Two construction workers were injured after a farmer suddenly attacked them with a bolo while they were resting under a tree in Solsona Police said one of the victims tried to run but was chased down and struck by the suspect Both men were rushed to the hospital and are now recovering Authorities arrested the suspect and seized the bolo used in the attack Investigators believe the attack stemmed from an earlier dispute The suspect remains in police custody and has not given a statement gmaregionaltv.com is home to the latest stories produced by news teams of GMA Regional TV from stations in key areas across the Philippines Metrics details Many biological materials exist in non-equilibrium states driven by the irreversible consumption of high-energy molecules like ATP or GTP These energy-dissipating structures are governed by kinetics and are thus endowed with unique properties including spatiotemporal control over their presence Here we show man-made equivalents of materials driven by the consumption of high-energy molecules and explore their unique properties A chemical reaction network converts dicarboxylates into metastable anhydrides driven by the irreversible consumption of carbodiimide fuels The anhydrides hydrolyse rapidly to the original dicarboxylates and are designed to assemble into hydrophobic colloids The spatiotemporal control over the formation and degradation of materials allows for the development of colloids that release hydrophobic contents in a predictable fashion temporary self-erasing inks and transient hydrogels we show that each material can be re-used for several cycles and their use as supramolecular materials with unique properties is largely unexplored terrain Here we show a class of autonomously forming and disappearing supramolecular materials non-equilibrium materials are produced by a chemical reaction network that can be fully rationalized by a set of kinetic equations man-made reagents and takes place in water making it extremely versatile and scalable It can be driven by several fuels and coupled to numerous precursors which allows for the exploration of a wide range of autonomous forming and degrading aqueous supramolecular materials We demonstrate that these materials are transient that their lifetimes can be tuned from minutes to hours and that they can be reused by application of another batch of fuel (a) Scheme of the chemical reaction network for the fuel driven formation of a transient anhydride bond (b) Molecular structures of the dicarboxylates precursors used in this study (c) Molecular structures of the fuels used in this study (a–f) 3D plots of the anhydride concentration against time in a dissipative cycle for different initial EDC concentrations for Fmoc-D The black markers represent the calculated concentration using the kinetic model the planes represent interpolations between the model data Note the different x (time) and y (fuel) axis for a,d compared to the Fmoc-AA and Fmoc-AV series The insets show a 2D graph of the concentration anhydride against time for one batch of fuel (10 or 50 mM) as determined by HPLC (markers) and the kinetic model (solid line) (a) Confocal micrographs of a solution of 10 mM Fmoc-D anhydride 10 min after addition of 10 mM EDC in the presence of 2.5 μM Nile Red (scale bars represent 10 μm) (b) Absorbance at 600 nm as a measure for turbidity for solutions of 10 mM Fmoc-D against time after addition of a batch of fuel The dotted black line represents the selected threshold of 0.1 absorbance units (c) The lifetime of the turbidity of the samples as determined by data from b (markers) and calculated by the kinetic model (solid lines) against initial fuel concentration (d) Schematic representation of self-erasing medium Fmoc-D is dissolved in a 30% polyacrylamide hydrogel Only where fuel is applied turbidity appears The polyacrylamide gels were placed on a black surface and side-lit with white light to improve contrast no evidence of the original image was found and the material was rinsed and reused (scale bar represents 1 cm) (f) Average grey values of photographs of inked areas over time (a) Confocal micrographs of 10 mM Fmoc-E with 10 mM EDC after 10 min shows the formation of colloids in the presence of 2.5 μM Nile The scale bars represent 25 μm and 1 μm for the lower and higher magnification (b) DLS scattering intensity against time for 10 mM Fmoc-E with varying concentration of fuel (c) The lifetimes of the colloids as a function of concentration of initial fuel as determined by DLS and the kinetic model The two dotted lines indicate the window where particles were found (d) Micrographs of 10 mM Fmoc-E with 10 mM EDC after 10 min that were prepared in the presence of 250 nM Nile Red while 2.5 μM pyrene was added after 5 min The red (Nile Red) and blue (pyrene) channels were overlaid 25 (lower magnification); 1 μm (higher magnification) (e) Micrographs of 10 mM Fmoc-E with 10 mM EDC after 10 min that were prepared in the presence of 250 nM pyrene while 2.5 μM Nile Red was added after 5 min (f) Release profiles of pyrene (blue markers) and Nile Red (red markers) of the particle described in d Data collection was started 10 min after addition of EDC (a,b) Rheological time sweeps of gels formed by 10 mM Fmoc-AAD and Fmoc-AAE or Fmoc-AVD and Fmoc-AVE precursor combined with 100 mM EDC Solid line represents the storage modulus (G′) dashed line represents the loss modulus (G″) (c) The lifetimes of the gels described in a as measured by rheology (markers) or calculated by the kinetic model (solid lines) (d–g) Confocal microscopy of 100 mM EDC combined with 10 mM Fmoc-AAD Over time the 318 nm peak grew back to its original level Our observations demonstrate that the balance between assembly and disassembly is crucial in the design of assemblers for materials driven by chemical reactions; when the driving force for assembly is too weak assemblies can be kinetically trapped in non-favourable states We have described a chemical reaction network that drives an anionic dicarboxylate out-of-equilibrium by forming its corresponding metastable non-charged anhydride it can easily be incorporated into peptide-based self-assembling structures which we showcase with hydrophobic colloids supramolecular inks and self-assembled hydrogels Unlike the more classical supramolecular materials the behaviour of these non-equilibrium materials is dictated by kinetics rather than thermodynamics This allows us to tune their lifetimes and their decomposition pathway We found that some of the assemblies exert feedback on their own degradation by excluding their building blocks from the chemical reaction network which we used to our advantage to increase the lifetime of their corresponding materials Such feedback of assemblies is also one of the crucial ingredients to study more complex life-like behaviour of non-equilibrium assemblies adaptive and oscillatory behaviour of the assemblies All reagents were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich and Alfa-Aesar and used without any further purification unless otherwise indicated Stock solutions of the precursor were prepared by dissolving the peptide in 200 mM MES buffer Stock solutions of EDC were prepared by dissolving the EDC powder in MQ water and used freshly Reaction networks were started by addition of the high concentration EDC to the precursor solution A kinetic model was written using Matlab in which all reactions were described. The concentrations of each reactant were calculated for every 1 s in the cycle and k-values were fitted to the HPLC data. See Supplementary Methods for more details The UV/Vis measurements were carried out using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer to monitor turbidity. See Supplementary Methods for more details DLS measurements on Fmoc-E solutions were performed using a DynaPro NanoStar from Wyatt following a literature procedure. See Supplementary Methods for more details Rheological measurements were carried out on a Antor Paar Modular Compact Rheometer using steel parallel plate-plate geometry. See Supplementary Methods for more details Fluorescence spectroscopy was performed on a Jasco (Jasco FP-8300) spectrofluorimeter with an external temperature control (Jasco MCB-100). See Supplementary Methods for more details about Fmoc- Cryo-TEM was performed on a Jeol JEM-1400 plus operating at 120 kV. See Supplementary Methods for more details Circular dichroism measurements were performed on a Jasco (Jasco J750) equipped with a Peltier temperature Control. See Supplementary Methods for more details Confocal fluorescence microscopy was performed on a Leica SP5 confocal microscope using a × 63 oil immersion objective Twenty microlitre of the sample was deposited on the glass slide and covered with a 12 mm diameter coverslip Samples were excited with 543 nm laser and imaged at 