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X-ray micro-computed tomography imaging (micro-CT) is valuable for systematic research since it permits the non-destructive scanning and imaging of internal structures of very rare species and/or type specimens. Additionally, micro-CT allows to view the morphology and the functional anatomy of structures in their natural anatomical position, without deformations that typically occur using classical dissection protocols. In this study we provide the description of two new species of lichen moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Lithosiini) from the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil: Nodozana heliae Moraes sp. nov. from Rio de Janeiro state and Epeiromulona pataxo Moraes & Aguiar sp. nov. from Bahia state. The male and female genitalia as well as the wing morphology were examined by means of non-destructive micro-CT, subsequent 3D model reconstruction, 360 degree spinning animations, 2D images from different angles, and those were compared against classical genitalia dissections from the same specimens. We conclude that techniques complement each other, micro-CT being particularly useful to study wing venation, sclerotized internal structures and muscles, while classical dissection is useful to study membranous structures, particularly in the female genitalia, abdominal skin and specialised scales on the male 8th sternite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary data, such as geographical records of species, are base-line for conservation status assessments. For many years, data on Brazil's threatened butterflies (58 taxa (based on Brazilian Red List Fauna of 2014)) have been in need of improvement and the present paper provides a careful curation of their geographical distribution data as well as an update of extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). EOO and AOO were estimated using two scenarios, one named "previous estimate" using all only published geographical records, and other named "current estimate" using both, published records (from literature) plus all newly obtained "unpublished records" (not published in literature). In total, ~ 6,700 records were compiled from several sources; 1,053 records are non duplicated geographical data. Of these 1,053 records, 566 (69%) come from surveyed literature (published records), 258 (31%) are unpublished records, and 229 (22%) were found to contain errors after data curation. Comparing "previous" to "current" estimates of both, EOO and AOO, changes in geographical range were reported for 48 taxa (83%). Based on current data (applying the thresholds of IUCN criterion B (geographic range data)), there is a potential for changes in conservation status categories for 51 taxa (88%). Importantly, approximately half of unpublished records are from scientific collections and the remainder were provided by citizen scientists (via personal communication), showing the importance of both data sources. The present updates of geographical records based on new records and curated data (and consequently, EOO and AOO) of threatened Brazilian butterflies may aid future conservation status assessments and also reinforce the importance of data curation. Implications for insect conservation: The present study represents the most up-to-date effort to estimate EOO and AOO of threatened Brazilian butterflies. The new data presented here can be used for a more acurate conservation status assessments for these taxa, revealing a more realistic scenario for several species included in the national and global Red lists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic disturbances and climate change are expected to reorganize biodiversity on multiple ecological levels from populations to ecosystems, especially in arid and semiarid regions due to environmental filtering imposed by water stress. This paper examines the individual and combined effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and increased aridity on the structure of fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in a human-modified landscape of Caatinga dry forest, in the northeast of Brazil. Butterflies were recorded monthly across old-growth forest stands and their assemblages were described in terms of taxonomic and functional community-level attributes confronted to different levels of chronic disturbance and aridity. Butterfly assemblages were species-poor but had high species replacement (turnover) along both the chronic disturbance and aridity gradients. We observed a negative effect of aridity on alpha and beta diversity of butterfly assemblages. Butterfly assemblages across forest stands exposed to high levels of chronic disturbance and aridity had a nested structure. Functional diversity (Rao's Q) and the community-weighted means (CWM) of ocellus-bearing species and monocot-feeding larvae were negatively and positively affected by increased aridity and chronic disturbance, respectively. Our findings suggest that aridity and its combination with chronic disturbance have a drastic effect on the structure of butterfly assemblages in the Caatinga dry forest. These findings highlight that rainfall and chronic disturbances as major drivers of biological reorganization in human-modified landscapes. As aridity increases, Caatinga tends to support taxonomically and functionally impoverished and highly distorted assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species-level response of organisms to habitat loss and fragmentation relies on their dispersal ability, as well as trophic level, degree of habitat specialization and landscape structure. For butterflies, community composition is affected by the landscape configuration, by the surrounding habitat and by the matrix composition scattered around forest fragments, whereas higher dispersal ability is a significant advantage for persistence in highly fragmented landscapes. However, species of butterflies are highly variable in their dispersion capabilities, which affects their genetic variability as a whole and in how it is distributed within and between subpopulations in remaining fragments. In the present study, the genetic variability in subpopulations of Paryphthimoides poltys distributed through forest fragments was evaluated. Low diversity and the absence of genetic structure was found through eight fragments of semideciduous Atlantic Forest, surrounded by agricultural matrices, in Southeastern Brazil. Although P. poltys was the most common species found in the area in a previous study, its high abundance was not accompanied by high genetic variability. The species is usually found flying in forest edges and open environments and, although low, its genetic variability is expected to be preserved even if some of the investigated forest fragments are lost in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immature stages are described for Splendeuptychia ambra (Weymer, [1911]). The eggs are rounded, pale yellow, smooth, and lack markings. The caterpillars pass through four instars; the first instar is pale cream with reddish longitudinal stripes and the head is black bearing a pair of very short scoli; the last (fourth) instar is beige with a pair of short caudal filaments on the last segment, laterally striped with thin lines and a darker dorsal stripe; the head is olive-brown with a pair of short scoli. The pupae are short and smooth, mostly light brown, mottled with dark brown stripes, with short