A New Host Record for the Egg Parasitoid Anagrus nigriventris (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) of the Corn Leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

A survey of the eggs parasitoids of the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) was carried out in Tucumán Province, Argentina. Samples were collected during the summer of 2004-2005 with sentinel eggs. Anagrus nigriventris Girault was responsible for 7.2% of the total egg parasitism. That is the first record of this parasitoid reared from the eggs of D. maidis; A. nigriventris is one of three species of Anagrus known to affect populations of this leafhopper pest in Argentina.Fil: Luft Albarracin, Erica Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Virla, Eduardo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Triapitsyn, Serguei V.. University of California; Estados Unido

Annotated key to the genera of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) in Argentina

A key to the genera of Mymaridae occurring in Argentina is given, and information on the 178 determined and several undetermined species in 35 genera is provided, including data on their distribution and host associations. New host records are provided for several species of Anagrus Haliday and Gonatocerus Nees. The genus Kikiki Huber & Beardsley is recorded for the first time from the New World, and the genera Australomymar Girault, Camptopteroides Viggiani, Gahanopsis Ogloblin, Myrmecomymar Yoshimoto, and Ptilomymar Annecke & Doutt are reported for the first time from Argentina. Eucleruchus Ogloblin, syn. nov. is synonymized under Cleruchus Enock, and its type species E. neivai Ogloblin is transferred to Cleruchus as C. neivai (Ogloblin), comb. nov.Fil: Luft Albarracin, Erica Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Triapitsyn, Serguei V.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Virla, Eduardo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentin

Safe Sex Communication between Women and their Stable Partners in the Dominican Republic

Aside from sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean is the only region where the number of women and girls living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is greater than that of men and boys. In the Dominican Republic (DR), the number of all diagnosed HIV cases that were women increased from 27% in 2003 to 51% in 2013, which indicates a shift in the burden of HIV from men to women. Women in stable relationships in the DR have risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) related to high rates of multiple concurrent partners and low condom use among stable partners. Past HIV prevention efforts in the DR have largely focused on encouraging consistent condom use. However, this may not be a feasible solution for women in relationships. In this dissertation, I sought to examine safe sex communication (SSC) as a possible alternative to consistent condom use for HIV/STI prevention among women in stable heterosexual relationships in DR. I began by conducting an integrative literature review and identified multiple relationship, individual, and partner factors related to SSC among Latina women in stable relationships. Then I conducted a mixed methods study guided by the Theory of Gender and Power with women in stable heterosexual relationships who seek care at Clínica de Familia La Romana in the DR. First, I conducted a qualitative descriptive study to describe SSC. Emergent content analysis of eleven interview transcripts following Colaizzi’s method revealed two main themes: (1) Context of sexual risk (i.e., the meaning of safe sex for stable partners, behaviours related to sexual risk, beliefs and attitudes related to sexual risk, confianza (trust) between stable partners, economic power within relationships, and learning to manage safe sex within a stable relationship) and (2) SSC (i.e., reasons to talk about safe sex, methods, content, and outcomes, influential factors, and ideas for improvement). Second, I conducted a cross sectional survey with 100 women to identify psychosocial correlates of SSC. The mean age of women was 35.72 years, average relationship length was 8.5 years, and 46.91% were living with HIV. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lower SSC self-efficacy (OR = 0.20, 95% confidence interval = 0.08 – 0.50) and greater difference in age between partners (OR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.85 – 0.98) were both significantly related to less SSC. Information from this dissertation can be used to help identify women in the DR who are at risk for poor SSC with their stable partners and guide researchers, health care providers, and other individuals involved in efforts to reduce HIV/STI risk among this population to develop more effective interventions for this population. Future research should determine which safe sex behaviors SSC is related to among Latina women with stable partners, as well as which aspects of SSC can be generalized to women of all Latino subcultures and nationalities. Additionally, more information is needed about the male partner’s role in SSC within their stable relationship and what factors influence partner SSC among Latino men in stable relationships

