Bacteremia is a major health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. E. coli is one of the main pathogens associated with bacteremia and its resistance to the antimicrobial drugs, including β-lactams, has significantly increased in recent years. In view of the above, our objective was to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of 60 E. coli isolates obtained from patients with bacteremia, as well as to charac...

The future of how we understand and manage ecosystems largely depends on direct and continuous observations that connect local territories to planetary processes. Latin America (LATAM: Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean) hosts ecosystems critical for regulating global carbon, water, and energy cycles. However, persistent underinvestment in science and technology hampers the long‐term monitoring capacity neede...

Introduction Marine macroalgae are increasingly recognized as promising sources of bioactive compounds for sustainable plant disease management. This study evaluated the anti-phytopathogenic potential of organic extracts from three intertidal macroalgal species, Ulva fasciata , Gracilaria khanjanapajiae , and Sargassum wightii , collected from Thalpe Reef, Sri Lanka. Methods Chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts wer...

Aim Elevational gradients are excellent systems to study biodiversity variation, yet the ecosystem functions performed by animals along these gradients are poorly understood. We assessed tropical elevational patterns of ant‐mediated seed removal, insect predation and the phylogenetic diversity of the local ant assemblages performing these functions as well as the effects of climate and productivity. Location Southeast Brazil,...

Kelp forests are among the most extensive and productive coastal ecosystems, yet they remain underrepresented in global conservation policy despite widespread declines driven by interacting global- (i.e., ocean warming, marine heatwaves) to local-scale stressors. At the same time, kelp conservation and restoration efforts are expanding rapidly across regions, but measures of success and syntheses tend to primarily focus on eco...

Air pollution is a critical environmental issue influenced by both natural and anthropogenic sources. We hypothesized that PM 2.5 chemical composition varies spatially due to local anthropogenic sources, soil resuspension, and biomass burning. This study analyzed particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations and chemical composition (black carbon (BC), elements, and ions) in three locations in Rio de Janeiro state: Gávea (urban...

We review information on salmon farming production, environmental and climatic variables covering all salmon farming areas in the Patagonia marine ecosystems over a 10‐year period in Chile. With this information, we develop a semi‐quantitative Environmental and Productive Risk Assessment (RA) model as a guide for the design of a Traffic Light System (TLS) for salmon farming in Chile that ensures the minimizing impacts to ecosy...

Focused-attention meditation provides a tractable model for examining how large-scale brain dynamics support attention and self-regulation. Using high-density EEG microstate analysis, we investigated how focused-attention meditation on the breath (Ānāpānasati) modulates intrinsic brain activity in 22 experienced practitioners, compared with baseline rest and deliberate mental imagery. Five canonical microstate classes (A-E) we...

In the Eastern South Pacific (ESP), blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus subsp.) aggregations have been described for two feeding areas (in northern and southern Chile) and in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). However, despite the knowledge of these areas, little is known about the seasonal movements of blue whales between them. Comparisons of 1074 individual blue whales, photographed across these regions from 1992 to 2019, re...

The body size spectrum (or individual size distribution) is a simple yet widely recognized approach that links individual and population traits to community structure and ecosystem functions, making it a valuable indicator of anthropogenic effects. However, the assessment of size spectra in the context of biological invasions remains poorly explored. We investigated the impacts of non‐native (NN) fish invasions on the size str...

The incidence of brain diseases increases with aging, but the biological basis of brain aging is still poorly explored. Synaptic dysfunction occurs at the onset of brain diseases and synaptic neuromodulation systems, such as adenosine A 2A receptors (A 2A R), are necessary and sufficient to trigger brain dysfunction. Since A 2A R are upregulated upon aging, we compared wild-type and A 2A R global knockout mice to test if brain...

Forest fires pose a significant threat to rural areas, affecting ecosystems, property, infrastructure, and human lives. Effective post-fire management strategies are crucial for short-term ecosystem and community recovery. This study evaluated the effectiveness of three post-fire interventions in reducing soil erosion and runoff within a temperate Atlantic–transition climate, focusing on a shrubland hillslope near organic vine...

This study evaluated the removal of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), and estrogenic activity from real municipal wastewater using a pilot-scale multi-stage integrated fixed-film activated sludge (MS-IFAS) system. The configuration comprised five sequential reactors (Anaerobic, Anoxic-1, Aerobic under IFAS, Anoxic-2, and Re-aeration) providing distinct redox conditions. Influent concentrations averaged 112.6 ± 49.5 µg L −1...