Estudo biométrico do caranguejo-de-profundidade de Angola (Chaceon maritae) e determinação do tamanho de primeira maturação sexual

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Especialização em Pescas e Aquacultura, Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Universidade do Algarve, 2008

11-ketotestosterone inhibits the alternative mating tactic in sneaker males of the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo

In the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a species with courtship sex-role reversal, smaller, younger males mimic the courtship behavior and the nuptial coloration of females in order to get access to nests during spawning and to parasitize egg fertilization from nest-holder males. Later in their life, sneakers transform both morphologically and behaviorally into nest-holder males. In the present paper we investigate the activational role of 11-ketotestosterone (KT), the most potent androgen in most teleost species, to promote the switch between tactics in sneaker males of S. pavo. Sneakers were implanted either with KT or with control (i.e. castor oil) silastic implants. A week after implantation they were subjected to a set of behavioral tests and morphometric measurements. KT treatment promoted the differentiation of secondary sex characters, such as the anal glands, and inhibited the expression of female courtship behavior. KT-treated sneakers also showed a trend toward less frequent display of female nuptial coloration. There was no effect of KT treatment on the expression of typical nest-holder male behavior. Finally, there was no effect of KT treatment on the number or soma size of arginine vasotocin neurons in the preoptic area, which are often associated with the expression of vertebrate sexual behavior. Thus, KT seems to play a key role in mating tactic switching by inhibiting the expression of female courtship behavior and by promoting the development of male displaying traits (e.g. anal glands). The lack of a KT effect on behavior typical of nest-holding males and vasotocinergic preoptic neurons suggests that a longer time frame or other endocrine/social signals are needed for the initiation of these traits in males that are switching tactics.

Papéis de género, homofobia internalizada e autoestima sexual numa amostra de lésbicas e gays

Dissertação de mestrado, Psicologia (Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde), Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Seleção sexual e estimativa populacional em Syngnathus typhle na Ria Formosa (Portugal)

Dissertação de mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Students' engagement in schools: differentiation and promotion

Comunicação apresentada no XI Congresso da AEPEC (Associação da Educação Pluridimensional e da Escola Cultural) - Da exclusão à excelência - caminhos organizacionais para a qualidade da educação. Évora: Universidade de Évora, 16, 17 e 18 de Setembro de 2010.

Epigenetic mechanisms of effector y&T cell differentiation : focus on histone modifications and microRNAs

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências Biomédicas (Imunologia), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2014

Blended learning na formação contínua em educação sexual : um estudo com educadores de infância e professores do 1º CEB

Tese de doutoramento, Educação (Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação na Educação), Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação, 2015

Transgender Freedom and the Law: A Liberal-Poststructural Discussion on McNally

In R v McNally, gender deception is found capable of leading to the vitiation of consent to sexual intercourse and, in so doing, places restriction on the freedom of transgendered individuals in favour of cisgendered freedom. This paper seeks to challenge the standing of this decision by adopting a combined methodological approach between Deleuzian post-structuralism and Gewirthian legal idealism. In so doing, we attempt to show that the combination offers a novel and productive approach to contentious decisions, such as that in McNally. Our approach brings together post-structuralist corporeality which conceives of the body as material and productive, and Gewirth’s ‘agent’ to conceptualise the legal body as an entity which can, and should, shape judicial reasoning. It does this by employing the criterion of categorically necessary freedom on institutionalised practical reasoning. These ‘bodies of agents’ can be conceived as the underpinning and justificatory basis for the authority of the law subject to the morally rational Principle of Generic Consistency. This egalitarian condition precedent requires individualisation and the ability to accept self-differentiation in order to return to a status, which can be validly described as “law”. Ultimately, we argue that this theoretical combination responds to a call to problematise the connection made between gender discourse and judicial reasoning, whilst offering the opportunity to further our conceptions of law and broaden the theoretical armoury with which to challenge judicial reasoning in McNally. That is, a ‘good faith’ attempt to further and guarantee transgender freedoms.

Sexual dimorphism in relation to adipose tissue and intrahepatocellular lipid deposition in early infancy

Sexual dimorphism in adiposity is well described in adults, but the age at which differences first manifest is uncertain. Using a prospective cohort, we describe longitudinal changes in directly measured adiposity and intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) in relation to sex in healthy term infants. At median ages of 13 and 63 days, infants underwent quantification of adipose tissue depots by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and measurement of IHCL by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Longitudinal data were obtained from 70 infants (40 boys and 30 girls). In the neonatal period girls are more adipose in relation to body size than boys. At follow-up (median age 63 days), girls remained significantly more adipose. The greater relative adiposity that characterises girls is explained by more subcutaneous adipose tissue and this becomes increasingly apparent by follow-up. No significant sex differences were seen in IHCL. Sex-specific differences in infant adipose tissue distribution are in keeping with those described in later life, and suggest that sexual dimorphism in adiposity is established in early infancy.

