New insights into the effects on blood pressure of diets low in salt and high in fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products

Results from the recent Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-Sodium trial provide the latest evidence concerning the effects of dietary patterns and sodium intake on blood pressure. Participants ate either the DASH diet (high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and reduced in saturated and total fat) or a typical US diet. Within each diet arm, participants ate higher, intermediate, and lower sodium levels, each for 30 days. The results indicated lower blood pressure with lower sodium intake for both diet groups. Although some critics would argue otherwise, these findings provide important new evidence for the value of the DASH diet and sodium reduction in controlling blood pressure

NASA Giovanni Portals for NLDAS/GLDAS Online Visualization, Analysis, and Intercomparison

The North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) are generating a series of land surface forcing (e.g., precipitation, surface meteorology, and radiation), state (e.g., soil moisture and temperature, and snow), and flux (e.g., evaporation and sensible heat flux) products, simulated by several land surface models. To date, NLDAS and GLDAS have generated more than 30 (1979 - present) and 60 (1948 - present) years of data, respectively. To further facilitate data accessibility and utilization, three new portals in the NASA Giovanni system have been made available for NLDAS and GLDAS online visualization, analysis, and intercomparison

Changes in glycosylated haemoglobin and treatment outcomes in patients with tuberculosis in Iran: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes, mostly by increasing recurrence, mortality and treatment failure. The objectives were to determine the pattern of change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level in new TB patients admitted to hospital at the start and 3-months after TB treatment, and to relate the measurements at these two time intervals to whether patients successfully completed treatment. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on hospitalized new TB patients at Masih Daneshvari Hospital from 2012 to 2013. All patients were tested for HbA1c at the beginning and 3 months after initiation of TB treatment. Changes in HbA1c were compared to TB treatment outcome. RESULTS: There were 317 new TB cases admitted to hospital of which 158 had HbA1c at baseline and 3-months. Of these, 67 (42%) had normal values, 54 had an elevated HbA1c at either base-line or 3-months (uncertain diabetes status) and 37 (24%) had elevated HbA1c (≥6.5%) at both time points (DM). There were differences between the groups: those with DM were older, had a known history of DM and a higher prevalence of cavities on chest x-ray. There were 150 (95%) patients who successfully completed treatment with no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: There were changes in HbA1c during the first three-months of anti-TB treatment, but these were not associated with differences in TB treatment outcomes. Transient hyperglycemia should be considered in TB patients and needs to be taken into account in planning care and management

New and Improved GLDAS and NLDAS Data Sets and Data Services at HDISC/NASA

Terrestrial hydrological variables are important in global hydrology, climate, and carbon cycle studies. Generating global fields of these variables, however, is still a challenge. The goal of a land data assimilation system (LDAS)is to ingest satellite-and ground-based observational data products, using advanced land surface modeling and data assimilation techniques, in order to generate optimal fields of land surface states and fluxes data and, thereby, facilitate hydrology and climate modeling, research, and forecast

Measurement of Weight in Clinical Trials: Is One Day Enough?

Background. Weight is typically measured on a single day in research studies. This practice assumes negligible day-to-day weight variability, although little evidence exists to support this assumption. We compared the precision of measuring weight on one versus two days among control participants in the Weight Loss Maintenance trial. Methods. Trained staff measured weight on two separate days at baseline, 12 months, and 30 months (2004–2007). We calculated the standard deviation (SD) of mean weight change from baseline to the 12- and 30-month visits using (a) the first and (b) both daily weights from each visit and conducted a variance components analysis (2009). Results. Of the 316 participants with follow-up measurements, mean (SD) age was 55.8 (8.5) years, BMI was 30.8 (4.5) kg/m2, 64% were women, 36% were black, and 50% were obese. At 12 months, the SD of mean weight change was 5.1 versus 5.0 kg using one versus two days of weight measurements (P = .76), while at 30 months the corresponding SDs were 6.3 and 6.3 kg (P = .98). We observed similar findings within subgroups of BMI, sex, and race. Day-to-day variability within individuals accounted for <1% of variability in weight. Conclusions. Measurement of weight on two separate days has no advantage over measurement on a single day in studies with well-standardized weight measurement protocols

