Two new species of Odontostilbe historically hidden under O. microcephala (Characiformes: Cheirodontinae)

Specimens historically identified as Odontostilbe microcephala from the upper rio Paraná and Andean piedmont tributaries of the río Paraguay are reviewed and split in three species. We found that the distribution of O. microcephala is restricted to the Andean slope of the río Paraguay basin. The species is distinguished from congeners with subterminal mouth by the elongate body, usually 10-12 gill rakers on upper branch and smaller horizontal orbital diameter (24.6-32.8 % HL, mean 28.7%). Specimens from upper rio Paraná constitute two new species, diagnosed from other Cheirodontinae by the presence of mesopterygoid teeth, grouped on median portion and forming a continuous row. The new species are distinguished from each other by having premaxillary teeth with five cusps vs. nine cusps and by the number of lamellae in left and right sides of central median raphe of olfactory rosette with 20-21 vs. 11-12.Espécimes historicamente identificados com Odontostilbe microcephala do rio Paraná e tributários do río Paraguay, foram revisados e separados em três espécies. A distribuição de O. microcephala é restrita ao sopé andino da bacia do río Paraguay. A espécie é distinta das congêneres com boca subterminal pela forma alongada, geralmente 10-12 rastros branquiais no ramo superior e menor diâmetro horizontal da órbita (24,6-32,8 % CC, média 28,7%). Espécimes do alto rio Paraná constituem duas espécies novas diagnosticadas de outros Cheirodontinae pela presença de dentes no mesopterigoide, agrupados em sua porção média e formando uma fileira continua. As novas espécies distinguem-se por ter dentes premaxilares com cinco cúspides vs. nove cúspides e pelo número de lamelas nos lados esquerdo e direito da rafe central da roseta olfativa com 20-21 vs. 11-12

Urban strata interpretation : Xi'an's fragile urban form inside the Ming City Wall

Within a troublesome notion of historicity, any attempt to deal with the fast re-development of Chinese historic cities needs to confront with a different concept of integrity, permanence, and memory of the historic space. The end of the 20th century and the beginning of 21st century, moreover, were particularly disruptive for historic cities where an unprecedented development took place on the ‘tabula rasa’ of all pre-existing typo-morphological orders. Despite its early preservation plan in the 1980s, the historic Ming City in Xi’an has retained only its major cultural symbols while continuing the erasure of historic urban textures, which fragments are now mostly traceable in the topography of the fabric patterns. Around the Ming City Wall, nonetheless, a composite tissue has grown onto old traces and fabrics, defining an assemblage of typo-morphological forms and topographical traces that should be considered historicised as well. If understood as a ‘tabula plena’, this miscellaneous text could be regenerated and enhanced to support complexity and the restoration of a local identity rather than being indistinctively demolished in the name of a homogeneous stylistic coordination for touristic exploitation. The multiple times and memories absorbed in this composite layering of traces reveal the essential cultural meaning of urban form and the continuous need of interpretative tools to support a coevolutionary sustainable development. The paper focuses its analysis on both structure and morphology of Xi’an Ming City’s urban forms and characters, deepening the understanding of the urban substrata in the Jiangguo District

Effects of Brazil's political crisis on the science needed for biodiversity conservation

The effects of Brazil’s political crisis on science funding necessary for biodiversity conservation are likely to be global. Brazil is not only the world’s most biodiverse nation, it is responsible for the greater part of the Amazon forest, which regulates the climate and provides rain to much of southern South America. Brazil was a world leader in satellite monitoring of land-use change, in-situ biodiversity monitoring, reduction in tropical-forest deforestation, protection of indigenous lands, and a model for other developing nations. Coordinated public responses will be necessary to prevent special-interest groups from using the political crisis to weaken science funding, environmental legislation and law enforcement. Keywords: Brazil, biodiversity, climate change, governance, fundin

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Two new species of Odontostilbe historically hidden under O. microcephala (Characiformes: Cheirodontinae)

