Capítulo I: Para evaluar el efecto sinérgico de IL-12/IL-18 y M-CSF/GM-CSF en la diferenciación de los monocitos y su impacto en el estallido respiratorio y el metabolismo del colesterol de los monocitos derivados en macrófagos, los monocitos fueron diferenciados durante 7 días en presencia de la combinación de la granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) y macrophage colonystimulating factor (M-CSF) o la interleucina 12 (IL-12) e IL-18 para producir respectivamente la M / GM-Ф y IL12/IL18- Ф. Como control, los monocitos fueron diferenciados sólo con M-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-12 e IL-18 para producir respectivamente la M-Ф, GM-Ф, IL12-Ф y IL18-Ф. El análisis de muestras de cuatro donantes de monocitos demostró una diferencia en el metabolismo del colesterol y el estallido respiratorio de las subpoblaciones de macrófagos. Los M/GM-Ф y IL12/IL18-Ф estimulados producieron alto nivel de H2O2 y mieloperoxidasa, y generaron gran cantidad de HOCl en respuesta al PMA. Por el contrario, mostraron bajos niveles de enzima antioxidante catalasa. Además intensificaron la oxidación de LDL y acumularon de forma espontánea gran cantidad de colesterol cuando incubado con la lipoproteína de baja densidad nativa. Los resultados sugieren que las vías M-CSF/GM-CSF o IL12/IL18 podría ser algunas señales sinérgica crítica experimentado por los monocitos / macrófagos durante su diferenciación in-vivo, en el que su potencial aterogénico o su capacidad de oxidar el LDL aumenta. Capítulo II: Estudios recientes muestran que el rebote de la carga del VIH-1 después de largos períodos de interrupciones del tratamiento (IT), resulta en un estallido de biomarcadores de la enfermedad arterial coronaria (CAD). Hemos investigado si las interrupciones cortas inducen un estallido de estos biomarcadores, si los niveles de estos biomarcadores vuelven a la basal durante la reintroducción del tratamiento y si los estallidos eran relacionados con el número de interrupciones. Los biomarcadores de CAD CRP, CXCL8, dímero-D, MMP-9 y los lípidos plasmáticos fueron medidos a partir de muestras de plasma almacenadas de 21 sujetos con infección crónica por el VIH-1 sometidos en un estudio de evaluación de seis ciclos de "2 semanas de interrupción" / "4 semanas reintroducción" de la terapia antirretrovirales. Los sujetos fueron agrupados en aquellos con un rebote de la carga viral después de interrumpir el tratamiento y los que no sufrieron del rebote. Los niveles de CRP, MMP-9, CXCL8, dímero-D y los triglicéridos aumentaron significativamente después de cada IT en los pacientes con el rebote de la carga viral. Los cambios de incremento medio en los sujetos sin rebote de la carga viral eran muy bajos en comparación con la basal y sin interés clínico como los valores se mantuvieron entre los rangos plasmáticos normales. Ningún efecto tiempo se observó durante la IT a la excepción de la CRP. Todos los biomarcadores volvieron a los niveles basales después de cada reinicio del tratamiento. Los resultados sugieren que las IT antirretroviral de tan sólo dos semanas son asociadas con un estallido de relevancia clínica de los biomarcadores de CAD aguda, que indica la importancia de la adherencia al tratamiento. / We organized the thesis into two chapters: Chapter I: To evaluate the synergic effect of IL-12/IL-18 and M-CSF/GM-CSF on monocytes differentiation and their impact on the respiratory burst and cholesterol metabolism of monocytes-derived macrophages, monocytes were differentiated for 7 days in the presence of both granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or Interleukin-12 (IL- 12) and IL-18 to produce respectively M/GM-Ф and IL12/IL18-Ф. As control, monocytes were differentiated only with M-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-12 and IL-18 to produce respectively M-Ф, GM-Ф, IL12- Ф and IL18-Ф. Samples analyses of four monocytes donors demonstrated a differential in the cholesterol metabolism and respiratory burst of macrophage subpopulations. Stimulated M/GM-Ф and IL12/IL18-Ф produce high level of H2O2 and myeloperoxidase; and generate significant amount of HOCl in response to PMA. In contrast, they show low levels of anti-oxidant enzyme catalase. Moreover they intensify LDL oxidation and spontaneously accumulate significant amount of cholesterol when incubated with unmodified low-density lipoprotein. The results suggest that M-CSF/GM-CSF or IL12/IL18 pathways might be some critical synergic signals experienced by monocytes/macrophages during their differentiation in-vivo; in which their atherogenic potential or their capacity to oxidize LDL increase. Chapter II: Recent studies show that HIV-1 load rebound after long periods of treatment interruptions (TI), results in a burst of coronary artery disease (CAD) biomarkers. We investigate whether short interruptions induce a burst of these biomarkers, whether their levels return to the baseline during treatment resumption and if the burst were related to the number of interruptions. CAD biomarkers CRP, CXCL8, D-dimer, MMP-9 and plasma lipids were measured from stored plasma samples of 21 chronically HIV-1 infected subjects enrolled in a study evaluating six cycles of “2 weeks off” / “4 weeks on” antiretroviral therapy. Subjects were clustered into those with a viral load rebound after stopping treatment and those without. The levels of CRP, MMP-9, CXCL8, D-dimer and triglycerides rose significantly after each TI in subjects with viral load rebound. Changes of means increment in subjects without viral load rebound were too low relative to the baseline and without clinical interest as values stayed between the normal plasma ranges. No times effect was observed during TI except for CRP. All biomarkers return to baseline levels after each treatment resumption. The results suggest that antiretroviral TI as short as two weeks are associated with a clinically relevant burst of acute CAD biomarkers, that indicating the importance of adhering to treatment.