Social synchronization of brain activity increases during eye-contact

Humans make eye-contact to extract information about other people’s mental states, recruiting dedicated brain networks that process information about the self and others. Recent studies show that eye-contact increases the synchronization between two brains but do not consider its effects on activity within single brains. Here we investigate how eye-contact affects the frequency and direction of the synchronization within and between two brains and the corresponding network characteristics. We also evaluate the functional relevance of eye-contact networks by comparing inter- and intra-brain networks of friends vs. strangers and the direction of synchronization between leaders and followers. We show that eye-contact increases higher inter- and intra-brain synchronization in the gamma frequency band. Network analysis reveals that some brain areas serve as hubs linking within- and between-brain networks. During eye-contact, friends show higher inter-brain synchronization than strangers. Dyads with clear leader/follower roles demonstrate higher synchronization from leader to follower in the alpha frequency band. Importantly, eye-contact affects synchronization between brains more than within brains, demonstrating that eye-contact is an inherently social signal. Future work should elucidate the causal mechanisms behind eye-contact induced synchronization

Elementary immunology: Na(+) as a regulator of immunity

The skin can serve as an interstitial Na(+) reservoir. Local tissue Na(+) accumulation increases with age, inflammation and infection. This increased local Na(+) availability favors pro-inflammatory immune cell function and dampens their anti-inflammatory capacity. In this review, we summarize available data on how NaCl affects various immune cells. We particularly focus on how salt promotes pro-inflammatory macrophage and T cell function and simultaneously curtails their regulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. Overall, these findings demonstrate that local Na(+) availability is a promising novel regulator of immunity. Hence, the modulation of tissue Na(+) levels bears broad therapeutic potential: increasing local Na(+) availability may help in treating infections, while lowering tissue Na(+) levels may be used to treat, for example, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases

Social synchronization of brain activity increases during eye-contact

Copyright © The Author(s) 2022. Humans make eye-contact to extract information about other people’s mental states, recruiting dedicated brain networks that process information about the self and others. Recent studies show that eye-contact increases the synchronization between two brains but do not consider its effects on activity within single brains. Here we investigate how eye-contact affects the frequency and direction of the synchronization within and between two brains and the corresponding network characteristics. We also evaluate the functional relevance of eye-contact networks by comparing inter- and intra-brain networks of friends vs. strangers and the direction of synchronization between leaders and followers. We show that eye-contact increases higher inter- and intra-brain synchronization in the gamma frequency band. Network analysis reveals that some brain areas serve as hubs linking within- and between-brain networks. During eye-contact, friends show higher inter-brain synchronization than strangers. Dyads with clear leader/follower roles demonstrate higher synchronization from leader to follower in the alpha frequency band. Importantly, eye-contact affects synchronization between brains more than within brains, demonstrating that eye-contact is an inherently social signal. Future work should elucidate the causal mechanisms behind eye-contact induced synchronization.BIAL Foundation (No. 138/18); Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship

Стандартные полимерные питательные смеси: сравнительная характеристика и возможности дифференцированного применения

