Gender is a pervasive and regulating social institution that is operationalized in mainstream Western culture as a natural extension of the ontological difference perceived to exist between the binarily sexed bodies of male and female. Feminist theory has widely established, however, that gender is done - i.e., gender is not a naturally occurring phenomenon, but is an ongoing construction engaged and replicated by individual actors and which, while compulsory, is nevertheless optional. Within this canon is a small number of feminist theorists, notably Judith Lorber, Judith Bulter, and Nancy Tuana, who argue that the constructive manifestations of gender performativity (that is, doing of gender) are not limited to the social sphere. They argue the role of gender in the construction of the material body, asserting that doing gender has a constructive role in physical embodiment: what we do influences, and in fact creates, what our bodies are. This study engages feminist theory on the production of the body through a qualitative exploration of the lived experience of gendered bodily change, as described in the first-hand narratives of trans-identified individuals. I predict that the analysis of the narratives in the sample will show that in comparison to cisgender individuals, trans individuals possess a heightened awareness of the performative nature of gender, and that trans individuals consciously engage performativity in order to conform to the normative expectations associated with the desired gender role. I further predict that trans individuals experience sexually dimorphic bodily change to be a direct result of changes to their gender identity. The interview analysis findings provide mixed support for the first hypothesis, demonstrating that while trans individuals in the sample do demonstrate a heightened awareness of the ways in which gender is performed, the respondents’ insights came largely from their experiences in their compulsorily cisgender, pre-transition lives, rather than their current gender embodiments. The concept of performativity and its perceived implication of artificiality clashed with the respondents’ sense of their gendered actions as an expression of an authentic self, and my analysis thus addresses performativity as a necessarily polemic concept located between the subjectivity of the individual narratives and the theoretical position that gender is done. The findings provide a substantial level of support for the second hypothesis that trans individuals understand experienced bodily change to be a direct result of changes in gender identity. This study’s exploration of trans experiences of lived bodily change contributes a narrative perspective to the ongoing discussion in feminist theory which surrounds the role of gender in the production of the material body.

Submitted by Celso Magalhaes (celsomagalhaes@ufrrj.br) on 2017-05-03T14:02:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014 - Natalia Soares Carvalho de Souza.pdf: 1833535 bytes, checksum: 4574c94ab4a477d9f8d0ddf31d6b4069 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-03T14:03:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014 - Natalia Soares Carvalho de Souza.pdf: 1833535 bytes, checksum: 4574c94ab4a477d9f8d0ddf31d6b4069 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-26 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Premenopausal women are less prone to develop cardiovascular diseases than men and this advantage do not persist in postmenopausal women. Thus herein we aimed to investigate the gender difference and the estrogen influence in cardiac function, fluid balance and thyroid status, in Wistar rats subjected to experimental model of myocardial infarction (MI). In the first step, adult male (n = 18) and female (n = 21) rats underwent experimental MI (MIm and MIf,) or sham-operation (ShamM and ShamF) respectively. One and four weeks post-MI rats were placed in metabolic cages, subjected to echocardiography (ECHO), electrocardiography and then euthanized for blood sample collection and tissue collection (heart, lung and liver). In the second step female rats were ovariectomized (n = 24) or continued intact (n = 21), two weeks later they were subjected to MI (MIOVX and MIINT, respectively) or sham operation (ShamOVX and ShamINT). Four weeks post-MI, they were subjected to the same evaluations of the first step, not only the electrocardiography. In the third step, female rats