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Alcohol mixed energy drinks (AmED) may promote excessive alcohol intake and risk-taking among college students. Objective: To understand the relationship between AmED use and risky behavior as well as attitudes and motivations for AmED use. Participants: Undergraduate college students N = 422 (Study 1), N = 37 (Study 2). Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, we first surveyed undergraduate students about their AmED and alcohol consumption and a series of risk behaviors, self-efficacy, and beliefs (Study 1). We then conducted focus groups within the same population to better understand attitudes, knowledge, and motivations for using AmED (Study 2). Results: Recent AmED use was significantly associated with an increased number of reported binge drinking occasions and self-reported driving while intoxicated events. Our qualitative data analyses revealed two major themes associated with AmED consumption: factors encouraging AmED use and decisions about driving while under the influence of alcohol. Conclusions: These findings add to the literature of beliefs and motivations for AmED use among college students.

Previous studies on alcohol drinking and health largely have ignored the potential impact of the timing of drinking.We aimed to investigate the joint associations of the timing of alcohol intake with respect to meals (i.e., with meals or outside of meals) and the amount of alcohol consumed with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).A total of 312,388 current drinkers from the UK Biobank without T2D at baseline were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between the timing of alcohol intake with respect to meals and the risk of T2D.During a median of 10.9 y of follow-up, 8598 incident cases of T2D were documented. After adjustment for covariates and the amount of alcohol consumed, consuming alcohol with meals was significantly associated with a 12% lower risk of T2D (HR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.93) than was consuming alcohol outside of meals. In addition, we found that the timing of alcohol intake with respect to meals significantly modified the relations between the amount of alcohol consumed and risk of T2D (P-interaction = 0.017); the beneficial association of moderate drinking with T2D risk was only observed in participants who consumed alcohol with meals, but not in others. Further analyses on various types of alcoholic beverages indicated that the beneficial associations between alcohol drinking with meals and T2D were mainly driven by wine consumption. Moreover, we found that when consumed together with meals, drinking more wine, rather than other alcoholic beverages, was related to lower concentrations of C-reactive protein.In current drinkers, moderate drinking of alcohol, especially wine, with meals is associated with a lower risk of T2D.

Parental or caregiver alcohol use, particularly heavy regular or episodic use, can increase the risk of child maltreatment within individual families. At the national level, higher per capita alcohol consumption has been associated with increased child injury mortality in Australia. This study aimed to investigate whether an association exists between substantiated child maltreatment cases, numbers of licensed outlets, and average alcohol sales volumes at the community level (local government area [LGA]) over a 13-year period across Western Australia (WA).Annual panel data were obtained for 132 WA LGAs over the period 2001-2013. Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson regression was applied to test associations between numbers of substantiated child maltreatment cases and per-population densities and mean sales volumes of off-trade and on-trade alcohol outlets. Associations were adjusted for the presence of local alcohol restrictions and mandatory reporting; density of on-trade outlets; and their sales, demographic, and socioeconomic variables.Comprehensive area-level alcohol bans and policies restricting alcohol sales reduced child maltreatment by 9.6% and 38.5%, whereas mandatory reporting of child maltreatment increased substantiations by 15.3%. Counterintuitively, for each additional 1,000 L of ethanol sold per off-premise outlet, there was a 3.7% decline in child maltreatment.Local government alcohol restrictions predicted reduced child abuse and neglect. Findings that increases in off-trade outlets predicted a decreased risk of child maltreatment at a local level are seemingly at odds with these findings, but outlet density may be acting as a measure of less disorganization. Alcohol policy that affects alcohol availability can reduce child maltreatment in at-risk areas. Local area alcohol bans and interventions reducing hours of sale should be further evaluated to confirm these findings.

Caproic acid is the precursor of ethyl caproate, the main representative flavor substance of strong-flavor baijiu (SFB). Caproic acid-producing bacteria are considered to be the most important type of acid-producing microorganisms in the pit mud of the SFB ecosystem. In this study, the Rummeliibacillus suwonensis 3B-1 with a high yield of caproic acid (4.064 g/L) was screened from SFB pit mud. The genome of the R. suwonensis 3B-1 was sequenced, the total size was found to be 4117,671 bp and a calculated GC content of 35.86%. The caproic acid biosynthesis pathway was identified and analyzed, and it showed that 3B-1 could not only use ethanol, but it could also use glucose and other carbon sources as substrates to produce caproic acid. According to the genome analysis and with an optimized medium, the optimal conditions for caproic acid production were yeast powder at 3 g/L, sodium acetate at 15 g/L, and 1% biotin at 8 mL/100 mL. The yield of caproic acid reached 4.627 g/L, an increase of 13.9%, which was higher than that of general caproic acid bacteria. This is the first report of the synthesis of caproic acid by R. suwonensis. This strain could be used to produce caproic acid, an artificial pit mud preparation, and/or an enhanced inoculum in the production of SFB.

The Self-Medication Hypothesis (SMH) theorizes that alcohol is used to alleviate negative states. We assessed whether an acute social stressor (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST), a priming dose of alcohol, and participant sex impacted 90-min ad libitum drinking. We expected exposure to stress to be associated with increased consumption, and this effect to be stronger following an alcohol priming dose; we also explored whether participant sex moderated these effects.Using a 2×2 experimental design, we randomized groups of two to three drinkers to stress (TSST vs. no TSST) and priming beverage (alcohol vs. placebo) conditions. All participants subsequently completed the 90-min ad libitum drinking period and were instructed not to exceed more than one alcoholic beverage per hour for optimal performance to model behavioral impaired control. We examined (a) number of drinks ordered, (b) violations of the drink limit, (c) change in breath alcohol concentration (BAC), and (d) peak BAC.Analyses showed that exposure to stress was associated with heavier ad libitum drinking. This effect was qualified by a three-way interaction; women who received a stressor and no prime dose (placebo) reached higher BACs, whereas men who received a stressor and a prime reached higher BACs.The hypothesized interaction between an alcohol priming dose and social stress was only evident among men, whereas women drank more under social stress in the absence of a priming dose. Findings suggest the importance of exploring sex differences in future studies of the SMH. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

In this study, Illumina MiSeq/NovaSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence the terminal DNA fragments of microbial communities in Wuliangye pit mud. The results showed that there were 5 dominant bacterial phyla and 13 dominant bacterial genera in the pit mud, which belonged to 4 phyla, mainly Firmicutes. There were 3 dominant fungal phyla and 5 dominant fungal genera in cellar mud, which belonged to 2 phyla and concentrated in Ascomycota. According to the statistical data, the low pH value cellar pool is more conducive to the enrichment of acid-resistant or acid-biased bacteria, which is the key to flavor formation. In addition, the components of ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium in pit mud need to be replenished in time. In addition, sampling time, fermentation time, temperature, and other external environments also have certain effects on microbial diversity and abundance in the pit. With the use of cellars, various types of microorganisms are constantly evolving to adapt to the environment inside the pits. The succession rule of microbe in pit mud was preliminarily revealed, which provided the basis for improving the quality and technical development of Wuliangye.

Consumption of high potency alcohol is associated with greater healthcare burden, yet little attention has been placed on the change in types of alcohol consumed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate the change in alcohol consumption by beverage type attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided apparent alcohol consumption ("consumption") by beverage type for 10 states for January 2017 through November 2020 based on sales and tax data. The 38-month period to February 2020 was used to train quasi-Poisson regression models. The models then predicted the monthly consumption based on the historical trends in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic from March through November 2020. The difference between the observed and predicted is the change in consumption attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.Beyond what was expected based on historical trends, spirits consumption increased significantly for 6 states (Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Tennessee) ranging from 4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1%-6%) to 17% (95% CI 6%-28%) which is equivalent to 7 (95% CI 2-18) to 32 95% CI 12-48) excess standard spirits drinks per-capita; Alaska, Florida, Illinois, and Kentucky had no significant change. Wine consumption increased 10% (95% CI 3%-18%) in Colorado and 8% (95% CI 3%-12%) in Tennessee. Wine consumption in Alaska decreased 6% (95% CI, 3%-10%) and beer consumption decreased 8% (95% CI 4%-11%).During the COVID-19 pandemic, spirits consumption increased relative to wine and beer. Increased consumption of higher potency alcohol beverages could lead to higher alcohol-related healthcare and societal burden.

Daqu is the fermentation starter of Baijiu, which is one of the six most renowned distilled spirits. Studies have found that Bacillus is one of the dominant microbial genera in Daqu, and Bacillus subtilis is known to produce amylase, an important enzyme that influences the quality of Daqu. This study aims to explore the influence of B. subtilis inoculation on the microbial community structure in different niches of Daqu. We studied the microbial community structure of the natural inoculated Daqu (i.e., control Daqu) and the fortified Daqu (i.e., B. subtilis-inoculated Daqu) by amplicon sequencing. Our results showed that compared with the control Daqu rind microbial community, the relative abundance of Bacillus, Aspergillus, Thermomyces, and Rasamsonia in the fortified Daqu rind microbial community increased, and the relative abundance of Weissella, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pichia decreased. Compared with the control Daqu core microbial community, the relative abundance of Bacillus in the fortified Daqu core microbial community also increased, but the relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Paecilomyces decreased. The effect of B. subtilis inoculation on the rind microbial community of Daqu was more significant. In addition, the bacterial community of Daqu was more susceptible to the effect of the B. subtilis inoculation than was the fungal community of Daqu. The correlation between the bacterial community of Daqu and the fungal community of Daqu increased significantly after the B. subtilis inoculation. These results provide an important theoretical basis for the production of fortified Daqu.

Application of the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on a distillate prepared from freshly squeezed juice of Dornfelder grapes revealed (3

Seeing alcohol in media has been demonstrated to increase alcohol craving, impulsive decision-making, and hazardous drinking. Due to the exponential growth of (social) media use it is important to develop algorithms to quantify alcohol exposure efficiently in electronic images. In this article, we describe the development of an improved version of the Alcoholic Beverage Identification Deep Learning Algorithm (ABIDLA), called ABIDLA2.ABIDLA2 was trained on 191,286 images downloaded from Google Image Search results (based on search terms) and Bing Image Search results. In Task-1, ABIDLA2 identified images as containing one of eight beverage categories (beer/cider cup, beer/cider bottle, beer/cider can, wine, champagne, cocktails, whiskey/cognac/brandy, other images). In Task-2, ABIDLA2 made a binary classification between images containing an "alcoholic beverage" or "other". An ablation study was performed to determine which techniques improved algorithm performance.ABIDLA2 was most accurate in identifying Whiskey/Cognac/Brandy (88.1%) followed by Beer/Cider Can (80.5%), Beer/Cider Bottle (78.3%), and Wine (77.8%). Its overall accuracy was 77.0% (Task-1) and 87.7% (Task-2). Even the identification of the least accurate beverage category (Champagne, 64.5%) was more than five times higher than random chance (12.5% = 1/8 categories). The implementation of balanced data sampler to address class skewness and the use of self-training to make use of a large, secondary, weakly labeled dataset particularly improved overall algorithm performance.With extended capabilities and a higher accuracy, ABIDLA2 outperforms its predecessor and enables the screening of any kind of electronic media rapidly to estimate the quantity of alcohol exposure. Quantifying alcohol exposure automatically through algorithms like ABIDLA2 is important because viewing images of alcoholic beverages in media tends to increase alcohol consumption and related harms.

Inexpensive drinks and price promotions increase alcohol consumption and have been observed at on-premise drinking establishments near large colleges. Some bars may sell tobacco products and allow indoor tobacco use to encourage patrons to stay and drink more. This study examined drink prices/specials and associated practices of on-premise drinking establishments including tobacco sales and policies regarding tobacco use.In 2018, telephone calls about prices/practices were made to 403 randomly selected bars/nightclubs within 2 miles of large residential universities in each U.S. state. The Alcohol Policy Information System provided data on state-level alcohol laws. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models examined associations between alcohol prices/specials, state laws, and establishment practices.The average price for the least expensive draft beer and a vodka shot at each location were $3.62 (SD = $1.15) and $4.77 (SD = $1.16), respectively. Most establishments (65%) had happy hour specials, 6% had 2-for-1 specials, 91% sold food, 9% sold cigarettes, 8% allowed smoking indoors, and 18% permitted electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use indoors. Allowing e-cigarette use indoors (b = -0.54) and selling cigarettes (b = -0.79) were associated with lower vodka prices; allowing cigarette smoking indoors (b = -0.46) was associated with lower beer prices. Lower beer prices (OR = 1.38), selling food (OR = 2.97), and no state law banning happy hour specials altogether (OR = 4.24) or with full-day price reduction exemptions (OR = 12.74) were associated with higher odds of having happy hour specials. Allowing e-cigarette use indoors was associated with having 2-for-1 specials (OR = 6.38).In bars near large public universities, beers and shots were often available for less than $5 and drink specials were prevalent. Further, some establishments allowed tobacco use indoors and/or sold cigarettes. Laws that increase alcohol taxes, set minimum drink prices, and ban the sale and indoor use of tobacco products at on-premise drinking locations are important harm reduction tools.

Marketing, label design, and product innovation strategies are being used by the alcohol industry to position some products as "healthier choices." The aim of this study was to systematically document the content and prevalence of health-oriented marketing on alcohol products on the Australian market and to compare the online availability of nutrition information and the alcohol and nutrient content between products with and without such features.Health-oriented marketing features on all beer, cider, and ready-to-drink (RTD) premixed drinks, and selected wines on the website of the largest liquor retailer in Australia were audited using a systematic coding protocol. Nutrition information was sought from manufacturer/brand websites.A total of 54% of beers, ciders, and RTDs featured health-oriented marketing, the most common forms being natural imagery or descriptors, or references to fruit ingredients. Twenty-one percent of audited wines featured health-oriented marketing. The prevalence of specific features varied by product category. Online availability of nutrition information for alcohol products was poor (12% of beer, cider, and RTDs). Products with health-oriented marketing were lower in energy and alcohol content than those without but were still classed as full-strength alcohol on average.Health-oriented marketing is prevalent on alcohol products sold in Australia. In the absence of universal and standardized health warning and energy content information on labels, permitted health-oriented marketing has the potential to mislead consumers about product healthiness or to detract from the perceived harm associated with alcohol consumption. Research to test this proposition is now needed to guide labeling policy reform.

