RCAAP Repository

This study provides a detailed description of the macro- and microscopic anatomy of the female reproductive system of the mangrove land crab, Ucides cordatus. A total of 277 females were collected between October 1998 and September 1999 in mangroves of the Victoria Bay, State of Espírito Santo, Southeast Brazil. The reproductive system of this species is composed of two ovaries united together by a bridge, present in the form of an H when viewed dorsally, and two seminal receptacles. Histological analysis revealed the following six stages of oocyte development: I. young germ cells (oogonias); II. oocytes of the germinative centers; III. oocytes with lipid vitellogenesis; IV. vitellogenic oocytes with lipid and protein; V. oocytes with completed vitellogenesis; and VI. oocytes in hyalinization. The anatomy of the ovary is characterized by the following six stages of development: I. immature; II. at maturity; III. mature; IV. partly spawned; V. fully spawned; and VI. in recovery. Reproduction was observed in summer, and the results suggesting that this species showed multiple spawnings.

The aim of this study was to analyze reproductive aspects of Callinectes danae in one of the most productive estuarine systems in the Northeast Brazil, Santa Cruz Channel. A total of 1.573 individuals, being 756 females (23 ovigerous) and 817 males were examined from January to December 2009. Mature males and females, as well as couples of C. danae, occurred in all months of the year. Ovigerous females occurred in nearly all months. The reproductive activity, based on the macroscopic observation of the gonads, occurs continuously, with distinguishable peaks in February, March and September. Ovigerous females were only recorded nearest to the sea, while couples were only in the inner estuary. Thus, a migration pattern is proposed, with couples mating inside the estuary, followed by a migration of females to the area of greater marine influence for egg laying and, probably, larval release. After this, probably the females of do not return to the estuary, characterizing habitat partitioning. The present study is the first contribution on the reproductive period of C. danae in an estuarine ecosystem of the Brazilian northeast coast, and elucidates some aspects of its reproductive behavior.

There are over 120 species of freshwater decapod crustaceans in Brazil. This paper contributes to the knowledge of the species richness and distribution of decapod crustaceans from Jacupiranga State Park, South of São Paulo State. The main objectives were to investigate the geographical distribution of A. strinatii and to generate a checklist of the decapod species collected from the sampling sites. Sixteen sampling sites were investigated during the year of 2007 and four species were collected. The present report represents a new record of A. strinatii from São Paulo State and adds three more localities at Jacupiranga State Park where the occurrence of T. fluviatilis is confirmed.

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This study was focused on the predation upon microcrustaceans by an invertebrate predator (chaoborid larvae), and vertebrate predators (fish), in two small reservoirs in southeastern Brazil, with and without macrophytes, in two climatic periods (dry and rainy seasons). Chaoborus larvae were sampled in the limnetic zone, as they are scarce in the littoral, and fish in both limnetic and littoral zones. Their diets were evaluated by the analysis of the crop (chaoborid) or stomach contents (fish). Chaoborid larvae consumed the dinoflagellate Peridinium sp. or other algae, rotifers, and planktonic microcrustaceans. The fish species that included microcrustaceans in their diets were juveniles caught in the littoral. Aquatic insects, plant fragments, and detritus were their major dietary items, microcrustaceans representing a minor item. Planktonic copepods contributed more to the diet of chaoborid larvae than planktonic cladocerans. Fish preyed on planktonic microcrustaceans, as well as on benthic and macrophyte-associated species. Microcrustaceans were not heavily preyed on by chaoborid larvae and fish in both reservoirs.

The Rio de la Plata. located between Uruguay and Argentina, generates a tremendous freshwater influx from the estuary into the coastal sea. It is thus suggested to constitute a biogeographic barrier for many taxa exhibiting a marine planktonic larval dispersal. However, evidence for corresponding intraspecific dispersal constraint has yet to be provided. We compared mitochondrial haplotypes of ten individuals for each of two populations of Uca (Leptuca) uruguayensis north and south of the estuary to examine the potential effect of the Rio de la Plata on the species' distribution. The populations are separated by nearly 2,000 km and were collected in São Paulo State (Brazil) and Mar Chiquita (Argentina). We found no significant indication for restricted gene flow between them, based on 823 basepairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The structure of the corresponding haplotype network and the estimated nucleotide diversities, however, suggest that the Argentinean population is genetically more diverse than the one from Brazil. In order to establish possible significant differences in haplotype distribution, further research including more populations and larger sample sizes will be necessary.

The taxonomy of two trichodactyline genera of the Neotropical freshwater crab family Trichodactylidae are revised. The genus Avotrichodactylus Pretzmann, 1968, includes two species, A. constrictus (Pearse, 1911) and A. oaxensis Rodríguez, 1992; the genus Rodriguezia Bott, 1969, also has two species, R. mensabak Cottarelli and Argano, 1977, and R. villalobosi (Rodríguez and Manrique, 1967). The taxonomic statuses of all the species are discussed and a short diagnosis is provided for each. A complete list of the material examined and a map of geographic distribution of the species are furnished.

The present work aims to study the size vs. weight relationship and the condition factor of a commercially important crab, Callinectes danae, from an estuarine complex located at Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil. After sampled, the specimens were measured on their carapace width (CW; mm) and weighted on their wet weight (WW; g). A total of 1,635individuals of C. danae were analyzed, being 881 males (53.8%) and 754 females (46.2%). Males were significantly larger and heavier than females (p < 0.05), the expected pattern to many crabs. The relationship WW vs. CW, described through the potency equation, was allometrically positive for both males (b = 3.12) and females (b = 3.02), a result also observed in other swimming crabs. The mean condition factor of males was 8.0 10-5 ± 1.5 10-5, and that of females was 11.5 10-5 ± 2.8 10-5, being significantly higher in females (p < 0.05), due to the fact that female gonads are heavier than that of males. The condition factor oscillated throughout the sampling year, for both sexes, which was related to the reproductive cycle.

The geographical distribution of marine organisms, as a result of complex natural processes through geological time, has been changed, sometimes drastically, by species introductions. Instances of species introduction have been recorded worldwide, and the Brazilian coast is no exception. The present review provides an update of the geographical distribution of members of the brachyuran subfamily Mithracinae along the Brazilian coast. Of the 30 species of this subfamily recorded from Brazilian waters, the known geographical limits of more than 17 have been extended in recent decades. The records compiled here demonstrate the great importance of the Amazon River outflow on the geographical distribution of members of Mithracinae, acting as a biogeographical barrier for some species.

Material belonging to the genus Processa, held in the Regional Marine Invertebrates Collection in Mazatlán, Mexico, is revised including specimens of the widely distributed P. peruviana, and the scarcely collected P. hawaiensis. For comparative purposes with the specimens from Hawaii and other localities, a detailed description of a male of P. hawaiensis collected in continental Mexico is provided, including illustrations of all appendages. Small differences are noted with previous description and partial redescriptions of this species, including proportion between propodus and dactylus of the fourth pereopod, and between merus and carpus of the right cheliped. In addition, the shape and setation of the first pair of pleopods in the Mexican material differs from the description of P. hawaiensis based on African material.

A study on sexual dimorphism in Aegla marginata was conducted using geometric morphometric methods. The carapace of 47 females and 75 males and the left and right cheliped propodus of 29 females and 40 males were analyzed. Eighteen landmarks were established in the carapace and 10 in the cheliped propodus. A Generalized Procrustes Analysis based on landmark configurations was used to separate the components of size and shape. A Student t-test was used to determine whether statistically significant sexual dimorphism was shown by the carapace and the cheliped propodus. The variation in the shape of the structures was evaluated with a discriminant analysis. Our results show that there is no sexual dimorphism in the carapace of A. marginata. However, the size of the propodus differed statistically between the sexes. The carapace shape differed between the sexes: the females showed a wider posterior area and a narrower anterior area than the males. The shape of the cheliped propodus also differed between the sexes: overall, the females had a longer and narrower cheliped propodus than the males. The variations in the carapace shape found in this study confirm the results of other studies on aeglid morphology; however, the information presented by this study regarding variation in the shape of the cheliped propodus is new to the literature. The geometric morphometric approach applied in this study provided useful tools for achieving the proposed objectives.

