<p> A goal of schools is to provide students with practical nutritional information that will foster healthy lifelong behaviors. Unfortunately, students at one school were found to have difficulty grasping basic nutritional information and practical health-related skills. There remains an important gap in current literature regarding strategies to improve students' understanding of nutrition education material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of a 4-week nutrition intervention unit in the Foods I classes consisting of 82 male and female students in Grades 9-12. Constructivist teaching methods were implemented to provide students with both information and valuable skills, which might positively impact student health and student learning. A pre-experimental quantitative design was used for this study. The repeated-measures <i> t</i> test was used to compute differences in pre- and post-tests scores on the nutrition test, which indicated a 6.207 mean increase in student posttest scores. The 82 students also completed a Likert style survey, which indicated both a positive student result in perceiving a better understanding of nutrition knowledge, and a positive change in dietary choices due to constructivist teaching strategies used in the intervention. These results revealed the benefits of the nutrition intervention unit by the significant increase in students' nutrition knowledge and students' implementation of that knowledge in daily living. The results make an important contribution to the existing literature and can enhance social change initiatives through increasing students' knowledge of nutrition, providing them with life-based skills, and enhancing their quality of life.</p>

The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate educational materials for dietetic practitioners in the Cajun and Creole regions of Southern Louisiana. They were designed to meet the educational needs of dietetic practitioners regarding Cajun and Creole food habits and health beliefs and serve as resource materials. The materials consist of informative text, exchange values, and modified recipes for traditional dishes. / The culture-specific competencies required for dietitians working in the designated regions were determined by conducting an interdisciplinary review of literature focusing on Southern Louisiana. This revealed information on Cajun and Creole food habits and health beliefs not present in the nutrition literature. / Focus group interviews and a mail survey of dietitians in selected parishes revealed their present level of knowledge and subsequently, their culture-specific educational needs. / The validity of the materials was assured by the use of culture-specific sources. The educational materials were developed, evaluated, and approved by a jury of individuals knowledgeable in cultural foods education and dietetic practitioners and nutrition educators in Southern Louisiana. / The following conclusions were formulated: (1) Conventional nutrition literature failed to yield pertinent information on Cajun and Creole food habits and health beliefs. Such information was obtained through an expanded search of interdisciplinary professional and scholarly literature in home economics, cooperative extension, medicine, public health, nursing, anthropology, history, and folklore. (2) Focus group interviews (a) revealed information undocumented in the literature and (b) reported current incidence of food- and health-related practices. This was incorporated into the educational materials. (3) Limited knowledge of Cajun and Creole food habits and health beliefs was exhibited by the 64% of Southern Louisiana dietitians participating in the mail survey. Particularly noteworthy was their apparent lack of knowledge of inter- and intra-regional variation in food habits and health beliefs. (4) The jury determined that the educational materials were appropriate for use by dietetic practitioners in Southern Louisiana. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-02, Section: A, page: 0441. / Major Professor: Sally Hansen-Gandy. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.

With the interest in somatostatin as an inhibitory regulator of nutrient absorption, this study was designed to investigate changes in gastrointestinal somatostatin after a voluntary shift in diet towards increased carbohydrates and sucrose in otherwise normal rats. In the first experiment a complex 'cafeteria style' high-sucrose diet was offered to experimental animals (n = 5) for one month as an additional option to the usual lab chow and water of controls (n = 5). In the second experiment rats were offered the added option of a 32% sucrose solution for five months (n = con-24, exp-26) and thirteen months (n = con-4, exp-6). A significant increase in daily caloric intake was demonstrated with the sucrose-solution diet, where approximately two-thirds of their caloric intake was taken as sugar water. A 14% and 33% weight increase due to increased adiposity was observed in the 5 and 13 month groups respectively. Insulin response to I.V. glucose was significantly correlated to weight at sacrifice in controls but unrelated in experimental animals and was significantly lower (53-63%) in older animals. Significant increases in tissue somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) were observed in the pancreas after one and five months, and in the antral stomach after five and thirteen months. No diet effect was observed in whole brain, duodenal, jejunal or ileal SLI. Portal plasma SLI was significantly decreased after I.V. glucose relative to basal (64%) and controls (59%) in the 5m experimental rats. Multiple regression analysis was used to see which of the measured factors were predictive of the final weight of the 5m rats. While variability in insulin response plays a dominant role in the prediction of the final weight of control animals, other factors such as pancreatic and brain SLI, gain importance in animals consuming sucrose solutions. These relationships are consistent with, but do not prove, a functional role of insulin and these other factors in the regulation of weight. It is concluded that chronic high-sucrose diets can increase pancreatic and stomach SLI and decrease portal plasma SLI and a mechanism of decreased somatostatin release is postulated / acase@tulane.edu

For the most part, the empirical evidence suggests that wasting and stunting are different phenomena, but this issue remains controversial. Both are used as indicators of undernutrition. While previous studies have explored the relationship of wasting and stunting, there has been inadequate work in this area using standardized data from several countries with individual level measures that allow potential predictors to be analyzed and compared for each of the indices DHS (Demographic and Health Surveys) data from 27 countries from 3 world regions are used. DHS are cross-sectional and use a self-weighting, two-stage, probability sample. Interviews are conducted with one women between the ages of 15 and 49 within each household. The analysis was conducted on 62,059 children between 3 and 35 months of age Linear models using forward stepwise regression were developed for outcomes of height-for-age and weight-for-height stratified on age and urban/rural status. Linear models using correlations between height-for-age and weight-for-height for each country were developed using country-level predictors. Using the correlations, hypotheses of equality among the correlations between the countries and between the age groups were tested. Forward stepwise regression procedures were used to develop models for the outcomes of height-for-age and weight-for-height stratified on countries with low, medium, and high prevalences of wasting The correlations between weight-for-height and height-for-age are not strong. The strength of relationship between wasting and stunting for the age groups is stronger than for the country groupings. An increasing trend is seen over age Prevalence of stunting is higher than that of wasting. The pattern of wasting does not follow the same pattern as stunting. Several predictors were consistent with the UNICEF-based framework for child malnutrition. Age of child, educational level of the mother, child illness and child health are important predictors to both outcomes. Socioeconomic status, a household where one or more sons or daughters have died, prenatal care, number of children under five years in a household and knowledge of contraception are important predictors of stunting. A mother's work status, prevalence of wasting, occupation in agriculture, diarrheal history and duration a child was breastfed are important predictors of wasting / acase@tulane.edu

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Obesity is now a global problem. Within the U.S., the rise in obesity has been largely driven by the increase in caloric consumption. By specifically observing the practices in the fast food industry, this dissertation examines two factors, portion sizes and bundling, to answer the question, what environmental factors in this context have promoted over consumption. With the first factor, portfolio of portion sizes, I demonstrate how extremeness aversion, the tendency for individuals to avoid the smallest and largest sizes, has gradually led consumers to choosing larger and larger portions. Historically research, as well as a consumption study included in this dissertation, demonstrates that choices of larger portions lead to greater end consumption. In regards to bundling (the common practice of offering an entrée, side item, and drink, often referred to as a "combo meal" or "value meal") this dissertation demonstrates that this practice induces people, who choose the bundled meal (on average) purchase larger quantities of side items and drinks. Though offering a combo meal induces consumers to be more price sensitive, those who choose the bundle, tend to be the least price sensitive individuals. Using Bayesian Estimation, this dissertation estimates the magnitude of these effects for each individual, controlling for any price effect on profits, choice and consumption. From the estimates, I produce a demand function for a fast food firm and run policy experiments. The policy experiments are not only used to understand which factors lead to the greatest caloric consumption, but also to evaluate possible policy actions (e.g. taxes) to reduce overall consumption. These experiments demonstrate that taxation of fast food does decrease consumption, however, at a great expense to firms and consumers. Taxes harm consumers because price increases through taxation reduce consumer surplus, and in this context, hurt the poor the most given the greater proportion of the poor consuming fast food. Thus I conclude, through policy simulations, that standards for portion sizes achieves the same or greater decrease in consumption as taxes with limited decrease in firm profits and no harm to consumers. Concluding this dissertation is an addendum on model comparison. / Dissertation

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) homeostasis is mainly regulated by absorption of dietary Pi in the small intestine and reabsorption of filtered Pi in the kidney. I have characterized the 5 '-flanking region and overall gene structure of the murine type IIb sodium-phosphate cotransporter (Na/Pi-IIb), a major apical Pi transporter. The Na/Pi-IIb cotransporter gene spans more than 18 kb and consists of 12 introns and 13 exons. Three promoter/reporter gene constructs, -159/+73, -429/+73 and -954/+73, showed significant luciferase activity when transfected into in rat intestinal epithelial (RIE-1) cells. Pi requirement during development is much higher than in adult life. In the next set of experiments, I sought to characterize expression of the intestinal Na/Pi-IIb cotransporter during mouse ontogeny and to assess the effects of methylprednisolone (MP) treatment. In control mice, Na/Pi uptake by intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles was highest at 14-days-of-age, lower at 21 days and further reduced at 8 weeks and 8--9 months of age. Na/Pi-IIb mRNA and immunoreactive protein levels in 14-d animals were markedly higher than in older groups. MP treatment significantly decreased Na/Pi uptake, and Na/P i-IIb mRNA and protein expression in 14-d mice. Additionally, the size of the protein was smaller in 14-d mice. Deglycosylation of protein from 14-d and 8-wk old animals with PNGase F reduced the molecular weight to the predicted size. I conclude that intestinal Na/Pi uptake and Na/Pi-IIb expression are highest at 14-d and decrease with age. Furthermore, MP treatment reduced intestinal Na/Pi uptake ∼3-fold in 14-d mice and this reduction correlates with reduced Na/Pi-IIb mRNA and protein expression. I also demonstrate that Na/Pi-IIb is an N-linked glycoprotein and that glycosylation is age-dependent. In conclusion, the mouse intestinal Na/Pi-IIb cotransporter is developmentally regulated at mRNA and protein levels. MP-treatment also reduces mRNA and protein expression during development. The Na/Pi-IIb gene promoter constructs identified in the first study will be a useful tool to investigate the possible transcriptional regulations. Furthermore, studying post-translational regulation including glycosylation will reveal developmental effects on Na/Pi-IIb cotransporter protein. These studies will help to decipher molecular mechanisms of Pi absorption in mammalian small intestine.

LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovirus infection in C57BL/6 mice rapidly induces murine AIDS with many functional similarities to human AIDS, including progressive lymphoproliferation and severe immunodeficiency. The present studies indicate that retrovirus infection induces immune dysfunctions mostly via modulating T and B cell proliferation, natural killer cell toxicity, and cytokine secretion. In addition, retrovirus infection causes oxidative damage via nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, excessive free radicals production, and antioxidant deficiency. Such oxidative damage has the theoretical potential to accelerate the development of AIDS via immunosuppression secondary to antioxidant deficiency. Synthesized T cell receptor (TCR) peptides treatment largely blocks the excessive stimulation of a T cell subset by retroviral superantigens, normalizes the retrovirus-induced aberrant cytokines production, thereby significantly ameliorates immune dysfunction, and prevents excessive lipid peroxidation and antioxidant deficiency in murine AIDS. Results from the current studies suggest that dietary vitamin E supplementation significantly prevents the dysregulation of cytokines production, excessive tissue lipid peroxidation, and vitamin E deficiency. Furthermore, vitamin E may play an important role in inhibiting the NF-κB activation which results from the retrovirus infection. In conclusion, TCR peptide treatment and vitamin E supplementation effectively prevents immunodysfunction, excessive lipid peroxidation and free radical production, and antioxidant deficiency during murine AIDS. This may provide additional therapeutic approaches for treatment of human AIDS without additional immunotoxicity.

Maternal phenylketonuria is a disease process caused by the adverse effects of high maternal blood phenylalanine (PHE) on the fetus. Unless treated, maternal PKU results in teratogenic effects on the fetus that can lead to mental retardation, microcephaly, intrauterine growth retardation, congenital cardiovascular defects, low birth weight, spontaneous abortion and fetal death. Although PKU has been recognized as a major challenge for many years, surprisingly little is known about the pathophysiologic mechanism(s) of PHE toward the fetus. To more thoroughly investigate the pathogenesis of this heritable disease and to explore potential therapeutic actions, the genetic mouse model Pahenu2 was used. The overall goals of this project were to use the Pah enu2 mouse to examine the effect of maternal blood PHE level on: (1) The pregnancy outcome of maternal PKU offspring as measured by the incidence of spontaneous abortion and certain key measures of development at birth (i.e., head circumference, weight, and crown-rump length of offspring); and (2) The fetal nutritional status of maternal PKU offspring as assessed by the levels of PHE, tyrosine (TYR), and other essential amino acids (EAA) at birth. In this study, we clearly observed that elevated maternal blood PHE levels, whether they were caused by the maternal diet or maternal genotype, were responsible for the fetal abnormalities in maternal PKU. With regard to fetal developmental outcomes, significant reductions in birth weight, crown-rump length, and head circumference were seen in offspring gestated under high maternal blood PHE conditions. The incidence of fetal loss was significantly different between treatment and control groups. Reductions in the levels of alanine, glutamine, and glutamic acid were observed in fetal blood among offspring born to mutant mothers with high blood PHE levels. None of the branched chain amino acids were reduced in maternal PKU offspring. These findings strongly suggest that there are important maternal genotype and dietary components but no fetal genotype component to this maternal PKU model. Given that these maternal factors also appear to be the most important components of human maternal PKU, this model seems certain to provide a valid animal model to overcome the difficulties of human studies.

The influence of zinc status on the expression of p53, the human tumor suppressor gene as well as downstream target genes of p53 were examined in human cell lines. HepG2 cells were depleted of cellular zinc using a low-zinc media containing Chelex-100 treated serum. Cellular zinc levels were depleted to 64% of controls (4.0 μM zinc, comparable to normal media). p53 mRNA was increased in the zinc-depleted HepG2s as compared to control, however, p53 protein levels and DNA binding activity were not significantly different among treatment groups. NHBEs were depleted of zinc using a serum-free zinc-free media which contained residual amounts of zinc (0.4 μM, ZD). Other treatments included a control group at 4.0 μM of zinc (ZN), for comparison with normal media, 16.0 μM (ZA), for comparison with human serum levels of zinc, and 32.0 μM (ZS), an attainable level of zinc supplementation in humans. Zinc was reduced to 34% in the ZD group as compared to the ZN control group, however, the ZA group and ZS group were significantly higher than control, 240% and 446% respectively. Using RNase protection assays, p53 and gadd45 mRNA were increased almost 100% in the ZD group, as compared to ZN and was higher in the ZA and ZS groups. c-fos was increased 79% in the ZS group as compared to the control group. p53 protein levels were almost 500% higher in the ZD group, and the ZA and ZS groups were six-fold and 16-fold higher respectively, as compared to the ZN group. HAECs were depleted of zinc using a low-serum zinc-free media that contained residual amounts of zinc (0.8 μM, ZD). Other treatments included a control group at 3.0 μM of zinc (ZN), 16.0 μM (ZA), and 32.0 μM (ZS). p53 protein was increased 100% in both the ZD and ZS groups as compared to control, and almost 200% higher in the ZA group. p21, bax and bcl-2, showed significant increases in mRNA in the ZS group as compared to the ZN control group. Mcl-1 mRNA abundance also showed an increase in the ZS cells as compared to ZN control cells.