Zoekresultaten

Transition skills

To contribute positively to systemic transitions within local communities, architects need to be critical, reflective, far-sighted communicators. This paper presents educational practices developing adaptive, systemic and co-creative approaches within the training of architectural Masters students. It evaluates the first outcomes of a four-year research by design studio executed by the Academy of Architecture in Groningen, in which experiential learning helps development of heightened awareness, appropriate mindsets and critical thinking, enabling students to identify problems and challenges specific to their profession. Students, stakeholders, teachers and researchers involved in the studio form a learning community that critically monitors the educational program. By working on "live" projects, the studio produces insights concerning local scale energy transition in the North of The Netherlands.Global issues urge fundamental changes in the Dutch energy system and recent accumulations of earthquakes resulting from natural gas exploitation in the region of Groningen make the 'energy transition' inevitable. Whilst alternatives, proposed by the Dutch government, mainly consist of isolated, mono-functional interventions, the studio investigates integrative systemic scenarios that seek to enhance resilience on a human scale by embedding the energy transition within local communities. However, systemic transitions may be unpredictable, as they tend to play out within complex spatial, social and economic arenas, involving multiple, multi-level stakeholders. Shove and Walker (2007) caution professionals, involved in long-term transitions, to remain critical during the "[continuous] cycle of problem-definition, intervention and response".Ziegler and Bouma argue that analysing is designing in the reversed direction. The first year's outcomes consist of adaptic architectonic interventions within local communities, integrating flows of energy, food and waste. Using interviews with the learning community, the paper describes the educational processes leading to these outcomes, focusing on the formation and elaboration of the appropriate questions concerning stakeholders' interests; how these questions are kept central and deepened throughout projects; how they are represented at their closure and, above all, how they renew awareness concerning future regional needs. Initial findings stress the necessity of a circular research by design process, not necessarily to solve, but to accurately define those needs.

NuProTex nutritious protein textures

Fish and vegetable protein sources are relatively underutilized for human consumption in comparison to meat, dairy and egg protein sources. Only part of the available fish proteins is used: fish is to small for human consumption and fish has a high proportion of by-products, up to 50% of fish weight is not used. This project aims to develop products and processes for creating healthy high valued consumer products based upon vegetable proteins and fish/crustacean proteins from by-products or from neglected fish. Three innovative processes are developed:1) Iso-electric solubilization and precipitation of fish/crustacean proteins from by-products,2) Networked vegetable/fish protein textures based upon low moisture extrusion processes3) Fibrous vegetable/fish protein textures produced with high moisture extrusion processes.Two innovative processes are applied:1) Food products with water-oil-water emulsions with isolated fish proteins2) Food products with sous-vide prepared fish fillets in semi industrial context.Different consumer product prototypes will be developed like fish nuggets, fish flakes and fish crackers.The Nuprotex project created successfully two new processes. Hanzehogeschool developed the process for fish protein isolation based upon iso electric solubilization and precipitation. With this process it was possible to recover about 15% weight of additional proteins from fish by-products. Please be aware that the yield of fish fillets from the fish is only about 30% of fish weight. So this is an important increase in food grade proteins! These Isolated Fish Proteins are successfully converted into several consumer prototype products like multiple emulsions for savory liquid products and fish cake/cracker applications. A sous-vide cooking process for fish fillets was developed with respect to microbial safety. It was shown that a microbial safe route could be developed, however further research is necessary to confirm these preliminary results.DIL has developed successfully an high moisture extrusion process for isolated fish proteins, grinded fish by products and vegetable proteins. This semi-finished product is successfully applied by for developing deep fried fish nuggets and fish burgers. DIL produced fish pellets which are suitable for applications as fish feed as is demonstrated in actual trials. Further research must demonstrate the quality of the feed product in actual growth experiments with fish.This project has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to produce with fish by-products added value consumer products. A possible increase of food-grade fish protein of about 15% on fresh weight base of processed fish is possible.

Effects of preservation on protein extraction in four seaweed species

Using either freshly pulped or preserved seaweed biomass for the extraction of protein can have a great effect on the amount of protein that can be extracted. In this study, the effect of four preservation techniques (frozen, freeze-dried, and air-dried at 40 and 70 °C) on the protein extractability, measured as Kjeldahl nitrogen, of four seaweed species, Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyceae), Ascophyllum nodosum, Saccharina latissima (both Phaeophyceae) and Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyceae), was tested and compared with extracting freshly pulped biomass. The effect of preservation is species dependent: in all four seaweed species, a differenttreatment resulted in the highest protein extractability. The pellet (i.e., the non-dissolved biomass after extraction) was also analyzed as in most cases the largest part of the initial protein ended up in the pellet and not in the supernatant. Of the four species tested, freeze-dried A. nodosum yielded the highest overall protein extractability of 59.6% with a significantly increased protein content compared with the sample before extraction. For C. crispus extracting biomass air-dried at 40 °C gave the best results with a protein extractability of 50.4%. Preservation had little effect on the protein extraction for S. latissima; only air-drying at 70 °C decreased the yield significantly. Over 70% of the initial protein ended up in the pellet for all U. lactuca extractions while increasing the protein content significantly. Extracting freshly pulped U. lactuca resulted in a 78% increase in protein content in the pellet while still containing 84.5% of the total initial total protein. These results show the importance of the right choice when selecting a preservation method and seaweed species for protein extraction. Besides the extracted protein fraction, the remainingpellet also has the potential as a source with an increased protein content.

Dietary protein intake in older adults from ethnic minorities in the Netherlands, a mixed methods approach

Optimizing protein intake is a novel strategy to prevent age associated loss of muscle mass and strength in older adults. Such a strategy is still missing for older adults from ethnic minority populations. Protein intake in these populations is expected to be different in comparison to the majority of the population due to several socio-cultural factors. Therefore, the present study examined the dietary protein intake and underlying behavioral and environmental factors affecting protein intake among older adults from ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. We analyzed frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) cohort using ANCOVA to describe dietary protein intake in older adults from ethnic minorities in the Netherlands (N = 1415, aged >55 years, African Surinamese, South Asian Surinamese, Moroccan, and Turkish). Additionally, we performed focus groups among older adults from the same ethnic minority populations (N = 69) to discover behavioral and environmental factors affecting protein intake; 40-60% of the subjects did not reach minimal dietary protein recommendations needed to maintain muscle mass (1.0 g/kg bodyweight per day (BW/day)), except for Turkish men (where it was 91%). The major sources of protein originated from animal products and were ethnic specific. Participants in the focus groups showed little knowledge and awareness about protein and its role in aging. The amount of dietary protein and irregular eating patterns seemed to be the major concern in these populations. Optimizing protein intake in these groups requires a culturally sensitive approach, which accounts for specific protein product types and sociocultural factors.

Dietary Protein Choices of Young Adults are determined by Different Driving Forces in Shanghai and Amsterdam

Trends in eiwittransitie kunnen regionaal verschillen. In groeiende economieën verschuiven diëten wereldwijd van plantaardige naar dierlijke eiwitten. In veel economisch ontwikkelde regio's gebeurt echter het tegenovergestelde vanwege de zorg voor milieu en gezondheid. Wij onderzochten de relatie tussen vijf drijvende krachten en eiwittransitietrends zoals deze worden ervaren door jongvolwassenen in ontwikkelde regio's in China (Shanghai) en Nederland (Amsterdam, lees: de Randstad). De onderzochte drijvende krachten waren: milieubewustzijn; het beleid; cultuur; geld; en gezondheid. De gegevens zijn verkregen door 200 vragenlijsten te laten beantwoorden in beide regio's. De resultaten geven aan dat jongvolwassenen in Shanghai meer dierlijke eiwitten consumeren dan plantaardige eiwitten, maar dat er een verandering naar plantaardige eiwitten is ingezet, terwijl de trend van jongvolwassenen in Amsterdam om plantaardig eiwit te consumeren al verder ontwikkeld is. De rangschikking van de drijvende krachten in Shanghai was Geld＞ Milieubewustzijn＞ Gezondheid＞ Cultuur＞ Beleid, en in Amsterdam Gezondheid＞ Milieubewustzijn＞ Geld＞ Beleid＞ Cultuur. Eiwitkeuzes in de voeding van jongvolwassenen worden dus in Shanghai door andere drijvende krachten bepaald dan in Amsterdam

Transition bioeconomy