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Insulin Secretagogue Activity Of Ellagic Acid-Rich Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia) And Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis) Extracts On Pancreatic Beta Cells, Srikanth Earpina

LSU Master's Theses

Diabetes is an inflammatory disease associated with hyperglycemia. Chronic exposure of pancreatic â-cells to glucolipotoxicity stimulates a low-grade inflammation associated with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1â (IL-1â). Increased levels of IL-1â can initially lead to decreased insulin secretion and finally â-cell death. Ellagic acid and quercetin have been reported to be anti-inflammatory in several studies. Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine) or Emblica officinalis (amla) are good sources of ellagic acid and quercetin. Ellagic acid or quercetin is bioavailable as is or are metabolized into bioavailable urolithins or isorhamnetin, respectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect …

Changes In Plasma Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, Acth, Prolactin, Gh, Lh, Fsh, And Thyroid Stimulating Hormone In Response To Injection Of Sulpiride, Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone, Or Vehicle In Insulin Sensitive And Insensitive Mares, Nicole Arana Valencia

LSU Master's Theses

Six insulin sensitive and six insensitive mares were used in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design to determine the pituitary hormonal responses (compared to vehicle) to sulpiride and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), two compounds commonly used to diagnose pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. Mares were classified as insulin sensitive or insensitive by their previous glucose responses to direct injection of human recombinant insulin. Treatment days were February 25 and March 10 and 24, 2012. Treatments were sulpiride (racemic mixture, 0.01 mg/kg BW), TRH (0.002 mg/kg BW), and vehicle (saline, 0.01 mL/kg BW) administered intravenously. Blood samples were …

Yogurt Cultured Milk Powder As A Substitute For Yogurt Powder, Lijie Song

LSU Master's Theses

Commercial yogurt powder has to go through drying process which kills the yogurt culture, so the health benefit of the yogurt culture bacteria are lost. Also, upon reconstitution commercial yogurt powder does not taste like yogurt, it is sour and off flavored. The hypothesis of this study was that yogurt cultured milk powder would have better culture bacterial counts, better physico-chemical and sensory characteristics than commercial yogurt powder currently available. Commercial yogurt powder (CYP) was the control and yogurt cultured milk powder (YCMP) was the treatment. Freeze-dried yogurt starter culture (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus at ratio 1:1) was added …

Changes In Anthocyanins Throughout The Processing Of Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia) Wine, Luke Aaron Mumphrey

LSU Master's Theses

Grapes from Vitis rotundifolia ( Muscadine) are rich sources of different phenolic compounds, (e.g. ellagic acid, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, resveratrol, etc.) which are purported to provide health benefits, possibly as antioxidants. Anthocyanins, a pigmented subgroup of the flavonoid group, are responsible for intense pigmentation in the grapes. Maximizing anthocyanins in products is a priority for color, and preservation of potential health benefits. This research focused on measuring changes in the anthocyanins as wine is produced commercially from a single crop of Vitis rotundifolia var. Ison grapes. Samples were taken at points throughout the vintification process, and phenolics and anthocyanins were …

Some Effects Of Nutrient And Flooding Stress Manipulation On Coastal Louisiana Wetland Vegetation, James Stephen Ialeggio

LSU Master's Theses

Freshwater diversions are a relatively recently utilized tool in wetland loss mitigation that stimulate an organic accretion response in marsh vegetation, which is based in root production and thus belowground biomass. The effectiveness of freshwater diversions in slowing marsh loss probably varies across a gradient of the factors they supply: decreased salinity, increased nutrient concentrations, and increased inundation. Flooding stress is commonly thought to be the overriding factor limiting wetland vegetation growth, however its influence may vary across salinity and nutrients. Therefore, plugs of Spartina patens were planted in four “marsh organs” consisting each of 36 sediment-filled PVC pipes of …

Validation Of The Remote Food Photography Method To Quantify Intake Of Infant Formula, Abby Duhe

