Elizabeth Guerin

Gravitational stress on germinating Pinus pinea seeds.

In the germination of lipid-rich seeds, the glyoxylate cycle plays a control role in that, bypassing the two decarboxylative steps of the Krebs cycle; it allows the net synthesis of carbohydrates from lipids. The activity of isocitrate lyase, the key enzyme of the glyoxylate cycle, is an indicator of the state of seed germination: stage of germination, growth of embryo, activation and progress of protein synthesis, depletion of lipidic supplies. In order to investigate the effects of gravity on seed germination, we carried out a study on the time pattern of germination of Pinus pinea seeds that were subjected to a hypergravitational stress (1000 g for 64 h at 4 degrees C), either in a dry or in a wet environment, before to be placed in germination plates. During the whole time of germination, we monitored the state of embryo growth and the most representative enzymes of the main metabolic pathways. In treated wet seeds, we observed an average germination of only 20% with a slowdown of the enzyme activities assayed and a noticeable degradation of lipidic reserves with respect to the controls. These differences in germination are not found for dry seeds.

Initial Teacher Education and Learning English at Primary School in Tuscany: Creative Perspectives, Current Challenges, and Possible Approaches

This paper considers important contributions from language teaching and learning literature, so as to identify current challenges and issues related to initial teacher education in the preparation of trainee Primary School teachers to teach English in Primary School. It then examines the role of the English Language Learning-Teaching Methodology Workshops in initial teacher education in the Degree Course in Primary Education at the University of (Place) within the context of this recently instituted degree-course (2011). This is followed by a brief account of the English Language Learning and Teaching Methodology Workshop for the initial cohort (aa. 2011-2016), and the use of reference documents for language teachers (Council of Europe and National Guidelines) as a starting-point for the development of the methodology curriculum within the degree-course. The initial English Language teacher-training gap and a possible way to address the issue follows. The results of the study identify possible future directions and issues which, at least in the (Place) context, appear to be of major importance. Said issues also have a profound impact on teaching-learning contexts, and, most likely, demand meaningful actions if they are to be resolved in a productive way both for pre- and inservice teachers as well as their learners.