Modification of the Daily Activity Pattern of the Diurnal Triatomine Mepraia spinolai (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Induced by Trypanosoma cruzi (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) Infection.

Mepraia spinolai, (Porter) 1934, is a diurnal triatomine endemic to Chile and a wild vector of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, (Chagas) 1909, which causes Chagas disease. Behavioral changes in M. spinolai induced by this parasite have been reported previously, which include detection of a potential host, defecation latency, and some life history traits. In this study we assessed changes in locomotor and daily activity due to infection with T. cruzi. No difference was detected in distance traveled between infected and uninfected individuals. However, the groups differed in their daily activity patterns; infected individuals showed significant reduction of movements during the light phase and concentrated their activity in the dark phase. Uninfected individuals showed no differences in locomotor activity between the phases. The results suggest that T. cruzi induces a displacement in the activity of M. spinolai toward the dark phase of the circadian cycle, which may improve its vector competence.

Dry eye is matched by increased intrasubject variability in tear osmolarity as confirmed by machine learning approach. / El ojo seco está relacionado con un aumento intrasujeto de la variabilidad de osmolaridad lagrimal confirmado por tecnología de aprendizaje de máquinas.

OBJECTIVE: Because of high variability, tear film osmolarity measures have been questioned in dry eye assessment. Understanding the origin of such variability would aid data interpretation. This study aims to evaluate osmolarity variability in a clinical setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty dry eyes and 20 control patients were evaluated. Three consecutive osmolarity measurements per eye at 5min intervals were obtained. Variability was represented by the difference between both extreme readings per eye. Machine learning techniques were used to quantify discrimination capacity of tear osmolarity for dry eye. RESULTS: Mean osmolarities in the control and dry eye groups were 295.1±7.3mOsm/L and 300.6±11.2mOsm/L, respectively (P=.004). Osmolarity variabilities were 7.5±3.6mOsm/L and 16.7±11.9mOsm/L, for the control and dry eye groups, respectively (P<.001). Based on osmolarity, a logistic classifier showed an 85% classification accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: In the clinical setting, both mean osmolarity and osmolarity variability in the dry eye group were significantly higher than in the control group. Machine learning techniques showed good classification accuracy. It is concluded that higher variability of tear osmolarity is a dry eye feature.

Consensus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection. / Consenso sobre prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la infección por Clostridium difficile.

In recent decades, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become a worldwide health problem. Mexico is no exception, and therefore the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología brought together a multidisciplinary group (gastroenterologists, endoscopists, internists, infectious disease specialists, and microbiologists) to carry out the "Consensus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection", establishing useful recommendations (in relation to the adult population) for the medical community. Said recommendations are presented herein. Among them, it was recognized that CDI should be suspected in subjects with diarrhea that have a history of antibiotic and/or immunosuppressant use, but that it can also be a community-acquired infection. A 2-step diagnostic algorithm was proposed, in which a highly sensitive test, such as glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), is first utilized, and if positive, confirmed by the detection of toxins through immunoassay or nucleic acid detection tests. Another recommendation was that CDI based on clinical evaluation be categorized as mild-moderate, severe, and complicated severe, given that such a classification enables better therapeutic decisions to be made. In mild-moderate CDI, oral vancomycin is the medication of choice, and metronidazole is recommended as an alternative treatment. In addition, fecal microbiota transplantation was recognized as an efficacious option in patients with recurrence or in the more severe cases of infection, and surgery should be reserved for patients with severe colitis (toxic megacolon), in whom all medical treatment has failed.

Factors related to gastric neuroendocrine tumors. / Factores relacionados a tumores neuroendocrinos gástricos.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: An association between long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and the development of gastric neuroendocrine tumors has been reported, but it is still a subject of debate. The aims of the present study were to determine the presence of this association in a Mexican population and to identify the risk factors for developing gastric neuroendocrine tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted, in which the cases were patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of gastric neuroendocrine tumor and the controls were patients evaluated through upper endoscopy. The controls were paired by age, sex, and endoscopic examination indication. Proton pump inhibitor use was considered prolonged when consumption was longer than 5 years. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with gastric neuroendocrine tumor and 66 controls were included in the study. Eighteen (54.5%) patients in the case group were women, as were 39 (59%) of the patients in the control group. The median age of the patients in the case group was 55 years (minimum-maximum range: 24-82) and it was 54 years (minimum-maximum range:18-85) in the control group. A greater number of patients in the gastric neuroendocrine tumor group presented with gastric atrophy (p<0.0001) and autoimmune atrophic gastritis (p=0.0002), compared with the control group. No association between gastric neuroendocrine tumor and prolonged proton pump inhibitor use, sex, smoking, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, diabetes mellitus, or autoimmune diseases was found in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study showed no association between proton pump inhibitor use for more than 5 years and the development of gastric neuroendocrine tumor. The presence of gastric atrophy and autoimmune atrophic gastritis was associated with gastric neuroendocrine tumor development.

Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings: effects of leaf area and indole-3-butyric acid concentration / Propagação vegetativa de Plukenetia polyadenia por estacas: efeitos de área foliar e concentração de ácido indol-3-butírico

Abstract The seeds of Plukenetia polyadenia have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and are used as medicine and food for native people in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. The objective of this study was to develop a method for vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by rooting of cuttings. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications of 8 cuttings, in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement. The factors were: 3 levels of leaf area (25, 50 and 75%) and 3 indole-3-butyric acid - IBA concentrations (9.84, 19.68 and 29.52mM) and a control without IBA. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Our results show that the use of cuttings with 50% of leaf area and treatment with 29.52mM of IBA induced high percentages of rooting (93%) and the best root formation. Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings will be used as a tool to conserve and propagate germplasm in breeding programs.

Resumo As sementes de Plukenetia polyadenia têm altos níveis de ácidos graxos insaturados e são utilizadas como medicamentos e alimentos para as pessoas nativas da Amazônia Peruana e Brasileira. O objetivo do trabalho foi desenvolver um método de propagação vegetativa de Plukenetia polyadenia por meio do enraizamento de estacas em câmeras de sub-irrigação. Foi utilizado um delineamento de blocos ao acaso com 12 tratamentos e 3 repetições de 8 estacas, e esquema fatorial 3 × 4. Os fatores foram: 3 níveis de área foliar (25, 50 e 75%) e 3 doses de ácido indol-3-butírico - AIB (9,84; 19,68 e 29,52mM) e um controle sem AIB. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. A maior taxa de enraizamento de estacas (93%) foi obtida com 29,52mM de AIB como indutor hormonal e estacas com área foliar de 50%. A propagação vegetativa de Plukenetia polyadenia por estacas será usada como ferramenta para conservar e propagar germoplasma em programas de melhoramento.

High prevalence of Demodex spp. infestation among patients with posterior blepharitis: correlation with age and cylindrical dandruff. / Alta prevalencia de infestación por Demodex spp. en pacientes con blefaritis posterior: correlación con edad y caspa cilíndrica.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of Demodex spp. and infestation index (II) by the parasite among patients of different ages with blepharitis and to assess association with occurrence of cylindrical dandruff (CC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study including patients diagnosed with posterior blepharitis between 2013 and 2015, without previous acaricide treatment, was conducted by Fundación Oftalmológica Los Andes (Chile). Four eyelashes were randomly extracted from each eyelid for parasite detection. The II was calculated as the ratio between the total number of demodex specimens found in the total number of eyelashes removed. A semi-quantitative determination of the CC was performed. RESULTS: A total of 178 patients (91 men, 87 women), with a mean age of 58.49±20.66 years, were included. It was found that 83.7% of patients were infested with Demodex folliculorum with a mean II of 0.96±0.84 mites/eyelash. The II was significantly higher in patients over 50 years (p<.0001). Patient age and II showed a Pearson correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.12 (p<.0001). CC was observed in 71.4% of patients, with those over 50 years-old showing significantly higher values. A positive correlation was also observed between the amount of CC and the II (R2=.33; p<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of infestation by Demodex folliculorum is high in patients with posterior blepharitis. The II by the parasite is positively correlated with age and with the occurrence of CC on the eyelid border.

Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings: effects of leaf area and indole-3-butyric acid concentration.

The seeds of Plukenetia polyadenia have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and are used as medicine and food for native people in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. The objective of this study was to develop a method for vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by rooting of cuttings. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications of 8 cuttings, in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement. The factors were: 3 levels of leaf area (25, 50 and 75%) and 3 indole-3-butyric acid - IBA concentrations (9.84, 19.68 and 29.52mM) and a control without IBA. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Our results show that the use of cuttings with 50% of leaf area and treatment with 29.52mM of IBA induced high percentages of rooting (93%) and the best root formation. Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings will be used as a tool to conserve and propagate germplasm in breeding programs.

How to improve the diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis: Experience from a case series in Mexico. / Cómo mejorar el diagnóstico de esofagitis eosinofílica: experiencia de una serie de casos en México.

INTRODUCTION: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, immune disorder mediated largely by food antigens. It shares nonspecific symptoms with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). EoE is rarely reported in Mexico, perhaps due to the racial characteristics of the population or because of insufficient diagnostic suspicion. AIMS: Our aim was to describe a Mexican cohort with EoE and evaluate the usefulness of the clinical history and endoscopy in the EoE diagnosis, in comparison with GERD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on the clinical characteristics and endoscopic and histopathologic findings in patients with EoE, along with a case-control study on patients with GERD. The endoscopic images obtained were interpreted in a blind and randomized manner by 4 gastroenterologists, before and after providing them with information on the characteristic alterations of EoE. The esophageal biopsies were also blinded to 2 pathologists that evaluated their diagnostic correlation. The Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with EoE were included in the study. Ten (71%) of them were men and the mean age of the patients was 35 years. There were more subjects with a personal history of asthma (p=0.0023) and food impaction (p=0.04) in the EoE group. The initial evaluation of the endoscopic findings showed 53% correct EoE interpretations and rose to 96% in the second revision (sensitivity 100%, specificity 71%, PPV 65%, NPV 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Mexican patients with EoE have similar characteristics to those of patients in western case series. Clinical awareness of the disorder increases endoscopic diagnosis in up to 40% of cases.

Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings: effects of leaf area and indole-3-butyric acid concentration

Abstract The seeds of Plukenetia polyadenia have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and are used as medicine and food for native people in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. The objective of this study was to develop a method for vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by rooting of cuttings. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications of 8 cuttings, in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement. The factors were: 3 levels of leaf area (25, 50 and 75%) and 3 indole-3-butyric acid - IBA concentrations (9.84, 19.68 and 29.52mM) and a control without IBA. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Our results show that the use of cuttings with 50% of leaf area and treatment with 29.52mM of IBA induced high percentages of rooting (93%) and the best root formation. Vegetative propagation of Plukenetia polyadenia by cuttings will be used as a tool to conserve and propagate germplasm in breeding programs.

Resumo As sementes de Plukenetia polyadenia têm altos níveis de ácidos graxos insaturados e são utilizadas como medicamentos e alimentos para as pessoas nativas da Amazônia Peruana e Brasileira. O objetivo do trabalho foi desenvolver um método de propagação vegetativa de Plukenetia polyadenia por meio do enraizamento de estacas em câmeras de sub-irrigação. Foi utilizado um delineamento de blocos ao acaso com 12 tratamentos e 3 repetições de 8 estacas, e esquema fatorial 3 × 4. Os fatores foram: 3 níveis de área foliar (25, 50 e 75%) e 3 doses de ácido indol-3-butírico - AIB (9,84; 19,68 e 29,52mM) e um controle sem AIB. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. A maior taxa de enraizamento de estacas (93%) foi obtida com 29,52mM de AIB como indutor hormonal e estacas com área foliar de 50%. A propagação vegetativa de Plukenetia polyadenia por estacas será usada como ferramenta para conservar e propagar germoplasma em programas de melhoramento.

