Consumption of Nuts and Seeds and Telomere Length in 5,582 Men and Women of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

OBJECTIVES: Consumption of nuts and seeds is associated favorably with all-cause mortality. Nuts and seeds could reduce disease and prolong life by influencing telomeres. Telomere length is a good indicator of the senescence of cells. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between nuts and seeds intake and leukocyte telomere length, a biomarker of biologic aging. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5,582 randomly selected men and women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2002, were studied. MEASUREMENTS: DNA was obtained via blood samples. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. A validated, multi-pass, 24-h recall dietary assessment, administered by NHANES, was employed to quantify consumption of nuts and seeds. RESULTS: Nuts and seeds intake was positively and linearly associated with telomere length. For each 1-percent of total energy derived from nuts and seeds, telomere length was 5 base pairs longer (F=8.6, P=0.0065). Given the age-related rate of telomere shortening was 15.4 base pairs per year (F=581.1, P<0.0001), adults of the same age had more than 1.5 years of reduced cell aging if they consumed 5% of their total energy from nuts and seeds. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of nuts and seeds accounts for meaningful decreases in biologic aging and cell senescence. The findings reinforce the recommendations of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which encourage the consumption of nuts and seeds as part of a healthy diet.

Effect of resistance training on body composition, self-efficacy, depression, and activity in postpartum women.

This study assessed the effect of resistance training (RT) in 60 healthy postpartum women. Participants were randomized to 18 weeks of RT or an active comparison group (flexibility training). RT and flexibility training (FT) exercises were completed twice-weekly based on the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations. Study outcomes included muscular strength, body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), exercise self-efficacy, depressive symptoms [Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)], and physical activity (accelerometery). For completers (n = 44), the RT group showed greater strength gains than the FT group, respectively (bench press: +36% vs +8%, P < 0.001; leg press: +31% vs +7%, P < 0.01; abdominal curl-ups: +228% vs +43%, P < 0.01); however, body composition changes were not different. There was a significant group × time interaction for exercise self-efficacy (F = 5.33, P = 0.026). For CES-D score, the RT group decreased (F = 4.61, P = 0.016), while the FT group did not; however, the group × time interaction in CES-D score was not significant (F = 1.33, P = 0.255). Sedentary time decreased (F = 5.27, P = 0.027) and light-intensity activity time increased (F = 5.55, P = 0.023) more in the RT than FT group. Intent-to-treat analyses did not alter the results. Twice-weekly RT increases strength and may be associated with better exercise self-efficacy and improved physical activity outcomes compared with FT in postpartum women.

Age, breed, sex distribution and nutrition of a population of working farm dogs in New Zealand: results of a cross-sectional study of members of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association.

AIM: To establish baseline information about age, breed, sex distribution and feeding practices for a population of working farm dogs owned by members of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association (NZSDTA) throughout New Zealand. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to members of the NZSDTA in August 2007, requesting information on the size and terrain of the farms where they worked, as well as the breed, weight, age and sex of each working dog they owned, feeding regime employed, diet fed, work levels, and general health of their dogs. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 542/676 (81%) of the eligible sample population, and provided information on 2,861 dogs, excluding those <1 year old. All of the dog owners surveyed worked on sheep and beef-cattle farms. The median farm size was 440 [Inter-quartile range (IQR) 132-1,200] ha and varied with region. The majority of farms were situated on either hill country (184/542; 34%) or a mixture of hilly and flat terrain (260/542; 48%), and had a median of six (IQR 5-8) working dogs per farm. The median age of dogs was 3.0 (IQR 2.0-6.0) years. Heading dogs were the most common type of working dog (1,510/2,861; 52.8%), followed by Huntaways (1,161/2,861; 40.6%). The gender distribution of all dogs was biased towards males (57%), but this decreased with age. There was a positive association between the number of dogs on a farm and perceived level of tiredness of dogs (p<0.001), but there were no differences in levels of tiredness between farms of different terrain. Most owners (526/542; 97%) fed their dogs once a day. The most common diet fed was a combination of dry food and homekill, which was fed by 328/542 (61%) owners during peak and 313/542 (58%) during off-peak periods of work. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study has established baseline information on the age, breed, gender and nutrition of a large population of working farm dogs in New Zealand. Current feeding practices employed by owners include offering a substantial amount of homekill to their animals. Homekill may be deficient or marginal in vitamins and minerals, therefore opportunities could exist to improve the diets and therefore the longevity and performance of these dogs.

Effect of gut active carbohydrates on plasma IgG concentrations in piglets and calves.

Improving immune status in neonates is crucial to health and production. Gut active carbohydrates (GAC) have been associated with increasing immunoglobin levels and immonucompetence development in mammals. The objective of the following studies was to evaluate whether GAC (mannan-oligosaccharides) applied orally to progeny immediately following parturition, improved blood plasma immunoglobulin (Ig) type G concentrations in piglets and calves. Three trials were conducted comparing control groups with those receiving GAC orally. The first two trials used piglets that were monitored for blood IgG at 2 days of age and for changes in body weight (BW), and the third trial monitored calf IgG from birth to 21 days of age. Piglets in the experimental group received 0.75 g GAC in 10 ml saline at birth and 24 h of age. The calf trial compared the control group against calves that received 22.5 g GAC mixed into 4.5 l of colostrum (to give 5 g/l) in the first 24 h after parturition. Blood serum samples were taken at 2 days post partum in piglets, and at several time points from 6 h to 21 days of age in calves, and were analysed for IgG levels by radial immunodiffusion. In the first piglet trial, significantly higher levels (32%) of IgG were observed for piglets fed GAC (P < 0.001), and in the second, IgG concentration was elevated by 23% (P < 0.01) and BW increased by 9% (P = 0.023) with GAC supplementation. Significant improvements for calves were recorded at all time points in those fed GAC (P < 0.05), with an increase in serum IgG observed after the first day, which was maintained throughout the sampling period, resulting in a difference of 39% at the end of the trial (21 d). These findings form a basis for further studies, which are required to investigate possible modes of action involved in enhancing blood immunoglobulin concentrations in young animals, and the longer-term effects this may have on the development of the immune response.

Inhibition of Aurora B kinase sensitizes a subset of human glioma cells to TRAIL concomitant with induction of TRAIL-R2.

Small-molecule inhibitors of the Aurora A and B kinases interfere with mitotic centrosome function and disrupt the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint resulting in polyploidization and apoptosis of proliferating cells. As such, several Aurora kinase inhibitors are at various stages of clinical development as anticancer agents. To identify candidate apoptosis-sensitizing genes that could be exploited in combination with Aurora kinase inhibitors in malignant glioma, we have carried out global gene expression analysis in a D54MG glioma cell derivative treated with three Aurora kinase inhibitors chosen for their distinctive selectivities: MLN8054 (Aurora A-selective), AZD1152 (Aurora B-selective), and VX-680 (Aurora A/B). The modulation of apoptotic gene expression by p53 under these conditions was ascertained, as p53 expression can be toggled on and off in this D54MG derivative by virtue of a stable, inducible, p53-targeting short hairpin RNA (D54MG(shp53)). This analysis identified the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) death receptor, TRAIL receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), as an apoptosis-sensitizing gene induced selectively following inhibition of Aurora B. In glioma cell lines where TRAIL-R2 was induced following polyploidization, the sensitivity, kinetics, and magnitude of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis were enhanced. Our data shed light on the apoptotic program induced during polyploidization and suggest that TRAIL-R2 activation is a putative point of therapeutic intervention in combination with inhibitors of Aurora B.

Ectopic expression of methionine aminopeptidase-2 causes cell transformation and stimulates proliferation.

Methionine aminopeptidase-2 (MetAP2) processes N-terminal methionine from nascent cellular proteins. Inhibition of MetAP2 has been shown to block angiogenesis and suppress tumor growth in preclinical tumor models. However, the biological role of MetAP2 in cancer is not well understood. We examined the effect of three distinct chemical classes of MetAP2 inhibitors on the growth of a panel of human cancer cells in vitro. All MetAP2 inhibitors caused inhibition of tumor cell growth in both anchorage-dependent and, particularly, in anchorage-independent manner. These data prompted us to examine the possible roles of MetAP2 in cancers. Ectopic expression of MetAP2 in NIH-3T3 cells caused transformation, evidenced by the formation of foci in monolayer culture and growth of large colonies in soft agar. Overexpression of MetAP2 in an immortalized bronchial epithelial cell line NL20 accelerated growth. These phenotypes induced by the overexpression of MetAP2 were reversed by the treatment with MetAP2 inhibitors, indicating that the catalytic function of MetAP2 was essential. Accordingly, overexpression of a catalytically inactive MetAP2 resulted in growth retardation of HT1080 tumor cells, suggesting a dominant-negative role of the inactive MetAP2 mutant. Finally, we analysed the expression of MetAP2 in patient cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Moderate-to-high staining was identified in the majority of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate carcinomas examined. These data suggest that MetAP2 plays an important role in tumor cell growth and may contribute to tumorigenesis.

