Multi-sensory display of self-avatar's physiological state: virtual breathing and heart beating can increase sensation of effort in VR.

In this paper we explore the multi-sensory display of self-avatars' physiological state in Virtual Reality (VR), as a means to enhance the connection between the users and their avatar. Our approach consists in designing and combining a coherent set of visual, auditory and haptic cues to represent the avatar's cardiac and respiratory activity. These sensory cues are modulated depending on the avatar's simulated physical exertion.

Sex Differences in Atrial Fibrillation Risk: The VITAL Rhythm Study.

Importance: Women have a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with men in several studies, but it is unclear whether this sex difference is independent of sex differences in prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), body size, and other risk factors.

Objective: To examine sex differences in AF incidence and whether AF risk factors differ by sex in a contemporary cohort of men and women without prevalent CVD.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a prospective cohort analysis within the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) Rhythm Study, a randomized trial that examined the effect of vitamin D and ω-3 fatty acid supplementation on incident AF among men 50 years or older and women 55 years or older without a prior history of prevalent AF, CVD, or cancer at baseline.

Associations of Biomarker-Calibrated Healthy Eating Index-2010 Scores with Chronic Disease Risk and Their Dependency on Energy Intake and Body Mass Index in Postmenopausal Women.

Background: Prior studies examined associations between the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and chronic disease risk based on self-reported diet without measurement error correction.

Objective: Our objective was to test associations between biomarker calibration of the food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ)-derived HEI-2010 with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Women's Health Initiative (WHI) participants.

Methods: Data were derived from WHI postmenopausal women (n = 100,374) aged 50-79 y at enrollment (1993-1998) at 40 US clinical centers, linked to nutritional biomarker substudies and outcomes over subsequent decades of follow-up.

Broad clinical manifestations of polygenic risk for coronary artery disease in the Women's Health Initiative.

Background: The genetic basis for coronary artery disease (CAD) risk is highly complex. Genome-wide polygenic risk scores (PRS) can help to quantify that risk, but the broader impacts of polygenic risk for CAD are not well characterized.

Methods: We measured polygenic risk for CAD using the meta genomic risk score, a previously validated genome-wide PRS, in a subset of genotyped participants from the Women's Health Initiative and applied a phenome-wide association study framework to assess associations between the PRS and a broad range of blood biomarkers, clinical measurements, and health outcomes.

Post-Diagnosis Vitamin D Supplement Use and Survival among Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Vitamin D administered pre-diagnostically has been shown to reduce mortality. Emerging evidence suggests a role of post-diagnosis vitamin D supplement intake for survival among cancer patients. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship.

Association between white matter hyperintensity volume and social functioning limitations among stroke survivors.

Objective: Existing literature on white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV) in stroke patients has rarely focused on post-stroke outcomes related to social functioning limitations, such as transportation, social interaction, food preparation, grocery shopping, and housekeeping. Using prospective data from the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) study, we evaluated the association between WMHV and social functioning limitations among 151 ischemic stroke patients.

Materials And Methods: WMHV was ascertained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) collected at the time of the stroke event using a validated semiautomated method, and social functioning limitations were assessed using a stroke outcomes questionnaire administered a median of 1.

Associations of Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time With All-Cause Mortality by Genetic Predisposition for Longevity.

The goal of this study was to examine associations between accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) with mortality by a genetic risk score (GRS) for longevity. Among 5,446 women, (mean [SD]: age, 78.2 [6.

Adherence to the American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention and obesity-related cancer risk and mortality in Black and Latina Women's Health Initiative participants.

Background: Although adherence to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention associates with lower risk of obesity-related cancer (ORC) incidence and mortality, evidence in Black and Latina women is limited. This association was examined in Black and Latina participants in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).

Methods: Semi-Markov multistate model examined the association between ACS guideline adherence and ORC incidence and mortality in the presence of competing events, combined and separately, for 9301 Black and 4221 Latina postmenopausal women.

Traditional and Emerging Sex-Specific Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Women.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major health threat in women. While traditional CVD risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking have been recognized for over 50 years, optimal control of these risk factors remains a major challenge. Unique sex-specific risk factors such as adverse pregnancy outcomes, premature menopause and low estrogen states, and chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorders also contribute to increased CVD risk in women.

Supplemental Vitamin D and Incident Fractures in Midlife and Older Adults.

Background: Vitamin D supplements are widely recommended for bone health in the general population, but data on whether they prevent fractures have been inconsistent.

Methods: In an ancillary study of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), we tested whether supplemental vitamin D would result in a lower risk of fractures than placebo. VITAL was a two-by-two factorial, randomized, controlled trial that investigated whether supplemental vitamin D (2000 IU per day), n-3 fatty acids (1 g per day), or both would prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease in men 50 years of age or older and women 55 years of age or older in the United States.

Coronary artery calcium and bone mineral density by serial CTA: Does menopausal hormone therapy modify the association?

