Adolescent Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of Cancer in Late Adulthood: Nationwide Sibling-Controlled Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate whether the higher risks of certain cancers associated with high cardiorespiratory fitness can be explained by increased detection and unobserved confounders. Design: Nationwide sibling-controlled cohort study of adolescents. Setting: Sweden. Participants: 1 124 049 men of which 477 453 were full siblings, who underwent mandatory military conscription examinations between 1972 and 1995 at a mean age of 18.3 years. Main outcome measures: Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of overall cancer diagnosis and cancer mortality, and 14 site-specific cancers (diagnosis or death), as recorded in the Swedish National Patient Register or Cause of Death Register until 31 December 2023, modelled using flexible parametric regressions. Results: Participants were followed until a median (maximum) age of 55.9 (73.5) years, during which 98 410 were diagnosed with cancer and 16 789 had a cancer-related death (41 293 and 6908 among full siblings respectively). The most common cancers were non-melanoma skin (27 105 diagnoses & 227 deaths) and prostate cancer (24 211 diagnoses & 869 deaths). In cohort analysis, those in the highest quartile of cardiorespiratory fitness had a higher risk of prostate (adjusted HR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.16) and skin cancer (e.g., non-melanoma HR 1.44; 1.37 to 1.50) compared to those in the lowest quartile, which led to a higher risk of any type of cancer diagnosis (HR 1.08; 1.06 to 1.11). However, those in the highest quartile had a lower risk of cancer mortality (HR 0.71; 0.67 to 0.76). When comparing full siblings, and thereby controlling for all behavioural, environmental, and genetic factors they share, the excess risk of prostate (HR 1.01; 0.90 to 1.13) and skin cancer (e.g., non-melanoma HR 1.09; 0.99 to 1.20) attenuated to the null. In contrast, the lower risk of overall cancer mortality was still statistically significant after control for such shared confounders (HR 0.78; 0.68 to 0.89). For other site-specific cancers, the influence of such confounding tended to vary, but none showed the same excess risk as prostate and non-melanoma skin cancer. Conclusions: The association between high levels of adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness and excess risk of some cancers, such as prostate and non-melanoma skin cancer, appears to be fully explained by unobserved confounders shared between full siblings. However, the protective association with cancer mortality persists even after control for such confounding. Summary box: What is already known on this topic Adolescent physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are considered important factors for the prevention of cancer based on evidence from observational studies.Observational studies are, however, vulnerable to unobserved confounders and bias processes, including health-seeking behaviours and genetic and environmental confounders.These biases could explain why prior studies have found that high adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with higher risks of some cancers, typically low-mortality cancers such as prostate and non-melanoma skin cancer. What this study adds This nationwide cohort study of 1.1 million male adolescents showed that while higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with excess risk of the most common cancers - prostate and non-melanoma skin - these associations attenuated to the null when accounting for behavioural, environmental, and genetic confounders shared between full siblings.In contrast, high adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a lower risk of overall cancer mortality, which remained after controlling for unobserved confounders shared between full siblings.

Association of Accelerometer-Determined Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior With the Gut Microbiome in Middle-Aged Women: A Compositional Data Approach.

The beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on gut microbiome have been reported, nevertheless the findings are inconsistent, with the main limitation of subjective methods for assessing PA. It is well accepted that using an objective assessment of PA reduces the measurement error and also allows objective assessment of sedentary behavior (SB). We aimed to study the associations between accelerometer-assessed behaviors (i.e., SB, light-intensity physical activity [LPA] and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) with the gut microbiome using compositional data analysis, a novel approach that enables to study these behaviors accounting for their inter-dependency. This cross-sectional study included 289 women from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Physical activity was measured during 14 days by wrist-worn accelerometers. Analyses based on the combined effect of MVPA and SB, and compositional data analyses in association with the gut microbiome data were performed. The microbial alpha- and beta-diversity were not significantly different between the MVPA-SB groups, and no differentially abundant microorganisms were detected. Compositional data analysis did not show any significant associations between any movement behavior (relative to the others) on microbial alpha-diversity. Butyrate-producing bacteria such as Agathobacter and Lachnospiraceae CAG56 were significantly more abundant when reallocating time from LPA or SB to MVPA (γ = 0.609 and 0.113, both p-values = 0.007). While PA and SB were not associated with microbial diversity, we found associations of these behaviors with specific gut bacteria, suggesting that PA of at least moderate intensity (i.e., MVPA) could increase the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes.