580–700 nm The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request Non-equilibrium dissipative supramolecular materials with a tunable lifetime Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Supramolecular materials: Self-organized nanostructures Selective differentiation of neural progenitor cells by high-epitope density nanofibers Self-assembling hydrogel scaffolds for photocatalytic hydrogen production An autonomous actuator driven by fluctuations in ambient humidity Supramolecular materials for regenerative medicine High-tech applications of self-assembling supramolecular nanostructured gel-phase materials: from regenerative medicine to electronic devices Optically responsive supramolecular polymer glasses A pH-responsive supramolecular polymer gel as an enteric elastomer for use in gastric devices Generic concept to program the time domain of self-assemblies with a self-regulation mechanism Enzyme-assisted self-assembly under thermodynamic control Regulating the rate of molecular self-assembly for targeting cancer cells Principles and implementations of dissipative (dynamic) self-assembly Biocatalytic pathway selection in transient tripeptide nanostructures Dissipative self-assembly of vesicular nanoreactors Transient assembly of active materials fueled by a chemical reaction Supramolecular pathway selection of perylenediimides mediated by chemical fuels Writing self-erasing images using metastable nanoparticle ‘inks’ Materials with Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks of gels Springer (2006) Salt-induced control of supramolecular order in biocatalytic hydrogelation Cell death versus cell survival instructed by supramolecular cohesion of nanostructures Energy landscapes and functions of supramolecular systems Download references This work was supported by the Technische Universität München – Institute for Advanced Study funded by the German Excellence Initiative and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n° 291763 and the International Research Training Group ATUMS (IRTG 2022) acknowledge funding by the Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) acknowledge funding by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the SFB No MTS acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program for the Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship under grant agreement n° 747007 Marta Tena-Solsona and Benedikt Rieß: These authors contributed equally to this work Department of Mechanical Engineering and Munich School of Bioengineering analysed the data and wrote the manuscript The authors declare no competing financial interests Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. Perfectly preserved engravings feature dates, names and other symbols Angus Clelland | Barcelona First published: February 17, 2022 04:35 PM The Solsona town council have recently restored 18 square meters of graffiti and inscriptions found in the attic of a building of historic significance in the town’s old center. According to the municipal government, although they would need an expert’s opinion to interpret the exact meaning, some of the engravings relate to harvest traditions. The inscriptions, found in a building in central Catalonia, consist of parallel lines, many of which are accompanied by a cross signifying the number ten. There is also much Gothic lettering, representing names, crosses, arrows and other drawings. What is easier to interpret, however, are the many dates etched into the wall, ranging from 1635 to 1690. The incisions have been made into plaster and are between one millimeter and one centimeter thick, however other words written with charcoal and chalk can be found. The project’s restaurateur, Violant Bonet, says “this graffiti had never been restored, it has only been reinforced with chalk in some of the broken areas”. As a result, this collection is “an exceptional testimony conserved ‘in situ’ since the 17th century without having been previously interfered with”. She also highlights the “concentration of inscriptions and the scale, which are noteworthy”, as well as “the great mastery of some inscriptions and numbers''. The process of cleaning the wall was a laborious one, due to the process itself, carried out manually, and the difficulty of preserving every single incision. The main purpose of this plan was to nail down the support that the graffiti and incisions would receive, so as to avoid the loss of such sites that could render the local cultural heritage extinct. The budget for the project was €14,520, and took place in Cal Metge Solé, a building dating back to the 15th century. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone Metrics details Life is a dissipative nonequilibrium structure that requires constant consumption of energy to sustain itself How such an unstable state could have selected from an abiotic pool of molecules remains a mystery Here we show that liquid phase-separation offers a mechanism for the selection of dissipative products from a library of reacting molecules We bring a set of primitive carboxylic acids out-of-equilibrium by addition of high-energy condensing agents The resulting anhydrides are transiently present before deactivation via hydrolysis We find the anhydrides that phase-separate into droplets to protect themselves from hydrolysis and to be more persistent than non-assembling ones the library self-selects the phase-separating anhydrides We observe that the self-selection mechanism is more effective when the library is brought out-of-equilibrium by periodic addition of batches as opposed to feeding it continuously Our results suggest that phase-separation offers a selection mechanism for energy dissipating assemblies yet efficient selection mechanisms need to be identified Here we show that phase-separation is an efficient way for a controlled selection of chemical nonequilibrium species We bring a library of primitive carboxylic acids out-of-equilibrium by high-energy condensing agents We find the metastable anhydride products that can phase-separate into micron-sized droplets to be more persistent against deactivation than non-assembling ones the library self-selects the most competitive product by their survival in phase-separated droplets The observed self-selection is rationalized by a first-order kinetic model taking into account the persistence of species by compartmentalization We found that it is more favorable for the self-selecting droplets to form when the library is brought out-of-equilibrium by periodic addition of batches as opposed to feeding it continuously Our results suggest that persistence by phase-separation or compartmentalization offers a selection mechanism for energy dissipating out-of-equilibrium assemblies a persistence factor of 1.0 meant no decreased hydrolysis rate compared to without droplets whereas a factor of 100 would imply 100-fold slower hydrolysis As the anhydride hydrolysis rate decreased roughly an order of magnitude per carbon number the persistence factor increased roughly an order of magnitude per increase in carbon number all anhydride concentrations remained below their solubility and we thus observed no increased turbidity and the system had reset to the initial conditions repetitive fueling and starvation cycles resulted in the same outcome The method of fueling affects the selection process a Minimalistic representation of the chemical reaction networks in competition experiments with varying frequency of fueling Solutions of 300 mM C3 and 300 mM C5 are fueled with equal fuel flux 1 h−1) or five times per hour in smaller batches (bottom c The concentration of anhydride products against time when a mixture of 300 mM C3 and 300 mM C5 is fueled 60 mM EDC in a 3h experiment The fuel was either supplied b with a frequency of 1 × 20 mM h−1 or c 10 × 2 mM h−1 Markers represent HPLC data; solid lines represent calculated data The red dashed line indicates the solubility of C5C5 d Plot of the fraction of C5C5 after 3 h against the frequency of fuel addition Only at a frequency below 5 h−1 phase-separation occurred (gray-shaded area) When a relatively large batch of fuel is added at a low frequency (i.e. 5 h−1) the production of C5C5 is sufficient to pass its solubility and to phase-separate the hydrolysis of C5C5 is decreased ensuring its concentration remains above the solubility for a prolonged time if we added smaller batches more frequently a pseudo-steady state is created in which none of the anhydrides phase-separates The simplicity of the inhibition mechanism will enable the further design of reaction schemes to self-select assemblies with life-like features from molecular libraries driven out-of-equilibrium 4-Morpholineethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer and Nile Red were all purchased from Sigma-Aldrich and Alfa-Aesar unless indicated otherwise We synthesized the different N-acyl ureas by repetitive additions of EDC to the precursors We then purified the N-acyl ureas using reversed-phase-HPLC (Thermo Fisher Dionex Ultimate 3000 Hypersil Gold 250 × 4.8 mm) and assessed their purity with electrospray ionization–mass spectroscopy (ESI–MS) and HPLC We prepared stock solutions of the precursor by dissolving the precursor in 500 mM MES buffer and adjusting the pH to 6.0 We prepared stock solutions of EDC by dissolving the EDC powder in MQ water we used freshly prepared stock solutions of 1.0 M EDC In addition to the high concentration EDC to the precursor solution started the cycles We found that the networks were relatively temperature sensitive and thus carried them out as close to 25 °C as possible The noncompetition experiments were carried out by addition of various batch sizes of EDC to 300 mM C3 All competition experiments of C3 and C5 were carried out with 300 mM C3 and 300 mM C5 The competition experiments between C3 and C6 were carried out at 100 mM C3 and 100 mM C6 We performed the competition experiment between all precursors with 100 mM C3 We carried out all experiments at 25 ± 0.5 °C We used a microsyringe pump to supply a continuous flow of EDC (0.6 M) at 50 μL h−1 to a 1.5 mL solution of 300 mM C3 and 300 mM C5 We monitored the concentration profiles of the chemical reaction networks over time using analytical HPLC (HPLC We prepared a 1.5 mL sample as described in HPLC vial The HPLC-injected samples of this solution and all compounds involved were separated using linear gradients of water and acetonitrile Method 1: water: acetonitrile gradient from 98:2 to 50:50 in 12 min Method 2: water: acetonitrile gradient from 98:2 to 2:98 in 25 min Method 3: water: acetonitrile gradient from 98:2 to 2:98 in 13 min A flow of 2 min 98% acetonitrile followed all methods The UV/Vis measurements were carried out using a Multiskan FC (Thermo Fisher) microplate reader Samples were directly prepared into 96-well plate (tissue culture plate non-treated) as described above We performed all measurements in triplicate We recorded the data at 600 and 400 nm at 25 ± 0.5 °C Confocal fluorescence microscopy was performed on a Leica SP5 confocal microscope using a ×63 oil immersion objective We prepared samples as described above but with 2.5 µM Nile Red as a dye A volume of 20 µL of the sample was deposited on the PEG-coated glass slide and covered with a 12 mm PEG-coated coverslip A 543 nm laser excited the samples and we imaged at 580–700 nm we acquired a 4096 × 4096 image of an area that covered 246 × 246 µm We performed each experiment in triplicate (n = 3) We used ImageJ’s preinstalled “analyze particles” package which is used to analyze the number of droplets and their circumference The circumference was used to calculate their radii under the assumption that the drops were perfectly spherical The acquired data were then binned in 5-min bins to ensure sufficient droplets per data point each data point corresponds to five images (e.g. We calculated the hydrolysis rate by the rate constant (k5) multiplied by the concentration anhydride when the concentration anhydride was below its solubility When the concentration anhydride was above its solubility we calculated the hydrolysis rate by k5 multiplied by its solubility (s) The kinetic model allowed us to calculate the anhydride hydrolysis rate with and without the inhibition mechanism in place the maximum anhydride hydrolysis rate in response to 50 mM EDC was calculated These values allowed us to calculate by which degree the hydrolysis rate was decreased as a result of the inhibition mechanism The maximum hydrolysis rate with inhibition mechanism was divided by the maximum hydrolysis rate without feedback to calculate the persistence factor the factor was 1.0 because C3 did not phase-separate and inhibit the deactivation implying that in the presence of assemblies the hydrolysis was 1.26 times slower as compared to without assemblies We used a Varian 500 MS LC ion trap spectrometer to perform ESI–MS measurements We diluted the samples in acetonitrile before injection into an acetonitrile carrier flow (20 μL min−1) Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to Prof Selection and amplification of hosts from dynamic combinatorial libraries of macrocyclic disulfides Dynamic peptide libraries for the discovery of supramolecular nanomaterials Mechanosensitive self-replication driven by self-organization Prebiotic systems chemistry: new perspectives for the origins of life Stability and its manifestation in the chemical and biological worlds How Chemistry becomes Biology 2nd edn (Oxford UP Towards an evolutionary theory of the origin of life based on kinetics and thermodynamics oscillatory networks of biologically relevant organic reactions Dissipative self-assembly of a molecular gelator by using a chemical fuel Non-equilibrium steady states in supramolecular polymerization Dissipative out-of-equilibrium assembly of man-made supramolecular materials Non-equilibrium supramolecular polymerization Dissipative assembly of aqueous carboxylic acid anhydrides fueled by carbodiimides Peptide nanofibers with dynamic instability through non-equilibrium biocatalytic assembly Growth and division of active droplets provides a model for protocells The solubilities of the normal saturated fatty acids Solubility of nonelectrolytes in polar solvents II: Solubility of aliphatic alcohols in water Liquid phase-condensation in cell physiology and disease Fatty acid chemistry at the oil-water interface: self-propelled oil droplets Experimental models of primitive cellular compartments: encapsulation Autocatalytic self-replicating micelles as models for prebiotic structures Peptide-nucleotide microdroplets as a step towards a membrane-free protocell model The effect of secondary structure on cleavage of the phosphodiester bonds of RNA Hydrolytic stability of helicalRNA: A selective advantage for the natural 3’,5’-bond Download references The authors are grateful for valuable discussions with Prof This work was supported by the Technische Universität München—Institute for Advanced Study funded by the German Excellence Initiative and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement no and A.R.B acknowledge funding by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the SFB No acknowledges the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program for the Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship under grant agreement no acknowledges funding by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft the International Research Training Group ATUMS (IRTG 2022) designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript performed experiments and analyzed the data The authors declare no competing interests Publisher's note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04488-y Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sprint interval exercises (SIT) conducted under different conditions (hypoxia and blood flow restriction [BFR]) on mechanical, cardiorespiratory, and muscular O2 extraction responses. Conclusions: Thus, SIT associated with G-BFR displayed lower mechanical, cardiorespiratory responses, and skeletal muscle oxygenation than the other conditions. Exercise with BFR60 promotes higher blood accumulation within working muscles, suggesting that BFR60 may additionally affect cellular stress. In addition, HYP and G-BFR induced local hypoxia with higher levels for G-BFR when considering both exercise bouts and recovery periods. Volume 12 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.773950 Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sprint interval exercises (SIT) conducted under different conditions (hypoxia and blood flow restriction [BFR]) on mechanical 13 healthy moderately trained men completed five bouts of 30 s all-out exercises interspaced by 4 min resting periods with lower limb bilateral BFR at 60% of the femoral artery occlusive pressure (BFR60) during the first 2 min of recovery with gravity-induced BFR (pedaling in supine position; G-BFR) in a hypoxic chamber (FiO2≈13%; HYP) or without additional stress (NOR) Gas exchanges and muscular oxygenation were measured by metabolic cart and NIRS Heart rate (HR) and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) were continuously recorded peak and average power decreased after each sprint (p < 0.001) excepting between sprints four and five Time to reach peak power increased between the three first sprints and sprint number five (p < 0.001) RPE increased throughout the exercises (p < 0.001) time to achieve peak power and RPE were lower in G-BFR (p < 0.001) Results also showed that SpO2 decreased in the last sprints for all the conditions and was lower for HYP (p < 0.001) Δ[O2Hb] increased in the last two sprints (p < 0.001) BFR60 