Contribuição ao conhecimento da tribu Ormiini. II: gênero ormiophasia townsend, 1919 (Diptera, Tachinidae)

The present paper is a contribution to the knowledge of the genus Ormiophasia Townsend, 1919, based mainly on the male genital characters. Five new species are described from Brazil.

Contribuição ao conhecimento da tribu Ormiini. III: gênero Euphasiopteryx Townsend, 1915 (Diptera, Tachinidae)

This is a contribution to the knowledge of the Tribu Ormiini in wich the author presents redescriptions of euphasiopteryx depleta (Wiedemann, 1830), Euphasiopteryx ochracea (Bigot, 1888) and describes a new species: Euphasiopteryx rosenoi sp. n. from Brazil.

Contribuição ao conhecimento da tribu Ormiini: IV: gêneros Ormia Robineau Desvoidy, 1830, e, Euphasiopteryx Townsend, 1915 (Diptera, Tachinidae)

Studying thirteen speciemens of the genus Ormia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, and one of Euphasiopteryx Towsend, 1915, the author describes six new species: Ormia mendesi sp. n., Ormia lenkoi sp. n., Ormia carreirai sp. n., Ormia crespoi sp. n., Ormia wygodzinskyi sp. n., and Euphasiopteryx lenti sp. n. from Brasil and Argentina. The importance of the ocelli as a generic character, as stated by Towsend (1936) is discussed based on the absence of ocelli in Ormia mendesi sp. n. and Ormia crespoi sp. n. and its presence in Euphasiopteryx lenti sp. n. A key for the determination of Ormia species is presented based chiefly on the males external morphological characters.

Revisão do gênero Seuratia Skrjabin, 1916 e redescrição da espécie Seuratia Shipleyi (Stossich, 1900) Skrjabin, 1916 (Nematoda, Spiruroidea)

Durante a terceira excursão realizada pela Seção de Helmintologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, à localidade de Arraial do Cabo, em Cabo Frio, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em junho de 1963, tivemos a oportunidade de encontrar ao amanhecer do dia 22 um exemplar fêmea de Diomodea melanophris Temm. (Albatroz), pousado no chão, nas proximidades da praia, provàvelmente levado para lá pela forte ventania que ocorrera durante a noite. Ao necropsiarmos essa ave encontramos, localizados mo est��mago, alguns nemat��deos dos quais um macho e quatro fêmeas pertencentes ao gênero Seuratia Skrjabin, 1916 e devido à sua raridade nas costas brasileiras e ao achado dos parasitos, resolvemos efetuar o reestudo dêsses helmintos, descritos por Stossich, e rever o gênero proposto por Skrjabin.

Observations on the morphology of Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827) (Mollusca, Ampullariidae)

This paper deals with the morpholgy of Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827) collected at its type locality. The shell is globose, moderately heavy, horn-colored with brown spiral bands; apex subelevated; 4 - 5 rounded whorls increasing in diameter rather rapidly, separated by deep suture. Aperture large and ovoid; outer lip sharp; umbilicus narrow and deep; operculum concentric, corneous. Ratios: shell width/shell length = 0.74 - 0.83 (mean 0.78); spire length/shell length = 0.10 - 0.18 (mean 0.13); aperture length/shell length = 0.70 - 0.77 (mean 0.73). The animal is longisiphonate. Renal organ brownish with marked invagination at its right edge. Ureter elongated with its long axis transverse to the main axis of the kidney. The radula is taenioglossate (2.1.1.1.2) and has on average 35 transverse rows of teeth. The form and arrangement of the radula teeth are nearly the same as in other Ampullariidae. The testis is cream-colored and lies in the first three whorls of the spire. Spermiduct uniformly narrow, running to the base of the spire. Seminal vesicle whitish, slightly pressed dorsoventrally. Prostate cylindric and thick, similar in color to the testis. Penis whiplike, with a closed circular spermiduct. Penis pouch ovoid completely envelping the penis. Penis sheath elongated, broad prosimally, tapering distally. Its inner surface shows a longitudinal channel along its proximal half and two glands, one on the middle and the other apical. Ovary composed of branched whitish tubules situated on the surface of the digestive gland. Oviduct slender running along the columellar axis toward the base of the spire. Seminal receptalble tubiform, thick-walled and rounded proximally. Albumen gland large, pink, enclosing the receptacle and the spiral capsule gland. Vestigial male copulatory apparatus (penis and its sheath) present in all females examined.

Contribuição para o conhecimento do gênero Dimecoenia Cresson, 1916: V. Sobre uma espécie nova do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Diptera: Ephydridae)

New species of several speciemens of several specimens from Rio de Janeiro county, caught on the Spinosa platensis microalgae breeding in the concret thanks is described.

Uma nova espécie de Arachnidomyia Townsend, 1934 (Diptera, Sarcophagidae)

A new species of the genus Arachnidomyia Townsend, 1934 is described and illustrated, based on male specimen from Chile.

El naturalismo cient��fico en la obra de John Tyndall: Fragments of science

El análisis de los ensayos de John Tyndall, Fragments of Science, permite identificar la teoría at��mica, el principio de conservación de la energía y el evolucionismo darwinista como los elementos constitutivos del andamiaje teórico del naturalismo cient��fico. Así, en su ensayo “On the Study of Physics” se resumen sus brillantes facetas como educador y divulgador cient��fico, desarrolladas fundamentalmente en el seno de la Royal Institution. En la lectura “On Force”, Tyndall da por finalizada la controversia Joule- Mayer sobre la primacía del descubrimiento del principio de conservación de la energía, a la vez que plantea algunas de las claves de la lucha por el liderazgo en el seno de la comunidad cient��fica. El discurso presidencial ante la British Association de 1874 en Belfast ejemplifica el coraje de Tyndall en su empeño por demarcar los territorios de la ciencia y la religión, a la luz de los nuevos desafíos cient��ficos. En el trasfondo subyacen los procesos de secularización de la sociedad y de profesionalización de una comunidad cient��fica heterogénea. El compromiso cívico que Tyndall demuestra en “The Belfast Address” es digno corolario de una vida y obra que permite situarlo como paradigma de lo que, en la terminología de Turner, se ha dado en denominar cient��fico público.

Report to the Minister for Health and Children: Independent Examination related to the Medical Council and South-Eastern Health Board (Dr John Harding Price)

The Minister for Health and Children has requested that an independent review be carried out of the circumstances surrounding the employment of a UK based Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr John Harding-Price, to a locum psychiatrist position with the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) while he was suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom and consequently the subject of legal proceedings by the Medical Council in Ireland. The Consultant was continuously registered with the Medical Council since 1968. Download the document here

Experimental evidence and ecological perspectives for the adaptation of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907 (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) to a wild host, the water-rat, Nectomys squamipes Brants, 1827 (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae)

Due to the semi aquatic habits and the overlap of the geographical distribution of the water-rat, Nectomys spp., with schistosomiasis endemic areas, these wild rodents are very likely to acquire Schistosoma mansoni infection in their daily activities. The role of the water-rat in the S. mansoni cycle would be substantiated if one could prove that these rodents acquire the parasite during their own activity time, a completely independent time schedule of human activities. To pursue this goal, we performed two field experiments in the municipality of Sumidouro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a schistosomiasis endemic area where N. squamipes is found naturally infected. One experiment was devised as a series of observations of activity time of the water-rat. The other experiment was a test of the occurrence of late transmission of S. mansoni to the water-rat. The daily activity pattern showed that the water-rat is active chiefly just after sunset. At both diurnal and late exposition essays the water-rat sentinels got infected by S. mansoni. These findings clarify ecological and behavioral components necessary to the adaptation of S. mansoni to the water-rat as a non human definitive host and the existence of a transmission cycle involving this animals as a reservoir.

John Fitzgerald Letter

John Fitzgerald Letter Click here to download PDF 39kb

Methadone maintenance treatment and St. John's Wort - a case report.

St. John's wort, a popular over-the-counter drug for treatment of depression, might reduce concentrations of drugs such as cyclosporin and indinavir and lead to drug resistance and treatment failure. No studies as yet have examined its influence on methadone plasma levels. The trough methadone plasma levels were measured in four patients (2 males, median age: 31 years; range 19 - 40 years) in methadone maintenance treatment just before the introduction of St. John's wort (900 mg/d) and after a median period of 31-day treatment (range 14 - 47). The study was proposed to addict patients about to start an antidepressant therapy. Introduction of St. John's wort resulted in a strong reduction of (R,S)-methadone concentration-to-dose ratios in the four median patients included, with a median decrease to 47 % of the original concentration (range: 19 % - 60 % of the original concentration). Two patients reported symptoms that suggested a withdrawal syndrome. Thus, prescription of St. John's wort might decrease methadone blood levels and induce withdrawal symptoms which, if not correctly identified and handled (by changing the antidepressant or by increasing the methadone dose), might cause unnecessary discomfort to the patient, lead to resumption of illicit drug uses, or be a risk factor for discontinuation of the methadone or antidepressant treatment.