Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Cape Town includes two vegetable farming areas within the city limits, the Joostenbergvlakte/Kraaifontein area and the Philippi area. Both areas supply produce to local markets and further afield. Sporadically, high levels of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc have been found to occur in some of the soils, irrigation water resources and crops. To find the sources of specifically Cd, Pb and Zn to these agricultural systems, extensive analysis of several heavy metals in inputs such as fertilizers, agrochemicals and supplementary water resources to these farming areas was undertaken. Heavy metal concentrations in soils, irrigation water resources and crops were also determined. Two mitigation techniques that could be used to remediate Cd, Pb and Zn contamination were investigated. The first mitigation method included immobilization of heavy metals as phosphate complexes by using a triple super phosphate fertilizer, while the second method involved mobilisation and thus leaching of heavy metals away from plant roots using EDTA. These mitigation methods were tested in a pot experiment using cabbage as the experimental crop and soil from these areas as growth medium. A survey of common farming practices in these two areas and farmers‟ willingness to use remediation methods was conducted. The results in general indicated that crops from these two areas were fit for human consumption and that raw (unprocessed) cattle manure and chicken manure were the greatest sources of heavy metals in both farming areas. It was found that the use of EDTA led to elevated levels of Cd, Pb and Zn in cabbage, while the use of triple super phosphate at a low concentration contributed to limiting the uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn, but only minimally. Most farmers are willing to apply remediation methods but only when they have been proven necessary. In general, the same farming practices occurred in both areas. Farmers from the Philippi area tended to rely more heavily on subterranean water resources. It became clear that unprocessed manures should be used with caution and that more appropriate heavy metal remediation methods should be sought.

As patologias que acometem os membros superiores são bastante incapacitantes para os seres humanos, pois elas são sua principal ferramenta de interação com o mundo tanto pelo papel nas tarefas cotidianas quanto pelo simbolismo que carregam. Na Terapia Ocupacional o objetivo é promover uma melhor qualidade de vida, maior autonomia e participação no cotidiano e, dentre os recursos e abordagens possíveis no processo de reabilitação, as órteses têm grande destaque, pois seu uso correto pode \"aumentar a função, prevenir ou corrigir deformidade, proteger estruturas em processo de cicatrização, restringir o movimento e permitir o crescimento ou remodelação tecidual\" (FESS, 2002, p.98). As órteses mais utilizadas na prática clínica são confeccionadas em material termomoldável de baixa temperatura. Não há opções nacionais deste material, implicando na necessidade de importação que pode gerar dificuldades no acesso a este tipo de material. Leite (2007) desenvolveu um poliuretano derivado do óleo vegetal (mamona) que se mostrou apto para a confecção de órteses após ensaios mecânicos, térmicos e clínicos, mas que necessita de melhorias, principalmente em relação aos aspectos de maleabilidade (moldabilidade) e memória do material. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos caracterizar o material desenvolvido e alguns existentes no mercado e modificar o material desenvolvido por Leite (2007). Para tanto, foram introduzidas modificações - acréscimo de cargas e mudanças na proporção poliol e pré-polímero - e realizados ensaios mecânicos e térmicos de Memória, Dureza, Moldabilidade, Análise Dinâmico-Mecânica, Tração, Temperatura no Contato com a Pele Humana e a velocidade de Resfriamento do material. Os resultados indicam que o acréscimo de Sílica Pirogênica e o aumento da proporção de poliol em relação ao pré-polímero melhoraram a moldabilidade do material e tornaram a memória adequada aos propósitos. Conclui-se que o novo material, o compósito CPU POS, é mais rígido que os importados, suportando maior carga, é seguro para o paciente do ponto de vista de temperatura e possui uma grande validade. A moldabilidade é rápida e necessita que o terapeuta posicione o material, pois ele não se acomoda com a ação da gravidade. A dureza foi diminuída, embora ainda seja maior que a dos materiais de comparação. Assim, o presente estudo contribuiu para um maior conhecimento dos termomoldáveis existentes no mercado utilizados para confecção de órteses e aponta o poliuretano derivado de óleo vegetal, modificado com cargas, como um material adequado para este propósito. / Pathologies that affect the upper limbs are very incapacitating to humans, because they are your primary tool for interaction with the world, both thé role of everyday tasks as the symbolism they carry. In Occupational Therapy the objective is promote a better quality of life, more autonomy and participation in daily life and, among the resources and possible approaches in the rehabilitation process, the orthosis have great prominence, because their correct use can \"enhance function, prevent or correct deformities, protect structures in the healing process, restrict movement and support the growth or tissue remodeling\" (FESS, 2002, p.98). The most used orthosis in clinical practice are fabricated with low temperature thermoplastic. There are no national options of this material, resulting in import which can create difficulties in accessing this type of material. Leite (2007) developed a vegetable (castor) oil based polyurethane that proved suitable for orthosis, after mechanical, thermal and clinical testing, but needs improvements especially aspects of malleability (moldability) and memory of the material. The current work aims at characterizing the material developed and some of the existing materials and modify the material developed by Leite (2007). Therefore, changes have been introduced - increase of fillers and changes in the proportion polyol to prepolymer - and performed mechanical and thermal tests of Memory, Hardness, Moldability, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Traction, Temperature in contact with human skin and the speed Cooling the material. The results indicate that the addition of Pyrogenic Silica and increased proportion of polyol in relation to the prepolymer improved moldability ofthe material and made appropriate memory to the purpose. We conclude that the new material, composite CPU POS, is more rigid than the imported, supporting higher load, it is safe for the patient in terms of temperature and has a great validity. The moldability is fast and requires the therapist to position the material, because it does not settle by gravity. The hardness was decreased, although it is still higher than the comparison material. Thus, the present study contributed to a better understanding of existing market thermoformables used for orthosis and points the polyurethane derived from vegetable oil, modified with fillers, as a suitable material for this purpose.

