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Parasmittina is the most representative cheilostome genus of the family Smittinidae, often reported in the fouling non-indigenous marine community. Here, we present a review of Parasmittina species reported in the Southwestern Atlantic including the characterization of one species from Argentina (P. dubitata) and ten from the Brazilian coast: P. abrolhosensis, P. alba, P. bimucronata, P. ligulata comb. nov., P. longirostrata, P. pinctatae, P. serrula, P. simpulata, P. winstonae and the new species Parasmittina falciformis sp. nov. The new species is characterized by a smooth distally primary orifice with 1-2 oral spines, large lyrula, serrated condyles with hooked tips, and two types of avicularia-small and subtriangular and large sublanceolate. This study does not recognize four species previous recorded in Brazil: reports of P. betamorphaea and P. trispinosa are now assigned to P. pinctatae; records of P. munita belong to P. falciformis sp. nov.; and reports of P. spathulata encompass at least two taxa, including P. abrolhosensis and P. simpulata. In this study, five species complexes (P. alba, P. longirostrata, P. serrula, P. simpulata and P. winstonae) were identified and require further investigations. While six species characterized here were first described based on specimens from the Southwestern Atlantic (P. abrolhosensis, P. alba, P. dubitata, P. ligulata comb. nov., P. simpulata and P. falciformis sp. nov.), the remaining species are mainly known from the Indo-Pacific. These taxa are here recognized as exotic (P. longirostrata) and cryptogenic (P. bimucronata, P. pinctatae, P. serrula and P. winstonae) in the studied area. Most of the non-native taxa are widespread along the Brazilian coast, growing on both artificial and natural surfaces, indicating that they are well-established in the area. As non-native bryozoans can negatively influence the environment, affecting human economic activities and beach usage, further studies on the fauna presented here are suggested to determine the origin of these taxa and help prevent bioinvasion events along the SW Atlantic.

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Abstract Increasing habitat modification and species loss demand consistent efforts to describe and understand biodiversity patterns. The BIOTA/FAPESP Program was created in this context and it has been a successful initiative to promote studies on biodiversity and conservation in Brazil. The BIOTA/Araçá is an interdisciplinary project that provided a detailed evaluation of the biodiversity of Araçá Bay, a coastal seascape located on the North coast of the state of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil. The bay encompasses multiple habitats, such as beaches, mangroves, rocky shores, and a tidal flat, and provides important ecosystem services. Unfortunately, the bay is the subject of complex social-environmental conflicts that oppose economic, social, and environmental demands (i.e., the expansion of neighboring harbor activities vs. small-scale artisanal fisheries and protection of biodiversity). The present study presents a survey of the benthic species occurring in the different habitats of Araçá Bay, including data obtained during the BIOTA/Araçá project and previous assessments of the area. The benthic species play an important role in marine environments and studying the diversity of these organisms that live associated with the bottom is indispensable for comprehending the environment's functioning. The macrofauna, meiofauna, and microorganisms associated with soft and hard bottom were listed, and additional information, such as the habitat and geographical distribution, were provided for each species. The checklist includes 826 species, almost 70% recorded during the BIOTA/Araçá project. The most speciose taxa were the annelids (225 spp.), mollusks (194 spp.), and crustaceans (177 spp.). Seven benthic species are endemic to Araçá Bay, 14 are considered threatened, and seven are economically exploited. Furthermore, the bay is the type locality of many taxa, and 11 new benthic species were described based on specimens sampled during the project. This project shows the importance of Araçá Bay as a unique biologically rich environment and highlights the need for conservation efforts in light of the current threats.

