Detection of aphid migrations in Finland

Our insect immigration warning system was built on the atmospheric dispersion model that has been used in predicting long-range transport of airborne pollen. We observed immigrations with a trap network consisting of rotating tow-nets, yellow sticky traps, and suction traps. Based on our studies the aphids can be detected with radars when they occur in large numbers

Glycodelin-A interacts with fucosyltransferase on human sperm plasma membrane to inhibit spermatozoa-zona pellucida binding

Fertilization depends on successful binding of the spermatozoa to the zona pellucida of the oocyte. Glycodelin-A inhibits spermatozoa-zona pellucida binding. Previous data showed that glycodelin-A receptor(s) and zona pellucida protein receptor(s) on human spermatozoa are closely related. Using a chemical cross-linking approach, the glycodelin-A-sperm receptor complex was isolated. The receptor was identified to be fucosyltransferase-5 (FUT5) by mass spectrometry and confirmed with the use of anti-FUT5 antibodies. Sperm FUT5 was an externally oriented integral membrane protein in the acrosomal region of human spermatozoa. Biologically active FUT5 was purified from spermatozoa. Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between glycodelin-A and sperm FUT5. Solubilized zona pellucida reduced the binding of glycodelin-A to sperm FUT5. An anti-FUT5 antibody and FUT5 acceptor blocked the binding of glycodelin-A to spermatozoa and the zona binding inhibitory activity of glycodelin-A. Sperm FUT5 bound strongly to intact and solubilized human zona pellucida. The equilibrium dissociation constant of sperm FUT5 binding to solubilized zona pellucida was 42.82 pmol/ml. These observations suggest that human sperm FUT5 is a receptor of glycodelin-A and zona pellucida proteins, and that glycodelin-A inhibits spermatozoa-zona binding by blocking the binding of sperm FUT5 to the zona pellucida.published_or_final_versio

Meat Consumption Patterns and Intentions for Change Among Finnish Consumers

During the past few decades, meat has increasingly become a subject of controversies relating to health and safety, environment, and animal welfare. Even though these changes in perceptions of meat are not yet visible in aggregate consumption figures, they can be observed in individual consumption patterns and as intentions to change the consumption. In this study, we examine changes in meat consumption among the Finnish consumers taking into account both stated changes in the past and intended changes in the future. Based on these changes, we identify consumer segments and investigate in which ways these segments differ from each other socio-demographically and with respect to current meat consumption and the stated reasons for the change. The latent class analysis based on representative Internet survey data revealed nine consumer clusters that formed three cluster blocks. The results showed that a large number of people, over 40%, had stabile consumption patterns. A cluster block of 14% of consumers had already shifted their consumer patterns to contain more vegetables and less meat. One third of the consumers were identified to be in the middle of the change with a general tendency to decrease the use of meat and increase the use of vegetables. Although, environmental effects of meat and animal welfare issues were important reasons for change in some clusters, healthiness was the most salient stated reason for change in consumption habits.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries,

Perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajien kokemuksia kodin ja koulun yhteistyöstä

