Oral Health Status of the Elderly,With Dietary and Nutritional Considerations

This paper is a preliminary report of a dental pilot study which was recently conducted with 104 elderly subjects, 77 of whom also participated in a nutrition status survey. The study was comprehensive, including measurements of oral health status, and medical data concerning nutrition status. Also included were questionnaires concerning diet and nutritional habits, and attitudes towards dental care. A literature review is also presented. Statistical analysis reveals correlations between certain food types, (liquid/solid fermentable, slowly dissolving fermentable), and root and coronal decay. The correlation with coronal decay is greater. Some of the data are still undergoing analysis. When all the data are analyzed and available, additional reports will be forthcoming and will describe any other correlations that are found between nutritional and oral health status. Certain new periodontal indices will also be described. The relationships between the oral health status and the nutritional needs of the elderly have not been adequately studied. It is expected that with a broader data base, these relationships will be better understood.     

Systematic modelling in nutrition]

Live organisms can be considered as open complex systems in a steady state through which passes a flow of matter which undergoes a series of transformations which constitutes the nutritional process. The systemic approach and modelling procedure can be applied to nutrition as it can to other scientific areas, although examples of this particular application are few. This review describes the complexity of components in nutritional systems and presents a means of simplifying this. A section is given over to a comparative study of the main types of models (empirical vs mechanistic, static vs dynamic) which can be applied to nutrition. The other topics covered concern the modelling of the regulating systems in nutrition (homeostasis, homeorhesis), model validation and comments on application models and research.     

Effect of nutrition on reproduction in llamas and alpacas

The role of nutrition, especially the role of energy and protein status, on reproductive performance of production animals has been well documented. Comparatively, there is a true paucity of literature regarding nutritional mediation of reproductive performance in llamas and alpacas. Following seasonal patterns of feed availability in South America, adverse effects of nutritional deprivation on reproductive performance are well recognized, suggesting similar nutrition-reproduction interrelationships. Camelids, with their unique metabolism, may have some peculiar interrelationships between reproduction and protein and phosphorus nutrition. This presentation will review basic issues of energy and protein nutrition relative to reproductive performance in llamas and alpacas, based primarily on hypotheses and extrapolation from other species. Opportunities for research on this topic will be discussed, including preliminary data from current research.     

The nutritional consequences of pregnancy sickness

The purpose of this paper is to assess Profet’s (1992) and others’ hypothesis that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) is adaptive. A number of studies have found an association between NVP and a decreased risk for early fetal loss (<20 weeks). It is assumed that the adaptive benefits of improved survivorship associated with NVP outweigh the minimal nutritional consequences. However, in populations that experience marginal levels of nutrition, NVP may have important nutritional consequences. To test these potential consequences, a study on NVP, nutritional status, and pregnancy outcome was conducted among Turkana pastoralists, who experience seasonal and chronic nutritional stress. Interviews and anthropometric assessments were conducted on 68 pregnant Turkana women of Kenya during a 1993–1994 field season. The results from the case study suggest that women who experience NVP do encounter nutritional consequences in the later stages of pregnancy and are more likely to experience poor pregnancy outcomes. These results suggest that NVP may not be adaptive in all environmental settings, particularly among marginally nourished populations. Financial support for the Turkana study was provided by a dissertation fellowship from The Population Council, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and NSF grants BNS-8718477, and DBS-9207837. Ivy L. Pike, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Ohio State University. Her research interests include the evolutionary and ecological context of health, nutrition, and reproduction. She has conducted research among Turkana women of Kenya and is initiating a project among the Iraqw, an agro-pastoral population of Tanzania.     

Nutrition of the Fetus and Newborn

Both the successful development of healthy, long-term animal models to study fetal nutrition and metabolism and the improved survival of low-birth-weight, preterm infants have focused interest and research on fetal and neonatal nutrition and metabolism. Such a focus is important, given the recent emphasis on promoting neonatal growth in preterm infants at “normal” in utero growth rates. Estimates of nutrient requirements for growth in a human fetus remain ill defined, however. Body composition data appear biased toward thin infants. Animal data suggest that fetal nutrition proceeds according to species-specific growth rates, with variations in fat content largely dependent on placental fat permeability and on maternal nutrient supply as regulated by the placenta.After birth, neonatal nutrition is affected primarily by food intake and the functional integrity and capacity of the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, muscle activity, thermoregulation and stresses of various kinds and degrees modify a neonate''s nutritional requirements. Functional deficits of the gastrointestinal tract have been circumvented by a more aggressive use of intravenous nutrition. Both intravenous and enteral nutrient mixtures have been substantially improved in the quantity of all nutrients and have been modified qualitatively toward compositions that are closer to those of human milk. These nutrient mixtures now produce plasma nutrient concentrations that approximate those of a healthy, breast-fed infant.Although such efforts to improve the nutritional balance and growth of preterm infants have been successful, much remains to be learned about the nutritional requirements of sick infants.     

实验用斑马鱼剑尾鱼营养需求及饲料现状分析

斑马鱼、剑尾鱼作为近年来发展起来的模式生物,在分子发育生物学、遗传学、环境毒理学、免疫学研究等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用,其标准化问题也日益凸显。其中饲料营养的标准化问题已经是影响实验用鱼质量的一个亟待解决的问题。本文就斑马鱼、剑尾鱼的营养需求及饲料现状进行了分析,以期能为斑马鱼、剑尾鱼营养需求方面更深入的研究及营养标准的制定有所帮助。     

原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对疾病营养知识的调查与分析

目的:研究原发性肾病综合征患儿家长疾病营养知识,分析其相关影响因素。方法:选取2014年5月到2015年5月在我院门诊及住院的原发性肾病综合征患儿150例,应用自制问卷对患儿家长的一般资料及营养知识进行调查,应用非条件Logistic回归分析患儿家长营养知识影响因素。结果:150例原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对基本营养知识回答的正确率介于30.7%-96.7%,对具体营养知识回答的正确率为2.0%-42.0%;Logistic回归分析显示:家长文化程度、患儿病程、居住地、发病情况以及首次就诊是否接受营养指导均是家长疾病营养知识影响因素。结论:原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对疾病具体营养知识知晓率低,应根据影响因素对家长进行营养宣教。     

National nutrition surveillance

National Nutrition Surveillance includes nutritional assessment surveys to ascertain the extent of malnutrition in populations, to identify possible causes, to establish baseline data for monitoring nutrition, and to select mechanisms for nutrition surveillance (in a restricted sense). An example of the results from a recent nutritional assessment survey in the United States is the negative association of obesity with energy intake, exercise and socioeconomic status, which has implications for public nutritional policy. Nutritional monitoring measures changes in population nutrition over time. An example of the results from nutritional monitoring is the unexpected and presently unexplained decrease in serum cholesterol levels of middle-aged women in the United States over the past decade. Nutritional surveillance in the restricted sense not only identifies malnutrition but is administratively organized to intervene rapidly. National Nutrition Surveillance depends on metabolic and clinical research to decide on its priorities. This research indicates that malnutrition involves more than under-nutrition, and greater emphasis should be given in National Nutrition Surveillance to this wider context of malnutrition. These results will in turn help set priorities for basic and applied research in nutrition. It is important that the research community participate in the review presently under way of the role of the National Center for Health Statistics in National Nutrition Surveillance.     

The challenges for molecular nutrition research 4: the “nutritional systems biology level”

Nutritional systems biology may be defined as the ultimate goal of molecular nutrition research, where all relevant aspects of regulation of metabolism in health and disease states at all levels of its complexity are taken into account to describe the molecular physiology of nutritional processes. The complexity spans from intracellular to inter-organ dynamics, and involves iterations between mathematical modelling and analysis employing all profiling methods and other biological read-outs. On the basis of such dynamic models we should be enabled to better understand how the nutritional status and nutritional challenges affect human metabolism and health. Although the achievement of this proposition may currently sound unrealistic, many initiatives in theoretical biology and biomedical sciences work on parts of the solution. This review provides examples and some recommendations for the molecular nutrition research arena to move onto the systems level.     

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: predisposing factors and the role of nutrition

More than 20% of Americans have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and this is, by far, the leading cause of abnormal liver enzymes in the United States. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more serious form of NAFLD, can proceed to cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. These liver diseases represent the hepatic component of the metabolic syndrome, and this spectrum of liver disease represents a major health problem both in the United States and worldwide. Hepatic steatosis is closely linked to nutrition, including obesity, possibly high-fructose corn syrup consumption and consumption of certain types of fats. There are a variety of second insults or "hits" that appear to transform simple steatosis into NASH, with some of these second hits including certain proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and possibly industrial toxins. In certain underdeveloped countries, it appears likely that industrial toxins play a role in NASH, and there is increasing interest in the potential interaction of industrial toxins and nutrients. Moreover, optimal therapy for NAFLD appears to include lifestyle modification with exercise, diet and weight loss. Certain nutrients may also be of benefit. Important areas for future research are the effect(s) of nutritional supplements on NAFLD/NASH and the effects of industrial toxins.     

Nutrition as a major facet of reptile conservation

The importance of nutrition has not received much recognition in conservation biology. However, captive breeding is possible only if nutritional requirements of animals are met, and effective habitat management requires an evaluation of nutritional resources. Three examples involving reptile conservation are presented. The formulation and testing of experimental meal-type diets proved essential for the large-scale rearing of green iguanas (Iguana iguana) in Panama and Costa Rica, thousands of which have been released into the wild. Survival and growth of captive land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) in the Galapagos Islands was markedly improved by development of a complete feed based on locally available ingredients; this was essential to continuation of the conservation program in which juvenile iguanas were repatriated to islands where populations had previously been exterminated. Research on the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the Mojave Desert has identified nutritional constraints that may limit utilization of potential food plants. Thus, nutritional status of wild tortoises may depend more on availability of plant species of high nutritional quality than on overall amounts of annual vegetation. Federal and local agencies involved in the conservation and management of tortoise habitat have recognized the need to fund research on tortoise nutrition. We contend that nutrition should be given a central role in conservation programs for reptiles and other animals. (This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.) © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The role of nutrition and effects on the cytokine milieu in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Nutritional deficiency is very common after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) despite careful assessment and nutritional supplementation (total parenteral or oral nutrition). The importance of nutrition in the immune system has been well defined during the past several years, as it has modulatory effects on the immune system. One of the most frequent questions in nutrition is whether nutritionally at-risk hosts have a defect in their immune system and whether such defects can be corrected by nutritional supplementation. Addressing nutritional supplementation starting from early post-transplantation might decrease the risk of infectious complication and GVHD after HSCT via the immunomodulatory role of a variety of nutrients and supplements. Given the well-established link between nutrition and immunomodulation, we hypothesize that timely nutritional supplementation can potentially play a direct or indirect role in decreasing non-relapse morbidity and mortality after HSCT. In this article, we discuss the possible link between nutritional deficiency and its effects on the cytokine milieu after HSCT.     

Impact of a nutrition intervention program on the growth and nutritional status of Nicaraguan adolescent girls

This research examines the impact of a nutrition education intervention program on the nutritional status and knowledge of Nicaraguan adolescent girls. Anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin values, and data concerning nutritional knowledge were collected from adolescent girls living in Managua, Nicaragua. Using a pre-test/post-test design, data are compared prior to and after the nutrition intervention program. When using Mexican American reference data, statistically significant differences in height-for-age z-scores and weight-for-age z-scores were found when comparing the entire sample of baseline data with data collected after three years of the nutrition intervention program (p < 0.05). Significant improvement was also found concerning the indicators of nutritional knowledge (p < 0.05). However, hemoglobin data revealed a significant decrease which may be due to specific environmental factors and pubertal changes. This research has implications concerning the development of successful adolescent focused nutrition intervention programs in Nicaragua, and examines the possibility that catch-up growth occurs during adolescence.     

The effect of winter nutrition on growth of young Scottish Red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Compared with European Red deer, Scottish Red deer stags are remarkably small. Previous research has shown that this may be primarily due to nutritional, rather than genetic reasons. The present study tested the hypothesis that poor nutrition, especially during the first winter of life, prevented the stags from reaching their genetic potential size. The study was carried out at Glensaugh Research Station on 20 newly weaned Red deer assigned to either of two groups, one fed a high plane of nutrition during the winter, the other a low plane. The trial began in December 1977 and in May 1978 both groups were released into a 200 acre paddock. In September 1978 some of each group were slaughtered. Despite considerable compensation by the low plane winter nutrition group there were significant differences in live weight, antler length and carcass weight at slaughter. It is considered that Scottish Red deer stags reach the maximum size that the environment can maintain despite this being far below their genetic potential.     

Fermentation Enhancement of Methanogenic Archaea Consortia from an Illinois Basin Coalbed via DOL Emulsion Nutrition

Microbially enhanced coalbed methane technology must be used to increase the methane content in mining and generate secondary biogenic gas. In this technology, the metabolic processes of methanogenic consortia are the basis for the production of biomethane from some of the organic compounds in coal. Thus, culture nutrition plays an important role in remediating the nutritional deficiency of a coal seam. To enhance the methane production rates for microorganism consortia, different types of nutrition solutions were examined in this study. Emulsion nutrition solutions containing a novel nutritional supplement, called dystrophy optional modification latex, increased the methane yield for methanogenic consortia. This new nutritional supplement can help methanogenic consortia form an enhanced anaerobic environment, optimize the microbial balance in the consortia, and improve the methane biosynthesis rate.     

Assessing nutritional diversity of cropping systems in African villages

Background

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of children under five years in age are chronically undernourished. As new investments and attention galvanize action on African agriculture to reduce hunger, there is an urgent need for metrics that monitor agricultural progress beyond calories produced per capita and address nutritional diversity essential for human health. In this study we demonstrate how an ecological tool, functional diversity (FD), has potential to address this need and provide new insights on nutritional diversity of cropping systems in rural Africa.

Methods and Findings

Data on edible plant species diversity, food security and diet diversity were collected for 170 farms in three rural settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nutritional FD metrics were calculated based on farm species composition and species nutritional composition. Iron and vitamin A deficiency were determined from blood samples of 90 adult women. Nutritional FD metrics summarized the diversity of nutrients provided by the farm and showed variability between farms and villages. Regression of nutritional FD against species richness and expected FD enabled identification of key species that add nutrient diversity to the system and assessed the degree of redundancy for nutrient traits. Nutritional FD analysis demonstrated that depending on the original composition of species on farm or village, adding or removing individual species can have radically different outcomes for nutritional diversity. While correlations between nutritional FD, food and nutrition indicators were not significant at household level, associations between these variables were observed at village level.

Conclusion

This study provides novel metrics to address nutritional diversity in farming systems and examples of how these metrics can help guide agricultural interventions towards adequate nutrient diversity. New hypotheses on the link between agro-diversity, food security and human nutrition are generated and strategies for future research are suggested calling for integration of agriculture, ecology, nutrition, and socio-economics.