The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint

Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.Whole grains,as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains,can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber,B vitamins,and bioactive substances.Additionally,they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.However,few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints(CFs)that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines(CDG).We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion(5–100%)of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.In that case,the healthcare costs for associated diseases(e.g.,type2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),cardiovascular disease(CVD),and colorectal cancer(CRC))are expected to reduce by a substantial amount,from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion;the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by0.24–5.72 million tons.This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health,the environment,and society,by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.

Mechanical responses and crystal plasticity model of CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy under ramp wave compression

It is of substantial scientific significance and practical value to reveal and understand the multiscale mechanical properties and intrinsic mechanisms of medium-entropy alloys(MEAs)under high strain rates and pressures.In this study,the mechanical responses and deformation mechanisms of an equiatomic CoCrNi MEA are investigated utilizing magnetically driven ramp wave compression(RWC)with a strain rate of 105 s^(−1).The CoCrNi MEA demonstrates excellent dynamic mechanical responses and yield strength under RWC compared with other advanced materials.Multiscale characterizations reveal that grain refinement and abundant micromechanisms,including dislocation slip,stacking faults,nanotwin network,and Lomer–Cottrell locks,collectively contribute to its excellent performance during RWC.Furthermore,dense deformation twins and shear bands intersect,forming a weave-like microstructure that can disperse deformation and enhance plasticity.On the basis of these observations,we develop a modified crystal plasticity model with coupled dislocation and twinning mechanisms,providing a relatively accurate quantitative description of the multiscale behavior under RWC.The results of simulations indicate that the activation of multilevel microstructures in CoCrNi MEA is primarily attributable to stress inhomogeneities and localized strain during RWC.Our research offers valuable insights into the dynamic mechanical responses of CoCrNi MEA,positioning it as a promising material for use under extreme dynamic conditions.