Rita Payan Carreira | Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) (original) (raw)

Papers by Rita Payan Carreira

22 23 Tumour necrosis factor (TNF), formerly known as Tumour necrosis factor alpha is now 24 rega... more 22 23 Tumour necrosis factor (TNF), formerly known as Tumour necrosis factor alpha is now 24 regarded as a natural component of the mammalian seminal plasma (SP). Although not 25 completely clarified, its functions in the SP have been associated with paradoxal roles, 26 such as sperm survival in the female genital tract, while at high levels negatively affect 27 sperm survival and fertility potential. Recently, it has been discovered that canine 28 inseminated spermatozoa display a strong immunoreaction for TNF when lining the 29 female endometrium. As a continuation of this finding, the present work aimed at 30 documenting TNF localization in the canine testes and epididymis and in freshly 31 ejaculated spermatozoa (SPZ) through immunohisto-or cytochemistry. 32 Immunoreaction for TNF was found in all samples used. In the dog testis, TNF 33 immunoexpression was limited to the seminiferous tubules, where late round spermatids 34 (SPD) showed weak intensity of immunostaining, whilst e...

Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2019

Good self-regulatory skills and study habits seem to be essential conditions to students’ engagem... more Good self-regulatory skills and study habits seem to be essential conditions to students’ engagement with active learning approaches, critical thinking development and academic achievement. This exploratory research study aimed to assess possible relationships between students’ self-regulation, learning preferences and study routines towards their engagement in student-centered approaches. Seventy-nine undergraduate students from an integrated master program in Veterinary Medicine were surveyed at the beginning of a redesigned course. The Tangney’ short form of Self-Control Scale was used to measure students’ self-regulation, and a questionnaire with close and open-ended questions was applied to assess students’ study routines and learning preferences. The results revealed some associations between gender and self-regulation, and between self-regulation, study routines and learning preferences for the type class format. Female students presented higher self-regulation scores than ma...

Freemartinism is one of the most commonly found intersex conditions in cattle, although it may al... more Freemartinism is one of the most commonly found intersex conditions in cattle, although it may also occur in small ruminants. The freemartin phenotype appears in a dizygotic twin pregnancy where one twin is a male and the other is a female. Due to precocious anastomoses between the placental vascular systems of the two fetuses, masculinising molecules reach the female twin and disrupt the normal sexual differentiation, whilst in the male the effects of this association are usually minimal. In cattle, this condition is observed in 90 to 97% of twin pregnancies. A freemartin is, by definition, a genetically female fetus masculinised in the presence of a male co-twin, giving rise to a sterile heifer. Genital tract defects with varying severity can be observed in freemartin animals, which often present suppression and disorganization of the ovary, originating a rudimentary or a testis-like gonad depleted of germ cells. The uterine horns may be hypoplastic or instead may be reduced to a ...

Animals

This study aimed to find a suitable immunocastration protocol for male Bísaro pigs (BP) due to th... more This study aimed to find a suitable immunocastration protocol for male Bísaro pigs (BP) due to the breed and production system particularities. Twenty-five male BP were treated with Improvac® according to three protocols: using two (GrpE2 and L2) or three vaccinations (GrpL3) and starting at 9 (GrpE2) or 13 weeks old (GrpL2 and L3). Eleven animals were kept as intact males (GrpC). Scrotal measurements and the morphometry of the testes and epididymides collected at slaughter were used to survey the effectiveness of the immunocastration compared with the age-matched intact controls. Animals in groups E2 and L3 were kept until 57 weeks, after a second vaccination cycle at 49 and 53 weeks of age. Scrotal dimensions decreased to almost initial values in treated animals until 17 (GrpE2) and 21 weeks (GrpL2 and L3), thereafter increasing to post-pubertal values until around 29 or 37 weeks of age for groups E2 and L2, respectively, but only at 41 weeks in group L3. Between 41 and 49 weeks, ...

