Diversidad de artrópodos y sus enemigos naturales asociados al café (Coffea arabica L.) en El Salvador

El presente libro pretende dar un aporte en tal sentido, ofreciendo al lector una muestra de la diversidad de fauna invertebrada que se pueden encontrar en los cafetales bajo variados niveles de tecnificación y que en la mayoría de casos se ha logrado comprobar su cría a expensas del cultivo. Sin duda alguna que el esfuerzo no es del todo exhaustivo ya que existe mucha más diversidad por descubrir; pero es una muestra representativa del reto que representa el estudio de la fauna de artrópodos de este cultivo. En consecuencia se espera que motive al lector y a otros interesados en la temática, para profundizar en estos estudios de los cafetales y aumentar así el conocimiento de la entomología nacional. Por tanto, el presente libro ilustra los insectos, arañas y caracoles que están en poblaciones no dañinas que comprende 60 fotografías de arañas depredadoras y 350 fotografías de insectos entre fitófagos y benéficos (depredadores y parasitoides), con más de 200 especies de artrópodos asociados a los cafetales de El Salvador

Contrasting patterns of population structure and gene flow facilitate exploration of connectivity in two widely distributed temperate octocorals

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this record.Connectivity is an important component of metapopulation dynamics in marine systems and can influence population persistence, migration rates and conservation decisions associated with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In this study, we compared the genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure of two octocoral species, Eunicella verrucosa and Alcyonium digitatum, in the northeast Atlantic (ranging from the northwest of Ireland and the southern North Sea, to southern Portugal), using two panels of thirteen and eight microsatellite loci, respectively. Our results identified regional genetic structure in E. verrucosa partitioned between populations from southern Portugal, northwest Ireland, and Britain/France; subsequent hierarchical analysis of population structure also indicated reduced gene flow between southwest Britain and northwest France. However, over a similar geographical area, A. digitatum showed little evidence of population structure, suggesting high gene flow and/or a large effective population size; indeed, the only significant genetic differentiation detected in A. digitatum occurred between North Sea samples and those from the English Channel/northeast Atlantic. In both species the vast majority of gene flow originated from sample sites within regions, with populations in southwest Britain being the predominant source of contemporary exogenous genetic variants for the populations studied. Unsurprisingly, historical patterns of gene flow appeared more complex, though again southwest Britain appeared an important source of genetic variation for both species. Our findings have major conservation implications, particularly for E. verrucosa, a protected species in UK waters and listed by the IUCN as ‘Vulnerable’, and for the designation and management of European MPAs.We thank Natural England (project No. RP0286, contract No. SAE 03-02-146), the NERC (grant No. NE/L002434/1) and the University of Exeter for funding this research. Additional funding for sample collection, travel and microsatellite development was provided by the EU Framework 7 ASSEMBLE programme, agreement no. 227799, and NERC grant No. NBAF-362

Father's occupational exposure to carcinogenic agents and childhood acute leukemia: a new method to assess exposure (a case-control study)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Medical research has not been able to establish whether a father's occupational exposures are associated with the development of acute leukemia (AL) in their offspring. The studies conducted have weaknesses that have generated a misclassification of such exposure. Occupations and exposures to substances associated with childhood cancer are not very frequently encountered in the general population; thus, the reported risks are both inconsistent and inaccurate. In this study, to assess exposure we used a new method, an exposure index, which took into consideration the industrial branch, specific position, use of protective equipment, substances at work, degree of contact with such substances, and time of exposure. This index allowed us to obtain a grade, which permitted the identification of individuals according to their level of exposure to known or potentially carcinogenic agents that are not necessarily specifically identified as risk factors for leukemia. The aim of this study was to determine the association between a father's occupational exposure to carcinogenic agents and the presence of AL in their offspring.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 1999 to 2000, a case-control study was performed with 193 children who reside in Mexico City and had been diagnosed with AL. The initial sample-size calculation was 150 children per group, assessed with an expected odds ratio (OR) of three and a minimum exposure frequency of 15.8%. These children were matched by age, sex, and institution with 193 pediatric surgical patients at secondary-care hospitals. A questionnaire was used to determine each child's background and the characteristics of the father's occupation(s). In order to determine the level of exposure to carcinogenic agents, a previously validated exposure index (occupational exposure index, OEI) was used. The consistency and validity of the index were assessed by a questionnaire comparison, the sensory recognition of the work area, and an expert's opinion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The adjusted ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 1.69 (0.98, 2.92) during the preconception period; 1.98 (1.13, 3.45) during the index pregnancy; 2.11 (1.17, 3.78) during breastfeeding period; 2.17 (1.28, 3.66) after birth; and 2.06 (1.24, 3.42) for global exposure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first study in which an OEI was used to assess a father's occupational exposure to carcinogenic agents as a risk factor for the development of childhood AL in his offspring. From our results, we conclude that children whose fathers have been exposed to a high level of carcinogenic agents seem to have a greater risk of developing acute leukemia. However, confounding factors cannot be disregarded due to an incomplete control for confounding.</p

Biocontrol Potential of Forest Tree Endophytes

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