Background: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition most commonly affecting adults over 60 years of age. PD patients often experience an increase in muscular fatigability as well as a decrease in muscular strength and power output. Beta-alanine (BA) has been shown to decrease muscular fatigue by increasing intra-muscular carnosine levels. Carnosine is thought to improve measures of fatigue, strength, and power in populations ranging from elite athletes to the elderly by attenuating the decrease in pH within working skeletal muscle. Purpose: To examine the effect of 4 weeks of beta alanine (BA) supplementation on muscular performance, submaximal oxygen consumption (VO2), and body composition in adults diagnosed with PD. Methods: In this double blind placebo controlled study, participants with PD were stratified by leg strength and randomly assigned to either a SRCarnoSyn ® (Sustained Release) beta-alanine group (BA; age, 68.0 ± 9.2 years; 5 men, 4 women) or a maltodextrin placebo group (PL; age, 68.0 ± 8.9 years; 8 men, 2 women). Both groups took two 800 mg pills, three times/day with meals (4800 mg/day). No other nutritional or exercise changes were introduced. Before and after four weeks of supplementation, the following laboratory tests were conducted: anthropometrics, body composition (DXA), anaerobic capacity (Wingate), submaximal oxygen consumption (YMCA), leg strength, power, and fatigue (Biodex), and a 6-minute walk test. Results: Significant group by time interactions were observed for total body fat percent (BA: 35.2 ± 6.5 vs. 35.5 ± 6.6%; PL: 30.2 ±8.0 vs. 29.3 ±8.1%, p=0.01); android fat percent (BA: 39.5 ±11.4 vs. 40.5 ±11.2%; PL: 34.3 ±11.7 vs. 32.4 ±12.9%, p=0.01); and total fat-free mass (BA: 51.6 ±9.9 vs. 51.0 ±10.2kg; PL: 53.0 ± 8.9 vs. 53.9 ± 9.4kg, p=0.004). In addition, significant group x time interactions were observed during the 180 degrees/sec isokinetic fatigue test for both the percent work relative to bodyweight during flexion (BA: 57.5 ± 15.4 vs. 55.2 ± 13.6%; PL: 52.9 ± 22.3 vs. 62.0 ± 21.7%, p=0.02) and acceleration time during extension (BA:67.8 ±19.9 vs. 72.2 ± 23.9 msec ; PL:85.0 ± 22.2 vs. 72.0 ± 20.4 msec, p<0.05). The following significant time effects were measured: fat mass; six-minute walk test distance; isokinetic 60 degrees/second test: peak torque during flexion; average peak torque during; relative peak torque during flexion; total work during; average power during both extension and flexion; as well as deceleration time during extension;180 degrees/second test: peak torque during extension; average peak torque during extension; relative peak torque during; total work during both and flexion; average power during both extension and flexion; acceleration time during both extension and flexion; as well as deceleration time during extension; isometric 60 degree test: peak torque away and relative average peak torque away; and the fatigue test; peak torque during extension; relative peak torque during extension; relative total work during extension; and acceleration time during extension. No other significant time effects were observed and no differences were observed between groups. Conclusion: Four weeks of BA supplementation did not improve markers of muscular performance, submaximal oxygen consumption, or body composition in patients with PD to a greater degree than PL. / 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, 2014. / March 26, 2014. / Beta Alanine, Elderly, Functional Capacity, Parkinson'S Disease, Special Populations, Supplementation / Includes bibliographical references. / Michael J. Ormsbee, Professor Directing Thesis; Arturo Figueroa, Committee Member; Yu Kyoum Kim, Committee Member.

Some 30000 people in the U. S. go to emergency rooms each year due to allergic reactions to food; more alarming, there are approximately 150-200 deaths every year, usually adolescents and young adults, in comparison to 50 deaths caused each year by E. coli O157:H7. Families with a food-allergic child experienced more stress and scored lower than the general population on scales of general health, emotional health and family activities. Although almonds are nutritionally and economically important, almond ranked third accounting for 15% of total allergic reactions triggered by an individual tree nut. Strict avoidance is currently the only way to prevent serious health consequences. Allergic reactions from accidental exposure are still relatively common even if patients attempt to avoid known allergens. The objectives of this study were to: (1). Identify and characterize murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity to almond protein(s) but devoid of crossreactivity with other protein(s) for almond detection; (2). Construct, optimize, and validate a sensitive, specific, and reliable sandwich ELISA using mAbs for almond trace detection in routine food analyses; (3). Assess the applicability of the assay for robustness in terms of sample source, conditions; and the stability of almond protein(s) towards the selected mAb(s). Using protein G affinity chromatography, seven pre-selected murine mAbs were purified. Five mAbs that demonstrated high affinity and sensitivity in Western blotting as the optimized Ab titer were 58.02, 5.88, 4.78, 30.29, and 78.87 ng/ml for 4C10, 4F10, 2A3, 4G2, and 3B4 respectively that can detect as low as 30, 50, 100, 500, and 8000 ng of almond protein respectively. No cross-reactive protein was found in the tested foods or food ingredients. All five mAbs can sensitively detect both native and denatured almond protein(s) suggesting a stable interaction between the mAb and the corresponding recognized epitope on the almond protein. ELISA additivity test and amandin preparation using column chromatography revealed all five mAbs were recognizing shared or overlapping epitope (s) on amandin, the major storage protein that accounts for ~65% of the total seed proteins. Amandin is the major allergen in almond seeds. Molecular Weight of 4C10 reactive polypeptide was determined to be ~69 kDa by SDS PAGE using Fisher BioReagents* EZ-Run* Prestained Rec Protein Ladder 3602 and 3603 as well as ChemiDocTM XRS+ System with Image LabTM Software. 4C10 and 4F10 reactive polypeptides were purified using Cyanogen Bromide (CNBr) Affinity Chromatography. N-terminal sequencing of the affinity purified polypeptides further confirmed amandin to be recognized by mAb 4C10 and 4F10. Therefore, mAbs 4C10 and 4F10 are both excellent candidates for almond assay development. Using rabbit anti whole almond polyclonal antibodies (pAb) as capture Ab, mAb 4C10 as detection Ab, a sandwich ELISA was constructed and optimized resulting in the following protocol: Corning® Costar 2797 plates were coated with 50 µl rabbit anti-whole almond protein extract pAbs in citrate buffer (48.5 mM citric acid, 103 mM Na2HPO4, pH 5.0, 604 ng/well) for 2 hrs at 37ºC. Coated plates were then blocked with 200 µl 5% (w/v) non-fat dry milk (NFDM) in Tris buffered saline (TBS-T, 10 mM Tris, 0.9% w/v NaCl, 0.05% v/v Tween 20, pH 7.6). Plates were incubated sequentially with almond protein or amandin (8000 ng/ml, 4), mAb 4C10 (4 ng/well), and alkaline phosphatase-labeled goat anti-mouse pAb (24 ng/well) in 1% NFDM in TBS-T. The plates were washed 3× with TBS-T after each incubation step (37ºC for 1 hrs). Color was developed using p-nitrophenyl phosphate substrate [1 tablet/ 5 ml substrate buffer (0.0049% w/v MgCl2, 0.096% v/v diethanolamine, pH 9.8)] at 37 ºC for 30 mins and stopped by adding 50 µl/well 3 M NaOH. Plates were read at 405 nm in an ELISA reader (model EL 307, Bio-Tek Instruments Inc., Riverton, NJ) and KC4 software were used to analyze data and generate four parameter curve for quantification. The constructed sandwich ELISA was validated to have LOD of 7 ng/ml (0.007 ppm), protein concentration at 50% maximum signal of 39.46 ± 0.54 ng/ml (n=510), True Positive Rate (aka. sensitivity) of 99.96%, and True Negative Rate (aka. specificity) of 99.05% without cross-reactive to a majority of tested food matrices except for a weak reactivity to corn, corn flakes, and red potato at % immuno-reactivity of 0.08 ± 0.01% (n=2), 0.14 ± 0.00 % (n=2), 0.37 ± 0.03 % (n=4) respectively. This sandwich ELISA is reproducible and accurate as all the CVs tested were less than 15% and the average recoveries were within 15% of the actual value. The general applicability of the constructed 4C10 sandwich ELISA was examined. This assay was able to detect and quantify amandin in all tested samples regardless of gene origin and growing condition as well as purified native and recombinant (Pru du 6.01) amandins. The assay can detect amandin under a variety of tested conditions including: presence/absence of lipids; several food processing methods; pH (1-13) exposure; and long-term storage. The assay can detect 2.11 ng/well of amandin in all the tested food matrices spiked with 50 ng/ml of almond protein (final concentration). Food matrices affect amandin recovery causing over- or under-estimation (275-24%). Overall, the constructed mAb 4C10-dependent sandwich ELISA is sensitive, specific, and robust as amandin is a stable allergen. / 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, 2012. / March 15, 2012. / allergy, almond, antibody, ELISA, tree nuts / Includes bibliographical references. / Shridhar K. Sathe, Professor Directing Dissertation; William T. Cooper, III, University Representative; Yun-Hwa Peggy Hsieh, Committee Member; Jodee Dorsey, Committee Member; Mary Ann Moore, Committee Member.

