24 research outputs found

    Serving Excellence. Achieving Excellence through Restaurant Management: Case Study of Fine Dining Restaurants in the Countryside of SkÄne

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    The main purpose of this study is to increase the current level of theoretical understanding, concerning the role of management in securing excellent dining experience within the fine dining restaurant sector of Southern Sweden. This thesis employs the qualitative approach and uses case studies as a research strategy. The primary data is collected through interviews, document studies (personal documents and photo elicitation), and in addition of observations. The Five Aspects Meal Model (FAMM) serves as a basis for this study which is complimented by additional theory. The results of the study allow for concluding that the restaurant management is aware of the importance of their role in securing excellent dining experience as well as of the significance of staff integration into the overall restaurant concept. Furthermore, FAMM and additional theories are found to be relevant and practiced either consciously or subconsciously. The study mainly focuses on the managerial perspective (internal aspects), and does not directly explore customers views, changes in the society, etc. (external aspects)

    Probing carbonyl–water hydrogen-bond interactions in thin polyoxazoline brushes

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    Temperature-responsive oxazoline-based polymer brushes have gained increased attention as biocompatible surfaces. In aqueous environment, they can be tuned between hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior triggered by a temperature stimulus. This transition is connected with changes in molecule–solvent interactions and results in a switching of the brushes between swollen and collapsed states. This work studies the temperature-dependent interactions between poly(2-oxazoline) brushes and water. In detail, thermoresponsive poly(2-cyclopropyl-2-oxazoline), nonresponsive hydrophilic poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), as well as a copolymer of the two were investigated with in situinfrared ellipsometry. Focus was put on interactions of the brushes’ carbonyl groups with water molecules. Different polymer–water interactions could be observed and assigned to hydrogen bonding between C=O groups and water molecules. The switching behavior of the brushes in the range of 20–45°C was identified by frequency shifts and intensity changes of the amide I band

    Probing carbonyl–water hydrogen-bond interactions in thin polyoxazoline brushes

    Get PDF
    Temperature-responsive oxazoline-based polymer brushes have gained increased attention as biocompatible surfaces. In aqueous environment, they can be tuned between hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior triggered by a temperature stimulus. This transition is connected with changes in molecule–solvent interactions and results in a switching of the brushes between swollen and collapsed states. This work studies the temperature-dependent interactions between poly(2-oxazoline) brushes and water. In detail, thermoresponsive poly(2-cyclopropyl-2-oxazoline), nonresponsive hydrophilic poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), as well as a copolymer of the two were investigated with in situinfrared ellipsometry. Focus was put on interactions of the brushes’ carbonyl groups with water molecules. Different polymer–water interactions could be observed and assigned to hydrogen bonding between C=O groups and water molecules. The switching behavior of the brushes in the range of 20–45°C was identified by frequency shifts and intensity changes of the amide I band

    Summer Universities for Women in Computer Science

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    A cross-university approach will be discussed that reflects moneducation, networking, and gender oriented organizational reforms in university programs. The concept was developed in Germany in 1997 as a national approach. Each year “Informatica Feminale” (www. Informatica-feminale.de) attracts more than 70 female lectures from universities, research, or industry to give courses on all topics of computer science oriented to the existing university curricula. Participants are female students as well as women interested in further education. The approach has won an European award for best practice. Since 2003 Austria provides a similar project called the “ditact-women’s IT summer studies” (www.ditact.ac.at). Another project will be located in New Zealand in 2005 as the “Computing Women Conference” (www/ cwc.org.nz)

    HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44+ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis

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    Background & aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by severe inflammation and destruction of the intestinal epithelium, and is associated with specific risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA class II. Given the recently discovered interactions between subsets of HLA-DP molecules and the activating natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKp44, genetic associations of UC and HLA-DP haplotypes and their functional implications were investigated.Methods: HLA-DP haplotype and UC risk association analyses were performed (UC: n = 13,927; control: n = 26,764). Expression levels of HLA-DP on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in individuals with and without UC were quantified. Human intestinal 3-dimensional (3D) organoid cocultures with human NK cells were used to determine functional consequences of interactions between HLA-DP and NKp44.Results: These studies identified HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗04:01 (HLA-DP401) as a risk haplotype and HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗03:01 (HLA-DP301) as a protective haplotype for UC in European populations. HLA-DP expression was significantly higher on IECs of individuals with UC compared with controls. IECs in human intestinal 3D organoids derived from HLA-DP401pos individuals showed significantly stronger binding of NKp44 compared with HLA-DP301pos IECs. HLA-DP401pos IECs in organoids triggered increased degranulation and tumor necrosis factor production by NKp44+ NK cells in cocultures, resulting in enhanced epithelial cell death compared with HLA-DP301pos organoids. Blocking of HLA-DP401-NKp44 interactions (anti-NKp44) abrogated NK cell activity in cocultures.Conclusions: We identified an UC risk HLA-DP haplotype that engages NKp44 and activates NKp44+ NK cells, mediating damage to intestinal epithelial cells in an HLA-DP haplotype-dependent manner. The molecular interaction between NKp44 and HLA-DP401 in UC can be targeted by therapeutic interventions to reduce NKp44+ NK cell-mediated destruction of the intestinal epithelium in UC

    HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44+ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis

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    Background & aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by severe inflammation and destruction of the intestinal epithelium, and is associated with specific risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA class II. Given the recently discovered interactions between subsets of HLA-DP molecules and the activating natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKp44, genetic associations of UC and HLA-DP haplotypes and their functional implications were investigated.Methods: HLA-DP haplotype and UC risk association analyses were performed (UC: n = 13,927; control: n = 26,764). Expression levels of HLA-DP on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in individuals with and without UC were quantified. Human intestinal 3-dimensional (3D) organoid cocultures with human NK cells were used to determine functional consequences of interactions between HLA-DP and NKp44.Results: These studies identified HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗04:01 (HLA-DP401) as a risk haplotype and HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗03:01 (HLA-DP301) as a protective haplotype for UC in European populations. HLA-DP expression was significantly higher on IECs of individuals with UC compared with controls. IECs in human intestinal 3D organoids derived from HLA-DP401pos individuals showed significantly stronger binding of NKp44 compared with HLA-DP301pos IECs. HLA-DP401pos IECs in organoids triggered increased degranulation and tumor necrosis factor production by NKp44+ NK cells in cocultures, resulting in enhanced epithelial cell death compared with HLA-DP301pos organoids. Blocking of HLA-DP401-NKp44 interactions (anti-NKp44) abrogated NK cell activity in cocultures.Conclusions: We identified an UC risk HLA-DP haplotype that engages NKp44 and activates NKp44+ NK cells, mediating damage to intestinal epithelial cells in an HLA-DP haplotype-dependent manner. The molecular interaction between NKp44 and HLA-DP401 in UC can be targeted by therapeutic interventions to reduce NKp44+ NK cell-mediated destruction of the intestinal epithelium in UC

    HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44<sup>+</sup> Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis

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    Background &amp; Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by severe inflammation and destruction of the intestinal epithelium, and is associated with specific risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA class II. Given the recently discovered interactions between subsets of HLA-DP molecules and the activating natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKp44, genetic associations of UC and HLA-DP haplotypes and their functional implications were investigated. Methods: HLA-DP haplotype and UC risk association analyses were performed (UC: n = 13,927; control: n = 26,764). Expression levels of HLA-DP on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in individuals with and without UC were quantified. Human intestinal 3-dimensional (3D) organoid cocultures with human NK cells were used to determine functional consequences of interactions between HLA-DP and NKp44. Results: These studies identified HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗04:01 (HLA-DP401) as a risk haplotype and HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗03:01 (HLA-DP301) as a protective haplotype for UC in European populations. HLA-DP expression was significantly higher on IECs of individuals with UC compared with controls. IECs in human intestinal 3D organoids derived from HLA-DP401pos individuals showed significantly stronger binding of NKp44 compared with HLA-DP301pos IECs. HLA-DP401pos IECs in organoids triggered increased degranulation and tumor necrosis factor production by NKp44+ NK cells in cocultures, resulting in enhanced epithelial cell death compared with HLA-DP301pos organoids. Blocking of HLA-DP401–NKp44 interactions (anti-NKp44) abrogated NK cell activity in cocultures. Conclusions: We identified an UC risk HLA-DP haplotype that engages NKp44 and activates NKp44+ NK cells, mediating damage to intestinal epithelial cells in an HLA-DP haplotype–dependent manner. The molecular interaction between NKp44 and HLA-DP401 in UC can be targeted by therapeutic interventions to reduce NKp44+ NK cell–mediated destruction of the intestinal epithelium in UC.</p
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