Rays of the family Rhinopteridae Jordan & Evermann, 1896 are highly migratory and widely distributed in warm tropical and temperate waters. Along the Brazilian coast, the presence of two species has been recorded: Rhinoptera bonasus Mitchill, 1815 and Rhinoptera brasiliensis Müller, 1836. These stingrays are commonly caught as bycatch in trawl fisheries, however, the two species lack distinctive external morphological features...

Background Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a biomarker for cardiovascular diseases, and its circulating levels are altered in preeclampsia (PE), which shares mechanisms with cardiovascular diseases. Several SNPs in the GDF15 locus were associated with GDF15 levels, including the GWAS lead SNP rs888663. However, no previous study had performed a functional characterization of rs888663 nor had tested the hypothesis t...

Increasing life expectancy has been accompanied by a higher prevalence of age-associated conditions, underscoring the need to better understand biological mechanisms of aging and to identify accessible biomarkers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-bilayer vesicles that mediate intercellular communication by transporting proteins, lipids, and regulatory RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs). Here, we investigated whether the...

Residual herbicides are widely used in weed management; however, their persistence in the environment can lead to agronomic and ecological impacts. This study assessed bacterial isolates obtained from sugarcane soil with a history of diuron exposure for their ability to increase diuron dissipation under controlled conditions. Forty-two bacterial isolates were obtained, of which 18 tolerated the commercial formulation at 1,000...

Anthropogenic habitat transformation has led to population declines and increasing isolation of populations of many species, particularly top predators, where small and fragmented populations often experience limited dispersal and reduced genetic diversity. Jaguars ( Panthera onca ), for example, have lost half of their historical range and most populations outside the Amazon biome are small, isolated and highly threatened. He...

In modern sows, litter size often exceeds the number of functional teats. Therefore, many farms retain surplus piglets within the litter. The present study evaluated the effect of cross-fostering biological litters with up to two surplus piglets relative to functional teats, allowing piglet replacement until day three of lactation. Females were selected ( n = 201) at farrowing and evenly distributed among treatments: +0 (numbe...

Resistance training in rodent models is widely used to investigate muscular and cardiovascular adaptations. Traditional models often attach loads to the tail. The present study aimed to develop and validate a resistance training model for rats using a pulley system combined with a load-bearing vest, allowing progressive overload without tail attachment. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were assigned to control (CTR, n = 4) or r...

Background Currently, no single biomarker can reliably identify preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD), particularly at or before the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage. Given the heterogeneity of MCI, integrative approaches are needed to improve early risk stratification. Objectives (i) To derive robust latent cognitive components from a multicenter, clinically defined MCI cohort using principal component analysis (PCA); (ii...

Hyperostosis is a non‐pathological condition widely reported in marine teleosts, yet its developmental dynamics and underlying drivers remain poorly understood. This study investigates the ontogenetic progression and anatomical distribution of hyperostosis in Caranx hippos based on a growth series of 39 specimens collected along the Brazilian coast. Individuals were categorised into two size classes (class 1 C. hippos , with m...