Chilodonelids are small ciliated protozoans found worldwide and can be dangerous in culture conditions. This study presents morphometric data on the ciliate Chilodonella that is found in cultured Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), native bait fish tuvira (Gymnotus aff. inaequilabiatus) and native pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) and includes a histopathological assessment of the changes that occur in the pacu. For parasitic diagnosis, skin and gill samples were scraped onto slides, dried at room temperature, stained with Giemsa or impregnated with silver nitrate, and the measurements were obtained from photomicrographs. In the diseased pacu, the first gill arch was collected and fixed in a 10% buffered formalin solution for histopathological analysis. Parasite specimens from the different collection sites were identified morphologically as C. hexasticha Kiernik (1909). Diseased fish exhibited depigmentation, skin ulceration, scale loss, excessive mucus production and gill lesions. Histopathological analysis of pacu gills displayed epithelial proliferation with mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate, hemorrhages, and scattering necrosis. In Brazilian-farmed fish this is the first record of C. hexasticha, which has great pathogenic potential in cultured freshwater species. In addition, two new hosts are presented.

Trichodinids are ciliated protozoa that are widely known as one of the main groups of fish parasites. The genus Trichodina presents the greatest species diversity. However, records of Paratrichodina species are scarce, and little is known about their pathogenicity in hosts. The present study provides new records of Paratrichodina africana Kazubski and El-Tantawy (1986) in Nile tilapia from South America and descriptions of pathological changes and seasonality. A total of 304 farmed fish were examined. From gill scraping, parasites were identified using Klein's nitrate impregnation method. Gill samples were fixed for histopathological analysis. Small trichodinid found in this study have a prominent blade apophysis and narrow central part and blade shape that corresponds to the characteristics of P. africana Kazubski and El-Tantawy (1986). Gill lesions were proportional to parasite intensity, in which the gill tissue was compromised in heavy infestation. Proliferative disturbances were found, including epithelial hyperplasia, desquamation, and mononuclear and eosinophilic infiltrate that culminated in necrosis. We did not observe a seasonality effect on the occurrence of P. africana. This ciliated protozoan causes compromised respiratory capacity that leads to severe gill lesions and currently is an important pathogen that afflicts intensive tilapia cultures in Brazil.

Monogeneans are the parasites mostly found on the body surface and gills of fish and can cause large losses in farmed fish. Some studies demonstrate elevated parasitic levels causing hematological alterations. But few of them relate the effects of parasitism on the hematology and histopathology of native freshwater farmed fish. This study evaluated the host-parasite relationship in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) parasitized by the monogenean Anacanthorus penilabiatus. Hematological and parasitological assessments were obtained in 60 fish captured in a fish farm located in Dourados, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil. Fish were analyzed in different categories of parasite number: class I (n=13; 0-200 parasites), class II (n=17; 201-1200 parasites); class III (n=7; 1201-2200 parasites); and class IV (n=23; more than 2200 parasites per host). The highest levels of parasitism caused significant decrease (p<0.05) in the hematocrit, red blood cells (RBC), mean hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and basophils number. Thrombocytes, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils and LG-PAS did not present significant difference among the parasitic levels. In contrast, increased number of total leukocytes and lymphocytes were found in highly-parasitized fish. A positive linear correlation (p<0.01) was found between the amount of parasites and fish weight. Histopathology revealed severe hyperplasia, sub-epithelial edema, fusion of the secondary lamellae, focal and multifocal necrosis in highly parasitized fish.Keywords: Pacu, fish farm, parasitism, haematology, histology. Análises hematológica e histopatológica no peixe sul-americano

The determination of mean intensity of parasitism for colony-forming sessile protozoan such as Epistylis has been a great problem in parasitological studies. Some alternatives have been proposed by researchers for laboratory and field conditions. This study describes the criteria to establish the parasitic intensity score for epistylidid infestation in fish. Parasite distribution and the host-parasite relationship in four species of Brazilian cultured catfish and their hybrids are discussed. The highest prevalence rates were found in the hybrid jundiara, Leiarius marmoratus male × Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum female (96.4 %), followed by jurupoca, Hemisorubim platyrhynchos (60 %), and the hybrid surubim, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans male × P. reticulatum female (52.7 %). Positive correlation between parasitic intensity score and the fish size, weight, and relative condition factor were also observed. These findings indicate that Epistylis infestation in Brazilian catfish is an emerging disease in cultured fish.

