Ophiotaenia karipuna n. sp. (Eucestoda: Proteocephalidae), a parasite of Erythrolamprus miliaris (Linnaeus, 1758), with redescription of Ophiotaenia arandasi (Santos and Rolas, 1973) from the Brazilian Amazon.

Ophiotaenia is the most diverse genus among proteocephalids, composed of species commonly found parasitizing snakes worldwide. However, the diversity of Ophiotaenia in the Neotropical region is still underestimated. This study describes Ophiotaenia karipuna n. sp. found parasitizing Erythrolamprus miliaris in the State of Amapá, Brazil. Additionally, we redescribe Ophiotaenia arandasi based on a re-examination of type series and newly collected material from Erythrolamprus taeniogaster in the State of Pará, Brazil. The new species differs from its congeners in the following characteristics: scolex width, number of testes, relative length of the cirrus-sac, absence of a vaginal sphincter, presence of a vestigial apical organ resembling a sucker, and relative size of the ovary in relation to the surface of the proglottid. Furthermore, we provide taxonomic information for Ophiotaenia arandasi not reported in the original description, including morphology of embryophore, uterine development, and the absence of the vaginal sphincter in the species. Ophiotaenia karipuna n. sp. represents the 21st- species described in snakes -from the Neotropical region and the first formally described in the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, we provide the first ultrastructural analysis, a new host, and locality records for O. arandasi.

Bioactive alkaloids from the venom of Dendrobatoidea Cope, 1865: a scoping review.

Bioactive compounds derived from secondary metabolism in animals have refined selectivity and potency for certain biological targets. The superfamily Dendrobatoidea is adapted to the dietary sequestration and secretion of toxic alkaloids, which play a role in several biological activities, and thus serve as a potential source for pharmacological and biotechnological applications. This article constitutes a scoping review to understand the trends in experimental research involving bioactive alkaloids derived from Dendrobatoidea based upon scientometric approaches. Forty-eight (48) publications were found in 30 journals in the period of 60 years, between 1962 and 2022. More than 23 structural classes of alkaloids were cited, with 27.63% for batrachotoxins, 13.64% for pyridinics, with an emphasis on epibatidine, 16.36% for pumiliotoxins, and 11.82% for histrionicotoxins. These tests included in vivo (54.9%), in vitro (39.4%), and in silico simulations (5.6%). Most compounds (54.8%) were isolated from skin extracts, whereas the remainder were obtained through molecular synthesis. Thirteen main biological activities were identified, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (27.59%), sodium channel inhibitors (12.07%), cardiac (12.07%), analgesic (8.62%), and neuromuscular effects (8.62%). The substances were cited as being of natural origin in the "Dendrobatidae" family, genus "Phyllobates," "Dendrobates," and seven species: Epipedobates tricolor, Phyllobates aurotaenia, Oophaga histrionica, Oophaga pumilio, Phyllobates terribilis, Epipedobates anthonyi, and Ameerega flavopicta. To date, only a few biological activities have been experimentally tested; hence, further studies on the bioprospecting of animal compounds and ecological approaches are needed.

A new species of Aplectana Railliet & Henry, 1916 (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) in the Brazilian Amazon and the taxonomic status of Aplectana longa.

Nematodes of the genus Aplectana Railliet & Henry, 1916 are common parasites of the digestive tract of amphibians and reptiles in the Neotropical region. During a parasite survey on Boana boans (Linnaeus, 1758), we found specimens of nematodes with Aplectana characteristics. We observed a set of characteristics that differs the species of our study from its congeners, and the present study describes a new species of Aplectana parasite of B. boans using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Aplectana pella n. sp. has lateral alae and somatic papillae in males and females; males have equal short spicules, and the gubernaculum is absent. The arrangement of pairs of caudal papillae also differs from other species (2 precloacal,1 adcloacal, and 5 postcloacal+1 unpaired). In females, the vulva is simple, with non-prominent lips, and equatorial. This is the first record of the genus Aplectana parasitizing B. boans and the 58th species described for this genus. Additionally, we added the precloacal papillae pattern of A. delirae, and based on morphological and morphometric characteristics, we propose the reallocation of Aplectana longa to the genus Oxyascaris.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Cosmocercoides amapari n. sp. (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae), parasitic in hylid frogs from the Brazilian Amazon.

