Publications by authors named "A Contreras-Ramos"

The superfamily Mantispoidea (Insecta: Neuroptera) includes the families Berothidae, Rhachiberothidae and Mantispidae. Among these taxa, the last two are collectively known as Raptorial Mantispoidea due to the presence of grasping forelegs for predatory habits. The Mantispidae classically included the subfamilies Symphrasinae, Drepanicinae, Calomantispinae and Mantispinae, yet recent research challenged this classification scheme as well as the monophyly of this family resulting in Symphrasinae being transferred to Rhachiberothidae.

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Nearly 32 % of sand fly species recorded in Mexico are related to Leishmania transmission. A correct morphological identification of sand flies is essential to improve epidemiological and control strategies. Wing geometric morphometrics (GM) has proven to be a complementary tool for classical taxonomy, allowing us to explore variations in structure and shape between species.

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The sand fly of the genus Bichromomyia (Galati, 1995) includes 3 subspecies considered vectors of Leishmania, which share high morphological similarity. Through information from the Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) gene, we provide complementary evidence to support that Bichromomyia olmeca olmeca, and Bichromomyia olmeca bicolor, should be raised to nominal species status. We recovered specimens of Bi.

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Pancreatic β‑cells are the only cells that synthesize insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. Various conditions can affect the mass of pancreatic β‑cells and decrease insulin levels. Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycemia, mainly due to the loss of pancreatic β‑cells caused by an increase in the rate of apoptosis.

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The lusoria artery has a prevalence of 0.5-2% in the general population. The abnormal development of the aortic arch forms vascular rings around the trachea and esophagus, causing pressure on them and leading to characteristic symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, and/or swallowing.

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