Using simple measures to estimate body fat percentage in college men.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prediction equation to estimate the body fat percentage of young men using simple measurements. METHODS: Subjects were 150 males, age 18 to 26 years. Self-reported lifestyle variables and measured circumferences were used to predict body fat percentage, assessed using hydrostatic weighing. RESULTS: The final model included 7 variables. The equation had a SEE of 2.66% and a PRESS SEE of 2.82%, and accounted for 80% of the variance in the criterion, body fat percentage. CONCLUSIONS: The regression equation developed in this study accurately estimates body fat percentage in young men by using simple, inexpensive measures.

Recording and analyzing high-density event-related potentials with infants. Using the Geodesic sensor net.

This article provides an overview of the use of the Geodesic sensor net system for high-density event-related potential (ERP) recording in infants. Some advantages and disadvantages of the system, as applied to infants, are discussed. First, we illustrate that high-density data can be recorded from infants at comparable quality to that observed with conventional (low density) ERP methods. Second, we discuss ways to utilize the greater spatial information available by applying source separation and localization procedures. In particular, we focus on the application of one recent source separation method, Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Finally, we show that source localization can be applied to infant high-density data, although this entails adopting a number of assumptions that remain to be verified. In the future, with improved source separation algorithms, we suggest that single-trial or single-subject analyses may become feasible.

Cortical development and saccade planning: the ontogeny of the spike potential.

The spike potential is a sharply timed positivity which precedes eye movements in adults, and is thought to indicate cortical planning of saccades. While the spike potential is observed under most conditions in adults, it has not been reported in young infants. In the present study we shed light on the ontogeny of the spike potential by demonstrating for the first time its existence in a group of older infants (12 months). This result is consistent with a relatively delayed onset of cortical control over saccades during development.

Neural correlates of saccade planning in infants: a high-density ERP study.

Neural correlates of saccade planning in 6-month-old infants were investigated by high-density event-related potentials. Subjects made saccades to a target stimulus following a time gap from fixation stimulus offset (gap trials) or with the fixation stimulus still present (overlap trials). Like adults, infants were slower to make a saccade to the target when the fixation stimulus was still present. Strikingly, infants did not show clear evidence of the pre-saccadic components observed in adults which are thought to reflect cortical saccade planning processes. They did, however, show a left frontal positivity, which we suggest reflects cortical disinhibition of the colliculus initiated by fixation stimulus offset, and clear post-saccadic lambda waves. These results indicate that the frontal cortex already plays a role in action control by 6 months of age, while other aspects of cortical action planning may not yet be present in certain task situations.

A prediction equation for estimating body fat percentage using readily accessible measures: a multivariate study of 200 adult women.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop a regression equation that accurately estimates body fat percentage using relatively easy and inexpensive methods that do not require women to remove clothing. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was employed. SETTING: All data were collected at the University. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 200 white women ages 20 to 65 years. The sample was equally distributed across four age groups, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-65, and within each age group, one-third of the women were lean, one-third were of average weight, and one-third were obese. MEASURES: Subjects were hydrostatically weighed and participated in a variety of anthropometric and lifestyle assessments, including skinfolds, circumferences, and questionnaire responses. RESULTS: The full regression model included six measures: hip circumference, triceps skinfold (observed and quadratic), age (quadratic), self-reported physical activity, and calf skinfold (quadratic). This equation accounted for 81% of the variance in body weight measured by hydrostatic weighing (SEE = 3.5%). A simpler, five-variable equation was also formed that did not include the calf skinfold assessment (R2 = .800, SEE = 3.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The prediction equations in this study afford accurate and relatively easy and inexpensive means of estimating body fat percentage in a wide range of white women without having them remove their clothing.

