Cancer incidence is increasing and novel anticancer drugs with new mechanisms of action are essential for future chemotherapeutic treatment. Natural products have historically played an important role in the development of anti-cancer drugs and have potential to do so also in the future. In this thesis two classes of natural products are identified as possible drug lead candidates, and the mechanisms of their action are elucidated. Initially, in a screening of a compound library for cytotoxic effects in colon cancer cells, natural products with potent activity were identified. Based on their potency, and on previously reported activities in cancer cells, two main groups of compounds, cardiac glycosides (CGs) and gambogic acid (GA) analogues, were selected for further in-depth studies. The concentration-dependent cytotoxicity was confirmed in cell lines of different origin. Cardiac glycosides were mainly evaluated for their activity in colon cancer cells and in leukemic cells, whereas the GA analogues were studied using a resistance-based panel of ten human cancer cell lines. Using activity profiles and the ChemGPS-NP model, the compounds were compared, structurally and mechanistically, to standard chemotherapeutic drugs. The results from these analyses suggested that the CGs and the GA analogues act by mechanisms different from those of antimetabolites, alkylating agents, topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, or tubulin-active agents. By analysis of drug-induced gene expression, one GA analogue, dihydro GA, was identified as a possible inhibitor of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), and the CGs showed similarities to protein synthesis inhibitors. Starting from these hypotheses, we further investigated the mechanisms of actions on a molecular level. The results showed that GA and dihydro GA act as inhibitors of the 20S proteasome chymotrypsin activity, leading to accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. The CGs were confirmed to inhibit protein synthesis in colon cancer cell lines. However, interestingly, in leukemia cell lines, it seemed that the CGs act through a different, yet unexplored, mechanism of action. The leukemic cells (pre-B and T-ALL) were particularly susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of CGs, including at concentrations that may be achievable in the clinic.

Arbetstillfredsställelse innebär hur människor anpassar sig och trivs på arbetet. Forskning har visat att personer med hög självkänsla ofta upplever arbetstillfredställellse i högre grad än de med låg självkänsla. Det har också framkommit att människor som uppvisar perfektionistiska drag ofta har hög motivation men kan ha sämre välbefinnande. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om arbetstillfredsställelse är relaterad till perfektionism samt vilken roll självkänsla spelar i perfektionism. En enkätundersökning genomfördes med 60 deltagare från ett internationellt företag. Resultatet visade att både perfektionism och självkänsla hade ett positivt samband med arbetstillfredsställelse men det framkom en interaktion som visade att det endast var perfektionister med hög självkänsla som var högt tillfredställda på sin arbetsplats.

Dažniausiai neįgalumas siejamas su kažkokiu trūkumu, o tuo pačiu ir su priklausomybe, tam tikrų socialinių vaidmenų apribojimu, kadangi dauguma socialinių vaidmenų reikalauja tam tikro aktyvumo, kuris neįgaliajam dažnai tampa neįmanomas. Todėl neįgalieji dažnai atleidžiami nuo tam tikros socialinės atsakomybės, iš jų nesitikima, kad jie patys save prižiūrės. Tokiu būdu žmogus gali pasijausti menkavertiškesnis už kitus, prarasti atsakomybę už save, atsidurti aktyvaus socialinio gyvenimo užribyje. Žmonės, turintys sunkią proto negalią dėl įgimtų defektų, pasižymi ribotais arba net labai ribotais sugebėjimais mokytis ir išmokti ar susivokti naujoje situacijoje. Tačiau jie gali ir turi būti ugdomi. Vidutinės ir sunkios proto negalios asmenų užimtumas – viena iš šių asmenų socializacijos priemonių. Magistro baigiamajame darbe užimtumas pristatomas kaip veiklos alternatyva tiems asmenims, kurie dėl sveikatos lygio praktiškai neturi galimybės įsidarbinti ir kuriems užimtumo paslaugos teikiamos globos įstaigoje. Tyrimo tikslas – i��tirti socialinio darbuotojo veiklos kryptis teikiant užimtumo paslaugas proto negalios žmonėms globos institucijoje ir numatyti teikiamų paslaugų plėtros galimybes. Tyrimo uždaviniai 1. Apžvelgti visuomenės požiūrio į proto negalios asmenis ir jiems teikiamas paslaugas kaitą. 2. Įvertinti kaip socialinio darbuotojo veikla, teikiant užimtumo paslaugas, atliepia proto negalios asmenų poreikius. 3. Nustatyti svarbiausias socialinio darbuotojo veiklos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Often handicap is associated with certain drawbacks and at the same time with dependency, limitations of certain social roles, as the majority of social roles require certain activity, which is often impossible for the handicapped. Therefore the handicapped are often released from certain social responsibilities, it is not expected that they will take care of themselves. In this way a man may feel inferior to others, lose responsibility for himself, find himself outside the limits of active social life. People who have a serious mental disability due to inborn defects are characterized by limited or even very limited abilities to learn or orient himself in a new situation. However they can and should be developed. Employment of people with average and serious mental disabilities is one of the means for socialization of such persons. In the present master degree paper employment is presented as an alternative activity for the persons, who practically do not have the possibility to get employed due to the state of health and for which employment services are provided in care establishments. The objective of research is to analyze the direction of the activities of social workers in providing employment services to people with mental disabilities in care establishments and to anticipate the possibilities for the development of the provided services. Tasks of the research 1. Review the change of the attitude of the society towards people with mental disabilities and the... [to full text]

