Meningsfulla måltidsupplevelser : En modell för skapandet av meningsfulla måltidsupplevelser med storytelling som verktyg

The study describes the experience industry and experience community with a focus on food as well as current theories about experience production, which have been study at the Department of Arts, Communication and Learning at Luleå University of Technology. The essay has been prepared by a positivistic approach with an extended qualitative method theory and a deductive approach. The study is based on a literature review and qualitative interviews to find answers to how meaningful culinary experiences can be defined by an experience production perspective. The study also defines how storytelling can contribute to a meaningful culinary experience and how a restaurant can make use of storytelling to create meaningful culinary experiences for a guest. The study's object has been to develop a model that meets the purpose for this essay: "From an experience production perspective study how storytelling can be applied as a tool to create meaningful culinary experiences." Storytelling is a central concept in the model, with the aim that a restaurant can apply the model at their own business in order to create meaningful culinary experiences for a guest. The study shows that the use of storytelling can have both positive and negative aspects for a restaurant and that storytelling can be implemented in various forms and degrees in a restaurant daily operation. The study also shows that a meaningful culinary experience requires the guest to be emotionally touched and that a restaurant only can create tools for the guest to feel the meaningfulness of the culinary experience.Validerat; 20120625 (anonymous

Effects of imidazoline compounds on intracellular CA2+ and apoptosis

Cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin release from the pancreatic beta-cell. [Ca2+]i is also important in the control of apoptosis. The extracellular Ca2+ and intracellular Ca2' pools are responsible for the changes in [Ca2+]i in the pancreatic beta-cell subsequent to stimulation with nutrients, hormones and neuropeptides. The metabolism of glucose leads to an increase in the ATP/ADP ratio and subsequent closure of ATP-dependent K' channels (KATP channels), membrane depolarization, opening of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels and, finally, an influx of extracellular Ca2+. A great number of pharmacological agents affect [Ca2+]i and thus regulate the insulin secretory machinery. Among these are the imidazolines, compounds with the characteristic imidazoline moiety. Importantly, imidazoline compound RX871024 (1-phenyl-2-(imidazolin-2-yl)benzimidazole) increased glucose- and arginine-induced insulin and somatostatin release and decreased arginine-stimulated glucagon release. We have therefore explored the mechanism of the insulinotropic action of imidazoline compounds in pancreatic beta-cells. Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of RX871024 on apoptosis of the P-cell. RX871024 increased [Ca2+]i by closure of KATP channels, leading to membrane depolarization and opening of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels and, finally, influx of extracellular Ca2+. This effect was observed in single islets and in single beta-cells isolated from Wistar rats, oblob mice, and insulin-secreting HIT-T15 cells. Moreover, RX871024 increased intracellular [Ca2+]i in human pancreatic islets. In addition to the increase in [Ca2+]i due to activation of Ca2+ influx into the cell, the imidazoline compounds RX871024 and phentolamine induce release of Ca2+ from non-mitochondrial thapsigargin-sensitive intracellular stores. The insulinotropic activity of the imidazoline compound RX871024 was studied in diabetic GK (Goto-Kakizaki) rats. The spontaneously diabetic non-obese GK rat exhibited high basal plasma glucose and insulin levels and poor glucose-induced insulin secretion, which makes it a suitable model for type 2 diabetes. The insulinotropic activity of RX871024 was higher than that of the sulfonylurea glibenclamide in islets from both control and GK rats. This difference was more pronounced in GK rat islets. Glucose induced a delayed [Ca2+]i response in the GK rat pancreatic islet. This delay in [Ca2+]i increase is likely to result from the defective metabolism of glucose in the diabetic islet. RX871024 induced a faster increase in [Ca 2+]i and a faster inhibition of KATP channel activity in GK rat islets compared to control islets. Thus, RX871024 substantially improved glucose sensitivity in diabetic beta-cells. In many cases elevated levels of [Ca2+]i over physiological concentrations have been demonstrated to trigger cell death. In the present studies, the role of Ca2+ in beta-cell apoptosis has been investigated. High glucose concentrations, as well as the absence of glucose in the medium, interleukin 1-0 (IL-1beta) and the sulfonylurea tolbutamide induced apoptosis of pancreatic beta-cells. by a process which was Ca2+-dependent. IL-10 triggered apoptosis in ob/ob mouse beta-cells. by activating nitric oxide synthase and increasing nitric oxide (NO) production. Protein kinase G and the Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatases calcineurin are involved in the apoptotic action of IL-1beta. In contrast to the sulfonylurea tolbutamide, the imidazoline compounds RX871024 and efaroxan promoted survival of beta-cells. by decreasing beta-cell apoptosis. RX871024 suppressed IL-1beta-induced apoptosis by the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase and a subsequent decrease in NO production. In conclusion, the imidazoline compound RX871024 enhanced insulin and somatostatin release and inhibited glucagon release. The increase in [Ca2+]i is the important mechanism behind the insulinotropic effect of RX871024. This compound substantially improved glucose sensitivity in diabetic beta-cells. Moreover, the imidazoline compounds RX871024 and efaroxan exerted an antiapoptotic action. These studies may help in design of new drugs for the management of diabetes mellitu

