Kids SIPsmartER reduces sugar-sweetened beverages among Appalachian middle-school students and their caregivers: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is a global health concern. Additionally, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is disproportionately high among adolescents and adults in rural Appalachia. The primary study objective is to determine the intervention effects of Kids SIPsmartER on students' SSB consumption. Secondary objectives focus on caregivers' SSB consumption and secondary student and caregiver outcomes [e.g, body mass index (BMI), quality of life (QOL)]. METHODS: This Type 1 hybrid, cluster randomized controlled trial includes 12 Appalachian middle schools (6 randomized to Kids SIPsmartER and 6 to control). Kids SIPsmartER is a 6-month, 12 lesson, multi-level, school-based, behavior and health literacy program aimed at reducing SSB among 7th grade middle school students. The program also incorporates a two-way text message strategy for caregivers. In this primary prevention intervention, all 7th grade students and their caregivers from participating schools were eligible to participate, regardless of baseline SSB consumption. Validated instruments were used to assess SSB behaviors and QOL. Height and weight were objectively measured in students and self-reported by caregivers. Analyses included modified two-part models with time fixed effects that controlled for relevant demographics and included school cluster robust standard errors. RESULTS: Of the 526 students and 220 caregivers, mean (SD) ages were 12.7 (0.5) and 40.6 (6.7) years, respectively. Students were 55% female. Caregivers were mostly female (95%) and White (93%); 25% had a high school education or less and 33% had an annual household income less than $50,000. Regardless of SSB intake at baseline and relative to control participants, SSB significantly decreased among students [-7.2 ounces/day (95% CI = -10.7, -3.7); p < 0.001, effect size (ES) = 0.35] and caregivers [-6.3 ounces/day (95% CI = -11.3, -1.3); p = 0.014, ES = 0.33]. Among students (42%) and caregivers (28%) who consumed > 24 SSB ounces/day at baseline (i.e., high consumers), the ES increased to 0.45 and 0.95, respectively. There were no significant effects for student or caregiver QOL indicators or objectively measured student BMI; however, caregiver self-reported BMI significantly decreased in the intervention versus control schools (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Kids SIPsmartER was effective at reducing SSB consumption among students and their caregivers in the rural, medically underserved Appalachian region. Importantly, SSB effects were even stronger among students and caregivers who were high consumers at baseline. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clincialtrials.gov: NCT03740113. Registered 14 November 2018- Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03740113 .

Estimated reductions in type 2 diabetes burden through nutrition policies in AZAR cohort population: A PRIME microsimulation study for primary health care.

Background: Given the impact of high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages on type 2 diabetes, intervention to reduce their consumption can be a top priority for any health system. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to simulate the impact of policy options related to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on the prevalence and mortality of type 2 diabetes in Iranian men and women. Methods: A discrete event simulation (DES) model was used to predict the effect of several policy options on the prevalence and death from type 2 diabetes in Azar Cohort Databases. Population age- and sex-specific prevalence and incidence rate of diagnosed diabetes were derived from the national health data. The Preventable Risk Integrated Model (PRIME) model was used for coding the input parameters of simulation using R and Python software. Results: The prevalence and mortality rate of type 2 diabetes under the scenario of reduced consumption of SSBs indicated that the highest and the lowest prevalence and mortality rates of type 2 diabetes for men and women were related to no policy condition and replacing SSBs with healthy drinks, like water, respectively. Also, the maximum "number of deaths postponed/ prevented" from type 2 diabetes was related to replacing SSBs with water (n=2015), and an integration of reformulation and applying 10% tax on SSBs (n=1872), respectively. Conclusion: Simulating the effect of different policy options on reducing the consumption of SSBs showed "replacing of SSBs with water" as the most effective policy option in Iranian setting.

Evaluation of sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with Saccharomyces boulardii.

Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage produced by yeast action on a diluted solution of honey. In this study, for the first time, sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with Saccharomyces boulardii were evaluated. The mead with S. boulardii presented yeast counts higher than 106 CFU/mL, being considered potentially probiotic, and tended to be yellow in color. About 160 tasters participated in the sensory evaluation, and 69.38% knew mead, but only 35.62% had tried the beverage. In terms of acceptance, the mead were within the acceptable range (above 5), and F2 (with initial soluble solids of 30° Brix and S. boulardii concentration of 0.030 g/L) was the most accepted, with an overall average of 7.63 ± 1.42 on the nine-point hedonic scale. In addition, F2 presented the highest purchase intention. In conclusion, the mead showed a tendency towards the color yellow and good sensory acceptance.

Food for Thought: Optical Sensor Arrays and Machine Learning for the Food and Beverage Industry.

Arrays of cross-reactive sensors, combined with statistical or machine learning analysis of their multivariate outputs, have enabled the holistic analysis of complex samples in biomedicine, environmental science, and consumer products. Comparisons are frequently made to the mammalian nose or tongue and this perspective examines the role of sensing arrays in analyzing food and beverages for quality, veracity, and safety. I focus on optical sensor arrays as low-cost, easy-to-measure tools for use in the field, on the factory floor, or even by the consumer. Novel materials and approaches are highlighted and challenges in the research field are discussed, including sample processing/handling and access to significant sample sets to train and test arrays to tackle real issues in the industry. Finally, I examine whether the comparison of sensing arrays to noses and tongues is helpful in an industry defined by human taste.

Evaluation of Fast-Food Restaurant Kids' Meal Beverage Offerings 1 Year After a State-Level Healthy Beverage Default Policy.

Introduction: Ordering from kids' menus and children's restaurant consumption is associated with greater purchasing and intake, respectively, of sugar-sweetened beverages. In response, policymakers have enacted strategies to improve the healthfulness of kids' meal offerings. This study investigated restaurant kids' meal beverage offerings and compliance with an Illinois healthy beverage default act, effective from January 1, 2022. Methods: Using a pre-post intervention (Illinois)-comparison (Wisconsin) site research design, fast-food restaurant audit data were collected before and 1 year after the Illinois Healthy Beverage Default Act from 6 platforms: restaurant interior and drive-thru menu boards and websites/applications and 3 third-party ordering platforms (DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub). Analyses included 62-110 restaurants across platforms. Difference-in-differences-weighted logistic regression models with robust SEs, clustered on restaurants, were estimated to assess pre to 1-year postpolicy changes in overall compliance for each audit setting in Illinois relative to that in Wisconsin. Results: This study found no statistically significant (p<0.05) changes in the compliance of kids' meal beverage default offerings associated with the enactment of the Illinois Healthy Beverage Default Act in Illinois relative to that in Wisconsin at fast-food restaurants. There were some observed differences in results in the restaurants' physical locations versus online that are worth noting. That is, after the enactment of the Illinois Healthy Beverage Default Act, the results showed greater odds of fast-food restaurants exclusively offering healthy beverage defaults with kids' meals on restaurant interior (OR=1.83, 95% CI=0.93, 3.58) and drive-thru (OR=2.38, 95% CI=0.95, 5.96) menus, with weak statistical significance (p<0.10). However, the policy was not associated with either meaningful or statistically significant changes in healthy beverage default offerings on restaurant websites or third-party online ordering platforms. Conclusions: This study found limited evidence of changes in kids' meal beverage offerings attributable to the Illinois Healthy Beverage Default Act. Future investigations of communication channels that support awareness and implementation and the resources required for implementation and enforcement may provide insight that is key to improving compliance.

Sources of free sugar in the diet of Saudi children.

