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Abstract Fish age and growth data are crucial for understanding vital species’ traits and their populations. Boarfish is a pelagic species widely distributed in the Northeast Atlantic that is one of the most discarded non-commercial species on the Portuguese coast. Due to its potential valorisation as a new fishery in the Northeast Atlantic, boarfish has become object of interest in several published studies. However, since no age standard protocol has been implemented for boarfish, studies have used a variety of different otolith preparation techniques to estimate age, leading to contradicting and discrepant results. This research aims to consolidate biological insights into boarfish age and growth, lay the foundation for a standardized ageing protocol and serve as a benchmark study for the Portuguese west coast before commercial exploitation. Through the comparison of two otolith ageing methodologies, this study recommends using whole otoliths as the best method, revealing a maximum age of 15 years. The growth pattern estimated, indicated a biphasic growth pattern, with a faster initial growth rate that slows down at 2.4 years, the moment of change, when energy is allocated for sexual maturation. This finding was corroborated by a maturity ogive and analysis of fish size and otolith length relationship.

Abstract Members of the family Polyomaviridae have a circular double-stranded DNA genome that have been identified in various hosts ranging from mammals to arachnids. Here we report the identification and analysis of a complete genome sequence of a novel polyomavirus, Raja clavata polyomavirus (RcPyV1), from a cartilaginous fish, the thornback skate (Raja clavata). The genome sequence was determined using a metagenomics approach with an aim to provide baseline viral data in cartilaginous fish in different ecosystems. The RcPyV1 genome (4,195 nucleotides) had typical organization of polyomavirus, including early antigens (small T; Large T) encoded on one strand and late viral proteins (VP1; VP2) on the complementary strand. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis of the large T-antigen revealed that RcPyV1 clusters with a polyomavirus obtained from another cartilaginous fish, the guitarfish polyomavirus 1 (GfPyV1). These two share ~ 56% pairwise identity in LT and VP1 protein sequences. These analyses support the hypothesis that cartilaginous fishes have a specific lineage of polyomaviruses.

A financeirização das políticas sociais corresponde ao entrelaçamento entre os interesses do capitalismo financeiro mundializado e atuação do poder público no provimento de bens e serviços. No Brasil, a financeirização das políticas educacionais levou o governo federal a criar programas de oferta massiva de vagas no ensino superior privado, que se materializam através do repasse de recursos públicos para IES-privadas. O presente artigo tem por objetivo analisar a relação existente entre o Fundo de Financiamento Estudantil (Fies) e o endividamento dos estudantes que ingressaram no ensino superior a partir deste programa Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa exploratória, desenvolvida a partir da análise de dados secundários (INEP, FNDE, IBGE, PNAD-Contínua, CNC, e outros), que tratam sobre o Fies e sobre as condições de endividamento e participação no mercado de trabalho dos beneficiários do Fies. Com a pesquisa, tornou-se possível identificar que o Fies, enquanto política pública financeirizada, prioriza os interesses do capitalismo mundializado, sobretudo no que tange ao máximo valor ao acionista e a diversificação das parcerias público-privadas. O Estado contribui para a ampliação do acesso ao crédito para a população de baixa renda e do repasse de recursos públicos para IES-privadas. O estudante, por sua vez, embora tenha conquistado o sonho de concluir a graduação com a esperança de adquirir melhores condições de vida, arca com o ônus decorrente das políticas públicas financeirizadas, consubstanciado em índices crescentes de endividamento.