Human and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

Inside Unlv, Cate Weeks, Diane Russell, David Ashley, Grace Russell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Satisfaction And Benefit From Nutrition Counseling From A Registered Dietitian Among Head And Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy., Lori E. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with head or neck cancer receiving radiation were satisfied with the nutrition counseling they were receiving and if they obtained any benefit. Radiation to the head or neck region promotes side effects such as taste changes and chewing and swallowing difficultly that decrease food and fluid intake. A reduction in nutrients leads to weight loss, and weight loss in cancer patients increases the risk of morbidity and morality as well as decreases quality of life. Subjects were recruited from a local cancer treatment facility and a survey was administered. Subjects …

Cholesterol-Lowering Properties Of Plant Sterols Esterified With Beef Tallow Fatty Acids In Hamsters, David M. Guderian Jr., Heather E. Rasmussen, Curtis A. Wray, Patrick Dussault, Timothy P. Carr

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Plant sterol esters (PSE) reduce plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration by inhibiting cholesterol absorption. Previous work in our laboratory indicated that PSE containing stearic acid (SA), compared to linoleic acid, were significantly more effective at reducing cholesterol absorption. We tested the cholesterol lowering properties of PSE containing fatty acids from beef tallow, a natural and abundant source of SA. Male hamsters were fed diets containing 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, or 5.0% beef tallow PSE for 4 weeks. Dose-dependent reductions (P < .05) were observed in cholesterol absorption, liver esterified cholesterol, and plasma nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration; hamsters fed 5.0% PSE exhibited reductions of 56%, 98%, and 38%, respectively, compared to controls. Concurrent increases (P < .05) in fecal sterol excretion were also observed. In a second hamster study, the cholesterol-lowering properties of beef tallow PSE were compared to hamsters fed molar equivalents of free plant sterols (PS) and free SA. Beef tallow PSE were significantly more effective at reducing liver and plasma cholesterol concentrations than PS and SA consumed individually. Whether PS and SA act through independent or synergistic mechanisms will require further research, although the present findings support the use of dietary PSE containing beef tallow fatty acids in the management of hypercholesterolemia.

Combating Childhood Obesity: Changing Our Environment, Anna Mitchell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A review of literature was conducted to identify risk factors and prevention strategies for childhood obesity. Factors contributing to childhood obesity include poor food choices, physical inactivity, and genetics. Complications of obesity include respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and endocrine diseases, cancer, gallbladder disease, poor health status, depression, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Since childhood obesity, largely due to the environment that children live in today, is increasing in the United States, strategies must be implemented that will contribute to the prevention of childhood obesity. Changes that promote a healthy environment must involve all aspects of society to ensure that the prevention …

Relationship Between Dietary Calcium Intake And Weight Gain Among College Freshmen At Utah State University, Cara A. Moncur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was conducted with the use of data from the Freshmen Health Study, a longitudinal study of college freshmen aged 18 that examined change in diet, physical activity, and weight during the first year of college at Utah State University (USU). Participants were assessed at different data collection periods including the beginning and end of their first semester attending USU. Participants' height and weight were measured and they were given a self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire at each data collection. Simple linear and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess how dietary calcium intake related to weight change over …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Analysis Of Amino Acid Metabolism In Lactobacillus Helveticus Cnrz 32, Jason K. Christiansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated genetic predictions for amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism by Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32, a commercial cheese flavor adjunct that reduces bitterness and intensifies flavor notes. Conversion of amino acids into volatile and nonvolatile flavor compounds by L. helveticus and other lactic acid bacteria in cheese is thought to represent the rate-limiting step in the development of mature cheese flavor and aroma. One of the primary mechanisms for amino acid breakdown by these microbes involves the reversible action of enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways, so our group investigated the genetics of amino acid biosynthesis in L. helveticus CNRZ …

The Relationship Between Nutritional Knowledge And Application, Enas Shakkour

Senior Honors Theses

The FDA has proposed a number of actions to address the problem of unhealthy eating behaviors. Among these recommendations is educating the consumer. Education, however, could only be effective if the people did indeed alter their dietary behavior. This thesis studied the effect that educating a consumer can make on the consumer’s diet. Twenty college students were selected randomly for the study. The subjects were ten females and ten males. The subjects were given a nutritional assessment to test their nutritional knowledge. The subjects were then placed in one of three groups depending on their test scores. The subjects were …

Comparison Of Quality Of Life In Diabetics Using Insulin Injection Therapy Versus Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy, Katie Michele Reynolds

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of insulin delivered via multiple injections or by infusion via a pump on the quality of life in adult insulin-dependent diabetics. Four parameters, namely hemoglobin A1C (3 month average blood sugar levels), self-reported healthy eating habits demonstrated by consumption of 3 meals/3 snacks everyday, frequency of exercise of daily 30 min or longer duration and opinion of quality of life, were evaluated in patients receiving either insulin injections or infusion.

Pump users reported enhanced eating and exercise behaviors and feeling in good health, compared with patients receiving injections. In contrast, …

Student Perceptions Of The Shift From Soft Drink Vending Machines To Milk Vending Machines In Schools, Jillian B. Trapini

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Soft drink vending machines are available in many schools across the nation. Some schools have recently removed soft drink vending machines and replaced them with milk vending machines. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students’ (n = 84) perceptions of the shift from soft drink vending machines to milk vending machines in schools.

Students in this survey had an understanding of the importance of drinking milk, and students generally felt that purchasing milk from the lunch line was more convenient than from the vending machine. Students felt that the vending machine might contain warm, out of …

Aromatic Compounds In Three Varieties Of Turnip Greens Harvested At Three Maturity Levels, Georgia Jones, Ola Goode Sanders, Casey Grimm

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Turnip greens (Brassica rapa) are commonly consumed in the southern U.S.A. Typically, they have a bitter taste, which increases with maturity, probably because of increased levels of glucosinolates. While glucosinolate degradation products have been isolated from various members of the Brassica family, the effect of variety and maturity on these products has not been determined. This study focused on the glucosinolate degradation products of three varieties of turnip greens: Purple Top, Seven Top and Tokyo Cross, harvested 45, 60 and 75 days after planting. Four volatile components (benzene acetonitrile, benzene propane nitrile, 1H-indole-3-acetonitrile and benzene ethyl isothiocyanate) were isolated, identified …

Feeding Drosophila A Biotin-Deficient Diet For Multiple Generations Increases Stress Resistance And Lifespan And Alters Gene Expression And Histone Biotinylation Patterns, Erin M. Smith, Jia Tse Hoi, Joel C. Eissenberg, James D. Shoemaker, Wendi S. Neckameyer, Anne M. Ilvarsonn, Lawrence G. Harshman, Vicki L. Schlegel, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Caloric restriction increases stress resistance and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster and other species. The roles of individual nutrients in stress resistance and longevity are largely unknown. The vitamin biotin is a potential candidate for mediating these effects, given its known roles in stress signaling and gene regulation by epigenetic mechanisms, i.e., biotinylation of histones. Here, we tested the hypothesis that prolonged culture of Drosophila on biotin-deficient medium increases stress resistance and lifespan. Flies were fed a biotin-deficient diet for multiple generations; controls were fed a biotin-normal diet. In some experiments, a third group of flies was fed a biotin-deficient diet …