Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most threatening neurodegenerative diseases, is characterized by the loss of memory and language function, an unbalanced perception of space and other cognitive and physical manifestations. Pathology of the AD is characterized by neuronal loss, and the extensive distribution of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The role of environment and the diet in the AD is being studied actively, and nutrition is certainly one of the main factors playing a prominent role in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, the relationship between dementia and wine use/abuse has received increased research interest in recent times, with varying and often conflicting results. Scope and approach: This review aims to critically summarize the most recent studies conducted to clarify the relationship between wine drinking and AD, as well as whether effects are influenced by quantity and/or frequency of drinking. Key findings and Conclusion: Overall, based on the interpretation of various studies, it can be concluded that there is no indication that light to moderate alcohol drinking is detrimental to cognition and dementia, and it is not possible to define whether alcohol could be used as a means to reduce risk of developing AD.

A perfectly balanced wine can be said to create a symphony in the mouth. To achieve the sublime, both in wine and music, requires imagination and skilled orchestration of artistic craftmanship. For wine, inventiveness starts in the vineyard. Similar to a composer of music, the grapegrower produces grapes through a multitude of specifications to achieve a quality result. Different Vitis vinifera grape varieties allow the creation of wine of different genres. Akin to a conductor of music, the winemaker decides what genre to create and considers resources required to realise the grape’s potential. A primary consideration is the yeast: inoculate the grape juice or leave it ‘wild’; which specific or combined Saccharomyces strain(s) should be used; or proceed with a non-Saccharomyces species? Whilst the various Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts perform their role during fermentation, the performance is not over until the ‘fat lady’ (S. cerevisiae) has sung (i.e. the grape sugar has been fermented to specified dryness and alcoholic fermentation is complete). Is the wine harmonious or discordant? Will the consumer demand an encore and make a repeat purchase? Understanding consumer needs lets winemakers orchestrate different symphonies (i.e. wine styles) using single- or multi-species ferments. Some consumers will choose the sounds of a philharmonic orchestra comprising a great range of diverse instrumentalists (as is the case with wine created from spontaneous fermentation); some will prefer to listen to a smaller ensemble (analogous to wine produced by a selected group of non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces yeast); and others will favour the well-known and reliable superstar soprano (i.e. S. cerevisiae). But what if a digital music synthesiser ‒ such as a synthetic yeast ‒ becomes available that can produce any music genre with the purest of sounds by the touch of a few buttons? Will synthesisers spoil the character of the music and lead to the loss of the much-lauded romantic mystique? Or will music synthesisers support composers and conductors to create novel compositions and even higher quality performances that will thrill audiences? This article explores these and other relevant questions in the context of winemaking and the role that yeast and its genomics play in the betterment of wine quality.

Hippocrate, the father of medicine, already said:"Wine is a thing wonderfully appropriate to man if, in health as in disease, it is administered with appropriate and just measure according to the individual constitution." wine has always accompanied humanity, for religion or for health. Christians and Jews need wine for the liturgy. For Platon the wine was an indispensable element in society and took all its importance in the symposium. In this second part of the banquet, mixed with water, the wine gave the word. If the french paradox made a lot of ink flow; it was the wine that was originally responsible for it. Many researchers have tried to share the alcohol and polyphenols in order to solve the mystery. Beyond its cardiovascular effects, there are also effects on longevity, metabolism, cancer prevention and neuroprotection, and the list goes on. The purpose of this work is to make an analysis of current knowledge on the subject. Indeed, if the paradigm of the antioxidants is seductive, it is perhaps by their prooxidant effect that the polyphenols could act, by an epigenetic process mediated by nrf2. Wine is a preserve of antioxidants for the winter and it is by this property that the wine acts, in alcoholic solution. A wine without alcohol is pure heresy. By the way, we were not talking about elixir to design all this millennial pharmacopee that made the man was able to heal and prosper on the planet. From Alvise Cornaro to Serge Renaud, nutrition was the key to health and longevity, whether Cretan or Okinawa diet, it is the small dose of alcohol (wine or sake) that allows the bioavailability of polyphenols. Moderate drinking give a protection for diseases and a longevity potential. In conclusion, let’s drink fewer, but drink better to live older.

The important sampling parameters of a headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) procedure, extraction temperature, extraction time and sample volume were optimized to quantify 23 important impact odorants in reduced alcohol red and white wines. A three-factor design of Box-Behnken experiments was used to determine optimized sampling conditions for each analyte, and a global optimized condition at every ethanol concentration of interest determined using a desirability function that accounts for a low signal response for compounds. Shiraz and Chardonnay wines were dealcoholized from 13.7 and 12.2% v/v ethanol respectively, to 8 and 5% v/v, using a commercially available membrane-based technology. A sample set of the reduced alcohol wines were also reconstituted to their natural ethanol level to evaluate the effect of ethanol content reduction on volatile composition. The three-factor Box-Behnken experiment ensured an accurate determination of the headspace concentration of each compound at each ethanol concentration, allowing comparisons between wines at varying ethanol levels to be made. Overall, the results showed that the main effect of extraction temperature was considered the most critical factor when studying the equilibrium of reduced alcohol wine impact odorants. The impact of ethanol reduction upon the concentration of volatile compounds clearly resulted in losses of impact odorants from the wines. The concentration of most analytes decreased with dealcoholization compared to that of the natural samples. Significant differences were also found between the reconstituted volatile composition and 5% v/v reduced alcohol wines, revealing that the dealcoholization effect is the result of a combination between the type of dealcoholization treatment and reduction in wine ethanol content.

Alcohol abuse can result in detrimental multisystem effects. Chronic alcohol abuse is known to be associated with pathophysiological changes in multiple organs often resulting in life threatening clinical outcomes e.g. breast and colon cancer, pancreatic disease, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney disease, immune system dysfunction, hypertension, coronary artery disease, alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy and heart failure as well as central nervous system disorders. In this review article, we will discuss the multisystemic effects of alcohol abuse and explore in greater detail alcohol’s impact on two main systems that result in pathophysiological changes i.e. the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.

The exploitation of bio-based foams implies an increase in the use of renewable biological resources to reduce the rapid consumption of petroleum-derived resources. Both tannins and furfuryl alcohol are derived from forestry resources and are therefore considered as attractive precursors for the preparation of tannin-furanic foams. In addition, toughening modification of tannin-furanic foams using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) resulted in a more flexible network-like structure, which imparts excellent flexibility to the foams with acquirement of relative properties that are even close to those of polyurethane foams, which are the most used polymers for fabrication of insoles for athletes. In addition, the addition of PVOH did not affect the thermal insulation of the foams, resilience and elongation at break, while reducing the brittleness of the samples and improving the mechanical properties. Also the observation of the morphology of the foam indicated that the compatibility between PVOH and tannin-furanic resin is good, and the cured foam does not show fragmentation or collapse, while the bubble pore structure is uniform. The developed flexible foam derived from biomass resources endowed the foam good thermal insulation properties and high mechanical properties, and the samples exhibited suitable physical parameters to be used as flexible insoles for athletes.

Transdermal alcohol biosensors have the ability to detect the alcohol that emanates from the bloodstream and diffuses through the skin. However, they have suffered from long-term fouling of the sensor element and drift in the resulting sensor readings over time. Here, we report a disposable cartridge platform that solves the problem of sensor fouling, and an enzymatic detection pathway that minimizes baseline drift for sensitive detection. Laboratory characterization of the enzymatic alcohol sensor demonstrates a linear sensor range of between 0 and 50 mM. Further, we show continuous transdermal alcohol data recorded with a human subject over 48 hours.

Different alcoholic beverages can have different effects on blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) and neurotoxicity even if equalized for alcohol content by volume. Anecdotal evidence suggested that natural wine is metabolized differently from conventional wines. This triple-blind study compared the BAC of 55 healthy male subjects after consuming the equivalent of 2 units of alcohol of a natural or conventional wine over 3 mins in two separate sessions one week apart. BAC was measured using a professional breathalyzer every 20 mins after consumption for 2 hrs. The BAC curves in response to the two wines diverged significantly at twenty minutes, at forty minutes and also at their maximum concentrations (peaks), with the natural wine inducing a lower BAC than the conventional wine (T20 0.40 vs. 0.46 [p<0.0002], T40 0.49 vs. 0.53 [p<0.0015], peak 0.52 vs. 0.56 [p<0.0002]). These differences are likely related to the development of different amino acids and antioxidants in the two wines during their production. This in turn may affect the kinetics of alcohol absorption and metabolism. Other contributing factors may also include pesticide residues, differences in dry extract content and the use of indigenous or selected yeasts. Further studies are needed to fully understand why natural wines are metabolized differently from conventional wines.

This study represents a significant stride in advancing furan chemistry, presenting the synthesis of high-molecular-weight polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) resin (Mw = 118,959 g/mol) from furfuryl alcohol (FA) using a co-catalytic system as against the conventional single-catalytic methods. The resulting PFA resin is fully characterised, and we conclude that it exhibits good shelf life and potential in diverse applications, serving as a standalone moulded material or contributing to composites, coatings, adhesives, and nanostructured carbons.

Apathy is a fundamental neuropsychiatric symptom of Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) and has also been reported in patients with alcohol use disorder with no (AUD) or less severe cognitive disorders (ALC). However, research on the nature of apathy is limited in these groups. Aim of this study was to examine the multidimensional nature of apathy in patients with KS, ALC and AUD. Moreover, we examined differences between apathy ratings by patients and their professional caregivers, and related apathy to everyday functioning and overall cognition. Twenty-four patients with KS, 24 patients with ALC and 21 patients with AUD participated in this study. Apathy was measured using the Apathy Motivation Index (AMI), which distinguishes behavioral, emotional and social apathy. Both patients and professional caregivers reported social apathy as most prominent symptom, compared to behavioral and emotional apathy. Apathy ratings did not differ across the three patient groups. Discrepancies between patient and caregiver ratings were observed in patients with KS and ALC, with more severe apathy reported by caregivers. Caregiver-reported behavioral and social, but not emotional, apathy was related to everyday functioning. These results show that apathy is present in a substantial proportion of patients with alcohol addiction with or without cognitive impairments.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with alcohol abuse and higher ethanol sensitivity later in life. Currently, it is poorly understood how ethanol sensitivity changes with time after TBI and whether there are sex-dependent differences in the relationship between TBI and ethanol sensitivity. This study uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to investigate how TBI affects alcohol sensitivity and whether the effects are sex-specific. Our results indicate that flies have a significantly higher sensitivity to the intoxicating levels of ethanol during the acute phase post-TBI, regardless of sex. The increased ethanol sensitivity decreases as time progresses; however, females take longer than males to recover from the heightened ethanol sensitivity. Dietary restriction does not improve the negative effects of alcohol post-TBI. We found that tau mutant flies exhibit similar ethanol sensitivity to TBI flies. However, TBI increased the ethanol sensitivity of dtauKO mutants, suggesting that TBI and dTau loss-of-function have additive effects on ethanol sensitivty.

With more than half of U.S. adults reporting alcohol consumption the last 30 days and nearly 6% reporting heavy drinking, alcohol imposes a significant socioeconomic burden. While there are a host of current medications approved to treat alcoholism, they have limited effectiveness and lack support from both providers and patients. Semaglutide, a medication originally developed for obese type 2 diabetics, may offer a distinctly new approach. A survey to assess the impact of semaglutide on alcohol consumption and desire was designed and distributed in semaglutide-user Facebook and Reddit groups. Of those who had reported drinking before starting semaglutide, 21% of respondents (N= 121) ceased drinking altogether, and 88·4% of respondents (N=538) reported a reduction in their desire to consume alcohol after commencing their medication. Respondents also shared further personal accounts of decreased occurrences of compulsive or "addictive" behaviors beyond a reduction in the desire to consume alcohol. Considering the growing number of reports detailing experiences such as these, combined with our survey results indicating a reduction in both frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, we strongly recommend conducting scientifically rigorous investigations and clinical trials to explore the potential of semaglutide for addressing conditions associated with alcohol use.

Excess alcohol consumption is a top risk factor for death and disability. Fatty liver will likely develop and the risk of liver disease increases. We have previously demonstrated that an essential amino acid supplement (EAAS) improved protein synthesis and reduced intrahepatic lipid in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the influence of EAAS on intrahepatic lipid (IHL), body composition, and blood lipids in individuals with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder (AUD). Following consent, determination of eligibility, and medical screening, 25 participants (18 males at 38±15 years/age and 7 females at 34±18 years/age) were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of two dosages: a low dose (LD: 8 grams of EAAS twice/day (BID)) or high dose (HD: 13 grams of EAAS BID). Both groups consumed the supplement for 4 weeks. Pre- and post-EAAS administration, IHL was determined using magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy, body composition was analyzed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and blood parameters were measured by LabCorp. T-tests were used for statistical analysis and considered significant at P<0.05. While there was no significant change in IHL in the LD group, there was a significant 23% reduction in IHL in the HD group (p=0.02). Fat mass, lean tissue mass, bone mineral content, and blood lipids were not altered. Post-EAAS phosphatidylethanol was elevated and remained unchanged in LD at 407±141 ng/ml and HD at 429±196 ng/ml, indicating chronic and excess alcohol consumption. Based on these results, we conclude that 13 grams of proprietary EAAS consumed BID lowers IHL in individuals with mild to moderate AUD.

