Wine Drinkers Research Articles

In a fully dealcoholised Chardonnay wine, sugar is a key driver of liking for young consumers

Alcohol-free wines are generally sweetened with around 40 g/L of added sugar to counterbalance sourness, which can be perceived as being excessive in such beverages. For young consumers who would consume alcohol-free products for health purposes, high levels of sugar could be an obstacle. The aim of this work was to investigate this target consumer’s appreciation of fully dealcoholised Chardonnay wines containing different levels of added sugar (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 g/L). The results showed that liking significantly increased with sugar content, and that acceptability was only achieved in the sample containing 40 g/L of added sugar, with a liking score of between 5 and 6 on a 9-point scale. Liking scores were not affected by gender, information provided to panellists (specifically that they were evaluating alcohol-free wines), and level of wine knowledge. Those who gave the highest scores were occasional wine drinkers and daily soft drink consumers. Conversely, non-wine consumers and non-soft-drink drinkers gave lower liking scores. Though these insights need to be confirmed on more samples of fully dealcoholised wine, they can assist winemakers in developing alcohol-free products and in targeting the right young consumers.

The Influence of Social Media Marketing, Brand Image, and Word of Mouth on Purchasing Decisions of Arak Bali Beverages in Bali Province

As a regional staple that is of considerable cultural and economic significance in the Bali region, Arak Bali is the subject of this study, which aims to investigate the influence that social media marketing, brand image, and word of mouth have on the decisions that customers make about the purchase of Arak Bali. In a preliminary study with 10 participants, it was discovered that twenty percent of respondents were more interested in purchasing Arak Bali, while eighty percent preferred alcoholic beverages that were imported from other countries. This was the finding of the survey. For the purpose of this investigation, a quantitative methodology is applied, with a specific emphasis placed on the positivist paradigm. In addition to that, a survey that is comprised of questionnaires and random sampling is utilized. This study is centered on individuals who are wine drinkers and who reside in the province of Bali. These individuals are the focus of the investigation. For the purpose of this experiment, the sampling was carried out using the method of random sampling, and samples were gathered from as many as one hundred different individuals. Subsequent to the implementation of a double linear regression analysis strategy, the data is processed with the help of SPSS software version 29, which is the method that is utilized for the purpose of data analysis. The conclusions of this study indicate that the significance value of social media marketing is 0.001 less than 0.05, the significance value of brand image is 0.007 less than 0.05, and the meaning value of word of mouth is 0.001 less than 0.05. As a result, it is possible to draw the conclusion, on the basis of the analysis of the data, that social media marketing, brand image, and word of mouth have a substantial positive influence on the decision to purchase Bali Beverages in the province of Bali. Based on the data, it can be concluded that good marketing through social media, the building of a powerful brand image, and positive word of mouth all have a significant impact on the decisions that consumers make regarding their purchases. These findings provide essential information that can be utilized by Arak Bali in the development of its marketing strategy in highly competitive sectors.

Effect of Edible Coatings on Morphological Characters of Strawberry Fruits

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) a member of rosaceae family, is a monoecious, short day, succulent, thalamus, perennial herb and quick growing fruit plant. Strawberries are processed into various value-added products such as canned strawberry, jam, jelly, ice cream, wine and other soft drinks. Strawberry is a delicious but delicate fruit with 2-4 days shelf life on ambient condition. Fruit of strawberry are very delicate and highly perishable in nature which resulted very short life span and considerable postharvest loss. The use of edible coating improved the shelf life of strawberry in general compared to untreated control. Significant difference was observed for effect of edible coating on strawberry for all the quality parameter during storage. The fruit weight, width and length decreased in all edible coating treatment. The minimum decrease in fruit weight, Width and length was recorded in treatment T7 (EC + Aloe vera gel 20%) while, the minimum decrease in volume and specific gravity of fruit in the same edible coating.

“Look not thou upon the wine…”. Wine Drinking in Proverbs 23:19–35 in Light of the Book of Sirach

This article examines the motif of wine drinking in didactic biblical wisdom literature from a synchronic perspective, using an analogy between two textual units in the Book of Proverbs in light of the Book of Sirach. The complex literary and social functions of the motif of wine drinking and its significance for ancient Israelite society are examined. The first part of the article focuses on Prov 23, which presents the didactic wisdom approach to drinking wine, consisting mainly of warnings and cautions to youth regarding wine and its consequences for the community. The second part compares this didactic approach to the hybrid approach of the Book of Sirach, where didactic precepts appear beside a cultural portrayal of wine drinking as a joyful and accepted tradition. The author of this article claims that this complex attitude is rooted in using the wine-drinking motif in biblical wisdom literature to reflect the social reality in ancient Israel.

Consuming place: Women, wine and imagination

AbstractThis paper examines wine drinking among English and Australian women to discover and analyse the connection between their consumption of wine and their experiences, thoughts and imaginings. Comparing the experiences of women from the English town of Halifax with women from the southern suburbs of Adelaide and McLaren Vale (South Australia), I show how imbibing wine enables both groups of women to consume place, space and time, thus extending a liminal experience. Importantly, both groups of women engage with notions of national or regional identity. However, whereas English women typically experience wine drinking as a temporal engagement of social imagination involving a form of armchair alco‐tourism, Australian women mostly engage their social memory, and experience wine drinking as embedded within imagined communities of belonging. As such, this study demonstrates that wine drinking is not just gendered, but a complex, culturally situated practice and experience.

Alcohol Intake and Prevalent Kidney Stone: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018.

The association of alcohol intake with kidney stone disease (KSD) is not clear based on current clinical evidence. We examined the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018 and used logistic regression analyses to determine the independent association between alcohol intake and prevalent KSD. In total, 29,684 participants were eligible for the final analysis, including 2840 prevalent stone formers (SFs). The mean alcohol intake was 37.0 ± 2.4 g/day among SFs compared to 42.7 ± 0.9 among non-SFs (p = 0.04). Beer [odds ratio (OR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61-0.94, p = 0.01] and wine (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59-0.96, p = 0.03) intakes were strongly associated with lower odds of prevalent KSD, while liquor intake had no association. Furthermore, the effects of beer and wine intakes on stone formation were dose-dependent. The OR for comparing participants drinking 1-14 g/day of beer to non-drinkers was 1.41 (95%CI: 0.97-2.05, p = 0.07), that of >14-≤28 g/day of beer to non-drinkers was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.42-1.00, p = 0.05), that of >28-≤56 g/day of beer to non-drinkers was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.39-0.93, p = 0.02), and that of >56 g/day of beer to non-drinkers was 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20-0.57, p < 0.001). Interestingly, the effect of wine intake was only significant among participants drinking moderate amounts (>14-28 g/day), with an OR of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.36-0.81, p = 0.003) compared to non-drinkers, but this effect was lost when comparing low-level (1-14 g/day) and heavy (>28 g/day) wine drinkers to non-drinkers. These effects were consistent in spline models. This study suggests that both moderate to heavy beer intake and moderate wine intake are associated with a reduced risk of KSD. Future prospective studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship.

The prevalence and magnitude of price promotions in online alcohol retail outlets.

We examined the prevalence of price promotions (i.e., proportion of products on price promotion) and the magnitude of price promotions (i.e., size of the price discount compared to the regular price) among online alcohol retailers. In August 2023, we web-scraped product information for all alcoholic beverages available for sale in the online stores of two leading alcohol retailers in Sydney, Australia. Products were classified into five primary alcohol categories: wine, spirits, beer, cider and premix drinks. We considered three types of price promotion: temporary price discounts (e.g., 'was $5 now $4'), multi-buy discounts (e.g., buy one get one free) and 'any six' discounts (e.g., 5% off when purchased in a bundle of any six similar products). The prevalence and mean magnitude of price promotions were estimated overall and by product category and price promotion type. In total, data for 11,184 products were collected. Of these, 62% were the subject of at least one of the assessed forms of price promotion. The most frequently price-promoted category was wine (91% of products), followed by spirits (35%), premix drinks (30%), cider (28%) and beer (21%). Of all price promotions, 61% were 'any six' discounts, 31% were temporary price discounts, and 7% were multi-buy discounts. Across all price promotions, the mean magnitude of price discount relative to the regular price was 11% and ranged from less than 1% to 71%. Policymakers should consider restricting price promotions as part of a suite of strategies to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Factors Influencing the Degree of Gastric Atrophy in Helicobacter pylori Eradication Patients with Drinking Habits.

Chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can lead to gastric atrophy. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with gastric atrophy in H. pylori eradication patients with drinking habits. Of the 250 patients who visited Hamamatsu University Hospital for H. pylori eradication and underwent eradication treatment between April 2017 and December 2020, 127 patients with drinking habits were included in this study. The degree of gastric atrophy of the patients was classified based on endoscopy. The relationship between patient attributes (sex, age, alcohol consumption, frequency of drinking, smoking status, and medication use) and a highly atrophic stomach was statistically analyzed. The results showed that gastric atrophy was significantly higher in males and in those aged 60 years or older and that gastric atrophy tended to be higher in those who drank 20 g or more per day and 5 days or more a week. There was also a trend toward higher atrophy in sake drinkers and lower atrophy in wine drinkers. This study provides useful knowledge for patient management and guidance after H. pylori eradication treatment and indicates the importance of comprehensive measures, including alcohol consumption control and lifestyle modification, especially for men and older people.

Combined Effect of Red Wine and Mocha Pot Coffee in Mild Vascular Cognitive Impairment

ObjectivesModerate daily mocha pot coffee intake has been associated with better mood and cognition in patients with mild vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Similarly, moderate red wine consumption has shown protective effects on cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The aim of this study was to explore the synergistic relation between red wine and coffee intake on mood and cognitive status in mild VCI patients at risk for dementia. MethodsA total of 300 non-demented older patients with mild VCI were asked for coffee and red wine consumption and administered with the 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test (Stroop T), as well as the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the Instrumental ADL to measure their mood status, cognitive performance, and functional independence. Linear regression models were used to test the association between variables. ResultsModerate wine drinkers tended to show the best Stroop T score at any level of coffee consumption; conversely, heavy wine consumers performed worse at the Stroop T, especially in patients reporting high coffee intake. Moderate drinkers of both coffee and wine showed the lowest HDRS scores. Finally, a progressive increase in MMSE score was evident with increasing coffee consumption, which peaks when combined with a moderate wine consumption. ConclusionsDaily mocha pot coffee and red wine intake seem to be synergistically associated with global cognition, executive functioning, and mood status in patients with mild VCI; the association was not linear, resulting in a protective direction for moderate intake and detrimental for heavy consumption. Future studies are needed to further corroborate the present findings and the potential long-term protective effects of these dietary compounds over time.

Cultural Concepts in the Turkish Translation of „The Knight in the Panther’s Skin“

The present work is a critical analysis of Shota Rustaveli's poem "The Knight in the Panther’s Skin" translated into Turkish by Professor Bilal Dindar and Assistant Professor Zeinelabidin Makas. We will present comparison of the original and translated texts of "The Knight in the Panther’s Skin". "The Knight in the Panther’s Skin" is one of the remarkable monuments of medieval literature. "The Knight in the Panther’s Skin" is an epic work containing lyrical passages, the story of which takes place in Arabia and India. We often find cultural-specific concepts in the target language, the translator tries to adapt the lexical units in the original text to his own culture. These cultural concepts are: sun, moon, devil, wine drinking. We used the following methods during the research: Corpus Linguistic research method, which is relevant in modern humanitarian studies. The use of this method allows to quickly and efficiently process a large amount of empirical material, which simplifies the research process. We have also used method of linguoculturological analysis. Modern linguoculturology studies are of a comparative-contrastive nature, because the national specificity and universality of the concepts are particularly clearly revealed when comparing the materials of two or more languages. According to the linguocultural analysis, we will study the cultural concepts in two different cultural texts, which will help in the detailed description of the cultural concepts expressed in the linguistic process.

Do Young Consumers Care about Antioxidant Benefits and Resveratrol and Caffeic Acid Consumption?

Resveratrol and caffeic acid are some of the most consumed antioxidants during the day, so their importance as sources and their benefits need to be evaluated and updated. This survey aimed not only to analyze whether young Romanian consumers are informed about the benefits of antioxidants in general, and resveratrol and caffeic acid in particular, but also to observe the degree of nutritional education of these participants. Young consumers know the concept of antioxidants relatively well; they managed to give examples of antioxidants and indicate their effects. The majority of those chosen drink wine and coffee, but many are unaware of their health advantages and antioxidant properties. Students are less familiar with the antioxidant chemicals resveratrol and caffeic acid. It is advised to have a thorough understanding of these significant antioxidants and their nutritional content as they are present in our regular diets, and further studies on different kinds of antioxidants are required to increase the awareness of people concerning their importance in daily life.

The hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.) fruit as a new dietary source of bioactive ingredients with multiple beneficial functions

AbstractThe discovery of new natural sources has brought increased attention to the development of functional foods. The hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.) fruit is an underutilized fruit due to its benefits for human health and good taste. It contains a variety of bioactive ingredients, contributing to its multiple beneficial functions and applications. This review summarized and discussed the main bioactive ingredients, beneficial functions based on in vitro, in vivo, and human studies, and different applications of the hawthorn fruit according to the updated literature in the past 3 years. Hawthorn berries contain phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, pectin, and many other bioactive components, which have a variety of beneficial functions, such as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, intestinal protection, cardiovascular protection, hepatoprotection, anti‐cancer, and neuroprotection. Its potential molecular mechanism and different food‐related applications such as hawthorn wine and antioxidant drink are discussed in detail in this review. Additionally, hawthorn berries are shown to be safe when consumed within the proper dosage. Collectively, this updated review indicates that the hawthorn fruit can be a new dietary source of bioactive ingredients with multiple beneficial functions and can be affordably developed into functional and medicinal foods for the prevention and management of certain chronic diseases.

한국전통혼례과정의 대례행례고(考)

The purpose of this study is to examine the inherent meaning of the structure and ritual of Haengrye (An Act of Conducting a Ceremony) of Daerye, in the traditional Korean wedding ceremony process. ‘Daeryehaengrye’ refers to Chinnyeong (親迎, Bridegroom Personally Inducting the Bride into His Home), one of the rituals, Uihon-Napchae-Nappye-Chinnyeong, in Karye of Seongni daejeon (Great Collection of Neo-Confucianism). For the purpose of the research, the changes in the wedding institution were first examined, followed by an exploration of the inherent meaning of structure and ritual of Daeryehaengrye. The examination of the changes in the Korean wedding institution revealed that the traditional Korean wedding system was Seoryubugahon persisting from the Three Kingdoms period (Samguk) for over 1000 years. The traditional Korean wedding ceremony was ritualized, influenced by the Chinese wedding ceremony tradition of ｢Karye(嘉禮)｣ passed down from ancient times to the late Joseon Dynasty. The analysis of the inherent meaning of the structure and ritual of Daeryehaengrye reveals that it consists of three main parts: Jeonanrye(奠雁禮), Kyobaerye(交拜禮), and Hapgeunrye(交拜禮). Jeonanrye involves conducting a ceremony with a goose as a symbol, wherein the groom makes a promise to the bride. Kyobaerye includes the first formal big bow, conduct Jaeju(祭酒), and the drinking of the rice wine. Yi Hwang introduced Kyosoorye(交手礼) between Kyobaerye and Hapgeunrye. There are three methods of bowing in the first formal big bow. Of these, the method where the bride first bows four times and then the groom responds with bowing two times aligns with the custom where men with two bows and women with four bows are considered propriety, although it is only found in only 12 out of 65 surveyed books of propriety (18%). The positioning of the bridegroom and bride was predominantly Seodongbuseo(壻東婦西). However, the reason for this ‘Seodongbuseo’ positioning can be seen as a horizontal shift of the bridegroom and bride's positions during Dongrweyeon of Karye. On the other hand, positioning them in Seoseobudong can be attributed to a vertical shift according to the female-centric wedding customs in Korea. Jaeju(祭酒) is the most crucial ritual in Daeryehaengrye. It can be seen as an act formed through the ethos and thought process of Koreans. It is an act of praying to the heavens and earth by a person of high virtue or the marriage officer in the process of a wedding ceremony. Initially performed by clan elders or village leaders then by family elders, it is assumed to had evolved to be performed by the bridegroom and bride. Hapgeunrye is an oath ceremony. There are various methods of Hapgeun, but when drinking rice wine, pouring it and each drinking it was considered symbolize the essence of mutual exchange. Thus, they do not exchange the Hapgeun gourd. While some Koreans in the modern age may hold negative views on traditional wedding ceremonies, there is a high level of pride in Korean culture. To preserve and uphold the wedding ceremonies designed in Korean way, it is essential to standardize the rituals and meanings of Daeryehaengrye, thereby ensuring that traditional Korean wedding ceremonies continue with a theoretical framework.

New Labeling Rules for Wine: Wine Alcohol-Derived Calories and Polyphenol Consumption on Health.

Alcohol content, proanthocyanins and anthocyanins influence wine quality. The composition of wine depends on the type of cultivar, location, environmental conditions, and management practices. Phenolic compounds have attracted considerable research interest due to their antioxidant properties and potential beneficial effects on human health. However, the low bioavailability of anthocyanins creates a major bottleneck in their ability to exert beneficial effects. Despite extensive research on the effects of wine on human health, no clear evidence has been obtained on the benefits of wine quality or geographic area of production on health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome. Five climatically and geologically distinct wines were evaluated. Based on recent studies, meta-analyses, and pooled analyses of wine composition, along with the predicted low bioavailability of polyphenol compounds, we estimated the efficacy of five geographically distinct wines according to gastrointestinal absorption and the effects of alcohol intake on both men and women, with a view to ascertaining whether geographical origin influences the antioxidant serum composition of wine. Data on the estimated consumption of wine suggest that the polyphenol contents are similar regardless of choice of wine/area, while different alcohol compositions affect the level of alcohol and calorie intake. Thus, moderate wine drinkers should be advised to control the habit, but without exceeding the dose considered a healthy threshold (up to 30-40 g of alcohol/day in men and 10-20 g of alcohol/day in women), given no medical contraindications are present. These results will add value to the framework of the last reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) adopted in December 2021, where the European Parliament and the Council introduced new labeling rules for the wine sector and aromatized wine products.

Potency of Some Savanna Herbaceous Weeds in the Production of Bioethanol Using Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The uncertainty of the fossil fuel and global climate changes has invariably led to renewable energy demand. Thus, necessitating increasing biotechnological research efforts. Accordingly, the current work was designed to investigate the potency of some savanna herbaceous weeds in the production of bioethanol using Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The biodiversity study and the proximate analysis of weed samples growing on Bayero University Kano old Campus, Nigeria were carried out. The substrates were pretreated with 2% of 0.233M sulfuric acid solution and hydrolysed using Aspergillus niger. The reducing sugars were estimated using the dinitrosalicylic acid method. Fermentation was carried out using local strains of Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from fermented Zobo drink and palm wine under anaerobic conditions. The absorbance of the produced bioethanol was measured and compared with the known standard ethanol curve using Techme I Uv-vis spectrophotometry at 600nm. The dominant weeds include; Cynodon dactylon (30%), Heteropogon contortus (20%) and panicum virgatum (13.45%). The carbohydrate contents as hemicellulose ranged from (35.44 - 27.68%), cellulose (39.80 - 29.20%) and lignin contents (4.32 - 2.14%). The reducing sugar ranged from (24.67±0.01 - 94.79±0.01 mg/g) in all the substrates used. Maximum bioethanol yield was obtained with Cynodon dactylon (48.09±0.07ml/g) in fermentation with a cocktail of the microorganisms whereas, the minimum yield was observed with Heteropogon contortus (15.08±0.01 mL/g). Zymomonas mobilis had the maximum bioethanol yield (29.20±0.01ml/g) than Saccharomyces cerevisiae with (20.10±0.01 mL/g) bioethanol (p&gt;0.05). The findings reveal the lignocellulosic weeds used in this study are good substrates which can be exploited in bioethanol production.

High Adherence to a Mediterranean Alcohol-Drinking Pattern and Mediterranean Diet Can Mitigate the Harmful Effect of Alcohol on Mortality Risk.

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with deleterious effects on human health and mortality. This study aims to investigate the joint associations between the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet), alcohol- consumption patterns and mortality from the following: all causes, cardiovascular, neoplastic, the digestive system, and other causes. A sample of 3411 alcohol consumers aged ≥18 years was selected from two prospective cohort studies: the MICOL and NUTRIHEP Study. Cohorts were enrolled in 2005-2006, and followed up until December 2022, capturing data on alcohol consumption, diet, and mortality. Adherence to the MedDiet was measured by the relative Mediterranean score (rMED), and alcohol consumption by the Mediterranean Alcohol-drinking Pattern index (MADP). Statistical analyses included flexible parametric survival models and subdistribution hazard ratios, to consider different causes of death. a significant increase in digestive-system (SHR 2.77, 95% CI 1.16; 63) and cancer mortality risk (SHR 2.25, 95% CI 1.08; 4.70) was observed among individuals with low adherence to the MADP. Low adherence to the Mediterranean pattern of alcohol consumption, combined with low adherence to the MedDiet, was associated with higher overall mortality (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.04, 5.04), and, in particular, with higher mortality from digestive system diseases (SHR 4.38, 95% CI 1.22, 15.8). This study suggests that deleterious effects of alcohol on mortality vary, depending on alcohol consumption patterns and dietary context. Higher adherence to the MedDiet appears to mitigate the adverse effects of moderate alcohol consumption, particularly for wine drinkers.

