Optimised processing of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) kernels as a brewing adjunct

Pulse (Fabaceae) grains, such as peas and beans, are derived from crops that are usually cultivated in the absence of mineral nitrogen fertiliser as these crops can obtain their nitrogen requirement naturally from the air via biological nitrogen fixation. Therefore, pulses present a significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint than crops demanding nitrogen fertiliser, whilst also offering significant quantities of starch for the brewing and distilling industries. Mitigation of agriculture derived GHG emissions through utilisation of pulses can have a positive environmental impact. To this end, the potential of exploiting dry, dehulled faba bean (Vicia faba L.) kernel flour as an adjunct for beer production was evaluated. The impact of different temperature regimes and commercial enzymes were assessed for their effect on wort: viscosity; run‐off rate; primary amino nitrogen content and, fermentability. Faba beans demonstrated insufficient endogenous enzyme capacity for starch conversion and generated a viscous wort. However, using a stepped temperature mashing regime and exogenous enzyme additions, the faba bean wort was comparable in processability and fermentability to that of 100% malted barley wort. The faba based beer and co‐product qualities demonstrate the environmental, nutritional and commercial potential of pulses in brewing. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of the Institute of Brewing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Microbial incorporation of 13C-labeled acetate at the field scale: detection of microbes responsible for reduction of U(VI)

A field-scale acetate amendment experiment was performed in a contaminated aquifer at Old Rifle, CO to stimulate in situ microbial reduction of U(VI) in groundwater. To evaluate the microorganisms responsible for microbial uranium reduction during the experiment, 13C-labeled acetate was introduced into well bores via bio-traps containing porous activated carbon beads (Bio-Sep). Incorporation of the 13C from labeled acetate into cellular DNA and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers was analyzed in parallel with geochemical parameters. An enrichment of active sigma-proteobacteria was demonstrated in downgradient monitoring wells: Geobacter dominated in wells closer to the acetate injection gallery, while various sulfate reducers were prominent in different downgradient wells. These results were consistent with the geochemical evidence of Fe(III), U(VI), and SO(4)2- reduction. PLFA profiling of bio-traps suspended in the monitoring wells also showed the incorporation of 13C into bacterial cellular lipids. Community composition of downgradient monitoring wells based on quinone and PLFA profiling was in general agreement with the 13C-DNA result. The direct application of 13C label to biosystems, coupled with DNA and PLFA analysis,     

Moderators and mediators of the stress-aggression relationship: Executive function and state anger.

The present study examined the effects of executive function (i.e., EF) and anger/hostility on the relationship between stress (across individual stress domains, as well as at the aggregate level) and aggression. Two independent groups of participants—a college sample and a low-income community sample—were administered a battery of self-report measures concerning the subjective experience of stress, aggressive behaviors, and feelings of state anger and hostility in the last month, along with a battery of well-validated neuropsychological tests of EF. Across both samples, the stress domains that demonstrated the strongest associations with aggression were those involving chronic strains of daily living (e.g., job, financial, health) versus interpersonal stressors (e.g., family, romantic). In the community sample, analyses also revealed a significant interaction between perceived stress (aggregated across domains) and EF in predicting aggressive behavior. Specifically, participants with relatively low EF abilities, across different EF processes, showed a stronger relationship between different domains of stress and aggression in the last month. Similar effects were demonstrated in the college sample, although the interaction was not significant. In both samples, experiences of anger and hostility in the last month mediated the relationship between perceived stress (aggregate) and aggressive behavior among those low, but not high, in EF. These findings highlight the importance of higher-order cognitive processes in regulating appropriate affective and behavioral responses across different types of individuals, particularly among those experiencing high levels of stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A controlled evaluation of the distress criterion for binge eating disorder.

Objective: Research has examined various aspects of the validity of the research criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) but has yet to evaluate the utility of Criterion C, “marked distress about binge eating.” This study examined the significance of the marked distress criterion for BED using 2 complementary comparison groups. Method: A total of 1,075 community volunteers completed a battery of self-report instruments as part of an Internet study. Analyses compared body mass index (BMI), eating-disorder psychopathology, and depressive levels in 4 groups: 97 participants with BED except for the distress criterion (BED–ND), 221 participants with BED including the distress criterion (BED), 79 participants with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 489 obese participants without binge eating or purging (NBPO). Parallel analyses compared these study groups using the broadened frequency criterion (i.e., once weekly for binge/purge behaviors) proposed for the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) and the 4th edition (DSM–IV) twice-weekly frequency criterion. Results: The BED group had significantly greater eating-disorder psychopathology and depressive levels than the BED–ND group. The BED group, but not the BED–ND group, had significantly greater eating-disorder psychopathology than the NBPO comparison group. The BN group had significantly greater eating-disorder psychopathology and depressive levels than all 3 other groups. The group differences in eating-disorder psychopathology existed even after controlling for depression levels, BMI, and demographic variables, although some differences between the BN and BED groups were attenuated when controlling for depression levels. Conclusions: These findings provide support for the validity of the “marked distress” criterion for the diagnosis of BED. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Centrifuge Modeling of the Cyclic Lateral Response of a Rigid Pile in Soft Clay

A series of centrifuge model tests of the lateral response of a fixed-head single pile in soft clay is reported. Both monotonic and cyclic episodes of loading are described, with varying amplitude and with intervening periods of reconsolidation. The soil conditions are characterized by cyclic T-bar penetrometer tests. The ultimate capacity under monotonic load for virgin and for postcyclic conditions was found to be comparable with calculations based on existing design methods, including theoretical plasticity solutions and empirical methods. The lateral stiffness was observed to degrade with cycles, with the rate of degradation being greater for larger cycles. The degradation pattern has been tentatively linked to the cyclic T-bar response, by considering the ‘damage’ associated with the cumulative displacement and remolding, in each case. This approach provides a consistent interpretation of the tests. Although episodes of pile movement and soil remolding led to a reduction in lateral resistance, intervening periods of reconsolidation led to a similar magnitude of recovery and a reduction in the level of softening in subsequent cyclic episodes. During an initial episode of cyclic lateral movement, the stiffness degraded by a factor of 2.3, which is comparable with the strength sensitivity derived from a cyclic T-bar test. In contrast, after five episodes of reconsolidation, the stiffness had recovered back to within 25% of the stiffness observed in the first cycle of the first episode, and it showed negligible degradation during subsequent cycling. This observation implies that, over a long period of cyclic loading, the lateral stiffness of a pile may tend towards a value that is independent of cycle number, and that represents a balance between the damaging effects of remolding and pore pressure generation and the healing effects of time and reconsolidation.     

Visual indication of mechanical damage using core-shell microcapsules

We report a new core-shell microcapsule system for the visual detection of mechanical damage. The core material, 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene, is a conjugated cyclic olefin and a precursor to intensely colored polyacetylene. A combination of poly(urea-formaldehyde) and polyurethane is required to effectively encapsulate the volatile core material. Increasing the outer shell wall thickness and including a core-side prepolymer improves the thermal stability and free-flowing nature of these capsules, which tend to leach and rupture with thinner shell walls. Capsules ruptured in the presence of the Grubbs-Love ruthenium catalyst show immediate color change from nearly colorless to red-orange and dark purple over time, and color change in thin films resulted from scratch damage.