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Molecular tools have been employed to improve the knowledge about freshwater Neotropical fishes. Such approaches supporting studies of groups including species complexes such as Astyanax, one of the most diversified and taxonomically complex genus of the family Characidae. Here, we employed species delimitation analyses in four Astyanax species described for the upper Paraguaçu River basin, a drainage within Northeastern Mata Atlântica freshwater ecoregion with high endemism. We implemented single and multilocus approaches based on two mitochondrial and one nuclear markers. Cytochrome c Oxidase I sequences previously available for Astyanax species were also added to our dataset. The single locus analyses showed A. epiagos, A. rupestris, and A. aff. rupestris as different Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), while A. brucutu and A. lorien were grouped. However, the multilocus approach distinguished these two species and showed congruence for the remaining single locus results. Astyanax aff. rupestris was separated into two MOTUs using both approaches, highlighting the need for an integrative taxonomic revision including A. aff. rupestris. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the diversity of this fish group in the upper Paraguaçu, identifying hidden diversity and reinforcing the relevance of this hydrographic system as a notable hotspot for ichthyofauna biodiversity endemism. Resumo Ferramentas moleculares têm sido empregadas para melhorar o conhecimento sobre os peixes Neotropicais. Tais abordagens apoiam estudos de grupos que incluem complexos de espécies, como Astyanax, um dos gêneros mais diversificados e taxonomicamente complexos dentro da família Characidae. Neste estudo, nós empregamos análises de delimitação de espécies em quatro espécies de Astyanax recentemente descritas da bacia do alto rio Paraguaçu, uma drenagem dentro da ecorregião Mata Atlântica Nordeste que apresenta alto endemismo. Nós realizamos abordagens de loco único e multilocos baseadas em dois marcadores mitocondriais e um nuclear. Sequências de Citocromo c Oxidase I anteriormente disponíveis para espécies de Astyanax foram adicionadas ao nosso conjunto de dados. As análises de loco único mostraram A. epiagos, A. rupestris e A. aff. rupestris como diferentes Unidades Taxonômicas Operacionais Moleculares (MOTUs), enquanto A. brucutu e A. lorien foram agrupadas. Entretanto, a abordagem multilocos distinguiu estas duas espécies e mostrou congruência com os demais resultados das análises de loco único. Astyanax aff. rupestris foi separada em duas MOTUs usando ambas as abordagens, sugerindo a necessidade de uma revisão taxonômica integrativa incluindo A. rupestris e ambas A. aff. rupestris. Esses achados contribuem para uma melhor compreensão da diversidade desse grupo de peixes na bacia do rio Paraguaçu, identificando diversidade oculta e reforçando a relevância desse sistema hidrográfico como um notável hotspot de endemismo da biodiversidade da ictiofauna.

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications.

