Perceived barriers, drivers and enablers to becoming a foster family:An exploratory study in Portugal

Children and young people that need to be removed from their living environment should be preferably placed in a family care context, rather than in residential care homes. Given the scarcity of foster families in the child protection system, efforts to recruit new families may benefit from evidence about the representations, enablers, and barriers to become a foster family within community samples. The current qualitative study (N = 716, 79 % female, aged between 18 and 76 years old, Portugal) collected data from a set of free word association tasks and open questions about foster families. The results revealed mostly positive representations about foster families and their protective role for children in need (e.g., social appreciation of foster families), although some negative representations were also identified (e.g., ambivalence regarding the role of foster families). The main perceived drivers and enablers to become a foster family included the protective role of foster care (e.g., to promote child development), individual/family resources (e.g., economic resources), and other family factors (e.g., inability to have biological children). The main perceived barriers included the lack of individual and family resources (e.g., economic resources), individual and family constraints (e.g., emotional or health related factors), and constraints related with the foster care system (e.g., bureaucracy, difficulties regarding formal procedures). These findings provide inputs for further research on how to improve the recruitment and retention of new foster families.</p

Avaliação de um programa de intervenção educativa para o aumento da atenção e da reflexividade

O presente trabalho teve como principal objectivo a avaliação da eficácia do programa de intervenção educativa para aumentar a atenção e a reflexividade PIAAR-R, elegendo-se como principal objecto de estudo crianças do 2º ciclo de escolaridade (com idades compreendidas entre os 10 e os 12 anos) com défice de atenção, elevada impulsividade e hiperactividade. Para esse efeito foram organizados dois grupos experimentais (grupo A e grupo B) e um grupo de controlo, divididos aleatoriamente. Nas crianças pertencentes ao grupo experimental implementou-se o programa PIAAR-R e as do grupo de controlo não foram submetidas à intervenção. Definiram-se dois momentos para a avaliação dos grupos: efectuou-se um pré teste nos grupos experimentais e de controlo (Escala de Conners para pais versão revista (forma reduzida) (COp) e Escala de Conners para professores versão revista (forma reduzida) (COpr) , CBCL e TRF), e imediatamente após o término das sessões realizou-se um pós teste em ambos os grupos com os mesmos instrumentos. Avaliou-se desta forma os efeitos do programa a curto prazo. Os resultados deste estudo, comprometem a aplicação do programa a crianças com problemas de atenção e comportamentais em contexto de grupo ao ritmo de uma sessão por semana. A falta de efeitos observados, poderá relacionar-se com uma multiplicidade de causas: aspectos relacionados com as medidas de avaliação do programa, factores temporais (frequência e ritmo das sessões), factores inerentes ao técnico (falta de estratégias de controlo da qualidade da intervenção),o surgimento de variáveis parasitas, como a ocorrência de fenómenos de influência social, aspectos que dizem respeito aos observadores/avaliadores externos e aspectos relacionados com as bases teóricas do programa

Experimental Models as Refined Translational Tools for Breast Cancer Research

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, which makes it a very impactful malignancy in the society. Breast cancers can be classified through different systems based on the main tumor features and gene, protein, and cell receptors expression, which will determine the most advisable therapeutic course and expected outcomes. Multiple therapeutic options have already been proposed and implemented for breast cancer treatment. Nonetheless, their use and efficacy still greatly depend on the tumor classification, and treatments are commonly associated with invasiveness, pain, discomfort, severe side effects, and poor specificity. This has demanded an investment in the research of the mechanisms behind the disease progression, evolution, and associated risk factors, and on novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. However, advances in the understanding and assessment of breast cancer are dependent on the ability to mimic the properties and microenvironment of tumors in vivo, which can be achieved through experimentation on animal models. This review covers an overview of the main animal models used in breast cancer research, namely in vitro models, in vivo models, in silico models, and other models. For each model, the main characteristics, advantages, and challenges associated to their use are highlighted.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal under the Project Reference UID/DTP/04138/2019 and UIDB/00313/2020. T.F.-G. was supported by FCT, Portugal under the Reference SFRH/BD/147306/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Zebrafish motile cilia as a model for primary ciliary dyskinesia

Funding Information: Funding: This work was a product of the Project LYSOCIL funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation under grant agreement No 811087. It received funding from Fundação para a Ciencia e tecnologia, grant PTDC/BEX-BID/1411/2014; M.R. was funded by the fellowship PD/BD/136927/2018. P.S was funded by the fellowship SFRH/BD/111611/2015; C.B. was funded by the fellowship SFRH/BD/141034/2018; SSL was funded by FCT CEEC-IND 2018. Funding Information: Acknowledgments: The authors want to thank the Fish Facility from NMS. This work was developed with the support of the Fish Facility NMS|FCM that is part of CONGENTO, a Research Infrastructure co-financed by Lisboa Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022170. A.P. wants to thank the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospital, part of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ foundation trust, London. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Zebrafish is a vertebrate teleost widely used in many areas of research. As embryos, they develop quickly and provide unique opportunities for research studies owing to their transparency for at least 48 h post fertilization. Zebrafish have many ciliated organs that include primary cilia as well as motile cilia. Using zebrafish as an animal model helps to better understand human diseases such as Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), an autosomal recessive disorder that affects cilia motility, currently associated with more than 50 genes. The aim of this study was to validate zebrafish motile cilia, both in mono and multiciliated cells, as organelles for PCD research. For this purpose, we obtained systematic high-resolution data in both the olfactory pit (OP) and the left–right organizer (LRO), a superficial organ and a deep organ embedded in the tail of the embryo, respectively. For the analysis of their axonemal ciliary structure, we used conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron tomography (ET). We characterised the wild-type OP cilia and showed, for the first time in zebrafish, the presence of motile cilia (9 + 2) in the periphery of the pit and the presence of immotile cilia (still 9 + 2), with absent outer dynein arms, in the centre of the pit. In addition, we reported that a central pair of microtubules in the LRO motile cilia is common in zebrafish, contrary to mouse embryos, but it is not observed in all LRO cilia from the same embryo. We further showed that the outer dynein arms of the microtubular doublet of both the OP and LRO cilia are structurally similar in dimensions to the human respiratory cilia at the resolution of TEM and ET. We conclude that zebrafish is a good model organism for PCD research but investigators need to be aware of the specific physical differences to correctly interpret their results.publishersversionpublishe

Retinoic Acid-Mediated Control of Energy Metabolism Is Essential for Lung Branching Morphogenesis

Funding Information: This work has been funded by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)\u2013project UIDB/50026/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50026/2020), UIDP/50026/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50026/2020) and LA/P/0050/2020 (DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0050/2020); by ICVS Scientific Microscopy Platform, member of the national infrastructure PPBI\u2013Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122); and by the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work was also supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (H2020-ERC-2017-STG-GA 759853-StemCellHabitat). Hugo Fernandes-Silva was supported by a doctoral fellowship (PD/BD/137655/2018) from FCT as part of the Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease (PhDOC). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.Lung branching morphogenesis relies on intricate epithelial–mesenchymal interactions and signaling networks. Still, the interplay between signaling and energy metabolism in shaping embryonic lung development remains unexplored. Retinoic acid (RA) signaling influences lung proximal–distal patterning and branching morphogenesis, but its role as a metabolic modulator is unknown. Hence, this study investigates how RA signaling affects the metabolic profile of lung branching. We performed ex vivo lung explant culture of embryonic chicken lungs treated with DMSO, 1 µM RA, or 10 µM BMS493. Extracellular metabolite consumption/production was evaluated by using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Mitochondrial respiration and biogenesis were also analyzed. Proliferation was assessed using an EdU-based assay. The expression of crucial metabolic/signaling components was examined through Western blot, qPCR, and in situ hybridization. RA signaling stimulation redirects glucose towards pyruvate and succinate production rather than to alanine or lactate. Inhibition of RA signaling reduces lung branching, resulting in a cystic-like phenotype while promoting mitochondrial function. Here, RA signaling emerges as a regulator of tissue proliferation and lactate dehydrogenase expression. Furthermore, RA governs fatty acid metabolism through an AMPK-dependent mechanism. These findings underscore RA’s pivotal role in shaping lung metabolism during branching morphogenesis, contributing to our understanding of lung development and cystic-related lung disorders.publishersversionpublishe

Positive Development through Technology (PTD) engagement checklist: children/children and environments/facilitators

