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Agriculture is increasingly forced to utilize marginal waters to meet its increasing demands, which in turn increases the risks of soil salinization and yield reduction in the arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin. Given that the bean is an extremely salt sensitive species, the purpose of the present work was to study the effect of 0 and 75 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) on leaf characteristics, growth, pod yield and ion accumulation of three green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars ('Corallo Nano', 'Romano Bush Plaja' and 'Starazagorski'), widely used in Greece. Plants were grown in a greenhouse of Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese in Messinia, Southern Greece, from April to June 2014, in hydroponics. The experimental design was the factorial completely randomized one with five replications; each replication consisted of the three plants grown on the same rockwool slab. The results of the majority of growth and yield parameters determined showed the superiority of 'Corallo' over 'Romano' whereas 'Starazagorski' tolerance was found to be intermediate. 'Corallo' tolerated NaCl salinity better due to its capacity for Na retention in the roots and maintaining appropriate K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, limiting the accumulation of toxic ions into actively growing shoots. The salt sensitivity of 'Romano' was related to its higher concentration of Na in the leaves and lower in the roots, to the greater decrease of the leaf number and leaf water content, as well as to the specific leaf area increase compared to the other two cultivars under saline conditions.

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Palaeogenomics continues to yield valuable insights into the evolution, population dynamics, and ecology of our ancestors and other extinct species. However, DNA sequencing cannot reveal tissue-specific gene expression, cellular identity, or gene regulation, only attainable at the transcriptional level. Pioneering studies have shown that useful RNA can be extracted from ancient specimens preserved in permafrost and historical skins from extant canids, but no attempts have been made so far on extinct species. We extract, sequence and analyze historical RNA from muscle and skin tissue of a ~130-year-old Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) preserved in desiccation at room temperature in a museum collection. The transcriptional profiles closely resemble those of extant species, revealing specific anatomical features such as slow muscle fibers or blood infiltration. Metatranscriptomic analysis, RNA damage, tissue-specific RNA profiles, and expression hotspots genome-wide further confirm the thylacine origin of the sequences. RNA sequences are used to improve protein-coding and noncoding annotations, evidencing missing exonic loci and the location of ribosomal RNA genes, while increasing the number of annotated thylacine microRNAs from 62 to 325. We discover a thylacine-specific microRNA isoform that could not have been confirmed without RNA evidence. Finally, we detect traces of RNA viruses, suggesting the possibility of profiling viral evolution. Our results represent the first successful attempt to obtain transcriptional profiles from an extinct animal species, providing thought-to-be-lost information on gene expression dynamics. These findings hold promising implications for the study of RNA molecules across the vast collections of Natural History museums and from well-preserved permafrost remains.

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Morel-Lavallée lesions are cystic lesions occurring between the subcutaneous tissue and the underlying layer of a fascia. The most frequent mechanism of occurrence is posttraumatic, usually after degloving injuries. The chain of events leading to the occurrence of this lesion is the formation of a potential space between the subcutaneous tissue and the firmly attached deep fascia, which in turn fills with blood and/or lymph and/or necrotic fat, secondary to disruption of the capillaries. We present a case of a 74-year-old male patient with a cystic lesion of the lateral surface of his left thigh increasing in size over a period of six months. Despite the meticulous history acquisition, we were unable to reveal any alleged mechanism of injury of the area. The patient underwent an MRI which revealed an ovoid cyst. The patient underwent surgical excision of the cyst. The pathology examination revealed a simple cyst, lined by a fibrous capsule and filled with serosanguineous fluid, thus confirming the diagnosis. The patient made a full recovery and since has been asymptomatic.

Agriculture is increasingly forced to utilize marginal waters to meet its increasing demands, which in turn increases the risks of soil salinization and yield reduction in the arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin. Given that the bean is an extremely salt sensitive species, the purpose of the present work was to study the effect of 0 and 75 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) on leaf characteristics, growth, pod yield and ion accumulation of three green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars (‘Corallo Nano’, ‘Romano Bush Plaja’ and ‘Starazagorski’), widely used in Greece. Plants were grown in a greenhouse of Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese in Messinia, Southern Greece, from April to June 2014, in hydroponics. The experimental design was the factorial completely randomized one with five replications; each replication consisted of the three plants grown on the same rockwool slab. The results of the majority of growth and yield parameters determined showed the superiority of ‘Corallo’ over ‘Romano’ whereas ‘Starazagorski’ tolerance was found to be intermediate. ‘Corallo’ tolerated NaCl salinity better due to its capacity for Na retention in the roots and maintaining appropriate K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, limiting the accumulation of toxic ions into actively growing shoots. The salt sensitivity of ‘Romano’ was related to its higher concentration of Na in the leaves and lower in the roots, to the greater decrease of the leaf number and leaf water content, as well as to the specific leaf area increase compared to the other two cultivars under saline conditions.