The pituitary hormone prolactin (Prl) is essential for alveolar morphogenesis and plays a role in breast carcinogenesis, however the mechanism that underlies these actions remains to be defined. Alterations in serum Prl provide the primary endocrine signal regulating developmental events in the mammary gland in sexually mature mammals. Prl production and post-translational phosphorylation by the pituitary is regulated by the neuropeptide Galanin (Gal) in response to hypothalamic signals integrating neuronal and endocrine inputs. Prl exerts its effects on the mammary epithelium in two ways, indirectly by modulation of the systemic hormonal environment, for example the release of progesterone from the corpus luteum, and directly by binding to Prl receptors (Prlr) within the mammary epithelium. Prl binding to Prlr initiates signalling predominantly via activation of the Jak2/Stat5 pathway, leading to altered patterns of gene transcription. One of these target genes is the ets transcription factor Elf5, which is required by the epithelium for alveolar morphogenesis. This thesis aims to further our understanding of the mechanisms by which prolactin exerts its influence on the mammary gland during alveolar morphogenesis and carcinogenesis. Transcript profiling revealed a lactation signature of 35 genes in Prlr+/- mice, Gal-/- mice and mice treated with a Prl mutant (S179D) that mimics phosphorylated Prl. We discovered that the majority of changes in gene expression were produced by prolactin rather than by Gal. The action of Gal was predominantly via modulation of Prl phosphorylation and release, as its effects were very similar to that of S179D. Knockout of Elf5 phenocopied knockout of Prlr, resulting in failure of alveolar morphogenesis and reduced expression of milk and lipid synthesis genes. Forced Elf5 expression at puberty resulted in aberrant differentiation of the terminal end buds and milk protein synthesis during ductal morphogenesis. Re-expression of Elf5 in Prlr-/- mammary epithelial cells completely rescued alveolar morphogenesis. These observations indicate that Elf5 is a master regulator of alveolar morphogenesis downstream of the Prlr. Loss of mammary epithelial Prlr resulted in reduced proliferation of low-grade neoplastic lesions resulting in increased tumour latency in the C3(1)/SV40T model of mammary carcinogenesis. There was no change in the growth rate, proliferation nor the morphology of tumours in Prlr-/-/C3(1)/SV40T transplants, thus Prl acts early in carcinogenesis to drive the proliferation of pre-invasive lesions resulting in faster progression to cancer.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Curriculum Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

3,4-methlenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the main constituent of Ecstasy, is a ring-substituted amphetamine commonly abused in recreational users. High doses of MDMA determined by allometric scaling produce serotonin (5-HT) axon deneveration. Studies suggest that this interspecies scaling does not reflect human use. An 'effects' scale comparing similar behavioral and physiological effects between species has been postulated as more accurate for translational studies. Experiment 1 examined the effects of MDMA on serotonergic forebrain innervation using immunohistochemical labeling targeting the serotonin transporter protein (SERT). Experiments 2 and 3 examined low and high doses of MDMA on spatial memory, prefrontal functioning, and serotonergic neurotoxicity using 'effects' scaling. Long Evans rats were given MDMA regimens of: chronic low dose (daily injections of 1.5 mg/kg for 10 days); binge low dose (2 days of 4 x 1.5 mg/kg spaced 2 hours apart), binge high dose (2 x 7.5 mg/kg sp aced 2 hours apart). Acquisition, retention, and spatial reversal (SR) were measured in a water maze task. A 2.0 mg/kg MDMA drug challenge was then given prior to a serial spatial reversal (SSR) task to assess performance while under the effect of the drug. Attentional set shifting and behavioral flexibility were assessed in an intradimensional extradimensionl (IED) task using odor/texture discriminations. MDMA chronic and binge low doses did not impair water maze or IED performance and produced no reductions in SERT expression. MDMA binge high dose resulted in significant reductions of SERT density in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, cortical mantle, hippocampus, amygdala, and many thalamic nuclei. Despite prominent 5-HT denervation, water maze performance was unaffected. Selective impairment in behavioral flexibility on the IED test was found. / This suggests that low doses of MDMA do not produce long-term deleterious effects. But, high doses of MDMA taken in 'binges' produces widespread loss of forebrain SERT fiber innervation and significant impairments in reversal learning, while leaving attentional set shifting and spatial navigation unscathed. / by Stephanie Brooke Linley. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Not having a child has significant psychosocial effects on women experiencing infertility problems. There is a gap in research on social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of women during infertility, fertility treatment, and subsequent pregnancy. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to investigate the social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of Turkish women with infertility issues and Turkish women who conceived after infertility treatment, as measured by the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Fertility Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale II. The social support and stress buffering theory and the health promotion model provided the framework for the study. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate 200 women undergoing infertility treatment and women who conceived after infertility treatment on social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The results indicated that women undergoing infertility treatment had higher social anxiety and avoidance and higher nutritive healthy lifestyle behaviors than women who conceived after infertility treatment. There was no difference in quality of life between the groups. Findings may promote a better understanding of social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of women undergoing infertility treatment. This heightened awareness may be used to increase psychosocial well-being of women and may increase the success rate of infertility treatment.

Low back pain is characterised by loss of ability to carry out everyday tasks, the disruption of life plans, and psychological distress as well as pain. This study examined the adaptation of individuals with low back pain. In a departure from established models used to study and understand illness representation and adjustment, this study used a personal projects approach to examine the relationship between individuals' appraisals of projects and their functional adaptation to low back pain in the context of their day-to-day goal-directed activities. A functional personal project system was proposed; specifically, those individuals whose project dispositions were highly concordant and socially oriented would have better function and health. For people dealing with low back pain, it was expected that these dispositions, and personal competency, would enhance adaptation. Conversely, poor adaptive abilities, such as difficulties with physical function, social function, and poorer health, would be associated condition-specific perceptions of pain and negative appraisals of project stress[.] The results showed there was a relationship between personal project dispositions and functional ability, well-being, and perceived general health of individuals with low back pain. The results did not confirm that a functional project system possessed adaptive benefits. However, the appraisal of pain as salient to the progress and success of projects and stressfulness of personal projects were predictive of limited function and poorer health. Notably, all aspects of function, both social and physical, were associated with pain-salience cognition. Furthermore, pain salience cognition was still predictive of function after traditional predictors of low back pain disability, pain severity or pain-related fear, were included in the analysis. The significance of the relationship of pain and negative appraisals of the effect of pain on performance supports functional self-efficacy and pain-related fears models used to explain disability level in individuals with low back pain. Since this personal projects analysis was an integrated assessment of individuals' dispositions in the context of participants' everyday lives, it was concluded that pain salience and stressfulness of projects outweighed any advantages offered by their other dispositions in negotiating the participant's personal projects.

Principen överraskning är en av de äldsta principer som finns att använda i striden. Principen ses som grunden för striden och för vilka metoder som kan använda för att lyckas i striden. Men vad innebär överraskning egentligen och hur har den använts? Uppsatsen kommer att problematisera principen överraskning och anknyta till forskningen om överraskning till Pearl Harbor och sexdagarskriget, som har setts vara typiska överraskningsanfall. Såg anfallen likadana ut och vilka indikatorer utifrån litteraturen påvisar att det var en överraskning? Inledningsvis kommer överraskning beskrivas utifrån vald litteratur för att åskådliggöra innebörden. Litteraturen kommer att analyseras och göra underlag för senare del av uppsatsen. Därefter appliceras och granskas de på de två olika överraskningsanfallen med vilka indikatorer som användes vid respektive anfall till litteraturteorin. Avslutningsvis diskuteras resultatet och författaren ger förslag på ny forskning med anknytning till ämnet. Syftet med uppsatsen är att problematisera principen överraskning och vilka indikatorer som påverkar principen överraskning. Jag kommer att genomföra en komparativ modell mellan Pearl Harbor och sexdagarskriget. Denna analys genomförs genom en kvalitativ textanalys och uppsatsens analytiska ram är principen överraskning. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna i denna uppsats är analys utifrån teorin överraskning samt litteratur om Pearl Harbor och sexdagarskriget. / The principle of surprise is one of the oldest principles that is to used in battle. Principle as the basis of the conflict and the methods you can use to succeed in battle. But what does surprise really mean, and how is it used? The essay will problematize the principle of surprise and connect the research on surprise to Pearl Harbor and the Six Day War that has been seen to be typical surprise attacks. Did the attacks look the same and do the indicators from the literature show that it was a surprise?Initially the principle surprise will describe the selected literature to illustrate the meaning. The literature will be analyzed and make a basis for the later part of the essay. Then I will analyze the literature and apply it on the two surprise attacks, if they were using the same indicators. Finally it discusses the results and the author suggests new research related to the topic. The purpose of this paper is to problematize the principle of surprise and the indicators that affect the principle of surprise. The essay will conduct a comparative method between Pearl Harbor and the Six Day War. This analysis is performed by a qualitative text analysis and essay analytical framework is the principle of surprise. The theoretical basis of this paper is the analysis based on the theory and literature surprise of Pearl Harbor and the Six-Day War.

The focus of this study was to investigate psychological effect on grandchildren when they are being raised by their grandparents. Considerable research has been done on the psychological effect on the grandparents, but very little on the effects on grandchildren, especially in South Africa. By means of a mainly qualitative investigation, empirical data were collected through informal discussions, observations and projection media from four families and seven grandchildren in total. The findings yielded a number of common themes among all the grandchildren, and yet others showed the influence of the attitude of the grandparents towards the situation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and counseling)

The focus of this study was to investigate psychological effect on grandchildren when they are being raised by their grandparents. Considerable research has been done on the psychological effect on the grandparents, but very little on the effects on grandchildren, especially in South Africa. By means of a mainly qualitative investigation, empirical data were collected through informal discussions, observations and projection media from four families and seven grandchildren in total. The findings yielded a number of common themes among all the grandchildren, and yet others showed the influence of the attitude of the grandparents towards the situation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and counseling)

Introduction is focused on analyze green roof like a part of buiding construction, when thesis assembly principles of right proposal green roof layers. Main part describes characteristic properties green roofs at global impact. We get some added values after comparison with classic roof types. Master thesis consists of survey of added values of green roofs in these categories: life cycle assessment, microclima, outdoor climate, water retention. End of thesis devote to psychological effect of green roofs include questionnare about relationship between czech society and green roofs.