Blueberries and Blackberries are two rich resources of polyphenols, such as anthocyanin, phenolic acid, and hydrolysable tannins. Their polyphenols have been proved to contain a high capacity of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation. The polyphenol extracts of blueberries and blackberries have been shown to inhibit the LPS-stimulated inflammation condition through down-regulation of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In this study, RAW 264.7 macrophages were used as osteoclast precursors to test the cell viability and osteoclast differentiation under 100 ng/ml LPS-stimulated inflammatory conditions. Cells were treated with blueberry and blackberry polyphenol extracts at doses of 0, 10, 50, 250, 500 μg/ml. LPS showed a strong inhibition of cell viability (P < 0.0001). A protection of cell viability from both blueberry and blackberry polyphenol extracts were observed. Multinucleated cells, which were considered as differentiated osteoclasts, were observed with the presence of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL). LPS enhanced the formation of osteoclasts as expected. However, cell cultures treated with 500 μg/ml of blueberry or blackberry polyphenol extracts had a significantly lower number of multinucleated cells in comparison to LPS-treated groups (62.75 and 120.39%, respectively). At the same time, the size of osteoclasts was found to decrease. LPS significantly enhanced the production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW264.7 macrophages (P < 0.0001). While blueberry polyphenols extracts exhibited no effect on NO production blackberry polyphenol extract at a dose of 10 μg/ml inhibited NO production by 18% (P = 0.0093) when compare to LPS-stimulated cells. 10 and 500 μg/ml blackberry polyphenol extracts exhibited a significantly stronger effect on NO production than blueberry extracts (P = 0.0055, P = 0.012, respectively). Collectively, our data demonstrate that blueberry and blackberry polyphenol extracts protect macrophages under the LPS-stimulated inflammatory condition. Both of them effectively inhibit the differentiation of osteoclasts. / A Thesis submitted to the Department to Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 25, 2013. / Blackberry, Blueberry, Osteoclast, RAW 264.7 macrophage / Includes bibliographical references. / Bahram H. Arjmandi, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeong-Su Kim, Committee Member; Yun-Hwa P. Hsieh, Committee Member; Robert J. Contreras, Committee Member.

Arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity [PWV]) and endothelial dysfunction contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is currently afflicting millions of individuals. The use of the amino acid L-citrulline has been suggested as a potential aid for the treatment of CVD by increasing endothelial production of Nitric Oxide (NO). Whole body vibration (WBV) is new and effective form of exercise that is feasible for clinical populations and has been proven to decrease BP and arterial stiffness and increase muscle mass and strength. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if the combination of WBV training (WBVT) plus L-citrulline supplementation would induce positive additive effects and would be an effective means to ameliorate arterial stiffness, endothelial function, BP and muscle strength/mass in postmenopausal women. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was threefold. 1) to evaluate the effects of 8 weeks of WBVT combined with L-citrulline supplementation on hemodynamics and arterial function, 2) to evaluate the effects of WBVT combined with L-citrulline supplementation on muscle mass and strength, and 3) to measure endothelial function by assessing plasma NOx in order to examine the potential mechanisms by which WBVT and/or L-citrulline, decreases BP, arterial stiffness and wave reflection. METHODS: Forty-one postmenopausal women (age, 58 ± 3 years, body mass index; 34 ± 2 kg/m2) were randomized into 3 experimental intervention groups, L-citrulline, WBVT+L-citrulline and WBVT+Placebo for 8 weeks. WBVT consisted of 3 supervised training sessions a week. In regards to supplementation, subjects used 6 grams/day of oral L-citrulline or Placebo (maltodextrin). Brachial systolic BP (SBP), brachial diastolic BP (DBP), brachial mean arterial pressure (MAP), brachial pulse pressure (PP),aortic SBP, aortic DBP, aortic MAP, aortic PP, heart rate, augmented pressure (AP), augmentation index (AIx), AIx adjusted to 75 beats per minute (AIx@75), carotid-femoral PWV (aortic PWV), brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV), femoral-ankle PWV (legPWV), plasma NO metabolites (NOx), leg