Resumo O aumento da modificação dos habitats e da perda de espécies demanda esforços consistentes para descrever e compreender os padrões de biodiversidade. O programa BIOTA/FAPESP foi criado nesse contexto e é uma iniciativa de sucesso para promover estudos em biodiversidade e conservação no Brasil. O BIOTA/Araçá é um projeto interdisciplinar que promoveu uma avaliação detalhada da biodiversidade da Baía do Araçá, um ecossistema costeiro localizado ao Norte do estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil. A baía engloba múltiplos habitats, tais como praias, manguezais, costões rochosos, e uma planície de maré, e também fornece importantes serviços ecossistêmicos. Infelizmente, a baía está sujeita à conflitos sócio-ambientais complexos que contrastam demandas econômicas, sociais e ambientais (i.e. a expansão das atividades do porto vizinho vs. a pesca artesanal de pequena escala e a proteção da biodiversidade). O presente estudo apresenta um levantamento das espécies bentônicas que ocorrem nos diferentes habitats da Baía do Araçá, incluindo dados obtidos durante o projeto BIOTA/Araçá e de investigações realizadas anteriormente na área. As espécies bentônicas desempenham um papel importante no ambiente marinho, e estudar a diversidade desses organismos que vivem associados ao fundo é indispensável para compreender o funcionamento do meio ambiente. A macrofauna, meiofauna, e microorganismos associados aos fundos consolidado e inconsolidado foram listados, e informações adicionais foram fornecidas para cada espécie, tais como a distribuição geográfica e nos habitats. O checklist inclui 826 espécies, quase 70% registradas durante o projeto BIOTA/Araçá. Os taxa mais especiosos foram os anelídeos (225 spp.), moluscos (194 spp.), e crustáceos (177 spp.). Entre as espécies bentônicas listadas, sete são endêmicas da Baía do Araçá, 14 são consideradas ameaçadas de extinção, e sete são exploradas economicamente. A baía é a localidade tipo de vários taxa, e 11 novas espécies bentônicas foram descritas com base em espécimes amostrados durante o projeto. Este projeto mostra a importância da Baía do Araçá como um ambiente de riqueza biológica única e demonstra a necessidade de esforços para a sua conservação considerando as atuais ameaças.

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Bryozoans are commonly associated with various artificial structures in marine environments and have been responsible for several bioinvasion events worldwide. Understanding the interactions between bryozoans and artificial structures is therefore essential to prevent the establishment and spread of potential bioinvaders. This study investigated bryozoan recruitment on four different substrates (PET, nautical ropes, metal, and PVC) placed in three orientations (vertical, horizontal facing down and facing up) in an area of the Western Atlantic. In total, 15 species of bryozoans were found. The results revealed significant variations in assemblages' richness, with bryozoans showing a preference for settling on PVC (14 species found) and on the underside of horizontal substrates (15 species found), resulting in the higher representativity observed in this study. Cryptogenic (nine species) and exotic (five species) bryozoans dominated the assemblages in all treatments, indicating that the type of substrate (especially artificial) and its orientation can favor the settlement of bryozoans, particularly non-native species. Therefore, the availability of multiple types of artificial substrates in marine environments should be treated as a cause for concern.

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The A-series is the most recent generation of chemical warfare nerve agents (CWA) which act directly on the inhibition of the human acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE) enzyme. These compounds lack accurate experimental data on their physicochemical properties, and there is no evidence that traditional antidotes effectively reactivate HssAChE inhibited by them. In the search for potential antidotes, we employed virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for the theoretical assessment of the performance of a library of Mannich phenols as potential reactivators of HssAChE inhibited by the Novichok agents A-230, A-232, and A-234, in comparison with the commercial oximes pralidoxime (2-PAM), asoxime (HI-6), trimedoxime (TMB-4), and obidoxime. Following the near-attack conformation (NAC) approach, our results suggest that the compounds assessed would face difficulties in triggering the proposed nucleophilic in-line displacement mechanism. Despite this, it was observed that certain Mannich phenols presented similar or superior results to those obtained by reference oximes against A-232 and A-234 model, suggesting that these compounds can adopt more favourable conformations. Additional binding energy calculations confirmed the stability of the model/ligands complexes and the reactivating potential observed in the molecular docking and MD studies. Our findings indicate that the Mannich phenols could be alternative antidotes and that their efficacy should be evaluated experimentally against the A-series CWA.

