La mujer marroquí, principal vector económico y social del flujo migratorio a Europa

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la figura de la mujer marroquí como principal vector económico y social del flujo migratorio a Europa. Estamos ante una sociedad multicultural en la que uno de los mayores retos, incluido el de nuestro derecho, es la evolución desde una cierta uniformidad cultural-religiosa hacia un paisaje de diversidad en el que el Islam ha destacado su presencia. La posibilidad de convivencia entre ambas culturas se basa en dos pilares: la aceptación de un mínimo común en materia de derechos humanos y el respeto y la integración de la diversidad. Este artículo se centra en Marruecos por ser el ejemplo más occidental de país islámico, por la influencia de la mujer en la modernización social y cultural y porque ha convertido a la mujer marroquí en el principal vector económico y social del flujo migratorio a Europa

Extracto de Acacia farnesiana para el control de larva de Aedes aegypti

Introducción: Aedes aegypti es el principal vector de dengue, chikunguña, fiebre amarilla y zika en el mundo; el control químico es el más utilizado para su prevención, atacando la reproducción del mosquito vector, principalmente mediante la aplicación de insecticidas sintéticos en sus lugares de cría. Sin embargo, el uso de insecticidas sintéticos ha generado resistencia en los mosquitos y diversos problemas ecológicos. Los extractos naturales de plantas con función insecticida son utilizados como alternativa para el control de vectores. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la actividad larvicida del extracto de vaina de Acacia farnesiana contra larvas de cuarto estadio de Ae. aegypti. Método: el estudio fue desarrollado en el Laboratorio del Instituto Tecnológico Superior de San Pedro, Coahuila, y en el ejido Mayran, San Pedro, Coahuila, México. Para la elaboración del extracto se utilizó la metodología propuesta por INIFAP-CENID-RASPA 1997. Los productos extractados se utilizaron en los bioensayos con larvas de cuarto estadio de Ae. aegypti durante 168 horas. Se transfirieron grupos de 20 larvas en vasos plásticos con 50 mL de agua, luego se aplicó 1 mL de cada uno de los tratamientos de fruto de Acacia farnesiana con concentraciones finales de 15 % (T1), 25 % (T2), 35 % (T3) y 70 % (T4). Para el control químico se utilizó Abate® 1SG (Temefos) al 25 %. Al testigo no se aplicó ningún tratamiento. Para comparar la mortalidad se realizó un análisis de varianza de un factor para cada uno de los estudios (laboratorio y campo) y un análisis de medidas repetidas en el tiempo para la fase de campo. Se desarrolló una prueba de comparación de medias de Tukey. Los análisis se realizaron usando el programa computacional estadístico IBM.SPSS 18, con un nivel de significancia de P ≤ 0.05. Resultados: en el laboratorio, el extracto de A. farnesiana al 35 % de concentración mostró mayor toxicidad contra las larvas de Ae. aegypti obteniendo una mortalidad media de 15.66 (78.3 %), transcurridas las 72 horas después de la aplicación del tratamiento (P ≤ 0.05). De igual forma, en condiciones de campo, el tratamiento al 35 % resultó ser el más efectivo, alcanzando una media de 19.04 (95.2 %) larvas muertas. Discusión o Conclusión: el extracto de A. farnesiana mostró actividad insecticida contra larvas de Ae. aegypti, siendo más efectivo a una concentración de 35 % en condiciones de laboratorio y campo. El efecto larvicida del extracto de A. farnesiana puede ser utilizado como una alternativa factible y sustentable para el control Ae. aegypti en zonas rurales. Sin embargo, es necesario realizar más estudios para identificar los ingredientes activos y el mecanismo de acción presente en las vainas de A. farnesiana para el control de vectores.

Suppressing mosquito populations with precision guided sterile males

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. Unfortunately, traditional control methodologies are insufficient, so innovative control methods are needed. To complement existing measures, here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in Aedes aegypti. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate flightless females and sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we empirically demonstrate that released pgSIT males can compete, suppress, and even eliminate mosquito populations. This platform technology could be used in the field, and adapted to many vectors, for controlling wild populations to curtail disease in a safe, confinable, and reversible manner.

Analytical model of skip motion taking into account influence of head and balancing ropes

The article describes an analytical model of mine skip dynamics taking into account the presence of the head and balancing ropes and the existing curvilinearity of the guides. Expressions for the forces acting on the skip from the side of the guides have been constructed. It is shown, that the frequencies of natural vibrations of skip depend on the vertical acceleration and the distance traveled during its lifting. A graph (diagram) of skips vertical speed which observance does not lead to the appearance of skips vertical vibrations due to elasticity of the ropes is developed. An algorithm for finding the forces principal vector and the forces principal moment acting on the skip based on the reading of three accelerometers recording horizontal accelerations of skip during its movement is presented.

Ricci soliton biharmonic hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space

UDC 515.12 We investigate biharmonic Ricci soliton hypersurfaces whose potential field satisfies certain conditions. We obtain a result based on the average scalar curvature of the compact Ricci soliton hypersurface where is a general vector field. Then we prove that there are no proper biharmonic Ricci soliton hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space provided that the potential field is either a principal vector in grad or .

