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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

The Pawtucket Heart Health Program. Influencing adolescent eating patterns.

The Pawtucket Heart Health Program, a research effort testing a process of community activation for cardiovascular risk factor behavior change, risk factor change, and coronary heart disease event rate change, utilizes risk factor behavior change programs for the entire population of a northeastern city. A diversity of nutrition programs designed to teach new skills and to alter the nutrition environment have been delivered. These include group programs, highlighting restaurant menus, labeling grocery shelf items, screening for blood cholesterol levels accompanied by nutritional counseling, and provision of programs in schools. In addition to standard curricula, the Heart Healthy Cook-Off for both junior high school and high school students has been developed. Students select recipes, make substitutions to lower fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol content, analyze original and substitution recipe nutrient content using a microcomputer and nutrient analysis software, and prepare the food. A panel of judges assesses presentation, taste, and health-promoting characteristics. In one junior high school class, cholesterol measure before and after the cook-off decreased by 10.7% among those with elevated cholesterol. The Heart Healthy Cook-Off is an education program that influences the culinary practices of children in an enjoyable, challenging format.

Adolescent↗

Milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia--an evaluation of parameters on incidence risk, diagnosis, risk factors and biological effects as input for a decision support system for disease control.

The present review analyses the documentation on incidence, diagnosis, risk factors and effects of milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia. It is hereby evaluated whether the existing documentation seems sufficient for further modelling in a decision support system for selection of a control strategy. Several studies have been carried out revealing an incidence of milk fever most often in the level of 5-10%. Few studies indicate that the incidence of subclinical hypocalcaemia is several times higher than milk fever. The diagnosis based on clinical or laboratory methods or based on presence of risk factors is outlined. The clinical symptoms of milk fever are highly specific and the disease level may thus be determined from recording of treatments. Diagnosis of subclinical hypocalcaemia needs to include laboratory examinations or it may be determined by multiplying the incidence of milk fever by a certain factor. From the documentation on risk factors, it is very complex to predict the incidence from the exposure level of the risk factors. Due to uncertainty, sensitivity analyses over a wide range of values for each parameter are needed. The documentation of cow characteristics, nutrition, environment and management as risk factors are described. Among cow characteristics, parity or age, body condition and production level were found to be important. Risk factors associated with nutrition included most importantly dietary cation-anion difference and calcium level whereas the importance of general feeding related factors like type of feed stuff and feeding level were less clear. Environment and management included season, climate, housing, pasturing, exercise, length of dry period and prepartum milking. Several of the parameters on environment and management were confounded among each other and therefore firm conclusions on the importance were difficult. The documentation of the effect of milk fever includes the downer cows, reproductive disorders, occurrence of other diseases and the effect on milk production, body weight and culling. The reproductive disorders included most importantly dystocia, uterine prolapse, retained placenta, metritis and repeat breeding, and occurrence of other diseases included ketosis, displaced abomasum and mastitis. The documentation was substantial and often quantifiable within certain limits. Overall it is concluded that the present documentation on milk fever concerning incidence, diagnosis, risk factors and effects seems sufficient for a systematic inclusion in a decision support system. A model on milk fever should take into consideration the variation in biological data and individual herd characteristics. The inclusion of subclinical hypocalcaemia would be more uncertain and probably should await further documentation on possibilities of determining the herd level incidence and also the effect of this condition on production.

Animals↗

Nutritional genomics: the next frontier in the postgenomic era.

The interface between the nutritional environment and cellular/genetic processes is being referred to as "nutrigenomics." Nutrigenomics seeks to provide a molecular genetic understanding for how common dietary chemicals (i.e., nutrition) affect health by altering the expression and/or structure of an individual's genetic makeup. The fundamental concepts of the field are that the progression from a healthy phenotype to a chronic disease phenotype must occur by changes in gene expression or by differences in activities of proteins and enzymes and that dietary chemicals directly or indirectly regulate the expression of genomic information. We present a conceptual basis and specific examples for this new branch of genomic research that focuses on the tenets of nutritional genomics: 1) common dietary chemicals act on the human genome, either directly or indirectly, to alter gene expression or structure; 2) under certain circumstances and in some individuals, diet can be a serious risk factor for a number of diseases; 3) some diet-regulated genes (and their normal, common variants) are likely to play a role in the onset, incidence, progression, and/or severity of chronic diseases; 4) the degree to which diet influences the balance between healthy and disease states may depend on an individual's genetic makeup; and 5) dietary intervention based on knowledge of nutritional requirement, nutritional status, and genotype (i.e., "individualized nutrition") can be used to prevent, mitigate, or cure chronic disease.

Chronic Disease↗

Grazing in a turbulent environment: energy dissipation, encounter rates, and efficacy of feeding currents in Centropages hamatus.

The creation of feeding currents by calanoid copepods increases encounter rates of copepods with their food and provides and advantage in dilute nutritional environments. Small-scale turbulence has also been hypothesized to increase the encounter rate between planktonic predators and their food. Centropages hamatus was exposed to turbulent and nonturbulent environments at two prey concentrations to quantify the influence of turbulence on feeding current efficacy. Turbulent energy dissipation rates used in the experiment were in the range of 0.05-0.15 cm2. sec-3. In the nonturbulent environments, feeding currents increased the encounter rates of C. hamatus 3-5 times that of control encounter areas. In turbulent environments, encounter rates were not increased by feeding currents, yet C. hamatus continued to create feeding currents. Energetic calculations indicate a tradeoff in the value of turbulence to a copepod feeding on phytoplankton. While turbulence is probably beneficial at low food concentrations, it may be deleterious at high food concentrations.

Journal Article↗

Nutrient concentrations in murine follicular fluid and the female reproductive tract.

The culture of murine oocytes and preimplantation embryos in vitro has been used successfully for many years. However, this practice can result in cellular stress and reduced viability. Since this phenomenon is partly attributable to differences in nutrient composition between culture media and maternal tract fluids, we determined the concentrations of glucose, pyruvate, lactate and 19 amino acids in murine preovulatory follicles and oestrous oviductal and uterine fluids. Follicular fluids were aspirated from hyperstimulated ovaries, whereas oviductal fluids (with/without oocyte-cumulus complexes) and uterine fluids were collected from naturally cycling animals. Glucose, pyruvate and lactate concentrations were analysed using ultramicrofluorometric methods, whilst amino acid profiles were determined by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Mean glucose concentrations in follicular, oviduct (with/without cumulus cells) and uterine fluids were 0.46, 1.09/1.65 and 0.61 mmol l(-1), respectively. Pyruvate concentrations were 0.38, 0.37/0.17 and 0.25 mmol l(-1), respectively, and lactate concentrations were 17.34, 10.92/11.68 and 9.41 mmol l(-1), respectively. Oviductal pyruvate concentration was significantly higher, and glucose significantly lower, in the presence of cumulus cells. Taurine, glycine, alanine, glutamine and glutamate were the major amino acids detected. Concentrations of amino acids differed among fluids, with highest levels being found in the oviduct. The follicular fluid and tract nutrient profiles differed from those of murine maturation, fertilisation and embryo culture media. These data extend our understanding of cellular metabolism and of nutritional environments of the oocyte and early embryo as they progress along the reproductive tract in vivo. These results may also contribute to the formulation of nutritionally more physiological media for mouse oocyte maturation and embryo culture.

Amino Acids↗

Life-long protein malnutrition in the rat (Rattus norvegicus) results in altered patterns of craniofacial growth and smaller individuals.

Dietary protein is a limiting factor in mammalian growth, significantly affecting the non-linear trajectories of skeletal growth. Young females may be particularly vulnerable to protein malnutrition if the restriction is not lifted before they become reproductive. With such early malnutrition, limited amino acids would be partitioned between two physiological objectives, successful reproduction vs. continued growth. Thus, the consequences of protein malnutrition could affect more than one generation. However, few studies have quantified these cross-generational effects. Our objective was to test for differences in skeletal growth in a second generation of malnourished rats compared with rats malnourished only post-weaning, the first generation and with controls. In this longitudinal study we modelled the growth of 22 craniofacial measurements with the logistic Gompertz equation, and tested for differences in the equation's parameters among the diet groups. The female offspring of post-weaning malnourished dams did not catch up in size to the first generation or to controls, although certain aspects of their craniofacial skeleton were less affected than others. The second generation's growth trajectories resembled the longer and slower growth of the first malnourished generation. There was a complex interaction between developmental processes and early nutritional environment, which affected variation of adult size.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

[Chemical composition of feces from bovines, sheep and goats feeding from Sahelo-Sudanese natural or farming fields: its use for estimating the nutritive value of their diet].

The chemical composition of grazing cattle, sheep and goat feces is described according to animal species, type of range (natural pasture or fields after crops) and season in a sub-Sahelian environment. Nutritive value (organic matter digestibility and digestible crude protein) of forages can be estimated from some chemical fecal criteria.

Animal Feed↗

[Physiological anthropology in Japan].

In the history of about 100 years of anthropology in Japan, studies of physiological anthropology have made very important contributions from the standpoint of physiological function of mankind. The activity of physiological anthropology in Japan has started systemically November 1978 when the study group was organized under Prof. Keiichi Yoshida as the president and the first meeting was held in February 1979. The study group has developed to Research Society of Physiological Anthropology (President Prof. Keiichi Yosida, October 1982) and then reorganized as Society of Physiological Anthropology (President Prof. Masaro Kaji, Kurume University School of Medicine, April 1987). An increase of members of the Society from 122 in 1982 to 570 in 1991 suggests the prosperity of the study in this field. The Society has two meetings every year since 1979 and the 27th meeting was held last October. The Annals of Physiological Anthropology is published quarterly (will be published bimonthly from 1992) since 1983 and about 300 papers including 116 original articles have been reported. The Annals covers the following fields: Clothing and thermal physiology, Living in normal and abnormal environment, Nutrition and morphology, Sports physiology and medicine, Work physiology, Ergonomics, General physiology and others. In recent progress of science, study in physiological anthropology must respond to various environments in every field of living. The future of physiological anthropology was discussed in the situation of rapidly changing patterns of human life in Japan.

Anthropology, Physical↗

Regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth: implications for the early programming of adult obesity.

A series of epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies have shown that there are associations between the fetal and neonatal nutritional environment and the amount and distribution of adipose tissue in adult life. This review considers the evidence for these relationships and discusses the potential impact of the prenatal nutritional experience on the development of the endocrine and neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance, with a particular emphasis on the role of the adipocyte-derived hormone, leptin. In the rodent, leptin derived from the mother may exert an important influence on the development of the appetite regulatory neural network and on the subsequent regulation of leptin synthesis and the risk for obesity in the offspring. In species such as the human and sheep, there is also recent evidence that the synthesis and secretion of adipocyte-derived hormones, such as leptin, are regulated in fetal life. Furthermore, the hypothalamic neuropeptides that regulate energy intake and expenditure in adult life are also present within the fetal brain and may be regulated by the prevailing level of maternal and hence fetal nutrient and hormonal signals, including leptin. This work is important in determining those initiating mechanisms within the 'fat-brain' axis in early life that precede the development of adult obesity.

Adipocytes↗

The developmental origins of adult disease.

Epidemiological and clinical observations have led to the hypothesis that the risk of developing some chronic diseases in adulthood is influenced not only by genetic and adult lifestyle factors, but also by environmental factors acting in early life. These factors act through the processes of developmental plasticity and possibly epigenetic modification, and can be distinguished from developmental disruption. The concept of predictive adaptation has been developed to explain the relationship between early life events and the risk of later disease. At its base, the model suggests that a mismatch between fetal expectation of its postnatal environment and actual postnatal environment contribute to later adult disease risk. This mismatch is exacerbated, in part, by the phenomenon of "maternal constraint" on fetal growth, which implicitly provides an upper limit of postnatal nutritional environment that humans have adapted for and is now frequently exceeded. These experimental, clinical and conceptual considerations have important implications for prevention and intervention in the current epidemic of childhood obesity and adult metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.

Birth Weight↗

Establishment and characteristics of four sub-strains of F344 rats reared on various low protein and low energy diets.

Four sub-strains, reared by sib-mating and having for their origin the F344/DuCrj strain of rats, were established by feeding with different levels of low protein and low energy diets, and their characteristics investigated. The amounts of crude protein (CP) and digestible energy (DE) in the four diets were 17.6%-3.0 kcal, 10.5%-2.5 kcal, 8.4%-2.0 kcal, and 10.5%-2.5 kcal, respectively, and the four sub-strains established here were provisionally designated as F344/Tig1, F344/Tig2, F344/Tig3 and F344/Tig4, respectively. Intakes of nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy (MEn) did not differ, and a large intake of digestible crude protein (DCP) was observed in F344/Tig1 rats. The body weight of rats provided with lower-nutrient diets showed a tendency to decrease until the F2 generation, but no change among the generations was seen subsequently, and the same compiled differences in protein content were maintained. Similar transitions were observed in the lifetime rearing test. Though F344/Tig3 rats, which were reared on minimum nutrients, showed a tendency to delayed puberty, we were easily able to breed four pairs in every generation using procedures similar to those used for other strains of rats. There were no differences among the F344/Tig1 to -3 strains of rats in body length, digestive tract length, or organ weight per body weight, and all the rats had a normal range of biochemical values. But the F344/Tig4 showed a high glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and a tendency to decreased liver function and a shorter lifespan. These sub-strains of F344 rats clarified differences in fatty acid compositions, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in serum, liver and the brain. The rats were intended to be useful animal models for the study of nutritional environments and their influence on the memory and learning.

Animal Feed↗

Realized and potential neutralization of mutant genes in man by nutritional selection.

Inborn errors of metabolism are examples of monogenic disease in man that, more often than not, impair adaptation. Appropriate modification of the nutritional environment has been used in several instances to offset the phenotypic effects of the mutant allele, with resultant relaxation of selection. Despite an impressive, if brief, record of its efficacy, nutritional treatment of inborn errors of metabolism remains suboptimal in the absence of relevant and superior food technology and well-established systems for its application to the patient. Some of the more commonly encountered multifactorial diseases are likely to yield in the future to the type of genetic analysis that has been effective for monogenic disease. Delineation of various monogenic subsets in a multifactorial disease profile may permit the application of specific treatment to persons in the universal population at particular risk with the disease. Coronary heart disease is an example of a major disease burden now undergoing such delineation, which may benefit from the assignment of specific nutritional and pharmacological treatment for particular forms of the disease.

Genetic Engineering↗

Environmental and nutritional effects on the epigenetic regulation of genes.

Major efforts have been directed towards the identification of genetic mutations, their use as biomarkers, and the understanding of their consequences on human health and well-being. There is an emerging interest, however, in the possibility that environmentally-induced changes at levels other than the genetic information could have long-lasting consequences as well. This review summarises our current knowledge of how the environment, nutrition, and ageing affect the way mammalian genes are organised and transcribed, without changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Admittedly, the link between environment and epigenetics remains largely to be explored. However, recent studies indicate that environmental factors and diet can perturb the way genes are controlled by DNA methylation and covalent histone modifications. Unexpectedly, and not unlike genetic mutations, aberrant epigenetic alterations and their phenotypic effects can sometimes be passed on to the next generation.

Aging↗

The long-term consequences of intra-uterine protein malnutrition for glucose metabolism.

Our initial observations, in epidemiological studies, linking indices of poor early (fetal and infant) growth to the subsequent development of poor glucose tolerance and the insulin resistance syndrome in adult life, have been confirmed in studies in a wide variety of populations around the world. These findings led us 5 years ago to propose the 'thrifty phenotype' hypothesis. Tests of this hypothesis in an animal model in which the pregnant and/or lactating rat dams are fed on an isoenergetic diet containing just under half the normal protein content are consistent with the ideas put forward. They have also allowed us to refine the hypothesis in the light of the new data as follows: (1) the growth of the fetus (and possibly infant) is quantitatively and qualitatively altered by its nutritional environment (which may include maternal diet-dependent changes in maternal hormones); (2) these changes serve to select between the growth rates of different tissues according to priorities which differ between males and females (nutritional thrift) and to alter organ function to constitute a thrifty offspring adapted to survival in poor nutritional circumstances (thrifty phenotype); (3) an individual so constituted suffers adverse consequences in adult life if he/she experiences good or supranormal nutrition; (4) both poor insulin secretion and insulin resistance can result from these adaptive processes; (5) the adverse consequences include loss of glucose tolerance and hypertension. The precise outcome of growth retardation during early life may vary according to the type and timing of the factors responsible for the retardation. It remains to be determined to what extent these potentially adverse effects can be delayed or prevented by a suitable postnatal diet. Experiments in animal models are largely consistent with the concepts proposed from human epidemiological studies. They show that the metabolism of the liver, muscle and adipose tissue may be programmed by maternal nutrition during gestation and lactation. The combination of early growth restriction and subsequent adult obesity reproduced in the rat are the main features of the insulin resistance syndrome.

Animals↗

In vitro nail invasion by pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi under different culture conditions.

Data from the literature suggest that the nutritional environment can modify major metabolic functions of fungi and possibly their aggressivity towards keratinous structures. Trichophyton rubrum (TR), Microsporum canis (MC), Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (SB), Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) and Penicillium spec. (P) were inoculated on media of different nutritional value, in presence of nail fragments. The activity of the fungi was evaluated at two and four weeks for intensity and depth of invasion of nail samples. Nail invasion was most pronounced by MC, especially when grown on rice agar or peptone agar. Nail invasion by the other fungi tested was less important, Sabourand glucose and rice agar were most favorable. Our results indicate that nutritional factors can, at least in some fungus species, alter their rate of nail invasion.

Aspergillus fumigatus↗

The impact of quorum sensing and swarming motility on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation is nutritionally conditional.

The role of quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation is unclear. Some researchers have shown that quorum sensing is important for biofilm development, while others have indicated it has little or no role. In this study, the contribution of quorum sensing to biofilm development was found to depend upon the nutritional environment. Depending upon the carbon source, quorum-sensing mutant strains (lasIrhlI and lasRrhlR) either exhibited a pronounced defect early in biofilm formation or formed biofilms identical to the wild-type strain. Quorum sensing was then shown to exert its nutritionally conditional control of biofilm development through regulation of swarming motility. Examination of pilA and fliM mutant strains further supported the role of swarming motility in biofilm formation. These data led to a model proposing that the prevailing nutritional conditions dictate the contributions of quorum sensing and swarming motility at a key juncture early in biofilm development.

Biofilms↗

Nutrition education for medical students. II. Who shall teach it? Within what framework? How?

There exists inadequate recognition, inadequate support, and inadequate attention to the subject of nutrion in medical schools. While progress has occurred in some schools, the teaching of nutrition has not generally been integrated into the curriculum of the medical school. This paper raises the question: Within what framework and how? The author attempts to highlight the role of the nutrition educator in the medical center setting as the health professional to assume leadership. There are signs of renewed interest. Efforts are being made to expand nutritional knowledge in the medical school curriculum. The design of nutrition in the curriculum must reflect the needs of society and of the learner. There must be relevance. The program must be problem-centered, affording the learners the opportunities to engage in the discovery of the role of nutrition in the health of people, the nutritional environment, and the interplay between the two.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