Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the brazilian cownose ray Rhinoptera brasiliensis (Myliobatiformes, Rhinopteridae) in the western Atlantic and its phylogenetic implications.

BACKGROUND: The Brazilian cownose ray, Rhinoptera brasiliensis has undergone a global population reduction and is currently classified by IUCN as Vulnerable. This species is sometimes confused with Rhinoptera bonasus, the only external diagnostic characteristic to distinguish between both species is the number of rows of tooth plates. Both cownose rays overlap geographically from Rio de Janeiro to the western North Atlantic. This calls for a more comprehensive phylogenetic assessment using mitochondria DNA genomes to better understand the relationships and delimitation of these two species. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mitochondrial genome sequences of R. brasiliensis was obtained by next-generation sequencing. The length of the mitochondrial genome was 17,759 bp containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and a non-coding control region (D-loop). Each PCG was initiated by an authoritative ATG codon, except for COX1 initiated by a GTG codon. Most of the PCGs were terminated by a complete codon (TAA/TAG), while an incomplete termination codon (TA/T) was found in five out of the 13 PCGs. The phylogenetic analysis showed that R. brasiliensis was closely related to R. steindachneri whereas the reported mitogenome as R. steindachneri (GenBank accession number KM364982), differs from multiple mitocondrial DNA sequences of R. steindachneri and is nearly identical to that of R. javanica. CONCLUSION: The new mitogenome determined in this study provides new insight into the phylogenetic relationships in Rhinoptera, while providing new molecular data that can be applied to population genetic studies.

Efectos de los comerciales con contenido erótico-sexual sobre el recuerdo, actitudes y actividad fisiológica, en relación con el grado de liberalidad / Effects of Ad with Erotic-Sexual Content on Recall, Attitudes and Physiological Activity, in Relation to the Degree of Liberality

Resumen El presente estudio pretendió establecer el efecto de comerciales con contenidos de naturaleza erótico-sexual sobre el recuerdo y las actitudes hacia el anuncio y la marca publicitada. Se analizó la activación fisiológica y se buscaron relaciones con el grado de liberalidad-conservadurismo de cada participante. Para ello, se desarrolló un estudio cuasiexperimental con dos grupos, uno conformado por 29 hombres y el otro por 29 mujeres. Se diseñó un programa de televisión que consistía en un documental sobre la naturaleza en donde se insertaron tres tipos de comerciales: A1 (alto contenido erótico-sexual), A2 (bajo contenido erótico-sexual) y A3 (sin contenido erótico-sexual). Los comerciales fueron clasificados de acuerdo con las categorías empleadas por la NICAM y por la ISFP. Se combinaron los órdenes de aparición de estos comerciales y se eligió el orden que recibió cada participante de manera aleatoria. Posteriormente, fueron conectados a un polígrafo que registró su actividad fisiológica frente al programa que observaban. Una vez terminado el procedimiento, se aplicó un cuestionario para medir el recuerdo y actitudes frente al comercial y a la marca. Los resultados muestran que no existen diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres en la activación fisiológica frente a los comerciales con alto grado de erotismo y que el contenido erótico-sexual aportó significativamente a la recordación de la marca. De la misma manera, no se observaron efectos diferenciales de los contenidos eróticos en relación con el grado de liberalidad de los participantes.

Abstract This study aimed to establish the effect of ad with erotic content of a sexual nature on the recall and attitudes toward the ad and the advertised brand, analyzing the physiological activation of individuals and the observed differences between men and women. In addition, the differences in relation to the degree of conservatism of each participant settled. For this, a quasi-experimental study compared two groups, one consisting of 29 men and the other for 29 women developed. Television program was designed consisting in a nature documentary where 3 types of commercial A1 (highly erotic-sexual content), A2 (under erotic-sexual content) and A3 (without erotic-sexual content) were inserted. The commercials were classified according to the categories used by NICAM and the ISFP. The order of appearance of these commercials were combined and the order received each participant was randomly chosen. They were then connected to a polygraph which recorded its physiological activity to the program watching. Once the procedure is completed, a questionnaire was applied to measure memory and attitudes towards trade and off the mark. The results show no significant differences between men and women in physiological arousal against commercial high degree of eroticism and the erotic-sexual content did not contribute significantly improved the brand recall. No differential effects of erotic content depending on the degree of concessionality of participants were observed.

Molecular evidence supporting the expansion of the geographical distribution of the Brazilian cownose ray Rhinoptera brasiliensis (Myliobatiformes: Rhinopteridae) in the western Atlantic.

The genus Rhinoptera is composed of eight species widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate coastal waters, which inhabit bays, estuaries and river mouths. Cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus has been reported to inhabit the Western Atlantic including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, whereas the Brazilian cownose ray R. brasiliensis has been considered endemic to the coast of Brazil. Recent reports of R. brasiliensis in the Gulf of Mexico bring about the question of whether the species has a wider range than previously reported. Here, the mitochondrial genes COI, Cytb, NADH2 and the nuclear gene RAG1 were used to distinguish among species and to confirm the presence of R. brasiliensis in the Gulf of Mexico. R. brasiliensis specimens collected along the southern Gulf of Mexico showed a remarkable genetic and morphological affinity when compared with R. brasiliensis specimens from Brazil, supporting the presence of the species in Mexico (from Veracruz through Campeche) and providing evidence that its distribution ranges from Brazil to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Both species overlap geographically to a large degree, leading to a reassessment of their conservation status. Our results also show that R. bonasus distribution in the Gulf of Mexico may be restricted to the northern portion, in US waters.

Consumo de sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales, factores de protección y de riesgo: estado actual / Consumption of legal and illegal psychoactive substances, factors of protection and risk: State of the ar

Introducción. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) define 'droga' como cualquier sustancia natural o sintética que, al ser introducida en el organismo, es capaz de producir efectos en el sistema nervioso central, relacionados con la modificación del funcionamiento, así como con cambios en la actividad psíquica y emocional del ser vivo. Las drogas lícitas o legales son aquellas legalmente disponibles mediante prescripción médica o cuya comer-cialización es permitida; y las drogas ilícitas o ilegales son aquellas cuya producción, porte, transporte y comercialización están legalmente prohibidos o que son usadas sin la prescrip-ción exigida. Objetivo. Identificar las tendencias en los resultados de investigaciones publicadas, relacio-nadas con el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales, sus factores de protección y los de riesgo. Método. El artículo se origina de una revisión documental con búsqueda, análisis y síntesis de fuentes secundarias, de los datos de 51 artículos producto de investigaciones que dieran respuesta a las siguientes preguntas: ¿qué se sabe sobre las sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales? y ¿cuáles son los factores de protección y de riesgo, asociados al consumo de sustancias psicoactivas? Las bases consultadas fueron: Lilacs, IBECS, Medline, Biblioteca Co-chrane PAHO, WHOLIS y SciELO. Conclusiones. El uso de sustancias psicoactivas es un fenómeno que cambia constantemente debido a la aparición de nuevas sustancias de consumo y, según el contexto, cada individuo se expone a riesgos prevenibles que pueden ser controlados.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drugs as any natural or synthe-tic substance which, when introduced into the body, is able to produce effects on the central nervous system. These changes relate to the modification of functioning as well as changes in the mental and emotional activity of the person. Legal drugs have been described as those legally available by prescription or commercialization, and illicit or illegal drugs have been described as those whose production, possession, transport and marketing are legally prohi-bited or are used without prescription. Objective: To identify trends in the results of published research related to the consumption of legal and illegal drugs and their factors of protection and risk. Method: This article originates from document review, research, analysis and synthesis of secondary sources of 51 research articles that give answers to the following questions: What is known about legal and illegal psychoactive substances? What are the protective and risk factors associated with the use of psychoactive substances? The following databases were used: Lilacs, IBECS, Medline, Cochrane Library PAHO, WHOLIS and SciELO. Conclusions: The use of psychoactive substances is a phenomenon that is constantly chan-ging due to the emergence of new substances that can be used. Depending on the context, each individual is exposed to preventable risks that can be controlled.

Insulinorresistencia, obesidad y síndrome metabólico. Cohorte CDC de Canarias en Venezuela / Insulin resistence, obesity and metabolic síndrome. Cohort CDC Canarian in Venezuela

La obesidad es una enfermedad crónica, problema de salud pública, con alta morbilidad asociada a resistencia a la insulina (RI). El síndromemetabólico (SM) predice enfermedad cardiovascular y diabetes tipo 2, siendo la obesidad y la RI los principales factores de riesgo. El HOMA es un indicador validado de RI simple, de bajo costo y poco invasivo. El objetivo fue determinar RI (HOMA) y su relación con el estado nutricional, en adultos canario-venezolanos con y sin diagnóstico de SM. La muestra incluyó 67 personas (20-84 años), canarios e hijos mayores de 19 años residentes en Venezuela, 23 con SM y 44 controles. Se determinó antropometría, presión arterial y análisis en ayuno de glucosa, HDL-colesterol, triglicéridos e insulina. Los obesos, en comparación con los eutróficos, presentaron valores significativamente superiores de HOMA (3,63 ± 1,27 vs 2,33 ± 0,52, p<0,001) así como de circunferencia de cintura, presión arterial diastólica, triglicéridos, glucosa, insulina y del índice triglicéridos/HDL-colesterol. La prueba de Chi² mostró asociación altamente significativa (p<0,001) entre HOMA y SM.Los sujetos con SM demostraron tener 4,7 veces más riesgo de tener RI, siendo este hallazgo estadísticamente significativo. Para establecer la correlación entre las variables el análisis de Pearson demostró una correlación significativa (p<0,001) entre HOMA y el índice de masa corporal, circunferencia abdominal, triglicéridos e Índice Triglicéridos/HDL-colesterol. La obesidad mostró alta asociación con insulino-resistencia. Concluyendo que la obesidad, la hipertrigliceridemia y el índice Triglicéridos/HDL-colesterol elevado son parametros para RI.

Obesity is a chronic disease, a public health problem, with high morbidity associated to the insulin resistance (IR). Metabolic syndrome (MS), predicts cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, being obesity and IR the main risk factors. HOMA, is a simple validated marker for IR, non invasive and inexpensive. The objective was to estimate IR and its relation with the nutritional status of canarian-venezuelan adults with and without MS. The sample was comprised of 67 adults (20-84 years old), born in canaries islands and their children older than 19 years of age living in Venezuela, 23 with MS and 44 controls. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin were performed in each individual. Subjects with obesity showed significantly higher values of HOMA (3,63 ± 1,27 vs 2,33 ± 0,52, p<0,001) as well as abdominal circumference, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and triglycerides/HDLcholesterol, when compared to the eutrophic subjects,. The Chi² test showed a highly significant association (p<0,001) between HOMA and MS. MS subjects had 4.7 times more risk for IR, being this finding statistically significant. To establish the correlation between variables was performed Pearson analysis demonstrating a significant correlation between HOMA and body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference, triglycerides and triglycerides/ HDL-cholesterol. Obesity showed a high association with insulinresistance. Concluding that obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and high index triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol are high parameters for RI.