Paracoccidioidomycosis in wild monkeys from Paraná State, Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in wild New World monkeys (Cebus sp. and Alouatta caraya). A total of 93 animals (Cebus sp., n = 68 and Alouatta caraya, n = 25) were captured in the Paraná River basin, Paraná State, Brazil and the serum samples were analyzed by ELISA and immunodiffusion using P. brasiliensis gp43 and exoantigen as antigens, respectively. The seropositivity observed by ELISA was 44.1% and 60% for Cebus sp. and A. caraya, respectively, while by immunodiffusion test Cebus sp. showed positivity of 2.9% only. No significant difference was observed in relation to age and sex. This is the first report of paracoccidioidomycosis in wild capuchin monkeys and in wild-black and golden-howler monkeys. The high positivity to P. brasiliensis infection in both species evaluated in our study and the positivity by immunodiffusion test in Cebus sp. suggest that natural disease may be occurring in wild monkeys living in paracoccidioidomycosis endemic areas.     

Populations and production of fish in two small tributaries of the Paraná River,Paraná, Brazil

Mean biomass (153-1) and production (P) of fish in two small tributaries of the Paraná River (Paraná, Brazil) were 61 kg ha^–1 and 48 kg ha^–1 yr^–1 in the Caracu River and 29 kg ha^–1 and 26 kg ha^–1 yr^–1 in the Agua do Rancho River, respectively. Matrix correlation analysis revealed high positive correlations of both 153-2 and P to maximum depth and hiding places and, at a lower level of significance, to mean depth, pH and oxygen level. Lower 153-3 and P values were found in the Agua do Rancho River, whose valley has retained a more natural character, rich canopy and scarcity of macrophytes, but also lower conductivity and nitrogen and phosphate levels than those in the Caracu River.Address for correspondence     

Trypanosoma cruzi: two genetic groups in Paraná state, Southern Brazil

This paper presents the genetic characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi strains isolated from chronic chagasic patients, triatomines, and sylvatic reservoirs from Paraná state, Southern Brazil, using the RAPD and SSR-PCR techniques. It has shown the presence of both phylogenetic groups of T. cruzi (I and II), describing for the first time the existence of T. cruzi II in Paraná state.     

Anuran tadpole assemblages in riparian areas of the Middle Paraná River, Argentina

We investigated habitat variables influencing the species richness and composition of anuran tadpole assemblages in ponds from riparian areas of the Middle Paraná River. Tadpoles were collected at seven ponds that differed in hydroperiod and 10 habitat variables (water temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, depth, size, time of isolation, macrophyte richness, and level of natural or anthropic disturbances) during a 5 year period. The presence/absence of potential tadpole predators was also recorded. Although we did not examine tadpole diets, we categorized anurans into ecomorphological guilds. We found that dissolved oxygen, maximum depth, pond size, macrophyte richness, and disturbances were significantly related to tadpole species richness. We also found that the richness of potential tadpole predator increased with longer pond hydroperiod. Thus, the number of tadpole species was higher in temporary and semi-permanent ponds without potential tadpole predators. The results of our study provide the first quantitative data on the tadpole assemblages in ponds associated with riparian areas of the Middle Paraná River Floodplain based on multi-year intensive sampling, a finding of both ecological interest and practical significance for future conservation management of anurans of Paraná River ecosystems.     

Genetic variability in Hoplias malabaricus (Osteichthyes: Erythrinidae) in fluvial and lacustrine environments in the Upper Paraná river floodplain (Paraná State,Brazil)

Genetic variability in Hoplias malabaricus, from two localities in the upper Paraná River floodplain, was investigated by starch and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A total of 52 specimens were analyzed for 14 enzymatic systems. Twenty-three gene loci of 13 enzymatic systems (AAT, ACP, ADH, GDH, G6PDH, GPI, IDH, LDH, MDH, MEP, PGM, PER, and SOD) were analyzed by starch gel electrophoresis (Penetrose-30). The EST system was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and one polymorphic locus was found (EST-1). Twenty-four loci were detected. The proportion of polymorphic loci was 37.5% in the lagoon and 33.3% in the river. Significant differences in allele frequencies of five loci were found between specimens from the two environments. Expected mean heterozygosity (H _e = 0.14) is the same in the river and lagoon, however, Nei's genetic distance (D) between the population of the two locations was 0.049.     

