{"id":424012,"date":"2026-08-21T00:33:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/?post_type=tnc_col_19631_item&#038;p=424012"},"modified":"2026-08-24T12:20:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T04:20:18","slug":"developing-a-holistic-approach-to-learning-and-teaching-introductory-object-oriented-programming","status":"publish","type":"tnc_col_19631_item","link":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/student-thesis-dissertation\/developing-a-holistic-approach-to-learning-and-teaching-introductory-object-oriented-programming\/","title":{"rendered":"DEVELOPING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO LEARNING AND TEACHING INTRODUCTORY OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>STRESS IS AN INTEGRAL ASPECT OF DAILY LIFE, YET ITS DEFINITION AND COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTERISATION REMAIN SUBJECTS OF DEBATE. IN THIS THESIS, THE FOCUS IS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, DEFINED BY THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL OF EXTERNAL STIMULI AND ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS PROCESSED BY INTEGRATIVE BRAIN CENTRES. THE INTRODUCTION REVIEWS EVIDENCE FOR THE CAPACITY OF FISH TO EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, PROVIDING A RATIONALE FOR THE CHOICE OF STRESSORS INVESTIGATED TO ADDRESS THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL CONTEXT. THE CENTRAL AIM OF THE THESIS WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF TWO NONAPEPTIDES, OXYTOCIN AND VASOTOCIN, IN REGULATING SOCIAL STRESS RESPONSE. TO ACHIEVE THIS, TWO FISH SPECIES WERE SELECTED: THE FIGHTING FISH BETTA SPLENDENS AND THE ZEBRAFISH DANIO RERIO. THESE SPECIES PROVIDE A COMPARATIVE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH ZEBRAFISH REPRESENTS A HIGHLY SOCIAL MODEL, WHILE B. SPLENDENS, WITH ITS INTRINSIC AGGRESSIVENESS AND SOLITARY LIFESTYLE, SERVES AS A CONTRASTING NON-SOCIAL COUNTERPART. AS MORE INFORMATION ON STRESS RESPONSES WAS ALREADY AVAILABLE FOR ZEBRAFISH, B. SPLENDENS WAS CHOSEN AS THE PRIMARY MODEL ORGANISM. DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN THE EXISTING TOOLBOX FOR BOTH SPECIES, NONAPEPTIDE MODULATION OF STRESS RESPONSES WAS INVESTIGATED THROUGH PHARMACOLOGICAL MANIPULATIONS IN B. SPLENDENS AND BY LEVERAGING THE ADVANTAGES OF GENETIC TOOLS FOR D. RERIO, NAMELY THE EXISTENCE OF MUTANT KNOCKOUT LINES FOR OXYTOCIN. THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT OXYTOCIN AND VASOTOCIN DIFFERENTIALLY MODULATE STRESS RESPONSES IN THE TWO SPECIES. VASOTOCIN SHOWED CONTEXT-DEPENDENT EFFECTS IN B. SPLENDENS. DURING EXPOSURE TO A THREATENING LOOMING STIMULUS, VASOTOCIN RECEPTOR ANTAGONISM SHIFTED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSES, INCREASING FIGHT BEHAVIOURS WHILE REDUCING FLIGHT RESPONSES, WITHOUT AFFECTING PERIPHERAL HORMONAL MARKERS SUCH AS CORTISOL. IN AN AGGRESSION MIRROR CHALLENGE, BLOCKING VASOTOCIN RECEPTORS HAD NO EFFECT IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR, ALTHOUGH IT IMPAIRED THE 11-KETOTESTOSTERONE RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE. BY CONTRAST, ADMINISTRATION OF AN OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST DID NOT ALTER ANY OF THE MEASURED RESPONSES TO STRESSORS, INCLUDING BEHAVIOURAL, ENDOCRINE, AND NEURAL CELL PROLIFERATION IN B. SPLENDENS. CHRONIC SOCIAL ISOLATION IMPAIRED CELL PROLIFERATION IN THE ANTERIOR PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEI (PPA), BUT THIS EFFECT WAS NEITHER REVERSED BY SUBSEQUENT SOCIAL EXPOSURE NOR INFLUENCED BY OXYTOCIN ANTAGONISM. IN ZEBRAFISH, HOWEVER, SOCIAL CONTEXT\u2013DEPENDENT INCREASES IN PROLIFERATION WERE OXYTOCIN-DEPENDENT IN THE VENTRAL TELENCEPHALON (VD AND VC) AND THE PPA. NOTABLY, OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR KNOCKOUT ZEBRAFISH FAILED TO SHOW THE EXPECTED PROLIFERATIVE INCREASE FOLLOWING SOCIAL EXPOSURE, WHEREAS WILD-TYPE CONSPECIFICS DID. COLLECTIVELY, THESE FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE ACTIONS OF NONAPEPTIDES ON STRESS RESPONSES ARE BOTH PEPTIDE-SPECIFIC, SPECIES-SPECIFIC AND CONTEXT-DEPENDENT. IN B. SPLENDENS, VASOTOCIN ACTS DIFFERENTIALLY AT BEHAVIOURAL AND ENDOCRINE LEVELS DEPENDING ON THE STRESSOR, WHEREAS OXYTOCIN SHOWS NO DETECTABLE ROLE. IN ZEBRAFISH, BY CONTRAST, OXYTOCIN IS REQUIRED FOR SOCIAL CONTEXT\u2013MEDIATED NEURAL PLASTICITY. THESE RESULTS PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE NEUROENDOCRINE REGULATION OF STRESS AND REPRESENT A FOUNDATIONAL STEP TOWARD THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISATION OF STRESS RESPONSES AND BRAIN PLASTICITY IN TELEOSTS. O STRESSE \u00c9 UM ASPETO INTEGRAL DA VIDA QUOTIDIANA, EMBORA A SUA DEFINI\u00c7\u00c3O E CARACTERIZA\u00c7\u00c3O PERMANE\u00c7AM EM DEBATE. ESTE TRABALHO INCIDE SOBRE O STRESSE PSICOL\u00d3GICO, QUE IMPLICA A AVALIA\u00c7\u00c3O COGNITIVA DE EST\u00cdMULOS EXTERNOS E AMEA\u00c7AS AMBIENTAIS PROCESSADOS POR CENTROS CEREBRAIS INTEGRATIVOS. A INTRODU\u00c7\u00c3O REV\u00ca A EVID\u00caNCIA RELATIVA \u00c0 CAPACIDADE DOS PEIXES EM EXPERIENCIAR STRESSE PSICOL\u00d3GICO, JUSTIFICANDO A ESCOLHA DOS AGENTES UTILIZADOS PARA ABORDAR O PAPEL DO CONTEXTO SOCIAL. O OBJETIVO CENTRAL DA TESE FOI INVESTIGAR O PAPEL DE DOIS NONAPEPT\u00cdDEOS, OXITOCINA E VASOTOCINA, NA REGULA\u00c7\u00c3O DA RESPOSTA AO STRESSE SOCIAL. PARA TAL, FORAM SELECIONADAS DUAS ESP\u00c9CIES DE PEIXES: O PEIXE-COMBATE BETTA SPLENDENS E O PEIXE-ZEBRA DANIO RERIO. ESTAS ESP\u00c9CIES POSSIBILITAM UM ENQUADRAMENTO COMPARATIVO UMA VEZ QUE O PEIXE-ZEBRA REPRESENTA UM MODELO ALTAMENTE SOCIAL, ENQUANTO B. SPLENDENS, COM A SUA AGRESSIVIDADE INTR\u00cdNSECA E ESTILO DE VIDA SOLIT\u00c1RIO, PODE SER CONSIDERADO UM CONTRAPONTO N\u00c3O SOCIAL. UMA VEZ QUE J\u00c1 EXISTIA MAIS INFORMA\u00c7\u00c3O SOBRE AS RESPOSTAS AO STRESSE NO PEIXE-ZEBRA, B. SPLENDENS FOI ESCOLHIDO COMO ORGANISMO MODELO PRIM\u00c1RIO. DEVIDO \u00c0S DIFEREN\u00c7AS NAS