Comparing the protein compositions of three fishes, grass carp exhibited lower band intensity at 47.9 KDa, β-tropomyosin (36.5 KDa), and missed the band at 15.9 KDa myosin light chain. Bigmouth buffalo had a darker tropomodulin (38.8 KDa) band and smaller α-tropomyosin (33-37 KDa) than silver and grass carp. The breaking force (611.8 g) and deformation (11.7 mm) of silver carp cooked gel were significantly higher than the other two fish products. The addition of starches at 2, 4, and 6% to the grass carp paste lowered the breaking force of the cooked gel in a dose-responsive manner compared to the control (P<0.05), but no differences were found in bigmouth buffalo. The bioumulated Murine Norovirus-1 (MNV-1) was found to maintain infectivity during storage of live oysters at 5°C for 15 days while the inoculated MNV-1 kept infectious for 20 days in cooked surimi and salmon fillet. Treatments with 4.0 kGy X-ray achieved the reductions of 3.7 log PFU mL-1 in pure culture or 2.7, 2.2, and 2.0 log PFU g-1 in half-shell oyster, salmon sushi and tuna salad, respectively. X-ray significantly reduced the population of internalized MNV-1 in live oysters from 4.3 ± 0.4 log PFU g-1 to 3.6 ± 0.5, 3.2 ± 0.2, 2.8 ± 0.2, and 2.5 ± 0.1 log PFU g-1, by 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 kGy X-ray, respectively. The population of MNV-1 was reduced to less than 2.0 log PFU g-1 at 5.0 kGy X-ray. The survivability of live oysters was not significantly affected by treatment with 5.0 kGy X-ray, in comparison with the control, for up to 10 days, respectively, during storage at 5°C. Fish sauce was fermented from the by-products of silver carp. The total nitrogen content of fish sauce made in April, and November were 9.86±0.9 and 9.71±4.5 g/l, respectively, which was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the sample of February (8.45±0.25 g/l ), reflecting seasonal effect. The total nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, pH, and sodium chloride of fish sauce made from silver carp by-products met the international fish sauce standard code of CODEX STAN 302-2011.

The Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima) and the University of Borås worked together to develop this project. The commonly used packaging materials pose a serious threat to the environment, as they are produced from nonrenewable crude oil and cannot decompose naturally. Despite some manufacturers' claims of their products being eco-friendly or sustainable, they are not entirely made from renewable resources and are not biodegradable. Nevertheless, some bio-based materials have emerged as a viable alternative that can naturally break down and safely decompose in the environment. Despite many studies, biopolymers possess limited mechanical and barrier properties, which restricts their potential for use in products. To overcome this limitation, polymer blending can be employed to enhance their final properties and make them more suitable for various applications. The objective of this project was to design sustainable food packaging using biopolymers. PHBV, one of the PHA’s bio-based polymers, was blended with other polymers to enhance its properties as a sustainable food packaging material. Through blending, PHAs'physical, chemical, and thermal properties can be enhanced to obtain exceptional films for food packaging purposes. Finally, in this work, a bio-based polymer, polyhydroxyalkanoate, was used to producea biodegradable packaging system for potential food packaging applications. The effect of the physical modification of PHBV on mechanical and barrier properties was studied by blending it with biodegradable polymers such as PLA and PBAT. Thermal properties were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and FourierIItransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) while the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile test. Barrier properties were characterized using water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). The mechanical performance of PHBV 50%: PBAT 50% blend has been significantly improved, leading to better tensile properties. The high crystallinity of the PHBV 50%: PBAT 50% blend than other blends have been found to enhance the barrier properties of the polymer film, according to DSC analysis. FTIR investigations have suggested no difference in absorption peaks between the blends and the neat material. Furthermore, WVTR investigations have shown that PHBV50%: PBAT50% exhibits excellent barrier properties against water vapor, making it a highly promising material.

No description available.