Pigmented acuminated condylomas seborrhoeic keratosis-like: a new entity?

BACKGROUND: Condyloma acuminatum is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which typically presents as excrescent, pedunculated, papillomatous lesions which may be of a pale colour. On rare occasions, we have observed pigmented genital lesions that are similar to seborrhoeic keratoses, but with histological findings of condyloma acuminatum and positive genotyping for HPV. We have termed these 'seborrhoeic keratosis-like' type condylomas. METHODS: This is an observational retrospective study. The following clinical data were collected: age, sex, time of evolution, location, isolated or multiple lesions, monomorphous or polymorphous/mixed lesions. HPV genotyping was performed in all cases, and excision for histological study in eight cases. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients were diagnosed with this type of pigmented condylomata acuminata. Of these, 16 had isolated lesions (less than five lesions) and 15 had multiple lesions. 67% of the lesions exhibited slow growth, with an evolution period of greater than 1 year. The most frequent location was the base of the penis and pubis. HPV genotyping of the lesions was positive in all cases, with the HPV-6 genotype predominating (28 cases, 90.3%). The lesions exhibited dermoscopic differences from other pigmented lesions and histological findings attributable to HPV infection (pseudoparakeratosis, koilocytosis, etc) and others similar to those observed in seborrhoeic keratoses. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 31 patients were diagnosed with pigmented verrucous lesions, excrescents, isolated or multiple, in the genital region. These lesions exhibited clinical characteristics similar to seborrhoeic keratoses, with positive genotyping for HPV. In the majority of cases, the genotype was HPV-6. These lesions have been named 'pigmented condylomata acuminata seborrhoeic keratosis-like'. Only 10 cases of these lesions have been described in the literature.

Targeted proteomics involved in cardiovascular health and heart rate variability in children with overweight/obesity.

BACKGROUND: Children with overweight/obesity often exhibit alterations in their plasma protein profiles and reduced heart rate variability (HRV). Plasma proteomics is at the forefront of identifying biomarkers for various clinical conditions. We aimed to examine the association between plasma-targeted proteomics involved in cardiovascular health and resting vagal-related HRV parameters in children with overweight/obesity. METHODS: Forty-four children with overweight/obesity (10.2 ± 1.1 years old; 52% boys) participated in the study. Olink's technology was used to quantify 92 proteins involved in cardiovascular health. HRV was measured using a heart rate monitor (Polar RS800CX). Four resting vagal-related HRV parameters were derived in time- and frequency-domain. RESULTS: Eight proteins (KIM1, IgG Fc receptor II-b, IDUA, BOC, IL1RL2, TNFRSF11A, VSIG2, and TF) were associated with at least one out of the four vagal-related HRV parameters (ß values ranging from -0.188 to 0.288; all p < .05), while KIM1, IDUA, and BOC associated with ≥ three vagal-related HRV parameters. Multiple hypothesis testing corrections did not reach statistical significance (false discovery rate [FDR >0.05]). CONCLUSION: Plasma-targeted proteomics suggested novel biomarkers for resting vagal-related HRV parameters in children with overweight/obesity. Future studies using larger cohorts and longitudinal designs should confirm our findings and their potential clinical implications.

Understanding the Sociocultural Dynamics of Loneliness in Southern Spanish Youth.

Loneliness among young people has been increasing in recent years and is considered a major public health problem. This article delves into the sociocultural dynamics that favour the experiences of loneliness. For this purpose, 40 students between 19 and 24 years of age were interviewed using the photo elicitation interview (PEI) strategy. The results show a gradual normalization of the experience of loneliness and an effort to become accustomed to it. Virtual relationships and isolation linked to the COVID-19 pandemic are considered the two factors that have most enabled a climate prone to loneliness. Young people identify a few elements that feed social loneliness, such as an understanding of instrumental relationships, a scarcity of intimate relationships, a demand for hyperconnectivity, a fantasy of independence and a culture of positivity that hinders the establishment of quality social ties. Faced with hostile relational conditions, youth are sent into a cycle of loneliness. The greater the distrust of the environment is, the greater the defensive reactions and social distancing, and the greater the search for nearby spaces of refuge, security and shelter. Social withdrawal makes in-person relationships difficult and strengthens the need to isolate and become accustomed to loneliness.

Assessing nasal airway resistance and symmetry: An approach to global perspective through computational fluid dynamics.

