At diagnosis, 75% are non-invasive bladder cancer The invasive b

At diagnosis, 75% are non-invasive bladder cancer. The invasive bladder cancers may spread outside the bladder and affect other organs. Bladder cancer’s staging, treatment and prognosis depend on how deeply it has invaded urinary bladder [3]. Fortunately, about 80% of patients with non-muscle invasive disease can be successfully treated using the surgery.

Historically, two-thirds of patients have tumour recurrence within 5 years. High-grade tumours have a significantly worse prognosis. Both high-grade T1 tumours and carcinoma in situ have the potential to progress and even metastasize [4]. Patients with invasive bladder cancer require a radical cystectomy. Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite a number of randomised controlled trials. So far see more https://www.selleckchem.com/products/nct-501.html there are no data to confirm what is the best combination of treatments (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant with or without radiotherapy) to treat invasive bladder cancer [5]. The modest results with currently drugs, suggest the urgent need to identify new agents [6]. Sirolimus

is a macrocyclic lactone that was first discovered as a product of the soil bacteria Streptomyces hygroscopicus. It was originally used as an immunosuppressant drug to help prevent rejection in organ transplantation, particularly in kidney transplant operations, but the authors of a number Clomifene of recent reports have indicated that it may have other potential biological effects as an anti-cancer medicine [7, 8]. Both the immunosuppressive and anti-cancer properties of sirolimus are due to the inhibition of the mammalian target of the sirolimus (mTOR) signalling pathway, which controls mRNA translation

and induces angiogenesis and cell proliferation. Angiogenesis and a high proliferative index correspond to a poor prognosis for urothelial bladder cancer patients [9, 10]. Sirolimus forms a complex with the immunophilin prolyl isomerase FK binding protein complex (FKBP-12) that binds with high affinity to mTOR [11, 12]. This interaction inhibits mTOR kinase activity and subsequently decreases the phosphorylation of 4E binding protein-1 and the inhibition of the 40S ribosomal protein p70 S6 kinase [13–15]. Sirolimus’s antineoplasic effects have been related to its capacity to inhibit the translation machinery involved in the regulation of G1- to S-phase transition in cell cycle [16, 17]. Cell growth and proliferation in numerous cancer types are often regulated by the mammalian target of sirolimus (mTOR) pathway through p7056 kinase, ribosomal S6 protein, and eukaryotic initiation factor 4 E-binding protein 1 [18]. Recently there has been an enormous increase in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying sirolimus’s therapeutic anti-cancer properties. Alterations in the pathway regulating mTOR occur in many solid malignancies including bladder cancer.

Enteritidis PT4 P125109 [27] which encodes two type I restriction

Enteritidis PT4 P125109 [27] which encodes two type I restriction/modification systems. All of these genes were not detected in the Kenyan S. Enteritidis isolate AF3176 and partially detected in isolate 47/03, which lacks one of the restriction enzyme subunits. In addition to variation in genes found in large clusters in S. Enteritidis PT4 P125109 there was also variation in genes found as https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jq1.html singletons (summarised in Tables 3 and 4). Of note is the absence of the gene ratB in

S. Enteritidis isolate 32/00. This gene is located within the CS54 genomic island in S. Typhimurium, a region that is important for intestinal persistence in a mouse model [47]. In S. Enteritidis PT4 P125109, the genomic island is maintained but ratB is a pseudogene, as it is in the sequenced strains of the host-adapted serovars S. Typhi and S. Gallinarum. Variation in plasmid-encoded genes Besides chromosomal genes, the microarray incorporated genes found on Salmonella virulence plasmids from serovars Enteritidis, Gallinarum, Typhimurium and plasmids, pHCM1 and pHCM2, from the multi-drug resistant S. Typhi strain CT18. Five Uruguayan isolates, 2 from food (206/99

