Cardiac autonomic and left ventricular mechanics following high intensity interval training: a randomised cross-over controlled study.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Short duration high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve important health parameters. The aim of the present study was to assess the combined adaptations of the cardiac autonomic nervous system and myocardial functional and mechanical parameters to HIIT. Forty physically inactive and highly sedentary males completed 2-weeks of HIIT and control period. The HIIT protocol consisted of 3x30-second maximal cycle ergometer sprints against a resistance of 7.5% body weight, interspersed with 2-minutes of active recovery. Total power spectral density (PSD) and associated low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) power spectral components of heart rate variability were recorded. Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography recorded left ventricular (LV) structural, functional and mechanical parameters. HIIT produced a significant increase in total ln PSD and ln HF, and significant decrease in LF/HF ratio (all p<0.05) compared to the control period. HIIT produced significant improvements in LV diastolic function, including lateral E’, estimated filling pressure (E/E’ ratio), E deceleration time, and isovolumetric relaxation time (p<0.05 for all). Fractional shortening was the only conventional marker of LV systolic function to significantly improve (p<0.05). In this setting, there were significant improvements in global peak systolic strain rate, early and late diastolic strain rate and early to late diastolic strain rate ratio, as well as apical rotation, apical systolic and diastolic rotation velocity, apical radial and circumferential strain and strain rate, LV torsion and LV systolic and diastolic torsion velocity (all p<0.05). A short-term programme of HIIT was associated with a significant increase in cardiac autonomic modulation, demonstrated by a residual increase in cardiac vagal activity as well as significantly improved cardiac function and mechanics. This study demonstrates that HIIT may be an important stimulus to reduce the health implications associated with physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour

ARQUEOLOGÍA DE JAUJA, PERÚ: DEL INTERMEDIO TEMPRANO AL INTERMEDIO TARDÍO (Resultados de la temporada de campo 1986)

Las investigaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en 1988 fueron diseñadas para examinar a los Sausa, un grupo cultural pre inka, conocido con el nombre de Wanka, asentado en las serranías de los Andes Centrales del Perú

Properties of Aerosol in the North Atlantic Free Troposphere at the Pico Mountain Observatory, Azores.

4th Atmospheric System Research (ASR), Science Team Meeting. Potomac, Maryland, March 18-21, 2013.The Pico Mountain Observatory is located at an altitude of 2225 meters above sea level in the summit caldera of the Pico volcano in the Azores, Portugal (38.47°N, 28.40°W). The scientific value of the station stems from the fact that this is the only permanent free-tropospheric monitoring station in the central North Atlantic, with negligible influence from local sources and that frequently samples air from the North American continent. Thus, it is an ideal site for studying long-range transported pollution. The station started operating in 2001 with a focus on gaseous species (e.g., ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and non-methane hydrocarbons) and aerosol particles that absorb light (black carbon [BC] and aerosol dust). The absorbing aerosol mass concentrations, in units of equivalent black carbon mass concentrations, have been monitored using a seven-wavelength aethalometer (Magee scientific model AE31). Ancillary measurements at the station include meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, pressure, wind direction, and speed. Due to the harsh environmental conditions at the site, most measurements have been performed during the summer seasons. In the summer of 2012, new aerosol instrumentation and samplers were installed at the station. The new equipment includes a three-wavelength nephelometer (Ecotech model Aurora 3000) that measure aerosol scattering and backscattering fraction, a set of four high-volume samplers for the collection and chemical analysis of aerosol, a sequential sampler to collect aerosols on membranes and grids, and an optical particle counter. Membranes and grids are analysed offline with scanning and transmission electron microscopy to study morphological properties and elemental composition of the aged aerosols. In this poster we will discuss some of the analysis of the decadal BC mass concentration data, as well as some analysis of the new aerosol data with a focus on aerosol optical properties and morphology. Analysis of these properties is important for a better understanding of aerosol’s life cycle and ageing during their transport over the Atlantic, with implications on aerosol radiative properties and climate science

Conversion of biomass platform molecules into fuel additives and liquid hydrocarbon fuels

[EN] In this work some relevant processes for the preparation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels and fuel additives from cellulose, hemicellulose and triglycerides derived platform molecules are discussed. Thus, it is shown that a series of platform molecules such as levulinic acid, furans, fatty acids and polyols can be converted into a variety of fuel additives through catalytic transformations that include reduction, esterification, etherification, and acetalization reactions. Moreover, we will show that liquid hydrocarbon fuels can be obtained by combining oxygen removal processes (e.g. dehydration, hydrogenolysis, hydrogenation, decarbonylation/descarboxylation etc.) with the adjustment of the molecular weight via C C coupling reactions (e.g. aldol condensation, hydroxyalkylation, oligomerization, ketonization) of the reactive platform molecules.This work has been supported by the Spanish Government-MINECO through Consolider Ingenio 2010-Multicat and CTQ.-2011-27550, ITQ thanks the "Program Severo Ochoa" for financial support.Climent Olmedo, MJ.; Corma Canós, A.; Iborra Chornet, S. (2014). Conversion of biomass platform molecules into fuel additives and liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Green Chemistry. 16(2):516-547. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3gc41492bS51654716