Cosmocercoides Wilkie, 1930 are gastrointestinal parasites commonly found in amphibians and reptiles, with 4 species reported from the Neotropical region. In the present study, a new species of Cosmocercoides, namely Cosmocercoides amapari n. sp. is described using integrated approaches such as light and scanning microscopy, and DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. The specimens were collected from the large intestine of 3 species of hylid frogs in Amapá, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by morphological traits, including the pattern of caudal papillae, absence of the gubernaculum, 2 poorly sclerotized spicules, presence of lateral alae and somatic papillae along the body. In addition, our molecular analyses and phylogenetic reconstructions strongly support the status of the new taxon, which clustered poorly with a large clade of Cosmocerca spp. Cosmocercoides amapari n. sp. is the 29th species of the genus, the 5th from the Neotropical region, the third reported in Brazil, the second described from the Amazon region and the first belonging to the Neotropical region with molecular data.

Polymorphism of the Co-Te nanophases in mechanochemical synthesis.

The mechanochemical synthesis of all cobalt tellurides' phases is demonstrated in this work. The samples had their structural, microstructural, and magnetic characterizations performed by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetometry techniques. The initial atomic stoichiometries tested of Co32Te68 and Co40Te60 resulted in the synthesis of the γ-CoTe2 Pnnm (marcasite), α-CoTe2 Pa3̄ (pyrite), α-CoTe2 P3̄m1 (CdI2-like), and ß-CoTe P63/mmc phases with different weight proportions in the sample. Modeling of the X-ray diffractograms employed conventional double-Voigt and crystallite shape-anisotropy DV approaches to show that the volumetric diameter average and true crystallite size of the diffraction domains are in the range of tens of nanometers. Transmission electron microscopy measurements also allowed distribution counting of the crystallite sizes via maximum caliper diameter. Electron diffraction experiments presented comparable structural parameters with Rietveld via the analysis of the Debye rings. A model using the Langevin approaches showed the phases to present both ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic contributions attributed to weakly-interacting metallic Co grains with magnetic domain sizes ranging between 2.3 and 4.0 nm. The phases' evolution with storage time was analyzed over two years and revealed to be stable regarding their structural and microstructural properties.

Effect of Vehicle Composition on the Preparation of Different Types of Dapsone Crystals for Topical Drug Delivery.

Topical formulations composed of API-pure crystals have been increasingly studied, especially in regards to the impact of particle size in penetration efficiency. Less attention, however, has been devoted to the solid-state properties of drugs delivered to the skin. In this study, we address the effect of formulation composition on the crystal form existing in topical products. Dapsone (DAP) gel formulations were prepared by mixing an organic solution containing DAP with an aqueous solution containing polymers and preservatives. The organic solvent was chosen as ethoxydiglycol (DEGEE), polyethylene glycol (PEG), or 1-methyl-2-pirrolidone (MPR) to assess the impact of composition on DAP crystal form. Such solvent variations resulted in different particulate matter. In terms of crystalline nature, the presence of DEGEE in formulations induced the crystallization of DAP hydrate, while PEG cocrystal and a mixture of hydrate and MPR solvate crystallized from the same amounts of PEG and MPR, respectively. Microscopic analysis of the gels showed heterogeneous particles with different characteristics. The behavior of gels after application to the skin was also tested. Interestingly, the different formulations seemed to accumulate in different regions of the skin. This could be the result of the effect of vehicle composition/excipients on the characteristics of the skin, such as hydration. The site-specific accumulation, however, was more pronounced in crystal-loaded gels as opposed to blank formulations. These results indicate that future studies should consider the effect of formulation composition on the API crystal form landscape as part of the strategies used to successfully target drug delivery to the skin.

A new species of Rhabdias (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae), a lung parasite of Pristimantis chiastonotus (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Brazilian Amazon: description and phylogenetic analyses.

Rhabdias Stiles and Hassal, 1905 comprises approximately 90 species of parasitic lung nematodes of amphibians and reptiles that have a wide distribution, with 21 species occurring in the Neotropics. In the present study, we describe Rhabdias waiapi n. sp. found parasitizing the lungs of the anuran species Pristimantis chiastonotus from the Amazon Biome in the Amapá State, Northern Brazil. The new species is characterized by having an elongated body, expansions of the cuticular inflation in the anterior end that become more discrete along the body, an anterior end with a slight constriction at the level of the esophageal apex with four rounded subapical elevations of the body wall, six lips, four near the edge of the oral opening and two more distant lateral ones, and a gradually tapering elongated tail. In addition, molecular analyses and phylogenetic reconstructions were made, with sequences from the coding region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Those results strongly support the status of the new taxon, which formed a poorly supported clade with Rhabdias sp. 5 from Anolis brasiliensis from Northeast Brazil. Rhabdias waiapi n. sp. is the 19th species of the genus described in the Neotropics for amphibians, the 10th in Brazil, the second described from hosts of the family Strabomantidae from the Neotropical region, and the first amphibian nematode species described in the Amapá State.

A New Saquinavir Mesylate-Sodium Decyl Sulfate Salt Discovered by Serendipity during an Anomalous Dissolution Test.

PURPOSE: To understand the anomalous behavior of Saquinavir Mesylate (SQVM) in sodium decyl sulfate (SDS) medium during a dissolution test through a crystallographic analysis of the crystal obtained. As a result, it will be possible to elucidate its crystal structure and carry out a complete solid-state characterization of the API. METHODS: The solid form obtained was characterized by a structural analysis through X-ray single crystal and powder diffraction. The crystallographic structures of the new salt and the SQVM were compared. In addition, a complete solid-state characterization of SQVM raw material was carried out by techniques such as diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and a dissolution method. RESULTS: A new salt consisting of SQVM and SDS was crystallized and its crystal structure was elucidated and reported herein for the first time. The anionic part of SDS interacts with the cationic segment of SQVM to obtain a new salt designated as SQV-DS, which precipitates. The main difference between the two structures occurs in the c-axis expansion, which increases from 15.966 (5) to 21.1924 (14), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Some of the strategies to enhance the dissolution rate of poorly aqueous soluble APIs include the use of surfactants such as SDS in the dissolution medium, as well as in the formulated products. However, there have been constant reports of a dissolution rate slowdown by some surfactants. The interaction mechanisms between the APIs and the dissolution medium containing surfactants need to be carefully investigated in current pharmaceutical formulations. Graphical Abstract.

Ectoparasites infecting Mugil curema (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) in Amapá state estuary, in the northern Brazilian coast region.

In fish, one of the most important interactions is that occur between parasite species and environment. Wild fish interactions with parasites of different taxa can result in diseases for fish and consequently damages to the fishing industry. This study investigated the ectoparasite fauna in Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836), in Amapá state estuary, in Brazilian coast region. The parasite prevalence was 51.4%, and a total of 282 parasites were collected among Ligophorus brasiliensis (Abdallah, Azevedo & Luque 2009), Excorallana longicornis (Lemos de Castro, 1960), larvae of Gnathia sp. and Ergasilus atafonensis (Amado & Rocha, 1995), but L. brasiliensis was the dominant parasite. The parasites presented highly aggregated dispersion, except for Gnathia sp. that had a random dispersion. There was a predominance of hosts non-parasitized and parasitized by one species. The relative condition factor did not differ between parasitized and non-parasitized fish. The body size of hosts did not influence the parasite abundance. The community of ectoparasites consisted of low species richness with low infection levels. This is the first study on parasites of fish from the coast of the State of Amapá and is the first report of Gnathia sp. for M. curema.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Drug Susceptibility Assessment of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Clinical Strains.

PURPOSE: Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only vaccine licensed against tuberculosis. Despite the protection offered by the vaccine, in some circumstances children and immunocompromised individuals can develop associated infections, known as BCGitis. Drug susceptibility patterns of BCG clinical strains have rarely been described. We aimed to describe the susceptibility pattern of BCG clinical strains isolated in two different countries. METHODS: We performed culture-based drug susceptibility testing of thirty one BCG strains isolated from patients in Brazil (n=5, 16%) and Argentina (n=26, 84%) using the broth micro-dilution method (phenotypic method). Final antibiotic concentrations for susceptibility testing ranged from 0.5 to 16 mg/L for amikacin, 0.3125 to 10 mg/L for ethambutol, 0.05 to 1.6 mg/L for isoniazid and 0.25 to 8 mg/L for rifampicin, streptomycin and ofloxacin. Additionally, we compared the results with genetic data obtained by whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: By using the phenotypic method we detected one strain resistant to ethambutol, three strains resistant to rifampicin and one resistant to isoniazid. Additionally, two strains that were phenotypically resistant to both isoniazid and rifampicin carried mutations in the katG and rpoB genes simultaneously. CONCLUSION: There is evidence of the emergence of BCG-resistant strains isolated from vaccine-related complications. We recommend drug susceptibility testing of the BCG strain causing the infection in order to prevent treatment failure.

Indicadores de desempenho na Estratégia Saúde da Família / Performance indicators in the Family Health Strategy / Indicadores de desempeño en la Estrategia de Salud Familiar

Objetivo: analisar a evolução de desempenho de indicadores da variável 3 das equipes de Saúde da Família, na Área Programática 3.1. Método: trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, descritivo. Compôsse a população da pesquisa por todas as Unidades de Saúde de Atenção Primária com equipes de saúde da família. Informa-se que os dados foram coletados por meio do Prontuário Eletrônico do Paciente e analisados posteriormente associados a variáveis independentes. Resultados: verificouse que dois entre dez grupos de indicadores de desempenho apresentaram evolução positiva, acompanhamento de crianças menor de dois anos e acompanhamento de uma gestante. Observou-se que, das quatro variáveis explicativas, somente as equipes com residência de Enfermagem em Saúde da Família apresentaram significância para o alcance do desempenho. Conclusão: evidencia-se, por meio da análise, que poucas equipes conseguiram atingir um desempenho satisfatório nos indicadores. Utiliza-se, em diversos países, o incentivo financeiro às equipes como forma de analisar o cuidado prestado e o seu processo de trabalho. Notou-se, no entanto, que, para a sua plena implementação, são necessários um maior foco na qualidade dos sistemas de informação e novos processos de gestão nos quais a autonomia das equipes de saúde no processo de contratualização dos indicadores seja incentivada.(AU)

Objective: to analyze the performance evolution of indicators of variable 3 of Family Health teams, in Program Area 3.1. Method: it is a quantitative, descriptive study. The research population was composed by all the Primary Care Health Units with family health teams. It is informed that the data was collected through the Electronic Patient Record and later analyzed associated to independent variables. Results: it was found that two out of ten groups of performance indicators showed positive evolution, follow-up of children under two years old and follow-up of a pregnant woman. It was observed that, of the four explanatory variables, only the teams with Family Health Nursing residency presented significance for the achievement of performance. Conclusion: it is evident from the analysis that few teams were able to achieve a satisfactory performance in the indicators. In several countries, financial incentives are used to analyze the care given to the teams and their work process. However, it was observed that, for full implementation, it is necessary to focus more on the quality of information systems and new management processes in which the autonomy of health teams in the process of contracting indicators is encouraged. (AU)

Objetivo: analizar la evolución del desempeño de los indicadores de la variable 3 de los equipos de Salud de la Familia, en el Área Programática 3.1. Método: se trata de un estudio cualitativo descriptivo. La población de investigación estuvo compuesta por todas las Unidades de Salud de Atención Primaria con equipos de salud de la familia. Se informa que los datos fueron recolectados a través del Registro Electrónico del Paciente y posteriormente analizados asociados a variables independientes. Resultados: se verificó que dos de cada diez grupos de indicadores de desempeño mostraron evolución positiva, seguimiento de niños menores de dos años y seguimiento de una gestante. Se observó que, de las cuatro variables explicativas, solo los equipos con residencia en Enfermería de Salud de la Familia mostraron significancia para el logro del desempeño. Conclusión: se evidencia, a través del análisis, que pocos equipos lograron alcanzar un desempeño satisfactorio en los indicadores. En varios países, los incentivos económicos para los equipos se utilizan como una forma de analizar la atención brindada y su proceso de trabajo. Sin embargo, se señaló que, para su plena implementación, es necesario un mayor enfoque en la calidad de los sistemas de información y nuevos procesos de gestión en los que se incentive la autonomía de los equipos de salud en el proceso de contratación de indicadores. (AU)

Enhanced Performance Stabilization Increases Performance Variability in a Virtual Interception Task.

