Psychological factors influencing consumer intentions to consume cultured meat, fish and dairy.

This study investigates the structure of factors that influence consumer intentions to both try and to consume cultured proteins, and their intentions to substitute vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets with these alternative protein sources. Comprehensive survey data (N = 3862) was collected from three Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, and Norway) and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Theoretically, this article draws from behavioural models of environmental psychology, identity theory, and attitude theory. Results indicate that beliefs about the necessity of an industry producing cultured proteins and impacts of cultured proteins on the global economy are significant predictors of consumer intentions. Moreover, participants who exhibited high levels of general and food innovativeness were more likely to express positive intentions to consume cultured proteins. Social norms influenced consumer intentions: Individuals surrounded by positive attitudes and intentions toward cultured proteins within their social networks were more inclined to want to consume these products. The predictor variables in the final model accounted for between 39% and 66% of the variance in the different cultured proteins related intentions. Understanding consumer intentions better can inform targeted communication strategies aimed at promoting the advantages of cultured proteins and facilitating its adoption.

Mutations in PCDH21 cause autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Cone-rod dystrophy is a retinal dystrophy with early loss of cone photoreceptors and a parallel or subsequent loss of rod photoreceptors. It may be syndromic, but most forms are non-syndromic with autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked recessive inheritance. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified a small consanguineous family with six patients with cone-rod dystrophy from the Faroe Islands. Homozygosity mapping revealed a single homozygous locus of 4.2 Mb on chromosome 10q23.1-q23.2, encompassing 11 genes. All patients were homozygous for a 1-bp duplication in PCDH21, c.524dupA, which results in a frameshift and a premature stop codon (p.Q175QfsX47). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of mutations in PCDH21 as a cause of human disease. PCDH21 is highly expressed in the retinal photoreceptor cells. It encodes protocadherin 21, which belongs to the cadherin superfamily of large cell surface proteins characterised by a variable number of extracellular cadherin domains. A PCDH21 knockout mouse model has previously shown loss of photoreceptor cells and abnormal cone and rod function, similar to the findings in the patients.

Oxypurine release in cardiac disease. An indicator of general hypoxia in patients with cardiac arrest.

The excretion of hypoxanthine-xanthine and uric acid in urine and the concentrations in peripheral venous blood were determined in nine patients with cardiac arrest due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in ten control patients with AMI without cardiac arrest and in nine with angina pectoris. The patients with cardiac arrest showed a 6-fold increase in urinary excretion of hypoxanthine-xanthine 0-2 hours after cardiac arrest. No difference was observed in the uric acid excretion or the hypoxanthine-xanthine and uric acid concentrations in peripheral venous blood. The urinary excretion of hypoxanthine-xanthine increases considerably in connection with reversible cardiac arrest, indicating general tissue hypoxia. No relationship could be found between the duration of cardiac arrest and the increased hypoxanthine-xanthine excretion in the urine.