Educating through commons-based pedagogical practices

This paper explores the transformative potential of primary education pedagogy to instill the logic and ethics of the commons, emphasizing a paradigm shift away from competitive or individualistic learning frameworks towards those fostering care, reciprocity, and mutual support. Through a year-long action research project in a sixth-grade classroom, this study examines the transfer of Educational commons elements into formal schooling. It argues that such integration requires pedagogical practices that cultivate distinct cognitive and operational modes, enabling students to engage in self-organization of the school classroom and collective knowledge management. The research details the development and operationalization of what is termed as “commons-based pedagogical practices”. These practices are designed to encourage a learning environment that is inclusive and collaborative, characterized by peer learning, co-creation of knowledge, assemblies. peer dialogue and peer accountability. The study juxtaposes theoretical frameworks with practical applications, providing insights into how these pedagogical approaches can be effectively implemented to transform educational settings. The emphasis is placed on creating a classroom dynamic that supports the collective exploration and negotiation of diverse educational concepts, thereby fostering an atmosphere conducive to communal learning and ethical engagement

PHOSPHORUS ZONING FROM SECONDARY OLIVINE IN MANTLE XENOLITH FROM MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS (MOROCCO, AFRICA): IMPLICATIONS FOR CRYSTAL GROWTH KINETICS

Συλλέχθηκαν δείγματα μανδυακών ξενολίθων σε επαφή με βασάλτες από το μάαρ Tafraoute του Μαρόκκου. Διαπιστώθηκε η ύπαρξη φλεβών τήγματος που τέμνουν την πρωτογενή στρωμάτωση και σχιστότητα. Για τον πετρογραφικό και χημικό χαρακτηρισμό των φλεβών τήγματος, εφαρμόστηκαν οι τεχνικές της οπτικής μικροσκοπίας και ηλεκτρονικής μικροανάλυσης. Οι φλέβες αποτελούνται από ύελο και κρυστάλλους ολιβίνη, κλινοπυροξένου, πλαγιοκλάστου, σπινελίου και απατίτη. Ο ολιβίνης είναι πλούσιος στην περιφέρειά του σε φώσφορο ~0,3 %κ.β (εκπεφρασμένο ως P2O5). Correlations between Al and P, as well as experimentally determined partition coefficient for P, point towards non-equilibrium partitioning during rapid crystal growth at the end of crystallization. Βασιζόμενοι σε συντελεστές κατανομής φωσφόρου μεταξύ ολιβίνη και τήγματος, και τη σχέση του αργιλίου με το φώσφορο, 1924 καταλήγουμε σε κατανομή σε συνθήκες μη ισορροπίας κατά τη διάρκεια ταχύτατης ανάπτυξης στο τέλος της κρυστάλλωσηςMantle xenolith samples in contact with basalt flows were collected from the Tafraoute maar in Morocco. Discrete melt veins are present in one xenolith sample, crosscutting primary layering and foliation. We used both optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis to characterize the glasses and minerals in the melt veins. The melt veins consist of glass and crystals of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, spinel and apatite. The olivine in the melt veins is quite distinct from the same mineral within the matrix due to its characteristic P-enriched rims (up to 0.3 wt.%). Correlations between Al and P, as well as experimentally determined partition coefficient for P, point towards non-equilibrium partitioning during rapid crystal growth at the end of crystallization

Santorini volcano as a potential Martian analogue: The Balos Cove Basalts

The interpretation of geologic processes on Mars from sparse meteorite, remote sensing and rover data is influenced by knowledge gained from well-characterized terrestrial analogues. This calls for detailed study of candidate terrestrial analogues and comparison of their observable features to those encountered on the surface of Mars. We evaluated the mineralogical, geochemical, and physical properties of the Balos cove basalts (BCB) from the island of Santorini and compared them to Martian meteorites, Mars rover surface measurements, and other verified Martian analogues obtained from the International Space Analogue Rockstore (ISAR). Twenty rock samples were collected from the Balos cove area based on their freshness, integrity, and basaltic appearance in the field. Optical microscopy of BCB revealed a pilotaxitic to trachytic texture, with olivine and clinopyroxenephenocrysts in a fine groundmass of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, magnetite, and devitrified glass. All major minerals show normal zoning, including calcic plagioclase (An_(78–85) at the core and An_(60–76) at the rim), augite (En_(36-48)Wo_(41-44)Fs_(11–21)), and olivine (Fo_(74–88)). The dominant bands in the infrared-attenuated total reflectance (IR-ATR) spectra from BCB can be assigned to olivine (~875 cm−1), calcic plagioclase (~1130 cm^(−1)), and augite (~970 cm^(−1)). The whole-rock chemical compositions and mineralogy of the BCB are similar to published analyses of typical olivine-phyric shergottites and basalts and basaltic materials analyzed in Gusev and Gale craters on Mars. BCB porosity is in the range of 7–15% and is similar to the porosities of the ISAR samples. Although no terrestrial rock is ever a perfect match to Martian compositions, the differences in mineralogy and geochemistry between BCB and some classes of Martian samples are relatively subtle and the basalts of Santorini are as close a match as other accepted Mars basalt analogues. The Santorini site offers excellent field logistics that, together with the petrology of the outcrop, makes it a valuable locality for testing and calibration deployments, field training, and other activities related to current and future Mars exploration

