A Festschrift for Roland L. Weinsier: Nutrition Scientist,Educator, and Clinician1

Roland L. Weinsier, M.D., Dr.P.H., devoted himself to the fields of nutrition and obesity for more than 35 years. He contributed outstanding work related to the treatment of obesity through dietary and lifestyle change; metabolic/energetic influences on obesity, weight loss, and weight regain; body composition changes accompanying weight loss and regain; the health benefits and risks of weight loss; nutrition education for physicians; and nutrition support of sick patients. He served on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) National Task Force on Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, as Chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Department of Nutrition Sciences, and as Founder and Director of its NIDDK‐funded Clinical Nutrition Research Center. He was a long‐time and active member of NAASO, serving in the roles of Councilor, Publications Committee Chair, Continuing Medical Education Course Director, Public Relations Committee Chair, and Membership Committee Co‐Chair, to name just a few. He was well respected as a staunch defender of NAASO's scientific integrity in these roles. Sadly, Roland Weinsier died on November 27, 2002. He will be missed and remembered by many as a revered and beloved teacher, mentor, healer, and scholar.     

The effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on seed yield and composition in peas

Summary The effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on seed yield and seed nutrient content inPisum sativum L. cv Sprite were studied. In the first experiment (spring-sown) seed yield was increased by 55% due to the combined effect of high nitrogen and phosphorus, although in subsequent experiments (during the summer) nitrogen had no effect on seed yield, and a response to phosphorus was obtained in only one of two experiments. In all experiments, increased plant nitrogen and phosphorus supply resulted in increased concentration of the respective element in the seed.     

经胃镜鼻空肠置管早期肠内营养与肠外营养对急性重症胰腺炎患者血糖等变化的对比研究

目的:探讨经胃镜鼻空肠置管肠内营养与肠外营养对重症胰腺炎患者血糖及相关指标的影响。方法:将32例重症胰腺炎患者随机分为早期肠内营养组(EEN,18例)和肠外营养组(PN,14例)。详细记录治疗期间的血糖波动,第4d、10d营养指标和淀粉酶等变化,并观察临床恢复情况。结果:早期肠内营养组血糖水平波动较肠外营养组平稳(P<0.01)。入院第4天EEN组患者的各项营养指标和淀粉酶指标恢复明显高于PN组患者(P<0.01)。并发症发生率EEN组少于PN组,差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论:经胃镜鼻空肠置管早期肠内营养对重症胰腺炎患者营养支持的较好方法,方便血糖调控,同时可促进机体康复,减少并发症的发生。     

Reaction of faba bean plants to soil and foliar N application and K nutrition

The effect of different rates and methods of fertilizer nitrogen application and potassium nutrition on the root nodule formation of faba bean plants var. Nadwiślański and on their nitrogenase activity was studied. It was found that fertilizer N depressed the nodule formation and nitrogenase activity, but inhibitory effect of N was smaller when it was supplied to the leaves instead to the soil. Plants growing at higher K level were in a position allowing on better development of nodules and consequently higher N₂- fixation.     

Zinc nutritional status in obese children and adolescents

Studies in animals and humans have corroborated that zinc (Zn) metabolism is altered in obesity. The present work intends to evaluate the Zn nutritional status in obese children and adolescents by the determination of some biochemical parameters and analyses of the diets. The investigation was carried out in a group of obese children and adolescents (n=23) and compared to a control group (n=21), both between 7 and 14 yr of age. A software analyzed diet information from 3-d food records. Body composition was evaluated by body mass index, bioelectrical impedance, and skinfold measurements. Zinc nutritional status was evaluated by Zn determination in plasma, erythrocyte, and 24-h urine, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (γ=213.9 nm). Diets consumed by both groups had marginal concentrations of zinc. Zinc concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes were significantly lower in the obese group. Urinary zinc excretion was significantly higher in the same group. The results allowed one to conclude that zinc nutritional status in obese individuals is altered.     