Introduction: Data concerning sources of free sugar (FS) in the diet of Saudi children are limited. Identification of the top sources of FS would permit to develop tailored interventions that aid in meeting the recommendations of the World Health Organization for FS (≤ 25 g/day). This study aimed to investigate sources of FS in children's diet. Methods: A cross-sectional data of healthy children ages between 6 and 12 years who reside in Saudi Arabia were gathered from their mothers using online platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, and X) (n = 424; 210 boys and 214 girls). An interview was conducted through the phone with the mother and her child to collect data pertaining FS intake using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Results: The primary sources of FS were Sweetened Beverages, followed by Sugars, Sweet Bakery Products, Other Desserts, and Candies, of which the added sugar consisted mostly of its total sugar. The consumption of FS coming from solid food sources for the highest quartile of children almost doubled the amount of FS coming from liquid food sources. Compared to boys, girls in the top quartile of FS intake consumed significantly higher amounts of solid sugars (p = 0.030). Only the intake of FS coming from Sweetened Beverages was associated negatively with age of children (p = 0.032). Discussion: Public health interventions should emphasize the necessity of reducing the consumption of the top sources of FS to practically achieve the recommendations of FS intake.

The Effect of Oral Care Foams and a Spray on Salivary pH Changes after Exposure to Acidic Beverages in Young Adults.

Soft drinks may have a deleterious effect on dental health due to a high titratable acidity and a low pH that could be sufficient to induce tooth demineralization. The use of oral care products immediately after acidic challenge may diminish the erosive potential of soft drinks. We assessed the effect of oral care foams and a spray on salivary pH changes after exposure to Coca-Cola® in young adults. Thirty-three consenting eligible patients were recruited in this double-blind, randomized, crossover study performed in six visits. Baseline examination included unstimulated salivary flow rate, stimulated salivary buffer capacity, and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) assessment. Salivary pH and time for pH recovery were registered after exposure to Coca-Cola® alone or that followed by the application of each of the studied products (an oral foam containing hydroxyapatite and probiotics, an oral foam containing amino fluoride, an alkaline oral spray, and tap water). Thirty-two patients completed the entire study protocol and were included in the final analysis. The mean minimum salivary pH and the mean oral clearance rate after rinsing with Coca-Cola® were 6.3 and 27 min, respectively. Further rinsing with any one of the tested solutions, including tap water, resulted in a significant improvement in these parameters. When the pH curves were plotted, the oral care products demonstrated a lower area under the curve that differed significantly from the area under the curve for Coca-Cola®; tap water did not differ significantly from Coca-Cola® and oral care products. Minimum salivary pH correlated positively with salivary buffer capacity and salivation rate, while salivary clearance correlated with OHI-S plaque scores. In conclusion, the effect of oral care foams and a spray on minimum salivary pH and salivary clearance after exposure to Coca-Cola® did not differ significantly among the tested products and tap water. Trial registration NCT06148662. Funding: none.

Investigation of the growth of Listeria in plant-based beverages.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether the content of sugar, protein, fat, or fibre in commercially available and specially formulated plant-based beverages (oat, soya and pea) influences the growth rates of Listeria. Beverages were inoculated with a strain cocktail of Listeria (approximately 1 × 103 CFU/mL), and the data demonstrated that Listeria could proliferate in all tested beverages. Moreover, varying concentrations of naturally occurring or added sugar (0-3.3%), protein (3.3-5%), fat (1.1-3.5%) and added fibre (0-1.5%) did not have a statistically significant (p > 0.05) impact on the growth rates of Listeria in the tested plant-based beverages. These data suggest that the wide variety of commercial plant-based beverages serve as an ideal medium for the growth of Listeria irrespective of product composition. All the various products tested provided sufficient nutrients to support at least a 2.6-log increase of Listeria within 16 h at room temperature, with some beverages supporting a 3-log increase. Therefore, these data highlight the importance of careful storage and handling of these increasingly varied and popular products.

Identifying sources of variation in added sugar intake for Alaska Native children using a hair biomarker.

Sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are an important risk factor for tooth decay. The study goal was to determine if there was variation in added sugar intake across communities and between and within households. In this cross-sectional study, intakes of total sugar, added sugar, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) were estimated for 282 Alaska Native children ages 0-10 years from 131 households in three Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta communities using biomarker equations based on hair carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios previously developed for the Yup'ik population. ANOVA was used to assess associations between each predictor (community and household) and outcome (estimated total sugars, added sugars, and SSB intake). Between- and within-household variation was estimated using a linear mixed-effects model with a random intercept for households with three or more children. There was no significant difference in mean estimated total sugar (p = 0.29), added sugar (p = 0.24), or SSB intake (p = 0.40) across communities. Significant variations were observed between and within households, with within-household variation amounting to 59% of the between-household variation. Added sugar intake in Alaska Native children from the three study communities is higher than the recommended maximum, and the variation is greater within households than between households.

