Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-149). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Submitted by WAGNER GARCEZ DE MELLO (wagnergarcez@foa.unesp.br) on 2016-05-19T11:31:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - WAGNER GARCEZ DE MELLO.pdf: 3737001 bytes, checksum: e1ec14f336cc47469d8097ff9f7d4d47 (MD5) / Rejected by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br), reason: Troca solicitada pelo autor, por favor realize uma nova submissão com o arquivo correto on 2016-05-19T14:28:25Z (GMT) / Submitted by WAGNER GARCEZ DE MELLO (wagner_garcez@hotmail.com) on 2016-05-19T14:44:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - WAGNER GARCEZ DE MELLO.pdf: 3729799 bytes, checksum: 31766ebe878f0096a9110e22b5aa8e50 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-19T18:05:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mello_wg_foa.pdf: 3729799 bytes, checksum: 31766ebe878f0096a9110e22b5aa8e50 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-19T18:05:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mello_wg_foa.pdf: 3729799 bytes, checksum: 31766ebe878f0096a9110e22b5aa8e50 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-21 / O presente trabalho avaliou os efeitos da timectomia neonatal sobre o dimorfismo sexual esquelético e qualidade óssea, bem como, determinou se as alterações causadas por este modelo podem influenciar as secreções de leptina em animais pré-púberes, púberes e adultos-jovens. Para isso, Ratos Wistar, neonatos foram divididos em grupo controle e grupo timectomizado, de ambos os sexos, totalizando quatro grupos experimentais (n = 06-08 por grupo). Os animais foram timectomizados no terceiro dia pós-natal. Os grupos foram eutanasiados aos 20, 40 e 120 dias pós-natais, que correspondem, respectivamente, às fases pré-púbere, púbere e adultos-jovens. Foram coletados sangue e ambos os fêmures. Os fêmures esquerdos foram usados para determinação do comprimento, realizado com auxílio de um paquímetro. Avaliação das propriedades biofísicas do fêmur foram determinadas por meio do teste de densitometria óssea, e o comportamento biomecânico avaliado por meio do o ensaio mecânico de compressão da cabeça do fêmur. Os fêmures direitos foram usados para avaliação histométrica da base do colo femoral. As amostras sanguíneas foram utilizadas para determinar as concentrações plasmáticas de leptina. Em conjunto os dados do presente trabalho demonstram que em animais controle, as diferenças sexualmente dimórficas em relação ao desenvolvimento corporal e esquelético, bem como na secreção de leptina, existem durante o período pré-púbere, mas são consolidadas após a puberdade. Demonstram ainda, que a timectomia neonatal causa alterações sexo- e tempo-dependentes no desenvolvimento corporal, propriedades estruturais e biomecânicas do tecido ósseo, além de modular a secreção plasmática de leptina, sugerindo uma comunicação bidirecional entre o Timo e esse hormônio. Estes resultados fornecem uma nova visão sobre a complexidade dinâmica da homeostase da massa óssea e sugerem que a presença do Timo durante o período perinatal é importante para o desenvolvimento esquelético normal. / This study evaluates the effects of neonatal thymectomy on skeletal sexual dimorphism and bone quality. In addition, we verified whether the changes caused by this model may influence the leptin secretion in prepubertal, puberty and adulthood. For this, Wistar, newborns were divided into control group and thymectomized group, of both sexes, totaling four experimental groups (n = 08 per group). The animals were thymectomized at the third postnatal day. The groups were euthanized at 20, 40 and 120 days’ postnatal life, which correspond respectively to the prepuberty, puberty and adulthood periods. Blood and both femurs were collected. The left femurs were used to determine the length, conducted with the aid of a caliper. The biophysical properties of the femur were evaluated using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the biomechanical properties assessed by the mechanical compression of the femoral head. In the right femurs, the base of the femoral neck was used to quantitative histometric analysis. The blood samples were used to determine plasma concentrations of leptin. Taken together, the data of the present study demonstrates that control animals, sexually dimorphic differences in relation to body and skeletal development as well as the secretion of leptin, there during the prepubertal period but are consolidated after puberty. Demonstrate further that the neonatal thymectomy causes changes sex- and time-dependent on body development, structural and biomechanical properties of bone tissue, as well as plasma leptin secretion, suggesting a cross-talk between Thymus and this hormone. These findings provide new insight into the dynamic complexity of bone homeostasis and suggest that the presence of Thymus during the perinatal period is important for normal skeletal development.

