Nutrition Commons^™

Foodservice Employees Behaviors And The Presence Of Foodborne-Illness Responsible Microorganisms On Smart Phones, Louise Louise De Gracia, R.D.

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As technology advances, smart phone (SP) use is on the rise, including in foodservice establishments. Likewise, the incidence of foodborne-illness in the United States remains high. The presence of disease-responsible microorganisms on health care employees’ mobile phones is well-documented, but little research has examined this relationship concerning foodservice employees’ SPs. Employees (n=50) from a Michigan foodservice establishment were surveyed for their SP use behaviors, and their SPs were swabbed to detect Salmonella, coliforms, and norovirus. Poor hygienic behaviors, such as SP use in the bathroom (75.5%, n=37) were widespread. ServSafe®-certified employees (46%, n=23) were significantly (p=0.041) less likely to use …

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle

Theses & Dissertations

Background: When determining eligibility for kidney transplantation, body mass index (BMI) is often a debatable criterion for transplant due to the clinical indication, an elevated BMI has adverse effects on kidney transplant outcomes. There is a current gap in research on the effect BMI has on kidney transplant outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the role BMI plays in post-kidney transplant clinical outcomes including delayed graft function, new onset diabetes after transplant, wound complications, hospital length of stay, albumin, and readmissions to the hospital from initial hospitalization and at six months following kidney transplantation. The primary …

Efficiency Of Energy Utilization And Fecal Mineral Excretion In Holstein And Jersey Dairy Cows, Gabriel Garcia Gomez

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Eight multiparous Holstein and 8 Jersey dairy cows were used to complete energy balance trials designed to determine the effect of breed on the production and energy efficiency of milk, and energy partitioning. A repeated switchback design was used to compare the effect of cow breed. Diets consisted of 24.5% corn silage, 18.4% alfalfa hay, 6.9% grass hay, with either 22.9% rolled corn and 14.8% soybean meal (CON) or 8.95% rolled corn and 28.8% reduced fat distillers grains (RFDDGS) DM-basis. Diets were offered ad libitum for a 28 d adaptation period and 95% ad libitum for a 4 d collection …

Folate Stability In Fortified Corn Masa Flour, Tortillas, And Tortilla Chips, Renee Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur at higher rates in Hispanic populations in the USA. Such populations would benefit from folic acid fortification of corn masa flour (CMF). This study evaluated folate stability in fortified CMFs and products made from the flours, tortillas and tortilla chips. There was no significant loss of folate during the six-month shelf-life of fortified tortilla CMF and tortilla chip CMF. There was a 13% loss (P < 0.05) of folate during tortilla baking and no loss during tortilla chip frying. Both tortillas and tortilla chips showed significant folate losses over the two-month shelf-life for these products, with a 17% loss in fortified tortillas and 9% loss in tortilla chips. Folate in fortified CMFs, tortillas and tortilla chips is relatively stable and comparable to the stability of folate in wheat flour and breads.

‘Tis The Season, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

The Validity Of Urine Color Self-Assessment As An Index Of Hydration In Males, Daniel Layne Nixon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While water intake is so important, there are few practical hydration assessment techniques for the general population to use on a daily basis. The present study examined the accuracy of self-assessed urine color (Ucol) as a potential hydration assessment tool. Male college aged subjects provided a urine sample into a custom built urinal (n=76; 1.79±0.76 m, 83.9±16.0 kg). The urinal contained a picture of the 1-8 color scale and a light and dark urine color scale. Subjects were asked to give their urine color estimation as a whole number integer and to estimate if their urine was light or dark. …

The Effect Of Alternative Fertilization And Application Time On Voluntary Intake Of Forages, Jessica Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dairy slurry and poultry litter have increased in popularity as fertilizers in the agriculture industry. However, residual effects of these manures on voluntary intake of forages from subsequent harvests are not well known. The objectives of this two part study were to determine if moisture level of alfalfa silage and the use of dairy slurry as a fertilizer have an effect on intake and digestibility by sheep, and if forage species and the use of poultry litter as a fertilizer have an effect on intake by horses. Eighteen ewes (47.6 ± 5.34 kg) were used in experiment 1 and were …

