Relación entre variables antropométricas y dismorfia muscular en gimnastas de la provincia de Alicante

Objetivo: Se muestra un estudio novedoso en el que se analiza si las medidas antropométricas pueden ser utilizadas para clasificar la dismorfia muscular (DM), en gimnastas que asisten a sala de musculación. Metodología: Se analizaron gimnastas de varias salas de musculación de Alicante (zona urbana del sureste español), donde se recogieron las medidas de 141 varones de edad comprendida entre 18-45 años, que persiguen el aumento de su masa muscular. Se tuvieron en cuenta el cálculo del IMC (kg/m2), el somatotipo (endomorfia, mesomorfia y ectomorfia) y se han clasificado los posibles casos de dismorfia muscular, mediante la Escala de satisfacción muscular. Resultados: La muestra está constituida por 68 normopeso; 66 sobrepeso y 7 obesos, clasificados como DM en un 25.0% los normopeso, 33.3% sobrepeso y 85.7% los obesos (p=0.004). En el somatotipo, el único componente que presenta diferencias entre no DM y DM es la mesomorfia (p=0.024). Conclusión: La Dismorfia muscular es un concepto claramente psicológico difícilmente diagnosticable mediante medidas antropométricas. Únicamente la mesomorfia, es la medida que aparece incrementada en la DM, pudiendo ser un parámetro de ayuda en el diagnóstico y seguimiento de la DM. Además, el riesgo de padecer DM aumenta con el grado de obesidad.

Main ecological gradients and landscape matrix affect wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Leporidae) abundance in a coastal region (South-East Spain)

Landscape analysis with transects, in the Marina Baja area (province of Alicante, Spain), has contributed to establish the influence of different landscape matrices and some environmental gradients on wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Leporidae) abundance (kilometric abundance index, KAI). Transects (n = 396) were developed to estimate the abundance of this species in the study area from 2006 to 2008.Our analysis shows that rabbits have preferences for a specific land use matrix (irrigated: KAI = 3.47 ± 1.14 rabbits/km). They prefer the coastal area (KAI = 3.82 ± 1.71 rabbits/km), which coincides with thermo-Mediterranean (a bioclimatic belt with a tempered winter and a hot and dry summer with high human density), as opposed to areas in the interior (continental climate with lower human occupation). Their preference for the southern area of the region was also noted (KAI = 8.22 ± 3.90 rabbits/km), which coincides with the upper semi-arid area, as opposed to the northern and intermediate areas (the north of the region coinciding with the upper dry and the intermediate area with the lower dry). On the other hand, we found that the number of rabbits increased during the 3-year study period, with the highest abundance (KAI = 2.71 ± 1.30 rabbits/km) inMay. Thus, this study will enable more precise knowledge of the ecological factors (habitat variables) that intervene in the distribution of wild rabbit populations in a poorly studied area.

Forecasting Elections with High Volatility

This article uses data from the social survey Allbus 1998 to introduce a method of forecasting elections in a context of electoral volatility. The approach models the processes of change in electoral behaviour, exploring patterns in order to model the volatility expressed by voters. The forecast is based on the matrix of transition probabilities, following the logic of Markov chains. The power of the matrix, and the use of the mover-stayer model, is debated for alternative forecasts. As an example of high volatility, the model uses data from the German general election of 1998. The unification of two German states in 1990 caused the incorporation of around 15 million new voters from East Germany who had limited familiarity and no direct experience of the political culture in West Germany. Under these circumstances, voters were expected to show high volatility.