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Simple Summary An estimated 70 million persons in the Western Hemisphere are living at risk for Chagas disease, a parasitic infection transmitted to humans by over 156 different competent triatomine insect vector species. Prior Pan American Health Organization insecticide campaigns throughout Latin America in the 1990s and 2000s demonstrated that domestic insecticide spraying had temporary effects, which resulted in the re-establishment of triatomine species within a few years. Serendipitously, our team found ectoparasitic mites parasitizing triatomines collected from the field in multiple locations in the southwestern United States, where human–triatomine interaction was high but human parasite infection remains low. Upon further investigation of 408 triatomines collected across multiple field sampling sites in Arizona and New Mexico, 13% were found to be parasitized by mites. Mites were found on both Triatoma rubida and Triatoma protracta species and corporally dispersed on the head, thorax, abdomen and legs of these species. Interestingly, there was no statistical difference in Trypanosoma cruzi infection status between parasitized and unparasitized triatomines. Upon further review of the scientific literature, two Latin American-based studies suggest that the presence of mites on triatomines might reduce vector competency via decreased fitness and fecundity. This study provides the first contemporary report of triatomine ectoparasitism, which warrants further investigation as the biologic role of this host-attached mites on Trypanosoma cruzi transmission efficacy. Abstract Background: Chagas disease is a leading cause of cardiac failure in Latin America. Due to poor safety profiles and efficacy of currently available therapeutics, prevention is a priority for the millions living at risk for acquiring this clinically important vector-borne disease. Triatomine vectors of the Chagas disease parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, are found in the southwestern United States, but risk for autochthonous transmission is thought to be low. The role of ectoparasitic mites is under-explored regarding the ecology of triatomines and Chagas disease transmission. Methods: Triatomine collections were performed using three common entomologic techniques in 2020–2021 from four different locations in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Triatomines were analyzed visually under a 112.5× microscope for the presence of externally attached mites. Following mite removal, triatomines were tested for T. cruzi infection by PCR. Results: Approximately 13% of the collected triatomines had mites securely attached to their head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. More than one mite attached was a common finding among ectoparasitized triatomines. Mite presence, however, did not statistically influence triatomine T. cruzi status. Conclusions: Our findings add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the sustainability of mite-infested triatomine populations throughout the Western Hemisphere. Future investigations are warranted to better understand the biologic impact of triatomine mites and their potential to serve as a potential biological control tool.

Karyotypes are described for Micruroides euryxanthus from Arizona and Micrurus tener from Texas. These are compared with karyotypes of other elapids from around the world, which exhibit significant interspecific variation. The largest macrochromosome of M. euryxanthus, which is metacentric, is shared by only two other species of coralsnakes from the New World. This may be a shared ancestral chromosome homologous to the largest macrochromosome that occurs in most other snakes, including some of the Australian elapids. The karyotype of M. tener from Texas has a ZZ:ZW1W2 sex chromosome system, which differs from individuals of this species reported previously from Louisiana. Over the relatively young 35-million-year global history of the Elapidae, karyotypes appear to have varied more than those of most other snakes throughout a 140-million-year history.

Aleiodes Wesmael is a large cosmopolitan genus of endoparasitoid wasps that is evidently especially speciose in the Western Hemisphere based on numbers of described species. As with most diverse insect groups, relatively little is known about Aleiodes species diversity and biology. Here I summarize what is known about Aleiodes diversity in Washington State and contiguous Inland Northwest states and province, and I report three new species recently collected by malaise trap sampling for Aleiodes in Okanogan County, WA: Aleiodes khalafi, Aleiodes okanoganensis, and Aleiodes quasiburrus. Given the number of new species (three) and first records of previously described species (two) in Washington elucidated by this study, there is evidently much work to do to reach a fair estimate of Aleiodes species diversity in the Inland Pacific Northwest.

A new whitefly species, Filicaleyrodes huastecus Carapia-Ruiz and Sanchez-Flores sp. nov. collected on leaves of Persea schiedeana Nees (Laurales: Lauraceae) at Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was described and illustrated. This is first record of a Filicaleyrodes species from other than fern hosts. An identification key to Filicaleyrodes species was provided.