Assessment in compulsory education for pupils with intellectual disabilities. : An interview study of some teachers´ experienses of assessment in compulsory education for pupils with intellectual disabilities.

The aim of this study is to explore how some teachers in compulsory education for pupils with intellectual disabilities work with assessing the knowledge development in pupils in their daily work. The study is based on four semi structured interviews with teachers in compulsory education for pupils with intellectual disabilities. The results of the study show that teachers enjoy working in compulsory education for pupils with intellectual disabilities and that they think that assessment is a big part of everyday schoolwork. The teachers are aware of how the assessment process is supposed to work but their knowledge level, that the result shows, is not always sufficient to find useful methods and tools for assessment. This result shows that it is formative assessment which is largely applied. Teachers use many methods and contexts that enable assessment of pupils´ knowledge such as talks, observations and documentation. The results show that feedback is used partly to make visible the student´s knowledge level to the teacher, and partly to make the development of knowledge visible to the student himself. The object feedback is to show where the student is, what the goal is and how the student should get there. Several of the teachers strive to encourage students´ participation in their own learning process by developing the knowledge goals together and through frequent feedback.Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur några lärare i grundsärskolan resonerar kring bedömning av elevernas kunskapsutveckling. Studien belyser lärarnas erfarenheter kring bedömning ur ett brett perspektiv och i det vardagliga skolarbetet. Studien bygger på fyra halvstrukturerade intervjuer med lärare som arbetar i grundsärskolans årskurser 1-6. Resultatet visar att lärarna trivs att arbeta i grundsärskolan och att de tycker att bedömning utgör en stor del av det vardagliga skolarbetet. Resultatet visar att lärarna har kunskap om hur bedömningsarbetet är tänkt att fungera men en kunskap som inte alltid är tillräcklig för att finna användbara metoder och redskap för bedömning. I resultatet framträder att det är formativ bedömning som till största delen tillämpas. Lärarna visar många metoder och sammanhang som möjliggör bedömning av elevernas kunskapsutveckling såsom samtal, observationer och dokumentation. Resultatet visar att återkoppling används dels för att synliggöra elevens kunskapsutveckling för läraren och dels för att synliggöra kunskapsutvecklingen för eleven själv. Återkopplingens syfte är att visa var eleven är, vad målet är och hur eleven ska nå dit. Flera av lärarna eftersträvar elevernas delaktighet i sin egen kunskapsprocess genom att utarbeta kunskapsmålen tillsammans och genom tät vardaglig återkoppling.

Porträtteringen av tiggare : En kvalitativ innehållsanalys utifrån valda debattartiklar

I denna studie undersöks hur tiggare porträtteras i debattartiklar samt om det finns mönster i de olika tidningarnas porträttering. Till vår hjälp har vi använt oss av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och hämtat vår empiri från fyra utvalda tidningar. Empirin baseras på tjugoåtta debattartiklar från tidningarna; Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen och Svenska Dagbladet. Studien utgår från en hermeneutisk inriktning med ett konstruktionistiskt synsätt. De teoretiker vi använder oss av i studien är; Bauman, Becker, Berg, Elias och Scotson. I analysen presenteras fyra teman som uppkom under resultatdelen. Dessa teman är samhällsansvar, medmänsklighet, åtgärder och förbud. Studien visar att det sker stämplingar, stigmatiseringar, utanförskap gällande tiggare och ett liv som en vandrare skildras. Det som också framkom är att det sker en diskriminering av romer som tiggare. De mönster vi fann hos tidningarna är att de i stort rör sig i samma ”åsiktsbubbla”, mer eller mindre.