This paper sought to analyse which underlying motives impacted the stances and policies taken by Greece and Türkiye regarding their disputed maritime border. The maritime border consists of two distinct areas, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The analysis chose to study the two areas separately since there are differences between them. The study was conducted through the lens of Morgan and Palmer’s general theory of foreign policy, in which a state either acts reactively to preserve the current situation, or proactively to try and change it. The result of the study shows that both states acted because of security related, economic, and hegemonic motivations as well as to protect their sovereignty and national rights. Security concerns played a significant role in the dispute, as both states deemed the other to be a threat. Because of this, both Greece and Türkiyeacted reactively against each other. At the same time, Türkiye was also found to be more likely to act proactively compared to Greece who often either acted in response to Türkiye or indirectly through its allies such as the EU or Egypt.

Purpose: Apply selection theory to the subject of money laundering. The aim of the study is to examine why auditors report few money laundering reports to the finacial intelligence. Method: Qualitative interviews for data collection. Frame of reference: Selection Theory formulated by the National Council for Crime Prevention, audit-expectationgap and the money laundering act. Results and conclusions: Money laundering reports from auditors to the financial intelligence police have been few, both presently and in the past. There are many causes for the few reports, a short conclusion reads as follows: Laundering is difficult and time-consuming to examine. Auditors do not consider it a part of their duties. They have a high threshold for reporting suspected money laundering, higher than the money-laundering act prescribes. It is fairly safe for auditors to avoid reporting without consequences for themselves. Some auditors fear the customer can claim a compensation charge if they send in an erroneous report. Through the study the author understood that auditors tend to be more loyal towards their employers than towards law enforcement authorities. The author finds it likely, that, to a large extent, auditors are happy to discontinue their mandate, when they find irregularities, rather than to report to the law enforcement authorities (FIU or Swedish Economic Crime Authority).    Some shelf-corporation company auditors could probably prevent money laundering to a greater extent than they do today. Some shelf corporation divestments carried out are probably sold to persons who intend to commit tax offences, false accounting and fraud. The coordinator at the Financial Intelligence (FIU) police unit stated that unfortunately shelf-corporation auditors do not obey the money laundering act. / Syfte: Tillämpa selektionsteori inom ämnet penningtvätt. Huvudutgångspunkten är att undersöka varför revisorer avger få penningtvättsrapporter till Finanspolisen. Metod: Kvalitativa intervjuer (13 stycken) för insamling av data.  Referensram: Brottsförebyggande rådets selektionsteori, revisions-förväntningsgap samt penningtvättslagen. Resultat och slutsatser: Revisorer gör i dagsläget, och har även historiskt, gjort få penningtvättsrapporter till Finanspolisen. Många orsaker ligger till grund för rapporteringsgraden, nedan följer en kort sammanfattning. Penningtvätt är svårt och tidsödande att granska. Revisorer anser att det inte ingår i deras arbetsuppgift. Revisorer har en hög rapporteringströskel för misstänkt penningtvätt, högre än penningtvättslagen föreskriver. Det är tämligen riskfritt för revisorer att undvika rapportering, vissa revisorer upplever dessutom att risken för att kunden yrkar skadestånd vid en felaktig anmälan är stor. Författaren har genom studien förstått att revisorer är mer lojala mot sina uppdragsgivare än gentemot rättsvårdande myndigheter. Författaren finner troligt att revisorer i större utsträckning nöjer sig med att avsluta sitt uppdrag genom revisorsavsägelse då dessa finner oegentligheter än att anmäla till myndigheter (Finanspolisen eller Ekobrottsmyndigheten).        Vissa lagerbolagsföretags revisorer kan sannolikt stävja penningtvätt i betydligt större utsträckning än de gör idag. En del lagerbolagsförsäljningar som genomförs, säljs troligen till personer som ämnar genomföra skattebrott, bokföringsbrott och bedrägerier. Tyvärr upplever samordnare på FIPO att lagerbolagsrevisorer inte följer penningtvättslagen.