Portion Size Communication By Means Of Package Design, Tami J. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study assessed consumers’ current methods of determining portion sizing of chicken products and examined their perceptions of how effectively three package designs communicate portion size. Everett M. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DI) Theory analyzes the characteristics of the consumer of the innovation (adopter) and the impact these characteristics have on adopting new innovations. The innovation in this study will be the prototype packaging. Focusing on Rogers’ adopter characteristics and defined proprietary consumer segmentation characteristics, this study will be pivotal for future package design projects targeting nutrition education.

Focus group questions were scrutinized through a pilot study and revised …

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 …

An Evaluation And Exploration Of Nutrition Education In Elementary Schools, Elisha M. Hall

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

Childhood obesity is a significant problem in the United States. Obese children suffer from a variety of physical, emotional, and social consequences. To curb or reduce this problem, school-based nutrition education interventions have become more common. However, little research has been conducted concerning nutrition-related socioeconomic disparities in behavior change constructs for low and high income children, which is integral to forming appropriate theory-based interventions and allocating resources appropriately. Research into classroom teachers’ perspectives is also an area in need of strengthening to better inform interventions. Finally, the School Enrichment Kit Program (SEKP), a current interactive, classroom-based, nutrition and physical activity …

Assessing The Sociocultural Impact Of Special Events In The Context Of Germanfest In Nebraska, Usa, Yanli Wang

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

The present study examined the sociocultural impact of special events based on the cultural festival of GermanFest in Syracuse, Nebraska. A total of 143 (71.5%) local residents responded to the self-administered survey. The dimensions of the sociocultural impact, the important reasons for celebrating the festival, the relationship among festival stakeholders, the levels of community involvement, and the improvement of the quality of life in the community as impacts of the festival and demographic information were investigated separately.

The Festival Social Impact Attitude Scale (FSIAS) was utilized to identify the dimensions of the sociocultural impact of GermanFest. Three dimensions were identified …

Stability Of Whole Wheat Flour, Rolled Oats, And Brown Rice During Long-Term Storage And Preparation, Victoria Elizabeth Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Whole grains are an increasingly popular health food in America. However, shelf life of whole grains is compromised due to the presence of lipoxygenases in the bran and germ, which lead to rancidity and generation of oxidative byproducts. These byproducts reduce sensory quality and may have a degradative effect on vitamins in whole grain products. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of lipid and vitamin degradation during long-term storage of three whole grains: whole wheat flour, brown rice, and rolled oats. We also examined vitamin loss after cooking to determine if oxidative byproducts had an effect …

Hospital Practices Related To Breastfeeding In Mississippi: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Amir Alakaam

Dissertations

Mississippi continues to have one of the lowest rates and the weakest support in respect to breastfeeding in the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a). Hospital practices supporting breastfeeding such as the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (TSSB) can dramatically increase breastfeeding rates and duration (Rosenberg, Stull, Adler, Kasehagen, & Crivelli-Kovach, 2008). The aim of this study was to explore breastfeeding practices in Mississippi hospitals based on two levels of the Socio-Ecological Model: the organizational level (phase I) examined the hospital practices based on the level of implementation of the TSSB; the individual level (phase II) examined knowledge …

Educated Birth: Beliefs Vs. Outcomes, Lauren Presley

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment.”¹ The words seem shocking and harsh across the headline of a 2014 Washington Post article. The thought of America not only not being the best at something, but falling upsettingly behind, is a foreign concept to many who view America as a nation inferior to none. However, the statistics on infant mortality rate tell the stark truth that of 26 “wealthy” countries, the U.S. ranks last, with a sobering 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live infant births.²

Part of the Healthy People 2020 Objectives is to reduce the rate of infant …

Digestibility Of Two Complete Pelleted Diets By The Horse (Equus Caballus) As A Model Animal For Nondomestic Hindgut Fermenters, Emily M. Schwartz

Master's Theses

Estimating nutrient and energy requirements of exotic animals is a necessary component of nutrition management in zoos and other wildlife facilities. In the absence of species-specific data, domestic animal models are often referenced. Herbivorous hindgut fermenters, such as horses, zebra, and rhinoceros, rely on microbial fermentation in the cecum and colon to utilize dietary structural carbohydrates. The study objective was to measure the digestible energy of two (LOW, HIGH) complete pelleted diets by the horse as a model for nondomestic hindgut fermenters. Seven, individually housed, adult Quarter Horse (Equus caballus) geldings were assigned to one of two diets as 100% …

Development And Implementation Of The Generations Eating Together Through Cooking (G.E.T.T. Cooking) Curriculum And Its Effects On An Inter-Generational Population: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth Ramirez

All Dissertations

The obesity epidemic continues to be a problem both in the US and worldwide. A number of factors have been attributed including: frequency of fast-food consumption, increased portion sizes, increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, increased sedentary lifestyles, lack of nutrition knowledge, and lack of cooking skills. Nutrition intervention programs continue to be created providing innovative and creative ways of educating the public with pertinent knowledge and skills necessary for improving healthful behaviors; however, few programs focus on cooking skill development within a familial environment. The Generations Eating Together Through Cooking (G.E.T.T. Cooking) program was created by the lead researcher as …

Web-Based Nutrition Education Intervention For African American Women Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Joyce Senior Angulo

All Dissertations

African American women have been disproportionately impacted for decades by the obesity epidemic, which frequently leads to severe chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. This increase in chronic diseases amongst African American women is the motivation for the design of a culturally tailored nutrition education (NE) program that combines a strong theoretical base with the use of technology such as the Internet, since its usage within the college aged African American community has rapidly increased. Little is known about the variables that motivate behavior change in regards to eating and physical activity habits among college aged African …

Evaluation Of Breastfeeding Curricula In Didactic Programs In Dietetics And Dietetic Internships Across The United States, Maria Diane Swiss

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Breastfeeding is known to have many benefits for both mothers and infants. With the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, health professionals have increased their attention on breastfeeding competency. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate breastfeeding curricula that are currently being covered in didactic programs in dietetics (DPDs) and dietetic internships (DIs) across the United States. Methods: Two-part surveys were sent to all directors of DPDs and DIs (n=475) with instructions to forward the second portion of the survey to instructors of classes that taught about breastfeeding. Qualtrics software was used for data …

Genomic Analysis Of Sow Reproductive Traits: Identification Of Selective Sweeps, Major Genes, And Genotype By Diet Interactions, Melanie D. Trenhaile

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Reproductive traits, such as litter size and reproductive longevity, are economically important. However, selection for these traits is difficult due to low heritability, polygenic nature, sex-limited expression, and expression late in life. Marker-assisted selection may provide an alternative to increase genetic progress.

Nebraska Index Line (NIL) has been selected for litter size related traits since 1981. It is one of the main contributing lines to the UNL reproductive longevity resource population (n > 1,500), which was genotyped for 60,000 SNPs, phenotyped for age at puberty (AP), lifetime number of parities (LTNP), litter size traits, and other reproductive traits, and fed …

Vitamin D Status And Bone Mineral Density In Female Collegiate Dancers And Cheerleaders, Tara Sue Kenny

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: An athlete’s bone mineral density reflects their cumulative history of energy availability, physical activity, genetic predisposition for bone health, and menstrual status, as well as nutritional, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Purpose: To determine if bone mineral density (BMD) and nutritional factors in bone health are different in two groups of female athletes who have comparable body size/weight requirements, but who engage in qualitatively different training regimens.

Methods: Participants were female collegiate athletes who were members of the UNLV Dance team (n=10) or Cheer team (n=9), ages 18-22. Participants vitamin D status was assessed by obtaining a finger prick sample …