Mitochondrial control region haplotypes of the South American sea lion Otaria flavescens (Shaw, 1800).

The South American sea lion, Otaria flavescens, is widely distributed along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America. However, along the Brazilian coast, there are only two nonbreeding sites for the species (Refúgio de Vida Silvestre da Ilha dos Lobos and Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Molhe Leste da Barra do Rio Grande), both in Southern Brazil. In this region, the species is continuously under the effect of anthropic activities, mainly those related to environmental contamination with organic and inorganic chemicals and fishery interactions.

Acute copper toxicity in the euryhaline copepod Acartia tonsa: implications for the development of an estuarine and marine biotic ligand model.

Copepods (Acartia tonsa) were exposed (48 h) to waterborne, diet-borne (non-Cu-equilibrated and Cu-equilibrated food), and waterborne plus diet-borne Cu in either the absence or the presence of food (diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii). Toxicity tests were run in different salinities (5, 15, and 30 ppt) together with measurements of physicochemical parameters and total and dissolved Cu concentrations in the experimental media. Results show that most of the toxic Cu fraction was in the dissolved phase.

Challenging treatment of a secondary endoleak in a fenestrated endograft.

Purpose: To describe the novel use of an Amplatzer occluder device to seal a secondary endoleak arising at a scallop in a fenestrated stent-graft.

Case Report: A 67-year-old man with comorbidities precluding standard endovascular repair of a pararenal aortic aneurysm was treated with a fenestrated endoprosthesis containing one fenestration for the left renal artery and one scallop for the celiac trunk; the right renal and superior mesenteric arteries were occluded at presentation. Interval imaging at 2 years showed a proximal type I endoleak at the celiac trunk scallop associated with expansion of the aneurysm sac.

Diet influence on egg production of the copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana, 1896).

Egg production in the copepod Acartia tonsa was evaluated using different densities of the microalgae Thalassiosira weissflogii, Chaetoceros muelleri and Isochrysis galbana. Male and female were kept under controlled conditions (salinity 30, 20 degrees C, photoperiod 12L:12D), acclimated to the experimental conditions and left over a period of 24 h to allow copulation. Algal densities tested were equivalent in biovolume and corresponded to 0, 2.

Fabrication and testing of l = 2 optical vortex phase masks for coronography.

In this paper we present the fabrication process and tests of two different types of l = 2 spiral phase plates (SPPs), designed for an Optical Vortex Coronagraph (OVC) in the visible wavelength regime. Each phase mask is realized dividing the spirals area in sectors respectively of 8 and 512 of levels using lithographic nanofabrication approach. The SPPs produces different optical vortices (OVs) with topological charge l that depends on the number of steps and on the wavelength.

Aluminum as an endocrine disruptor in female Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The effects of aluminum on plasma ion, lipid, protein and steroid hormone concentration were evaluated in Oreochromis niloticus broodstock females. Lipid and protein concentrations from the gonads and liver were also measured. Experiments were performed at neutral and acidic water pH.

Three small testes in left hemiscrotum: a rarer case of polyorchidism.

Polyorchidism is a rare congenital anomaly. A review of literature has yielded about 100 cases. We describe a rarer case of polyorchidism consisting of 3 testes on left hemiscrotum and one normal testis in right hemiscrotum.

Partitioning the relative contributions of inorganic plant composition and soil characteristics to the quality of Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum (Roth) G. Don fil. essential oil.

Composition of Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum essential oil showed chemical variability according to vegetation cycle, environment, and geographic origins. In the present work, 48 individuals of this plant at different development stages and the corresponding root soils were sampled: i) 28 volatile components were identified and measured in essential oil by using GC and GC/MS; ii) ten elements from plants and soils have been estimated using colorimetry in continuous flux, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, or emission spectrometry (FAAS/FAES); iii) texture and acidity (real and potential) of soil samples were also reported.

Long-term ammonia toxicity to the pink-shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis.

Juvenile pink-shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis were exposed (75 days) to NH(3) (0.016-0.287 mg L(-1)) under static condition with water renewal every 24h.