were subjected to ovariectomy and treated with estrogen (E2) (n = 13) or vehicle (n = 22). Two weeks later they underwent experimental MI (MIOVX+E2 and MIOVX+Veh). Four weeks post-MI they were subjected to the same evaluations of the second step. Male infarcted rats developed cardiac dysfunction (shortening fraction, SF, reduction, ~ 70%) and fluid homeostasis changes (sodium intake increasing, ~ 146% and urinary volume reduction, ~55%) earlier than female, in the first week post-MI while female presented these changes (SF reduction, ~28% and sodium intake increasing, ~143%) only in the fourth week and attenuated compared to male. MIM showed reduction in LF/HF ratio (~70%), one week post-MI. And only male rats presented hypothyroidism after MI (T4 ~52% and T3 ~38%, reduction). We also verified reduction in SF (~55%), increasing in LA/Ao ratio (~75%) and changes in fluid balance (sodium intake reduction, ~67% and urinary volume reduction, ~40%) more pronounced in MIOVX than in MIINT. MIOVX group reduced thyroid hormone levels after MI (T3 ~35%). MIOVX+Veh showed more pronounced reduction in SF (~55%) and increasing in LA/Ao ratio (~75%) than the MIOVX+E2 group. The sodium intake reduced in MIOVX+Veh (~67%) and in the urinary volume we verified significant reduction in ShamOVX+Veh and MIOVX+Veh groups compared to ShamOVX+E2 and MIOVX+E2 groups (P < 0.05). Serum T3 reduced significantly (~35%) only in MIOVX+Veh group. The pathophysiological development of heart failure post-MI was attenuated in female compared to male. And female rats subjected to MI presented fluid balance more favorable and related to the less pronounced development of heart failure. Estrogen seems to influence positively the cardiac function and attenuate the dysfunction that occur post-MI. The euthyroid status in female intact do not seems to be determinant to the less pronounced development of heart failure / Sabe-se que mulheres na pr?-menopausa apresentam menor preval?ncia de doen?as cardiovasculares do que homens e, esta diferen?a desaparece ap?s a menopausa. Sendo assim, o presente estudo buscou avaliar o dimorfismo sexual e a influ?ncia do estr?geno nas altera??es da fun??o card?aca, do equil?brio hidroeletrol?tico e do status tireoidiano de ratos Wistar submetidos ao infarto do mioc?rdio (IM) experimental. Na primeira etapa ratos wistar machos (n = 18) e f?meas (n = 21) foram submetidos ao infarto experimental (INF.M e INF.F) ou ? falsa cirurgia (Sham.M e Sham.F). Na primeira e quarta semana p?s-IM foram colocados em gaiolas metab?licas e submetidos ? ecodopplercardiografia (ECO) e eletrocardiografia (an?lise espectral), seguido de eutan?sia para coleta de sangue (dosagem s?rica de horm?nios tireoidianos) e de tecidos (cora??o, pulm?o e f?gado, para biometria). Na segunda etapa, f?meas foram ovariectomizadas (n = 24) ou mantidas intactas (n = 21) e ap?s duas semanas submetidas ao infarto do mioc?rdio (INFOVX e INFINT) ou ? falsa cirurgia (ShamOVX e ShamINT). Quatro semanas ap?s p?s-IM, as mesmas avalia??es da etapa anterior foram realizadas exceto a eletrocardiogr?fica. Na terceira etapa, foi realizada ovariectomia e reposi??o com estr?geno (E2) ( n = 13) ou ve?culo (n = 22). Ap?s duas semanas foi realizada a cirurgia de indu??o ao infarto (INFOVX+E2 e INFOVX+Veic) e a falsa cirurgia (ShamOVX+E2 e ShamOVX+Veic). Decorridas quatro semanas foram feitas as mesmas avalia??es da segunda etapa. O grupo INFM desenvolveu disfun??o card?aca (fra??o de encurtamento, FEnc%, ~70% de redu??o) e altera??es na regula??o hidroeletrol?tica (aumento do apetite por s?dio, ~146% e redu??o do volume urin?rio, ~55%), uma semana p?s-IM e, portanto, mais cedo que as f?meas, que apresentaram altera??es na fun??o card?aca (FEnc%, ~28% de redu??o) e regula??o hidroeletrol?tica (aumento do apetite por s?dio, ~143%) na quarta semana p?s-IM. O grupo INFM apresentou redu??o na rela??o LF/HF (~70%), uma semana p?s-IM. E, apenas os ratos machos desenvolveram hipotireoidismo ap?s o infarto. Tamb?m foi observada redu??o da FEnc% (~55%), aumento da rela??o ?trio esquerdo/ aorta (AE/Ao, ~75%) e altera??es na regula??o hidroeletrol?tica (redu??o do apetite por s?dio, ~67% e do volume urin?rio, ~40%) mais pronunciadas em INFOVX do que em INFINT. O grupo INFOVX tamb?m apresentou redu??o dos n?veis s?ricos de T3 (~35%) p?s-IM. O grupo INFOVX+Vei mostrou redu??o da FEnc% (~55%) e aumento na rela??o AE/Ao (~75%) mais pronunciadas que o grupo INFOVX+E2. INFOVX+Vei