Resource-efficient technologies are essential for economically viable biodiesel production. This work focuses on conversion of microalgal lipids and vegetable oils into fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel. Transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) and extractive-transesterification of wet microalgal biomass were investigated using microwave and ultrasound irradiations through several process parametric evaluation studies to elucidate the effects of different alcohols and catalyst types (homogeneous and heterogeneous), reaction time, and reaction temperatures. First, a brief overview of process steps involved in microalgal biodiesel production and associated energy consumption and research needs were discussed. Next, energy analysis of microalgal biocrude production via extractive-transesterification under microwave and ultrasound irradiations (individually) was performed. Then, the synergistic effect of microwave and ultrasound irradiations on extractive-transesterification of microalgal lipids was evaluated through a process optimization study using response surface methodology to determine the best process conditions. For this study, a maximum biocrude conversion of 51.2% was obtained when 20 g of algal paste was treated with 30 mL methanol, 1 wt.% catalyst, 7 min reaction time, and 140 W for MW and US (280 W total). Further, biocrude yield kinetics study revealed that the activation energy for this reaction was around 17, 298 J mol-1 K-1. A series of experimental studies were conducted to understand the roles and effects of various process related conditions including the power output and power density of microwave and ultrasound irradiations in biodiesel production. The two non-conventional heating techniques were compared for their process intensification effects. Ultrasound was applied either in continuous or pulse mode. Pulse sonication was found to be more suitable for simple transesterification reaction of WCO with a 98% biodiesel yield in 2.5 min (9:1 methanol to oil ratio, 1.25% catalyst, and 150 W power output) over 82% yield for continuous sonication under the same conditions. Followed by this, a detailed study was conducted to determine optimum pulse (ON and OFF time) sonication conditions. A 99% conversion yield was obtained for a pulse ON-OFF combination of 7s-2s. Additionally, the effect of different alcohols (ethanol, methanol, and ethanol-methanol mixtures) using pulse sonication was evaluated.

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Chicken breast muscle was cooked to an internal temperature of 165oF by four methods: boiling, baking, sautéing and deep-frying. All cooking methods led to a decrease in formation of dialyzable iron, formed by both extraction and digestion in vitro, compared to raw muscle. After cooking most of the dialyzable iron formed results from extraction and the formation of dialyzable iron by digestion is essentially eliminated. Cooking also decreased the levels of cysteine and histidine; these losses may contribute to the loss in dialyzable iron.

Limited research exists on the role of community food programs, such as cooking circles, in Canadian Arctic communities. This research investigates the Nutrition North Canada cooking circle program in the Inuvialuit (Inuit) hamlet of Paulatuk, NWT. The objectives are to 1) collaboratively evaluate the program's impact on healthy food intake, and awareness/knowledge accumulation regarding healthier eating and meal preparation techniques; 2) assess the program's intangible (e.g., social, cultural, and mental health) benefits to participants and community wellbeing; and 3) analyze the potential for consistent country food integration; 4) to generate a culturally relevant logic model; 5) to evaluate program implementation in terms of key enablers and barriers - namely, funding, space and equipment, and human resources. This research applies a Community-Based Participatory Research approach to implementing a collaborative process and outcome program evaluation, with necessary modifications due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods include logic model co-design, document analysis of NNC annual reports (n = 9) and proposals (n = 2), a series of regular/weekly iterative videoconference conversations with the Paulatuk cooking circle facilitator out of which two were transcribed and analyzed (n = 2), videoconference semi-structured interview with a regional program manager (n = 1), telephone semi-structured interviews with cooking circle facilitators from other communities (n = 4), telephone (n = 1) and in-person (n = 12) semi-structured interviews with Paulatuk cooking circle participants. The Mukluk Logic Model played an instrumental role in the conceptualization of the process evaluation, recognizing the specificity of location, program facilitation, and culture. The process evaluation results indicated that the long-standing sustainability of Paulatuk's cooking circle program is directly related to the consistency of program funding, community-engaged facilitation practices, and creative utilization of the community's multi-purpose space for program activities. However, significant barriers to program implementation limit program sustainability. These include funding amounts and distribution, limitations related to space and equipment, and a challenging human resources context (hiring and retention). The cooking circle participants reported an increase in intake of healthy food, awareness of healthy eating/cooking, and positive social and mental health aspects of the program. A considerable effort from local and regional stakeholders is required to integrate country food into program activities. This study provides insight into cooking circle program implementation in a Canadian Arctic community, illustrating the utility of qualitative process evaluation research in this context and generating important knowledge and insights to better support northern community-based food preparation programs. Additionally, this research highlights the role of local-scale initiatives in supporting food security, overall wellbeing, and integration of country food in program activities in remote, Arctic communities.

This research is about Ukrainian women who have been displaced by the russian invasion and are now living on Gotland. The primary objective of this study was to create a platform where they could express their experiences, thoughts, and emotions. We intended to value their voices and were committed to maintaining a human-centered and open approach in our research, prioritizing their authentic narratives over theoretical considerations.  In this exploratory study, we discovered the power of cooking and sharing food to foster connections and intimate conversations. Inspired by feminist scholar Heldke (1988), we recognized the undervalued significance of cooking in philosophical discourses and the need for a more inclusive way of thinking about knowledge. Employing cooking as inquiry as a research method allowed for a holistic exploration of personal experiences with new cultures. With Borshch as our chosen meal, we found that its traditional slow-cooking process created a safe and familiar space for meaningful conversations.  By applying Allen et al. (2021) Integrative Framework for Belonging, we sought to shed light on narratives that arise from the accounts of Ukrainian women displaced by the russian invasion. We discovered that our contributors' experiences extended beyond the boundaries of the framework. Our findings explored various narratives – from struggling to belong to reclaiming belonging, including living through war, liminality, keeping children safe, competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions to belong. Through this exploration, we gained insights into their complex narratives and the dynamic nature of belonging.

Hearths and cooking pits are common remains from the Bronze Age. It is a trace of human activity possibly over a short or sometimes a longer period of time. Settlement, cooking and crafts are what we associate them with, but these remains have an underestimated potential to tell us more about the people who used them. Being o pen to a broader perspective might provide a  better understanding of the phenomena. By examining more closely new interpretations of hearths and cooking pits, we see new meaning and significance of these features which can be seen as a previously overlook ed cultural expression. Based on previous studies, the thesis will further explain and argue for the cultural significance of hearths and cooking pits from the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

As of 2014, 81% of sub-Saharan population or 792 million people rely on the traditional use of biomass to provide in their cooking needs. This situation causes harmful health, environmental, and development hazards with a substantial annual economic cost of USD58.2 billion. The concern about the issue of access to clean cooking facilities is growing as international organizations and national governments define steps to transform the existing situation. Literature provides a good view on determinants for the cooking fuel choice in developing regions, but comprehensive outlooks for the future cooking fuel mix in sub-Saharan countries are limited. To this extent, the presented master's thesis aims to shed light on a history-inspired pathway for the evolution of the biomass dominated cooking fuel mix in sub-Saharan countries to 2050. A quantitative model was developed to estimate the future uptake of various cooking technologies, from which the fuel mix can be derived using energy intensities. Projections were constructed for urban and rural areas in 45 countries. Economic development, population expansion, urbanization, and to a certain extent policies are the key drivers of the model. Despite a moderate improvement in the share of population relying on traditional biomass, 808 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to make use of traditional three-stone fires in 2050, an increase compared to 2014. Biomass remains the dominant cooking fuel as a result of limited switching and the low efficiency of employed stoves. Driven by higher incomes and a better developed infrastructure, urban areas experience a faster shift to modern fuels. Demand for LPG grows at an annual rate of 6% across sub-Saharan Africa, in sharp contrast with the phase out of kerosene and the limited uptake of electric cookstoves. The speed of evolutions is dissimilar across countries because of differences in economic growth and urbanization, and non-homogeneous starting points. The results demonstrate the vast size of the challenge to improve living conditions in sub-Saharan Africa and suggest that universal access by 2030, a target stated by several international organizations, is rather unrealistic.

The aim of this Master Thesis is to find the most suitable amount of photovoltaic (PV) panels to sustain an off-grid thermal energy storage (TES) system and to compare a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) with a pulse width modulator (PWM) in order to analyze which one of them that best suits the system. The purpose is to provide feedback on the design of the electrical part of the system in order to make it suitable for testing in a school in an Uganda refugee camp. This is done by developing a simulation model and by performing an economical analysis of the system. Additionally, visits to the considered refugee camps are done. The results are based on data from the camps and interviews at the Physics department at Makerere University and consider the number of meals cooked by the TES as well as economical profitability and payback time. The recommended amount of PV panels is nine and the recommended controller is an MPPT. The simulation shows that the system reaches a point where an increasing number of panels doesn't increase the number of cooked meals by much. The economic analysis shows that this small increase is not enough to make up for the extra costs of adding more PV panels. Having a lower cost, PWM is preferred in the early years by the economic analysis. However, having a low efficiency, it is less superior to the MPPT. The payback time and revenue are better for the MPPT in the investigated cases. It is important to consider that the model doesn't show reality to a full extent. Experiments are made where it is found that the model is inaccurate on an hourly level but can be considered valid over longer periods of time. When choosing the results, a trade-off is made between maximizing the revenue or shortening the payback time of the TES system. Considering rough circumstances and the uncertain future of the camps existence, short payback time is chosen. This results in nine panels being the optimum amount. However, if the aim is to maximize revenue, twelve panels are better than nine. The price of firewood is a factor of uncertainty which this study relays a lot on and it's thereby important to consider when reading the results. Suggestions for future studies are to investigate the price development of firewood further or to test the use of stones in the thermal storage tank to decrease costs. Additionally, possible utilization of surplus produced energy from the system could be investigated in order to find extra benefits from the installation.

In an industry plagued by high failure rates and exorbitant amounts spent on marketing, restaurants must find ways to increase the efficiency of their advertising. Present research demonstrates linkages between human senses and emotions and affective responses to marketing stimuli (e.g. Peck and Wiggins, 2006). However, there is presently a dearth of research addressing how advertising can creatively draw upon consumers' senses to elicit the desired responses by stakeholders (e.g. increased purchase intent). In response to this apparent gap in our inquiry, the purpose of this study is to explore how verbal smell references (e.g. "You can almost smell the smoky and delicious aroma of your steak grilling to perfection" stated in the ad) and congruent cooking sounds (e.g. sizzling sounds for a steakhouse) in radio food advertisements impact consumer sensory perceptions (ability to almost taste and/or almost smell the advertised product), affective response, and purchase intentions. In addition, since current research indicates that olfactory perceptions can vary by gender (e.g. (Doty, Shaman, and Dann, 1983; Cane, 1982), this research tested for gender-based differences in these hypothesized relationships. Regarding procedures, a sequence of two pretests were used to establish the reliability and validity of the verbal smell reference used in this research. In addition to these manipulation checks on the verbal smell reference construct, the two pretests also verified that undergraduate students would have the ability to adequately relate to the experimental setting — steakhouses. Next, a 2x2x2 between-subjects experiment was conducted in which the verbal smell reference was manipulated, congruent cooking sounds were manipulated, and gender was measured. Results indicate that a verbal smell reference in a radio ad does significantly influence a potential consumer's ability to almost smell and to almost taste the advertised product. The smell reference also significantly impacts individuals' affective responses to the ad and purchase intent of the product. Interestingly, this research also found that the level of "excitement" associated with the advertised brand perfectly mediates the relationship between the verbal smell reference and affective responses. That is, the verbal smell reference leads consumers to assess the advertised brand as being exciting which, in turn, results in positive affective responses. This research did not detect any significant outcomes associated with the use of congruent cooking sounds in radio ads or any significant interactions between cooking sounds and verbal smell references with regard to the outcome variables. Further, gender was not found to significantly intervene in any of the hypothesized relationships. Nevertheless, the significant outcomes associated with the main effect of the verbal smell references on consumer sensory perceptions (ability to almost taste and/or almost smell the advertised product), affective response, and purchase intentions, along with the mediation of the excitement construct, are associated with formidable theoretical and managerial implications which are discussed in the concluding chapter of this thesis. / Master of Science

Магистерская диссертация «Двуязычный кулинарный календарь: проект издания» состоит из введения, двух глав, заключения, библиографического списка, включающего 82 наименования, и приложения. В первой главе раскрываются понятия календаря, кулинарной книги и кулинарного календаря как видов изданий, а также дается экскурс в историю появления и развития календарей и кулинарных изданий в России и за рубежом. Во второй главе рассматриваются содержательные и визуально полиграфические особенности российских и западных кулинарных календарей, оценивается востребованность кулинарных календарей на рынке современных кулинарных изданий в России и на Западе, а также предлагается концепция нового издания кулинарного календаря на русском и английском языках. Приложение содержит элементы макета нового двуязычного кулинарного календаря: обложку и 4 страницы (январь, май, июнь, сентябрь). Отдельные положения проведенного исследования были представлены на Международной научно-практической интернет-конференции «Язык. Текст. Книга» (Екатеринбург, 2018). Библиографический список содержит 63 источника на русском языке и 19 источников на английском языке. / Master's thesis “Bilingual cooking calendar: a new publication” consists of introduction, two chapters, conclusion, bibliographic list, including 82 names, and application. The first chapter of the thesis is devoted to the consideration of calendar, cookbook and cooking calendar as types of publication. It also contains a brief in-sight into the history of the appearance of culinary publications in Russia and in the West. The second chapter of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of the content-thematic and visual-printing features of the Russian and Western cooking calen-dars. The second chapter examines the level of demand for cooking calendars in the modern book market and suggests the conception of a new bilingual cooking calendar. The application contains elements of the layout of the new bilingual cooking calendar: the cover and 4 pages (January, May, June, September). Some aspects of the study were presented at the International Scientific and Practical Internet Conference “Language. Text. Book” (Ekaterinburg, 2018). The bibliographic list contains 63 Russian-language publications and 19 English-language publications.