Using the Portfolio to develop formative assessment and cooperative learning in Environmental Education. A case study of high school students

RESUMEN: Al amparo de las Recomendaciones del Parlamento Europeo y en un contexto en el cual la ingente cantidad de medios y la vorágine de contenidos asolan el paisaje, urge por un lado la alfabetización de la audiencia y por otro la actuación responsable de los profesionales de los medios. Ambos factores resultan imprescindibles para el alcance de una ciudadanía prosumidora y para el empoderamiento del sujeto mediático. Tratando de dar respuesta a este reto surge, en el contexto nacional un ambicioso proyecto que se ha desarrollado en 10 provincias españolas que pretende, a partir de la implementación de herramientas cuantitativas y cualitativas, la detección de las principales carencias que se producen en las dimensiones que componen la competencia mediática. Fruto del trabajo realizado han surgido diferentes iniciativas y estrategias formativas que pueden aplicarse a distintos colectivos para favorecer el alcance de la ciudadanía mediática, responsable y participativa que ha de desarrollarse en la sociedad multipantalla en la cual predomina la hipercomunicación.ABSTRACT: Taking into account the importance of environmental education for citizens’ formation, we proposed a didactic approach for high school students. Based on a Portfolio methodology we developed cooperative learning with the aim of meaningfully working, in parallel with contents or attitudes of respect related to the environment. Hence, we developed a quasi-experimental descriptive research, using an experimental and a control group in order to evaluate our proposal with four different appraisals. The first three appraisals were focused on the experimental group (measurement of meaningful learning by concept mapping; conceptual and attitudinal measurement with assessment matrix and, a general evaluation of our approach with a discussion group). Finally, we compared the final scores between the experimental and control group. Obtained results allow us to conclude that in the experimental group, this didactic approach allowed meaningful learning of contents and promoted attitudes of respect towards the environment. We recommend extending the didactic approach to improve the obtained results and to be able to offer stimulus that allow deeper and further participation of students

NTMC2T5.1 is involved in chloroplast clustering around nucleus in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Plants have developed mechanisms to protect themselves from pathogens and resist their attacks. Among these, clustering of chloroplasts around the nuclear envelope is a phenomenon that has been proposed as a general response to the perception of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria [1]. Additionally, it has been hypothesized that chloroplast clustering could serve as an efficient way of transferring signals —such as lipids and reactive oxygen species— between these two organelles in order to induce changes in the expression of pathogen defence-related genes. Synaptotagmin-like mitochondrial-lipid-binding (SMP) domain proteins are evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes and participate in the formation of membrane contact sites between organelles. In particular, their SMP domains allow the lipid transport between the membranes of different organelles [2]. Our group is focus on studying NTMC2T5 proteins, a group of SMP proteins, with two homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana. By transiently overexpressing AtNTMC2T5.1 and some truncated versions in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf cells, and using confocal microscopy, we have determined the subcellular localization of the encoded protein. This protein is anchored to the chloroplast outer envelope and interacts with the membranes of other organelles, like the ER and the nuclear envelope membrane [3]. Additionally, we have detected that overexpression of NTMC2T5 proteins causes a significant chloroplast clustering around nucleus, that it was not observed when overexpressing other proteins. Thus, we have estimated the contribution of its functional domains in the clustering. Our results suggest that the C-terminal hydrophobic region (HR) of AtNTMC2T5.1 is essential for this process. Moreover, our Arabidopsis ntmc2t5.1/t5.2 knock down plants showed slower growth when treated with flagelin22 and reduced chloroplast clustering when treated with H2O2.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Validation of the Spanish version of the five-item General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale in a sample of nursing students: Evidence of validity, reliability, longitudinal invariance and changes in general self-efficacy and resilience in a two-wave cross-lagged panel model

Aim: The aim of this study is to validate the Spanish version of the five-item General Self-Efficacy scale in a sample of nursing students, by: 1) offering evidence of validity and reliability; 2) studying the longitudinal measurement invariance of the scale; 3) providing evidence on the changes in the levels of self-efficacy that occur after one year of nursing education; and 4) offering longitudinal evidence on the relationship between nursing students' self-efficacy and resilience levels. Background: Nurses' general self-efficacy has been related to both personal and organizational outcomes. In Spain, some competencies the students must acquire during the Degree in Nursing implicitly refer to self-efficacy. For the measurement of general self-efficacy, the General Self-Efficacy Scale is one of the most widely used in Europe. Design: A longitudinal design was used. Research took place at the University of Valencia and the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain). Participants were 324 nursing students, in the first year of the Nursing Degree. Methods: The five-item General Self-Efficacy scale and the Brief Resilience Coping Scale were used. Analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability estimates, confirmatory factor analysis, a longitudinal measurement invariance routine and several competing cross-lagged models. Results: Evidence of reliability shown by the scale was adequate and a one-factor solution for the structure was found. Additionally, the five-item GSE showed evidence of invariance over time. A causal effect of self-efficacy on nursing students' levels of resilience was found. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the five-item General Self-Efficacy scale is a brief instrument that can contribute to the assessment of some of the basic competencies of the Degree in Nursing, which improve during their education and how these changes are related to other skills important for the nursing profession, such as resilience.This publication is part of the R&D project “Longitudinal research of Nursing Students’ Inner resources for Compassionate Care: Consequences for burnout, compassion fatigue and satisfaction, well-being and quality care (NurSInCC)” PID2022–139199OB-I00, funded in the 2022 call for Knowledge Generation Projects by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033/FEDER, EU.Departamento de Biología Ambiental y Salud Públic

NTMC2T5: a newly identified lipid transfer proteins at ER-chloroplast contact sites involved in development and stress response.

In plants, fatty acid synthesis takes place at chloroplasts, and they are assembled into glycerolipids and sphingolipids at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Then, the newly ER synthetized lipids are sent back to the chloroplast to form part of their membranes. Since, no vesicular transport has been described between these two organelles, lipid transport might be mediated by lipid transport proteins (LTP) via a non-vesicular pathway.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

NTMC2T5 proteins as lipid bridges between plastids and ER during cotyledon development.

The conversion of proplastids to etioplasts is a critical process during seed germination, being essential for the development of cotyledons and the plant itself. Etioplasts play a crucial role in these initial stages as they serve as precursors to chloroplasts. The shift from one type of plastid to another involves massive structural changes. Among these, a key step is the formation of all chloroplastic membranes, which requires the synthesis and delivery of lipids to the plastids. Galactolipids are the most prevalent lipids found in chloroplasts. Notably, during the initial phases of photomorphogenesis, there is a noticeable build up of galactolipids within the plastid membranes, originated from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Since vesicular transport between these organelles has not been documented, lipid transport may be mediated by lipid transport proteins (LTP) at membrane contact sites (MCS). LTPs are characterized by unique lipid transport domains, such as the synaptotagmin-like mitochondrial lipid-binding (SMP) domain. However, no specific LTP has been identified as responsible for lipid exchange between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and chloroplasts. In our studies, we have identified the NTMC2T5 proteins, as putative lipid chloroplast transfer proteins, as they contain a SMP domain. Our confocal microscopy experiments have demonstrated that these proteins are anchored to the outer envelope membrane of the chloroplast, and BiFC analysis we shown that they interact with the ER, forming ER-Chloroplast MCS. QRT-PCR analysis have revealed that N. benthamiana NTMC2T5 gene is mainly expressed in early stages of seedling development. Further analysis in Nicotiana benthamiana CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out mutants showed (1) delayed greening in cotyledons when germinated in light, (2) an albino-like phenotype when germinated in darkness, (3) clear defect in plastid morphogenesis by transmission electron microscopy and (4) lower content of galactolipids.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

La Política Exterior de la República China hacia la República de China (Taiwán), en el período 2000-2017: repercusiones políticas y la posición de los Estados Unidos de América.

El desarrollo histórico de la problemática entre la República Popular China y la República de China (Taiwán)—Repercusiones de la Política Exterior entre ambas naciones, ante las estrategias implementadas por parte de la República Popular China hacia la República de China (Taiwán) –La posición en materia de Política Exterior por parte de los Estados Unidos de América frente a la situación entre la República Popular China y la República de China (Taiwán) en el periodo 2000-2017

Peripheral membrane proteins modulate stress tolerance by safeguarding cellulose synthases

