A síndrome de emagrecimento progressivo (SEP) é responsável por elevada morbidade e mortalidade de calitriquídeos mantidos em cativeiro em diferentes instituições. Essa síndrome representa um desafio aos médicos veterinários por suas características ainda pouco esclarecidas e são poucos os estudos multidisciplinares que visam à avaliação dos diferentes sistemas, como os órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos. O objetivo foi caracterizar a evolução e duração da SEP, associando os dados clínicos, laboratoriais e anatomopatológicos dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos de saguis naturalmente acometidos por SEP no cativeiro. Foram analisadas as fichas clínicas, necroscópicas e os resultados das amostras de sangue e urina de 47 saguis doentes, Callithrix spp., machos e fêmeas, que foram a óbito devido a SEP e eram provenientes de dois criadouros diferentes do estado de São Paulo. Os fragmentos dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos, intestino delgado e do fígado foram processados e avaliados. Os resultados caracterizaram que a SEP acomete calitriquídeos de espécies diferentes, adultos, sem predisposição sexual, mantidos sob condições estáveis de manejo por em média 42 meses e a duração clínica varia de 41 dias a 1 ano e 7 meses. As características clínicas na fase inicial foram predominantemente sinais gastrintestinais e na fase terminal, sinais gastrintestinais e extra-intestinais. A anemia macrocítica normo ou hipocrômica com policromasia, esferocitose, presença de corpúsculos de Heinz e hemoglobinúria foi a alteração hematológica mais frequente. As lesões dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos foram características de anemia hemolítica ou foram inespecíficas e reacionais caracterizadas por hiperplasia ou depleção das células da medula óssea, baço e linfonodo e lesões degenerativas no fígado. Na SEP, a associação clínica, laboratorial e anatomopatológica possibilitou a caracterização da evolução e duração clínica, da anemia e das alterações dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos, cujas lesões foram consideradas secundárias à desnutrição crônica e progressiva decorrente da severa enterite atrófica. / Wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS) causes high morbidity and mortality of marmosets and tamarins kept in captivity in different colonies. WMS challenges the veterinarian due to its unclear and not established features and there are few multidisciplinary studies that carried out an evaluation of different systems, such the lymphohematopoietic system. The aim was described the duration and evolution of illness based on an association of clinical, laboratory and pathological aspects of WMS. Medical record, laboratory data and pathological findings were analyzed of 47 Callithrix spp., males and females, sick marmosets that died due to WMS in two different colonies in São Paulo state. Tissue samples of small intestine, lymphohematopoietc system and liver were histological processed and evaluated. The results showed that WMS affects adult marmosets of different species; there are no sex-related differences, and the marmosets are at least 42 months under similar general management at colony. The clinical duration of WMS is from 41 days to 1 year and 7 months. The clinical features were gastrointestinal symptoms in the beginning and extra-gastrointestinal and gastrointestinal signs in the end. Normochromic or hypochromic macrocytic anemia with polychromasia, spherocytes, Heinz bodies, and hemoglobinuria is the common hematological result. The lymphohematopoietic system lesions were the common findings of hemolytic anemia or unspecific and reacting features such as hyperplasia or depletion of cell numbers of bone marrow, spleen and lymph node, and degenerative lesions of liver. The clinical, laboratory and pathological association allowed the characterization of evolution and duration of the WMS, the anemia and the lesions of lymphohematopoietic organs which lesions were considered secondary to chronic and progressive malnutrition as a result of severe atrophic.

A síndrome de emagrecimento progressivo (SEP) é responsável por elevada morbidade e mortalidade de calitriquídeos mantidos em cativeiro em diferentes instituições. Essa síndrome representa um desafio aos médicos veterinários por suas características ainda pouco esclarecidas e são poucos os estudos multidisciplinares que visam à avaliação dos diferentes sistemas, como os órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos. O objetivo foi caracterizar a evolução e duração da SEP, associando os dados clínicos, laboratoriais e anatomopatológicos dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos de saguis naturalmente acometidos por SEP no cativeiro. Foram analisadas as fichas clínicas, necroscópicas e os resultados das amostras de sangue e urina de 47 saguis doentes, Callithrix spp., machos e fêmeas, que foram a óbito devido a SEP e eram provenientes de dois criadouros diferentes do estado de São Paulo. Os fragmentos dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos, intestino delgado e do fígado foram processados e avaliados. Os resultados caracterizaram que a SEP acomete calitriquídeos de espécies diferentes, adultos, sem predisposição sexual, mantidos sob condições estáveis de manejo por em média 42 meses e a duração clínica varia de 41 dias a 1 ano e 7 meses. As características clínicas na fase inicial foram predominantemente sinais gastrintestinais e na fase terminal, sinais gastrintestinais e extra-intestinais. A anemia macrocítica normo ou hipocrômica com policromasia, esferocitose, presença de corpúsculos de Heinz e hemoglobinúria foi a alteração hematológica mais frequente. As lesões dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos foram características de anemia hemolítica ou foram inespecíficas e reacionais caracterizadas por hiperplasia ou depleção das células da medula óssea, baço e linfonodo e lesões degenerativas no fígado. Na SEP, a associação clínica, laboratorial e anatomopatológica possibilitou a caracterização da evolução e duração clínica, da anemia e das alterações dos órgãos linfo-hematopoiéticos, cujas lesões foram consideradas secundárias à desnutrição crônica e progressiva decorrente da severa enterite atrófica. / Wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS) causes high morbidity and mortality of marmosets and tamarins kept in captivity in different colonies. WMS challenges the veterinarian due to its unclear and not established features and there are few multidisciplinary studies that carried out an evaluation of different systems, such the lymphohematopoietic system. The aim was described the duration and evolution of illness based on an association of clinical, laboratory and pathological aspects of WMS. Medical record, laboratory data and pathological findings were analyzed of 47 Callithrix spp., males and females, sick marmosets that died due to WMS in two different colonies in São Paulo state. Tissue samples of small intestine, lymphohematopoietc system and liver were histological processed and evaluated. The results showed that WMS affects adult marmosets of different species; there are no sex-related differences, and the marmosets are at least 42 months under similar general management at colony. The clinical duration of WMS is from 41 days to 1 year and 7 months. The clinical features were gastrointestinal symptoms in the beginning and extra-gastrointestinal and gastrointestinal signs in the end. Normochromic or hypochromic macrocytic anemia with polychromasia, spherocytes, Heinz bodies, and hemoglobinuria is the common hematological result. The lymphohematopoietic system lesions were the common findings of hemolytic anemia or unspecific and reacting features such as hyperplasia or depletion of cell numbers of bone marrow, spleen and lymph node, and degenerative lesions of liver. The clinical, laboratory and pathological association allowed the characterization of evolution and duration of the WMS, the anemia and the lesions of lymphohematopoietic organs which lesions were considered secondary to chronic and progressive malnutrition as a result of severe atrophic.

Death from hunger and starvation can be avoided with appropriate diagnosis and treatment if the necessary knowledge and resources are available. The current definitions of acute malnutrition are based either upon a weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) below -2 standard deviations of the international reference population (World Health Organization 2006 Growth Standards) or a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) lower than 125 mm. These indicators are used independently to define the sum of moderate and severe acute malnutrition, commonly referred to as global acute malnutrition (GAM). Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is defined as the children with WHZ < -3 SD or MUAC <115 mm. These cut-off points are used both to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and also to identify those children who should be admitted for individual treatment of their acute malnutrition.However, the ramifications of the new WHO standards and the introduction of the absolute MUAC as an additional criterion have not been sufficiently explored. There appears to have been little detailed analysis of the variation of MUAC in children using these new standards. Thus, there is insufficient information available for predicting changes in patient load due to the addition of an absolute MUAC cut-off, the degree of overlap between the criteria and the factors that affect the selection of malnourished children using the two criteria, WHZ and MUACNevertheless, because of the ease of use of MUAC and strong advocacy based mainly the relative sensitivity and specificity of WHZ and MUAC in predicting long-term all-cause mortality in the community, many organizations and some governments are now moving from using MUAC to screen children in the community and elsewhere to MUAC-only programs with abandonment of using WHZ altogether.A better understanding of the relationship between these measures is important as differences can have significant implications on the decision to intervene in a nutritional crises, assessment of potential program size, resource requirements and outcome, selection of children admitted for treatment and the strategy which will have the greatest influence upon mortality and the other poor outcomes of being malnourished. To this end my thesis included the following studies which explored the variation of MUAC and WHZ in children for the assessment of malnutrition.In my first study, I examined the direction and degree of discrepancy between MUAC and WHZ of children aged 6-59 months in 1,832 anthropometric surveys from 47 countries, mainly in Africa. The results show that using MUAC or WHZ, 16.3% of children were identified with GAM and 3.5% with SAM. The proportion of overlap between the two indicators was 28.2% for GAM (15-38.5%) and 16.5 % for SAM (6.1-29.8%). Overlap for individual countries was especially low for SAM. The numbers of children diagnosed by either criterion varied dramatically by country: the difference between the relative case-load using WHZ and MUAC for GAM varied from minus 57% to plus 72%. For SAM, in four of the 38 countries, less than 25% of severely malnourished children would be identified and admitted for