Obesity and absenteeism: an epidemiologic study of 10,825 employed adults.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the extent of the relationship between obesity and absenteeism due to illness. A secondary objective was to ascertain the extent to which age, gender, family income, length of workweek, and cigarette smoking influenced the obesity-absenteeism association. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used. Data regarding obesity, absenteeism, and the potential confounding factors were collected during the same time period. SETTING: Data were collected within workplaces throughout the U.S., and at the headquarters of Health Advancement Services, Inc. (HAS). SUBJECTS: Subjects were 10,825 employed men and women who participated in an ongoing wellness screening program administered by HAS. MEASURES: The three-site skinfold technique was used to estimate body fat percentage. Absenteeism due to illness and the potential confounding variables were assessed using a structured paper-pencil questionnaire. RESULTS: Without controlling for any potential confounders, obese employees were more than twice as likely to experience high-level absenteeism (seven or more absences due to illness during the past 6 months), and 1.49 times more likely to suffer from moderate absenteeism (three to six absences due to illness during the last 6 months) than were lean employees. With all of the potential confounders controlled simultaneously, obese employees were 1.74 and 1.61 times more likely to experience high and moderate levels of absenteeism, respectively, than were lean individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Obese employees tend to be absent from work due to illness substantially more than their counterparts.

The effects of a single bout of strength training on ambulatory blood pressure levels in 24 mildly hypertensive men.

Twenty-four mildly hypertensive sedentary men were randomly assigned to one or two control conditions of health education or a treatment of a single bout of strength training. The men were rotated through the conditions until each man had participated in the treatment and both control conditions. Blood pressure was measured every 15 minutes for the 24-hour period following participation in each condition using an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system. Compared to the control conditions, systolic blood pressure and blood pressure load were reduced for at least 1 hour after exercise, and diastolic blood pressure and blood pressure load were reduced for at least 3 minutes and 1 hour, respectively, after exercise.

Body fat percentage of children varies according to their diet composition.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the association between diet composition and body fat percentage in 9- and 10-year-old children. Also, to examine the influence of gender, total energy intake, fitness, physical activity, and parental body mass on the relationship between diet composition and adiposity. DESIGN: Diet composition was assessed using the National Cancer Institute food frequency questionnaire, and adiposity was measured using the average of results determined using two skinfold equations. Fitness levels and physical activity were ascertained using the 1-mile run/walk test and a self-report 15-item scale, respectively. SUBJECTS: A sample of 262 children (162 boys and 100 girls, mean age = 9.8 +/- 0.5 years) participated. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which diet composition contributed to adiposity without statistical control for any potentially confounding variables. Partial correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between macronutrient intake and adiposity after potential confounders (gender, total energy intake, physical fitness, and parental body mass) were controlled statistically. RESULTS: Energy intake was positively related to adiposity. Fat intake, calculated as a percentage of total energy, was also positively related to adiposity, before and after control for potential confounding variables. Percentage of energy derived from carbohydrate was inversely related to adiposity, before and after controlling for potential confounders. APPLICATIONS: These findings indicate that the macronutrient intake of children, particularly dietary fat and carbohydrate intake, may play a role in adiposity, independent of the influence of total energy intake, gender, physical fitness, and parental body mass index.

Attention and oculomotor control: a high-density ERP study of the gap effect.

In a gap paradigm, healthy adult subjects performed visually triggered saccades to peripheral targets either with the fixation stimulus remaining on (overlap trials) or going off before target onset (gap trials). All subjects showed faster reaction times in the gap trials (the gap effect). High density scalp event-related potentials were recorded time-locked to both the target stimuli and the eye movement onset. We observed three neural correlates of the gap effect: (i) a prefrontal positivity that precedes the target presentation which may reflect specific preparatory processes, (ii) an enhancement of the early cortical visual responses (PI) to the peripheral target in the gap trials, and (iii) a prolongation of parietal activity in the overlap trials relative to the gap trials prior to the saccade execution. These results suggest that several factors contribute to the gap effect, each having its own neural basis.

The development and temporal dynamics of spatial orienting in infants.

