Behavioral facilitation following chronic administration of N-n-propylnorapomorphine

Chronic administration of drugs which interfere with normal neurotransmission within animal nervous tissue (e.g. neurotransmitter receptor antagonists) is known to result in the development of behavioral supersensitivity. During recent years, evidence has been presented which indicates that neurotransmitter receptor agonists also produce behavioral supersensitivity. This study shows that, using stereotypic cage-climbing behavior in mice, chronic administration of apomorphine, and N-n-propylnorapomorphine (two direct-acting dopamine agonists) and d-amphetamine (an indirect dopamine agonist) produced an enhanced behavioral response to a test dose of apomorphine 4, 8 and 12 days after cessation of chronic drug injections.

Main puteri: an indigenous Kelantanese form of psychotherapy

The permainan puteri (usually abbreviated to main puteri) is an indigenous Kelantanese healing ceremony in which the bomoh (traditional medicine-man), the sick individual and other participants become spirit-medium through whom puteri (spirits) are able to enact a permainan ('play'). It has been successfully used as a psychotherapy for depression. The bomoh assisted by his minduk (master of spirits) and a troupe of musicians, is able to provide a conceptual framework around which the sick individual can organize his vague, mysterious and chaotic symptoms so that they become comprehensible and orderly. At the same time the bomoh is able to draw the sick individual out of his state of morbid self-absorption and heighten his feelings of self-worth. The involvement of his family, relatives and friends tends to enhance group solidarity and reintegrate the sick individual into his immediate social group.

Traditional and modern medicine in Malaysia

Malaysia has a large variety of traditional medical systems that are a direct reflection of the wide ethnic diversity of its population. These can be grouped into four basic varieties, namely, traditional "native," traditional Chinese, traditional Indian and modern medicine, examples of which are described. In spite of the great inroads made by modern medicine, the traditional systems are firmly established. Patients move from one system to another or use several systems simultaneously. The integration of the traditional Malay birth attendant into the health team is described. The forces influencing the development, acceptance and integration of the medical systems is discussed.

[Pharmacological studies of long-acting phenothiazines with particular reference to fluphenazine decanoate (author's transl)]

A long-term study was performed on the effects of fluphenazine decanoate and the results were compared with those of fluphenazine-2HCl and fluphenazine enanthate. These agents given orally were equipotent in inhibiting the motility of mice. With subcutaneous administration, decanoate and enanthate showed a clearly prolonged action, whereas fluphenazine-2HCl was effective for only 3 days. Decanoate and enanthate did not produce marked hypothermia in rats. Like enanthate, decanoate inhibited, for a long duration, apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior and methamphetamine group toxicity in mice, as well as induced catalepsy in rats. It was found that fluphenazine-2HCl markedly inhibited certain agonists-induced contraction of isolated preparations while enanthate and decanoate inhibited these contractions almost equally. In rats, enanthate induced a persistent hypotension and marked changes in ECG while decanoate showed a transient hypotension and slight changes in ECG. In the study of rat brain catecholamine turnover, these three drugs significantly increased dopamine turnover, and decanoate and enanthate were found to have prolonged effects. No significant change in noradrenaline turnover was observed. These results indicate that fluphenazine decanoate has the same spectrum of activity as enanthate except for its slower onset, weaker potency and longer duration of action. A prolonged tranquilizing effect was most evident.

Providing maternal and child care in rural Malaysia

Since Independence, gained in 1957, major changes have occurred in the rural areas of Malaysia not least amongst which has been the provision of maternal and child care services to hitherto neglected areas. In the first part of this paper, the demographic and disease patterns are described. The second part outlines the general development efforts and describes in greater detail the rural health services that have been organized in Malaysia. In the concluding section, changes in mortality and morbidity are examined.

Incorporating the traditional birth attendant into the health team: the Malaysian example

Domiciliary deliveries have always been the responsibility of traditional birth attendants. Since Independence, acquired in 1957, educated young women have been trained as auxiliary midwives and sent to serve in rural communities where they usually are met with resistance by the established traditional birth attendants. To counter this and to incorporate the traditional birth attendants into the health team, new roles were developed for each so that the two would be able to cooperate and support each other rather than rival and antagonise each other. A specific experience in one area of Malaysia is examined as an example.

Induction of Root Nodule Senescence by Combined Nitrogen in Pisum sativum L

Root nodule senescence induced by nitrate and ammonium in Pisum sativum L. was defined by determining nitrogenase activity and leghemoglobin content with the acetylene reduction and pyridine hemochrome assays. Root systems supplied with 100 mm KNO(3) or 100 mm NH(4)Cl exhibited a decrease in nitrogenase activity followed by a decline in leghemoglobin content. Increasing the CO(2) concentration from 0.000320 atm to 0.00120 atm had no effect on the time course of root nodule senescence when 20 mm KNO(3) was supplied to the roots; in vitro nitrate reductase activity was detected in leaves and roots, but not bacteroids. Nitrate appeared in leaves, roots, and the nodule cytosol fraction but not bacteroids when 20 mm KNO(3) was supplied to roots. When nitrate entered through the shoots, however, no root nodule senescence was observed, and no nitrate was detected in root or nodule cytosol fractions although nitrate and nitrate reductase were found in leaves. The results suggest that nitrate does not induce root nodule senescence through competition between nitrate reductase and nitrogenase for products of photosynthesis.

Attendance at a child health clinic in Malaysia

One hundred and ninety-nine children brought by 181 adults to a child health clinic based in a rural health sub-centre in Peninsular Malaysia are studied. It is noted that the families from which they come are relatively poor, with a large number of children, and that they are fairly highly motivated. Forty-four per cent of children attending the clinic at the time of the study are symptomatic indicating the need to organise the child health clinic on a "preventive-curative" basis. It is also noted that the young child is initially seen in early infancy but is lost to the clinic when he is older making it judicious to formulate immunization schedules that take this into account.