Forest restoration methods, seasonality, and penetration resistance does not influence aboveground biomass stock on mining tailings in Mariana, Brazil.

The restoration methods applied on the areas affected by the Fundão tailings dam collapse have a high priority in Mariana region. We evaluated the effect of different restoration methods and site preparation techniques, depth and seasonality on penetration resistance of tailings, and how these predictors affect tree aboveground biomass in areas affected by the Fundão dam collapse in Mariana, Brazil. No significant differences in penetration resistance and aboveground biomass between treatments were observed, but significant differences were observed between seasonal periods. The main univariate model explained the significant effects of depth and seasonality, mainly by a negatively wet effect on penetration resistance. According to the best models (univariate and multivariate) were those that had depth as a predictor. This study showed how penetration resistance can be an indicator to select the best period for restoration process in areas affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam, but no limit to the aboveground biomass recovery on tailing.

Secondary forest fragments offer important carbon and biodiversity cobenefits.

Tropical forests store large amounts of carbon and high biodiversity, but are being degraded at alarming rates. The emerging global Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) agenda seeks to limit global climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the growth of trees. In doing so, it may also protect biodiversity as a free cobenefit, which is vital given the massive shortfall in funding for biodiversity conservation. We investigated whether natural forest regeneration on abandoned pastureland offers such cobenefits, focusing for the first time on the recovery of taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional diversity (FD) of trees, including the recovery of threatened and endemic species richness, within isolated secondary forest (SF) fragments. We focused on the globally threatened Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where commitments have been made to restore 1 million hectares under FLR. Three decades after land abandonment, regenerating forests had recovered ~20% (72 Mg/ha) of the above-ground carbon stocks of a primary forest (PF), with cattle pasture containing just 3% of stocks relative to PFs. Over this period, SF recovered ~76% of TD, 84% of PD and 96% of FD found within PFs. In addition, SFs had on average recovered 65% of threatened and ~30% of endemic species richness of primary Atlantic forest. Finally, we find positive relationships between carbon stock and tree diversity recovery. Our results emphasize that SF fragments offer cobenefits under FLR and other carbon-based payments for ecosystem service schemes (e.g. carbon enhancements under REDD+). They also indicate that even isolated patches of SF could help to mitigate climate change and the biodiversity extinction crisis by recovering species of high conservation concern and improving landscape connectivity.

Clinical patterns and genomic profiling of recurrent 'ultra-low risk' endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Despite good prognosis for patients with low-risk endometrial cancer, a small subset of women with low-grade/low-stage endometrial cancer experience disease recurrence and death. The aim of this study was to characterize clinical features and mutational profiles of recurrent, low-grade, non-myoinvasive, 'ultra-low risk' endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinomas. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA endometrioid endometrial cancers who underwent primary surgery at our institution, between January 2009 and February 2017, with follow-up of ≥12 months. 'Ultra-low risk' was defined as FIGO tumor grade 1, non-myoinvasive, and lacking lymphovascular space invasion. Tumor-normal profiling using massively parallel sequencing targeting 468 genes was performed. Microsatellite instability was assessed using MSIsensor. DNA mismatch repair (MMR) protein proficiency was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A total of 486 patients with ultra-low risk endometrioid endometrial cancers were identified: 14 (2.9%) of 486 patients developed a recurrence. Median follow-up for non-recurrent endometrioid endometrial cancers: 34 (range 12-116) months; for recurrent endometrioid endometrial cancers: 50.5 (range 20-116) months. Patients with recurrent disease were older, had lower body mass index, and were most commonly non-White (p=0.025, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). Other clinical characteristics did not differ. MMR immunohistochemistry was obtained for 211 (43%) tumors: 158 (75%) MMR-proficient and 53 (25%) MMR-deficient. Primary tumors of 9 recurrent and 27 non-recurrent endometrioid endometrial cancers underwent mutational profiling. Most were microsatellite stable (6/9, 67% recurrent; 25/27, 93% non-recurrent). Recurrent PTEN and PIK3CA mutations were present in both groups. Exon 3 CTNNB1 hotspot mutations were found in 4/9 (44%) recurrent and 8/27 (30%) non-recurrent (p=0.44). CONCLUSIONS: Patients diagnosed with ultra-low risk endometrioid endometrial cancers have an overall excellent prognosis. However, in our study, 2.9% of patients with no identifiable clinical or pathologic risk factors developed recurrence. Further work is warranted to elucidate the mechanism for recurrence in this population.

