Search

The present short paper brings a report on gameplay workshops that were held in a municipal public school in the Brazilian city of Niterói, as part of a university-school integration project for the promotion of Ocean Literacy and Heritage Education. Called “Cultural Wave”, the project was thought for helping school students to perceive themselves as sociocultural actors in a city that is historically bonded to the ocean.

A biologia celular tem uma grande importância tanto para compreensão dos seres vivos como também por envolver diversos avanços tecnológicos e médicos que fazem parte das notícias diárias da sociedade que inclusive precisa se posicionar em diversas decisões éticas. No entanto, como tornar essas aulas mais atrativas para os alunos se motivarem a adentrar no mundo abstrato da biologia celular? Nest e trabalho transpusemos o jogo Célula Adentro para uma versão online na plataforma digital Tabletopia e avaliamos com um grupo de professores de uma pós graduação Latu senso em ensino de Ciências. Este grupo focal permitiu avaliar os desafios para aplicação do jogo digital em escolas públicas do estado do Rio de janeiro.

O presente trabalho buscou investigar de que forma os jogos foram integrados ao ensino em saúde relacionado à COVID-19 no Brasil. Através de uma revisão bibliográfica, 14 trabalhos foram incluídos e 17 jogos foram mapeados. Verificou-se um equilíbrio entre jogos digitais e analógicos, sendo majoritariamente direcionados ao público infantil e adolescente e voltados ao ensino formal. Houve predominância dos jogos focados na transmissão de informações, mais alinhados a concepção sanitária. Análises futuras serão realizadas a fim de observar os referenciais teóricos dos trabalhos e o contexto em que o jogo foi desenvolvido e aplicado a fim de verificar os conceitos de saúde presentes nos jogos.

Este artigo promove uma análise do levantamento de dados acerca da disponibilidade de jogos relacionados ao tema Cultura Oceânica e sua viabilidade prática em ações educativas. Por meio desse levantamento, buscou-se encontrar estratégias para o planejamento de atividades lúdicas, bem como discutir sua aplicação em escolas municipais em Niterói, dentro da temática proposta.

Phlebotomine sand flies employ an elaborate system of pheromone communication wherein males produce pheromones that attract other males to leks (thus acting as an aggregation pheromone) and females to the lekking males (sex pheromone). In addition, the type of pheromone produced varies among populations. Despite the numerous studies on sand fly chemical communication, little is known of their chemosensory genome. Chemoreceptors interact with chemicals in an organism’s environment to elicit essential behaviors such as the identification of suitable mates and food sources. Thus, they play important roles during adaptation and speciation. Major chemoreceptor gene families, odorant receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) together detect and discriminate the chemical landscape. Here, we annotated the chemoreceptor repertoire in the genomes of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus papatasi, major phlebotomine vectors in the New World and Old World, respectively. Comparison with other sequenced Diptera revealed a large and unique expansion where over 80% of the ~140 ORs belong to a single, taxonomically restricted clade. We next conducted a comprehensive analysis of the chemoreceptors in 63 L. longipalpis individuals from four different locations in Brazil representing allopatric and sympatric populations and three sex-aggregation pheromone types (chemotypes). Population structure based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene copy number in the chemoreceptors corresponded with their putative chemotypes, and corroborate previous studies that identified multiple populations. Our work provides genomic insights into the underlying behavioral evolution of sexual communication in the L. longipalpis species complex in Brazil, and highlights the importance of accounting for the ongoing speciation in central and South American Lutzomyia that could have important implications for vectorial capacity., Author summary Phlebotomine sand flies are the primary vectors of Leishmania parasites, the causative agents of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Due to the lack of vaccines, control of leishmaniasis relies upon reducing human exposure to sand flies. Sand flies produce sex-aggregation pheromones that elicit robust olfactory behaviors, and the molecular targets for pheromone detection remain unknown. We identified chemoreceptors in the genomes of L. longipalpis and P. papatasi, and used these gene models to explore chemoreceptor evolution in 63 L. longipalpis individuals representing different pheromone types. These analyses identified genomic loci underlying chemosensory behavior in sand flies. This paves the way for understanding the sand fly species diversity at the molecular level, and functional characterization of these candidate genes will isolate and identify chemostimuli that can directly be tested as potential attractants for odor-baited traps.

Estratégias tradicionais, baseadas em inseticidas e comportamentos individuais, não têm se mostrado suficientes no controle de doenças relacionadas ao Aedes aegypti. Reflexões da Educação Popular em Saúde que ultrapassem aspectos biomédicos e englobem fatores sociais, econômicos e políticos devem ser consideradas no controle e estar presentes na formação de profissionais da área. Neste trabalho foram investigadas as concepções de educação em saúde de alunos de Ciências Biológicas de duas universidades públicas, no início e no final da graduação, por meio de questionários sobre estratégias para controlar doenças transmitidas pelo vetor e sobre o papel do professor de Ciências/Biologia na promoção da saúde. Prevaleceram respostas incluindo a educação sanitária e a valorização de medidas de monitoramento, conscientização e prevenção contra criadouros do mosquito. Poucas respostas incluíram noções de educação popular na demanda por transformações na sociedade e a garantia de direitos como saneamento básico, meio ambiente equilibrado e serviços de saúde. Predominou a visão do professor como transmissor de conhecimentos e não como motivador de diálogos articulando a questão da dengue com os determinantes sociais da saúde. O enfoque na educação sanitária na concepção dos alunos faz refletir sobre a necessidade de maiores aprofundamentos sobre educação popular na formação de biólogos.

A reprodução sexuada já foi considerada universal, e posteriormente, a forma mais perfeita de reprodução. Todavia, a partir de meados do século XIX, pesquisas no nível celular colocaram em xeque a ideia de que tipos de reprodução assexuadas fossem primitivos ou inferiores. Ao longo do século XX, e adentrando no XXI, hipóteses foram levantadas para explicar as vantagens da reprodução sexuada sobre a assexuada assim como o que permitiria a reprodução sexuada se manter quando seria mais vantajoso se reproduzir de forma assexuada. A mais importante e conhecida é a hipótese da Rainha Vermelha. Paralelamente, vários trabalhos procuraram entrever as pressões ecológicas que permitiram e favoreceram o aparecimento da reprodução sexuada em um cenário situado há cerca de dois bilhões de anos. O objetivo desse trabalho é revisar respostas históricas que marcaram o estudo da origem, da evolução e da manutenção da reprodução sexuada, identificando algumas das principais questões que a comunidade científica elaborou nos últimos duzentos anos.

A atividade apresenta um jogo de tabuleiro investigativo e cooperativo através do qual os alunos são convidados a fazer parte de um laboratório de biotecnologia e têm como desafio a fabricação da vacina recombinante contra o HPV. As equipes formadas são representadas por peões e percorrem o tabuleiro para coletarem tanto Cartas Problema associadas ao HPV e ação das vacinas quanto Cartas Informação que abordam temas como a ação de enzimas, transcrição e tradução de genes. À medida que são solucionados os problemas, são disponibilizados modelos 3D do HPV, DNA viral, plasmídeo e proteínas recombinantes.

Rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Insect adults have a pair of Metasternal Glands (MGs) and the secretion emitted by these glands acts as sex pheromone. Recent studies have focused on the chemical composition of this pheromone, electrophysiological responses to MGs compounds and mating behavior assays. Morphological studies of these glands are still scarce. Thus, considering the relevance of MGs in the sex pheromone biosynthesis, we investigated the morphology and ultrastructure of R. prolixus MGs. The glandular apparatus presents a tubular structure containing secretory cells with canalicules that fuse with the central duct which conducts the secretion to a pear-shaped reservoir connected to the exterior by a droplet-shape orifice. The secretory cells are classified as class III, they present a well-developed rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is a site of lipid biosynthesis that may be involved in the mevalonate pathway, a probable route of the sex pheromone biosynthesis in this insect. The presence of rough endoplasmic reticulum indicates a possible peptides/proteins secretions site which were still not characterized in MGs. Several mitochondria are scattered in the cytoplasm that may suggest a high metabolic activity. Further studies should be carried out to correlate these data with the sex pheromone biosynthesis in this vector.

This study evaluated the impact of rotor angle and time of storage after centrifugation on the in vitro biological properties of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membranes. Blood samples (n = 9) were processed with a vertical fixed-angle (V) or a swing-out horizontal (H) centrifuge, with 20-60 min of sample storage after centrifugation. Leukocytes, platelets, and red blood cells were counted, and fibrin architecture was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The release of FGF2, PDGFbb, VEGF, IL-6, and IL-1β was measured after incubation on culture media for 7-21 days. Cell content was equivalent in all experimental groups (p > .05). The fibrin matrix was similar for fixed-angle and horizontal centrifugation. Horizontal centrifugation induced a twofold increase in PDGF and 1.7× increase on FGF release as compared to V samples, while IL-1β was significantly reduced (p

Submitted by Emília Freitas (emilia@icb.ufrj.br) on 2021-09-23T12:51:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 18247-Article-227673-1-10-20210729.pdf: 457732 bytes, checksum: 633d6dcfc5a67c62680133f3aad6c5ec (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Maria Luiza Jardim (luiza@sibi.ufrj.br) on 2021-10-04T18:58:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 18247-Article-227673-1-10-20210729.pdf: 457732 bytes, checksum: 633d6dcfc5a67c62680133f3aad6c5ec (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-10-04T18:58:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 18247-Article-227673-1-10-20210729.pdf: 457732 bytes, checksum: 633d6dcfc5a67c62680133f3aad6c5ec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-07-29 O ensino de Anatomia Humana ainda se utiliza do modelo tradicional, conteudista, voltado para memorização tornando-o desinteressante na perspectiva dos alunos. Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar inovações pedagógicas, construídas a partir do uso de metodologias ativas de aprendizagem e ferramentas digitais para licenciandos em Educação Física. Foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa para averiguar as tendências educacionais para o século XXI. Foram incorporadas as seguintes tendências: ensino híbrido, sala de aula invertida e gamificação. Para tal, foi criado um Ambiente Multimodal de Ensino Híbrido contendo três ambientes on-line (plataforma Moodle, Facebook e Instagram) e dois ambientes off-line (sala de aula teórica e laboratório de aula prática). Além do que, os conteúdos anatômicos foram abordados de forma sistêmica, multimodal, interdisciplinar, com foco no professor de Educação Física e na sua prática profissional. Espera-se que a proposta apresentada possa contribuir para o ensino aprendizagem de Anatomia para os graduandos de Educação Física. The teaching of Human Anatomy still uses the traditional model, contentist, focused on memorization, making it uninteresting from the students' perspective. This work aims to present pedagogical innovations, built from the use of active learning methodologies and digital tools for Physical Education graduates. Research was carried out to ascertain educational trends for the 21st century. The following trends were incorporated: hybrid teaching, inverted classroom and gamification. For this, a Multimodal Hybrid Teaching Environment was created containing three online environments (Moodle platform, Facebook and Instagram) and two offline environments (theoretical classroom and practical laboratory). In addition, anatomical contents were approached in a systemic, multimodal, interdisciplinary manner and with a focus on professional practice. It is hoped that the proposal presented can contribute to the teaching and learning of Anatomy for undergraduate Physical Education students.

A Educação Popular pode contribuir na formação de cidadãos capazes de atuar na luta pela promoção da saúde, por incentivar diálogos e a participação popular na tomada de decisões. Jogos didáticos podem ser pensados para estimular debates que considerem a saúde de forma ampla, o que poderia ser de grande importância na questão das arboviroses, pela promoção de diálogos contextualizados com a realidade da população. Neste estudo, foi realizada uma revisão integrativa para mapear, no Brasil, o quanto os jogos didáticos relacionados ao mosquito Ae. aegypti e arboviroses apresentam enfoque em Educação Popular. Foram feitas buscas nas bases Google Acadêmico, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde e Scielo. Foram analisadas características dos jogos didáticos tais como o tema abordado, a linguagem utilizada, modalidade (individual ou em grupo) e público-alvo, permitindo um mapeamento e síntese qualitativa dos jogos identificados pela busca. A fim de identificar características de Educação em Saúde, foram elaborados critérios para analisar com que concepção de educação em saúde os jogos mais se identificavam e balizar a análise do referencial teórico apresentado pelos trabalhos. Oitenta e um trabalhos foram incluídos, descrevendo setenta e dois jogos, em sua maioria voltados para o ensino formal e fundamental. Prevaleceu nos jogos o enfoque em Educação Sanitária, caracterizado pela ênfase em transmitir informações como tratamento e sintomas, ciclo biológico do vetor e formas de prevenção. A participação popular era reduzida à execução de ações individuais de controle do mosquito, com ênfase na necessidade de eliminar criadouros apenas no âmbito das residências. Apesar de alguns jogos apresentarem características de Educação Popular em seu embasamento teórico, em nenhum o tema Saúde foi abordado de forma abrangente, englobando aspectos socioeconômicos, culturais e ambientais. Os resultados apontam uma importante lacuna na produção e avaliação de jogos didáticos que problematizem os temas mosquito Ae. aegypti e arboviroses através de diálogos que valorizem os saberes populares e estimulem a ação popular na busca de soluções, no planejamento e tomadas de decisões.