The incidence of melanoma is steadily increasing in the Western hemisphere, and one key factor is UV exposure. Sun protection is essential, particularly in patients with diagnosed melanoma. However, data on the psychological implications of sunscreen protection in melanoma patients are lacking. This project was designed as a randomised controlled feasibility trial to explore the feasibility of the diary method and tube count to assess patient compliance in the setting of a monocentric trial, furthermore to observe any recognisable trends regarding anxiety and QoL between the intervention and control group.

Military conflict formed a pivotal backdrop to slave emancipations in the Western Hemisphere, as the politics of war and demands for soldiers afforded to enslaved people – and to men in particular ...

Background: Myiasis is a disease caused by the infestation of human tissue by the larval stage of various flies. It has been identified in sub-Saharan Africa and in tropical parts of the Americas. Cases have also been identified among travelers returning to the United States. Infestations may involve any part of the body, including the scalp, and open wounds may become infected with these larvae. The primary cause of wound myiasis in the western hemisphere is Cochliomyia hominivorax. Case Report: We present a case of wound myiasis in an adult Haitian male with a persistent wound for 2 years. To our knowledge, only 1 other report of wound myiasis in Haiti caused by C hominivorax has been published. Conclusion: Wound myiasis can occur in many tropical regions of the world, including Haiti. Because of the prevalence of global travel, clinicians should be familiar with the condition's diagnosis and management.

Purpose of Review: The aim of this report is to summarize the conclusions of the II Regional Meeting on Histoplasmosis in the Americas held in Manaus, Brazil, on March 22–24, 2019. Recent Findings: Persons living with advanced HIV are at high risk for developing histoplasmosis. Clinical signs and symptoms of this disease are often non-specific, making it difficult to establish a diagnosis. Although with the recent technological advances, in vitro diagnostics and medicines for histoplasmosis are often not available in many regions around the world. In addition, histoplasmosis is often not included in HIV care and treatment programs, resulting in inadequate health system planning and missed opportunities to save lives. Summary: The II Regional Meeting on Histoplasmosis in the Americas gathered a multidisciplinary audience. Developed recommendations to be included in the WHO guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of histoplasmosis in advanced HIV were the product of this meeting, and guidelines are aimed to be published in early 2020. © 2019, This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.

With diabetes set to become the number 3 killer in the Western hemisphere and proportionally growing in other parts of the world, the subject of noninvasive monitoring of glucose dynamics in blood remains a "hot" topic, with the involvement of many groups worldwide. There is a plethora of techniques involved in this academic push, but the so-called multisensor system with an impedance-based core seems to feature increasingly strongly. However, the symmetrical structure of the glucose molecule and its shielding by the smaller dipoles of water would suggest that this option should be less enticing. Yet there is enough phenomenological evidence to suggest that impedance-based methods are truly sensitive to the biophysical effects of glucose variations in the blood. We have been trying to answer this very fundamental conundrum: "Why is impedance or dielectric spectroscopy sensitive to glucose concentration changes in the blood and why can this be done over a very broad frequency band, including microwaves?" The vistas for medical diagnostics are very enticing. There have been a significant number of papers published that look seriously at this problem. In this review, we want to summarize this body of research and the underlying mechanisms and propose a perspective toward utilizing the phenomena. It is our impression that the current world view on the dielectric response of glucose in solution, as outlined below, will support the further evolution and implementation toward practical noninvasive glucose monitoring solutions.

El artículo contiene un estado del arte de investigaciones prominentes que han abordado las maternidades desde los estudios feministas de la segunda ola y desde los Estudios de género, cuyas autoras, principalmente del hemisferio occidental, tomaron referentes de la historia, la sociología y la antropología. Abre con un enfoque histórico con el fin de contextualizar la maternidad como una construcción cultural multiforme; posteriormente, presenta investigaciones de maternidades diversas, señaladas por salirse de los parámetros de la maternidad tradicional: madres adolescentes, madres lesbianas, madres filicidas, mujeres que no quieren ser madres, madres feministas. El análisis de las contribuciones posibilita vertientes de debates actuales a nivel nacional e internacional. Asimismo, puntea directrices para la continuación y la profundización en estudios sobre las llamadas “nuevas maternidades.

