Browsing by Subject "Diet"

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The activin ligand dawdle links diet and metabolism via receptor isoform-specific signaling in Drosophila.
(2009-07) Jensen, Philip Anthony
Abstract not available.
Associations Between Nutrition, Gut Microbial Communities, and Health in Nonhuman Primates
(2015-12) Clayton, Jonathan
The primate gastrointestinal (GI) tract is home to trillions of bacteria that play major roles in digestion and metabolism, immune system development, and pathogen resistance, among other important aspects of host health and behavior. In 2009, the Human Microbiome Project was established with the goal of better understanding the role microbial communities play in health and disease. While the research community has made substantial progress in understanding the role microbial communities play in human health and disease, much less attention has been given to host-associated microbiomes in nonhuman primates (NHPs). My research is focused on developing a better understanding of the link between primate microbial communities and the establishment and maintenance of health. I have begun exploring host-associated microbiomes in NHPs, including red-shanked doucs (Pygathrix nemaeus) and mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata), among other species. Some primate species, such as the red-shanked douc, fail to thrive in captivity due to health issues (e.g., gastrointestinal disease). Maintenance of many primate species in captive settings is hindered by critical gaps in our understanding of their natural diet and the enteric microbial adaptations that facilitate the digestive process. By comparing wild and captive animals within the same species, I hope to determine whether shifts in gut microbiota are linked with health in captivity. Microbes can act as indicators for health of the host, thus broad primate microbiome surveys may allow for the development of predictive biomarkers to improve nonhuman primate health and management.
Bisphenol A, Diet and Obesity: Exposure Measurement and the Relationship Between Diet and Bisphenol A
(2014-01) Oppeneer, Sarah
Diet is considered the primary source of BPA exposure, due to the use of BPA in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins used in food packaging. Existing human research has major limitations and the cost of serum and urinary BPA assay remains a challenge in evaluating BPA exposure and chronic disease outcomes. Despite the fact that diet is a vehicle for BPA exposure, few studies have considered whether dietary composition alters the toxicokinetics of BPA. Epidemiological studies have also not addressed diet as a potential confounder or effect modifier even though diet is associated with both disease risk and BPA exposure. The Urinary Biomarkers of Dietary Intake (UB-Diet Study) was developed to evaluate the feasibility of using questions that target intake of known dietary sources of BPA to estimate BPA exposure. Predicted BPA exposure levels from the BPA exposure assessment module (BEAM) were compared to multiple spot urine samples. Food records were also collected on the days that urine samples were collected to further evaluate the relationship between diet and urinary BPA levels. Reported macronutrient and food group servings were compared to urinary BPA levels. The BEAM data was not able to accurately predict participants' urinary BPA levels. Recent canned food intake was associated with urinary BPA levels, but only explained approximately one-fifth of the variability in urinary BPA levels and several participants who reported consuming no canned foods had high urinary BPA levels. The study findings suggest that BPA levels may be positively associated with higher caloric and fiber intake, and intakes of vegetables, refined grains and red meats, and inversely associated with total fat intake. More research is needed to characterize sources of BPA exposure, to evaluate the role of diet in the toxicokinetics of BPA and to determine if chronic low level BPA exposure poses any health risk.
Cloacal swabbing as a tool to study diet in migrating raptors using DNA metabarcoding
(2021-05) Brouellette, Lisa
While much research has gone into understanding the timing and patterns of migration, little has been done to understand the diet of raptors during migration. Most raptor dietary studies focus on the breeding season or winter, but migratory diet may be quite different due to differences in habitat type and prey availability along migration flyways. Here, we tested the efficacy of DNA metabarcoding to detect prey DNA on cloacal swabs. In 2019, we collected cloacal swabs from raptors during spring and fall migration in Duluth, MN. We analyzed 287 cloacal swabs from 11 species of raptors. We hypothesized that detection of dietary DNA on cloacal swabs would be influenced by the species of raptor swabbed, the size of the raptor, and migratory flight strategy (passive/soaring flight vs. active flight). Prey DNA was detected on 18.46% of cloacal swabs. Using a generalized linear model, we found that neither species, size, nor migratory flight strategy were better than the null model at explaining differences in detection of dietary DNA. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use cloacal swabbing and DNA metabarcoding to detect dietary DNA and our results indicate that this method has potential for further use.
Diet and Exercise in Cancer Prevention
(2010-09-15) Geier, Suzanne
Being overweight or obese is linked with the development of several cancers. This brochure reviews ways to lose weight and talks about specific agents that may assist to lower your risk of developing cancer.
Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations after Myocardial Infarction
(2008-09-02) Faith, Dennis
Adherence to a dietary modification, whether Mediterranean style or low fat western reduces all-cause and cardiac mortality, recurrent MI, hospital admission for heart failure and stroke. This document is a tri-fold pamphlet to outline the modifiable risk factors for recurrent coronary artery disease. A discussion of dietary recommendations and basic resources for dietary guidelines are presented.
Diet of Canada Lynx in Minnesota Estimated from Scat Analysis
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2008) Hanson, Kayla; Moen, Ronald
We estimated winter diet composition of lynx in Minnesota from 87 scats we collected while trailing lynx, from live-traps that were being used to capture lynx for a radiotelemetry study in northeastern Minnesota, and opportunistically while searching for lynx. We separated scats into a confirmed category (DNA analysis, collected from live traps or along trail of radio-collared lynx) and a probable category (no DNA analysis, tracks likely lynx but not certain or not found, scat dimensions and odor) for analysis. Scats were soaked, washed, and then undigested hair and bones from prey items and vegetation were identified. Undigested prey items were identified to species through comparison to a reference collection. We used the point-frame method for estimates of species composition in scats from hairs. Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) remains were present in 76% of scats. If scats in which only white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hair was found were eliminated, snowshoe hare remains were found in 97% of scats. We believe most, if not all, deer hair found in lynx scats was from bait used during the radiotelemetry project. Over 80% of the diet of Canada lynx in other parts of the range has been snowshoe hare. We also found evidence of predation or scavenging on other species, including deer, marten, grouse, and other birds. We found one instance of scavenging and possible predation on another lynx. Vegetation was present in trace quantities in many scats and was identified in broad categories of conifer needles, deciduous leaves or grass, and bark, possibly consumed while lynx were eating snowshoe hares they had caught. Scat analysis indicated snowshoe hare are the most important component of Canada lynx diet in northeastern Minnesota in the winter.
Eating Healthfully
(Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays (JOIE), 2016-07-19) Zimmerman, Ben G
Ideas and/or diets for either normal weight maintenance or to lose weight are presented. Works by Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, and Dr. Robert Atkins are mainly considered. Pollan describes and critiques the method of meat production by corn feeding of cattle in feedlots which has replaced meat produced from grass grazing animals. He lists criteria to use for choosing healthy food and why he became a vegetarian. His do’s and don’ts sum up some of his thinking. A dietary scheme of vegan before 6 PM and more typical food afterwards is how Bittman views a plan for both healthy eating and weight reduction. Samples of his recipes for both the vegan and afterward phases are outlined. Dr. Atkins’s sugar-restricted diet reported back in the late 1940s and early 1950s was extremely popular. He built a nutritional institute which early on made him a millionaire, but eventually went bankrupt. Bad publicity concerning his death and the realization that abolishing dietary sugar was unhealthful probably were responsible for his downfall. His diet is effective in causing significant weight loss, but in long term is considered unsound. My own reason for seeking a reduction in abdominal fat led to my limiting sugar for about one year. Indeed weight loss was achieved, but not noticeably in the abdominal area. Lastly, a husband and wife, the Bergs of LITTLE BEND HERITAGE FARM located in Minnesota, are producing heritage foods and listed the recipe for a very good one. Their Bean and Ham soup appealed to me. As it was easy to make with excellent results, I included the recipe here.
