DNA methylation dynamics in muscle development and disease

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification for mammalian development and is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of cellular identity. Traditionally, DNA methylation has been considered as a permanent repressive epigenetic mark. However, the application of genome-wide approaches has allowed the analysis of DNA methylation in different genomic contexts revealing a more dynamic regulation than originally thought, since active DNA methylation and demethylation occur during cellular differentiation and tissue specification. Satellite cells are the primary stem cells in adult skeletal muscle and are responsible for postnatal muscle growth, hypertrophy, and muscle regeneration. This review outlines the published data regarding DNA methylation changes along the skeletal muscle program, in both physiological and pathological conditions, to better understand the epigenetic mechanisms that control myogenesis

Kinetics of mercury uptake by oilseed rape and white lupin: Influence of Mn and Cu

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1253-6Mercury influx in oilseed rape and white lupin was studied using short time influx experiments. The effect of Cu and Mn in Hg influx was also tested. Plants were grown for two weeks and then roots were incubated with increasing Hg concentrations (0 - 50 ɥM HgCl2), both at 20ºC and ice-cold temperature. An active, saturable component in Hg uptake was found in oilseed rape and white lupin, with Km and Vmax values in the range of low affinity transporters for essential micronutrients. A reduction in Hg uptake was observed in the presence of Mn for oilseed rape, suggesting that Hg influx is mediated by a Mn transporter. No effects of Cu on Hg influx were observed for any of the two plant species, suggesting a different transport system for Hg and Cu in roots of oilseed rape and white lupinThe Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation financially supported this research (CGL2009-13171-C03-02

Amendment application in a multicontaminated mine soil: Effects on trace element mobility

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-1874-4Several amendments were tested for their effectiveness in aiding plant growth and immobilising contaminants in pots containing soil from an arsenopyrite mine contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals. Trace element solubility in pore water was monitored using Rhizon samplers for five weeks. Results showed that amendments containing ferrous sulphate and ferrous sulphate combined with paper mill limited arsenic mobilisation and increased metal solubility. However, ferrous sulphate in combination with calcium carbonate was effective in reducing arsenic and metal solubilisation. Plant biomass of both the grass species used during the experiment, Arrhenatherum elatius and Festuca curvifolia, was a sensitive indicator of the comparative efficiency of the amendments, although metal(loid)s concentration in pore water did not correlate with plant uptakeThis study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project COMFITES CTM2010-21922-C02-02; and by the Comunidad de Madrid, project EIADES S2009/AMB-147

The fate of arsenic in soil-plant systems

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1463-6_1Arsenic (As) is an element belonging to the group V-A, and it demonstrates characteristics of a metalloid. Because arsenic more easily forms anions, its non-metal properties dominate. When arsenic is in an oxidation state of +5, it acts similar to phosphorus, a fact that has many implications for the way in which it reacts in soil, as well as its potential toxicity in plants. The most common oxidation states of As are -3, 0, +3, and +5. Arsines and metal arsines are those in which As has an oxidation state of -3, and these forms are very unstable under oxidizing conditions. Under aerobic conditions, the oxidation state of As tends to be +5, and when this occurs at a pH between 2 and 3, arsenic acid (H3AsO4) is formed. When the pH rises to values between 3 and 11, this compound disassociates to H2AsO4 - and HAsO4 2- (Smedley and Kinninburgh 2002). Under anaerobic conditions, the predominant As species is H3AsO3This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, project CTM 2010-21922-CO2-02, and by Comunidad de Madrid, project S2009/AMB- 147

La presencia de carcharodon carcharias e isurus oxyrhynchus en el Mar Argentino (Chondrichthyes lamniformes)

Fil: Siccardi, Elvira Mariana. División Zoología Vertebrados; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Gosztonyi, Atila Esteban. División Zoología Vertebrados; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Menni, Roberto Carlos. División Zoología Vertebrados; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Evidence of a new Hg-tolerant ecotype of Rumex induratus from Almadén (Ciudad Real, Spain)

