Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

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In this study, systematic pharmacological methods were used to reveal the potential pharmacological targets of baweixiaoyaosan in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). We identified 133 potential active compounds through data mining and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion evaluation systems. Then, the target of potential active compounds is predicted by a system model based on random forest and support vector machine methods. Next, construct herbal ingredient-target networks and target-disease networks for further analysis of multi-directional treatment methods...

The influence of refrigeration on the post-embryonic development of Chrysomya putoria larvae was evaluated, regarding its resistance in the logistics of storage and distribution in biotherapy. Previously sterilized larvae were submitted to four periods of storage under refrigeration (T1=12 h, T2=24 h, T3=48 h and T4=72 h) and control (without sterilization and refrigeration). Newly hatched larvae (0.200 g) were stored between 3 and 9ºC. After refrigeration, 40 neo-larvae (in triplicate) were transferred to 50 g of protein diet and incubated in an acclimatized chamber...

Healthcare workers present an increased risk of contagion for the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to their labor exposure. Here, we describe the clinical, laboratory, and immunological characteristics of healthcare workers, before vaccine application, exposed to SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory information from 50 professionals who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Clinical Hospital of the Northwest in Brazil. The results showed that most workers are women, over 50 years old, and worked as nursing technicians...

The science of sensory ecology formally emerged in the book of Ali (1978), when behavioral ecology was gaining popularity. Until 2020, three main books were written on the subject, in 1992 (Dusenbery 1992), 2001 (Barth & Schmid 2001) and 2013 (Stevens 2013). The definitions of sensory ecology provided by Ali emphasize adaptation, optimality and fitness. These are main concepts of behavioral ecology but the last two are not necessarily fundamentals of sensory ecology. Here I looked at the evolution of the concept of sensory ecology and tried to understand whether there is evidence that the definitions given in 1978 had been influenced by behavioral ecology...

Based on the genetic, morphological, and morphometric data of blood gamonts, we identified Hepatozoon parasites in colubrid snakes sampled in the Eastern Amazon region. Hepatozoon trigeminum was detected in the mussurana snake Clelia clelia and exhibited wide and elongated gamonts (mean dimensions: 14.25±0.65 × 4.31±0.43 μm) with an evident parasitophorous vacuole. Hepatozoon odwyerae sp. nov. was described in the indigo snake Drymarchon corais, whose gamonts have elongated and thin bodies (mean dimensions: 13...

Hemodynamic forces are related to pathological variations of the cardiovascular system, and numerical simulations for fluid-structure interaction have been systematically used to analyze the behavior of blood flow and the arterial wall in aortic aneurysms. This paper proposes a comparative analysis of 1-way and 2-way coupled fluid-structure interaction for aortic arch aneurysm. The coupling models of fluid-structure interaction were conducted using 3D geometry of the thoracic aorta from computed tomography...

We collected data during three consecutive breeding seasons (2015-2018) to assess the effects of Taphropiestes plaumanni (Coleoptera: Cavognathidae) on its bird hosts in a native forest of central eastern Argentina. We monitored bird nests for T. plaumanni in 207 nests of Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola, Polioptilidae), 302 nests of Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus, Tyrannidae), 55 nests of Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Pipraeidea bonariensis, Thraupidae), 99 nests of Small-billed Elaenia (Elaenia parvirostris, Tyrannidae), 23 nests of Yellow-browed Tyrant (Satrapa icterophrys, Tyrannidae), and other passerine species nesting in the same forest patches...

Ecto and endoparasites of four species of coastal birds, Haematopus ater, Larus dominicanus, Leucophaeus scoresbii (Charadriiformes), and Lophonetta specularioides (Anseriformes), are reported from Puerto Deseado on the Patagonian coast, Argentina. Only H. ater was infested with lice (Phthiraptera), belonging to 2 species (Ischnocera, Amblycera). A total of 19 helminth species were found parasitizing the coastal birds studied: 4 cestodes (1 Tetrabothriidae, 3 Cyclophyllidea); 11 trematodes (2 Gymnophallidae, 3 Microphallidae, 2 Notocotylidae, 1 Philophthalmidae, 2 Renicolidae, 1 Schistosomatidae); 3 nematodes (1 Anisakidae, 2 Acuariidae); and 1 acanthocephalan (Polymorphidae)...

