Genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history of Chaetodipterus faber in SW Atlantic were investigated using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (620 bp) and D-loop (817 bp) sequences. Individuals were collected in five sampling units (SUs) located in latitudes between 2°S and 27°S, southernmost limit of species distribution. The COI sequences from Brazilian sampling units were compared with eight sequences from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, resulting in no significant genetic differences (K2P b 0.32%). On the contrary, pairwise F ST analysis based on D-loop datasets from the five SUs indicated divergence between Tropical and Subtropical clades of SW Atlantic C. faber. The SAMOVA approach was consistent with this divergence and revealed maximal variance among groups (63.59%) when two clades are simulated (k = 2), setting apart Tropical and Subtropical SUs. Demographic analyses support the hypothesis of population expansion, both for Tropical and Subtropical clades. Moreover, Subtropical population size increase was dated after the Tropical clade reached the demographic stability, around 10 kyr ago, during the beginning of interglacial Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The historical demographic results, along with the lower genetic diversity and the starshaped haplotype network of the Subtropical clade corroborate an ancient scenario of the species' adaptive radiation southward.

Energy can be treated as an essential element for the development of society. Therefore, aspects like process' efficiency and environmental impacts must be considered when choosing the supply source. In Brazil, an event showed the fragility of a system that relies on in only one source to attend their necessities; a truckers strike made the whole country stop. The energy sector has a similar situation; more than 60% of Brazilian energetic matrix is represented by one source, hydroelectric power plants. The availability of solar radiation and wind in Brazil makes it possible to diversify its energetic matrix. Thus, the aim of this study is investigating the potential of hybrid solar-wind power plants in two basins of Minas Gerais-Brazil, São Francisco Basin and Jequitinhonha Basin, as well as compare their viabilities in order to address social issues. By analyzing INMET database and economic factors, the study has shown that it is feasible to implement renewable power plants in the basins of the study area, whether individually (solar or wind energy) or hybrid system. It shows in addition that hybrid system should be prioritized, since it presents lower cost, when compared to solar power plant, and more reliability due to seasonality of both sources.

Water mites (Hydrachnidia) are common external parasites of the medically important mosquitoes (Culicidae). Between April 2014 and April 2015, 64 mites from three genus, Arrenurus 71.9%, Limnochares 3.1%, and Hydrachna 25.0%, were collected from female mosquitoes in two rural locations near Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Dipterous species parasitized by water mites belonging to seven species: Anopheles (Nys.) darling, An. evansae, Aedes (Och.) scapularis, Ae. serratus, Mansonia (Man.) wilsoni, Psorophora (Jan.) ferox, Ps. varipes. The most common specimens to accommodate the water mites were Anopheles (Nys.) darlingi and Psorophora (Jan.) varipes. The prevalence of parasitism of mosquitoes by water mites found in this study was less than 5. However, few studies have addressed the ecological role of mites and their biotopes, as well as host-parasite interactions in Brazil.

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is an endangered mammal that occupies aquatic environments, especially in the Amazon Rainforest and Pantanal wetlands in South America. The species uses shelters (dens and campsites), such as burrowed tunnels and tangles of branches and roots along watercourses, where it feeds mainly on fishes. In Espírito Santo Creek (northern portion of the Pantanal wetlands in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil), 60 shelters (45 dens and 15 campsites) were identified and georeferenced during 12 fieldtrips between 2002 and 2003. The density was 1.8 dens/km. The shelters were significantly found in locations with partial (35%) or complete (55%) plant cover. The dens were dug mainly in soil associated with roots located, on average, 4.4 m in distance and 2.4 m in height in relation to the waterline. The campsites had a significantly smaller distance and height compared to the dens. The greater density of dens in the study area underscores the need for conserved environments with little human interference for the protection of giant otter populations. The vegetal coverage of riparian forests and the occurrence of ravines along Espírito Santo Creek offer greater protection to the shelters, hindering the access of predators to the interior of the shelter. Studies integrating biological and ecological knowledge with social participation in areas of occurrence of the giant otter are fundamental to the conservation of the species and its habitat in the Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil.