On the Relationship between Pollen Size and Genome Size

Here we test whether genome size is a predictor of pollen size. If it were, inferences of ancient genome size would be possible using the abundant paleo-palynolgical record. We performed regression analyses across 464 species of pollen width and genome size. We found a significant positive trend. However, regression analysis using phylogentically independent contrasts did not support the correlated evolution of these traits. Instead, a large split between angiosperms and gymnosperms for both pollen width and genome size was revealed. Sister taxa were not more likely to show a positive contrast when compared to deeper nodes. However, significantly more congeneric species had a positive trend than expected by chance. These results may reflect the strong selection pressure for pollen to be small. Also, because pollen grains are not metabolically active when measured, their biology is different than other cells which have been shown to be strongly related to genome size, such as guard cells. Our findings contrast with previously published research. It was our hope that pollen size could be used as a proxy for inferring the genome size of ancient species. However, our results suggest pollen is not a good candidate for such endeavors.Peer Reviewe

Abordando la exposición a las emisiones del tabaco y de los cigarrillos electrónicos: protocolo del proyecto TackSHS

Objective The TackSHS project aims to comprehensively elucidate the impact that exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) from cigarettes and second-hand aerosols (SHA) from electronic cigarettes have on the respiratory health of the European population according to socioeconomic characteristics and other determinants. Method The TackSHS project involves a series of coordinated studies carried out by 11 academic and public health organisations from six European countries. The project will investigate: a) the determinants of SHS and SHA exposure assessed at the individual level (surveys on representative general population samples) and in common environments (environmental sampling in specific settings); b) the overall disease burden, mortality and morbidity attributable to such exposure; and c) its economic impact in terms of direct health care costs. The project will also examine specific acute respiratory health changes in healthy individuals and patients with respiratory diseases exposed to SHS and SHA. In addition, the project will examine the effectiveness of a novel intervention to reduce SHS exposure in households where smoking is permitted. All these studies are inter-related and involve collaborative coordination among the participant organisations. Conclusion The comprehensive, integrated approach of the TackSHS project will enable a significant step forward from the current status quo in the understanding of the impact of SHS and SHA exposure on health and provide the basis for health policy recommendations to help European countries to further reduce the harm caused by SHS and SHA exposure.Additional co-authors: Montse Ballbè, Beladenta Amalia, Olena Tigova, Xavier Continente, Teresa Arechávala, Elisabet Henderson, Alessandra Lugo, Xiaoqiu Liu, Cristina Bosetti, Enrico Davoli, Paolo Colombo, Sheila Keogan, Shashsa Li, Elizabeth Breslin, Hannah Byrne, Anna Tzortzi, Constantine Vardavas, Vergina Konstantina Vyzikidou, Stephanie Teloniatis, Gerasimos Bakelas, George Mattiampa, Roberto Boffi, Cinzia De Marco, Alessandro Borgini, Chiara Veronese, Martina Bertoldi, Andrea Tittarelli, Giulia Carreras, Barbara Cortini, Simona Verdi, Alessio Lachi, Elisabetta Chellini, Marta Trapero-Bertran, Daniel Celdrán Guerrero, Dominick Nguyen, Polina Starchenko, Julio Ancochea, Tamara Alonso, María Teresa Pastor, Marta Erro, Ana Roca, Patricia Pére

Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Other Signs of Tobacco Consumption at Outdoor Entrances of Primary Schools in Eleven European Countries

Introduction: Although smoking restrictions at child-related settings are progressively being adopted, school out-door entrances are neglected in most smoke-free policies across Europe. Objectives:To describe secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and tobacco-related signs in outdoor entrances of primary schools in Europe according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free policy, national smoking prevalence, and geographical region. Methods:In this cross-sectional study we monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentrations at 220 school outdoor entrances in 11 European countries (March 2017–October 2018). To account for nicotine presence, we used the laboratory\u27s limit of quantification of 0.06μg/m3as point threshold. We also recorded the presence of smell of smoke, people smoking, cigarette butts, and ashtrays. Half of the schools were in deprived areas. We grouped countries according to their Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) score, smoking prevalence (2017–2018), and United Na-tions M49 geographical region. Results:There were detectable levels of nicotine in 45.9% of the outdoor entrances, in 29.1% smell of smoke, in43.2% people smoking, in 75.0% discarded butts, and in 14.6% ashtrays. Median nicotine concentration was below the laboratory\u27s limit of quantificationb0.06μg/m3(Interquartile range:b0.06–0.119). We found higher SHS levels in countries with lower TCS scores, higher national smoking prevalence, and in the Southern and East-ern European regions. People smoking were more common in schools from lower area-level SES and in countries with lower TCS scores (pb0.05). Conclusions: Smoking at school outdoor entrances is a source of SHS exposure in Europe. These findings support the extension of smoking bans with a clear perimeter to the outdoor entrances of schools

Secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor children’s playgrounds in 11 European countries

