abstract: The evaluation of nutritional status by dietary intake assessment is fundamental to nutrition research. Accurate assessment allows for health professional-moderated diet adjustment in order to promote disease prevention and management. However, dietary intake can be extremely challenging to measure properly as reliability and accuracy are essential. As technology use has become more prevalent in recent years, an assortment of online, web-based diet analysis methods have begun to emerge. Are these modern methods as accurate as the traditional methods? The aim of this study was to compare and contrast diet analyses from a feeding trial in which both subject-coded (using the Automated Self Administered 24 hour recall, or the ASA24) and investigator-coded (using the Food Processor diet analysis program) diet records were available. Sixty-four overweight (body mass index >27-40 kg/m2) members of a campus community between the ages of 20-45 were recruited for an 8-week parallel arm, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of two different pre-dinner meal snacks on satiety, calories consumed, and contribution to modest weight loss. As part of the study requirements, participants completed 3-day food logs at four different times during the trial: pre-trial, and week 1, 4, and 8. Participants also entered their dietary information into the ASA24 website the day after the intake was recorded by hand. Nutrient intake values were compared between the ASA24 records and the handwritten food logs. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistical Analysis version 19.0; bivariate analyses and Spearman correlation analyses were utilized. Energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intakes did correlate significantly between the two methodologies, though both under-reporting and over-reporting were found to exist. Carbohydrate and fiber intakes were under-reported by subjects; retinol, beta-carotene, and vitamin C amounts were over-reported. These results are consistent with previous findings in reporting differences and suggest that the ASA24 is a comparably accurate dietary tracking tool to the traditional diet record method. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Nutrition 2012

Many fishes are planktivorous during early life and switch to piscivory or consume larger food items as ontogeny progresses. In contrast, paddlefish begin life as active feeders selecting for larger organisms and then switch to planktivory as they grow. Few studies have quantified these changes in early life foraging. I identified distinct early life foraging behaviors and prey preferences of age-0 paddlefish and how these change with habitat and paddlefish size. Gut contents of 189 age-0 wild paddlefish were used to determine which prey are most preferred and whether habitat variables and paddlefish size influence diet composition. I also performed an experiment to identify differences in foraging behavior and prey preference between age-0 and age-1 paddlefish. Dominant prey, based on percent by number and percent occurrence, of wild age-0 paddlefish ranging from 10 to 116 mm TL was trichoptera larvae (28.5%N, 67.7%O) and hemiptera (18.3%N, 51.3%O). Prey size increased with size of age-0 paddlefish. However, the highest ratio of zooplankton to invertebrates in the gut occurred in a 60 mm paddlefish. The size range of fish in this study was likely too narrow to confirm presence of an ontogenetic diet shift. Habitat had no effect on diet. My experimental study revealed that if provided a mixture of organisms, age-0 paddlefish will primarily consume macroinvertebrates while age-1 paddlefish will mainly filter zooplankton, but occasionally consume larger organisms. Features of river channels (e.g., woody snags, gravel beds in the photic zone) that contribute to the diverse diet paddlefish require in early life may ultimately increase survival and recruitment.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Elizabeth Dawn Grisley, for the Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Systemic Physiology, presented on November 6th, 2015, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: INFLUENCE OF DIET AND STROKE ON EXPRESSION OF GENES THAT MODULATE INFLAMMATION AND NEURONAL REMODELING IN THE ADULT AND AGED MALE RAT CEREBRAL CORTEX MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Joseph L. Cheatwood Nearly 800,000 Americans are stricken by ischemic stroke each year. Other than care with post stroke rehabilitation there are no specific treatments for improving functional recovery. To improve the recovery of stroke patients we are investigating anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and neuronal remodeling pathways. Estrogen receptor activators are known to be neuroprotective by initiating pathways through ERβ and ERα. The bioactive soy isoflavones, daidzein and genistein, do bind to these estrogen receptors. However, this binding alone is not sufficient to explain the ability of soy-based diets and purified isoflavones to reduce inflammation and improve neuroprotection and recovery after stroke. Herein, we focused on the Pparg, Arg-1, 14-3-3ε, Sirt1, Gap43, Synaptophysin, Sod-1, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and the Rtn4(Nogo-A) pathways to test the hypothesis that diets containing soy isoflavones and/or soy protein isolate will reduce inflammation and promote the expression of neuronal plasticity markers following stroke in adult and aged rats via these mechanisms. Adult and aged male Hooded Long Evans rats were fed a semi-purified diet of either 1) sodium caseinate (CAS), 2) sodium caseinate plus the isoflavones daidzein and genistein (CAS+ISO), or 3) soy protein isolate (SPI) for two weeks prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Permanent unilateral MCAO was performed and tissue was collected from both hemispheres at Day 0 (no stroke) and Day +3. Rats were maintained on their assigned diet throughout the experiment. RNA was extracted and cDNA synthesized for qPCR reaction. All data were normalized to Gapdh via the ΔΔCt method. qPCR analyses of the contralateral and ipsilateral brain tissue at 3 days after stroke resulted in upregulation of Sod-1, Sirt1, 14-3-3ε, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Gap43, Syp and Rtn4(Nogo-A) mRNA expression in the contralateral hemisphere. Only Pparg and Arg1 mRNA were found to be upregulated in the ipsilateral hemisphere. Through the upregulation of Pparg mRNA expression in the ipsilateral cortex we have established that the anti-inflammatory pathway is being initiated in our model. However it has been activated by a greater degree with the SPI treatment not the isoflavones daidzein and genistein alone as previously thought. It is unclear if the daidzein and genistein are working concurrently with one or more of the compounds found in the SPI treatment or if one or more additional compounds in the SPI has been the true activator. Since the tissue analyzed in this project was from animals that exhibited significant post stroke behavioral outcomes in a previous experiment we believed the influence of compensatory sprouting from the contralesional hemisphere was modulating the improvement of growth and anti-inflammatory factors to the injured ipsilateral hemisphere. Extensive research is still needed to confirm the source of activation in the PPARG pathway with the SPI treatment, the time and age points that transcriptional expression of our selected genes will activate or influence translational and/or post-translational effects and how the ischemic hemisphere is benefitting from compensatory sprouting from the contralateral hemisphere in this ischemic stroke model. By continuing in the directions mentioned above the mechanism by which isoflavones significantly improve post-stroke behavioral outcomes may be revealed.

