Obesity prevalence and average body composition vary by US race and gender. Asian Americans have the lowest prevalence of obesity. Relying on body-mass index (BMI) to estimate obesity prevalence may misclassify subgroups that appear normally weighted but have excess body fat. We evaluated percentage body fat (PBF) and BMI to determine whether BMI reflects PBF consistently across different races. 940 college students were recruited from a local public university over four consecutive years. We measured PBF by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), weight by physicians' scales, and height with stadiometers. Our sample comprised Asians (49%), Caucasians (23%), Hispanics (7%), and Other (21%). Participants averaged 21.4 years old; BMI was 22.9 kg/m2; PBF was 24.8%. BMI and PBF varied significantly by race and gender (P value = 0.002 and 0.005 for men; 0.0009 and 0.0008 for women). Asian-American women had the lowest BMI (21.5 kg/m2) but the second highest PBF (27.8%). Linear association between BMI and PBF was the weakest (r 2 = 0.09) among Asian-American women and BMI had the poorest sensitivity (37%) to detect PBF. The high PBF with low BMI pattern exhibited by Asian-American women suggests that they could escape detection for obesity-related disease if BMI is the sole measure that estimates body composition.

There is concern that recommending protein-enriched meal replacements as part of a weight management program could lead to changes in biomarkers of liver or renal function and reductions in bone density. This study was designed as a placebo-controlled clinical trial utilizing two isocaloric meal plans utilizing either a high protein-enriched (HP) or a standard protein (SP) meal replacement in an outpatient weight loss program.

Background: Human exercise capacity declines with advancing age. These changes often result in loss of physical fitness and more rapid senescence. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in improvement of exercise capacity through vascular smooth muscle relaxation in both coronary and skeletal muscle arteries, as well as via independent mechanisms. Antioxidants may prevent nitric oxide inactivation by oxygen free radicals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an L-arginine and antioxidant supplement on exercise performance in elderly male cyclists.Methods: This was a two-arm prospectively randomized double-blinded and placebo-controlled trial. Sixteen male cyclists were randomized to receive either a proprietary supplement (Niteworks (R), Herbalife International Inc., Century City, CA) or a placebo powder. Exercise parameters were assessed by maximal incremental exercise testing performed on a stationary cycle ergometer using breath-by-breath analysis at baseline, week one and week three.Results: There was no difference between baseline exercise parameters. In the supplemented group, anaerobic threshold increased by 16.7% (2.38 +/- 0.18 L/min, p < 0.01) at week 1, and the effect was sustained by week 3 with a 14.2% (2.33 +/- 0.44 L/min, p < 0.01). In the control group, there was no change in anaerobic threshold at weeks 1 and 3 compared to baseline (1.88 +/- 0.20 L/min at week 1, and 1.86 +/- 0.21 L/min at week 3). The anaerobic threshold for the supplement groups was significantly higher than that of placebo group at week 1 and week 3. There were no significant changes noted in VO(2) max between control and intervention groups at either week 1 or week 3 by comparison to baseline.Conclusion: An arginine and antioxidant-containing supplement increased the anaerobic threshold at both week one and week three in elderly cyclists. No effect on VO(2) max was observed. This study indicated a potential role of L-arginine and antioxidant supplementation in improving exercise performance in elderly.

OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy elderly subjects.DESIGN:Twenty (20) healthy elderly (age 50-75 years) subjects were enrolled in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial. The subjects were taking either Cs-4 333 mg or placebo capsules 3 times a day for 12 weeks.MEASUREMENT:Subjects received baseline screening including physical examination and laboratory tests. Maximal incremental exercise testing was performed on a stationary cycle ergometer using breath-by-breath analysis at baseline and at the completion of the study.RESULTS:After receiving Cs-4 for 12 weeks, the metabolic threshold (above which lactate accumulates) increased by 10.5% from 0.83 +/- 0.06 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 L/min (p < 0.02) and the ventilatory threshold (above which unbuffered H(+) stimulates ventilation) increased by 8.5% from 1.25 +/- 0.11 to 1.36 +/- 0.15 L/min. Significant changes in metabolic or ventilatory threshold were not seen for the subjects in the placebo group after 12 weeks, and there were no changes in Vo(2) max in either group.CONCLUSION:This pilot study suggests that supplementation with Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) improves exercise performance and might contribute to wellness in healthy older subjects.

