In this work, bio-oil (an organic matrix rich in oxygen functionalities) was used to efficiently dissolve and disperse Fe3+ which upon thermal treatment produced a carbon containing dispersed and encapsulated Fe oxide magnetic nanoparticles. These materials were prepared by dissolution of 8, 16 and 24 wt.% Fe3+ salt in bio-oil followed by treatment at 400, 450, 500 or 600 ºC in N2 atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopies (TEM), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), potentiometric titration, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopies showed that Fe3+ species in bio-oil is reduced to produce magnetic nanoparticles phases: magnetite Fe3O4 and maghemite γ-Fe2O3. At low temperatures, the iron phases were less protected, and the carbon matrix was more reactive, while in temperatures above 500 ºC, the iron phases were more stable, however, the carbon matrix was less reactive. Reaction of these magnetic carbon materials with concentrated H2SO4 produced surface sulfonic acidic sites (ca. 1 mmol g-1), especially for the materials obtained at 400 and 450 ºC. The materials were used as catalysts on esterification reaction of oleic acid with methanol at 100 ºC and conversions of 90% were reached, however, after 2 consecutive uses, the conversion decreased to 30%, being required more studies to improve the material stability.

Resumo Dentre as ecorregiões dulcícolas neotropicais, a Nordeste Médio-Oriental (MNCE) é uma lacuna de conhecimento sobre peixes. Suas drenagens temporárias são receptoras do projeto de transposição do São Francisco (SFR-IWT) no semiárido brasileiro. Fornecemos uma linha de base abrangente da riqueza de peixes das cinco bacias do SFR-IWT. Riqueza de espécies, espécies compartilhadas, endêmicas, ameaçadas e não-nativas foram obtidas através de amostragem, coleções ictiológicas, literatura e repositórios online (306 localidades). No total, foram registradas 121 espécies, 111 nativas e 16 (14,41%) listadas para todas as bacias. A maior riqueza de espécies nativas (78, 70,27%) foi registrada no trecho sub-médio do São Francisco (SFRE), incluindo 23 endêmicas e 61 (54,95%) nas bacias da MNCE (13 endêmicas), e 28 (25,23 %) compartilhadas entre ambas ecorregiões. Na MNCE, foram registradas 50 espécies na Jaguaribe (JAG), 39 na Piranhas-Açu, 36 na Paraíba do Norte e 32 na Apodi-Mossoró (APO). O número de espécies compartilhadas entre SFRE e cada bacia receptora variou de 24 (23,08%, JAG) a 20 (22,22%, APO). JAG contém 81,97% das espécies das bacias receptoras. Sua maior riqueza e endemismo merecem atenção especial em relação às mudanças hidrológicas em curso. Este estudo ajudará a detectar possíveis modificações na ictiofauna das principais drenagens da MNCE.

Abstract Among Neotropical freshwater ecoregions, the Mid-Northeastern Caatinga (MNCE) is a fish knowledge gap. Its temporary drainages are receptors of the São Francisco interbasin water transfer project (SFR-IWT) in the Brazilian semiarid. We provide a comprehensive baseline of fish richness of the five SFR-IWT basins. Species richness, shared, endemic, threatened and non-native species were obtained using sampling, ichthyologic collections, literature and online repositories (306 localities). In total 121, species were recorded, 111 of them native, and 16 (14.41%) listed for all basins. Higher richness of native species (78, 70.27%) was recorded in the São Francisco lower-middle stretch (SFRE), including 23 endemic, 61 (54.95%) in MNCE basins (13 endemic), and 28 (25.23%) shared between both ecoregions. In the MNCE, 50 species were recorded in Jaguaribe (JAG), 39 in Piranhas-Açu, 36 in Paraíba do Norte, and 32 in Apodi-Mossoró (APO). The number of species shared between the SFRE and each receptor basin varied from 24 (23.08%, JAG) to 20 (22.22%, APO). JAG contains 81.97% of the receptor basins’ species. Its higher richness and endemism deserve special attention regarding the ongoing hydrological changes. This study will help detect possible modifications in the ichthyofauna of the main MNCE drainages.

ABSTRACT Objective The transcriptional repressor DREAM is involved in thyroid-specific gene expression, thyroid enlargement and nodular development, but its clinical utility is still uncertain. In this study we aimed to investigate whether DREAM mRNA levels differ in different thyroid tumors and how this possible difference would allow the use of DREAM gene expression as molecular marker for diagnostic and/or prognosis purpose. Materials and methods We quantified DREAM gene mRNA levels and investigated its mutational status, relating its expression and genetic changes to diagnostic and prognostic features of 200 thyroid tumors, being 101 malignant [99 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) and 2 anaplastic thyroid carcinomas] and 99 benign thyroid lesions [49 goiter and 50 follicular adenomas (FA)]. Results Levels of mRNA of DREAM gene were higher in benign (0.7909 ± 0.6274 AU) than in malignant (0.3373 ± 0.6274 AU) thyroid lesions (p < 0.0001). DREAM gene expression was able to identify malignancy with 66.7% sensitivity, 85.4% specificity, 84.2% positive predictive value (PPV), 68.7% negative predictive value (NPV), and 75.3% accuracy. DREAM mRNA levels were also useful distinguishing the follicular lesions FA and FVPTC with 70.2% sensitivity, 73.5% specificity, 78.5% PPV, 64.1% NPV, and 71.6% accuracy. However, DREAM gene expression was neither associated with clinical features of tumor aggressiveness, nor with recurrence or survival. Six different genetic changes in non-coding regions of DREAM gene were also found, not related to DREAM gene expression or tumor features. Conclusion We suggest that DREAM gene expression may help diagnose thyroid nodules, identifying malignancy and characterizing follicular-patterned thyroid lesions; however, it is not useful as a prognostic marker.

Os ambientes aquáticos temporários e semi-permanentes do semiárido brasileiro tem sido mostrados como importantes sítios que possuem uma diversa fauna de peixes. Desta forma, esses ambientes devem ser capazes de sustentar, do ponto de vista trófico, populações de peixes que se alimentam em diversos níveis tróficos. O presente estudo tem como objetivo descrever o hábito alimentar de Astyanax aff. bimaculatus, Hoplias malabaricus e Prochilodus brevis em ambientes aquáticos do semiárido brasileiro, fornecendo evidências da importância desses habitats para manutenção da diversidade de consumidores como os peixes. A composição da dieta das espécies estudadas foi diversificada, já que alimentaram-se de uma variedade de classes de itens, desde microalgas até peixes. Apesar disso, alguns itens foram mais importantes para cada uma das três espécies. Estes resultados, e as altas taxas de repleção dos estômagos, indicam que um abundante e diverso conjunto de itens alimentares está disponível nos ambientes estudados, embora as espécies tendam a selecionar alguns itens em detrimento de outros. Este estudo fornece evidência de que, apesar de altamente variáveis, sistemas aquáticos intermitentes e semi-permanentes do semiárido brasileiro são capazes de sustentar, do ponto de vista trófico, consumidores de topo.

Temporary and semi-permanent aquatic habitats in semi-arid Brazil have been reported as important sites supporting a diverse fish fauna. As such, they must be able to trophically sustain fish species that feed at different trophic levels. This study aims to describe the diets of Astyanax aff. bimaculatus, Hoplias malabaricus and Prochilodus brevis in aquatic systems in semi-arid Brazil, providing evidence of the importance of these habitats as supporters of large consumers like fish. The diet of the three species studied was diverse, feeding on a range of food items, from microalgae to fish. Despite that, a few items were more important to each of the study species. These results and the relatively high rates of stomach fullness indicate that a diverse and abundant food range is available in the study sites, but species seem to select some food resources. The present study provides evidence that despite being highly variable, intermittent and semi-permanent aquatic systems in semi-arid Brazil are able to trophically sustain large consumers.