Performing a motor task depends on the level of performance stabilization and movement control, and both aspects of motor behavior are related to motor learning (retention and transfer) and adaptation (predictable and unpredictable perturbations). Yet few studies have further investigated the underlying dynamics that may elicit these benefits. In this study, we investigated the effects of two levels of performance stabilization on motor performance and control while learning to intercept a virtual moving target. We randomly divided 40 participants of both sexes (Mage = 26.02 years, SD = 2.02) into a Stabilization Group (SG) and a Superstabilization Group (SSG). We considered the performance stabilized when a moving target was intercepted three times in a row and superstabilized when the same criterion was repeated six times. We analyzed outcome variables related to performance accuracy (absolute spatial error) and variability(coefficient of variation) and motor control (relative time to peak velocity-tPV% and its coefficient of variation) on both the first and last blocks of practice trials. Both groups showed comparable increases in performance accuracy from the first to the last block (p = .001, ηp2 = 1.00), but SSG presented higher variability than SG (p = .05, ηp2 = .70). Concerning motor control, both groups started the experiment with low tPV% and finished with comparably high tPV% and variability. Thus, although practicing two levels of performance stabilization led to similar performance accuracy and movement control, superstabilization resulted in higher performance variability with no loss of accuracy. Enhanced stabilization may increase the ability to adapt to environmental changes, but more research is needed to demonstrate this. These findings add to an understanding of the relationship between levels of performance stabilization and performance variability and may have implications for professional interventions (e.g. sports, rehabilitation) in considering the benefits of practice beyond performance stabilization.

Structural, microstructural and magnetic characterization of the ß-CoTe nanophase synthesized by a novel mechanochemical method.

This work reports an unprecedented mechanochemistry synthesis of ß-CoTe and its systematic characterization through X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and magnetometry techniques. The mechanical alloying produced the desired material within 6 h along with minor impurities, showing good stabilization for higher milling times (15 h) and long-term storage. XRPD characterization employed the Rietveld profile fitting analysis with fundamental parameters analysis in a direct convolution approach, giving the material's structure and microstructure information. For the spherical shape, the diameter mass average of the crystallites furnished values around 13 nm with 1.1% of microstrain. The double-Voigt procedure also modeled a triaxial ellipsoid shape for the crystallite size and obtained a surface-weighted average value for its volume around 150 nm3. TEM images confirmed the nanometric size visually and showed the crystallites to aggregate in large particles hundreds of nanometers in size. Measuring hundreds of supposed crystallite sizes, we could achieve a numerical distribution of their sizes with an average of 16 nm. The magnetization analysis performed both experimentally and via numerical simulations showed that ß-CoTe is predominantly superparamagnetic with a magnetic domain size compatible with the double-Voigt one.

A fitoterapia na Atenção Primária à Saúde segundo os profissionais de saúde do Rio de Janeiro e do Programa Mais Médicos / Herbal medicine in primary health care in Rio de Janeiro: a view from Brazilian and Cuban health professionals working at Mais Medicos Program / Fitoterapia en Atención Primaria de Salud según profesionales de la salud de Río de Janeiro y del Programa Más Médicos

Objetivo: identificar como a fitoterapia, uma das práticas integrativas e complementares mais incidentes no Sistema Único de Saúde, tem sido apropriada pelos profissionais que atuam na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) no município do Rio de Janeiro, destacando os limites dessa utilização na perspectiva do direito à saúde integral. Metodologia: por meio de uma metodologia qualitativa, do tipo exploratória, foi realizado um estudo transversal sobre o uso e a prescrição de fitoterápicos e plantas medicinais por médicos, enfermeiros e agentes comunitários de saúde, de dezembro de 2016 a março de 2018, por meio da aplicação de um questionário fechado e entrevista semiestruturada. Resultados: a fitoterapia ainda não foi apropriada pelos profissionais de saúde pesquisados: 66,7% dos médicos e 41,7% dos enfermeiros afirmaram prescrever fitoterápicos, entretanto, a maioria afirmou não ter tido nenhuma instrução sobre o assunto. O cultivo de plantas medicinais foi observado nas visitas domiciliares por 76,9% dos agentes comunitários de saúde e 54% dos enfermeiros. Já o uso pela população foi relatado por 83,3% dos enfermeiros e 80,9% dos médicos. Conclusão: A fitoterapia ainda permanece marginal na ESF. Promover e ampliar o uso da fitoterapia na Atenção Primária à Saúde pode resultar em experiências inovadoras que envolvam usuários, profissionais de saúde e gestores para transformar as condições de saúde da população.