rounded ocular caps and with very short paired subdorsal projections on the abdominal segments. The immature stages of S. ambra are compared with those of other species of the non-monophyletic genus Splendeuptychia that belong to three different clades within the subtribe Euptychiina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the formation and constitution of the Portuguese Language Usage Grammar research group, founded in 1996 by Professor Maria Helena de Moura Neves. The group follows a functionalist approach to the study of language and grammar, bringing together researchers and students from different higher education institutions in Brazil. In celebration of the group's 25th anniversary, an event was held that brought together researchers and graduate students to present their research trajectories. The dossier presented at the event brings together original articles by group researchers, focusing on grammar configured in language usage. The articles investigate different aspects of grammar configured in language usage, such as the expression of subject indeterminacy in Brazilian videologs, rhetorical relations and linguistic devices present in scientific articles, internet meme constructions in Brazilian Portuguese, and grammatical patterns of the "prendere + x" support construction in contemporary Italian compared to contemporary Brazilian Portuguese. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Philcoxia rhizomatosa is a highly specialised carnivorous perennial herb endemic to the deep, white quartzite sand pans of the campos rupestres vegetation of eastern Brazil's Espinhaço Range, specifically within the northern portion of the range in the state of Minas Gerais. Philcoxia is among the most threatened genera of carnivorous plants and thus far all attempts to cultivate them have failed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Eois Hübner (Geometridae: Larentiinae) comprises 254 valid species, 217 of which were described from the Neotropics and 31 of those having their type locality in Brazil. Since this species rich genus has never been revised, and may potentially include many cryptic undescribed species, Eois embodies a problematic taxonomic scenario. The actual diversity of Eois is greatly underestimated and the Brazilian fauna is poorly known, both because of inadequate sampling and because of the potential existence of cryptic species "hidden" within some nominal taxa. In this study we investigated the diversity within a cryptic species complexes associated to the E. pallidicosta and E. odatis clades. We describe three new species Eois oya Moraes & Montebello sp. nov., Eois ewa Moraes & Stanton sp. nov., and Eois oxum Moraes & Freitas sp. nov., in an integrative taxonomy approach, using morphology, host plant use and species delimitation tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new subspecies of Ithomiini (Nymphalidae: Danainae), Aeria olena tiumassp. nov., is described for the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. This subspecies is scarce in entomological collections and is known from only seven localities in the Brazilian states of Paraíba, Pernambuco and Alagoas. Here we bring some conservation perspectives by evaluating its geographical range (EOO-AOO) revealing that this butterfly could be placed in the category 'Vulnerable' (VU) and deserves attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Psoriasis significantly burdens patients' lives, but there is limited data on this in Brazil.Between May 2022 and January 2023, we conducted a cross‐sectional online survey of 563 Brazilian residents aged ≥18 years who had been diagnosed with psoriasis. Spearman's correlation (r) was used to test the correlation between self‐assessed disease severity (Simplified Psoriasis Index [saSPI] extent score; range 0 [clear/minor] to 40 [widespread/severe]) and health‐related quality of life (QoL, score of 1 means perfect health) and capability (ICECAP‐A: score of 1 means full capability) measures. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify predictors of QoL and capability. A thematic analysis examined the free‐text responses and identified common themes.The mean age of participants was 42.1 ± 12.4 years, and over half had at least one other long‐term condition. The mean QoL score was 0.59 ± 0.25, and the mean capability score was 0.71 ± 0.21. At the time of survey completion, over 80% of respondents reported some level of pain and/or discomfort, and 86% reported feeling anxious and/or depressed. The mean self‐assessed saSPI was 7.8 ± 8.6, which negatively correlated with health‐related QoL (r = −0.49, P < 0.05) and capability (r = −0.44, P < 0.05). Significant predictors of poorer QoL and reduced capability included high saSPI, number of psoriasis flares and comorbidities, female gender, Black ethnicity, and employment status (unemployed, long‐term sick). Frequently reported areas that impacted patients were social stigma/prejudice, powerlessness, lack of education and public awareness, and difficulty obtaining appropriate care/treatment.We found that the clinical manifestations, severity, and associated comorbidities of psoriasis negatively impacted health‐related QoL and capability, along with feelings of stigmatization and barriers to specialist treatment. This highlights the need for better access to care and awareness of the disease to improve the lives of people living with psoriasis in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Castanhão Dam, a mega-water-management work in Brazil, was built – according to the official reasoning – to reduce water scarcity and boost the economy. It compulsorily displaced over 10,000 people, whose satisfaction with the new standard of living, a decade after the resettlement, was marginally negative, contrasting with the pre-construction expectations. The government invested almost exclusively in infrastructure, signaling that their focus was the corporations, not the displaced citizens. Despite the improved water availability, the quality of life did not improve for the directly affected societal groups, indicating that water scarcity is not the main development hindrance in the Brazilian semi-arid region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing deforestation worldwide has expanded the interfaces between fragmented forests and non-forest habitats. Human-made edges are very different from the original forest cover, with different microclimatic conditions. Conversely, the natural transitions (i.e., ecotones) are distinct from human-made forest edges. The human-made forest edges are usually sharp associated with disturbances, with abrupt changes in temperature, humidity, luminosity and wind incidence towards the forest interior. However, the natural forest-lake ecotones, even when abrupt, are composed of a complex vegetal physiognomy, with canopy structures close to the ground level and a composition of herbaceous and arboreal species well adapted to this transition range. In the present study, fruit-feeding butterflies were used as models to investigate whether faunal assemblages in natural ecotones are more similar to the forest interior than to the anthropic edges. Butterflies were sampled monthly over one year in the Rio Doce State Park, Southeastern Brazil, following a standardized design using a total of 90 bait traps, in three different forest habitats (forest interior, forest ecotone and anthropic edges), in both canopy and understory. A total