Business models for Finnish biobanks

This study concentrates on developing a suitable business model for Finnish biobanks, with particular emphasis on value creation to stakeholders. The sub-objective of this thesis are to map the commercial possibilities of biobanks and potential barriers for business development. The study approaches the subject from the biobanks’ as well as the stakeholders’ point of view, integrating their hopes and needs considering current and future co-operation into the findings. In 2013 the Biobank Act came into effect, after which six biobanks have been established and several other pending biobank projects are in process. There is relatively little research in regard to the commercial opportunities of this newcomer of the biomedical industry, and particularly in the Finnish markets. Therefore, the aim of this study is to partially fill the research gap of the commercial potential of biobanks and particularly outline the problematic elements in developing business. The theoretical framework consists of a few select theories, which depict business modeling and value creation of organizations. The theories are combined to form a synthesis, which best adapts to biobanks, and acts as a backbone for interviews. The empirical part of the study was conducted mainly by seven face-to-face interviews, and complemented by two phone interviews and an e-mail questionnaire with four responses. The findings consist mainly of the participants’ reflections on the potential products and services enabled by consumer genomics, as well as perceptions on different obstacles for biobanks’ business development. The nature of the study is tentative, as biobanks are relatively new organizations in Finland, and their operation models and activities are still molding. The aim is to bring to surface the hopes and concerns of biobanks’ representatives, as well as the representatives of stakeholders, in order to transparently discuss the current situation and suggestions for further development. The study concludes that in principle, the interviewees’ agree on the need for development in order not to waste the potential of biobanks; regardless, the participants emphasize different aspects and subsequently lean on differing methods.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles with Personalized, APOE Genotype Based Health Information: The Effects on Psychological-, Health Behavioral and Clinical Factors

There is an increasing demand for individualized, genotype-based health advice. The general population-based dietary recommendations do not always motivate people to change their life-style, and partly following this, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major cause of death in worldwide. Using genotype-based nutrition and health information (e.g. nutrigenetics) in health education is a relatively new approach, although genetic variation is known to cause individual differences in response to dietary factors. Response to changes in dietary fat quality varies, for example, among different APOE genotypes. Research in this field is challenging, because several non-modifiable (genetic, age, sex) and modifiable (e.g. lifestyle, dietary, physical activity) factors together and with interaction affect the risk of life-style related diseases (e.g. CVD). The other challenge is the psychological factors (e.g. anxiety, threat, stress, motivation, attitude), which also have an effect on health behavior. The genotype-based information is always a very sensitive topic, because it can also cause some negative consequences and feelings (e.g. depression, increased anxiety). The aim of this series of studies was firstly to study how individual, genotype-based health information affects an individual’s health form three aspects, and secondly whether this could be one method in the future to prevent lifestyle-related diseases, such as CVD. The first study concentrated on the psychological effects; the focus of the second study was on health behavior effects, and the third study concentrated on clinical effects. In the fourth study of this series, the focus was on all these three aspects and their associations with each other. The genetic risk and health information was the APOE gene and its effects on CVD. To study the effect of APOE genotype-based health information in prevention of CVD, a total of 151 volunteers attended the baseline assessments (T0), of which 122 healthy adults (aged 20 – 67 y) passed the inclusion criteria and started the one-year intervention. The participants (n = 122) were randomized into a control group (n = 61) and an intervention group (n = 61). There were 21 participants in the intervention Ɛ4+ group (including APOE genotypes 3/4 and 4/4) and 40 participants in the intervention Ɛ4- group (including APOE genotypes 2/3 and 3/3). The control group included 61 participants (including APOE genotypes 3/4, 4/4, 2/3, 3/3 and 2/2). The baseline (T0) and follow-up assessments (T1, T2, T3) included detailed measurements of psychological (threat and anxiety experience, stage of change), and behavioral (dietary fat quality, consumption of vegetables, - high fat/sugar foods and –alcohol, physical activity and health and taste attitudes) and clinical factors (total-, LDL- HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood glucose (0h and 2h), body mass index, waist circumference and body fat percentage). During the intervention six different communication sessions (lectures on healthy lifestyle and nutrigenomics, health messages by mail, and personal discussion with the doctor) were arranged. The intervention groups (Ɛ4+ and Ɛ4-) received their APOE genotype information and health message at the beginning of the intervention. The control group received their APOE genotype information after the intervention. For the analyses in this dissertation, the results for 106/107 participants were analyzed. In the intervention, there were 16 participants in the high-risk (Ɛ4+) group and 35 in the low-risk (Ɛ4-) group. The control group had 55 participants in studies III-IV and 56 participants in studies I-II. The intervention had both short-term (≤ 6 months) and long-term (12 months) effects on health behavior and clinical factors. The short-term effects were found in dietary fat quality and waist circumference. Dietary fat quality improved more in the Ɛ4+ group than the Ɛ4- and the control groups as the personal, genotype-based health information and waist circumference lowered more in the Ɛ4+ group compared with the control group. Both these changes differed significantly between the Ɛ4+ and control groups (p<0.05). A long-term effect was found in triglyceride values (p<0.05), which lowered more in Ɛ4+ compared with the control group during the intervention. Short-term effects were also found in the threat experience, which increased mostly in the Ɛ4+ group after the genetic feedback (p<0.05), but it decreased after 12 months, although remaining at a higher level compared to the baseline (T0). In addition, Study IV found that changes in the psychological factors (anxiety and threat experience, motivation), health and taste attitudes, and health behaviors (dietary, alcohol consumption, and physical activity) did not directly explain the changes in triglyceride values and waist circumference. However, change caused by a threat experience may have affected the change in triglycerides through total- and HDL cholesterol. In conclusion, this dissertation study has given some indications that individual, genotypebased health information could be one potential option in the future to prevent lifestyle-related diseases in public health care. The results of this study imply that personal genetic information, based on APOE, may have positive effects on dietary fat quality and some cardiovascular risk markers (e.g., improvement in triglyceride values and waist circumference). This study also suggests that psychological factors (e.g. anxiety and threat experience) may not be an obstacle for healthy people to use genotype-based health information to promote healthy lifestyles. However, even in the case of very personal health information, in order to achieve a permanent health behavior change, it is important to include attitudes and other psychological factors (e.g. motivation), as well as intensive repetition and a longer intervention duration. This research will serve as a basis for future studies and its information can be used to develop targeted interventions, including health information based on genotyping that would aim at preventing lifestyle diseases. People’s interest in personalized health advices has increased, while also the costs of genetic screening have decreased. Therefore, generally speaking, it can be assumed that genetic screening as a part of the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases may become more common in the future. In consequence, more research is required about how to make genetic screening a practical tool in public health care, and how to efficiently achieve long-term changes.

