A toggle-switch and a feed-forward loop engage in the control of the Drosophila retinal determination gene network

Dipterans show a striking range of eye sizes, shapes, and functional specializations. Their eye is of the compound type, the most frequent eye architecture in nature. The development of this compound eye has been most studied in Drosophila melanogaster. The early development of the Drosophila eye is under the control of a gene regulatory network of transcription factors and signaling molecules called the retinal determination gene network (RDGN). Nodes in this network have been found to be involved not only in the development of different eye types in invertebrates and vertebrates, but also of other organs. Here we have analyzed the network properties in detail. First, we have generated quantitative expression profiles for a number of the key RDGN transcription factors, at a single-cell resolution. With these profiles, and applying a correlation analysis, we revisited several of the links in the RDGN. Our study uncovers a new link, that we confirm experimentally, between the transcription factors Hth/Meis1 and Optix/Six3 and indicates that, at least during the period of eye differentiation, positive feedback regulation from Eya and Dac on the Pax6 gene Ey is not operating. From this revised RDGN we derive a simplified gene network that we model mathematically. This network integrates three basic motifs: a coherent feedforward loop, a toggle-switch and a positive autoregulation which, together with the input from the Dpp/BMP2 signaling molecule, recapitulate the gene expression profiles obtained experimentally, while ensuring a robust transition from progenitor cells into retinal precursors.This work was funded by MINECO and the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) of Spain, co-financed by FEDER funds (EU) through grants BFU2012-34324 and BFU2015-66040-P to FC, MDM-2016-0687 in which FC is participant researcher, and TIN2017-89842 P in which MCL is participant researcher

La coevaluación-autoevaluación como instrumentos para valorar la competencia en el trabajo de equipo

En este trabajo se expone cómo se evaluó la competencia en el trabajo de equipo a través de un instrumento de coevaluación/autoevaluación elaborado por el profesorado implicado en una propuesta coordinada para el 3º curso del Grado de Maestro en Educación Infantil. Los principales resultados indican que la mayoría de los estudiantes se identificaron en un nivel de competencia en el que colaboran activamente en el equipo, contribuyendo en su consolidación y desarrollo, facilitando la comunicación e integración de los miembros del equipo. No obstante, no tuvieron una visión global y continuada en la consecución de los niveles de competencia. Por otro lado, las valoraciones de los alumnos hacia sus compañeros fueron significativamente inferiores a las que hicieron de sí mismos

Una propuesta integradora para la formación inicial de maestros de Educación Infantil

En esta comunicación presentamos una propuesta de trabajo conjunto en la docencia de las cuatro asignaturas de las didácticas específicas del tercer curso del Grado de Maestro de Educación Infantil en la Universidad de Cádiz. El diseño se fundamenta en el trabajo en equipo y, en consonancia, incorpora el aprendizaje cooperativo como estrategia y contenido del proceso formativo y como elemento clave para promover, al mismo tiempo, el desarrollo profesional del equipo de formadores y el aprendizaje profesional de los alumnos. El programa formativo se desarrolla desde un diseño común para las cuatro asignaturas, favoreciendo una visión integradora de los diferentes ámbitos del conocimiento que giran en torno al diseño de una intervención didáctica integral para el aula de infantil. Presentamos las primeras valoraciones realizadas por los alumnos de la experiencia vivida

Interoperabilidad entre organismos nacionales, provinciales y municipales

El objetivo del trabajo es establecer en que medida se cumple la interoperabilidad entre organismos nacionales, provinciales o municipales en el marco de una solución de Gobierno Electrónico (GE). Para el estudio definiremos la interoperabilidad más allá de la técnica, la tecnología disponible en relación a los estándares y los niveles jurisdiccionales del Estado. A pesar de que se han implementado, en diversos organismos de gobierno, sistemas de servicios al ciudadano; éstos no están formalizados ni alcanzan un nivel de integración adecuado a las necesidades de información que el GE plantea entre los distintos gestores de gobierno. Por lo cual hace esencial un proceso formal de implementación de GE más una adecuación a la tecnología disponible, llámese servidores únicos de datos, redes distribuidas y la plena cooperación y colaboración entre organismos jurisdiccionales oficiales. Finalmente se plantea la necesidad de contar con un fuerte liderazgo político, para asegurar el éxito de una implementación de soluciones de GE en el marco de la interoperabilidad entre distintos organismos y niveles jurisdiccionales. Es decir entre reparticiones pertenecientes a entidades gubernamentales del ámbito nacional, provincial y/o municipal.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

The Palaeocene Cerro Munro tonalite intrusion (Chubut Province, Argentina): A plutonic remnant of explosive volcanism?

The Cerro Munro sub-volcanic intrusion is emplaced in the back-arc (400 km from the trench) as small sub-circular tonalite-granodiorite plutons with abundant radial porphyritic dikes. U-Pb zircon SHRIMP data give an age of crystallization of 57 Ma ± 1.4 Ma. It is located to the east of the North Patagonian Batholith (NPB) that shows a protracted and episodic magmatic history from Cretaceous to Miocene time. The NPB Palaeogene episode is characterized by the lack of magmatic activity at the arc axis, as small plutonic emplacements move to the fore-arc and back-arc. This Palaeogene tectono-magmatic episode is ruled by the detachment of the Aluk plate during the Aluk-Farallon-SAM triple junction, active at that time along northern Patagonia active margin, changing the Cretaceous ?NPB orogenic? setting to a Palaeogene ?Munro transitional? tectono-magmatic setting. Near the contacts, the tonalite contains abundant enclaves of igneous appearance and variable size from several cm to dm, described as autoliths. The study of autoliths and host tonalite reveals interesting results on the processes of fractionation in a thermally zoned magma chamber. Autoliths, and in a large extent the host tonalite, represent disguised cumulates from which a hydrous silicic liquid was extracted. Barometry calculations from mineral chemistry in both autoliths and tonalites record a shallow pressure of emplacement of 0.5 kbar. Rhyolite-dacite flows and ignimbrites, surrounding the northern contact of the Cerro Munro tonalite, may represent the exsolved liquid from the plutonic cumulates. The study by cathodoluminiscence and electron backscattered diffraction techniques from a rhyolite-hosted quartz supports this protracted history of the Cerro Munro magma chamber.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y MuseoCentro de Investigaciones GeológicasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

The Palaeocene Cerro Munro tonalite intrusion (Chubut Province, Argentina): A plutonic remnant of explosive volcanism?

The Cerro Munro sub-volcanic intrusion is emplaced in the back-arc (400 km from the trench) as small sub-circular tonalite-granodiorite plutons with abundant radial porphyritic dikes. U-Pb zircon SHRIMP data give an age of crystallization of 57 Ma ± 1.4 Ma. It is located to the east of the North Patagonian Batholith (NPB) that shows a protracted and episodic magmatic history from Cretaceous to Miocene time. The NPB Palaeogene episode is characterized by the lack of magmatic activity at the arc axis, as small plutonic emplacements move to the fore-arc and back-arc. This Palaeogene tectono-magmatic episode is ruled by the detachment of the Aluk plate during the Aluk-Farallon-SAM triple junction, active at that time along northern Patagonia active margin, changing the Cretaceous ?NPB orogenic? setting to a Palaeogene ?Munro transitional? tectono-magmatic setting. Near the contacts, the tonalite contains abundant enclaves of igneous appearance and variable size from several cm to dm, described as autoliths. The study of autoliths and host tonalite reveals interesting results on the processes of fractionation in a thermally zoned magma chamber. Autoliths, and in a large extent the host tonalite, represent disguised cumulates from which a hydrous silicic liquid was extracted. Barometry calculations from mineral chemistry in both autoliths and tonalites record a shallow pressure of emplacement of 0.5 kbar. Rhyolite-dacite flows and ignimbrites, surrounding the northern contact of the Cerro Munro tonalite, may represent the exsolved liquid from the plutonic cumulates. The study by cathodoluminiscence and electron backscattered diffraction techniques from a rhyolite-hosted quartz supports this protracted history of the Cerro Munro magma chamber.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y MuseoCentro de Investigaciones GeológicasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Updating known distribution models for forecasting climate change impact on endangered species