Estudou-se a distribuição e diversidade de espécies de Anopheles em 123 municípios do Estado do Maranhão, Brasil. O método básico foi a captura de fêmeas dentro e nos arredores das habitações humanas, em intervalos compreendidos entre 18h e 6h, no período de janeiro de 1992 a dezembro de 2001. Foram capturados 84.467 exemplares distribuídos em 24 espécies, com o predomínio de A. triannulatus sensu lato (20.788), A. darlingi (19.083), A. nuneztovari (16.884), A. albitarsis s.l. (14.352), A. aquasalis (8.202) e A. evansae (2.885). As outras 18 espécies juntas representaram apenas 2,7%. As espécies encontradas no maior número de municípios foram: A. albitarsis s.l. (109 municípios), A. triannulatus s.l. (106), A. nuneztovari (93), A. darlingi (87) e A. evansae (64). A riqueza e a ampla distribuição das espécies de anofelinos no Maranhão concordam com a posição geográfica do estado, entre as macrorregiões que caracterizam o Brasil, resultando em uma fauna mista, com elementos representativos dessas regiões.

We studied the distribution and diversity of Anopheles species in 123 counties (municipalities) in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. The basic method consisted of capturing female specimens inside and around human dwellings between 6 PM and 6 AM from January 1992 to December 2001. A total of 84,467 specimens belonging to 24 species were captured, with a predominance of A. triannulatus sensu lato (20,788), A. darlingi (19,083), A. nuneztovari (16,884), A. albitarsis s.l. (14,352), A. aquasalis (8.202), and A. evansae (2,885). The other 18 species together accounted for only 2.7% of the total. The species found in the most counties were A. albitarsis s.l. (109 counties), A. triannulatus s.l. (106), A. nuneztovari (93), A. darlingi (87), and A. evansae (64). The richness and wide distribution of anopheline species in Maranhão agree with the State's geographic position among Brazil's macro-regions, resulting in a mixed fauna with representative elements from these regions.

Estudou-se a distribuição e diversidade de espécies de Anopheles em 123 municípios do Estado do Maranhão, Brasil. O método básico foi a captura de fêmeas dentro e nos arredores das habitações humanas, em intervalos compreendidos entre 18h e 6h, no período de janeiro de 1992 a dezembro de 2001. Foram capturados 84.467 exemplares distribuídos em 24 espécies, com o predomínio de A. triannulatus sensu lato (20.788), A. darlingi (19.083), A. nuneztovari (16.884), A. albitarsis s.l. (14.352), A. aquasalis (8.202) e A. evansae (2.885). As outras 18 espécies juntas representaram apenas 2,7%. As espécies encontradas no maior número de municípios foram: A. albitarsis s.l. (109 municípios), A. triannulatus s.l. (106), A. nuneztovari (93), A. darlingi (87) e A. evansae (64). A riqueza e a ampla distribuição das espécies de anofelinos no Maranhão concordam com a posição geográfica do estado, entre as macrorregiões que caracterizam o Brasil, resultando em uma fauna mista, com elementos representativos dessas regiões.

We studied the distribution and diversity of Anopheles species in 123 counties (municipalities) in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. The basic method consisted of capturing female specimens inside and around human dwellings between 6 PM and 6 AM from January 1992 to December 2001. A total of 84,467 specimens belonging to 24 species were captured, with a predominance of A. triannulatus sensu lato (20,788), A. darlingi (19,083), A. nuneztovari (16,884), A. albitarsis s.l. (14,352), A. aquasalis (8.202), and A. evansae (2,885). The other 18 species together accounted for only 2.7% of the total. The species found in the most counties were A. albitarsis s.l. (109 counties), A. triannulatus s.l. (106), A. nuneztovari (93), A. darlingi (87), and A. evansae (64). The richness and wide distribution of anopheline species in Maranhão agree with the State's geographic position among Brazil's macro-regions, resulting in a mixed fauna with representative elements from these regions.