Probability and Impact of Risk on the Palm Sugar Household Industry in Air Periukan Sub-District Seluma District

Risk is significant since it is an unforeseeable event that causes problems for palm sugar business participants. To establish good corporate governance, risk management is required. The goal of this study is to identify risk sources, estimate risk likelihood, and assess risk impact on the palm sugar home industry in Air Periukan District, Seluma Regency. The quantitative and qualitative research methodologies employed include descriptive analysis, z-score, and VaR (Value at Risk). The findings revealed that the sources of risk in the palm sugar home industry in Air Periukan District, Seluma Regency were at production risk, specifically low palm sugar production, and at social risk specifically teens consuming palm sap as palm wine. The likelihood value of production risk in the palm sugar home industry in Air Periukan District is 53.27%, while the social risk of youths using palm sap as a palm wine drink is 26.33%. The effect value of low-risk palm sugar production is Rp. 531,703.164 per production, and the social risk impact value of teens who use palm sugar as palm wine is Rp. 47,173.152 per production.&#x0D;

Comparison of Serum Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase and Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase Enzyme Levels between Light and Heavy Drinkers in Renon Village, Denpasar City

Arak is a non-electrolyte liquid that easily circulates in the blood circulation and is absorbed in the digestive tract. One disease that can be caused by alcohol consumption is liver function disorders, such as alcoholic hepatitis. So it can increase the serum enzymes glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). This research was conducted on light and heavy drinkers in Renon Village, Denpasar City. This research uses a longitudinal quantitative design. The results obtained were that the average SGPT level of light drinkers was 46.21 ± 0.155 IU/L, while the respondents who were heavy drinkers had SGPT levels with an average of 64.02 ± 0.430 IU/L. for SGOT from light drinkers is 50.20 ± 0.101 IU/L. Respondents who drank heavily had SGPT levels with an average of 74.40 ± 0.048 IU/L. All wine drinkers, both light drinkers and heavy drinkers, had SGPT-SGOT levels that exceeded the reference value.

Change in surface properties of two different dental resin composites after using various beverages and brushing

BackgroundThe study aimed to evaluate the influence of various beverages; with and without brushing; on the surface mechanical properties of two resin composites.MethodsA total of 160 disc-shaped specimens were prepared for each of the following dental composites; nanohybrid ormocer (Admira fusion, VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany) and nanohybrid resin composite (Grandio, VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany). The baseline surface hardness and roughness measurements were carried out after 24 h. The composite samples were randomly distributed into one of the two groups; brushing and non-brushing, which were further divided into one of the four subgroups (n = 10); artificial saliva as control, coffee, red wine, and soft drink. In the non-brushing group, the specimens were immersed in the different beverages for five minutes three times daily for 30 days. The same procedure was done for the brushing group, in addition to brushing the specimens for five seconds. The surface hardness and roughness measurements were repeated after 30 days. One-way ANOVA and independent t-tests were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe soft drink had the most deteriorating effect and artificial saliva had the least. The change in surface properties was higher in the brushing subgroups. Grandio exhibited a higher change in surface microhardness while Admira fusion exhibited a higher change in surface roughness.ConclusionsThe surface properties of both dental resin composites were negatively affected by using beverages and brushing.

Does habitual moderate alcohol consumption enhance working memory performance?

The present study aimed to establish whether habitual alcohol consumption benefits verbal and spatial working memory performance after addressing the main criticisms that have been raised against the finding that alcohol benefits cognition. An adult lifespan sample of 1,652 healthy adults between 21 and 80 years of age participated in the study. Participants were classified as lifetime nondrinkers or drinkers, and several demographic and biological variables were controlled. Alcohol consumption was assessed through a lifestyle questionnaire created for the study. Working memory was measured through a 2-back computerized task. Discrimination and speed in verbal and spatial working memory among drinkers were superior to those among nondrinkers. Total alcohol intake across life and the amount of alcohol intake per week predicted higher verbal and spatial working memory discrimination. Beer drinkers showed more accurate and faster responses in verbal and spatial working memory than nondrinkers, wine drinkers and spirit drinkers. The optimal amount of alcohol intake to benefit working memory for women and men was 100 g per week, which is equivalent to one drink per day. After consuming 350 g of alcohol per week, equivalent to 25 drinks per week, the effects of alcohol on working memory become more negative than the effects of alcohol abstinence. While alcohol consumption is considered a risk factor for several diseases, we found that moderate alcohol intake benefits working memory performance throughout the adult lifespan to a greater extent than whole-life abstinence.