Psychological skills training impacts autonomic nervous system responses to stress during sport-specific imagery: An exploratory study in junior elite shooters.

This study investigated the effects of psychological skills training (PST) in shooters psychophysiologically using heart rate variability (HRV) in addition to psychological questionnaires and participant interviews. Five junior pistol shooters participated in an 8-week PST program consisting of a group session per week followed by individual counseling. Before and after PST, we collected electrocardiography data during rest, mental imagery of sport-related crisis situations, and successful performance, to analyze differences in HRV indices. Participants also responded to the Psychological Skills Inventory for Archery and Shooting (PSIAS), Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), Sports Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Trait Sport Confidence Inventory (TSCI). Results showed that the perceived competence (pre: 2.52 ± 0.95, post: 3.36 ± 0.73, p = 0.049) and trait sport confidence (pre: 4.94 ± 1.17, post: 6.60 ± 0.65, p = 0.049) significantly improved after PST. The analysis of HRV indicated that the ratio of low-frequency power to high-frequency power (LF/HF ratio) decreased significantly during imagery of crisis (pre: 3.4 ± 2.3, post: 1.014 ± 0.71, p = 0.038) and success (pre: 1.933 ± 0.917, post: 0.988 ± 0.572, p = 0.046), reflecting a strengthened autonomic nervous system's responsiveness to stress. Our findings illustrate that PST can help athletes better cope with psychologically disturbed situations during competition, by providing psychophysiological evidence through HRV changes.

Risk assessment of hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) in the Korean diet.

Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP), and a toxin whose primary target organ is the kidney. Consequently, quantifying the amount of HCBD in food is essential for determining whether it poses a health risk. The current study established and validated an analytical method for assessing HCBD in food using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Subsequently, we conducted for the first time a risk assessment of HCBD through Korean food consumption. The ranges of HCBD concentration in 595 food samples were as follows: not detectable (nd)-0.947 ng/g for agricultural products, nd-0.920 ng/g for animal products, nd-1.323 ng/g for fishery products and nd-1.081 ng/g for processed food products. The daily intakes of HCBD for the general population were 0.22 ng/kg body weight (b.w.)/day for agricultural products, 0.30 ng/kg b.w./day for animal products, 0.07 ng/kg b.w./day for fishery products and 0.33 ng/kg b.w./day for processed food products. These exposure levels are below the tolerable daily intake (TDI, 2 µg/kg body weight/day) established by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NiFDS) in the Republic of Korea. Taking into account the risk index of 0.011%, we can, therefore, conclude that there are no health concerns for the Korean population.

Exploring Perceived Barriers to Physical Activity in Korean Older Patients with Hypertension: Photovoice Inquiry.

This study attempted to explore the barriers to physical activity of older patients with Hypertension. It aimed to provide robust evidence produced through their eyes. First, through the data analysis of the accelerometer and the decision of the research team, 10 out of the 30 applicants were invited to participate in a photovoice study. Photovoice is one example of participatory action research. Photovoice participants can communicate their unique experiences through photographs, providing a highly realistic and authentic perspective that is not possible to be understood with traditional qualitative research. This study inductively identified four main themes; health illiteracy, distortion of health information, fear of physical activity, and rejection of any life changes. Based on a specific understanding of the population's perception of physical activity, this study attempted to provide evidence of why many elderly Korean patients with Hypertension stay inactive.

Obstructive sleep apnea in airline pilots during daytime sleep following overnight flights.

To identify the vulnerability of recovery sleep, this study investigated the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea during daytime sleep following overnight flights in healthy airline pilots. We conducted daytime polysomnography following a long-haul night-time flight in 103 pilots. The following variables were assessed: apnea-hypopnea index, respiratory disturbance index and oxygen desaturation index. Moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥15. Seventy-three pilots (70.9%) with no known history of obstructive sleep apnea presented with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. Pilots showed high mean apnea-hypopnea, respiratory disturbance and oxygen desaturation indices. The body mass index, Berlin questionnaire score and cumulative flight time contributed to these indices, with both body mass index and cumulative flight time remaining significant at an apnea-hypopnea index ≥15. We found that pilots are vulnerable to obstructive sleep apnea during daytime sleep after night-time flights, which may deteriorate their health, increase fatigue and impair overall flight safety. Further research is needed to ensure flight safety, as daytime recovery sleep is unavoidable for night-time flight pilots. The pilots' normal and recovery sleep patterns should both be studied to develop an effective sleep management protocol.

Analysis of illegal colourants (citrus red II, diethyl yellow, dimethyl yellow, metanil yellow and rhodamine B) in foods by LC-UV and LC-MS/MS.

Synthetic colourants are highly regulated due to their correlation with a variety of health hazards. Regulatory services must be able to detect the substances in a cost-effective, efficient, and sensitive manner. LC-UV and LC-MS/MS methods have been developed to simultaneously detect five illegal colourants in foods, such as: citrus red II, diethyl yellow, dimethyl yellow, metanil yellow, and rhodamine B. This method showed good linearity (R 2 > 0.99) and low limits of detection (0.09-0.19 mg kg-1) and quantitation (0.26-0.58 mg kg-1). The recoveries at three standard concentration levels ranged between 80.9% and 120%, with relative standard deviations below 12%. The expanded uncertainties determined for the five colourants in three food matrices were 8.2-19.4%. This method was applied to monitor five illegal colourants in imported and domestic beverages, candies, and sauces. None of the five colourants were found in any of the 510 samples. The method is suitable for quantitative analysis of five illegal colourants simultaneously in various foods and can be applied to improve current surveillance and inspection services.

Dietary exposure assessment of synthetic food colours using analytical concentrations in Korea.

The safety of nine synthetic colour additives approved in Korea were assessed through hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment, and risk characterisation. Hazard identification and characterisation were conducted using new risk information based on toxicology data. Exposure assessment calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) of the nine colours. Finally, the risk was evaluated by comparing the EDIs of the colours with the acceptable daily intake (ADI). 1,114 samples (24 food categories) among a total of 1,454 samples contained colour additives either at a level that was not detectable or up to a quantified maximum of 288 mg kg-1. The likelihood of risk of exposure to all food colours, evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, was less than 0.52% of the ADI for the general population. These results indicate that use of synthetic food colour in Korea is safe and does not result in excessive exposure to any population group.

Safety assessment of antioxidants and color fixatives for the Korean population using dietary intake monitoring.

Food additives such as antioxidants and color fixatives are substances used in food intentionally for technical effect, such as decolorizing or intensifying the color of food. Based on the necessity of re-evaluating food additives for safety and to improve consumer perception, we conducted safety assessments for food additives according to the Risk Assessment Guidelines of the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. These safety assessments evaluated new risk information based on toxicology data and estimates of dietary intake exposures to food additives in comparison with the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Estimated daily intakes (EDI) of food additives were calculated using food consumption data for the Korean population derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and monitoring data based on the analysis of food additives in food products. Unlike contaminants, antioxidants and color fixatives are purposely added as food additives, and they are largely consumed in processed foods. Therefore, EDI was compared with ADI to investigate the likelihood of potentially hazardous effects in humans. The risk likelihoods of food additives, evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, were less than 2% in the total population. Thus, exposure levels to antioxidants and color fixatives do not exceed the ADI. Based on the safety assessments conducted in this study, we estimate exposure to food additives to be within safe limits for all population groups.

Naturally occurring benzoic, sorbic, and propionic acid in vegetables.

Benzoic, sorbic and propionic acid are used as preservatives in foods and can also be naturally present in processed foods. The levels of preservatives in 939 vegetables were determined. Benzoic and sorbic acid were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector and further confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, whereas propionic acid was analysed using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and further confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Benzoic and propionic acid were found in 10.9% and 36.2%, respectively, of the samples. In contrast, sorbic acid was not found in any of the samples. The highest amounts of benzoic and propionic acid were found in perilla leaves (0.33-298 mg kg-1) and ginseng (

Simultaneous determination of sodium iron chlorophyllin and sodium copper chlorophyllin in food using high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simultaneous method for analyzing sodium iron chlorophyllin (SIC) and sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC) using high-performance liquid chromatography was developed. This method employed an Inertsil ODS-2 column and diode array detection at 395 nm, using methanol-water (97:3 and 80:20, v/v) containing 1% acetic acid as the mobile phase. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the main components of SIC and SCC as Fe-isochlorine e4 and Cu-isochlorine e4, respectively. The limits of detection and quantitation of SIC were 1.2 and 4.1 mg/kg, respectively, while those of SCC were 1.4 and 4.8 mg/kg, respectively. For intraday and interday tests, the SIC recoveries from candy ranged from 81% to 101%, while SCC recoveries ranged from 100% to 109%. The developed method can be applied to the rapid determination of SIC and SCC in candy.

Decompression with Lateral Pediculectomy and Circumferential Reconstruction for Unstable Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures: Surgical Techniques and Results in 18 Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce our technique and results of retropleural/peritoneal lateral pediculectomy for the decompression of thoracolumbar fractures and reconstruction using an expandable titanium cage and circumferential fixation at a single stage. METHODS: Eighteen patients who had single unstable, burst thoracolumbar fracture were treated by this technique between January 2014 and December 2016 (T12: n = 9, L1: n = 7, L2: n = 2). They were reviewed retrospectively in terms of radiologic outcomes (computed tomography [CT] scan and radiograph), clinical outcomes, and complications. The results were compared with another cohort of thoracolumbar fractures treated by posterior-only surgery. RESULTS: There were no radiologic complications implying pseudoarthrosis or instrument failure on the postoperative 6-month CT scan. There was also no neurologic deterioration or infection during the same period. Two patients (11.1%) of iatrogenic injury and 1 patient of trauma-related injury of the dura were secured without any delayed complications. Three patients (16.7%) with transient weakness in left hip flexion immediately after operation were observed and recovered within 2 weeks in all cases. Six patients (33.3%) complained of dysesthesia and/or hypoesthesia on the incision site. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we suggest lateral pediculectomy as a distinct anatomic landmark to access and remove bony fragments effectively and safely in unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures. This provides a more straightforward access to the burst fragment and helps the surgeon to make better intraoperative decompression strategies. Moreover, this circumferential instrumentation with anterior support and fusion revealed better restoration of the thoracolumbar spine alignment compared with posterior-only surgery, with acceptable complications rates.

Improved method for the determination of 12 non-nutritive sweeteners and monitoring in various foods using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An improved and highly sensitive method was developed and validated for the determination of 12 (7 permitted and 5 non-permitted in Korea) non-nutritive sweeteners in various foods using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Xbridge BEH C18 column (3 mm × 100 mm, 2.5 µm) with gradient elution using 10 mM ammonium acetate in water and 10 mM ammonium acetate in methanol. Sample preparation consisted of simple dilution, homogenisation, centrifugation and purification with a C18 cartridge prior to analysis. The relative matrix effect (%ME) was within ±20% for all sweeteners. The method also showed good linearity (R2 > 0.99). The limit of detection and limit of quantification values in sample were in the range of 0.02-2.66 and 0.06-8.05 mg kg-1, respectively. The recoveries at three concentration levels ranged between 80% and 119%, with relative standard deviation values below 10%. In addition, the expanded uncertainties determined for 12 sweeteners in 5 different food matrices were confirmed to be <14%. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of sweeteners in 681 food samples purchased in Korea, Australia and Turkey. These results demonstrate that the method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of multiple-sweeteners in a variety of foods.

An Improved Analytical Method for the Determination of Brown FK in Food using HPLC.

In this study, an improved analytical method for the detection of the colorant Brown FK in foods using high-performance liquid chromatography was developed. The method, which employed an RC-C18 column and diode array detection at 254 nm with sodium acetate solution and methanol as mobile phases, exhibited good linearity (R2 = 1.0), and its limits of detection and quantification were determined to be 0.06 and 0.19 µg/mL, respectively. The precision was found to be 0-1.2% and the accuracy was between 86.5% and 94.8%. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was also performed to identify Brown FK in peaks. The pretreatment method was optimized for three different food sample groups, i.e., seafood, noodles and other, affording recoveries of 86.5-92.8%, 90.8-94.8% and 90.0-92.3%, respectively. In addition, inter-laboratory testing was also conducted to check the precision.

Sorbic, benzoic and propionic acids in fishery products: a survey of the South Korean market.

This study was conducted to provide basic data as part of a project to distinguish naturally occurring organic acids from added preservatives. Accordingly, we investigated naturally occurring levels of sorbic, benzoic and propionic acids in fish and their processed commodities. The levels of sorbic, benzoic and propionic acids in 265 fish and their processed commodities were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode detection array (HPLC-PDA) of sorbic and benzoic acids and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of propionic acid. For propionic acid, GC-MS was used because of its high sensitivity and selectivity in complicated matrix samples. Propionic acid was detected in 36.6% of fish samples and 50.4% of processed fish commodities. In contrast, benzoic acid was detected in 5.6% of fish samples, and sorbic acid was not detected in any sample. According to the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), fishery products and salted fish may only contain sorbic acid in amounts up to 2.0 g kg-1 and 1.0 g kg-1, respectively. The results of the monitoring in this study can be considered violations of KFDA regulations (total 124; benzoic acid 8, propionic acid 116). However, it is difficult to distinguish naturally generated organic acids and artificially added preservatives in fishery products. Therefore, further studies are needed to extend the database for distinction of naturally generated organic acids and added preservatives.

Identifying method validation and measurement uncertainty of brominated vegetable oil in soft drinks and carbonated waters commonly consumed in South Korea.

This study investigated a method for validating and determining the measurement uncertainty for the composition of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in soft drinks and carbonated waters commonly consumed in South Korea. First, we studied a simple and precise qualitative colorimetric method at the maximum residues level 15 ppm. And an analytical method using ion chromatography (IC) was validated and identified with brominated fatty acids by gas chromatography electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS). The measurement uncertainty was evaluated based on the precisional study and confirmed by the preliminary inter-laboratory study. For IC analysis, the recovery range of BVO was from 97.8% to 107.2% with relative standard deviations between 0.18% and 0.69%. In addition, the expanded uncertainty of the BVO was 1.59. These results indicate that the validated method is appropriate for identifying of BVO and can be used to verify the safety of soft drinks or carbonated waters containing BVO residues.

Development and validation of HPLC method for the determination of ferrocyanide ion in food grade salts.

A rapid, simple, and reliable HPLC method was developed and validated to determine the presence of ferrocyanide ions (FeCNs) in food grade salts. An analytical column coupled with a guard column and mobile phase comprised of sodium perchlorate and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were employed at a detection wavelength of 221nm. Samples were dissolved in 0.02M NaOH solution and filtered. For processed salts including herbs and spices, a C18 cartridge was applied to minimize interference from salt matrices. The method validation was based on linearity, accuracy (recovery), precision, LOD, LOQ, and measurement uncertainty. This method exhibits good linearity from 0.1-10mg/L (r2=0.9999). The LOD and LOQ values were determined to be 0.02 and 0.07mg/kg, respectively. The FeCN recoveries in six salt matrices ranged from 80.3-102.2% (RSD=0.3-4.4%). These results indicate that the proposed method is suitable for FeCN ion determination in various food grade salts.

Safety assessment of 16 sweeteners for the Korean population using dietary intake monitoring and poundage method.

A sweetener is a food additive that imparts a sweet taste to food products. Sweeteners have been increasingly used in Korea since the approval of sodium saccharin and d-sorbitol in 1962. Unlike food contaminants, humans are exposed to food additives only through the consumption of processed food products. For exposure assessments of sweeteners, the dietary intakes of food products containing acesulfame-K, aspartame, saccharin-Na, and sucralose were determined, and the resulting calculated estimated daily intake (EDI) values were compared directly with each additive's ADI. The poundage method was used to calculate the daily intake per capita for 12 additional sweeteners, such as lactitol, for which appropriate analytical methods for food products do not exist. The risk, as evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, was determined to be 2.9% for acesulfame-K, 0.8% for aspartame, 3.6% for saccharin-Na, 4.3% for steviol glycosides, and 2.1% for sucralose. No hazardous effect was predicted for the other 11 sweeteners, including lactitol.

Perception Gaps on Food Additives among Various Groups in Korea: Food Experts, Teachers, Nutrition Teachers, Nongovernmental Organization Members, and General Consumers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and information needs of food experts, teachers, nutrition teachers, members of nongovernmental organizations, and general consumers concerning food additives. Questions in a survey format included perceptions, information needs, and preferred communication channels. The survey was conducted both off-line and on-line via e-mail and Google Drive in March 2015. The results indicated that most Korean consumers are concerned about the safety of using food additives in processed foods and do not recognize these additives as safe and useful materials as part of a modern diet. We also identified perception gaps among different groups regarding food additives. Nutrition teachers and members of nongovernmental organizations in Korea appeared to have a biased perception of food additives, which may cause general consumers to have a negative perception of food additives. The group of food experts did not have this bias. Governmental institutions must overcome the low confidence levels of various groups as an information provider about food additives. Based on the findings in this study, it will be possible to develop a strategy for risk communication about food additives for each group.

Simultaneous determination of sodium saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose in food consumed in Korea using high-performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detection.

Four artificial sweeteners, i.e., sodium saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose, are permitted for use in Korea, and recent regulatory changes have expanded the number of food categories in which they may be used. Four artificial sweeteners were determined simultaneously in more than 900 food items from 30 food categories that are commercially available in Korean markets, including both domestic and imported products, using high-performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). A new procedure using 75% acetone to remove fat was applied for sample preparation. The levels detected in all samples were below the maximum permitted use levels established in Korea. Despite the increased number of categories, the only one in which sodium saccharin was newly found was takju, an alcoholic beverage. Sodium saccharin was not found in other beverages in the food analysis or in the food label survey, even though its use was reported in a previous study, suggesting that consumer preference outweighs regulatory decisions. When the analytical results were combined with food-consumption data obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-14, the estimated daily intakes of all the sweeteners were considered safe.

An analysis method for determining residual hexane in health functional food products using static headspace gas chromatography.

A method for analyzing the contents of residual hexane in health functional food products was developed. The dissolving solvents in the health functional food products and the internal standard selected were N,N-dimethylacetamide and heptane, respectively. The analysis conditions for headspace-gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (HS-GC/FID) and headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) were determined as 18 mL of headspace volume, 100°C of headspace oven temperature, and 30 min of equilibration time; a Durabond (DB)-624 column was selected for this analysis. To validate this method, which applies N,N-dimethylacetamide as a dissolving solvent, the limit of detection and limit of quantification (LOQ) values based on the HS-GC/FID and HS-GC/MS analyses results were found to be 0.10, 0.29 and 0.16, 0.47 mg/L, respectively. The recoveries and coefficient of variation (CV) obtained by HS-GC/MS were 96.39-119.86% and 0.04-1.25%, respectively, better than those obtained by HS-GC/FID. By applying the HS-GC/MS method, it was possible to analyze the content of the residual hexane in 60 different types of health functional food products.

Superior properties of homogeneously aligned twisted nematic liquid crystals on nanoscale molybdenum trioxide surfaces.

Homogeneously aligned twisted nematic liquid crystals (TN-LCs) were produced on molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) thin films via ion beam (IB) irradiation. Control of the pretilt angle was achieved by varying the IB incident angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that the intensity of the Mo-O and O-Mo bonds at various IB incident angles exhibited the tendency that was opposite to that of the pretilt angle and the lowest intensity was produced at 45°. Superior electro-optical (EO) characteristics were also observed. Furthermore, a TN-LC cell fabricated with the MoO3 thin films exhibited high thermal stability. Such stability could be maintained at temperatures greater than 150 °C.