Since the ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973, controversy in regards to its acceptance in the U.S. remains prevalent politically and socially as opponents of abortion “pro-life” has adopted a strategy of “legal but inaccessible” that has resulted in the passage of several state laws since its establishment. This research project examines relationship between the level of support for abortion policy in the U.S. and some factors namely; Gender, Religious background, and Political ideology by drawing from an online-survey of 100 university students in the U.S. Also, it examines the difference in abortion rates among U.S. states that are governed by republican or democratic governors using abortion rate data of all 50 U.S. states including the District of Columbia for the year 2015 sourced from Abortion statistics and other data. Two statistical techniques were employed and they include: Chi-Square test and Independent sample T-test. Results from the chi-square tests support the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between the support for abortion policy and gender, religious background, and political ideology. Also, from the T-test result, we found that there is no significant difference in abortion rates among U.S. states that are governed by republican or democratic governors. Findings based on the trend analysis of annual U.S. abortion from 1973-2015 shows that the reported annual abortion in the U.S. is on a continuous decrease since the 1990s even though abortion has been legalized in all U.S. states.

Apoptosis is a process of the programmed cell death in response to severe mutations in DNA or cell stress. Apoptosis plays a key role in tissue maintenance by eliminating senescent and damaged cells. Various molecules take part in apoptosis, main participants are Bcl-2 protein family and caspases. The latter one are responsible for apoptosis execution, while Bcl-2 protein family regulates apoptotic pathway. Failure of this regulation may cause several pathologies, including development of neoplastic tissue. Human endometrium is a speci c tissue, in which apoptosis is present in cycling pattern. Present study shows expression level of Bcl-2, Bax, Bad, Bid, pro-caspase-3, caspase-3 and PARP in normal, atrophic, hyperplastic and cancerous (Grade I and II) human endometrium. Bad and Bid proteins can be possible breakpoints in neoplastic transfer due to opposit expression in cancerous and hyperplastic endometrium.

Despite the number of therapeutic interventions currently available for treating hypertension, approximately one-third of adult patients in the United States currently being treated remain hypertensive (43). As the number of hypertensive patients continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important to investigate the different types of hypertension in order to have a greater understanding of the pathogenesis and identify potential targets for treatment. Neurogenic hypertension refers to hypertension resulting from a centrally mediated mechanism, likely involving a sustained increase in sympathetic nervous system activity. The renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) is a physiological cascade responsible for restoring blood pressure when it drops. The rate-limiting step involves the enzyme renin. Although there is evidence of local RAAS activity in the brain, expression of renin in the brain is very low (125). The (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) is able to bind and activate both renin and (pro)renin. Because the (P)RR and (pro)renin expression is high in the brain, it is possible that local RAAS activity is orchestrated by the (P)RR. In this study, we investigated if neuroinflammatory conditions could foster an environment that would allow for a rise in sympathetic nervous system activity (SNA) resulting from brain RAAS activity and the (P)RR. By treating neuronal cell cultures with proinflammatory cytokines, an anti-inflammatory agent, and (pro)renin, we explored any changes or differences in mRNA expression levels. Additionally, the effects of antioxidants were investigated. The results of this study showed that cells lacking antioxidants were more vulnerable to cellular stress and inflammation in the presence of increased (pro)renin. Proinflammatory stress was correlated with increased mRNA expression of proinflammatory and immune system regulatory genes in addition to increased expression of angiotensin II type I receptor, a vital component of RAAS. This could indicate that neuroinflammatory stress can be exacerbated and contribute to increased RAAS activity in the brain mediated by the (P)RR.

Den här studien syftar till att belysa UEFA-Pro som utbildning för att förstå hur kravet på licens kan motiveras. Licensen ger behörighet att verka som huvudtränare på svensk fotbolls elitnivå, med andra ord Allsvenskan, Superettan och OBOS Damallsvenskan. Empirin utgörs av semistrukturerade intervjuer med tränare som verkar eller verkat på hög, svensk nivå, samt en representant från fotbollsförbundet. Som teoretisk utgångspunkt har vi använt oss av Coté & Gilbert (2009) för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning utbildningen täcker de kunskapsområden som anses viktiga i en svensk elitkontext. Hur utbildningen värderar tränarnas tysta kunskap är ytterligare perspektiv i studien (Nash & Collins, 2006). Det är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med ett induktivt förhållningssätt. Resultat av studien visar på ett brett kursinnehåll som täcker de berörda kunskaperna från studiens teoretiska perspektiv. Samtidigt visar studien att det behövs ytterligare forskning på dagens formella tränarutbildningar då den kritik som framkommit mot dessa till viss del upplevs utdaterad. Viss begränsning finns i studien eftersom empirin utgörs av endast sex intervjuer och således blir det svårt att återge en bild som är representativ för hela den svenska tränarkåren som verkar på elitnivå. / This study aims to highlight the UEFA Pro as an education to understand how the requirement for the license can be justified for eligibility to operate as an elite level coach in Swedish football. The requirement of UEFA Pro license applies to Allsvenskan, Superettan and OBOS Damallsvenskan.  The empirical data is obtained by semi-structured interviews with coaches that are or recently have been working at a prominent level of Swedish football. The Swedish football federation is also represented as an interview object. The purpose is to examine the image of the content in the educational process. As a theoretical framework, we have used Coté & Gilbert (2009) to investigate the extent to which the education covers the areas of knowledge that are considered important in a Swedish elite context. We have also used (Nash & Collins, 2006) tacit knowledge as a further perspective in the study. The method is qualitative and the approach inductive. The results proves that the content is wide and does cover relevant knowledge from the theoretical perspective. The study highlights that further research is needed on today’s formal coach educations as the criticism that has emerged against these perceived as outdated.  There is some limitation in the study because the empirical data consists of only six interviews, and it would be difficult to produce an image that is representative of the entire Swedish coaching staff that operates at elite level.

No description available.

Background Timing and quantity of protein (PRO) consumption are important considerations for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), fat-free mass (FFM) accretion, and body fat % (BF%) reduction. The effect of PRO ingestion on changes in FFM is mediated by many variables. Past studies have focused on specific composition of carbohydrate (CHO) and PRO consumption (CHO vs. PRO + CHO), and have also investigated PRO intake timing at pre-exercise, post-exercise, or both. Other studies have investigated FFM maintenance and growth with increased PRO consumption during catabolic or anabolic phases of energy balance (EB). These mechanisms have been studied in various populations, including healthy untrained individuals, overweight and obese people, and endurance athletes. However, studies have not explored relationships between the amount and timing of PRO ingested, and the state of EB, as it relates to FFM%. Method/Design A retrospective analysis design was used to assess relationships between PRO ingestion, timing, and EB on FFM in collegiate football players. Subjects were members of an intercollegiate Division 1 football team, had completed a one-day food and activity record, and had body composition assessed as part of a regular team screening procedure. Data acquisition was supervised by a PhD/Registered Dietitian. Food and activity records were analyzed using NutriTiming®, which predicts RMR via the Harris-Benedict equation, uses a MET-based relative intensity activity scale, and accesses the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26 to predict hourly EB and PRO consumption. EB was assessed as ±400 kcal EB (EBR), < 0 kcal EB (NEGEB), and > 0 kcal EB (POSEB). Total useable PRO (TUP) was defined as the sum of PRO consumed in units up to 30g max/meal, a value also assessed relative to EB at the time of ingestion. The goal was to assess the amount and timing of PRO intake with EB as these factors relate to FFM. Results Pearson's correlations found that BF% was negatively associated with TUP while in EBR (r=-.253; p=0.049), and FFM% was positively associated TUP in EBR (r=0.279; p=0.030) and in POSEB (r=0.282; p=0.028). NEGEB was positively associated with BF% (r=0.325; p=0.011), and negatively associated with FFM% (r=-0.322; p=0.011). Conclusions Results elucidate that players who ingest PRO in a relatively good energy-balanced state had higher FFM% and a lower BF%. Further, those players consuming TUP while in POSEB had an even stronger positive association with FFM% and a stronger inverse association with BF%. These data reject the null hypothesis that football players who consume PRO in POSEB have less FFM% than those who consume PRO in NEGEB.

This dissertation sets out to describe a pro-active process of public participation in urban planning, motivated by a lack of planning theory and also available South African legislation to describe how pro-active public participation is achieved in planning practice. Communicative planning theory advises on and describes public participation as being meaningful focussing on consensus between stakeholders. Empirical evidence of such public participation is however scarce, and also a critique against communicative planning theory. South African legislation supports and uses the concept of pro-active public participation but has few practical guidelines to facilitate such a public participation process in planning. The context of public participation in South Africa, in specifically two communities (Khuma and Stilfontein) in the North-West Province was the primary focus in describing a pro-active process of public participation. These two communities that had participated in a previous project where public participation was conducted and most importantly documented were specifically chosen because they represent two different community contexts, with Stilfontein being a community primarily consisting of retired mineworkers and Khuma a community that came into being as a result of forceful removals during the apartheid era. Furthermore the process of public participation that was followed was unique in this project as methods from community psychology were applied to guide communication. The importance of context and communication were identified as the most important aspects when conducting public participation pro-actively. The importance of communication and context should be considered if a pro- active process of public participation is to be conducted. It is a timeous process to consider the context of community members when conducting public participation, but it must be considered by spatial planners. The possibility of multidisciplinary teams facilitating public participation processes in planning should be considered. In this way planners can be assisted when conducting public participation processes. The refinement of legislation describing public participation may also be helpful in attempts to enhance pro-active processes in public participation. / MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This dissertation sets out to describe a pro-active process of public participation in urban planning, motivated by a lack of planning theory and also available South African legislation to describe how pro-active public participation is achieved in planning practice. Communicative planning theory advises on and describes public participation as being meaningful focussing on consensus between stakeholders. Empirical evidence of such public participation is however scarce, and also a critique against communicative planning theory. South African legislation supports and uses the concept of pro-active public participation but has few practical guidelines to facilitate such a public participation process in planning. The context of public participation in South Africa, in specifically two communities (Khuma and Stilfontein) in the North-West Province was the primary focus in describing a pro-active process of public participation. These two communities that had participated in a previous project where public participation was conducted and most importantly documented were specifically chosen because they represent two different community contexts, with Stilfontein being a community primarily consisting of retired mineworkers and Khuma a community that came into being as a result of forceful removals during the apartheid era. Furthermore the process of public participation that was followed was unique in this project as methods from community psychology were applied to guide communication. The importance of context and communication were identified as the most important aspects when conducting public participation pro-actively. The importance of communication and context should be considered if a pro- active process of public participation is to be conducted. It is a timeous process to consider the context of community members when conducting public participation, but it must be considered by spatial planners. The possibility of multidisciplinary teams facilitating public participation processes in planning should be considered. In this way planners can be assisted when conducting public participation processes. The refinement of legislation describing public participation may also be helpful in attempts to enhance pro-active processes in public participation. / MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

