Female reproductive system of the decapitating fly Pseudacteon wasmanni Schmitz (Diptera : Phoridae)

Pseudacteon wasmanni is a South American decapitating fly that parasitizes workers of Solenopsis fire ants. We used light microscopy (historesin serial-sectioning stained with Haematoxylin/Eosin) and scanning electron microscopy to show and analyze internal and whole external views of the female reproductive system. All specimens analyzed (n = 9) by light microscopy showed post-vitellogenic oocytes inside the ovaries. The lack of typical follicles (oocyte-nurse cell complexes) in all specimens suggests that oogenesis occurs during the pupal stage. The total number of eggs found ranged from 31 to 280 (X = 142 +/- 73, SD). The egg has a slugform or torpedo shape (about 130 by 20 mum) with a pointed apex at the posterior pole as defined by the fly; the micropyle appears to be in a depression or invagination at the anterior pole. An acute hypodermic-like ovipositor is evaginated from the hard sclerotized external genitalia during egg laying. The existence of a muscular bulb associated with the end of the common oviduct suggests that the egg is injected into the ant's body by a strong contraction of the bulb which probably is stimulated by bending of several ventral sensilla. During contraction, the abdomen extends out along a large fold between the sixth and seventh tergites in such a way that the sclerotized genitalia is rotated ventrally into a slightly anterior orientation in preparation for oviposition. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved

Recombination nodules in coleopteran species: Palembus dermestoides(Tenebrionidae) and Epicauta atomaria (Meloidae)

This work describes the first report about the occurrence of recombination nodules (RNs) in spread pachytene cells of two species of Coleoptera: Palembus dermestoides (Tenebrionidae) and Epicauta atomaria (Meloidae). The RNs were observed in preparations contrasted with phosphotungstic acid. Considering RN morphology and its occurrence in pachytene bivalents (one per autosome bivalent) these structures were interpreted to be late RNs. P. dermestoides and E. atolraria have 2n = 20 chromosomes including an Xyp sex determination system. In spite of most frequently subtelocentric morphology observed in the autosomes of both species, the occurrence of RNs is limited only to the synaptonemal complex (SC) structure of the long arms. These findings are in agreement with those obtained using light microscopy analysis in which only one chiasma or terminalization event is observed per autosomal bivalent in early or late metaphase I cells. The RNs have the same average width of the SC of each analyzed species, a circular shape, strong electron density, and are observed mainly between the lateral elements of the SC. The RNs of P. dermestoides and E. atomaria have approximately the same average size (width), 180 +/- 20 nm and 160 +/- 80 nm, respectively. The absence of RNs in the short arms and its occurrence in the long arms are discussed considering the short arm pericentromeric and pro-centric heterochromatin. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Base

Prevalence of urinary symptoms and associated obstetric factors in adult women

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:56:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008Background: Urinary incontinence is a disease with high prevalence among the female population and it has important physical, mental and social repercussions. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of urinary incontinence symptoms and the relationship of these symptoms with obstetric factors. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study in which 194 adult women employed at the Universidade do Vale do Para ba were investigated. They answered questions from the King's Health Questionnaire. Urinary symptoms were linked to the obstetric history and analyzed by unpaired t test and by the Fisher exact test. Results: The prevalence of urinary symptoms was 54.3%. Stress urinary incontinence was the most frequent symptom (55.7%), followed by nocturia (27.8%), urgency (24.1%), pollakiuria (16.7%) and nocturnal enuresis (10.2%). The women who had been pregnant at least once were 1.75 times more likely to develop these symptoms than nulliparae, and the difference was significant when compared with women who had two or more pregnancies (p=0.009). Two or more deliveries increase the risk 1.57 times, regardless of the method of delivery (p=0.019). Conclusions: The prevalence of urinary symptoms was high. They were associated with obstetric factors and became proportionally greater with increasing numbers of pregnancies and deliveries.[Dellu, M. C.; Schmitt, A. C. B.] Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Dept Phys Therapy[Zacaro, P. M. D.] Univ Vale Paraiba, Inst Res & Dev, Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, Brazi

Identificação de helmintes no coelho bravo

O coelho bravo (Oryctolagus cuniculus), é uma espécie que desempenha um papel importante na organização e diversidade ecológica na Península Ibérica, uma vez que faz parte da cadeia alimentar de várias espécies, algumas em vias de extinção (Moreno et al., 2004; Delibes-Mateos et al., 2007). Em Portugal, podemos encontrá-lo de Norte a Sul do país, no entanto, a sua densidade populacional tem sofrido um acentuado decréscimo ao longo dos últimos anos (Ferreira, 2003). As infestações parasitárias alteram o equilíbrio fisiológico do animal, favorecendo uma depressão do sistema imunitário e predispondo a infecções originadas por outros agentes etiológicos. São vários os helmintes que afectam esta espécie animal, provocando efeitos adversos no seu organismo, nomeadamente a destruição dos tecidos e a competição pelos nutrientes que origina atrasos no crescimento animal e, consequentemente na produtividade (Soulsby, 1988). Este estudo teve por base a necrópsia de sete animais, obtidos numa exploração de coelho bravo da região centro de Portugal, em resultado de morte natural, e teve como objectivo a identificação dos helmintes adultos existentes no estômago e intestino de machos e fêmeas. O helminte mais frequentemente encontrado, independentemente do sexo do hospedeiro, foi o Grafidium strigosum, o que vai de encontro a outros estudos efectuados (Allan et al., 1999). Para além de ter sido encontrada uma maior diversidade nas fêmeas, também nestas se verificou um maior número de parasitas adultos presentes. Todos os helmintes encontrados, pertencem à classe Nematoda e Cestoda. As várias espécies encontradas foram identificadas tendo por base aspectos morfológicos do parasita adulto, bem como o tipo e morfologia dos ovos encontrados nas fezes recolhidas da porção final do tubo digestivo. Face aos resultados obtidos e que foram similares aos de outros autores (Foronda et al. 2003; Foronda et al. 2005, Eira et al. 2007), pretendemos prosseguir a realização de estudos mais detalhados e que abranjam outras áreas geográficas, no sentido de melhorar a produtividade das explorações e simultaneamente preservar e manter esta espécie animal

Larval ontogeny and morphology of giant trahira Hoplias lacerdae

In the present study, the morphology and behaviour of giant trahira Hoplias lacerdae larvae were investigated, from hatching to complete absorption of the yolk sac, under laboratory conditions. In the first day post‐hatching (dph), the larvae presented a big ovoid‐shaped yolk sac that underwent regression during larval ontogeny. The mouth opened 3 dph, when the pectoral fins were evident. From this day, the larvae were able to perform sudden bursts of activity and appear to be able to swim a few centimetres before sinking again. The branchial apparatus was defined at 5 dph, and by 6 dph the operculum was formed. The internal organs such as intestine, liver, kidney and external sensorial structures were present at 7 dph. The yolk sac remained until 7 dph

Differences in the defective alleles E and F for the locus CSN1S1 in goats affects the profile of milk caseins

The objective in the current study was to associate different genotypes for the gene that codifies the αS1-casein with the profile of milk caseins and the morphology of the mammary gland epithelial cells in goats. The genotypes HH, HF, EE and EF for the αS1-casein gene (H = any high allele) were assessed based on the differences in the size of fragments amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The milk casein fractions were measured by reversed phase HPLC. Mammary gland biopsies of animals with each of these genotypes were submitted to histological and ultrastructural microscopy analysis for the evaluation of secretory epithelial cells. The amount of total casein in milk from goats with genotype HH was only higher than in milk from those animals with the genotype EF, while the αS1-casein (αS1-Cn) fraction was different among all genotypes. The largest αS1-Cn fraction was found in milk from the animals with the genotype HH, and it progressively decreased in milk from animals with the genotypes HF, EE and EF. Other milk casein fractions (β-casein, αS2-casein and κ-casein) had a characteristic composition for each genotype. The κ-casein (κ-Cn) fraction was greater whenever the F allele was found, and the β-casein fraction was greater in EE homozygous animals. The ultrastructural analysis showed that mammary gland secretory cells from goats with the genotype EE and EF have highly dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) cisternae, whereas the dilation pattern in the animals with the genotype HF was intermediate between those with the genotype HH, and EE/EF. Although the amount of αS1-casein is critical for an efficient transport of other caseins by RER, the defective F allele affects the other milk casein fractions differently from the defective E allele, probably due to the lack of phosphorylation sites on the protein encoded by the F allele, which would affect, in turn, the way caseins interact during milk micelle formation, reflecting on casein fractions in milk