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Now showing items 3120-3139 of 3388
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(2020)Suurin osa Ugandan maataloustuotannosta tuotetaan kotitalouksien pienviljelmillä. Kotitalouksien markkinoille osallistumisen lisääminen on tärkeä keino Ugandan kaltaisten maatalousvaltaisten kehitysmaiden tavoitellessa taloudellista kasvua ja ruokaturvan parantamista. Kotitalouksien markkinoille osallistumisen helpottamiseksi on tärkeää tunnistaa tekijät, jotka vaikuttavat markkinointipäätökseen. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, minkälaiset kotitaloudet myyvät tuotteitaan ja mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat kotitalouden päätökseen osallistua markkinoille sekä myyntipaikan valintaan. Tutkimuksen aineistona oli kyselyaineisto, joka oli tehty Ugandassa 1440 kotitaloudelle. Haastattelut kerättiin syys-joulukuussa 2012, ja niissä selvitettiin laajasti kotitalouden taustatietoja sekä sen harjoittamaa maataloutta. Tutkimuskysymykset olivat, myykö kotitalous tuotteitaan vai ei ja mitkä tekijät ovat päätöksen taustalla. Mikäli kotitalous myy tuotteitaan, selvitettiin lisäksi missä myynti tapahtuu ja mitkä tekijät ovat yhteydessä myyntipaikan valintaan. Tarkasteltaviksi tuotteiksi valittiin kolme kasvilajia: Maissi, keittobanaani ja pavut. Aihetta lähestyttiin kotitalouden hyödyn maksimoinnin kautta. Jokaiselle kasville luotiin logistisen regressioanalyysin avulla luotiin malli, jolla kuvattiin kotitalouden päätöstä myydä tai olla myymättä ja siihen vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Myös myyntipaikan valintaa varten kullekin kasvilajille luotiin malli, joka kuvasi missä kotitalous myy tuotteitaan sekä myyntipaikan valintaa selittäviä tekijöitä. Selittävät muuttujat molempiin malleihin valittiin kirjallisuuden ja kyselyaineiston perusteella. Tämän tutkimuksen perusteella erityisesti sadon määrä vaikutti sekä päätökseen osallistua markkinoille että markkinapaikan valintaan. Tutkituista kolmesta kasvista maissi vaikutti tulosten perusteella kaupallisimmalta kasvilajilta tutkituista kasveista.
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(2017)Suomessa uhanalaisiksi luokitellaan kasvilajit, jotka ovat vaarassa kadota maastamme. Pienen populaatiokokonsa vuoksi uhanalaisilla lajeilla esiintyy tyypillisesti varsin vähän geneettistä vaihtelua, mikä altistaa ne erilaisille uhkatekijöille. Eräs näistä on sisäsiitos-depressio, jonka aiheuttajia ovat kasviin haitallisesti vaikuttavat resessiiviset geenit. Lisäksi kapea perimä heikentää kasvilajien sopeutumiskykyä ja voi vaikeuttaa pölytyksen onnistumista ristipölytteisillä lajeilla. Uhanalaisten kasvien käytöstä viheralalla voi olla luonnonpopulaatioille sekä hyötyä, että haittaa riippuen osin viljelykannan alkuperästä. Geenivirta mahdollisesti hyvin kaukaista alkuperää olevasta viljelypopulaatiosta luonnonpopulaatioon voi johtaa ympäristöönsä huonosti sopeutuneisiin jälkeläisiin. Toisaalta vierasperäisestä viljelykan-nasta leviävät geenit lisäävät luonnonpopulaation geneettistä monimuotoisuutta. Erittäin uhanalaisella vanakeltolla (Crepis praemorsa) on Suomessa tiettävästi vain kaksi pientä populaatiota. Niiden tuottamien siementen itävyyttä testattiin ja verrattiin Virosta tuotuihin vanakelton siemeniin. Laji on Virossa yleinen joten näitä kahta alkuperää vertailemalla oletettiin selviävän onko lajin suomalaisilla populaatioilla siementen itävyyteen vaikuttavaa sisäsiitosdepressiota. Tällaisesta ei löytynyt merkkejä vaan siementen itävyys oli molemmilla alkuperillä lähes täydellistä ja taimien varhais-kehitys normaalia. Vanakelton suomalaiset populaatiot eivät tämän tutkimuksen perusteella kärsi ainakaan siementen laatuun tai taimien kehityksen alkuvaiheisiin vaikuttavasta sisäsiitos-depressiosta. Tämä ei kuitenkaan sulje pois sisäsiitosdepression ilmenemistä muissa kehitysvaiheissa.
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(2018)Tiivistelmä/Referat – Abstract The literature part was focusing on the metabolism, use, safety and analytical methods for glyphosate (2-phosphonomethylamino) acetic acid. The focus was on methods that are used to analyze glyphosate in foods. Glyphosate is the active compound of an herbicide. The experimental part was done in the Customs laboratory. The main object was to develop a method to analyze glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glufosinate in food without derivatization using UPLC-MS/MS technique. The EURL-SRM QuPPe method was used as a sample treatment for durum wheat, iceberg lettuce, orange and avocado. The separation was done using high performance liquid chromatography and detected in triple quadrupole mass spectrometer using electro-spray ionization (ESI-) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Four analytical columns were evaluated: Acquity® UPLC BEH HILIC, HypercarbTM Porous Graphitic Carbon, HypercarbTM Porous Graphitic Carbon and ShodexTM HILICPak VT-50 2D connected to ShodexTM HILICPak VT-50G 2A precolumn. ShodexTM HILICPak column was chosen due to its superior retention of the compounds. The mobile phase contained water, 1 % formic acid in water and acetonitrile (70:20:10). The linearity of the method was 0.01–2.2 ng/ml for glyphosate and AMPA and 0.002–2.2 ng/ml for glufosinate. The high amount of matricecompounds that coeluted with AMPA made identifying and integrating the analyte difficult to do. The retention times of glyphosate and glufosinate were shifting more than the validationcriteria ± 0.1 minutes. Isotope labeled glyphosate (1,2-13C2 15-N-glyphosate) that was added to the samples had a similar shifting in retention times which made it possible to efficiently evaluate the validation of glyphosate. The lack of internal standard for glufosinate meant that the method could not be validated for glufosinate. The limit of quantification (LOQ) for glyphosate was 0.04 µg/ml with RSD < 20. The validated method was suitable for analysing glyphosate residues in food.
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(2019)Avenanthramides are hydroxycinnamic acids unique to oat (Avena sativa L., Poaceae). They consist of an anthranilic acid part (anthranilic acid or hydroxylated and/or methoxylated derivative of anthranilic acid) that is conjugated to a cinnamic acid part via an amide bond. More than 25 different avenanthramides are found and identified in oat. However, the most common forms are esters of 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid with caffeic (2c), ferulic (2f) and p-coumaric (2p) acids. Avenanthramides have been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Currently there is a great interest towards oat and bioactive compounds of oat, like avenanthramides. In the previous studies there has been a lot of diversity concerning the extraction method used for analysis of avenanthramides and usually quantitation methods were based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The aim of this research was to develop a method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) for the analysis of the most common forms of avenanthramides (2c, 2f and 2p) in oat and oat products. In addition, also other forms of avenanthramides, like 2fd and 2pd, were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). The extraction method of avenanthramides was optimized and the UHPLC-PDA method used for quantitation was validated. Finally, the study measured the differences in concentrations of avenanthramides in different oat products. In this study it was recognized that the concentrations and the extent of variation of the concentrations of avenanthramides were affected by the sample amount, the homogeneity of the samples and the extraction time used. Especially bigger sample amount of oat flour (0.5 g) led to larger and more reproducible results than smaller amount (0.1 g). The ratio of sample and solvent 1:10 worked excellently and as an extraction solvent ethanol:water (80:20) was more efficient than tested ethanol:water (80:20) with a phosphate buffer at pH 2.8. Smaller particle size of oat flour and extraction overnight led to better extractability of avenanthramides than a short extraction of sample with larger particle size. The UHPLC method was optimized using chromatographic parameters. The avenanthramides separated from each other acceptably and were eluted as follows during the 16-minute run: 2c, 2p, 2f. The response of the UHPLC instrument was linear in the tested concentration range for all three avenanthramides. The results were reproducible, and the accuracy of the UHPLC instrument was acceptable. The recovery % for avenanthramides were 99–117%. Also, other forms of avenanthramides, like 2fd, 2pd, 5p, 5f ja 3f, were identified in different oat samples using UHPLC-QTOF-MS technique. The total amount of avenanthramides in analyzed oat samples varied between 3–41.3 µg/g per fresh weight. Oat bran included them the most and oat snack the least. Avenanthramide 2c was dominant in oat flour which included 2p the least. In oat bran, in oat drink, in oat snack, in Nyhtökaura and in Muru the avenanthramide 2f was dominant over the two other forms. The UHPLC method developed in this study can be applied to the analysis of the most common forms of avenanthramides 2c, 2f and 2p in oat and in oat products and can be used in oat research in the future. The method can also be used to identify and quantitate more widely other forms of avenanthramides in different oat products. The optimized extraction was shown to be functional and reproducible to already homogeneous and processed samples, but the extraction of non-homogeneous samples could be optimized further in the future.
