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 Dysregulation of the innate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 has been linked to poor outcomes in COVID-19. Neutrophils are key players in this response, displaying distinct functional profiles associated with disease severity. This study investigates how neutrophil phenotypes, and their mediators are modulated in severe COVID-19 following vaccination. Methods and Results We conducted an observational case-control study...

Cetaceans are highly adapted marine mammals whose survival depends on precise auditory and echolocation systems. Therefore, disease processes affecting these systems, including parasitic infections pose significant morbidity and may result in stranding and death. Here, we describe the pathologic and parasitological findings in an adult, male melon-headed whale ( Peponocephala electra ) stranded dead on the Brazilian coast. The...

While bats are known to harbor various viruses and bacteria, their role as hosts for hemoparasites has not been extensively studied. This research investigated the presence of ectoparasites and vector-borne pathogens—including Anaplasmataceae agents, hemoplasmas, apicomplexans, and kinetoplastids—in 74 Phyllostomidae bats sampled from an urban forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. Overall, 31.1% of the bats were infested wit...

This study documents the lifecycle and large-scale environment of a large-hail producing supercell that occurred in southern Brazil (SB) on 6 October 2015. The supercell underwent a merger with a nascent supercell near a Doppler weather radar and rapidly intensified shortly after the interaction. The original (premerger) supercell developed in a high-shear, high-instability pre-cyclogenesis environment and remained isolated un...

Main conclusion Genuine accumulation of metals/metalloids in bryophytes is limited and highly susceptible to surficial contamination with soil particles. Washing with an apolar solvent removes most surficial contamination prior to elemental analysis. Abstract Bryophytes are often the first colonisers of soils toxic from metals/metalloids derived from natural mineralisation or mining wastes. They are ostensibly highly tolerant...