application induced a decrease in gas exchange rates which increased after its release compared to the other conditions (p < 0.001) muscle blood concentration was higher for BFR60 (p < 0.001) average and peak oxygen consumption and muscular oxyhemoglobin availability during sprints decreased for HYP (p < 0.001) the tissue saturation index was lower in G-BFR SIT associated with G-BFR displayed lower mechanical and skeletal muscle oxygenation than the other conditions Exercise with BFR60 promotes higher blood accumulation within working muscles suggesting that BFR60 may additionally affect cellular stress HYP and G-BFR induced local hypoxia with higher levels for G-BFR when considering both exercise bouts and recovery periods These changes include increases in HIF-1α and the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and little is known about SIT protocols using BFR nothing is known about the use of such a protocol during SIT the acute effects of HYP and BFR models on both cardiovascular and muscular responses have never been compared during SIT protocols It appears important to understand the acute effects of these models to identify potential training adaptations for the efficient prescription of training strategies the goal of this study was to assess the effects of each condition on mechanical output and muscle oxygenation in healthy moderately trained men it has been chosen to set maximal stress for both HYP and BFR conditions that could be tolerated in this cohort in combination with the SIT protocol proposed based on preliminary work in our laboratory the inclined position was maintained during the entire exercise session The hypotheses were that we would observe different responses depending on the condition with (i) a higher power output during the successive exercise bouts in NOR since the other conditions induce additional stress that may lead to a reduction of acute muscle efficiency and subsequent performance (ii) a greater impact of HYP on the cardiorespiratory responses because HYP causes hypoxemia and (iii) a more pronounced impact of BFR models on muscle oxygenation because they generate local hypoxia Thirteen healthy moderately trained men (mean ± SD age 24 ± 3 years; weight 73.8 ± 6.5 kg; height 179 ± 6 cm; body fat percentage 12.5 ± 2.1%; training frequency 8 ± 4 h per week) participants took part in this experiment the participants were informed about the experimental procedures and the possible discomforts and risks The participants provided written informed consent and completed a questionnaire to exclude all potential cardiorespiratory and injury risks The experimental protocol was approved by the local ethics committee (VD-2021-00597) All experiments were performed in accordance with the last Declaration of Helsinki All tests were performed at the same time of the day to minimize the effects of circadian cycles and within similar environmental conditions The participants were asked to maintain their dietary habits without alcohol consumption 48 h before each test Athletes did not take medication or dietary supplements during the studied period and 30% fat) was proposed to the participants the day preceding each test Total femoral artery occlusion pressure was measured on the day the participant followed the BFR protocol to avoid a potential effect of time and to be more accurate The participants sat on a chair for the measurement of the total femoral artery occlusion pressure cuff size 13 cm × 85 cm) were placed around the right inferior limb proximal to the hip articulation The occlusion pressure was progressively increased with the inflation apparatus (E20/AG101 Rapid Cuff Inflation System The occlusion level was determined with an ultrasound linear probe (EchoWave II 3.4.4 Total occlusion pressure was considered as reached when there was no detectable arterial blood flow A total of three measurements were taken with a 1 min recovery between each evaluation The highest-pressure value obtained was used to determine the 60% pressure applied for BFR60 during the exercise sessions the cuff pressure of 60% was used following preliminary work performed in the laboratory that highlighted it was the highest level that could be tolerated by the participants in combination with the present SIT protocol All testing was performed in a controlled indoor environment with an ergocycle (Lode Excalibur Sport 911905 The Netherlands) programmed on constant torque mode (Wingate mode) with a torque factor of 0.8 Nm.kg−1 The warm-up consisted of 10 min of cycling at 100 W (85 rpm) and two 6-s maximal sprints interspaced by a passive recovery of 54 s the participants completed five bouts of 30 s standing start all-out exercises interspaced by 4 min rest periods BFR was applied with inflatable cuffs during the first 2 min of recovery after each sprint participants maintained their inclined position during exercise bouts and recovery periods a structure was built to allow participants to lay horizontally on their backs as comfortably as possible The structure also permitted handgrip to avoid body displacements during exercise HYP was normobaric and was used during the whole session The configuration (height and length) of both the saddle and handlebars was recorded to be reproduced in subsequent tests Participants had to maintain saddle contact They were encouraged energetically to complete every exercise maximally Verbal indication of time was not provided to minimize pacing strategies during each sprint exercise Participants quoted their subjective perception of effort through the 6–20 rating perceived exertion (RPE) scale after each sprint FI was calculated as follow for each sprint: the cuffs were placed bilaterally and proximally to the hip articulation The cuffs were inflated during the first 2 min of recovery The laboratory where the tests took place was below 400 m of altitude Breath-by-breath gas exchanges and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) were continuously monitored throughout the exercises and recovery periods and minute ventilation (V.E) were measured with a gas exchange analyzer (Quark CPET and ΣVCO2) were cumulated for each period (exercise and recoveries) Data were treated using a second-order Butterworth filter with a cutting frequency of 0.1 Hz Breathing flow was measured by a bi-directional digital turbine that was calibrated using a 3-l syringe (C00600-01-11 CO2: 5.05%) was used to calibrate O2 and CO2 analyzers Heart rate was collected with a Garmin monitor (HRM3-SS Peak and minimal values were determined for these variables during each sprint Delta values (Δ) were calculated as the absolute difference between peak and minimal values SpO2 was continuously recorded with a pulse oximeter (WristOx 3100 The Netherlands) and the sensor (8000Q2Sensor The Netherlands) was placed at the earlobe Muscular O2 extraction measurements were monitored by an absolute near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) probe (OxiplexTS The device was placed on the distal portion of the right vastus lateralis and was held by an elastic band wrapped around it to minimize extraneous light and movement NIRS device includes four transmitters situated at 2.5 The acquisition frequency was 50 Hz and data were averaged every 1 s Two different wavelength laser diodes provided the light source (682 and 834 nm) and the differential pathlength factor was set to 4 Oxygen extraction was estimated by the tissue saturation index (TSI) from the NIRS measurement which also includes total hemoglobin concentration ([tHb]) and concentrations of deoxyhemoglobin ([HHb]) small effect 0.10 ≤ d < 0.50 medium effect 0.50 ≤ d < 0.80 and large effect d ≥ 0.80) No interaction between conditions and sprint number was found for any variable (p > 0.05) BFR60 did not induce a reduction of SpO2 during its application compared to the other conditions (p > 0.05) Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (A) and SpO2 (B) values between the different conditions blood flow restriction during the two first minutes of recovery; HYP Differences between the numbers of the sprint are highlighted by numbers and symbols are used for differences between conditions 1Different from sprint number one; 2different from the second sprint; 3different from the third sprint; 4different from the fourth sprint these differences concern the effect of sprint number without distinguishing the exercise modality (n.b. no statistical interaction was found); **p < 0.01 different from G-BFR; $ $p < 0.01 different from the other conditions and fatigue index (D) between the different conditions 1Different from sprint number one; 2different from the second sprint; 3different from the third sprint; these differences concern the effect of sprint number without distinguishing the exercise modality (n.b. no statistical interaction was found); *p < 0.05 