A produção em aquacultura e a variedade de espécies cultivadas aumentaram drasticamente nas últimas duas décadas, devido à necessidade de alimentar uma população mundial em constante crescimento. Esta produção de peixes intensiva leva a que ocorram mais frequentemente doenças tanto infeções bacterianas, virais, parasitárias e/ou fúngicas. A amiloodiniose é uma doença parasitária causada pelo dinoflagelado Amyloodinium ocellatum. É um dinoflagelado eurialino que parasita uma ampla variedade de peixes estuarinos e marinhos. O ciclo de vida do parasita consiste em 3 estágios: o trofonte caracterizado pelo estágio de alimentação, o tomonte caracterizado pela fase de cisto, e o dinósporo caracterizado pelo estágio infecioso que adere às brânquias e pele do hospedeiro. Os sinais clínicos de incluem anorexia, dispneia, hiperplasia, inflamação, hemorragia e necrose. O A. ocellatum é transmitido através do contato direto com dinósporos vivos. Os métodos principais de diagnóstico baseiam-se na identificação de tecidos infetados ao microscópio. Para um diagnóstico mais completo, embora dispendioso, recorre-se a técnicas moleculares, como o PCR para a deteção de baixas concentrações do parasita. Esta técnica pode ainda ser considerada como um método de monitorização e controlo de doenças. Os cultivos IMTA são mais sustentáveis porque são cultivadas várias espécies simultaneamente reduzindo o excesso de nutrientes que iriam para o meio aquático, trazendo um maior rendimento económico para os produtores. No caso dos moluscos bivalves, as espécies normalmente usadas nestes sistemas IMTA, a ostra do Pacífico, Magallana gigas, é um importante bivalve cultivado em todo o mundo com interesse económico. Os bivalves filtram e retêm uma imensa quantidade de microrganismos presentes na água das zonas de produção como por exemplo bactérias, fitoplâncton e parasitas que ficam retidos nas brânquias, estômago e glândula digestiva das mesmas. Colocando-se a questão se as ostras filtram o A. ocellatum. Posto isto este trabalho vem recolher informação para auxiliar os produtores de aquacultura, que têm perdas económicas grandes devido a este parasita. Os objetivos principais do estudo são perceber se as ostras poderiam ser usadas como um filtro natural ou se por outro lado atuavam como um vetor de propagação do parasita, e perceber ainda se os dinósporos afetavam os tecidos das ostras e a nível imunológico. Para isto, usaram-se 144 ostras divididas em dois tratamentos, o controlo (sem parasita) e o infetado (com parasita). Ao longo do ensaio foram recolhidas amostras, nos momentos 0h, 3h, 24h, 96h e 7dias, para análise de parâmetros de resposta imune, histológica, expressão genética e confirmação por PCR. De acordo com os resultados apresentados pode-se concluir que as ostras são um vetor de propagação do parasita A. ocellatum representando um perigo para as aquaculturas de policultivos, e tem de existir medidas no combate do mesmo, pois representa um grande problema para o setor. Futuramente à uma necessidade de responder a muitas questões que este estudo levantou com os resultados obtidos. Aquaculture production and the variety of species farmed have increased dramatically over the last two decades due to the need to feed a constantly growing world population. This intensive fish production leads to more frequent occurrence of diseases either bacterial, viral, parasitic and/or fungal infections. Amyloodiniosis is a parasitic disease caused by the dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum. It is a eurialine dinoflagellate that parasitizes a wide variety of estuarine and marine fish. The life cycle of the parasite consists of 3 stages: the trophon characterized by the feeding stage, the tomon characterized by the cyst stage, and the dinospore characterized by the infective stage that adheres to the gills and skin of the host. Clinical signs of include anorexia, dyspnea, hyperplasia, inflammation, hemorrhage, and necrosis. A. ocellatum is transmitted through direct contact with live dinospores. The main methods of diagnosis are based on the identification of infected tissue under the microscope. For a more complete, but expensive diagnosis, molecular techniques, such as PCR for the detection of low concentrations of the parasite, are used. This technique can also be considered as a method of disease monitoring and control. IMTA cultures are more sustainable because several species are cultivated simultaneously, reducing the excess nutrients that would go into the aquatic environment, bringing greater economic return to the producers. In the case of bivalve mollusks, the species commonly used in these IMTA systems, the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas, is an important bivalve cultured worldwide with economic interest. Bivalves filter and retain an immense amount of microorganisms present in the water of the production areas such as bacteria, phytoplankton and parasites that are retained in their gills, stomach and digestive gland. The question arises if oysters filter A. ocellatum. Therefore, this work will collect information to help aquaculture producers, who have large economic losses due to this parasite. The main objectives of the study were to understand if oysters could be used as a natural filter or if they acted as a vector for the spread of the parasite, and to understand if the dinospores affected the tissues of the oysters at the immunological level. This was done using 144 oysters divided into two treatments, control (without parasite) and infected (with parasite). Throughout the trial, samples were collected at 0h, 3h, 24h, 96h and 7days for analysis of immune response parameters, histology, gene expression and PCR confirmation. According to the results presented, it can be concluded that oysters are a vector for the spread of the parasite A. ocellatum, representing a danger for polyculture aquacultures, and there must be measures to combat it, as it represents a major problem for the sector. In the future there is a need to answer many of the questions that this study has raised with the results obtained.

