Impact of Internet gambling on problem gambling among adolescents in Italy: Findings from a large-scale nationally representative survey

Aims: The primary aim of the present study was to understand the impact of online gambling on gambling problems in a large-scale nationally representative sample of Italian youth, and to identify and then further examine a subgroup of online gamblers who reported higher rates of gambling problems. Design: Data from the ESPAD®Italia2013 (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) Study were used for analyses of adolescent Internet gambling. Setting: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of high school students, aged 15–19 years. Participants: A total of 14,778 adolescent students. Measurements: Respondents’ problem gambling severity; gambling behavior (participation in eight different gambling activities, the number of gambling occasions and the number of online gambling occasions, monthly gambling expenditure); Socio-demographics (e.g., family structure and financial status); and control variables were measured individually (i.e., use of the Internet for leisure activities and playing video games). Findings: Rates of problem gambling were five times higher among online gamblers than non-online gamblers. In addition, factors that increased the risk of becoming a problem online gambler included living with non-birth parents, having a higher perception of financial family status, being more involved with gambling, and the medium preferences of remote gamblers (e.g., Internet cafes, digital television, and video game console). Conclusions: The online gambling environment may pose significantly greater risk to vulnerable players. Family characteristics and contextual elements concerning youth Internet gambling (e.g., remote mediums) may play a key role in explaining problem online gambling among adolescents

Wood Hemicelluloses as Innovative Wall Materials for Spray‑Dried Microencapsulation of Berry Juice : Part 1—Effect of Homogenization Techniques on their Feed Solution Properties

The use of wood hemicelluloses, including galactoglucomannans (GGM) and glucuronoxylans (GX), in spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds has not been reported. Our study aims to investigate the benefts of spray-dried GGM and GX powders (sGGM and sGX) along with the efects of homogenization techniques (magnetic stirring, ultrasonication, and a combination of UltraTurrax homogenization and microfuidization) on the physicochemical properties of feed solutions (10–20%, w/w). Feed solutions of bilberry juice with sGGM, sGX, and mixtures of either sGGM or sGX with methylcellulose (MC) or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were examined to produce highly stable feed solutions for spray-dried microencapsulation. The efects of ultrasonication amplitudes (30–80%) on the viscosity and particle size distribution of sGGM feed solutions were more profound than observed in their sGX counterparts. Unlike sGX feed solutions, sGGM feed solutions homogenized by ultrasonication and microfuidization formed a gel-like structure. Microfuidization also caused a loss of total anthocyanin content (TAC) of the feed solutions. Magnetic stirring resulted in no gel formation and in the lowest viscosity of the feed solutions; hence, it is an effective method for preparing hemicellulose feed solutions. sGGM and sGX powders have high heat stability with melting temperatures of 170–180 °C. The sGGM+CMC combination was more stable over 1 week of storage than the sGGM and sGX feed solutions. Storing the feed solutions reduced TAC and increased sGGM viscosity. Our results indicated that GGM and GX have high potential for use as wall materials in the spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds.Peer reviewe

The multiplicative effect of combining alcohol with energy drinks on adolescent gambling

Purpose: There has been increased concern about the negative effects of adolescents consuming a combination of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED). To date, few studies have focused on AmED use and gambling. The present study analyzed the multiplicative effect of AmED consumption, compared to alcohol alone, on the likelihood of at-risk or problem gambling during adolescence. Methods: Data from the ESPAD®Italia 2015 study, a cross-sectional survey conducted in a nationally representative sample of students (ages 15 to 19 years) were used to examine the association between self-reported AmED use (≥ 6 times, ≥ 10 times, and ≥ 20 times during the last month) and self-reported gambling severity. Multivariate models were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios to evaluate the association between alcohol use, AmED use, and gambling among a representative sample of adolescents who reported gambling in the last year and completed a gambling severity scale (n = 4495). Results: Among the 19% students classed as at-risk and problem gamblers, 43.9% were classed as AmED consumers, while 23.6% were classed as alcohol consumers (i.e. did not mix alcohol with energy drinks). In multivariate analyses that controlled for covariates, AmED consumers were three times more likely to be at-risk and problem gamblers (OR = 3.05) compared to non-consuming adolescents, while the effect became less pronounced with considering those who consumed alcohol without the addition of energy drinks (OR = 1.37). Conclusions: The present study clearly established that consuming AmED might pose a significantly greater risk of experiencing gambling-related problems among adolescents