Infrared radiation influence on molt and regeneration of Neohelice granulata Dana, 1851 (Grapsidae, Sesarminae).

This paper analyzes the influence of infrared radiation (IR) on regeneration, after autotomy of limb buds of Neohelice granulata and consequently the time molt. Eyestalks were ablated to synchronize the start of molt. Afterward, animals were autotomized of five pereopods and divided into control and irradiated groups.

Activation of the alternative complement pathway in canine normal serum by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

The dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a human granulomatous disease. Recently the first case of natural disease in dogs was reported. The complement system is an important effector component of humoral immunity against infectious agents.

Reactive oxygen species generation and expression of DNA repair-related genes after copper exposure in zebrafish (Danio rerio) ZFL cells.

Copper is an essential metal to aquatic animals, but it can be toxic when in elevated concentrations in water. The objective of the present study was to analyze copper effects in zebrafish hepatocytes (ZFL cell-line). The number of viable cells and copper accumulation were determined in hepatocytes exposed in vitro to different copper concentrations (5-30mgCu/L).

Potential environmental and host gender influences on prevalence of Haemogregarina platessae (Adeleorina:Haemogregarinidae) and suspected Haemohormidium terraenovae (incertae sedis) in Brazilian flounder from the Patos Lagoon Estuary, southern Brazil.

Flounder, Paralichthys orbignyanus (Valenciennes), were captured in polluted and non-polluted sites within the Patos Lagoon Estuary, southern Brazil, over four seasons. Blood films showed a high prevalence of infection with a haemogregarine, or mixed parasitaemias of this and an organism resembling Haemohormidium terraenovae So, 1972. Haemogregarine gamont stages conformed to existing descriptions of Desseria platessae (Lebailly, 1904) Siddall, 1995 from flatfishes, but intraerythrocytic division of meronts was observed, leading to the recommendation for nomenclatural correction, placing the haemogregarine in the genus Haemogregarina (sensu lato) Danilewsky, 1885.

Lactational transfer of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in pups of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Antarctica.

Seven pairs of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) pups and their dams were sampled during the late weaning season among a breeding population of seals on Elephant Island in Antarctica. The blubber of the pups and the milk and blubber of their dams were analyzed for lipid-normalized concentrations of PCBs and organochlorines compounds in order to evaluate the lactational transfer of these contaminants. The lipid-normalized concentrations in these tissues were in the ppb range (i.

Copper accumulation and toxicity in isolated cells from gills and hepatopancreas of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus).

In the present study, we used fresh preparations of mixed-cell populations to evaluate accumulation and toxicity of dissolved copper (1-100 microM) in isolated cells from posterior gills and hepatopancreas of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). For both gill and hepatopancreatic cells, significant increases in copper accumulation were observed after exposure to 50 or 100 microM copper. In gill cells, a linear increase in copper accumulation was observed over time.

Hot waste-to-energy flue gas treatment using an integrated fluidised bed reactor.

This paper describes an innovative process to increase superheated steam temperatures in waste-to-energy (WTE) plants. This solution is mainly characterised by a fluidised bed reactor in which hot flue gas is treated both chemically and mechanically. This approach, together with gas recirculation, increases the energy conversion efficiency, and raises the superheated steam temperature without decreasing the useful life of the superheater.

Metallothionein-like proteins in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus: effect of water salinity and ions.

The effect of water salinity and ions on metallothionein-like proteins (MTLP) concentration was evaluated in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. MTLP concentration was measured in tissues (hepatopancreas and gills) of crabs acclimated to salinity 30 ppt and abruptly subjected to a hypo-osmotic shock (salinity 2 ppt). It was also measured in isolated gills (anterior and posterior) of crabs acclimated to salinity 30 ppt.

Reduced toxicity of fumonisin B1 in corn grits by single-screw extrusion.