Tiivistelmä. Tämän laadullisen tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajien kokemuksia kodin ja koulun yhteistyöstä. Aineistonkeruu tapahtui puolistrukturoidulla teemahaastatteluilla, jotka toteutettiin keväällä puhelimitse sekä kasvokkain 2019. Tutkimukseen osallistui neljä perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajaa eri puolilta Suomea. Aineisto analysoitiin aineistolähtöisen sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tutkimuskysymykset muodostettiin haastatteluista saadun aineiston pohjalta. Ensimmäinen tutkimuskysymys keskittyi selvittämään miten perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajan ja kodin välistä yhteistyötä toteutetaan. Tutkimuskysymyksen kautta pyrittiin lisäksi tutkimaan mitkä vuorovaikutuskanavat olivat tavallisimpia sekä mihin asioihin yhteistyö tavallisesti liittyi. Toinen tutkimuskysymys pyrki selvittämään millaiset tekijät vaikuttivat perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajan ja kodin välisen yhteistyön toimivuuteen. Tutkimustulosten mukaan perusopetukseen valmistavan luokan opettajien ja kodin yhteistyön yleisimmät vuorovaikutuskanavat ovat Wilma, tekstiviestit, WhatsApp, paperiset viestit, puhelut sekä henkilökohtaiset tapaamiset koululla. Yhteistyö liittyy useimmiten oppilaan koulunkäyntiä koskeviin asioihin. Näitä ovat esimerkiksi kotitehtävät, aikataulumuutokset sekä koulun retkiin ja tapahtumiin liittyvät asiat. Valmistavan luokan opettajan ja kodin välisen yhteistyön toimivuus riippuu useista eri tekijöistä. Toimivan vuorovaikutuksen koetaan rakentuvan tiiviistä yhteydenpidosta, yhteisestä kiinnostuksesta oppilaan koulunkäyntiä ja hyvinvointia kohtaan sekä molemminpuolisesta avoimuudesta ja kunnioituksesta. Haastavat vuorovaikutustilanteet liittyvät yleensä yhteisen kielen puuttumiseen tai yhteydenpidon toteuttamatta jättämiseen. Lisäksi tulkkipalveluiden koetaan olevan pääasiassa riittävää. Tutkimustuloksia ei voida yleistää pienen otannan vuoksi. Tutkimustulosten luotettavuutta pyrittiin lisäämään perustelemalla tuloksia teorian avulla. Kodin ja koulun yhteistyöstä on tehty aiempia tutkimuksia, mutta valmistavan luokan opettajien kokemuksia ei ole tutkittu teemahaastatteluita hyödyntäen

Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa is potentiated by glycodelin-A via down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases and up-regulation of zona pellucida-induced calcium influx

Background Glycodelin-A interacts with spermatozoa before fertilization, but its role in modulating sperm functions is not known. Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction is crucial to fertilization and its dysfunction is a cause of male infertility. We hypothesized that glycodelin-A, a glycoprotein found in the female reproductive tract, potentiates human spermatozoa for zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Methods Glycodelin isoforms were immunoaffinity purified. The sperm intracellular cAMP concentration, protein kinase-A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activities, and intracellular calcium were measured by ELISA, kinase activity assay kits and Fluo-4AM technique, respectively. The phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate type-1 receptor (IP3R1) mediated by ERK was determined by western blotting. Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction was detected by Pisum sativum staining. Results Pretreatment of spermatozoa with glycodelin-A significantly up-regulated adenylyl cyclase/PKA activity and down-regulated the activity of ERK and its phosphorylation of IP3R1, thereby enhancing zona pellucida-induced calcium influx and zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Glycodelin-F or deglycosylated glycodelin-A did not have these actions. Treatment of spermatozoa with a protein kinase inhibitor abolished the priming activity of glycodelin-A, whilst ERK pathway inhibitors mimic the stimulatory effect of glycodelin-A on zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Conclusions Glycodelin-A in the female reproductive tract sensitizes spermatozoa for zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in a glycosylation-specific manner through activation of the adenylyl cyclase/PKA pathway, suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and up-regulation of zona pellucida-induced calcium influx. © 2010 The Author.postprin

Optomechanically induced optical trapping system based on photonic crystal cavities

Optical trapping has proven to be a valuable experimental technique for precisely controlling small dielectric objects. However, due to their very nature, conventional optical traps are diffraction limited and require high intensities to confine the dielectric objects. In this work, we propose a novel optical trap based on dielectric photonic crystal nanobeam cavities, which overcomes the limitations of conventional optical traps by significant factors. This is achieved by exploiting an optomechanically induced backaction mechanism between a dielectric nanoparticle and the cavities. We perform numerical simulations to show that our trap can fully levitate a submicron-scale dielectric particle with a trap width as narrow as 56 nm. It allows for achieving a high trap stiffness, therefore, a high Q-frequency product for the particle's motion while reducing the optical absorption by a factor of 43 compared to the cases for conventional optical tweezers. Moreover, we show that multiple laser tones can be used further to create a complex, dynamic potential landscape with feature sizes well below the diffraction limit. The presented optical trapping system offers new opportunities for precision sensing and fundamental quantum experiments based on levitated particles

PAEP (progestagen-associated endometrial protein)

Review on PAEP (progestagen-associated endometrial protein), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated