An estimated 86 million Americans in the United States age 20 and older are classified as prediabetic. Prediabetes is defined as an individual having a higher blood sugar than normal increasing the risk for developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). T2DM is among the top ten leading causes of death in the United States and costs an estimated 245 billion dollars annually. Interventions need to take place among patients with prediabetes in order to prevent the T2DM epidemic from compounding. This study examined the effects of a six-week low carbohydrate diet on A1C values, weight and BMI, and cardiovascular markers among patients with prediabetes. A retrospective chart review examined 1,169 patients with prediabetes that met inclusion criteria from July 2013 to April 2016. Patients had completed a six-week low carbohydrate diet program with weekly clinic visits with a nurse practitioner and followed the prescribed low carbohydrate diet. A significant difference in means was found when comparing pre A1C values (M= 5.93, SD= 0.20) and post A1C values (M= 5.57, SD= 0.25); (t (1142) = 49.3, p = 0.00), pre intervention weight (M= 227.0, SD= 52.0) and post intervention weight (M = 209.5, SD = 48.0); (t (1168) = 79.3, p = 0.00), and pre BMI (M = 36.8, SD = 7.0) and post BMI (M = 34.0, SD = 6.6); (t (1168) = 77.8, p = 0.00). Additionally, statistical significance was found for cardiovascular markers including systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. These findings suggest that a low carbohydrate diet is effective at improving metabolic risk factors for prediabetes and preventing the progression to T2DM. Low carbohydrate diets should be further examined for long term effectiveness and could be recommended to patients with prediabetes in order to reverse the epidemic of T2DM.

Background: Myocardial infarction is the disease that most people die of today in Sweden. Research has shown a clear association between diet, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases and proper diet is considered to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The advocated diet has varied over the years and in recent years the Mediterranean diet is highlighted as a possible diet for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.Objective: The purpose was to investigate the effects of the Mediterranean diet in people who have suffered myocardial infarction and if the nurse can help with a positive dietary change.Method: A systematic literature study that contains 10 quantitative scientific articles. The articles were found in PubMed and Cochrane.Results: Several studies showed effects on blood lipids and changes in inflammatory markers. Reduced Body Mass Index and blood pressure occurred in several studies and also reduced fasting glucose occurred. Some of the studies presented a result where the Mediterranean diet gave greater survival and decreased morbidity and mortality. Some of the studies showed that the nurse could affect a dietary change.Conclusion: The results of the study show that the Mediterranean diet seems to have a protective effect against a number of risk factors for myocardial infarction and can be a useful diet for individuals who have survived myocardial infarction. The nurse should work to promote health and to explain and communicate important information to the patient, which may involve advice on the Mediterranean diet.

Fiber-rich (HF) diets are typically supplemented with enzymes to improve their nutritive value and to offset their negative effects on pig growth. However, studies on enzyme effect in pigs have yielded inconsistent results on nutrient digestibility and growth. Although the inconsistencies observed could be explained by differences in substrate and experimental conditions and enzyme characteristics among studies, how enzymes influence metabolic and physiological responses in pigs is still not clear. Therefore, three experiments were conducted, using 3 dietary treatments (control, HF and HF diet supplemented with enzymes), to elucidate the effects of supplementing an HF diet with enzymes in growing pigs. Experiment one investigated HF and enzyme supplementation on energy and nutrient digestibility, digesta volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and gut microbial profile in pigs. Compared with the HF diet, enzymes improved dry matter, starch, energy and some amino acid (AA), but not nitrogen digestibility. Further, the enzymes stimulated the growth of gut bacterial groups, which have xylanolytic and cellulolytic properties in the HF-fed pigs, but enzymes did not influence digesta VFA concentration or fiber fermentation. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of enzyme supplementation on growth performance, glucose uptake in jejunum tissue samples mounted in Ussing chambers, and intestinal nutrient transporter mRNA levels in pigs. Diet had no effect on feed intake and jejunal glucose uptake. The enzymes influenced nutrient transporter mRNA levels but did not improve pig growth rate and feed efficiency relative to the HF diet. The third experiment investigated the effect of supplementing the HF diet with enzymes on postprandial portal vein-drained viscera (PDV) nutrient fluxes and energy expenditure (measured as O2 consumption) by the PDV and whole-animal in pigs. Diet had no effect on energy expenditure. The HF diet reduced portal glucose, VFA and essential AA absorption and insulin production. Enzyme supplementation improved portal glucose and VFA absorption, but not essential AA absorption and insulin production. Overall, improvements in nutrient utilization due to enzyme supplementation did not improve the growth rate of pigs, which appears to be due to the lack of enzyme effect on essential AA and energy use by the PDV and insulin production / October 2016