This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of bioactive plant compounds along with high pressure processing (HPP) against pathogens Bacillus cereus and Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula and infant rice cereal. The influence of these applications on antimicrobial activity, shelf-life and sensory attributes of infant foods were examined. Trans-cinnamaldehyde (TC), (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and [10]-Gingerol (GI) were incorporated (0.05%) in infant rice cereal reconstituted with infant formula. The cereal was inoculated with either B. cereus (ATCC 14579) or B. cereus spores (107-108 log CFU g-1). All the samples were stored at 7, 23 or 37°C for 0, 4, 8 and 24 h. TC showed the highest antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the B. cereus and its spores up to 2.72 and 3.8 log CFU g-1, respectively. HPP (600 MPa for 5 m), and TC (0.05-0.1%) along with Chitosan (CH) (1%), were applied to reconstituted powder infant formula which was inoculated with either 3 strains of C. sakazakii (ATCC 29544, ATCC 12868, and ATCC BAA 894) or 5 strains of B. cereus spore (ATCC 14579, ATCC 33018, ATCC 12826, ATCC 4342, and Difco Spores) cocktail (107-108 log CFU ml-1). All the samples were stored at 7, 23 or 45°C for 5-8 weeks. HPP and TC (0.1%) combination exhibited the highest inhibition (P < 0.05) by reducing the B. cereus spores 2.97 log CFU ml-1 after 7 d. C. sakazakii was fully inactivated by HPP, TC (0.05%) and C (1%) combination following 8 weeks of storage at 7 and 23°C and 2 weeks storage at 45°C. The combination of HPP and bioactive compounds exhibited additive antimicrobial effect. Gradual decrease (P < 0.05) in pH was observed in rice cereal and non-HPP formula samples due to the microbial growth and metabolic activity. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in color, aroma and general appearance of EGCG and GI applied cereal samples, while TC only did exhibit a cinnamon taste. In summary, the antimicrobial findings suggest that TC, EGCG, GI and CH could be incorporated in infant foods along with HPP as natural and safe alternatives to synthetic preservatives and thermal applications.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Sajid Alavi / The objective of the study was to investigate extrusion as an alternative processing method and grain sorghum as a viable substitute for corn in fortified blended foods (FBFs) used in nutrition and food assistance programs around the world. In the first part of this study, sorghum-soy blend (SSB), corn-soy blend (CSB) and whole corn-soy blend (WCSB) were developed using extrusion and compared with traditional CSB13 for physico-chemical and sensory properties. After milling of extrudates, average particle size (PS) ranged between 341-447 microns, with 78-85% below 600 microns. In general, Bostwick flow rates (VB=12-23 cm/min) of rehydrated blends (11.75% solids) were within standard specifications but higher than CSB13. Descriptive sensory analysis indicated that the sorghum-based rehydrated blends were significantly less lumpy and had a more uniform texture as compared to corn-based blends and CSB13. In the second part, the impact of decortication level and process conditions was investigated with respect to sorghum-based extruded blends. Degree of gelatinization of the whole sorghum-soy blend (WSSB) and decorticated sorghum-soy blend (DSSB) extrudates ranged from 93-97%. Expansion ratio (ER=3.6-6.1) was correlated with specific mechanical energy input (SME=145-415 kJ/kg; r=0.99) and average particle size after milling (PS=336-474 microns; r= -0.75). Rehydrated blends at 20% solids concentration provided recommended energy density (0.8 kcal/g) for FBFs. Bostwick flow rates had high correlation (r = -0.91) with pasting data (final viscosity) obtained using rapid visco analyzer (RVA). Addition of oil (5.5%) prior to extrusion was also studied, and resulted in process instabilities and also lower shelf-life as determined via descriptive sensory analysis (rancid and painty attributes) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (hexanal, heptenal and octanal concentrations). In conclusion, extruded sorghum-soy blends met standard specifications for energy density and consistency (Bostwick flow rate), and were superior in some aspects as compared to extruded corn-soy blends and traditional corn-soy blends (CSB13). Relationships between extrusion mechanical energy input, expansion, particle size after milling and consistency of rehydrated blends were established. Consistency of the rehydrated blends is an extremely important criterion as it affects the ease of ingestion by target consumers (children below 5 years, in this case).

