Aspects of the reproductive biology of the shortfin Mako, Isurus oxyrinchus (Elasmobranchii Lamnidae), in the southeastern region of Brazil.

Uteri from four pregnant females and two newborn of shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, were collected in the southeastern region of Brazil, during September, October, and November of 1993 and 1994. All embryos were near-term with developing dentition and inner organs. Total length ranged from 64.5 to 72.0 cm, and the maximum number of embryos observed in a litter was 20. These observations further confirmed oophagy as a form of nutrition in this species, and its periodicity. The presence of teeth in the embryos' stomachs suggest that tooth replacement begins in the uterine phase.

CD147 overexpression allows an accurate discrimination of bladder cancer patients' prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) is a chemo-sensitive tumour, but the response to treatment is heterogeneous. CD147 has been associated with chemotherapy resistance. We aimed to define tumours with an aggressive phenotype by the combined analysis of clinicopathological and biological parameters. METHODS: 77 patients with T1G3 or muscle-invasive UBC treated by radical cystectomy were studied. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect CD147, heparanase, CD31 (blood vessels identification) and D2-40 (lymphatic vessels identification) expressions. The immunohistochemical reactions were correlated with the clinicopathological and the outcome parameters. 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed by Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: The 5-year DFS and OS rates were significantly influenced by the classical clinicopathological parameters, and by the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion. CD147 and heparanase immunoexpression did not affect patients' outcome. However, patients with pT3/pT4 tumours had a median OS time of 14.7 months (95% CI 7.1-22.3, p = 0.003), which was reduced to 9.2 months (95% CI 1.5-17.0, p = 0.008) if the tumours were CD147 positive. We developed a model of tumour aggressiveness using parameters as stage, grade, lymphovascular invasion and CD147 immunoexpression, which separated a low aggressiveness from a high aggressiveness group, remaining as an independent prognostic factor of DFS (HR 3.746; 95% CI 1.244-11.285; p = 0.019) and OS (HR 3.247; 95% CI 1.015-10.388, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: CD147 overexpression, included in a model of UBC aggressiveness, may help surgeons to identify patients who could benefit from a personalized therapeutic regimen. Additional validation is needed.

Brevimulticaecum sp. (Nematoda: Heterocheilidae) larvae parasitic in freshwater fish in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil.

During the study of metazoan parasites of freshwater fish in the Pantanal wetland (state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), third-stage larvae of Brevimulticaecum sp. were collected from the abdominal cavity, liver parenchyma, mesentery, skeletal muscles and stomach wall of the following species: Gymnotus inaequilabiatus, Hemisorubim platyrhynchos, Hoplias aff. malabaricus, Myleus levis, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, Pygocentrus nattereri, Serrasalmus marginatus and Sorubim lima. The larvae exhibited the main characteristics of the genus Brevimulticaecum, such as short ventricular appendices and the position of excretory pore and excretory nucleus. This is the first report and description of larval specimens of Brevimulticaecum parasitic in these hosts, which are fish species distributed throughout South America.

Mode-locking operation of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with F(2) BF:LiF color-center crystal in a dual configuration.

Passive stable mode locking of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser was achieved with a long-decay-time saturable absorber in a coupled-cavity longitudinal scheme. In this configuration the saturable absorber (LiF:F(2) ) also behaves as an active medium in intracavity pumping and is the load for the Nd laser. This arrangement provides proper lasing conditions for the F(2) color centers so that the cavity photon lifetime of the color centers is much shorter than the cavity round-trip time of the Nd laser. In this way the Nd pulses are simultaneously Q switched and mode locked. The pulses show a stable temporal profile, with an envelope of 160 ns and a train of mode-locked pulses of less than 200-ps duration.

Aspects of the reproductive biology of the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus (Elasmobranchii Lamnidae), in the southeastern region of Brazil

Uteri from four pregnant females and two newborn of shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, were collected in the southeastern region of Brazil, during September, October, and November of 1993 and 1994. All embryos were near-term with developing dentition and inner organs. Total length ranged from 64.5 to 72.0 cm, and the maximum number of embryos observed in a litter was 20. These observations further confirmed oophagy as a form of nutrition in this species, and its periodicity. The presence of teeth in the embryos' stomachs suggest that tooth replacement begins in the uterine phase