Learning new tricks: Corticostriatal dynamics during novel skill learning

Learning novel actions and skills is a prevalent ability across multiple species and a critical feature for survival and competence in a constantly changing world. Novel actions are generated and learned through a process of trial and error, where an animal explores the environment around itself, generates multiple patterns of behavior and selects the ones that increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Proper adaptation and execution of the selected behavior requires the coordination of several biomechanical features by the animal. Cortico-basal ganglia circuits and loops are critically involved in the acquisition, learning and consolidation of motor skills.(...)

Firms and aggregate dynamics

We investigate the role of permanent and transitory shocks for firms and aggregate dynamics. We find that permanent shocks to productivity and permanent shifts in the composition of output explain at least four-fifths of firms’ dynamics. However, these permanent shocks are almost uncorrelated across firms and are therefore less relevant for aggregate dynamics. Transitory shocks, on the other hand, are not very important at the firm level,but they account for most of the volatility of aggregate hours and output, because they are significantly correlated across firms. Finally, we try to make some progress on the interpretation of the shocks.

A business model for an entertainment solution to the in-vehicle infotainment industry

The evolution of mobile technologies that make its presence something ubiquitous and the idea of internet connectivity in every device, often called as the Internet of Things, are pushing a disruption in other industry: the in-vehicle infotainment (IVI). Many companies are trying to enter this new industry that comprises information (weather, news, location services) and entertainment solutions in just one. For that purpose, company X developed a new entertainment solution and intends to bring it to market. This Work Project focuses on creating a business model and an entry mode for the company.

Evolutionary dynamics of Chlamydia trachomatis genome and identification of molecular patterns of hypothetical protein coding genes

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is a human pathogen of major public health significance. Strains can be classified into 15 main serovars (A to L3) that preferentially cause ocular infections (A-C), genital infections (D-K) or lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) (L1-L3), but the molecular basis behind their distinct tropism, ecological success and pathogenicity is not welldefined. Most chlamydial research demands culture in eukaryotic cell lines, but it is not known if stains become laboratory adapted. By essentially using genomics and transcriptomics, we aimed to investigate the evolutionary patterns underlying the adaptation of C. trachomatis to the different human tissues, given emphasis to the identification of molecular patterns of genes encoding hypothetical proteins, and to understand the adaptive process behind the C. trachomatis in vivo to in vitro transition. Our results highlight a positive selection-driven evolution of C. trachomatis towards nichespecific adaptation, essentially targeting host-interacting proteins, namely effectors and inclusion membrane proteins, where some of them also displayed niche-specific expression patterns. We also identified potential "ocular-specific" pseudogenes, and pointed out the major gene targets of adaptive mutations associated with LGV infections. We further observed that the in vivo-derived genetic makeup of C. trachomatis is not significantly compromised by its long-term laboratory propagation. In opposition, its introduction in vitro has the potential to affect the phenotype, likely yielding virulence attenuation. In fact, we observed a "genital-specific" rampant inactivation of the virulence gene CT135, which may impact the interpretation of data derived from studies requiring culture. Globally, the findings presented in this Ph.D. thesis contribute for the understanding of C.trachomatis adaptive evolution and provides new insights into the biological role of C. trachomatishypothetical proteins. They also launch research questions for future functional studies aiming toclarify the determinants of tissue tropism, virulence or pathogenic dissimilarities among C. trachomatisstrains.

US fiscal dynamics in political perspective

Given the importance of fiscal balance for ensuring a sustainable fiscal policy, we conduct an empirical examination of fiscal dynamics in the United States in response to unsustainable budget deviations. We concentrate on the role of political factors, namely the Republican - Democrat presidential divide, in determining the fiscal response to budget disequilibria. Making use of an asymmetric cointegration framework, we explore politically motivated fiscal asymmetries in the US, from Eisenhower to Obama. We conclude that political factors such as the government’s political quadrant and the timing of elections are important determinants of the fiscal response to unsustainable budget deviations.

Fiscal dynamics and electoral behavior in the Eurozone

Abstract: The Stability Growth Pact and the 3% rule did not prevent countries from running large deficits. Countries in the EMU administrate fiscal policies differently, despite the existence of a common quantitative goal. The main focus of this work project is to study differences in the fiscal dynamics of eight EMU countries and assess the role of political variables in shaping those dynamics. We find that elections negatively affect government revenue in Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Germany. Expenditure, on the other hand, responds positively to incoming elections in Portugal, Italy, France and Netherlands, and negatively in the case of Germany.

Dynamics of serotonergic neurons revealed by fiber photometry

This work was developed in the context of the MIT Portugal Program, area of Bioengineering Systems, in collaboration with the Champalimaud Research Programme, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal. The project entitled Dynamics of serotonergic neurons revealed by fiber photometry was carried out at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal and at the Champalimaud Research Programme, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal