Sex Differences Independent of Other Psycho-sociodemographic Factors as a Predictor of Body Mass Index in Black South African Adults

To better understand the sex differences in body mass index (BMI) observed in black South African adults in the Transition and Health during Urbanization of South Africans Study, the present study investigated whether these differences can be explained by the psycho-sociodemographic factors and/or health-related behaviours. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 1,842 black South African individuals from 37 study sites that represented five levels of urbanization. The behavioural factors that possibly could have an influence on the outcome of body-weight and that were explored included: diet, smoking, level of education, HIV infection, employment status, level of urbanization, intake of alcohol, physical activity, and neuroticism. The biological factors explored were age and sex. The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, and overweight among men and women was separately determined. The means of the variables were compared by performing Student's t-test for normally-distributed variables and Mann-Whitney U-test for non-normally-distributed variables. The means for the underweight and overweight groups were tested for significant differences upon comparison with normal-weight individuals stratified separately for sex. The differences in prevalence were tested using chi-square tests (p<0.05). All the variables with a large number of missing values were tested for potential bias. The association between sex and underweight or overweight was tested using the Mantel-Haenszel method of odds ratio (OR) and calculation of 95% confidence interval (CI), with statistical significance set at p<0.05 level. Logistic regression was used for controlling for confounders and for testing for effect modification. Females were more likely to be overweight/obese (crude OR=5.1; CI 3.8-6.8). The association was attenuated but remained strong and significant even after controlling for the psycho-sociodemographic confounders. In this survey, the risk for overweight/obesity was strongly related to sex and not to the psycho-sociodemographic external factors investigated. It is, thus, important to understand the molecular roots of sex and gender-specific variability in distribution of BMI as this is central to the future development of treatment and prevention programmes against overweight/obesity

Ultra-Relativistic Magnetic Monopole Search with the ANITA-II Balloon-borne Radio Interferometer

We have conducted a search for extended energy deposition trails left by ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles interacting in Antarctic ice. The non-observation of any satisfactory candidates in the 31 days of accumulated ANITA-II flight data results in an upper limit on the diffuse flux of relativistic monopoles. We obtain a 90% C.L. limit of order 10^{-19}/(cm^2-s-sr) for values of Lorentz boost factor 10^{10}<gamma at the anticipated energy E=10^{16} GeV. This bound is stronger than all previously published experimental limits for this kinematic range.Comment: updated to version accepted by Phys. Rev.

Sex Differences Independent of Other Psycho-sociodemographic Factors as a Predictor of Body Mass Index in Black South African Adults

To better understand the sex differences in body mass index (BMI) observed in black South African adults in the Transition and Health during Urbanization of South Africans Study, the present study investigated whether these differences can be explained by the psycho-sociodemographic factors and/or health-related behaviours. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 1,842 black South African individuals from 37 study sites that represented five levels of urbanization. The behavioural factors that possibly could have an influence on the outcome of body-weight and that were explored included: diet, smoking, level of education, HIV infection, employment status, level of urbanization, intake of alcohol, physical activity, and neuroticism. The biological factors explored were age and sex. The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, and overweight among men and women was separately determined. The means of the variables were compared by performing Student\u2019s t-test for normally-distributed variables and Mann-Whitney Utest for non-normally-distributed variables. The means for the underweight and overweight groups were tested for significant differences upon comparison with normal-weight individuals stratified separately for sex. The differences in prevalence were tested using chi-square tests (p&lt;0.05). All the variables with a large number of missing values were tested for potential bias. The association between sex and underweight or overweight was tested using the Mantel-Haenszel method of odds ratio (OR) and calculation of 95% confidence interval (CI), with statistical significance set at p&lt;0.05 level. Logistic regression was used for controlling for confounders and for testing for effect modification. Females were more likely to be overweight/ obese (crude OR=5.1; CI 3.8-6.8). The association was attenuated but remained strong and significant even after controlling for the psycho-sociodemographic confounders. In this survey, the risk for overweight/ obesity was strongly related to sex and not to the psycho-sociodemographic external factors investigated. It is, thus, important to understand the molecular roots of sex- and gender-specific variability in distribution of BMI as this is central to the future development of treatment and prevention programmes against overweight/obesity

Lowering IceCube's energy threshold for point source searches in the Southern Sky

Observation of a point source of astrophysical neutrinos would be a "smoking gun" signature of a cosmic-ray accelerator. While IceCube has recently discovered a diffuse flux of astrophysical neutrinos, no localized point source has been observed. Previous IceCube searches for point sources in the southern sky were restricted by either an energy threshold above a few hundred TeV or poor neutrino angular resolution. Here we present a search for southern sky point sources with greatly improved sensitivities to neutrinos with energies below 100 TeV. By selecting charged-current ν μ interacting inside the detector, we reduce the atmospheric background while retaining efficiency for astrophysical neutrino-induced events reconstructed with sub-degree angular resolution. The new event sample covers three years of detector data and leads to a factor of 10 improvement in sensitivity to point sources emitting below 100 TeV in the southern sky. No statistically significant evidence of point sources was found, and upper limits are set on neutrino emission from individual sources. A posteriori analysis of the highest-energy (~100 TeV) starting event in the sample found that this event alone represents a 2.8σ deviation from the hypothesis that the data consists only of atmospheric background.Fil: Aartsen, M. G.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Abraham, K.. Technische Universität München; AlemaniaFil: Ackermann, M.. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron; AlemaniaFil: Adams, J.. University Of Canterbury; Nueva ZelandaFil: Aguilar, J. A.. Université Libre de Bruxelles; BélgicaFil: Golup, Geraldina Tamara. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Wallace, A.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Wallraff, M.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wandkowsky, N.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Weaver, Ch.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Wendt, C.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Westerhoff, S.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Whelan, B. J.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Whitehorn, N.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Wickmann, S.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wiebe, K.. Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz; AlemaniaFil: Wiebusch, C. H.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wille, L.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Williams, D. R.. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados UnidosFil: Wills, L.. Drexel University; Estados UnidosFil: Wissing, H.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Wolf, M.. Stockholms Universitet; SueciaFil: Wood, T. R.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Woschnagg, K.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, D. L.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, X. W.. Southern University; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, Y.. Stony Brook University; Estados UnidosFil: Yanez, J. P.. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron; AlemaniaFil: Yodh, G.. University of California at Irvine; Estados UnidosFil: Yoshida, S.. Chiba University; JapónFil: Zoll, M.. Stockholms Universitet; Sueci

Limits on diffuse fluxes of high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos with the AMANDA-B10 detector

Data from the AMANDA-B10 detector taken during the austral winter of 1997 have been searched for a diffuse flux of high energy extraterrestrial muon-neutrinos, as predicted from, e.g., the sum of all active galaxies in the universe. This search yielded no excess events above those expected from the background atmospheric neutrinos, leading to upper limits on the extraterrestrial neutrino flux. For an assumed E^-2 spectrum, a 90% classical confidence level upper limit has been placed at a level E^2 Phi(E) = 8.4 x 10^-7 GeV cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 (for a predominant neutrino energy range 6-1000 TeV) which is the most restrictive bound placed by any neutrino detector. When specific predicted spectral forms are considered, it is found that some are excluded.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Limits to the muon flux from WIMP annihilation in the center of the Earth with the AMANDA detector

A search for nearly vertical up-going muon-neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the center of the Earth has been performed with the AMANDA-B10 neutrino detector. The data sample collected in 130.1 days of live-time in 1997, ~10^9 events, has been analyzed for this search. No excess over the expected atmospheric neutrino background is oberved. An upper limit at 90% confidence level on the annihilation rate of neutralinos in the center of the Earth is obtained as a function of the neutralino mass in the range 100 GeV-5000 GeV, as well as the corresponding muon flux limit.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. Version accepted for publication in Physical Review

Heppa III Intercomparison Experiment on Electron Precipitation Impacts: 2. Model‐Measurement Intercomparison of Nitric Oxide (NO) During a Geomagnetic Storm in April 2010

Precipitating auroral and radiation belt electrons are considered to play an important part in the natural forcing of the middle atmosphere with a possible impact on the climate system. Recent studies suggest that this forcing is underestimated in current chemistry-climate models. The HEPPA III intercomparison experiment is a collective effort to address this point. In this study, we apply electron ionization rates from three data-sets in four chemistry-climate models during a geomagnetically active period in April 2010. Results are evaluated by comparison with observations of nitric oxide (NO) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Differences between the ionization rate data-sets have been assessed in a companion study. In the lower thermosphere, NO densities differ by up to one order of magnitude between models using the same ionization rate data-sets due to differences in the treatment of NO formation, model climatology, and model top height. However, a good agreement in the spatial and temporal variability of NO with observations lends confidence that the electron ionization is represented well above 80 km. In the mesosphere, the averages of model results from all chemistry-climate models differ consistently with the differences in the ionization-rate data-sets, but are within the spread of the observations, so no clear assessment on their comparative validity can be provided. However, observed enhanced amounts of NO in the mid-mesosphere below 70 km suggest a relevant contribution of the high-energy tail of the electron distribution to the hemispheric NO budget during and after the geomagnetic storm on April 6

Search for Point Sources of High Energy Neutrinos with AMANDA

This paper describes the search for astronomical sources of high-energy neutrinos using the AMANDA-B10 detector, an array of 302 photomultiplier tubes, used for the detection of Cherenkov light from upward traveling neutrino-induced muons, buried deep in ice at the South Pole. The absolute pointing accuracy and angular resolution were studied by using coincident events between the AMANDA detector and two independent telescopes on the surface, the GASP air Cherenkov telescope and the SPASE extensive air shower array. Using data collected from April to October of 1997 (130.1 days of livetime), a general survey of the northern hemisphere revealed no statistically significant excess of events from any direction. The sensitivity for a flux of muon neutrinos is based on the effective detection area for through-going muons. Averaged over the Northern sky, the effective detection area exceeds 10,000 m^2 for E_{mu} ~ 10 TeV. Neutrinos generated in the atmosphere by cosmic ray interactions were used to verify the predicted performance of the detector. For a source with a differential energy spectrum proportional to E_{nu}^{-2} and declination larger than +40 degrees, we obtain E^2(dN_{nu}/dE) <= 10^{-6}GeVcm^{-2}s^{-1} for an energy threshold of 10 GeV.Comment: 46 pages, 22 figures, 4 tables, submitted to Ap.

HEPPA III Intercomparison Experiment on Electron Precipitation Impacts: 1. Estimated Ionization Rates During a Geomagnetic Active Period in April 2010

Precipitating auroral and radiation belt electrons are considered an important part of the natural forcing of the climate system. Recent studies suggest that this forcing is underestimated in current chemistry-climate models. The High Energy Particle Precipitation in the Atmosphere III intercomparison experiment is a collective effort to address this point. Here, eight different estimates of medium energy electron (MEE) (urn:x-wiley:21699380:media:jgra56926:jgra56926-math-0001) ionization rates are assessed during a geomagnetic active period in April 2010. The objective is to understand the potential uncertainty related to the MEE energy input. The ionization rates are all based on the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) on board the NOAA/POES and EUMETSAT/MetOp spacecraft series. However, different data handling, ionization rate calculations, and background atmospheres result in a wide range of mesospheric electron ionization rates. Although the eight data sets agree well in terms of the temporal variability, they differ by about an order of magnitude in ionization rate strength both during geomagnetic quiet and disturbed periods. The largest spread is found in the aftermath of enhanced geomagnetic activity. Furthermore, governed by different energy limits, the atmospheric penetration depth varies, and some differences related to latitudinal coverage are also evident. The mesospheric NO densities simulated with the Whole Atmospheric Community Climate Model driven by highest and lowest ionization rates differ by more than a factor of eight. In a follow-up study, the atmospheric responses are simulated in four chemistry-climate models (CCM) and compared to satellite observations, considering both the CCM structure and the ionization forcing