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Açaí, Euterpe oleracea Mart., is a native plant from the Amazonian and is rich in several phytochemicals with anti-tumor activities. The aim was to analyze the effects of açaí seed oil on colorectal adenocarcinoma (ADC) cells. In vitro analyses were performed on CACO-2, HCT-116, and HT-29 cell lines. The strains were treated with açaí seed oil for 24, 48, and 72 h, and cell viability, death, and morphology were analyzed. Molecular docking was performed to evaluate the interaction between the major compounds in açaí seed oil and Annexin A2. The viability assay showed the cytotoxic effect of the oil in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Acai seed oil induced increased apoptosis in CACO-2 and HCT-116 cells and interfered with the cell cycle. Western blotting showed an increased expression of LC3-B, suggestive of autophagy, and Annexin A2, an apoptosis regulatory protein. Molecular docking confirmed the interaction of major fatty acids with Annexin A2, suggesting a role of açaí seed oil in modulating Annexin A2 expression in these cancer cell lines. Our results suggest the anti-tumor potential of açaí seed oil in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and contribute to the development of an active drug from a known natural product.

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Abstract The knowledge of coaches has been used in research on talent identification and development. The objective was to investigate how Brazilian triathlon coaches identify talents and what is the importance of different factors and indicators for the development of young triathletes. 37 coaches (89% male; 36.2 ± 8.3 years; 43% international competitive level) answered an online questionnaire about anthropometric, physical-motor, technical, tactical, psychological and environmental characteristics. On a scale of 1 (not very important) to 5 (extremely important), coaches indicated to what extent a factor/indicator of sporting potential was important for talent development in triathlon. 45.9% of the coaches perform talent identification, mainly by physical-motor tests and triathlon simulations. In talent development, the physical-motor factor was the most important, followed by the technical, psychological and anthropometric factor, and finally the tactical and environmental factor. Most coaches considered as extremely important the following indicators: determination (70%), aerobic endurance (65%), specific swimming skills (62%), ability to withstand pressure (59%), and efficiency of the cyclic gesture of swimming, cycling, and running (57%). We conclude that Brazilian triathlon coaches identify talents mainly through batteries of tests and triathlon simulations and consider the physical-motor factor the most important for the development of young talented triathletes, but not the only one.

Resumo O conhecimento dos treinadores tem sido utilizado na pesquisa sobre identificação e desenvolvimento de talentos. O objetivo foi investigar como os treinadores de triatlo brasileiros identificam os talentos e qual é a importância de diferentes fatores e indicadores para o desenvolvimento de jovens triatletas. 37 treinadores (89% homens; 36,2 ± 8,3 anos; 43% nível competitivo internacional) responderam um questionário online sobre características antropométricas, físico-motoras, técnicas, táticas, psicológicas e ambientais. Em uma escala de 1 (não muito importante) a 5 (extremamente importante), os treinadores indicaram em que medida um fator/indicador do potencial esportivo era importante para o desenvolvimento de talentos no triatlo. 45,9% dos treinadores realizam identificação de talentos, principalmente por testes físico-motores e simulados de triatlo. No desenvolvimento de talentos, o fator físico-motor foi o mais importante, seguido pelo fator técnico, psicológico e antropométrico, e por fim o fator tático e ambiental. A maioria dos treinadores considerou como extremamente importante os indicadores: determinação (70%), resistência aeróbica (65%), habilidades específicas de natação (62%), capacidade de suportar pressão (59%) e eficiência do gesto cíclico de nadar, pedalar e correr (57%). Conclui-se que os treinadores de triatlo brasileiros identificam talentos principalmente por meio de baterias de testes e simulados de triatlo e consideram o fator físico-motor o mais importante para o desenvolvimento de jovens triatletas talentosos, mas não o único.