Breeding strategies based on molecular markers have been adopted by ex-situ conservation programs to assess alternative parameters for the genetic diversity estimates. In this work we evaluated molecular and studbook data for captive populations of black-lion-tamarin (BLT), an endangered primate endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Pedigree analyses were performed using BLT studbook information collected from 1973 to 2018. We analyzed the whole captive population since its foundation; the current captive population (CCP); and all extant BLTs in the Brazilian captive population (BCP), separately. Microsatellite analyses were implemented on the BCP individuals from the eighth generation (BCP-F8) only to avoid generation overlap. The expected heterozygosity for BCP-F8, using molecular, data was 0.45, and the initial expected heterozygosity was 0.69. Kinship parameters showed high genetic relationships in both pedigree and molecular analyses. The genealogy-based endogamy evidenced a high inbreeding coefficient, while the molecular analyses suggested a non-inbreeding signature. The Mate Suitability Index showed detrimental values for the majority of potential pairs in the CCP. Nevertheless, some individuals evidenced high individual heterozygosity and allele representation, demonstrating good potential to be used as breeders. Thus, we propose the use of molecular data as a complementary parameter to evaluate mating-pairs and to aid management decision-making.

Alagille syndrome (AGLS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the Notch signaling pathway. Multiple organ dysfunction is frequent despite phenotypic variability. We report the case of an AGLS patient with right heart failure and persistent fluid overload who started peritoneal ultrafiltration, without initial benefit. Possible pathophysiological mechanisms related to the underlying genetic condition, namely vascular abnormalities, that could help explain the poor ultrafiltration are provided, while other ultrafiltration failure causes are briefly discussed. New evidence is necessary for a better understanding of this syndrome in PD modality.

The increasing number of available genomic data allowed the development of phylogenomic analytical tools. Current methods compile information from single gene phylogenies, whether based on topologies or multiple sequence alignments. Generally, phylogenomic analyses elect gene families or genomic regions to construct phylogenomic trees. Here, we presented an alternative approach for Phylogenomics, named TOMM (Total Ortholog Median Matrix), to construct a representative phylogram composed by amino acid distance measures of all pairwise ortholog protein sequence pairs from desired species inside a group of organisms. The procedure is divided two main steps, (1) ortholog detection and (2) creation of a matrix with the median amino acid distance measures of all pairwise orthologous sequences. We tested this approach within three different group of organisms: Kinetoplastida protozoa, hematophagous Diptera vectors and Primates. Our approach was robust and efficacious to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships for the three groups. Moreover, novel branch topologies could be achieved, providing insights about some phylogenetic relationships between some taxa.

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Background and Aims The incident patients on hemodialysis (HD) are becoming older. However, the optimal type of initial permanent vascular access (VA) among the elderly is controversial. Patient comorbidities and life expectancy are important considerations in whether to place an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or graft (AVG). We design an observational study to compare clinical outcomes of elderly (≥65 year old) versus younger patients, who underwent for first VA placement before initiation of renal replacement therapy, between January 2014 and December 2018. Method We evaluated successful use of VA, requirement of surgical interventions before successful use, VA in use after the first and third months on HD and clinical outcomes, until December 2019. The comorbidity burden was calculated through age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (aCCI). We also evaluated the impact of comorbidity burden on the VA type on HD start and mortality after HD initiation. Results We identified 252 predialysis patients who underwent for VA placement in our center. We created two groups based on age at the time of VA placement: there were 199 (79,0%) with age ≥ 65 years (the elderly group), and 53 (21,0%) younger patients. The elderly group presented a mean age of 76,3 ± 6,4 (maximum of 92) years on first VA placement; in the younger group, the mean age was 54,5 ± 9,1 (minimum of 26) years. The following analysis are presented for elderly versus younger group. On both groups there were a predominance of male gender (66,8%; 73,6%; p=0,498) and caucasian race (95,0%; 88,7%; p=0,193). At time of referral for AV placement, both groups presented similar mean estimated glomerular filtration rate by CKD-EPI equation (11,7 ± 3,2; 11,2 ± 3,2 mL/Kg/1,72m2; p=0,391). Elderly group presented a significant higher aCCI (7,3 ± 1,74; 9,0 ± 1,9; p For all patients, the first VA placed was AVF. Only two patient placed an AVG on second and third vascular accesses. The median number of VA placed were similar between the two groups [1,0 (1 to 4); 1,0 (1 to 2); p= 0,811], likewise the occurrence of early complications (9,5%; 5,7%; p=0,583) and the need for surgical interventions (46,7%; 47,2%; p=1,000). In both groups, the majority of patients started HD (80,4%; 90,6%; p=0,103), with similar successful use of the VA (68,1%; 75,0%; p=0,474). In multivariate logistic regression, proteinuria (measured at time of referral for AV placement) and heart failure (HF) were predictors to HD initiation through a central venous catheter (CVC). This model classified correctly 74,9% of cases, with an HF odds ratio (OR) of 4,149 [confident interval (CI) of 1,721 to 10,000] and a proteinuria OR of 1,148 (CI: 1,047 to 1,259). After the first month on HD, 34,8% of elderly patients needed a CVC, a number significantly different from the younger group (15,9%; p=0,023). The same result was observed after the third month (22,2%; 7,1%; p=0,028). During the time of follow-up, the mortality rate was higher in the elderly group who started HD (log Rank test = 0,004), with a median survival of 29,3 (0,1 to 89,8) months, when compared to the younger group [median survival of 38,3 (0,1 to 76,9) months]. Conclusion There were no difference in the kind of VA on HD start (definitive VA versus CVC) between the two groups. However, elderly patients presented more fistula failure in the first three months after HD initiation. The need of CVC due to nonfunctioning AVF on the first and three months after HD initiation was higher in the elderly. The analysis of the patients who started HD showed that the elderly group presented a significant reduced survival when compared to the youngest patients.

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica. Fecha de lectura: 20-04-2020, Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 20-10-2021, Brain metastasis affects 10-30% of cancer patients. Treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are mainly palliative and ineffective. In order to study resistance to radiotherapy, we have developed a model of brain metastasis receiving whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). We aim to identify mediators of radiation resistance to develop new strategies to sensitize brain metastasis. Several clinically relevant WBRT protocols were applied to lung and breast adenocarcinoma models of brain metastasis that were highly sensitive to radiation in vitro. However, none of them impaired the growth rate of metastases or increased mice survival in vivo, mimicking the outcomes of recent clinical trials using WBRT in patients with brain metastases. Based on the different sensitivity comparing in vitro versus in vivo we hypothesized that resistance to radiation could be modulated. Indeed, brain metastatic (BrM) cells grown in organotypic cultures dramatically decreased their sensitivity to radiation. Transcriptomic analysis of a BrM cell line under culture conditions correlating with low or high sensitivity to radiation was performed. The top candidate S100A9, as well as a known receptor and downstream signalling pathway, were all upregulated in conditions involving resistance to radiation. Although targeting S100A9 in BrM models did not impair the ability to generate brain metastasis, when combined with WBRT a significant reduction in tumour burden was evident. Similarly, an inhibitor blocking S100A9 mediated activation of NFκβ reproduced this finding suggesting a potential therapeutic implication. Analysis of S100A9 levels in human samples reflected inter-patient heterogeneity, suggesting its potential as a biomarker to personalize the use of radiation therapy in patients, La metástasis cerebral afecta a entre el 10 y el 30% de los pacientes con cáncer. Los tratamientos como la cirugía, la quimioterapia y la radiación son principalmente paliativos e ineficaces. Para estudiar la resistencia a la radioterapia, hemos desarrollado un modelo para el estudio de metástasis cerebrales tratadas con radioterapia total del cerebro (WBRT). Nuestro objetivo es identificar mediadores de la resistencia a la radiación y desarrollar nuevas estrategias para sensibilizar la metástasis cerebral. Hemos aplicado, a los modelos de metástasis cerebrales de adenocarcinoma de pulmón y mama que eran altamente sensibles a la radiación in vitro, varios protocolos WBRT clínicamente relevantes. Sin embargo, ninguno de ellos redujo la tasa de crecimiento de metástasis, o aumentó la supervivencia de los ratones in vivo. Nuestros resultados fueron similares a los obtenidos en ensayos clínicos recientes que utilizan WBRT en pacientes con metástasis cerebrales. En base a la diferente sensibilidad comparando experimentos in vitro versus in vivo, planteamos la hipótesis de que la resistencia a la radiación podría ser modulada. De hecho, las células metastásicas cerebrales (BrM) que crecen en cultivos organotípicos disminuyeron drásticamente su sensibilidad a la radiación. Se realizó un análisis transcriptómico de una línea celular BrM en condiciones de cultivo que se correlacionan con baja o alta sensibilidad a la radiación. El potencial mediador de la resistencia a la radiación, S100A9, así como uno de sus receptores conocidos, RAGE, y una de sus rutas de señalización, S100A9/RAGE/NFκβ, estaban todos upregulados en condiciones que implican resistencia a la radiación. Aunque al disminuir la expresión de S100A9 en los modelos BrM no perjudicaba la capacidad de generar metástasis cerebrales, cuando se combinaba con WBRT era evidente una reducción significativa en la carga tumoral. De manera similar, un inhibidor que bloquea la activación de NFκβ mediada por S100A9 reprodujo este hallazgo sugiriendo una posible implicación terapéutica. El análisis de los niveles de S100A9 en muestras humanas reflejó la heterogeneidad entre pacientes, lo que sugiere su potencial como biomarcador para personalizar el uso de radioterapia

