Habitat Selection by Free-Grazing Sheep in a Mountain Pasture.

For centuries, mountain grasslands have been part of the grazing cycle of sheep and cattle in extensive management systems in the Pyrenees; however, traditional guided herding has been, in many cases, replaced by free-ranging flocks at these pastures. The goal of this study was to analyze the grazing behavior of free-ranging sheep in mountain pastures using GPS-based tracking systems and Geographic Information Systems. During the summer seasons of 2019, 2020, and 2021, a transterminant flock of free-ranging sheep was tracked with GPS devices attached to collars at the mountain pastures of Collarada mountain (Central Pyrenees, Spain). Preferences for grazing on certain geomorphological features (slope, aspect, and altitude) and different plant communities present in the area were evaluated using the Manly's standardized preference index. The results show that sheep prefer altitudes between 2400 and 2600 m; SE-, SW-, and E-facing sites; and slopes under 20%. The preferred pastures were Festucion eskiae, Primulion intricatae, and Nardion strictae; however, they reject Festucion scopariae communities. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of GPS and GIS technologies in monitoring free-ranging sheep activity, providing valuable data for enhancing pastoral practices and ensuring sustainable pasture use.

Interplay between Livestock Grazing and Aridity on the Ecological and Nutritional Value of Forage in Semi-arid Mediterranean Rangelands (NE Spain).

Rangeland-based livestock production constitutes a primary source of livelihood for many inhabitants of dryland regions. Their subsistence relies heavily on maintaining the productivity, biodiversity and services of these ecosystems. Harsh environmental conditions (e.g., drought) combined with land use intensification (e.g., overgrazing) make dryland ecosystems vulnerable and prone to degradation. However, the interplay between livestock grazing intensity and aridity conditions in driving the conservation and nutritional value of forage in arid and semi-arid rangelands is still not fully understood. In this study, we performed structural equation models (SEM) to assess the simultaneous direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing intensity and aridity level on community structure, diversity, biomass, forage production, forage C:N ratio and forage fiber composition in two semi-arid Mediterranean rangelands, NE Spain. Not surprisingly, we found that higher livestock grazing intensity led to lower community plant cover, especially when combined with higher aridity. However, both increasing grazing intensity and aridity were associated with higher forage production after one year of grazing exclusion. We did not find any adverse effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity, although plant species composition differed among grazing intensity levels. On the other hand, we found an aridity-driven trade-off in regard of the nutritional value of forage. Specifically, higher aridity was associated with a decrease in the least digestible fiber fraction (i.e., lignin) and an increase in forage C:N ratio. More interestingly, we found that livestock grazing modulated this trade-off by improving the overall forage nutritional value. Altogether, our results provide further insights into the management of semi-arid Mediterranean rangelands, pointing out that maintaining traditional rangeland-based livestock production may be a sustainable option as long as rangeland conservation (e.g., community plant cover) is not severely compromised.

Dermatosis perineal y glútea en un paciente paliativo con rápida respuesta a tratamiento oral / Perineal and gluteal dermatosis in a palliative patient with rapid response to oral treatment

Los pacientes con enfermedades terminales presentan frecuentes y diversos problemas de la piel debido a sus enfermedades de base y complicaciones de su situación: encamamiento, inmovilidad, malnutrición, incontinencia, etc. Estas lesiones ocasionan importante sufrimiento por el dolor, prurito, incomodidad, alteración de la imagen corporal y falta de intimidad. Por lo tanto, su abordaje eficaz por los médicos de cuidados paliativos es prioritario. En algún caso es posible conseguir un tratamiento causal efectivo en el corto periodo de tiempo disponible como demuestra el paciente descrito

Patients with terminal disease frecuently present various skin problems due to their underlying disease and complications of their clinical situation: bed-ridden, immobility, malnutrition, incontinence, etc. These lesions commonly produce significant suffering because of pain, itching, discomfort, body image distortion and lack of intimacy. Thus, an effective management of these by palliative care is prioritary. Occasionally, a specific treatment efficacious in the short time avalilable is possible as the present case shows

Recombination events and variability among full-length genomes of co-circulating molluscum contagiosum virus subtypes 1 and 2.

Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) is the sole member of the Molluscipoxvirus genus and causes a highly prevalent human disease of the skin characterized by the formation of a variable number of lesions that can persist for prolonged periods of time. Two major genotypes, subtype 1 and subtype 2, are recognized, although currently only a single complete genomic sequence corresponding to MCV subtype 1 is available. Using next-generation sequencing techniques, we report the complete genomic sequence of four new MCV isolates, including the first one derived from a subtype 2. Comparisons suggest a relatively distant evolutionary split between both MCV subtypes. Further, our data illustrate concurrent circulation of distinct viruses within a population and reveal the existence of recombination events among them. These results help identify a set of MCV genes with potentially relevant roles in molluscum contagiosum epidemiology and pathogenesis.

Nódulo umbilical / Umbilical nodule

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Dos casos de necrólisis epidérmica tóxica localizadaasociada a radioterapia / Two cases of localized toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with radiotherapy

La aparición de necrólisis epidérmica tóxica por radioterapia es poco frecuente, aumentando su incidencia al asociar anticonvulsionantes. Describimos los casos de 2 mujeres de 33 y 29 años, con metástasis cerebrales de melanoma y carcinoma de mama, respectivamente, en tratamiento con dexametasona, fenitoína y sesiones de radioterapia que desarrollaron una erupción maculopapular en cabeza y mitad superior del tronco, asociada a mucositis. Las lesiones cutáneas evolucionaron a grandes ampollas flácidas en las localizaciones mencionadas. Destacamos el papel etiopatogénico de la asociación de fenitoína y radioterapia, así como la localización del proceso en la mitad superior del cuerpo (AU)

Nevoid hypertrichosis and hypomelanosis.

A girl with multiple lesions of nevoid hypertrichosis and linear hypopigmentation following Blaschko's lines is presented. She had no extracutaneous anomalies. We hypothesize that this unusual coexistence of skin lesions may represent a further example of "twin spotting".