The first two cases of scorpion envenoming caused by Tityus neoespartanus (Buthidae) are described. The accidents took place within human environments (one inside a home and the other inside a school), in the village of La Sierra, Margarita Island, State of Nueva Esparta, Northeastern Venezuela. Both cases were moderately severe and developed pancreatic involvement and electrocardiographic abno...

We analyse the effects of thermal conduction in a relativistic fluid, just after its departure from hydrostatic equilibrium, on a time scale of the order of thermal relaxation time. It is obtained that the resulting evolution will critically depend on a parameter defined in terms of thermodynamic variables, which is constrained by causality requirements ∗On leave from Departamento de F́ısica, Fa...

In the context of the Müller-Israel-Stewart second order phenomenological theory for dissipative fluids, we analyze the effects of thermal conduction and viscosity in a relativistic fluid, just after its departure from hydrostatic equilibrium, on a time scale of the order of relaxation times. Stability and causality conditions are contrasted with conditions for which the ”effective inertial mas...

In 2012, Madeira reported its first major outbreak of dengue. To identify the origin of the imported dengue virus, we investigated the interconnectivity via air travel between dengue-endemic countries and Madeira, and compared available sequences against GenBank. There were 22,948 air travellers to Madeira in 2012, originating from twenty-nine dengue-endemic countries; 89.6% of these internatio...

Dr Rogelio Pérez D'Gregorio achieved his medical degree in 1972 from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. He gained his obstetrics and gynecology degree at the same University in 1978, and was granted a Fellowship in Reproductive Toxicology with Professor Richard K. Miller at the University of Rochester, New York, between 1982 and 1987. After 32 years practicing as a certif...

The genus Tobochares Short & García, 2007 is revised. A combination of morphological and molecular data provide support for ten distinct species. Five new species are described: T. canaliculatussp. n. (Venezuela), T. canthussp. n. (Venezuela), T. emarginatussp. n. (Suriname), T. kusadsp. n. (Guyana), and T. pallidussp. n. (Venezuela). All four preexisting species are redescribed. A tenth specie...

The species of Lutrochidae occurring in Venezuela are revised. The only previously recorded species, Lutrochus acuminatus Grouvelle, is redescribed and a lectotype is designated. Lutrochus vestitus Sharp, is recorded from Venezuela and French Guiana for the first time. Six new species Lutrochus gustafsoni n. sp., L. cauraensis n. sp., L. maldonadoi n. sp., L. meridaensis n. sp., L. minutus n. s...

A relativistic model of a heat conducting collapsing star, which includes thermal pre-relaxation processes, is presented. Particular attention is paid to the influence of a given parameter defined in terms of thermodynamic variables, on the outcome of evolution. Evaluation of the system when passing through a critical value of the aforesaid parameter, does not yield evidence of anomalous behavi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the acceptance and long-term use of insecticide-treated (IT) materials for dengue vector control. METHODS In 2007, IT jar covers and/or curtains (PermaNet®) were distributed under routine conditions to 4101 households (10 clusters) in Venezuela and to 2032 households (22 clusters) in Thailand. The use of IT tools was measured at distribution (uptake), at 5/6 months (shor...

The Neotropical fauna of saucer bugs (Naucoridae) currently includes four monotypic genera. Recent extensive collecting in Venezuela has produced three new species in two of these genera. In addition, undetermined Guyanan specimens of one of the new species were found in the United States National Museum of Natural History. Thus, described here are Placomerus obscuratus n. sp. from Guyana and V...