of 11,594 individuals from 98 butterfly species were collected (3,151 individuals from 79 species in the forest interior, 4,321 individuals from 87 species in the ecotone and 4,122 individuals from 83 species in the edge). The results indicated that the butterfly richness and diversity were higher in transition areas (ecotones and edges). The ecotone included a combination of butterfly species from the forest interior and from anthropic edges. However, species composition and dominance in the ecotone were similar to the forest interior in both vertical strata. These results suggest that human made forest edges are quite distinct from ecotones. Moreover, ecotones represent unique habitats accommodating species adapted to distinct ecological conditions, while anthropic edges accommodate only opportunistic species from open areas or upper canopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes the immature stages of the common Neotropical satyrine butterfly Pareuptychia ocirrhoe interjecta (R.F. d'Almeida, 1952). The solitary eggs are white and round, turning black 4 to 6 hours after oviposition. The four solitary larval instars are predominantly green and feed on grasses (Poaceae), including Setaria in nature and several other native and introduced species in captivity. The pupa is short and smooth and entirely green. Except for the black eggs, the immature stages are similar to those of other forest species of Euptychiina. The most remarkable and unique characteristic of P. ocirrhoe interjecta is the shiny black eggs, a possible synapomorphy for Pareuptychia not known in any other Euptychiina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adelpha herbita was described and illustrated by Weymer in 1907 from Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, but no specimens of the species were known in world collections and its taxonomic status has remained uncertain until now. Seven specimens of an apparently undescribed taxon were recently located in three collections, and examination of those specimens suggests that they represent a new subspecies of A. herbita, described here as Adelpha herbita perdita n. ssp. This discovery not only confirms the taxonomic validity of A. herbita, but also extends the range of the species within Brazil to Espírito Santo. A revised cladistic analysis of the A. serpa group was conducted using morphological data, but the relationships of this highly distinctive Atlantic forest endemic species remain obscure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new subspecies of Anthanassa drusilla, ssp rioverde, is described from Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. This new subspecies is isolated from all other known subspecies of A. drusilla by at least 2000 km, and its closest taxon based on wing pattern is Anthanassa drusilla higginsi, from Cerro Neblina, Venezuela. To our knowledge, the species is endemic to the region of Poços de Caldas Plateau (Minas Gerais), a region of high natural radiation and heavily impacted by mining. Since the entire geographic distribution and conservation status of this subspecies is unknown, it is highly recommended that immediate measures are taken to minimize the environmental impact on the area of occurrence of this butterfly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic Forest deserves special attention due to its high level of species endemism and degree of threat. As in other tropical biomes, there is little information about the ecology of the organisms that occur there. The objectives of this study were to verify how fruit-feeding butterflies are distributed through time, and the relation with meteorological conditions. Species richness and Shannon index were partitioned additively at the monthly level, and β diversity, used as a hierarchical measure of temporal species turnover, was calculated among months, trimesters, and semesters. Circular analysis was used to verify how butterflies are distributed along seasons and its relation with meteorological conditions. We sampled 6488 individuals of 73 species. Temporal diversity of butterflies was more grouped than expected by chance among the months of each trimester. Circular analyses revealed that diversity is concentrated in hot months (September-March), with the subfamily Brassolinae strongly concentrated in February-March. Average temperature was correlated with total abundance of butterflies, abundance of Biblidinae, Brassolinae and Morphinae, and richness of Satyrinae. The present results show that 3 mo of sampling between September and March is enough to produce a nonbiased sample of the local assemblage of butterflies, containing at least 70 percent of the richness and 25 percent of abundance. The influence of temperature on sampling is probably related to butterfly physiology. Moreover, temperature affects resource availability for larvae and adults, which is higher in hot months. The difference in seasonality patterns among subfamilies is probably a consequence of different evolutionary pressures through time. Abstract in Portuguese is available at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide qualitative and quantitative data on the natural history and foraging behavior of the ground-dwelling ant Odontomachus chelifer (Latreille) (Formicidae: Ponerinae) in a forest reserve in southeastern Brazil, with emphasis on colony activity rhythms and diet preferences in relation to seasonal availability of potential food items in the leaf litter. Ant colonies exhibited nocturnal activity throughout the year, and they foraged significantly more intensively in the wet/warm (November-March) than in the cold/dry season (April-October). As the night begins, small groups of workers disperse and hunt individually on a wide diversity of litter arthropods of variable sizes. At dusk, encounters with foragers of the diurnal ponerine Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith were conspicuously avoided by O. chelifer, which occasionally had their prey robbed by the former or were even taken as prey themselves. Termites were the preferred prey of O. chelifer, making up 40% of the food items captured in each season. Seasonal comparisons of prey organisms captured by O. chelifer, and of litter-dwelling arthropods sampled in pitfall traps, revealed that the frequency distribution of retrieved prey in each taxonomic group did not differ seasonally, despite the 2.7-fold increase in the overall availability of litter arthropods in the warm/wet period. This result supports foraging theory by showing that preference for certain animal prey types (i.e., taxonomic groups) persists through time despite seasonal fluctuations in the overall availability of potential prey on the forest floor. This study points out to the importance of studying ant foraging ecology and diet preferences in a natural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which focuses on the aspects of the population ecology of the exotic amphipod, Talitroides topitotum, in an Atlantic forest area in Brazil. It discusses the ecological habitat of the terrestrial amphipods which live in forest litter and its interface with the soil or the habitats similar to those terrestrial isopods. It states that terrestrial amphipods, which are usually nocturnal animals, can reproduce up to two times during their life time with a brood of 3 or 4 eggs and an average of 10-month life span. It notes that throughout the study, 3,593 female T. topitotum were collected.