Yritysvastuu osuuskaupan toimitusketjussa –Tapaustutkimus

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tarkastella, minkälainen merkitys yritysvastuulla on osuuskaupan toimitusketjussa. Case-yritykseksi valittiin Etelä-Karjalan osuuskauppa, joka on S-ryhmän yksi alueosuuskaupoista. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin puolistrukturoitua haastattelua, joka suoritettiin case-yrityksen paikallisille tavarantoimittajille joko puhelimitse tai sähköpostitse. Lisäksi analysoitiin S-ryhmän vuoden 2014 vastuuraportti, johon Etelä-Karjalan osuuskaupan yritysvastuuohjelma perustuu. Haastatteluihin pyydetyistä viidestä tavarantoimittajasta vain kaksi suostui haastateltavaksi. Yritysvastuuraportin analyysin perusteella S-ryhmä ja sen alueosuuskaupat pitävät toimitusketjun vastuullisuutta erittäin tärkeänä. Raportissa korostetaan tavarantoimittajan edellyttämistä rehelliseen ja vastuulliseen toimintaan sekä toimitusketjun tarkkaa tuntemista, jotta vastuullisuuden tasoa voidaan kehittää yhteisvoimin. Tavarantoimittajien haastattelujen perusteella toimittajayrityksissä harjoitetaan yritysvastuutoimintaa, mutta ei kuitenkaan tarkkaan tiedetä termin sisältöä, vaan toimitaan omien eettisten arvojen ja taloudellisten intressien perusteella. Molemmat haastateltavat totesivat, ettei osuuskauppa edellyttänyt tiettyä yritysvastuun tasoa, eikä varmentanut toimittajan vastuullisuutta. Tämän pienimuotoisen tapaustutkimuksen perusteella voi todeta, ettei Etelä-Karjalan osuuskauppa ole huomioinut yritysvastuuta tavarantoimitussopimuksia laatiessaan. Kyse voi olla joko siitä, ettei alueosuuskauppaa ole sitoutettu S-ryhmän vastuuohjelmaan tarpeeksi hyvin, tai että vastuuraportissa mainitut asiat huomioidaan vain globaaleissa toimitusketjuissa.

[Les Animaux modèles]

Ancien possesseur : Poulenc, Francis (1899-1963)

Voz del cliente SQyF, Internacionalización Acumulado 2011 - 2012

Banco del conocimiento

Seguimiento a respuestas primer trimestre 2012, Dirección de mercadeo- Servicio al cliente

Banco del conocimiento

Seguimiento a respuestas primer trimestre sedes 2012, Dirección de mercadeo- Servicio al cliente

Banco del conocimiento

Seguimientos a respuestas. Dirección de mercadeo - servicio al cliente

Banco del conocimiento

Seguimiento a respuestas, Dirección de mercadeo - servicio al cliente

Banco del conocimiento

1979 thank you from McDonald's

Peter Miller responds to Terry O'Malley and the Vickers & Benson team on the "thank you McDonald's" ad which appeared in the Globe & Mail the day after the presentation to the company.

Education, sport and myth in the community of Glengarry, Ontario : the athletic career of Roderick R. McLennan. 260 St. Catharines, Ont. : Faculty of Education, Brock University ;

This study examined how the athletic career of Roderick R. McLennan contributed to the popularization and subsequent development of Caledonian games in Ontario during the latter nineteenth century. Initially, the development of Caledonian games during the 1800s was examined to provide a contextual framework for McLennan's career. This investigation revealed that the games emerged from rural athletic events at pioneer working bees in the first quarter of the nineteenth century to regional sporting events by the mid-1800s, and finally into annual federated Caledonian games in 1870. Noteworthy primary source material for this chapter included the John MacGillivray Papers at the National Archives of Canada, the Scottish American Journal (NY) and the files retained by the Glengarry Sport Hall of Fame in Maxville, Ontario. Following the investigation of Caledonian games, McLennan's early athletic career was studied. Analysis of the Roderick and Farquhar McLennan Papers at the Archives of Ontario and the newspapers from the period revealed that McLennan rose to popularity in 1865 through a "Championship of the World" hammer throwing match in Cornwall and two "Starring Tours". The next chapter examined the height of McLennan's career through an investigation of the Roderick McLennan versus Donald Dinnie rivalry of the early .. n 1870s. It was detennined that the rivalry between McLennan and Dinnie, the champion athlete of Highland games in Scotland, was a popular attraction and had an impact on the Toronto and Montreal games of 1870 and the Toronto games of 1872. Finally, the athletic records established by McLennan during the 1860s and 1870s were investigated. These records were examined through the context of a media controversy over McLennan's feats that developed in the early 1880s between two newspapers. This controversy erupted between the Toronto Mail and the Spirit of the Times. Caledonian games in Canada have only been briefly examined and a thorough examination of prominent Canadian figures in this context has yet to be undertaken. This study unearths a prominent Canadian athlete of Scottish decent and details his involvement in the Caledonian games of nineteenth century Ontario.

Self-reported health status and lifestyle behaviours of the residents of the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, as related to the Canadian Community Health Survey

The purpose of this cross sectional survey design was to examine self-reported health status and lifestyle behaviours of the residents of the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, as related to the Canadian Community Health Survey. Using a mail-out survey, entitled the Fort Erie Survey of Health (FESH), a probability cluster sampling technique was used to measure self-reported health status (present health, health conditions, health challenges, functional health limitations) and lifestyle behaviour (smoking, alcohol use, drug use, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, body weight, and gaming). Each variable was described and analyzed in relation to socio-economic variables, age and gender. The findings from this study were compared to the Canadian Community Health Survey 2000/2001. Overall, 640 surveys were completed. The majority of Fort Erie residents rated their present health as good and were satisfied with their overall health and quality of life. The main chronic conditions reported were arthritis, back pain and heart disease. Other main health problems reported were vision, sleeping and chronic pain. Overall, 14.6% smoke; 58.8% engaged in physical activity either occasionally or never as opposed to regularly engaging in physical activity; 52.1% did not eat the required daily fruits and vegetables; and 40.0% were in the overweight category. Persons who practiced one healthy lifestyle behaviour were more likely to practice other healthy promoting behaviours. Therefore, health promotion programs are best designed to address multiple risk factors simultaneously. The ffiSH was generally consistent with the Canadian Community Health Survey in the overall findings. A small number of inconsistencies were identified that require further exploration to determine if they are unique to this community.