Higher Education Research & Development

Even though Critical Thinking (CT) is an important goal for higher education institutions and lab... more Even though Critical Thinking (CT) is an important goal for higher education institutions and labour market professionals, studies dealing with employers' perceptions on CT meaning and envisioning in the workplace are scarce. Intended to tackle this gap, the current study provides an overview of the need for and practical application of CT in the workplace from the employers' views. Adopting a qualitative research methodology, five focus group interviews were carried out, enrolling 28 representatives of different Portuguese Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), public and private companies, in four different professional fields: Biomedicine, STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Humanities. Using Facione's framework for data analysis, results suggest that CT is broadly recognized by employers as a set of interdependent skills and dispositions that are needed in new graduates, presenting slight differences in their practical application across professional fields. This paper also discusses and outlines implications to support universities in the promotion of students' CT skills and dispositions.

Journal of Advances in VetBio Science and Techniques

In this report, an unusual condition of fetal maceration conveyed with retention of fetal debris ... more In this report, an unusual condition of fetal maceration conveyed with retention of fetal debris was diagnosed 5-months after breeding in a hound bitch. A five-year-old, 13 kg weighted bitch was brought to Adnan Menderes University Animal Hospital with complaints of loss of appetite and abdominal distention, five months after breeding. Although presenting a distended abdomen and mammary glands, no signs of parturition have been reported. At surgery, a reddish free intra-abdominal fluid was suctioned, and hysterectomy was performed; ovaries were not excised to avoid any compromise of hunting performance. Fur and bone remnants floating in a brown-green, mucous and odorless fluid were detected at inspection of the uterus. In this case, the evaluation of the uterus showed that all the fetuses underwent maceration and autolysis at least 3 months after the pregnancy putative. Although it was seen that compatible with chronic uterine inflammation findings (leukocytosis and anemia), closed cervical position and odorless uterine content may be an unusual sequel to canine fetal death.

PLOS ONE

Testicular or ovotesticular disorders of sex development (DSD) in individuals with female karyoty... more Testicular or ovotesticular disorders of sex development (DSD) in individuals with female karyotype (XX) lacking the SRY gene has been observed in several mammalian species, including dogs. A genetic background for this abnormality has been extensively sought, and the region harboring the SOX9 gene has often been considered key in canine DSD. Three types of polymorphism have been studied in this region to date: a) copy number variation (CNV) in a region about 400 kb upstream of SOX9, named CNVR1; b) duplication of SOX9; and c) insertion of a single G-nucleotide (rs852549625) approximately 2.2 Mb upstream of SOX9. The aim of this study was thus to comprehensively analyze these polymorphisms in a large multibreed case-control cohort containing 45 XX DSD dogs, representing 23 breeds. The control set contained 57 fertile females. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to study CNVR1 and the duplication of SOX9. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to visualize copy numbers on a cellular level. The Sanger sequencing approach was performed to analyze the region harboring the G-insertion. We confirmed that CNVR1 is highly polymorphic and that copy numbers varied between 0 and 7 in the case and control cohorts. Interestingly, the number of copies was significantly higher (P = 0.038) in XX DSD dogs (mean = 2.7) than in the control females (mean = 2.0) but not in all studied breeds. Duplication of the SOX9 gene was noted only in a single XX DSD dog (an American Bully), which had three copies of SOX9. Distribution of the G-nucleotide insertion was similar in the XX DSD (frequency 0.20) and control (frequency 0.14) cohorts. Concluding, our study showed that CNVR1, located upstream of SOX9, is associated with the XX DSD phenotype, though in a breed-specific manner. Duplication of the SOX9 gene is a rare cause of this disorder in