Porträtteringen av tiggare : En kvalitativ innehållsanalys utifrån valda debattartiklar

I denna studie undersöks hur tiggare porträtteras i debattartiklar samt om det finns mönster i de olika tidningarnas porträttering. Till vår hjälp har vi använt oss av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och hämtat vår empiri från fyra utvalda tidningar. Empirin baseras på tjugoåtta debattartiklar från tidningarna; Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen och Svenska Dagbladet. Studien utgår från en hermeneutisk inriktning med ett konstruktionistiskt synsätt. De teoretiker vi använder oss av i studien är; Bauman, Becker, Berg, Elias och Scotson. I analysen presenteras fyra teman som uppkom under resultatdelen. Dessa teman är samhällsansvar, medmänsklighet, åtgärder och förbud. Studien visar att det sker stämplingar, stigmatiseringar, utanförskap gällande tiggare och ett liv som en vandrare skildras. Det som också framkom är att det sker en diskriminering av romer som tiggare. De mönster vi fann hos tidningarna är att de i stort rör sig i samma ”åsiktsbubbla”, mer eller mindre.

"Vi måste kunna fånga upp det här, jobba vidare med frågan och våga gå ner på djupet" - en kvalitativ studie om det förebyggande sociala arbetet mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck i Malmö

Syftet med studien är att undersöka det sociala arbetet som syftar till att förebygga hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck i Malmö. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats som innefattar semistrukturerade intervjuer med sammanlagt sex respondenter. Respondenterna representerar fyra organisationer som på olika sätt arbetar förebyggande mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck. För att analysera vårt resultat har vi använt oss av tidigare forskning i ämnet och olika teoretiska förklaringsmodeller. De teoretiska förklaringsmodellerna syftar till att tolka hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck, både dess orsaker och uttryck. Av den tidigare forskning vi har tagit del av framhålls bland annat vikten av förebyggande socialt arbete i skolor. Som ett resultat av vår studie har vi kunnat konstatera att nyckeln i det förebyggande sociala arbetet i denna fråga är informationsarbete, i form av till exempel utbildning och upplysning. Detta informationsarbete är starkt genomsyrat av ett rättighetsperspektiv, baserat på bland annat mänskliga rättigheter, Barnkonventionen, jämställdhets- och likabehandlingsprinciper. Det är också uppenbart att det förebyggande sociala arbetet bör grundas på den enskilde individens perspektiv och behov. Vårt resultat har visat skillnader mellan de olika organisationerna, särskilt när det gäller arbetsmetoder och ingångspunkter i vad hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck är.The purpose of this study is to explore and examine the social work that aims to prevent honour-related violence and oppression in Malmö. We have taken a qualitative approach in our study, which includes semi-structured interviews with a total of six respondents. The respondents represent four organizations which all work in both similar and different ways to prevent honour-related violence and oppression. Our results have been analyzed through already existing research and theoretical standpoints. The theoretical standpoints aim to interpret both the causes and expressions of honour-related violence and oppression. As for the research we have reviewed, some highlight prevention work in schools. As a result of our study we have been able to ascertain that the key in the preventive social work regarding this issue is informational work, such as education and enlightenment. This informational work is strongly influenced by a perspective based on Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), equal opportunities and democratic principles. It is also evident that the preventive social work should be based on the individual’s own perspective and needs. The results have shown differences between the different organizations, particularly with regard to approaches and entry points into what honour-related violence and oppression is

Imidazoline compounds protect against interleukin 1beta-induced beta-cell apoptosis

Imidazoline compounds have been considered for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We have now investigated the effects of imidazolines on interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced beta-cell apoptosis and the signal transduction pathways involved. Inhibition of Ca2+ influx into beta-cells by D-600, a blocker of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels, suppressed IL-1beta-induced apoptosis. Our data show that calcineurin, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2B, is responsible for the effect of Ca2+ on beta-cell apoptosis. We also demonstrate that IL-1beta-mediated apoptosis correlates with expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the increase in intracellular production of nitric oxide. An inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), KT5823, suppressed IL-1beta-induced apoptosis, suggesting the involvement of a PKG-dependent pathway in the apoptotic process. One of the major findings in this study is that imidazoline compounds RX871024 and efaroxan, suggested as prototypes of a new generation of drugs against type 2 diabetes, can protect against IL-1beta-induced apoptosis in pancreatic beta-cells, possibly by their inhibition of the expression of iNOS, a key element in the IL-1beta-induced apoptotic pathway in pancreatic beta-cells. These data suggest that imidazoline compounds should be explored as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes

The Novel Imidazoline Compound BL11282 Potentiates Glucose-Induced Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic β-Cells in the Absence of Modulation of KATP Channel Activity

The insulinotropic activity of the novel imidazoline compound BL11282 was investigated. Intravenous administration of BL11282 (0.3 mg · kg–1 · min–1) to anesthetized rats did not change blood glucose and insulin levels under basal conditions, but produced a higher increase in blood insulin levels and a faster glucose removal from the blood after glucose infusion. Similarly, in isolated Wistar rat pancreatic islets, 0.1–100 μmol/l BL11282 potently stimulated glucose-induced insulin secretion but did not modulate basal insulin secretion. Unlike previously described imidazolines, BL11282 did not block ATP-dependent K+ channels. Furthermore, the compound stimulated insulin secretion in islets depolarized with high concentrations of KCl or permeabilized with electric shock. Insulinotropic activity of BL11282 was dependent on activity of protein kinases A and C. In pancreatic islets from spontaneously diabetic GK rats, the imidazoline compound restored the impaired insulin response to glucose. In conclusion, the imidazoline BL11282 constitutes a new class of insulinotropic compounds that exerts an exclusive glucose-dependent insulinotropic activity in pancreatic islets by stimulating insulin exocytosis

Type 1 Diabetic Serum Interferes with Pancreatic β-cell Ca2+ -Handling

The aim of this study was to clarify the frequency of patients with type 1 diabetes that have serum that increases pancreatic β-cell cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, and if such an effect is also present in serum from first-degree relatives. We also studied a possible link between the serum effect and ethnic background as well as presence of autoantibodies. Sera obtained from three different countries were investigated as follows: 82 Swedish Caucasians with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, 56 Americans with different duration of type 1 diabetes, 117 American first-degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients with a mixed ethnic background and 31 Caucasian Finnish children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Changes in [Ca2+]i, upon depolarization, were measured in β-cells incubated overnight with sera from type 1 diabetic patients, first-degree relatives or healthy controls. Our data show that there is a group constituting approximately 30% of type 1 diabetic patients of different gender, age, ethnic background and duration of the disease, as well as first-degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients, that have sera that interfere with pancreatic β-cell Ca2+-handling. This effect on β-cell [Ca2+]i could not be correlated to the presence of autoantibodies. In a defined subgroup of patients with type 1 diabetes and first-degree relatives a defect Ca2+-handling may aggravate development of β-cell destruction

Insulinotropic activity of the imidazoline derivative RX871024 in the diabetic GK rat

The insulinotropic activity of the imidazoline derivative RX871024 was compared in pancreatic islets from nondiabetic Wistar rats and spontaneously diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. RX871024 significantly stimulated insulin secretion in islets from both animal groups. The insulinotropic activity of RX871024 was higher than that of the sulfonylurea glibenclamide. This difference was more pronounced in islets from GK rats compared with Wistar rat islets. More importantly, RX871024 substantially improved glucose sensitivity in diabetic beta-cells, whereas glibenclamide stimulated insulin secretion about twofold over a broad range of glucose concentrations in nondiabetic and diabetic rats. RX871024 induced a faster increase in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration and faster inhibition of ATP-dependent K(+) channel activity in GK rat islets compared with Wistar rat islets. RX871024 also induced a more pronounced increase in diacylglycerol concentration in GK rat islets. These data support the idea that imidazoline compounds can form the basis for the development of novel drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes, which can restore glucose sensitivity in diabetic beta-cells