Bone marrow niches for hematopoietic stem cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the cornerstone of the hematopoietic system. HSCs sustain the continuous generation of mature blood derivatives while self-renewing to preserve a relatively constant pool of progenitors throughout life. Yet, long-term maintenance of functional HSCs exclusively takes place in association with their native tissue microenvironment of the bone marrow (BM). HSCs have been long proposed to reside in fixed and identifiable anatomical units found in the complex BM tissue landscape, which control their identity and fate in a deterministic manner. In the last decades, tremendous progress has been made in the dissection of the cellular and molecular fabric of the BM, the structural organization governing tissue function, and the plethora of interactions established by HSCs. Nonetheless, a holistic model of the mechanisms controlling HSC regulation in their niche is lacking to date. Here, we provide an overview of our current understanding of BM anatomy, HSC localization, and crosstalk within local cellular neighborhoods in murine and human tissues, and highlight fundamental open questions on how HSCs functionally integrate in the BM microenvironment.

Climate correlates of bluetongue incidence in southern Portugal.

Model forecasts of the spatiotemporal occurrence dynamics of diseases are necessary and can help understand and thus manage future disease outbreaks. In our study, we used ecological niche modelling to assess the impact of climate on the vector suitability for bluetongue disease, a disease affecting livestock production with important economic consequences. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between the occurrence of bluetongue outbreaks and the environmental suitability of each of the four vector species studied. We found that the main vector for bluetongue disease, Culicoides imicola, a typically tropical and subtropical species, was a strong predictor for disease outbreak occurrence in a region of southern Portugal from 2004 to 2021. The results highlight the importance of understanding the climatic factors that might influence vector presence to help manage infectious disease impacts. When diseases impact economically relevant species, the impacts go beyond mortality and have important economic consequences.

Promoção do contacto pele a pele, entre mãe e recém-nascido, na 1ª hora de vida / Promotion of skin-to-skin contact, between mother and newborn, during the first hour of life

O estágio de natureza profissional foi concretizado em contexto de bloco de partos da Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, de forma a satisfazer as necessidades pessoais e as orientações estabelecidas pela Ordem dos Enfermeiros e Conselho das Comunidades Europeias. Considerou-se uma intervenção em contexto real com o intuito de promover a transição identitária profissional e pessoal, nos domínios da prestação de cuidados, da formação, da gestão e da investigação. OBJETIVOS: Desenvolver competências na prestação de cuidados especializados em saúde materna e obstétrica e analisar a produção científica, disponível em bases de dados das ciências da saúde, publicada na última década, sobre os benefícios do contacto pele a pele, para a mãe e recém-nascido, na 1ª hora de vida. METODOLOGIA: A prestação dos cuidados de enfermagem especializados à mulher, inserida na família e comunidade, durante os quatro estadios do trabalho de parto foram baseados nos pressupostos teóricos de Meleis e Watson, efetuando o parto em ambiente seguro e otimizando-se a saúde da parturiente e do recém-nascido na sua adaptação à vida extrauterina, promovendo o contacto pele a pele, na 1ª hora de vida. Como estratégia para a identificação e mobilização da evidência científica, foi desenvolvida uma Scoping Review, de acordo com The Joanna Briggs Institute, orientada pela seguinte questão: "Quais os benefícios do contacto pele a pele, para a mãe e recém-nascido, na 1ª hora de vida?". Recorreu-se ao modelo PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) para realizar o mapeamento da melhor evidência científica. RESULTADOS: Os resultados evidenciaram a influência positiva do contacto pele a pele para a díade mãe/recém-nascido, na primeira hora de vida. Dos benefícios identificados destacam-se cinco categorias, nomeadamente, a estabilidade fisiológica e o desenvolvimento psicoemocional do recém-nascido, a eficácia na amamentação, a autoconfiança materna e a sua estabilidade física. Estas categorias condicionam a transição, quer para o recém-nascido ao meio extrauterino, quer para a mãe em relação à parentalidade. CONCLUSÕES: Os objetivos delineados, relativos à prestação de cuidados especializados em saúde materna e obstétrica, foram atingidos, contribuindo para a aquisição e desenvolvimento de competências, colmatando concomitantemente as necessidades do cumprimento da diretiva europeia. A compreensão acerca dos benefícios do contacto pele a pele permitiram aos Enfermeiros Especialistas em Saúde Materna e Obstétrica apoiarem e promoverem esta prática de cuidados com ganhos de saúde, tanto para a mãe, como para o recém-nascido.

This professional internship was carried out in a delivery room context at the Local Health Unit of Alto Minho, EPE, in order to meet personal needs and the guidelines established by the Nurses Association and the Council of European Communities. An intervention in a real context was considered, with the goal of promoting the transition between professional and personal identity, in the areas of care, training, management and research. OBJECTIVES: To develop skills in the provision of specialized care in maternal and obstetric health and to analyze scientific results, published in the last decade, available in health sciences databases, on the benefits of skin to skin contact for the mother and newborn, in the 1st hour of life. METHODOLOGY: The provision of specialized nursing care to women, within the family and the community, during the four stages of labor, was based on the theoretical assumptions of Meleis and Watson, which defend the idea of performing the birth in a safe environment and optimizing the health of the parturient and the newborn in its adaptation to extrauterine life, promoting skin to skin contact during the 1st hour of life. As a strategy for identifying and mobilizing scientific evidence, a Scoping Review was developed, according to the Joanna Briggs Institute, guided by the following question: "What are the benefits of skin to skin contact, for the mother and newborn, in the 1st hour of life?". The PRISMA model (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was used to identify the best scientific evidence. RESULTS: The results showed the positive influence of skin-to-skin contact for the mother/newborn duo in the first hour of life. Of the identified benefits, five categories stand out: the newborn's physiological stability and psycho-emotional development, breastfeeding effectiveness, maternal self-confidence and physical stability. These categories reflecting the transition, either for the newborn to the extrauterine environment, or for the mother in relation to parenthood reality. CONCLUSIONS: The outlined objectives, regarding the provision of specialized care in maternal and obstetric health, were achieved, thus contributing to the acquisition and development of skills, while meeting the needs to comply with the European directive. Understanding the benefits of skin to skin contact allowed Specialist Nurses in Maternal Health and Obstetrics to support and promote this practice, which brings health benefits, both for the mother and the newborn.

O perfil do professor cooperante no contexto da supervisão de estágio profissional: um estudo de revisão sistemática da literatura / The cooperating teacher profile in the context of teaching practice: a systematic review of the literature

O presente estudo é uma revisão sistemática da literatura, cujo propósito foi cartografar a tipologia de estudos focados no professor cooperante. A pesquisa efectuou-se em bases de dados electrónicas (EBSCO e Digital Dissertations & Theses), retrospetivamente até ao ano de 2000. As palavras-chave utilizadas foram: "Cooperating Teacher", "Supervision", "Physical Education", "Preservice Teacher", "Teacher Trainers" e "University Supervisor". Foram incorporados 24 estudos, sendo que 22 são artigos peer review e 2 dissertações académicas. Na análise da informação utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo, com categorias estabelecidas a priori: foco do estudo, ano de publicação, local de publicação, instrumentos, objetivos e principais conclusões. Os resultados evidenciaram que o estabelecimento de relações interpessoais, a colaboração, a comunicação e o aconselhamento constante são características evidenciadas nos estudos, sendo que os papéis fundamentais atribuídos aos Professores Cooperantes foram o de mentor, confidente e moderador. A formação específica do Professor Cooperante para a função também foi focada.

This study was a systematic review of the literature, whose purpose was to map the types of studies focused on cooperating teacher. The research was conducted in electronic databases (EBSCO, and Digital Dissertations & Theses) retrospectively by the year 2000. In the present study, 24 studies were incorporated of which 22 are peer review and 2 articles are academic dissertations. In data analysis it was used the content analysis and the categories were established a priori: study focus, year of publication, place of publication, tools, objectives and main conclusions. The results showed that the establishment of interpersonal relationships, collaboration, communication and ongoing counseling were some of the features highlighted in the studies, and the key roles assigned to the Cooperating Teachers were to be a mentor, a confidant and a moderator. Issues related to specific training needed to perform the function of cooperating teacher were also a subject-matter to approach.

A identidade profissional do professor: um estudo de revisão sistemática / Teacher professional identity: a systematic review study

O presente estudo é uma revisão sistemática da literatura cujo objetivo foi cartografar a tipologia de estudos empíricos realizados acerca da Identidade Profissional do professor. A pesquisa foi efetuada nas bases de dados eletrônicas ISI Web of Knowledge, ERIC, SPORTDiscus e SCOPUS entre 2001 e 2012. As equações de pesquisa foram "Professional Identity" AND "Teacher", no campo título e "Professional Identity" AND "Teacher" AND "Physical Education", no campo "Abstract", tendo sido integrados 42 artigos. A análise de conteúdo, com categorias definidas "a priori", foi a técnica utilizada: a) foco do estudo; b) ano e local de publicação; c) objetivos; d) participantes; e) instrumentos e f) principais conclusões. Os resultados evidenciaram um aumento da pesquisa na área e nas metodologias qualitativas. Estas colocam o desenvolvimento profissional como elemento central no processo de (re)construção da Identidade Profissional, sendo que ao nível do professor de Educação Física a pesquisa ainda é escassa...

The present study is a systematic review of literature focused on the empirical studies conducted about teacher's Professional Identity. The research used electronic databases (ISI Web of Knowledge, ERIC, SPORTDiscus and SCOPUS ) in peer review articles, published between 2001 and 2011. The research equations used were "Professional Identity" AND "teacher", in Title and "Professional Identity" AND "Teacher" AND "Physical Education", in Abstract. After applied the inclusion criteria's 42 articles were integrated. Content analysis was used with categories defined a priori: 1) focus of the study; 2) year and place of publication; 3) objectives; 4) participants; 5) instruments and 6) main conclusions. The results showed an increase in research in the professional identity and in qualitative methodologies. The professional development was pointed as a central element in the process of professional identity (re)construction. The research in Physical Education teachers is still scarce...