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia

This study aimed to characterize the current production system of the Bísaro pig breed. Between F... more This study aimed to characterize the current production system of the Bísaro pig breed. Between February and April 2017, 194 questionnaires covering different aspects of the system were sent as a disclosed identity mail survey. A response rate of 31.4% was obtained. The typical Bísaro farmer is 46 years old, male, has five years of experience rearing pigs, and has a secondary or higher education degree. Piglets represented the majority of animals sold for slaughter (91.1%) and constituted 41.1% of total Bísaro meat produced with 343 tons. The majority of producers differentiate feed per production group (79.3%) and allow grazing (73.7%). Feeding is usually complemented with own-farm crops (94.7%). Traditional housing system remains the most common (52.6%), but free-range camping systems had a considerable expression (40.4%). All year-around farrowing system (91.2%) without heat detection (65.5%) and limited use of artificial insemination (12.5%) characterized the reproduction management. Males are commonly castrated at 29 days, before weaning at 35 days. Categorization of farms showed some significant differences: smallholders (n = 33) belonged to a single producer, had family-based work, and reproductive management was predominantly less strict; non-industrial medium-sized holdings (n = 26) operated as commercial-based farms with larger production, greater farm areas, and more advanced technology. Although the survey demonstrated variability within farms, Bísaro production system was characterized, and two different types of farms were identified. This study provided the tools needed to discuss and revise some management practices, mainly those that revealed noncompliance with EU regulations, to enhance consistency of Bísaro products.

Czech Journal of Animal Science

Bísaro pig, a local endangered swine breed, has gained popularity in the recent years. A complete... more Bísaro pig, a local endangered swine breed, has gained popularity in the recent years. A complete pedigree was used to evaluate the population structure and investigate the current breed’s genetic variability in two reference populations (AlivePop and AliveBpop). Since the breed’s foundation, the number of registered animals, producers, and farrowing records has increased. The mean progeny size for sires was 116.17 ± 210.81, and 3.24% of the breeding boars originated 26.54% of all registered births showing a marked unbalanced use of certain sires. The mean calculated equivalent generations was 4.54, and 98.1% of all the animals had known parents, indicating a good degree of pedigree completion and depth. Approximately half of the individuals were inbred, with average inbreeding values of 10.41, 9.02, and 8.58% for the whole and reference populations, respectively. Considering both reference populations, a low effective founder/ancestor ratio was obtained (1.12), showing a well-balan...

PloS one, 2018

The aim of the present study was to observe whether performing a low intensity endurance exercise... more The aim of the present study was to observe whether performing a low intensity endurance exercise following an overnight fasted (FAST) or fed (FED) condition promotes different cardiorespiratory, enzymatic and hormonal responses. Nine male physical active subjects, (age 21.89 ± 2.52 years old, height 175.89 ± 5.16 cm, weight 72.10 ± 4.31 kg, estimated body fat 7.25 ± 2.11%), randomly performed two sessions of 45 minutes' low intensity exercise (individual ventilator threshold) interspersed by seven days, differentiated only in whether they were provided with a standardized meal or not. The oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously at the 30-min rest, the 45-min during and the 30-min post-exercise. The testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) hormones were measured at rest, immediately post-exercise and 15-min post-exercise. The Glucose (GLU), Free fatty acids (FFA) and enzyme lipase activity (ELP) were measured at rest, 15-min and 30-min exercise, immediat...

Journal of Comparative Pathology

2016 2nd International Conference of the Portuguese Society for Engineering Education (CISPEE), 2016

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2016

Background: Systems for estimating body condition score (BCS) are currently used in canine practi... more Background: Systems for estimating body condition score (BCS) are currently used in canine practice to monitor fatness levels. These tools are cheap and easy to use but lack the necessary precision to monitor small changes in body fat, particularly during weight control treatments or in research. The present work aims to study the application of real-time ultrasonography (RTU) together with image analysis in the assessment of subcutaneous fat depots in dogs. Ultrasound images were collected from five anatomical locations (chest, flank, abdomen, thigh and lumbar) from 28 healthy dogs of different breeds and with a body weight (BW) ranging from 5.2 to 33.0 kg. BCS was collected by visual appraisal using a 5-point scale. Subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) was estimated from RTU images, using the average of three measurements taken in fat deposits located above the muscles represented in each image. Correlations were established between SFT and BW or BCS as well as a classification of BCS-based fatness [overweight (BCS = 4), ideal (BCS = 3) and lean (BCS = 2)]. Results: SFT was found to differ between the five regions considered (P < 0.001). Abdomen and thigh were the areas displaying the widest variation for the different dogs included in the study and also those correlating most with BW, in contrast to the chest, which showed the least variation. Overall, a strong correlation was found between BCS and SFT. The highest correlations were established for the flank, abdomen and lumbar areas. In every anatomical area, a decrease in SFT was observed across all three BCS classes, ranging from 48 to 65 % among overweight and ideal dogs, and from 46 to 83 % among ideal and lean dogs. Conclusions: Preliminary data showed that within this population there was a strong correlation between BCS and SFT estimated from RTU images. It was also observed that RTU measurements for fat thickness differed among the anatomical points surveyed suggesting differences in their sensitivity to a change in BCS. The images displaying the best prediction value for fatness variations were those collected at the lumbar and abdomen areas.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2015