and 32/02) and 3 from human disease (130/99, 199/02 and 214/02), lack the characteristic S. Enteritidis virulence plasmid. This was confirmed by attempts to purify the plasmid (Table 2). Two other Uruguayan isolates, 92/05 and 132/99, exhibited divergence in more than 30 genes and isolates 57/94 and 49/98 diverged in 15 genes found within the plasmid of S. Enteritidis PT4 GSK2245840 in vitro P125109 (see Table 2 and Figure 2). Included in the genes predicted as absent or divergent are the spv genes, the pef fimbrial operon as well as repA (DNA replication) and rsdB (resolvase). Of note, isolates from 92/05 and 132/99 also lack the few tra genes remaining in S. Enteritidis PT4 P125109. Figure 2 Graphical representation of the 57 genes from the Salmonella virulence plasmid as found in isolates that showed differences in plasmid content by CGH. In blue, genes present in the S. Enteritidis PT4 P125109 virulence

plasmid and predicted as absent in the test strain. In white, genes present in both reference and test strains. Despite the high degree of variability seen in these plasmids all had similar molecular weights when compared to that in S. Enteritidis PT4 P125109 (data not shown), suggesting potential divergence in gene sequence or acquisition of novel genes. However none of the isolates with high variation in plasmid gene content showed a positive signal for non-S. Enteritidis plasmid features included in the array, suggesting that they may harbour sequence divergence or novel sequences. In fact the only isolate showing a positive signal for non-S. Enteritidis plasmid features was the Kenyan S. Enteritidis isolate AF3353 which harbours the complete S.

These genotype frequencies were very similar to frequencies repor

These genotype frequencies were very similar to frequencies reported in a previous study by Kuwai et al. [28]. Kuwai and colleagues reported a CT polymorphism in 11%, but an absence of TT in the Japanese population. Moreover, despite the association of HIF1A polymorphisms with HIF-1a expression, there was no association

of polymorphisms with the expression of the down-stream proteins encoded by SLC2A1 and VEGFA [8]. VEGFA is the major mediator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. PI3K Inhibitor Library cell assay Transcription of VEGFA under hypoxic conditions depends on HIF-1a induction. Although FDG-uptake has been correlated significantly with VEGFA expression in patients with NSCLC [18], we did not observe an effect of the VEGFA+936C>T polymorphism on FDG-uptake. An association between the VEGFA+936C>T polymorphism and FDG-uptake has been rarely reported for patients with NSCLC. Wolf et al. [11] reported that the VEGFA+936C>T polymorphism is associated with FDG-uptake in breast cancer patients. The FDG-uptake data in the study by Wolf et al. [11] was expressed as categorical data (low, medium, and high uptake) and not as a SUVmax, as in the

present study; thus, we cannot directly compare the values of SUVmax obtained in the present study. Another possible explanation was a difference in the study population. The population in the study by Wolf et al. [11] was breast cancer patients, while the study population in the present study was lung cancer patients. Recently, several functional SNPs of VEFGA have been identified HDAC inhibitor that are associated with survival in patients with early stage NSCLC [29, 30]. Well-documented functional SNPs, such as VEGFA +405G>C and -460T>C, should be evaluated to identify the association between VEGFA gene polymorphisms and FDG-uptake. There were several limitations to this study. We did not evaluate the association

between hypoxia-related gene polymorphisms and FDG-uptake in patients with early stage NSCLC. Although the SLC2A1 -2841A>T polymorphism in combination with the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism was associated with FDG uptake in this study, this result was based on a statistical comparison rather than a functional study. Adenosine Another limitation was the potential effect of unknown SNPs of hypoxia-related genes on FDG-uptake, as we only analyzed documented-functional SNPs. Thus, additional investigations of polymorphisms in entire hypoxia-induced pathway on FDG-uptake are needed. In summary, the SLC2A1 -2841A>T polymorphism was associated with FDG-uptake in combination with the APEX1 TT genotype in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Our findings suggest that a newly developed tracer for PET could be affected by genetic polymorphisms. However, further studies are required to validate these results.

O116 Perivascular Expression of CXCL9 and CXCL12 in Primary Centr

O116 Perivascular Expression of CXCL9 and CXCL12 in Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Chemokine Synergism Controls Cell Infiltration buy ICG-001 and Positioning Daniel Venetz1, Maurilio Ponzoni2, Milena Schiraldi1, Andres J.M. Ferreri2, Francesco Bertoni3, Claudio Doglioni4, Mariagrazia Uguccioni 1 1 Unit of Chemokines and Inflammation, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland, 2 Unit of Lymphoid Malignacies, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, 3 Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland, 4 Institute of Pathology, University Vita Salute san Raffaele, Milan, Italy Primary central nervous system lymphomas

