Clinical trials

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of including water as a beverage at a snack on food intake in children.

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence independent fn combined influence of variety and energy density on food intake at a meal. Additionally, individual characteristics will be examined for their influence on the effects of variety and energy density on intake.

During fasting, the body shifts from using carbohydrates to relying more on fat as its main source of energy. This process is known as the 'metabolic shift'. Fat tissue helps supply this energy by breaking down stored fat into fatty acids, which are released into the bloodstream and transported to organs throughout the body. In addition to fatty acids, many other substances in the blood (such as metabolites) change during fasting to help maintain normal body function. Immune cells also circulate in the blood and play an important role in protecting the body against infections and diseases such as cancer. However, it is not yet well understood how the metabolic shift during fasting affects immune cell function. The purpose of this study is to investigate how 24 hours of fasting influences immune cell metabolism and function.

In the present study, the investigators will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of brief, co-designed mindfulness and identity-affirming micropractices for LGBTQ youth and young adults experiencing housing instability. Participants (n = 200, accounting for anticipated attrition) will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) a mindfulness and identity-based micropractice condition or (2) a structurally equivalent neutral control condition. The intervention content will be developed using a participatory co-design process with members of the target population and standardized prior to trial implementation. The mindfulness and identity condition integrates brief practices targeting present-moment awareness and identity affirmation, whereas the control condition accounts for time and attention without including these components. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, assessed using standardized implementation outcome measures and indicators of intervention adherence. Secondary outcomes include changes in mental health symptoms, psychological and emotional well-being, and substance use. The investigators will evaluate whether the mindfulness and identity-based condition demonstrates greater improvements in outcomes compared to the control condition and will estimate effect sizes to inform the design of future fully powered trials. The intervention will be delivered via a mobile-accessible platform.

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of including water as a beverage at a meal on food intake, and if the influence of water consumption on food consumption is moderated by switching behavior. Additionally, other individual characteristics will be examined for their influence on the effects of simultaneous variety and portion size on meal intake.

The goal of this project is to utilize stable isotopically labeled vitamin D3 and state of the art mass spectrometric methodology to assess vitamin D dynamics during pregnancy in relation to relation to obesity and vitamin D binding protein genotype. At the conclusion of this study, the investigators will have obtained novel information on the absorption and utilization of vitamin D in women and the degree to which vitamin D utilization during pregnancy is impacted by genetic ancestry, vitamin D binding protein concentration and genotype and by excess adiposity. The long-term goal is to better understand the unique metabolism of vitamin D during pregnancy.

The purpose of this study is to determine the health impacts of consistent consumption of insect-fortified crackers among school-aged children in Madagascar. Specifically, in this RCT, the investigators will assess whether the insect-fortified crackers can improve the health status of Malagasy school children. The investigators' objectives are to: (1) Assess changes in gut microbiome composition that occur after 6 and 14 weeks of cracker consumption through 16S rRNA sequencing. (2) Assess changes in intestinal and systemic inflammation after 6 and 14 weeks of cracker consumption through quantification of fecal calprotectin, lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. (3) Assess changes in iron status after 14 weeks of cracker consumption through quantification of hemoglobin (Hb), inflammation-adjusted serum ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR).

The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the Know-How program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments.

Dietary fiber has been shown to have beneficial effects on human health through its impact on microbes present in the gut. However, these effects can vary between individuals, and everyone may not reap the same health benefits by eating the same sources of fiber. Factors predicting how an individual's gut microbes as well as the beneficial metabolites produced by these microbes change in response to different sources of fiber would be helpful in developing precision nutrition approaches that maximize the benefits of dietary fiber. The objective of this study is to evaluate candidate predictors of gut microbiota response to fiber sources from either whole grains or fruits and vegetables.

Income instability is a defining aspect of the lives of the poor, who also disproportionately suffer from poor mental and physical health. This research is the first to assess the causal effects of predictable and unpredictable income instability on the psychological and physical health of the poor. It will advance the scientific knowledge on the effects of economic instability as well as understanding of health gaps across populations.

The FeMicrobiome study will evaluate gut microbiome features and their relationships with dietary iron absorption in healthy adults. The investigators hypothesize that (1) the gut microbiota can be shaped by the heme and non-heme Fe content of the diet and that (2) this will influence individual variation in dietary Fe absorption.

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of an in-person multi-component Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H after school program. The ACE Program consists of mindfulness, nutrition education, cooking labs, and professional development activities.

The aim of this study is to look at changes in diabetes-related risk factors in Black adolescent girls who are at risk for type 2 diabetes and their primary female caregiver after both participating in a 12-week in-person lifestyle program.

Establishment of regular menstrual cycles is a key component of reproductive maturation and a recognized vital sign for health and well-being. Irregular menstrual cycles are especially common for the first 2-3 years after an adolescent's first menstrual period (i.e., menarche), which delays the identification and diagnosis of early reproductive disturbances such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The purpose of this research study is to determine whether the ovary can serve as a reliable predictor of normal or abnormal development by following the trajectory of ovarian morphology in conjunction with menstrual cyclicity using 3D transabdominal ultrasound imaging in a prospective cohort study of adolescents. A secondary objective is to identify potential environmental factors such as diet and the gut microbiome which influence the trajectory towards normal or abnormal reproductive development.