Summary of review article

Structural barriers and facilitators in HIV prevention: a review of international research

Richard G. Parker, Delia Easton and Charles H. Klein

Paper provides an overview of the structural and environmental factors which are effective in distribution of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In addition, it has investigated the role of these factors in facilitating or hindering the HIV-prevention programs. A large group of international studies have reviewed in order to identify the main lines of research activity in this area. Based on this review it was revealed that the factors fall into three interconnected categories which are economic development and poverty; mobility including migration, population movement due to seasonal work, wars and political instability; and gender inequalities.

The study found that economic development can positively affect the HIV/AIDS vulnerability. Moreover the migration and mobility of people such as those who immigrate from rural to urban areas can be significantly linked to increased HIV incidence and vulnerability of this devastating disease. On the other hand, political instability can intensify poverty and stimulates migration to big cities, where a number of factors like sexism, sexual-union patterns can all cause HIV distribution. Political economic factors make HIV epidemic closely related to gender and sexuality structures that within society hierarchies women, and specially low-income women are highly exposed to HIV infection.

Besides these categories, it was found that some particular public-health policies such as structural policies and the socioeconomic instabilities, national HIV/AIDS policies, international injecting-drug-related policies and ethical and human right issues play an important role in increasing or reducing HIV vulnerability and transmission.

Some specific environmental structures are investigated in detail in order to find more extensice references on this topic. Among them heterosexual women, female sex workers, truch drivers and men who have sex with men are four groups of people who have participated in this section.

In conclusion, a number of innovative and interdisciplinary approaches are needed that can move beyond the limited successes of traditional behavioral interventions and more research must be undertaken to achieve broader social and structural change.
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SUMMARY: Lipid Changes in Liver Cancer

    

The article is about the changes of lipid and lipoprotein and the clinical significances in liver cancer.Patients with liver cancer always followed by liver diseases.Liver cancer and chronic influence blood fat level detected that triglyceride level decreased 28.8% in 40 cases with liver cancer.When hepatic inadequacy occured because of liver cancer and chronic liver disease,form,esterification and evacuation of cholesterol were blocked which causes changes of plasma cholesterol level and it is also discovered that serum cholesterol was negative correlated with occurrence and mortality of some cancers.Each protein is influenced by liver disease in a different way and serum lipoprotein concentrations with faster turn-over are more reduced with respect to those with slower turn-over.Serum concentration of apoA-I and apoA-IIwere determind in liver cancer shows significantly low values.

Changes in lipoprotein consists of Metabolism of lipoprotein in liver cancer and Metabolism of High Density Lipoprotein(HDL)and Low Density Lipoprotein(LDL) in liver cancer.Influence of liver cancer on apolipoprotein shows that the reaction of the liver participation converts proapoA-I to the mature apoA-I and also propotion proapoA-I shows tendency towards increace and advance in liver damage.

The liver is a critical organ in fatty acids of metabolism.Fatty acid is also the source of liver triacylglycerol.The extracellular free fattyacids pool in tumor undergoes continuous turn-over,probably utilizing adipose tissue deposits as source and plasma free fatty acids are increased in tumor bearing animals.Possibility that selected changes in the hepatocellular metabolism of long-chain fatty acids may contribute leads to alteration in gene expression and

DNA.Thus the liver plays a vital in the production and clearance of large number of lipoproteins,and its important determinant the plasma levels of various lipids.Serum level of lipid and lipoprotein in liver cancer reflected the condition of liver lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and hepatic cell impairment exactly.(Praveen)

SUMMARY

            Chewing of Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) stimulates the neurons of the consumer.  Fresh leaves of Khat being chewed has a close structural similarity with amphetamine. Both amphetamine and  Khat shares common pharmacodyanamic features. Cathonine is the most important active ingredient of khat, causing the major pharmacological effects. The side effects are insomnia, anorexia and hyperthermia. Elavated blood pressure and tachycardia are the detrimental effects of the active principle of khat in men and animals. Khat also has reported to produce constipation and astispasmodic action.        

            Catha edulis leaves were regularly obtained from Yemen mountains by which precipitation is limited by less than 3061m/hr. It ranges once to twice a month and the supporting soils are yafeh sandstone and limestone soils. Daily sunlight intensity during experimentation period were 6 hours/day. Mean average temperature is below 20C and the plant used is 10years old. The insecticides used are heptachlor and potassium Chloride was used for protection and nutrition purpose. 3g/kg washed leaves was used for experimentation purposes.                

            The level of serum glucose at 1-4 hours after lunch of normal individuals khat chewers were significantly different when compared with respective values at the 2, 3 and 4hours after lunch (according to the graph). Some results suggest that the fact khat may increase glucose production via activation of glycogenesis in muscles which increases blood glucose by an indirect mechanism through increased glycolysis and subsequent release of lactate. Lactate is then transported to the liver where it serves as a glucogenic substract. Hormone sensitive lipase which hydrolyzes tissues triacylglycerol into free fatty acids and glycerols are released into the blood circulation due to the increase of peripheral norepinephrine. This then is transported to the liver where glycerol acts as energy sources for glucose synthesis by the liver.

            In my opinion, through the results all levels of Catha edulis leaves tested leaves consumption shows a significant decrease in plasma glucose. Through the observation, healthy khat chewers have 61, 22% reduction in blood sugar within 4 hours khat chewing.