(PCNSL) are aggressive malignancies confined to the CNS, mostly of diffuse large B cell histotype. Despite improved www.selleckchem.com/products/Tipifarnib(R115777).html understanding of the malignant B cell phenotype, little is known on the tumour microenvironment and the response of the adaptive immunity against PCNSL. We investigated the phenotype of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the expression of chemokines in 22 cases of PCNSL from immunocompetent patients. CD8+ T cells are selectively recruited to the tumour mass and represent the majority of TILs. They tend to accumulate in perivascular areas, are Granzyme B+, and vigorously proliferate in situ. Their localization and density correlates with the expression of the inflammatory chemokine CXCL9 in

the perivascular microenvironment. In addition to CXCL9, CXCL12 is coexpressed on the tumour vasculature and forms heterocomplexes with CXCL9, which enhance migration of CXCR4+ malignant B cells. These findings indicate the presence of a strong chemoattractant stimulus in the perivascular microenvironment which serves as an important regulator for the recruitment of

adaptive immune effectors and for the angiocentric positioning of malignant B cells in the perivascular cuff. O117 A Molecular Signature of Melanoma Brain Metastasis: Development and Characterization of a Novel Human Melanoma Mouse Model Sivan Izraely 1 , Orit Sagi-Assif1, Anat Klein1, Tsipi Meshel1, Ilana Yron 1, Galia Tsarfaty2, Dave S.B. Hoon3, below Isaac P. Witz1 1 Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 2 Department of Diagnostic & Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, 3 Department of Mulecular Oncoloy, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA Brain metastasis confers upon melanoma patients an extremely bad prognosis. The mechanisms underlying homing to and survival of metastatic melanoma cells in the brain are unknown. Our working hypothesis is that interactions of melanoma cells with microenvironmental factors of the brain regulate site specific metastasis to this organ. Our main objective is to identify key molecules associated with melanoma brain metastasis that could serve as therapeutic targets.

For example VgrG-1, which is a component of the Vibrio cholerae T

For example VgrG-1, which is a component of the Vibrio cholerae T6SS, contains a C-terminal domain that can enter macrophages where it cross-links actin [38]. Overall however, the GF120918 concentration identities and functions of T6SS effectors are still poorly understood. Type VII secretion system Although Gram-positive bacteria have only a single membrane, some species, most notably the mycobacteria, have a cell wall that is heavily modified by lipids, called a mycomembrane. As a result, the genomes of these species encode a family of specialized secretion systems collectively called type VII section

systems (T7SS) (reviewed in [39]). The presence of the T7SS was initially predicted bioinformatically based on clustering of genes encoding secreted proteins that lacked signal sequences with those encoding membrane proteins, ATPases and/or chaperones. Sequencing of the BIBF 1120 cell line Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine strain, and mutational analysis of the ESX-1 cluster in M. tuberculosis confirmed

the hypothesis. ESX-1 is also required for virulence and hemolysis in the fish pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, and for conjugation in the non-pathogenic species Mycobacterium smegmatis [39]. Mycobacterial genomes contain up to five T7SS gene clusters that do not functionally complement one another. T7SS gene clusters are also found in the closely related pathogens Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Nocardia [39]. More distantly related gene clusters are also found in the genomes of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Gram-positive species that lack mycomembranes such as Streptomyces species and firmicutes such as Bacillus and Clostridium spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Listeria monocytogenes. The T7SS is required for virulence in Staphylococcus aureus but not in Listeria monocytogenes [39]. The structure and operation of the T7SS are still being pieced together. Current models [39] suggest an inner membrane translocation channel formed by the integral membrane protein Rv3877, and a separate channel in the mycomembrane

composed of as yet unknown protein(s). Chaperone-like tetracosactide ATPases anchored to the inner membrane bind the C-termini of effectors, which are invariably secreted as heterodimers. How the Gene Ontology addresses secretion systems In this section we review the GO terms that were specifically created by the PAMGO project for secretion systems. Many of the functions and processes of proteins related to secretion systems (for example effectors) can be described with GO terms from other parts of the GO hierarchy; those are not covered here in detail. We also note that many additional terms are still needed in this area, especially for secretion systems that are not central to bacteria-host interactions and which therefore have received less attention from the PAMGO consortium.

