Concept mapping as a tool to break disciplinary boundaries: isomerism in biological systems

O mapeamento conceitual foi utilizado como uma ferramenta para verificar as mudanças conceituais de estudantes de Ensino Médio após a realização de atividades didáticas desenvolvidas durante as aulas de Química. O objetivo pedagógico a ser atingido foi romper as fronteiras que segregam o conhecimento científico em disciplinas isoladas. Os estudantes foram intencionalmente provocados a relacionar conceitos de Química e de Biologia, a fim de compreender melhor e explicar as conseqüências biológicas da isomeria. Os mapas conceituais elaborados pelos estudantes, antes e após as atividades propostas, evidenciaram o aparecimento de relações entre conceitos químicos e biológicos, que foram avaliadas qualitativamente. Este trabalho mostra que os mapas conceituais podem ser utilizados como ferramentas para auxiliar o professor na realização de práticas didáticas interdisciplinares na escola, bem como para acompanhar o progresso dos estudantes em direção à interdisciplinaridade.Concept mapping was used as a tool for checking the conceptual changes caused by didactic activities implemented during chemistry classes in high school. Its pedagogical aim was to break down the boundaries, which segregate scientific knowledge into isolated disciplines. The students were intentionally provoked to merge concepts from chemistry and biology, in order to better understand and explain the biological consequences of isomerism. The concept maps produced by the students before and after the activities confirmed the appearance of relationships among chemical and biological concepts, which were qualitatively evaluated. This work shows that concept maps can be used to follow the students' progress towards interdisciplinarity, and to help the teacher to devise future classroom activities to reinforce and to expand interdisciplinary relationships.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - PIBI

Mapeamneto conceitual como estratégia para romper fronteiras disciplinares: a isomeria nos sistemas biológicos

Concept mapping was used as a tool for checking the conceptual changes caused by didactic activities implemented during chemistry classes in high school. Its pedagogical aim was to break down the boundaries, which segregate scientific knowledge into isolated disciplines. The students were intentionally provoked to merge concepts from chemistry and biology, in order to better understand and explain the biological consequences of isomerism. The concept maps produced by the students before and after the activities confirmed the appearance of relationships among chemical and biological concepts, which were qualitatively evaluated. This work shows that concept maps can be used to follow the students' progress towards interdisciplinarity, and to help the teacher to devise future classroom activities to reinforce and to expand interdisciplinary relationships.O mapeamento conceitual foi utilizado como uma ferramenta para verificar as mudanças conceituais de estudantes de Ensino Médio após a realização de atividades didáticas desenvolvidas durante as aulas de Química. O objetivo pedagógico a ser atingido foi romper as fronteiras que segregam o conhecimento científico em disciplinas isoladas. Os estudantes foram intencionalmente provocados a relacionar conceitos de Química e de Biologia, a fim de compreender melhor e explicar as conseqüências biológicas da isomeria. Os mapas conceituais elaborados pelos estudantes, antes e após as atividades propostas, evidenciaram o aparecimento de relações entre conceitos químicos e biológicos, que foram avaliadas qualitativamente. Este trabalho mostra que os mapas conceituais podem ser utilizados como ferramentas para auxiliar o professor na realização de práticas didáticas interdisciplinares na escola, bem como para acompanhar o progresso dos estudantes em direção à interdisciplinaridade

The interplay between auxin and the cell cycle during plant development

The essential role of auxin for cell proliferation in plants is well known. Both auxin signaling and cell cycle regulation have been studied elaborately, but less is known about the connection between these processes. Recent studies report on the first molecular pathways that have been found to directly link auxin levels to the regulation of cell cycle activity. Here, we discuss the general effect of auxin on cell cycle progression and then zoom in on the interplay between auxin and the cell cycle during root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. At the root tip, an auxin gradient maintains the correct organization of the ground tissue layers and controls the size of the root apical meristem. During auxin-induced lateral root initiation LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES-DOMAIN transcription factors are upregulated and control reactivation of the cell cycle and cell specification, both of which are needed for proper lateral root initiation. Auxin-induced lateral root initiation-like pathways are also involved in cell cycle reactivation during the formation of nematode feeding sites, nitrogen-fixing nodules and callus tissue, pointing to the existence of one common auxin–cell cycle module to initiate new organs in plants

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 127 open-angle glaucoma loci with consistent effect across ancestries

10.1038/s41467-020-20851-4Nature Communications121125

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/‘proxy’ AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele