Phenotypic Plasticity and the Invasiveness of Three _Taraxacum_ Species

*Background/Question/Methods* 
Many factors have been found to be associated with the success of invasive species. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a plant genotype to respond to different environmental conditions by producing different phenotypes, is thought to play an important role plant invasions. In three major experiments, I tested the hypothesis that the invasive _Taraxacum officinale_ (common dandelion) and its non-invasive congener _T. laevigatum_ will exhibit different phenotypic plasticity in germination, growth, and reproduction. I also proposed that their responses to various environments could be used to assess the invasive behavior of a potential crop species: _T. kok-saghyz_.

*Results/Conclusions* 
The results revealed complicated responses of the three species in various environments. The invasive _T. officinale_ showed higher germination in high alternating temperature, and accumulated more biomass than the non-invasive _T. laevigatum_ in favorable greenhouse conditions. Surprisingly, _T. laevigatum_ germinated better than _T. officinale_ in other stressful environments (dark, low water potential, long aging period), and also exhibited higher fecundity in favorable greenhouse conditions. In field experiments, however, the performance of _T. officinale_ was overwhelmingly better than _T. laevigatum_, which suffered very high mortality and failed to survive for more than two growing seasons. These results suggest that _T. officinale_ might benefit from its ability to grow, reproduce, and survive in various environments, while _T. laevigatum_ relies on seed reproduction to maintain its population. With the exception of germination, the responses of _T. kok-saghyz_ were more like _T. officinale_ than _T. laevigatum_, which suggested that this species has some potential to behave as a weed

A ditadura com olhos de ver

[Recensão a] DIAS, Susana de Sousa - 48. S.l. : s.n., 2010. Filme (93 min.)

Vinte anos depois do muro

[Recensão a] L’Histoire. S.l. n.º 346 (Out. 2009)

Malhas do comunismo nacionalizado

[Recensão a] NEVES, José - Comunismo e Nacionalismo em Portugal. Política, Cultura e História no século XX. Lisboa : Tinta da China, 2008. 502 p

Memórias políticas do Séc. XX

[Recensão a] LOFF, Manuel; PIEDADE, Filipe; SOUTELO, Luciana Castro - Ditaduras e Revolução: Democracia e Políticas da Memória. Coimbra : Almedina, 2015

Review of Manuel Loff, Pilipe Piedade and Luciana Castro Soutelo (eds.), Ditaduras e Revolução: Democracia e Políticas da Memória

Review of Manuel Loff, Filipe Piedade and Luciana Castro Soutelo (eds), Ditaduras e Revolução: Democracia e Políticas da Memória [Dictatorships and revolution: Democracy and politics of memory], Coimbra: Almedina, 2015. 492 pp

Repressive dynamics and political subjectivities: the case of Peniche Prison

Este artigo analisa a experiência dos presos políticos no troço final do Estado Novo. Tomando a cadeia do Forte de Peniche como ponto de observação, explora-se o modo como as identidades políticas foram definidas, e até reforçadas, através do conflito com as dinâmicas coercivas emanadas da prisão. O confinamento, as regras, o isolamento, a vigilância e a punicão construíram uma teia punitiva destinada à produção de “corpos dóceis”. Diante disso, os presos contrapuseram estratégias de resistência que não só buscavam elidir a realidade objectiva da clausura como reafirmar a sua subjectividade militante. O artigo explora o papel das clivagens ideológicas entre os presos na operacionalização de distintas culturas de reivindicação e modos de vivenciar o quotidiano do cárcere, mostrando ao mesmo tempo como a vida prisional interagia com dinâmicas políticas mais amplas.This paper analyzes the experience of political prisoners in the final stages of theEstado Novo dictatorship. It uses the Peniche Fort prison as a case study, exploring the way in which political identities were defined, and even reinforced, throughout the struggle against coercive dynamics. Physical confinement, rules, isolation, surveillance, and punishment laid the foundations for a punitive structure that aimed to produce “docile bodies.” On the other hand, prisoners built up resistance strategies intended not only to escape the objective reality of incarceration, but also to assert their militant subjectivity. The article explores how ideological splits led to distinct cultures of protest and ways of experiencing everyday life inside the prison, whilst also revealing how prison life interacted with broader political dynamics

As vozes que ainda nos falam da guerra

[Recensão a] CABRÉ, Jaume - As vozes do rio Pamano. S.l. : Tinta da China, 2008. 653 p

Impact of numeracy on parental self-efficacy and treatment outcome of children on complex diets.

Health numeracy, a counterpart to health literacy, can be a mediator of health disparities. This study analyzed the impact of both cognitive and affective numeracy on the pathway linking health behavior to health outcomes, and the role of self-efficacy in this relationship, based on the Health Belief Model. The context was parental management of children\u27s complex diets that require numerical calculations. Parents of children ages 12 months to 12 years with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or phenylketonuria (PKU) were recruited at clinics or community events in east-central states. Ninety-eight participants completed a standardized test of math skills, an instrument to assess attitudes and emotions towards mathematics in daily life, and a questionnaire on parental self-efficacy of caring for a child with T1D or PKU. Health outcome was evaluated via hemoglobin A1c or blood levels of phenylalanine. Engagement was measured by number of blood levels taken during glucose or phenylalanine monitoring, compared to clinic recommendations. Factor analysis indicated affective numeracy was a significant component of the overall variable numeracy. Structural equation modeling did not support a relationship between any variable and health outcome, although bivariate analysis suggested significant relationships between poor math skills, low self-efficacy, less engagement, low income, less education, or more years on the diet, and poor metabolic control. In pathway analysis, cognitive numeracy had a strong positive relationship with engagement, while affective numeracy had an equal but negative predictive effect. Adjustments to the model identified education as the ultimate driver of the relationship. Parental self-efficacy was not a mediator between numeracy and health outcomes or engagement. The relationship between self-efficacy and engagement was strongly influenced by other pathway variables, and parental self-efficacy was significantly lower when the child had been on the diet for a longer time. This study asserts the importance of affective component of numeracy along with cognitive skills, and offers a validated instrument for assessment. Treatment programs for PKU and T1D should recognize that parents with lower numeracy skills and discomfort with math are at risk for less engagement. Further research is needed to clarify the path by which numeracy impacts health outcomes