Seasonal succession of phytoplankton in a lake of the Paraná river floodplain,Argentina

Phytoplankton biomass, morphological and taxonomic composition, species diversity and productivity were analyzed in a shallow lake of the Middle Paraná River floodplain (El Tigre, 31 ° 41 S and 60° 42 W), between November 1986 and July 1988. Lake inundation (filling and through-flow phases) constituted an intense long-term perturbation in the physical and chemical environment. As the lake filled with river water, K-selected species (netplanktonic filamentous bluegreens, > 37 µm, with low surface area/volume (SA/V) ratios) that had existed prior to filling (late spring 1986) were replaced in summer-fall by r-selected species (nannoplanktonic chlorophytes and cryptophytes, < 37 µm, mainly stout forms with high SA/V ratios). During the through-flow phase, lentic phytoplankton was replaced by lotic flagellate populations due to the direct flushing by river water. During the period of falling water (drainage and isolation phases), nanoplanktonic algae with similar characteristics to those of the filling phase dominated in late winter-spring. Later in the isolation phase, these were succeeded by K-selected species (netplanktonic algae, mainly motile spherical dinoflagellates and filamentous bluegreens with low SA/V ratios). Simultaneously, primary production per unit biomass decreased and total biomass and specific diversity increased. Seasonal changes of phytoplankton in floodplain lakes can be interpreted as the interaction between true successional development (as observed in the drainage and isolation phases) and intermediate disturbance. Using Reynolds' terminology, short-term disturbance (slight inflow of nutrient-rich river water) caused reversion to an earlier stage in the former succession, and long-term disturbance (lake inundation) truncated the successional progression and a new (or shifted) succession was initiated.     

Diversity and Abundance of the Planktonic Rotifers in Different Environments of the Upper Paraná River Floodplain (Paraná State – Mato Grosso do Sul State,Brazil)

This study proposes that diversity and abundance of rotifers show spatial and temporal variations in the Upper Paraná River floodplain due to heterogeneity of the environment and hydrological level fluctuations of the main river. The structure and dynamics of rotifer assemblages were investigated by samplings carried out during the rainy (February) and dry period (August) of the year 2000, in 36 environments (rivers, channels, backwaters, open and isolated floodplain lakes). The influence of phytoplankton biomass on rotifer diversity and abundance was also investigated. 104 taxa of rotifers were identified. The highest species richness was found in rivers and open floodplain lakes, the highest abundances in the isolated floodplain lakes, and the highest values of species diversity in the channels, especially during the rainy period. β₂-diversity values were higher in the channels, especially during the dry period. Flow differences and food availability were predominant factors influencing the structure and dynamics of the rotifer communities.     

Description of Freshwater Bacterial Assemblages from the Upper Paraná River Floodpulse System,Brazil

Bacteria were identified from a large, seasonally flooded river (Paraná River, Brazil) and two floodplain habitats that were part of the same river system yet very different in nature: clearwater Garças Lagoon and the highly humic waters of Patos Lagoon. Bacterioplankton were collected during mid-summer (Jan. 2002) from water samples (2 l) filtered first through a 1.2-μm filter then a 0.2-μm membrane filter representing the particle-attached and free-living sub-communities, respectively. DNA was extracted from filters and purified and a 16S rRNA clone library established for each habitat. Over 300 clones were sequenced and checked for similarity to existing 16S sequences in GenBank using the BLAST algorithm with default parameters. Further classification of clones was done using a species “backbone” attachment followed by parsimony analysis. The majority (85%) of sequences, referred to here as operational taxonomic units (OTUs), were most similar to uncultured bacterium 16S sequences. OTUs from each Proteobacteria sub-phylum (α, β, γ, δ, ?) were present in the Upper Paraná River system, as well as members of the Bacteroidetes. The microbial assemblage from Patos Lagoon was least like other samples in that it had no Firmicutes present and was dominated by Actinobacteria. Verrucomicrobia OTUs were only found in the free-living assemblage. This study documents the presence of globally distributed phyla in Upper Paraná River and taxa unique to habitat and particle attachment.     

A new species of Curimata (Characiformes,Curimatidae) from Paraná system,in resistencia,Argentine

A new curimatid fish, Curimata gnaca, from two localities, both in the neighborhoods of Resistencia, Chaco Province, Argentine, is described. The species is distinguished from other curimatids by the position of the mouth, a low number of perforated scales in lateral line, scales with straight margin on sides of body and long pectoral fins. The new species is placed in the genus Curimata until the problems within it will be solved.     

Length-weight relationships for seven endemic fish species from streams of the last two large remaining dam-free tributaries of the Upper Paraná River Floodplain in the Paraná State,Brazil

This study reports the length-weight relationships (LWR) for seven endemic fish species from streams in the Ivaí (Characidium heirmostigmata, Corydoras lacrimostigmata, Curculionichthys oliveirai, Hisonotus pachysarkos, and Cambeva horacioi) and Ivaí and Piquiri (Apareiodon vladii and Planaltina kaingang) River basins, Paraná State, Brazil. Fish specimens measured and weighed were collected between November 1994 and July 2019, fixed with 10% formalin, and are preserved in 70% alcohol. Measurements were done for standard length (SL—0.1 cm precision) and total weight (TW—0.01 g precision). All coefficient of allometry obtained is within the general range for fishes representing useful tentatives for LWR parameters. We highlight the importance of information about the biology of the endemic fish species in a crucial area for the biodiversity conservation of the Upper Paraná River system.     

