The Blur Table: An investigation of the virtual experience through the social act of the meal

The social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic challenged the performance of the home. A blurry tangle of states of minds was left on the dinner table when the spatial transitions between private and public activities suddenly disappeared. Myriads of formal and informal activities could be conducted from the same spot, often with the computer as tool. Today, most are back in physical facilities, but traces from the pandemic are left in the way of working. This project investigates the relationship between virtual space, physical objects, and the user in a domestic context. Rather than improving the home and its interior, the project suggests ways of working with the virtual from an architectural point of view. The space-investigating tools of the architect are used not to illustrate thought, but to constitute thought. By intersecting the findings on the virtual with the social act of the meal, the virtual is given a context and can thereby be understood from a phenomenological perspective. The meal remains central throughout the project as it enables spatial activation and creates tension between the virtual and the physical. The notions explored in the project are synthesised in The Blur Table: the border-less furniture

Effects on Microbiota Composition after Consumption of Quinoa Beverage Fermented by a Novel Xylose-Metabolizing L. plantarum strain

Demands for novel lactic acid bacteria with potential to be used as probiotics along with healthy fermented plant-based products increase worldwide. In this study, a novel Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P31891 strain with enzymatic capacity to degrade tannins and ferment xylose was used as starter culture for fermentation of a quinoa-based beverage. The probiotic potential of the selected strain was evaluated in healthy volunteers. Twenty participants consumed the beverage for 14 days; microbiota changes in saliva and faecal samples were analyzed by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and qPCR; and gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms were recorded. The results indicated that the consumption of the beverage with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P31891 in a probiotic dose (1012 CFU/mL) increased the number of Lactobacillus in the feces but not in saliva. Overall, the bacterial community did not seem to be influenced by the bacterium or by the beverage, as expressed by the diversity indexes, butspecific genera were affected, as reflected in changes in amplicon sequence variants. Consequently, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P31891 showed potential to be categorized as a probiotic strain in the fermented quinoa-based beverage

Aspects of infant food factors on intestinal inflammation and effects of probiotics in celiac disease autoimmunity

Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to study dietary components with focus on exposure and ability to affect gutpermeability, peripheral immune response and gut microbiota in children at genetic risk of developing CD. Thespecific aims were to study presence of food components that might induce intestinal inflammation, evaluatepossible effects on intestinal permeability by food emulsifiers, investigate if two different strains of Lactobacillaceaeaffect ongoing CD autoimmunity and gut microbiota composition.Methods: Porridges and milk cereal drinks were analysed for presence of endotoxins. The quantity of bacteria wasdetermined using culturing methods and identified with Sanger sequencing. Enterotoxin producing genes wereanalysed through multiplex PCR. Modification of intestinal permeability ex vivo in rat by emulsifiers were determinedwith Ussing diffusion chamber. Changes in immune response after intake of probiotic bacteria or placebo in 78children with CDA were measured using flow cytometry while changes in tissue transglutaminase autoantibodylevels were measured in radioligand binding assays. Effects of probiotic intake on the gut microbiota weredetermined by 16SrRNA sequencing.Results: Endotoxin concentrations ranged from 1400 to 24200 EU/g powder and bacteria were present in allproducts. Polysorbate 80 (P80) was able to increase the permeability in the rat intestine ex vivo to a greater extentcompared with carboxymethyl cellulose and beta-lactoglobulin. The probiotic bacteria seemed to inhibit theperipheral immune response in children with CDA compared with placebo and affected the gut microbiota towardsa composition more similar to healthy controls.Conclusion: Endotoxins are present in powdered infant cereal-based foods and the amount of living bacteria mightbe substantial. P80 appeared to increase the intestinal permeability ex vivo in rat more compared with the otheremulsifiers. Probiotic supplementation decreased the level of NKT-cells in children with CDA and influenced theabundance of specific bacterial amplicon sequence variants in the gut microbiota

Barn och sexualitet : En intervjustudie om förskollärares förhållningssätt till barns sexualitet i förskolan

Ämnet för examensarbetet är barns sexualitet och hur förskollärare förhåller sig till detta i sin profession. Syftet med arbetet är att synliggöra och diskutera problematiken kring förskolans förhållningssätt till barns sexualitet. Detta genom att undersöka hur enskilda förskollärare och arbetslag arbetar och diskuterar kring barns sexualitet. Genom detta förväntas vi få en uppfattning om det förhållningsätt som råder på de två förskolorna. Metoden som valdes var kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer. Tio förskollärare intervjuades på två skilda förskolor, fem på respektive förskola. Resultatet visar att den enskilda förskolläraren har en uppfattning av sitt förhållningsätt angående barns sexualitet, men att det sällan finns ett uttalat gemensamt förhållningsätt i arbetslaget eller på förskolan. Alla förskollärarna menade att det är viktigt att respektera barn i deras sexuella utveckling men det rådde en oenighet om vad som är barns sexualitet. Det visade sig även att trots att det var det professionella förhållningssättet som efterfrågades i studien fanns det en stark koppling till den privata uppfattningen av sexualitet. Gemensamt hos majoriteten av förskollärarna var att de ansåg att de behövde mer kunskap inom ämnet för att professionellt kunna bemöta barns uttryck för sexualitet samt att arbetslaget bör ha en samsyn om detta

Autochthonous microorganisms of white quinoa grains with special attention to novel functional properties of lactobacilli strains