Thesis advisor: James M. O'Toole / In the 1960s and 1970s American Catholics invoked conscience inordinately. They claimed to possess “sacred rights of conscience.” Catholics produced a thick psychological literature on the “formation of conscience.” They also made clear that conscience could never be handed over to an authority figure, whether in the church or state. The term conscience then became a keyword in the rights discourse of late twentieth century America. This dissertation seeks to explain why Catholics invoked conscience so frequently in the 1960s and 1970s, and it aims to chart how conscience became important to the rights vernacular of the late twentieth century. Catholics invoked conscience frequently in an effort to remain in and expand tradition. The theology of conscience had roots in the thirteenth century work of Thomas Aquinas -- a tradition American Catholics studied in the 1940s and 1950s. This study also shows how the human rights advocates of Amnesty International and a community of mainline Protestants appropriated the Catholic theology of conscience and used it for their own purposes. The 1960s and 1970s, rather than witnessing the end of tradition, facilitated its growth.

<p>The aim of this research is to ask questions as to why child right laws for the protection of child soldiers have failed to protect children in the Darfur region of Sudan despite the<br /> fact that Sudan is a member to many of these children&rsquo / s rights instruments. Can conflict transformation therefore be of any help? This is research seeks to address the question posed above.</p>

Much research has been done within the field of Education on how to integrate Human Rights in education, both as a class subject and as a value system. Similarly, the research field of Education also contains many discussions of how “critical thinking” is taught and what its role in education is and should be. This thesis instead approaches the topic from “the other way round” so to speak, by using a “human rights lens” to explore ethical and political views on the goals of education generally and the role of critical thinking in education particularly, as they appear within a particular educational context – Rwanda’s education system. The philosophy of education of utilitarianism and that of Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach are here compared and contrasted with each other and act as a theoretical framework for understanding the Rwandan education system as it appears through the reading of policy documents and through the experience of a selected group of Rwandan primary and secondary school students. The thesis argues that an ethically acceptable and stable philosophy of education should spring from a conception of human beings as ends and not means. Starting with such a conception of human beings, the goal of education becomes that of developing each individual’s capabilities to their fullest potential. Additionally, the thesis argues that the role of critical thinking in education should be regarded as central, as the capability for critical thinking enhances the flourishing of other human capabilities.