espanolEl Archipielago San Andres, Providencia y Santa Catalina fue declarado como Reserva de Biosfera “Seaflower” por laUNESCO en el 2000, constituyendo uno de los sistemas de arrecife mas extensos del hemisferio occidental ubicado en elCaribe colombiano. En la actualidad presenta problemas de seguridad alimentaria, siendo graves en San Andres donde existealta poblacion nativa y turistica que depende de la importacion de alimentos. En el pasado se producia coco, yuca, citricos,etc., la actividad agricola ha disminuido principalmente debido a la presencia de plagas y falta de manejo de suelos. Con elobjetivo de describir las caracteristicas fisico-quimicas y microbiologicas de suelos de la Reserva, se realizaron muestreos endiferentes puntos geograficos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que en la isla, la textura de los suelos es variable, siendofranca arenosa, franco arcillosa y arenosa, con pH alcalino en la mayoria de los puntos muestreados. En general, se encontraronaltos contenidos de materia organica (valor max. 12.8%), calcio (valores entre 2.6 y 64 cmol (+) kg-1), potasio (valoresentre 0.1 y 1.86 cmol (+) kg-1), magnesio (valores entre 1.6 y 22.2 cmol (+) kg-1) y fosforo (valor max. 416 ppm), mientrasque en el caso del aluminio, sodio y azufre se encontraron contenidos bajos. El cobre, zinc, hierro y manganeso, presentaroncontenidos variables. En cuanto al analisis microbiologico se lograron 128 aislamientos, en los cuales prevalecieron losgeneros Trichoderma y Fusarium, otros generos encontrados fueron Rhizopus, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Colletotrichum yBotrytis. La reserva cuenta con un estado de fertilidad optimo para la produccion agricola, pero debe ser potenciado a travesde manejo integrado. EnglishThe San Andres Archipelago, Providencia and Santa Catalina was declared a Seaflower Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in2000, constituting one of the most extensive reef systems in the Western Hemisphere located in the Colombian Caribbean.Nowadays, this island presents problems of food security, being serious in San Andres where there is a high native populationand tourist that depends on the importation of food. Although in this were grown coconut, cassava, citrus, etc., agriculturalactivity has decreased mainly due to the presence of pests and lack of soil management. The objective of this study wasto describe the physical-chemical and microbiological characteristics of soils of the Reserve, samples were made at differentgeographical points of the “Seaflower” Reserve. The results obtained show in general high contents of organic matter (maxvalue 12.8%), calcium (between 2.6 and 64 cmol (+) kg-1 ), potassium (between 0.1 and 1.86 cmol (+) kg-1), magnesium(values between 1.6 and 22.2 cmol (+) kg-1) and phosphorus (max. value 416 ppm), whereas in the case of aluminum, sodiumand sulfur, low contents were found, on the other hand, copper, zinc, iron and manganese, presented variable contents.On the island soil texture is variable, it was sandy loam, clay loam, and sandy, with alkaline pH at most of the points sampled.As for the microbiological analysis, 128 isolates were obtained, in which the Trichoderma and Fusarium genera prevailed,other genera were Rhizopus, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Colletotrichum and Botrytis. The Reserve has an optimalfertility status for agricultural production, but must be enhanced through the implementation of integrated management.

The influence of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) on global tropical cyclone (TC) activity has been well documented in many earlier studies. However, no prior studies have focused specifically on the MJO's impacts on TCs in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Therefore, the present study examines the impact of the MJO on BoB TC activity during the two peak TC periods i.e. April–June (AMJ) and October–December (OND) from 1974 to 2015. The MJO considerably modulates various measures of TC activity in the BoB, including the number of TCs, the number of TC days, accumulated cyclone energy, the power dissipation index, TC genesis location and TC tracks. TC activity is significantly enhanced (suppressed) over the BoB when the convectively active MJO phase is positioned over the eastern Indian Ocean and the Maritime Continent (the Western Hemisphere and Africa). Alterations in the TC genesis locations and their tracks are more pronounced in OND than in AMJ. These changes in TC characteristics are mainly attributed to MJO-driven modulations in large-scale environmental conditions such as deep convection, mid-tropospheric relative humidity, sea surface temperature, sea level pressure, lower- and upper-level winds and vertical wind shear. A comprehensive knowledge of the MJO-TC relationship may be beneficial for short-term predictions of TC activity in the BoB.

