La no-opresión y los estudios de paz

La paz es algo más que la mera ausencia de violencia. Construir una paz verdadera necesita del entendimiento profundo de los instintos humanos, y de las formas en que éstos nos pueden ayudar a crear, en lugar de determinarnos hacia la destrucción. Nuestra propia naturaleza y búsqueda de la libertad nos pueden llevar a la guerra o a la paz. En lugar de centrarnos únicamente en evitar la violencia, debemos empezar a entender sus causas: la opresión. Así, descubrimos un nuevo concepto, una capacidad inherente al ser humano: la no-opresión, o la facultad de conseguir la libertad con los demás

The over-expression of the plastidial transglutaminase from maize in Arabidopsis increases the activation threshold of photoprotection

Plastidial transglutaminase is one of the most promising enzymes in chloroplast bioenergetics due to its link with polyamine pathways and the cross talk with signals such as Ca2+ and GTP. Here, we show the effect of the increase of transglutaminase activity in Arabidopsis by using genetic transformation techniques. These lines fulfill their biological cycle normally (normal growth in soil, production of viable seeds) and show a relatively mild increase in transglutaminase activity (127%). These overexpressors of transglutaminase (OE TGase) have an extended stroma thylakoid network (71% higher number of PSIIβ centers), similar chlorophyll content (-4%), higher linear electron flow (+13%), and higher threshold of photoprotection activation (∼100%). On the other hand OE TGase showed a reduced maximum photochemistry of PSII (-6.5%), a smaller antenna per photosystem II (-25%), a lower photoprotective "energization" quenching or qE (-77% at 490 μmol photons m-2 s-1) due to a higher threshold of qE activation and slightly lower light induced proton motive force (-17%). The role of the polyamines and of the transglutaminase in the regulation of chemiosmosis and photoprotection in chloroplasts is discussed

Cyberactivism: A new form of participation for University Students = Ciberactivismo: nueva forma de participación para estudiantes universitarios

The purpose of this article is to show the results derived from a sample of students who were enrolled in different bachelor degree programs offered by the University of Sonora in Mexico. There was a double objective for this study. First, to identify cyber activist students through the answers gathered through a questionnaire taken electronically using as inclusion criteria the presence of high and medium levels of participation and commitment in different actions undertaken in four topic areas (environment, academic, social and citizen issues, and human rights). As a second objective, and after selecting three unique cases of cyber activist students, inflexion points were determined in the activities performed by these youngsters in digital social networks. Using personal narrative as a methodological strategy, the students described how they interact with others through different digital networks. Among the first categories identified in the indepth interviews are: interaction history (use, access and availability of technology at a young age), and active participation about topics of interest in social networks (organization and the perceptions of achievements made). As main findings, there are the availability of these resources from a young age, personal motivation in participating in diverse topics, enjoyment of expressing one’s opinion freely, electronic participation as a way to commit to a cause, and not joining an organization while participating

El asilo en la Unión Europea: aportaciones del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos y del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea

Sumario: Introducción. I. El sistema europeo común de asilo. 1. El acervo en materia de asilo. 2. Terminología: 2.1. Asilo. 2.2. Protección internacional. 2.3. Protección temporal. II. Aportaciones de la jurisprudencia. 1. Determinación del Estado responsable de la solicitud de asilo: 1.1. Jurisprudencia del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos. 1.2. Jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea. 2. Causas de exclusión para ser refugiado: 2.1. Personas que reciben protección de organismos de Naciones Unidas. 2.2. Personas relacionadas con la comisión de determinados delitos. Conclusiones

Role of plastid transglutaminase in LHCII polyamination and thylakoid electron and proton flow

Transglutaminases function as biological glues in animal cells, plant cells and microbes. In energy producing organelles such as chloroplasts the presence of transglutaminases was recently confirmed. Furthermore, a plastidial transglutaminase has been cloned from maize and the first plants overexpressing tgz are available (Nicotiana tabacum TGZ OE). Our hypothesis is that the overexpression of plastidal transglutaminase will alter photosynthesis via increased polyamination of the antenna of photosystem II. We have used standard analytical tools to separate the antenna from photosystem II in wild type and modified plants, 6 specific antibodies against LHCbs to confirm their presence and sensitive HPLC method to quantify the polyamination level of these proteins. We report that bound spermidine and spermine were significantly increased (∼80%) in overexpressors. Moreover, we used recent advances in in vivo probing to study simultaneously the proton and electron circuit of thylakoids. Under physiological conditions overexpressors show a 3-fold higher sensitivity of the antenna down regulation loop (qE) to the elicitor (luminal protons) which is estimated as the ΔpH component of thylakoidal proton motive force. In addition, photosystem (hyper-PSIIα) with an exceptionally high antenna (large absorption cross section), accumulate in transglutaminase over expressers doubling the rate constant of light energy utilization (Kα) and promoting thylakoid membrane stacking. Polyamination of antenna proteins is a previously unrecognized mechanism for the modulation of the size (antenna absorption cross section) and sensitivity of photosystem II to down regulation. Future research will reveal which peptides and which residues of the antenna are responsible for such effects