A new species of Paratanais Dana, 1852, Paratanais coelhoi sp. nov., is described and new records for Paradoxapseudes intermedius (Hansen, 1895), Intermedichelia gracilis Guţu, 1996, Vestigiramus sp., Nototanoides cf. trifurcatus Sieg and Heard, 1985, Biarticulata sp. and Arhaphuroides sp. are provided from northeastern Brazil based on collections from the REVIZEE-NE Program. This raises the number of tanaidacean species from the Brazilian coast from 45 to 49. Paratanais coelhoi sp. nov. shares morphological features such as habitus shape, maxilliped palp setation, and cheliped proportions with P. oculatus (Vanhöffen, 1914), P. martinsi Bamber and Costa, 2009, P. tara Bird, 2011 and P. euelpis Barnard, 1920. The new species can, however, be distinguished by a unique combination of characters including: pleonites 1-4 with lateral circumplumose setae while the 5th with simple seta only; antennule article 1 stout; cheliped propodus with one specialized outer 'S'-shaped broad seta; pereopod 1 merus length with 1.7 times as long as wide; pereopod 2 merus without ventral spiniform seta; uropodal endopod biarticulate, exopod uniarticulate as well as other characters.

A new species, Cheiriphotis petronioi sp. nov., is described from the Brazilian coast. This species is recognizable amongst its congeners by the carpus of adult male gnathopod 2 not fused with propodus and the palm acute and uropod 1 of adult males without a group of apical setae between rami. Specimens studied herein were collected between 23º and 34ºS (Brazil - São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul) from 16 to 38 m depth. An updated key to all species of the genus is provided.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients presenting with dyspnea to an emergency department (ED). METHODS: Seventy patients presenting with dyspnea to an ED from April to July 2001 were included in the study. Mean age was 72±16 years and 33 (47%) were male. BNP was measured in all patients at the moment of admission to the ED. Emergency-care physicians, blinded to BNP values, were required to assign a probable initial diagnosis. A cardiologist retrospectively reviewed the data (blinded to BNP measurements) and assigned a definite diagnosis, which was considered the gold standard for assessing the diagnostic performance of BNP. RESULTS: The mean BNP concentration was higher in patients with CHF (n=36) than in those with other diagnoses (990±550 vs 80±67 pg/mL, p<0.0001). Patients with systolic dysfunction had higher BNP levels than those with preserved systolic function (1,180±641 vs 753±437 pg/mL, p=0.03). At a blood concentration of 200 pg/mL, BNP showed a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 97.1%, positive predictive value of 97.3%, and negative predictive value of 100%. The application of BNP could have potentially corrected all 16 cases in which the diagnosis was missed by the emergency department physician. CONCLUSION: BNP measurement is a useful tool in the diagnosis of CHF in patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea.

OBJECTIVE: To assess structural and functional cardiac changes in asymptomatic pregnant women with chronic arterial hypertension (CAH). METHODS: One hundred pregnant women with CAH underwent conventional Doppler echocardiography. The Student t test was used to compare them with 29 normotensive pregnant women (NT) in their third gestational trimester. RESULTS: Systolic (SBP; mmHg) and diastolic (DBP; mmHg) blood pressure values were higher (p<0.001) in the CAH pregnant women (SBP: 139±19 and DBP: 92± 18) as compared with those of the NT group (SBP: 112±10 and DBP: 74±9). A significant enlargement of the left atrium (4.10±0.48 cm vs 3.6±0.3 cm; p<0.001) and of the left ventricular normalized mass (59.6±19.7 g/cm2,7 vs 41.9±3.4 g/cm2,7; p<0.001) was observed. Cardiac output (CO, L/min) and systolic volume (SV, mL) were significantly higher in the CAH group (CO: 6.0±1.54 vs 4.9±2.1, p<0.01; SV: 77.3±19.8 vs 56.5±25.8, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Chronic hypertensive pregnant women have structural and functional cardiac changes that justify routine cardiologic assessment, even in the absence of cardiopulmonary symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of stress on teaching medical emergencies in an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course and to verify this influence on learning, and the efficiency of emergency care training. METHODS: Seventeen physicians signed up for an ACLS course. Their pulses were taken and blood pressure (BP) verified on the first day, before the beginning of the course, and on the second day, during the theoretical and practical test (TPT). Variations in pulse rates and BP were compared with students' test grades. Then, students answered a questionnaire of variables (QV) about the amount of sleep they had during the course, the quantity of study material and the time spent studying for the course, and a stress scale graphic. RESULTS: Seven students had a pulse variation less than 10% between the 2 periods and 10 had a 10% or more variation. Grades on TPT were, respectively, 91.4±2.4 and 87.3±5.2 (p<0.05). Six students had a BP variation less than 20 mmHg, and in 11 it varied more than 21 mmHg. Grades on the TPT were 92.3±3.3 and 86.2± 8.1, respectively (p<0.05). The QV dates did not significantly influence grades. CONCLUSION: Stress, as an isolated variable, had a negative influence on the learning process and on the efficiency of emergency training in this situation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine technical procedures and criteria used by Brazilian physicians for measuring blood pressure and diagnosing hypertension. METHODS: A questionnaire with 5 questions about practices and behaviors regarding blood pressure measurement and the diagnosis of hypertension was sent to 25,606 physicians in all Brazilian regions through a mailing list. The responses were compared with the recommendations of a specific consensus and descriptive analysis. RESULTS: Of the 3,621 (14.1%) responses obtained, 57% were from the southeastern region of Brazil. The following items were reported: use of an aneroid device by 67.8%; use of a mercury column device by 14.6%; 11.9% of the participants never calibrated the devices; 35.7% calibrated the devices at intervals < 1 year; 85.8% measured blood pressure in 100% of the medical visits; 86.9% measured blood pressure more than once and on more than one occasion. For hypertension diagnosis, 55.7% considered the patient's age, and only 1/3 relied on consensus statements. CONCLUSION: Despite the adequate frequency of both practices, it was far from that expected, and some contradictions between the diagnostic criterion for hypertension and the number of blood pressure measurements were found. The results suggest that, to include the great majority of the medical professionals, disclosure of consensus statements and techniques for blood pressure measurement should go beyond the boundaries of medical events and specialized journals.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the Dixtal DX2710 automated oscillometric device used for blood pressure measurement according to the protocols of the BHS and the AAMI. METHODS: Three blood pressure measurements were taken in 94 patients (53 females 15 to 80 years). The measurements were taken randomly by 2 observers trained to measure blood pressure with a mercury column device connected with an automated device. The device was classified according to the protocols of the BHS and AAMI. RESULT: The mean of blood pressure levels obtained by the observers was 148±38/93±25 mmHg and that obtained with the device was 148±37/89±26 mmHg. Considering the differences between the measurements obtained by the observer and those obtained with the automated device according to the criteria of the BHS, the following classification was adopted: "A" for systolic pressure (69% of the differences < 5; 90% < 10; and 97% < 15 mmHg); and "B" for diastolic pressure (63% of the differences < 5; 83% < 10; and 93% < 15 mmHg). The mean and standard deviation of the differences were 0±6.27 mmHg for systolic pressure and 3.82±6.21 mmHg for diastolic pressure. CONCLUSION: The Dixtal DX2710 device was approved according to the international recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of productive years of life lost to premature death due to coronary heart disease in Brazil and to report their trends over a 20-year period. METHODS: The Brazilian Ministry of Health raw database on death due to coronary heart disease from 1979-1998 was used. The productive years of life lost to premature death were estimated using 20 and 59 years of age as the cut points for the productive years, replacing the potential years of 1 and 70 of the original formula. A descriptive analysis was provided with adjustments, means, proportions, ratios, percentages of increase or reduction, and mobile means. RESULTS: A 35.8% increase in death for males and 51.3% for females was observed, +43.3% being the relative difference for females. The annual means of the productive years of life prematurely lost were analyzed in 140,865 males and 58,559 females, with the differential ratio between the age groups ranging from 2.3 to 2.5. The annual means were less favorable for males. Within each group (intragroup), the ratios decreased with the increase in age, and the age means at the time of death remained constant. The raw tendencies decreased in the 20- to 29-year age group and increased in the 40- to 59-year age group for females and the 40- to 49-year age group for males. When adjusted, the raw tendencies decreased. CONCLUSION: The 43.3% increase in the number of female deaths as compared with that of males and the ascending tendency in the productive years of life lost in the 40- to 59-year age group point to the influence of unfavorable changes in female lifestyles and suggest a deficiency in programs for prevention and control of risk factors and in their treatment in both sexes.

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