight portable, walk-in trap for catching vultures

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Two holes are drilled through the tubing and the piece of wood is attached to the tubing using 8.7 cm screws (Figure. 3). The location of the latch on the ... lightweight, walk-in trap, with door (shaded area) open, small black square shows location of gate latch. Figure 3. Close-up of gate latch. (photograph: David R. Barber).

Review and action plan for oral health improvement in Sheffield special schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Worsley, D J; Jones, K; Harris, J C; Charlesworth, J; Marshman, Z

2018-03-01

A description of the process of a review of oral health improvement in special schools in Sheffield and the implementation of an action plan for these activities. Public health competencies encompassed: assessing the evidence on oral health and dental interventions, programmes and services; strategic leadership and collaborative working for health; oral health improvement. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Aspectos ecológicos da tripanossomíase americana: XIV - Persistência e potencial de domiciliação de populações triatomínicas silvestres em região de intensa atividade agropecuária Ecological aspects of South American tripanosomiasis: XIV - Persistence and domiciliation potential of sylvatic triatominae populations in an intensive agricultural and cattle breeding region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oswaldo Paulo Forattini

1979-06-01

Full Text Available São apresentados os resultados de observações sobre populações triatomínicas extradomiciliares em região de intensa atividade agropecuária. Os restos de vegetação primitiva, embora reduzidos a menos de 8,0%, mostraram-se suficientes para manter essas populações. Pelo menos para Triatoma sordida, a destruição progressiva parece favorecer sua sobrevivência, graças à multiplicação de ecótopos preferidos por esse triatomíneo. Tanto essa espécie como Panstrongylus megistus e Rhodnius neglectus mostraram-se aptos à colonização em ecótopos artificiais representados por galinheiros experimentais.The results of observation of sylvatic triatominae population in a region of intensive agricultural and cattle breeding activity are reported. Important environmental changes had occurred in the area, including destruction of the primitive vegetation and intensive use of pesticides. Nevertheless, these modifications apparently did not affect the survival of Triatominae, since they were found in the remaining vegetation. Moreover, this destruction seems to have favored, to some extent, survival of Triatoma sordida by increasing the available ecotopes. This species, as well as Panstrongylus megistus and Rhodnius neglectus, showed enough ecological valence to colonize experimental fowes houses, used as artificial ecotopes.

Levantamento da fauna de Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae em ambiente domiciliar e infecção natural por Trypanosomatidae no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul Survey of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae fauna in domestic environments and natural infection by Trypanosomatidae in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Silva de Almeida

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Entre 2000 a 2004, foi realizado levantamento da fauna de Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae e exame de infecção natural por Trypanosomatidae, no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul. Um total de 13.671 espécimes foram capturados. Na análise faunística das espécies capturadas, Triatoma sordida foi caracterizada como muito abundante, muito freqüente, constante e dominante. Os índices de infecção natural para Trypanosoma cruzi apresentaram os valores de 3,2% para Panstrongylus geniculatus, 0,6% para Rhodnius neglectus e 0,1% para Triatoma sordida, apesar do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul apresentar-se livre da transmissão vetorial endêmica.Between 2000 and 2004, a survey of Triatominae fauna (Hemiptera: Reduviidae and examination of natural infection caused by Trypanosomatidae in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, was conducted. A total of 13,671 specimens were collected. Through fauna analysis on the insects that were caught, Triatoma sordida was characterized as very abundant, very frequent, constant and dominant. The rates of natural infection with Trypanosoma cruzi were 3.2% for Panstrongylus geniculatus, 0.6% for Rhodnius neglectus and 0.1% for Triatoma sordida. Nevertheless, the State of Mato Grosso do Sul is free from endemic vector transmission.

Diversidad de Agaricomycetes clavarioides en la Estación de Biología de Chamela, Jalisco, México Diversity of clavarioid Agaricomycetes at the Chamela Biological Station, Jalisco, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Itzel Ramírez-López

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Este estudio es una contribución al conocimiento de la diversidad y estructura de los Agaricomycetes clavarioides que se desarrollan en los bosques tropicales de la Estación de Biología de Chamela, Jalisco, México. Las recolecciones se realizaron durante la temporada de lluvias de los años 2005 a 2008; se registraron datos de hábitat y morfología de los basidiomas, tipo de vegetación y sustrato donde se desarrollan, así como del patrón de crecimiento, área de distribución, abundancia y orientación e inclinación de las laderas donde se localizaron. Los 86 ejemplares registrados corresponden a 17 especies, de las cuales Physalacria changensis, P. inflata, Pterula verticillata y Scytinopogon scaber son nuevos registros para México. Scytinopogon pallescens, Pterula sp. 2 y Thelephora sp. fueron las más abundantes y 6 especies se registraron sólo 1 vez. Los datos obtenidos indican que la frecuencia con la que se hallan los basidiomas de los clavarioides en los distintos hábitats no es aleatoria, sino que su producción se da preferentemente en las laderas sur con inclinación de 21° a 30° y en el bosque tropical subperennifolio.This study is a contribution to the biodiversity and community structure of clavarioid Agaricomycetes in the tropical forests of the Chamela Biological Station, in Jalisco, Mexico. The collections were made during the rainy seasons from 2005 to 2008 during which we recorded the morphological and ecological information, including basidiocarp morphology and patterns of growth. Likewise, records were also taken for habitat preferences, types of substrate, orientation, slope inclination, range of distribution and abundance. The 86 specimens recorded, corresponded to 17 different species, from which Physalacria changensis, P. inflata, Pterula verticillata and Scytinopogon scaber are new records for Mexico. The species S. pallescens, Pterula sp. 2 and Thelephora sp. were the most abundant, while other 6 species

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04780-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Ancylostoma ceylanicum L3 Ancylostoma ... 44 6.7 1 ( GE813038 ) EST_scau_evk_974138 scauevk mixed_tissue Sebaste...s... 44 6.7 1 ( GE802768 ) EST_scau_evk_897256 scauevk mixed_tissue Sebastes... 44 6.7 1 ( GE802767 ) ES...T_scau_evk_896872 scauevk mixed_tissue Sebastes... 44 6.7 1 ( GE800881 ) EST_scau..._evk_891797 scauevk mixed_tissue Sebastes... 44 6.7 1 ( FD779328 ) NADG-aaa04h04.g1 Rhodnius_prolixus_EST_NA

Ensuring an exit strategy: RTEL1 restricts rogue recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Villeneuve, Anne M

2008-10-17

Success of homologous recombination-based DNA repair depends not only on recombinases, which promote invasion of the homologous DNA duplex that serves as a template for repair, but also on antirecombinases, which dismantle recombination intermediates to allow completion of repair. In this issue, Barber et al. (2008) identify a previously elusive antirecombinase activity important for maintaining genome stability in animals.

On the possibility of autochthonous Chagas disease in Roraima, Amazon region, Brazil, 2000-2001 Sobre a possibilidade da ocorrência de doença de Chagas autóctone em Roraima, Amazônia brasileira, 2000-2001

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Francisco Luitgards-Moura

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Chagas disease has been almost entirely eradicated from the arid zones in Central and Northeastern Brazil where rare or no autochthonous cases have been reported. However, in the last 10 years the disease has increasingly been registered in the Amazon Region. Aiming to investigate the possibility of the occurrence of autochthonous cycle of Chagas disease in Roraima, triatomine collections, vectorial susceptibility studies (this one to be shown elsewhere, parasitological and serological analyses were conducted in three agricultural settlement areas (Rorainópolis, Passarão Project and Ilha Community. Blood-donor candidates were also investigated. This is the first epidemiological survey on Chagas disease conducted in agricultural settlements in Roraima. Triatomine species found were Triatoma maculata, Rhodnius pictipes, Rhodnius robustus and Panstrongylus geniculatus. Trypanosoma cruzi detection analyses included xenodiagnosis, indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemaglutination, ELISA and kinetoplast PCR amplification. Natural triatomine infection was not found in intestinal contents. Twenty-five adult settlers (1.4% out of 1821, all > 15 year-old, 20 migrants presented anti-T. cruzi antibodies. Two migrant settlers (from Minas Gerais and Maranhão tested positive for more than two serological tests, besides either being positive for xenodiagnosis or PCR. Results show that Chagas disease is not endemic in the areas studied. However, all elements of the transmission cycle are present, demanding for an adequate and continuous vigilance.A doença de Chagas foi quase inteiramente erradicada das zonas áridas do Brasil Central e Nordeste, onde ciclos autóctones de transmissão praticamente inexistem. Contudo, na última década a doença vem sendo registrada na Região Amazônica. Objetivando investigar a possibilidade da ocorrência de ciclos autóctones de transmissão em áreas de colonização agrícola no Estado de Roraima, foram realizadas

Archive as work-in-progress | Barber | Current Writing: Text and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper describes an electronic archive being created to investigate the role of the media in the constitution of new religious publics in western Nigeria in the late 1990s. The aim of the project is to capture the arguments, silences and shared ground between Muslim, Christian and traditional constituencies as articulated ...

Cysteine proteases from bloodfeeding arthropod ectoparasites

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sojka, Daniel; Francischetti, I.M.B.; Calvo, E.; Kotsyfakis, Michalis

2011-01-01

Roč. 712, - (2011), s. 177-191 ISSN 0065-2598 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA600960910; GA AV ČR IAA600960811; GA AV ČR KJB600960911; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : TICK HAEMAPHYSALIS-LONGICORNIS * PROLIXUS STAL HEMIPTERA * YELLOW-FEVER MOSQUITO * BLOOD-MEAL DIGESTION * L-LIKE ENZYME * BOOPHILUS-MICROPLUS * RHODNIUS-PROLIXUS * CATHEPSIN-B * ASPARAGINYL ENDOPEPTIDASES/LEGUMAINS * PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVATION Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.093, year: 2011

Temporal dynamics of 2D motion integration for ocular following in macaque monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Barthélemy, Fréderic V; Fleuriet, Jérome; Masson, Guillaume S

2010-03-01

Several recent studies have shown that extracting pattern motion direction is a dynamical process where edge motion is first extracted and pattern-related information is encoded with a small time lag by MT neurons. A similar dynamics was found for human reflexive or voluntary tracking. Here, we bring an essential, but still missing, piece of information by documenting macaque ocular following responses to gratings, unikinetic plaids, and barber-poles. We found that ocular tracking was always initiated first in the grating motion direction with ultra-short latencies (approximately 55 ms). A second component was driven only 10-15 ms later, rotating tracking toward pattern motion direction. At the end the open-loop period, tracking direction was aligned with pattern motion direction (plaids) or the average of the line-ending motion directions (barber-poles). We characterized the dependency on contrast of each component. Both timing and direction of ocular following were quantitatively very consistent with the dynamics of neuronal responses reported by others. Overall, we found a remarkable consistency between neuronal dynamics and monkey behavior, advocating for a direct link between the neuronal solution of the aperture problem and primate perception and action.

How to foster depression : bother your adolescent child all the time, but leave it alone when it needs you

OpenAIRE

Masche, J. Gowert; Olsson, Mimmi; Wik, Sandra

2010-01-01

Is there another way to predict adolescents’ depressive symptoms than by trait-like parenting characteristics, such as affective support (Barber, Stolz, & Olsen, 2005)? Drawing from a systems perspective (Lollis & Kuczynski, 1997) and Social Domain Theory (Smetana & Asquith, 1994), this paper suggests that parental responses in key situations might be important for the development of adolescent depression: (a) adolescent-parent conflict; (b) dangerous situations; (c) need of help ...

Editorial: Logos, Ethos and Pathos: Whither academia and public health in a post-truth world?

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Peter G

2018-01-01

Rhetoric tells us there are three approaches to persuasive argument; logos, ethos and pathos (Bernanke, 2010). Logos is the appeal to logic by use of facts, data and analogies. Ethos is ethical appeal, focusing on the author's credibility or character with allied use of audience appropriate language and grammar. Pathos relates to emotional appeal by invoking sympathy, fear and anger. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Thermal In-Pouch Microwave Sterilization

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-09

straints for heat-sterilized ( retort ) packaging materials. Table 1: Functional Contributions of Materials in Foil Laminations MATERIAL FUNCTIONS...shelf life of the packaged entree items through temperature and humidity changes typically seen throughout the extended shelf life of the items. 15...Barber Industrial Ct.. Villa Rica. GA 30180. Final Scientific Report Light Barrier for Non-Foil Packaging Contract No. W911QY-08-C-0132 Thermal In

Cooperative Program Providing Public and Private Sectors with Information for Use on Examination of Environmental Issues

Science.gov (United States)

1997-12-22

State of Texas funding. This system has potential for future invention or technology transfer implications. Phytoremediation of Shallow Groundwater...Turner, & D.F. Foust. 1996. Field method for the determination of mercury . Presented to American Chemical Society 52nd Southwest Regional Meeting...Barber, R.R. Turner, & D.F. Foust. 1997. Determination of total mercury in soils samples using an iodine based extractant. Presented to the Pittsburgh

Visible Spectrum of Stable Sonoluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

1992-12-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. 9. Interview between Dr. David S. Davis, Physics Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, and the...December 1992. 11. B. P. Barber, R. Hiller, K. Arisaka, H. Fetterman , and S. J. Putterman, "Resolving the picosecond characteristics of synchronous...author, 12 November 1992. 14. Interview between Dr. David S. Davis, Physics Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, and the author, 14

Enzootic transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli in the Federal District of Brazil Transmissão enzoótica de Trypanosoma cruzi e T. rangeli no Distrito Federal, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves

2004-04-01

Full Text Available The Federal District of Brazil (DF lies within the Cerrado biome, where open shrubland (savannas is interspersed with riverside gallery forests and permanent swamps (veredas. Trypanosoma cruzi-infected native triatomines occur in the area, but the enzootic transmission of trypanosomatids remains poorly characterized. A parasitological survey involving sylvatic triatomines (166 Rhodnius neglectus collected from Mauritia flexuosa palms and small mammals (98 marsupials and 70 rodents, totaling 18 species was conducted in 18 sites (mainly gallery forests and veredas of the DF. Parasites were isolated, morphologically identified, and characterized by PCR of nuclear (mini-exon gene and kinetoplast DNA (kDNA. Six R. neglectus, seven Didelphis albiventris and one Akodon cursor were infected by trypanosomes; wild reservoir infection is documented for the first time in the DF. kDNA PCR detected T. cruzi in five R. neglectus and mini-exon gene PCR revealed T. cruzi I in isolates from D. albiventris. Parasites infecting one bug yielded T. rangeli KP1+ kDNA amplicons. In spite of the occurrence of T. cruzi-infected D. albiventris (an important wild and peridomestic reservoir and R. neglectus (a secondary vector displaying synanthropic behavior, a low-risk of human Chagas disease transmission could be expected in the DF, considering the low prevalence infection recorded in this work. The detection of T. rangeli KP1+ associated with R. neglectus in the DF widens the known range of this parasite in Brazil and reinforces the hypothesis of adaptation of T. rangeli populations (KP1+ and KP1- to distinct evolutionary Rhodnius lineages.O Distrito Federal (DF do Brasil está localizado no bioma Cerrado, um complexo de fisionomias savânicas incluindo matas de galeria e campos úmidos permanentes (veredas. Triatomíneos silvestres infectados por Trypanosoma cruzi ocorrem na área, mas a transmissão enzoótica de tripanossomatídeos permanece insuficientemente

Análisis y descripción de puestos de trabajo y política de reclutamiento y selección de personal en una empresa

OpenAIRE

ESPAÑA BARBERÁ, AGUSTÍN

2015-01-01

[ES] Se realiza el análisis y descripción de puestos de trabajo en una empresa, así como el manual de reclutamiento y selección de personal. España Barberá, A. (2015). Análisis y descripción de puestos de trabajo y política de reclutamiento y selección de personal en una empresa. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/58902. TFGM

Asian Transnational Security Challenge: Emerging Trends, Regional Visions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

been badly damaged. Large numbers of shops (extremist attacks have singled out music , video, and barber shops and Internet cafes) have been damaged...in other areas, tourism is no longer a viable source of income for local people. Small and medium enterprises have also felt the negative effects of...many centuries. Extremist and religious militants oppose the Bengali secular image, and targeted the traditional Bengali new year cultural festivities

Environmental attitudes towards wine tourism

OpenAIRE

Nelson Barber, Nelson; Taylor,Chris; Deale,Cynthia

2010-01-01

Christopher Taylor1, Nelson Barber2, Cynthia Deale31School of Business, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, Roosevelt County, NM, USA; 2Whittemore School of Business, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA; 3Department of Hospitality Management, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC , USAAbstract: Wine tourism marketers frequently seek new ways to promote destinations, often executing ecologically sustainable practices. As consumer environmental knowledge of a wine tourism desti...

Constitutive insulin sensitivity and obesity my be caused by PTEN mutations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E A Pigarova

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Реферат по статье: Pal A, Barber TM, Van de Bunt M, Rudge SA, Zhang Q, Lachlan KL, Cooper NS, Linden H, Levy JC, Wakelam MJ, Walker L, Karpe F, Gloyn AL. PTEN mutations as a cause of constitutive insulin sensitivity and obesity. N Engl J Med. 2012 Sep 13;367(11:1002-11.

[Relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles among a group of Chilean adolescents].

Science.gov (United States)

Florenzano U, Ramón; Valdés C, Macarena; Cáceres C, Eugenio; Santander R, Sylvia; Aspillaga H, Carolina; Musalem A, Claudia

2011-12-01

In Chile, there has been an increase in suicide rates from 1.1 to 2.6 per 100,000 among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and from 4.4 to 8.9 per 100,000 among those aged 15 to 19 years To identify protective factors for suicidal ideation according to parenting styles, as described by Barber et al. The relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles was assessed in a random sample of 2,346 Chilean school attending adolescents aged 13 to 20 years old (59% women) from three cities: Antofagasta (Northern Chile, II Region), Santiago (Central, Metropolitan Region) and Concepción (Southern, VIII Region). Participants were tested with the Chilean adaptation of the Cross National Adolescents Program (CNAP) Plus questionnaire developed by Barber et al. The relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles was assessed using regression analyses. Correlations between suicidal ideation and parenting styles were mostly significant, yet weak. High odds ratios were observed among parents who had a strong psychological control, inconsistent control, lack of expression of affection and covered marital hostility. High adolescent self-esteem, a good relationship with parents, psychological parental autonomy, expression of physical affection, social support and paternal monitoring were protective factors against suicidal ideation.

Hepatitis C: frequency and risk factors associated with sero-positivity among adults in Larkana city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, F.H.; Abro, H.A.; Abbasi, P.A.; Buriro, A.

2009-01-01

Viral hepatitis is a major public health problem. Infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) leads to chronicity and there are about 170 million people infected with HCV. Up to 70% of chronically infected individuals develop active liver disease. The Objective of the study was to find out the frequency of Anti-HCV seropositivity and risk factors of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) transmission in people of Larkana city. The study was conducted at Larkana from April 2006 to April 2007. Camps were established in the main general practitioners' clinics. A questionnaire about knowledge of HCV and risk factors of its transmission was administered to subjects. Descriptive statistics were done by SPSS-10. Total 450 cases were enrolled into this study. They were divided into 3 age groups. Eighty-nine (19.8%) cases were in age group 40 years. There were 353 (78.4%) male and 97 (21.6%) female subjects, out of these 450 cases 30 (6.6%) were positive for Anti-HCV. A number of risk factors of HCV transmission were present in these cases. History of therapeutic injections was present in 72 cases and 35 cases used public barber services. History of therapeutic injections and use of barber services for shave were the most frequent risk factors in our study. (author)

Antibacterial activity of extracts and neolignans from Piper regnellii (Miq. C. DC. var. pallescens (C. DC. Yunck

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Pessini Greisiele Lorena

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of the activity of the aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaves of Piper regnellii was tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The aqueous extractdisplayed a weak activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC of 1000 µg/ml. The ethyl acetate extract presented a good activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC and MBC at 15.62 µg/ml. In contrast to the relative low MICs for gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria were not inhibited by the extracts at concentrations < 1000 mg/ml. The ethyl acetate extract was fractionated on silica gel into nine fractions. The hexane and chloroform fractions were active against S. aureus (MIC at 3.9 µg/ml and B. subtilis (MIC at 3.9 and 7.8 µg/ml, respectively. Using bioactivity-directed fractionation, the hexane fraction was rechromatographed to yield the antimicrobial compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6identified as eupomatenoid-6, eupomatenoid-5, eupomatenoid-3, and conocarpan, respectively. The pure compounds 1 and 2 showed a good activity against S. aureus with MIC of 1.56 µg/ml and 3.12 µg/ml, respectively. Both compounds presented MIC of 3.12 µg/ml against B. subtilis. The pure compound 6 named as conocarpan was quite active against S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC of 6.25 µg/ml. The antibacterial properties of P. regnellii justify its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds, contaminated through bacteria infections.

Youth Education - Health / Nutrition

OpenAIRE

2004-01-01

Deborah L. Angell: The Bug Stops Here! Cheryl L. Barber: Successful Snacks - Food, Fitness and Food Safety Learning Activities. Darcy Batura: At-Risk Youth and Household Hazardous Waste Education. Katherine L. Cason: Nutrition Mission – A Multimedia Educational Tool for Youth . Patsy A. Ezell: An Interactive Food and Nutrition Education Program for Youth. Rhea Lanting: Got Calcium? Sandy McCurdy: Reaching Teens through a Food Safety Education Partnership. Patricia Mulkeen: Choosing 4-H Fitnes...

Compliance to Occupational and Public Health Requirements and Associated Factors in Barbershops and Hair Dressing Salons, A Case of kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

OpenAIRE

Nshunju, Raphael Kyalakishaija

2012-01-01

Hairdressing and barbering industry is one of occupations which employ significant number of young men and women. This population can be exposed to number of occupational problems such as poor posture, joint pain, prolonged standing, long working hours, missed meals, as well as being subjected to physical injuries. These problems can be reduced if barbershops and hair dressing salons are highly complying with occupational and public health regulatory and operational requirements (OHS and PH) ...

The rise and rise of alternative medicine

OpenAIRE

Cauchi, Maurice N.

2011-01-01

Before scientific medicine appeared on the scene less than 200 years ago, alternative medicine existed side by side with what was considered to be college-certified medical practice. Surgery took a bit longer to become an academic discipline, looked down on by medical doctors and was, for a long time restricted to unqualified barbers. Since then, with the application of the scientific method, medicine has made, and is still making enormous strides. We do no...

Agent Reasoning Transparency: The Influence of Information Level on Automation-Induced Complacency

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-30

automation performance using working memory capacity. Ergonomics . 2014;57(3):295–318. Barber D, Davis L, Nicholson D, Finkelstein N, Chen JYC. The...ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Julia L Wright, Jessie YC Chen, Michael J Barnes, and Peter A Hancock 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK ...Appendix C. Cube Comparisons Test 131 Appendix D. Spatial Orientation Test 135 Appendix E. National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index

Correlação entre a positividade do xenodiagnóstico artificial e a quantidade de sangue e triatomíneos utilizados no exame, em pacientes chagásicos crônicos

OpenAIRE

Franco,Yara Bandeira Azevedo; Silva,Ionizete Garcia da; Rassi,Anis; Rocha,Alessandra Carla Rodrigues Galvão; Silva,Heloisa Helena Garcia da; Rassi,Gustavo Gabriel

2002-01-01

Estudou-se a correlação entre a positividade do xenodiagnóstico artificial e a quantidade utilizada de sangue e de triatomíneos, em 200 pacientes na fase crônica da doença de Chagas. Colheram-se 10 ou 40ml de sangue através de tubos a vácuo, heparinizados com 20,4UI, sendo realizado com 60 e 360 triatomíneos, respectivamente. Usou-se Dipetalogaster maximus, Triatoma infestans, Triatoma vitticeps e Rhodnius neglectus, nos estádios 1°, 3°, 3° e 4°, respectivamente. A coproscopia dos triatomíneo...

Sexual distinction between 5th instar nymphs of six species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae

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João Aristeu da Rosa

1992-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of sexual morphological differences observed in 5th instar nymphs of the following species: Panstrongylus megistus; Rhodnius neglectus; Triatoma brasiliensis; T. infestans; T. matogrosensis and T. tibiamaculata. Male and female nymphs were examined and photographed with a Scanning Electron Microscope. The 9th segment dimensions of dorsal and ventral faces were determined through a Profile Projector. Results and statistical analysis showed significant differences: the 9th sternite is significantly broader in male than female nymphs, while in five species; tergites in female nymphs are broad and in male are narrow.

[Triatominae and Cactaceae: a risk for the transmission of the American trypanosomiasis in the peridomicilary space (Northeast Brazil)].

Science.gov (United States)

Emperaire, L; Romaña, C A

2006-06-01

Field observations carried in semi-arid Brazil Northeast point out the frequent association, in the peridomiciliary space, between a cactus, Cereus jamacaru, the occurrence of nests in its branches and the occurrence of two species of insects vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, pathogenic agent of Chagas disease: Rhodnius neglectus and Triatoma pseudomaculata. The analysis of the architectural variables of this Cactaceae shows that the presence of nests, and thus of insects, depends on the traditional practices of management of this cactus. This study underlines the relevance of an integrated approach of the ecology of Triatominae for the identification of factors of risk.

Effects of azadirachtin on Rhodnius prolixus: immunity and trypanosoma interaction

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Patricia de Azambuja

1992-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of azadirachtin, a tetranortriterpenoid from the neem tree Aradirachta indica J. on both immunity and Trypanosoma cruzi interaction within Rhodniusprolixus and other triatomines, were presented Given through a blood meal, azadirachtin affected the immune reactivity as shown by a significant reduction in numbers of hemocytes and consequently nodule formation follwing challenge with Enterobacter cloacae ß12, reduction in ability to produce antibacterial activities in the hemolymph when injected with bacteria, and decreased ability to destroy the infection caused by inoculation of E. cloacae cells. A single dose of azadirachtin was able to block the development of T. cruzi in R. prolixus if given through the meal at different intervals, together with, before or after parasite infection. Similary, these results were observed with different triatomine species and different strains of T. cruzi. Azadirachtin induced a permanent resistance of the vector against reinfection with T. cruzi. The significance of these data is discussed in relation to the general mode of azadirachtin action in insects.

Milestones of dental history

OpenAIRE

Rajesh Mahant; S Vineet Agrawal; Sonali Kapoor; Isha Agrawal

2017-01-01

Since ages, human beings suffer from the dental problems. With the journey as time elapsed the person treating the teeth changed (i.e., from barbers and monks to present dentists), equipment changed (i.e., from bow drills to airotor and laser handpieces), materials changed (i.e., from ground mastic alum/honey to tooth colored composite and ceramics). There has been drastic change in treatment planning from extraction to the conservation of teeth and from manual restoration to computerized res...

Remote Sensing of Selected Water-Quality Indicators with the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

the bands needed for atmospheric correction. Spectral definition files for AVIRIS, HYDICE, HYMAP, HYPERION, CASI, and AISA sensors are included as...Satellite Visible Imagery – A Review.” In Lecture Notes on Coastal and Estuarine Studies, edited by R. T. Barber, N. K. Mooers, M. J. Bowman, and B...In Proceedings of SPIE Coastal Ocean Remote Sensing, edited by Robert J. Frouin, ZhongPing Lee, Vol. 6680, 668013-1-668013-9. doi:10.1117/12.736845

Prevention of diabetic eye disease: the commonest cause of blindness in individuals younger than 65 years

OpenAIRE

Tatti, Patrizio

2010-01-01

Patrizio Tatti1, Patrizia Di Mauro1, Leonardo Masselli1, Adriano Longobardi2, Annabel Barber31Diabetes and Endocrinology Department, 2UOS Eye Surgery, Ospedale S Giuseppe, ASL RMH, Rome, Italy; 3University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USAAbstract: There has been a considerable advancement in the treatment of diabetes and understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying diabetic complications in the last 20 years. However, this advancement has not translated into a consis...

Modeling the effects of palm-house proximity on the theoretical risk of Chagas disease transmission in a rural locality of the Orinoco basin, Colombia

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Diana Erazo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chagas disease is a major public health concern in Latin America and it is transmitted by insects of the subfamily Triatominae, including Rhodnius spp. Since palm trees are ubiquitous in Colombia and a habitat for Rhodnius spp., the presence of palms near villages could increase contact rates between vectors and humans. Therefore, knowing whether a relationship exists between the proximity of palms to villages and the abundance and distribution of vectors therein, may be critical for Chagas disease prevention programs. Adapting a mathematical model for R. prolixus population dynamics in a small village, we model the implications of changing distances between palms and dwellings, to the risk of Chagas disease infection. Methods We implemented a mathematical model that reflects R. prolixus population dynamics in a small village located in the department of Casanare (Colombia to study the role of palm-house proximity. We varied the distance between palms and houses by monitoring the network global efficiency metric. We constructed 1,000 hypothetical villages varying distances and each one was run 100 times. Results According to the model, as palm-house proximity increases, houses were more likely to be visited by triatomine bugs. The number of bugs per unit time increased progressively in a non-linear fashion with high variability. We stress the importance of village configuration on the model output. Conclusions From a theoretical perspective, palm-house proximity may have a positive effect on the incidence of Chagas disease. The model predicts a 1% increase in new human cases per year when houses and palms are brought closer by 75%.

The ecotopes and evolution of triatomine bugs (triatominae and their associated trypanosomes

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Gaunt Michael

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Triatomine bug species such as Microtriatoma trinidadensis, Eratyrus mucronatus, Belminus herreri, Panstrongylus lignarius, and Triatoma tibiamaculata are exquisitely adapted to specialist niches. This suggests a long evolutionary history, as well as the recent dramatic spread a few eclectic, domiciliated triatomine species. Virtually all species of the genus Rhodnius are primarily associated with palms. The genus Panstrongylus is predominantly associated with burrows and tree cavities and the genus Triatoma with terrestrial rocky habitats or rodent burrows. Two major sub-divisions have been defined within the species Trypanosoma cruzi, as T. cruzi 1 (Z1 and T. cruzi 2 (Z2. The affinities of a third group (Z3 are uncertain. Host and habitat associations lead us to propose that T. cruzi 1 (Z1 has evolved in an arboreal, palm tree habitat with the triatomine tribe Rhodniini, in association with the opossum Didelphis. Similarly we propose that T. cruzi (Z2 and Z3 evolved in a terrestrial habitat in burrows and in rocky locations with the triatomine tribe Triatomini, in association with edentates, and/or possibly ground dwelling marsupials. Both sub-divisions of T. cruzi may have been contemporary in South America up to 65 million years ago. Alternatively, T. cruzi 2 (Z2 may have evolved more recently from T. cruzi 1 (Z1 by host transfers into rodents, edentates, and primates. We have constructed a molecular phylogeny of haematophagous vectors, including triatomine bugs, which suggests that faecal transmission of trypanosomes may be the ancestral route. A molecular clock phylogeny suggests that Rhodnius and Triatoma diverged before the arrival, about 40 million years ago, of bats and rodents into South America.

RNA Regulation of Estrogen

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-01

Berglund, Rodger Voelker, Paul Barber and Julien Diegel 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING...estrogen  receptors  [reviewed  in  (3,  4)],  also   functions   by  interacting  directly  with  RNA  to  alter  RNA...Mog myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 6.06 207115_x_at mbtd1 mbt domain containing 1 6.06 208004_at Prol1 proline rich, lacrimal 1 6.06 205247_at

A microdiversity study of anammox bacteria reveals a novel Candidatus Scalindua phylotype in marine oxygen minimum zones

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Woebken, D.; Lam, P.; Kuypers, M.M.M.; Naqvi, S.W.A.; Kartal, B.; Strous, M.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Fuchs, B.M.; Amann, R.

upwelling systems along with the Arabian Sea are among the most productive regions of the world’s oceans, as the upwelling of nitrate-rich deep water stimulates high biological production in surface waters (Chapman and Shannon, 1985; Friederich and Codispoti..., 1987; Copin-Montégut and Raimbault, 1994; Barber et al., 2001; Carr, 2002). High primary productivity results in a large downward flux of particulate organic matter and thus high heterotrophic activities in the under- lying waters and the formation...

Translations on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Number 296.

Science.gov (United States)

1977-04-27

Mazda Familia car with license plate H-2115 in front of the cooperative barber shop on Latha Street this morning. They seized 5 grams of heroin in 15...pesos on the black market. The police also illegally seized a 1963 Ford stake bed truck and a 1971 Ford truck belonging to the La Sierrita ejido...security service jeeps, disguised in the clothing worn by guards. Investigators claimed that they transferred from the jeep to a brown Ford LTD in the

Hematophagous insects as vectors for frog trypanosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, B; Urdaneta-Morales, S

1977-12-01

Experimental infections of three hematophagous arthropods (Rhodnius prolixus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens) with a trypanosome of the Trypanosoma rotatorium complex found in the frogs Hyla crepitans and Leptodactylus insularum revealed that A. aegypti is a good host for the flagellate; the course of development in the intestinal tract of the mosquito is described from 15 minutes to 168 hours. C. pipiens showed only low intestinal infections and R. prolixus did not permit development of the parasite. It is postulated that, in addition to the transmission of T. rotatorium by leeches, batrachophilic mosquitoes may transmit the parasite to frogs of more terrestrial habits by being ingested by these anurans.

3D Metal Printing - Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Frameworks of Implant-Borne Fixed Dental Prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Revilla León, M; Klemm, I M; García-Arranz, J; Özcan, M

2017-09-01

An edentulous patient was rehabilitated with maxillary metal-ceramic and mandibular metal-resin implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis (FDP). Metal frameworks of the FDPs were fabricated using 3D additive manufacturing technologies utilizing selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM) processes. Both SLM and EBM technologies were employed in combination with computer numerical control (CNC) post-machining at the implant interface. This report highlights the technical and clinical protocol for fabrication of FDPs using SLM and EBM additive technologies. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Culiseo: the Roman Colosseum in Early Modern Jest

OpenAIRE

Yawn, Lila Elizabeth

2016-01-01

The Mirabilia literature of the high and later Middle Ages portrayed the Colosseum in Rome as a lofty, celestial building.  As the amphitheater declined, from a lively village in the twelfth century to an abandoned wasteland in the fifteenth, these descriptions became ever more elaborate and magical, reaching an apex in the Trecento.  Starting with the poetry of the Florentine barber-poet Burchiello in the first half of the Quattrocento, however, and above all during the 1520s and 1530s, when...

The Literature of Low Intensity Conflict: A Selected Bibliography and Suggestions for Future Research (CLIC Papers)

Science.gov (United States)

1988-09-01

Alnwick, Kenneth J. "Perspectives on Air Power At the Low End of the Conflict Spectrum." Air University Review 35 (March- April 1984). Arendt , Hannah . On...HUNTINGTON on the cause of disorder in developing nations, ARENDT on the philosophy of revolution, CHALMERS JOHNSON on the general theory of revolution... Arendt , 2, 7 Doctrine, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, Arnold, 14 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Asprey, 3, 7 Dodd, 10 Atkinson, 1, 7 Dubik, 3, 10 Barber, 2, 7 Dunn, 2

Clavicular fracture following uvulectomy and traditional hair barbing: A case report

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Aliyu Ibrahim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Activities of traditional barbers are an age-long practice in northern Nigerian. They are involved in conducting hair barbing and uvulectomy of newborn babies usually on the 7 th day of life. This procedure is often associated with complications like bleeding, infections, but its association with clavicular fracture is a rare event which had not been reported before now. Therefore, the case of a 10-day-old Nigerian girl is highlighted. She was managed conservatively with minimal handling of the involved limb.

Killing a Peacock: A Case Study of the Targeted Killing of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-24

assertions by-in-large fell on deaf ears in the United States, Yamamoto nevertheless took special interest in Mitchell’s claims, and returned to Japan in...deliberations on April 17.106 Upon receiving an update brief of the planning order, Viccellio immediately identified a problem . He knew that the P-38’s fuel...what, it all happened all too fast to know and he was content on calling it a “team kill.”152 Instead, he left resolution of the issue to Barber and

Distribuição geográfica e indicadores entomológicos de triatomíneos sinantrópicos capturados no Estado de Goiás Geographical distribution and indicators entomologic of sinantropic triatomines captured in the State of Goiás

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Antônio Wilson Soares de Oliveira

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Apresenta-se a distribuição geográfica de triatomíneos em Goiás e indicadores entomológicos no ambiente domiciliar: infestação domiciliar, densidade triatomínica domiciliar e infecção vetorial pelo Trypanosoma cruzi. Os indicadores estudados foram de triatomíneos capturados no intra e peridomicílio, em 201 municípios, no Estado de Goiás, Brasil, no período entre 2000 e 2003. Foram investigadas 249.868 unidades domiciliares e capturados 51.570 triatomíneos, com 335 espécimes infectados com Trypanosoma cruzi. A infestação peridomiciliar foi significativamente maior do que a intradomiciliar na espécie Triatoma sordida, seguida de Panstrongylus megistus. O inverso ocorreu nas espécies Rhodnius neglectus, Panstrongylus geniculatus e Triatoma pseudomaculata (pThe geographic distribution of triatomines in Goiás and entomological indicators in the home environment are presented: home infestation, home triatomine density and vector infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. The indicators studied were from triatomines captured inside and outside homes in 201 municipalities in the State of Goiás, Brazil, between 2000 and 2003. A total of 249,868 home units were investigated and 51,570 triatomines were captured, and 335 specimens were found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Infestation outside the home was significantly greater than infestation inside the home for the species Triatoma sordida, followed by Panstrongylus megistus. The contrary was observed with the species Rhodnius neglectus, Panstrongylus geniculatus and Triatoma pseudomaculata (p<0.018. There was no significant difference between infestations inside and outside the home for the species Panstrongylus diasi, Triatoma costalimai and Triatoma williami. Only one specimen of Triatoma infestans was captured in the year 2000.

Cultivation-independent methods reveal differences among bacterial gut microbiota in triatomine vectors of Chagas disease.