Since there has been concern over the use of high protein meal replacements for obesity due to potential effect on liver, renal function, and bone metabolism, the present double‐blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in 100 obese subjects who were randomly assigned to receive either standard protein (SP) (0.5 g per pound lean body mass) or high protein (HP) (1.0 g per pound lean body mass) with a diet plan designed to provide a 500 Calorie deficit per day. Subjects were instructed to mix a soy/whey protein powder (Performance Protein Powder, Herbalife) or a non‐protein isocaloric carbohydrate powder (control) with a standard meal replacement (Formula 1, Herbalife). Meal replacements were taken twice a day with one meal for 3 months and then one a day for 9 months. 75 subjects completed the 1 year study and subjects in both groups lost weight (HP ‐4.05 ± .83 kg vs. SP ‐4.42 ± 1.12 kg, p<0.05). There was no difference between groups in weight loss. Liver functions including AST, ALT, Bilirubin, Alkaline Phosphatase were in the normal range and did not change significantly. Similarly, 24 hour urine collections for creatinine, albumin, and calcium secretion did not change from baseline and were not different between groups. Bone mineral density by DEXA did not change in either group over one year. These studies demonstrate that protein‐enriched meal replacements are safe and effective for weight loss over one year.

This study examines and compares the spectators' and franchise staffs' perceived effectiveness of the marketing techniques adopted by the Super Basketball League (SBL). Because many marketing strategies of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have been practised in the SBL, the researchers further modifies and translates Dick and Turner's (2005) questionnaire to assess the Taiwanese spectators' perceptions toward the US marketing strategies. The developed questionnaire contains seven fixed-choice and 24 five-point Likert scale items. The factor analysis groups 17 of the 24 items into five categories: (1) Traditional Mass Media (TM), (2) Direct and Electronic Mailing (DEM), (3) Sales Promotion (SP), (4) Gifts and Hospitality (GH) and (5) Strategic Marketing (SM). The participants include 31 (n = 31) staff members and 703 (n = 703) on-site spectators, who were randomly chosen during three competitions. Females (60.5%) and students (72.8%) are the two major groups that comprise the participants. Descriptive analysis shows that more people obtained information about the games from television commercials (49.6%) or by word of mouth (37.9%). SM (M = 3.96, SD = .77) and TM (M = 3.92, SD = .66) were rated as more effective ways to reach the targets. GH and DEM seemed to be less effective. The results also indicate that significant differences exist in the perceived marketing strategies based on various demographic characteristics (p < .05). In general, females under 20 years old tended to rate TM as a more effective means than their male counterparts did. The younger students without a college degree considered DEM more effective. However, the franchise staffs did not value GH as effective as the students or other working adults did. In the meantime, the franchise staffs perceived SM more effective than the younger students did. A disparity was clearly found in the perceived marketing strategies between the franchise staffs and young students. For certain reasons, the use of technology in advertising and promotion was still not highly appreciated, based on the collected responses. In conclusion, the unique cultural aspects of Taiwanese basketball necessitating suggestions for adjusting the existing strategies, along with the limitations and concerns related to the study, will be discussed.

