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The Effect of Oregano Essential Oil on Microbial Load, Drying Kinetics and Sensory Atributes of Dried Meat
Hernandez Hernandez, Helga Johana ; Banout, Jan (advisor) ; František, František (referee)
Microbial load can be controlled using either synthetic or natural preservatives. Particular interest has been focused on the potential application of plant essential oils as safer additives for meat. However, there is no published research on the use of essential oils during the meat drying process. This study was focused on enhancing the meat drying process. At first a value-added dried meat product by using oregano essential oil (OEO) to inhibit the growth of bacteria, and the sensorial response from assessors is presented. It was found that the application of the OEO in meat is effective in inhibiting Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. After 6 hours of drying at 55°C, 2 ml (0.038 ml l-1 air) and 1.5 ml (0.028 ml l-1 air) of OEO were considered the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against S. enteritidis and E. coli, respectively. Samples treated with 0.75 ml of OEO were more attractive for consumption compared with the control; at a higher concentration of OEO, the sensory quality of the food was affected.
Next, the effect of modified blanching treatments on the drying behaviour of beef meat was evaluated by determining moisture ratio versus time curves and the influence on sensory quality of the resulted product. The 3 treatments under investigation were (1) oil treatment (2) steam blanching and (3) hot air blanching with 3 doses of oregano essential oil (1) 1.5 ml (2) 3 ml and (3) 6 ml. Each treatment had an effect on the drying time of the beef samples, however, the dose of oregano essential oil applied did not affect the drying process. The results showed that steam blanching was very effective reducing the drying time. Meanwhile, 1.5 ml and 3 ml hot air blanching samples and 1.5 ml oil treatment samples were judged as better from sensory point of view and the respondents considered that adding oregano essential oil enriched the pleasantness of the smell.
In conclusion, a value-added dried meat product obtained by using oregano essential oil to enhance food safety received an acceptable sensorial response from consumers. Additionally, each modified blanching treatment tested influences the drying kinetics process, but the dose of oregano applied did not affect the drying process. In this sense, hot air blanching and oil treatment with the lowest dose had an acceptable sensorial response from consumers.
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Strategies of Agricultural Development in Angola. Case study: Catabola municipality
Rušarová, Kristina ; Havrland, Bohumil (advisor) ; Jiří, Jiří (referee)
Catabola municipality is one of the most damaged areas of civil war in Angola. Although the climatic as well as soil conditions are favorable for intensive agriculture, small farmers in the municipality are subsistence with the main income source of dried beans, dried cassava and vegetables. Hand-tool technology prevails in the Catabola municipality as it is employed in 95.38 % of the cultivated land of small farmers. The majority of small farmers uses only power of their family members (with a mean of 1.80 kW and standard deviation of 2.37 kW), hired labour is used by 38.0 % of small farmers. In addition, high engagement of child work was found out as 63.88 % of the children age 5-14 are involved in field operations. Primary data collection was conducted in the Catabola municipality in the period July - August 2011, semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions were the most frequent methods used. In total, 151 small scale farmers out of 9 villages participated in the survey. 10 factors that influence the dependent variable -- type of farmer regarding technology used on field in combination with hiring of extra labour -- were defined. The factors were statistically analyzed with use of ANOVA. Out of the factors expected to influence adoption of more sophisticated technologies than the hand-tool, increasing in size of the cultivated land and enhancement of education of both parents and children are found to be the limiting factor in the adoption process for use of animal traction or mechanical power from small farmers in the Catabola municipality. Strategy was formulated with use of simplified quantified SWOT analysis separately for animal-draught and mechanical-power technologies. The result can be interpreted as 8.0% assumption of success in animal traction adoption, contrary to 10.1% assumption of failures in mechanization adoption by small farmers in the Catabola municipality. Thus, tractors are not considered as an appropriate technology for small farmers in the Catabola municipality. The most critical criteria in animal traction adoption that should be considered are support of farmers' cooperatives and associations, FFSs, education in the form of general schooling as well as trainings for farmers, blacksmiths, extension workers and animal breeders.
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Černý, David ; Malaťák, Jan (advisor) ; Mašek, Jiří (referee)
Organic wastes represent available replacement for crops grown specifically for biofuel production. However, the combustion of solid biofuels is often accompanied by technical problems. Biofuels made of organic wastes require the source of which do not contain hazardous substances that could be their combustion in simple combustion sources came into the atmosphere as emissions.
This thesis is focused on the assessment of technical and operational parameters of small combustion plants while burning biofuels and also of the measurement of emission concentrations of CO and NOX in the flue gas and its subsequent analysis. Samples were selected as solid fuel in the form of a lump, briquettes and pellets made from advanced materials. Incineration was realized in the fireplace with a grate furnace and automatic stove.
The bark briquettes could appears to be a suitable substitution for coal or wooden briquettes, and during combustion in grate emission concentrations of CO were achieved with a value of 560.8 +/- 98.9 mg.m-3,on the contrary NOX levels were relatively high
1 193.6 +/- 141.7 mg.m-3. In case of this work, when using the furnace the briquettes were made from compost , whose emission levels are higher: CO 1 487.8 +/- 418.8 mg.m-3, NOx levels were somewhat lower 330.8 +/- 26.3 mg.m-3 than the briquettes bark.
An experimental sample of sewage sludge, which has been modified by hydrothermal carbonisation, was burned on the grate furnace and the measured emission levels for CO
1 493.3 +/- 237.3 mg.m-3 and NOX levels 544.8 +/- 20.2 mg.m-3, positive because it was achieved the rated output of the combustion equipment and the heat of combustion of the sample is very low 12.61 MJ.kg-1.
The most efficient combustion of 80.8 +/- 2,7 % was achieved using automatic stove, during burning waste wood pellets certificate ENplus A1, the very low levels of emission and a very low emission levels for CO with a value of 117.5 +/- 14.4 mg.m-3 and values NOX
110.3 +/- 2.9 mg.m-3 were measured. Following experiments on this device were intended to increase the efficiency of a combustion plant by installing a hot-air heat exchanger and preheating combustion air. Method with preheating combustion air caused an increase in the emission concentration of CO.
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Agricultural in terms of Sustainable Development of Agrarian Sector
Frýdlová, Monika ; Boháčková, Ivana (advisor) ; Smutka, Luboš (referee)
The sustainability discourse clearly gives priority to the so-called "three-pillar model", according to which sustainable development should equally try to reach ecological, economic, and social goals. An increasing variety of methods is being proposed to address the question of the measurement of sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its core is an approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as asociety. Submitting theses deal with measuring sustainable agriculture and introduces a practical methodology for evaluating the sustainability of agriculture system by means of composite indicators. This methodology was based on calculating seven sustainability indicators that cover the three components of the sustainability concept (economic, social and environmental). The methodological proposal implemented in theses allowed an integrated vision of agricultural sustainability and careful selection of sustainability indicators, carried out on the basis of reliability criteria and applicability. The evaluation of agricultural sustainability/production system sustainability using the methods suggested is a potentially useful tool for public decision-makers who are tasked with designing and implementing agricultural policy. The results demonstrated the usefulness of analyzing several sustainability indicators in conjunction, in order to obtain more robust results. Such information can help to improve current agricultural policies, such as income policy, agricultural structure policy and rural development policy, with the aim of improving the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
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Influence of Quality on Comipetitivity of Milk and Milk products
Hrubá, Renata ; Kovářová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Čechura, Lukáš (referee)
Globalization requires a new understanding of the effect of attitudes in the decision making process, particularly when regional differences arise from different cultural and social norms. Information behavior is the part of behavioral economics that explores decision making stakeholders - consumers, businessmen or politicians, under conditions of bounded rationality. For consumers it is primarily important to buy local products from family farms. The aim of the thesis was to verify the effectiveness of that model in the Czech Republic, especially to fill in the empirical aspect of behavioral economics, relating to consumer behavior under unclear information as well as normal environments, thus understanding the indirect effect of perception on product information. Today these issues are gaining in importance in developed countries as well as in the Czech Republic. The high probability of "never researching product information" resides more within consumers with negative attitudes toward global issues (30%) than in consumers with positive attitudes towards those issues (about 1%). Attitudinal changes affect decreases among those "never searching for product information" (by 30%) as well as increasing "search-rates" (by 60%). In other words, the changes in attitude have significant effects on consumer behavior (Spillover effect). Predicting decision making behavior under unclear information also shows important results. Changes of attitude toward nutrient security, milk of origin or ingredients is associated with relative changes in behavior. A change of attitude will reduce the probability to sometimes buy products with unclear (15%) and increases the probability of buying products with clear information (17%). Empirical research of behaviors under uncertainty are long-term projects, however methodologies may vary differentially. By connecting the theory of planned behavior to the theory of information, these theses fill in the issues of behavioral economics theory. The practical implication is a methodological approach of the model.
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The importance of legumes in the human diet
Střelková, Tereza ; Hejtmánková, Alena (advisor) ; Martina, Martina (referee)
Legumes are part of human diet since Early Years and they have important role. In Czech Republic the most commonly consumed legumes are beans, peas and lens and in recent years even cicer (commonly chickenpea) and soya. Yearly consumption of legumes in human diet in Czech Republic is about 2,5 kg per person, which is less than in other countries but the consumption is slightly increasing.
Being very good source of protein, legumes as source of non-complete protein should be combined with other sources of protein preferably those based on cereal. Legumes are also source of carbohydrates, from which big part is favourable mix of starch and fiber. Present minerals are e.g. calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. From vitamins mostly B complex can be found.
Legumes, especially soya, also contain phytoestrogens and other biologically active substances. Phytoestrogens emulate behaviour of human estrogenes and raise interest in areas of research. There are series of scientific foundations for their potential to be used as part of
a treatment for worldwide spread disease like cancer or diabetes, or other common health difficulties e.g. post-menopausal symptoms.
Legumes are often refused in human diet, because of antinutrients they contain. Those are mostly oligosaccharides that are fermented in large intestine which causes flatulence and indigestion. Antinutrients are e.g. enzyme inhibitors or phytic acid.
Antinutrients can be removed by variety of culinary treatments. The easiest are soaking or boiling. The harder, yet very effective treatments, mostly because of time consumptions are e.g. germination or fermentation, or because of technological demands - extrusion. However, heat treatment can degrade proteins and thus lower their usefulness and also reduce biological activity.
Biologically active substances are nowadays intensively researched and studies bring new perspective advantages of consuming legumes.
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Financial Analysis of chosen Company
Schmiedová, Renata ; Slaboch, Josef (advisor) ; Malý, Michal (referee)
The submitted bachelor's work with the topic Financial Analysis of the Chosen Company deals with the ananlysis of financial health of DACHDECKER spol. s r.o. during the period of 2011 to 2014 with the aim to evaluate the course of financial analysis indicators and to submit the suggestion that can lead to present condition improving.
The work is divided into two crucial parts. The theoretical part is an introduction to the base that can be used for financial analysis treatment, with various types of financial analysis attitudes, with methods that can be applied, and, last but not least as well as with the users who could be interested in the results of anylysis carried out.
In practical part, the accounting data have been analysed via absolute indicators methods using the horizontal and vertical analysis. A substantial part are the results
of aliquot indicators of rentability, activity, liquidity and indebtedness, including
its interpretation. A calculation of a bankruptcy model is a part of this work as well.
In the course of practical part, the chosen indicators are applied to a competitive firm
that is doing business in the same branch as DACHDECKER spol. s r.o., so that a branch comparison could be carried out and thus the information ability of the data could be more precise.
In the conclusion, attention is paid to evaluating the gained results, assessing
the possible causes of present condition and putting forward a recommendation in future.
Financial analysis was applied to accounting data in the period of 2011 to 2014.
A considerable takings decline in 2012 can be seen in the analysis carried out. This decline did not get deeper in the following years , which is a positive fact. However, the situation with the takings development was considerably reflected in the total results of the economic activities, and the firm´s ability to appraise the invested capital was radically limited. Moreover, in 2013 the firm suffered a loss. Because a comparison was done with a competitive firm, it can be stated that other firms of the same branch suffered
a considerable decline in 2013 as well. Should we view the firm DACHDECKER
spol. s r. o. from the point of ability to keep its liability then this firm can be considered
to be financially healthy and credible.
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Welfare assessment of organically farmed cattle
Slavíková, Eva ; Chaloupková, Helena (advisor) ; Ilona, Ilona (referee)
Ethical issues in livestock breeding have been in focus of public interest recently. A strong attention is paid to living space, ability to express natural behaviour, and good care of animals known as welfare. Presented thesis aims in evaluation of animal welfare indicators on 20 farms with organic dairy production using the methodology of Welfare Quality (WQ). The following criteria were assessed: absence of prolonged hunger and thirst, comfort around resting, ease of movement, absence of injuries, disease, and pain induced by management procedures, expression of social and other behaviours, human-animal relationship, and emotional state. These criteria are combined into four basic principles: good feeding, good housing, good health, and appropriate behaviour. Principal attention is paid to the relationship between animal welfare and health.