Highly spread through the Amazon River basin, Prochilodus nigricans have had its taxonomic validity recently questioned, when genetic differences between Western and Eastern Amazon populations from the Brazilian shield were detected. This area has been seeing as a region of high ichthyofaunal diversity and endemism, in which the hybrid origin of the Tapajos River basin has been raised. In this paper, we report a new molecular lineage within P. nigricans of Tapajos River, highlighting this region still hides taxonomically significant diversity. Haplotype networks were reconstructed using the mitochondrial COI and ATP6/8 markers, which were also used to calculate genetic distances among clusters. We additionally conducted a delimiting species approach by employing a Generalized Mixed Yule-Coalescent model (GMYC) with COI sequences produced here, and previous ones published for individuals sampled across the Amazon River basin. In addition to the genetic differentiation within P. nigricans, our findings favor the hypothesis of hybrid origin of the Tapajos River basin and reaffirm the importance of studies aiming to investigate hidden diversity to address taxonomic and biogeographic issues, that certainly benefit better biodiversity conservation actions.

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We describe the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Black Lion Tamarin, an endangered primate species endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil. We assembled the Leontopithecus chrysopygus mitogenome, through analysis of 523M base pairs (bp) of short reads produced by next-generation sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina Platform, and investigated the presence of nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes and heteroplasmic sites. Additionally, we conducted phylogenetic analyses using all complete mitogenomes available for primates until June 2017. The single circular mitogenome of BLT showed organization and arrangement that are typical for other vertebrate species, with a total of 16618 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 non-coding region (D-loop region). Our full phylogenetic tree is based on the most comprehensive mitogenomic dataset for Callitrichidae species to date, adding new data for the Leontopithecus genus, and discussing previous studies performed on primates. Moreover, the mitochondrial genome reported here consists of a robust mitogenome with 3000X coverage, which certainly will be useful for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of Callitrichidae and higher taxa.

Recent studies have identified patterns of genetic organization during schooling in the reproductive period of several Neotropical freshwater migratory fish. However, population segregation during non-reproductive periods is still unknown for most species. In this study, we investigated the genetic structure of populations of Salminus brasiliensis, a high-value large migratory freshwater fish, sampled during the non-reproductive season. We analysed 89 adults from Uruguay River Basin (Brazil) collected during the two consecutive non-reproductive periods, and assessed the genetic diversity levels using eleven microsatellite loci. Our results showed that populations are genetically structured, suggesting these fish can remain grouped likely due to a cooperative behaviour, not related to reproduction, in a typical shoaling behaviour. Besides, we found high genetic diversity for S. brasiliensis from the Turvo State Park area, highlighting the importance of this conservation unit as a relevant area for maintaining the genetic variability of S. brasiliensis in the Uruguay River.

