Non-autonomy of AGAMOUS function in flower development: use of a Cre/loxP method for mosaic analysis in Arabidopsis

Angiosperms use a multi-layered meristem (typically L1, L2 and L3) to produce primordia that then develop into plant organs, A number of experiments show that communication between the cell layers is important for normal development. We examined whether the function of the flower developmental control gene AGAMOUS involves communication across these layers. We developed a mosaic strategy using the Cre/loxP site-specific recombinase system, and identified the sector structure for mosaics that produced mutant flowers. The major conclusions were that (1) AGAMOUS must be active in the L2 for staminoid and carpelloid tissues, (2) that AGAMOUS must be active in the L2 and the L3 for floral meristem determinacy, and (3) that epidermal cell identity can be communicated by the L2 to the L1 layer

What Does It Mean To Study "Modern Spanish Culture"?

Para tratar el tema de la 'cultura española moderna', resulta crucial reflexionar sobre las relaciones entre estas tres palabras y las consecuencias teóricas derivadas de la elección de una definición determinada de 'cultura'. Estudiaré primero los cambioSince this work deals with 'modern spanish culture', it seems crucial to reflect upon the relationships between those three words and the theoretical consequences of how we choose to define 'culture'. I will look first at the changes in the meaning of th

An Ethnography on Parental Involvement in U.S. Schools from the Perspectives of Latino Parents: Methodological and Theoretical Considerations

Este texto se presentó como comunicación al II Congreso Internacional de Etnografía y Educación: Migraciones y Ciudadanías. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 5-8 Septiembre 2008.At no other time in the history of educational reform is the role of parental involvement in U. S. schools of paramount importance (Comer, 2004; Esptein, 2004) Much research has shown that parents are critical in raising the achievement of students particularly where there is direct, curriculum related outreach and trust (Henderson and Mapp, 2002; Ascher, 1988, Baker and Soden, 1993). Others researchers such as Mattingly, Radmila, McKenzie, Rodriguez and Kazar (2002) indicate that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between parent involvement and student achievement. Schools have nevertheless been mandated to conduct outreach to parents in order to reduce the achievement gaps that persist for African American and Latino students in relation to European whites and to offset what are apparent shortcomings in the reservoirs of social capital limited expectations for children's success (Jeynes, 2002). The ethnographic study presented herein is an attempt in identifying ways in which Latino parents in different communities (a community based organization, an after church group, a community organizing group, and a school group) who have undergone training by a university researcher learn how to use ethnographic research techniques and methods that help them understand schools, how to use data, and how they can become empowered by conducting their own research. Using focus groups, the training and research took place during 1999 to 2002 and was reinitiated during 2005 in communities with high concentrations of Latinos in the greater metropolitan area of Boston, Massachusetts. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1) What do Latino parents understand of U. S. schooling and the ways that the curriculum, assessment, and teaching is organized? More specifically what do they see their roles as parents being vis a vis the schools? 2) Using the skills of ethnographers in observing, writing field notes, focusing on material culture, interviewing key school personnel, how can these parents gather data that helps them make decisions about what is going on in their schools? 3) What can parents learn from using this type of research approach that enables them to understand their roles in school and become empowered? 4) What considerations can ethnographic theory and methods gain from this research? The study concludes that much can be learned from the perspectives of Latino parents, particularly in the way we employ some of the theoretical models for parental involvement. In addition, ethnographic research may gain from the theoretical and methodological considerations provided by using the perspectives of Latino parents in understanding their participatory roles and sense of empowerment

Beyond Affirmative Action: An Inquiry into the Experiences of Latinas in Academia

This article presents a Latina professional\u27s observations of the world of meanings and circumstances that Latina academicians and researchers face in higher education. While they are not represented as a definitive study, because research on underrepresented faculty is sparse and inconclusive owing to the small numbers, they are nonetheless exploratory and critical, rooted in the author\u27s and other Latinas\u27 exposure to academic contexts, forums, and institutes, the scant literature on Latina academicians, and the experiences and reflections of fifteen professional Latinas in higher education. The academic structural obstacles that have constrained the advancement of these women in their professionalization are documented as a means to identify the types of reform policies and research needed in higher education

Reflections for Transforming the Perspectives of Teacher-Directed Practices towards Community-Based Ethnographic Practices with Migrant and Minority Students

This conceptual paper represents the retrospective/current reflections and findings from teacher education research of an intercultural educator gathered over 45 years of research in country-specific schools. Considered are the perspectives of primary and secondary school teachers who teach migrant/minority students and who are influenced by national policies which expose them to new local intercultural classroom practices. Its intent is to question the use of homogenized teacher-directed practices that not only essentialize these students’ traditions, customs, cultures, religions, and languages but also project a deficit model in classrooms which minimalizes their contributions. Proposed is the deconstruction of homogenized, rigid teacher-directed practices arising from their professional training, classroom teaching, and pedagogy, towards community-based ethnographic (CBE) practices so that teachers, students, and ethnographers can immerse themselves in classroom participatory inquiry and critical thinking that unpacks students’ lives and creates dialogical processes that identify, utilize, and legitimize local “funds of knowledge”. By implementing a CBE approach, a more realistic understanding of the educational contexts, experiences, and perspectives of migrant/minority students and their teachers can be identified to develop interculturally ladened learning activities and content that concretely address diversity

nu444 is a novel allele of pkc-1 in C. elegans

Here, we report nu444 as a novel allele of the gene pkc-1 that encodes the protein kinase C-1 in C. elegans. The nu444 allele was originally isolated from a forward genetic screen for mutants that suppressed the “Hic” (Hypersensitivity to Inhibitors of Cholinesterase) phenotype of dgk-1(nu62) mutants, which had increased acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction (Sieburth et al., 2007). In this screen, several genes that are important for neuropeptide secretion were recovered, including pkc-1(nu448) (Sieburth et al., 2007) and ric-7(nu447) (Hao et al., 2012). Sanger sequencing of the exons and exon-intron junctions of the pkc-1 locus revealed that nu444 had a nonsense mutation (C to T, in the coding strand of pkc-1, with left flanking sequence: 5’-GGATGAATATCATATAGGAAAGACG-3’ and right flanking sequence: 5’- AAGTTCGGCCCAAGACTAATGAACC-3’) in an early exon that is only present in pkc1a and pkc-1c isoforms (Fig.1). Thus, pkc-1(nu444) allele is probably a null allele for both pkc-1a (Q53stop) and pkc-1c (Q109stop), but presumably does not affect pkc-1b.

Foreword

These articles echo the issues of today that will have an impact on the future and help us understand how current thinking about ethnicity, education, and health within Latino populations presents opportunities for the coming century. The Latino presence in the United States will certainly make itself known. As Richard Rodriguez poignantly reminds us, We will change America, even as we will be changed