This study evaluated the control of streptococcosis outbreaks in Brazil, isolated from diseased sorubim and identified as Lactococcus garvieae by genetic sequencing. This report determined the potential for lactococcosis control in sorubim Pseudoplatystoma sp. with two vaccines: an aqueous-based, whole-cell inactivated vaccine (bacterin) and an oil-adjuvanted bacterin. Their efficacy was evaluated at 30 days post-vaccination (d.p.v.) by challenge with L. garvieae, and the antibody production response at 15, 30 and 60 d.p.v. and the non-specific immune response were compared amongst treatments. High protection levels (P < 0.05) were achieved with the oil-adjuvanted vaccine with a relative percentage survival value of 81.7% at 30 d.p.v. Additionally, the oil-adjuvanted vaccine increased the immunogenicity of the bacterin as indicated by greater agglutination antibody titres from 15 until 60 d.p.v. This is the first report of a positive effect of vaccine administration on the specific immunity of sorubim, and the study showed that a specific antibody plays an important role in sorubim defence against lactococcosis because the innate immune responses were similar in all of the studied animals. These results demonstrated that oil-adjuvanted vaccine can be an effective alternative for the protection of sorubim from L. garvieae disease.

Abstract:World university rankings and their global popularity present a number of farreaching impacts for vernacular scholarship. This article employs a multidimensional approach to analyze the ranking regime's threat to local scholarship and knowledge construction through a study of Japanese research universities. First, local conditions that have led to the perpetuation of the world university rankings are examined. Next, the use of bibliometric indicators in performance assessment, a critical consequence of the popularization of the world university rankings, is tested against two prevailing factors in Japanese academia: the bipolar character of academic publishing and institution-centered audit. Despite high-flying idealism, the quest to improve positions in the rankings may fall short of addressing real needs of enhancing individual performance in pursuit of globally relevant research and ensuring equity among different generations of scholars. The study also points to the precarious future of vernacular scholarship, as the rankings celebrate audit culture and export its norms as well as an increasingly inwardlooking propensity of Anglo-American academic circles to the rest of the world. Keywords: world university rankings; Japan; vernacular research; journal citation; audit culture. Régimen de Clasificación y el Futuro de la Investigación Local epaa aapeEducation Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 22 No. 30 2 Resumen: los rankings universitarios mundiales y su popularidad mundial presentan una serie de impactos de largo alcance para la Investigación Local. Este artículo utiliza un enfoque multidimensional para analizar la amenaza del régimen de clasificación para la inviestigación local y la construcción del conocimiento a través de un estudio de las universidades de investigación japoneses. En primer lugar, se examinan las condiciones locales que han llevado a la perpetuación de los rankings de universidades del mundo. A continuación, el uso de indicadores bibliométricos en la evaluación del desempeño, una consecuencia importante de la popularización de los rankings de universidades del mundo, se comprueba frente a dos factores predominantes en el mundo académico japonés: el carácter bipolar de la edición universitaria y la auditoría centrada en la institución. A pesar de un gran nivel de idealismo, la búsqueda de mejorar posiciones en la clasificación puede caer por debajo de las necesidades reales de mejorar el rendimiento individual en la búsqueda de la investigación relevante a nivel mundial y garantizar la equidad entre las diferentes generaciones de estudiosos. El estudio también señala la precariedad de la investigación a nivel local, ya que la clasificación celebra la cultura de auditoría y exportan sus normas , así como una tendencia cada vez más auto-centrada de los círculos académicos angloamericanos que ignoran el resto del mundo. Palabras clave: rankings universitarios mundiales; Japón; investigación local; citas de revistas; cultura de la auditoría . Sistema de Classificação e o Futuro da Pes...

EDTA como anticoagulantes para surubim híbrido (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum x P. corruscans): eficácia e alterações hematológicas Heparin and Na 2 EDTA as anticoagulants for hybrid surubim catfish (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum x P. corruscans): efficacy and hematological changes I Pesquisadores da Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, BR 163, km 253,6, CP 661,

1 RESUMO RESUMO RESUMO RESUMO RESUMO.-As borrelioses são enfermidades infecciosas determinadas por espiroquetas do gênero Borrelia, agentes transmissíveis, principalmente, por carrapatos aos animais e/ou ao homem. Nesta revisão são apresentadas e discutidas as enfermidades determinadas por borrélias, bem como as características gerais das espiroquetas, os aspectos relacionados a transmissão por artrópodes, as enfermidades nos animais domésticos e silvestres, quanto aos aspectos bioló-gicos e patológicos, a doença de Lyme como principal zoonose do grupo, a associação de borrélia com outros agentes hematozoários e os métodos diagnósticos e a epidemiologia comparativa entre dados obtidos no Brasil com os de outros países. Estas borrelioses possuem características patológicas, clínicas e epidemiológicas variadas de acordo à região fisiográ-fica, devido à existência de distintas espécies, genoespécies e cepas; estes aspectos variam ainda em função dos artrópodes vetores, da interação vetor-patógeno e dos ecossistemas distintos.TERMOS DE INDEXAÇÃO: Borreliose, carrapatos, Borrelia spp., febre recurrente, borreliose aviária, borreliose bovina, doença de Lyme, aborto epizoótico bovino.