FERRAMENTAS EXPERIMENTAIS DISPON\u00cdVEIS PARA CADA ESP\u00c9CIE, A MODULA\u00c7\u00c3O DOS NONAPEPT\u00cdDEOS SOBRE AS RESPOSTAS AO STRESSE FOI INVESTIGADA ATRAV\u00c9S DE MANIPULA\u00c7\u00d5ES FARMACOL\u00d3GICAS EM B. SPLENDENS E, PARA PEIXE-ZEBRA, APROVEITANDO AS VANTAGENS PROPORCIONADAS POR FERRAMENTAS GEN\u00c9TICAS, NOMEADAMENTE A EXIST\u00caNCIA DE LINHAS MUTANTES KNOCKOUT PARA OXITOCINA. OS RESULTADOS DEMONSTRAM QUE OXITOCINA E VASOTOCINA MODULAM DIFERENTEMENTE AS RESPOSTAS AO STRESSE NAS DUAS ESP\u00c9CIES. A VASOTOCINA APRESENTOU EFEITOS DEPENDENTES DO CONTEXTO EM B. SPLENDENS. DURANTE A EXPOSI\u00c7\u00c3O A UM EST\u00cdMULO AMEA\u00c7ADOR DE LOOMING, O ANTAGONISMO DOS RECETORES DE VASOTOCINA ALTEROU AS RESPOSTAS COMPORTAMENTAIS, AUMENTANDO OS COMPORTAMENTOS DE LUTA E REDUZINDO OS DE FUGA, SEM AFETAR MARCADORES HORMONAIS PERIF\u00c9RICOS, COMO O CORTISOL. NUM DESAFIO DE ESPELHO PARA AGRESS\u00c3O, O BLOQUEIO DOS RECETORES DE VASOTOCINA N\u00c3O TEVE EFEITO SOBRE O COMPORTAMENTO AGRESSIVO, EMBORA TENHA COMPROMETIDO A RESPOSTA DE 11-CETOTESTOSTERONA AO DESAFIO. POR CONTRASTE, A ADMINISTRA\u00c7\u00c3O DE UM ANTAGONISTA DO RECETOR DE OXITOCINA N\u00c3O ALTEROU NENHUMA DAS RESPOSTAS MEDIDAS AOS AGENTES DE STRESSE, INCLUINDO COMPORTAMENTAIS, END\u00d3CRINAS OU A PROLIFERA\u00c7\u00c3O CELULAR NEURAL EM B. SPLENDENS. O ISOLAMENTO SOCIAL CR\u00d3NICO PREJUDICOU A PROLIFERA\u00c7\u00c3O CELULAR NOS N\u00daCLEOS PARAVENTRICULARES ANTERIORES (PPA), MAS ESTE EFEITO N\u00c3O FOI REVERTIDO PELA EXPOSI\u00c7\u00c3O SOCIAL SUBSEQUENTE NEM INFLUENCIADO PELO ANTAGONISMO DA OXITOCINA. NO PEIXE-ZEBRA, POR OUTRO LADO, OS AUMENTOS DA PROLIFERA\u00c7\u00c3O DEPENDENTES DO CONTEXTO SOCIAL REVELARAM-SE OXITOCINA-DEPENDENTES NO TELENC\u00c9FALO VENTRAL (VD E VC) E NOS PPA. PEIXES-ZEBRA KNOCKOUT PARA O RECETOR DE OXITOCINA N\u00c3O APRESENTARAM O AUMENTO PROLIFERATIVO ESPERADO AP\u00d3S A EXPOSI\u00c7\u00c3O SOCIAL, AO CONTR\u00c1RIO DOS CONG\u00c9NERES WILD-TYPE. EM CONJUNTO, ESTES RESULTADOS MOSTRAM QUE A A\u00c7\u00c3O DOS NONAPEPT\u00cdDEOS NAS RESPOSTAS AO STRESSE \u00c9 ESPEC\u00cdFICA DO P\u00c9PTIDO, DA ESP\u00c9CIE E DEPENDENTE DO CONTEXTO. EM B. SPLENDENS, A VASOTOCINA ATUA DE FORMA DIFERENCIADA A N\u00cdVEIS COMPORTAMENTAL E END\u00d3CRINO, DEPENDENDO DO AGENTE DE STRESSE, ENQUANTO A OXITOCINA N\u00c3O APRESENTA UM PAPEL DETET\u00c1VEL. NO PEIXE-ZEBRA, PELO CONTR\u00c1RIO, A OXITOCINA \u00c9 NECESS\u00c1RIA PARA A PLASTICIDADE NEURAL MEDIADA PELO CONTEXTO SOCIAL. ESTES RESULTADOS FORNECEM NOVAS PERSPETIVAS SOBRE A REGULA\u00c7\u00c3O NEUROEND\u00d3CRINA DO STRESSE, CARACTERIZA\u00c7\u00c3O NEUROBIOL\u00d3GICA DAS RESPOSTAS AO STRESSE E DA PLASTICIDADE CEREBRAL EM TELE\u00d3STEOS.