Primera cita de Epilobium ciliatum Raf. (Onagraceae) en la Comunidad Valenciana

Se comunica la presencia de la especie alóctona Epilobium ciliatum Raf. (Onograceae) en la Comunidad Valenciana (España). Esta cita constituye la segunda referencia para la especie en la Península Ibérica, tras su localización reciente en la Comunidad de Madrid. Se comentan algunos aspectos de su posible introducción en el territorio valenciano así como su estado como planta alóctona potencialmente invasora y los caracteres morfológicos más útiles para su identificación

Notas sobre el complejo taxonómico Cardamine flexuosa With. (Cruciferae) y su presencia en la Comunidad Valenciana

Se comunica la presencia de Cardamine flexuosa With. s. str. como primera cita para la Comunidad Valenciana y de Cardamine flexuosa subsp. debilis O. E. Schulz como primera cita para la provincia de Valencia. Se repasan ciertos aspectos nomenclaturales, taxonómicos, corológicos y ecológicos referentes a los dos táxones, así como de Cardamine hirsuta L., especie morfológicamente afín. Se propone una clave dicotómica para la identificación y discriminación de estos tres táxones. Se informa sobre la probable vía de entrada de C. flexuosa s.l. y se evalúa su estado como posible potencial invasor.First record of Cardamine flexuosa With. s. str. from the Valencian Community and first record of Cardamine flexuosa subsp. debilis O. E. Schulz from the Province of Valencia, both placed at Eastern Spain, are reported. Some nomenclatural, taxonomic, chorological and ecological aspects reporting both taxa are reviewed, as well as those related to Cardamine hirsuta L., a morphologically very similar species. A dichotomous key to identify and separate these three taxa is proposed. The introduction way of the alien species C. flexuosa s.l. is suggested and an evaluation of the status as a possible potential invasive species is made

Microbial community changes induced by Managed Aquifer Recharge activities: linking hydrogeological and biological processes

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is a technique used worldwide to increase the availability of water resources. We study how MAR modifies microbial ecosystems and its implications for enhancing biodegradation processes to eventually improve groundwater quality. We compare soil and groundwater samples taken from a MAR facility located in NE Spain during recharge (with the facility operating continuously for several months) and after 4 months of no recharge. The study demonstrates a strong correlation between soil and water microbial prints with respect to sampling location along the mapped infiltration path. In particular, managed recharge practices disrupt groundwater ecosystems by modifying diversity indices and the composition of microbial communities, indicating that infiltration favors the growth of certain populations. Analysis of the genetic profiles showed the presence of nine different bacterial phyla in the facility, revealing high biological diversity at the highest taxonomic range. In fact, the microbial population patterns under recharge conditions agree with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH). Moreover, DNA sequence analysis of excised denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) band patterns revealed the existence of indicator species linked to MAR, most notably Dehalogenimonas sp., Nitrospira sp. and Vogesella sp.. Our real facility multidisciplinary study (hydrological, geochemical and microbial), involving soil and groundwater samples, indicates that MAR is a naturally based, passive and efficient technique with broad implications for the biodegradation of pollutants dissolved in water.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

"El robot de les emocions", un projecte per estudiar la funció de relació a primaria

En aquest article es presenta una proposta educativa per promoure la construcció de diverses idees sobre la funció de relació dels éssers vius a partir d'un repte inicial: dissenyar i construir un robot que pugui expressar algunes emocions. El disseny es basa en una metodologia ABP (Aprenentatge Basat en Projectes) i s'estructura al voltant de 5 etapes: presentació del repte i exploració d'idees prèvies, realització d'experiències, estructuració i extensió i comunicació final. Aquest projecte es va realitzar amb col·laboració amb la Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS) i es va implementar en el programa CROMA 2.0 en el curs 2017-2018 amb infants de 5è i 6è de primària.This article presents an educational proposal to promote the construction of different ideas about the relational abilities of living things from an initial challenge: designing and building a robot that can express some emotions. Its design is based on a PBL-based methodology (Project Based Learning) and is structured around 5 stages: presentation of the challenge and exploration of previous ideas, realization of experiences, structuring and extension and final communication. This project was carried out in collaboration with the Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS) and was implemented in the program CROMA 2.0 during the 2017-2018 course with 5th and 6th grade pupils

