Purpose Due to ease of access to nutritional misinformation, it becomes difficult for the public to identify credible and current information. Adding to this, many individuals have not learned how to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy information sources (Wansink, 2006). This study investigated the preferred sources of nutrition information by FSU students, reasons for their preference, their belief in the reliability of these sources, students’ confidence in their ability to find credible nutrition related information. Methods Internet surveys were distributed using Qualtrics to students over 18 years old at Florida State University. Surveys were emailed to students through departmental emails and word of mouth. Data collection was completed through Qualtrics. Data analysis was completed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software for Windows, Version 25.0. released in 2017. Results 293 student participants (24.6% males and 75.1% females) were included in this study from at least 8 different areas of study. The top three most preferred nutrition information sources were Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest) (12.4%), Medical Doctors (9.4%), and Nutritionists (7.6%). The most important reasons for selecting preferred sources of nutrition information included: credibility (50.17%), convenience (31.7%), and possible effectiveness (9.6%). The most credible nutrition information sources were shown to be Registered Dietitians (87.7%), Nutritionists (81.9%) and Medical Doctors (77.8%). The least credible sources of nutrition information were Celebrities (34.8%), Social Media (27.9%), and Television (25.3%). The sources which were considered to be backed by sufficient research all of the time included: Registered Dietitians (63.1%), Nutritionists (58.4%) and Medical Doctors (52.7%). Social media was one of the least credible sources and the least likely to have information backed up by sufficient research. 90.8% of the participants in this study were at least somewhat confident of their ability to find credible nutrition information. Only 6.8% of participants have passed a nutrition course in college. This group of individuals valued credibility no more than the rest of the participants. Conclusion The students studied were confident in their own ability to find credible nutrition information sources and viewed credibility of information as the most important reason when it comes to choosing nutrition information sources. They are aware of the unreliable information they get from their most preferred source which is social media, and of the availability of more reliable nutrition information sources. However, students do not choose to use sources with information supported by sufficient research, the reason for which was not explored. Further research to explore the cause of this behavior and incongruous thinking is recommended. Every college student should have evidence-based nutrition and health education. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / 2019 / April 19, 2019. / College Students, Health Literacy, Information Credibility, Nutrition, Nutrition Information Sources, Nutrition Misinformation / Includes bibliographical references. / Maria Spicer, Professor Directing Thesis; Ming Cui, Committee Member; Bahram Arjmandi, Committee Member.

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death among all age-related diseases. One potential way to attenuate aging is to reduce the accumulation of aging cells, also called senescent cells. Our lab previously reported that zinc overload and deletion of zinc transporters contribute to senescence development in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Autophagy, a protective mechanism removing dysfunctional organelles and proteins, has been reported to delay senescence development. However, it is unknown whether the upregulation of autophagy by zinc and zinc transporters is required for the inhibition of senescence. Additionally, p62, an autophagy adaptor degraded through autophagy, has been reported to attenuate senescence in mice. However, it remains unknown whether p62 levels are regulated by zinc or zinc transporters. In this dissertation, we found that in HEK293 cells, zinc stimulated autophagy and inhibited proteasome degradation. However, p62 level was increased by zinc. Zinc changed the location of p62 and protected p62 from degradation. Similarly, overexpression of zinc transporters (ZnT), especially ZnT3, stimulated autophagy and increased the p62 level. Additionally, ZnT3 interacted with p62 and protected p62 from degradation pathways. In vascular smooth muscle cells isolated from aortas of mice (MASMs), zinc and overexpression of ZnT3 also upregulated autophagy. Lack of ZnT3 or p62 in MASMs contributed to defective autophagy and increased senescence. Similarly, ZnT3-/- mice present a higher senescence level and an increased level of p62, suggesting that autophagy is downregulated in ZnT3-/- mice. Male ApoE-/-ZnT3-/- mice fed with high fat diet (HFD) had more plaque suggesting ZnT3 is important in atherosclerosis in the male. However, atherosclerosis level was not affected by HFD in female ApoE-/-ZnT3-/- mice. Overall, in this dissertation, we uncovered a new role of ZnT3 as a critical regulator of autophagy, vascular senescence, and atherosclerosis. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / June 14, 2018. / Autophagy, Vascular Senescence, Zinc, Zinc transporters / Includes bibliographical references. / Gloria Salazar, Professor Directing Dissertation; Cathy W. Levenson, University Representative; Bahram H. Arjmandi, Committee Member; Shridhar K. Sathe, Committee Member.