The high incidence rate of type II diabetes mellitus (type II DM) among Mexican American families in the South Texas region has contributed to disproportionately high medical costs, early death, and high comorbidity with depression. Certain factors have been previously associated with depression and type II DM. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate and describe whether selected variables contribute to Mexican American risk for depression when diagnosed with type II DM. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this exploratory study investigated whether acculturation, health behavioral belief, diet, and/or physical exercise adequately predicted depression among Mexican Americans who were diagnosed with type II DM (n = 103). The data were obtained from surveys completed by participants. The construct of acculturation was measured by the Short Acculturation Scale, health behavioral belief was measured by the Diabetes Health Belief Scale, diet and physical exercise was measured by a summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities, and depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory - II. An exploratory stepwise multiple regression was used to generate an initial predictive equation based on the statistical contribution of one or more of the predictor variables. The findings revealed lack of physical exercise as a significant predictor of depression among participants. The social implications of this study are that it may help improve understanding of the psychiatric challenges that accompany type II DM and provide a better understanding among Mexican Americans of the connection between physical exercise and depression when screening and treating patients with type II DM. Subsequently, patients may receive more targeted screenings and holistic care, which will contribute to better medical care treatment and management.

This dissertation addresses how Victorian class hierarchy persisted on the frontier, and manifested in aspects of military life at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Historians have argued that Victorian culture was omnipresent, but forts were located on the frontier, which was removed from the cultural core. While social status differences were a central aspect of Victorian culture, few studies have investigated how resilient class divisions were in differing landscapes. The U.S. western frontier was a landscape of conflict, and under the continual stress of potential violence, it is possible that Victorian social status differences weakened. While status differences in the military were primarily signaled through rank insignia and uniforms, this research focuses on subtle everyday inequalities, such as diet and pet dogs. Three independent lines of evidence from Fort Laramie, Wyoming (1849–1890) suggest that Victorian social status differences did persist despite the location. The Rustic Hotel (1876–1890), a private hotel at Fort Laramie, served standardized Victorian hotel dishes, which could be found in urban upper-class hotels. Within the military, the upper-class officers dined on the best cuts of beef, hunted prestige game birds, and supplemented their diet with sauger/walleye fish. Enlisted men consumed poorer cuts of beef, hunted smaller game mammals, and caught catfish. Officers also owned well-bred hunting dogs, which were integrated into the family. In contrast, a company of enlisted men frequently adopted a communal mongrel as a pet. This project increases our knowledge of the everyday life on the frontier and social relationships between officers and enlisted men in the U.S. Army. It also contributes to a larger understanding of Victorian culture class differences in frontier regions.

Food supply has been suggested as the main determinant of reproductive success in birds. Riparian species can take advantage of seasonal pulses of both terrestrial and aquatic prey, though aquatic resources are often overlooked in studies of diet and reproductive ecology. This study investigates the flux of both aquatic (mayfly) and terrestrial (caterpillar) prey resources and nestling diet of the Prothonotary Warbler throughout the breeding season in two eastern Virginia sites. One site had significantly higher aquatic prey (mayfly) availability. Nestling diet was generally reflective of prey availability, and nestlings grew faster at the site with high aquatic prey availability. At the site with low aquatic prey availability, nestling growth rates and condition were positively correlated with the amount of aquatic prey in the diet. Our results provide evidence that aquatic subsidies are an important resource for nestlings, and are crucial to understanding the breeding ecology of riparian species.

Creatinine is a metabolic waste product, removed from the blood by the kidneys, and excreted in the urine. The measurement of creatinine is used in the assessment and monitoring of many medical conditions as well as in the determination or adjustment of absorbed dosage of pesticides. Earlier models to predict 24-hour urinary creatinine used ordinary least squares regression and assumed that the subjects' observations were uncorrelated. However, many of these studies had repeated creatinine measurements for each of their subjects. Repeated measures on the same subject frequently are correlated. Using data from the NIOSH-CDC "Pesticide Dose Monitoring in Turf Applicators" study, this thesis project built a model to predict 24-hour urinary creatinine using the Mixed Model methodology. A covariance structure, that permitted multiple observations for any one individual to be correlated, was identified and utilized. The predictive capabilities of this model were then compared to the earlier models investigated.

My thesis deals with the study of the population of the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) on a wintering place in Kladno - Kročehlavy. I mention numbers, arrivals and departures of the Long-eared Owl during the years 2013-2015 and the influence of abiotic factors on these results. I also deal with ringing and recoveries of these owls in the territory of Kladno. I verify the hypothesis of the influence of warm weather, rainfall and snow cover on the representation of small mammals and birds species in the diet of the Long-eared Owl in this thesis. In addition, my thesis is devoted to the analysis of methodology and species identification in food of the Long-eared Owl by skulls and pelvic bones. In my thesis, when determining the type of small mammals I deal with sexing of Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) and Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) of the pelvic bones. According to bone fragments of the pelvis dominant representation of male Common Voles and Wood Mouse in a certain period of winter was investigated. On the basis of the obtained results I have compiled charts and tables and I have compared them with previous research from the years 2006 - 2012 in the same study area in Kladno - Kročehlavy. Keywords: Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), diet, weather, Common Vole (Microtus arvalis), Wood Mouse (Apodemus...

This thesis is focused on catering for pupils with celiac disease in school canteens. The first part, the theoretical one, deals with the disease itself; it gives basic information about the disease, its history, main symptoms, anatomy of healthy digestive system, and the most common health problems occurring when suffering from celiac disease. At the end of the theoretical part diagnosis of the disease is described as well as suitable and unsuitable diet food for celiac and food legislation. The practical part is a survey focused on catering for pupils with celiac disease at selected elementary schools. The survey was conducted in two regions in Valašské Meziříčí and in Prague. In the final part of my thesis special gluten-free menus for schools are suggested. The pedagogical outcome of my thesis is a lecture on celiac disease which can be held at elementary school s to help pupils find out basic information about this disease.

Title: Designing eating plans for women and men suffering from overweight. Objectives: Show an importance of lifestyle changes, a modification of diet habits and an inclusion of physical activities in overweight or obesity therapy. Find which aspects made positive influence to the state. Methods: The study selected five women and five men suffering from overweight. None of them did not operate or operate professionally or competitively any sports. Selected men and women would like to change your lifestyle and this study they had to be developed. I put probands and their questions about their past activities, health and relationship with food. In addition, I measured using bioelectrical impedance and tailoring meter. The last parameter that interested me was the weight, which I measured using scales. Based on all the identified model parameters was compiled weekly individual eating plan and recommended physical activity. The study lasted six months, during which I attended probands and continuously measured them. After 180 days was made final assessment of the impact of changes in eating habits to influence overweight and obesity. Results: The study demonstrate that physical activities, diet changes and lifestyle changes have a big influence on overweight or obesity fight. Keywords: obesity,...