[Conjunctival impression cytology in patients with normal and impaired OSDI scores]. / Citología de impresión conjuntival en pacientes con valores OSDI normales y alterados.

PURPOSE: To describe goblet cell density and Nelson grading in different areas of the ocular surface using conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) among patients with normal and impaired Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients (n=166) under assessment for dry eye were recruited between 2011 and 2012 and classified according to the OSDI score in 4 categories (normal and impaired). Cytological study (CIC plus Papanicolaou staining) using the Nelson grading system, with modifications in staging, and goblet cell counting were performed on the nasal, temporal, inferior, and superior bulbar conjunctival surfaces. RESULTS: Nelson grading was significantly higher in patients with a severely impaired OSDI score (1.41±0.14) compared to normal patients (0.86±0.09) (P<.01). Goblet cell density was significantly reduced in patients with a severely impaired OSDI score (310.24±56.24 cells per sample) compared with normal subjects (497.31±50.07 cells per sample) (P<.001). Compared with the photoexposed bulbar conjunctiva, goblet cell density on the non-photoexposed conjunctiva was significantly higher both in patients with mild (P<.01) and moderate (P<.001) OSDI scores. CONCLUSION: Patients with severely impaired OSDI scores have less goblet cells and a higher Nelson grade. Goblet cells are more abundant on the non-photoexposed conjunctiva.

Caracterización del nivel de dependencia al alcohol entre habitantes de la Ciudad de México

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Summary: The dynamic and scope of the consumption of alcoholic beverages, in Mexico, have been known by household surveys, since the last third of the last century. Nowadays those surveys describe alcohol use as one of the main public health tasks nationwide, due not only to its consequences but also to the damage on the different areas of individual's everyday life. A number of indicators have been highlighted by the first survey on 1988, such as teetotalism rates, the alcohol consumers proportion, age of first use, and problems associated with alcohol consumption. As a public health problem, alcohol consumption represents high costs to health institutions because of the problems related to the consumption. So, it requires undertaking certain actions that would be deal with this problem on primary and structural attention, as well as in the individual susceptibility as prevention, or attention levels, diagnosis and treatment. All actions to face this problem are practically impossible in the absence of instruments to establish differential diagnosis between heavy drinking and alcohol dependence. Along the study of alcoholism, have been distinguished two issues to establish differential diagnosis. First is a traditional version of dependence diagnosis by DSM criterions, defined as disadaptative pattern of alcohol consumption that produces significant malaise, expressed trough one year long. The second diagnosis issue quantifies the individual differences of physical, psychological and social damage degrees, caused by the alcohol consumption. From this, appears the motion of Multiple Alcoholism Syndrome. From this last point of view, The Alcohol Use Inventary by Skinner, Horn and Wanberg (1983), is compose by 147 items self administrated, clusted in 24 scales. Time latter, as of many researches done by this research group, aroused The Multiple-syndrome Alcohol Model as The Alcohol Use Inventary simplified version, used as a useful differential diagnosis questionnaire in alcoholics. There for, last version has been done many researches that agree on characterize the alcohol use inventory as screening questionnaire useful to detect problematic drinking to implement primary intervention. Those authors suggest the use of this questionnaire at different stages and populations, with different cut points. Antecedent's use of the questionnaire in Mexico, by Ayala et al., made the adapted version, however, researches seems to be not enough to know the validity of diagnostic instruments on ethanol dependence. The Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) consider the dependence as a continuum of four levels, depending on the damage degree associated with alcohol consumption, on the different areas of physical, intellectual, social and psychiatric functioning. In the questionnaire 1 is the minimum cut point for dependence diagnostic and 48 as the highest point, this rank lets differentiate with respect to low dependence, moderate dependence, substantial dependence and severe dependence. This article pretends to diffuse the EDS's validity on inhabitants in Mexico City. As methodology, a case design and 1:1 paired controls were used by age and marital status. Through a not intentioned sampling by quotas were selected 240 men of 18 to 50 years old. The cases group was integrated by 120 individuals that voluntarily sought treatment at the Center of Assistance for the Alcoholic and Relatives (CAAF) from June, 1998 to June, 2000. All cases comply with DSM-IV alcohol dependence criterion; they reported the last consumption at one month before the beginning of the research and with basic school as scholar level. In the control group were 120 volunteers that request treatment to CAAF from June, 1998 to June, 2000. They did not comply with alcohol dependence criterion. As gold standard, was considered the DSM-IV criteria to sensibility, specificity and predictive values; the factorial structure and internal consistency of the scale are indicated. Socio-demographic data indicated 34 years old as sample average, just over the half had a partner at the time of the study; the predominant education level was secondary school (35%). In the cases the 86% covered 6 to 7 criteria for ethanol dependence in the DSM-IV; the predominant dependence level was moderate at 37%, while 53% of the control group had no evidence of dependence. The heterogeneity test showed significant statistics differences on dependence levels in cases and controls (t=23, df=238 and p=0.00). The ADS displays overall internal consistency of 0.96, based on the Cronbach Reliability Coefficient, a higher level of consistency than that reported in previous studies. With a factorial analysis by varimax rotation and maximum likelihood extraction, revealed the presence of three factors with 56.5% of variance explained: intoxication (48.3%), abstinence (5.6%) and delirium tremens. In the application manual, the authors specify 13/14 as values to use the DAS as a diagnosis questionnaire, and 9 for a screening instrument. While other authors suggest less cut points 13/14 to 2/3 to reduce the false-negative; however, on Mexico City inhabitants, such cut points were inappropriate. The most suitable cut point to detect a significant dependence on clinical was at 8 points, with 96% sensitivity, 98% specificity and a 94% likelihood of making correct diagnoses. These findings show that DAS is a suitable screening instrument for using on Mexico City inhabitants. We suggest including items to evaluate social area or any other scale to complement the ADS.

