Nutrient enrichment of injera to improve food and nutrition security in Ethiopia

El objetivo principal de la tesis fue explorar la posibilidad de usar cáscara de huevo molida (EP) para enriquecer la injera con calcio, uno de los micronutrientes necesitados en la dieta etíope. Los objetivos específicos de la tesis fueron: i) Determinación y puesta a punto de los principales parámetros de calidad de la injera incluyendo parámetros físicos, químicos, nutritivos, microbiológicos y sensoriales; ii) estudiar el efecto de la adición de EP sobre la calidad de la injera; iii) aumentar la vida útil de la injera enriquecida mediante el uso de refrigeración y envasado en atmósfera modificada; y iv) analizar el efecto de la adición de EP en la injera sobre la aceptabilidad de la injera en una población local de Etiopía, y describir las características sensoriales e identificar los direccionadores de mejora de la aceptación de la injera enriquecida con EP. El presente estudio mostró que el EP puede usarse para mejorar el contenido de calcio de la injera y para mejorar el contenido en calcio biodisponible de la dieta en Etiopía. Se debe seguir trabajando para mejorar los parámetros de calidad de la injera que se vieron afectadas por la fortificación con EP.The main objective of the thesis was to explore the possibility of using eggshell powder (EP) to enrich injera with calcium, one of the micronutrients needed in the Ethiopian diet. The specific objectives were i) to define the main quality parameters of injera, including physical, chemical, nutritional, microbiological and sensorial ones: ii) to investigate the effect of the addition of EP on the quality of the injera; iii) to determine conditions to extend the shelf life of enriched injera through refrigeration and modified atmosphere packaging and iv) to analyze the effect of the addition of EP on the acceptability of injera in Ethiopia, and to describe the sensory characteristics and identify the drivers of liking of the EP fortified injera. The current study showed that EP can be used for improving the calcium content of injera and to increase the bioavailable calcium in the Ethiopian diet. Further work has to be done for improving the quality parameters of injera that were affected by the addition of EP.Mujeres por África y Universidad Pública de NavarraPrograma de Doctorado en Agroalimentación (RD 99/2011)Nekazaritzako Elikagaietako Doktoretza Programa (ED 99/2011

Efficient Security Algorithm for Provisioning Constrained Internet of Things (IoT) Devices

Addressing the security concerns of constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as client- side encryption and secure provisioning remains a work in progress. IoT devices characterized by low power and processing capabilities do not exactly fit into the provisions of existing security schemes, as classical security algorithms are built on complex cryptographic functions that are too complex for constrained IoT devices. Consequently, the option for constrained IoT devices lies in either developing new security schemes or modifying existing ones as lightweight. This work presents an improved version of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) known as the Efficient Security Algorithm for Power-constrained IoT devices, which addressed some of the security concerns of constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as client-side encryption and secure provisioning. With cloud computing being the key enabler for the massive provisioning of IoT devices, encryption of data generated by IoT devices before onward transmission to cloud platforms of choice is being advocated via client-side encryption. However, coping with trade-offs remain a notable challenge with Lightweight algorithms, making the innovation of cheaper secu- rity schemes without compromise to security a high desirable in the secure provisioning of IoT devices. A cryptanalytic overview of the consequence of complexity reduction with mathematical justification, while using a Secure Element (ATECC608A) as a trade-off is given. The extent of constraint of a typical IoT device is investigated by comparing the Laptop/SAMG55 implemen- tations of the Efficient algorithm for constrained IoT devices. An analysis of the implementation and comparison of the Algorithm to lightweight algorithms is given. Based on experimentation results, resource constrain impacts a 657% increase in the encryption completion time on the IoT device in comparison to the laptop implementation; of the Efficient algorithm for Constrained IoT devices, which is 0.9 times cheaper than CLEFIA and 35% cheaper than the AES in terms of the encryption completion times, compared to current results in literature at 26%, and with a 93% of avalanche effect rate, well above a recommended 50% in literature. The algorithm is utilised for client-side encryption to provision the device onto AWS IoT core

Identity and Material Culture in the Interplay of Locals and Greek Settlers in Sicily in the Early Archaic Period