Agriculture

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with supra-nutritional levels ... more This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with supra-nutritional levels of vitamins A and E on fertility and productivity traits of Ross-308 broiler breeder hens during the late production phase. The trial was conducted for nine weeks, from 61 to 69 weeks of age, and designed to test four levels of vitamin A (100, 125, 150 and 200% above the Ross catalogue recommendations) and four levels of vitamin E (100, 200, 300 and 400% above Ross catalogue instructions), maintaining constant the other rearing conditions. Vitamins were combined in 16 treatments, with four replicates per treatment each including seven females, and one rooster broiler was used in every two replicates. A total of 448 hens and 32 roosters were used in the experiment. Fertility parameters were weekly evaluated. According to the results, egg-related parameters (number and weight of eggs, non-conform eggs and hatchability) were not affected by treatment, but dietary treatments increased and ex...

Global change increasingly affected agricultural production and global community has begun to ref... more Global change increasingly affected agricultural production and global community has begun to refocus in a change in livestock production, defending the use of sustainable strategies. Considerations with respect to changing environments should also address the dairy farm systems and new goals have to be designed. Good farming practices should regard their need for on-going adaptation to an ever-changing environment that should offer solutions for buffering against climatic extremes, disease epidemics, changing nutrient availability, seasonal availability of forage and other stresses that will add to an already heterogeneous environmental condition. Sustainable dairy systems should be adjusted to these new expectations, and be indeed adapted to the new agricultural policies and the increasing demands of the consumers for products free of drug residues (safety) and be more ecofriendly produced. The key to success is to maximise farm efficiency finding the right balance between the production system and the management techniques to maximise the output for food production, involving a suitable dairy cow biotype, which may trigger new strategies for feeding, breeding and health control whilst minimising impact on the environment and ensuring animal welfare and profitability for their business. This chapter book pretends to present a holistic capture of main issues regarding management, feeding regimes, breeding, reproductive efficiency with examples of current sustainable production systems.

Acta Scientiae Veterinari

Revista MVZ Córdoba

A 42-days feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the influences of differently thermal process... more A 42-days feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the influences of differently thermal processed soybean meal on the broilers blood biochemical parameters. Materials and methods. A total of 200 male birds of Ross strain were allocated into five different diets formulated using differently heat-treated soybean meals, with ten birds per treatment and per replicate. Diets contained: raw soybean (controls), autoclaved for a short (121°C, 20 min; Aut1 group) or medium length period (121°C, 30 min; Aut2 group) soybean meal, micro-waved soybean meal (46°C, 540 Watt, 7 min; McW group) and browned soybean meal (120°C, 20 min; Brn group). Results. Blood serum metabolites showed that all treated diets presented lower lipid metabolism makers and higher protein metabolism markers. Broilers showed increased final body weight when fed heat-treated meals compared with control. Results suggested that thermal treatments altered the lipid metabolism in broilers that might originate a decrease in abdominal fat deposition. Conclusions. Comparison of the results for all the treated groups showed the Aut2 treatment is the most suitable method for soybean thermal treatment processing; in contrast, the Aut1 treatment had the closest results to the control group.