Assimilated Hydrological Data at NASA GES DISC with Examples of Extreme Events

Extreme weather and climate events, such as heavy rainfall, heatwave, floods and droughts, and strong wind, can have devastating impacts on society. NASA and NOAA, based on independent analyses, recently announced that global surface temperatures in 2018 are the fourth warmest since 1880, behind only those of 2016, 2017, and 2015 (nasa.gov). Also in 2018, the United States experienced 14 billion-dollar disasters, ranking as the fourth highest total number of such events, behind only the years 2017, 2011, and 2016 (climate.gov). Many research studies have focused on acquiring observational and modeling data, to reveal linkages between increasing extreme events, global water and energy cycle, and global climate change. However, draw conclusions is still a challenge. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center is one of twelve NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) data centers that process, archive, document, and distribute data from Earth science missions and related projects. The GES DISC hosts a wide range of remotely-sensed and model data and provides reliable and robust data access and services to users worldwide. This presentation provides a few examples of extreme event study that use Land Surface Model (LSM) assimilated, quality-controlled, and spatially and temporally consistent, hydrological data from the GES DISC. Also provided is a summary table for the hydrological data holdings, along with discussions of recent updates to data and data services

Design of the Xylitol for Adult Caries Trial (X-ACT)

Abstract Background Dental caries incidence in adults is similar to that in children and adolescents, but few caries preventive agents have been evaluated for effectiveness in adults populations. In addition, dentists direct fewer preventive services to their adult patients. Xylitol, an over-the-counter sweetener, has shown some potential as a caries preventive agent, but the evidence for its effectiveness is not yet conclusive and is based largely on studies in child populations. Methods/Design X-ACT is a three-year, multi-center, placebo controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial that tests the effects of daily use of xylitol lozenges versus placebo lozenges on the prevention of adult caries. The trial has randomized 691 participants (ages 21-80) to the two arms. The primary outcome is the increment of cavitated lesions. Discussion This trial should help resolve the overall issue of the effectiveness of xylitol in preventing caries by contributing evidence with a low risk of bias. Just as importantly, the trial will provide much-needed information about the effectiveness of a promising caries prevention agent in adults. An effective xylitol-based caries prevention intervention would represent an easily disseminated method to extend caries prevention to individuals not receiving caries preventive treatment in the dental office. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT0039305

Abrupt reversal in emissions and atmospheric abundance of HCFC-133a (CF3CH2Cl)

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon HCFC-133a (CF3CH2Cl) is an anthropogenic compound whose consumption for emissive use is restricted under the Montreal Protocol. A recent study showed rapidly increasing atmospheric abundances and emissions. We report that, following this rise, the at- mospheric abundance and emissions have declined sharply in the past three years. We find a Northern Hemisphere HCFC-133a increase from 0.13 ppt (dry air mole fraction in parts-per-trillion) in 2000 to 0.50 ppt in 2012–mid-2013 followed by an abrupt reversal to 0.44 ppt by early 2015. Global emissions derived from these observations peaked at 3.1 kt in 2011, followed by a rapid decline of 0.5 kt yr−2 to 1.5 kt yr−1 in 2014. Sporadic HCFC-133a pollution events are detected in Europe from our high-resolution HCFC-133a records at three European stations, and in Asia from sam- ples collected in Taiwan. European emissions are estimated to be <0.1 kt yr−1 although emission hotspots were identi- fied in France

Integrating Gridded NASA Hydrological Data into CUAHSI HIS

The amount of hydrological data available from NASA remote sensing and modeling systems is vast and ever-increasing;but, one challenge persists:increasing the usefulness of these data for, and thus their use by, end user communities. The Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), part of the Goddard Earth Sciences DISC, has continually worked to better understand the hydrological data needs of different end users, to thus better able to bridge the gap between NASA data and end user communities. One effective strategy is integrating the data in to end user community tools and environments. There is an ongoing collaborative effort between NASA HDISC, NASA Hydrological Sciences Branch, and CUAHSI to integrate NASA gridded hydrology data in to the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS)