Human and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

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 …

Medical Nutrition Therapy Provided To Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients, Mary G. Habschmidt, Cheryl A. Bacon, Mary B. Gregoire, Heather E. Rasmussen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study explored the current medical nutrition therapy (MNT) provided to adult patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and examined the current and desired role of registered dietitians (RDs) in providing MNT. A total of 60 RDs (57% response rate) responded to an electronic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and χ² analyses (SPSS, version 18) were used. Results revealed the primary form of diet was oral, and for patients on nutrition support, parenteral nutrition (PN) was used more frequently (16%–31%) than enteral nutrition (EN) (5%–9%; P ≤ .05). Nutrition support decisions were based on patients’ individualized needs rather than established …

The Valley Trust: A Historical Review Of Food Security And Nutrition-Related Programs At A Health Promotion Non-Governmental Organization In The Valley Of A Thousand Hills, Kwazulu-Natal, Jeannine Garcia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study is to provide an in-depth review and analysis of past and present programs focused on food security and nutrition at The Valley Trust, in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, KwaZulu-Natal. The Valley Trust is a socio-medical health promotion NGO that works to improve the health of the communities it serves through development, empowerment, and educational initiatives. The study will seek to provide an overview of the various activities The Valley Trust has engaged in over its long history related to improving the nutritional status of communities it influences.

Data was collected on the history …

Plant Calcium Content: Ready To Remodel, Jian Yang, Tracy Punshon, Mary Lou Guerinot, Kendal D. Hirschi

Dartmouth Scholarship

By identifying the relationship between calcium location in the plant cell and nutrient bioavailability, the plant characteristics leading to maximal calcium absorption by humans can be identified. Knowledge of plant cellular and molecular targets controlling calcium location in plants is emerging. These insights should allow for better strategies for increasing the nutritional content of foods. In particular, the use of preparation-free elemental imaging technologies such as synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microscopy in plant biology may allow researchers to understand the relationship between subcellular location and nutrient bioavailability. These approaches may lead to better strategies for altering the location of calcium …

Food Environment And Childhood Obesity, Yucong Jiao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines whether children's food environment, especially food stores that have fresh produce, affects obesity prevalence among elementary school children in the state of Arkansas. Misclassified food outlet types in the Dun and Bradstreet commercial data set were first corrected and then food environment measures were computed and aggregated to geographic regions corresponding to school attendance areas. After applying classical panel estimation, it was found that the fixed effects model fit the data best. Results indicate that an additional supermarket within a one-mile radial of the census neighborhood block center will bring down childhood obesity prevalence by 0.58 percent, …

Dietitian’S Problem Solving Knowledge To Promote And Support Breastfeeding, Cassandra L. Dytrych

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

As a result of ongoing efforts in the U.S. to promote breastfeeding as the normal way to nourish an infant, breastfeeding initiation rates are higher than they have been in decades. As the experts on food and nutrition through the lifecycle, registered dietitians (RDs) should be knowledgeable to promote and support breastfeeding. It is not well known if RDs have this knowledge. The purpose of this study was to determine the current knowledge of RDs about breastfeeding, the types of professional opportunities RDs have to promote and support breastfeeding, and the level of education RDs have to deal with breastfeeding …

The Effects Of Lean Beef Supplementation On The Iron Status Of College Athletes, Jocelyn Johnson, Danielle Burke, Matthew Vukovich, Kendra Kattelmann

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine whether weekly supplementation with nine ounces of prepackaged lean beef sticks could maintain the iron status of college endurance athletes. Thirty-four college endurance athletes (20 female, 14 male) were stratified by sex, baseline serum ferritin concentration, and use of iron supplements, and randomized into an intervention (n = 18) or control (n = 16) group. The participants in the intervention group supplemented their usual diet with nine ounces of prepackaged lean beef sticks per week and a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement containing 18 mg iron. The participants in the control group consumed their …

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 …

Ber And Folate Deficiency: A Comprehensive Overview Of Dna Base Excision Repair And The Effect Of Dietary Folate, Lydia Lanni

