Loss of largest and oldest individuals of the Montpellier snake correlates with recent warming in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula

The effects of climate change on organisms are now being extensively studied in many different taxa. However, the variation in body size, usually shrinkage in response to increasing temperature, has received little attention regarding to reptiles. During past periods of global warming, many organisms shrank in size, and current evidence and experiments manipulating temperature have shown a biomass decrease in some organisms with increasing temperatures. Here we test whether the body size of the Montpellier snake Malpolon monspessulanus from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula is changing and correlated with the increasing temperature in this region during a 39year period (1976–2014). We measured the snout–vent length (SVL) of vouchers in scientific collections to check for trends in adult body size at the population level in relation with temperature, while controlling for the age of the individuals (estimated by skeletochronology, n¼141). Given the great ontogenetic variation in body size of the study species, we categorized age in 3 classes: “young adults” (under 5 years old), “intermediate adults” (from 5 to 7 years old), and “old adults” (from 8 to 14 years old). By means of linear mixed models, we found a negative relationship between SVL of “old adults” and average annual temperature in the region during the lifetime of each individual. Our results indicate that largest and oldest individuals of the Montpellier Snake, that is, males because of strong sexual size dimorphism in this species, disappeared from the study population, and suggest that it occurred in response to rising environmental temperature.Junta de Andalucía RNM-25

Effect of Acute Exposure to Moderate Altitude on Muscle Power: Hypobaric Hypoxia vs. Normobaric Hypoxia

When ascending to a higher altitude, changes in air density and oxygen levels affect the way in which explosive actions are executed. This study was designed to compare the effects of acute exposure to real or simulated moderate hypoxia on the dynamics of the force-velocity relationship observed in bench press exercise. Twenty-eight combat sports athletes were assigned to two groups and assessed on two separate occasions: G1 (n = 17) in conditions of normoxia (N1) and hypobaric hypoxia (HH) and G2 (n = 11) in conditions of normoxia (N2) and normobaric hypoxia (NH). Individual and complete force-velocity relationships in bench press were determined on each assessment day. For each exercise repetition, we obtained the mean and peak velocity and power shown by the athletes. Maximum power (Pmax) was recorded as the highest Pmean obtained across the complete force-velocity curve. Our findings indicate a significantly higher absolute load linked to Pmax (~3%) and maximal strength (1RM) (~6%) in G1 attributable to the climb to altitude (P<0.05). We also observed a stimulating effect of natural hypoxia on Pmean and Ppeak in the middle-high part of the curve (≥60 kg; P<0.01) and a 7.8% mean increase in barbell displacement velocity (P<0.001). No changes in any of the variables examined were observed in G2. According to these data, we can state that acute exposure to natural moderate altitude as opposed to simulated normobaric hypoxia leads to gains in 1RM, movement velocity and power during the execution of a force-velocity curve in bench press.This study has been supported by a Grant from the Ministry of education, culture and Sport of Spain, Reference 14/UPB10/07

TOMO-ETNA experiment at Etna volcano: Activities on land

In the present paper we describe the on-land field operations integrated in the TOMO-ETNA experiment carried out in June-November 2014 at Mt. Etna volcano and surrounding areas. This terrestrial campaign consists in the deployment of 90 short-period portable three-component seismic stations, 17 broadband seismometers and the coordination with 133 permanent seismic station belonging to Italy’s Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). This temporary seismic network recorded active and passive seismic sources. Active seismic sources were generated by an array of air-guns mounted in the Spanish oceanographic vessel “Sarmiento de Gamboa” with a power capacity of up to 5200 cubic inches. In total more than 26,000 shots were fired and more than 450 local and regional earthquakes were recorded. We describe the whole technical procedure followed to guarantee the success of this complex seismic experiment. We started with the description of the location of the potential safety places to deploy the portable network and the products derived from this search (a large document including full characterization of the sites, owners and indication of how to arrive to them). A full technical description of the seismometers and seismic sources is presented. We show how the portable seismic network was deployed, maintained and recovered in different stages. The large international collaboration of this experiment is reflected in the participation of more than 75 researchers, technicians and students from different institutions and countries in the on-land activities. The main objectives of the experiment were achieved with great success.PublishedS04272SR. VULCANI - Servizi e ricerca per la SocietàJCR Journalope

A Four-Way Comparison of Cardiac Function with Normobaric Normoxia, Normobaric Hypoxia, Hypobaric Hypoxia and Genuine High Altitude.