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Fabio Faria da Mota

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is a trypanosomiasis whose agent is the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by hematophagous bugs known as triatomines. Even though insecticide treatments allow effective control of these bugs in most Latin American countries where Chagas disease is endemic, the disease still affects a large proportion of the population of South America. The features of the disease in humans have been extensively studied, and the genome of the parasite has been sequenced, but no effective drug is yet available to treat Chagas disease. The digestive tract of the insect vectors in which T. cruzi develops has been much less well investigated than blood from its human hosts and constitutes a dynamic environment with very different conditions. Thus, we investigated the composition of the predominant bacterial species of the microbiota in insect vectors from Rhodnius, Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Dipetalogaster genera. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Microbiota of triatomine guts were investigated using cultivation-independent methods, i.e., phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and cloned-based sequencing. The Chao index showed that the diversity of bacterial species in triatomine guts is low, comprising fewer than 20 predominant species, and that these species vary between insect species. The analyses showed that Serratia predominates in Rhodnius, Arsenophonus predominates in Triatoma and Panstrongylus, while Candidatus Rohrkolberia predominates in Dipetalogaster. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The microbiota of triatomine guts represents one of the factors that may interfere with T. cruzi transmission and virulence in humans. The knowledge of its composition according to insect species is important for designing measures of biological control for T. cruzi. We found that the predominant species of the bacterial microbiota in triatomines form a group of low

Trypanosoma cruzi I genotypes in different geographic regions and transmission cycles based on a microsatellite motif of the intergenic spacer of spliced leader genes✯

Science.gov (United States)

Cura, Carolina I.; Mejía-Jaramillo, Ana M.; Duffy, Tomás; Burgos, Juan M.; Rodriguero, Marcela; Cardinal, Marta V.; Kjos, Sonia; Gurgel-Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Blanchet, Denis; De Pablos, Luis M.; Tomasini, Nicolás; Silva, Alex Da; Russomando, Graciela; Cuba Cuba, Cesar A.; Aznar, Christine; Abate, Teresa; Levin, Mariano J.; Osuna, Antonio; Gürtler, Ricardo E.; Diosque, Patricio; Solari, Aldo; Triana-Chávez, Omar; Schijman, Alejandro G.

2011-01-01

The intergenic region of spliced-leader (SL-IR) genes from 105 Trypanosoma cruzi I (Tc I) infected biological samples, culture isolates and stocks from 11 endemic countries, from Argentina to the USA were characterised, allowing identification of 76 genotypes with 54 polymorphic sites from 123 aligned sequences. On the basis of the microsatellite motif proposed by Herrera et al. (2007) to define four haplotypes in Colombia, we could classify these genotypes into four distinct Tc I SL-IR groups, three corresponding to the former haplotypes Ia (11 genotypes), Ib (11 genotypes) and Id (35 genotypes); and one novel group, Ie (19 genotypes). Genotypes harboring the Tc Ic motif were not detected in our study. Tc Ia was associated with domestic cycles in southern and northern South America and sylvatic cycles in Central and North America. Tc Ib was found in all transmission cycles from Colombia. Tc Id was identified in all transmission cycles from Argentina and Colombia, including Chagas cardiomyopathy patients, sylvatic Brazilian samples and human cases from French Guiana, Panama and Venezuela. Tc Ie gathered five samples from domestic Triatoma infestans from northern Argentina, nine samples from wild Mepraia spinolai and Mepraia gajardoi and two chagasic patients from Chile and one from a Bolivian patient with chagasic reactivation. Mixed infections by Tc Ia + Tc Id, Tc Ia + Tc Ie and Tc Id + Tc Ie were detected in vector faeces and isolates from human and vector samples. In addition, Tc Ia and Tc Id were identified in different tissues from a heart transplanted Chagas cardiomyopathy patient with reactivation, denoting histotropism. Trypanosoma cruzi I SL-IR genotypes from parasites infecting Triatoma gerstaeckeri and Didelphis virginiana from USA, T. infestans from Paraguay, Rhodnius nasutus and Rhodnius neglectus from Brazil and M. spinolai and M. gajardoi from Chile are to our knowledge described for the first time. PMID:20670628

A multidisciplinary approach to the study of the fluminense vegetation

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ALPHONSE KELECOM

2002-03-01

Full Text Available The fluminense vegetation, more specifically the flora from the Jurubatiba restinga has been investigated by a multidisciplinary team of botanists, chemist, radiobiologist, insect physiologists and geneticist. Vouchers of 564 specimens have been collected, identified, organized in an herbarium, and a database is being build up containing, in addition to classical botanical data, chemical data and information on the potential economic use either for landscape gardening, alternative foods or as medicinal plants. Phytochemical studies of the Guttiferae, Clusia hilariana, yielded oleanolic acid and nemorosone. Their biological activities against the haematophagous insect Rhodnius prolixus vector of Chagas disease have been investigated. Finally, it has been observed that aquatic plants possessed high levels of the natural radionuclide polonium-210, which seems to be originated mainly from soil rather than from atmospheric supply.A vegetação fluminense, em particular aquela proveniente da Restinga de Jurubatiba, foi investigada por um grupo multidisciplinar de botânicos, químico, radiobiólogo, fisiologistas de insetos e geneticista. Amostras de 564 espécimes foram coletadas, identificadas, organizadas em herbário e um banco de dados está sendo elaborado contendo, além das clássicas informações botânicas, dados químicos e indicações quanto ao uso econômico potencial destas plantas, em paisagismo, como alimentos alternativos ou como plantas medicinais. Estudos fitoquímicos da Guttiferae, Clusia hilariana, forneceram ácido oleanólico e nemorosona. Estes metabólitos foram ensaiados no barbeiro Rhodnius prolixus, vetor da doença de Chagas. Por fim, observou-se que plantas aquáticas apresentaram teores muito altos do radionuclídeo natural, polônio-210, fato este que parece estar relacionado mais com as condições de solo do que com um aporte atmosférico.

Seroprevalence of human Trypanosoma cruzi infection in diferent geografic zones of Chiapas, Mexico Soroprevalência da infecção humana pelo Trypanosoma cruzi em diferentes regiões de Chiapas, México

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Miguel Angel Mazariego-Arana

2001-10-01

Full Text Available A serologic survey was carried out in four different geographic zones of Chiapas, Mexico. A total of 1,333 samples were collected from residents of thirteen communities located on the Coast, Central Mountain, Lacandon Forest and a zone called Mesochiapas. One hundred and fifty one seropositive individuals (11.3% were identified. Human Trypanosoma cruzi infection was influenced by geography. In the Lacandon Forest and Central Mountains there was a higher seroprevalence 32.1 and 13.8% respectively, than on the coast (1.2%. In Mesochiapas there were no seropositive individuals among the 137 persons tested. An active transmission is probably continuing because seropositive cases (13.8% were detected in children under 10 years of age. The vector recognized on the Coast was Triatoma dimidiata while in the Lacandon Forest it was Rhodnius prolixus.Foi feito um estudo sorológico em quatro zonas geográficas do estado de Chiapas México. Foram colhidas 1333 amostras dos habitantes das 13 comunidades situadas na costa, na região central montanhosa, na floresta lacandona e na região chamada mesochiapas. Cento cinqüenta e uma pessoas (11,3% foram identificadas como soropositivas. A infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi teve a influência da geografia local. Na floresta lacandona nas montanhas centrais, foi encontrada uma prevalência de 32,1 e 13,8% respectivamente, mais que na costa 1,2%. Na zona de mesochiapas não foi encontrada nenhuma pessoa com sorologia positiva entre 137 estudadas. Como encontramos sorologia positiva em crianças menores de 10 anos, pensamos que exista uma transmissão ativa contínua. Na costa foi reconhecido o vetor Triatoma dimidiata e na floresta Lacandona o Rhodnius prolixus.

Cultivation-independent methods reveal differences among bacterial gut microbiota in triatomine vectors of Chagas disease.

Science.gov (United States)

da Mota, Fabio Faria; Marinho, Lourena Pinheiro; Moreira, Carlos José de Carvalho; Lima, Marli Maria; Mello, Cícero Brasileiro; Garcia, Eloi Souza; Carels, Nicolas; Azambuja, Patricia

2012-01-01

Chagas disease is a trypanosomiasis whose agent is the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by hematophagous bugs known as triatomines. Even though insecticide treatments allow effective control of these bugs in most Latin American countries where Chagas disease is endemic, the disease still affects a large proportion of the population of South America. The features of the disease in humans have been extensively studied, and the genome of the parasite has been sequenced, but no effective drug is yet available to treat Chagas disease. The digestive tract of the insect vectors in which T. cruzi develops has been much less well investigated than blood from its human hosts and constitutes a dynamic environment with very different conditions. Thus, we investigated the composition of the predominant bacterial species of the microbiota in insect vectors from Rhodnius, Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Dipetalogaster genera. Microbiota of triatomine guts were investigated using cultivation-independent methods, i.e., phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and cloned-based sequencing. The Chao index showed that the diversity of bacterial species in triatomine guts is low, comprising fewer than 20 predominant species, and that these species vary between insect species. The analyses showed that Serratia predominates in Rhodnius, Arsenophonus predominates in Triatoma and Panstrongylus, while Candidatus Rohrkolberia predominates in Dipetalogaster. The microbiota of triatomine guts represents one of the factors that may interfere with T. cruzi transmission and virulence in humans. The knowledge of its composition according to insect species is important for designing measures of biological control for T. cruzi. We found that the predominant species of the bacterial microbiota in triatomines form a group of low complexity whose structure differs according to the vector genus.

Relación entre ideación suicida y estilos parentales en un grupo de adolescentes chilenos

OpenAIRE

Florenzano U,Ramón; Valdés C,Macarena; Cáceres C,Eugenio; Santander R,Sylvia; Aspillaga H,Carolina; Musalem A,Claudia

2011-01-01

Background: In Chile, there has been an increase in suicide rates from 1.1 to 2.6 per 100,000 among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and from 4.4 to 8.9 per 100,000 among those aged 15 to 19 years Aim: To identify protective factors for suicidal ideation according to parenting styles, as described by Barber et al. Material and Methods: The relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles was assessed in a random sample of 2,346 Chilean school attending adolescents aged 13 to 20 years ol...

Les parlements du peuple au Kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jacob

2012-01-01

Despite the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, the post-election violence surrounding the flawed 2007 General Elections have fuelled on-going debates in Kenya about a state of political crisis and fragile democracy. Comparing two street parliaments from Eldoret and Nairobi in the context...... of electoral failure and constitutional reform, this paper investigates dynamics of political participation from below. The street parliaments form arenas for oral debates where speakers and participants collectively engage in the intentional shaping of spaces of speech. Inspired by the work of Karin Barber...

NCG turbocompressor development program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nichols, K.E.

1997-12-31

Barber-Nichols, Pacific Gas and Electric and UNOCAL as an industry group applied for a DOE grant under the GTO to develop a new type of compressor that could be used to extract non-condensable gas (NCG) from the condensers of geothermal power plants. This grant (DE-FG07-951A13391) was awarded on September 20, 1995. The installation and startup of the turbocompressor at the PG&E Geysers Unit 11 is covered by this paper. The turbocompressor has operated several days at 17000rpm while the plant was producing 50 to 70 MW.

Trapping Triatominae in Silvatic Habitats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noireau François

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Large-scale trials of a trapping system designed to collect silvatic Triatominae are reported. Live-baited adhesive traps were tested in various ecosystems and different triatomine habitats (arboreal and terrestrial. The trials were always successful, with a rate of positive habitats generally over 20% and reaching 48.4% for palm trees of the Amazon basin. Eleven species of Triatominae belonging to the three genera of public health importance (Triatoma, Rhodnius and Panstrongylus were captured. This trapping system provides an effective way to detect the presence of triatomines in terrestrial and arboreal silvatic habitats and represents a promising tool for ecological studies. Various lines of research are contemplated to improve the performance of this trapping system.

A mathematical model of Chagas disease transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Hidayat, Dayat; Nugraha, Edwin Setiawan; Nuraini, Nuning

2018-03-01

Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi which is transmitted to human by insects of the subfamily Triatominae, including Rhodnius prolixus. This disease is a major problem in several countries of Latin America. A mathematical model of Chagas disease with separate vector reservoir and a neighboring human resident is constructed. The basic reproductive ratio is obtained and stability analysis of the equilibria is shown. We also performed sensitivity populations dynamics of infected humans and infected insects based on migration rate, carrying capacity, and infection rate parameters. Our findings showed that the dynamics of the infected human and insect is mostly affected by carrying capacity insect in the settlement.

Activity of the Extracts and Neolignans from Piper regnellii against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA

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Benedito Prado Dias Filho

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Piper regnellii (Miq. C. DC. var. pallescens (C. DC. Yunck (Piperaceae is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Brazil to treat infectious diseases. The extracts obtained of the leaves from P. regnellii were investigated for their antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. The ethyl acetate extract presented a good activity against MRSA, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC of 16 μg/mL. Based on this finding, the ethyl acetate extract was fractionated by silica gel column chromatography into nine fractions. The hexane fraction was active against MRSA (MIC at 4 μg/mL. Further column chromatography separation of the hexane fraction afforded the pure compound eupomatenoid-5. The structure of the compound was established by spectral data (1H and 13C NMR HSQC, HMBC, gNOE, IR and MS. Eupomatenoid-5 was the only compound active on the bacterium. The antibacterial property of P. regnellii extract provides preliminary scientific validation for the traditional medicinal use of this plant. The active compound eupomatenoid-5 should be further studied in animal models to verify in vivo efficacy and toxicity.

Fire cue effects on seed germination of six species of northwestern Patagonian grasslands

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, S. L.; Ghermandi, L.

2012-09-01

Postfire recruitment of seedlings has been attributed to a stimulation of germination by fire-related cues. The germination response to heat shock (80 °C - 5 min), smoke (60 min), the combination of both factors and no heat no smoke (control) was studied in six native species (two dominant grasses, two dominant shrubs and two annual fugitive herbs) of northwestern Patagonian grasslands. Seeds of the grasses Festuca pallescens and Stipa speciosa and the shrub Senecio bracteolatus (Asteraceae) germinated when they were exposed to heat shock, whereas seeds of the other shrub, Mulinum spinosum (Apiaceae), were killed by this fire cue. In grasses, probably the glume of caryopsis protected embryos from heat. Possibly, the seed size could explain the different responses of the two shrubs. Heat combined with smoke reduced seed germination for S. speciosa and S. bracteolatus. The heat could have scarified seeds and the longer exposure to smoke could have been toxic for embryos. The same treatment increased germination of the annual fugitive herb Boopis gracilis (Calyceraceae). We concluded that fire differentially affects the seedling recruitment of the studied species in the northwestern Patagonian grasslands.

The Eschericia coli Growth Inhibition Activity of Some Fermented Medicinal Plant Leaf Extract from the Karo Highland, North Sumatra

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NOVIK NURHIDAYAT

2009-10-01

Full Text Available A lot of traditional medicinal plant has antibacterial acitivities. Most of these plants are freshly chewed or grounded and used directly to treat infectious bacterial deseases. However, some practices employ a traditionally spontaneous fermentation on boiled extracted leaf, root or other parts of the plant. This work reports a laboratory stimulated spontaneous fermentation of leaf extracts from selected medicinal plants collected from the Karo Higland. The spontaenous fermentation was stimulated to be carried out by the Acetobacter xylinum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The anti-infectious agent activity was assayed on the Eschericia coli growth inhibition. A complementary non fermented leaf extract was also made and assayed as a comparative measure. Indeed, the fermented leaf extract of bitter bush (Eupatorium pallescens, cacao (Theobroma cacao, avocado (Persia gratissima, passion fruit (Passiflora edulis, cassava (Cassava utillissima, diamond flower (Hedyotis corymbosa, periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus, and gandarusa (Justicia gendarussa have relatively higher anti-E.coli acitivity than those of non fermented ones. However, there were no anti-E.coli activity was detected in both fermented and non fermented leaf extract of the guava (Psidium guajava and common betel (Piper nigrum.

The Information Barber Pole: Integrating White Information and Red Intelligence in Emerging Conflicts

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

Preparation of the Environment OSINT open source intelligence PNP SAF Philippines National Police Special Action Force SFA Security Force Assistance...intelligence functions which include (but are not limited to) human intelligence (HUMINT), open source intelligence ( OSINT ), and signals intelligence (SIGINT...intelligence ( OSINT ) is designed to capture information that hasn’t traditionally been considered part of the overall intelligence estimate. White

Bio-edafology of the Coleoptera order, in three Colombia Natural Regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camero R, Edgar; Chamorro B, Clara

1997-01-01

The characterization of Coleoptera families is showed to three different Colombian Natural Regions. This is given in relation with biological and environmental factors, different vegetation covers and soil uses. In addition to it, susceptible Coleoptera taxa are determined when natural conditions are disturbed. Methodically, a literature subject research was made, and Barber and Berlesse traps were used to organism extractions from superficial and under superficial soil. Horizons diversity, riches and constancy index were determined to each family. Results show different diversity, riches and constancy values to each family, as much in each natural region, such as to each soil use

Wolves trigger a trophic cascade to berries as alternative food for grizzly bears.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripple, William J; Beschta, Robert L; Fortin, Jennifer K; Robbins, Charles T

2015-05-01

This is a Forum article in response to: Barber-Meyer, S. (2015) Trophic cascades from wolves to grizzly bears or changing abundance of bears and alternate foods? Journal of Animal Ecology, 83, doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12338. We used multiple data sets and study areas as well as several lines of evidence to investigate potential trophic linkages in Yellowstone National Park. Our results suggest that a trophic cascade from wolves to elk to berry production to berry consumption by grizzly bears may now be underway in the Park. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Systemic banking crisis early warning systems using dynamic bayesian networks

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dabrowski, JJ

2016-11-01

Full Text Available discrete switching state variable st, a latent continuous variable ht and an observable continuous variable vt. The graphical model of the SLDS is illustrated in Figure 2. The latent and observable variables form a linear dy- namic system (LDS). The LDS... is a state space model (Barber, 2012). The SLDS is modelled according to the following state space equations ht = A(st)ht−1 + ηht (st), (7.1) vt = B(st)ht + ηvt (st). (7.2) The matrix A(st) is referred to as the state transition matrix or the system...

Hepatitis B virus infection among different sex and age groups in Pakistani Punjab

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Khan Hayat

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV infection is a serious health problem in the developing countries including Pakistan. Various risk factors are responsible for the spread of this infectious disease. Prevalence of HBV infection in apparently suspected individual of Punjab province of Pakistan was analyzed during January 2008 to December 2010. Current study was aimed to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of HBV infection. Methodology Four thousand eight hundred and ninety patients suffering from chronic liver disease were screened for the presence of HBV DNA using qualitative Real Time PCR methodology to confirm their status of infection. A predesigned standard questionnaire was filled for all the patients that included information about the possible risk factors. Results A total of 4890 ELISA positive patients were screened for Hepatitis B virus infection. Of these 3143 were positive for HBV, includes 68.15% males and 31.85% females. Male were observed to be more frequently infected as compared to the female with a positivity ratio of 2.14: 1. The rate of infection increases with the passage of time in the course of three years. Highest frequency of infection was found in the age of 21-30 was 34.93% followed by 23.83% in 31-40. Only (13.39% were belonging to the age group 11-20 year. The rate of infection declines with increasing age as shown by age groups 41-50 (16.13% and 51-60 (7.09%. While children aged 0-10 and very old >60 age groups were very less frequently 1.49% and 1.65% infected respectively. Important risk factors contributing to HBV spread include barber risk (23.60%, blood transfusion (4.04%, History of injection 26.19%, Reuse of syringes 26.60%, dental risk (11.20% and surgical procedure (4.26%. Among the entire respondents trend sharing personal items was very common. History of injection, barber risk, surgery and dental procedure and reuse of syringes appear as major risk factors for the transmission

NMR Studies of the Dynamics of Nitrophorin 2 Bound to Nitric Oxide†

Science.gov (United States)

Muthu, Dhanasekaran; Berry, Robert E.; Zhang, Hongjun; Walker, F. Ann

2013-01-01

The Rhodnius nitrophorins are β-barrel proteins of the lipocalin fold with a heme protruding from the open end of the barrel. They are found in the saliva of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus, which synthesizes and stores nitric oxide (NO) in the salivary glands, where NO is bound to iron. NO is released by dilution and pH rise when the insect spits its saliva into the tissues of a victim, to aid in obtaining a blood meal. In the adult insect there are four nitrophorins, NP1, NP2, NP3 and NP4. At pH 7.3, NP4 releases NO 17 times faster than does NP2, as measured by stopped-flow kinetics. A number of crystal structures of the least abundant protein, NP4, are available. These structures have been used to propose that two loops between adjacent β-strands at the front opening of the protein, the A-B and G-H loops, determine the rate of NO release. In order to learn how the protein loops contribute to release of NO for each of the nitrophorins, the dynamics of these proteins are being studied in our laboratory. In this work, the NP2-NO complex has been investigated by NMR relaxation measurements to probe the pico- to nanosecond and micro- to millisecond time scale motions at three pH values, 5.0, 6.5, and 7.3. It is found that at pH 5.0 and 6.5, NP2-NO is rigid and only a few residues in the loop regions show dynamics, while at pH 7.3 somewhat more dynamics, particularly of the A-B loop, are observed. Comparison to other lipocalins shows that all are relatively rigid, and that the dynamics of lipocalins in general are much more subtle than those of mainly α-helical proteins. PMID:24116947

Drivers of house invasion by sylvatic Chagas disease vectors in the Amazon-Cerrado transition: A multi-year, state-wide assessment of municipality-aggregated surveillance data.

Science.gov (United States)

Brito, Raíssa N; Gorla, David E; Diotaiuti, Liléia; Gomes, Anália C F; Souza, Rita C M; Abad-Franch, Fernando

2017-11-01

Insecticide spraying efficiently controls house infestation by triatomine bugs, the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi. The strategy, however, is ineffective against sylvatic triatomines, which can transmit Chagas disease by invading (without colonizing) man-made structures. Despite growing awareness of the relevance of these transmission dynamics, the drivers of house invasion by sylvatic triatomines remain poorly understood. About 12,000 sylvatic triatomines were caught during routine surveillance in houses of Tocantins state, Brazil, in 2005-2013. Using negative binomial regression, information-theoretic model evaluation/averaging, and external model validation, we investigated the effects of regional (Amazon/Cerrado), landscape (preservation/disturbance), and climate covariates (temperature, rainfall) on the municipality-aggregated numbers of house-invading Rhodnius pictipes, R. robustus, R. neglectus, and Panstrongylus geniculatus. House invasion by R. pictipes and R. robustus was overall more frequent in the Amazon biome, tended to increase in municipalities with more well-preserved land, and decreased in rainier municipalities. Across species, invasion decreased with higher landscape-disturbance levels and in hotter-day municipalities. Invasion by R. neglectus and P. geniculatus increased somewhat with more land at intermediate disturbance and peaked in average-rainfall municipalities. Temperature effects were more pronounced on P. geniculatus than on Rhodnius spp. We report widespread, frequent house invasion by sylvatic triatomines in the Amazon-Cerrado transition. Our analyses indicate that readily available environmental metrics may help predict the risk of contact between sylvatic triatomines and humans at coarse geographic scales, and hint at specific hypotheses about climate and deforestation effects on those vectors-with some taxon-specific responses and some seemingly general trends. Thus, our focal species appear to be quite sensitive to higher

Drivers of house invasion by sylvatic Chagas disease vectors in the Amazon-Cerrado transition: A multi-year, state-wide assessment of municipality-aggregated surveillance data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raíssa N Brito

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Insecticide spraying efficiently controls house infestation by triatomine bugs, the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi. The strategy, however, is ineffective against sylvatic triatomines, which can transmit Chagas disease by invading (without colonizing man-made structures. Despite growing awareness of the relevance of these transmission dynamics, the drivers of house invasion by sylvatic triatomines remain poorly understood.About 12,000 sylvatic triatomines were caught during routine surveillance in houses of Tocantins state, Brazil, in 2005-2013. Using negative binomial regression, information-theoretic model evaluation/averaging, and external model validation, we investigated the effects of regional (Amazon/Cerrado, landscape (preservation/disturbance, and climate covariates (temperature, rainfall on the municipality-aggregated numbers of house-invading Rhodnius pictipes, R. robustus, R. neglectus, and Panstrongylus geniculatus. House invasion by R. pictipes and R. robustus was overall more frequent in the Amazon biome, tended to increase in municipalities with more well-preserved land, and decreased in rainier municipalities. Across species, invasion decreased with higher landscape-disturbance levels and in hotter-day municipalities. Invasion by R. neglectus and P. geniculatus increased somewhat with more land at intermediate disturbance and peaked in average-rainfall municipalities. Temperature effects were more pronounced on P. geniculatus than on Rhodnius spp.We report widespread, frequent house invasion by sylvatic triatomines in the Amazon-Cerrado transition. Our analyses indicate that readily available environmental metrics may help predict the risk of contact between sylvatic triatomines and humans at coarse geographic scales, and hint at specific hypotheses about climate and deforestation effects on those vectors-with some taxon-specific responses and some seemingly general trends. Thus, our focal species appear to be quite sensitive to

Enhancing of progesterone transformation by cochliobolus spicifer fungus using different environmental conditions and gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussa, L.A.A.

2005-01-01

Five isolates belonging to five species of the genus Cochliobolus were tested for their ability to transform progesterone. Two species namely C. australiensis and C. tuberculates failed to transform progesterone, C. pallescens produced 11B-hydroxy and 6 (3, 11a-dihydroxy progesterone, while the isolate of C. lunatus produced 11B-hydroxy and 17a-hydroxy progesterone. The isolate of C. spicifer produced four mono hydroxylated products (11a-, 11B- -17a dihydroxy progesterone and dihydro-xylated product 11 a, 17a-dihydroxy progesterone) with the addition of two trihydroxy products namely 11 a, 17a,21-trihydroxy progesterone (epicortisol) and 11/3, 17a, 21-trihydroxy progesterone (cortisol). The transformation pattern of progesterone by C. spicifer was markedly affected by the composition of culture medium, pH value of culture medium and gamma irradiation of the tested isolate. The different transformation products were resolved chromatographically. The identity of each product was established through the determination of m.p, optical rotation and ultraviolet as well as infrared absorption spectra. A comparison of the Rf -values of each product with that of the corresponding reference, using different solvent systems as well as their colours with two spray reagents, was used as a further proof for the identity of the isolated products

[Use of new tools for controlling triatomines in different entomologic situations in the American continent].

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira Filho, A M

1997-01-01

The field results of new tools for triatomine control developed under the sponsorship of WHO/TDR are reported: a) A slow-release "paint" containing malathion; b) fumigant cans containing cypermethrin and DDVP, and c) sensor boxes for the detection of triatomine infestations. Field assays were performed in Chile, Honduras and Paraguay against Triatoma infestans, T. dimidiata and Rhodnius prolixus, accordingly to a standard protocol designed by a WHO experts committee. Preliminary 6 months post-treatment results for the three countries show an efficient control when insecticide paints were used indoors and in the peridomicilium, keeping reinfestation near zero. The final results presented for Chile two years post-treatment confirmed the superiority of the slow-release "paints". Sensor boxes were less effective than man/hour captures in the detection of infested houses.

Seroprevalence of human Trypanosoma cruzi infection in diferent geografic zones of Chiapas, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazariego-Arana, M A; Monteón, V M; Ballinas-Verdugo, M A; Hernández-Becerril, N; Alejandre-Aguilar, R; Reyes, P A

2001-01-01

A serologic survey was carried out in four different geographic zones of Chiapas, Mexico. A total of 1,333 samples were collected from residents of thirteen communities located on the Coast, Central Mountain, Lacandon Forest and a zone called Mesochiapas. One hundred and fifty one seropositive individuals (11.3%) were identified. Human Trypanosoma cruzi infection was influenced by geography. In the Lacandon Forest and Central Mountains there was a higher seroprevalence 32.1 and 13.8% respectively, than on the coast (1.2%). In Mesochiapas there were no seropositive individuals among the 137 persons tested. An active transmission is probably continuing because seropositive cases (13.8%) were detected in children under 10 years of age. The vector recognized on the Coast was Triatoma dimidiata while in the Lacandon Forest it was Rhodnius prolixus.

Types of suggestibility: Relationships among compliance, indirect, and direct suggestibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Polczyk, Romuald; Pasek, Tomasz

2006-10-01

It is commonly believed that direct suggestibility, referring to overt influence, and indirect suggestibility, in which the intention to influence is hidden, correlate poorly. This study demonstrates that they are substantially related, provided that they tap similar areas of influence. Test results from 103 students, 55 women and 48 men, were entered into regression analyses. Indirect suggestibility, as measured by the Sensory Suggestibility Scale for Groups, and compliance, measured by the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale, were predictors of direct suggestibility, assessed with the Barber Suggestibility Scale. Spectral analyses showed that indirect suggestibility is more related to difficult tasks on the BSS, but compliance is more related to easy tasks on this scale.

The invariant polarisation-tensor field for deuterons in storage rings and the Bloch equation for the polarisation-tensor density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barber, D.P.

2015-10-01

I extend and update earlier work, summarised in an earlier paper (D.P. Barber, M. Voigt, AIP Conference Proceedings 1149 (28)), whereby the invariant polarisation-tensor field (ITF) for deuterons in storage rings was introduced to complement the invariant spin field (ISF). Taken together, the ITF and the ISF provide a definition of the equilibrium spin density-matrix field which, in turn, offers a clean framework for describing equilibrium spin-1 ensembles in storage rings. I show how to construct the ITF by stroboscopic averaging, I give examples, I discuss adiabatic invariance and I introduce a formalism for describing the effect of noise and damping.

[Dental aspects of general symptoms in the 18th century].

Science.gov (United States)

Forrai, Judit

2009-05-24

In the 18th century, numerous diseases with symptoms of oral cavity were cured by chirurgien-dentist, barber-surgeons, or tooth drawer. The so called "dentitio difficilis" was blamed for the high children mortality, therefore gum cut or use of leeches was advised as a treatment. Both acute and chronic type of gum inflammation was called scurvy. It seems that the mechanical removal of plaque was enough to cure the scurvy as it was written in advertisements from that time. Syphilis was present in the everyday life throughout centuries, and assumed to cause different stigmas in the oral cavity. Today we consider theses stigmas as the toxic signs of mercury treatment.

Qualitative Beam Profiling of Light Curing Units for Resin Based Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Haenel, Thomas; Hausnerová, Berenika; Steinhaus, Johannes; Moeginger, Ing Bernhard

2016-12-01

This study investigates two technically simple methods to determine the irradiance distribution of light curing units that governs the performance of a visible-light curing resin-based composites. Insufficient light irradiation leads to under-cured composites with poor mechanical properties and elution of residual monomers. The unknown irradiance distribution and its effect on the final restoration are the main critical issues requiring highly sophisticated experimental equipment. The study shows that irradiance distributions of LCUs can easily be determined qualitatively with generally available equipment. This significantly helps dentists in practices to be informed about the homogeneity of the curing lights. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Estudo comparativo do ciclo evolutivo de Rhodnius neglectus alimentados em pombos ou camundongos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liléia Diotaiuti

1987-06-01

Full Text Available Baseados no encontro de 77,2% de reação de precipitina positiva para soro antiave de R. neglectus capturados em palmeiras da periferia de Belo Horizonte, estudamos o ciclo evolutivo de uma colonia recém-estabelecida no laboratório alimentada com sangue de pombo ou camundongo, na expectativa de demonstrarmos maior adaptação deste triatomíneo ao sangue da ave. Para comparação, estudamos o ciclo evolutivo destes insetos numa colônia há muito mantida em insetário. Nossos resultados mostram um desenvolvimento mais rápido da colônia recém- estabelecida, assim como do lote de triatomíneos alimentado em camundongo. Esses achados sugerem menor potencial biológico para triatomíneos criados por longo tempo em insetário em comparação a novas colônias. Sendo as aves os principais habitantes das palmeiras, a aparente preferência alimentar por sangue de aves demonstrada pela reação de precipitina parece ser circunstancial e não seletiva na busca do sangue com o qual o triatomíneo obteria melhor desenvolvimento.Feeding pattems of R. neglectus collected in palm trees around Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil were investigated. Precipitin tests showed 77.2% of avian blood. In view of these results, a new colony of R. neglectus established in the laboratory was fed regularly on pigeons or mice, in order to verify a possible better adaptation of this insect to the avian blood. As a control group a colony of R neglectus which has been maintained for several years in the laboratory was also observed. The results show a better development of the “new" colony in comparison with the old one, and of those bugs nourished with mice blood. Such findings suggest a poorer biological potential for triatomines maintained for long time in artificial conditions, in comparison with those living in the natural environment. As birds are the main vertebrate inhabitants of palm trees (the natural ecotope of R neglectus, the apparent feeding preference of this species for avian blood seems to be merely circumstancial and not related to a better biological performance provided by this kind of blood.

Role of ions in the regulation of light-harvesting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radek Kana

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting in the thylakoids is one of the major key factors affecting the efficiency of photosynthesis. Thylakoid membrane is negatively charged and influences both the structure and the function of the primarily photosynthetic reactions through its electrical double layer. Further, there is a heterogeneous organization of soluble ions (K+, Mg2+, Cl- attached to the thylakoid membrane that, together with fixed charges (negatively charged amino acids, lipids, provides an electrical field. The electrical double layer is affected by the valence of the ions and interferes with the regulation of state transitions, protein interactions, and excitation energy spillover from Photosystem II to Photosystem I. These effects are reflected in changes in the intensity of chlorophyll a fluorescence, which is also a measure of photoprotective non-photochemical quenching of the excited state of chlorophyll a. A triggering of non-photochemical quenching proceeds via lumen acidification and is coupled to the export of positive counter-ions (Mg2+, K+ to the stroma or/and negative ions (e.g., Cl- into the lumen. The effect of protons and anions in the lumen and of the cations (Mg2+, K+ in the stroma are, thus, functionally tightly interconnected. In this review, we discuss the consequences of the model of electrical double layer, proposed by James Barber (J. Barber (1980 Biochim Biophys Acta 594:253-308 in light of light-harvesting regulation. Further, we explain differences between electrostatic screening and neutralization, and we emphasize the opposite effect of monovalent (K+ and divalent (Mg2+ ions on light-harvesting and on screening of the negative charges on the thylakoid membrane; this effect needs to be incorporated in all future models of photosynthetic regulation by ion channels and transporters.

Atp1a3-deficient heterozygous mice show lower rank in the hierarchy and altered social behavior.

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Sugimoto, H; Ikeda, K; Kawakami, K

2017-10-23

Atp1a3 is the Na-pump alpha3 subunit gene expressed mainly in neurons of the brain. Atp1a3-deficient heterozygous mice (Atp1a3 +/- ) show altered neurotransmission and deficits of motor function after stress loading. To understand the function of Atp1a3 in a social hierarchy, we evaluated social behaviors (social interaction, aggression, social approach and social dominance) of Atp1a3 +/- and compared the rank and hierarchy structure between Atp1a3 +/- and wild-type mice within a housing cage using the round-robin tube test and barbering observations. Formation of a hierarchy decreases social conflict and promote social stability within the group. The hierarchical rank is a reflection of social dominance within a cage, which is heritable and can be regulated by specific genes in mice. Here we report: (1) The degree of social interaction but not aggression was lower in Atp1a3 +/- than wild-type mice, and Atp1a3 +/- approached Atp1a3 +/- mice more frequently than wild type. (2) The frequency of barbering was lower in the Atp1a3 +/- group than in the wild-type group, while no difference was observed in the mixed-genotype housing condition. (3) Hierarchy formation was not different between Atp1a3 +/- and wild type. (4) Atp1a3 +/- showed a lower rank in the mixed-genotype housing condition than that in the wild type, indicating that Atp1a3 regulates social dominance. In sum, Atp1a3 +/- showed unique social behavior characteristics of lower social interaction and preference to approach the same genotype mice and a lower ranking in the hierarchy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Contribuição ao estudo da distribuição geográfica de triatomíneos no estado do Piauí

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Paulo Zábulon de Figueirêdo

1975-08-01

Full Text Available Os autores apresentam a atual distribuição geográfica dos triatomineos no Estado do Piauí. Dos 28 municípios trabalhados em três diferentes regiões naturais, 18 apresentaram capturas positivas, com as seguintes espécies: Triatoma brasiliensis, T. maculata, T. sórdida, Rhodnius pictepes, R. neglectus e Panstrongylus geniculatus. Das espécies citadas, o T. brasiliensis foi a mais freqüente e de maior distribuição. Os autores admitem ser essa espécie a mais importante transmissora da Doença de Chagas, no Estado. Chamam a atenção, ainda, para o papel que as espécies de R. pictepes e R. neglectus possam desempenhar na manutenção do ciclo silvestre do Trypanosoma cruzi, ao lado do P. geniculatus.

Triatominae et Cactaceae : un risque pour la transmission de la Trypanosomose américaine dans le péridomicile (nord-est du Brésil

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Emperaire L.

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Les observations de terrain réalisées dans le nord-est du Brésil ont montré la fréquente association, dans l’espace péridomiciliaire, entre un cactus, le Cereus jamacaru, la présence de nids dans ses branches et celle de Rhodnius neglectus et de Triatoma pseudomaculata, espèces vectrices du parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, agent de la maladie de Chagas. L’analyse des variables architecturales de cette Cactaceae montre que la présence de nids, et donc d’insectes, est inféodée aux pratiques traditionnelles de gestion de ce cactus. Cette étude souligne l’intérêt d’une approche intégrée de l’écologie des Triatominae pour l’identification des variables indicatrices de risque.

Additive Manufacturing: A Novel Method for Fabricating Cobalt-Chromium Removable Partial Denture Frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Alifui-Segbaya, Frank; Williams, Robert John; George, Roy

2017-06-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) often referred to as 3D printing (3DP) has shown promise of being significantly viable in the construction of cobalt-chromium removable partial denture (RPD) frameworks. The current paper seeks to discuss AM technologies (photopolymerization processes and selective laser melting) and review their scope. The review also discusses the clinical relevance of cobalt-chromium RPD frameworks. All relevant publications in English over the last 10 years, when the first 3D-printed RPD framework was reported, are examined. The review notes that AM offers significant benefits in terms of speed of the manufacturing processes however cost and other aspects of current technologies remain a hindrance. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Tests of the Giant Impact Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J. H.

1998-01-01

The giant impact hypothesis has gained popularity as a means of explaining a volatile-depleted Moon that still has a chemical affinity to the Earth. As Taylor's Axiom decrees, the best models of lunar origin are testable, but this is difficult with the giant impact model. The energy associated with the impact would be sufficient to totally melt and partially vaporize the Earth. And this means that there should he no geological vestige of Barber times. Accordingly, it is important to devise tests that may be used to evaluate the giant impact hypothesis. Three such tests are discussed here. None of these is supportive of the giant impact model, but neither do they disprove it.

