Detta är en kvalitativ användarstudie där syftet är att få en ökad förståelse av hur användare av den sociala mediaplattformen BeReal ser på sin användning. Specifikt vill studien få fram vad det är som motiverar användare, hur de ser på självrepresentationen på plattformen samt vilken roll plattformens interaktionsmöjligheter har. Ämnet valdes då BeReal, med sitt koncept om en verklighetsspeglande social medieplattform, skapar en undran över hur detta tas emot av användare. Då plattformen är så pass ny finns det inte någon gedigen vetenskaplig forskning kring ämnet, en vetenskapslucka denna studie ämnar fylla. Studien samlade in det empiriska materialet genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av de teoretiska ramverken uses and gratification, intrycksstyrning samt interaktionsmöjligheter. Analysen visade att det finns olika motivationer till användandet, de huvudsakliga var att följa med i trenden av att använda nya sociala mediaplattformar, att hålla kontakt med vänner och ta del av deras bilder och att kunna spara och se tillbaka på ens egna bilder. Gällande självrepresentationen kom det fram att informanterna inte ansåg att det går att vara helt äkta eller verklig på sociala medier, men att BeReal är den plattform som kommer närmast. Självrepresentationen influeras dels av BeReals koncept, dels av ens kontakter på plattformen. BeReals interaktionsmöjligheter visade sig även styra både motivationer och självrepresentationen. Utöver att till stor del bekräfta det tidigare forskning kommit fram till gällande andra sociala medieplattformar fick denna studie fram ny kunskap i form av interaktionsmöjligheten ’enkelhet’. Informanterna har ett behov av enkla sociala medieplattformar där en mer verklig självrepresentation är normen.

The aim of this study was to investigate how social media was used by Swedish female pensioners during the Covid-19 pandemic and what significance it has had to them. During the pandemic, many elderly people, who have been considered a risk group for the disease, have had to isolate themselves in their homes to avoid getting ill. The study was conducted through individual qualitative interviews with eight Swedish female pensioners aged between 70-80 years who were users of at least one social media platform. The two research questions for the study were: 1) How and why do female pensioners use social media? 2) How do female pensioners experience social media's meaning and impact on them during the pandemic? The interviews were semi-structured and executed using an interview-guide. The answers from the interviews were coded to find keywords and themes. Four themes were found and used as titles for the different sections of the analysis chapter. Uses and gratifications theory was used to analyze the interview results. Results showed that social media was mostly used as a way to pass time, but also for social interaction and acknowledgement through likes and comments. Social media was also used for information seeking, entertainment and keeping up with what other people posted. The pensioners overall had a positive attitude towards social media. Even though not all of them seemed to have used social media more than usual during the pandemic, it seemed that social media might have had some special meaning during the pandemic to many of them. This might be due to the possibilities for communicating with others even with the risks and restrictions that the pandemic brought. This study can help with a better understanding of what social media usage can mean in terms of communication and loneliness for pensioners and elderly.

This was a chemical laboratory study. The main focus was to evaluate the chemical stability of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort), Ginkgo biloba and Piper methysticum (Kava Kava) under unfavourable environmental conditions. Different dosage forms representing the same amount of active ingredients for each were used. Some of the dosage forms were self manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice. Samples of the dried powder of each plant was also exposed to a series of gamma¬radiation. Acetone was used as an extractant for all three plants, after evaluating and discarding the extraction method stipulated in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Identification of the different plants were carried out by means of Thin Layer Chromatography. The in-house developed mobile phases EMW, BEA and CEF, showed better separation and visibility compared to the mobile phases used in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The plates were sprayed with either vanillin or p-anisaldehide for optimal visualization of the separated compounds. After the specified period of 6-months, comparative TLC was performed on all samples. This was achieved for each plant by applying all samples stored at a specific condition i.e.25°C, on the same plate. The samples were stored at low temperature after exposure to the specific time interval. Quantitative analysis was performed by spectrophotometry, and high pressure liquid chromatography. The data obtained from these analytical methods, were used to evaluate the relative chemical stability of each dosage form. The relationship between the quantitative data and the qualitative changes in the TLC fingerprints, were compared, hoping to achieve a common pattern relating to the stability. The order of the reaction as well as the reaction rate constant (k) for each dosage form was calculated, except for kava kava. The shelf-life (too) was calculated using the analyzed data obtained by spectrophotometry or HPLC. The relevance of conventional pharmaceutical calculations in the prediction of shelf-life, by means of accelerated stability tests, was investigated for the possible application to herbal products. The effects of gamma radiation on the degradation of the chemical compounds present in each plant, was evaluated. After an evaluation of all the relevant data, it seemed that the tablet-dosage forms were equally effective regarding stability, compared to the capsules. Liquid extracts appeared to be less stable than the extract capsules. The extract capsules seemed to degrade more rapidly than the herbal tablets or herbal capsules. Exposure to low dose radiation (4.4 kGy) did not seem to have an influence on the stability. It was evident that some herbs were more sensitive to sunlight or heat than others. In general, all three of the chosen plants seemed to be relatively stable if stored in the specified conditions. It seemed valid for the shelf-life to be expressed as two years. / Dissertation (MSc (Pharmacology))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Pharmacology / unrestricted

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No description available.

Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the population. A hallmark of the disorder is increased dopamine D2 receptor sensitivity in the brain. Studies have shown that schizophrenics smoke cigarettes at approximately 4 times the rate of the general population. It has been suggested that nicotine use is a form of self-medication for symptoms in schizophrenia. Smoking behaviors typically begin in adolescence. We assessed effects of nicotine on behavior and brain plasticity in an adolescent rodent model of schizophrenia with the goal of identifying targets for smoking cessation. Methods: Rats were neonatally treated with quinpirole (a D2/D3 agonist) or saline and sensitized to 0.3, 0.5, or 0.7 mg/kg (free base) nicotine or saline, every other day for 9 days, and locomotor activity was recorded. After behavioral testing, animals demonstrating sensitization to 0.5mg/kg nicotine were surgically implanted with a guide cannula, aimed at the nucleus accumbens core. After recovery, animals underwent microdialysis and in vivo samples were collected every 20 minutes for 300 minutes. Postmortem brains from animals exposed to 0.5mg/kg nicotine or saline were dissected and the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum were analyzed for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB), and glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), all proteins involved in neuronal plasticity. Results: Animals neonatally treated with quinpirole and administered nicotine showed robust increases in locomotor sensitization and a 400% increase in dopamine overflow from the accumbens core, which was greater than all other groups. Nicotine administration led to increased accumbal BDNF levels, which was enhanced by neonatal quinpirole pretreatment. GDNF levels were also increased in control animals given nicotine, which was attenuated to control levels by neonatal quinpirole. Finally, pCREB levels were robustly increased in animals neonatally treated with quinpirole, an effect that was partially attenuated by adolescent nicotine treatment. These data on pCREB suggest a possible biological marker of anhedonia. In conclusion, it is apparent that nicotine results in a robust increase in behavioral activity and changes in neural proteins of brain plasticity that may serve as possible pharmaceutical targets for smoking cessation in schizophrenia.

Iron is the 4th most abundant metal on the earth's crust and is required by most organisms as a cofactor for many enzymes; however, at physiological pH and aerobic conditions iron forms insoluble ferric oxyhydroxide polymers. Siderophores are low molecular weight compounds that scavenge ferric ions, bind with high affinity, and transport it into the cell via multicomponent transport systems. Rhizobia are soil dwelling organisms that form symbiotic relationships with host plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen, while the bacteria receive nutrients. R. leguminosarum IARI 917 produces a siderophore characterized as 'schizokinen'. In the present study, we have characterized the binding and transport kinetics of 'schizokinen' and have also attempted to identify the genes involved in its biosynthesis using mini Tn5 random mutagenesis. DNA sequence analysis of a non siderophore producing transconjugant revealed a gene involved in PAC/PAS signal transduction systems that respond to many extracellular cues.

The demand for audiobooks is higher than ever--and increasing each year, surpassing the growth rate of electronic books, print books, and the US economy overall. Audiobooks have long been used to aid adolescent and struggling readers; however, recent studies have revealed that the majority of audiences consume audiobooks for the purpose of entertainment and relaxation. Despite this, much of the research available on audiobooks still applies to audiobooks as they are used in education. The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes, opinions, and beliefs of people who love listening to audiobooks. The study was conducted using Q methodology, a behavioral research approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods in order to measure audience perspectives. The results produced four factors: (a) Busy Bookworms, who listen because they do not have time to sit down and read; (b) Non-Readers, who enjoy audiobooks because they dislike reading physical books; (c) Experience Lovers, who listen so they can be immersed in a world of their own; and (d) Entertainment Seekers, who view audiobooks as a reward to motivate them to accomplish mundane daily tasks. The results of this study also revealed nuanced multitasking behaviors, as well as psychological gratifications for audiobook consumption.

Instagram is revolutionary in social media and networking, but little is known about the factors, social or psychological, that motivate users to become constant users on this app. A comprehensive survey was created, 277 college-aged Instagram users responded about their motivation, attitude, purpose, and primary activities regarding Instagram. The results show that Instagram users have five fundamental social and psychological motives: social interaction, archiving, self-expression, escapism, and peeking. Results showed that males were different from females in the following areas of using Instagram: create a personal space, interact with a number of people, keep in touch with friends far away, get updates on close friends and family, provide updates on life, or show off. Also, there was only one significant difference in the results of the age group: in using Instagram to keep in touch with friends far away, the 21-23 and 30+ age groups were significantly different.

This study presents qualitative research examining the relationship youth have with television. Information for this study was collected through media journals, personal essays, in-depth interviews, and focus groups held with eighteen sixth-graders who attended a charter elementary school in Lindon, Utah. The question posed to the students multiple times during the data collection was: “Would you give up television for $1 million?” Through the students’ answers and ensuing dialogue, the researcher examined the social value the pre-adolescents attributed to watching television. The findings identify three main categories the students said were reasons they were attached to television, which also corresponded adolescent-needs that have been identified by scholars. The categories are 1) youth need friendship and television offers potential to develop parasocial relationships 2) youth need intimacy and television is an activity they can do with and talk about with friends and 3) youth need to learn about the new group they’re being socialized into and television offers portrayals of future situations. The study also includes ideas about why television is so valuable to the youth; it concludes with suggestions for future research, including expanding this research to other demographics, and recommendations for parents and school teachers, including media literacy and parental mediation.