The objective of this work was to assess polymorphisms within Litopenaeus vannamei candidate genes related to growth performance, and a possible association between weight genotypes and phenotypes in two shrimp closed lines. Three EST-SSR (serine-arginine, 60S ribosomal, and troponin) and one EST-SNP (crustacyanin) were selected and evaluated in L. vannamei and seven other marine shrimp species, besides two freshwater species. Genotypes had no effect on total body weight. Although no association was observed in the sampled population, these markers showed amplification for most of the evaluated species and, therefore, may be useful in further genetic studies on shrimp species. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar polimorfismos em genes candidatos de Litopenaeus vannamei relacionados ao crescimento, e uma possível associação entre genótipos e fenótipos de peso em duas linhagens fechadas de camarão. Três SSR-EST (serina-arginina, 60S ribossomal e troponina) e um SNP-EST (crustacianina) foram selecionados e avaliados em L. vannamei e sete outras espécies de camarão marinho, além de duas espécies de água doce. Os genótipos não tiveram efeito significativo sobre o peso corporal total. Embora não tenham sido observadas associações na população amostrada, esses marcadores puderam ser amplificados para a maioria das espécies avaliadas e podem ser úteis em estudos genéticos adicionais em espécies de camarão.

The Penaeidae family includes some of the most economic and ecological important marine shrimp, comprising hundreds of species. Despite this importance and diversity, the taxonomic classification for penaeid shrimp has constantly been revised, and issues related to the species identification are common. In this study, we implemented DNA barcoding analyses in addition to single-gene species delimitation analyses in order to identify molecular operational taxonomy units (MOTUs) and to generate robust molecular information for penaeid shrimp based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. Our final data set includes COI sequences from 112 taxa distributed in 23 genera of penaeids. We employed the general mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) model, the Poisson tree processes (PTP), and the Bayesian PTP model (bPTP) for MOTUs delimitation. Intraspecific and interspecific genetic distances were also calculated. Our findings evidenced a high level of hidden diversity, showing 143 MOTUs, with 27 nominal species not agreeing with the genetic delimitation obtained here. These data represent potential new species or highly structured populations, showing the importance of including a non-distance-based species delimitation approach in biodiversity studies. The results raised by this study shed light on the Penaeidae biodiversity, addressing important issues about taxonomy and mislabeling in databases and contributing to a better comprehension of the group, which can certainly help management policies for shrimp fishery activity in addition to conservation programs.

The genus Zungaro contains some of the largest catfish in South America. Two valid species are currently recognized: Zungaro jahu, inhabiting the Paraná and Paraguay basins, and Zungaro zungaro, occurring in the Amazonas and Orinoco basins. Analysing Zungaro specimens from the Amazonas, Orinoco, Paraguay and Paraná basins, based on the sequencing of COI and D-loop, we found at least three MOTUs, indicating the existence of hidden diversity within this fish group. Considering the ecological and economic values of this fish, our results are surely welcomed for its conservation, disclosing new findings on its diversity and pointing out the necessity for a detailed taxonomic revision.

Mirror syndrome is a rare disease with unknown pathophysiology that can be present in different diseases that can cause fetal hydrops. The prognosis is usually bad with a high perinatal mortality. We report an unusual form of mirror syndrome that manifested itself only after a successful treatment for fetal hydrops (caused by twin-twin transfusion syndrome, in Quinteros stage IV) was performed. This syndrome was controlled by medical treatment, and despite the usually bad prognosis seen in these cases, we could extend the pregnancy from the 23rd to the 34th week of gestation, resulting in the birth of 2 live infants.