The present study revealed that FOXO1 is present in the nuclei of non-dividing pituitary cells and in a subset of differentiated cells with highest level of expression in somatotrophs, followed by corticotrophs, thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs throughout development and in adulthood stage. A significant difference in Foxo1 transcript between age-matched males and females at 8-9 weeks of age was demonstrated in the anterior pituitary for the first time. IHC data demonstrating (i) FOXO1 co-localization with p27kip1 (ii) an increase in FOXO1 immunopositive cells within anterior pituitary in p27KO embryos compared to WT (iii) absence of FOXO1 in the nucleus of BrdU positive cells suggested that in absence of p27Kip1 FOXO1 might be important for preventing unbridled cell proliferation. Data suggested that FOXO1 might not be important for initiating pituitary cell differentiation but might be involved with p27kip1 in maintaining pituitary cell quiescence. Increase in nuclear localization of FOXO1 in the pituitary of Foxp3 mutant (lacking insulin signaling) suggested that it might be a down-stream target of insulin/PI3K/PKB pathway in the pituitary as it is in several other tissues.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-08-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:53:43Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000739349.pdf: 849738 bytes, checksum: a49b0f8b116e3b00112ef770eab6bbdd (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este estudo investigou os efeitos da lesão hipotalâmica induzida por glutamato monossódico (MSG) na programação do dimorfismo sexual em parâmetros somatométricos e propriedades biofísicas do osso durante a fase pré-pubere, púbere e adulto jovem. Além disto, nós avaliamos se a alteração hipotalâmica induzida por este modelo pode influenciar nos níveis séricos de leptina e corticosterona nestes animais. A lesão com MSG foi realizada por injeção subcutânea de glutamato monossódico (dose de 4 mg/g de peso corporal, Sigma, St. Louis, MO) em ratos neonatos no 2º, 4º, 6º, 8º e 10º dia de vida. Os grupos controle foram tratados da mesma forma utilizando solução salina 0,9%. Os ratos foram submetidos a eutanásia aos 20,40, 80, 120 e 150 dias de vida. O peso corporal foi mensurado aos 20, 40, 80, 120 e 150 dias de vida e amostras sanguíneas e fêmures foram coletados. O comprimento femural e a geometria crosseccional da diáfise femural foram medidos e a densidade mineral óssea areal (DMOa) foi determinada por densitômetro de dupla emissão de raio-X (DXA). O teste biomecânico de ensaio de flexão de três pontos foi utilizado para avaliar força máxima, rigidez óssea e tenacidade. Amostras sanguíneas foram submetidas a ensaios bioquímicos para estimar os níveis de cálcio, fósforo, fosfatase alcalina, leptina e corticosterona no plasma. Ganho de peso, DMOa e propriedades biomecânicas aumentam rapidamente com relação a idade de todos os grupos. Nos animais controle o dimorfismo sexual esquelético, concentração de leptina e padrões de dimorfismo sexual de corticosterona foram evidentes após a puberdade. No entanto, nós demonstramos que a destruição de neurônios sensíveis ao MSG pode eliminar a diferença sexual no desenvolvimento esquelético, visto... / This study investigated the effects of neonatal MSG-induced hypothalamic lesions on the programming of sexual dimorphism in somatometric parameters and the biophysical properties of bone during childhood, puberty, and adulthood. Furthermore, we evaluated whether hypothalamic changes induced by this model may influence leptin and corticosterone serum concentrations in these animals. MSG-lesion was performed by daily subcutaneous injections of monosodium glutamate (at a dose of 4 mg/g of body weight, Sigma, St. Louis, MO) to newborn rats at 2-nd, 4-th, 6-th, 8-th and 10-th day of life. The control groups were treated in the same manner with saline solution 0,9%. Rats were euthanized at 20, 40, 80, 120 or 150 postnatal days. Body weight was also measured at 20, 40, 80, 120 and 150 days of age, and blood samples