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Wolfaardt (1995) states that organizations in South Africa are experiencing immense pressure to implement affirmative action due to political, socio-economic and social factors. Many of these organizations however, are still persisting with the status quo. Affirmative action has been incorporated into the philosophies and values of organizations, yet little progress has been made to this effect. The Anncron Clinic is one of more than 80 private hospitals and clinics of Afrox Healthcare Ltd, which aims to make employees in the hospital more representative of the community within which it is functioning. Affirmative action and equal job opportunity programs are implemented at the Anncron Clinic, but the outcome of the implementation of these programs is perceived to have a negative effect on productivity and mutual personnel relationships. The aim of this study was to determine the experiences of affirmative action of a private hospital's staff members. The researcher made use of an exploratory research design which aided him through the various stages of the research. This research helped the researcher in determining and understanding the experiences of affirmative action of the Anncron Clinic's staff members. A sample was drawn by selecting a group of six individuals from the services department. The total number of respondents was 15, which make up 8,6% of the Anncron Clinic's 174 employees. Various themes have been identified which influence employees of the &on Clinic's experience of affirmative action. These themes include pressure, suspicion, motivation, frustration, the behaviour of doctors, and management. Recommendations are presented regarding the acceptance of affirmative action in the Anncron Clinic. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

A qualitative study using an action research methodology was conducted to observe what value a national community of practice (CoP) had for the resiliency of Canada's geographically dispersed, non-profit, environmental education (EE) network leaders. Research suggests that North America's non-profit sector faces a looming leadership crisis as its executive leaders are subjected to escalating anxiety, burnout, and feelings of isolation (Cornelius, Moyers, & Bell, 2011). Peer support networks, alternately known as a CoP, have been proposed as a potential means of sustaining such beleaguered executives. This research reveals that Canadian EE leaders found value in a CoP as a forum for networking and relationship building, as a medium for professional development, and as a source of support and inspiration. This thesis recommends the establishment of a national CoP for Canada's EE network leaders and outlines recommendations to inform the creation of such a community.

This thesis is an articulation of how the principles of socially-engaged Buddhism, a spiritual practice rooted in the teachings of the historical Buddha that integrates Buddhist practice and social activism, can enrich and enhance contemporary educational practice. It discusses Buddhist epistemology, metaphysics, ontology, psychology, ethics, and practice and relates these things to holistic education, critical pedagogy, SEL, and global education. On the basis of the theoretical understanding represented by that discussion, it articulates several theoretical principles that can be practically applied to the practice of teaching and learning to make it resonate with the theory and approach of sociallyengaged Buddhism. In integrating the implications of Buddhist teachings and practices with teaching and learning practice, it draws from bell hooks’ notion of “engaged pedagogy” in order to articulate a transformational, liberatory, and progressive approach to teaching called “socially-engaged pedagogy.” Socially-engaged pedagogy represents the notion that teaching and learning can be a practical site for progressive social action designed to address the real problem of suffering, both in the present and in the future, as it manifests in the world, exemplified by stress, illness, violence, war, discrimination, oppression, exploitation, poverty, marginalization, and ecological degradation.

‘What was I thinking ?!?’ – No matter age, intelligence or social status, we all experience moments like these. Perhaps it is walking into a room and forgetting what you went there to do or maybe failing to add sugar to your coffee due to an interruption. Regardless, even though many of our daily activities are accomplished through routines that require very little conscious effort, errors of attention or slips of action do occur. This collection of studies was designed with three main questions in mind: 1) can action slips be induced in a laboratory-based task (Slip Induction Task; SIT), 2) how well do currently established theories of action slips explain the errors that are induced within the SIT, and 3) what insight can be gained about preventing such errors? The first experiment was developed to replicate previous findings regarding the effectiveness of the SIT, as well as to determine the extent to which SIT performance correlates with other measures of attention failure. The study discussed in Chapter 3 expands on those results by investigating the effects of healthy aging on slip induction and finds that while older adults were better able to avoid action slips, they appear to sacrifice speed for accurate performance. The goal of the subsequent study was to determine whether young adult participants would also enjoy increased accuracy if they completed the task at a slower pace. Finally, the study discussed in Chapter 5 looks at whether changing the goal of the SIT would alter participants’ ability to inhibit unexpected cue information.

Minority enrollments at selective colleges and universities have historically been low. Affirmative action programs have been a primary driver for increasing enrollments. These programs were called into question in the Grutter and Gratz US Supreme Court cases (2003). The Court’s opinions in these cases provide direction for institutions in setting admissions policy. Using a qualitative methodology, this study examined the University of Georgia’s response to the Grutter and Gratz Supreme Court decisions. The study utilized data from interviews with UGA officials, as well as documentary evidence, to chronologically reconstruct the actions that UGA initiated following the Grutter and Gratz decisions. The study utilized a narrative analytic approach to analyze UGA rationale for its action. It assessed officials’ statements to identify dominant narratives related to the use of race in admissions at UGA. This study positioned the dominant narratives of officials’ relative to competing understandings of admissions, race and the law extracted from the scholarly literature. A metanarrative was developed to highlight commonly held assumptions in the debate around the use of race in higher education admissions. The metanarrative was found to be a useful tool for managing competing perspectives in efforts to develop viable policy approaches for admissions in the future. The study is important in at least two ways: 1) it explains sources of conflict in the affirmative action debate and 2) it suggests the usefulness of narrative policy analysis for policy making related to race, diversity, and admissions in higher education.

Awareness and concern about the environment have been growing in recent years, and this fact has not been lost on churches. Though arguments have been made that Christianity is a cause of the world’s current ecological problems, many denominations have issued statements encouraging environmental responsibility, and a growing number of churches are teaching an ethic of care for what God has made. This thesis examines several churches who have been acting on environmental issues to understand what concern looks like in their faith communities. It was seen that the doctrine of stewardship is a primary reason for care, and there is a need for teaching on the theological basis of concern. Groups and activity within churches happen when there is a champion to move things forward, and environmental concern is just one part of a connected existence that links people with their faith, each other, and life outside the church.