Denervation Supersensitivity of the Rat Vas Deferens: A Role for Protein Kinase C

A role for protein kinase C (PKC) in the denervation-induced supersensitivity of the rat vas deferens was investigated. Chronic, surgical denervation of the rat vas deferens (up to 8 days) resulted in tissues that produced enhanced contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE) in isolated organ baths. Single challenges of NE (10 $\mu$M) produced 0.6 $\pm$ 0.1 g of maximal tension in the control vas whereas in the paired, denervated tissue 2.2 $\pm$ 0.3 g of tension was recorded (n = 6). Cumulative concentration-effect curves to NE produced in the denervated vas deferens were shifted 18-fold to the left of the control response. Neurokinin A (NKA) responses after denervation of the tissue were not significantly different from the control. Denervation did not alter the contractile response to phorbol diacetate (PDA), a PKC activator. Pretreatment of denervated and control vas deferens with 100 $\mu$M nifedipine (a calcium channel blocker), significantly attenuated the contractile response to NE. The responses in the control tissues were depressed by 88%, those in the denervated vasa were only antagonized by 65% after nifedipine treatment. Exposure of denervated and control vas deferens to 100 $\mu$M NE resulted in no significant accumulation of diacylglycerol (DAG) from basal values. The molecular species of DAG produced after receptor stimulation, in either tissue group, were not different from those found in resting tissues. Denervation also had no effect on the binding characteristics of membrane-associated PKC when assayed using the specific ligand, (\sp3H) phorbol dibutyrate. The PKC activity of resting vas deferens was not altered by chronic surgical denervation. Denervated and control vas deferens that were stimulated with 100 $\mu$M NE showed a time-dependent translocation of PKC from the cytosolic to the membrane fraction of the tissue. In both tissue groups exposure to NE resulted in a 3-4 fold increase in the membrane-bound PKC activity, which remained elevated above basal values for up to 20 min. The rate of translocation of PKC was faster in denervated vasa (maximal at 5 min after NE) when compared to the control (maximal at 20 min), but the maximal amount of the enzyme activated was the same for the two tissue groups. The ability of NKA, 60 mM K\sp+-depolarization and PDB (PKC activator) to produce translocation of the PKC was not altered by denervation of the vas deferens. (Abstract shortened by UMI.

Negotiating health post-globalisation: a case study of the Kanikkar community of Kottoor, in Kerala, India

Indigenous peoples are "peoples … regarded as indigenous, on account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest or colonisation or the establishment of present state boundaries and who, irrespective of their legal status, retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions" (ILO, 1990). At least 370 million people worldwide considered indigenous, live in remote areas of the world. There are at least 5000 Indigenous peoples ranging from the forest peoples of the Amazon to the tribal peoples of India and from the Inuit of the Arctic to the Aborigines in Australia. Indigenous peoples do not necessarily claim to be the only people native to their countries, but in many cases indigenous peoples are indeed "aboriginal" or "native" to the lands they live in, being descendants of those peoples that inhabited a territory prior to colonization or formation of the present state. Indigenous peoples have their own distinct languages, cultures, and social and political institutions that are very different from those of mainstream society. While indigenous peoples face the same experience of discrimination and marginalization as other ethnic minorities, there are very important differences in terms of their rights and identity. This is compared and contrasted with Indian and Australian experiences through this paper. There are numerous challenges posed to indigenous people. A common feature is the attempts by federal/ central authorities to suppress their cultures for the purpose of mainstreaming, by way of long-term assimilation policies, e.g. the Norwegian Sámi population. In India, Adivasi women refuse to deliver their babies in health centers because they "don't think it necessary"; this the health providers perceive to be on account of 'ignorance'. But then, a few and some social workers perceive this as women exercising their choice. Further, they simply refuse to go to a health facility where they are treated badly and their customs are disrespected. The present paper attempts to explore and document the unique challenges posed to the Kanikkar Tribe habiting the Forests of Southern Kerala, India. The study will be a case study dwelling deep into the experiences of the Kannikar as they negotiate with the fast catching pace of globalization as a moderator on their socio-demographic status, culture, and subsequently their health seeking behaviour. The paper is a clarion call for inclusion, aimed ultimately to give an alternate perception of "social inclusiveness" as both a concept and practice in generating a better understanding as to why the Kannikar are reconciled to submitting themselves to their "fate.

PERKEMBANGAN PERMUKIMAN DI PULAU DOOM KOTA SORONG

Pulau Doom terletah di Kota Sorong Provinsi Papua Barat. Pulau Doom sudah ditinggali oleh masyarakat sejak masa pendudukan Belanda. Belanda sudah melirik keberadaan Pulau Doom sejak tahun 1800-an dan kemudian sekitar tahun 1935 Pulau Doom dijadikan sebagai ibu kota pusat pemerintahan Kota Sorong. Pulau Doom kini menjadi kawasan permukiman bagi masyarakat yang tinggal di wilayah tersebut. Seiring berkembang waktu, perkembangan permukiman di Pulau tersebut kini mulai berkembang dari tahun ke tahun dan menjadi padat akibat pertumbuhan penduduk yang semakin meningkat. Perkembangan permukiman di Pulau Doom dari tahun 2007 hingga 2015 mengalami perkembangan yang pesat. Oleh karena itu, tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis arah perkembangan permukiman dan faktor-faktor apa saja yang mempengaruhi perkembangan permukiman di Pulau Doom Kota Sorong. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif dan analisis spasial (overlay) dengan menggunakan software ArcGIS 10.1. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian bahwa, 1arah perkembangan permukiman di Pulau Doom lebih dominan berkembang ke arah  kelurahan Doom Barat pada kontur 0-10% (topografi dataran rendah) dengan perkembangan permukiman sebesar 60%. 2Faktor-faktor yang paling mempengaruhi perkembangan permukiman di Pulau Doom adalah faktor geografis, faktor kependudukan, faktor swadaya dan peran serta masyarakat dan faktor sosial budaya. Kata Kunci     : Permukiman, Faktor-faktor yang Mempengaruhi Perkembangan Permukima

Community mental health and NGO engagement: the Kerala experience

[Extract] Mental and neurological disorders affect nearly 13 per cent of the world population. In fact, one out of every four people around the globe experience a mental illness that warrants diagnosis and treatment. Mental disorders cause considerable burden on individuals, families and societies. Human, social and financial resources are needed to provide access to effective and humane treatment for people with mental disorders. Mental health and mental illness is a part of every country, culture, age group and socio-economic status.\ud \ud In India, around 6 per cent of 1.21 billion population are reportedly affected by varying mental problems. The disparity between the number of mentally ill, treatment facilities and trained professionals result in a large 'treatment gap' in the community. Community mental health programmes are essential to address this gap, to reach out to a major percentage of people who live with little access to good care, especially those economically deprived. Establishment of autonomous organisations to provide accountable and evidence-based good-quality care and development of appropriately trained human resources has been suggested as one of the methods to improve mental health care. This chapter illustrates the case of Mehac Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), as an earnest initiative to integrate community and key persons into community mental health as an initiative to provide quality mental health care

The prevalence of mental illness within the Indian criminal justice system

[Extract] In recent years, the provision of social work services has become an increasingly indispensable element within the criminal jus- tice system (Treger & Allen, 2007), most notably in countries such as the United States, Canada and Scotland (Champagne & Felizardo, n.d.; Scottish Government, 2010; Treger & Allen, 2007). Variously labelled as criminal justice, correctional or forensic social workers (Wilson, 2010), these practitioners now represent one of the foremost providers of bio-psychosocial services to offender populations and victims of crime in these countries. Whether in collaboration with other criminal justice professionals-the police, prison wardens, probation/parole officers-or with colleagues who specialise in diverse fields such as housing, employment, child welfare, mental health, clinical or education, social work intervention and support is now regarded as fundamental in frontline services as well as administrative functions. These specialist skills may be utilised in a number of ways, for example, in adult prisons, youth detention centres, The Prevalence of Mental Illness within the Indian Criminal Justice System 51 probation and parole agencies, the courts, community-based non-profit or non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith- based agencies as well as primary health and behavioural clinics that serve low socio-economic status clients, many of whom themselves are ex-convicts (Wilson, 2010, p. 1)

Cryopreservation and mycophenolate therapy are detrimental to hematopoietic progenitor cells

The aim of the present study was to determine whether certain components of nonmyeloablative regimens for hematopoietic cell transplantation might compromise the growth of hematopoietic progenitors