PURPOSE: Objective 1 - To determine whether trained cyclists exhibit lower bone mineral density (BMD) than recreational cyclists. Objectives 2&3 - To determine the effects of 12 weeks supplementation with calcium collagen chelate (CCC) on body composition, bone and biomarkers of bone metabolism during habitual training in competitive cyclists. A group of 29 male cyclists [9 recreational (<8 h/wk) and 20 trained (≥8 h/wk] participated in the study. METHODS: Maximal exercise testing and 40-k time trials (TT) were performed on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. BMD of the whole body, lumbar spine (L1-L4) and both hips were measured using a Hologic Discovery-W (Hologic, Waltham, MA, USA). For research Objective 1, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the differences on dependent measures of between the recreational and trained cyclists. Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regressions were used to examine relationships between the dependent variables. For research Objectives 2 and 3, trained cyclists were assigned to one of two groups: 1) 6 g/d of CCC or 2) placebo control (CON) composed of an inert compound with calcium and vitamin D equivalent to that found in the CCC. One-way ANOVA were used to compare baseline variables between the CON and CCC. Possible effects of the independent variable, CCC or CON supplementation, on the dependent variables, BMD (whole body, total hip, lumbar spine), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b) were evaluated statistically by two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group x time). The null hypothesis was that CCC supplementation would have no effect on the dependent variables. When interactions were significant, a Tukey post hoc test was used to compare between group values. Significance was accepted at p<0.05. RESULTS: Objective 1 - There were no differences in BMD at any site between recreational and trained cyclists. T-scores identified both recreational and trained cyclists as osteopenic (-1.16 and -1.49, respectively) at the lumbar spine. Evaluated individually, 12 trained cyclists and two recreational cyclists were identified as osteopenic and three trained cyclists were identified as osteoporotic. Objectives 2 & 3 - No differences in BMD, body composition or biomarkers of bone metabolism were found between the CCC and CON groups. There were no group*time effects found for BMD, body composition or biomarkers of bone metabolism. Strong Pearson moment correlations were found between weekly training hours and TRAP5b (r = 0.531), BAP and VO2max (r = -0.561), and BAP/TRAP5b ratio and right/left hip BMD (r = -0.649 and r = -0.646, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that male cyclists riding more than six hours per week have reduced BMD, particularly at the lumbar spine. While increased training volume leads to improved aerobic capacity, it may increase bone turnover and promote an environment that leads to significant bone loss over time. Additionally, 12 weeks supplementation of CCC does not affect body composition, BMD or biomarkers of bone metabolism. Further research is needed to determine whether low BMD compromises bone strength in male cyclists. Supported in part by the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine. / 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. / Fall Semester, 2013. / June 20, 2007. / Biomarkers, Bone, Calcium, Collagen, Cyclists, Exercise / Includes bibliographical references. / Lynn B. Panton, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert J. Contreras, University Representative; Bahran H. Arjmandi, Committee Member; Jeong-Su Kim, Committee Member; Michael J. Ormsbee, Committee Member.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is the second most important pulse crop after bean and third most important legume worldwide after garden pea and field bean. Chickpea was introduced to the US northern plains in the early 1980s. Since then, the production of chickpea in USA has increased significantly from 3,000 Metric Tons (MT) in 1980 to 87, 952 MT in 2010, especially in north-western United States- North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota. The globally increased chickpea production is mainly to fulfill the demand for nutritious and healthy chickpea based ready-to-eat snack foods. Different cultivars of chickpeas are reported to vary in their nutrient composition and sensory properties. Prior to consumption, chickpeas are often subjected to a variety of processing methods that include boiling in water, roasting, microwave heating, frying and baking. Subjecting the chickpea seeds to processing could have an impact on the seed nutrients, antinutrients, and sensory properties. In the current investigation a chickpea-based high protein, ready to eat snack food was developed. The