Nutritional Epidemiology Commons^™

Mechanisms By Which Dietary Ellagic Acid Attenuates Obesity And Obesity-Mediated Metabolic Complications, Inhae Kang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in various fruits and plants, such as berries, pomegranates, muscadine grapes, nuts and bark of oak tree. EA has been known to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects in various types of cancer. However, little is known about the effects of EA on obesity. Herein, 1) the lipid-lowering role of EA was identified in primary human adipose stem cells (hASCs) and human hepatoma Huh7 cells; 2) the molecular mechanisms by which EA attenuates adipogenesis by epigenetic modification were identified; 3) the effects of EA on high fat and high sucrose-mediated obesity was …

Maternal Obesity And Incidence Of Depression, Caroline A. Habjan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Obesity is a national epidemic in the United States, which both directly and indirectly affects the social productivity of individuals, the American macro economy and individuals’ personal health and well being. Depression often interferes with an individual’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. A maternal state of both obesity and depression may cause serious adverse medical conditions in the mother’s child. Taking steps to treat depression and obesity are critical in the construct of modern medicine. This project yields results that have the potential to make treatment options better tailored, more efficient, effective and economically-sound for the …

The Pathological Role Of Acrolein In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis And Multiple Sclerosis, Melissa A. Tully

Open Access Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating neuropathy that affects nearly 2.5 million people worldwide. Despite substantial efforts, few treatments are currently available largely due to limited knowledge of pathogenic mechanisms underlying the disease. The immune-inflammatory nature of the pathology has prompted investigation of the role of oxidative stress in disease development and progression; however targeting reactive oxygen species for neutralization has had marginal success therapeutically, suggesting that an alternate oxidative stress-related target would prove beneficial. Recently, our lab has implicated acrolein, a highly reactive aldehyde that is both a byproduct and catalyst of lipid peroxidation, as a potential therapeutic …

Childhood Obesity And Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Genetic Diseases That Contribute To Cardiovascular Disease, Alyssa Caudle

Senior Honors Theses

Childhood obesity occurs as the result of an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. Genetic risk factors for obesity have become an area of research due to its permanency. Mutated genes such as Fat Mass and Obesity Associated (FTO), Leptin (LEP), Leptin Receptor (LEPR), Melanocortin 4 Receptor (MC4R), Adiponectin C1Q and Collagen Domain Containing (ADIPOQ), Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 1 (PCSK1), and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG) all contribute to the development of childhood obesity. In the presence of high cholesterol caused by obesity, the genetic condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia is exacerbated. Familial hypercholesterolemia is caused by a …

Lifestyle, Dietary Factors, And Antibody Levels To Oral Bacteria In Cancer-Free Participants Of A European Cohort Study, Dominique S. Michaud, Jacques Izard, Zachary Rubin, Ingegerd Johansson, Elisabete Weiderpass, Anne Tjønneland, Anja Olsen, Kim Overvad, Marie Christine Boutron-Ruault, Françoise Clavel-Chapelon, Laure Dossus, Rudolf Kaaks, Verena A. Katzke, Heiner Boeing, Jana Foerster, Antonia Trichopoulou, Androniki Naska, Giana Ziara, Paolo Vineis, Sara Grioni, Domenico Palli, Rosario Tumino, Amalia Mattiello, Petra Hm Peeters, Peter D. Siersema, Aurelio Barricarte, José-María Huerta, Esther Molina-Montes, Miren Dorronsoro, J. Ramón Quirós, Eric J. Duell, Bodil Ohlsson, Bengt Jeppsson, Anders Johansson, Pernilla Lif, Kay-Tee Khaw, Nick Wareham, Ruth C. Travis, Tim J. Key, Heinz Freisling, Talita Duarte-Salles, Magdalena Stepien, Elio Riboli, H. Bas Bueno-De- Mesquita

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that oral microbiota play a pivotal role in chronic diseases, in addition to the well-established role in periodontal disease. Moreover, recent studies suggest that oral bacteria may also be involved in carcinogenesis; periodontal disease has been linked several cancers. In this study, we examined whether lifestyle factors have an impact on antibody levels to oral bacteria.

Methods: Data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and medical conditions were obtained at the time of blood sample collection. For the current analysis, we measured antibody levels to 25 oral bacteria in 395 cancer-free individuals using an immunoblot …

Associations Between Alcohol Consumption And Fasting Blood Glucose In Young Adults, Julie Ann Lucca

Master's Theses

Current research shows moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of diabetes and excessive consumption or binge drinking can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. In 2010, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United Statesand was responsible for significant health complications: blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations, and is a large national economic burden. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) is a tool used to help diagnose diabetes. Abnormally high FBG, ≥100 mg/dl, is indicative of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Few studies have observed diabetic prevalence among young adults or college students. Studying young adults can help provide added …

A Literature Review Of The Health Effects Of A Plant Based Diet Versus An Animal Based Diet, James Cote

Senior Honors Theses

Health and nutrition can mean a myriad of things to many people in today’s culture. The majority of the time people are unaware of the proper nutrients their body needs and how to get them from food. This thesis will seek to expose the health benefits that are associated with consuming a raw plant-based die, offering a more profound and encompassing view on nutrition. Investigating further into today’s most common diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and autoimmune disorders, it will seek to discover and answer why we have so many health issues. This thesis will discuss the …

Determinants Of Food Insecurity Among Vulnerable White And Latino Households: Contextualizing The Impact Of Sociodemographic And Household-Level Factors, Alexandra Lund

Master's Theses

Household-level characteristics have been shown to be associated with food insecurity but studies among vulnerable populations are sparse. A food security assessment was developed to determine food security and collect sociodemographic and household level data across San Luis Obispo County. The assessments were administered to vulnerable groups through interviews at multiple sites across the County. Three household characteristics (marital status, number of children in the household and number of workers in the household) were examined in this analysis. A total of 808 surveys were collected, 69% in English and 31% in Spanish. Through ethnicity-stratified sequentially adjusted logistic regression models, the …

Eating Behaviors Of Older Adults Participating In Government-Sponsored Programs With Different Demographic Backgrounds, Yeon Bai, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Joseph Brusca, Johnson-Austin Marti, Michelle O'Malley

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study was to determine the food behaviors of nutritionally high-risk seniors as a function of their racial background, gender, marital status, and education level. A total of 69 seniors were identified to be at high nutritional risk using the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) checklist. A supplemental questionnaire (SQ) was created to examine the risk factors in relation to the participant’s demographic background. Key results indicated that Asians practiced healthy food behaviors and women were more likely to eat alone (p≤0.05). Married participants (90.9%) were most likely to consume 2 meals or more each day. College educated …

Impact Of The Home Food Environment On Dietary Intake, Obesity And Cardiovascular Health Of U.S. Children And Adolescents, Aged 6–19, Melissa A. Masters

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Youth obesity is an ongoing problem in the United States. Obese children and adolescents are likely to be obese as adults and have an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, earlier in life. The multifactorial nature of obesity continues to challenge researchers and health professionals to determine methods for preventing and reducing childhood obesity. Research has suggested that obesity is a normal response to an “obesigenic” environment. Emerging as one of the most influential environments in obesity and behavior development is the home food environment. However, little is understood about the role of the home food …

Association Of Vitamin D Deficiency With Hypertension In Uninsured Women, Sreenivasa R. Chandana, Lakshmi P. Kocharla, Susan S. Harris, Radhika R. Kakarala

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic in the United States. Uninsured women are at high risk due to a lower intake of vitamin D and limited sun exposure. We examined the association between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension in 96 uninsured women at a County Free Medical Clinic in urban Michigan. Questionnaires were used to obtain information about demographics, medical history including hypertension, and dietary habits. Measurements including blood pressure and serum 25(OH)D level were also collected. Prevalence of hypertension was higher in subjects with 25(OH)D less than 50nmol/l compared with others (85% vs. 27.3%, p = 0.014). For every …

The Role Of Local Food In Increasing Access To Healthy Food In Indianapolis, Indiana, Anna Hostetter

Capstone Collection

In the United States today, incidents of obesity are on the rise, currently more than one-third, or 35.7% of U.S. adults are considered obese, up from 30.5% in 2000. These startling numbers are causing news institutions and politicians to refer to it as the “obesity epidemic”.

Obesity is linked to multiple health problems including Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and breast cancer (Aronne, L.J., 2002). There are numerous causes of obesity, including genetics, yet high rates of obesity have also been positively linked with a diet high in processed foods and low in fruits and vegetables (Drewnowski, A. …

Emerging Dynamics Of Human Campylobacteriosis In Southern Ireland, Susan Bullman, Daniel Corcoran, James O'Leary, Derry O'Hare, Brigid Lucey, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Infections with Campylobacter spp. pose a significant health burden worldwide. The significance of Campylobacter jejuni/Campylobacter coli infection is well appreciated but the contribution of non-C. jejuni/C. coli spp. to human gastroenteritis is largely unknown. In this study, we employed a two-tiered molecular study on 7194 patient faecal samples received by the Microbiology Department in Cork University Hospital during 2009. The first step, using EntericBio® (Serosep), a multiplex PCR system, detected Campylobacter to the genus level. The second step, utilizing Campylobacter species-specific PCR identified to the species level. A total of 340 samples were confirmed as Campylobacter genus positive, 329 of …

Regulation Of Atp Binding Cassette Transporter A1 And G1 Expression By Fatty Acids, Chai Siah Ku

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is an atheroprotective element which is critical in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway to eliminate excess cholesterol from the periphery of the body. A low plasma HDL cholesterol levels indicate a higher risk of getting cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Formation and metabolism of HDL largely rely on ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and G1 (ABCG1) that are transporters to facilitate the efflux of cellular cholesterol to outside of cells. ABCA1 in the liver and small intestine is the major contributing factor for HDL formation. On the other hand, ABCA1 and ABCG1 present in macrophages contribute …

Probiotic Therapy - Recruiting Old Friends To Fight New Foes, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Against a backdrop of increasing antibiotic resistance, and the emergence of new and evolving pathogens, clinicians are increasingly forced to consider alternative therapies - probiotics are one such alternative.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors And Associations With Indicators Of Body Fat, Diet, And Physical Activity In U.S. Children Ages 6–11, Melissa A. Masters

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research was conducted to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in U.S. children ages 6-11 and associations with body fat, diet, and physical activity. Data for 685 children ages 6-11 was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES data was examined to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in these children, the impact of indicators of body fat on cardiovascular disease risk factors, the association between cardiovascular disease risk factors and dietary components, and the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors among U.S. children. Children were also evaluated for …

Tailoring Messages To Individual Differences In Monitoring- Blunting Styles To Increase Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Pamela Williams-Piehota, Amy E. Latimer, Nicole A. Katulak, Ashley Cox, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Linda Mowad, Peter Salovey

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective

To examine whether messages matched to individuals' monitoring-blunting coping styles (MBCS) are more effective in increasing fruit and vegetable intake than mismatched messages. MBCS refers to the tendency to either attend to and amplify, or distract oneself from and minimize threatening information.

Design/Setting

Randomly assigned messages were tailored to resonate with either monitors or blunters and delivered at baseline, 1 week, 2 months, and 3 months later. Surveys were conducted at baseline and 2 and 4 months later.

Participants

531 callers to a cancer information hotline who did not meet the 5 A Day guideline.

Intervention

A brief telephone-delivered …

Killing Of Treponema Denticola By Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages, P. Gaibani, C. Vocale, S. Ambretti, F. Cavrini, Jacques Izard, L. Miragliotta, M. T. Pellegrino, V. Sambri

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Treponema denticola has been identified as an important cause of periodontal disease and hypothesized to be involved in extra-oral infections. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of T. denticola cell length and motility during mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro uptake. Macrophages, incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, produced a similar amount of TNF-α when stimulated with Escherichia coli LPS. The uptake of FlgE- and CfpA-deficient mutants of T. denticola was significantly increased compared with the wild-type strain, due to cell size or lack of motility. Opsonization with specific antibodies considerably improved the treponemes’ uptake. …

The Acute Effects Of Nut Ingestion On Plasma Levels Of Polyphenol Compounds, Biomarkers Of Antioxidant Status, And Lipid Peroxidation, Setareh Torabian Esfahani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Nuts are rich sources of polyphenolic compounds and nutrients, which have antioxidant capacity. To assess the acute effect of treatment diet (75% of energy from nuts (walnut or almond) and control diet (habitual diet with no nut consumption) in healthy subjects on plasma total phenol content, antioxidant capacity and plasma lipid peroxidation. Thirteen subjects participated in the crossover design study. After an overnight fast, walnut, almond and a control diet, in form of smoothies, were consumed by the study subjects. Each subject participated on three occasions one week apart, consuming one of the smoothies each time. Blood samples were obtained …

Eating Behavior And Obesity Risk Of Youth Living In The City Of San Bernardino, California, Carolyn A. Corder

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescents living in the City of San Bernardino, California, are susceptible to health risks due to high rates of violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, and poverty, which place them among the most vulnerable in the Nation to disability, early death, unhealthy offspring, illiteracy, economic disadvantage, and chronic disease. This study analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior (YRBS) and local surveys conducted in the City’s Unified School District from 1999 through 2001. The investigators focused on the relationship, if any, of dietary and anthropometric factors to the priority adolescent behaviors targeted for intervention by the Healthy People 2010 objectives: accidental injuries …

Developing A Valid Screening Tool For Assessing Nutritional Adequacy And Osteoporosis Risk Among Vegans In The United States, Patricia Adelle Dyett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The vegetarian lifestyle in the United States has increased significantly over recent decades. With this growth trend, it has become necessary to assess the pros and cons of vegetarian diet patterns, particularly with respect to nutrition adequacy and chronic disease concerns.

