Journal of Undergraduate Research

Benjamin Bitner and Jeffery Tessem; Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Science Introduction Increasing a patient’s functional β-cell mass may provide a cure for both types of diabetes. Previous studies have shown that overexpression of the homeodomain transcription factor Nkx6.1 stimulates β-cell proliferation, increases glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and decreases apoptosis1. Functional β-cell mass is defined by […]

Xiuqi Li and Merrill Christensen, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Introduction Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States (1). However, most men will die with prostate cancer rather then from it (2). Because prostate cancer exhibits a long latency period, high […]

Jason Ray and Jeffery Tessem, Department of NDFS Introduction Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are major global health concerns. Both types of diabetes result in loss of functional β-cell mass, which is defined as the β-cell number multiplied by insulin secretion rate. The number of β-cells is derived from the cellular proliferation and death […]

Brett Shaw and Dr. Merrill Christensen, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science Introduction This project utilized histology in determining whether dietary supplementation of selenium and/or isoflavones (a component of soy) had a preventative effect on the development of prostate cancer. Additionally, we explored the timing of introduction of these supplements and observed their individual […]

April McMurray and Dr. Brown, Lora Beth; Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Introduction DMT2 is a lifestyle-related disease where the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells are unreceptive to it, and it is now the most common form of diabetes1. DMT2 has several risk factors: obesity, poor nutrition, a lack […]

Blair Harmon and Dr. Rickelle Richards- Dept. Nutrition, Food Science, & Dietetics Introduction Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the lining of the small intestine when gluten is present, which can lead to poor absorption of nutrients resulting in malnutrition.1 The only medical treatment for people with this condition is […]

Ji Su Park and Dr. Merrill Christensen, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Introduction Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men, with a predicted 29,720 deaths in 2013. (1) Previous studies have shown that both selenium (Se) and soy isoflavones reduce risk […]

Shintaro Pang and Dr. Michael Dunn, NDFS Introduction Rice is the main staple in many people’s diet, accounting for 80% of the daily caloric intake of 3 billion people. Studies also show that folate intake is insufficient worldwide (Schoenlechner et al 2010). This is of much concern because folate deficiency is linked to many serious […]

Lauren Nielson and Dr. Merrill Christensen, Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science The purpose of my ORCA project was to determine the highest intake of selenomethylcysteine mice could consume without it being toxic to them. Selenium has been shown to have preventative effects on the progression of prostate cancer, so determining the optimum dosage of selenomethylcysteine […]

Paul McMullan and Dr. Lynn Ogden, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences My project was focused on developing a yogurt that was sweeter than traditional yogurt via means of lactose-hydrolysis. The purpose was to find what percentage of added sugar could be spared when hydrolyzing the lactose inherent in milk. The 3 batches of […]