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(2021)The human gastrointestinal track is populated by gut microbiota that consist of viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi and micro-eukaryotes. The gut microbiota is beneficial for the host in many ways, including synthesis of short chain fatty acids and vitamins, and supporting the maturation and normal functions of the immune system. A healthy gut microbiota provides colonization resistance by preventing the attachment and growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the intestines. The use of antibiotics is a common cause of intestinal microbiota disturbation and weakened colonization resistance, which can lead to intestinal infection after antibiotic treatment. The leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea is infection caused by bacterium Clostridioides difficile. C. difficile infection is generally treated with vancomycin or metronidazole, but in approximately 20 % of the patients the infection renewed. In these cases, the infection is referred to as a recurrent C. difficile infection. A recurrent C. difficile infection is treated with a repeated course of antibiotics or a fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). FMT is a medical procedure in which feces of a healthy pre-screened donor is infused into a patient’s intestine in order to restore a healthy gut microbiota. FMT is an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections, and its efficacy to treat other diseases linked with intestinal dysbiosis is being studied. Rectal bacteriotherapy, in which a transplant consists of specific intestinal bacterial strains, is used similarly to FMT, has been studied as a substitute for FMT to further reduce possible risks of fecal transplant such as transferring yet-unknown pathogens into patients. The gut microbiota is a favorable ecosystem for enrichment of antibiotic resistant genes through horizontal gene transfer between bacteria. From individuals carrying C. difficile bacteria not everyone will develop C. difficile infection after antibiotic treatment, and not all C. difficile infections lead to recurrent C. difficile infections. The reason for this might be the colonization resistance against C. difficile provided by the antibiotic resistant microbes that weren’t affected by the antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic resistant commensal bacteria living in the intestine may have an important role in maintaining the colonization resistance during and after antibiotic treatment. Since vancomycin is used as a treatment for C. difficile infections, introduction of non-pathogenic vancomycin resistant bacteria in form of bacteriotherapy could provide a better colonization resistance during the antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of vancomycin resistance gene vanB in the microbiota of three FMT donors and 13 recipients, and to study culturable vancomycin resistant gut bacteria isolated from FMT donors. The vanB gene carriage of FMT donors and patients before and after FMT was studied. Furthermore, a total of 68 vancomycin resistant bacterial isolates were cultivated and purified from FMT donors, and the taxonomical identification of isolates was performed based on their 16S rRNA gene. Whether the vancomycin resistance of the isolates resulted from vanB gene was assessed using a PCR method. The results showed that all the FMT donors carried a vanB gene in their microbiota. The gene was present in the patients’ intestinal microbiota one month after FMT and half of the patients carried the gene still after 8 or 12 months after FMT. The vanB gene wasn’t found in the samples collected from patients before FMT. It is likely that the vanB gene had transferred from donors to patients via FMT. However, vanB gene couldn’t be detected in any of the cultivated bacterial isolates, and thus the bacterial strains carrying the gene were left unidentified. The isolates represented 21 different bacterial species. Donors differed from each other with respect to overall species distribution, which supports the previous findings of individual specific microbiotas. All three donors carried species from the genus Bacteroides and lately reclassified genus Lactobacillus, but none of the species was found in all three donors. The isolates found in this study might be candidate strains for rectal bacteriotherapy, but further studies are required to determine the effectiveness and safety of these isolates.
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(2019)Tiineyden loppuvaiheessa ja laktaatiokauden alussa lypsylehmä käy läpi suuria aineenvaihdunnallisia muutoksia. Lehmän rehun syönti ei suurene riittävän nopeasti maidontuotannon alkaessa ja seurauksena on riittämättömästä energiansaannista johtuva negatiivinen energiatase. Negatiivisen energiataseen takia lehmä joutuu mobilisoimaan rasva- ja valkuaisvarastojaan saadakseen lisää energiaa. Rasvakudosten mobilisointi vapauttaa plasmaan vapaita rasvahappoja (NEFA), joiden pitoisuutta mittaamalla voidaan arvioida lehmien energiatasetta. Plasman NEFA-pitoisuuden liiallinen suureneminen poikimisen aikaan voi johtaa terveysongelmiin, kuten rasvamaksaan ja ketoosiin, jotka voivat aiheuttaa myös taloudellisia menetyksiä. Liiallinen energiansaanti ummessaolokaudella voi pienentää kuiva-aineen syöntiä poikimisen aikaan ja lisätä rasvakudosten mobilisaatiota. Laktaatiokauden alussa märehtijöille on tyypillistä voimistunut insuliiniresistenssi rasvakudoksissa ja lihaksissa, mikä edistää vapaiden rasvahappojen ja aminohappojen mobilisaatiota. Insuliiniresistenssissä haiman tuottaman insuliinin vaikutus on heikentynyt, jolloin insuliinista riippuvaiset kudokset eivät saa riittävästi glukoosia ja lipolyysi lisääntyy. Veren NEFA-pitoisuuden suurentamisen on osoitettu kokeellisesti voimistavan insuliiniresistenssiä ummessaolevilla lypsylehmillä. Ravitsemuksellisilla tekijöillä, kuten rehun kuitupitoisuutta lisäämällä, voidaan pienentää NEFA-pitoisuuden suurenemista ennen poikimista. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää ummessaolokauden karkearehun energiapitoisuuden vaikutusta lypsylehmien rasva- ja valkuaisainevarastojen käyttöön. Tutkimuksessa oli mukana 16 vähintään toista kertaa poikivaa ayrshire-lehmää, jotka jaettiin pareihin kuntoluokan ja odotetun poikimapäivän perusteella. Koe suoritettiin täydellisesti satunnaistettuna lohkokokeena, jossa toisen ryhmän lehmät saivat ummessaolokaudella vapaasti säilörehua ja toisen ryhmän lehmät kuitupitoista seosrehua. Poikimisen jälkeen kummankin ryhmän lehmät saivat samaa säilörehua vapaasti ja väkirehuannosta nostettiin asteittain. Tutkimuksen aikana (8vk ennen poikimista – 8 vk poikimisen jälkeen) lehmiä punnittiin, kuntoluokitettiin, niiltä otettiin verinäytteitä, mitattiin selkälihaksen paksuutta ja niille tehtiin glukoosirasituskoe ennen poikimista ja poikimisen jälkeen. Verinäytteistä määritettiin glukoosi-, insuliini-, BHBA- eli b-hydroksivoihappo-, NEFA- ja 3-MH- eli 3-metyylihistidiinipitoisuudet. Tulosten perusteella ummessaolokauden ruokinnan muuttaminen kuitupitoisemmaksi ja energiaköyhemmäksi ei vaikuttanut suuresti plasman parametreihin eikä lehmien kuntoluokkaan. Ummessaolokauden vapaa säilörehuruokinta ei lisännyt rasvavarastojen mobilisaatiota poikimisen jälkeen, kun säilörehu oli sulavuudeltaan enintään keskinkertaista. Tässä tutkimuksessa suurempi energiansaanti näkyi suuremmassa elopainon suurenemisessa, muttei kuntoluokan muutoksessa ennen poikimista. Plasman insuliinipitoisuus ennen poikimista oli suurempi paljon energiaa saaneilla lehmillä, mikä on havaittu aikaisemmissakin tutkimuksissa. Runsaammin energiaa saaneet lehmät saattavat tämän kokeen tulosten perusteella kompensoida kudostensa insuliiniherkkyyden vähenemistä insuliinin eritystä lisäämällä. Rehun kuitupitoisuuden lisääminen esimerkiksi tekemällä seosrehua säilörehusta ja oljesta vaikuttaa olevan toimiva vaihtoehto pienentää ummessaolevan lehmän energiansaantia liian lihomisen välttämiseksi.