Aim Most of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil occurs in fragments of various sizes. Previous studies indicate that forest fragmentation affects fruit-feeding butterflies. Conservation strategies that seek to preserve organisms that are distributed in high-fragmented biomes need to understand the spatial distribution of these organisms across the landscape. In view of the importance of understanding the fauna of these forest remnants, the objective of the present work is to investigate the extent to which the diversity of this group varies across spatial scales ranging from within-forest patches to between landscapes. Location South America, south-eastern Brazil, São Paulo State. Methods We used bait traps to sample fruit feeding butterflies at 50 points in 10 fragments in two different landscapes during a period of 12 months. Total species richness and Shannon index were partitioned additively in diversity at trap level, and beta diversity was calculated among traps, among forest patches, and between landscapes. We used permutation tests to compare these values to the expected ones under the null hypothesis that beta diversity is only a random sampling effect. Results There was significant beta diversity at the smallest scale examined; however, the significance at higher scales depends on the diversity measurement used. Beta diversity with Shannon index was smaller than expected by chance among fragments, whereas species richness was not. Among landscapes, only beta diversity in richness was higher than expected by chance. Main conclusions The results observed occur because there is great variability in species composition among forest patches in the same landscape, changing this diversity even though the communities are formed from the same pool of species. At the largest scale evaluated (between landscapes), these pattern changes and differences in beta diversity in richness were detectable. This difference is probably caused by the presence of rare species. Thus, a conservation strategy that seeks to preserve as many species as possible per unit of area in high-fragmented biomes should give priority to protecting fragments in different landscapes, rather than more fragments in the same landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Purpose: Brazil experiences a late participation in total ankle arthroplasty, which could have positive and negative aspects. The positive view argues about the modern implants that Brazil has received in the past years, skipping the early TAR generation who present more complications and low survival rate in the literature. The negative aspects are related to gap of experience, Brazilian surgeon could not participate in the development of the technique and implants designs during all these years. This paper present the aspects of the Brazilian experience with total ankle replacement since the earliest procedures performed. Methods: Data since the first series of TARs in Brazil were colect from university institution, personal data base from surgeons and previous publication, survivalship, complications, number of each implant and implant availability were recorded. Results: In Brazil, indications for TAR are not so different from around the world, the data we had access demonstrate 65% of post-traumatic arthritis, 26 % of inflammatory arthritis, 2% post-infectious arthritis and 7 % of primary arthritis. In fortheen years 263 surgeries were performed, in different parts of the country, but only one surgeon performed 43 cases (27,3% of the total). Table 1 demonstrate the number of procedures performed per year. Survivor rate of each implant available in the country in the first year were 94%, 86,19% in the second year, 82,84% in the third year, 81,62% in the fourth year and 71,47% in the fifth year. Conclusion: In Brazil there are limited and different ankle arthroplasty systems available for use. The procedure itself continues to be technically demanding and require surgical sophistication and expertise. A national registry to justify the procedure indication; report the outcomes and survivorship has not been developed. This procedure is growing around the county, as well as the surgeon experience, but we should remember that TAR is not for every patient and that the appropriate indication, based on the evidence available, is fundamental to obtaining durable and predictable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In animals, body size is correlated with many aspects of natural history, such as life span, abundance, dispersal capacity and diet breadth. However, contrasting trends have been reported for the relationship between body size and these ecological traits. Methods: Fruit-feeding butterflies were used to investigate whether body size is correlated with species abundance, dispersal, permanence, and larval diet breadth in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil (Cerrado). We used Blomberg's K and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models (PGLS) to measure phylogenetic signal strength in species traits and to estimate size–dispersal–diet breadth associations, while also taking shared ancestry into account. Results: 539 individuals from 27 species were captured, and 190 individuals were recaptured, representing a 35% recapture rate. We found body size to be negatively associated with butterfly abundance, and positively associated with dispersal level, distance traveled, number of traps visited, individual permanence, and diet breadth. These results indicate that larger butterflies are more likely to disperse over longer distances. Moreover, larger butterflies have more generalized larval diets, based on the number of host plant families, genera, and phylogenetic diversity of the host plants they consume as larvae. Smaller butterflies rely on fewer resources, which is reflected in their higher survival in small patches and may explain their lower dispersal ability and higher diet specialization. Nevertheless, lower dispersal ability may, if not compensated by large population sizes, threaten small-bodied species inhabiting environments, such as the Cerrado, which have intense deforestation rates. Conclusions: Body size is positively associated with dispersal and diet breadth for the fruit-feeding butterflies collected in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Purpose: Total ankle arthroplasty is already a reality in Brazil, although there are few publications of clinical outcomes in our country. The objective of this publication is to evaluate the results of TAA in a series of patients treated with corin system total ankle replacement Methods: 26 TAA were implanted from Jan / 13 to Aug / 16, (26 patients - 15F: 58% / 11M: 42%) (mean age: 55 years: min 37a / max 69a) using the implants Zennith from Corin (UK). Data from the clinical status (VAS, AOFAS, ADM), implant positioning and osteotomies (LTS, tibial slope, Alpha, Beta and Teta angles and distances 'a' and 'b') were evaluated in addition to the qualitative bone evolution (Peri-prosthetic cysts, sagging and wear of the components). Immediate and late information of associated surgeries, complications, and re-interventions were collected. Figure 1 present pre and post operative image Results: At 31 months of follow-up (min 4m: max 48m), there was a significant improvement in VAS (pre 8: post 2), AOFAS score (pre 37: post 77) and tibio-talar movement arch (pre 12: post 25) (P <0.001). There were some complications: 7 (27%) had peri-prosthetic cysts, 3 (12%) talar subsidence, 2 (8%) tibial subsidence and 2 (8%) poly wear. 8 patients (31%) had associated surgeries (19%: malleolar fracture). As major complications: 1 (4%) postoperative infection, 3 (12%) skin complications and 2 failures (8%). Conclusion: Despite the high morbidity, total ankle replacement represents a valuable therapeutic resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iguaçu National Park is the second largest (1852.62 km²) protected area in the Atlantic Forest domain and harbors the largest area of semideciduous seasonal forest in Brazil. In this study, we present 795 subspecies and 787 species of butterflies that occur in this protected area and its surrounding areas, collected over 15 years and ten months using different non-standardized sampling methods. We also searched for additional records in the literature, entomological collections, and citizen science platforms on the internet. Among the sampled taxa, six are recorded for the first time in Brazil: Emesis orichalceus Stichel, 1916, Theope p. pakitza Hall & Harvey, 1998 (Riodinidae), Elbella v. viriditas (Skinner, 1920), Apaustus gracilis ssp. n. (Hesperiidae), Deltaya sp. n. (Nymphalidae), and Symbiopsis sp. n. (Lycaenidae). Another six are listed as endangered in lists of butterflies of conservation concern. The records for some species significantly increase previously documented distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Renal transplant patients have a higher incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Previous studies hypothesized that human leukocyte antigen (HLA), especially types DR1, DR4, and DR7, may influence the incidence of these tumors. This study investigates the association between NMSC and the presence of HLA DR1, DR4, and DR7 in renal transplant patients in southern Brazil. Methods In a historical cohort study, 1032 patients who underwent renal transplantation during the period from January 1993 to December 2006 were examined to identify occurrences of NMSC and HLA status prior to transplant. Results Of the 1032 patients examined, 59 (5.71%) developed NMSC (squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]: 2.42%; basal cell carcinoma [BCC]: 1.74%; both: 1.55%). The presence of HLA DR1 was associated with a higher probability of developing any NMSC and particularly with developing BCC ( P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant association between the presence of HLA DR4 or DR7 and the occurrence of NMSC in this sample. Conclusions HLA DR1 appears to be associated with the development of BCC, as well as with the higher number of NMSC lesions in renal transplant patients. This study supports the trend to associate the DR1 allele with BCC and not with SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Bill 364/19 in Brazil's congress aiming to strip protection from 48 million hectares of native grasslands, endangering biodiversity and Sustainable Development Goals.

The variability of the organisms living in a given area constitute what is referred to as biodiversity, one of nature's fundamental properties, responsible for the balance and stability of ecosystems. The loss of biodiversity has been of great concern to scientists, especially because of the role played by human activities in this regard, able to lead to irreversible circumstances. The São Paulo Research Foundation (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP) plays a major role in supporting research efforts in the most diverse branches of science. In the late 1990's, FAPESP launched a major program to promote research on biodiversity, named BIOTA/FAPESP. So far, this program has financed the conduction of 26 projects, involving research activities in most of Brazil, while focusing mainly the State of São Paulo. These projects have generated about 1140 publications in peer-reviewed journals of high standard, providing relevant information, including the original description of 1187 species and 76 genera, the complementary description of 350 species, as well as a number of inventory works, biological studies, etc. The program has also been instrumental in the establishment or adequacy of research facilities and training of new taxonomists. Most extensively studied groups of terrestrial invertebrates include Insecta of the orders Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera, and Arachnida of the subclasses Araneae and Acari. Distinct projects have also contributed to the detection of organisms potentially useful as biological control agents and in the determination of maps of major interest for the establishment of public policies. In the future, priority groups for study should include the Annelida and the Nematoda, for the potential both have as beneficial organisms, or for the potential some Nematoda have as organisms harmful to plants and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being one of the groups most well studied in Brazil, the butterfly fauna of northeastern Brazil, especially north of the mouth of São Francisco River, is poorly known. The aim of this study was to inventory the butterfly fauna in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in the state of Pernambuco as a contribution to understanding the distribution of these insects. The study was carried out in a 384.7 hectares fragment of Parque Estadual Dois Irmãos, in the metropolitan region of Recife. The butterflies were sampled monthly with insect nets from August 2011 to July 2012 and from January to August 2016. Additional records were obtained from two entomological collections and from two previous visits to the area in July 2003 and August 2006. A total of 273 species was sampled in 464 hours, with an additional 15 species recorded from the Entomological Collections, totaling 288 butterfly species recorded. The richest family was Hesperiidae (108 species), followed by Nymphalidae (80), Lycaenidae (43) Riodinidae (37), Pieridae (16) and Papilionidae (4). The fauna was dominated by generalist species with a broad geographical distribution, many of them commonly found on open areas, forest edges and secondary vegetation. Roeberella lencates (Hewitson, 1875) and Pheles atricolor atricolor (Butler, 1871) (Riodinidae) represent new records for northeastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer and hematological malignancies constitute major comorbidities in enterococcal infections, but little is known about the characteristics of enterococci affecting cancer patients. The aim of this study was to characterize 132 enterococcal clinical isolates obtained from cancer patients attending a Cancer Reference Center in Brazil between April 2013 and March 2014. Susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial agents was assessed by disk diffusion method. Resistance and virulence genes were investigated by PCR. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed for selected Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates. The predominant species was E. faecalis (108 isolates), followed by E. faecium (18), Enterococcus gallinarum (3), Enterococcus avium (2) and Enterococcus durans (1). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates made up 44.7%, but all isolates were susceptible to fosfomycin, linezolid and glycopeptides. The most prevalent genes associated with erythromycin- and tetracycline-non susceptible isolates were erm (B) (47/71; 66.2%) and tet (M) (24/68; 35.3%), respectively. High-level resistance (HLR) to gentamicin was found in 22 (16.7%) isolates and 13 (59.1%) of them carried the aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia gene. HLR to streptomycin was detected in 34 (25.8%) isolates, of which 15 (44.1%) isolates had the ant(6′)-Ia gene. The most common virulence genes were gelE (48.9%), esp (30.5%) and asa1 (29.8%). MLST performed for 26 E. faecalis isolates revealed 18 different sequence-types (STs), with seven corresponding to novel STs (625, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630, and 635). On the other hand, nine of 10 E. faecium isolates analyzed by MLST belonged to a single clonal complex, comprised of mostly ST412, which emerged worldwide after mid-2000s, but also two novel STs (963 and 964). We detected major globally disseminated E. faecalis and E. faecium clonal complexes along with novel closely related STs, indicating the fitness and continuous evolution of these hospital-adapted lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to disclose the importance existing protected areas (PAs) and their level of protection for the conservation of the threatened Brazilian butterflies. A total of 898 occurrence records were found for all 63 species of butterflies present in the current Brazilian Red list. For all studied taxa, at least one occurrence record is within the limits of a PA. More than half of the occurrence records (61.9%) are within the limits of PAs, but less than half (41.7%) of these records are present in fully protected areas. For 17 taxa (27%), less than 50% of their records are within PAs, thus being completely unprotected. For butterfly taxa in the category "critically endangered", 42.6% of their occurrence records falls outside PAs. Almost 99% of the records are concentrated in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, the two most threatened Brazilian biomes and global hostspots of biodiversity. In conclusion, the present study showed an important panorama of how threatened Brazilian butterflies are protected (or not). Anyway, it is important to highlight that for any record inside a PA, some level of protection is provided for these taxa against the advance of environmental destruction caused by human activities.

Most research on justice perceptions stems from high-income contexts, even though most youth grow up in contexts of inequality and injustice. This study examines the development of justice perceptions in 659 Brazilian adolescents (51.3% male; 45.2% White) in São Paulo across 3 years, ages 12, 13, and 14. Perceptions of justice of the world declined with age and perceived justice in one's personal life differed across ethnic, economic, and educational groups. Privileged groups differentiated more between their evaluations of the world and their personal lives. K-means clustering revealed five trajectories of justice beliefs, which significantly differed across school type, race/ethnicity, and income levels. Evidence suggests that personal belief in a just world reflects known social group inequalities., (© 2023 Society for Research on Adolescence.)

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of helminths in Thoroughbred horses in Rio de Janeiro; make correlations with risk factors for these infections; and compare the efficiency of three floatation solutions applied in the quantitative Mini-FLOTAC technique. Fecal samples from 520 horses were collected from six training centers between 2019 and 2021. These were subjected to the Mini-FLOTAC technique using three solutions: NaCl (density = 1.200 g/mL), ZnSO 4 (1.350 g/mL) and ZnSO 4 (1.200 g/mL); and also to qualitative techniques. Information on the horses' sex and age of horses was retrieved from the studbook; data on management from a questionnaire. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 71.9%, with significant differences between training centers (P ≤ .05). On farm C, 87.7% of the samples presented strongylids and 38.7% had Parascaris spp., with the highest egg counts per gram of feces (EPG), of 358.33 and 40.41 respectively. Horses less than 3 years of age were about eight times more likely to be parasitized by strongylids and eleven times more likely to have EPG ≥500. The NaCl solution used in Mini-FLOTAC enabled recovery of the greatest number of samples with high EPG and reached the highest sensitivity values in the diagnosis when compared to the other solutions. Moreover, in the diagnoses, the levels of agreement between the results from the solutions used in Mini-FLOTAC were substantial. However, in estimating the EPG, full agreement between the results from the solutions used in Mini-FLOTAC was not obtained., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To characterize a novel acquired MBL, BIM-1, in a Pseudomonas #2 (subgroup P. guariconensis) strain isolated from the Aurá river located in the Brazilian Amazon hydrographic basin., Methods: WGS using an Illumina® MiSeq System was used to characterize the genome of Pseudomonas sp. IEC33019 strain. Southern blotting/hybridization assays were performed to confirm the location of the MBL-encoding gene, blaBIM-1 (Belém Imipenemase). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, cloning, and biochemical and phenotypic characterization were performed to determine BIM-1 kinetics., Results: The IEC33019 strain showed high resistance rates to β-lactams, ciprofloxacin and aminoglycosides, being susceptible only to polymyxins and susceptible, increased exposure to aztreonam. WGS analysis revealed a novel acquired MBL-encoding gene, blaBIM-1, found as a gene cassette inserted into a class 1 integron (In1326) that also carried qnrVC1 and aadA11e. In1326 was located in a complex transposon, Tn7122, carried by a 52.7 kb conjugative plasmid (pIEC33019) with a toxin/antitoxin system (vapB/vapC). BIM-1 belongs to the molecular subgroup B1 and shares 70.2% and 64.9% similarity with SIM-1 and IMP-1, respectively. Kinetics analysis of BIM-1 showed hydrolytic activity against all β-lactams tested., Conclusions: BIM-1 is a novel acquired MBL encoded by a gene carried by mobile genetic elements, which can be transferred to other Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). Because the IEC33019 strain was recovered from a river impacted by a populous metropolitan region with poor basic sanitation and served by limited potable freshwater, it would be important to establish the role of the BIM-1-producing GNB as nosocomial pathogens and/or as colonizers of the riverside population in this geographical region., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.)