KIS, a kinase associated with microtubule regulators, enhances translation of AMPA receptors and stimulates dendritic spine remodeling

Local regulation of protein synthesis allows a neuron to rapidly alter the proteome in response to synaptic signals, an essential mechanism in synaptic plasticity that is altered in many neurological diseases. Synthesis of many synaptic proteins is under local control and much of this regulation occurs through structures termed RNA granules. KIS is a protein kinase that associates with stathmin, a modulator of the tubulin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, KIS is found in RNA granules and stimulates translation driven by the β-actin 3'UTR in neurites. Here we explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the action of KIS on hippocampal synaptic plasticity in mice. KIS downregulation compromises spine development, alters actin dynamics, and reduces postsynaptic responsiveness. The absence of KIS results in a significant decrease of protein levels of PSD-95, a postsynaptic scaffolding protein, and the AMPAR subunits GluR1 and GluR2 in a CPEB3-dependent manner. Underlying its role in spine maturation, KIS is able to suppress the spine developmental defects caused by CPEB3 overexpression. Moreover, either by direct or indirect mechanisms, KIS counteracts the inhibitory activity of CPEB3 on the GluR2 3'UTR at both mRNA translation and polyadenylation levels. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms that mediate dendritic spine morphogenesis and functional synaptic maturation, and suggests KIS as a link regulating spine cytoskeleton and postsynaptic activity in memory formation

El Pla d’Almatà (Balaguer, la Noguera): primeres aportacions interdisciplinàries a l’estudi de les sitges i els pous negres de la Zona 5

El jaciment arqueològic del Pla d’Almatà es troba situat a la ciutat de Balaguer. El jaciment té una extensió de 27 hectàrees. Des de l’any 2005 els treballs arqueològics s’han desenvolupat a l’àrea coneguda com Zona 5. Es tracta d’una zona residencial de la ciutat en la qual s’han identificat nou cases i dos carrers amb una disposició perfectament octogonal. Totes les cases tenen una estructura similar. Un pati central és l’element que articula l’espai domèstic, amb tot d’habitacions al voltant. A l’interior de les cases s’han documentat tot un seguit d’estructures excavades al subsòl que apareixen reomplertes amb abocaments d’escombraries, que hem relacionat amb sitges o pous negres. L’aplicació d’estudis interdisciplinaris en aquests conjunts ha permès aportar tot un seguit de noves dades en l’estudi del Pla d’Almatà. En aquest article es presenten els resultats preliminars

Recruitment of Staufen2 Enhances Dendritic Localization of an Intron-Containing CaMKIIα mRNA

Regulation of mRNA localization is a conserved cellular process observed in many types of cells and organisms. Asymmetrical mRNA distribution plays a particularly important role in the nervous system, where local translation of localized mRNA represents a key mechanism in synaptic plasticity. CaMKIIα is a very abundant mRNA detected in neurites, consistent with its crucial role at glutamatergic synapses. Here, we report the presence of CaMKIIα mRNA isoforms that contain intron i16 in dendrites, RNA granules, and synaptoneurosomes from primary neurons and brain. This subpopulation of unspliced mRNA preferentially localizes to distal dendrites in a synaptic-activity-dependent manner. Staufen2, a well-established marker of RNA transport in dendrites, interacts with intron i16 sequences and enhances its distal dendritic localization, pointing to the existence of intron-mediated mechanisms in the molecular pathways that modulate dendritic transport and localization of synaptic mRNAs.This work was funded by grants from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (BFU2014-52591-R CG) and the European Union (FEDER) to C.G