fat mass (FM), arm FM, total FM, leg lean mass (LM), arm LM, total LM, leg strength and arm strength were measured before and after 8 weeks of the assigned intervention. RESULTS: The WBVT+L-citrulline group significantly decreased (-0.9 ± 0.2 m/sec, p< .05) aortic PWV compared with no changes after WBVT+Placebo and L-citrulline groups. The WBVT+L-citrulline and WBVT+Placebo significantly decreased (p< .01) AIx and AIx @75 compared to baseline. However, the change in AIx@75 in the WBVT+L-citrulline was significantly (-10 ± 2%, p< .05) different compared with no changes in the L-citrulline group. In addition, the WBVT+L-citrulline and WBVT+Placebo groups significantly increased (p< .01) leg strength and this increase was significantly different than the no change seen after L-citrulline. All 3 groups significantly (p< .05) decreased BSBP,BDBP, BMAP, ASBP, ADBP, AMAP, AP, NOx, leg PWV and baPWV compare to baseline, but no difference among groups was found. Leg LM significantly increased (0.9 ± 0.3 Kg, p< .05) in the WBVT+L-citrulline only, but this change was not different than the other groups. Arm strength, leg FM, arm FM, total FM, arm LM, total LM were not significantly (p>.05) affected by any of the 3 interventions CONCLUSION: We showed that WBVT combined with L-citrulline supplementation decreases both brachial and aortic BP, legPWV, baPWV and AIx but does not amplify these changes compared to the other interventions. The present study demonstrates that the combination of WBVT and L-citrulline supplementation decreases aortic PWV, an effect that was not accomplished by either intervention alone. In addition, the combination of WBVT and L-citrulline supplementation decreases AIx@75, which was significantly different than the L-citrulline group. Furthermore, an increase in leg lean mass was observed with the combination treatment. In conclusion, WBVT combined with L-citrulline supplementation may be a feasible adjuvant treatment to decrease arterial dysfunction and may have a potential role in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Further research is warranted in order to evaluate the effects of the combination of WBVT and L-citrulline in different populations at increased cardiovascular and sarcopenic risk. / 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. / Spring Semester, 2014. / February 20, 2014. / Arterial Stiffness, Endothelial Function, Whole Body Vibration / Includes bibliographical references. / Arturo Figueroa, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gershon Tenebaum, University Representative; Michael Ormsbee, Committee Member; Maria Spicer, Committee Member.

Polyphenolic-rich fruits and vegetables have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Cornus officinalis (CO) are berries found predominantly in China and Korea and have been used in Eastern herbal medicine and tonics for over 2,000 years. Their main chemical components include phenolic acids and anthocyanins. There is a paucity of research exploring the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols extracted from CO, thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of CO extract (COE) on inflammatory molecules including nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. CO was extracted using methanol and total polyphenolic content (TPC) was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Macrophages were treated with different doses of COE (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 µg/ml) two hours prior to stimulation with 100 ng/ml of LPS. Medium was collected for NO and TNF-α analysis and the cytosolic fractions were collected to assess levels of COX-1 and COX-2. TPC of COE was 1,872.8 ppm with anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid being the most abundant polyphenols found in COE. COE at doses of 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml were able to significantly decrease NO levels in comparison to LPS with no significant decreases in TNF-α levels observed. COE at a dose of 400 µg/ml caused a 4.5-fold decrease, though not significant, in the levels of COX-2 when compared to LPS. No effects of COE were observed in the levels of COX-1. The results of this study indicate that COE is rich in polyphenols that possess anti-inflammatory properties suggesting that they may be an effective alternative and/or complementary therapy to prevent inflammation. / 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. / Summer Semester, 2014. / June 27, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / Bahram H. Arjmandi, Professor Directing Thesis; Peggy Hsieh, Committee Member; Mark J. Kasper, Committee Member; Cathy Levenson, Committee Member.

It is well known that chronic resistance exercise training (RET) generates increases in muscular strength and that a variety of factors influence these gains, including neurological adaptations. Neurological adaptations to RET are a result of changes in motor programs, therefore it would be expected that variables which optimize motor learning would result in a higher amount of acquisition of skill and strength during the early stages of training. While this has been researched in some areas, one aspect of motor learning that has yet to be looked at in RET is blocked versus random practice. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of blocked versus random practice during the implementation of an RET program to see which form of practice is better for skill acquisition and for strength gains. METHODS: Twenty four healthy, college-aged males (n=15) and females (n=9) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: Control, blocked practice (BP), and random practice (RP). Individuals in the treatment conditions performed the bench press as well as dart-throwing with their non-dominant arm in either a BP or RP format during a 4-week training program. One repetition maximum (1RM) strength and movement component checklist scores were used to assess the acquisition of strength and skill of the bench press. Dart-throwing performance was also measured by calculating the constant error (CE) and variable error (VE) of the scores during the testing period. Measurements were taken at pretest, 1 week, 2 weeks, posttest, and at a retention test 9 days after the posttest. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: Strength increased significantly from pretest values in all groups but there were no differences in 1RM strength among groups. In the BP group, checklist scores were significantly higher than the control group at 1 week (12 ± 1 vs. 9 ± 2) and 2 weeks (12 ± 2 vs. 8 ± 3). In the RP group, checklist scores were also significantly higher compared to the control at 1 week (11 ± 2 vs. 9 ± 2) and 2 weeks (12 ±1 vs. 8 ± 3). Additionally, checklist scores were significantly higher in RP than control during the posttest (13 ± 0.5 vs. 9 ± 3) and retention test (12 ± 0.7 vs. 9 ± 3). There were no differences in scores between BP and RP. There were no differences between groups in CE and VE scores. CONCLUSIONS: RP seemed to cause a higher retention of the bench press movement after training that was absent in the other conditions, but there is insufficient evidence at this time to conclude that one form of practice was superior to the other in terms of the acquisition of skill or strength of the free weight bench press. / 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. / Spring Semester, 2011. / April 4, 2011. / 1RM, Checklist, Motor Learning, Strength, Skill Acquisition, Random Practice / Includes bibliographical references. / Lynn Panton, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeong-Su Kim, Committee Member; David Eccles, Committee Member.

Sports marketing programs yielding significant economic benefits have been in place for a number of years at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institutions, in professional sports venues, and in community development programs. Research indicates a paucity of sports sponsorship arrangements for mid-size and small college institutions and businesses in contiguous communities. This study applied exchange theory, as described in the field of business administration in the compilation of economic impact information to include spending amounts for visiting athletic teams competing in the Pensacola, Florida area. Data from the Sports Team Travel Survey was shared with randomly selected businesses and not shared with a control group of businesses. The effects of economic impact information on the attitudes of potential sports sponsors were then assessed to gain a better understanding of the decision-making processes. An analysis of the data depicted significant differences (p< .05) with group one displaying more-favorable attitudes about sponsorship potentialities as a function of accessibility to economic impact information portraying commercial benefits. The emphasis upon commercial benefits, as contrasted to patronage and philanthropic motives, supported the work of Abratt, Clayton, and Pitt (1987); Gratton and Taylor (1985); McCarville and Copeland (1994) and others defining sponsorship as an investment in cash return for exploitable commercial potential associated with an activity. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sport Management, Recreation Management and Physical Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2004. / August 19, 2004. / Intercollegiate Athletics, Sport Economic Impact, Sponsorship, Sport Marketing, Exchange Theory / Includes bibliographical references. / Michael Mondello, Professor Directing Dissertation; Joseph Beckham, Outside Committee Member; Aubrey Kent, Committee Member; Cecile Reynaud, Committee Member.

Menstrual status is known to influence thermoregulation, and fluid loss during exercise/heat stress may vary at different stages of the ovarian cycle in healthy women. It has been established that the steroid hormones, estrogen and progesterone, have an effect on fluid and electrolyte balance, and that there is a tendency toward significant free water retention during the luteal phase when estrogen levels are high. These findings raise questions of whether there is an acute effect of endogenous hormone status on fluid balance, and whether hydration during exercise is affected by the phase of the menstrual cycle. PURPOSE: To determine whether ad libitum fluid intake during exercise induced sweat loss varies over the course of the normal menstrual cycle. METHODS: Seven eumenorrheic (31±2 d) females (22±1 yrs) underwent 3 exercise/rest trials (treadmill walking at 3% grade, 30-35% VO2max, 30 min•h-1 followed by 30 min of sitting during a 3 h period in 36°C, rh 50-70%) representing different stages of the menstrual cycle. Trials were undertaken 3 (menses) and 8-10 d (midfollicular) after the onset of menstrual bleeding, and 7-9 d following the LH peak (midluteal) over 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. RESULTS: Total fluid intake was similar in all phases; 978 ± 195.9 ml during menses; 1136.7 ± 338.7 ml during follicular; 1282.9 ± 473.7 ml during luteal. Stomach fullness ratings were higher during the luteal phase (6 ± 0.4) compared to the follicular (4 ± 0.5) and menses phases (3 ± 0.5, P < 0.05). There was no significant menstrual cycle phase effect on perceived thirst ratings, plasma vasopressin concentrations, Serum osmolarity, plasma volume, or fluid loss across experimental days. CONCLUSIONS: Ad libitum replacement of exercise induced fluid losses is not affected by the normal menstrual cycle in healthy young women. / 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. / Spring Semester, 2011. / November 10, 2010. / Thermoregulation, Exercise Performance, Body Fluid Balance, Hydration, Exercise, Menstrual Cycle / Includes bibliographical references. / Emily M. Haymes, Professor Directing Dissertation; J. Michael Overton, Committee Member; Lisa A. Eckel, Committee Member.

