In this article, the authors develop a model in which they depict individuals' support for same-sex marriage as a function of several clusters of independent variables, including symbolic politics, moral and religious attitudes and attachments, feelings toward gays and lesbians, women's rights and gender roles, concern for minority and civil rights, demographic attributes, and the local context. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Studies survey and the U.S. Census, the authors find that attitudes toward same-sex marriage are a function of moral and religious considerations, attitudes toward gays and lesbians, and gender roles. They find little evidence that attitudes toward women's rights and civil rights for African Americans affect attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Finally, they find that contextual effects are limited only to those respondents who reside in counties with a very high percentage of samesex partnered couples.

Chronic pudendal neuromodulation can be an effective treatment for decreasing frequency of PGAD symptoms and providing symptom relief.

BACKGROUND In this study, we investigated the capacity of PEDF to modulate the recruitment and the differentiation of monocytes/macrophages both in vitro and in human prostate. METHODS Using Boyden chambers, we assessed PEDF effect on the migration of monocytes and chemically-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. Normal, prostatitis and prostate cancer specimens were retrospectively selected and examined by immunohistochemistry for PEDF expression and infiltration of immune CD68+macrophagic cells. PEDF expression and macrophage density were then correlated with each other and clinicopathological parameters. M1 and M2 differentiation markers were quantified by qRT-PCR, western blotting and ELISA. RESULTS In chemotaxis, PEDF induced the migration of monocytes/macrophages. In immunohistochemistry, macrophages were markedly increased in prostatitis and malignant compared to normal tissues. PEDF was expressed at variable levels in the stroma and epithelium. PEDF mRNA was down-regulated in both prostate cancer and prostatitis compared to normal tissues. In correlation studies, macrophage density and PEDF expression were respectively positively and negatively associated with prostate size. Most importantly, PEDF expression positively correlated with macrophage density. Finally, PEDF stimulated the expression of iNOS, IL12 and TNFα; and inhibited IL10 and arginase 1 in mouse and human macrophages confirming a M1-type differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that PEDF acts directly on monocytes/macrophages by inducing their migration and differentiation into M1-type cells. These findings suggest a possible role of macrophages in PEDF anti-tumor properties and may support further development of PEDF-based anti-cancer therapy.

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Pelvic floor muscle injections decrease pain levels in women with pelvic floor dysfunction.