Honors College Theses

Folate is the naturally occurring form of water-soluble B vitamin that is found in foods such as leafy vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc. Dietary supplementation of folate has shown to be protective against neural tube defects and other congenital disorders, and of recent, its role in carcinogenesis has been of special interest. Though mechanistically unclear, a positive correlation has been observed between folate deficiency in the diet and decrease function of DNA base excision repair pathways. DNA base excision repair, commonly referred to as BER, is an important cellular process that is responsible for the removal and repair of individual damaged …

Exercise And Nutrition Survey Of Nevada Air National Guard Members, Matthew Antonio Demattei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One hundred seventy-three Nevada Air National Guard members voluntarily participated in this exercise science and nutrition survey-based study. The survey consisted of ten closed-ended questions; the intent of the study was to determine whether the participants were willing to attend exercise science or nutrition related classes, or if the participants were willing to instruct exercise science or nutrition classes if they possessed a degree in either field. Forty-six females, and one hundred twenty-seven males participated in this study; one hundred thirty-six of the respondents were enlisted, and thirty-seven of the respondents were officers. Participants were demographically separated by age groups …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Fluid,And Dietary Compliance In Hemodialysis Patients, Ansy Paul John

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who receive hemodialysis often fail to follow a prescribed diet and fluid regimen, which undermines the effectiveness of care and leads to unpredictable disease progression and greater likelihood of complications. Non-adherence to dietary and fluid limitations compromises the outcomes of patients receiving hemodialysis. Noncompliance can lead to detrimental long-term outcomes including deterioration of the cardiovascular system, heart failure, hypertension, and pulmonary edema as well as short-term problems such as edema, itching, bone pain, and breathlessness.

Many studies have demonstrated that self-efficacy strategies are associated with improved dietary and fluid compliance among individuals receiving hemodialysis. …

Nutritional Management Of The Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant: An Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guideline, Dana J. Lunde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Premature birth has risen steadily over the last decade resulting in an increased number of infants needing neonatal intensive care. The demand for neonatal intensive care has lead to many improvements in the delivery of such care with an increase in the survival of the smallest and most premature infants. However, most of these infants are being discharged from neonatal intensive care units (NICU) with severe extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR).

Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants born at 23-27 weeks gestation and who have a weight of less than 1,000 grams are at the highest risk for EUGR because of …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of Us Rural Adults’ Consumption Of Fruits And Vegetables: Do They Consume At Least Five Servings Daily?, M. Nawal Lutfiyya, Linda F. Chang, Martin S. Lipsky

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Rural residents are increasingly identified as being at greater risk for health disparities. These inequities may be related to health behaviors such as adequate fruits and vegetable consumption. There is little national-level population-based research about the prevalence of fruit and vegetable consumption by US rural population adults. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence differences between US rural and non-rural adults in consuming at least five daily servings of combined fruits and vegetables.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of weighted 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) data using bivariate and multivariate techniques. 52,259,789 US adults were identified …

The Food Pantry Dilemma: Understanding The Need For Nutritional Value In Emergency Food Provided In A Down Economy, Amy Anderson

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this project was to determine if there are viable nutritional options available to the patrons of suburban food pantries located in Norton, Easton and Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The goal was to establish the existing practices of the pantries, how the food received is utilized, the needs of the patrons, and how corporate establishments work in conjunction with the food pantries. Providing nutritional options in a down economy is a difficult task if there is not a strong system currently in place or if the facility is unable to store and distribute fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy to the …

Effects Of Glycerol And Creatine Hyperhydration On Doping-Relevant Blood Parameters, Thelma P. Polyviou, Chris Easton, Lukas Beis, Dalia Malkova, Pantazis Takas, Cathertine Hambly, John R. Speakman, Karsten Koehler, Yannis P. Pitsiladis