and femurs were collected. The femur length and femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry were measured and the areal bone mineral density (areal BMD) was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Biomechanical three-point bending testing was used to evaluate bone breaking strength, energy to fracture, and extrinsic stiffness. Blood samples were submitted to a biochemical assay to estimate calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, leptin, and corticosterone levels. Weight gain, areal BMD and bone biomechanical properties increased rapidly with respect to age in all groups. In control animals, skeletal sexual dimorphism, leptin concentration, and dimorphic corticosterone concentration patterns were evident after puberty. However, we demonstrated that destruction of MSG-sensitive neurons during the critical period of sexual differentiation of the brain causes a long-lasting modification in biophysical bone properties and serum leptin and corticosterone concentrations. This suggested that neonatal MSG treatment...

Orientador: Eduardo Daruge Júnior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T12:37:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sassi_Carlos_M.pdf: 1811028 bytes, checksum: 6b42102cdba527205f539284d164e7f1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A necessidade de identificação para a humanidade tem a sua origem na própria natureza social do homem e nos seus irredutíveis anseios de diferenciar-se dos seus semelhantes. Assim sendo e em virtude das mudanças evolutivas acontecidas nas organizações coletivas que ele integra, não pode surpreender que, nos dias atuais, exista uma notória exigência nesse sentido, dos âmbitos sociais, civis, administrativos, comerciais e penais. Nesse contexto, a determinação do gênero constitui um dos objetivos principais dos peritos médicolegistas e odontolegistas, quando responsáveis pelo exame antropológico de ossadas humanas. No presente estudo, foram utilizados 112 modelos inferiores de gesso ortodôntico tipo 3, correspondentes a igual número de pacientes, 56 do gênero masculino e 56 do feminino, assistidos na Clínica de Ortodontia do IUCEDDU, Instituto Universitario Centro de Estudio y Diagnóstico de las Disgnacias del Uruguay, localizada na cidade de Montevidéu, com idades compreendidas entre 21 e 60 anos, com o objetivo de estabelecer um método confiável para a determinação do gênero, por meio de medidas realizadas nas arcadas dentárias e aplicar as citadas à antropologia forense, como ferramentas de auxílio nos processos de investigação ou identificação. Constatou-se que das medidas e cálculos efetivados (largura mésio-distal e distância gengivo-incisal do 33 e 43; distância intercanina; índice mandibular canino; área do triângulo formado pelos segmentos A, C e B - compreendidos entre os pontos mais proeminentes na união das faces vestibular e distal dos dentes 36 e 46 e o ponto interincisivo, e a distância entre os pontos definidos para as peças 36 e 46-, e altura do mesmo - segmento H, perpendicular a B que passa pelo ponto interincisivo -), só se mostraram significativamente dimórficas a largura mésio-distal e distância gengivo-incisal do 43 e a área do triângulo. Obteve-se um modelo de regressão logística para determinar o gênero, com um grau de confiabilidade de 72,3% e uma árvore de classificação e regressão, com um de 77,7%. Concluiu-se que há possibilidades de aplicar os citados dados à antropologia forense, como ferramentas de auxílio nos processos de investigação ou identificação / Abstract: Human identification requirement has its origin in social nature of man and its irreducible wishes to differentiate itself from its peers.Therefore and in front of social evolutionary changes that happened in collective organizations, it's no wonder that nowadays, there is a noticeable demand in this sense, from social, civil, administrative, commercial and criminal areas. In this context, gender determination is a major goal of forensic medical and odontologic experts, when responsibles for anthropology examination