chickpea seeds and the snack product were analyzed for chemical composition, antinutrients, and select sensory properties. Six different cultivars of chickpeas grown in different environmental conditions were used. Among the tested chickpeas, lipid (4.25 % - 6.98%), moisture (6.63% - 9.15%), protein (23.33% - 30.95%), and carbohydrate (54.6% - 60.4%) contents exhibited significant (p=0.05) differences in certain cultivars. Ash content (1.94% - 2.41%) did not register significant differences between the tested chickpea cultivars. In the tested seeds, antinutrients hemagglutinins and α-amylase inhibitors were not detected while trypsin inhibitor (12.73-19.58 units/mg sample) and chymotrypsin inhibitor (62.91- 84.91 units/gram sample) contents varied significantly (p=0.05). The chickpea-based snack product (moisture 23.31%-27.81%) is low in lipids (5.09% - 5.84%) was found to be free of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors and is a good source of proteins (12.45%-14.10%), carbohydrates (51.86%-54.96%), and minerals (1.53%-2.43%). The high protein product registered acceptable hardness (700.89 grams - 955.23 grams), springiness (43.38% -47.14%), and fracturability (5.26 mm - 5.90 mm). / 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. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 23, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references. / Shridhar K. Sathe, Professor Directing Thesis; Yun-Hwa Peggy Hsieh, Committee Member; John G. Dorsey, Committee Member.

Introduction. Medically prescribed very-low calorie diet (VLCD) systems have shown efficacy in producing clinically significant weight-loss in obese patients. This loss in bodyweight (BW), however, cannot be solely accounted for by reduced adiposity, but also significant deficits in lean tissue. With respect to these frequently reported weight-loss patterns for lean body mass (LBM), the potential for optimum weight-loss as well as sustainable weight-maintenance is adversely affected on a number of levels. Lowered resting metabolic rate (RMR), neuromuscular impediments, and poor physical function have been reported to occur as a result of reduced LBM. Any of these factors taken together with a dramatic loss of lean tissue would be a condition that is conducive to impeded fat reduction, weight-regain, and relapses of prior health complications. Therefore, the main objective of this single-center clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy by which periodized resistance training enhances morphometric, metabolic, and functional outcomes for obese patients undergoing a 12-week medically supervised hypocaloric treatment. Methods. The target population was obese patients of the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH) Bariatric Center prescribed to undergo a 12-week proprietary VLCD treatment (Optifast®). A two-pronged experimental approach was applied through the following specific aims: 1) to determine the longitudinal responses for various clinical and weight-loss parameters in patients who have fully completed the 12-week VLCD program at the TMH Bariatric Center; and 2) to determine the effects of periodized resistance training on body composition, RMR, neuromuscular function, and biochemical responses in obese participants undergoing 12 weeks of a protein-supplemented Optifast® treatment. For Specific Aim 1, data for anthropometric measures, body composition (via BIA), and lipid/ metabolic profiles were acquired before and after the 12-week VLCD treatment in male (n=16) and female (n=16) patients. Gender- and age-dependent responses were examined for each variable over time. For Specific Aim 2, male and female participants were placed in one of two groups for 12 weeks: 1) Standard Treatment Control (CON) (n=4) or 2) Periodized Resistance Training (RT) (n=4). All participants consumed 1120 kcals/day by way of Optifast® products and whey protein supplementation. Both groups underwent a pedometer-based walking program; however only RT performed periodized resistance training 3 days/week for 12 weeks. Body composition (via DXA), RMR (via indirect calorimetry) and neuromuscular function (via isokinetic and isotonic tests) were measured at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Serum free fatty acid (FFA), free glycerol, beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), IGF-1 binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and cortisol were analyzed (via ELISA) were analyzed for samples obtained at pre, mid, and post. Results. Specific Aim 1: Patients lost 22.5 kg of BW, 16.6 kg of fat mass (FMBIA), and 5.6 kg of fat free mass (FFM= BW-FMBIA) (p<0.05). The decline in FM and FFM composed 73% and 27%, respectively, of the total weight-loss. Males lost more BW than females solely due to a larger reduction in FM (p<0.05). No gender-differences were found for relative weight-loss composition. BW-loss was similar between age-groups; however the younger patients (<57yrs) lost more FM and less FFM than the older age-cohort (≥57yrs) (p<0.05). Relative weight-loss composition was significantly different between age-groups (Young: 81% FM and 19% FFM vs. Old: 65% FM and 35% FFM). Specific Aim 2: Total body mass (TBM) and FM decreased (p<0.05) pre to post in CON (-20.4 kg BW; -15.3 kg FM) and RT (-14.6 kg BW; -13.4 kg FM) with no group differences. There was a group by time interaction for LBM (LBM=TBM-FM-bone mineral content) as CON lost 5.0 kg from pre to post (p<0.05) while RT showed no significant changes. Relative weight-loss composition differed between groups (CON: 75% FM and 25% FFM vs. RT: 90% FM and 10% LBM) (p<0.05). There was a group by time interaction for RMR as CON experienced a 350.7 kcal/day decrease from pre to post (p<0.05) while RT exhibited no changes. RT demonstrated greater improvements in all measures of contractile kinetics and isotonic strength when compared to CON (p<0.05). At post-treatment, there was a significant group difference for overall change in serum FFA (CON: -40.3% vs. RT: +41.5%), glycerol (CON: -30.9% vs. RT: +30.8%) and β-HB (CON: -31.2% vs. RT: +36.6%). IGF-1 decreased (p<0.05) from pre to post for CON (-45.2%) and RT (-33.7 %), with no group differences. IGFBP-3 increased significantly from pre to post in RT (+18.9%) but not in CON. IGF-1 to IGFBP-3 ratio decreased (p<0.05) from pre to post with no group differences. Cortisol levels remained unchanged for both groups. Conclusion. Specific Aim 1 confirms the need to restructure current VLCD-based programs towards outcomes more conducive for long-term weight- and health-management. This led to Specific Aim 2 in which the outcomes showed resistance training to be advantageous for weight-loss composition through preserving LBM without compromising overall weight- or fat-loss. These changes corresponded to positive adaptations for energy metabolism and muscular function. Our findings offer compelling support for the clinical integration of periodized resistance training in obesity therapeutics utilizing VLCDs with promising implications for chronic weight-management. / 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. / Fall Semester, 2013. / November 1, 2013. / Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Obesity, Resistance Training, Weight-loss / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeong-Su Kim, Professor Directing Dissertation; Cathy W. Levenson, University Representative; Bahram H. Arjmandi, Committee Member; Michael J. Ormsbee, Committee Member; Carla M. Prado, Committee Member.

In the US, among edible tree nut seeds consumed, almonds are ranked number one. Almonds are considered heart healthy and approved by FDA for qualified health claim. Almonds are consumed as natural raw unprocessed or as variously processed seeds such as blanched, roasted, and fried. Additionally, almond seeds, in various forms (such as chopped, diced, slivered, powdered and others) are used as an ingredient in many foods including baked goods and confectionery items, granola bars, breakfast cereals, and several snack mixes. Inclusion of almonds in these products is valued because almonds provide desirable crunchy texture, sweet mellow flavor, and several micro- and macronutrients. Although safely enjoyed by most, almonds may induce adverse reactions, such as allergic reaction, in sensitive individuals. Almond allergy has been identified as the third most frequent tree nut allergy in the US and anaphylaxis to almond has been reported. Amandin, a globular storage protein that accounts for ~65% of the extractable proteins is the major allergen in almond seeds. Amandin is a hexameric protein and consists of two trimers. Each trimer is composed of three polypeptides each of which is composed of 40-42 kDa acidic chain (α) linked by a disulfide bond to 20 kDa basic chain (β). Foods, containing almonds, subjected to thermal processing typically experience Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction, chemical reaction between reducing sugars and the amino groups on amino acids/polypeptides/proteins cause non-enzymatic browning of foods. This browning reaction is desirable in many food products due to color and flavor formation. Maillard reaction also may glycate food proteins. As a result of Maillard reaction, destruction of amino groups, glycation, and/or denaturation of proteins may therefore alter amandin immunoreactivity. The current research therefore focused on amandin immunoreactivity in variously processed almonds and almond containing foods. In the selected commercial and laboratory prepared food matrices, the occurrence of non-enzymatic Maillard browning was objectively assessed by determining Hunter