The vegan diet engenders more concern than other common vegetarian lifestyles because it seeks to replace all nutrient-rich animal food products with only plant foods. Consequently, there are concerns of compromised protein, calcium. vitamin D, vitamin B₁₂, n-3 fatty acid, zinc, and iron status. Moreover, because of typical vegan diet phenomena such as low BMI, low protein …

Sheep Updates 2003 - Husbandry, Paul Barrett, Kevin Bell, J Greeff, L. Butler, S. Brown, K. Hart, A. Gray, John Karlsson, Paula Coombe, Ron Mctarrart, David Scobie, Sandy White

Sheep Updates

This session covers seven papers from different authors:1. Setting up a successful, low input feedlot Paul Barrett, ‘Bimberdong’ Jerramungup 2. Effective mineral supplementation of sheep Kevin Bell, Sheep Management and Production Consultants, Kojonup, WA 3. Genetic benchmarking for WA sheep producers J. Greeff, L. Butler, S. Brown, K. Hart and A. Gray Department of Agriculture Western Australia 4. Does selecting sheep for low WEC reduce scouring? John Karlsson, Johan Greeff and Paula Coombe, Department of Agriculture Western Australia 5. Summer quarters for sheep - stubbles Ron McTaggart, Department of Agriculture Western Australia, Albany 6. Thinking about breeding Easy Care Sheep? …

Association Between Nutrient Intake And Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease In California Seventh-Day Adventists, Peter Pribiš

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dietary habits are believed to be major determinants of risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Studies of high and low risk populations have suggested several nutrients to be protective or hazardous against CHD. Most published work since 1984 on diet and CHD in the Adventist Health Study (AHS) population examined either foods or food groups. This study investigated ten nutrients as exposure variables and their relationship to CHD risk. A cohort of 23,616 nonsmoking, non-Hispanic white California Seventh-day Adventists was followed for six years beginning in 1976. Extensive dietary information was collected at baseline, as well as values of traditional …

The Relationship Of Dietary And Lifestyle Factors To Bone Mineral Density Of Healthy Singaporean Chinese Women, Ampai Dana Aimsiri

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Few studies have examined the risk factors associated with reduced bone mass in Asians, but none specifically investigated Singaporean Chinese women. The subjects in this study were 16 premenopausal, 8 perimenopausal and 13 postmenopausal women who participated in a larger study which began in 1986. Bone density was measured in 1986 and 1992. Dietary and lifestyle data were collected for this study by personal interview. Association between dietary and lifestyle factors and bone density variables and change in bone density at the end of the 6 year period were assessed by univariate regression analyses.

Postmenopausal women had significantly lower baseline …

Calcium And Phosphorus Requirements In Lupin Seed Rations For Pigs, N W. Godfrey, A. R. Mercy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Seed of lupin varieties now available can be combined with wheat or barley to produce a balanced diet for growing/finishing pigs, and lupin seed has become a popular ingredient of pig rations.

As a protein concentrate, lupin seed is a satisfactory alternative to meatmeal, provided adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorus are added as supplements. Without the addition of these elements to rations of lupin seed and grain, a number of problems are likely to arise.

Trials at the Medina Pig Research Station have shown that Christmas Island rock phosphate is the cheapest and most convenient source of supplementary calcium …

Reproductive Wastage And The Sheep Shortage In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WESTERN AUSTRALIA has an acute shortage of sheep.

It is estimated that about seven million extra sheep are needed to stock existing pastures fully; meanwhile the carrying capacity of the State's pastures is increasing at the rate of three million sheep a year.

A Sheep Management Calendar For Lambing On Green Feed, H E. Fels, J. A. C. Smith

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The calendar contained in this article has been drawn up by officers of the Wheat and Sheep Division as a guide to farmers who plan to adopt July-August lambing.

The article also summarises the advantages and complications of later lambing (as opposed to the conventional autumn lambing) and discusses farm management programmes to deal with the problems in various districts.

Acetonaemia In Dairy Cows, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ACETONAEMIA is a common disease of newly calved cows in the dairying districts of Western Australia.

Affected cows practically dry off and lose a lot of body condition; these are the main causes of loss to the owners.

Weaning And Weaner Management, R J. Lightfoot

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

MOST of Western Australia's Merino flock owners wean their lambs in the months of August, September and October.

Too often this is done indiscriminately to fit in with other operations, or lambs are left on their mothers for long: periods until the ewes are remated.

White Muscle Disease Of Sheep : Symptoms And Pathology, M R. Gardiner

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHITE Muscle Disease (WMD) was recognised for the first time in Western Australian sheep during the winter of 1960.

The first outbreak occurred on a property in the South Stirling district in the middle of July and this was followed by outbreaks in August, September and early October, at Mayanup, Kendenup, Mt. Barker, Duranillin, Kojonup, South Stirling and Pinjarra.