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(2018)Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) also known as broad bean is an ancient pulse, grown since Neolithic times. It is an excellent source of protein, energy and fibre to humans and animals. Recently in Finland, faba bean has featured heavily in meat replacements, meant for vegan consumers. Faba bean can also be grown further north, than soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), making it a possible domestic plant protein source for Finns. The problem with faba bean is that the beans contain various anti-nutritional compounds. The major ones are vicine and convicine (v-c), located in the cotyledons of the beans, which means that dehulling the seeds does not remove them. V-c can cause favism in humans with G6PD gene mutation this is a disease where red blood cells are destroyed, in worst cases resulting in blood transfusions and death. V-c is also an anti-feedant to livestock and can among other things cause increase in mortality in poultry. Normal v-c content of faba bean is around 1%. There are low v-c faba beans that contain only 5-15% of the original v-c. Markers for this trait have been found, but gene controlling for this trait is not known yet. The synthesis pathway of the v-c is not known. There is a new hypothesis by Dr Fernando Geu Flores of The University of Copenhagen, where the v-c synthesis is an off shoot of another biosynthetic pathway. An experiment was done where RNA of two populations (one low v-c and other high) were compared to each other. The samples were taken during the seed filling period, which is thought to be when v-c is synthesized. Kernel, testa, pod and leaf tissues were collected and RNA of those extracted. Only kernel and testa samples were sequenced. This thesis focuses on the testa results. Results showed differences between the populations. Considering the new hypothesis, the results showed some differences in the beginning of the suspected pathway, with the high v-c population having a 4.97 fold increase compared to the low v-c population. Other differences were also noted, which may cast light on other steps in the pathway.
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(2021)The increasing awareness of consumers on sustainability issues associated to meat consumption has led to the increased demand for plant-based meat alternatives. There has been little information on the effects of dietary fibres (DF) in the formulation of meat analogues, but they could be potential raw materials due to their high nutritional value and diverse functional properties. Therefore, the aims of the study were to understand the role of processing parameters on protein-DF interaction and structure formation during high moisture extrusion (HME). Depending on the type of DF, protein, and extrusion conditions, influences on the structure can be either advantageous or cause limitations. HME was used to produce meat analogues from pea protein isolate (PI) and concentrate (PC), and 18 different protein-bran formulations were prepared with inclusion of oat bran (OB), wheat bran (WB) or a combination of both in concentrations of 5, 10, and 15%. The proximate composition of raw materials and extrudates was determined. In order to understand the effect of DFs on the meat analogues, the produced extrudates were evaluated in terms of colour, textural properties, microstructure, and protein-protein interactions. OB and WB had an influence on the formulations by decreasing the protein content while increasing the DF and starch content which could be related to changes occurring during processing. Increased tensile strength and cutting strength were observed in one direction resembling meat fibres. However, meat analogues with brans exhibited weaker structures by increasing softness. The findings on protein solubility indicated both non-covalent and disulphide bonds having a role in the structural stabilisation and fibrillation of meat analogues. However, the inclusion of brans did not have a significant effect on protein-protein interactions. In conclusion, brans have potential as raw materials in meat analogues for texture improvement. Further studies on consumer acceptance and improving process optimisation are suggested.
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(2019)Bioeconomy is a concept that aims to provide sustainable solutions for economic growth by utilizing renewable natural resources. In Finland, the forest-based bioeconomy forms the base for bioeconomy. The Finnish Bioeconomy Strategy by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy has set ambitious targets regarding employment, output and innovative products and services. However, to date these solutions still remain by large in the theoretical level and the overall sustainability of bioeconomy is questioned by stakeholders. Urbanization is a world-wide phenomenon and also in Finland the biggest cities are expected to grow whilst the country-side becomes less inhabited. Thus, the importance of urban citizens becomes increasingly important in the implementation of forest-based bioeconomy, as they are the future consumers of biobased products and practices. Thereby understanding urban citizens’ perceptions, level of knowledge and opinions regarding the emerging bioeconomy practices is of fundamental importance. This thesis aims to provide insights into the topic with the research questions “what are the worldviews through which urban citizens understand the forest-based bioeconomy?” Furthermore, this thesis aims to provide insights into the question, “how do these worldviews affect the urban citizens’ perceptions of the forest-based bioeconomy?” These worldviews are screened through the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) to explain and understand the underlying latent elements of perceptions and acceptance. Additionally, this thesis contributes to a European-wide research network aiming to understand the regional disparities of forest-based bioeconomy perceptions and policies. To answer these questions, a quantitative survey was conducted in Helsinki city center in December 2018 and January 2019. The survey included 34 claims regarding wooden multistory buildings, forest carbon storage and forest-based bioeconomy. With a randomized approach, 206 responses were gathered in total. The statistical methods include descriptive statistics, crosstabulations and exploratory factor analysis and were done using the SPSS 25 Programme. The results proved to be positive and encouraging for the Finnish forest-based bioeconomy. Four worldview factors were detected: Utilitarian, Biocentric, Anti-bioeconomy, and Anthropocentric. Nearly 59% of the respondents perceived to be familiar with the meaning of forest-based bioeconomy and even more with both wooden multistory buildings (WMC) and forest carbon storage. Additionally, forest-based bioeconomy was associated with positive attributes such as generating new jobs and wellbeing.
