Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Processed meat quality'

Thesis (MSc (Consumer Science)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical composition mineral and cholesterol content of the different cuts (breast, drumstick and thigh) of raw guinea fowl meat. The study also aimed at establishing the effect of cooking method on guinea fowl quality attributes by investigating the effect of different cooking methods on the chemical composition and sensory attributes of the different cuts. The effect of injecting a brine solution on the chemical composition and sensory attributes were also investigated. There were no differences in terms of moisture content of the various cuts raw guinea fowl meat The breast had significantly higher protein content when compared to drumstick and thigh (P<0.05). The fat content was similar for all the cuts (P>0.05). Whilst the drumstick had significantly the lowest value for ash content when compared to the thigh. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and total unsaturated fatty acids (TUFAs) were not different (P>0.05) in all the cuts. Drumstick had significantly higher monounsaturated fatty acids compared to other cuts (P<0.05), and it had the highest polyunsaturated fatty acids (P<0.05). The breast had the lowest (P<0.05) n-6 fatty acid value (44.25) and had relatively the lowest Polyunsaturated:Saturated (P:S) fatty acid ratio of 1.74 when compared to the other cuts. High n-6:n-3 ratios, ranging from 7.05 to 16.58, were also found in all the cuts. Cholesterol was lowest (P<0.05) in the breast. Seventeen amino acids were found, including the eight of the nine essential amino acids. Significant differences were found in amino acid values for the different cuts. Values of iron were significantly higher in the drumstick and thigh cuts (P<0.05), whilst drumstick had the highest zinc content of all the cuts (P<0.05). On investigating the effect of three cooking methods (baking-bag, foil-wrap, open-roasting at 140ºC for 65 minutes) on the chemical composition, the open-roasting method produced higher moisture content (P<0.05) consistently for all cuts, with the breast having the highest and the drumstick the lowest (P<0.05). The moisture content of the baking-bag method on the other hand was consistently the lowest (P>0.05). This effect was significant for the breast, which had lost the most moisture (P<0.05). The baking-bag method consistently resulted in a higher protein content, which is attributed to the higher moisture loss (P<0.05) in comparison with the other methods, resulting in a more concentrated product. With regard to the fat content no effect resulting from the cooking methods could be observed (P>0.05), but the cuts’ natural fat content was reflected especially in the open–roasting method (P<0.05) giving further support to the understanding that the open-roasting method indeed made the least inroads on the chemical composition of guinea fowl meat under these restraints: controlled for cooking time and temperature, internal temperature not controlled. All the cuts cooked according to all the methods, had the favourable >0.4 Polyunsaturated:Saturated fatty acids (P:S) ratio, ranging from 0.91 to 1.42 between cuts and treatments. The n-6:n-3 ratio was below the recommended beneficial value, namely <4:1, in all the cuts irrespective of all the cooking methods, ranging from 2.47 to 3.08. The study of the effect of the three cooking methods (baking-bag, foil-wrap and open-roast) on the sensory attributes of the breast meat revealed that aroma-intensity of the three cooking treatments did not differ significantly (P>0.05). Foil-wrap produced a more tender and juicier product (P<0.05), while, when using the baking-bag method, values for flavour decreased (P<0.05). It is proposed that a higher internal temperature (which was not controlled) was attained when using the baking-bag method (temperature and time controlled) resulting in loss of volatile flavour components. The effect of the three cooking methods (baking-bag, foil-wrap and open-roast) on the proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat and ash) of raw and cooked breast meat was investigated. As anticipated raw breast meat had higher moisture content (74.55%, P<0.05) than the cooked cuts, with open-roasting showing the highest (68.55%) value and foil-wrap close second (68.12%). These values differed significantly from the baking-bag method (66.06%, P<0.05). An investigation on the effect of brine infusion on the sensory attributes and chemical composition (proximate and fatty acid composition, and mineral content) of breast meat, baked in foil-wrap, was carried out using descriptive sensory analysis with the injected breast and the control as variable. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the injected and the control samples for any of the sensory attributes of aroma, tenderness, initial juiciness, sustained juiciness and flavour. Judge:treatment variations were observed for all the attributes, and samples differed for all attributes except for aroma. It is proposed that the use of the hand injector could not effectively distribute the brine solution, hence the recommendation to repeat the experiment using an electronic multineedle-injector. No effect was observed for the proximate composition (P>0.05). Further research pertaining to cooking methods of meat of free-range guinea fowl is recommended to address certain issues that have been highlighted.

L’objectif principal de la thèse était d’étudier les effets de l’alimentation et de l’obésité sur l’asthme et son évolution, en prenant en compte des facteurs de médiations spécifiques.La première partie de la thèse visait à étudier le rôle de l’alimentation dans l'asthme, en prenant en compte l’indice de masse corporelle (IMC) comme un médiateur potentiel, et en évaluant l’effet modificateur du tabac dans ces associations. Ce travail a d’abord porté sur le rôle de la consommation de charcuterie, récemment classée cancérogène. Parmi 971 adultes de l’étude des facteurs génétiques et environnementaux de l’asthme (EGEA), nous avons montré qu’une consommation élevée de charcuterie (au moins 4 fois par semaine) était associée de façon directe à l’aggravation des symptômes de l’asthme, et que seulement 14% de l’association entre la consommation de charcuterie et l’asthme était expliqué par l’IMC (effet indirect). Ce travail a ensuite porté sur le rôle de la qualité globale de l’alimentation, évaluée par le score alimentaire Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010. Parmi 969 participants d’EGEA, nous avons montré qu’une alimentation de qualité était associée de façon directe à une amélioration des symptômes de l’asthme chez les non-fumeurs. L’effet indirect lié à l’IMC n’était pas significatif. La deuxième partie de la thèse visait à mieux comprendre l'association entre l'obésité et l'activité de l’asthme, en prenant en compte la leptine, une adipokine pro-inflammatoire, comme un médiateur potentiel. Parmi 331 adultes d’EGEA avec un asthme actif à l’inclusion, les analyses ont montré que différentes mesures élevées de la composition corporelle étaient associées à une activité persistante de l’asthme, avec un effet indirect très fort de la leptine dans ces associations
The general aim of the thesis was to study the role of diet and obesity in asthma, while accounting for potential mediators in these analyses.The first part of the thesis aimed to investigate the role of dietary factors in asthma at a “macro-level”, considering body mass index (BMI) as a potential mediator, and to evaluate effect modification by smoking. We first focused on processed meat intake, a recent carcinogen. Among 971 participants from the Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy (EGEA), analysis showed that high processed meat intake (at least 4 servings/week) was associated with worsening asthma symptoms over time, through a direct effect and to a lesser extent an effect mediated by BMI. We then focused on the overall diet quality assessed by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010. Among 969 participants from the EGEA study, the analyses showed that a greater adherence to a better diet quality was associated with improved asthma symptoms over time in never smokers only and was not mediated through BMI. The second part of the thesis aimed to better understand the association between obesity and asthma at a “micro-level”, considering leptin, an inflammatory biological marker related to obesity, as a mediator. Including 331 participants from the EGEA study with current asthma at baseline, analysis showed that high body adiposity estimated by different measures was associated with persistent asthma activity, likely mediated by leptin