Most farms showed high scoring of good feeding including the proportion of very lean cows and sufficient water supply. Good housing got also high evaluation, because the organic farming standards require loose housing and majority of time spent grazing on pastures. Lower scoring of good health was caused by dehorning on a part of farms, which decreases the absence of injuries evaluation. Farms had mostly low proportion of lame cows, cows with lesions and hairless patches, and cows with discharges and diarrhoea; no cow had mastitis. No expression of agonistic behaviour was recorded, the scoring of human-animal relationship and positive emotional state was fairly good, too. Obtained scores were generally higher compared to results from conventional farms published in literature. All farms were evaluated as enhanced or excellent.
Larger herds had generally lower scoring of human-animal relationship, but higher scoring of positive emotional state. Farms with dehorned animals exhibited lower proportion of very lean cows and nasal discharge. A higher percentage of lame cows was found on farms with worse cleanliness compared to farms with cleaner conditions. Proportion of lame cows correlated with the proportion of very lean cows, and together with the proportion of cows with integument alterations it was influenced by the comfort around resting.
It was confirmed that good conditions of cow breeding and good welfare lead to better health and behaviour of animals. Organic farming creates favourable conditions for good animal health and welfare. The output of the thesis provides farmers an evaluation of animal welfare on their farms and a comparison with other farms.
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Securitization of Immigration in Arizona
Divišová, Kristýna ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
This bachelor thesis explored whether the (Hispanic) immigration issue in Arizona in 2010 was securitized - defined as an existential threat with regard to the Arizonan or American society and therefore their identity. The thesis was based on the assumption that conditions for the securitization could work well in a state with high number of illegal border crossings and where Hispanic minority constitute 30 % of the population. Analysis of speeches of political actors and op-ed section in Arizona Daily Star has not proven this hypothesis. The illegal immigration, however, was sometimes understood as a weak existential threat - mainly within the GOP. This issue was more often politicized as the allocation of more resources was demanded for tackling the illegal immigration. Democrats and Arizona Daily Star, on the other hand, took more neutral stance or sometimes even de-securitized the (illegal) immigration. A considerable support for the law SB 1070 from the part of both Arizonans and Americans was explained more as a result of frustration over the inaction of the federal government than as a will to securitize immigration that they in general favor. Since the immigration, overwhelmingly Hispanic, is not securitized, the ethnic component do not seem to be understood as a key part of the...
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The climate in Ždár Peaks as described in documentary sources
Sobotková, Nicol ; Soukupová, Jana (advisor) ; Vokoun, Martin (referee)
The Protected Landscape Area Žďárské vrchy is in this bacherol´s work "The climate in Žďár Peaks as described in documentary sources" put into climate-historic context, particularly with regard to frequency of meteorological extremes and their impact on society. The importance is enhanced by the mere fact, that for the inhabitants of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, the knowledge of the then climate was a key for success-not only in economic development, but mainly in personal life, where this knowledge played a crucial role for their survival.
The starting point of this thesis is the definition of the discussed area, the definition of documentary sources from the perspective of climate and the characteristics of weather extremes. Historical data were taken from archives, mainly from nearby archives and from chronicles from the region of Žďárské vrchy and surrounding areas. The core for this thesis is the period before 1900, when scientific measurements were not used. Valuable reports are then the records of weather, climate conditions, catastrophes, but also about the deaths of bell-ringers. The information about grain fertility, crops or harvests are important, as well. According to character of the weather in the chosen area, the records are divided into author´s own seven-stage scale of extreme phenomena and they are put into local and regional context. The assessment is carried out by using tables, in which years are characterised according to genuine climatic conditions. Despite deviations caused by insufficient amount of data and inaccurate measurement, the data in question are similar to other observed proxy data. The study of climate in the Protected Landscape Area Žďárské vrchy in historical context can supplement climate-historical database and other research.
Climate of the past centuries in the region Žďárské vrchy shows that extreme events were common in there. Every year, people had to cope with harsh weather conditions. Why is then the question of weather extremes still open? The future threatens with global climate changes. If people do not stop governing the nature, the natural climate cycle will disrupt anthropogenic evolution.
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