Identification And Assessment Of Markers Of Biotin Status In Healthy Adults, Wei Kay Eng

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

Human biotin requirements are unknown and the identification of reliable markers of biotin status is necessary to fill this knowledge gap. Here we used an outpatient feeding protocol to create states of biotin deficiency, sufficiency, and supplementation in 16 healthy men and women. Twenty possible markers of biotin status were assessed including the abundance of biotinylated carboxylases in lymphocytes, the expression of genes from biotin metabolism, and the urinary excretion of biotin and organic acids. Only the abundance of biotinylated 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (holo-MCC) and propionyl-CoA carboxylase (holo-PCC) allowed for distinguishing among all three levels of biotin intake. The urinary excretion …

Cholesterol Lowering Effects Of Milk With Added Phytosterols, Laura Kells Cusack

Master's Theses

Foods incorporating plant sterols (PS) reduce Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) on average approximately 10%. PS with a higher lipid solubility may promote greater reductions. We examined the cholesterol lowering effect of a novel triglyceride recrystallized phystosterol (TRP). Twenty subjects (mean ± SD; age, 56 ± 10 years; BMI, 27 ± 5) with elevated LDL (>100 mg/dL) participated in three 4-week phases; Phase I, 2% milk; Phase II, milk with 2.0 grams (g) free PS; Phase III, milk with 2.0 g TRP. Before and after each phase two fasting blood draws were obtained for determination of serum cholesterol. Between the 2% …

Moving Toward Culture Change: Defining Skilled Nursing Facility Residents Dining Style Preferences, Katheryn Adams

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

Background Public policy fulfillment coupled with skilled nursing facility's desire to increase quality of service to meet changes in residents' expectations and improve marketability warrant a new look at culture change and home like dining as defined by the residents in skilled nursing facilities.

Objective The objectives of this study were to determine residents' home dining practices, define residents' desired dining style practices in the skilled nursing facility and determine the relationship between at home dining and dining preferences in skilled nursing facilities.

Design The quasi-experimental study started with a convenience sample taken from a facility generated potential participant list. …

Obstacles To Dieting Behavior, Shahram Heshmat

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Despite documented short term success, dieting has a very low success rates, most dieters regain their weight back within 3-5 years. The question is why do people fail to stick to their goal for eating a healthy diet in order to lose weight? One possible answer is that people have self-control problems in the form of a present-biased preference. From a prior perspective, they want to behave relatively patiently, but as the moment of action approaches, they want to behave relatively impatiently. The essay presents some insights from behavioral economics to explain why people fail to maintain healthy behavior.

Breakfast Consumption Habits Of Youth Living In Low Income Neighborhoods In A Large Three County Metropolitan Area, Elijah Dacy

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

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify youth attitudes, frequency of, and barriers for breakfast consumption and the use of available nutrition programs by youth living in poverty or food insecure households in a large three county metropolitan area. Methods: A phone survey was developed and tested in order to collect information on breakfast consumption habits and attitudes of children, targeted as food insecure. There were no incentives for persons to participate in the survey and all information gathered was kept in a secure place at the Center for Human Nutrition. Participants who were allowed to …

Chemical Characterization Of Meat Related To Animal Diet, Rossarin Tansawat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is currently much interest in increasing health benefits from consuming nutritious food, including beef. Plant secondary compounds (PSC) such as tannins or saponins in various forages have an influence on animal nutrition and health, depending on the type of PSC and the amount consumed. However, relatively little is known about effects of PSC on meat color, flavor, and nutritional value. Thus, additional information is needed to better understand and to develop new animal feeding regimes for optimum animal growth, meat flavor, and meat nutritional quality.

In the first study, grain- vs. pasture-fed beef rib steaks were evaluated. The objective …

Golden Rice: The Need, The Science, And Public Reception Of Gmos, Elizabeth A. Quemada

Honors Theses

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects people all over the world. The most severely affected individuals are those in countries where access to Vitamin A rich foods such as dark leafy greens and dark red or orange vegetables, along with liver, eggs, and cheeses are not readily available. Vitamin A deficiency most harmfully affects young children, where it is needed for correct development, and pregnant women, where Vitamin A stores are depleted. Several methods have been put into action over the years in severely affected countries to help combat VAD. There are programs to increase the availability of Vitamin A in …

Mixed Methods Analysis Of School Wellness Programs In Nebraska And Indiana: A Descriptive Study, Jessica A. Robinson

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

Schools have become one of the major fronts that the battle against childhood obesity is being fought. In 2004 the Child Nutrition Act passed by Congress required all school districts receiving funds for the National School Lunch Program to create a wellness policy. Since then there have been many research projects conducted to learn more about these policies, and their implementation as programs in the schools. Thus far, no such research has been done in Nebraska or Indiana. The purpose of this descriptive study is to describe how schools in Nebraska and Indiana are implementing wellness programs in their schools. …

Living The Tasty Life: Cooking For People With Diabetes, Sarah Feye, Carrie Flowers, Amanda Johnson

Undergraduate Research Conference

To compile, format, distribute and organize high quality, affordable and easy-to-understand recipes to the greater East Texas Area in conjunction with East Texas Community Health Services, Inc. of Nacogdoches, TX.

To address the following Didactic Program in Dietetics student learning outcomes required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics: KR 2.1 a, b; KR 4.1 a, and KR 4.2 b.

Single-Chain Vαvβ T Cell Receptors Function Without Mispairing With Endogenous Tcr Chains1, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Thomas M. Schmitt, Boris Engels, Jennifer D. Stone, Sarah A. Richman, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, Philip D. Greenberg, Hans Schreiber, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

Transduction of exogenous T cell receptor (TCR) genes into patients’ activated peripheral blood T cells is a potent strategy to generate large numbers of specific T cells for adoptive therapy of cancer and viral diseases. However, the remarkable clinical promise of this powerful approach is still being overshadowed by a serious potential consequence: mispairing of the exogenous TCR chains with endogenous TCR chains. These “mixed” heterodimers can generate new specificities that result in graft-versus-host reactions. Engineering TCR constant regions of the exogenous chains with a cysteine promotes proper pairing and reduces the mispairing, but, as we show here, does not …

Assessment Of Nutrition Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Of Ncaa Athletes, Melissa M. Wallinga

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

BACKGROUND Little data has been collected on the nutrition knowledge and self efficacy of NCAA Athletes, and if Sports Nutrition Departments at Universities do positively affect the nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy of athletes. OBJECTIVES To determine and compare differences in nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy of athletes at two NCAA Division I Universities, one with a Sports Nutrition Department, and one without.

SETTING Participants completed a survey in person at their respective University.

PARTICIPANTS Male and female student athletes (n=327) from two Division I Universities, participating in men’s football, men’s wrestling, women’s soccer, or women’s swimming/diving.

RESULTS Approximately 42% of the …

Busting A Gut: Portrayals Of Obesity In Popular Culture, Carly Babel

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

Obesity is America’s number one leading health epidemic, affecting more than 93 million Americans today (OAC). From 1985 to 2010, obesity has gone from affecting an average of 10% of individuals in just about every state to today affecting 33.8% of people within each state. Children and adults alike all over the U.S. are being diagnosed with obesity and encouraged to change their lifestyles. Doctors are prescribing patients to lose weight, exercise, eat healthy, and in extreme cases, go under the knife, but none of these recommendations are making a dent in lowering the rate of obesity. Rather, the number …

A Pilot Study On The Attitudes Of Management Practices In Adults With Pku, Elizabeth L. Vlock

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

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder caused by the deficiency of the enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase. Phenylalanine accumulation in brain causes cognitive impairment and behavioral problems, which can be prevented by dietary restriction of phenylalanine. People with PKU have to maintain a highly restrictive low protein diet throughout their entire life. PKU is typically diagnosed at birth through newborn screening. In order for a patient to reach their optimal IQ and health status, they need to maintain their blood phenylalanine (phe) level within the recommended range of 60-360 µmol/L.

The purpose of this study is to investigate attitudes of adults diagnosed …

Conformational Melding Permits A Conserved Binding Geometry In Tcr Recognition Of Foreign And Self Molecular Mimics, Oleg Y. Borbulevych, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

Molecular mimicry between foreign and self antigens is a mechanism of T cell receptor cross reactivity and is thought to contribute to the development of autoimmunity. The αβ TCR A6 recognizes the foreign antigen Tax from the virus HTLV-1 when presented by the class I MHC HLA-A2. In a possible link with the autoimmune disease HAM/TSP, A6 also recognizes a self peptide from the neuronal protein HuD in the context of HLA-A2. We found here that the complexes of the HuD and Tax epitopes with HLA-A2 are close but imperfect structural mimics, and that in contrast with other recent structures …

Childhood Obesity And Restrictions Of Parental Liberty. A Response To "Paternalism, Obesity, And Tolerable Levels Of Risk", Kristin Voigt

Democracy & Education

This paper responds to Michael Merry’s recent contribution on childhood obesity. Merry’s analysis highlights the difficulties in finding an appropriate balance between children’s and parents’ interests in antiobesity interventions and emphasizes the importance of weight stigma and its effects on the obesity debate. He concludes by recommending both a greater focus on policies that address society's contribution to childhood obesity and a greater involvement of obese individuals in the policy debate. This response focuses on three points. First, a more explicit recognition of parents’ interests can support the case for the kinds of policies Merry has in mind. Second, while …

Paternalism, Obesity, And Tolerable Levels Of Risk, Michael S. Merry

Democracy & Education

In this article the author examines the relationship between paternalism and childhood obesity. In particular he examines the risks of paternalistic intervention in order to prevent or curtail the occurrence of obesity among young children.

Food Store Environment Modifies Intervention Effect On Fruit And Vegetable Intake Among Low-Income Women In North Carolina, Alison A. Gustafson, Joseph Sharkey, Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Jessica C. Jones-Smith, Jianwen Cai, Alice S. Ammerman

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background. The aim of the study is to determine how the food store environment modifies the effects of an intervention on diet among low-income women. Study Design. A 16-week face-to-face behavioral weight loss intervention was delivered among low income midlife women. Methods. The retail food environment for all women was characterized by (1) the number and type of food stores within census tracts; (2) availability of healthy foods in stores where participants shop; (3) an aggregate score of self-reported availability of healthy foods in neighborhood and food stores. Statistical Analyses. Multivariable linear regression was used to …

Fueling Sport Performance: Increasing Awareness In Female Collegiate Vegetarian Athletes, Rachael Irene Marie Sofie

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Vegetarian diets, when well-planned out, have been shown to meet the needs of female athletes. Although the lifestyle provides many benefits, it does not come without risk. Women athletes, in particular, are of the greatest concern. Energy restriction is common among female collegiate athletes. Because athletes are already converting to and practicing a vegetarian lifestyle, it is necessary that athletes and related sport professionals become aware of the risks and benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. By increasing knowledge among related personnel, athletes can use vegetarianism as a performance enhancer. Outlining possible implications of the lifestyle will allow female collegiate athletes …

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 …

2012 News, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

• Dietetics Program Reaccredited
• Faculty Member Appointed to Certified Family Life Educator Advisory Board
• Faculty Member in Dietetics Published
• Family Studies Faculty Present at Symposium
• Graduate Student Ambassador Announced
• Interior Design Students Collaborate to Redesign Kanley Chapel
• Manley Conducting Research
• Frazier Receives Grant from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
• FCS 5340 Consumer Behavior in the Fashion Environment
• Manley Awarded Grant
• Webber Article Published
• Zinser Visits Siberia
• National Council on Family Relations Chooses Book
• Colleagues International Working with the U.S. Department of State
• Commercial Interiors Design Challenge
• Dannison Completes Program Review
• Blaisure Co-Authors, Serving Military Families in the 21st …