Products manufactured by aluminium casting have become very popular and already replaced many parts that were once produced by iron and steel casting. This trends upwards especially in the automotive industry as it has become extremely important to reduce vehicle weight due to environmental requirements and economical aspects. This popularity of aluminium alloys could be ascribed to their light weights and many other advantages including excellent castability, good corrosion resistance, good thermal and electrical conductivity, good machinability, low melting temperatures and minimal gas solubility with the exception of hydrogen. The most important alloy group among casting alloys is Aluminium Silicon (Al - Si).   Al-Si alloys must undergo a specific melt treatment procedure prior to casting. This treatment consists of several steps including degassing of hydrogen, grain refinement and eutectic modification. The aim of this study is to make an assessment of the metal treatment process of an (Al-Si) casting alloy at Unnaryd Modell AB for the purpose of improving the melt conditions and thus the quality of the final product. A rotary degasser provided by Foseco is also tested instead of the traditional tablet degassing method to see if this technique would result in any significant improvement of the melt quality. The results show that Unnaryd modell AB follows a proper treatment routine. It shows moreover that the rotary degassing is superior to the tablet degassing in many aspects including the level of degassing achieved, time efficiency, environmental consideration and personnel security.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
Sun meat is a widely accepted foodstuff in the Brazilian northeast, with processing generally carried out by hand by small producers who, due to the absence of specific legislation, show differences in their acquisition processes, which influences the final quality with considerable variation in its physical-chemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. This study aimed to characterize the sun meat processing commercialized in the municipality of João Pessoa/PB through structured interviews with shopkeepers and producers and to evaluate the physical-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of sun meat processed with previously matured raw material compared to sun meat commercialized in the municipality of João Pessoa/PB. Three sun meat samples were evaluated, with two being processed at pilot scale, differentiated by the previous treatment of the raw material, one being traditional and the other having matured previously during 14 days. The samples were processed using the commercial cut inside round (m. semimenbranosus e m. adductor femoris), following the processing stages (preparation of the raw material, salting, washing, drying and refrigeration) in accordance with the survey carried out among the producers of the city of João Pessoa/PB. The processed samples were compared with a commercial sample from the city of João Pessoa/PB, which were evaluated in relation to its physical-chemical quality: composition, centesimal composition, chlorates, water activity (Aa), pH, water retention capacity (CRA), color (L*, a*, b*) and shear force with a Warner-Bratzler blade, microbiological analysis (total coliforms and thermotolerant bacteria, Salmonella sp e Estafilococos coagulase positiva) and sensory analysis, by trained panelists, and, acceptance by potential consumers. 79 shopkeepers were interviewed in 15 visited establishments of which, 31,6% process their own sun meat they commercialize, and the slaughterhouses operation was checked (39,2%) regarding the supply of sun meat commercialized in these establishments. A similarity in the processing techniques of processed sun meat was observed for both small producers and slaughterhouses, however, a lack of standardization of operations was found in relation to the type and salting time and the way in which drying was realized in the sun meat processing. The maturing process did not influence the physical-chemical, nor the microbiological quality of the sun meat, not being different from the traditional, nor the commercial sun meat. However, the addition of sodium chlorate and the salting time of the present study were sufficient to reduce the humidity and to increase the chlorate concentrations of the products, but these variations were not sufficient to reduce the Aa, no difference was observed (p≥ 0,05) between the raw material and the products. However, low content of chlorates between 2,49 and 4,66, elevated. Aa between 0,94 and 0,95 and pH between 5,8 and 6,1 show the high perishability of the product, which should have double attention for the use of good practices during its processing, using matured raw material. The maturing process also did not influence the sensory quality of the sun meat, not having any difference (p≥ 0,05), according to both the trained panelists and the acceptance test, where the three samples obtained an acceptance rate of over 60%. The maturing process did not produce the expected effects. Therefore, further study with longer maturing times, and, or, new techniques with the intent of providing even greater tenderness of the sun meat, is recommended.
A carne-de-sol é um alimento de ampla aceitação no Nordeste brasileiro, com processamento, na grande maioria, realizado artesanalmente por pequenos produtores que devido à ausência de legislação específica, apresentam variações no seu processo de obtenção, influenciando na sua qualidade final. Objetivou-se neste trabalho caracterizar o processamento da carne-de-sol comercializada no município de João Pessoa/PB, por meio de entrevista estruturada junto aos comerciantes e produtores, e avaliar as características físico-químicas, microbiológicas e sensoriais da carne-de-sol processada com matéria-prima previamente maturada comparada com carne-de-sol comercial do município de João Pessoa/PB. Foram avaliadas três amostras de carne-de-sol, sendo duas processadas em escala piloto, diferenciadas pelo tratamento prévio da matéria-prima, sendo uma tradicional e a outra previamente maturada por 14 dias. As amostras foram processadas usando o corte comercial coxão mole (m. semimenbranosus e m. adductor femoris), seguindo as etapas de processamento (preparação da matéria-prima, salga, lavagem, secagem e refrigeração) de acordo com o levantamento realizado junto aos produtores da cidade de João Pessoa/PB. As amostras processadas foram comparadas com uma amostra comercial da cidade de João Pessoa/PB, que foram avaliadas quanto à qualidade físico-química: composição centesimal, cloretos, atividade de água (Aa), pH, capacidade de retenção de água (CRA), cor (L*, a*, b*) e força de cisalhamento; análise microbiológica (coliformes totais e termotolerantes, Salmonella sp e Estafilococos coagulase positiva) e análise sensorial, por provadores treinados e, aceitação por potenciais consumidores.Verificou-se que 31,6% dos comerciantes processam a própria carne-de-sol que comercializam; 16,5% são provenientes de pequenos produtores e 39,2% de frigoríficos. Não foram observadas variações nas técnicas de processamento entre os pequenos produtores e os frigoríficos, no entanto, verificou-se a falta de padronização entre as operações em relação ao tipo e tempo de salga e a forma de secagem realizada no processamento das carnes-de-sol. O processo de maturação não influenciou na qualidade físico-química e microbiológica da carne-de-sol, não diferenciando da carne-de-sol tradicional, nem da comercial. A adição de cloreto de sódio e o tempo de salga do presente estudo foram suficientes para reduzir a umidade e aumentar as concentrações de cloretos dos produtos, porém, estas variações não foram suficientes para reduzir a Aa, não sendo observada diferença (p ≥ 0,05) entre as matérias-primas e os produtos. O processo de maturação também não influenciou na qualidade sensorial da carne-de-sol, não havendo diferença (p ≥ 0,05) tanto pelo painel treinado quanto pelo teste de aceitação, onde as três amostras obtiveram aceitação superior a 60%. O processo de maturação não surtiu o efeito esperado, recomendando-se novos estudos com maior tempo de maturação e, ou, novas técnicas com o intuito de proporcionar uma maior maciez da carne-de-sol.

This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date. As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.

In recent years, a considerable amount of research has been conducted in modelling non-functional requirements (NFR) or Quality Requirements (QR). However, in comparison with functional requirements (FR) modelling, QR models are still immature and have not been widely adopted. The fundamental reason for this shortfall outlined in this thesis is that the existing QR modelling approaches have not adequately considered the challenging nature of QRs. In this thesis, this limitation is addressed through integrating QR modelling with FR modelling in a multi-perspective modelling framework. This framework, thus called QRMF (Quality Requirements Modelling Framework), is developed offering a process-oriented approach to modelling QR from different views and at different phases of requirement. These models are brought together in a descriptive representation schema, which represents a logical structure to guide the construction of requirement models comprehensively and with consistency. The research presented in the thesis introduces a generic meta-meta model for QRMF to aid understanding the abstract concepts and further guide the modelling process; it offers a reference blueprint to develop a modelling tool applicable to the framework. QRMF is supported by a modelling process, which guides requirement engineers to capture a set of complete, traceable and comprehensible QR models for software system. The thesis presents a case study, which evaluates the practicality and applicability of the QRMF. Finally, the framework is evaluated theoretically, through comparing and contrasting related approaches found in the literature.

In many applications, the quality of process outputs is described by more than one characteristic variable. These quality variables usually follow a multivariate normal (MN) distribution. This dissertation discusses the monitoring of the mean vector and the covariance matrix of MN processes. The first part of this dissertation develops a statistical process control (SPC) chart based on a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) statistic to monitor the mean vector. The performance of the GLR chart is compared to the performance of the Hotelling Χ² chart, the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) chart, and a multi-MEWMA combination. Results show that the Hotelling Χ² chart and the MEWMA chart are only effective for a small range of shift sizes in the mean vector, while the GLR chart and some carefully designed multi-MEWMA combinations can give similarly better overall performance in detecting a wide range of shift magnitudes. Unlike most of these other options, the GLR chart does not require specification of tuning parameter values by the user. The GLR chart also has the advantage in process diagnostics: at the time of a signal, estimates of change-point and out-of-control mean vector are immediately available to the user. All these advantages of the GLR chart make it a favorable option for practitioners. For the design of the GLR chart, a series of easy to use equations are provided to users for calculating the control limit to achieve the desired in-control performance. The use of this GLR chart with a variable sampling interval (VSI) scheme has also been evaluated and discussed. The rest of the dissertation considers the problem of monitoring the covariance matrix. Three GLR charts with different covariance matrix estimators have been discussed. Results show that the GLR chart with a multivariate exponentially weighted moving covariance (MEWMC) matrix estimator is slightly better than the existing method for detecting any general changes in the covariance matrix, and the GLR chart with a constrained maximum likelihood estimator (CMLE) gives much better overall performance for detecting a wide range of shift sizes than the best available options for detecting only variance increases.
Ph. D.

Ao avaliar parâmetros de qualidade de carne de peito de frango com a intenção de verificar se são afetados pelo estresse térmico severo pré-abate (35°C, 75% umidade relativa, por 2 horas), observou-se que o gasto intenso de energia do animal, no momento do estresse, resultou em pequena extensão da glicólise, gerando como respostas na carne, principalmente, características de escurecimento e alto valor de pH. O uso da marinação com o objetivo de restaurar carnes com propriedades funcionais prejudicadas pelo estresse resultou na padronização da aparência e em pH igualado entre os tratamentos (carnes de animais "estressados" e "não estressados"). No capítulo referente à classificação de carnes pelo uso da cor, foi possível observar a existência de alta correlação entre a luminosidade e outros atributos de qualidade e que o valor L* pode ser usado como uma ferramenta de classificação (com nota de corte L*=53, mensurada 24 horas post mortem). Com relação ao processo de marinação, observou-se que a técnica restaura parcialmente a qualidade da carne pálida, promovendo uma melhora visual da cor, contudo, sem corrigir a funcionalidade das proteínas em reter água ao nível de carnes normais.
In evaluating the quality of chicken breast meat regarding the effects of pre-slaughter severe heat stress (35°C, 75% relative humidity, for 2 hours), it was observed that the intense energy expenditure of the animal at the moment of stress resulted in a slight extension of glicolysis, generating as a consequence, mainly, characteristics of darkening and high levels of pH, on the meat. The use of marination in an attempt to restore meat with damaged functional properties due to stress resulted in the standardization of appearance and in leveling of pH between the treatments (stressed and non-stressed animal meat). In the last chapter, it was possible to observe the existence of strong correlation between the color and the other quality attributes and that the lightness can be used as a classification tool (minimum level L*=53, measured 24 hours postmortem). As for the marination process, it was observed that the technique partly restores the quality of pale meat, promoting a visual improvement of the color, however, it does not correct the proteins functionality to retain water at the same level of normal meat.

