Food safety knowledge and practice by the stages of change model in school children

In this study, 342 grade 4-6 elementary school students in Gyeonggi-do were recruited to determine their readiness to change food safety behavior and to compare their food safety knowledge and practices by the stages of change. The subjects were divided into three stages of change; the percentage of stage 1 (precontemplation) was 10.1%, the percentage of stage 2 (contemplation and preparation) was 62.4%, and that of stage 3 (action and maintenance) was 27.5%. Food safety knowledge scores in stage 3 (4.55) or stage 2 (4.50) children were significantly higher than those in stage 1 children (4.17) (P < 0.05). The two food safety behavior items "hand washing practice" and "avoidance of harmful food" were significantly different among the three groups (P < 0.05). Stages of change were significantly and positively correlated with food safety knowledge and practice. Age was significantly and negatively correlated with the total food safety behavior score (r = -0.142, P < 0.05). The most influential factor on the stage of change was a mother's instruction about food safety (P < 0.01)

Inorganic sulfur reduces the motility and invasion of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells

This study investigated the effects of inorganic sulfur on metastasis in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in the absence or presence of various concentrations (12.5, 25, or 50 µmol/L) of inorganic sulfur. Cell motility, invasion, and the activity and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) were examined. Numbers of viable MDA-MB-231 cells did not differ by inorganic sulfur treatment from 0 to 50 µmol/L within 48 h. Inorganic sulfur significantly decreased cell motility and invasion in the MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05), as determined using a Boyden chamber assay and a Matrigel chamber. The activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly reduced by inorganic sulfur in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The inorganic sulfur also significantly inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in the cells (P < 0.05). These data suggest that inorganic sulfur can suppress cancer cell motility and invasion by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and gene expression in MDA-MB-231 cells

Eating habits, obesity related behaviors, and effects of Danhak exercise in elderly Koreans

The aims of this study were to evaluate obesity-related dietary behaviors and to determine long-term exercise effects on obesity and blood lipid profiles in elderly Korean subjects. A total of 120 subjects, aged 60-75 yr, were recruited, and obesity-related dietary behaviors were determined. An exercise intervention was conducted with 35 qualified elderly females for 6 months, and body composition and blood lipids were measured 6 times at 4 week intervals. At baseline, mean BMI (kg/m2) was 24.8 for males and 23.1 for females. The females had better eating habits than the males and were more concerned with reading nutrition labels on food products (P < 0.001); they also preferred convenience foods less than the male subjects (P < 0.05). Obese individuals were more likely than overweight or normal weight individuals to misperceive their weight (P < 0.001). Those with a high BMI responded feeling more depressed (P < 0.01), lacking self-confidence (P < 0.01), and feeling isolated (P < 0.01), as well as having more difficulty doing outdoor activities (P < 0.01). After exercise, body fat (%) and WHR were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), while body weight and BMI were also decreased without statistical significance. Total cholesterol and blood HDL were significantly improved (207.1 mg/dl vs. 182.6 mg/dl, HDL: 45.6 mg/dl vs. 50.6 mg/dl, P < 0.05). Other benefits obtained from exercise were improvements in self-confidence (26.4%), movement (22.6%), stress-relief (18.9%), and depression (13.2%). In conclusion, elderly females had better eating habits and were more concerned with nutrition information and healthy diets compared to elderly males. However, misperceptions of weight and obesity-related stress tended to be very high in females who were overweight and obese, which can be a barrier to maintain normal weight. Long-term Danhak practice, a traditional Korean exercise, was effective at reducing body fat (%) and abdominal obesity, and improved lipid profiles, self-confidence, and stress

Effect of retrograded rice on weight control, gut function, and lipid concentrations in rats

The effects of retrograded rice on body weight gain, gut functions, and hypolipidemic actions in rats were examined. When the retrograded rice was produced by repetitive heating and cooling cycles, it contained significantly higher amounts of resistant starch (13.9 ± 0.98%) than is found in common rice (9.1 ± 1.02%) (P < 0.05). Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either common rice powder or retrograded rice powder, and mean body weight gain was significantly lower in the retrograded rice group (P < 0.05). The liver weight of the retrograded rice group (14.5 ± 0.5 g) was significantly lower than that of the common rice group (17.1 ± 0.3 g, P < 0.05). However, the weights of other organs, such as the kidney, spleen, thymus, and epididymal fat pad were not significantly affected by rice feeding. Intestinal transit time tended to be lower in rats fed retrograded rice when compared to rats fed the common rice, but the difference was not significant. The retrograded rice diet significantly increased stool output when compared to that in the common rice powder diet (P < 0.05), whereas fecal moisture content (%) was significantly higher in the retrograded rice group (23.3 ± 1.2) than that in the common rice group (19.1 ± 1.2) (P < 0.05). The retrograded rice group had significantly lower plasma cholesterol (P < 0.05), liver cholesterol (P < 0.05), and triacylglycerol contents in adipose tissue (P < 0.05) when compared to those in the common rice group. In conclusion, retrograded rice had higher resistant starch levels compared with those of common rice powder, and it lowered body weight gain and improved lipid profiles and gut function in rats

The effects of food safety education on adolescents' hand hygiene behavior: an analysis of stages of change

The hand hygiene behavior of 400 middle school students (grades 1-3) in Seoul and Gyeonggi-Do was studied to determine how stages of change were affected by food safety education, focusing on hand hygiene and general food safety. Subjects were 51.3% male and 44.3% of study subjects were first graders of middle school. Approximately 40% of subjects were at the stage of action, 42.7% were at the stage of contemplation, and 16.4% were at pre-contemplation. The most important factor that influenced proper hand washing was self efficacy (P < 0.001). Proper hand washing was also correlated significantly with positive belief (P < 0.01) and stages of change (P < 0.01). After food safety education by high-school mentors, middle-school students who were in the stages of pre-contemplation (11.1%) and contemplation (88.9%) showed significant progression toward the action stage (P < 0.001). Proper hand washing (P < 0.01) and food safety knowledge (P < 0.05) were also significantly increased after educational intervention

Tristetraprolin inhibits the growth of human glioma cells through downregulation of urokinase plasminogen activator/urokinase plasminogen activator receptor mRNAs

Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) play a major role in the infiltrative growth of glioblastoma. Downregulatoion of the uPA and uPAR has been reported to inhibit the growth glioblastoma. Here, we demonstrate that tristetraprolin (TTP) inhibits the growth of U87MG human glioma cells through downregulation of uPA and uPAR. Our results show that expression level of TTP is inversely correlated with those of uPA and uPAR in human glioma cells and tissues. TTP binds to the AU-rich elements within the 3&apos; untranslated regions of uPA and uPAR and overexpression of TTP decreased the expression of uPA and uPAR through enhancing the degradation of their mRNAs. In addition, overexpression of TTP inhibited the growth and invasion of U87MG cells. Our findings implicate that TTP can be used as a promising therapeutic target to treat human glioma

Cow&rsquo;s Milk Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Korean Postmenopausal Women

Numerous studies have reported conflicting results associated with cow&rsquo;s milk intake and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, studies involving postmenopausal women are very limited. This study was therefore undertaken to identify the relationship between cow&rsquo;s milk intake and CHD risk in postmenopausal women, using data from the 6th period of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013&ndash;2015). A total of 1825 postmenopausal women, aged 50&ndash;64 years old, were included in the final analysis. The frequency of cow&rsquo;s milk consumption for each subject was determined using the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and was classified into four groups (Q1&ndash;Q4): Q1, group that did not drink milk (no milk, n = 666); Q2, 0 &lt; frequency of milk intake per week &le; 1 (n = 453); Q3, 1 &lt; frequency of milk intake per week &le; 3 (n = 319); and Q4, frequency of milk intake &gt;3 times per week (n = 387). General characteristics, such as education, living area, household income, and obesity level, were compared between the four groups. Percentages of daily nutrient intake compared to the dietary reference intake for Koreans (KDRIs) were determined, and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), atherogenic index (AI), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were determined as the CHD risk indicators. Except household income, no significant difference was obtained among the four groups with respect to age, education, living area, or obesity. Compared to KDRIs, the intake ratio of calcium, phosphorus, and riboflavin were significantly higher in the Q4 group than in the Q1&ndash;Q3 groups. Blood HDL-cholesterol was significantly higher in Q4 than in Q1. The CHD risk factors FRS (%), AI, and AIP were significantly lower in the Q4 group as compared to the other groups (CHD risk (%): Q1 9.4, Q4 8.5; AI: Q1 3.06, Q4 2.83; API: Q1 0.37, Q2 0.31, Q4 0.32). FRS was determined to be significantly and positively correlated to AI or AIP, and negatively correlated with the cow&rsquo;s milk intake frequency and calcium intake. In conclusion, compared to women who do not consume cow&rsquo;s milk, postmenopausal women who consume cow&rsquo;s milk frequently have a better nutritional status of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12, higher HDL levels, and a lower level of CHD risk indicators, such as FRS, AI, and AIP, contributing to decreased CHD risk in a 10-year period. Therefore, to prevent the risk of CHD in postmenopausal women, there needs to be a greater emphasis for cow&rsquo;s milk consumption four or more times per week

Effect of Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969 on the Improvement of Bowel Movement in Loperamide-Treated SD Rats

Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969 (B. coagulans SNZ 1969) is a spore-forming bacterium reported to be effective in attenuating constipation. However, there is no study on whether B. coagulans SNZ 1969 could improve constipation through mucin secretion and changes in intestinal hormones. To address this knowledge gap, rats were orally administrated with various treatments for four weeks. The normal control (NOR) group received saline only. There were four constipation-induced groups. The LOP group received only loperamide (LOP), a constipation-inducing agent. The BIS group received both LOP and Bisacodyl (BIS, a constipation treatment agent). The SNZ-L group received both LOP and B. coagulans SNZ 1969 at 1 &times; 108 CFU/day. The SNZ-H group received LOP and B.coagulans SNZ 1969 at 1 &times; 1010 CFU/day. As indicators of constipation improvement, fecal pellet weight, fecal water content, gastrointestinal transit time, and intestinal motility were measured. Mucus secretion in the colon was determined by histological colon analysis and mucin-related gene expressions. Gastrointestinal (GI) hormones were also measured. SNZ-L and SNZ-H groups showed significantly increased fecal weights, fecal water contents, and intestinal motility than the LOP group. SNZ-L and SNZ-H groups also showed higher secretion of mucin in the colon and mRNA expression levels of Mucin 2 and Aquaporin 8 than the LOP group. The SNZ-H group showed significantly increased substance P but significantly decreased somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal peptide than the LOP group. The results of this study suggest that B. coagulans SNZ 1969 intake could attenuate constipation through mucin secretion and alteration of GI hormones