There has been considerable debate as to whether different modalities of simulated hypoxia induce similar cardiac responses.This was a prospective observational study of 14 healthy subjects aged 22-35 years. Echocardiography was performed at rest and at 15 and 120 minutes following two hours exercise under normobaric normoxia (NN) and under similar PiO2 following genuine high altitude (GHA) at 3,375m, normobaric hypoxia (NH) and hypobaric hypoxia (HH) to simulate the equivalent hypoxic stimulus to GHA.All 14 subjects completed the experiment at GHA, 11 at NN, 12 under NH, and 6 under HH. The four groups were similar in age, sex and baseline demographics. At baseline rest right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure (RVSP, p = 0.0002), pulmonary vascular resistance (p = 0.0002) and acute mountain sickness (AMS) scores were higher and the SpO2 lower (p<0.0001) among all three hypoxic groups (GHA, NH and HH) compared with NN. At both 15 minutes and 120 minutes post exercise, AMS scores, Cardiac output, septal S', lateral S', tricuspid S' and A' velocities and RVSP were higher and SpO2 lower with all forms of hypoxia compared with NN. On post-test analysis, among the three hypoxia groups, SpO2 was lower at baseline and 15 minutes post exercise with GHA (89.3±3.4% and 89.3±2.2%) and HH (89.0±3.1 and (89.8±5.0) compared with NH (92.9±1.7 and 93.6±2.5%). The RV Myocardial Performance (Tei) Index and RVSP were significantly higher with HH than NH at 15 and 120 minutes post exercise respectively and tricuspid A' was higher with GHA compared with NH at 15 minutes post exercise.GHA, NH and HH produce similar cardiac adaptations over short duration rest despite lower SpO2 levels with GHA and HH compared with NH. Notable differences emerge following exercise in SpO2, RVSP and RV cardiac function

Evolution and practical application of the anaerobic threshold in sport training. A revision Evolución y aplicación práctica del umbral anaeróbio en el entrenamiento deportivo. Revisión

&lt;p class="resumenyabstract" align="justify"&gt;The controversy about the anaerobic threshold has not prevented investigators from studying in further and attempting to improve the traditional methods of invasive blood lactate concentration determinations (lactate threshold), or methods of noninvasive gas exchange (ventilatory threshold), and even suggesting new methods based on heart rate, saliva, electromyograph,... to the determination of anaerobic threshold. The noninvasive detection scheme has mede the parameter attractive to investigators in preventive, rehabiliative and occupationel medicine and researches in the exercise sciences. Controversy exist regarding the specifie cause for the exercise-induces metabolic acidosis. Indeed, the relationship between endurance performance and lactate kinetics led to the suggestion that a blood lactate concentration could be used as a training tool.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KEY WORDS&lt;/strong&gt;: Anaerobic Threshold, lactate, training, performance.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;strong class="titulo1"&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;La controversia sobre el umbral anaer&amp;oacute;bio (U.ANA) no ha impedido investigar m&amp;aacute;s all&amp;aacute; e intentar mejorar los m&amp;eacute;todos tradicionales de determinaci&amp;oacute;n invasiva de la concentraci&amp;oacute;n de lactato en sangre (umbral l&amp;aacute;ctico), o m&amp;eacute;todos no invasivos de intercambio gaseoso (umbral ventilatorio), e incluso sugerir otros nuevos basados en la frecuencia card&amp;iacute;aca, saliva, electromiograf&amp;iacute;a, ... para determinar el U.ANA. El proyecto de detecci&amp;oacute;n no invasiva, ha hecho el par&amp;aacute;metro atractivo al investigador en prevenci&amp;oacute;n, medicina ocupacional y de rehabilitaci&amp;oacute;n e investigaciones de las ciencias del ejercicio. Existe controversia para delimitar la causa espec&amp;iacute;fica de la acidosis metab&amp;oacute;lica inducida por el ejercicio. De hecho, la relaci&amp;oacute;n entre el rendimiento en resistencia y la cin&amp;eacute;tica del lactato nos llevan a considerar que la concentraci&amp;oacute;n de lactato puede ser usada como una herramienta de entrenamiento. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PALABRAS CLAVE&lt;/strong&gt;: Biomec&amp;aacute;nica, gimnasia, entrenamiento&lt;/p&gt

Evolución y aplicación práctica del umbral anaeróbico en el entrenamiento deportivo: Revisión

The controversy about the anaerobic threshold has not prevented investigators from studying in further and attempting to improve the traditional methods of invasive blood lactate concentration determinations (lactate threshold), or methods of noninvasive gas exchange (ventilatory threshold), and even suggesting new methods based on heart rate, saliva, electromyograph,... to the determination of anaerobic threshold. The noninvasive detection scheme has mede the parameter attractive to investigators in preventive, rehabiliative and occupationel medicine and researches in the exercise sciences. Controversy exist regarding the specifie cause for the exercise-induces metabolic acidosis. Indeed, the relationship between endurance performance and lactate kinetics led to the suggestion that a blood lactate concentration could be used as a training toolLa controversia sobre el umbral anaeróbio (U.ANA) no ha impedido investigar más allá e intentar mejorar los métodos tradicionales de determinación invasiva de la concentración de lactato en sangre (umbral láctico), o métodos no invasivos de intercambio gaseoso (umbral ventilatorio), e incluso sugerir otros nuevos basados en la frecuencia cardíaca, saliva, electromiografía, ... para determinar el U.ANA. El proyecto de detección no invasiva, ha hecho el parámetro atractivo al investigador en prevención, medicina ocupacional y de rehabilitación e investigaciones de las ciencias del ejercicio. Existe controversia para delimitar la causa específica de la acidosis metabólica inducida por el ejercicio. De hecho, la relación entre el rendimiento en resistencia y la cinética del lactato nos llevan a considerar que la concentración de lactato puede ser usada como una herramienta de entrenamient

