Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs

Grapefruit juice is consumed widely in today's health conscious world as a protector against cardiovascular diseases and cancers. It has however, been found to be an inhibitor of the intestinal cytochrome P – 450 3A4 system, which is responsible for the first pass metabolism of many drugs. The P – glycoprotein pump, found in the brush border of the intestinal wall which transports many of these cytochrome P – 450 3A4 substrates, has also been implicated to be inhibited by grapefruit juice. By inhibiting these enzyme systems, grapefruit juice alters the pharmacokinetics of a variety of medications, leading to elevation of their serum concentrations. Most notable are its effects on the calcium channel antagonist and the statin group of drugs. In the case of many drugs, the increased serum concentration has been found to be associated with increased frequency of dose dependent adverse effects. In this review, we have discussed the phytochemistry of grapefruit juice, the various drugs involved in the drug – grapefruit juice eraction with their mechanisms of action and have presented the clinical implications of these interactions

Intersexuality and Trans-Identities within the Diversity Management Discourse

Within both the scientific discourse on workforce diversity, and diversity management practice, intersexuality and transgender issues have hitherto remained marginalized topics. This chapter gives an overview of the discourses on both phenomena, and proposes starting points for more inclusive organizational diversity management initiatives. It is shown that both topics represent different aspects of the category of "gender". The common practice of conceptually lumping together intersexuality, transgenderism, and sexual orientation can be seen as one important reason that intersexuality and transgenderism are rarely considered in organizational diversity management programs in terms of concrete action. Against this background, a modified, and more integrated approach to structuring the workforce alongside the different dimensions of diversity is proposed. It is shown that the categories of "biological sex and gender", "gender identity", and "sexual orientation" cannot be regarded as being separate from each other. They represent, rather, an interrelated organizational field of action that should be considered as being one interrelated topic for organizational diversity practices. This chapter derives this claim theoretically and discusses the consequences for organizational diversity management practices. For most organizations, this would mean a fundamental rethinking of their goals, in terms of workforce diversity, and the shaping of their diversity management programs

Über kulturelle Transformationen der Sexual- und Geschlechtsformen in den letzten Jahrzehnten

Western cultures have witnessed a tremendous cultural and social transformation of sexuality in the years since the sexual revolution. Apart from a few public debates and scandals, the process has moved along gradually and quietly. Yet its real and symbolic effects are probably much more consequential than those generated by the sexual revolution of the sixties. Sigusch refers to the broad-based recoding and reassessment of the sexual sphere during the eighties and nineties as the "neosexual revolution". The neosexual revolution is dismantling the old patterns of sexuality and reassembling them anew. In the process, dimensions, intimate relationships, preferences and sexual fragments emerge, many of which had submerged, were unnamed or simply did not exist before. In general, sexuality has lost much of its symbolic meaning as a cultural phenomenon. Sexuality is no longer the great metaphor for pleasure and happiness, nor is it so greatly overestimated as it was during the sexual revolution. It is now widely taken for granted, much like egotism or motility. Whereas sex was once mystified in a positive sense - as ecstasy and transgression, it has now taken on a negative mystification characterized by abuse, violence and deadly infection. While the old sexuality was based primarily upon sexual instinct, orgasm and the heterosexual couple, neosexualities revolve predominantly around gender difference, thrills, self-gratification and prosthetic substitution. From the vast number of interrelated processes from which neosexualities emerge, three empirically observable phenomena have been selected for discussion here: the dissociation of the sexual sphere, the dispersion of sexual fragments and the diversification of intimate relationships. The outcome of the neosexual revolution may be described as "lean sexuality" and "self-sex".Nach der letzten "sexuellen Revolution" kam es in den reichen Gesellschaften des Westens zu einer enormen kulturellen und sozialen Transformation der Sexualität. Sigusch nennt sie die "neosexuelle Revolution". Bisher ist diese Transformation und Umwertung der Sexualität eher langsam und leise verlaufen. Ihre symbolischen und realen Auswirkungen sind aber möglicherweise einschneidender als die der schnellen und lauten sexuellen Revolution der 1960er und 1970er Jahre. Die neosexuelle Revolution zerlegt die alte Sexualität und setzt sie neu zusammen. Dadurch treten Dimensionen, Intimbeziehungen, Präferenzen und Sexualfragmente hervor, die bisher verschüttet waren, keinen Namen hatten oder gar nicht existierten. Insgesamt verlor die Kulturform Sexualität an symbolischer Bedeutung. Heute ist Sexualität nicht mehr die große Metapher der Lust und des Glücks. Sie wird nicht mehr so stark überschätzt wie zur Zeit der sexuellen Revolution, ist eher eine allgemeine Selbstverständlichkeit wie Egoismus oder Motilität. Während die alte Sexualität positiv mystifiziert wurde als Ekstase und Transgression, wird die neue negativ mystifiziert als Missbrauch, Gewalt und tödliche Infektion. Während die alte Sexualität vor allem aus Trieb, Orgasmus und dem heterosexuellen Paar bestand, bestehen die Neosexualitäten vor allem aus Geschlechterdifferenz, Thrills, Selbstliebe und Prothetisierungen. Aus der Unzahl der miteinander vernetzten Prozesse, die Neosexualitäten hervorbringen, werden drei herausgegriffen: die Dissoziation der sexuellen Sphäre, die Dispersion der sexuellen Fragmente und die Diversifikation der sexuellen Beziehungen. Das Resultat der neosexuellen Revolution könnte als "Lean sexuality" oder als "Selfsex" bezeichnet werden, der selbstdiszipliniert und selbstoptimiert ist