127 research outputs found

    Promocijas darbs

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    Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusOgu sulas pārstrādes procesā veidojas atkritumi– ogu spiedpaliekas, kuras, pielietojot biorafinēšanas principus, varētu tikt izmantotas citās industrijās, lai iegūtu vērtīgu izejmateriālus. Šī promocijas darba mērķis bija izvērtēt lipīdu un polifenolu atgūšanas iespējas no ogu spiedpaliekām un veikt atgūto savienojumu izmantošanas iespēju izpēti. Ogu lipīdi satur daudzus funkcionālus savienojumus, kuriem tika pierādīta antimikrobiālā aktivitāte un saules aizsardzības īpašības. Tika optimizēta polifenolu un antociānu ekstrakcija un iegūtie, attīrītie polifenolu ekstrakti tika izmantoti, lai novērtētu to pretiekaisuma un antioksidatīvo iedarbību. Iegūtie rezultāti par lipīdu un polifenolu sastāvu ogās un to spiedpaliekās var tikt izmantoti kā rīks, lai noteiktu ogu autentiskumu un izcelsmes vietu. Atslēgas vārdi: Vaccinium, ogas, lipīdi, polifenoli, pielietojums, valorizācija, biorafinēšanaBerry juice processing produces large amounts of food waste – berry press residues, which could be valorised through approaches defined by biorefinery concepts, adding value and obtaining new, application-based extracts or their fractions. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the possibility to extract lipids and polyphenolics from berry press residues and explore the application potential of these groups of substances. Lipid analysis revealed presence of large number of substances with various functions – specific fractions of lipid and wax extracts could be used as antimicrobial agents in cosmetics or as additives in sunscreens to increase the UV-B blocking potential. Polyphenolic extracts have been evaluated using in vitro tests, antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of lipid and polyphenolic extracts can be used as a chemometric tool for authenticity and place of origin testing. Keywords: Vaccinium, berries, lipids, polyphenolics, application, valorisation, biorefinin

    New insights along the gut-liver axis in cardiometabolic disease

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    In this thesis we targeted the human gut microbiome for the development of therapeutic strategies in metabolic disorders. In chapter 3 we performed a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study in individuals with the metabolic syndrome in which we showed that a single duodenal infusion of A. soehngenii improved peripheral glycemic control. In chapter 4 we studied the effect of a 2 weeks oral A. soehngenii treatment in individuals with T2D treated with metformin on their glycemic control.The second part of the thesis focused on MASLD, currently the most common cause of chronic liver dysfunction worldwide. In chapter 5 we reviewed the gut microbial and gut microbial-derived metabolite signatures associated with the development and disease progression of MASLD. To dissect causality of intestinal microbiota in MASLD, in chapter 6 we performed a single-center, double-blind, randomized controlled proof-of-principle pilot study comparing the effect of three 8-weekly lean vegan donor FMT versus autologous FMT on the severity of MASLD, using liver biopsies in individuals with hepatic steatosis on ultrasound. Moreover, we aimed to identify and validate noninvasive diagnostic methods in disease progression in MASLD. Hence, in chapter 7 we examined the diagnostic performance of multiparametric MRI for the assessment of disease severity along the MASLD disease spectrum with comparison to histological scores

    XVI Agricultural Science Congress 2023: Transformation of Agri-Food Systems for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

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    The XVI Agricultural Science Congress being jointly organized by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during 10-13 October 2023, at hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, is a mega event echoing the theme “Transformation of Agri-Food Systems for achieving Sustainable Development Goals”. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute takes great pride in hosting the XVI ASC, which will be the perfect point of convergence of academicians, researchers, students, farmers, fishers, traders, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders involved in agri-production systems that ensure food and nutritional security for a burgeoning population. With impeding challenges like growing urbanization, increasing unemployment, growing population, increasing food demands, degradation of natural resources through human interference, climate change impacts and natural calamities, the challenges ahead for India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations are many. The XVI ASC will provide an interface for dissemination of useful information across all sectors of stakeholders invested in developing India’s agri-food systems, not only to meet the SDGs, but also to ensure a stable structure on par with agri-food systems around the world. It is an honour to present this Book of Abstracts which is a compilation of a total of 668 abstracts that convey the results of R&D programs being done in India. The abstracts have been categorized under 10 major Themes – 1. Ensuring Food & Nutritional Security: Production, Consumption and Value addition; 2. Climate Action for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems; 3. Frontier Science and emerging Genetic Technologies: Genome, Breeding, Gene Editing; 4. Livestock-based Transformation of Food Systems; 5. Horticulture-based Transformation of Food Systems; 6. Aquaculture & Fisheries-based Transformation of Food Systems; 7. Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable AgriFood Systems; 8. Next Generation Technologies: Digital Agriculture, Precision Farming and AI-based Systems; 9. Policies and Institutions for Transforming Agri-Food Systems; 10. International Partnership for Research, Education and Development. This Book of Abstracts sets the stage for the mega event itself, which will see a flow of knowledge emanating from a zeal to transform and push India’s Agri-Food Systems to perform par excellence and achieve not only the SDGs of the UN but also to rise as a world leader in the sector. I thank and congratulate all the participants who have submitted abstracts for this mega event, and I also applaud the team that has strived hard to publish this Book of Abstracts ahead of the event. I wish all the delegates and participants a very vibrant and memorable time at the XVI ASC

