Traditional treatment for mental illness in Africa: A review

The publication of The Quest for Therapy in Lower Zaire (University of California Press) by John M. Janzen (with the collaboration of William Arkinstall), and African Therapeutic Systems (Crossroads Press), edited by Z. A. Ademuwagun, John A. A. Ayoade, Ira E. Harrison and Dennis M. Warren, calls attention to recent research findings which indicate that mentally ill persons, particularly schizophrenics, may recover more rapidly and fully in non-industrialized societies than they do in industrialized ones. The books by Janzen and Ademuwagen et al. will be examined as contributions to a growing body of information on native African therapeutic practices. Evidence relating to the apparently benign course of psychosis in Africa will be examined, and various explanations for this pattern will be evaluated. Finally, some guidelines for future research will be suggested.     

Effects of glycerol on microtubule polymerization kinetics

Steady state and kinetic studies of polymerization of purified microtubule protein show little effect of glycerol on the steady state level of polymerization, as demonstrated by measurements of critical concentration. The rates of polymerization and depolymerization are slowed in the presence of glycerol. This data indicates that the stabilization of microtubules by high glycerol is largely a kinetic effect rather than a shift in equilibrium. However, the apparent critical concentration for microtubule polymerization from crude brain homogenate is substantially higher in the absence of glycerol, and glycerol appears to protect microtubule polymerization against the action of endogenous inhibitors.     

Linkages between seagrass,mangrove and saltmarsh as fish habitat in the Botany Bay estuary,New South Wales

Shallow-water vegetated estuarine habitats, notably seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh, are known to be important habitats for many species of small or juvenile fish in temperate Australia. However, the movement of fish between these habitats is poorly understood, and yet critical to the management of the estuarine fisheries resource. We installed a series of buoyant pop nets in adjacent stands of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh in order to determine how relative abundance of fishes varied through lunar cycles. Nets were released in all habitats at the peak of the monthly spring tide for 12 months, and in the seagrass habitat at the peak of the neap tide also. The assemblage of fish in each habitat differed during the spring tides. The seagrass assemblage differed between spring and neap tide, with the neap tide assemblage showing greater abundances of fish, particularly those species which visited the adjacent habitats when inundated during spring tides. The result supports the hypothesis that fish move from the seagrass to the adjacent mangrove and saltmarsh during spring tides, taking advantage of high abundances of zooplankton, and use seagrass as a refuge during lower tides. The restoration and preservation of mangrove and saltmarsh utility as fish habitat may in some situations be linked to the proximity of available seagrass.     

Human lymphocyte tubulin: Purification and characterization in normal and leukemic cells

Tubulin has been purified from human blood and tonsil lymphocytes. Using gel filtration, the molecular weight of human lymphocyte tubulin was estimated to be 119 000. The proteins was shown to consist of two subunits, with molecular weights of 61 000 and 58 000 comparable to the α and β polypeptides of human brain tubulin. A partial identity reaction was observed between lymphocyte tubulin and human tubulin when tested by double immunodiffusion against a rabbit anti-human brain tubulin antibody. In the presence of GTP, the purified protein polymerized to form microtubules. Tubulin was localized to the cell's juxtacentriolar region by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. When assayed by a colchicine-binding assay corrected for time decay, the binding affinity was 1.50 ± 0.86 · 10⁶M^?1 and a level in normal lymphocytes of 1.21 · 10^?2 ± 0.79 g/g of soluble protein was determined. Since chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes have an anomalous capping behavior as well as an unusual susceptibility to colchicine toxicity, the properties and levels of tubulin were determined in these cells. Similar values were obtained for the level, decay rate, molecular weight, and K_a for colchicine as for normal lymphocytes. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocyte tubulin polymerized in a normal fashion. It thus appears that a decrease in the quantity or function of tubulin does not account for these anomalies in the chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocyte.     

Are There Circadian Variations of Polymorphonuclear Phagocytosis in Man?

Eleven male subjects were investigated to detect a possible circadian rhythm of the polymorphonuclear phagocytosis. Both cell activity and serum opsonins were studied for numerical detection of granulocytes having ingested at least one particle and for the mean number of ingested particles per cell. No significant temporal differences (ANOVA and cosinor) were found.