High temporal variability in airborne bacterial diversity and abundance inside single-family residences

Our homes are microbial habitats, and although the amounts and types of bacteria in indoor air have been shown to vary substantially across residences, temporal variability within homes has rarely been characterized. Here, we sought to quantify the temporal variability in the amounts and types of airborne bacteria in homes, and what factors drive this variability. We collected filter samples of indoor and outdoor air in 15 homes over 1 year (approximately eight time points per home, two per season), and we used culture-independent DNA sequencing approaches to characterize bacterial community composition. Significant differences in indoor air community composition were observed both between homes and within each home over time. Indoor and outdoor air community compositions were not significantly correlated, suggesting that indoor and outdoor air communities are decoupled. Indoor air communities from the same home were often just as different at adjacent time points as they were across larger temporal distances, and temporal variation correlated with changes in environmental conditions, including temperature and relative humidity. Although all homes had highly variable indoor air communities, homes with the most temporally variable communities had more stable, lower average microbial loads than homes with less variable communities.

Which measure of body fat distribution is best for epidemiologic research?

Multivariate associations were sought between risk factor levels (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures) and two sets of anthropometric variables (four circumferences and six skinfolds) to select a set of anthropometric indicators of body fat distribution that correlate most highly with risk of disease. Subjects were men (n = 285) and women (n = 672) from a study of gallbladder disease in a Mexican American population in Starr County, Texas, 1985-1986. The canonical correlations showed that circumferences (0.49-0.61) and skinfolds (0.42-0.60) were equally well correlated to risk factor levels independently of sex and age. Weights from the canonical analyses suggest that measurements at or above the waist and on the lower limb (thigh) are most heavily loaded toward risk (waist = highest risk; thigh = lowest risk). The simplest and most reliable index of body fat distribution for both sexes is the ratio of waist to thigh circumferences. The more commonly used waist/hip ratio proved more valid in women, but not in men. Simple skinfold indices of body fat distribution were more poorly correlated to risk factor levels than the corresponding circumference ratios. In women, body mass index and waist circumference by themselves did as well as body fat distribution indices in explaining variation in risk factors, suggesting the involvement of visceral fat in the body fat/body fat distribution disease relation.