Phytoplankton composition from Araçá Bay and São Sebastião Channel, São Paulo, Brazil

: Despite its small area, Araçá Bay (AB) holds cultural, historical, and economic value and displays great benthic biodiversity. Thus, it is crucial to monitor its environmental health, including knowing the main groups of phytoplankton and their temporal variability. The shallow waters of Araçá Bay are continuously modified by the complex hydrography of the adjacent São Sebastião channel (SSC), challenging standard experimental designs for phytoplankton collection. Here we report changes in phytoplankton composition at intervals of five to six weeks from September 2013 to August 2014 in both Araçá Bay and SSC. Samples were collected twice daily for three consecutive days to increase taxonomic resolution. Our goal was to provide an inventory of species occurrences to aid future public policies and environmental management of the area. Analyses revealed high species richness and 166 different phytoplankton taxa. Diatoms and dinoflagellates were always numerically dominant, but taxa occurrence changed markedly. Diatoms of the genera Pseudo-nitzschia were abundant during spring and summer concurrently to signatures of South Atlantic Central Water in the SSC, while Thalassiosira occurred when waters displayed relatively lower salinity. The inventory demonstrated several potentially harmful species of microalgae and cyanobacteria, strongly suggesting investments in monitoring programs in this area that currently experience an increase in population.

Changes in phytoplankton composition in response to tides, wind-induced mixing conditions, and freshwater outflows in an urbanised estuarine complex.

Recent reports have shown an increase in potentially harmful phytoplankton in Santos bay (Southeastern Brazilian Coast), located in a highly urbanised estuarine complex. Prediction of blooms is, thus, essential but the phytoplankton community structure in very dynamic regions is difficult to determine. In the present work, we discriminate bloom forming microphytoplankton dominance and their relationship to physical and meteorological variables to look for patterns observed in different tides and seasons. Comparing 8 distinct situations, we found five scenarios of dominance that could be related to winds, tides and rainfall: i) Surfers, diatoms occurring during high surf zone energies; ii) Sinkers, represented by larger celled diatoms during spring tide, after periods of high precipitation rates; iii) Opportunistic mixers, composed of chain forming diatoms with small or elongate cells occurring during neap tides; iv) Local mixers, microplanktonic diatoms and dinoflagellates which occurred throughout the 298 sampling stations; and v) Mixotrophic dinoflagellates, after intense estuarine discharges. Results suggest alterations in the temporal patterns for some bloom-forming species, while others appeared in abundances above safe limits for public health. This approach can also illustrate possible impacts of changes in freshwater discharge in highly urbanised estuaries.

Simultaneous manifestation of Guillain-Barré and myofascial pain dysfunction syndromes. A case report.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a neurologic disorder resulting primarily in muscle paralysis with possible mortality. Although several etiologic factors have been implicated, the cause of the disease remains unknown. This article reviews a case in which a patient was referred with of myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome with development of Guillain-Barré syndrome manifesting in the head and neck region. Diagnostic techniques and management are also discussed.

[Left ventricular regional kinetics. Comparative analysis of the reference systems, correlations and physiological considerations]. / Cinetica regionale ventricolare sinistra. Analisi comparativa dei sistemi di riferimento, correlazioni e considerazioni fisiologiche.

The AA. studied segmental wall motion of the LV by means of 7 different methods. The study was performed in order to determine which reference system is the best for utilizing in subjects not affected by any heart disease. Two interesting points have emerged: first the methods which utilise the gravity center are the most sensitive; second, LV wall motion depends on the ejection fraction. In this perspective the AA. present a model of left ventricular motion.

[A preliminary study on parietal stress decay in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (author's transl)]. / Studio preliminare sul decadimento degli stress parietali in soggetti con ipertrofia ventricolare sinistra.

In order to determine equatorial and radial stresses at various depths of left ventricular wall, left ventricular pressures and echocardiographic dimensions were elaborated using the formula proposed by Timoshenko. Patients with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have minor end-diastolic and end-systolic decay of radial and equatorial stresses, compared to patients with eccentric LVH. The total stress affecting left ventricular wall is significantly minor in telediastole than in telesystole.