Abstract 4393 INTRODUCTION Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a commonly encountered hematologic neoplasm. Evaluation of prognosis in CLL is strongly based on genetic findings and the most commonly used studies are classical cytogenetics and targeted interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). High resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is a relatively new and robust method of evaluating chromosomal alterations over the entire genome. We compared aCGH with routine cytogenetics and FISH in detecting genetic alterations in newly-diagnosed CLL cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS aCGH testing was performed on 55 cases of CLL in addition to a standard panel of FISH probes (ATM on 11q22, trisomy 12, 13q14, p53 on 17p13 using a standard cutoff for positivity of 10%). These results were compared to a control group of 100 CLL cases upon which routine cytogenetics and FISH were performed. The frequency of detecting abnormalities was compared between the groups and discordant results between methodologies were compared. RESULTS In the control group (n=100), the mean age was 71 (52-86) with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Genetic abnormalities were detected by classical cytogenetics in 19% (19/100) of cases as compared to FISH which detected abnormalities in 66% (66/100) of cases (Table 1). An additional group of 55 CLL cases [male to female ratio of 2.2:1 and a mean age of 71 (52-90)] was analyzed by both aCGH and FISH. This additional group of CLL cases showed a similar frequency of genetic abnormalities by FISH (60%; 27/45). In contrast to FISH, aCGH detected genetic abnormalities in 82% (45/55) of CLL cases (Table 1). aCGH identified genetic abnormalities not detected by FISH studies in 16% (7/45) of cases whereas FISH identified abnormalities not detected by aCGH in only 7% (3/45) of cases. Rare recurring genetic alterations were detected by aCGH, which would not have been detected by a standard FISH panel, and included losses in 6q, 8p, 10q, 14q32, and 18q, and gains in 10q. DISCUSSION Classical cytogenetics is often performed in cases of CLL, but is not particularly useful as CLL cells are often difficult to grow in culture and because of the low rate of detecting common genetic alterations. Our findings suggest that aCGH is an effective and robust technique for evaluating recurring genetic abnormalities in CLL and is better than classical cytogenetics and standard FISH in detecting common genetic abnormalities in CLL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

BACKGROUND:Various adipose tissue factors have been implicated as biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome (MS). The objective of this study was to assess which specific adipose tissue factors would discriminate the presence of MS in a strictly obese population meeting waist circumference (WC) criteria for the MS.METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study of 148 subjects recruited from a university-based weight loss program prior to starting the program. Patients were eligible if they had a BMI more than 25 kg/m(2) and had WC more than 40 and 35 inches in males and females, respectively. Biomarkers measured included high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), leptin, adiponectin, and total insulin.RESULTS:Of the total population, 33.8% satisfied criteria for the MS. Insulin was the only biomarker to consistently differentiate between presence and absence of MS in this obese population (P = 0.0001 in males, P = 0.006 in females). All biomarkers measured with the exception of leptin had a statistically significant relationship with increasing criteria for the MS.CONCLUSIONS:In a population where an excess amount of adipose tissue exists, insulin is the only reliable biomarker to differentiate MS status. We surmise that differences in hs-CRP, leptin, and adiponectin are a reflection of their measurements in individuals with statistically different amounts of adipose tissue.

Pomegranate juice (PJ), a rich source of polyphenols including ellagitannins, has attracted much attention due to its reported health benefits. This has resulted in the consumption of liquid and powder pomegranate extracts as alternatives to PJ. Therefore establishing the bioavailability of polyphenols from these extract preparations is necessary. Sixteen healthy volunteers sequentially consumed, with a 1-week washout period between treatments, PJ (8 ounces, Wonderful fruit variety), a pomegranate polyphenol liquid extract (POMxl, 8 ounces), and a pomegranate polyphenol powder extract (POMxp, 1,000 mg). The three interventions provided 857, 776, and 755 mg of polyphenols as gallic acid equivalents, respectively. Plasma bioavailability, judged based on ellagic acid levels over a 6-hour period, did not show statistical differences in area under the curve for the three interventions: 0.14 +/- 0.05, 0.11 +/- 0.03, and 0.11 +/- 0.04 micromol . hour/L for PJ, POMxl, and POMxp, respectively. The time of maximum concentration was delayed for POMxp (2.58 +/- 0.42 hours) compared to PJ (0.65 +/- 0.23 hours) and POMxl (0.94 +/- 0.06 hours). Urolithin-A glucuronide, a urinary metabolite of ellagic acid, was not significantly different with the three interventions, reaching levels of approximately 1,000 ng/mL. This study demonstrates that ellagitannin metabolites, delivered from pomegranate fruits, as PJ, POMxl, and POMxp, reach equivalent levels with a delay in time of maximum concentration of POMxp compared to PJ and POMxl.