Since its first report, the class A Brazilian Klebsiella carbapenemase (BKC) has been detected only among Enterobacterales isolates from Brazilian hospitals. In this study, we characterized a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas juntendi clinical isolate and identified a 43.3-kb plasmid carrying bla BKC-1 and a class 1 integron (In 1996 ) containing the arr-2 , qnrVC1 , dfrA21 , and aac(6')-Ib' gene cassettes. Our results confirm the ability of Pseudomonas putida group isolates to acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants and further act as resistance reservoirs.

The interdisciplinary field of Chemical Ecology in Brazil is currently composed of groups that emerged through the pioneering studies of Keith Spalding Brown Jr. and José Tércio Barbosa Ferreira. Following Keith Brown 's steps, José Roberto Trigo continued investigating the role of plant natural products in mediating the association among insects and their host plants, mainly in the Order Lepidoptera. The role of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in those associations was investigated extensively by Brown and Trigo, and most of what is currently known on this subject is based on their studies. The present work acknowledges their contribution to the Brazilian chemical ecology field and on insect-plant communication studies mediated by different chemical compounds., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A new species of the butterfly satyrine subtribe Euptychiina is described: Carminda surpresa sp. nov. This species is apparently restricted to high altitude wet grasslands in southeastern Brazil. The description is based on morphological features, mainly from the wings, and male and female genitalia, and molecular data were also obtained and are used to validate the new species. Information about the geographic distribution, habitat and immature stages morphology is also provided. The systematic position of C. surpresa sp. nov. is discussed based on a molecular analysis which includes all described species of Carminda in addition to other species of Satyrinae.

Background: Heliconius butterflies are widely distributed across the Neotropics and have evolved a stunning array of wing color patterns that mediate Müllerian mimicry and mating behavior. Their rapid radiation has been strongly influenced by hybridization, which has created new species and allowed sharing of color patterning alleles between mimetic species pairs. While these processes have frequently been observed in widespread species with contiguous distributions, many Heliconius species inhabit patchy or rare habitats that may strongly influence the origin and spread of species and color patterns. Here, we assess the effects of historical population fragmentation and unique biology on the origins, genetic health, and color pattern evolution of two rare and sparsely distributed Brazilian butterflies, Heliconius hermathena and Heliconius nattereri., Results: We assembled genomes and re-sequenced whole genomes of eight H. nattereri and 71 H. hermathena individuals. These species harbor little genetic diversity, skewed site frequency spectra, and high deleterious mutation loads consistent with recent population bottlenecks. Heliconius hermathena consists of discrete, strongly isolated populations that likely arose from a single population that dispersed after the last glacial maximum. Despite having a unique color pattern combination that suggested a hybrid origin, we found no genome-wide evidence that H. hermathena is a hybrid species. However, H. hermathena mimicry evolved via introgression, from co-mimetic Heliconius erato, of a small genomic region upstream of the color patterning gene cortex., Conclusions: Heliconius hermathena and H. nattereri population fragmentation, potentially driven by historical climate change and recent deforestation, has significantly reduced the genetic health of these rare species. Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence that introgression of color patterning alleles between co-mimetic species appears to be a general feature of Heliconius evolution.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with otitis and pyoderma in dogs and is frequently resistant to several antimicrobial drugs. Resistance genes can be carried by integrons with quinolone resistance mainly due to mutations in DNA topoisomerases II and IV., Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility, integron carriage, and gyrA and gyrB mutations in P. aeruginosa isolates from canine otitis and pyoderma., Animals: One hundred and four P. aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa (n = 93) and pyoderma (n = 11)., Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility against 16 antibacterial agents was evaluated through agar diffusion tests. Integron carriage, class and gyrA and gyrB mutations were analysed by PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR and genetic sequencing assays., Results: Isolates were mostly resistant to enrofloxacin (72.2%) and ticarcillin (59.7%). Lower resistance to ciprofloxacin (7.7%), tobramycin (3.8%) and polymixin B (0.0%) was detected. Ten (9.6%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were detected. Eight (7.7%) strains carried class 1 integrons and this was associated with MDR (three isolates, P ≤ 0.05). Five of the integron-carrying strains exhibited aminoglycoside resistance genes. Mutations of gyrA and gyrB were observed in 10 isolates, seven of them resistant to all fluoroquinolones tested., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Enrofloxacin and ticarcilin resistance was widespread in P. aeruginosa isolated from dogs in Brazil. Pseudomonas aeruginosa carrying integrons may present a significant challenge for treatment., (© 2016 ESVD and ACVD.)

The morphological species delimitations (i.e. morphospecies) have long been the best way to avoid the taxonomic impediment and compare insect taxa biodiversity in highly diverse tropical and subtropical regions. The development of DNA barcoding, however, has shown great potential to replace (or at least complement) the morphospecies approach, with the advantage of relying on automated methods implemented in computer programs or even online rather than in often subjective morphological features. We sampled moths extensively for two years using light traps in a patch of the highly endangered Atlantic Forest of Brazil to produce a nearly complete census of arctiines (Noctuoidea: Erebidae), whose species richness was compared using different morphological and molecular approaches (DNA barcoding). A total of 1,075 barcode sequences of 286 morphospecies were analyzed. Based on the clustering method Barcode Index Number (BIN) we found a taxonomic bias of approximately 30% in our initial morphological assessment. However, a morphological reassessment revealed that the correspondence between morphospecies and molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) can be up to 94% if differences in genitalia morphology are evaluated in individuals of different MOTUs originated from the same morphospecies (putative cases of cryptic species), and by recording if individuals of different genders in different morphospecies merge together in the same MOTU (putative cases of sexual dimorphism). The results of two other clustering methods (i.e. Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and 2% threshold) were very similar to those of the BIN approach. Using empirical data we have shown that DNA barcoding performed substantially better than the morphospecies approach, based on superficial morphology, to delimit species of a highly diverse moth taxon, and thus should be used in species inventories.