To plan endangered species conservation and to design adequate management programmes, it is necessary to predict their distributional response to climate change, especially under the current situation of rapid change. However, these predictions are customarily done by relating de novo the distribution of the species with climatic conditions with no regard of previously available knowledge about the factors affecting the species distribution. We propose to take advantage of known species distribution models, but proceeding to update them with the variables yielded by climatic models before projecting them to the future. To exemplify our proposal, the availability of suitable habitat across Spain for the endangered Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) was modelled by updating a pre-existing model based on current climate and topography to a combination of different general circulation models and Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Our results suggested that the main threat for this endangered species would not be climate change, since all forecasting models show that its distribution will be maintained and increased in mainland Spain for all the XXI century. We remark on the importance of linking conservation biology with distribution modelling by updating existing models, frequently available for endangered species, considering all the known factors conditioning the species’ distribution, instead of building new models that are based on climate change variables only.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER (project CGL2009-11316/BOS

ESTRUCTURA ARBÓREA DEL BOSQUE TROPICAL CADUCIFOLIO USADO PARA LA GANADERÍA EXTENSIVA EN EL NORTE DE LA SIERRA DE MANANTLÁN, MÉXICO. ANTAGONISMO DE USOS

Tropical deciduous forests are among the leaststudied forests in Mexico and the most diverse dry forests in the world. Extensive cattleranching and changes in land use to pasturesare important pressures for these forests,which are considered among the most threatened in the world. This paper analyzes thestructure, species diversity and uses of treespecies of the tropical deciduous forest foundin the Northern portion of the Sierra deManantlan Biosphere Reserve. Four areas oftropical deciduous forest used by cattle wereselected. These correspond to: a 10 year oldsecondary vegetation corridor, two areasof 15 and 20 year old forest, and another oneof approximately 30 years. Vegetation data werecollected through a randomly point centeredquadrant sampling and ethnobotanic datathrough open interviews. We conclude that:1) over 80% of the tree species in the secondary deciduous tropical forest in Zenzontla haveat least one use, 2) species diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index) in Zenzontla’s deciduoustropical forests is higher than that of othervegetation types found in the Sierra deManantlan, such as cloud forest, pine forestand pine-oak forest, 3) species diversity anduse increase with time, 4) the number of individuals of forage species is less than thenumber of individuals of the group of specieswith other uses, and 5) size structure sugeststhat in the future non-forage species will bemore dominant than forage species. Paradoxically, important areas of the deciduous tropical forest used for forage and other uses (mainly medicinal and food) are under pressure for substitution for pastures.El bosque tropical caducifolio es uno de losbosques menos estudiados en México y esuno de los más diversos del mundo. Laganadería extensiva y el cambio de uso delsuelo (de bosques a pastos) representan unapresión importante para este bosque tropical,por lo que está considerado entre los másamenazados de los bosques tropicales delmundo. En este trabajo se analizan laestructura, la diversidad de especies y usosde las especies arbóreas del bosque tropicalcaducifolio del norte de la reserva de la BiosferaSierra de Manantlán. Se seleccionaron cuatroáreas de bosque tropical caducifolio usadaspor el ganado que corresponden a: un corredorde vegetación secundaria de 10 años, dos áreasde bosque de 15 y 20, y otro más conaproximadamente 30 años. Los datos de lavegetación se tomaron a través de muestreosaleatorios de punto cuadrante y entrevistas abiertas para los datos etnobotánicos.Concluimos que: 1) más del 80 por ciento delas especies arbóreas del bosque tropicalcaducifolio secundario de Zenzontla tienen almenos un uso, 2) la diversidad de especies(índice de Shannon-Wiener) de Zenzontla esmayor que otros tipos de vegetación de laSierra de Manantlán, por ejemplo, bosquemesófilo de montaña, bosque de pino y bosquede pino-encino, 3) a través del tiempo, ladiversidad de especies y de usos aumenta, 4)el número de individuos de especies con usoforrajero es menor que el número de individuosde especies con otros usos, y 5) la estructurade tamaños sugiere que, en el futuro, lasespecies no forrajeras podrían ser másdominantes que las forrajeras. La paradoja esque áreas importantes del bosque tropicalcaducifolio con especies de uso forrajero y otrosusos (principalmente medicinal y alimenticio),presentan una fuerte presión debido a sueliminación total o parcial de estas áreas paraser sustituidas por pastizales