Male reproductive system structure and accessory glands ultrastructure of two species of Triatoma (Hemiptera,Reduviidae, Triatominae)

Morphological studies in male reproductive system of insect, and accessory glands functions, can contribute to the knowledge of reproductive aspects in Triatominae. The present study aims to describe the structure of male reproductive system under scanning electron microscopy, and the ultrastructure of accessory glands during the process of maturation, in T. brasiliensis and T. melanica of different ages.These system consist of two testis, two vas deferens, two seminal vesicles, four pair of accessory glands and one ejaculatory duct. The four mesodermal male accessory glands of T. melanica and T. brasiliensis, present secretion storage in the firsts days of adult life in starved males. During the maturation process of male accessory glands of T. brasiliensis and T. melanica, granules with different sizes, shapes and electron density were seen. In T. melanica small vacuoles are released into the gland lumen in one-day-old males, however, after three and five days few granules are found in the cell cytoplasm. The secretory granules in T. brasiliensis increase in size and amount, in the five days old adult. The secretory pathway in the male accessory glands of the two species seems to be merocrine and apocrine suggesting that different substances are being produced at different times. The cell microvilli in T. brasiliensis are longer and narrower, these can be absent in some regions of the cell surface of T. melanica. Maturation of male accessory glands in the triatomine species studied occurred without adult blood meal. Its function can led to new insights for the comprehension of reproductive aspects in Triatominae.     

Synthesis and characterization of Zn(O,OH)S and AgInS2 layers to be used in thin film solar cells

In this paper AgInS₂ and Zn(O,OH)S thin films were synthesized and characterized. AgInS₂ layers were grown by co-evaporation from metal precursors in a two-step process, and, Zn(O,OH)S thin films were deposited from chemical bath containing thiourea, zinc acetate, sodium citrate and ammonia. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that AgInS₂ thin films grown with chalcopyrite structure, and the as-grown Zn(O,OH)S thin films were polycrystalline. It was also found that the AgInS₂ films presented p-type conductivity, a high absorption coefficient (greater than 10⁴ cm⁻¹) and energy band-gap E_g of about 1.95 eV, Zn(O,OH),S thin films presented E_g of about 3.89 eV. Morphological analysis showed that under this synthesis conditions Zn(O,OH),S thin films coated uniformly the absorber layer. Additionally, the Zn(O,OH)S kinetic growth on AgInS₂ layer was studied also. Finally, the results suggest that these layers possibly could be used in one-junction solar cells and/or as top cell in a tandem solar cell.