The Impact of Diet Preference on Agricultural Productivity and the Environment
(2013-11) Cassidy, Emily
Worldwide demand for crops is increasing rapidly due to global population growth, increased biofuel production, and changing dietary preferences. Meeting these growing demands will be a substantial challenge that will tax the capability of our food system and prompt calls to dramatically boost global crop production. However, to increase food availability, we may also consider how the world's crops are allocated to different uses and whether it is possible to feed more people with current levels of crop production. Of particular interest are the uses of crops as animal feed and as biofuel feedstocks. We find that, given the current mix of crop uses, growing food exclusively for direct human consumption could, in principle, increase available food calories by as much as 70%, which could feed an additional 4 billion people (more than the projected 2-3 billion people arriving through population growth). Even small shifts in our allocation of crops to animal feed and biofuels could significantly increase global food availability, and could be an instrumental tool in meeting the challenges of ensuring global food security. We also illustrate how shifting even slightly away from beef and pork can reduce environmental impact by reducing the water footprints and greenhouse gas emissions associated with diets.
The Impacts of Climate Change on Tribal Traditional Foods
(2013) Lynn, Kathy; Daigle, John; Hoffman, Jennie; Lake, Frank; Michelle, Natalie; Ranco, Darren; Viles, Carson; Voggesser, Garrit; Williams, Paul
The tribal communities noted in this very interesting paper are from the Pacific Northwest. This paper is included in the study even though it is not specifically focused on Minnesota’s coastal resources, but is relevant in discussing modes and strategies that tribal leaders may pursue to address the impacts of climate change. Mention is made of wild rice and Ojibwe communities in Minnesota. Key points are extracted and reproduced below. Abstract: “American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are uniquely affected by climate change. Indigenous peoples have depended on a wide variety of native fungi, plant and animal species for food, medicine, ceremonies, community and economic health for countless generations. Climate change stands to impact the species and ecosystems that constitute tribal traditional foods that are vital to tribal culture, economy and traditional ways of life. This paper examines the impacts of climate change on tribal traditional foods by providing cultural context for the importance of traditional foods to tribal culture, recognizing that tribal access to traditional food resources is strongly influenced by the legal and regulatory relationship with the federal government, and examining the multi-faceted relationship that tribes have with places, ecological processes and species. Tribal participation in local, regional and national climate change adaption strategies, with a focus on food-based resources, can inform and strengthen the ability of both tribes and other governmental resource managers to address and adapt to climate change impacts. "American Indian and Alaska Native tribes face unique and disproportionate challenges from climate change that are not yet widely understood in academic or policy arenas. This paper explores one of these challenges in particular—the impact of climate change on traditional foods and the reality that 1) tribal access to resources is strongly influenced by the legal and regulatory relationship that tribes have with the federal government, and 2) tribes have a unique and multi-faceted relationship with places, ecological processes, and species. These frameworks shape tribal responses to climate change. “Water is held sacred by many indigenous peoples (Cozzetto et al.), and considered by some to be a traditional food... Climate change impacts on water temperature and availability will also have significant impacts on tribal traditional foods. Already, the lack of water is among one of the leading causes for the decline in the ability to grow corn and other crops... In the Great Lakes region, warming winters and changes in water level are crippling the ability of wild rice to grow and thrive in its traditional range. Wild rice is a pillar of cultural health for the Anishnaabeg people in Minnesota, and any decline in wild rice negatively affects their well-being. In response to threats facing wild rice, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Tribe has begun trying to address potential hydrological changes. In the early 1900s, settlers built ditches to drain the land for agricultural purposes, resulting in negative impacts to the watershed. The Fond du Lac are now building dams at ditch flow points to keep water levels stable and prevent extreme changes in water level that would negatively affect wild rice harvests. “Climate and ecosystems change over time. Paleoclimate, archaeology, and ethno-ecological research provide a foundation for understanding how climate, environmental productivity and tribal food utilization strategies evolved. Historical evidence demonstrates the rate of climatic change experienced within past environments and the accompanying tribal food security systems that occurred in response to these changes. Although the rate of change experienced was not as rapid as contemporary conditions, tribes historically experienced significant climate changes that affected ecosystems and food-based resources, requiring tribal cultures to strategically adapt and respond to survive. “Tribes may enter government-to-government agreements to increase their role in local resource