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","class_list":["post-424012","tnc_col_19631_item","type-tnc_col_19631_item","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tnc_tax_19912-information-systems","tnc_tax_19818-english","tnc_tax_19716-institute-for-data-engineering-and-science","tnc_tax_19659-master-thesis","tnc_tax_19651-doctoral"],"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":0,"featured_img":false,"coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/author\/emilychan\/","display_name":"emily chan"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 6 \u5929 ago","modified":"Updated 3 \u5929 ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 21 8 \u6708, 2026","modified":"Updated on 24 8 \u6708, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 21 8 \u6708, 2026 12:33 \u4e0a\u5348","modified":"Updated on 24 8 \u6708, 2026 12:20 \u4e0b\u5348"},"featured_img_caption":"","tax_additional":{"tnc_tax_19912":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/programme\/information-systems\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">INFORMATION SYSTEMS<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">INFORMATION SYSTEMS<\/span>"],"slug":"tnc_tax_19912","name":"PROGRAMME"},"tnc_tax_19818":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/language\/english\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">ENGLISH<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">ENGLISH<\/span>"],"slug":"tnc_tax_19818","name":"LANGUAGE"},"tnc_tax_19765":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"tnc_tax_19765","name":"SUPERVISOR(S)"},"tnc_tax_19716":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/faculty-research-unit\/institute-for-data-engineering-and-science\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">INSTITUTE FOR DATA ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">INSTITUTE FOR DATA ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE<\/span>"],"slug":"tnc_tax_19716","name":"FACULTY \/ RESEARCH UNIT"},"tnc_tax_19659":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/resource-type\/master-thesis\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">THESIS &amp; DISSERTATION<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">THESIS &amp; DISSERTATION<\/span>"],"slug":"tnc_tax_19659","name":"Document Type"},"tnc_tax_19651":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/degree-level\/doctoral\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">DOCTORAL<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">DOCTORAL<\/span>"],"slug":"tnc_tax_19651","name":"DEGREE LEVEL"}},"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tnc_col_19631_item\/424012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tnc_col_19631_item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/tnc_col_19631_item"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424012"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tnc_col_19631_item\/424012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":433438,"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tnc_col_19631_item\/424012\/revisions\/433438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.usj.edu.mo\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}