The Foodways and Futures project (2013-2016), as part of the “Pathways to a Healthy Life” theme at the University of Aberdeen, is an interdisciplinary project, combining education, sociology, public health and nutrition. An unpublished pilot study, conducted with young people who had previously been homeless and were temporarily accommodated by a charitable youth organisation in the North East of Scotland, the Aberdeen Foyer, suggested that young people (16-25) experiencing homelessness and social deprivation were struggling to consume sufficient amounts of healthy foods according to UK nutritional guidelines (Perry, 2011). The Foodways and Futures project was developed to investigate the lived experiences of the young people accommodated by the same organisation, to explore how, why and in what context they make their food choices. I combined action research and ethnography as mutually beneficial research approaches. Four different research methods were employed: participant observation at three of the housing sites, interviews, as well as a peer researcher group of young people and photovoice as more participatory approaches. The study combines methodological, ethical as well as analytical insights. The thesis' contribution to knowledge is firstly, the insights into the complexities of young people's lived experiences and secondly, the novelty of the research approaches to explore these. Foodways and Futures illustrates the ways in which food choices and practices may appear nutritionally undesirable, but are nevertheless linked to the young people's search for security and social connectedness, in their new living environments. Food choice makes subjective and emotional sense to the participants and cannot be separated from the socio economic context. In realising this, evidence for policy becomes more interactive. Policy changes require insights and action not only from the communities of concern, but also require collaborative support and action from policymakers as well as governance, organisational and managerial actors.

No description available.

