Sustainability Agenda for the Pantanal Wetland: Perspectives on a Collaborative Interface for Science, Policy, and Decision-Making.

Building bridges between environmental and political agendas is essential nowadays in face of the increasing human pressure on natural environments, including wetlands. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services for humanity and can generate a considerable direct or indirect income to the local communities. To meet many of the sustainable development goals, we need to move our trajectory from the current environmental destructive development to a wiser wetland use. The current article contain a proposed agenda for the Pantanal aiming the improvement of public policy for conservation in the Pantanal, one of the largest, most diverse, and continuous inland wetland in the world. We suggest and discuss a list of 11 essential interfaces between science, policy, and development in region linked to the proposed agenda. We believe that a functional science network can booster the collaborative capability to generate creative ideas and solutions to address the big challenges faced by the Pantanal wetland

Myxobolus franciscoi sp. nov. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae), a parasite of Prochilodus argenteus (Actinopterygii: Prochilodontidae) from the Upper S\ue3o Francisco River, Brazil, with a revision of Myxobolus spp. from South America

Myxobolus franciscoi sp. nov. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae) is described from the "curimatá-pacú" fish, Prochilodus argenteus Spix & Agassiz, 1829 (Actinopterygii: Prochilodontidae) from the Upper São Francisco River, Brazil. This parasite forms whitish plasmodia (about 1 x 1 mm) that develop in the connective tissue of fins. The spores are more or less round in frontal view and ellipsoidal in lateral view, measuring 6.4 (6.0-6.9) µm in length, by 6.0 (5.8-6.4) µm in width and 3.2 µm in thickness. The polar capsules are very small, measuring about 2 µm in length by 1.5 µm in width and ending in a tapered anterior neck. The polar filament makes three turns in a plane at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the spore. Thorough comparisons with the remaining species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 described from South American fish, as well as with almost all species of Myxobolus described so far, are provided. This paper also includes a revision of Myxobolus species from South American fish hosts

Ecological and reproductive aspects of Neoechinorhynchus pimelodi Brasil-Sato & Pavanelli (Eoacanthocephala, Neoechinorhynchidae) of Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède (Siluroidei, Pimelodidae) of the São Francisco River, Brazil

Ecological and reproductive aspects of Neoechinorhynchus pimelodi Brasil-Sato & Pavanelli, 1998, in Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède, 1803 collected in the São Francisco river during periods of drought (July 1995 and 1996) and floodings (January 1996 and 1997) of this river basin are provided. In tropical regions where the amount of rainfall alters the hydrological regimen of limnological systems water temperature has not had an important role in infections of N. pimelodi in P. maculatus. Prevalence was somewhat higher during drought periods. Intensity of infection varied slightly between collecting periods. Mature male and female acanthocephalans were present in all periods. Females were predominant. Mature females were present in higher numbers during flooding periods with a corresponding decrease in juvenile acanthocephalans. Recruitment and constant losses of N. pimelodi seem to be controlled by transmission mechanisms independently of density. Mechanisms may consist of infected prey availability (potential intermediate hosts) and changes of preferred alimentary items in the diets of juvenile and mature P. maculatus

Prevalence and histopathology of Neoechinorhynchus curemai Noronha, 1973 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) in Prochilodus lineatus Valenciennes, 1836 from Volta Grande Reservoir, MG, Brazil

The present work studied the prevalence and histopathology of Neoechinorhynchus curemai Noronha, 1973 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from curimbatá, Prochilodus lineatus Valenciennes, 1836. Eighteen fishes with averages of 46.7 + 1.1 cm length and 1,674.8 + 75.6 g weight were collected with net, bimonthly from December 1995 thru December 1996 in the hydroelectric power station of Volta Grande Reservoir (Cemig), Minas Gerais, Brazil. From analysed fishes, 15 were infected with acanthocephalans in the intestine (prevalence 83.3%). The greatest mean intensity occurred in August 1996 with 66.5 (16 to 208) parasites. Histopathological analysis showed complete desquamation of the intestinal epithelium with severe hyperplasia and hypertrofia of the goblet cells. Severe inflammatory reaction at the submucosa, displacement of their sheaf, associated with oedema and mononuclear and eosinophilic infiltration were observed

Parasitological and immunological diagnoses of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised children at Uberlândia, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil Diagnóstico parasitológico e imunológico da estrongiloidíase em crianças imunodeprimidas e imunocompetentes na cidade de Uberlândia, MG, Brasil

Parasitological and immunological diagnoses were part of a study conducted among 151 children, 83 immunocompromised (IC) and 68 non-immunocompromised (non-IC) aged from zero to 12, seen at the University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from February, 1996, to June, 1998. Three fecal samples from each child were analyzed for the parasitological diagnosis by Baermann-Moraes and Lutz methods. The immunological diagnosis to detect IgG and IgM antibodies was carried out by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) with cryo-microtome sections of Strongyloides stercoralis and Strongyloides ratti larvae as antigens and by the ELISA test with an alkaline extract of S. ratti as the antigens. Of the 151 children 5 (3.31%) were infected with larvae of S. stercoralis (2 cases IC, 2.41%, and 3 cases non-IC, 4.41%). The IFAT-IgG detected 7 (8.43%) serum samples positive among IC, and 2 (2.94%) cases among non-IC. The ELISA-IgG test detected 10 (12.05%) serum samples positive among IC, and 1 (1.47%) case among non-IC. The IFAT-IgM detected 6 (7.22%) positive cases among IC, and 3 (4.41%) cases among non-IC. ELISA-IgM test detected 10 (12.05%) positive cases among IC, and 3 (4.41%) cases among non-IC. It was concluded that the immunological tests can help in the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised children.<br>O diagnóstico parasitológico e imunológico da estrongiloidíase foi realizado em 151 crianças (83 imunodeprimidas -ID e 68 imunocompetentes -IC) de zero a 12 anos de idade internadas no Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil, no período de fevereiro de 1996 a junho de 1998. Para o diagnóstico parasitológico três amostras de fezes de cada indivíduo foram processadas pelos métodos de Baermann-Moraes e de Lutz. O diagnóstico imunológico para a detecção de anticorpos IgG e IgM foi realizado através das reações de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI) utilizando-se como antígeno cortes de 4 micra de larvas filarióides de Strongyloides stercoralis e Strongyloides ratti e do teste ELISA utilizando-se como antígeno extrato alcalino de larvas de S. ratti. Das 151 crianças, 5 (3,31%) estavam infectadas com S. stercoralis (2 casos ID, 2,41% e 3 casos IC, 4,41%). A RIFI- IgG detectou 7 (8,43%) amostras de soros positivas nas ID, e 2 (2,94%) nas IC. O teste ELISA-IgG detectou 10 (12,05%) amostras de soros positivas nas ID, e 1 (1,47%) nas IC. A RIFI-IgM detectou 6 (7,22%) casos positivos nas ID, e 3 (4,41%) nas IC. O teste ELISA-IgM detectou 10 (12,05%) casos positivos nas ID e 3 (4,41%) nas IC. Concluiu-se que os testes imunológicos podem contribuir para o diagnóstico da estrongiloidíase em crianças imunodeprimidas