ABSTRACT
India has a diverse geographical landscape and predominately rural population. Telemedicine is identified as one of the technological pillars to support healthcare services in this region, but is associated with high cost and complex infrastructure, thus restricting its wider use. Mobile-based healthcare (m-Health) services may provide a practical, promising alternative approach to support healthcare facilities. India has a high mobile user base, both in cities and in rural regions. The appropriate identification of mobile data transmission technology for healthcare services is vital to optimally use the available technology. In this article, we review current telecommunication systemsin India, specifically the evolving consensus on the need for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology used by leading international and national operators. This technology is deployed in 800MHz band making it economically viable and far reaching with high quality of services) to continue its operations in India along with mobile healthcare services. We also discuss how healthcare services may be extended using m-Health technologies, given the availability of telecommunications and related services.
ABSTRACT
We investigated a unique microzone of the cerebellum located in folium-p (fp) of rabbit flocculus. In fp, Purkinje cells were potently excited by stimulation of the hypothalamus or mesencephalic periaqueductal gray, which induced defense reactions. Using multiple neuroscience techniques, we determined that this excitation was mediated via beaded axons of orexinergic hypothalamic neurons passing collaterals through the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray. Axonal tracing studies using DiI and biotinylated dextran amine evidenced the projection of fp Purkinje cells to the ventrolateral corner of the ipsilateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN). Because, in defense reactions, arterial blood flow has been known to redistribute from visceral organs to active muscles, we hypothesized that, via PBN, fp adaptively controls arterial blood flow redistribution under orexin-mediated neuromodulation that could occur in defense behavior. This hypothesis was supported by our finding that climbing fiber signals to fp Purkinje cells were elicited by stimulation of the aortic nerve, a high arterial blood pressure, or a high potassium concentration in muscles, all implying errors in the control of arterial blood flow. We further examined the arterial blood flow redistribution elicited by electric foot shock stimuli in awake, behaving rabbits. We found that systemic administration of an orexin antagonist attenuated the redistribution and that lesioning of fp caused an imbalance in the redistribution between active muscles and visceral organs. Lesioning of fp also diminished foot shock-induced increases in the mean arterial blood pressure. These results collectively support the hypothesis that the fp microcomplex adaptively controls defense reactions under orexin-mediated neuromodulation.