A simple diet- and chemical-induced murine NASH model with rapid progression of steatohepatitis, fibrosis and liver cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although the majority of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have only steatosis without progression, a sizeable fraction develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many established diet-induced mouse models for NASH require 24-52 weeks, which makes testing for drug response costly and time consuming. METHODS: We have sought to establish a murine NASH model with rapid progression of extensive fibrosis and HCC by using a western diet (WD), which is high-fat, high-fructose and high-cholesterol, combined with low weekly dose of intraperitoneal carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), which serves as an accelerator. RESULTS: C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal chow diet ±â€¯CCl4 or WD ±â€¯CCl4 for 12 and 24 weeks. Addition of CCl4 exacerbated histological features of NASH, fibrosis, and tumor development induced by WD, which resulted in stage 3 fibrosis at 12 weeks and HCC development at 24 weeks. Furthermore, whole liver transcriptomic analysis indicated that dysregulated molecular pathways in WD/CCl4 mice and immunologic features were similar to those of human NASH. CONCLUSIONS: Our mouse NASH model exhibits rapid progression of advanced fibrosis and HCC, and mimics histological, immunological and transcriptomic features of human NASH, suggesting that it will be a useful experimental tool for preclinical drug testing. LAY SUMMARY: A carefully characterized model has been developed in mice that recapitulates the progressive stages of human fatty liver disease, from simple steatosis, to inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. The functional pathways of gene expression and immune abnormalities in this model closely resemble human disease. The ease and reproducibility of this model make it ideal to study disease pathogenesis and test new treatments.

Would protecting tropical forest fragments provide carbon and biodiversity cobenefits under REDD+?

Tropical forests store vast amounts of carbon and are the most biodiverse terrestrial habitats, yet they are being converted and degraded at alarming rates. Given global shortfalls in the budgets required to prevent carbon and biodiversity loss, we need to seek solutions that simultaneously address both issues. Of particular interest are carbon-based payments under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism to also conserve biodiversity at no additional cost. One potential is for REDD+ to protect forest fragments, especially within biomes where contiguous forest cover has diminished dramatically, but we require empirical tests of the strength of any carbon and biodiversity cobenefits in such fragmented systems. Using the globally threatened Atlantic Forest landscape, we measured above-ground carbon stocks within forest fragments spanning 13 to 23 442 ha in area and with different degrees of isolation. We related these stocks to tree community structure and to the richness and abundance of endemic and IUCN Red-listed species. We found that increasing fragment size has a positive relationship with above-ground carbon stock and with abundance of IUCN Red-listed species and tree community structure. We also found negative relationships between distance from large forest block and tree community structure, endemic species richness and abundance, and IUCN Red-listed species abundance. These resulted in positive congruence between carbon stocks and Red-listed species, and the abundance and richness of endemic species, demonstrating vital cobenefits. As such, protecting forest fragments in hotspots of biodiversity, particularly larger fragments and those closest to sources, offers important carbon and biodiversity cobenefits. More generally, our results suggest that macroscale models of cobenefits under REDD+ have likely overlooked key benefits at small scales, indicating the necessity to apply models that include finer-grained assessments in fragmented landscapes rather than using averaged coarse-grained cells.

The bird community in naturally regenerating Myracrodruon urundeuva (Anacardiaceae) forest in southeastern Brazil.

Conservation and restoration projects involving abandoned cattle pastures pose several challenges. Restoration ecologists recognize that natural restoration is possible, but few species can successfully colonize degraded pastures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether land colonized by the tree Myracrodruon urundeuva increase the amount of habitat available for bird communities in Southeastern Brazil. We used fixed point counts within a 50 m radius to compare the richness and composition of the bird community inhabiting naturally regenerated M. urundeuva with that an adjacent native forest remnant and a forest restored with planted Acacia spp. We recorded a total of 68 bird species. The M. urundeuva forest was able to provide valuable habitat for bird species, including more forest species, in comparison with the Acacia planting. These results indicate that M. urundeuva is a useful species for the ecological restoration of degraded pasture land.

Invasive alien acacias rapidly stock carbon, but threaten biodiversity recovery in young second-growth forests.