This study aimed to explore the variability in nasal airflow patterns among different sexes and populations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). We focused on evaluating the universality and applicability of dimensionless parameters R (bilateral nasal resistance) and ϕ (nasal flow asymmetry), initially established in a Caucasian Spanish cohort, across a broader spectrum of human populations to assess normal breathing function in healthy airways. In this retrospective study, CT scans from Cambodia (20 males, 20 females), Russia (20 males, 18 females), and Spain (19 males, 19 females) were analyzed. A standardized CFD workflow was implemented to calculate R-ϕ parameters from these scans. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess and compare these parameters across different sexes and populations, emphasizing their distribution and variances. Our results indicated no significant sex-based differences in the R parameter across the populations. However, moderate sexual dimorphism in the ϕ parameter was observed in the Cambodian group. Notably, no geographical differences were found in either R or ϕ parameters, suggesting consistent nasal airflow characteristics across the diverse human groups studied. The study also emphasized the importance of using dimensionless variables to effectively analyze the relationships between form and function in nasal airflow. The observed consistency of R-ϕ parameters across various populations highlights their potential as reliable indicators in both medical practice and further CFD research, particularly in diverse human populations. Our findings suggest the potential applicability of dimensionless CFD parameters in analyzing nasal airflow, highlighting their utility across diverse demographic and geographic contexts. This research advances our understanding of nasal airflow dynamics and underscores the need for additional studies to validate these parameters in broader population cohorts. The approach of employing dimensionless parameters paves the way for future research that eliminates confounding size effects, enabling more accurate comparisons across different populations and sexes. The implications of this study are significant for the advancement of personalized medicine and the development of diagnostic tools that accommodate individual variations in nasal airflow.

Physical Fitness Surveillance and Monitoring Systems Inventory for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review with a Global Perspective.

Surveillance of health-related physical fitness can improve decision-making and intervention strategies promoting health for children and adolescents. However, no study has comprehensively analyzed surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness globally. This review sought to address this gap by identifying: (1) national-level surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness among children and adolescents globally, (2) the main barriers and challenges to implementing surveillance/monitoring systems, and (3) governmental actions related to existing surveillance/monitoring systems. We used a scoping review to search, obtain, group, summarize, and analyze available evidence. Our review involved three stages: (1) identification of surveillance systems through a systematic literature review, with complementary search of the grey literature (e.g., reference lists, Google Scholar, webpages, recommendations), (2) systematic consultation with relevant experts using a Delphi method to confirm/add systems and to gather and analyze information on the barriers and challenges to implementing systems, and (3) Web searches for public documents on government sites and surveillance/monitoring system pages, and direct internet searches to identify relevant governmental actions related to surveillance systems. A total of 15 fitness surveillance/monitoring systems met our inclusion criteria. Experts identified a lack of government support and funding, and the low priority of fitness on the public health agenda as the main barriers/challenges to implementation. Several governmental actions related to surveillance systems were identified, including policies, strategies, programs, and guidelines. We propose a Global Observatory of Physical Fitness to help address these issues.

Five years of advances in electrochemical analysis of protein biomarkers in lung cancer: a systematic review.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. It represents a public health problem that must be addressed through the early detection of specific biomarkers and effective treatment. To address this critical issue, it is imperative to implement effective methodologies for specific biomarker detection of lung cancer in real clinical samples. Electrochemical methods, including microfluidic devices and biosensors, can obtain robust results that reduce time, cost, and assay complexity. This comprehensive review will explore specific studies, methodologies, and detection limits and contribute to the depth of the discussion, making it a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians interested in lung cancer diagnosis.

Quantitative effects of overlay clutter and information access effort: Examining the scan-clutter trade-off in displays with geospatial maps.

Overlaying images from multiple geospatial databases increases clutter and imposes attentional costs by disrupting focusing attention on each database and dividing attention when comparing databases. Costs of overlay clutter may offset the benefits of reduced scanning between two images displayed separately. In two experiments, we examine these attention issues using computational metrics to quantify clutter. We also examine how the scan-clutter trade-off is modified by different levels of clutter, display separation, and task attentional requirements. Participants viewed information from a geographical terrain database and a schematic map database and made judgments that required focusing attention on either database or integrating information across both. In Experiment 1, databases were presented as either overlaid or adjacent displays, and in Experiment 2, as either overlay, adjacent, or more separated displays. Results showed that response time was modulated by the magnitude of clutter, spatial separation, and task type. Results also revealed that clutter costs dominated those of spatial separation, particularly in tasks requiring focused attention. A computational feature congestion metric of clutter effectively predicted performance but could be improved by incorporating an overlay component, which amplified the costs of clutter. The results provide design guidelines for overlay displays (e.g., head-mounted displays) that will minimize the scan-clutter trade-off. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Bright light therapy versus physical exercise to prevent co-occurring depression in adolescents and young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a multicentre, three-arm, randomised controlled, pilot phase-IIa trial.

