83 research outputs found

    The History of entomology in Ecuador

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    This work is not intended to be a complete review of all publications about entomology in Ecuador. It compiles the history of entomology in Ecuador in a chronological order. It first provides observations about the influence of pre-Columbian cultures and the cultural heritage of indigenous populations. It then presents the contribution of the Spanish conquest and colonization chroniclers, the specialists that described American species during the Renaissance period and the great scientific expeditions. Finally the birth of Ecuadorian entomology as a science is described with the creation of institutes for applied research and the Ecuadorian museums of entomology

    Additional description of a new species of Tunga (Siphonaptera) from Ecuador

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    A new species of chigoe flea belonging to the genus Tunga jarocki, 1838 (Siphonaptera, Pulicidae, Tunginae), Tungo trimamillata, was recently described by Pampiglione et al. (2002). A better description and more details of the epidemiology of the flea are now presented. It is a species found in goats, pigs and cattle in Santa Isabel in Andean Ecuador. This new species differs from its most similar congener, Tunga penetrans (L., 1758), by several features, the most important of which are a) the presence on the anterior extremity of the gravid female of three rounded humps surrounding the head and thorax (which, however, are not visible if viewed in profile), b) slightly larger dimensions and C) the length of the first segment of the maxillary palpi which is longer than each of the other three

    Entomology in Ecuador : recent developments and future challenges

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    We review and analyze the recent development and future challenges facing entomology as a science in Ecuador, a country with limited financial and human resources and numerous environmental problems. Taxonomic studies of the Ecuadorian insect fauna have been well developed for only a few groups (e.g. Papilionoidea, Carabidae) and remains in its infancy for most insect orders. This is due to the huge diversity of species living in a great diversity of habitats and the difficulty to identify most species. There is a lack of published basic biological information and to a high rate of endemism of many groups, especially in the Andes. The development of ecological entomology as a formal discipline in Ecuador is a very recent phenomenon, and has been mostly limited to descriptive studies of the environmental factors that govern insect diversity and abundance. We outline a set of research challenges regarding the impact of global environmental changes on insect communities and habitats they live in and propose potential strategies for the development of entomology in Ecuador. Both basic and applied research will be important in this context as well as international collaboration to strengthen the role of entomological science in decision making processes in the country

    Anatomy of Tunga trimamillata Pampiglione et al., 2002 (Insecta, Siphonaptera, Tungidae) and developmental phases of the gravid female

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    This paper deals with some internal anatomical features observed in histological sections and freshly dissected mounts of Tunga trimamillata, a Siphonaptera recently discovered in Andean regions of Ecuador from several mammals, including man. It was possible to study in males and also non-gravid and gravid females, the location and anatomy of several organs not previously described for this species: the testes, epididymis, ganglia, Malpighian tubules, eyes, rectal ampulla with one of its pads and structures which could be interpreted as midgut diverticula, whose presence has not been recorded in the Siphonaptera. The process of neosomy in the female during pregnancy is illustrated by photographs of the consecutive developmental phases, taken at the stereomicroscope. Furthermore, Some details of the exoskeleton, spermatheca during different phases of pregnancy of the gravid female and the presence of a foreign body (parasite?) within the haemocoel have been displayed in specimens cleared with Hoyer's medium

    Adaptive and Innate Immune Responses in Autism: Rationale for Therapeutic Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin

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    Autism is a complex polygenic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication and social interactions as well as specific stereotypical behaviors. Both genetic and environmental factors appear to contribute to the pathogenesis of autism. Accumulating data including changes in immune responses, linkage to major histocompatibility complex antigens, and the presence of autoantibodies to neural tissues/antigens suggest that the immune system plays an important role in its pathogenesis. In this brief review, we discuss the data regarding changes in both innate and adaptive immunity in autism and the evidence in favor of the role of the immune system, especially of maternal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of a subset of patients with autism. The rationale for possible therapeutic use of intravenous immunoglobulin is also discussed

    In Search of Cellular Immunophenotypes in the Blood of Children with Autism

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    Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social behavior, communication difficulties and the occurrence of repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. There has been substantial evidence for dysregulation of the immune system in autism.We evaluated differences in the number and phenotype of circulating blood cells in young children with autism (n = 70) compared with age-matched controls (n = 35). Children with a confirmed diagnosis of autism (4-6 years of age) were further subdivided into low (IQ<68, n = 35) or high functioning (IQ ≥ 68, n = 35) groups. Age- and gender-matched typically developing children constituted the control group. Six hundred and forty four primary and secondary variables, including cell counts and the abundance of cell surface antigens, were assessed using microvolume laser scanning cytometry.There were multiple differences in immune cell populations between the autism and control groups. The absolute number of B cells per volume of blood was over 20% higher for children with autism and the absolute number of NK cells was about 40% higher. Neither of these variables showed significant difference between the low and high functioning autism groups. While the absolute number of T cells was not different across groups, a number of cellular activation markers, including HLA-DR and CD26 on T cells, and CD38 on B cells, were significantly higher in the autism group compared to controls.These results support previous findings that immune dysfunction may occur in some children with autism. Further evaluation of the nature of the dysfunction and how it may play a role in the etiology of autism or in facets of autism neuropathology and/or behavior are needed

    Neurovascular unit dysfunction with blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability contributes to major depressive disorder: a review of clinical and experimental evidence

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    About one-third of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail at least two antidepressant drug trials at 1 year. Together with clinical and experimental evidence indicating that the pathophysiology of MDD is multifactorial, this observation underscores the importance of elucidating mechanisms beyond monoaminergic dysregulation that can contribute to the genesis and persistence of MDD. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are mechanistically linked to the presence of neurovascular dysfunction with blood-brain barrier (BBB) hyperpermeability in selected neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast to other major psychiatric disorders, MDD is frequently comorbid with such neurological disorders and constitutes an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in disorders characterized by vascular endothelial dysfunction (cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus). Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are implicated in the neurobiology of MDD. More recent evidence links neurovascular dysfunction with BBB hyperpermeability to MDD without neurological comorbidity. We review this emerging literature and present a theoretical integration between these abnormalities to those involving oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in MDD. We discuss our hypothesis that alterations in endothelial nitric oxide levels and endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling are central mechanistic links in this regard. Understanding the contribution of neurovascular dysfunction with BBB hyperpermeability to the pathophysiology of MDD may help to identify novel therapeutic and preventative approaches
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