Homogeneity and Possible Replacement of Populations of the Dengue Vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Indonesia

Currently, Aedes aegypti, the principal vector of dengue virus in Indonesia, has spread throughout the archipelago. Aedes albopictus is also present. Invasion and high adaptability of the Aedes mosquitoes to all of these areas are closely related to their ecology and biology. Between June 2016 and July 2017, larval and adult mosquito collections were conducted in 43 locations in 25 provinces of Indonesia using standardized sampling methods for dengue vector surveillance. The samples collected were analyzed for polymorphism and phylogenetic relationship using the mitochondrial cox1 gene and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). Almost all Ae. aegypti samples collected in this study (89%) belonged to the same haplotype. A similar situation is observed with the nuclear ITS2 marker. Populations of Ae. aegypti characterized few years ago were genetically different. A closely related observation was made with Aedes albopictus for which the current populations are different from those described earlier. Ae. aegypti populations were found to be highly homogenous all over Indonesia with all samples belonging to the same maternal lineage. Although difficult to demonstrate formally, there is a possibility of population replacement. Although to a lower extent, a similar conclusion was reached with Ae. albopictus.

Modeling the Risk of Infectious Diseases Transmitted by Aedes aegypti Using Survival and Aging Statistical Analysis with a Case Study in Colombia

Many infectious diseases are deadly to humans. The Aedes aegypi mosquito is the principal vector of infectious diseases that include chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and zika. Some factors such as survival time and aging are vital in its development and capacity to transmit the pathogens, which in turn are affected by environmental factors such as temperature. In this paper, we consider aging as the biological wear and tear presented in some mosquito populations over time, whereas survival is considered as the maximum time that a mosquito lives. We propose statistical methods that are commonly used in engineering for reliability analysis to compare transmission riskiness among different mosquitoes. We conducted a case study in three Colombian cities: Bello, Riohacha, and Villavicencio. In this study, we detected that the Aedes aegypi female mosquitoes in Bello live longer than in Riohacha and Villavicencio, and the females in Riohacha live longer than those in Villavicencio. Regarding aging, the females from Riohacha age slower than in Villavicencio and the latter age slower than in Bello. Mosquito populations that age slower are considered young and the other ones are old. In addition, we detected that the females from Bello in the temperature range of 27 ∘C–28 ∘C age slower than those in Bello at higher temperatures. In general, a young female has a higher risk of transmitting a disease to humans than an old female, regardless of its survival time. These findings have not been previously reported in studies of this type of infectious diseases and contributed to new knowledge in biomedicine.

Microanatomical and secretory characterization of the salivary gland of the Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae), a main vector of Chagas disease

Rhodnius prolixus is the principal vector of Trypanosoma cruzi , the aetiological agent of Chagas disease in American countries. This insect is haematophagous during all life cycles and, to antagonize its haemostatic, inflammatory and immune systems, it secretes saliva while feeding on the vertebrate host's blood. Here, we investigated characteristic changes of the salivary glands (SG) that occur during insect development. Two pairs of lobules and ducts comprise the SG of R. prolixus . The organ's size increases over time, but the microanatomical structures are preserved during insect development. Both lobules have a single layer epithelium formed by binucleated cells, which surrounds the saliva reservoir. The principal lobule presents higher polysaccharide and total protein contents than the accessory lobe. A network of external muscle layers is responsible for organ contraction and saliva release. Apocrine, merocrine and holocrine secretion types occur in the secretory epithelium. Dopamine, serotonin and tyrosine-hydroxylase are neural-related molecules that regulate SG function both during and after feeding.

Aspectos genéticos del virus del dengue

El dengue es un virus endémico en regiones tropicales, que está asociado a las precipitaciones, temperatura, urbanización y distribución de su principal vector, Aedes aegypti. La carga mundial de esta enfermedad no es bien conocida, pero sus patrones epidemiológicos son alarmantes tanto para los seres humanos, la salud y economía global. El dengue se ha identificado como una enfermedad del futuro debido a las tendencias hacia el aumento de la urbanización, la escasez de agua y, posiblemente, el cambio ambiental. La transmisión de este virus se reporta principalmente en las regiones del Mediterráneo Oriental, América, Asia Sudoriental, Pacífico Occidental y África. A partir del conocimiento del genoma del dengue se puede conocer más a detalles el posible comportamiento de esta enfermedad incidente. La creación de moléculas terapéuticas y la toma de decisiones en la clínica se basan en el conocimiento acerca de los aspectos genéticos del virus, pues a este nivel se puede medir la virulencia y patogenicidad del mismo. En este sentido, el objetivo de este trabajo fue describir los elementos más importantes del virus, su distribución génica, los elementos de resistencia conferido por su estructura a nivel intracelular y el ciclo replicativo respectivo de esta familia viral. Palabras clave: Virus, dengue, regiones no codificantes, virus ARN, genes virales.

Genetic Characterization of a Neurovirulent West Nile Virus Variant Associated with a Fatal Great Grey Owl Infection

This study reports on a fatal case of a captive great grey owl infected with the West Nile virus (WNV) in the zoological garden Košice, eastern Slovakia (Central Europe). The tissue samples of the dead owl were used for virus isolation and genetic characterization. The novel isolate is genetically closer to Hungarian, Greek, and Bulgarian strains from the central/southern European clade of lineage 2 than to the strains previously isolated in Slovakia. Interestingly, it carries NS3-249P, a molecular virulence determinant associated with higher neurovirulence, which has not previously been observed in Slovakia. Subsequent serological investigation of the captive owls revealed additional seropositive animals, indicating local WNV transmission. Although no WNV-positive mosquitoes were found, the presence of the WNV principal vector Culex pipiens complex together with the described fatal case and further serological findings indicate an endemic focus of bird-neurovirulent WNV variant in the area.