Quinoa sourdough can safely be produced if the hygienic threshold of miss-fermentation during the start-up period is overcome. The aims of the present study are to map the microbiota of spontaneously formed quinoa sourdough without backslopping and select Lactiplantibacillus-strains. Viable count from grains and sourdough were performed and picked isolates were identified by gene sequencing. Lactiplantibacillus interspecies differentiation was evaluated by specific primers targeting the recA region, fermentation capacity and enzymatic abilities applying colorimetric assays, respectively. High initial levels of Enterobacteriaceae and other opportunistic pathogens decreased gradually, and the pH dropped below 4. The results indicate that spontaneous fermentation involves a variety of quinoa autochthonous microorganisms, with low presence of lactobacilli due to the delay lactic acid fermentation. Lactobacilli strains able to ferment xylose and glycerol and metabolize phenolic compounds were identified holding great prospects as suitable starter cultures for production of fermented quinoa products

Encapsulation of Lactobacillus reuteri in W1/O/W2 double emulsions : Formulation, storage and in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion stability

Encapsulation of Lactobacillus reuteri in the internal aqueous phase of W1/O/W2 emulsions was investigated. Microstructure of the emulsions was evaluated using a particle size analyzer and light microscopy. The encapsulation properties were evaluated in terms of encapsulation efficiency (EE) for freshly prepared samples and encapsulation stability (ES) during storage and in vitro digestion and the results were compared to control. Particle size analysis showed that encapsulation of the bacteria increased the droplet sizes of W1/O emulsions significantly (P 0.05) the droplet sizes for double emulsions (14.9 ± 0.3 μm) compared to control (15.5 ± 0.4 μm) which remained stable through storage period. The EE was 7.23 ± 0.07 Log CFU/mL. During cold storage, the ES decreased with a higher pace for control (from 6.18 ± 0.03 to <1 Log CFU/mL) compared to formulations with encapsulated bacteria (from 7.23 ± 0.07 to 2.82 ± 0.10 Log CFU/mL). Finally, during in vitro digestion, the ES decreased with a higher rate for control (from 6.25 ± 0.36 to 2.69 ± 0.06 Log CFU/mL) compared to encapsulated samples (from 6.69 ± 0.07 to 4.64 ± 0.06 Log CFU/mL). The results showed that encapsulation of Lactobacillus reuteri using double emulsions can protect the probiotics during storage and in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion

Effects of Probiotic Bacteria Lactobacillaceae on the Gut Microbiota in Children With Celiac Disease Autoimmunity : A Placebo-Controlled and Randomized Clinical Trial

Disturbances of the gut microbiota may influence the development of various autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the effects of supplementations with the probiotic bacteria, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 8700:2, on the microbial community in children with celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA). The study included 78 genetically predisposed children for celiac disease with elevated levels of tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGA) signaling for ongoing CDA. Among those children, 38 received a placebo and 40 received the probiotic supplement daily for 6 months. Fecal and plasma samples were collected at baseline and after 3 and 6 months, respectively. The bacterial community was investigated with 16S rRNA gene sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and tTGA levels were measured in radiobinding assays. In children that received probiotic supplementation, the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae increased over time, while it remained unchanged in the placebo group. There was no overall correlation between tTGA levels and bacterial genus except for a positive correlation between Dialister and IgG-tTG in the probiotic group. The abundance of specific bacterial amplicon sequence variant (ASV:s) changed during the study in both groups, indicating that specific bacterial strains might be affected by probiotic supplementation

Effects of lactobacillus plantarum and lactobacillus paracasei on the peripheral immune response in children with celiac disease autoimmunity : A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Two Lactobacillus strains have proven anti-inflammatory properties by reducing pro-inflammatory responses to antigens. This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial tested the hypothesis that L. plantarum HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 suppress ongoing celiac disease autoimmunity in genetically at risk children on a gluten-containing diet in a longitudinally screening study for celiac disease. Seventy-eight children with celiac disease autoimmunity participated of whom 40 received 1010 CFU/day of L. plantarum HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 (probiotic group) and 38 children maltodextrin (placebo group) for six months. Blood samples were drawn at zero, three and six months and phenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes and IgA and IgG autoantibodies against tissue transglutaminase (tTG) were measured. In the placebo group, naïve CD45RA+ Th cells decreased (p = 0.002) whereas effector and memory CD45RO+ Th cells increased (p = 0.003). In contrast, populations of cells expressing CD4+CD25high CD45RO+CCR4+ increased in the placebo group (p = 0.001). Changes between the groups were observed for NK cells (p = 0.038) and NKT cells (p = 0.008). Median levels of IgA-tTG decreased more significantly over time in the probiotic (p = 0.013) than in the placebo (p = 0.043) group whereas the opposite was true for IgG-tTG (p = 0.062 respective p = 0.008). In conclusion, daily oral administration of L. plantarum HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 modulate the peripheral immune response in children with celiac disease autoimmunity

Changes in Intestinal Permeability Ex Vivo and Immune Cell Activation by Three Commonly Used Emulsifiers

Food additives such as emulsifiers are used in increasing quantities in the food industry. The aim of this study was to compare three different emulsifiers (polysorbate 80 (P80), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and β-lactoglobulin (β-lac) with regards to their effect on the stimulation of immune cells and intestinal permeability. The immune stimulatory effects were studied in the myeloid cell line MUTZ-3-cells, while the change in intestinal permeability was studied in the Caco-2 cell line and ex vivo in the Ussing chamber system using small intestinal fragments from rats. The tested concentrations of the emulsifiers ranged from 0.02% up to 1%, which are concentrations commonly used in the food industry. The results showed that P80 affected both the myeloid cells and the intestinal permeability more than CMC (p < 0.05) and β-lac (p < 0.05) at the highest concentration. CMC was found to neither affect the permeability in the intestine nor the MUTZ-3 cells, while β-lac changed the permeability in the total part of the small intestine in rats. These findings indicate that P80 might be more cytotoxic compared to the other two emulsifiers