Support for a hypothetical sugar-sweetened beverage tax in Taiwan.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are drinks that contain added sugar or sweeteners and provide calories with no additional nutrients, and some countries have imposed additional taxes on the SSBs to reduce consumption, which is considered an SSB tax policy. This study used a cross-sectional online survey to examine the patterns of public support for an SSB tax in Taiwan. The sample included 1617 adults aged ≥ 20 years, who answered the survey questionnaire between May 2020 and April 2021. The respondents were recruited using convenience sampling, but sampling weights were applied to represent the Taiwanese population. Generalized ordered logit models with sampling weights were used to examine the correlates of public support for an SSB tax. Results showed that ~60% of the respondents supported the SSB tax and 47% perceived the tax to be effective. The respondents who were aware of the perceived health risks of SSBs or those who believed that one should be partly responsible for the health impact of SSBs were more likely to show support for the SSB tax. In adjusted regression models, both one's perceived risk and perceived responsibility of SSBs were positively associated with the perceived effectiveness of the SSB tax after sociodemographic characteristics were controlled. These research findings show evidence that there is public support for implementing an SSB tax to reduce SSB consumption in Taiwan.

National taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages and its association with overweight, obesity, and diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to several adverse health outcomes, thus many countries introduced taxation to reduce it. OBJECTIVES: To summarize national SSB taxation laws and to assess their association with obesity, overweight and diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a systematic scoping review up to January 2022 on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Search to identify taxes on SSBs. An interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was conducted on 17 countries with taxation implemented in 2013 or before to evaluate the level and slope modifications in the rate of change of standardized prevalence rates of overweight, obesity, and diabetes. Random-effects meta-regression was used to assess whether year of entry into force of the law, national income, and tax design affected observed results. RESULTS: We included 76 tax laws issued between 1940 and 2020 by 43 countries, which were heterogeneous in terms of tax design, amount, and taxed products. Among children and adolescents, ITSA showed level or slope reduction for prevalence of overweight and obesity in 5 (Brazil, Samoa, Palau, Panama, Tonga) and 6 (El Salvador, Uruguay, Nauru, Norway, Palau, Tonga) countries out of 17, respectively. No clear pattern of modification of results according to investigated factors emerged from the meta-regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Taxation is highly heterogeneous across countries in terms of products and design, which might influence its effectiveness. Our findings provide some evidence regarding a deceleration of the increasing prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among children occurring in some countries following introduction of taxation. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021233309.

Beverages - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.

Background: Coffee, tea, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and low- and no-calorie sweetened beverages (LNCSBs) are generally frequently consumed in the Nordic and Baltic countries. These beverages have also been related to potential health effects. This scoping review describes the evidence for the role of coffee, tea, SSBs, and LNCSBs for health-related outcomes as a basis for setting and updating food-based dietary guidelines. We used evidence from several qualified systematic reviews (i.e. World Cancer Research Fund, US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, European Food Safety Authority, and World Health Organization) and performed a search for additional systematic reviews. The evidence suggests that moderate coffee and tea consumption do not have long-term adverse health effects. The long-term favorable effects of coffee consumption are related to reduced risk of endometrial and liver cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular deaths. However, results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that coffee brews that are rich in diterpenes, such as boiled coffee, increase serum cholesterol concentrations. High caffeine intake in pregnancy is associated with higher risk of pregnancy loss, preterm birth, and low birth weight. High consumption of SSBs has been associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, based on data from RCTs and prospective cohort studies. The consumption of LNCSBs may result in a small reduction in body weight in adults, likely mediated through the effect of reduced energy intake, but has neutral effects on other cardiometabolic risk markers using evidence from RCTs. However, evidence from observational studies indicates increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases among high LNCSB consumers. In conclusion, current evidence suggests that moderate coffee and tea consumption have no long-term adverse health effects. The evidence of beneficial effects of coffee consumption on liver and endometrial cancer risk, and some cardiovascular outcomes, comes from observational studies. High consumption of boiled coffee should be avoided due to negative effect on lipid profile. Pregnant women should not exceed the recommended daily dose of caffeine intake of 200 mg set by the European Food Safety Authority as a safe level for the fetus. High consumption of SSBs has consistently been associated with adverse health effects, which is mainly due to excess energy intake, and should be limited. The conflicting results from RCTs and observational studies regarding LNCSBs may be due to revere causation and should be explored further.

