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Embedding A Grid Of Load Cells Into A Dining Table For Automatic Monitoring And Detection Of Eating Events, Mohammad Mayyan

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes a “smart dining table” that can detect and measure consumption events. This work is motivated by the growing problem of obesity, which is a global problem and an epidemic in the United States and Europe. Chapter 1 gives a background on the economic burden of obesity and its comorbidities. For the assessment of obesity, we briefly describe the classic dietary assessment tools and discuss their drawback and the necessity of using more objective, accurate, low-cost, and in-situ automatic dietary assessment tools. We explain in short various technologies used for automatic dietary assessment such as acoustic-, motion-, or …

Obesity Management In The Primary Prevention Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Elizabeth C. Heintz, Christopher L. Axelrod, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary hepatic malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related death globally. HCC is associated with an indolent clinical presentation, resulting in frequent advanced stage diagnoses where surgical resection or transplant therapies are not an option and medical therapies are largely ineffective at improving survival. As such, there is a critical need to identify and enhance primary prevention strategies to mitigate HCC-related morbidity and mortality. Obesity is an independent risk factor for the onset and progression of HCC. Furthermore, obesity is a leading cause of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the fasting growing etiological factor of …

Intraclass Correlation Coefficients For Weight Loss Cluster Randomized Trials In Primary Care: The Propel Trial, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Kara D. Denstel, Corby K. Martin, Robert L. Newton, John W. Apolzan, Emily F. Mire, Ronald Horswell, William D. Johnson, Andrew W. Brown, Dachuan Zhang

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to compute intra-class correlations (ICCs) for weight-related and patient-reported outcomes in a cluster randomized clinical trial (cRCT) for weight loss. Baseline and follow-up data from the Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana (PROPEL) cRCT were used in this analysis. ICCs were computed for baseline and follow-up measures, and changes in body weight, cardiometabolic risk factors and health-related and weight-related quality of life at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Baseline ICCs ranged from 0 for PROMIS measures of anxiety and fatigue to 0.055 for total cholesterol (median = 0.019). The ICCs …

Effects Of Macronutrients Intake And Physical Activity On Childhood Obesity Of Hispanic Children, Prosanta Barai

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has become more ubiquitous during the past few decades, and still, its prevalence is increasing. It is in every population in the world and all regions, including rural parts of low and middle-income countries. In the USA, regardless of age, the severity of obesity is no different from the global trend. Although numerous pieces of literature are available, that tried to find answers to some pressing issues like how obesity can be controlled, but there is little to no study focused on younger children, especially the 4-6-year-old Hispanic population. Our study aimed to determine the causal path among literature …

Body Temperature And Diet As Drivers Of Obesity Development, Jessie Morrill

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Metabolic disease and obesity affect millions of individuals worldwide and the prevalence of obesity is expected to continue to rise. Mechanisms underlying diet-induced metabolic disease and obesity are complex and are largely unknown. In this dissertation research, we aimed to make advances toward understanding how body temperature and high-fat diet consumption contribute to the development of obesity. Herein, we describe the progress that was made toward three research projects. In the first project, we develop novel animal models to determine the impact of reduced body temperature on obesity development and also demonstrate that severe obesity can be reversed through increased …

Association Of Body Mass Index And Plant-Based Diet With Cognitive Impairment Among Older Chinese Adults: A Prospective, Nationwide Cohort Study, Fang Liang, Jialin Fu, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Yechuang Wang, Nan Qiu, Kai Ding, Jing Zeng, Justin B. Moore, Rui Li

Faculty Publications

To examine the association of body mass index (BMI) and a plant-based diet (PBD) with cognitive impairment in older adults, this cohort study used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a national, community-based, longitudinal, prospective study in China. Cognitive function was evaluated via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Diet was assessed using a simplified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and PBD patterns were estimated using the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). BMI was measured objectively during the physical examination. Cox proportional hazard models and restricted …

Characteristics Of Eating Behavior Profiles Among Preschoolers With Low-Income Backgrounds: A Person-Centered Analysis, Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Sheryl O Hughes, Alison L Miller, Mildred A Horodynski, Holly E Brophy-Herb, Dawn A Contreras, Niko Kaciroti, Karen E Peterson, Katherine L Rosenblum, Danielle Appugliese, Julie C Lumeng

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Individual differences in eating behaviors among young children are well-established, but the extent to which behaviors aggregate within individuals to form distinct eating behavior profiles remains unknown. Our objectives were to identify eating behavior profiles among preschool-aged children and evaluate associations with temperament and weight.

Methods: A secondary, cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 2 cohort studies was conducted involving 1004 children aged 3-4 years and their parents with low-income backgrounds. Children's eating behaviors and temperament were assessed by parental report. Body mass index z-scores and weight status were calculated using measured heights and weights. Latent profile analysis (LPA) …

Coping Strategies For Inner Conflicts Between Gay Bear Identity And Health Concerns, Chichun Lin, Darren D. Moore

The Qualitative Report

Gay bear refers to a burly gay man with a hirsute body and face. Chinese gay bear men are highly homogeneous and strictly emphasize a uniform bear appearance; however, obesity is an obvious health issue in this population. This study aims to explore the Chinese gay bear men's inner conflicts between bear identity and health concerns. Eleven Chinese gay bear men including four Taiwanese, two mainland Chinese, two Hong Kong, two Malaysian, and one Singaporean were interviewed. The study used a thematic analysis approach and found three coping strategies including (a) Eat healthy but maintain a minimal bear standard; (b) …

Maternal Adipocyte Connexin43 Gap Junctions Affect Breastmilk Lactose Levels And Neonate Growth In Mice, Mingyang Huang, Anying Song, Xi Chen, Sarah Ishtiaq, Chunmei Wang, Darryl L Hadsell, Qiong A Wang, Yi Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Simple Summary

Breastfeeding offers many health benefits for both mothers and infants. However, overnutrition and a steady increase in obesity in the U.S. has made it harder for many mothers to produce and express breastmilk. Moreover, the quality of breastmilk from obese mothers is frequently compromised in that it contains fewer nutrients and more inflammatory components. In this study, we used mice to model this phenomenon. We found that short-term high-fat feeding at the start of breeding reduces litter size and pups’ body weight. It also impairs adipocyte remodeling during lactation. Connexin43 is the primary building block for gap junctions …

Implementing A Child Friendly Menu Guide In A Pediatric Unit: Promoting Healthful Choices, Lauren Hull

Dissertations

Problem: Over 1/3 of children in the United States are overweight or obese and children’s nutritional status while hospitalized worsens rather than improves. Hospital meals have too many calories, too much sugar, and too few nutrients compared to recommended guidelines for children. The primary purpose of this quality improvement project is to increase the amount of healthy foods ordered by children in a southeastern pediatric hospital unit through implementation of a menu guide.

Methods: A quality improvement pre-post interventional pilot study was done through implementation of a child friendly menu guide promoting healthful eating. Data was collected by retrospective and …

Circadiomics: Circadian Omic Web Portal, Muntaha Samad, Forest Agostinelli, Tomoki Sato, Kohei Shimaji, Pierre Baldi

Faculty Publications

Circadian rhythms are a foundational aspect of biology. These rhythms are found at the molecular level in every cell of every living organism and they play a fundamental role in homeostasis and a variety of physiological processes. As a result, biomedical research of circadian rhythms continues to expand at a rapid pace. To support this research, CircadiOmics (http://circadiomics.igb.uci.edu/) is the largest annotated repository and analytic web server for high-throughput omic (e.g. transcriptomic, metabolomic, proteomic) circadian time series experimental data. CircadiOmics contains over 290 experiments and over 100 million individual measurements, across >20 unique tissues/organs, and 11 different species. Users are …

A Review Of Covid-19 In Relation To Metabolic Syndrome: Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes, And Dyslipidemia, Elias Makhoul, Joseph L. Aklinski, Jesse Miller, Cara Leonard, Sean Backer, Payal Kahar, Mayur S. Parmar, Deepesh Khanna

HPD Articles

Although severe cases and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are proportionally infrequent, these cases are strongly linked to patients with conditions of metabolic syndrome (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia). However, the pathophysiology of COVID-19 in relation to metabolic syndrome is not well understood. Thus, the goal of this secondary literature review was to examine the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the individual conditions of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this secondary literature review was achieved by examining primary studies, case studies, and other secondary studies, to obtain a comprehensive perspective of theories and observations of …

Optimal Dosing Of Enoxaparin In Overweight And Obese Children, Abdallah Derbalah, Stephen Duffull, Catherine M. Sherwin, Kathleen Job, Hesham Al‐Sallami

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Aim:Current enoxaparin dosing guidelines in children are based on total bodyweight. This is potentially inappropriate in obese children as it may overestimate thedrug clearance. Current evidence suggests that obese children may require lower ini-tial doses of enoxaparin, therefore the aim of this work was to characterise the phar-macokinetics of enoxaparin in obese children and to propose a more appropriatedosing regimen.Methods:Data from 196 unique encounters of 160 children who received enoxa-parin treatment doses were analysed. Enoxaparin concentration was quantified usingthe chromogenic anti factor Xa (anti-Xa) assay. Patients provided a total of 552 anti-Xa samples. Existing published pharmacokinetic (PK) models were fitted …