Trophic homeostasis together with oxygen provision is known to form the basis for the body’s vital activity and a prerequisite to the elimination of many abnormalities [1]. Support of trophic homeostasis along with its intrinsic factor is determined not only by the capabilities and reality of providing an organism with essential nutrients, but also by the relevant conditions for their effective assimilation, particularly in the presence of a severely progressive pathological process [1, 2]. The last decades of the 20th century were marked by the rapid development of clinical nutrition science, giving rise to the whole industry of manufacturing various formulas for both the parenteral and enteral feedings of patients (the injured). Due to the fact that there is a great variety of feeding formulas (FFs), we have now a right to tell not only about the adequate substrate provision of patients in all directions, but also about the fact that we can perform differential nutritive metabolic therapy for an existing pathological condition. At present we have a good chance of implementing the qualitative nutritive support (NS) for any category of patients. At the same time, it should be noted that recently physicians of different specialties in our country are much better aware of the importance and necessity of timely using active NS in seriously ill patients (victims) [1—3]. This paper presents the comparative characteristics of the most popular and Russia’s registered balanced polymer FFs. All information on the properties of the products has been taken from either their original package, or the advertising matters distributed by this or that manufacturer. The key properties of FFs, such as chemical composition, osmolarity, formulations, and package, have been compared.hypermetabolism; feeding formulas; composition; osmolarity; choiceИзвестно, что трофический гомеостаз вместе с кислородным обеспечением составляет основу жизнедеятельности организма и кардинальное условие преодоления многих патологических состояний [1]. Поддержка трофического гомеостаза, наряду с его внутренними факторами, определяется не только возможностью и реальностью обеспечения организма необходимыми питательными веществами, но и созданием соответствующих условий для их эффективной ассимиляции, особенно в условиях тяжело протекающего патологического процесса [1, 2]. Последние десятилетия XX столетия характеризовались бурным развитием клинической нутрициологии, что сопровождалось созданием целой индустрии по производству различных питательных смесей (ПС) как для парентерального, так и энтерального питания больных (пострадавших) пациентов. Благодаря достаточно широкому выбору ПС, сегодня мы вправе говорить не только об адекватном субстратном обеспечении больных по всем направлениям, но и о появившейся возможности дифференцированной нутритивно-метаболической терапии имеющегося патологического состояния. В настоящее время мы имеем все возможности для практической реализации качественной нутриционной поддержки (НП) любой категории пациентов. При этом следует отметить, что в последние годы в нашей стране среди врачей различных специальностей значительно возросло понимание важности и необходимости своевременного назначения тяжело больным (пострадавшим) пациентам активной НП [1—3]. В данной статье представлена сравнительная характеристика наиболее распространенных и зарегистрированных в России сбалансированных полимерных ПС. Вся информация по свойствам продукции взята либо с оригинальной упаковки, либо из рекламных материалов, распространяемых тем или иным производителем. Сравнение проведено по таким ключевым свойствам ПС как химический состав, осмолярность, форма выпуска и упаковка.

Monitoring and Pay: An Experiment on Employee Performance under Endogenous Supervision

We present an experimental test of a shirking model where monitoring intensity is endogenous and effort a continuous variable. Wage level, monitoring intensity and consequently the desired enforceable effort level are jointly determined by the maximization problem of the firm. As a result, monitoring and pay should be complements. In our experiment, between and within treatment variation is qualitatively in line with the normative predictions of the model under standard assumptions. Yet, we also find evidence for reciprocal behavior. Our data analysis shows, however, that it does not pay for the employer to solely rely on the reciprocity of employees

Evidence for a subcortical origin of mirror movements after stroke: A longitudinal study

Following a stroke, mirror movements are unintended movements that appear in the non-paretic hand when the paretic hand voluntarily moves. Mirror movements have previously been linked to overactivation of sensorimotor areas in the non-lesioned hemisphere. In this study, we hypothesized that mirror movements might instead have a subcortical origin, and are the by-product of subcortical motor pathways upregulating their contributions to the paretic hand. To test this idea, we first characterized the time course of mirroring in 53 first-time stroke patients, and compared it to the time course of activities in sensorimotor areas of the lesioned and non-lesioned hemispheres (measured using functional MRI). Mirroring in the non-paretic hand was exaggerated early after stroke (Week 2), but progressively diminished over the year with a time course that parallelled individuation deficits in the paretic hand. We found no evidence of cortical overactivation that could explain the time course changes in behaviour, contrary to the cortical model of mirroring. Consistent with a subcortical origin of mirroring, we predicted that subcortical contributions should broadly recruit fingers in the non-paretic hand, reflecting the limited capacity of subcortical pathways in providing individuated finger control. We therefore characterized finger recruitment patterns in the non-paretic hand during mirroring. During mirroring, non-paretic fingers were broadly recruited, with mirrored forces in homologous fingers being only slightly larger (1.76 times) than those in non-homologous fingers. Throughout recovery, the pattern of finger recruitment during mirroring for patients looked like a scaled version of the corresponding control mirroring pattern, suggesting that the system that is responsible for mirroring in controls is upregulated after stroke. Together, our results suggest that post-stroke mirror movements in the non-paretic hand, like enslaved movements in the paretic hand, are caused by the upregulation of a bilaterally organized subcortical system