Risk Characterization for Future Training Scenarios at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR), Final Results

Science.gov (United States)

2005-08-01

1979) 0.63d ocK f= owK (1) where Kow = octanol to water partitioning coefficient, L/kg foc = fraction of organic carbon of the soil Barber...Software 59 2-Methylthiophene 554-14-3 0.135 EPI Software 60 2-Nitrophenol 88-75-5 0.039 EPI Software 61 2- Octanone 111-13-7 0.148 EPI Software 62 2...Nitrophenol 88-75-5 6.09E-09 1.72E-12 2- Octanone 111-13-7 2.56E-11 7.23E-15 2-Pentanone 107-87-9 1.83E-08 5.18E-12 2-Propanol 67-63-0 4.08E-09 1.15E-12 2

Translation, adaptation, and validation of the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale in Puerto Rico.

Science.gov (United States)

Deynes-Exclusa, Yazmin; Sayers-Montalvo, Sean K; Martinez-Taboas, Alfonso

2011-04-01

The only hypnotizability scale that has been translated and validated for the Puerto Rican population is the Barber Suggestibility Scale (BSS). In this article, the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale (SHCS) was translated and validated for this population. The translated SHCS ("Escala Stanford de Hipnosis Clinica" [ESHC]) was administered individually to 100 Puerto Rican college students. There were no significant differences found between the norms of the original SHCS samples and the Spanish version of the SHCS. Both samples showed similar distributions. The Spanish version's internal reliability as well as the item discrimination index were adequate. The authors conclude that the ESHC is an adequate instrument to measure hypnotizability in the Puerto Rican population.

Application of phase-contrast X-ray microtomography to study the internal structures of Rhodium prolixus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, Andre P. de; Soares, Jose; Barroso, Regina C.; Braz, Delson; Cardoso, Simone C.; Garcia, Eloi S.; Azambuja, Patricia; Gonzalez, Marcelo S.

2011-01-01

The PhC-SR-μCT is a nondestructive technique that allows the microanatomical investigations and 3D images reconstructions within a short time. This technique performed in blood sucker, Rhodnius prolixus - one of the most important primary vectors of of Trypanosoma cruzi, ethiologic agent of Chagas' disease in Latin America and also the most well-know studied insect in terms of both physiology and vector-parasite interactions. However, little is known about the development and structure of its internal organs. The aim of this work is to provide a non-invasive option for studying the internal structures of the main vector of Chagas' disease, which should help to answer important questions concerning anatomy, development, structure and plasticity of insect in general. Three-dimensional rendering images can provide a detailed knowledge of the interior of the insect, which is crucial for a better understanding of its function and evolution. (author)

[The significance of dermatologic management in computer-assisted occupational dermatology consultation].

Science.gov (United States)

Rakoski, J; Borelli, S

1989-01-15

At our occupational outpatient clinic, 230 patients were treated for about 15 months. With the help of a standardized questionary, we registered all the data regarding the relevant substances the patients contacted during their work as well as their various jobs since they left school. The patients were repeatedly seen and trained in procedures of skin care and skin protection. If required, we took steps to find new jobs for them within their employing company; this was done in cooperation with the trade cooperative association according to the dermatological insurance consultanship. If these proceedings did not work out, the patient had to change his profession altogether. All data were computerized. As an example for this computer-based documentation we present the data of barbers.

Distribution and ecology of the big-eared bat, Corynorhinus (=Plecotus) townsendii in Californa

Science.gov (United States)

Pierson, Elizabeth D.; Fellers, Gary M.

1998-01-01

. In both settings the animals showed considerable loyalty to their roost sites even though the study was conducted after the nursery season had ended; females traveled greater distances than males to forage; and all the animals foraged in close association with vegetation -- in the vegetated gullies and redwood forest at Pt. Reyes, and in the vegetated lava trenches, near juniper or mountain mahogany, and with the stands of ponderosa pine at Lava Beds. Genetic variation was preliminarily examined for three populations using mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites -- two populations within the zone of intergradation between the two subspecies, C. t. townsendii and C. t. pallescens, and one population from the range of C. t. pallescens. These three populations were sufficiently distinct genetically to suggest that these techniques would be appropriated for addressing a wide range of questions for this species, including population differentiation, gene flow and mating systems. Most maternity populations appear to be declining in numbers, and many historic colonies no longer exist. The primary threat to this species appears to be human disturbance at roost sites, particularly recreational caving, renewed mining in old mining districts, and reclamation of abandoned mines for hazard abatement.

Genetic basis of triatomine behavior: lessons from available insect genomes

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Jose Manuel Latorre-Estivalis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Triatomines have been important model organisms for behavioural research. Diverse reports about triatomine host search, pheromone communication in the sexual, shelter and alarm contexts, daily cycles of activity, refuge choice and behavioural plasticity have been published in the last two decades. In recent times, a variety of molecular genetics techniques has allowed researchers to investigate elaborate and complex questions about the genetic bases of the physiology of insects. This, together with the current characterisation of the genome sequence of Rhodnius prolixus allows the resurgence of this excellent insect physiology model in the omics era. In the present revision, we suggest that studying the molecular basis of behaviour and sensory ecology in triatomines will promote a deeper understanding of fundamental aspects of insect and, particularly, vector biology. This will allow uncovering unknown features of essential insect physiology questions for a hemimetabolous model organism, promoting more robust comparative studies of insect sensory function and cognition.

[Geographical distribution and indicators entomologic of sinantropic triatomines captured in the State of Goiás].

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Antônio Wilson Soares; da Silva, Ionizete Garcia

2007-01-01

The geographic distribution of triatomines in Goiás and entomological indicators in the home environment are presented: home infestation, home triatomine density and vector infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. The indicators studied were from triatomines captured inside and outside homes in 201 municipalities in the State of Goiás, Brazil, between 2000 and 2003. A total of 249,868 home units were investigated and 51,570 triatomines were captured, and 335 specimens were found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Infestation outside the home was significantly greater than infestation inside the home for the species Triatoma sordida, followed by Panstrongylus megistus. The contrary was observed with the species Rhodnius neglectus, Panstrongylus geniculatus and Triatoma pseudomaculata (p<0.018). There was no significant difference between infestations inside and outside the home for the species Panstrongylus diasi, Triatoma costalimai and Triatoma williami. Only one specimen of Triatoma infestans was captured in the year 2000.

The importance of the opossum (Didelphis albiventris as a reservoir for Trypanosoma cruzi in Bambuí, Minas Gerais state

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Alexandre José Fernandes

1991-03-01

Full Text Available In a survey realized on the sylvatic and peridomestic environment at Bambuí county, Minas Gerais State, 44 (37.9% out of 116 opossums (Didelphis albiventris captured were found to be naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. One handred and forty three parasite samples were obtanied from 43 infected opossums using simultaneously hemoculture, xenodiagnosis (Triatoma infestans, Panstrongylus megistus and Rhodnius neglectus and examination of anal glands contents. The parasite samples were characterized according to six isoenzyme patterns. All samples, independently of the method of isolation, presented an isoenzyme pattern similar to the standard T. cruzi Z1, showing that either xenodiagnosis or hemoculture can used without selecting parasite subpopulation from naturally infected opossums. Preveous isoenzyme patterns reported for human T.cruzi isolates from same region were completely different. This isoenzyme dissimilarity between sylvatic and domiciliar environments suggests the existence of two independent T. cruzi transmission cycles in Bambuí. The epidemiological implicatinos of these results are discussed.

Absence of domestic triatomine colonies in an area of the coastal region of Ecuador where Chagas disease is endemic

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Mario J Grijalva

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is considered the second most important vector of Chagas disease in Ecuador. It is distributed across six of the 24 provinces and occupies intradomiciliary, peridomiciliary and sylvatic habitats. This study was conducted in six communities within the coastal province of Guayas. Triatomine searches were conducted in domestic and peridomestic habitats and bird nests using manual searches, live-bait traps and sensor boxes. Synantrhopic mammals were captured in the domestic and peridomestic habitats. Household searches (n = 429 and randomly placed sensor boxes (n = 360 produced no live triatomine adults or nymphs. In contrast, eight nymphs were found in two out of six searched Campylorhynchus fasciatus (Troglodytidae nests. Finally, Trypanosoma cruzi DNA was amplified from the blood of 10% of the 115 examined mammals. Environmental changes in land use (intensive rice farming, mosquito control interventions and lack of intradomestic adaptation are suggested among the possible reasons for the lack of domestic triatomine colonies.

Countercurrent heat exchange and thermoregulation during blood-feeding in kissing bugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahondère, Chloé; Insausti, Teresita C; Paim, Rafaela Mm; Luan, Xiaojie; Belev, George; Pereira, Marcos H; Ianowski, Juan P; Lazzari, Claudio R

2017-11-21

Blood-sucking insects experience thermal stress at each feeding event on endothermic vertebrates. We used thermography to examine how kissing-bugs Rhodnius prolixus actively protect themselves from overheating. During feeding, these bugs sequester and dissipate the excess heat in their heads while maintaining an abdominal temperature close to ambient. We employed a functional-morphological approach, combining histology, µCT and X-ray-synchrotron imaging to shed light on the way these insects manage the flow of heat across their bodies. The close alignment of the circulatory and ingestion systems, as well as other morphological characteristics, support the existence of a countercurrent heat exchanger in the head of R. prolixus , which decreases the temperature of the ingested blood before it reaches the abdomen. This kind of system has never been described before in the head of an insect. For the first time, we show that countercurrent heat exchange is associated to thermoregulation during blood-feeding.

Lysophosphatidylcholine: A Novel Modulator of Trypanosoma cruzi Transmission

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Mário A. C. Silva-Neto

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lysophosphatidylcholine is a bioactive lipid that regulates a large number of cellular processes and is especially present during the deposition and infiltration of inflammatory cells and deposition of atheromatous plaque. Such molecule is also present in saliva and feces of the hematophagous organism Rhodnius prolixus, a triatominae bug vector of Chagas disease. We have recently demonstrated that LPC is a modulator of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission. It acts as a powerful chemoattractant for inflammatory cells at the site of the insect bite, which will provide a concentrated population of cells available for parasite infection. Also, LPC increases macrophage intracellular calcium concentrations that ultimately enhance parasite invasion. Finally, LPC inhibits NO production by macrophages stimulated by live T. cruzi, and thus interferes with the immune system of the vertebrate host. In the present paper, we discuss the main signaling mechanisms that are likely used by such molecule and their eventual use as targets to block parasite transmission and the pathogenesis of Chagas disease.

Application of phase-contrast X-ray microtomography to study the internal structures of Rhodium prolixus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeida, Andre P. de; Soares, Jose; Barroso, Regina C. [State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Physics Institute; Braz, Delson, E-mail: delson@lin.ufrj.b [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Nuclear Engineering Program; Cardoso, Simone C., E-mail: simone@if.ufrj.b [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IF/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Physics Institute; Garcia, Eloi S.; Azambuja, Patricia [Oswaldo Cruz Institute (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Lab. of Biochemistry and Physiology of Insects; Gonzalez, Marcelo S. [Federal University Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Dept. of General Biology

2011-07-01

The PhC-SR-{mu}CT is a nondestructive technique that allows the microanatomical investigations and 3D images reconstructions within a short time. This technique performed in blood sucker, Rhodnius prolixus - one of the most important primary vectors of of Trypanosoma cruzi, ethiologic agent of Chagas' disease in Latin America and also the most well-know studied insect in terms of both physiology and vector-parasite interactions. However, little is known about the development and structure of its internal organs. The aim of this work is to provide a non-invasive option for studying the internal structures of the main vector of Chagas' disease, which should help to answer important questions concerning anatomy, development, structure and plasticity of insect in general. Three-dimensional rendering images can provide a detailed knowledge of the interior of the insect, which is crucial for a better understanding of its function and evolution. (author)

Lysophosphatidylcholine: A Novel Modulator of Trypanosoma cruzi Transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Silva-Neto, Mário A. C.; Carneiro, Alan B.; Silva-Cardoso, Livia; Atella, Georgia C.

2012-01-01

Lysophosphatidylcholine is a bioactive lipid that regulates a large number of cellular processes and is especially present during the deposition and infiltration of inflammatory cells and deposition of atheromatous plaque. Such molecule is also present in saliva and feces of the hematophagous organism Rhodnius prolixus, a triatominae bug vector of Chagas disease. We have recently demonstrated that LPC is a modulator of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission. It acts as a powerful chemoattractant for inflammatory cells at the site of the insect bite, which will provide a concentrated population of cells available for parasite infection. Also, LPC increases macrophage intracellular calcium concentrations that ultimately enhance parasite invasion. Finally, LPC inhibits NO production by macrophages stimulated by live T. cruzi, and thus interferes with the immune system of the vertebrate host. In the present paper, we discuss the main signaling mechanisms that are likely used by such molecule and their eventual use as targets to block parasite transmission and the pathogenesis of Chagas disease. PMID:22132309

[Anatomy and histology of salivary glands of Triatominae].

Science.gov (United States)

Lacombe, D

1999-01-01

Histological studies upon the salivary glands of ten species of triatomine bugs were performed looking for their number and structural organization in different genera. It was possible to evaluate the celular epithelium type of each gland, as well as the merocrine and apocrine secretions of the glands. Secretion run until the hilo and after to salivary pump and hypofaringe. The glandular components, D1, D2 and D3 are always present in the Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Diptelogaster but in Rhodnius there are only the first two pairs of glands. The salivary channels and the hilo are analyzed by histology. The whole pair D3 has a clear valve that regularizes the exit of the secretions to the hilo. According to the genus the valves appear in different locations. They have low and dense epithelium, and their nucleus are rich in chromatin. The secondary channels leaving these valves, are very different, with clear chitinous ringer, low level of chromatin in the nucleus and homogeneous cytoplasm.

Biology, diversity and strategies for the monitoring and control of triatomines--Chagas disease vectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Jane; Lorenzo, Marcelo

2009-07-01

Despite the relevant achievements in the control of the main Chagas disease vectors Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus, several factors still promote the risk of infection. The disease is a real threat to the poor rural regions of several countries in Latin America. The current situation in Brazil requires renewed attention due to its high diversity of triatomine species and to the rapid and drastic environmental changes that are occurring. Using the biology, behaviour and diversity of triatomines as a basis for new strategies for monitoring and controlling the vectorial transmission are discussed here. The importance of ongoing long-term monitoring activities for house infestations by T. infestans, Triatoma brasiliensis, Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma rubrovaria and R. prolixus is also stressed, as well as understanding the invasion by sylvatic species. Moreover, the insecticide resistance is analysed. Strong efforts to sustain and improve surveillance procedures are crucial, especially when the vectorial transmission is considered interrupted in many endemic areas.

The isolation and identification of Trypanosoma cruzi from raccoons in Maryland

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, B.C.; Bauman, P.M.; Diamond, L.S.; Herman, C.M.

1958-01-01

Five raccoons trapped at Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland, were found to have trypanosomes in the blood which were morphologically indistinguishable from Trypanosoma cruzi on stained smears. The organism grew well in culture. It developed and reproduced in Triatoma protracta, T. infestans, T. phyllosoma, and Rhodnius prolixus. Experimental infections were produced in raccoons, opossums, mice, rats, and monkeys by inoculation of blood, culture, and triatome forms. Typical leishmaniform bodies were found in tissue sections of cardiac muscle fibers from naturally and experimentally infected animals. Cross agglutinations carried out with Iiving cultural forms and rabbit antisera demonstrated a close antigenic relationship between the raccoon trypanosome and T. cruzi (Brazil strain). On the basis of (1) morphology, (2) presence of leishmaniform tissue stages, (3) development in triatomes, (4) infectivity to a variety of mammals, (5) culture characteristics, and (6) cross reactions in serological tests, this parasite is considered conspecific with Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909), the causative agent of American human trypanosomiasis.

DataTri, a database of American triatomine species occurrence

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccarelli, Soledad; Balsalobre, Agustín; Medone, Paula; Cano, María Eugenia; Gurgel Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Feliciangeli, Dora; Vezzani, Darío; Wisnivesky-Colli, Cristina; Gorla, David E.; Marti, Gerardo A.; Rabinovich, Jorge E.

2018-04-01

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted to mammals - including humans - by insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae. We present the results of a compilation of triatomine occurrence and complementary ecological data that represents the most complete, integrated and updated database (DataTri) available on triatomine species at a continental scale. This database was assembled by collecting the records of triatomine species published from 1904 to 2017, spanning all American countries with triatomine presence. A total of 21815 georeferenced records were obtained from published literature, personal fieldwork and data provided by colleagues. The data compiled includes 24 American countries, 14 genera and 135 species. From a taxonomic perspective, 67.33% of the records correspond to the genus Triatoma, 20.81% to Panstrongylus, 9.01% to Rhodnius and the remaining 2.85% are distributed among the other 11 triatomine genera. We encourage using DataTri information in various areas, especially to improve knowledge of the geographical distribution of triatomine species and its variations in time.

THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE EPIGEAL FAUNA IN THE CORN AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEM IN OCNA SIBIU (SIBIU COUNTY IN 2012

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Iuliana ANTONIE

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The arthropods have the role of biologic indicators, of diagnosis instruments regarding the negative effects of the human intervention in the structure and functioning of the agricultural ecosystems. Their presence or absence, the growth or lowering of their populations in the agricultural ecosystems can indicate the state of health of these systems and their good functioning. The aim of our researches is establishing the fauna structure of the community of arthropods at the soil level in the corn agricultural ecosystem in Ocna Sibiu, (Sibiu County; the characterization of the communities of invertebrates under the aspect of numerical abundance and of that of relative one; framing the entomologic fauna into a beneficial or pest one, the identification of the culture technology for the researched area. Regarding the applied researched methods, they were as follows: the using of pitfall traps (Barber traps that were at the level of the soil as well as the method of direct collecting of the fauna from the plants. As a result of our researches there was established the taxonomic and quantitative structure of the collected fauna through the methods of pitfall traps (Barber traps in Ocna Sibiu during 2012; there were identified 13 taxonomic groups. From the total of the collected agricultural fauna gathered by the help of pitfall traps in Ocna Sibiu locality there were identified 51 species of insects from which 30 were beneficial ones and 21 pest ones, the dominating order being Coleopteron with 35 species. The establishment of the group of arthropods, especially of the entomologic fauna, beneficial or pest indicates the equilibrium or the disequilibrium state from the researched corn three field systems. The ratio between the two types of fauna permits choosing the optimum method of maintaining the equilibrium between the species of the system and applying those measures of management in order to affect less the system in its assembly and to

Palynological analysis of camelid coprolites: seasonality in the use of the site Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 (Santa Cruz, Argentina)

Science.gov (United States)

Velázquez, Nadia Jimena; Burry, Lidia Susana; Fugassa, Martín Horacio; Civalero, María Teresa; Aschero, Carlos Alberto

2014-01-01

Palynological, palaeoparasitological and paleobotanical studies of coprolites found in archaeological sites from Perito Moreno National Park (47°57‧S72°05‧W) yielded information on diet, palaeoenvironment and health. These studies allowed adding evidence to the reconstruction of life history of the hunter-gatherers that inhabited Patagonia during the Holocene. We examined the season of the year when camelid Lama guanicoe coprolites (5400 ± 64 yr 14C BP to 9640 ± 190 yr 14C BP) were deposited at Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 (site CCP7). The study used palynological evidence and comparison with pollen spectra of modern feces collected during summer, fall, winter and spring of 2010. The dominant types were: pollen of Nothofagus, Empetrum rubrum, Asteraceae subfam. Asteroideae, Nassauvia, Caryophyllaceae and Poaceae; fern spores; remains of Eimeria macusaniensis; and plant remains of Poaceae, Festuca pallescens, Stipa speciosa, Armeria maritima, Gaultheria mucronata and E. rubrum. Pollen spectra of modern and fossil feces were used for multivariate analysis. Coprolites associated to fall and winter modern feces. These results and those obtained from pollen concentration values and the presence of pollen types indicators of seasonality, allowed the determination of summer, fall and winter coprolites. However, caution must be taken with the seasonality results of coprolites dated earlier than 9000 years BP since the environmental conditions differed from now. The site was probably a camelid shelter during the unfavorable seasons.

Spin gymnastics at HERA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barber, Desmond; Gianfelice-Wendt, Eliana [DESY Laboratory (Germany); Berglund, Mari [DelftChemTech (Netherlands)

2003-07-01

The HERA machine at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg is unique among particle accelerators. This is because it collides electrons (or positrons) with protons at high energies. This allows physicists to study the structure of the proton at very short length scales. And when the accelerator starts running again this month, after an 18-week shutdown, it will be able to explore the proton in even greater detail thanks to a new-found ability to study these high-energy collisions using longitudinally polarized positrons. In the July issue of Physics World Desmond Barber and Eliana Gianfelice-Wendt from the DESY laboratory in Germany and Mari Berglund from DelftChemTech in the Netherlands explain the advances in accelerator science and technology that have made this possible. (U.K.)

NEW CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BEETLES FAUNA OF PLUM ORCHARDS

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Nela Tălmaciu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Observations were made in 2015 in a plum fruit tree orchards of Pietrărie stationary from Bârnova belonging Iasi County. For the collection were used the soil traps Barber, the wet type. Six traps have been used in which was placed a solution of formalin concentrate 3-4%. They were made a total of seven harvests of traps on the following dates: 28.05; 30.05; 15.06; 12.07; 26.07; 10.08 and 23.08. For each collection were selected and then identified species of beetles collected. The determination was made by using manuals for the determination wrote by Panin S and Ritter E. or the Internet sources. Biggest species abundance were: Dermestes laniarius L., Cyaninis cyanea L., Polydrosus sericeus Schall., Coccinella septempunctata L. and Amara aenea Dejean.

One-Piece Implant-Retained Mandibular Overdentures By Pre-Fabricated Titanium Telescopic Attachments and Frictional Varnish: A Two-Year Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nik, Shahram Namjoy; Nejatian, Touraj

2016-12-01

Clinical efficiency of one-piece screw-type implants with telescopic were attachments evaluated in this study. Twenty-four patients received a mandibular implant-supported overdenture and maxillary complete denture. Ninety-six one-piece implants were inserted in the inter-foraminal area. Implants were immediately loaded with an implant-retained overdenture and telescopic attachments which had frictional retention elements. There was 0.25±0.24 mm, 0.32±0.25 mm, 0.43±0.30 mm, 0.61±0.30 mm and of bone resorption after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. The need to activate the frictional retention was the most common complication. Treatment outcomes for prefabricated telescopic retained overdentures on one-piece implants are similar to that obtained in cases of delayed loading. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Prevalência, índices de infecção e hábitos alimentares de triatomíneos capturados em uma área de vigilância epidemiológica

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Vera Lúcia C. Corrêa Rodrigues

1992-09-01

Full Text Available Em continuação a estudo anterior, relativo à prevalência e infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi dos triatomíneos capturados na região administrativa de Campinas, SP, os autores apresentam dados do período de 1982-1986, acrescentando informações sobre respastos sangüíneos realizados por 7.785 exemplares. Para tanto, foram utilizados os anti-soros: ave, marsupial, roedor e humano, através dos quais constataram o ecletismo alimentar de Panstrongylus megistus, espécie predominante na região, cujas formas aladas são encontradas com freqüência, infectadas por T. cruzi, nas casas habitadas. Desses, 14,78% reagiram frente ao anti-soro humano. Com Rhodnius neglectus foi observada situação assemelhada, mas com números menos expressivos. Em relação ao Triatoma sórdida, não foi constatada infecção natural e tampouco sinais de ingestão de sangue humano. Foi constatado acentuado aumento de T. arthurneivai nas casas, fruto da provável modificação ocorrida no ambiente natural. No período, foi encontrado Microtiatoma borbai, detectado pela primeira vez no Estado de São Paulo. Ressaltam também a importância da "investigação de foco " nas áreas em fase de vigilância.Prevalence of triatomines and their infection by Trypanosoma cruzi, were studied during 1974-1981, in the Administrative Region of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. This investigation was continued (1982-1986, blood meal tests with bird, marsupial, rodent and human antisera having been added. Panstrongylus megistus, predominant in the region, whose winged instars are often found infected by T. cruzi in inhabited houses, displayed and alimentary eclecticism. From a sample of 7,785, 14.78 percent reacted positively with human antisera. A similar, but less marked behaviour was observed in Rhodnius neglectus. Triatoma sordida, the secondmost important species in the Region, was neither demonstrated to be feeding on humans nor to be infected by T. cruzi. Changes in their

Edinburgh doctors and their physic gardens.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, D

2008-12-01

Edinburgh has had eight physic gardens on different sites since its first one was created by the Incorporation of Barbers and Surgeons in 1656. As the gardens grew in size, they evolved from herb gardens to botanic gardens with small herbaria for the supply of medical herbs. They were intended for the instruction of medical, surgical and apothecary students and, in the case of the physicians, to demonstrate the need for a physicians' college and a pharmacopoeia. Some of the doctors in charge of them were equally famous and influential in botany as in medicine, and while Edinburgh Town Council enjoyed the fame the gardens brought to the city it was parsimonious and slow to support its botanical pioneers. The gardens are celebrated today in the Sibbald Garden within the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Readying Community Water Fluoridation Advocates through Training, Surveillance, and Empowerment.

Science.gov (United States)

Veschusio, C; Jones, M K; Mercer, J; Martin, A B

2018-05-30

This paper describes the Community Water Fluoridation Advocacy Training Project that was designed to develop networks of community water fluoridation advocates in rural communities. The South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control Division of Oral Health staff and the SC Dental Association were responsible for developing and facilitating the training sessions for key policy influencers, which included medical and dental providers, early childhood educators, and water system operators and managers. Findings from the post-training survey indicate that participants increased their knowledge and skills to discuss the impact of water fluoridation on the dental health of community residents. Participants identified a need for online access to water fluoridation education and advocacy materials. Dental public health competencies illustrated: communication and collaboration with groups and individuals, and advocate, implement and evaluate public health policy, legislation and regulations. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

‘Children and fools, they say, cannot lie’: un dicton tourné en plaisanterie dans Misogonus d’Anthony Rudd ‘Children and fools, they say, cannot lie’: a Proverb Turned Upside Down in Anthony Rudd’s Misogonus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Blanc

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In the play entitled Misogonus that is attributed to Anthony Rudd by one of its editors, Lester E. Barber, the Vice-character, Cacurgus, stands out as a virtuoso performer even though he merely demonstrates a moral lesson. The double-dealing servant of two masters, Cacurgus goes out of his way to prove the ill-founded premises of the saying “Children and fools, they say, cannot lie”. He deceives both of his masters, but remains loyal to his audience for whom he performs a highly entertaining play. The two aspects of his role are shown to be quite distinct as he intervenes on the outside and inside of two separate plots in which the twists and turns of a devious mind are displayed as being a series of disagreeable tricks played upon a group of malleable, credulous victims.

X-ray cone beam microtomography for quantitative assessment of tracheal and pharyngeal volumes of Rhodnius prolixus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Izabella Soares de

2017-01-01

In the past decade microcomputerized tomography imaging using synchrotron radiation has become a powerful technique to generate high resolution images of Rhodinus prolixus. Images of soft tissues (protocerebrum and muscles) and dense structures (pharynx, trachea and esophagus) of R. prolixus head have been obtained using synchrotron radiation microtomography in mono and polychromatic configuration, respectively. Advancements in conventional microtomography have increased the achievable resolution and contrast, making this relatively inexpensive and widely available technology potentially useful for studies of insect internal morphology. The main goal of this work was to provide a new set of high quality microtomographic images of R. prolixus achieved by means of a desktop X-ray microtomograph. It allows the three-dimensional visualization of important chitinized structures: pharynx and tracheae. Pharyngeal and tracheal volumes were quantitatively evaluated at different days (1, 4, 10, 15 and 20) after feeding. The results suggest that variation of average volumes could be attributed to insect hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20-OH-Ec) pulse at 11 days after feeding. Pharyngeal volumes decrease 3.80 times. On the other hand, tracheal volumes increase 1.78 times. Head total volume showed similar trends than trachea. (author)

Novel adipokinetic hormones in the kissing bugs Rhodnius prolixus, Triatoma infestans, Dipetalogaster maxima and Panstrongylus megistrus

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Marco, H. G.; Šimek, Petr; Clark, K. D.; Gäde, G.

2013-01-01

Roč. 41, MAR 10 (2013), s. 21-30 ISSN 0196-9781 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NT11513 Grant - others:National Research Foundation(ZA) IFR 2008071500048; National Research Foundation(ZA) FA 2007021300002 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : insects * kissing bugs * reduviidae Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 2.614, year: 2013 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196978112004433

Anti-complement activity in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and other haematophagous insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavalcante, R R; Pereira, M H; Gontijo, N F

2003-07-01

The saliva of haematophagous insects has a series of pharmacological activities which may favour blood feeding. In the present study, an inhibitory effect on the complement system was observed in salivary extracts obtained from the phlebotomine sand flies Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lu. migonei. Saliva from Lu. longipalpis was capable of inhibiting both the classical and alternative pathways, while that from Lu. migonei acted only on the former. Other haematophagous insect species were screened for inhibition of the classical pathway. The triatomine bugs Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis and Rhodnius prolixus were also able to inhibit the classical pathway whereas the mosquito Aedes aegyti and flea Ctenocephalides felis were not. The activity of Lu. longipalpis saliva on the classical pathway was partially characterized. The inhibitor is a protein of Mr 10000-30000 Da, which is very resistant to denaturation by heat. The inhibition of the complement system by phlebotomine sand flies may have a role in the transmission of Leishmania to the vertebrate hosts. The inhibitor molecule is thus a promising component of a vaccine to target salivary immunomodulators.

Structure and ligand-binding properties of the biogenic amine-binding protein from the saliva of a blood-feeding insect vector of Trypanosoma cruzi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Xueqing; Chang, Bianca W. [NIH/NIAID, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States); Mans, Ben J. [NIH/NIAID, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States); Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort 0110 (South Africa); Ribeiro, Jose M. C.; Andersen, John F., E-mail: jandersen@niaid.nih.gov [NIH/NIAID, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)

2013-01-01

Biogenic amine-binding proteins mediate the anti-inflammatory and antihemostatic activities of blood-feeding insect saliva. The structure of the amine-binding protein from R. prolixus reveals the interaction of biogenic amine ligands with the protein. Proteins that bind small-molecule mediators of inflammation and hemostasis are essential for blood-feeding by arthropod vectors of infectious disease. In ticks and triatomine insects, the lipocalin protein family is greatly expanded and members have been shown to bind biogenic amines, eicosanoids and ADP. These compounds are potent mediators of platelet activation, inflammation and vascular tone. In this paper, the structure of the amine-binding protein (ABP) from Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of the trypanosome that causes Chagas disease, is described. ABP binds the biogenic amines serotonin and norepinephrine with high affinity. A complex with tryptamine shows the presence of a binding site for a single ligand molecule in the central cavity of the β-barrel structure. The cavity contains significant additional volume, suggesting that this protein may have evolved from the related nitrophorin proteins, which bind a much larger heme ligand in the central cavity.

Structure and ligand-binding properties of the biogenic amine-binding protein from the saliva of a blood-feeding insect vector of Trypanosoma cruzi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xueqing; Chang, Bianca W.; Mans, Ben J.; Ribeiro, Jose M. C.; Andersen, John F.

2013-01-01

Biogenic amine-binding proteins mediate the anti-inflammatory and antihemostatic activities of blood-feeding insect saliva. The structure of the amine-binding protein from R. prolixus reveals the interaction of biogenic amine ligands with the protein. Proteins that bind small-molecule mediators of inflammation and hemostasis are essential for blood-feeding by arthropod vectors of infectious disease. In ticks and triatomine insects, the lipocalin protein family is greatly expanded and members have been shown to bind biogenic amines, eicosanoids and ADP. These compounds are potent mediators of platelet activation, inflammation and vascular tone. In this paper, the structure of the amine-binding protein (ABP) from Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of the trypanosome that causes Chagas disease, is described. ABP binds the biogenic amines serotonin and norepinephrine with high affinity. A complex with tryptamine shows the presence of a binding site for a single ligand molecule in the central cavity of the β-barrel structure. The cavity contains significant additional volume, suggesting that this protein may have evolved from the related nitrophorin proteins, which bind a much larger heme ligand in the central cavity

Geographic Distribution of Chagas Disease Vectors in Brazil Based on Ecological Niche Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although Brazil was declared free from Chagas disease transmission by the domestic vector Triatoma infestans, human acute cases are still being registered based on transmission by native triatomine species. For a better understanding of transmission risk, the geographic distribution of Brazilian triatomines was analyzed. Sixteen out of 62 Brazilian species that both occur in >20 municipalities and present synanthropic tendencies were modeled based on their ecological niches. Panstrongylus geniculatus and P. megistus showed broad ecological ranges, but most of the species sort out by the biome in which they are distributed: Rhodnius pictipes and R. robustus in the Amazon; R. neglectus, Triatoma sordida, and T. costalimai in the Cerrado; R. nasutus, P. lutzi, T. brasiliensis, T. pseudomaculata, T. melanocephala, and T. petrocchiae in the Caatinga; T. rubrovaria in the southern pampas; T. tibiamaculata and T. vitticeps in the Atlantic Forest. Although most occurrences were recorded in open areas (Cerrado and Caatinga, our results show that all environmental conditions in the country are favorable to one or more of the species analyzed, such that almost nowhere is Chagas transmission risk negligible.

Empowering the people: Development of an HIV peer education model for low literacy rural communities in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krupp Karl

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite ample evidence that HIV has entered the general population, most HIV awareness programs in India continue to neglect rural areas. Low HIV awareness and high stigma, fueled by low literacy, seasonal migration, gender inequity, spatial dispersion, and cultural taboos pose extra challenges to implement much-needed HIV education programs in rural areas. This paper describes a peer education model developed to educate and empower low-literacy communities in the rural district of Perambalur (Tamil Nadu, India. Methods From January to December 2005, six non-governmental organizations (NGO's with good community rapport collaborated to build and pilot-test an HIV peer education model for rural communities. The program used participatory methods to train 20 NGO field staff (Outreach Workers, 102 women's self-help group (SHG leaders, and 52 barbers to become peer educators. Cartoon-based educational materials were developed for low-literacy populations to convey simple, comprehensive messages on HIV transmission, prevention, support and care. In addition, street theatre cultural programs highlighted issues related to HIV and stigma in the community. Results The program is estimated to have reached over 30 000 villagers in the district through 2051 interactive HIV awareness programs and one-on-one communication. Outreach workers (OWs and peer educators distributed approximately 62 000 educational materials and 69 000 condoms, and also referred approximately 2844 people for services including voluntary counselling and testing (VCT, care and support for HIV, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually-transmitted infections (STI. At least 118 individuals were newly diagnosed as persons living with HIV (PLHIV; 129 PLHIV were referred to the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine (in Tambaram for extra medical support. Focus group discussions indicate that the program was well received in the communities, led to improved health

La polémica sobre el hombre terciario y su expresión en la valencia de comienzos del siglo XX

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Catalá Gorgues, Jesús I.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Postulates on the tertiary age of humanity by some late-19^th century evolutionists gave rise to heated controversy among naturalists, biologists and physicians. In Spain, the diatribes between supporters and detractors must be located within the general context of the evolutionary subject in a country, that was deeply polarized by ideological impregnations. Spanish debate was specially motivated by the arrival in Valencia of a human skeleton fossil in 1889. This specimen, collected in Argentina, showed some peculiar traits that were classified as primitive and dating from the Tertiary time period. During the early decades of 20^th century, a series of papers about that skeleton were published and the controversy was reactivated. On one side, we find Eduardo Boscá, natural history professor in the University of Valencia, as a partisan of Tertiary age; on the other, the physician Faustino Barberá and some Jesuit scientists. Scientific data and ideological and religious arguments were combined in the defence of each confronted view.

El postulado por parte de algunos evolucionistas de finales del siglo XIX acerca de la antigüedad terciaria de la humanidad suscitó intensas polémicas entre naturalistas, biólogos y médicos. En España también hubo adherentes y detractores, cuyas diatribas entraban en el contexto general de la cuestión evolucionista en nuestro país. El debate se animó especialmente a raíz de la llegada a Valencia, en 1889, de un esqueleto humano fósil procedente de la Argentina al que se le atribuyeron rasgos primitivos y una gran antigüedad. A comienzos del siglo XX, una serie de publicaciones sobre dicho ejemplar reactivaron la polémica, con el catedrático de la Universidad de Valencia, Eduardo Boscá, como partidario de la atribución de edad terciaria, y con el antagonismo destacado ante tal propuesta del médico Faustino Barberá y de diversos científicos jesuitas. Datos científicos y

Alternative Locales for the Health Promotion of African American Men: A Survey of African American Men in Chicago Barbershops.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, A B; Moore, N J; Wright, M; Gipson, J; Keeter, M; Cornelious, T; Reed, D; Russell, J; Watson, K S; Murray, M

2017-02-01

African American men (AA) carry unequal burdens of several conditions including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV. Engagement of diverse populations including AA men in research and health promotion practice is vital to examining the health disparities that continue to plague many racially and ethnically diverse communities. To date, there is little research on best practices that indicate locations, community areas and settings to engage AA men in research and health promotion. Traditionally, the AA church has been a key area to engage AA men and women. However, changing tides in attendance of AA parishioners require additional information to identify areas where AAs, particularly, AA men congregate. The AA barbershop has been identified as a place of social cohesion, cultural immersion and solidarity for AA men but specific sub-populations of AA men may be underrepresented. To further investigate additional locales where AA men congregate, this study engaged AA barbers and clients in several urban community barbershops in Chicago, Illinois. 127 AA men over age 18y/o receiving grooming services in 25 Chicago area barbershops across 14 predominantly AA communities were consented and recruited for a quantitative survey study. The self-administered surveys were completed in ~15 min and $10 compensation was provided to men. Descriptive statistics were reported for demographic variables and for frequency of responses for locations to find AA men of specific age ranges for health promotion and screening activities. Outside of the traditionally used churches or barbershops, the top recommended recruitment sites by age were: 18-29y/o- city park or a recreational center; 30-39y/o- gym, bars or the street; 40-49y/o- various stores, especially home improvement stores, and the mall; and 50y/o+- fast food restaurants in the mornings, such as McDonalds, and individual's homes. The study participants also reported that locations where AA men congregate vary by age

Communication: modeling charge-sign asymmetric solvation free energies with nonlinear boundary conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P; Knepley, Matthew G

2014-10-07

We show that charge-sign-dependent asymmetric hydration can be modeled accurately using linear Poisson theory after replacing the standard electric-displacement boundary condition with a simple nonlinear boundary condition. Using a single multiplicative scaling factor to determine atomic radii from molecular dynamics Lennard-Jones parameters, the new model accurately reproduces MD free-energy calculations of hydration asymmetries for: (i) monatomic ions, (ii) titratable amino acids in both their protonated and unprotonated states, and (iii) the Mobley "bracelet" and "rod" test problems [D. L. Mobley, A. E. Barber II, C. J. Fennell, and K. A. Dill, "Charge asymmetries in hydration of polar solutes," J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 2405-2414 (2008)]. Remarkably, the model also justifies the use of linear response expressions for charging free energies. Our boundary-element method implementation demonstrates the ease with which other continuum-electrostatic solvers can be extended to include asymmetry.

