Structure and chromosomal localization of the rat salivary Psp and Smgb genes.

SMGB and PSP are among the most abundant products of the immature acinar cells in developing rat parotid and submandibular glands and are also products of the sublingual gland serous demilunes. Previous analysis of Smgb and Psp cDNA clones demonstrated a high degree of sequence similarity between the signal peptide-encoding and 3' untranslated regions of these transcripts, although the secreted proteins themselves are more divergent. The current study reports the upstream sequences, genomic organization and localization of the Psp and Smgb genes. Both structural genes contain nine exons and are present at 3q41-3q42, where they are arranged in tandem and separated by 21kb. In addition to the previously observed sequence similarity, Psp and Smgb are highly homologous throughout exon 1 and at 365 of 600bp immediately upstream of the transcription start site. These findings indicate that the Psp and Smgb genes arose by tandem duplication and divergence. The similar neonatal submandibular and parotid gland expression patterns observed for these genes are likely to be due to closely conserved or shared enhancer(s).

Home-delivered meals: food quality, nutrient content, and characteristics of recipients.

Meals provided by a home-delivered meal program with the same supplier were evaluated for 5 consecutive days in each of 6 years. In the evaluations, meals were compared with federal guidelines for meal pattern, serving size, and temperature of hot food, and the quality was evaluated. Meal pattern and serving size guidelines were not always met by the meals. Problems included no delivery of milk with the meals and variations in serving sizes for meat or alternate, fruit, vegetable, and dessert. Temperatures of hot foods were often much lower than the 140 degrees or 150 degrees F specified in food safety guidelines. Food quality varied. Protein, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A, and niacin were consistently greater than 33% of the RDA; energy, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C were less than 33% of the RDA some years, and calcium was consistently less than 33% of the RDA. Estimated total daily nutrient intakes of 27 recipients followed the same pattern as the nutrient content of the meals. For many recipients, estimated nutrient intakes from food other than the home-delivered meal was less than 33% of the RDA. Food preferences were fairly well satisfied. Recall of nutrition-related vocabulary was poor. In this study, home-delivered meals were found to make important contributions to the nutrition needs of the recipients.

Nutrient intakes of 2- to 10-year-old American children: 10-year trends.

Nutrient intakes of American children aged 2 to 10 years were compared for the years 1978 and 1988 using a unique nutrient assessment system designed and developed by the Nutrition Department at General Mills. This system integrated data from three sources: 14-day food consumption diaries collected from 4,000 households in the Market Research Corporation of America Menu Census panel surveys; serving-size data from the spring 1977 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey; and nutrient data from the Michigan State University Nutrient Data Bank. The results indicate that energy and macronutrient intakes remained fairly constant over the 10-year period. Average daily vitamin and mineral intakes were lower in 1988 than in 1978 for the majority of those studied; however, most nutrient levels remained over 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). For more than 50% of the population, the intakes of calcium, vitamin B-6, and zinc were below the RDAs. Our findings indicate the need for continued monitoring of the impact of changing food consumption patterns on the diets of American children.

Comparison of a computerized and a manual method of food coding for nutrient intake studies.

The Dietary Data Collection (DDC) microcomputer system is currently being developed as a tool for the standardized and detailed collection of dietary intake data for human nutrition research studies. The system operates interactively, soliciting all necessary information on menu selection screens to ensure user entry of complete food descriptions and quantity information. The descriptive data are then automatically converted to food codes and gram weights for subsequent calculation of nutrient content. At the completion of the first phase of system development, a preliminary test was performed to compare the amount of time required to enter food intake data into the DDC system with the amount of time required to accomplish the same food coding task manually. Test subjects consisted of four experienced food coders and one coder trainee. Using a crossover design, each coder manually coded 16 1-day food records and entered another 16 records into the DDC system for automatic coding. Four of the five coders took significantly less time to code and enter descriptive dietary intake information using the DDC system than they took for manual coding and data entry. Time savings ranged between 9% and 44% among the test subjects.

Diet intervention methods to reduce fat intake: nutrient and food group composition of self-selected low-fat diets.

A multicentered pilot study was conducted to test an intervention protocol designed to reduce fat intake to 15% of energy intake. Eligible subjects were postmenopausal women with stage II breast cancer whose baseline fat intake was more than 30% of energy intake. The low-fat diet intervention protocol consisted of bi-weekly individual counseling sessions with emphasis on substitution of lower-fat foods for high-fat foods and maintenance of nutritional adequacy. Nutrient intakes were calculated from 4-day food records collected at baseline and after 3 months of diet intervention. Mean daily fat intake for the 17 patients on the low-fat diet dropped significantly from 38.4 +/- 4.3% of energy intake at baseline to 22.8 +/- 7.8% at 3 months (p less than .001). A 25% reduction in mean energy intake, from 1,840 +/- 419 kcal at baseline to 1,365 +/- 291 kcal at 3 months, was accompanied by significant increases in protein and carbohydrate as percent of energy intake. A mean weight loss of 2.8 kg and a 7.7% reduction in serum cholesterol were observed; both changes were significant at the p less than .01 level. Absolute intakes of zinc and magnesium were significantly reduced. However, mean intake on the low-fat diet for 14 vitamins and minerals, including zinc and magnesium, exceeded two-thirds of the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). When expressed as nutrient density (i.e., amount of nutrient per 1,000 kcal), increases were observed for all micronutrients. These results support the hypothesis that a nutritionally adequate low-fat diet can be successfully implemented in a highly motivated, free-living population.

Mkp1 and Mkp2, two MAPKAP-kinase homologues in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, interact with the MAP kinase Sty1.

Mkp1 ( MAPKAP kinase Schizosaccharomyces pombe 1) and Mkp2 are two members from fission yeast of the sub-class of putative MAPK-activated protein kinases in yeasts, the other known members being Rck1 and Rck2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Mkp1 protein is readily co-immunoprecipitated with Sty1 from S. pombe extracts; Mkp2 shows a weaker interaction with Sty1. In mkp1 mutants, conjugation and meiosis proceed more readily and rapidly than in wild-type cells, in analogy to what was previously found for S. cerevisiae rck1 mutants. Conversely, overexpression of mkp1(+) delays meiosis. Mkp1 is phosphorylated in vivo in a sty1(+)-dependent manner; this modification is removed when cells are starved for nitrogen, a condition that is conducive to entry into stationary phase and meiosis. Overexpression of mkp1(+), like a sty1 mutation, also causes vegetative cells to elongate. The level of Mkp1 phosphorylation drops as cells enter mitosis. We have localised Mkp1 to the cytoplasm, excluded from the nucleus, in vegetative cells. The Mkp1 protein accumulates in zygotic asci and is concentrated within spores. The mkp2(+) gene has no noticeable impact on meiosis. Mkp2 is excluded from the nucleus in vegetative cells, and is concentrated at the septa of dividing cells. Mkp2 does not accumulate in meiotic cells.