Government alcohol sales data were used to examine whether age 15+ per-capita alcohol consumption (PCAC) (i) changed during COVID-19 and (ii) predicted COVID-19 infections 2-5 weeks later.Interrupted time-series analyses were applied to panels of data before and after COVID-19 restrictions were introduced in Canada.The populations, aged 15+, of the provinces of Ontario (ON), British Columbia (BC) and Nova Scotia (NS), Canada.Expansion of home delivery options and hours of trading for liquor stores while restrictions on travel, social and economic activities were imposed by governments during COVID-19 from 17 March 2020 until 29 March 2021.Weekly estimates of (i) age 15+ PCAC using sales data supplied by provincial government alcohol distributors for liquor stores, bars and restaurants, (ii) stringency of public health measures assessed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and (iii) new COVID-19 infections reported by PHAC.PCAC increased by 7.10% (P = 0.013) during the pandemic versus previous years, with increased private liquor store sales partly offset by reduced bar/restaurant sales. Consumption was positively associated with stringency of public health measures. Weekly PCAC was positively associated with new COVID-19 infections 2 weeks later (+6.34% for a one drink/week increase, P 0.001). Lagged associations with COVID-19 infections 2 or 3 weeks later were observed for PCAC from all sales channels, with larger effect sizes per standard drink/person/week increase for on-premise outlets (+77.27% week 2, P = 0.009) than government liquor stores (+6.49%, week 2, P 0.001) or private liquor stores (+7.13%, week 4, P 0.001).Alcohol consumption increased in three Canadian provinces during COVID-19 to degrees corresponding to the extent of the strictness of measures imposed to prevent viral spread. Increased consumption of alcohol was associated with increased COVID-19 infection rates 2 weeks later.

Sake, soy sauce, miso (Japanese bean paste), and beer are made from grains. The characteristics of the grain significantly affect the quality of the final product. Many studies have been performed to evaluate the sake-brewing characteristics of rice. However, current rice analysis methods are time and labor intensive and require large samples. We developed a novel method for predicting the brewing characteristics of sake rice using1 g of sample. Brown rice extracts were analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and mass chromatogram data were used as explanatory variables. The objective variables were the physical and chemical properties of the rice, the enzymatic activity of the rice-koji, the fermentation properties of the sake mash, the standard analytical values of the sake, and the flavor component concentrations in the sake. Prediction models were developed using the orthogonal projections to latent structures method. The prediction performances of the models were verified, and 32 out of the 54 objective variables were used in well-performing models. In conclusion, we developed a method for predicting the rice properties and brewing characteristics from results acquired by analyzing1 g of brown rice. The method is a powerful tool for breeding new sake rice cultivars for good brewing characteristics in early generations and will improve our understanding of fluctuations in the brewing characteristics of sake rice before each sake brewing season starts.

BACKGROUND: Smaller serving sizes of alcoholic drinks could reduce alcohol consumption across populations thereby lowering the risk of many diseases. The effect of modifying the available range of serving sizes of beer and cider in a real-world setting has yet to be studied. The current study assessed the impact on beer and cider sales of adding a serving size of draught beer and cider (2/3 pint) that was between the current smallest (1/2 pint) and largest (1 pint) standard serving sizes. METHODS: Twenty-two licensed premises in England consented to taking part in the study. The study used an ABA reversal design, set over three 4-weekly periods, with A representing the non-intervention periods, during which standard serving sizes were served and B the intervention period when a 2/3 pint serving size of draught beer and cider was added to the existing range, along with smaller 1/2 pint and larger 1 pint serving sizes. The primary outcome was the daily volume of beer and cider sold, extracted from sales data. RESULTS: Fourteen premises started the study, of which thirteen completed it. Twelve of those did so per protocol and were included in the primary analysis. After adjusting for pre-specified covariates, the intervention did not have a significant effect on the volume of beer and cider sold per day (3.14 ml; 95%CIs -2.29 to 8.58; p = 0.257). CONCLUSIONS: In licensed premises, there was no evidence that adding a smaller serving size for draught beer and cider (2/3 pint) when the smallest (1/2 pint) and largest (1 pint) sizes were still available, affected the volume of beer and cider sold. Studies are warranted to assess the impact of removing the largest serving size. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN33169631 (08/09/2021), OSF: https://osf.io/xkgdb/ (08/09/2021).

Background: The availability of alcohol in society is known to increase the risk of a range of negative health outcomes. Objectives: The aim of this research is to determine if there is a spatial association between tuberculosis and alcohol outlets in Mamelodi, South Africa. We also aim to examine whether the socio-economic characteristics of the neighbourhood in which an alcohol outlet was located was related to the magnitude of tuberculosis in the immediate vicinity of the alcohol outlet. Methods: Location quotient analysis is used to compare the extent of tuberculosis within a series of buffer intervals (100m, 200m, 300m) immediately surrounding alcohol outlets with tuberculosis across the township of Mamelodi as a whole. Results: The density of tuberculosis around alcohol outlets in Mamelodi at all buffer distances was found to be substantially higher than across the township as a whole. These findings indicate that the risk of tuberculosis in Mamelodi is higher around alcohol outlets. Alcohol outlets located in more deprived areas of Mamelodi were significantly associated with higher density of tuberculosis relative to alcohol outlets located in more affluent neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Despite alcohol outlets forming an integral part of the urban landscape in townships in South Africa, they may facilitate the transmission of tuberculosis. Keywords: Tuberculosis and alcohol outlets; Mamelodi; South Africa.

Epidemiological studies indicate that alcohol increases gastric cancer (GC) risk, yet most studies have focused on heavy alcohol intake, leaving other factors understudied. A comprehensive investigation of the effects of the frequency and amount of alcohol intake may help elucidate the GC risk associated with drinking behavior.The Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study, a community-based large-scale prospective cohort study, enrolled Korean adults 40-69 years of age between the years 2004 and 2013. Incident GC cases were identified through linkage to Korea Central Cancer Registry data until December 31, 2017. Self-reported questionnaires were used to survey alcohol consumption-related factors (duration, frequency, amount, and type of alcoholic beverages). The frequency and amount of alcohol consumption were combined to explore GC risk according to 4 drinking patterns: "infrequent-light", "frequent-light", "infrequent-heavy", and "frequent-heavy". We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and investigate the relationship between alcohol intake and GC incidence.A total of 128,218 participants were included in the analysis. During an average follow-up period of 8.6 years, 462 men and 385 women were diagnosed with GC. In men, current drinkers showed a 31% greater risk of GC than non-drinkers (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03-1.66), whereas no significant association was observed in women. In men, GC risk was associated with a higher frequency (This study suggests that frequent intake of alcohol, even in low quantities per session, increases GC risk. Further research is warranted to evaluate the relationship between alcohol and GC in detail.

Mixing alcohol with caffeinated energy drinks is a common practice among young people. Consumption of alcohol mixed in energy drink is associated with increased risk of binge drinking and alcohol dependence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether voluntary intermittent access to alcohol mixed in energy drink in adolescent rats alters adult self-administration of alcohol, anxiety, and memory.For 10 weeks in the home-cage, two groups of adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats had intermittent access to energy drink (ED) or 10% alcohol mixed in energy drink (AmED) with water concurrently available. Other rat groups had daily continuous access to ED or AmED. Anxiety was measured with an open field test and memory was assessed with a novel place recognition test. For self-administration, rats pressed levers for 10% alcohol alone on a fixed ratio (FR1) and on a progressive ratio (PR).Intermittent access to AmED generated greater intake during the initial 30 min of access (AmED 1.70 ± 0.04 g/kg vs. ED 1.01 ± 0.06 g/kg) and during the subsequent 24 h (AmED 7.04 ± 0.25 g/kg vs. ED 5.60 ± 0.29 g/kg). Intermittent AmED caused a significant but small decrease in anxiety while neither ED nor AmED altered memory. During alcohol self-administration, group differences emerged only during PR testing during which intermittent AmED rats responded more than all other groups.These findings suggest that intermittent access to AmED generates binge-like consumption that supports human findings that AmED generates greater alcohol consumption. Furthermore, experience with AmED may alter the motivational properties of alcohol into adulthood without necessarily causing a major impact on anxiety or memory.

The concept of “ethno-microbiology” is to understand the indigenous knowledge of the Indian people for production of culturally and organoleptically acceptable fermented foods by natural fermentation. About 1000 types of common, uncommon, rare, exotic and artisan fermented foods and beverages are prepared and consumed in different geographical regions by multi-ethnic communities in India. Indian fermented foods are mostly acidic and some are alkaline, along with various types of alcoholic beverages. A colossal diversity of microorganisms comprising bacteria mostly belongs to phylum Firmicutes, filamentous moulds and enzyme- and alcohol-producing yeasts under phyla Ascomycota and Mucoromycota, and few bacteriophages and archaea have been reported from Indian fermented foods. Some microorganisms associated with fermented foods have functionalities and health promoting benefits. “Ethno-microbiology” of ethnic Indian people has exhibited the proper utilisation of substrates either singly or in combination such as fermented cereal-legume mixture (idli, dosa and dhokla) in South and West India, sticky fermented soybean food (kinema and related foods), fermented perishable leafy vegetable (gundruk and related foods), fermented bamboo shoots (soibum and related foods) and fermented fish (ngari and others) in North East India, and fermented meat and sausage-like products in the Indian Himalayas, fermented coconut beverage (toddy) in coastal regions, and various types of naturally fermented milk products (dahi and related products) in different regions of India. This review has also highlighted the “ethno-microbiology” knowledge of the people involving the consortia of essential microorganisms in traditionally prepared amylolytic starters for production of cereal-based alcoholic beverages. The novelty of this review is the interpretation of ethno-microbiological knowledge innovated by ethnic Indian people on the use of beneficial microorganisms for food fermentation to obtain the desired fermented food products for consumption.

To measure the impact of taxes and prices on alcohol use with particular attention to the different context of rising alcohol consumption in low- and middle-income countries.Systematic review: we searched MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit and LILACS, grey literature, hand-searched five specialty journals and examined references of relevant studies. We considered all reviews that included studies that quantitatively examined the relationship between alcohol prices or taxes and alcohol use. At least two reviewers independently screened the articles and extracted the characteristics, methods and main results and assessed the quality of each included study. We identified 30 reviews.There was overwhelming evidence that higher alcohol prices and taxes were associated with lower total alcohol consumption and that price responsiveness varied by beverage type. Total own-price elasticities of alcohol demand were consistently negative and substantial enough to be policy meaningful; total own-price elasticities for beer, wine and spirits were found to be approximately -0.3, -0.6 and -0.65. Reviews generally concluded that higher taxes and prices were associated with lower heavy episodic drinking and heavy drinking, although the magnitude of these associations was generally unclear. Reviews provided no evidence that alcohol price responsiveness differed by socioeconomic status, mixed and contradictory evidence with respect to age and sex and limited evidence that price responsiveness in low- and middle-income countries was approximately the same as in high-income countries.Taxes are effective in reducing alcohol use. Moreover, increasing the price of alcohol by increasing taxes can also be expected to increase tax revenue, because the demand for alcohol is most certainly inelastic.

Retail alcohol outlets appear to open in neighborhoods with low land and structure rents near sources of demand; they may 'agglomerate', open near to one another or 'churn', replace one another, over time. We used the turnover in numbers of outlets over time to measure agglomeration and churning and the impacts of openings and closings of outlets on neighborhood crime.Interrupted quasi-experiments using spatial panel population data from 3768 synthetic block areas over 6 years.City of Oakland, CA, USA.City population.Census-based socio-demographic estimates and counts of openings and closings of bars/pubs, restaurants and off-premises outlets related to assault, burglary and robbery crime incidents across synthetic Census blocks. Bayesian space-time models were used to assess agglomeration and churning and measure impacts of openings/closings on crime.Churning was substantial; openings followed closings for all outlets [bars/pubs, relative risk (RR) = 50.9, 95% credible interval (CI) = 3.0-449.9; restaurants, RR = 3.1, CI = 1.5-6.1; off-premises, RR = 23.5, CI = 2.0-129.8]. Bars/pub and restaurant openings agglomerated with other outlets (e.g., RR = 1.02, CI = 1.00-1.03 and RR = 1.01, CI = 1.00-1.01), but off-premises outlets did not. Covarying out effects related to outlet densities, bar/pub openings were related to a 3.5% increase in assaults (RR = 1.04, CI = 1.01-1.06) and 6.9% increase in robberies (RR = 1.07, CI = 1.03-1.11). Restaurant openings were related to a 5.3% increase in burglaries (RR = 1.05, CI = 1.04-1.06). Openings and closings of off-premises outlets were unrelated to all three crime types.Retail alcohol outlets appear to follow a pattern of opening near to one another and replacing each other over time. Bar, pub and restaurant openings appear to be related to increases in neighborhood crime.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine drug-related arrest rates in California from 2005 to 2017 with a focus on the measurement of presumptive excess arrests across areas proximate to the U.S.–Mexico border. METHOD: Arrest data come from the Monthly Arrest and Citation Register (MACR) by the California Department of Justice. U.S. Census demographic population information, and alcohol outlet data from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, were aggregated at the level of 499 Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERA) that contributed to the MACR report. Multivariable analyses were conducted using hierarchical Bayesian Poisson space-time models. RESULTS: Multivariable results showed that felony and misdemeanor arrests increased with distance from the U.S.–Mexico border (felony relative rate [RR] = 1.007, 95% CI [1.003, 1.010]; misdemeanor RR = 1.013, 95% CI [1.010, 1.016]) and were greater in areas with greater outlet concentrations (felony RR = 1.008, 95% CI [1.008, 1.008]; misdemeanor RR = 1.007, 95% CI [1.007, 1.007]) and a greater percentage of bars and pubs (felony RR = 1.031, 95% CI [1.030, 1.032]; misdemeanor RR = 1.052, 95% CI [1.051, 1.053]). Areas with greater Black populations had greater felony and fewer misdemeanor arrests (felony RR = 1.078, 95% CI [1.076, 1.079]; misdemeanor RR = 0.865, 95% CI [0.864, 0.867]). Areas with greater Hispanic populations had greater misdemeanor arrests (RR = 1.008, 95% CI [1.006, 1.009]). The percentage of off-premise outlets was inversely associated with misdemeanor arrest rates (RR = 0.995, 95% CI [0.994, 0.995]). CONCLUSIONS: Although arrest rates were substantively related to the racial composition of areas across California, there was no evidence of excess drug-related arrests along border areas.

The recent realisation regarding the potentiality of the long-neglected non-Saccharomyces yeasts in improving the flavour profile and functionality of alcoholic beverages has pushed researchers to search for such potent strains in many sources. We studied the fungal diversity and the rice beer production capability of the fungal strains isolated from emao—a traditional rice beer starter culture of the Boro community. Fifty distinct colonies were picked from mixed-culture plates, of which ten representative morphotypes were selected for species identification, and simultaneous saccharification and beer fermentation (SSBF) assay. The representative isolates were identified as Hyphopichia burtonii (Hbur-FI38, Hbur-FI44, Hbur-FI47 & Hbur-FI68), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Scer-FI51), Wickerhamomyces anomalus (Wano-FI52), Candida carpophila (Ccar-FI53), Mucor circinelloides (Mcir-FI60), and Saccharomycopsis malanga (Smal-FI77 and Smal-FI84). The non-Saccharomyces yeast strains Hbur-FI38, Hbur-FI44, Ccar-FI53, and Smal-FI77 showed SSBF capacity on rice substrate producing beer that contained 7–10% (v/v) ethanol. A scaled-up fermentation assay was performed to assess the strain-wise fermentation behaviour in large-scale production. The nutritional, functional, and sensory qualities of the SSBF strain fermented beer were compared to the beer produced by emao. All the strains produced beer with reduced alcohol and energy value while compared to the traditional starter emao. Beer produced by both the strains of H. burtonii stood out with higher ascorbic acid, phenol, and antioxidant property, and improved sensory profile in addition to reduced alcohol and energy value. Such SSBF strains are advantageous over the non-SSBF S. cerevisiae strains as the former can be used for direct beer production from rice substrates. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42770-022-00765-7.

Background Lowering the strength of alcohol products could lead to less alcohol being bought and drunk. In its prevention White Paper, the UK Government aims to promote a significant increase in the availability of alcohol-free and low-alcohol products by 2025. Methods Through descriptive analysis and ARIMA modelling of >4 million alcohol purchases from 69 803 British households, we study the potential impact of lower strength alcohol products in reducing household purchases of grams of alcohol over 2015–2019. Households are divided into predominantly beer, wine or spirits purchasers. Results Over 5 years, there were decreases in purchases of grams of alcohol within beer amongst beer-purchasing households and increases in purchases of grams of alcohol within wine and spirits amongst, respectively, wine- and spirits-purchasing households. Almost all the changes were due to beer-purchasing households buying less regular strength beer, and wine and spirits-purchasing households buying, respectively, more regular strength wine and spirits, rather than increases in purchases of no- and low-alcohol products. Conclusions In general, lower strength alcohol products have not contributed to British households buying fewer grams of alcohol over the 5-year follow-up period during 2015–2019.

On May 3, 2018, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CQCDC) received a report of 15 persons with numbness of the tongue or limbs and vomiting of unknown etiology; all ill persons had attended an adult birthday luncheon in Bishan District, Chongqing municipality, in southwest China. Initial reports indicated that one person had died. Within 2 hours, CQCDC and Western Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program staff members launched an investigation that included identification of cases, laboratory testing of drinks, and patient interviews to identify the cause of what appeared to be a poisoning. Among the 15 cases, five persons died. The investigation of this apparent mass intoxication implicated a homemade alcoholic beverage produced from a highly toxic flowering plant in the genus Aconitum used in traditional Chinese medicine. Although the risk of aconite toxicity is known, approximately 5,000 cases of aconite poisoning incidents were reported in China, Germany, Japan, and other countries during 1993-2005; most cases of fatal poisoning occurred in China (1). This event highlights the importance of enforcing and complying with existing regulations regarding sale and purchase of Aconitum species (also known as wolfbane), and of dissemination of critical public health messages.

Purpose To determine whether social media use, alcohol consumption, and sociodemographic factors predicted Americans’ knowledge about alcohol-related cancer risk. Design Health Information National Trends Survey (2020). Setting United States. Subjects A nationally representative sample ( N = 3865; response rate = 36.7%). Measures Knowledge about cancer risk of beer, wine, and liquor; social media use; demographics; smoking status; alcohol consumption; and cancer history. Analysis Data were analyzed using multinomial multiple logistic regression with jackknife replicate weights. Results Less than a third of U.S. adults (20.34-31.20%) were aware of cancer risk of alcohol. People who watched health-related YouTube videos were more likely to be well-informed (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55 [95% confidence interval 1.01, 2.36] for beer) and misinformed (OR = 1.68 [1.17, 2.43] for wine). Alcohol consumption predicted higher likelihoods of being misinformed about cancer risk of beer (OR = 1.03 [1.003, 1.05]). People who were older and had less education were less likely to be well-informed for all types of alcohol. Females (for liquor) and Blacks (for beer) were less likely to be well-informed and misinformed. Conclusion Social media can be a source of both correct information and misinformation about alcohol and cancer risk. Health promotion should target older adults, people with less education, racial minorities, females, and people who consume alcohol.

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food processing and accounts for a substantial proportion of human foods, including not only staple foods such as bread, cereal porridges or fermented legumes but also fermented vegetables, meats, fish and dairy, alcoholic beverages as well as coffee, cocoa and condiments such as vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauces. Adding the regional varieties to these diverse product categories makes for an almost immeasurable diversity of fermented foods. The periodic table of fermented foods aims to map this diversity on the 118 entries of the periodic table of chemical elements. While the table fails to represent the diversity of fermented foods, it represents major fermentation substrates, product categories, fermentation processes and fermentation organisms. This communication not only addresses limitations of the graphical display on a "periodic table of fermented foods", but also identifies opportunities that relate to questions that are facilitated by this graphical presentation: on the origin and purpose of food fermentation, which fermented foods represent "indigenous" foods, differences and similarities in the assembly of microbial communities in different fermentations, differences in the global preferences for food fermentation, the link between microbial diversity, fermentation time and product properties, and opportunities of using traditional food fermentations as template for development of new products. KEY POINTS: • Fermented foods are produced in an almost immeasurable diversity. • Fermented foods were mapped on a periodic table of fermented foods. • This table facilitates identification of communalities and differences of products.

Patulin is one of the most significant food safety problems in fruit and derived products. The reduction of patulin contamination in food processing has always been the focus of research. In this study, nine yeast strains were applied for the brewing of apple cider and the fate of patulin was determined. In this process, the patulin contamination can be decreased by adsorption onto and degradation of yeast cells in the main fermentation (20.8-49.1%), as well as the adsorption removal during clarification (18.7-58%), inverted cans (21.3-31.4%) and aging (1.0-5.8%).

Cachaça is the distilled beverage typical of Brazil and can be subjected to the aging process in wooden barrels. In addition to oak barrels, cachaça is also aged in barrels of different Brazilian native woods, resulting in a wide variety of its sensory characteristics. In this work, 172 cachaças aged in bálsamo, jequitibá, oak, and umburana barrels were analyzed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and by the classification methods of principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. Spectra were preprocessed by the first derivative by Savitzky-Golay smoothing, using a filter width and polynomial order determined through face-centered central composite designs. Multivariate analysis was realized using the spectra recorded at different wavelength differences, and models were compared by the classification errors in the test sets.The principal component analysis applied to the synchronous fluorescence spectra presented a tendency of separation by the wood used in the aging process, and the partial least squares discriminant analysis model constructed using the fluorescence spectra recorded at a wavelength difference of 30 nm provided better performance parameters (efficiency 91-97%, sensitivity 81-100%, and specificity 91-100%).Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy offers a promising approach for the classification of cachaças aged in bálsamo, oak, jequitibá, and umburana barrels, and the discriminant model can be used for routine analysis as a screening method. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used for ethanol production. In the production of alcoholic beverages, flavours are affected mainly by yeast metabolism in the fermentation process. To increase the contents of initial scented fruity flavours, such as isoamyl alcohol and isoamyl acetate, leucine accumulation in yeast cells is induced by a decrease of leucine feedback inhibition in the l-leucine synthetic pathway using conventional mutagenesis. Diploid strains are commonly used in sake brewing because of better fermentation performance, such as vitality and endurance, compared with those of haploid strains. Heterozygous mutations are mostly detected in target genes of brewing yeasts generated through mutation breeding. Here we describe that an allele of the LEU4 gene, LEU4

The present study assessed the impact of changes to the New South Wales Liquor Act in 2014 on assault-related presentations to the ED of St Vincent's Hospital. This hospital is the primary receiving hospital for the area affected by these laws.Patients presenting to the ED with an assault-related diagnosis were identified from the ED and trauma registry databases from 2009 to 2019 and retrospectively reviewed. The number of presentations in the 5 years prior to the introduction of the laws in 2014 was compared to the number occurring in the 5 years following this. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and in-hospital death were used as markers for severe injury.From 2009 to 2019 there were 2983 assault-related presentations to the ED, with 153 requiring ICU admission and 12 deaths. The mean number of presentations annually fell from 342 to 255 after the introduction of the laws (P = 0.01). The reduction in presentations was sustained for the entire 5-year period after the introduction of the laws. Although the mean number of patients requiring ICU admission per year fell from 17 to 14, and the mean number of deaths annually fell from 1.6 to 0.8, neither of these were statistically significant.There has been a significant reduction in assault-related presentations to St Vincent's Hospital following the changes to the liquor licensing laws that has been sustained for 5 years with no significant decrease in the those with severe assault injuries.

Methanol is present at high concentrations in unrecorded fruit spirits, placing consumers of these beverages at risk of exposure at high levels. When assessing any health risk it is necessary to consider blood methanol levels (BMLs), reference dose (RfD), and maximum tolerable blood methanol level (MTBML). The aim of our study was to estimate daily methanol intake and related BMLs attributable to drinking unrecorded fruit spirits in the European population using a probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation. Data on the concentration of methanol in unrecorded fruit spirits in European Union member states were collected and the health risk posed by consumption of unrecorded fruit spirits was estimated. We found that drinking unrecorded fruit spirits containing methanol at a concentration higher than 8598.1 mg/litre of pure alcohol (p.a.) or 6382.1 mg/litre of p.a. and also at least 10 g ethanol can result in a methanol intake above the RfD by men and women, respectively. We confirmed that consumption of unrecorded fruit spirits containing methanol does not result in BMLs higher than the MTBML. Further studies are required to assess whether there is any health risk from chronic exposure to methanol above the RfD from unrecorded fruit spirits.

AimsTo examine how standard analytical approaches to model mortality outcomes of alcohol use compare to the true results using the impact of the March 2017 alcohol taxation increase in Lithuania on all-cause mortality as an example.MethodsFour methodologies were used: two direct methodologies: (a) interrupted time-series on mortality and (b) comparing predictions based on time-series modeling with the real number of deaths for the year following the implementation of the tax increase; and two indirect methodologies: (c) combining a regression-based estimate for the impact of taxation on alcohol consumption with attributable-fraction methodology and (d) using price elasticities from meta-analyses to estimate the impact on alcohol consumption before applying attributable-fraction methodology.Results and ConclusionsWhile all methodologies estimated reductions in all-cause mortality, especially for men, there was substantial variability in the level of mortality reductions predicted. The indirect methodologies had lower predictions as the meta-analyses on elasticities and risk relations seem to underestimate the true values for Lithuania. Directly estimated effects of taxation based on the actual mortalities seem to best represent the true reductions in alcohol-attributable mortality. A significant increase in alcohol excise taxation had a marked impact on all-cause mortality in Lithuania.

Aims There is a paucity of epidemiological evidence on alcohol and the risk of bradyarrhythmias. We thus characterized associations of total and beverage-specific alcohol consumption with incident bradyarrhythmias using data from the UK Biobank. Methods and results Alcohol consumption reported at baseline was calculated as UK standard drinks (8 g alcohol)/week. Bradyarrhythmia events were defined as sinus node dysfunction (SND), high-level atrioventricular block (AVB), and permanent pacemaker implantations. Outcomes were assessed through hospitalization and death records, and dose–response associations were characterized using Cox regression models with correction for regression dilution bias. We studied 407 948 middle-aged individuals (52.4% female). Over a median follow-up time of 11.5 years, a total of 8 344 incident bradyarrhythmia events occurred. Increasing total alcohol consumption was not associated with an increased risk of bradyarrhythmias. Beer and cider intake were associated with increased bradyarrhythmia risk up to 12 drinks/week; however, no significant associations were observed with red wine, white wine, or spirit intake. When bradyarrhythmia outcomes were analysed separately, a negative curvilinear was observed for total alcohol consumption and risk of SND, but no clear association with AVB was observed. Conclusion In this predominantly White British cohort, increasing total alcohol consumption was not associated with an increased risk of bradyarrhythmias. Associations appeared to vary according to the type of alcoholic beverage and between different types of bradyarrhythmias. Further epidemiological and experimental studies are required to clarify these findings.

Volatile compounds in Chinese Zhizhonghe Wujiapi (WJP) medicinal liquor were extracted by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation extraction (SAFE) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), respectively, and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that a total of 123 volatile compounds (i.e., 108 by SAFE, 50 by SBSE, and 34 by both) including esters, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, heterocycles, terpenes and terpenoids, alkenes, phenols, and other compounds were identified, and 67 of them were confirmed as aroma-active compounds by the application of the aroma extract dilution analysis coupled with gas chromatography-olfactometry. After making a simulated reconstitute by mixing 41 characterized aroma-active compounds (odor activity values ≥1) based on their concentrations, the aroma profile of the reconstitute showed good similarity to that of the original WJP liquor. Omission test further corroborated 34 key aroma-active compounds in the WJP liquor. The study of WJP liquor is expected to provide some insights into the characterization of special volatile components in traditional Chinese medicine liquors for the purpose of quality improvement and aroma optimization.

Supersized alcopops are sugar-sweetened beverages with extraordinarily high alcohol content; consumption is highly prevalent among college students and is associated with a variety of negative alcohol-related consequences. However, few studies have examined risk factors for consumption of these products. The objective of this study was to examine, among a college student sample, whether the behavioral economic principle of alcohol demand was associated with self-reported lifetime consumption of Four Loko-the most popular brand of supersized alcopop among underage drinkers. Participants were 170 undergraduate students who were at least 18 years of age and reported at least 1 day of alcohol consumption within the past month. Study participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing demographics, Four Loko consumption and associated problems, and alcohol demand (using the Brief Assessment of Alcohol Demand). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that intensity (drinks they would consume if free) significantly predicted Four Loko consumption but not breakpoint (maximum expenditure per drink) or Omax (maximum expenditure for all drinks). Findings support that students who prefer consuming large quantities of alcohol when it is free are more likely to have consumed Four Loko. Interventions increasing price or reducing the availability of Four Loko may be especially protective for this at-risk population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

4-Vinylguaiacol (4-VG) is one of the most common off-flavors found in sake. 4-VG is produced from its precursor, ferulic acid, which is a component of the cell wall of the rice endosperm. The release of ferulic acid in sake brewing is thought to be mediated by feruloyl esterase produced by either Aspergillus oryzae or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To investigate the effect of FaeA, a feruloyl esterase produced by A. oryzae, its loss-of-function strain was produced by genome co-editing. The feruloyl esterase activity of the faeA-deficient strain was drastically reduced. Sake was fermented using koji with S. cerevisiae strain G046, which can convert ferulic acid to 4-VG. Fermented sake was analyzed by measuring the 4-VG content and sensory evaluation. 4-VG content was reduced to approximately 10% of that of sake fermented with control koji. Sensory evaluation revealed that 4-VG was almost undetectable. Our findings showed that disruption of faeA in A. oryzae is a promising strategy to reduce 4-VG off-flavors in sake.

The infection of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) seriously threatens human life. It is urgent to generate effective and safe specific antibodies (Abs) against the pathogenic elements of COVID-19. Mice were immunized with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antigens: S ectodomain-1 (CoV, in short) mixed in Alum adjuvant for 2 times and boosted with CoV weekly for 6 times. A portion of mice were treated with Maotai liquor (MTL, in short) or/and heat stress (HS) together with CoV boosting. We observed that the anti-CoV Ab was successfully induced in mice that received the CoV/Alum immunization for 2 times. However, upon boosting with CoV, the CoV Ab production diminished progressively; spleen CoV Ab-producing plasma cell counts reduced, in which substantial CoV-specific Ab-producing plasma cells (sPC) were apoptotic. Apparent oxidative stress signs were observed in sPCs; the results were reproduced by exposing sPCs to CoV in the culture. The presence of MTL or/and HS prevented the CoV-induced oxidative stress in sPCs and promoted and stabilized the CoV Ab production in mice in re-exposure to CoV. In summary, CoV/Alum immunization can successfully induce CoV Ab production in mice that declines upon reexposure to CoV. Concurrent administration of MTL/HS stabilizes and promotes the CoV Ab production in mice.

Screening for new sake yeasts can expand the sensory diversity of sake, due to their production of metabolites that characterize sake's aroma and taste. In this study, mud from tidal flats in the Ariake Sea was screened for Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with ethanol productivity suitable for sake brewing, and the brewing characteristics of isolated strains were evaluated. Five strains (H1-1, H1-2, H1-3, H3-1, and H3-2) classified as S. cerevisiae were isolated. Karyotype analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that five isolated strains were closely related to sake yeast strains (K7, K701, K9, K901, and Y52) instead of laboratory yeast strain. Results of small-scale brewing tests including sake yeast strains K701, K901, and Y52 showed that the five isolated strains have fermentation activity comparable to sake yeast strains. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the five isolated strains produce higher levels of ethyl caproate and lower levels of acidic compounds than sake yeasts. In addition, isolated strains H3-1 and H3-2 produce higher levels of isoamyl acetate and lower levels of acetic acid than other isolated strains. Consequently, five S. cerevisiae strains that have high fermentation activity and differ from common sake yeast strains in terms of brewing characteristics were successfully isolated from the Ariake Sea.

Alcohol is a widely consumed substance in the United States, however its effect on aging remains understudied. In this study of young adults, we examined whether cumulative alcohol consumption, i.e., alcohol years of beer, liquor, wine, and total alcohol, and recent binge drinking, were associated with four measures of age-related epigenetic changes via blood DNA methylation. A random subset of study participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study underwent DNA methylation profiling using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Beadchip. Participants with alcohol consumption and methylation data at examination years 15 (n = 1,030) and 20 (n = 945) were included. Liquor and total alcohol consumption were associated with a 0.31-year (P = 0.002) and a 0.12-year (P = 0.013) greater GrimAge acceleration (GAA) per additional five alcohol years, while beer and wine consumption observed marginal (P = 0.075) and no associations (P = 0.359) with GAA, respectively. Any recent binge drinking and the number of days of binge drinking were associated with a 1.38-year (P < 0.001) and a 0.15-year (P < 0.001) higher GAA, respectively. We observed statistical interactions between cumulative beer (P < 0.001) and total alcohol (P = 0.004) consumption with chronological age, with younger participants exhibiting a higher average in GAA compared to older participants. No associations were observed with the other measures of epigenetic aging. These results suggest cumulative liquor and total alcohol consumption and recent binge drinking may alter age-related epigenetic changes as captured by GAA. With the increasing aging population and widespread consumption of alcohol, these findings may have potential implications for lifestyle modification to promote healthy aging.

5 Respostas rápidas para a saúde pública no pós pandemia. Estratégias efetivas para superar as barreiras de acesso à Atenção Especializada. [Effective strategies to overcome barriers to access to Specialized Care] Estratégias para promover a continuidade do cuidado após o contrarreferenciamento. Estratégias para a promoção de saúde mental dos profissionais de saúde no âmbito organizacional. Estratégias de Prevenção e Tratamento de álcool, tabaco e outras drogas para a população em situação de vulnerabilidade. Estratégias para superar as barreiras culturais para o acesso aos serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde.

Introduction: Intake of acidic beverages has been considered one of the factors that can cause tooth erosion. In an attempt to reduce the erosive potential of these beverages for dental enamel, it is possible to add anti-erosion agents to them. Objective: To map which are the anti-erosion substances that, when added to liquid acidic beverages suitable for consumption, reduce the erosive potential of tooth enamel. Review Method: This is a scoping review protocol according to the Joanna Briggs Institute method. The research question was constructed using the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) strategy, with P - dental element; o C - anti-erosion substances added to liquid acid drinks suitable for consumption, to reduce the erosive potential; and C - dental enamel. Based on the PCC, the following research question was elaborated: What are the anti-erosion substances that, when added to liquid acidic beverages suitable for consumption, reduce the erosive potential of dental enamel?. Publications that meet the following inclusion criteria will be considered included: Scientific articles that present primary data written in English and published until December 2022; and studies of the in situ type in which the evaluation of erosion is at the enamel level of permanent human teeth and acidic drinks are suitable for consumption. The following exclusion criteria will be considered: Studies that do not correlate with the guiding question; duplicates; and studies related to powdered beverages. A detailed, individual and high sensitivity search strategy will be used for each of the selected databases, namely PubMed (Medline), Virtual Health Library, EMBASE (Elsevier), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science and ScienceDirect (Elsevier). Two reviewers will carry out the searches, sorting by titles and abstracts, eligibility by reading the studies in full and, subsequently, extracting data from the included studies. Presentation and Interpretation of Results: The data will be segmented into several categories involving identification, methodology and main results, which will be arranged in tables. After careful analysis of the findings, discussions will be carried out seeking to synthesize and consolidate evidence in a rigorous and effective way.

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a process contaminant that can be formed as a byproduct during fermentation and processing of foods and beverages. Elevated EC levels are primarily associated with distilled spirits, but this compound has also been found at lower levels in foods and beverages, including breads, soy sauce, and wine. Evidence from animal studies suggests that EC is a probable human carcinogen. Consequently, several governmental institutions have established allowable limits for EC in the food supply. This review will discuss EC formation mechanisms, occurrence of EC in the food supply, and EC dietary exposure assessments. Analytical methods currently used to detect EC, and advances in experimental technologies, such as nanosensors and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) will also be discussed. Finally, application of mitigation methods to maintain levels of EC under allowable limits will be covered, including distillation practices, enzymatic treatments, and genetic engineering of yeast. Ongoing research in this field is needed to refine mitigation strategies and develop methods to rapidly detect EC in the food supply.

Introduction The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol were released in 2020 by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Based on the latest evidence, the guidelines provide advice on how to keep the risk of harm from alcohol low. They refer to an Australian standard drink (10 g ethanol). Recommendations •Guideline 1: To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy men and women should drink no more than ten standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol. •Guideline 2: To reduce the risk of injury and other harms to health, children and people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol. •Guideline 3: To prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby. Changes as result of the guideline The recommended limit for healthy adults changed from two standard drinks per day (effectively 14 per week) to ten per week. The new guideline states that the less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol. The recommended maximum on any one day remains four drinks (clarified from previously "per drinking occasion"). Guidance is clearer for pregnancy and breastfeeding, and for people aged less than 18 years, recommending not drinking.

OBJECTIVES To investigate effect of distilled alcoholic beverages on surface hardness, roughness, and erosion of bulk-fill resin composites. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty eight specimens of each bulk-fill resin composite (Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative, SonicFill 2, and Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill) were prepared. Baseline data of surface hardness and roughness value were recorded. The specimens were divided into five groups: vodka, whisky, tequila, brandy, and deionized water (served as a control). Specimens were then alternately immersed in 25 ml of a storage agent for 5 s and in 25 ml of artificial saliva for 5 s over 10 cycles. This process was repeated for 14 days. After immersion, specimens were subjected to evaluation of surface hardness, roughness, and erosion on days 7 and 14. The data were statistically analyzed by two-way repeated analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly significant difference, and a t test (p

Introduction On 1 May 2018 Scotland introduced a minimum unit price (MUP) of GB50 pence per unit of alcohol (8 g) sold. We analysed household purchase data to assess the impact of MUP in shifting purchases from higher to lower strength beers. Methods Data from Kantar Worldpanel's household shopping panel, with 75 376 households and 4.76 million alcohol purchases, 2015-2020. We undertook interrupted time series analyses of the impact of introducing MUP in Scotland on changes in the proportion of the volume of purchased beer with an alcohol by volume (ABV) 3.5%. MUP was associated with reduced purchases of grams of alcohol within beer by 8% (95% CI 7.8-8.3), increasing to 9.6% (95% CI 9.3-9.9), when accounting for the moderating impact of shifts to lower strength beer. Discussion and Conclusions MUP seems an effective policy to reduce off-trade purchases of alcohol and encourage shifts to lower strength beers.

COVID-19 and the associated policies created a large shift in alcohol sales. A change in availability and consumer preferences caused a shift from wholesale to retail sales in many areas. This study estimates the magnitude of the changes in wholesale and retail sales, and the persistence of these changes.Highly detailed sales data are used to analyze trends in distilled spirts sales during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Idaho. A total of 810,000 unique observations that cover 58 types of distilled spirts are used in a regression analysis to find the determinants of distilled spirts sales.In March 2020, there was a 27.2% increase in sales compared with the previous March because of a 42.3% increase in retail sales and a 41.1% decrease in wholesale sales. Increased sales continued until August 2020. The regression analysis shows changes in demand during 2020 varied by the type of distilled spirits; demand increased more for distilled spirts types with higher ethanol early in March 2020, but from April to July demand increased more for expensive distilled spirts with a lower ethanol level.Examination of the types of distilled spirts purchased during the early stages of the pandemic shows us that consumers bought different types of distilled spirts for various characteristics, such as price and ethanol level. We find that consumers initially purchased cheap distilled spirts with high alcohol content. By August, distilled spirts sales were similar to previous years. These results will be useful to policymakers in determining the effects of distilled spirts restrictions.

Public health policies aim to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms by controlling the cost and availability of alcohol, yet industry actors seek to position branded beverages appealingly vis-à-vis other products. To inform the development of regulatory strategies, it is important to understand how alcohol branding interacts with seductive pricing strategies to influence purchasing decisions. Toward this aim, the current study examines how the "decoy effect" may operate to modify purchasing decisions for branded alcoholic beverages.Social drinkers (The decoy modified initial purchasing decisions for alcoholic compared with nonalcoholic beverages, and this effect was exacerbated by alcohol branding. Increases in self-reported alcohol consumption were associated with a greater change from choices for branded alcoholic beverages.When faced with a choice conflict, individuals who consume alcohol may be nudged into selecting more expensive branded alcoholic beverages. These findings may inform the development of alcohol control policies relating to branding and relative pricing/product placement.

BackgroundIngestion of methanol can result in severe irreversible morbidity, and death. Simple and easy methods to detect methanol and other hazardous additives prior to consumption can prevent fatalities. This form of harm reduction is analogous to the widely practiced “pill testing” of recreational drugs in various countries. We aimed to evaluate the performance of two qualitative and quantitative kits to simultaneously identify the presence of methanol and formaldehyde in alcoholic beverages, and compare this to the standard gas chromatographic (GC) method.MethodsTwo-hundred samples of Indian and Iranian alcoholic drinks were examined by two new qualitative and quantitative chemical kits designed based on a modified chromotropic acid (CA) method, as well as a gold standard GC method.ResultsMethanol levels were similar when evaluated by GC and quantitative method (Z = – 0.328, p = 0.743). The 75th percentile of methanol level detection was 4,290 mg L−1 (range; 0–83,132) using GC compared to that of 4,671 mg L−1 (range; 0–84,960) using the qualitative kit (predefined color intensity reflecting the methanol/ethanol ratio). The quantitative kit was able to detect all methanol-contaminated and non-contaminated samples (110 and 60 cases, respectively: 100% sensitivity). In 25 samples, GC analysis showed no methanol; but the qualitative kit detected possible toxic substances. Formaldehyde measurement by UV/Vis analysis showed the presence of formaldehyde in 23 samples (92%) with a median 912 [IQR 249, 2,109; range 112–2,742] mg L−1.ConclusionMethanol and formaldehyde can be easily detected using these simple CA chemical kits. Qualitative positive results may indicate the risk of poisoning if the beverage is consumed. CA kits can be used in community setting by public health units and community organizations to monitor for methanol contamination and inform a public health response to reduce methanol-related harms to the public.