Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparing Calcium, Vitamin D, And Calorie Intakes Among Unh Army Rotc Cadets With Low And Normal Bone Mineral Status, Ava Gaudette

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Alpha-Defensin 1 And Gut Microbiome Composition In A Population Of Bhutanese Refugee Adults With A High Prevalence Of Type 2 Diabetes, Daisha Alana Drake

Honors Theses and Capstones

The New Hampshire Bhutanese refugee population is disproportionately affected by obesity and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. The gut microbiome is important for overall human health, with high microbial richness and diversity being associated with reduced chronic inflammation and type 2 diabetes risk. Microbial richness and diversity have been shown to decrease in United States (U.S.) immigrant populations, but have not been measured in refugee populations. One of the anti-inflammatory functions of the gut microbiome is related to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Alpha-defensin 1 is an antimicrobial peptide that is …

The Relationship Between Social Media Engagement And Psychological Well-Being In College Students At The University Of New Hampshire, Emily G. D'Antonio

Honors Theses and Capstones

Social media use has increased substantially in recent years, and for the college-aged population, social media is often the leading method of communication. Research indicates this reliance on digital connection could have a negative impact on the health of young adults (Bagroy et al., 2017). The college years are a time of personal growth and defining actions, yet can also be burdened by mental health issues related to stress, anxiety, and depression (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). Acknowledging these trends, the current study explores how college students’ specific frequency and intentionality while interacting on social media relates to their psychological well-being. …

Effect Of Word Choice On Comfort Level In Male Collegiate Hockey Players During Air Displacement Plethysmography Assessments, Elizabeth A. Suschana

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Reflection And Evaluation Of The “Healthy Me, Healthy Earth” After-School Program, Mary K. Sherman

Honors Theses and Capstones

The “Healthy Me, Healthy Earth” program was an eight week after-school program for first through fourth graders at the Woodman Park Elementary School in Dover, NH conducted during the Fall of 2017. The program used a cost-effective, food system-based curriculum to promote health and environmental literacy to students who participated. An interdisciplinary approach was used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral changes of the students. There was a noted improvement in comprehension of food system concepts.

A Nutritional Analysis Of Food Menus Offered At Local Older Adult Assisted Living Facilities, Chloe R. Schmir

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nutrition is important in all stages of life, especially in the later years. The purpose of this study was to analyze the food offerings from local assisted living facilities on a nutritional basis. Upon collecting weekly food menus, they were evaluated based on the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) in the domains of food groups, food variety, and excess fats, sugars, and salt. Not a single facility met the DGA requirements completely in food groups or food variety. The food groups facilities were most deficient in were fruits and dairy. Furthermore, each of the menus had items rich in …

Characterizing Food Insecurity At A Northeast Land-Grant University, Alana Ruth Davidson

Honors Theses and Capstones

In 2015, 15.8 million U.S. households were food insecure. While nationally food insecurity is assessed at the household and childhood level, university students are not explicitly monitored. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of food insecurity at a northeast land grant university and characterize the contributing factors. A pilot study (n=211) was conducted in fall 2014 among a general nutrition class and found that 12.4% of students were food insecure, with another 5.7% reported marginal food security. A larger, university wide survey among graduate and undergraduate students was conducted in fall 2015 (n=943) and found that …

More Than Food: An Analysis Of Multidimensional Relationships In Our Food System, Jessica Erin Newnan

Honors Theses and Capstones

Food is an integral part of everyday life for human beings, thus meriting particular attention from research and education. Looking further in depth at the factors that influence food, it becomes apparent that this is a complex topic that is related to several systems within the constructs of society. Here, the food system is approached with the understanding that several systems influence food consumption options and decisions including the agricultural, economic, education, energy, health, and political systems. To identify the relationships more closely, a three-dimensional model was built to represent the food system and depict several key factors, their relationships, …

Assessment Of The Intake And Knowledge Of Folate/Folic Acid Among Unh Students, Jessica Lee Pelletier, Ruth Reilly, Sherman Bigornia

Honors Theses and Capstones

There are 3,000 U.S. pregnancies affected by spina bifida and anencephaly annually. If women consume adequate amounts of folic acid (400 mcg/day) one month before pregnancy and through the first trimester, then the risk of their infant developing a neural tube defect (NTD) is reduced by 50-70%. However, approximately 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, with some of the highest rates among 18-24 year olds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge source, knowledge level, and intake of folic acid among college-aged students. Qualtrics surveys from 96 subjects (87.5% female, aged 18-24) were used for analysis. In the …