Corn grits spiked with 30 microg/g fumonisin B1 and two batches of grits fermented with Fusarium verticillioides (batch 1 contained 33 microg/g, and batch 2 contained 48 microg/g fumonisin B1), which were extruded by a single-screw extruder with and without glucose (10%, dry weight basis) supplementation were fed to rats. Control groups were fed uncontaminated grits. Extrusion with glucose more effectively reduced fumonisin B1 concentrations of the grits (75 to 85%) than did extrusion alone (10 to 28%).

Phosphorylation of eIF4E by MNKs supports protein synthesis, cell cycle progression and proliferation in prostate cancer cells.

Deregulation of the phosphatidyl inositol trisphosphate kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/MNK pathways frequently occurs in human prostate carcinomas (PCas) and leads to aberrant modulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. We have investigated the relative contribution of these pathways to translational regulation and proliferation of PCa cells. MNK-dependent phosphorylation of eIF4E is elevated in DU145 cells, which have low basal levels of AKT/mTOR activity due to the expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN.

Antioxidant responses in different body regions of the polychaeta Laeonereis acuta (Nereididae) exposed to copper.

Antioxidant enzymes, total antioxidant capacity (TOSC) and concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured in anterior (A), middle (M) and posterior (P) body regions of Laeonereis acuta after copper (Cu; 62.5 microg/l) exposure. A catalase (CAT) activity gradient observed in control group (lowest in A, highest in P) was not observed in Cu exposed group.

Progressive apraxia of speech presenting as isolated disorder of speech articulation and prosody: a case report.

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a rare disorder of motor speech programming, and few case reports have included sufficient description of both clinical findings and lesion localization. We report a case with an isolated progressive speech articulation deficit and brain involvement restricted to the left superior frontal gyrus. This case suggests that slowly progressive AOS may be a clinical disorder distinct from primary progressive aphasia, and that it can occur without language disorders or bucco-facial apraxia.

Biomonitoring of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) pollution: a field study.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and cytochrome P450 enzyme activities were investigated in European eels (Anguilla anguilla) collected from seven sites in a coastal lagoon in the north-western Mediterranean Sea, Orbetello lagoon (Italy). Twelve PBDE congeners were measured in muscle and two CYP1A enzyme activities, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase (BP(a)PMO), were investigated in liver microsomal fraction in order to obtain insights into the health of the lagoon environment. PBDE muscle levels were low and the most abundant congeners were 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenylether (BDE-47), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE (BDE-153) and 2,2',4,5'-tetraBDE (BDE-49).

Does sulfide or water hardness protect against chronic silver toxicity in Daphnia magna? A critical assessment of the acute-to-chronic toxicity ratio for silver.

The protective effects of sulfide and water hardness against acute and chronic silver toxicity in Daphnia magna were assessed in the presence of food. Results showed that both sulfide and water hardness protected against lethal acute and chronic silver toxicity in terms of mortality. However, only sulfide showed a protective effect against the sub-lethal chronic silver effects on growth and reproduction.

Reduction of fumonisin B1 in corn grits by single-screw extrusion.

This study was designed to determine the efficacy of extrusion in reducing fumonisin B1 in corn flaking grits in the presence and absence of glucose. In addition, degradation products of fumonisin B1 during extrusion were identified and quantitated with a mass balance approach. Uncontaminated clean corn grits, grits spiked with 30 microg/g fumonisin B1, and grits fermented with Fusarium verticillioides M-2552 (40-50 microg/g fumonisin B1) were extruded in the presence and absence of glucose (10%, w/w) using a single-screw extruder.

Antioxidant responses of Laeonereis acuta (Polychaeta) after exposure to hydrogen peroxide.

The effects of H2O2 were evaluated in the estuarine worm Laeonereis acuta (Polychaeta, Nereididae) collected at the Patos Lagoon estuary (Southern Brazil) and maintained in the laboratory under controlled salinity (10 psu diluted seawater) and temperature (20 degrees C). The worms were exposed to H2O2 (10 and 50 microM) for 4, 7, and 10 days and the following variables were determined: oxygen consumption, catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase activity in both the supernatant and pellet fractions of whole body homogenates. The concentrations of non-protein sulfhydryl and lipid peroxides (LPO) were also measured.