Sensory and Consumer Research Has a Role in Supporting Sustainability of the Food System

Peer reviewe

Sensory and Consumer Research Has a Role in Supporting Sustainability of the Food System

Non peer reviewe

Challenges in diagnostics of Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and it is one of the leading causes of men’s cancer deaths in the developed countries. It can be considered as a continuum of neoplasms with aggressiveness ranging from cancers with no effect on the patients’ life expectancy to highly aggressive cancers. Contrary to all other solid-organ cancers, PCa diagnosis is not traditionally based on imaging or visual examination (e.g. endoscopy), but systematic biopsies. Convincing evidence of prostate MRIs’ high sensitivity in detecting clinically significant PCa (CSPCa) and tendency to discriminate insignificant PCas have recently been published. However, the role of imaging is still under debate. Additionally, infectious prostate biopsy complications have increased lately, which has been suspected to have risen from a globally increasing antibiotic resistance e.g. an increased resistance to an antibiotic prophylaxis. In the first substudy, we prospectively investigated the prevalence of transrectal prostate biopsy complications. The rate of complications was low, even though intestinal bacterial antibiotic resistance for prophylaxis was significant. In the second substudy, we prospectively determined the prevalence and risk factors for antibiotic resistance of intestinal Escherichia coli in men undergoing prostate biopsies. A rate of fluoroquinolone resistant Escherichia coli was 13% while international traveling was a significant risk factor. In the third substudy, we externally validated an optimal combination strategy of PSA density and MRI score for selecting men to prostate biopsies. Like in the study to be validated, PSA density has only a minor additional value to the MRI score. In the fourth substudy, we investigated an impact of prostate MRI in an initial PCa diagnostics. In a prospective study cohort using prebiopsy prostate MRI, the rate of CSPCa was significantly higher in initial biopsies and significantly few CSPCa were diagnosed during the follow-up comparing to a cohort with traditional PCa diagnostics. In the fifth substudy, we analyzed performance measures of MRI in CSPCa diagnostics. In the substudy, MRI demonstrated an excellent negative predictive value in ruling out CSPCa. As a conclusion, prebiopsy prostate MRI should be performed to all men in a suspicion of localized prostate cancer. A biopsy decision should be based on men’s individual risk for having significant PCa in the patient level. From a point of view of an individual man, the most significant risk for an unnecessary biopsy could be a diagnosis of insignificant PCa, not a lethal complication.Haasteet eturauhassyövän diagnostiikassa Eturauhassyöpä (PCa) on miesten yleisin syöpä ja toiseksi yleisin syöpäkuolemien aiheuttaja kehittyneissä maissa. Sitä voidaan pitää jatkumona merkityksettömistä ja elinajanennusteeseen vaikuttamattomista syövistä erittäin aggressiivisiin syöpiin. Toisin kuin muiden kiinteiden elinten syöpien suhteen, PCa:ää ei perinteisesti ole diagnosoitu kuvantamisen tai tähystystutkimusten/inspektion perusteella vaan systemaattisilla biopsioilla. MRI:sta on viime aikoina julkaistu vakuuttavaa näyttöä sen korkeasta herkkyydestä kliinisesti merkittävien eturauhassyöpien (CSPCa) suhteen ja taipumuksesta jättää merkityksettömät syövät löytämättä. Kuvantamisella ei kuitenkaan ole vielä vakiintunutta roolia diagnostiikassa. Lisäksi eturauhasbiopsioista seuraavien infektioiden määrä on lisääntynyt, minkä epäillään johtuvan maailmanlaajuisesti lisääntyneestä antibioottiresistenssistä eli toisin sanoen lisääntyneestä resistenssistä profylaktiselle antibiootille. Ensimmäisessä osatyössä tutkimme eturauhasbiopsioiden komplikaatioita prospektiivisessa aineistossa, joita todettiin vähän huolimatta merkittävästä antibioottiresistenssistä annetulle profylaksialle. Toisessa osatyössä tutkimme prospektiivisesti suoliston Escherichia colin antibioottiresistenssin vallitsevuutta ja sen riskitekijöitä eturauhasbiopsioitavilla miehillä. Tutkimuksessa fluorokinoloniresistentti Escherichia coli todettiin 13 %:lla. Ulkomaanmatkailu oli tälle merkittävä riskitekijä. Kolmannessa osatyössä validoimme optimaalista strategiaa PSA tiheyden ja MRI tuloksen yhdistelmälle biopsoitavien miesten valinnassa. Kuten validoitavassa tutkimuksessa, PSA tiheyden tuoma lisäarvo oli vähäinen. Neljännessä osatyössä tutkimme MRI:n vaikutusta CSPCa:n primääridiagnostiikassa. Prospektiivisessa aineistossa MRI kuvattuja miehiä, CSPCa:n määrä ensimmäisissä biopsioissa oli merkittävästi korkeampi ja seurannassa todettujen CSPCa:n määrä merkittävästi alempi verrattuna perinteisellä diagnostiikalla tutkittuihin. Viidennessä osatyössä tutkimme MRI:n tehokkuusarvoja CSPCa:n diagnostiikassa. Totesimme MRI:n negatiivisen ennustearvon olevan erinomainen CSPCa:n poissulussa. Yhteenvetona, MRI pitäisi tehdä ennen biopsioita kaikille miehille, joilla epäillään paikallista PCa:ää. Päätös biopsioista tulisi perustua yksilölliseen riskiin potilaskohtaisesti merkittävälle PCa:lle. Yksittäisen miehen näkökulmasta, mahdollisesti oleellisin riski tarpeettomilla biopsioilla on merkityksettömän PCa:n diagnoosi, ei hengenvaarallinen biopsiakomplikaatio