Objective: Clinical trials of statins during myocardial infarction (MI) have differed in their therapeutic regimes and generated conflicting results. This study evaluated the role of the timing and potency of statin therapy on its potential mechanisms of benefit during MI., Methods and Results: ST-elevation MI patients (n=125) were allocated into 5 groups: no statin; 20, 40, or 80 mg/day simvastatin starting at admission; or 80 mg/day simvastatin 48 hours after admission. After 7 days, all patients switched their treatment to 20 mg/day simvastatin for an additional 3 weeks and then underwent flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery. As of the second day, C-reactive protein (CRP) differed between non-statin users (12.0±4.1 mg/L) and patients treated with 20 (8.5±4.0 mg/L), 40 (3.8±2.5 mg/L), and 80 mg/day (1.4±1.5 mg/L), and the daily differences remained significant until the seventh day (P<0.0001). The higher the statin dose, the lower the elevation of interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-α, the greater the reduction of 8-isoprostane and low-density lipoprotein(-), and the greater the increase in nitrate/nitrite levels during the first 5 days (P<0.001). Later initiation of statin was less effective than its early introduction in relation to attenuation of CRP, interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, 8-isoprostane, and low-density lipoprotein(-), as well as in increase in nitrate/nitrite levels (P<0.0001). At the 30th day, there was no longer a difference in lipid profile or CRP between groups; the flow-mediated dilation, however, was proportional to the initial statin dose and was higher for those who started the treatment early (P=0.001)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the timing and potency of statin treatment during MI are key elements for their main mechanisms of benefit. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00906451.

The Southwestern Atlantic Ocean humpback whales wintering ground (breeding stock A) are distributed along the Brazilian coast (5-23 degrees S), and their main mating and calving ground is in the Abrolhos Bank. We investigated genetic diversity, population structure, and relatedness of individuals sampled from the entire Southwest Atlantic humpback whale population. A total of 275 individuals sampled from 2 subregions (Abrolhos Bank, n = 229 and Praia do Forte, n = 46) were screened for 9 microsatellite loci. This population showed a high level of allelic diversity (A = 12.1) and a high mean observed heterozygosity (H(O) = 0.733). No signal of significant genetic bottleneck was detected in accordance with the mitochondrial DNA data. We find no evidence of temporal (between years) genetic structure as well as no genetic differentiation between whales from the 2 subregions of the Brazilian breeding ground. We observed that the proportion of males and females in this population was approximately 1:1, which differs from the male-biased sex ratio observed in other breeding grounds. The data obtained through this study provided no evidence of kinship associations within social groups. Finally, a female sampled off South Georgia Islands showed a putative parent-offspring relationship with a female off Abrolhos Bank, supporting the migratory link between these 2 areas.

This paper describes a new species of Moneuptychia Forster from the cerrado in the Federal District and Goiás region in central Brazil, and from highland open vegetation (campos de altitude) of Minas Gerais and Paraná. We provide details of the adult morphology and discuss the new species placement in the genus Moneuptychia.

Information about predation risks is critical for herbivorous insects, and natural selection favors their ability to detect predators before oviposition and to select enemy-free foliage when offspring mortality risk is high. Food plants are selected by ovipositing butterflies, and offspring survival frequently varies among plants because of variation in the presence of predators. Eunica bechina butterflies oviposit on Caryocar brasiliense, an ant-defended plant. Experiments with dried Camponotus and Cephalotes ants pinned to leaves revealed that butterflies use ant size and form as visual cues to avoid ovipositing on plant parts occupied by ants more likely to kill larval offspring. Presence of sap-sucking bugs did not affect butterfly oviposition. This is the first demonstration that visual recognition of predators can mediate egg-laying decisions by an insect herbivore and that an insect will discriminate among different species of potential predators. This unusual behavioral capability permits specialization on a risky, ant-defended food plant.

This paper describes a new species of Moneuptychia Forster from the summits of the Mantiqueira and Espinhaço mountain ranges in southeastern Brazil, details the morphology of adults and immatures of this species, and discusses the definition of the genus Moneuptychia.

Severe pulmonary involvement in malaria has been frequently reported in cases of Plasmodium falciparum infection, but rarely in vivax malaria. Among the 11 previous cases of vivax-related severe respiratory involvement described in the literature, all except one developed it after the beginning of anti-malarial treatment; these appear to correspond to an exacerbation of the inflammatory response. We report the case of a 43-year-old Brazilian woman living in a malaria-endemic area, who presented acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by P. vivax before starting anti-malarial treatment. The diagnosis was made based on microscopic methods. A negative rapid immunochromatographic assay, based on the detection of Histidine Rich Protein-2 (HRP-2) of P. falciparum, indicated that falciparum malaria was unlikely. After specific anti-plasmodial therapy and intensive supportive care, the patient was discharged from the hospital. We conclude that vivax malaria-associated ARDS can develop before anti-malarial therapy.