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Glycerol is prohibited as an ergogenic aid by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due to the potential for its plasma expansion properties to have masking effects. However, the scientific basis of the inclusion of Gly as a “masking agent” remains inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a hyperhydrating supplement containing Gly on doping-relevant blood parameters. Nine trained males ingested a hyperhydrating mixture twice per day for 7 days containing 1.0 g·kg⁻¹ body mass (BM) of Gly, 10.0 g of creatine and 75.0 g of glucose. Blood samples were collected and total hemoglobin (Hb) …

Impact Of Nutrition Education In High School Students, Leticia Cortez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The diet of adolescents is typically high in calories, fat, and saturated fat and often fails to meet the daily recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods. The frequent consumption of unhealthy diets in combination with the lack of physical activity has resulted in a high prevalence of obesity worldwide. Approximately 17% of adolescents in the United States are obese. Obesity is a common risk factor for the development of chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes. In the last few decades and along with a high prevalence of obesity there has also been an increased prevalence of …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Pre-Medical Students, Jennifer Newcome, Cynthia Moore

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Nutrition knowledge has been shown to be increasingly critical in physician practice. Therefore, education has also become very critical. Medical schools have been working over the last few decades to include nutrition education in their curriculum, but due to many barriers, it is difficult to fulfil requirements. It is the purpose of this descriptive study to determine the nutrition knowledge of pre-medical students at the University of Arkansas and conclude if a nutrition class for these students would be beneficial. The average score of the nutrition knowledge assessment was 11.2 ± 3.04 out of a possible 23. Because the literature …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Consumers And Health Professionals And The Use Of Menu Calorie Labeling, Kate Louise Perkins

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The purpose of this study is to assess the need for menu labeling of calories based on the ability of food consumers to identify lower calorie options. By surveying consumers in Kentucky and Ohio and health professionals in Kentucky about their awareness of caloric content, basic nutrition knowledge and ability to choose lower calorie options, we can predict the potential benefit of menu labeling initiatives and the amount of education that will be necessary for consumers to effectively use menu labeling to make informed decisions on calorie intake. Through online surveys, it was determined that consumers were better able to …

Cgi-58/Abhd5-Derived Signaling Lipids Regulate Systemic Inflammation And Insulin Action, Caleb C. Lord, Jenna L. Betters, Pavlina T. Ivanova, Stephen B. Milne, David S. Myers, Jennifer Madenspacher, Gwynneth Thomas, Soonkyu Chung, Mingxia Liu, Matthew A. Davis, Richard G. Lee, Rosanne M. Crooke, Mark J. Graham, John S. Parks, Dawn L. Brasaemle, Michael B. Fessler, H. Alex Brown, J. Mark Brown

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mutations of comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) in humans cause Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disease in which excess triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulates in multiple tissues. CGI-58 recently has been ascribed two distinct biochemical activities, including coactivation of adipose triglyceride lipase and acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). It is noteworthy that both the substrate (LPA) and the product (phosphatidic acid) of the LPA acyltransferase reaction are wellknown signaling lipids. Therefore, we hypothesized that CGI-58 is involved in generating lipid mediators that regulate TAG metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Here, we show that CGI-58 is required for the generation of signaling lipids …

Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia) And Wine Phytochemicals Prevented Obesity-Associated Metabolic Complications In C57bl/6j Mice, Vishnupriya Gourineni, Neil F. Shay, Soonkyu Chung, Amandeep K. Sandhu, Liwei Gu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of muscadine grape or wine (cv. Noble) phytochemicals on obesity and associated metabolic complications. Muscadine grape or wine phytochemicals were extracted using Amberlite FPX66 resin. Male C57BL/6J mice were given a low-fat diet (LF, 10% kcal fat), high-fat diet (HF, 60% kcal fat), HF + 0.4% muscadine grape phytochemicals (HF+MGP), or HF + 0.4% muscadine wine phytochemicals (HF+MWP) for 15 weeks. At 7 weeks, mice fed HF+MGP had significantly decreased body weights by 12% compared to HF controls. Dietary MGP or MWP supplementation reduced plasma content of free fatty acids, …