Depression is common in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but preventive behavioural interventions are lacking. This randomised controlled, pilot phase-IIa trial aimed to study a physical exercise intervention (EI) and bright light therapy (BLT)-both implemented and monitored in an individual, naturalistic setting via a mobile health (m-health) system-for feasibility of trial design and interventions, and to estimate their effects on depressive symptoms in young people with ADHD. Two hundred seven participants aged 14-45 years were randomised to 10-week add-on intervention of either BLT (10,000 lx; daily 30-min sessions) (n = 70), EI (aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 days/ week) (n = 69), or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 68), of whom 165 (80%) were retained (BLT: n = 54; EI: n = 52; TAU: n = 59). Intervention adherence (i.e. ≥ 80% completed sessions) was very low for both BLT (n = 13, 22%) and EI (n = 4, 7%). Usability of the m-health system to conduct interventions was limited as indicated by objective and subjective data. Safety was high and comparable between groups. Changes in depressive symptoms (assessed via observer-blind ratings, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology) between baseline and end of intervention were small (BLT: -0.124 [95% CI: -2.219, 1.971], EI: -2.646 [95% CI: -4.777, -0.515], TAU: -1.428 [95% CI: -3.381, 0.526]) with no group differences [F(2,153) = 1.45, p = 0.2384]. These findings suggest that the m-health approach did not achieve feasibility of EI and BLT in young people with ADHD. Prior to designing efficacy studies, strategies how to achieve high intervention adherence should be specifically investigated in this patient group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03371810, 13 December 2017.

Postcranial anomalies of Eocene freshwater pleurodiran and cryptodiran turtles from the Spanish Duero Basin.

Testudines are one of the best-represented taxonomic groups among the Paleogene taxa of the Duero Basin (Castile and Leon Autonomous Community, central Spain). Among them, Neochelys (Podocnemidide) and Allaeochelys (Carettochelyidae) are most abundant, allowing the population to be assessed for osteological anomalies. The abundance of postcranial remains of both taxa allows us to identify several individuals with potential anomalies, mostly in their shells. Some of them have already been described in previous studies, but most of them are still unpublished. The objective of this study is to analyze in detail the anomalous Neochelys and Allaeochelys remains. As a result, different categories of causal agents (such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, or trauma) have been identified as potential producers of the anomalies in these freshwater turtles. Information regarding the pathogenesis and healing stages of some of these anomalies is provided.

Mental Health Collaborative Care in Brazil and the Economy of Attention: Disclosing Barriers and Therapeutic Negotiations.

The introduction of mental health collaborative care (MHCC) is one of the strategies to scale up access to mental health care in primary health care in Brazil. This article investigates an experience of mental health collaborative care in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a qualitative study involving interviews with physicians and mental health professionals working in primary health care units located in the northern part of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aim is to examine the various strategies and negotiations that primary health care professionals deploy to identify mental distress and plan health care interventions. We discuss the results within the economy of attention framework. We argue that divergences in diagnostic design and therapeutic planning carried out by professionals and users or observed in MHCC meetings illustrate the health-disease-care seeking phenomenon as a negotiated process, entangled in complex interactions. Our results evince that those interactions are not always evident and configure 'what is at stake' in mental suffering. The incorporation of cultural and structural determinants in collaborative care may enable the expansion of mental health initiatives sensitive to local needs and realities.

Sleep Behaviors and the Shape of Subcortical Brain Structures in Children with Overweight/Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between sleep and subcortical brain structures using a shape analysis approach. METHODS: A total of 98 children with overweight/obesity (10.0 ± 1.1 y, 59 boys) were included in the cross-sectional analyses. Sleep behaviors (i.e., wake time, sleep onset time, total time in bed, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and wakening after sleep onset) were estimated with wrist-worn accelerometers. The shape of the subcortical brain structures was acquired by magnetic resonance imaging. A partial correlation permutation approach was used to examine the relationship between sleep behaviors and brain shapes. RESULTS: Among all the sleep variables studied, only total time in bed was significantly related to pallidum and putamen structure, such that those children who spent more time in bed had greater expansions in the right and left pallidum (211-751 voxels, all p's <0.04) and right putamen (1783 voxels, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that more time in bed was related to expansions on two subcortical brain regions in children with overweight/obesity.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong and consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality among adults: an overview of meta-analyses representing over 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies.