Blue emitting organic semiconductors under high pressure:status and outlook

The microstructure of ZK40, ZK40 with 2 wt% of Nd and Gd (ZK40-2Nd and ZK40-2Gd, respectively) were investigated with optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy. The mechanical properties and the corrosion behaviour were correlated with the microstructure. The 2 wt% Gd addition enhanced the ductility, while the Nd addition resulted in deterioration in mechanical properties. The corrosion behaviour was also enhanced with the addition of Gd

X-ray Raman scattering study of aligned polyfluorene

We present a non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study at the carbon K-edge on aligned poly[9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-fluorene-2,7-diyl] and show that the x-ray Raman scattering technique can be used as a practical alternative to x-ray absorption measurements. We demonstrate that this novel method can be applied to studies on aligned $\pi$-conjugated polymers complementing diffraction and optical studies. Combining the experimental data and a very recently proposed theoretical scheme we demonstrate a unique property of x-ray Raman scattering by performing the symmetry decomposition on the density of unoccupied electronic states into $s$- and $p$-type symmetry contributions.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

A multi-national comparison of meat eaters' attitudes and expectations for burgers containing beef, pea or algae protein

Within recent years, demand as well as supply of products to replace meat, so called meat alternatives, have increased. For future products, new plant-based protein sources are of high interest. Protein from pea and especially from algae provide huge potential for human nutrition as well as for the environment. To provide insight on consumers' opinions on the development of new meat alternatives, this study investigated consumers' opinions of pea and algae burgers compared to the traditional beef burger in terms of taste, health, and environmental friendliness. It has also explored the influence of factors such as meat commitment, food neophobia, and the attitude towards vegetarians and vegans; it has then compared the findings between three European countries with different culinary backgrounds. The online survey was conducted with meat-eating participants from Germany (N=567), France (N=605), and the United Kingdom (N=562). Participants in all three countries expected pea and algae burgers to be less tasty, but healthier and more environmentally friendly compared to the beef burger. Expectations of taste, health, and environmental friendliness of pea and algae burgers were negatively influenced by higher levels of meat commitment, more negative attitudes towards vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, and higher food neophobia. Although the attitudes towards vegetarian lifestyles were generally negative, pea and algae emerged as promising protein sources because of their favorable health and environmental friendliness expectations. Nevertheless, negative taste expectations and attitudes towards meat-free diets remain a challenge for the adoption of more plant-based diets.Peer reviewe

