Thesis (Ed. S.)--Northwestern State University of Louisiana, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-64).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-156).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2007. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-78).

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 69 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-59).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 77 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-77).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

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This paper studies the correlation between three widely common chronic diseases, periodontal disease, diabetes, and obesity. The three diseases share one key factor; they not only affect human's health but also the style and quality of life. This paper evaluated the current literature regarding periodontal disease, diabetes, obesity, and their triangular relationship. The studies showed that the three chronic diseases are related to each other in a triangular relationship. Increased adiposity manifested by BMI greater than 30, leads to increased systemic inflammation through the release of inflammatory adipokines from the fatty deposits, this leads to the development of diabetes mellitus by different mechanisms, partly by destruction of the islet cells of Langerhans and partly by insulin resistance. One of the complications of diabetes mellitus is periodontal disease, which is a list of clinical conditions that adversely affect the health of the periodontium. Moreover, current literature provides evidence that the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease is bidirectional. Evidence from current studies is showing that periodontal disease might lead to the development of diabetes by increasing the systemic inflammation, this occurs by the invasion of periodontal pathogens of the endothelial cells where they elicit an exacerbated systemic inflammation which might lead to the development of diabetes and other chronic conditions. This paper shows the importance of collaborative work between the dental and the medical professionals to ensure the overall health of an individual. Primary care physicians are encouraged to refer patients with poor glycemic control to dentists for an assessment of the health of their oral cavity and vice versa; dentists should be more aware of the systemic complications of oral diseases and should educate their patients about such relationships.

BACKGROUND: Fat is stored in adipose tissue. In obesity, differentiation of preadipocytes to new adipocytes (fat cells) is required for energy storage. Otherwise fat accumulation in non-adipocytes contributes to fatty liver and diabetes. Our goal was to assess subject characteristics associated with poor in-vitro differentiation capacity of preadipocytes from omental (OM) and abdominal subcutaneous (SC) fat. APPROACH: A convenience sample of, 4 males and 20 females, age 39±2 (range 20-56) years, BMI 42 ± 2 (23-63) kg/m2 (i.e. from lean to obese), 7 Caucasian, 8 Hispanic, 1 other and 8 African Americans) undergoing elective surgery was studied. Fat samples collected during surgery were used for histology and preadipocyte isolation. Fat cell diameters and their distribution (normal or bimodal) were analyzed from histology. Preadipocyte differentiation capacity was measured in vitro. RESULTS: In the OM depot, no effect of ethnicity, sex or HbA1c was found. Unexpectedly, subjects with preadipocytes with poor differentiation capacity tended to be younger (poor differentiation group 36 ± 2 years versus high 43 ± 3 years, p=0.09) and to have lower fasting glucose (poor 97 ± 3.65 mg/dl versus high 111 ± 7.08 mg/dl, p=0.06). In SC, no differences were noted. Fat cell size was not associated with differentiation capacity in either depot. Bimodal distribution, which may show formation of new adipocytes, was seen mostly in Caucasian subjects (5 out of 7) compared to Hispanic (3 out of 8) and African Americans (2 out of 8). CONCLUSION: It is important to investigate the associations between age/ethnicity and OM preadipocyte differentiation/cell distribution in adequately powered cross-sectional studies.

With the rapid and alarming rise in the obesity epidemic that continues to plague both developed and developing nations, increasing efforts are being directed toward solving this pressing issue that is associated with multiple metabolic complications. Research efforts continue to target this population for greater insight as to causes, preventative measures and treatment options that may provide health benefits to those suffering from the physical and psychological manifestations of this newly classified neurobiological disease, in addition to cut down on excruciating obesity-related costs affecting the current health care budget. Alongside an emphasis on physical activity and proper nutrition to both prevent and ameliorate the effects of obesity, pharmacological treatment has garnered an appreciable appeal as an additional interventional approach in an urgency to slow the progression of this widespread problem. The introduction of lorcaserin (Belviq®), a serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) agonist that selectively targets the 5-HT receptor subtype 2C (5-HT2C), has already exhibited great potential for combating the obesity epidemic since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012. With its ability to decrease appetite and enhance weight loss with few side effects, lorcaserin is a promising treatment option. However, the mechanisms behind the drug are still not fully known. Determining the exact role that lorcaserin plays in appetite control would provide valuable insight into appetite regulation and could illustrate the medication's potential for reversing the health-impairing effects of obesity on our current populations. This study examined, through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the effects of lorcaserin on the centers of the brain that control appetite and food intake, in addition to areas of cognition that are thought to be affected by obesity. Due to the nature of the double-blind trial, only baseline characteristics were obtained and analyzed. However, observed correlations from these data largely confirm previously established relationships seen in obese populations providing support for the validity of this study. These correlations were also important to obtain to set the stage for assessing any short-term or long-term neuroimaging changes and neurocognitive effects of lorcaserin on brain responses to high and low calorie food imagery.