LSU Master's Theses

Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since the 1970s, and this increased prevalence is cause for concern as childhood obesity increases the risk of adult obesity and other comorbid diseases. Evidence suggests that the origins of obesity can be identified in infanthood. Accurate methods of assessing food intake in infants can be utilized to establish effective feeding practices in infanthood and to assess the relationship between infant feeding practices and the risk of childhood obesity. Current methods are either subjective or have limited ability for widespread use beyond clinical research settings due to cost and high burden. The aim …

Government Spending And Child Well-Being : A Correlational Study Of The Organization For Economic Co-Operation And Development (Oecd) Countries, Rachel Suzanna Foretich

LSU Master's Theses

Children who live in poverty are more likely to suffer from avoidable illnesses, become teenaged parents, be involved in the criminal justice system, and mature into adults who live in poverty (Isaacs et al., 2011). This study examines the relationship between government spending as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 21 child well-being indicators. The samples in this study were collected from 30 Organization of Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries for the years 2009 and 2012. The major finding of this study reveals that there is a statistically significant relationship between government spending as a percent of …

Evaluation Of 54 Years Of Louisiana Bull Testing, And Snp Affecting Growth And Performance Of Yearling Bulls On A Forage Performance Bull Test, Tabitha Howard

LSU Master's Theses

The first objective of these two studies was to evaluate genetic trends for bulls that have comprised the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee performance bull test for the past 55 years. Data included birth weight (BW), initial weight, 112-day weight, average daily gain (ADG), adjusted yearling weight, and scrotal circumference (SC), on 7,488 yearling bulls of 34 breeds on 112d of test for the last 55 years. The top 4 represented bull breeds with greater than 500 animals (Angus, Charolais, Hereford, and Simmental) were included in this analysis. Analyses revealed that growth traits for all bulls regardless of breed demonstrated a …

Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Weight, And Attitudes Toward Obesity In Lesbians, Amy L. Wright

LSU Master's Theses

In many professional practice settings, it is very likely that social workers will work with female clients who identify as lesbian or bisexual. These sexual minority females are more likely to be overweight or obese, have a history of childhood sexual abuse, and have more positive attitudes toward overweight and obesity than heterosexual women. In this study, the author sought to identify the relationship between childhood sexual abuse, obesity, (specifically, body mass index [BMI]), and attitudes toward obesity among lesbian and bisexual women. Eighty-five sexual minority females completed a survey. Childhood sexual abuse was found to be positively correlated with …

2012 Annual Town Report Lempster, New Hampshire., Lempster Town Representatives

Lempster, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Middle School Food Environments And Racial/Ethnic Differences In Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption: Findings From The Healthy Choices Study, Tracy K. Richmond, Jennifer L. Spadano-Gasbarro, Courtney E. Walls, S. Bryn Austin, Mary L. Greaney, Monica L. Wang, Solomon Mezegebu, Karen E. Peterson

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Prior studies have demonstrated disproportionate clustering of fast food outlets around schools.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if racial/ethnic differences in middle school student self-reported sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is explained by differential distributions of food outlets surrounding their schools.

Methods: Baseline (2005) data were analyzed from 18,281 middle school students in 47 Massachusetts schools participating in Healthy Choices, an obesity prevention program. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the association of individual race/ethnicity and daily SSB consumption and the potential mediating effect of the density of food outlets (the number of fast …

Post-Menopausal Effects Of Resistance Training On Muscle Damage And Mitochondria, Thomas G. Manfredi, Michael Monteiro, Linda S. Lamont, Maria Singh, Mona Foldvari, Sebrina White, Arthur Cosmas, Maria L. Urso

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Manfredi, TG, Monteiro, MA, Lamont, LS, Singh, MF, Foldvari, M, White, S, Cosmas, AC, and Urso, ML. Postmenopausal effects of resistance training on muscle damage and mitochondria. J Strength Cond Res 27(2): 556–561, 2013—The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a 12-month progressive resistance training intervention on muscle morphology and strength gains in postmenopausal women. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis of 5 independent community-dwelling women (mean age: 75.6 ± 4.28 years; mean height: 163 ± 5.34 cm; mean weight: 72 ± 17.5 kg) before 6 months and 12 months after progressive resistance …

Melatonin Supplementation Improves Glycemic Control While Lowering Oxidative Stress In Type 2 Diabetes, Carmine R. Grieco, Sheri R. Colberg, C. Thomas Somma, Andrew G. Thompson, Aaron I. Vinik