Perintö- ja ympäristötekijöiden vaikutukset ihmisen hajuaistimuksiin

Olfaction, the sense of smell, has many important functions in humans. Human responses to odors show substantial individual variation. Olfactory receptor genes have been identified and other genes may also influence olfaction. However, the proportion of phenotypic variation in odor response due to genetic variation remains largely unknown. Little is also known about which genes modify specific responses to odors. This study aimed to elucidate genetic and environmental influences on human responses to odors. Individuals from Finnish families (n=146) and Australian (n=413), British (n=163), Danish (n=336), and Finnish (n=399) twins rated intensity and pleasantness of a set of 12 (families) or 6 (twins) odors and tried to identify the odors. In addition, the participants rated their own sense of smell and annoyance experienced with different environmental odors. The odor stimuli of a commercial smell test (The Brief Smell Identification Test; banana, chocolate, cinnamon, gasoline, lemon, onion, paint thinner, pineapple, rose, smoke, soap, and turpentine) were presented in the family study. Based on the results of the family study and a literature survey, a new set of odor stimuli (androstenone, chocolate, cinnamon, isovaleric acid, lemon, and turpentine) was designed for the twin studies. In the family sample, heritabilities of the traits were estimated and underlying genomic regions were searched using a genome-wide linkage scan. In the pooled twin sample, variation in the measured traits was decomposed into genetic and environmental components using quantitative genetic modeling. In addition, associations between nongenetic factors (e.g., sex, age, and smoking) and olfactory-related traits were explored. Suggestive evidence for a genetic linkage for pleasantness of cinnamon at a locus on chromosome 4q32.3 emerged from the family sample. High heritability for the pleasantness of cinnamon was found in the family but not the twin study. Heritability of perceived intensity of androstenone odor was determined to be ~30% in the twin sample. A strong genetic correlation between perceived intensity and pleasantness of androstenone, in the absence of any environmental correlation, indicated that only the genetic correlation explained the phenotypic correlation between the traits (r=-0.27) and that the traits were influenced by an overlapping set of genes. Self-rated olfactory function appeared to reflect the odor annoyance experienced rather than actual olfactory acuity or genetic involvement. Results from nongenetic analyses supported the speculated superiority of females' olfactory abilities, the age-related diminishing of olfactory acuity, and the influences of experience-dependent factors on odor responses. This was the first study to estimate heritabilities and perform linkage screens for individual odors. A genetic effect was detected for only a few responses to specific odors, suggesting the predominance of environmental effects in odor perceptions.Hajuaisti viestii ruoan laadusta ja varoittaa vaaroista. Hajut koetaan kuitenkin hyvin eri tavoin. Hajujen kokemista on pidetty opittuna, mutta myös geneettinen vaihtelu saattaa selittää hajukokemusten yksilöllisyyttä. Tutkimustietoa tästä on niukasti. Hajureseptorien geenit on tunnistettu ja muutkin geenit saattavat olla yhteydessä hajuhavaintoihin. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli määrittää perintö- ja ympäristötekijöiden vaikutuksia ihmisen hajuaistimuksiin. Suomalaisten perheiden jäsenet sekä australialaiset, isobritannialaiset, tanskalaiset ja suomalaiset kaksoset, yhteensä yli tuhat henkilöä, arvioivat hajujen voimakkuutta ja miellyttävyyttä sekä yrittivät tunnistaa raaputusliuskoilla esitettyjä hajuja. Perhetutkimuksessa käytettiin kaupallisen hajutestin hajuja (banaani, suklaa, kaneli, bensiini, sitruuna, sipuli, tinneri, ananas, ruusu, savu, saippua ja tärpätti). Kaksostutkimuksia varten suunniteltiin uusi hajuärsykesarja perhetutkimuksen tulosten ja kirjallisuuden pohjalta (androstenoni, suklaa, kaneli, isovaleriaanahappo, sitruuna ja tärpätti). Perheaineistosta määritettiin hajuarvioiden periytyvyys ja etsittiin ominaisuuksiin yhteydessä olevia perimän alueita koko perimän laajuisella seulonnalla. Kaksosaineistoissa tutkittujen ominaisuuksien vaihtelu jaettiin geneettiseen ja ympäristön aiheuttamaan osaan käyttäen geneettistä mallitusta. Lisäksi osallistujat arvioivat oman hajuaistinsa toiminnan ja ympäristön hajujen häiritsevyyden. Myös ei-geneettisten tekijöiden (kuten sukupuoli, ikä ja tupakointi) yhteyksiä hajujen kokemiseen tutkittiin. Kanelin miellyttävyys havaittiin perinnölliseksi perhetutkimuksessa, jossa myös paikannettiin miellyttävyyteen mahdollisesti vaikuttava geenialue kromosomista 4. Kaksostutkimuksessa havaittiin kohtalainen periytyvyys kuitenkin vain androstenonin hajun koetulle voimakkuudelle ja miellyttävyydelle. Sekä androstenonin voimakkuuden että miellyttävyyden taustalla on todennäköisesti samoja geenejä. Omat arviot hajuaistin toiminnasta heijastivat enemminkin hajujen koettua häiritsevyyttä kuin haistamiskykyä tai geneettistä vaikutusta. Ei-geneettisten analyysien tulokset tukivat käsityksiä naisten miehiä paremmasta haistamiskyvystä, ikään liittyvästä hajuaistin heikkenemisestä sekä kokemusperäisistä vaikutuksista hajujen aistimiseen. Tulosten perusteella näyttää siltä, että geenit määräävät vain raamit, joiden puitteissa pääasiallisesti ympäristötekijät muokaavat hajujen aistimista. Hajuaistin joustavuus tiukan geneettisen säätelyn sijaan on voinut lajinkehityksessä tukea sopeutumista uusiin ympäristöihin. Lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan geenien ja ympäristön vuorovaikutuksesta, esimerkiksi siitä, miten hajuille altistuminen vaikuttaa hajureseptorigeenien säätelyyn

Sensory profile of hemicellulose-rich wood extracts in yogurt models

Wood is an abundant and sustainable source of emerging food ingredients, namely hemicelluloses that fulfil a number of requirements for functional hydrocolloids. Hemicelluloses, especially spruce galactoglucomannans (GGM) and birch glucuronoxylans (GX), have potential to be used as stabilizers in various foods such as yogurts, beverages, dressings, and desserts. However, in addition to good technological functionality, safety, and low price, the applicability and market potential of new hydrocolloids is determined by their sensory properties. The present study reports, for the first time, the sensory profile of spruce GGM and birch GX in food. Sensory profiles from generic descriptive analysis of GGM- and GX-rich extracts, processed by spray drying or ethanol precipitation, were compared in three types of model food systems: water solutions, yogurt with solutions, and yogurt with emulsions stabilized by GGM or GX. Gum Arabic was included for comparison with a commercial ingredient known to have a mild flavor. The results showed that GGM and GX have a woody flavor, which can be reduced by ethanol precipitation and, in yogurt, masked by other food ingredients.Peer reviewe

Influence of molecular weight on the phase behavior and structure formation of branched side-chain hairy-rod polyfluorene in bulk phase.

We report on an experimental study of the self-organization and phase behavior of hairy-rod π -conjugated branched side-chain polyfluorene, poly[9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-fluorene-2,7-diyl]—i.e., poly[2,7–(9,9–bis(2–ethylhexyl)fluorene] (PF2∕6) —as a function of molecular weight (Mn) . The results have been compared to those of phenomenological theory. Samples for which Mn=3–147 kg∕mol were used. First, the stiffness of PF2∕6 , the assumption of the theory, has been probed by small-angle neutron scattering in solution. Thermogravimetry has been used to show that PF2∕6 is thermally stable over the conditions studied. Second, the existence of nematic and hexagonal phases has been phenomenologically identified for lower and higher Mn (LMW, Mn<Mn* and HMW, Mn>Mn* ) regimes, respectively, based on free-energy argument of nematic and hexagonal hairy rods and found to correspond to the experimental x-ray diffraction (XRD) results for PF2∕6 . By using the lattice parameters of PF2∕6 as an experimental input, the nematic-hexagonal transition has been predicted in the vicinity of glassification temperature (Tg) of PF2∕6 . Then, by taking the orientation parts of the free energies into account the nematic-hexagonal transition has been calculated as a function of temperature and Mn and a phase diagram has been formed. Below Tg of 80 °C only (frozen) nematic phase is observed for Mn<Mn*=104 g∕mol and crystalline hexagonal phase for Mn>Mn* . The nematic-hexagonal transition upon heating is observed for the HMW regime depending weakly on Mn , being at 140–165 °C for Mn>Mn* . Third, the phase behavior and structure formation as a function of Mn have been probed using powder and fiber XRD and differential scanning calorimetry and reasonable semiquantitative agreement with theory has been found for Mn≥3 kg∕mol . Fourth, structural characteristics are widely discussed. The nematic phase of LMW materials has been observed to be denser than high-temperature nematic phase of HMW compounds. The hexagonal phase has been found to be paracrystalline in the (ab0) plane but a genuine crystal meridionally. We also find that all these materials including the shortest 10-mer possess the formerly observed rigid five-helix hairy-rod molecular structure