Sociodemographic differences in nutrition labels effect on Chilean and Mexican youth.

Objective: To examine sociodemographic differences in the awareness, understanding, use and effect of nutrition labels among Mexican and Chilean youth. Methods: Online surveys among youth (10-17 years) were obtained in 2019 (n=2631). Participants reported their awareness, understanding, and use of their country-specific nutrition facts tables (NFT) and front-of-pack labels (FOPL) (Chile: warning labels [WLs]; Mexico: guideline daily amounts [GDA]). Additionally, participants reported their perceived healthfulness of a sweetened fruit drink after viewing one of six versions of it with different FOPL (no-label control, Health Star Rating, WLs, GDAs, Traffic Light, or Nutri-Score) during an experimental task. Results: Higher self-reported nutrition knowledge was associated with higher NFT and FOPL awareness, understanding, and use, except for WL use. WLs were the most effective FOPL in decreasing the perceived healthfulness of the sweetened fruit drink compared to a no-label condition and other FOP labels. In Chile, the effect of GDA differed by income adequacy, while in Mexico Nutri-Score differed by age. Conclusions: Results suggest that nutrition label awareness, use, understanding, and impact differ across demographics, favoring higher income and nutrition knowledge. Despite this, WLs are likely to have a positive impact on nutrition-related knowledge and behaviors among Mexican and Chilean youth, independently of their socio-demographic groups.

Sustaining Healthy Habits: The Enduring Impact of Combined School-Family Interventions on Consuming Sugar-Sweetened Beverages among Pilot Chinese Schoolchildren.

This study assesses the enduring impact of combined school- and family-based interventions on reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) among schoolchildren in China. Two primary schools were assigned at random to either the Intervention Group or the Control Group, in Nanjing, eastern China. All students were in grade three and received an invitation to participate. In the first year, students in the Intervention Group received one-year intervention measures, including monthly monitoring, aiming to decrease the consumption of SSBs. Students in the Control Group only received regular monitoring without interventions. In the second year, both groups received only regular monitoring, without active interventions. A generalized estimating equations model (GEE) was used to assess the intervention effects. After two years, relative to the Control Group, the Intervention Group had a significantly improved knowledge of SSBs and an improved family environment with parents. In the Intervention Group, 477 students (97.3%) had adequate knowledge about SSBs, compared to 302 students (83.2%) in the Control Group (X2 = 52.708, p < 0.001). Two years later, the number of students who stated 'my home always has SSBs' in the Intervention Group (7.8%) was fewer than that in the Control Group (12.4%), which was a statistically significant finding (p < 0.05). One year later, both the frequency and the quantity of SSB consumption in the Intervention Group were less than those in the Control Group; such differences between the groups remained statistically significant for the quantity but not for the frequency of SSB consumption two years later. In the Intervention Group, the frequency of SSB consumption was significantly reduced by 1.0 times per week, compared to a reduction of 0.1 times per week in the Control Group in the first year (p < 0.05). In the second year, the frequency of SSB consumption was reduced by 0.8 times per week in the Intervention Group, compared to 0.5 times per week in the Control Group (p > 0.05). In the first year, the volume of SSB consumption was significantly reduced by 233 mL per week in the Intervention Group, compared to an increase of 107 mL per week in the Control Group (p < 0.05). In the second year, the volume of SSB consumption was reduced by 122 mL per week in the Intervention Group compared to an increase of 31 mL per week in the Control Group (p > 0.05). The combined school-based and family-based interventions had a positive effect on the students' knowledge of SSBs and their family dynamics during the first and second year. Relative to the Control Group, the Intervention Group had a statistically significant reduction in SSB consumption after 1 year, but not after 2 years.

A Content Analysis of Online Messages about Sugar-Sweetened Beverages.

Media campaigns can reduce or promote the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Brief, US-based English-language online messages were gathered from searchable media platforms, a process that yielded 112 anti-SSB videos and 29 pro-SSB commercials. Using a combination of inductive and deductive methods, a content analysis of those messages was conducted to identify their properties. They were coded for the direction (pro vs. anti), target of the advocacy (e.g., consumption vs. policy), actor demographics (gender, age, and ethnicity), persuasive theme (e.g., excessive sugar, nurturing), and message sensation value. Anti-SSB appeals primarily targeted individual-level consumption behavior. They utilized six persuasive themes and often included more than one theme in a single message. Pro-SSB messages used feel-good themes and utilized only one theme per message. The proportions of adults, adolescents, and children differed by the direction of the advocacy. Black, Hispanic, and Asian actors were under-represented in the anti-SSB sample relative to Whites. Pro-SSB appeals were slightly higher than anti-SSB appeals in message sensation value (p = 0.09). The findings illuminate the message features that characterize the universe of brief anti-SSB appeals available online, highlight messaging disparities, and reveal the absence of certain common, effective persuasive themes.

Own price elasticities of the demand for sugar-sweetened beverages in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is a major global public health problem. Increasing the price of SSBs through taxation is an effective tool to reduce SSB consumption. Price-elasticity estimates are useful in measuring the effect of taxation on consumption. We estimated the own price elasticities of demand for SSBs in Bangladesh, which will inform how SSB taxes could affect behaviour. METHODS: We used Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2016 data, which is a nationally representative dataset at the household level across the country and is conducted using stratified random sampling method. Deaton's method was used to estimate the price elasticities for SSBs in Bangladesh. RESULTS: We found that the own price elasticity for SSBs varied between - 0.53% to -1.17% by types of SSBs in Bangladesh. The price elasticity for soft drinks was - 1.17, indicating that if the price of soft drinks increases by 10% via taxes, the quantity consumed of these beverages would reduce by 11.7%. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that estimates the own price elasticities of demand for SSBs in Bangladesh. Our results suggest to raise SSB prices through increased taxation in order to reduce SSB consumption and ensure public health gains in Bangladesh.

Genomic insights from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BRD3A isolated from Atingba, a traditional fermented rice-based beverage and analysis of its potential for probiotic and antimicrobial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BRD3A was isolated from Atingba, a traditional fermented rice-based beverage of Manipur. Its genomic sequence has 13 contigs and its genome size is 3,320,817 bp with a guanine-cytosine (GC) ratio of 44.6%. It comprises 3185 genes including 3112 coding sequences (CDSs), 73 RNAs (including 66 tRNAs and others), and one clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) array. A comparative and phylogenetic analysis with the Lp. plantarum genome shows that this strain has close similarity with other Lp. plantarum strains and about 99% average nucleotide identity. Functional annotation using evolutionary genealogy of genes-non-supervised orthologous groups (EggNOG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) reveals genes associated with various biological processes such as metabolism, genetic information processing, and transport functions. Furthermore, the strain harbors bacteriocins like plantaricin E, Plantaricin F, and Enterocin X categorized under class IIb by the BAGEL4 database, indicating its potential antimicrobial properties. Additionally, AntiSMASH web server predicted four secondary regions-T3PKS, terpene, cyclic lactone inducer, and ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP)-suggesting an even higher antimicrobial potential. We validated the antimicrobial activity of Lp. plantarum BRD3A through in vitro experiments in which it exhibited promising bactericidal effects on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, inhibiting their biofilm growth. These findings indicate the potential of Lp. plantarum BRD3A to be used as an alternative to conventional antibiotics.

Effects of various beverages on characteristics of provisional restoration materials.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of common beverages on four currently used provisional restoration materials: Protemp®4, Integrity®, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) block, and acrylic resin. Flowable resin composite is included as a control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each material was formed into disks of 10-mm diameter and 4-mm thickness (N = 40) by loading the material into acrylic molds. The exposed surface in the mold was covered using a glass slide to prevent an oxygen inhibition layer, and polymerization then proceeded. The solidified disks were placed in distilled water for 24 h. These samples (n = 8) were then immersed for 14 days in one of four different beverages: water, orange juice, cola, and coffee. Changes in color dimension, hardness, and roughness were observed and then analyzed using two-way repeated analysis of variance. RESULTS: The provisional materials had more obvious changes in all three color dimensions than the flowable resin composite. Integrity showed the biggest changes, followed by acrylic resin and PMMA block, whereas Protemp had the smallest changes. The hardness of all the materials significantly decreased after immersion in any of the beverages for 14 days. There were no changes in surface roughness when the materials were immersed in distilled water. The surface roughness of the PMMA block significantly decreased in orange juice whereas that of Integrity and acrylic resin significantly increased in cola. CONCLUSION: Different kinds of provisional materials had different degrees of staining due to their composition. Moisture had a significant influence on the hardness of materials, and the acidity of cola significantly roughened the surface of the provisional materials.

Changes in diet and physical activity in students during lockdown by example of COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Due to the spread of COVID-19 infections around the world, in early 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global pandemic, i.e. an epidemic of particularly large dimensions affecting countries and entire continents. Long-term stay at home and self-isolation may have significantly impacted lifestyle, diet, food choices and access to food, as well as physical activity in the entire population, including students. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the impact of social isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic on changes in diet, lifestyle and body mass index in a group of students, so that we would be better prepared for future new viral infections with characteristics similar to Covid-19. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in 2021 using a cross-sectional online survey (using the CAWI technique). The survey was addressed to students of universities in Poland who were over 18 years of age. After excluding forms completed incorrectly or with incorrect data, the final analysis of the results included the responses of 196 respondents. Statistical analyzes were performed in STATISTICA 13.3. Statistical significance was assumed at the level of p ≤ 0.05. Results: The study involved 136 women and 60 men with an average age of 23. The majority of respondents were residents of cities with over 500,000 inhabitants (50%), were students of 1st degree (45%) in medical/natural sciences (36%). The largest percentage of respondents (above 70%), before the pandemic and during isolation, had normal body weight, according to the BMI. There were significant statistical differences between gender and changes during COVID-19 pandemic in sleeping (p=0.013), physical activity (p=0.028), as well as the consumption of tea (p=0.047), milk and dairy products (p=0.041), alcohol (p=0.001) and red meat (p=0.003), vegetables (p=0.049), sweets (p=0.029) and fast food (p=0.004). Conclusions: Due to the fact that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the diet and lifestyle has been demonstrated, it is very important that the recommendations of public health organizations spread the message about rational nutrition and physical activity in the event of new viral infections among young people, including students.

Effect of Staining Beverages on Color Stability of Composite: A Spectrophotometric Study.

Objective: This study used spectrophotometry to examine how staining beverages affect the color stability of three commercial composite materials (nanohybrid composite (A), bulk fill composite (B), and flowable composite (C)) over time. Materials and Methods: Composite discs were randomly divided into groups. The specimens were kept in coffee, tea, red wine, and cola for 14 days at 37°C in the dark. At baseline, 7 days, and 14 days, spectrophotometers measured color. Calculated and analyzed color differences (E). Results: Staining beverages changed the color of all composites. Composite material A had the best color stability, whereas material C stained beverages the most. Red wine and coffee discolored composites most. Discoloration increased over the 14-day immersion period. Conclusion: Composite materials with better color stability were material A. Red wine and coffee discolored composites most. When choosing restorative materials, dentists should consider composite materials' color stability for long-lasting, visually acceptable results.