L* (lightness), a* (green-red), b* (blue-yellow) values. L* values used for different degrees of browning (roasting) were: Light = 53±1, Medium = 48.5±1, Dark = 43±1. The L* values for the tested samples were in the range 31.75-85.28 consistent with Maillard browning or the natural product color (e.g. white chocolate). Immunoassays (ELISA, dot-blot, and Western blot) were used to determine the immunoreactivity. Three murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 4C10 4F10 and 2A3 were used to probe the desired samples. The mAb 4C10 targeted conformational and 4F10 and 2A3 recognized two independent linear amandin epitopes. The tested food matrices that did not contain almond exhibited no cross-reactivity in the immunoassays indicating their amandin specificity. For sandwich ELISAs, R = protein concentration of sample for 50% of the maximum signal for the corresponding standard curve/ the protein concentration required to register 50% of the maximum signal for the standard curve. The Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) at p ≤ 0.05 was calculated for appropriate data. None of the tested food matrices exhibited increased immunoreactivity. The range of R values for tested food matrices containing almonds were 0.67-15.19 (4C10, LSD = 1.90), 1.00-11.83 (4F10, LSD = 0.86) and 0.77-23.30 (2A3, LSD = 1.34). Results of dot blots and Westerns blots were consistent with the ELISA results. Certain bakery and confectionary samples exhibited significantly decreased immunoreactivity. The observed decrease in immunoreactivity may be due to Maillard reaction, epitope degradation due to loss of amandin disulfide bond(s), loss of protein solubility, amandin thermal aggregation; or a combination thereof. Results of the study indicate that the immunoassays using the murine mAbs are specific, sensitive and robust for amandin detection in the tested food matrices and amandin incurred samples. / 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. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 18, 2013. / Almonds, Amandin, Foods, Immunoassays, Maillard Reaction / Includes bibliographical references. / Shridhar K. Sathe, Professor Directing Thesis; Yun-Hwa Peggy Hsieh, Committee Member; John G. Dorsey, Committee Member.

Background: Body composition refers to the amounts of fat and lean tissues in the body. It is a superior measurement compared to simple assessments of body weight and other anthropometrics. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an important public health problem and one of the most common causes of disability among American adults. An estimated 67 million Americans will develop OA, many of whom will require surgical intervention. The majority of patients with hip or knee OA are obese, older and sedentary. These factors would make them prone to a body composition phenotype of concurrent excess fat and low lean tissue that has been associated with unfavorable health outcomes in other cohorts of patients. Although obesity (assessed by overall body weight or its derivatives) has been extensively studied in patients with OA, only a handful of these studies have investigated fat versus lean tissue contributions to OA outcomes. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that body composition abnormalities may be caused and perpetuated by abnormal nutrition and physical function. Objectives: The overall purpose of this study was to describe body composition, functional and nutritional characteristics of patients with hip or knee OA undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery and to investigate the relationship between abnormal body composition and surgical-related outcomes. Methods: In this prospective pilot study, patients scheduled for THA or TKA due to OA were recruited from August 2013 until February 2014 from the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC). Patients underwent body composition assessment using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Functional measurements included handgrip strength testing and questionnaires that comprised of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study Questionnaire, and the Falls Efficacy Scale, International (FES-I). Dietary data were collected through a 24-hour dietary recall. In a subset of patients, medical discharge summaries were analyzed to quantify surgical outcomes. Results: A total of 42 patients (66.7% females) with a mean age of 66 ± 10 years were included in this study. The body mass index (BMI) ranged from 21.5 to 55.0 kg/m2 with 69% of patients being classified as obese. A wide variability of fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) was observed across the BMI spectrum. Patients reporting low back pain presented with lower FFM index (FFMI), p=0.026, as well as with significantly higher body fat percentage (p=0.049). Handgrip strength was positively correlated with FFMI (r=0.44, p=0.008), but not with other functional assessments. Total WOMAC scores were significantly correlated to FMI (r=0.34, p=0.039), while BMI trended towards significance. An overall low ADL score was observed and physical activity levels were most strongly negatively correlated with FMI (r=-0.46, p=0.006). FES-I was positively associated with numerous body composition compartments, the strongest of which was body fat percentage (r=0.48, p=0.024). In order to further explore the relationship between body composition and functional variables, individual assessments were dichotomized in function of both FM and FFM, on the basis of the idea that higher FM and lower FFM values would be associated with poorer physical function. Using this approach, different patterns of unfavorable physical function emerged among different body composition phenotypes. Overall, patterns of higher FM and lower FFM were associated with adverse outcomes. Average caloric intake was approximately 1700 kcals/day, with a mean protein consumption of 0.81 g/kg body weight/day. Protein intake was not associated with body composition variables. Conversely, iron intake was positively associated with FFMI (r=0.43, p=0.019) and average handgrip strength (r=0.43, p=0.020). Surgical outcomes were available for a small number of patients (n=16) and was not associated with any body composition, functional or nutritional characteristics. Nonetheless, pre-surgical blood creatinine (mg/dL) was positively associated with FFMI (r=0.60, p=0.040). Conclusion: The major findings of this study reveal a wide variability of body composition (FM and FFM) in patients with hip or knee OA despite BMI. Overall, FM and FFM were more strongly associated with functional assessments and low back pain compared to simple measures of body weight. We conclude that the assessment of body composition may be advantageous compared to simple anthropometric measurements when predicting poor functional status in patients with hip or knee OA. This remains to be tested in future larger studies with more in-depth and accurate body composition assessments. / 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, 2014. / March 24, 2014. / Body Composition, Function, Nutrition, Osteoarthritis, Surgical Outcomes, Total joint arthroplasty / Includes bibliographical references. / Carla M. M. Prado, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeong-Su Kim, Committee Member; Dan McGee, Committee Member.

Acute exercise reduces triglycerides (TG) and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL2-C in both men and women. However, data are sparse in obese women, who might benefit more from the effects of exercise, since they are more likely to have higher TG and lower HDL-C. PURPOSE: To investigate the acute effects of moderate intensity walking on plasma lipids and lipoproteins of obese Black and White women. METHODS: Twenty-four premenopausal and eumenorrheic sedentary obese White (n=9) and Black (n=15) women (Means ± SD; age = 24.5 ± 4.8 yrs; BMI = 33.5 ± 3.7 kg/m2; body fat = 48.3 ± 5.3%) walked on a treadmill at 70 ± 5% VO2peak to expend 300 and 500 kcal. Fasted blood samples were collected before (baseline), immediately post, 24, and 48hrs after exercise and were analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), TG, HDL-C, HDL2-C, and HDL3-C. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in all analyzed parameters between races and sessions over time, except for TG. During the 300 kcal session TG had a non-significant increase from baseline to immediately post and then a 20.1% (p ≤ 0.05) decrease at 48hrs after exercise (Baseline: 57.3 ± 16.4; immediately post: 69.0 ± 18.6; 24hrs: 55.8 ± 20.2; 48hrs: 55.1 ± 19.3 mg·dL⁻¹). During the 500 kcal session TG increased by 30.1% from baseline to immediately post and then decreased by approximately 36% from immediately post at 24 and 48hrs after exercise (Baseline: 60.5 ± 24.6; immediately post: 86.8 ± 39.8; 24hrs: 55.2 ± 20.2; 48hrs: 55.0 ± 19.3 mg·dL⁻¹). CONCLUSION: Obese women responded with increased TG immediately post exercise before returning to baseline values at 24 hrs after exercise, as opposed to the decrease usually observed immediately post exercise in non-obese women. Plasma HDL-C and HDL2-C of obese women seem to be resistant to the increase usually observed with acute exercise in non-obese women. The different response by obese women may be due to the effect obesity has on plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. / 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, 2006. / March 13, 2006. / Plasma Lipids And Lipoproteins, Women, Exercise, Obesity / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert J. Moffatt, Professor Directing Dissertation; David Quadagno, Outside Committee Member; Lynn B. Panton, Committee Member.

