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Plant health is a major target in breading programs because crops are under constant biotic stress, and climate change is exacerbating pests and disease negative impacts in agriculture. Obtaining crop varieties armed with better defences is a potential strategy to reduce losses from biotic attacks. Plant cell walls perform crucial roles on many physiological processes, and under biotic stress, play crucial defensive roles as protecting barrier, as well as a source of integrity signalling molecules. Plant immunity has evolved a complex multi-layered system which first line of defence is initiated by conserved molecular patterns coming from pathogens, named pathogen-associated molecular patterns or PAMPs, or from their own corrupted cell walls due to pathogen invasion, named damaged-associated molecular patterns or DAMPs. Accumulating evidence from cell wall mutants has unveiled several components and mechanisms of plant innate immunity under biotic stresses, mostly in Arabidopsis, but still little is known from species with agronomic interest as strawberry. Our group has an established strawberry transgenic collection of cell wall mutants. Among them, RNAseq expression profiles of FaPG1 mutants has shown downregulation of other cell wall related genes than PG [1], but the mechanisms underneath required further investigation. FaPG genes code for enzymes with endo-PG activity related to oligogalacturonic acid (OGA) release, which would be associated to the changes in gene expression of other cell wall genes than FaPG. In this work, postharvest assays of FaPG1 fruits showed not only the increased fruit firmness typical of this mutant, but a better resistance to fungal infections by Botrytis cinerea, enhancing fruit shelf life in comparison with control fruits. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech.

Despite advances in imaging techniques, in many cases they are insufficient to establish the diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL). There are few publications in our setting that evaluate the combination of several methods obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall utility of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of PCL.

Los pacientes afectos de dolor crónico, portadores de sistemas de liberación de fármacos intratecales, actualmente plantean un desafío de manejo, cuando por razones perioperatorias, nos vemos obligados a interrumpir de forma brusca la administración de dichos fármacos, como el caso clínico que exponemos. en el mismo se aborda la problemática de contrarrestar los efectos de la deprivación de morfina a altas dosis intratecales en un paciente sometido a retirada del sistema intratecal, con una propuesta de manejo y los resultados clínicos observados.

Remote sensing can provide an alternative to field data sampling in many species-habitat studies. However, its usefulness may depend on the species, habitat studied, spatial resolution and extent. We used a high spatial and spectral remote- sensing image to locate and delineate small amphibian breeding sites in a Mediterranean ecosystem (Doñana National Park). We also evaluated its usefulness in detecting habitat heterogeneity (number and evenness of different radiometric zones) within ponds and its relationship to amphibian species richness. Furthermore, Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were used to evaluate the usefulness of high-resolution remote-sensing data to model amphibian distribution at species level (presence/absence data), both when used alone or as a complement to field data. Amphibian species richness correlated positively with habitat heterogeneity when we discriminated a low number of potential different zones within ponds (four vs nine). For most species, remote-sensing data improved on amphibian distribution models built from field data but were of limited utility when used alone. In consequence, although remote-sensing data could be used for the preliminary identification of ponds supporting high species richness, we recommend initial assessment of its utility for identifying species-specific breeding sites before conducting survey programmes based on it.

In a year of drought conditions, gravid chameleons showed difficulties at the time of oviposition and made unsuccessful attempts at nesting. Two females died while constructing nests and 10 females retained eggs in the oviduct after oviposition; death was subsequently confirmed for three of the latter. Female chameleons that died whilst laying eggs, or those that retained eggs, were smaller in body length and body mass and were in poorer physical condition than females that survived long after nesting. After depleting their reserves by allocating them to egg production, it is unlikely that some females were able to complete the gravid period in sufficiently good condition to survive the effort of nesting and oviposition.

We describe two patients with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed jet haemorrhage in the distal portion of the esophagus, from a visible vessel, without esophageal mucosal damage. In both cases arteriography was performed, and did not show vascular malformations or fistulous points. The patients were successfully treated, one with endoscopic sclerosis and balloon tamponade, and the other with endoscopic sclerosis and transcatheter embolization through left gastric artery. For the time being we do not know the true importance of these findings, but we hope that other reports help us to understand the clinical and pathologic features of this vascular lesion, and the best therapeutic approach.

Summary For the last 13 years, 47 patients with ALL over 15 years old (range 15–72; median 21) entered a ‘total-therapy’ programme. All cases received a 6–8 week induction course of PRD, VCR, DRB and/or L-ASN. Prophylaxis of CNS was done by cranial radiotherapy plus i.t. MTX in 32/45 patients who attained complete remission (CR). After CR, subsequent therapy involved a programme of maintenance with 6MP and MTX at full doses. Pulses of intermittent reinforcement (PRD, VCR and DRB) were done for 2 weeks, every 3 months, for at least 3 years. CR was achieved in 42/47 patients (89.3%). The median relapse-free survival of the patients who attained CR was 57 months, with an 8-year estimated disease-free survival rate of 43% for those cases. If actuarial assumptions were to be sustained, it would indicate an encouraging cure rate of 38% of all our adult ALL patients (mainly in those cases between 15 and 30 years old).

Reproductive characteristics of Chamaeleo chamaeleon are described and compared between a dry and a wet year. Nesting occurred in September and October, beginning later in the dry year when females also excavated their nests in longer (but not deeper) tunnels. Females were significantly smaller, with lower body mass, lower clutch mass and lower clutch size in the dry year. Relative clutch mass and body condition did not differ between the two years. Females laid a single clutch of 4-40 eggs, with a mean relative clutch mass of 60-70%. Clutch size was correlated with maternal size, being larger in the wet year, whereas egg variables were independent of maternal characteristics. Higher mortality rate was recorded in the dry than in the wet year. The observed variation in reproductive output may be explained as a consequence of lower availability of food resources in the dry year, resulting in lower fecundity and survival of females.