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Plant Biosystems on 01/01/2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/11263504.2012.758188Mercury tolerance in wild vascular plants has hardly been studied and a tolerant ecotype is not known. In order to confirm the tolerance to Hg of Rumex induratus naturally growing in the biggest Hg mine in the world (Almadén population), the population was compared in a hydroponic experiment with another population from a non-Hg-contaminated area (Colmenar). The plants were exposed to different doses of Hg and a dose of As to establish whether the tolerance to Hg coincides with tolerance to other trace elements. Plants from Colmenar reached up to 1322 μg Hg g-1 in roots and 65 μg Hg g-1 in shoots and showed a significant decrease in biomass due to Hg exposure, whilst Almadén accumulated only 812 μg Hg g-1 and 56 μg Hg g-1 in roots and shoots, respectively. The Almadén population showed a higher tolerance to intense exposure to Hg, but not to As. Plants from Almadén exposed to Hg showed higher capacity to synthesise thiols in the root and to control oxidative stress and Zn starvation. Our findings suggest that R. induratus could be used to enhance understanding of the mechanisms of Hg tolerance in plantsThis study was supported by Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, Project CGL 2009-13171-C03-02 and by Comunidad de Madrid, Project EIADES (S2009 AMB-1474

The fate of arsenic in soils adjacent to an old mine site (Bustarviejo, Spain): Mobility and transfer to native flora

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0099-4Background, aim, and scope The mobility of arsenic in soils and its transfer to other environmental components present significant environmental risks. The management of polluted land is determined by the availability, mobility, and transfer of inorganic pollutants to different ecosystem compartments. In this paper, the fate of arsenic at this mining site has been evaluated to determine future management practises to minimise such risk. Materials and methods In a field study carried out in the area adjacent to a mining site at Bustarviejo (North Madrid, Spain), samples of soils, plants, and water were collected from areas adjacent to the core of the former mining activity. The following parameters were investigated in soil samples: pH, organic matter, pseudo-total As, P, and Fe, and labile As and P, and a sequential extraction procedure was performed to investigate As speciation in soil. Plant materials were analysed for both As and P. Arsenic concentrations in water samples (surface and soil pore water collected in the field) were also measured. Results are considered in tandem with previous data on metal concentrations in soils and plants from this site. Results Despite high As concentrations in soils impacted by former mining activities (spoil accumulation and drainage from spoil heaps resulted in concentrations of up to 3,000 mg kg-1), it was not present in a labile form. Sequential extraction revealed that arsenic was mainly retained by Al- and Fe-(oxihydr)oxides (up to 80%). Therefore, only a small proportion of the total soil pool was potentially available for plant uptake (0.3% and 7% extracted by (NH4)2SO4 and NH4H2PO4, respectively). There was very limited transfer of arsenic from soil to plants, and concentrations of arsenic in shoot tissues were relatively low (<8 μg g-1). There was no evidence of phytotoxic effects in the flora that had colonised this site, indicating that a sustainable ecosystem had been established. Discussion High levels of arsenic occur at this site, but arsenic mobility appears to be primarily controlled by the presence of amorphous and crystalline Fe and Al hydrous oxides. Although a low labile As fraction was extracted, concentrations of arsenic in both surface and soil pore water are of concern. The risk of arsenic remobilisation by plant uptake or transfer to the food chain via plant consumption is relatively low in these soils. Large amounts of metals and arsenic remain at the site, and potential risks need to be monitored. Some possible remediation strategies that take into account the presence of both arsenic and heavy metals will be suggested. Recommendations Natural attenuation and phytostabilisation processes are taking place in several parts of the study area. These natural processes could be enhanced by application of both compost and a suitable Fe-based amendment. This augmentation of the re-vegetation of the affected area could act to promote both arsenic and metal stabilisation in mine tailings with additional benefits for further vegetation establishmentThis study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, project CTM 2007-66401-CO2/TECNO, and by Comunidad de Madrid, project S-0505/AMB/0296. The authors are grateful to the Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Bustarviejo, for admittance to the mine zone and the facilities offered and to Dr. R. Gamarra for his assistance with plant identification. Authors are grateful to L. Beesley for his comments and language corrections

María de Ávila in the National Ballet of Spain: trajectory and legacy

Durante los años 1983 a 1986 María de Ávila desempeñó la labor de directora del Ballet Nacional de España, un periodo que puede considerarse especial y característico, al ser el único momento de su historia en el que una misma persona ejerció ese cargo al mismo tiempo que lo hacía en el Ballet Nacional Clásico. El objetivo de este artículo es examinar este periodo utilizando distintas fuentes documentales (textos compilatorios y conmemorativos, programas, tesis doctorales, revistas especializadas en artes escénicas y prensa), para proceder después a su análisis y ofrecer una exposición razonada de la documentación recopilada siguiendo un enfoque histórico-temporal cualitativo que permita conocer mejor, no sólo el legado de María de Ávila, sino también su influencia en la evolución y la historia del BNE.During the years 1983-1986 María de Ávila played the work of director of the National Ballet of Spain, a period which can be considered special and characteristic, being the only time in its history in which one person exercised that position while did in Classic National Ballet. The aim of this paper is to examine this period using various documentary sources (texts and commemorative compilations, programs, dissertations, journals performing arts and media) to proceed after your analysis and provide a rationale for the documentation compiled following a historical-temporal qualitative approach that allows better understand not only the legacy of María de Ávila, but its influence on the evolution and history of the BNE

In search of the lost opportunity. Reflections on the focus of the research profle in dance as a transforming axis in the process of the integration of the higher centres of artistic education within the European Higher Education Area

Este artículo surge a partir de la reflexión en torno a una de las líneas de investigación propuestas por el comité organizador del I Congreso Internacional de Filosofía de la Danza: “El estatuto de la investigación en danza y su institucionalización; problemas de legitimación e integración del conocimiento sobre danza en la universidad y los conservatorios”. La autora ofrece un examen sobre la situación de la enseñanza superior de danza en España, señala algunos de los problemas que existen para alcanzar una verdadera equiparación académica entre las enseñanzas de danza y la universitaria e identifca el perfl investigador de los docentes como uno de los factores a tener en cuenta para resolver dicha situación. Por último, apela a la voluntad política y de los representantes de las instituciones educativas responsables para lograr que los profesores de los centros superiores de danza alcancen la misma consideración que el profesorado de las universidades.This article arises from the reflection concerning one of the lines from research proposed by the organizing committee of the First International Congress on Philosophy of the Dance: “The statute of dance research and its institutionalization; problems of legitimization and integration of knowledge on dance in the university and the conservatories”. The authoress offers an examination on the situation of higher education of dance in Spain, points out some of the problems that exist to reach a true academic comparison between dance and university education and identifes the research profle of teachers as one of the factors to take into account to resolve this situation. Finally, it appeals to the political will and the representatives of the responsible educational institutions to achieve that the teachers of the higher dance centers reach the same consideration as the professor of the universities

Las revistas especializadas: un fondo documental para el estudio de la historia de la danza en España

Given the lack of interest that in dance has raised in Spain, using the daily press as a secondary source to reconstruct its history it is insufficient, since references are often scarce, incomplete and in some cases erroneous. To deepen their study and properly contextualize propose help of specialized magazines, a type of not extensive publication, but with which it is possible to draw a temporary schedule of our dance from the 70s in the twentieth century onwards. This article offers an overview of the publishing scene of these publications, while stressing the need to rescue them and value them as an important background documentation to be considered for historical research of this artistic discipline in our country.; Dado el poco interés que la danza ha suscitado en España, a la hora de reconstruir su historia es insuficiente contar con la prensa cotidiana como única fuente secundaria, pues sus referencias suelen ser escasas, incompletas y en ciertas ocasiones erróneas. Para poder profundizar su estudio y contextualizarlo de forma adecuada, proponemos ayudarse otro tipo de publicación no muy abundante, las revistas especializadas, con las que sí es posible trazar un itinerario temporal de nuestra danza desde la década de los 70 en el siglo XX en adelante. El presente artículo ofrece un recorrido por el panorama editorial de estas publicaciones, al tiempo que incide en la necesidad de rescatarlas y valorarlas como un importante fondo de documentación a tener en cuenta para la investigación histórica de esta disciplina artística en nuestro país