Global sensitivities of reactive N and S gas and particle concentrations and deposition to precursor emissions reductions

The reduction of fine particles (PM2.5) and reactive N (Nr) and S (Sr) species is a key objective for air pollution control policies because of their major adverse effects on human health, ecosystem diversity, and climate. The sensitivity of global and regional Nr, Sr, and PM2.5 to 20 % and 40 % individual and collective reductions in anthropogenic emissions of NH3, NOx, and SOx (with respect to a 2015 baseline) is investigated using the EMEP MSC-W atmospheric chemistry transport model with WRF meteorology. Regional comparisons reveal that the individual emissions reduction has multiple co-benefits and small disbenefits on different species, and those effects are highly geographically variable. Reductions in NH3 emissions are effective at decreasing NH3 concentrations and deposition but much less so for NH4+. A 40 % NH3 emissions reduction decreases regional average NH3 concentrations by 47&ndash;49 %, while sensitivities of NH4+ concentrations decrease in the order Euro_Medi (Europe and Mediterranean, 18 %), East Asia (15 %), North America (12 %), and South Asia (4 %), reflecting the increasing regional ammonia-richness. A disbenefit is the increased SO2 concentrations in these regions (10&ndash;16 % for 40 % NH3 emissions reductions) because reduced NH3 levels decrease SO2 deposition by altering atmospheric acidity. The 40 % NOx emissions reductions decrease NOx concentrations in East Asia by 45 %, Euro_Medi and North America by ~38 %, and South Asia by 22 %, whilst decreases in fine NO3- are regionally reversed, which is related to enhanced O3 levels in East Asia (and also, but by less, in Euro_Medi), and decreased O3 levels in South Asia (and also, but by less, in North America). Consequently, the oxidation of NOx to NO3- and of SO2 to SO42- is enhanced in East Asia but decreased in South Asia, which in East Asia causes a more effective decrease in NOx and SO2 but a less effective decrease in NO3- and even an increase in SO42-; in South Asia it causes a less effective decrease in NOx and an increase in SO2 but a more effective decrease in NO3- and SO42-. For regional policy making, it is thus important to reduce NH3, NOx and SOx emissions together and/or go for stronger reductions to minimise such adverse effects in East Asia and Euro_Medi. Reductions in SOx emissions are slightly more effective for SO2 than SO42-. A disbenefit is that SOx emissions reductions increase NH3 total deposition and ecosystem eutrophication (~12 % increase for 40 % emissions reduction). PM2.5 mitigation in South Asia is most sensitive to 40 % SOx reduction (3.10 &mu;g m-3, 10 %) and least sensitive to NH3 reduction (0.29 &mu;g m-3, 1 %), which is because South Asia is so ammonia-rich that reducing NH3 has little impact. The most effective measure for North America is reducing NOx emissions with an 8 % (0.63 &mu;g m-3) decrease in PM2.5 in response to a 40 % reduction. In Euro_Medi, the sensitivities of PM2.5 to 40 % individual emissions reductions range 5&ndash;8 % (0.55&ndash;0.82 &mu;g m-3). In the UK and Scandinavia PM2.5 is more sensitive to NH3, in central Europe it is more sensitive to NOx, while in the Mediterranean it is more sensitive to SOx. In East Asia, reductions in SOx, NOx and NH3 emissions are almost equally effective with PM2.5 sensitivities to 40 % reductions of 7&ndash;8 % (1.89&ndash;2.33 &mu;g m-3). Due to the varying contributions of SIA, PM2.5 sensitivities to 40 % collective reductions in all 3 precursors decrease in the order East Asia (20 %), Euro_Medi and North America (17 %), South Asia (13 %). The geographically-varying non-linear chemical responses of Nr, Sr, and PM2.5 to emissions reductions revealed by this work show the importance of both prioritising emissions strategies in different regions and combining several precursor reductions together to maximise the policy effectiveness.</p

Wood hemicelluloses as sustainable wall materials to protect bioactive compounds during spray drying of bilberries

The most widely-used wall materials for spray-dried microencapsulation have limitations in cost-effectiveness, health benefits and sustainability. Wood hemicelluloses, by-products of the forestry industry, including gal-actoglucomannans and glucuronoxylans have the potential to be utilized as innovative wall materials. This study investigated the applicability of galactoglucomannan and glucuronoxylan and their mixtures with carboxy-methylcellulose as wall materials for microencapsulation of bilberry juice, in comparison to gum arabic. The results indicated that galactoglucomannan and glucuronoxylan have a relatively high anthocyanin encapsulation efficiency (71-73%), which was similar to that of gum arabic (76%). The addition of carboxymethylcellulose reduced the encapsulation efficiency of wood hemicelluloses to 46-54%. Microencapsulated powders prepared with wood hemicelluloses were considerably higher in total phenolic content and antioxidant activities than those prepared with gum arabic, and mixtures of wood hemicelluloses with carboxymethylcellulose. The results indicate that wood hemicelluloses are efficient wall materials for spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds.Peer reviewe

Impact of weather types on UK ambient particulate matter concentrations

Each year more than 29,000 premature deaths in the UK are linked to long term-exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Many studies have focused on the long-term impacts of exposure to PM, but short-term increases in pollution can also exacerbate health effects, leading to deaths brought forward within exposed populations. This study investigates the impact of different atmospheric circulation patterns on UK PM2.5 concentrations and the relative contribution of local and transboundary pollutants to variations in PM2.5 concentrations. Daily mean PM2.5 observations from 42 UK background sites indicate that easterly, south-easterly and southerly wind directions and anticyclonic circulation patterns enhance background concentrations of PM2.5 at all UK sites by up to 12 μg m-3. Results from back trajectory analysis and the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme for UK model (EMEP4UK) show this is due to the transboundary transport of pollutants from continental Europe. While back trajectories indicate under easterly, south-easterly and southerly flow 25–50% of the total accumulated primary PM2.5 emissions originate outside of the UK, with a very polluted footprint (0.25–0.35 μg m-2). Anticyclonic conditions, which occur frequently (21%), also lead to increases in PM2.5 concentrations (UK multi-annual mean 14.7 μg m-3). EMEP4UK results indicate this is likely due the build-up of local emissions due to slack winds. Under westerly and north-westerly flow 15–30% of the total accumulated primary PM2.5 emissions originate outside of the UK, and are much less polluted (0.1 μg m-2) with model results indicating transport of clean maritime air masses from the Atlantic. Results indicate that both wind-direction and stability under anticyclonic conditions are important in controlling ambient PM2.5 concentrations across the UK. There is also a strong dependence of high PM2.5 Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) values on easterly, south-easterly and southerly wind-directions, with >70% of occurrences of observed 48–71+ μg m-3 concentrations occurring under these wind directions. While north-westerly and cyclonic conditions reduce PM2.5 concentrations at all sites by up to 8 μg m-3. PM2.5 DAQI values are also lowest under these conditions, with >80% of 0–11 μg m-3 concentrations and >50% of 12–23 μg m-3 concentrations observed during westerly, north-westerly and northerly wind directions. Indicating that these conditions are likely to be associated with a reduction in the potential health effects from exposure to ambient levels of PM2.5