different from G-BFR; **p < 0.01 different from G-BFR; £p < 0.05 different from the other conditions Results are presented in Table 1 Cardio-respiratory responses during the interventions there was a main effect of the condition on ΣVT (p < 0.01) Values were lower for G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 and higher in HYP compared to BFR60 (p < 0.05 A main effect of the condition was observed for V.Epeak (p < 0.01) which was lower in G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 Values were also lower in BFR60 and NOR compared to HYP (p < 0.05 Oxygen consumption showed a main effect of both conditions (p < 0.01) and sprint number (p < 0.01) Values were lower in G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 respectively) and in HYP compared to NOR (p < 0.01 We found main effects reflecting a difference on V.O2peak depending on the condition (p < 0.01) Values were lower in HYP compared to all conditions (p < 0.05 and higher in NOR compared to BFR60 and G-BFR (p < 0.05 it was higher in the second sprint compared to the fourth and fifth (p < 0.01): 3932 ± 248 mean sprint heart rate (HR) presented a condition main effect (p < 0.01) and a sprint number main effect (p < 0.01) d = −0.8) and in BFR60 (p < 0.05 HR was also lower in the first sprint compared to the other sprints and in the second sprint compared to the third and the fifth ones (p < 0.05): 128.4 ± 5.8 Only a condition main effect was found for HRpeak (p < 0.01) Values were lower in G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05 respectively) and in BFR60 compared to NOR (p < 0.05 Results are presented in Table 2, Figure 3 Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) parameters during the interventions Average deoxyhemoglobin (A) and tissue saturation index (B) We found a significant condition main effect on TSI (p < 0.01) TSI was higher in BFR60 compared to HYP and G-BFR (p < 0.01 and lower in G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 Mean session (both sprint and recovery periods included) TSI was lower in G-BFR compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05) A main effect of condition was detected for [tHb] Values were higher in BFR60 compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 and [O2Hb] also presented a main effect of condition (p < 0.01) Values were higher in BFR60 compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05 and in NOR compared to G-BFR (p < 0.05 [O2Hb]max: d = 0.7; [O2Hb]min: d = 0.8; [O2Hb]: d = 1.0) [O2Hb] was lower in HYP compared to NOR (p < 0.05 an effect of the sprint number was found on Δ[O2Hb] (p < 0.01) Values increased between the first sprint and the last two sprints (p < 0.01): 30.5 ± 2.9 and ΣVCO2 presented a main effect of condition (p < 0.01) ΣVT was lower in G-BFR (p < 0.01 respectively) and higher in HYP (p < 0.01 respectively) compared to the other conditions and higher in NOR compared to BFR60 (p < 0.01 ΣVO2 was lower in BFR60 compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 respectively) and in G-BFR compared to NOR (p < 0.05 ΣVCO2 was also lower in BFR60 compared to the other conditions (p < 0.01 a main effect of condition was found for TSI (p < 0.01) It was lower in G-BFR compared to NOR (p < 0.01 and the difference of hemoglobin concentration (Δ[tHb]) showed a main effect of condition (p < 0.05) [O2Hb] was higher for BFR60 than G-BFR (p < 0.05 [HHb] was higher in BFR60 compared to NOR during this period (p < 0.05 Δ[tHb] was higher in BFR60 compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05 The aim of the present study was to compare the acute effects of systemic hypoxia and O2 muscle extraction during SIT exercises in healthy moderately trained men The main results were that SIT associated with G-BFR displayed lower mechanical and cardiorespiratory responses than the other modalities G-BFR also showed lower skeletal muscle oxygenation BFR60 induced greater blood accumulation within working muscles compared to the other conditions HYP at 13% FiO2 and G-BFR increased local hypoxia within the working muscles with a higher level of hypoxia observed for G-BFR BFR was applied for the first 2 min of recovery This probably delayed and reduced overall recovery and metabolite accumulation in the following sprints The BFR protocol used in the present study was applied during recovery periods between exercise bouts and as such has a different effect to the continuous application that may be seen during other studies performance variables were unaffected but average and maximal oxygen consumption and muscular oxyhemoglobin availability decreased peak and average power decreased after each sprint excepting between sprints four and five where values were similar Time to reach peak power increased between the three first sprints and sprint five both BFR and HYP enhance cellular stress (i.e. metabolite accumulation and/or hypoxia) without affecting total work during the training sessions Our results are consistent with the recent study of Preobrazenski and colleagues who showed a decrease in muscle oxygenation in their G-BFR model compared to the control group they reported a higher RPE with G-BFR whereas we obtained the opposite result This could be explained by the difference in exercise modality (aerobic vs the G-BFR condition may alter biomechanical and cardiorespiratory responses G-BFR induced lower mean tissue oxygenation G-BFR seems to induce specific stress compared to the other modalities TSI was higher for BFR60 compared to the other conditions due to an increased oxyhemoglobin concentration ([O2Hb]) peak and mean HR were lower in BFR60 during the exercises HYP and G-BFR induced greater local hypoxia within skeletal muscles which was more prominent in G-BFR when considering both exercise bouts and recovery periods G-BFR would represent an alternative to HYP to promote additional hypoxic stress within skeletal muscles cells Additional studies are needed to compare the chronic effects of these conditions on both cellular adaptations to training and gains in muscle performance especially because G-BFR lowers power output during sessions Additional works are needed to compare outcomes according to gender because women remain underrepresented in sport science literature this study conducted in healthy moderately trained men showed that a session of SIT in combination with G-BFR showed lower mechanical Another important insight is that both SIT protocols conducted under HYP at 13% FiO2 and G-BFR amplified local hypoxia within the working muscles a higher level of hypoxia was found with G-BFR when considering the measurement of the entire exercise session (i.e. a single session of SIT associated with BFR60 promotes higher blood accumulation within working muscles compared to the other exercise modes This suggests that BFR60 may additionally or differentially affect cellular homeostasis each condition generates specific stress and further studies are needed to better understand subsequent consequences on long-term adaptation Further studies are needed (i) to compare the effects of these protocols on-field performance (ii) to evaluate more precisely the degree of stress generated by each condition even if high values for both BFR60 and hypoxia have been used based on literature for this kind of exercise and (iii) to examine mechanistic insight since the mechanisms of action may be different Investigations of the involvement of different cellular pathways those involved in mitochondrial adaptations (e.g. the axis of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1-alpha) are needed to improve our knowledge about the molecular benefits of these training methods These research directions are important because they may help to improve the ability to develop more efficient hypoxic or BFR training modalities and to improve skeletal muscle function and whole-body metabolism adding stress to training would promote adaptations in the long term at least when recovery processes are sufficient The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors The experimental protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee (VD-2021-00597) The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study and AS: conceived and designed the experiments All authors read the manuscript and approved the final version An internal Bonus Qualité Recherche from the University of Perpignan Via Domitia was obtained to perform this study The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The authors thank all the participants for their motivation and Pr Effect of arterial occlusion on responses of group III and IV afferents to dynamic exercise Mixed-effects modeling with crossed random effects for subjects and items Muscle metabolism during sprint exercise in man: influence of sprint training High-intensity exercise and mitochondrial biogenesis: current