Salminus is a genus composed of four species of migratory fishes and top predators. Although this group has great economic and ecological importance, the species level diversity of Salminus is not yet completely clarified. Our goal was to detect if this taxonomic problem is the consequence of lineage divergence within species, and, if so, whether these divergences are sufficient to flag potentially undescribed taxa. We employed the standard DNA barcoding analyses and a generalized mixed Yule-coalescent model (GMYC) using one mitochondrial (COI) marker and Bayesian Inference (BI) reconstruction for one nuclear (RAG2) marker for all currently recognized species of Salminus, sampled across different hydrographic basins. Eight MOTUs (Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units) were determined by distance and model-based analyses, and recovered with BI analyses for COI. Only Salminus affinis and Salminus franciscanus formed monophyletic haplogroups. Salminus brasiliensis and Salminus hilarii had two and four distinct mitochondrial lineages, respectively, and higher intraspecific K2P distances than the adopted optimum threshold. The RAG2 gene tree supported two lineages of S. hilarii (S. hilarii Amazon and S. hilarii Araguaia), while the other mitochondrial lineages of S. hilarii and S. brasiliensis were not supported. All lineages of both species, corresponded to morphological variation described in previous studies. We suggest, based on the DNA barcoding analysis, a new taxonomic scenario and conservation polices for Salminus in the Brazilian territory.

Time for delivery and delivery pathway in twin pregnancies are still in great debate. Our study goal was to compare the characteristics of delivery and maternal-foetal outcome in uncomplicated near-term twin pregnancies undergoing labour induction and those with spontaneous labour. We found no statistical differences in patients with twin pregnancies who underwent labour induction and those with spontaneous labour regarding the history of previous caesarean delivery, parity, pregnancy achieved by assisted reproductive techniques (ART), chorionicity and cervical dilation at the admission as well as maternal and neonatal morbidity, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. There were significant differences in the caesarean section rate (60.6 vs. 33.3%, p

Porphyria cutanea tarda has a complex etiology with genetic factors not completely elucidated. The miscegenation of the Brazilian population has important implications in the predisposition to diseases. There are no studies concerning the genetic ancestry of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda from a mixed population. Thirty patients living in Rio de Janeiro with sporadic porphyria cutanea tarda were studied for the genetic ancestry through informative markers - INDELS. There was a significant predominance of European ancestry across the sample of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (70.2%), and a small contribution of African and Amerindian ancestry, 20.1% and 10.9%, respectively.

Despite the great adaptability of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp to captive environment and its high productivity in aquaculture, gene expression patterns related to differences in growth performance and effective weight gains are still poorly understood for the species. With the purpose of investigating this issue, we produced RNA-seq data for L. vannamei families with higher and lower weight averages and mapped them against the described species genome. The transcriptome was sequenced from SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) shrimp subjected to selection for rapid weight gain, and subsequently contrasting families with higher and lower growth performances. In total, we identified more than 13,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 46% showing hits in arthropods, of which 70 genes, including cuticle, chitin, ecdysteroids, muscle proteins, among others, were up-regulated exclusively in higher growth families. Additionally, we found some immune genes up-regulated only in higher growth rate families. Overall, this study provides genomic data for better comprehension of genes involved in crustacean growth, pointing out genes potentially involved in weight gain, and affording relevant information to be applied in further shrimp aquaculture breeding programs.

Isolation-by-distance is recognized as a useful model for describing the spatial distribution of gene frequencies depending on dispersal characteristics of the species under study. However, some species may have populations that occupy the same geographic distribution during the breeding season yet reproduce at different time periods resulting in isolation-by-time (IBT). IBT may complicate investigations of spatial population structure if samples are obtained from multiple discrete time periods or may remain undiscovered if surveys are conducted with limited temporal scope. IBT has been observed in several studies of anadromous fishes (primarily salmon) as well as a few examples in taxa such as frogs, plants, birds and insects, but has not been rigorously tested in freshwater fishes. In this study, we assessed spatial and temporal genetic variation and tested for IBT in Dourado (Salminus brasiliensis), a large and commercially-important potamodromous fish species found in multiple river basins of South America. Using 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci, we estimated genetic differentiation of 317 adult Dourado collected monthly during the breeding season at three locations along the Uruguay River in southern Brazil. Analyses identified three populations that were clustered in time (i.e. early, middle and late), suggesting an IBT pattern of population structure with no significant spatial structure. Our results contribute to the mounting evidence across a wide range of taxa that suggests IBT may be more common that currently considered, even for species with very high dispersal capabilities such as potamodromous fishes.