Selenium deficiency in children and adolescents nourished by parenteral nutrition and/or selenium-deficient enteral formula

The authors analyzed serum selenium levels of 95 children and adolescents with intestinal dysfunction and/or neurological disabilities [age range: 7 months–20 years; mean ± standard deviation (SD): 8.0 ± 5.3 years] who received parenteral nutrition (PN) and/or enteral nutrition (EN) with either reduced or no selenium doses for more than 3 months. Twenty-eight patients (29%) showed serum selenium levels below 4.0 μg/dL. Five patients whose serum selenium levels were below 2 μg/dL presented various clinical manifestations, including hair browning (n = 5), macrocythemia (n = 4), nail whitening (n = 3) and cardiac dysfunction (n = 1). None of these 5 patients were nourished through ordinary diets. Three of these patients were nourished through selenium-free enteral nutritional products, 1 through selenium-deficient PN and 1 through PN and a formula with reduced selenium. After selenium supplement therapy for 1 year, all 5 patients exhibited improvement in their serum selenium levels and clinical features of selenium deficiency. It is important to be cautious about secondary selenium deficiency in children and adolescents nourished only through EN/PN without an adequate dose of selenium.     

Behaviors and nutritional importance of coprophagy in captive adult and young nutrias (Myocastor coypus)

To estimate the contribution of coprophagy to protein intake, we observed the behavior, particularly that associated with coprophagy, in adult and young captive nutrias (experiment 1), and analyzed chemical composition and amino acid composition, including diaminopimeric acid (DAP), an indication of bacterial-deprived protein, of soft feces, entire hard feces, and the black part and green part of hard feces (experiment 2). Nutrias practiced coprophagy 48 times per 24 h in adults, and 28 times in young animals, which not only had a 24-h rhythm but also had 1-h or 2-h short-term rhythms. Nutrias ingested food and drank water vigorously after sunset, following which they practiced coprophagy from midnight to morning, before lying down for much of the day. When coprophagy was prevented we sampled soft feces, produced from midnight to noon, which had high (P < 0.05) concentration of crude protein (CP), DAP on a dry matter (DM) basis and 13 amino acids on a 16 g N basis than hard feces, and had a low (P < 0.05) content of acid detergent fiber (ADF). CP was greater in the black part than the green part of hard feces (P < 0.05) although ADF was less (P < 0.05). The chemical composition of the black part of hard feces was not significantly different from that of soft feces. The dry weight of soft feces excreted in experiment 1 was 34.5 g and 9.7 g DM per 24 h in adult and young animals, respectively. Using this value, the contribution of soft feces to CP intake in adult nutrias was estimated as 16%, superior to that obtained in rabbits for a diet with similar ADF concentration. To Met and Lys intake the contribution of soft feces was 26% and 19%, respectively in adult animals. These results suggest that coprophagy is quite an effective manner for nutrias to ingest extra protein. Accepted: 10 January 1991     

Nutrient dynamics in small mesotrophic fens surrounded by cultivated land

Summary Release of inorganic N and P in the organic soils of three small quaking fens in The Netherlands was studied by means of in situ incubation of the peat soil in plastic bottles. One of the fens had higher biomass production and lower species richness than the other two. The former fen is located in an area with downward groundwater percolation, whereas the latter fens are situated in an area of upward seepage of groundwater rich in calcium and bicarbonate.Mineralization of N proved to be slow in the low-productive fens, and 6 times faster in the highly productive fen. In the latter fen the amount of N mineralized during a certain period exceeded by far the amount accumulated in that period in the above-ground parts of the vegetation.The release of inorganic P was extremely slow in the two low-productive fens and rapid in the highly productive fen. The release rates were not related to the total P content of the soils. The slow P release in the low-productive fens may be due to the continuous inflow of groundwater rich in Ca, Al and Fe compounds.It can be concluded that the soil is a potentially large source of inorganic N and P in quaking fens. The importance of the soil versus other N and P sources is greater in nutrient-rich fens.