Da die dielektrischen Eigenschaften eines jeden Materials, also auch von Fleisch, charakteristisch sind und von Faktoren wie beispielsweise dem Feuchtigkeitsgehalt und der chemischen Zusammensetzung sowie der physikalischen Struktur abhängig sind, gibt es bereits seit einigen Jahren verschiedene Forschungsansätze im Bereich der dielektrischen Messmethoden. Ein neu entwickeltes Messverfahren für die Be-stimmung der Qualitätsparameter Lagerdauer und eventuell erfolgter Gefrierprozesse bei Fisch basiert auf der dielektrischen Zeitbereichsreflektometrie. Die Klärung der Frage, in wie weit dieses Verfahren auch bei Frischfleisch angewendet werden kann, ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Dissertation. In Vorversuchen wurde zunächst die generelle Anwendbarkeit des Verfahrens im Fleischbereich anhand verschiedener Lager- und Gefrierversuche geprüft. Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen gliederten sich die experimentellen Untersuchungen in fol-gende Abschnitte: Ermittlung der Lagerdauer von SB-verpackten Minutensteaks vom Schweinelachs (MAP) sowie von Hähnchenbrustfilets, Erkennung von Gefrierprozes-sen bei Hähnchenbrustfilets und Schweinelachsen, Gefrierlagerdauerbestimmung verschiedener Fleischsorten (Schweinelachs, Schweinebauch und Rinderbugstück) bei drei unterschiedlichen Gefriertemperaturen und Erkennung von Fremdwasserzu-sätzen bei Hähnchenbrustfilets. Die Vorversuche zeigten eine generelle Eignung des Verfahrens zur Untersuchung von Lagerzeiten und Gefrierprozessen bei Fleisch. Im Bereich der Lagerdauererkennung ist eine Anwendung, auch für SB-verpackte Produkte (in Schutzatmosphäre), denkbar, das Verfahren muss hier allerdings bezüg-lich der zu Grunde liegenden linearen Auswertungsmodelle noch optimiert werden (Kurvenanpassung notwendig). Ebenso konnten gute Ergebnisse in der Gefrierlager-dauerbestimmung erzielt werden, auffällig waren die Fleischsorten-übergreifend bes-seren Ergebnisse der Messungen an vor dem Einfrieren einige Tage gelagerten Pro-ben. Gute Ergebnisse erbrachten auch die Messungen bezüglich der Gefrierprozess-erkennung (Proben frisch, einmal-gefroren und doppelt-gefroren). Ein Einsatz des Verfahrens ist besonders im Geflügelfleischbereich denkbar und angesichts der ge-setzlichen Bestimmungen für Geflügelfleisch (keine Fleischzubereitungen aus gefro-rener und aufgetauter Ware) auch überaus wünschenswert. Die besten Ergebnisse lieferte das Verfahren bei der Fremdwassererkennung an Hähnchenbrustfilets, was auf Grund des starken Dipolcharakters von Wasser bei einem auf Dielektrizität beru-henden Messverfahren auch erklärbar ist. Selbst die zusätzlich mit Geflügelfleisch-Proteinhydrolysatpulver versetzten Proben konnten (bedingt durch die Strukturverän-derungen im Probenmaterial) eindeutig von den unbehandelten Proben abgegrenzt werden, was mittels laborchemischer Analyse über das Wasser-Protein-Verhältnis nicht möglich gewesen wäre. Ein Einsatz des Verfahrens für diese Anwendung erscheint besonders sinnvoll, um der Überwachung und Qualitätssicherung ein ge-eignetes Instrument für die schnelle Feststellung von Wasserzusätzen (bei unverän-dertem Wasser-Eiweiß-Verhältnis) geben zu können. Vor dem praktischen Einsatz dieser Messmethode müssen größere Validierungsver-suche durchgeführt werden, um geeignete Kalibrationssätze für die Anwendung an unbekannten Proben, besonders im Geflügelfleischbereich, zur Verfügung zu haben. Ein Einsatz des Verfahrens zur Qualitätsbestimmung im Fleischbereich ist generell möglich und wäre auf Grund der schnellen Ergebnislieferung und einfachen Handha-bung der (mobilen) Messeinrichtung für Überwachung und Qualitätskontrolle wünschenswert
As the dielectric properties of each material, thus also for meat, are characteristically and depend on factors as for instance humidity and the chemical composite as well as physical structure there are existing different research approaches in the array of dielectric measurement methods already for many years. A new developed meas-urement method for the estimation of the quality parameters storage time and option-ally occurred freezing processes on fish is basing on the dielectric time domain reflec-tometry. The clarification of the question how far this method can also be used for fresh meat is the intention of the present graduate thesis. In preliminary tests initially the general applicability of the method in the meat sector by means of different storage and freezing examinations was reviewed. Basing on these results the experimental examinations were divided into the following parts: evaluation of the storage time of packaged minute steaks from the pork chop (MAP) as also of chicken breast filets, estimation of freezing processes of chicken breast filets and pork chops, freezing storage time recognition of different meat varieties (pork chop, pork belly and beef bow pieces) with three different freezing temperatures and evaluation of added water in chicken breast filets. The preliminary tests indicated a general ability of the method for the recognition of storage times and freezing processes on meat. In the array of storage time evaluation an appliance, also for MAP-packaged products (in controlled atmosphere), is thinkable, however the method has to be optimized concerning the underlying linear evaluation models (curve fitting is necessary). As well there could be aimed good results for the freezing storage time recognition, the meat variety comprehensive better results for measurements on pattern which were stored some days previously were flashy. Good results were also adduced by the measurements concerning the freezing process recognition (pattern fresh, once- and double-frozen). An application of the technology is notably thinkable for the poultry meat sector and, in the face of the legal requirements for poultry meat (no preparation of frozen and thawed material allowed) also exceedingly desirable. The best results were carried out using the method for the recognition of added water in chicken breast filets, what is explainable by reason of the strong dipole character of water within a measurement method based on dielectricity. Even the pattern additionally glazed with poultry hydrolyzed protein powder could definitely be differentiated from the untreated pattern, what could not be realized with the water protein percentage using a laboratory chemical analysis. After all an appliance of the method for this application seems particularly reasonable, as a suitable instrument for the fast recognition of added water (with an unmodified water-protein-ratio) could be given to the monitoring and quality assurance. Before starting the practically application of this measurement method there have to be accomplished larger validation examinations, to have suitable calibration kits for the application on unknown pattern at one´s disposal, especially in the poultry meat sector. The assignment of the method for quality evaluation in the meat sector is generally possible and would be desirable for the monitoring and quality control by the reason of its fast result delivery and easy handling of the (mobile) measurement arrangement