New vaccines require potent adjuvants like AFPL1 and AFCo1.

Neisseria meningitidis B proteoliposome (AFPL1 when used as adjuvant) and its derivative-Cochleate (AFCo1) contain immunopotentiating and immunomodulating properties and delivery system capacities required for a good adjuvant. Additionally, they contain meningococcal protective antigens and permit packaging of other antigens and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP). Consequently, we hypothesized that they would function as good vaccine adjuvants for their own antigens and also for non-related antigens. AFPL1 is a detergent-extracted outer membrane vesicle of N. meningitidis B transformed into AFCo1 in calcium environment. Both are produced at Finlay Institute under good manufacture practices (GMP) conditions. We show their exceptional characteristics: combining in the same structure, the potentiator activity, polarizing agents and delivery system capacities; presenting multimeric protein copies; containing multiprotein composition and multi and synergistic PAMP components; acting with incorporated or co-administrated antigens; inducing type I IFN-gamma and IL-12 cytokines suggesting the stimulation of human plasmocytoid precursor and conventional dendritic cells, respectively, inducing a preferential Th1 immune response with TCD4(+), TCD8(+), cross-presentation and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) in vivo responses; and functioning by parenteral and mucosal routes. AFPL1-AFCo1 protective protein constitutions permit per se their function as a vaccine. In addition to Phase IV Men BC vaccine, AFPL1 has ended the preclinical stage in an allergy vaccine and is concluding the preclinical stage of a nasal meningococcal vaccine. In conclusion, AFPL1 and AFCo1 induced signal 1, 2 and 3 polarizing to a Th1 (including CTL) response when they acted directly as vaccines or were used as adjuvants with incorporated or co-administered antigens by parenteral or mucosal routes. Both are very promising adjuvants.

Childhood injury prevention practices by parents in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: Scientifically based injury prevention efforts have not been widely implemented in Latin America. This study was undertaken to evaluate the baseline knowledge and practices of childhood safety on the part of parents in Monterrey, Mexico and in so doing provide information on which to base subsequent injury prevention efforts. METHODS: Interviews were carried out with parents from three socioeconomic strata (upper, middle, lower). Questionnaires were based on Spanish language materials developed by The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP) of the American Academy of Pediatrics. RESULTS: Data were obtained from parents of 1123 children. Overall safety scores (percent safe responses) increased with increasing socioeconomic status. The differences among the socioeconomic groups were most pronounced for transportation and less pronounced for household and recreational safety. The differences were most notable for activities that required a safety related device such as a car seat, seat belt, helmet, or smoke detector. Appropriate use of such devices declined from 47% (upper socioeconomic group) to 25% (middle) to 15% (lower). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable differences in the knowledge and especially the practice of childhood safety exist among parents in different socioeconomic levels in Mexico. Future injury prevention efforts need to address these and especially the availability, cost, and utilization of specific highly effective safety devices.

Dating Caral, a preceramic site in the Supe Valley on the central coast of Peru.

Radiocarbon dates from the site of Caral in the Supe Valley of Peru indicate that monumental corporate architecture, urban settlement, and irrigation agriculture began in the Americas by 4090 years before the present (2627 calibrated years B.C.) to 3640 years before the present (1977 calibrated years B.C.). Caral is located 23 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast and contains a central zone of monumental, residential, and nonresidential architecture covering an area of 65 hectares. Caral is one of 18 large preceramic sites in the Supe Valley.

Cell-enlargement-related polypeptides are induced via beta(1)-adrenoceptors in mouse parotids.

Induction of cell and gland enlargement (growth-in-size) and induction of a group of secretory polypeptides (polypeptides C-G) seem to occur in close relationship in mouse parotid glands stimulated chronically by the nonselective beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. To determine whether beta(1), beta(2), or both subtypes of beta-adrenergic receptors are involved in those responses, dose-dependency studies were carried out during a 7-day period of daily stimulations to assess the relative abilities of the selective beta-adrenergic agonists dobutamine (beta(1)) and salbutamol (beta(2)) to induce polypeptides C-G and growth-in-size. The relative abilities of the selective beta-adrenoceptor antagonists atenolol (beta(1)) and I.C.I. 118.551 (beta(2)) to interfere with the induction of both responses by chronic treatment with the various beta-adrenergic agonists were also studied. Parotid growth-in-size was assessed by evaluating wet weight, whole protein content, and light microscopy histology. The presence of polypeptides C-G was evaluated after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Coomassie blue staining. Under these experimental conditions, dobutamine was found to be at least one order of magnitude more potent than salbutamol at inducing growth-in-size. Dobutamine was also found to be clearly stronger than salbutamol as an inducer of polypeptides C-G. On the other hand, atenolol was more effective than I.C.I. 118.551 at preventing the induction of polypeptides C-G and growth-in-size by isoproterenol, dobutamine, or salbutamol. Taken together, these results suggest that in mouse parotid glands, polypeptides C-G and growth-in-size are induced preferentially via adrenergic receptors of the beta(1)-subtype.

Comparison of some behavioral and physiological feeding parameters of Triatoma infestans klug, 1834 and Mepraia spinolai porter, 1934, vectors of chagas disease in Chile

There are two vectors of Chagas disease in Chile: Triatoma infestans and Mepraia spinolai. We studied the feeding behavior of these species, looking for differences which could possibly explain the low impact of the latter species on Chagas disease. Both species used thermal cues to locate their feeding source and consumed a similar volume of blood which was inversely related to the body weight before the meal and directly related to the time between meals. The average time between bites were 6.24 and 10.74 days. The average bite of M. spinolai lasted 9.68 min, significantly shorter than the 19.46 min for T. infestans. Furthermore, while T. infestans always defecated on the host, this behavior was observed in M. spinolai in only one case of 27 (3.7 per cent). The delay between the bites and defecation was very long in M. spinolai and short in T. infestans. These differences may affect the reduced efficiency of transmission of Chagas infection by M. spinolai.