Effects of lethal and non-lethal malaria on the mononuclear phagocyte system

The effects ofone non-lethal species ofmalarialparasite, Plasmodium yoelii, and one lethal species, P. berghei, on the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) of BALB/c mice were studied. P. yoelii caused a greater and more sustained expansion and activation of the MPS, and the two major populations of spleen phagocytic cells-red pulp and marginal zone macrophages - exhibited a greater increase in numbers in this infection. During the course of P. berghei mataria, the spleen was progressively occupied by haematopoietic tissue and, at the terminal stage of infection, an extensive depletion of lymphocytes and macrophages was apparent. The possibility was suggested that the outcome of mataria may be inftuenced by the particular way the parasite interacts with the MPS.

Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Diastrophic Dysplasia in the Portuguese Population

SLC26A2-related dysplasias encompass a spectrum of diseases: from lethal achondrogenesis type 1B (ACG1B; MIM #600972) and atelosteogenesis type 2 (AO2; MIM #256050) to classical diastrophic dysplasia (cDTD; MIM #222600) and recessive multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (rMED; MIM #226900). This study aimed at characterizing clinically, radiologically and molecularly 14 patients affected by non-lethal SLC26A2-related dysplasias and at evaluating genotype-phenotype correlation. Phenotypically, eight patients were classified as cDTD, four patients as rMED and two patients had an intermediate phenotype (mild DTD - mDTD, previously 'DTD variant'). The Arg279Trp mutation was present in all patients, either in homozygosity (resulting in rMED) or in compound heterozygosity with the known severe alleles Arg178Ter or Asn425Asp (resulting in DTD) or with the mutation c.727-1G>C (causing mDTD). The 'Finnish mutation', c.-26+2T>C, and the p.Cys653Ser, both frequent mutations in non-Portuguese populations, were not identified in any of the patients of our cohort and are probably very rare in the Portuguese population. A targeted mutation analysis for p.Arg279Trp and p.Arg178Ter in the Portuguese population allows the identification of approximately 90% of the pathogenic alleles.

How to sell successfully a perfume in the non-selective market?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Identity dynamics in non-profit organizations: Ideological and methodological identity orientations

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

How differently do our non-large companies listed on the Portuguese Stock Exchange perform?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Can advergames boost children’s healthier eating habits?: A comparison between healthy and non-healthy food

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Market selection and market entry recommendations for a non-profit organization's first international venture

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Frequency of human leukocyte antigen (hla) in patients with malaria and in the general population of Humaitá county, Amazonas state, Brazil

In August 1983,85 inhabitants of the municipality of Humaitá, Amazonas State, Brazil were studied to determine the prevalence of antigens to HLA-A, -B, -C and DR. Thirty-eight were sick with malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum. All subjects were examined for splenomegaly, blood parasitaemia and antibodies to malaria. They constituted three groups: 1) 25 subjects native to the Amazon region who had never had malaria; 2) 38 Amazonian subjects who had malaria in the past or currently had an infection; 3) 22 patients with malaria who had acquired the infection in the Amazon Region but came from other regions of Brazil. Blood was taken from each person, the lymphocytes were separated and typed by the test of microlymphocytotoxicity. There was a high frequency of antigens that could not be identified in the groups studied which suggests the existence of a homozygote or phenotype not identified in the population. There was a high frequency of the phenotype Ag(W24) (44.7%) in group 2 when compared with group 1 (32%) or group 3 (9%). Also the individuals in group 2 showed an elevated frequency of antigen DR(4)80%) when compared with group 1 (36.6%) or group 3 (16.6%). These observations suggest the possibility of a genetic susceptibility to malaria among Amazonian residents and indicate a necessity for more extensive studies of the frequency of HLA antigens among inhabitants of this endemic malarial zone.

Comparative effects of sediments contaminated by carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic PAHs in Dicentrarchus labrax: a semi-quantitative histopathological approach

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente

Overexpressing BDNF in Neural Stem Cells using non-viral gene delivery strategies

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Biotecnologia

Identification of atmospheric pollutants control mechanisms during co-combustion of coal and non-toxic wastes

Doctoral dissertation for Ph.D. degree in Sustainable Chemistry

Endogenous spillovers in the trade-off between centralization and decentralization

In this paper, we revisit the classical trade-off between centralized and decentralized provision of local public goods, in a setting where interregional spillovers depend on the level of a national public good. We compare the standard benevolent planner approach with a political economy in which decisions, in a centralized system, are undertaken by a non-cooperative legislature with no separation of powers. We observe that the policy-maker in a centralized system is able to play both with local public goods and spillovers, a mechanism that is not available under a decentralized system. When compared to the traditional exogenous spillovers assumption, this improves the case for centralization under the standard benevolent planner approach. However, the same is not necessarily true in the non-cooperative legislature, as in this case the interests of the legislator do not need to be aligned with those of the society. Finally, we extend the traditional political economy analysis by considering a legislature in which decisions are undertaken by different committees (separation of powers), and show that it performs better than the original non-cooperative legislature, greatly improving the case for centralization.

Internationalization process of Gallo worldwide: Introduction of olive in a non-traditional market - China

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Psychological contract in non-governmental organizations

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics