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Biomedical subjects

M P Snyder

Publications and source records attributed to M P Snyder.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Pricing and promotion effects on low-fat vending snack purchases: the CHIPS Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of pricing and promotion strategies on purchases of low-fat snacks from vending machines. METHODS: Low-fat snacks were added to 55 vending machines in a convenience sample of 12 secondary schools and 12 worksites. Four pricing levels (equal price, 10% reduction, 25% reduction, 50% reduction) and 3 promotional conditions (none, low-fat label, low-fat label plus promotional sign) were crossed in a Latin square design. Sales of low-fat vending snacks were measured continuously for the 12-month intervention. RESULTS: Price reductions of 10%, 25%, and 50% on low-fat snacks were associated with significant increases in low-fat snack sales; percentages of low-fat snack sales increased by 9%, 39%, and 93%, respectively. Promotional signage was independently but weakly associated with increases in low-fat snack sales. Average profits per machine were not affected by the vending interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing relative prices on low-fat snacks was effective in promoting lower-fat snack purchases from vending machines in both adult and adolescent populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

New antimicrobial flavanones from Physena madagascariensis.

Two new flavanones (1 and 2) with antibacterial activity were isolated from the methanolic extract of the dried leaves of Physena madagascariensis using activity against Staphylococcus aureus to guide the isolation. A third flavonoid, a flavanone dimer linked by a methylene group (3) was also isolated and proved to be inactive. The structures of 1 and 2 were established primarily from NMR studies, while that of 3 required more extensive mass spectrometric analysis. All three flavanones had lavandulyl units in the limonene form. Flavanones 1 and 2 were active against several bacteria at concentrations as low as 4 microM.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Do children eat what they say? Validity of intended food choices among Native American school children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the agreement between school children's intended food choices and observed food choices. DESIGN: Native American students in the second through fifth grade completed a questionnaire that asked them to select from 10 paired food choices for a given meal or snack. Three weeks later students chose among foods identical to those on the questionnaire as part of their usual school lunch or breakfast over three consecutive days; afternoon snacks were also offered. RESULTS: Agreement between students' intended food choices and observed food choices was examined across 10 food pairs. The composite kappa coefficient between intended and observed food choices was 0.09 (95% confidence interval 0.06, 0.012), including virtually no agreement above that expected by chance. There were no differences in agreement by sex or grade. CONCLUSIONS: Intended food choices were not significantly associated with observed food choices. It is unclear whether intended food choices reflect nutrition knowledge, socially desirable responses, food preferences, or some other dimension of eating behavior. Although responsive to school-based nutrition interventions, the interpretation of changes in intended food choices must be clarified in future research.

Child↗
PubMed1997

A pricing strategy to promote low-fat snack choices through vending machines.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the role of price on purchases of low-fat snacks from vending machines. METHODS: Sales of low-fat and regular snacks were monitored in nine vending machines during a 4-week baseline, a 3-week intervention in which prices of low-fat snacks were reduced 50%, and 3 weeks postintervention. RESULTS: The proportion of low-fat snacks purchased was 25.7%, 45.8%, and 22.8% in the three periods, respectively. Total snack purchases did not vary by period. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing relative prices may be effective in promoting lower-fat food choices in the population. Vending machines may be a feasible method for implementing such nutrition interventions.

Commerce↗
PubMed1995

Molecular basis of cell integrity and morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In fungi and many other organisms, a thick outer cell wall is responsible for determining the shape of the cell and for maintaining its integrity. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a useful model organism for the study of cell wall synthesis, and over the past few decades, many aspects of the composition, structure, and enzymology of the cell wall have been elucidated. The cell wall of budding yeasts is a complex and dynamic structure; its arrangement alters as the cell grows, and its composition changes in response to different environmental conditions and at different times during the yeast life cycle. In the past few years, we have witnessed a profilic genetic and molecular characterization of some key aspects of cell wall polymer synthesis and hydrolysis in the budding yeast. Furthermore, this organism has been the target of numerous recent studies on the topic of morphogenesis, which have had an enormous impact on our understanding of the intracellular events that participate in directed cell wall synthesis. A number of components that direct polarized secretion, including those involved in assembly and organization of the actin cytoskeleton, secretory pathways, and a series of novel signal transduction systems and regulatory components have been identified. Analysis of these different components has suggested pathways by which polarized secretion is directed and controlled. Our aim is to offer an overall view of the current understanding of cell wall dynamics and of the complex network that controls polarized growth at particular stages of the budding yeast cell cycle and life cycle.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed1994