Seventy-five processed and prepared foods commonly consumed in the United States were analyzed for pantothenic acid. The foods were analyzed using the traditional microbiological assay for the vitamin and using a new radioimmunoassay (RIA). The preparation of food sample extracts for both assays was modified. After the food samples underwent enzyme hydrolysis, the food-enzyme mixture was dialyzed to obtain a clear extract for use in the assays. Previously, the food-enzyme mixture was poured through filter paper for clarification. A very high correlation (r2= .937) between the results from the RIA and the microbiological assay was found. There was a statistically significant difference between the two assay results for all foods and for the subgroups meats, breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables at p = .05. At p = .01, all foods and the subgroup of meats had significantly differences between the microbiological assay results and RIA results. Breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables did not have significantly different results between the two assay methods at p = .01. For a11 foods and a11 subgroups, the microbiological assay produced a higher mean result than the RIA. The RIA is an acceptable assay for pantothenic acid in breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables. Further study is needed to determine if the microbiological assay or the RIA provides the truest picture of the pantothenic acid content of animal tissues. Findings from the assay of 75 foods are reported, with results from both assays expressed as milligrams of pantothenic acid per 100 grams of food, milligrams of pantothenic acid per serving, and milligrams of pantothenic acid per 1,000 ki1ocalories of food.

The entry-level clinical dietitian must possess competencies in the area of communications and in the process of education. Training and practice in these areas, as related to the profession of dietetics, must be provided during the professional phase of the dietetic student's training. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a course for the Coordinated Undergraduate Medical Dietetics Program at Utah State University. This course, entitled Education in Clinical Dietetics, was added to the junior year fall quarter curriculum. The ten-week course combined didactic and lab experiences to provide the students with a thorough background in communicating and educating. The course content was primarily derived from the expansion of topics that were previously taught in other CUP courses. Data from a Needs Assessment Survey of former USU CUP graduates revealed a need for additional training in all aspects of the process of educating at all levels. Specific areas identified as being in need of further emphasis included planning, developing and evaluating educational materials and programs. The new course was evaluated at the end of the student's junior year in the USU CUP. Specific recommendations for course revision were made to the USU CUP director and faculty. The recommendations regarding future modification of this component in the USU CUP were based .on the past graduates' needs assessment evaluations, the current students' evaluations and faculty evaluation of the students' performance as a result of the additional course. It was concluded that the inclusion of the new education course into the CUP curriculum combined with added emphasis on the education component throughout the USU CUP could result in the goal of the research to enhance this component and better meet the current needs of dietetic practitioners in the areas under study.

The effects of acidification, low temperature, high oxygen concentration, and rotenone on the color of dark colored beef muscle were determined by use of the Hunter color difference meter. Pre-rigor and dark cutting muscle homogenates bloomed (turned bright red) in the presence of low pH or rotenone. Dark cutting homogenates also bloomed at low temperature. Pre-rigor and dark cutting muscle slices turned bright red at low temperature in an oxygen atmosphere. In dark cutting beef muscle however, low temperature was sufficient to cause the development of bloom. Factors which inhibit mitochondrial respiration influence the development of bloom in dark colored muscle by allowing myoglobin at exposed surfaces to remain oxygenated. The formation of oxymyoglobin results in the development of the bright red, typical post-rigor meat color.

