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- Abraham, Getahun Yacob
(författare)
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Education for Democracy? : Life Orientation: Lessons on Leadeship Qualities and Voting in South African Comprehensive Schools
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study takes as its starting point how teachers understand, interpret and teach social development aspects of Life Orientation in South African comprehensive schools. The specific focus is on lessons on leadership qualities and voting for third grade learners in four schools, each dominated by either Black, Coloured, White or mixed groups of learners. Field work with an ethnographic approach and a qualitative strategy was used to gain access to empirical data. Policy and curriculum documents, guidelines and textbooks were used. Classroom observations in four classes and interviews with 14 third grade teachers were conducted. Theoretical concepts of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction are applied. Ulf P Lundgren’s Frame Factor Theory is used to study school organization. Basil Bernstein’s Pedagogical Devices are considered when examining the different levels of pedagogical activities. To be a teacher in South Africa one needs to attend at least two years of teacher education after completing high school. Teachers in the classes studied underwent their teacher education during apartheid years. Due to limited in-service training, they sometimes experience problems of understanding and interpreting the learning area, which they usually tackle by consulting documents, colleagues or school authorities. The learners’ understanding varied based on their family background and type of school they attended. There were enormous differences in material, financial and organisational resources between classes and schools. The resources for teaching leadership qualities and voting were not, however, different between the classes. The lessons were teacher dominated and direct transmission was used as a method. The way teachers facilitated the lesson on leadership qualities and voting varied but all showed some democratic shortcomings. Apart from answering questions, learners were neither invited nor encouraged to participate to further their understanding of the theme. Limited aspects of leadership qualities were discussed, individual leaders’ roles were emphasised and the teachers picked candidates for class leaders in three of the classes. It was also evident that the class environments were not suitable for critical or creative thinking and democratic upbringing. The schools reproduced norms, values, languages and cultures of the different groups. Officially, teachers emphasised the common national South African identity. This emphasis on national identity could disguise the injustice some groups experience in society.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, P, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical correlates of oral impacts on daily performances.
- 2010
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Ingår i: International journal of dental hygiene. - : Wiley. - 1601-5037 .- 1601-5029. ; 8:3, s. 219-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between oral health measures and oral health-related quality of life as captured by OIDP (oral impacts on daily performances).
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| 6. |
- Carlsson, Stina K., et al.
(författare)
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Adenosine A2 receptor presence and synergy with cholinergic stimulation in rabbit lacrimal gland.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Current eye research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1460-2202 .- 0271-3683. ; 35:6, s. 466-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Secretion from the lacrimal gland is an important part of the well-being of the eye, and a central part in the search for treatment of dry eye syndrome. Adenosine has stimulatory effects on the lacrimal gland, and can potentiate the effect of the cholinergic agonist carbachol (Cch). The aim of the present study is to investigate the presence of the adenosine A(2) receptor subtypes A(2A) and A(2B) in the rabbit lacrimal gland, and to characterize their role in regulated acinar cell secretion.
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| 7. |
- Esguerra, Maricris, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Intravital fluorescent microscopic evaluation of bacterial cellulose as scaffold for vascular grafts.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A. - : Wiley. - 1552-4965 .- 1549-3296. ; 93:1, s. 140-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although commonly used synthetic vascular grafts perform satisfactorily in large caliber blood vessels, they are prone to thrombosis in small diameter vessels. Therefore, small vessels might benefit from tissue engineered vascular grafts. This study evaluated bacterial cellulose (BC) as a potential biomaterial for biosynthetic blood vessels. We implanted the dorsal skinfold chambers in three groups of Syrian golden hamsters with BC (experimental group), polyglycolic acid, or expanded polytetrafluorethylene (control groups). Following implantation, we used intravital fluorescence microscopy, histology, and immunohistochemistry to analyze the biocompatibility, neovascularization, and incorporation of each material over a time period of 2 weeks. Biocompatibility was good in all groups, as indicated by the absence of leukocyte activation upon implantation. All groups displayed angiogenic response in the host tissue, but that response was highest in the polyglycolic acid group. Histology revealed vascularized granulation tissue surrounding all three biomaterials, with many proliferating cells and a lack of apoptotic cell death 2 weeks after implantation. In conclusion, BC offers good biocompatibility and material incorporation compared with commonly used materials in vascular surgery. Thus, BC represents a promising new biomaterial for tissue engineering of vascular grafts.
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| 8. |
- Ettema, D, et al.
(författare)
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Out-of-Home Activities, Daily Travel, and Subjective Well-Being
- 2010
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Part A. - : Elsevier. - 0965-8564 .- 1879-2375. ; 44, s. 723-732
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is argued that utility theory that underpins current cost-benefit analyses of daily travel needs to be complemented. An alternative theoretical framework is to this end proposed which applies subjective well-being (SWB) to travel behaviour analysis. It is posited in this theoretical framework that participation in goal-directed activities, facilitated or hindered by travel, contributes to SWB, that the degree of travel-related stress in participating in these activities reduces SWB, and that positive affect associated with travel in itself has an impact on SWB.