Factors influencing the diversity of tenebrionid beetles in arid, high-altitude environments in the northwest of Argentina are little-known. Using pitfall traps and suction sampling in 30 sites, we collected these beetles in Altos Andes (AA) and Puna (PU) ecoregions and evaluated how local and regional factors influenced their assemblages. During each sampling date, we registered variables related to climate, vegetation, and soil in each sampling site. In total, we recorded 270 individuals from 21 species, richness of species was higher in PU than in AA, but without a statistically significant difference...

The Caatinga biome is the largest dry tropical forest region in South America as well as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the climate changes forecast for this century. Climate forecasts for the biome include increased air temperature, reduced rainfall and aridization. This biome does not have a homogeneous landscape; instead it has several rainforest enclaves. This article describes a study to model the potential distribution of four epiphytic cactus species (Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw...

This study aimed to characterize papaya lines via microsatellite markers, and select genotypes based on the fixation index in order to promote the genetic purification of important commercial hybrids parent lines. Overall, 400 genotypes from three parental lines (JS-12, SS-72/12, and Sekati) were genotyped. Expected (HE), observed (HO) heterozygosity, and fixation index (F), were estimated. Genetic distances were estimated using an unweighted index, which was graphically presented via cluster analysis using the UPGMA and PCoA...

Secondary production is the formation of heterotrophic biomass across time, which integrates several important ecological processes that affect the life of organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems, but its study has poor developed in South America. The objectives of this work were to describe the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in terms of abundance and biomass, and to quantify their secondary production for the first time in Andean rivers. A quantitative sampling scheme was implemented, using a Surber sampler, in three forested streams...

Januaria is described as a new monospecific genus of Rubiaceae, based on material from Januária, northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new taxon is endemic to Brazil, occurring in a vegetation type that is known locally as "carrasco", in the southern limit of the Caatinga biome. Morphological (including palynological and SEM analyses) and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (ETS, ITS) and plastid (atpB-rbcL, peth, rps16, trnL-trnF) sequence data were performed in the Spermacoce clade (tribe Spermacoceae)...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Federal Protected Areas on the coast of the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil with regard to the preservation of mangrove forests. The study area encompassed remaining mangrove forests distributed in four federal protected areas (PAs) located in Paraíba: Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (AREI) of Mangroves of the Mamanguape River, Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of the Mamanguape River, the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (NATFOR), and the Acaú-Goiana Extractive Reserve (EXTRES)...

Euantha Wulp is a New World genus in the tribe Sophiini (Dexiinae). It includes three species: E. interrupta Aldrich, 1927, E. litturata (Olivier, 1811) and E. pulchra Wulp, 1891. This last species is poorly known, being restricted mostly to catalogues since its original description. Here E. pulchra is redescribed, a lectotype is designated and the male is diagnosed for the first time. In addition, this species (originally described from Mexico) is newly recorded from Guatemala. Finally, the first key to include all the species of Euantha is provided...

The Atlantic Forest is known for its richness and diversity of species. Nonetheless, the diversity of millipedes in the biome is still poorly known. In this work, the distribution and the faunal composition of millipedes of the family Spirostreptidae Brandt, 1833 (order Spirostreptida) from the Atlantic Forest are provided. A total of 159 occurrence points were compiled, and 59 species in 17 genera were listed. Gymnostreptus Brölemann, 1902 was recovered as the richest genus in the Atlantic Forest with 14 species and one subspecies...

Quantitative data obtained from native forests is costly and time-consuming. Thus, alternative measurement methods need to be developed to provide reliable information, especially in Atlantic Rain Forests. In this study we evaluated the hypothesis that the combination of an Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can provide accurate quantitative information on tree height, volume, and aboveground biomass of the Araucaria angustifolia species. The study was carried out in Atlantic Rain forest fragments in southern Brazil...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the bodying agents (erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, and polydextrose) and their mixtures on the preparation of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruit preserves (marolo, soursop, and sweet passion fruit). Mixture design was used for product optimization and the preserves were evaluated by texture profile, stress relaxation test, and uniaxial compression test. The research data were analyzed using regression equations on SAS software. The results indicated that the rheological parameters were affected by the body agents...

This study compares local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishers from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO), Brazil, related to the franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei). We conducted 330 ethnographic interviews in ten fishing communities in southern and southeastern Brazil between 2012 and 2018. Boolean or Classic Logic was used to identify 95 fishers who were able to recognize the franciscana dolphin accordingly to the taxonomic entity P. blainvillei: 23 in northern Espírito Santo state, one in southern Espírito Santo, 20 in northern Rio de Janeiro state, and 51 in northern Paraná state...