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of melatonin on glycemic control and oxidative stress (OS) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Fourteen subjects with T2D (10 female, 4 male; 52.5 ± 5.0 years) were randomly assigned to melatonin (MEL) or placebo groups (PLA) for 42 days, in a crossover design. Subjects ingested 10 mg of MEL or an identical placebo (PLA) 30 minutes prior to sleep. Fasting blood draws occurred at baseline, 42 days, and 84 days. Plasma malondialdehyde, a marker of OS, significantly decreased on MEL (-6.25±2.10 nmol/ml) compared to PLA (0.72±3.30, p=0.028). The …

The Impact Of A Team-Based Intervention On The Lifestyle Risk Factor Management Practices Of Community Nurses: Outcomes Of The Community Nursing Snap Trial, B Chan, U Jayasinghe, B Christl, R Laws, N Orr, A Williams, K Partington, M Harris

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Lifestyle risk factors like smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity (SNAP) are the main behavioural risk factors for chronic disease. Primary health care is an appropriate setting to address these risk factors in individuals. Generalist community health nurses (GCHNs) are uniquely placed to provide lifestyle interventions as they see clients in their homes over a period of time. The aim of the paper is to examine the impact of a service-level intervention on the risk factor management practices of GCHNs.

Methods: The trial used a quasi-experimental design involving four generalist community nursing services in NSW, Australia. The services …

Shaping Demand And Practices To Improve Family Health Outcomes: Findings From A Quantitative Survey, Volume 3: Bihar, M.E. Khan, France Donnay, Usha Kiran Tarigopula, Kumudha Aruldas

Reproductive Health

This report provides findings of a study undertaken to generate comprehensive information on eight target behaviors that have direct bearing on family health in rural Bihar. Behaviors include: 1) Increasing the proportion of deliveries that occur in a facility and mothers who have access to basic emergency obstetric care; 2) Increasing the proportion of safe deliveries at home; 3) Increasing the uptake of preventive postnatal-care services for newborns and mothers; 4) Increasing the practice of skin-to-skin care/Kangaroo Mother Care for newborns; 5) Increasing the practice of early and exclusive breastfeeding of infants during the first six months of life; 6) …

Michigan Academician, Volume 41, Issue 2

Michigan Academician

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Availability And Use Of Maternal Health Supplies In The Primary Health Care System In Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Sarah Raifman, Sisay Mellese, Kelemua Hailemariam, Ian Askew, Annabel Erulkar

Reproductive Health

Maternal mortality in Ethiopia remains among the highest in the world. A UN Commission Report in 2012 identified 13 life-saving commodities—defined as medicines, medical devices, and health supplies—that effectively address avoidable causes of death during pregnancy and childbirth that, if more widely accessed and properly used, could significantly reduce preventable deaths among women. This assessment, conducted by the Population Council, evaluates the availability of these life-saving commodities that are essential for basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and safe and clean delivery services within primary health care in Ethiopia. The report concludes that Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical procurement and supply system is …

Effectiveness Of A Comprehensive Sexual And Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project For In-School Girls In Swaziland, Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (Swagaa)

Reproductive Health

Swaziland is one of the sub-Saharan African countries affected by sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and HIV and AIDS, with women facing greater risk compared to men. In response to increasing reports of violence against women and children in the country, the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse launched a Girls’ Empowerment Clubs (GEC) program in primary and secondary schools in order prevent SGBV cases. Due to limitations of the program (such as being led by teachers and reliance on volunteers), an intervention study was carried out by the Population Council to test the effectiveness of an enhanced version, “GEC-Plus,” that …

Scaling Up Advocacy For Gender-Based Violence And Child Sexual Abuse In The East, Central And Southern Africa Region: Technical Exchange And Meeting, East Central And Southern African Health Community

Reproductive Health

The East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, which prioritizes gender-based violence and child sexual abuse as regional health concerns, partnered with the Population Council to convene a pre-conference Expert Committee meeting of the Research, Information and Advocacy Programme. The conference marked a major milestone in the ECSA Health Community’s commitment to promote and support region-wide sharing and utilization of health research and policy information among its member states. This report summarizes the deliberations of the two-day workshop and the recommendations for implementing an advocacy plan to address this important facet of the region’s development agenda.

Comprendre Les Grossesses Non Désirées Au Sénégal: Rapport Du Profil Pays, Kaila Clarke, Mohamadou Sall, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Bocar Mamadou Daff

Reproductive Health

Un profil pays a été préparé pour le Sénégal pour compiler et synthétiser les informations disponibles sur la santé de la reproduction, en particulier les grossesses non désirées et par conséquent les besoins non satisfaits en matière de planification familiale. D’importants efforts ont été consentis par l’Etat sénégalais, mais de nombreux obstacles continuent de freiner les progrès réalisés. Un programme national plus cohérent et ciblé est donc nécessaire pour réduire ces obstacles. Dans le même temps, les acteurs non-gouvernementaux devraient poursuivre leurs efforts pour renforcer leur programmation pour produire des effets plus immédiats, tout en assurant une meilleure coordination entre …

Understanding Unintended Pregnancy In Bangladesh: Country Profile Report, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Sabiha Chowdhuri, Yolande Robertson, Noushin Islam, Bidhan Krishna Sarker, Ashrafi Jahan Azmi, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

The objective of this report is to identify the determinants of unintended pregnancy and unmet need for family planning in Bangladesh and therefore provide a strong body of evidence that will contribute to issue identification, evidence generation, and communication for use of evidence in policy and programming. The evidence generated can be used to find ways to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and hence reduce the risk of abortion-related morbidity and mortality; ultimately this will aid Bangladeshi couples in reaching their fertility goals. Results demonstrate that Bangladesh has shown progress and promise in several areas of family planning and …

Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Prevention of unintended pregnancy is often considered the key outcome of reducing unmet need; it is the basic right of women and couples to become pregnant only when intended. This paper explores this relationship by reviewing the definition and measurement of unintended pregnancy, identifying key trends in its distribution within and between populations, and analyzing the relationship between unintended pregnancy, demand for family planning, and family planning program performance. The determinants and consequences of unintended pregnancy are reviewed to further understand the implications of using it as a policy and programming goal. The paper concludes by reviewing the broader policy …

The Effectiveness Of Educational Support To Orphans And Vulnerable Children In Tanzania And Uganda, Mary Shann, Malcolm Bryant, Mohamad Brooks, Paul Bukuluki, Denis Muhangi, Joe Lugalla, Gideon Kwesigabo

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Little evidence is available to assist policy makers and donors in deciding what kinds of programs in developing countries are more likely to be effective in supporting the entry and continuation of OVC in secondary schools. This is particularly important for females whose education has direct bearing on child mortality in the next generation. This study gathered four kinds of educational outcome measures in two East African countries ravaged by the AIDS/HIV pandemic. The goal was to determine whether direct scholarship aid to individual students versus various forms of block grants would be more effective in promoting lower rates of …

Dravet Syndrome, What Is New?, Raidah S. Al-Baradie

Neurosciences

Dravet syndrome (DS) is one of the most severe genetic epilepsies of childhood. Charlotte Dravet described severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy in 1978. Shortly after the initial report, many cases were published. Most of the cases have the SCN1A mutation. A variant of DS called borderline severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy has similar clinical and electrographic features without myoclonus. The prevalence of DS is 3-6% of epilepsy cases in infancy, and the incidence is less than one per 40,000 infants. Also, there is a rare mutation in the GABARG2 and SCN1B genes. Usually, affected patients have normal developmental milestones during …

Induced Hypothermia To Treat Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Review Of Literature With Meta-Analysis And Development Of National Protocol, Turki M. Alkharfy

Neurosciences

The efficacy of induced hypothermia to treat hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term infants has been evaluated in 6 multicenter randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis of these trials shows that hypothermia in the first 6 hours after moderately severe HIE reduced the risk rate of death or neurological impairment at 18 months of age; risk ratio (RR): 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 0.93, p=0.002); risk difference -0.11 (95% CI: -0.18 to -0.04), with a number needed to treat of 9 (95% CI: 5-25). It also showed that treatment with hypothermia was associated with an increased rate of intact survival; RR: …