In this paper we review the natural history of pheromone communication and the current diversity of aggregation-sex pheromones in the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. This species complex is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, the agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. The identification of variation in pheromone chemotypes combined with molecular and sound analyses have all contributed to our understanding of the extent of divergence among cryptic members of this complex. The importance of chemical signals as pre-mating barriers and drivers of speciation is discussed. Moreover, the importance of aggregation-sex pheromones as sexually selected signals is highlighted with evidence from the literature suggesting their potential role in species and mate recognition as well as mate assessment. The distinct evolutionary forces possibly involved are briefly reviewed and discussed in the context of this intriguing insect.

Relata experiência de oficinas de produção de recursos didáticos na formação inicial de docentes de Química no Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo como meio de potencializar a formação de professores como intelectuais reflexivos e pesquisadores da própria prática. Descreve intuito de contemplar as práticas como componente curricular por meio do estímulo à autonomia, autoria, criatividade e liberdade dos licenciandos a partir das oito edições já realizadas das oficinas. As experiências vivenciadas apontam favorecimento ao diálogo entre teoria e prática, entre saberes específicos e pedagógicos e entre docentes formadores de diferentes áreas de conhecimento. Apontam ainda desafios na criação de repositório dos recursos didáticos e na correção de erros conceituais identificados em alguns produtos. As abordagens inclusivas e no âmbito dos pressupostos do movimento ciência, tecnologia, sociedade e ambiente são aspectos aprimorados a cada nova edição.

Nanostructured carbonated hydroxyapatite (nCHA) is a promising biomaterial for bone tissue engineering due to its chemical properties, similar to those of the bone mineral phase and its enhanced in vivo bioresorption. However, the biological effects of nCHA nanoparticles on cells and tissues are not sufficiently known. This study assessed the impact of exposing pre-osteoblasts to suspensions with high doses of nCHA nanoparticles with high or low crystallinity. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were cultured for 1 or 7 days in a culture medium previously exposed to CHA nanoparticles for 1 day. Control groups were produced by centrifugation for removal of bigger nCHA aggregates before exposure. Interaction of nanoparticles with the culture medium drastically changed medium composition, promoting Ca, P, and protein adsorption. Transmission Electron microscopy revealed that exposed cells were able to internalize both materials, which seemed concentrated inside endosomes. No cytotoxicity was observed for both materials, regardless of centrifugation, and the exposure did not induce alterations in the release of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Morphological analysis revealed strong interactions of nCHA aggregates with cell surfaces, however without marked alterations in morphological features and cytoskeleton ultrastructure. The overall in vitro biocompatibility of nCHA materials, regardless of physicochemical characteristics such as crystallinity, encourages further studies on their clinical applications.

Although the discipline of cell biology (CB) is part of the curricula of predoctoral dental schools, students often fail to recognize its practical relevance. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a practical-theoretical project-based course in closing the gaps among CB, scientific research, and dentistry for dental students. A project-based learning course was developed with nine sequential lessons to evaluate 108 undergraduate dental students enrolled in CB classes of a Brazilian school of dentistry during 2013-16. To highlight the relevance of in vitro studies in the preclinical evaluation of dental materials at the cellular level, the students were challenged to complete the process of drafting a protocol and performing a cytocompatibility assay for a bone substitute used in dentistry. Class activities included small group discussions, scientific database search and article presentations, protocol development, lab experimentation, and writing of a final scientific report. A control group of 31 students attended only one laboratory class on the same theme, and the final reports were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the project-based learning students had superior outcomes in acknowledging the relevance of in vitro methods during biocompatibility testing. Moreover, they produced scientifically sound reports with more content on methodological issues, the relationship with dentistry, and the scientific literature than the control group (p