treatment if a MUAC-only admission policy were being used. For all countries examined, the discrepancies were not adequately explained by any single hypothesis. My second study was in three parts. Each part examined the veracity of the assertion that MUAC is a better indicator of mortality than WHZ. 1) I analysed individual data from 76,887 children admitted to a range of treatment programmes to determine the mortality rates associated with SAM. 2) I conducted an exhaustive search of the literature to identify reports of children diagnosed by WHZ or MUAC with their respective mortality rates.3) I analysed the effect of case load using the prevalence data published in the first study with Case Fatality Rates (CFRs) derived from the empirical data, the literature data and theoretical simulations. We found that mathematical coupling caused a reversal of significance generating Simpson’s paradox so that the interpretation of the relative mortality rates of WHZ and MUAC is unsafe when children with both criteria are included in each group being compared. The analysis suggests that children with SAM identified by WHZ <-3 and admitted for treatment are at as least as high a risk of death as children in treatment with MUAC<115cm and probably at higher risk. Review of 21 datasets that compared WHZ and MUAC mortality rates show problems with interpretation of the reported CFRs in each of the studies; inconsistencies greatly limit analysis, comparability and interpretation. Caseload is a more important determinant of the number of SAM related child deaths than the relative CFR to give the number of SAM attributable deaths. Where most of the children are identified as SAM using WHZ, rather than MUAC, it is estimated that fewer than half of all SAM related deaths will be identified using a MUAC-only programme.In my third study, I have conducted a Monte Carlo simulation of anthropometric surveys and imposed random errors of measurement on the data in order to examine the effect of measurement error. The results show that there is an increase in the standard deviation with each of the errors, that the spread becomes exponentially greater with the magnitude of the sort of error that occur in real life situations and that the effect of an increase in standard deviation (SD) that appears to be fairly trivial has a major effect upon the reported prevalence of the condition. I show that even within quite a narrow range of SDs (from 0.8 to 1.2) the proportion of children <-2 WHZ can increase from 6% to 15% - which would move the population from one of “acceptable” prevalence to an acute emergency situation. The corresponding SAM would increase from about 1% to nearly 5%. If one was to use such a survey to estimate the current case-load of SAM children the difference would be five-fold. However, this range of SDs is generally thought to represent a “good survey”. When larger and more complex surveys are considered, for example those included in the WHO database or the DHS surveys, the SD is frequently greater than 1.2 leading to give a higher reported prevalence of malnutrition than may be the actual prevalence. In my fourth study, I performed a secondary analysis of the surveys collected in my first study in order to examine the change in reliability of such surveys over time. I analysed the statistical distributions of the derived anthropometric parameters from 1,843 surveys conducted by 19 agencies between 1986 and 2015. The results show that with the introduction of standardised guidelines and software by 2003 and their more general application from 2007 the mean standard deviation, kurtosis and skewness of the parameters used to assess nutritional status have each moved to now approximate the distribution of the WHO standards when the exclusion of outliers from analysis is based upon the SMART flagging procedure. Where WHO flags, that only exclude data incompatible with life, are used the quality of anthropometric surveys has improved and the results now approach those seen with SMART flags and the WHO standards distribution. Agencies vary in their uptake and adherence to standard guidelines. Those agencies that fully implement the guidelines achieve the most consistently reliable results.In conclusion, well-defined and internationally accepted criteria to assess anthropometric survey quality should be universally applied and reported if the surveys are to be reliable, credible and form the basis for appropriate intervention. Using WHZ-only or MUAC-only estimates of prevalence will underestimate the burden of acute malnutrition. Such a program policy would result in between 300,000 and 600,000 SAM deaths occurring in children each year who have no possibility of being treated. WHZ and MUAC are complementary indicators, it is only by using both criteria to identify SAM and admit children for treatment that we will move towards reducing avoidable SAM- related mortality in most countries. This will only be realised when we can conveniently identify children with a low WHZ in community screening programs. / Doctorat en Sciences de la santé Publique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The enormous amount of household food waste in developed countries is a global environmental and climate threat. To reduce household food waste, various behavior change campaigns and interventions are conducted. Most conventional behavior change interventions designed to reduce household food waste are based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and are information heavy. These have shown, however, to not be effective enough to result in a fast and sizable enough decrease of household food waste in developed countries, thus reducing climate and environmental impact in a timely and sizeable enough way. The more systemic, holistic and practically oriented Social Practice Theory (SPT) theoretical framework is proposed by different authors as an alternative to the conventionally used TPB theoretical framework to design (behavior) change interventions. SPT is thought to lead to greater and faster reduction of food waste at the household level and to a general change in the food supply system. Nevertheless, interventions are oftennot created according to their proposed theoretical framework and no “direct” comparison between both theoreticalframeworks at the intervention level has been conducted. This thesis compares two case studies describing food waste reduction interventions, one with a TPB theoretical framework and the other with a SPT theoretical framework. The results show that when considering food waste reduction interventions at the household levels in developed countries the SPT might be a more effective theoretical framework for an intervention design compared to a TPB theoretical framework. Specifically, the SPT theoretical framework includes more relevant system stakeholders in the intervention creation leading to a more context specific design. Additionally, the emphasis of actual “doing” in an intervention based on an SPT theoretical framework createsa potential for more long-term change, compared to a TPB theoretical framework. However, this thesis also suggests that merging of the two theories should be further research and discussed, because of the potential greater effectiveness in actual food waste reduction.

This thesis explores the experience of living with cancer-related cachexia (CRC) from the patient perspective. Critique of the literature indicates few examples where patients have had the opportunity to speak. Following a challenging recruitment process, six people living with the syndrome were interviewed to elicit their narrative. Their stories were examined and themes identified relating to their personal feelings and how these affected social interactions. Thematic analysis was applied to produce what is a rich qualitative description of the experience from this small sample. Living with CRC requires development of strategies to survive. Emergent themes included the loss of sense of self and a changing relationship to the social world, social isolation and dissatisfaction with truth-telling by health professionals. Recommendations are made to mitigate the suffering of patients by empowering them through better information and acknowledgement of their condition. The balance between nutrition and wellbeing is re-examined, calling for a reorientation of perspective from a focus on intake towards a focus on quality of life. This clearly falls within the nurse-as patient-advocate paradigm and the relevance and meaning of this research to the nursing profession is explored. Potential areas for further research in regards to both patient experience and nursing practice are extrapolated.

AIM Poor iron status and under–nutrition among children are of concern not only in South Africa but worldwide. Both independent and combined associations between poor iron status, under–nutrition and cognitive development and function have been investigated. This mini–dissertation investigated possible associations between iron status indicators, anthropometric nutritional status and cognitive performance in the Beverage Fortified with Micronutrients (BeForMi) study population (black South African children aged 6–11 years in the North–West province of South Africa). METHODS The study was cross–sectional and based on the BeForMi study baseline data. Primary school children (n = 414) with the highest serum transferrin receptor (STR) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) levels were included. Anthropometric z–scores - BMI–for–age (BAZ), height–for–age (HAZ), and weight–for–age (WAZ) - and iron status indicators - haemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), STR and ZnPP - were determined. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second edition (KABC–II) was used to generate cognitive scores. RESULTS Fourteen percent of children were underweight (WAZ <= 2 SDs), 12.8% stunted (HAZ <= 2 SDs) and 8.4% wasted (BAZ <= 2 SDs). Of the children, 7.1% were anaemic (Hb < 11.5 g/dL), 13% iron depleted (Hb < 11.5 g/dL and SF < 12 ug/L) and 2.7% had iron deficiency anaemia (Hb < 11.5 g/dL and SF < 12 ug/L). Low iron stores (SF < 12 ug/L) were observed in 15.7% of the children. Positive correlations were found between SF and WAZ (r = 0.1, p = 0.047), Hb and HAZ (r = 0.13, p = 0.007) and WAZ (r = 0.13, p = 0.009). Positive correlations with small effect sizes were observed between some cognitive scores and z–scores (p < 0.05, r–value range 0.10 – 0.24). Negative correlations with small effect sizes were observed for the subtests Triangles and Rover (both subtests on simultaneous processing) with Hb (p = 0.008, r = –0.13) and SF (p = 0.04, r = –0.1) respectively. Higher HAZ, WAZ and education level of the head of household were all significantly associated with the likelihood that a child would fall within the upper quartile of Hb values in our study group (p = 0.036, p = 0.032 and p = 0.036 respectively). CONCLUSION The results suggested that under–nutrition was positively associated with poor iron status and lower cognitive scores in this study population. Further research, investigating specific effects of poor iron status at different stages of growth and the relationship with cognitive function later in life may help explain the negative correlations observed between current iron status indicators and cognitive scores. / Thesis (M.Sc (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

AIM Poor iron status and under–nutrition among children are of concern not only in South Africa but worldwide. Both independent and combined associations between poor iron status, under–nutrition and cognitive development and function have been investigated. This mini–dissertation investigated possible associations between iron status indicators, anthropometric nutritional status and cognitive performance in the Beverage Fortified with Micronutrients (BeForMi) study population (black South African children aged 6–11 years in the North–West province of South Africa). METHODS The study was cross–sectional and based on the BeForMi study baseline data. Primary school children (n = 414) with the highest serum transferrin receptor (STR) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) levels were included. Anthropometric z–scores - BMI–for–age (BAZ), height–for–age (HAZ), and weight–for–age (WAZ) - and iron status indicators - haemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), STR and ZnPP - were determined. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second edition (KABC–II) was used to generate cognitive scores. RESULTS Fourteen percent of children were underweight (WAZ <= 2 SDs), 12.8% stunted (HAZ <= 2 SDs) and 8.4% wasted (BAZ <= 2 SDs). Of the children, 7.1% were anaemic (Hb < 11.5 g/dL), 13% iron depleted (Hb < 11.5 g/dL and SF < 12 ug/L) and 2.7% had iron deficiency anaemia (Hb < 11.5 g/dL and SF < 12 ug/L). Low iron stores (SF < 12 ug/L) were observed in 15.7% of the children. Positive correlations were found between SF and WAZ (r = 0.1, p = 0.047), Hb and HAZ (r = 0.13, p = 0.007) and WAZ (r = 0.13, p = 0.009). Positive correlations with small effect sizes were observed between some cognitive scores and z–scores (p < 0.05, r–value range 0.10 – 0.24). Negative correlations with small effect sizes were observed for the subtests Triangles and Rover (both subtests on simultaneous processing) with Hb (p = 0.008, r = –0.13) and SF (p = 0.04, r = –0.1) respectively. Higher HAZ, WAZ and education level of the head of household were all significantly associated with the likelihood that a child would fall within the upper quartile of Hb values in our study group (p = 0.036, p = 0.032 and p = 0.036 respectively). CONCLUSION The results suggested that under–nutrition was positively associated with poor iron status and lower cognitive scores in this study population. Further research, investigating specific effects of poor iron status at different stages of growth and the relationship with cognitive function later in life may help explain the negative correlations observed between current iron status indicators and cognitive scores. / Thesis (M.Sc (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2016-04-19T16:19:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTJULIANAGRODRIGUES.pdf: 4883356 bytes, checksum: 5706faa288cd5541e1bfe8cc446e591b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-19T16:19:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTJULIANAGRODRIGUES.pdf: 4883356 bytes, checksum: 5706faa288cd5541e1bfe8cc446e591b (MD5) / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências-Geoquímica. Niterói, RJ / Em janeiro de 2011, a região serrana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro foi atingida por inúmeros movimentos de massa em um evento denominado de “Megadesastre”. A ocorrência de movimentos de massa depende da disponibilidade de material a ser mobilizado, e essa disponibilidade está relacionada com o intemperismo. Dessa forma, essa dissertação buscou avaliar as transformações geoquímicas e mineralógicas em dois perfis de intemperismo desenvolvidos sobre rocha granítica, na bacia do Córrego do Príncipe (Teresópolis/RJ), e a relação com a ocorrência de movimentos de massa. Nas análises químicas empregaram-se os métodos de ativação neutrônica (AAN) e fluorescência de raios-X (FRX). Já na mineralogia utilizou-se petrografia, observação em lupa e difração de raios-X (DRX), e na granulometria, peneiramento e difratometria a laser. A análise estatística multivariada indicou a separação de quatro grupos: G1 - apresenta o maior grau de dissimilaridade e é formado por material ferro-manganoso; G2 - amostras com menor grau de alteração, onde foi verificada a presença de plagioclásio e a escassez de minerais secundários, além da presença de material rochoso (corestones) menos alterado e material inconsolidado com textura grossa; G3 e G4 - apesar de apresentarem fortes similaridades, estão em estágios de alteração diferentes, sendo a principal diferença a mineralogia das frações finas (silte/argila): em G3, há plagioclásio, caulinita e gibbsita, enquanto que em G4 verificou-se a ausência de feldspatos e presença desses minerais secundários, indicando que as amostras em G3 estão em menor estágio de alteração do que as de G4. Quanto ao comportamento dos elementos químicos, houve um empobrecimento em K2O, Na2O, CaO, Rb, Ba e ETR, relacionado principalmente com a alteração dos felspatos, e enriquecimento em SiO2 e Al2O3 (relacionado aos minerais detríticos e neoformados), Fe2O3, TiO2 e MgO, referente a alteração da biotita. O estudo permitiu elaborar um modelo de transformação geoquímica, mineralógica e textural, a partir do qual se pode concluir que a formação de corestones juntamente com a mobilização e reconcentração de elementos e argilominerais, atuaram como heterogeneidades dentro desses perfis de alteração. Estes processos tornaram os perfis susceptíveis a movimentos de massa, mostrando assim uma inter-relação entre o estudo da evolução geoquímica e mineralógica, e a estabilidade mecânica do material / On January 2011, the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state was affected by a great number of landslides. This event was called "Megadisaster". The occurrence of landslide depends on the presence of material to be mobilized due to weathering processes. This work aims to assess the geochemical and mineralogical changes in two granite weathering profiles in Córrego do Príncipe watershed (Teresópolis / RJ) related to landslides. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were used to quantify the chemical compositions of weathering profile samples. Mineralogy was done by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and by petrography. Particle size analysis was done by sieving and laser diffraction. A multivariate statistical analysis of the data showed four groups: G1 is quite different from the other groups and is characterized by an iron-manganous material; G2 represents the material with the lower degree of weathering. The presence of plagioclase, the lack of secondary minerals, the corestones and the coarse grain size of the unconsolidated samples explain this group; G3 and G4 are fairly homogeneous. They are the most weathered samples of both profiles consisting of secondary minerals and little or no plagioclase present. The main difference between these groups is silt and clay mineralogy. The elements mobility during weathering process showed a depletion of K2O, Na2O, CaO, Rb, Ba and REE (mainly due to feldspar weathering), while SiO2, Al2O3 (due to detrital and secondary mineral growth) Fe2O3, TiO2 and MgO (due to biotite weathering) increase. This study allowed the elaboration of a geochemical, mineralogical and particle size weathering model. The production of corestones, the mobilization and concentration of elements and clay minerals acted as heterogeneities within these profiles, leaving them susceptible to landslides

In the past century, seagrasses have experienced massive die off episodes in what has been collectively referred to as “wasting disease.” Researchers generally agree that wasting disease is caused by a protist of the Labyrinthula genus, and that environmental stressors can make some populations of seagrasses more susceptible to infection. The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of elevated salinity, elevated temperature, elevated sulfide and night-time hypoxia on Thalassia testudinum health and its response to Labyrinthula sp. infection under controlled conditions. To test these effects, microcosms were utilized and individual seagrass shoots were randomly assigned to treatment groups consisting of various combinations of abiotic stressors. They were then infected with Labyrinthula sp. and monitored for lesion formation and a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. It was hypothesized that seagrasses incubated under the application of a given stressor would show evidence of declining health, and, in turn, would be more prone to infection, as quantified by lesion size and reduced photosynthetic capacity. Results indicated that abiotic stressors have little effect on T. testudium’s ability to resist infection from Labyrinthula sp. However, the Labyrinthula sp. was highly sensitive to abiotic stressors, specifically salinity, indicating that the health of the pathogen greatly contributed to the severity of the disease. Therefore, the stress thresholds of both the host seagrass and the pathogen need to be considered. Indeed, the interaction(s) among T. testudinum, Labyrinthula spp. and the environment are complex and not as linear as previously thought.

This diploma thesis deals with cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This topic is researched using a case study of the Food Bank for Prague and Central Bohemia and food chains that have established a cooperative partnership with the organization. Empirical research took the form of an initial fieldwork, interviews, and analysis of websites and other available documents. The thesis aims to introduce the insufficiently- explored issue of food banks and CSR that is created around them by food chains. First, it deals with the types of cooperation that occur within these relationships and proceeds to explore their dynamics. Furthermore, it examines the motivations of chains for cooperation and the appraisal of mutual cooperation both on their part as well as the part of the food bank, a representantive of the non-profit sector. The thesis can serve as an inspiration for further research on the topic of food banks or cross-sectoral cooperation that would involve perspectives of entities from both cooperating sectors as this represents a fact that is often overlooked in research. Keywords: Cross-sectoral cooperation, corporate social responsibility, food bank, food wasting, non-profit organization.