reduziu o apetite por s?dio (~67%) e, no volume urin?rio, foi observada redu??o significativa nos grupos ShamOVX+Vei e INFOVX+Vei em rela??o aos grupos ShamOVX+E2 e INFOVX+E2 (P<0,05). O T3 s?rico reduziu significativamente (~35%) apenas no grupo INFOVX+Vei. Houve diferen?a no desenvolvimento fisiopatol?gico da insufici?ncia card?aca (IC) p?s- IM entre machos e f?meas, sendo mais brando nas f?meas. E f?meas infartadas apresentaram uma regula??o hidroeletrol?tica mais favor?vel e compat?vel com o desenvolvimento menos acentuado da IC. O estr?geno influenciou positivamente a regula??o hidroeletrolitica de f?meas infartadas, o que favoreceu a fun??o card?aca e atenuou desta forma, a disfun??o que ocorre ap?s o infarto. A manuten??o do status eutire?ideo n?o pareceu ser determinante para o desenvolvimento menos pronunciado da IC

The striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, is an oceanic dolphin found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters. Globally populations are threatened through direct fishing, bycatch and pollution. Little is known about the life history of this species in South African waters and it is currently listed as ‘Data Deficient’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Critical to the conservation and management of this species is an understanding of basic life history parameters. For the present study, metadata and tissues from 101 stranded S. coeruleoalba along the south-east coast of southern Africa between 1969 and 2012 were analyzed to examine age and growth, male and female reproduction and sexual dimorphism. Age and growth were determined by counting the number of growth layer groups (GLG’s) present in their teeth. A von Bertalanffy growth curve gave the best fit to the data and indicated that physical maturity was reached around 21 years in males and 18 years in females. Additionally, asymptotic lengths were reached at 231cm and 224cm in males and females, respectively. The maximum ages obtained were 21 years for males and 20 years for females. Length at birth was estimated to be between 116cm and 119cm for males and between 112cm and 114cm for females. The reproductive status of the adult dolphins was assessed by histological and macroscopic analyses of gonadal tissue. Sexual maturity was attained before physical maturity in both sexes. The males reached sexual maturity between 8 and 12 years of age and between 209 and 224cm in total body length. The maximum combined testis weight comprised about 0.24% of the total body weight and sexual maturity was reached between a combined testis weight of 16 and 41g, a mean testis length of 8 and 10cm, and a mean seminiferous tubule diameter of 44 and 70μm. Females attained sexual maturity between 7 and 8 years of age and between 213 and 216 cm in total body length. The ovulation rate was 0.32 per year and the majority of ovulations occurred in the left ovary, with ovulations occurring in the right ovary only in individuals older than 10 years of age. The annual pregnancy rate was calculated to be 26%. Reproductive seasonality could not be established due to the small sample size and the absence of samples throughout the year. However, both conceptions and births appear to occur in both August and December/January. Additionally, testis weight and seminiferous tubule diameters appear to fluctuate throughout the year, which could suggest reproductive seasonality in this species. Sexual size dimorphism in mature adults was evident for a number of external measurements, however, sexual shape dimorphism was not present in this species. Mature males had significantly longer and wider pectoral fins, dorsal fins and flukes than females (p<0.05 in all cases). It was suggested that the larger appendages are required for male on male combat during intraspecific competition for females. Additionally, larger appendages aid in thermoregulation, propulsion and maneuverability. Females had a significantly greater distance between the tip upper jaw and the genital aperture and anus, which was expected due to differences in anatomy between male and female genital openings. Overall, S. coeruleoalba did not exhibit distinct sexual dimorphism and together with the relatively small testes in relation to the total body weight (0.24%) it was proposed that this species demonstrates a less extreme form of polygyny. Additionaly, the results of this study are important to the understanding of the basic biology of the species.