From innovation to exnovation : insights from post-growth food enterprises in Australia

This study explores systemic barriers and enablers of post-growth food enterprises in Australia. We analyse three different case studies that offer alternative models of entrepreneurial approaches for achieving sustainability outcomes as a higher priority than economic growth. We identified three post-growth food enterprises that operate at different stages of the food supply chain. We found that these enterprises work towards various, interconnected, sustainability goals by embedding diverse principles into their organisational structure and operations. Their not-for-profit structure enables them to avoid trade-offs between financial extractivism and socio-ecological well-being goals. Additionally, we explored the systemic barriers faced by these enterprises, recognising that they are embedded in an economic system that favours and rewards the pursuit of economic growth. To navigate these barriers, the cases analysed adopted various innovative approaches, such as fostering alternative funding schemes, ways to acquire farmland and technology. While their bottom-up approaches are important, the inertia of dominant food systems impedes transitions to alternatives. We suggest that exnovation – the process of deliberately phasing out unsustainable practices – warrants more attention. For example, exnovating goals, policies, and performance metrics that prioritise economic growth at the expense of sustainability could play a crucial role in unlocking post-growth models. This study provides an orientation for further theoretical and empirical research about post-growth food systems transitions and stresses the value of engaging more with the wider political, economic, and legal foundations of transitions

Two-step digestion pathways of hydrogels from pea proteins

HYPOTHESIS: Digestion pathways of plant proteins are of high relevance to optimize bioavailability and allergenicity profiles of sustainable and vegan food products. Understanding the structural breakdown of solid food presents a particular challenge, due to the complexity to realize a good model system suitable for comprehensive multi-technique characterization under realistic conditions.EXPERIMENTS: We used a microfluidic chip to study the structural evolution during in-vitro digestion of solid gels from pea proteins. The gel structure was probed in-situ combining confocal microscopy, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering using the same experimental platform. SDS-PAGE analysis was performed on related solution and gel samples subjected to different digestion times.FINDINGS: Combining multiple techniques we reach a multi-scale picture of gel digestion, revealing the breakdown of a more homogeneous gel into more open connected domains with hierarchical internal structures. SDS-PAGE outlines effects of processing on resulting digestion pathways. As central result, we observe a clear two-step digestion process across techniques, switching at about 8-10 min from the initial response to long-term digestion. Overall, the presented methodology holds promise for detailed structural information in future studies aimed at developing new foods with optimized mechanical, nutritional value, and reduced allergenicity

Engineered Pd-Ga alloy nanoparticles through spark ablation and in-flight metal-organic precursor decomposition

Pd-Ga alloy nanoparticles with tunable compositions were produced by combining spark ablation with a downstream injection of a metal-organic precursor. This dual-process approach enables control over nanoparticle composition and morphology by adjusting precursor flow rate and sintering temperature. At lower precursor flows, uniform Pd-Ga nanoparticles form, exhibiting stable Pd5Ga2 and Pd2Ga phases. HRTEM and STEM-EDX analyses reveal that as precursor supply increases, Ga incorporation intensifies, leading to structural transitions, phase segregation, and the formation of PdGa dominated phases with amorphous Ga-rich domains, influencing nanoparticle shape and crystallinity. This process unlocks pathways for tailoring alloy compositions in-flight with low-melting point materials

Starch microsphere preparation and phase behaviour in aqueous two-phase systems – effect of continuous-phase polymer

When producing starch microspheres in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS), a continuous-phase polymer is employed to induce segregative phase separation. This creates a continuous polymer-rich phase, in which starch-rich phase droplets can be dispersed and crystallised into solid, semi-crystalline starch microspheres. This study aims to explore how polymers with different chemical structures and sizes affect phase behaviour in starch-based ATPS and the formation of starch microspheres. The polymers studied were polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). To reach a starch concentration in the starch-rich phase (55 %) that yielded solid starch microspheres, less PEG (32 %) than PVP (39 %) or PEtOx (42 %) were required in the continuous phase. The sizes of the polymers had little or no effect on the water distribution in the ATPS. The governing factor is the water activity within the system. The water activity in the starch-rich phase must be low enough to allow for crystallisation within the predetermined time frame. Accordingly, the polymer concentration must be selected so that this water activity condition is reached. The viscosity of the continuous phase significantly impacted the microsphere production. It needs to be high enough to prevent the coalescence of starch droplets as they transition to solid gels, but not so high that it hinders emulsification. While polymer choice affected particle size and aggregation, it did not notably change the interior structure, surface morphology, crystal type, or thermal behaviour of the dried starch microspheres. This opens up the possibility to optimise the production of microspheres by changing polymers, while tuning the starch crystallisation through control of the water activity in the starch phase

Positive Obligations as Coercive ‘Rights’ and Compulsory Vaccination under the European Convention on Human Rights

This article assesses what is analytically at stake when individuals claim that their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights have been interfered with and the respondent State invokes compliance with positive human rights obligations as the aim pursued with the interference. These situations could be framed as manifesting a tension between negative and positive obligations. This is a framing that was accepted in the compulsory vaccination case of Vavřička and Others v the Czech Republic. By using the reasoning and the framing endorsed in this judgment, the article demonstrates that there were no positive obligations at stake. By accepting that there was a tension between obligations, the Court in this case allowed general interests to operate under the façade of individual rights. While the State can and should protect general interests, such as public health, the coercive measures used in the pursuit of these interests are not commands that form the content of positive human right obligations

Agricultural management and associated landscapes influence wild plant communities, nest colonization, and the pollen diet of unmanaged populations of mason bees

Bees are pollinators of both wild and crop plants with significant ecological and economic value. However, recent studies report declines in their populations, particularly in agricultural landscapes. Compared to conventional farming, organic agricultural management is considered less harmful to biodiversity. Despite this, studies addressing wild bees in organic systems remain limited. In this study, we selected organic and conventional farms to examine the influence of farming management on meadow flora. We also accessed landscape-level management and its influence on newly colonized nest of mason bees and their pollen diet. Our results show that organic farming promotes higher plants diversity in meadows. Analyses of pollen inside mason bee nests revealed a more diverse diet in landscapes with a greater proportion of organic fields. Additionally, the number of newly colonized nests increased with the extent of organically managed areas. These findings indicate that organic farming can enhance meadow plant diversity, positively influence the pollen diet of wild bees, and support larger populations of solitary bees. Environmental management aimed at sustainability helps to safeguard the diversity of both plants and mason bees. Overall, sustainable environmental management that increases organic farming coverage in agricultural landscapes holds substantial potential for protecting solitary bee populations

Advanced droplet sizing of an aeronautic kerosene Jet A-1 spray injected at high-altitude relight conditions

One of the main requirements for the safety and certification of an aircraft is its ability to relight under high-altitude conditions, i.e., sub-atmospheric and extremely cold environment. In the combustor, the fuel is introduced in liquid form and atomized into droplets, generating a spray that facilitates evaporation and combustion. Therefore, understanding and mastering the atomization process in a gas turbine combustor is a significant challenge for engine manufacturers. Knowledge of the droplet size and its spatial distribution in the chamber is primordial. According to the literature, spray characteristics have never been reported under high-altitude relight conditions. Therefore, for the first time, this study presents an experimental investigation of droplet sizing of a low-temperature kerosene Jet A-1 spray (233 K) injected from a pressure-swirl atomizer into a chamber at sub-atmospheric pressure (0.3 bar). The 1p-SLIPI LIF/Mie ratio technique is successfully employed and provides a reliable tool for studying spray behavior under various operating conditions

Urban air pollution disrupts placental microarchitecture and shifts hofbauer cells towards a pro-inflammatory state

Exposure to urban air pollution during early pregnancy is associated with increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia (PE), and there is an urgent need to understand how air pollution affects biological mechanisms in the placenta. Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are fetal placental macrophages that regulate immune tolerance in the placenta. They are normally polarized towards an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype but display a more pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype in PE. The ex vivo dual placental perfusion approach uses full term human placentas to study physiological aspects of the placenta. In this study, effects of urban traffic-derived particles of size <2.5 µm (PM2.5) on placental tissue and HBC polarization was deciphered. To study changes in placental microarchitecture and cell morphology, transmission electron microscopy was applied. In addition, changes in cell surface markers on HBCs were determined by immunohistochemistry. Exposure to PM2.5 caused disrupted collagen structures and affected cell organelles in multiple cell types inside placental villi. The resident HBC marker CD163 was not affected by PM2.5 exposure, while CD206 was reduced by 60 % and CD209 remained unchanged, indicating altered M2 polarization. Additionally, the expression of pro-inflammatory M1 markers CD40 (p = 0.02) and CD80 (p = 0.03) in HBCs increased due to urban PM2.5 exposure. Urban PM2.5 showed detrimental effects on the placenta by disrupting tissue morphology and affecting HBC polarization specifically. These results extend the currently accepted view on properties of HBCs, by demonstrating their ability to react plastically and specifically to different exogenous stimuli