Protective Effect Of Coenzyme Q10 In Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy In Rats, Nalan Celebi, Hemra Cil, Onur Cil, Ozgur Canbay, Rustu Onur, Ulku Aypar

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible protective effect of coenzyme Q10 (CQ10) on neuropathy in rats. METHODS: Experiments were conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey between January and March 2012. Forty rats were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (control), group 2 (paclitaxel), group 3 (control + CQ10), and group 4 (paclitaxel + CQ10). Group 2 and 4 rats received paclitaxel (2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, on days 0, 2, 4, 6). Group 3 and 4 rats were treated with CQ10 (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). …

Study On Serum Zinc And Selenium Levels In Epileptic Patients, Heidar N. Farahani, Alireza R. Ashthiani, Mher S. Masihi

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To estimate serum zinc and selenium levels in a group of healthy subjects and correlate these with epileptic patients. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in the Department of Neurology, Valiasr Hospital, Iran, between November 2011 and May 2012 on 40 patients aged 26.63+/-5.78 years who were diagnosed with generalized and a single epileptic form of epilepsy by a neurologist for the first time. The control group was selected from healthy individuals, and matched to the case group. Serum zinc was measured by the calorimetric method using a Randox kit. Selenium was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS: The …

Biochemical Composition Of The Hemolymph, Hepatopancreas, Ovary, And Muscle During Ovarian Maturation In The Penaeid Shrimps Fenneropenaeus Merguiensis And F. Penicillatus (Crustacea: Decapoda), Habib Fatima, Zarrien Ayub, Syed Abid Ali, Ghazala Siddiqui

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The present study quantifies the concentrations of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids in the hemolymph, ovary, hepatopancreas, and muscle of Fenneropenaeus merguiensis and F. penicillatus during ovarian maturation. Proteins were the major constituent in the hemolymph and ovaries of the 2 species, while lipids were the major constituent in the hepatopancreas. The protein, carbohydrate, and lipid contents in the ovaries of both species increased as ovaries matured. The increase in the protein, carbohydrate, and lipid contents in the ovaries during maturation indicates that the ovaries utilize these constituents to mature. Concentrations of lipids in the hepatopancreas decreased with ovarian maturation in …

Determination Of Fatty Acid Profiles Of Total, Neutral, And Polar Lipids In Different Tissues Of Vimba Vimba (L., 1758) From Eğirdir Lake (Isparta, Turkey), Sali̇h Görgün, Nükhet Akpinar, Gökhan Zengi̇n, Mehmet Ali̇ Akpinar, Ali̇ Günlü, Gökalp Özmen Güler, Apdurahman Aktümsek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Fatty acid profiles of total, neutral, and polar lipids in the liver, muscle, and intestine of female individuals of Vimba vimba (L., 1758) were determined by gas chromatography. C16:0, C16:1 n-7, C18:1 n-7, and C18:1 n-9 were the most abundant fatty acids in total and neutral lipids in all tissues investigated. In addition to these acids, C20:4 n-6 (arachidonic acid) and C22:6 n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) were the other fatty acids having high percentages in the polar lipid fraction of the tissues. The highest and lowest n-3 to n-6 ratios, which are a good indicator of the quality of fish oils, …

Reproductive Biology Of The Greater Lizardfish, Saurida Tumbil (Bloch, 1795), In Bushehr Coastal Waters Of Iran, Akbar Abaszadeh, Yazdan Keivany, Nasrollah Mahboobi Soofiani, Ali Falahatimarvast

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A total of 691 specimens (114 males, 538 females, and 39 immature specimens) were collected from Bushehr coastal waters of the Persian Gulf from February 2007 to February 2008 to study the reproduction of this species along with its histological gonadal development. Mean absolute and relative fecundity was 263,162 ± 31,046 and 273 ± 27, respectively. The oogonia and oocyte diameter ranged between 6 µm and 875 µm with a mean of 318 µm. The relationship between fecundity and total weight was F = 192.85W + 69,291. Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index exhibited a higher value in May and …