Under detta arbete studeras en av Europas mest moderna cementfabriker med kapacitet att producera runt 2,6 miljoner ton cement per år. Syftet med examensarbetet är att beskriva variationen i utfallen av råmjöl och identifiera vilka orsaker till variation som är möjliga att minska. Oavsiktliga variationer av kvalitet i råmjölet kan resultera i bristande klinkerkvalitet, som i sin tur kan medföra en betydande intäktsförlust. Arbetet utgår från teorier om offensiv kvalitetsutveckling, Six sigma, processledning och cementproduktion. En metodkombination av kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder har tillämpats för datainsamling och dataanalys, där den kvantitativa datainsamlingen baserats på historiska data från referensorganisationen. De slutsatser som redogörs för, är att processen som studeras har möjlighet till att prestera i världsklass. Huvudsakliga bidragande orsaken är metoden för styrning där systemet saknar styrgränser som leder till överstyrning. Även materialvariation vid byten av råmaterialslimpor är en betydande orsak till variansen i råmjölet. Förutsatt att styrsystemet kopplas på för tidigt efter ett genomfört limpbyte kan effekten av ett limpbyte förvärras. Vidare tyder resultaten på att 80% av den totala variationen i råmjölets kalkmättnad skapas av limpbyten.
During this work, one of Europe's most modern cement factories is studied, with the capacity to produce around 2.6 million tons of cement per year. The purpose of the thesis is to describe the variation in the outcome of raw meal and identify which causes of variation are possible to reduce. Involuntary variations in the quality of the input raw meal can result in a lack of clinker quality, which in turn can result in a significant loss of revenue. The work is based on theories relating to Total Quality Management, process management and cement production. A method combination of quantitative and qualitative methods has been applied for data collection and data analysis, where the quantitative data collection is based on historical data gathered from the reference organization. The conclusions outlined are that the process being studied has the opportunity to perform world-class. The main contributing factor is the method for control where the system lacks control limits that lead to over compensation. Also, material variation in the case of changes of raw material piles is a significant cause of the variance in the raw meal. Provided that the control system is switched on prematurely after a raw material pile change has been carried out, the effect of the change can be worsened. Furthermore, the results indicate that 80% of the total variation in the raw meal’s lime saturation is created by raw material pile changes.

This thesis examines philosophical controversies surrounding the evaluation of medical treatments, with a focus on the evidential roles of randomised trials and mechanisms in Evidence-Based Medicine. Current 'best practice' usually involves excluding non-randomised trial evidence from systematic reviews in cases where randomised trials are available for inclusion in the reviews. The first paper challenges this practice and evaluates whether adding of evidence from non-randomised trials might improve the quality and precision of some systematic reviews. The second paper compares the alleged methodological benefits of randomised trials over observational studies for investigating treatment benefits. It suggests that claims about the superiority of well-conducted randomised controlled trials over well-conducted observational studies are justified, especially when results from the two methods are contradictory. The third paper argues that postulating the unpredictability paradox in systematic reviews when no detectable empirical differences can be found requires further justification. The fourth paper examines the problem of absence causation in the context of explaining causal mechanisms and argues that a recent solution (Barros 2013) is incomplete and requires further justification. Solving the problem by describing absences as causes of 'mechanism failure' fails to take into account the effects of absences that lead to vacillating levels of mechanism functionality (i.e. differences in effectiveness or efficiency). The fifth paper criticises literature that has emphasised functioning versus 'broken' or 'non-functioning' mechanisms emphasising that many diseases result from increased or decreased mechanism function, rather than complete loss of function. Mechanistic explanations must account for differences in the effectiveness of performed functions, yet current philosophical mechanistic explanations do not achieve this. The last paper argues that the standard of evidence embodied in the ICE theory of technological function (i.e. testimonial evidence and evidence of mechanisms) is too permissive for evaluating whether the proposed functions of medical technologies have been adequately assessed and correctly ascribed. It argues that high-quality evidence from clinical studies is necessary to justify functional ascriptions to health care technologies.