controversies and future research directions PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar On the use of the repeated-sprint training in hypoxia in tennis Effects of repeated-sprint training in hypoxia on sea-level performance: a meta-analysis solutions to the programming puzzle: Part I: cardiopulmonary emphasis neuromuscular load and practical applications PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text Effect of short-term sprint interval training on human skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism during exercise and time-trial performance Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low 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exercise In-season repeated-sprint training in hypoxia in international field hockey players Experiments with more than one random factor: designs Muscle performance and enzymatic adaptations to sprint interval training Metabolic cost of locomotion during treadmill walking with blood flow restriction The combined effect of sprint interval training and postexercise blood flow restriction on critical power and mitochondrial proteins in trained cyclists Oxygen availability and motor unit activity in humans Alternative models for small samples in psychological research: applying linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations to repeated measures data Resistance training with interval blood flow restriction effectively enhances intramuscular metabolic stress with less ischemic duration and discomfort Metabolic and cardiovascular responses to upright cycle exercise with leg blood flow reduction The underrepresentation of females in studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes: a scoping review Neuromuscular evaluation of arm-cycling repeated sprints under hypoxia and/or blood flow restriction A novel gravity-induced blood flow restriction model augments ACC phosphorylation and PGC-1α mRNA in human skeletal muscle following aerobic exercise: a randomized crossover study Molecular regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis following blood flow-restricted aerobic exercise: a call to action Recent data on cellular component turnover: focus on adaptations to physical exercise Physiological and perceptual responses to aerobic exercise with and without blood flow restriction Molecular regulation of skeletal muscle growth and organelle biosynthesis: practical recommendations for exercise training Change in intramuscular inorganic phosphate during multiple sets of blood flow-restricted low-intensity exercise Acute and chronic effect of sprint interval training combined with postexercise blood-flow restriction in trained individuals Blood flow restriction increases metabolic stress but decreases muscle activation during high-load resistance exercise Oxygenation time course and neuromuscular fatigue during repeated cycling sprints with bilateral blood flow restriction Vascular and oxygenation responses of local ischemia and systemic hypoxia during arm cycling repeated sprints Borrani F and Sanchez AMJ (2021) Mechanical and Muscular Oxygenation Responses to Sprint Interval Exercises Under Different Hypoxic Conditions in Healthy Moderately Trained Men Received: 10 September 2021; Accepted: 19 November 2021; Published: 16 December 2021 Copyright © 2021 Solsona, Berthelot, Borrani and Sanchez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Anthony M. J. Sanchez, YW50aG9ueS5zYW5jaGV6QHVuaXYtcGVycC5mcg==; Fabio Borrani, ZmFiaW8uYm9ycmFuaUB1bmlsLmNo †These authors have contributed equally to this work and share senior authorship Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Xavier Novell committed a canonical crime automatically stripping him of his title ACN | Barcelona After announcing his resignation on August 23 the former Bishop of Solsona in central Catalonia Images shown on public Catalan broadcaster program Planta Baixa showed Novell and his partner Novell loses his bishop title as he has committed a canonical crime meaning that he will not be able to officiate Mass as stated by the Canon law of the Catholic Church Novell stepped away from his duties a few months ago. The former bishop was not allowed to marry Caballol in a church as the Vatican has to approve the process sources from Solsona’s bishopric told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) they do expect approval from the Vatican. The fallout started in summer when Novell stepped down citing "strictly personal reasons" following "a period of reflection When his resignation was announced, Caballol was reported to be a writer with a focus on erotica and satanic subjects. Novell was made bishop in 2010 at the age of 41, the youngest in Catalonia and Spain. He has made several statements during his tenure that have earned condemnation from LGBTQ and pro-choice groups. For example, in 2017 he said homosexuality could be linked to "the absence of a father figure," and in February he called abortion "the most serious and terrible genocide in humanity." v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. The AIMS is a project created by the German cellist Peter Thiemann, who plays in Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu's orchestra, in order to bring together students who play different musical instruments and internationally recognized teachers. The academy can be distinguished from other summer music schools as, in addition to studying, the students are also the stars of the festival, offering performances each day in different towns throughout Catalonia and in Solsona itself. Thiemann explained to the ACN that the AIMS's students share the stage with their teachers. It "is a big challenge for the students since it makes them nervous, and it is a great experience because the students have to be prepared when walking up to the stage," he said. Professors ofacknowledged international prestige and excellence The AIMS, an excellent opportunity for students According to Thiemann, there is a high percentage of the same students attending the Academy year after year. "We are happy because it means that people are pleased with the event, they see it is a really intense festival offering many opportunities to learn." For two weeks, students do intensive courses in the violin, viola, cello, double bass, chamber music and chamber orchestra. In addition, during the festival there are different concerts held every day. The double bass player, Guillermo Nasarre from Barcelona, is attending the AIMS for the second consecutive year and is appreciating the opportunity to spend ''24 hours per day making music non-stop.'' The American violinist Sarah Eaton explained that the AIMS is a unique opportunity to improve your musical style and one of the things that she likes the most about this festival is the variety of concerts offered every day during the event. More fromWork Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Extra Search It was Catalan designer Pol’s identity for Cinemaissí a Helsinki-based Latin American film festival that caught our eye with simple lines of colour against a black backdrop Its limited colour palette and bold typography makes it adaptable but instantly recognisable across a variety of different colourways with the line elements extracted for different applications such as on coffee cups and bags Pol says: “The festival needed an upgrade that would support the curation and quality of the film selection and at the same time connect with the Finnish target audience without losing the Latin American spirit.” We reckon he’s done a grand job Further Infowww.polsolsona.com Emily Gosling Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week She is particularly interested in graphic design After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest About Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs © It’s Nice That 2024 · Nice Face Logo © It’s Nice That www.polsolsona.com Perhaps there’s something in the chilly water over in Helsinki, but boy do they know how to create an identity for a festival. Earlier this year we brought you Kokoro & Moi’s colourful Helsinki Design Competition identity and now we’re celebrating some more work from the Finnish capital by Pol Solsona In preparation for his archive show in London we caught up with the artist to uncover some of the stories behind his most renowned letterpress prints and to celebrate the birth of the poster and manifesto that has come to define his career Tasked with uniting the football club under one clear vision Studio Dumbar/DEPT® opted for a more “stout” version Jacob Wise’s Skrappa as the hero type physicality-led practice reminds its audience of the person behind the piece Koto NYC leans into the act of scanning QR codes – weaving a brand narrative of stitches About Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs Sign In Register the World