Corporal punishment is a worldwide problem. The purpose withthis thesis is to promote a constructive discussion about the problem andconnect this to children’s rights. This gives the possibility to start adiscussion about suggestions and measures to reduce the problem. Thetheory is that corporal punishment is used as a disciplinary method tochange behavior. Children’s rights is regulated by conventions and nationallaws. The method is to conduct an analysis with interpretations andcommentaries of the research materials from South Africa and Sweden.The conclusion is that those who are positive to corporal punishment thinksit is an efficient working method, and it is about children’s safety. Thosewho are negative have experienced that alternative methods works. Asuggestion is to involve children in the work with children’s rights andeducate them in human and children’s rights with focus on obligations andresponsibility.

<p>The aim of this research is to ask questions as to why child right laws for the protection of child soldiers have failed to protect children in the Darfur region of Sudan despite the<br /> fact that Sudan is a member to many of these children&rsquo / s rights instruments. Can conflict transformation therefore be of any help? This is research seeks to address the question posed above.</p>

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1997. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-112).

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

"As will be seen, the OAU Refugee Convention contains many provisions which, if not properly construed, might lead to a great curtailment of refugees' political rights. Yet the right to participate in the government of one's country is guaranteed by a number of international human rights isntruments. In any case, when people are forced to leave their country of origin, it is simply natural for them to seek the means whereby they could go back to their country of origin. ... Besides, not only voluntary repatriation is generally regarded as the most desirable solution to the refugee problem, but also it has been observed that a successful return is dependent upon the political conditions in the country of origin. It will be argued that refugees should be allowed and assisted to play a proactive role in order to create a political environment propitious to their return. ... The first chapter is a presentation of the study, its background, the research questions, the literature review, the methodology and the limitations to the study. The second chapter deals with the problems related to the refugee status and international protection. It is a presentation of the big picture of international refugee protection, with a focus on Africa. From an African point of view, it looks at the definition of the term refugee, the refugee status and the available protection mechanisms. The third chapter discusses the traditional durable solutions to the refugee problem, as well as the new approaches in refugee protection. It discusses the availablility, effectiveness and shortcomings of traditional solutions, and highlights repatriation as the most suitable solution to the refugee problem. The fourth chapter is a reflection on the right to repatriation and the extent to which political participation of refugees can be used to realise that right. This chapter examines the legal foundation of the right to return, the significance of political participation to that right, highlights the major obstacles to political participation of refugees, and puts forward ideas that might serve as guidelines for enhanced participation of refugees in the political life of their country of origin. The last chapter is a summary presentation of the conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006. / Prepared under the supervision of Prof. T.P. van Reenen at the Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

In the Constitutional Court case of Mazibuko and Others v The City of Johannesburg and Others CCT 39/09 [2009], a case dealing with the question of access to water, the presiding judge, Kate O'Regan CJ, makes the following opening remarks to the judgment: 'Water is life. Without it, nothing organic grows. Human beings need water to drink, to cook, to wash and to grow our food. Without it, we will die. It is not surprising then that our Constitution entrenches the right of access to water'. My aim in this dissertation is to investigate the couplet of law-life and the political in the Constitutional Court case of Mazibuko and Others v The City of Johannesburg and Others. The case stands as an exemplar of the intersection of life and the political by virtue of its focus on socio-economic rights, specifically the right of access to water enshrined in the Constitution. The history of the case, the jurisprudence employed by the courts, and the responses and critiques to the Mazibuko case add to the problematics to be investigated here. What would it entail if the couplet of law-life would be brought to the concept of the political? It would mean interrogating how life and law is constructed by the political and not merely how the political manages and regulates life through law. If life is considered to be a matter of bare necessities, or mere biological life, there would not be a need to consider the question of the political relation to life; it could be delegated, as it has practically been, to technocratic governmental policy. Bringing the political to questions of life would reveal how the political implicates life in its constituting moment. In this dissertation, I will explore how the political could be brought to the couplet of law-life, focusing particularly focus on socio-economic rights, international law, colonialism, and constitution making. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Philosophy / MA / Unrestricted