Specimens historically identified as Odontostilbe microcephala from the upper rio Paraná and Andean piedmont tributaries of the río Paraguay are reviewed and split in three species. We found that the distribution of O. microcephala is restricted to the Andean slope of the río Paraguay basin. The species is distinguished from congeners with subterminal mouth by the elongate body, usually 10-12 gill rakers on upper branch and smaller horizontal orbital diameter (24.6-32.8 % HL, mean 28.7%). Specimens from upper rio Paraná constitute two new species, diagnosed from other Cheirodontinae by the presence of mesopterygoid teeth, grouped on median portion and forming a continuous row. The new species are distinguished from each other by having premaxillary teeth with five cusps vs. nine cusps and by the number of lamellae in left and right sides of central median raphe of olfactory rosette with 20-21 vs. 11-12.Espécimes historicamente identificados com Odontostilbe microcephala do rio Paraná e tributários do río Paraguay, foram revisados e separados em três espécies. A distribuição de O. microcephala é restrita ao sopé andino da bacia do río Paraguay. A espécie é distinta das congêneres com boca subterminal pela forma alongada, geralmente 10-12 rastros branquiais no ramo superior e menor diâmetro horizontal da órbita (24,6-32,8 % CC, média 28,7%). Espécimes do alto rio Paraná constituem duas espécies novas diagnosticadas de outros Cheirodontinae pela presença de dentes no mesopterigoide, agrupados em sua porção média e formando uma fileira continua. As novas espécies distinguem-se por ter dentes premaxilares com cinco cúspides vs. nove cúspides e pelo número de lamelas nos lados esquerdo e direito da rafe central da roseta olfativa com 20-21 vs. 11-12

PEG Intron in Essential Thrombocythemia: Two Years Treatment in 90 Patients.

In Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) the optimized pharmacokinetics of the weekly-administered pegilated Interferons a (IFN) may increase the patient compliance to a long-lasting IFN treatment. This phase II study has been designed to evaluate in ET patients efficacy, safety and tolerability of a two years treatment with PEG Interferon a - 2b (PEG Intron, Schering-Plough). In 16 Hematological Institutions of the Gruppo Italiano Malattie Mieloproliferative Croniche (GIMMC) the PEG Intron treatment has been started in 90 ET patients, 30 Males and 60 Females, median age 45 years (18-72), previously treated with Alkylating agents (14%), Hydroxyurea (64%), IFN a (31%), Anagrelide (7%) and Antiplatelet drugs (91%). The patients showed: age over 60 (19%), previous thrombosis (4%), disease related symptoms (40%), thrombotic general risk factors (57%), platelet count > 1000 x109/L (81%), peripheral granulocyte precursors (8%), splenomegaly (22%), mean platelet count 1093 x 109/L. In the first year (Part I of the study) the very low initial dose of PEG Intron (25 mg/week) was increased to 50, 75 and 100 mg/week in the patients not reaching the Hematological Response (HR=PLT <500 x109/L) at weeks 13, 26 and 39, respectively. The HR was obtained in 17%, 55%, 79% and 79% of cases after 13, 26, 39 and 52 weeks of treatment, respectively. The PEG Intron toxicity, never of WHO grade IV and only in two cases of grade III, was cause of dose reduction, transitory interruption and drug withdrawal in 7%, 17% and 7% of cases, respectively. Ten patients showed laboratory signs of thyroid dysfunction. Neither thrombotic nor hemorrhagic events were observed. In the second year (Part 2 of the study) 76 responding patients continued PEG Intron treatment at progressively decreasing dose in order to maintain the HR. In detail, the mean PEG Intron dose (mg/week) from the baseline level of 52 was reduced to the values of 33, 34, 30 and 29 at weeks 13, 26, 39 and 52, respectively. In the patients still on PEG Intron treatment at weeks 13, 26, 39 and 52 the rate of the HR was 94.2%, 83.2%, 81.5% and 84.9%, respectively. A withdrawal of PEG Intron was registered after 8-44 weeks (median 23.5) in 10 patients, in 8 of them as consequence of drug related toxicity. The reduction of the PEG Intron dose allowed at week 52 to a significant decrease of the toxicity, respect the baseline. These preliminary data show that PEG Intron at relatively low dose is able to induce and to maintain the HR in the majority of ET patients, with acceptable safety and toxicity