Introduction: Tobacco presence in outdoor children's playgrounds is concerning not only because it leads to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, but also cigarette butt pollution and tobacco normalization. Objectives: This study aimed to assess SHS exposure in children's playgrounds, according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free regulations, national smoking prevalence, and SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds (2017-2018). Methods: We monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentration and tobacco-related variables in 20 different playgrounds in 11 European countries (n = 220 measurements) from March 2017 to April 2018. Playgrounds were selected according to area-level SES. Data on the number of people smoking, and cigarette butts inside the playground and on playground surroundings (<1 m away) were recorded. Playground smoking bans, the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) score, national smoking prevalence and SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds were used to group countries. To determine nicotine presence, we dichotomized concentrations using the limit of quantification as a cut-off point (0.06 μg/m3). Nicotine median concentrations were compared using non-parametric tests, and nicotine presence and tobacco-related observational variables using the Chi-squared test. Results: Airborne nicotine presence was found in 40.6% of the playgrounds. Median nicotine concentration was <0.06 μg/m3 (Interquartile range: <0.06-0.125) and higher median concentrations were found in more deprived neighborhoods, non-regulated playgrounds, in countries with lower overall TCS scores, higher national smoking prevalence and higher SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds. Overall, people were smoking in 19.6% of the playgrounds. More than half of playgrounds had cigarette butts visible inside (56.6%) and in the immediate vicinity (74.4%). Presence of butts inside playgrounds was higher in sites from a low area-level SES, in countries with low TCS scores, and greater smoking prevalence and SHS exposure prevalence (p<0.05). Conclusions: There is evidence of SHS exposure in children's playgrounds across Europe. These findings confirm the need for smoking bans in playgrounds and better enforcement in those countries with smoking bans in playgrounds

Affect Recognition using Psychophysiological Correlates in High Intensity VR Exergaming

User experience estimation of VR exergame players by recognising their affective state could enable us to personalise and optimise their experience. Affect recognition based on psychophysiological measurements has been successful for moderate intensity activities. High intensity VR exergames pose challenges as the effects of exercise and VR headsets interfere with those measurements. We present two experiments that investigate the use of different sensors for affect recognition in a VR exergame. The first experiment compares the impact of physical exertion and gamification on psychophysiological measurements during rest, conventional exercise, VR exergaming, and sedentary VR gaming. The second experiment compares underwhelming, overwhelming and optimal VR exergaming scenarios. We identify gaze fixations, eye blinks, pupil diameter and skin conductivity as psychophysiological measures suitable for affect recognition in VR exergaming and analyse their utility in determining affective valence and arousal. Our findings provide guidelines for researchers of affective VR exergames.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 665992 </p

Race Yourselves: A Longitudinal Exploration of Self-Competition Between Past, Present, and Future Performances in a VR Exergame

Participating in competitive races can be a thrilling experience for athletes, involving a rush of excitement and sensations of flow, achievement, and self-fulfilment. However, for non-athletes, the prospect of competition is often a scary one which affects intrinsic motivation negatively, especially for less fit, less competitive individuals. We propose a novel method making the positive racing experience accessible to non-athletes using a high-intensity cycling VR exergame: by recording and replaying all their previous gameplay sessions simultaneously, including a projected future performance, players can race against a crowd of "ghost" avatars representing their individual fitness journey. The experience stays relevant and exciting as every race adds a new competitor. A longitudinal study over four weeks and a cross-sectional study found that the new method improves physical performance, intrinsic motivation, and flow compared to a non-competitive exergame. Additionally, the longitudinal study provides insights into the longer-term effects of VR exergames

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Pandemic-Related Traumatic Stress Scale for Children and Adults

To assess the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, investigators from the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) research program developed the Pandemic-Related Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS). Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) acute stress disorder symptom criteria, the PTSS is designed for adolescent (13–21 years) and adult self-report and caregiver-report on 3–12-year-olds. To evaluate psychometric properties, we used PTSS data collected between April 2020 and August 2021 from non-pregnant adult caregivers (n = 11,483), pregnant/postpartum individuals (n = 1,656), adolescents (n = 1,795), and caregivers reporting on 3–12-year-olds (n = 2,896). We used Mokken scale analysis to examine unidimensionality and reliability, Pearson correlations to evaluate relationships with other relevant variables, and analyses of variance to identify regional, age, and sex differences. Mokken analysis resulted in a moderately strong, unidimensional scale that retained nine of the original 10 items. We detected small to moderate positive associations with depression, anxiety, and general stress, and negative associations with life satisfaction. Adult caregivers had the highest PTSS scores, followed by adolescents, pregnant/postpartum individuals, and children. Caregivers of younger children, females, and older youth had higher PTSS scores compared to caregivers of older children, males, and younger youth, respectively

Exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke in private vehicles: Measurements in air and dust samples

Background: This study aimed to estimate airborne nicotine concentrations and nicotine, cotinine, and tobaccospecific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in settled dust from private cars in Spain and the UK. Methods: We measured vapor-phase nicotine concentrations in a convenience sample of 45 private cars from Spain (N = 30) and the UK (N = 15) in 2017-2018. We recruited non-smoking drivers (n = 20), smoking drivers who do not smoke inside the car (n = 15), and smoking drivers who smoke inside (n = 10). Nicotine, cotinine, and three TSNAs (NNK, NNN, NNA) were also measured in settled dust in a random subsample (n = 20). We computed medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) of secondhand smoke (SHS) and thirdhand smoke (THS) compounds according to the drivers' profile. Results: 24-h samples yielded median airborne nicotine concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ) (IQR

Interactive Feedforward for Improving Performance and Maintaining Intrinsic Motivation in VR Exergaming

Exergames commonly use low to moderate intensity exercise protocols. Their effectiveness in implementing high intensity protocols remains uncertain. We propose a method for improving performance while maintaining intrinsic motivation in high intensity VR exergaming. Our method is based on an interactive adaptation of the feedforward method: a psychophysical training technique achieving rapid improvement in performance by exposing participants to self models showing previously unachieved performance levels. We evaluated our method in a cycling-based exergame. Participants competed against (i) a self model which represented their previous speed; (ii) a self model representing their previous speed but increased resistance therefore requiring higher performance to keep up; or (iii) a virtual competitor at the same two levels of performance. We varied participants' awareness of these differences. Interactive feedforward led to improved performance while maintaining intrinsic motivation even when participants were aware of the interventions, and was superior to competing against a virtual competitor