Under the UN-Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and Bonn Challenge, second-growth forest is promoted as a global solution to climate change, degradation and associated losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Second growth is often invaded by alien tree species and understanding how this impacts carbon stock and biodiversity recovery is key for restoration planning. We assessed carbon stock and tree diversity recovery in second growth invaded by two Acacia species and non-invaded second growth, with associated edge effects, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Carbon stock recovery in non-invaded forests was threefold lower than in invaded forests. Increasingly isolated, fragmented and deforested areas had low carbon stocks when non-invaded, whereas the opposite was true when invaded. Non-invaded forests recovered threefold to sixfold higher taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity than invaded forest. Higher species turnover and lower nestedness in non-invaded than invaded forests underpinned higher abundance of threatened and endemic species in non-invaded forest. Non-invaded forests presented positive relationships between carbon and biodiversity, whereas in the invaded forests we did not detect any relationship, indicating that more carbon does not equal more biodiversity in landscapes with high vulnerability to invasive acacias. To deliver on combined climate change and biodiversity goals, restoration planning and management must consider biological invasion risk. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.

Restinga forests of the Brazilian coast: richness and abundance of tree species on different soils.

The aim of this study was to determine changes in composition, abundance and richness of species along a forest gradient with varying soils and flood regimes. The forests are located on the left bank of the lower Jucu River, in Jacarenema Natural Municipal Park, Espírito Santo. A survey of shrub/tree species was done in 80 plots, 5x25 m, equally distributed among the forests studied. We included in the sampling all individuals with >3.2 cm diameter at breast height (1.30 m). Soil samples were collected from the surface layer (0-10 cm) in each plot for chemical and physical analysis. The results indicate that a significant pedological gradient occurs, which is influenced by varying seasonal groundwater levels. Restinga forest formations showed significant differences in species richness, except for Non-flooded Forest and Non-flooded Forest Transition. The Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) showed that some species are distributed along the gradient under the combined influence of drainage, nutrient concentration and physical characteristics of the soil. Regarding the variables tested, flooding seems to be a more limiting factor for the establishment of plant species in Restinga forests than basic soil fertility attributes.

Floristic composition and similarity of 15 hectares in Central Amazon, Brazil.

The Amazon region is one of the most diverse areas in the world. Research on high tropical forest diversity brings up relevant contributions to understand the mechanisms that result and support such diversity. In the present study we describe the species composition and diversity of 15 one-ha plots in the Amazonian terra firme dense forest in Brazil, and compare the floristic similarity of these plots with other nine one-ha plots. The 15 plots studied were randomly selected from permanent plots at the Embrapa Experimental site, Amazonas State in 2005. The diversity was analysed by using species richness and Shannon's index, and by applying the Sorensen's index for similarity and unweighted pair-group average (UPGMA) as clustering method. Mantel test was performed to study whether the differences in species composition between sites could be explained by the geographic distance between them. Overall, we identified 8 771 individuals, 264 species and 51 plant families. Most of the species were concentrated in few families and few had large number of individuals. Families presenting the highest species richness were Fabaceae (Faboideae: 22spp., Mimosoideae: 22spp.), Sapotaceae: 22spp., Lecythidaceae: 15 and Lauraceae: 13. Burseraceae had the largest number of individuals with 11.8% of the total. The ten most abundant species were: Protium hebetatum (1 037 individuals), Eschweilera coriacea (471), Licania oblongifolia (310), Pouteria minima (293), Ocotea cernua (258), Scleronema micranthum (197), Eschweilera collina (176), Licania apelata (172), Naucleopsis caloneura (170) and Psidium araca (152), which represented 36.5% of all individuals. Approximately 49% of species had up to ten individuals and 13% appeared only once in all sampled plots, showing a large occurrence of rare species. Our study area is on a forest presenting a high tree species diversity with Shannon's diversity index of 4.49. The dendrogram showed two groups of plots with low similarity between them (less than 0.25), and the closer the plots were one to another, more similar in species composition (Mantel R = 0.3627, p < 0.01). The 15 plots in our study area share more than 50% of their species composition and represent the group of plots that have the shortest distance between each other. Overall, our results highlight the high local and regional heterogeneity of environments in terra firme forests, and the high occurrence of rare species, which should be considered in management and conservation programs in the Amazon rainforest, in order to maintain its structure on the long run.

Expression of Parkin, APC, APE1, and Bcl-xL in Colorectal Polyps.

Colorectal cancer can develop through molecular, chromosomal, and epigenetic cumulative changes that transform the normal intestinal epithelium into the colorectal polyps, called conventional adenomas (CAs) or serrated polyps (SPs), recognized as precursors of invasive colorectal neoplasia. These benign lesions need to explore the morphology, histological diagnosis, and biomarkers profile to accurately characterize lesions with potential for evolution to cancer. This study aimed to correlate the immunohistochemical expression of Parkin and Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC; tumor suppressors), Human Apurinic/Apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), and B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (Bcl-xL; oncogenic proteins) in sporadic colorectal polyps with clinical, endoscopic, and diagnostic data. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on tissue microarray samples of 306 polyps. Based on the Allred score, the expressions were graduated in the cytoplasm and nucleus of superficial and cryptic cells. There was higher Parkin nuclear expression (p=0.006 and 0.010) and APC cytoplasmic expression in cryptic cells (p<0.001) in SPs. CAs, APE1 (p<0.001) and Bcl-xL (p<0.001) were more expressed in the nuclei and cytoplasms, respectively. These results are related to the biological role proposed for these proteins in cellular functions. They can contribute to the diagnosis criteria for polyps and improve the knowledge of biomarkers that could predict cancer development.

Identification of recurrent FHL2-GLI2 oncogenic fusion in sclerosing stromal tumors of the ovary.

Sclerosing stromal tumor (SST) of the ovary is a rare type of sex cord-stromal tumor (SCST), whose genetic underpinning is currently unknown. Here, using whole-exome, targeted capture and RNA-sequencing, we report recurrent FHL2-GLI2 fusion genes in 65% (17/26) of SSTs and other GLI2 rearrangements in additional 15% (4/26) SSTs, none of which are detected in other types of SCSTs (n = 48) or common cancer types (n = 9,950). The FHL2-GLI2 fusions result in transcriptomic activation of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway in SSTs. Expression of the FHL2-GLI2 fusion in vitro leads to the acquisition of phenotypic characteristics of SSTs, increased proliferation, migration and colony formation, and SHH pathway activation. Targeted inhibition of the SHH pathway results in reversal of these oncogenic properties, indicating its role in the pathogenesis of SSTs. Our results demonstrate that the FHL2-GLI2 fusion is likely the oncogenic driver of SSTs, defining a genotypic-phenotypic correlation in ovarian neoplasms.

Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite successional pathways in wood density but converge over time.

Tropical forests are converted at an alarming rate for agricultural use and pastureland, but also regrow naturally through secondary succession. For successful forest restoration, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of secondary succession. These mechanisms may vary across forest types, but analyses across broad spatial scales are lacking. Here, we analyse forest recovery using 1,403 plots that differ in age since agricultural abandonment from 50 sites across the Neotropics. We analyse changes in community composition using species-specific stem wood density (WD), which is a key trait for plant growth, survival and forest carbon storage. In wet forest, succession proceeds from low towards high community WD (acquisitive towards conservative trait values), in line with standard successional theory. However, in dry forest, succession proceeds from high towards low community WD (conservative towards acquisitive trait values), probably because high WD reflects drought tolerance in harsh early successional environments. Dry season intensity drives WD recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in convergence of the community WD over time as vegetation cover builds up. These ecological insights can be used to improve species selection for reforestation. Reforestation species selected to establish a first protective canopy layer should, among other criteria, ideally have a similar WD to the early successional communities that dominate under the prevailing macroclimatic conditions.

Influence of environmental variables on the shrub and tree species distribution in two Semideciduous Forest sites in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The floristic variations of shrub and tree components were studied in two sites of Semideciduous Forest, initial forest and mature forest, located in the Mata do Paraíso Forest Reserve, in Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil, in order to analyze the floristic similarity and the correlations between environmental variables and the distribution of tree species in these forests. Individual trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) > or = 4.8 cm were sampled in twenty 10 x 30 m plots (10 plots in each site). The plots were distributed systematically at 10 m intervals. The environmental variables analyzed were: the canopy openness and soil chemical and texture characteristics. The two forest sites showed clear differences in the levels of canopy openness and soil fertility, factors that reflect the floristic and successional differences of the shrub and tree component, revealed by the low similarity between these forests by cluster analysis. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of environmental variables and species abundance indicated that the species in these forests studied are distributed under strong influence of canopy openness, moisture and soil fertility.

[Seasonal evaluation of mammal species richness and abundance in the "Mário Viana" municipal reserve, Mato Grosso, Brasil]. / Evaluación estacional de la riqueza y abundancia de especies de mamíferos en la Reserva Biológica Municipal "Máirio Viana", Mato Grosso, Brasil.

