Flora y vegetación serpentinícola ibérica: Sierras de Alpujata y de la Robla (Málaga, España)

Se ha estudiado la flora y vegetación de dos de los afloramientos perido¬títicos del sur de la Península Ibérica, que incluyen la Sierra de Alpujata (71 Km2) y La Robla (7 Km2) en la provincia de Málaga. La flora serpentinícola muestra características diferentes del resto de la flora que vive sobre suelos zonales, debido a las limitaciones causadas por la composición de los suelos serpentínicos. Los resultados muestran una presencia elevada de serpentinófitos (18 de un total de 27) de los cuales 13 son ser¬pentinófitos estrictos aunque ninguno es exclusivo de las sierras estudiadas. En cuanto a la vegetación, casi todas las asociaciones y comunidades son endémicas de sustratos serpentínicos. Se describe una subasociación nueva y se reivindican, invierten y corrigen nombres de sintaxones. El paisaje vegetal está dominado por matorrales edafoxerófilos (Staehelino-Ulicion baetici), formaciones climácicas de pinos (Pinus pinaster) y coscojas (Quercus coccifera) (Pino-Juniperion phoeniceae), comunidades edafohigrófilas de sau¬cedas (Salicion pedicellatae) y juncales (Molinio-Holoschoenion). La Sierra de Alpujata es el tercer afloramiento del sur de la Península en cuanto a riqueza en vegetación ser¬pentinícola, por detrás solo de Sierra Bermeja y Sierra de las Nieves peridotítica (Sierra Parda). La presencia de especies endémicas y protegidas junto a sus hábitats incluidos en la Directiva 92/43CEE hacen de la Sierra de Alpujata una candidata a ser declarada como LIC (Lugar de Inetrés Comunitario). Este trabajo podría ser de gran valor para el seguimiento de la restauración y regeneración de la Sierra de Alpujata tras el incendio sufrido en el verano de 2012.Iberian serpentine flora and vegetation: Alpujata and La Robla mountains (Malaga, Spain). The flora and vegetation of two peridotite outcrops in the south of the Iberian Peninsula have been studied: Sierra de Alpujata (71 Km2) and La Robla (7 Km2) in the province of Malaga. Serpentine flora and vegetation show different characteris¬tics from the rest of the flora that lives on zonal soils, due to the limitations caused by the serpentine soil composition. The results show a high presence of serpentinophytes (18 out of 27) of which 13 are obligate serpentinophytes although none is exclusive from the studied outcrops. In terms of vegetation, almost all associations and com¬munities are endemic to serpentine substrates. A new subassociation is described and some syntaxa names are claimed, reversed or corrected. The landscape is dominated by xerophytic shrublands (Staehelino-Ulicion baetici), climax communities of pine (Pinus pinaster) and shrub oaks (Quercus coccifera) (Pino-Juniperion phoeniceae) and ripar¬ian forests (Salicion pedicellatae) mixed with higrophytic grasslands on wet soils and streams (Molinio-Holoschoenion). Sierra de Alpujata is the third outcrop of the south of the Iberian Peninsula regarding serpentine vegetation richness, after Sierra Bermeja and Sierra de las Nieves (peridotites of Sierra Parda). The presence of endemic and protected species together with their habitats included in the 92/43/EU Directive may drive Sierra de Alpujata to be a candidate to obtain the declaration of SCI (Site of Comunitarian Interest). This work could be of great value to monitor the restoration and regeneration of Sierra de Alpujata after the fire in the summer of 2012

Composición y predictores sociodemográficos de los consumidores de noticias [Sociodemographic profiles and predictors of news consumers]