Reducing the fat content of ground beef in a school foodservice setting.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to develop and test the nutrient results of a two-step defatting procedure with ground beef in a school foodservice setting as part of the Eat Smart school lunch component of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH). SETTING AND DESIGN: The procedure was tested in a school foodservice setting to determine the effect of cooking, draining, and subsequent rinsing with hot water on nutrient composition of ground beef. Samples of raw; cooked and drained; and cooked, drained, and rinsed ground beef were collected and chemically analyzed for total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, iron, and niacin content. RESULTS: The results indicated that the total fat and the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were significantly reduced 31% to 35% from cooking and draining (P < .005) and reduced by an additional 25% to 30% from rinsing (P < .0001). Cholesterol content was not affected. Iron content increased after the cooking and rinsing, although not significantly. Niacin content significantly decreased during rinsing by 28% (P < .005), but the mean value of the cooked, drained, and rinsed ground beef still met the criteria of the Food and Drug Administration for a good source of niacin. APPLICATION: The two-step defatting procedure developed for use in a school foodservice setting lowers the total fat and saturated fatty acid content of ground beef without substantially reducing its nutritional quality.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

CATCH: food service program process evaluation in a multicenter trial.

Process evaluation is an essential element of a multicenter trial in order to explain study outcomes and monitor intervention progress. This paper presents the process evaluation model for the Eat Smart School Nutrition Program, the food service intervention component of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), and describes the process evaluation strategies developed to assess this program. The paper details (1) measures of program implementation including training, support visits, and program promotion, (2) food service staff characteristics, and (3) measures of mediating variables including secular trends and school meal participation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Reducing fat and sodium in school lunch programs: the LUNCHPOWER! Intervention Study.

This study developed, implemented, and evaluated a healthful school lunch program that provided tasty food choices that were lower in fat and sodium. The LUNCHPOWER! Intervention Program was implemented in 34 elementary schools in four school districts that represented diverse geographic areas of Minnesota. A team of registered dietitians, foodservice directors, and cook managers reduced the fat and sodium content of school lunches by modifying recipes and food preparation methods and by identifying and selecting vendor products (prepared food products) that were lower in fat and sodium. Nutrition education messages for students and parents were developed for the 5-month intervention. Monthly menus were analyzed for fat, sodium, and energy content before and after the intervention. There was a significant decrease in both total grams of fat and percent of energy from fat between baseline and follow-up. At all 34 schools, mean daily amount of total fat in the lunch menu decreased 39% (from 32 g to 20 g) and percent of energy from fat decreased 29% (from 40% to 28%). We found that schools could serve lower-sodium and lower-fat meals and retain student participation in the school lunch program.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Developing nutrient criteria for food-specific dietary guidelines for the general public.

Consumers are asking for specific information about which foods and, in particular, which brands of packaged foods to choose when they eat or purchase food. Point-of-purchase nutrition intervention programs that identify specific foods in restaurants and grocery stores are particularly promising community-based strategies for providing that type of information. However, such strategies demand consistent criteria for determining which foods and/or products should be labeled. This article describes the process of developing and validating criteria and the subsequent uses of the criteria in community nutrition intervention programs. Steps in the process include (a) identifying the scientific basis for the criteria, (b) developing food-group-specific nutrient criteria based on a referent meal pattern, (c) developing the eligibility of single servings of specific foods for labeling based on the nutrient criteria of the food group to which the specific food belongs, and (d) validating the criteria by reviewing actual food products in the grocery stores and restaurants. We conclude that the use of criteria provides a consistent standard for evaluating specific foods and food items in nutrition evaluation programs.

Diet↗
PubMed1982

A transposable element that splits the promoter region inactivates a Drosophila cuticle protein gene.

