This study evaluated the effects of providing 3–15 kg of a soluble and biodegradable biopolymer-based enrichment material (blend of biodegradable polymers and natural fibers) to prepartum sows housed in farrowing crates. Fifteen sows were blocked by body weight and backfat thickness and assigned to three treatments: no enrichment material (CONT), 3 kg of enrichment material (BN3), or 15 kg of enrichment material with added nut...

The Asian green mussel, Perna viridis , is a globally successful invasive bivalve first recorded in the South Atlantic in 2018. Here, we report and characterize the establishment of P. viridis in the Canal do Itajurú, a coastal channel connecting the hypersaline Araruama Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We assessed its spatial distribution, substrate association, and morphometric variation to evaluate lo...

Pathogenic fungi that cause rust adversely affect plants, including crops, affecting them differentially depending on the cultivar. This is the case of blackberry ( Rubus spp.), a member of Rosaceae, introduced in Brazil by Embrapa during the 1980s and 1990s. Given the advantageous nutritional properties of its fruits and the relatively low management costs associated with its cultivation, blackberry production has emerged as...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in older adults and often precedes mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These conditions are associated with biological alterations involving chronic inflammation, neuronal dysfunction, and genomic instability. In parallel, growing evidence has suggested a role for the gut-brain axis in cognitive aging, and probiotics have been investigated as a potential strategy to mod...

The pod fly Melanagromyza vignalis Spencer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) has posed a major constraint to cowpea cultivation because it damages pods and seeds, thus representing a pest of significant economic importance. This study aimed to clarify the identity of the pod fly responsible for damage to cowpea crops in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. Specimens collected from cowpea production areas in the states of Pará, Para...

Localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is the most prevalent form of leishmaniasis, with infection control primarily dependent on cell-mediated immunity. Lesion healing results from a complex interplay among immune cells and soluble mediators. Using Luminex technology, we evaluated circulating and lesion microenvironment immune mediators, including chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, in patients with LCL and nonspecifi...

This study presents the calibration of a local magnitude scale ( $$M_L$$ M L ) for Brazil, based on seismic data recorded between 2014 and 2023 by the Brazilian Seismographic Network (RSBR) and local networks operated by the Seismological Observatory of the University of Brasília (SIS/UnB). The dataset comprises 1083 seismic events and 155 stations, totaling 7193 vertical-component seismograms. Events were selected at hypocent...