**Abstract**

Endometriosis is a serious, often irreversible disease of the mare. Often associated with endometritis, this chapter will review our current understanding of pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis and possible treatments. Endometriosis is a disease complex typically seen in our older mare population. It is important that we understand that although the same term is used to describe a condition in our human patients, it is, however, not the same medical condition as seen in our equine patients. As this disease profile is irreversible with limited treatment options, it causes significant economic strain in our broodmare population.

**Keywords:** mare, uterus, endometriosis, endometritis, infertility


**1. Introduction**

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is appreciated among consumers because of its specific flavor and nutritional properties. Due to its economic importance, EVOO is among the most common commodities subject to fraud and mislabeling. The European Union (EU) protects EVOO by the regulation mostly based on analytical and sensory controls [1] which generally succeed in detecting illegal manipulation with EVOO intrinsic properties (adulteration with cheaper refined and/or extraneous oils) and EVOO extrinsic properties (fraudulent misrepresentation of quality category). In the EU, most EVOOs of high economic value are additionally protected by Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) [2]. Each PDO EVOO is produced according to a set of specific requirements prescribed by the holder of a designation in a specification document, governing aspects such as olive varieties used, cultivation, harvest and processing conditions, physico-chemical parameters, and sensory characteristics.

Many PDO EVOOs are produced from olives of a single variety (monovarietal EVOOs), while the blends also owe a large part of their typicity to the unique olive assortment of a particular region. Nowadays, the information on the label about the varietal origin of EVOO is becoming more and more important and attracting, especially for the market segment of informed consumers interested in healthy, quality products with remarkable diversity and clear identity. Similar as in the case of wine, besides being linked to a given geographical origin and PDO, EVOOs from particular varieties are recognized, appreciated, and demanded on the market because of their specific nutritional and sensory properties. As a consequence, they often reach higher prices, and, given the obvious financial benefits associated with them, are very likely subject to fraud by mislabeling with respect to varietal origin.

As regards EVOO varietal authentication within the process of protection by designation of origin (PDO), controls against counterfeiting include auditing of mandatory documentation and records that prove traceability in production and compliance with the requirements set up in PDO specification. The other part is the assessment of the conformity of EVOO with physico-chemical parameters and sensory characteristics laid down in the specification. The analytical parameters controlled more often (e.g., acidity, peroxide value, measurements in ultraviolet, etc.) do not specifically reflect varietal origin, and the limits that are established, although usually stricter than those prescribed by the official EU regulation [1], are regularly not designed to identify olive variety used. Similar applies for the sensory profiles commonly used to describe monovarietal/PDO EVOO [3] which are not highly discriminative.

The mentioned measures are not sufficient to control varietal origin and avoid fraud. Fraud or false labelling might also be detected or confirmed chemically by analysis of other, minor EVOO compounds. The general strategy that is followed in various research laboratories is the detection of as many as possible EVOO constituents from a larger set of samples and application of multivariate statistical analysis to the analytical data in order to build up classification/prediction models based on varietal origin [4,5]. Many EVOO compounds were found useful for this purpose, including sterols [6], tocopherols [7], fatty acids [6,8], etc. The chemical compounds whose amounts are regulated neither by the official EU regulation nor the PDO specifications, but are certainly the most involved in the typical sensory identity of PDO and monovarietal EVOOs and could serve as differentiators based on such criteria, are volatile aroma compounds and phenols [9–14]. In fact, many successful reports were published which confirmed the utility of these constituents for EVOO varietal differentiation [12,14–20]. Volatile fraction of high quality EVOO, which is responsible for its characteristic so-called *green* and *fruity* flavor, consists mainly of C5 and C6 volatiles (aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and esters) generated enzymatically in the so-called lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway and other subsequent bioprocesses during olive processing. LOX-derived compounds are accompanied by those from other chemical classes, such as hydrocarbons, terpenes, benzenoids, etc. with mostly unknown or minor sensory relevance [12,14,21–23]. Besides being among the most important contributors to EVOO antioxidant activity, phenols, especially secoiridoids which are the most abundant, are responsible for the characteristic EVOO bitterness and pungency [12–14,24,25]. Olive oil phenols are formed mainly by cleavage of their glycosides by hydrolytic enzymes during olive fruit processing and their concentrations are further affected by oxidative degradation catalyzed by polyphenoloxidases and peroxidases [26,27]. The activity of the mentioned enzymes responsible for the formation of both volatile compounds and phenols is strongly genetically predetermined [28,29], which makes these compounds a logical choice for potential varietal markers in EVOO varietal characterization and differentiation studies.

Croatia is the latest country that joined EU in 2013, and some of the most recently registered PDOs are Croatian [30]. Despite relatively small quantities produced in relation to the leading olive oil producing countries, such as Spain, Italy, Greece etc. [31], EVOOs from Croatia are emerging rapidly on the global market and are much appreciated. For example, Croatian EVOOs are often among those awarded with the highest prizes at relevant international competitions, while Istria, one of the most important olive growing and EVOO producing regions in Croatia, has been represented in the first and leading global EVOO guide *Flos Olei* by the largest number of EVOOs among all the regions for the last

four years in a row (2015–2018). The olive plantations in Croatia have high genetic diversity, including many native varieties which concentrate close to their area of origin and show a limited geographical dispersion [32]. For this reason, Croatian EVOOs protected by various PDOs owe a significant part of their typicity to the varietal origin of the olives, which certainly becomes most pronounced in the case of monovarietal EVOO. In spite of that, and despite existing reports on the chemical and sensory characteristics of Croatian monovarietal EVOO [33–40], the potential of Croatian native olive varieties to produce diverse and specific EVOO has not been investigated enough to be adequately exploited in designing more unique and robust PDOs.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the inter-varietal diversity of typical volatile and phenolic profiles of Croatian monovarietal EVOOs by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (UPLC-DAD), respectively. The approach was tested for the characterization and differentiation of EVOOs made from native varieties grown in the two most important olive growing regions in Croatia, Istria and Dalmatia, with each monovarietal EVOO represented by a heterogeneous sample group in terms of geographical microlocations, growing conditions, harvest date, olive processing technology, and EVOO finalization and storage parameters. It was expected that the results obtained would be useful for improving the understanding of the origins of the typical sensory characteristics of the investigated Croatian monovarietal EVOOs. However, the main premise was that the instrumental techniques utilized would be effective in tracing robust chemical markers among the investigated compounds despite the aforementioned sample heterogeneity, able to provide complementary information about varietal origin to that obtained by sensory analysis. Besides allowing better quality management and control in production, such findings would contribute strengthening the PDO identities and position on the market of Croatian EVOO.


**1. Introduction**

This chapter presents an analysis from a Posthumanist perspective on possible ways of tackling the vexed problem of the unemployment of youth. There is a need for this study because South Africa a country, and the world can learn how to address the problem of unemployment as presented through the strategy formulated in this chapter. The chapter presents the strategy couched in relatively new theoretical framing of Posthumanism which is only recently finding expression in education research discourses. There is a need for this study because it shows how participatory action research can be used to operationalise the theoretical and practical intents as well as purposes of Posthumanism. The study contributes to knowledge by detailing how the voices of all can be included in enhancing employability of youth towards a

more egalitarian and socially just society. It also highlights the value of inclusivity in entangled relationalities.

This analysis, while grounded on theory, it at the same time uses empirical data from the Employability Study that we conducted with 129 unemployed youth in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa1 . This study, hence this chapter, shows how better levels of employment might be achieved among these youth by being inclusive in approaching the problem. Inclusivity as argued herein, involves focusing on all human modalities of being, as a starting point towards enhancement of their employability [1]. Van den Bergh and Dooyeweerd's theory of metabletics assumes that there are 15 such modalities which can be categorised into four groups of the physical, the physiological, the psychological and the socio-cultural dimensions [2]. These imply that for enhanced levels of employability to be achieved, heightened performance therein is required. There is also recognition that all these modes of being exist in relationship among themselves and with those of other human beings outside the self [3]. This relationality is also with non-human entities, some of which are animate as in animals and others inanimate as in objects in the universe. For example, the inspiring role that the presence of animals and conducive infrastructure play in motivating heightened academic performance has been recorded in research [4]. Barren ghetto settings, without the presence of animals in one's life, rarely inspire such. This recognition also extends to the roles that machines like computers play in employability, with their potential for enhanced abilities that are more-than-human as in the use of Artificial Intelligence—AI [4]. Inclusivity seen from this perspective is an all-encompassing process as it regards humans, for example the youth, as relational and entangled in and with the universe. No youth can exist without these networks and connections, which in turn create their identities, their performances, and their realities. The above analysis led us to an understanding of what constitutes sustainable learning environments (SuLE) that promote employability, which this chapter attempts to achieve, analyse and thus clarify [2].

The concept of Sustainable Learning Environments—SULE is useful for this study as it is compatible with Posthumanist thinking which is grounding the theorisations and practices herein. More importantly it enables the study to explore new avenues beyond the conventional and one-dimensional approaches in attempting to respond to the stated problem of unemployment [5]. The problem of unemployment is endemic among Black youth in South Africa. Recent estimates show that 63% of the Black youth between the ages of 18 and 35 years in South Africa are unemployed [6]. Although the official figures place the unemployment level for the entire population at 42%, the latter is still unacceptable because of the deleterious effects that unemployment has on the dignity of the people, especially the youth [5]. Being employed or having an enterprise is not only about generating an income, but it also contributes to one's self-worth. It is empowering and inspires one to be alive and to aspire for the betterment of one's condition and that of others. This study therefore, attempts to contribute towards addressing these concerns about huge numbers of Black youth that continue to be wasted every year [5]. Our assumption is that there is urgent need to design sustainable learning environments—SuLE as both a preventative and a remediation strategy to ameliorate and to totally address this anomaly.

In the context of the above, we are aware of the immensity of the problem and that to address it requires multipronged strategies led by large numbers of specialised teams focusing on different aspects of the problem while the goal remains one. For

1 This chapter is part of the study sponsored by the Centre of Excellence at the University of the Witwatersrand in collaboration with the National Research Foundation—NRF of South Africa.

### *Employability as Inclusive Entanglement in Relationalities: A Design in Sustainable Learning… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114033*

example, international support is needed through agencies such as UNESCO and its priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs [7]. In South Africa the above is cascaded to the Constitution of the country, supported by the National Development Plan, as well as the different Growth and Development Strategies in various provinces and municipalities that must cascade the actual practices of the SDGs and the Africa 2063 agenda to the local and regional levels, among others [8]. In this chapter we therefore present our analysis of the project we embarked upon with the aim to contribute to the amelioration and solution of this problem. The thrust of our argument is that there is urgent need for strategies that take the complexity of the problem into consideration.  The interventions towards the creation of sustainable learning environments that would address such problems effectively thus have to reflect this sophistication in their approach. Through our project we thus lay the above bare and present in this chapter the theory grounding its praxis, its methodology and design, as well as findings.