BRUMS scores, also did not correlate with season wins. There is not enough evidence to conclude that the overall mood of the GWL group was different from RWL athletes, nor is there enough evidence regarding their mood to explain their lower winning percentage. BRUMS trends remained constant over the season collection periods, indicating that athletes likely maintained their chosen weight loss practices throughout the season. The negative relationship between this NCAA sanctioned weight loss practice and performance indicates that the NCAA weight management program and current dieting habits of collegiate wrestlers stand to be improved. / 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. / Summer Semester, 2011. / July 5, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Maria Spicer, Professor Directing Thesis; Michael Ormsbee, Committee Member; Robert Eklund, Committee Member.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the osteopromotive property of allogenic demineralized dentin matrix (allogenic DDM) using a rabbit model of surgical bone defect. Alveolar bone deficiency is a major problem in the treatment of traumatic injuries, periodontal diseases, tumor resections, and also in some cosmetic/constructive surgeries. Orthopedics and dentistry are the major fields of medicine dealing with bone deficiency and bone grafts. There are different kinds of grafts and biomaterials being used for bone regeneration that are neither cost effective nor free of complications. Therefore, introducing an improved and feasible bone regenerative material is of great importance. Although DDM as an autograft has been shown to accelerate bone regeneration, it may not be practical in certain cases. In order to obtain the autogenous DDM, one needs to sacrifice his/her own healthy tooth to rebuild bone, and obviously this is not possible in edentulous patients. To overcome this concern, it is best to utilize teeth that are extracted from other individuals (due to orthodontic treatments or wisdom teeth extractions, which are routinely discarded) to make an appropriate bone regenerative material, allogenic DDM. Based on our preliminary observations of the bone regenerative abilities of allogenic DDM, we hypothesized that allogenic DDM has bone regenerative properties. To test our hypothesis, in the present study we used rabbit model for evaluating the extent to which allogenic DDM increases bone formation and improves the quality of the newly-formed bone. We also examined if implementation of allogenic DDM causes inflammatory reaction and/or infection. The allogenic DDM specimens were prepared using the mandibular incisors of rabbits. Surgical bone defects were created on the skull of 30 New Zealand White rabbits (two defects in each rabbit). Experimental defects in 24 rabbits were filled with allogenic DDM applying the guided bone regeneration technique with the use of collagen absorbable membrane. In the control defects, both inner and outer surfaces were covered by membrane with no material in between. However, in the remaining six rabbits, both defects were left empty and these rabbits served as control for blood biomarkers. The 24 experimental rabbits were divided into four groups and sacrificed after 15, 30, 60, and 90 days (n=6 at each time-point). The thickness of bone samples was measured at the center of the specimens before utilizing for micro-computed tomography ('CT) in order to assess their microstructural properties. Blood samples were collected from all rabbits at the baseline, 48 hours postsurgery and at each time-point for measuring catabolic and anabolic factors critical in bone regeneration. Bone thickness was significantly higher in experimental group at all time-points. Moreover, microstructural properties showed superior bone quality in experimental group. At all time-points except for 48 hours postsurgery, white blood cell count was numerically higher in control rabbits compared to experimental rabbits ruling out any inflammation or infection due to allogenic DDM. Bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) activities were lower in both experimental and control groups at all time-points in comparison to baseline values for which we cannot offer an explanation. The lower BAP activity is usually indicative of either lower rate of bone formation or bone turnover. The results of the present study indicate that allogenic DDM significantly improves both bone quantity and quality through its osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties. / 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. / Spring Semester, 2011. / March 2, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Bahram H. Arjmandi, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kenneth Brummel-Smith, University Representative; Jeong-Su Kim, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an increase in daily walking alone and the effects of increased daily walking combined with a progressive resistance training (RT) program on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in previously low-active, obese (mean BMI: 35 +/- 6 kg/m2), middle-aged (mean age: 49 +/- 5 years) African-American (AA) women. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, body composition variables via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, resting blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen were measured in 32 AA females before and after a 12-week exercise intervention. Subjects were randomly placed into one of two exercise training groups. One group was instructed to increase their daily walking to greater than or equal to 10,000 steps/day (W; n=17) and the other group was given the same walking prescription, but additionally resistance trained 2 days/week (WRT; n=15). Subjects performed 3 sets of approximately 12 repetitions of 10 exercises for all of the major muscle groups. Strength was evaluated for the upper and lower body by performing 1-repetition maximum tests using the chest press and leg extension exercises, respectively. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to examine changes between the two groups. Significance was accepted at p<0.05. Both W and WRT significantly increased daily walking (W: 5,480 +/- 2,162 to 7,528 +/- 2,046 steps/day; WRT: 4,833 +/- 1,820 to 7,412 +/- 1,728 steps/day; p<0.01), however neither reached their goal of greater than or equal to 10,000 steps/day. WRT significantly increased upper (101 +/- 13 to 118 +/- 15 kg) and lower body (105 +/- 20 to 123 +/- 23 kg) strength (p<0.01) and W showed no change for either measure. Significant interactions occurred for waist circumference, gynoid fat mass, and total fat mass. The WRT group had significant reductions in waist circumference (92.4 +/- 12.2 to 90.6 +/- 11.5 cm; p<0.01), fat mass (40.9 +/- 11.2 to 39.9 +/- 10.7 kg; p=0.01), and gynoid fat mass (8.0 +/- 2.1 to 7.9 +/- 2.0 kg; p=0.01) while the W group had no changes. Values for body weight, BMI, and lean body mass did not significantly change in either group after the 12-week intervention compared to baseline. There were some time effects for percentage of body fat (44.8 +/- 6.2 to 44.1 +/- 6.0%; p=0.02), HbA1c (6.0 +/- 1.3 to 5.7 +/- 1.1% kg; p=0.03), and mean blood glucose calculated from HbA1c (124 +/- 42 to 114 +/- 34 mg/dL; p=0.03). These variables significantly improved in the WRT and showed no change in the W group. Unfavorable changes were shown for fibrinogen in the WRT group (472 +/- 128 to 525 +/- 144 mg/dL; p=0.05) and for fasting glucose in the W group (123 +/- 33 to 132 +/- 42 mg/dL; p=0.04). Neither intervention had an effect on systolic or diastolic blood pressure, HDL-C, TG, total cholesterol, or CRP. Although both interventions elicited a significant improvement in walking volume, results showed that this sample of obese, middle-aged AA women was not compliant to a pedometer-based walking program as indicated by the failure of either group to obtain the prescribed 10,000 step/day goal. These findings showed that RT combined with an increase in walking volume had more favorable results on body composition variables compared to an increase in walking alone. The reduction in waist circumference may have significant health implications for other risk factors of CVD, particularly if an increase in ambulation is continued for a time period longer than 12 weeks. It was also concluded that RT combined with a pedometer-based walking program may be more effective than walking alone on long-term blood glucose control. / 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. / Spring Semester, 2009. / April 13, 2009. / Walking, Obesity, Pedometer, Body Composition / Includes bibliographical references. / Lynn Panton, Professor Directing Dissertation; Thomas Ratliffe, Outside Committee Member; Emily Haymes, Committee Member; Jenice Rankins, Committee Member.

Plants are rich sources of polyphenols which are reported to play an important role in promotion of human health. Epidemiological studies have shown that populations who consume foods rich in polyphenols have lower incidence of chronic inflammatory diseases. For instance, polyphenols have been shown to modulate the inflammatory response by interacting with numerous molecular targets such as inhibiting nitric oxide (NO), and tumor necrosis factor-' (TNF-'). The objective of the present study was to investigate whether blackberry and blueberry polyphenols modulate the production of NO, TNF-' in lipopolysscharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Berry polyphenols were extracted using ethanol and total phenolics were quantified according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Macrophages were treated with different doses of berry polyphenols (10, 100, 1000'g/ml) 1 hr prior to stimulation with 10ng/ml LPS for 6 hrs. Supernatants were then collected to measure NO and TNF-' production. Blackberry and blueberry extracts were confirmed to be rich in polyphenol (2000 and 3000mg/g expressed as gallic acid equivalents, respectively). Blackberry polyphenol-rich extract strongly inhibited NO production at doses of 10 and 100'g/ml by 56 and 59 %, respectively, without exerting cytotoxicity while blueberry polyphenol-rich extract had little effect on NO production. No significant decrease in TNF-' production was seen when LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with different doses of berry extracts. These results of the present study indicate that polyphenol-rich extracts from blackberry and blueberry possess anti-inflammatory properties. In conclusion, our findings may suggest that regular consumption of polyphenol-rich berries promote human health. / 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. / Summer Semester, 2011. / July 5, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Bahram H. Arjmandi, Professor Directing Thesis; Shridhar Sathe, Committee Member; John Dorsey, Committee Member.