A global benchmark study using affinity-based biosensors.

To explore the variability in biosensor studies, 150 participants from 20 countries were given the same protein samples and asked to determine kinetic rate constants for the interaction. We chose a protein system that was amenable to analysis using different biosensor platforms as well as by users of different expertise levels. The two proteins (a 50-kDa Fab and a 60-kDa glutathione S-transferase [GST] antigen) form a relatively high-affinity complex, so participants needed to optimize several experimental parameters, including ligand immobilization and regeneration conditions as well as analyte concentrations and injection/dissociation times.

Reproducibility and accuracy of body composition assessments in mice by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and time domain nuclear magnetic resonance.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy and reproducibility of dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA; PIXImus(™)) and time domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR; Bruker Optics) for the measurement of body composition of lean and obese mice. SUBJECTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Thirty lean and obese mice (body weight range 19-67 g) were studied. Coefficients of variation for repeated (x 4) DXA and NMR scans of mice were calculated to assess reproducibility.

Harris-Benedict equation estimations of energy needs as compared to measured 24-h energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry in people with early to mid-stage Huntington's disease.

Weight loss and energy metabolism are important clinical research areas in understanding the disease mechanisms in Huntington's disease. Having an accurate method to estimate expected total energy expenditure would likely facilitate the development of studies about these features of the disease. The Harris-Benedict equation is a formula commonly used to estimate basal energy expenditure of individuals, adjusted for height, weight, age and gender.

Leptin levels and luteinizing hormone pulsatility in normal cycling women and their relationship to daily changes in metabolic rate.

Objective: To determine whether leptin and LH secretion in normal women is related to changes in metabolic rate.

Setting: Academic medical center. PATIENT(S) AND DESIGN: Ten young women with normal weight and menses were studied during the early follicular phase.

Higher post-absorptive skeletal muscle LPL activity in African American vs. non-Hispanic White pre-menopausal women.

Objective: Higher post-absorptive post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity has been reported in African Americans as compared to non-Hispanic whites but differences in tissue-specific LPL activity are unclear.

Methods And Procedures: Post-absorptive skeletal muscle (SM)-LPL (vastus lateralis ) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (AT)-LPL activity was measured in overweight, sedentary African American females (n = 11) as well as in their non-Hispanic white counterparts (n = 6) during a period of controlled low fat (30%) diet (for 10 days) combined with physical activity (for days 8-10). Post-absorptive substrate utilization was measured on day 10; fasting blood levels and SM and AT biopsies were obtained on day 11.

Coffee, diabetes, and weight control.

Several prospective epidemiologic studies over the past 4 y concluded that ingestion of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes. This finding is at odds with the results of trials in humans showing that glucose tolerance is reduced shortly after ingestion of caffeine or caffeinated coffee and suggesting that coffee consumption could increase the risk of diabetes. This review discusses epidemiologic and laboratory studies of the effects of coffee and its constituents, with a focus on diabetes risk.

Metabolic inflexibility in substrate use is present in African-American but not Caucasian healthy, premenopausal, nondiabetic women.

Context: There is an increased prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance in African-American compared with Caucasian females. Metabolic inflexibility (MI) is the inability to switch the use of lipids and carbohydrates in the peripheral tissue (i.e.

Looking towards label-free biomolecular interaction analysis in a high-throughput format: a review of new surface plasmon resonance technologies.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have enabled a wide range of applications in which researchers can monitor biomolecular interactions in real time. Owing to the fact that SPR can provide affinity and kinetic data, unique features in applications ranging from protein-peptide interaction analysis to cellular ligation experiments have been demonstrated. Although SPR has historically been limited by its throughput, new methods are emerging that allow for the simultaneous analysis of many thousands of interactions.

Controlling DNA orientation on mixed ssDNA/OEG SAMs.

We present and characterize a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) consisting of single-stranded oligonucleotide (ssDNA)- and oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-terminated thiols. The ssDNA/OEG SAMs are prepared by simultaneous coadsorption from a common thiol solution over a broad range of compositions. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) is used to measure the surface coverage of ssDNA, whereas surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is used to measure the hybridization of complementary ssDNA and protein resistance.

DNA-directed protein immobilization for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes by surface plasmon resonance biosensor.

A versatile multichannel biosensor surface is prepared by site-directed immobilization of single-stranded DNA-protein conjugates onto a patterned self-assembled monolayer composed of ssDNA thiols and oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated thiols. The conjugates each consist of an antibody chemically linked to a unique ssDNA target with a sequence complementary to the surface-bound ssDNA probes and are immobilized on the surface via sequence-specific hybridization. The exceptional specificity of DNA hybridization combined with the diversity of available sequences makes this platform perfect for multichannel sensors.

Simmondsin for weight loss in rats.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy for weight loss of simmondsin, a dietary supplement extracted from the seed of the jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis).

Animals: Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed various levels of simmondsin for 8 weeks (lean rats) or 16 weeks (high fat-induced obese rats).

Measurements: Food intake, body weight and composition, histopathology, hematology parameters.

Adiponectin levels during low- and high-fat eucaloric diets in lean and obese women.

Objective: Adiponectin influences insulin sensitivity (S(I)) and fat oxidation. Little is known about changes in adiponectin with changes in the fat content of eucaloric diets. We hypothesized that dietary fat content may influence adiponectin according to an individual's SI.

