Maidon kulutustarpeet Kiinassa ja maitotuotteen lokalisointi Kiinan markkinoille

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää kiinalaisten kuluttajien mielikuvia ja uskomuksia maitoa kohtaan sekä selvittää, mitkä tekijät maitotuotteessa ovat tärkeitä kiinalaisten kuluttajien hyväksynnän kannalta Kiinan markkinoilla. Tutkimus tehtiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena ja tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin teemahaastattelua, jonka avulla pystyttiin selvittämään kiinalaisten kuluttajien tarpeita ja mielikuvia maitoon liittyen sekä ymmärtämään kiinalaisten kuluttajien maidon kulutuskäyttäytymisen taustalla olevia syitä. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin seitsemää kiinalaista yliopisto-opiskelijaa, jotka suorittavat tutkintoaan Suomessa. Tutkimuksen teemahaastattelurunko rakentui tutkimuksen teoreettisen viitekehyksen pohjalle, joka muodostui ostopäätösprosessin tarpeen tunnistamisen, tiedon etsinnän ja vaihtoehtojen vertailun vaiheisiin. Kuluttajien uskomuksia ja asenteita sekä Kiinan tilannetekijöitä ja 4P-markkinointimix -teorian (tuote, hinta, informaatio ja ostopaikka) osa-alueita tarkasteltiin ostopäätösprosessin eri vaiheissa. Tutkimuksen perusteella kiinalaiset kuluttajat pitävät maitoa terveellisenä tuotteena, jolla on paljon terveyttä ja hyvinvointia edistäviä vaikutuksia. Maidon laatu on kiinalaisille kuluttajille tärkeätä. Laadulla tarkoitetaan maidon tuoreutta, terveellisyyttä ja turvallisuutta sekä luonnollisia ja hyviä valmistustapoja. Tuoreudella tarkoitetaan noin viikon säilymisaikaa ja maidon proteiinia pidettiin erityisen tärkeänä maidon terveellisyyden kannalta. Tutkimuksen mukaan kiinalaiset kuluttajat suhtautuvat negatiivisesti pitkään säilyviin maitotuotteisiin, kuten UHT-maitoon. Se on myös merkittävä syy tuontimaidon ostamatta jättämiselle, vaikka tuontimaitoa pidetään yleisesti laadukkaampana. Kiinalaiset kuluttajat kärsivät informaatioon liittyvästä luottamuspulasta Kiinan markkinoilla. Viralliset uutiset lisäävät luottamusta kuluttajien päätöksiin ja brändien mainontaan. Pakkauksen graafiset tekijät ja pakkausmerkinnät ovat tärkeitä informaatiotekijöitä kuluttajien päätöksenteon kannalta ja hinta viestii kuluttajille tuotteen laadusta. Supermarketit ovat merkittäviä maidon ostopaikkoja ja brändin merkitys on suuri kuluttajien tekemän valinnan kannalta. Tämä näkyy isojen brändien ja pienten paikallisten tuottajien suosimisena. Tutkimukseni mukaan kiinalaiset kuluttajat haluavat enemmän luotettavaa informaatiota maidon valmistusmenetelmistä, turvallisuudesta ja laadusta

Regulation of the human cyclin C gene via multiple vitamin D(3)-responsive regions in its promoter

The candidate human tumor suppressor gene cyclin C is a primary target of the anti-proliferative hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)], but binding sites for the 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) receptor (VDR), so-called 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) response elements (VDREs), have not yet been identified in the promoter of this gene. We screened various cancer cell lines by quantitative PCR and found that the 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) inducibility of cyclin C mRNA expression, in relationship with the 24-hydroxylase (CYP24) gene, was best in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. To characterize the molecular mechanisms, we analyzed 8.4 kb of the cyclin C promoter by using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP) with antibodies against acetylated histone 4, VDR and its partner receptor, retinoid X receptor (RXR). The histone 4 acetylation status of all 23 investigated regions of the cyclin C promoter did not change significantly in response to 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3), but four independent promoter regions showed a consistent, 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)-dependent association with VDR and RXR over a time period of 240 min. Combined in silico/in vitro screening identified in each of these promoter regions a VDRE and reporter gene assays confirmed their functionality. Moreover, re-ChIP assays monitored simultaneous association of VDR with RXR, coactivator, mediator and RNA polymerase II proteins on these regions. Since cyclin C protein is associated with those mediator complexes that display transcriptional repressive properties, this study contributes to the understanding of the downregulation of a number of secondary 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)-responding genes

Interlaboratory Proficiency Test 01/2018 - Swimming pool water analysis

Proftest SYKE carried out the proficiency test for the determination of chlorine, KMnO4, NO3, pH, turbidity, and urea in swimming pool waters in January-February 2018. In total, 23 participants joined in the proficiency test. The calculated value, the robust mean or the median of the results reported by the participants was chosen as the assigned value for the concentration of measurands. The performance of the participants was evaluated by using z scores. In this proficiency test 92 % of the results were satisfactory when deviation of 0.2 pH units for pH determination and 8–30 % for the other determinations was accepted from the assigned value. Warm thanks to all the participants of this proficiency test

Interlaboratory Proficiency Test 01/2018 - Swimming pool water analysis

Proftest SYKE carried out the proficiency test for the determination of chlorine, KMnO4, NO3, pH, turbidity, and urea in swimming pool waters in January-February 2018. In total, 23 participants joined in the proficiency test. The calculated value, the robust mean or the median of the results reported by the participants was chosen as the assigned value for the concentration of measurands. The performance of the participants was evaluated by using z scores. In this proficiency test 92 % of the results were satisfactory when deviation of 0.2 pH units for pH determination and 8–30 % for the other determinations was accepted from the assigned value. Warm thanks to all the participants of this proficiency test

Interlaboratory Proficiency Test 01/2019 - Swimming pool water analysis

Proftest SYKE carried out the proficiency test for the determination of chlorine, KMnO4, NO3, pH, turbidity, and urea in swimming pool waters in January-February 2019. In total, 22 participants joined in the proficiency test. In this proficiency test 93 % of the results evaluated with z score were satisfactory when deviation of 0.2 pH units for pH determination and 10–25 % for the other determinations was accepted from the assigned value. Of the results evaluated with En scores, 71 % were satisfactory. The calculated value, the robust mean or the median of the results reported by the participants was chosen as the assigned value for the concentration of measurands. Warm thanks to all participants in this proficiency test

Cyclical regulation of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 gene in response to 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

The nuclear receptor vitamin D receptor (VDR) is known to associate with two vitamin D response element (VDRE) containing chromatin regions of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) gene. In non-malignant MCF-10A human mammary cells, we show that the natural VDR ligand 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) causes cyclical IGFBP3 mRNA accumulation with a periodicity of 60 min, while in the presence of the potent VDR agonist Gemini the mRNA is continuously accumulated. Accordingly, VDR also showed cyclical ligand-dependent association with the chromatin regions of both VDREs. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play an important role both in VDR signalling and in transcriptional cycling. From the 11 HDAC gene family members, only HDAC4 and HDAC6 are up-regulated in a cyclical fashion in response to 1α,25(OH)2D3, while even these two genes do not respond to Gemini. Interestingly, HDAC4 and HDAC6 proteins show cyclical VDR ligand-induced association with both VDRE regions of the IGFBP3 gene, which coincides with histone H4 deacetylation on these regions. Moreover, combined silencing of HDAC4 and HDAC6 abolishes the cycling of the IGFBP3 gene. We assume that due to more efficient VDR interaction, Gemini induces longer lasting chromatin activation and therefore no transcriptional cycling but monotonically increasing IGFBP3 mRNA. In conclusion, 1α,25(OH)2D3 regulates IGFBP3 transcription through short-term cyclical association of VDR, HDAC4 and HDAC6 to both VDRE-containing chromatin regions

Proficiency Test 01/2022 - Swimming pool water analyses

Proficiency Test 01/2022: Swimming pool water analyses Proftest SYKE carried out the proficiency test (PT) for analysis of chlorine, KMnO4, NO3, pH, turbidity, and urea in swimming pool February 2022. In total, there were 26 participants in the PT. Either the cal-culated concentration or the robust mean, the mean, or the median of the reported results was used as the assigned values for the measurands. The performance of the participants was evaluated by using z and En scores. In this PT 95 % of the results evaluated based z score were satisfactory when deviation of 0.2 pH units for pH values and 10–25 % for the other measurands was accepted from the assigned value. From the results evaluated based on En scores 83 % were satisfactory. Warm thanks to all participants in this proficiency test!Pätevyyskoe 01/2022: Uima-allasvesimääritykset Proftest SYKE järjesti helmikuussa 2022 pätevyyskokeen uima-allasvesien kloori-, KMnO4-, NO3-, pH-, sameus- ja ureamäärityksille. Pätevyyskokeeseen osallistui yhteensä 26 laboratoriota. Testisuurei-den vertailuarvoina käytettiin joko laskennallista pitoisuutta tai osallistujien tulosten robustia keskiar-voa, keskiarvoa tai mediaania. Osallistujien pätevyyden arviointi tehtiin z- ja En-arvojen avulla. Koko tulosaineistossa oli z-arvoilla arvioituna 95 % hyväksyttäviä tuloksia, kun vertailuarvosta sallittiin pH-määrityksissä 0,2 pH-yksikön ja muissa määrityksissä 10–25 %:n poikkeama. En-arvolla arvioiduista tuloksista näistä 83 % oli hyväksyttäviä. Kiitos pätevyyskokeen osallistujille

Human Protoparvovirus DNA and IgG in Children and Adults with and without Respiratory or Gastrointestinal Infections

Abstract: Three human protoparvoviruses, bufavirus (BuV), tusavirus (TuV) and cutavirus (CuV), have recently been discovered in diarrheal stool. BuV has been associated with diarrhea and CuV with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, but there are hardly any data for TuV or CuV in stool or respiratory samples. Hence, using qPCR and IgG enzyme immunoassays, we analyzed 1072 stool, 316 respiratory and 445 serum or plasma samples from 1098 patients with and without gastroenteritis (GE) or respiratory-tract infections (RTI) from Finland, Latvia and Malawi. The overall CuV-DNA prevalences in stool samples ranged between 0–6.1% among our six patient cohorts. In Finland, CuV DNA was significantly more prevalent in GE patients above rather than below 60 years of age (5.1% vs 0.2%). CuV DNA was more prevalent in stools among Latvian and Malawian children compared with Finnish children. In 10/11 CuV DNA-positive adults and 4/6 CuV DNA-positive children with GE, no known causal pathogens were detected. Interestingly, for the first time, CuV DNA was observed in two nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with RTI and the rare TuV in diarrheal stools of two adults. Our results provide new insights on the occurrence of human protoparvoviruses in GE and RTI in different countries.Peer reviewe