According to the risk investigations of being involved in an accident, alcohol-impaired driving is one of the major causes of motor-vehicles accidents. Preventing highly intoxicated persons from driving would potentially save many lives. This paper proposes a lightweight in-vehicle alcohol detection that processes the data generated from 6-alcohol sensors (MQ-3 Alcohol Sensors) using an optimizable shallow neural network (O-SNN). The experimental evaluation results exhibit a high-performance detection system scoring a 99.8% of detection accuracy with a very short inferencing delay of 2.22 µ seconds. Hence, the proposed model can be efficiently deployed and used to discover in-vehicle alcohol with high accuracy and low inference overhead as a part of the driver alcohol detection system for safety (DADSS) system aiming at massive deployment of alcohol sensing systems that could potentially save thousands of lives annually.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking (HED) among adults in Ecuador. In the national cross-sectional 2018 Ecuador STEPS survey, 4,638 persons (median age=39 years, range 18-69 years) responded to a questionnaire, physical measures, and biomedical tests. Results indicate that 24.1% had past month HED, 36.7% among men, and 12.0% of women; 40.6% past month HED among past 12-month drinkers. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio=AOR: 3.12, 95% Confidence Interval=CI: 2.50-3.89), past smoking (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-1.76), and current smoking (AOR: 2.83, 95% CI: 2.15-3.83) were positively and persons aged 50-69 years (AOR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.38-0.66) and having underweight (AOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.89) were negatively associated with HED. In addition, in sex-stratified analyses, among men, being African Ecuadorean or Mulato (AOR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.91), and high physical activity (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01-1.99) were positively associated with HED, and among women, being Montubia (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.93) was negatively and obesity (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.44) was positively associated with HED. Almost one in four participants engaged in HED, and several sociodemographic and health indicators were identified that may facilitate public health interventions for reducing HED.

Increased motivation towards alcohol use and suboptimal behavioural control are suggested to predispose adolescents to Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). Paradoxically however, most adolescent AUDs resolve over time without any formal intervention, suggesting adolescent resilience to AUDs. Importantly, studies directly comparing adolescent and adult alcohol use are largely missing. We therefore aimed to unravel the moderating role of age in the relation between alcohol use and motivational and control-related cognitive processes in 45 adolescent drinkers compared to 45 adults. The results showed that enhancement drinking motives and impulsivity related positively to alcohol use. Although enhancement drinking motives and impulsivity were higher in adolescents, the strength of the relation between these measures and alcohol use did not differ between age groups. None of the alcohol use-related motivational measures (i.e., craving, attentional bias, approach bias) and behavioral control measures (i.e., interference control, risky decision making, working-memory) were associated with alcohol use or differed between age groups. These findings support the role of impulsivity and affective sensitivity in adolescent drinking, but question the moderating role of age therein. The current study contributes towards understanding the role of age in the relation between alcohol use and cognition.

Background: Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that leads to dependence and harmful drinking in worldwide. Alcohol use is the most prevalent among age from 13 to 29 year particularly in high school, college, and university students. It affected students mentally, physically, economically and their social issues. In low and middle-income countries particularly in Ethiopia, there is lack of data in systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among students. Methods: We will search studies using computerized search engine, main electronic databases and other applicable sources. PubMed/Medline, Global Health, Africa-wides, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and direct Google search will be searched to retrieve studies written in English language from 2010 to 2017. Observational studies (case control, cross-sectional, cohort or longitudinal survey, and surveillance reports) on the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors among students in Ethiopia will be eligible. Data will be extracted by two authors independently. Data synthesis and statistical analysis will be carried out. Pooled estimate will be done to determine the prevalence of alcohol use by using comprehensive meta-analysis software. Protocol registration PROSPERO: 2017: CRD42018083222.

Cheap licit and artisanal illicit spirit drinks have been associated with numerous outbreaks of alcohol poisoning especially with methanol. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of cheap spirit drinks in Kibera slums in Nairobi County, Kenya. The samples consisted of cheap licit spirits (n=11) and the artisanal spirit drink, ‘chang’aa’, (n=28). The parameters of alcoholic strength and volatile composition were used as indicators of quality and were determined using GC-FID and GC-MS respectively. The pH of chang’aa was 3.3-4.2 and 4.4-8.8 for licit spirit drinks while ranges for alcoholic strength were 42.8-85.8 % vol. and 28.3-56.7% vol. for chang’aa and licit spirit drinks respectively. The majority of volatiles were found in artisanal spirits and they included higher alcohols, ethyl esters and carbonyl compounds. The alcoholic strength of all the artisanal spirits (100%) and 91% of the licit spirits was above the 40% vol. of standard spirits such as vodka. The high ethanol content of the alcohol products was the only element of public health significance in this study.

The scattering eigenstates of any Hamiltonian of electrons, coupled through a two-body force and moving on a one-dimensional lattice, are shown to be Bethe's wave-functions. The energy of the groundstate is compared with values, obtained previously for the Hubbard Hamiltonian by means of Bethe's wave-function and within the framework of the correlated Fermi gas. The same analysis is applied to electrons, interacting on neighbouring sites. The significance of those various groundstates is assessed with help of thermodynamics.

The center of mass dynamics of human seated posture in a work environment under hypogravity (0<g<1) have rarely been investigated and it remains to be accomplished. The present study determined the difference in the body system of 32 participants working under simulated 1/6g (Moon) and 1g (Earth) for comparison reason using static and dynamic action measurements. This was based on analyzing the participant's center of mass before, during, and after the task when they started to get fatigued. According to this analysis, there is a positive relation (p<0.01) with a positive coefficient of correlation between CoM body shift down along the Y axis and gravity level for males and females. At the same time, the same positive relationship (p<0.01) between the tilt of the body back along the Z axis and the level of gravity was found only in females. This offers fresh perspectives for comprehending hypogravity. It can also improve workplace ergonomics, body stability, equipment design, and biomechanics.

Taxes on the consumption of certain products have played a key role in public revenue analysis in European countries. This work aims to assess the differences in tax planning on new non-combustion products across some European territories. Through theoretical analysis, the paper has three distinct aspects. Firstly, we show the taxpayer profile in different countries. Secondly, the study analyzes the risks for the health system and the individual. Thirdly, the design of the land tax is based on previous experience and planning in Europe. This paper concludes with a case study for different countries: 1) Spain “vapers” and “smokers”, where the analysis is based on micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey 2020. 2) Sweden with the analysis of snus, shows it as a practice to reach economic savings while decreasing economic costs thanks to the nudging of consumers towards better products. The results show taxation and, specially, land taxation, should consider differences in planning in the case of new products, such as the non-combustion products, given the user per capita income and the potential lower health risks involved.

The tripeptide-glutathione (GSH, γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) is one of the most important low molecular antioxidant in human body. Enhancing GSH and associated enzymes represents an aim in the search for cytoprotective strategies against cancer, neurologic degeneration, pulmonary and inflammatory conditions, as well as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).The objective of the study was to agree whether crenotherapy (drinking therapy) with sulfide/hydrogen sulfide (SHS) waters from “Zuzanna” spring located in the area of Busko-Zdrój in Poland leads to increasing of reduced glutathione (GSH) content in human blood. SHS water in distinct from mineral water is characterised by specific pharmacokinetic, invariable content and natural microbiological purity. SHS waters contain at least 1 g of total sulfur per kilogram of water and a treatment effect also depends on other bioelements. The method employing capillary electrophoresis with UV detector for the analysis of glutathione in human blood was developed. The group of 106 volunteers consisted of both women and men, in different age range. The therapy with SHS waters lasted 2 weeks. We recently demonstrated that the administration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in SHS waters increases GSH concentration in blood, and therefore crenotherapy could be used in therapeutics.

A bioelectrochemical study of charge transfer in the biofilm/chalcopyrite interface was performed to investigate the effect of surficial sulfur reduced species (SRS), as non-stochiometric compounds or polysulfides (S_n^2-), and elemental sulfur (S⁰) on a biofilm structure during the earliest stages (1, 12 and 24 h) of chalcopyrite biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone and adding Leptospirillum sp. The surface of massive chalcopyrite electrodes was exposed to the bacteria, which were analyzed electrochemically, spectroscopically, and microscopically. At the studied earlier times, charge transfer and significant differences in the biofilm structure were detected, depending on the presence of Leptospirillum sp. acting on A. thiooxidans biofilms. Such differences were a consequence of a continuous chalcopyrite pitting and promoting changes in biofilm hydropathy. A. thiooxidans modifies the reactive properties of SRS and favors an acidic dissolution, which shifts into ferric when Leptospirillum sp. is present. A. thiooxidans allows H⁺ and Fe³⁺ diffusion, and Leptospirillum sp. allows surpassing the charge transfer (reactivity) barrier between the mineral interface and the ions. The observed changes of hydropathy on the interface are associated to ions and electrons activity and transfer. Finally, a model of S⁰ biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone or with Leptospirillum sp., is proposed.

A great deal of studies have assessed the expression of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as well as their relevant molecular functions and biological mechanisms in the individuals of alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is one of the most prevalent neuropsychological disorders worldwide, and its pathogenesis is intricate and inadequately understood. There is considerable evidence demonstrating substantial links between multiple genetic factors and the development of alcohol dependence. Critical roles of ncRNAs have been emphasized in the pathophysiology of mental diseases including alcohol dependence. In the comprehension of ncRNAs action and their mechanisms of modification, they have emerged as therapeutic targets for a variety of psychiatric illness including alcohol dependence. Worth mentioning, dysregulated expression of ncRNAs has been regularly detected in individuals of alcohol dependence. An in-depth knowledge of roles of ncRNAs and m6A modification may be valuable for the development of a novel treatment against alcohol dependence. In general, a deeper comprehension of functional roles ncRNAs may make significant contributions to the precise diagnosis and/or actual treatment of alcohol dependence. Here in this review, we mostly focused on the up-to-date knowledge regarding alterations and/or modifications in the expression of ncRNAs in alcohol dependence, and then, presented their prospects for future research and therapeutic application with a novel concept of engram-system.

We used a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique to synthesize a boron-doped reduced graphene oxide (B-rGO) material with various electrical characteristics, dependent on simultaneous reduction and doping procedures. The effect of the doping level on the B bonding in the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer controlled by the annealing temperature was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS data indicated that the B-rGO layer had a higher B concentration and a considerable number of O-B bonds as a result of the appreciable annealing temperature, which resulted in a decreased work function and Schottky contact between B-rGO and n-type Si. Owing to the higher proportion of B-C and B-C3 bonding in the B-rGO device than that in the rGO/Si device, the lower Schottky barrier height of the B-rGO/n-Si vertical junction photodetector resulted in a higher responsivity. This work suggests a facile method of B doping to alter the electrical properties of graphene materials.

This study adapted and assessed a shortened version of the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) scale completed by young people aged 12 years and older regarding their online behaviors and risk of online addiction. The psychometric qualities of the reduced version - Screening IAT - youth are presented in order to validate its use in the early detection of online addiction. The total sample is composed of 3021 participants being 55.9% female and 44.1% male, with a mean age of x ̅=15 years (σ=3.028), attending junior high school (56.2%), high school (37.8%) and college (5.9%). The procedure included a factorial analysis, in which the total sample was randomly divided into three samples. An exploratory factor analysis was performed with one part of the sample, and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed with the others parts, assessing internal consistency, construct reliability, and discriminant validity. The results indicate that this reduced version of the IAT for young people has good psychometric qualities and can be applied in research and clinical settings. With this version and the parent-teacher version there is a direct contribution to a tripartite assessment of internet addiction risk.

This work reports the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support on the catalytic performance of Cu@PtRu/rGO catalysts towards methanol oxidation in acidic medium. These core-shell catalysts are synthesized by the reduction method in two steps being the first using ethylene glycol to obtain Cu/rGO and the second, the reduction of copper atoms synthesized in the previous step to produce Cu@PtRu/rGO. In order to compare the catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts, Pt/C, PtRu/C, Cu@PtRu/C catalysts are also synthesized on Vulcan XC-72R carbon. The theoretical loading of Pt used in the Vulcan XC-72R carbon supported catalysts is equal to that utilized in Cu@PtRu/rGO, and higher in the other prepared catalysts. The surface composition of the nanoparticles, as well as their sizes, particle size distribution and morphology of the catalyst particles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) are employed to measure the electrochemical performance of the prepared catalysts. The anodic scans show that for the region of technological interest (0.1 to 0.4 V), the Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 electrocatalyst exhibits higher current density value than the others as a result of its lower starting oxidation potential (0.250V against 0.437V for Pt/C) and its higher ratio between forward (iF) and reverse (iR) current densities (iF/iR 1.45 against 0.93 for Pt/C). Chronoamperometric tests depict that the current density value of Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 catalyst is about 4 times higher than that of Cu@PtRu/C-16 and Cu@PtRu/C-18 catalysts, ca. 4.8 times higher than that of PtRu/C-30 catalyst and around 6 times higher than that of Pt/C-30. These results suggest that Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 exhibits high bulk activity for the electrooxidation of methanol, high stability and high tolerance to CO poisoning, making it possible to reduce the platinum loading in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

Timeworn telecommunication are progressively being substituted by a new one that run over IP networks, which is recognized as voice over internet protocol (VoIP). VoIP has a number of qualities (e.g., inexpensive call rate), which make it progressively widespread in the telecommunication domain. However, VoIP faces plentiful obstacles that slow its growth. One of the major obstacles is poorly utilizing the network bandwidth. A number of techniques have been offered to handle this obstacle, including packet multiplexing techniques. This paper designs an original multiplexing techniques, called packet multiplexing and carrier header (PM-CH), to decrease the quantity of the bandwidth consumed by VoIP. PM-CH protect the bandwidth by multiplexing the packets in a header and using the Timestamp field in the RTP header. The achievement of the PM-CH technique was examined depends on connection capacity and payload shortening. Simulation outcomes show that the PM-CH technique outperforms the contrast technique in the two factors. For instance, the PM-CH technique’s connection capacity outperforms the comparable technique by 58.9% when the connection bandwidth is 1000 kbps. Consequently, the PM-CH technique attains its objective of reducing the unexploited bandwidth caused by VoIP.

Contact-based co-culture of fibroblasts and keratinocytes is important to study the structure and functions of the wound bed. Co-culture of these two cell types in direct contact with each other has been challenging, requiring high serum concentrations (up to 10%), feeder systems and a range of supplemental factors. These approaches are not only technically demanding, but also present scientific, cost and ethical limitations associated with high-serum concentrations. We have developed two reduced-serum approaches (1-2%) to support contact-based co-culture of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) and human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). The two approaches include (1) Specialized cell culture media for each cell type mixed in a 1:1 ratio (KGM+FGM), and (2) Minimal media supplemented with cell-specific growth factors (MEM+GF). Co-culture could be successfully achieved by co-seeding (two cell types were introduced simultaneously), or in a layered fashion (keratinocytes seeded on top of confluent fibroblasts). With wound scratch assays, the co-cultured platforms could demonstrate cell proliferation, migration and wound closure. The reduced-serum conditions developed are simple, easy to formulate and adopt, and based on commonly-available media components. These contact-based co-culture approaches can be leveraged for wound and skin studies, and tissue bioengineering applications, potentially reducing concerns with high-serum formulations.

Objective: The influence of gender on the number and pattern of co-morbid psychiatric illness was archivally compared between patients with and without an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among psychiatrically treated individuals drawn from a large Danish birth cohort. Method: By age 45, fifteen percent of the Copenhagen Perinatal Birth Cohort (N=8,109) had been treated in a Danish psychiatric facility. Of those 1,247 patients, 368 were assigned an AUD diagnosis (29.5%). All psychiatric diagnoses assigned to these patients, over all admissions, were classified into one of 14 broad ICD-10 F categories for comparative purposes. Results: More of the patients with an AUD diagnosis were male. Patients with an AUD diagnosis were significantly more likely to receive two or more non-AUD psychiatric diagnoses than patients without an AUD diagnosis. The number of psychiatric diagnoses was greater for female than male AUD patients, a difference not found among male and female patients without an AUD diagnosis. For patients with no AUD diagnosis, the influence of gender on the pattern of psychiatric disorders was similar to that commonly reported. In contrast, the influence of gender on the number and pattern of psychiatric disorders for patients with an AUD diagnosis indicated fewer gender differences. Several diagnostic categories that discriminated male from female patients without an AUD-related diagnosis, no longer discriminated male from female patients with an AUD-related diagnosis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that gender differences associated with psychiatric comorbidity that have been reported in large heterogenous study, should not be generalized to specific diagnostic groups without further study.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) represent a continuum of lifelong impairments resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol, with significant global impact. The “spectrum” of disorders includes a continuum of physical, cognitive, behavioral, and developmental impairments, which can have profound and lasting effects on individuals throughout their lives impacting their health, social interactions, psychological well-being and every aspect of their lives. This narrative paper explores the intricate relationship between oxidative stress and epigenetics in FASD pathogenesis and its therapeutic implications. Oxidative stress, induced by alcohol metabolism, disrupts cellular components, particularly in the vulnerable fetal brain, leading to aberrant development. Furthermore, oxidative stress is implicated in epigenetic changes, including alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA expression, which influence gene regulation in FASD patients. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation contribute to epigenetic changes associated with FASD. Understanding these mechanisms holds promise for targeted therapeutic interventions. This includes antioxidant supplementation and lifestyle modifications to mitigate FASD-related impairments. While preclinical studies show promise, further clinical trials are needed to validate these interventions' efficacy in improving clinical outcomes for individuals affected by FASD. This comprehensive understanding of the role of oxidative stress on epigenetics in FASD underscores the importance of multidisciplinary approaches for diagnosis, management, and prevention strategies. Continued research in this field is crucial for advancing our knowledge and developing effective interventions to address this significant public health concern.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an irreversible and progressive inflammation of the pancreas that can involve both pancreatic parenchyma and pancreatic duct. CP results in morphological change in the gland in the form of fibrosis and calcification along with functional impairment in the form of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency. Studies on the natural history of CP reveal the irreversibility of the condition and the resultant plethora of complications of which pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most dreaded one. (1,2) In Japanese population-based studies by Otsuki and Fuzino et al, CP was clearly shown to reduce lifespan among males and females by 10.5 years and 16 years, respectively. (3) Most of these patients had occult pancreatic malignancies which were diagnosed late and were detected to be the commonest cause of mortality among these patients with a standardized mortality rate of 7.33. (3) This dismal prognosis is superadded with significant morbidity due to pain and poor quality of life rendering a significant burden on health and health-related infrastructure. These factors have led researchers to conceptualize early CP which theoretically is a reversible stage in the disease spectrum characterized by ongoing pancreatic injury with the presence of clinical symptoms and absence of classical imaging features of CP. Subsequently, the disease is thought to go through a compensated stage, a transitional stage, and culminating into decompensated stage with florid evidence of functional impairment of the gland. (4) In this focused review, we will discuss the definition and concept of early CP, risk factors and natural history of the development of CP, and the role of various modalities of EUS in the timely diagnosis of early CP.

(1) Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Its prevalence has been so far under researched. In most of the studies the determination of this consumption may be underestimated, as it is based on the information obtained from questionnaires rather than from biomarkers, which will provide a much reliable approach. The main objective in this study was the comparison of prevalence of consumption during pregnancy assessed by a questionnaire and a hair biomarker. (2) Method: Cross-sectional study with a random sample of 425 pregnant women treated in public hospital consultations in Seville (Spain) and in the 20th week of their pregnancy, orally interviewed through a questionnaire elaborated ad hoc which evaluated sociodemographic, obstetric, and alcohol consumption variables. Additionally, the ethyl glucuronide metabolite (EtG) was tested on a hair sample in 252 pregnant women who agreed to facilitate it. Once data obtained through the questionnaire and the hair testing were analyzed, the level of metabolites and the self-reported alcohol consumption were contrasted. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported alcohol consumption (questionnaire) was 20.7% and real consumption (metabolite analysis) was 20.2%. In 16.8% of pregnant women who declared not consuming alcohol during their pregnancy a noticeable consumption was detected according to the metabolite testing. No relevant level of variability in estimated alcohol consumption was detected in the biomarker with respect to the studied sociodemographic and obstetric variables.

Background: Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (ALD) is the most common disorder of prolonged drinking. Mechanisms underlying cirrhosis in such patients remain unclear. MicroRNAs play regulatory role in several diseases, are affected by alcohol and may be important players in alcohol use disorders, such as cirrhosis. Methods: We investigated serum samples from heavy chronic alcohol users (80g/d (M) and 50g/d (F) for ≥10 years) that were available from our previously reported GenomALC study. A subset of drinkers with liver cirrhosis (cases, n=24) and those without significant liver disease (controls, n=23) were included. Healthy controls (HC, n=5) were volunteers in the study. Global microRNA profiling was performed using high-throughput real-time quantitative PCR to identify the microRNA signatures. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software (IPA) was utilized to identify target mRNAs of significantly altered microRNAs and molecular pathways were analysed. Identified microRNAs were analysed for correlation with traditional liver disease biomarkers and risk gene variants previously reported from GenomALC genome-wide association study. Results: The expression of 81 and 21 microRNAs was significantly downregulated in cases compared to HC and controls, respectively (p<0.05, Ct >1.5-fold). Most microRNAs showed lower abundance in alcohol users compared with HC. Seven microRNAs (miR-16, miR-19a, miR-27a, miR-29b, miR-101, miR-130a, & miR-191) had a highly significant correlation (p<0.001) with INR, bilirubin and MELD score. Three microRNAs (miR-27a, miR-130a and miR-191) significantly predicted cases with AUC-ROC 0.8, 0.78 and 0.85, respectively (P<0.020), however, INR performed best (0.97, p<0.001). A different set of 6 microRNAs (miR-19a, miR-26a, miR-101, miR-151-3p, miR-221, & miR-301) showed positive correlation (ranging 0.32-0.51, p<0.05) with rs10433937:HSD17B13 gene variant, associated with risk of cirrhosis. IPA analysis revealed mRNA targets of the significantly altered microRNAs associated with cell death/necrosis, fibrosis and increased steatosis, particularly triglyceride metabolism related mRNA targets. Conclusions: MicroRNA signatures in drinkers distinguished those with liver cirrhosis from those without liver disease. We identified mRNA targets in liver functions that were enriched for disease pathogenesis pathways.

The goal of our article was to systematize studies that investigated the impact of living conditions in large national regions on individual alcohol consumption. We sought publications on the research topic in PubMed, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, Crossref and eLibrary databases from the moment they were created until December 31, 2021. After removal of duplicates and unsuitable publications, and full-text review of remaining published sources, the final sample included 81 publications. The majority of ultimately selected papers were published after 2010, represented the United States of America, and considered samples of children and youths, either the younger population or the general adult population. High quality was characteristic for 19 studies, while satisfactory quality was exhibited by 46 publications. The most consistent associations with individual alcohol consumption were revealed for the legislative environment (especially for integral scales and indices), alcohol pricing policy, the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking in the population, and unemployment rate. Among the shortcomings of the reviewed articles, we should mention the prevailing assessment of the impact of only one type of regional characteristics, as well as the lack of studies analyzing the interaction of environmental influence at the territorial level of different scales. Protocol PROSPERO CRD42021234874.

Objectives We tested the hypothesis that poor adherence is associated with a greater risk of alcohol-caused mortality and morbidities within the first year of discontinuing this medication. Materials and Methods Retrospective cohort study of 3319 individuals who received Acamprosate® in the East of Scotland in a 10-year period using a health informatics approach with record linkage of dispensing data, hospital utilization (SMR) and General Register Office of Scotland (GROS) data. Primary outcome was adherence between one to six months of initiating Acamprosate® medication. Secondary outcome was all cause morbidities and mortality. Results Of the total 3319 individuals identified, good adherence index of >80% was found in 59% of those prescribed Acamprosate® after three months and 6% after six months. There were significant linear trends of poorer adherence with increased risk of alcohol-caused mortality (HR1.2), medical morbidities especially neoplasm (HR 4.1|) and poisoning (HR 1.4) and psychiatric morbidities especially stress (HR 35.1), psychotic (HR 5.6) and neurotic disorders and directly alcohol induced conditions (7.4 HR) after adjustment for other factors within a one-year period of initiation of Acamprosate® treatment. Discussion and Conclusions Further exploratory studies using this digitalized approach should be encouraged in order to capture role of compliance to Acamprosate® and other types of medication that are known to reduce relapse into alcohol dependence and its direct relationship to mortality and morbidities in this population.

For decades, compounds present in foods and beverages have been implicated in the etiology of human cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) continues to classify such agents regarding their potential carcinogenicity in humans based on new evidence from animal and human studies. Furfuryl alcohol and β-myrcene belong to these potential human carcinogens due to be evaluated. The major source of furfuryl alcohol in foods is thermal processing and ageing of alcoholic beverages while β-myrcene occurs naturally as a constituent of essential oils of plants such as hops, lemongrass and derived products. This study aimed to summarize the occurrence of furfuryl alcohol and β-myrcene in foods and beverages using data from own nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis and literature review. The highest content of furfuryl alcohol was found in coffee beans (>100 mg/kg) and in some fish products (about 10 mg/kg) while among beverages, wines contained between 1–10 mg/L with 8 mg/L in pineapple juice. The content of β-myrcene was highest in hops. In conclusion, the data about the occurrence of the two agents is either very old or based on single sample analysis, and currently judged as insufficient for exposure and risk assessment. The results of this study point out the food and beverage groups that may be considered for future monitoring of furfuryl alcohol and β-myrcene.

In the work the enhanced security of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) electronics in RF environment was investigated. UAVs are commonly used in many areas and the cellular networks as the parallel helping networks for systems: LTE, 5G or especially for future 6G are very perspective and needed. For effective communications in channels: “air-to-ground” as well as “drone-to-drone” the important task is undisturbed work of transportation platforms, ie. UAV. However, high level of outside electromagnetic radiation can affect the correct electronics work. The problem is due to non-conformity of RF environment regulations. The electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards guarantee correct electronics work when the radiation level is not higher than established EMC levels. In case of commercially available devices, like UAVs, this level is 3 V/m. On the other hand, permissive exposure level, treated as RF environment emitted by cellular base stations, can reach the level of 61 V/m. Such level of electromagnetic wave pollution, can damage unprotected electronics with fatal consequences. This can cause the unchecked drone flight or unchecked fall down. As a result, due to unchecked flight, the UAV can cause the sudden communication interruption with operator or other drones. To reduce the level of damaging RF field we propose to cover the UAV housing with microwave absorber. In this case absorber must ensure good electromagnetic protection as well as lightweight and resistant on weather conditions. The shielding property of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as an absorber was investigated. For proposed material the shielding effectiveness (SE) was investigated in the frequency range from 100 MHz to 10 GHz. It has been proved that such material can be a good candidate as an absorber for UAV having low reflection coefficient and high absorption ability. In this work the shielding effectiveness of RGO was analyzed for two layers of 3 and 5 mm at typical frequencies as RF environment, ie. 3.6 GHz (5G system) and 5.8 GHz (LTE). Investigated absorber guarantees the value of SE of 25 dB and 30 dB for 3 mm layer at 3.6 GHz and 5.8 GHz respectively and of 29 dB and 39.5 dB for 5 mm layer at these frequencies respectively.

Plant extracts have been evaluated to determine their bioactivities and their potential use in wound healing. In this study, a conductive composite material, based on graphene oxide (GO), nanocellulose (CNF) and tannins (TA) from pine bark, reduced using polydopamine (PDA), was developed for wound dressing. The amount of CNF and TA was varied in the composite material and a complete characterization including SEM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, TGA was performed. Also, the conductivity, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity, and in vitro wound healing of the materials were evaluated. The results showed a successful physical interaction between CNF, TA and GO. In-creasing the CNF amount in the composite reduced the thermal properties, surface charge and conductivity of the material, but its strength, cytotoxicity and wound healing performance were improved. The TA incorporation slightly reduced the cell viability and migration, which may be associated with the doses used and the chemical composition of the extracts. However, the in vitro obtained results demonstrated that these composite materials can be suitable for wound healing.

Silk is a globally renowned abundant biopolymer obtained from various sources of the Lepidoptera family, among which the most commonly used and researched are spider silk and silk worm silk. All varieties of silk have beneficial characteristics such as high tensile strength, biocompatibility, producing a reduced immune response in a biological system, biodegradability, and the ability to withstand environmental stresses as well. These features make silk suitable for a number of applications as a biomaterial. The vast potential of silk and its proteins in cosmetics, oncology, tissue engineering, TOC screenings, for preserving food, cosmetic product as a silk gel and bioremediation makes it a well-sought biopolymer among researchers. Experiments over the years have revealed that biomaterials constituting silk are very potent but are yet to be scaled up for commercial uses, but the various advantageous properties of silk biomaterial far overshadows the impeding problems of production.

The preparation of immobilized graphene–based photocatalyst layers is highly desired for environmental applications. In this study, the preparation of an immobilized reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/TiO₂ composite by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was optimized. It enabled quantitative deposition without sintering and without the use of any dispersive additive. The presence of rGO had beneficial effects on the photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in an aqueous solution. A marked increase in the photocatalytic degradation rate was observed, even at very low concentrations of rGO. Compared with the TiO₂ and GO/TiO₂ reference layers, use of the rGO/TiO₂ composite (0.5 wt% of rGO) increased the first-order reaction rate constant by about 70%. This enhanced performance was due to the increased formation of hydroxyl radicals that attacked the 4-chlorophenol molecules. The direct charge transfer mechanism had only limited effect on the degradation. Thus, EPD-prepared rGO/TiO₂ layers appear to be suitable for environmental application.

The past two decades has seen a growing demand for high-power, high-voltage utility scale inverters mostly fueled by the integration of large solar PV and wind farms. Multilevel inverters have emerged as the industry choice for these megawatt range inverters because their reduced voltage stress, capable of generating an almost sinusoidal voltage, in-built redundancy, among others. This paper present a new Switched-Source Multilevel Inverter (SS MLI) architecture. The new inverter show superior over existing topologies. It has reduced voltage stress on the semiconductor, uses less number of switches –reduced size/weight/cost and increased efficiency. The new SSMLI is comprised of two voltage sources (V₁, V₂) and 6 switches. It is capable of generating 5-level output voltage in symmetric modes (i.e., V₁ = V₂), and 7-level output voltage in asymmetric modes (i.e., V₁ ≠ V₂). To demonstrate the validity of the proposed inverter, simulations results using MATLAB^® /Simulink^® for 5- and 7-level output voltages are presented . The simulations are also verified experimentally using a laboratory prototype.

This study examines the impact of alcohol concentration on the precision of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. While the impact of alcohol impairment on various activities is well documented, its specific influence on drone piloting accuracy remains less studied. To address this, we carried out empirical research using an original methodology and a real-world environment. The study involved a group of 35 participants performing a series of flights using a selected drone (DJI Mavic2 Pro) on a bespoke obstacle route. Between each flight series, participants consumed a measured amount of alcohol, designed to incrementally increase their blood alcohol concentration monitored via breath tests. The precision of the drone pilot was evaluated by comparing various parameters from successive test flights, such as time, distance, average speed, and incident frequency, against a baseline trial executed with zero alcohol concentration. Our results indicate a noticeable decline in UAV piloting precision corresponding with increasing alcohol concentration. Parameters such as flight time, distance, speed, and incident frequency all demonstrated this trend. We conclude that alcohol consumption detrimentally affects the accuracy of drone operations. These findings underscore the need for clear policies and guidelines regarding the operation of UAVs under the influence of alcohol.

While DNA serves as the fundamental genetic blueprint for an organism, it is not a static entity. Gene expression, the process by which genetic information is utilized to create functional products like proteins, can be modulated by a diverse range of environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms, encompassing DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs, play a pivotal role in mediating the intricate interplay between the environment and gene expression. Intriguingly, alterations in the epigenome have the potential to be inherited across generations. Ethanol abuse poses significant health issues worldwide. Ethanol has the capability to induce changes in the epigenome, which can be inherited by offspring, thus impacting them even in the absence of direct ethanol exposure. This review article reviewed the alterations caused by ethanol on the epigenome. We thoroughly gathered all relevant papers investigating the behavioral and molecular consequences of parental ethanol exposure on their offspring. In conclusion, the comprehensive analysis of the literature supports the notion that ethanol exposure induces lasting epigenetic alterations, which can influence the behavior and health of future generations. This knowledge emphasizes the significance of addressing the potential transgenerational effects of ethanol and highlights the importance of preventive measures to minimize the adverse impact on offspring.

Abstract Background: Alcohol consumption is linked to urinary sodium excretion and both of these traits are linked to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The interplay between alcohol consumption and sodium on hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is not well-described. Here, we used genetically predicted alcohol consumption and explored relationships between alcohol consumption, urinary sodium, hypertension, and CVDs. Methods: We performed a comparative analysis among 295,189 participants from the prospective cohort of the UK Biobank (baseline data collected between 2006 and 2010). We created a genetic risk score (GRS) using 105 published genetic variants in Europeans that were associated with alcohol consumption. We explored relationships between GRS, alcohol consumption, urinary sodium, blood pressure traits, and incident CVD. We used linear, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards (PH) models in our analysis. Results: Our analyses supported an interaction effect between alcohol GRS and urinary sodium on hypertension (P interaction =0.03) and CVD (P interaction =0.03). In presence of high urinary sodium excretion, alcohol GRS increases blood pressure in a more enhanced fashion. Conclusions: Our results show that decrease in urinary sodium excretion offsets the risk posed by genetic risk of alcohol consumption.

Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alcohol is oxidized to toxic and carcinogenic acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and further oxidized to a non-toxic acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Emerging evidence shows that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species encode alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) mediate alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism, respectively. This study involves supplementation of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotic mixture in humans and assessed their effects on alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism. Here, twenty-seven wild types (ALDH2*1/*1) and the same number ofheterozygotes (ALDH2*2/*1) were recruited for the study. The enrolled participants were randomly divided into either the probiotic (Duolac ProAP4) or the placebo group. Each group received a probiotic or placebo capsule for 15 days with subsequent crossover. Primary outcomes were measurement of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the blood after the alcohol intake. Blood levels of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the ALDH2 heterozygote group were significantly downregulated in the probiotic-supplemented group with no changes in hangover score symptoms than the placebo group. No clinically significant changes were observed in safety parameters. These results suggest that probiotic has a potential to downregulate the alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations, and their effects depend on the presence or absence of polymorphism on the ALDH2 gene.

In the upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapors to hydrocarbons, dehydration accomplishes a primary objective of removing oxygen and acidic zeolites represent promising catalysts for dehydration reaction. Here, we utilize density functional theory calculations to estimate adsorption energetics and intrinsic kinetics of alcohol dehydration over H-ZSM-5, H-BEA, and H-AEL zeolites. ONIOM calculations of adsorption energies were observed to be inconsistent when benchmarked against QM/Hartree-Fock and periodic boundary condition calculations. However, reaction coordinate calculations of adsorbed species and transition states were consistent across all levels considered. Comparison of ethanol, iso-propanol (IPA), and tert-amyl alcohol (TAA) over these three zeolites allowed for a detailed examination of how confinement impacts reaction mechanisms and kinetics. TAA, seen to proceed via a carbocationic mechanism, was found to have the lowest activation barrier, followed by IPA and then ethanol, both of which dehydrate via a concerted mechanism. Barriers in H-BEA were consistently found to be lower than in H-ZSM-5 and H-AEL, attributed to late transition states and either elevated strain or inaccurately estimating long-range electrostatic interactions in H-AEL, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the diffusivity of these three alcohols in H-ZSM-5 are significantly overestimated by Knudsen diffusion, which will complicate experimental efforts to develop a kinetic model for catalytic fast pyrolysis.

The purpose of this study was to identify different adolescent profiles identified by their use tobacco/alcohol and violent behavior repertoires as well as to analyze the extent to which they show impulsivity traits. Participants were selected by cluster random sampling. There was a total of 822 high school students in the sample aged 13 to 18 years with a mean of 14.84 (SD=.87). A cluster analysis with the following variables was done to form the groups: Use of tobacco, Use of alcohol, Physical aggression, Verbal aggression, Anger and Hostility. Three groups of adolescents resulted from these five variables. The multivariate comparison demonstrated the existence of significant between-group differences, and individual analysis for each of the dependent variables (impulsivity dimensions) showed that the relationship was statistically significant in all cases. In conclusion, analysis of factors possibly associated with adolescent’s risk behavior makes possible and orients intervention in different stages of development for sustainable consumption in adolescents.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has identified some risk factors for the occurrence of side effects linked to energy drinks (EDs) consumption by young people. Tachycardia, sleeplessness, caffeine addiction may be caused by excessive consumption of EDs during parties, sport matches, ect. EDs consumption has been evaluated in a sample of students in Italy together with some aspects of their lifestyle. The survey was performed in two high schools from September 2014 to June 2015. 583 students between 14 to 18 years were recruited and a standard questionnaire (EFSA checklist) was used to collect information on responders characteristics, beverages consumption, EDs with alcohol, and EDs and sports. 350 out of 583 responders (60%) consumed EDs and 146 out of 583 responders (25%) reported an occasional alcohol consumption. Despite 82 out of 146 alcoholic drinkers (56%) were EDs-alcohol consumers, only 70 out of 583 adolescents (12%) reported habitual EDs consumption. Moreover, 38 out of 379 (10%) of all physically active adolescents reported frequent EDs consumption before sportive trainings. Study results highlight the need for primary prevention measures in communication campaigns and training delivered by school to limit potential health threats related to excess of EDs consumption.

Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked materials known for their ability to absorb water, exhibit high flexibility, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and mimic properties of different tissues in the body. However, their application is limited by inherent deficiencies in mechanical properties. To address this issue, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and tannins (TA) were incorporated into alginate hydrogels (Alg) to evaluate the impact of the concentration of these nanomaterials on mechanical and adhesive, as well as cytotoxicity and wound healing properties. Tensile mechanical tests demonstrated improvements in tensile strength, elastic modulus, and toughness upon the incorporation of rGO and TA. Additionally, the inclusion of these materials allowed a greater energy dissipation during continuous charge-discharge cycles. However, the samples did not exhibit self-recovery under environmental conditions. Adhesion was evaluated on pig skin, revealing that higher concentrations of rGO led to enhanced adhesion, while the concentration of TA did not significantly affect this property. Moreover, adhesion remained consistent after 10 adhesion cycles, and contact time before the separation between the material and the surface did not affect this property. The materials were not cytotoxic and promoted healing in human fibroblast model cells. Thus, an Alg/rGO/TA hydrogel with enhanced mechanical, adhesive, and wound healing properties was successfully developed.

The aim of the study was to verify whether a 20 and 40% reduction of nitrogen (N) fertilization rate will be sufficient to maintain soil basic chemical features, fertility, and yielding in monoculture maize cultivation in the no-tillage (NT) system versus the traditional plowing (PL) system. In addition, it was examined which tillage system (PL, NT) allows reduction of fertilization while maintaining good yields of the tested soils. Two fields (10 ha each) were established for PL and NT maize cultivation and soils (0-20 cm) were sampled two times per year - in spring (before maize sowing) and in autumn (after maize harvesting). A broad range of chemical and biological parameters (i.e. pH, forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon, content of selected macronutrients and humic substances, respiration activity) were monitored during the experiment. It was evidenced that the 20% reduction in N fertilization does not have an adverse effect on the chemical and biological characteristics of soils. In turn, the maize yield was mainly the result of both the tillage system and the N rate, i.e. it was significantly higher in the PL system.

The aim of the study was to verify whether a reduced nitrogen (N) fertilization rate according to the EU recommendation (“From field to table” directive) may guarantee good yields and will be sufficient to maintain soil fertility in monoculture maize cultivation in the no-tillage (NT) system versus the traditional plowing (P) system. Two fields (10 ha each) were established for P and NT maize cultivation where the following N doses were applied: 0.0; 69.0, 92.0, and 115.0 kg ha-1. Soils (0-20 cm) were sampled two times per year - in spring (before maize sowing) and in autumn (after maize harvesting). A broad range of chemical (reaction, water holding capacity, total and easily degradable carbon, ammonium, nitrates, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulfur) and biological (respiration, humic acids) parameters were monitored during the experiment. The vast majority of these factors had higher values in autumn than in spring. Although the role of reduced fertilization was not shown to be significant, the correlation analysis revealed some relationships between yield and nutrient availability. The 20% reduction in N fertilization does not have an adverse effect on the chemistry and biological characteristics of soils and does not worsen their chemical and biological quality.

Pesticides are often used in different applications including agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, food industry, etc in order to insect pests and weeds. The indiscriminate usage of pesticides poses a massive threat to food, environmental and human health safety. Hence, the fabrication of a sensitive, and reliable sensor for the detection of pesticide residues in agro products and environmental samples is a critical subject to be considered. Recently, the graphene family including graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been frequently employed in the construction of sensors owing to their biocompatibility, high surface area to volume ratio, and excellent physiochemical, optical, and electrical properties. The integration of bio-recognition molecules with GO/rGO nanomaterials offers a promising detection strategy with outstanding repeatability, signal intensity, and low background noise. This review focuses on the latest developments (2018 to 2022) in the different types of GO/rGO-based biosensors such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and electrochemical based techniques, etc for pesticide analysis. The critical discussions on the advantages, limitations, and sensing mechanisms of emerging GO/rGO-based biosensors have been highlighted as well. Additionally, we explore the existing hurdles in GO/rGO-based biosensors, such as handling of difficult biological samples, reducing the total cost, and so on. This review also provides research gaps and viewpoints for future innovations in GO/rGO-based biosensors for pesticide determination mainly in areas with insufficient resources.

Graphene is a remarkable material with numerous applications. Due to its thin and lightweight design, it is ideal for a variety of applications. The synthesis of high-quality graphene in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner continues to be a significant challenge. Chemical reduction is considered to be the most advantageous method for preparing reduced graphene oxide (rGO). However, this process necessitates the use of toxic and harmful substances, which can have a detrimental effect on the environment and human health. Thus, to accomplish the objective, the green synthesis principle has prompted researchers worldwide to develop a simple method for green reduction of graphene oxide (GO), which is readily accessible, sustainable, economical, renewable, and environmentally friendly in nature. For example, the use of natural materials such as plants is generally considered safe. Furthermore, plants contain reducing and capping agents. The current review will focus on the discovery and application of rGO synthesis using extracts from a variety of different parts of the plant. The review aims to aid current and future researchers in their search for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO. The review aims to assist current and future researchers in their research for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO as well as their potential applications in a variety of industries.

The ternary Bi2MoO6-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2 catalyst were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. The improvement of the photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of Bi2MoO6-rGO-TiO2 composite is 92.3% than the pure and binary photocatalyst. The effects of operational parameters like catalyst ratio, the different catalyst, different ratio rGO and different pH, have been analyzed. As prepared ternary photocatalyst is low Photoluminescence and high photocurrent density responsible, it exhibited that photon-induced electron and hole-recombination were suppressed and also charged separation is effective. The present study shows the rGO is an excellent electron transfer performance and enhanced the photocatalytic reaction stability.

When farmers first shift from conventional tillage (CT) to conservation agriculture (CA) practice the control of weeds may be more difficult due to the absence of tillage. However, in the longer term (3-5 years), CA changes to weed dynamics may alter the weed seedbank. The nature of weed seedbank changes over time in intensively cropped rice-based rotations, that are typical of the Eastern Gangetic Plain, are not well understood. Three long term CA experiments were sampled (at Rajbari after 3 years and Rajshahi after 5 years) for effects of decreased soil disturbance strip planting (SP) and bed planting (BP) at both sites and Zero tillage (ZT) at Rajbari, increased retention of standing residues of previous crops (20 vs 50 %). The weed seedbank in 0-15 cm soil was quantified by assessing emergence from trays a net-house experiment during January-December 2016. The year-round count of emerged weeds revealed the fewest number of weed species (especially broadleaf weeds) and lowest weed density in SP followed by CT, BP, and ZT with 50% crop residues. The SP, BP, and ZT produced a higher number of perennials weeds than annual weeds, which was the opposite of CT. The continuous practice of SP and increased crop residue retention for 3 or more years decreased the size of weed seedbank but increased the relative proliferation of perennial weeds compared to CT. Weed seedbank size in SP was even smaller than BP and ZT.

In this effort we propose a data-driven learning framework for reduced order modeling of fluid dynamics. Designing accurate and efficient reduced order models for nonlinear fluid dynamic problems is challenging for many practical engineering applications. Classical projection-based model reduction methods generate reduced systems by projecting full-order differential operators into low-dimensional subspaces. However, these techniques usually lead to severe instabilities in the presence of highly nonlinear dynamics, which dramatically deteriorates the accuracy of the reduced-order models. In contrast, our new framework exploits linear multistep networks, based on implicit Adams-Moulton schemes, to construct the reduced system. The advantage is that the method optimally approximates the full order model in the low-dimensional space with a given supervised learning task. Moreover, our approach is non-intrusive, such that it can be applied to other complex nonlinear dynamical systems with sophisticated legacy codes. We demonstrate the performance of our method through the numerical simulation of a two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder with Reynolds number Re = 100. The results reveal that the new data-driven model is significantly more accurate than standard projection-based approaches

We describe a selective and sensitive fluorescence platform for the detection of trinitrophenol (TNP) based on competitive host–guest recognition between pyridine-functionalized pillar[6]arene (PCP6) and probe (acridine orange, AO) that used PCP6-functionalized reduced graphene (PCP6-rGO) as the receptor. TNP is an electron-deficient and negative molecule which is captured by PCP6 via electrostatic interactions and π-π interactions. Therefore, a selective and sensitive fluorescence sensor for TNP detection is developed. It has a low detection limit of 0.0035 μM (S/N=3) and a wider linear response of 0.01−5.0 and 5.0−125.0 for TNP. The sensing platform is also used to test TNP in two water and soil samples with satisfying results. This suggests that this approach has potential applications for the determination of TNP.

Silicon-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion system has recently gained attention with its ability to provide cost-efficient and superior photoresponsive behavior in regard to other various semiconductor photoelectrodes. Carbon-based co-catalysts have always shared the spotlight for being rendered as alternative metal-free electrocatalysts intended for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In particular, a representative carbon-derived material, reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) has attracted much attention as a non-metal catalyst for efficient and durable HER. Herein, we have deposited rGO on silicon nanowire (SiNW) structure which shows the highest reduction in the overpotential for HER up to date. This could be attributed to the synergistic effects of rGO and SiNW with unique anisotropic morphology, facile tuning capabilities, and scalable fabrication methods. Combined with nanostructured photocathode, rGO deposited SiNW showed better applied bias photon to current conversion efficiency of 3.16%, which is 158 times higher than that of bare planar Si system. In regard to this development we believe that rGO-SiNW photoelectrodes would pave the way for state-of-the-art highly efficient non-metal catalysts for energy conversion technologies.

Stem cells derived from dental tissues—dental stem cells—are flavored due to their easy acquisition. Among them, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) extracted from the dental pulp have many advantages such as high proliferation and highly purified population. Although their ability for neurogenic differentiation has been highlighted and neurogenic differentiation using electrospun nanofibers (NFs) has been performed, graphene-incorporated NFs have never been applied for DPSC neurogenic differentiation. Here reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-polycaprolactone (PCL) hybrid electrospun NFs were developed and applied for enhanced neurogenesis of DPSCs. First, RGO-PCL NFs were fabricated by electrospinning with incorporation of RGO and alignments, and their chemical and morphological characteristics were evaluated. Furthermore, in vitro NF properties such as influence on the cellular alignments and cell viability of DPSCs were also analyzed. The influences of NFs on DPSCs neurogenesis was also analyzed. The results confirmed that an appropriate concentration of RGO promoted better DPSC neurogenesis. Furthermore, the use of random NFs facilitated contiguous junctions of differentiated cells, whereas the use of aligned NFs facilitated aligned junction of differentiated cells along the direction of NF alignments. Our findings showed that RGO-PCL NFs can be a useful tool for DPSC neurogenesis, which will help regeneration in neurodegenerative and neurodefective diseases.

Despite the need for a sustainable energy resource, bioenergy gained its spotlight in the 2000s. Sugarcane is a significant crop in terms of sugar and energy capacity, and it can be an alternative energy source to mitigate the effects of climate change. Bioenergy production from sugarcane in Brazil is one of the most efficient. This production lends a centrality to biofuels' importance in confronting the effects of climate change. The present article reviews the Brazilian history of this crop as a biofuel source. We highlight the historical changes related to scientific, technological, industrial, and environmental advances since the beginning of the 20th century. We describe how creating governmental institutes and disseminating scientific knowledge strengthened public policies that led Brazil to occupy leadership positions in producing, distributing, and using bioenergy throughout the country. The compiled data shows the improvement and the new approaches needed in ethanol sugarcane. We developed a bibliometric analysis to evaluate Brazilian science's contribution to this process compared to other countries. Brazil's history of science and investments in sugarcane biofuel development for transportation may be divided into two phases: ethanol-only and flex-fuel cars. A third phase is starting, which is the ethanol-to-hydrogen era.

Anthocyanins extract from purple tomato (PTA) was incorporated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) so that a series of colorimetric films of PVA/PTA (based on PVA) were prepared. The role of anthocyanin on color response, FTIR, thickness, water content, mechanical properties, antioxidant activity, and permeation of water vapor through the films was examined. In addition, its application in smart packaging to assess the freshness of shrimp was studied. It was found that the tensile strength, contact angle and WVP of PVA/PTA films increases with the addition of more PTA, while the elongation at break and water content decreased. FTIR analysis showed that there are interactions between PTA and PVA matrix. The addition of anthocyanins caused to a significant improvement for the antioxidant properties of PVA films. Furthermore, the total volatile alkaline nitrogen (TVB-N), total plate count (TPC) and pH value of shrimp were monitored after 4 days of refrigeration, and the color change of the indexes was recorded. The PVA/PTA films changed color from purple to yellow-green during the storage time of 0-4d for shrimp, this suggests that the film could be used in smart packaging as a real-time freshness indicator for shrimp.