The Western Hemisphere (WH) circulation pattern, identified by self-organizing maps cluster analysis, is a low-frequency atmospheric regime that influences the fluctuations of large-scale circulation over the North Pacific–North American–North Atlantic areas. The reanalysis datasets from ECMWF are used to estimate the energetics of the WH pattern in this study. The composite results based on monthly WH events reveal that the kinetic energy (KE) associated with the WH pattern is maintained through the barotropic conversion from the climatological-mean westerlies, mainly in the Atlantic jet exit regions. The KE could also be gained through the barotropic feedback forcing from transient eddies. The corresponding baroclinic conversion of available potential energy (APE) from the climatological-mean state, which contributes most efficiently to the energy maintenance of the WH pattern, is obvious in the middle and lower troposphere, owing to the thermal contrast of the colder continent and warmer ocean over the North America–North Atlantic sector. The baroclinic conversion associated with the heat flux on the climatological temperature gradient is consistent with the southwestward-tilting height anomalies from 850 to 500 hPa. The baroclinic feedback from transient eddies contributes negatively to the energy conversion and destroys the maintenance of the WH pattern.

The latest collection (C6) of MODIS data provides several algorithmic improvements and calibration adjustments that correct for sensor degradation, theoretically making the C6 MODIS products more accurate compared to previous collections. C6 adjustments also introduce several improvements in the vegetation index (VI) retrieval algorithms. With these improvements, we expect only minor differences between data from Terra and Aqua, but significantly different results between C5 and C6. In this paper, we investigate three different MODIS products to determine the extent that improvements made to C6 influence the overall trend results for time series between 2001 and 2017. We focus on these three products specifically, both to allow for a comparison of vegetation index products—NDVI and EVI from MOD13C1, and NDVI and EVI calculated based on surface reflectance from MCD43C4—and also to gain an understanding of the improvements on an entirely different product from the same sensor, namely Land Surface Temperature (LST) from MOD11C2. For the MCD43C4 dataset, we find that 17.9% and 16.4% of EVI and NDVI pixels, respectively, display trend discordance between C5 and C6. For the MOD13C1 vegetation indices, we found comparable rates of trend discordance between C5 and C6: 18.5% and 17.4% for the EVI and NDVI pixels, respectively. For both products the greatest changes between C5 and C6 are an overall increase in pixels exhibiting a significant greening trend and an overall decline in pixels exhibiting a significant browning trend. Moreover, the largest differences between C5 and C6 for the NDVI and EVI data appear in cropland areas and in regions with relatively little human influence. In the Land Surface Temperature product (MOD11C2), the discordance between C5 and C6 is much lower: only 3.2% of day and 5.0% of night LST trends exhibited discordance between C5 and C6. We analyze the complementary results of vegetation index and land surface temperature trends and demonstrate that combining the results from different products observed at different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum—but linked through the biogeophysical processes of surface energy balance—allows us to portray change with more confidence than when relying on vegetation index data alone.

The Castilla blend is a heavy crude produced in the plain fields of Colombia and is similar to the heavy crudes produced in other countries in the Western hemisphere. One characteristic of this type of crude is that it is sold at a discount rate that can oscillate between a 4- and 10-dollar discount from benchmark indices such as the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Index and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Index. In the present study, we used event study methodology to determine the impact of global, regional, and local macroeconomic news, as well as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announcements on the Castilla blend price. We found that even though OPEC announcements have a higher impact on prices, macroeconomic news that comes as a surprise from global and regional players had a significant impact on the Castilla blend price for the period under study from 2010 to 2019.Keywords: Oil, Colombia, macroeconomic events.JEL Classifications: G1, G14DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.8220

What characterises China’s weapons diplomacy and how does it unfold in the current security scenario in the Western Hemisphere? This article argues that Chinese arms deliveries have arrived in the ...

The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a Western Hemisphere migrant shorebird for which Brazil forms an internationally important contranuptial area. In Brazil, the species main contranuptial areas is along the Atlantic Ocean coast, in the north and northeast regions. In addition to these primary contranuptial areas, there are also records of vagrants widely distributed across Brazil. Here, we review the occurrence of vagrants of this species in Brazil, and document a new record of C. pusilla for the central-west region and a first occurrence for the state of Goiás.