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(2022)The use of sourdough has numerous benefits, including improvement of the sensory attributes of baked bread in terms of flavour, texture, volume, enhanced nutritional value and extended shelf life of bread. To achieve the desired sourdough performance and bread with optimal quality and improved flavour, it is essential to understand how the starter cultures behave in specific conditions. In a previous part of this research, the metabolic traits of lactic acid bacteria starters and yeast from the food company S.P.C. (S. Korea) were studied. This thesis aimed to explore the pro-technological properties of the selected starter associations of bacteria/yeast, i.e., Lactiplantibacillus plantarum + Fructilactibacillus sanfransciscensis + Saccharomyces cerevisiae (PSY) and Latilactobacillus curvatus + Levilactobacillus brevis + Saccharomyces cerevisiae (CBY). Consequently, analysis of acidification, proteolysis analysis (including free amino acids), and volatile compound profile were done. PSY and CBY grew at the expected cell density. pH of the sourdoughs fermented by PSY decreased along the same line and slower than that of CBY over the course of 24 h. PSY sourdough had the highest TTA value (11.12 ± 0.03 ml) and organic acid production (148.6 ± 2.4 mmol/kg and 25.1 ± 1.5 mmol/kg) than CBY sourdough TTA value (9.01 ± 0.11 ml) and organic acid production (110.6 ± 1.6 mmol/kg and 20.2 ± 0.9 mmol/kg). This shows PSY as having a relatively high capacity for producing acids during sourdough fermentation among the two associations. After assessing their proteolysis capabilities, PSY sourdough had a presumptively higher peptide content while CBY produced the highest free amino acid content (i.e., Orn having a potential repercussion on bread flavour). Several volatile compounds belonging to different chemical classes, such as acids, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters, and other compounds, were produced by PSY and CBY. In PCA, the control sourdough had a distinctive volatile profile from PSY and CBY. Both PSY and CBY show much correlation with about 4% variation. Ethanol, acetic acid, benzene ethanol, 2(3H)-furanone, dihydro-5-pentyl showed their strongest influence on both sourdoughs as they are found in high amount. Finally, during sourdough fermentation, the associations performed in a desired way, and they showed differences in acidity and content of free amino acids that might have a strong influence on bread flavour. Less differences were observed in the volatile profile compounds of the two associations. Proper sensory analysis and consumer test (by the company) will be the most revealing of the differences observed in this experimental study.
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(2010)Johdanto: Riittävä ja hyvälaatuinen uni sekä terveellinen ja monipuolinen ruokavalio ovat välttämättömiä ihmisen fyysiselle ja psyykkiselle toimintakyvylle. Uniongelmat ovat yleinen ja kansanterveyden kannalta merkittävä ongelma. Hyvät ruokatottumukset edistävät terveyttä, ja siten vähentävät sairastavuutta ja kuolleisuutta. Unen ja ruokatottumusten yhteyttä ei ole aiemmin juurikaan tutkittu. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kartoittaa mahdollisimman laajasti unen keston ja uniongelmien yhteyttä ruokatottumuksiin. Aineisto ja menetelmät: Helsinki Health Study (HHS) –kyselyssä, joka toteutettiin 2000 – 2002, tutkittiin Helsingin kaupungin 40-, 45-, 50-, 55- ja 60 -vuotiaiden työntekijöiden terveydentilaa ja hyvinvointia. Ruokatottumuksia kysyttiin ruoankäyttötiheyskyselyn avulla. Osallistujia tähän postitse tehtyyn kyselyyn saatiin 8 960 (vastausaste 67 %), joista 7 168 (80 %) oli naisia. Tämä tutkimus oli kartoittava poikkileikkaustutkimus. Analyysi tehtiin SPSS 17.0 –ohjelmalla naisille ja miehille erikseen ristiintaulukoimalla. Tulokset testattiin Khiin neliötestillä. Tilastollisesti merkitsevän tuloksen rajana käytettiin p-arvoa, joka oli alle 0,05. Lisäksi laskettiin 95 %:n luottamusvälit. Tulokset: Tuoreiden vihannesten ja maidon suositusten mukainen käyttö unen keston ja uniongelmien mukaan toteutuivat parhaiten oletusten mukaisesti naisilla. Tuoreiden vihannesten ruokatottumukset olivat useammin suositusten mukaiset normaalisti nukkuvilla ja vähiten uniongelmista kärsivillä. Maidon käyttö oli unen keston mukaan sitä paremmin suositusten mukaista, mitä pidempään nukkui sekä mitä vähemmän oli uniongelmia. Naisilla yhteyksiä oli myös muiden ruokamuuttujien kohdalla. Miehillä yhteyksiä oli harvemmin. Johtopäätökset: Tämän tutkimuksen perusteella ei voida todeta, että unen kesto ja uniongelmat olisivat vahvasti yhteydessä suositusten mukaisiin ruokatottumuksiin. Naisilla oli kuitenkin unen ja ruokatottumusten välillä heikkoja yhteyksiä. On mahdollista, että unen keston ja uniongelmien yhteys ruokatottumuksiin on vahvempi epäterveellisten ruokatottumusten mukaan. Lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan, jotta saadaan tarkempaa tietoa unen yhteydestä ruokatottumuksiin.