Shifts of visual attention can be studied in adults by cueing a particular spatial location and assessing the speed of detection of targets presented in the cued location as compared to other locations. A number of studies have used spatial cueing paradigms in an attempt to study attention shifts in infants. However, these studies have employed different procedures, time courses, measures, and age groups, making comparison between them difficult. The present experiments were designed to investigate the effects of varying the cue-target time interval on the speed and direction of orienting in 2-, 4-, and 6-month-old infants. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that, while 2-month-old infants showed only weak effects of the cue, 4-month-old infants show facilitation to a cued location when a target appears 200 ms after cue onset, and inhibition of responses to the same location when the target appears 700 ms after the cue onset. Six-month-old infants showed evidence of inhibition, but not facilitation. One account of this pattern of data is that 6-month-olds shift attention faster than do 4-month-olds. This hypothesis was tested in Experiment 2 in which four different cue-target intervals were used with a group of 7-month-old infants. The results obtained were consistent with the hypothesis that infants get faster to shift attention to a spatial location with age.

Diet composition related to body fat in a multivariate study of 203 men.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether usual diet (especially intake of dietary fat, carbohydrate, and fiber) was related to body fat percentage in healthy men. DESIGN: A written questionnaire provided data on demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Dietary fat, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber intakes were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute food frequency questionnaire. Percentage of body fat was determined using three-site skinfold measurements, and a submaximal treadmill test was used to estimate aerobic fitness. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 203 healthy men (14.0 +/- 5.3% mean body fat) aged 21 to 71 years. The subjects were chosen from randomly selected districts within Utah County and volunteered for free diet and fitness evaluations. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Multiple regression analysis determined the extent to which the individual diet components predicted body composition before and after controlling for energy intake, fitness level, body weight, and age. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare relative body fat groups in regard to dietary variables. RESULTS: Reported intakes of carbohydrate (P = .0085, R2 = .022), complex carbohydrate (P = .0127, R2 = .024), and fiber (P = .002, R2 = .03) were inversely associated with body fat after controlling for age, energy intake, and fitness level. Energy intake was positively related to body fat after controlling for age, fitness level, and body weight. When subjects were separated into low-, moderate-, and high-body-fat groups, the fattest subjects reported eating significantly more dietary fat (P = .05) and less carbohydrate (P = .01), complex carbohydrate (P = .01), and fiber (P = .005) than the leanest subjects. No significant difference in reported energy intake was noted across body fat groups. APPLICATIONS: Composition of the diet may play a role in obesity beyond energy intake in men over the long-term. Lifestyle changes for men should probably include modifications in diet composition, especially increased consumption of foods high in complex carbohydrate and fiber.

Strength training and hypercholesterolemia: an epidemiologic study of 8499 employed men.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the relation between the quantity of strength training and hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > or = 240 mg/dl) in men. A secondary objective was to ascertain the effects of age, smoking, alcohol use, body mass, and participation in physical activities other than strength training on the association between strength training and hypercholesterolemia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional research design was used. SETTING: Data were collected at the worksites of subjects throughout the United States. SUBJECTS: The participants were 8499 male employees of more than 50 companies. MEASURES: Blood was drawn while the subjects were in a fasting state, and a questionnaire was used to collect the demographic and lifestyle information, including the data about strength training. The subjects were divided into five groups according to their self-reported duration and frequency (i.e., quantity) of participation in strength training. RESULTS: Subjects who reported regular involvement in strength training had a reduced risk of hypercholesterolemia. However, after controlling for all the potential confounders, only the high-quantity lifters, those who completed 4 to 7 hours of strength training each week, maintained a reduced risk of hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality strength training is strongly associated with a reduced risk of hypercholesterolemia, even after controlling for numerous, potentially confounding factors (odds ratio = .46; 95% confidence interval = .23 to .91).

Television viewing and muscular fitness of children.

The findings of this study indicate there is no significant relationship between time spent watching TV and measured muscular fitness (pullups, pushups, and situps) in 262 9- and 10-yr.-old boys and girls. Apparently, frequent TV viewing is not detrimental to the muscular fitness of children this age.

Comparison of the CardioGlide, CrossWalk, and treadmill walking in development of cardiovascular endurance, dynamic strength, and flexibility in middle-aged men and women.

The purpose of this study was to estimate association of exercise on the CardioGlide, CrossWalk, or treadmill with changes in cardiovascular endurance, dynamic strength, and flexibility and to ascertain if there was any advantage of training with one type of equipment compared to the others. 67 sedentary men and women participated. Fitness components were assessed at baseline and following the intervention. Subjects trained three days per week increasing exercise duration and intensity to 30 minutes at 80% of age-predicted maximum heart rate. Analysis showed that training was associated with significant improvements in all of the measured components of fitness; however, there was no advantage to using one exercise machine over the others.