Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

Improved Mortality Prediction For Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Using Dynamic Prediction Strategy, Ruosha Li, Jingyan Wang, Cuihong Zhang, James E Squires, Steven H Belle, Jing Ning, Jianwen Cai, Robert H Squires

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a prediction tool for pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) mortality risks that captures the rapid and heterogeneous clinical course for accurate and updated prediction.

METHODS: Data included 1144 participants with PALF enrolled during three phases of the PALF registry study over 15 years. Using joint modeling, we built a dynamic prediction tool for mortality by combining longitudinal trajectories of multiple laboratory and clinical variables. The predictive performance for 7-day and 21-day mortality was assessed using the area under curve (AUC) through cross-validation and split-by-time validation.

RESULTS: We constructed a prognostic joint model that combines the …

The Role Of Diet And Gut Microbiota In Alzheimer’S Disease, D. M.Sithara Dissanayaka, Vijay Jayasena, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (A ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles. Currently, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impacts 50 million individuals, with projections anticipating an increase to 152 million by the year 2050. Despite the increasing global prevalence of AD, its underlying pathology remains poorly understood, posing challenges for early diagnosis and treatment. Recent research suggests a link between gut dysbiosis and the aggregation of A , the development of tau proteins, and the occurrence of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are associated with AD. However, investigations into the gut–brain axis …

A Healthful Plant-Based Diet Is Associated With Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk Via Improved Metabolic State And Organ Function: A Prospective Cohort Study, Alysha S. Thompson, Catharina J. Candussi, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Amy Jennings, Nicola P. Bondonno, Claire Hill, Solomon A. Sowah, Aedín Cassidy, Tilman Kühn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular due to favourable environmental footprints and have been associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we investigated the potential mechanisms to explain the lower T2DM risk observed among individuals following plant-based diets. Methods: Prospective data from the UK Biobank, a cohort study of participants aged 40 to 69 years at baseline, was evaluated. Associations between healthful and unhealthful plant-based indices (hPDI and uPDI) and T2DM risk were analysed by multivariable Cox regression models, followed by causal mediation analyses to investigate which cardiometabolic risk factors explained the observed associations. Results: …

Public Policy And Advocacy In The Dietetics Curriculum: Challenges And Opportunities, Jessica Garay, Meghan Donnelly, Amy Herman, Kathryn Lawson, Sarah Martin, Leah Reed

Journal of Dietetic Education

Background: Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and other health professionals should be involved in advocacy efforts related to food access and health care. However, education about, and opportunities to actively participate in, public policy are often limited for dietetics students. The goal of this project was to identify how dietetics programs meet ACEND standards relating to public policy in their current and/or accredited program. Methods: An online survey was sent to dietetics faculty at U.S. higher education institutions. Survey questions focused on how programs currently meet ACEND standards for public policy or plan to meet standards in their dietetics program. Respondents were …

Incorporating Experiential Learning And Reflection Related To Sustainable Food Systems In Undergraduate Dietetics Courses, M Elizabeth (Beth) Miller, Kara Quigg, Cassidy Hanner, Iris Puthoff, Diana Cuy Castellanos

Journal of Dietetic Education

Objective: Knowledge and competence in sustainable food systems is a priority in dietetic programs and outlined in program accreditation standards and standards of practice for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). However, limited literature exists on how students are learning about sustainable food systems. The purpose of this study was to explore dietetic student experiences and perceptions after the inclusion of a farm-based experiential-learning activity. Methods: A qualitative approach was utilized to explore student reflections following their experiential-learning with sustainable food systems via university-based farms. Students completed sustainable food systems modules and completed five hours on the university farm. Students then wrote …

Student Perceptions Of An Undergraduate Nutrition Peer Mentoring Program, Sarah Hudnall, Rayanna Becker, Laura Meza Esparza, Sara Sanders, Ann Diker

Journal of Dietetic Education

Background: Peer mentoring programs help students navigate challenges and stressors in their undergraduate education. There is minimal research on the effectiveness of these programs in nutrition and dietetics. Objective: The objective was to explore the perceptions of student mentors and mentees in an undergraduate nutrition peer mentoring program. Design: This qualitative research study utilized thematic analysis of student reflection papers. One hundred students were contacted via email to provide consent to review reflection papers. Reflection papers were collected from 33 students: 11 mentees and 22 mentors. Papers were imported into NVivo qualitative analysis software and coded for themes. Participants: Thirty-three …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of A Hybrid Competency-Based Education Program In Dietetics, Kristen Heitman, Stephanie M. Fanelli, Jennifer A. Garner, Kristen M. Roberts, Marcia Nahikian-Nelms, Julie Kennel, Christopher A. Taylor

Journal of Dietetic Education

As requirements for entry-level dietitians advance to the master’s degree level, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics has published a Future Education Model (FEM). At present, FEM utilizes Competency-Based Education (CBE) for optional program implementation at early adopter demonstration sites. A limited number of CBE programs exist within the field of dietetics, and there is little published literature on its use in this arena. The present study leverages focus groups with students and interviews with faculty and preceptors to evaluate use of a novel CBE program in dietetics and explore factors that facilitate or hinder implementation of …

Challenges Of Competency Management For Dietetics Program And Internship Directors: An Application Of Design Thinking, David Gaviria, Elizabeth Chen

Journal of Dietetic Education

Objective: Dietetics education transitioned to competency-based education (CBE) in July 2022. Despite its benefits, managing competencies may be a challenging aspect of CBE for dietetics program and internship directors (PDIDs), yet it is unclear what specific aspects of competency management are difficult. Using design thinking, this study sought to capture the impact recent CBE implementation had on PDIDs by identifying specific pain points (i.e., challenges) related to competency management. The results of this work serve to document such pain points and may be used to generate solutions to address or eliminate the pain points. For example, this research can support …

Table Of Contents, Editors' Message, M Elizabeth (Beth) Miller, Diana Cuy Castellanos

Journal of Dietetic Education

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Variant Rnas Encapsidated During Bromovirus Infection By High-Throughput Sequencing, Sarah Dexheimer, Nipin Shrestha, Bandana Sharma Chapagain, Jozef J. Bujarski, Yanbin Yin

Food for Health: Publications

Previously, we described the RNA recombinants accumulating in tissues infected with the bromoviruses BMV (Brome mosaic virus) and CCMV (Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus). In this work, we characterize the recombinants encapsidated inside the purified virion particles of BMV and CCMV. By using a tool called the Viral Recombination Mapper (ViReMa) that detects recombination junctions, we analyzed a high number of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) short RNA sequence reads. Over 28% of BMV or CCMV RNA reads did not perfectly map to the viral genomes. ViReMa identified 1.40% and 1.83% of these unmapped reads as the RNA recombinants, respectively, in BMV and …

Pilot Implementation Of A Nutrition-Focused Community-Health-Worker Intervention Among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults In Permanent Supportive Housing, Jane E Hamilton, Diana C Guevara, Sara F Steinfeld, Raina Jose, Farrah Hmaidan, Sarah Simmons, Calvin W Wong, Clara Smith, Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Food insecurity is a known health equity threat for formerly chronically homeless populations even after they transition into permanent housing. This project utilized a human-centered design methodology to plan and implement a nutrition-focused community-health-worker (CHW) intervention in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The project aimed to increase access to healthy foods, improve nutritional literacy, healthy cooking/eating practices, and build community/social connectedness among 140 PSH residents. Validated food-security screening conducted by CHWs identified low or very low food security among 64% of 83 residents who completed the baseline survey, which is similar to rates found in a previous study among formerly homeless …

Meaningful Research In A Non-Thesis Master's Program: Description Of Nutritionday In A Combined Ms/Di Program, Rosa K. Hand

Faculty Scholarship

The nutritionDay research initiative, sponsored by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) since 2006, is a global effort to describe nutrition risk and nutrition interventions in hospitals and nursing homes, with the goal that increased awareness of malnutrition will lead to improved patient care.1,2 The nutritionDay coordinating center provides standardized forms that investigators at participating hospitals use to collect data from both the health record and directly from the patient.1 NutritionDay has been a successful initiative, collecting and pooling data from almost 300,000 patients across 72 countries and leading to at least 40 publications.2,3 Participation in nutritionDay …

Innovative Virtual Wellness Interventions At An Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Feasibility Study, Ritika Baweja, Michael Hayes, Aditya Joshi, Raman Baweja

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: There is generally a concerning likelihood of burnout in healthcare workers. Given the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers, our institution identified the need for wellness interventions to foster adaptive functioning and mitigate burnout. The purpose of this pilot project was to assess the feasibility of virtual holistic interventions like meditation, art, laughter therapy and dance and their impact on overall well-being of physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs).

Methods: A series of 12 virtual sessions (art therapy, dance therapy, mindfulness-based practices/meditation and laughter therapy) were offered to providers over a 6-month period. Participants completed an online survey reporting …

Antibiotic-Induced Gut Dysbiosis Elicits Gut-Brain Axis Relevant Multi-Omic Signatures And Behavioral And Neuroendocrine Changes In A Nonhuman Primate Model, Shivdeep S. Hayer, Mackenzie Conrin, Jeffrey French, Andrew K. Benson, Sophie Alvarez, Kathryn Dempsey, Anne Fischer, Zahraa Wajih Alsafwani, William Gasper, Mallory J. Suhr Van Haute, Haley R. Hassenstab, Shayda Azadmanesh, Missy Briardy, Skyler Gerbers, Aliyah Jabenis, Jennifer L. Thompson, Jonathan B. Clayton

Food for Health: Publications

Emerging evidence indicates that antibiotic-induced dysbiosis can play an etiological role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, most of this evidence comes from rodent models. The objective of this study was to evaluate if antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis can elicit changes in gut metabolites and behavior indicative of gut-brain axis disruption in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) – a nonhuman primate model often used to study sociability and stress. We were able to successfully induce dysbiosis in marmosets using a custom antibiotic cocktail (vancomycin, enrofloxacin and neomycin) administered orally for 28 days. This gut dysbiosis altered gut metabolite profiles, …

Regional Variability In The Prevalence Of Food Insecurity And Diet Quality Among United States Children, Jayna M Dave, Tzuan A Chen, Alexandra N Castro, Mamie White, Elizabeth A Onugha, Sloane Zimmerman, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Understanding the association between food security status (FSS) and diet quality in children is crucial. This study investigated regional variability in FSS, participation in the federal nutrition assistance program (FNAP), and diet quality among US children. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2013 to 2016 were analyzed. The association between FSS, FNAP participation, and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index—HEI-2015) was assessed using multiple linear/logistic regression models. The sample included 6403 children (mean age: 7.5 years; 51% male; 33% Hispanic). Within the sample, 13% reported child food insecurity, and 30% reported household food insecurity. Additionally, 90% participated in …

Examining Factors Associated With The Use Of Community Food Resources: An Application Of The Andersen Model To Inform Future Interventions, Abiodun T. Atoloye, Oluyemisi Akinsola, Melissa Murillo

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The role of the food environment in shaping nutrition and health has gained substantial attention from policymakers, public health researchers, and advocacy groups. To promote equities in food access and nutrition outcomes, understanding factors linked with the utilization of local community food resources is crucial. Using Andersen’s service utilization model, we explained how adults use their neighborhood food resources. In a cross-sectional study design, an online survey was conducted in REDCap Version 13.4.0 via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) involving 1830 adults with a mean age of 37.9 ± 12.1 years. Participants answered questions on predisposing, enabling, and need factors …

Comparison Of Energy Budget Of Cockroach Nymph (Hemimetabolous) And Hornworm (Holometabolous) Under Food Restriction, Charles J Green, Chen Hou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Animals with different life histories budget their intake energy differently when food availability is low. It has been shown previously that hornworm (larva of Manduca sexta), a holometabolous insect species with a short development stage, prioritizes growth at the price of metabolism under food restriction, but it is unclear how hemimetabolous insect species with a relatively long development period budget their intake energy under food scarcity. Here, we use orange head cockroaches (Eublaberus posticus) to investigate this question. We found that for both species under food restriction, rates of metabolism and growth were suppressed, but the degree …

The Influence Of Vitamin D On The Severity Of Depressive Symptoms In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Haley Flanagan

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

This review aims to investigate the influence vitamin D has on the severity of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Current studies have shown the potential role of vitamin D on mental health in adults, but results have been inconclusive among children. Using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL Complete, studies were selected by searching the terms “Vitamin D, depression, children and adolescents.” The inclusion criteria consisted of data over the last five years, presenting vitamin D intake or status in subjects between the ages of 2-17, and a diagnosis of depression. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria. Nine of the studies …

A Mindfulness Approach To Regulate Depressive-Associated Emotional Eating, Jillian G. Montefusco

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Depression affects 350 to 500 million people globally, with depressive-associated emotional eating (DAEE) impacting approximately 43.5% of these individuals. Depressive-associated emotional eating contributes to obesity through poor dietary choices and weight gain, leading to the projection that by 2048 all United States citizens will be overweight or obese.

Local Problem: At a Chicago weight loss center, the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire screened 75 patients, revealing that 56% (N = 42) ate more during sadness, boredom, and loneliness, and 50.7% (N = 38) ate more during depression, indicating significant DAEE.

Methods: This quasi-experimental quality improvement project uses a pre- and post-evaluation …

Exploring The Effects Of Art Therapy Interventions On Self-Evaluations Of Food Addiction: A Randomized Control Study, Dawn Fiacco

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

Processed sugar is highly addictive and associated with chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Often, people know that eating processed sugar has negative health consequences but continue to do so, possibly for emotional reasons. The gap between knowledge and behavior makes treating eating issues difficult. Art therapy is a nonverbal modality and could possibly circumvent usual rationalizations, making it an effective way to bridge the cognitive and emotional aspects of problematic eating. This randomized control, mixed methods study was conducted to examine whether a 7-week art directive program could help people with self-identified problematic …