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(2020)Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global health threat with the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) having the alarming potential to return humanity to the pre-antibiotic era. Intensive animal production is globally one of the biggest sectors using antibiotics. It has been studied that fertilizing fields with animal manure spreads antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in natural environments. The aim of this study was to determine the host range of three ARGs tetM, strB and qacE∆1 in soil and manure samples collected from a Finnish swine farm. In addition, the microbial communities in the same soil and manure samples were studied and compared. Six different sample types were taken, four from soil and two from manure. Soil samples included unfertilized soil, fertilized soil, soil two weeks after fertilization and soil six weeks after fertilization. Manure samples were taken from fresh and stored manure. Host range analysis was done by using Emulsion, Paired Isolation and Concatenation PCR (epicPCR). EpicPCR enables to link a gene of interest to the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterium that carries the gene in its genome. Microbial communities in soil and manure were analyzed and compared with the traditional 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Host range analysis with epicPCR revealed various bacterial genera as carriers for studied ARGs. Fertilized soil had the highest number of genera carrying the ARGs. This indicates that land application with animal manure increases the ARG load in soil. Microbial communities were found significantly different in soil and manure according to the 16S rRNA gene sequences. The results of epicPCR indicate that epicPCR has also potential for solid samples such as soil and manure as according to publications it has been mainly used for different water samples e.g., wastewaters. As a method epicPCR still requires optimization if applied for these sample materials in the future. A clear reduction in the number of genera carrying the ARGs was observed in six weeks after fertilization. Therefore, fertilizing fields only before cropping season, instead of fertilizing the fields year-round, might be one solution for reducing the ARG dissemination in soil in countries with high antibiotic consumption.
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UPLC-MS/MS and Q-TOF-MS for analysis of phenolic metabolites in human plasma after bilberry intake (2017)A review of the literature on the role of bilberries in prevention of cardiovascular diseases, including existing knowledge on phenolic compounds in bilberries and their absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion in humans, was performed. Analysis of phenolic metabolites in plasma and serum was also reviewed. Experimental work was then performed to set up and validate an UPLC-MS/MS method with solid phase extraction (SPE) as a pre-treatment for analysis of phenolic metabolites from bilberries in plasma samples; and to validate the Q-TOF-MS-method and use it with µSPE for analysis of phenolic compounds in plasma from subjects after an 8-week intervention with bilberry powder. It was found that the UPLC-MS/MS method could not be optimised to carry out the sample analyses. A particular challenge was analysis of the chosen internal standard, taxifolin, and determination of gallic acid as one of the phenolic metabolites. Thus, another method using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was tested and validated. This method proved promising, as the accuracy for determination of compounds ranged from 58.2 to 143.1%, but was mainly around 100%, with LOD 13-4280 nM and LOQ 17-12839 nM. Recovery in the µSPE pre-treatment was poor, only 0.33-5.74%. However, analysis of the samples by different HPLC-Q-TOF-MS methods revealed significant differences between the bilberry intervention group and control group in terms of gallic acid and p-coumaric acid concentrations. Plasma concentrations of both compounds increased during the 8-week intervention.
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(2019)In forest inventories, the field data is needed as a reference data, calibration and for assessing the accuracy. Gathering the field data needs resources, such as work forces, equipment and data management operations. This means that time and budget as well as quality must be carefully considered when National Forest Inventory activities are to be planned. Therefore, the development of cost efficient, simpler, safer and more accurate and reliable field data measurement methods and tools are topics of great interest. One of the field measurement variables is the upper stem diameter, which has been part of the NFI field data set until the 11th NFI. The measured upper stem diameter helps to produce more reliable tree stem volumes with 3-parameter Laasasenaho volume model. However, only if the quality of the measurements is on an adequate level. The upper stem diameter has been traditionally measured with parabolic caliper assembled in the top of the 5-meter aluminium rod. This equipment combination takes time to assemble and disassemble, it is not very compact to be carried around as well as it can be a health and safety issue during the thunderstorm. Therefore Criterion, laser-based dendrometer performance was further examined in this study as an optional measurement equipment for future upper stem diameter field measurements. The Criterion upper stem as well as dbh measurement precision was analysed based on the 326 sample tree measurements with Sonar, Caliper and Criterion. The standard error for Criterion was 17,26 mm in dbh measurements for all species and 10,36 mm in d6 measurements for all species. The reference standard errors from earlier studies were 2,70 mm for dbh with Steel Caliper and 7,00 mm for d6 with Caliper. When analysing the Criterion performance with reference to mean of the measurements, the standard error in dbh measuements for all species was 9,72 mm and for d6 measurements 7,07 mm. Furthermore, the accuracy and precision were analysed with Bland-Altman technique, which is a suitable method for comparing two measurements of the same variable when both have some errors. The Bland-Altman results supported the earlier findings. Within and between observer analysis showed that the impact in measurement accuracy or precision is not caused by the observers. The comparison of the sample tree volumes produced the results that the relative standard error was increased by 2,13 % for all species when 2-parameter volume model was compared with 3-parameter model. Likewise, the relative bias was increased by 1,53 %. In efficiency experiment the scenario where only one sample tree with measured d6 was chosen from each of the sample plot and dbh percentile of p70 was providing most accurate and precise sample plot volumes with RMSE of 3,92 m3/ha and bias -0.78 m3/ha. The results show that there is a real challenge to achieve reliable and accurate upper stem diameter measurements and therefore new measurement methods need to be further studied and analysed.