Category management is a process of managing product categories sold by particular retailer (examples of product categories such as: detergents, yoghurts, baby food) and a very important part of this process is the shelf display optimization. The objective of this project is to analyze the range of products sold by the retailer and to propose the optimal number of product facings on the shelf to minimize losses due to stock outs (goods being out of stock). Series of optimization problems were proposed for this objective to solve the optimal range of assortment, the optimal shelf space organization and the optimal stock of individual items on the shelf. Optimization problems were designed to be reused in practice, applying on the assortment of any retailer

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important conservation tools that can support the resilience of marine ecosystems. Many countries, including Canada, have committed to protecting at least 10% of their marine areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 11, which includes connectivity as a key aspect. Connectivity, the movement of individuals among habitats, can enhance population stability and resilience within and among MPAs. This thesis aimed to understand regional spatial patterns of marine ecological connectivity, specifically through the mechanism of adult movement, and how these patterns may be affected by climate change. I used the Northern Shelf Bioregion in British Columbia, Canada, as a case study for four objectives: (1) evaluate potential connectivity via adult movement for the entire bioregion, using habitat proxies for distinct ecological communities; (2) assess potential connectivity via adult movement among existing and potential MPAs, using the same habitat proxies; (3) model potential connectivity via adult movement among marine protected areas for two focal species (Metacarcinus magister and Sebastolobus alascanus) and predict how this interconnectedness may shift based on projected ocean temperature changes; and (4) contribute the results of these analyses to the MPA technical team’s ongoing planning process so that connectivity may be considered in the implementation of a new MPA network in the bioregion. This thesis developed an approach to assess and design MPA networks that maximize inferred connectivity within habitat types for adult movement when ecological data are limited. It applied least-cost theory and circuit theory to model MPA suitability and interconnectedness, finding that these are projected to decrease for Sebastolobus alascanus but increase for Metacarcinus magister. I showcased some methods that may be used in MPA design and evaluation, with lessons for other contexts. Importantly, this thesis informed an ongoing MPA planning process, enabling ecological connectivity to be considered in the establishment of a new MPA network in the bioregion. Overall, this work provided examples for incorporating connectivity and climate change into MPA design, highlighting what is possible even when data are limited. / Graduate

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de revestimentos comestíveis na qualidade de mamão \'Formosa\' minimamente processado durante armazenamento a 5°C por 15 dias. Os tratamentos foram: o controle, e os seguintes revestimentos: amido de arroz 3%, alginato de sódio 0,5% e carboximetilcelulose 0,25%. O uso de revestimentos causou alterações nos parâmetros físicos, físico-químicos e microbiológicos do mamão minimamente processado, quando comparado ao controle. As alterações mais importantes foram: menor contagem de coliformes totais; menor respiração dos mamões tratados com amido de arroz e maior dos tratados com carboximetilcelulose, ao longo do tempo; menor descoloração da polpa dos frutos ao longo do armazenamento; maior manutenção da firmeza das amostras tratadas com carboximetilcelulose; e redução do teor de sólidos solúveis e aumento da acidez titulável. Os revestimentos não afetaram os atributos sensoriais. Como a maioria dos efeitos positivos das coberturas ocorreu no 12° e 15° dias e, considerando o custo da tecnologia relacionado ao preço dos revestimentos, a melhor opção, até 9 dias de armazenamento, consiste em fazer apenas uma boa sanitização dos frutos, como feito no controle. No entanto, se o interesse for preservar a vida útil dos mamões por um período maior, até 15 dias, os revestimentos testados podem ser utilizados com resultados satisfatórios. / This study aimed to evaluate the effect of edible coatings on the quality of minimally processed \'Formosa\' papaya during storage at 5°C for 15 days. The treatments were: the control, and the following coatings: rice starch 3%, sodium alginate 0.5% and carboxymethylcellulose 0.25%. The use of coatings caused changes in the physical, physicochemical and microbiological parameters of minimally processed papaya, when compared to control. The most important changes were: lower counts of total coliforms; lower respiration of papayas treated with rice starch and higher of those treated with carboxymethylcellulose over time; less fruit pulp discoloration during storage, increased firmness maintenance of samples treated with carboxymethylcellulose; and reduction of soluble solids and increased acidity. The coatings did not affect the sensory attributes. Since most of the positive effects of the coatings occurred at the 12th and 15th days, and considering the technology cost related to the price of coatings, the best option, until 9 days of storage, is just to do a good sanitization of fruits such as that of control samples. However, if the interest is to preserve the shelf life of papayas for a longer period, up to 15 days, the coatings tested could be used with satisfactory results.