The Gypsy Database (GyDB) of mobile genetic elements

In this article, we introduce the Gypsy Database (GyDB) of mobile genetic elements, an in-progress database devoted to the non-redundant analysis and evolutionary-based classification of mobile genetic elements. In this first version, we contemplate eukaryotic Ty3/Gypsy and Retroviridae long terminal repeats (LTR) retroelements. Phylogenetic analyses based on the gag-pro-pol internal region commonly presented by these two groups strongly support a certain number of previously described Ty3/Gypsy lineages originally reported from reverse-transcriptase (RT) analyses. Vertebrate retroviruses (Retroviridae) are also constituted in several monophyletic groups consistent with genera proposed by the ICTV nomenclature, as well as with the current tendency to classify both endogenous and exogenous retroviruses by three major classes (I, II and III). Our inference indicates that all protein domains codified by the gag-pro-pol internal region of these two groups agree in a collective presentation of a particular evolutionary history, which may be used as a main criterion to differentiate their molecular diversity in a comprehensive collection of phylogenies and non-redundant molecular profiles useful in the identification of new Ty3/Gypsy and Retroviridae species. The GyDB project is available at http://gydb.uv.es

Osvaldo and Isis retrotransposons as markers of the Drosophila buzzatii colonization in Australia

Background: Transposable elements (TEs) constitute an important source of genetic variability owing to their jumping and regulatory properties, and are considered to drive species evolution. Several factors that are able to induce TE transposition in genomes have been documented (for example environmental stress and inter- and intra-specific crosses) but in many instances the reasons for TE mobilisation have yet to be elucidated. Colonising populations constitute an ideal model for studying TE behaviour and distribution as they are exposed to different environmental and new demographic conditions. In this study, the distribution of two TEs, Osvaldo and Isis, was examined in two colonising populations of D. buzzatii from Australia. Comparing Osvaldo copy numbers between Australian and Old World (reported in previous studies) colonisations provides a valuable tool for elucidating the colonisation process and the effect of new conditions encountered by colonisers on TEs. Results: The chromosomal distributions of Osvaldo and Isis retrotransposons in two colonising populations of D. buzzatii from Australia revealed sites of high insertion frequency (>10%) and low frequency sites. Comparisons between Osvaldo insertion profiles in colonising populations from the Old World and Australia demonstrate a tendency towards a higher number of highly occupied sites with higher insertion frequency in the Old World than in Australian populations. Tests concerning selection against deleterious TE insertions indicate that Isis is more controlled by purifying selection than Osvaldo. The distribution of both elements on chromosomal arms follows a Poisson distribution and there are non-significant positive correlations between highly occupied sites and chromosomal inversions. Conclusions: The occupancy profile of Osvaldo and Isis retrotransposons is characterised by the existence of high and low insertion frequency sites in the populations. These results demonstrate that Australian D. buzzatii populations were subjected to a founder effect during the colonisation process. Moreover, there are more sites with high insertion frequency in the Old World colonisation than in the Australian colonisation, indicating a probable stronger bottleneck effect in Australia. The results suggest that selection does not seem to play a major role, compared to demography, in the distribution of transposable elements in the Australian populations

Mosquitoes LTR Retrotransposons: A Deeper View into the Genomic Sequence of Culex quinquefasciatus

A set of 67 novel LTR-retrotransposon has been identified by in silico analyses of the Culex quinquefasciatus genome using the LTR_STRUC program. The phylogenetic analysis shows that 29 novel and putatively functional LTR-retrotransposons detected belong to the Ty3/gypsy group. Our results demonstrate that, by considering only families containing potentially autonomous LTR-retrotransposons, they account for about 1% of the genome of C. quinquefasciatus. In previous studies it has been estimated that 29% of the genome of C. quinquefasciatus is occupied by mobile genetic elements

Interchromosomal Duplications on the Bactrocera oleae Y Chromosome Imply a Distinct Evolutionary Origin of the Sex Chromosomes Compared to Drosophila

BACKGROUND: Diptera have an extraordinary variety of sex determination mechanisms, and Drosophila melanogaster is the paradigm for this group. However, the Drosophila sex determination pathway is only partially conserved and the family Tephritidae affords an interesting example. The tephritid Y chromosome is postulated to be necessary to determine male development. Characterization of Y sequences, apart from elucidating the nature of the male determining factor, is also important to understand the evolutionary history of sex chromosomes within the Tephritidae. We studied the Y sequences from the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae. Its Y chromosome is minute and highly heterochromatic, and displays high heteromorphism with the X chromosome. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A combined Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) approach was used to investigate the Y chromosome to derive information on its sequence content. The Y chromosome is strewn with repetitive DNA sequences, the majority of which are also interdispersed in the pericentromeric regions of the autosomes. The Y chromosome appears to have accumulated small and large repetitive interchromosomal duplications. The large interchromosomal duplications harbour an importin-4-like gene fragment. Apart from these importin-4-like sequences, the other Y repetitive sequences are not shared with the X chromosome, suggesting molecular differentiation of these two chromosomes. Moreover, as the identified Y sequences were not detected on the Y chromosomes of closely related tephritids, we can infer divergence in the repetitive nature of their sequence contents. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of Y-linked sequences may tell us much about the repetitive nature, the origin and the evolution of Y chromosomes. We hypothesize how these repetitive sequences accumulated and were maintained on the Y chromosome during its evolutionary history. Our data reinforce the idea that the sex chromosomes of the Tephritidae may have distinct evolutionary origins with respect to those of the Drosophilidae and other Dipteran families