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(2018)The Finnish food security is currently good, but Finland must respond to threats linked to natural or man-made disasters, climate change and reliance on imported resources. This master’s thesis examines the potential of urban agriculture (UA) as part of the urban food system. Rooftop data, crop yield statistics and the Finnish Nutrition Recommendations 2014 are used to build a case study in which self-sufficiency percentages, nutritional factors and shading are calculated for the Pasila area in central Helsinki. Calculations based on the total potential green rooftop area and open rooftop farming in Pasila show that 4,51 % of the resident population’s energy needs could be supplied with the potato, or 3,87 % of their protein needs with the green pea. Allocating half of the area to the potato and half to the green pea decreases the self-sufficiency percentages, but results in a more even ratio between energy and protein. Adding kale increases the number of essential vitamins and minerals which can be supplied: 500 g of each of the three plants covers the daily recommended intake for 12 of the 19 vitamins and minerals listed in the Finnish Nutrition Recommendations 2014, compared to zero for the potato only and seven for the combination of the potato and the green pea. In addition to the available area, at least farming methods (e.g. open field, aquaponics and greenhouses), crop yield potential, food choices and food wastage influence the food self-sufficiency potential. In central Helsinki shading may affect as much as half of the rooftop area, which needs to be considered in the choice of plants and architecture; strategies such as placing the tallest building on the northern edge of the area may be beneficial. Though the total self-sufficiency based on open rooftop farming is low, Pasila could be a net producer of potatoes or peas, or grow 46 % of its fresh vegetables measured in weight (kale). Whether UA can contribute to local food security, or food system resilience, may therefore depend on how its objectives are defined: maximum energy and nutrient content, alternative food sources, new opportunities for farmers, wealth retention, or some other indirect mechanism. With the right policies, UA could advance the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Climate Program by increasing carbon sequestration, reducing food waste and promoting a more plants-based diet. It may also serve the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including a healthier environment, preserving and creating jobs, protecting local financial interests and contributing to a sound development of our areas
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(2013)The conversion of vegetated land cover to impervious surfaces has made stormwater runoff into a major hydrological concern due to its capacity to deteriorate water quality and stream health in cities. Urban forests are capable of reducing the amount of potential stormwater runoff by regulating throughfall via canopy rainfall interception. The lack of stand-scale studies of urban throughfall hinders realistic estimates of the benefits of urban trees for stormwater regulation. Urban forests are extremely variable with regard to canopy cover and species composition and are to a large extent managed by private residents with varying landscape preferences. To quantify the amount of rainfall interception by vegetation in an urban forest we measured throughfall in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA between July and November 2010. We further analyzed 16 residential yards with varying levels of canopy cover to evaluate the relative importance of different descriptive measures of vegetation in influencing throughfall in an urban watershed. Throughfall comprised 89.7 % (StdErr=0.005) of gross precipitation in the study area. Canopy cover (p<0.0001) and the percentage of coniferous trees (p=0.0305) were the most influential vegetation variables explaining throughfall whereas leaf area index (LAI) was not found to be significant. Throughfall varied significantly among yards (p<0.0001) ranging from 84.0 % (80.2 % canopy cover) to 98.2 % (60.3 % canopy cover). Differences in vegetation between front and backyards resulted in 3.1 % less throughfall in backyards. Thus, residents‘ management choices at yard-level affect the amount of throughfall reduced at the landscape scale.
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(2013)Sponsoroinnista on tullut tärkeä osa yritysten markkinointiviestintää. Sen avulla voidaan luoda mielikuvia, rakentaa brandia ja lisätä kuluttajien tietoisuutta yrityksestä ja sen tuotteista. Sponsoroinnilla voidaan saavuttaa tavoitteita, joihin ei pystytä tavallisella mainonnalla. Sponsorointiin käytetään vuosittain miljardeja euroja maailmanlaajuisesti ja Suomessakin satoja miljoonia. Sponsorointiin käytettävät rahamäärät ovat lisääntyneet jatkuvasti. Siitä on tullut elinehto seuroille ja yksittäisille urheilijoille, koska ilman sitä ei pystytä panostamaan harjoitteluun täysipäiväisesti. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää ensin kirjallisuuden pohjalta, miten yritykset valitsevat sponsoroinnin kohteensa, miten he käyttävät sitä edukseen ja mitä riskejä tähän liittyy. Lisäksi kuvaillaan yrityksen tavoitteita ja niiden seurantaa, sekä sponsoroinnin tarjoamia etuja niin yritykselle kuin urheilijallekin. Tutkimusosassa pyritään selvittämään miten suomalaiset yritykset toimivat sponsoroidessaan ja miten se vastaa teoriaa aiheesta. Tutkimus tehtiin yhteistyössä SM-liigaseura Espoo Bluesin kanssa käyttäen esimerkkiyrityksinä joukkueen yrityssponsoreita. Aineisto kerättiin teemahaastatteluilla yritysten edustajien kanssa. Haastattelut litteroitiin kirjalliseen muotoon. Tutkimus tehtiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena, jossa aineisto analysoitiin käyttäen teemoittelua. Tutkimuksen tuloksena todettiin, että suomalaiset yritykset noudattavat käytänteitä ja tavoitteiden asettelua, joka on teoriassa esitetty. Painotukset vaihtelevat yrityksittäin, mutta se johtuu yritysten erilaisuudesta, sekä siitä kuka yrityksestä vastasi haastattelun kysymyksiin.