Objective: to identify how professionals who work with Family Health Strategy in the city of Rio de Janeiro, a common integrative and complementary practice in the Public Health System in Brazil, have incorporated phytotherapy into their practice, highlighting the limits of this use from the perspective of the right to integral health. Methodology: using a qualitative exploratory methodology, a cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the use and prescription of herbal medicines and medicinal plants by physicians, nurses, and community health agents from December 2016 to March 2018. Results: the professionals surveyed have not incorporated phytotherapy into their practice. The results show that 66.6% of physicians and 41.6% of nurses prescribe herbal medicines, however, most claimed to have had no instruction on the subject. 76.9% of community health workers and 54% of nurses observed at home visits that the population cultivate medicinal plants and 83.3% of nurses and 80.9% of doctors reported the use by the population. Conclusion: phytotherapy remains marginal in the Family Health Strategy. Promoting and expanding the use of phytotherapy in Primary Health Care can result in innovative experiences involving users, health professionals and managers to transform the population's health conditions.

Objectivo: identificar cómo la fitoterapia, una de las prácticas integradoras y complementarias más comunes en el Sistema Único de Salud, ha sido apropiada por diferentes profesionales que trabajan en la Estrategia de Salud Familiar en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro destacando los límites de este uso desde la perspectiva del derecho a la salud integral. Metodología: utilizando una metodología exploratoria cualitativa, se realizó un estudio transversal sobre el uso y la prescripción de plantas medicinales y fitoterapicos por parte de médicos, enfermeras y agentes comunitarios de salud desde diciembre de 2016 hasta marzo de 2018. Resultados: la fitoterapia aún no ha sido apropiada por los profesionales de la salud encuestados: los resultados muestran que el 66,6% de los médicos y el 41.6% de las enfermeras declararon recetar remedios herbales, sin embargo, la mayoría declaró que no tenían educación sobre el tema. El 76,9% de los agentes comunitarios de salud y el 54% de las enfermeras observaron el cultivo de plantas medicinales en las visitas domiciliarias. El 83,3% de las enfermeras y el 80,9% de los médicos informaron sobre el uso por parte de la población. Conclusión: la fitoterapia sigue siendo marginal en el Estrategia Salud de la Familia. Promover y ampliar el uso de la fitoterapia en la Atención Primaria de Salud puede dar lugar a experiencias innovadoras que involucren a usuarios, profesionales de la salud y gerentes para transformar las condiciones de salud de la población.

The tadpole of Amazophrynella teko (Anura: Bufonidae) from the eastern Amazon, Brazil.

The genus Amazophrynella Fouquet, Recoder, Teixeira, Cassimiro, Amaro, Camacho, Damasceno, Carnaval, Moritz, and Rodrigues, is represented by 12 nominal species and distributed in the Amazon region of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, and Venezuela (Frost 2020). In the last eight years, ten species from this genus have been described. However, despite the wide distribution and diversity of these species, only the tadpole of Amazophrynella manaos Rojas, Carvalho, Ávila, Farias, and Hrbek from the Brazilian Amazon (Menin et al. 2014) and A. siona Rojas, Fouquet, Ron, Hernández-Ruz, Melo-Sampaio, Chaparro, Vogt, Carvalho, Pinheiro, Ávila, Farias, Gordo, and Hrbek from Ecuador have been formally described (Duellman Lynch 1969; Rojas et al. 2018). Literature about tadpole morphology, reproduction, and bioacoustics of Amazophrynella is scarce and necessary to a comprehensive taxonomic classification (Kaefer et al. 2019). Herein, we describe the tadpole of the recently described species Amazophrynella teko Rojas, Fouquet, Ron, Hernández-Ruz, Melo-Sampaio, Chaparro, Vogt, Carvalho, Pinheiro, Ávila, Farias, Gordo, and Hrbek, found in the northeastern Amazon, in the State of Amapá, Brazil, and in French Guiana.

Description of the tadpole of Dendropsophus haraldschultzi (Bokermann, 1962) (Anura: Hylidae), with comments on reproductive biology.

The genus Dendropsophus Fitzinger contains 108 recognized species (Frost 2020) distributed in nine species groups according to Faivovich et al. (2005). However, recent phylogenetic analysis recognized the presence of nonmonophyletic groups (e.g., Wiens et al. 2010; Fouquet et al. 2011; Motta et al. 2012; Jansen et al. 2019) suggesting that the relationships among species of Dendropsophus require careful revision. Species of this genus are distributed in the tropical and subtropical South America, including Trinidad, southward to northern Argentina and Uruguay and northward to Central America and tropical southern Mexico (Duellman et al. 2016; Frost 2020). Dendropsophus haraldschultzi (Bokermann) was described in the area of Santa Rita do Weill, municipality of São Paulo de Olivença, Amazonas State, Brazil. Adult individuals of D. haraldschultzi are small sized frogs (males 18-22 mm and females 22-25 mm; Rodríguez Duellman 1994) with tuberculate skin on dorsal surfaces, denser on the head. They are found near open ponds and permanent large streams or in floating meadows along the Amazon river (Bokermann 1962; Rodríguez Duellman 1994; Böning et al. 2017) and have been also found along the Amazon River Valley in the Brazilian states of Pará and Amapá (Missassi et al. 2017), and in Peru and Colombia. Bokermann (1962) and later authors (e.g., Lutz 1973) considered this species without evident taxonomic affinities. Currently, D. haraldschulzi is not assigned to any species group within the genus (Faivovich et al. 2005).

Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. africanum isolated from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis in Brazil.

Human tuberculosis (TB) is caused by members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), including Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. tuberculosis (MTB) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. africanum (MAF). While MTB is isolated worldwide, MAF is almost completely restricted to the African continent, and despite the historical proximity between Brazil and Africa during the slave trade, no case of TB being caused by MAF has been reported in Brazil to date. We hereby describe the first case of TB caused by MAF in Brazil comparing its genome against the published ones. A female patient who had never visited Africa presented with clinical symptoms typical of pulmonary TB. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the cultured isolate was identified as belonging to MTBC and partial sequence of the hsp65 gene was identical to that of MAF. This was confirmed by genotyping based on detection of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), Region of Difference (RD) and spoligotyping. The isolate presented the Shared International Typing (SIT) 181. In the whole-genome comparison against MAF genomes available on published EMBL-EBI European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), the Brazilian genome (MAFBRA00707) was identified as belonging to Lineage 6 and clustered with isolates from The Gambia. This is the first report of the isolation of MAF from a patient from Brazil, without evidence of having any contact with an African index case.

Sensitive simultaneous voltammetric determination of the herbicides diuron and isoproturon at a platinum/chitosan bio-based sensing platform.

Phenylurea herbicides are persistent contaminants, which leads their transport to the surface and ground waters, affecting human and aquatic organisms. Different analytical methods have been reported for the detection of phenylureas; however, several of them are expensive, time-consuming, and require complex pretreatment steps. Here, we show a simple method for the simultaneous electrochemical determination of two phenylurea herbicides by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPAdSV) using a modified platinum/chitosan electrode. The one-step synthesized platinum/chitosan PtNPs/CS was successfully characterized by TEM, XRPD, and FT-IR, and applied through the sensing platform designated as PtNPs/CS/GCE. This bio-based modified electrode is proposed for the first time for the individual and/or simultaneous electrochemical detection of the phenylurea herbicides diuron and isoproturon compounds extensively used worldwide that present a very similar chemical structure. Electrochemical and interfacial characteristics of the modified electrode were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was found that the oxidation mechanism of diuron and isoproturon occurs in two different pathways, with a peak-to-peak definition of ca. 0.15 V. Under differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPAdSV) optimized conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) was estimated as 7 µg L-1 for isoproturon and 20 µg L-1 for diuron (Ed = +0.8 V; td = 100 s). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of both analytes in river water samples, at three different levels, with a recovery range of 90-110%. The employment of the bio-based sensing platform PtNPs/CS/GCE allows a novel and easy analytical method to the multi-component phenylurea herbicides detection.