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| 9. |
- Gach, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel peripherally active morphiceptin analogs.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Peptides. - Amsterdam : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5169 .- 0196-9781. ; 31:8, s. 1617-1624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Morphiceptin (Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-NH(2)), a tetrapeptide present in the enzymatic digest of bovine beta-casein, is a selective ligand of the mu-opioid receptor. In the present study, we describe the synthesis of a series of novel morphiceptin analogs modified in positions 1-3. Two of the obtained analogs, [Dmt(1), d-Ala(2), d-1-Nal(3)]morphiceptin and [Dmt(1), d-NMeAla(2), d-1-Nal(3)]morphiceptin (Dmt-2',6'-dimethyltyrosine and d-1-Nal-3-(1-naphthyl)-d-alanine)) displayed very high mu-receptor affinity, resistance to enzymatic degradation, and remarkable supraspinally mediated analgesia, as shown in the hot-plate test after intracerebroventricular but not intravenous administration, which indicated that they could not cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, these two analogs were further tested in vitro and in vivo towards their possible peripheral analgesic activity and inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal (GI) motility. We report that both peptides showed strong antinociceptive effect in the writhing test after intraperitoneal administration, inhibited smooth muscle contractility in vitro and GI motility in vivo. Taken together, these findings indicate that the novel morphiceptin analogs which induce peripheral, but not central antinociception, inhibit GI transit, and possess exceptional metabolic stability, may provide an interesting approach to the development of peripherally restricted agents for the treatment of GI motility disorders, such as diarrhea or diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
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| 10. |
- Jakobsson, Niklas
(författare)
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Laws, Attitudes and Public Policy
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Paper 1: Do laws affect attitudes? An assessment of the Norwegian prostitution law using longitudinal data The question of whether laws affect attitudes has inspired scholars across many disciplines, but empirical knowledge is sparse. Using longitudinal survey data from Norway and Sweden, collected before and after the implementation of a Norwegian law criminalizing the purchase of sexual services, we assess the short-run effects on attitudes using a difference-indifferences approach. In the general population, the law did not affect moral attitudes toward prostitution. However, in the Norwegian capital, where prostitution was more visible before the reform, the law made people more negative toward buying sex. This supports the claim that proximity and visibility are important factors for the internalization of legal norms. Paper 2: Gender and overconfidence: are girls really overconfident? Previous research finds that people are overconfident and that men are more overconfident than women. Using a very precise confidence measure, this article shows, however, that whereas boys are overconfident, girls are actually underconfident regarding their mathematics performance. We conducted a survey where 14-year-old high school students were asked what grade they thought they would get in a mathematics test a week later. These results were then compared with their actual grade. Boys were overconfident about their grades, whereas girls were underconfident. Forthcoming in Applied Economics Letters. Paper 3: A field experiment of discrimination in the Norwegian housing market: sex, class, and ethnicity We test for gender, class, and ethnical discrimination in the Norwegian rental housing market, using fake application letters. Females, individuals with high job status, and ethnical Norwegians are more likely to receive positive call-backs. For example, being an Arabic man, working in a warehouse is associated with a 25 percentage points lower probability of receiving a positive response when showing interest in an apartment as compared to an ethnically Norwegian female economist. We conclude that gender, class, and ethnic discrimination exist in the Norwegian rental housing market, and ethnic discrimination seems to be most prevalent. Paper 4: What explains attitudes toward prostitution? We assess people’s attitudes toward prostitution in Norway and Sweden, two countries that have made it illegal to buy sex. The laws were, however, put in place in different time-periods and embedded in different market structures and discourses. Compared to previous research, the present study is the first to use methods that can shed light on attitudes toward various aspects of prostitution while controlling for other factors. We find that men and sexual liberals are more positive toward prostitution, and that conservatives and those who support gender equality are more negative. Holding anti-immigration views is correlated with more positive attitudes toward buying, but not toward selling, sex. Norwegians are more positive than Swedes toward prostitution. It is also found that supporting gender equality has more explanatory power in Sweden than in Norway, and it is argued that this may be due to the gender equality framing of the Swedish debate. Forthcoming in Feminist Economics. Paper 5: Why do you want lower taxes? Preferences regarding municipal income tax rates The factors shaping people's references for municipal labor income tax rates in Sweden are assessed using survey data. The tax rate actually faced by the respondents has explanatory power for their attitudes toward the tax rate only when a few socio-demographic explanatory variables are included. When a richer set of variables are included, the association disappears. The hypothesis that this small or nonexistent effect of the actual tax rate is caused by a Tiebout bias finds no support, yet IV-estimations indicate that the actual municipal tax rate may be of importance for attitudes toward the tax rate. Paper 6: Intergovernmental grants and fiscal competition This theoretical paper shows how a central government can induce a policy concerning a municipal matter through a package of a policy requirement and a grant. We find that, due to fiscal competition and the possibility for citizens to move between municipalities, the central government can make the municipalities adopt the policy requirement although the municipalities make a loss from doing so. We apply this model to a recent Swedish child-care fee reform and can explain why all Swedish municipalities implemented the maximum childcare fee although it had a negative impact on many municipalities' finances.
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