Spatial heterogeneity affecting fish fauna in cascade reservoirs of the Upper Paraná Basin,Brazil

In cascade reservoirs, different zonation effects can be observed along the longitudinal axis, depending on the retention time of each reservoir. In this study, we evaluated the relationships among fish and spatial and environmental variables across longitudinal zones within reservoirs with different retention times. Fieldwork was carried out during two periods in three different zones that represent the longitudinal axis (lotic, transitional, and lentic) of three reservoirs. Each reservoir has different retention times (low, intermediate, and high) and all are located in a cascade system of the Paranapanema River, Brazil. In the high retention time reservoir, richness, biomass, and diversity decreased along the longitudinal axis, in contrast to the numerical abundance and dominance. Conversely, in the low retention time reservoir, these community attributes varied in an opposite way. Both spatial (depth, retention time, longitude, and latitude) and environmental (dissolved oxygen, water temperature, Secchi disk, total nitrogen) variables were important controlling factors for fish communities in reservoirs, which confirms the hypothesis that reservoir retention times create a zonation effect with different proportions along the main axis, resulting in a spatial heterogeneity with specific environmental features, and it determines the fish assemblage structure and composition in each reservoirs.     

Capital deprivation,assets, and the Universal Child Allowance for Social Protection in a Paraná slum,Argentina

In this article, I describe a case in which a mother and her son, while discussing what they perceive to be the purpose of the Argentinian conditional cash transfer programme known as the ‘Universal Child Allowance for Social Protection’, also project different economic returns for the son's future. The decisions they make contradict the ultimate purpose of this policy: to accumulate human capital in the recipient through formal education. The young man's abandonment of secondary school and his entry into the informal labour market trigger different reflections on his future for mother and son. Despite the fact that both project future returns for investing the money, the mother, acting as administrator of the programme, reproduces state-driven processes of capital deprivation at the expense of her son's human capital.     

Cloning, sequencing, expression, and antigenic characterization of rMSP4 from Anaplasma marginale isolated from Paraná State, Brazil

Anaplasmosis is a bovine intraerythrocytic disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma marginale; it causes significant economic losses in tropical and subtropical regions, worldwide. The msp4 gene of an A. marginale strain isolated in Paran , Brazil, was amplified by PCR and sequenced; its cloning into the pET102/D-TOPO vector produced an msp4-6xHis-V5-HP thioredoxin fusion gene construct. This recombinant clone was over-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE-3); the expressed fusion protein was found almost entirely in the insoluble form (inclusion bodies) in the cell lysate. The inclusion bodies were solubilized with urea and the recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA column and dialyzed. This method produced a relatively high yield of rMSP4, which was used to immunize rabbits. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded by MSP4 showed 99% homology to A. marginale isolates from Florida, USA, and from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Both rMSP4 and native MSP4 were recognized by post-immunization rabbit serum, showing that rMSP4 has conserved epitopes. As antigenicity was preserved, rMSP4 might be useful for the development of vaccine against anaplasmosis.     

Patients' Perceptions on the Performance of a Local Health System to Eliminate Leprosy,Paraná State,Brazil

Background

In Brazil, leprosy has been listed among the health priorities since 2006, in a plan known as the “Pact for life” (Pacto pela Vida). It is the sole country on the American continent that has not reached the global goal of disease elimination. Local health systems face many challenges to achieve this global goal. The study aimed to investigate how patients perceive the local health system''s performance to eliminate leprosy and whether these perceptions differ in terms of the patients'' income.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil. Interviews were performed with the leprosy patients. The local health system was assessed through a structured and adapted tool, considering the domains judged as good quality of health care. The authors used univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses. One hundred and nineteen patients were recruited for the study, 50.4% (60) of them were male, 54.0% (64) were between 42 and 65 years old and 66.3% (79) had finished elementary school. The results showed that patients used the Primary Health Care service near their place of residence but did not receive the leprosy diagnosis there. Important advances of this health system were verified for the elimination of leprosy, verifying protocols for good care delivery to the leprosy patients, but these services did not develop collective health actions and did not engage the patients'' family members and community.