We evaluated seasonal species presence and richness, and abundance of medium and large sized mammalian terrestrial fauna in the "Mário Viana" Municipal Biological Reserve, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil. During 2001, two monthly visits were made to an established transect, 2,820 m in length. Records of 22 mammal species were obtained and individual footprint sequences quantified for seasonal calculation of species richness and relative abundance index (x footprints/km traveled). All 22 species occurred during the rainy season, but only 18 during the dry season. Pseudalopex vetulus (Lund, 1842) (hoary fox), Eira barbara (Linnaeus, 1758) (tayra), Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) (cougar) and Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) (capybara) were only registered during the rainy season. The species diversity estimated using the Jackknife procedure in the dry season (19.83, CI = 2.73) was smaller than in the rainy season (25.67, CI = 3.43). Among the 18 species common in the two seasons, only four presented significantly different abundance indexes: Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 (nine-banded armadillo), Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (six-banded armadillo), Dasyprocta azarae Lichtenstein, 1823 (Azara's Agouti) and Tapirus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) (tapir). On the other hand, Priodontes maximus (Kerr, 1792) (giant armadillo) and Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (ocelot) had identical abundance index over the two seasons. Distribution of species abundance in the sampled area followed the expected pattern for communities in equilibrium, especially in the rainy season, suggesting that the environment still maintains good characteristics for mammal conservation. The present study shows that the reserve, although only 470 ha in size, plays an important role for conservation of mastofauna of the area as a refuge in an environment full of anthropic influence (mainly cattle breeding in exotic pasture).

Capgras syndrome associated with limbic encephalitis in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

We report the case of a patient with insidious onset and slowly progressive cognitive impairment, behavioral symptoms, temporal lobe seizures and delusional thoughts typical of delusional misidentification syndromes. Clinical presentation along with extensive diagnostic work-up revealed limbic encephalitis secondary to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient underwent immunotherapy with high-dose corticosteroid but no significant improvement was observed. No specific treatment for lymphoma was performed because the patient died of septic shock following a nosocomial respiratory infection. Delusional misidentification syndromes are an unusual and unique form of cognitive impairment in which a patient consistently misidentifies persons, places, objects, or events. Capgras syndrome is the most common subtype of this disorder, being defined by the recurrent and transient belief that someone close has been substituted by an imposter. These entities are generally associated with neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disturbances. Rare reports of associations between misidentification syndromes and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis have been published, but no papers address a correlation with limbic encephalitis or lymphoma.

Nós relatamos o caso de um paciente com início insidioso e lentamente progressivo de declínio cognitivo, sintomas comportamentais, crises convulsivas do lobo temporal e pensamentos delirantes típicos dos delírios monotemáticos de identificação. A apresentação clínica associada aos exames complementares levaram ao diagnóstico de encefalite límbica relacionada a linfoma difuso de grandes células B. O paciente foi submetido a imunoterapia com altas doses de corticoide sem melhora clínica. Não foi realizado tratamento específico para o linfoma em função do paciente ter evoluído para óbito por choque séptico secundário a infecção respiratória nosocomial. Os delírios monotemáticos de identificação representam uma forma única e incomum de comprometimento cognitivo nas quais o paciente consistentemente identifica de forma errônea pessoas, lugares, objetos ou eventos. A síndrome de Capgras é o subtipo mais comum dessas desordens, sendo definida como a crença recorrente e transitória que um impostor substituiu uma pessoa familiar. Essas entidades são geralmente relacionadas com doenças neurodegenerativas e distúrbios psiquiátricos. Raros relatos da associação entre os delírios monotemáticos de identificação e doenças autoimunes como esclerose múltipla foram publicados, porém não há artigos abordando a correlação com encefalite límbica ou linfoma.

Banco de semillas de relaves mineros como indicador de recuperación de vegetación en Mariana, Brasil / Seed bank of mining tailings as indicator of vegetation regeneration in Mariana, Brazil