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The accumulation of drift organisms (Arribadas, constituted by benthic microalgae, macroalgae and bryozoans) on Central Beach in Balneário Camboriú (SC) has drawn attention since the early 2000s. However, historical surveys suggest an ancient phenomenon that has been increasing in intensity, promoted by urbanization and the eutrophication of the bay in recent years, leading to changes in the taxonomic composition. Previously, these Arribadas were comprised of two species of benthic microalgae (Amphitetras antediluviana and Biddulphia biddulphiana) and the bryozoan Arbocuspis ramosa. However, since 2019, a substantial increase in biomass has been observed on the beach and the dominance of the macroalgae Bryopsis plumosa strongly suggests an increase in the load of organic matter and nutrients in the bay. Recently (2022) the presence of a new invasive bryozoan species (Amathia alternata) was detected, highlighting the need to continue investigating the Arribadas to monitor the ecological evolution of this process.

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In this study, we provide a baseline assessment of introduced marine species along the extensive (~600 km) Brazilian semiarid coast. We reported 27 introduced and 26 cryptogenic species. Moreover, the main vectors of introduction were ballast water, shipping lines, oil and gas activities, biofouling, and rafting on plastic debris. The taxa were Ascidiacea (17 species) and Bryozoa (17), followed by Crustacea (6), Mollusca (6), Cnidaria (3), Echinodermata (3), and Porifera (1). Among these invertebrates, some species are recognized as drivers of impacts such as the invasive corals (Tubastraea tagusensis and Tubastraea coccinea), the bivalves Isognomom bicolor and Perna viridis, the crab Charybdis hellerii, the brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis, and, finally, the bryozoan Membraniporopsis tubigera. These species threaten the biodiversity of unique ecosystems such as intertidal sandstone reefs, shallow-water coral reefs, and mesophotic ecosystems. Moreover, the up-to-date results highlight that this region is a hotspot of bioinvasion in the tropical South Atlantic.

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The acute respiratory syndrome caused by the SARS-CoV-2, known as COVID-19, has been ruthlessly tormenting the world population for more than six months. However, so far no effective drug or vaccine against this plague have emerged yet, despite the huge effort in course by researchers and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Willing to contribute with this fight to defeat COVID-19, we performed a virtual screening study on a library containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs, in a search for molecules capable of hitting three main molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2 currently available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our results were refined with further molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and MM-PBSA calculations and pointed to 7 multi-target hits which we propose here for experimental evaluation and repurposing as potential drugs against COVID-19. Additional rounds of docking, MD simulations and MM-PBSA calculations with remdesivir suggested that this compound can also work as a multi-target drug against SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

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Despite a recent increase in the number of taxonomic studies on the bryozoan fauna of northeastern Brazil, new discoveries and re-examination of museum specimens allow the continued recognition of new taxa. Here, we describe ten new cheilostome species from the northeastern continental shelf of Brazil based on different museum collections. The new species are: Thalamoporella tupinamba n. sp., Turbicellepora papula n. sp., Plesiocleidochasma brasiliensis n. sp., Plesiocleidochasma infundibulum n. sp., Rhynchozoon turgidum n. sp., Cribrilaria brasiliensis n. sp., Hippoporina titan n. sp., Crepidacantha fasciata n. sp., Crepidacantha browni n. sp., and Hippopodina inarmata n. sp. Some specimens previously reported from northeastern Brazil are here reassigned to the newly described taxa, and two new combinations, Cribrilaria caraguata (Winston Vieira, 2013) n. comb. and Cribrilaria tuba (Winston Vieira, 2013) n. comb., are proposed.

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The dosimetry of intraoral radiography procedures is of great interest since dental examinations are among the most numerous radiological procedures. Usually, the surveys are performed using measurements free in air. The entrance surface air kerma (Ke) can be estimated from measurements of incident air kerma and the use of backscatter factors (BSF). The purpose of this work is to calculate BSF values suitable for intraoral radiography. In addition to specific intraoral radiography, a comprehensive reassessment of internationally recommended BSF values was performed through Monte Carlo simulations. Moreover, theKewas estimated using the calculated BSF values for a sample of 44 intraoral radiography systems. The interpolation of intraoral radiography BSF values from reference data can lead to an overestimation of up to 10% and 6% in comparison with the values calculated in this work for monoenergetic photons and x-ray spectra, respectively. Such discrepancy may be relevant when defining diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) or performing quality control tests. The calculations for a sample of 44 intraoral radiography systems showed that the majority of the equipment operates with an entrance surface air kerma higher than 3.5 mGy. In the case of adopting a single value to estimateKe, the use of BSF equal to 1.2 results in less dispersion compared to calculated values in this work and the use of 1.1 can underestimateKevalues up to 12%.

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Artificial habitats, such as harbours and marinas, are entry doors for the introduction and dispersal of species. Surveys on fouling community in these habitats help to understand preventing environmental impacts and management of invasive species. Thus, a survey on fouling bryozoan fauna was carried out along 17 artificial habitats (eight harbours and nine marinas) from three coastal stretches in Southwestern Atlantic. A total of 55 species were identified, including 13 non-native, 33 cryptogenic and nine native taxa. Only five bryozoan species were found in more than 75% of sampled sites. Our analysis revealed that bryozoan fouling communities in artificial habitats do not vary significantly between commercial and recreational localities. However, we also found that faunal assemblages varied significantly along Brazilian coastal stretches that are distinguished by environmental conditions, such as salinity and temperature.

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The developmental and evolutionary principles of coloniality in marine animals remain largely unexplored. Although many common traits have evolved independently in different groups of colonial animals, questions about their significance for colonial life histories remain unanswered. In 2018 (Nov. 25 - Dec. 8), the inaugural course on the Evolution of Coloniality and Modularity took place at the Center for Marine Biology of the University of São Paulo (CEBIMAR-USP), Brazil. During the intensive two-week graduate-level course, we addressed some of the historical ideas about animal coloniality by focal studies in bryozoans, tunicates, cnidarians, and sponges. We discussed many historical hypotheses and ways to test these using both extant and paleontological data, and we carried direct observations of animal colonies in the different phyla to address questions about coloniality. We covered topics related to multi-level selection theory and studied colonial traits, including modular miniaturization, polymorphism, brooding, and allorecognition. Course participants carried out short research projects using local species of animals to address questions on allorecognition and regeneration in ascidians and sponges, fusion and chimerism in anthoathecate hydrozoans, and evolution of polymorphism in bryozoans. Although many questions remain unanswered, this course served as a foundation to continue to develop a developmental and evolutionary synthesis of clonal and modular development in colonial marine organisms.

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Free-living bryozoans, unlike most cheilostomes, live unattached from the substratum on or within soft sedimentary bottoms. Bryozoans of the family Cupuladriidae Lagaaij, 1952 are probably the best-studied free-living representatives. In Brazil, eight species of cupuladriids have been reported to date, including some regarded as species complexes. This paper documents cupuladriid taxa from northeastern and northern Brazil based on the examination of 1236 colonies. Three species previously reported from Brazil are described: Cupuladria monotrema (Busk, 1884), Discoporella gemmulifera Winston Vieira, 2013 and Discoporella salvadorensis Winston, Vieira Woollacott, 2014. A new species, Cupuladria minuta n. sp., is erected; it differs from its congeners in having small, flat discoid colonies, with the central area up to the fifth astogenetic generation composed of vicarious avicularia with an auriform opesia, and quadrangular to rectangular basal sectors with 1-6 small openings per sector. Our results suggest that four species previously recorded from Brazil are doubtful-Cupuladria canariensis (Busk, 1859), Cupuladria biporosa Canu Bassler, 1923, Discoporella umbellata (Defrance, 1923) and Discoporella depressa (Conrad, 1841). Some Brazilian specimens previously assigned to Discoporella umbellata var. conica are re-assigned to D. salvadorensis. The species studied here frequently co-occur on mainly sandy and muddy bottoms at 8-130 m depth, as it is typical of most living populations of cupuladriids. The sedimentation rate, and thus the bottom composition, likely influence the distribution of cupuladriids in Brazil, with Cupuladria species being more common in stabler and coarser sea bottoms than Discoporella species, which tend to be more broadly distributed.

