The digitization of gambling has led to the proliferation of gambling-like products in areas such as video games and financial investment platforms. Although these practices share structural mechanisms and risk profiles with gambling, evidence on their relationship with associated harm and their joint role in predicting gambling severity remains limited. This study examined the association between recent participation (within the last 60 days) in these activities, along with traditional forms of gambling, and gambling severity (PGSI) and related harm (SGHS). The sample is derived from a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06681103), from which only the pre-intervention baseline assessment data were utilized. A total of 1,889 young people aged 18-34 living in Spain were recruited, of whom 53.9% (n=1,018) had recently participated in gambling or similar activities, forming the sample analyzed. Both indicators were modelled using hierarchical ordinal regression, with adjustments made for overall involvement (frequency and number of activities) and sociodemographic factors. The associations with severity remained after all adjustments, with adjusted ORs (aORs) between 1.9 and 3.6 (p<0.01), with video game betting and commodity trading standing out, with magnitudes similar to those observed for slot machines, casinos, and sports betting. In the SGHS, only eSports betting and commodity trading (aOR=2.23, p<0.05) retained their association with a higher number of harms after sociodemographic adjustment, while lotteries showed inverse associations with both indicators (aOR=0.58 in PGSI, and aOR=0.56 in SGHS, p<0.05). The results emphasize the importance of incorporating these new forms of digital spending into the detection and prevention of gambling harm among young adults.
Water scarcity is increasing worldwide, but its effects are particularly severe in Southern Europe, where limited water resources are further strained by climate change and the rise of water-intensive agriculture. In response, EU countries are developing innovative water strategies, expanding the use of reclaimed (treated wastewater) and desalinated water to secure irrigation. However, consumer response to foods produced with these non-conventional waters remains underexplored. This study analyses European consumers’ perceptions of the use of non-conventional water irrigation sources in almond production, along with the EU origin and organic production labels. To this end, discrete choice experiments are used in a sample of 1,371 consumers across three European countries (Spain, Germany, and Sweden). The results show consistent premiums for EU origin and organic production in all countries, while proposed irrigation water sources attract less consumer attention. Despite expectations, reclaimed water does not face greater rejection among consumers than desalinated water. However, notable cross-country differences emerge: Spanish consumers tend to reject almonds irrigated with desalinated or reclaimed water, whereas German and Swedish consumers show neutral or mixed responses. Latent class segmentation within these countries reveals substantial heterogeneity, identifying traditionalist segments, but also groups with a positive willingness to pay for almonds produced employing the proposed water sources. Overall, these alternative water sources appear to be market-compatible, as consumers reveal no strongly negative attitudes. Nevertheless, the continuing importance of traditional attributes such as origin and production system supports the strategy of combining established quality labels with information about the source of water used.
Gypsum ecosystems are constrained by extreme nutrient and water scarcity, where cyanoprokaryota interact with gypsophyte rhizospheres, influencing plant performance and soil biogeochemistry. This study examines three gypsophytes-Herniaria fruticosa, Helianthemum squamatum, and Teucrium libanitis-during winter and spring to characterize rhizospheric and bulk soil properties, assess enzymatic activity and nutrient cycling, identify cyanoprokaryota communities, and determine bioelement accumulation patterns in both Microcoleus chthonoplastes and gypsophytes. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and microscopic analyses were conducted across seasons. beta-glucosidase activity showed species-specific responses to water pulses, particularly in Helianthemum squamatum. Seasonal differences in water-soluble C and N distinguished rhizospheres of Teucrium libanitis and Helianthemum squamatum. Key soil drivers included water-holding capacity to -1500 kPa, total and organic carbon, and Cr content. Cyanoprokaryota exhibited both rhizosphere-specific (Gloeocapsa novacekii, Pseudocapsa dubia) and ubiquitous taxa, with Microcoleus chthonoplastes reflecting bioaccumulation strategies. Bioelement accumulation differed between leaves and roots, especially for K, Mn, Zn, Na, Ni, C, and V, while the Sr:Ca ratio emerged as a potential indicator, especially in Herniaria fruticosa. These findings highlight the role of cyanoprokaryota in regulating nutrient availability and enzymatic activity, supporting gypsophyte adaptation and the ecological sustainability and resilience of gypsum ecosystems, and informing conservation and restoration strategies in these neglected ecosystems.
Pro-vegetarian (PVG) diets may reduce gastric cancer (GC) risk, but evidence remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between three predefined PVG patterns—general (gPVG), healthful (hPVG), and unhealthful (uPVG)—and GC risk stratifying by sex in the context of the Stomach Cancer Pooling (StoP) Project Consortium. We analysed data from six case–control studies from the StoP Consortium. The final sample included 1,857 incidents, histologically confirmed GC cases and 5,646 controls. Food intakes were assessed using country-specific food frequency questionnaires, which allowed the estimation of PVG patterns using established scoring methods. Adherence to PVG dietary patterns was classified into quintiles. Logistic mixed models with random intercepts for each study were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95
The influence of three different types of microplastics (PE, PET, and PS) on soil physicochemical properties is the main scope of the present investigation. To this end, a pot experiment has been conducted, incorporating each kind of microplastic (MP) in two different soil samples in equal portions. The soils were typical of Mediterranean areas, moderately contaminated with Pb and Zn. Furthermore, two different plants, Nicotiana tabacum L. (Burley cv.) and Cannabis sativa L. (Fedora cv.), were planted to study the influence of a multi-contaminated soil environment on plant growth, along with their ability to absorb metals in their tissues. The addition of microplastics caused stronger reactions in slightly acidic soil, where the bioavailability of zinc and lead increased by 5-20% compared to alkaline soil rich in CaCO3. Plant-to-soil indices have been calculated to monitor the plant's capacity to transfer metals from the soil environment to plant tissues. PE induced the strongest and most consistent responses, increasing Zn and Pb bioavailability and systematically enhancing total concentration factors (TC), bioaccumulation factors (BAF), and translocation factors (TF) by up to 20%, particularly in acid soil, while PET reduced the mobility of metals on the surface while enhancing vertical transport, and PS caused moderate but stable changes. Plant responses were cultivar-dependent. Plant biomass increased by approximately 7-15% in Cannabis sativa L. (cv. Fedora 17), while Nicotiana tabacum L. (cv. Burley) showed greater sensitivity to the presence of microplastics. Even low MP inputs can subtly but persistently modify soil structure, metal dynamics, and soil-plant transfer processes without increasing total metal loads, highlighting the importance of soil chemistry and polymer type in assessing the environmental risk of microplastics for sustainable agroecosystems.
