The present study evaluated the embryonic–larval development of sea urchins (Echinometra lucunter) exposed to water-soluble fractions (WSF) of oil spilled on the Brazilian coast in 2019 and recovered post-accident in 2021. In 2019, organisms were exposed to WSF concentrations of 35.01
This study evaluated how different levels of sediment metal contamination (ranging from below to above toxicity thresholds) and exposure durations (3–14 days) influence metal bioaccumulation and biomarker responses in fish under estuarine conditions. Using an integrated biomarker approach, the relationships among environmental contamination, metal accumulation, and fish health were examined to improve biomonitoring strategies. At the highest contamination level, 100
Accurate species delimitation within electric rays of the genus Narcine has been hindered by overlapping morphological characters and limited molecular resolution in previous single-locus studies. This study aims to evaluate phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries within the Narcine species complex across the Western Atlantic using complete mitochondrial genomes. Seven complete mitogenomes were newly assembled from individuals representing distinct morphotypes sampled across geographically widespread Western Atlantic localities and analyzed together with publicly available reference sequences. Mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) were examined using concatenated nucleotide and amino acid datasets under partitioned maximum-likelihood frameworks. Both approaches recovered highly congruent topologies, consistently supporting a single, well-defined western Atlantic mitochondrial lineage with low internal divergence (0.04–2.13
The rising prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States has outpaced the growth of a dental workforce specifically trained to provide care for this population, a mismatch that is compounded, in Florida, by a broader and officially documented shortage of dental practitioners. This narrative review examines the intersection between Florida's HRSA-designated dental workforce shortage and the oral health access gap experienced by individuals with ASD and other special needs, drawing on official data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Florida Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), together with peer-reviewed literature on barriers to dental care in ASD populations. As of January 2026, Florida required 1,271 additional dentists to eliminate its dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations. Nationally, ASD prevalence among 8-year-old children rose from 1 in 150 in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2022, with Florida consistently ranking among the states with the highest reported prevalence. The dental literature identifies a distinct, additional shortage of clinicians trained in special care dentistry, attributed largely to insufficient predoctoral and postdoctoral curriculum exposure, alongside well-documented sensory, communication, and behavioral barriers to care. These findings are synthesized into a concrete strategic model for a sensory-adapted, ASD-focused dental clinic. The study's limitations and directions for future empirical research are discussed.
Gliese 48 is an M3.5V red dwarf exhibiting significant magnetic activity and a stellar rotation period of 51.5 d. In this work, we present a systematic re-analysis of radial velocities (RV) from CARMENES and decade-long HIRES observations, integrated with TESS space-based photometry. We identify a planet of undetermined composition, Gliese 48 b, with an orbital period P = 39.6299 ± 0.29 d and a minimum mass M sin i = 8.11 ± 1.63 M_⊕. The planetary nature of the signal is confirmed by its temporal coherence over a 15-year baseline and its achromaticity between visible and near-infrared channels. TESS photometry from Sectors 18, 19, 24, and 25 (218.6 d total baseline, 66,983 cadences) reveals no transit at P = 39.63 d (FAP > 10%, BLS). An injection-and-recovery test demonstrates that a 1287 ppm transit signal corresponding to a minimum-radius 1.69 R_⊕ planet would have been detected with Signal-to-Pink-Noise Ratio SPNR > 7, ruling out a transiting geometry with high confidence. The orbital inclination is constrained to i < 89.3^∘. With an incident stellar flux S_ eff≈ 0.889 S_⊕ and bolometric luminosity L_* = 0.0273 ± 0.0023 L_⊙, Gliese 48 b lies near the inner edge of the Conservative Habitable Zone and within the Optimistic HZ, making it one of the most astrobiologically compelling temperate Super-Earths orbiting an M-dwarf.