Two mutations that affect larval cuticle protein gene expression in the 2/3 variant Drosophila melanogaster strain were investigated. We demonstrate that this strain synthesizes an electrophoretic variant, fast 2 (CPf2), of wild-type cuticle protein 2(CP2). It also lacks detectable amounts of cuticle protein 3 (CP3). The other major cuticle proteins are still present. Protein and DNA sequence analyses indicate that point mutations cause two amino acid substitutions that change the electrophoretic mobility of CPf2 relative to that of CP2. The mutation abolishing the expression of CP3 was found to be a 7.3-kilobase DNA insertion located within the T-A-T-A box region of this gene, at -31 base pairs from the mRNA start site. This DNA insertion, called H.M.S. Beagle, belongs to a conserved family of repeated DNA elements that have characteristics similar to those of previously characterized Drosophila transposable elements. H.M.S. Beagle elements are repeated approximately 50 times in the haploid genome and exhibit restriction fragment-length polymorphisms around points of insertion between Canton S, Oregon R, and 2/3 Drosophila strains. Sequence analysis indicates that H.M.S. Beagle contains 266-base-pair direct repeats at its termini and is flanked by a duplication of 4 base pairs of target DNA sequence, T-A-T-A, in the CP3 gene insertion. Thus, insertion of a transposable element into the putative promoter region of the CP3 gene is evidently responsible for inactivating CP3 gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in the nutrient content of school lunches: results from the CATCH Eat Smart Food service Intervention.

BACKGROUND: The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) tested the effectiveness of a multilevel intervention aimed at promoting a healthful school environment and positive eating and physical activity behaviors in children. The CATCH Eat Smart Program targeted the school food service staff and aimed to lower the total fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of school meals. METHODS: The Eat Smart intervention was conducted in 56 intervention schools over a 2(1/2)-year period.+Five consecutive days of school menu, recipe, and vendor product information were collected from intervention and control schools at three intervals, Fall 1991, Spring 1993, and Spring 1994, to assess the nutrient content of school menus as offered. RESULTS: There was a significantly greater mean reduction in the percentage of calories from total fat (adjusted mean difference -4.1%; P < 0.0001) and saturated fat (adjusted mean difference -1.3%; P = 0.003) in intervention compared with control schools from baseline to follow-up. Although the sodium content of school lunches increased in both conditions, the mean increase was significantly lower in intervention schools (adjusted mean difference -89 mg; P = 0.034). There were no statistically significant differences for total amounts of cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, total sugars, calcium, iron, vitamin A value, and vitamin C. Average total calories decreased significantly; however, the mean total calories (683 kcal) for intervention schools remained above one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for this age group. CONCLUSIONS: The CATCH Eat Smart intervention successfully lowered the total fat and saturated fat content of school lunches as offered, while maintaining recommended amounts of calories and essential nutrients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving school breakfasts: effects of the CATCH Eat Smart Program on the nutrient content of school breakfasts.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the impact of the Eat Smart School Nutrition Program, the food service component of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), on the percentage of calories from total fat and saturated fat and the sodium content of school breakfasts. METHODS: Fifty-nine of the 96 CATCH schools offered breakfast. We collected 5 consecutive days of school breakfast menu, recipe, and vendor product information at three periods to assess the nutrient content of the school menus as offered. RESULTS: At baseline (Fall 1991), intervention school breakfasts provided 28% of calories from total fat and control schools 30%. Decreases occurred over time in both groups, but no significant differences were attributable to the intervention (adjusted mean difference = -0.4; P = 0.77). Saturated fat exceeded the Eat Smart goal at baseline in all schools and by follow-up (Spring 1994), the reduction in mean percentage of calories from saturated fat was greater in intervention than in control schools (adjusted mean difference = -1.6%; P = 0.052). Sodium goals were not achieved. Mean calorie levels were maintained at or above Eat Smart goals throughout the study in both groups. Differences over time in other dietary variables (percentage of calories from protein and carbohydrate and mean levels of protein, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, vitamin A value, vitamin C, total sugars, and dietary fiber) were not statistically significant between groups. No significant reductions in student participation in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The Eat Smart food service intervention improved school breakfast composition, but not significantly more so than in control schools. Fat and saturated fat in school breakfasts were lowered while maintaining calories, other essential nutrient levels, and student participation in the SBP. Secular trends and also the possibility that control schools were affected by the Eat Smart intervention may account for these findings.

Adolescent↗