Data Descriptor : A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.Peer reviewe

Twenty minutes of post-exercise hypotension are enough to predict chronic blood pressure reduction induced by resistance training in older women

Abstract AIM This study investigated the correlation between post-exercise hypotension (PEH) and chronic blood pressure (BP) reduction in older women after a resistance training (RT) program. METHODS Twenty-five older women (≥60 years) performed a RT program for 8 weeks, 3x/week consisting of 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions maximum in 8 exercises. Acute and chronic BP measurements were performed using automatic equipment, in which acute BP was measured before and after 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min following the sixth exercise session, while chronic BP was measured pre and post-training. RESULTS Significant decrease for systolic blood pressure (SBP) was observed after the intervention period, however, the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) did not change. To acute changes in BP, SBP decreased at all times after a single RT session, while DBP increased after 40 min. The reduction for SBP after a single RT session at baseline showed positive and significant correlations with the reductions in basal SBP observed after the 8 weeks of RT, the strongest correlations were observed at 20 min. A linear relationship between the magnitude of change in chronic SBP and the 20 min for acute SBP, and 30 min for acute DBP of post-exercise was observed. CONCLUSION The results suggest that acute BP lowering after RT session is a reliable predictor of chronic BP response to exercise training, and 20 min of resting, after RT training, is enough to indicate chronic response of BP as this measure was highly associated with chronic BP lowering in older women

Prey consumed by Guiana dolphin Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea, Delphinidae) and franciscana dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei (Cetacea, Pontoporiidae) in an estuarine environment in southern Brazil

The present study provides information about the diet of sympatric populations of small cetaceans in the Babitonga Bay estuary. This is the first study on the diet of these species in direct sympatry. The stomach contents of seven Guiana dolphins Sotalia guianensis and eight franciscanas Pontoporia blainvillei were analyzed. The prey of both cetaceans was mostly teleost fishes, followed by cephalopods. We identified 13 teleost fishes as part of the diet of the franciscanas, and 20 as part of the diet of Guiana dolphins. Lolliguncula brevis was the only cephalopod recorded, and was the most important prey for both cetaceans. Stellifer rastrifer and Gobionellus oceanicus were also important for franciscana, so as Mugil curema and Micropogonias furnieri were important for Guiana dolphins. Stellifer rastrifer and Cetengraulis edentulus were the fishes with the highest frequency of occurrence for franciscana (50%), while Achirus lineatus, C. edentulus, S. brasiliensis, Cynoscion leiarchus, M. furnieri, M. curema, Diapterus rhombeus, Eugerres brasilianus and G. oceanicus showed 28.6% of frequency of occurrence for Guiana dolphins. Franciscanas captured greater cephalopods than the Guiana dolphins in both total length (z= -3.38; n= 40; p< 0.05) and biomass (z = -2.46; n = 40; p<0.05). All of the prey species identified occur inside the estuary, which represents a safe habitat against predators and food availability, reinforcing the importance of the Babitonga Bay for these cetacean populations