OBJECTIVE: To examine and summarise evidence from meta-analyses of cohort studies that evaluated the predictive associations between baseline cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and health outcomes among adults. DESIGN: Overview of systematic reviews. DATA SOURCE: Five bibliographic databases were searched from January 2002 to March 2024. RESULTS: From the 9062 papers identified, we included 26 systematic reviews. We found eight meta-analyses that described five unique mortality outcomes among general populations. CRF had the largest risk reduction for all-cause mortality when comparing high versus low CRF (HR=0.47; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.56). A dose-response relationship for every 1-metabolic equivalent of task (MET) higher level of CRF was associated with a 11%-17% reduction in all-cause mortality (HR=0.89; 95% CI 0.86 to 0.92, and HR=0.83; 95% CI 0.78 to 0.88). For incident outcomes, nine meta-analyses described 12 unique outcomes. CRF was associated with the largest risk reduction in incident heart failure when comparing high versus low CRF (HR=0.31; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.49). A dose-response relationship for every 1-MET higher level of CRF was associated with a 18% reduction in heart failure (HR=0.82; 95% CI 0.79 to 0.84). Among those living with chronic conditions, nine meta-analyses described four unique outcomes in nine patient groups. CRF was associated with the largest risk reduction for cardiovascular mortality among those living with cardiovascular disease when comparing high versus low CRF (HR=0.27; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.48). The certainty of the evidence across all studies ranged from very low-to-moderate according to Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. CONCLUSION: We found consistent evidence that high CRF is strongly associated with lower risk for a variety of mortality and incident chronic conditions in general and clinical populations.

Beyond the Wizard of Oz: Negative Effects of Imperfect Machine Learning to Examine the Impact of Reliability of Augmented Reality Cues on Visual Search Performance.

Despite knowing exactly what an object looks like, searching for it in a person's visual field is a time-consuming and error-prone experience. In Augmented Reality systems, new algorithms are proposed to speed up search time and reduce human errors. However, these algorithms might not always provide 100% accurate visual cues, which might affect users' perceived reliability of the algorithm and, thus, search performance. Here, we examined the detrimental effects of automation bias caused by imperfect cues presented in the Augmented Reality head-mounted display using the YOLOv5 machine learning model. 53 participants in the two groups received either 100% accurate visual cues or 88.9% accurate visual cues. Their performance was compared with the control condition, which did not include any additional cues. The results show how cueing may increase performance and shorten search times. The results also showed that performance with imperfect automation was much worse than perfect automation and that, consistent with automation bias, participants were frequently enticed by incorrect cues.

A new Crocodyloidea from the middle Eocene of Zamora (Duero Basin, Spain).

The eusuchian crocodyliforms recorded in the Eocene levels of the Spanish Duero Basin belong to three lineages: Planocraniidae, with the species Duerosuchus piscator; Alligatoroidea, represented by several specimens of the genus Diplocynodon; and Crocodyloidea, which includes several specimens traditionally attributed to Asiatosuchus. The genus Asiatosuchus, established in 1940 based on a middle Eocene species from Mongolia, has subsequently served as a wastebasket taxon for Paleogene remains belonging to several species, not only from Asia but also belonging to the European and North American records. Many of these species are known by highly fragmentary remains, sharing the presence of characters such as a flat and triangular skull, and long symphyses in the lower jaw, recognized as characteristic for the crocodyloids. In addition to isolated cranial remains, among the material traditionally attributed to Asiatosuchus at the Duero Basin stands out a nearly complete skull and a left mandible, from the middle Eocene area of Casaseca de Campeán (Zamora Province). The present study analyses in detail these specimens, previously reported during the 1980s, but analyzed in a very preliminary way. They are included for the first time in a phylogenetic analysis to establish the systematic position of this Spanish form. The results confirm that it corresponds to a new species of basal crocodyloid, defined here as Asiatosuchus oenotriensis sp. nov.

How to design and establish a national school-based physical fitness monitoring and surveillance system for children and adolescents: A 10-step approach recommended by the FitBack network.

BACKGROUND: Providing individual- and population-level data on children's physical fitness (PF) is a crucial public health and education priority. However, few national fitness monitoring or surveillance systems are currently in practice internationally. We aim to summarize the current European PF monitoring and surveillance systems for school-aged children and to provide experience-based guidelines on how to design such systems. METHODS: The FitBack network consists of experts from diverse backgrounds with the common interest to improve the accessibility of PF monitoring for young people globally. Through FitBack network, we identified and compared the national or regional PF monitoring and surveillance systems currently in operation across Europe. We formulated a 10-step approach for designing and establishing one's own system, based on analysis of experienced strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to monitoring childhood fitness. RESULTS: We identified a total of eight PF monitoring systems in Finland, France, Galicia of Spain, Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, and Slovenia. The FitBack network recommends the following steps for designing and establishing one's own system: (1) set up mission statements and aims, (2) involve stakeholders, (3) utilize scientific background, (4) governance structure, (5) ensure sufficient funding, (6) data management planning, (7) provide meaningful feedback, (8) conduct pilot testing, (9) plan implementation process, and (10) invest in communication with stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an updated overview of the best practices for school-aged children's fitness monitoring and surveillance in Europe. Additionally, it offers a 10-step approach to assist in the creation of similar systems in Europe or globally.

Beyond skeletal studies: A computational analysis of nasal airway function in climate adaptation.

OBJECTIVES: Ecogeographic variation in human nasal anatomy has historically been analyzed on skeletal morphology and interpreted in the context of climatic adaptations to respiratory air-conditioning. Only a few studies have analyzed nasal soft tissue morphology, actively involved in air-conditioning physiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used in vivo computer tomographic scans of (N = 146) adult individuals from Cambodia, Chile, Russia, and Spain. We conducted (N = 438) airflow simulations during inspiration using computational fluid dynamics to analyze the air-conditioning capacities of the nasal soft tissue in the inflow, functional, and outflow tract, under three different environmental conditions: cold-dry; hot-dry; and hot-humid. We performed statistical comparisons between populations and sexes. RESULTS: Subjects from hot-humid regions showed significantly lower air-conditioning capacities than subjects from colder regions in all the three conditions, specifically within the isthmus region in the inflow tract, and the anterior part of the internal functional tract. Posterior to the functional tract, no differences were detected. No differences between sexes were found in any of the tracts and under any of the conditions. DISCUSSION: Our statistical analyses support models of climatic adaptations of anterior nasal soft tissue morphology that fit with, and complement, previous research on dry skulls. However, our results challenge a morpho-functional model that attributes air-conditioning capacities exclusively to the functional tract located within the nasal cavity. Instead, our findings support studies that have suggested that both, the external nose and the intra-facial soft tissue airways contribute to efficiently warming and humidifying air during inspiration. This supports functional interpretations in modern midfacial variation and evolution.

Associations between muscular strength and mental health in cognitively normal older adults: a cross-sectional study from the AGUEDA trial.

Objective: To examine the associations between muscular strength and mental health. Design: We used baseline data of 91 cognitively healthy older adults (71.69 ± 3.91 years old, 57 % women) participating in the AGUEDA randomized controlled trial. Methods: Muscular strength was assessed using both objective (i.e., handgrip strength, biceps curl, squats, and isokinetic test) and perceived (i.e., International Fitness Scale) indicators. Psychological ill-being indicators: anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness; and psychological well-being indicators: satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and emotional well-being) were assessed using a set of valid and reliable self-reported questionnaires. Linear regression analyses were performed adjusting for sex, age, years of education, body mass index , alcohol, diet, and smoking (model 1), and additionally by cardiorespiratory fitness (model 2). Results: Elbow extension was positively associated with stress in model 1 (ß = 0.252, 95 % Confidence Interval [95 % CI] = 0.007 to 0.497, p = 0.044), and even after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness (ß = 0.282, 95 % CI = 0.032 to 0.532, p = 0.028). Perceived strength was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in model 1 (ß = -0.271, 95 % CI = -0.491 to -0.049, p = 0.017) and model 2 reported associations tending towards significant (ß = -0.220, 95 % CI = -0.445 to 0.005, p = 0.055). Handgrip strength was positively associated with self-esteem in model 1 (ß = 0.558, 95 % CI = 0.168 to 0.949, p = 0.006) and model 2 (ß = 0.546, 95 % CI = 0.135 to 0.956, p = 0.010). No further associations were found among other muscular strength and mental health variables. Conclusion: Handgrip had a moderate association with self-esteem and there was a small association between perceived strength with depressive symptoms and elbow extension with stress. No other associations were observed between muscular strength and mental health outcomes in cognitively normal older adults.