Characterizing Food Selectivity In Children With Autism, Samantha H. Wohlmacher

Honors Theses and Capstones

Food selectivity or “picky eating” affects a large percentage of children on the autism spectrum and as a result can have negative impacts on a child’s health and nutritional status (Cermak, Curtin, & Bandini, 2010). Few studies compare food selectivity in children on the autism spectrum to children with other developmental issues. Such a comparison may reveal how food selectivity presents itself uniquely in children on the autism spectrum. This study examined data from past health records collected from the Seacoast Childhood Development Center (SCDC). Thirty-eight children whose parents were concerned about their diets were taken from a larger sample …

The Influence Of Dietary Factors On Child Food Allergies, Jessica A. Shaw

Honors Theses and Capstones

Solid food introduction guidelines were recently amended to suggest that earlier introduction of peanuts is associated with a decreased prevalence of peanut allergies in high-risk children. This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between timing of introduction to the eight most common food allergens and the development of a food allergy. A total of 177 biological mothers of school-aged New Hampshire children completed the survey, but some were excluded due to answering <50% of the survey or not consenting to participate in the study. This left data on 101 participants, and the number of participants then varied between the various food allergens. Out of the 22 children with a milk allergy, 10 children were introduced to milk when they were less than 12 months old and 12 children were introduced at or after one year old. Fifty-nine percent of those introduced before 12 months of age developed a milk allergy, while only 17% of those introduced at or past 12 months developed a milk allergy (p = 0.00). Out of the 55 participants that developed a peanut/tree nut allergy, 12 were introduced to peanuts/tree nuts before the age of 12 months, and 43 introduced after. This means that 63% of those introduced before a year developed an allergy, while only 33% introduced later developed an allergy (p = 0.01). Although not significant, the results for egg, wheat, and peanut also demonstrated that earlier introduction may be associated with an increased risk of an allergy to that food. When only one child per family was considered, to exclude genetic confounders, the only significant value was for a milk allergy, in which 64% of children introduced before 12 months developed a food allergy, while only 18% of children introduced at or after 12 months developed one (p = 0.00). Results were similar even after the exclusion of child one and two. The results of this study concur with the recommendation of introducing milk after one year, but do not support earlier introduction to other food allergens in the general population.

Implementing Pasteurized Donor Human Milk Programs In Level One And Two Nurseries: Policies, Barriers, And Successes, Rebecca Phipps Smeltzer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) as feeding supplementation has been shown to prevent and lower rates of gastrointestinal infection and increase exclusive human milk consumption (EHM) in critically-ill, low birthweight and premature infants. Policies/ procedures for the use of PDHM in “well” newborns and low birth weight newborns with non-life-threatening illness, level I and II nurseries, respectively, have not been established. The objective of this research is to gather and summarize policies/procedures and experiences from four hospitals in the northeast US that use PDHM in level I/II nurseries. Data was collected from interviews with hospital administrators and each hospital’s PDHM …

A Supplemented Diet: Multivitamin Use Among College Students, Leah Tully

Inquiry Journal 2014

No abstract provided.

Dietary Supplement Labeling: Cognitive Biases, Market Manipulation & Consumer Choice, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

There exists increasing concern that the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) has proven ineffective. Much of the concern regards the disparity in legislative treatment between dietary supplements, foods, and pharmaceutical drugs. Namely, while pharmaceutical drugs must undergo years of costly pre-market testing, most supplements, like foods, can immediately enter the market, and only after repeated instances of adverse reactions can the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) remove them. Such a framework appears to belie both consumer expectations and marketing strategies, as supplements tend to be most perceived for their apparent medicinal qualities. This philosophy of waiting for a …

Do Flame Retardants Promote Vitamin D Deficiency?, Audrey Petteruti

Honors Theses and Capstones

Vitamin D deficiency in the Unites States has become more prevalent in recent years. Research has shown that environmental chemicals such as flame-retardants induce hepatic enzymes in the cytochrome P450 family such as CYP24 and CYP3A that are important in vitamin D metabolism. To determine if exposure to one class of flame-retardants known as polybrominated diethyl ethers (PBDEs) promotes vitamin D deficiency, 15 rats consumed a diet marginally deficient in Vitamin D - 85 IU Vitamin D/kg diet - for 56 days. On day 28 of the experiment, 7 rats were gavaged daily with 7 mg/kg BW PBDEs and 8 …

Variations In Carotenoids In Plasma From Jersey Cows At An Organic Dairy Compared To A Conventional Dairy Over Time, Jillian M. Smith

Honors Theses and Capstones

Interest in organic milk is increasing. By USDA Certified Organic standards, animals must be fed on pasture for a minimum of 120 days. Research indicates that various factors such as diet impact the nutritional quality and composition of milk. The objective of this study was to understand how feeding practices affected bovine plasma carotenoid concentrations over time. Plasma samples were collected from 9 cows fed on pasture at an organic dairy and from 9 cows fed total mixed ration (TMR) at a conventional dairy. Components were extracted from the plasma and separated via High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Results showed that …

Superweeds And Suspect Seeds: Does The Genetically-Engineered Crop Deregulation Process Put American Agriculture At Risk, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

The federal government’s regulatory approach to genetically engineered (GE) crops, known as “The Framework”, is now twenty-five years old. Despite two and half decades of a consistent regulatory regime, GE crop and food regulation remains controversial. This article suggests that regulatory science and its tenets of independence, transparency, and public science should guide reforms of The Framework so that it is an efficient and reliable regulatory system. The article has four parts: 1) it provides a brief overview of the history of GE crop regulation; 2)it describes the key attributes of The Framework and related regulatory documents, with particular focus …

Foodshed Foundations: Law's Role In Shaping Our Food System's Future, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

[. . .] This symposium Article analyzes how we can rethink the architecture of law based on a foodshed model to provide a greater role for local, state, and regional government in the American food system. In turn, greater roles for different levels of government may help America achieve greater efficiencies in domestic food safety, nutrition and related public health issues, sustainability, and international trade.

Americans need a greater voice in the food system. The foodshed model is a powerful vehicle that allows us to conceptualize change, allowing greater citizen participation and a more nuanced approach to food policy. The …

The Role Of Antioxidants In Combating The Aging Process, Kwangli Park

Inquiry Journal 2009

No abstract provided.

Managing Blood Glucose With Local Nutrition Bars: A Collaborative Exploration, Naomi Crystal

Inquiry Journal 2009

No abstract provided.

Who Shall Assist The Poor? An Inquiry Into The Role Of Markets, Private Charity And Government, Tom Birch

The University Dialogue

The paper uses the writings of Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments) to frame some of the economic, psychological and ethical issues regarding how best to assist the poor.

Loco Labels And Marketing Madness: Improving How Consumers Interpret Information In The American Food Economy, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

America's current food labeling scheme, as illustrated by the example of salt, is flawed when examined from the consumer and public health perspective. While the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act has sound scientific standards, those standards as currently applied to labels do not efficiently signal health information to consumers. Without better information on labels, consumers will continue to make poor choices at the grocery store. However, there are promising new ways to label. Both the United Kingdom and the domestic supermarket chain Hannaford’s have implemented simple health labeling on food packaging or grocery shelves to improve the amount and location …

Investigating The Effect Of Diet On Nutrient Concentration In Eggs: How Your Breakfast Might Be Healthier Than You Think, Gwen Stewart

Inquiry Journal 2007

No abstract provided.

Biotechnology And The Law: A Consideration Of Intellectual Property Rights And Related Social Issues, Michael D. Mehta

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Recent advances in biotechnology are expected by many to improve crop yield, reduce reliance on agricultural inputs like pesticides and herbicides, alleviate world hunger, improve the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, assist in the discovery of genes that trigger diseases like cancer, and make more efficient our legal institutions through DNA testing. Clearly, innovations in biotechnology are a powerful force for social change, and they pose unique challenges and opportunities for legal scholars and institutions. This section of the Pierce Law Review focuses on the interface between law and technology by examining how innovations in biotechnology accelerate debates about …

Economic Efficiency And Consumer Choice Theory In Nutritional Labeling, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

As more Americans consume fast food each year, more Americans are contracting serious diseases related to obesity. Considering that obesity ranks second behind tobacco use as the largest contributor to mortality rates in the United States, and also that it gives rise to greater publicly funded health care expenses than does tobacco, this phenomenon begs the obvious question: To what extent does the growing consumption of fast food contribute to the obesity epidemic and the incidence of disease? If the answer indicates a meaningful contribution, a natural follow-up question then emerges: In a sensible legal system, what instruments would best …

Public Perceptions Of Food Safety: Assessing The Risks Posed By Genetic Modification, Irradiation, Pesticides, Microbiological Contamination And High Fat/High Calorie Foods, Michael D. Mehta

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "In general, people in the developed world have access to a safe and varied supply of food. Instead of systemic hunger, many developed countries have problems with obesity and other kinds of eating disorders among their citizenry. It is within this context that some find public concerns about the safety of food both paradoxical and misplaced. Nevertheless, understanding how people perceive the risk associated with food is an important exercise in demonstrating accountability and in setting priorities for regulation. With the advent of technologies for producing genetically modified foods, and the development of fat blockers like Olestra, the public …

Public Perceptions Of Genetically Engineered Foods: Playing God Or Trusting Science, Michael D. Mehta

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author considers whether levels of religiosity or scientism affect public perceptions of genetically engineered foods.

Review Of: Health And Disease In Human History (Robert I. Rotberg Ed.), Terry Cromwell

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: Health and Disease in Human History: A Journal of Interdisciplinary History Reader (Robert I. Rotberg ed., MIT Press 2000). ISBN 0- 262-18207-6 [345 pp. $25.00 Paper, 5 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02142].