Introducción: La presente investigación tiene como propósito conocer la composición sociodemográfica de los consumidores de noticias en España en la última década. Metodología: A partir de diez encuestas aplicadas por el Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) entre 2006 y 2017 con muestras de entre 2.455 y 3.191 personas, se buscó determinar si los perfiles sociodemográficos de consumo de medios son distintos entre sí y si predicen eficientemente el consumo. Resultados: Se concluye que Internet ha aumentado los niveles de consumo de los diarios impresos y digitales. El consumo de noticias en radio y televisión están tan generalizado que las variables sociodemográficas elegidas no permiten establecer diferencias apreciables. Sin embargo, los lectores de periódicos son más masculinos, más urbanos, de edades intermedias, de clases medias y altas y con mayor nivel formativo que la media de la población. Los usuarios de noticias en Internet coinciden básicamente con el perfil anterior excepto en la edad, ya que su público es más joven que la media. En el caso de los periódicos e Internet, las variables que predicen su consumo más eficientemente son el nivel de estudios y el sexo femenino (en negativo) y la clase social (en positivo). Por último, los coeficientes de correlación entre el consumo de noticias en los tres medios son significativos, aunque no muy altos. Introduction: This research article examines the sociodemographic profile of Spanish news consumers in the last decade. Methods: The study is based on ten surveys conducted by the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS, according to its initials in Spanish) between 2006 and 2017, on samples ranging from 2,455 to 3,191 participants, to determine whether sociodemographic profiles of news consumers are different across media platforms and whether they can efficiently predict news consumption. Results: It is concluded that the Internet has increased the consumption of print and digital newspapers. News consumption in radio and television is so widespread that the selected sociodemographic variables do not allow us to detect noticeable differences. However, newspaper readers are predominantly male, urban, middle-aged, middle and upper class, and highly educated. Internet news consumers basically match the previous profile, except in terms of age, as they are younger. In the case of newspaper and Internet news, the variables that predict their consumption more efficiently are education level, female sex (negative correlation) and social class (positive correlation). Finally, the correlation coefficients between news consumption in all three media platforms are significant, but not very high

Los bosques de Málaga

Common dictionaries define a forest as an area densely populated with trees. For a biologist, a forest is much more than a group of trees. A forest represents a closely interrelated community of living beings (microorganisms, fungi, animals, and plants), soil, and climate. No element of a natural forest is superfluous. The disappearance of one of them will affect, to a greater or lesser extent, the development and evolution of the whole. Important are the generalist and specific pollinators, the decomposers of organic matter, the regulators of the herbivore mass, the predators, and dispersers of fruits and seeds.Los diccionarios al uso definen el bosque como una superficie densamente poblada de árboles. Para un biólogo un bosque es mucho más que un conjunto de árboles. Un bosque representa una comunidad estrechamente interrelacionada de seres vivos (microorganismos, hongos, animales y plantas), suelo y clima. Ningún elemento de un bosque natural es superfluo. La desaparición de uno de ellos afectará, en mayor o menor medida, el desarrollo y evolución del conjunto. Importantes son los polinizadores generalistas y específicos, los descomponedores de materia orgánica, los reguladores de la masa de herbívoros, los predadores y dispersadores de frutos y semillas

The Effect of Physical Activity Interventions on Glycosylated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) in Non-diabetic Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction Epidemiological evidence suggests that physical activity has a positive effect on reducing glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels not only in diabetics, but also in healthy subjects. Moreover, a positive association of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular disease and mortality in non-diabetic populations has recently been reported. This is a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to estimate the effects of physical activity on glycaemic control measured by HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations; and to determine which type of physical activity has a greater influence on glycaemic control. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from inception to mid-2017. Randomised controlled trials, non-randomised experimental studies and controlled pre–post studies written in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish will be included. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies will be used to assess the risk of bias for studies included in the systematic review. Standardised pre–post intervention mean differences of HbA1c will be calculated as the primary outcome. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on the characteristics of physical activity intervention and population included in the studies. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review will synthesise evidence on the association of physical activity and HbA1c in non-diabetic populations. This study is important from the clinical and public health point because it will estimate the effect of physical activity on the glycemic control, and it will also examine which is the type of physical activity that should be recommended for preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications. The results will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Ethical approval will not be required because the data used for this systematic review will be obtained from published studies and there will be no concerns about privacy

The effects of physical activity interventions on glycated haemoglobin A1c in non-diabetic populations: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Epidemiological evidence suggests that physical activity has a positive effect on reducing glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels not only in diabetics, but also in healthy subjects. Moreover, a positive association of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular disease and mortality in non-diabetic populations has recently been reported. This is a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to estimate the effects of physical activity on glycaemic control measured by HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations; and to determine which type of physical activity has a greater influence on glycaemic control. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from inception to mid-2017. Randomised controlled trials, non-randomised experimental studies and controlled pre–post studies written in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish will be included. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies will be used to assess the risk of bias for studies included in the systematic review. Standardised pre–post intervention mean differences of HbA1c will be calculated as the primary outcome. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on the characteristics of physical activity intervention and population included in the studies.This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not for profit sectors. IC-R is supported by a grant from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FPU13/01582). BP is supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/108751/2015). CA-B and MG-M are supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU13/03137 and FPU15/03847, respectively)