QC 20150312

Le processus de « peer-review » est considéré comme la pierre angulaire de la publication scientifique. Or, des travaux ont démontré que les évaluations des peer-reviewers sont souvent discordantes, qu’ils ne parviennent pas à détecter la fraude, les erreurs et que leur évaluation est influencée par les résultats. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était d’explorer et de repenser le processus de la peer-review éditoriale. Dans un premier temps, nous avons identifié les tâches attendues des peer-reviewers lors de l'évaluation d'un manuscrit rapportant un essai contrôlé randomisé et, comparé l’importance de ces tâches selon le point de vue des peer-reviewers et des éditeurs. Notre étude a permis de démontrer que les tâches les plus importantes pour les peer-reviewers n'étaient pas conformes aux tâches les plus souvent demandées par les éditeurs. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons réalisé une revue systématique ainsi qu’une méta-analyse des essais contrôlés randomisés évaluant une intervention visant à améliorer la qualité de la peer-review dans les journaux biomédicaux. Nous avons identifié 22 essais contrôlés randomisés qui ont évalué 5 interventions. Ces essais incluaient un faible nombre de participants, étaient pour la majorité monocentriques, et avaient des biais qui limitaient l’interprétation de leurs résultats. Enfin, nous avons développé et évalué un outil d’aide à la réalisation de la peer-review d’essais randomisés, associé à une formation en ligne. Cet outil vise spécifiquement à évaluer la qualité de la présentation des essais, c’est-à-dire le respect des recommandations du CONSORT statement (i.e., recommandations internationales exigées par les éditeurs pour rapporter les essais randomisés de façon complète et transparente). Nous avons comparé la performance de jeunes peer-reviewers formés utilisant l’outil, avec la performance de reviewers ayant évalué le manuscrit dans le cadre du processus de peer-review classique. Nous avons inclus 120 essais contrôlés randomisés. Nos résultats ont mis en évidence que l'outil a amélioré le nombre d’items correctement classés par manuscrit par les jeunes peer-reviewers. Cette constatation suggère que l'utilisation d'une checklist de type CONSORT se focalisant sur certains items précis pourrait améliorer la qualité du processus de peer-review, et donc la qualité du manuscrit publié. À l’issue de ce travail, nous proposons de repenser le processus de peer-review qui pourrait être réalisé en 2 étapes avec : des peer-reviewers juniors évaluant le respect des recommandations du CONSORT statement et des reviewers expérimentés évaluant la méthodologie et la pertinence de la question
The peer-review process is a cornerstone of biomedical research publication. However, studies have shown that peer-reviewers' evaluations are often discordant, that they fail to detect fraud, errors and that their evaluation is influenced by the results. The objective of this thesis work was to explore and rethink the process of peer-review editorial. As a first step, we identified the tasks expected of peer-reviewers when evaluating a randomized controlled trial report and compared the importance of these tasks from the points of view of peer-reviewers and editors. Our study showed that the most important tasks for peer reviewers were not congruent with the tasks most often requested by journal editors in theirs guidelines to reviewers. In a second step, we conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating an intervention aimed at improving the quality of peer-review in biomedical journals. We identified 22 randomized controlled trials that evaluated 5 interventions. These trials included a small number of participants, were mostly monocentric and had biases that limited the interpretation of their results. Finally, we have developed and evaluated a tool to help achieve the peer-review of randomized trials associated with online training. This tool is specifically aimed at evaluating the quality of the reporting that means the compliance with the recommendations of the CONSORT statement (i.e., international recommendations required by publishers to report randomized trials in a complete and transparent manner). We compared the performance of young trained peer-reviewers using the tool with the performance of reviewers evaluating the manuscript as part of the usual peer-review process. We included 120 randomized controlled trials. Our results showed that the tool improved the number of items correctly classified per manuscript by young peer-reviewers. This finding suggests that the use of a CONSORT checklist focusing on specific items could improve the quality of the peer-review process, and thus the quality of the published manuscript. At the end of this work, we propose to rethink the peer-review process that could be carried out in 2 stages with junior peer-reviewers assessing compliance with the recommendations of the CONSORT statement and experienced reviewers evaluating the methodology and relevance of the question

碩士
東海大學
畜產與生物科技學系
100
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pork from black pig on quality characteristics of processed meat products. Ham from Taiwan black pig (BP) and crossbred white pig (LYD) was used to manufacture of restructured ham and Chinese-style sausage. The treatments of restructured ham included: BP, LYD and the Chinese-style sausage were included: BB (ham from BP, fat from BP), BW (ham from BP, fat from LYD), WB (ham from LYD, fat from BP), WW (ham from LYD, fat from LYD). All products were vacuum packaged and storaged at 4℃ for 8 weeks. Samples from product were taken for the proximate composition, fatty acid composition, sensory evaluation analysis, shear value, texture profile and the keeping quality test in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks. For restructured ham, the results showed that BP had higher crude fat content and lower moisture content than LYD in proximate composition. During the storage time, the BP had significant lower pH value, b* value and higher L* value, a* value as compared to LYD. The amount of microorganism was increased as storage weeks increased. In total plate count, no significant different were found among treatments. The BP had more much lactic acid bacteria number than LYD. BP had higher TBA values during the storage. In the fatty acid analysis, BP had significant higher percentage of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA). In addition, LYD had significant higher percentage of C14:0, C18:2 and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). In sensory evaluation, the treatment of BP had higher score in tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability value as compared to LYD. Furthermore, BP group had lower shear force in 2 cm sliced but no significant different was found among treatment in texture profile analysis. For Chinese style sausage, the results showed that no significant effects were found on proximate composition from different sources of lean and fat. The pH value decreased as storage weeks increased and affected by the sources of fat. The treatments of BP fat had significant lower pH value except the eighth week. Lean or fat from BP treated had higher L* value contrast with LYD; moreover, there had higher a* value and b* value on BP lean. The amount of microorganism was significant increased as storage weeks increased. The number of total plate count was affected by different sources of lean. The sources of lean and fat could affect the growth of lactic acid bacteria. During refrigerated storage, TBA value results indicated that lean or fat from BP had higher TBA values and the variations in TBA value was a significant quadratic effect on the relationship between the numbers of storage weeks. In the fatty acid composition, BP lean had significant higher percentage of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and lower C18:2. BP fat had more C16:0, C18:1 and less C18:2. Lean or fat from BP had higher content of SFA, MUFA lower PUFA. Sensory evaluation and shear value revealed that BP lean had the lower shear value and better acceptance in tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall acceptability. Tenderness had positive correlation with flavor. Both tenderness and flavor had positive correlation with SFA, MUFA, overall acceptability had negative correlation with PUFA, shear value. Juiciness also had positive correlation with flavor and overall acceptability.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1991.
Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench is an important staple cereal in Africa, where it ranks second after maize. Despite its importance, the sorghum food industry remains non vibrant, constrained in part by inadequate milling technology. Presently, Prairie Research Laboratory (PRL) type abrasive dehullers and hammer mills, which apparently produce meals of inconsistent quality and low output, are generally used for industrial milling of sorghum. Efforts to improve sorghum milling require an in-depth understanding of how milling process and grain type affect the sensory characteristics of the final food products. Such knowledge is currently lacking. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of milling process and sorghum type on the quality of sorghum meal and porridge. Twelve sorghum types with diverse physico-chemical properties were milled by roller milling (RM), abrasive decortication-hammer milling (ADHM) and hand pounding (HP), and the effects on meal extraction and meal quality were evaluated. Porridges were prepared using standardised Botswana recipe, and their sensory profiles were characterised using Descriptive Sensory Analysis. Additionally, factors that affect the texture of sorghum porridge were investigated, and suggestions for improving the sorghum milling process are given. Both the sorghum type and the milling process affected the quality of the meal and the sensory characteristics of the porridge, but the milling process was found to have more effects on these characteristics than the sorghum type, because of the diverse milling principles of the milling processes. RM gave far better extraction rate and had substantially higher throughput than HP and ADHM. However, meals obtained with RM had slightly more ash and were a little darker, and gave porridges which were correspondingly darker in colour, had slightly more branny aroma, more astringency and bitter taste, than meals obtained with the other two milling processes, indicating higher bran contamination of the meals, presumably caused by fragmentation of the pericarp. Clearly, even with tempering the pericarp was still friable, and hence, requires indepth sorghum tempering studies. Grain hardness proved to be important for milling, as it correlated positively with extraction rate with ADHM and HP, but not with RM. Hard grains generally gave coarser and better refined meals, and produced porridges that were firmer, compared to soft grains. Weathered and pigmented pericarp sorghums produced dark and specky meals, and gave porridges with apparently undesirable sensory qualities, because of staining caused by the pericarp pigments, showing that these characteristics affect the quality of sorghum foods negatively. When used with hard and light coloured sorghums, ADHM gave more appealing meal and porridge qualities (light coloured, firm texture and enhanced cereal aroma), indicating that dry abrasive decortication is advantageous for production of sorghum products with superior sensory qualities. Firmness varied considerably among the porridges, caused by differences in the meal particle sizes, which was predominantly a consequence of the milling process. An increased proportion of coarse endosperm particles, as was the case with HP meals, caused increased porridge firmness. The coarse particles absorbed water slowly, thus restricting swelling of the starch granules, such that a high proportion of non-ruptured gelatinised starch granules that reinforce the porridge matrix resulted. The sorghum type also influenced porridge firmness, whereby the corneous sorghum types with high protein content produced firmer porridges, owing to presence of the hard and less waterpermeable protein-starch matrix in the endosperm meal particles. Because abrasive decortication gave meals and porridges with superior sensory qualities, while roller milling prduced high throughputs, a roller milling system that is preceded by a dry abrasive decortication process is recommended as a versatile milling process for industrial processing of diverse sorghum products that have superior sensory qualities.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.
Food Science
unrestricted

Yes
Polymer extrusion is an important but an energy intensive method of processing polymeric materials. The rapid increase in demand of polymeric products has forced manufactures to rethink their processing efficiencies to manufacture good quality products with low-unit-cost. Here, analyzing the operational conditions has become a key strategy to achieve both energy and thermal efficiencies simultaneously. This study aims to explore the effects of polymers' rheology on the energy consumption and melt thermal quality (ie, a thermally homogeneous melt flow in both radial and axil directions) of extruders. Six commodity grades of polymers (LDPE, LLDPE, PP, PET, PS, and PMMA) were processed at different conditions in two types of continuous screw extruders. Total power, motor power, and melt temperature profiles were analyzed in an industrial scale single-screw extruder. Moreover, the active power (AP), mass throughput, torque, and power factor were measured in a laboratory scale twin-screw extruder. The results confirmed that the specific energy consumption for both single and twin screw extruders tends to decrease with the processing speed. However, this action deteriorates the thermal stability of the melt regardless the nature of the polymer. Rheological characterization results showed that the viscosity of LDPE and PS exhibited a normal shear thinning behavior. However, PMMA presented a shear thickening behavior at moderate-to-high shear rates, indicating the possible formation of entanglements. Overall, the findings of this work confirm that the materials' rheology has an appreciable correlation with the energy consumption in polymer extrusion and also most of the findings are in agreement with the previously reported investigations. Therefore, further research should be useful for identifying possible correlations between key process parameters and hence to further understand the processing behavior for wide range of machines, polymers, and operating conditions.

Yes
The present study demonstrates the application of decision tree algorithms to the co-crystallization process. Fifty four (54) batches of carbamazepine-salicylic acid co-crystals embedded in poly(ethylene oxide) were manufactured via hot melt extrusion and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, differnetial scanning calorimetry, and near-infrared spectroscopy. This dataset was then applied in WEKA, which is an open-sourced machine learning software to study the effect of processing temperature, screw speed, screw configuration, and poly(ethylene oxide) concentration on the percentage of co-crystal conversion. The decision trees obtained provided statistically meaningful and easy-to-interpret rules, demonstrating the potential to use the method to make rational decisions during the development of co-crystallization processes.
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (ZMCS-2018-783) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC EP/J003360/1 and EP/L027011/1)
The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 09 June 2021.

Introduction : Le cadre de la gouvernance clinique a été développé afin d’atteindre de hauts standards de qualité de soins et de services, en conjuguant les notions d’amélioration continue de la qualité, d’excellence clinique et d’imputabilité corporative. La présente démarche doctorale avait pour objectif de comprendre le processus d’institutionnalisation de la gouvernance clinique dans un centre de réadaptation. Méthodologie : Une synthèse méta-narrative de 65 documents répertoriés dans 4 bases de données bibliographiques sur la conceptualisation et la mise en œuvre de la gouvernance clinique a été menée. Une étude qualitative de cas unique a été menée dans un centre de réadaptation en déficience intellectuelle et en troubles du spectre de l’autisme, au Québec (Canada). En mobilisant les cinq construits du cadre conceptuel basé sur théorie du processus de normalisation (cohérence, participation cognitive, action collective, suivi réflexif et contexte organisationnel), une analyse thématique des entrevues individuelles auprès de 22 participants (5 administrateurs, 11 gestionnaires et 6 cliniciens) et de 3 groupes de discussion auprès de 8 cliniciens et de 4 proches d’usagers a été menée. Enfin, une analyse d’une centaine de documents administratifs du Centre a été effectuée. Résultats : L’analyse de la littérature a permis de constater que le cadre de la gouvernance clinique est un concept en évolution et encore perçu comme une avenue intéressante pour l’amélioration de la qualité des soins. Toutefois, la confusion autour de sa définition et de sa conceptualisation ainsi que les difficultés de sa mise en œuvre demeurent des enjeux pour les organisations. Par la mobilisation du cadre de gouvernance clinique, la haute direction du centre de réadaptation à l’étude a souhaité systématiser le processus d’amélioration continue de la qualité des services offerts aux usagers et à leurs proches par l’adoption des bonnes pratiques de gouvernance. Ce virage a été bien reçu par les administrateurs et les gestionnaires, résultant sur une participation active et un fort engagement aux activités de leur part. La complexité du cadre et l’absence d’implication des cliniciens dans le processus de mise en œuvre ont créé chez ces derniers une appréhension quant à l’apport de la gouvernance clinique pour la pratique clinique et le bien-être des usagers. Les cliniciens ont dénoncé l’absence d’arrimage entre la théorie et les réalités de la pratique clinique ; la grande vitesse d’implantation et une approche décisionnelle de type top-down comme des enjeux de l’institutionnalisation de la gouvernance clinique. Pour les gestionnaires, les défis ont été la mise en place des moyens de communication efficaces ; l’arrimage des mécanismes de gestion et la disponibilité des ressources humaines. Pour les administrateurs, l’enjeu principal a été l’instabilité des contextes organisationnels interne et externe qui a ralenti la mise en œuvre et freiné l’élaboration d’un processus évaluatif. Conclusion : L’institutionnalisation de la gouvernance clinique dans les établissements non hospitaliers offrant des services sociaux passe par la valorisation de ce concept comme un projet commun au bénéfice de l’usager en vue de renforcer la participation et l’engagement de tous et l’adoption d’une approche de partenariat entre les usagers, leurs proches et les autres acteurs de l’organisation.
Introduction: Clinical governance framework was developed in order to achieve high standards of quality of care and services, by combining the concepts of continuous quality improvement, clinical excellence and corporate accountability. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to understand the implementation process of clinical governance in a rehabilitation center. Methods: A meta-narrative synthesis on the conceptualization and implementation of clinical governance was conducted. 65 tittles screened in 4 international databases were analysing. A qualitative single case study was conducted in a rehabilitation center for intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, in Quebec (Canada). By mobilizing the five constructs of the conceptual framework based on normalization process theory (coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, reflexive monitoring and organizational context), a thematic analysis of individual interviews with 22 participants (5 administrators, 11 managers and 6 clinicians) and tree focus groups with 8 clinicians and 4 relatives of users were conducted. Finally, an analysis of around hundred administrative documents from the Center was conducted. Results: The literature revealed that the clinical governance framework is an evolving concept and still seen as an interesting avenue for improving the quality of care. However, confusion over its definition and conceptualization, and the difficulties of its implementation remain challenges for organizations. By mobilizing the clinical governance framework, the senior management of the rehabilitation center under study wished to systematize the process of continuous improvement of quality of services offered to users and their families, by adopting good governance practices. This shift was well received by administrators and managers, resulting in active participation and a strong commitment to activities. The complexity of the framework and the absence of involvement of clinicians in the implementation process have created in them an apprehension regarding the contribution of clinical governance to clinical practice and the well-being of users. Clinicians have criticized the lack of alignment between theory and the realities of clinical practice; the high speed of implementation and a top-down decision-making approach as issues of the implementation of clinical governance. For managers, the challenges have been the establishment of effective communications; the alignment of management mechanisms and the availability of human resources. For administrators, the main issue was the instability of the internal and external organizational contexts which slowed down the implementation and the development of an evaluation plan. Conclusion: The implementation of clinical governance in non-hospital facility requires the promotion of this concept as a joint project for the benefit of the user with a view to strengthening the participation and commitment of all and the adoption of a partnership approach between users, caregivers and other actors in the organization.

The diploma thesis deals with problems of depression in older people. Mainly the work is focused on identifying and analyzing the role of nurses in screening for depression in older people in primary care, acute care, long-term care and home care. This thesis was focused on theoretical direction and was used the method of design and demonstration. In this thesis was set one main goals with five research questions. The main goal was to identify and analyze the role of nurses in screening for depression in the elderly. RQ 1: What is the role of the nurse in screening for depression in the elderly? RQ 2: What is the role of the nurse in the primary care in screening for depression in the elderly? RQ 3: What is the role of the nurse in screening for depression in hospitalized patients in acute care? RQ 4: What is the role of the nurse in screening for depression in seniors in long-term and home care? RQ 5: What rating scales and methods are used in screening for depression in the elderly? The thesis introduce the concept of depression. The following are specified the causes of and the important factors that affect depression in the elderly. It also deals the differences in the clinical symptomatology of depression in old age. It explains possibilities and various barriers in the diagnosis of depression. Another chapter introduces complete geriatric examination, diagnostic classification systems, possible screening methods and scales for detection of depression in the elderly population. It also deals methods of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment and its possible complications associated with older age. By reason of increased suicide rate caused by depressive disorder the issue of suicidal behavior in the elderly is introduced. The next chapter deals with the nursing process, which is used by nurses in practice. It consists of the evaluation of the patient's health condition, making nursing diagnosis, creating nursing plan and subsequent implementation and evaluation. The nursing process is also needy for providing quality care. The nursing process in the stage of nursing diagnosis, introduces possible nursing diagnosis for a patient suffering from depression, which are based on the latest classification. Finally is described the role of nurses in screening for depression in the elderly in different health facilities and their contribution to the timely evaluation of depression in the elderly. This chapter introduces the role of nurses, nursing screening and collaboration with a physician. The role of nurses in screening for depression in different medical facilities is based on the first phase of the nursing process of assessment. On the basis of objective and subjective information, the nurse will assess the overall health and mental condition of the patient. Primarily, it was investigated what is the role of the nurse in screening for depression. On the basis of content analysis and synthesis it was necessary to used and processed domestic and foreign literature. A number of relevant sources are the results of various studies and Meta-analyzes, mostly from abroad, but also from the Czech Republic. The thesis can serve as a basis for nurses. The result of this thesis is to create e-learning material available for students in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice in the tutorial called Moodle.