Christians Against Globalization in the Philippines

This paper focuses on the Basic Christian Communities in the Philippines that work to counter human and environmental rights violations resulting from macro-economic development processes. While not every activist-led and mass-based people\u27s movement includes critical environmental issues on their agendas for social change, this paper directs its attention to the progressive Basic Christian Community movement that incorporates an environmentally concerned and team-oriented approach to problem solving at the local level. This movement is part of an international bottom-up effort to counteract some of the negative effects of global capitalism (e.g., the fragmentation of close-knit communities that were once based on sharing and the commoditization of natural and social life). The article delineates the non-dogmatic post-Marxist ideology and liberation theology behind the progressive side of the Philippine Basic Christian Community movement and then examines one Basic Christian Community structure. Finally it argues that the Basic Christian Community provides a more viable approach to solving the Philippine poverty and environmental problem than top-down capitalist integration theory has to offer

Globalization, Migration and Class Struggles: NGO Mobilization for Filipino Domestic Workers

This paper contributes to post-Marxist discussions on the relevance of class as a social category in a postmodern world. Rather than marginalize this issue of social positioning, the authors explore the relevance of an Althusserian perspective which acknowledges the importance of class as it articulates with other social/identity issues such as gender and ethnicity. The substantive context for this discussion is gendered labor migration from the Philippines, and the advocacy work conducted by Filipino non-government organizations (NGOs) working with migrants in Pacific Rim countries. It focuses on NGOs in Hong Kong and Vancouver, and their efforts to contest the gendered national identities which are being constructed as poor women migrate to wealthier countries to seek employment as domestic workers. These contexts highlight the articulation of issues of class, gender and ethnicity in conceptualizing the migration of Filipino women, and the authors argue that NGO activities provide insights on how to envision decentered class struggles in relation to transnational migration

The Rise of Women, #MeToo and Why It Matters

In light of current political events here in the United States and around the world, such as the #MeToo movement, discussions about toxic masculinity, the tumultuous appointment of Justice Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, and a worldwide surge of participation of women in politics, it is obvious that we are living in an important historical period where ideas about gender and power are being debated, reinforced, and challenged. While some political leaders blatantly dismiss gender discrimination and gender-based violence, the global community has recently acknowledged the significance of this issue by awarding the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize to two individuals whose work directly challenges gender oppression. Nadia Murad, a Yazidi rights activist who fights for dignity of trafficked women and children, and Denis Mukwege, a doctor who helps victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, both have highlighted the rights of individuals whose voices previously have been silenced. Worldwide, people are speaking out about discriminatory and violent practices. Historians will look back at this moment as one where traditional power structures were meaningfully challenged and marginalized voices spoke out about their experiences

Effect of amlodipine, atenolol and their combination on myocardial ischemia during treadmill exercise and ambulatory monitoring

Objectives.This study compared the effects of amlodipine, atenolol and their combination on ischemia during treadmill testing and 48-h ambulatory monitoring.Background.It is not known whether anti-ischemic drugs exert similar effects on ischemia during ambulatory monitoring and exercise treadmill testing.Methods.Patients with stable coronary artery disease and ischemia during treadmill testing and ambulatory monitoring were randomized to receive amlodipine (n = 51) or atenolol (n = 49). Each group underwent a counterbalanced, crossover evaluation of single drug and placebo, followed by evaluation of the combination.Results.Amlodipine and the combination prolonged exercise time to 0.1-mV ST segment depression by 29% and 34%, respectively (p < 0.001) versus 3% for atenolol (p = NS). During ambulatory monitoring, the frequency of ischemic episodes decreased by 28% with amlodipine (p = 0.083 [NS]), by 57% with atenolol (p < 0.001) and by 72% with the combination (p < 0.05 vs. both single drugs; p < 0.001 vs. placebo). Suppression of ischemia during exercise testing and ambulatory monitoring was similar in patients with and without exercise-induced angina. Exercise time to angina improved by 29% with amlodipine (p < 0.01), by 16% with atenolol (p < 0.05) and by 39% with the combination (p < 0.005 vs. placebo, atenolol and amlodipine). In patients with angina, total exercise time improved by 16% with amlodipine (p < 0.001), by 4% with atenolol (p = NS) and by 19% with the combination (p < 0.05 vs. placebo and either single drug). In those patients without angina, no therapy significantly improved total exercise time.Conclusions.Ischemia during treadmill testing was more effectively suppressed by amlodipine, whereas ischemia during ambulatory monitoring was more effectively suppressed by atenolol. The combination was more effective than either single drug in both settings

17β-Estradiol and estrogen receptor α protect right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension via BMPR2 and apelin

Women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit better right ventricular (RV) function and survival than men; however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that 17β-estradiol (E2), through estrogen receptor α (ER-α), attenuates PAH-induced RV failure (RVF) by upregulating the procontractile and prosurvival peptide apelin via a BMPR2-dependent mechanism. We found that ER-α and apelin expression were decreased in RV homogenates from patients with RVF and from rats with maladaptive (but not adaptive) RV remodeling. RV cardiomyocyte apelin abundance increased in vivo or in vitro after treatment with E2 or ER-α agonist. Studies employing ER-α–null or ER-β–null mice, ER-α loss-of-function mutant rats, or siRNA demonstrated that ER-α is necessary for E2 to upregulate RV apelin. E2 and ER-α increased BMPR2 in pulmonary hypertension RVs and in isolated RV cardiomyocytes, associated with ER-α binding to the Bmpr2 promoter. BMPR2 is required for E2-mediated increases in apelin abundance, and both BMPR2 and apelin are necessary for E2 to exert RV-protective effects. E2 or ER-α agonist rescued monocrotaline pulmonary hypertension and restored RV apelin and BMPR2. We identified what we believe to be a novel cardioprotective E2/ER-α/BMPR2/apelin axis in the RV. Harnessing this axis may lead to novel RV-targeted therapies for PAH patients of either sex