Assessment of human locomotion by using an insole measurement system and artificial neural networks.

A new method for measuring and characterizing free-living human locomotion is presented. A portable device was developed to objectively record and measure foot-ground contact information in every step for up to 24h. An artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to identify the type and intensity of locomotion.

Energy balance in early-stage Huntington disease.

Background: Huntington disease (HD) is a genetic neurologic disorder. Weight loss is common in HD and is related to progression of the disease, but the cause of weight loss remains unclear.

Objective: The study objective was to compare 24-h energy expenditure (EE) and energy intake in persons with early midstage HD with those of matched control subjects to determine how HD affects energy balance.

Coffee, tea and diabetes: the role of weight loss and caffeine.

Objective: To assess the effect of weight change on the relationship between coffee and tea consumption and diabetes risk.

Design: Prospective cohort study, using data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow Up Study. Survival analyses were conducted using 301 selfreported cases of diabetes and eight documented diabetes deaths during an 8.

Intentional weight loss reduces mortality rate in a rodent model of dietary obesity.

Objective: We used a rodent model of dietary obesity to evaluate effects of caloric restriction-induced weight loss on mortality rate. Research Measures and Procedures: In a randomized parallel-groups design, 312 outbred Sprague-Dawley rats (one-half males) were assigned at age 10 weeks to one of three diets: low fat (LF; 18.7% calories as fat) with caloric intake adjusted to maintain body weight 10% below that for ad libitum (AL)-fed rat food, high fat (HF; 45% calories as fat) fed at the same level, or HF fed AL.

Neuronal deletion of Lepr elicits diabesity in mice without affecting cold tolerance or fertility.

Leptin signaling in the brain regulates energy intake and expenditure. To test the degree of functional neuronal leptin signaling required for the maintenance of body composition, fertility, and cold tolerance, transgenic mice expressing Cre in neurons (CaMKIIalpha-Cre) were crossed to mice carrying a floxed leptin receptor (Lepr) allele to generate mice with neuron-specific deletion of Lepr in approximately 50% (C F/F mice) and approximately 75% (C Delta17/F mice) of hypothalamic neurons. Leptin receptor (LEPR)-deficient mice (Delta17/Delta17) with heat-shock-Cre-mediated global Lepr deletion served as obese controls.

Acute insulin-induced elevations of circulating leptin and feeding inhibition in lean but not obese rats.

Insulin has been shown to stimulate leptin mRNA expression acutely in rat adipose tissue, but its short-term effects on circulating leptin levels, and subsequent feeding behavior, have not been well described. We used 11-mo-old female selectively bred obesity-resistant (OR) and obesity-prone (OP) Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on laboratory chow to investigate this question. At testing, body weights and basal leptin levels of the OP rats were significantly elevated compared with the OR rats.

Beta-cell secretory dysfunction in the pathogenesis of low birth weight-associated diabetes: a murine model.

Low birth weight (LBW) is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. We have developed a mouse model of LBW resulting from undernutrition during pregnancy. Restriction of maternal food intake from day 12.

DNA directed protein immobilization on mixed ssDNA/oligo(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers for sensitive biosensors.

A stable and versatile biosensor surface is prepared by site-directed immobilization of protein-DNA conjugates onto a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) composed of ssDNA thiols and oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) terminated thiols. The protein conjugates consist of an antibody chemically linked to a ssDNA target with a sequence complementary to the surface-bound ssDNA probes and are immobilized on the surface via sequence-specific hybridization. Compared to standard antibody immobilization techniques, this approach offers many advantages.

DNA-directed protein immobilization on mixed self-assembled monolayers via a streptavidin bridge.

The simultaneous detection of multiple analytes is an important consideration for the advancement of biosensor technology. Currently, few sensor systems possess the capability to accurately and precisely detect multiple antigens. This work presents a simple approach for the functionalization of sensor surfaces suitable for multichannel detection.

Improving energy expenditure estimation for physical activity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA) for estimation of energy expenditure during a variety of activities. An additional aim was to improve the accuracy of the estimation of energy expenditure of physical activity based on second-by-second information of type, onset, and duration of activity.

Methods: This study included two tests: a mask calorimetry test with 27 subjects [age = 33.

PROP taster status and oral fatty acid perception.

Recent studies with rat taste cells treated with polyunsaturated fatty acids suggest that fatty acids may play a role in dietary fat perception. In humans, sensitivity to the textural properties of fat is associated with the genetic ability to taste the bitter compound 6-N-2-propylthiouracil (PROP). However, it has not been shown that PROP tasters are more sensitive in discriminating fatty acids in a high-fat food.

Effect of variable carbohydrate intake on exercise performance in female endurance cyclists.

Unlabelled: This study measured the effect of variable carbohydrate intake on time to exhaustion, variations in heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in female endurance cyclists during an exercise trial. Subjects were 11 eumenorrheic women with maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) 60.1 +/- 5.

Seropositivity of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test in a dental school patient population: a retrospective study.

Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the seropositivity of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) in a dental school patient population.

Methods: Blood was drawn on 20,844 subjects registering for treatment at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. All subjects who are admitted to the dental school are submitted to RPR screening (Macro-Vue-RPR Card, Becton Dickinson), blood indices, and serum chemistries.