management, to access additional areas to gather traditional foods, or lease and buy lands that ensure sustained access to traditional foods. Tribes may also exchange information and identify different technologies to access, acquire, process, and store foods. Additionally, tribes can develop formal and informal agreements with other tribes to grant or request access to traditional foods that may now only be found on one of their reservations. Tribes may have to consider diversifying their food-based resources and possibly adopting and utilizing new animals, plants, or fungi. “Addressing climate change through the knowledge, experiences, and policy contexts of indigenous peoples provides a powerful counter-point to the lack of effective global climate responses. As indigenous peoples may experience some of the harshest impacts of climate change, they can also lead the way in creative solutions for adaptation and ethical policy strategies. “Climate change impacts on tribal traditional foods should be viewed in the context of historical and cultural tribal relationships with places, wildlife, and plants, as well as in the landscape of the treaties, federal policies, and federal trust responsibilities and regulations in which they exist. Moreover, tribes view climate change adaptation in light of their reciprocal relations to care for and respect natural resources. As a result of these relationships of reciprocity and responsibility between tribes and nature and existing policies, Indian tribes’ vulnerability to climate change, and the adaptation strategies they adopt are multi-faceted and deeply rooted in a complex historical context. As sovereign governments, tribes have the authority to identify and implement adaptation strategies, and attempt to influence and strengthen the climate change protocols of other governments. “The various adaptive practices tribal practitioners and communities employ may enable managers to institute changes in policies, regional strategies, and resource regulation/conservation that enable ecosystems to respond more favorably to climate change. Tribal participation in local, regional and national climate change adaption frameworks and strategies, with a focus on food-based resources, can assist with prioritizing research and management directions. “Under extreme and rapid conditions of severe change at different ecological scales, western scientists and managers may need to partner with tribal scientists, managers, harvesters, and communities to explore innovative approaches to addressing climate change impacts. Tribal participation in climate change research, policy development and planning can help identify more solutions that fully consider tribal cultural values. Climate change will not obey the jurisdictional boundaries between tribal, private, state, and federal lands. As such, meaningful government-to-government relationships and collaboration will be vital to address the climate change impacts to the traditional foods, and to the wildlife, plants, and habitats valued by tribes and other Americans."
Neighborhood and individual characteristics and excessive drinking.
(2011-05) Shimotsu, Scott Toshiro
Objective. Excessive drinking contributes to 79,000 excess deaths annually and is associated with cardiovascular disease, several cancers, liver cirrhosis and social problems including drinking and driving, homicide, and other types of crime. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to test a model that examines how individual and neighborhood level characteristics contribute to excessive drinking. Methods. In Manuscript 1, we investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and alcohol consumption, and whether the inverse relationship between low fruit and vegetable intake and higher alcohol consumption was more pronounced among the poor in a large multi-ethnic sample of 9,959 adults from Hennepin County, MN using the Survey of the Health of Adults, the Population, and the Environment (SHAPE). In Manuscript 2, we explored whether food and alcohol access are related, and whether the relationship between food and alcohol access differs in poorer neighborhoods in Hennepin County, MN using Census Decennial and InfoUSA business data. The 3rd manuscript investigated whether living in a low SES neighborhood was associated with excessive drinking and if the retail environment (e.g., mix of food and liquor stores) mediated this relationship using SHAPE, Census Decennial, and InfoUSA data. A variety of statistical methods were used to answer our research questions including hierarchical Poisson and linear regression models. Results. In Manuscript 1, we found higher fruit and vegetable intake was associated with lower alcohol consumption and this relationship was more pronounced among individuals with lower household incomes. In Manuscript 2, we found the relationship between food and alcohol access differed by neighborhood SES, with higher income neighborhoods having more supermarkets and grocery stores, and liquor stores (RR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.80). In Manuscript 3, we found that individuals living in census tracts with only liquor stores had a 46% higher risk of binge drinking than individuals living in neighborhoods with only food stores (RR=1.46; 95% CI: 1.03,2.07) after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors. Conclusion. Neighborhood characteristics such as the mix of food and liquor in neighborhoods are important in understanding excessive drinking above and beyond demographic and lifestyle factors. Future research on social conditions impacting alcohol consumption should explore the mix of stores, not just the over-concentration of liquor stores in neighborhoods.
Preventing High Blood Pressure in African American Populations
(2009-09-18) Berry, Brent
Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a problem for many Americans with higher prevalence among African Americans. There are simple steps before advising the use of medications to take to ensure this problem does not lead to long-term systemic effects such as stroke, heart failure, and/or kidney disease.
Preventing High Blood Pressure in African American Populations
(2010-07-21) Berry, Brent
Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a problem for many Americans with higher prevalence among African Americans. There are simple steps before advising the use of medications to take to ensure this problem does not lead to long-term systemic effects such as stroke, heart failure, and/or kidney disease.
Qualitative analysis of diet, physical activity, and body image of children using focus groups and Photovoice and quantitative analysis of dietitians’ perspectives on integrating sustainable agriculture into professional practice using survey methodology
(2016-06) Heidelberger, Lindsay
This study explored the food, physical activity, and body image perspectives of low-income children living in urban Minnesota and dietitians’ perceptions on including sustainable agriculture into their professional practice. The research was conducted in four phases. The first three phases used qualitative methodology and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as the theoretical framework. For the first two phases of research, focus groups and Photovoice were conducted to gather information on children’s food environments, dietary habits, and physical activity practices. The third phase explored low-income, African American and Native American children’s perceptions on body image and body image assessment tools using focus groups and two body image assessment instruments. The fourth phase used quantitative methodology to investigate dietitians’ perspectives on including sustainable agriculture in dietetics practice. The survey was informed using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and administered to registered dietitians in the U.S. Data analysis for the focus groups and interviews used the open coding method. Photographs were coded using a coding protocol that was developed and agreed upon by the two researchers. SPSS was used to analyze body dissatisfaction and the dietitian survey data. Analysis included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Pearson correlations, and stepwise regressions. Seven themes were identified across focus groups related to diet, health, and physical activity; four themes were identified from the food environment Photovoice data; and three themes from the physical activity Photovoice data. Three themes emerged from analysis of the body image focus groups. Quantitative data from the body image research revealed that obese and overweight children viewed themselves as healthy weight. Results of the survey with dietitians showed that all four TPB variables correlated with behavior in 2013 and that intention was the most predictive of behavior to include environmental issues into practice. Findings from the first three phases provided insight into how children view their food and physical activity environments and can inform interventions to better meet the needs of low-income, urban children of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Results from the fourth phase of research can help the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics identify dietitians’ educational needs related to sustainable agriculture.
Seasonal patterns in growth, diet, and prey availability of Brown Trout Salmo Trutta in groundwater-dominated streams in the Driftless Ecoregion of southeastern Minnesota
(2015-11) Biederman, Jennifer
Groundwater-dominated streams of southeastern Minnesota support highly productive populations of Brown Trout and aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna, but past research has shown that fish growth varies on spatial and temporal scales. As the diet of Brown Trout depends on the availability and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates, it is possible that spatial and temporal variations in macroinvertebrate assemblages (e.g. abundance, diversity, distribution) shape patterns in the growth, distribution, fitness, and abundance of Brown Trout populations. In particular, there is evidence that suggests spatial and seasonal variation in winter conditions (including water temperature and prey assemblages) may influence broader patterns of Brown Trout growth in this region. Although studies related to Brown Trout growth, diet, prey availability, and selectivity have been conducted in southeastern Minnesota, no research has addressed all of these factors simultaneously over multiple streams, seasons, and years. The overall goal of this dissertation was to examine seasonal and spatial patterns in Brown Trout growth, diet, and prey selection, and in the availability of macroinvertebrate prey in six streams that demonstrate a gradient in fish growth. Chapter 1 examines temporal and spatial differences in the growth and diet of Brown Trout, and identifies associations between diet and physical stream characteristics, including groundwater input, stream drainage area, and channel slope. Although stomach contents were dominated by relatively few taxa, including Chironomidae and Brachycentrus, there were significant differences in diet composition among streams and seasons. Overall, fish in most streams demonstrated positive growth during summer, winter, and spring; and winter growth was significantly associated with groundwater input. Chapter 2 addresses seasonal patterns in Brown Trout prey assemblages, including the abundance, diversity, and overlap of macroinvertebrate benthos and drift. Benthic and drift assemblages differed among streams and seasons, with most pronounced differences among streams. Abundances of drift and benthos varied significantly, with highest availability in spring and summer, and lowest availability during winter in most streams. Non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated associations between assemblage composition and groundwater input. The goal of the third and final chapter was to identify seasonal and spatial patterns in the availability and selection of macroinvertebrate prey by Brown Trout. Overall electivity of benthos and drift varied spatially and temporally with a negative relationship between the total proportion of prey available and prey electivity. In general, Brown Trout consistently favored one or two taxa, including Physella and Gammarus while displaying negative selection for all other prey types. Foraging patterns suggested a preference of benthic feeding. Ultimately, the results of this dissertation will help managers take effective actions in mitigating the effects of climate change on stream communities. In addition to a better understanding of the influence of groundwater control on patterns in Brown Trout growth, foraging, and prey communities, this dissertation identifies key prey taxa associated with the growth of Brown Trout on seasonal and spatial scales. With this knowledge, managers can more accurately predict how climate-induced changes to water temperature and prey communities will alter fish productivity on a stream-by-stream basis. Considering the substantial economic and cultural importance of groundwater-dominated streams in southeastern Minnesota, conserving the integrity and health of stream communities through the development and implementation of science-based management plans should be a priority among natural resource managers, scientists, and policymakers.
Seasonal Prey Resource Partitioning Among Salmonids In The Bois Brule River, Wisconsin
(2024) McCann, Daniel
Over the past century, intentional introductions of non-native Salmonids into Lake Superior and its tributaries have raised concern about possible interactions with native Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), which have historically been subject to local extirpations. The Upper Bois Brule River, Wisconsin currently supports a diverse and abundant assemblage of Salmonid species, including Brook Trout, Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawyscha). To investigate underlying reasons for apparent co-existence of potentially competing species, I documented the seasonal diet characteristics among coexisting Salmonids and compared stomach content data to seasonal prey abundances (macroinvertebrates) in the benthos and stream drift. The primary objective was to determine if niche partitioning reduces competitive interactions between Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and juvenile Coho Salmon in the Bois Brule River, Wisconsin. Results indicated that Brook Trout and Brown Trout had significant diet overlap during spring, summer, and fall sampling dates, while there were no instances of significant dietary overlap between the non-native species. Several positive relationships between diet overlap and the abundances of different prey categories suggest prey resource partitioning in response to competition may underlie the co-occupation of Salmond species in my study area. All Salmonid species showed positive selection for Trichoptera larvae during spring, summer, and fall. In addition, Brook Trout and Brown Trout showed positive selection for Gastropods during every season. Brook Trout were the only species with strong preferences for Crustaceans, while Rainbow Trout were the only species with preferences for Ephemeroptera nymphs. Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout exhibited opportunistic diets, while Brown Trout tended to feed primarily from the benthos and Coho Salmon fed mainly on surface-oriented prey. It’s likely that the persistence of Brook Trout in the presence of non-native Salmonids is attributed to their flexibility in foraging modes, utilization of increased invertebrate drift rates, and consumption of less preferred prey items. This study provides new information on resource utilization, niche partitioning, and resource overlap among multiple coexisting Salmonid species and may be helpful for future research and management with sympatric populations of native and non-native Salmonid species.
Systematics, Gill Raker Morphology, and Pharyngeal Arch Development of Suckers (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae)
(2015-06) Hirt, Michael
Morphological diversity is shaped by past evolutionary history, function, and ontogeny. Evolutionary history plays an important role in shaping morphological diversity and morphology itself can affect the future evolutionary trajectory of taxa. Morphology is shaped by function through selection and function can be constrained by morphology. Differences among taxa in their morphology arise due to changes in the pattern of development in those taxa. Therefore, a full understanding of morphological diversity requires knowledge about evolutionary history, morphological function, and ontogeny. Suckers, family Catostomidae, are a group of freshwater fish with interesting trophic morphology and feeding habits. I used molecular sequence data and fossil calibrations to reconstruct the phylogeny and divergence times of the families of Cypriniformes, including Catostomidae. I found evidence that gene choice, base compositional heterogeneity, and rate heterogeneity provide challenges to reconstructing the evolutionary history of the order and I found that body size is correlated with the rate of molecular evolution not only in Cypriniformes but in many groups of fishes. Suckers, like most fish, have gill rakers which are complex, repetitive, finger-like projections in the interior of the branchial arches that are important in feeding and vary among species. I quantified and compared gill raker morphology among sucker species and found that multiple aspects of gill raker morphology interact to predict function. Gill rakers are just one component of the complex trophic apparatus of suckers. I described and compared the sequence of chondrification and ossification of the paired elements of the pharyngeal arches and the histological development of the palatal organ, chewing pad, and pharyngeal teeth in five species of suckers and found several examples where heterochrony has shaped the trophic morphology of suckers.
Wearable Inertial Sensors for Motion Analysis in Respiration, Diet Monitoring, and Vehicular Safety Applications
(2021-07) Johnson, Gregory
This thesis is concerned with the development and application of motion analysis algorithms based on signals from inertial measurement units (IMUs). In particular, the application areas discussed in the thesis are respiratory monitoring, dietary monitoring, and vehicular safety. Usage of IMUs for attitude and heading estimation has a rich legacy, but it is only in recent years that they have become low-cost commodity sensors found in nearly every smart phone and smart watch, making them particularly applicable sensors for everyday applications. Despite the existence of well-established orientation estimation techniques, motion analysis using inexpensive wearable sensor applications targeted to the general population requires special attention. All three application areas discussed in this thesis require a similar approach to the estimation of motion variables in that they depend on the partial or full orientation of the device relative to the human user and/or the user’s orientation relative to earth. However, the class of mobile-phone grade IMUs utilized here offer notoriously poor accuracy compared to much more expensive aerospace-grade IMUs. Inexpensive IMUs typically suffer from bias instability, which requires careful calibration or specialized algorithms. Further, full orientation estimation traditionally relies on the IMU’s magnetometer to sense the geomagnetic field. But, the geomagnetic field is relatively weak and can often be dwarfed by magnetic fields from ferromagnetic objects routinely encountered in indoor environments. Thus, applications targeted for use by the general population must utilize algorithms that can overcome these limitations in a robust manner. The first application area addressed is respiratory monitoring. The physical motions of the thoracoabdominal wall during respiration are important in many diseases, and differentiation of normal from abnormal respiratory kinematics can be used to monitor disease state. In this application, a novel wearable device is developed that allows for long-term, out-of-clinic monitoring and analysis of respiration under the assumption of static body position (non- ambulatory). In particular, the device measures respiratory accelerations at multiple points on the thoracoabdominal surface and estimates respiratory displacements along with a variety of clinically useful metrics. After careful removal of gravity from the acceleration measurement using a multiplicative Kalman Smoother, the algorithm double integrates and high pass filters the residual signal to obtain three-dimensional respiratory displacements. The accuracy is on the order of the accuracy of a reference optical motion tracking system, and this thesis presents an analysis of the factors contributing to displacement errors. From the displacements, a variety of additional temporal, phasic, and volumetric respiratory variables may be estimated. After developing methods and discussing experimental results from a single subject for estimating respiratory displacements and subsequently several respiratory variables from these displacements, we then present the results from an initial small cohort IRB-approved study using the device. In the study, subjects wore the respiratory monitor while faced with a variety of airway occlusions. Despite the ultra-low respiratory rates encountered, the system was able to detect thoracoabdominal asynchrony with limited accuracy. Real-life medical situations involving respiratory distress are likely to present higher respiratory rates and thus higher potential for more accurate estimates. The developed system offers a combination of capabilities unmatched by existing technology in terms of its portability and the suite of respiratory variables it is able to estimate. The second application area addressed in this thesis is the development of a novel Food Intake Monitoring (FIM) device. Typical methods for dietary tracking in obesity research such as the 24-hour food intake recall are well known to be inaccurate, and there is clear need for a device to automatically detect and capture eating events as an adjunct to these existing methods. In this thesis, a wrist-worn IMU and microcontroller are utilized to detect when a person is eating (under the assumption that the food is eaten primarily with the sensor-affixed arm), optimize the capture of the food being eaten using an on-board camera, and classify the obtained image as containing food or not. The detection, image capture, and classification modules are organized in a decision tree format, an approach which minimizes system power consumption while maximizing user privacy, as opposed to having a camera always on with constant wireless data being streamed. In the first iteration of the FIM, hand proximity to the mouth is decided based on two IMUs, one on the upper arm, and one on the lower arm. In the second iteration of the device, only a single IMU is utilized, and hand proximity is determined using the IMU’s magnetometer along with a magnet worn on the body near the collar bone. Once hand-mouth proximity has been detected, it is shown that a simple linear Support Vector Machine is able to accurately classify eating activities versus other hand-near-mouth activities, such as teeth brushing and shaving. After eating is detected, the system takes an image of the food in front of the user using an on- board camera. The timing of the image capture is based on estimation of the device orientation relative to gravity using a straightforward Kalman Filter, and a method is developed that predicts optimal image capture timing using the gyroscope. Finally, it is shown that images may be classified as containing food or not using a special Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) adapted to microcontroller deployment using integer quantization. The final health and safety application considered concerns vehicular safety and phone use while driving. Distracted driving due to phone or mobile device usage is one of the primary causes of vehicular accidents, and one approach to reducing such accidents is to automatically disable devices when the user is driving. In this thesis, IMU signals on a mobile phone or smart watch are utilized to determine whether or not the user is in the driver’s seat of a moving vehicle, under the assumption that the device is in a static position inside the vehicle and close to level road grade. First, the algorithm must estimate the orientation of the device relative to the vehicle. As in the other applications, fundamental limitations of mobile-phone grade IMUs prevent estimation of orientation using traditional methods. Instead, the algorithm uses motion signals obtained during braking to determine the forward direction of the vehicle, while estimation of the gravity direction fully constrains the phone orientation. Once the orientation is determined, the pitch and roll dynamics encountered during braking and turning the vehicle are used to determine which quadrant of the vehicle the device is in relative to the vehicle’s center of gravity. Successful identification of seat position is demonstrated first in simulation and then experimentally using data taken during real-world city driving conditions.
What Am I Eating? How you can stop the food you eat from becoming extra weight.
(2010-11-02) Brintnall, Joy
Standard care of physician counseling on diet changes is not effective in preventing obesity. Physician training or office reminders may be promising in improving weight loss in patients.
Wild Primate Gut Microbiota Protect Against Obesity
(2017-04) Sidiropoulos, Dimitrios, N; Clayton, Jonathan; Al-Ghalith, Gabe; Shields-Cutler, Robin; Ward, Tonya; Blekhman, Ran; Kashyap, Purna; Knights, Dan
The gastrointestinal tract hosts trillions of bacteria that play major roles in metabolism, immune system development, and pathogen resistance. Although there is increasing evidence that low dietary fiber in Westernized societies is associated with dramatic loss of natural human gut microbiome diversity, the role of this loss in obesity and inflammation is not well understood. Non-human primates (NHPs) can be used as model systems for studying the effects of diet and lifestyle disruption on the human gut microbiome. Captive primates are typically exposed to low-fiber diets and tend to have human-associated microbiota in place of their native microbiota. In order to explore interactions between the gut microbiota and dietary fiber, we transplanted captive and wild primate gut microbiota into germ-free mice and then exposed them to either a high- or low-fiber diet. We found that the group receiving low-fiber diet and captive primate microbiota became obese and had high levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines, while mice receiving high-fiber diet and wild primate microbiota remained healthy. Mice with the wild primate microbiota and low-fiber diet acquired intermediate levels of obesity, demonstrating an interaction between dietary fiber and the microbiota. These results show that the modern human gut microbiome interacts with low-fiber diets to cause inflammation and obesity, and suggest a possible clinical role for manipulation of the microbiota in the treatment of obesity.

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