The Francoist repression in the Catalan Countries

This article offers an overview of Francoist repression in the Catalan Countries from the outbreak of the Civil War to the first decade after the establishment of the dictatorship. It covers both physical violence and measures such as economic repression, imprisonment, professional purges and the social and moral control to which the population as a whole was subjected. First the type of violence and domination exercised by the insurgents in the territories occupied is briefly examined. Then the author offers an account of the events: she commences in the summer of 1936 in Majorca, the only Catalan-speaking territory to remain in rebel hands, then proceeds to the Lleida region, which was occupied in the spring of 1938, and concludes with the final offensive against Catalonia and Valencia, launched in the winter of that same year. Special stress is laid on the repercussions of the 1939 Law of Political Responsibilities and the meaning attached by the occupiers to the pacification and reconstruction of the conquered territories.

Correlations of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activities with glycogen concentration in human muscle biopsies. Evidence for a double-feedback mechanism regulating glycogen synthesis and breakdown.

The purpose of this study was to verify in man the relationships of muscle glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activities with glycogen concentration that were reported in animal studies. The upper level of glycogen concentration in muscle is known to be tightly controlled, and glycogen concentration was reported to have an inhibitory effect on synthase activity and a stimulatory effect on phosphorylase activity. Glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activity and glycogen concentration were measured in muscle biopsies in a group of nine normal subjects after stimulating an increase of their muscle glycogen concentration through either an intravenous glucose-insulin infusion to stimulate glycogen synthesis, or an Intralipid (Vitrum, Stockholm, Sweden) infusion in the basal state to inhibit glycogen mobilization by favoring lipid oxidation at the expense of glucose oxidation. Phosphorylase activity increased from 71.3 +/- 21.0 to 152.8 +/- 20.0 nmol/min/mg protein (P < .005) after the glucose-insulin infusion. Phosphorylase activity was positively correlated with glycogen concentration (P = .005 and P = .0001) after the glucose-insulin and Intralipid infusions, respectively. Insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity was significantly negatively correlated with glycogen concentration at the end of the Intralipid infusion (P < .005). In conclusion, by demonstrating a negative correlation of glycogen concentration with glycogen synthase and a positive correlation with phosphorylase, this study might confirm in man the double-feedback mechanism by which changes in glycogen concentration regulate glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activities. It suggests that this mechanism might play an important role in the regulation of glucose storage.

Parallel feedback loops control the basal activity of the HOG MAPK signaling cascade.

Tight regulation of the MAP kinase Hog1 is crucial for survival under changing osmotic conditions. Interestingly, we found that Hog1 phosphorylates multiple upstream components, implying feedback regulation within the signaling cascade. Taking advantage of an unexpected link between glucose availability and Hog1 activity, we used quantitative single cell measurements and computational modeling to unravel feedback regulation operating in addition to the well-known adaptation feedback triggered by glycerol accumulation. Indeed, we found that Hog1 phosphorylates its activating kinase Ssk2 on several sites, and cells expressing a non-phosphorylatable Ssk2 mutant are partially defective for feedback regulation and proper control of basal Hog1 activity. Together, our data suggest that Hog1 activity is controlled by intertwined regulatory mechanisms operating with varying kinetics, which together tune the Hog1 response to balance basal Hog1 activity and its steady-state level after adaptation to high osmolarity.

Spontaneous cell polarization: Feedback control of Cdc42 GTPase breaks cellular symmetry.

Spontaneous polarization without spatial cues, or symmetry breaking, is a fundamental problem of spatial organization in biological systems. This question has been extensively studied using yeast models, which revealed the central role of the small GTPase switch Cdc42. Active Cdc42-GTP forms a coherent patch at the cell cortex, thought to result from amplification of a small initial stochastic inhomogeneity through positive feedback mechanisms, which induces cell polarization. Here, I review and discuss the mechanisms of Cdc42 activity self-amplification and dynamic turnover. A robust Cdc42 patch is formed through the combined effects of Cdc42 activity promoting its own activation and active Cdc42-GTP displaying reduced membrane detachment and lateral diffusion compared to inactive Cdc42-GDP. I argue the role of the actin cytoskeleton in symmetry breaking is not primarily to transport Cdc42 to the active site. Finally, negative feedback and competition mechanisms serve to control the number of polarization sites.

Feblesa de tutories: manca de feedback i autoregulació en l'estudiant d'infermeria. Valoració de l'avaluació continuada en l'assignatura Ciències Psicosocials Aplicades a la Salut en el Grau d'Infermeria (EEES), (2009-2010)

Resum: En el nou model derivat de l"Espai Europeu d"Educació Superior (EEES), l"ensenyament aprenentatge (E-A) es centra en l"estudiant, enfront del rol més destacat del professor en l"ensenyament tradicional. El procés d"experimentació al que assistim en el nostre medi, requereix la valoració de les primeres experiències. Objectiu: L"objectiu d"aquest estudi és identificar si la metodologia utilitzada en l"assignatura Ciències Psicosocials Aplicades a la Salut, en el Grau d"Infermeria a l"Escola d" infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona, està ben enfocada per assolir una avaluació continuada de qualitat. Metodologia: Es presenta a traves d"un estudi descriptiu. La població estudiada mitjançant un qüestionari, ha estat els estudiants dels quatre grups de primer curs, del primer any de desenvolupament del Grau d"Infermeria en el nostre Centre, passades el curs acadèmic 2009-2010, amb una mostra total de 221 alumnes. Conclusions: Els resultats permeten tres franges interpretatives: 1) qualificació de notable que fa referència a la modalitat disciplinar i experiència docent del professorat, 2) qualificació entre notable i aprovat referida a la metodologia didàctica i organitzativa, 3) qualificació d"aprovat que fa referència a les tutories.

Feblesa de tutories: manca de feedback i autoregulació en l'estudiant d'infermeria. Valoració de l'avaluació continuada en l'assignatura Ciències Psicosocials Aplicades a la Salut en el Grau d'Infermeria (EEES), (2009-2010)

Resum: En el nou model derivat de l"Espai Europeu d"Educació Superior (EEES), l"ensenyament aprenentatge (E-A) es centra en l"estudiant, enfront del rol més destacat del professor en l"ensenyament tradicional. El procés d"experimentació al que assistim en el nostre medi, requereix la valoració de les primeres experiències. Objectiu: L"objectiu d"aquest estudi és identificar si la metodologia utilitzada en l"assignatura Ciències Psicosocials Aplicades a la Salut, en el Grau d"Infermeria a l"Escola d" infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona, està ben enfocada per assolir una avaluació continuada de qualitat. Metodologia: Es presenta a traves d"un estudi descriptiu. La població estudiada mitjançant un qüestionari, ha estat els estudiants dels quatre grups de primer curs, del primer any de desenvolupament del Grau d"Infermeria en el nostre Centre, passades el curs acadèmic 2009-2010, amb una mostra total de 221 alumnes. Conclusions: Els resultats permeten tres franges interpretatives: 1) qualificació de notable que fa referència a la modalitat disciplinar i experiència docent del professorat, 2) qualificació entre notable i aprovat referida a la metodologia didàctica i organitzativa, 3) qualificació d"aprovat que fa referència a les tutories.

Feedback i oportunitats de millora: una avaluació orientada a l"aprenentatge actiu

This paper analyzes an innovative experience of formative assessment aimed at improving the teaching of Statistics, which could be easily extrapolated to other studies. We detail the implementation of the double correction, consisting of correcting students' work twice. With the first correction, carried out by classmates according to a rubric developed by the academic, possible errors or deficiencies are discovered, and students are provided with a feedback that allows them to correct and improve their work before being graded by the teacher; whereas in the second correction of the work, once upgraded, the professor evaluates and grades the work. As a result, there is a significant improvement in the quality of students" works, and an active learning from their own mistakes. Both contents and competencies are reinforced by the experience.

Negative feedback regulation of calcineurin-dependent Prz1 transcription factor by the CaMKK-CaMK1 axis in fission yeast

Calcium signals trigger the translocation of the Prz1 transcription factor from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The process is regulated by the calciumactivated phosphatase calcineurin, which activates Prz1 thereby maintaining active transcription during calcium signalling. When calcium signalling ceases, Prz1 is inactivated by phosphorylation and exported to the cytoplasm. In budding yeast and mammalian cells, different kinases have been reported to counter calcineurin activity and regulate nuclear export. Here, we show that the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase Cmk1 is first phosphorylated and activated by the newly identified kinase CaMKK2 homologue, Ckk2, in response to Ca2+. Then, active Cmk1 binds, phosphorylates and inactivates Prz1 transcription activity whilst at the same time cmk1 expression is enhanced by Prz1 in response to Ca2+. Furthermore, Cdc25 phosphatase is also phosphorylated by Cmk1, inducing cell cycle arrest in response to an increase in Ca2+. Moreover, cmk1 deletion shows a high tolerance to chronic exposure to Ca2+, due to the lack of cell cycle inhibition and elevated Prz1 activity. This work reveals that Cmk1 kinase activated by the newly identified Ckk2 counteracts calcineurin function by negatively regulating Prz1 activity which in turn is involved in activating cmk1 gene transcription. These results are the first insights into Cmk1 and Ckk2 function in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Mutual feedback in e-portfolio assessment : an approach to the netfolio system

Peer-reviewed

Promoter DNA Hypermethylation and Gene Repression in Undifferentiated Arabidopsis Cells

Maintaining and acquiring the pluripotent cell state in plants is critical to tissue regeneration and vegetative multiplication. Histone-based epigenetic mechanisms are important for regulating this undifferentiated state. Here we report the use of genetic and pharmacological experimental approaches to show that Arabidopsis cell suspensions and calluses specifically repress some genes as a result of promoter DNA hypermethylation. We found that promoters of the MAPK12, GSTU10 and BXL1 genes become hypermethylated in callus cells and that hypermethylation also affects the TTG1, GSTF5, SUVH8, fimbrin and CCD7 genes in cell suspensions. Promoter hypermethylation in undifferentiated cells was associated with histone hypoacetylation and primarily occurred at CpG sites. Accordingly, we found that the process specifically depends on MET1 and DRM2 methyltransferases, as demonstrated with DNA methyltransferase mutants. Our results suggest that promoter DNA methylation may be another important epigenetic mechanism for the establishment and/or maintenance of the undifferentiated state in plant cells.

Feedback-related Brain Potential Activity Complies with Basic Assumptions of Associative Learning Theory

Feedback-related negativity (FRN) is an ERP component that distinguishes positive from negative feedback. FRN has been hypothesized to be the product of an error signal that may be used to adjust future behavior. In addition, associative learning models assume that the trial-to-trial learning of cueoutcome mappings involves the minimization of an error term. This study evaluated whether FRN is a possible electrophysiological correlate of this error term in a predictive learning task where human subjects were asked to learn different cueoutcome relationships. Specifically, we evaluated the sensitivity of the FRN to the course of learning when different stimuli interact or compete to become a predictor of certain outcomes. Importantly, some of these cues were blocked by more informative or predictive cues (i.e., the blocking effect). Interestingly, the present results show that both learning and blocking affect the amplitude of the FRN component. Furthermore, independent analyses of positive and negative feedback event-related signals showed that the learning effect was restricted to the ERP component elicited by positive feedback. The blocking test showed differences in the FRN magnitude between a predictive and a blocked cue. Overall, the present results show that ERPs that are related to feedback processing correspond to the main predictions of associative learning models. ■

Cytoplasmic accumulation of NCoR in malignant melanoma: Consequences of altered gene repression and prognostic significance

Invasive malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive tumor with no curative therapy available in advanced stages. Nuclear corepressor (NCoR) is an essential regulator of gene transcription, and its function has been found deregulated in different types of cancer. In colorectal cancer cells, loss of nuclear NCoR is induced by Inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK) through the phosphorylation of specific serine residues. We here investigate whether NCoR function impacts in MM, which might have important diagnostic and prognostic significance. By IHC, we here determined the subcellular distribution of NCoR in a cohort of 63 primary invasive MM samples, and analyzed its possible correlation with specific clinical parameters. We therefore used a microarray-based strategy to determine global gene expression differences in samples with similar tumor stage, which differ in the presence of cytoplasmic or nuclear NCoR. We found that loss of nuclear NCoR results in upregulation of a specific cancer-related genetic signature, and is significantly associated with MM progression. Inhibition of IKK activity in melanoma cells reverts NCoR nuclear distribution and specific NCoR-regulated gene transcription. Analysis of public database demonstrated that inactivating NCoR mutations are highly prevalent in MM, showing features of driver oncogene.

Promoting Programming Learning. Engagement, Automatic Assessment with Immediate Feedback in Visualizations

The skill of programming is a key asset for every computer science student. Many studies have shown that this is a hard skill to learn and the outcomes of programming courses have often been substandard. Thus, a range of methods and tools have been developed to assist students’ learning processes. One of the biggest fields in computer science education is the use of visualizations as a learning aid and many visualization based tools have been developed to aid the learning process during last few decades. Studies conducted in this thesis focus on two different visualizationbased tools TRAKLA2 and ViLLE. This thesis includes results from multiple empirical studies about what kind of effects the introduction and usage of these tools have on students’ opinions and performance, and what kind of implications there are from a teacher’s point of view. The results from studies in this thesis show that students preferred to do web-based exercises, and felt that those exercises contributed to their learning. The usage of the tool motivated students to work harder during their course, which was shown in overall course performance and drop-out statistics. We have also shown that visualization-based tools can be used to enhance the learning process, and one of the key factors is the higher and active level of engagement (see. Engagement Taxonomy by Naps et al., 2002). The automatic grading accompanied with immediate feedback helps students to overcome obstacles during the learning process, and to grasp the key element in the learning task. These kinds of tools can help us to cope with the fact that many programming courses are overcrowded with limited teaching resources. These tools allows us to tackle this problem by utilizing automatic assessment in exercises that are most suitable to be done in the web (like tracing and simulation) since its supports students’ independent learning regardless of time and place. In summary, we can use our course’s resources more efficiently to increase the quality of the learning experience of the students and the teaching experience of the teacher, and even increase performance of the students. There are also methodological results from this thesis which contribute to developing insight into the conduct of empirical evaluations of new tools or techniques. When we evaluate a new tool, especially one accompanied with visualization, we need to give a proper introduction to it and to the graphical notation used by tool. The standard procedure should also include capturing the screen with audio to confirm that the participants of the experiment are doing what they are supposed to do. By taken such measures in the study of the learning impact of visualization support for learning, we can avoid drawing false conclusion from our experiments. As computer science educators, we face two important challenges. Firstly, we need to start to deliver the message in our own institution and all over the world about the new – scientifically proven – innovations in teaching like TRAKLA2 and ViLLE. Secondly, we have the relevant experience of conducting teaching related experiment, and thus we can support our colleagues to learn essential know-how of the research based improvement of their teaching. This change can transform academic teaching into publications and by utilizing this approach we can significantly increase the adoption of the new tools and techniques, and overall increase the knowledge of best-practices. In future, we need to combine our forces and tackle these universal and common problems together by creating multi-national and multiinstitutional research projects. We need to create a community and a platform in which we can share these best practices and at the same time conduct multi-national research projects easily.