The social consequence of wellness: a view of healing outcomes from micro and macro perspectives

Using field data from Mexican Spiritualist healing, this article focuses on the relationship between treatment outcomes at the individual and social levels. Two issues are explored 1) to what degree do persons treated by Spiritualist healing techniques fit into the wider society of which they are part, and 2) what effects does a given healing system exert on socioeconomic and political arrangements? The discussion brings into bold relief the contradictions embedded in Spiritualist healing techniques and rituals when studied from micro and macro perspectives. Using physiological and social analysis, the author addresses the reasons why individuals participate in Spiritualist healing and rituals, despite the resultant reproduction of socioeconomic and political forms that are contrary to the participants' concerns and interests and that may also be illness producing. By way of conclusion, it is suggested that, on a macro level, healing systems of the Spiritualist kind tend to perpetuate the socioeconomic and political systems.     

Behavioural, physiological and immunological consequences of social status and aggression in chronically coexisting resident-intruder dyads of male rats

The behavioural and physiological consequences of social status and reciprocal fighting in resident-intruder dyads of Long Evans male rats were evaluated. Before a chronic cohabitation of 10 days, residents and intruders were individually housed for one month to increase their aggressiveness. Control animals included isolates, i.e., animals kept individually housed throughout the experiment and pair-housed rats, i.e., pairs of rats housed together from their rats in the laboratory. In 19 out of 20 dyads, a clear dominance relationship developed with an advantage to the resident in 68% of the cases. Dominants showed more exploratory activity than subordinates in a open-field test at the end of the cohabitation period; subordinates groomed longer than animals from other experimental groups. Dominants had lower pain thresholds than individually and pair-housed animals. Both dominants and subordinates had higher tyrosine hydroxylase enzymatic activities in the left adrenal than isolated and pair-housed rats. Subordinates lost body weight and had higher plasma corticosteroid concentrations than animals from the other experimental groups. In addition, they had smaller thymus glands and reduced spleen lymphocyte responses to mitogenic stimulation in vitro, in comparison to dominant animals. These results show that subordination in the dyadic resident-intruder paradigm leads to a complex syndrome of behavioural and physiological changes, some of which may be modulated by the intensity of aggressive interactions.     

Liquid crystalline phases in concentrated aqueous solutions of Na+ DNA.

Concentrated aqueous saline solutions of short (146-base-pair) DNA fragments suddenly become turbid and iridescent when the DNA concentration is slightly increased or the temperature is decreased. Microscopic examination through crossed polarizing filters shows that turbidity and iridescence is due to formation of a liquid crystalline DNA phase similar to cholesteric liquid crystals formed by other semirigid, but nonelectrolyte, chiral polymers. Several distinct textures of the liquid crystalline phase or phases are observed depending on DNA concentration, temperature, and method of sample preparation. Textures observed include spherulites with Maltese crosses, striated and highly colored ribbons, whorls of periodic interference fringes, and colored flakes. The liquid crystalline DNA phase coexists in metastable equilibrium with the isotropic phase over a relatively narrow temperature/concentration range--approximately 175-250 mg/ml and 25-62 degrees C (limit of measurements). At higher concentrations and temperatures above approximately equal to 25 degrees C, the solutions appear fully liquid crystalline. When concentrated solutions are cooled below room temperature, crystals form due to precipitation of supporting electrolyte. A partial phase diagram is reported for the isotropic----liquid crystal----crystal transitions of solutions of DNA in buffered saline (2 M Na+). The general features of this phase diagram and the critical DNA volume fraction for formation of the anisotropic phase are consistent with the observed and theoretically predicted phase behavior of rodlike or semirigid nonelectrolyte polymers.     

Reversible pathologic jealousy (Othello syndrome) associated with amantadine

We describe a case of pathologic jealousy (Othello syndrome) in a patient with Parkinson disease, which abated after discontinuing amantadine. We indicate that early recognition and treatment of the syndrome in this disease may avert physical violence. We also believe that our report further suggests a link between this specific behavioral disorder and dopaminergic activity.     

Functional and immunohistochemical studies of cultured rat microglia

We studied functional and immunohistochemical characteristics of cultured rat microglia. Unstimulated microglia did not proliferate. Microglia stimulated with LCM (L929 conditioned medium: colony stimulating factor-1) had proliferative activity and increased acid phosphatase activity. LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and IFN gamma (interferon-gamma) but did not affect proliferative activity. Immunohistochemically, RCA-1 lectin and GS-1 lectin, which react to beta-D-galactose and alpha-D-galactose respectively, strongly reacted to the cytoplasm and membrane of unstimulated microglia. After stimulation with LCM, microglia elongated processes and decreased response to these lectins. On the other hand, microglia stimulated with LCM showed increased reactivity to monoclonal antibody of vimentin. Microglia stimulated with LPS had round shape and had response to these lectins and vimentin. Microglia stimulated with IFN gamma had adhesive activity and weakly stained with these lectins but not with vimentin. ED-1 (monoclonal antibody of rat monocytes/macrophages) reacted to unstimulated and stimulated microglia. In flow cytometry, unstimulated microglia expressed OX-18 (MHC class I) and W3/25 (CD4) antigen. After stimulation with IFN gamma, microglia were induced to express these antigens. CD4 antigen is a marker of helper/inducer T cells and thought to be a receptor of HIV. The results that microglia had CD4 antigen which was further induced with IFN gamma are important to investigate infection of the CNS with HIV. OX-6 (Ia) antigen was induced with IFN gamma. This indicates that the microglia plays a central role in the CNS immune reaction. These characteristics of cultured rat microglia provide useful informations to investigate the pathogenesis of the CNS disorders.     

Behavioral state-specific changes in human hippocampal theta activity

Although there has been extensive examination of the behavioral and physiologic correlates of hippocampal theta activity in animals, the human literature consists of a single case study. We investigated the differential effects of four behavioral states on human hippocampal theta activity in 16 epilepsy surgery patients. Behavioral conditions included resting eyes closed (RC), resting eyes open (RO), eyes open with auditory word activation (AW), and eyes open with visuospatial activation (VS). Hippocampal theta activity decreased during both RO and VS compared to both RC and AW. There were reciprocal changes in delta activity. Comparisons of RO to VS and of RC to AW were nonsignificant. The results demonstrate state-specific changes in human hippocampal theta and are consistent with the animal literature that relates hippocampal theta to sensorimotor integration and forebrain volitional mechanisms.     

Physical training and +Gz tolerance reevaluated

The effect of physical training on +Gz tolerance is of vital interest in the aerospace community. The data on the effect of physical training on orthostatic tolerance or simulated air combat maneuvers is equivocal. The effects of aerobic and strength training programs is briefly reviewed. The data suggest a need for careful reinterpretation of research results in light of conflicting reports and methodological shortcomings. Aerobic training cannot be assumed to always be detrimental nor can strength training be assumed to be universally effective in improving +Gz tolerance. In selecting appropriate screening criteria and training regimens for aircraft personnel, it seems prudent to reinvestigate strength and endurance training effects on +Gz tolerance using multivariate research paradigms. Special attention should be directed to commonly accepted physiological principles which may vary under conditions of altered gravitation.     

Dysphagia aortica

Three patients with dysphagia caused by compression of the distal esophagus by a tortuous nonaneurysmal atherosclerotic aorta are described. All three patients were elderly women; systemic hypertension and cardiomegaly were present in two patients. Barium studies of the esophagus showed displacement and compression of the distal esophagus by the thoracic aorta. Debilitating dysphagia was treated surgically in one patient. The other two patients had milder symptoms and were managed conservatively. Esophageal manometry in these three patients showed superimposed pulsations and elevated intraluminal pressure just proximal to the lower esophageal sphincter. To evaluate the significance of these manometric findings and their correlation with clinical symptoms, we reviewed manometric tracings in 47 normal subjects. Ten of these subjects had an elevation of baseline intraluminal esophageal pressure as a result of superimposed vascular pulsations. We conclude that (1) compression of the distal esophagus by a tortuous atherosclerotic aorta in the appropriate setting can lead to clinically significant dysphagia and (2) a manometric finding of vascular compression of the esophagus does not necessarily correlate symptomatic dysphagia.