The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (LutzNeiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) is the main vector of American visceral leishmaniasis. Adult males produce a terpenoid sex pheromone that in some cases also acts as male aggregation pheromone. We have analyzed the correlation between male pheromone production levels and pheromone gland cell morphogenesis after adult emergence from pupae. The abdominal tergites of L. longipalpis males were dissected and fixed in glutaraldehyde for transmission electron microscopy, or the pheromone was extracted in analytical grade hexane. Pheromone chemical analysis was carried out at 3- to 6-h intervals during the first 24 h after emergence and continued daily until the seventh day. All extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography. For the morphological analysis, we used insects collected at 0-6, 9-12, 12-14, and 96 h after emergence. Ultrastructural data from 0- to 6-h-old adult males revealed smaller pheromone gland cells with small microvilli at the end apparatus. Lipid droplets and peroxisomes were absent or very rare, but a large number of mitochondria could be seen. Lipid droplets started to appear in the gland cells cytoplasm approximately 9 h after adult emergence, and their number and size increased with age, together with the presence of several peroxisomes, suggesting a role for these organelles in pheromone biosynthesis. At 12-15 h after emergence, the lipid droplets were mainly distributed near the microvilli but were smaller than those in mature older males (4 d old). Pheromone biosynthesis started around 12 h after emergence and increased continuously during the first 3 d, stabilizing thereafter, coinciding with the period when males are more able to attract females.

The role of games within education becomes clearer as students become more active and are able to take decisions, solve problems and react to the results of those decisions. The educational board game Discovering the Cell (Celula Adentro), is based on problem-solving learning. This investigative game attempts to stimulate reasoning and interactivity in the classroom as it challenges students to collect, discuss and interpret clues in order to decipher a scientific question (Case). Here, we describe the conception, development and evaluation of Discovering the Cell. The game was tested with students from public and private high schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A questionnaire-based analysis demonstrated how students had adopted this strategy. The majority, from both public and private schools, were able to solve a Case, as well as apply the learned content when answering a related question. Taken together, our results indicate the suitability of the game as an alternative strategy to help teach complex c...

Subjects such as techniques for genetic diagnosis, cloning, sequencing, and gene therapy are now part of our lives and raise important questions about ethics, future medical diagnosis, and such. Students from different countries observe this explosion of biotechnological applications regardless of their social, academic, or cultural backgrounds, although they are not usually familiar with their theoretical genetic bases. To introduce some molecular biology concepts for high school students, we developed a new problem for the Brazilian board game ‘‘Discovering the cell’’ (‘‘Ce´ lula Adentro ’’ in Portuguese), a pedagogic tool based on inquiry-, cooperative-, and problem-based learning. This problem (Case) is based on the forensic DNA, which represents an interesting theme for students, as it recurrently appears on newspapers and television series. In this work, we tested this game with secondary students and teachers from Switzerland. Our results indicate that the game ‘‘Discovering the cell’’ is well accepted by both students and teachers and may represent a good pedagogical approach to help teaching complex themes in molecular biology, even with students from different socioeconomical, cultural, and academic backgrounds.

Atividades que integrem os sistemas fisiológicos utilizando situações-problema são promissoras para resolverem uma questão comum ao ensino de fisiologia humana que é o estudo dos órgãos e sistemas de forma isolada. A aprendizagem baseada em problemas normalmente envolve a discussão entre grupos de estudantes que podem ser estruturados de diferentes formas, dentre elas podemos destacar as estratégias colaborativa e cooperativa. A aprendizagem cooperativa é caracterizada por uma divisão de tarefas entre os membros do grupo. Na aprendizagem colaborativa os membros do grupo trabalham em conjunto, porém sem divisão de tarefas definidas a priori. No presente trabalho iremos descrever e avaliar uma atividade baseada na solução de problemas que integra diferentes sistemas fisiológicos, intitulada “Qual é o Diagnóstico?”. A atividade foi aplicada utilizando estratégias cooperativa e colaborativa a fim de avaliar se a divisão de tarefas favorece a solução de um problema e caracterizar a percepção dos alunos acerca dessas duas estratégias. A proporção de soluções corretas para cada estratégia foi obtida a partir das respostas dadas por escrito ao final da atividade. Já a percepção dos alunos acerca das estratégias foi obtida por meio da análise do “Questionário de Avaliação”. Os resultados mostraram que nas duas estratégias a atividade foi bem aceita pelos alunos que a consideraram de dificuldade mediana e que conseguiram em sua maioria resolver o problema em questão. Porém, a estratégia cooperativa favoreceu a solução do problema, apesar de problemas na dinâmica de grupo terem sido mais apontados do que na estratégia colaborativa.

The sex pheromone glands of Lutzomyia cruzi male sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) were analyzed by cytochemical techniques. In adult males, the epithelium at the fourth abdominal tergite is modified into a glandular epithelium, with large columnar gland cells located side by side. The gland cell cytoplasm contains a large number of mitochondria and peroxisomes, the latter with positive (electron-dense) reaction for catalase, a typical peroxisomal enzyme marker. The gland cell cytoplasm also contains a central vacuolated area, with a large number of electron-lucent vacuoles, not limited by a unit membrane. In well-preserved preparations such vacuoles present a homogenous and slightly electron-dense content, typical of lipid droplets. Indeed, incubation of the tergites with imidazole-buffered osmium tetroxide (to detect lipids) resulted in positive reaction in these vacuoles, as well as in between the microvilli of the gland cells. Use of the osmium-potassium iodide (Os-KI) technique allowed to demonstrate the presence of several endoplasmic reticulum (ER) profiles, as expected in secretory cells. Our data suggest that ER, lipid droplets and peroxisomes are involved in the sand fly pheromone biosynthesis.

The fine structure of male sex pheromone disseminating structures on abdominal segments of five species of Lutzomyia sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) was analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy showed that in Lutzomyia cruzi [Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 33 (1938) 349] and Lutzomyia longipalpis [Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 4 (1912) 84], the disseminating structures are located in pale spots on abdominal tergites IV or III and IV and are morphologically similar, appearing as small round cuticular elevations with a central pore. Observation of abdominal tergites of L. longipalpis pupae showed that the spots, but not the structures, are already present in this stage. In Lutzomyia lenti [Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 33 (1938) 349] and Lutzomyia carmelinoi [Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 81 (1986) 323] adult males, the disseminating structures are present on tergal segments V and VI, where pale spots could not be observed, and appear as apple-like elevations with a central pore. In Lutzomyia renei, a single disseminating structure is found at the anterior region of tergal segment VI. Transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze the gland cell fine structure in L. cruzi. Several class III gland cells are located side by side in the fourth abdominal segment. Each epidermal secretory cell contains a small reservoir and a short outlet channel through the cuticle.

Sensilla on the male terminalia of four different species of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are described. Two species belonged to the same species complex: Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) and L. cruzi (Mangabeira). Other Brazilian species complex was represented by L. lenti (Mangabeira) and L. carmelinoi (Ryan, Fraiha, Lainson & Shaw). Approximately 5–15 sensilla were found on the initial part of the styles of all species. Structurally, the sensory organs were similar to small coeloconica sensilla. Their number varied both individually and interspecifically. These sensilla may play an important role in the copulation behavior of these species of sand flies.

The typology, number, size, and distribution pattern of labellar and palpal sensilla of male and female Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva, 1912) sand flies were analyzed by scanning electron and light microscopy, contributing to the construction of a gustatory and olfactory map in this important vector species. About 35 trichoid sensilla, sorted into three different classes according to their lengths, are present on the two labellar lobes. Five distinct structures are observed in the maxillary palps, which could be classified as noninnervated (microtrichia and scales) or the following innervated structures: 1) campaniform sensilla, found near the distal end of palpal segments II and III; 2) multiporous capitate peg sensilla, found in reduced number (1-6) on segment II, but located in a group of 15-25 on the distal third part of segment III; and 3) trichoid sensilla, distributed linearly on segment IV and spirally on segment V. Light microscopy analysis of silver-stained specimens indicated the presence of pores in the trichoid sensilla and their chemosensory function is discussed, as well as the possible function of the other sensilla.

Lithium is widely used in medicine as an antidepressive drug and for myelosuppression attenuation during chemotherapy. In spite of abundant literature, questions on the biological action of lithium ions are far from being answered. We have here examined the effects of lithium (10-200 mM) on culture forms of the trypanosomatid protozoa Herpetornonas muscarum muscarum and Blastocrithidia culicis. Incubation of these parasites with LiCl inhibited cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner, but growth could be restored when the drug was removed from the medium. Furthermore, Li+ induced cell differentiation in H. m. muscarum. Light microscopy examination of cell viability, using erythrosin B staining, showed that all treated parasites remained viable with all drug concentrations used. Ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy showed that the cells presented no signs of degeneration. However, in H. m. muscarum the nuclei lost their peripheral heterochromatin and appeared filled with a homogeneous matrix, whereas in B. culicis an increased amount of lipid droplets was present in the cytoplasm. Our data show that LiCl treatment arrested the cell division process, stimulated cell differentiation, and affected the metabolism of these parasites.