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(2020)The usage of assortment pricing in roundwood trade creates a clear conflict of financial interests between the buyer and the seller, since sellers only get about a quarter of their total stumpage earnings from pulpwood, while its demand is likely to stay high or to increase. This thesis studies two possible alternatives to assortment pricing, stem and fractional stem pricing. In both methods, the buyer’s bucking decision and the pricing are separated from each other. This study aims to assess the usability of the alternative pricing methods by comparing how actual stand values differ between assortment, stem and fractional stem pricing when they are equally valued in pre-harvest trade offers. The premise of this study is that the smaller the actual stand value difference between assortment pricing and the alternative pricing methods, the more usable they are in the roundwood trade. This is because neither side wants to take the possible monetary risk affiliated with switching away from assortment pricing. The comparison was conducted by determining equally valued assortment pricing, stem pricing and fractional stem pricing (according to Luke’s 2016 method proposition) for 27 study stands, on the basis of Trestima-based pre-harvest data and well-known taper curve and stem length models. With the resulting unit prices, all three pricings were again conducted for the same stands, this time constructed from harvester data by using the same taper curve and stem length models. Based on the results, switching to stem pricing or fractional stem pricing creates on average from one to three percent higher stand values than assortment pricing. Stem pricing however deviated more than fractional stem pricing, so it could be considered to be slightly riskier method. Overall, both alternative pricing methods are usable in roundwood trade, and their usage should be encouraged.
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(2021)Soil structure is one of the key elements when it comes to plant growth and yield production. For the last 30 years, the agricultural machines have grown in size, which has increased the stress to soil caused by the machinery. When the stress is high enough to increase the strengths in soil, and the porosity and permeability are decreased, the soil is compacted. There are some soil scanners, which are capable of mapping the soil strengths. The aim of this study was to use the draft data from the CAN bus in this purpose. The topsoil strength data could be then used as part of precision agriculture,for example in problem solving with low-yield areas, and as part of variable depth tillage purposes. The goal for this study was to build a measurement system, which could record the draft data of a tractor and also to find out the usability of this data in precision agriculture. Measurements of the reference data (electric conductivity, organic matter) are also part of this study, which included initialization of the Veris iScan+ and also the development and building the subframe for the scanner. As the measurement system Raspberry Pi minicomputer equipped with CAN bus and GNSS boards was used. The measurement system was programmed with Python programming language. In the measurements, a Valtra N141 tractor and a Kverneland Turbo 2 cultivator were used to tillage the two-hectare test plot. After the measurements, MATLAB and ArcGis were used for processing the raw data, mapping the features, and analysing the data. In this study, the implement draft was found to be significantly higher in the headlands of the field, which face the most field traffic. In the test plot, there were three individual zones with high draft force values, each resulting from different reasons. These zones were visible in the EC and OM maps, but all of the draft force variation could not be explained by the reference data. According to this study, the CAN bus draft data could be used as topsoil strength indicator, and with the right reference data the draft data can be used to map the topsoil compacted areas.
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(2012)Malnutrition is a common problem in Peruvian highlands and in Bolivia. Amaranth, quinoa and kañiwa are pseudocereals cultivated in these areas and regarded as good sources of protein and non-saturated fatty acids. The literature review deals with the nutritional and technological properties of amaranth, quinoa and kañiwa. The aim of this investigation was to: (1) prepare gluten free corn-based extrudates containing amaranth, quinoa and kañiwa (20% of solids), (2) study the effects of independent extrusion variables on the physical properties of the extrudates and (3) evaluate lipid stability during storage by measuring hexanal production. Extrudates were made in 4 separate trials using a small scale co-rotating twin screw extruder. Experiments were performed using Box-Behnken?s experimental design in which independent extrusion variables were water content of mass (15, 17 and 19%), screw speed (200, 350 and 500 rpm) and temperature of the die (150, 160 and 170 °C). Samples were collected and their physical properties were analyzed (sectional expansion index, hardness and water content). Ground and whole extrudate samples were stored in open headspace vials at 11 and 76% RH for a week (exposure time) before being sealed and stored for 0, 2, 5 and 9 weeks at room temperature in the absence of light. Hexanal content was analyzed using headspace gas chromatography. The highest sectional expansion index (SEI) and the lowest hardness were achieved when the water content of mass was 15%, screw speed 500 rpm and temperature of the die 160 °C. Extrudates containing amaranth had the highest SEI (7.6) while extrudates containing quinoa and kañiwa had SEIs of 6.1 and 5.1, respectively. Pure corn extrudates (reference sample) had the lowest SEI (4.5). Extrudates containing kañiwa and pure corn extrudates presented the lowest (28 N/mm) and highest hardness (89 N/mm), respectively. In storage studies, ground extrudates (except samples containing quinoa) showed comparatively higher hexanal production than whole extrudates exposed to 11 and 76% RH. Whole extrudates exposed to 76% RH showed very low hexanal production during storage. This study proved that it was possible to add amaranth, quinoa and kañiwa to extruded corn snacks and achieve higher expansion than that of pure corn extrudates. Indeed, the results obtained from the evaluation of lipid oxidation during storage suggest a remarkable stability of whole extrudates after being exposed to high relative humidity. Further studies on lipid stability for longer storage would be highly desirable.
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