During the last 10 years, much emphasis has been placed on the importance of breakfast for people of all ages. Nutritionists have pointed out that persons who eat a hearty breakfast show fewer signs of mid-morning fatigue, have or develop better work habits, and do not get as hungry as those who eat little or no breakfast. Many people do not realize the importance of starting the day with a good breakfast. The 12 to 13 hour fast which the body undergoes from the evening meal until breakfast time requires the consumption of an adequate breakfast. Many poor breakfasts may be attributed to either failure to take the time to eat, or to not understanding the necessity of an adequate breakfast. Nationwide surveys report that a large number of adolescents and adults fail to receive the recommended 1/4 to 1/3 of their caloric and nutrient needs at breakfast. A basic breakfast pattern has been developed to aid in planning an adequate breakfast that will supply 1/4 to 1/3 of the calories and other nutrients needed each day. It includes fruit, cereal and/or egg, milk, bread and butter, yet it allows for a wide variation in menus. it is economical and can be easy to prepare. A breakfast of these foods insures one of less morning fatigue and better feeling during the morning and all day long. Studies show that breakfast is the most frequently missed meal. Many of the subjects who did not eat breakfast had a total day's intake that was classified as poor. Eating two meals a day failed to make up for the deficiency in nutrients. Breakfast consumption shows a direct relationship to the diet score, proof of the fact omitting breakfast is a poor start for the day. At the ages when an individual needs a larger intake of calories and nutrients, many times there is an actual decrease in the intake of nutritions food. The adolescents are noted for this inverse relationship between their nutritive needs and their actual intake. Galloway and Wilcox (1954), in a Utah study of school children, found that the breakfast meal did not furnish the recommended 1/4 to 1/3 of the day's allowance of calories and many of the other nutrients. The noon and evening meals furnished a larger percentage of most nutrients to their diets. The number of children in the study by Galloway, et al., (1954) was somewhat limited. To obtain a better picture of Utah school children's breakfast habits, 799 dietary records on file in the Foods and Nutrition Laboratory and 495 records collected this school year (1956-57) were evaluated. The objective of the present study was to determine the adequacy of breakfasts of approximately 1,000 school children.

The objective of the study was to ascertain whether some infant formulas provide sufficient amounts of manganese and copper for adequate nutrition, Twelve piglets, within the first week of life, were divided by sex, litter and weight into two treatment groups. Both groups received concentrated Isomil a soy-based infant formula and distilled water ad libitum. Isomil was analyzed and found to contain 1.05ppm manganese and .98ppm copper. The supplemented group received an additional 30.6mg manganese and 6.76mg copper per can (388m1) of concentrated Isomil. Weight gains we re not significantly different. Manganese and copper levels were significantly greater in the livers of the supplemented group. The supplemented group also had significantly higher manganese and zinc in femurs. These were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum copper and manganese were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with a graphite furnace. The supplemented group had a significantly higher serum manganese and copper at the end of the study than the unsupplemented group. Within a group, the unsupplemented group had a significantly higher serum manganese and the supplemented group had a significantly higher serum copper in week five versus week one. No significant differences or lesions were found upon histopathological examination of spinal cord and rib tissue from the piglets. Birth weight, two month and six month weight, and serum levels of copper and manganese from human infants fed breast milk versus Similac were studied. Serum copper was significantly greater at two months, and serum manganese was significantly greater at six months in the breast-fed infants. Although no clinical deficiency symptoms were observed in the infant pigs, tissue levels were significantly decreased in the unsupplemented group. The significantly greater se rum copper and manganese levels of the breast-fed infants may be related to different bioavailability of these minerals from breast milk versus Similac or other infant formulas. Many marginal deficiencies probably go undetected. It is recommended that infant formulas contain a minimum concentration of manganese and copper which will provide infants of 0 - 6 months of age with .5 - .7mg/day, to meet the current estimated safe and adequate recommendations.

A considerable amount of research has been conducted concerning the characteristics of people who are in favor of fluoridation . However, there is little information available as to what the electorate really knows about fluoride when they are forced to vote on this scientific issue. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the general public's level of knowledge about fluoride, to discover what sources of information have been the greatest influence on their opinion and knowledge about fluoride, and to estimate the level of participation of dentists, general practitioners, pediatricians, and gynecologists in the education of Utahns about the use of fluoride as related to human health. The results of this investigation revealed that the general public greatly lacks the necessary information about fluoride to vote intelligently upon the issue of fluoridation. Television, dentists, magazines, and newspapers respectively were found to have the greatest influence on the public's opinion and knowledge about fluoride. It was also determined that 68 percent of the dentists practicing in Utah provide dental health education for their patients, but that their programs are not as effective as they could be. In addition, even though 80 percent of the pediatricians, general practitioners, and gynecologists practicing in Utah are involved in educating their patients about fluoride, the general public does not consider the physician as a major source of information about fluoride. A statistical analysis of the data from the knowledge questionnaire revealed a significant relationship between education, age, sources of information and level of knowledge about fluoride.

Methods of roasting frozen turkeys were evaluated to determine the optimum final internal temperature (71,77, or 82°C), the best low oven temperature method (foil tent vs roasting bag at 93,107, 121, and 135°c), and the best overall method (foil tent-121 °c, foil tent-163°C, roasting bag-163°c, foil wrap-232°C). The lower the final internal temperature the juicier and more tender the bird however, the 77°c final internal temperature is recommended because at the 71°c internal temperature, the thigh joint was unacceptably pink. Among the low oven temperature methods, birds roasted at 121°c received the highest average sensory scores. Birds roasted by the 163°c oven with a foil tent covering method received acceptable sensory scores, favorable comments from the panelists, and inoculated birds roasted by this method were sterile. Therefore this method was chosen as the best overall method for roasting whole unstuffed frozen turkeys. The low oven temperature method produced also produced an acceptable turkey from a sensory standpoint, but the thigh joint was judged to be "uncooked" and therefore unacceptable. The roasting bag method was judged low for both appearance and palatablity attributes. Survival of Salmonella typhimurium was al so highest on birds roasted in a bag. The high oven temperature method was given 1 ow palatability scores, and survival of Salmonella typhimurium was also observed on birds roasted by this method.

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate nutrition educational lessons and instructional materials based on the Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ). INQ is a graphic, nutrient density concept. The lessons and instructional materials were used in the nutrition education of pregnant women in the WIC Program. Six nutrition lessons were written utilizing the INQ concept. Lesson one emphasized the importance of the WIC supplemental foods and the recommended number of servings from the basic four food groups during pregnancy. Lessons two through six concerned the importance of the following nutrients during pregnancy: calcium, protein, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Six pamphlets were also designed to be used with each corresponding lesson. The pamphlets were composed of pictures and INQ bar charts simply written to convey ideas taught in each lesson. Nutrition counseling sessions were conducted for two groups of pregnant WIC recipients. The women in group one attended two individual nutritional counseling sessions while those in group two attended two group nutrition sessions. A questionnaire (including a twenty-four hour recall) and nutrition quiz were given to each client at sessions one and two. The twenty-four hour recalls measured quality of the participants diets prior to and following a nutrition counseling session based on the INQ concept. Nutrition quizzes tested nutrition knowledge of concepts illustrated by INQ graphs before and following two nutrition counseling sessions. Data obtained were analyzed to test for statistical significance. Paired t-tests indicated that mean totals for percent of standard (RDA's for pregnant women) for five nutrients analyzed in the recalls were significantly greater at recall two. Mean INQ total scores for the five nutrients were considered adequate at recall one. These scores did not improve from recall one to recall two. There was no difference between groups one and two for any of these results as determined by analysis of variance. There was also a significant increase in the percent of standard (RDA) and INQ value in recall two for the individual nutrient taught at session one. Paired t-tests revealed that there were significant improvements in total quiz scores from pre-test to post-test. Again, there was no difference between groups one and two as determined by analysis of variance. In conclusion, a nutrition education program based on the INQ concept was effective in improving the percentages of the RDA met in a dietary recall for five nutrients as well as nutrition knowledge of two groups of pregnant WIC recipients. The designed education program provides a graphic, easy-to-understand, and individualized approach. This is one solution to the need for new and effective WIC nutrition education methods.