DNA Barcoding of an Assembly of Montane Andean Butterflies (Satyrinae): Geographical Scale and Identification Performance.

DNA barcoding is a technique used primarily for the documentation and identification of biological diversity based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Butterflies have received particular attention in DNA barcoding studies, although varied performance may be obtained due to different scales of geographic sampling and speciation processes in various groups. The montane Andean Satyrinae constitutes a challenging study group for taxonomy. The group displays high richness, with more of 550 species, and remarkable morphological similarity among taxa, which renders their identification difficult. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of DNA barcodes in the identification of montane Andean satyrines and the effect of increased geographical scale of sampling on identification performance. Mitochondrial sequences were obtained from 104 specimens of 39 species and 16 genera, collected in a forest remnant in the northwest Andes. DNA barcoding has proved to be a useful tool for the identification of the specimens, with a well-defined gap and producing clusters with unambiguous identifications for all the morphospecies in the study area. The expansion of the geographical scale with published data increased genetic distances within species and reduced those among species, but did not generally reduce the success of specimen identification. Only in Forsterinaria rustica (Butler, 1868), a taxon with high intraspecific variation, the barcode gap was lost and low support for monophyly was obtained. Likewise, expanded sampling resulted in a substantial increase in the intraspecific distance in Morpho sulkowskyi (Kollar, 1850); Panyapedaliodes drymaea (Hewitson, 1858); Lymanopoda obsoleta (Westwood, 1851); and Lymanopoda labda Hewitson, 1861; but for these species, the barcode gap was maintained. These divergent lineages are nonetheless worth a detailed study of external and genitalic morphology variation, as well as ecological features, in order to determine the potential existence of cryptic species. Even including these cases, DNA barcoding performance in specimen identification was 100% successful based on monophyly, an unexpected result in such a taxonomically complicated group.

Age differential mortality in Spain, 1900-1991.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyse the interindividual inequalities in mortality in Spain through the 20th century using the Gini coefficient, widely used as an income concentration index. DESIGN: Age mortality data were obtained from official publications of vital statistics and age and sex compositions were obtained from population census. The Gini coefficient was estimated. It can take values between 0 and 1. Zero represents the situation in which all subjects die at the same age, whereas when all but one subject dies at 25 the index reaches a figure of 1. MAIN RESULTS: In both men and women there was a trend to decrease age differential mortality (from 0.26 to 0.16 for men and from 0.26 to 0.12 for women). Nevertheless, transitory increases were produced in 1918 (influenza epidemic), and in the period of the Civil War of Spain, showing a more important increase in the mortality of young people than that of the elderly. A new increase was observed through the second half of eighties; it resulted from an AIDS epidemic and motor vehicle injuries. CONCLUSION: Inequalities in mortality in Spain have decreased through the 20th century.

[Sequelae of tubal ligation]. / Secuelas de la ligadura tubaria.

PIP: A literature review was undertaken of clinical stuides to determine the frequency of menstrual alterations or various psychosocial effects after surgical tubal sterilization. The most frequently mentioned symptoms following bilateral salpingocalsy or salpingectomy are increased menstrual blood loss, dysmenorrhea, dispareunia, pelvic pain, oligemenorrhea, polymenorrhea, and preclimacteric syndrome in some cases. Uribe and colleagues attributed the high frequency of abdominal pain in tubal occlusions achieved with mechanical devices such as rings to the compression pain produced by uncut nerve edings, which do not occur with electrocoagulation or the Pomeroy technique. Alderman and colleagues found that only 6.5% of their patients experienced increased menstrual flow after sterilization, but Rioux found confirmation of menstrual changes to be difficlut and Chamberlain reported change in 2.6-51% of patients, perhaps related to previous use of contraceptives. Radwanska and colleagues found that patients sterilized by electrocoagulation or tubal ligation had a lower average level of serum progesterone in the midluteal cycle phase, 9.4 +or- 4.7 ng/ml compared to 17.4 +or- 7.1 ng/ml for controls. Donnez found that patients sterilized by electrofulguration had an average of 8.5 +or- 6 ng/ml of progesterone in the midluteal phase compared to 15.4 +or- 6.3 ng/ml for those sterilized using Hulka clips. The largest proportion of women with menstrual alterations or pain were younger, lower parity women who were sterilized for medical reasons. Menstrual changes and pelvic symptoms following sterilization are subjective and difficult to evaluate. Some authors cite the rarity of longterm sequelae of sterilization, but others used radioimmunoassay techniques to demonstrate changes in serum progesterone levels that may be linked to alterations in function of the ovaries or corpus luteum following sterilization. Other authors believe that most negative sequelae could be minimized or eliminated with better patient selection and counseling.^ieng