of human remains. In this study, were used 112 inferior dental stone casts, type 3 orthodontic, of 112 patients (56 males, 56 females), assisted in the Clinic of Orthodontics IUCEDDU, Instituto Universitario Centro de Estudios y Diagnóstico de las Disgnacias del Uruguay, located in Montevideo, aged between 21 and 60 years. The aim of this research was to establish a reliable method for gender determination by means of dental arch measurements and to use them in forensic anthropology, simplificating investigation or identification process. Several measurements and calculations were made effective, such as mesiodistal width and gingivo-incisal distance of both mandibular canines (33 and 43), intercanine distance (space between the cusps of the same teeth), mandibular canine index (ratio between mesiodistal width and canine arch width or intercanine distance), area of the triangle bounded by the segments A (from the most proeminent point of the angle formed by the tangents of the buccal and distal faces of the left first molar, to the interincisor point), C (from the most proeminent point of the angle formed by the tangents of the buccal and distal faces of the right first molar, to the interincisor point), and B (the distance between the same points of the first molars), and segment H (height or altitude of the triangle, perpendicular to B, passing through interincisor point). It was observed significant sexual dimorphism only at the mesiodistal width and gingivo-incisal distance of right canine (43), and the area of the triangle. The authors obtained a logit regression model to determine the gender with a degree of reliability of 72,3% and a classification and regression tree with a reliability rate of 77,7%. It was concluded that these data can be applied in forensic anthropology, as auxiliary tools in the investigation or identification process / Mestrado / Odontologia Legal e Deontologia / Mestre em Biologia Buco-Dental

The Caprellidae are a specialized suborder of Amphipoda, which are highly modified for a semisessile life. Caprellids exhibit direct development and brood their young. The suborder is exclusively marine and commonly found on filamentous algae, sea grasses and fouling communities. Most published works on caprellids have been primarily concern~d with systematics (Caine, 1974; Dougherty, 1943; Laubitz, 1970, 1972; McCain, 1968, 1975), although a few recent studies have dealt with ecology and ethology (Bynum, 1978; Caine, 1977; Keith, 1969, 1971; Lewbel, 1978; Saunders, 1966). This study examines·spatial and temporal variations in distribution, abundance and population structure as well as describing intraspecific aggressive behavior of Caprella californica Stimpson. ~- californica is dioecious and has marked sexual dimorphism in both its size and secondary sex characteristics. It is found from San Diego to the South China Sea (Laubitz, 1970), and is the dominant caprellid in the Zostera marina beds of the local bays and is a major diet item for many of the eel grass associated fishes. There is a preponderance of females in the population as well as a size-specific distribution of the proportion of the sexes.

In many terrestrial mammals, males are generally larger than females. Since shrews are the smallest living terrestrial mammals, specimens of the shrew Sorex cinereus cinereus from north central Minnesota were studied to determine if size differences between sexes also occurred at this extreme. Comparisons were based on measurements of external body lengths and individual lengths of upper quadrant locomotive muscles. External differences showed neither males nor females were consistently larger. The results from analysis of variance on individual muscle lengths showed very few significant differences between individual muscles. Those muscles that did show a significant difference were not grouped In a way that would suggest a significance due to a function specific to either sex. This study suggests that in these shrews, unlike many other living terrestial mammals, males are not larger than females.

Sex differences in mammalian gene expression result from differences in genotypic sex as well as in hormonal regulators between males and females. In rat, mouse and human liver, ~1000 genes are expressed in a sex-dependent manner, and contribute to sex differences in metabolism of drugs, steroids and lipids, and in liver and cardiovascular disease risk. In rats and mice, sex-biased liver gene expression is primarily dictated by the sexually dimorphic pattern of pituitary growth hormone (GH) release and its STAT5-dependent transcriptional activities. Studies presented in this thesis include the following. (1) A computational approach based on DNA sequence and phylogenetic conservation was developed and used to identify novel functional STAT5 binding sites - both consensus and non-consensus STAT5 sequences - near prototypic GH-responsive genes. (2) Global gene expression analysis of livers from pituitary-ablated male and female mice identified four major classes of sex-biased genes differing in their profiles of GH dependence. (3) Sex-differences in DNase-hypersensitive sites (DHS, corresponding to open chromatin regions) were identified genome-wide in mouse liver. These sex-differential DHSs were enriched for association with sex-biased genes, but a majority was distant from sex-biased genes. Furthermore, many were responsive to GH treatment, demonstrating that GH-mediated regulation involves chromatin remodeling. Analysis of sequence motifs enriched at sex-biased DHSs implicated STAT5 and novel transcription factors such as PBX1 and TAL1 in sex-biased gene regulation. (4) Genome-wide mapping of histone modifications revealed distinct mechanisms of sex-biased gene regulation in male and female liver: sex-dependent K27me3-mediated repression is an important mechanism of repression of female-biased, but not of male-biased, genes, and a sex-dependent K4me1 distribution, suggesting nucleosome repositioning by pioneer factors, is observed at male-biased, but not female-biased, regulatory sites. STAT5-mediated activation was most strongly associated with sex-biased chromatin modifications, while BCL6-mediated repression primarily occurs in association with sex-independent chromatin modifications, both at binding sites and at target genes. The relationships between sex-dependent chromatin accessibility, chromatin modifications and transcription-factor binding uncovered by these studies help elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing sex-differential gene expression, and underscore the utility of functional genomic and epigenetic studies as tools for elucidating transcriptional regulation in complex mammalian systems.

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / Human identification is one of the major responsibilities in the field of Forensic Odontology as it plays a role in identifying deceased individuals using their oral and dental structures. Furthermore, human identification could be a challenging procedure in catastrophic disasters and mass fatality incidents in terms of decomposed and skeletonized human remains. Identification process can be applied using different methods such as fingerprint, DNA and detention. Gender-determination of the victim facilitates reconstruction and rebuilding in the profiling of a medico-legal case investigation. Gender-determination facilitates the procedure up to 50% for positive identification. Anthropology studies have shown that the sexual dimorphism of skeletal remains and teeth can facilitate the identification process. However, teeth are the hardest structures in the human body and virtually immortal as they can withstand diverse circumstances This study aimed to investigate sexual dimorphism of teeth by measuring the mesiodistal width of the maxillary and mandibular permanent canines in a sample of the South African population living in Cape Town. Two hundred orthodontic study models were used, 50 males and 50 females, between 13-30 years of age.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The neurophysiological pathways associated with beat-to-beat regulation of mean arterial pressure are well known. Less known are the control dynamics associated with short term maintained of arterial blood pressure about a homeostatic set point. The barorefex (BRx), the most rapid and robust of neural refexes within the autonomic nervous system, is a negative feedback controller that monitors and regulates heart rate and blood pressure. By leveraging the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the BRx can change blood pressure within a single heart beat. To better understand these controller dynamics, a classic BRx refexogenic experimental preparation was carried out. This thesis recon rmed previous observations of an electrically-evoked sexually-dimorphic peak depressor response in the BRx of Sprague-Dawley rats and veri ed that these functional refexogenic differences carry over to sustained electrical paradigms. Further, it uncovered interesting recovery dynamics in both blood pressure and heart rate. The rat aortic depressor nerve was used as an experimental target for electrical activation of the parasympathetic-mediated reduction in mean arterial pressure. The duration, frequency, and patterning of stimulation were explored, with emphasis on differences between sexes. By measuring the normalized percent decrease in mean arterial pressure as well as the differences in beats per minute during rest and during stimulation, the null hypothesis was rejected.