Big Blue® lacI transgenic mice and rats carry the E. coli lacI gene integrated as a tandem array of approximately 40 copies integrated at a single site in chromosome 4. This mutationally well-characterized gene is highly sensitive to base substitution mutations and is readily recovered from virtually any tissue of the transgenic host, facilitating the in vivo study of mutation. The Big Blue® assay was used to investigate spontaneous and induced mutation, with an emphasis on dietary influences on mutational frequency and specificity. The effects of ageing and dietary restriction on spontaneous mutation in the lacI transgene were determined in mice, permitting evaluation of several well established theories of ageing. Mutation frequencies were found to increase with age in tissues that proliferate (bladder and liver, but not brain), validating a principle tenet of the somatic ageing theory. However, the unexpected lack of a change in mutational specificity in ageing mice suggests that theories of ageing based on oxidative damage, or a reduction in DNA repair efficiency, may not be seminal to the ageing process, at least until more advanced age. Similarly, dietary restriction, which is known to extend lifespan in rodents and was predicted to decrease oxidative DNA-damage, had no appreciable effect on either the frequency or the specificity of spontaneous mutation in liver of younger (6 month old) and older (12 month old) mice. Dietary influences on induced mutation were examined following treatment with aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b]pyridine (PhIP) powerful animal carcinogens which demonstrate tissue, species and sex-linked differences in rats and mice. As expected, AFB₁ was found to be potently mutagenic in rat but not mouse liver, in agreement with rodent carcinogenicity studies that found F344 rats to be highly susceptible to AFB₁-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, while C57BL/6 mice are highly resistant. PhIP was found to be potently and equally mutagenic in colon of both male and female rats. The result in female colon was surprising since PhIP predominantly induces colon cancer in male rats but mammary tumors in female rats. Therefore, the progression of PhIP-induced colon cancer in the rat colon is likely due to factors acting at a later stage in the tumorigenic process, following the damage and mutation of DNA. Rat prostate tissue, another tumor target tissue in PhIP-treated rats, was also found to be highly susceptible to PhIP-induced mutagenesis. Lastly, the PhIP studies were extended to an additional transgene target located in the shuttle vector construct from Big Blue® rodents, the bacteriophage λ-derived cII gene. These studies validated the use of the λ cII gene as an alternative mutational target for use in the Big Blue® assay, while the analyses of mutation in the lacI and the λcII transgenes serves as a paradigm for mutational studies which compare mutational responses in different genes. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the utility of the lacI (λ cII) transgenic mutagenicity assay for the in vivo investigation of mutational processes as a function of age, diet, sex, species, and target tissue specificity with respect to sites of mutation and cancer. / Graduate

Forty-five fawns, representative of races of Odocoileus hemionus columbianus, Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis, and Odocoileus hemionus hemionus were raised together under similar environmental conditions. The daily dry matter intake was recorded for all of the animals for periods of from eight to twelve weeks during the early phases of growth which preceded puberty. It was found that dry matter intake reflected the net energy demands of maintenance and growth. Dry matter intake was also influenced by plane of nutrition, composition and digestibility of the ration, and condition of the animal. Some subspecific differences in growth and nutritional efficiencies were observed. It was shown that dry matter intake during early phases of growth of subspecies of Odocoileus hemionus could be estimated if net energy requirements of the animals and the digestibility coefficient of the ration(s) were known. Knowledge of the pattern of growth in the animal is essential for accurate calculation of the net energy requirements. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

L’hypertension est la maladie chronique la plus fréquente dans le monde. Aussi, des mesures non médicamenteuses, nommément l’adhérence à une alimentation équilibrée (riche en fruits et légumes et réduite en sel), le maintien d’un poids normal, la pratique d’une activité physique régulière et une consommation d’alcool limitée, sont largement recommandées dans les textes de recommandations des sociétés savantes afin de prévenir l’hypertension et/ou d’améliorer le contrôle tensionnel des individus hypertendus. L’objectif de cette thèse était d’étudier les relations entre ces facteurs et le niveau de pression artérielle d’une part et le risque de survenue d’une hypertension à partir d’analyses transversales et prospectives des données de l’étude NutriNet-Santé, une e-cohorte française. Nos résultats rapportent que le niveau de pression artérielle est significativement associé à l’indice de masse corporel, à la consommation en fruits et légumes et plus largement à l’adhérence à une alimentation globale équilibrée, à la consommation d’alcool et au niveau d’activité physique ; confirment l’association entre le risque d’hypertension et les apports alimentaires de plusieurs facteurs nutritionnels et soulignent qu’une alimentation globalement saine et équilibrée pourrait fortement contribuer à prévenir l’hypertension. Enfin, nos résultats suggèrent que l’adhérence à l’ensemble des mesures non médicamenteuses pourrait diminuer de moitié le nombre de nouveau cas d’hypertension ou tout du moins retarder leur survenue. / Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world and lifestyle behaviors, namely adherence to a healthy diet (rich in fruits and vegetables and with reduced consumption of salt), maintain of normal weight, regular physical activity and limitation of alcohol, for its prevention and control are recommended within worldwide guidelines. Our aim was to study the relationship between those recommended lifestyle behaviors and first blood pressure level and second risk of incident hypertension, through cross-sectional and prospective analyses using data from the NutriNet-Santé study, a French web-based cohort. Our results reported significant associations between body mass index, fruits and vegetables and alcohol consumption, and physical activity; confirmed the association of several nutritional factors and incident hypertension and highlighted that adopting a global healthy diet could strongly contribute to the prevention of hypertension. Moreover, adhere to all the recommended lifestyle behaviors could reduce the hypertension risk of half or at least delay the new onsets of hypertension.

Over the last decade, not only has the awareness of ASD increased dramatically, but the rates of children diagnosed with autism has increased as well. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) now estimates that autism affects approximately 1 in every 59 children, a 150% increase since 2000. Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by impaired social interactions and the presence of stereotyped behaviors that results in lifelong impaired functioning. There is significant clinical heterogeneity within ASD suggesting a multifactorial pathophysiology with contribution from both genetic and environmental risk factors. Given the complexity of ASD pathophysiology, existing treatments are directed at each clinical manifestation and are not considered curative. Antipsychotic medications have been shown to be efficacious in reducing the repetitive patterns of behavior, while behavioral therapy is effective in alleviating the social impairment associated with ASD. Notably, epilepsy occurs in approximately 33% of individuals with ASD. The high co-occurrence of epilepsy and autism has been hypothesized to be the result of a shared underlying pathophysiology. Current treatment guidelines for epilepsy include anti-epileptic medications with varying mechanisms of action, however approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy fail to achieve adequate seizure control with drug therapy. In these individuals with refractory epilepsy, studies have demonstrated that the ketogenic diet has proven efficacy in achieving seizure control. Numerous mouse models and several human trials have also evaluated the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in reversing the symptoms of autism, though these studies have largely been limited in generalizability, sample size, and randomization. This proposed study will be a randomized controlled study and will assess the utility of the ketogenic diet in reversing the core deficits of autism, social impairment and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Several assessment tools will be utilized to evaluate the behavioral response to the ketogenic diet. The applicability of the ketogenic diet to improve the symptoms of ASD can have a potentially profound impact on the financial burden of the disease. Additionally, it can reduce the need for both anti-epileptic and anti-psychotic medications, thus reducing both the side effects associated with those medications, while concurrently improving the symptoms of ASD.

The continent of Africa is inhabited by about 270 million persons of whom about 60 million are Bantu. They dwell mainly south of the Equator. South African Bantu number about 11 million persons, of whom under a third are urbanised, and over a third each work on farms of Whites or live in the Native Reserves. These local Bantu are comprised of several ethnic groups, the largest of which are Zulu and Xhosa. While some communities of rural Bantu still live in a primitive manner. others, mainly in urban areas, tend progressively to adopt a westernised type of diet and manner of life. The Bantu may therefore be observed in all stages of transition, in relation to patterns of diet, metabolism, and pathology. The studies undertaken and to be described concern primarily the nutrition of infants and children, the prevalence of certain deficiency diseases, and the handicap imposed by parasitism on nutritional state and other parameters.