First record of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Ecuador infesting urban citrus and orange jasmine trees.

Adults and nymphs of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), were collected in the Guayaquil, Samborondón, and Durán cantons in coastal Ecuador. Psyllids were found in high numbers in citrus (Citrus spp., Sapindales: Rutaceae) and orange jasmine (Murraya exotica [L.] Jack, Sapindales: Rutaceae) trees within the Guayaquil-Samborondon-Duran conurbation; however, none was found during scoutings in the main citrus producing areas in coastal Ecuador. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of D. citri in Ecuador and the Pacific coastal plain of South America.

[Polycythemia vera as a multiphasic clonal panmyelopathy: diagnostic profile, chronic pathological progression and effect of therapy on the survival of 74 cases]. / La policitemia vera como panmielopatía clonal multifásica: perfil diagnóstico, evolución patocrónica y efecto de la terapéutica sobre la supervivencia de 74 casos.

PURPOSE: 1. To recognise the clinico-biological profile of a group of patients diagnosed of polycythaemia vera (PV) in our centre in the last 30 years. 2. To identify the evolutive patterns of haematological transformation. 3. To evaluate the effect of therapy on the survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical records of 74 patients (median age 62 years, male/female = 0.94, followed-up for 6-357 months, median 64 months) were reviewed. Clinico-biological data at diagnosis, therapy, complications and evolution of the haematological picture were evaluated in each case. The actuarial survival in the series was compared to that of the normal population. RESULTS: The clinico-analytical data and diagnostic features were identical to other series reported. Mild increases of bone marrow reticulin was present in two thirds of the cases, overt myelofibrosis being found in only 10% of the patients. Abnormal karyotype was seen in 9% of the patients (11q-, -Y). Phlebotomy was the only treatment in eight cases, without increased incidence of thrombotic phenomena. The remainders received myelosuppressive therapy (32P, busulphan, pipobroman, hydroxyurea, etc.), thrombotic complications appearing in 8 cases and haemorrhagic complications in 4 others. One of these latter patients developed oesophageal carcinoma. The haematological picture evolved into toxic aplastic anaemia in 2 cases; myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MF/MM) in 8; myelodysplastic sindromes (MDS) in 5, three of them RAEB; and acute myelogenous leukaemia in 3 cases, two of them as the final stage of previous MF/MM and MDS/ RAEB. The actuarial survival was 71% at ten years and 46% at fifteen years, and the median survival as a whole was 13.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: 1: The treatment, mostly myelosuppressive, given to these patients attained a survival similar to that of the general population. 2: Of the cases with known evolution, 15.6% developed MF/MM, its incidence being higher in patients treated only with phlebotomy (37%). 3: The incidence of malignant evolution, i.e., to RAEB/AML, amongst those patients followed-up was 10.6%.

G-banding and chromosome condensation in the ant, Tapinoma nigerrimum.

Well-defined G-bands were obtained on metaphase chromosomes from Tapinoma nigerrimum using trypsin and warm 2 x SSC in sequence. The G-banded pattern allowed the identification of all chromosomes. Evidence for asynchronous condensation of the chromosomes of this species is provided. Different banding patterns were obtained when metaphase chromosomes were stained with DA/DAPI alone and with DA/DAPI after a standard G-banding procedure. The G-banding phenomenon is discussed using the result obtained.

Karyotypes, C-banding, and chromosomal location of active nucleolar organizing regions in Tapinoma (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

The haploid and diploid karyotypes of Tapinoma erraticum (n = 8) and Tapinoma nigerrimum (n = 9) were analyzed using C-banding and observation of NOR sites. C-banding showed the existence of heterochromatin in the paracentromeric regions of all chromosomes. The analysis of NOR sites in these species proved the existence of primary activity NOR in one or two chromosomes, respectively, whereas the other chromosomes showed secondary activity NOR, expressed only in a minority of cells. In both species the NOR were located in paracentromeric regions. These results are discussed in relation to a hypothesis of chromosome differentiation of these species.