For example, dissection of the subcutaneous tissue down to the pr

For example, dissection of the subcutaneous tissue down to the pre-tracheal fascia prior to tracheal puncture, palpation of the trachea through the incision during endotracheal tube positioning and tracheal puncture, verification of free mobility of the guidewire throughout the procedure, and capnography assessed at the puncture site [12, 18, 37–39, 41–44]. Additionally, ultrasound has become an increasingly used adjunct to percutaneous HSP inhibitor tracheostomy when bronchoscopy is not available, particularly in obese patients. Several studies have shown that sonography is helpful

to delineate the anatomy of the neck prior to the procedure; particularly the thyroid gland, pre-tracheal vascular structures, the thyroid and cricoid cartilages, and the first three tracheal rings [18, 24, 45–48]. Real-time ultrasound guidance makes it possible to follow the needle path during tracheal puncture, and the final position of the tracheostomy tube [46, 49–51]. Because of GSK1904529A concentration unavailability

of bronchoscopy in our institution, real time ultrasound was the main adjunct to the percutaneous tracheostomy technique described in this study. There are several limitations to this study. There is the possibility that the low complication rate with our technique could be linked to the favorable anatomic features of our patients, defined by a mean thyromental distance > 6 cm and a mean BMI of 25.6. Previous studies have shown that a short thyromental distance and a high BMI are useful predictors of difficult intubation and a challenging

surgical airway [52–55]. Another point is the coagulation parameters of our patients. There is the possibility that the low incidence of bleeding complications with the technique would not have been obtained if patients with abnormal coagulation parameters were included in the study. Unfortunately we did not assess the patients for other risk factors, such as, pre-procedure positive end expiratory pressure > 10 cm H2O or fraction of inspired oxygen > 50% [4]. Even though, the follow-up period in the study was sufficiently long for the determination of acute complications, it did not extend long enough Urease for detection of long term complications, such as post-procedure tracheal stricture, associated with our method. That limitation is corroborated by previous reports that show late symptoms related to percutaneous tracheostomies in up to 20% of the patients followed for 39 months [4, 20, 46, 56]. Furthermore, only 10 patients in our study underwent bronchoscopic guided percutaneous tracheostomy, thus significantly limiting our capability to determine complications and the shortcomings of the technique. Even though the technique can be performed without bronchoscopic guidance, it should be used whenever available, particularly during the learning curve which is of approximately 20 patients for percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy [57].

(B): Inflammatory cells observed in alveolar spaces (arrowheads)

(B): Inflammatory cells observed in alveolar spaces (arrowheads). (C, E): Inflammatory infiltrates containing fragmented neutrophils (suppuration, white stars). (D, F): In the inflammatory infiltrates (black star) only non-germinated conidia (arrowheads) were observed. A, B, C, E: HE staining; D, F: GMS staining. Eight days post-infection, the lungs of euthanized mice displayed inflammatory lesions https://www.selleckchem.com/products/gm6001.html (Figure

5A) characterised by multifocal hemorrhages and peri-vascular/bronchiolar lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltration (Figure 5B, C). Very few non-germinated conidia were detected in the cytoplasm of macrophages located in alveolar spaces (Figure 5D, E). At this stage, morphometric analysis revealed that the total surface of the inflammatory cell infiltrates was 2.9 ± 1.7% of the total lung parenchymal surface on the histologic sections, in comparison to 1.8 ± 1.0% at day one after infection (Table 1). These data indicate that, at early post-infection time points, neutrophils have supplanted AM as a first line of host defense, leading to the destruction and inactivation of conidia prior to germination check details and hyphae formation. The observed absence of fungal

hyphae under these conditions correlated with the inability to detect an increase of the bioluminescence signal. Figure 5 Eight days post-inoculation, hyphal growth was not observed in clodrolip treated mice. (A): At low magnification, very few lesions (hemorrhages and small inflammatory infiltrates) were observed (arrowheads). (B, C): Inflammatory infiltrates were characterised

by perivascular and peribronchiolar accumulation of lymphocytes and plasma cells. (D, E): A small number of non-germinated conidia, located in the cytoplasm of alveolar macrophages were observed. A, B, C: HE staining; D, E: GMS staining. Table 1 Comparison between the lesion profiles in the different immunosuppressive conditions.     Lesions Recruted Inflammatory Cells Fungi     Proportion of inflammatory infiltrate surface Major Localisation Necrosis Baf-A1 manufacturer Neutrophiles Macrophages Conidia Hyphae Chlodrolip Early 1 day PI 1.8 ± 1.0% Random distribution – ++ +/- ++ –   Late 8 days PI 2.9 ± 1.7% Perivascular Peribronchiolar – - + + – Cortisone Acetate                 Early 1 day PI 3.8 ± 2.0% Alveoli ++ ++ +/- ++ +/-   Late 3 days PI 11.2 ± 1.9% Bronchi Bronchioles +++ +++ ++ ++ +++ RB6-8C5                 Early 1 day PI 1.9 ± 0.5% Random distribution +/- – +/- + –   Late 3 days PI 18.9 ± 2.8% Bronchi Bronchioles +++ – +++ ++ +++ Cyclophosphamide                 Early 1 day PI No infiltrate Bronchioles +/- +/- – +/- –   Late 3 days PI No infiltrate All structures ++++ – - + ++++ A group of five mice was studied at each time point, for each condition. The lesions were very similar between the different animals in a same group (PI: post-infection).

However, recently several large human outbreaks of S suis have b

However, recently several large human outbreaks of S. suis have been described in China [3, 4], and Thailand

[5], whilst S. suis meningitis has become endemic in Vietnam [6, 7], suggesting that isolates that are more virulent to humans have emerged. The S. suis population is very heterogeneous as different serotypes, phenotypes, and genotypes are found. To date 33 capsular serotypes have been described for S. suis [2, 8] of which serotypes 1, 2, 7, 9, and 14 are most frequently isolated from diseased pigs in Europe [9]. In Northern America, besides these serotypes, serotypes 3 and 8 are frequently ABT-263 isolated from diseased animals [10, 11]. On European farms, it was shown that up to 81% of healthy animals carried one or more serotypes simultaneously and different genotypes of the same serotype could be isolated at one timepoint from the same animal [12]. Different phenotypes of serotype 2 were described that differ in their virulence; strains can be differentiated by protein expression of virulence markers muramidase released protein (MRP), extracellular factor (EF) and suilysin (SLY)

[13, 14]. Besides variation in protein expression observed among S. suis AZD2014 price strains, large heterogeneity also exists in gene composition [10, 15–17]. Recently, the genome sequence of S. suis serotype 2 strain P1/7 became available [7] enabling whole genome typing techniques for S. suis. In the present study, we performed oligonucleotide-based comparative genome

hybridization (CGH) using the genome sequence of strain P1/7 to evaluate gene conservation and diversity among S. suis strains. Fifty-five well characterized S. suis strains of various serotypes were analyzed in this CGH study. Results from CGH were clustered, and correlated with MLST data, Benzatropine serotyping results, and virulence of strains. We showed that groups of S. suis isolates can be identified by their own unique profile of putative virulence genes and regions of difference. Besides, a core genome for S. suis was defined. Methods Bacterial strains and growth conditions Bacterial isolates are described in Table 1. S. suis strains were grown on Columbia agar blood base plates (Oxoid Ltd., London, United Kingdom) containing 6% (vol/vol) horse blood. Cultures were grown in Todd-Hewitt broth (Oxoid). Escherichia coli was grown in Luria Broth (Oxoid) and plated on Luria Broth Agar (Oxoid). S. suis isolates used in this study were serotyped using the slide-agglutination test [18] before they were used in the study (Table 1). Expression of three virulence markers, MRP, EF, and SLY [19, 20] was confirmed for all isolates by Western blot analysis [9] using monoclonal antibodies against MRP, EF [21], or SLY [22] (Table 1). Table 1 Characteristics of bacterial strains used in this study.

In addition, they have been shown to reduce the risk of death, re

In addition, they have been shown to reduce the risk of death, recurrent myocardial infarction and thromboembolic events such as stroke [2]. Despite their benefits and widespread use, many challenges are faced when using warfarin. These include variable inter-patient

warfarin dose response due to age, co-morbidities, liver function, albumin level, genetic polymorphism in enzymes, and numerous drug-drug/drug-diet interactions [1, 3–5]. Consequently, close monitoring using the international normalized ratio (INR) and patient specific dosing must be applied when utilizing warfarin [5]. Because https://www.selleckchem.com/products/AC-220.html of its pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile, warfarin is prone to having drug-drug interactions affecting the intensity of monitoring and clinical efficacy. Warfarin is a racemic mixture of both R and S enantiomers. The enantiomers differ in that R-warfarin is less potent and has a longer half-life when compared to S-warfarin. In addition, R-warfarin is metabolized by the enzymes cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 and CYP 3A4, whereas BIX 1294 molecular weight S-warfarin is metabolized by CYP 2C9 [6]. It is noted that rifampicin is a potent and nonspecific inducer of the hepatic CYP450 oxidative enzyme system. Although it is recognized that

rifampicin causes marked enzyme induction of CYP 3A4, it is still considered to have an enhanced effect on the metabolism of both enantiomers [7]. Importantly, the accelerated clearance can lead to compromised efficacy and reduced anticoagulant effects of warfarin [8]. The clinically significant alterations in the INR can create the need for more intense monitoring and large warfarin dose adjustments. Currently, only seven case reports have been published describing the interaction between warfarin and rifampicin, all of which come from the developed world where tuberculosis (TB) rates are much lower [5, 9–14]. Due to its efficacy and relative affordability, rifampicin is part of the first line regimen for treatment of TB [15]. With an increased prevalence of TB Resveratrol in developing countries, it is likely that there is increased use of rifampicin,

and thus, more concern for the potential drug–drug interactions with warfarin in these settings. According to a study carried out on the global burden of TB, 10 of the 22 countries with the highest incidence rates per capita of TB are in Africa. In the same report, Kenya is ranked 15th in the list of 22 high-burden TB countries, with an incidence of 288 per 100,000 population [16]. The Kenya National Leprosy and TB Treatment Guidelines (2009) recommend the use of rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide as first line therapy for 2 months, followed by 4 months of rifampicin and isoniazid. In Kenya, all TB medications in the standard medication regimen are provided for free by the ministry of health in the form of fixed dose combinations.

For 10 days, only during lunch time (50-60 minutes), players were

For 10 days, only during lunch time (50-60 minutes), players were under an obligation to eat as much food as they could (mainly carbohydrates,

in addition to a lunch box (500-600cal). A questionnaire was administered to high school baseball players (n=43) and their guardians (n=43) to explore how they perceived the amount of food, the change of their food intake and weight (e.g., height 172.37cm, weight 66.75kg on average) and what they thought of GS-9973 the program overall. Results Almost 82% of players reported that the amount of food intake was too much. Regarding the change of weight after the food program, 63% of players (increased 1900g on average, according to players’ self-report) and 53% of guardians reported ‘changed successfully’. Regarding the amount

of food intake after the program, 62% of find more players and 55% of guardians reported ‘increased’. Guardians commented that players realized what amount of food they should intake (43%). Some guardians also explained that enjoying food was not something they paid attention to (13%). Conclusion The majority of players were interested in increasing their weight. Guardians found that it was often difficult to find time to provide this kind of opportunity. Therefore, most players and guardians commented about the program positively. However, there were many considerations related to this intervention such as needing to pay more attention to body fat percentage, muscle mass and the contents of food. Acknowledgements The authors appreciate for all students and coach who participated with this study.”
“Background A number of commercial diet and exercise programs are promoted to help people lose weight and improve fitness. However, few studies have compared the effects of following different types of exercise and diet interventions on weight loss and/or changes in health and fitness

markers. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a more structured meal plan based diet intervention and supervised exercise program that included resistance-exercise to a traditional point based diet program with weekly counseling and encouragement to increase physical activity. Methods Fifty-one sedentary women (35±8 yrs, 163±7 cm; 90±14 kg; 47±7% body fat, many 34±5 kg/m2) were randomized to participate in the Curves (C) or Weight Watchers (W) weight loss programs for 16-wks. Participants in the C program were instructed to follow a 1,200 kcal/d diet for 1-week, 1,500 kcal/d diet for 3 weeks, and 2,000 kcals/d diet for 2-weeks consisting of 30% carbohydrate, 45% protein, and 30% fat. Subjects then repeated this diet. Subjects also participated in the Curves circuit style resistance training program 3 days/week and were encouraged to walk at brisk pace for 30-min on non-training days.