Prevention of binge drinking in young adolescents through the promotion of a balanced level of psychological well-being: be-dry

This doctoral thesis presents a project carried out in secondary schools located in the city of Ferrara with the primary objective of demonstrating the effectiveness of an intervention based on Well-Being Therapy (Fava, 2016) in reducing alcohol use and improving lifestyles. In the first part (chapters 1-3), an introduction on risky behaviors and unhealthy lifestyle in adolescence is presented, followed by an examination of the phenomenon of binge drinking and of the concept of psychological well-being. In the second part (chapters 4-6), the experimental study is presented. A three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial including three test periods was implemented. The study involved eleven classes that were randomly assigned to receive well-being intervention (WBI), lifestyle intervention (LI) or not receive intervention (NI). Results were analyzed by linear mixed model and mixed-effects logistic regression with the aim to test the efficacy of WBI in comparison with LI and NI. AUDIT-C total score increased more in NI in comparison with WBI (p=0.008) and LI (p=0.003) at 6-month. The odds to be classified as at-risk drinker was lower in WBI (OR 0.01; 95%CI 0.01–0.14) and LI (OR 0.01; 95%CI 0.01–0.03) than NI at 6-month. The odds to use e-cigarettes at 6-month (OR 0.01; 95%CI 0.01–0.35) and cannabis at post-test (OR 0.01; 95%CI 0.01–0.18) were less in WBI than NI. Sleep hours at night decreased more in NI than in WBI (p = 0.029) and LI (p = 0.006) at 6-month. Internet addiction scores decreased more in WBI (p = 0.003) and LI (p = 0.004) at post-test in comparison with NI. Conclusions about the obtained results, limitations of the study, and future implications are discussed. In the seventh chapter, the data of the project collected during the pandemic are presented and compared with those from recent literature.

A glassful of graphene: graphene-based materials for drinking water remediation

Modern world suffers from an intense water crisis. Emerging contaminants represent one of the most concerning elements of this issue. Substances, molecules, ions, and microorganisms take part in this vast and variegated class of pollutants, which main characteristic is to be highly resistant to traditional water purification technologies. An intense international research effort is being carried out in order to find new and innovative solutions to this problem, and graphene-based materials are one of the most promising options. Graphene oxide (GO) is a nanostructured material where domains populated by oxygenated groups alternate with interconnected areas of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms, on the surface of a one-atom thick nanosheets. GO can adsorb a great number of molecules and ions on its surface, thanks to the variety of different interactions that it can express, such as hydrogen bonding, p-p stacking, and electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction. These characteristics, added to the high superficial area, make it an optimal material for the development of innovative materials for drinking water remediation. The main concern in the use of GO in this field is to avoid secondary contaminations (i.e. GO itself must not become a pollutant). This issue can be faced through the immobilization of GO onto polymeric substrates, thus developing composite materials. The use of micro/ultrafiltration polymeric hollow fibers as substrates allows the design of adsorptive membranes, meaning devices that can perform filtration and adsorption simultaneously. In this thesis, two strategies for the development of adsorptive membranes were investigated: a core-shell strategy, where hollow fibers are coated with GO, and a coextrusion strategy, where GO is embedded in the polymeric matrix of the fibers. The so-obtained devices were exploited for both fundamental studies (i.e. molecular and ionic behaviour in between GO nanosheets) and real applications (the coextruded material is now at TRL 9).

Contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water: assessment of the effectiveness of removal by drinking water treatments and possible risks to human health

Contaminants of emerging concern are increasingly detected in the water cycle, with endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) receiving attention due to their potential to cause adverse health effects even at low concentrations. Although the EU has recently introduced some EDCs into drinking water legislation, most drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are not designed to remove EDCs, making their detection and removal in DWTPs an important challenge. The aim of this doctoral project was to investigate hormones and phenolic compounds as suspected EDCs in drinking waters across the Romagna area (Italy). The main objectives were to assess the occurrence of considered contaminants in source and drinking water from three DWTPs, characterize the effectiveness of removal by different water treatment processes, and evaluate the potential biological impact on drinking water and human health. Specifically, a complementary approach of target chemical analysis and effect-based methods was adopted to explore drinking water quality, treatment efficacy, and biological potential. This study found that nonylphenol (NP) was prevalent in all samples, followed by BPA. Sporadic contamination of hormones was found only in source waters. Although the measured EDC concentrations in drinking water did not exceed threshold guideline values, the potential role of DWTPs as an additional source of EDC contamination should be considered. Significant increases in BPA and NP levels were observed during water treatment steps, which were also reflected in estrogenic and mutagenic responses in water samples after the ultrafiltration. This highlights the need to monitor water quality during various treatment processes to improve the efficiency of DWTPs. Biological assessments on finished water did not reveal any bioactivity, except for few treated water samples that exhibited estrogenic responses. Overall, the data emphasize the high quality of produced drinking water and the value of applying integrated chemical analysis and in vitro bioassays for water quality assessment.

Toxic cyanobacteria in water intended for drinking purpose: improvement of cells and toxins’ analyses and of treatments for their removal

Massive proliferations of cyanobacteria in freshwaters have recently increased, causing ecological and economic losses. Their ever-increasing presence in water sources destined to potabilization has become a major threat for public health, since several species can produce harmful toxins (cyanotoxin). Therefore, additional specific measures to improve management and treatment of drinking water(s) are required. The PhD thesis investigates toxic cyanobacteria in drinking waters with a special focus on Emilia-Romagna (Italy), throughout three separated chapters, each with different specific objectives. The first chapter aims at improving the fast monitoring of cyanobacteria in drinking water, which was investigated by testing different models of multi-wavelength spectrofluorometers. Inter-laboratories calibrations were conducted using mono-specific cultures and field samples, and both the feasibility and the technical limitations of such tools were illustrated. The second chapter evaluates the effectiveness of drinking water treatments in removing cyanobacterial cells and toxins. Two chlorinated oxidants (sodium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide) already in use for pre-oxidation during water potabilization, were tested on cultures of the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa posing a specific focus on toxin removal and revealing that pre-oxidation can cause the release of toxins and unknown metabolites. Innovative treatments based on non-thermal plasma were also tested, observing an effective and rapid inactivation of cyanobacterial cells. The third chapter presents a study on a cyanobacterium isolated from a drinking water reservoir of Emilia-Romagna and investigated by combining biological, chemical, and genomic methods. Although the strain did not produce any known cyanotoxin, high toxicity of water-extract was observed in bioassays and potential implications for drinking water were discussed. Overall, the PhD thesis offers new insights into toxic cyanobacteria management in drinking water, highlighting best practices for drinking water managers regarding their detection and removal. Additionally, the thesis provides new contributions to the understanding of the freshwater cyanobacteria community in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Touristic water demand: analysis and validation of drinking water consumption data and hotel characterization in Benidorm (Spain)

The work analyses the tourist water demand in Benidorm, a sun-and-sand destination ranked fourth in Spain by number of visitors, where tourism competes with local residents, nature, agriculture and industrial sectors for scarce water resources. In particular, we have studied the correlation between the water consumption of 83 hotels in Benidorm and their characteristics and services which can impact water use. For this purpose, we have examined the water consumption billed, by the water utility company HIDRAQUA in the period January 2010 - October 2022, to the tourist structures in the municipality of Benidorm, and we have explored the hotels’ features, thanks to the collaboration of the tourism and hotels association HOSBEC. To give a better understanding and contextualization of our analysis we first described explained the of the complex water supply system and the efforts that have been made to reduce the threat posed by the peculiar climate conditions of the region. We saw that the water consumption per guest has slightly decreased in the recent years and that the tourist flux has increased: the global pandemic posed a stop to travels for more than one year, but now both the tourist flux and the tourist water consumption are reaching pre-pandemic level. We found that larger hotels, and in particular the ones opened all the year, that probably tend to offer more water-demanding service with respect to the seasonal ones, have higher water consumption per bed. From the analysis of the role of the different hotel characteristics over the water demand patterns, we found that water use increases with the increase in the hotel category and in the ratio between the surface area of the swimming pool and hotel size (number of beds). Other factors impacting the consumption are the presence of an on-site laundry for washing the hotel linen, the garden, and the implementation of environmental policies for water-saving.