La présente étude porte sur les liens unissant les troubles de comportement (TC), l’empathie, les biais de mentalisation et les comportements pro-sociaux des jeunes garçons âgés entre sept et 12 ans. L’idée de cette recherche part du fait que les TC constituent une problématique de plus en plus répandue dans le milieu scolaire (Massé, Desbiens, & Lanaris, 2006) et que les enfants de sexe masculin sont surreprésentés dans ce type de trouble (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport; MÉLS, 2010). Les TC ont des impacts notables sur le fonctionnement académique et social des enfants (Tardif et al., 2003). De surcroit, les enfants présentant des TC ont souvent des difficultés au niveau des interactions sociales (Tremblay & Royer, 1992), une faible capacité d’empathie et exhibent moins de comportements pro-sociaux comparativement aux enfants qui ne manifestent pas ce type de trouble (Gill & Calkins, 2003; Hastings, Zahn-Waxler, Robinson, Usher, & Bridges, 2000; Panak & Garber, 1992; Wied, Goudena, & Matthys, 2005). Les relations entre la capacité d’empathie, les comportements pro-sociaux et les difficultés au plan des interactions sociales des enfants présentant des TC sont cependant complexes et difficiles à comprendre. La notion de mentalisation, soit la capacité qu’a un individu de percevoir et d’interpréter ses comportements et ceux d’autrui en fonction d’états mentaux, apparaît une avenue pertinente d’exploration des difficultés au niveau des interactions sociales des enfants présentant des TC. Plus spécifiquement, les biais de mentalisation, soit le type d’attribution prédominant lorsque l’enfant interprète les états mentaux des autres et les siens, auraient un impact sur le développement de l’empathie (Sharp, 2006) et des comportements pro-sociaux des enfants (Denham, 1986; Strayer, 1980). Les résultats de cette étude sont présentés en deux articles divisés en fonction du type d’analyse effectuée sur les données. Ainsi, les résultats du premier article soulèvent que l’empathie est un facteur essentiel en lien avec le développement social de l’enfant. Les comportements pro-sociaux auraient quant à eux un rôle de médiation entre la capacité d’empathie de l’enfant et le fait qu’il présente des TC. Pour être en mesure de mieux comprendre ce lien de médiation, les biais de mentalisation ont été ajoutés à l’équation dans le deuxième article. Cet ajout a permis de constater deux facteurs de risque en lien avec le développement des TC, soit les biais de mentalisation négatifs et la faible tendance à adopter des comportements pro-sociaux. Ainsi, les biais de mentalisation, l’empathie et les comportements pro-sociaux permettent de prédire 27,7 % de la variance des TC. Les résultats de l’étude permettront de mieux comprendre les facteurs impliqués dans la genèse des TC et d’ajuster les programmes déjà en place pour intervenir auprès des garçons d’âge scolaire présentant ce type de trouble.

Les pro-protéines convertases (PCs), nommées PC1/3, PC2, furine, PACE4, PC5/6, PC4 et PC7, sont impliquées dans l'activation de précurseurs protéiques de par le clivage endoprotéolytique qu'elles effectuent en C-terminal des paires de résidus basiques Lys/Arg-Arg. Ces protéases à sérine occupent des fonctions dans l'initiation et le maintient [i.e. maintien] du phénotype néoplasique puisqu'elles activent, entre autres, des protéines reliées à la prolifération, l'adhésion et l'invasion cellulaire cancéreuse. Étant donné le caractère unique et redondant dans la fonctionnalité des PCs, il est important de distinguer les rôles spécifiques tenus par chacune. Ainsi, l'implication de PACE4 dans la progression cancéreuse est de plus en plus investiguée. L'inhibiteur peptidique spécifique envers PACE4, LLLLRVKR (Multi-Leu ou ML), offre la possibilité d'étudier les impacts d'une inhibition de PACE4 sur les traits distinctifs d'une lignée cancéreuse. Pour introduire ces travaux, il a été prouvé que la lignée cancéreuse humaine de la prostate DU145 surexprimait uniquement PACE4. Nous démontrons par essais MTT que le ML réduit de 50% la prolifération de ce modèle. Suite à l'optimisation de la pénétration et de la stabilité du peptide, l'inhibition de la prolifération obtenue fut quasi complète. Des travaux ont aussi été réalisés afin de mieux comprendre ces effets. La formation de colonies, la viabilité cellulaire, le cycle de division et l'expression de diverses protéines furent étudiées. Enfin, la progression des tumeurs DU145 fut abolie par des traitements intra tumoraux avec le ML. Le ML est donc un inhibiteur de PACE4 qui bloque la progression tumorale, ce qui lui confère une application thérapeutique potentielle.