Recent measurements of surface vertical displacements of the European Alps show a correlation between vertical velocities and topographic features, with widespread uplift at rates of up to ...~2–2.5 mm/a in the North-Western and Central Alps, and ~1 mm/a across a continuous region from the Eastern to the South-Western Alps. Such a rock uplift rate pattern is at odds with the horizontal velocity field, characterized by shortening and crustal thickening in the Eastern Alps and very limited deformation in the Central and Western Alps. Proposed mechanisms of rock uplift rate include isostatic response to the last deglaciation, long-term erosion, detachment of the Western Alpine slab, as well as lithospheric and surface deflection due to mantle convection. Here, we assess previous work and present new estimates of the contributions from these mechanisms. Given the large range of model estimates, the isostatic adjustment to deglaciation and erosion are sufficient to explain the full observed rate of uplift in the Eastern Alps, which, if correct, would preclude a contribution from horizontal shortening and crustal thickening. Alternatively, uplift is a partitioned response to a range of mechanisms. In the Central and Western Alps, the lithospheric adjustment to deglaciation and erosion likely accounts for roughly half of the rock uplift rate, which points to a noticeable contribution by mantle-related processes such as detachment of the European slab and/or asthenospheric upwelling. While it is difficult to independently constrain the patterns and magnitude of mantle contributions to ongoing Alpine vertical displacements at present, future data should provide additional insights. Regardless, interacting tectonic and surface mass redistribution processes, rather than an individual forcing, best explain ongoing Alpine elevation changes.
Firms are under constant pressure from various governmental and nongovernmental agencies to switch from conventional environmentally polluting products to green product innovations (GPIs). However, ...the relevant research pertaining to GPI has been published in a diverse set of journals that vary in their scope and readership and, therefore, the scholarly contribution to the topic remains largely fragmented. This study has utilised a systematic literature review approach to examine the literary corpus on GPI to paint a holistic picture of its different aspects. The content and thematic analysis of 85 studies resulted in the extraction of seven key research themes: organisational capabilities, organisational learning, institutional pressures, barriers, structural changes, benefits of GPI, and methodological choices. This study's findings further highlight the various gaps in the GPI literature and raise some research questions that warrant scholarly investigation in the future. Likewise, our study has important implications for practitioners who are likely to benefit from a holistic understanding of the different aspects of GPI. Similarly, policymakers can use this study's findings to introduce policy interventions, especially in countries where GPI adoption is low.
Plant proteins have recently gained market demand and momentum due to their environmentally friendly origins and health advantages over their animal-derived counterparts. However, their lower ...techno-functionalities, digestibility, bioactivities, and anti-nutritional compounds have limited their application in foods. Increased demand for physically modified proteins with better techno-functionalities resulted in the application of different thermal and non-thermal treatments to modify plant proteins. Novel physical processing technologies (NPPT) considered 'emerging high-potential treatments for tomorrow' are required to alter protein functionality, enhance bioactive peptide formations, reduce anti-nutritional, reduce loss of nutrients, prevention of damage to heat liable proteins and clean label. NPPT can be promising substitutes for the lower energy-efficient and aggressive thermal treatments in plant protein modification. These facts captivated the interest of the scientific community in designing novel functional food systems. However, these improvements are not verifiable for all the plant proteins and depend immensely on the protein type and concentration, other environmental parameters (pH, ionic strength, temperature, and co-solutes), and NPPT conditions. This review addresses the most promising approaches of NPPT for the modification of techno-functionalities of plant proteins. New insights elaborating the effect of NPPTs on proteins' structural and functional behavior in relation to other food components are discussed. The combined application of NPPTs in the field of plant-based bioactive functionalities is also explored.
•The structural changes were clarified through fixed-point observation experiments.•The distribution and variation of shale minerals were determined.•The chemical mechanism of shale structural ...changes has been revealed.