Communication: Modeling charge-sign asymmetric solvation free energies with nonlinear boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P.; Knepley, Matthew G.

2014-01-01

We show that charge-sign-dependent asymmetric hydration can be modeled accurately using linear Poisson theory after replacing the standard electric-displacement boundary condition with a simple nonlinear boundary condition. Using a single multiplicative scaling factor to determine atomic radii from molecular dynamics Lennard-Jones parameters, the new model accurately reproduces MD free-energy calculations of hydration asymmetries for: (i) monatomic ions, (ii) titratable amino acids in both their protonated and unprotonated states, and (iii) the Mobley “bracelet” and “rod” test problems [D. L. Mobley, A. E. Barber II, C. J. Fennell, and K. A. Dill, “Charge asymmetries in hydration of polar solutes,” J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 2405–2414 (2008)]. Remarkably, the model also justifies the use of linear response expressions for charging free energies. Our boundary-element method implementation demonstrates the ease with which other continuum-electrostatic solvers can be extended to include asymmetry

[Christian Wisbech--his hospital and surgery in the 1820s].

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, C W

1993-12-10

Christian Wisbech (1801-1869) was medical superintendent of "Bergen civile Sygehus" during the period 1825-1848. Some of his annual reports have been published. The hospital had 56 beds. The permanent staff included one "spisemester" (caterer) and two "sygeopvartersker" (nurses). Christian Wisbech's medicine was based on strict scientific principles and pathological anatomy. A post-mortem was performed on the deceased. Other current trends in medical practice at that time were foreign to him. It is assumed that he was inspired by Giovanni Morgagni (1682-1771) and John Hunter (1728-1793). His treatment was partly medical and partly surgical. Wisbech treated surprisingly few injuries. A possible explanation is the large number of "barbers and surgeons" in Bergen at that time. It was probably a centuries-long tradition among the population to go to such persons to be treated for broken bones, wounds and other complaints.

Communication: Modeling charge-sign asymmetric solvation free energies with nonlinear boundary conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P. [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Knepley, Matthew G. [Computation Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States)

2014-10-07

We show that charge-sign-dependent asymmetric hydration can be modeled accurately using linear Poisson theory after replacing the standard electric-displacement boundary condition with a simple nonlinear boundary condition. Using a single multiplicative scaling factor to determine atomic radii from molecular dynamics Lennard-Jones parameters, the new model accurately reproduces MD free-energy calculations of hydration asymmetries for: (i) monatomic ions, (ii) titratable amino acids in both their protonated and unprotonated states, and (iii) the Mobley “bracelet” and “rod” test problems [D. L. Mobley, A. E. Barber II, C. J. Fennell, and K. A. Dill, “Charge asymmetries in hydration of polar solutes,” J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 2405–2414 (2008)]. Remarkably, the model also justifies the use of linear response expressions for charging free energies. Our boundary-element method implementation demonstrates the ease with which other continuum-electrostatic solvers can be extended to include asymmetry.

Airborne ocean water lidar (OWL) real time processor (RTP)

Science.gov (United States)

Hryszko, M.

1995-03-01

The Hyperflo Real Time Processor (RTP) was developed by Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation as a part of the Naval Air Warfare Center's Ocean Water Lidar (OWL) system. The RTP was used for real time support of open ocean field tests at Barbers Point, Hawaii, in March 1993 (EMERALD I field test), and Jacksonville, Florida, in July 1994 (EMERALD I field test). This report describes the system configuration, and accomplishments associated with the preparation and execution of these exercises. This document is intended to supplement the overall test reports and provide insight into the development and use of the PTP. A secondary objective is to provide basic information on the capabilities, versatility and expandability of the Hyperflo RTP for possible future projects. It is assumed herein that the reader has knowledge of the OWL system, field test operations, general lidar processing methods, and basic computer architecture.

Epidemiología de la enfermedad de Chagas en el municipio Andrés Eloy Blanco, Lara, Venezuela: infestación triatomínica y seroprevalencia en humanos Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Andrés Eloy Blanco, Lara, Venezuela: triatomine infestation and human seroprevalence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudina Rodríguez-Bonfante

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Se realizó un despistaje serológico y recolección de vectores en cuatro comunidades rurales del municipio Andrés Eloy Blanco, Estado Lara, Venezuela. La muestra fue escogida en forma sistemática y aleatoria basada en conglomerados familiares. Se muestrearon 869 habitantes para determinar anticuerpos anti-Trypanosoma cruzi y anti-Leishmania sp. por inmunofluorescencia indirecta, aceptando como positivo diluciones > a 1:32 para anticuerpos anti-T. cruzi no reactivos para antígenos de Leishmania sp., obteniendo una frecuencia de anticuerpos en la muestra de 6,9% (n = 60; de los cuales 46,66% son femeninos, 53,33% masculinos y 60% mayores de 40 años. Se observó que 5 (8,33% de los seropositivos eran menores de 10 años y 10 (16,66% menores de 20 años. Rhodnius prolixus y Panstrongylus geniculatus fueron los triatominos capturados, con índice de infestación de 1,9 y 10,54%, índice de colonización, del 0 y 18,18% en las viviendas infestadas e índice de infección a T. cruzi del 20 y 5,07%, respectivamente. Los resultados sugieren que existe una transmisión activa de la enfermedad de Chagas en el Municipio Andrés Eloy Blanco en las últimas dos décadas y que P. geniculatus está substituyendo a R. prolixus como vector de la enfermedad de Chagas.A seroepidemiological survey and vector captures were performed in four rural communities in Andrés Eloy Blanco, Lara State, Venezuela. Systematic random sampling was based on family clusters, with samples drawn from 869 individuals to determine anti-Trypanosoma cruzi and anti-Leishmania sp. antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence. Positive individuals were defined as > 1:32 for anti-T. cruzi antibody and non-reactive to Leishmania sp. antigen, revealing an antibody frequency of 6.9% (n = 60, of whom 46.66% were females and 53.33% males and 60% were over 39 years of age. Some 5 (8.33% seropositive individuals were under 10 years of age and 10 (16.66% under 20 years. Rhodnius prolixus and

Application of synchrotron radiation phase-contrast microtomography with iodine staining to Rhodnius prolixus head during ecdysis period

Science.gov (United States)

Sena, G.; Nogueira, L. P.; Braz, D.; Colaço, M. V.; Azambuja, P.; Gonzalez, M. S.; Tromba, G.; Mantuano, A.; Costa, F. N.; Barroso, R. C.

2018-05-01

Synchrotron radiation phase-contrast microtomography (SR-PHC-CT) has become an important tool in studies of insects, mainly Rhodinius prolixus, the insect vector of Chagas disease. A previous work has shown that SR-PHC-CT is an excellent technique in studies about the ecdysis process of R.prolixus head. The term ecdysis refers to the set of behaviors by which an insect extracts itself from an old exoskeleton. The exoskeleton formation is indispensable for the evolutionary success of insect species, so failure to complete ecdysis will, in most cases result in death, making this process an excellent target in the search for new insect pest management strategies. Understanding the behavior of the ecdysis process is fundamental for the non-proliferation of Chagas disease. Despite it has been possible to identify the moulting process in the first work, main structures of the R.prolixus head could not be identified. In this work, it was developed a staining protocol which enabled the identification of these important structures using Iodine at SYRMEP beamline of ELETTRA. In the 3D images, it was possible to segment essential structures in the process of ecdysis. These structures have never been presented previously in the moulting period with SR-PHC-CT.

X-ray cone beam microtomography for quantitative assessment of tracheal and pharyngeal volumes of Rhodnius prolixus; Utilizacao da microtomografia computadorizada com feixe de raios-X conico para a determinacao quantitativa do volume da traqueia e faringe do Rhodnius prolixus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Izabella Soares de

2017-07-01

In the past decade microcomputerized tomography imaging using synchrotron radiation has become a powerful technique to generate high resolution images of Rhodinus prolixus. Images of soft tissues (protocerebrum and muscles) and dense structures (pharynx, trachea and esophagus) of R. prolixus head have been obtained using synchrotron radiation microtomography in mono and polychromatic configuration, respectively. Advancements in conventional microtomography have increased the achievable resolution and contrast, making this relatively inexpensive and widely available technology potentially useful for studies of insect internal morphology. The main goal of this work was to provide a new set of high quality microtomographic images of R. prolixus achieved by means of a desktop X-ray microtomograph. It allows the three-dimensional visualization of important chitinized structures: pharynx and tracheae. Pharyngeal and tracheal volumes were quantitatively evaluated at different days (1, 4, 10, 15 and 20) after feeding. The results suggest that variation of average volumes could be attributed to insect hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20-OH-Ec) pulse at 11 days after feeding. Pharyngeal volumes decrease 3.80 times. On the other hand, tracheal volumes increase 1.78 times. Head total volume showed similar trends than trachea. (author)

The role of avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits in matching patients with major depression to cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic therapy: A replication study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikkert, Martijn J; Driessen, Ellen; Peen, Jaap; Barber, Jacques P; Bockting, Claudi; Schalkwijk, Frans; Dekker, Jeff; Dekker, Jack J M

2016-11-15

Barber and Muenz (1996) reported that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was more effective than interpersonal therapy (IPT) for depressed patients with elevated levels of avoidant personality disorder, while IPT was more effective than CBT in patients with elevated levels of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. These findings may have important clinical implications, but have not yet been replicated. We conducted a study using data from a randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of CBT and short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy in the outpatient treatment of depression. We found no evidence indicating that avoidant patients may benefit more from CBT compared to short-term psychodynamic supportive therapy (SPSP). Our results indicate that treatment effect does not depend on the level of avoidance, or obsessive-compulsiveness personality disorders further examine the influence of personality disorders on the effectiveness of CBT or psychodynamic therapy in the treatment of depression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Communication: Modeling charge-sign asymmetric solvation free energies with nonlinear boundary conditions

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Bardhan, Jaydeep P.; Knepley, Matthew G.

2014-01-01

We show that charge-sign-dependent asymmetric hydration can be modeled accurately using linear Poisson theory after replacing the standard electric-displacement boundary condition with a simple nonlinear boundary condition. Using a single multiplicative scaling factor to determine atomic radii from molecular dynamics Lennard-Jones parameters, the new model accurately reproduces MD free-energy calculations of hydration asymmetries for: (i) monatomic ions, (ii) titratable amino acids in both their protonated and unprotonated states, and (iii) the Mobley “bracelet” and “rod” test problems [D. L. Mobley, A. E. Barber II, C. J. Fennell, and K. A. Dill, “Charge asymmetries in hydration of polar solutes,” J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 2405–2414 (2008)]. Remarkably, the model also justifies the use of linear response expressions for charging free energies. Our boundary-element method implementation demonstrates the ease with which other continuum-electrostatic solvers can be extended to include asymmetry. PMID:25296776

ICLAS of water in the 770 nm transparency window (12 746-13 558 cm-1). Comparison with current experimental and calculated databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campargue, A.; Mikhailenko, S.; Liu, A.W.

2008-01-01

The absorption spectrum of water vapor has been investigated by intracavity laser spectroscopy (ICLAS) in the 12 746-13 558 cm -1 spectral region corresponding to an interesting transparency window of the atmosphere, partly obscured by the A band of molecular oxygen. The achieved sensitivity-in the order of α min ∼10 -9 cm -1 -has allowed one to measure 1062 water lines with intensities ranging from 1.6x10 -28 to 2.35x10 -24 cm/molecule at 296 K. A total of 169 new and improved energy levels belonging to 21 vibrational states could be determined from 374 newly measured transitions. The retrieved experimental line list is compared with the spectra calculated by Schwenke and Partridge, and Barber and Tennyson. Comparison with the available experimental databases shows that the obtained results represent a significant improvement of the knowledge of the water absorption in the considered region, in particular in the region of the oxygen A band

Stigma, sex work, and substance use: a comparative analysis.

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Benoit, Cecilia; McCarthy, Bill; Jansson, Mikael

2015-03-01

Stigma is a widely used concept in social science research and an extensive literature claims that stigmatisation contributes to numerous negative health outcomes. However, few studies compare groups that vary in the extent to which they are stigmatised and even fewer studies examine stigma's independent and mediating effects. This article addresses these gaps in a comparative study of perceived stigma and drug use among three low-income feminised service occupations: sex work, food and alcoholic beverage serving, and barbering and hairstyling. An analysis of longitudinal data shows positive associations between sex work, perceived stigma, and socially less acceptable drug use (for example, heroin and cocaine), and that stigma mediates part of the link between sex work and the use of these drugs. Our overall findings suggest that perceived stigma is pronounced among those who work in the sex industry and negatively affects health independently of sex work involvement. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

History of clubfoot treatment, part I: From manipulation in antiquity to splint and plaster in Renaissance before tenotomy.

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Hernigou, Philippe; Huys, Maxime; Pariat, Jacques; Jammal, Sibylle

2017-08-01

Idiopathic clubfoot is one of the most common problems in paediatric orthopaedics. The treatment is controversial and continues to be one of the challenges in paediatric orthopaedics. The aim of this review is to assess the different methods of clubfoot treatment used over the years in light of the documentation present in the literature and art paintings from the antiquity to the end of the 19th century. The aim of this paper is to review all treatment methods of the clubfoot over the years that were proposed to provide patients a functional, pain-free, normal-looking foot, with good mobility, without calluses, and requiring no special shoes. Hippocrates was the first to write references about treatment methods of clubfoot. After the Middle Ages and the Renaissance where patients were treated by barber-surgeons, quacks and charlatans, bonesetters, and trussmakers, there were more detailed studies on the disease, with the help of famous names in medicine such as Venel and Scarpa.

Scratch's Third Body: Video Talks Back to Television

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Leo Goldsmith

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Emerging in the UK in the 1980s, Scratch Video established a paradoxical union of mass-media critique, Left-wing politics, and music-video and advertising aesthetics with its use of moving-image appropriation in the medium of videotape. Enabled by innovative professional and consumer video technologies, artists like George Barber, The Gorilla Tapes, and Sandra Goldbacher and Kim Flitcroft deployed a style characterized by the rapid sampling and manipulation of dissociated images drawn from broadcast television. Inspired by the cut-up methods of William Burroughs and the audio sampling practiced by contemporary black American musicians, these artists developed strategies for intervening in the audiovisual archive of television and disseminating its images in new contexts: in galleries and nightclubs, and on home video. Reconceptualizing video's “body,” Scratch's appropriation of televisual images of the human form imagined a new hybrid image of the post-industrial body, a “third body” representing a new convergence of human and machine.

Lithofacies analysis of the Simpson Group in south-central Kansas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doveton, J.H.; Charpentier, R.R.; Metzger, E.P.

1990-01-01

This book discusses detailed stratigraphy and lithofacies of the oil-productive Middle Ordovician Simpson Group in south-central Kansas. The report presents results of studies of the Simpson Group in Barber, Comanche, Kiowa, and Pratt counties. The high density of exploration holes and their associated logs allowed a detailed stratigraphic subdivision to be made of shale, sandstone, and sandy carbonate units. The lateral changes in these units are depicted in a series of maps and cross sections and show distinctive lithofacies patterns that reflect a history of northward-moving marine transgression. Working with digital data from gamma-ray logs, the geologists used computer methods to generate a series of cross sections of the Simpson Group, based on the statistical moments of the log traces. Automated mapping displayed the shapes and disposition of shale and non-shale units as continuous features in three dimensions. The ground truth information from drill cuttings further refined interpretations of stratigraphy, lithofacies, and depositional history implied by these computer models

An assessment of dynamic energy conversion systems for terrestrial radioisotope heat sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thayer, G.R.

1985-01-01

The use of dynamic conversion systems to convert to electricity the heat generated in a 7500 W(t) 90 Sr radioisotopic heat source is examined. Brayton Cycle, three Organic Rankine systems (Barber-Nichols/ORMAT, Sundstrand, and TRW concepts), Organic Rankine plus thermoelectrics, and Stirling Engine systems were studied. The systems were ranked for a North Warning System mission using a Los Alamos Multi-Attribute Decision Theory code. Three different heat source designs were used: Case I with a beginning of life (BOL) source temperature of 640 0 C, Case II with a BOL source temperature of 745 0 C, and Case III with a BOL source temperature of 945 0 C. The Stirling Engine system was the top-ranked system for Cases I and II, closely followed by the ORC systems in Case I and ORC and thermoelectrics in Case II. The Brayton-Cycle system was top-ranked for Case III, with the Stirling Engine system a close second

When burdens of feeding outweigh benefits.

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Paris, J J

1986-02-01

On 21 October 1985, a Massachusetts probate court ruled in Brophy v. New England Sinai Hospital, denying Mrs. Paul Brophy's request that physicians remove the gastrostomy tube from her husband, who had been in a persistant vegetative state for over two years. Paris, a Roman Catholic priest and a professor of medical ethics who was called as an expert witness on behalf of the Brophy family, had testified previously in the Barber and Conroy cases. His testimony, printed here in edited form, is based on the rulings in these cases, as well as the Hier decision, on the 1983 President's Commission report, Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment, and on published articles arguing both sides of the withholding food and fluids controversy. Paris concludes that there is no moral obligation to order, provide, or accept any treatment, even food and water, when there is little or no promise of benefit to a patient with a virtually hopeless prognosis.

Additions to the Diptera Acalyptrata fauna (Anthomyzidae, Stenomicridae, Carnidae, Milichiidae, Heleomyzidae of the Czech Republic and Slovakia

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Roháček Jindřich

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Records of five species of Diptera Acalyptrata representing novelties for the faunas of Bohemia or Moravia (Czech Republic and Slovakia are given with discussion on their significance to the biodiversity knowledge of local faunas and a summary of their biology, distribution and identification with new information obtained from the material examined. Stiphrosoma humerale Roháček & Barber, 2005 (Anthomyzidae and Stenomicra cogani Irwin, 1982 (Stenomicridae are new additions to the dipterous fauna of Slovakia. Records of Meoneura alpina Hennig, 1948 (Carnidae and Milichia speciosa Meigen, 1830 (Milichiidae are the first from Bohemia and represent new northernmost distribution limits of these species; those of Heleomyza (Anypotacta setulosa (Czerny, 1924 are the first from Moravia. Macrophotographs of all these species are presented to document the specimens recorded and/or to facilitate identification of these uncommon species. In addition, new records of S. humerale from Russia: E Siberia and of M. speciosa from Greece: Peloponnesse are given.

Recent study, but not retrieval, of knowledge protects against learning errors.

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Mullet, Hillary G; Umanath, Sharda; Marsh, Elizabeth J

2014-11-01

Surprisingly, people incorporate errors into their knowledge bases even when they have the correct knowledge stored in memory (e.g., Fazio, Barber, Rajaram, Ornstein, & Marsh, 2013). We examined whether heightening the accessibility of correct knowledge would protect people from later reproducing misleading information that they encountered in fictional stories. In Experiment 1, participants studied a series of target general knowledge questions and their correct answers either a few minutes (high accessibility of knowledge) or 1 week (low accessibility of knowledge) before exposure to misleading story references. In Experiments 2a and 2b, participants instead retrieved the answers to the target general knowledge questions either a few minutes or 1 week before the rest of the experiment. Reading the relevant knowledge directly before the story-reading phase protected against reproduction of the misleading story answers on a later general knowledge test, but retrieving that same correct information did not. Retrieving stored knowledge from memory might actually enhance the encoding of relevant misinformation.

Distribuição Geográfica e Dispersão Alti-latitudinal de Alguns Gêneros e Espécies da Tribo Triatomini Jeannel, 1919 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae

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Galvão Cleber

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Geographical Distribution and Alti-latitudinal Dispersion of Some Genera and Species of the Tribe Triatomini Jeannel, 1919 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae - With the currently known distribution of genera and species of the tribe Triatomini Jeannel, 1919, maps and diagrams were prepared, showing the geographical area occupied by the species and their respective dispersion in grades of latitude and altitude. Two genera are not treated: Panstrongylus Berg, 1879, already published and Triatoma Laporte, 1832, that is being published partially in several articles. Genus Eratyrus Stal, 1859, has two species, while Dipetalogaster Usinger, 1939, Mepraia Mazza, Gajardo & Joerg, 1940, Paratriatoma Barber, 1938 and recently created genus Hermanlentia Jurberg & Galvão, 1997, have only one each. The study of these maps and diagrams permits a better knowledge about some ecological requirements of Chagas' disease vectors and detects gaps in the geographical distribution, where the species were not found but probably they could be prevalent

Distribution and activity of a Dippu DH31-like peptide in the large milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus.

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Te Brugge, V A; Orchard, I

2008-02-01

The milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, is a plant feeding hemipteran. While there has been much research done on the neurohormonal control of the post-feeding diuresis in the blood-feeding hemipteran, Rhodnius prolixus, little is known about the control of the post-feeding diuresis in O. fasciatus. One of the neurohormones that may play a role in this rapid diuresis belongs to the calcitonin-like diuretic hormone (DH31) family of insect peptides. In this study we demonstrate the presence of DH31-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system (CNS) and gut of O. fasciatus 5th instars. As well, DH31-like material was quantified and partially purified from the CNS of 5th instar O. fasciatus using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and monitored with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When tested on O. fasciatus 5th instar Malpighian tubules, DH31-like peptides significantly increased the rate of secretion over saline controls. The results suggest that there is a DH31-like peptide(s) present in the CNS of O. fasciatus and that this peptide may play a role in the control of Malpighian tubule secretion.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in Trypanosoma cruzi: the role of Serratia marcescens prodigiosin in the alternative treatment of Chagas disease

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Triana Omar

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chagas disease is a health threat for many people, mostly those living in Latin America. One of the most important problems in treatment is the limitation of existing drugs. Prodigiosin, produced by Serratia marcescens (Rhodnius prolixus endosymbiont, belongs to the red-pigmented bacterial prodiginine family, which displays numerous biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antimalarial, immunosuppressive, and anticancer properties. Here we describe its effects on Trypanosoma cruzi mitochondria belonging to Tc I and Tc II. Results Parasites exposed to prodigiosin altered the mitochondrial function and oxidative phosphorylation could not have a normal course, probably by inhibition of complex III. Prodigiosin did not produce cytotoxic effects in lymphocytes and Vero cells and has better effects than benznidazole. Our data suggest that the action of prodigiosin on the parasites is mediated by mitochondrial structural and functional disruptions that could lead the parasites to an apoptotic-like cell death process. Conclusions Here, we propose a potentially useful trypanocidal agent derived from knowledge of an important aspect of the natural life cycle of the parasite: the vector-parasite interaction. Our results indicate that prodigiosin could be a good candidate for the treatment of Chagas disease.

A revision of thirteen species of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae vectors of Chagas disease in Mexico

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Salazar-Schettino Paz Maria

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, parasite responsible for Chagas disease, are divided in intradomestic, peridomestic and sylvatic. The intradomestic are Triatoma barberi and Triatoma dimidiata, two species that represent the highest health risk among the Mexican population. Triatoma dimidiata is a species found mainly inside human habitats, but in Yucatan, it corresponds to the peridomicile vectors. Also in the peridomicile most of Chagas disease vectors are found: Meccus bassolsae, M. longipennis, M. mazzottii, M pallidipennis, M. phyllosomus, M picturata, Triatoma gerstaeckeri, T mexicana, T rubida, Dipetalogaster máxima (the last two are in the process of becoming adapted to the domicile, Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus which occasionally enters the domicile in its adult stage, and Rhodnius prolixus, which is practically controlled in the country. Peridomestic vectors are of lower risk in the transmission dynamics, as compared to the intradomestic ones. For the control of the intradomestic vectors, health education programs, improvements of housing, and the use of pesticides are essential To control the peridomestic vectors, health education programs are required, as well as the use of mosquito nets on doors and windows and around beds, aside from cementing the stone wall fences.

Trypanosoma cruzi: Correlations of Biological Aspects of the Life Cycle in Mice and Triatomines

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Lima Valdirene S

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The infection pattern in Swiss mice and Triatomine bugs (Rhodnius neglectus of eleven clones and the original stock of a Trypanosoma cruzi isolate, derived from a naturally infected Didelphis marsupialis, were biochemically and biologically characterized. The clones and the original isolate were in the same zymodeme (Z1 except that two clones were found to be in zymodeme 2 when tested with G6PDH. Although infective, neither the original isolate nor the clones were highly virulent for the mice and lesions were only observed in mice infected with the original stock and one of the clones (F8. All clones and the original isolate infected bugs well while only the original isolate and clones E2 and F3 yielded high metacyclogenesis rates. An observed correlation between absence of lesions in the mammal host and high metacyclogenesis rates in the invertebrate host suggest a evolutionary trade off i.e. a fitness increase in one trait which is accompanied by a fitness reduction in a different one. Our results suggest that in a species as heterogeneous as T. cruzi, a cooperation effect among the subpopulations should be considered.

HEAD LICE IN HAIR SAMPLES FROM YOUTHS, ADULTS AND THE ELDERLY IN MANAUS, AMAZONAS STATE, BRAZIL.

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Nunes, Suellen Cristina Barbosa; Moroni, Raquel Borges; Mendes, Júlio; Justiniano, Sílvia Cássia Brandão; Moroni, Fábio Tonissi

2015-01-01

A study of head lice infestations among young people, adults and elderly individuals was conducted from August 2010 to July 2013 in Manaus, AM, Northern Brazil. Hair samples collected from 1,860 individuals in 18 barber shops and beauty parlors were examined for the ectoparasite. The occurrence of pediculosis and its association with factors, such as sex, age, ethnicity, hair characteristics and the socioeconomic profile of salon customers, salon location and seasonal variation were determined. The overall occurrence rate was 2.84%. Occurrence was higher in hair samples from non-blacks and the elderly. Higher occurrence was also observed during kindergarten, elementary and junior education school holidays. The results indicate that the occurrence of head lice among young people, adults and the elderly in Manaus is relatively low compared to that determined in children and in other regions of the country. After children, the elderly were the most affected. The study also indicated the need to adopt additional procedures to improve surveys among the population with low or no purchasing power, which is usually the most affected by this ectoparasitic disease.

[Wet work].

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Kieć-Swierczyńska, Marta; Chomiczewska, Dorota; Krecisz, Beata

2010-01-01

Wet work is one of the most important risk factors of occupational skin diseases. Exposure of hands to the wet environment for more than 2 hours daily, wearing moisture-proof protective gloves for a corresponding period of time or necessity to wash hands frequently lead to the disruption of epidermal stratum corneum, damage to skin barrier function and induction of irritant contact dermatitis. It may also promote penetration of allergens into the skin and increase the risk of sensitization to occupational allergens. Exposure to wet work plays a significant role in occupations, such as hairdressers and barbers, nurses and other health care workers, cleaning staff, food handlers and metalworkers. It is more common among women because many occupations involving wet work are female-dominated. The incidence of wet-work-induced occupational skin diseases can be reduced by taking appropriate preventive measures. These include identification of high-risk groups, education of workers, organization of work enabling to minimize the exposure to wet work, use of personal protective equipment and skin care after work.

Need assessment for HIV/AIDS Education: The level of knowledge about transmission in some risk groups in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcebe, H.

2002-01-01

Every year, the number of HIV/AIDS cases increases twice as much as the year before in Turkey. The authors anticipate that the actual numbers of HIV/AIDS cases in Turkey are higher than the number of cases diagnosed and reported. This review summarizes the results of some previous studies that were conducted among various risk groups, such as high school and university students, barbers, hair dressers, nurses, pharmacists and doctors, men and women engaged in sex trade and security workers in different regions of country. The responses of participants to similar questions of studies on the transmission of HIV/AIDS were evaluated in this review. The studies that have been conducted among different risk groups in different regions have shown that in spite of low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Turkey, many risk groups still do not have adequate or correct information on the prevalence and transmission of disease. Effective and extensive health education on HIV/AIDS and the practice of healthy lifestyle would change the epidemiology of the disease in Turkey. (author)

Environmental attitudes towards wine tourism

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Christopher Taylor

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Christopher Taylor1, Nelson Barber2, Cynthia Deale31School of Business, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, Roosevelt County, NM, USA; 2Whittemore School of Business, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA; 3Department of Hospitality Management, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC , USAAbstract: Wine tourism marketers frequently seek new ways to promote destinations, often executing ecologically sustainable practices. As consumer environmental knowledge of a wine tourism destination increases, consumer attitudes change, influencing perceptions of the environmental policies of a wine region. In this consumer-driven economy, it is therefore important to search for effective ways to market destinations, and one approach is selective marketing. By focusing on consumers in this manner, it is possible to understand better their concerns and motivations, which should aid in marketing and advertising efforts. This study investigated wine consumers environmental concerns and attitudes about wine regions. Results suggest environmental attitudes differed by demographics regarding the impact of wine tourism, providing ideas on further marketing efforts for those involved in wine tourism.Keywords: sustainable wine tourism, green products, wine marketing, consumers

Report: Study is about the prevalence of the HCV disease and survival of HCV patients with associated factors in the population of district Multan.

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Tabassum, Hina; Amin, Muhammad; Amanullah, Muhammad; Tabassum, Sana

2015-09-01

To find out the significant factors associated with HCV disease and evaluate the impact of these factors on the survival pattern of HCV patients in district Multan. The study was conducted in Nishter Hospital of Multan district from 1st January 2011 to 1st October 2012. To see a significant difference between the survival rates of patients with associated factors, non-parametric Cox- proportional hazard model with their graphical results were used. All the patients above 11 years old of both sexes were included in the study. All those who were surviving with HCV disease were studied with their associated factors such as age, family history (FH) barber/parlor services, blood group (BG) types weight loss (WL), Gender and drug use were collected from Nishter Hospital Multan. Results indicated that age, blood group types and gender are the most significant factors in the patients who are surviving with HCV disease. It was also observed that survival rate of female patients is high as compare to male patients.

Dose-response relationships of clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam to Blissus occiduus (Hemiptera: Blissidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Stamm, M D; Baxendale, F P; Heng-Moss, T M; Siegfried, B D; Blankenship, E E; Gaussoin, R E

2011-02-01

The western chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber (Hemiptera: Blissidae), has emerged as a serious pest of buffalograss, Buchlod dactyloides (Nuttall) Engelmann. In general, neonicotinoid insecticides effectively control a variety of turfgrass insects, particularly phloem-feeding pests. However, because of well documented inconsistencies in control, these compounds are generally not recommended for chinch bugs. This study was designed to document the contact and systemic toxicity of three neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) to B. occiduus. In contact bioassays, thiamethoxam was approximately 20-fold less toxic than clothianidin or imidacloprid to B. occiduus nymphs and three-fold more toxic to adults. In adult systemic bioassays, thiamethoxam was up to five-fold more toxic than clothianidin or imidacloprid. Interestingly, thiamethoxam was significantly more toxic to adults than to nymphs in both contact and systemic bioassays. This was not observed with clothianidin or imidacloprid. Bifenthrin, used for comparative purposes, exhibited 1844-fold and 122-fold increase in toxicity to nymphs and adults, respectively. These results provide the first documentation of the relative toxicity of these neonicotinoid insecticides to B. occiduus.

Are Stopped Strings Preferred in Sad Music?

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David Huron

2017-01-01

Full Text Available String instruments may be played either with open strings (where the string vibrates between the bridge and a hard wooden nut or with stopped strings (where the string vibrates between the bridge and a performer's finger pressed against the fingerboard. Compared with open strings, stopped strings permit the use of vibrato and exhibit a darker timbre. Inspired by research on the timbre of sad speech, we test whether there is a tendency to use stopped strings in nominally sad music. Specifically, we compare the proportion of potentially open-to-stopped strings in a sample of slow, minor-mode movements with matched major-mode movements. By way of illustration, a preliminary analysis of Samuel Barber's famous Adagio from his Opus 11 string quartet shows that the selected key (B-flat minor provides the optimum key for minimizing open string tones. However, examination of a broader controlled sample of quartet movements by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven failed to exhibit the conjectured relationship. Instead, major-mode movements were found to avoid possible open strings more than slow minor-mode movements.

Revista de tesis

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Facultad de Medicina Revista

1945-09-01

Full Text Available Sindromes abdominales agudos y bloqueo anestésico esplácnico semi-lunar. Tesis de grado "Meritoria". 1945. - Presentada por Guillermo Moreno Díaz / Estudio de algunas funciones hepáticas de la anemia tropical. Tesis de grado. 1945. - Presentada por Primitivo Rey Rey / Endoscopia, laringe, traquea, bronquios y esófago. Tesis de grado declarada "Meritoria". 1945. - Presentada por Carlos Alberto /  Cleves. el neumoperitoneo en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis intestinal y peritoneal y como medio colapsoterapico de la tuberculosis pulmonar. Tesis de grado. 1945. - Presentada por Marco Hernández / La procaina oral en el tratamiento de la úlcera péptica. Tesis de grado. 1945. - Presentada por L. Enrique Plata Esguerra / Estudio estadístico y tratamiento de la enfermedad Legg-Perthes-Calve y la coxalgia en nuestromedio. Tesis de grado declarada "Meritoria". 1945. - Presentada por Rafael Barberí Zamorano / La bilirrubina-eter-extraible en el diagnóstico las ictericias. Tesis de grado. 1945. - Presentada por Rafael Uribe García.

Substrate texture properties induce triatomine probing on bitten warm surfaces

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Lorenzo Marcelo G

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this work we initially evaluated whether the biting process of Rhodnius prolixus relies on the detection of mechanical properties of the substrate. A linear thermal source was used to simulate the presence of a blood vessel under the skin of a host. This apparatus consisted of an aluminium plate and a nickel-chrome wire, both thermostatized and presented at 33 and 36°C, respectively. To evaluate whether mechanical properties of the substrate affect the biting behaviour of bugs, this apparatus was covered by a latex membrane. Additionally, we evaluated whether the expression of probing depends on the integration of bilateral thermal inputs from the antennae. Results The presence of a latex cover on a thermal source induced a change in the biting pattern shown by bugs. In fact, with latex covered sources it was possible to observe long bites that were never performed in response to warm metal surfaces. The total number of bites was higher in intact versus unilaterally antennectomized insects. These bites were significantly longer in intact than in unilaterally antennectomized insects. Conclusions Our results suggest that substrate recognition by simultaneous input through thermal and mechanical modalities is required for triggering maxillary probing activity.

Uso de nuevas herramientas para el control de triatominos en diferentes situaciones entomológicas en el continente americano

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Oliveira Filho Alfredo M.

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Se relatan los resultados obtenidos en el terreno seis meses y dos años post-tratamiento con las nuevas herramientas para el control de triatominos desarrolladas con apoyo de la OMS/TDR, o sea, a pinturas insecticidas, una suspensión emulsionable de lenta liberación conteniendo el 8,3% de malathion, aplicada por rociamiento; b potes fumígenos que, después de encendidos, echan humos que contienen cypermetrina y DDVP; c cajas sensoras para detección de triatominos. Los ensayos en el terreno fueron realizados en Chile, Honduras y Paraguay contra tres especies principales de vectores de la enfermedad de Chagas - Triatoma infestans, T. dimidiata y Rhodnius prolixus, según el protocolo elaborado por un comité de expertos de la OMS. Los resultados indican que las pinturas insecticidas constituyen un eficaz medio de control de estos vectores en cualquiera de las condiciones estudiadas, sea en el domicilio, sea en el peridomicilio, manteniendo los porcentajes de infestación muy próximos a cero. Comparaciones preliminares de la técnica de cajas sensoras para detección de casas infestadas por triatominos, con la búsqueda hecha por personal entrenado (hora/hombre indican esta última como la mas apropiada.

Geographic distribution and morphometric differentiation of Triatoma nitida usinger 1939 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae in Guatemala

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Monroy Carlota

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Triatoma nitida was found in 14 (0.4% out of 3,726 houses located in six departments across Guatemala, which were surveyed from 1994 to 1998 by the man-hour collection method. Compared to previous information, the distribution of T. nitida in Guatemala has increased from five to nine departments; the species is present in mild climates at altitudes from 960 to 1,500 m. Fourteen percent of the intradomestic T. nitida were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The species was often found in conjunction with other triatomines (T. dimidiata and Rhodnius prolixus. The domestic and peridomestic presence of T. nitida in Guatemala was rare, but occasionally this species was colonizing human-made constructions. T. nitida appears to have a low importance as Chagas disease vector in Guatemala, as indicated by its scarce presence in the domestic habitats and defecation patterns. However, it clearly has potential to become a Chagas vector so we recommend an on-going study of the intradomestic presence of T. nitida following the control programs in Guatemala. Morphometric analysis of 47 T. nitida males from three localities showed quantitative differences between the populations, which indicates that geographic distance is an important factor in the structuring of T. nitida populations.

Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Ecuador. A brief review

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Aguilar V H Marcelo

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Chagas disease is a complex public health problem that has been underestimated in Ecuador. Here we review the relevant published information, and present unpublished and new data that help to understand the current Chagas disease epidemiological situation and its evolution in the country. Three main characteristics have been identified: (i persistence of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in already known foci; (ii a marked endemicity in some urban areas of Guayaquil; and (iii the transformation of new Amazon foci into truly endemic areas. The situation in other suspect areas remains uncertain. Five Triatominae species have been implicated in the transmission of T. cruzi to people in Ecuador (Triatoma dimidiata, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, R. pictipes, R. robustus and Panstrongylus geniculatus, but some others may also play a role in some areas (P. rufotuberculatus, P. howardi, T. carrioni and P. chinai. Other Triatominae reported seem to have little or no epidemiological relevance (T. venosa, T. dispar, Eratyrus mucronatus, E. cuspidatus, P. lignarius and Cavernicola pilosa. High frequency of acute cases and severe chronic disease has been observed. Although cardiomyopathy is more frequent, serious digestive disease is also present. It is estimated that around 120,000-200,000 people may be infected. 2.2 to 3.8 million people are estimated to live under transmission risk conditions.

Book review of Insect Symbiosis. Volume 2. Bourtzis, K.A. and Miller, T.A. editros. 2006 CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 276 pp. ISBN 0-8493-1286-8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoy, M.A.