Background: While high protein diets have been shown to improve satiety and retention of lean body mass (LBM), this study was designed to determine effects of a protein-enriched meal replacement (MR) on weight loss and LBM retention by comparison to an isocaloric carbohydrate-enriched MR within customized diet plans utilizing MR to achieve high protein or standard protein intakes.Methods: Single blind, placebo-controlled, randomized outpatient weight loss trial in 100 obese men and women comparing two isocaloric meal plans utilizing a standard MR to which was added supplementary protein or carbohydrate powder. MR was used twice daily (one meal, one snack). One additional meal was included in the meal plan designed to achieve individualized protein intakes of either 1) 2.2 g protein/kg of LBM per day [high protein diet (HP)] or 2) 1.1 g protein/kg LBM/day standard protein diet (SP). LBM was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Body weight, body composition, and lipid profiles were measured at baseline and 12 weeks.Results: Eighty-five subjects completed the study. Both HP and SP MR were well tolerated, with no adverse effects. There were no differences in weight loss at 12 weeks (-4.19 +/- 0.5 kg for HP group and 3.72 +/- 0.7 kg for SP group, p > 0.1). Subjects in the HP group lost significantly more fat weight than the SP group (HP = - 1.65 +/- 0.63 kg; SP = - 0.64 +/- 0.79 kg, P = 0.05) as estimated by BIA. There were no significant differences in lipids nor fasting blood glucose between groups, but within the HP group a significant decrease in cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was noted at 12 weeks. This was not seen in the SP group.Conclusion: Higher protein MR within a higher protein diet resulted in similar overall weight loss as the standard protein MR plan over 12 weeks. However, there was significantly more fat loss in the HP group but no significant difference in lean body mass. In this trial, subject compliance with both the standard and protein-enriched MR strategy for weight loss may have obscured any effect of increased protein on weight loss demonstrated in prior weight loss studies using whole food diets.

Previously we have demonstrated the reduction of ethyl and t-butyl diketoesters 1 to the corresponding syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy esters 2a by Acinetobacter sp. 13874. The syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy ester 2a was obtained with an enantiomeric excess (e.e.) of 99% and a diastereomeric excess (de) of 63%. In this report, we identified a gene encoding desired ketoreductase III which catalyzed the diastereoselective reduction of diketoesters 1 to syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy esters 2a and describe cloning and expression of ketoreductase III into Escherichia coli. Cells or extracts of recombinant E. coli efficiently reduced the diketoester 1 to the corresponding syn-(3R,5S)-dihydroxy ester 2a in 99.3% yield, 100% e.e., and 99.8% de.

Obesity ManagementVol. 3, No. 3 Clinical Case ReportBreast Cancer in a Postmenopausal Obese Female PatientSteve Chen and Eric YanSteve Chen and Eric YanPublished Online:27 Jul 2007https://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0036AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookXLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 3Issue 3Jun 2007 InformationCopyright 2007, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Steve Chen and Eric Yan.Breast Cancer in a Postmenopausal Obese Female Patient.Obesity Management.Jun 2007.133-135.http://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0036Published in Volume: 3 Issue 3: July 27, 2007 TopicsBreast cancerObesity PDF download

Obesity ManagementVol. 3, No. 3 Obesity and Cancer: Inflammation and Molecular PathogenesisKurt Hong, Eric Yan, Steve Chen, Zhaoping Li, and David HeberKurt HongSearch for more papers by this author, Eric YanSearch for more papers by this author, Steve ChenSearch for more papers by this author, Zhaoping LiSearch for more papers by this author, and David HeberSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:27 Jul 2007https://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0031AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byIdentification of natural product inhibitors of de novo lipogenesis enzymes as an anti-cancer strategy: An in silico approach23 May 2022 | Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyEffect of Weight Gain and Weight Loss on In Vivo Colonocyte Proliferation Rate in People with Obesity31 October 2017 | Obesity, Vol. 25, No. S2Adult weight management: Translating research and guidelines into practiceJournal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 21, No. 4 Volume 3Issue 3Jun 2007 InformationCopyright 2007, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Kurt Hong, Eric Yan, Steve Chen, Zhaoping Li, and David Heber.Obesity and Cancer: Inflammation and Molecular Pathogenesis.Obesity Management.Jun 2007.115-120.http://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0031Published in Volume: 3 Issue 3: July 27, 2007PDF download

This paper remarks on the challenges of supporting realtime traffic flows, notably loss-and delay-sensitive audio-video applications, in wide-area internet protocol (IP) networks. It also describes a relevant protocol with exceptional quality-of-service capabilities. A survey of related techniques, from simple "best-effort" to over provisioning, to now-popular prioritizations proposals (e.g., conventional use of IETF DiffServ), highlights deficiencies in each. The discussion leads to mention of time-based resource reservation methods, of which autonomous flow scheduling is shown to collectively excel in terms of network utilization, performance attributes, ease of deployment in existing internets and intranets, and the ability to provide an assured "network busy." The protocol is described in detail, emphasizing means for dynamically establishing flows, and then distributed, and autonomous scheduling of the associated heterogeneous, critical applications. It provides zero packet loss and minimal-to-no congestion-based delay and jitter. Concluding comments briefly describe autonomous flow scheduling in relation to MPLS and the OSI seven-layer stack.

Obesity ManagementVol. 2, No. 1 Clinical Case ReportVery-Low-Calorie Diet RevisitedSteve Chen and Eric YanSteve ChenSearch for more papers by this author and Eric YanSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:24 Feb 2006https://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2006.2.31AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail "Very-Low-Calorie Diet Revisited." , 2(1), pp. 31–32FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byThe effect of a very low calorie diet on subjective depressive symptoms and anxiety: meta-analysis and systematic review23 November 2018 | International Journal of Obesity, Vol. 43, No. 7 Volume 2Issue 1Feb 2006 InformationCopyright 2006, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Steve Chen and Eric Yan.Very-Low-Calorie Diet Revisited.Obesity Management.Feb 2006.31-32.http://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2006.2.31Published in Volume: 2 Issue 1: February 24, 2006PDF download

Currarino syndrome consists of autosomal dominant hereditary sacral dysgenesis that is caused by mutations of the HOX gene, HLXB9 . Sacral malformation, presacral mass, and anorectal malformations comprise the classic triad, but other common symptoms and malformations include neonatal‐onset bowel obstruction, chronic constipation, recurrent perianal sepsis, renal/urinary tract anomalies, female internal genital anomalies, tethered spinal cord, and anterior meningocele. Up to 33% of patients are asymptomatic. There is marked inter‐ and intrafamilial variability in expression, and no genotype/phenotype correlations have been identified. To date, 32 different mutations have been identified in HLXB9 : all nine missense mutations were found in the homeodomain, while the others were nonsense, frameshift, splice site mutations, or heterozygous whole‐gene deletions. We report a four‐generation family with Currarino syndrome varying in severity from very mild to full expression of the Currarino triad. They were found to carry a previously unreported nonsense mutation, E283X, absent in tested asymptomatic first‐degree relatives. This family provides additional information on the degree of intrafamilial variability associated with HLXB9 mutations. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.