The food matrices in the category of dairy, nuts, vegetables, legumes, cereal, cereal products, fruits and confectionery, salt, seeds, tea and color were analyzed for the matrix effect. Most of the food matrices under the category of dairy nuts, vegetables gave over estimation of amandin. Some food matrices in the category of legumes and cereal gave over estimation while other gave underestimations of amandin. The range of amandin detected in dairy and tree nuts varied from 116-198% and 82-300% respectively. Most of the legumes gave overestimation with detection ranging from 120-300% while some gave underestimation 43-90%. All cereal and cereal products gave overestimation 106-183% with the exception of barley, whole-wheat flour and rice wild and raisin bran whole mix. Spices gave lower recoveries (2-80%) with a few exceptions where higher recoveries were observed (range 121-334%). Most vegetables increased the amandin detection ranging 120-400%. Salt (black and white), tea, sugar, cocoa, jaggery, dark chocolate resulted in lower recoveries. All fruit matrices also gave lower recoveries (1.0-50%) with the exception of tropical mix fruit, figs, pineapple, papaya and apricot where the recoveries varied (60-80%). The pattern of inference (over or under estimation) from the food matrices remained similar at all the spike level of amandin (100, 10 and 1mg) tested, but the absolute detection value differed across the spike levels in most of the food matrices. These variances in the detection of amandin from the expected values reflect low levels of cross-reactivity or non-immunological inference in the assay by components of the food. High cross-reactivity was observed in dot blots with polyclonal antibody than with monoclonal for most of the food matrices. Western blots also showed high cross-reactivity with polyclonal antibody that with monoclonal antibody. Amandin could be qualitatively detected in spiked food matrices using western blot, food matrices tested had no effects on immnorecoginition of amandin. The pH of food matrix and type of buffer did affect the amandin recovery, however the extraction ratio (of FM: Buffer) did not affect the detection of amandin. The results suggest that food matrix effects need to be carefully evaluated in allergen detection development assays. / 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, 2004. / April 8, 2004. / Polyclonal, Monoclonal, Almond, Amandin, Allergen, Food Matrix, Recovery, Detection, Immunorecognition, Cross-Reactivity, Immunoassays, Quantitiative Recovery, Qualitative Recovery, pH / Includes bibliographical references. / Shridhar K. Sathe, Professor Directing Thesis; Kenneth H. Roux, Committee Member; Cathy W. Levenson, Committee Member.

Recent work has identified stem cells in the central nervous system that are capable of proliferating into adulthood. While adult neuronal stem cells hold a great deal of therapeutic potential, to be a useful clinical tool, we must first understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating proliferation and differentiation. Two month old male Sprague-Dawley rats were given one of three dietary treatments. Following 3 wks of zinc adequate (ZA, 30 ppm), zinc-deficient (ZD, 1 ppm), pair-fed (PF, 30 ppm), or zinc-supplemented (ZS, 180 ppm) diets, immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the number of Ki67 positive cells as a measure of newly proliferated cells in the dentate gyrus. Neurogenesis was determined by the co-localization of the neuronal marker, NeuN, with Ki67. ZD reduced the number of Ki67 positive cells to 50% of ZA controls (p<0.05) in both the subgranular zone (SGZ) and the granular cell layer (GCL) of the dentate gyrus. While ZD reduced the total number of cells that co-labeled with Ki67 and NeuN compared to ZS rats, dietary zinc did not alter the percentage of Ki67-positive cells that expressed NeuN. Because impairment in stem cell proliferation has been linked to alterations in mood, we hypothesized that ZD would lead to the development of depression-like behaviors in rodents. Consistent with depression ZD rats displayed anorexia (p<0.006), anhedonia (reduced saccharin: water intake, p<0.001), and anxiety-like behavior in a light-dark box test (p<0.05). Furthermore, the antidepressant drug fluoxetine (10 mg/kg body wt), reduced behavioral despair, as measured by the forced swim test, in ZA and ZS rats (p<0.002), but not in ZD rats. Thus, it appears that ZD not only induces depression, but also impairs the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. In an attempt to identify some of the molecular mechanisms that may be contributing to the impairment of drug efficacy in ZD rats, microarray analysis was performed to identify alterations in hippocampal gene expression following chronic fluoxetine administration in ZA and ZD rats. This work showed that ZD disrupts mitochondrial gene expression as well as important mediators of neurogenesis such as the receptor for transforming growth factor beta (TGF-â) and â-carotene 15,15 dioxygenase. Together these studies suggest that ZD-mediated changes in gene expression are responsible for a reduction in dentate stem cell proliferation, leading to the development of depression-like behaviors nthat are refractory to antidepressant treatment. / 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, 2006. / April 26, 2006. / Zinc Deficiency, Fluoxetine, Forced Swim Test, Neurogenesis, Ki67, Mitochondrial Genes, Depression / Includes bibliographical references. / Cathy W. Levenson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Mohamed Kabbaj, Outside Committee Member; Lisa Eckel, Committee Member; Jodee Dorsey, Committee Member.