Effects of antihypertensive drugs in the differentiation and activation of human bone cells

O osso é um tecido metabolicamente ativo e a sua remodelação é importante para regular e manter a massa óssea. Esse processo envolve a reabsorção do material ósseo por ação dos osteoclastos e a síntese de novo material ósseo mediado pelos osteoblastos. Vários estudos têm sugerido que a pressão arterial elevada está associada a alterações no metabolismo do cálcio, o que leva ao aumento da perda de cálcio e da remoção de cálcio do osso. Embora as alterações no metabolismo ósseo sejam um efeito adverso associado a alguns fármacos antihipertensores, o conhecimento em relação a este efeito terapêutico ligado com os bloqueadores de canais de cálcio é ainda muito escasso. Uma vez que os possíveis efeitos no osso podem ser atribuídos à ação antihipertensiva dessas moléculas, ou através de um efeito direto nas atividades metabólicas ósseas, torna-se necessário esclarecer este assunto. Devido ao facto de que as alterações no metabolismo ósseo são um efeito adverso associado a alguns fármacos antihipertensores, o objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o efeito que os bloqueadores dos canais de cálcio exercem sobre as células ósseas humanas, nomeadamente osteoclastos, osteoblastos e co-culturas de ambos os tipos celulares. Verificou-se que os efeitos dos fármacos antihipertensores variaram consoante o fármaco testado e o sistema de cultura usado. Alguns fármacos revelaram a capacidade de estimular a osteoclastogénese e a osteoblastogénese em concentrações baixas. Independentemente da identidade do fármaco, concentrações elevadas revelaram ser prejudiciais para a resposta das células ósseas. Os mecanismos intracelulares através dos quais os efeitos foram exercidos foram igualmente afetados de forma diferencial pelos diferentes fármacos. Em resumo, este trabalho demonstrou que os bloqueadores dos canais de cálcio utilizados possuem a capacidade de afetar direta- e indiretamente a resposta de células ósseas humanas, cultivadas isoladamente ou co-cultivadas. Este tipo de informação é crucial para compreender e prevenir os potenciais efeitos destes fármacos no tecido ósseo, e também para adequar e eventualmente melhorar a terapêutica antihipertensora de cada paciente.

A traffic differentiation add-on to the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol: implementation and experimental validation over a real-time operating system

The IEEE 802.15.4 is the most widespread used protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and it is being used as a baseline for several higher layer protocols such as ZigBee, 6LoWPAN or WirelessHART. Its MAC (Medium Access Control) supports both contention-free (CFP, based on the reservation of guaranteed time-slots GTS) and contention based (CAP, ruled by CSMA/CA) access, when operating in beacon-enabled mode. Thus, it enables the differentiation between real-time and best-effort traffic. However, some WSN applications and higher layer protocols may strongly benefit from the possibility of supporting more traffic classes. This happens, for instance, for dense WSNs used in time-sensitive industrial applications. In this context, we propose to differentiate traffic classes within the CAP, enabling lower transmission delays and higher success probability to timecritical messages, such as for event detection, GTS reservation and network management. Building upon a previously proposed methodology (TRADIF), in this paper we outline its implementation and experimental validation over a real-time operating system. Importantly, TRADIF is fully backward compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, enabling to create different traffic classes just by tuning some MAC parameters.

Sexual functioning in people with stable chronic diseases

Backgound - In developed countries people are living longer and the incidence of chronic disease is increasing. Chronic disease and its treatments can have a negative impact on sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. Aim of study - To explore and to compare sexual function and sexual satisfaction in people with stable chronic diseases.

T cell Maturation and Regulatory T Cell Differentiation:From the Thymus to the Periphery

Immunological tolerance, that is, the failure to mount an immune response to an otherwise immunogenic molecule, is one of the fundamental questions in immunology. The fact that lymphocytes express antigen receptors that are generated randomly and have the potential to recognize any conceivable antigen, adds another puzzle to the physiology of immunological tolerance. The other side of the coin, the general absence of immune responses to self antigens, is ensured by a tight regulation and several selection steps during T and B cell differentiation. One of these processes is the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg). While developing in the thymus, T cell clones bearing receptors with high affinity/avidity to antigens present at the time of differentiation may be eliminated by apoptosis or, alternatively, express Foxp3 and become Treg. Treg are key players in the regulation of immunological tolerance since humans and mice with complete loss of function variants of this gene develop fatal autoimmune conditions early in life.(...)

Migration and differentiation of neuronal precursors in the postnatal brain: insights from the subventricular zone and cerebellum

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - SFRH/BD/42848/2008, através do Programa MIT_Portugal em Sistemas de Bioengenharia; projectos PTDC/SAUNEU/104415/2008 e Projecto ref. 96542 da Fundação Caloust Gulbenkian