Enduro Super Series headed to Spain and the BR2 Enduro Solsona for the penultimate round of the season Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia did exactly that scorching his way to victory in front of friends and family Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker ensured a KTM-factory clean sweep of the podium while a fourth-place from Manuel Lettenbichler helped him to extend his points lead Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero put in a stormer of a final lap on Sunday to pip Taddy Blazusiak to the post for fifth Josep Garcia set about putting his disappointing outing at Hawkstone Park behind him he immediately began setting top test times to open out a lead another strong ride and fastest time of the day “It felt great to take the win here at home in front of all my friends and family,” said Garcia Yesterday I had a couple of crashes but today went perfectly I felt a little extra pressure coming here for my home event BR2 Enduro Solsona marked the end of a hectic month for Nathan Watson From winning Hawkstone Park to third with Team GB at Motocross of Nations Admitting to feeling weary entering Solsona he still managed to keep local man Garcia honest throughout the weekend losing only 10 seconds to the Spaniard throughout the day to finish as runner-up “Josep was on fire here in Spain and really pushed hard especially on that first lap yesterday,” explained Watson “It was always going to be hard to catch him after that “Coming in off the back of a hectic couple of weeks wasn’t easy From Hawkstone Park to the MXoN and now here My energy was fading a little bit by the end of the weekend but I managed to dig deep and keep pushing but to finish second and earn more WESS points is a good weekend.” n Walker cards second podium in a row Jonny Walker continued his strong start to the second half of the season by carding another podium result in WESS Brimming with confidence following his ride to third at Hawkstone Park But knowing the Spanish would be fast he wasn’t taking anything for granted However a win at the Friday head-to-head Super Test showed he was already up to speed Although not quite matching the pace of Garcia or Watson on the long Enduro and Cross test he was setting the benchmark in the Extreme test That form slotted him into third overall and although a hustle from Lettenbichler behind him he controlled it throughout the weekend to secure a well-deserved podium result “It’s been a good race here in Spain,” said Walker “I’m really happy to get on the podium again I’m starting to feel like I am getting back into a groove “The race started well with a win in the Super Test and I’m really pleased with how I rode on both Saturday and Sunday – I was on top of the extreme test The plan now is to get a good result at GetzenRodeo and hopefully come away with second in the championship.” Lettenbichler surprised all with his newfound Classic Enduro speed Proving his runner-up result at Hawkstone Park was no fluke the Romaniacs winner ended his weekend in a comfortable fourth to ensure a virtual-but-firm grasp on the WESS title ahead of his home round at GetzenRodeo next month “I feel so pleased right now,” smiled Lettenbichler even though I was feeling quite confident after Hawkstone so I just need to keep things together at GetzenRodeo to get it done.” The battle for fifth was a close affair between Guerrero and Blazusiak The Polish rider held fifth overnight and was determined to sign out with a top-five result A crash on lap one of Saturday saw Guerrero fight his way back into contention he gained time on Blazusiak in the Enduro and Cross test but lost time on the Extreme test Putting everything into the final Super Test he managed to overthrow the KTM rider Honda’s Kirian Mirabet edged out Jaume Betriu (KTM) by just one second to take seventh while Marzal Schareina (Husqvarna) and Ramon Quer (Husqvarna) rounded out the top-10 “It was hard at first to get into the groove of riding these types of special tests they’re pure Spanish style but I began to find a rhythm It would have been nice to get a bit higher up the leaderboard but the Spaniards are fast in this stuff and are racing it all year.” The 2019 World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round at Germany’s GetzenRodeo on Saturday [more-from heading=”More Enduro” category=”enduro”] Dirt Bike Rider is an award-winning magazine and has been the home of motocross since 1981 Contact us: admin@wwonline.co.uk From Pyrenean peaks to flamingo-dotted deltas a new tour draws visitors away from busy Barcelona narrow street decorated with wrought-iron balconies in the small Catalonian city of Solsona local guide Ivan Viladrich has just pushed open the unassuming wooden door of an 18th-century building Hidden inside are two pairs of intricately sculpted gegants (Catalan dancing giants) whose history goes back to the late 17th century there’s a 330-year-old wooden dragon (the Drac de Solsona) surrounded by all kinds of other mythological animal figures They have all just been twirled and paraded around town during the Festa Major “Solsona might not have big sights like Barcelona but it does have many small points of great interest especially the old town with its intriguing architecture and Romanesque-origin cathedral,” says Ivan who has been leading tours here with Solsona Experience since 2016 He explains how the city’s cultural heritage is one of its key tourism attractions before pointing out gurgling gothic fountains curiously carved wooden beams and the weekly market as we stroll through the cobbled centre Solsona, capital of Solsonès county, which lies between Barcelona and the Pyrenees, is one of many lesser-known regional stops on the just-launched Grand Tour of Catalonia a project devised by the Catalan tourist board the Grand Tour aims to decentralise the region’s Barcelona-focused tourism industry encourage visitors to explore during quieter seasons and shine a light on its cultural Catalonia’s capital (population: 1.6 million) received around 32 million tourists – and only 13.9 million of them stayed for one night or longer (still a record number) There were also growing concerns about irresponsible tourism (particularly boat parties) damaging the Costa Brava’s fragile natural environment Then everything came to a sudden standstill around 90% of international tourists to Catalonia headed for Barcelona and only 10% explored the interior,” says Aicard Guinovart director of the Catalan Tourist Board in the UK over breakfast at Hotel 1882 Barcelona 1882 stay on for a few nights exploring nearby Solsona and Cardona (rather than day-tripping from Barcelona) the cultural and economic benefits of tourism will be felt more widely across this central region of Catalonia more in-depth trip is what people are looking for as we emerge from the pandemic.” Vilassar de Mar on the Costa Maresme Photograph: agefotostock/AlamyThe Grand Tour loops all around Catalonia and is divided into five main sections small-scale businesses and local culture and traditions but it can also be cut down or built around a particular theme (gastronomy Soon to follow are electric-vehicle guides (with mapped charging points and recommended car-hire collaborators) and options for enjoying the various itineraries entirely by public transport Top of my list among Catalonia’s lesser-visited corners is the secluded which is around 80km south-west from Tarragona and borders the Valencia region to the south At the mouth of Spain’s second-longest river waterways ripple among electric-green rice fields windswept Mediterranean dunes and marshes where flamingos splash about Much of this area has been a protected parc natural since 1983 and devoured paellas at laid-back riverside restaurants You can also sail out to a floating mussel farm for lunch try kitesurfing and kayaking or rock climbing spot some of the delta’s 330 bird species (especially during the autumn migration season) and even join a local family to learn about rice-farming Delta de l’Ebre Photograph: Ignacio Ruiz Casanellas/AlamyUp in the Pyrenees Lleida province’s remote Val d’Aran is another surprise when a tunnel was carved through the mountains south from Vielha town it wasn’t even possible to get here by road from the rest of Spain While the area’s upmarket ski resorts now buzz in winter there is plenty more to enjoy through the year French-influenced restaurants and lovely stone villages filled with geraniums you’ll reach the Pyrenees’ beautiful Vall de Boí which I have fond memories of stumbling down into after hiking more than 20km from the not-so-neighbouring town of Espot This mountainous pocket reveals some of the most important Catalan Romanesque churches still standing – slender Unesco-listed creations dating from the 11th and 12th centuries whose interiors were originally filled with