Early menopause, the cessation of ovarian function prior to age 45, affects 5-10% of Western women and is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes, including premature mortality and cardiovascular disease. Recent literature suggests that high vegetable protein intake may prolong female reproductive function, but no study has evaluated the association between this exposure and early menopause. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between cumulative vegetable protein intake as a percentage of total calories and early menopause in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. Women included in analyses were premenopausal at baseline (1991) and followed for up to 20 years. Cases (n=2,077) were defined as women experiencing natural menopause before age 45; women were excluded if early menopause was a result of hysterectomy, oophorectomy or radiation treatment. Non-cases were women whose age at menopause was 45 or greater or who were older than 45 and still premenopausal in 2011 (n=51,007). Intake of vegetable and animal protein was assessed every four years via food frequency questionnaires. In Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, smoking, diet, and behavioral factors, women in the highest quintile of cumulatively averaged vegetable protein intake (median=6.5%) had a significant 18% lower likelihood of experiencing early menopause as compared to women in the lowest quintile (3.9%) (95% CI: 0.71-0.94; P-trend=0.004). In contrast, animal and total protein was unrelated to risk. Results were similar in analyses limited to never smokers and never oral contraceptive users. Our findings suggest vegetable protein intake may be inversely associated with early menopause.

Please read the abstract in the thesis. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Paraclinical Sciences / Unrestricted

Objective: To examine the influence of farmers' market pricing and accessibility on willingness to shop at farmers' markets, among low-income women. Design: Qualitative interviews using scenarios with quantitative assessment of willingness to shop at farmers' markets given certain pricing and accessibility scenarios. Setting: Eastern North Carolina. Participants: A total of 37 low-income women of childbearing age (18-44 years) receiving family planning services at the health department. Phenomenon of Interest: Willingness to shop at a farmers' market. Analysis: Fisher's exact test was used to examine associations between willingness to shop at farmers' markets by urban/rural residence, race, and employment status. Direct quotations relevant to participants' use of farmers' markets were extracted based on a positive deviance framework. Results: Participants were increasingly willing to shop at the farmers' market when price savings increased and when the market was incrementally closer to their residence. Willingness was highest when there was at least a 20% price savings. Participants seemed to be influenced more by a visual representation of a greater quantity of produce received with the price savings rather than a quantitative representation of the money saved by the reduced price. Conclusions and Implications: Future farmers' market interventions should take into account these consumer level preferences.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo conocer la aplicación del concepto de sostenibilidad en la marca Galera de Lima entre los años 2017 – 2020. Para poder solventar este objetivo, primero se definirá el concepto de sostenibilidad en la moda; en segundo lugar, se describirá la marca Galera tomando en cuenta su visión, misión y objetivos; y, por último, se detallará la aplicación del concepto de sostenibilidad a la marca, es decir, se explicará cómo la marca incentiva la sostenibilidad ambiental, el proceso de producción, el material que se utiliza, así como también, las iniciativas de responsabilidad social que tienen como empresa. Se tomó como caso de estudio a Galera, marca limeña de moda sostenible que trabaja los accesorios con fibra vegetal (toquilla, mimbre y junco) tejida por los artesanos peruanos, porque es una empresa sostenible con un enfoque de responsabilidad social adecuado y porque la información sobre su funcionamiento era accesible. Finalmente, la interrogante de investigación se responderá mediante el uso de metodología cualitativa etnográfica con fuentes bibliográficas pertinentes y por medio de entrevistas a la dueña de la marca y trabajadores que manejan información de lo requerido. / This study aims to learn about the application of the sustainability concept in the brand Galera from Lima, between the years 2017 - 2020. In order to solve this objective, the concept of sustainability in fashion will first be defined; secondly, the Galera brand will be described by mentioning vision, mission and objectives; and finally, the application of the sustainability concept in the brand will be detailed. To do this it will be explained how the brand encourages environmental sustainability, production process, materials used, as well as the social responsibility initiatives that they have as a company. Galera was taken as a case study, it is a Lima brand of sustainable fashion that works with accessories made of vegetable fibbers (toquilla, wicker and reed) woven by Peruvian artisans. It was chosen because it is a sustainable company and its adequate social responsibility, also the approach and the information about its operation was accessible so it made it easier to obtain information. Finally, the research question will be answered through the use of a qualitative ethnographic methodology with pertinent bibliographic sources and through interviews to the owner of the brand and workers who handle information as required.