The interaction between a water-based working fluid and shale causes a change in shale structure, resulting in wellbore instability and greatly increasing drilling costs. On the basis of the black rock samples of the Longmaxi Formation, the structural change characteristics and internal mechanisms of shale hydration are investigated using scanning electron microscopy, fixed-point observation experiments, X-ray diffraction experiments, ion analysis, and energy spectroscopy analysis. In this study, the changes in the microscopic elements during the propagation of macroscopic cracks to hydration were studied and the ion exchange of brine and mineral hydration was analyzed. The results indicate that the interaction between water and shale leads to shale fracture along the bedding plane, the expansion of primary fractures, the generation of new fractures, and the occurrence of a high number of dissolution phenomena. The ion exchange cation precipitation of shale and the fluid is dominated by Ca2+, and the anion precipitated is mainly SO42−. Through the energy spectrum analysis of the whole-rock mineral composition changes and shale structural changes, it is believed that shale dissolution is mainly from carbonatite minerals, such as calcite. While the oxidation of pyrite in the aqueous environment provides a large amount of SO42− and H+ and fracture propagation mainly occurs in areas where non quartz inorganic minerals are distributed on the bedding plane. The intrinsic mechanism of shale hydration structural changes is revealed through the structural changes, mineral composition changes, and chemical reactions present during the water–shale interaction, which is significant for ensuring the wellbore stability of drilling.
Fat greatly impacts the overall texture and flavor of pork belly. Twice-cooked pork bellies (TPB), typically boiled and sliced before “back to pot” being stir-fried, is a classic Sichuan cuisine ...among stir-fried dishes. In this study, the effects of substituting conventional pan-frying (PCV) with superheated steam (SHS) technology on the sensory, texture, microstructure and flavor of the fat layers were investigated. SHS was used as an alternative to boiling (120 °C for 15, 20, 25, and 30 min), and “back to pot” stir-frying was also by SHS. TPB precooked for 25 min (P25) with SHS performed better quality characteristics than PCV, with less collagen fiber disruption and lipid droplet area, resulting in a lower hardness and higher shear force. Besides, the low-oxygen environment of SHS retarded the lipid peroxidation, showing a significantly lower MDA content than PCV. Differently, PCV exhibited more grassy and fatty flavors, while P25 exhibited a unique aroma of fruity and creamy due to its higher UFA/SFA ratios in the pre-cooking stage. Overall, the sensory scores of P25 were comparable to those of PCV (with no significant difference), revealing that SHS is expected to be applied to the industrial production of stir-fried dishes.
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•The sensory characteristics of P25 were comparable to those of PCV.•P25 retained more connective tissue exhibiting higher shear force than PCV.•The flavor profiles of P25 and P30 overlapped with PCV.•SHS retarded the lipid overoxidation and endowed P25 with unique milky amora.•SHS is expected to be applied to the industrial production of stir-fried dishes.
•Fatty acids induced exposure of protein hydrophobic groups during HME processing.•Linoleic acid limited the refolding of protein chains in the die.•Stearic acid enhanced the intermolecular disulfide ...bonds formation during cooling.•Unsaturated fatty acids inhibited the formation of anisotropic structures.
To provide a theoretical basis for the quality improvement of plant protein-based meat substitutes with lipids, the interactions between pea protein and fatty acids (stearic, oleic and linoleic acids) and the effect on protein conformational changes during high-moisture extrusion (HME) processing were investigated using a dead-stop operation. The surface hydrophobicity analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed that the fatty acids induced the exposure of hydrophobic groups in the pea proteins, weakened hydrogen bonds, affected the aggregation of legumin subunits and promoted the conversion of α-helix and β-sheet structures to β-turn and random coil during HME processing. In the die, unsaturated fatty acids limited the refolding of protein chains and covalent interactions between proteins. Micromorphology analysis indicated that the coalescence of oleic and linoleic acids in the cooling zone hindered the formation of anisotropic structures while stearic acid promoted the formation of fibrous structures by enhanced disulfide bonds.
•Using X-ray CT to study meso-structural changes of SRM under triaxial loading.•Scale of localized bands increases with increasing rock block percentage.•Regions of localization present irregular ...tortuosity and affected by rock blocks.•Localized band disappears and appears repeatedly owing to interaction between rock block and soil matrix.
Construction and building of engineering structures in geomaterials with soil and rock mixture (SRM) are often challenging tasks for engineers. While the effects of rock block content on the macroscopic mechanical properties have been widely studied, the physical meso-scale mechanisms governing the SRM deformation are still poorly understood. Here, we applied a high energy X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging method to study the influence of rock block content on the mesoscopic structural changes and the associated strain localization behaviors in SRM. Triaxial compression experiment was conducted for the SRM samples with rock block percentage (RBP) of 0%, 30%, 40%, and 50%, respectively, under a confining pressure of 120 kPa. The meso-structural changes were quantitatively studied using the macroscopic stress–strain descriptions and mesoscopic CT images identification. Under triaxial deformation, the stress–strain curves present strain hardening behavior, strength of the sample increases with increasing RBP, which can be verified from the interlocking of rock blocks, and skeleton role of blocks improves the capacity to resist deformation. In addition, regions of localization are extremely non-uniform and strongly affected by the rock blocks, scale of the localized bands presents a incremental trend as RBP increases. What is more, the most striking observation from the reconstructed images is that zone of localization may disappear during deformation owing to the interactions between the rock block and soil matrix. Through a series of meso-structural evolution analysis, the meso-mechanisms of the effect of rock block content on SRM under triaxial deformation have been documented.