Resumen Introducción: El banco de semillas en el suelo es uno de los indicadores ecológicos más importantes para la evaluación y monitoreo de recuperación de ecosistemas degradados. Así mismo, actualmente indicadores ecológicos de restauración son usados en áreas afectadas por la ruptura de la represa de relaves de Fundão en Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Objetivo: En este estudio se evaluó la variación de la riqueza, composición de especies, densidad y parámetros fitosociológicos del banco de semillas en dos profundidades de relaves mineros en Mariana, municipio de Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Métodos: Se recolectaron 15 muestras por nivel de profundidad, en la capa superior (Profundidad1, P1 = 0-2.5 cm) y capa inferior (Profundidad2, P2 = 2.5-5.0 cm) del relave de minería para examinar el banco de semillas viable, que luego se colocó en un invernadero para la germinación. Posteriormente se contaron e identificaron semanalmente todos los individuos de cada especie durante un período de seis meses. Resultados: Se demostró que existe un banco de semillas en las capas superficiales de relaves mineros acumulados en las áreas afectadas de Mariana, con una marcada diferencia entre profundidades en términos de riqueza de especies y densidad de individuos. Se observó una mayor riqueza y número de individuos en P1, (1 165 semillas germinadas), pertenecientes a 18 familias y 47 especies, en comparación a P2 (197 individuos), pertenecientes a 12 familias y 23 especies. El banco de semillas de la capa P1 está influenciado por la lluvia de semillas del bosque cercano. Por otro lado, el banco de semillas de P2, puede ser característico de los relaves mineros. Conclusiones: El banco de semillas estudiado puede tener efectos positivos sobre la recuperación en el área de estudio, debido a la alta proporción de especies nativas, pioneras y anemocóricas típicas de etapas iniciales de sucesión secundaria.

Abstract Introduction: The soil seed bank is one of the most important ecological indicators for evaluating and monitoring the resilience of degraded ecosystems. Likewise, ecological restoration indicators are currently used in areas affected by the rupture of the Fundão tailings dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Objective: To evaluate the seed bank at two depths of areas affected by mining tailings, Mariana municipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: 15 samples (40 × 40 cm) were collected per level of depth, in the upper layer (Depth1, P1 = 0-2.5 cm), and lower layer (Depth2, P2 = 2.5-5.0 cm) of the mining tailings to survey the viable seed bank, which was later placed in a greenhouse for germination and seedling identification. The samples were placed in plastic trays to germinate in the nursery, then counted and identified weekly for six months. Results: The results showed that there is a seed bank in the surface layers of accumulated mining tailings in the affected areas of Mariana, with a marked difference between depths in terms of species richness and density of individuals. Higher species richness and number of individuals were observed in P1, (1 165 germinated seeds), belonging to 18 families and 47 species, in comparison to P2 (197 individuals), belonging to 12 families and 23 species. Probably the seed bank of layer P1 is influenced by the rain of seeds from the nearby forest. On the other hand, the P2 seed bank can be characteristic of mining tailings. Conclusions: Seed bank patterns can have positive effects on forest resilience at the local-scale, due to the high proportion of native, pioneer and anemochorical species of early successional stages.

[Takotsubo cardiomiopathy. A rare cause of cardiogenic shock simulating acute myocardial infarction]. / Cardiomiopatia de Takotsubo. Uma causa rara de choque cardiogênico simulando infarto agudo do miocárdio.

Takotsubo Cardiomiopathy is a rare cause of acute left ventricular aneurysm, in the absence of coronariopathy, only recently described in world literature. Symptoms may be similar to those from acute myocardial infarction with typical thoracic pain. The image of dumbbell or Takotsubo (a device used in Japan to capture octopus) suggestive ventricular ballooning is characteristic of that new syndrome and there is usually the disappearing of dyskinetic movement up to the 18th day from the beginning of the symptoms, in average.

Gastric metastasis as the first manifestation of an invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer are rare and generally occur several years after the diagnosis of the primary lesion. The diagnosis of gastric metastasis as the initial presentation of breast cancer is even rarer and can potentially mimic gastric carcinoma. We report the case of a 66-year-old female patient submitted to a total gastrectomy because of the histological diagnosis of undifferentiated gastric carcinoma. During the surgical procedure, biopsies of the peritoneum and the liver were performed, which were consistent with metastatic breast invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). The primary lesion of the breast was detected during the post-operative period, when a 4-cm-long lesion was detected on physical examination and mammography. The revision of the gastric biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ILC. The authors call attention to the rarity of gastrointestinal metastases as the initial presentation of breast ILC.

Accuracy of the smear technique in the cytological diagnosis of 650 lesions of the central nervous system.

The authors analyzed the results of 650 lesions of the central nervous system submitted to intraoperative cytological diagnosis by the smear technique. Cytological and paraffin section diagnoses were compared. The following statistical values were obtained: accuracy of 97.3%, sensitivity of 97.9%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 99.1%, and negative predictive value of 89.6%. The authors comment on their main pitfalls using this cytological diagnostic procedure.