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...

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...

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...

Schistosomiasis, a complex chronic intravascular parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma mansoni , triggers a multifaceted host immune response and drives endothelial cells toward a sustained proinflammatory phenotype. The dysfunctional endothelial cells are a hallmark event that contributes to intestinal and liver damage mainly due to an increased monocyte adhesion, but the elevated morbidity unveils the lack of knowledge abo...

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the main factor limiting agricultural production in acidic soils around the world. In this scenario, melatonin (MET) has emerged as a promising approach to alleviate Al toxicity. Thus, we investigated morphophysiological responses of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen, a medicinal plant, to Al toxicity and MET application. Plants were grown in vitro for 40 days in MS medium (control) supplemented wi...

Aluminum (Al) contamination in acidic soils severely limits plant growth and development. This study investigated the mechanisms and timing of Al toxicity in Pfaffia glomerata , a medicinal species of growing pharmacological interest. Based on the hypothesis that P. glomerata mitigates Al toxicity through tissue-specific adjustments in redox metabolism, accumulation of protective metabolites, and regulation of genes involved i...

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unparalleled political, economic, and social ramifications, exacerbating global food insecurity (FI). To understand the overall impact of the pandemic and how different socio-economic groups were affected, we assessed prevalence and severity of FI in a sample of 18,997 households across seven countries in South America. We employed the Food Insecurity Experience Scale developed by the FAO. Our r...