rich religious art (most of it is now in Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) Erill la Vall – are among northern Catalonia’s most striking Sant Joan Photograph: Imagebroker/AlamyThe Boí valley sits on the western edge of Aigüestortes Walking trails thread through this high-mountain wonderland dotted with pine forests remote refugis (mountain refuges) and sparkling lakes And if you swap the high-summer season for autumn between Cerdanya and La Seu d’Urgell; and much more past Cardona’s imposing ninth-century castle towards glitzy Sitges on the Costa del Garraf for the final night of my trip I spy the foothills of the Pyrenees looming in the distance and instantly get cracking on planning my next adventure around Catalonia The only problem is that I’m spoilt for choice The trip was supported by the Catalan Tourist Board; for more information see catalunya.com and grandtour.catalunya.com Up and down the slopesDeep-winter skiing, peaceful villages and hikes into the region’s only national park are among the draws of Val d’Aran, the adventure-loving Pyrenees valley. Casa Irene (doubles from €120) is a stylish Sample a dropIf you’re keen to dive into Catalan wines in a slightly quieter setting, head to the prestigious grape-growing Priorat hills west of Tarragona, where Lotus Priorat (doubles from €80) is a charming boutique place to stay A price freeze is now in effect after a state of calamity was declared in Solsona and Dingras and bread are among those covered by the 60-day price freeze. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) monitors compliance with these measures around 400 farmers are affected by the El Niño phenomenon The Municipal Agriculture Office reported approximately P22 million in damage due to drought across 200 hectares of farmland Some livestock feed on dried grass or hay from the rice fields and planting has been hindered due to insufficient water “Yung mga hukay konti nalang ang tubig,” Cornelio Balbesino “Ang magandang balita is itong lahat ng farmer na affected ng drought [ay] insured naman Inaantay nalang namin ang indemnity nila,” Ronald Tangonan Several barangays have been without water in their taps and wells for almost three weeks According to the Dingras Municipal Council 30 percent of the calamity fund will be allocated for the rehabilitation of affected areas POPE FRANCIS has allowed a barred Spanish bishop to marry his partner in church — two years after she gave birth to his twins “I was surprised by the great human and spiritual quality of Pope Francis — it’s been a long road,” the novelist published the message after marrying the Rt Revd Xavier Novell “I don’t believe darkness is what our love and the Church deserve and I don’t think the cover-up accompanying my husband’s resignation was good I’m sorry for everyone who thinks it should have been kept secret but I can’t continue acting as if I’ve no thoughts or feelings.” She said that Novell was still a Roman Catholic bishop and that they had now been able to regulate their “canonical situation get married as we wanted and receive communion again” making Easter Monday “a day to be reborn like flowers The Vicar-General of Solsona diocese, Mgr Marc Majà i Guiu, confirmed that Pope Francis had granted a special dispensation for the wedding when he met the couple in Rome on Palm Sunday and said most locals had received the news as “just another twist” in the bishop’s story “Since he’s renounced his canonical mission he’s no longer a serving bishop — but his episcopal ministry continues,” Mgr Guiu told the Church Times “The dispensation given for his sacramental marriage shouldn’t be seen as a major canonical innovation Ordained in 1997 after studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, in Rome, Novell was nominated Spain’s youngest diocesan bishop, aged 41, by Pope Benedict XVI, in 2010, and combined public support for Catalan independence with a rigorous defence of RC doctrine on abortion, LGBT rights Solsona diocese announced that Pope Francis had accepted Novell’s departure “for strictly personal reasons” after media reports that he had moved in with Caballol who became pregnant again while attending the bishop’s summer confirmation class The Spanish Bishops’ Conference confirmed Novell’s “latae sententiae” suspension from sacramental and teaching functions after the couple were married in a civil ceremony in Caballol’s home town of Súria Their twin daughters were born in April 2022 is described as “a novel of frenzied rawness and intensity promising to take the reader through “psychopathy Many Spanish commentators have questioned the Pope’s decision to agree to the couple’s public church wedding Radio Catalunya said that Bishop Novell could celebrate his own marriage but should also apologise for “denying love and marriage to many other people” while he held office Nicholas Reed Langen examines the Supreme Court ruling on gender We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes offering a rich tapestry of worshipping traditions – Anglican USPG is looking to appoint 3 Trustees (lay or ordained) committed to global mission within the Anglican Communion The Diocese of Gloucester is looking for a practical team member to join the Department of Mission and Ministry who brings a creative and flexible approach as we seek to develop and implement innovative approaches to collaborative ministry across the Diocese The Bishop of Lincoln seeks an ordained colleague to lead in vocational discernment within the Diocese The Diocese of London is delighted to welcome applications for the position of Area Director of Ministry (Willesden) and Diocesan Clergy Wellbeing Adviser run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times tickets available This online seminar, run jointly by Modern Church and The Church Times discusses the theology underpinning the drive for growth tickets available Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month celebrated the opening of the Gameng Festival with a parade featuring various agriculture-inspired floats The festivities also marked Farmer's Day with farmers and barangay officials showcasing floats adorned with rice Mayor Joseph De Lara shared that he is committed to transforming the community into a top producer of valued crops ‘Agriculture is the backbone of the philippine economy,’ sigurado ak nga agtuloy ti maited nga suporta tapno mapakired ken mapagbalin ti ili as top producer ti valued crops," he said Dingras town in Ilocos Norte has declared a state of calamity due to the worsening impact of the El Niño phenomenon. Several barangays have been experiencing water shortages for almost three weeks has been relying on water from irrigation for distribution to households 30 percent of the calamity fund will be allocated for the rehabilitation of areas affected which was the first to declare a state of calamity in Ilocos Norte authorities are considering cloud seeding to address the drought Cloud seeding is an artificial method to induce rainfall from clouds "Base sa report ng PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) possible daw 'yung cloud seeding dahil may possible clouds for seeding," Vice Mayor Jonathan De Lara of Solsona ang tendency is hindi rin dito sa Solsona babagsak 'yung ulan so 'yun ang binabantayan namin,” De Lara added The Department of Agriculture reported that the agricultural sector has incurred damages amounting to P4.39 billion due to the drought and dry spell in many parts of the country The Task Force El Niño is now focusing on strategies to assist the 85,000 affected farmers and fishermen has given a reason why Lionel Messi’s return to Barcelona is not good for the club Solsona said Messi’s return to Barcelona is not good for the Catalan club because they would have to ‘move parts.’ Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona The Argentina World Cup winner left Barcelona to join PSG in 2021 His current contract with PSG will expire at the end of the season and he is yet to sign a new deal with the French Ligue 1 champions Solsona believes it would be a mistake should Messi return to Barcelona He told La Porteria: “Leo Messi will not come to Barca and his return would not be good footballing for Barca because you have to move parts EPL: Don’t let him go – Florent Malouda tells Chelsea not to allow top star leave EPL: Mac Allister to wave goodbye to Brighton LaLiga: Toni Kroos hails Barcelona midfielder as the best in his position UCL: Barcelona suffer injury blow ahead of second leg with Inter Milan LaLiga: Barcelona come from behind to beat Valladolid He’s an artist – Rio Ferdinand rates Barcelona attacker ahead of Ronaldo UCL: Inter Milan’s Thuram names only two players currently better than Barcelona’s Yamal Inter Milan players dominate UEFA’s Champions League team Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd