A histological study of the seminal vesicle of the armoured catfish Corydoras aeneus.

Most species of Corydoras exhibited a reproductive behaviour called 'T-position', and exhibited an accessory gland in the male genital tract, called the seminal vesicle. It appeared that both the structure and the composition of the fluid varied considerably between the species investigated. Consequently, different opinions were proposed regarding the possible role of seminal vesicle on this particular reproductive behaviour. Male adults of Corydoras aeneus were collected, anaesthetized, and samples of seminal vesicle were fixed in Bouin's solution. The sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid Schiff. The seminal vesicle showed a system of anastomosed secretory tubules, forming a vesicular collective network, which gave rise to the vesicular ducts. The latter fused with the testicular efferent ducts and formed the spermatic ducts. Considering this fusion, when the sperm cells reached the spermatic ducts, the fluid produced at the seminal vesicle covered them. Histochemical studies evidenced the presence of neutral and acid glycosaminoglycans in the seminal fluid. Considering the reproductive behaviour of C. aeneus, it is believed that the protection associated with the immobilization of the sperm cells assures the sperm integrity during the passage through female's intestine until fertilization.

[Creating an integrated nursing curriculum]. / Construção de um currículo integrado de enfermagem.

During the last two decades, Brazilian society has gone through great changes into political, ideological and economical fields. These changes left their strings into society, specially in population health. The nurse formation based on the Law n(o) 5540/68 and on the Statement n(o) 163/72, no more meets population demands. Since 1992, the Nursing Faculty of UERJ-FEUerj intensifies the reflection movement upon teaching-learning process searching for transforming its own reality. The making of this project presents two complementary and important reasons: FEUerj docents and discents' desire in elaborating a curriculum which searches for nurses' formation that articulates teaching-work-community, theory and practice, based on a Critical Theory of Education, on the line of PROBLEMATIZATION, and the accomplishment of Statement n(o) 314/94 from the CFE and from the Letter of Order MEC n(o) 1171/15/dez/94. From debating, the professional profile has been defined from the social environment where the profession is performed and the alumnate's characteristics; area determination or group of attributions, according to professional praxis adequation, concept hierachization, processes, etc., which in the process of 'classification and syntheses' of knowledge results into a netlike chained and related tree. In the first phase of the curriculum study, it has diagnosed as principal condition, the actual curriculum 'DECONTEXTUALIZATION' and the 'US' to be faced to lead it to an end the Curriculum Reformulation Proposal. The Process of Pedagogical Abilitation for professors, workshops, researches on the desirable and present profile, seminars, performance, abilities and principles systematization, identification of areas which compose the integrated curriculum, subjects localization into areas and articulation between professional subjects and other activities, has been implemented. Based on this work on the problematized pedagogy first step, an instrument 'Research on the Professional Profile for the Nursing Graduation Course', was built, identifying the performances and principles which sustain them on each subject making the present profile clear and desirable to docents and discents.