Melanoma is among the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers. Currently, available therapies for melanoma are not satisfactory, and the prognosis for patients with metastatic melanoma is still poor. Vemurafenib, a BRAF kinase inhibitor (BRAFi), provides an approximately 50% response rate in patients with metastatic melanoma, but eventually, relapse occurs due to acquired resistance to the drug. Novel therapeutics and BRAFi adjuvants for treating melanoma are needed. Si-Jun-Zi-Tang (SJZT) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat chronic and debilitating diseases including melanoma. SJZT-based therapies alone or in combination with chemotherapies have achieved good clinical outcomes in melanoma management. However, the pharmacological basis of SJZT for its clinical use in melanoma treatment is not fully understood. c-Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the only known ligand of c-Met. Abnormal activation of HGF/c-Met has been implicated in melanoma progression. HGF/c-Met has been proposed as a therapeutic target for melanoma. Some bioactive constituents in SJZT have been shown to inhibit c-Met signaling. In this study, we investigated the anti-melanoma effects and c-Met signaling-related action mechanisms of SJZT. Our in vivo study showed that SJZT-A, an ethanolic extract of SJZT, inhibited B16 tumor growth in mice without overt toxicity. Mechanistic investigations revealed that SJZT-A elevated miR-34b (a tumor-suppressing miRNA), and lowered c-Met (a miR-34b target gene) and β-catenin (a downstream molecule of c-Met signaling) expression levels in the B16 tumors. But SJZT-A failed to reduce the viability of B16 and A375 melanoma cells. Active component-enriched SJZT-B, which was prepared from SJZT-A using macroporous resin column chromatography, exhibited potent anti-proliferation effect and inhibited miR-34b/c-Met/β-catenin signaling in cultured melanoma cells. Overexpression of constitutively active β-catenin partially diminished the inhibitory effect of SJZT-B on cell proliferation. SJZT-B also exerted anti-proliferative effects, inhibited c-met signaling, and induced ER stress in vemurafenib resistance melanoma cells. In vivo experiments showed that intragastric administration of SJZT-B for consecutive 14 days overcame vemurafenib resistance in melanoma-bearing mice without observable toxicities. Overall, these results indicate that SJZT has anti-melanoma effects and is relatively safe. Also, we found that licochalcone A, a flavonoid presented in SJZT-B, overcame vemurafenib resistance both in vitro and in vivo, as well as inhibited c-Met signaling and induced ER stress in A375-VR cells, which is in line with the effects of SJZT-B in melanoma. The role of triggering ER stress in licochalcone A's effects in overcoming vemurafenib resistance effects has also been established. Overall, these results suggest that licochalcone A is one of the active compounds responsible for the anti-melanoma effects of SJZT-B. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that SJZT has anti-melanoma effects and is safe in cell and mouse melanoma models. Licochalcone A has been identified to be one of the active components responsible for the anti-melanoma effects of SJZT. This study provides a pharmacological and chemical basis for the traditional use of the formula SJZT in treating melanoma, and suggests that SJZT and SJZT-derived compounds have the potential to be developed as modern alternative and/or complementary agents for melanoma management.