    Functional Foods and their Implications for Health Promotion

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    Functional Foods and Their Implications for Health Promotion presents functional foods, from raw ingredients to the final product, providing a detailed explanation on how these foods work and an overview of their impact on health. The book presents the functions of food against disease and discusses how healthier foods can be produced. Broken into four parts, the book presents a deep dive into plant-derived functional foods, dairy foods, marine food and beverages. The book includes case studies, applications, literature reviews and coverage of recent developments. Intended for nutritionists, dieticians, food technologists, as well as students and researchers working in nutrition, dietetics, and food science, this book is sure to be a welcomed resource

    A critical examination of theorising in the study of the behavioural and social aspects of HIV and AIDS in South Africa

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    Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2022.Despite its widespread influence on the social and health sciences, Psychology is marked by debates surrounding its relevance, usefulness and status as a scientific discipline. While various corrective measures have been proposed, most notably the application of more rigorous methodological and empirical practices, the value of paying closer attention to theorising and the meta-theoretical structure of psychological science are often overlooked. When theory, research and practice exist in a synergistic relationship, theory can serve various generative functions. However, theorising that occurs in isolation from research and practice, and theory use which is unreflective and uncritical, produces adverse consequences which may ultimately lead to the stagnation of a scientific discipline. The lack of explicit and consistent theory use has been found to be a common problem in the social sciences, including in Social and Health Psychology. Since the outbreak of HIV in 1981, psychological theories have played an important role in the social and behavioural study of the disease. While great strides have been made in developing a robust and practically useful social and behavioural study of HIV and AIDS, the disease still poses unique and challenging questions to social scientists. Moreover, there is frustration with the limited success of HIV prevention programmes. Given the insufficient attention to theorising, this study explores the conceptual development of the socio-behavioural study of HIV and the paradigms that have played a role in how social scientists understand HIV and AIDS in South Africa. It was guided by three aims: a.) To describe the historical development of research focus areas in the socio-behavioural study of HIV and AIDS; b.) To identify and describe the use and visibility of theory in the academic literature; c.) To conduct a meta-theoretical analysis of the most prominent paradigms in the literature. Critical Realism was used as the study’s theoretical point of departure. The study comprised four phases. The first phase entailed the systematic search for peer-reviewed articles that pertained to the social and behavioural study of HIV in South Africa from 1982 to 2020. Phase two involved the thematic analysis of research themes. Phase three entailed the analysis of theory visibility, the extent to which theory testing and building occurred, and the identification of theories and paradigms in the literature. Phase four involved the meta-theoretical analysis of the three most prominent paradigms in the literature: Socio-Behaviourism, Critical Theory and the Socio-Ecological and Systems paradigm. A total of 3848 relevant papers were identified and thematically analysed to gain a contextual and historical understanding of the trends in research themes over time. Research on HIV prevention was the most common; however, research on living with HIV and testing and treatment started to increase in visibility from the late 2000s. A total of 1899 papers (49.9%) demonstrated the explicit or implicit use of theory. Theory visibility remained relatively stable over time. Articles about HIV testing and treatment demonstrated particularly low theory visibility. Theory building, and in particular theory testing, were found to be low. Articles which demonstrated the explicit use and direct naming of theories tended to make greater theoretical contributions. The misapplication of theory was evident, including the vague naming, oversimplified use of theories, and the meta-theoretically unreflective use of theoretical concepts. The study demonstrates the competition of opposing ideas and perspectives in the socio-behavioural study of HIV. The field developed from being primarily a psychological (specifically, Socio-Behavioural) research programme to increasingly becoming more socio-ecological and critical. Critical Theory and the Socio-Ecological and Systems paradigm became more prominent in the literature from the early 2000s, eventually overtaking Socio-Behaviourism by the late 2010s. The meta-theoretical analysis of Socio-Behaviourism, Critical Theory and the Socio-Ecological and Systems paradigm yielded important insights for the study of HIV and social and health psychology in general. Most notably, the analysis revealed important shortcomings in each paradigm and the degenerative consequences of meta-theoretically unreflective theory use. Several recommendations for research and practice are made, most notably that theories should be referred to explicitly and should be used in a way that corresponds with what they truly propose and in line with the proposed research topic, question and methodology. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to engage with theories sceptically and expand their knowledge of the theories that might be appropriate to their disciplines.PsychologyPhD (Psychology)Unrestricte

    Learning Disabilities

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    Learning disabilities are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by failure to acquire, retrieve, and use information competently. These disorders have a multifactorial aetiology and are most common and severe in children, especially when comorbid with other chronic health conditions. This book provides current and comprehensive information about learning disorders, including information on neurobiology, assessment, clinical features, and treatment. Chapters cover such topics as historical research and hypotheses of learning disorders, neuropsychological assessment and counselling, characteristics of specific disorders such as autism and ADHD, evidence-based treatment strategies and assistive technologies, and much more

    Rural Health

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    Rural health is the study of healthcare systems in rural settings. This book presents a comprehensive overview of rural health care and addresses such topics as human resources, maternal mortality in developing countries, safety of healthcare workers, zoonotic and veterinary diseases, and much more. Chapters include case studies and research in the field of rural health
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