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Biological and abiotic processes influence ecosystem structure and species distribution. For bryozoan assemblages, depth, substratum and habitat structure are among the main factors influencing their distribution. Ecological studies on bryozoan fauna from Brazil are scarce and factors affecting the distribution and/or diversity of this common group are obscure. Here we attempted to verify the influence of bathymetry on bryozoan richness on the north shore of Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil. We identified 57 bryozoan taxa, comprising 35 families and 50 genera, all belonging to the Cheilostomata. Retevirgula multipunctata Winston, Vieira & Woollacott, 2014 and Tetraplaria dichotoma (Osburn, 1914) and the genus Aimulosia Jullien, 1888 were recorded for the first time from Bahia State. Species growing as encrusting sheets were dominant at all depths. There was a significant difference in richness among samples at different depths, with highest values of richness at 40 meters (Kruskal-Wallis Test). Analysis of similarities revealed a significant difference among the bryozoan assemblages, mainly when comparing assemblages from 10 and 20 meters with deeper ones. Also, shallower assemblages composition varied much than assemblages from 30 and 40 meters. Since depth is a proxy for several environmental parameters, further studies are needed to identify other factors influencing bryozoan distribution.

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Introdução: a mamografia é o exame padrão ouro para o diagnóstico de patologias mamárias, permitindo o rastreamento e o diagnóstico precoce do câncer de mama. Em 2015, foi elaborado pela European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) um protocolo internacional para testes de controle de qualidade em equipamentos. Objetivo: o objetivo foi avaliar a qualidade da imagem mamográfica de um sistema de radiografia computadorizada (CR) para mamografia, por meio do teste de razão contraste-ruído (CNR) e CNR relativa (CNRrel), com tensões, combinações alvo/filtro e espessuras diferentes. Metodologia: a metodologia seguiu o protocolo EFOMP, utilização de mamógrafo com detector de imagem CR e placas de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA). Os fatores de exposição foram de 25, 28 e 32 kV, com seleção do mA.s de acordo com espessura das placas de PMMA. As combinações alvo/filtro foram de Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh e W/Rh. Resultados: concluiu-se que quanto menor a tensão, maior a CNR. Assim, as tensões de 25 kV a 28 kV apresentaram maior qualidade em nível de contraste da imagem, indicadas para mamas de menor densidade. Dessa forma, as espessuras menores das placas de PMMA geraram maior contraste na imagem, o que foi apresentado também nos resultados da CNRrel. A combinação de Mo/Mo, recomendada para mamas de menor densidade, também gerou maior contraste em relação aos outros alvos/filtros, reiterado no teste de CNRrel. Todos os valores de CNRrel medidos mostraram-se dentro dos valores limites esperados. Conclusão: pode-se observar com este estudo que mesmo diante de tensões e combinações alvo/filtro diferentes, a resposta da CNR foi proporcional à espessura do objeto irradiado para mamografia com sistema CR.

Introduction: mammography is a gold standard radiological examination for the diagnosis of breast pathologies, allowing screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer. In 2015, researchers from the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) prepared a protocol used internationally for quality control tests on equipment. Objective: the aim was to evaluate the quality of mammographic image of a computerized radiography system (CR) for mammography upon the contrast to noise-ratio (CNR) test and relative CNR (CNRrel), with peak voltages, target/filter combinations and different thicknesses. Methodology: the methodology followed the EFOMP protocol, use of a mammograph with CR image detector and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates. The exposure factors were 25, 28 and 32 kV, with selection of the mA.s according to the thickness of the PMMA plates. The target/filter combinations used were Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh, W/Rh. Results: it was concluded that the lower the peak voltage, the higher the CNR. Thus, the voltages from 25 kV to 28 kV presented higher quality in the contrast level of the image, indicated for lower density breasts. In this way, the smaller thicknesses of PMMA plates generated greater contrast in the image, also presented in the CNRrel results. The Mo/Mo combination, recommended for lower density breasts, also generated greater contrast in relation to the other targets/ filters, reiterated in the CNRrel results. All measured CNRrel values were within the expected relative CNR limits. Conclusion: it can be observed with this study that even in the face of different peak voltages and target/filter combinations, the CNR response was proportional to the thickness of the irradiated object for mammography with CR system.