This dissertation seeks to de-center traditional narratives of 7th and early 6th century Sicily, which has conventionally been viewed predominantly through the lens of Greek colonization. Assemblage and context theory is invoked to address the gap in the data on this century that is slowly being acknowledged in published reports. The island was divided into five geographical units, loosely based on regional identity but centered on the types of interactions that took place among population groups. To effectively document the role objects play in creating specific site identities, a database of objects was created from various contexts – both Greek and indigenous – throughout the island dating to this period, to which statistical packages were applied to test the effectiveness of more theoretical models explaining culture contact and change in this period. Additionally, the dissertation investigates the function that certain objects within assemblages played in the construction of identity and our consequent interpretation of contexts, and investigates the larger patterns that emerge from a close reading and cross-study of contexts and their assemblages. The data shows that the main articulations of identity are status and representation. In Sicily, elite adoption of foreign goods and population migration eventually created the impetus for change and necessary conditions for new identities to emerge, manifested in the adoption of architectural and settlement forms and “Hellenizing” impetuses absorbed by indigenous populations, effectively generating a “third space.” Yet there was still room for the articulation of ancestrality and indigeneity, especially in funerary and ritual space, which is particularly evident in the western part of the island. The study demonstrates that, despite the geographical boundedness of Sicily, no one overarching theory can be used to explain the multiplicity of responses to Greek incursions on the island. Rather, the analyses demonstrate that the responses to intensified Greek presence on the island differed from region to region and that there was a high degree of entanglement among sites conventionally considered “Greek” and “indigenous,” substantiating recent approaches to Greek colonization that tend to refute a clear ethnic division in Sicily even during the second wave of the Greek diaspora to the west.Doctor of Philosoph

Functional characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene Cysteine Three Histidine 2

The aim of this thesis was to functionally characterize the Cysteine Three Histidine 2 (CTH2)gene in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a candidate for a role in plant iron homeostasis. AtCTH2 belongs to the family of tandem zinc-finger proteins (TZF) which are known to bind and initiate the degradation of mRNAs in other organisms. The closest homologue of AtCTH2 in yeast is negatively regulating the stability of a group of specific transcripts under iron-deficient conditions. Heterologous expression of an Arabidopsis CTH2 cDNA can complement a yeast cth1Δcth2Δ mutant. Here it was shown that AtCTH2 partly co-localizes with a marker of plant stress-granules in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Localization to these sites of transcript degradation is an indication that CTH2 plays a role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by influencing transcript stability. Two mutants carrying T-DNA insertions in CTH2 were identified and characterized. The two mutants showed different phenotypes, which was attributed to different partial CTH2 transcripts originating at the CTH2 locus. The results suggested that the partial transcript found in cth2-1 caused a dominant hypersensitivity to iron deficiency, and possibly represents a gain-of-function allele. Most affected were the youngest leaves, which showed a drastic reduction of chlorophyll concentrations and reduced growth, when compared to wild-type plants grown under the same conditions. The total content of iron in the youngest leaves was not affected by the cth2-1 mutation, which showed that long-distance iron reallocation under Fe-deficient conditions is not disturbed. The cth2-2 allele caused sporophytic male sterility, and is recessive. In homozygous cth2-2 plants tetrads of microspores are found, but instead of separating into individual microspores, the cells enlarged, showed granular structures, and eventually degenerated. In accordance with this, the activity of the CTH2 promoter was localized to the connective tissue during the release of microspores from tetrads. The developmental defect might be caused by a disturbed iron homeostasis, since iron content was lower in cth2-2 anthers then in wild-type anthers. A microarray analysis identified several candidate pathways and categories of genes, in which transcript levels are over-proportionately misregulated in cth2-2 anthers compared to wildtype anthers. In summary, it was shown that CTH2 has a role in Arabidopsis thaliana iron homeostasis and is critical for anther development. In both roles CTH2 is the first described RNA-binding protein in a plant to act in these roles

Acoustic and Elastic Waves: Recent Trends in Science and Engineering

The present Special Issue intends to explore new directions in the field of acoustics and ultrasonics. The interest includes, but is not limited to, the use of acoustic technology for condition monitoring of materials and structures. Topics of interest (among others): • Acoustic emission in materials and structures (without material limitation) • Innovative cases of ultrasonic inspection • Wave dispersion and waveguides • Monitoring of innovative materials • Seismic waves • Vibrations, damping and noise control • Combination of mechanical wave techniques with other types for structural health monitoring purposes. Experimental and numerical studies are welcome

Valorization of Food Processing By-Products

The papers published in this Special Issue report on recent studies investigating the exploitation of by-products produced by the food industry. The topics investigated include the extraction setups used for valuable food waste by-products and their applications as adjuncts to food preparation; the appropriate selection of solvents and extraction processes; and the interactions between extracted fractions and supplementary foods. The papers evaluate a wide variety of foodstuffs and provide results regarding the extension their shelf-lives and activities as functional foods