Size structure, age, and growth of the blue shark, Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) in southern Brazil.

The blue shark is a highly migratory species with a worldwide distribution, making it susceptible to multiple fishing fleets across the globe. In southern Brazil, it is an important target, comprising up to 40% of the total biomass landed by the commercial surface longline fleet. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of how the species uses the region and to update its life-history information available for future assessments.

Blue shark (Prionace glauca) occurrence and relative abundance in the western South Atlantic Ocean influenced by spatiotemporal variability, environmental variables, and oceanographic processes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate spatiotemporal patterns in the distribution and relative abundance of blue sharks and their relationship with environmental variables and oceanographic processes in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. We modeled data on catch records from the Brazilian pelagic tuna longline fleet using generalized additive models (GAMs). The distribution of Prionace glauca was influenced by salinity, chlorophyll-a and temperature.

Medical Students' Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience and Recommendations from Five Countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided medical students around the globe with unique challenges and opportunities. With formal medical school education and training interrupted, medical students sought innovative ways to contribute to their health-care systems and communities. Their responses could be organized into three categories: clinical (remote clinical care and triage, helping in COVID testing or treatment centers, and contact tracing), nonclinical (PPE acquisition, COVID-related policy and research, and supporting vulnerable groups in the community), and educational (creating materials to educate peers, the community, or community health workers).

Discrimination of red porgy Pagrus pagrus (Sparidae) potential stocks in the south-western Atlantic by otolith shape analysis.

Otolith shape analysis is a powerful method for fish stock identification. We compared the otolith shape of Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus 1758) along with its distribution in four south-western Atlantic regions where it is commercially fished: Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil, the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone (UA) and the Argentinian Exclusive Fishing Zone (AR). Otolith shapes were compared by Elliptical Fourier and Wavelet coefficients among specimens in a size range with similar otoliths, morphometric parameters and ages.

Ingestion of plastic debris by commercially important marine fish in southeast-south Brazil.

Rising concentrations of plastics in the oceans are leading to increasing negative interactions with marine biota, including ingestion by endangered and/or economically important seafood species such as fish. In this paper, we visually evaluated plastic debris ingestion by 965 specimens of eight commercially exploited fish species from different marine habitats off the southeast-south coast of Brazil. All species ingested plastics, with pelagic animals having higher amounts, frequency of occurrence, diversity and sizes of ingested items than demersal-pelagic and demersal animals.

Lessons from the epidemiological surveillance program, during the influenza A (H1N1) virus epidemic, in a reference university hospital of Southeastern Brazil.

Introduction: The case definition of influenza-like illness (ILI) is a powerful epidemiological tool during influenza epidemics.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the impact of two definitions used as epidemiological tools, in adults and children, during the influenza A H1N1 epidemic. Patients were included if they had upper respiratory samples tested for influenza by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction during two periods, using the ILI definition (coughing + temperature ≤ 38ºC) in period 1, and the definition of severe acute respiratory infection (ARS) (coughing + temperature ≤ 38ºC and dyspnoea) in period 2.

Gillnet fisheries as a major mortality factor of Magellanic penguins in wintering areas.

The incidental capture in fisheries is probably the main conservation problem affecting seabirds. While the capture of albatrosses and petrels on longline hooks is well-known worldwide, the bycatch of diving seabirds in gillnets is an overlooked conservation problem. During a winter coastal fishing trip, the capture of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) was recorded in driftnet and bottom setnet fisheries for the first time in southern Brazil.

Anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous and alkaline extracts from mushrooms (Agaricus blazei Murill).

The effects of aqueous and alkaline extracts from Agaricus blazei Murill, an edible mushroom used as folk medicine in Brazil, Japan, and China to treat several illnesses, were investigated on the basis of the inflammatory process induced by different agents. Oral administration of A. blazei extracts marginally inhibited the edema induced by nystatin.

Low prevalence of vancomycin resistant enterococci colonization in intensive care patients in a Brazilian teaching hospital.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are important pathogens involved in nosocomial infections. Colonization precedes infection and the number of colonized individuals is about 10 times higher than the number of infected patients. We examined VRE colonization in two intensive care units from October 2003 to June 2004.

Antiulcerogenic activity of crude extract, fractions and populnoic acid isolated from Austroplenckia populnea (Celastraceae).

Many plant crude extracts and their isolated compounds are the most attractive sources of new drugs and show promising results for the treatment of gastric ulcers. Austroplenckia populnea is commonly known as "marmelinho-do campo, mangabeira-brava, mangabarana and vime" and it has been used in folk medicine as anti-dysenteric and anti-rheumatic. Powdered bark wood (3.

Gastric antiulcer and anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil from Casearia sylvestris Sw.

To investigate the antiulcer and antiinflammatory activities of the essential oil from Casearia sylvestris leaves (EOCS) the following tests were used: rat paw edema, granulomatous tissue test, vascular permeability, writhing test, gastric ulcer stress-induced and evaluation of gastric secretion (pylorus ligation test). The total yield of EOCS was 2.5% with LD50 of 1100 mg/kg in mouse.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of water-ethanolic extract from Pothomorphe umbellata (Piperaceae) aerial parts.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities as well as the median lethal dose (LD50) of water-ethanolic extract (PHE) of the aerial parts of Pothomorphe umbellata were evaluated in animal models. The ED(50) (oral) for the inhibition of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay was determined to be 550 mg/kg, while the LD(50) was higher than 2.0 g/kg.