In this study, achira (Canna edulis) starch (AS), a non-conventional starch, was hydrolyzed using hydrochloric acid (7.5%) from 3 to 15 days to investigate the effect of long term acid hydrolysis on ...the evolution of the crystalline and double-helical structure changes, and its repercussion on the functionality. After 15 days, the degree of hydrolysis was 40.3 ± 0.8%. Micrographs revealed the granular structure loss after 6 days of hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis decreased the crystallinity from 36.6 to 21.1% after 3 days but it increased to 27.0% after 15 days, while the degree of double helix and degree of order decreased after the acid treatment. Structural degradation of AS induced by the acid hydrolysis was reflected in the significant reduction of the enthalpy change of gelatinization and swelling, and the significant increase of the water solubility and water holding capacity, reaching maximum values at 9 (52.6 ± 1.0%) and 15 (266.4 ± 0.4%) days, respectively. Through the appropriate modification of the crystalline and double-helical structure by acid hydrolysis, the AS functionality can be regulated by adjusting the hydrolysis time, expanding the use of AS in the food industry.
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•The amount and packing density of double helices decreased after acid hydrolysis.•Disassembled double-helices were rearranged into more crystalline structures.•The highest water solubility value (52.6 ± 1.0%) was achieved after 9 days.•Maximum water holding capacity (266.4 ± 0.4%) was obtained after 15 days.
There is a shred of growing evidence demonstrating that diabetic patients are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to the general population. The previous investigation showed ...the protective effect of metformin for delaying dementia in diabetic patients. However, there are limited data on the effect of metformin on structural changes. This study aims to investigate the effect of metformin on hippocampal and cortical volumes in non-demented diabetic individuals.
We entered 157 non-demented diabetic subjects including 89 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 68 cognitively healthy individuals from Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) which were then categorized as metformin users and non-users. We used the ANCOVA model for measuring the association between metformin use and hippocampal and cortical volumes.
Among 157 subjects with a mean age of 71.8 (±7.7) included in this study, 76 individuals were stratified as metformin users. Results of the univariate model indicate that metformin users had a higher right (p = 0.003) and left parietal lobe volume (p = 0.004). Moreover, the volume of left cingulate was higher in those who used metformin compared to those not used it (p = 0.027). Our results were also significant for the right frontal lobe and indicated that metformin users had higher volume (p = 0.035). There were no significant differences in the hippocampus, occipital, and temporal regions.
Our findings showed the protective effects of metformin on brain volumes in non-demented elderly individuals with diabetes. Comparing the groups show strong enough results regarding the lower atrophy in metformin users.
•Our findings support the protective effects of metformin use on atrophy in non-demented elderly with diabetes.•This is the first study examined the association between metformin intake and brain structural changes.•Comparing the groups showed significant results regarding the lower atrophy in metformin users.
The article describes a new model of water–ice phase transition in pores of a saturated porous medium. The model takes into account the difference in specific volume between ice and water which ...causes structural changes in the porous medium. Describing details of heat, phase, and structure dynamics, the model contributes to a deeper understanding of phenomena in upper soil layers subjected to either seasonal conditions or climate changes. Governing multi-physics system of equations includes the conservation of mass, momentum and energy at the pore level and includes the anisotropic Allen–Cahn equation for tracking the position of ice during nucleation and growth inside the pores. The model provides space–time behavior of key quantities and describes the interaction of growing ice with pore geometry and surrounding grains. The governing system of equations is solved by the finite-element method to provide several qualitative computational studies of the ice growth inside a porous structure.
•Soil freezing and thawing described by conservation laws.•Detailed phase interface tracking provided by the phase-field method.•Dynamics of phase transition in porous structure.•Capturing structural changes produced by the phase change.•Finite-element numerical solution.
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