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At date, seven species of Stylopoma Levinsen, 1909 are reported from the Brazilian coast, five of which are known from Bahia State in the northeastern region. Here we describe four new species of Stylopoma, all from Bahia State: Stylopoma corallinum n. sp., Stylopoma faceluciae n. sp., Stylopoma multiavicularia n. sp. and Stylopoma sinuata n. sp. Unlike the Caribbean species of Stylopoma, that mainly have rounded primary orifice and slit-like sinus, the morphology of the primary orifice of Brazilian taxa, including the new species presented here, is quite variable. In the newly described taxa, the sinus is drop-shaped in S. corallinum n. sp. and S. faceluciae n. sp., U-shaped in S. multiavicularia n. sp. and V-shaped in S. sinuata n. sp. Like congeners from the Caribe, S. corallinum n. sp., S. faceluciae n. sp. and S. multiavicularia n. sp. have avicularia on the surface of the ooecia. Remarks on the morphological characters currently used in Stylopoma taxonomy are provided, including a comparative table of all living species worldwide.

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PURPOSE: Sporotrichosis is the most common subcutaneous mycosis in the world and it is presented usually in the lymphocutaneous form. When the eye is involved, it typically includes the conjunctival and periorbital tissues or even the intraocular tissues. OBSERVATIONS: We present a case of a 13-year-old girl complaining about nodules in the left malar region and in both the outer nasal corner and the lower eyelid of the left eye, which had appeared one month earlier. CONCLUSIONS: and significance: Sporotrichosis is a hyperendemic disease in Brazil and its diagnosis is based on clinical aspects, epidemiological history, and culture. Ophthalmologists and other professionals should be aware of this condition.

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Human occupation of coastal areas promotes the establishment of non-native species but information on bioinvasions is usually biased toward the Northern Hemisphere. We assessed non-native species' importance in sessile communities at six marinas along the most urbanized area of the Southwestern Atlantic coastline. We found 67 species, of which 19 are exotic. The most frequent species was the exotic polychaete Branchiomma luctuosum, while the most abundant was the exotic bryozoan Schizoporella errata that monopolized the substrata in three marinas. Along with S. errata, the exotic polychaete Hydroides elegans and ascidian Styela plicata dominated space in the three remaining marinas, while native species were in general rare. We show that communities associated with artificial substrata along this Brazilian urbanized area are dominated by exotic species and that using abundance data along with species identity can improve our understanding of the importance of exotic species for the dynamics of biological communities.

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As sessile organisms, bryozoans are among the commonest components of the encrusting communities on hard substrata. On unconsolidated bottoms, benthic animals and their carapaces, including mollusk shells, represent potential surfaces for encrustation. Here we describe the bryozoan fauna growing on disarticulated bivalve shells collected intertidally on Itaparica beach, Todos os Santos Bay, northeast Brazil. We examined a total of 382 valves representing seven species of bivalves, among which we found 82 valves of three bivalve species to be encrusted by bryozoans, with 109 bryozoan colonies detected overall. We identified 11 cheilostome bryozoan species, among which Phidoloporidae and Smittinidae were the most diverse, with four and two species, respectively. We redescribed two bryozoan species, Parasmittina loxoides and Rhynchozoon phrynoglossum, and describe another two, Pleurocodonellina marcusi n. sp. and Rhynchozoon itaparicaensis n. sp., as new. A new combination for Cribella triangulata Canu Bassler, 1928 is proposed, including Calyptotheca tenuata Harmer, 1957 as a new junior subjective synonym of Calyptotheca triangulata n. comb. All but one of the 11 species have encrusting colonies; Licornia aff. diadema, forms erect branching colonies. For seven of the bryozoans, ours are the first records of these species growing on shells. Although the majority of bryozoans we studied have also been reported on other substrata, Rhynchozoon brasiliensis and Parasmittina loxoides were predominant in the fauna, comprising 79 (72%) of all colonies inventoried. Due to the lack of information on the distribution of these species in northeastern Brazil, further studies are needed to determine whether they show any substratum preference.

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