Search

Background: The oxidative balance score (OBS) is a composite estimate of the overall pro- and antioxidant exposure status in an individual. The aim of this study was to determine the association between OBS and renal disease., Methods: Using the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort study, OBS was calculated by combining 13 a priori-defined pro- and antioxidant factors by using baseline dietary and lifestyle assessment. OBS was divided into quartiles (Q1-Q4) with the lowest quartile, Q1 (predominance of pro-oxidants), as the reference. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted ORs for albuminuria defined as urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR)>30 mg/g, macroalbuminuria defined as ACR>300 mg/g and chronic kidney disease (CKD) defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration and hazards ratios for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), respectively., Results: Of the 19,461 participants analyzed, 12.9% had albuminuria and 10.1% had CKD at baseline; over a median follow-up of 3.5 years (range 2.14-4.32 years), 0.46% developed ESRD. Higher OBS quartiles were associated with lower prevalence of CKD (OR vs. Q1: Q2=0.93 [95% CI 0.80-1.08]; Q3=0.90 [95% CI 0.77-1.04] and Q4=0.79 [95% CI 0.67-0.92], p for trend<.01). The associations between OBS and albuminuria (p for trend 0.31) and incident ESRD (p for trend 0.56) were not significant in the fully adjusted models., Conclusions: These findings suggest that higher OBS is associated with lower prevalence of CKD. Lack of association with ESRD incidence in the multivariable analyses indicates that temporal relation between OBS and renal damage remains unclear., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: Previous work has suggested a possible relationship between nutritional supplementation with iron and calcium, and a diagnosis of glaucoma. The present study investigates the association between dietary and total calcium and iron consumption with a diagnosis of glaucoma., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 6316 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005-2008), age 40 or older, who participated in the dietary interview portion of NHANES. Intake of the oxidants calcium and iron was assessed using the National Cancer Institute Method of analyzing data from multiple 24-h dietary recall interviews. Participants self-reported the presence or absence of glaucoma as well as information pertaining to demographics, health-related behaviors and comorbidities., Results: Adjusted odds of glaucoma increased with higher total consumption of calcium (p-trend <0.0001) and iron (p-trend <0.0001). Adjusted odds of glaucoma was significantly greater for total calcium intake at the third (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.32-1.89) and fourth quintile levels (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03-1.43) and for total iron intake at the fourth (OR 2.95, 95% CI 2.52-3.45) and fifth quintile levels (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.36-1.83), compared with the corresponding lowest quintile of intake. In contrast, a tendency towards decreased odds of glaucoma was observed with increasing dietary calcium (p-trend = 0.0008) and iron intake (p-trend = 0.0022)., Conclusions: While greater total consumption of calcium and iron may be associated with increased odds of glaucoma, dietary rather than supplemental consumption of these oxidants was found to be associated with lower odds of glaucoma. Additional research is necessary to elucidate the relationship between glaucoma and oxidant intake from foods versus supplements, and to prospectively evaluate whether oxidant intake is related to glaucoma incidence and progression.

Microbial characterization of the Mars Odyssey spacecraft and the Kennedy Space Center Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility II (SAEF-II) was carried out by both culture-based and molecular methods. The most dominant cultivable microbes were species of Bacillus, with comamonads, microbacteria and actinomycetales also represented. Several spore-forming isolates were resistant to gamma-radiation, UV, H2O2 and desiccation, and one Acinetobacter radioresistens isolate and several Aureobasidium, isolated directly from the spacecraft, survived various conditions. Sequences arising in clone libraries were fairly consistent between the spacecraft and facility; predominant genera included Variovorax, Ralstonia and Aquaspirillum. This study improves our understanding of the microbial community structure, diversity and survival capabilities of microbes in an encapsulation facility and physically associated with colocated spacecraft.