Approximately 6 million youth aged 12 to 20 consume alcohol monthly in the United States. The effect of alcohol consumption in adolescence on behavior and cognition is heavily researched, however, little is known about how alcohol consumption in adolescence may alter brain function, leading to long-term developmental detriments. In order to investigate differences in brain connectivity associated with alcohol use in adolescents, brain networks were constructed using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected by the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) from 698 youth (12-21 years, 117 hazardous drinkers and 581 no/low drinkers). Analyses assessed differences in brain network topology based on alcohol consumption in eight pre-defined brain networks, as well as in whole-brain connectivity. Within the central executive network (CEN), basal ganglia network (BGN), and sensorimotor network (SMN), no/low drinkers demonstrated stronger and more frequent connections between highly globally efficient nodes, with fewer and weaker connections between highly clustered nodes. Inverse results were observed within the dorsal attention network (DAN), visual network (VN), and frontotemporal network (FTN), with no/low drinkers demonstrating weaker connections between nodes with high efficiency and increased frequency of clustered nodes compared to hazardous drinkers. Results from this study show clear organizational differences between adolescents with no/low or hazardous alcohol use, suggesting that aberrant connectivity in these brain networks is associated with risky drinking behaviors.

In this study was found that these cancers were attributable to risk factors such as cigarette smoking, second-hand smoke, alcohol intake, excess body weight, diet, and six cancer-associated infections. Several databases were reviewed including PUBMED, Google scholar, and Web of Science. The facts suggest that a number of individuals present risk factors for cancer, which can be modifiable.

Disorders associated with substance abuse are a major public health crisis with few treatment options. According to World Health Organization (WHO) ethanol is the most widely used drug in the world, and it represents a risk factor for the advent of disease, disability, and eventually death. Foetal Alcoholic Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a diagnostic term to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects encompass both physical, mental, behavioural and further lifelong disabilities. Besides, ethanol can harm the gut microbiota. Gut microbiome is firstly acquired from the mother and it is crucial for intestinal homeostasis during hosts’ lifetime. It is responsible for producing metabolites that benefits and protects the host from harm microbial colonization. Knowledge about the interactions between human gut microbes and the developing nervous system is still scarce. Nevertheless, animal models have shown that gut bacteria and microbial metabolites are strongly associated with Central Nervous System (CNS) homeostasis. Endotoxins such as Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are hypothesized to have a major role in neurodegeneration, however, conclusions must be taken with care due to differences in sensitivity between humans and mice. In this review we focus on the role of gut microbiota on the neurodevelopment of mice when ethanol consumption is one of the major stressors during prenatal period. We detail the range of the endotoxin hypothesis in describing endotoxins’ contribution to neurodegeneration and the influence that kynurenine pathway has on the process.

The family environment has an important role in determining children’s personality and behavior. This study examined the impact of the family environment on alcohol and drug misuse among Indonesian students. Data were obtained from the National Illicit Drug Use Survey of students in Indonesia in 2016, conducted in 18 provinces. The subjects were 35,340 students from 1284 schools and universities with an age range of 12-25 years. The survey used the self-administered modified NODC Structured Illicit Drug questionnaire. The results show that 13.7% of students ever drank alcohol and 2.1% of students misused drugs within the previous year. Among students who drank alcohol, 11% also used drugs. In the latter group, they were likely to have been victims of verbal and physical violence by their parents and never discussed any problems with their parents. Living with a family with existing risky behavior (alcohol drinking and/or drug misuse) was the strongest risk factor of alcohol drinking (aOR: 4.78; 4.27-5.37) and drug misuse (aOR: 2.32; 1.79-3.01). These results indicate that the family environment affects these risky behaviors in this target population. Making adjustments through parental support, control, and parenting style, particularly in initiating parent–child communication, may have benefits in preventing alcohol drinking and drug use in this target population.

The purpose of this study was to explore the association of cognition with hazardous drinking and alcohol related disorder in persons with bipolar disorder (BD). The study population included 1,268 persons from Finland with bipolar disorder. Alcohol use was assessed through hazardous drinking and alcohol related disorder including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Hazardous drinking was screened with the AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test for Consumption) screening tool. Alcohol related disorder diagnoses were obtained from the national registrar data. Participants performed two computerized tasks from the Cambridge automated neuropsychological test battery (CANTAB) on tablet computer: the 5-choice serial reaction time task, or, reaction time (RT) test and the Paired Associative Learning (PAL) test. Association between RT-test and alcohol use was analyzed with log-linear regression, and eβ with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. PAL first trial memory score was analyzed with linear regression, and β with 95% CI are reported. PAL total errors adjusted was analyzed with logistic regression and odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI are reported. After adjustment for age, education and housing status, hazardous drinking was associated with lower median and less variable RT in females while AUD was associated with a poorer PAL test performance in terms of the total errors adjusted scores in females. Our findings of positive associations between alcohol use and cognition in persons with bipolar disorder are unique.

Alcoholism is a condition associated with psychiatric and psychiatric problems, where the respiratory system is damaged through the mucociliary ladder mechanism and alveolar macrophage dysfunction. In the time COVID-19 has been observed a dramatic increase in alcohol consumption mediated by levels of anxiety and situations of confinement. In this work we analyze the relationship between alcoholism and SARS, especially with SARS-CoV-2, explained by a degradation of the host defenses of the respiratory epithelium by changing the barrier function, the discharge of cytokines and the functions of the cilia. All of them involved in the defense mechanism. of the lungs. This leads to a worse prognosis for patients precisely because of alcohol consumption. Based on this approach, alcoholism will exacerbate the consequences of COVID-19.

Binge drinking is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of pneumonic melioidosis can occur in healthy humans; however, binge alcohol intoxication is a major risk factor. Previous findings indicate that a single binge alcohol episode increases Burkholderia spp. infection by reducing alveolar macrophage function. The aim of this study was to test the ability of the phytonutrient sulforaphane (SFN) to rescue the phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages when infected with Burkholderia spp. in vitro. B. thailandensis E264 was used as a useful BSL-1 model to determine the effects of SFN pre-treatment. The primary outcome was macrophage phagocytic killing, while the secondary outcome was the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like (Nrf2) signaling response measured by western blot analysis. Results indicate that alveolar macrophages pre-treated with SFN (5 M) and challenged with 0.2% (v/v) alcohol for 3 or 8 h prior to live B. thailandensis infection improved intracellular killing of B. thailandensis ~2-fold compared to MH-S cells treated with alcohol alone. These data demonstrate that SFN may be an effective pre-treatment option to prevent alcohol mediated immune dysfunction and restore macrophage phagocytic killing of Burkholderia spp. and other similar opportunistic pathogens.

Studies into the cognitive effects of alcohol have been mixed. They also present methodological challenges, often relying on self-report of alcohol consumption leading to hangover. The current study used BAC (obtained via breathalyser) and self-reported drinking behavior during a night out and related these to hangover severity and cognitive function measured over the internet in the same subjects the following morning. Volunteers were breathalysed and interviewed as they left a central entertainment district of an Australian state capital. They were provided with a unique identifier and, the following morning, logged on to a website. This included an online version of the Alcohol Hangover Severity Scale (AHSS), and number and type of drinks consumed the previous night and the eTMT-B - a validated, online analogue of the Trail Making Test B of executive function and working memory. Hangover severity was significantly correlated with one measure only, namely the previous night’s BAC (r = .228, p = .019). Completion time on the eTMT-B was significantly correlated with hangover severity ( r = .245, p = .012), previous night’s BAC (r = .197, p = .041) and time spent dinking (r = .376, p < .001). These findings confirm that alcohol hangover negatively affects cognitive functioning and that poorer working memory and executive performance correlates with hangover severity. The results also support the utility of using online measures in hangover research.

The three heat-induced coffee contaminants acrylamide, furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were analyzed in a collective of commercial samples as well as in Coffea arabica seeds roasted under controlled conditions from very light Scandinavian style to very dark Neapolitan style profiles. Regarding acrylamide, average contents in commercial samples were lower than in a previous study in 2002 (196 compared to 303 µg/kg). The roasting experiment confirmed the inverse relationship between roasting degree and acrylamide content, i.e. the lighter the coffee the higher the acrylamide content. However, FA and HMF were inversely related to acrylamide and found in higher contents in darker roasts. Therefore, mitigation measures must consider all contaminants and not be focused isolatedly on acrylamide, specifically since FA and HMF are contained in much higher contents with lower margins of exposure compared to acrylamide.

Determining halal product of fermented foods and bevearages becomes important for muslim consumers due to religious codification of halal. In order to help on site analysis, an alcohol biosensor was under development. The biosensor was constructed using bacteria producing alcohol oxidase (AOX). Bacteria from apple juice was isolated in advance to obtain pure bacteria. The bacteria was cultured in two solid media. Bacteria on the Acetobacter media had a resistance in a solution containing alcohol with a higher concentration. Acetobacter was cultured on solid and liquid media for measuring at various ethanol concentrations (0.01%-3%) with different absorbance value. Bacteria with absorbance value 0.500 had the highest oxidation current peak. Later, it was used as bioreceptor for measuring ethanol by cyclic voltammetry method. The linearity of measurement later was compared with spectrophotometric measurement. By using cyclic voltammetry the linearity had higher R² value than spectrophotometric method. However, it only had stability for two days, there fore it needs more improvement for lasting its lifetime. Basically, electrochemical method has potency for further being improved fur as an alternative method of ethanol on-site measurement.

Philip Morris International (PMI) has developed the Population Health Impact Model (PHIM) to quantify, in the absence of epidemiological data, the effects of marketing a candidate modified risk tobacco product (cMRTP) on the public health of a whole population. Various simulations were performed to understand the harm reduction impact on the U.S. population over a 20-year period under various scenarios. The overall reduction in smoking attributable deaths (SAD) over the 20-year period was estimated as 934,947 if smoking completely went away and between 516,944 and 780,433 if cMRTP use completely replaces smoking. The reduction in SADs was estimated as 172,458 for the World Health Organization (WHO) 2025 Target and between 70,274 and 90,155 for the gradual cMRTP uptake. Combining the scenarios (WHO 2025 Target and cMRTP uptake), the reductions were between 256,453 and 268,796, depending on the cMRTP effective dose. These results show how a cMRTP can reduce overall population harm additionally to existing tobacco control efforts.

Dietary intake and alcohol consumption might be influenced by genetic variations in taste receptor genes. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between polymorphisms in bitter taste receptor genes TAS2R13 (rs1015443) and TAS2R38 (rs1726866, rs10246939, and rs713598) as well as alcohol consumption and body fat percentage in college students. Four hundred and two students with a mean age of 20.2 years participated in this study. An NIH Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ II) was used to collect data on their dietary intake, while AUDIT survey was used to determine their level of alcohol consumption. Bitter taste receptor gene polymorphisms were assessed by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays. Despite significant associations between TAS2R13 (rs101544) and certain aspects of alcohol consumption, including the frequency of alcohol intake, no indeed significant associations were found between TAS2R13 (rs1015443) and alcohol consumption after accounting for confounding variables in the regression model. Neither association was found regarding percent of body fat. In contrast, ethnicity and gender significantly influenced percent of body fat (p < 0.001), while no significant association was observed between TAS2R13 (rs1015443) and percent of body fat. Likewise, TAS2R38 (rs1726866, rs10246939 and rs713598) demonstrated no significant association with alcohol consumption and percent of body fat. These results were controlled for confounding factors, such as ethnicity and gender. Body fat percentage and alcohol consumption may be influenced by ethnicity, gender and age rather than SNPs of TAS2R13 and TAS2R38 genes. Assessing the taste genes’ interactions with diet and body composition might be useful in identifying human disease risk.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease. This term covers a broad spectrum of liver lesions, from simple steatosis to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The patho-genesis of ALD is multifactorial and not fully elucidated due to complex mechanisms related to direct ethanol toxicity with subsequent hepatic and systemic inflammation. The accumulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines promote the development and progression of ALD. To date, there are no targeted therapies to counteract disease progression and prevent acute liver failure. Corticosteroids reduce mortality by acting on the hepatic-systemic inflammation. On the other hand, several studies analyzed the effect of the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the stimulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines as potential therapeutic targets in ALD. This narrative review aims to clarify the role of the cy-tokines in the pathogenesis and treatment of ALD.

Natural cellulose hydrogels have been widely used to enhance mechanical properties. However, existing natural fiber composite hydrogels are not reusable, limiting their potential applications. To address this issue, we designed and prepared a polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol /bamboo microfibril double network tough hydrogel using a simple method. The bamboo microfibril and polyvinyl alcohol form a tight and rigid network through hydrogen bonding, improving mechanical properties. The prepared polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol/bamboo microfibril double network tough hydrogel has the advantages of reusability and fatigue resistance. Furthermore, both the elastic modulus and toughness of the hydrogel increase with increasing bamboo microfibril content. We also demonstrated that the hydrogel can be recast after cyclic compression, maintaining its recyclability, stability, and certain stiffness and toughness. Our study highlights the potential of hydrogels for controllable mechanical properties, fatigue resistance and shows that polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol/bamboo microfibril hydrogel has broad value for plasticity and reuse.

The study is based on wide international research, the International Self-report Delinquency Study 3 (ISRD-3) and it analyses the relationship between parental presence, juvenile delinquency, and the consumption of psychotropic substances in adolescents. The data have been collected by a questionnaire ISRD-3 administered to 6021 students from 7th to 9th grade from 24 countries. The results confirmed the protective effect of dual-parent families on alcohol and drug use and committing illicit behaviours. Monoparental families and families without parents are associated with higher levels of alcohol, drug use, and deviant behaviors by young people.

Background: Different drugs damage the frontal cortices, particularly the prefrontal areas involved in both emotional and cognitive functions, with a consequence of decoding emotion deficits for people with substance abuse. The present study aims to explore the cognitive impairments in drug abusers through facial, body and disgust emotion recognition, expanding the investigation of emotions, processing, measuring accuracy and response velocity. Method: We enrolled 13 addicted to cocaine and 12 alcohol patients attending treatment services in Italy, comparing them with 33 matched controls. Facial emotion and body posture recognition tasks, a disgust rating task, and the Barrat Impulsivity Scale were included in the experimental assessment. Results: We found that emotional processes are differently influenced by cocaine and alcohol, suggesting that these substances impact diverse cerebral systems. Conclusion: The contribution made by the duration of consumption on emotional processing seems far less important than for cognitive processes. Drug abusers seem to be slower on elaboration of emotions and, in particular, of disgust emotion. Considering that the participants were not impaired in cognition, our data support the hypothesis that emotional impairments emerge independently from damage to cognitive functions.

Alcohol and nicotine are widely-abused legal substances worldwide. Relapse to alcohol or tobacco seeking and consumption after abstinence is a major clinical challenge, and is often evoked by cue-induced craving. Therefore, disruption of the memory for the cue-drug association is expected to suppress relapse. Memories have been postulated to become labile shortly after their retrieval, during a “memory reconsolidation” process. Interference with the reconsolidation of drug-associated memories has been suggested as a possible strategy to reduce or even prevent cue-induced craving and relapse. Here, we surveyed the growing body of studies in animal models and in humans assessing the effectiveness of pharmacological or behavioral manipulations in reducing relapse by interfering with the reconsolidation of alcohol and nicotine/tobacco memories. Our review points to the potential of targeting the reconsolidation of these memories as a strategy to suppress relapse to alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking. However, we discuss several critical limitations and boundary conditions, which should be considered to improve the consistency and replicability in the field, and for development of an efficient reconsolidation-based relapse prevention therapy.

Scaffolds are widely used in tissue engineering because their manufacture is based on natural and synthetic polymers, which allows them to have properties such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, creating an ideal environment for cell growth on their surface. In this context, among the polymers studied in Tissue Engineering are Chitosan (CH) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). CH is a versatile polymer obtained from de-acetylation of chitin, which is used for its high biodegradability and biocompatibility, although its mechanical properties must be improved. It has been found that one of the ways to improve the mechanical properties of CH is to mix it with other synthetic polymers such as PVA. PVA is known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, zero toxicity and ease of preparation due to its solubility in water and excellent mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and ease in the formation of films and barriers. In this study we evaluated the capacity of scaffolds made with CH and PVA in different concentrations (2: 1, 1: 1, 1: 2, respectively) as a possible application in bone regeneration. This was made through different characterization tests such as Infrared Spectroscopy, AFM, Swelling test and Porosity test, where we obtained information about its structural and physicochemical properties. Additionally, a cellular quality control was performed on the material through the MTT assay. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study showed that there are strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol molecules. The Swelling and Porosity tests showed favorable results, obtaining maximum values ​​of 5519% and 72.17% respectively. MTT tests determined that the prepared materials are not cytotoxic. These findings suggest that scaffolds possess properties suitable for use in Tissue Engineering.

Background: Drinking and smoking have economic consequences and are the main risk factors of mortality and morbidity. Disease-specific deaths attributable to using substances present the primary health indicator in this study. This analysis focuses on mortality in productive age, 15 to 64 years since those deaths are considered the highest economic burden. Method: In the analytical part, data from the Registry of deaths of the Czech Republic for 1994 to 2017 were used. The number of deaths attributable to smoking and drinking was calculated using attributable fractions, based on literature review. This research aimed to reveal the gender differences in deaths attributable to drinking and smoking, according to age, and the differences in deaths regarding smoking or drinking. Results: The mortality attributable to smoking and drinking differs across age groups and genders. The highest median share of tobacco-related deaths is in the age group, 60—64 years. The highest median share of alcoholic deaths is in the age group of 50—54 years. Conclusions: There are significant differences between genders in both, smoking and drinking. A prevention program should be targeted to different age groups.

Despite epidemiological findings of improvements in cardiovascular risk factors with a light-to-moderate intake of alcohol, many misconceptions remain regarding alcohol intake and the risks and benefits of consumption. We sought to examine physician attitudes and recommendations regarding alcohol intake in a cohort of Argentine physicians and to establish their sources of knowledge. An online national survey was distributed through the Argentine Federation of Cardiology (FAC) to cardiologists, internal medicine specialists, general and other subspecialty physicians in Argentina. The survey was completed by 745 physicians, of whom 671 (90%) were cardiologists. In total, 35% of physicians viewed moderate alcohol intake to be beneficial for cardiovascular health, 36% believed only wine offered such benefits, 24% viewed any intake to be harmful, and 5% had other opinions. More than half (57%) self-reported their knowledge to come from academic sources. Regarding knowledge of drinking guidelines, only 41% of physicians were aware of the concept of ‘standard drink’. Physicians were generally not comfortable converting ‘standard drinks’ into other metric units, however men tended to be more comfortable than women (p=0.052). Physicians were not satisfied with their knowledge of drinking guidelines (3.01 ± 2.73, on a 0-10 scale). Physicians were generally comfortable in counselling patients regarding safe-limits of consumption (6.22 ± 3.20, on a 0-10 scale). Argentine physicians were not satisfied with their knowledge of alcohol consumption guidelines or their understanding of the reported metrics. Only one-third of study participants viewed moderate alcohol intake as beneficial for cardiovascular health. This study shows the necessity to optimize the sources of knowledge.

Furfuryl alcohol (FA) is a biobased monomer derived from lignocellulosic biomass. The present work describes its polymerization in presence of protic polar solvents, i.e. water or isopropyl alcohol (IPA), using maleic anhydride (MA) as acidic initiator. The polymerization was followed from the liquid to the rubbery state by combining DSC and DMA data. In the liquid state, IPA disrupts the expected reactions during all the FA polymerization due to a stabilization of the furfuryl carbenium center. This causes the initiation of the polymerization at higher temperature, which is also reflected by higher activation energy. In water system, the MA opening allows to start the reaction at lower temperature. A higher pre-exponential factor value is obtained in that case. The DMA study of final branching reaction occurring in the rubbery state has highlighted continuous increase of elastic modulus until 290 °C. This increasing tendency of modulus was exploited to obtain activation energy dependences (Eα) of FA polymerization in the rubbery state.

In this study, we investigated the effects of Akebia quinata ethanol extract (AE), Akebia quinata sikhye (AS), and Akebia quinata water extract (AW) on alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. The hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant effects of AE, AS, and AW were examined. Experimental animals were randomly divided into five groups: normal, ethanol, AE (10 mL/kg), AS (10 mL/kg), and AW (10 mL/kg). Each group was administered the respective treatment orally once per day for 21 days. CYP2E1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in the AE, AS, and AW groups than that in the ethanol group. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including cyclooxygenase-2, IL-6, and TNF-α increased significantly in the ethanol group but these increases were ameliorated with AE, AS, and AW treatment. Moreover, the expression of the apoptosis-associated proteins Bax, p53, procaspase-3, and PARP decreased after treatment with AE, AS, and AW. The expression of antioxidant enzymes including BCL-2, SOD, and GST slightly decreased in the ethanol group, but AE, AS, and AW treatment augmented their activities. AQ extracts and AS attenuated ethanol-induced increases in the levels of phosphorylated p-AKT, p-ERK, and p-JNK. These results demonstrate that AQ is a competence indicator for inhibiting alcoholic liver injury.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal common cancers affecting both men and women, representing about 3 percent of all new cancer cases in the United States. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of pancreatic cancer risk with alcohol consumption as well as folate intake. We performed a case-control study of 384 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from May 2004 to December 2009 and 983 primary care healthy controls. Our findings showed no significant association between risk of pancreatic cancer and either overall alcohol consumption or type of alcohol consumed (drinks/day). Our study showed dietary folate intake was modestly but significantly inversely associated with pancreatic cancer (OR=0.99, P <.0001). The current study supports the hypothesis that pancreatic cancer risk is reduced with higher food-based folate intake.

This work presents a novel approach for the study of the movement of droplets on inclined surfaces under the influence of gravity and chemical heterogeneities. The developed numerical methodology uses data-driven modeling to extend the applicability limits of an analytically derived reduced-order model for the contact line velocity. More specifically, while the reduced-order model is able to capture the effects of the chemical heterogeneities to a satisfactory degree, it does not account for gravity. To alleviate this shortcoming, datasets generated from direct numerical simulations are used to train a data-driven model for the contact line velocity, which is based on the Fourier neural operator and corrects the reduced-order model predictions to match the reference solutions. This hybrid surrogate model, which comprises of both analytical and data-driven components, is then integrated in time to simulate the droplet movement, offering a speedup of five orders of magnitude compared to direct numerical simulations. The performance of this hybrid model is quantified and assessed in different wetting scenarios, by considering various inclination angles and values for the Bond number, demonstrating the accuracy of the predictions as long as the adopted parameters lie within the ranges considered in the training dataset.

Background & aims: Malnutrition in lung transplant (LT) candidates increases postoperative morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis of malnutrition could attenuate adverse prognostic factors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition using GLIM criteria in LT candidates and clinically characterize those with malnutrition. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted from 2000 to 2020 of LT candidates who underwent complete nutritional assessment (nutritional screening, anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, blood laboratory tests and malnutrition diagnosis using GLIM criteria). Results: Obstructive diseases (45.6%), interstitial diseases (36.6%) and cystic fibrosis/non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (15.4%) were the main conditions assessed for LT. Of the 1060 candidates evaluated, 10.6% were underweight according to BMI, 29% were at risk of malnutrition and 47% were diagnosed with malnutrition using GLIM criteria. Reduced muscle mass was the most frequent GLIM phenotypic criterion. Malnutrition was more prevalent in patients with cystic fibrosis/non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (84.5%), obstructive (45.4%) and interstitial (31.3%) diseases. GLIM criteria detected some degree of malnutrition in all diseases requiring LT and identified patients with higher CRP levels and worse respiratory function, anthropometric measurements and visceral protein and lipid profiles. Conclusions: LT candidates present a high prevalence of malnutrition using the GLIM algorithm. GLIM criteria detected malnutrition in all diseases requiring LT and defined patients with worse clinical-analytical profiles.

Pastes containing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and LiCl-Mn(NO3)2·4H2O are screen-printed on a carbon cloth substrate and then calcined using a nitrogen atmospheric-pressure-plasma jet (APPJ) for conversion into rGO-LiMnOx nanocomposites. The APPJ processing time is within 300 s. RGO-LiMnOx on carbon cloth is used to sandwich H2SO4, LiCl, or Li2SO4 gel electrolytes to form hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). The areal capacitance, energy density, and cycling stability of the HSCs are evaluated using electrochemical measurement. The Li2SO4 gel electrolyte HSC exhibits the highest areal capacitance and energy density but lower cycling stability. By contrast, the H2SO4 gel electrolyte HSC exhibits better cycling stability but lower areal capacitance and energy density.

November 15th, 2022 was selected as the day where the human population reached the 8 billion mark [1]. This new reality will force the governments around the world to find ways to sustainably produce and secure food, water, and energy for their countries [2-4]. In terms of water, its quality and availability has been a matter of great concern in recent decades [5], especially with the emergence of new organic and inorganic pollutants [6]. Among organic contaminants, the detection of trace amounts of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin (CFX) and levofloxacin (LFX), in natural water bodies, has been of great concern in the scientific community [7,8]. Some of the side effects of the consumption of these antibiotics are nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, low sugar levels, and antibiotic resistance to bacterial infections, among others [9,10]. It was estimated that in 2019 more than 1.27 million people died due to antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections [11], and this number is expected to rise to 10 million by 2050, if the trend continues [12]. Because of this, new ways to degrade antibiotics from water have been developed over the years. A method that has been implemented for some time is the use of photocatalysts for the degradation of these compounds in water [13]. Semiconductors such as titanium oxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), cadmium sulfide (CdS), strontium peroxide (SnO2), or tungsten trioxide (WO3), among others, are commonly used in photocatalytic processes [14-16]. Zinc oxide has been widely used due to its low cost and stability in aqueous solution, easy production, and because it is an environmentally friendly material [17,18]. It has been identified that some of the disadvantages of ZnO as photocatalyst are photocorrosion, recombination of electron-hole pairs, fast backward reactions, and inability to use visible light [18]. Multiple approaches have been implemented over the years to reduce these limitations. One of them is the use of noble metals such as platinum (Pt), gold (Au), or even silver (Ag) as cocatalysts [15-17,19]. These metals can increase the photocatalytic activity by reducing the recombination of electron-hole pairs, as well allowing the use of visible light [20]. For example, Quin and coworkers [21] prepared a bio-inspired hierarchical assembly of carbonized spinach leaves@Au/ZnO for the degradation of CFX under visible light. The results showed a degradation of 61% of the antibiotic in a period of 180 minutes. Chankhanittha et al. [22] developed different Ag@ZnO composites for the complete degradation of red dye and ofloxacin antibiotic in 25 and 80 minutes, respectively. The researchers attributed the improved photoactivity to the high electron-hole separation efficiency at the photocatalyst interface, as well as the creation of the Schottky barrier at the silver-zinc oxide interface.

In this paper, we propose an efficient numerical computation method of reduced-order controller design for linear time-invariant systems. The design problem is described by linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) with a rank constraint on a structured matrix, due to which the problem is NP-hard. Instead of the heuristic method that approximates the matrix rank by the nuclear norm, we propose a numerical projection onto the rank-constrained set based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). Then the controller is obtained by alternating projection between the rank-constrained set and the LMI set. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method compared with existing heuristic methods, by using 95 benchmark models from the COMPLeib library.

Within phototherapy, a grand challenge in clinical cancer treatments is to develop a simple, cost-effective, and biocompatible approach to treat this disease using ultra-low doses of light. Carbon-based materials (CBM), such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced GO (r-GO), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and carbon dots (C-DOTs), are rapidly emerging as a new class of thera-peutic materials against cancer. This mini-review summarizes the progress in lasts years re-garding the applications of CBM in photodynamic (PDT) and photothermal (PTT) therapies for tumor destruction. The current understanding of the performance of modified CBM, hybrids and composites, is also addressed. This approach seeks to achieve an enhanced healing action by im-proving and modulating the properties of CBM to treat various types of cancer. Metal oxides, organic molecules, biopolymers, therapeutic drugs, among others, have been combined with CBM to treat cancer by PDT, PTT, or synergistic therapies.

Owing to their extraordinary properties, carbon-based nanomaterials are gaining traction in biomedicine. Green synthesis is the cost-effective method for fabricating carbon-based nanomaterials due to its rapidity, renewable nature, and sustainability. This study emphasis on the graphene oxide (GO) reduction using a simple one-pot technique that does not require the use of toxic reducing agents. This article reports the green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyxes extract as the natural reducing agent. Additionally, this article also provides analysis RGO using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD result showed that the GO peak at 11o diminished, and a new hump appear at 22o indicating that the GO is fully reduced when it is refluxed for 6 hours, at 100oC with 1:3 ratio of GO:PE. The UV-Vis data indicated absorption peak of GO (237 nm) and RGO (265 nm) at distinct locations. This finding shed new light on the enormous potential of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyxes extract for green GO reduction. As a result, this environmentally friendly method can help reduce dependence on chemical materials.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that suppresses plant growth; however, application of endophytic bacteria can increase resistance of plants against Cd, as well as improve plant growth. Two bacterial endophytic strains were isolated from Solanum nigrum and were identified as Serratia sp. AI001 and Enterobacter sp. AI002 by 16S DNA sequencing. Strains AI001 and AI002, tolerated up to 25 mg/mL Cd in broth culture and showed phosphate solubilization potential in Pikovskaya agar medium. AI001 and AI002 produced indole-3-acetic acid, which was confirmed by gas spectrometry-mass chromatography. Brassica plants stressed with 0, 5, 15, and 25 mg/L Cd showed significant decrease in plant growth, chlorophyll content and biomass, and significant increase in Cd dose-dependent electrolyte leakage. Inoculation of strain AI001 or AI002 significantly enhanced the plant growth attributes of shoot length, root length, chlorophyll content, and biomass as compared to those in uninoculated plants. Reduced glutathione contents in plants stressed with different concentrations of Cd also increased with inoculation of AI001 and AI002. The reason of Cd resistance enhancement in plants by inocula could be due to their greater plant growth promoting activities as well as their antioxidative response.

Objective: We determined, in stable ambulatory heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) subjects and matched controls, the capability of a novel blood based cardiac-specific cBIN1 Score (CS), which assesses the health of cardiac muscle, to identify patients with known heart failure (HF) and to prognosticate future hospitalization. Background: Limited clinical tools are available in assessing cardiac muscle health in stable ambulatory patients. Cardiac bridging integrator 1 (cBIN1) is a cardiomyocyte t-tubule membrane scaffolding protein which regulates calcium signaling in cardiomyocytes, decreases in failing muscle, and is present in plasma in levels that correlate with cardiac content. We hypothesize that CS, a normalized index of plasma cBIN1 concentration, can function as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of HF. Methods: Plasma cBIN1 concentration is measured by an ELISA test, and CS is calculated as the natural log of the ratio of a constant population mean cBIN1 to measured cBIN1 concentration. We determined CS among 125 clinically stable individuals with HFrEF (LVEF ≤ 40%) (mean age 56 ± 10 years old, 79% men) and 125 age, sex matched volunteers with no known history of HF. We obtained plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP, a marker of volume status, as comparison. Baseline co-morbidities and 18-month longitudinal clinical information were obtained through electronic medical records. Results: CS follows a normal distribution with a median of 0 in the control population and median is significantly increased among HFrEF patients to 1.8 (IQR 1.4 – 2.1, p < 0.0001). CS diagnosed HFrEF with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 (AUC is 0.98 for NT-proBNP, and combined CS and NT-proBNP AUC is 0.99). Unlike NT-proBNP, CS does not correlate with body mass index (BMI) in either the control or HFrEF population (Pearson’s r = -0.15, p = 0.12; Pearson’s r = 0.003, p = 0.97, respectively). NT-proBNP significantly correlates with renal function (Pearson’s r = -0.37, p = 0.001), while CS also has no correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.03, p = 0.71). During an 18-month follow-up, a high CS ≥ 1.8 at the initial visit predicted future cardiovascular hospitalizations (38% vs. 21%, p = 0.04, hazard ratio 2.0). NT-proBNP did not predict future cardiovascular hospitalizations. Conclusions: Plasma cBIN1 based CS is insensitive to BMI and renal function and differentiates myocardial health between patients with HFrEF versus matched controls. An abnormally high CS reflected poor intrinsic myocardial health and can predict future 18-month cardiac hospitalization in stable ambulatory patients.

Mesoporous TiO2/reduced graphene oxide/Ag (TiO2/RGO/Ag) ternary nanocomposite with effective electrons transfer pathway is obtained by an electrostatic self-assembly method and photo-assisted treatment. Compared with bare mesoporous TiO2 (MT) and mesoporous TiO2/RGO (MTG), the ternary mesoporous TiO2/RGO/Ag (MTGA) nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of MB under visible light, and the degradation rate reached 0.017 min-1, which was 3.4 times higher than that of MTG. It is proposed that Ag nanoparticles can form the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to absorb the visible light and distract the electrons into MT, and RGO can accept the electrons from MT to accelerate the separation efficiency of carriers. The establishment of MTGA ternary nanocomposite make the three components act synergistic effect to enhance the photocatalytic performance.

A significant percentage of children suffer from neurodevelopmental aberrations, which have long-term effects on both individuals and society. Since the developmental timelines of different brain regions vary, the type, severity and timing of harmful exposures are crucial for understanding the specific pathological processes and consequences involved. During development, the cerebellum is one of the first brain structures to begin to differentiate, but one of the last to achieve maturity. This relatively long period underscores its vulnerability to detrimental environmental exposures throughout gestation. Moreover, as the postnatal functionality of the cerebellum is multifaceted, enveloping sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional domains, prenatal disruptions in cerebellar development can result in a variety of neurological and mental health disorders. Here, we review major intrauterine insults that affect cerebellar development in both humans and rodents, ranging from abuse of toxic chemical agents such as alcohol and nicotine, to stress and sleep, malnutrition as well as infections. Understanding these pathological mechanisms in the context of the different stages of cerebellar development in humans and rodents may help us to identify critical and vulnerable periods and thereby to prevent the risk of associated prenatal and early postnatal damage that can lead to lifelong neurological and cognitive disabilities.

This study examines demographic factors which may influence opinions concerning medical students’ self-care and substance use behaviors as a means of providing insights into how future doctors view these issues compared to Australian doctors and members of the public. We conducted national, multicenter, prospective, on-line cross-sectional surveys using hypothetical scenarios to three cohorts- Australian medical students, medical doctors, and the public. Participants’ responses were compared for the different contextual variables within the scenarios and the participants’ demographic characteristics. In total 2,602 medical students, 809 doctors and 503 members of the public participated. Compared with doctors and the public, medical students were least tolerant of alcohol intoxication, and most tolerant of using stimulants to assist with study, and cannabis for anxiety. Doctor respondents more often aligned with the public’s opinions on the acceptability of the medical students’ behaviors. Although opinions are not equivalent to behaviour, Australian students’ views on the acceptability for cannabis to help manage anxiety, and inappropriate use of prescription-only drugs are concerning; these future doctors will be responsible for prescribing drugs and managing patients with substance abuse problems. However, if current Australian medical student’s opinions on alcohol misuse persist, one of the commonest substance addictions amongst doctors may decrease in future.

Pancreatitis and alcoholic pancreatitis are serious health concerns, and there is an urgent need for effective treatment strategies. Alcohol is a known etiological factor for pancreatitis, including acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Excessive alcohol consumption induces many pathological stress responses; of particular note is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR). ER stress results from the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded protein in the ER and is implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic pancreatitis. Here we summarize the possible mechanisms by which ER stress contributes to alcoholic pancreatitis. We also discuss potential approaches targeting ER stress and UPR for developing novel therapeutic strategies for the disease.

This study explores the impact of the ‘pre-intervention effects’ of a community-based interventions. This refers to participatory research processes and parallel publicity in the media on changes in alcohol use and relevant mechanisms (rules and norms about alcohol, accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting) among adolescents before any intervention is implemented. In a quasi-experimental study, adolescent data were collected twice by means of self-report among adolescents living in two municipalities (control and experimental condition). Regression analysis showed pre-intervention main effects on adolescents’ perceived accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting. Moreover, among adolescents aged 15 years and older, the normative decline in strictness of rules and norms was less steep in the experimental condition compared to the control condition. Also, adolescents aged 14 years and younger in the experimental condition reported more weekly drinking compared to their peers in the control condition. No differential effects across gender were found. To conclude, applying a co-creational approach in the development of an intervention, not only contributes to more effective interventions in the end, but involvement of and discussions in the community at the start of intervention planning are contributing to changes in targeted factors. This implies that public discussions about the development of intervention strategies should be considered as an essential feature of co-creation in community-based interventions.

Alcohol consumption is now common practice worldwide, and functional brain networks are beginning to reveal the complex interactions observed with alcohol consumption and abstinence. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has a well-documented relationship with alcohol use, and a growing body of research is finding links between the ANS and functional brain networks. This study recruited everyday drinkers in an effort to uncover the relationship between alcohol abstinence, ANS function, and whole brain functional brain networks. Participants (n=29), 24-60 years-of-age, consumed moderate levels of alcohol regularly (males 2.4 (±0.26) drinks/day, females 2.3 (±0.96) drinks/day). ANS function, specifically cardiac vagal tone, was assessed using the Porges-Bohrer method for calculating respiratory sinus arrhythmia (PBRSA). Functional brain networks were generated from resting-state MRI scans obtained following 3-day periods of typical consumption and abstinence. A multi-task mixed-effects regression model determined the influences of HRV and drinking state on functional network connectivity. Results showed differences in the relationship between the strength of network connections and clustering coefficients across drinking states, moderated by PBRSA. Increases in connection strength between highly clustered nodes during abstinence as PBRSA increases demonstrates a greater possible range of topological configurations at high PBRSA values. This novel finding begins to shed light on the complex interactions between typical alcohol abstinence and physiological responses of the central and autonomic nervous system.