Efecto del ascenso súbito a una altitud moderada sobre la percepción subjetiva de esfuerza a diferentes intensidades del ejercicio

Sixteen healthy males, were submitted to a maximum incremental test in conditions of normoxia (N) and of moderate acute altitude (Alt) in two different days. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE), respiratory data, heart rate and lactate were measured during the test. The values at maximum work and at the lactate thresold (LT) were compared between both conditions. Meaningful differences between the work, RPE, VO2 (l.min-1), Ve (l.min-1) y Lac (mMol.l-1) were not observed at the related intensities. However, though the HR registered in N at the LT did not show differences with the HR obtained in Alt, there was an important reduction of the HR at the maximum work reached in the condition of hypoxia (188 ± 9 vs 182 ± 7 ppm, p<.001). The sudden ascent to a moderate altitude does not alter the RPE in the LT, neither at the maximum work. Under these conditions the HR seems not to be so good index of the work intensity as the RPE.Dieciséis sujetos varones y sanos (VO2max de 4,06 ± 0,7 l.min-1), fueron sometidos a un protocolo incremental máximo en sendas condiciones de normoxia (N) y altitud aguda moderada (Alt) en días diferentes. La percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo (RPE) y demás parámetros máximos y los relacionados con el umbral de lactato (UL), fueron registrados y comparados entre ambas condiciones. No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los RPEL, RPEC y RPET entre ambas condiciones ni para la máxima capacidad de trabajo ni en el UL. Tampoco se observaron cambios significativos en las potencias de trabajo, VO2 (l.min-1), Ve (l.min-1) y Lac (mMol.l-1) a las intensidades estudiadas. Sin embargo, aunque la Fc registrada al UL no mostró diferencias con la obtenida en Alt, sí se observó una reducción importante en la Fc a la máxima carga de trabajo alcanzada en condiciones de hipoxia (188 ± 9 vs 182 ± 7 ppm) para una p<0.001. El ascenso súbito a una altitud moderada no altera la percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo en el UL ni a la máxima capacidad de trabajo. En estas condiciones, la Fc no se muestra tan buen indicador de la intensidad de ejercicio como la percepción de esfuerzo

Efecto del ascenso súbito a una altitud moderada sobre la percepción subjetiva de esfuerza a diferentes intensidades del ejercicio

Sixteen healthy males, were submitted to a maximum incremental test in conditions of normoxia (N) and of moderate acute altitude (Alt) in two different days. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE), respiratory data, heart rate and lactate were measured during the test. The values at maximum work and at the lactate thresold (LT) were compared between both conditions. Meaningful differences between the work, RPE, VO2 (l.min-1), Ve (l.min-1) y Lac (mMol.l-1) were not observed at the related intensities. However, though the HR registered in N at the LT did not show differences with the HR obtained in Alt, there was an important reduction of the HR at the maximum work reached in the condition of hypoxia (188 ± 9 vs 182 ± 7 ppm, p<.001). The sudden ascent to a moderate altitude does not alter the RPE in the LT, neither at the maximum work. Under these conditions the HR seems not to be so good index of the work intensity as the RPE.Dieciséis sujetos varones y sanos (VO2max de 4,06 ± 0,7 l.min-1), fueron sometidos a un protocolo incremental máximo en sendas condiciones de normoxia (N) y altitud aguda moderada (Alt) en días diferentes. La percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo (RPE) y demás parámetros máximos y los relacionados con el umbral de lactato (UL), fueron registrados y comparados entre ambas condiciones. No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los RPEL, RPEC y RPET entre ambas condiciones ni para la máxima capacidad de trabajo ni en el UL. Tampoco se observaron cambios significativos en las potencias de trabajo, VO2 (l.min-1), Ve (l.min-1) y Lac (mMol.l-1) a las intensidades estudiadas. Sin embargo, aunque la Fc registrada al UL no mostró diferencias con la obtenida en Alt, sí se observó una reducción importante en la Fc a la máxima carga de trabajo alcanzada en condiciones de hipoxia (188 ± 9 vs 182 ± 7 ppm) para una p<0.001. El ascenso súbito a una altitud moderada no altera la percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo en el UL ni a la máxima capacidad de trabajo. En estas condiciones, la Fc no se muestra tan buen indicador de la intensidad de ejercicio como la percepción de esfuerzo