Conclusions/Significance

The patients'' difficulty was observed to have access to the diagnosis and treatment at health services near their homes. Leprosy care is provided at the specialized level, where the patients strongly bond with the teams. The care process is individual, with limited perspectives of integration among the health services for the purpose of case management and social mobilization of the community to the leprosy problem.     

Cloning, sequencing and antigenic characterization of rVirB9 of Anaplasma marginale isolated from Paraná State, Brazil

Anaplasma marginale, a tick-borne bacterium, causes bovine anaplasmosis responsible for significant economic losses in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Various major outer membranes have been described, and VirB9, a type IV secretion system protein, has been recently indicated as a candidate in vaccine development against anaplasmosis. The virB9 gene of an A. marginale strain isolated in Paraná, Brazil, was cloned by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced; its cloning into the pETSUMO vector produced a virB9-SUMO-6x His fusion gene construct. This recombinant clone was over-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the expressed fusion protein was solubilized with urea and purified with an Ni-NTA column. This method produced a relatively high yield of rVirB9. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded by VirB9 showed 99% homology to A. marginale isolates from St. Maries. rVirB9 was recognized by serum from cattle immunized with PR1 strain and by bovine sera infected with heterologous strains, showing that rVirB9 has conserved epitopes, which suggests that rVirB9 could be useful for the development of a vaccine against anaplasmosis.     

Identification of spawning sites and natural nurseries of fishes in the upper Paraná River,Brazil

Synopsis We studied the timing of migratory fish spawning in the last dam-free stretch of the upper Paraná River and in Itaipu Reservoir. Eggs were more common in the Amambai and Ivaï Rivers, while larvae predominated in the Paraná River and in Itaipu Reservoir. Both eggs and larvae were more abundant at night. The highest abundance of eggs was in October and that of larvae in November. Migratory species predominated in the Amambai and Paraná Rivers, and non-migratory species in the Ivaï River and Itaipu Reservoir. The predominance of eggs in the upper and middle portions, and larvae in the lower, infer that there are spawning sites in the former and nurseries in the latter. The high nocturnal abundance of eggs is associated with spawning at sunset and that of larvae with feeding, avoidance of predators and nocturnal disorientation. The presence of tributaries such as the Amambai and Ivaí Rivers in the last dam-free stretch of the Paraná River is extremely important to the maintenance of regional fish diversity and fish stocks in both the Paraná River and Itaipu Reservoir.     

Population Structure and Genetic Diversity in Sweet Cassava Accessions in Paraná and Santa Catarina,Brazil

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Manihot esculenta Crantz is originally from the Amazon region of Brazil, which has the highest genetic diversity. Due to the wide adaptation of cassava to the...     

Lepidophylloides corumbataensis sp. nov. from the Guadalupian in the Paraná Basin,southern Brazil

A new species of the isoetalean leaf genus Lepidophylloides is described. This Guadalupian species from the Paraná Basin, Lepidophylloides corumbataensis, found as silicified microphylls in the Corumbataí Formation in the municipality of Piracicaba, São Paulo state, in southern Brazil, is the first species of the genus to be formally described for Brazil, and possibly the first for Gondwanaland. This is also the first time that surviving palisade tissue has been found in a species of Lepidophylloides. The new species is compared to known species and shown to be distinct from all previously described from Euramerican and Cathaysian floras. The organization of the xylem in arch-like or crescent-shaped bundles suggests a relation to Cathaysian species. The close association with Lycopodiopsis derbyi stems (which have true leaf scars and must have suffered leaf abscission) suggests that they are different organs from the same species.     

Community size structure of zooplanktonic assemblages in three lakes on the upper River Paraná floodplain, PR-MS, Brazil

Abundance and body size of zooplanktonic organisms, testate amoebae, rotifers, cladocerans and copepods from the littoral and pelagic regions of three lakes were analyzed in February and August 2000. The lakes belong to three different river systems (Baía, Ivinhema and Paraná rivers) of the upper River Paraná floodplain. It was expected that average body size was different in space (regions of the lake and limnological characteristics) and time (summer and winter) because the variation of depth, pH, oxygen dissolved, chlorophyll-a and water temperature of each lake. Zooplankton community was represented by 119 species. Sorensen's coefficient showed that the three communities were similar. Larger organisms were found in the lakes' pelagic region, and seasonally larger individuals were registered in the winter and smaller individuals in the summer. The relationship between body size and density was slight, positively significant. The body size frequency distribution was bi-modal. ANOVA results showed a significant influence of the interaction of the littoral and pelagic regions, lakes, and seasons in the body size of zooplankton organisms. Spatial and temporal changes of the community size structure of zooplanktonic assemblages were related to the food resource (microbial-loop or herbivore chain), species habitat preference and life strategies (growth and reproduction).