Melanoma is among the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers. Currently, available therapies for melanoma are not satisfactory, and the prognosis for patients with metastatic melanoma is still poor. Vemurafenib, a BRAF kinase inhibitor (BRAFi), provides an approximately 50% response rate in patients with metastatic melanoma, but eventually, relapse occurs due to acquired resistance to the drug. Novel therapeutics and BRAFi adjuvants for treating melanoma are needed. Si-Jun-Zi-Tang (SJZT) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat chronic and debilitating diseases including melanoma. SJZT-based therapies alone or in combination with chemotherapies have achieved good clinical outcomes in melanoma management. However, the pharmacological basis of SJZT for its clinical use in melanoma treatment is not fully understood. c-Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the only known ligand of c-Met. Abnormal activation of HGF/c-Met has been implicated in melanoma progression. HGF/c-Met has been proposed as a therapeutic target for melanoma. Some bioactive constituents in SJZT have been shown to inhibit c-Met signaling. In this study, we investigated the anti-melanoma effects and c-Met signaling-related action mechanisms of SJZT. Our in vivo study showed that SJZT-A, an ethanolic extract of SJZT, inhibited B16 tumor growth in mice without overt toxicity. Mechanistic investigations revealed that SJZT-A elevated miR-34b (a tumor-suppressing miRNA), and lowered c-Met (a miR-34b target gene) and β-catenin (a downstream molecule of c-Met signaling) expression levels in the B16 tumors. But SJZT-A failed to reduce the viability of B16 and A375 melanoma cells. Active component-enriched SJZT-B, which was prepared from SJZT-A using macroporous resin column chromatography, exhibited potent anti-proliferation effect and inhibited miR-34b/c-Met/β-catenin signaling in cultured melanoma cells. Overexpression of constitutively active β-catenin partially diminished the inhibitory effect of SJZT-B on cell proliferation. SJZT-B also exerted anti-proliferative effects, inhibited c-met signaling, and induced ER stress in vemurafenib resistance melanoma cells. In vivo experiments showed that intragastric administration of SJZT-B for consecutive 14 days overcame vemurafenib resistance in melanoma-bearing mice without observable toxicities. Overall, these results indicate that SJZT has anti-melanoma effects and is relatively safe. Also, we found that licochalcone A, a flavonoid presented in SJZT-B, overcame vemurafenib resistance both in vitro and in vivo, as well as inhibited c-Met signaling and induced ER stress in A375-VR cells, which is in line with the effects of SJZT-B in melanoma. The role of triggering ER stress in licochalcone A's effects in overcoming vemurafenib resistance effects has also been established. Overall, these results suggest that licochalcone A is one of the active compounds responsible for the anti-melanoma effects of SJZT-B. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that SJZT has anti-melanoma effects and is safe in cell and mouse melanoma models. Licochalcone A has been identified to be one of the active components responsible for the anti-melanoma effects of SJZT. This study provides a pharmacological and chemical basis for the traditional use of the formula SJZT in treating melanoma, and suggests that SJZT and SJZT-derived compounds have the potential to be developed as modern alternative and/or complementary agents for melanoma management.

People often base their behaviors on social norms—what they think others do or approve of. This is likely true of fruit and vegetable (FV) intake as well. College students typically don’t get enough FV. We attempted to encourage FV eating by providing students with messages or demonstrations that eating FV is normal. First, we tried to encourage FV intake by providing students with messages regarding the average skin carotenoid concentration and where they fit within their peers (Chapter II). Carotenoids are compounds found in FV that cannot be made by the body, making them an estimate of FV intake. We found that students did not increase their self-reported FV intake or skin carotenoids as a result of these social norms messages, messages about the recommendation for FV or no message at all. We then added an approval/disapproval message (as ☺︎, :| or ☹︎ ) to the average carotenoid scores and where a student fit within their peers’ scores (Chapter V). This resulted in small increases in self-reported FV intake and skin carotenoids for those receiving the approval/disapproval message and those who only got information about the average score of their peers and where they fit within the average. To test whether self-report was influenced by messages regarding social norms, we sent out messages telling students they were lower than average—whether this was true or not, higher than average, providing the recommendation for FV, no message. Those told they were lower than their peers reported a half-cup increase in FV intake immediately after receiving the message. Finally, we attempted to influence student’s FV intake by having other students come into a weekly class, pose as students in the class and eat vegetables (Chapter III). We found that those exposed to these vegetable-eating students were no more likely to increase FV than those not exposed to it. Overall, we found very small or no effects from any of the included studies and that self-reported FV intake should be interpreted with caution. Interventions that include other factors, such as time, cost, availability or knowledge/skills, might increase FV more than social norms alone.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第12849号 / 論農博第2801号 / 新制||農||1027(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H26||N4866(農学部図書室) / 31432 / (主査)教授 安達 修二, 教授 保川 清, 教授 谷 史人 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM