Publications by authors named "Stacey Bell"

Background: Quitting cigarette smoking can substantially reduce or eliminate the risk of developing numerous chronic diseases. Use of flavored tobacco or nicotine products is commonly cited by adults who smoke cigarettes to be important in helping them reduce or quit smoking. The purpose of this analysis was to understand the association between the levels of use of flavored oral nicotine products and smoking reduction and quitting and how reduction or quitting may differ between predominant users of fruit/other versus mint flavored oral nicotine products after six months of use.

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Post-traumatic stress and other problems often occur after combat, deployment, and other military operations. Because techniques such as mindfulness meditation show efficacy in improving mental health, our team developed a mobile application (app) for individuals in the armed forces with subclinical psychological problems as secondary prevention of more significant disease. Based on the Personal Health Intervention Toolkit (PHIT), a mobile app framework for personalized health intervention studies, PHIT for Duty integrates mindfulness-based relaxation, behavioral education in sleep quality and alcohol use, and psychometric and psychophysiological data capture.

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This work demonstrates the feasibility of making sensitive nanometer distance measurements between Fe(III) heme centers and nitroxide spin labels in proteins using the double electron-electron resonance (DEER) pulsed EPR technique at 94 GHz. Techniques to measure accurately long distances in many classes of heme proteins using DEER are currently strongly limited by sensitivity. In this paper we demonstrate sensitivity gains of more than 30 times compared with previous lower frequency (X-band) DEER measurements on both human neuroglobin and sperm whale myoglobin.

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Folate (vitamin B(9)) is an essential nutrient that is required for DNA replication and as a substrate for a range of enzymatic reactions involved in amino acid synthesis and vitamin metabolism. Demands for folate increase during pregnancy because it is also required for growth and development of the fetus. Folate deficiency has been associated with abnormalities in both mothers (anemia, peripheral neuropathy) and fetuses (congenital abnormalities).

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Fibers vary in their physiologic effects. For example, viscous fibers may delay gastric emptying of ingested foods into the small intestine, creating a sensation of fullness; reduce blood glucose concentrations; and potentially benefit insulin sensitivity. They also improve blood cholesterol levels.

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Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that must be consumed in the diet. Adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is vitally important during pregnancy as they are critical building blocks of fetal brain and retina. Omega-3 fatty acids may also play a role in determining the length of gestation and in preventing perinatal depression.

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Omega-3 fatty acids are essential and can only be obtained from the diet. The requirements during pregnancy have not been established, but likely exceed that of a nonpregnant state. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for fetal neurodevelopment and may be important for the timing of gestation and birth weight as well.

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As two-thirds of the US population is overweight or obese, new strategies are needed to help individuals safely and effectively lose weight. One option is to use dietary supplements, but not all supplements that are touted for weight loss have published clinical support for efficacy. The purpose of this article was to identify all published articles on dietary supplements for weight loss.

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The safety of large doses of vitamin E went virtually unquestioned until the early 2000s, when several studies were published showing that consumption of vitamin E from dietary supplements increased mortality, as well as the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and heart failure. These studies prompted numerous letters to the editors of medical journals and widespread coverage in the media. Both the medical community and the general public became confused and concerned about the use of vitamin E supplements.

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The Zone Diet was developed on the concept that the hormonal responses of macronutrients could be orchestrated to maintain key hormones within therapeutic zones to control inflammatory responses. In particular, the two hormonal systems that are directly affected by dietary macronutrients are (1) the insulin/glucagon axis and (2) eicosanoids. Each of these hormonal systems can have a significant impact on the inflammatory process.

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Background: A science-based diet approach to achieving a healthy diet began in the early 1900s, and this led to the development of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Guide Pyramid. Since its adoption, the prevalence of overweight and type 2 diabetes has risen substantially. Whether the two are related is unknown, but a change may be needed in the way the government recommends that Americans eat.

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Protein is essential for the maintenance of optimal health. Without adequate amounts of amino acids, organs become dysfunctional and ultimately death can result. Protein deficiency is a common problem in both adults and children.

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Milk from dairy cows has long provided a high quality source of protein and selected micronutrients such as calcium to most populations. Recently, a relationship between disease risk and consumption of a specific bovine ss-casein fraction either A1 or A2 genetic variants has been identified. Populations, which consume milk containing high levels of ss-casein A2 variant, have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 1 diabetes.

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Historically, carbohydrates have been thought to play only a minor role in promoting weight gain and in predicting the risk of development of chronic disease. Most of the focus had been on reducing total dietary fat. During the last 20 years, fat intake decreased, while the number of individuals who were overweight or developed a chronic conditions have dramatically increased.

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More than half of Americans have a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more, which classifies them as overweight or obese. Overweight or obesity is strongly associated with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, gall bladder disease, and sleep apnea. Clearly, this is a national health concern, and although about 30 to 40% of the obese claim that they are trying to lose weight or maintain weight after weight loss, current therapies appear to have little effect.

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