Purpose: The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) identify predictors that influence diet quality in low SES pregnant women; and (2) explore relationships between perceived nutrition compliance of participants, healthy pregnancy weight gain, and diet quality. Hypothesized predictors to diet quality include: High Pre-pregnancy BMI, high educational level, high income level (above or below poverty line), medical/insurance coverage, presence of a previous/current medical condition, cost and ability to purchase healthy food, presence of social support, and source of nutrition information. Also it is hypothesized that healthy pregnancy weight gain will positively influence diet quality. Methods: This quantitative/correlational study included 37 women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Participants were recruited from a low-income clinic and a private healthcare facility. Participants were asked to complete a pregnancy nutrition survey on their demographics and activity level and eating habits. Three 24 hour dietary recalls (1 weekend day and 2 nonconsecutive weekdays) were used to assess their diet quality using the ESHA Food Processor software. Comparative, correlational, and linear regression analyses were conducted. The Diet Quality Index for Pregnancy (DQI-P) was used to assess overall diet quality. The DQI-P includes eight components: % recommended servings of grains, vegetables, and fruits, % recommendations for iron, calcium, and folate, % energy from fat, and meal pattern. Scores can range from 0 to 80, with ≥70 indicating adequate diet quality. Each component contributed 10 points. Results: The mean score for the population was 27.1 (standard deviation 17.1). Women with the highest diet quality score are married, have a bachelor's degree, an average family income between $45,000 and $60,000, and private medical insurance. Two of the eight hypothesized predictors of diet quality were found to be significant. High pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with low DQI-P scores (p=.050). Source of nutrition information from family is associated with high DQI-P scores (p=.013). There was a significant negative correlation between diet quality and pre-pregnancy BMI (r= -.344; p=0.05). Conclusion: Low SES women are at-risk for low diet quality during pregnancy. Based on the results of this small convenience sample, there is a need for effective nutrition interventions to improve the diet quality of low SES pregnant women. Additional research is needed to better predict and utilize situations that motivate low SES pregnant women to achieve high diet quality scores by translating these motivational situations to other low SES pregnant women. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2015. / March 20, 2015. / nutrition, diet quality, pregnancy / Includes bibliographical references. / Jenice Rankins, Professor Directing Thesis; Maria Spicer, Committee Member; William Weissert, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT Endometriosis, defined by ectopic growths of uterine tissue, is considered an enigma because it is unknown how or even if these abnormal growths contribute to the painful conditions including dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain that often accompany the disease. Many clinicians and biomedical scientists assume that the amount of ectopic growth (cysts) predicts the presence or severity of pain symptoms, even though considerable evidence suggests that this assumption is unwarranted. Studies from our laboratory using a rat model of surgically-induced endometriosis (ENDO) demonstrated for the first time that the cysts develop a sensory and sympathetic nerve supply. This discovery gave rise to the hypothesis that this newly-sprouted innervation of the cysts is a significant contributor to the development (i.e., generation) and maintenance of painful symptoms. One of these common symptoms, studied here, is vaginal hyperalgesia (often called dyspareunia in women). The purpose of this dissertation was to use a combination of immunohistochemical, physiological, and behavioral methods to test various aspects of this hypothesis. In the first study, the developmental time course of cyst innervation (sensory and sympathetic) and ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia was examined over a 10 week period post-ENDO. It was found that rudimentary innervation appears within the cysts at 2 weeks post-ENDO, and becomes active at 3 weeks post-ENDO. Between 4 and 5 weeks post-ENDO, vaginal hyperalgesia becomes significant, but is highly variable as the innervation increases and approaches maturity. By 8 to 10 weeks post-ENDO the cyst innervation and hyperalgesia have both matured completely, plateaued and stabilized. Based on these findings, the developmental timeline was divided into three phases: INITIAL (1-2 weeks post-ENDO), TRANSITIONAL (4-6 weeks post-ENDO), and ESTABLISHED (8-10 weeks post-ENDO). In each phase, characteristics of the cyst innervation and vaginal hyperalgesia were found to be as follows: INITIAL, no innervation and no vaginal hyperalgesia; TRANSITIONAL, immature but active innervation and significant but highly variable hyperalgesia; ESTABLISHED, mature innervation and stabilized hyperalgesia both of which varied with the estrous cycle. Then, in each of the three phases, the contribution of the cysts (and their innervation) to ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia was tested, by removing the cysts and assessing the effect on the development and maintenance of the vaginal hyperalgesia. In the TRANSITIONAL phase, the relationship between the severity of ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia and the innervation of the cysts, eutopic uterus, and vaginal canal was also assessed. The effect of cyst removal on ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia in the INITIAL phase prevented the development of vaginal hyperalgesia. In the TRANSITIONAL phase, cyst removal did not significantly alleviate the vaginal hyperalgesia developed prior to cyst-removal, but, prevented its future development. In the ESTABLISHED phase, cyst removal completely alleviated the vaginal hyperalgesia. Further, in the TRANSITIONAL phase, innervation of the cysts (sensory and sympathetic) and innervation of the vaginal canal (sympathetic only) significantly correlated with severity of ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia. Overall, results from these studies strongly support the general hypothesis that the innervation of the cysts contributes to ENDO-induced vaginal hyperalgesia. Specifically, the cyst innervation likely contributes to the development, severity, and maintenance of ENDO-vaginal hyperalgesia. Importantly however, the varying effects of cyst removal suggest that mechanisms by which the innervation operates to contribute to the vaginal hyperalgesia change during its progression through the three phases from peripheral sensitization to peripherally-independent then peripherally-dependent, hormonally-modulated central sensitization. Thus changes, which emerge most clearly in the TRANSITIONAL phase, could help explain the poorly-understood, clinically-challenging issue on how pain transitions from an acute to a chronic problem, not only in endometriosis but also in other chronic pain conditions. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / October 21, 2014. / cyst, endometriosis, hyperalgesia, innervation, pain, sprouting / Includes bibliographical references. / Richard Hyson, Professor Directing Dissertation; David Kirby, University Representative; Karen Berkley, Committee Member; Mary Gerend, Committee Member; Frank Johnson, Committee Member; Mohamed Kabbaj, Committee Member.

No description available.

Sepsis is a frequent complication in critical illness. The mechanisms that are involved in initiation and propagation of the disease are not well understood. Scavenger receptor A (SRA) is a membrane receptor that binds multiple polyanions such as oxidized LDL and endotoxin. Recent studies suggest that SRA acts as a pattern recognition receptor in the innate immune response. The goal of the present study was to determine the role of SRA in polymicrobial sepsis. SRA deficient (SRA-/-) and C57BL/6JB/6J (WT) male mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobial sepsis. NFκB activity, myeloperoxidase activity, and co-association of SRA with toll like receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR2 was analyzed in the lungs. Spleens were analyzed for apoptosis. Serum cytokines and chemokines were assayed. Blood and peritoneal fluid were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial burdens. Long term survival was significantly increased in SRA-/- septic mice (53.6% vs. 3.6%, p<0.05) when compared to WT mice. NFκB activity was 45.5% lower in the lungs of SRA-/- septic mice versus WT septic mice (p<0.05). Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, IL-10 and monocyte chemoattractant protein -1 were significantly lower in septic SRA-/- mice when compared to septic WT mice (p<0.05). We found that SRA immuno-precipitated with TLR4, but not TLR2, in the lungs of WT septic mice. We also found that septic SRA-/- mice had lower bacterial burdens than WT septic mice. SRA deficiency had no effect on pulmonary neutrophil infiltration or splenocyte apoptosis during sepsis. We conclude that SRA plays a pivotal, and previously unknown, role in mediating the pathophysiology of sepsis/septic shock in a murine model of polymicrobial sepsis. Mechanistically, SRA interacts with TLR4 to enhance the development of the pro-inflammatory phenotype and mediate the morbidity and mortality of sepsis/septic shock.

Breastfeeding is considered a public health concern due to increased maternal/infant mortality and morbidity rates associated with persistent low rates in breastfeeding. Providing early breastfeeding education for women with diabetic, pregnancy-induced hypertension and multiple gestations can result in higher persistence rates and a decrease in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates. This quality improvement project provided early prenatal breastfeeding education for women with diabetes, pregnancy-induce hypertension and multiple gestations at a private clinic in Long Beach, Southern California. Evidence-based literature reviews were conducted through CINAHL and Medline (2009-2014). The descriptive study used for the project was made up questionnaires including 5 pre-survey questions completed by prenatal women prior to education and another 5 post-survey questionnaires after the education. Postnatal women were given 10 pre-survey questions before the education and a 10 post survey questions after the education. Variables included low and high income, level of education, and previous breastfeeding experience. Out of 100 targeted women, a total number (n) of 54 questions from a questionnaire were completed (54 %). These include 21 completed (21%) 5 pre- and 5 post-survey questions and 33 completed (33%) 10 pre and 10 post-survey questions. Early prenatal breastfeeding education increased maternal knowledge, intent and promoted self-efficacy. Providing early breastfeeding education is vital to decrease maternal-infant morbidity and mortality rates and promote positive social change.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.