TÜRK HALK KÜLTÜRÜNDE GELENEKSEL HALK HEKİMLİĞİ TRADITIONAL FOLK MEDICINE IN THE TURKISH FOLK CULTURE

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Serdar UĞURLU

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Geleneksel Türk halk hekimliği binlerce yıllık bir geçmişe sahiptir.İslamdan önce ortaya çıkan bu gelenek İslamdan sonra da yaşamayadevam etmiştir. Bu nedenle günümüzde eski geleneksel iyileştirmepratikleri geçmişin inanç ve inanış unsurları ile birlikte uygulanmayadevam etmektedir. Bu gelenek eski din ve geleneksel ortamda şaman yada kamlar tarafından uygulanmıştır ki şamanlar eski gelenekte dinadamları olarak kabul edilmektedir. Yine kocakarılar, halk hekimleri veocaklılar (bir çeşit halk hekimi da yeni dinde ve gelenekte bu geleneğinyürütücüleridirler. Iyileştirme geleneğinde bazı uygulamalar günümüzmodern tıbbına ters olmasına rağmen, modern tıp ile uyuşanuygulamalara da rastlanmaktadır. Eski geleneğin halk hekimlerihastaları iyileştirmek ya da ilaç yapmak için doğadan faydalanırlardı. Budurum günümüz geleneğinde de değişmeden devam etmektedir. Bütünbunlara ek olarak bir halk eczacılık geleneği ilaç yapımında hayvanparçalarının ve çeşitli bitkilerin kullanılmasıyla ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu türhasta iyileştirme pratikleri ve ilaç yapım uygulamaları geleneksel aktarımyolları ile günümüze kadar ulaşmıştır. The traditional Turkish folk medicine has a history of thousands years. This tradition existed before Islam, has continued to live then.Therefore, nowadays, old-traditional healing practices continued to beapplied, contains marks of faith and beliefs of past. This traditionexecuted by shamans and kams, in the ancient religion and tradition, ismaintained by religion men, big wives, folk healers and ocaks (that is akind of folk healer in the new religion and culture around. Even thoughpresent-day practices of healing tradition are reverse of modern medicine,in this tradition there are also many practices overlapping with themodern medicine. Folk healers of old tradition have benefited from naturein order to make the drugs or heal patients. This

The use of zootherapeutics in folk veterinary medicine in the district of Cubati, Paraíba State, Brazil

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da S Mourão José

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The present work addresses the use of zootherapy in folk veterinary medicine (ethnoveterinary by the residents of the municipal district of Cubati, microregion of Seridó, Paraíba State, Brazil. It sought to identify the principal animals used as medicinal sources for zootherapeutics and to contribute to the preservation and sustainability of this traditional knowledge. Methods Field research was undertaken on a weekly or biweekly basis during the period November, 2006, to January, 2007. Free, semi-structured, and open interviews were made with local residents of the municipal district of Cubati (in both urban and rural settings as well as with venders in public markets. A total of 25 individuals of both sexes were interviewed (with ages varying from 26 to 78 years although only 16 were finally chosen as informants as these people demonstrated the greatest degree of knowledge concerning zootherapeutics. Graphs and percentages were generated using Microsoft© Excel 2007 software, and the species were identified by photographic registration and subsequent bibliographical surveys. Results Mammals constitute the main medicinal zootherapeutic source for folk veterinary medicines in the studied area, both in terms of the total number of species used and the frequency of their citation. Sheep (Ovis aries, pigs (Sus scrofa, cattle (Bos taurus, and foxes (Cerdocyon thous were mentioned by 62.5, 43.75, 37.5, and 31.25% of the informants, respectively, as being used in folk veterinary medicine. Additionally, chameleons (Iguana iguana, chickens (Gallus domesticus, and rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus were mentioned by 75, 43.75, and 31.25% of the informants, respectively. Relatively simple animal illnesses, such as furuncles, or injuries resulting from embedded thorns or skin eruptions are responsible for the largest number of zootherapeutic treatment, while, diseases of greater complexity, such as rabies and brucellosis, were not even

Antibacterial efficiency of the Sudanese Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), a famous beverage from Sudanese folk medicine.

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Abdallah, Emad Mohamed

2016-01-01

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a plant native to tropical Africa and intensively cultivated in Sudan. Its calyces are widely consumed with many uses in Sudanese folk medicine. The dried calyces of H. sabdariffa were subjected to soak in 80% v/v methanol to get the methanolic extract, which was tested against five Gram-negative and three Gram-positive referenced bacterial strains using disc diffusion method. Selected bioactive phytochemical compounds were also investigated using qualitative methods. The results of the antibacterial test indicate that the methanol extract of H. sabdariffa calyces contained effective antibacterial agent(s), revealed a considerable zone of inhibition against all tested Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and it was a competitor to gentamicin and greatly higher than penicillin which showed weak or no effect. The results of current investigation support the folk medicine application of this plant against different microbial ailments and suggest it as a promising source for new antibacterial agents.

Antibacterial efficiency of the Sudanese Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), a famous beverage from Sudanese folk medicine

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Abdallah, Emad Mohamed

2016-01-01

Background: Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a plant native to tropical Africa and intensively cultivated in Sudan. Its calyces are widely consumed with many uses in Sudanese folk medicine. Materials and Methods: The dried calyces of H. sabdariffa were subjected to soak in 80% v/v methanol to get the methanolic extract, which was tested against five Gram-negative and three Gram-positive referenced bacterial strains using disc diffusion method. Selected bioactive phytochemical compounds were also investigated using qualitative methods. Results: The results of the antibacterial test indicate that the methanol extract of H. sabdariffa calyces contained effective antibacterial agent(s), revealed a considerable zone of inhibition against all tested Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and it was a competitor to gentamicin and greatly higher than penicillin which showed weak or no effect. Conclusion: The results of current investigation support the folk medicine application of this plant against different microbial ailments and suggest it as a promising source for new antibacterial agents. PMID:27104041

Cytotoxicity of 18 Cameroonian medicinal plants against drug sensitive and multi-factorial drug resistant cancer cells.

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Mbaveng, Armelle T; Manekeng, Hermione T; Nguenang, Gaelle S; Dzotam, Joachim K; Kuete, Victor; Efferth, Thomas

2018-08-10

Recommendations have been made stating that ethnopharmacological usages such as immune and skin disorders, inflammatory, infectious, parasitic and viral diseases should be taken into account if selecting plants for anticancer screening, since these reflect disease states bearing relevance to cancer or cancer-like symptoms. Cameroonian medicinal plants investigated in this work are traditionally used to treat cancer or ailments with relevance to cancer or cancer-like symptoms. In this study, 21 methanol extracts from 18 Cameroonian medicinal plants were tested in leukemia CCRF-CEM cells, and the best extracts were further tested on a panel of human cancer cell lines, including various multi-drug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes. Mechanistic studies were performed with the three best extracts. Resazurin reduction assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity and ferroptotic effects of methanol extracts from different plants. Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of extracts from Curcuma longa rhizomes (CLR), Lycopersicon esculentum leaves (LEL), and Psidium guajava bark (PGB). In a pre-screening of all extracts, 13 out of 21 (61.9%) had IC 50 values below 80 µg/mL. Six of these active extracts displayed IC 50 values below 30 µg/mL: Cola pachycarpa leaves (CPL), Curcuma longa rhizomes (CLR), Lycopersicon esculentum leaves, Persea americana bark (PAB), Physalis peruviana twigs (PPT) and Psidium guajava bark (PGB). The best extracts displayed IC 50 values from 6.25 µg/mL (against HCT116 p53 -/- ) to 10.29 µg/mL (towards breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231-BCRP cells) for CLR, from 9.64 µg/mL (against breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells) to 57.74 µg/mL (against HepG2 cells) for LEL and from 1.29 µg/mL (towards CEM/ADR5000 cells) to 62.64 µg/mL (towards MDA-MB-231 cells) for PGB. CLR and PGB induced apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells via caspases activation, MMP depletion

Vernacular dominance in folk taxonomy: a case study of ethnospecies in medicinal plant trade in Tanzania.

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Otieno, Joseph; Abihudi, Siri; Veldman, Sarina; Nahashon, Michael; van Andel, Tinde; de Boer, Hugo J

2015-02-19

Medicinal plants are traded as products with vernacular names, but these folk taxonomies do not always correspond one-to-one with scientific plant names. These local species entities can be defined as ethnospecies and can match, under-differentiate or over-differentiate as compared to scientific species. Identification of plant species in trade is further complicated by the processed state of the product, substitution and adulteration. In countries like Tanzania, an additional dimension to mapping folk taxonomies on scientific names is added by the multitude of ethnicities and languages of the plant collectors, traders and consumers. This study aims to elucidate the relations between the most common vernacular names and the ethnicity of the individual traders among the medicinal plant markets in Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions in Tanzania, with the aim of understanding the dynamics of vernacular names in plant trade. A total of 90 respondents were interviewed in local markets using semi-structured interviews. The ethnicity of each respondent was recorded, as well as the language of each ethnospecies mentioned during the interviews. Voucher collections and reference literature were used to match ethnospecies across languages. At each market, the language of the majority of the vendors dominates the names for medicinal products. The dominant vendors often represent the major ethnic groups of that region. Independent of their ethnicity, vendors offer their products in the dominant language of the specific region without apparently leading to any confusion or species mismatching. Middlemen, traders and vendors adapt their folk classifications to those of the ethnic groups of the region where they conduct their trade, and to the ethnicity of their main customers. The names in the language of the traders are not forgotten, but relegated in favor of the more salient names of the dominant tribe.

Use of folk remedies among patients in Karachi Pakistan.

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Qidwai, Waris; Alim, Salman Raza; Dhanani, Raheem H; Jehangir, Sana; Nasrullah, Aysha; Raza, Ammara

2003-01-01

The concept that food is medicine is being practiced in certain parts of the world, with positive outcomes on health of the population. We have such practice in Pakistan but it needs to be brought in line with the available scientific evidence. The study was conducted on 270 patients, visiting the Family Practice Center, the Aga Khan University, Karachi. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the demographic profile, and the use of folk remedies for medicinal uses. Substantial use of folk remedies for different medical conditions has been documented. The remedies included cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cordimon, sesame oil, poppy seeds, honey, lemon, table salt, eggs and curd. The medical conditions in which folk remedies are used in respondents' view, include conditions such as common cold, cough and flu to more serious conditions such as asthma, jaundice and heat stroke. We have found a substantial use of folk remedies for treatment of medical conditions. There is a need to organize their use on scientific lines.

Cytotoxicity of selected Cameroonian medicinal plants and Nauclea pobeguinii towards multi-factorial drug-resistant cancer cells.

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Kuete, Victor; Sandjo, Louis P; Mbaveng, Armelle T; Seukep, Jackson A; Ngadjui, Bonaventure T; Efferth, Thomas

2015-09-04

Malignacies are still a major public concern worldwide and despite the intensive search for new chemotherapeutic agents, treatment still remains a challenging issue. This work was designed to assess the cytotoxicity of six selected Cameroonian medicinal plants, including Nauclea pobeguinii and its constituents 3-acetoxy-11-oxo-urs-12-ene (1), p-coumaric acid (2), citric acid trimethyl ester (3), resveratrol (4), resveratrol β- D -glucopyranoside (5) and strictosamide (6), against 8 drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines. The resazurin reduction assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the crude extracts and compounds, whilst column chromatography was used to isolate the constituents of Nauclea pobeguinii. Structural characterization of isolated compounds was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. Preliminary experiments on leukemia CCRF-CEM cells at 40 μg/mL showed that the leaves and bark extracts from Tragia benthamii, Canarium schweinfurthii, Myrianthus arboreus, Dischistocalyx grandifolius and Fagara macrophylla induced more than 50 % growth of this cell line contrary to the leaves and bark extracts of N. pobeguinii. IC50 values below or around 30 μg/mL were obtained with leaves and bark extracts of N. pobeguinii towards two and five, respectively, of the 8 tested cancer cell lines. The lowest IC50 value was obtained with the bark extract of N. pobeguinii against HCT116 (p53 (-/-) ) colon cancer cells (8.70 μg/mL). Compounds 4 and 6 displayed selective activity on leukemia and carcinoma cells, whilst 1-3 were not active. IC50 values below 100 μM were recorded with compound 5 on all 9 tested cancer cell lines as well as with 4 against 7 out of 8 and 6 against 2 out of 8 cell lines. Collateral sensitivity was observed in CEM/ADR5000 leukemia cells, MDA-MB-231-BCRP breast adenocarcinoma cells (0.53-fold), HCT116 (p53 (+/+) ) cells, human U87MG.ΔEGFR glioblastome multiforme cells to the methanolic

Migration (Bush-falling) as a form of insurance for Cameroonians ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... a livelihood strategy and in the eyes of most Cameroonians bush-falling remains a contestable and an inevitable pathway for those seeking to lead a better lifestyle. Migration among most Cameroonian families has become a form of insurance in which families pool their resources to support the migration of kin, mindful of ...

Rationalizing 'folk medicine' in interwar Germany: faith, business, and science at "Dr. Madaus & Co.'.

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Timmermann, C

2001-12-01

The relationship between orthodox or mainstream medicine and heterodox or alternative practices has often been expressed in terms of dichotomies, such as science versus anti-science or rationality versus irrationality. By studying the history of a company producing herbal medicines and homoepathic remedies in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, this paper attempts to create a more differentiated picture. 'Dr. Madaus & Co.' was founded in 1919 by the three sons of a free church minister and his wife, who practised as a non-licensed healer herself. The company not only sold medicines, it also produced journals and books promoting heterodox healing methods and contributing to ongoing health political debates, for example over compulsory vaccination programmes, human experimentation, quackery, and a general 'crisis of medicine'. Gerhard Madaus, a medical doctor and one of the three founders, published in 1938 a three-volume Textbook of Biological Healing Methods, turning folk medicine into science. The essay follows the rise of the Madaus family firm and interprets the story of 'Dr. Madaus & Co.' as an example of social rationalization, emphasizing the role of commercial operations in twentieth-century alternative medicine in Germany.

Injuries caused by venomous animals and folk medicine in farmers from Cuité, State of Paraiba, Northeast of Brazil

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Hellyson Fidel Araújo de Oliveira

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Injuries caused by venomous animals reported by the agricultural workers from the municipality of Cuité, Curimataú region of Paraiba State, Northeast of Brazil, and the practices of folk medicine which they use to treat these cases were studied in this work from June to August 2010. The farmers studied aged from 11 to 90 years. The number of people who reported cases of injury by these animals in their families was high (89.3%. Scorpions, wasps, bees and snakes were the most cited and the extremities of the body (hands, feet, legs and head were the most affected. The practice of folk medicine to treat these injuries includes various procedures ranging from ritualistic treatments, use of animals or parts of them, and some herbal preparations. The folk treatment was reported as effective by most of the workers injured (63.9%. Body parts of dead snakes are used in various zootherapic treatments. In the imaginary of the agricultural workers the venomous animals are considered hazardous (48.7% or disgusting (11.3%, and several parts of such animals as the rattle, bee sting or snake leather are used as amulet. Several legends have also been reported about snakes, scorpions and bees. The need for educational activities that aim to clarify these workers about the dangers of such practices is urgent.

Folk medicine in the northern coast of Colombia: an overview

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2011-01-01

Background Traditional remedies are an integral part of Colombian culture. Here we present the results of a three-year study of ethnopharmacology and folk-medicine use among the population of the Atlantic Coast of Colombia, specifically in department of Bolívar. We collected information related to different herbal medicinal uses of the local flora in the treatment of the most common human diseases and health disorders in the area, and determined the relative importance of the species surveyed. Methods Data on the use of medicinal plants were collected using structured interviews and through observations and conversations with local communities. A total of 1225 participants were interviewed. Results Approximately 30 uses were reported for plants in traditional medicine. The plant species with the highest fidelity level (Fl) were Crescentia cujete L. (flu), Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (flu and cough), Euphorbia tithymaloides L. (inflammation), Gliricidia_sepium_(Jacq.) Kunth (pruritic ailments), Heliotropium indicum L. (intestinal parasites) Malachra alceifolia Jacq. (inflammation), Matricaria chamomilla L. (colic) Mentha sativa L. (nervousness), Momordica charantia L. (intestinal parasites), Origanum vulgare L. (earache), Plantago major L. (inflammation) and Terminalia catappa L. (inflammation). The most frequent ailments reported were skin affections, inflammation of the respiratory tract, and gastro-intestinal disorders. The majority of the remedies were prepared from freshly collected plant material from the wild and from a single species only. The preparation of remedies included boiling infusions, extraction of fresh or dry whole plants, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, and seeds. The parts of the plants most frequently used were the leaves. In this study were identified 39 plant species, which belong to 26 families. There was a high degree of consensus from informants on the medical indications of the different species. Conclusions This study presents new

Folk medicine in the northern coast of Colombia: an overview

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Medina José

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Traditional remedies are an integral part of Colombian culture. Here we present the results of a three-year study of ethnopharmacology and folk-medicine use among the population of the Atlantic Coast of Colombia, specifically in department of Bolívar. We collected information related to different herbal medicinal uses of the local flora in the treatment of the most common human diseases and health disorders in the area, and determined the relative importance of the species surveyed. Methods Data on the use of medicinal plants were collected using structured interviews and through observations and conversations with local communities. A total of 1225 participants were interviewed. Results Approximately 30 uses were reported for plants in traditional medicine. The plant species with the highest fidelity level (Fl were Crescentia cujete L. (flu, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (flu and cough, Euphorbia tithymaloides L. (inflammation, Gliricidia_sepium_(Jacq. Kunth (pruritic ailments, Heliotropium indicum L. (intestinal parasites Malachra alceifolia Jacq. (inflammation, Matricaria chamomilla L. (colic Mentha sativa L. (nervousness, Momordica charantia L. (intestinal parasites, Origanum vulgare L. (earache, Plantago major L. (inflammation and Terminalia catappa L. (inflammation. The most frequent ailments reported were skin affections, inflammation of the respiratory tract, and gastro-intestinal disorders. The majority of the remedies were prepared from freshly collected plant material from the wild and from a single species only. The preparation of remedies included boiling infusions, extraction of fresh or dry whole plants, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, and seeds. The parts of the plants most frequently used were the leaves. In this study were identified 39 plant species, which belong to 26 families. There was a high degree of consensus from informants on the medical indications of the different species. Conclusions This study

Folk medicine in the northern coast of Colombia: an overview.

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Gómez-Estrada, Harold; Díaz-Castillo, Fredyc; Franco-Ospina, Luís; Mercado-Camargo, Jairo; Guzmán-Ledezma, Jaime; Medina, José Domingo; Gaitán-Ibarra, Ricardo

2011-09-22

Traditional remedies are an integral part of Colombian culture. Here we present the results of a three-year study of ethnopharmacology and folk-medicine use among the population of the Atlantic Coast of Colombia, specifically in department of Bolívar. We collected information related to different herbal medicinal uses of the local flora in the treatment of the most common human diseases and health disorders in the area, and determined the relative importance of the species surveyed. Data on the use of medicinal plants were collected using structured interviews and through observations and conversations with local communities. A total of 1225 participants were interviewed. Approximately 30 uses were reported for plants in traditional medicine. The plant species with the highest fidelity level (Fl) were Crescentia cujete L. (flu), Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (flu and cough), Euphorbia tithymaloides L. (inflammation), Gliricidia_sepium_(Jacq.) Kunth (pruritic ailments), Heliotropium indicum L. (intestinal parasites) Malachra alceifolia Jacq. (inflammation), Matricaria chamomilla L. (colic) Mentha sativa L. (nervousness), Momordica charantia L. (intestinal parasites), Origanum vulgare L. (earache), Plantago major L. (inflammation) and Terminalia catappa L. (inflammation). The most frequent ailments reported were skin affections, inflammation of the respiratory tract, and gastro-intestinal disorders. The majority of the remedies were prepared from freshly collected plant material from the wild and from a single species only. The preparation of remedies included boiling infusions, extraction of fresh or dry whole plants, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, and seeds. The parts of the plants most frequently used were the leaves. In this study were identified 39 plant species, which belong to 26 families. There was a high degree of consensus from informants on the medical indications of the different species. This study presents new research efforts and perspectives on the

Antimicrobial activity of four medicinal plants widely used in Persian folk medicine

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A. Hamedi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Commiphora habessinica (O.Berg Engl. (Burseraceae, Boswellia sacra Flueck (Burseraceae, Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae, and Doronicum glaciale (Wulfen Nyman (Asteraceae are of ethnomedicinal importance in Persian folk medicine and are widely used to treat infectious diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial properties of these herbal medicines to prevent misadministration. Methods: Antifungal and antibacterial (Gram-positive and Gram-negative activities of the petroleum ether, dichloromethane and ethanol fractions obtained from oleo-gum-resin of C. habessinica and B. sacra, spathe of P. dactylifera and roots of D. glaciale were evaluated against standard species and clinical antibiotic resistant isolates using broth microdilution method. The fractions were tested at concentrations of 0.5 to 256 µg/mL.Results: The petroleum ether fraction of C. habessinica oleo-gum-resin exhibited the most anti-Candida activity with MIC50 of 0.5-16 µg/mL. The growth of C. glabrata and C. tropicalis was inhibited by the ethanol fraction of C. habessinica oleo-gum-resin with MIC50 of 1-16 μg/mL. C. glabrata was the most susceptible species. Among the tested fractions, only the petroleum ether fraction of C. habessinica oleo-gum-resin had an inhibitory effect on Aspergillus spp. with a MIC50 of 8-32 µg/mL. None of the fractions exhibited antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at concentrations of 0.5 to 256 µg/mL. Conclusions: The sensitivity of fungi and bacteria to natural antimicrobials varies widely within species and it is essential to consider the sensitivity of the strains to prevent resistance.

Identification of amino acids in Securigera securidaca, a popular medicinal herb in Iranian folk medicine

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S.E. Sadat-Ebrahimi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Securigera securidaca (L. Degen & Dorfl grows in different parts of Iran. The seeds of the species are used in Iranian folk medicine as an anti-diabetic agent. Many studies have established hypoglycemic effects of amino acids and in the present investigation, amino acids of Securigera securidaca seeds have been evaluated. The ground seeds were extracted using petroleum ether, hot ethanol and ethanol 50%, respectively. ethanol 50% extract was chromatographed over cation exchanging resin and the resulting amino acid fraction was subjected to HPLC after OPA derivatization and the amino acids were identified by comparing to standards. The results evidenced the presence of 19 amino acids in the plant extract including alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, citrulline, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine, threonine, tyrosine and valine. Considering the role of some amino acids in diabetes the above amino acids could be noted as hypoglycemic agents of the plant seeds but further studies are necessary.

Intestinal helminth infections among pregnant Cameroonian women ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections in pregnant Cameroonian women and assess their anaemic status. Design: Longitudinal study. Setting: Buea Integrated Health Centre, Muea Health Centre, Mutengene Integrated Health Centre and the University of Buea Life Sciences ...

Management Conflicts in Cameroonian Community Forests

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Driss Ezzine de Blas

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Cameroonian community forests were designed and implemented to meet the general objectives of forest management decentralization for democratic and community management. The spread of management conflicts all over the country has shown that these broad expectations have not been met. We describe conflicts occurring in 20 community forests by types of actors and processes involved. We argue that a number of external (community vs. external actors and internal (intra-community conflicts are part of the causes blocking the expected outcome of Cameroonian community forests, fostering bad governance and loss of confidence. Rent appropriation and control of forest resources appear as systemic or generalized conflicts. While community forest support projects have tended to focus on capacity building activities, less direct attention has been given to these systemic problems. We conclude that some factors like appropriate leadership, and spending of logging receipts on collective benefits (direct and indirect are needed to minimize conflicts. Government and development agencies should concentrate efforts on designing concrete tools for improving financial transparency while privileging communities with credible leaders.

'Anthropological mutilation' and the reordering of Cameroonian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

I argue in this article that the postcolonial existential wound, otherwise referred to by Eboussi Boulaga as the anthropological mutilation, represents the intertextual nexus that bridges the generational gap in Francophone Cameroonian literature. The tragic malaise, rooted in absurdity and the dire state of the postcolonial ...

Hematologic features among anemic Cameroonian pregnant women

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: iron deficiency anemia is the leading cause of anemia worldwide. It may also be the leading cause of anemia in pregnancy, although this has not yet been demonstrated in our country. The aim of the study was to describe hematologic features of Cameroonian anemic pregnant women. Methods: this cross ...

Use of Folk Therapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Prevalence and Associated Factors

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Shih, Chun-Chuan; Huang, Lu-Hsiang; Lane, Hsin-Long; Tsai, Chin-Chuan; Lin, Jaung-Geng; Chen, Ta-Liang; Yeh, Chun-Chieh; Liao, Chien-Chang

2015-01-01

Background. This study investigates the prevalence of and factors associated with users of folk therapy in Taiwan. Methods. Using data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey and the National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 16,750 adults aged 20 years and older. Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, medical utilization, and health behaviors were compared between people using and not using folk therapy. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of factors associated with folk therapy were analyzed. Results. The one-month prevalence of folk therapy use was 6.8%, which was significantly associated with ages of 30–59 years (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.49–2.63), women (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.40–1.90), nonindigenous population (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.14–3.17), having two or more unhealthy lifestyle habits (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.26–1.81), high density of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physicians (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.20–1.62), and being ill without receiving medical care in past six months (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.76–2.53). Medical care utilization of TCM and Western medicine were also associated factors for folk therapy. Conclusions. The use of folk therapy is correlated with sociodemographics, lifestyle and health behaviors. PMID:26170878

Use of Folk Therapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Prevalence and Associated Factors

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Chun-Chuan Shih

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. This study investigates the prevalence of and factors associated with users of folk therapy in Taiwan. Methods. Using data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey and the National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 16,750 adults aged 20 years and older. Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, medical utilization, and health behaviors were compared between people using and not using folk therapy. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs of factors associated with folk therapy were analyzed. Results. The one-month prevalence of folk therapy use was 6.8%, which was significantly associated with ages of 30–59 years (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.49–2.63, women (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.40–1.90, nonindigenous population (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.14–3.17, having two or more unhealthy lifestyle habits (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.26–1.81, high density of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM physicians (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.20–1.62, and being ill without receiving medical care in past six months (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.76–2.53. Medical care utilization of TCM and Western medicine were also associated factors for folk therapy. Conclusions. The use of folk therapy is correlated with sociodemographics, lifestyle and health behaviors.

Is the use of plants in Jordanian folk medicine for the treatment of male sexual dysfunction scientifically based? Review of in vitro and in vivo human and animal studies.

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Abbas, M A

2017-04-01

Male sexual dysfunction is a serious problem which has an impact on the quality of life. In Jordanian folk medicine, 56 plant species were reported to be used by males to improve sexual potency and as aphrodisiacs. The aim of this study was to search for scientific evidence justifying their folk use. Of the 15 studied plants, only five were found to enhance spermatogenesis. The other 10 were reported to decrease spermatogenesis at least by one study. The majority of the studied plants possessed a protective effect on testis in different in vivo models as well as antioxidant activities. The effect of these plants on steroidogenesis and the hypothalamic-gonadal axis was also reviewed. The effect of only five plants was studied on sexual behaviour enhancement and three of them were active. Three of the four studied plants enhanced erection. The mechanism of action of active constituents isolated from the studied plants was also investigated. In conclusion, many plants used in Jordanian folk medicine decreased or had no effect on spermatogenesis in animal models. These plants have antioxidant and/or adaptogenic effects, and this may result in a beneficial action on male reproductive system. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The Concept of Wind in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrab Dashtdar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The use of folk medicine has been widely embraced in many developed countries under the name of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM and is now becoming the mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia. Diversity, easy accessibility, broad continuity, relatively low cost, base levels of technological inputs, fewer side effects, and growing economic importance are some of the positive features of folk medicine. In this framework, a critical need exists to introduce the practice of folk medicine into public healthcare if the goal of reformed access to healthcare facilities is to be achieved. The amount of information available to public health practitioners about traditional medicine concepts and the utilization of that information are inadequate and pose many problems for the delivery of primary healthcare globally. Different societies have evolved various forms of indigenous perceptions that are captured under the broad concept of folk medicine, e.g., Persian, Chinese, Grecian, and African folk medicines, which explain the lack of universally accepted definitions of terms. Thus, the exchange of information on the diverse forms of folk medicine needs to be facilitated. Various concepts of Wind are found in books on traditional medicine, and many of those go beyond the boundaries established in old manuscripts and are not easily understood. This study intends to provide information, context, and guidance for the collection of all important information on the different concepts of Wind and for their simplification. This new vision for understanding earlier Chinese medicine will benefit public health specialists, traditional and complementary medicine practitioners, and those who are interested in historical medicine by providing a theoretical basis for the traditional medicines and the acupuncture that is used to eliminate Wind in order to treat various diseases.

The Concept of Wind in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dashtdar, Mehrab; Dashtdar, Mohammad Reza; Dashtdar, Babak; Kardi, Karima; Shirazi, Mohammad Khabaz

2016-12-01

The use of folk medicine has been widely embraced in many developed countries under the name of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) and is now becoming the mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia. Diversity, easy accessibility, broad continuity, relatively low cost, base levels of technological inputs, fewer side effects, and growing economic importance are some of the positive features of folk medicine. In this framework, a critical need exists to introduce the practice of folk medicine into public healthcare if the goal of reformed access to healthcare facilities is to be achieved. The amount of information available to public health practitioners about traditional medicine concepts and the utilization of that information are inadequate and pose many problems for the delivery of primary healthcare globally. Different societies have evolved various forms of indigenous perceptions that are captured under the broad concept of folk medicine, e.g., Persian, Chinese, Grecian, and African folk medicines, which explain the lack of universally accepted definitions of terms. Thus, the exchange of information on the diverse forms of folk medicine needs to be facilitated. Various concepts of Wind are found in books on traditional medicine, and many of those go beyond the boundaries established in old manuscripts and are not easily understood. This study intends to provide information, context, and guidance for the collection of all important information on the different concepts of Wind and for their simplification. This new vision for understanding earlier Chinese medicine will benefit public health specialists, traditional and complementary medicine practitioners, and those who are interested in historical medicine by providing a theoretical basis for the traditional medicines and the acupuncture that is used to eliminate Wind in order to treat various diseases.

[About da tai - abortion in old Chinese folk medicine handwritten manuscripts].

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jinsheng

2013-01-01

Of 881 Chinese handwritten volumes with medical texts of the 17th through mid-20th century held by Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and Ethnologisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, 48 volumes include prescriptions for induced abortion. A comparison shows that these records are significantly different from references to abortion in Chinese printed medical texts of pre-modern times. For example, the percentage of recipes recommended for artificial abortions in handwritten texts is significantly higher than those in printed medical books. Authors of handwritten texts used 25 terms to designate artificial abortion, with the term da tai [see text], lit.: "to strike the fetus", occurring most frequently. Its meaning is well defined, in contrast to other terms used, such as duo tai [see text], lit: "to make a fetus fall", xia tai [see text], lit. "to bring a fetus down", und duan chan [see text], lit., to interrupt birthing", which is mostly used to indicate a temporary or permanent sterilization. Pre-modern Chinese medicine has not generally abstained from inducing abortions; physicians showed a differentiating attitude. While abortions were descibed as "things a [physician with an attitude of] humaneness will not do", in case a pregnancy was seen as too risky for a woman she was offered medication to terminate this pregnancy. The commercial application of abortifacients has been recorded in China since ancient times. A request for such services has continued over time for various reasons, including so-called illegitimate pregnancies, and those by nuns, widows and prostitutes. In general, recipes to induce abortions documented in printed medical literature have mild effects and are to be ingested orally. In comparison, those recommended in handwritten texts are rather toxic. Possibly to minimize the negative side-effects of such medication, practitioners of folk medicine developed mechanical devices to perform "external", i.e., vaginal approaches.

Activities of selected medicinal plants against multi-drug resistant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present work was designed to assess the in vitro antibacterial activities of some Cameroonian medicinal plants including Entada abyssinica, Entada africana, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Allexis cauliflora, Anthocleista leibrechtsiana, Carapa procera, Carica papaya and Persea americana against Gram-negative bacteria ...

Human and peoples' rights: social representations among Cameroonian students.

Science.gov (United States)

Pirttilä-Backman, Anna-Maija; Kassea, Raul; Sakki, Inari

2009-12-01

Social representations of human and peoples' rights were studied among Cameroonian university students (N = 666) with a questionnaire based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Duties. The respondents were asked how important and how well realized they regarded the 39 human and peoples' rights to be. A 13-factor model provided the best fit with Cameroonian students' perceptions of human and peoples' rights. Taken as a whole, our results are in line with previous quantitative studies on human rights, confirming structural similarity but also country-specific variation in the aggregation of specific rights. Moreover, our data showed that Cameroonian students value human and peoples' rights highly (M = 6.18), whereas their fulfillment is not regarded as highly (M = 5.09). Same law for all, equality and freedom, and right to work and living were highly appreciated but lowly realized rights. Higher than average in importance and realization were right to education and self-fulfillment, right to marriage and property, peoples' social and political basic rights and right to life and safety. Low in importance and realization were peoples' right to their country's natural resources and independence, right to meetings, and right to express opinion. Women appreciated the rights more than men and thought of their rights as better realized compared to men. We suggest that when women say that their rights are better fulfilled than men do, it is in comparison with the older generation, who are still very dependent on men. Nowadays, thanks to education and urbanization, young women have wider choices or opportunities for marriage and jobs. Men may feel frustrated in the context of political liberalization because the freedoms are more theoretical than fulfilled; the economic crises and cultural changes have hindered their economic domination and their prerogatives.

Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activity of Bauhinia forficata Link and Cnidoscolus quercifolius Extracts commonly Used in Folk Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Erika P; de F Lima, Rennaly; de Almeida, Carolina M; Freires, Irlan A; Rosalen, Pedro L; Ruiz, Ana Ltg; Granville-Garcia, Ana F; Godoy, Gustavo P; Pereira, Jozinete V; de Brito Costa, Edja Mm

2017-08-01

Bauhinia forficata and Cnidoscolus quercifolius plants are commonly used in folk medicine. However, few studies have investigated their therapeutic potential. Herein, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of B. forficata and C. quercifolius extracts against microorganisms of clinical relevance and their antiproliferative potential against tumor cells. The following tests were performed: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), inhibition of biofilm adhesion, and effects on cell morphology. Antiproliferative tests were carried out with human keratinocytes and six tumor lines. Bauhinia forficata showed antimicrobial activity only against C. albicans with MIC of 15.62 ug/mL and MFC higher than 2000 ug/mL. It also inhibited biofilm adhesion and caused alterations in cell morphology. Cnidoscolus quercifolius showed no significant activity (MIC > 2.0 mg/mL) against the strains. Bauhinia forficata and C. quercifolius extracts showed cytostatic activity against the tumor cells. Bauhinia forficata has promising anti-Cand/da activity and should be further investigated for its therapeutic potential. The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of infectious processes has an important function nowadays, due to the limitations of the use of synthetic antibiotics available, related specifically to the microbial resistance emergence.

Syncretism in Nordic folk medicine: critical periods during pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lily Weiser-Aall

1969-01-01

Full Text Available This article explores the traditions concerning the critical periods during pregnancy when the foetus is exposed to the risk of suffering serious injuries. There is a good deal of such traditions in more recent Nordic and European folklore. But these popular conceptions have merely been recorded without having ever been investigated as to their provenance. In studies of various details in recent Nordic tradition it is possible to establish a striking correspondence between, on the one hand, folk tradition and, on the other, learned publications and popular accounts in books on healing and midwifery. This actualizes an interest to investigate the beliefs about critical periods by a comparison with the theories of the learned tradition.

Plants Used as Painkiller in Folk Medicine in Turkey-I STOMACHACHE

OpenAIRE

ERBAY, Meryem Şeyda; ANIL, Sezin; MELİKOĞLU, Gülay

2018-01-01

There are many plants used by the public in the treatment ofvarious diseases in Turkey.The folk remedies prepared withthese plants from which treatment and how they used havebeen reached to day-to-day by transferring the generations.Ethnobotanic researches and traditional treatment methodsare recorded and it is aimed to contribute to drug developmentstudies.In this study, which was prepared by screening ofethnobotanical researches, 221 taxa which used in traditionaltreatment against stomachac...

Rethinking Folk Culture in Twentieth-Century Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Laura

2017-12-01

Research on folk culture in twentieth-century Britain has focused on elite and transgressive political episodes, but these were not its mainstream manifestations. This article re-evaluates the place of folk culture in twentieth-century Britain in the context of museums. It argues that in the modern heritage landscape folk culture was in an active dialogue with the modern democracy. This story begins with the vexed, and ultimately failed, campaign for a national English folk museum and is traced through the concurrent successes of local, regional, and Celtic 'first wave' folk museums across Britain from the 1920s to the 1960s. The educational activities of these museums are explored as emblematic of a 'conservative modernity', which gave opportunities to women but also restricted their capacity to do intellectual work. By the 1970s, a 'second wave' folk museology is identified, revealing how forms of folk culture successfully accommodated the rapid social change of the later twentieth century, particularly in deindustrializing regions. From this new, museums' perspective, folk culture appears far less marginal to twentieth-century British society. In museums folk culture interacted with mainstream concerns about education, regionalism, and commercialization. © The Author [2017]. Published by Oxford University Press.

Bridging mobilities : ICTs appropriation by Cameroonians in South Africa and The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nyamnjoh, H.

2013-01-01

With a focus on Cameroonian migrants from Pinyin and Mankon who are currently living in Cape Town and the Netherlands, this volume examines the workings of the social fabric of mobile communities. It sheds light on how these communities are crafting lives for themselves in the host country and

Bridging Mobilities : ICTs appropriation by Cameroonians in South Africa and the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nyamnjoh, Henrietta Mambo

2013-01-01

With a focus on Cameroonian migrants from Pinyin and Mankon who are currently living in Cape Town and the Netherlands, this volume examines the workings of the social fabric of mobile communities. It sheds light on how these communities are crafting lives for themselves in the host country and

The Pronunciation Component in Teaching EAP in Cameroonian Universities: Some Proposals

Science.gov (United States)

Safotso, Gilbert Tagne

2016-01-01

In Cameroonian universities, EAP is generally seen as a marginalised unit, and its teaching is abandoned to part-time secondary school teachers, or doctorate students who have little or no knowledge of the subject. Most of the time, these teachers do not know the real objective of the subject, and do not master it. In some universities, each…

[Research and analysis to Shui nationality medicine treatment orthopedics & traumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jian-Shan; Li, Pu; Yang, Yong; Chen, Xin-Chun; Lin, Li

2013-05-01

To investigated Shui nationality folk medicine's awareness to orthopedics & traumatology, the history of orthopedics & traumatology treatment, Shui nationality folk doctors' practicing medicine, heritage, diagnosis and treatment methods and tools, etc, through investigated drug resources category and distribution characteristics of Shui nationality medicine to orthopedics & traumatology treatment, explored and finished Shui nationality medicine orthopedics & traumatology treatment theoretical system. After more than 5 years' exploration and finishing, preliminarily formed the theoretical system framework and medicine application characteristics of Shui nationality medicine treating orthopedics & traumatology. Shui nationality medicine treatment orthopedics & traumatology has distinctive national style, and worthy to further exploration and research.

Concepts of Chinese Folk Happiness

Science.gov (United States)

Ip, Po Keung

2011-01-01

Discourses on Chinese folk happiness are often based on anecdotal narratives or qualitative analysis. Two traditional concepts of happiness popular in Chinese culture are introduced. The paper constructs a concept of Chinese folk happiness on basis of the findings of a scientific survey on the Taiwanese people regarding their concepts of…

POSSIBILITY OF NATURAL RAW MATERIALS USE IN THE FORMULATION OF ADJUVANT THERAPY OF TUBERCULOSIS: EXPERIENCE OF FOLK MEDICINE, MODERN STATE OF STUDIES

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M. E. Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The signs of growth in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, low effectiveness of therapy indicate the urgent need to solve problems aimed at the improvement of the effectiveness of treatment: the reduction of toxicity and side effects of anti-tuberculosis drugs, the provision of good tolerability and continuity of chemotherapy; the removal of symptoms of intoxication associated with the action of the pathogen on the body, the improvement of the quality of life of patients during therapy and remission.The aim of the investigation is to study the data of folk medicine, scientific research data concerning the use of raw materials of natural (vegetable, animal and mineral origin in the adjuvant therapy of tuberculosis.Materials and methods. The study was carried out using information retrieval and library databases (PubMed, eLIBRARY, Cyberleninka, technical information of manufacturers of dietary supplements to food, as well as site materials dedicated to the use of vegetable, animal and mineral raw materials in folk medicine.Results and discussion. The adjuvant therapy of tuberculosis includes remedies of natural origin: vegetable, animal and mineral ones. According to the research data, the use of phytotherapy is aimed at enhancing diuresis, which ensures the elimination of toxic substances and their metabolites, as well as the decrease of the overall level of toxins; the strengthening of the body’s antioxidant defense, and liver specificity, the compensation for the increased consumption of vitamins, amino acids and microelements by the liver, which actively metabolizes xenobiotics, as well as the increase of the body’s overall resistance. A long-term benefit of using natural mineral raw materials in adjuvant therapy of tuberculosis is also observed.Conclusion. Thus, adjuvant therapy of tuberculosis includes the use of raw materials of natural (vegetable, animal and mineral origin, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by

Misrepresenting Chinese Folk Happiness: A Critique of a Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ip, Po-Keung

2013-01-01

Discourses on Chinese folk happiness are often based on anecdotal narratives or qualitative analysis. A recent study on Chinese folk happiness using qualitative method seems to provide some empirical findings beyond anecdotal evidence on Chinese folk happiness. This paper critically examines the study's constructed image of Chinese folk happiness,…

Deferred imitation in 18-month-olds from two cultural contexts: the case of Cameroonian Nso farmer and German-middle class infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Borchert, Sonja; Lamm, Bettina; Graf, Frauke; Knopf, Monika

2013-12-01

Imitative learning has been described in naturalistic studies for different cultures, but lab-based research studying imitative learning across different cultural contexts is almost missing. Therefore, imitative learning was assessed with 18-month-old German middle-class and Cameroonian Nso farmer infants - representing two highly different eco-cultural contexts associated with different cultural models, the psychological autonomy and the hierarchical relatedness - by using the deferred imitation paradigm. Study 1 revealed that the infants from both cultural contexts performed a higher number of target actions in the deferred imitation than in the baseline phase. Moreover, it was found that German middle-class infants showed a higher mean imitation rate as they performed more target actions in the deferred imitation phase compared with Cameroonian Nso farmer infants. It was speculated that the opportunity to manipulate the test objects directly after the demonstration of the target actions could enhance the mean deferred imitation rate of the Cameroonian Nso farmer infants which was confirmed in Study 2. Possible explanations for the differences in the amount of imitated target actions of German middle-class and Cameroonian Nso farmer infants are discussed considering the object-related, dyadic setting of the imitation paradigm with respect to the different learning contexts underlying the different cultural models of learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Features of Turner syndrome among a group of Cameroonian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Wonkam, Ambroise; Veigne, Sandra W; Abass, Ali; Ngo Um, Suzanne; Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Mbanya, Jean-Claude; Sobngwi, Eugene

2015-06-01

To describe the features of Turner syndrome among a group of Cameroonian patients. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with amenorrhea and/or short stature who attended the genetic unit of Yaoundé Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatric Hospital (Yaoundé, Cameroon) for a specialist consultation between July 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008. Sociodemographic, clinical, and cytogenetic data were collected. Turner syndrome was confirmed among 11 of the 14 participants (seven had monosomy of the X chromosome; four had mosaicism involving a structural abnormality of the second X chromosome). The mean age at diagnosis was 18.4±2.8years. The reasons for consultation were delayed puberty (n=10) and short stature (n=1). Nine patients had a short neck, nine had a forearm carrying-angle deformity, eight had a low hairline, and two had a webbed neck. Abdominal ultrasonography identified a horseshoe kidney in two patients and a rudimentary uterus in nine patients. None of the patients displayed cardiac abnormalities. Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism was reported among five patients. Eight patients did not receive hormonal treatment owing to advanced bone age or economic reasons. Late diagnosis and variable phenotypic expression were key features of Cameroonian patients with Turner syndrome. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transparency in the dark : an assessment of the Cameroonian electricity sector reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineau, P.O.

2004-01-01

This paper documented the electricity reform process in Cameroon which, like many sub-Saharan countries, was under pressure to sell its public utilities. In 2001, AES Corporation, as a sole bidder, purchased Sonel, the state-owned Cameroonian electricity company. Since then, consumers have been faced with regular blackouts and tariff increases. Although some investment has been made in new generation capacity, the country's productivity decreased due to deterioration in the quality of electricity service. The paper identified many issues responsible for Cameroon's electricity problems. These include policy incoherence and lack of historical evidence supporting full-scale privatization. The author assessed the reform from a general set of criteria and developed a general framework to help understand what type of electricity market reforms are desirable in Cameroon and other sub-Saharan countries. This paper demonstrated that due to the weak institutions in Cameroon, competition and private ownership cannot be fully relied on. Recommendations were proposed to move beyond the many failures of privatization. It was suggested that transparency should be monitored by some independent international body when local institutions cannot do so. It was also noted that other countries can learn from the Cameroonian experience. refs., tabs., figs

Peda Folk 35

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2007-01-01

Tudengite muusikafestivalil "Peda Folk" 17. apr. Tallinnas Rock Cafés esinemas ansamblid: 400, Illustraator, Külalised, Neljapäev, Pimpfish ja Ska Faktor. Kontserdi peaesinejateks ansamblid Bedwetters ja Kruuv

Folk beliefs of cultural changes in China

OpenAIRE

Xu, Yi; Hamamura, Takeshi

2014-01-01

For the last several decades, Chinese society has experienced transformative changes. How are these changes understood among Chinese people? To examine this question, Part 1 in this research solicited folk beliefs of cultural change from a group of Chinese participants in an open-ended format, and the generated folk beliefs were rated by another group of participants in Part 2 to gage each belief's level of agreement. Part 3 plotted the folk beliefs retained in Part 2 using the Google Ngram V...

Perceptions of physical education and sports teachers towards folk ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... to the teachers' specialties. Subsequent to the teachers who specialised in folk dance, the teachers who had the most positive attitude towards folk dance were the teachers in the martial arts (wrestling, judo, boxing, taekwondo) group. Keywords: Attitudes/Perceptions; Folk dance; Physical education; Sport; Teachers.

Folklore and Folk Songs of Chittagong: A Critical Review

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Amir Mohammad Khan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Folk Songs stems from Folklore are very rich in the southern region of Chittagong. In this part of the world Folk Songs play pivotal role in the lifestyle of people as a heart-touching and heavenly connection exists between human, nature and Folk Songs. Folk Songs in this area are special because we found the theme of Nature Conservation in them. We took the southern part of Chittagong (Lohagara, Satkania, Chandanaish and Patiya as our research area, selected a village namely Chunati in the systematic sampling and more than 100 people were interviewed through focus group discussion and key informant interviews. The sufficient literature review is also done. People in this area love nature a lot. Here music personnel were born from time to time who not only worked for the musical development but also created consciousness among people to love nature and save it. We discussed about the origin of Folk Songs, pattern of Folk Songs to clarify the importance of Folk Songs of Chittagong for its connection to Folklore and at the same time for promoting the idea of Nature Conservation. Of course, this part of studies deserves more attention in the field of research. Our ultimate goal should be to conserve and promote Folk Songs of Chittagong with yearlong heritage that automatically will later enrich Folklore and Nature Conservation.

Folk Beliefs of Cultural Changes in China

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Yi eXu

2014-09-01

Full Text Available For the last several decades, Chinese society has experienced transformative changes. How are these changes understood among Chinese people? To examine this question, Part 1 in this research solicited folk beliefs of cultural change from a group of Chinese participants in an open-ended format, and the generated folk beliefs were rated by another group of participants in Part 2 to gauge each belief’s level of agreement. Part 3 plotted the folk beliefs retained in Part 2 using the Google Ngram Viewer in order to infer the amount of intellectual interests that each belief has received cross-temporarily. These analyses suggested a few themes in Chinese folk beliefs of cultural change (1 rising perceived importance of materialism and individualism in understanding contemporary Chinese culture and Chinese psychology relative to those of the past (2 rising perceived importance of freedom, democracy and human rights and (3 enduring perceived importance of family relations and friendship as well as patriotism. Interestingly, findings from Parts 2 and 3 diverged somewhat, illuminating possible divergence between folk beliefs and intellectual interests especially for issues related to heritage of Confucianism.

Folk Art in the Urban Artroom

Science.gov (United States)

Heise, Donalyn

2010-01-01

This article provides a rationale for integrating folk art in an urban K-12 art classroom to provide meaningful instruction for all students. The integration of folk art can provide a safe, nurturing environment for all students to learn by acknowledging the value of art in the community. It can prepare students for participation in a democratic…

Probabilistic Segmentation of Folk Music Recordings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciril Bohak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a novel method for automatic segmentation of folk music field recordings. The method is based on a distance measure that uses dynamic time warping to cope with tempo variations and a dynamic programming approach to handle pitch drifting for finding similarities and estimating the length of repeating segment. A probabilistic framework based on HMM is used to find segment boundaries, searching for optimal match between the expected segment length, between-segment similarities, and likely locations of segment beginnings. Evaluation of several current state-of-the-art approaches for segmentation of commercial music is presented and their weaknesses when dealing with folk music are exposed, such as intolerance to pitch drift and variable tempo. The proposed method is evaluated and its performance analyzed on a collection of 206 folk songs of different ensemble types: solo, two- and three-voiced, choir, instrumental, and instrumental with singing. It outperforms current commercial music segmentation methods for noninstrumental music and is on a par with the best for instrumental recordings. The method is also comparable to a more specialized method for segmentation of solo singing folk music recordings.

A review of plants used in folk veterinary medicine in Italy as basis for a databank

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Viegi, L.; Pieroni, A.; Guarrera, P.M.; Vangelisti, R.

2003-01-01

We report folk veterinary phytotherapy in Italy collected from ethnobotanical scientific literature of the second half of the 20th Century. References are cited together with unpublished data gathered recently in the field by the authors. The data have been placed in two databases: one organized by

Beyond folk psychology? : toward an enriched account of social understanding

OpenAIRE

Herschbach, Mitchell Albert

2010-01-01

Folk psychology is the ability to interpret people's mental states (beliefs, desires, etc.) and use this information to explain and predict their behavior. While folk psychology has traditionally been seen as fundamental to human social understanding, philosophers drawing on the phenomenological tradition have recently argued that most of our everyday social interactions do not involve folk psychology. I defend the role of folk psychology in human social understanding against these phenomenol...

‘Folk theories’ about the causes of insomnia

OpenAIRE

Harvey, Allison G.; Soehner, Adriane; Lombrozo, Tania; Bélanger, Lynda; Rifkin, Jamie; Morin, Charles M.

2013-01-01

The present study investigates ‘folk theories’ about the causes of insomnia. Participants with insomnia (n = 69) completed a qualitative and quantitative assessment of their folk theories. The qualitative assessment was to speak aloud for 1 minute in response to: ‘What do you think causes your insomnia?’. The quantitative assessment involved completing the ‘Causal Attributions of My Insomnia Questionnaire’ (CAM-I), developed for this study. The three most common folk theories for both the cau...

The Antibody Response of Pregnant Cameroonian Women to VAR2CSA ID1-ID2a, a Small Recombinant Protein Containing the CSA-Binding Site

Science.gov (United States)

Babakhanyan, Anna; Leke, Rose G. F.; Salanti, Ali; Bobbili, Naveen; Gwanmesia, Philomina; Leke, Robert J. I.; Quakyi, Isabella A.; Chen, John J.; Taylor, Diane Wallace

2014-01-01

In pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes expressing the VAR2CSA antigen bind to chondroitin sulfate A in the placenta causing placental malaria. The binding site of VAR2CSA is present in the ID1-ID2a region. This study sought to determine if pregnant Cameroonian women naturally acquire antibodies to ID1-ID2a and if antibodies to ID1-ID2a correlate with absence of placental malaria at delivery. Antibody levels to full-length VAR2CSA and ID1-ID2a were measured in plasma samples from 745 pregnant Cameroonian women, 144 Cameroonian men, and 66 US subjects. IgM levels and IgG avidity to ID1-ID2a were also determined. As expected, antibodies to ID1-ID2a were absent in US controls. Although pregnant Cameroonian women developed increasing levels of antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA during pregnancy, no increase in either IgM or IgG to ID1-ID2a was observed. Surprisingly, no differences in antibody levels to ID1-ID2a were detected between Cameroonian men and pregnant women. For example, in rural settings only 8–9% of males had antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA, but 90–96% had antibodies to ID1-ID2a. In addition, no significant difference in the avidity of IgG to ID1-ID2a was found between pregnant women and Cameroonian men, and no correlation between antibody levels at delivery and absence of placental malaria was found. Thus, the response to ID1-ID2a was not pregnancy specific, but predominantly against cross-reactivity epitopes, which may have been induced by other PfEMP1 antigens, malarial antigens, or microbes. Currently, ID1-ID2a is a leading vaccine candidate, since it binds to the CSA with the same affinity as the full-length molecule and elicits binding-inhibitory antibodies in animals. Further studies are needed to determine if the presence of naturally acquired cross-reactive antibodies in women living in malaria endemic countries will alter the response to ID1-ID2a following vaccination with ID1-ID2a. PMID:24505415

The antibody response of pregnant Cameroonian women to VAR2CSA ID1-ID2a, a small recombinant protein containing the CSA-binding site.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Babakhanyan

Full Text Available In pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes expressing the VAR2CSA antigen bind to chondroitin sulfate A in the placenta causing placental malaria. The binding site of VAR2CSA is present in the ID1-ID2a region. This study sought to determine if pregnant Cameroonian women naturally acquire antibodies to ID1-ID2a and if antibodies to ID1-ID2a correlate with absence of placental malaria at delivery. Antibody levels to full-length VAR2CSA and ID1-ID2a were measured in plasma samples from 745 pregnant Cameroonian women, 144 Cameroonian men, and 66 US subjects. IgM levels and IgG avidity to ID1-ID2a were also determined. As expected, antibodies to ID1-ID2a were absent in US controls. Although pregnant Cameroonian women developed increasing levels of antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA during pregnancy, no increase in either IgM or IgG to ID1-ID2a was observed. Surprisingly, no differences in antibody levels to ID1-ID2a were detected between Cameroonian men and pregnant women. For example, in rural settings only 8-9% of males had antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA, but 90-96% had antibodies to ID1-ID2a. In addition, no significant difference in the avidity of IgG to ID1-ID2a was found between pregnant women and Cameroonian men, and no correlation between antibody levels at delivery and absence of placental malaria was found. Thus, the response to ID1-ID2a was not pregnancy specific, but predominantly against cross-reactivity epitopes, which may have been induced by other PfEMP1 antigens, malarial antigens, or microbes. Currently, ID1-ID2a is a leading vaccine candidate, since it binds to the CSA with the same affinity as the full-length molecule and elicits binding-inhibitory antibodies in animals. Further studies are needed to determine if the presence of naturally acquired cross-reactive antibodies in women living in malaria endemic countries will alter the response to ID1-ID2a following vaccination with ID1-ID2a.

THE PLACE OF GRAPE IN TURKISH FOLK CULTURE AND IN CONTEXT OF MYTHOLOGY / TÜRK HALK KÜLTÜRÜNDE VE MITOLOJIK BAĞLAMDA ÜZÜMÜN YERI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Ebru ŞENOCAK

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The grape grown since the pre-historic eras has adistinct part within the verbal cultural tradition as wellas being an important health source meeting thenutrition need in Turkish folk culture. The grape thatwas the theme of folk songs, riddles, proverbs, idioms,tales and legends in folk literature was also used with itsboth curing and symbolic meanings in having a child,marriage and wedding customs, drinking wine, dowrytradition, folk beliefs and folk medicine in our folklore. In the researches carried out depending on the factthat the grape, raw material of the wine, is accepted asthe drink of the Gods in mythology and it is mentioned inTorah, Bible and the Psalms of David as the sacred drink,it was determined that in Turkish culture and mythology,the grape is the symbol of beauty, fertility, blood, soul,love and health.

Folk Astronomy and Calendars in Yemen

Science.gov (United States)

Varisco, Daniel Martin

A rich folk tradition of star lore evolved in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, especially during the Islamic era. Some of this lore was recorded in Yemeni Arabic texts, especially during the 13th and 14th centuries. Among the calendars in use are solar, lunar, and stellar varieties. The most significant folk calendars are the system of agricultural marker stars, often correlated with the 28 lunar stations, and the Pleiades conjunction calendar.

Modulated neural processing of Western harmony in folk musicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Brattico, Elvira; Tupala, Tiina; Glerean, Enrico; Tervaniemi, Mari

2013-07-01

A chord deviating from the conventions of Western tonal music elicits an early right anterior negativity (ERAN) in inferofrontal brain regions. Here, we tested whether the ERAN is modulated by expertise in more than one music culture, as typical of folk musicians. Finnish folk musicians and nonmusicians participated in electroencephalography recordings. The cadences consisted of seven chords. In incongruous cadences, the third, fifth, or seventh chord was a Neapolitan. The ERAN to the Neapolitans was enhanced in folk musicians compared to nonmusicians. Folk musicians showed an enhanced P3a for the ending Neapolitan. The Neapolitan at the fifth position was perceived differently and elicited a late enhanced ERAN in folk musicians. Hence, expertise in more than one music culture seems to modify chord processing by enhancing the ERAN to ambivalent chords and the P3a to incongruous chords, and by altering their perceptual attributes. Copyright © 2013 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Folk music goes digital

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kratochvíl, Matěj

-, č. 1 (2013), s. 14-19 ISSN 1211-0264 Grant - others:Central Europe-ERDF(XE) 3CE296P4 Keywords : digitalisation * folk culture * Central Europe Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

70th birthday of Reinhard Folk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Editorial Board

2015-06-01

Full Text Available On April 29, 2015 Reinhard Folk - member of the Editorial Board of "Condensed Matter Physics", renowned expert in the fields of condensed matter physics, phase transitions and critical phenomena - celebrated his 70th birthday. Reinhard Folk was born in Neuendettelsau, Germany. He studied at the University of Vienna, where in 1973 he defended his doctoral thesis "Hydrodynamic Equations of Dielectric Crystals" (under supervision of Franz Schwabl. In the same year he started working at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Kepler University in Linz, at first as assistant, later as an associate professor, then as extraordinary professor, and finally as Director of the research group "Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena". His research interests cover various fields of condensed matter physics. In particular, he obtained important results in the theory of ferroelectrics, quantum liquids, critical phenomena in magnets and random systems, spin liquids, superconductors, and neural networks. Reinhard Folk and his collaborators performed a series of studies that became the basis for understanding and quantitative description of phenomena occurring in many systems. Included amongst these are the description of the thermodynamic properties of matter in the vicinity of Lifshitz points, the description of critical dynamics in systems with different types of conservation laws, the analysis of effective (non-asymptotic critical behaviour, and generalized hydrodynamics of many-particle systems. Computing algorithms, resummation methods of asymptotic perturbation series proposed by Reinhard Folk and his collaborators, cover a wide range of applications. In 1982 (together with Volker Dohm he was awarded the Walter Schottky Prize of the German Physical Society for his studies of the critical dynamics of helium-4 . Those of us who were fortunate to know Reinhard Folk closer, are aware of his interests in the history of culture and the history of

A review on the elemental contents of Pakistani medicinal plants: Implications for folk medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, Muhammad Abdul; Adnan, Muhammad; Begum, Shaheen; Azizullah, Azizullah; Nazir, Ruqia; Iram, Shazia

2016-07-21

Substantially, plants produce chemicals such as primary and secondary metabolites, which have significant applications in modern therapy. Indigenous people mostly rely on traditional medicines derived from medicinal plants. These plants have the capacity to absorb a variety of toxic elements. The ingestion of such plants for medicinal purpose can have imperative side effects. Hence, with regard to the toxicological consideration of medicinal plants, an effort has been made to review the elemental contents of ethno medicinally important plants of Pakistan and to highlight the existing gaps in knowledge of the safety and efficacy of traditional herbal medications. Literature related to the elemental contents of ethno medicinal plants was acquired by utilizing electronic databases. We reviewed only macro-elemental and trace elemental contents of 69 medicinal plant taxa, which are traditionally used in Pakistan for the treatment of sundry ailments, including anemia, jaundice, cancer, piles, diarrhea, dysentery, headache, diabetes, asthma, blood purification, sedative and ulcer. A majority of plants showed elemental contents above the permissible levels as recommended by the World health organization (WHO). As an example, the concentrations of Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) were reportedly found higher than the WHO permissible levels in 43 and 42 medicinal plants, respectively. More specifically, the concentrations of Pb (54ppm: Silybum marianum) and Cd (5.25ppm: Artemisia herba-alba) were found highest in the Asteraceae family. The reported medicinal plants contain a higher amount of trace and toxic elements. Intake of these plants as traditional medicines may trigger the accumulation of trace and toxic elements in human bodies, which can cause different types of diseases. Thus, a clear understanding about the nature of toxic substances and factors affecting their concentrations in traditional medicines are essential prerequisites for efficacious herbal therapeutics with

CamMedNP: building the Cameroonian 3D structural natural products database for virtual screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Ntie-Kang, Fidele; Mbah, James A; Mbaze, Luc Meva'a; Lifongo, Lydia L; Scharfe, Michael; Hanna, Joelle Ngo; Cho-Ngwa, Fidelis; Onguéné, Pascal Amoa; Owono Owono, Luc C; Megnassan, Eugene; Sippl, Wolfgang; Efange, Simon M N

2013-04-16

Computer-aided drug design (CADD) often involves virtual screening (VS) of large compound datasets and the availability of such is vital for drug discovery protocols. We present CamMedNP - a new database beginning with more than 2,500 compounds of natural origin, along with some of their derivatives which were obtained through hemisynthesis. These are pure compounds which have been previously isolated and characterized using modern spectroscopic methods and published by several research teams spread across Cameroon. In the present study, 224 distinct medicinal plant species belonging to 55 plant families from the Cameroonian flora have been considered. About 80 % of these have been previously published and/or referenced in internationally recognized journals. For each compound, the optimized 3D structure, drug-like properties, plant source, collection site and currently known biological activities are given, as well as literature references. We have evaluated the "drug-likeness" of this database using Lipinski's "Rule of Five". A diversity analysis has been carried out in comparison with the ChemBridge diverse database. CamMedNP could be highly useful for database screening and natural product lead generation programs.

Creativity and folk art

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glaveanu, Vlad Petre

2013-01-01

This article explores creativity in craftwork using the case of Easter egg decoration, a folk art chosen for its traditional roots and diversity of artistic outcomes. This research contributes to the literature at (a) a theoretical level, by conceptualizing a pragmatist-inspired framework...... of creative activity; (b) a methodological level, by using, beside observation and interview, subjective cameras to record activity; and (c) an empirical level, considering the fact that creativity in folk art has often been a neglected topic. A total of 20 egg decorators of various ages from the village...... for, particularly in terms of expert–novice differences. These studies revealed the many ways in which creativity is intrinsic to Easter egg decoration, and the final discussion of the article summarizes them with reference to processes of combination and change, copying and translation, personal...

A folk theory of meetings -- and beyond

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravn, Ib

2013-01-01

with managers and employees we extracted six common assumptions about meetings, termed a folk theory of meetings, which most office workers seem to carry in the back of their minds. Findings This folk theory holds meetings to be places for excessive talk, whether by a domineering leader or highly vocal...... participants, the purpose of which is to walk through the items on the agenda and dispose of each. This bleak and conservative concept of a meeting impedes intellectual as well as practical progress. Practical implications An alternative theory of meetings is proposed, one based on the group facilitation...... training, this view of meetings—and the widely available facilitation tools that go with it—may render meetings at work the subject of conscious organizational development. Originality/value The proposed "folk theory of meetings" is novel, as is the contrast provided with the facilitation approach...

Antibacterial activity of five Peruvian medicinal plants against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Ulloa-Urizar

2015-11-01

Conclusions: The results of the present study scientifically validate the inhibitory capacity of the five medicinal plants attributed by their common use in folk medicine and contribute towards the development of new treatment options based on natural products.

Residential Folk High Schools in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulich, Jindra

2002-01-01

In Eastern Europe, Poland has the longest history of folk high schools. Although closed in Hungary during the 1950s, folk high schools have recently reemerged. There were attempts to establish them in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia following independence. Although the residential aspect of folk schools is desirable, economic and social conditions…

Sirenomelia in a Cameroonian woman: a case report and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Morfaw, Frederick Li; Nana, Philip N

2012-01-01

Sirenomelia is a rare congenital malformative disorder characterized by fusion of the lower limbs giving a characteristic mermaid-like appearance to the affected foetus. We report a case of sirenomelia occurring in a 19 year old Cameroonian woman following premature rupture of membranes and associated cord prolapse. This is the first documented case in this country. We highlight some of the cultural myths associated with this disorder and discuss our findings relative to the present literature and related controversies on its etiopathogenesis.

A study on the indigenous medicinal plants and healing practices in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study on the indigenous medicinal plants and healing practices in Chittagong Hill tracts (Bangladesh) ... and folk cultural practices as community-based extension and dissemination media to highlight the importance of medicinal plants and ...

Plants and Medicinal Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, D.

1977-01-01

This is the first of two articles showing how plants that have been used in folk medicine for many centuries are guiding scientists in the design and preparation of new and potent drugs. Opium and its chemical derivatives are examined at length in this article. (Author/MA)

Chemical composition, nutritive value, and toxicological evaluation of Bauhinia cheilantha seeds: a legume from semiarid regions widely used in folk medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Daniel Câmara; Farias, Davi Felipe; Carvalho, Ana Fontenele Urano; Arantes, Mariana Reis; Oliveira, José Tadeu Abreu; Sousa, Daniele Oliveira Bezerra; Pereira, Mirella Leite; Oliveira, Hermogenes David; Andrade-Neto, Manoel; Vasconcelos, Ilka Maria

2013-01-01

Among the Bauhinia species, B. cheilantha stands out for its seed protein content. However, there is no record of its nutritional value, being used in a nonsustainable way in the folk medicine and for large-scale extraction of timber. The aim of this study was to investigate the food potential of B. cheilantha seeds with emphasis on its protein quality to provide support for flora conservation and use as raw material or as prototype for the development of bioproducts with high added socioeconomic value. B. cheilantha seeds show high protein content (35.9%), reasonable essential amino acids profile, low levels of antinutritional compounds, and nutritional parameters comparable to those of legumes widely used such as soybean and cowpea. The heat treatment of the seeds as well as the protein extraction process (to obtain the protein concentrate) increased the acceptance of diets by about 100% when compared to that of raw Bc diet. These wild legume seeds can be promising alternative source of food to overcome the malnutrition problem faced by low income people adding socioeconomic value to the species.

Is Psychoanalysis a Folk Psychology?

Science.gov (United States)

Arminjon, Mathieu

2013-01-01

Even as the neuro-psychoanalytic field has matured, from a naturalist point of view, the epistemological status of Freudian interpretations still remains problematic at a naturalist point of view. As a result of the resurgence of hermeneutics, the claim has been made that psychoanalysis is an extension of folk psychology. For these “extensionists,” asking psychoanalysis to prove its interpretations would be as absurd as demanding the proofs of the scientific accuracy of folk psychology. I propose to show how Dennett’s theory of the intentional stance allows us to defend an extensionist position while sparing us certain hermeneutic difficulties. In conclusion, I will consider how Shevrin et al. (1996) experiments could turn extensionist conceptual considerations into experimentally testable issues. PMID:23525879

The Necessity of Considering Folk Ethics in Moral Philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jalal Peykani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Contemporary ethics and moral philosophy need a kind of revision due to their negligence in human moral capacities, ordinary life, and humans’ expectations of ethics. The assumptions and presuppositions of ethics result in their current unsatisfactory status. In this paper, we first explore and criticize those presuppositions. Then, instead of introducing ideal presuppositions of ethics, we introduce folk ethics and its components in order to show that contemporary ethics and moral philosophy should always begin with folk ethics. The most important advantage of folk ethics is its realistic foundation, which in turn will produce better results.

Editorial: Who Is Afraid to Give Freedom of Speech to Marketing Folks?

OpenAIRE

Steven M. Shugan

2006-01-01

Despite the invaluable contribution of marketing folks (e.g., making markets work), they fail to enjoy the same freedom of speech as others. This fact is particularly egregious because unlike other groups that can use threats, force, or coercion, marketing folks rely only on speech. Although the U.S. Constitution never mentions commercial speech, the courts invented the concept to censor marketing folks. The cloudy rational was that consumers need special protection from marketing folks (e.g....

Antibacterial and antibiotic-potentiation activities of the methanol extract of some cameroonian spices against Gram-negative multi-drug resistant phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The present work was designed to evaluate the antibacterial properties of the methanol extracts of eleven selected Cameroonian spices on multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR), and their ability to potentiate the effect of some common antibiotics used in therapy. Results The extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and AG100 strains showed the best activities, with the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64 μg/ml. The extract of Dorstenia psilurus was the most active when tested in the presence of an efflux pump inhibitor, phenylalanine Arginine-β- Naphtylamide (PAβN), a synergistic effect being observed in 56.25 % of the tested bacteria when it was combined with Erythromycin (ERY). Conclusion The present work evidently provides information on the role of some Cameroonian spices in the fight against multi-resistant bacteria. PMID:22709668

Antibacterial and antibiotic-potentiation activities of the methanol extract of some cameroonian spices against Gram-negative multi-drug resistant phenotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voukeng Igor K

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The present work was designed to evaluate the antibacterial properties of the methanol extracts of eleven selected Cameroonian spices on multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR, and their ability to potentiate the effect of some common antibiotics used in therapy. Results The extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and AG100 strains showed the best activities, with the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC of 64 μg/ml. The extract of Dorstenia psilurus was the most active when tested in the presence of an efflux pump inhibitor, phenylalanine Arginine-β- Naphtylamide (PAβN, a synergistic effect being observed in 56.25 % of the tested bacteria when it was combined with Erythromycin (ERY. Conclusion The present work evidently provides information on the role of some Cameroonian spices in the fight against multi-resistant bacteria.

Sirenomelia in a Cameroonian woman: a case report and review of the literature

Science.gov (United States)

Morfaw, Frederick LI

2012-01-01

Sirenomelia is a rare congenital malformative disorder characterized by fusion of the lower limbs giving a characteristic mermaid-like appearance to the affected foetus. We report a case of sirenomelia occurring in a 19 year old Cameroonian woman following premature rupture of membranes and associated cord prolapse. This is the first documented case in this country. We highlight some of the cultural myths associated with this disorder and discuss our findings relative to the present literature and related controversies on its etiopathogenesis. PMID:24627759

Cameroonian Medicinal Plants

African Journals Online (AJOL)

IR, proton NMR, carbon-13 NMR, and mass spectra were recorded in order .... active quassinoials are also esterifīed at the C-l5-hydroxyl, and the func- tīonality of the ... The stem bark collected at mount Kala, near Yaounde in March 2001 was.

[Folklore and popular medicine in the Amazon].

Science.gov (United States)

Henrique, Márcio Couto

2009-01-01

This discussion of the relations between folklore and popular medicine in the Amazon takes Canuto Azevedo's story "Filhos do boto" (Children of the porpoise) as an analytical reference point. Replete with elements of cultural reality, folk tales can serve as historical testimonies expressing clashes between different traditions. Folk records are fruit of what is often a quarrelsome dialogue between folklorists, social scientists, physicians, and pajés and their followers, and their analysis should take into account the conditions under which they were produced. Based on the imaginary attached to the figure of the porpoise--a seductive creature with healing powers--the article explores how we might expand knowledge of popular medicine as practiced in the Amazon, where the shamanistic rite known as pajelança cabocla has a strong presence.

Global medicinal uses of Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernst, Madeleine; Grace, Olwen M; Saslis Lagoudakis, Haris

2015-01-01

in Australia, topical application of latex of Euphorbia peplus L. is used as a home treatment for skin cancer and actinic keratosis. Its use in Australian folk medicine has inspired the release of the drug Picato ® (ingenol mebutate), and further fostered interest in natural products and medicinal uses...

METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMING REPERTOIRE OF STUDENTS’ FOLK INSTRUMENTAL ORCHESTRA

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Mykola Pshenychnykh

2016-11-01

Full Text Available One of the main aspects of forming future music teachers’ professional competence, connected with mastering professional musical and performing skills in the course “Orchestra Class” and realized in the activity of students’ performing group, is revealed. Nowadays the problem of creative personality development is relevant, as creative future music art teachers freely orient themselves and guide pupils students in today's cultural environment, music and media space, have a strong musical taste and aesthetic guidelines. The music genre groups have been characterized in the article. It is thought that these groups are the traditional components of repertoire of folk and orchestra student groups: arrangements of folk tunes; works of Ukrainian and world classics, orchestrated for the folk groups, taking into account each orchestra performing possibilities; works by contemporary authors, written specifically for the orchestra of folk instruments. The main methodological principles of selecting the repertoire for the student orchestra of folk instruments are disclosed, including: technical, artistic and performing capabilities of student groups; involvement of works of different genres into the repertoire; correspondence of orchestra scores to instrumental composition of the student orchestra, and their correction if it is necessary; selecting works, whose performing arouses interest of the student audience; using the experience of the leading professional ensembles of folk instruments; constant updating the orchestra's repertoire. In the conclusion the author emphasizes that taking into account the methodological tips helps solve the main tasks within the course of “Orchestra Class”. These tips are the following: students’ acquaintance with the history of foundation, composition, ways of musicianship, technique of playing the instrument of folk instrument orchestra and acquaintance with specific orchestral music; development of all

Folk toys in Central Thailand: Product development for a creative economy

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Wanna Pichetpruth

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Folk toys in Central Thailand are a part of local Thai local wisdom. Creative folk toys are a part of cultural heritage and Thai creative and sustainable economic development. So, this research aimed to study 1 the indigenous folk toys in central Thailand, 2 the toy production problems and solution guidelines, and 3 the toy product development for the creative economy. The study employed a qualitative research method. The target group consisted of the selected communities in Nonthaburi Province, Ayutthaya Province and Suphanburi Province and folk toy sources. The informants were: 15 folk toy enterprise presidents, government officers and local experts as the key informants, 45 folk toy enterprise members as the causal informants and 45 customers as the general informants. Data were collected by means of interview, observation, focus group discussion and workshop from field study. Qualitative data were analyzed by inductive analysis method with triangular verification and the research results were presented by a descriptive analysis method. The research results revealed that folk toys in Central Thailand were derived from local indigenous knowledge that was created and transmitted through the generations for at least 700 years. Most of the folk toys in Central Thailand were produced by natural, local and easily found materials, using natural colors. The beauty, styles and quality of natural and man-made children’s toys were based on parental competency. Moreover, creation of folk toys is a form of Thai handicraft. Thai people truly believe that toys are symbols of parental love and attention and the tools to build up children’s growth in terms of lifestyle and creative mind. The findings show that folk toys in Central Thailand are made of special soil, wood, bamboo, lan leaf, tan leaf and coconut shell. Folk toys are categorized in four groups: 1 fun toys, such as krataewien, explosive bamboo, king drum, nangkop drum, rhythm coconut shell

Phenotypic and allelic distribution of the ABO and Rhesus (D) blood groups in the Cameroonian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndoula, S T; Noubiap, J J N; Nansseu, J R N; Wonkam, A

2014-06-01

Data on blood group phenotypes are important for blood transfusion programs, for disease association and population genetics studies. This study aimed at reporting the phenotypic and allelic distribution of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) groups in various ethnolinguistic groups in the Cameroonians. We obtained ABO and Rhesus blood groups and self-identified ethnicity from 14,546 Cameroonian students. Ethnicity was classified in seven major ethnolinguistic groups: Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Kordofanian/West Atlantic, Niger-Kordofanian/Adamawa-Ubangui, Niger-Kordofanian/Benue-Congo/Bantu/Grassfield, Niger-Kordofanian/Benue-Congo/Bantu/Mbam and Niger-Kordofanian/Benue-Congo/Bantu/Equatorial. ABO allelic frequencies were determined using the Bernstein method. Differences in phenotypic distribution of blood groups were assessed using the chi-square test; a P value blood groups O, A, B and AB were 48.62%, 25.07%, 21.86% and 4.45%, respectively. Rhesus-positive was 96.32%. The allelic frequencies of O, A and B genes were 0.6978, 0.1605 and 0.1416, respectively. Phenotypic frequencies of the blood groups in the general study population and in the different ethnolinguistic groups were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations (P > 0.05). The frequencies of O, A, and B blood phenotypes were significantly lower, respectively, in the Nilo-Saharan group (P = 0.009), the Niger-Kordofanian/Benue-Congo/Bantu groups (P = 0.021) and the Niger-Kordofanian/West-Atlantic group. AB blood group was most frequent in the Niger-Kordofanian/Adamawa-Ubangui group (P = 0.024). Our study provides the first data on ethnic distribution of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in the Cameroonian population and suggests that its general profile is similar to those of several sub-Saharan African populations. We found some significant differences in phenotypic distribution amongst major ethnolinguistic groups. These data may be important for blood donor recruitment policy and blood transfusion

Authenticity Revisited : the production, distribution, and consumption of independent folk music in the Netherlands (1993-present)

OpenAIRE

Poecke, Niels

2017-01-01

textabstractIn ways similar to the 1960s ‘urban folk revival’ – that is, through live performance, mass mediation and sales successes – the genre of folk music rose the surface of the global music industry once more during the first decade of the new millennium. The new labels are hyphenated, as in free-folk, freak-folk, indie-folk and folk-pop, and refer to Americana and electronics as in New Weird America, American Primitivism, and folktronica. Folk music gained momentum in the mid-2000s wi...

Brazilwood, sappanwood, brazilin and the red dye brazilein: from textile dyeing and folk medicine to biological staining and musical instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Dapson, R W; Bain, C L

2015-01-01

Brazilin is a nearly colorless dye precursor obtained from the heartwood of several species of trees including brazilwood from Brazil, sappanwood from Asia and the Pacific islands, and to a minor extent from two other species in Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean islands. Its use as a dyeing agent and medicinal in Asia was recorded in the 2(nd) century BC, but was little known in Europe until the 12(th) century AD. Asian supplies were replaced in the 16(th) century AD after the Portuguese discovered vast quantities of trees in what is now Brazil. Overexploitation decimated the brazilwood population to the extent that it never fully recovered. Extensive environmental efforts currently are underway to re-create a viable, sustainable population. Brazilin is structurally similar to the better known hematoxylin, thus is readily oxidized to a colored dye, brazilein, which behaves like hematein. Attachment of the dye to fabric is by hydrogen bonding or in conjunction with certain metallic mordants by coordinative bonding. For histology, most staining procedures involve aluminum (brazalum) for staining nuclei. In addition to textile dyeing and histological staining, brazilin and brazilein have been and still are used extensively in Asian folk medicine to treat a wide variety of disorders. Recent pharmacological studies for the most part have established a scientific basis for these uses and in many cases have elucidated the biochemical pathways involved. The principal use of brazilwood today is for the manufacture of bows for violins and other stringed musical instruments. The dye and other physical properties of the wood combine to produce bows of unsurpassed tonal quality.

Traditional use and safety of herbal medicines

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Davyson de L. Moreira

Full Text Available In the European Union, traditional herbal medicines that are regarded as "acceptably safe, albeit not having a recognized level of efficacy" fit into a special category of drugs ("traditional herbal medicine products" for which requirements of non-clinical and clinical studies are less rigorous. A regulation proposal published by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance (Anvisa defines a similar drug category ("traditional phytotherapeutic products" for registration purposes. Regarding herbal medicines, both agencies seem to be lenient regarding proof of efficacy, and consider long-standing folk use as evidence of safety and a waiver of a thorough toxicological evaluation. Nonetheless, several herbal products and constituents with a long history of folk usage are suspected carcinogenic and/or hepatotoxic. Herbal products have also been shown to inhibit and/or induce drug-metabolizing enzymes. Since herbal medicines are often used in conjunction with conventional drugs, kinetic and clinical interactions are a cause for concern. A demonstration of the safety of herbal medicines for registration purposes should include at least in vitroand in vivogenotoxicity assays, long-term rodent carcinogenicity tests (for drugs intended to be continuously used for > 3 months or intermittently for > 6 months, reproductive and developmental toxicity studies (for drugs used by women of childbearing age, and investigation of the effects on drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Cross-cultural adaptation in urban ethnobotany: the Colombian folk pharmacopoeia in London.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceuterick, Melissa; Vandebroek, Ina; Torry, Bren; Pieroni, Andrea

2008-12-08

To investigate traditional health care practices and changes in medicinal plant use among the growing Colombian community in London. Ethnobotanical fieldwork consisted of qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 23 Colombians living in London and botanical identification of 46 plant species actively used as herbal remedies. Subsequently, research data were compared with literature on ethnobotany and traditional herbal medicine in the home country, using a framework on cross-cultural adaptation, adjusted for the purpose of this study. Similarities and discrepancies between data and literature are interpreted as potential indicators of continuity and loss (or deculturation) of traditional remedies, respectively. Remedies used in London that are not corroborated by the literature suggest possible newly acquired uses. Cross-cultural adaptation related to health care practices is a multifaceted process. Persistence, loss and incorporation of remedies into the Colombian folk pharmacopoeia after migration are influenced by practical adaptation strategies as well as by symbolic-cultural motives of ethnic identity.

Folk uses and pharmacological properties of Casearia sylvestris: a medicinal review

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Paulo Michel P. Ferreira

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Folk uses and scientific investigations have highlighted the importance of Casearia sylvestris extracts and their relevant bioactive potential. The aim of this work was to review the pharmacological properties of C. sylvestris, emphasizing its anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-ophidian and antitumor potentialities. Ethanolic extracts and essential oil of their leaves have antiulcerogenic activity and reduce gastric volume without altering the stomach pH, which corroborates their consumption on gastrointestinal disorders. Leaf water extracts show phospholipase A2 inhibitory activity that prevents damage effects on the muscular tissue after toxin inoculation. This antiphospholipasic action is probably related to the use as an anti-inflammatory, proposing a pharmacological blockage similar to that obtained with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on arachidonic acid and cyclooxygenase pathways. Bioguided-assay fractionations lead to the identification of secondary metabolites, especially the clerodane diterpenes casearins (A-X and casearvestrins (A-C, compounds with a remarkable cytotoxic and antitumor action. Therefore, the C. sylvestris shrub holds a known worldwide pharmacological arsenal by its extensive folk utilization, exciting searches for new molecules and a better comprehension about biological properties.Usos populares e pesquisas científicas têm destacado a importância dos extratos da planta Casearia sylvestris e seu grande potencial bioativo. Neste trabalho, objetiva-se revisar as propriedades farmacológicas de C. sylvestris, enfatizando sua potencialidade antiulcerogênica, antiinflamatória, antiofídica e antitumoral. O extrato etanólico e o óleo essencial das folhas possuem atividade antiulcerogênica promissora, diminuindo o volume gástrico sem alterar o pH estomacal, corroborando sua aplicação contra dores gastrointestinais. Já os extratos aquosos das folhas têm atividade inibitória contra fosfolipase A2 presente

Socio-economic activities of fisher folk in Niger Delta, Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined the socio-economic activities and potentials of rural fisher folk in Niger Delta, Nigeria. One thousand and two hundred (1,200) structured questionnaires were administered to fisher folks in one hundred (100) fishing communities, and only one thousand (1000) were retrieved. The questionnaires dealt ...

Medicinal properties, phytochemistry and pharmacology of tribulus terrestris l. (zygophyllaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, S.; Bakht, T.

2014-01-01

Tribulus terrestris (puncture vine) belongs to family Zygophyllaceae and it is a herbaceous, mat forming plant in nature. It extensively grows in warm dry tropics all over the world and ecologically adaptated as a typical C4 xeromorphic plant. T. terrestris is a noxious weed along with its use in many countries as a folk medicine for different purposes from time immemorial. Ancient records describe various medicinal properties of T. terrestris as a popular source to cure variety of different disease conditions in China, India, and Greece. The plant is used directly as a herb or as a main component for production of a number of medicines and food supplements such as for physical rejuvenation, therapy for the conditions affecting liver, kidney, cardiovascular system and immune systems. Also it is used as a folk medicine for increased muscle strength, sexual potency and in treatments of urinary infections, heart diseases and cough. It is considered invigorating stimulant, aphrodisiac, and nutritive. This review discusses the most commonly recognized medicinal properties of this herb. The chemistry of T. terrestris extracts to establish the relationship between medicinal properties of this important plant will also be reviewed. (author)

Queer as Folk and the trouble with slash

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Kyra Hunting

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The Showtime TV series Queer as Folk (2000–2005 brought same-sex relationships and sex scenes to prime-time television, putting the stuff of slash up on the small screen. Despite incorporating many slash tropes into the canonical text, Queer as Folk troubles many of the traditional assumptions about how fan fiction and slash operate, particularly the association of slash with subversion. The intertextual relationship between canonically queer texts and their attendant fandoms requires new frameworks for exploring traditional fan fiction subgenres such as slash. When the canonical text itself is queer, gestures and genres that have generally been considered subversive can in fact be more conservative than the canonical text itself. When the political stakes of a canonical series are clear and explicitly progressive, the intertextual relationship between canon and fandom can be particularly important and uniquely problematic, as this case study of Queer as Folk demonstrates in its assessment of the complexities that arise when the canon itself is queer.

On Folk Epistemology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerken, Mikkel

that are associated with biases. In developing this account, Mikkel Gerken presents work in cognitive psychology and pragmatics, while also contributing to epistemology. For example, Gerken develops positive epistemic norms of action and assertion and moreover, critically assesses contextualism, knowledge...... a role as data for epistemological theorizing. Rather, critical epistemological theorizing is required to interpret empirical findings. Consequently, On Folk Epistemology helps to lay the foundation for an emerging sub-field that intersects philosophy and the cognitive sciences: The empirical study...

Bringing the banjo back to life: The field of dutch independent folk music as participatory culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N. van Poecke (Niels); J.M. Michael (Janna)

2016-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we investigate factors underlying the production of independent folk music (indie folk) in the Netherlands. By studying the creation, distribution and reception of indie folk music through in-depth interviewing, we argue that the social production of indie folk music is

EFFECTIVENESS OF FOLK MATHEMATICS ON ACHIEVEMENT AT SECONDARY LEVEL STUDENT

OpenAIRE

Mrs. K. K. Sumathi

2016-01-01

The present study is aimed at finding the effectiveness of folk mathematics on achievement at secondary level student. It was an experimental method conducted on secondary school students in teaching mathematics for seventh standard. The result concluded by the investigator was that the effect of folk mathematics was better than the traditional method of teaching.

Prevalence and Predictors of Traditional Medicine Utilization among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prevalence and Predictors of Traditional Medicine Utilization among Persons Living With AIDS (PLWA) on Antiretroviral (ARV) and Prophylaxis Treatment in both Rural and Urban Areas in South Africa. GD Hughes, TR Puoane, BL Clark, TL Wondwossen, Q Johnson, W Folk ...

"Our Song!" Nationalism in Folk Music Research and Revival in Socialist Czechoslovakia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kratochvíl, Matěj

2015-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 4 (2015), s. 397-405 ISSN 1788-6244 Institutional support: RVO:68378076 Keywords : Czechoslovakia * folk music * folk song collections * revival * politics * nationalism * communism Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

The mollusks in zootherapy: traditional medicine and clinical-pharmacological importance

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Eraldo Medeiros Costa Neto

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The use of animals as sources of medicines is a cross-cultural phenomenon that is historically ancient and geographically widespread. This article reviews the use of mollusks in traditional medicine and discusses the clinical and pharmacological importance of these invertebrates. The roles that mollusks play in folk practices related to the healing and/or prevention of illnesses have been recorded in different social-cultural contexts worldwide. The clinical and therapeutic use of compounds coming from different species of mollusks is recorded in the literature. The chemistry of natural products provided by oysters, mussels, clams, sluggards, and snails has been substantially investigated, but the majority of these studies have focused on the subclasses Opistobranchia and Prosobranchia. Research into the knowledge and practices of folk medicine makes possible a better understanding of the interaction between human beings and the environment, in addition to allowing the elaboration of suitable strategies for the conservation of natural resources.

Folk taxonomy and use of mushrooms in communities around Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

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Tibuhwa, Donatha Damian

2012-09-21

Maasai and Kurya form two main communities around the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania which are mainly pastoralists. Changing climate to excessive drought, have recently forced them to start practicing subsistence farming which is severely affected by wild animals. This study explored status of the folk taxonomy and uses of mushrooms in the two communities as a pave way for possibilities of introducing mushroom cultivation, an alternative crop which is hardly affected by wild animals. Folk taxonomy and use mushrooms by the Kurya and Maasai communities were investigated. Information was collected by face to face interviews with 150 individuals in 6 selected villages. Using descriptive statistics by Statistic Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 17.0, the demographic characteristics of informants were evaluated and cross relationships with the recorded data were analysed. Kurya are mycophilic with 94% of the informants recognizing utilization of the wild mushroom either as foodstuff or as tonics while the Maasai are mycophobic with 99% being unaware of the edibility of mushroom although 28% recognized mushrooms as tonic. For both communities, the knowledge of mushroom utilization and folk taxonomy increased with age of the informants, while it decreases with formal education level of the informants which imply that the basis of knowledge is mainly traditional. Comparing the two communities, the Maasai use mushrooms only for medicinal purposes and never sought them for food while the Kurya were well knowledgeable on the edibility and folk classification especially the Termitomyces species. Characters used in folkal taxonomy included color and size of the basidiomata, shape and size of the pseudorrhiza, habitats and edibility information. A new use of ascospores whereby they anaesthaesia bees during honey harvesting was discovered, and mushroom cultivation was widely welcomed (94.7%) as an alternative crop which is rarely affected by wild animals. In order

Folk taxonomy and use of mushrooms in communities around Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

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Tibuhwa Donatha

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Maasai and Kurya form two main communities around the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania which are mainly pastoralists. Changing climate to excessive drought, have recently forced them to start practicing subsistence farming which is severely affected by wild animals. This study explored status of the folk taxonomy and uses of mushrooms in the two communities as a pave way for possibilities of introducing mushroom cultivation, an alternative crop which is hardly affected by wild animals. Methods Folk taxonomy and use mushrooms by the Kurya and Maasai communities were investigated. Information was collected by face to face interviews with 150 individuals in 6 selected villages. Using descriptive statistics by Statistic Package for the Social Science (SPSS version 17.0, the demographic characteristics of informants were evaluated and cross relationships with the recorded data were analysed. Results Kurya are mycophilic with 94% of the informants recognizing utilization of the wild mushroom either as foodstuff or as tonics while the Maasai are mycophobic with 99% being unaware of the edibility of mushroom although 28% recognized mushrooms as tonic. For both communities, the knowledge of mushroom utilization and folk taxonomy increased with age of the informants, while it decreases with formal education level of the informants which imply that the basis of knowledge is mainly traditional. Comparing the two communities, the Maasai use mushrooms only for medicinal purposes and never sought them for food while the Kurya were well knowledgeable on the edibility and folk classification especially the Termitomyces species. Characters used in folkal taxonomy included color and size of the basidiomata, shape and size of the pseudorrhiza, habitats and edibility information. A new use of ascospores whereby they anaesthaesia bees during honey harvesting was discovered, and mushroom cultivation was widely welcomed (94.7% as an alternative

Twinflower (Linnaea borealis L. – plant species of potential medicinal properties

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Thiem Barbara

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Twinflower (Linnaea borealis L. is a widespread circumboreal plant species belonging to Linnaeaceae family (previously Caprifoliaceae. L. borealis commonly grows in taiga and tundra. In some countries in Europe, including Poland, twinflower is protected as a glacial relict. Chemical composition of this species is not well known, however in folk medicine of Scandinavian countries, L. borealis has a long tradition as a cure for skin diseases and rheumatism. It is suggested that twinflower has potential medicinal properties. The new study on lead secondary metabolites responsible for biological activity are necessary. This short review summarizes very sparse knowledge on twinflower: its biology, distribution, conservation status, chemical constituents, and describes the role of this plant in folk tradition of Scandinavian countries.

In vitro evaluation of traditionally used Surinamese medicinal plants for their potential anti-leishmanial efficacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mans, D. R. A.; Beerens, T.; Magali, I.; Soekhoe, R. C.; Schoone, G. J.; Oedairadjsingh, K.; Hasrat, J. A.; van den Bogaart, E.; Schallig, H. D. F. H.

2016-01-01

Plant-based preparations are extensively used in Surinamese folk medicine for treating leishmaniasis, but often without a scientific rationale. To evaluate 25 Surinamese medicinal plants for their potential efficacy against leishmaniasis. Concentrated plant extracts were evaluated for their effect

Effect of Folk Dance Training on Blood Oxidative Stress Level, Lipids, and Lipoproteins

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Okdan Bora

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Folk dance is a form of physical activity which helps develop the ability to use the whole body in a coordinated way with music, and folk dancers’ characteristics vary according to the particular type of dance practised in a given geographic region. The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of 12-week folk dance training on blood oxidative stress level, lipids, lipoproteins, as well as muscle damage markers and to define some physical and physiological properties of folk dancers. Material and methods. Thirty-eight healthy male folk dancers aged 21-28 years having an average of 11 years of dance training experience voluntarily participated in the study. All of the physical and physiological measurements and the blood analysis were performed twice, before and after the training period which focused on different regional dances (Caucasus, Bar, Zeybek, Spoon Dance, Thracian dances, and Horon. The training was done 2 hours per day (a total of 10 hours a week, during a 12-week-long period. Results. All the blood parameters were found to be within the specified reference ranges. The training programme had no significant effect on the blood lipid profile, whereas it was found to have positive effects on body fat (p ≤ 0.012, peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak; p = 0.000, muscle damage markers (creatine kinase, Δ% = −19.6, and total antioxidant capacity (p ≤ 0.002. Conclusions. Regular folk dance training was found to have positive effects on body fat, VO2peak, blood total antioxidant capacity, and muscle damage markers. Based on these results, the community should be encouraged to perform folk dance as a recreational physical activity, and public awareness should be raised about the health benefits of practising folk dances.

A comparative phylogenetic study of genetics and folk music.

Science.gov (United States)

Pamjav, Horolma; Juhász, Zoltán; Zalán, Andrea; Németh, Endre; Damdin, Bayarlkhagva

2012-04-01

Computer-aided comparison of folk music from different nations is one of the newest research areas. We were intrigued to have identified some important similarities between phylogenetic studies and modern folk music. First of all, both of them use similar concepts and representation tools such as multidimensional scaling for modelling relationship between populations. This gave us the idea to investigate whether these connections are merely accidental or if they mirror population migrations from the past. We raised the question; does the complex structure of musical connections display a clear picture and can this system be interpreted by the genetic analysis? This study is the first to systematically investigate the incidental genetic background of the folk music context between different populations. Paternal (42 populations) and maternal lineages (56 populations) were compared based on Fst genetic distances of the Y chromosomal and mtDNA haplogroup frequencies. To test this hypothesis, the corresponding musical cultures were also compared using an automatic overlap analysis of parallel melody styles for 31 Eurasian nations. We found that close musical relations of populations indicate close genetic distances (music; maternal lineages have a more important role in folk music traditions than paternal lineages. Furthermore, the combination of these disciplines establishing a new interdisciplinary research field of "music-genetics" can be an efficient tool to get a more comprehensive picture on the complex behaviour of populations in prehistoric time.

The Place of Igbo Folk Songs in Peace Building and Sustainable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Igbo society provides avenues like ceremonies, festivals, and burials to mention but a few through which music are expressed. This paper among other things tries to examine the impact of folk music In Igbo culture, the place of music in the promotion of sustainable rural development. Selected Igbo folk songs with subject ...

The Gothic Folk Devils Strike Back! Theorizing Folk Devil Reaction in the Post-Columbine Era

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Richard

2010-01-01

Folk devils have to date been significantly overlooked in previous studies of moral panics. While several studies have called attention to this problematic (Thornton and McRobbie 1995, De Young 2004, Lumsden 2009), no specific theoretical framework has been proposed for reading this dimension of a moral panic. This paper argues that a moral panic…

Variability and population genetic structure in Achyrocline flaccida (Weinm. DC., a species with high value in folk medicine in South America.

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Juliana da Rosa

Full Text Available Better knowledge of medicinal plant species and their conservation is an urgent need worldwide. Decision making for conservation strategies can be based on the knowledge of the variability and population genetic structure of the species and on the events that may influence these genetic parameters. Achyrocline flaccida (Weinm. DC. is a native plant from the grassy fields of South America with high value in folk medicine. In spite of its importance, no genetic and conservation studies are available for the species. In this work, microsatellite and ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat markers were used to estimate the genetic variability and structure of seven populations of A. flaccida from southern Brazil. The microsatellite markers were inefficient in A. flaccida owing to a high number of null alleles. After the evaluation of 42 ISSR primers on one population, 10 were selected for further analysis of seven A. flaccida populations. The results of ISSR showed that the high number of exclusive absence of loci might contribute to the inter-population differentiation. Genetic variability of the species was high (Nei's diversity of 0.23 and Shannon diversity of 0.37. AMOVA indicated higher genetic variability within (64.7% than among (33.96% populations, and the variability was unevenly distributed (FST 0.33. Gene flow among populations ranged from 1.68 to 5.2 migrants per generation, with an average of 1.39. The results of PCoA and Bayesian analyses corroborated and indicated that the populations are structured. The observed genetic variability and population structure of A. flaccida are discussed in the context of the vegetation formation history in southern Brazil, as well as the possible anthropogenic effects. Additionally, we discuss the implications of the results in the conservation of the species.

Ethnobotanical Investigation of Medicinal Flora used by Indigenous People in District Attock, Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Irum Naz

2014-01-01

The Present Survey deals with ethno taxonomical observation of medicinal plants of district Attock. The study was designed to disseminate the dynamic of local knowledge, explore, conserve and document medicinal flora. During survey, traditional folk uses of medicinal flora were gathered via questionnaire, plant specimens were collected and photography was done for identification. Eighty medicinal plant species belonging to 64 genera reported to be used by local inhabitants for different disea...

Watching cows : invention of tradition and construction of identity in the Frisian folk music revival

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bisschop Boele, Evert

2013-01-01

From the 1960s, in several Western European countries folk music revivals took place. In The Netherlands, the folk music revival was heavily inspired by the folk music revival movements in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and later by the revivals in France and Flanders (Belgium)

[Contribution of histopathology in the diagnosis of mycetoma in a Cameroonian trader and possibility of an urban contamination].

Science.gov (United States)

Mendouga Menye, C R B; Kouotou, E A; Atangana, P J A

2017-09-01

Mycetoma are rare cutaneous affections caused by pathogens such as fungi or bacteria. They settle preferentially on limb extremities. We are going to talk about an original case of mycetoma in a young Cameroonian trader. A cutaneous mass with multiple draining sinuses was received at the anatomy and cytopathology laboratory. That mass was from a 30-year-old male trader, with no particular medical history and living in Yaounde, who was received for a lesion at the sole of the foot, which appeared some months before. This lesion started like a tough and painless nodule, which later showed draining sinuses to the skin. The surgical resection of the tissue mass was performed. The histopathological analysis with special staining procedures, which was later on performed, revealed mycetoma caused by fungi. This observation describes an original case of fungal mycetoma, which occured in a Cameroonian trader living in an urban milieu away from any mycetoma endemic zone. This case confirms the undeniable or undisputable contribution of histopathology in diagnosis of certainty. To our knowledge and according to available data, it is a premiere to find a case of mycetoma described in an urban milieu in Cameroon. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Traditional medicine in Syria: folk medicine in Aleppo governorate.

Science.gov (United States)

Alachkar, Amal; Jaddouh, Ahmad; Elsheikh, Muhammad Salem; Bilia, Anna Rita; Vincieri, Franco Francesco

2011-01-01

The use of Traditional Arabic Medicine (TAM) for various diseases has been popular but scarcely studied in Syria. In the present study, we carried out ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research on the plants traditionally used to cure various diseases in northern Syria. The information was collected from the city and villages of the Aleppo governorate "Mohaafazah" in the north of Syria, collecting data directly on the basis of a detailed survey of inhabitants and herbalists. In this survey, we found that hundreds of plant species are still in use in TAM for the treatment of various diseases. We selected the most common 100 species, used in the treatment of more than 25 diseases. Among these plants, 53 are used for treating gastrointestinal disorders, 38 for respiratory system diseases, including asthma, bronchitis and cough, 34 for skin diseases, 21 for diabetes, 17 for kidney and urinary disorders, 16 for cardiac disorders, 14 for infertility and sexual impotency, 13 for treating liver diseases, 13 for several types of cancer, 9 for enhancing breast milk excretion, 8 for weight loss, 5 for reducing cholesterol, and three for weight gain. Plants were collected and identified: scientific Latin names, local names, the used parts of the plant, the herbal preparations and the local medical uses are described. Scientific literature concerning the activity of the investigated species is also reported and discussed according to their traditional uses.

Traditional Ukrainian songs as performed by folk choirs of ‘Sloboda’ Ukraine

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Vlada Rusina

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In the context of the worldwide globalization processes the issues pertaining to the quest for national identity acquire a particular signifi cance. This is true in the case of Ukraine as a newly independent state in the establishment and consolidation phase. In the conditions marked by a general obliteration of folk customs and traditions it is folk amateur choirs/gatherings (hurts that often become vehicles of folk culture. This study presents rare records of traditional Ukrainian songs, some of them dating back to the 19th century, which the author made in the course of several field trips.

Imitation, Awareness, and Folk Linguistic Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Elizabeth Gentry

2010-01-01

Imitations are sophisticated performances displaying regular patterns. The study of imitation allows linguists to understand speakers' perceptions of sociolinguistic variation. In this dissertation, I analyze imitations of non-native accents in order to answer two questions: what can imitation reveal about perception, and how are "folk linguistic…

Brazilian Folk Art as a possibility of multicultural teaching of the visual arts

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Amanda Cristina Figueira Bastos de Melo

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The present article establishes an overview of the relationship between culture and the teaching of Art in Brazil, reflecting about multiculturalism in the teaching of Visual Arts through Folk Art. It is based on a literature review, analysis of works of art and their relation to multicultural issues. The study highlights the importance of Folk Art as a source of multicultural studies, as well as the need to deal with these issues within the school environment. There has not been much discussion about the topic, especially regarding Folk Art. The research concludes that it is possible to teach multicultural Art through an approach of the Folk Art, as it enables a better approximation to the learners’ universe and contribute for the development of their critical, reflexive and esthetic abilities.

Influence of intermittent preventive treatment on antibodies to VAR2CSA in pregnant Cameroonian women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babakhanyan, Anna; Tutterrow, Yeung L; Bobbili, Naveen

2016-01-01

Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) and insecticide-treated bed nets are the standard of care for preventing malaria in pregnant women. Since these preventive measures reduce exposure to malaria, their influence on the antibody (Ab) response to the parasite antigen VAR2CSA was evaluated...... in pregnant Cameroonian women exposed to holoendemic malaria. Ab levels to full-length VAR2CSA (FV2), variants of the six Duffy binding like (DBL) domains, and proportion of high avidity Ab to FV2 were measured longitudinally in 92 women before and 147 women after IPT. As predicted, reduced exposure...

Computational Drafting of Plot Structures for Russian Folk Tales.

Science.gov (United States)

Gervás, Pablo

The plots of stories are known to follow general patterns in terms of their overall structure. This was the basic tenet of structuralist approaches to narratology. Vladimir Propp proposed a procedure for the generation of new tales based on his semi-formal description of the structure of Russian folk tales. This is one of the first existing instances of a creative process described procedurally. The present paper revisits Propp's morphology to build a system that generates instances of Russian folk tales. Propp's view of the folk tale as a rigid sequence of character functions is employed as a plot driver, and some issues that Propp declared relevant but did not explore in detail-such as long-range dependencies between functions or the importance of endings-are given computational shape in the context of a broader architecture that captures all the aspects discussed by Propp. A set of simple evaluation metrics for the resulting outputs is defined inspired on Propp's formalism. The potential of the resulting system for providing a creative story generation system is discussed, and possible lines of future work are discussed.

Nigerian Ethnomedicine and Medicinal Plant Flora: Anti - ulcer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aloe vera is an exotic species that is getting naturalized and commercially cultivated in the area. The pieces of information herein are regarded as useful tips for the bioassay-guided isolation of active principles from local medicinal plants. Key Words: Anti-ulcer, folk remedy, secondary metabolites, saponins, tannins

Cameroonian professional soccer players and risk of atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nansseu, Jobert Richie; Ama Moor, Vicky Jocelyne; Takam, Ruth Danielle M; Zing-Awona, Bertrand; Azabji-Kenfack, Marcel; Tankeu, Francine; Tchoula, Corinne M; Moukette, Bruno M; Ngogang, Jeanne Y

2017-06-02

Elevated titers of antibodies against oxidized low-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (ox-LDL-Ab) have been reported among professional athletes, paradoxically reflecting an increased risk of developing atherogenic and/or cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine titers of ox-LDL-Ab in a group of Cameroonian professional soccer players, and evaluate their evolution during part of a competition season as well as the plasmatic antioxidant status to find out if this latter correlates with ox-LDL-Ab . We conducted a descriptive cohort study in 2012 including 18 healthy male soccer players. Three samplings were performed in March (T1), May (T2), and July 2012 (T3) to assess the lipid profile, titers of ox-LDL-Ab, and plasmatic concentrations of four antioxidants: the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and uric acid. Ages ranged from 16 to 28 years with a median (interquartile range) of 19.5 (19-23) years. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides varied within normal ranges throughout the three samplings. While total cholesterol and LDL-C titers increased significantly (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006, respectively), triglycerides and HDL-C values varied non-significantly throughout the measurements (p = 0.061 and p = 0.192, respectively). The median ox-LDL-Ab titers were respectively: 653.3 (468.2-838.8) mIU/ml at T1, 777.7 (553.7-1150.7) mIU/ml at T2, and 1037.7 (901.7-1481.5) mIU/ml at T3. Overall, ox-LDL-Ab titers increased significantly from T1 to T3 (p = 0.006). Concomitantly, uric acid and FRAP concentrations decreased significantly (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively); on the contrary, GSH and SOD values increased, but insignificantly (p = 0.115 and p = 0.110, respectively). There was a positive and significant correlation between ox-LDL-Ab and HDL-C (ρ = 0.519, p = 0.027), and between ox

Bringing the banjo back to life: The field of dutch independent folk music as participatory culture

OpenAIRE

Poecke, Niels; Michael, Janna

2016-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we investigate factors underlying the production of independent folk music (indie folk) in the Netherlands. By studying the creation, distribution and reception of indie folk music through in-depth interviewing, we argue that the social production of indie folk music is affected by a shift towards 'participatory culture' brought about by the rise of the Internet and Web 2.0. We note how Web 2.0 helps musicians to educate themselves and to develop careers in music. Se...

Tensions in the meeting between institutional logics and identities in Swedish folk high schools

OpenAIRE

Runesdotter, Caroline

2011-01-01

Swedish folk high schools previously held an autonomous position with their own courses, specially trained teachers and the teachers’ association. With the introduction of market-like structures in adult education a variety of providers including folk high schools have become involved in the competition for public and private educational commissions. This article focuses on the tensions at folk high schools when perceived dependence on income from competitive commissions results in new practi...

Recent Advances in Developing Insect Natural Products as Potential Modern Day Medicines

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Norman Ratcliffe

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Except for honey as food, and silk for clothing and pollination of plants, people give little thought to the benefits of insects in their lives. This overview briefly describes significant recent advances in developing insect natural products as potential new medicinal drugs. This is an exciting and rapidly expanding new field since insects are hugely variable and have utilised an enormous range of natural products to survive environmental perturbations for 100s of millions of years. There is thus a treasure chest of untapped resources waiting to be discovered. Insects products, such as silk and honey, have already been utilised for thousands of years, and extracts of insects have been produced for use in Folk Medicine around the world, but only with the development of modern molecular and biochemical techniques has it become feasible to manipulate and bioengineer insect natural products into modern medicines. Utilising knowledge gleaned from Insect Folk Medicines, this review describes modern research into bioengineering honey and venom from bees, silk, cantharidin, antimicrobial peptides, and maggot secretions and anticoagulants from blood-sucking insects into medicines. Problems and solutions encountered in these endeavours are described and indicate that the future is bright for new insect derived pharmaceuticals treatments and medicines.

Folk national culture as a means of forming norms of communication in childhood

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Chernushevich V. A.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The best carriers of playing culture are children, who possess and enjoy it. Destroyed social kids’ structures, territorial kids’ associations (family, yard, village, street communities of children interrupted generally the process of culture transmission, reproduction and passing of communication tradition. And there is a need in social-state “revivification” (recovering folk games list and its’ players, enough for folk games reproduction process. Folk game includes particular properties of relations on the levels of physical and emotional, vocal interaction, imagery-symbolic filling, special features of clothes (all aspects of communication that constitute features of national culture of the nation and make from the nation the community of people very special and different from other communities and nations. Studying of correctional possibilities of folk games within the frames of playing agendas showed that their psychological and emotional resources provide the conditions for adoption by children the norms of communication.

Use and commercialization of Podocnemis expansa (Schweiger 1812 (Testudines: Podocnemididae for medicinal purposes in two communities in North of Brazil

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Santana Gindomar G

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Throughout Brazil a large number of people seek out reptiles for their meat, leather, ornamental value and supposed medicinal importance. However, there is a dearth of information on the use of reptiles in folk medicine. In North Brazil, the freshwater turtle, Podocnemis expansa, is one of the most frequently used species in traditional medicines. Many products derived from P. expansa are utilized in rural areas and also commercialized in outdoor markets as a cure or treatment for different diseases. Here we document the use and commercialization of P. expansa for medicinal purposes in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil. Methods Data were gathered through interview-questionnaires, with some questions left open-ended. Information was collected in two localities in Pará State, North of Brazil. In the City of Belém, data was collected through interviews with 23 herbs or root sellers (13 men and 10 women. Attempts were made to interview all animal merchants in the markets visited. In fishing community of the Pesqueiro Beach, interviews were done with 41 inhabitants (23 men and 18 women and during the first contacts with the local population, we attempted to identify local people with a specialized knowledge of medicinal animal usage. Results P. expansa was traded for use in traditional medicines and cosmetics. Fat and egg shells were used to treat 16 different diseases. Turtle fat was the main product sold. The demand for these products is unknown. However, the use of this species in folk medicine might have a considerable impact on wild population, and this must be taken into account for the conservation and management of this species. Conclusion Our results indicated that the use and commercialization of P. expansa products for medicinal purposes is common in North of Brazil. More studies regarding the use and commerce of Brazilian turtles are urgently needed in order to evaluate the real impact of such activities on natural

Use and commercialization of Podocnemis expansa (Schweiger 1812) (Testudines: Podocnemididae) for medicinal purposes in two communities in North of Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Rômulo R N; Santana, Gindomar G

2008-01-21

Throughout Brazil a large number of people seek out reptiles for their meat, leather, ornamental value and supposed medicinal importance. However, there is a dearth of information on the use of reptiles in folk medicine. In North Brazil, the freshwater turtle, Podocnemis expansa, is one of the most frequently used species in traditional medicines. Many products derived from P. expansa are utilized in rural areas and also commercialized in outdoor markets as a cure or treatment for different diseases. Here we document the use and commercialization of P. expansa for medicinal purposes in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil. Data were gathered through interview-questionnaires, with some questions left open-ended. Information was collected in two localities in Pará State, North of Brazil. In the City of Belém, data was collected through interviews with 23 herbs or root sellers (13 men and 10 women). Attempts were made to interview all animal merchants in the markets visited. In fishing community of the Pesqueiro Beach, interviews were done with 41 inhabitants (23 men and 18 women) and during the first contacts with the local population, we attempted to identify local people with a specialized knowledge of medicinal animal usage. P. expansa was traded for use in traditional medicines and cosmetics. Fat and egg shells were used to treat 16 different diseases. Turtle fat was the main product sold. The demand for these products is unknown. However, the use of this species in folk medicine might have a considerable impact on wild population, and this must be taken into account for the conservation and management of this species. Our results indicated that the use and commercialization of P. expansa products for medicinal purposes is common in North of Brazil. More studies regarding the use and commerce of Brazilian turtles are urgently needed in order to evaluate the real impact of such activities on natural populations. We hope that our findings about the trade and use

Study on the Folk Costume Symbolization in Waterside Villages of Southern Yangtze in China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CUI Rong-rong; TAO Hui; SHEN Lin-lin

2007-01-01

The folk costume in waterside villages of Southern Yangtze in China was notonly daily consumer goods, but also a symbol system of foR-custom culture. This symbol system was directly conveyed by a series medley shape signs, many-faceted color signs and decorated craft signs of pleated skirt. Its origination, accumulation, continual process and development were greatly associated with the life style and paddy culture of waterside villages, such as the folk religion, social life, artistic philosophy, regional culture, the landform of waterside villages and the humanity environment. So the folk costume was the significant sign of practical function and also the significative sign of folk traditional culture, both of which composed the costume cultural symbol system of waterside villages of Southern Yangtze called " integration of aesthetic and practical function".

The legislative and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Complementary and alternative medicine is an integral component of primary healthcare in Kenya. This is because the infrastructural health setup in the country is inadequate in catering for all the medical needs of the population. This particularly holds true in the rural areas where many rural folk rely on products of herbal ...

Use of folk healing practices by HIV-infected Hispanics living in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez, M; Raffaelli, M; O'Leary, A

1996-12-01

In the absence of a medical cure for AIDS, HIV-infected individuals may seek alternative treatments that are consistent with cultural and social beliefs. This paper examines beliefs about, and use of, folk healing practices by HIV-infected Hispanics receiving care at an HIV/AIDS clinic in inner-city New Jersey. Anonymous individual interviews were conducted with 58 male and 18 female HIV-infected Hispanics aged 23-55, primarily of Puerto Rican origin (61%) or descent (29%). The majority of respondents believed in good and evil spirits (73.7%); among the 56 believers, 48% stated that the spirits had a causal role in their infection, either alone or in conjunction with the AIDS virus. Two thirds of the respondents engaged in folk healing (spiritualism and/or santeria). The main desired outcomes of folk healing included physical relief (44%), spiritual relief (40%), and protection from evil (26%). A number of respondents (n = 9) stated that they hoped to effect a cure by engaging in folk healing. These results indicate that health care professionals treating HIV-positive Hispanics should be aware of the prevalence of folk beliefs and alternative healing practices in this population.

Bulgarian wedding music between folk and chalg: Politics, markets and current directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silverman Kerol

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the performative relationship among folklore, the market, and the state through an analysis of the politics of Bulgarian wedding music. In the socialist period wedding music was condemned by the state and excluded from the category folk but was adored by thousands of fans as a counter-cultural manifestation. In the post-socialist period wedding music achieved recognition in the West but declined in popularity in Bulgarian as fusion music's, such as chalga (folk/pop, arose and as musicians faced challenges vis-à-vis capitalism. As the state withdrew and became weaker private companies with profit-making agendas arose. Although it inspired chalga, wedding music began to be seen in contrast to it, as folk music. Recently, fatigue with chalga and nationalistic ideologies are revitalizing wedding music.

Pediatric lead poisoning from folk prescription for treating epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Xiao-Lan; Xu, Jian; Markowitz, Morri; Yan, Chong-Huai

2016-10-01

A case of lead poisoning resulting from the ingestion of a folk remedy for treating epilepsy is reported. The initial blood lead concentration of this 6-y-old boy was 63.6μg/dl upon admission. He presented with abdominal pain, constipation, and irritability. The patient's liver function tests were significantly increased. Through chelation therapy, the blood lead concentration dropped markedly and clinical symptoms greatly improved. His blood and urine samples were collected for the kinetic analysis of lead elimination. Folk prescriptions for epilepsy should be considered as potential sources of lead intoxication. Lead poisoning should be taken into consideration for unknown causes of abdominal pain. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The misappropriating of an innovation by Cameroonian learners: For a global and participative approach of the integration of ICTs in school

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Emmanuel BECHE

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article studies how Cameroonian learners misappropriate prescribed uses within the context of an innovation. The methodology used is based on sociology of uses and on interview. The obtained results show that learners dispose strategies to reform the integration of ICTs in school. To allow an adapted school innovation, this work proposes an approach which takes into account both the utility and the acceptability of computer.

The antibody response of pregnant Cameroonian women to VAR2CSA ID1-ID2a, a small recombinant protein containing the CSA-binding site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babakhanyan, Anna; Leke, Rose G F; Salanti, Ali

2014-01-01

In pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes expressing the VAR2CSA antigen bind to chondroitin sulfate A in the placenta causing placental malaria. The binding site of VAR2CSA is present in the ID1-ID2a region. This study sought to determine if pregnant Cameroonian women natura...

Folk Linguistics and Language Teaching Education. A Case Study in an Italian Secondary School

Science.gov (United States)

Santipolo, Matteo

2016-01-01

This paper, after shortly introducing "Folk Linguistics" by defining its domain of competence [cf. Preston, Dennis R., ed. 1999. "Handbook of Perceptual Dialectology." Amsterdam: John Benjamins; Niedzielski, Nancy A., and Dennis R. Preston. 2003. "Folk Linguistics." Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter], attempts to draw an…

FOLK TRADITION OF THE ISLAND OF KRK IN THE WORK OF ANTUN BONIFAČIĆ

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Ruža Bonifačić

1995-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the influence of the folk tradition of Croatia and of the Island of Krk on the literary and editorial work of Antun Bonifačić. Great attention is given to the musical aspects of folk tradition, and to the literal or consciously changed citations of the Krk traditional songs. The professional concepts connected with the folk music of Istrian-Adriatic area are discussed together with the selected traditional terms. From the opus of Antun Bonifačić is emerging, up to now unknown, field of his interest - folkloristics.

Contemporary and Traditional : the identity of the Swedish folk high school as expressed in its vocational orientation

OpenAIRE

Landström, Inger

2004-01-01

In this thesis the vocational orientation of the courses offered - as an expression of the folk high school's self-identity- is analysed. The point of departure was that what the folk high school do, is a way to show what it wants to be and, therefore, reflects what it is. Focus is on how the folk high school meets with contemporary tasks and demands in different areas of society. The research objects are, the folk high school as type of school (a total of 147 schools) and a sample of ten ind...

Identity, prosocial behavior, and generative concern in German and Cameroonian Nso adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Busch, Holger; Hofer, Jan

2011-08-01

Little is known about whether ego identity statuses have the same developmental concomitants in different cultural contexts. Thus, 159 German and 158 Cameroonian Nso adolescents aged 15-18 were recruited to test if associations between identity and generativity (i.e. the desire to create a positive legacy) and prosocial behavior (i.e. helpful and supportive behavior), respectively, are comparable. In both cultural samples, only identity achievement was positively linked with generative concern and prosocial tendencies. Integrating these and previous findings on the association between prosocial behavior and generativity, a partial mediation of the relation between identity achievement and generative concern through prosocial tendencies was hypothesized and confirmed for both cultural groups. Thus, there is an equivalent association between identity achievement, prosocial behavior, and generative concern in adolescents with widely different cultural background. Copyright © 2010 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

["The multiple science instructional curious artist". Alchemy, folk magic and folk medicine in baroque home reference books].

Science.gov (United States)

Priesner, Claus

2011-01-01

Germany's Hausväterliteratur, the "literature of the fathers of the houses," was once a popular genre but today is seldom studied. Roughly, this literature, as its name suggests, comprises books on the proper keeping of noble households and mansions. Interestingly, besides the content which one might expect in such books, the organization of personnel, the arrangement of festivities, discussions of the various branches of technical skills, economic advice and the whole field of agriculture, fishing and hunting, these books also contain remarkably large amounts of information directly connected with magic and an associated popular medicine (Volksmedizin). This medicine involved treatment administered mostly by laywomen instead of regular physicians and was based not just upon traditional medical knowledge per se but also upon magical practices. Also found in such texts are alchemical ideas and recipes. This means that despite the fact that such books were written and published in the 17th and early 18th century, the Age of Enlightenment, conceptions found in them are still deeply rooted in older intellectual currents, in Medieval and Renaissance thinking. The present study examines examples of alchemical, magical and popular medical ideas in three such works and seeks to explain how pre-enlightenment ideas and thought could maintain such an influential place in the intellectual world of a later time dominated by other philosophies.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Kurd tribe in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on pharmaceutical plant uses, where some degree of acculturation exists, so that there is urgency in recording such data. The aim of this work is to catalogue, document, and make known the uses of plants for folk medicine in Dehloran and Abdanan districts, Ilam ...

Childhood In America: A Folk Artists' Record.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Judith

1980-01-01

Describes an exhibit and a book catalog produced by the Museum of American Folk Art and others that show paintings, toys, furniture and other objects made in the period extending from Colonial times through the Victorian era. Taken together, the items in the exhibit trace the rising status of American youth. (Author/RH)

Tuning Features of Chinese Folk Song Singing: A Case Study of Hua'er Music.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Welch, Graham; Sundberg, Johan; Himonides, Evangelos

2015-07-01

The learning and teaching of different singing styles, such as operatic and Chinese folk singing, was often found to be very challenging in professional music education because of the complexity of varied musical properties and vocalizations. By studying the acoustical and musical parameters of the singing voice, this study identified distinctive tuning characteristics of a particular folk music in China-Hua'er music-to inform the ineffective folk singing practices, which were hampered by the neglect of inherent tuning issues in music. Thirteen unaccompanied folk song examples from four folk singers were digitally audio recorded in a sound studio. Using an analyzing toolkit consisting of Praat, PeakFit, and MS Excel, the fundamental frequencies (F0) of these song examples were extracted into sets of "anchor pitches" mostly used, which were further divided into 253 F0 clusters. The interval structures of anchor pitches within each song were analyzed and then compared across 13 examples providing parameters that indicate the tuning preference of this particular singing style. The data analyses demonstrated that all singers used a tuning pattern consisting of five major anchor pitches suggesting a nonequal-tempered bias in singing. This partly verified the pentatonic scale proposed in previous empirical research but also argued a potential misunderstanding of the studied folk music scale that failed to take intrinsic tuning issues into consideration. This study suggests that, in professional music training, any tuning strategy should be considered in terms of the reference pitch and likely tuning systems. Any accompanying instruments would need to be tuned to match the underlying tuning bias. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Stability of Medicinal Plant microRNAs in the Herb Preparation Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wenyan; Melzig, Matthias F

2018-04-16

Herbal medicine is now globally accepted as a valid alternative system of pharmaceutical therapies. Various studies around the world have been initiated to develop scientific evidence-based herbal therapies. Recently, the therapeutic potential of medicinal plant derived miRNAs has attracted great attraction. MicroRNAs have been indicated as new bioactive ingredients in medicinal plants. However, the stability of miRNAs during the herbal preparation process and their bioavailability in humans remain unclear. Viscum album L. (European mistletoe) has been widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our previous study has indicated the therapeutic potential of mistletoe miRNAs by using bioinformatics tools. To evaluate the stability of these miRNAs, various mistletoe extracts that mimic the clinical medicinal use as well as traditional folk medicinal use were prepared. The mistletoe miRNAs including miR166a-3p, miR159a, miR831-5p, val-miR218 and val-miR11 were quantified by stem-loop qRT-PCR. As a result, miRNAs were detectable in the majority of the extracts, indicating that consumption of medicinal plant preparations might introduce miRNAs into mammals. The factors that might cause miRNA degradation include ultrasonic treatment, extreme heat, especially RNase treatment, while to be associated with plant molecules (e.g., proteins, exosomes) might be an efficient way to protect miRNAs against degradation. Our study confirmed the stability of plant derived miRNAs during herb preparations, suggesting the possibility of functionally intact medicinal plant miRNAs in mammals.

The creation of folk music program on Radio Belgrade before World War Two: Editorial policies and performing ensembles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumnić Marija

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the establishing of the organizing models, on one side, and with folk music and its aesthetic characteristics in the interwar period, on the other. This problem significantly contributed to the present meaning of the term “folk music” (“narodna muzika”. The program of Radio Belgrade (founded in 1929 contained a number of folk music shows, often with live music. In order to develop folk music program, numerous vocal and instrumental soloists were hired, and different bands accompanied them. During that time, two official radio ensembles emerged - the Folk Radio Orchestra and the Tambura Radio Orchestra - displacing from the program the ensembles that were not concurrent to their technical and repertoire level. The decisive power in designing the program concept and content, but also in setting standards for the aesthetic values, was at the hands of music editorship of Radio Belgrade. The radio category of folk music was especially influenced by Petar Krstić (folk music editor in the period from 1930 to 1936 and his successor Mihajlo Vukdragović (1937-1940, who formally defined all of the aforementioned characteristics, but in rather different ways. A general ambivalence in the treatment of the ensembles that performed at the radio reflects the implementation of their policies. In comparison to the official orchestras, the tavern singers and players received poor reviews in the editors’ reports, despite their strong presence on the program. On the other side, the official orchestras were divided according to the regional folklore instrumentarium, but also according to the quality of playing. The Folk Radio Orchestra probably had double leadership, so it was possible to observe different approaches to the music folklore, which eventually resulted in a unique tendency towards cherishing folk music. This paper represents an attempt to show how the media term “folk music” was constructed and where it currently

Folk Phenomenology and the Offering of Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Samuel D.

2016-01-01

This article will move in five parts. It begins with some priming notes on the relationship between philosophy of education and curriculum theory. Then it rehearses a collage of selected passages from a recent book, "Folk Phenomenology: Education, Study, and the Human Person" (Rocha, 2015a). Then the author works in a more speculative…

Herbs as a food and medicine source in Palestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-Rabia, Aref

2005-01-01

This article describes the broad ethno-botany and folk medicine in Palestine. It presents examples of different edible plants and their use by Palestinians in a host of manners, fresh, cooked and dried, both as foodstuffs and treatment of diseases and medical disorders. Their potential application as cancer chemopreventive agents needs to be a focus of research attention.

Treatment of drug dependence with Brazilian herbal medicines

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Elisaldo A. Carlini

Full Text Available The topic "Herbal Medicines in the Treatment of Addictions" in a country must be preceded by answers to four questions: 1. Does the country in question possess a biodiversity rich enough to allow the discovery of useful medicines? 2. Do local people have tradition and culture to look for and use resources from Nature to alleviate and cure diseases, including drug dependence? 3. Is drug dependence (or addiction present in the country in question? 4. Do people of that country recognize and diagnose such problem as a serious one? Alcohol is, by far, the most serious health problem when drug abuse is considered, reaching all of Brazilian society, including the Indians. On the contrary, other drugs may be considered as minor problems and they are not the main focus of this manuscript. The people living in Brazilian hinterland don’t have access to public health systems. Consequently, these people seek assistance from "curandeiros" and "raizeiros"; the Indians are assisted by the shaman. These "folk doctors" do not know the academic medicine and therapeutics, and resort to the local plants to treat different ailments of their patients. Furthermore, alcohol abuse and dependence are not recognized by them, according to the rules and criteria of academic medicine. We have conducted a survey in many Brazilian books, Thesis concerning phytotherapy, and several databank. The results of such searches were very disappointing. No published papers from Brazilian authors concerning the use of plants for the treatment of addictions were found in the databases and there were only three very short notes in the masterly book written by Shultes and Raffauf (1990. From the Brazilian books on folk medicine employing medicinal plants, ten mentions were disclosed: most of them dealing with treatment of alcohol problems and two to counteract "Ayahuasca" dependence.

Contribuição ao conhecimento da flora medicinal de Roraima

OpenAIRE

van den Berg, Maria Elisabeth; Silva, Milton Hélio Lima da

1988-01-01

São apresentados dados etnobotânicos sobre a flora medicinal do Território Federal de Roraima, identificando-se cientificamente as espécies encontradas em levantamentos efetuados nos municípios de Boa Vista e Caracaraí. Preliminary research on the folk medicine of Roraima Federal Territory is presented here. Botanical identification, accordin to Cronquist's sistematic classification of plant families, traditional uses and aditional data are provided. A large number of families are represen...

Linking social capital, cultural capital and heterotopia at the folk festival

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Linda Wilks

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the role of folk festivals in transforming interconnections between people, space and culture. It interlinks three sets of theoretical ideas: social capital, cultural capital and heterotopia to suggest a new conceptual framework that will help to frame a deeper understanding of the nature of celebration. Qualitative data were collected at two long-established folk festivals, Sidmouth Folk Festival in southern England and the Feakle Traditional Music Festival in western Ireland, in order to investigate these potential links. Although Foucault did not fully develop the concept of heterotopia, his explanation that heterotopias are counter-sites, which, unlike utopias, are located in real, physical, space-time, has inspired others, including some festival researchers, to build on his ideas. This study concludes that the heterotopian concept of the festival as sacred space, with the stage as umbilicus, may be linked to the building of social capital; while it is suggested that both social capital and appropriate cultural capital are needed to gain full entry to the heterotopia.

Research on the Boost of Development on Young Children's Fine Motor by Folk Games

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xia

2016-01-01

As Chinese traditional folk culture, folk games have unique educational value which can boost the development of young children's fine motor. Based on previous investigation of fine motor skill of children in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, the researcher chose a middle class in public city kindergarten A with lower survey score as the study object.…

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China

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Yang Chunyan

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people. Methods After literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification. Results Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation. Conclusion As a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yanchun; Dao, Zhiling; Yang, Chunyan; Liu, Yitao; Long, Chunlin

2009-05-05

Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet) have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people. After literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification. Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation. As a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant traditional Tibetan medicinal prescriptions and using methods. It

Folk Music, Song and Dance in Bohemia and Moravia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vejvoda, Zdeněk

2007-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 3 (2007), s. 14-23 ISSN 1211-0264 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z90580513 Keywords : Traditional Music * Roma Folk Music * Bagpipe * Dulcimer * Folklorism Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

The Effect of Turkish Folk Tales on Students’ Attitudes towards Human Values

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Mustafa TAHİROĞLU

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effect of values education-related activities through Turkish folk tales on 8th graders’ attitudes towards human values. For this purpose, some Turkish folk tales which concentrate on responsibility, friendship/companionship, peace, respect, tolerance and honesty were selected and taught in accordance with the methods of values education. An experimental pre-test – post-test control group design was used in the study. There were 22 students in the experimental group and 20 students in the control group. To collect the data, the "Human Values Scale" was administered. Independent-samples t tests were used to analyze the data. As a result, significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group [t(40=8.899, p<0.05]. According to this, values education-related activities through Turkish Folk tales had positive impact on 8th graders’ attitudes towards human values such as responsibility, friendship / companionship, peace, respect, tolerance and honesty.

Publishing scientifically sound papers in Traditional and Complementary Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Isidoro, Ciro; Huang, Chia-Chi; Sheen, Lee-Yan

2016-01-01

Non-conventional medical practices that make use of dietary supplements, herbal extracts, physical manipulations, and other practices typically associated with folk and Traditional Medicine are increasingly becoming popular in Western Countries. These practices are commonly referred to by the generic, all-inclusive term "Complementary and Alternative Medicine." Scientists, practitioners, and medical institutions bear the responsibility of testing and proving the effectiveness of these non-conventional medical practices in the interest of patients. In this context, the number of peer-reviewed journals and published articles on this topic has greatly increased in the recent decades. In this editorial article, we illustrate the policy of the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine for publishing solid and scientifically sound papers in the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine.

Folk Hero Modeling Therapy for Puerto Rican Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Costantino, Guiseppe; And Others

1988-01-01

Describes development of a new modality for Puerto Rican adolescents which presents Puerto Rican folk heros and heroines in modeling therapy targeted towards enhancing adolescents' pride in their ethnic heritage. Evaluation of therapy using 21 adolescents indicated subjects increased in self-disclosure and self-confidence, gained pride, learned…

The Stability of Medicinal Plant microRNAs in the Herb Preparation Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenyan Xie

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Herbal medicine is now globally accepted as a valid alternative system of pharmaceutical therapies. Various studies around the world have been initiated to develop scientific evidence-based herbal therapies. Recently, the therapeutic potential of medicinal plant derived miRNAs has attracted great attraction. MicroRNAs have been indicated as new bioactive ingredients in medicinal plants. However, the stability of miRNAs during the herbal preparation process and their bioavailability in humans remain unclear. Viscum album L. (European mistletoe has been widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our previous study has indicated the therapeutic potential of mistletoe miRNAs by using bioinformatics tools. To evaluate the stability of these miRNAs, various mistletoe extracts that mimic the clinical medicinal use as well as traditional folk medicinal use were prepared. The mistletoe miRNAs including miR166a-3p, miR159a, miR831-5p, val-miR218 and val-miR11 were quantified by stem-loop qRT-PCR. As a result, miRNAs were detectable in the majority of the extracts, indicating that consumption of medicinal plant preparations might introduce miRNAs into mammals. The factors that might cause miRNA degradation include ultrasonic treatment, extreme heat, especially RNase treatment, while to be associated with plant molecules (e.g., proteins, exosomes might be an efficient way to protect miRNAs against degradation. Our study confirmed the stability of plant derived miRNAs during herb preparations, suggesting the possibility of functionally intact medicinal plant miRNAs in mammals.

Analysis of Artisanal Fisher Folk Information Needs and Accessibility in Benue State, Nigeria

OpenAIRE

C.P.O. Obinne; M.A. Yahaya; O.J. Okwu

2011-01-01

The study analyzed the information needs and accessibility of artisanal fisher folk in Benue State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select two fishing communities from each of the three agroecological zones in the study area. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 222 respondents. Descriptive statistics showed that artisanal fisher folk were mostly married male adults with low level of formal education, low income, and low use of modern technologie...

On our need to move beyond folk medicine: A commentary on Karen Gubb's paper, "Psychosomatics today: a review of contemporary theory and practice".

Science.gov (United States)

Gottlieb, Richard M

2013-02-01

folk medicine we need to create new models that are at consistent with our own more advanced findings and those of our neighboring disciplines.

European medicinal polypores--a modern view on traditional uses.

Science.gov (United States)

Grienke, Ulrike; Zöll, Margit; Peintner, Ursula; Rollinger, Judith M

2014-07-03

In particular five polypore species, i.e. Laetiporus sulphureus, Fomes fomentarius, Fomitopsis pinicola, Piptoporus betulinus, and Laricifomes officinalis, have been widely used in central European folk medicines for the treatment of various diseases, e.g. dysmenorrhoea, haemorrhoids, bladder disorders, pyretic diseases, treatment of coughs, cancer, and rheumatism. Prehistoric artefacts going back to over 5000 years underline the long tradition of using polypores for various applications ranging from food or tinder material to medicinal-spiritual uses as witnessed by two polypore species found among items of Ötzi, the Iceman. The present paper reviews the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activity of the five mentioned polypores. All available information on the selected polypore taxa used in traditional folk medicine was collected through evaluation of literature in libraries and searches in online databases using SciFinder and Web of Knowledge. Mycochemical studies report the presence of many primary (e.g. polysaccharides) and secondary metabolites (e.g. triterpenes). Crude extracts and isolated compounds show a wide spectrum of biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities. The investigated polypores possess a longstanding ethnomycological tradition in Europe. Here, we compile biological results which highlight their therapeutic value. Moreover, this work provides a solid base for further investigations on a molecular level, both compound- and target-wise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pop, Rock, and Folk Music: An Overlooked Resource

Science.gov (United States)

Dubin, Fraida

1975-01-01

Proposes the use of pop, rock, and folk music as material far removed from the traditional and attuned to the learners' interests. Typical examples are analyzed with respect to phonology, grammar and semantics. A final category, "overall idea songs," linguistically unclassifiable, is found to be attractive and highly motivating. (IFS/WGA)

Political Practice and Its Implication on Folk Art Marginalization (Case Study of Wayang Orang/ Human Puppet Ngesti Pandhowo

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Restu Lanjari

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The government, political practice, both reflected in the government, politics, policies and the attitude of the public figure, influences the existence of folk art that is overshadowed by changes as the results of modernization and industrialization. The aim of this research is to find out the marginalization of folk art because of political practice. This research was done using a qualitative approach while the subject of this research was Ngesti Pandhawa Human Puppet Group. The result of this research showed that folk art could be marginalized because of the influence of the changes in economic and politic that was formulated inside the modernization waves and technology development that offered new values. The attention of the government on the existence of folk art was still being questioned because of politic budget. The budget for art was extremely small compared to the budget for sport. The existence of folk art depended on the favor and interest of the local leaders, especially political interest.

Ethnopharmacological application of medicinal plants to cure skin diseases and in folk cosmetics among the tribal communities of North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.

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Abbasi, Arshad Mehmood; Khan, M A; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Zafar, Muhammad; Jahan, Sarwat; Sultana, Shahzia

2010-03-24

The present investigation is an attempt to find out ethnopharmacological application of medicinal plants to cure skin diseases and in folk cosmetics. We interviewed respondents in 30 remote sites of North-West Frontier Province by a structured interview form in the local language and respondents were queried for the type of herbal cure known to him. A total of 66 plant species belonging to 45 families have been recorded. Seventy-five medications for 15 skin diseases and cosmetics were documented. The mode of application was topical as well as oral administration. Water, milk, ghee, oil, eggs, sulphur and butter are used during administration of herbal remedies. About 15 plant species are known for their use to cure multiple skin diseases. Among these Berberis lyceum, Bergenia ciliata, Melia azedarach, Otostegia limbata, Phyla nodiflora, Prunus persica and Zingiber officinale constitutes major plants. The herbal cosmetics products range from face freshness, removal of ugly spots, hair care, and colouring of palm, feet, gums, and teeth. Most of the reported species are wild and rare; this demands an urgent attention to conserve such vital resources so as to optimize their use in the primary health care system. Since most of the skin diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi in this context, phytochemical screening for active constituents, biological activities and clinical studies is of global importance. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medicinal knowledge and plant utilization in an Amazonian coastal community of Marudá, Pará State (Brazil).

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Coelho-Ferreira, Márlia

2009-10-29

It shows the local medicinal uses of biodiversity in Brazil's Amazonian littoral, promoting the value of folk knowledge, and its applicability in future studies. To demonstrate the importance of the knowledge of medicinal plants in the Amazonian coastal community of Marudá, located in Pará State, Brazil. Fieldwork was conducted between 1996 and 1998, using the methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews and informal discussions to elicit information from community residents and plant specialists, in addition to collecting plant material. Community residents possess knowledge of 229 medicinal plants distributed in 81 botanical families and know how to manipulate them in a variety of ways, with special care taken to ensure that they are used in the safest and most efficient manner. Therapeutic indications for these plants include illness and disease recognized in the repertoire of Western medicine as well as ailments perceived from a local cultural perspective. Results from this study attest to informants' knowledge of medicinal flora and their ability and openness to integrate new species from diverse origins into their gamut of medicinal knowledge, including industrial therapeutic preparations and animal products. Local uses of biodiversity in Brazil's Amazonian littoral are also evinced, promoting the value of folk medicinal knowledge. Similarly, it mentions the potential of implementing local knowledge in Brazil's Unitary Health System.

Between Folk and Lore: Performing, Textualising and (misInterpreting the Irish Oral Tradition

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Vito Carrassi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Folklore, as a historical and cultural process producing and transmitting beliefs, stories, customs, and practices, has always thrived and evolved in the broader context of history and culture. Consequently, tradition and modernity have long coexisted and influenced one another, in particular in the world of folk narratives, orality and literature, storytellers and writers. Since the nineteenth century, folklorists (a category including a variety of figures have collected, transcribed and published pieces of oral tradition, thus giving folklore a textual form and nature. However, folk narratives continue to be also a living and performed experience for the tradition bearers, a process giving rise to ever new and different expressions, according to the changing historical, social, cultural, and economic conditions. To be sure, folklore – and folk narrative – needs to be constantly lived and performed to remain something actually pertinent and significant, and not only within the oral and traditional contexts. Interestingly, between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, folklore increasingly came to be regarded as and transformed into an inheritance, a valuable, national heritage particularly fitting for those countries, such as Ireland, in search of a strong, national identity. In this light, folklore and folk narratives, beside their routine existence within their original contexts, were consciously “performed” by the official culture, which employed them in politics, education, literature, etc. In the process, it could happen that folk materials were dehistoricised and idealised, “embalmed” according to Máirtin Ó Cadhain, and even trivialised. This situation was turned into a fruitful and significant source of inspiration for the literary parody of Myles na gCopaleen (Flann O’Brien who, in his Gaelic novel, An Béal Bocht, revealed the funny yet distressing truth of the Irish folklore being misunderstood and betrayed by

Phytochemistry and medicinal properties of ammi visnaga (apiacae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, S.; Jan, A.

2014-01-01

Ammi visnaga (bisnaga, toothpick weed or khella) belongs to the family Apiaceae and it is a herbaceous medicinal plant. It is found mainly in the Mediterranean regions and also distributed abundantly throughout the world as introduced species. Many times, A. visnaga is weed as well as used in many countries as herbal medicine for different purposes. Ancient records reveal various medicinal properties of A. visnaga as a popular source to cure variety of different ailments. The plant is used directly as a herb or as a component for production of a number of herbal medicines used in the cure of renal colic, ureteric stones, angina pectoris, the coronary vessels, cardiovascular disorders and asthma. Also it is used as a folk medicine for vitiligo and psoriasis. This review highlights the commonly recognized medicinal uses of A. visnaga, its chemistry and ethnobotanical uses and will also serve as ready reference for future research. (author)

[Exploration of microcosmic Chinese medicine used by western medicine].

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Zheng, Zhi-jing

2015-02-01

"Microcosmic syndrome", "treatment based on syndrome differentiation", and "combination of disease identification and syndrome differentiation" generally refer to a mode: following the syndrome if with no disease identified, following the disease if with no syndrome type differentiated. For example, Chinese medical treatment of hypertension, high blood lipids, increased transaminase, and so on candirectly use Chinese recipes, but no longer with syndrome differentiation. Clinical application of Chinese patent medicine can also obtain favorable clinical. Western doctors need not follow syndrome differentiation. The invention of artemisinin was screened from more than 40 000 kinds of compounds and herbs, but with no reference of any traditional Chinese medical theory. A lot of folk remedy and empirical recipes have obtained effective efficacy but unnecessarily with profound Chinese medical theories. Various evidences showed that disease can also be cured without syndrome differentiation. I held that it might be associated with the same mechanism of Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Any disease can be cured or alleviated by Chinese medicine is a result from its modern pharmacological effect, which is achieved by improving etiologies, and pathogeneses. I was inspired by whether we can directly use traditional Chinese medicine with modern pharmacological effects to treat symptomatic disease. So I raised an idea of microcosmic Chinese medicine used by Western medicine, i.e., we find and use Chinese herbs with relatively effective modern pharmacological effect to treat diseases targeting at patients' clinical symptoms and signs, as well as various positive laboratory results (collectively called as microscopic dialectical indicators). More Western doctors would use it to treat disease due to omission of complicated and mysterious syndrome differentiation. This will promote extensive application and expansion of Chi- nese medicine and pharmacy, enlarge the team of

Revolt of Grannies: The Bursylysyas Komi Folk Orthodox Movement

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Piret Koosa

2011-08-01

Full Text Available We study the role of women in the Bursylysyas Komi folk orthodox movement. Throughout the history of the movement, women have gradually gained more authority in this religious community. The initial stage of communist rule and the final phase of the Soviet Union were periods in which women’s domination in local religious life was most obvious. We argue that men lost their leadership in the movement because their way of execution of religious power was public and thus they became targets for Soviet repression. Komi women continued to keep the Bursylysyas faith alive, although they did so in a more domestic, hidden way. This enabled women to lead local religious practise throughout the Soviet period. In addition, the peculiar ecstatic practices of Bursylysyas, most fully developed during the initial period of Soviet rule, were more suitable for women in the framework of Komi traditional folk religiosity.

Folk narratives structures in Genesis 2, 4 -3, 24

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Magdalena Flores Ferres

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to demonstrate that Genesis 2.4 to 3.24, can be considered, from the perspective of the structure, a traditional folk story, since it contains the morphologic elements of this type of literature. To that end, in this paper we focus on the study of the structure of the folk tale. The structure of the action sequence of such tales is interesting from differente disciplines, due to its remarkable stability. To that end, we will review the postulates proposed by Vladimir Propp in his book “Morphology of the Folktale” (1928. From these theoretical foundations, we conducted a contrastive analysis of the Genesis 2.4 to 3.24, in paralell to the russian folktale “The Cat, the Rooster and the Fox” (Afanasiev, 1981, after which it was found that both tales have the same narrative structure.

Revolt of Grannies: The Bursylysyas Komi Folk Orthodox Movement

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Piret Koosa

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We study the role of women in the Bursylysyas Komi folk orthodox movement. Throughout the history of the movement, women have gradually gained more authority in this religious community. The initial stage of communist rule and the final phase of the Soviet Union were periods in which women’s domination in local religious life was most obvious. We argue that men lost their leadership in the movement because their way of execution of religious power was public and thus they became targets for Soviet repression. Komi women continued to keep the Bursylysyas faith alive, although they did so in a more domestic, hidden way. This enabled women to lead local religious practise throughout the Soviet period. In addition, the peculiar ecstatic practices of Bursylysyas, most fully developed during the initial period of Soviet rule, were more suitable for women in the framework of Komi traditional folk religiosity.

Bringing the "Folk" into Applied Linguistics: An Introduction

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Wilton, Antje; Stegu, Martin

2011-01-01

As applied linguistics is mainly concerned with solving the language-related problems of laypeople, the examination of folk views constitutes an important research field and its relevance is illustrated in this issue of the AILA review. In this introductory article, we address some of the more general aspects that need to be considered in the…

Good Child is a Calm Child: Mothers' Social Status, Maternal Conceptions of Proper Demeanor, and Stranger Anxiety in One-Year Old Cameroonian Nso Children

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Hiltrud Otto

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Our article questions the assumption that stranger anxiety develops universally in children; thereby our study is rooted in a long tradition in psychological anthropology of testing the universality of theories formulated in Western society. We argue that the infant's behavior towards strangers is the product of socialization processes that represent adaptations to cultural contexts. Our study investigates the ethnotheory of childrearing and the development of stranger anxiety in a Cameroonian community of traditional Nso farmers. The participants of the study were 29 Cameroonian Nso mothers with one-year old children. Using a multi-method approach, we demonstrate that Nso mothers value inexpressive infants that adjust easily to others. Accordingly, a considerably large number of one-year old Nso infants showed no stranger anxiety when encountered by a stranger. Maternal social status and her social support system proved crucial to successful implementation of the socialization goal of a calm child. Our data support the view that child behavior is a product of culturally constructed experiences of daily life. The acknowledgement of the cultural construction of stranger anxiety carries implications for developmental theories, especially for attachment theory, which relies on the universality of stranger anxiety in their most acclaimed paradigm, the Strange Situation.

Folk Music and Commercialization in Danubian Trances and Boheme

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Barbara Rose Lange

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Hungary participates in the Central European narrative of rejuvenation and renewal through EDM, but the commercialization of remixes has disturbed that account. Hungarians debate the meanings of two different CD projects: Deep Forest’s 1995 album Boheme and Károly Cserepes’s 2003 album Danubian Trances: mikroworld–ambient. Hungarian fans praise Danubian Trances as an elegant update of national sensibility. Boheme’s remixes of Hungarian and Romani folksong have earned a very different response, from shock at the cuts that Deep Forest made to folk song recordings to anger about cultural appropriation. Hungarians have reflected that Boheme, like many West European firms, extracted a resource from the country. By contrast, they view their own remixing of folk music from the peoples of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire as having continuity with other genres that elevate folksong. I argue that where commerce encounters a previous practice of elevating music aesthetically and morally, it may further marginalize that practice but it does not change its character.

Characterization of ethno-medicinal plant resources of karamar valley Swabi, Pakistan

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Muhammad Khalid

2017-04-01

Industrial relevance: Medicinal plants are still widely used for the treatment of different ailments in the area of Swabi, therefore survey of medicinal flora should be carried out to explore and bring up-to-date the catalogue of existing natural plant resources of the area especially in agricultural country like Pakistan. Small scale government processing units of agroforestry should be implemented to reduce the overuse and motivate the cultivation of valuable medicinal plants. Majority of the people use various formulations of medicinal plants for different ailments treatment. The phytochemicals greatly varied in medicinal plants and cause a marvelous effect on human illnesses. The objective of the present study was to document the information of folk medicines, its identification, collection of samples, study of its chemical constituents and uses by the local people of District Swabi, Pakistan.

枣庄民谣初探%A Look into the Folk Music of Zaozhuang

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

周惠珍

2016-01-01

民谣是一种社会语言学现象，是一地民风民俗的反映，它与社会生活的各个方面密切联系。研究民谣有助于我们正确认识社会和历史，对于语言文学、音乐、民俗文化研究，都有十分重要的意义。枣庄作为山东省历史文化名城之一，其特定的文化底蕴也催生出为数众多，内涵丰富，有节气、劳动场景、婚嫁、童谣、风俗特色等，几乎涵盖社会生活的每个方面，反映了枣庄地区特有的风俗和人文特色。本文以枣庄民谣为分析对象，着重分析了民谣承载的文化内容和语言特点，指出它在方言研究及文化贮存方面的作用，以增强人们对枣庄民谣的保护和研究意识。%Folk music,a type of social linguistic phenomenon,is a reflection of the custom and culture of one region and is closely associated with various aspects of social life. Folk music,the real"literature of the mass",tending to be realistic and allegorical,is the outflow of human thoughts and feelings and the best to display a folk's ideology and local features. Studying folk music helps us form proper opinions towards the society and history,also makes great difference to the study of language, literature,music,custom or culture. As a city famous for its culture and history in Shandong Province,Zaozhuang possesses a specific culture background,which engendered plenty of folk music in various subjects and categories,such as the solar terms, wedding ceremonies and nursery rhythms. The widely extended folk music that almost covers every aspect of social life can be used to guide one's social behavior and the thoughts and concepts behind. This paper analyzes Zaozhuang folk music,especially the culture content and language features it exhibits,trying to reveal its significance in dialect studies and culture reserve,so as to arouse people's awareness in protecting and studying it.

Ethnoveterinary medicine of the Shervaroy Hills of Eastern Ghats, India as alternative medicine for animals.

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Usha, Swaminathan; Rajasekaran, Chandrasekaran; Siva, Ramamoorthy

2016-01-01

The Eastern Ghats of India is well known for its wealth of natural vegetation and Shervaroy is a major hill range of the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Ethnomedicinal studies in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu or the Shervaroy Hills have been carried out by various researchers. However, there is not much information available on ethnoveterinary medicine in the Eastern Ghats of India. The aim of this study was to examine the potential use of folk plants as alternative medicine for cattle to cure various diseases in the Shervaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats. Based on interactions with traditional medicine practitioners, it has been observed that a total of 21 medicinal plants belonging to 16 families are used to cure various diseases such as mastitis, enteritis, arthritis, stomatitis, salivation from the mouth, wounding, and conjunctivitis in animals. It has been observed that the traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine is now confined only among the surviving older people and a few practitioners in the tribal communities of the Shervaroy Hills. Unfortunately, no serious attempts have been made to document and preserve this immense treasure of traditional knowledge.

Authenticity Revisited : the production, distribution, and consumption of independent folk music in the Netherlands (1993-present)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N. van Poecke (Niels)

2017-01-01

textabstractIn ways similar to the 1960s ‘urban folk revival’ – that is, through live performance, mass mediation and sales successes – the genre of folk music rose the surface of the global music industry once more during the first decade of the new millennium. The new labels are hyphenated, as in

Folk and biological perceptions of dementia among Asian ethnic minorities in Hawaii.

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Suzuki, Rika; Goebert, Deborah; Ahmed, Iqbal; Lu, Brett

2015-06-01

To study if Asian ethnic groups in Hawaii today maintain folk-based beliefs about dementia, have inadequate biomedical understanding of dementia, and differ among each other regarding perceptions of dementia. The study adapts and expands a 2004 survey of ethnic groups on perceptions of Alzheimer disease demonstrating that ethnic minority groups hold more folk perceptions and less biomedical perceptions of dementia than Caucasians. This study surveys particular ethnic minority family members of elders admitted to four long-term care and inpatient facilities in Hawaii. Seventy-one family members completed surveys, including 23 Chinese, 18 Filipino, and 30 Japanese participants. Elders may or may not have had the diagnosis of dementia, though an estimated half of elders in all four facilities already held the diagnosis of dementia. Findings indicated that Japanese and Chinese respondents in this study held perceptions about dementia that were more consistent with current biomedical understanding compared with their Filipino counterparts (mean differences/percent correct for Japanese: 57%, Chinese: 56% versus Filipino: 38%; F = 6.39, df = 2,55, p = 0.003). Filipino respondents were less likely than Japanese and Chinese respondents to report that persons with dementia can develop physical and mental problems-97% of Japanese participants and 82% of Chinese participants responded correctly compared with 63% of Filipino participants (Fisher's Exact test p = 0.009). With regard to folk beliefs about dementia, variation occurred with no consistent trend among the groups. Low levels of biomedical understanding of dementia were reflected by all three subgroups of Asians living in Hawaii with less prominence of folk beliefs compared with prior studies of ethnic minority perceptions. Education did not predict variability in dementia perceptions among the groups. Lower levels of acculturation, suggested by primary home language other than English, may correlate with a perception

The Woman as Wolf (AT 409: Some Interpretations of a Very Estonian Folk Tale

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Merili Metsvahi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses tale type The Woman as Wolf, which is one of the most popular folk tales in the Estonian Folklore Archives and is represented there both in the form of a fairy tale and in the form of a legend. The vast majority of the versions of The Woman as Wolf were written down in the first part of the 20th century within Estonia and where recorded from Estonians. The article introduces the content of the tale, the origin of the first records from the early 19th century, and the dissemination area of the tale, which remains outside Western Europe: apart from the Estonian versions there are Sami, Karelian, Vepsian, Livonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian versions. While in almost all the Estonian versions the main protagonist is transformed into a wolf, in most of the versions written down in other areas and ethnic groups, another animal or bird replaces the wolf. The author is of the opinion that the Finnic area is central to the distribution of the folk tale The Woman as Wolf. The animal the woman is transformed into in the plot would not have been a wolf in earlier times. The article provides an explanation why the wolf is predominant in Estonian written sources. For that purpose the ways in which the wolf and werewolf were perceived in earlier Estonian folk belief are introduced. At the end of the article interpretation of the folk tale is provided. The author states that the plot and some of the motifs found in this folk tale reflect the difficulties women had in submitting to the norms and values of patriarchal order within their society.

Diospyros rhodocalyx (Tako-Na), a Thai folk medicine, associated with hypokalemia and generalized muscle weakness: a case series.

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Othong, Rittirak; Trakulsrichai, Satariya; Wananukul, Winai

2017-11-01

Diospyros rhodocalyx (Tako-Na) is a Thai folk medicine purported to promote longevity, treat impotence, etc. We present patients with hypokalemia, weakness and hypertension after consuming Tako-Na tea. Case 1: A 61-year-old man was brought in nine hours after drinking 400-500 mL of Tako-Na tea. One handful of Tako-Na bark was boiled in water to make tea. He had vomiting and watery diarrhea six hours after drinking it. He took no medications and had no history of hypertension. The only remarkable vital sign was BP 167/90 mmHg. Physical examination revealed generalized muscle weakness. Laboratory findings were potassium 2.7 mmol/L, bicarbonate 24 mmol/L, and transtubular potassium gradient (TTKG) 5.6. He was discharged the next day with a BP 140/90 mmHg and potassium 4.2 mmol/L. Case 2: A 78-year-old man, a friend of case 1, also drank Tako-Na tea from the same pot at the same time as case 1. He also had vomiting and diarrhea six hours later. He took no medications despite past history of hypertension (baseline SBP 140-160). Initial BP was 230/70 mmHg. He also had muscle weakness. Laboratory findings were potassium 3.3 mmol/L, bicarbonate 24 mmol/L, TTKG 7.37 and normal thyroid function. He was also discharged the next day with a BP 148/70 mmHg and potassium 4.2 mmol/L. Case 3-7: These were patients reported to a poison center and their potassium concentrations were 1.4, 1.4, 3.3, 1.3 and 1.2 mmol/L, respectively. Three of them were intubated and case 3 died. Tako-Na contains betulin, betulinic acid, taraxerone, lupeol, and lupenone. Their structures are similar to glycyrrhetic acid, the active metabolite of glycyrrhizic acid found in licorice which is well known to cause pseudoaldosteronism. Glycyrrhetic acid is potent in inhibiting 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and causes pseudoaldosteronism. We hypothesize that the compounds in Tako-Na act in the same way as glycyrrhetic acid in producing pseudoaldosteronism.

"Folk" Understandings of Quality in UK Higher Hospitality Education

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Wood, Roy

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of "folk" understandings of quality in higher hospitality education and the consequent implications of these understandings for current quality concerns in the field. Design/methodology/approach: The paper combines a historical survey of the stated topic…

Ethnopharmacological survey of plant species used in folk medicine against central nervous system disorders in Togo.

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Kantati, Yendube T; Kodjo, K Magloire; Dogbeavou, Koffi S; Vaudry, David; Leprince, Jérôme; Gbeassor, Messanvi

2016-04-02

Neurological diseases are rising all around the world. In a developing country such as Togo, although plant-based medicines are the only means, still very little is known regarding the nature and efficiency of medicinal plants used by indigenous people to manage central nervous system (CNS) disorders. This study, an ethnobotanical survey, aimed to report plant species used in traditional medicine (TM) for the management of various CNS disorders in Togo. 52 traditional actors (TA) including 33 traditional healers (TH) and 19 medicinal plant sellers (MPS) were interviewed, using a questionnaire mentioning informants' general data and uses of medicinal plants. The present study reports 44 medicinal plant species distributed into 26 families, mentioning scientific and common local names, plant organs used, preparation method, root of administration and putative applications. It appears that there is a real knowledge on medicinal plants used for traditional treatment of CNS disorders in Togo and that the local flora abounds of potentially neuroactive plants which could be useful for the discovery of antipsychotic or neuroprotective molecules. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of Albizia adianthifolia, Alchornea laxiflora, Laportea ovalifolia and three other Cameroonian plants against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

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Tchinda, Cedric F; Voukeng, Igor K; Beng, Veronique P; Kuete, Victor

2017-05-01

In the last 10 years, resistance in Gram-negative bacteria has been increasing. The present study was designed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of six Cameroonian medicinal plants Albizia adianthifolia , Alchornea laxiflora , Boerhavia diffusa , Combretum hispidum , Laportea ovalifolia and Scoparia dulcis against a panel of 15 multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterial strains. The broth microdilution was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts was conducted according to the reference qualitative phytochemical methods. Results showed that all extracts contained compounds belonging to the classes of polyphenols and triterpenes, other classes of chemicals being selectively distributed. The best antibacterial activities were recorded with bark and root extracts of A. adianthifolia as well as with L. ovalifolia extract, with MIC values ranging from 64 to 1024 μg/mL on 93.3% of the fifteen tested bacteria. The lowest MIC value of 64 μg/mL was recorded with A. laxiflora bark extract against Enterobacter aerogenes EA289. Finally, the results of this study provide evidence of the antibacterial activity of the tested plants and suggest their possible use in the control of multidrug resistant phenotypes.

Prospecting for bioactive constituents from traditional medicinal plants through ethnobotanical approaches.

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Gu, Ronghui; Wang, Yuehu; Long, Bo; Kennelly, Edward; Wu, Shibiao; Liu, Bo; Li, Ping; Long, Chunlin

2014-01-01

Pharmacologically active constituents from traditional medicinal plants have received great attention as sources of novel agents, pharmaceutical intermediates, and chemical entities for synthetic or semisynthetic drugs due to their potent pharmacological activities, low toxicity, and economic viability. Numerous components have been isolated from traditional medicinal plants, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, and clinical and experimental studies suggested that these components have useful pharmacological properties such as antiinfectious, antioxidative, and antiinflammatory effects. In this review, modern ethnobotanical approaches to explore folk medicinal plants as candidates for drug discovery with the greatest possibility of success are discussed. Determining the bioactive mechanisms and tracing structure-activity relationships will promote the discovery of new drugs and pharmacological agents.

Antifertility potential of hydroalcoholic extract of Cordia dichotoma G Forst. leaves: A folklore medicine used by Meena community in Rajasthan state in India

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Pallavi Sharma

2015-06-01

Conclusions: The results suggest that hydro alcoholic extract of C. dichotoma leaves possess significant antifertility activity, which is consistent with the literature report in folk medicine of this plant in fertility regulation.

Radio Belgrade in the process of creating symbolic boundaries: The example of the folk music program between the Two World Wars (1929-1940

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Vesić Ivana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the process of creation of symbolic boundaries in the context of designing the folk music programs at Radio Belgrade since its foundation until the beginning of World War Two. A detailed insight into the musical contents aired on Radio Belgrade, the texts on folk music published in the radio weekly magazine (Radio Belgrade, and the preserved memoirs, with an emphasis on their broader socio-cultural and socio-political significance, has enabled me to single out the factors and mechanisms that played a key role in defining the boundaries of folk music. I will analyse the work of different editorial teams before World War Two; at the same time, I will consider the tastes and cultural preferences of the subscribers and listeners of the Radio Belgrade programs. By means of crossing out specific aesthetic, political and economical positions of radio editors and experts who designed the folk music program with the expectations of listeners and, to an extent, performers of folk music, I will attempt to explain how the process of symbolical demarcation of folk music as a separate entity, different from art and popular music, took place; but also, how the folk music broadcast on the radio related to the Serbian folk musical practices. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON 177004: Serbian Musical Identities within Local and Global Frameworks: Traditions, Changes, Challenges

Potential nutritional and antioxidant activity of various solvent extracts from leaves and stem bark of Anisophyllea laurina R. Br ex Sabine used in folk medicine

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Gbago Onivogui

2017-07-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Anisophyllea laurina is a plant that has been used in folk medicine to treat malaria, dysentery, diabetes, toothache and various skin diseases. Leaves extract had protein content of 9.68% and a high calcium content of 25084.317 mg/100 g while stem bark extract was found to contain greater amounts of calcium (8560.96 mg/100 g, potassium (7649.47 mg/100 g, magnesium (1462.49 mg/100 g and iron (973.33 mg/100 g. Palmitic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid were the most abundant fatty acids in leaves and stem bark extracts. Furthermore, total phenolic (2382.39 mg GAE /100 g and total flavonoid (385.79 mg QE/100 g contents were abundant in stem bark while leaves extract was rich in total tannin content (3466.63 mg CE/100 g. However, both leaves and stem bark contained great amounts of vitamins and amino acids were a good source of antioxidant activities. For the individual polyphenol, stenophyllanin A (45.87 mg/g, casuarinin (24.55 mg/g and digalloyl-HHDP-glucopyranose isomer (15.63 mg/g were found to be the major compounds from the leaves whereas procyanidin tetramer (14.89 mg/g, (--Epicatechin (12.18 mg/g and procyanidin trimer (11.25 mg/g were the most predominant compounds from the stem bark. Additionally, the results revealed a significant and strong correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities.

Pedagogical Challenges in Folk Music Teaching in Higher Education: A Case Study of Hua'er Music in China

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Yang, Yang; Welch, Graham

2016-01-01

Recent literature suggests that traditional approaches in folk music education are not necessarily compatible with the pedagogical conventions of formal music education. Whilst several recent studies have tended to define these non-classical-music learning contexts as "informal", the practice of folk music that was recently introduced…

Predicting Variation of Folk Songs: A Corpus Analysis Study on the Memorability of Melodies

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Berit Janssen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We present a hypothesis-driven study on the variation of melody phrases in a collection of Dutch folk songs. We investigate the variation of phrases within the folk songs through a pattern matching method which detects occurrences of these phrases within folk song variants, and ask the question: do the phrases which show less variation have different properties than those which do? We hypothesize that theories on melody recall may predict variation, and as such, investigate phrase length, the position and number of repetitions of a given phrase in the melody in which it occurs, as well as expectancy and motif repetivity. We show that all of these predictors account for the observed variation to a moderate degree, and that, as hypothesized, those phrases vary less which are rather short, contain highly expected melodic material, occur relatively early in the melody, and contain small pitch intervals. A large portion of the variance is left unexplained by the current model, however, which leads us to a discussion of future approaches to study memorability of melodies.

Masonic Song in Scotland: Folk Tunes and Community

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Katherine Campbell

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This article explores the place of Masonic songs historically in Scotland, assessing the oral culture surrounding the genre. The article further shows that folk tunes were commonly used and investigates aspects of the group performance that was central to the Lodges. Finally, the study concludes with an examination of a Masonic procession in Northeast Scotland that survives to the present day, focusing especially on the role of music and song within it.

On Nash Equilibrium and Evolutionarily Stable States That Are Not Characterised by the Folk Theorem.

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Jiawei Li

Full Text Available In evolutionary game theory, evolutionarily stable states are characterised by the folk theorem because exact solutions to the replicator equation are difficult to obtain. It is generally assumed that the folk theorem, which is the fundamental theory for non-cooperative games, defines all Nash equilibria in infinitely repeated games. Here, we prove that Nash equilibria that are not characterised by the folk theorem do exist. By adopting specific reactive strategies, a group of players can be better off by coordinating their actions in repeated games. We call it a type-k equilibrium when a group of k players coordinate their actions and they have no incentive to deviate from their strategies simultaneously. The existence and stability of the type-k equilibrium in general games is discussed. This study shows that the sets of Nash equilibria and evolutionarily stable states have greater cardinality than classic game theory has predicted in many repeated games.

On Nash Equilibrium and Evolutionarily Stable States That Are Not Characterised by the Folk Theorem

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiawei; Kendall, Graham

2015-01-01

In evolutionary game theory, evolutionarily stable states are characterised by the folk theorem because exact solutions to the replicator equation are difficult to obtain. It is generally assumed that the folk theorem, which is the fundamental theory for non-cooperative games, defines all Nash equilibria in infinitely repeated games. Here, we prove that Nash equilibria that are not characterised by the folk theorem do exist. By adopting specific reactive strategies, a group of players can be better off by coordinating their actions in repeated games. We call it a type-k equilibrium when a group of k players coordinate their actions and they have no incentive to deviate from their strategies simultaneously. The existence and stability of the type-k equilibrium in general games is discussed. This study shows that the sets of Nash equilibria and evolutionarily stable states have greater cardinality than classic game theory has predicted in many repeated games. PMID:26288088

X-ray appearance of subcutaneous gemstones as part of alternative/holistic medicine: a case report and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

McLemore, Jerri; Hallengren, Aaron L

2010-01-01

The authors present a case of a deceased man with numerous subcutaneous nodules identified as foreign bodies on radiographic films. The foreign bodies were gemstones inserted underneath the skin as a form of holistic medicine. The X-ray findings of this case and a review of the literature for similar subcutaneously implanted foreign bodies used in holistic, alternative, or folk medicine are presented. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Danish Folk High School: An Experiment in Humanistic Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, David Charles

This historical and comparative study examines the folk high school movement in Denmark from the standpoint of the New Humanism as expressed in the writings of Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Sidney Jourard, and others. These schools are unique among the many educational forms and institutions western man has developed. Private, nonprofit residential…

Ladrillo and Tales of Juan Bobo: Puerto Rican Folk Tales.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Reinaldo; Matos, Ana

These two illustrated elementary readers contain the Spanish and English versions of the Puerto Rican folk tales, "Ladrillo" and "Cuentos de Juan Bobo." They are part of a series of reading materials for elementary-level migrant children. These materials are intended to help the child relate to his culture, develop interest in…

Lost in scales: Balkan folk music research and the ottoman legacy

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Pennanen Risto Pekka

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Balkan folk music researchers have articulated various views on what they have considered Oriental or Turkish musical legacy. The discourses the article analyses are nationalism, Orientalism, Occidentalism and Balkanism. Scholars have handled the awkward Ottoman issue in several manners: They have represented 'Oriental' musical characteristics as domestic, claimed that Ottoman Turks merely imitated Arab and Persian culture, and viewed Indian classical raga scales as sources for Oriental scales in the Balkans. In addition, some scholars have viewed the 'Oriental' characteristics as stemming from ancient Greece. The treatment of the Segâh family of Ottoman makams in theories and analyses reveals several features of folk music research in the Balkans, the most important of which are the use of Western concepts and the exclusive dependence on printed sources. The strategies for handling the Orient within have meandered between Occidentalism and Orientalism, creating an ambiguity which is called Balkanism.

The Fairy-Folk Tale in Media Art: Reflections of Disney and Duvall.

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Molloy, Toni

1988-01-01

Focuses on Walt Disney and Shelley Duvall, mass media producers who furnish children with fairy-folklore. Compares and contrasts what Disney and Duvall do and do not convey through their fairy-folk tales. (MS)

Lucky Motifs in Chinese Folk Art: Interpreting Paper-cut from Chinese Shaanxi

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Xuxiao WANG

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Paper-cut is not simply a form of traditional Chinese folk art. Lucky motifs developed in paper-cut certainly acquired profound cultural connotations. As paper-cut is a time-honoured skill across the nation, interpreting those motifs requires cultural receptiveness and anthropological sensitivity. The author of this article analyzes examples of paper-cut from Northern Shaanxi, China, to identify the cohesive motifs and explore the auspiciousness of the specific concepts of Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi. The paper-cut of Northern Shaanxi is an ideal representative of the craft as a whole because of the relative stability of this region in history, in terms of both art and culture. Furthermore, its straightforward style provides a clear demonstration of motifs regarding folk understanding of expectations for life.

MOMFER: A Search Engine of Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk Literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karsdorp, F.B.; van der Meulen, Marten; Meder, Theo; van den Bosch, Antal

2015-01-01

More than fifty years after the first edition of Thompson's seminal Motif-Indexof Folk Literature, we present an online search engine tailored to fully disclose the index digitally. This search engine, called MOMFER, greatly enhances the searchability of the Motif-Index and provides exciting new

Bioactivity evaluation against Artemia salina Leach of medicinal plants used in Brazilian Northeastern folk medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Arcanjo, D D R; Albuquerque, A C M; Melo-Neto, B; Santana, L C L R; Medeiros, M G F; Citó, Amgl

2012-08-01

The brine shrimp (Artemia salina Leach) lethality bioassay offers an advantage in standardization and quality control of botanical products. This test is well correlated with antitumor activity (cytotoxicity) and can be used to monitor the activity of bioactive natural products. This paper reports the bioactivity of ethanol extracts from seven medicinal plants from the Northeast of Brazil (Acmella uliginosa, Ageratum conyzoides, Eugenia uniflora, Plectranthus neochilus, Moringa oleifera, Justicia pectoralis and Equisetum sp.) against Artemia salina. Biological activity was evaluated for extracts at 1, 10, 100, and 1000 µg/mL in triplicate, and the mean lethal concentration values (LC50) were obtained by probit analysis. The species Acmella uliginosa showed the highest bioactivity, and its flower extract was more active than its leaf extract.

System of Activities for the Development of the Appreciation Process of Folk Craft in Senior High Students

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Yanulde Massano Galvez

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This work presents a system of activities for t he development of the appreciation process of folk craft in Senior High students. The Edad de Oro, by José Martí, is taken as a starting point, since this work considers authentic Cuban values stated by “The Teacher”. Consciousness about the Cuban cultural identity is fostered in the students by promoting local and traditional folk art.

Folk-Economic Beliefs: An Evolutionary Cognitive Model.

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Boyer, Pascal; Petersen, Michael Bang

2017-10-12

The domain of "folk-economics" consists in explicit beliefs about the economy held by laypeople, untrained in economics, about such topics as e.g., the causes of the wealth of nations, the benefits or drawbacks of markets and international trade, the effects of regulation, the origins of inequality, the connection between work and wages, the economic consequences of immigration, or the possible causes of unemployment. These beliefs are crucial in forming people's political beliefs, and in shaping their reception of different policies. Yet, they often conflict with elementary principles of economic theory and are often described as the consequences of ignorance, irrationality or specific biases. As we will argue, these past perspectives fail to predict the particular contents of popular folk-economic beliefs and, as a result, there is no systematic study of the cognitive factors involved in their emergence and cultural success. Here we propose that the cultural success of particular beliefs about the economy is predictable if we consider the influence of specialized, largely automatic inference systems that evolved as adaptations to ancestral human small-scale sociality. These systems, for which there is independent evidence, include free-rider detection, fairness-based partner-choice, ownership intuitions, coalitional psychology, and more. Information about modern mass-market conditions activates these specific inference-systems, resulting in particular intuitions, e.g., that impersonal transactions are dangerous or that international trade is a zero-sum game. These intuitions in turn make specific policy proposals more likely than others to become intuitively compelling, and as a consequence exert a crucial influence on political choices.

Phenolic compound contents and antioxidant activity in plants with nutritional and/or medicinal properties form the Peruvian Andean region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chirinos, R.; Pedreschi Plasencia, R.P.; Rogez, H.

2013-01-01

Total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activities using different assays (DPPH, ABTS and ORAC) in fruits, grains, leaves, seeds, roots and tubers from 27 different Peruvian Andean plants used in folk medicine or/and as food by the native population were evaluated in order to use these as

A Survey on Weifang Teachers' Attitudes toward Teaching Chinese Folk Music

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ruochen; Leung, Bo Wah

2017-01-01

In mainland China, the implementation of the junior secondary school's music curriculum is highly dependent on music teachers' attitudes towards music and music education. This study investigated the possible relationship between teachers' attitudes towards teaching Chinese folk music and their music teaching practice in junior secondary schools…

Sirenomelia in a Cameroonian woman: a case report and review of the literature [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/OlDGLR

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Frederick LI Morfaw

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Sirenomelia is a rare congenital malformative disorder characterized by fusion of the lower limbs giving a characteristic mermaid-like appearance to the affected foetus. We report a case of sirenomelia occurring in a 19 year old Cameroonian woman following premature rupture of membranes and associated cord prolapse. This is the first documented case in this country. We highlight some of the cultural myths associated with this disorder and discuss our findings relative to the present literature and related controversies on its etiopathogenesis.

Feltarbejde i Thule. Sammenfiltringen af steder, folk og fortællinger

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Kirsten Hastrup

2016-07-01

Full Text Available På baggrund af lang tids arbejde i Thuleregionen i det nordvestligste Grønland vil jeg diskutere, hvordan steder, folk og fortællinger gensidigt former hinanden. ’Felten’ er således formateret af mange forhold, historiske og nutidige, naturlige og kulturelle, og man må besinde sig på feltens flydende form, selv når den ser mest solid ud. Steder er i sig selv flygtige; de opstår i mødet med mennesker, som tillægger dem betydning. Folk kan se nok så traditionelle ud, men de lever i samme verden som antropologen, der kommer for at lære af dem. Endelig er fortællingerne ikke stivnede vidnesbyrd om tidligere tider; de er tværtimod et vigtigt redskab i håndteringen af højst nutidige udfordringer, som kommer til syne i det endnu ufortalte. Bag fortællingen om Thule ligger en større diskussion af enhver felts plasticitet.

Indigenous knowledge for plant species diversity: a case study of wild plants' folk names used by the Mongolians in Ejina desert area, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China

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Soyolt

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Folk names of plants are the roots of traditional plant biodiversity knowledge. This paper mainly records and analyses the wild plant folk names of the Mongolians in the Ejina desert area based on a field survey for collection and identification of voucher specimens. The results show that a total of 121 folk names of local plants have correspondence with 93 scientific species which belong to 26 families and 70 genera. The correspondence between plants' Mongol folk names and scientific species may be classified as one to one correspondence, multitude to one correspondence and one to multitude correspondence. The Ejina Mongolian plant folk names were formed on the basis of observations and an understanding of the wild plants growing in their desert environment. The high correspondence between folk names and scientific names shows the scientific meaning of folk botanical nomenclature and classification. It is very useful to take an inventory of biodiversity, especially among the rapid rural appraisal (RRA in studying biodiversity at the community level.

Contemporary Challenges in Learning and Teaching Folk Music in a Higher Education Context: A Case Study of Hua'er Music

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Welch, Graham

2014-01-01

Literature reviews suggest that traditional approaches in folk music education are not necessarily compatible with the conventions of formal music education. Whilst many recent studies have tended to define these non-classical music learning contexts as "informal", the practice of folk transmission music appears to be much more complex…

Basque Museum of the History of Medicine: conservation of heritage, teaching and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Erkoreka, Anton

2009-01-01

The Basque Museum of the History of Medicine was founded in 1982 to preserve the historic memory of medicine in the Basque Country and conserve its scientific heritage. Its permanent exposition comprises approx. 6,000 medical objects of the 19th and 20th centuries arranged, thematically in 24 rooms devoted to different medical specialities: folk medicine, unconventional medicine, pharmacy, weights and measures, asepsis and antisepsis, microscopes, laboratory material, X-rays, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, anesthesia, endoscope, odontology, cardiology, ophthalmology, electrotherapy, pathological anatomy and natural sciences. Temporary exhibitions are also held. The Museum is located on the university campus (UPV/EHU) and is important in the training of students in the Faculty of Medicine and the students coming from other faculties. Teaching and research constitute two of the pillars of the Museum that are complemented with publications and the organization of conferences, lectures and other activities.

Hvor bosætter folk sig i Kumasi, Ghana?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskemose Andersen, Jørgen; Andreasen, Jørgen

2002-01-01

overklassen. Det forunderlige og besynderlige er fraværet af store slumråder som ellers ses overalt i den 3 Verdens storbyer. Der er en del slum i den indre del af byen og der bor mange fattige folk i de såkaldte gårdhuse som er så karakterisek for regionen, men det store spørgsmål er hvor den stadige vækst...

Tales of the Supernatural: A Selected List of Recordings Made in the United States and Placed in the Archive of Folk Culture. Folk Archive Finding Aid.

Science.gov (United States)

Delcambre, Angie C., Comp.; And Others

This finding aid is a selected list of supernatural-related narratives recorded in the United States and held in the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress. Brief descriptions of the recordings are accompanied by identification numbers. Information about listening to or ordering any of the listed recordings is available from the…

USING OF THE FOLK SOURCE IN THE PROCESS OF CRYSTALLIZATION OF ROMANIAN CHORAL MUSIC

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MORARU EMILIA

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Romanian choral music from the second half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century was built on the foundation of folk art, expressed through the monodic popular song, peasant dance and church music. Jn the pages of this article, the author highlights the most representative works of folk inspiration, signed by predecessor composers of Romanian choral music, who, through their creative effort, contributed essentially to the crystallization of the genre of the choral music of this period. Thus, in the author’s objective were the creations of composers Alexandru Flechtenmacher, Eduard Wachmann, Eduard Caudella, Gavriil Musicescu, Gheorghe Dima, Jacob Mureşianu, Ciprian Porumbescu, Jon Vidu and others.

Sirenomelia in a Cameroonian woman: a case report and review of the literature [v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/QcTFxB

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Frederick LI Morfaw

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Sirenomelia is a rare congenital malformative disorder characterized by fusion of the lower limbs giving a characteristic mermaid-like appearance to the affected foetus. We report a case of sirenomelia occurring in a 19 year old Cameroonian woman following premature rupture of membranes and associated cord prolapse. This is the first documented case in this country. We highlight some of the cultural myths associated with this disorder and discuss our findings relative to the present literature and related controversies on its etiopathogenesis.

Conservation, genetic characterization, phytochemical and biological investigation of black calla lily: A wild endangered medicinal plant

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Mai Mohammed Farid

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Scientists continue to search for and conserve plants whose medicinal properties have become crucial in the fight against diseases. Moreover, lessons from folk medicine, indigenous knowledge and Chinese medicine on crude extracts points to possible findings of novel promising and strong pharmaceutically bioactive constituents. Arum palaestinum, commonly known as black calla lily, is one of the most important medicinal plants belonging to the family Araceae, which has not been well studied. Little is known about its pharmaceutically bioactive constituents and the effective conservation through the use of biotechnology. Thus, Arum Palaestinum is selected and reviewed for its phytochemical analysis and biological activities. Besides, the tissue culture and genetic characterization developed for effective conservation of the plant were also summarized.

Rare earth elements determination in medicinal plants by Neutron Activation Analisys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncalves, Rodolfo D.M.R.; Francisconi, Lucilaine S.; Silva, Paulo S.C. da

2013-01-01

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have been considered nontoxic for human health and for the environment; however, the use of REEs in the development of recent technologies has increased the interest un their biological effects. Some studies related to their concentration in foodstuffs were published but REEs levels in medicinal plants are still unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the Rees concentration in the set of 59 medicinal herbs commonly used by Brazilian folk. Results showed that plants can concentrate REEs in their aerial parts, but the amount transferred to the extract of these plants is relatively low, resulting in little ingestion of these elements by the population during the extract consumption. (author)

Rare earth elements determination in medicinal plants by Neutron Activation Analisys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goncalves, Rodolfo D.M.R.; Francisconi, Lucilaine S.; Silva, Paulo S.C. da, E-mail: rdmrg89@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have been considered nontoxic for human health and for the environment; however, the use of REEs in the development of recent technologies has increased the interest un their biological effects. Some studies related to their concentration in foodstuffs were published but REEs levels in medicinal plants are still unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the Rees concentration in the set of 59 medicinal herbs commonly used by Brazilian folk. Results showed that plants can concentrate REEs in their aerial parts, but the amount transferred to the extract of these plants is relatively low, resulting in little ingestion of these elements by the population during the extract consumption. (author)

Medicinal plant uses and names from the herbarium of Francesc Bolòs (1773-1844).

Science.gov (United States)

Gras, Airy; Garnatje, Teresa; Ibáñez, Neus; López-Pujol, Jordi; Nualart, Neus; Vallès, Joan

2017-05-23

Ethnobotany takes into account past uses to be projected into the present and future. Most current ethnobotanical research is focused, especially in industrialised countries, on obtaining information of plant uses from elderly people. Historical ethnobotany is less cultivated, although papers have demonstrated its interest. Particularly poor, but potentially very relevant, is the attention paid to historical herbaria as a source of data on useful plants. Bearing this in mind, we studied the herbarium of the Catalan pharmacist and naturalist Francesc Bolòs (1773-1844), which contains information on medicinal uses and folk names, with the aim of establishing a catalogue of plants and uses and tracing them through old and contemporary literature. The ca. 6000 plant specimens of this herbarium were investigated to assess those including plant uses and names. These taxa have been thoroughly revised. The data have been tabulated, their biogeographic profile, possible endemic or threatened status, or invasive behaviour have been assessed, and the content regarding medicinal uses, as well as folk names, has been studied. The medicinal terms used have been interpreted as per current days' medicine. The popular names and uses have been compared with those appearing in a certain number of works published from 11th to 20th centuries in the territories covered by the herbarium and with all the data collected in 20th and 21st centuries in an extensive database on Catalan ethnobotany. A total of 385 plant specimens (381 taxa) have been detected bearing medicinal use and folk names information. We collected data on 1107 reports of plant medicinal properties (in Latin), 32 indications of toxicity, nine reports of food use, and 123, 302 and 318 popular plant names in Catalan, Spanish and French, respectively. The most quoted systems are digestive, skin and subcutaneous tissue (plus traumatic troubles) and genitourinary. Relatively high degrees of coincidence of plant names and uses

REFLECTIONS ON THE ORNAMENTAL PHENOMENON WITHIN THE REPERTOIRE OF TRADITIONAL VIOLONISTS IN THE HISTORICAL MOLDOVAN FOLK SPACE

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GRIB VITALIE

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The eclectic style in the interpretative manner of the younger generation of traditional violinists, which oft en distorts the aesthetic essence of folklore creations, has determined the need for research, scientifi c reasoning and elaboration of some methods of learning the traditional ornamental instrumental style, which can be general or individual, yet specifi c to the historical Moldovan folk space. To achieve this, we consider important to identify the types of ornaments in traditional instrumental music; to delimit the interpretative particularities of ornaments in literate and folk music; to analyse the ornamentation styles of songs within the repertoire of diff erent traditional violinists, that belong to the folk space investigated in terms of the type of creation. As a model for analysing the particularities of interpreting these ornaments, we select violinists from older generations, whose repertoire and style of execution has not been aff ected by the media and technological progress.

Economic impact of the 2008 American Folk Festival in Bangor, Maine

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardita Silva; Marilynne Mann; Harold Daniel

2010-01-01

Festivals and events are becoming increasingly important drivers of tourism activity in Maine. Based on a survey of festival visitors, this study used an IMPLANTM input-output model to estimate the economic impact of the 2008 American Folk Festival in Bangor, ME. The Center for Tourism Research and Outreach estimated that 95,626 local and...

Medicinal plants, traditional medicine, markets and management in far-west Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunwar, Ripu M; Mahat, Laxmi; Acharya, Ram P; Bussmann, Rainer W

2013-04-12

Modern therapeutic medicine is historically based on indigenous therapies and ethnopharmacological uses, which have become recognized tools in the search for new sources of pharmaceuticals. Globalization of herbal medicine along with uncontrolled exploitative practices and lack of concerted conservation efforts, have pushed many of Nepal's medicinal plants to the verge of extinction. Sustainable utilization and management of medicinal plants, based on traditional knowledge, is therefore necessary. After establishing verbal informed consent with participating communities, five field surveys, roughly 20 days in duration, were carried out. In all, 176 schedules were surveyed, and 52 participants were consulted through focus group discussions and informal meetings. Altogether, 24 key informants were surveyed to verify and validate the data. A total of 252 individuals, representing non-timber forest product (NTFP) collectors, cultivators, traders, traditional healers (Baidhya), community members, etc. participated in study. Medicinal plants were free-listed and their vernacular names and folk uses were collected, recorded, and applied to assess agreement among respondents about traditional medicines, markets and management. Within the study area, medicinal herbs were the main ingredients of traditional therapies, and they were considered a main lifeline and frequently were the first choice. About 55% plants were ethnomedicinal, and about 37% of ethnomedicinal plants possessed the highest informant consensus value (0.86-1.00). Use of Cordyceps sinensis as an aphrodisiac, Berberis asiatica for eye problems, Bergenia ciliata for disintegration of calculi, Sapindus mukorossi for dandruff, and Zanthoxylum armatum for toothache were the most frequently mentioned. These species possess potential for pharmacology. Medicinal plants are inseparable from local livelihoods because they have long been collected, consumed, and managed through local customs and knowledge. Management

Ganoderma lucidum - from tradition to modern medicine

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Ćilerdžić Jasmina Lj.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Ganoderma lucidum has a long tradition of use in folk medicine of the Far East, which is documented in the oldest Chinese pharmacopoeia, written in the first century B.C, declaring it a superior medicine. The healing properties of G. lucidum reflected on folk names such as: Reishi, Mannentake, Ling Zhi etc., which mean “herb of spiritual power”, “mushroom of immortality” or “10,000-year mushroom”, respectively. It has been known, for thousands of years, that this species extends life span, increases youthful vigour and vitality and it was used in the treatments of hepatitis, kidneys’ disease, hypertension, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, arteriosclerosis, ulcers and various types of cancer. However, Western civilisation did not discover its healing properties until the 20th century. Modern scientific researches and numerous clinical trails, conducted in recent decades, have confirmed the ancient knowledge of Eastern nations and given them a scientific basis. These studies have demonstrated many biological activities of G. lucidum extracts and compounds, including: immunomodulating, antioxidative, cytotoxic, hypoglycaemic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, etc. It has been reported that its extracts play important role in detoxification of the body and protecton of the liver, as well as in reducing cardiovascular problems, stress and anxiety. However, its most important effect is undoubtedly immunostimulating one as it is the basis of many other positive effects. The Japanese government introduced G. lucidum on the official list of auxiliary agents for the treatments of various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and chronic bronchitis. Many chemical components have been isolated from G. lucidum, but polysaccharides and terpenoids are the main carriers of its bioactivities.

Finding occurrences of melodic segments in folk songs employing symbolic similarity measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, Berit; van Kranenburg, P.; Volk, A.

2017-01-01

Much research has been devoted to the classification of folk songs, revealing that variants are recognised based on salient melodic segments, such as phrases and motifs, while other musical material in a melody might vary considerably. In order to judge similarity of melodies on the level of melodic

Is Perceptual Priming Affected by Culture? A Study With German Middle-Class and Cameroonian Nso Farmer Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Vöhringer, Isabel Aline; Poloczek, Sonja; Graf, Frauke; Lamm, Bettina; Teiser, Johanna; Fassbender, Ina; Freitag, Claudia; Suhrke, Janina; Teubert, Manuel; Keller, Heidi; Lohaus, Arnold; Schwarzer, Gudrun; Knopf, Monika

2015-01-01

The authors explored priming in children from different cultural environments with the aim to provide further evidence for the robustness of the priming effect. Perceptual priming was assessed by a picture fragment completion task in 3-year-old German middle-class and Cameroonian Nso farmer children. As expected, 3-year-olds from both highly diverging cultural contexts under study showed a priming effect, and, moreover, the effect was of comparable size in both cultural contexts. Hence, the children profited similarly from priming, which was supported by the nonsignificant interaction between cultural background and identification performance as well as the analysis of absolute difference scores. However, a culture-specific difference regarding the level of picture identification was found in that German middle-class children identified target as well as control pictures with less perceptual information than children in the Nso sample. Explanations for the cross-cultural demonstration of the priming effect as well as for the culturally diverging levels on which priming occurs are discussed.

Retained or lost in transmission? : Analyzing and predicting stability in Dutch folk songs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, B.D.

2018-01-01

The goal of the dissertation is to investigate the transmission of Dutch folk songs: which parts of melodies change, and which remain stable? To this end, melodies are compared computationally, using similarity measures established in Music Information Retrieval. The computational comparison

Revisiting Folk Moral Realism.

Science.gov (United States)

Pölzler, Thomas

2017-01-01

Moral realists believe that there are objective moral truths. According to one of the most prominent arguments in favour of this view, ordinary people experience morality as realist-seeming, and we have therefore prima facie reason to believe that realism is true. Some proponents of this argument have claimed that the hypothesis that ordinary people experience morality as realist-seeming is supported by psychological research on folk metaethics. While most recent research has been thought to contradict this claim, four prominent earlier studies (by Goodwin and Darley, Wainryb et al., Nichols, and Nichols and Folds-Bennett) indeed seem to suggest a tendency towards realism. My aim in this paper is to provide a detailed internal critique of these four studies. I argue that, once interpreted properly, all of them turn out in line with recent research. They suggest that most ordinary people experience morality as "pluralist-" rather than realist-seeming, i.e., that ordinary people have the intuition that realism is true with regard to some moral issues, but variants of anti-realism are true with regard to others. This result means that moral realism may be less well justified than commonly assumed.

Wild animals used as food medicine in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega; Oliveira, Tacyana Pereira Ribeiro; Rosa, Ierecê Lucena

2013-01-01

The connection between eating and healing is common in traditional folk medical systems, and the multiple possibilities resulting from the combination of biodiversity and culture confer a wealth and complexity in terms of knowledge of the flora and fauna as to their potential as food medicine. The growing awareness of the links between traditional therapeutic-alimentary uses of wildlife and conservation has drawn attention to the gaps in knowledge on the social, economic, and biological contexts in which different forms of traditional wildlife uses take place, particularly with regard to zootherapeutic resources. In this study we interviewed 124 merchants and 203 traditional users of animal-derived remedies in Brazil, aiming at documenting the animal species used as foods and medicines in urban and rural areas of the country. At least 354 wild animal species are used in Brazilian traditional medicine, of which 157 are also used as food. The high degree of overlap between medicinal and alimentary uses of wild animals highlights the importance of understanding the socioeconomic, cultural, and ecological contexts in which those traditional uses take place for elucidating their potential impact on public health and biodiversity conservation.

Wild Animals Used as Food Medicine in Brazil

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Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The connection between eating and healing is common in traditional folk medical systems, and the multiple possibilities resulting from the combination of biodiversity and culture confer a wealth and complexity in terms of knowledge of the flora and fauna as to their potential as food medicine. The growing awareness of the links between traditional therapeutic-alimentary uses of wildlife and conservation has drawn attention to the gaps in knowledge on the social, economic, and biological contexts in which different forms of traditional wildlife uses take place, particularly with regard to zootherapeutic resources. In this study we interviewed 124 merchants and 203 traditional users of animal-derived remedies in Brazil, aiming at documenting the animal species used as foods and medicines in urban and rural areas of the country. At least 354 wild animal species are used in Brazilian traditional medicine, of which 157 are also used as food. The high degree of overlap between medicinal and alimentary uses of wild animals highlights the importance of understanding the socioeconomic, cultural, and ecological contexts in which those traditional uses take place for elucidating their potential impact on public health and biodiversity conservation.

Consequences of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade on medicinal plant selection: plant use for cultural boud syndromes affecting children in Suriname and Western Africa.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vossen, T.; Towns, A.M.; Ruysschaert, S.; Quiroz Villarreal, D.K.; Andel, van T.

2014-01-01

Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally confined to certain cultural groups or geographic regions and often treated with medicinal plants. Our aim was to compare definitions and plant use for CBS regarding child health in the context of the

Agricultural, domestic and handicraft folk uses of plants in the Tyrrhenian sector of Basilicata (Italy

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Guarrera Paolo

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research was carried out into agricultural and domestic-handicraft uses in folk traditions in the Tyrrhenian sector of the Basilicata region (southern Italy, as it is typically representative of ethnobotanical applications in the Mediterranean area. From the point of view of furnishing a botanical support for the study of local "material culture" data was collected through field interviews of 49 informants, most of whom were farmers. Results The taxa cited are 60, belonging to 32 botanical families, of which 18 are employed for agricultural uses and 51 for domestic-handicraft folk uses. Data show a diffuse use of plants for many purposes, both in agricultural (present uses 14%; past uses 1% and for domestic-handicraft use (present uses 40%; past uses 45%; most of the latter are now in decline. Conclusion 60 data look uncommon or typical of the places studied. Some domestic-handicraft folk uses are typical of southern Italy (e.g. the use of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus for making ties, ropes, torches, baskets or that of Acer neapolitanum for several uses. Other uses (e.g. that of Inula viscosa and Calamintha nepeta for peculiar brooms, and of Origanum heracleoticum for dyeing wool red are previously unpublished.

Neurological implications and neuropsychological considerations on folk music and dance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sironi, Vittorio A; Riva, Michele A

2015-01-01

Neurological and neuropsychological aspects of folk music and traditional dance have been poorly investigated by historical and scientific literature. Some of these performances could be indeed the manifestation of latent pathological conditions or the expression of liberation rituals. This chapter aimed at analyzing the relationships between traditional dance, folk music, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. Since ancient times, dance has been used in the individual or collective as treatment of some diseases, including epilepsy and movement disorders (dyskinesia, chorea, etc.). Dionysia in Ancient Greece, St. Vitus dance in the Middle Age, tarantism and other traditional dances of southern Italy and of non-Western countries might be credited as curative rituals of these neurological and psychiatric conditions. During the nineteenth century, dance was also used for the treatment of psychiatric patients; the relationship between dance and insanity could also be reflected in classical ballets and music of that period. Nowadays, neuropsychiatric manifestations could also be evidenced in modern dances (mass fainting at rock concerts, flash mobs); some ballroom dances are commonly used for the rehabilitation of patients suffering from neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. Interdisciplinary research on these subjects (ethnomusicology and cultural anthropology, clinical neurology and dynamic psychology, neuroradiology and neurophysiology, and socioneurology and neuromusicology) should be increased. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bridging the gap: how traditional healers interact with their patients. A comparative study in Cameroon.

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Labhardt, N.D.; Aboa, S.M.; Manga, E.; Bensing, J.M.; Langewitz, W.

2010-01-01

Objective: To compare traditional healers (TH) and Cameroonian representatives of Western medicine (Western providers (WP)) in terms of patient characteristics and communication patterns during the consultation in rural Cameroon. Methods: A facility-based comparative study was conducted. Seven TH

Istrian folk narrative tradition from the perspective of changing borders:

OpenAIRE

Kropej, Monika

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on the folk narrative tradition of Istria, which reflect the area's cultural landscape as well as the everyday life of its inhabitants. Presented is an overview of the changing narrative tradition in the area situated along presently disappearing formal state borders within the expanded European Union. The author explores older studies and research conducted by contemporary scholars who focused their scholarly interest in the spiritual culture of this area. Special interest...

Learners' Descriptions of German Pronunciation, Vocabulary, and Grammar: A Folk Linguistic Account

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Chavez, Monika

2009-01-01

Following a folk linguistic approach, this investigation of first-, second- and fourth-year learners' accounts of German found that (1) few had held pre-conceived notions about German prior to language study; (2) most pre-conceived notions concerned German pronunciation; (3) pre-conceived notions about vocabulary were most likely to influence the…

Pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of cardamom in asthma

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Arif ullah Khan

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of asthma. This study describes its airways relaxant potential, with elucidation of possible underlying mechanism. Crude extract of cardamom which tested positive for alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, sterols and tannins, when tested against carbachol-mediated bronchoconstriction in rats under anesthesia, it dose-dependently (10-100 mg/kg suppressed the carbachol (1 µmol/kg-evoked increase in the inspiratory pressure. In isolated rabbit trachea tissues, crude extract of cardamom caused relaxation of both carbachol (1 µM and high K+ (80 mM-induced contractions, like that caused by verapamil, suggesting its Ca++ channel blockade action. These results indicate that cardamom exhibits bronchodilatory effect, mediated through Ca++ antagonist mechanism, which provides sound mechanistic background for its medicinal use in asthma.

Music preference in degus (Octodon degus: Analysis with Chilean folk music.

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Shigeru Watanabe

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Most nonhuman animals do not show selective preference for types of music, but researchers have typically employed only Western classical music in such studies. Thus, there has been bias in music choice. Degus (Octodon degus, originally from the mountain areas of Chile, have highly developed vocal communication. Here, we examined music preference of degus using not only Western classical music (music composed by Bach and Stravinsky, but also South American folk music (Chilean and Peruvian. The degus preferred the South American music to the Western classical music but did not show selective preference between the two Western classical music choices. Furthermore, the degus preferred the Chilean to the Peruvian music to some extent. In the second experiment, we examined preference for music vs. silence. Degus overall showed a preference for Chilean music over silence, but preferred silence over Western music. The present results indicate that the previous negative data for musical preference in nonhuman animals may be due to biased music selection (Krause, 2012. Our results suggest the possibility that the soundscape of an environment influences folk music created by native peoples living there and the auditory preference of other resident animals there.

Victims, Heroes, and Just Plain Folks (Teaching and Learning about Cultural Diversity).

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Howard M., Ed.

1998-01-01

Argues that multicultural education, if it is to be effective and meaningful, needs to be woven throughout the curriculum. Discusses 11 children's books that take into account the age and maturity level of students as they tell forthright stories of the victims, heroes, and just plain folks of the Holocaust, slavery, and the involuntary of…

What Do Grandmothers Think about Self-Esteem? American and Taiwanese Folk Theories Revisited

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Cho, Grace E.; Sandel, Todd L.; Miller, Peggy J.; Wang, Su-hua

2005-01-01

The study investigates European American and Taiwanese grandmothers' folk theories of childrearing and self-esteem, building on an earlier comparison of mothers from the same families. Adopting methods that privilege local meanings, we bring grandmothers' voices into the conversation about childrearing, thereby contributing to a deeper…

Wild Allium species (Alliaceae used in folk medicine of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

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Kurbonova Parvina A

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hitherto available sources from literature mentioned several wild growing Allium species as "edible" or "medicinally used" but without any further specification. Methods New data were gained during recent research missions: Allium plants were collected and shown to the local population which was asked for names and usage of these plants. Results Information was collected about current medical applications of sixteen wild species, nine of which belong to different sections of Allium subgenus Melanocrommyum. These plants are used against headache, cold, and stomach problems, and are mostly applied fresh or after boiling. Conclusion Close taxonomic relatives of the common onion were used similar to cultivated onion species, but medical use like garlic was mostly reported for species taxonomically not related to garlic.

Comparison of the specificity of antibodies to VAR2CSA in Cameroonian multigravidae with and without placental malaria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babakhanyan, Anna; Fang, Rui; Wey, Andrew

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Antibodies (Ab) to VAR2CSA prevent Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes from sequestrating in the placenta, i.e., prevent placental malaria (PM). The specificity of Ab to VAR2CSA associated with absence of PM is unknown. Accordingly, differences in the specificity of Ab to VAR2......CSA were compared between multigravidae with and without PM who had Ab to VAR2CSA. METHODS: In a retrospective case-control study, plasma collected from Cameroonian multigravidae with (n = 96) and without (n = 324) PM were screened in 21 assays that measured antibody levels to full length VAR2CSA (FV2......), individual VAR2CSA DBL domains, VAR2CSA domains from different genetic backgrounds (variants), as well as proportion of high avidity Ab to FV2. RESULTS: Multigravidae with and without PM had similar levels of Ab to FV2, the six VAR2CSA DBL domains and different variants, while the proportion of high avidity...

The Turtle Went To War. Northern Cheyenne Folk Tales. Indian Culture Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Tall Bull, Henry; Weist, Tom

The book takes its title from the first of nine Northern Cheyenne folk tales, illustrated by Indian children in grades 2-8. The stories are: "The Turtle Went to War" about a turtle who makes war on the Indians and takes two scalps; "The Cat", explaining why cats eat first and wash later; "The Frog and the Watersnake",…

Structuring Knowledge of Subcultural Folk Devils through News Coverage: Social Cognition, Semiotics, and Political Economy

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J. Patrick Williams

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The folk devil concept has been well used in subcultural studies, yet its importance might be better served by distinguishing among multiple conceptual frames through which it is articulated. In this article, I clarify how folk devils are made possible through the interaction of three concepts used by sociologists to study everyday life. The first is the process of social cognition, where producers and consumers of news construct and propagate a shared definition of who subcultural youths are and why they should be the object of fear. The second are the semiotic structures of genre and narrative, which narrow the interpretive process of producers and receivers alike and sustain discourses that limit how subcultural youths can be understood in the news. The third has to do with political economy, where the ideological features of mass mediated news-making keep the news industry in relative control of meaning making. Social cognition, semiotics, and the political economy dialectically produce the phenomenon of the subcultural folk devil and support its objective effects. I review several studies of market and state-controlled media societies and note that, in both types, the objective effects on youths are similar and significant. In studying how subcultural youths are framed in the media output of transitional states and societies, the conceptual value of social cognition, semiotics, and political economy should be recognised.

Bartók’s Attempt at Cooperation with the State Institute for Folk Song in Czechoslovakia and Its Political Connotations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Procházková, Jarmila

2016-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 1 (2016), s. 73-90 ISSN 0018-7003 Institutional support: RVO:68378076 Keywords : Béla Bartók (1881-1945) * Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) * Jiří Horák (1884-1975) * State Institute for Folk Song (Státní ústav pro lidovou píseň) * collecting folk music * politics in music * Czech - Hungarian culture and political relations Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants of Chagharzai valley, district Buner, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam, N.; Shinwari, Z.K.; Ilyas, M.; Ullah, Z.

2011-01-01

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants was recorded during summer 2004, in 22 villages of Chagharzai valley, District Buner. The study revealed 141 plant species belonging to 120 genera and 26 families are being used as medicine. The local people know the prospect and nature of the plant utilization, through personal experiences and ancestral prescriptions. The study also revealed that old aged people particularly women posses strong folk love of medicinal plants in comparison to young people. It was concluded that some plants are used singly while many other are used in combination. Similarly few plant species are used for the treatment of a specific disease, while several other have multiple uses. The plants were mainly used as stomachic, anti-allergic, antineuralgia, vermifuge, narcotic, laxative, anti jaundice, emollient, hypnotic, diuretic, digestive, demulcent, carminative, astringent, aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic, anti-emetic, anti-diabetic, anthelmentic, anodyne and alterative. The present investigation will help in the preservation of indigenous knowledge of the local people, which is depleting day by day. (author)

Migrant Mexican Traditions = Tradiciones Migrantes Mexicanas. An Exhibit of Folk Art by Mexican Migrant Farmworkers (Geneseo, New York, September 22-October 4, 1990).

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho, Juana; Gomez, Jose Luis

This exhibit guide (in Spanish, with translation in English printed on adjoining columns on each page), describes an exhibition of folk art by Mexican migrant farmworkers presented by thre Folk Arts Program of the BOCES Geneseo Migrant Center. The exhibit is divided into four major themes that farmworkers presented by the BOCES Geneseo Migrant…

Prakash et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2014) 11(3):239 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cadewumi

traditional knowledge of folk bio-medicine based on diverse plant species for the ... interest to acquire knowledge on folk medicine and conserve their biodiversity. ...... Effect of external application of herbal cajani preparation on the fibronection ...

Estonian folk traditional experiences on natural anticancer remedies: from past to the future.

Science.gov (United States)

Sak, Katrin; Jürisoo, Kadi; Raal, Ain

2014-07-01

Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advancements, the burden of cancer is still increasing worldwide. Toxicity of current chemotherapeutics to normal cells and their resistance to tumor cells highlights the urgent need for new drugs with minimal adverse side effects. The use of natural anticancer agents has entered into the area of cancer research and increased efforts are being made to isolate bioactive products from medicinal plants. To lead the search for plants with potential cytotoxic activity, ethnopharmacological knowledge can give a great contribution. Therefore, the attention of this review is devoted to the natural remedies traditionally used for the cancer treatment by Estonian people over a period of almost 150 years. Two massive databases, the first one stored in the Estonian Folklore Archives and the second one in the electronic database HERBA ( http://herba.folklore.ee/ ), containing altogether more than 30 000 ethnomedicinal texts were systematically reviewed to compile data about the Estonian folk traditional experiences on natural anticancer remedies. As a result, 44 different plants with potential anticancer properties were elicited, 5 of which [Angelica sylvestris L. (Apiaceae), Anthemis tinctoria L. (Asteraceae), Pinus sylvestris L. (Pinaceae), Sorbus aucuparia L. (Rosaceae), and Prunus padus L. (Rosaceae)] have not been previously described with respect to their tumoricidal activities in the scientific literature, suggesting thus the potential herbal materials for further investigations of natural anticancer compounds.

"It feels more like a parody": Canadian Queer as Folk viewers and the show they love to complain about.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Wendy

2009-01-01

The nighttime television series Queer as Folk (U.S.) was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Beginning with a brief textual analysis of the representation of lesbians on Queer as Folk, this audience reception study outlines how Canadian viewers who claimed a wide range of sexualities interpreted the representations of lesbians on the series in vastly different ways. While some viewers described the lesbian characters, Melanie and Lindsay, as "an embarrassment" and "more like a parody of lesbians," others enjoyed the "accuracy" and "realism" of these characters.

Music preference in degus (Octodon degus): Analysis with Chilean folk music.

OpenAIRE

Shigeru Watanabe; Katharina Braun; Maria Mensch; Henning Scheich

2018-01-01

Most nonhuman animals do not show selective preference for types of music, but researchers have typically employed only Western classical music in such studies. Thus, there has been bias in music choice. Degus (Octodon degus), originally from the mountain areas of Chile, have highly developed vocal communication. Here, we examined music preference of degus using not only Western classical music (music composed by Bach and Stravinsky), but also South American folk music (Chilean and Peruvian)....

Contribuição à flora medicinal de Mato Grosso do Sul

OpenAIRE

van den Berg, Maria Elisabeth; Silva, Milton Hélio Lima da

1988-01-01

Levantamento preliminar das plantas utilizadas na medicina popular do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. Apresenta identificação taxonômica das espécies estudadas, informações sobre os nomes vulgares e partes do vegetal que são empregadas, seu modo de preparo ou aplicação, destinação e indicação terapêutica popular, além de comentários adicionais. Preliminary research on the folk medicine of Mato Grosso do Sul State is presented here. Botanical identification, according Cronquist's sistematic c...

FORMING PROSPECTIVE PRIMAPY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ NATIONAL SELF-IDENTIFICATION IN THE COURSE “FOLK DANCE THEORY AND METHODOLOGY”

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Volodymyr Kotov

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the urgent problem of contemporary art pedagogy – involvement to training future professional choreographic traditions of different nations. Addressing to this problem is caused by a number of socio-political events in Ukraine, mainstreaming of national and international education, integration of Ukrainian education with the European educational space, intensive development of domestic students’ intercultural communication with young people from different countries, which is the basis for updating national art education. Prospective choreographers, who are being training at pedagogical universities to manage children's dance groups, should actively be involved into creating their own productions of folk dance various genres. It promotes the formation of choreographers’ professional competence and pedagogical skills. The development of Ukrainian dance “Opryshky” is proposed – a joint creative work of the teacher and students who get higher education degree in SHEE “Donbass State Pedagogical University” (Bachelor's Degree. Development of the dance contains schematic drawings of dance figures, it is recommended for use in forming choreographers’ professional skills while studying the course "Folk Dance Theory and Methodology". The author admits that folklore material requires a cautious, respectful attitude. Therefore, modern folk stage dances are integrally to combine traditional choreographic manner with its new interpretations. The author believes the actual capture of different nations’ choreographic culture improves intercultural youth communication; involves future professionals into the traditions of different nations; form professional skills of managers of children’s dance groups. The author concluded that a dance always reflects consciousness of different nations; future choreographers should be aware of characteristic features of dances of different world nations so that on the basis of

THE ROLE OF FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS OF DAGESTAN IN CONSOLIDATING AND EXPANDING THE TOURIST-EXCURSION ROUTES

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G. G. Gazimagomedov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The aim of this study is to create and represent the tourist routes in the places of the traditional folk arts and crafts in the Republic of Dagestan.Research Methodology. In the first stage of the study, according to the register and public materials we identified and studied traditional places of folk arts and crafts; carried out monitoring of existing tourist routes and programs. Developed routes are included in the tourist route map.Findings and discussion. We developed five radial exit routes from the city of Makhachkala, characteristics of which are presented below. Folk arts and crafts of Dagestan are a unique part of the artistic culture and at the same time, it is a branch of industry with a high level of tourist attractiveness. Today, Dagestan is one of the few areas in the modern world where traditional folk art is naturally a part of a contemporary social life having the rights of the dominant cultural unity due to the peculiarities of its historical development. Archaeological studies show that due to the geographical position, in Dagestan, there has been an interaction of significant aspects of cultural phenomena relating to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, Western, Central and Eastern Europe, on the one hand, and the development of cultures of different regions of Asia, on the other hand. Coupled with the traditions of the ancient population of the Caucasus, they formed complex and varied artistic conglomerate.Conclusion. The study revealed the basic centers of traditional arts and crafts of the Republic of Dagestan, hiving a high tourism potential. On this basis, we developed five tourist-excursion routes. These routes are included in the information booklet, which has a marketing and information value. 

Animal-Based Remedies as Complementary Medicines in the Semi-Arid Region of Northeastern Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Rômulo R. N.; Barbosa, José A. A.; Santos, Silene L. D. X.; Souto, Wedson M. S.; Barboza, Raynner R. D.

2011-01-01

Animals (and their derived products) are essential ingredients in the preparation of many traditional remedies. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on medicinal animals has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This work documents the medicinal animals used by a rural community in the semi-arid region, inserted in Caatinga Biome, where 66 respondents provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. We calculated the informant consensus factor to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species use value to determine the extent of utilization of each species. We recorded the use of 51 animal species as medicines, whose products were recommended for the treatment of 68 illnesses. The informant consensus in the use of many specific remedies is fairly high, giving an additional validity to this folk medicine. Eight species not previously reported as having medicinal use were recorded. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Given a high proportion of medicinal animals observed in the study area, it is logical to conclude that any conservation strategy should include access to modern health care. PMID:19729490

努力建构中国优秀歌谣的传承体系%The Endless Efforts to Build the Inheriting System of Chinese Marvelous Folk Songs

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈书录

2016-01-01

中国是一个歌谣大国，从《诗经》中的“国风”、汉乐府、南北朝民歌、敦煌曲子词到明清时调乃至当代民谣等，历代歌谣繁花似锦，美不胜收，洋溢着中华民族生生不息的活力。但是，有关歌谣的田野调查、文献资料整理和美学价值、社会价值的研究，乃至中国优秀歌谣传承体系的建构，至今尚有许多缺憾乃至空白。因此，应努力建构中国优秀歌谣的传承体系，对歌谣应进行抢救性、基础性搜集整理，对歌谣的研究应坚持以文学为本位，同时注重探讨历代歌谣的演进轨迹与特征，拓展歌谣与宗教、民俗、地域文化、商贾精神等相关领域的交叉互动研究，全面建构、深化中国的歌谣研究，传承创新中国的优秀传统文化。%China is a large country with a great many folk songs,from Guo Feng in the Books of Songs,folk songs in Han Dynasty,folk songs in Northern and Southern Dynasties,Dunhuang Quzici to folk songs in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and even the contemporary folk songs.Every age has its own famous folk songs with a large quantity and a prosperous process so as to illustrate China's vigorous dynamics.However,there is still a short of many aspects,namely,the field investigations,the arrangement of literature materials,the value of aesthetics,the study of its social values and the inher-iting system of Chinese marvelous folk songs.Therefore,a wholesome inheriting system should be built in order to make an arrangement and a collection of the folk songs.As far as the study methods of folk songs are concerned,a steady way of insisting on literature standard should be stuck to.Meanwhile,to build the system and deepen the study area of folk songs,and to inherit the Chinese excellent traditional culture,we ought to focus on the evolution and characteristics of the folk songs in every dynasty and the expansion of the inter-sectional study among religion

Folk Tale as a Tool for the Teaching of French Grammar: The Case ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Apart from the use of songs, teaching aids and text books in a French language teaching class, folk tale could be used to teach grammar, composition or any aspect of the French language. It makes for easy understanding of the language and improves the students' fluency in class. Bruno sees it as an alphabet primer ...

Ethnomusicological biography of the traditional folk musician: Biography of the gusle-player

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lajić-Mihajlović Danka

2008-01-01

Full Text Available With the development of ethnomusicology from a comparative discipline to an anthropologically oriented science there has been an increase in the significance of the biography of folk musicians as scientific sources. The intention of the anthropological thought to accept and theoretically consider human nature as open and dynamic, has been realized in the ethnomusicological plane through the understanding of music as a product of thinking and behaviour of a particular musician in given circumstances. The concept of an artist is especially complex in the field of oral music culture, where creation and performance are connected in one person and the transferring process involves direct communication. The attempt to overcome the dichotomy of the musicological and sociological, i. e. anthropological attitude in ethnomusicology by synthesizing concepts which involve music, culture and man has brought particular importance to the relations between individual biographies and 'biographies of the collective' - relevant historical ethnological, anthropological, sociological, culturological, religion ideological and other types of data. Observations enlightening the social side of the folk musician's personality make the necessary 'frame' for the biography: from 'objective' social circumstances which modelled it to the opinion of the cultural environment about his performing. The folk musician's biography oriented towards ethnomusicology involves the result of a critical evaluation of the picture based on the emic and ethic vision autobiographical data and the observations of others, primarily researchers. The complexity of a biographical discourse in ethnomusicology can be perfectly seen in the example of the gusle-player's biography, as a genre-determined solo role in the tradition. For studying the relation between a person and a style of music expression, concerning gusle-players it is important to bear in mind the change in the profile of gusle

Social Representations of Trust Among Teachers and Principals in Cameroonian, Indian, and Finnish Schools

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Anna-Maija Pirttilä-Backman

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Quantitative studies on trust often attempt to measure levels of trust, while neglecting local meanings of trust. These studies are usually based on Eurocentric models in Western cultures, though the models may have limited ecological validity. As a result, this study sought to investigate trust as locally produced structures and practices in Cameroon, Finland and India. In each country, teachers and principals were interviewed individually, while nineteen focus groups among teachers were also conducted (N = 111. The theory of social representations provides the methodological framework for the study. Our analyses suggest that in Cameroon understandings of trust were anchored in complementarity, in Finland in contracts, and in India in social hierarchies. We suggest that the Cameroonian representations were more fluid than in the other two countries, which may be due in part to the working arrangements there. In all of the national contexts, numerous metaphors and imagery helped to solidify trust as phenomena built in everyday practices. Cooperation was an important element in the data from all of the country contexts, although it had particular and varying meanings in each. Finally, we interpret culturally embedded dichotomies, or themata, that participants draw upon to imbue workplace trust with meaning. We discuss the analyses and interpretations in terms of local practices and the concrete conditions in which the participants worked.

Folk food and medicinal botanical knowledge among the last remaining Yörüks of the Balkans

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Anely Nedelcheva

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present study examines the current lifestyle of the last remaining Balkan Yörüks, a small and isolated group found within the Republic of Macedonia, and the modern representatives of an important portion of the Balkan nomads. The aim of this study was to document knowledge concerning local wild food plants and wild and cultivated medicinal plants, and to compare the Yörük ethnobotany with that of similar, more or less isolated ethnic groups occurring in the Balkan region (Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Turkey in order to assess how cultural adaptation processes may have affected Yörük plant folklore. We conducted this study by means of detailed, semi-structured interviews with 48 key informants. Sixty-seven plant taxa were recorded from 55 genera, based on the compilation of more than 150 reports relating to medicinal, food, forage, ornamental, and dye plants, as well as some elements relating to animals and minerals. Our field study data show several major ethnic boundary markers that contribute to the homogeneity of the community and also distinguish it sufficiently from the surrounding society: (i well-isolated locality; (ii local dialect and endogamy; (iii casual clothing worn by women; (iv ceremonial jewelry: a necklace of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum; (v Sempervivum marmoreum as an only ornamental plant which also has a medicinal use; and (vi Mentha spicata as the dominant culinary herb, which has a medicinal use too. Comparison of the collected ethnobotanical data with that of similar, more or less isolated ethnic groups in the Balkan region shows that overlapping taxa include mainly plants whose fresh fruit are used; both nuts as well as edible greens. These plants are simultaneously used for medicinal purposes too, as home remedies, but in very different ways to other ethnic groups. Yörüks represent a remarkable cultural group in the Balkans. This community has nomadic traditions, but nowadays the people have a settled

On the Melody Types between the North and the South Dong Folks%南北侗族民歌的旋律类型探究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

苏金梅

2014-01-01

South and North Dong Minority , the two branches of Dong , have remarkable differences in the music style of folk songs . South Dong'folk song is mild and obscure while North Dong'folk song is lyric and straightforward . The formation of their differences is closely related to their melody types :the melody type of South Dong's folk song is mainly small wave while the melody type of North Dong's folk song is with ups and small wave ;though both South and North Dong's folk songs enjoy small wave type , there are differences in the music development mode of small wave type . The differences of melody types in South and North Dong's folk songs are connected with their own cultural ecology , i . e , the differences of South and North Dong area's ecological and cultural environment mold out the characteristics of South and North Dong's folk song which is reflected in their different melody types .%南、北侗族作为侗族旗下的两个分支，在民歌音乐风格方面差别显著：南侗民歌平和、含蓄，北侗民歌抒情、直白。这种差异的形成与二者的旋律类型存有紧密联系：南侗民歌的旋律类型仅以小波浪式为主，北侗民歌以跌宕式与小波浪式两种类型为主；南北侗族民歌虽都喜好小波浪式，但二者的小波浪式在音乐发展模式上也不同。而南、北侗族民歌旋律类型的差异正好与彼此所处的文化生态是相互耦合的，也即是说，南、北侗族地区生态文化环境的差异模塑出南北侗族民歌的特性，这一特性在其民歌的旋律类型中得以表现。

Folk music style modelling by recurrent neural networks with long short term memory units

OpenAIRE

Sturm, Bob; Santos, João Felipe; Korshunova, Iryna

2015-01-01

We demonstrate two generative models created by training a recurrent neural network (RNN) with three hidden layers of long short-term memory (LSTM) units. This extends past work in numerous directions, including training deeper models with nearly 24,000 high-level transcriptions of folk tunes. We discuss our on-going work.

Hispanic Folk Arts and the Environment: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum Guide. A New Mexican Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Alejandro

This interdisciplinary, bilingual curriculum resource, contains a 29-minute videotape program, 20 colorplate posters, and a curriculum guide. The resource presents an examination of the folklife and folklore expressions of the Hispanic people of New Mexico. The focus of the curriculum is the relationship of survival-based folk activities to the…

Medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island (Balikesir – Turkey

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Gizem Bulut

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Medicinal and wild food plants have always played an important role in people’s lives especially in rural areas. Similar situation can be said for islands due to the reason of them being isolated from mainland. This paper reports an ethnobotanical investigations performed in 2009 and 2014 to determine medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island. A total of 30 individuals were interviewed (19 men, 11 women. Totally, 22 plants are recorded as used as traditional folk medicine for the region, and nine of these are also used as a source of wild food. Furthermore, 18 taxa are wild sources of nutrition for the area. The plants most commonly used in the region as medicinal remedies were Salvia fruticosa, Hypericum perforatum, Ficus carica, and Mentha spicata. Plants are mostly used for the treatment of abdominal pain, the common cold, and haemorrhoids. The species most commonly used for food are: Salvia fruticosa, Arbutus unedo, Rhus coriaria, and Rubus sanctus. This ethnobotanical study conducted in this island will enable the traditional use of wild plants both as food sources and herbal remedies to be passed on to future generations.

An Analysis of Moral and Educational Values on Madura Folk Songs

OpenAIRE

Wakil, Abdul

2015-01-01

At this moment traditional songs was not pay attention so that almost the traditional song is not well known by young generations. The position of traditional songs was lost with technology. If there is not an conservation and appreciation for traditional songs especially Madura traditional songs, so the traditional song can be lost in the future so that writer try to analysis of moral and educational values on Madura folk songs.The discussion in this thesis the author tried to review the ped...

At gøre folk - nordiske statsborger- og medborgerskabsceremonier i det 21. århundrede

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damsholt, Tine

2007-01-01

Artiklen skildrer afholdelsen af statsborgerskabsceremonier i tre nordiske lande (Danmark, Norge og Sverige) i 2006. Med afsæt i nyere performance-teori analyseres ceremonierne i praksis med fokus på den måde begrebet folk italesættes og materialiseres ved ceremonierne. En 'gøren' af folket som i...

Antibacterial and Antifungal Potential of Himalayan Medicinal Plants for Treating Wound Infections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habiba, U.; Ahmad, M.; Shinwari, S.; Sultana, S.; Zafar, M.; Shinwari, Z. K.

2016-01-01

Many bacterial and fungal strains are involved in wound infectious diseases as most of these strains become resistant to the most commonly used synthetic drugs in Himalayan region. Plant based natural products seem to be an alternative to this problem. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of 30 medicinal plants used in folk recipes by Himalayan people to treat wound infections against multi-drug resistant pathogens. In total of six medically important Myco-bacterial strains Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger were tested against methanolic plant extracts at 5 mg/ml concentration using agar disc well diffusion method to determined Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The plant extracts showed varied levels of MICs against test microorganisms. The strongest antibacterial activity was reported in methanolic extract of Cynadon dactylon (L.) Pers. against Klebsiella pneumoniae with 20.67±1.36 mm MICs, while Candida albicans was considered to be the most resistant pathogen with MICs 9.6±0.57 mm. The findings were compared with results obtained using standard antibiotics, aminooxanilic, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, fluconazole and itraconazole at conc. 5mg/ ml. The results provide an evidence of folk medicinal uses of plants among the Himalayan communities to treat wounds. Further research needs to be carried out to identify the active molecules and evaluate the in vivo antibacterial and antifungal activities as well as toxicity level with clinical trials to use full potential of these plants for drug discovery development to control wounds globally. (author)

Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies of three plants used in Cameroonian ethnoveterinary medicine: Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Xanthorrhoeaceae) leaves, Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) seeds or leaves, and Mimosa pudica L. (Fabaceae) leaves in Kabir chicks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nghonjuyi, Ndaleh Wozerou; Tiambo, Christian Keambou; Taïwe, Germain Sotoing; Toukala, Jean Paul; Lisita, Frederico; Juliano, Raquel Soares; Kimbi, Helen Kuokuo

2016-02-03

Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Xanthorrhoeaceae), Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) and Mimosa pudica L. (Fabaceae) are widely used in the Cameroonian ethnoveterinary medicine as a panacea, and specifically for gastrointestinal disorders as well as an anthelmintic and antibacterial. The present study evaluated the potential toxicity of the hydroalcoholic extracts of Aloe vera leaves, Carica papaya leaves or seeds, and Mimosa pudica leaves after acute and sub-chronic administration in chicks. For the acute toxicity test a single administration of each of the four hydroalcoholic extracts was given orally at doses ranging from 40 to 5120 mg/kg (n=5/group/sex). In the sub-chronic study, these extracts were given orally as a single administration to chicks at doses of 80, 160, 320 and 640 mg/kg/day for 42 days. The anti-angiogenic properties of these extracts (5-320 µg/mg) were investigated in the chick chorioallantoic membrane in vivo. In the acute toxicity test, none of the four studied hydroalcoholic extracts induced mortality or significant behavioural changes. The sub-acute treatment with the four plant extracts did not alter either the body weight gain or the food and water consumption. However, the results indicated that Aloe vera leaf extract acute treatment by oral route at doses up to 2560 mg/kg did not produce death in 50% (5/10) of chicks during 24h or 14 days of observation, but 20% (2/10) chicks died. The haematological and biochemical analyses did not show significant differences in any of the parameters examined in female or male groups, with the exception of a transient rise in white blood cell counts at high doses (640 mg/kg). Additionally, these extracts did not have the potential for anti-angiogenic effects through the inhibition of neo-angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane in vivo. The results showed that the therapeutic use of the hydroalcoholic extracts of Aloe vera leaves, Carica papaya leaves or seeds and Mimosa pudica leaves had very low

Therapeutic Potential of Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus L.

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Zeliha Selamoglu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Herbal plants are using for folk medicine since immemorial times. Hippocrates who is the father of medicine, refer to 400 medicinal plants and advised ‘‘let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food’’. Most of plants are using today for medicine. It is still acceptable today that prevention is more important than treatment. Saffron was utilized in folk remedy against scarlet fever, smallpox, colds, asthma, eye and heart diseases, tumours, and cancer.

Examining the Pre - competition Anxiety Levels of Sportsmen Participating in a Folk Dance Branch in Terms of Some Variables

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Serkan HACICAFEROĞLU

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out with in order to determine the pre - competition anxiety levels of sportsmen participating in the Turkish Folk Dance branch in terms of some variables. The population of the study, which was carried out using a general screening model, consisted of 253 sportsmen, partici pated with the local halay dance in the group competition, organized by the Turkish Folk Dance Federation in city of Malatya , and its sampling consisted of 187 sportsmen chosen from the population by a random method. State (instantaneous Anxiety part of t he State - Trait Continuous Anxiety Scale was used in the study. In analyzing the data, frequency, percentage, standard deviation, arithmetic mean, t - test and one - way analysis of variance (ANOVA and Tukey's test were used in the study to find the source of the difference. As the result of the study, it has been determined that the ove rall arithmetic mean of the pre - competition instantaneous anxiety state felt by the sportsmen, statistically was 2. 34. A statistically significant difference was found in the r esearch in terms of pre - competition instantaneous anxiety state of feeling of the sportsmen, depending on the variables of gender, age and folk playing time. Nonetheless, depending on the gender, it was determined in the research, that the sportsmen of 2 0 - 22 and 17 - 19 age groups, in favour of the female athletes and according to the age variable, the sportsmen who played folk dances less than a year according to the dancing time variable, felt more pre - competition instantaneous anxiety compared to the sportsmen of other groups.

Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated anti-inflammatory activities: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Victor Pena; Arruda, Caroline; Abd El-Salam, Mohamed; Bastos, Jairo Kenupp

2018-12-01

Inflammatory disorders are common in modern life, and medicinal plants provide an interesting source for new compounds bearing anti-inflammatory properties. In this regard, Brazilian medicinal plants are considered to be a promising supply of such compounds due to their great biodiversity. To undertake a review on Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated anti-inflammatory activities by selecting data from the literature reporting the efficacy of plants used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory, including the mechanisms of action of their extracts and isolated compounds. A search in the literature was undertaken by using the following Web tools: Web of Science, SciFinder, Pub-Med and Science Direct. The terms 'anti-inflammatory' and 'Brazilian medicinal plants' were used as keywords in search engine. Tropicos and Reflora websites were used to verify the origin of the plants, and only the native plants of Brazil were included in this review. The publications reporting the use of well-accepted scientific protocols to corroborate the anti-inflammatory activities of Brazilian medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory potential were considered. We selected 70 Brazilian medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory activity. The plants were grouped according to their anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action. The main mechanisms involved inflammatory mediators, such as interleukins (ILs), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase (COX) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The collected data on Brazilian medicinal plants, in the form of crude extract and/or isolated compounds, showed significant anti-inflammatory activities involving different mechanisms of action, indicating Brazilian plants as an important source of anti-inflammatory compounds.

Ethnomedicinal knowledge and relative importance of indigenous medicinal plants of Cholistan desert, Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nadeem; Mahmood, Adeel; Tahir, S S; Bano, Asghari; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Hassan, Seema; Ashraf, Aisha

2014-09-11

Ethnomedicinal studies are significant for the discovery of new crude drugs from indigenous reported medicinal plants. The current study aimed to report the indigenous medicinal knowledge of plants and herbal remedies used as folk medicines in Cholistan desert, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Rapid appraisal approach (RAA), semi-structured interviews, group meetings with herbalists, landowners and local people having awareness about the medicinal action of plants were employed to collect the data. This study reports 70 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families that were disseminated among 60 different genera and Poaceae was the predominant family over others with 13 reported medicinal plants. Among plant parts, leaves were the dominant over others with 26.4% used in herbal preparations followed by the stem (25.2%), fruit (21.5%), flower (16.3%), seed (6.5%), bark and pod (02%). Haloxylon recurvum exhibited the highest use vale (UV) 0.83 while least UV was exhibited by Mollugo cerviana that was 0.16. Important medicinal plants, reported in this study have been screened for phytochemical and pharmaceutical activities in different parts of the globe. It is recommended that reported medicinal plants having potent action for cancer and hepatitis must be screened for pharmacological activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Category of Time in Fairy Tales: Searching for Folk Calendar Time in the Estonian Fairy Tale Corpus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mairi Kaasik

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The article examines how folk calendar holidays are represented in Estonian fairy tales. It introduces some views presented in folklore studies about the concept of time in fairy tales and finds parallels with them in the Estonian context. The analysis relies on the digital corpus of Estonian fairy tales (5400 variants, created from the texts found in the Estonian Folklore Archives by the Fairy Tale Project of the Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore, University of Tartu. Folk calendar holidays occur in Estonian fairy tales relatively seldom; most often these are holidays that occupy a significant place in the Estonian folk calendar (Christmas, St. John’s Day, Easter, St. George’s Day. Calendar holidays are notably mentioned more often in tale types which remain on the borderline between the fairy tale and the legend or the fairy tale and the religious tale. In Estonian fairy tales, calendar holidays are used on three levels of meaning: (1 the holiday is organically associated with the tale type; it has an essential role in the plot of the tale; (2 to a certain extent, the holiday could be replaced by another holiday having an analogous meaning; (3 the holiday forms an unimportant or occasional addition to the tale.

Examining the Relation between Social Values Perception and Moral Maturity Level of Folk Dancers

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Pinar Karacan

2018-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relation between social values perceptions and moral maturity levels of folk dancers, and evaluate this relation in terms of some variables. The relational screening model was used in the study. The "Multi-dimensional Social Values Scale," which was developed by Bolat (2013), and the…

Author Details

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tan, PV. Vol 6, No 3 (2006) - Articles Resistance of nosocomial bacterial strains to commonly used antibiotics and their sensitivity to some Cameroonian Medicinal Plant preparations. Abstract PDF · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL ...

Seeing the Hani People’s Traditional Ecological Understanding from the Perspective of Folk Literature

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Li Guangrong

2016-01-01

The Hani’s rich folk literature has preserved their traditional culture. Interpreting it from the perspective of ecological culture may lead us to the conclusion that the Hani’s traditional eco-logical understanding is that of a harmonious rela-tionship between man and nature. This ecological understanding is similar to that of other ethnic groups in Yunnan, such as the Bai, Dai, Wa, Yao, Naxi, Jingpo, Bulang, and other ethnic groups, which shows that this ecological under-standing is common across the Chinese nation. Meanwhile, this ecological understanding has an enlightening role for human beings to keep the eco-logical balance in the present day. This article tries to investigate the deep connection between the Hani’s folk literature and the natural ecology, and reveals the Hani’s traditional ecological under-standing. 1 . The Hani’s traditional ecological under-standing is revealed in their folk literature The Hani have no fairy tales in the strict sense, their literature is a kind of“universal litera-ture” enjoyed by both adults and children. Howev-er, the Hani’s folk literature also created a roman-tic world similar to that of fairy tales. This “fairy tale world” is just the world of nature reflected in the Hani’s literature. The typical characteristics of this world are harmony and happiness. In this har-monious and happy world, mountains are a para-dise for man and all other things on earth. In this paradise, man is only a part of nature, they are not the spirit or the core of the world. Man, animals and plants have their own places, and their own happiness. Meanwhile, they support each other, and have a common development. In a word, man and nature have a highly harmonious relationship. When environmental protection and ecological bal-ance become a common topic in today’s discourse, one can gain some insight by reading Hani fairy tales and legends. Therefore, digging out the eco-logical beauty from Hani folk literature still has a

Identification of the mosquito biting deterrent constituents from the Indian folk remedy plant Jatropha curcas

Science.gov (United States)

An investigation of the Indian folk remedy plant, Jatropha curcas, was performed to specifically identify the constituents responsible for the mosquito biting deterrent activity of the oil as a whole. Jatropha curcas seed oil is burned in oil lamps in India and part of Africa to repel biting insect...

Antiviral activity of some South American medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Abad, M J; Bermejo, P; Sanchez Palomino, S; Chiriboga, X; Carrasco, L

1999-03-01

Folk medicinal plants are potential sources of useful therapeutic compounds including some with antiviral activities. Extracts prepared from 10 South American medicinal plants (Baccharis trinervis, Baccharis teindalensis, Eupatorium articulatum, Eupatorium glutinosum, Tagetes pusilla, Neurolaena lobata, Conyza floribunda, Phytolacca bogotensis, Phytolacca rivinoides and Heisteria acuminata) were screened for in vitro antiviral activity against herpes simplex type I (HSV-1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and poliovirus type 1. The most potent inhibition was observed with an aqueous extract of B. trinervis, which inhibited HSV-1 replication by 100% at 50-200 micrograms/mL, without showing cytotoxic effects. Good activities were also found with the ethanol extract of H. acuminata and the aqueous extract of E. articulatum, which exhibited antiviral effects against both DNA and RNA viruses (HSV-1 and VSV, respectively) at 125-250 micrograms/mL. The aqueous extracts of T. pusilla (100-250 micrograms/mL), B. teindalensis (50-125 micrograms/mL) and E. glutinosum (50-125 micrograms/mL) also inhibited the replication of VSV, but none of the extracts tested had any effect on poliovirus replication.

Estrogenic properties of spices of the traditional Cameroonian dish "Nkui" in ovariectomized Wistar rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tchoupang, Edwige Nana; Ateba, Sylvin Benjamin; Zingue, Stéphane; Zehl, Martin; Krenn, Liselotte; Njamen, Dieudonné

2016-06-01

Besides the basic role to flavor and color foods, several health benefits have been attributed to spices. The traditional Cameroonian food "Nkui" is prepared using several spices (Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr., Capsicum frutescens Linn., Fagara leprieurii Guill. et Perr., Fagara tessmannii Engl., Mondia whitei Hook. F. Skell., Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baill., Solanum gilo Raddi., Tetrapleura tetraptera Taub. and Xylopia parviflora A. Rich. Benthane) that are believed to have a positive impact on the female reproductive physiology. Aiming to determine the potential effect of this food on the female reproductive tract, we evaluated the estrogenic properties of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Nkui using a 3-day uterotrophic assay in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. OVX female Wistar rats were randomly separated in several groups of five animals each and submitted to a 3-day uterotrophic assay (per os). At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed and uterus, vagina and mammary gland collected and fixed in 10 % formalin for histological analysis. These extracts increased the uterine wet weight, the uterine and vaginal epithelial heights, and the lumen and diameter of alveoli in the mammary glands. They also altered the estradiol-induced increase of uterine wet weight. The dichloromethane and methanol fractions of the ethanol extract exhibited estrogenic properties as well by increasing uterine and vaginal endpoints. These results suggest that the spices of "Nkui" contain estrogenic phytoconstituents and this traditional food may be considered as functional.

Lucky Motifs in Chinese Folk Art: Interpreting Paper-cut from Chinese Shaanxi

OpenAIRE

Xuxiao WANG

2013-01-01

Paper-cut is not simply a form of traditional Chinese folk art. Lucky motifs developed in paper-cut certainly acquired profound cultural connotations. As paper-cut is a time-honoured skill across the nation, interpreting those motifs requires cultural receptiveness and anthropological sensitivity. The author of this article analyzes examples of paper-cut from Northern Shaanxi, China, to identify the cohesive motifs and explore the auspiciousness of the specific concepts of Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi. T...

Ethnobotany of the Alt Empordà region (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula): plants used in human traditional medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Parada, Montse; Carrió, Esperança; Bonet, Maria Angels; Vallès, Joan

2009-07-30

This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on pharmaceutical plant uses from a tourist and industrialised region, where some degree of acculturation exists, so that there is urgency in recording such data. To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in a north-eastern Iberian region (Alt Empordà, 1358 km(2), 129,160 inhabitants). We performed 101 semi-structured interviews with 178 informants (mean age 69; 71% women, 29% men), identified the plant taxa reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories. The informants reported data on 518 species. Of these, 335, belonging to 80 botanical families, were claimed as medicinal. This work is focused on human medicinal plant uses, which represent 98% of the pharmaceutical uses (3581 out of 3643 use reports). Around 800 medicinal uses, concerning 200 species, have not, or have very rarely been cited as medicinal; of these, 32 uses of 30 species have been reported by three or more independent informants. The folk knowledge about medicinal plant use is still alive in the studied region, and a number of scarcely reported plant uses has been detected, some of them with promising phytotherapeutical applications.

Vertebrates used for medicinal purposes by members of the Nyishi and Galo tribes in Arunachal Pradesh (North-East India).

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravorty, Jharna; Meyer-Rochow, V Benno; Ghosh, Sampat

2011-03-31

Arunachal Pradesh, the easternmost part of India, is endowed with diverse natural resources and inhabited by a variety of ethnic groups that have developed skills to exploit the biotic resources of the region for food and medicines. Information on animals and animal parts as components of folk remedies used by local healers and village headmen of the Nyishi and Galo tribes in their respective West Siang and Subansiri districts were obtained through interviews and structured questionnaires. Of a total of 36 vertebrate species used in treatments of ailments and diseases, mammals comprised 50%; they were followed by birds (22%), fishes (17%), reptiles (8%) and amphibians (3%). Approximately 20 common complaints of humans as well as foot and mouth disease of cattle were targets of zootherapies. Most commonly treated were fevers, body aches and pains, tuberculosis, malaria, wounds and burns, typhoid, smallpox, dysentery and diarrhoea, jaundice, and early pregnancy pains. Very few domestic animal species (e.g., goat and cattle) were used zootherapeutically. More frequently it was wild animals, including endangered or protective species like hornbill, pangolin, clouded leopard, tiger, bear, and wolf, whose various parts were either used in folk remedies or as food. Some of the animal-based traditional medicines or animal parts were sold at local markets, where they had to compete with modern, western pharmaceuticals. To record, document, analyze and test the animal-derived local medicines before they become replaced by western products is one challenge; to protect the already dwindling populations of certain wild animal species used as a resource for the traditional animal-derived remedies, is another.

Application of plant cell and tissue culture for the production of phytochemicals in medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Pant, Bijaya

2014-01-01

Approximately 80% of the world inhabitants depend on the medicinal plants in the form of traditional formulations for their primary health care system well as in the treatment of a number of diseases since the ancient time. Many commercially used drugs have come from the information of indigenous knowledge of plants and their folk uses. Linking of the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to modern research activities provides a new reliable approach, for the discovery of novel drugs much more effectively than with random collection. Increase in population and increasing demand of plant products along with illegal trade are causing depletion of medicinal plants and many are threatened in natural habitat. Plant tissue culture technique has proved potential alternative for the production of desirable bioactive components from plants, to produce the enough amounts of plant material that is needed and for the conservation of threatened species. Different plant tissue culture systems have been extensively studied to improve and enhance the production of plant chemicals in various medicinal plants.

Protective Effects of Ethanolic Extracts from Artichoke, an Edible Herbal Medicine, against Acute Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

OpenAIRE

Tang, Xuchong; Wei, Ruofan; Deng, Aihua; Lei, Tingping

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress and inflammation are well-documented pathological factors in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a healthy food and folk medicine with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive effects of ethanolic extract from artichoke against acute alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. Male Institute of Cancer Research mice were treated with an ethanolic extract of artichoke (0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g/kg body weight)...

Using point-set compression to classify folk songs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meredith, David

2014-01-01

-neighbour algorithm and leave-one-out cross-validation to classify the 360 melodies into tune families. The classifications produced by the algorithms were compared with a ground-truth classification prepared by expert musicologists. Twelve of the thirteen compressors used in the experiment were based...... compared. The highest classification success rate of 77–84% was achieved by COSIATEC, followed by 60–64% for Forth’s algorithm and then 52–58% for SIATECCompress. When the NCDs were calculated using bzip2, the success rate was only 12.5%. The results demonstrate that the effectiveness of NCD for measuring...... similarity between folk-songs for classification purposes is highly dependent upon the actual compressor chosen. Furthermore, it seems that compressors based on finding maximal repeated patterns in point-set representations of music show more promise for NCD-based music classification than general...

Toxicants in folk remedies: Implications of elevated blood lead in an American-born infant due to imported diaper powder

Science.gov (United States)

Karwowski, Mateusz P.; Morman, Suzette A.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Law, Terence; Kellogg, Mark; Woolf, Alan D.

2016-01-01

Though most childhood lead exposure in the USA results from ingestion of lead-based paint dust, non-paint sources are increasingly implicated. We present interdisciplinary findings from and policy implications of a case of elevated blood lead (13–18 mcg/dL, reference level Malaysian folk diaper powder. Analyses showed the powder contains 62 % lead by weight (primarily lead oxide) and elevated antimony [1000 parts per million (ppm)], arsenic (55 ppm), bismuth (110 ppm), and thallium (31 ppm). These metals are highly bioaccessible in simulated gastric fluids, but only slightly bioaccessible in simulated lung fluids and simulated urine, suggesting that the primary lead exposure routes were ingestion via hand-mouth transmission and ingestion of inhaled dusts cleared from the respiratory tract. Four weeks after discontinuing use of the powder, the infant’s venous blood lead level was 8 mcg/dL. Unregulated, imported folk remedies can be a source of toxicant exposure. Additional research on import policy, product regulation, public health surveillance, and culturally sensitive risk communication is needed to develop efficacious risk reduction strategies in the USA. The more widespread use of contaminated folk remedies in the countries from which they originate is a substantial concern.

From Folk Morality to Moral Philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Peikani

2014-02-01

Full Text Available According to our terminology, the mechanism people follow in moral judgments, which is far from the sayings and rules of moral philosophers, is folk morality. Above all, people in moral judgments regard human moral capacity and do not expect full morality of any one. People suppose that perfect moral life is an ideal which is beyond human abilities. This hidden presupposition forms the foundation of human moral behavior. On the other hand, it seems that the moral systems originating from moral philosophy have been constructed a priori and, assuming a perfect man, they expect people to become such a person. It seems that it is necessary for moral philosophers to change their way and begin speculation with respect to people’s moral capacities. In this paper, we argue that minimal ethical speculation increases the level of morality in society. The basis of this turn is new progresses and findings in the field of psychology and the connection between psychology and moral philosophy a connection which will be more and more important for moral philosophers parallel to scientific progresses. Of course, this is an immature idea and therefore confronts with some critiques.

In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of selected Cameroonian dietary spices.

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Dzoyem, Jean Paul; Tchuenguem, Roland T; Kuiate, Jules R; Teke, Gerald N; Kechia, Frederick A; Kuete, Victor

2014-02-17

Spices and herbs have been used in food since ancient times to give taste and flavor and also as food preservatives and disease remedies. In Cameroon, the use of spices and other aromatic plants as food flavoring is an integral part of dietary behavior, but relatively little is known about their antifungal potential.The present work was designed to assess the antifungal properties of extracts from spices used in Cameroonian dietary. The in vitro antifungal activities of twenty three extracts from twenty one spices were assessed by the broth micro-dilution method against eight fungi. Also, the in vivo activity of Olax subscorpioidea extract (the most active extract) was evaluated in rat model of disseminated candidiasis due to Candida albicans by estimating the fungal burden in blood and kidney. Seven extracts (30%) exhibited moderate to significant antifungal activities, inhibiting the growth of the microorganisms at concentrations ranging from 0.048 to 0.39 mg/mL. Olax subscorpioidea extract exhibited the highest antifungal activity particularly against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis (MIC of 0.097 mg/mL and 0.048 mg/mL respectively). Sixteen extracts (70%) were weakly active (MICs > 6.25 mg/mL). Oral administration of O. subscorpioidea extract at the dose 2 g/kg of body weight (bw) to artificially infected rats revealed a drop in the number of colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/mL) of Candida albicans cells in the blood below the detection limit (100 cfu/mL) while a modest decrease was observed in the kidney. The present work shows that some of the spices studied possess interesting antifungal properties and could be used to treat candidiasis. Among the plant species tested, Olax subscorpioidea displayed the most promising result.

Preparative separation of flavonoids from the medicinal plant Davilla elliptica St. Hill. by high-speed counter-current chromatography

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Rinaldo Daniel; Silva Marcelo Aparecido; Rodrigues Clenilson Martins; Calvo Tamara Regina; Sannomiya Miriam; Santos Lourdes Campaner dos; Vilegas Wagner; Kushima Hélio; Hiruma-Lima Clélia Akiko; Brito Alba Regina Monteiro de Souza

2006-01-01

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) is a major tool for the fast separation of natural products from plants. It was used for the preparative isolation of the flavonoid monoglucosides present in the aerial parts of the Davilla elliptica St. Hill. (Dilleniaceae). This species is used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of gastric disorders. The optimum solvent system used was composed of a mixture of ethyl acetate-n-propanol-water (140:8:80, v/v/v) and led to a successful...

Cribado para evaluar actividad antibacteriana y antimicótica en plantas utilizadas en medicina popular de Argentina Screening to evaluate the antibacterial and antimycotic activity in plants used in Argentinean folk medicine

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María Claudia Luján

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Se realizó un cribado de 31 extractos de plantas utilizadas en medicina popular de Argentina para evaluar su actividad antibacteriana y antimicótica, con el empleo de cepas de Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus oxacilina sensible y Candida albicans. Se utilizaron distintas concentraciones de cefazolina, ampicilina y miconazol como antibióticos testigos. Se aplicó el método de difusión en pozos de agar nutritivo. Se evaluó la actividad de extractos acuosos de material vegetal. Las estructuras vegetativas y/o reproductivas de Conyza sumatrensis mostraron actividad contra todos los microorganismos tratados, mientras 7 taxones lo hicieron contra Proteus mirabilis y los extractos de la semilla de Bauhinia forficata subsp. pruinosa contra Staphylococcus aureus. Los resultados revestirían potencialidad farmacológica debido a la importancia clínica de los microorganismos estudiados.A screening of 31 extracts of plants used in Argentine folk medicine for antimicrobial activity was made. The activity of aqueous extracts from vegetal material was assayed. Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, oxacillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were used as microorganisms. Different concentrations of cefazolin, ampicilin and miconazole were used as standard antibiotics. The agar-well diffusion method was used. Vegetative or reproductive structures of Conyza sumatrensis showed activity against all the microorganisms studied, whereas 7 taxons did it against Proteus mirabilis and seed extracts from Bauhinia forticata subsp. pruinosa did it against Staphylococcus aureus. The results should have pharmacological potentiality due to the clinical importance of the studied microorganisms.

Medicinal plants used with Thai Traditional Medicine in modern healthcare services: a case study in Kabchoeng Hospital, Surin Province, Thailand.

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Chotchoungchatchai, Somtanuek; Saralamp, Promchit; Jenjittikul, Thaya; Pornsiripongse, Saowapa; Prathanturarug, Sompop

2012-05-07

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is available in many modern hospitals in Thailand. However, there have been difficulties in integrating TTM, particularly the practices of the use of herbal medicines, into modern healthcare services. Kabchoeng Hospital is one hospital that has been able to overcome these difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to document the successful utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital. The documentation focused on both the knowledge of medicinal plants and the success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine in the context of a modern hospital in Thailand. Kabchoeng Hospital was intentionally selected for this case study. Participatory observation was used for the data collection. There were six groups of key informants: three applied Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners (ATTMPs), a pharmacist, two physicians, two folk healers, the head of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and 190 patients. The plant specimens were collected and identified based on the botanical literature and a comparison with authentic specimens; these identifications were assisted by microscopic and thin layer chromatography (TLC) techniques. Eighty-nine medicinal plants were used for the herbal preparations. The ATTMPs used these plants to prepare 29 standard herbal preparations and occasional extemporaneous preparations. Moreover, in this hospital, seven herbal preparations were purchased from herbal medicine manufacturers. In total, 36 preparations were used for 10 groups of symptoms, such as the treatment of respiratory system disorders, musculo-skeletal system disorders, and digestive system disorders. Four success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital were determined. These factors included a proper understanding of the uses of herbal medicines, the successful integration of the modern and TTM healthcare teams, the support of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and the

Fast Technology Analysis (FTA) Enables Identification of Species and Genotypes of Latent Microsporidia Infections in Healthy Native Cameroonians

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Ndzi, Edward S.; Asonganyi, Tazoacha; Nkinin, Mary Bello; Xiao, Lihua; Didier, Elizabeth S.; Bowers, Lisa C.; Nkinin, Stephenson W.; Kaneshiro, Edna S.

2015-01-01

Several enteric microsporidia species have been detected in humans and other vertebrates and their identifications at the genotype level are currently being elucidated. As advanced methods, reagents, and disposal kits for detecting and identifying pathogens become commercially available, it is important to test them in settings other than in laboratories with “state-of-the-art” equipment and well-trained staff members. In the present study, we sought to detect microsporidia DNA preserved and extracted from FTA (fast technology analysis) cards spotted with human fecal suspensions obtained from Cameroonian volunteers living in the capital city of Yaoundé to preclude the need for employing spore-concentrating protocols. Further, we tested whether amplicon nucleotide sequencing approaches could be used on small aliquots taken from the cards to elucidate the diversity of microsporidia species and strains infecting native residents. Of 196 samples analyzed, 12 (6.1%) were positive for microsporidia DNA; Enterocytozoon bieneusi (Type IV and KIN-1), Encephalitozoon cuniculi, and Encephalitozoon intestinalis were identified. These data demonstrate the utility of the FTA cards in identifying genotypes of microsporidia DNA in human fecal samples that may be applied to field testing for prevalence studies. PMID:26303263

CORRELATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHA RACTERISTICS STUDENTS WITH SUCCESS IN PERFORMAnCE OF FOLK DANCES

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Amra Nožinović Mujanović

2007-05-01

Full Text Available On the sam ple of 121stu dent from se cond and third gra de of Fa culty of physi cal edu ca tion and sport, is be ing me a su red by using 20 va ri a bles of morp ho lo gi cal cha racte ri stics and 4 va ri a bles for esti ma tion of the suc cess in per for ming the folk dan ces, with the aim to de ter mi ne the ir con nec tion to the re sults of the esti ma ted va lue from the practi cal part of Folk dan ce lec tu ring. Ba sed on pre sen ted re sults, by ca no nic cor re la tion analysis in ma ni fe sted spa ce, ma jor part of pre dic tion gro up is in vol ved in va ri a bi lity of suc cess of cri te ria va ri a ble what con fi rms one im por tant ca no nic par of fac tors (Ca noni cal R .40.

Folk Calendar of Czechs and Slovaks through the Lens of Language. Review of the book: Valentsova, M. M. (2016. Narodnyi kalendar chekhov i slovakov. Etnolingvisticheskii aspekt [The Folk Calendar of Czechs and Slovaks. An Ethnolinguistic Aspect]. Moscow: Indrik

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Olga V. Morgunova (Atroshenko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The paper reviews the recent book by Marina Valentsova The Folk Calendar of Czechs and Slovaks investigating into the lexicographic, semantic, genetic and structural aspects of the study of folk calendar. The book pays special attention to Czech and Slovak chrononymy and, thus, is of interest for onomatologists. The reviewer acknowledges the abundance of the studied linguistic and ethno-cultural data retrieved from a large number of sources including those previously unpublished and describes the Czech and Slovak dictionaries presented in the book under review: according to the reviewer, one of the author's achievements is the elaboration of the structure of an encyclopedic article most appropriate for the ethnolinguistic interpretation of lexis. Such a structure enables not only to elicit the linguistic links of calendar terms, but also to describe the corresponding realia and their relations. The other parts of the book that discuss the key issues in the study of Czech and Slovak calendar terminology appear to be of no less value. All the studied materials are divided into five groups: chrononyms as such; names of rites and ritual actions; names of ritual objects; names of actors; names of calendar folk elements. The author gives a comprehensive description of formal, semantic and symbolic properties of common nouns and proper names constituting these five groups of lexis, focusing on the comparative analysis of the Czech and Slovak traditions. The reviewed work is characterized as an innovative research that offers new challenges for scholars from various fields of humanities.

Screening native botanicals for bioactivity: an interdisciplinary approach

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Boudreau, Anik; Cheng, Diana M.; Ruiz, Carmen; Ribnicky, David; Allain, Larry K.; Brassieur, C. Ray; Turnipseed, D. Phil; Cefalu, William T.; Floyd, Z. Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Objective: Plant-based therapies have been used in medicine throughout recorded history. Information about the therapeutic properties of plants often can be found in local cultures as folk medicine is communicated from one generation to the next. The aim of this study was to identify native Louisiana plants from Creole folk medicine as a potential source of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and related disorders.

Methoxyflavones from New Lingzhi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lingzhi (Agaricomycetes).

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Shimizu, Kuniyoshi; Amen, Yhiya M; Kaifuchi, Satoru

2016-01-01

Ganoderma lingzhi is one of the most famous medicinal fungi in the world. It has been used in folk medicine, especially in East Asian countries. It is also a white-rot fungus with strong wood degradation ability, especially against lignin. Different classes of bioactive natural products have been reported in Ganoderma, including triterpenes, polysaccharides, sterols, and peptides. The triterpenes and polysaccharides are the primary bioactive compounds of Ganoderma. We report for the first time the presence of 3 methoxyflavones as minor constituents in G. linghzi. The 3 compounds were identified based on different spectroscopic techniques, including 1- and 2-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-1H correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum coherence, and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation) and mass spectrometry (high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry). Our report provides an approach to a possible biosynthetic pathway for biosynthetic genes in the mushrooms. Another great possibility is that these compounds may exist or be formed through degradation of the components in the woody substrate, such as lignin, and then subsequently translocate to the fruiting bodies.

Losing fat, gaining treatments: the use of biomedicine as a cure for folk illnesses in the Andes.

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Blaisdell, Amy; Vindal Ødegaard, Cecilie

2014-07-03

This article explores how people in the Andes incorporate beliefs from both biomedical and ethnomedical systems in treating folk illnesses that often involve spiritual beings. The article focuses on the kharisiri-one who is believed to steal fat and blood from unsuspecting humans to make exchanges with the devil. The kharisiri in turn is rewarded with good fortune. Victims of kharisiris, however, fall ill and may die if untreated. Historically, kharisiri victims relied on ethnomedicine for treatment, but it appears biomedical pills are now perceived by some as an effective treatment. By drawing on participants' attitudes towards biomedicine, and how people in the Andes conceptualize health, this article theorizes as to why biomedical pills are sought to treat kharisiri attacks but not for other folk illnesses. Fieldwork was conducted in Arequipa and Yunguyo among market vendors, who make up a significant portion of Peru's working population. This type of work increases the risk of different illnesses due to work conditions like exposure to extreme temperatures, long-distance travel, and social dynamics. Biomedical and ethnomedical products are often sold in and around marketplaces, making vendors a compelling group for exploring issues relating to treatment systems. Qualitative data was collected in 2011 with a follow-up visit in 2013. Participant observation, informal conversations, and unstructured interviews with 29 participants informed the study. Participants unanimously reported that biomedical pills are not capable of treating folk illnesses such as susto and mal de ojo. Several participants reported that pharmaceutical pills can cure kharisiri victims. In comparison to other folk illnesses that involve spiritual beings, those who fall ill from a kharisiri attack lose physical elements (fat and blood) rather than their soul (ánimo) or becoming ill due to a misbalance in reciprocal relations-either with humans or non-human beings such as Pachamama. Because

We and they in the house of healing: debate among Arab complementary medicine practitioners on an integrative versus alternative approach to supportive cancer care.

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Popper-Giveon, Ariela; Schiff, Elad; Ben-Arye, Eran

2013-11-01

Complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) plays an important role in culture-centered care for cancer patients in the Middle East. In this article, we have studied the attitudes of Arab CTM therapists concerning integration of complementary medicine within the conventional supportive cancer care of Arab patients in northern Israel. Semistructured interviews were held with 27 Arab therapists who use medicinal herbs, the Quran, and various CTM modalities, with the aim of characterizing their treatment practices and learning about their perspectives regarding conventional cancer care. We first summarized the different characteristics of the various CTM therapists, including training, typical practice, and so on. Thematic analysis revealed that folk healers and complementary medicine therapists describe their role as supportive and secondary to that of physicians. Their goal was not to cure patients with cancer but rather to enhance their quality of life by reducing the severity of both the disease symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment. Religious healers, by contrast, purport to cure the disease. While folk healers opt for parallel alternative care and complementary therapists support integrative care, religious healers claimed that they offer an alternative to conventional medicine in terms of both etiology and practice. The majority of Arab CTM therapists support integration of their treatments with the conventional system, but in practice, they are not sure how to bring about this change or create a parallel model in which 2 different systems are active, but not integrated. Our findings emphasized the need to promote doctor-CTM practitioner communication based on structured referral and bidirectional consultation. Moreover, we recommend intensifying research on the efficacy and safety of CTM in the Middle East and the potential role in promoting culture-based supportive care.

The Effects of Folk Dance Training on 5-6 Years Children's Physical and Social Development

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Biber, Kazim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of folk dance training on 5-6 year old Pre-school children's physical and social development. The experimental design with an experimental and control group was used in accordance with the quantitative research methods in this research. The research has been conducted with the participation of 40…

[Minna Ahokas. Valistus suomalaisessa kirjakulttuurissa 1700-luvulla. Bidrag till kännedom av Finlands natur och folk 188] / Tuija Laine

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Laine, Tuija, 1964-

2012-01-01

Arvustus: Minna Ahokas. Valistus suomalaisessa kirjakulttuurissa 1700-luvulla. Bidrag till kännedom av Finlands natur och folk 188. Diss. Sasatamala : Finska Vetenskaps-societeten. (Suomen Tiedeseura, 2011)

Poor Acceptability of Female Condom by Young Cameroonians: an Unmet Programmatic Agenda for HIV Prevention.

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Sanou Sobze, Martin; Fokam, Joseph; Onohiol, James-Francis; Soung Iballa, Brice; Djeunang, Bruna; Azeufack Ngueko, Yannick; Mbida, Mpoame; Ercoli, Lucia; Colizzi, Vittorio; Russo, Gianluca

2016-01-01

An important component of the response to the AIDS epidemic is the prevention of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases through the use of condoms. In order to enhance HIV prevention programs and minimize the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies, female condoms have been introduced within the community, with the ultimate goal of reducing vulnerability of women. The success of such a program depends on its acceptance by the target population. A survey was conducted among 426 respondents from different regions of Cameroon, to evaluate their perception of HIV/AIDS and their level of acceptance of condom usage in general, and female condom use in particular. Respondents were young adults residing in seven regions of Cameroon (86.4% west, 6.5% Littoral, 3% Centre and 4.1% Adamawa, East, Far-North and North-West). Mean age was 22.6 years; 57% were male, 95% were single, and 77% were university educated. Overall, 76% of participants reported using condoms, though 48% complained of decreased sexual satisfaction. Interestingly, awareness regarding female condoms was 74.5% and 88.5% in men and women respectively, however only 8% and 9.9% respectively reported having ever used them. Respondents generally learnt about sexual education through broadcasting media (~90%). In this sexually active Cameroonian population, the rate of acceptance or use of female condom remains very low, even among women. Strategies to increase awareness of female condoms among young women, their benefits and correct use, are needed.

Medicinal plants in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections.

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Safavi, Maliheh; Shams-Ardakani, Mohammadreza; Foroumadi, Alireza

2015-07-01

Helicobacter pylori is a small, spiral, Gram-negative bacillus that plays a role in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases ranging from asymptomatic gastritis to gastric cancer. Schedule compliance, antibiotic drug resistance, and side-effects of triple or quadruple therapy have led to research for novel candidates from plants. The purpose of this paper is to review the most potent medicinal plants of recently published literature with anti-H. pylori activity. For centuries, herbals have been used by traditional healers around the world to treat various gastrointestinal tract disorders such as dyspepsia, gastritis, and peptic ulcer disease. The mechanism of action by which these botanicals exert their therapeutic properties has not been completely and clearly elucidated. Anti-H. pylori properties may be one of the possible mechanisms by which gastroprotective herbs treat gastrointestinal tract disorders. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Google scholar, EBSCO, and local databases were explored for medicinal plants with anti-H. pylori properties between 1984 and 2013 using key words "medicinal plants" and "Helicobacter pylori" or "anti-Helicobacter pylori". A total of 43 medicinal plant species belonging to 27 families including Amaryllidaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae, Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Clusiaceae, Chancapiedra, Combretaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Geraniaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Lythraceae, Menispermaceae, Myristicaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Papaveraceae, Plumbaginaceae, Poaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Theaceae were studied as herbs with potent anti-H. pylori effects. Traditional folk medicinal use of some of these plants to treat gastric infections is substantiated by the antibacterial activity of their extracts against H. pylori.

Evaluation of selected Indian traditional folk medicinal plants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with antioxidant and cytotoxicity study.

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Tawde K. V

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate different solvent extracts of selected Indian traditional medicinal plant against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, its antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity. Methods: Acacia catechu (L. Willd (Root extract and Ailanthus excelsa Roxb., leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos Corr., Andrographis paniculata Nees. and Datura metel L. were sequentially extracted in water, ethanol, chloroform and hexane and evaluated for their anti-tuberculosis (TB activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using agar diffusion assay. The zone of inhibition ( at 20 and 40 mg/ ml was measured and MIC were calculated. The results were compared with Rifampicin as a standard anti TB drug. The extracts were also evaluated for DPPH and OH radical scavenging activities to understand their antioxidant potential. MTT based cytotoxicity assay was used for evaluating cytotoxicity of the selected samples against Chang liver cells. Results: The selected botanicals were sequentially extracted in water, ethanol, chloroform and hexane and tested for growth inhibition of M. tuberculosi. The hexane extract of A. catechu root and ethanol extract of A. paniculata leaf showed promising activity against M. tuberculosis while remaining extracts showed moderate anti TB activity. The samples were found to possess considerable DPPH and OH radical scavenging activities with no demonstrable cytotoxicity against Chang liver cells. Conclusions: Five traditional medicinal plants were selected for the present study. The selection of medicinal plants was based on their traditional usage for the treatment of tuberculosis, asthma and chronic respiratory diseases. Herein we report for the first time, the anti TB activity of root extracts of Acacia catechu and Ailanthus excelsa while leaf extract of Andrographis paniculata, Aegle marmelos and Datura metel. The study holds importance in the midst of multi drug resistance (MDR crisis in the TB management, since it unravels the scientific basis

Vertebrates used for medicinal purposes by members of the Nyishi and Galo tribes in Arunachal Pradesh (North-East India

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Meyer-Rochow V

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Arunachal Pradesh, the easternmost part of India, is endowed with diverse natural resources and inhabited by a variety of ethnic groups that have developed skills to exploit the biotic resources of the region for food and medicines. Information on animals and animal parts as components of folk remedies used by local healers and village headmen of the Nyishi and Galo tribes in their respective West Siang and Subansiri districts were obtained through interviews and structured questionnaires. Of a total of 36 vertebrate species used in treatments of ailments and diseases, mammals comprised 50%; they were followed by birds (22%, fishes (17%, reptiles (8% and amphibians (3%. Approximately 20 common complaints of humans as well as foot and mouth disease of cattle were targets of zootherapies. Most commonly treated were fevers, body aches and pains, tuberculosis, malaria, wounds and burns, typhoid, smallpox, dysentery and diarrhoea, jaundice, and early pregnancy pains. Very few domestic animal species (e.g., goat and cattle were used zootherapeutically. More frequently it was wild animals, including endangered or protective species like hornbill, pangolin, clouded leopard, tiger, bear, and wolf, whose various parts were either used in folk remedies or as food. Some of the animal-based traditional medicines or animal parts were sold at local markets, where they had to compete with modern, western pharmaceuticals. To record, document, analyze and test the animal-derived local medicines before they become replaced by western products is one challenge; to protect the already dwindling populations of certain wild animal species used as a resource for the traditional animal-derived remedies, is another.

Wavelet-filtering of symbolic music representations for folk tune segmentation and classification

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Velarde, Gissel; Weyde, Tillman; Meredith, David

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate a machine-learning method in which symbolic representations of folk songs are segmented and classified into tune families with Haar-wavelet filtering. The method is compared with previously proposed Gestalt based method. Melodies are represented as discrete...... coefficients’ local maxima to indicate local boundaries and classify segments by means of k-nearest neighbours based on standard vector-metrics (Euclidean, cityblock), and compare the results to a Gestalt-based segmentation method and metrics applied directly to the pitch signal. We found that the wavelet...

SAINT APOLLONIA: BETWEEN PAGANISM AND CHRISTIANITY IN MEDICINE

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Gheorghe Gh. BĂLAN

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The history of medicine and dentistry shows that dental medicine is entitled to take upon itself, as representative elements of the field, symbols or spiritual protectors, religious (either Christian or pagan archetypes from different historical periods. These paved the way for the elaboration of a long-lasting set of professional and ethical criteria that ennoble today the dental profession. The present study analyzes some of the symbols of historical-religious nature, stressing their cultural impact and the manner in which such symbols are interpreted in various scientific, medical, theological, artistic contexts and, last but not least, in the general social perception. The professional ethical domain of dentistry makes use of numerous symbols with religious connotation, the more so that this branch of medicine and the various religions have numerous elements in common. Either stylistically, or appearing as products of folk culture, the main symbolistic or legendary references specific to dental culture are the legend of Cadmus and the canonization of Saint Apollonia, the champion of dentists and of those suffering from toothache. Such symbols give to the representatives of this profession a feeling of belonging to a noble medical domain; they also decode and facilitate communication with patients, therefore being outflanked by the idea that awareness on the existence of such religious symbols and on their practical cohesion is especially helpful.

Traditional herbal medicine in Far-west Nepal: a pharmacological appraisal

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Shrestha Keshab P

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant species have long been used as principal ingredients of traditional medicine in far-west Nepal. The medicinal plants with ethnomedicinal values are currently being screened for their therapeutic potential but their data and information are inadequately compared and analyzed with the Ayurveda and the phytochemical findings. Methods The present study evaluated ethnomedicinal plants and their uses following literature review, comparison, field observations, and analysis. Comparison was made against earlier standard literature of medicinal plants and ethnomedicine of the same area, the common uses of the Ayurveda and the latest common phytochemical findings. The field study for primary data collection was carried out from 2006-2008. Results The herbal medicine in far-west Nepal is the basis of treatment of most illness through traditional knowledge. The medicine is made available via ancient, natural health care practices such as tribal lore, home herbal remedy, and the Baidhya, Ayurveda and Amchi systems. The traditional herbal medicine has not only survived but also thrived in the trans-cultural environment with its intermixture of ethnic traditions and beliefs. The present assessment showed that traditional herbal medicine has flourished in rural areas where modern medicine is parsimoniously accessed because of the high cost and long travel time to health center. Of the 48 Nepalese medicinal plants assessed in the present communication, about half of the species showed affinity with the common uses of the Ayurveda, earlier studies and the latest phytochemical findings. The folk uses of Acacia catechu for cold and cough, Aconitum spicatum as an analgesic, Aesculus indica for joint pain, Andrographis paniculata for fever, Anisomeles indica for urinary affections, Azadirachta indica for fever, Euphorbia hirta for asthma, Taxus wallichiana for tumor control, and Tinospora sinensis for diabetes are consistent with the latest

Development of quality standards of medicinal mistletoe – Helicanthes elastica (Desr. Danser employing Pharmacopoeial procedures

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K.N. Sunil Kumar

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Helicanthes elastica (Desr. Danser (Loranthaceae, commonly known as Indian mango mistletoe, is a parasitic shrub found widely growing on mango trees in southern India. Development of monographic quality standards is need of the hour for Pharmacopoeial/extra-Pharmacopoeial and folk medicinal plants. Systematic pharmacognostical evaluation of leaves of H. elastica has been carried out employing Pharmacopoeial procedures of testing herbal drugs. Macro–microscopic features of H. elastica leaf were recorded. Ethanolic extract was tested positive for alkaloids, steroids, carbohydrates, tannins, saponins and phenols. HPTLC fingerprint profile was developed for the identification of extracts using reference standard β-sitosterol glucoside. Results of the present investigation would serve as a source of pharmacognostical information and a document to control the quality of H. elastica (Desr. Danser. Keywords: HPTLC, Mango mistletoe, Medicinal plant monograph, Quality control

Weaves and Colours of Lithuanian Folk Skirts Fabrics

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Eglė KUMPIKAITĖ

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the article weaves and colours of Lithuanian folk skirts fabrics are analysed. The investigation objects are the skirts from funds of three Lithuanian Museums: 258 skirts from National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art, 85 skirts from Lithuanian Open Air Museum and 16 skirts from A. and A. Tamošaitis gallery “Židinys”. Distribution of skirts fabrics according to weaves was estimated, and it shows, that fabrics of plain weave are most widespread (53 %, combined and twill weaves are less popular (19 % and 18 %, respectively. The weaves of fabrics are determined during investigation and plans of weave were made proposing recommendations for manufacturing of similar fabrics. Also distribution of colours and number of colours in the fabrics were analysed. The biggest number of colours is in fabrics of simple weaves (plain and twill, and the most characteristic are green, red, black and blue colours. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.3.5240

Greater Celandine's Ups and Downs−21 Centuries of Medicinal Uses of Chelidonium majus From the Viewpoint of Today's Pharmacology

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Sylwia Zielińska

2018-04-01

Full Text Available As antique as Dioscorides era are the first records on using Chelidonium as a remedy to several sicknesses. Inspired by the “signatura rerum” principle and an apparent ancient folk tradition, various indications were given, such as anti-jaundice and cholagogue, pain-relieving, and quite often mentioned—ophthalmological problems. Central and Eastern European folk medicine has always been using this herb extensively. In this region, the plant is known under many unique vernacular names, especially in Slavonic languages, associated or not with old Greek relation to “chelidon”—the swallow. Typically for Papaveroidae subfamily, yellow-colored latex is produced in abundance and leaks intensely upon injury. Major pharmacologically relevant components, most of which were first isolated over a century ago, are isoquinoline alkaloids—berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, coptisine, sanguinarine. Modern pharmacology took interest in this herb but it has not ended up in gaining an officially approved and evidence-based herbal medicine status. On the contrary, the number of relevant studies and publications tended to drop. Recently, some controversial reports and sometimes insufficiently proven studies appeared, suggesting anticancer properties. Anticancer potential was in line with anecdotical knowledge spread in East European countries, however, in the absence of directly-acting cytostatic compounds, some other mechanisms might be involved. Other properties that could boost the interest in this herb are antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Being a common synanthropic weed or ruderal plant, C. majus spreads in all temperate Eurasia and acclimates well to North America. Little is known about the natural variation of bioactive metabolites, including several aforementioned isoquinoline alkaloids. In this review, we put together older and recent literature data on phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical studies on C. majus aiming at a

Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Folk Music Analysis, 15-17 June, 2016

OpenAIRE

Beauguitte, Pierre; Duggan, Bryan; Kelleher, John

2016-01-01

The Folk Music Analysis Workshop brings together computational music analysis and ethnomusicology. Both symbolic and audio representations of music are considered, with a broad range of scientific approaches being applied (signal processing, graph theory, deep learning). The workshop features a range of interesting talks from international researchers in areas such as Indian classical music, Iranian singing, Ottoman-Turkish Makam music scores, Flamenco singing, Irish traditional music, Georgi...

Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae: A Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of This Medicinal Plant

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Juliana Félix-Silva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae, widely known as “bellyache bush,” is a medicinal plant largely used throughout Africa and America. Several human and veterinary uses in traditional medicine are described for different parts and preparations based on this plant. However, critical reviews discussing emphatically its medicinal value are missing. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the traditional uses, as well as the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity data of J. gossypiifolia species, in view of discussing its medicinal value and potential application in complementary and alternative medicine. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated significant action of different extracts and/or isolated compounds as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, and anticancer agents, among others, supporting some of its popular uses. No clinical trial has been detected to date. Further studies are necessary to assay important folk uses, as well as to find new bioactive molecules with pharmacological relevance based on the popular claims. Toxicological studies associated with phytochemical analysis are important to understand the eventual toxic effects that could reduce its medicinal value. The present review provides insights for future research aiming for both ethnopharmacological validation of its popular use and its exploration as a new source of herbal drugs and/or bioactive natural products.

Inhibition of Th1 and Th17 Cells by Medicinal Plants and Their Derivatives: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Asadi-Samani, Majid; Bagheri, Nader; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Shirzad, Hedayatollah

2017-08-01

Searching for new natural drugs that are capable of targeting Th1 and Th17 may lead to development of more effective treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Most of the natural drugs can be derived from plants that are used in traditional medicine and folk medicine. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and introduce plants or plant derivatives that are effective on inflammatory diseases by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 responses. To achieve this purpose, the search terms herb, herbal medicine, herbal drug, medicinal plant, phytochemical, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, natural compound, inflammation, inflammatory diseases, Th1, Th17, T helper 1 or T helper 17 were used separately in Title/Keywords/Abstract in Web of Science and PubMed databases. In articles investigating the effect of the medicinal plants and their derivatives in inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells, the effects of eight extracts of the medicinal plants, 21 plant-based compounds and some of their derivatives, and eight drugs derived from the medicinal plants' compounds in inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells were reviewed. The results showed that medicinal plants and their derivates are able to suppress Th17 and Th1 T cell functions as well as cytokine secretion and differentiation. The results can be used to produce herbal drugs that suppress Th, especially Th17, responses. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cranberry juice-- a well-characterized folk-remedy against bacterial urinary tract infection.

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Nowack, Rainer

2007-01-01

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a North-American folk remedy for treating and preventing infection. Research has identified an anti-adhesive mechanism of cranberry-proanthocyanidins that inhibit docking of bacteria on tissues "in vitro". This efficacy mechanism can be traced in the patient's urine following oral intake of cranberry juice. The efficacy of cranberry juice and extracts as a prophylactic agent against recurrent urinary infections is well documented in women. The anti-adhesion effect of cranberry-proanthocyandins can also be applied for treatment of other common diseases of bacterial pathogenesis, e.g. Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and dental caries/periodontal disease.

Quantitative study of medicinal plants used by the communities residing in Koh-e-Safaid Range, northern Pakistani-Afghan borders.

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Hussain, Wahid; Badshah, Lal; Ullah, Manzoor; Ali, Maroof; Ali, Asghar; Hussain, Farrukh

2018-04-25

The residents of remote areas mostly depend on folk knowledge of medicinal plants to cure different ailments. The present study was carried out to document and analyze traditional use regarding the medicinal plants among communities residing in Koh-e-Safaid Range northern Pakistani-Afghan border. A purposive sampling method was used for the selection of informants, and information regarding the ethnomedicinal use of plants was collected through semi-structured interviews. The collected data was analyzed through quantitative indices viz. relative frequency citation, use value, and family use value. The conservation status of medicinal plants was enumerated with the help of International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Categories and Criteria (2001). Plant samples were deposited at the Herbarium of Botany Department, University of Peshawar for future reference. One hundred eight informants including 72 male and 36 female were interviewed. The informants provided information about 92 plants species used in the treatment of 53 ailments. The informant reported maximum number of species used for the treatment of diabetes (16 species), followed by carminatives (12 species), laxatives (11 species), antiseptics (11 species), for cough (10 species), to treat hepatitis (9 species), for curing diarrhea (7 species), and to cure ulcers (7 species), etc. Decoction (37 species, i.e., 40%) was the common method of recipe preparation. Most familiar medicinal plants were Withania coagulans, Caralluma tuberculata, and Artemisia absinthium with relative frequency (0.96), (0.90), and (0.86), respectively. The relative importance of Withania coagulans was highest (1.63) followed by Artemisia absinthium (1.34), Caralluma tuberculata (1.20), Cassia fistula (1.10), Thymus linearis (1.06), etc. This study allows identification of novel uses of plants. Abies pindrow, Artemisia scoparia, Nannorrhops ritchiana, Salvia reflexa, and Vincetoxicum cardiostephanum have not been reported

[Investigation, collation and research of traditional Dai medicine of China].

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Zhang, Li-Xia; Zhang, Zhong-Lian; Li, Hai-Tao; Niu, Ying-Fen; Guan, Yan-Hong; Ma, Xiao-Jun

2016-08-01

In order to find out the composition, characteristics and traditional utilization characteristics of Dai medicine and promote the rational protection, inheritance and utilization of the resources and traditional knowledge of Dai medicine in China, the resources of traditional Dai medicine have been investigated systematically and the traditional knowledge of Dai medicine have been analyzed in the article. We found out that there were altogether 1 077 kinds of traditional Dai medicine in China and among which 272 were the first time recorded in the condition of Dai folk medical uses. There were 1 053 plant medicines which belong to 169 family and 694 genus. These plant medicines mainly distributed in the southern, west southern and east southern area of Yunnan province, the southern area of Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan, Fujian province and tropical, subtropical district as Taiwan, and more than 94.49% plant medicines could be found in Yunnan province. From the point of plant life form, they were major herbaceous or shrubby plants; When it is used as medicinal part, root and rhizome of plants account for the highest proportion, the next were whole plant and leaves. From nature, flavor and channel tropism points of view, the largest proportion of Dai medicines were cool, bitter-tasted and possesses water element. In terms of treatment of disease types, most of the drugs can treat gastrointestinal diseases, next were drugs that could be used to treat upper respiratory infection, traumatological and rheumatic diseases, urinary infection, gynecological diseases, hepatopathy, puerperium fever and diseases caused by poisonous insects and beast of prey bite. The study revealed that the resources of traditional Dai medicine and traditional knowledge of application were abundant in China, but the resources of traditional Dai medicine and traditional knowledge of application were faced with the risk of gradually reduce and loss. The article suggested that we should

Ethnobotanical investigation of traditional medicinal plants commercialized in the markets of Mashhad, Iran

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Mohammad Sadegh Amiri

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: An ethnobotanical survey on the medicinal plant species marketed in Mashhad city, northeastern Iran, was conducted in order to document traditional medicinal knowledge and application of medicinal plants. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken between 2011 and 2012. The indigenous knowledge of traditional healers used for medicinal purposes were collected through questionnaire and personal interviews during field trips. Ethnobotanical data was arranged alphabetically by family name followed by botanical name, vernacular name, part used, folk use, and recipe. Correct identification was made with the help of the various Floras and different herbal literature at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbarium (FUMH. Results: The present investigation reported medicinal information for about 269 species, belonging to 87 vascular plant families and one fungus family. The most important family was Lamiaceae with 26 species, followed by Asteraceae with 23, Fabaceae with 20, and Apiaceae with 19. Herbal medicine uses reported by herbalists was classified into 132 different uses which show significant results to treat a wide spectrum of human ailments. Plants sold at the market were mostly used for digestive system disorders, respiratory problems, urological troubles, nervous system disorders, skin problems, and gynecological ailments. Conclusion: This survey showed that although people in study area have access to modern medical facilities,  a lot of them still continue to depend on medicinal plants for the treatment of healthcare problems. The present paper represents significant ethnobotanical information on medical plants which provides baseline data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies.

THE RING IN THE FOLK STORIES-HALK ANLATILARINDA YÜZÜK

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Yaprak Pelin Uluışık

2017-04-01

Full Text Available A ring is not just a piece of jewelry that indicates commitment, endless unity and loyalty; it is a symbol that has a chain of common meanings intertwined with similar features in different geographies. It is seen that rings in myths, epics, legends, fairy tales and folk stories provide features such as power, control, wisdom, youth, earthly and spiritual prosperity, good fortune, invisibility, shape changing, talking with plants and animals. Heroes wearing these rings that protect the human soul from the evil will not suffer in any way. In the stories of the west, it is often mentioned about cursed rings that effects its owner in a bad manner and brings only bad luck. These rings, located in places that can be associated with the underground such as the ground, the hole, the cave and the water bed, are given to the heroes by supernatural beings or wise men. Supernatural beings, such as demons or giants, are trapped in these rings, many of which are magical, as slaves of the rings at an unknown time. When the hero rubs his ring, reverses it, puts it in his mouth; when he hits the ring or whistles to it, the slave of the ring comes out and asks the hero for his wish. This wish is carried out by the slave right after the hero tells the slave what he wishes. In this article, many examples from the Chinese myths to the Arabic tales, from the Babylonian Talmud to the descriptions of Scandinavian, Celtic, Welsh, French and Spanish culture have been examined in order to determine the characteristics of the rings mentioned in folkloric tales. In addition, many examples of Turkish folk literature from Dede Korkut to Anatolian tales were also discussed.

The Cause of WanXi Folk Songs and music Characteristic%皖西民歌的成因及音乐特征

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

黄梅

2014-01-01

WanXi folk songs ,as an important branch of the Dabie Mountains , have distinct characteristics : both folk songs ,minor , and chant , chanting the words , rhythm and speed is relatively free . In the use of tuning , the symptoms of Pentatonic tuning is the most common ,following is five sound feather tuning and pentatonic Palace tuning , business transfer type , angle tuning barely , six sound and seven - tone style is rare . It different in pitch change and volume processing of each branches of WanXi folk songs . This form of music characterized and the body ,mainly due to the spread of WanXi folk songs birthplace and the main characteristics of the popular area .%皖西民歌作为大别山民歌的重要分支，具有鲜明的音乐特色：不论是山歌、小调，还是号子、诵词，音乐的节奏和速度都比较自由；在调式使用方面，最常见的为五声徵调式，其次是五声羽调式，再次是五声宫调式，商调式使用较少，而角调式几乎没有，六声及七声调式也很少见；在音高变化和音量处理方面，皖西民歌的各个支系皆有不同。这种音乐本体特征的形成，主要是受皖西民歌发源地和主要流传地的地域特征影响。

Using of Folk Art to Enhance Learning at English Lessons in Primary School

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Tetyana Blyznyuk

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In today’s multicultural space we can feel reassessment of existing paradigms of education in view of globalization changes, interstate cooperation in cultural and educational spheres. The article highlights the problem of human adaptation to foreign cultural environment, the contents of ethnographic knowledge, the needs of modern European and global integration. So the paper analyzes and interprets the urgent the idea of using ethnographic materials, including folk art, in teaching humanities and arts subjects in primary school, particularly in native and foreign languages, reading, science, music, manual work, etc.

Medicinal and economic value of spondias mombin | Ayoka | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article reviewed the folk medical value of Spondias mombin with the correlated research findings on the uses of Spondias mombin. Most of the folk uses had been scientifically proven in most of the regions where those beliefs are based. The plant was described with habitat, the local uses including the uses of its parts ...

Russian Folk Culture in the 20 th Century: Oral Evidence of the Villagers (On the Materials of Folklore Expeditions

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Ekaterina A. Dorokhova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Folk culture is capable of developing certain adaptation mechanisms that help it promptly react to the changing conditions of natural, socio-political, and economic environment. This is evidenced by the stories of the villagers recorded during folklore expeditions to different regions of Russia. The article highlights changes that took place in the traditional Russian culture under the influence of collectivization in the 1920s–1930s, the collapse of kolkhozes in the 1990s, the development of the rural club amateur performances in the Soviet time, the events of the World War II, modern military conflicts, and Chernobyl ecological catastrophe. The authors come to conclusion that representatives of traditional culture flexibly adapt to their new living conditions, while extreme conditions such as wars and ecological catastrophes often contribute to the actualization of folk culture and enable the return of its certain aspects to living practice.

Magnetism in Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Schenck, John

2000-03-01

For centuries physicians, scientists and others have postulated an important role, either as a cause of disease or as a mode of therapy, for magnetism in medicine. Although there is a straightforward role in the removal of magnetic foreign bodies, the majority of the proposed magnetic applications have been controversial and have often been attributed by mainstream practitioners to fraud, quackery or self-deception. Calculations indicate that many of the proposed methods of action, e.g., the field-induced alignment of water molecules or alterations in blood flow, are of negligible magnitude. Nonetheless, even at the present time, the use of small surface magnets (magnetotherapy) to treat arthritis and similar diseases is a widespread form of folk medicine and is said to involve sales of approximately one billion dollars per year. Another medical application of magnetism associated with Mesmer and others (eventually known as animal magnetism) has been discredited, but has had a culturally significant role in the development of hypnotism and as one of the sources of modern psychotherapy. Over the last two decades, in marked contrast to previous applications of magnetism to medicine, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, has become firmly established as a clinical diagnostic tool. MRI permits the non-invasive study of subtle biological processes in intact, living organisms and approximately 150,000,000 diagnostic studies have been performed since its clinical introduction in the early 1980s. The dramatically swift and widespread acceptance of MRI was made possible by scientific and engineering advances - including nuclear magnetic resonance, computer technology and whole-body-sized, high field superconducting magnets - in the decades following World War Two. Although presently used much less than MRI, additional applications, including nerve and muscle stimulation by pulsed magnetic fields, the use of magnetic forces to guide surgical instruments, and imaging utilizing

Folk Theories of Happiness: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Conceptions of Happiness in Germany and South Africa

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Pflug, Jan

2009-01-01

Although happiness as a state of mind may be universal, its meaning takes culture-specific forms. Drawing on the concept of folk theories, this study attempted to uncover lay beliefs about the nature of happiness in Germany and South Africa. To that end, 57 German and 44 black South African students wrote free-format essays in response to the…

Health traditions of Sikkim Himalaya

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Ashok Kumar Panda

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Ancient medical systems are still prevalent in Sikkim, popularly nurtured by Buddhist groups using the traditional Tibetan pharmacopoeia overlapping with Ayurvedic medicine. Traditional medical practices and their associated cultural values are based round Sikkim′s three major communities, Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepalis. In this study, a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared for folk healers covering age and sex, educational qualification, source of knowledge, types of practices, experience and generation of practice, and transformation of knowledge. These were administered to forty-eight folk healers identified in different parts of Sikkim. 490 medicinal plants find their habitats in Sikkim because of its large variations in altitude and climate. For 31 commonly used by these folk healers, we present botanical name, family, local name, distribution, and parts used, together with their therapeutic uses, mostly Rheumatoid arthritis, Gout, Gonorrhea, Fever, Viral flu, asthma, Cough and Cold, indigestion, Jaundice etc. A case treated by a folk healer is also recounted. This study indicates that, in the studied area, Sikkim′s health traditions and folk practices are declining due to shifts in socio-economic patterns, and unwillingness of the younger generation to adopt folk healing as a profession.

Léčení a léčitelství v lidové tradici, 24-25. září 2014, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Motyčková, Dana

2014-01-01

Roč. 101, č. 4 (2014), s. 485-487 ISSN 0009-0794 Institutional support: RVO:68378076 Keywords : workshop * folk medicine * folk tradition * ways of healing * healers. Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology Impact factor: 0.094, year: 2012

The health education of folk midwives: the Serviço Especial de Saúde Pública and mother-child assistance (1940-1960).

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Tânia Maria de Almeida; Ferreira, Luiz Otávio

2011-12-01

The article addresses an endeavor by Serviço Especial de Saúde Pública (Sesp) to train folk midwives who worked in rural communities and to exercise control over these women's activities. The task was entrusted to the agency's prenatal and child hygiene programs, established between the 1940s and 1960s. The agency believed this training and control initiative would be of major importance in helping ensure the success of its project to establish local sanitary services offering mother-child assistance. The goal of working directly with the folk midwives was not only to force them to employ strict hygiene standards when delivering and caring for newborns but especially to use their influence and prestige within these communities to convince the general population to adopt good health practices.

FORMING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS OF THE PROSPECTIVE HEADS OF CHILDREN'S DANCE GROUPS DURING THE CHOREOGRAPHIC ACTIVITIES IN THE COURSE "FOLK DANCE THEORY AND METHODOLOGY"

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Volodymyr Kotov

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the urgent problem of contemporary art pedagogy – involvement to training future professional choreographic traditions of different nations. Addressing to this problem is caused by a number of socio-political events in Ukraine, mainstreaming of national and international education, integration of Ukrainian education with the European educational space, intensive development of domestic students’ intercultural communication with young people from different countries, which is the basis for updating national art education. Prospective choreographers, who are being training at pedagogical universities to manage children's dance groups, should actively be involved into creating their own productions of folk dance various genres. It promotes the formation of choreographers’ professional competence and pedagogical skills. The development of Georgian "Lezginka" is proposed – a joint creative work of the teacher and students who get higher education degree in SHEE “Donbass State Pedagogical University” (Bachelor's Degree. Development of the dance contains schematic drawings of dance figures, it is recommended for use in forming choreographers’ professional skills while studying the course "Folk Dance Theory and Methodology". The author admits that folklore material requires a cautious, respectful attitude. Therefore, modern folk stage dances are integrally to combine traditional choreographic manner with its new interpretations. The author believes the actual capture of different nations’ choreographic culture improves intercultural youth communication; involves future professionals into the traditions of different nations; form professional skills of managers of children’s dance groups. The author concluded that a dance always reflects consciousness of different nations; future choreographers should be aware of characteristic features of dances of different world nations so that on the basis of traditional

Evidences of Herbal Medicine-Derived Natural Products Effects in Inflammatory Lung Diseases

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Fernanda Paula R. Santana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pulmonary inflammation is a hallmark of many respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, and acute respiratory syndrome distress (ARDS. Most of these diseases are treated with anti-inflammatory therapy in order to prevent or to reduce the pulmonary inflammation. Herbal medicine-derived natural products have been used in folk medicine and scientific studies to evaluate the value of these compounds have grown in recent years. Many substances derived from plants have the biological effects in vitro and in vivo, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Among the biological activities of natural products derived from plants can be pointed out the anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiplatelet, antitumor anti-allergic activities, and antioxidant. Although many reports have evaluated the effects of these compounds in experimental models, studies evaluating clinical trials are scarce in the literature. This review aims to emphasize the effects of these different natural products in pulmonary diseases in experimental models and in humans and pointing out some possible mechanisms of action.

Antimutagenic Effect of Medicinal Plants Achillea millefolium and Bauhinia forficata In Vivo

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de Almeida, Igor Vivian; Coelho, Ana Carolina; Balbi, Thiago José; Düsman Tonin, Lilian Tatiani; Vicentini, Veronica Elisa Pimenta

2013-01-01

The investigation of traditionally used medicinal plants is valuable both as a source of potential chemotherapeutic drugs and as a measure of safety for the continued use of these medicinal plants. Achillea millefolium L. (AM) is an ancient remedial herb native to Europe that is used to treat wounds, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders, inflammation, headaches, and pain. Bauhinia forficata Link (BF), an Asiatic plant, is one of the most commonly used plants in folk medicine against diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic and antimutagenic potential of aqueous extracts of AM and BF on bone marrow cells of Wistar rats treated in vivo. These plant extracts possess considerable antioxidant activity due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These compounds were determinants to noncytotoxic and antimutagenic/protective action of these plants, that reduced statistically the percentage of chromosomal alterations induced by the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide in simultaneous (AM, 68%; BF, 91%), pre- (AM, 68%; BF, 71%), and post-treatment (AM, 67%; BF, 95%). Therefore, the results of this study indicate that extracts of A. millefolium and B. forficata have antimutagenic potential and that their consumption can benefit the health of those using them as an alternative therapy. PMID:24459532

Antibacterial and Antibiotic-Modifying Activity of Methanol Extracts from Six Cameroonian Food Plants against Multidrug-Resistant Enteric Bacteria

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Joachim K. Dzotam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present work was designed to investigate the antibacterial activities of methanol extracts from six Cameroonian edible plants and their synergistic effects with some commonly used antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR Gram-negative bacteria expressing active efflux pumps. The extracts were subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening and the microdilution broth method was used for antibacterial assays. The results of phytochemical tests indicate that all tested crude extracts contained polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenes, and steroids. Extracts displayed selective antibacterial activities with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC values ranging from 32 to 1024 μg/mL. The lowest MIC value (32 μg/mL was recorded with Coula edulis extract against E. coli AG102 and K. pneumoniae K2 and with Mangifera indica bark extract against P. aeruginosa PA01 and Citrus sinensis extract against E. coli W3110 which also displayed the best MBC (256 μg/mL value against E. coli ATCC8739. In combination with antibiotics, extracts from M. indica leaves showed synergistic effects with 75% (6/8 of the tested antibiotics against more than 80% of the tested bacteria. The findings of the present work indicate that the tested plants may be used alone or in combination in the treatment of bacterial infections including the multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Anti-infective potential of a medicinal plant pimpenella stewartii used traditionally in hazara

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, F.; Hassan, M.

2016-01-01

Medicinal plants have been used since long as folk medicines and also in Ayuvedic and Unani systems of treatment. They have importance to save human and animal lives because of their utilization in the herbal medicines. In all over the word plants are in constant use for curing of various kinds of diseases. The herbal medicines are effective due to presence of bioactive compounds along with vitamins and minerals in them. Moreover, plants produce photo-chemicals mainly secondary metabolites which have significant pharmaceutical activities like antioxidant, antimicrobial, pesticidal and anti-tumour activity. They are very effective and have little or no side effects. Methods: Five microbial strains including three fungal and two bacterial species were tested for the efficacy of plant materials by Agar diffusion method. The fungal species were Aspergilus flavus, Aspergilus niger and Alternaria alternata while bacterial species included Arvenia caratovora and Xanthomans spp. Results: Results obtained for methanolic extracts of Pimpenella stewartii against Aspergilus flavus, Aspergilus niger and Alternaria alternata showed significant antifungal activity. The antibacterial screening of Methanolic extracts of Pimpenella stewartii were evaluated against Arvenia caratovora and Xanthomans spp. The best zone of inhibition was found against Xanthomans spp (97.33 ± 2 mm) at 250 ppm concentration followed by Arvenia caratovora (49.7 ± 14 mm) at same concentration. (author)

FOLK TALES FROM THE PEN OF ZĐYA GÖKALP: AN IDEOLOGUE AND POET / “İDEOLOG”1 - SAİR ZİYA GÖKALP’İN KALEMİNDEN MASALLAR

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Prof. Dr. Alev SINAR UĞURLU

2009-01-01

Full Text Available When he was a small child, Ziya Gökalp wasinterested in folk tales and stories, and later as aresearcher, he realized that this tradition was animportant and rich resource. While inculcating the ideaof Turkism, he particularly uses this resource. During theyears Gökalp wrote the tales in verse or prose (1911-1922, the Turkish nation was showing resistance againstbeing eliminated from the page of history and strugglingto survive. However, it was impossible to surmount thisstruggle with the old life style and to continue to live bypreserving the old customs. It was necessary to adopt anew life style. And the principles of this new life wereincluded in Turkism, the most popular ideology of theperiod. This ideology aimed at the syntesis of hars(national culture and civilization. Benefited especiallyfrom the folk tales while telling about the new life, ZiyaGökalp both gave the folk tales forgotten by the Turkishliterature experiencing the periods of Tanzimat, Servet-iFünûn and Fecr-i Âti their reputation back and indicatedthe way toward the synthesis of hars (national cultureand civilization by inculcating new ideas through folktales, a class of literature, as well. In this study, we willshow how the ideologue-poet used the folk tale, a class offolk literature.

The Risk Research of Folk Financing in Ganzi Tibetan Areas in Sichuan%四川甘孜藏区民间融资的风险性研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

罗成

2015-01-01

The small and medium-sized enterprises in Ganzi Tibetan areas in Sichuan is an important part of the economy of Ganzi autonomy,it directly affects the sustainable and stable development of the state’s economy, and the folk financing is an important approach of funding sources to the state’s small and medium-sized enterpri-ses. With the development of folk financing,a series of folk financing risk problems exposed,and caused a lot of e-conomic risks. The research of this article can help the social and national raise the concern on folk financing,make the folk financing standardization and legalization earlier,then further promote the steady development of social e-conomy.%四川甘孜藏区中小企业是甘孜藏区经济的重要组成部分，它的发展直接影响到了我州经济的稳定持续发展，民间融资是我州中小企业资金来源的重要途径。随着民间融资的日益发展，暴露出了民间融资的一系列风险问题，引发了不少的经济危险。文章的研究，有助于提高社会和国家对民间融资的关注，有利于更早地使得我国民间融资规范化，法律化，进一步推动社会经济的持续稳定发展。

FCJ-183 iHootenanny: A Folk Archeology of Social Media

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Henry Adam Svec

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper excavates two models of communication that can be found littered across the intertwining histories of folk revivalism and digital culture in the United States. First I examine the Hootenanny, initially a form of rent party made popular in New York City in the 1940s by the group the Almanac Singers, which constituted a complex site of convergence of a range interests, styles, media, and performance genres. Second, I explore how the utopian vision of a community joined in song has been taken up recently by ‘social music’ iPhone apps made by the developer Smule. I will ultimately consider how the mediation idealised by the Almanacs has trickled down to a narcissistic will-to-be-‘in touch’ in mainstream digital culture, making the Hootenanny a virtual path untaken in the history of mobile communication.

TRANSFER OF EMBROIDERY ELEMENTS FROM BULGARIAN NATIONAL FOLK COSTUME TO THE CONTEMPORARY FASHION

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Zlatin Zlatev

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research is the analysis of two dimensional images of embroidery elements and the development of techniques for shape and color segmentation in the automation of embroidery designs. A document camera is used as a tool for obtaining of color digital images of embroidery elements from Bulgarian national folk costume. Also are devised some techniques for color restoration of elements and their skeletons. Files for embroidery machines are described and obtained then the results are checked with commercial software. A website is created for presentation of the results of this work

Antibacterial activities of selected Cameroonian spices and their synergistic effects with antibiotics against multidrug-resistant phenotypes

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2011-01-01

Background The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotypes is a major public health problem today in the treatment of bacterial infections. The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of eleven Cameroonian spices on a panel of twenty nine Gram negative bacteria including MDR strains. Methods The phytochemical analysis of the extracts was carried out by standard tests meanwhile the liquid micro-broth dilution was used for all antimicrobial assays. Results Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, phenols and tannins in all plants extracts. The results of the antibacterial assays indicated that all tested extracts exert antibacterial activities, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values varying from 32 to 1024 μg/ml. The extracts from Dichrostachys glomerata, Beilschmiedia cinnamomea, Aframomum citratum, Piper capense, Echinops giganteus, Fagara xanthoxyloïdes and Olax subscorpioïdea were the most active. In the presence of efflux pump inhibitor, PAßN, the activity of the extract from D. glomerata significantly increased on 69.2% of the tested MDR bacteria. At MIC/5, synergistic effects were noted with the extract of D. glomerata on 75% of the tested bacteria for chloramphenicol (CHL), tetracycline (TET) and norfloxacin (NOR). With B. cinnamomea synergy were observed on 62.5% of the studied MDR bacteria with CHL, cefepime (FEP), NOR and ciprofloxacin (CIP) and 75% with erythromycin (ERY). Conclusion The overall results provide information for the possible use of the studied extracts of the spices in the control of bacterial infections involving MDR phenotypes. PMID:22044718

Geographies of education, volunteering and the lifecourse: the Woodcraft Folk in Britain (1925-75).

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Mills, Sarah

2016-01-01

This article extends the current scholarly focus within the geographies of education and the geographies of children, youth and families through an original examination of the Woodcraft Folk - a British youth organization founded in 1925 that aimed to create a world built on equality, friendship and peace. This article illustrates how voluntary uniformed youth organizations had a much wider spatial remit and more complex institutional geographies than have been hitherto acknowledged, with their active involvement in the training of adults (namely parents and volunteers ) as well as the education of children and young people. Drawing on archival research and a range of sources, the article explores the Woodcraft Folk's philosophies and political activities across its first 50 years, and in doing so, makes two central academic contributions to the discipline. First, the article provides a timely focus on training and its analytical purchase for geographers as part of a growing body of work on the geographies of education. Second, the article shows how geographers can account for both children and adults' geographies in institutional spaces, in this case through mapping out the enlivened historical geographies of voluntarism across the lifecourse. This article demonstrates the complex and often fluid relationship between formal and informal education, as well as the important connections between parenting and volunteering. Overall, the article reflects on the subsequent challenges and opportunities for researchers concerned with debates on education, youth and volunteering within geography and beyond.

Folclore e medicina popular na Amazônia Folklore and popular medicine in the Amazon

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Márcio Couto Henrique

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Discute as relações entre folclore e medicina popular na Amazônia, tendo como referencial de análise o conto "Filhos do boto", de Canuto Azevedo. Aponta que os contos folclóricos estão saturados de elementos da realidade cultural e podem ser utilizados como testemunhos históricos que expressam embates entre diferentes tradições. Os registros folclóricos são fruto do diálogo muitas vezes conflituoso entre folcloristas, cientistas sociais, médicos, pajés e seus seguidores, e sua análise deve ser acompanhada de reflexão sobre as condições de sua produção. Neste caso específico, trata-se de refletir, com base no imaginário de sedução e cura em torno do boto, sobre a possibilidade de ampliar o conhecimento sobre a medicina popular praticada na Amazônia, região de forte presença da pajelança cabocla.This discussion of the relations between folklore and popular medicine in the Amazon takes Canuto Azevedo's story "Filhos do boto" (Children of the porpoise as an analytical reference point. Replete with elements of cultural reality, folk tales can serve as historical testimonies expressing clashes between different traditions. Folk records are fruit of what is often a quarrelsome dialogue between folklorists, social scientists, physicians, and pajés and their followers, and their analysis should take into account the conditions under which they were produced. Based on the imaginary attached to the figure of the porpoise - a seductive creature with healing powers - the article explores how we might expand knowledge of popular medicine as practiced in the Amazon, where the shamanistic rite known as pajelança cabocla has a strong presence.

布里亚特蒙古族对称性两句体短调民歌结构梳理%On the Sorting of symmetry two body short tone folk song structure of Buriat Mongolian

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李玉英

2012-01-01

Buryat Mongols folk music culture is colorful and its folk song style and color are quite different from those of other Mongolia tribes or Ewenki,Oroqen,Dagur.The Buryat Mongolian folk song＇s analysis and deconstruction show that its folk songs are in the form of＂symmetry＂and＂asymmetric＂structures.%布里亚特蒙古人的民间音乐文化绚丽多姿,其民歌风格、色彩与蒙古其他部族以及鄂温克族、鄂伦春族、达斡尔族迥异。对布里亚特蒙古族民歌的分析、解构后发现,其民歌形态以＂对称性＂与＂非对称性＂结构民歌为主。

The Discovery of a Potential Antimicrobial Agent: the Novel Compound Natural Medicinal Plant Fermentation Extracts against Candida albicans

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Song, Mingzhu; Wang, Xirui; Mao, Canquan; Yao, Wei

2018-01-01

Natural medicinal plants and their extracts are important sources of antimicrobial drug development. In this study, we reported an ancient formula of Chinese folk medicine, the compound natural medicinal plant fermentation extracts (CNMPFE) for its antimicrobial effects. The effects and mechanisms of CNMPFE on C. albicans were studied by cell damage experiments including antimicrobial kinetics, fungal growth curve, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity, ultraviolet absorption, electric conductivity and the evaluation of cellular ultra microstructure. The results showed that the minimal inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of CNMPFE against C. albicans were 75% (vol/vol) and 80% (vol/vol) respectively. The inhibition of CNMPFE for C. albicans was dose and time dependent, based on increasing of the AKP activities and the ultraviolet absorptions and the electric conductivities of the fungal solutions, it may exert its antifungal properties by disrupting the structure of cell wall and the cell membrane integrity and their permeability, subsequently resulting in cell death. Taken together, these findings suggest that CNMPFE may be a promising drug candidate for the treatment of fungal infections skin diseases.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Masaai people of Losho, Kenya

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Duncan Mutiso Chalo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: An ethnobotanical survey on the medicinal plant species in Losho, Narok County, Kenya was conducted in order to document traditional medicinal knowledge and application of medicinal plants.Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken between 2012. Information was gathered from traditional practitioners who lived and practised in Losho, Narok County, Kenya using semi-structured questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips. Ethnobotanical data was arranged alphabetically by family name followed by botanical name, vernacular name, part used, folk use, and recipe. Correct identification was made with the help of taxonomist and voucher specimens deposited at the University of Nairobi Herbarium.Results: Twenty six (26 herbalists between the ages 20-69 years (10 men and 16 women were purposively selected and interviewed. The present investigation reported medicinal information for 33 species, belonging to 21 plant families. The most represented plant family was Asteraceae followed by Oleaceae and Rhamnaceae. 36 % of the species were used to manage stomach ache and stomach related ailments while 30% of the plant species were used to treat malaria.Conclusion: This survey showed that although people in study area have access to modern medical facility Losho Dispensary but a lot of them still continue to depend on medicinal plants for the treatment of healthcare problems. The present paper represents significant ethnobotanical information on medical plants which provides baseline data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies.

An Overlooked Resource for English Language Teaching: Pop. Rock, and Folk Music. CATESOL Occasional Papers, No. 2.

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Dubin, Fraida

This paper discusses the use of pop, rock, and folk music in foreign language teaching. Modern music represents an idiom familiar to a broad span of young people, and has an important place in the life of students ranging in age from ten to thirty-five years of age. It also tends to follow and comment on the important trends of modern society.…

Traditional folk event with national importance: The impact of visitors’ age

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Petra Solarová

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In the context of the cultural tourism, this paper focuses on the traditional folk event with national importance that is held in the Czech Republic and its name is Porta. The aim is to assess characteristic traits and satisfaction of two age categories of Porta´s visitors. Through the realised research among visitors, the importance of segmentation was proved. Hence, it is crucial to focus on getting to know the visitors and their motivation. In addition to that, cultural events are also important for local government. According to the officials of local government, where this event is held, such events are able to attract visitors to the particular locality. However, they have only limited opportunities how to support these events (especially from the financial viewpoint.

Cognitive Processes in Folk Ornithology: The Identification of Gulls. Working Papers of the Language Behavior Research Laboratory, No. 42.

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Hunn, Eugene

Recent studies of folk biology clearly reveal the detailed empirical knowledge of living things which is an important and characteristic element of pre-scientific cultures. This paper attempts a contribution to the study of such systems of knowledge by analyzing the comparable skills of a few American birdwatchers. The process of identification of…

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy.

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Alves-Silva, Jorge M; Romane, Abderrahmane; Efferth, Thomas; Salgueiro, Lígia

2017-01-01

Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the described plants. Objective: Bearing in mind the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies, the aim of this review is to give an overview of studies, namely ethnobotanical surveys and experimental evidence of anticancer effects regarding medicinal plants used in North Africa for cancer therapy. Method: The research was conducted on several popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The research focused primarily on English written papers published between the years 2000 and 2016. Results: This review on plants traditionally used by herbalists in North Africa highlights that Morocco and Algeria are the countries with most surveys on the use of medicinal plants in folk medicine. Among the plethora of plants used, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum-graecum are the most referred ones by herbalists for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, a plethora of scientific evidence qualifies them as candidates for further drug development. Furthermore, we report on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of some medicinal plants as anticancer agents. The North African flora offers a rich source of medicinal plants for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. The elucidation of

I. INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING MEDICINES AND MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS.

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Lockhart, Kristi L; Keil, Frank C

2018-06-01

We live in an increasingly pharmacological and medical world, where children and adults frequently encounter alleged treatments for an enormous range of illnesses. How do we come to understand what heals and why? Here, 15 studies explore how 1,414 children (ages 5-11) and 882 adults construe the efficacies of different kinds of cures. Developmental patterns in folk physics, psychology, and biology lead to predictions about which expectations about cures will remain relatively constant across development and which will change. With respect to stability, we find that even young school children (ages 5-7) distinguish between physical and psychological disorders and the treatments most effective for each. In contrast, young children reason differently about temporal properties associated with cures. They often judge that dramatic departures from prescribed schedules will continue to be effective. Young children are also less likely than older ages to differentiate between the treatment needs of acute versus chronic disorders. Young children see medicines as agent-like entities that migrate only to afflicted regions while having "cure-all" properties, views that help explain their difficulties grasping side effects. They also differ from older children and adults by judging pain and effort as reducing, instead of enhancing, a treatment's power. Finally, across all studies, optimism about treatment efficacy declines with age. Taken together, these studies show major developmental changes in how children envision the ways medicines work in the body. Moreover, these findings link to broader patterns in cognitive development and have implications for how medicines should be explained to children. © 2018 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Whence come these terrible images… How 19th Century Bohemia Began to Show an Interest in Folk Art and Popular Imagery

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Machalíková, Pavla

2016-01-01

Roč. 64, č. 6 (2016), s. 497-515 ISSN 0049-5123 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-07456S Institutional support: RVO:68378033 Keywords : folk art * popular imagery * 19th century painting Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

Bioactivity-guided fractionation identifies amygdalin as a potent neurotrophic agent from herbal medicine Semen Persicae extract.

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Yang, Chuanbin; Zhao, Jia; Cheng, Yuanyuan; Li, Xuechen; Rong, Jianhui

2014-01-01

Herbal medicine Semen Persicae is widely used to treat blood stasis in Chinese medicine and other oriental folk medicines. Although little is known about the effects of Semen Persicae and its active compounds on neuron differentiation, our pilot study showed that Semen Persicae extract promoted neurite outgrowth in rat dopaminergic PC12 cells. In the present study, we developed a bioactivity-guided fractionation procedure for the characterization of the neurotrophic activity of Semen Persicae extract. The resultant fractions were assayed for neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells based on microscopic assessment. Through liquid-liquid extraction and reverse phase HPLC separation, a botanical glycoside amygdalin was isolated as the active compound responsible for the neurotrophic activity of Semen Persicae extract. Moreover, we found that amygdalin rapidly induced the activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). A specific ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 attenuated the stimulatory effect of amygdalin on neurite outgrowth. Taken together, amygdalin was identified as a potent neurotrophic agent from Semen Persicae extract through a bioactivity-guided fractional procedure. The neurotrophic activity of amygdalin may be mediated by the activation of ERK1/2 pathway.

Bioactivity-Guided Fractionation Identifies Amygdalin as a Potent Neurotrophic Agent from Herbal Medicine Semen Persicae Extract

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Chuanbin Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Herbal medicine Semen Persicae is widely used to treat blood stasis in Chinese medicine and other oriental folk medicines. Although little is known about the effects of Semen Persicae and its active compounds on neuron differentiation, our pilot study showed that Semen Persicae extract promoted neurite outgrowth in rat dopaminergic PC12 cells. In the present study, we developed a bioactivity-guided fractionation procedure for the characterization of the neurotrophic activity of Semen Persicae extract. The resultant fractions were assayed for neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells based on microscopic assessment. Through liquid-liquid extraction and reverse phase HPLC separation, a botanical glycoside amygdalin was isolated as the active compound responsible for the neurotrophic activity of Semen Persicae extract. Moreover, we found that amygdalin rapidly induced the activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2. A specific ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 attenuated the stimulatory effect of amygdalin on neurite outgrowth. Taken together, amygdalin was identified as a potent neurotrophic agent from Semen Persicae extract through a bioactivity-guided fractional procedure. The neurotrophic activity of amygdalin may be mediated by the activation of ERK1/2 pathway.

Creativity and personality in classical, jazz and folk musicians.

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Benedek, Mathias; Borovnjak, Barbara; Neubauer, Aljoscha C; Kruse-Weber, Silke

2014-06-01

The music genre of jazz is commonly associated with creativity. However, this association has hardly been formally tested. Therefore, this study aimed at examining whether jazz musicians actually differ in creativity and personality from musicians of other music genres. We compared students of classical music, jazz music, and folk music with respect to their musical activities, psychometric creativity and different aspects of personality. In line with expectations, jazz musicians are more frequently engaged in extracurricular musical activities, and also complete a higher number of creative musical achievements. Additionally, jazz musicians show higher ideational creativity as measured by divergent thinking tasks, and tend to be more open to new experiences than classical musicians. This study provides first empirical evidence that jazz musicians show particularly high creativity with respect to domain-specific musical accomplishments but also in terms of domain-general indicators of divergent thinking ability that may be relevant for musical improvisation. The findings are further discussed with respect to differences in formal and informal learning approaches between music genres.

Recent Periodicals: Local History, Family and Community History, Cultural Heritage, Folk Studies, Anthropology - A Review (2016

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R. Vladova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available An annual bibliography of papers in the field of local history, family and community history, cultural heritage, folk studies and anthropology, published in 2016, is collected. The inspected journals are: Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy, Chemistry: Bulgarian Journal of Science Education, Current Anthropology, Family and Community History, Folklore, History and Memory, Journal of Family History, Journal of Folklore Research, Past & Present, Winterthur Portfolio. Many of those journals are available at us under subscription.

Antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents of 20 polyherbal remedies used as tonics by folk healers in Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces, Thailand.

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Chanthasri, Wipawee; Puangkeaw, Nuntitporn; Kunworarath, Nongluk; Jaisamut, Patcharawalai; Limsuwan, Surasak; Maneenoon, Katesarin; Choochana, Piyapong; Chusri, Sasitorn

2018-02-21

Uses of polyherbal formulations have played a major role in traditional medicine. The present study is focused on the formulations used in traditional Thai folkloric medicine as tonics or bracers. Twenty documented polyherbal mixtures, used as nourishing tonics by the folk healers in Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces in southern Thailand, are targeted. Despite traditional health claims, there is no scientific evidence to support the utilization of polyherbal formulations. The phenolic and flavonoid contents of the polyherbal formulations and a series of antioxidant tests were applied to measure their capability as preventive or chain-breaking antioxidants. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of effective formulations was assayed in Vero cells. Ninety-eight plant species belonging to 45 families were used to prepare the tested formulation. The preliminary results revealed that water extracts of THP-R016 and THP-R019 contain a high level of total phenolic and flavonoid contents and exhibit remarkable antioxidant activities, as tested by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The extract of THP-R019 also showed the strongest metal chelating activities, whereas THP-R016 extract possessed notable superoxide anion and peroxyl radical scavenging abilities. The data provide evidence that the water extracts of folkloric polyherbal formulations, particularly THP-R016, are a potential source of natural antioxidants, which will be valuable in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. The free radical scavenging of THP-R016 may be due to the contribution of phenolic and flavonoid contents. Useful characteristics for the consumer, such as the phytochemical profiles of active ingredients, cellular based antioxidant properties and beneficial effects in vivo, are under further investigation.

The co-inheritance of alpha-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia is associated with better hematological indices and lower consultations rate in Cameroonian patients and could improve their survival.

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Maryam Bibi Rumaney

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Co-inheritance of α-thalassemia was reported to be associated with a delayed age of disease onset among Cameroonian Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA patients. The present study aimed to explore the correlation between α-thalassemia, hematological indices, and clinical events in these patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We studied 161 Cameroonian SCA patients and 103 controls (59.1% HbAA with median ages of 17.5 and 23 years. RFLP-PCR was used to confirm SCA genotype and to describe haplotypes in the HBB-like genes cluster. Multiplex Gap-PCR was performed to investigate the 3.7 kb α-globin gene deletions. SNaPshot PCR, capillary electrophoresis and cycle sequencing were used for the genotyping of 10 SNPs in BCL11A, HMIP1/2, OR51B5/6 and HBG loci, known to influence HbF levels. Generalised linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and SNPs genotypes was used to investigate effects of α-thalassemia on clinical and hematological indices. The median rate of vaso-occlusive painful crisis and hospitalisations was two and one per year, respectively. Stroke was reported in eight cases (7.4%. Benin haplotype was the most prevalent (66.3%; n = 208 chromosomes. Among patients, 37.3% (n = 60 had at least one 3.7 kb deletion, compared to 10.9% (n = 6 among HbAA controls (p<0.001. Among patients, the median RBC count increased with the number of 3.7 kb deletions [2.6, 3.0 and 3.4 million/dl, with no, one and two deletions (p = 0.01]. The median MCV decreased with the number of 3.7 kb deletion [86, 80, and 68fl, with no, one and two deletions (p<0.0001], as well as median WBC counts [13.2, 10.5 and 9.8×109/L (p<0.0001. The co-inheritance of α-thalassemia was associated with lower consultations rate (p = 0.038. CONCLUSION: The co-inheritance of α-thalassemia and SCA is associated with improved hematological indices, and lower consultations rate in this group of patients. This could possibly improve their survival and explain the

The Co-Inheritance of Alpha-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia Is Associated with Better Hematological Indices and Lower Consultations Rate in Cameroonian Patients and Could Improve Their Survival

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Rumaney, Maryam Bibi; Ngo Bitoungui, Valentina Josiane; Vorster, Anna Alvera; Ramesar, Raj; Kengne, Andre Pascal; Ngogang, Jeanne; Wonkam, Ambroise

2014-01-01

Background Co-inheritance of α-thalassemia was reported to be associated with a delayed age of disease onset among Cameroonian Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) patients. The present study aimed to explore the correlation between α-thalassemia, hematological indices, and clinical events in these patients. Methods and Findings We studied 161 Cameroonian SCA patients and 103 controls (59.1% HbAA) with median ages of 17.5 and 23 years. RFLP-PCR was used to confirm SCA genotype and to describe haplotypes in the HBB-like genes cluster. Multiplex Gap-PCR was performed to investigate the 3.7 kb α-globin gene deletions. SNaPshot PCR, capillary electrophoresis and cycle sequencing were used for the genotyping of 10 SNPs in BCL11A, HMIP1/2, OR51B5/6 and HBG loci, known to influence HbF levels. Generalised linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and SNPs genotypes was used to investigate effects of α-thalassemia on clinical and hematological indices. The median rate of vaso-occlusive painful crisis and hospitalisations was two and one per year, respectively. Stroke was reported in eight cases (7.4%). Benin haplotype was the most prevalent (66.3%; n = 208 chromosomes). Among patients, 37.3% (n = 60) had at least one 3.7 kb deletion, compared to 10.9% (n = 6) among HbAA controls (p<0.001). Among patients, the median RBC count increased with the number of 3.7 kb deletions [2.6, 3.0 and 3.4 million/dl, with no, one and two deletions (p = 0.01)]. The median MCV decreased with the number of 3.7 kb deletion [86, 80, and 68fl, with no, one and two deletions (p<0.0001)], as well as median WBC counts [13.2, 10.5 and 9.8×109/L (p<0.0001. The co-inheritance of α-thalassemia was associated with lower consultations rate (p = 0.038). Conclusion The co-inheritance of α-thalassemia and SCA is associated with improved hematological indices, and lower consultations rate in this group of patients. This could possibly improve their survival and explain the higher

Anticancer Chemodiversity of Ranunculaceae Medicinal Plants: Molecular Mechanisms and Functions.

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Hao, Da-Cheng; He, Chun-Nian; Shen, Jie; Xiao, Pei-Gen

2017-02-01

The buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, comprising more than 2,200 species in at least 62 genera, mostly herbs, has long been used in folk medicine and worldwide ethnomedicine since the beginning of human civilization. Various medicinal phytometabolites have been found in Ranunculaceae plants, many of which, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, have shown anti-cancer activities in vitro and in vivo. Most concerns have been raised for two epiphany molecules, the monoterpene thymoquinone and the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine. At least 17 genera have been enriched with anti-cancer phytometabolites. Some Ranunculaceae phytometabolites induce the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells or enhance immune activities, while others inhibit the proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis, or reverse the multi-drug resistance of cancer cells thereby regulating all known hallmarks of cancer. These phytometabolites could exert their anti-cancer activities via multiple signaling pathways. In addition, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity properties and structure/activity relationships of some phytometabolites have been revealed assisting in the early drug discovery and development pipelines. However, a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanisms and functions of Ranunculaceae anti-cancer phytometabolites is lacking. Here, we summarize the recent progress of the anti-cancer chemo- and pharmacological diversity of Ranunculaceae medicinal plants, focusing on the emerging molecular machineries and functions of anti-cancer phytometabolites. Gene expression profiling and relevant omics platforms (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) could reveal differential effects of phytometabolites on the phenotypically heterogeneous cancer cells.

Cameroonian fruit bats harbor divergent viruses, including rotavirus H, bastroviruses, and picobirnaviruses using an alternative genetic code.

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Yinda, Claude Kwe; Ghogomu, Stephen Mbigha; Conceição-Neto, Nádia; Beller, Leen; Deboutte, Ward; Vanhulle, Emiel; Maes, Piet; Van Ranst, Marc; Matthijnssens, Jelle

2018-01-01

Most human emerging infectious diseases originate from wildlife and bats are a major reservoir of viruses, a few of which have been highly pathogenic to humans. In some regions of Cameroon, bats are hunted and eaten as a delicacy. This close proximity between human and bats provides ample opportunity for zoonotic events. To elucidate the viral diversity of Cameroonian fruit bats, we collected and metagenomically screened eighty-seven fecal samples of Eidolon helvum and Epomophorus gambianus fruit bats. The results showed a plethora of known and novel viruses. Phylogenetic analyses of the eleven gene segments of the first complete bat rotavirus H genome, showed clearly separated clusters of human, porcine, and bat rotavirus H strains, not indicating any recent interspecies transmission events. Additionally, we identified and analyzed a bat bastrovirus genome (a novel group of recently described viruses, related to astroviruses and hepatitis E viruses), confirming their recombinant nature, and provide further evidence of additional recombination events among bat bastroviruses. Interestingly, picobirnavirus-like RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene segments were identified using an alternative mitochondrial genetic code, and further principal component analyses suggested that they may have a similar lifestyle to mitoviruses, a group of virus-like elements known to infect the mitochondria of fungi. Although identified bat coronavirus, parvovirus, and cyclovirus strains belong to established genera, most of the identified partitiviruses and densoviruses constitute putative novel genera in their respective families. Finally, the results of the phage community analyses of these bats indicate a very diverse geographically distinct bat phage population, probably reflecting different diets and gut bacterial ecosystems.

Krajanská lidová léčba a ritualizované praktiky u Čechů z Ukrajiny a Kazachstánu přesídlených do České republiky

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Beranská, Veronika

2013-01-01

Roč. 23, č. 4 (2013), s. 264-271 ISSN 0862-8351 Institutional support: RVO:68378076 Keywords : Ukraine * Kazakhstan * Czech Republic * migration * folk medicine * ethno-medicine * complementary medicine * compatriots Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Refractive errors in Cameroonians diagnosed with complete oculocutaneous albinism

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Eballé AO

2013-07-01

Full Text Available André Omgbwa Eballé1,3, Côme Ebana Mvogo2, Christelle Noche4, Marie Evodie Akono Zoua2, Andin Viola Dohvoma21Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon, 2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 3Yaoundé Gynaeco-obstetric and Paediatric Hospital. Yaoundé, Cameroon; 4Faculty of Medicine, Université des Montagnes. Bangangté, CameroonBackground: Albinism causes significant eye morbidity and amblyopia in children. The aim of this study was to determine the refractive state in patients with complete oculocutaneous albinism who were treated at the Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon and evaluate its effect on vision.Methods: We carried out this retrospective study at the ophthalmology unit of our hospital. All oculocutaneous albino patients who were treated between March 1, 2003 and December 31, 2011 were included.Results: Thirty-five patients (70 eyes diagnosed with complete oculocutaneous albinism were enrolled. Myopic astigmatism was the most common refractive error (40%. Compared with myopic patients, those with myopic astigmatism and hypermetropic astigmatism were four and ten times less likely, respectively, to demonstrate significant improvement in distance visual acuity following optical correction.Conclusion: Managing refractive errors is an important way to reduce eye morbidity-associated low vision in oculocutaneous albino patients.Keywords: albinism, visual acuity, refraction, Cameroon

Lawal et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2015) 12(1):23-27 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cadewumi

Medicinal plants constitutes the richest bio-resource of drugs in traditional medicine, modern medicines, nutraceuticals, food supplements, folk medicines, pharmaceutical ... compromised by AIDS, aging, organ transplant and cancer therapy (Lawal et al; 2012). Accordingly, increases in morbidity and mortality rates resulting ...

Review on a Traditional Herbal Medicine, Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali: Its Traditional Uses, Chemistry, Evidence-Based Pharmacology and Toxicology

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Shaheed Ur Rehman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Eurycoma longifolia Jack (known as tongkat ali, a popular traditional herbal medicine, is a flowering plant of the family Simaroubaceae, native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and also Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. E. longifolia, is one of the well-known folk medicines for aphrodisiac effects as well as intermittent fever (malaria in Asia. Decoctions of E. longifolia leaves are used for washing itches, while its fruits are used in curing dysentery. Its bark is mostly used as a vermifuge, while the taproots are used to treat high blood pressure, and the root bark is used for the treatment of diarrhea and fever. Mostly, the roots extract of E. longifolia are used as folk medicine for sexual dysfunction, aging, malaria, cancer, diabetes, anxiety, aches, constipation, exercise recovery, fever, increased energy, increased strength, leukemia, osteoporosis, stress, syphilis and glandular swelling. The roots are also used as an aphrodisiac, antibiotic, appetite stimulant and health supplement. The plant is reported to be rich in various classes of bioactive compounds such as quassinoids, canthin-6-one alkaloids, β-carboline alkaloids, triterpene tirucallane type, squalene derivatives and biphenyl neolignan, eurycolactone, laurycolactone, and eurycomalactone, and bioactive steroids. Among these phytoconstituents, quassinoids account for a major portion of the E. longifolia root phytochemicals. An acute toxicity study has found that the oral Lethal Dose 50 (LD50 of the alcoholic extract of E. longifolia in mice is between 1500–2000 mg/kg, while the oral LD50 of the aqueous extract form is more than 3000 mg/kg. Liver and renal function tests showed no adverse changes at normal daily dose and chronic use of E. longifolia. Based on established literature on health benefits of E. longifolia, it is important to focus attention on its more active constituents and the constituents’ identification, determination, further development and most

Ethnobotanical survey of usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Siew, Yin-Yin; Zareisedehizadeh, Sogand; Seetoh, Wei-Guang; Neo, Soek-Ying; Tan, Chay-Hoon; Koh, Hwee-Ling

2014-09-29

The use of medicinal plants in human health has been documented since ancient times and they provide a useful source of new therapeutics. In Singapore, despite the accessibility to modern healthcare, there still exist pockets of the population who choose to use locally grown fresh medicinal plants for health promotion and even therapeutic purposes. However to date, there is no published report of first-hand account of their usage in Singapore. As land is scarce and rapidly used for re-development, such important knowledge may be lost if not properly documented in time. This work safeguards the local folk knowledge, and provides information on common and scarcely reported fresh medicinal plants. The objective of this study is to gather information regarding the usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore through face-to-face interviews. Information on demographic data and plant-use methods were collated via face-to-face interviews of 200 fresh medicinal plant users who have used fresh medicinal plants in the last five years. The survey protocol was approved by the National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board and informed consent was obtained from every participant. A total of 414 plants represented by 104 plant species from 44 families were reportedly used by the 200 participants. The five most commonly used plants were Clinacanthus nutans (34 users), Strobilanthes crispus (31 users), Pereskia bleo (25 users), Aloe vera (18 users) and Zingiber officinale (16 users). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part while preparing a decoction was the most common method of preparation. The majority of interviewees used plants for general health purposes and to treat diseases related to the respiratory system and cancer. Our survey has successfully documented the rich wealth of traditional usage and knowledge on 414 fresh medicinal plants grown in Singapore through face-to-face interviews with 200 users. This study will serve as a useful resource for

Complementary treatment of the common cold and flu with medicinal plants--results from two samples of pharmacy customers in Estonia.

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Raal, Ain; Volmer, Daisy; Sõukand, Renata; Hratkevitš, Sofia; Kalle, Raivo

2013-01-01

The aim of the current survey was to investigate the complementary self-treatment of the common cold and flu with medicinal plants among pharmacy customers in Estonia. A multiple-choice questionnaire listing 10 plants and posing questions on the perceived characteristics of cold and flu, the effectiveness of plants, help-seeking behaviour, self-treatment and sources of information, was distributed to a sample of participants in two medium size pharmacies. The participants were pharmacy customers: 150 in Tallinn (mostly Russian speaking) and 150 in Kuressaare (mostly Estonian speaking). The mean number of plants used by participants was 4.1. Of the respondents, 69% self-treated the common cold and flu and 28% consulted with a general practitioner. In general, medicinal plants were considered effective in the treatment of the above-mentioned illnesses and 56% of the respondents had used exclusively medicinal plants or their combination with OTC medicines and other means of folk medicine for treatment. The use of medicinal plants increased with age and was more frequent among female than male respondents. Among Estonian-speaking customers lime flowers, blackcurrant and camomile were more frequently used, and among Russian speaking customers raspberry and lemon fruits. Regardless of some statistically significant differences in preferred species among different age, education, sex and nationality groups, the general attitude towards medicinal plants for self-treatment of the common cold and flu in Estonia was very favourable.

A arte de curar dos profissionais de saúde popular em tempo de cólera: Grão-Pará do século XIX The curative art of specialists in folk medicine in times of cholera: 19th century Grão-Pará

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Jane Felipe Beltrão

2000-09-01

, and, especially, cholera in the province. This analysis of the repercussion of curative arts in the fight against cholera also describes the aid offered to the population and specific curative practices, particularly those used by specialists in folk medicine.

ENGLISH FOLK BALLADS COLLECTED BY CECIL JAMES SHARP IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS: GENESIS, TRANSFORMATION AND UKRAINIAN PARALLELS

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Oksana Karbashevska

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research, presented at the Conference sectional meeting, is to trace peculiarities of transformation of British folk medieval ballads, which were brought to the Southern Appalachians in the east of the USA by British immigrants at the end of the XVIIIth – beginning of the XIXth century and retained by their descendants, through analyzing certain texts on the levels of motifs, dramatis personae, composition, style and artistic means, as well as to outline relevant Ukrainian parallels. The analysis of such ballads, plot types and epic songs was carried out: 1 British № 10: “The Twa Sisters” (21 variants; American “The Two Sisters”(5 variants and Ukrainian plot type I – C-5: “the elder sister drowns the younger one because of envy and jealousy” (8 variants; 2 British № 26: The Three Ravens” (2, “The Twa Corbies” (2; American “The Three Ravens” (1, “The Two Crows”(1 and Ukrainian epic songs with the motif of lonely death of a Cossack warrior on the steppe (4. In our study British traditional ballads are classified according to the grouping worked out by the American scholar Francis Child (305 numbers, Ukrainian folk ballads – the plot-thematic catalogue developed by the Ukrainian folklorist Оleksiy Dey (here 288 plots are divided into 3 spheres, cycles and plot types. The investigation and comparison of the above indicated texts witness such main tendencies: 1 the American counterparts, collected in the Appalachian Mountains, preserve the historic-national memory and cultural heritage of the British immigrant bearers on the level of leading motifs, dramatis personae, composition peculiarities, traditional medieval images, epithets, similes, commonplaces; 2 some motifs, characters, images, artistic means, archaic and dialectal English of the Child ballads are reduced or substituted in the Appalachian texts; 3 realism of American ballad transformations, which overshadows fantasy and

Traditional use of medicinal plants among Kalasha, Ismaeli and Sunni groups in Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

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Sher, Hassan; Bussmann, Rainer W; Hart, Robbie; de Boer, Hugo J

2016-07-21

The traditional use of medicinal plants for the treatment of human and livestock ailments is important to indigenous communities in the northern parts of Pakistan, and considered to be a valuable local biological and sociocultural heritage. The aim of this study was to obtain a detailed inventory of medicinal plant use and preparation among Kalasha, Ismaeli and Sunni groups. Semi-structured group and individual interviews were carried out with men and women of different age groups that identified themselves as being Kalasha, Ismaeli or Sunni. Interviews were followed up by field visits to collect herbarium vouchers and record in greater detail the exact methods of harvesting, preparation and use on medicinal plants. A total of 76 species were recorded for treatment of various diseases. The Kalasha, Ismaili and Sunni ethnic groups have similar medicinal floras, but show striking differences in plant use. Our comparative survey shows that out of all species reported in this study, only 13 species have been reported previously from Chitral District. Indigenous knowledge of folk medicine is intricately linked to local culture, religion and history. Any short study can only scratch the surface of this intricate system, but provide an insight into the critical importance of medicinal plants for local livelihoods and the important role these play in health care systems. There is a great need to assess and properly manage the production potential of medicinal plants to ensure sustainable supply of these species for local use and subsistence trade. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Folk Beliefs, Religion and Spiritualism in Serbian Society in the 19th and first half of the 20th Century

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Ana Banić-Grubišić

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Review of the book by Radmila Radić. Narodna verovanja, religija i spiritizam u srpskom društvu 19. i u prvoj polovini 20. veka. [Folk Beliefs, Religion and Spiritualism in Serbian Society in the 19th and first half of the 20th Century]. 2009. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije, pp. 295

The legislative and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya: a review.

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Okumu, Mitchel Otieno; Ochola, Francis Okumu; Onyango, Allan Odhiambo; Mbaria, James Mucunu; Gakuya, Daniel Waweru; Kanja, Laetitia Wakonyu; Kiama, Stephen Gitahi; Onyango, Mary Atieno

2017-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine is an integral component of primary healthcare in Kenya. This is because the infrastructural health setup in the country is inadequate in catering for all the medical needs of the population. This particularly holds true in the rural areas where many rural folk rely on products of herbal origin to offset their healthcare needs. More often than not these products are an elaborate cacophony of several different substances of biological origin and thus need personnel adept in their preparation. Sadly, due to loopholes in legislation and regulation, quacks have a field day in the practice. Moreover, the process of planting, harvesting, preparation and storage of herbs and related products dictates that a significant number of people will ultimately be involved in the whole process. This is likely to set the stage for manipulation and compromise of the safety, quality and efficacy of these products. This state of affairs appears unabated especially in the context of the current legal and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. Not only are these laws inadequate, they are shrouded in ambiguity, open to interpretation and the authorities mandated to implement them often end up performing duplicate roles. The aim of this review is to critique the legal and regulatory provisions governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. In conclusion, laws and regulations meant to control herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya are wanting. Clear and definitive legislation on herbal medicine use and practice coupled with effective implementation by mandated institutions will go a long way in inspiring confidence to all stakeholders of herbal medicine.

The legislative and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Okumu, Mitchel Otieno; Ochola, Francis Okumu; Onyango, Allan Odhiambo; Mbaria, James Mucunu; Gakuya, Daniel Waweru; Kanja, Laetitia Wakonyu; Kiama, Stephen Gitahi; Onyango, Mary Atieno

2017-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine is an integral component of primary healthcare in Kenya. This is because the infrastructural health setup in the country is inadequate in catering for all the medical needs of the population. This particularly holds true in the rural areas where many rural folk rely on products of herbal origin to offset their healthcare needs. More often than not these products are an elaborate cacophony of several different substances of biological origin and thus need personnel adept in their preparation. Sadly, due to loopholes in legislation and regulation, quacks have a field day in the practice. Moreover, the process of planting, harvesting, preparation and storage of herbs and related products dictates that a significant number of people will ultimately be involved in the whole process. This is likely to set the stage for manipulation and compromise of the safety, quality and efficacy of these products. This state of affairs appears unabated especially in the context of the current legal and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. Not only are these laws inadequate, they are shrouded in ambiguity, open to interpretation and the authorities mandated to implement them often end up performing duplicate roles. The aim of this review is to critique the legal and regulatory provisions governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. In conclusion, laws and regulations meant to control herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya are wanting. Clear and definitive legislation on herbal medicine use and practice coupled with effective implementation by mandated institutions will go a long way in inspiring confidence to all stakeholders of herbal medicine. PMID:29629018

Type Analysis of Added Words and Tunes of Miao Folk Songs in Qiandongnan%黔东南苗族民歌衬词衬腔类型分析

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

肖育军

2012-01-01

衬词衬腔是黔东南苗族民歌中独具民族特色的重要元素,从它在苗歌中出现的位置,我们可将其归为五类：曲前衬词衬腔、每句词后衬词衬腔、曲中（或段落、或乐句）衬词衬腔、曲尾衬词衬腔和曲前曲中曲尾衬词衬腔。文章介绍了五类出现在不同位置衬词衬腔的特点,分析了其与苗族民歌整体风格统一、一致的原因。文中对黔东南苗族民歌中衬词衬腔的研究,将进一步加深对苗族民歌的音乐本体、苗歌的形成和发展及其丰富的历史文化背景的认识。%Added words and tunes are of important elements in Qiandongnan traditional Miao folk songs,which can be classified into five types based on its positions in Miao folk songs.This paper introduces five kinds of characteristics being in different positions and analyzes its overall style and consistent cause with Miao folk songs.The research will further deepen our understanding of Miao folk music ontology,formation and development and our understanding of the historical and cultural background.

Profile of medicinal plants utilization through patent documents: the andiroba example

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Luciene F. Gaspar Amaral

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Today, one of the trends of the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food market is the development of products with components of natural origin, rationally exploiting biodiversity. Brazilian population makes secular use of medicinal plants including andiroba, whose oil is used in folk medicine as febrifuge, pain-relieving, anti-parasitic, anti-allergic as well as insect repellant. The present study attempts to evaluate the profile of utilization of andiroba by analyzing the patenting trends based on information collected on the databases of the World Intellectual Property Organization, European Patent Office and Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property in the period from 1990 to 2011. The following parameters were analyzed: chronological aspect of the applications, countries of priority, international patent classification, technologies and actors in the technological platform. The temporal analysis of the applications shows an evident increase despite a discontinuous evolution of the number of applications. Pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic areas were identified as the main areas for commercial application of the plant. Brazil is the country with the largest number of applications even though the majority of the patent technologies are already in public domain, indicating that the technological information contained in these documents could be used for research and investment in several areas.

THE WINDOW TO THE WORLD OF THE GOSPEL TRUTH: THE POWER OF RUSSIAN FOLK SPEECH IN NIKOLAI GOGOL'S NOVEL "DEAD SOULS"

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Vladimir Alekseevich Voropaev

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The article studies the function of Russian folk speech and its evangelical implication in Nikolai Gogol's poetics. Folk proverbs and parables is the key source of national identity in Gogol’s aesthetics, which should inspire all Russian poets. The paper asserts that the proverbial method of generalization is one of the most significant principles of typification in Gogol's novel Dead Souls. The author expresses the essence of this or that phenomenon, a situation or a human type using imaginative pictures and traits of characters. The more generalized form they take, the more they resemble the traditional folk and poetic formulas. The article also reveals the hidden message of a Russian proverb Russians are good at thinking in hindsight (“Russkiy chelovek zadnim umom krepok”. This characteristic of the Russian mind is the one with which Gogol connects the great destiny of Russia. At the end of his first volume the author resorts to the allegorical form of a parable that plays a key role in the perception of the novel. Transforming into the generalized symbol, its characters accumulate the most significant generic features and qualities of Dead Souls’ characters. The grotesque images of Kifa Mokiyevich and Mokiy Kifovich help to look at the characters of the novel from every possible side, not from one side only that shows them as small-minded and worthles people. Gogol’s characters do not possess definitely disgusting and ugly qualities, which should be eliminated for the sake of people's improvement. Sobakevich's powerful physique and pragmatism, Plushkin's thrift, Manilov's meditativeness and cordiality, as well as Nozdryov's valor and energy are not bad qualities at all and do not deserve condemnation. However, all of them as Gogol used to say are carried to extremes and take perverse and exaggerated forms.

Knowledge and uses of African pangolins as a source of traditional medicine in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Boakye, Maxwell Kwame; Pietersen, Darren William; Kotzé, Antoinette; Dalton, Desiré-Lee; Jansen, Raymond

2015-01-01

Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana's Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685), that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and unsustainable.

Knowledge and uses of African pangolins as a source of traditional medicine in Ghana.

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Maxwell Kwame Boakye

Full Text Available Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana's Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685, that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and

Naïve realism: folk fallacies in the design and use of visual displays.

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Smallman, Harvey S; Cook, Maia B

2011-07-01

Often implicit in visual display design and development is a gold standard of photorealism. By approximating direct perception, photorealism appeals to users and designers by being both attractive and apparently effortless. The vexing result from numerous performance evaluations, though, is that increasing realism often impairs performance. Smallman and St. John (2005) labeled misplaced faith in realistic information display Naïve Realism and theorized it resulted from a triplet of folk fallacies about perception. Here, we illustrate issues associated with the wider trend towards realism by focusing on a specific current trend for high-fidelity perspective view (3D) geospatial displays. In two experiments, we validated Naïve Realism for different terrain understanding tasks, explored whether certain individuals are particularly prone to Naïve Realism, and determined the ability of task feedback to mitigate Naïve Realism. Performance was measured for laying and judging a concealed route across realistic terrain shown in different display formats. Task feedback was either implicit, in Experiment 1, or explicit in Experiment 2. Prospective and retrospective intuitions about the best display formats for the tasks were recorded and then related to task performance and participant spatial ability. Participants generally intuited they would perform tasks better with more realism than they actually required. For example, counter to intuitions, lowering fidelity of the terrain display revealed the gross scene layout needed to lay a well-concealed route. Individuals of high spatial ability calibrated their intuitions with only implicit task feedback, whereas those of low spatial ability required salient, explicit feedback to calibrate their intuitions about display realism. Results are discussed in the wider context of applying perceptual science to display design, and combating folk fallacies. Copyright © 2010 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Assimilating Traditional Healing Into Preventive Medicine Residency Curriculum.

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Kesler, Denece O; Hopkins, L Olivia; Torres, Eliseo; Prasad, Arti

2015-11-01

Comprehensive cultural competency includes knowledge and awareness of culturally based healing and wellness practices. Healthcare providers should be aware of the individual patient's beliefs, culture, and use of culturally based health practices because patients may adopt such practices for general wellness or as adjunct therapies without the benefit of discussion with their healthcare provider. This article describes the culturally based traditional healing curriculum that has been implemented in the University of New Mexico Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program in order to fulfill this knowledge necessity. Curricular elements were added in a stepwise manner starting in 2011, with the full content as described implemented starting in 2013. Data were collected annually with evaluation of the full curriculum occurring in 2015. New Mexico has a diverse population base that includes predominantly Hispanic and Native American cultures, making the inclusion of curriculum regarding traditional healing practices very pertinent. Residents at the University of New Mexico were educated through several curricular components about topics such as Curanderismo, the art of Mexican Folk Healing. An innovative approach was used, with a compendium of training methods that included learning directly from traditional healers and participation in healing practices. The incorporation of this residency curriculum resulted in a means to produce physicians well trained in approaching patient care and population health with knowledge of culturally based health practices in order to facilitate healthy patients and communities. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of Xin'an imperial medical officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties].

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Wan, S M; Liu, B S; Lu, X

2017-01-28

Xin'an imperial medical officials of the Ming and Qing Dynasties was a special group of Xin'an doctors. It had exerted a positive and active impact on the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Rooted in the Xin'an region, with higher literacy and noble medical ethics and medical knowhow, through the imperial enlistment, examination, and other ways to enter the palace as imperial medical officials. During their tenure, they wrote books and communicated and merged with the folk medicine actively. After retiring, they were still involved actively in folk medicine activities, thus promoting and influencing the development of local medicine. The formation of Xin'an community of imperial medical officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was closely related to the prosperity of regional culture and commerce, and the development of medicine in Xin'an region.

Indfødte folk og humant materiale på museum - en voksende etisk og museumspolitisk debat. En repatrieringssag fra Danmarks Nationalmuseum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Helle

2005-01-01

Tilstedeværelsen af humant materiale i museale samlinger og udstillinger er i stigende grad blevet problematiseret inden for de sidste årtier, særligt i forhold til indfødte folk som New Zealands maorier. Stadig flere krav på repatriering af sådant materiale fremsættes kloden over, og også skandi...

Plant profile, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Avartani (Helicteres isora Linn.): A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Nirmal; Singh, Anil Kumar

2014-05-01

Plants are used as medicine since ancient time, in organized (Ayurveda, Unani & Siddha) and unorganized (folk, native & tribal) form. In these systems, drugs are described either in Sanskrit or vernacular languages. Avartani (Helicteres isora Linn.) is a medicinal plant which is used in several diseases. It is commonly known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani etc. due to screw like appearance of its fruit. Avartani is used as a folk medicine to treat snake bite, diarrhoea and constipation of new born baby. In the research, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, antibacterial and antiplasmid activities, cardiac antioxidant, antiperoxidative potency, brain-antioxidation potency, anticancer activity, antinociceptive activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-diarrheal activity and wormicidal activity in this plant were reviewed.

Plant profile, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Avartani (Helicteres isora Linn.: A review

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Nirmal Kumar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Plants are used as medicine since ancient time, in organized (Ayurveda, Unani & Siddha and unorganized (folk, native & tribal form. In these systems, drugs are described either in Sanskrit or vernacular languages. Avartani (Helicteres isora Linn. is a medicinal plant which is used in several diseases. It is commonly known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani etc. due to screw like appearance of its fruit. Avartani is used as a folk medicine to treat snake bite, diarrhoea and constipation of new born baby. In the research, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, antibacterial and antiplasmid activities, cardiac antioxidant, antiperoxidative potency, brain-antioxidation potency, anticancer activity, antinociceptive activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-diarrheal activity and wormicidal activity in this plant were reviewed.

Chronic toxicity, genotoxic assay, and phytochemical analysis of four traditional medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Castañeda Sortibrán, América; Téllez, María Guadalupe Ordaz; Ocotero, Verónica Muñoz; Carballo-Ontiveros, Marco Antonio; García, Angélica Méndez; Valdés, Rocio Jimena Jiménez; Gutiérrez, Elizabeth Romero; Rodríguez-Arnaiz, Rosario

2011-09-01

Four medicinal plants--Tecoma stans, Ligusticum porteri, Monarda austromontana, and Poliomintha longiflora, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical countries of the American continent--are widely used in folk medicine to treat diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery. In addition, T. stans and P. longiflora are extensively used as hypoglycemic agents, and M. austromontana and P. longiflora are used as condiments. The plants were collected, identified, dried, and pulverized. Solvent extraction was prepared by maceration of the plant samples, and the phytochemical composition of the extracts was determined by using standard analysis procedures. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of triterpenoids/steroids, flavonoids, and phenols/tannins and, in L. porteri, traces of alkaloids. After the elimination of solvents in vacuo, the extracts were administrated to Drosophila larvae to test their toxicity and genotoxicity. Third instar larvae were chronically fed with the phytoextracts. The extract from L. porteri was toxic, whereas those from T. stans, P. longiflora, and M. austromontana were not. Genotoxic activities of the 4 plants were investigated by using the wing-spot assay of D. melanogaster. Mitomycin C was used as a positive control. No statistically significant increase was observed between treated sample series and a concurrent negative (water) or solvent control sample series.

Elite Vs. Folk Bilingualism: The Mismatch between Theories and Educational and Social Conditions

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Carmen Helena Guerrero

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article aims at contributing to the ongoing discussion about how bilingualism is understood in the current National Bilingualism Plan (PNB for its initials in Spanish. Based on previous research and discussions held at academic events, it is evident that the promoters of the PNB use the term “bilingualism” in a rather indiscriminate way, without adopting a clear approach or definition. This ambiguity in conceptualization has serious consequences in the way the PNB is implemented around the country. The main contribution of this reflection article is, then, to explore from a theoretical perspective two opposite types of bilingualism: elite/folk bilingualism to show that even though on the surface the PNB seems to aim at an elite bilingualism, the educational and social conditions show otherwise.

The Types and Cultural Features of She(畲) People’s Festival-and-Folk Dancing%畲族节俗舞蹈的类型与文化特征

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

郑晓

2014-01-01

The existing festival-and-folk dancing can be classified into the dancing for sacrificing, the dancing for farming and celebration, and the dancing for social interaction and entertainment. She(畲) people’s dancing has maintained the traditional forms to a large degree, and the various social functions are still play their roles. These social functions are closely connected to She(畲) people’s folk religions, farming life, social interaction and entertainment, and so on, and profile the cultural features of She(畲) people’s festival-and-folk dancing in a rather direct way.%畲族现存节俗舞蹈可分为祭祀性节舞、农事庆典节舞及社交娱乐节舞。畲族舞蹈保持了较多的传统形态，舞蹈的各种社会功能仍然在起着相应的作用。这些社会功能与畲族的民间信仰、农事生活、社交娱乐等民俗活动密切相连，并很直观地凸显了畲族节俗舞蹈的文化特征。

An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad district, Punjab-Pakistan

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Umair, Muhammad; Altaf, Muhammad

2017-01-01

Present paper offers considerable information on traditional uses of medicinal plants by the inhabitants of Hafizabad district, Punjab-Pakistan. This is the first quantitative ethnobotanical study from the area comprising popularity level of medicinal plant species intendedby using relative popularity level (RPL) and rank order priority (ROP) indices.Ethnobotanical data were collected by interviewing 166 local informants and 35 traditional health practioners (THPs) from different localities of Hafizabad district. Demographic features of informants; life form, part used, methods of preparation, modes of application and ethnomedicinal uses were documented. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using quantitative tools, i.e. Relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) fidelity level (FL), RPL and ROP indices. A total of 85 species belonging to 71 genera and 34 families were documented along with ethnomedicinal uses. Solanum surattense, Withania somnifera, Cyperus rotundus, Solanum nigrum and Melia azedarach were the most utilized medicinal plant species with highest used value. The reported ailments were classified into 11 disease categories based on ICF values and highest number of plant species was reported to treat dermatological and gastrointestinal disorders. Withania somnifera and Ranunculus sceleratus with maximum FL (100%), were used against gastrointestinal and urinary disorders, respectively. The RPL and ROP values were calculated to recognize the folk medicinal plant wealth; six out of 32 plant species (19%) were found popular, based on citation by more than half of the maximum number of informant viz. 26. Consequently, the ROP value for these species was more than 75. The comparative assessment with reported literature revealed 15% resemblance and 6% variation to previous data;however79% uses of the reported species were recorded for the first time. The diversity of medicinal plant species and associated traditional

Flower Power: Desire, Gender, and Folk Belief in the Joycean Mary Garden

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Christin Mulligan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Robert Brazeau and Derek Gladwin’s Eco-Joyce (2014 largely overlooks a historical basis for ecocritical thought. The absence of a historicist view requires consideration not only of the natural world but folk botany, such as the Mary Garden that is a phantom presence in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as well as in “Nausicaa” and “Penelope” in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. The undergrowth of the garden reconfigures human action and subtly predicts it with its compendium of theological and devotional meanings for the burgeoning sexuality expressed by Gerty MacDowell and Issy Earwicker as well as the mature longing of Molly Bloom. This essay will establish a fresh Deleuzian paradigm of Becoming-Flower to demonstrate how the Mary Garden blooms to present new perspectives on Catholicism, eros, and gender identity in Joyce’s major works.

People, plants and health: a conceptual framework for assessing changes in medicinal plant consumption

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Smith-Hall Carsten

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A large number of people in both developing and developed countries rely on medicinal plant products to maintain their health or treat illnesses. Available evidence suggests that medicinal plant consumption will remain stable or increase in the short to medium term. Knowledge on what factors determine medicinal plant consumption is, however, scattered across many disciplines, impeding, for example, systematic consideration of plant-based traditional medicine in national health care systems. The aim of the paper is to develop a conceptual framework for understanding medicinal plant consumption dynamics. Consumption is employed in the economic sense: use of medicinal plants by consumers or in the production of other goods. Methods PubMed and Web of Knowledge (formerly Web of Science were searched using a set of medicinal plant key terms (folk/peasant/rural/traditional/ethno/indigenous/CAM/herbal/botanical/phytotherapy; each search terms was combined with terms related to medicinal plant consumption dynamics (medicinal plants/health care/preference/trade/treatment seeking behavior/domestication/sustainability/conservation/urban/migration/climate change/policy/production systems. To eliminate studies not directly focused on medicinal plant consumption, searches were limited by a number of terms (chemistry/clinical/in vitro/antibacterial/dose/molecular/trial/efficacy/antimicrobial/alkaloid/bioactive/inhibit/antibody/purification/antioxidant/DNA/rat/aqueous. A total of 1940 references were identified; manual screening for relevance reduced this to 645 relevant documents. As the conceptual framework emerged inductively, additional targeted literature searches were undertaken on specific factors and link, bringing the final number of references to 737. Results The paper first defines the four main groups of medicinal plant users (1. Hunter-gatherers, 2. Farmers and pastoralists, 3. Urban and peri-urban people, 4. Entrepreneurs and

People, plants and health: a conceptual framework for assessing changes in medicinal plant consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Hall, Carsten; Larsen, Helle Overgaard; Pouliot, Mariève

2012-11-13

A large number of people in both developing and developed countries rely on medicinal plant products to maintain their health or treat illnesses. Available evidence suggests that medicinal plant consumption will remain stable or increase in the short to medium term. Knowledge on what factors determine medicinal plant consumption is, however, scattered across many disciplines, impeding, for example, systematic consideration of plant-based traditional medicine in national health care systems. The aim of the paper is to develop a conceptual framework for understanding medicinal plant consumption dynamics. Consumption is employed in the economic sense: use of medicinal plants by consumers or in the production of other goods. PubMed and Web of Knowledge (formerly Web of Science) were searched using a set of medicinal plant key terms (folk/peasant/rural/traditional/ethno/indigenous/CAM/herbal/botanical/phytotherapy); each search terms was combined with terms related to medicinal plant consumption dynamics (medicinal plants/health care/preference/trade/treatment seeking behavior/domestication/sustainability/conservation/urban/migration/climate change/policy/production systems). To eliminate studies not directly focused on medicinal plant consumption, searches were limited by a number of terms (chemistry/clinical/in vitro/antibacterial/dose/molecular/trial/efficacy/antimicrobial/alkaloid/bioactive/inhibit/antibody/purification/antioxidant/DNA/rat/aqueous). A total of 1940 references were identified; manual screening for relevance reduced this to 645 relevant documents. As the conceptual framework emerged inductively, additional targeted literature searches were undertaken on specific factors and link, bringing the final number of references to 737. The paper first defines the four main groups of medicinal plant users (1. Hunter-gatherers, 2. Farmers and pastoralists, 3. Urban and peri-urban people, 4. Entrepreneurs) and the three main types of benefits (consumer, producer

Eye malformations in Cameroonian children: a clinical survey

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Eballé AO

2012-10-01

Full Text Available André Omgbwa Eballé,1,2 Augustin Ellong,3 Godefroy Koki,3 Ngoune Chantal Nanfack,3 Viola Andin Dohvoma,3 Côme Ebana Mvogo2,31Yaoundé Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 2Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Cameroon; 3Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, CameroonSummary: The aim of this work was to describe the clinical aspects of eye malformations observed at the ophthalmology unit of the Yaoundé Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.Patients and methods: We carried out a retrospective study of all malformations of the eye and its adnexae observed among children aged 0–5 years who were seen at the ophthalmology unit from January 2003 to December 2009.Results: Out of the 2254 children who were examined, 150 (6.65% presented eye malformations. The mean age was 14.40 ± 4 months. Eye malformations were diagnosed in 71.66% of cases during the first year of life. The most frequent malformations were congenital lacrimal duct obstruction (66.66%, congenital cataract (10.9%, congenital glaucoma (10.9%, microphthalmos (5.03%, and congenital ptosis (3.77%.Conclusion: Eye malformations among children can lead to visual impairment and are a cause for discomfort to children and parents. Therefore, systematic postnatal screening is recommended to enable early management.Keywords: malformations, ophthalmology, child, Cameroon

On the substantial contribution of "contempt" as a folk affect concept to the history of the European popular institution of charivari.

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Neagota, Bogdan; Benga, Ileana; Benga, Oana

2017-01-01

The integration of the folk affect concept of "contempt" into the analysis of the complex institution known generally as charivari is mutually beneficial for both ethno-anthropology (which may thus access inner causes for disputed social and collective behaviors) and evolutionary psychology (which may thus study the length of tradition together with the width of the institution spread, serving the same social functions).

Folk medicinal plants of Nushki, district Chagai, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durrani, M.I.; Taj, A.M.; Hussain, F.

2003-01-01

Ethno botanical survey conducted in Nushki, District Chagai revealed that the local people use 50 species of plants in traditional heath care system. The most important health problems cured by the traditional use of plants include stomach related disorders, malarial, typhoid and common fevers, liver and kidney disorders, cough and related ailments, aphrodisiac, gonorrhea, diuretic, diabetes, eye diseases, skin allegories, rashes, diarrhea and dysentery etc. Elders, especially women, appeared to be more knowledgeable. Most plants had multiple uses. (author)

HIV and Syphilis Prevalence and Associated Risks in the Cameroonian Armed Forces.

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Grillo, Michael; Tran, Bonnie Robin; Tamoufe, Ubald; Djoko, Cyrille F; Saylors, Karen; Woodland, Kelly; Wangmene, L T C; Macera, Caroline

2017-01-01

Continued surveillance of the HIV epidemic is critical to monitor changes in trends and risk behaviors. A 2005 study in the Cameroonian Armed Forces (CAF) found an HIV prevalence of 11.3% among male and female service members. The purpose of the current study is to determine the 5-year change in the HIV prevalence, estimate the prevalence of syphilis, and examine factors associated with infection in the CAF. Participants were male and female service members 18 years of age or older who were stationed at one of the 10 military garrisons selected for participation. The military garrisons included in this study were proportionally representative of the CAF by geographic region. Military companies and individuals within the selected garrisons were randomly chosen to participate in the study. Demographic and behavioral risk data were collected from September-November 2011 using personal interviews. Blood was collected for HIV and syphilis testing. Of 2,523 participants tested, 6.0% screened positive for HIV [includes 5.3% who screened positive for HIV only and 0.7% who screened positive for both HIV and syphilis], and 3.1% screened positive for syphilis only. Analyses examining risk factors associated with HIV/syphilis infection (i.e., infected with HIV, infected with syphilis, or co-infected with both HIV and syphilis) were restricted to 2,255 men who reported ever having sex. In a multivariate logistic regression model, the odds of testing positive for HIV/syphilis were higher among men who were separated, divorced, or widowed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-7.89), had sex with sex workers (AOR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.19-2.27), and reported a genital sore/ulcer in the past 12 months preceeding the survey (AOR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.05-2.86). Higher HIV knowledge was protective against HIV/syphilis infection (AOR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.99). While the overall HIV prevalence in this sample of military personnel was lower than previously reported (6

Kenaf seed oil from supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... (Kenaf) from the family of Malvaceae is a valuable fiber source and medicinal plant. ... as traditional folk medicine in Africa and India to treat various diseases. ... as blebbing, chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation as viewed ...

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants with hallucinogenic effect and plants used against pain, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and urinary lithiasis in Zagora “Morocco”.

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Hicham Boufous

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to identify different plants used in folk medicine for treating pain, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and kidney stones by the population of Zagora province, in southern east of Morocco. This investigation was undertaken during more than 2 years started in 2013 and ended in 2015. Methods: A total of 1400 person with different ages between 20 and 80 years, in twelve areas, was included in this survey; 348 were diabetes, 292 were suffering from kidney stones and 760 are healthy. Data collected was separated in two parts. The first part concerned interviewee information’s (age, sex and level of education and a second part was designed for plants uses (vernacular names, uses, parts used and mode of preparation.Use value (UV, fidelity level (FL and family use value (FUV were calculated. Results: We inventoried 83 plants species belonging to 40 families that were used, Ranunculaceae family family showed the highest significance (FUV= 0.36. Six species with the highest UV were Zygophyllum gaetulum L. (0.44, Nigella sativa (0.36, Rosmarinus officinalis L (0.36, Trigonella foenum-graecum L (0.35 and Thymus satureioides L (0.35. We identified 50 species used for treating or managing pain, 45 for diabetes, 19 for kidney stone, 7 for treating inflammatory diseases and only 3 species that were recognized with hallucinogenic effects. Conclusions: This study shows that folk medicine in Zagora still occupies a high level in primary health care. Data collected may help to preserve knowledge about different plants used and their mode of preparation. [J Complement Med Res 2017; 6(4.000: 342-350

Disposition pathways and pharmacokinetics of herbal medicines in humans.

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He, S-M; Li, C G; Liu, J-P; Chan, E; Duan, W; Zhou, S-F

2010-01-01

Pharmacokinetic studies have become an integral part of modern drug development, but these studies are not regulatory needs for herbal remedies. This paper updates our current knowledge on the disposition pathways and pharmacokinetic properties of commonly used herbal medicines in humans. To retrieve relevant data, the authors have searched through computer-based literatures by full text search in Medline (via Pubmed), ScienceDirect, Current Contents Connect (ISI), Cochrance Library, CINAHL (EBSCO), CrossRef Search and Embase (all from inception to May 2010). Many herbal compounds undergo Phase I and/or Phase II metabolism in vivo, with cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) playing a major role. Some herbal ingredients are substrates of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) which is highly expressed in the intestine, liver, brain and kidney. As such, the activities of these drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters are determining factors for the in vivo bioavailability, disposition and distribution of herbal remedies. There are increasing pharmacokinetic studies of herbal remedies, but these studies are mainly focused on a small number of herbal remedies including St John's wort, milk thistle, sculcap, curcumin, echinacea, ginseng, ginkgo, and ginger. The pharmacokinetic data of a small number of purified herbal ingredients, including anthocyanins, berberine, catechins, curcumin, lutein and quercetin, are available. For the majority of herbal remedies used in folk medicines, data on their disposition and biological fate in humans are lacking or in paucity. For a herbal medicine, the pharmacological effect is achieved when the bioactive agents or the metabolites reach and sustain proper levels at their sites of action. Both the dose levels and fates of active components in the body govern their target-site concentrations after administration of an herbal remedy. In this regard, a safe and optimal use of herbal medicines requires a

Evaluation of antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant activities and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Lysimachia vulgaris L. (Yellow loosestrife) is a medicinal plant ... It has been used in the treatment of fever, ulcer, diarrhea and wounds in folk medicine. ... Conclusion: Future investigations should be focused on fractionation of the ...

Screening of some plants used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Holetz, Fabíola Barbiéri; Pessini, Greisiele Lorena; Sanches, Neviton Rogério; Cortez, Diógenes Aparício Garcia; Nakamura, Celso Vataru; Filho, Benedito Prado Dias

2002-10-01

Extracts of 13 Brazilian medicinal plants were screened for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts. Of these, 10 plant extracts showed varied levels of antibacterial activity. Piper regnellii presented a good activity against Staphylococus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, a moderate activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a weak activity against Escherichia coli. Punica granatum showed good activity on S. aureus and was inactive against the other standard strains. Eugenia uniflora presented moderate activity on both S. aureus and E. coli. Psidium guajava,Tanacetum vulgare, Arctium lappa, Mikania glomerata, Sambucus canadensis, Plantago major and Erythrina speciosa presented some degree of antibacterial activity. Spilanthes acmella, Lippia alba, and Achillea millefolium were considered inactive. Five of the plant extracts presented compounds with Rf values similar to the antibacterial compounds visible on bioautogram. Of these, three plants belong to the Asteraceae family. This may mean that the same compounds are responsible for the antibacterial activity in these plants. Anticandidal activity was detected in nine plant extracts (P. guajava, E. uniflora, P. granatum, A. lappa, T. vulgare, M. glomerata, L. alba, P. regnellii, and P. major). The results might explain the ethnobotanical use of the studied species for the treatment of various infectious diseases.

On The Folk Customs of Huazhao Festival Which Is a Kind Of Intangible Cultural Heritage and its Modern Value

OpenAIRE

Zhihui Ma

2014-01-01

Huazhao Festival is a traditional one that is celebrated in early spring and appeals to both highbrows and lowbrows. Once, it was as significant as Lantern Festival and Mid-autumn Festival. Ever since Tang Dynasty, it has undergone stages of emerging, thriving, declining and restoring. Originally, people only had a spring outing enjoying beautiful flowers at this festival; later, various other folk activities were also carried out on this day, including catching butterflies, picking wild vege...

"Some Things in My House Have a Pulse and a Downbeat": The Role of Folk and Traditional Arts Instruction in Supporting Student Learning

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Palmer Wolf, Dennie; Holochwost, Steven J.; Bar-Zemer, Tal; Dargan, Amanda; Selhorst, Anika

2014-01-01

The authors investigated the association between participation in Nations in Neighborhoods (NiN), a program of folk and traditional arts instruction, and achievement in English language arts in a sample of low-income elementary school students, many of whom were recent immigrants and English language learners. The program drew on the core…

Acute and Subacute Toxic Study of Aqueous Leaf Extract of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

... end of the treatment period, the animals were sacrificed and their organs (liver, heart and kidney) removed for macroscopic ... uses include treatment of swelling caused by mumps and ..... medicinal use of this plant in folk medicine. However ...

NCCAM's 5 Most Searched-For Herbs of 2012: What the Science Says about Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Fenugreek,...

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... Resources CME/CEU and Online Lectures Online Continuing Education Series Distinguished Lecture Series Integrated Medicine Research Lecture ... has been a source of many folk or traditional remedies and more modern medicinal and cosmetic products. At various times aloe ...

Non-codified traditional medicine practices from Belgaum Region in Southern India: present scenario

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Traditional medicine in India can be classified into codified (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) and non-codified (folk medicine) systems. Both the systems contributing equally to the primary healthcare in India. The present study is aimed to understand the current scenario of medicinal practices of non-codified system of traditional medicine in Belgaum region, India. Methods The study has been conducted as a basic survey of identified non-codified traditional practitioners by convenience sampling with semi structured, open ended interviews and discussions. The learning process, disease diagnosis, treatment, remuneration, sharing of knowledge and socio-demographic data was collected, analysed and discussed. Results One hundred and forty traditional practitioners were identified and interviewed for the present study. These practitioners are locally known as “Vaidya”. The study revealed that the non-codified healthcare tradition is practiced mainly by elderly persons in the age group of 61 years and above (40%). 73% of the practitioners learnt the tradition from their forefathers, and 19% of practitioners developed their own practices through experimentation, reading and learning. 20% of the practitioners follow distinctive “Nadi Pariksha” (pulse examination) for disease diagnosis, while others follow bodily symptoms and complaints. 29% of the traditional practitioners do not charge anything, while 59% practitioners receive money as remuneration. Plant and animal materials are used as sources of medicines, with a variety of preparation methods. The preference ranking test revealed higher education and migration from villages are the main reasons for decreasing interest amongst the younger generation, while deforestation emerged as the main cause of medicinal plants depletion. Conclusion Patrilineal transfer of the knowledge to younger generation was observed in Belgaum region. The observed resemblance in disease diagnosis, plant collection and

Screening of immunomodulatory activity of total and protein extracts of some Moroccan medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Daoudi, Abdeljlil; Aarab, Lotfi; Abdel-Sattar, Essam

2013-04-01

Herbal and traditional medicines are being widely used in practice in many countries for their benefits of treating different ailments. A large number of plants in Morocco were used in folk medicine to treat immune-related disorders. The objective of this study is to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of protein extracts (PEs) of 14 Moroccan medicinal plants. This activity was tested on the proliferation of immune cells. The prepared total and PEs of the plant samples were tested using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay on the splenocytes with or without stimulation by concanavalin-A (Con-A), a mitogenic agent used as positive control. The results of this study indicated different activity spectra. Three groups of activities were observed. The first group represented by Citrullus colocynthis, Urtica dioica, Elettaria cardamomum, Capparis spinosa and Piper cubeba showed a significant immunosuppressive activity. The second group that showed a significant immunostimulatory activity was represented by Aristolochia longa, Datura stramonium, Marrubium vulgare, Sinapis nigra, Delphynium staphysagria, Lepidium sativum, Ammi visnaga and Tetraclinis articulata. The rest of the plant extracts did not alter the proliferation induced by Con-A. This result was more important for the PE than for the total extract. In conclusion, this study revealed an interesting immunomodulating action of certain PEs, which could explain their traditional use. The results of this study may also have implications in therapeutic treatment of infections, such as prophylactic and adjuvant with cancer chemotherapy.

Comparative analysis of Ligusticum chuanxiong and related umbelliferous medicinal plants by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Tao; Leung, Kelvin Sze-Yin; Lu, Guang-Hua; Zhang, Hao

2007-04-01

A highly precise and accurate method, based on high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS), was developed for the qualitative and quantitative comparison of the main constituents in the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong (LC) and three related umbelliferous medicinal plants. A comprehensive validation of the developed method was conducted, and the method was highly sensitive, reproducible and accurate. The unique properties of the present method were validated by analyzing 20 related herbal samples including 5 LC samples, 5 Cnidium officinale samples (CO), 5 Angelica sinensis samples (AS) and 5 Angelica acutiloba samples (AA). Twelve compounds including phenolic constituents, alkylphthalides and phthalide dimers were identified by online ESI-MS and by comparison with literature data and standard compounds, and six of them were quantified by HPLC-DAD simultaneously. The results demonstrated that identical compound types were identified as the main constituents of LC, CO, AS and AA herbs. The results also support the alternative application of these medicinal plants in Chinese and Japanese folk medicines. In the present study, it was found that the variation in the abundance of senkyunolide A was significant in these related herbs; it is therefore feasible to choose senkyunolide A as a characteristic compound for quality evaluation and chemical authentication of these herbs.

Population dynamics of Garcinia lucida (Clusiaceae) in Cameroonian Atlantic forests.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guedje, N.M.; Lejoly, J.; Nkongmeneck, B.A.; Jonkers, W.B.J.

2003-01-01

Garcinia lucida Vesque (Clusiaceae) is a highly valued non-timber forest tree. The bark and the seeds are exploited and commercialised for medicinal purposes and palm wine processing in Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The bark is often removed over almost the entire circumference of the stem,

”Elveland” – Irony and Laughter as Power Media in Sea Sámi Folk-Song Tradition

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Lill Tove Fredriksen

2004-07-01

Full Text Available The article is a literary analysis of the satirical Sámi folk-song ”Elveland”. The song about about the road man, forester and river attendant Elveland on the west side of the municipality of Porsanger was made in the beginning of the 1900s, as a form of revenge on the part of the local community because he would not let them cut as much firewood as they needed. With irony as an important device, the text serves as a meeting point for dialogues between different voices, and where power relations and the political nature of cultural identity is revealed.

The antibiotic activity of some Brazilian medicinal plants

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Maria R. Ferreira de Lima

Full Text Available The antibiotic activities of the ethanol extracts from 16 species of plants used in Brazilian folk medicine have been determined against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus flavus, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Salmonella enteretidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, Mycobacterium phlei, M. smegmatis and M. fortuitum, and the yeasts Candida albicans and C. krusei. Among 32 extracts assayed, only those from Lafoensia pacari and Pterodon polygalaeflorus showed activity against the bacterial strains, and none were active against the yeasts. The ethanolic extract from the leaves of L. pacari showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC values of 312.5 to 2500, 250, 625 and 1250 mg/mL, respectively, against eight different Gram-positive strains of Staphylococcus aureus, the Gram-negative Proteus mirabilis and the acid-fast bacilli Mycobacterium phlei, M. fortuitum and M. smegmatis. The ethanolic extract from the stem of L. pacari showed an MIC value of 625 mg/mL against S. aureus. Chemical analysis revealed that the crude extracts contained tannins, steroids, phenols, flavonoids, triterpenes and saponins: the activities were sufficiently high to present the possibility of future identification of the active components by bioassay-guided fractionation and purification.

Screening of some plants used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases

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Fabíola Barbiéri Holetz

2002-10-01

Full Text Available Extracts of 13 Brazilian medicinal plants were screened for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts. Of these, 10 plant extracts showed varied levels of antibacterial activity. Piper regnellii presented a good activity against Staphylococus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, a moderate activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a weak activity against Escherichia coli. Punica granatum showed good activity on S. aureus and was inactive against the other standard strains. Eugenia uniflora presented moderate activity on both S. aureus and E. coli. Psidium guajava,Tanacetum vulgare, Arctium lappa, Mikania glomerata, Sambucus canadensis, Plantago major and Erythrina speciosa presented some degree of antibacterial activity. Spilanthes acmella, Lippia alba, and Achillea millefolium were considered inactive. Five of the plant extracts presented compounds with Rf values similar to the antibacterial compounds visible on bioautogram. Of these, three plants belong to the Asteraceae family. This may mean that the same compounds are responsible for the antibacterial activity in these plants. Anticandidal activity was detected in nine plant extracts (P. guajava, E. uniflora, P. granatum, A. lappa, T. vulgare, M. glomerata, L. alba, P. regnellii, and P. major. The results might explain the ethnobotanical use of the studied species for the treatment of various infectious diseases.

Bread in the folk culture of the Serbs in its pan-Slavic context

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Radenković Ljubinko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Slavs do not consider bread to be a common foodstuff, but a sacred object, a symbol of wealth and happiness. Almost all significant rituals (holidays, rites from the life cycle of a person, occasional magical activities use bread. In some of them, such as marriages or the Serbian holiday krsna slava, it is the main ritual object, which has great symbolic value. This paper addresses the use of bread in the ritual behavior of the Serbs and related peoples, where bread has the characteristics of a symbol and therefore gains a communicative function (it is used to convey or to receive information. It is also points out that the symbolic function of bread changes depending on the grain used to make it, whether it is leavened or unleavened, and the shape of it. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177022: Serbian Folk Culture Between East and West

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by Saperas community of Khetawas, Jhajjar District, Haryana, India

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Kumar Sunil

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plants have traditionally been used as a source of medicine in India by indigenous people of different ethnic groups inhabiting various terrains for the control of various ailments afflicting human and their domestic animals. The indigenous community of snake charmers belongs to the 'Nath' community in India have played important role of healers in treating snake bite victims. Snake charmers also sell herbal remedies for common ailments. In the present paper an attempt has been made to document on ethno botanical survey and traditional medicines used by snake charmers of village Khetawas located in district Jhajjar of Haryana, India as the little work has been made in the past to document the knowledge from this community. Methods Ethno botanical data and traditional uses of plants information was obtained by semi structured oral interviews from experienced rural folk, traditional herbal medicine practitioners of the 'Nath' community. A total of 42 selected inhabitants were interviewed, 41 were male and only one woman. The age of the healers was between 25 years and 75 years. The plant specimens were identified according to different references concerning the medicinal plants of Haryana and adjoining areas and further confirmation from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. Results The present study revealed that the people of the snake charmer community used 57 medicinal plants species that belonged to 51 genera and 35 families for the treatment of various diseases. The study has brought to light that the main diseases treated by this community was snakebite in which 19 different types of medicinal plants belongs to 13 families were used. Significantly higher number of medicinal plants was claimed by men as compared to women. The highest numbers of medicinal plants for traditional uses utilized by this community were belonging to family Fabaceae. Conclusion This community carries a vast knowledge of medicinal plants but as

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activities of Bulbine abyssinica Used in the Folk Medicine in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

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Kibiti, Cromwell Mwiti; Afolayan, Anthony Jide

2015-01-01

Bulbine abyssinica A. Rich. is used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatism, dysentery, bilharzia, cracked lips, back pain, infertility, diabetes mellitus, and gastrointestinal, vaginal, and bladder infections. Therefore, preliminary phytochemical screening, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties of the whole plant (acetone and aqueous extracts) were determined using standard procedures. The in vitro antioxidant model assays revealed that the plant possesses free radical scavenging potential varying with free radical species. The species showed significant protein denaturation inhibitory activity with good protection against erythrocyte membrane lysis indicating anti-inflammatory potential. The results also showed that the species was active against the growth of all the selected eight diabetic status opportunistic bacteria except one. Moreover, the species is characterized by appreciable amounts of total phenols, flavonoids, flavanols, proanthocyanidins, and alkaloids. Traces amounts of saponins and tannins were also observed. Amongst the identified phytochemicals present, empirical searches identified them being antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents. The identification of these phytochemical constituents with their known pharmacological properties indicates that this plant is a good source of the free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents. These findings also account for the multipharmacological use of B. abyssinica in fork medicine.

Rubus pharmacology: antiquity to the present

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Aeschylus, Hippocrates, Krataeus, Dioscorides, and Galen; Romans: Cato, Ovid, and Pliny the Elder; Asian medicinal traditions, such as the Unani Tibb, traditional Chinese medicine, and the Ayurvedic tradition of India. Folk traditions of native peoples throughout the world have also applied Rubus fo...

The potential of folk tabletop games in the development of the intelligence and creativity of children

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Mariia Baisheva

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The modern education is dominantly targeted at the left hemisphere. It draws insufficient attention to the harmonization of the functioning of both brain hemispheres. This has a negative impact on the development of the abilities of children and is especially detrimental to boys and those children who are brought up in the natural environment. In this regard, one of the solutions is folk tabletop games, but their potential in the development of the intelligence and creativity of children has been insufficiently explored. The goal of the research is to identify and substantiate the potential of the Sakha’s tabletop games for the development of the intellectual and creative abilities of children aged 5-7 years. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that the problem under study enriches the theoretical and methodological bases of using tabletop games in the intellectual development of children in preschool education. The study was carried out longitudinally. The following was studied: the influence of games on the development of intellectual, creative, and insight abilities of children aged 5-7 years, as well as their interconditionality. The obtained results are discussed from the point of view of their correspondence with both the data available in science and the hypothesis of the study. The discussion emphasizes that the tabletop games of the Sakha are the most meaningfully represented in the study as the functional space for the development of intellectual and creative abilities of children. In the conclusion, it is emphasized that folk tabletop games are the means for qualitative enrichment of all the basic factors of intelligence in operations, contents, and final products of thinking. The study has proven the idea of treating tabletop games as a substantial source of development of the harmonious activity of both brain hemispheres.

Secondary metabolites and biological activity of Pentas species: A minireview

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Heba-tollah M. Sweelam

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The genus Pentas belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which contains approximately 40 species. Several Pentas species were reported to be used as a folk treatment by African indigenous people in treating some diseases such as malaria, tapeworms, dysentery, gonorrhea, syphilis and snake poisoning. This article covers the period from 1962 to 2017 and presents an overview of the biological activity of different Pentas species and describes their phytochemical traits. As a conclusion, the main secondary metabolites from Pentas species are quinones, highly oxygenated chromene-based structures, and iridoids. Pentas species are widely used in folk medicine but they have to be more investigated for their medicinal properties.

From Suazoid to folk pottery: pottery manufacturing traditions in a changing social and cultural environment on St. Lucia

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Corinne L. Hofman

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Overview of pottery manufacturing traditions in St Lucia, placed within the island's cultural history from pre-Columbian times up to present Afro-Caribbean folk pottery. Authors focus on manufacturing processes in different cultural traditions through history, looking at raw materials used, the shaping and finishing, decoration, and firing process. First, they sketch St Lucia's habitation history since the first Amerindian settlers in 200 AD, and evidence of pottery, which climaxed in the later Suazoid period pottery since about 1150 AD, and discuss how later European colonization and arrival of Africans contributed to the decline of Amerindian traditions, replaced by European and West African pottery traditions, although some Amerindian traditions remained. The pottery manufacturing of 3 main cultural traditions are examined, discussing differences, as well as similarities due to cultural blending: Suazoid pottery, later Amerindian Island Carib pottery, with origins in the Guianas region, related to the Kar'ina, and current St Lucian, West African-influenced, "folk pottery". Authors conclude that all 3 traditions mainly use local clay, and include hand-built and low-fired pottery. Shaping techniques include coiling, and in today's pottery also fashioning with smaller lumps. Surfaces are smooth and polished in today's pottery, but more scraped and scratched in Suazoid vessels. Further, they find that decoration is uncommon in today's pottery, while Suazoid ceramics included decorations, and that vessel shapes tend to be simple in all 3 traditions. They also find that women have been the principal potters through time, although pottery was a male activity among the Island Caribs in the mid-17th c.

Propagation and conservation of native forest genetic resources of medicinal use by means of in vitro and ex vitro techniques.

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Sharry, Sandra; Adema, Marina; Basiglio Cordal, María A; Villarreal, Blanca; Nikoloff, Noelia; Briones, Valentina; Abedini, Walter

2011-07-01

In Argentina, there are numerous native species which are an important source of natural products and which are traditionally used in medicinal applications. Some of these species are going through an intense extraction process in their natural habitat which may affect their genetic diversity. The aim of this study was to establish vegetative propagation systems for three native forestal species of medicinal interest. This will allow the rapid obtainment of plants to preserve the germplasm. This study included the following species which are widely used in folk medicine and its applications: Erythrina crista-galli or "seibo" (astringent, used for its cicatrizant properties and for bronchiolitic problems); Acacia caven or "espinillo" (antirheumatic, digestive, diuretic and with cicatrizant properties) and Salix humboldtiana or "sauce criollo" (antipyretic, sedative, antispasmodic, astringent). The methodology included the micropropagation of seibo, macro and micropropagation of Salix humboldtiana and the somatic embryogenesis of Acacia caven. The protocol for seibo regeneration was adjusted from nodal sections of seedlings which were obtained from seeds germinated in vitro. The macropropagation through rooted cuttings of "sauce criollo" was achieved and complete plants of this same species were obtained through both direct and indirect organogenesis using in vitro cultures. The somatic embryogenesis for Acacia caven was optimized and this led to obtain a high percentage of embryos in different stages of development. We are able to support the conservation of native forest resources of medicinal use by means of vegetative propagation techniques.

Traditional practices, beliefs and uses of medicinal plants in relation to maternal-baby health of Criollo woman in central Argentina.

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Martínez, Gustavo J

2008-12-01

to present information on traditional practices and medicinal uses of plants for treating health diseases related to the reproductive cycle of Criollo women living in the hills of the province of Córdoba; and to interpret these uses in the context of this population's folk medicine. data were collected during several field trips to the study area based on the guidelines of a research project that included ethnographic and ethnobotanical aspects of the study area. a rural community of central Argentina. a total of 62 peasants were interviewed on the basis of a semi-structured system. Repeated open and extensive interviews were also undertaken with seven women who had previously worked as midwives in areas of difficult access. this study found that 12 different female diseases and complaints are treated using a total of 48 plant species belonging to 27 botanical families, with 71 different medicinal uses. The traditional beliefs and practices associated with maternal-baby health care in rural areas highlights the existing combination of principles reformulated from humoral medicine, the use of analogical reasoning, and ontological and functional interpretations of morbid processes. The principle of Hypocratical opposition and hot-cold categorisation are significant criteria that rule over the practices of mother and child health care during birth and puerperium. consequences of traditional knowledge on the health care of peasant women are discussed, based on the analysis of traditional practices from a peasant's point of view.

Contribution of Arabic Medicine and Pharmacy to the Development of Health Care Protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Second Part.

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Masic, Izet

2017-12-01

After the collapse of the Arab rule, the Arab territorial expanses and cultural heritage were taken over by the Turks. Although scientific progress in the Turkish period slowed down due to numerous unfavorable political-economic and other circumstances. Thanks to the Turks, Arabic culture and useful Islamic principles expanded to the territory of our homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Significant role in the transfer of Arabic pharmaceutical knowledge was also attributed to the Sephardic Jews who, with their arrival, continued to perform their attar activities, which were largely based on Arab achievements. However, insufficiently elaborated, rich funds of oriental medical and pharmaceutical handwriting testify that Oriental science has nurtured in these areas as well, and that the Arabic component in a specific way was intertwined with other cultures and traditions of B&H. The Franciscan monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina have museums which contain important exhibits and libraries rich in books, among which many from the field of medicine and pharmacy. Muslim mosques, also, had small libraries with Arabic books used for spreading medical knowledge. The second category was folk doctors and practitioners who were on disposition to the people of any religion. Some of them listened to lectures in medicine during the studies of theology and philosophy. However, most did not have any medical education, but by reading books and teaching experience they made their own recipe collection. Special books, called "Ljekaruše" (Books of recipes) were also born during the study when they came into contact with an even larger number of health books. However, it should not be neglected that a lot of them contained folk medicines that were used in some environments depending on the habits and available herbs. Although it has been proven that many recipes from Ljekaruše are pharmacologically and medically justified, one should not ignore the knowledge and skill behind

Design and Implementation of an Elective on the Ethnopharmacology of Appalachia for the PharmD Curriculum

OpenAIRE

Linger, Rebecca S.

2017-01-01

Objective. To create and implement a class in ethnopharmacology that would educate student pharmacists on folk medicine, including home remedies and native plants that are used as alternative medicinal sources; active components of medicinal plants including toxicity issues and the mechanism of action of beneficial compounds, such as catechins and other flavonoids; and nutraceuticals and poisonous plants.

An Approach to the Characteristics of the Mongolian Short tune Folk Song Melody Style%科尔沁蒙古族短调民歌旋律风格特征探析

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李世相

2012-01-01

The academic circle has long been paying more attention to the division of the folk style color area,but less of an academic research organization,the combination of music rhythm,melody exhibition derivative of folk melody pitch of the style.Mongolian short tune folk songs are unique with melodic style of ＂smooth rap＂,＂symmetry of rhythm combination ＂and the use of ＂ lining the cavity of the lyric＂ and the ＂richness of tonal thinking＂.%长期以来,学术界对如何划分民歌风格色彩区关注较多,而对于各风格色彩区民歌的旋律音高组织、音乐节奏组合、旋律展衍规律等学理上的研究较少。科尔沁蒙古族短调民歌独具特色,旋律风格体现于＂平稳进行的说唱性＂＂节奏组合的对称性＂＂善用衬腔的抒情性＂与＂调性思维的丰富性＂等方面。

Treating infants with frigg: linking disease aetiologies, medicinal plant use and care-seeking behaviour in southern Morocco.

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Teixidor-Toneu, Irene; Martin, Gary J; Puri, Rajindra K; Ouhammou, Ahmed; Hawkins, Julie A

2017-01-13

Although most Moroccans rely to some extent on traditional medicine, the practice of frigg to treat paediatric ailments by elderly women traditional healers known as ferraggat, has not yet been documented. We describe the role of these specialist healers, document the medicinal plants they use, and evaluate how and why their practice is changing. Ethnomedicinal and ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews and observations of medical encounters. Information was collected from traditional healers, namely ferraggat, patients, herbalists and public health professionals. Patients' and healers' narratives about traditional medicine were analysed and medicinal plant lists were compiled from healers and herbalists. Plants used were collected, vouchered and deposited in herbaria. Ferragat remain a key health resource to treat infant ailments in the rural High Atlas, because mothers believe only they can treat what are perceived to be illnesses with a supernatural cause. Ferragat possess baraka, or the gift of healing, and treat mainly three folk ailments, taqait, taumist and iqdi, which present symptoms similar to those of ear infections, tonsillitis and gastroenteritis. Seventy plant species were used to treat these ailments, but the emphasis on plants may be a recent substitute for treatments that used primarily wool and blood. This change in materia medica is a shift in the objects of cultural meaningfulness in response to the increasing influence of orthodox Islam and state-sponsored modernisation, including public healthcare and schooling. Religious and other sociocultural changes are impacting the ways in which ferraggat practice. Treatments based on no-longer accepted symbolic elements have been readily abandoned and substituted by licit remedies, namely medicinal plants, which play a legitimisation role for the practice of frigg. However, beliefs in supernatural ailment aetiologies, as well as lack or difficult access to biomedical

References of birth weights for gestational age and sex from a large cohort of singleton births in cameroon.

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Kemfang Ngowa, Jean Dupont; Domkam, Irénée; Ngassam, Anny; Nguefack-Tsague, Georges; Dobgima Pisoh, Walter; Noa, Cyrille; Kasia, Jean Marie

2014-01-01

Objective. To establish the percentile charts of birth weights for gestational age and sex within the Cameroonian population. Methods. A review of medical records of infants born between January 2007 and December 2011 at the maternities of two hospitals in Cameroon, Central Africa. Multiple pregnancies, births of HIV infected women, stillbirths, and births with major fetal malformations were excluded. The smooth curves of birth weight for gestational age and sex were created using the Gamlss package under R.3.0.1 software. Results. The birth weights of 12837 live birth singleton infants born to HIV negative women between 28 and 42 weeks of gestation were analyzed to construct the birth weight curves for gestational age and sex. The smoothed percentile curves of birth weights for gestational age and sex of Cameroonian infants have demonstrated an increasing slope until 40 weeks and then a plateau. There was a varied difference of distribution in birth weights for gestational age between Cameroonian, Botswanan, American, and French infants. Conclusion. We established the reference curves of birth weights for gestational age and sex for Cameroonians. The difference in birth weight curves noted between Cameroonian, Botswanan, American, and French infants suggests the importance of establishing the regional birth weight norms.

References of Birth Weights for Gestational Age and Sex from a Large Cohort of Singleton Births in Cameroon

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Jean Dupont Kemfang Ngowa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To establish the percentile charts of birth weights for gestational age and sex within the Cameroonian population. Methods. A review of medical records of infants born between January 2007 and December 2011 at the maternities of two hospitals in Cameroon, Central Africa. Multiple pregnancies, births of HIV infected women, stillbirths, and births with major fetal malformations were excluded. The smooth curves of birth weight for gestational age and sex were created using the Gamlss package under R.3.0.1 software. Results. The birth weights of 12837 live birth singleton infants born to HIV negative women between 28 and 42 weeks of gestation were analyzed to construct the birth weight curves for gestational age and sex. The smoothed percentile curves of birth weights for gestational age and sex of Cameroonian infants have demonstrated an increasing slope until 40 weeks and then a plateau. There was a varied difference of distribution in birth weights for gestational age between Cameroonian, Botswanan, American, and French infants. Conclusion. We established the reference curves of birth weights for gestational age and sex for Cameroonians. The difference in birth weight curves noted between Cameroonian, Botswanan, American, and French infants suggests the importance of establishing the regional birth weight norms.

Medical tourism in the backcountry: alternative health and healing in the Arkansas Ozarks.

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Nolan, Justin M; Schneider, Mary Jo

2011-01-01

Tourists travel to Arkansas' mountain regions to experience, appreciate, and consume multiple aspects of otherness, including sacred sites and pristine and authentic peoples and environments. A largely unexplored aspect of this consumption of authenticity is alternative medicine, provided to tourists and day travelers in search of physical and emotional restoration. Traditional forms of medicine are deeply rooted in women's social roles as community healers in the region and are perpetuated in part because of the lack of readily accessible forms of so-called modern medicine. Contemporary medical tourism in Arkansas has promoted access to folk health systems, preserving them by incorporating them into tourists' health care services, and also has attracted new and dynamic alternative medical practices while encouraging the transformation of existing forms of traditional medicine. Ultimately, the blend of alternative, folk, and conventional medicine in the Arkansas highlands is evidence of globalizing forces at work in a regional culture. It also serves to highlight a renewed appreciation for the historic continuity and the efficacy of traditional knowledge in the upper South.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine for patients with traumatic brain injury in Taiwan

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Gau Bih-Shya

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM continues to increase in Taiwan. This study examined the use of CAM and beliefs about CAM as expressed by patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI in Taiwan. Methods TBI patients and their accompanying relatives were interviewed by using a structured questionnaire at an outpatient clinic in a medical center in northern Taiwan. Results A total of 101 patients with TBI participated in the study. Sixty-four (63% patients had used at least one form of CAM after sustaining TBI. CAM users had used an average of 2.72 forms of CAM after sustaining TBI. The most frequently used CAM category was traditional Chinese medicine (37; 57.8%, followed by folk and religious therapies (30; 46.9%, and dietary supplements (30; 46.9%. The majority of the patients (45; 70.3% did not report CAM use because they felt it was unnecessary to do so. Patients who used CAM had a significantly stronger positive belief in CAM than those who did not (t = −2.72; P = .008. After using CAM, most of the patients (54; 85% perceived moderate satisfaction (2.89 ± 0.44, according to a 4-point Likert scale. Conclusion Although the use of CAM is common for TBI patients receiving conventional medical health care in Taiwan, most patients did not inform health care personnel about their CAM use. TBI patients perceive combined use of CAM and conventional medicine as beneficial for their overall health.

Rahmatullah et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2013) 10(4 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJTCAM

continent since ancient times in Ayurvedic medicine (Khare, 2007). Folk medicinal practitioners in Bangladesh claim that the benefits of khoyer also include alleviation of pain and lowering of blood sugar levels in diabetic persons. The plant, khoyer, is further used traditionally for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders like ...

Ethnopharmacology, indigenous collection and preservation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted in the remote Hindukush-Himalayan valleys of Utror and Gabral, during which 36 common folk medicinal recipes of the area were documented. The indigenous methods of medicinal plants collection and their further processing were also explored. It was also observed that huge ...

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of the Genus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Melodinus is an important genus comprising of approximately 53 species of medicinal plants (Apocynaceae). Some species have been used in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of meningitis in children, rheumatic heart diseases, and diuresis, as well as a decongestive against migraine and sinusitis. This paper is a ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJTCAM

Abstract. An in vitro antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of various extracts of Indigofera trita L. viz. ... Today's health care systems relay largely on plant based materials (Kumar et al., 2012). ... Modern medicine has evolved from folk medicines and traditional system only after ... Moreover, the current costs of the.

Antileishmanial Activity of Medicinal Plants Used in Endemic Areas in Northeastern Brazil

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Aline Cavalcanti De Queiroz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the leishmanicidal activity of five species of plants used in folk medicine in endemic areas of the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Data were collected in the cities of Colonia Leopoldina, Novo Lino, and União dos Palmares, Alagoas state, from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania amazonensis who use medicinal plants to treat this disease. Plants extracts were tested at a concentration of 1–100 μg/mL in all experiments, except in an assay to evaluate activity against amastigotes, when 10 μg/mL was used. All plants extracts did not show deleterious activity to the host cell evidenced by LDH assay at 100, 10, and 1 μg/mL after 48 h of incubation. The plants extracts Hyptis pectinata (L. Poit, Aloe vera L., Ruta graveolens L., Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen, and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. exhibited direct activity against extracellular forms at 100 μg/mL; these extracts inhibited growth by 81.9%, 82.9%, 74.4%, 88.7%, and 87.4%, respectively, when compared with promastigotes. The plants extracts H. pectinata, A. vera, and R. graveolens also significantly diminished the number of amastigotes at 10 μg/mL, inhibiting growth by 85.0%, 40.4%, 94.2%, and 97.4%, respectively, when compared with control. Based on these data, we conclude that the five plants exhibited considerable leishmanicidal activity.

Commentary

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Raoul

2009-10-20

Oct 20, 2009 ... Inauguration of the Cameroonian Society of Human Genetics. Ambroise ... opportunity to get together in synergy the entire Cameroonian “DNA/RNA scientists” . ... of the state-of-knowledge of Human Origin and Genetic Diversity. ... This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative.

Semiotic Analysis of the Auspicious Images of a Taiwanese Folk Religion Temple

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Chao-Ming Yang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In Taiwan, temples were decorated with painted and sculptured auspicious images that promote the communication between worshippers and deities. In this study, we adopted grounded theory and ethnography with applied semiotic theory to analysis the semiotic meanings of the auspicious images of Taiwanese folk religion temple, identify the semiotic characteristics of the images, and summarize the signs associated with the images. A total of 126 image samples were collected from field study, and the KJ method was subsequently performed to categorize and analyze the samples. Finally, some significant findings were obtained, the functional aspects of the aforementioned images mostly belong to the categories of symbol and homonymy, whereas their mental aspects belong to the categories of psychological and physiological requirements. In sum, humans perceive the world through signs and that human life is the semiotization of the world, although Eastern and Western cultures are characteristically different, they share much similarity in communication methods. The findings of this study can foster the understanding of the truth, goodness, and beauty of the architectural decoration of temples in Taiwan and the modesty, hospitality, generosity, and religiosity of Taiwanese society.

Potential of medicinal plants from the Brazilian semi-arid region (Caatinga) against Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic and biofilm lifestyles.

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Trentin, Danielle da Silva; Giordani, Raquel Brandt; Zimmer, Karine Rigon; da Silva, Alexandre Gomes; da Silva, Márcia Vanusa; Correia, Maria Tereza Dos Santos; Baumvol, Israel Jacob Rabin; Macedo, Alexandre José

2011-09-01

Medicinal plants from the Caatinga, a Brazilian xeric shrubland, are used in folk medicine to treat infections. These ethnopharmacological data can contribute to obtaining new antimicrobial/antibiofilm extracts and natural product prototypes for the development of new drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiofilm and antibacterial activities of 45 aqueous extracts from 24 Caatinga plant species. The effect of aqueous extracts on planktonic cells and on biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis was studied by the OD(600) absorbance and by the crystal violet assay, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to generate comparative images of extract-treated and untreated biofilms. Chromatographic analyses were performed to characterize the active extracts. The in vitro screening, at 0.4 mg/mL and 4.0mg/mL, showed 20 plants effective in preventing biofilm formation and 13 plants able to inhibit planktonic bacterial growth. SEM images demonstrated distinct profiles of bacterial adhesion, matrix production and cell morphology according to different treatments and surfaces. The phytochemical analysis of the selected active extracts indicates the polyphenols, coumarins, steroids and terpenes as possible active compounds. This study describes the first antibiofilm and antibacterial screening of Caatinga plants against S. epidermidis. The evaluation presented in this study confirms several ethnopharmacological reports and can be utilized to identify new antibiofilm and antibacterial products against S. epidermidis from traditional Brazilian medicine. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peptides extracted from Artemisia herba alba have antimicrobial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Artemisia herba alba, classified into the family of Asteraceae, is an aromatic herb that is traditionally used as a purgative and antipyretic folk medicine by rural people of south Tunisia. This study reports the first identification of antimicrobial peptides from this medicinal plant that inhibited the growth of several ...

Monoterpenes with antibacterial activities from a Cameroonian medicinal plant Canthium Multiflorum (Rubiaceae).

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Kouam, Simeon Fogue; Ngouonpe, Alain Wembe; Bullach, Anke; Lamshöft, Marc; Kuigoua, Guy Merlin; Spiteller, Michael

2013-12-01

Investigation of the crude extract obtained from the aerial parts of Canthium multiflorum led to the isolation of a new iridoid (1) together with twelve known compounds. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, accurate mass measurements and comparison with analytical data of previously known analogues. Most of the isolated compounds have been reported for the first time from C. multiflorium. The antimicrobial activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated on five different bacterial strains using agar diffusion technique. The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (DSM 799), and the Gram-negative bacteria Actinobacter calco-aceticus (DSM 30006), Serratia plymuthica (DSM 4540), Pseudomonas stutzeri (DSM 4166) and Escherichia coli (DSM 1116) were employed for this purpose. The new iridoid, named 6-oxo-genipin (1), demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against all microbial strains tested, especially the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the compounds 3, 4 and 9 exhibited antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strain K1 and weak cytotoxicity against L6 cell lines. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial Activities of Three Medicinal Plants and Investigation of Flavonoids of Tripleurospermum disciforme.

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Tofighi, Zahra; Molazem, Maryam; Doostdar, Behnaz; Taban, Parisa; Shahverdi, Ahmad Reza; Samadi, Nasrin; Yassa, Narguess

2015-01-01

Rosa damascena, Tripleurospermum disciforme and Securigera securidaca were used as disinfectant agents and for treatment of some disease in folk medicine of Iran. The antimicrobial effects of different fractions of seeds extract of S. securidaca, petals extract of R. damascena and aerial parts extract of T. disciforme were examined against some gram positive, gram negative and fungi by cup plate diffusion method. The petroleum ether and chloroform fractions of S. securidaca showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while its methanol fraction had no antibacterial effects. R. damascena petals extract demonstrated antibacterial activities against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. T. disciforme aerial parts extract exhibited antimicrobial effects only against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. None of the fractions had any antifungal activities. Therefore, present study confirmed utility of these plants as disinfectant agents. Six flavonoids were isolated from T. disciforme: Luteolin, Quercetin-7-O-glucoside, Kaempferol, Kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, Apigenin and Apigenin-7-O-glucoside. The flavonoids and the antimicrobial activity of T. disciforme are reported for the first time.

In vitro evaluation of traditionally used Surinamese medicinal plants for their potential anti-leishmanial efficacy.

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Mans, D R A; Beerens, T; Magali, I; Soekhoe, R C; Schoone, G J; Oedairadjsingh, K; Hasrat, J A; van den Bogaart, E; Schallig, H D F H

2016-03-02

Plant-based preparations are extensively used in Surinamese folk medicine for treating leishmaniasis, but often without a scientific rationale. To evaluate 25 Surinamese medicinal plants for their potential efficacy against leishmaniasis. Concentrated plant extracts were evaluated for their effect on the viability of L. (V.) guyanensis AMC, L. (L.) major NADIM5, and L. (L.) donovani GEDII promastigotes, as well as intracellular amastigotes of L. (L.) donovani BHU814 in infected THP-1 cells. Selectivity was assessed by cytotoxicity against THP-1 cells. The only plant extract that showed potentially meaningful anti-leishmanial activity was that from Solanum lycocarpum that displayed mean IC50 values of about 51, 61, and 500 µg/mL against THP-1 cells. The Bryophyllum pinnatum, Inga alba, and Quassia amara extracts displayed moderate to high IC50 values against promastigotes (about 51 to >500 µg/mL) and/or amastigotes (about 224 to >500 µg/mL) but were relatively toxic to THP-1 cells (IC50 values plant extracts exhibited in many cases IC50 values close to, around, or above 500µg/mL against promastigotes, amastigotes, and THP-1 cells. The S. lycocarpum preparation may be useful against leishmaniasis and may have a good safety index, warranting further investigations into its active constituents and mechanism(s) of action. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A case report of bicornis bicollis uterus with unilateral cervical atresia: an unusual aetiology of chronic debilitating pelvic pain in a Cameroonian teenager.

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Dohbit, Julius Sama; Meka, Esther; Tochie, Joel Noutakdie; Kamla, Igor; Mwadjie, Darolles; Foumane, Pascal

2017-06-02

Congenital uterine anomalies like bicornis or bicornuate uterus are relatively rare in sub-Saharan Africa. They are associated with an increased rate of spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, and infertility. The occurrence of bicornis bicollis uterus with unilateral cervical atresia is exceptional and its management is controversial. We hereby report a rare cause of chronic pelvic pain in a Cameroonian teenager due to unilateral obstructive hematometra and hematosalpinx in the non-communicating horn of a bicornis bicollis uterus. A 13-year-old premenarchal non-virgin female presented with chronic and severe cyclical crampy pelvic pain. On clinical examination, she had a perforated hymen, a single vagina, and one uterine cervix. A two-dimensional pelvic ultrasonography revealed hematometra but missed out the underlying anomaly. Failure to drain the hematometra by serial cervical dilatations prompted an exploratory laparotomy which revealed: bicornis bicollis uterus with a right rudimentary uterine horn communicating with the vagina and a left non-communicating uterine horn distended by hematometra due to a homolateral cervical atresia. She underwent utero-vaginal canalization and a left hemi-hysterotomy with drainage of the hematometra. The postoperative period was uneventful. Regular cyclic menses occurred thereafter beginning at the first postoperative month. She had complete resolution of symptoms without recurrence after six months. Due to the risk of compromised fertility from bicornis uterus and the diagnostic challenges akin to resource-limited settings, we highlight the need for a high index of suspicion by healthcare providers when faced with chronic pelvic pain in premenarchal adolescents.

Folk medicine in Mandaguaçu municipality, Paraná State: an ethnobotanical approach - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v34i4.9306

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Edmar Antônio Correa

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Herein, we present results from an ethnobotanical study (from February to August 2009 aiming the improvement and rationalization of medical practices, based on popular use of plants. We applied semi-structured interviews to 220 families from the urban area of Mandaguaçu municipality, Paraná State. During the interviews we recorded the following information about the used plants: common name; plant part used; method of preparation; collection site; therapeutic indication, and known adverse effects. Additionally, we compared the data obtained in the interviews with the literature in order to identify contradiction in use and application. Among the interviewees, 90% use medicinal plants, obtained especially from the backyards. We recorded 44 ethnobotanical citations, comprising 47 species (22 families. The species most frequently mentioned in the interviews were, respectively, Cymbopogon citrates (DC Stapf. (Lemon grass, Mentha sp. (Mint, Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (False Boldo and Plectranthus ornatus Codd (Dog bane. The applications most cited were: the treatment of diseases from the digestive tract (122 citations, respiratory (67 citations and nervous system (40 citations. In general, the population knows the correct method for preparing the medicinal plants. However, they report that do not know any adverse effect caused by these plants. This scenario is worrying because some species are recognized in the literature as potentially toxic or responsible for adverse effects.  

Prevalence and drivers of human scabies among children and adolescents living and studying in Cameroonian boarding schools.

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Kouotou, Emmanuel Armand; Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Kouawa, Michèle K; Zoung-Kanyi Bissek, Anne-Cécile

2016-07-19

The dire lack of information concerning the epidemiology of human scabies in Cameroon, especially in school milieus brought us to undertake the present study which aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of scabies in Cameroonian boarding schools. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2015 in four boarding schools in Yaoundé and Buea (Cameroon). Participants were students currently residing in one of the study sites, volunteering to participate in the study and whose parents or guardians had given their consent in this respect. The diagnosis was based on clinical assessment independently performed by two dermatologists. A total of 1,902 students were recruited (50.5 % boys), with a mean age of 14.3 ± 2.5 years. Overall, 338 participants (17.8 %) were diagnosed with scabies. Age ≤ 15 years, male sex, number of students in the school > 500, no access to the school infirmary, sleeping with others, sharing beddings, clothes or toilet stuffs, pruritus in the close entourage and complaining of pruritus were significantly associated with the presence of mites in univariable logistic regression analyses. On the other hand, at least two baths per day, usage of soap for baths and finger nails always cut short appeared as protective factors. After multivariable analysis, male sex (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.06, 95 % CI: 1.40-3.01, P < 0.0001), first cycle level of education (aOR 1.67, 95 % CI: 1.02-2.71, P = 0.040), number of students per dormitory ≤ 10 (aOR 6.99, 95 % CI: 3.34-14.71, P < 0.0001), no access to the school infirmary (aOR 1.62, 95 % CI: 1.12-2.32, P = 0.009) and complaining of pruritus (aOR 93.37, 95 % CI: 60.04-145.19, P < 0.0001) were the independent factors associated with scabies. The prevalence of scabies was 17.8 %. The male sex, first cycle level of education, a number of students per dormitory ≤ 10, no access to the school infirmary and complaining of pruritus were

Acute Septic Arthritis of the Knee Caused by Kingella kingae in a 5-Year-Old Cameroonian Boy

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Nawal El Houmami

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Kingella kingae is an important cause of invasive infections in young children from Western countries. Although increasing reports indicate that this organism is the leading agent of bone and joint infections in early childhood, data on K. kingae infections from resource-limited settings are scarce, and none has yet been reported in Africa. We herein report the diagnostic and epidemiological investigations of the first case of K. kingae arthritis identified in a child from sub-Saharan Africa. A 5-year-old Cameroonian boy presented with a sudden painful limp which appeared in the course of a mild rhinopharyngitis. He lived in Cameroon where he had been vaccinated with BCG at birth and moved to France for holidays 4 days before consultation. There was no history of trauma and he did not have any underlying medical condition. Upon admission, he had a temperature of 36.7°C, and clinical examination revealed right-sided knee tenderness and effusion that was confirmed by ultrasound imaging. Laboratory results showed a white blood cell count of 5,700 cells/mm3, C-reactive protein level of 174 mg/L, and platelet count of 495,000 cells/mm3. He underwent an arthrocentesis and was immediately given intravenous amoxicillin-clavulanate. Conventional cultures from blood samples and synovial fluids were negative. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR assay targeting the broad-range 16S rRNA gene and real-time quantitative PCR assays targeting Mycobacterium species were negative. Surprisingly, real-time PCR assays targeting the cpn60, rtxA, and rtxB genes of K. kingae were positive. Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization specific for K. kingae identified the presence of numerous coccobacilli located within the synovial fluid. Finally, multilocus sequence typing analysis performed on deoxyribonucleic acid directly extracted from joint fluid disclosed a novel K. kingae sequence-type complex. This case report demonstrates that K. kingae may be considered

Two New Flavone Glucosides from Serratula strangulata

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

@@ Introduction Genus Serratula (Compositae) consists of about 70 species distributed throughout the world[1]. Serratula species have been used as folk medicine to treat chickenpox, toxicosis,high cholesterol in China[2].

On Chinese Folk Songs——the Foundation of National Vocal Music Teaching%浅谈中国民歌——民族声乐教学的基础

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张健

2012-01-01

学习民族声乐演唱艺术要以中国传统民歌为基础,即在语言上要达到＂字正腔圆＂符合人民大众的听觉和审美习惯,又要在演唱时融汇中西的科学发声方法美化音色同时在作品风格上要体现演唱个性的多样化。我们在教学中,应该注重从各种形式的民间音乐中吸取养分和精华,对各民族各类型类民间音乐的表演进行研究,将其表演艺术和歌唱方法上升为理论并应用于民族声乐的教学中。%To learn national vocal music singing art,one needs to learn traditional Chinese folk songs,that is,words should be pronounced clearly to meet the hearing and aesthetic requirements of the people,the singing should combine scientific Chinese and western voice producing skills to beautify the voice,and the style of singing should be diversified.In teaching,we should absorb essence and nutrients from different forms of folk music,do research about the performance of all nationalities and all types of folk music so as to form theories about performing art and singing methods and apply them into national music teaching.

Fathers, Families, & Child Well-Being in Cameroon: A Review of the Literature.

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Nsamenang, A. Bame

This review discusses fatherhood in Cameroon in the context of anthropological, sociological, and psychological literature. With a focus on the family, the review examines the image and role of the father, the division of labor by gender, and the changing value of the Cameroonian father. The review notes that Cameroonian culture assigns the bulk…

Development of a new body image assessment scale in urban Cameroon: an anthropological approach.

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Cohen, Emmanuel; Pasquet, Patrick

2011-01-01

Develop and validate body image scales (BIS) presenting real human bodies adapted to the macroscopic phenotype of urban Cameroonian populations. Quantitative and qualitative analysis. Yaoundé, capital city of Cameroon. Four samples with balanced sex-ratio: the first (n=16) aged 18 to 65 years (qualitative study), the second (n=30) aged 25 to 40 years (photo database), the third (n=47) and fourth (n=181), > or =18 years (validation study). Construct validity, test retest reliability, concurrent and convergent validity of BIS. Body image scales present six Cameroonians of each sex arranged according to main body mass index (BMI) categories: underweight ( or =40 kg/m2). Test-retest reliability correlations for current body size (CBS), desired body size and current desirable discrepancy (body self-satisfaction index) on BIS were never below .90. Plus, for the concurrent validity, we observed a significant correlation (r=0.67, Pbody size perceptions, is acceptable. Body image scales are adapted to the phenotypic characteristics of urban Cameroonian populations. They are reliable and valid to assess body size perceptions and culturally adapted to the Cameroonian context.

Institutionalization of ethnochoreology in Serbia: The legacy of Ljubica Janković at the Institute of musicology SASA

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Dumnić Marija

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Since 1964, the Institute of Musicology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts has been cherishing the official archive of the academician Ljubica Janković, ethnochoreologist, which originates from her service at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade (1939-1951. The legacy contains documentation about the activity of the Folk Dance Section of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, and extensive data on folk dances in Yugoslavia from the first half of the twentieth century. This paper presents part of the archival documentation relating to the establishment and activity of the Folk Dance Section. It was the first state institution to collect primary and secondary research sources relating to folk dance structure and to the social context of a rural dance practice. Apart from that, it was the institution for education on folk dance preservation and staging. The focus of the paper is on the fundamental documents of ethnochoreological cultural and research policy in Serbia, manuscripts The Draft for Work at the Folk Dance Section of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade [Nacrt za rad u Otseku narodnih igara pri Etnografskom muzeju u Beogradu] (1939 and The Program for Work at the Department for Intangible Culture with the Sections: 1 Folk Dances and Folk Music; 2 Folk Literature; 3 Folk Art and Ornamentation; 4 Folk Customs and Religion; 5 Folk Medicine [Program rada u Odeljenju za duhovnu kulturu sa Otsecima: 1 za narodne igre i narodnu muziku; 2 za narodnu književnost; 3 za narodnu likovnu umetnost i ornamentiku; 4 za narodne običaje i veru; 5 za narodnu medicinu] (1946. The aim of this study is to contribute to the history of ethnochoreology in Serbia by introducing the ideas of Ljubica Janković concerning folk dance research and preservation strategies because of their importance for the interpretation of numerous ethnochoreological and ethnomusicological theoretical and analytical results, mostly achieved in cooperation with her sister

Local health practices and the knowledge of medicinal plants in a Brazilian semi-arid region: environmental benefits to human health.

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Zank, Sofia; Peroni, Nivaldo; de Araújo, Elcida Lima; Hanazaki, Natalia

2015-02-23

The concept of eco-cultural health considers the dynamic interaction between humans and ecosystems, emphasizing the implications of the health of the ecosystem for the health and well-being of human populations. Ethnobotanical studies focusing on folk medicine and medicinal plants can contribute to the field of eco-cultural health if they incorporate the perspective and local knowledge of communities. We investigated the local health practices in three rural communities living within the vicinity of a protected area of sustainable use in a semi-arid region of Brazil. We analyzed the opinions of local health experts on the elements that influence human health and on how the environment contributes to this influence. We also analyzed and compared the local knowledge of medicinal plants, as knowledge of this type is an important factor when considering the interaction between environmental and human health. We performed structured interviews and free-listings with 66 local health experts. We used content analysis to systematize the elements of the influences on human health. We compared the richness of the plants cited among communities and analyzed the differences among the three communities regarding the ways in which the plants were obtained and the environments in which plants were collected. The local experts identified several influences of the environment on human health. These influences can be associated with ecosystem services, such as climatic conditions, water and air quality, recreation and medicinal and food resources. We identified 192 medicinal plant species, most of which were gathered from wild ecosystems. The most important environments for the three communities were the plateau mountain and backyards. The informants had a broad and integrated view of health, perceiving the importance of conserving the environment within the National Forest of Araripe for the health and well-being of the local populations.

Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Myrcia (Myrtaceae): A Review of an Aromatic and Medicinal Group of Plants.

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Cascaes, Márcia Moraes; Guilhon, Giselle Maria Skelding Pinheiro; Andrade, Eloisa Helena de Aguiar; Zoghbi, Maria das Graças Bichara; Santos, Lourivaldo da Silva

2015-10-09

Myrcia is one of the largest genera of the economically important family Myrtaceae. Some of the species are used in folk medicine, such as a group known as "pedra-hume-caá" or "pedra-ume-caá" or "insulina vegetal" (insulin plant) that it is used for the treatment of diabetes. The species are an important source of essential oils, and most of the chemical studies on Myrcia describe the chemical composition of the essential oils, in which mono- and sesquiterpenes are predominant. The non-volatile compounds isolated from Myrcia are usually flavonoids, tannins, acetophenone derivatives and triterpenes. Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities have been described to Myrcia essential oils, while hypoglycemic, anti-hemorrhagic and antioxidant activities were attributed to the extracts. Flavonoid glucosides and acetophenone derivatives showed aldose reductase and α-glucosidase inhibition, and could explain the traditional use of Myrcia species to treat diabetes. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory are some of the activities observed for other isolated compounds from Myrcia.

Lipid Oxidation Inhibitory Effects and Phenolic Composition of Aqueous Extracts from Medicinal Plants of Colombian Amazonia

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José Ignacio Ruiz-Sanz

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Diverse plants of ethnobotanic interest in Amazonia are commonly used in traditional medicine. We determined the antioxidant potential against lipid peroxidation, the antimicrobial activity, and the polyphenol composition of several Amazonian plants (Brownea rosademonte, Piper glandulosissimum, Piper krukoffii, Piper putumayoense, Solanum grandiflorum, and Vismia baccifera. Extracts from the plant leaf, bark, and stem were prepared as aqueous infusions, as used in folk medicine, and added to rat liver microsomes exposed to iron. The polyphenolic composition was detected by reverse-phase HPLC coupled to diode-array detector and MS/MS analysis. The antimicrobial activity was tested by the spot-on-a-lawn method against several indicator microorganisms. All the extracts inhibited lipid oxidation, except the P. glandulosissimum stem. The plant extracts exhibiting high antioxidant potential (V. baccifera and B. rosademonte contained high levels of flavanols (particularly, catechin and epicatechin. By contrast, S. grandiflorum leaf, which exhibited very low antioxidant activity, was rich in hydroxycinnamic acids. None of the extracts showed antimicrobial activity. This study demonstrates for the first time the presence of bioactive polyphenolic compounds in several Amazonian plants, and highlights the importance of flavanols as major phenolic contributors to antioxidant activity.

Bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids in medicinal plant Ipomoea pes-caprae from areas impacted by tsunami.

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Kozak, Lidia; Kokociński, Mikołaj; Niedzielski, Przemysław; Lorenc, Stanisław

2015-02-01

Tsunami events may have an enormous impact on the functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by altering various relationships with biotic components. Concentrations of acid-leachable fractions of heavy metals and metalloids in soils and plant samples from areas affected by the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand were determined. Ipomoea pes-caprae, a common plant species growing along the seashore of this region, and frequently used in folk medicine, was selected to assess the presence of selected elements. Elevated amounts of Cd, Pb, Zn, and As in soil samples, and Pb, Zn, As, Se, Cr, and Ni in plant samples were determined from the tsunami-impacted regions for comparison with reference locations. The flowers of Ipomoea pes-caprae contained the highest amounts of these metals, followed by its leaves, and stems. In addition, its bioaccumulation factor (BAF) supports this capability of high metal uptake by Ipomoea pes-caprae from the areas affected by the tsunami in comparison with a reference site. This uptake was followed by the translocation of these elements to the various plant components. The presence of these toxic metals in Ipomoea pes-caprae growing in contaminated soils should be a concern of those who use this plant for medicinal purposes. Further studies on the content of heavy metals and metalloids in this plant in relation to human health concerns are recommended. © 2014 SETAC.

Use of provider-based complementary and alternative medicine by adult smokers in the United States: Comparison from the 2002 and 2007 NHIS survey.

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Hamm, Eric; Muramoto, Myra L; Howerter, Amy; Floden, Lysbeth; Govindarajan, Lubna

2014-01-01

To provide a snapshot of provider-based complementary and alternative medicine (pbCAM) use among adult smokers and assess the opportunity for these providers to deliver tobacco cessation interventions. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys. Nationally representative sample. A total of 54,437 (31,044 from 2002; 23,393 from 2007) adults 18 years and older. The analysis focuses on 10 types of pbCAM, including acupuncture, Ayurveda, biofeedback, chelation therapy, chiropractic care, energy therapy, folk medicine, hypnosis, massage, and naturopathy. The proportions of current smokers using any pbCAM as well as specific types of pbCAM in 2002 and 2007 are compared using SAS SURVEYLOGISTIC. Between 2002 and 2007, the percentage of recent users of any pbCAM therapy increased from 12.5% to 15.4% (p = .001). The largest increases occurred in massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture. Despite a decrease in the national average of current smokers (22.0% to 19.4%; p = .001), proportions of smokers within specific pbCAM disciplines remained consistent. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, particularly those in chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage, represent new cohorts in the health care community to promote tobacco cessation. There is an opportunity to provide brief tobacco intervention training to CAM practitioners and engage them in public health efforts to reduce the burden of tobacco use in the United States.

The cultural production of Bioterapia: psychic healing and the natural medicine movement in Slovakia.

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Rubens, D; Gyurkovics, D; Hornacek, K

1995-11-01

Despite powerful opposition, natural medicine (NM) has achieved a toe-hold in the state-run biomedical system in the Slovak Republic. The physician-leader of the NM movement hopes to leverage his ministerial post as NM 'supreme expert' and his interlocking NM clinical and research facilities to achieve a complex, unified health care system under control of medical doctors. This health care model simultaneously reinforces biomedical hegemony and decenters classical medicine by substituting a bioenergetical paradigm. NM includes, among other diagnostic and healing modalities, acupuncture, herbal therapies, bee therapy, reflexology, iridology. However, its paradigmatic form is bioterapia, the focus of this paper. Bioterapia is a form of psychic healing or therapeutic touch. According to its practitioners, it is based on bioenergetic and information-processing principles. Conceptually, bioterapia unifies psyche, soma and energy dimensions of the human body and situates the human organism in an extended transpersonal social, physical and cosmological environment. Bioterapia is a scientized and medicalized reconstruction of a folk healing tradition whose appropriation simultaneously secularized and re-sacralized this tradition by re-locating its practice from lay healers to medical doctors, from the religious domain to the venerated scientific domain, from deviant science to normal science. The reconfiguration into bioterapia as part of the creation of an academic secular parapsychology in the former Soviet Bloc in the late 1960s, illustrates the use of the privileged discourse of science for a cultural production that seems to have both supported and subverted the regime.

Disease and Health: Time, Space and Spirit--Keys to Scientific Literacy Series.

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Stonebarger, Bill

Medicine and the concept of good health has a rich history from Hippocrates to the present. People have relied on herbs, magic, and many folk cures in the past, and only in the last few centuries have people understood the sciences of health including physiology, medicine, chemistry and many other associated sciences. The discussion in this…

On The Folk Customs of Huazhao Festival Which Is a Kind Of Intangible Cultural Heritage and its Modern Value

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Zhihui Ma

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Huazhao Festival is a traditional one that is celebrated in early spring and appeals to both highbrows and lowbrows. Once, it was as significant as Lantern Festival and Mid-autumn Festival. Ever since Tang Dynasty, it has undergone stages of emerging, thriving, declining and restoring. Originally, people only had a spring outing enjoying beautiful flowers at this festival; later, various other folk activities were also carried out on this day, including catching butterflies, picking wild vegetables, offering sacrifices to gods, predicting bumper and poor harvest, fastening strips of red cloth to stems of flowers and trees (shang hong, having competitions on grass, encouraging agriculture, holding and attending banquets, writing articles, paying court and so on. These activities demonstrated such characteristics of the national culture of China as elegance, harmony and life-friendliness. Obviously different from other traditional festivals like Spring Festival, Mid-autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, etc, Huazhao Festival has unique style and value. Despite its fading away from people’s life due to changes in modern society, its cultural glamour and comprehensive value still exist. Along with economic and social development and the increase of people’s spiritual and cultural demands, Huazhao Festival has regained people’s attention. It has been restored and hosted in some regions and identified as an intangible cultural heritage. By means of literature review, the folk customs of Huazhao Festival was re-presented to some extent in this paper. Its modern values in areas including health, culture, ecology and industry were analyzed. This paper is of certain significance, in respect of conserving and inheriting this national festival, promoting its restoration in more regions in a way more approximate to historical tradition and giving play to its unique role to benefit modern society.

Antifungal activity of Brazilian medicinal plants involved in popular treatment of mycoses.

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Cruz, M C S; Santos, P O; Barbosa, A M; de Mélo, D L F M; Alviano, C S; Antoniolli, A R; Alviano, D S; Trindade, R C

2007-05-04

A survey of medicinal plants used to treat common mycoses was done in the Curituba district, Sergipe State, Brazil. One hundred inhabitants were interviewed by health agents and traditional healers. Four different plants were the most cited (more than 50% of the citations): Ziziphus joazeiro, Caesalpinia pyramidalis, Bumelia sartorum and Hymenea courbaril. The aqueous extracts obtained following traditional methods and using different parts of these plants, were submitted to drop agar diffusion tests for primary antimicrobial screening. Only the water infusion extract of Ziziphus joazeiro and Caesalpinea pyramidalis presented a significant antifungal activity against Trichophyton rubrum, Candida guilliermondii, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Fonsecaea pedrosoi, when compared to the antifungal agent amphotericin B. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the bioactive extracts was evaluated by the microdilution method. Best activity with a MIC of 6.5 microg/ml for both extracts was observed against Trichophyton rubrum and Candida guilliermondii. Ziziphus joazeiro and Caesalpinea pyramidalis extracts presented also low acute toxicity in murine models. The present study validates the folk use of these plant extracts and indicates that they can be effective potential candidates for the development of new strategies to treat fungal infections.

Traditional uses of medicinal plants reported by the indigenous communities and local herbal practitioners of Bajaur Agency, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas, Pakistan.

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Aziz, Muhammad Abdul; Khan, Amir Hasan; Adnan, Muhammad; Izatullah, Izatullah

2017-02-23

In the study area, knowledge related to the traditional uses of medicinal plants is totally in the custody of elder community members and local herbalists. The younger generation is unaware of the traditional knowledge, however with only few exceptions. Therefore, this study was planned with objective to document the medicinal importance of plants, conserve this precious indigenous knowledge, and share it among other communities through published literature. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from the community members and local herbalists. The reported plants were collected post interviews and later on pressed on herbarium vouchers for reference. Afterwards, the data was analyzed through Use value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). In total, 79 medicinal plant species were used for the treatment of different ailments in the study region. Out of the total plant species, 28 species were not reported from any other mountainous communities across the country. In this study, the ethno-medicinal value of Opuntia littoralis (Engelm.) Cockerell and Viola indica W.Becker was reported for the first time, which have moderate confidential level in terms of their medicinal uses in the study area. Important medicinal plants of the region with high UV are Berberis lycium Royle (0.94), V. indica (0.90), Isodon rugosus (Wall. ex Benth.) Codd (0.88), Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (0.87), Peganum harmala L (0.86), Solanum virginianum L. (0.85), and Cassia fistula L. (0.79). Medicinal plants with higher RFC values are Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand. (0.86), Cannabis sativa L. (0.82), Mentha piperita L. (0.82), Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (0.76), Allium sativum L. (0.73), Coriandrum sativum L. (0.73), and F. vulgare (0.72). Traditional knowledge on folk medicines is directly linked to the local culture, faith and perception. This knowledge is gaining high threat of extinction because of its limitation to a small portion of the society in the region

Ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants used in the treatment of CNS disorders in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

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Eissa, T A F; Palomino, O M; Carretero, M E; Gómez-Serranillos, M P

2014-01-01

To provide ethnopharmacological information on the use of medicinal plants for central nervous system (CNS) disorders in the Sinai Peninsula region (Egypt). To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge about these medicinal plants in the Sinai Peninsula region with 61,000 km (2) and 379,000 inhabitants. Field work was concluded between March 2006 and May 2011, using semi-structured questionnaire with 700 informants (mean age: 59; 100% men) from 117 settlements of 17 Bedouin tribes. Transects walks in wild herbal plant collection areas and bibliographical review on the collected plants were also conducted. The Interview/ Inhabitant index (I/P), relative importance value of the species and informant consensus factor (FIC) were calculated. More than 300 species were traditionally used in folk medicine in the Sinai Peninsula; 101 of these species belonging to 40 families were reported as useful in different CNS disorders. Only 5 species are endemic of the studied area. All different part plants were used, leaves and aerial parts being the most frequent. Most of the remedies were prepared as infusion or decoction, while oral administration was the most common way to be used. Gastrointestinal (67.3%) and respiratory disorders (42.57%) were also reported as frequently treated by Bedouins with herbal remedies. Only a few species were found where the traditional use is supported by pharmacological studies (Acacia nilotica, Achillea fragrantissima, Ajuga iva or Mentha longifolia). No bibliographical references in the scientific literature were found for 22 species (21.78%); finally, several studies were published with different pharmacological activities than those provided by Bedouins. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved.

Use and valuation of native and introduced medicinal plant species in Campo Hermoso and Zetaquira, Boyacá, Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Medicinal plant species contribute significantly to folk medicine in Colombia. However, few local studies have investigated whether species used are introduced or native and whether there is a difference in importance of native and introduced medicinal plant species. The aim of the present study was to describe the use of medicinal plants within two municipalities, Campo Hermoso and Zetaquira, both in the department of Boyacá, Colombia and to assess the importance of native and introduced plants to healers, amateur healers and local people. As local healers including amateur healers have no history of introduced species our working hypotheses (H1-2) were that H1: native and introduced medicinal plant species are of equal importance and H2: healers and amateur healers do not differentiate in their preferences between native and introduced medicinal plant species. Methods Ten villages were included in the study. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, in- depth interviews, and open talks. Voucher specimens were collected in home gardens and during field walks. For data analysis, we calculated use value indices and Jaccard index and tested for the above hypothesis using Spearman rank-correlation coefficients and Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney tests. Results Eighty medicinal plant species were described by locals as the most frequently used. Of these, 78 species were taxonomically identified, distributed within 41 families and 74 genera, which included 35 native species and 43 introduced. The highest valued families were: Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Rutaceae and Verbenaceae. The species ranked highest according to their Use Values, in both municipalities, were Mentha suaveolens Ehrh., Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth, and Verbena littoralis Kunth. Introduced species were more important than native ones in Zetaquira, while there was no difference in importance in Campo Hermoso. While healers

Léčitelské rody v Čechách (3). Proslulé masti "báby z Mrtníka"

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Motyčková, Dana

2004-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 10 (2004), s. 28-29 ISSN 1210-6631 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z9058907 Keywords : folk medicine * healers * history Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology http://www.regenerace.cz

Bioassay-guided isolation of the antinociceptive compounds motiol and beta-sitosterol from Scorzonera latifolia root extract

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Acikara, O. B.; Citoglu, G. S.; Dall'Acqua, S.; Özbek, H.; Cvačka, Josef; Žemlička, M.; Šmejkal, K.

2014-01-01

Roč. 69, č. 9 (2014), s. 711-714 ISSN 0031-7144 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : natural products * folk medicine * antinociceptive activity Subject RIV: FR - Pharmacology ; Medidal Chemistry Impact factor: 1.052, year: 2014

Rediscovering medicinal plants' potential with OMICS: microsatellite survey in expressed sequence tags of eleven traditional plants with potent antidiabetic properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, Jagajjit; Sen, Priyabrata; Choudhury, Manabendra Dutta; Dehury, Budheswar; Barooah, Madhumita; Modi, Mahendra Kumar; Talukdar, Anupam Das

2014-05-01

Herbal medicines and traditionally used medicinal plants present an untapped potential for novel molecular target discovery using systems science and OMICS biotechnology driven strategies. Since up to 40% of the world's poor people have no access to government health services, traditional and folk medicines are often the only therapeutics available to them. In this vein, North East (NE) India is recognized for its rich bioresources. As part of the Indo-Burma hotspot, it is regarded as an epicenter of biodiversity for several plants having myriad traditional uses, including medicinal use. However, the improvement of these valuable bioresources through molecular breeding strategies, for example, using genic microsatellites or Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) or Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs)-derived SSRs has not been fully utilized in large scale to date. In this study, we identified a total of 47,700 microsatellites from 109,609 ESTs of 11 medicinal plants (pineapple, papaya, noyontara, bitter orange, bermuda brass, ratalu, barbados nut, mango, mulberry, lotus, and guduchi) having proven antidiabetic properties. A total of 58,159 primer pairs were designed for the non-redundant 8060 SSR-positive ESTs and putative functions were assigned to 4483 unique contigs. Among the identified microsatellites, excluding mononucleotide repeats, di-/trinucleotides are predominant, among which repeat motifs of AG/CT and AAG/CTT were most abundant. Similarity search of SSR containing ESTs and antidiabetic gene sequences revealed 11 microsatellites linked to antidiabetic genes in five plants. GO term enrichment analysis revealed a total of 80 enriched GO terms widely distributed in 53 biological processes, 17 molecular functions, and 10 cellular components associated with the 11 markers. The present study therefore provides concrete insights into the frequency and distribution of SSRs in important medicinal resources. The microsatellite markers reported here markedly add to the genetic

Utilisation of Pangolin (Manis sps in traditional Yorubic medicine in Ijebu province, Ogun State, Nigeria

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Ayodele Ibukun A

2009-12-01

total of 42 conditions. These include infertility, gastro-intestinal disorders, safe parturition, stomach ulcers, rheumatism and fibroid. Traditional Yorubic medicine also accommodated some situations that are out of the range of conventional medicine like boosting sales, conferring invisibility, removing bad luck, appeasing/wading off witches cum evil forces and money rituals. Some of these situations specifically require juvenile, or even pregnant female animals. Conclusion Traditional Yorubic medical practices eats deep into the reproductive base of the species, presently listed in Appendix II of CITES and Schedule I of the Nigerian Decree 11 (1985, both of which recommended strict control in sales and utilisation of this species. Its numerous medicinal values, folk culture and financial benefits of these activities are the main factors promoting the commercialisation and use of this species. Pharmacological studies on the various preparations are required to identify the bioactive compounds in them. There is a need for improved and urgent measures to conserve populations of this species in-situ. Massive education and enlightenment is urgently needed for the populace to have the necessary awareness and orientation about the conservation of this species.

Damned Words: The Use and Disuse of "Modern" as an Attribute for the Interpretation of Folk Customs in Theatrical Revue Stage and Costume Design at the Turn of the 1930s in Portugal

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Bártolo, Carlos

2016-07-01

Full Text Available O Notícias Ilustrado was published from 1928 to 1935, coinciding with the emergence of Salazar's dictatorship. Reporting the cosmopolitan life, it described itself as "the only graphic newspaper of modern and European appearance". Its collaborators included figures from among the Modernist generation that would later be associated with the regime's cultural policy. On its pages one can see a renewal of the theatrical revue format, it covered elements that were a repercussion of the Modernists' interest for folk art and the rediscovery of the national heritage. A straightforward analysis reveals that this reinterpretation of folk traditions was mainly addressed as modern up to the moment when an official culture policy was set; from 1933 onwards this modernity was veiled. In this analysis it could be perceived how similar works, by being addressed differently, could imply the different contexts of 1930s Portugal.

How often do patients in primary care use the methods of traditional medicine

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Petrov-Kiurski Miloranka

2014-01-01

unsatisfactory or absent. In the choice of mode of treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in relation to gender, but acupuncture (p=0,006, Chinese medicine (p=0.001 and macrobiotics (p=0.000 were used more often by persons under the age of 65, and traditional native medicine by those older than 65 years. Phytotherapy was more frequently used by subjects in cities (p=0.000, a traditional native medicine (p=0.000 by those who live in rural areas. Conclusion: High percentage of patients in general practice use methods of traditional medicine. There were no differences between the patients, regarding gender and age. Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine and macrobiotics were more frequently used in urban population, and traditional folk medicine by rural population. Treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels using this method is more often used by rural population. The main reason for the application of this method of treatment is the belief that it is less harmful and has less adverse effects. Information about these methods of treatment subjects usually receive from friends and acquaintances and through the media. Almost half of respondents were satisfied with the effects of the therapy.

Piper betel Linn (betel vine), the maligned Southeast Asian medicinal plant possesses cancer preventive effects: time to reconsider the wronged opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Manoj P; Thilakchand, Karadka Ramdas; Palatty, Princy L; Rao, Prathima; Rao, Suresh; Bhat, Harshith P; Baliga, Manjeshwar Shrinath

2011-01-01

Since antiquity, Piper betel Linn (betel vine; family Piperaceae) has been an important medicinal agent in the various traditional and folk systems of medicine in Southeast Asia countries. The leaves are the most valued plant part and in the past were routinely used as a chewing agent to prevent halitosis. The leaves are also supposed to harden the gum, conserve the teeth and to prevent indigestion, bronchitis, constipation, congestion, coughs and asthma. Innumerable scientific studies have validated the ethnomedicinal claims. Betel leaves are an integral component of the betel quid that consists of areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and slaked lime; a highly abused agent with carcinogenic properties. Regular chewing of betel quid is associated mainly with oral cancer and detail studies with individual constituents of the quid have shown that both tobacco and areca nut are carcinogenic, while slaked lime is shown to promote the process of carcinogenesis. However unlike other constituents of the betel quid, the betel leaves devoid carcinogenic effects and on the contrary possesses cancer preventive effects including against the carcinogens present in tobacco. This review for the first time provides information on cancer preventive effects and also addresses the various mechanisms which might be involved.

Antimalarial activity of medicinal plants from the Democratic Republic of Congo: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Memvanga, Patrick B; Tona, Gaston L; Mesia, Gauthier K; Lusakibanza, Mariano M; Cimanga, Richard K

2015-07-01

and license of three plant-derived drugs (Manalaria(®), Nsansiphos(®), and Quinine Pharmakina(®)). The obtained results partly justify and support the use of various medicinal plants to treat malaria in folk medicine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Antimalarial plants used in Congolese traditional medicine represent an important source for the discovery and development of new antimalarial agents. However, in order to ensure the integration of a larger number of plant-derived products in the Congolese healthcare system, some parameters and trends should be considered in further researches, in agreement with the objectives of the "Traditional Medicine Strategy" proposed by the World Health Organization in 2013. These include evaluation of geographical and seasonal variation, investigation of reproductive biology, assessment of prophylactic antimalarial activity, evaluation of natural products as adjuvant antioxidant therapy for malaria, development of plant-based combination therapies and monitoring of herbal medicines in pharmacovigilance systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

AJTCAM PROOF

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJTCAM

They are mainly flowering plants found in the tropical regions of the world. ... plant is used by folk medicine practitioners of the Caatinga region of Northeastern Brazil for .... ear, toothache, malaria fever, typhoid, rheumatic fever, dengue fever,.

Výstava "Lékař léčí, příroda uzdravuje". Dům historie, Přeštice, 28. 4.-29. 8. 2010

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Motyčková, Dana

2010-01-01

Roč. 97, č. 3 (2010), s. 303-304 ISSN 0009-0794 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z90580513 Keywords : exhibition * medicine * folk healing Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology Impact factor: 0.343, year: 2010

Ethnopharmacological survey about medicinal plants utilized by herbalists and traditional practitioner healers for treatments of diarrhea in the West Bank/Palestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaradat, Nidal Amin; Ayesh, Ola Ibrahim; Anderson, Cynthia

2016-04-22

Folk herbal medicine knowledge and its utilization by aboriginal cultures are not only useful for conservation of cultural traditions and biodiversity, but also useful for community healthcare and drug discovery in the present and in the future. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, an ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea in the West Bank/Palestine was investigated. Information about fifty medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea, including the names of plants, parts used, mode and methods of preparation was obtained from 100 traditional healers and herbalists. This research is the first scientific work in the Middle East to collect data about plants used by traditional healers for treatments of diarrhea and their evidence based effects against this disease. The fidelity levels were 97% for Salvia fruticosa, Teucrium polium and Musa paradisiaca, 95% for Camellia sinensis and Aegle marmelos, 79% for Oryza sativa and Solanum tuberosum, 77% for Quercus boissieri, 66% for Psidium guajava, 56% for Anthemis palestina, 54% for Solanum nigrum and 52% for Juglans regia while the highest use and choice values were for S. fruticosa, T. polium and M. paradisiaca as well as the factor of informant's consensus for medicinal plants used for treatment of diarrhea was 0.505.The leaves were the most commonly used parts, followed by fruits, roots and rhizomes, while decoctions and infusions are the preferred methods of preparation. The Palestinian traditional medicine is rich with herbal remedies for treatment of diarrhea in comparison with other countries, but most of these herbal remedies lack standard in-vitro and in-vivo evaluations to establish their antidiarrheal effects. Therefore, the information obtained can serve as a basis for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies to determine their efficacy and safety which might contribute to a better integration of Palestinian traditional medicine into the national health

Child Grooming and Sexual Exploitation: Are South Asian Men the UK Media’s New Folk Devils?

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Aisha K Gill

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In May 2012, nine men from the Rochdale area of Manchester were found guilty of sexually exploiting a number of underage girls. Media reporting on the trial focused on the fact that eight of the men were of Pakistani descent, while all the girls were white. Framing similar cases in Preston, Rotherham, Derby, Shropshire, Oxford, Telford and Middlesbrough as ethnically motivated, the media incited moral panic over South Asian grooming gangs preying on white girls. While these cases shed light on the broader problem of sexual exploitation in Britain, they also reveal continuing misconceptions that stereotype South Asian men as ‘natural’ perpetrators of these crimes due to culturally-specific notions of hegemonic masculinity. Examining newspaper coverage from 2012 to 2013, this article discusses the discourse of the British media’s portrayal of South Asian men as perpetrators of sexual violence against white victims, inadvertently construing ‘South Asian men’ as ‘folk devils’.

Animal-based medicines: biological prospection and the sustainable use of zootherapeutic resources

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Eraldo M. Costa-Neto

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Animals have been used as medicinal resources for the treatment and relieve of a myriad of illnesses and diseases in practically every human culture. Although considered by many as superstition, the pertinence of traditional medicine based on animals cannot be denied since they have been methodically tested by pharmaceutical companies as sources of drugs to the modern medical science. The phenomenon of zootherapy represents a strong evidence of the medicinal use of animal resources. Indeed, drug companies and agribusiness firms have been evaluating animals for decades without paying anything to the countries from where these genetic resources are found. The use of animals' body parts as folk medicines is relevant because it implies additional pressure over critical wild populations. It is argued that many animal species have been overexploited as sources of medicines for the traditional trade. Additionally, animal populations have become depleted or endangered as a result of their use as experimental subjects or animal models. Research on zootherapy should be compatible with the welfare of the medicinal animals, and the use of their by-products should be done in a sustainable way. It is discussed that sustainability is now required as the guiding principle for biological conservation.Os animais são utilizados como recursos medicinais para o tratamento e alívio de um gama de doenças e enfermidades em praticamente toda cultura humana. A pertinência da medicina tradicional baseada em animais, embora considerada como superstição, não deve ser negada uma vez que os animais têm sido testados metodicamente pelas companhias farmacêuticas como fontes de drogas para a ciência médica moderna. O fenômeno da zooterapia representa uma forte evidência do uso medicinal de recursos animais. De fato, as indústrias farmacêuticas e de agronegócios há décadas vêm avaliando animais sem pagar tributos aos países detentores desses recursos gen

A Reconciliation for the Future of Psychiatry: Both Folk Psychology and Cognitive Science

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Daniel Douglas Hutto

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Philosophy of psychiatry faces a tough choice between two competing ways of understanding mental disorders. The folk psychology or FP view puts our everyday normative conceptual scheme in the driver’s seat – on the assumption that it, and it only, tells us what mental disorders are (Graham 2009. Opposing this, the scientific image or SI view (Murphy 2006, Gerrans 2014 holds that our understanding of mental disorders must come, wholly and solely, from the sciences of the mind, unfettered by FP. This paper argues that the FP view is problematic because it is too limited: there is more to the mind than FP allows, hence we must look beyond FP for properly deep and illuminating explanations of mental disorders. SI promises just this. But when cast in its standard cognitivist formulations SI is unnecessarily and unjustifiably neurocentric. After rejecting both the FP view, in its pure form, and SI, in its popular cognitivist renderings, this paper concludes that a more liberal version of SI can accommodate what is best in both views – once SI is so formulated and the FP view properly edited and significantly revised, the two views can be reconciled and combined to provide a sound philosophical basis for a future psychiatry.

[The popular interpretation of strokes in ancient Galicia: the dragon myth].

Science.gov (United States)

Pías-Peleteiro, Juan M; Blanco, Miguel; Arias, Manuel; Castillo, José

2011-05-01

The high prevalence and mortality of stroke has consequently brought about a wide presence of this pathology in the Galician pre-scientific folk medicine. A new interpretation of stroke, linked to the local tradition around the figure of Saint James the Apostle, is presented in this paper: stroke is considered to be the result of the evil influence of a dragon. In the Codex Calixtinus, a xii century manuscript containing various materials around the figure of Saint James, a dragon is also mentioned as an obstacle for the translation of the apostolic body. The third book of Codex Calixtinus containing the narration of the translation of the dead body of James the Greater from Palestine to its likely current location in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain), also holds the major written record of the dragon of the Pico Sacro mountain. The pagan symbol of the dragon has remained in the orally-transmitted Galician folk medicine as a direct cause for neurological diseases such as stroke. For the first time, in our knowledge, the symbol of a dragon as the magical explanation for cerebral vascular disease has been described. Moreover, this mythical explanation, found only in the Galician folk medicine, is strongly linked to the legend of the translation of James the Apostle to Galicia. Such a link supports the originality of the narration in the Codex Calixtinus as opposed to other versions of the apostolic translation which can be found in other manuscripts.

Isolation, Biological Activities and Synthesis of Indoloquinoline Alkaloids: Cryptolepine, Isocryptolepine and Neocryptolepine

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Parvatkar, P.T.; Parameswaran, P.S.; Tilve, S.G.

, mostly of children under 5 years, justifying its classification as a dreaded infectious disease along with tuberculosis and AIDS [5]. The roots of the West African plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta [6 - 19] has long been used in folk medicine...

Were natural forms of treatment for fasciola hepatica available to the Etruscans?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Adrian Paul; Turfa, Jean M.

2010-01-01

, that can be used to heal, to cure or to prevent infection and disease. Some tantalizing hints of herbal folk-medicine may be discerned in the rare remnants of literary and archaeological evidence for the Etruscan culture, a distinctive group who dominated central Italy through the first half of the first......In the very distant past, European and Mediterranean peoples must have shared an extensive collection of folk experiences as to how certain plants were to be used as medicines. Plants comprise active secondary metabolites such as essential oils, alkaloids, bitters, flavonoids, tanins and glycosides....... This paper investigates documentation for the plants known to the Etruscans, focusing particularly on those natural forms of treatment that would have been efficaceous in terms of Fasciola hepatica (Liver fluke) infection. Interestingly, some of the plants in the putative ancient Etruscan herbal remain...

THE ROLE OF INDIGENOUS HEALING PRACTICES IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AMONG THE MACCAA OROMO OF ILU ABBAA BORA AND JIMMA ZONES, ETHIOPIA

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Milkessa Edae TUFA

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This article mainly attempted to explore the role of utilizing indigenous medicines in environmental protection among the Maccaa Oromo of Jimma and Iluu Abba bora zone, south-western Ethiopia. To this end, 4 separate interviews with 4 interviewees, 2 focus group discussions with 17 participants, and non-participant field observation were conducted to generate significant and reliable data. Besides, the researchers employed secondary data to make the study more significant and complete. The findings of the study show that since the source of medicines is the environment, the community protects their environment unless the society wouldn’t accessed the natural medicines they need. The study also reveals that most of these folk medicines used by the Maccaa Oromos are from plants. This further indicates the society protects the natural environment to get the plants they use for medication. Thus, folk healing practices are crucial on the one hand to treat illnesses, and to protect the ecosystem on the other hand. However, these societal knowledge is undermined as well as they are being replaced by western (scientific knowledge, modern medicines. These days, our planet is suffering from global warming, wild fire, flooding, drought, and desertification. Averting these threats is impossible without protecting societal environmental indigenous knowledge.

Transgenic fertile Scoparia dulcis L., a folk medicinal plant, conferred with a herbicide-resistant trait using an Ri binary vector.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamazaki, M; Son, L; Hayashi, T; Morita, N; Asamizu, T; Mourakoshi, I; Saito, K

1996-01-01

Transgenic herbicide-resistant Scoparia dulcis plants were obtained by using an Ri binary vector system. The chimeric bar gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase flanked by the promoter for cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA and the terminal sequence for nopaline synthase was introduced in the plant genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation by means of scratching young plants. Hairy roots resistant to bialaphos were selected and plantlets (R0) were regenerated. Progenies (S1) were obtained by self-fertilization. The transgenic state was confirmed by DNA-blot hybridization and assaying of neomycin phosphotransferase II. Expression of the bar gene in the transgenic R0 and S1 progenies was indicated by the activity of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase. Transgenic plants accumulated scopadulcic acid B, a specific secondary metabolite of S. dulcis, in amounts of 15-60% compared with that in normal plants. The transgenic plants and progenies showed resistant trait towards bialaphos and phosphinothricin. These results suggest that an Ri binary system is one of the useful tools for the transformation of medicinal plants for which a regeneration protocol has not been established.

In vitro antioxidant, hypoglycemic and oral glucose tolerance test of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

V.V. Navghare

2016-07-25

Jul 25, 2016 ... Abstract Banana fruit is claimed to have antidiabetic effects despite its high calorie content, and its peels ... In Indian system of folk medicine, the peel of banana is also ..... Anti-hyperglycemic activity of the alcoholic extracts.

Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Myrcia (Myrtaceae: A Review of an Aromatic and Medicinal Group of Plants

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Márcia Moraes Cascaes

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Myrcia is one of the largest genera of the economically important family Myrtaceae. Some of the species are used in folk medicine, such as a group known as “pedra-hume-caá” or “pedra-ume-caá” or “insulina vegetal” (insulin plant that it is used for the treatment of diabetes. The species are an important source of essential oils, and most of the chemical studies on Myrcia describe the chemical composition of the essential oils, in which mono- and sesquiterpenes are predominant. The non-volatile compounds isolated from Myrcia are usually flavonoids, tannins, acetophenone derivatives and triterpenes. Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities have been described to Myrcia essential oils, while hypoglycemic, anti-hemorrhagic and antioxidant activities were attributed to the extracts. Flavonoid glucosides and acetophenone derivatives showed aldose reductase and α-glucosidase inhibition, and could explain the traditional use of Myrcia species to treat diabetes. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory are some of the activities observed for other isolated compounds from Myrcia.

POLÍTICAS DE LA REPRESENTACIÓN DEL FOLKLORE EN LOS MUSEOS FOLKLÓRICOS/Folklore representation policies in folk museums

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Ana María Dupey

2012-11-01

Full Text Available  Este trabajo trata sobre la invención y la reinvención de los museos de folklore. Se analizan cuáles han sido los propósitos políticos y las razones que se han esgrimido para su establecimiento y quiénes han sido los agentes de estas invenciones / reinvenciones. Si han sido producto de instituciones estatales o surgen de movimientos de elites o grupos minoritarios pertenecientes a la sociedad civil. Simultáneamente, se dilucida cómo las representaciones del folklore son semantizadas para la representación de identidades de colectivos locales, regionales, nacionales y transnacionales. Se analizan a las actuales re-orientaciones de dichas instituciones operadas a partir de los procesos de descolonización (exteriores e interiores con sus consecuencias económicas, políticas, sociales y cognitivas, b las críticas a los análisis coloniales y clasistas desarrollados en el pasado por la Etnología y el Folklore. Disciplinas que abonaron los respectivos discursos museográficos y c la revisión de la definición de la institución museo. AbstractThis work deals with the invention and the reinvention about folk museums. It analyzes what were the political purposes and the reasons that have been put forward for the establishment of folk museums and who were the agents of these inventions/reinventions. If they have been the product of state institutions or movements which arise from elite or minority groups that belongs to the civil society. Simultaneously, it is explained how the folklore representations are semanticized in the representation of the local, regional, national and transnational collective identities. It analyzes a the current guidelines for museums that are based upon the decolonization processes (internal and external and their economic, political, social and cognitive consequences, b the critiques of colonialism and classists analyses developed in the past by Ethnologhy and Folklore. Disciplines that had influenced

Antidiuretic Activity of the Methanol Extract of Aporusa lindleyana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

several folk medicinal recipes in treatment of eye diseases, loose ... completely dry solid (79.98 g, 8.89 %) and weighed (Libror .... Table 2: Effect of oral administration of the methanol extract (ME) of Aporusa lindleyana (500 mg/kg) on some.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of solvent fractions of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less is used in folk medicine as a remedy for various diseases. Objectives: The ... teraceae is an annual plant widely distributed in India,. Bangladesh ..... used by the Jah Hut people in Malaysia. Indian J Med ...

Phenolic compounds and Bioactivity of leaves of Mayodendron ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

gamila4

It is also used in folk medicine to treat snakebite (Houghton and. Osibogun, 1993) .... doses, saline, plant extract and indomethacin, all the animals were given a sub-plantar injection of 0.1 mL of 1% ... Pyrexia was induced by intramuscular.

[Antiinflammatory activity of extracts and fractions obtained from Physalis peruviana L. calyces].

Science.gov (United States)

Franco, Luis A; Matiz, Germán E; Calle, Jairo; Pinzón, Roberto; Ospina, Luis F

2007-03-01

Cape gooseberry calyces (Physalis peruviana) have been used in folk medicine for their medicinal properties including anticancer, antimycobacterial, antipyretic, diuretic, immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory properties. The antiinflammatory effect was evaluated for extracts and fractions obtained from Physalis peruviana calyces in a mice model of acute inflammation. The fractions responsible for antiinflammatory activity were extracted for possible identification. The Physalis peruviana calyces were extracted by percolation with organic solvents. The primary hydroalcoholic fraction was purified by column chromatography. The antiinflammatory effect of extracts and fractions was evaluated using the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced mouse model of ear edema. Thirty-eight secondary fractions were obtained by column chromatography of primary hydroalcoholic fraction. Six fractions, evaluated in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced inflammation assay, showed significant antiinflammatory activity (pPhysalis peruviana calyces was confirmed and validated its use in folk medicine. Fractions responsible for the antiinflammatory action were identified and seem promising for phytomedicinal development. Further studies are needed to isolate and identify the active constituents of these fractions as well as to ascertain the mechanisms involved in the antiinflammatory effect.

Antidiarrheal Activity of Three Medicinal Plants in Swiss Albino Mice

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MD. Ashrafuzzaman

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Different parts of Allamanda neriifolia (AN, Crinum latifolium (CL, and Bruguiera cylindrical (BC are used in folk medicine to treat diarrhea. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and compare possible antidiarrheal activity of methanol extracts from barks, stems, and roots of AL, CL, and BC in Swiss albino mice. Methods: Antidiarrheal activities of extracts were evaluated at three doses (100mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400mg/kg and compared with Loperamide in a castor oil-induced diarrhea and charcoal meal test model in the Swiss albino mice. Results: The aqueous extract of CL and BC administered at doses of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg showed 0%, 24.5%, 62.26% and 5.66%, 37.11%, and 62.26% diarrhea inhibition, respectively (Table 2. This reduction in diarrheal episodes is significant, and maximum effect was observed at the dose of 400mg/kg similarly in the alcohol extracts of both CL and BC. AN administered at the dose of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg showed 55.97%, 74.84% and 74.84% diarrhea inhibition, respectively. Conclusion: The antidiarrheal effect of the AN extract, in contrast to CL and BC, against the castor oil-induced diarrhea model prove its efficacy in an extensive range of diarrheal conditions.

Integrative Medicine in Preventive Medicine Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jani, Asim A.; Trask, Jennifer; Ali, Ather

2016-01-01

During 2012, the USDHHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration funded 12 accredited preventive medicine residencies to incorporate an evidence-based integrative medicine curriculum into their training programs. It also funded a national coordinating center at the American College of Preventive Medicine, known as the Integrative Medicine in Preventive Medicine Education (IMPriME) Center, to provide technical assistance to the 12 grantees. To help with this task, the IMPriME Center established a multidisciplinary steering committee, versed in integrative medicine, whose primary aim was to develop integrative medicine core competencies for incorporation into preventive medicine graduate medical education training. The competency development process was informed by central integrative medicine definitions and principles, preventive medicine’s dual role in clinical and population-based prevention, and the burgeoning evidence base of integrative medicine. The steering committee considered an interdisciplinary integrative medicine contextual framework guided by several themes related to workforce development and population health. A list of nine competencies, mapped to the six general domains of competence approved by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, was operationalized through an iterative exercise with the 12 grantees in a process that included mapping each site’s competency and curriculum products to the core competencies. The competencies, along with central curricular components informed by grantees’ work presented elsewhere in this supplement, are outlined as a roadmap for residency programs aiming to incorporate integrative medicine content into their curricula. This set of competencies adds to the larger efforts of the IMPriME initiative to facilitate and enhance further curriculum development and implementation by not only the current grantees but other stakeholders in graduate medical education around integrative medicine

Relationship among Translational Medicine, Evidence-Based Medicine and Precision Medicine

OpenAIRE

Xin-en HUANG

2016-01-01

Translational medicine is a new concept in international medical field. It integrates experimental research results and clinical guidance into the optimal implementation criteria for promoting the prediction, prevention and treatment of diseases. Based on people’s higher demand for medicine and health, appearance of translational medicine changes the mode of medical research.Evidence-based medicine (EBM) refers to cautious and accurate application of the current best research evidence and com...

Ethnobotany of medicinal plants used in Antakya: A multicultural district in Hatay Province of Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Güzel, Yelda; Güzelşemme, Mehmet; Miski, Mahmut

2015-11-04

We have compiled information about the medicinal plants used in folk medicine in the district of Antakya. Since its establishment by King Seleucus I in 300 B.C., Antakya (old Antioch) has hosted nearly 20 civilizations. Antakya, neighboring Northwestern Syria, is located on the western end of the "Silk Road" and was one of the great centers of Graeco-Roman world. Today, Antakya is a cosmopolitan city in which Arabic and Turkish are widely spoken, and where distinct ethnic and religious communities, such as Arab Alawite, Arab Christian, Arab Sunni, Turk Sunni, Armenian, and Jewish, have been living together in harmony for centuries. In addition, the rich flora in the vicinity of Antakya also renders the area interesting in terms of ethnobotanical fieldwork. This study aimed to compile the information about plants used for medicinal purposes by local people in the district of Antakya. This city is a significant region in terms of ethnobotanical fieldwork, owing to its cosmopolitan structure, long history, relatively preserved traditional community structure, and rich flora. Furthermore, we sought to compare the ethnomedicinal data geographically, cross-culturally, and historically. The ethnobotany of medicinal plants used in the district of Antakya has been investigated through two separate studies; one was conducted in 1975, interviewing 29 people, and the other was conducted in 2011-2013, interviewing 182 people. The use value (UV) and informant consensus factor (FIC) values of the plants were calculated. In order to interpret the authenticity and sources of the compiled ethnomedicinal information, previous publications that contain information about the similar medicinal uses of plants identified in our region were reviewed and evaluated meticulously. A comparison with the data obtained from other regions of Turkey and from other Mediterranean regions, as well as a cross-cultural analysis between the ethnic groups within the study area, was performed by

Integrative Medicine in Preventive Medicine Education

OpenAIRE

Jani, Asim A.; Trask, Jennifer; Ali, Ather

2015-01-01

During 2012, the USDHHS?s Health Resources and Services Administration funded 12 accredited preventive medicine residencies to incorporate an evidence-based integrative medicine curriculum into their training programs. It also funded a national coordinating center at the American College of Preventive Medicine, known as the Integrative Medicine in Preventive Medicine Education (IMPriME) Center, to provide technical assistance to the 12 grantees. To help with this task, the IMPriME Center esta...

More similarities than differences among elite music students in jazz, folk music and classical genre – Personality, practice habits, and self-rated music-related strengths and weaknesses

OpenAIRE

Sandgren, Maria

2009-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate a) if music students have a unique personality profile, and b) if music students in different genres differ in practice habits and musical self-image. Participants were music students in different music genres (n=96; jazz n=31, folk music n=33, classical genre n=32) from two conservatories in Sweden. Results indicated that music students differed significantly from students in psychology on agreeableness and openness. Students in classical genre practic...