Este artigo apresenta uma reflexão teórica sobre o contributo que a aplicação da Checklist de Envolvimento: Crianças/Criança e Ambientes/Facilitadores (Strawhacker & Bers, 2018) poderá ter para a promoção de experiências de aprendizagem com tecnologia que fomentem o desenvolvimento positivo da criança (Bers, 2018). Tendo por base um modelo de “desenvolvimento positivo pela tecnologia” (PTD) assente nos princípios de desenvolvimento da criança (Ramos, 2016), este instrumento1 foi desenvolvido e validado no âmbito dos trabalhos desenvolvidos por Marina Bers (2008, 2012, 2018). A tradução aqui disponibilizada foi realizada no âmbito do projeto KML II - Laboratório de Tecnologias e Aprendizagem de Programação para o Pré-escolar e 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico em Portugal, observando-se os respetivos direitos de autor2 . A partir de uma perspetiva construcionista dos processos de aprendizagem (Papert, 1999; Resnick, 2017; Bers, 2018), o presente trabalho explora como esta checklist poderá contribuir para uma maior compreensão de várias dimensões de análise de contextos de promoção do desenvolvimento positivo pela tecnologia. Pretende-se, desta forma, estimular a construção de ambientes de aprendizagem ricos em tecnologia e promotores do desenvolvimento positivo da criança, que atentem, nomeadamente, à centralidade das relações interpessoais e da qualidade dos ambientes onde estas atividades ocorrem. Ao longo do texto, serão apresentadas as caraterísticas desta checklist, designadamente os seis tipos de comportamentos positivos de utilização das tecnologias considerados e a sua distribuição por domínios e dimensões de análise. A reflexão sobre a análise da relação de dinâmicas entre crianças e contextos, bem como a compreensão de como a tecnologia pode ser concebida e utilizada para promover comportamentos positivos, poderá permitir aos profissionais da educação analisar os progressos no desenvolvimento de competências tecnológicas e na promoção do desenvolvimento cognitivo, social e moral de todas as crianças. Entendemos que a possibilidade de traduzir e utilizar este instrumento de análise trará um contributo importante para a análise das interações das crianças com tecnologias, nos seus contextos educativos. Esperamos, desta forma, possibilitar um melhor conhecimento da forma como as tecnologias digitais poderão promover o desenvolvimento positivo das crianças, designadamente no âmbito da investigação desenvolvida pelo projeto KML2, cujos resultados (Amante et al, 2019; Monteiro et al, 2021; Souza et al, 2020) poderão, assim, ser discutidos no contexto do atual quadro educativo mundial.This article presents a theoretical reflection on the contribution that the application of the Engagement Checklist: Children/Child and Environments/Facilitators (Strawhacker & Bers, 2018) may have for the promotion of learning experiences with technology that promote positive child development (Bers, 2018). Based on a model of "positive development through technology" (PTD) grounded in the principles of child development (Ramos, 2016), this instrument was developed and validated within the work developed by Marina Bers (2008, 2012, 2018). The translation provided here was carried out within the scope of the KML II project - Laboratory of Technologies and Learning Programming for Pre-school and Primary School in Portugal, with respect to the corresponding authoring rights. From a learning processes constructionist perspective (Papert, 1999; Resnick, 2017; Bers, 2018), this paper explores how this checklist can contribute to a greater understanding of several dimensions of analysis of contexts promoting positive development through technology. In this way, it aims to stimulate the construction of learning environments that are rich in technology and promote positive child development, paying particular attention to the centrality of interpersonal relationships and the quality of the environments where these activities occur. Throughout the text, the characteristics of this checklist will be presented, namely the six types of positive behaviours in the use of technologies considered and their distribution by domains and dimensions of analysis. The reflection on the analysis of the relationship of dynamics between children and contexts, as well as the understanding of how technology can be designed and used to promote positive behaviours, may allow education professionals to analyse the progress in the development of technological competences and the promotion of the cognitive, social and moral development of all children. We believe that the possibility to translate and use this analysis tool will bring an important contribution to the analysis of children's interactions with technologies, in their educational contexts. We hope, in this way, to enable a better knowledge of how digital technologies may promote children's positive development, namely within the scope of the research developed by the KML2 project, whose results (Amante et al, 2019; Monteiro et al, 2021; Souza et al, 2020) may, thus, be discussed in a worldwide educational framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio