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By examining Bangladesh's principal forest policy documents from a discourse perspective, this study argues that the State's policy response to the "problems" and "development of the forestry sector" has been rhetorically loaded but politically cautious, covert and calculated. Under the conditions of governmentality, the policy prescriptions are presented as technical instruments for promoting efficiency in the forestry sector. The power and politics inherent in this exercise are constantly cloaked; yet these are pervasive, and find expression in their ability to serve certain practical purposes.

Aim: To determine the subjective quality of sleep among temporarily employed individuals at high altitude and analyze the factors associated with poor sleep quality. Study design: Descriptive cross sectional study Subjects and Methods: The sample population comprised of men living at a height of 4500 meter or more above sea level at Karakorum ranges in periphery of district Skardu for more than one month and less than three months and having normal BMI and good sleep quality at sea level. Quality of sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Relationship of Age, altitude, smoking, use of naswar, Frequent awakenings during the night, temperature-related discomfort, multiple calls for toilet, environment related issues (too many people in one room, snoring of companion, untidy room), uncontrollable worry, and breathing difficulties was assessed with the sleep disturbances. Results: A total of 103 men with good sleep quality at sea level when screened through the PSQI were included in the final analysis. Out of them, 39.8% persisted with good sleep quality, while 60.2% had poor sleep quality at HA. After applying the logistic regression we found that smoking, frequent awakenings, uncontrollable worry and breathing difficulties had significant association with poor sleep quality at HA. Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality among individuals at high altitude. Special attention should be paid to smokers and those who suffer from breathing difficulties or remain worried or anxious most of the times.

OBJECTIVES: To assess (A) determinants of patient's global assessment of disease activity (PTGL) and patient's assessment of general health (GH) scores of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients; (B) whether they are equivalent as individual variables; and (C) whether they may be used interchangeably in calculating common RA activity assessment composite indices. METHODS: Data of 7023 patients from 30 countries in the Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) was analysed. PTGL and GH determinants were assessed by mixed-effects analyses of covariance models. PTGL and GH equivalence was determined by Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement (BALOA) and Lin's coefficient of concordance (LCC). Concordance between PTGL and GH based Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) indices were calculated using LCC, and the level of agreement in classifying RA activity in four states (remission, low, moderate, high) using κ statistics. RESULTS: Significant differences in relative and absolute contribution of RA and non-RA related variables in PTGL and GH ratings were noted. LCC of 0.64 and BALOA of -4.41 to 4.54 showed that PTGL and GH are not equivalent. There was excellent concordance (LCC 0.95-0.99) for PTGL and GH based DAS28, CDAI and RAPID3 indices, and >80% absolute agreement (κ statistics 0.75-0.84) in RA activity state classification for all three indices. CONCLUSIONS: PTGL and GH ratings differ in their determinants. Although they are individually not equivalent, they may be used interchangeably for calculating composite indices for RA activity assessment.

In this study, we investigated the effects of putrescine, a precursor of polyamine metabolism, on depolarization (potassium chloride, KCl)-induced [3H]serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release from brain synaptosomes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). An irreversible inhibitor of polyamine metabolism, difluoromethyl-ornithine (DFMO), inhibited the KCl-induced [3H]serotonin efflux, and addition of putrescine (PUT) reversed the inhibitory effects of the former in synaptosomal preparations. In Fura-2/AM loaded synaptosomes, KCl stimulated Ca2+ influx. Hence, prior addition of EGTA abolished the KCl-induced Ca2+ responses, indicating that KCl-induced depolarization recruited Ca2+ from extracellular medium. The DFMO curtailed the KCl-evoked Ca2+ influx, and addition of PUT reversed the inhibitory effects of DFMO. Furthermore, fish brain was found to contain polyamines in high amounts (e.g. putrescine from 600 ± 20 to 850 ± 30 nmol/g protein). These results suggest that polyamine putrescine, present in fish brain, might be involved in [3H]serotonin efflux via Ca2+ influx mechanisms.

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In vitro regulation of cytosolic tyrosine protein (Tyr-P) kinase from human erythrocytes by polyamines, polyamino acids, negative charged compounds or by insulin using angiotensin II or poly (Glu-Tyr)4:1 as substrates was studied. All the three polyamines, putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) stimulated the Tyr-P kinase activity in a dose dependent manner. Spm stimulated Tyr-P kinase activity higher than Put and Spd whether the substrate was angiotension II or poly (Glu-Tyr)4:1. Polyamino acids (polyornithine, polyarginine, polyglutamic acid and polyaspartic acid) did not affect significantly the Tyr-P kinase phosphorylation except polylysine which significantly stimulated the Tyr-P kinase activity. Negative charged compounds (chondroitin sulfate A, B and C) and heparin inhibited the Tyr-P kinase phosphorylation while insulin did not influence the enzyme activity in the presence of either substrates.