Nat2, Xrcc1 And Hogg1 Polymorphisms, Cigarette Smoking, Alcohol Consumption And Risk Of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancer.

To evaluate associations between polymorphisms of the N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) and X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) genes and risk of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer. A case-control study involving 117 cases and 224 controls was undertaken. The NAT2 gene polymorphisms were genotyped by automated sequencing and XRCC1 Arg399Gln and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms were determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. Slow metabolization phenotype was significantly associated as a risk factor for the development of UADT cancer (p=0.038). Furthermore, haplotype of slow metabolization was also associated with UADT cancer (p=0.014). The hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism (CG or GG vs. CC genotypes) was shown as a protective factor against UADT cancer in moderate smokers (p=0.031). The XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism (GA or AA vs. GG genotypes), in turn, was a protective factor against UADT cancer only among never-drinkers (p=0.048). Interactions involving NAT2, XRCC1 Arg399Gln and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms may modulate the risk of UADT cancer in this population.

Taurine Supplementation Reduces Blood Pressure And Prevents Endothelial Dysfunction And Oxidative Stress In Post-weaning Protein-restricted Rats.

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that exerts protective effects on vascular function and structure in several models of cardiovascular diseases through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Early protein malnutrition reprograms the cardiovascular system and is linked to hypertension in adulthood. This study assessed the effects of taurine supplementation in vascular alterations induced by protein restriction in post-weaning rats. Weaned male Wistar rats were fed normal- (12%, NP) or low-protein (6%, LP) diets for 90 days. Half of the NP and LP rats concomitantly received 2.5% taurine supplementation in the drinking water (NPT and LPT, respectively). LP rats showed elevated systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure versus NP rats; taurine supplementation partially prevented this increase. There was a reduced relaxation response to acetylcholine in isolated thoracic aortic rings from the LP group that was reversed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or apocynin incubation. Protein expression of p47phox NADPH oxidase subunit was enhanced, whereas extracellular (EC)-SOD and endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation at Ser 1177 (p-eNOS) were reduced in aortas from LP rats. Furthermore, ROS production was enhanced while acetylcholine-induced NO release was reduced in aortas from the LP group. Taurine supplementation improved the relaxation response to acetylcholine and eNOS-derived NO production, increased EC-SOD and p-eNOS protein expression, as well as reduced ROS generation and p47phox expression in the aortas from LPT rats. LP rats showed an increased aortic wall/lumen ratio and taurine prevented this remodeling through a reduction in wall media thickness. Our data indicate a protective role of taurine supplementation on the high blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling induced by post-weaning protein restriction. The beneficial vascular effect of taurine was associated with restoration of vascular redox homeostasis and improvement of NO bioavailability.

Chemoprotection Of Mnng-initiated Gastric Cancer In Rats Using Iranian Propolis.

Iranian propolis is a natural product of honeybees that has significant and varied anti-cancer benefits. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Iranian propolis on gastric tissue carcinogenesis in an animal model.  Propolis samples were collected from Hamadan and Taleghan districts of Iran, followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Fifty-five rats were divided into three groups; control, Taleghan propolis and Hamadan propolis. All the animals received N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 100 μg/ml) in drinking water ad libitum for 34 weeks. In the treated groups, nutrition with propolis was started two weeks before MNNG administration. At the end of the study, the entire gastrointestinal tract was scrutinized for tumors, and the rest of the body was assessed for metastatic deposits.  Results indicated that the incidence and number of tumors were significantly decreased by propolis in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, epithelial stratification, nuclear dispolarity, structural abnormality, and Beta-catenin and Bcl-2 proteins expression were significantly reduced in the propolis group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, Bax protein expression was significantly increased in the propolis group in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05).  The present study demonstrated the potential chemoprotective effects of the Iranian propolis against gastric cancer in a typical animal model. The results provide evidence for the hypothesis that Iranian propolis may exert a chemoprotective effect on MNNG-initiated gastric cancer through inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis induction.

Leucine Supplementation Does Not Affect Protein Turnover And Impairs The Beneficial Effects Of Endurance Training On Glucose Homeostasis In Healthy Mice.

Endurance exercise training as well as leucine supplementation modulates glucose homeostasis and protein turnover in mammals. Here, we analyze whether leucine supplementation alters the effects of endurance exercise on these parameters in healthy mice. Mice were distributed into sedentary (C) and exercise (T) groups. The exercise group performed a 12-week swimming protocol. Half of the C and T mice, designated as the CL and TL groups, were supplemented with leucine (1.5 % dissolved in the drinking water) throughout the experiment. As well known, endurance exercise training reduced body weight and the retroperitoneal fat pad, increased soleus mass, increased VO2max, decreased muscle proteolysis, and ameliorated peripheral insulin sensitivity. Leucine supplementation had no effect on any of these parameters and worsened glucose tolerance in both CL and TL mice. In the soleus muscle of the T group, AS-160(Thr-642) (AKT substrate of 160 kDa) and AMPK(Thr-172) (AMP-Activated Protein Kinase) phosphorylation was increased by exercise in both basal and insulin-stimulated conditions, but it was reduced in TL mice with insulin stimulation compared with the T group. Akt phosphorylation was not affected by exercise but was lower in the CL group compared with the other groups. Leucine supplementation increased mTOR phosphorylation at basal conditions, whereas exercise reduced it in the presence of insulin, despite no alterations in protein synthesis. In trained groups, the total FoxO3a protein content and the mRNA for the specific isoforms E2 and E3 ligases were reduced. In conclusion, leucine supplementation did not potentiate the effects of endurance training on protein turnover, and it also reduced its positive effects on glucose homeostasis.

Androgen Therapy Reverses Injuries Caused By Ethanol Consumption In The Prostate: Testosterone As A Possible Target To Ethanol-related Disorders.

Chronic ethanol consumption leads to reproductive damages, since it can act directly in the tissues or indirectly, causing a hormonal imbalance. Prostate is a hormone-dependent gland and, consequently, susceptible to ethanol. The potential of testosterone therapy in the ethanol-related disorders was investigated in the prostate microenvironment. UChB rats aged 90 days were divided into 2 experimental groups (n=20): C: drinking water only and EtOH: drinking 10% (v/v) ethanol at >2 g/kg body weight/day+water. At 150 days old, 10 rats from each group received subcutaneous injections of testosterone cypionate (5 mg/kg body weight) diluted in corn oil every other day for 4 weeks, constituting T and EtOH+T, while the remaining animals received corn oil as vehicle. Animals were euthanized at 180 days old, by decapitation. Blood was collected to obtain hormone concentrations and ventral prostate was dissected and processed for light microscope and molecular analyses. Ventral prostate weight, plasma testosterone and DHT and intraprostatic testosterone concentrations were increased after testosterone treatment. Plasma estradiol level was reduced in the EtOH+T. Inflammatory foci, metaplasia and epithelial atrophy were constantly found in the prostate of EtOH and were not observed after hormonal therapy. No differences were found in the expression of AR, ERβ and DACH-1. Additionally, testosterone treatment down-regulated ERα and increased the e-cadherin and α-actinin immunoreactivities. Testosterone was able to reverse damages caused by ethanol consumption in the prostate microenvironment and becomes a possible target to be investigated to ethanol-related disorders.

Identificação eletrônica para avaliação do comportamento dos suínos na fase de gestação

The efficiency of swine production performance depends on the herd administration, such as good nutrition, sanitary control, facilities and appropriate environmental conditions. The concept of this production model is directly related with the reduction of selective losses and the process control. Each production segment is controlled to reach the optimization in the system totality, it is necessary to apply animals handling concepts, environmental control implementation, diseases control, nutrition control, information concerning in guaranteeing the animal welfare and individual identification. The present work presents as objective the development of the mathematical model to evaluate interactions among the internal atmosphere of the installation and the thermal animals preference, in the expectation of detecting a relationship among the frequency access to the drinking fountain and the atmosphere conditions - temperature, black globe temperature and relative humidity, using as tool the electronic identification. The results obtained by the mathematical model, allowed to conclude accurately the evaluation of the swine thermal preference correlating with the climatic variables in the pregnancy stage.

Metformina interage com o treinamento físico diminuindo a glicemia e aumentando o armazenamento de glicogênio em ratos diabéticos

INTRODUCTION: Like in humans, lower amounts of glycogen are present in tissues of diabetic rats. However, training or drugs that lower glycemia can improve the metabolic control. Metformin increased glycogen while decreased glycemia in normal rats stressed by exercise. OBJECTIVE: In this work we investigated if regular exercise and metformin effects improve the metabolism of diabetic rats. METHODS: Alloxan diabetic Wistar rats treated with metformin (DTM) or not (DT) were trained. Training consisted of 20 sessions of 30 min, 5 days a week. Sedentary diabetic rats served as control (SD and SDM). Metformin (5.6 µg/g) was given in the drinking water. After 48 h resting, glucose (mg/dl) and insulin (ng/mL) was measured in plasma and glycogen (mg/100 mg of wet tissue) in liver, soleus and gastrocnemius. RESULTS: Glycemia decreased in DM group from 435±15 to 230±20, in DT group to 143±8.1 and in DTM group to 138±19 mg/dl. DM group had proportional increase in the hepatic glycogen from 1.69±0.22 to 3.53±0.24, and the training increased to 3.36 ± 0.16 mg/100 mg. Metformin induced the same proportional increase in the muscles (soleus from 0.21±0.008 to 0.42±0.03 and gastrocnemius from 0.33±0.02 to 0.46±0.03), while the training promoted increase on gastrocnemius to 0,53 ± 0,03, only. A high interaction was observed in liver (glycogen increased to 6.48±0.34). CONCLUSION: Very small oral doses of metformin and/or, partially restored glycemia in diabetic rats and decreased glycogen in tissues. Its association with an exercise program was beneficial, helping lower glycemia further and increase glycogen stores on liver of diabetic rats.

Ibopamina 2% vs. sobrecarga hídrica como teste provocativo para glaucoma

PURPOSE: To compare the 2% ibopamine provocative test with the water drinking test as a provocative test for glaucoma. METHODS: Primary open-angle glaucoma patients and normal individuals were selected from CEROF-Universidade Federal de Goiânia UFG, and underwent the 2% ibopamine provocative test and the water drinking test in a randomized fashion, at least 1 week apart. Intraocular pressure (IOP) before and after both tests, Bland-Altman graph, sensitivity and specificity (as mesured by ROC curves) were obtained for both methods. RESULTS: Forty-seven eyes from 25 patients were included (27 eyes from 15 glaucoma patients and 20 eyes from 10 normal individuals), with a mean age of 54.2 ± 12.7 years. The mean MD of glaucoma patients was -2.8 ± 2.11 dB. There was no statistically difference in the baseline IOP (p=0.8) comparing glaucoma patients, but positive after the provocative tests (p=0.03), and in the IOP variation (4.4 ± 1.3 mmHg for ibopamine and 3.2 ± 2.2 mmHg for water drinking test, p=0.01). There was no difference in all studied parameters for normal individuals. The Bland-Altman graph showed high dispersion comparing both methods. The areas under the ROC curve were 0.987 for the ibopamine provocative test, and 0.807 for the water-drinking test. CONCLUSION: In this selected subgroup of glaucoma patients with early visual field defect, the ibopamine provocative test has shown better sensitivity/specificity than the water drinking test.

Insights into preventive measures for dental erosion

Dental erosion is defined as the loss of tooth substance by acid exposure not involving bacteria. The etiology of erosion is related to different behavioral, biological and chemical factors. Based on an overview of the current literature, this paper presents a summary of the preventive strategies relevant for patients suffering from dental erosion. Behavioral factors, such as special drinking habits, unhealthy lifestyle factors or occupational acid exposure, might modify the extent of dental erosion. Thus, preventive strategies have to include measures to reduce the frequency and duration of acid exposure as well as adequate oral hygiene measures, as it is known that eroded surfaces are more susceptible to abrasion. Biological factors, such as saliva or acquired pellicle, act protectively against erosive demineralization. Therefore, the production of saliva should be enhanced, especially in patients with hyposalivation or xerostomia. With regard to chemical factors, the modification of acidic solutions with ions, especially calcium, was shown to reduce the demineralization, but the efficacy depends on the other chemical factors, such as the type of acid. To enhance the remineralization of eroded surfaces and to prevent further progression of dental wear, high-concentrated fluoride applications are recommended. Currently, little information is available about the efficacy of other preventive strategies, such as calcium and laser application, as well as the use of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. Further studies considering these factors are required. In conclusion, preventive strategies for patients suffering from erosion are mainly obtained from in vitro and in situ studies and include dietary counseling, stimulation of salivary flow, optimization of fluoride regimens, modification of erosive beverages and adequate oral hygiene measures.

Simvastatin-induced cardiac autonomic control improvement in fructose-fed female rats

OBJECTIVE: Because autonomic dysfunction has been found to lead to cardiometabolic disorders and because studies have reported that simvastatin treatment has neuroprotective effects, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of simvastatin treatment on cardiovascular and autonomic changes in fructose-fed female rats. METHODS: Female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: controls (n=8), fructose (n=8), and fructose+ simvastatin (n=8). Fructose overload was induced by supplementing the drinking water with fructose (100 mg/L, 18 wks). Simvastatin treatment (5 mg/kg/day for 2 wks) was performed by gavage. The arterial pressure was recorded using a data acquisition system. Autonomic control was evaluated by pharmacological blockade. RESULTS: Fructose overload induced an increase in the fasting blood glucose and triglyceride levels and insulin resistance. The constant rate of glucose disappearance during the insulin intolerance test was reduced in the fructose group (3.4+ 0.32%/min) relative to that in the control group (4.4+ 0.29%/min). Fructose+simvastatin rats exhibited increased insulin sensitivity (5.4+0.66%/min). The fructose and fructose+simvastatin groups demonstrated an increase in the mean arterial pressure compared with controls rats (fructose: 124+2 mmHg and fructose+simvastatin: 126 + 3 mmHg vs. controls: 112 + 2 mmHg). The sympathetic effect was enhanced in the fructose group (73 + 7 bpm) compared with that in the control (48 + 7 bpm) and fructose+simvastatin groups (31+8 bpm). The vagal effect was increased in fructose+simvastatin animals (84 + 7 bpm) compared with that in control (49 + 9 bpm) and fructose animals (46+5 bpm). CONCLUSION: Simvastatin treatment improved insulin sensitivity and cardiac autonomic control in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome in female rats. These effects were independent of the improvements in the classical plasma lipid profile and of reductions in arterial pressure. These results support the hypothesis that statins reduce the cardiometabolic risk in females with metabolic syndrome.