Controlled primary cell wall remodeling allows plant growth under stressful conditions, but how these changes are conveyed to adjust cellulose synthesis is not understood. Here, we identify the TETRATRICOPEPTIDE THIOREDOXIN-LIKE (TTL) proteins as new members of the cellulose synthase complex (CSC) and describe their unique and hitherto unknown dynamic association with the CSC under cellulose-deficient conditions. We find that TTLs are essential for maintaining cellulose synthesis under high-salinity conditions, establishing a stress-resilient cortical microtubule array, and stabilizing CSCs at the plasma membrane. To fulfill these functions, TTLs interact with CELLULOSE SYNTHASE 1 (CESA1) and engage with cortical microtubules to promote their polymerization. We propose that TTLs function as bridges connecting stress perception with dynamic regulation of cellulose biosynthesis at the plasma membrane.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 1-PID2020-114419RB-I00, PGC2018-098789-B-I00, and PID2019-107657RB-C22 to M.A.B., N.R.-L., and A.G.C., respectively), the Andalusian Research Plan cofinanced by the European Union (PAIDI 2020-PY20_00084 and UMA20-FEDERJA-023) to M.A.B. and Junta de Andalucía UMA-FEDER project (UMA18-FEDERJA-154) to N.R.-L., and the Swiss National foundation to C.S.-R. (SNF 31003A_163065/1 to AM). C.K. was supported by a Peter und Traudl Engelhorn-Stiftung fellowship, an ETH Career Seed Grant (SEED-05 19-2) of the ETH Foundation, an Emerging Investigator grant (NNF20OC0060564) of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and an Experiment grant (R346-2020-1546) of the Lundbeck foundation. Á.G.-M. was supported by BES-2015-071256 and EMBO Short-Term 7632 Fellowships. F.P. was supported by and FPU19/02219 fellowship. V.A.-S. was supported by an Emerging Investigator research project (UMA20-FEDERJA-007) and cofinanced by the “Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020” and by the “Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía”. Y.J. was funded by the Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 101001097)

Characterization of the ripe fruit epidermis-specific FvMYB29-FvbHLH transcription factors complexes in woodland strawberry.

Three out of the several ripe epidermis-specific TFs were selected to study their biological role, one of them belonging to the MYB family (FvMYB29), and two bHLH-like proteins (FvbHLH22 and FvbHLH67). Protein interaction assays revealed that the FvMYB29 protein physically interacts independently with the two FvbHLHs forming a heterocomplex. Furthermore, these two bHLHs might participate together in this FvMYB29-FvbHLHs heterocomplex, as evidenced by an in vivo assay. Genome-wide binding sites of these TFs were identified by DAP-seq, revealing that genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and cuticle composition are among the FvMYB29 targets, which were validated by transactivation assays (Luciferase/Renilla system), while the bHLH TFs did not bind to DNA by themselves. Interestingly, transactivation assays combining FvMYB29 and the two FvbHLHs separately or together showed that the latter modulates the transcription of these targets by FvMYB29. Stable FvMYB29 overexpression led to pleiotropic phenotypes evident in both vegetative and reproductive organs compared to the wild type. These plants exhibited significantly smaller leaves, crown elongation, taller inflorescences with more branching, earlier flowering, and a higher rate of fruit abortion due to a reduction in pollen content and viability. As expected from the enrichment in cuticle formation-related genes among the FvMYB29 targets, the overexpression lines showed a misregulation of genes related to cutin and wax biosynthesis in ripe fruits and leaves, which is consistent with a higher content in epicuticular waxes, in particular alkanes, aldehydes, and esters, on the abaxial surface of their leaves compared to those of the control. All these results support the role of the FvMYB29-FvbHLH TF complex as an important regulator of cuticle structure in F. vesca.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Peripheral membrane TTL proteins safeguard cellulose synthesis under stress.

Land plants provide around eighty percent of biomass on Earth and roughly one-third corresponds to cellulose (Bar-On et al 2018). Despite its biological and societal importance, many aspects of cellulose biosynthesis and regulation remain elusive. Controlled primary cell wall remodeling allows plant growth under stressful conditions, but how these changes are conveyed to adjust cellulose synthesis is not well understood (Colin et al 2023). In this work, we identify that Tetratricopeptide Thioredoxin-Like (TTL) proteins, which we previous describe as a scaffold of brassinosteroids signalling components, are also new members of the cellulose synthase complex (CSC) and we describe their unique and hitherto unknown dynamic association with the CSC under cellulose-deficient conditions (Amorim-Silva et al 2019 and Kesten, García-Moreno, Amorim-Silva et al 2022). We found out that TTLs are essential for maintaining cellulose synthesis under high salinity conditions, establishing a stress-resilient cortical microtubule array, and stabilizing CSCs at the plasma membrane. To fulfill these functions, TTLs interact with Cellulose Synthase1 (CESA1) and engage with cortical microtubules to promote their polymerization. We propose that TTLs function as bridges connecting stress perception with dynamic regulation of cellulose biosynthesis at the plasma membrane. In addition, we are currently working to identify and characterize new components involved in TTLs function and dynamics during cellulose biosynthesis under saline stress conditions. References: Amorim-Silva et al. 2019 The Plant Cell Bar-On et al. 2018 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. Colin et al. 2023 The Plant Cell Kesten, García-Moreno, Amorim-Silva et al. 2022 Sci. Adv.Meeting attendance was supported by Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033) (PGC2018-098789-B-I00) and (PID2019-107657RB-C22) to MAB, NRL and AC respectively. The Andalusian Research Plan co-financed by the European Union (PAIDI 2020-PY20_00084) to MAB andde Andalucía UMA-FEDER project (grant UMA18-FEDERJA-154) to NRL, and the Swiss National foundation to CSR (SNF 31003A_163065/1 to AM). CK was supported by a Peter und Traudl Engelhorn-Stiftung fellowship, an ETH Career Seed Grant (SEED-05 19-2) of the ETH Foundation, an Emerging Investigator grant (NNF20OC0060564) of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and an Experiment grant (R346-2020-1546) of the Lundbeck foundation. AGM and FP were supported by BES-2015-071256 and FPU19/02219 fellowships respectively. VAS was supported by an Emerging Investigator research project (UMA20-FEDERJA-007) and co-financed by the “Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020” and by the “Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía”.

Museos y Universidad. Recursos y estrategias colaborativas On line para el aprendizaje de las artes en la formación de profesorado en los grados de Infantil, Primaria, Pedagogía y Educación Social y Máster de Profesorado

A lo largo de una extensa experiencia en la docencia en las enseñanzas artísticas dentro de la Facultad de Bellas Artes y la de Educación y una intensa investigación en el ámbito de la educación en museos, salas y centros de arte, se han en encontrado dos carencias, de carácter sustancial, en la formación del profesorado dentro de la enseñanza artística: el desconocimiento que el alumnado de los diferentes grados de la Facultad de Educación, que cursa materias artísticas tiene de museos, salas, centros de arte, etc. a consecuencia de lo cual también son desconocedores de los diferentes programas educativos que estas instituciones ponen a disposición de los diferentes públicos. Y, la falta de vínculos, entre estas instituciones y la universidad, lo que supone una barrera considerable a la ahora de abordar una solución a la primera. En los PID nº 111 2018/2019 y nº 78 2019/2020 denominados: “ Cartografía crítica de recursos educativos y pedagógicos en instituciones y entidades culturales del ámbito de las artes visuales en la Comunidad de Madrid como herramienta para la formación del profesorado”. Se han desarrollado estrategias, a través de acciones con el alumnado en los propios museos, que han permitido elaborar las pautas y criterios para el diseño de un recurso on line en abierto , que haga accesible esta información y construya comunidad educativa en contacto con la institución cultural. Como consecuencia de la COVID19, el PID nº 78 2019/2020 , además de la investigación y acción sobre esa cartografía, ha desarrollado experiencias de procesos de aprendizaje a través de la red social Instagram, abriendo posibilidades no sólo en este sentido, sino también como contenedor de recursos y facilitador de conectividad, muy valoradas por los estudiantes. Este proyecto, enmarcado fundamentalmente en la línea 2: ”Innovación de recursos en abierto y enseñanza virtual” aunque atraviese otras de las líneas, espacialmente la 1: “formación de profesorado universitario en competencias digitales”, tal y como se explica en el apartado correspondiente, pretende explorar las posibilidades de Instagram, como instrumento colaborativo de procesos de aprendizaje individual y colectivo, repositorio de recursos de educación artística para el profesorado basados en experiencias reales y facilitador de vínculos con las instituciones artísticas, sus actividades y recursos educativos. Pretende también poner definitivamente en marcha el prototipo de la cartografía como recurso abierto, que incluya cuestiones didácticas de la educación artística y lo enmarque en el contexto pedagógico pertinente en el campo de la educación formal y la educación en museos. El museo, en general, es un centro de inclusión social porque suelen ser patrimonios nacionales e internacionales que muestran la expresión humana sincrónica y diacrónicamente como nexo intercultural, transcultural, intergeneracional, transgeneracional y vocacionalmente para personas con diversas capacidades. Así mismo, el museo es ese espacio igualitario y comunitario que nos identifica, como seres necesariamente sociales, apremiados de expresar, comunicar y compartir. La comunidad es uno de los pilares procedimentales de la Educación social. Así mismo, el arte puede ser una poderosa herramienta de inclusión social Por último, en base a las anteriores experiencias, el proyecto que se solicita incorpora tanto al grupo que lo hace, como a los destinatarios a quienes va dirigido a alumnos y profesores del ámbito de la Educación Social para quienes, la comunidad es uno de los pilares procedimentales de aprendizaje y acción. Es necesario señalar que, en la actualidad, para la institución artística, es especialmente relevante la accesibilidad y participación de diferentes colectivos y comunidades, para las cuales el museos pueda suponer un espacio de afecto a la institución y por tanto un espacio favorecedor de la emancipación. Continuando con las adhesiones al proyecto, se trabajará también con estudiantes de Bellas Artes interesados en la educación, con quienes encontrar intereses compartidos y junto a los cuales favorecer los vínculos entre instituciones artísticas, universidad y facultades