2007-01-01

There are several definitions of symbiosis, but in this book it involves an association where one organism (the symbiont) lives within or on the body of another organism (the host), regardless of the actual effect on the host. Some symbioses are mutualistic, some parasitic, and some involve commensalism, in which one partner derives some benefit without either harming or benefiting the other. This is the second volume in this exciting and rapidly advancing topic by these editors. The first volume was published in 2003 and during the intervening three years additional data have been produced that make this book a useful addition to your library. The first book provided chapters that provided an overview of insect symbiosis, discussions of the primary aphid symbiont Buchnera and other aphid symbionts, symbiosis in tsetse, symbionts in the weevil Sitophilus , the possible use of paratransgenic symbionts of Rhodnius prolixis to prevent disease transmission, bark beetle and fungal symbiosis, symbionts of tephritid fruit flies, symbionts affecting termite behavior, an overview of microsporidia as symbionts (parasites?) of insects, an overview of a newly discovered bacterium that causes sex-ratio distortion in insects and mites (from the Bacteroides group), symbionts that selectively kill male insects, and several chapters on the ubiquitous endosymbiont Wolbachia

Frequency of hepatitis B and C seropositivity in prisoners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayyaz, M.; Qazi, M.A.

2006-01-01

This study was conducted on prisoners of Central Jail, Bahawalpur and on blood donors at Blood Bank Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVD), Bahawalpur from 1st August 2005 to 30th November 2005. The intension was to study the sero prevalence of hepatitis Band C in prisoners and to note risk factor if any predisposing to the infection. All the prisoners of central jail Bahawalpur present during the study period, aged more than 18 years of either sex were included as the study group and a comparative group was blood donors presenting to blood bank BVH, Bahawalpur during this period. All the cases in study group (2086) as well as control group (9714) were screened for hepatitis B (HBs Ag) and hepatitis C (anti-HCV) infection detected on serum by One Step Test Device. All the positive cases were confirmed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. After an explanation, verbal consent was taken and a questionnaire was filled before taking samples from all the study group cases. On the basis of screening, prisoners were decided into seropositive group and sero-negative group. The different variable applied on both the groups were age, sex, occupation, residence, marital status, self shaving / by barber, family history of (H/o) jaundice, H/o blood trans-fusion, operation, tattooing and body piercing, drug abuse, same sex / extramarital sex and hepatitis B vaccination status. Total prisoners screened were 2086. Out of them 2072 were males (99.3%). Mean age was 34 years. Total seropositive cases were 249 (11.9%) While during the same period seropositivity in blood donors (control group) was 5.9%. Seropositivity of HBV was 5.6% in study group and 3.1% in control group (p<0.001), HCV was 6.3% Vs 2.8% (p<0.001), statistically very significant difference. Risk factors analysis among prisoners revealed that drug abuse was significantly associated with seropositivity (27% Vs 12%, p value <0.001). Among drug abusers, very high percentage of intravenous drug users was positive (89.2%, 25 out

A new titanium-bearing calcium aluminosilicate phase. 2: Crystallography and crystal chemistry of grains formed in slowly cooled melts with bulk compositions of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, David J.; Beckett, John R.; Paque, Julie M.; Stolper, Edward

1994-01-01

The crystallography and crystal chemistry of a new calcium- titanium-aluminosilicate mineral (UNK) observed in synthetic analogs to calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from carbonaceous chondrites was studied by electron diffraction techniques. The unit cell is primitive hexagonal or trigonal, with a = 0.790 +/- 0.02 nm and c = 0.492 +/- 0.002 nm, similar to the lattice parameters of melilite and consistent with cell dimensions for crystals in a mixer furnace slag described by Barber and Agrell (1994). The phase frequently displays an epitactic relationship in which melilite acts as the host, with (0001)(sub UNK) parallel (001)(sub mel) and zone axis group 1 0 -1 0(sub UNK) parallel zone axis group 1 0 0(sub mel). If one of the two space groups determined by Barber and Agrell (1994) for their sample of UNK is applicable (P3m1 or P31m), then the structure is probably characterized by puckered sheets of octahedra and tetrahedra perpendicular to the c-axis with successive sheets coordinated by planar arrays of Ca. In this likely structure, each unit cell contains three Ca sites located in mirror planes, one octahedrally coordinated cation located along a three-fold axis and five tetrahedrally coordinated cations, three in mirrors and two along triads. The octahedron contains Ti but, because there are 1.3-1.9 cations of Ti/formula unit, some of the Ti must also be in tetrahedral coordination, an unusual but not unprecedented situation for a silicate. Tetrahedral sites in mirror planes would contain mostly Si, with lesser amounts of Al while those along the triads correspondingly contain mostly Al with subordinate Ti. The structural formula, therefore, can be expressed as Ca(sub 3)(sup VIII)(Ti,Al)(sup VI)(Al,Ti,Si)(sub 2)(sup IV)(Si,Al)(sub 3)(sup IV)O14 with Si + Ti = 4. Compositions of meteoritic and synthetic Ti-bearing samples of the phase can be described in terms of a binary solid solution between the end-members Ca3TiAl2Si3O14 and Ca3Ti(AlTi)(AlSi2)O14. A Ti

Hc-daf-2 encodes an insulin-like receptor kinase in the barber's pole worm, Haemonchus contortus, and restores partial dauer regulation.

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Li, Facai; Lok, James B; Gasser, Robin B; Korhonen, Pasi K; Sandeman, Mark R; Shi, Deshi; Zhou, Rui; Li, Xiangrui; Zhou, Yanqin; Zhao, Junlong; Hu, Min

2014-06-01

Infective L3s (iL3s) of parasitic nematodes share common behavioural, morphological and developmental characteristics with the developmentally arrested (dauer) larvae of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. It is proposed that similar molecular mechanisms regulate entry into or exit from the dauer stage in C. elegans, and the transition from free-living to parasitic forms of parasitic nematodes. In C. elegans, one of the key factors regulating the dauer transition is the insulin-like receptor (designated Ce-DAF-2) encoded by the gene Ce-daf-2. However, nothing is known about DAF-2 homologues in most parasitic nematodes. Here, using a PCR-based approach, we identified and characterised a gene (Hc-daf-2) and its inferred product (Hc-DAF-2) in Haemonchus contortus (a socioeconomically important parasitic nematode of ruminants). The sequence of Hc-DAF-2 displays significant sequence homology to insulin receptors (IR) in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and contains conserved structural domains. A sequence encoding an important proteolytic motif (RKRR) identified in the predicted peptide sequence of Hc-DAF-2 is consistent with that of the human IR, suggesting that it is involved in the formation of the IR complex. The Hc-daf-2 gene was transcribed in all life stages of H. contortus, with a significant up-regulation in the iL3 compared with other stages. To compare patterns of expression between Hc-daf-2 and Ce-daf-2, reporter constructs fusing the Ce-daf-2 or Hc-daf-2 promoter to sequence encoding GFP were microinjected into the N2 strain of C. elegans, and transgenic lines were established and examined. Both genes showed similar patterns of expression in amphidial (head) neurons, which relate to sensation and signal transduction. Further study by heterologous genetic complementation in a daf-2-deficient strain of C. elegans (CB1370) showed partial rescue of function by Hc-daf-2. Taken together, these findings provide a first insight into the roles of Hc-daf-2/Hc-DAF-2 in the biology and development of H. contortus, particularly in the transition to parasitism. Copyright © 2014 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estudo anatômico e morfométrico dos folículos testiculares de algumas espécies de Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae Anatomic and morphometric studies of testicular follicles of some species of Triatominae

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Teresa Cristina M. Gonçalves

1987-12-01

Full Text Available Os folículos testiculares nas ordens dos insetos, vêm demonstrando papel relevante sob o ponto de vista da Sistemática e Filogenia. Nos triatomíneos, os folículos testiculares são em número de sete, sendo que o comprimento e a espesura variam consideravelmente entre os gêneros, e pouco entre as espécies. Verificou-se que em Rhodnius spp existem dois folículos longos e grossos e cinco curtos e fuinnos; em Triatoma spp existem dois longos e finos, dois médios e grossos e três curtos e finos; e em Panstrongylus spp existem sete aproximadamente iguais. Através das medições do comprimento dessas estruturas, evidenciou-se que os valores das médias e desvios padrão das médias, foram muito próximos entre as espécies do mesmo gênero, tornando-se inviável estabelecer limites que pudessem caracterizá-las. Em busca de resultados mais precisos, fizeram-se comparações interespecíficas através da análise de variância: entre as diferentes espécies do mesmo gênro (comparação simultânea; entre cada duas espécies do mesmo gênro (comparação aos pares; e entre espécies iguais de procedência diferentes. Os resultados obtidos não demostraram possibilidades de utilização na Sistemática, contudo foram promissores no que concerne à Filogenia, desde que seja observado um número maior de espécies.The testicular follicle in the varous insect orders, has given evidence of relevance from the point of view of Systematics ans Phylogeny. In the triatomines, the testicular follicles are in number of seven, their lenght and thickness ranging considerabley between the genera and with less variation between the species. It was observed that in Rhodnius spp there exist two long and thick follicles and five short and thin; in Triatoma spp there extist two long and thick, two medium and thick and three short and thin; and in Panstrongylus spp seven, almost identical. Through the measurements of length of these structures, it was observed

Industrial production of the interbelic German from the Banat Highland

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Rudolf, C.; Hatiegan, C.; Pellac, A.; Bogdan, S. L.; Paduraru, L.; Varga, A.

2018-01-01

The historian Fernand Braudel considered that geography dictates history because a certain region or a certain state requires a characteristic of its economic life. Commerce was often called in mercantilist period the blood that provides life of the nation. These data imply progress in terms of demographic beyond doubt, especially in the employment of the German minority living in the urban communes of the Banat Mountain. We retain the dual nature of their occupations, with farm work kept in the background, but the main plane dominated the gradual effect of industrial labour and business activities. Along with farmers, most Germans residing in villages and hamlets in the mountains of Banat were devoted to jobs in the service sector and small crafts area. They worked both as employers and employees in the stores and workshops in rural and urban areas where they resided. Working as sellers, barbers, blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, butchers, tanners, plumbers, painters or as doctors, dentists, teachers, lawyers, they have contributed to the development of material and spiritual not only their own minority but of communities within which they were born and prospered.

HEAD LICE IN HAIR SAMPLES FROM YOUTHS, ADULTS AND THE ELDERLY IN MANAUS, AMAZONAS STATE, BRAZIL

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Suellen Cristina Barbosa NUNES

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A study of head lice infestations among young people, adults and elderly individuals was conducted from August 2010 to July 2013 in Manaus, AM, Northern Brazil. Hair samples collected from 1,860 individuals in 18 barber shops and beauty parlors were examined for the ectoparasite. The occurrence of pediculosis and its association with factors, such as sex, age, ethnicity, hair characteristics and the socioeconomic profile of salon customers, salon location and seasonal variation were determined. The overall occurrence rate was 2.84%. Occurrence was higher in hair samples from non-blacks and the elderly. Higher occurrence was also observed during kindergarten, elementary and junior education school holidays. The results indicate that the occurrence of head lice among young people, adults and the elderly in Manaus is relatively low compared to that determined in children and in other regions of the country. After children, the elderly were the most affected. The study also indicated the need to adopt additional procedures to improve surveys among the population with low or no purchasing power, which is usually the most affected by this ectoparasitic disease.

'Made in Europe' photovoltaic industry Conference - perspectives in the face of the crisis?'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masson, Gaetan; Goeke, Berthold; Barber, Nicolas; Frey, Peter; Laborde, Eric; Michael Lippert; Matthias Reichmuth; Daniel Lincot

2011-01-01

The French-German office for Renewable energies (OFAEnR) organised a conference on the future of the photovoltaic industry. In the framework of this French-German exchange of experience, about 120 participants exchanged views on some innovative projects, as well as some solutions to grid integration and electricity storage. The question of anticipated grid parity through self-consumption was addressed too. This document brings together the available presentations (slides) made during this event: 1 - PV, a competitive source of energy in Europe: tomorrows' grid parity and markets in Europe (Gaetan Masson); 2 - Photovoltaics support in Germany - developments and challenges (Berthold Goeke); 3 - New support mechanism to the photovoltaic industry: optimizing the model, the French market asset (Nicolas Barber); 4 - PV production in Germany - threats and opportunities (Peter Frey); 5 - PV Alliance - From Labs to Fabs: ensuring the photovoltaic industry future through innovation and R and D collaborations in France and Germany (Eric Laborde); 6 - Smart energy storage improving grid integration of decentralized PV energy (Michael Lippert); 7 - Onsite Consumption - the anticipated Grid Parity (Matthias Reichmuth); 8 - The photovoltaic energy research and development institute - IRDeP (Daniel Lincot)

Leveraging the Family Influence of Women in Prostate Cancer Efforts Targeting African American Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Okoro, O N; Rutherford, C A; Witherspoon, S F

2017-08-25

Incidence rate of prostate cancer among African American (AA) men is 1.6 times that in White men. Prevention efforts in this population have typically been through faith-based organizations and barber shops, with a few including significant others. Culturally, women are known to have a strong influence in the AA family. The current study assessed prostate cancer knowledge and explored perceptions on the roles of women in prostate cancer prevention. To assess prostate cancer knowledge, a 25-item questionnaire was administered to convenience samples of AA women (n = 297) and men (n = 199). Four focus groups were conducted to explore perceptions on the role of women in prostate cancer prevention. Men had a higher mean score (13.2; max of 25) than women (11.4) for knowledge of prostate cancer. For the men, higher knowledge scores were associated with having a family member diagnosed with prostate cancer and likelihood to engage healthcare providers about prostate cancer (p men to seek regular primary care. This affords men opportunities for dialog with healthcare providers about prostate cancer and informed decision making regarding screening.

Radioactivity analysis of local and imported cement in Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Shimaa Nasr Eldeen Mohamed.

2016-04-01

In this study 10 cement samples were collected from local market. 2 sample taken from each type were samples labeled by A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, were A and B is Atbara cement C, D, Sakher Elsudan cement E, F, barber cement , G, H, black massy, I,J white hallway. 500 grams of cement sample was weighed and closed in plastic containers for four weeks so as to have secular equilibrium for uranium. Our goal of this study was estimate investigation of uranium-238, potassium-40, and thorium-232 level in cement samples. Natural radioactivity concentration in cement samples were measured by gamma ray spectrometry using Nal (TI). Calibration process carried out for gamma spectroscopy using MW652 as a reference source which recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) including-source-Cs-137 and Co-60 with two energy levels. The mean ± standard deviation concentration of k-40 was found 77.601±26.20 Bq/kg. The concentration of U-238 was found 25.19±9.142/kg and the concentration of Th-232 was found 08.94±04.23 Bq/kg. (Author)

Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Bangladeshi General Population

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Mamun Al-Mahtab

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Hepatitis C virus is encountered sporadically in Bangladesh. It results in a wide range liver diseases, with asymptomatic acute hepatitis rarely at one end to HCC at the other end of the spectrum. Methods: 1018 individuals of different age groups and sex with varied religious, educational and social backgrounds were tested for anti-HCV by ELISA. Before testing, blood samples were preserved at -20°C. The study was conducted in a semi-urban location on the outskirts of Dhaka. Results: 0.88% tested positive for anti HCV. None of them tested positive for HBsAg. There was a male predominance and those who tested positive were mostly between 17 and 50 years of age. Major risk factors for exposure to HBV appeared to be injudicious use of injectable medications, treatment by unqualified, traditional practitioners, mass-vaccination against cholera and smallpox, barbers and body piercing. Conclusion: HCV remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. Key words: HCV; prevalence; general population; Bangladesh.DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v2i1.3705 BSMMU J 2009; 2(1: 14-17

Stream channel cross sections for a reach of the Boise River in Ada County, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Hortness, Jon E.; Werner, Douglas C.

1999-01-01

The Federal Emergency Management Agency produces maps of areas that are likely to be inundated during major floods, usually the 100-year, or 1-percent probability, flood. The maps, called Flood Insurance Rate Maps, are used to determine flood insurance rates for homes, businesses, or other structures located in flood-prone areas. State and local governments also use these maps for help with, among other things, development planning and disaster mitigation. During the period October 1997 through December 1998, the initial phase of a hydraulic analysis project of the Boise River from Barber Dam to the Ada/Canyon County boundary, the U.S. Geological Survey collected stream channel cross-section data at 238 locations along the river and documented 108 elevation reference marks established for horizontal and vertical control. In the final phase of the project, the Survey will use these data to determine water-surface elevations for the 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year floods and to define floodway limits. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will use the results of this hydraulic analysis to update the 100- and 500-year flood boundaries and the floodway limits on their Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

Assessment of dynamic energy conversion systems for radioisotope heat sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thayer, G.R.; Mangeng, C.A.

1985-06-01

The use of dynamic conversion systems to convert the heat generated in a 7500 W(t) 90 Sr radioisotopic heat source to electricity is examined. The systems studies were Stirling; Brayton Cycle; three organic Rankines (ORCs) (Barber-Nichols/ORMAT, Sundstrand, and TRW); and an organic Rankine plus thermoelectrics. The systems were ranked for a North Warning System mission using a Los Alamos Multiattribute Decision Theory code. Three different heat source designs were used: case I with a beginning of life (BOL) source temperature of 640 C, case II with a BOL source temperature of 745 0 C, and case III with a BOL source temperature of 945 0 C. The Stirling engine system was the top-ranked system of cases I and II, closely followed by the ORC systems in case I and ORC plus thermoelectrics in case II. The Brayton cycle system was top-ranked for case III, with the Stirling engine system a close second. The use of 238 Pu in heat source sizes of 7500 W(t) was examined and found to be questionable because of cost and material availability and because of additional requirements for analysis of safeguards and critical mass

[Who were the healers in medieval Trondheim?].

Science.gov (United States)

Pape, K; Westin, S

1998-12-10

When Trondheim celebrated its millenium in 1997, this also marked a 1000 year-old medical tradition. In medieval times, sick and disabled people made their pilgrimage to the Nidaros cathedral and the grave of Saint Olav (995-1030). Working from the assumption that every organized society develops rituals and rules to deal with disease and death, we have looked for evidence of what kind of healers one would expect there were in medieval Trondheim up to the reformation in 1537. Sources include reports from archaeological excavations, written material of both medieval and more recent origin, buildings and objects, and living traditions. Three kinds of healer traditions can be identified: The popular and "wise" folk healers were based on traditional pre-Christian mythology and belief in natural forces. The charitable clerics emerged with Christianity. The "professional" wound healers evolved from the needs of the military, later to merge with the early barber surgeons. Traces of scientific traditions, the Salerno school and early European university medicine can be found in local texts, but there is no evidence of any university educated doctor practising in Trondheim before the 17th century.

From under the shadows: developing awareness in a conventional market with a product less recognized

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Nelson Barber

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Nelson Barber, Janis DonovanWhittemore School of Business, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USAAbstract: The wine industry has considered product quality as the benchmark driving ­competitiveness, with wine quality the target standard. This focus on quality exposes producers to intense price competition with consumers alternating between wines. Some research has been done on country of origin suggesting the value consumers place on specific origins goes deeper than quality and price, inferring the presence of other dimensions such as emotional, economic, and social associations. However, little has been done to determine the value consumers place on the sub-wine regions of these larger countries. This study examines dimensions of wine region brand equity, by analyzing benefits sought by consumers. Data was collected through a survey conducted in the United States which identified drivers of preferences for wine regions and relationships that may exist between those drivers and wine region preferences. The findings suggest brand equity of small wine regions results from consumer motivational factors and these factors are determinants of consumer preferences. Linking these factors to consumer, demographic and location allows for direct marketing strategies.Keywords: wine region brand equity, consumer, gender, millennial

Consumer Culture, Sustainability and Business Practice: How Companies can Promote the Symbolic Value of Sustainability in Consumption Activities?

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Verônica Macário de Oliveira

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Discussions on sustainability began recently to focus on the consumption patterns of contemporary society as a major causative factors of social and environmental problems. Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss some opportunities that companies have to influence these changes consumption patterns towards sustainability, taking as a basis the view discussed in studies of Rindova and Ravasi (2008 who consider firms as producers of culture. To this end, we performed a theoretical essay. The results show that companies can influence the formation of specific cultures with the symbolic construction of sustainable practices, contributing to the formation of a culture of sustainable consumption. This occurs from innovation in their ways of working, considering that evoke meanings that products appear to be influenced by strategic choices of producers, such as the concepts and philosophies of design (Ravasi; Rindova, 2008, which includes the development new technologies and practices (Michaelis, 2003 based on the principles of eco-efficiency (Barber, 2008; Clark, 2008, as well as changes in values and discourses that shape the cultures of business, government, media and civil society (Michaelis, 2003, also aligned with the ethical principles and shared environmental responsibility (Tukkeret al, 2008.

Absolute order-of-magnitude reasoning applied to a social multi-criteria evaluation framework

Science.gov (United States)

Afsordegan, A.; Sánchez, M.; Agell, N.; Aguado, J. C.; Gamboa, G.

2016-03-01

A social multi-criteria evaluation framework for solving a real-case problem of selecting a wind farm location in the regions of Urgell and Conca de Barberá in Catalonia (northeast of Spain) is studied. This paper applies a qualitative multi-criteria decision analysis approach based on linguistic labels assessment able to address uncertainty and deal with different levels of precision. This method is based on qualitative reasoning as an artificial intelligence technique for assessing and ranking multi-attribute alternatives with linguistic labels in order to handle uncertainty. This method is suitable for problems in the social framework such as energy planning which require the construction of a dialogue process among many social actors with high level of complexity and uncertainty. The method is compared with an existing approach, which has been applied previously in the wind farm location problem. This approach, consisting of an outranking method, is based on Condorcet's original method. The results obtained by both approaches are analysed and their performance in the selection of the wind farm location is compared in aggregation procedures. Although results show that both methods conduct to similar alternatives rankings, the study highlights both their advantages and drawbacks.

Psychosomatic plasticity: An "emergent property" of personality research?

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Jawer, Michael

2006-03-01

Psychosomatic plasticity, defined as an extreme capacity to turn suggestions into bodily realities, is as phenomenon well worth investigating because it challenges mainstream conceptions about the relationship between mind and body in health as well as illness. The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) offers a framework within which to understand this phenomenon because PNI makes a compelling case for the biological unity of self. Hartmann's Boundaries concept is particularly applicable because it suggests that the minds of "thin-boundary" persons are relatively fluid and able to make numerous connections. Wilson and Barber's identification of the fantasy prone person and Thalbourne's transliminality concept are similarly relevant. Taking these explorations a step further, this author proposes that the flow of feeling within individuals represents the key to psychosomatic plasticity. Blushing, psoriasis, and immune reactions are offered as examples, as are more anomalous reports such as those provided by heart transplantation recipients and cases said to be indicative of reincarnation. In each instance, persons who are highly sensitive (ie, have a speedier and more direct flow of feeling) are more likely to evidence physical reactions. Psychosomatic plasticity represents an emerging area of interest in personality research, one that clearly merits further investigation.

Shmuel Malkin (1934-2017) : Listening to photosynthesis and making music.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbert, Stephen K; Siderer, Yona; Govindjee

2018-07-01

We present here the life and work of Shmuel Malkin (1934-2017), an accomplished scientist and a gifted musician who touched the lives of many around the world. His early scientific work addressed the dynamics of light harvesting and electron transport in photosynthesis. Later, he used photoacoustic and photothermal methodologies to explore all aspects of photosynthesis. As a musician, Shmuel played the piano often for family and friends but after his formal retirement, he produced a body of original musical compositions, many of which were performed publicly. Throughout his life, Shmuel was a caring and deeply thoughtful man, respected and loved by colleagues, family, and friends. This tribute presents a summary of Shmuel's work as well as remembrances written by his wife, Nava Malkin, their son, Eyal Malkinson, and many of his colleagues: Michael Havaux from France; Sandra and Marcel Jansen from Ireland; David Cahen, Marvin Edelmann, Joop and Onnie de Graaf, Jonathan Gressel, Uri Pick, Yona Siderer, and Elisha Tel-Or from Israel; Ulrich Schreiber from Germany; James Barber and Alison Telfer from the UK; Govindjee, Stephen Herbert and Thomas Sharkey from the USA. Minnie Ho and Iris Malkin of the USA wrote contributions about Shmuel's music.

Illness perceptions amongst individuals with dental caries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mafla, A C; Villalobos-Galvis, F H; Heft, M W

2018-03-01

To assess individuals' perception of dental caries, in order to explain how illness representations might influence their coping with the disease. Cross-sectional questionnaire study. 520 consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) of the General Dentistry Clinic at Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Pasto, Colombia who had experienced dental caries. Illness perception of dental caries was assessed using the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised (IPQ-R). The most frequent self-reported symptoms associated with dental caries were "toothache" (56.2%), "tooth sensitivity" (53.8%) and "mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking" (51.2%). The dimensions of illness perception were related to socio-economic status (SES). Symptoms of "loose or separating teeth" and "pus in your tooth" were associated with dental caries by low SES participants, while "bleeding while brushing, flossing or eating hard food" and "mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold" were related more to higher SES. Perceptions of caries were related to socioeconomic status. Interventions to promote health literacy in order to improve the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic oral health information could increase an early detection of caries. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Fathers' Perceived Reasons for Their Underrepresentation in Child Health Research and Strategies to Increase Their Involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Kirsten K; Charles, Jo N; Khandpur, Neha; Nelson, Timothy J

2017-02-01

Purpose Examine fathers' perceived reasons for their lack of inclusion in pediatric research and strategies to increase their participation. Description We conducted expert interviews with researchers and practitioners (N = 13) working with fathers to inform the development of an online survey. The survey-which measured fathers' perceived reasons for their underrepresentation in pediatric research, recommended recruitment venues, and research personnel and study characteristics valued by fathers-was distributed online and in-person to fathers. Assessment Respondents included 303 fathers. Over 80 % of respondents reported that fathers are underrepresented in pediatric research because they have not been asked to participate. Frequently recommended recruitment venues included community sports events (52 %), social service programs (48 %) and the internet (60 %). Compared with white fathers, more non-white fathers recommended public transit (19 % vs. 10 %, p = .02), playgrounds (16 % vs. 6 %, p = .007) and barber shops (34 % vs. 14 %, p research may increase if researchers explicitly invite father to participate, target father-focused recruitment venues, clearly communicate the benefits of the research for fathers and their families and adopt streamlined study procedures.

Species of the subfamily Triatominae Jeannel, 1919 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae present in the Collection of Chagas Disease Vectors (FIOCRUZ-COLVEC, State of Minas Gerais

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Rita de Cássia Moreira de Souza

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction Biological collections are depositories of information on different species and contribute to the knowledge, protection, conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Methods A list of triatomine species currently included in the Collection of Chagas Disease Vectors (FIOCRUZ-COLVEC was prepared from the database made available by the Reference Center on Environmental Information. Results COLVEC curatorship houses 4,778 specimens of triatomines, of which 811 come from other American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States of America, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela and 3,967 are autochthonous from Brazil. Altogether, 56 species of Chagas disease vectors are represented in the COLVEC: two species of the Tribe Cavernicolini Usinger, 1944; fifteen species of the tribe Rhodniini Pinto, 1926, of which 12 are of the genus Rhodnius and 3 are of the genus Psamolestes; and 39 species of the tribe Triatomini Jeannel, 1919, represented by the genus Dipetalogaster, two species of the genus Eratyrus, two of the genus Meccus, seven of the genus Panstrongylus and 27 of the genus Triatoma. Conclusions This list provides important data on the diversity of triatomines currently included in COLVEC, including the expanded area of Panstrongylus lutzi occurrence in the municipalities Pirapora and Januária, State of Minas Gerais. The maintenance and expansion of the collection ensures the preservation of biodiversity and further studies.

Prevalência, índices de infecção e hábitos alimentares de triatomíneos capturados em uma área de vigilância epidemiológica

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Vera Lúcia C. Corrêa Rodrigues

1992-09-01

Full Text Available Em continuação a estudo anterior, relativo à prevalência e infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi dos triatomíneos capturados na região administrativa de Campinas, SP, os autores apresentam dados do período de 1982-1986, acrescentando informações sobre respastos sangüíneos realizados por 7.785 exemplares. Para tanto, foram utilizados os anti-soros: ave, marsupial, roedor e humano, através dos quais constataram o ecletismo alimentar de Panstrongylus megistus, espécie predominante na região, cujas formas aladas são encontradas com freqüência, infectadas por T. cruzi, nas casas habitadas. Desses, 14,78% reagiram frente ao anti-soro humano. Com Rhodnius neglectus foi observada situação assemelhada, mas com números menos expressivos. Em relação ao Triatoma sórdida, não foi constatada infecção natural e tampouco sinais de ingestão de sangue humano. Foi constatado acentuado aumento de T. arthurneivai nas casas, fruto da provável modificação ocorrida no ambiente natural. No período, foi encontrado Microtiatoma borbai, detectado pela primeira vez no Estado de São Paulo. Ressaltam também a importância da "investigação de foco " nas áreas em fase de vigilância.

Triatominos (Reduviidae: Triatominae en un foco de enfermedad de Chagas en Talaigua Nuevo (Bolívar, Colombia.

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Luis Alberto Corté

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Introducción. Se describen las características e importancia epidemiológica de los triatominos presentes en un foco de enfermedad de Chagas en el municipio de Talaigua Nuevo, departamento de Bolívar. Objetivo. Determinar y correlacionar características ecológicas de los triatominos presentes en un foco de Chagas en el municipio de Talaigua Nuevo, Bolívar. Materiales y métodos. La captura de los triatominos se realizó en 300 domicilios del casco urbano en los que se revisaron el intra y peridomicilio, así como ambientes extradomésticos (palmas de vino y cúmulos de madera y leña. Resultados. Se capturaron 103 triatominos pertenecientes a cuatro especies: Triatoma maculata, Eratyrus cuspidatus, Panstrongylus geniculatus y Rhodnius prolixus. T. maculata, fue la especie predominante (92,3%. El 93% de los triatominos fueron capturados en ambientes intradomiciliarios. Conclusión. Se reporta por primera vez en Bolívar la captura de individuos de T. maculata infectados naturalmente con Trypanosoma sp. Se amplía la distribución geográfica de P. geniculatus y R. prolixus. El análisis de correspondencias múltiples no encontró ninguna relación significativa entre las características físicas de las viviendas y la presencia de triatominos dentro de ellas.

Chromosomal divergence and evolutionary inferences in Rhodniini based on the chromosomal location of ribosomal genes

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Sebastian Pita

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, we used fluorescence in situ hybridisation to determine the chromosomal location of 45S rDNA clusters in 10 species of the tribe Rhodniini (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae. The results showed striking inter and intraspecific variability, with the location of the rDNA clusters restricted to sex chromosomes with two patterns: either on one (X chromosome or both sex chromosomes (X and Y chromosomes. This variation occurs within a genus that has an unchanging diploid chromosome number (2n = 22, including 20 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes and a similar chromosome size and genomic DNA content, reflecting a genome dynamic not revealed by these chromosome traits. The rDNA variation in closely related species and the intraspecific polymorphism in Rhodnius ecuadoriensis suggested that the chromosomal position of rDNA clusters might be a useful marker to identify recently diverged species or populations. We discuss the ancestral position of ribosomal genes in the tribe Rhodniini and the possible mechanisms involved in the variation of the rDNA clusters, including the loss of rDNA loci on the Y chromosome, transposition and ectopic pairing. The last two processes involve chromosomal exchanges between both sex chromosomes, in contrast to the widely accepted idea that the achiasmatic sex chromosomes of Heteroptera do not interchange sequences.

Catalase expression impairs oxidative stress-mediated signalling in Trypanosoma cruzi.

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Freire, Anna Cláudia Guimarães; Alves, Ceres Luciana; Goes, Grazielle Ribeiro; Resende, Bruno Carvalho; Moretti, Nilmar Silvio; Nunes, Vinícius Santana; Aguiar, Pedro Henrique Nascimento; Tahara, Erich Birelli; Franco, Glória Regina; Macedo, Andréa Mara; Pena, Sérgio Danilo Junho; Gadelha, Fernanda Ramos; Guarneri, Alessandra Aparecida; Schenkman, Sergio; Vieira, Leda Quercia; Machado, Carlos Renato

2017-09-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is exposed to oxidative stresses during its life cycle, and amongst the strategies employed by this parasite to deal with these situations sits a peculiar trypanothione-dependent antioxidant system. Remarkably, T. cruzi's antioxidant repertoire does not include catalase. In an attempt to shed light on what are the reasons by which this parasite lacks this enzyme, a T. cruzi cell line stably expressing catalase showed an increased resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) when compared with wild-type cells. Interestingly, preconditioning carried out with low concentrations of H2O2 led untransfected parasites to be as much resistant to this oxidant as cells expressing catalase, but did not induce the same level of increased resistance in the latter ones. Also, presence of catalase decreased trypanothione reductase and increased superoxide dismutase levels in T. cruzi, resulting in higher levels of residual H2O2 after challenge with this oxidant. Although expression of catalase contributed to elevated proliferation rates of T. cruzi in Rhodnius prolixus, it failed to induce a significant increase of parasite virulence in mice. Altogether, these results indicate that the absence of a gene encoding catalase in T. cruzi has played an important role in allowing this parasite to develop a shrill capacity to sense and overcome oxidative stress.

Biogeography of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae in Ecuador: implications for the design of control strategies

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Abad-Franch Fernando

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Chagas disease control strategies strongly depend on the triatomine vector species involved in Trypanosoma cruzi transmission within each area. Here we report the results of the identification of specimens belonging to various species of Triatominae captured in Ecuador (15 species from 17 provinces and deposited in the entomological collections of the Catholic University of Ecuador (Quito, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Brazil, the Natural History Museum London (UK, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK, the National Institute of Hygiene (Quito, and the Vozandes Hospital (Quito. A critical review of published information and new field records are presented. We analysed these data in relation to the life zones where triatomines occur (11 life zones, excluding those over 2,200 m altitude, and provide biogeographical maps for each species. These records are discussed in terms of epidemiological significance and design of control strategies. Findings relevant to the control of the main vector species are emphasised. Different lines of evidence suggest that Triatoma dimidiata is not native to Ecuador-Peru, and that synanthropic populations of Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in southern Ecuador-northern Peru might be isolated from their sylvatic conspecifics. Local eradication of T. dimidiata and these R. ecuadoriensis populations might therefore be attainable. However, the presence of a wide variety of native species indicates the necessity for a strong longitudinal surveillance system.

Aspectos ecológicos da tripanossomose americana: II - distribuição e dispersão local de triatomíneos em ecótopos naturais e artificiais Ecological aspects of South American tripanosomiasis: II - local distribution and dispersion of triatomids in natural and artificial ecotopes

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Oswaldo Paulo Forattini

1971-12-01

Full Text Available São apresentados os resultados de investigação destinada a estabelecer o quadro de distribuição de Triatoma sordida e Rhodnius neglectus em áreas com ecótopos naturais e artificiais. Essa distribuição revelou-se do tipo agrupado ou contagiante, dirigida uniformemente para casas e anexos por parte do primeiro, e para palmeiras por parte do segundo. Em áreas de vegetação mais densa, do tipo cerrado, a densidade é praticamente nula ou muito baixa, admitindo-se que isso deva correr por conta da competição. As modificações introduzidas pelo homem tendem a anular êsse fator, além de, as suas habitações, se transformarem em ecótopos que atraem a população de T. sordida. Êsse fato, aliado à eliminação local do T. infestans, parece explicar a tendência invasiva daquele triatomíneo. Evidenciou-se também a persistência da infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi em triatomíneos e vertebrados domiciliados, o que representa potencial para o incremento da transmissão.A local distribution pattern of Triatoma sordida and Rhodnius neglectus is described after an intensive investigation on natural and artificial ecotopes. The work was carried in a region at north of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Measures of dispersion pattern were made by the Morisita's indices showing contagious distributions to both bugs. The T. sordida population was clumped at houses and surrounding dwellings, while R. neglectus presented the same aspect but relater to palm trees. The first bug showed ubiquity patter including palms, dry trees and fences. These last two situations are not favourable for obtaining blood meals, who are much more easy obtained at human dwellings. By other side, the investigations at areas with more dense vegetation like bush, resulted in very few T. sordida and none R. neglectus, probably owing of other populations competition as predators reduvids bugs, found there with great density. So it seems logic remove that competition and

Infestación por triatominos en comunidades indígenas de Valledupar, Colombia Infestação por barbeiros em comunidades indígenas de Valledupar, Colômbia Infestation by triatomine bugs in indigenous communities of Valledupar, Colombia

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Marleny Montilla

2011-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Calcular los índices infestación por triatominos en comunidades indígenas en Colombia. MÉTODOS: Se realizó estudio descriptivo en 19 comunidades indígenas del municipio de Valledupar Departamento de Cesar, Colombia. Durante junio a diciembre de 2007 se recolectaron triatominos por búsqueda activa en las viviendas de los indígenas. Los insectos luego fueron identificados por las claves de Lent & Wygodzinsky. Se desarrolló estudio del proceso infectivo en modelo animal y análisis enzimático de cepas de Trypanosoma cruzi, detectadas en heces de triatominos. RESULTADOS: Rhodnius prolixus presentó índice de densidad en las viviendas de 154,7%, Triatoma dimidiata de 102,45%, Triatoma maculata de 109,25% y Panstrogylus geniculatus de 0,3%. El índice promedio de infestación de las cuatro especies fue de 40,54% y, el de infección con T. cruzi de 9,4%. De cinco hemocultivos positivos para T. cruzi, tres se caracterizaron por isoenzimas, clasificándose en T. cruzi grupo I. El estudio de las biopsias reveló pocas características patológicas durante el proceso de infección con las cepas de T. cruzi aisladas de triatominos domiciliados. CONCLUSIÓN: Los altos índices de infestación por triatominos en las viviendas y el índice de infección por T. cruzi, evidencian la transmisión activa de la enfermedad de Chagas, situación que amerita la aplicación de medidas de control vectorial y el estudio seroepidemilógico de la población en riesgo. La identificación de las cepas de T. cruzi como grupo I concuerda con otros estudios realizados en esta región colombiana.OBJETIVO: Calcular índices de infestação por barbeiros em comunidades indígenas da Colômbia. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo em 19 comunidades do município de Valledupar, departamento de Cesar, Colômbia. A coleta de barbeiros foi realizada por busca ativa nas casas dos indígenas de junho e dezembro de 2007. A identificação taxonômica foi feita conforme Lent

Holocaust "Laughter" and Edgar Hilsenrath's "The Nazi and the Barber": Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Laughter and Humor in Holocaust Education

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Zembylas, Michalinos

2018-01-01

This article tries to defend the position that Holocaust Education can be enriched by appreciating laughter and humor as critical and transformative forces that not only challenge dominant discourses about the Holocaust and its representational limits, but also reclaim humanity, ethics, and difference from new angles and juxtapositions. Edgar…

Survival of Direct Posterior Composites With and Without a Bulk Fill Base.

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McGuirk, C; Hussain, F; Millar, B J

2017-09-01

Direct composite restorations are increasingly popular and a flowable bulk-fill base material (SDR, Dentsply) claims to minimise stress through a more flexible polymerisation process. This retrospective audit of restorations placed in general practice compares SDR based restorations with conventional composite restorations. Restorations were all placed by one operator using a similar clinical technique and were audited as Group G, placed with a conventional layering composite (G-aenial, GC) and Group S which had a bulk-fill base of SDR (Dentsply) and then were covered with G-aenial (GC). Data regarding survival, post-operative sensitivity and mode of failure were recorded and analysed. In total 54 Group S restorations and 71 Group G restorations were followed for a minimum of 24 months. Group S had a 92.6% survival and Group G 93%. Group S was more prone to failure by tooth fracture (p=0.033). In both groups failure was more likely in larger cavities, in both those with an increased number of surfaces (p⟨0.001) and cuspal coverage (p=0.004). There appears to be similar survival of the two techniques in the short-term although there were significantly more tooth fractures in teeth restored with SDR. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

The Physics Force- Physics for ages 6 to 106.

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Dahlberg, E. Dan

2006-03-01

The Physics Force is a very successful and entertaining outreach program of the Institute of Technology in the University of Minnesota developed to make science exciting and fun for students of all ages, from 6 to 106. Although all attendees, including high school and college students and guests from retirement homes, praise our performances, the primary focus is on K-6 students. The original Force consists of six k-12 teachers, Hank Ryan, Jon Barber, Jack Netland, Fred Orsted, Aaron Pinski, and Jay Dornfeld and Dan Dahlberg of the University of Minnesota Physics Department. The Force performed variations of The Physics Circus, our most popular show, at Disney's Epcot Center, parts of it were shown on Newton's Apple and several of us have performed demonstrations on the Knoff-Hoff Show, a very successful German T.V. science program. The goal of The Physics Force is to show students and the public Science is Fun, Science is Interesting, and Science is Understandable. By all measures we have available, we are extremely successful in reaching our goals. In the last three year cycle of our University support almost 100,000 residents of Minnesota (or about 2% of the total population) saw a Physics Force performance; it appears we will surpass those numbers in the present cycle.

Nikolaus Rüdinger (1832-1896), His Description of Joint Innervation in 1857, and the History of Surgical Joint Denervation.

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Gohritz, Andreas; Kaiser, Erich; Guggenheim, Merlin; Dellon, Arnold Lee

2018-01-01

 Selective joint denervation has become a reliable palliative treatment, especially for painful joints in the upper and lower extremity.  This article highlights the life and work of Nikolaus Rüdinger (1832-1896) who first described joint innervation which became the basis of later techniques of surgical joint denervation. The historical evolution of this method is outlined.  Rüdinger made a unique career from apprentice barber to military surgeon and anatomy professor in Munich, Germany. His first description of articular innervation of temporomandibular, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, sacroiliac, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and toe joints in 1857 stimulated the subsequent history of surgical joint denervation. Comparing his investigations with modern joint denervation methods, developed by pioneers like Albrecht Wilhelm or A. Lee Dellon, shows his great exactitude and anatomical correspondence despite different current terminology. Clinical series of modern surgical joint denervations reveal success rates of up to 80% with reliable long-term results.  The history of joint denervation with Rüdinger as its important protagonist offers inspiring insights into the evolution of surgical techniques and exemplifies the value of descriptive functional anatomy, even if surgical application may not have been realized until a century later. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

[Armourer and mad cow disease: images of veterinarians in music].

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Schäffer, J

2001-01-01

This contribution is not about animals in music; it rather attempts to describe how veterinary medicine as a discipline and veterinarians as representatives of the profession are perceived of and portrayed in music. Aside from Gioacchino Rossini's "Barber of Seville", in which Count Almaviva impersonates a veterinarian of the day, the most sympathetic veterinarian character ever created by a lyricist or composer in surely Hans Stadinger, the "armourer" and vet in Albert Lortzings opera. In other musical genres such as artsongs and folksongs, the only such figure worthy of musical interpretation seems to have been those masters of the fiery forge who were also wise in the veterinary healing arts. In the past 20 years vets and veterinary medicine have been included in new musical trends: There are musicals and radio plays in which even the youngest members of the audience are exposed to the veterinarian profession. A number of pop groups are also to be mentioned here. For example, animal welfare has been thematized by punk rockers, and a pop group for Hamburg has put a medieval horse blessing to music. Last but not least, a number of vets in Berlin turn their everyday troubles and worries into musical parodies.

Does Ferrule Effect Affect Implant-Abutment Stability?

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Mohajerfar, Maryam; Beyabanaki, Elaheh; Geramy, Allahyar; Siadat, Hakimeh; Alikhasi, Marzieh

2016-12-01

This study investigated the influence of placing implant-supported crowns on the torque loss of the abutment screw before and after loading. Twenty implant-abutment assemblies were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group was consisted of abutments with abutment-level finishing line (abutment-level), and in the second group the crown margin was placed on the implant shoulder (implant-level). Initial torque loss was recorded for all specimens. After 500000 cyclic load of 75 N and frequency of 2 Hz, post loading torque loss was recorded. Finite element model of each group was also modeled and screw energy, and stress were analyzed and compared between two groups. ANOVA for repeated measurements showed that the torque loss did not change significantly after cyclic loading (P=0.73). Crown margin also had no significant effect on the torque loss (P=0.56). However, the energy and stress of screw in abutment-level model (4.49 mJ and 22.74 MPa) was higher than implant-level model (3.52 mJ and 20.81 MPa). Although embracing the implant with crown produced less stress and energy in the abutment-implant screw, it did not have any significant influence on the torque loss of the screw. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd

Surveys of Current Teaching and Practice for Impressions for Complete Dentures.

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Hussain, N; Jabbar, H; Hayati, M; Wu, J; Hyde, T P

2018-03-08

The 3 objectives are to assess current preferences for impressions for complete dentures, audit practice and compare practice to current UK teaching. Three surveys where undertaken; a survey of GDPs preferences, an audit of practice and a survey of teaching in UK dental schools. UK Universities advocate border moulded custom trays. In stated preferences, 99% of practitioners used custom trays for private practice; 67% for NHS work. In actual use, the audit found 91% practitioners in private practice used custom trays; in NHS practice 78% did so. The most widely taught materials were silicone (43%), alginate (29%), & zinc oxide eugenol paste (19%). In practitioners stated preferences, 97% of NHS and 53% of private dentists listed alginate as an option; however the audit showed only 74% (NHS) and 52% (private) actually used alginate, with 20% (NHS) and 48% (private) using silicone. Definitive impressions in custom trays are used by GDPs for both private and NHS work; they are universally taught at UK dental schools. Alginate is popular in NHS practice; however, silicone is more widely taught in UK Universities. The use of silicone materials for definitive impressions has increased since 1999. In UK private practice silicone usage is aligned in popularity with alginate. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Influence of Different Ceramic Systems on Marginal Misfit.

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Vargas, S P; Neves, A C C; Vitti, R; Amaral, M; Henrique, M N; Silva-Concílio, L R

2017-09-01

the aim of this study was to evaluate the marginal misfit at the interface between a ceramic coping and its abutment. Twenty-four specimens were made with solid abutments. The specimens were divided into 3 groups according to the ceramic system (n = 8): Lava (zirconia), IPS e.max Press (lithium disilicate), and IPS Empress Esthetic (leucite). All copings were cemented with resin luting agent (RelyX U200) and the marginal misfit were evaluated at 3 different times: initial, after cementation, and after mechanical cycling using a linear measuring microscope (Measuring Microscope STM-Olympus) at a magnification of 40x. All specimens were subjected to mechanical cycling (1 million cycles) by an universal testing machine (Instron 8800). The results were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance and Student's t-test (α = 0.05). all groups showed an increase in the marginal misfit after cementation. The lithium disilicate group demonstrated the lowest interacial gap values at each evaluation (p = 0.001). The zirconia and leucite groups showed similar interfacial gap values (initial, p = 0.244; and post cementation, p = 0.751). the cementation increase the marginal misfit, but the mechanical cycling did not influence the marginal misfit of the ceramics systems evaluated. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Dental caries experience among Albanian pre-school children: a national survey.

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Hysi, D; Caglar, E; Droboniku, E; Toti, C; Kuscu, O O

2017-03-01

To determine the dental caries experience and treatment needs among 5-year-olds in Albania. This cross sectional study was conducted in 2015 by using a cluster sampling technique. The dmft was used to assess dental caries experience and caries prevalence as percentages of children with dmf⟩0. Caries treatment needs were assessed with dt/dmft x 100, missing teeth with mt/dmft x 100 and ft /dmft x 100 as the Care Index. 2,039 five-year-olds, from 17 districts of Albania were selected . Children's residency was divided into 3 main regions (South, West, Central and North). WHO 2013 diagnostic criteria were used and dental caries was recorded at cavity level d3. The mean age was 5.4 (SD 0.5) years. The caries prevalence (dmf⟩0) was 84.1%. The prevalence of children without cavitated lesions (d=0) was 20.1%. The mean dmft index was 4.41 (SD 3.83). The caries treatment needs were 84% (SD 26%). The Albanian 5-year-olds assessed in this survey had a high dental caries experience and untreated cavities in the primary dentition. The national health authorities should introduce preventive programs and improved dental care access for this age group. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd

Nigerian health care: A quick appraisal

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Yau Zakari Lawal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Qualitative health care is a fundamental right of all citizens of a given country. How this health care is delivered depends significantly on the economy, dedication, and quality of the health-care providers and the political will of the government of the country. Health care may be public run or organized by private health-care providers. We can also have an intercalated program where there is public–private partnership. Whichever way this basic fundamental human right is delivered, sustainability, affordability, and accessibility are vital to its success. The Nigerian health-care delivery can be broadly classified into two; the hitherto existing traditional medicine and the modern orthodox medicine which came to our shores with the arrival of the European colonialists. The traditional system is still patronized by most Nigerians and is known by different linguistic terminologies such as the “Wanzami” or Barber in Hausa and the “Babalawo” in Yoruba language. Traditional birth attendants also exist in all communities in Nigeria complemented by herbalist and spiritualists of different shades and callings. It is our aim to give a brief account of our observations on the Nigerian health-care system with a view to correcting the challenges by the government and the public in general.

How respiratory diseases were treated at the beginning of the 19th century

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Jacek Starzyk

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Respiratory diseases were quite common in the past. A treatment procedure for an acute respiratory disorder, most probably pneumonia, in a 72-year-old man was presented based on archival source materials dating from 1801. The treatment was provided by a doctor, barber surgeon “nurse” and pharmacist, who were practicing in Koniecpol in 1801. The patient was given mucolytic, antitussive, cardiac, antipyretic and analgesic medications and appetite stimulants. From the medical point of view that prevailed at that time, the treatment was correct. The patient was also given medications recommended under the humoral theory, which was still being followed at that time. According to that theory, the human body was thought to contain four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. An imbalance of humours resulted in a disease. The treatment was designed to restore the proper humoral balance by techniques such as enemas, diuretics and bloodletting. From the present medical point of view, the treatment was incorrect. It caused anaemia and disturbances in water, electrolyte and acid-base homeostasis. The treatment resulted in the patient’s death. However, one can hardly blame doctor Tichi, as his treatment was fully compliant with the scientific views prevailing at that time.

Nanocryl Coating of PMMA Complete Denture Base Materials to Prevent Scratching.

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Fathi, Hawa M; Benonn, Hajer A; Johnson, Anthony

2017-09-01

The surface of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is vulnerable to indentation by hard objects that may contribute to abrade the material surface and subject it to wear. This phenomenon promotes an increase in the surface roughness leading to microbial colonisation which can endanger the general health of wearers and damage the intra-oral prosthesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of three different nanocryl coating agents (Easy Glaze, G-Coat Plus and Formulation XP) on surface roughness and thickness of PMMA material after a simulating cleaning process utilizing an electric toothbrush and three different dentifrices (pastes and immersion). Acrylic uncoated discs were used as a control group. The results showed that the G-Coat Plus coating agent had less changes in the surface roughness and thickness layer whereas the immersion cleaner revealed less abrasion effect compared with the paste cleaners which could be considered the most suitable cleaner to provide lower abrasivenes and good removal of organic debris. However, using nanofilled sealants did not demonstrate significant improvement in reducing surface roughness p ⟩ 0.05. Nevertheless, it could provide some protection against wearing to the acrylic resin surface during tooth brushing and may provide better resistance to microbial colonisation. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

History of Dentistry in Central Serbia

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Jeremic Marko

2016-11-01

Full Text Available History of dentistry in the Central Serbian District of Jagodina has been influenced by traditional medicine for centuries. Development of dentistry in the region of Jagodina was slow, the level of oral and general hygiene was low and the sanitary prevention was absent. Trained physicians started to practice medicine and dentistry in the first half of the nineteenth century and they were educated in abroad universities. However, common people used to address to these physicians only when the traditional medicine were unable to help. Until the end of the World War II, common, mostly rural people, with the urgent dental treatment need were usually referred to the barbers, healers or empirics in the nearby villages rather than the dentists. Medications used for the urgent dental treatment were balsams and solutions made of herbs. After the World War II, the dental technicians who finished special courses started to practice dentistry. In 1947 the Regional Dental Office in Jagodina was opened and in 1955 the first Doctor of Dental Medicine who graduated from the School of Dental Medicine of University of Belgrade was employed. Nowadays, the Department of Dentistry represents is an important and independent part of the Health Care Centre in Jagodina.

Complete Lower Lip Reconstruction with a Large Lip Switch Flap and a Composite Modiolus Advancement Flap

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Gudjon L. Gunnarsson, MD

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary:. Total loss of the lower lip is debilitating and poses a reconstructive challenge. Aiming to restore oral continence and function and also cosmetic appearance, a successful reconstruction has a huge impact on the quality of life for the individual patient. Early sources of local tissue rearrangement for lip reconstruction date back 3000 years, with earliest reports of lip switch procedures more than 2 centuries ago in Europe, when noma was still endemic in Europe, indicating that the anatomy was better understood by the barber surgeons of the past than we like to acknowledge. We are still faced with such challenging cases all over the world where resources are limited. Our current understanding of perforator anatomy and blood supply makes more frequent revisits to flaps of the past with modern advances. Innovative solutions are imperative for salvage, and old ideas tend to reappear when they prove to be useful. Herein, we describe in open access a new reconstructive method where we combined a large lip switch flap together with a composite advancement modiolus flap to reconstruct a whole lower lip and the donor defect of the upper lip all at once, a procedure that is simple to perform and works in settings where it is greatly needed.

Prevalence, Genetic Characterization, and 18S Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA Diversity of Trypanosoma rangeli in Triatomine and Mammal Hosts in Endemic Areas for Chagas Disease in Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Ocaña-Mayorga, Sofia; Aguirre-Villacis, Fernanda; Pinto, C Miguel; Vallejo, Gustavo A; Grijalva, Mario J

2015-12-01

Trypanosoma rangeli is a nonpathogenic parasite for humans; however, its medical importance relies in its similarity and overlapping distribution with Trypanosoma cruzi, causal agent of Chagas disease in the Americas. The genetic diversity of T. rangeli and its association with host species (triatomines and mammals) has been identified along Central and the South America; however, it has not included data of isolates from Ecuador. This study reports infection with T. rangeli in 18 genera of mammal hosts and five species of triatomines in three environments (domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic). Higher infection rates were found in the sylvatic environment, in close association with Rhodnius ecuadoriensis. The results of this study extend the range of hosts infected with this parasite and the geographic range of the T. rangeli genotype KP1(-)/lineage C in South America. It was not possible to detect variation on T. rangeli from the central coastal region and southern Ecuador with the analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene, even though these areas are ecologically different and a phenotypic subdivision of R. ecuadoriensis has been found. R. ecuadoriensis is considered one of the most important vectors for Chagas disease transmission in Ecuador due to its wide distribution and adaptability to diverse environments. An extensive knowledge of the trypanosomes circulating in this species of triatomine, and associated mammal hosts, is important for delineating transmission dynamics and preventive measures in the endemic areas of Ecuador and Northern Peru.

Occurrence of synanthropic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae in the Federal District of Brazil

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Maicon Hitoshi Maeda

2012-02-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Entomological surveillance of Chagas disease in the Federal District of Brazil (DF, has recorded the following triatomine species: Panstrongylus megistus, P. geniculatus, P. diasi, Rhodnius neglectus, Triatoma pseudomaculata, and T. sordida. We aimed to analyze the spatial and temporal occurrence of triatomine species collected in DF, and their indices of natural infection with trypanosomes. METHODS: The Health State Secretariat of DF recorded triatomines between 2002 and 2010 in 20 administrative regions. This retrospective analysis considered the number of adults and nymphs of each species collected and infected in both intradomicile and peridomicile. RESULTS: A total of 754 triatomines were collected in 252 reported domiciles. Panstrongylus megistus was the most frequent species (65%, followed by T. pseudomaculata (14%. Of the 309 examined insects, only 3 (1% specimens of P. megistus were infected with flagellates morphologically similar to Trypanosoma cruzi. The spatial occurrence indicated a higher diversity of triatomines and frequency of T. sordida in rural areas. Moreover, there was a predominance of P. megistus in urban areas. The number of records of P. megistus in the rainy season was two times higher than that during the dry season. The largest number of triatomines was collected in November. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of P. megistus specimens infected with trypanosomes in domiciles, shows the potential risk of human infection in DF. Thus, it is essential to continue entomological surveillance, intensifying it in the rainy season and in regions of greater occurrence.

Infestation of arboreal nests of coatis by triatomine species, vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, in a large Neotropical wetland.

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de Lima, Juliane Saab; Rocha, Fabiana Lopes; Alves, Fernanda Moreira; Lorosa, Elias Seixas; Jansen, Ana Maria; de Miranda Mourão, Guilherme

2015-12-01

The coati (Nasua nasua, Carnivora) is a medium-sized mammal common in the Pantanal of Brazil. Unlike most mammals, coatis construct arboreal nests used for resting and reproduction. In this region, the coati is an important host of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. There are two possible routes through coatis can be infected by T. cruzi: the oral route or the vectorial route. However, the relative importance of each of these routes in the infection of coatis and its role in the sylvatic cycle of the parasite are unknown. Our objectives were to investigate: (i) whether coati nests were infested by triatomine bugs, (ii) what species were frequent in the nests, (iii) whether the triatomines in nests were infected by T. cruzi, and (iv) what were the food resources of these triatomines. Eight of the 24 nests sampled were infested with triatomines, a total of 37 specimens of at least two species (Rhodnius stali and Triatoma sordida). In one nest, R. stali and T. sordida co-occurred and both fed on multiple resources, including coatis. This is the first report of triatomines occurring in arboreal nests of coatis. The co-occurrence of two different genera of triatomine vectors and coatis within the limited space of the coati nests provide multiple opportunities for the exchange of the protozoan parasite through both the vectorial and oral transmission routes. © 2015 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Prevalence, Genetic Characterization, and 18S Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA Diversity of Trypanosoma rangeli in Triatomine and Mammal Hosts in Endemic Areas for Chagas Disease in Ecuador

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Ocaña-Mayorga, Sofia; Aguirre-Villacis, Fernanda; Pinto, C. Miguel; Vallejo, Gustavo A.

2015-01-01

Abstract Trypanosoma rangeli is a nonpathogenic parasite for humans; however, its medical importance relies in its similarity and overlapping distribution with Trypanosoma cruzi, causal agent of Chagas disease in the Americas. The genetic diversity of T. rangeli and its association with host species (triatomines and mammals) has been identified along Central and the South America; however, it has not included data of isolates from Ecuador. This study reports infection with T. rangeli in 18 genera of mammal hosts and five species of triatomines in three environments (domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic). Higher infection rates were found in the sylvatic environment, in close association with Rhodnius ecuadoriensis. The results of this study extend the range of hosts infected with this parasite and the geographic range of the T. rangeli genotype KP1(−)/lineage C in South America. It was not possible to detect variation on T. rangeli from the central coastal region and southern Ecuador with the analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene, even though these areas are ecologically different and a phenotypic subdivision of R. ecuadoriensis has been found. R. ecuadoriensis is considered one of the most important vectors for Chagas disease transmission in Ecuador due to its wide distribution and adaptability to diverse environments. An extensive knowledge of the trypanosomes circulating in this species of triatomine, and associated mammal hosts, is important for delineating transmission dynamics and preventive measures in the endemic areas of Ecuador and Northern Peru. PMID:26645579

Molecular epidemiology of Trypanosoma cruzi and Triatoma dimidiata in costal Ecuador.

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Wong, Yim Yan; Sornosa Macias, Karen Jeniffer; Guale Martínez, Doris; Solorzano, Luis F; Ramirez-Sierra, Maria Jesus; Herrera, Claudia; Dumonteil, Eric

2016-07-01

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In Ecuador, Triatoma dimidiata and Rhodnius ecuadoriensis are the main vector species, responsible for over half of the cases of T. cruzi infection in the country. T. dimidiata is believed to have been introduced in Ecuador during colonial times, and its elimination from the country is thus believed to be feasible. We investigated here the molecular ecology of T. dimidiata and T. cruzi in costal Ecuador to further guide control efforts. Analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS-2) of 23 specimens from Progreso, Guayas, unambiguously supported the likely importation of T. dimidiata from Central America to Ecuador. The observation of a very high parasite infection rate (54%) and frequent feeding on humans (3/5) confirmed a continued risk of transmission to humans. All genotyped parasites corresponded to TcI DTU and Trypanosoma rangeli was not detected in T. dimidiata. TcI subgroups corresponded to TcIa (25%), and mixed infections with TcIa and TcId (75%). Further studies should help clarify T. cruzi genetic structure in the country, and the possible impact of the introduction of T. dimidiata on the circulating parasite strains. The elevated risk posed by this species warrants continuing efforts for its control, but its apparent mobility between peridomestic and domestic habitats may favor reinfestation following insecticide spraying. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estructura poblacional y variabilidad genética de Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae procedente de diferentes áreas geográficas de Colombia

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Diana Carolina López

2007-01-01

Resultados. R. prolixus presenta variabilidad genética moderada (Fst 0,057-0,15, entre las poblaciones domiciliadas se encontraron tasas de migración (Nm>1 que revelan flujo genético. Se encontró diferenciación genética de moderada-alta entre la población silvestre de Casanare y las poblaciones domésticas del centro del país (Tolima y Cundinamarca. Conclusión. Las poblaciones domiciliadas de R. prolixus son homogéneas debido a que existe flujo genético entre éstas; lo cual es favorable para el control químico, mientras que la población silvestre agrupa aparte de las domiciliadas. Se evidencia la necesidad de estudiar la estructura genética de los focos silvestres, sus posibles rutas de dispersión y el riesgo epidemiológico que representan.

Aprovechamiento solar en los terrenos agrarios de la Masía Can Gili, término municipal de Barberá del Vallés

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Seven Porte, Xavier

2012-01-01

El objeto del presente proyecto define los conceptos y desarrolla cálculos necesarios para llevar a cabo el aprovechamiento energético mediante el uso de energías renovables, en nuestro caso la energía solar. La naturaleza de la energía solar proviene de esa gigantesca esfera formada de gases a alta temperatura. La temperatura en su interior se estima que es de 107 K, en su superficie oscila entre los 5762 y los 6300 K. El Sol genera energía mediante reacciones nucleares de ...

Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli infection in triatomine vectors by amplification of the histone H2A/SIRE and the sno-RNA-C11 genes Detecção da infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi e Trypanosoma rangeli em vetores triatomíneos através da amplificação dos gens de histona H2A/SIRE e sno-RNA-C11

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Paula Ximena Pavia

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Trypanosoma rangeli is non pathogenic for humans but of important medical and epidemiological interest because it shares vertebrate hosts, insect vectors, reservoirs and geographic areas with T. cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Therefore, in this work, we set up two PCR reactions, TcH2AF/R and TrFR2, to distinguish T. cruzi from T. rangeli in mixed infections of vectors based on amplification of the histone H2A/SIRE and the small nucleolar RNA Cl1 genes, respectively. Both PCRs were able to appropriately detect all T. cruzi or T. rangeli experimentally infected-triatomines, as well as the S35/S36 PCR which amplifies the variable region of minicircle kDNA of T. cruzi. In mixed infections, whereas T. cruzi DNA was amplified in 100% of samples with TcH2AF/R and S35/S36 PCRs, T. rangeli was detected in 71% with TrF/R2 and in 6% with S35/S36. In a group of Rhodnius colombiensis collected from Coyaima (Colombia, T. cruzi was identified in 100% with both PCRs and T. rangeli in 14% with TrF/R2 and 10% with S35/S36 PCR. These results show that TcH2AF/R and TrF/R2 PCRs which are capable of recognizing all T. cruzi and T. rangeli strains and lineages could be useful for diagnosis as well as for epidemiological field studies of T. cruzi and T. rangeli vector infections.Embora o Trypanosoma rangeli não seja patogênico para o homem, sua importância médica e epidemiológica reside no fato de compartilhar vetores, reservatórios e áreas geográficas com o Trypanosoma cruzi, agente causal da Doença de Chagas. Neste estudo, para distinguir T. cruzi de T. rangeli em vetores com infecções mistas, se utilizaram duas amplificações de PCR; TcH2AF/R para o gen da histona H2A/SIRE e TrFR2, para um gen repetitivo de ARN nucleolar Cl1 (sno-RNA-Cl1. Assim como a PCR S35/S36, ambas as reações foram capazes de detectar corretamente a presença de T. cruzi ou T. rangeli em triatomíneos infectados experimentalmente. Nas infecções mistas, o ADN de

Cathepsin L of Triatoma brasiliensis (Reduviidae, Triatominae): sequence characterization, expression pattern and zymography.

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Waniek, Peter J; Pacheco Costa, Juliana E; Jansen, Ana M; Costa, Jane; Araújo, Catarina A C

2012-01-01

Triatoma brasiliensis is considered one of the main vectors of Chagas disease commonly found in semi-arid areas of northeastern Brazil. These insects use proteases, such as carboxypeptidase B, aminopeptidases and different cathepsins for blood digestion. In the present study, two genes encoding cathepsin L from the midgut of T. brasiliensis were identified and characterized. Mature T. brasiliensis cathepsin L-like proteinases (TBCATL-1, TBCATL-2) showed a high level of identity to the cathepsin L-like proteinases of other insects, with highest similarity to Rhodnius prolixus. Both cathepsin L transcripts were highly abundant in the posterior midgut region, the main region of the blood digestion. Determination of the pH in the whole intestine of unfed T. brasiliensis revealed alkaline conditions in the anterior midgut region (stomach) and acidic conditions in the posterior midgut region (small intestine). Gelatine in-gel zymography showed the activity of at least four distinct proteinases in the small intestine and the cysteine proteinase inhibitors transepoxysuccinyl-l-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane (E-64) and cathepsin B inhibitor and N-(l-3-trans-propylcarbamoyl-oxirane-2-carbonyl)-l-isoleucyl-l-proline (CA-074) were employed to characterize enzymatic activity. E-64 fully inhibited cysteine proteinase activity, whereas in the samples treated with CA-074 residual proteinase activity was detectable. Thus, proteolytic activity could at least partially be ascribed to cathepsin L. Western blot analysis using specific anti cathepsin L antibodies confirmed the presence of cathepsin L in the lumen of the small intestine of the insects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expanding the knowledge of the geographic distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi TcII and TcV/TcVI genotypes in the Brazilian Amazon.

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Valdirene Dos Santos Lima

Full Text Available Trypanosoma cruzi infection is a complex sylvatic enzooty involving a wide range of animal species. Six discrete typing units (DTUs of T. cruzi, named TcI to TcVI, are currently recognized. One unanswered question concerning the epidemiology of T. cruzi is the distribution pattern of TcII and hybrid DTUs in nature, including their virtual absence in the Brazilian Amazon, the current endemic area of Chagas disease in Brazil. Herein, we characterized biological samples that were collected in previous epizootiological studies carried out in the Amazon Basin in Brazil. We performed T. cruzi genotyping using four polymorphic genes to identify T. cruzi DTUs: mini-exon, 1f8, histone 3 and gp72. This analysis was conducted in the following biological samples: (i two T. cruzi isolates obtained by culturing of stools from the triatomine species Rhodnius picttipes and (ii five serum samples from dogs in which trypomastigotes were observed during fresh blood examination. We report for the first time the presence of TcII and hybrid DTUs (TcV/TcVI in the Amazon region in mixed infections with TcI. Furthermore, sequencing of the constitutive gene, gp72, demonstrated diversity in TcII even within the same forest fragment. These data show that TcII is distributed in the five main Brazilian biomes and is likely more prevalent than currently described. It is very probable that there is no biological or ecological barrier to the transmission and establishment of any DTU in any biome in Brazil.

A nurse led peripherally inserted central catheter line insertion service is effective with radiological support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barber, Jonathan M.; Booth, Doris M.; King, Julia A.; Chakraverty, Sam

2002-01-01

AIM: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are increasingly used as a route of chemotherapy administration. Our aims were to assess a collaborative approach to PICC placement, with radiological support for a nurse led line insertion service in a minority of cases, and to determine whether PICC provided a safe and reliable method of chemotherapy administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective data on 100 consecutive patients undergoing PICC placement for chemotherapy were collected. Lines were inserted by ward based nurses or under ultrasound guidance by radiologists. End points were successful completion of treatment or patient death. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four lines were placed for 118 courses of chemotherapy. 107 (74%) were placed by nurses and 37 (26%) by radiologists. Ninety-five percent of patients completed therapy with either one or two lines. Seventy percent of lines were removed on achieving the primary end points. In two additional patients PICC could not be placed radiologically. Twelve patients were unable to complete treatment with PICC alone, nine of these required an alternative administration route. The catheter related sepsis rate was 4.9%. CONCLUSION: The majority of PICC can be successfully placed by trained nurses, reserving image guidance only for more difficult cases. PICC have an acceptable complication profile, and decrease the need for tunnelled central lines. Barber, J.M. et al. (2002)

[Biology and ecology of the terrestrial hermit crab coenobita scaevola forskål of the Red Sea].

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Niggemann, Renate

1968-06-01

The terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita scaevola is very common on the coast of the Red Sea. The species depends on the sea for its source of food (wrack-fauna), source of drinking-water and water for moistening gills and abdomen. Only in the supra-litoral zone they find gastropod shells to protect their abdomen against insolation, desiccation and mechanical damage. Coenobita scaevola stays in one place for a long time if good living conditions are available. The time of activity of the juveniles differs from one place to another. Some are diurnal, others are nocturnal. There is no evident relation to the ecological factors. Most of the adults are nocturnal. No Coenobita could be collected in Barber traps. The avoidance of such traps by arthropodes has never been observed before. Coenobita scaevola can live for quite a long time under water of sufficient temperature and salinity. The osmotic regulation of the land-hermit crab differs from that of other shore animals. Coenobita can tolerate a wide range of blood concentrations (25-70‰). It controls the concentration of its blood by selecting water of the appropriate salinity.The static problems of Coenobita are solved by regular movement of the legs and special articulation of the legs.As Coenobita scaevola is a phylogenetically young land animal it carries many inhabitants of marine and terrestrial origin.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C infection in patients admitted at tertiary eye care centre: a hospital based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junejo, S.A.; Khan, N.A.; Lodhi, A.A.

2009-01-01

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and the risk factors in patients admitted for ocular treatment at a tertiary eye care centre in Sindh Pakistan. Methodology: Nine hundred thirty one patients admitted at Liaquat University Eye Hospital Hyderabad for ocular treatment, were screened for HBV and HCV. Patients of either sex, with more than thirty years of age were included. Screening for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV) was performed through chromatography method. Samples repeatedly reactive for HBsAg or anti-HCV were considered positive. Results: Out of 931 registered patients, 497 (53.3%) were male and 434 (46.7%) female. Hepatitis B and C was detected in 167 (17.9%) subjects. The overall seroprevalence of HBV infection within the study period was 4.6%, HCV 13.3%, and for HBV and HCV both was 3.9%. Regarding the predisposing factors, past history of blood transfusion was present in 08.3% subjects, needle injection 89.2%, barber shaving 52.6%, and 46 (27.5%) patients presented with past history of surgery. Conclusion: For the prevention of transmission of HBV and HCV infection, the community awareness regarding vaccination against Hepatitis B and risk factors for spread of HBV and HCV, implementation of population based screening and vaccination for HBV on large scale should be ensured. (author)

"It Was Basically College to Us": Poverty, Prison, and Emerging Adulthood.

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Comfort, Megan

2012-01-01

With the tremendous rise in the United States' incarceration rates over the last four decades, historically high numbers of young African Americans are spending their "emerging adulthood" (as theorized by Arnett) in close contact with the penitentiary. In contrast to the exploration of future possibilities facilitated by academic, military, and professional institutions geared toward people in this life stage, imprisonment typically restricts one's social, occupational, and civic opportunities during and after confinement. In this article, I draw on in-depth interviews with young men who had recently exited state prison and their intimate partners to probe the meanings of incarceration for emerging adults in the neoliberal era. This investigation invokes Merton and Barber's concept of sociological ambivalence, Blankenship's discussion of sociological thriving, and Bourdieu's notion of amor fati to analyze the paradoxically positive accounts offered by young people when describing their early experiences with the prison. I argue that these narratives must be interpreted in the broader context of diminished social welfare and intensified socioeconomic disadvantage that force poor people to turn to a punitive institution as a "resource" for the social goods distributed through valorized channels to their more privileged peers. This analysis invites further research by highlighting the necessity of developing a thorough understanding of the dominant role of the prison as a shaping institution at a critical juncture in the lives of those born into poverty.

Porous MnO2 prepared by sol-gel method for electrochemical supercapacitor

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Bazzi, K.; Kumar, A.; Jayakumar, O. D.; Nazri, G. A.; Naik, V. M.; Naik, R.

2015-03-01

MnO2 has attracted great attention as material for electrochemical pseudocapacitor due to its high theoretical specific faradic capacitance (~ 1370 F .g-1) , environmental friendliness and wide potential window in both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes. However, the MnO2 has a low surface area which depresses its electrochemical performance. The amorphous α-MnO2 composite was synthesized by sol gel method in the presence of the tri-block copolymer P123. Our aim is to investigate the role of P123 on the electrochemical performance of MnO2. The samples with and without P123 were prepared and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, TEM and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The electrochemical performances of the amorphous MnO2 composites as the electrode materials for supercapacitors were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance measurements in a 1M Na2SO4 solution. The results show that the sample prepared without P123 exhibited a relatively low specific capacitance of 28F .g-1, whereas the porous MnO2 prepared with P123 exhibited 117 F .g-1at 5 mV/s. The results of crystalline MnO2 composites will also be presented. The authors acknowledge the support from the Richard J. Barber Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research.

Public health intervention over four decades for the children in the Australian Capital Territory: Have we reached the point of diminishing returns?

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Sohal, I; Kruger, E; Tennant, M

2017-06-01

Most of the developed world has seen some substantial improvements in the dental health of children over the past four decades owing to advances in service access, fluoride exposure, socio-economic development and improved diets, with the DMFT score of 12 year-olds dropping from well over 10 down to around one. To examine the question of advancing dental health for children even further using the same set of tools as we have to date by asking the question: Have we come to a point of diminishing returns? The study examines the long-term, near optimum settings of the known public dental health variables in the Australian Capital Territory. Despite having the most ideal and persistent dental health optimised situation, there remains underlying dental caries at a severity level of just below 1 DMFT (12 year olds), and over the last decade the rate of diminishing incidence and prevalence of decay has slowed and arguably stopped. This suggests that rather than toiling to eliminate dental decay completely, the focus might usefully be reoriented towards those small known pockets of society with persistent higher levels of disease and looking for new ways to address these difficult clusters, while simultaneously advancing the understanding that a small residual level of decay will always exist in society. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Baseline Ohip-Edent Scores.

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Duale, J M J; Patel, Y A; Wu, J; Hyde, T P

2018-03-01

OHIP-EDENT is widely used in the literature to assess Oral-Health-Related-Quality-of-Life (OHRQoL) for edentulous patients. However the normal variance and mean of the baseline OHIP scores has not been reported. It would facilitate critical appraisal of studies if we had knowledge of the normal variation and mean of baseline OHIP-EDENT scores. An established figure for baseline OHIP-EDENT, obtained from a meta-analysis, would simplify comparisons of studies and quantify variations in initial OHRQoL of the trial participants. The aim of this study is to quantify a normal baseline value for pre-operative OHIP-EDENT scores by a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature. A systematic literature review was carried. 83 papers were identified that included OHIP-EDENT values. After screening and eligibility assessment, 7 papers were selected and included in the meta-analysis. A meta-analysis for the 7 papers by a random-effect model yielded a mean baseline OHIP-EDENT score of 28.63 with a 95% Confidence intervals from 21.93 to 35.34. A pre-operative baseline OHIP-EDENT has been established by meta-analysis of published papers. This will facilitate the comparison of the initial OHRQoL of one study population to that found elsewhere in the published literature. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Report of mass communication Ceylon: October 1969-December 31, 1970.

Science.gov (United States)

1971-01-01

Experience with media usage by the FPA (Family Planning Association of Ceylon between October 1969 and December 1970 is summarized. During this time, the Association purchased 100-200 column inches each of contract advertising space in 26 newspapers. The press has published 268 press release, I.P.P.F., U.N., features and international press clipping in addition to specialized medical articles on family planning methods and 8 articles by FPA office-bearers. In January 1970; the Association launched local radio's first 5-minute daily commercial in Sinhala and Tamil. The program was repeated from April to July 1970. A series of 5 slides on family planning has been shown in movie theathers and more sets are being prepared for viewing. Posters have been used on buses and are currently on display on the National Railways project. Folders, leaflect, and poster calendars have been produced and used. Family Planning stickers have put up in 700 barber saloons. The FPA had stalls in the 1970 3-day National Exhibition at Batticaloa, the 4-day U.N. Poster Exhibition at Badulla, and the 2-week Ceylon Medical College Centenary Exhibition in Colombo. The Information Unit of FPA has answered 18, 541 written inquiries. A family planning communication us regularly dispatched to members of the Cabinet, government and opposition members of parliament, senators, chairmen of local bodies, and key trade union officials.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Assessment and Posture Analysis by LUBA among Female Hairdressers in Tehran, 2015

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Mohammad Khandan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims of the Study: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs are part of the main occupational diseases in the workplace. Occupations such as hairdressers are exposed to multiple risk factors of these problems. The study was conducted to assess MSDs and posture analysis among female hairdressers in Tehran, 2015. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 114 participants were studied. To collect data, demographic questionnaire, body map for assessment of MSDs and Postural Loading on the Upper Body Assessment (LUBA method to evaluate postures was used. Also, data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney, Kruskal Wallis and Spearman correlation tests through SPSS-V20. Results: The mean and standard deviation of age and experience of the participants were5.34±8.9 and 10±8 years, respectively. In addition, they worked 9.8 hours per day on average. One hundred and thirteen (99.12% persons have experienced the pain at least in one member of their musculoskeletal system. Most of hairdressers had reported leg, lower back, as well as neck and shoulder pain. According to the posture assessment, 94.2% of people experienced high risk of exposure to risk factors for MSDs. Conclusion: Findings showed MSDs are high among barbers. Also, the work situations require immediate correction. Correction of workstations and tools design, work rest cycle and reduction in repetitive motions can help to improve working conditions.

Using the simplified case mix tool (sCMT) to identify cost in special care dental services to support commissioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Duane, B G; Freeman, R; Richards, D; Crosbie, S; Patel, P; White, S; Humphris, G

2017-03-01

To commission dental services for vulnerable (special care) patient groups effectively, consistently and fairly an evidence base is needed of the costs involved. The simplified Case Mixed Tool (sCMT) can assess treatment mode complexity for these patient groups. To determine if the sCMT can be used to identify costs of service provision. Patients (n=495) attending the Sussex Community NHS Trust Special Care Dental Service for care were assessed using the sCMT. sCMT score and costs (staffing, laboratory fees, etc.) besides patient age, whether a new patient and use of general anaesthetic/intravenous sedation. Statistical analysis (adjusted linear regression modelling) compared sCMT score and costs then sensitivity analyses of the costings to age, being a new patient and sedation use were undertaken. Regression tables were produced to present estimates of service costs. Costs increased with sCMT total scale and single item values in a predictable manner in all analyses except for 'cooperation'. Costs increased with the use of IV sedation; with each rising level of the sCMT, and with complexity in every sCMT category, except cooperation. Costs increased with increase in complexity of treatment mode as measured by sCMT scores. Measures such as the sCMT can provide predictions of the resource allocations required when commissioning special care dental services. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

The Effect of Core and Veneering Design on the Optical Properties of Polyether Ether Ketone.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeighami, S; Mirmohammadrezaei, S; Safi, M; Falahchai, S M

2017-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of core shade and core and veneering thickness on color parameters and translucency of polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Sixty PEEK discs (0.5 and 1 mm in thickness) with white and dentine shades were veneered with A2 shade indirect composite resin with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm thickness (n=5). Cores without the veneering material served as controls for translucency evaluation. Color parameters were measured by a spectroradiometer. Color difference (ΔE₀₀) and translucency parameters (TP) were computed. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (for veneering thickness) and independent t-test (for core shade and thickness) via SPSS 20.0 (p⟨0.05). Regarding the veneering thickness, white cores of 0.5 mm thickness showed significant differences in all color parameters. In white cores of 1 mm thickness and dentine cores of 0.5 and 1 mm thickness, there were statistically significant differences only in L∗, a∗ and h∗. The mean TP was significantly higher in all white cores of 1 mm thickness than dentine cores of 1 mm. Considering ΔE₀₀=3.7 as clinically unacceptable, only three groups had higher mean ΔE₀₀ values. Core shade, core thickness, and the veneering thickness affected the color and translucency of PEEK restorations. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Time perspective and socioeconomic status: a link to socioeconomic disparities in health?

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, Lori C; Butler, Stephen C; Ward, Michael M

2009-06-01

Time perspective is a measure of the degree to which one's thinking is motivated by considerations of the future, present, or past. Time perspective has been proposed as a potential mediator of socioeconomic disparities in health because it has been associated with health behaviors and is presumed to vary with socioeconomic status. In this cross-sectional community-based survey of respondents recruited from hair salons and barber shops in a suburb of Washington DC, we examined the association between time perspective and both education level and occupation. We asked participants (N=525) to complete a questionnaire that included three subscales (future, present-fatalistic, and present-hedonistic) of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. Participants with more formal education and those with professional occupations had higher scores on the future time perspective subscale, and lower scores on the present-fatalistic subscale, than participants with less formal education or a non-professional occupation. Present-fatalistic scores were also higher among participants whose parents had less formal education. Present-hedonistic scores were not associated with either education level or professional occupation. Time perspective scores were not independently associated with the likelihood of obesity, smoking, or exercise. In this community sample, future time perspective was associated with current socioeconomic status, and past-fatalistic time perspective was associated with both current and childhood socioeconomic status.

Factors supporting dentist leaders' retention in leadership.

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Tuononen, T; Lammintakanen, J; Suominen, A L

2017-12-01

The aim was to study factors associated with staying in a dentist leadership position. We used an electronic questionnaire to gather data from 156 current or former Finnish dentist leaders in 2014. Principal component analysis categorized statements regarding time usage and opportunities in managerial work into five main components. Associations between these main component scores and the tendency to stay as a leader were analyzed with logistic regression. Out of the five main components, two were significantly associated with staying as a leader: 'career intentions', which represented intent to continue or to leave the leadership position; and 'work time control opportunities', which represented how leaders could control their own work time. Other factors that supported staying were leadership education, more work time available for leadership work, and lower age. The main component 'work pressure' decreased, although not significantly, the odds of continuing; it included lack of leadership work time, and pressure from superiors or subordinates. Leaders have important roles in health care, ensuring everyday operations as well as developing their organizations to meet future challenges. Knowledge of these supporting factors will enable dentist leaders and their organizations to improve working conditions in order to recruit and retain motivated and competent persons. In addition, well-designed education is important to inspire and encourage future leaders. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Albendazole in environment: faecal concentrations in lambs and impact on lower development stages of helminths and seed germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Prchal, Lukáš; Podlipná, Radka; Lamka, Jiří; Dědková, Tereza; Skálová, Lenka; Vokřál, Ivan; Lecová, Lenka; Vaněk, Tomáš; Szotáková, Barbora

2016-07-01

Albendazole (ABZ), widely used benzimidazole anthelmintic, administered to animals enters via excrements into environment and may impact non-target organisms. Moreover, exposure of lower development stages of helminths to anthelmintics may also encourage the development of drug-resistant strains of helminths. In present project, the kinetics of ABZ (10 mg kg(-1) p.o.) and its metabolite (ABZ.SO, ABZSO2) elimination in faeces from treated Texel lambs were studied using UHPLC/MS/MS with the aim to find out their concentrations achievable in the environment. Consequently, the effect of these compounds on lower development stages of Barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) and on germination of white mustard (Sinapis alba) seeds was evaluated. The results showed that ABZ concentrations in faeces excreted in 4-60 h after treatment were above the concentrations lethal for H. contortus eggs. Moreover, pre-incubation with sub-lethal doses of ABZ and ABZ.SO did not increase the resistance of H. contortus eggs and larvae to anthelmintics. On the other hand, concentrations of ABZ and ABZ.SO in faeces are so high that might have negative influence on non-target soil invertebrates. As neither ABZ nor its metabolites affect the germination of mustard seeds, phytoremediation could be considered as potential tool for detoxification of ABZ in the environment.

Aspects of peridomiciliary ecotopes in rural areas of Northeastern Brazil associated to triatomine (Hemiptera, Reduviidae infestation, vectors of Chagas disease

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Otília Sarquis

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Artificial ecotopes of 121 peridomiciliary environments in four rural localities in the state of Ceará, Brazil, were studied and the type of material of the ecotopes was identified as triatomine infestation. Two thousand two hundred and four Triatoma brasiliensis Neiva, 340 Triatoma pseudomaculata Corrêa and Espínola, 121 Rhodnius nasutus Stall, and 5 Panstrongylus lutzi (Neiva and Pinto were captured. Out of the 323 ecotopes found (X =2.0 ± 1.8 per dwelling such as pigpens, henhouses, corrals, perches, dovecotes, piles of roofing tiles, bricks, wood, and straw 30.3% were infested by triatomines in all different developmental stages, including eggs. A substantial number of triatomines were found in perches, however the largest infestation took place in roofing materials used in the construction of goat/sheep corrals, henhouses, and pigpens, where 98% of them were captured: 1372 triatomines were located in the roofing tile covers, 285 in the straw, 187 in the perches, 77 in the coverings of roofing tiles and straw, and 13 in the straw and wood. Among all the different pile of materials, roofing tiles were the most infested (50% followed by bricks (38.9% and woods (36.1%. T. brasiliensis colonized mainly brick piles (chi2=16.539; p < 0.05 and roofing tiles (chi2=5,090.58; p < 0.05; T. pseudomaculata preferred wood perches (chi2= 472.39; p < 0.05 and woodpiles (chi2=126.0 p < 0.05, and R. nasutus was principally found in roofing straw (chi2=384.43; p < 0.05. These findings suggest that triatomines tend to colonize peridomiciliary ecotopes similar to their original habitats.

Automated segmentation of synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography biomedical images using Graph Cuts and neural networks

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Alvarenga de Moura Meneses, Anderson, E-mail: ameneses@ieee.org [Radiological Sciences Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier 524, CEP 20550-900, RJ (Brazil); Giusti, Alessandro [IDSIA (Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence), University of Lugano (Switzerland); Pereira de Almeida, Andre; Parreira Nogueira, Liebert; Braz, Delson [Nuclear Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Cely Barroso, Regina [Laboratory of Applied Physics on Biomedical Sciences, Physics Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, RJ (Brazil); Almeida, Carlos Eduardo de [Radiological Sciences Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier 524, CEP 20550-900, RJ (Brazil)

2011-12-21

Synchrotron Radiation (SR) X-ray micro-Computed Tomography ({mu}CT) enables magnified images to be used as a non-invasive and non-destructive technique with a high space resolution for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of biomedical samples. The research on applications of segmentation algorithms to SR-{mu}CT is an open problem, due to the interesting and well-known characteristics of SR images for visualization, such as the high resolution and the phase contrast effect. In this article, we describe and assess the application of the Energy Minimization via Graph Cuts (EMvGC) algorithm for the segmentation of SR-{mu}CT biomedical images acquired at the Synchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics (SYRMEP) beam line at the Elettra Laboratory (Trieste, Italy). We also propose a method using EMvGC with Artificial Neural Networks (EMANNs) for correcting misclassifications due to intensity variation of phase contrast, which are important effects and sometimes indispensable in certain biomedical applications, although they impair the segmentation provided by conventional techniques. Results demonstrate considerable success in the segmentation of SR-{mu}CT biomedical images, with average Dice Similarity Coefficient 99.88% for bony tissue in Wistar Rats rib samples (EMvGC), as well as 98.95% and 98.02% for scans of Rhodnius prolixus insect samples (Chagas's disease vector) with EMANNs, in relation to manual segmentation. The techniques EMvGC and EMANNs cope with the task of performing segmentation in images with the intensity variation due to phase contrast effects, presenting a superior performance in comparison to conventional segmentation techniques based on thresholding and linear/nonlinear image filtering, which is also discussed in the present article.

Characterization of burdock mottle virus, a novel member of the genus Benyvirus, and the identification of benyvirus-related sequences in the plant and insect genomes.

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Kondo, Hideki; Hirano, Shuichi; Chiba, Sotaro; Andika, Ida Bagus; Hirai, Makoto; Maeda, Takanori; Tamada, Tetsuo

2013-10-01

The complete nucleotide sequence of the burdock mottle virus (BdMoV) isolated from an edible burdock plant (Arctium lappa) in Japan has been determined. BdMoV has a bipartite genome, whose organization is similar to RNA1 and RNA2 of benyviruses, beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), beet soil-borne mosaic virus (BSBMV), and rice stripe necrosis virus (RSNV). BdMoV RNA1 (7038 nt) contains a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 249-kDa polypeptide that consists of methyl-transferase, helicase, papain-like protease, AlkB-like, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domains. The AlkB-like domain sequence is not present in the proteins encoded by other known benyviruses, but is found in replication-associated proteins of viruses mainly belonging to the families Alfaflexiviridae and Betaflexiviridae. BdMoV RNA2 (4315 nt) contains six ORFs that are similar to those of benyviruses: these are coat protein (CP), CP readthrough, triple gene block movement and cysteine-rich proteins. Phylogenetic analyses showed that BdMoV is more closely related to BNYVV and BSBMV than to RSNV. Database searches showed that benyvirus replicase-related sequences are present in the chromosomes of a chickpea plant (Cicer arietinum) and a blood-sucking insect (Rhodnius prolixus). Some other benyvirus-related sequences are found in the transcriptome shotgun libraries of a few species of plants and a bark beetle. Our results show that BdMoV is a distinct species of the genus Benyvirus and that ancestral and extant benyviruses may have infected or currently infect a wide range of hosts, including plants and insects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated segmentation of synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography biomedical images using Graph Cuts and neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarenga de Moura Meneses, Anderson; Giusti, Alessandro; Pereira de Almeida, André; Parreira Nogueira, Liebert; Braz, Delson; Cely Barroso, Regina; Almeida, Carlos Eduardo de

2011-01-01

Synchrotron Radiation (SR) X-ray micro-Computed Tomography (μCT) enables magnified images to be used as a non-invasive and non-destructive technique with a high space resolution for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of biomedical samples. The research on applications of segmentation algorithms to SR-μCT is an open problem, due to the interesting and well-known characteristics of SR images for visualization, such as the high resolution and the phase contrast effect. In this article, we describe and assess the application of the Energy Minimization via Graph Cuts (EMvGC) algorithm for the segmentation of SR-μCT biomedical images acquired at the Synchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics (SYRMEP) beam line at the Elettra Laboratory (Trieste, Italy). We also propose a method using EMvGC with Artificial Neural Networks (EMANNs) for correcting misclassifications due to intensity variation of phase contrast, which are important effects and sometimes indispensable in certain biomedical applications, although they impair the segmentation provided by conventional techniques. Results demonstrate considerable success in the segmentation of SR-μCT biomedical images, with average Dice Similarity Coefficient 99.88% for bony tissue in Wistar Rats rib samples (EMvGC), as well as 98.95% and 98.02% for scans of Rhodnius prolixus insect samples (Chagas's disease vector) with EMANNs, in relation to manual segmentation. The techniques EMvGC and EMANNs cope with the task of performing segmentation in images with the intensity variation due to phase contrast effects, presenting a superior performance in comparison to conventional segmentation techniques based on thresholding and linear/nonlinear image filtering, which is also discussed in the present article.

Update on the clinical utility and optimal use of cefditoren

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Barberán J

2012-05-01

Full Text Available José Barberán,1 Lorenzo Aguilar,2 María-José Giménez21Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Central de la Defensa Gomez Ulla, 2Microbiology Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, SpainAbstract: This article reviews and updates published data on cefditoren. The in vitro activity of cefditoren and its potential pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic adequacy to cover emerging resistance phenotypes in the present decade is reviewed. Cefditoren's in vitro activity against most prevalent bacterial respiratory pathogens in the community and its pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile suggests a significant role for cefditoren in the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Clinical trials (in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, community-acquired pneumonia, pharyngotonsillitis, and sinusitis performed during clinical development outside Japan, mainly in adults, are reviewed, together with new clinical studies in the treatment of pharyngotonsillitis, sinusitis, and otitis media in children, mainly in Japan, for efficacy and safety assessment. The results of these studies support the adequacy of cefditoren for the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections with a safety profile similar to previous oral antibiotics. From the data reviewed, it is concluded that cefditoren is an adequate option for the treatment of mild-to-moderate community-acquired respiratory infections, especially in geographical areas with a reported prevalence of phenotypes exhibiting nonsusceptibility to common oral antibiotics.Keywords: acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, community-acquired pneumonia, pharyngotonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media

Rural Shop-Based Health Program Planning: a Formative Research Approach Among Owners.

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Hall, Marla B; Eden, Tiffany M; Bess, Jukelia J; Landrine, Hope; Corral, Irma; Guidry, Jeffrey J; Efird, Jimmy T

2017-06-01

African American barbershops and beauty salons are settings that have been identified as a significant and culturally relevant venue to reach minority populations for health promotion activities. By being located in almost every town in the USA, this setting is a viable means to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans. The purpose of this formative research project was to assess African American barbershop and beauty salon owners' perceptions of providing health promotion programming in their shops, as well as to obtain information on health topics of interest and strategies for implementation. Interviewees were recruited using snowballing among clientele and owner referrals, between November 2014 and August 2015. A total of 20 barbershop and salon owners, across 11 counties in eastern North Carolina, completed face-to-face interviews. Responses were stratified by barbershops and beauty salons. Across both groups, all owners stated it would be a good idea to have health programs/interventions within the shop setting. Most noted topics of interest included diet and nutrition, hypertension, and (wo)men's reproductive health. When asked further about these desired topics, both benefits and relevance to customers and the African American community were the reasons for their selections. In addition, across barbershops and salons, 90 % of owners stated interest in having a program implemented in their shop. This information will be used to guide the development of shop-based interventions, with the aid of a community advisory board composed of shop owners, individual barbers and stylists and customers.

Time perspective and exercise, obesity, and smoking: moderation of associations by age.

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, Lori C; Butler, Stephen C; Lessl, Kristen; Ochi, Onyinyechukwu; Ward, Michael M

2014-01-01

Time perspective, a psychological construct denoting subjective orientation to either present or future concerns, has been inconsistently associated with healthy behaviors in adults. We hypothesized that associations would be stronger in young adults, who are first developing independent attitudes, than in older adults. Cross-sectional survey. The study was conducted in three cities in the Mid-Atlantic region. Subjects were 790 patrons of barber and beauty shops. Measures used were the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory future, present-fatalistic, and present-hedonistic subscales and current smoking, days per week of recreational exercise, and height and weight, by self-report. We tested if associations between time perspective and exercise, obesity, and current smoking differed by age group (18-24 years, 25-34 years, and 35 years and older) using analysis of variance and logistic regression. Higher future time perspective scores, indicating greater focus on future events, was associated with more frequent exercise, whereas higher present-fatalistic time perspective scores, indicating more hopelessness, was associated with less frequent exercise in 18- to 24-year-olds, but not in older individuals. Lower future time perspective scores, and higher present-hedonistic time perspective scores, indicating interest in pleasure-seeking, were also associated with obesity only in 18- to 24-year-olds. Current smoking was not related to time perspective in any age group. Time perspective has age-specific associations with exercise and obesity, suggesting stages when time perspective may influence health behavior decision making.

The dental public health implications of cosmetic dentistry: a scoping review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Doughty, J; Lala, R; Marshman, Z

2016-09-01

The popularity of cosmetic surgery has seen a rapid increase recently, with the trend mirrored in dentistry. The Department of Health expressed concerns about the potential for biological and psychosocial harm of these cosmetic procedures. Furthermore, the dental public health implications (DPH) of the growing uptake of cosmetic dental procedures have not been explored. Conduct a scoping review to explore the DPH implications of cosmetic dentistry and identify gaps for future research. A fivestage scoping review was conducted of studies identified using the search terms cosmetic AND dentistry. Data from the studies meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted, collated and summarised into themes. Fifty-seven papers met the inclusion criteria (11 cross-sectional studies, 10 literature reviews and 36 opinion pieces). The DPH implications were summarised into five emergent themes: dento-legal and ethical, marketing, psychosocial, biological and workforce. These themes revealed patients' increased expectations, expanding commercialisation of the profession, psychological risks to vulnerable patients, the iatrogenic consequences of invasive cosmetic dental procedures and workforce implications of the current trends. The scoping review found that existing literature on cosmetic dentistry is predominately anecdotal - professional opinions and discussions. Despite this, our findings demonstrated workforce training and governance implications due to increased demand for cosmetic dentistry. Further empirical research is needed to understand the DPH implications of the increasing demand and uptake of cosmetic dental procedures to guide evidence-based policy to safeguard patients and improve the quality of dental services. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd

Fiscal 2000 research report on the energy consumption survey for popularizing stationary fuel cell systems; 2000 nendo teichiyo nenryo denchi no fukyu wo mokutekito shita energy no shohi ni kansuru chosa hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

A survey was conducted about the current state of domestic energy consumption for studying the feasibility of a stationary energy system using the polymer electrolyte fuel cell. A study relative to domestic energy consumption dealt with transition in the energy consumption rate, dependence on locality, and the effect of the makeup of residences. The monthly and hourly patterns of demand for heat for hot-water supply were referred to power consumption data broken down by time zone, and it was found that approximately 1kW output would be suitable for this purpose. A study was made about the pattern of operation that such a fuel cell system should follow, and it was learned that a pattern in which 'the system operates according to the imposed load starting at seven o'clock in the morning when the electricity rate switches to the higher and the output does not exceed what is necessary to meet the daily demand for heat.' This method was found to assure the most efficient way of operation covering more than 80% of the need for hot water and electricity. In a study of consumption of energy for business, feasibility was suggested to exist in the installation of systems of 30kW or less at small hotels, barber shops and beauty parlors, restaurants, schools equipped with minor-scale food service, small hospitals, clinics, and the like. (NEDO)

Empire’s Mastheads: Rewriting the “Correspondents’ War” from the Edge of Empire

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James Berkey

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This essay recovers a forgotten moment in the print culture history of US empire by examining a handful of newspapers and periodicals—American Soldier, Manila Outpost, Soldier’s Letter, Co. F Enterprise, and Volunteer—that were founded and written by and for US soldiers in the Philippines and Cuba. Unlike their more famous stateside counterparts who produced the “correspondents’ war” and trafficked in national culture’s romantic sensationalism, soldier-correspondents mapped the everyday culture of their imperial community, reporting on ordinary, everyday events of daily life in the imperial outpost like baseball games, debate clubs, popular barbers, robberies, sanitation violations, mail deliveries, and local advertisements. Such publications revise and remediate the dominant romantic ideology of empire at the turn of the century, creating an imagined community of empire far different from that produced by the “correspondents’ war.” Revising the romantic paradigm into an alternative narrative of everyday habit, ordinary routine, and mundane desire, soldier-newspapers produce a flat account of empire that endows the project of empire-building with a sense of the mundane and the nonheroic. This quotidianizing of empire not only conceals the violent realities of imperial encounter behind the dull shimmer of newsprint, but also remodels the romantic spaces of the public’s imperial imagination into the familiar spaces of everyday life, a process that normalizes empire as a way of life for soldiers.

Empire’s Mastheads: Rewriting the “Correspondents’ War” from the Edge of Empire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Berkey

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This essay recovers a forgotten moment in the print culture history of US empire by examining a handful of newspapers and periodicals—American Soldier, Manila Outpost, Soldier’s Letter, Co. F Enterprise, and Volunteer—that were founded and written by and for US soldiers in the Philippines and Cuba. Unlike their more famous stateside counterparts who produced the “correspondents’ war” and trafficked in national culture’s romantic sensationalism, soldier-correspondents mapped the everyday culture of their imperial community, reporting on ordinary, everyday events of daily life in the imperial outpost like baseball games, debate clubs, popular barbers, robberies, sanitation violations, mail deliveries, and local advertisements. Such publications revise and remediate the dominant romantic ideology of empire at the turn of the century, creating an imagined community of empire far different from that produced by the “correspondents’ war.” Revising the romantic paradigm into an alternative narrative of everyday habit, ordinary routine, and mundane desire, soldier-newspapers produce a flat account of empire that endows the project of empire-building with a sense of the mundane and the nonheroic. This quotidianizing of empire not only conceals the violent realities of imperial encounter behind the dull shimmer of newsprint, but also remodels the romantic spaces of the public’s imperial imagination into the familiar spaces of everyday life, a process that normalizes empire as a way of life for soldiers.

An Investigation into the Trueness and Precision of Copy Denture Templates Produced by Rapid Prototyping and Conventional Means.

Science.gov (United States)

Davda, K; Osnes, C; Dillon, S; Wu, J; Hyde, P; Keeling, A

2017-12-01

To assess the trueness and precision of copy denture templates produced using traditional methods and 3D printing. Six copies of a denture were made using: 1. Conventional technique with silicone putty in an impression tray (CT). 2. Conventional technique with no impression tray (CNT). 3. 3D scanning and printing (3D). Scan trueness and precision was investigated by scanning a denture six times and comparing five scans to the sixth. Then the scans of the six CT, CNT and 3D dentures were compared by aligning, in turn, the copies of each denture to the scanned original. Outcome measures were the mean surface-to-surface distance, standard deviation of that distance and the maximum distance. Student's unpaired t-tests with Bonferroni correction were used to analyse the results. The repeated scans of the original denture showed a scan trueness of 0.013mm (SD 0.002) and precision of 0.013mm (SD 0.002). Trueness: CT templates, 0.168mm (0.047), CNT templates 0.195mm (0.034) and 3D 0.103mm (0.021). Precision: CT templates 0.158mm (0.037), CNT 0.233mm (0.073), 3D 0.090mm (0.017). For each outcome measure the 3D templates demonstrated an improvement which was statistically significant (p⟨0.05). 3D printed copy denture templates reproduced the original with greater trueness and precision than conventional techniques. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Impact of stress on dentists' clinical performance. A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Plessas, A; Delgado, M B; Nasser, M; Hanoch, Y; Moles, D R

2018-03-01

Dentistry is recognised as a stressful profession and dentists perceive their profession to be more stressful than other healthcare professions. While earlier studies have shown a link between stress and well-being among dentists, whether stress negatively impacts their clinical performance is an important and open question. We do know, however, that stress is associated with reduced performance in other health (and non-health) related professions. This systematic review aimed to answer the question: how does stress impact on dentists' clinical performance? This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42016045756). The CINHAL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, EThOS and OpenGrey electronic databases were searched according to PRISMA guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened the citations for relevance. The citation list of potentially eligible papers was also searched. Prospective empirical studies were considered for inclusion. The inclusion criteria were applied at the full-text stage by the two same reviewers independently. The search yielded 3535 titles and abstracts. Twelve publications were considered potentially eligible, eleven of which were excluded as they did not meet the predefined inclusion criteria. This systematic review identified a gap in the literature as it found no empirical evidence quantifying the impact of stress on dentists' clinical performance. Prospective well-designed experimental simulation studies, comparing stress with non-stress situations on clinical performance and decision making, as well studies evaluating prospectively real-life dentists' performance under stress are warranted. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Reconstructing Faculty Roles to Align with Self- Authorship Development: The Gentle Art of Stepping Back

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Deborah A. Day

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Student development has connections to important academic purposes in higher education (King, Baxter Magolda, Barber, Kendall Brown & Lindsay, 2009. In particular, a growing body of work on self-authorship, a social-constructive theory of development, has demonstrated relevance to the purposes of higher education (Baxter Magolda, 2001; King & Baxter Magolda, 2004. The conditions which support self-authorship development in academic settings have been studied in detail, drawing attention to what King et al. (2009 frame as developmentally effective educational experiences. Explorations of self-authorship development in academic settings have focused on students’ experiences and outcomes. The classroom experiences of faculty, particularly those working outside institutional initiatives, to support self-authorship have received less attention. This study used a theory-driven (Baxter Magolda, 2001; Pizzolato, 2005, practice-based research framework, to explore a faculty-student affairs collaboration through participant observation as the collaborators sought to align their teaching practices with the tenets of self-authorship development in the context of a senior undergraduate course in Service-Learning. Four themes emerged, which have relevance for those who wish to consider student personal and academic development concurrently. We argue that individual faculty members can collaborate with student affairs professionals and use self-authorship theory to expand their constructions of what it means to be a “good professor” by approaching teaching as a mirror image of the self-authorship journey traveled by students.

Patient characteristics in relation to dental care payment model: capitation vs fee for service.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakeberg, M; Wide Boman, U

2016-12-01

To analyse patient profiles in two payment models, the capitation (DCH) and the fee-for-service (FFS) systems, in relation to socioeconomic status, self-reported health and health behavior, as well as patient attitudes to and satisfaction with the DCH model in the Public Dental Service (PDS) in Sweden. The present survey included a random national sample of the adult population in Sweden. A telemarketing company, TNS SIFO, was responsible for the sample selection and telephone interviews conducted in May 2013. The 3,500 adults (aged =19 years) included in the sample gave a participation rate of 49.7%. Individuals choosing DCH were younger. FFS patients rated their health as less good, were less physically active, were more often smokers and had a lower household income. The DCH patients were more satisfied with their payment model than the FFS patients (98% vs 85%). A multivariate analysis showed that three of the variables significantly contributed to the model predicting DCH patients: age, with an odds ratio of 0.95, household income (OR=1.85) and importance of oral health for well-being (OR=2.05). There was a pattern of dimensions indicating the choice of payment model among adult patients in the Swedish Public Dental Service. The patients in DCH had higher socioeconomic position, were younger, rated their oral health as better and were more satisfied with the payment model (DCH) than the patients in the FFS system. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd

Sex work: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Bill; Benoit, Cecilia; Jansson, Mikael

2014-10-01

Explanations of adult involvement in sex work typically adopt one of two approaches. One perspective highlights a variety of negative experiences in childhood and adolescence, including physical and sexual abuse, family instability, poverty, associations with "pimps" and other exploiters, homelessness, and drug use. An alternative account recognizes that some of these factors may be involved, but underscores the contribution of more immediate circumstances, such as current economic needs, human capital, and employment opportunities. Prior research offers a limited assessment of these contrasting claims: most studies have focused exclusively on people working in the sex industry and they have not assessed the independent effects of life course variables central to these two perspectives. We add to this literature with an analysis that drew on insights from life course and life-span development theories and considered the contributions of factors from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Our comparative approach examined predictors of employment in sex work relative to two other low-income service or care work occupations: food and beverage serving and barbering and hairstyling. Using data from a study of almost 600 workers from two cities, one in Canada and the other in the United States, we found that both immediate circumstances and negative experiences from early life are related to current sex work involvement: childhood poverty, abuse, and family instability were independently associated with adult sex work, as were limited education and employment experience, adult drug use, and marital status.

Use and misuse of mixed methods in population oral health research: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, A; Keuskamp, D

2018-05-30

Despite the known benefits of a mixed methods approach in health research, little is known of its use in the field of population oral health. To map the extent of literature using a mixed methods approach to examine population oral health outcomes. For a comprehensive search of all the available literature published in the English language, databases including PubMed, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source (DOSS), CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE (including Medline) were searched using a range of keywords from inception to October 2017. Only peer-reviewed, population-based studies of oral health outcomes conducted among non-institutionalised participants and using mixed methods were considered eligible for inclusion. Only nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The most frequent oral health outcome investigated was caries experience. However, most studies lacked a theoretical rationale or framework for using mixed methods, or supporting the use of qualitative data. Concurrent triangulation with a convergent design was the most commonly used mixed methods typology for integrating quantitative and qualitative data. The tools used to collect quantitative and qualitative data were mostly limited to surveys and interviews. With growing complexity recognised in the determinants of oral disease, future studies addressing population oral health outcomes are likely to benefit from the use of mixed methods. Explicit consideration of theoretical framework and methodology will strengthen those investigations. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Determination of risk factors for hepatitis B and C in male patients suffering from chronic hepatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Waquaruddin

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatitis B and C is common in Pakistan and various risk factors are attributable to its spread. One thousand and fifty consecutive male cases suffering from chronic liver disease (327 HBV and 723 HCV were selected from the OPD of public sector hospital and a private clinic dealing exclusively with the liver patients. To compare the results 723 age and gender matched controls were selected from the blood transfusion services of the public sector hospital. A standard questionnaire was filled for all patients and controls which included the information on possible risk factors. Findings Family history of liver disease was significantly higher (43% and 34% in HBV and HCV positive cases as compared to 5% in controls [odds ratio 15.6; 95% Confidence Interval CI: 10.1 -- 24.1, 10.9; 95% Confidence Interval CI: 7.3 -- 16.4] and same trend was seen for death due to liver disease in the family. Majority 74% hepatitis B positive cases had their shaves done at communal barbers but this practice was equally prevalent amongst controls (68%, thus negating it as a possible risk factor, but there is a significant risk with p Conclusion Injections, surgery and dental treatment appear as major risk factors for the transmission of hepatitis B and C in the community. Massive health care awareness drives need to be done for both health care providers and the public to reduce this menace.

Crossing borders: displacement and the constitution od subjectivity in "Alias Grace", by Margaret Atwood

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Thiago M. Moyano

2018-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: In the poststructuralist turn, a less unified and universalizing concept of space as merely a meaningless stage is proposed. Such notion, as Michel Foucault announced in the 1970s, will no longer be perceived by its fixity or a simply referential aspect, acquiring, among different forums of discussion in the Humanities, a dynamic character. In parallel fashion, studies concerning the constitution of subjectivity point towards its oscillating status, showing how the subject is the product of multiple discourses, which makes any demarcating of solid frontiers, a hard task. The present work aims at analyzing the novel Alias Grace (1996 by Margaret Atwood, under the light of spatial criticism, as well as Gender theory, deconstructing essentialisms around women. In this novel, Atwood gives voice to the historical figure Grace Marks, young Irish immigrant in the XIX century, which becomes mentor and accomplice of the murder of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his mistress and governess of the house, Nancy Montgomery. The author constructs a self-aware character-narrator who will know how to manipulate, through language, the many contexts in which she finds herself in, reversing the hierarchy of discourse, re-signifying her allegedly inferior position. Works by Philip Wegner and Neil Smith around the notion of space, Lorna McLean and Marilyn Barber about the Irish immigration in Canada, as well as Linda Hutcheon, Chris Weedon, and Jane Flax’s theories will be the theoretical apparatus of this investigation. KEYWORDS: Gender, Space, Post-colonialism, Margaret Atwood. __________________________________ RESUMO: A guinada Pós-estruturalista de meados do século XX propôs uma visão menos unificada e universalizante do conceito de espaço, este visto anteriormente como um mero cenário. Tal noção, conforme prenunciava Foucault nos anos 1970, não mais será compreendida por sua fixidez ou valor referencial, adquirindo, nos mais variados f

Estudo sobre a epidemiologia da doença de Chagas no Ceará. V. Quirópteros infectados com Tripanosomo tipo cruzi

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J.E. de Alencar

1976-12-01

Full Text Available Numa série de pesquisas sobre a epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas no Ceará, muitas espécies de mamíferos foram examinadas, dentre elas algumas espécies de quirópteros. Já antes, no Brasil, 15 espécies foram encontradas infectadas com tripanosomo tipo cruzi, dentre as 30 encontradas infectadas na América, de 1931 a 1964. Esses estudos se fizeram aproveitando o material do Censo Relativo de Morcegos na área da Serra de Maranguape (realizado por dois autores, abrangendo os municípios de Maranguape e Caucaia. Em 141 exemplares (18 espécies e 5 famílias foram feitos xenos com 5 ninfas de Rhodnius prolixus. Examinando o material 30 a 45 dias depois, foram encontrados infectados 9 exemplares, todos da família Phyllostomidae: 7 Artibeus jamaicensis, 1 Glossophaga soricina e 1 Trachops cirrhosus. O primeiro já havia sido encontrado infectado na Colombia e no Panamá; o segundo o foi na Colombia e no Brasil (Estado do Pará; o terceiro o é pela primeira vez. As duas primeiras espécies são insetívoras e frugívoras; a terceira é carnívora, além de frugívora e insetívora. Os parasitos isolados apresentaram características morfológicas e de cultura que permitem colocá-los no grupo dos tripanosomos tipo cruzi.' infectaram triatomíneos e produziram parasitemia (baixa e lesões típicas em camundongos brancos. A cepa de T. cirrhosus não foi isolada, mas as formas metacíclicas em triatomíneos eram semelhantes.

Trypanosoma cruzi IV causing outbreaks of acute Chagas disease and infections by different haplotypes in the Western Brazilian Amazonia.

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Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is an emergent tropical disease in the Brazilian Amazon Region, with an increasing number of cases in recent decades. In this region, the sylvatic cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, which constitutes a reservoir of parasites that might be associated with specific molecular, epidemiological and clinical traits, has been little explored. The objective of this work is to genetically characterize stocks of T. cruzi from human cases, triatomines and reservoir mammals in the State of Amazonas, in the Western Brazilian Amazon. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed 96 T. cruzi samples from four municipalities in distant locations of the State of Amazonas. Molecular characterization of isolated parasites from cultures in LIT medium or directly from vectors or whole human blood was performed by PCR of the non-transcribed spacer of the mini-exon and of the 24 S alfa ribosomal RNA gene, RFLP and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII gene, and by sequencing of the glucose-phosphate isomerase gene. The T. cruzi parasites from two outbreaks of acute disease were all typed as TcIV. One of the outbreaks was triggered by several haplotypes of the same DTU. TcIV also occurred in isolated cases and in Rhodnius robustus. Incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies is likely to be indicative of historical genetic exchange events resulting in mitochondrial introgression between TcIII and TcIV DTUs from Western Brazilian Amazon. TcI predominated among triatomines and was the unique DTU infecting marsupials. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: DTU TcIV, rarely associated with human Chagas disease in other areas of the Amazon basin, is the major strain responsible for the human infections in the Western Brazilian Amazon, occurring in outbreaks as single or mixed infections by different haplotypes.

[Possible oral transmission of Chagas disease among hydrocarbons sector workers in Casanare, Colombia, 2014].

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Zuleta-Dueñas, Liliana Patricia; López-Quiroga, Ángela Johana; Torres-Torres, Fernando; Castañeda-Porras, Oneida

2017-06-01

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent for Chagas disease, can be transmitted by oral intake of contaminated food or drinks. During epidemiological week 14 of 2014, two cases of acute Chagas disease were notified among hydrocarbons sector workers in Paz de Ariporo, Casanare. To characterize the affected population, to establish control and prevention measures and to confirm the outbreak. We conducted an outbreak investigation that included the following components: a) Search for symptomatic people compatible with Chagas disease according to the case definition for their referral to medical services; b) entomological survey (192/197 houses); c) sanitary inspection and microbiological analysis of food samples; and d) study of reservoirs. Data management and analysis were done with Epi-Info 7.1.5 using descriptive statistics. We also calculated intradomicile and peridomicile triatomine infestation indexes. We detected 552 exposed people; 40 had the disease (7.2%), of whom seven were women (17,5%) and 33, men (82.5%), i.e., a male-female ratio of 5:1. The mean age was 39.1 ± 10.8 years; the attack rate was 7.2% and lethality, 5% (2/40). Symptoms included fever (100% of cases), headache (80%), myalgia and arthralgia (65%), facial edema (55%), and abdominal pain (37.5%). The mean incubation time was 17 days (range: 3-21). Rhodnius prolixus domiciliary infestation index was 3.3 % and 2.2% in the peridomicile. In the five restaurants inspected sanitary conditions were deficient and food samples were microbiologically non-conforming. We found a dog and two opossums positive for IgG antibodies by ELISA. Environmental, sanitary and epidemiological conditions at the place confirmed an outbreak of Chagas diseases related to occupational exposure, possibly by oral transmission, which may be the largest to date in Colombia.

Estrategia para determinar la línea base en áreas de interrupción vectorial de la enfermedad de Chagas

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Diego Montenegro

Full Text Available RESUMEN Objetivos Presentar una estrategia para determinar la línea de base en áreas endémicas en el proceso de interrupción vectorial de la enfermedad de Chagas (ECh. Métodos Con un cuestionario socioambiental y una encuesta entomológica, se evaluaron las condiciones físicas de los domicilios, el conocimiento de los habitantes sobre la ECh, los indicadores entomológicos de triatominos y la relación estadística entre estas variables. Resultados Existe colonización e infección natural con Trypanosoma cruzi en Rhodnius prolixus, el principal vector de la ECh en Colombia. La colonización estuvo relacionada con casas de techos de hojas de palma y paredes de adobe o bahareque. Se encontró el vector Panstrongylus geniculatus con hábitos de colonización. Casi 50% de la población encuestada asociaba el término ECh con una enfermedad humana y 37%, con los triatominos. Conclusiones R. prolixus puede considerarse el principal vector de T. cruzi en ambientes domésticos y el proceso de interrupción vectorial es factible dentro del municipio priorizado. Se necesitan nuevos estudios que comprueben la existencia de poblaciones silvestres de R. prolixus que puedan afectar las etapas futuras del proceso y demostrar si hay una participación de P. geniculatus en la dinámica de transmisión de T. cruzi. Los anteriores escenarios pueden ser viabilizados con la inclusión de los habitantes en todo el proceso, ya que han sido altamente sensibles en la detección de vectores dentro de sus casas. El diseño del estudio aquí presentado puede ser adaptado en otras áreas endémicas de la Región de las Américas.

Comprehensive Survey of Domiciliary Triatomine Species Capable of Transmitting Chagas Disease in Southern Ecuador.

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Grijalva, Mario J; Villacis, Anita G; Ocaña-Mayorga, Sofia; Yumiseva, Cesar A; Moncayo, Ana L; Baus, Esteban G

2015-01-01

Chagas disease is endemic to the southern Andean region of Ecuador, an area with one of the highest poverty rates in the country. However, few studies have looked into the epidemiology, vectors and transmission risks in this region. In this study we describe the triatomine household infestation in Loja province, determine the rate of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in triatomines and study the risk factors associated with infestation. An entomological survey found four triatomine species (Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, Triatoma carrioni, Panstrongylus chinai, and P. rufotuberculatus) infesting domiciles in 68% of the 92 rural communities examined. Nine percent of domiciles were infested, and nymphs were observed in 80% of the infested domiciles. Triatomines were found in all ecological regions below 2,200 masl. We found R. ecuadoriensis (275 to 1948 masl) and T. carrioni (831 to 2242 masl) mostly in bedrooms within the domicile, and they were abundant in chicken coops near the domicile. Established colonies of P. chinai (175 to 2003 masl) and P. rufotuberculatus (404 to 1613 masl) also were found in the domicile. Triatomine infestation was associated with surrogate poverty indicators, such as poor sanitary infrastructure (lack of latrine/toilet [w = 0.95], sewage to environment [w = 1.0]). Vegetation type was a determinant of infestation [w = 1.0] and vector control program insecticide spraying was a protective factor [w = 1.0]. Of the 754 triatomines analyzed, 11% were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and 2% were infected with T. rangeli. To date, only limited vector control efforts have been implemented. Together with recent reports of widespread sylvatic triatomine infestation and frequent post-intervention reinfestation, these results show that an estimated 100,000 people living in rural areas of southern Ecuador are at high risk for T. cruzi infection. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic, sustained, and monitored vector control intervention that is coupled with

Infestación por triatominos en comunidades indígenas de Valledupar, Colombia

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Marleny Montilla

2011-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Calcular los índices infestación por triatominos en comunidades indígenas en Colombia. MÉTODOS: Se realizó estudio descriptivo en 19 comunidades indígenas del municipio de Valledupar Departamento de Cesar, Colombia. Durante junio a diciembre de 2007 se recolectaron triatominos por búsqueda activa en las viviendas de los indígenas. Los insectos luego fueron identificados por las claves de Lent & Wygodzinsky. Se desarrolló estudio del proceso infectivo en modelo animal y análisis enzimático de cepas de Trypanosoma cruzi, detectadas en heces de triatominos. RESULTADOS: Rhodnius prolixus presentó índice de densidad en las viviendas de 154,7%, Triatoma dimidiata de 102,45%, Triatoma maculata de 109,25% y Panstrogylus geniculatus de 0,3%. El índice promedio de infestación de las cuatro especies fue de 40,54% y, el de infección con T. cruzi de 9,4%. De cinco hemocultivos positivos para T. cruzi, tres se caracterizaron por isoenzimas, clasificándose en T. cruzi grupo I. El estudio de las biopsias reveló pocas características patológicas durante el proceso de infección con las cepas de T. cruzi aisladas de triatominos domiciliados. CONCLUSIÓN: Los altos índices de infestación por triatominos en las viviendas y el índice de infección por T. cruzi, evidencian la transmisión activa de la enfermedad de Chagas, situación que amerita la aplicación de medidas de control vectorial y el estudio seroepidemilógico de la población en riesgo. La identificación de las cepas de T. cruzi como grupo I concuerda con otros estudios realizados en esta región colombiana.

Screening of Fungi for Biological Control of a Triatomine Vector of Chagas Disease: Temperature and Trypanosome Infection as Factors.

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Aline R M Garcia

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Entomopathogenic fungi have been investigated as an alternative tool for controlling various insects, including triatomine vectors of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Here we tested the pathogenicity and virulence of ten isolates of the fungi Metarhizium spp. and Beauveria bassiana against Rhodnius prolixus and found all of the isolates to be virulent. We used two isolates (URPE-11 Metarhizium anisopliae and ENT-1 Beauveria bassiana for further screening based on their prolific sporulation in vitro (an important property of fungal biopesticides. We characterized their virulences in a dose-response experiment and then examined virulence across a range of temperatures (21, 23, 27 and 30°C. We found isolate ENT-1 to maintain higher levels of virulence over these temperatures than URPE-11. We therefore used B. bassiana ENT-1 in the final experiment in which we examined the survival of insects parasitized with T. cruzi and then infected with this fungus (once again over a range of temperatures. Contrary to our expectations, the survival of insects challenged with the pathogenic fungus was greater when they had previously been infected with the parasite T. cruzi than when they had not (independent of temperature. We discuss these results in terms of aspects of the biologies of the three organisms. In practical terms, we concluded that, while we have fungal isolates of potential interest for development as biopesticides against R. prolixus, we have identified what could be a critical problem for this biological tool: the parasite T. cruzi appears to confer a measure of resistance to the insect against the potential biopesticide agent so use of this fungus as a biopesticide could lead to selection for vector competence.

Dynamics of sylvatic Chagas disease vectors in coastal Ecuador is driven by changes in land cover.

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Mario J Grijalva

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Chagas disease is a serious public health problem in Latin America where about ten million individuals show Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Despite significant success in controlling domiciliated triatomines, sylvatic populations frequently infest houses after insecticide treatment which hampers long term control prospects in vast geographical areas where vectorial transmission is endemic. As a key issue, the spatio-temporal dynamics of sylvatic populations is likely influenced by landscape yet evidence showing this effect is rare. The aim of this work is to examine the role of land cover changes in sylvatic triatomine ecology, based on an exhaustive field survey of pathogens, vectors, hosts, and microhabitat characteristics' dynamics.The study was performed in agricultural landscapes of coastal Ecuador as a study model. Over one year, a spatially-randomized sampling design (490 collection points allowed quantifying triatomine densities in natural, cultivated and domestic habitats. We also assessed infection of the bugs with trypanosomes, documented their microhabitats and potential hosts, and recorded changes in landscape characteristics. In total we collected 886 individuals, mainly represented by nymphal stages of one triatomine species Rhodnius ecuadoriensis. As main results, we found that 1 sylvatic triatomines had very high T. cruzi infection rates (71% and 2 densities of T. cruzi-infected sylvatic triatomines varied predictably over time due to changes in land cover and occurrence of associated rodent hosts.We propose a framework for identifying the factors affecting the yearly distribution of sylvatic T. cruzi vectors. Beyond providing key basic information for the control of human habitat colonization by sylvatic vector populations, our framework highlights the importance of both environmental and sociological factors in shaping the spatio-temporal population dynamics of triatomines. A better understanding of the dynamics of such socio

Insecticide resistance in vector Chagas disease: evolution, mechanisms and management.

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Mougabure-Cueto, Gastón; Picollo, María Inés

2015-09-01

Chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection restricted to America. The disease is caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to human through the feces of infected triatomine insects. Because no treatment is available for the chronic forms of the disease, vector chemical control represents the best way to reduce the incidence of the disease. Chemical control has been based principally on spraying dwellings with insecticide formulations and led to the reduction of triatomine distribution and consequent interruption of disease transmission in several areas from endemic region. However, in the last decade it has been repeatedly reported the presence triatomnes, mainly Triatoma infestans, after spraying with pyrethroid insecticides, which was associated to evolution to insecticide resistance. In this paper the evolution of insecticide resistance in triatomines is reviewed. The insecticide resistance was detected in 1970s in Rhodnius prolixus and 1990s in R. prolixus and T. infestans, but not until the 2000s resistance to pyrthroids in T. infestans associated to control failures was described in Argentina and Bolivia. The main resistance mechanisms (i.e. enhanced metabolism, altered site of action and reduced penetration) were described in the T. infestans resistant to pyrethrods. Different resistant profiles were demonstrated suggesting independent origin of the different resistant foci of Argentina and Bolivia. The deltamethrin resistance in T. infestans was showed to be controlled by semi-dominant, autosomally inherited factors. Reproductive and developmental costs were also demonstrated for the resistant T. infestans. A discussion about resistance and tolerance concepts and the persistence of T. infestans in Gran Chaco region are presented. In addition, theoretical concepts related to toxicological, evolutionary and ecological aspects of insecticide resistance are discussed in order to understand the particular scenario of pyrethroid

ALGUNAS INVESTIGACIONES DEL DR. GROOT EN LA REVISTA MEDICINA. RESEÑA HISTÓRICA DE ALGUNOS ESTUDIOS COLOMBIANOS SOBRE TRYPANOSOMA RANGELI

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Hernando Groot Liévano

2016-12-01

Full Text Available

Artículo publicado en la revista MEDICINA Vol. 22 (2 del año 2000.

Parecerá extraño que uno de los primeros artículos de esta revista no se refiera a la enfermedad de Chagas. Tanto es así que cuando el doctor Felipe Guhl tuvo la idea de llamarme para esta presentación, mi primera respuesta fue negativa porque, obviamente debería hablarse del Trvpanosoma cruzi y no del Trypanosoma rangeli. El presente artículo es un breve recuento de mi experiencia con este parásito y su importancia dado que coexiste con el T. cruzi y que, en ocasiones, la diferenciación morfológica entre los dos no es tan clara cuando se examinan preparaciones de sangre en ‘gota gruesa’ de vertebrados o preparaciones del contenido intestinal de los insectos vectores, y además porque tiene ciertas relaciones inmunológicas que es necesario tener en cuenta para evitar posibles confusiones. Por otra parte, su distribución geográfica es muy amplia extendiéndose desde México hasta el Perú y el Brasil.

El Trypanosoma rangeli fue llamado así por un distinguido médico y posteriormente diplomático de Venezuela, el doctor Enrique Tejera, quien encontró en los chipos, o sea en los Rhodnius prolixus de Venezuela, un pequeño flagelado muy largo, bastante diferente del T. cruzi y resolvió ponerle el nombre de Trypanosoma o Crithidia rangeli, pues no estaba muy seguro del género en el cual debía colocarlo. Evidentemente, sólo había visto la morfología de estos flagelados en el intestino de los Rhodnius y, por consiguiente, no tenía ningún otro elemento para identificarlos. Únicamente comprobó que eran diferentes del T. cruzi.

¿Por qué le dedicó su descubrimiento a Rangel? Creo que es importante que nosotros los latinoamericanos conozcamos bien los valores científicos que han habido en nuestros países y en vez de preocuparnos por las artificiales fronteras políticas, lo cual en nada contribuye al progreso de la

A model for oral health gradients in children: using structural equation modeling.

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Behbahanirad, A; Joulaei, H; Jamali, J; Vossoughi, M; Golkari, A

2017-03-01

Detecting the underlying socioeconomic and behavioral determinants is essential for reducing oral health disparities in children. To test a conceptual model in children to explore the interaction amongst social, environmental, behavioral factors and oral health outcomes. This analytic cross-sectional study was performed in 2014-2015 in Shiraz, Iran. The sampling was conducted using a multistage stratified design to represent the whole 6-year-olds in Shiraz County. Participants were 830, 6-year-old first grade primary schoolchildren and their parents. Children were examined to register decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) and simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). Parents were asked for data on socio-cultural risk factors, oral health behaviors and children's oral health related quality of life (C-OHRQoL). Data on environmental risk factors were collected from several sources. The proposed model, a development of Peterson's, was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The tested model could empirically demonstrate the wide range of social and behavioral factors affecting C-OHRQoL. Socioeconomic status (SES) affected the OHRQoL of children through several pathways. Tooth brushing frequency, use of oral health services and consuming cariogenic foods were the mediators, through which SES affected dmft and subsequently C-OHRQoL. Using the modified Petersen's model and SEM, the paths in which different distal and proximal factors affect oral health outcomes in children could be clearly identified. It showed that addressing the underlying social, economic and behavioral determinants is essential for reducing oral health disparities among Iranian children. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

SU-F-SPS-08: Measuring the Interaction Of DDR Cell Receptors and Extracellular Matrix Collagen in Prostate Cells

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Dong, J; Sarkar, A; Hoffmann, P [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Suhail, A; Fridman, R [Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Discoidin domain receptors (DDR) have recently been recognized as important players in cancer progression. DDRs are cell receptors that interact with collagen, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein. However the detailed mechanism of their interaction is unclear. Here we attempted to examine their interaction in terms of structural (surface topography), mechanical (rupture force), and kinetic (binding probability) information on the single molecular scale with the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Methods: The Quantitative Nano-mechanical property Mapping (QNM) mode of AFM allowed to assess the cells in liquid growth media at their optimal physiological while being viable. Human benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH-1) cell line was genetically regulated to suppress DDR expression (DDR- cells) and was compared with naturally DDR expressing cells (DDR+). Results: Binding force measurements (n = 1000) were obtained before and after the two groups were treated with fibronectin (FN), an integrin-inhibiting antibody to block the binding of integrin. The quantification indicates that cells containing DDR bind with collagen at a most probable force of 80.3–83.0 ±7.6 pN. The probability of them binding is 0.167 when other interactions (mainly due to integrin-collagen binding) are minimized. Conclusion: Together with further force measurements at different pulling speeds will determine dissociation rate, binding distance and activation barrier. These parameters in benign cells provides some groundwork in understanding DDR’s behavior in various cell microenvironments such as in malignant tumor cells. Funding supported by Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program of Wayne State University.

SU-F-SPS-08: Measuring the Interaction Of DDR Cell Receptors and Extracellular Matrix Collagen in Prostate Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, J; Sarkar, A; Hoffmann, P; Suhail, A; Fridman, R

2016-01-01

Purpose: Discoidin domain receptors (DDR) have recently been recognized as important players in cancer progression. DDRs are cell receptors that interact with collagen, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein. However the detailed mechanism of their interaction is unclear. Here we attempted to examine their interaction in terms of structural (surface topography), mechanical (rupture force), and kinetic (binding probability) information on the single molecular scale with the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Methods: The Quantitative Nano-mechanical property Mapping (QNM) mode of AFM allowed to assess the cells in liquid growth media at their optimal physiological while being viable. Human benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH-1) cell line was genetically regulated to suppress DDR expression (DDR- cells) and was compared with naturally DDR expressing cells (DDR+). Results: Binding force measurements (n = 1000) were obtained before and after the two groups were treated with fibronectin (FN), an integrin-inhibiting antibody to block the binding of integrin. The quantification indicates that cells containing DDR bind with collagen at a most probable force of 80.3–83.0 ±7.6 pN. The probability of them binding is 0.167 when other interactions (mainly due to integrin-collagen binding) are minimized. Conclusion: Together with further force measurements at different pulling speeds will determine dissociation rate, binding distance and activation barrier. These parameters in benign cells provides some groundwork in understanding DDR’s behavior in various cell microenvironments such as in malignant tumor cells. Funding supported by Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program of Wayne State University

Drug resistance in community-acquired respiratory tract infections: role for an emerging antibacterial

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Lorenzo Aguilar

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Lorenzo Aguilar1, María-José Giménez1, José Barberán21Microbiology Department, School of Medicine, University Complutense, Madrid; 2Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Central de la Defensa Gomez Ulla, Madrid, SpainAbstract: The nasopharynx is the ecological niche where evolution towards resistance occurs in respiratory tract isolates. Dynamics of different bacterial populations in antibiotic-free multibacterial niches are the baseline that antibiotic treatments can alter by shifting the competitive balance in favor of resistant populations. For this reason, antibiotic resistance is increasingly being considered to be an ecological problem. Traditionally, resistance has implied the need for development of new antibiotics for which basic efficacy and safety data are required prior to licensing. Antibiotic development is mainly focused on demonstrating clinical efficacy and setting susceptibility breakpoints for efficacy prediction. However, additional information on pharmacodynamic data predicting absence of selection of resistance and of resistant subpopulations, and specific surveillance on resistance to core antibiotics (to detect emerging resistances and its link with antibiotic consumption in the community are valuable data in defining the role of a new antibiotic, not only from the perspective of its therapeutic potential but also from the ecologic perspective (countering resistances to core antibiotics in the community. The documented information on cefditoren gleaned from published studies in recent years is an example of the role for an emerging oral antibacterial facing current antibiotic resistance in community-acquired respiratory tract infections.Keywords: respiratory tract infection, antibiotic resistance, cefditoren, community

Dental caries experience, rather than toothbrushing, influences the incidence of dental caries in young Japanese adults.

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Sonoda, C; Ebisawa, M; Nakashima, H; Sakurai, Y

2017-06-01

A dose-response relationship between toothbrushing frequency and the incidence of dental caries has not been confirmed. Furthermore, no longitudinal study about this relationship has considered dental caries experience at baseline, which is an important factor influencing the frequency of future caries. To elucidate the association between the incidence of dental caries and toothbrushing frequency after adjusting for dental caries experience at baseline in a Japanese population. The 92 recruits of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in Kure, Japan, in 2011 were followed up for 3 years. They underwent oral examination at the annual checkups and answered questions about toothbrushing frequency. The multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the incidence of dental caries and to identify independent effects of toothbrushing frequency and dental caries experience at baseline. Furthermore, the relative importance of the incidence of dental caries was investigated among other independent variables using the partial adjusted R² score. Logistic regression analysis showed that toothbrushing frequency alone did not influence the increment in decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). However, DMFT at baseline alone was associated with the increment in DMFT (crude odds ratio, OR, 1.20, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.08,1.33). In the fully adjusted model, only DMFT at baseline was associated with the increment in DMFT (adjusted OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.09,1.38). After three years, the incidence of dental caries in young adult Japanese males was influenced by DMFT at baseline, rather than toothbrushing frequency. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

The relationship between depression and periodontal diseases.

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Hwang, S H; Park, S G

2018-03-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate whether depression is associated with periodontal diseases in a representative sample of South Korean adults Methods: We used data from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), conducted in 2014. We included in this study 4328 participants aged over 20 years (1768 males and 2560 females). Depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and history of physician-diagnosed depression. Periodontal diseases were assessed a gingival bleeding, calculus and periodontal pockets. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. People with any periodontal diseases tended to be old, male, married, low income, poor education, blue-collar occupation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, overweight, smoking, not using dental floss or interdental brush in univariate analysis. Neither self-reported nor diagnosed depression was associated with the presence of any or severe periodontal disease in the total sample. In participants aged 20-29 years only, the presence of any periodontal disease was associated with self-reported depression (OR, 2.031; 95% CI, 1.011-4.078). In the same age group, the presence of severe periodontal disease was associated with both self-reported depression (OR, 6.532; 95% CI, 2.190-19.483) and diagnosed depression (OR, 7.729; 95% CI, 1.966-30.389). Self-reported depression was significantly associated with the presence of any or severe periodontal disease, and diagnosed depression was significantly associated with severe periodontal diseases only in participants aged 20-29 years. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

The oral health condition and treatment needs assessment of nursing home residents in Flanders (Belgium).

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Janssens, B; Vanobbergen, J; Petrovic, M; Jacquet, W; Schols, J M G A; De Visschere, L

2017-09-01

A study was conducted of nursing home residents with limited access to regular oral health care services to evaluate their oral health status, to perform an assessment of the need for oral treatment and to determine the possible predicting value of age, gender, care dependency and income level on their oral health status and treatment needs. Three experienced dentists collected clinical oral health data with a mobile dental unit in 23 nursing homes. Socio-demographic data were extracted from the residents' records in the nursing home. Besides the descriptive and bivariate analysis, a general linear mixed model analysis was also performed with the nursing home as random effect. The study sample consisted of 1,226 residents with a mean age of 83.9 years, of which 41.9% were edentulous. The mean D₃MFt in the dentate group was 24.5 and 77% needed extractions or fillings. In the group of residents wearing removable dentures, 36.9% needed repair, rebasing or renewal of the denture. The mixed model analysis demonstrated that with each year a resident gets older, the oral health outcomes get worse and that men have worse oral health and higher treatment needs than women. However, the level of income and care dependency had a less extensive role in predicting the oral health outcomes. The nursing home residents presented a poor overall oral health status and high dental and prosthetic treatment needs. Gender and age were important predicting variables for the oral health outcomes. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing electronic prescription: a systematic review of user groups' perceptions.

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Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Nsangou, Édith-Romy; Payne-Gagnon, Julie; Grenier, Sonya; Sicotte, Claude

2014-01-01

We conducted a systematic review identifying users groups' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing electronic prescription (e-prescribing) in primary care. We included studies following these criteria: presence of an empirical design, focus on the users' experience of e-prescribing implementation, conducted in primary care, and providing data on barriers and facilitators to e-prescribing implementation. We used the Donabedian logical model of healthcare quality (adapted by Barber et al) to analyze our findings. We found 34 publications (related to 28 individual studies) eligible to be included in this review. These studies identified a total of 594 elements as barriers or facilitators to e-prescribing implementation. Most user groups perceived that e-prescribing was facilitated by design and technical concerns, interoperability, content appropriate for the users, attitude towards e-prescribing, productivity, and available resources. This review highlights the importance of technical and organizational support for the successful implementation of e-prescribing systems. It also shows that the same factor can be seen as a barrier or a facilitator depending on the project's own circumstances. Moreover, a factor can change in nature, from a barrier to a facilitator and vice versa, in the process of e-prescribing implementation. This review summarizes current knowledge on factors related to e-prescribing implementation in primary care that could support decision makers in their design of effective implementation strategies. Finally, future studies should emphasize on the perceptions of other user groups, such as pharmacists, managers, vendors, and patients, who remain neglected in the literature.

Sea ice roughness: the key for predicting Arctic summer ice albedo

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Landy, J.; Ehn, J. K.; Tsamados, M.; Stroeve, J.; Barber, D. G.

2017-12-01

Although melt ponds on Arctic sea ice evolve in stages, ice with smoother surface topography typically allows the pond water to spread over a wider area, reducing the ice-albedo and accelerating further melt. Building on this theory, we simulated the distribution of meltwater on a range of statistically-derived topographies to develop a quantitative relationship between premelt sea ice surface roughness and summer ice albedo. Our method, previously applied to ICESat observations of the end-of-winter sea ice roughness, could account for 85% of the variance in AVHRR observations of the summer ice-albedo [Landy et al., 2015]. Consequently, an Arctic-wide reduction in sea ice roughness over the ICESat operational period (from 2003 to 2008) explained a drop in ice-albedo that resulted in a 16% increase in solar heat input to the sea ice cover. Here we will review this work and present new research linking pre-melt sea ice surface roughness observations from Cryosat-2 to summer sea ice albedo over the past six years, examining the potential of winter roughness as a significant new source of sea ice predictability. We will further evaluate the possibility for high-resolution (kilometre-scale) forecasts of summer sea ice albedo from waveform-level Cryosat-2 roughness data in the landfast sea ice zone of the Canadian Arctic. Landy, J. C., J. K. Ehn, and D. G. Barber (2015), Albedo feedback enhanced by smoother Arctic sea ice, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 10,714-10,720, doi:10.1002/2015GL066712.

Further delineation of the KAT6B molecular and phenotypic spectrum.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gannon, Tamsin

2015-09-01

KAT6B sequence variants have been identified previously in both patients with the Say-Barber-Biesecker type of blepharophimosis mental retardation syndromes (SBBS) and in the more severe genitopatellar syndrome (GPS). We report on the findings in a previously unreported group of 57 individuals with suggestive features of SBBS or GPS. Likely causative variants have been identified in 34\\/57 patients and were commonly located in the terminal exons of KAT6B. Of those where parental samples could be tested, all occurred de novo. Thirty out of thirty-four had truncating variants, one had a missense variant and the remaining three had the same synonymous change predicted to affect splicing. Variants in GPS tended to occur more proximally to those in SBBS patients, and genotype\\/phenotype analysis demonstrated significant clinical overlap between SBBS and GPS. The de novo synonymous change seen in three patients with features of SBBS occurred more proximally in exon 16. Statistical analysis of clinical features demonstrated that KAT6B variant-positive patients were more likely to display hypotonia, feeding difficulties, long thumbs\\/great toes and dental, thyroid and patella abnormalities than KAT6B variant-negative patients. The few reported patients with KAT6B haploinsufficiency had a much milder phenotype, though with some features overlapping those of SBBS. We report the findings in a previously unreported patient with a deletion of the KAT6B gene to further delineate the haploinsufficiency phenotype. The molecular mechanisms giving rise to the SBBS and GPS phenotypes are discussed.

Spondarthritis hyperostotica pustulo-psoriatica - Review and a clinical-radiological study with special emphasis on SAPHO syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, F.; Kessler, S.

1998-01-01

Spondarthritis hyperostotica pustulo-psoriatica (Spond.hyp.pp-Schilling), corresponding nosologically to pustulotic arthroosteitis, is a dermato-skeletal 'double system' disease of adults. It consists of the triad (a) palmo-plantar pustulosis (Ppp) or, alternatively, Koenigsbeck-Barber-type psoriasis, (b) sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis (SCCH), and (c) truncal-skeletal changes with syndesmophite-like, hyperostotic and/or parasyndesmophite-like ossifications of layers of the anterior vertebral ligament taken together in the sense of a desmophytal hyperostosis. There is also a potential for sclerosing inflammatory arthritis of the sacro-iliac joints and 'dry' inflammatory arthritis of the sacro-iliac joints and 'dry' inflammatory arthritis of peripheral joints. Thus, the pustulo-psoriatic terrain seems to have a decisive influence on osseous pathology. A total of 38 cases from a study during the years 1982 to 1992 is analysed with regard to morphological characteristics. Rare cases with diaphyseal and pelvic hyperostotic lesions subsequent to bland sclerosing osteomyelitis constitute an overlapping region to chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) and illustrate the relationship between hyperostotic spondarthritis and CRMO. The syndromes of 'acquired hyperostosis' and 'SAPHO', the former more radiologically oriented and the latter more clinically oriented, together with mainly CRMO and hyperostotic spondarthritis and its forms, constitute the 'Spond.hyp.pp.'. Although hyperostosis is a guidepost for the radiologist and SAPHO symptoms are one for the clinician, the syndrome does not represent a diagnosis by itself and requires further differentiation. In this report the entity 'Spond.hyp.pp.' is considered and requires contributions from rheumatologically and osteologically oriented radiologist. (orig.) [de

Using Normalisation Process Theory to investigate the implementation of school-based oral health promotion.

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Olajide, O J; Shucksmith, J; Maguire, A; Zohoori, F V

2017-09-01

Despite the considerable improvement in oral health of children in the UK over the last forty years, a significant burden of dental caries remains prevalent in some groups of children, indicating the need for more effective oral health promotion intervention (OHPI) strategies in this population. To explore the implementation process of a community-based OHPI, in the North East of England, using Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) to provide insights on how effectiveness could be maximised. Utilising a generic qualitative research approach, 19 participants were recruited into the study. In-depth interviews were conducted with relevant National Health Service (NHS) staff and primary school teachers while focus group discussions were conducted with reception teachers and teaching assistants. Analyses were conducted using thematic analysis with emergent themes mapped onto NPT constructs. Participants highlighted the benefits of OHPI and the need for evidence in practice. However, implementation of 'best evidence' was hampered by lack of adequate synthesis of evidence from available clinical studies on effectiveness of OHPI as these generally have insufficient information on the dynamics of implementation and how effectiveness obtained in clinical studies could be achieved in 'real life'. This impacted on the decision-making process, levels of commitment, collaboration among OHP teams, resource allocation and evaluation of OHPI. A large gap exists between available research evidence and translation of evidence in OHPI in community settings. Effectiveness of OHPI requires not only an awareness of evidence of clinical effectiveness but also synthesised information about change mechanisms and implementation protocols. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Blepharophimosis-mental retardation (BMR) syndromes: A proposed clinical classification of the so-called Ohdo syndrome, and delineation of two new BMR syndromes, one X-linked and one autosomal recessive.

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Verloes, Alain; Bremond-Gignac, Dominique; Isidor, Bertrand; David, Albert; Baumann, Clarisse; Leroy, Marie-Anne; Stevens, René; Gillerot, Yves; Héron, Delphine; Héron, Bénédicte; Benzacken, Brigitte; Lacombe, Didier; Brunner, Han; Bitoun, Pierre

2006-06-15

We report on 11 patients from 8 families with a blepharophimosis and mental retardation syndrome (BMRS) phenotype. Using current nosology, five sporadic patients have Ohdo syndrome, associated with congenital hypothyroidism in two of them (thus also compatible with a diagnosis of Young-Simpson syndrome). In two affected sibs with milder phenotype, compensated hypothyroidism was demonstrated. In another family, an affected boy was born to the unaffected sister of a previously reported patient. Finally, in the last sibship, two affected boys in addition had severe microcephaly and neurological anomalies. A definitive clinical and etiologic classification of BMRS is lacking, but closer phenotypic analysis should lead to a more useful appraisal of the BMRS phenotype. We suggest discontinuing the systematic use of the term "Ohdo syndrome" when referring to patients with BMRS. We propose a classification of BMRS into five groups: (1) del(3p) syndrome, (possibly overlooked in older reports); (2) BMRS, Ohdo type, limited to the original patients of Ohdo; (3) BMRS SBBYS (Say-Barber/Biesecker/Young-Simpson) type, with distinctive dysmorphic features and inconstant anomalies including heart defect, optic atrophy, deafness, hypoplastic teeth, cleft palate, joint limitations, and hypothyroidism. BMRS type SBBYS is probably an etiologically heterogeneous phenotype, as AD and apparently AR forms exist; (4) BMRS, MKB (Maat-Kievit-Brunner) type, with coarse, triangular face, which is probably sex-linked; (5) BMRS V (Verloes) type, a probable new type with severe microcephaly, hypsarrhythmia, adducted thumbs, cleft palate, and abnormal genitalia, which is likely autosomal recessive. Types MKB and V are newly described here. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

First recorded loss of an emperor penguin colony in the recent period of Antarctic regional warming: implications for other colonies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip N Trathan

Full Text Available In 1948, a small colony of emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri was discovered breeding on Emperor Island (67° 51' 52″ S, 68° 42' 20″ W, in the Dion Islands, close to the West Antarctic Peninsula (Stonehouse 1952. When discovered, the colony comprised approximately 150 breeding pairs; these numbers were maintained until 1970, after which time the colony showed a continuous decline. By 1999 there were fewer than 20 pairs, and in 2009 high-resolution aerial photography revealed no remaining trace of the colony. Here we relate the decline and loss of the Emperor Island colony to a well-documented rise in local mean annual air temperature and coincident decline in seasonal sea ice duration. The loss of this colony provides empirical support for recent studies (Barbraud & Weimerskirch 2001; Jenouvrier et al 2005, 2009; Ainley et al 2010; Barber-Meyer et al 2005 that have highlighted the vulnerability of emperor penguins to changes in sea ice duration and distribution. These studies suggest that continued climate change is likely to impact upon future breeding success and colony viability for this species. Furthermore, a recent circumpolar study by Fretwell & Trathan (2009 highlighted those Antarctic coastal regions where colonies appear most vulnerable to such changes. Here we examine which other colonies might be at risk, discussing various ecological factors, some previously unexplored, that may also contribute to future declines. The implications of this are important for future modelling work and for understanding which colonies actually are most vulnerable.

The oral health of people with learning disabilities - a user-friendly questionnaire survey.

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Owens, J; Jones, K; Marshman, Z

2017-03-01

To conduct a user-friendly questionnaire survey of the oral health and service needs of adults with learning disabilities. Researchers collaborated with local self-advocacy services to develop a questionnaire adapted from one used in a regional postal survey. The questionnaire, which covered dental status, oral health and dental services use, was sent to a random sample of people from the learning disability case register. Of 2,000 questionnaires mailed, 117 were returned undelivered and 625 were completed (response rate 31.3%). The self-reported dental status of people with learning disabilities appeared similar to that of the 2008 postal survey of the general population in Sheffield. The major difference in dental status was 11.5% of people with learning disabilities wore upper dentures and 7.2% wore lower dentures, compared to 21.2% and 12.1% of the general population in Sheffield. Using the case register as a recruitment instrument may have excluded people with learning disabilities not registered. Time and finances only permitted one mailing. Analysis on the basis of deprivation could not be conducted. Contrary to current practice, it is possible to include people with learning disabilities in oral health surveys. A multidisciplinary team was essential for enabling the progression and implementation of inclusive research and for people with learning disabilities and their supporters to engage meaningfully. This level of collaboration appears necessary if we are committed to ensuring that people with learning disabilities and their supporters are made visible to policy and decision-makers. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd

Marginal Accuracy and Internal Fit of Dental Copings Fabricated by Modern Additive and Subtractive Digital Technologies.

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Nelson, Neha; K S, Jyothi; Sunny, Kiran

2017-03-01

The margins of copings for crowns and retainers of fixed partial dentures affect the progress of microleakage and dental caries. Failures occur due to altered fit which is also influenced by the method of fabrication. An in-vitro study was conducted to determine among the cast base metal, copy milled zirconia, computer aided designing computer aided machining/manufacturing zirconia and direct metal laser sintered copings which showed best marginal accuracy and internal fit. Forty extracted maxillary premolars were mounted on an acrylic model and reduced occlusally using a milling machine up to a final tooth height of 4 mm from the cementoenamel junction. Axial reduction was accomplished on a surveyor and a chamfer finish line was given. The impressions and dies were made for fabrication of copings which were luted on the prepared teeth under standardized loading, embedded in self-cure acrylic resin, sectioned and observed using scanning electron microscope for internal gap and marginal accuracy. The copings fabricated using direct metal laser sintering technique exhibited best marginal accuracy and internal fit. Comparison of mean between the four groups by ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey HSD tests showed a statistically significant difference between all the groups (p⟨0.05). It was concluded that the copings fabricated using direct metal laser sintering technique exhibited best marginal accuracy and internal fit. Additive digital technologies such as direct metal laser sintering could be cost-effective for the clinician, minimize failures related to fit and increase longevity of teeth and prostheses. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Investigating Socioeconomic Position in Dental Caries and Traumatic Dental Injury among Children in Quebec.

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Da Rosa, P; Rousseau, Marie-Claude; Edasseri, A; Henderson, M; Nicolau, B

2017-12-01

Socioeconomic position (SEP) is inversely associated with most oral health outcomes, but the patterns of association may vary depending on the specific outcome. We estimated associations between SEP and two oral health outcomes, dental caries and traumatic dental injuries (TDI), in Quebec children. We used data from the baseline visit of the QUALITY (QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth) Cohort, an ongoing study in Montreal and Quebec, Canada. The analytical sample included 590 children aged 8-10 years. Data on parents' SEP (household income, education) and children's health behaviours and involvement in sports were obtained through questionnaires and interviews. Oral health outcomes (dental caries and TDI in permanent teeth) were assessed by clinical oral exam. Negative binomial regression was used to model dental caries (DMFS index) and number of teeth with TDI adjusting for selected covariates. The mean (SD) DMFS and number of TDI were 0.61 (1.43) and 0.12 (0.43), respectively. Compared to the upper quartile of income, children in the lower quartile had a DMFS approximately 3 times higher (PRR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.43, 5.04). Adjusting for oral health and nutritional behaviours had no effect. Conversely, children in the highest income quartile had a 3 times higher number of teeth with TDI compared to the lowest quartile (PRR=3.14, 95% CI: 1.22, 8.08). Physical activity did not explain this relationship. Parents' education was not associated with dental caries or TDI. SEP seems to play a different role in the cause of dental caries and TDI. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Factor structure of suggestibility revisited: new evidence for direct and indirect suggestibility

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Romuald Polczyk

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background Yielding to suggestions can be viewed as a relatively stable individual trait, called suggestibility. It has been long proposed that there are two kinds of suggestible influence, and two kinds of suggestibility corresponding to them: direct and indirect. Direct suggestion involves overt unhidden influence, while indirect suggestion concerns influence that is hidden, and the participant does not know that the suggestibility is being measured. So far however, empirical evidence for the existence of the two factors has been scarce. In the present study, more sophisticated and reliable tools for measuring suggestibility were applied than in the previous research, in the hope that better measurement would reveal the factor structure of suggestibility. Two tests of direct suggestibility were used: the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A, measuring hypnotic susceptibility, and the Barber Suggestibility Scale, measuring non-hypnotic direct imaginative suggestibility. Three tests served to measure indirect suggestibility: the Sensory Suggestibility Scale, measuring indirect suggestibility relating to perception; the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, measuring the tendency to yield to suggestive questions and changing answers after negative feedback; and the Emotional Dialogs Tests, measuring the tendency to perceive nonexistent aggression. Participants and procedure In sum, 115 participants were tested, 69 women, 49 men, mean age 22.20 years, SD = 2.20. Participants were tested in two sessions, lasting for a total of four hours. Results Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the existence of two uncorrelated factors of suggestibility: direct and indirect. Conclusions Suggestibility may indeed involve two factors, direct and indirect, and failure to discover them in previous research may be due to methodological problems.