Neutral molecular markers support common origin of aluminium tolerance in three congeneric grass species growing in acidic soils

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is the main abiotic stress limiting plant productivity in acidic soils that are widely distributed among arable lands. Plant species differ in the level of Al resistance showing intraspecific and interspecific variation in many crop species. However, the origin of Al-tolerance is not well known. Three annual species, difficult to distinguish phenotypically and that were until recently misinterpreted as a single complex species under Brachypodium distachyon, have been recently separated into three distinct species: the diploids B. distachyon (2n = 10) and B. stacei (2n = 20), and B. hybridum (2n = 30), the allotetraploid derived from the two diploid species. The aims of this work were to know the origin of Al-tolerance in acidic soil conditions within these three Brachypodium species and to develop new DNA markers for species discrimination. Two multiplex SSR-PCRs allowed to genotype a group of 94 accessions for 17 pentanucleotide microsatellite (SSRs) loci. The variability for 139 inter-microsatellite (ISSRs) markers was also examined. The genetic relationships obtained using those neutral molecular markers (SSRs and ISSRs) support that all Al-tolerant allotetraploid accessions of B. hybridum have a common origin that is related with both geographic location and acidic soils. The possibility that the adaptation to acidic soils caused the isolation of the tolerant B. hybridum populations from the others is discussed. We finally describe a new, easy, DNA barcoding method based in the upstream-intron 1 region of the ALMT1 gene, a tool that is 100 % effective to distinguish among these three Brachypodium species

Centaurea X sanchisiana nothosp. nov. (Asteraceae), a new hibrid for the iberian flora

Es descriu un nou híbrid del gènere Centaurea L. (Asteraceae) producte de l'encreuament entre C. Aspera L. i C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López, C. x sanchisiana nothosp. nov., a més de dues noves notovarietats, Var. malvarosae i var. pectiniformis. Aquestos híbrids han estat localitzats a Alatoz i Casas de Ves (Albacete, Espanya) i Borriana (Castelló, Espanya) respectivament. A més de les corresponents descripcions i diagnosis, s'hi aporten 4 lamines i una taula amb els principals trets diagnòstics que els diferencien deis parentals i de dos tàxons morfològicament pròxims. Es comparen trets reproductius de la nova notoespecie referits a !'involucre i al pol·len amb els de C. x pouzinii De. Es proposa una nova notosecció Calciseridia R. Roselló et al., nothosect. nov.A new hybrid of the genus Centaurea L. (Asteraceae), coming from the cross between C. aspera L. and C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López, C. x sanchisiana, nothosp. nov., and two new nothovarieties, var. ma/varosae and varo pectiniformis are described. These hybrids were found respectively in Alatoz and Casas de Ves (Albacete, Spain), and Borriana (Castellón, Spain). The plant descriptions and diagnosis, as well as iconography and the table showing the main diagnostic characters to distinguish them from both parentals and two morphologycally similar taxa are provided. New nothospecies's reproductive traits related to the involucre and pollen are compared with those of C. x pouzinii De. A new nothosection Calciseridia R. Roselló et al., nothosect. nov., is proposed

Centaurea × sanchisiana nothosp. nov. (Asteraceae), un nou híbrid per a la flora ibèrica

Es descriu un nou híbrid del gènere Centaurea L. (Asteraceae) producte de l’encreuament entre C. aspera L. i C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López, C. × sanchisiana nothosp. nov., a més de dues noves notovarietats, var. malvarosae i var. pectiniformis. Aquestos híbrids han estat localitzats a Alatoz i Casas de Ves (Albacete, Espanya) i Borriana (Castelló, Espanya) respectivament. A més de les corresponents descripcions i diagnosis, s’hi aporten 4 làmines i una taula amb els principals trets diagnòstics que els diferencien dels parentals i de dos tàxons morfològicament pròxims. Es comparen trets reproductius de la nova notoespecie referits a l’involucre i al pol·len amb els de C. × pouzinii DC. Es proposa una nova notosecció Calciseridia R. Roselló et al., nothosect. nov.Centaurea x sanchisiana nothosp. nov. (Asteraceae), a new hibrid for the iberian flora A new hybrid of the genus Centaurea L. (Asteraceae), coming from the cross between C. aspera L. and C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López, C. × sanchisiana, nothosp. nov., and two new nothovarieties, var. malvarosae and var. pectiniformis are described. These hybrids were found respectively in Alatoz and Casas de Ves (Albacete, Spain), and Borriana (Castellón, Spain). The plant descriptions and diagnosis, as well as iconography and the table showing the main diagnostic characters to distinguish them from both parentals and two morphologycally similar taxa are provided. New nothospecies’s reproductive traits related to the involucre and pollen are compared with those of C. × pouzinii DC. A new nothosection Calciseridia R. Roselló et al., nothosect. nov., is proposed

Epstein-Barr virus and acute retinal necrosis in a 5-year-old immunocompetent child

Roberto Gallego-Pinazo1,2, Miguel Harto1, Jose J Garcia-Medina2,3, Inmaculada Serra1, Enrique España1, Maria D Pinazo-Duran2,41Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital, La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 2Ophthalmology Research Unit “Santiago Grisolia”, Valencia, Spain; 3Ophthalmology Department, Hospital La inmaculada, Huercal-Overa, Spain; 4Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Punta de Europa, Algeciras, SpainObjective: To describe a case of bilateral acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARNS) in a 5-year-old boy.Method: A retrospective, interventional case is described in one child attending the pediatric ophthalmology section, complaining of sudden bilateral red eye and haze-impaired vision. A standardized ophthalmologic examination and specific serological probes supported the diagnosis of severe bilateral ARNS in an immunocompetent child.Results: The reduced visual acuity (<20/400), the ocular fundus signs (perivasculitis, thrombosis and retinal edema) and the positive immunoglobulin M anti-Epstein Barr virus serology, lead us to the ARNS definitive diagnosis. Antiviral therapy (Acyclovir; Zovirax®), ciclopentolate dilating eye drops, and antiplatelet treatment (acetil salicylic acid; Aspirin®) were administered until recovering the final visual acuity (20/40).Conclusions: The ARNS is an ocular disease with poor prognosis, which in turns may display better course when determining the etiopathogenic virus and selecting the appropriate and precocious therapy.Keywords: retinal necrosis, Epstein-Barr virus, antiviral serology, antiviral therap

A new terophytic grassland association (Polycarpo diphylli-Psiluretum incurvi, ass. nova) from Serra d'Espadà and surroundings is proposed (Castelló, Spain)

Es proposa un nou pradell terofític, l'associació Polycarpo diphylli-Psiluretum incurvi R. Roselló, J. R, Vázquez, P. P. Ferrer, E. Laguna, Gómez Nav. & J. B. Peris, pertanyent a l'aliança Brachypodietalia distachyi (classe Tuberarietea guttatae), emplaçat al Parc Natural de la Serra d'Espadà i els seus voltants (Castelló, Espanya).A new terophytic grassland association Polycarpo diphylli-Psiluretum incurvi R. Roselló, J. R. Vázquez, P. P. Ferrer, E. Laguna, Gómez Nav. & J. B. Peris, belonging to the alliance Brachypodietalia distachyi (Tuberarietea guttatae class) is proposed, occurring in the Natural Park Serra d'Espadà and its surroundings (Castellón, Spain)

Polymerizable Materials for Diffractive Optical Elements Recording

The technologies based on holographic and photonic techniques related to the optical storage and optical processing of information are rapidly evolving. One of the key points of this evolution are the new recording materials able to perform under the most specific situations and applications. In this sense, the importance of the photopolymers is growing spectacularly. This is mainly due to their versatility in terms of composition and design together with other interesting properties such as self-processing capabilities. In this chapter, we introduce the diffractive optical elements (DOE) generation in these materials and some of the most important parameters involved in this process. The deep knowledge of the material is essential to model its behavior during and after the recording process and we present different techniques to characterize the recording materials. We also present a 3D theoretical diffusion model able to reproduce and predict the experimental behavior of the recording process of any kind of DOE onto the photopolymers. The theoretical results will be supported by experimental analysis using a hybrid optical-digital setup, which includes a liquid crystal on silicon display. Besides this analysis, we study a method to improve the conservation and characteristics of these materials, an index-matching system