Awareness, Accuracy, and Predictive Validity of Self-Reported Cholesterol in Women

BACKGROUND: Although current guidelines emphasize the importance of cholesterol knowledge, little is known about accuracy of this knowledge, factors affecting accuracy, and the relationship of self-reported cholesterol with cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: The 39,876 female health professionals with no prior CVD in the Women’s Health Study were asked to provide self-reported and measured levels of total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Demographic and cardiovascular risk factors were considered as determinants of awareness and accuracy. Accuracy was evaluated by the difference between reported and measured cholesterol. In addition, we examined the relationship of self-reported cholesterol with incident CVD over 10 years. RESULTS: Compared with women who were unaware of their cholesterol levels, aware women (84%) had higher levels of income, education, and exercise and were more likely to be married, normal in weight, treated for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, nonsmokers, moderate drinkers, and users of hormone therapy. Women underestimated their total cholesterol by 9.7 mg/dL (95% CI: 9.2–10.2); covariates explained little of this difference (R(2) < .01). Higher levels of self-reported cholesterol were strongly associated with increased risk of CVD, which occurred in 741 women (hazard ratio 1.23/40 mg/dL cholesterol, 95% CI: 1.15–1.33). Women with elevated cholesterol who were unaware of their level had particularly increased risk (HR=1.88, P <. 001) relative to aware women with normal measured cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Women with obesity, smoking, untreated hypertension, or sedentary lifestyle have decreased awareness of their cholesterol levels. Self-reported cholesterol underestimates measured values, but is strongly related to CVD. Lack of awareness of elevated cholesterol is associated with increased risk of CVD

Energetic particle influence on the Earth's atmosphere

This manuscript gives an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the effects of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) onto the whole atmosphere, from the lower thermosphere/mesosphere through the stratosphere and troposphere, to the surface. The paper summarizes the different sources and energies of particles, principally galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles (SEPs) and energetic electron precipitation (EEP). All the proposed mechanisms by which EPP can affect the atmosphere are discussed, including chemical changes in the upper atmosphere and lower thermosphere, chemistry-dynamics feedbacks, the global electric circuit and cloud formation. The role of energetic particles in Earth’s atmosphere is a multi-disciplinary problem that requires expertise from a range of scientific backgrounds. To assist with this synergy, summary tables are provided, which are intended to evaluate the level of current knowledge of the effects of energetic particles on processes in the entire atmosphere

Search for Neutrinoless tau Decays Involving the K_S^0 Meson

We have searched for lepton flavor violating decays of the tau lepton with one or two KS0 mesons in the final state. The data used in the search were collected with the CLEO II and II.V detectors at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 13.9 fb^-1 at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. No evidence for signals were found, therefore we have set 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the branching fractions B(tau -> e KS0) mu KS0) e 2KS0) < 2.2e-6, and B(tau -> mu 2KS0) < 3.4e-6. These represent significantly improved upper limits on the two-body decays and first upper limits on the three-body decays.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PRD Rapid Communication

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

An Investigation of Electrochemical Methods for Refrigeration

Electrochemical processes can be combined into thermodynamic cycles that can produce refrigeration effects. The technical feasibility and design parameters of electrochemical refrigeration systems were studied. Modeling of thermodynamic, kinetic, and transport processes have been undertaken. The systems under investigation are divided into two groups: direct methods and indirect methods. Direct methods utilize the heat absorption and rejection associated with the entropy change of reaction that occurs as part of an electrically-driven chemical reaction. Indirect methods use some other aspect of an electrochemical reaction such as pressure production to drive a cooling system. Thermodynamic equilibrium analyses of direct methods have been performed including development of a proof of Carnot limitations. A variety of potential chemical reaction systems have been investigated with respect to feasibility for laboratory prototype systems and future applications. The properties of an ideal reaction system are discussed and several possible reaction types are suggested for investigation. The continuous flow direct method consists of two electrochemical cells operating in reverse of each other with reactants pumped between them via a regenerative heat exchanger. More detailed analyses including irreversibilities have shown technical feasibility. These analyses included ohmic resistance, limitations due to the reaction rate kinetics, mass transport losses, and losses due to the internal regenerative heat exchange process. This model identifies some of the tradeoffs in design and places upper and lower bounds on design parameters such as surface heat flux and COP. The model calculation is based on published measurements of reaction data. The system is very sensitive to losses in the cells because the electricity cycled internally is much larger than the heat transferred externally. Small scale laboratory tests have demonstrated cooling using a D-sized NiCd battery and a cell generating gaseous chlorine and hydrogen from hydrochloric acid. A number of indirect methods for refrigeration are reviewed.Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Project 12

Dual Evaporator Household Refrigerator Performance Testing and Simulation

The performance of dual evaporator household refrigerators was studied experimentally and by numerical simulation. This study considers only serial connection where the refrigerant flows through the fresh food evaporator and then through the freezer evaporator without a pressure drop between the evaporators. The prototype tested had insufficient compressor power and a higher cabinet thermal conductance than designed. In addition, the exit of the freezer evaporator was always two-phase affecting compressor performance. However, control of the fresh food cabinet air temperature was achieved through turning the fan off and on during operation. This fan cycling affected both the performance of the prototype and the charge distribution inside the system. The data from the tests was used to check the accuracy of a numerical model of dual evaporator refrigerators. It was shown that the accuracy of the model could be improved through various adjustments. However, uncertainty about the compressor performance limited the accuracy to between 10 and 20 percent. This model was then used to simulate the performance of the refrigerator as originally designed and with larger and smaller evaporators. In general, charge requirements increased with evaporator size as did the system???s sensitivity to ambient temperature. Increasing the fresh food evaporator size did not significantly increase COP but did increase capacity