Introduction: Both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) increase in women after menopause. Estrogen deficiency is thought to be an underlying mechanism for both these conditions.

Methods: Healthy menopausal women (n = 374, age 42-58 years) underwent cardiac CT scans over four years as participants in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), a randomized, controlled trial to Women randomized to either oral conjugated equine estrogens (o-CEE, n = 104), transdermal 17β-estradiol (t-E2, n = 119) or placebo (n-115).

Associations of birth weight and later life lifestyle factors with risk of cardiovascular disease in the USA: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Low birth weight has been associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the interaction between low birth weight and adult lifestyle factors on the risk of CVD remains unclear.

Methods: We included 20,169 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, 1986-2016), 52,380 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1980-2018), and 85,350 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II, 1991-2017) in the USA who reported birth weight and updated data on adult body weight, smoking status, physical activity, and diet every 2-4 years.

Association of Physical Activity With Bioactive Lipids and Cardiovascular Events.

Background: To clarify the mechanisms underlying physical activity (PA)-related cardioprotection, we examined the association of PA with plasma bioactive lipids (BALs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. We additionally performed genome-wide associations.

Methods: PA-bioactive lipid associations were examined in VITAL (VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL)-clinical translational science center (REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.

The association between anthropometric factors and anti-Müllerian hormone levels in premenopausal women.

Adiposity has been associated with several health conditions as well as timing of menopause. Prior epidemiologic studies on the association of adiposity and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) have been inconsistent. We evaluated the relations of anthropometric measures with AMH at two time periods in a subset of premenopausal participants in the Nurses' Health Study II.

Contributions of the Women's Health Initiative to Cardiovascular Research: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

The WHI (Women's Health Initiative) enrolled 161,808 racially and ethnically diverse postmenopausal women, ages 50-79 years, from 1993 to 1998 at 40 clinical centers across the United States. In its clinical trial component, WHI evaluated 3 randomized interventions (menopausal hormone therapy; diet modification; and calcium/vitamin D supplementation) for the primary prevention of major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, in older women. In the WHI observational study, numerous clinical, behavioral, and social factors have been evaluated as predictors of incident chronic disease and mortality.

Combined Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and a Simple Home Exercise Program May Reduce Cancer Risk Among Active Adults Aged 70 and Older: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The aim of this study was to test the individual and combined benefit of vitamin D, omega-3, and a simple home strength exercise program on the risk of any invasive cancer. The DO-HEALTH trial is a three-year, multicenter, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design double-blind, randomized-controlled trial to test the individual and combined benefit of three public health interventions. The trial was conducted between December 2012 and December 2017 in five European countries.

Adding salt to foods and hazard of premature mortality.

Aims: We analyzed whether the frequency of adding salt to foods was associated with the hazard of premature mortality and life expectancy.

Methods And Results: A total of 501 379 participants from UK biobank who completed the questionnaire on the frequency of adding salt to foods at baseline. The information on the frequency of adding salt to foods (do not include salt used in cooking) was collected through a touch-screen questionnaire at baseline.

Body Mass Index Is Inversely Associated with Risk of Postmenopausal Interval Breast Cancer: Results from the Women's Health Initiative.

Interval breast cancer refers to cancer diagnosed after a negative screening mammogram and before the next scheduled screening mammogram. Interval breast cancer has worse prognosis than screening-detected cancer. Body mass index (BMI) influences the accuracy of mammography and overall postmenopausal breast cancer risk, yet how is obesity associated with postmenopausal interval breast cancer incidence is unclear.

Atom-surface scattering in the classical multiphonon regime.

Many experiments that utilize beams of incident atoms colliding with surfaces as a probe of surface properties are carried out at large energies, high temperatures and with large mass atoms. Under these conditions the scattering process does not exhibit quantum mechanical properties such as diffraction or single-phonon excitation, but rather can be treated with classical physics. This is a review of work carried out by the authors over a span of several years to develop theoretical frameworks using classical physics for describing the scattering interactions of atom with surfaces.

Vitamin D status, genetic factors, and risks of cardiovascular disease among individuals with type 2 diabetes: a prospective study.

Background: The presence of a threshold effect has been proposed, suggesting that beneficial effects from vitamin D supplementation may only be present when the vitamin D concentration is below a particular threshold.

Objectives: We investigated the associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and genetic factors with risks of total and subtypes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), among whom vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is particularly common.

Methods: This prospective study included 15,103 individuals with T2D who were initially free of CVD and had serum 25(OH)D measurements in the UK Biobank.

Subclinical infection occurs frequently following low dose exposure to prions by blood transfusion.

Infectious prion diseases have very long incubation periods, and the role that subclinical infections play in transmission, persistence and re-emergence of these diseases is unclear. In this study, we used a well-established model of vCJD (sheep experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE) to determine the prevalence of subclinical infection following exposure by blood transfusion from infected donors. Many recipient sheep survived for years post-transfusion with no clinical signs and no disease-associated PrP (PrP) found in post mortem tissue samples by conventional tests.