Alliance Of Randomized Trials Of Medicine Vs Metabolic Surgery In Type 2 Diabetes (Armms-T2d): Study Rationale, Design, And Methods, Donald C. Simonson, Bo Hu, David E. Arterburn, Philip R. Schauer, Sangeeta R. Kashyap, Anita P. Courcoulas, David E. Cummings, Mary Elizabeth Patti, William F. Gourash, Ashley H. Vernon, John M. Jakicic, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aims: Long-term data from randomized clinical trials comparing metabolic (bariatric) surgery versus a medical/lifestyle intervention for treatment of patients with obesity/overweight and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are lacking. The Alliance of Randomized Trials of Medicine vs Metabolic Surgery in Type 2 Diabetes (ARMMS-T2D) is a consortium of four randomized trials designed to compare long-term efficacy and safety of surgery versus medical/lifestyle therapy on diabetes control and clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: Patients with T2D and body mass index (BMI) of 27-45 kg/m2 who were previously randomized to metabolic surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, or sleeve gastrectomy) versus medical/lifestyle …

Food Choices In Schools – A School Improvement Plan, Matt Labossiere

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

School Nutrition is an integral part of student education, but often overlooked. This school improvement plan establishes a district wide outline better nutrition and food choices. The plan addresses the need for healthy food education through health class and professional development, full community involvement from stakeholders, parents, teachers, and school nutrition directors to implement the change of food choices for school breakfast, lunch, and in vending machines. A review of literature was conducted to support the plan and examines how student nutrition affects student achievement and learning, and recognizes the increase in childhood obesity due to unhealthy food choices in …

An Analysis Of The Recent Us Dietary Guidelines Process In Light Of Its Federal Mandate And A National Academies Report, Cheryl Achterberg, Arne Astrup, Dennis M Bier, Janet C King, Ronald M Krauss, Nina Teicholz, Jeff S Volek

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans is an enormously influential policy that has guided US nutrition programs since 1980. During these last 40 years, some researchers have expressed concern that the guidelines are based on an insufficiently rigorous assessment of the scientific evidence, a view that was largely substantiated by a Congressionally mandated 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which identified a need for enhanced transparency, greater scientific rigor, and updates to the scientific methodology for the DGA process. This paper traces the history of these ideas and contextualizes the DGA within the law and …

Playground Improvement Plan, Joan Ketelsen

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Physical activity is important to the growth and development of children of all ages. The purpose of this paper is to use what we know about physical activity and the connection between social development, cognitive development and overall health to physical activity to improve the current opportunities for physical activity in school age children. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) mastery level of students will be used to implement this improvement plan as well as incorporating more physical activity opportunities in the school day to promote more movement and less sedentary time in the school day on a regular basis and to …

Maternal Obesity, Pregnancy Weight Gain, And Birth Weight And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer, Caitlin C Murphy, Piera M Cirillo, Nickilou Y Krigbaum, Amit G Singal, Minjae Lee, Timothy Zaki, Ezra Burstein, Barbara A Cohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Obesity is a well-established risk factor for CRC, and fetal or developmental origins of obesity may underlie its effect on cancer in adulthood. We examined associations of maternal obesity, pregnancy weight gain, and birth weight and CRC in adult offspring.

Design: The Child Health and Development Studies is a prospective cohort of women receiving prenatal care between 1959 and 1966 in Oakland, California (N=18 751 live births among 14 507 mothers). Clinical information was abstracted from mothers' medical records 6 months prior to pregnancy through delivery. Diagnoses of …

Correlation Between Body Mass Index And Serum Calcium Levels In Adults Sudanese People, Gezira State: Correlation Between Body Mass Index And Serum Calcium Levels In Adults Sudanese People, Gezira State, Nesreen Alrayah, Ahmed Mak, Osman Saeed, Gadallah Modawe

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background; Calcium is necessary nutrient for normal growth and development. The study aimed to document the normal values of serum calcium levels in healthy Sudanese adults in gezira state and its relation to the body mass index (BMI). Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2018 to 2021 in Gezira state on 534 adults,42.3% (226) were males and 57.7% (308) were females, age ranged from 20 and 60 years. A questionnaire was used for data collection to assess the essential demographic data. Three ml of blood was collected in heparin vacuum tubes and serum calcium was measured by …

Activating Connexin43 Gap Junctions Primes Adipose Tissue For Therapeutic Intervention, Yi Zhu, Na Li, Mingyang Huang, Xi Chen, Yu A An, Jianping Li, Shangang Zhao, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Jianhong Cao, Zhenyan He, Qingzhang Zhu, Zhuzhen Zhang, Zhao V Wang, Lin Xu, Kevin W Williams, Chien Li, Kevin Grove, Philipp E Scherer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adipose tissue is a promising target for treating obesity and metabolic diseases. However, pharmacological agents usually fail to effectively engage adipocytes due to their extraordinarily large size and insufficient vascularization, especially in obese subjects. We have previously shown that during cold exposure, connexin43 (Cx43) gap junctions are induced and activated to connect neighboring adipocytes to share limited sympathetic neuronal input amongst multiple cells. We reason the same mechanism may be leveraged to improve the efficacy of various pharmacological agents that target adipose tissue. Using an adipose tissue-specific Cx43 overexpression mouse model, we demonstrate effectiveness in connecting adipocytes to augment metabolic …

Sleep And Eating Behavior Among Adolescent Females With Overweight Or Obesity: The Role Of Appetite-Related Cognitive Processes, Kirandeep Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Insufficient sleep duration and poor sleep quality can potentiate weight gain and obesity in adolescents. Furthermore, overweight and obese females are at unique risk for insufficient sleep and associated health complications. We examined self-reported sleep duration and self-reported adequacy of sleep duration as potential moderators of the relationship between eating behavior and several cognitive processes including hedonic hunger, executive dysfunction, and self-control. We used a multisystemic conceptual framework to highlight the pathways that may explain the relationship between sleep behaviors and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). The study employed a cross-sectional design. Participants completed baseline measures of height and weight, …

Facilitators And Barriers To Farmers’ Market Use In A Rural Area, Soghra Jarvandi, Kristen Johnson, Karen Franck

Journal of Extension

Farmers’ markets may improve access to healthful foods in rural areas. Our objective was to identify facilitators and barriers to farmers’ market use in a rural county. We collected data via surveys, focus group sessions, and key informant interviews. Study participants identified the two existing farmers’ markets as community assets. Barriers to use farmers’ markets included inconvenient market hours, not accepting nutrition assistance program benefits, limited transportation, and limited variety. Interventions to improve food access should include ways to meet the needs of specific populations such as low-income residents and residents living in outlying areas without farmers’ markets.

Overweight And Obesity Challenges Among African Americans In Rural Alabama Black Belt, Joel Tumwebaze, Johnpaul Kagulire, Norma L. Dawkins

Journal of Extension

This study aimed at averting challenges of overweight and obesity among African Americans in rural Alabama. Focus group discussions and surveys were used to design a 12-week nutrition education and physical activity program. Results showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in participants’ knowledge scores. Values for systolic blood pressure significantly reduced (p<0.00). There was an increase in number of participants with normal blood pressure and a reduction in number of participants with stage 2 hypertension. The study highlights that nutrition education and physical activity can lead to improved health outcomes among African Americans in rural Alabama.

Results Of A Rural Traffic Calming Event To Promote Physical Activity, Marissa J. Spear, Brett Rowland, Jessica Vincent, Tyler Brown, Addie Wilson, Caitlin Palenske, Pearl A. Mcelfish, Christopher R. Long, Jessica Presley, Laura E. Balis

Journal of Extension

This article describes how community need was addressed through a traffic calming pop-up event in rural Arkansas. The event was conducted on routes connecting a neighborhood, two schools, and a municipal park. A brief survey assessed safety concerns of parents and/or guardians related to children walking or biking to school. Prior to the event, parents/guardians reported it was not safe for their children to walk or bike to school; however, the majority agreed the event made the area safer. Small-scale traffic calming events can provide evidence to stakeholders that built environment changes are an important childhood obesity prevention strategy in …

Context Matters: Preliminary Evidence That The Association Between Positive Affect And Adiposity In Infancy Varies In Social Vs Non-Social Situations, Alexis C Wood, Shabnam R Momin, Mackenzie K Senn, David J Bridgett

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Previous studies have suggested that infants high in negative affect have higher levels of adiposity, arising in part via changes in nutrition (e.g., “feeding to soothe”). Few studies have examined whether positive affect shows similar or inverse associations with adiposity. The current study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between adiposity and observations of positive affect in both a social and a non-social context, using data from infants at four (n = 125) and 12 (n = 80) months of age. Our analyses did not find any cross-sectional associations between positive affect and adiposity (all p > 0.05). However, in the longitudinal …

French-Fried Potato Consumption And Energy Balance: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Daniel L Smith, Rebecca L Hanson, Stephanie L Dickinson, Xiwei Chen, Amy M Goss, John B Cleek, W Timothy Garvey, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Epidemiologic observations suggest increased potato consumption correlates with weight gain, adiposity, and diabetes risk, whereas nut consumption is associated with weight control and metabolic health. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) data indicate humans respond to changes in energy intake in single dietary components and compensate for extra energy consumed.

Objectives: We completed an RCT testing whether increased daily potato consumption influences energy balance [specifically, fat mass (FM)] compared with calorie-matched almond consumption.

Methods: A 30-d RCT of 180 adults prescribed calorie-matched (300 kcal/d, n = 60 participants/group) than consumed 1 of the following: 1) almonds (almond group), 2) French fries …

A Brief Overview Of The Effects Of Exercise And Red Beets On The Immune System In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Hadi Nobari, Saber Saedmocheshi, Kelly Johnson, Katsuhiko Suzuki, Marcos Maynar-Mariño

Kinesiology

Research over the past few decades has focused on the use of functional ingredients such as an active lifestyle and proper diet as a treatment for many diseases in the world. Recent studies have shown a variety of health benefits for red beets and their active ingredients such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, blood pressure and fat reduction, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects. This review article examines the effects of exercise and red beet consumption and the effective mechanisms of these two interventions on cellular and molecular pathways in prostate cancer. However, there is a significant relationship between an active lifestyle and …

Co-Transmitting Neurons In The Lateral Septal Nucleus Exhibit Features Of Neurotransmitter Switching, Patrick J Hunt, Mikhail Kochukov, Brandon T Pekarek, Benjamin D W Belfort, Juan M Romero, Jessica L Swanson, Benjamin R Arenkiel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The lateral septal nucleus (LSN) is a highly interconnected region of the central brain whose activity regulates widespread circuitry. As such, the mechanisms that govern neuronal activity within the LSN have far-reaching implications on numerous brain-wide nuclei, circuits, and behaviors. We found that GABAergic neurons within the LSN express markers that mediate the release of acetylcholine (ACh). Moreover, we show that these vGATLSN neurons release both GABA and ACh onto local glutamatergic LSN neurons. Using both short-term and long-term neuronal labeling techniques we observed expression of the cholinergic neuron marker Choline Acetyltransferase (ChAT) in vGATLSN neurons. These findings provide evidence …

An Exercise-Inducible Metabolite That Suppresses Feeding And Obesity, Veronica L Li, Yang He, Kévin Contrepois, Hailan Liu, Joon T Kim, Amanda L Wiggenhorn, Julia T Tanzo, Alan Sheng-Hwa Tung, Xuchao Lyu, Peter-James H Zushin, Robert S Jansen, Basil Michael, Kang Yong Loh, Andrew C Yang, Christian S Carl, Christian T Voldstedlund, Wei Wei, Stephanie M Terrell, Benjamin C Moeller, Rick M Arthur, Gareth A Wallis, Koen Van De Wetering, Andreas Stahl, Bente Kiens, Erik A Richter, Steven M Banik, Michael P Snyder, Yong Xu, Jonathan Z Long

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Exercise confers robust protection against obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases.1–5 However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate the metabolic benefits of physical activity remain unclear.6 Here we show that exercise stimulates production of Lac-Phe, a blood-borne signaling metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity. Lac-Phe biosynthesis from lactate occurs in CNDP2+ cells including immune cells, epithelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells localized to diverse organs. In diet-induced obese mice, pharmacological elevation of circulating Lac-Phe reduces food intake without affecting movement or energy expenditure. Chronic administration of Lac-Phe decreases adiposity and body weight and …

The Hypothalamus For Whole-Body Physiology: From Metabolism To Aging, Tiemin Liu, Yong Xu, Chun-Xia Yi, Qingchun Tong, Dongsheng Cai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Obesity and aging are two important epidemic factors for metabolic syndrome and many other health issues, which contribute to devastating diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancers. The brain plays a central role in controlling metabolic physiology in that it integrates information from other metabolic organs, sends regulatory projections and orchestrates the whole-body function. Emerging studies suggest that brain dysfunction in sensing various internal cues or processing external cues may have profound effects on metabolic and other physiological functions. This review highlights brain dysfunction linked to genetic mutations, sex, brain inflammation, microbiota, stress as causes for whole-body pathophysiology, arguing …