Traditional medicine for the rich and knowledgeable

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Rikke Stamp; Pouliot, Mariéve

2016-01-01

Traditional medicine is commonly assumed to be a crucial health care option for poor households in developing countries. However, little research has been done in Asia to quantify the reliance on traditional medicine and its determinants. This research contributes to filling in this knowledge gap...... show that traditional medicine, and especially self-treatment with medicinal plants, prevail as treatment options in both rural and peri-urban populations. Contrarily to what is commonly assumed, high income is an important determinant of use of traditional medicine. Likewise, knowledge of medicinal...... plants, age, education, gender and illness chronicity were also significant determinants. The importance of self-treatment with medicinal plants should inform the development of health policy tailored to people’s treatment-seeking behaviour....

HIV Medicines and Side Effects

Science.gov (United States)

... medicines, talk to your health care provider about possible side effects. Tell your health care provider about your lifestyle and point out any possible side effects that would be especially hard for you to ...

Children in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.

2002-01-01

With each study in paediatric nuclear medicine one must try to reach a high quality standard with a minimum of radiation exposure to the child. This is true for the indication for the study and the interpretation of the results as well as the preparation, the image acquisition, the processing and the documentation. A continuous evaluation of all aspects is necessary to receive optimal, clinically relevant information. In addition it is important that the child keeps nuclear medicine in a good mind, especially when it has to come back for a control study. (orig.) [de

Radiation physics in medicine and veterinary medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popovic, D.; Djuric, G.

2000-01-01

Medical and veterinary medicine staff and specialists represent an important decision making group in national administration and institutions dealing with radiation protection and environmental protection matters in general. Still, their education in physics, especially in radiation physics is fragmentary and loose, both from technical and theoretical point of view. Within medicine and veterinary medicine studies as well as within other biomedical sciences (biology, pharmacology, biotechnology) radiation physics is usually incorporated in the first year curricula as a part of general physics or biophysics course. Some segments of radiation physics mainly as a technical base for different instrumentation methods and techniques could be also found within different graduate and post-graduate courses of radiology, physical therapy, radiation hygiene, environmental protection, etc. But the traditional approach in presenting the matter and inflexibility of the educational system strongly confront the growing public concern for the environmental problems dealing with radiation and demands for better informing and technical education for those involved in informing and administration. This paper considers some of these problems presenting a new approach in education in radiation physics for medical and veterinary medicine students based on education through student projects and work in the field, as well as on the strong collaboration among administration, universities and professional societies on the national and international level. (author)

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... drink before the exam, especially if your physician plans to use sedation for the procedure. top of page Who interprets the results and how do we get them? A radiologist or other physician who has specialized training in nuclear medicine will interpret the images and ...

Herbal Medicines: from Traditional Medicine to Modern Experimental Approaches

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Bahram Rasoulian

2017-03-01

over the world about the effectiveness of herbal medicines in a variety of in-vitro, in-vivo and clinical trial models. A more precise and efficient evaluation of approved commercial herbal medicines in different diseases is also a priority for the journal. The chemical composition analysis of the herbal essential oils or extracts, although not mandatory in all cases, is recommended to be considered alongside the study of the effectiveness of plants. Review articles, concluding the efficacy of specific plants or a variety of efficient plants on a special disease, in particular, are considered by the editorial board and editor. Historical papers about medicinal plants in traditional medicine textbooks and studies about the chemical composition of some important plants may be considered for publication in some cases. Letters to the editor, when containing paramount information useful for the target population, are especially appreciated. Journal officials look forward to valuable articles of professors, researchers, and students about medicinal plants and herbal drugs.

The "child size medicines" concept

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nsabagasani, Xavier; Okeng, Jasper Ogwal; Mbonye, Anthony

2015-01-01

Background In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the ‘make medicines child size’ (MMCS) campaign by urging countries to prioritize procurement of medicines with appropriate strengths for children’s age and weight and, in child-friendly formulations of rectal and flexible oral solid...... of policy provisions for the MMCS recommendations. Results For most medicines for the selected diseases, appropriate strength for children’s age and weight was addressed especially in the EMHSLU 2012. However, policy documents neither referred to ‘child size medicines’ concept nor provided for flexible oral...... health policy documents reflected limited adherence to the MMCS recommendations. This and failure to use evidence based medicines may result into treatment failure and or death. A revision of the current policies and guidelines to better reflect ‘child size’, child appropriate and evidence based...

The characteristics of the medicinal plants used in the herbal medicine оf type 2 diabetes

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Sergei Kalmykov

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: consider the rational combination of the herbs in fytocomplexes applied in the rehabilitation of the type 2 diabetes. Material & Methods: analysis of scientific and methodical literature on the use of herbal medicine in the complex rehabilitation for patients with diabetes. Results: modern views on the necessity and the features of the use of herbal remedies especially in the diabetes type 2 are presented; the main medicinal plants used in this pathology are described. The main attention is paid to the peculiarities of forming up an integrated cure that contains a mixture of several kinds of medicinal plants. The classification of herbal drugs used for diabetes is given. Conclusions: advantages of application of collection of medicinal plants over synthetic drugs in the complex treatment of the type 2 diabetes are proved.

The applications of nanomaterials in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jinjian; Liu Jianfeng

2010-01-01

Over the last decade, nanotechnology and nanomaterials have gained rapid development in medical application, especially in targeted drug delivery and gene transfer vector domain, and nano-materials are also beginning to applied in nuclear medicine. This paper is to make a view of the application research of several types of nanomaterials in nuclear medicine, and discuss some problems and the main direction of future development. (authors)

Indian Systems Of Medicine: A Brief Profile | Ravishankar | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Medicinal plants based traditional systems of medicines are playing important role in providing health care to large section of population, especially in developing countries. Interest in them and utilization of herbal products produced based on them is increasing in developed countries also. To obtain optimum benefit and to ...

[Racism of "Blood" and colonial medicine - Blood group anthropology studies at Keijo Imperial University Department of Forensic Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Joon Young

2012-12-01

This paper attempts to explore implications of Colonial medicine's Blood Type Studies, concerning the characteristics and tasks of racism in the Japanese Colonial Empire. Especially, it focuses on the Blood Group Anthropology Studies at Keijo Imperial University Department of Forensic Medicine. In Colonial Korea, the main stream of Blood Type Studies were Blood Group Anthropology Studies, which place Korean people who was inferior to Japanese people in the geography of the race on the one hand, but on the other, put Koreans as a missing link between the Mongolian and the Japanese for fulfillment of the Japanese colonialism, that is, assimilationist ideology. Then, Compared to the Western medicine and Metropole medicine of Japan, How differentiated was this tendency of Colonial Medicine from them? In this paper, main issues of Blood Group Anthropology Studies and its colonial implications are examined. The Korean Society for the History of Medicine.

Nuclear medicine tomorrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marko, A.M.

1986-04-01

The purpose of this Workshop was to discuss and promote future nuclear medicine applications. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is determined to assist in this role. A major aim of this gathering was to form an interface that was meaningful, representative of the two entities, and above all, on-going. In the opening address, given by Mr. J. Donnelly, President of AECL, this strong commitment was emphasized. In the individual sessions, AECL participants outlined R and D programs and unique expertise that promised to be of interest to members of the nuclear medicine community. The latter group, in turn, described what they saw as some problems and needs of nuclear medicine, especially in the near future. These Proceedings comprise the record of the formal presentations. Additionally, a system of reporting by rapporteurs insured a summary of informal discussions at the sessions and brought to focus pertinent conclusions of the workshop attendees

5th International Symposium on IT in Medicine and Education

CERN Document Server

Jin, Qun; Jiang, Xiaohong; Park, James; ITME 2013

2014-01-01

IT changes everyday’s life, especially in education and medicine. The goal of ITME 2013 is to further explore the theoretical and practical issues of IT in education and medicine. It also aims to foster new ideas and collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

Precision Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Hunting Elephants.

Science.gov (United States)

Joyner, Michael J

2016-01-01

Precision medicine postulates improved prediction, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease based on patient specific factors especially DNA sequence (i.e., gene) variants. Ideas related to precision medicine stem from the much anticipated "genetic revolution in medicine" arising seamlessly from the human genome project (HGP). In this essay I deconstruct the concept of precision medicine and raise questions about the validity of the paradigm in general and its application to cardiovascular disease. Thus far precision medicine has underperformed based on the vision promulgated by enthusiasts. While niche successes for precision medicine are likely, the promises of broad based transformation should be viewed with skepticism. Open discussion and debate related to precision medicine are urgently needed to avoid misapplication of resources, hype, iatrogenic interventions, and distraction from established approaches with ongoing utility. Failure to engage in such debate will lead to negative unintended consequences from a revolution that might never come. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Herbal Medicines Use During Pregnancy: A Review from the Middle East

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Lisha J. John

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of the herbal medicines use is on the rise across the world, especially amongst pregnant women. The scenario in the Middle Eastern region was reviewed to explore the prevalence, usage pattern, motivation, and attitude towards use of herbal medicine by pregnant women. Literature published up to December 2012 showed the prevalence of herbal medicine use varied between 22.3–82.3%, implying a rising trend in the utilization of herbal medicine during pregnancy. The most common herbs used were peppermint, ginger, thyme, chamomile, sage, aniseed, fenugreek, and green tea. The most common reasons for use included the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and cold and flu symptoms. The majority of women used these products during their first trimester, and did not reveal this information to their physician. Most women were advised by family and friends to use herbal medicines and believed they were more effective and had fewer side effects than modern medicine especially during pregnancy. In conclusion, the use of herbal medicine is prevalent among pregnant women in the Middle Eastern region and healthcare providers need to seek information pertaining to their use.

Healthy children's perceptions of medicines: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hämeen-Anttila, Katri; Bush, Patricia J

2008-06-01

Chronically ill children's perceptions of medicines have been widely studied, but healthy children's less often. However, information on healthy children's beliefs and attitudes about medicine use is needed to be able to target health education messages about medicines appropriately. A literature review was performed to determine schoolchildren's attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about medicines; autonomy in using medicines; expectations of using medicines; and questions about medicines, so as to guide the development of a medicine education curriculum and to inform health care professionals who communicate with children. This study was a review of literature from 17 countries. The review indicated that children of school age tend to view medicines cautiously. Although age is a factor, children have very limited ideas about how medicines work and issues around medicine efficacy are confusing to them. Even young children recognize that medicines may have harmful effects and, children of all ages and cultures studied want to learn more about medicines. Autonomy in medicine use is surprisingly high and disturbing given that knowledge of medicines is poor. Primary conclusions drawn are (1) children of the same age in different cultures appear similar in their attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and desires to learn about medicines; (2) children lack information about medicines, especially in view of their levels of autonomy; and (3) health educators and health care professionals should educate children about rational medicine use, at appropriate cognitive development levels, before the children become independent medicine users.

Nuclear medicine. 1 part. Manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlygina, O.E.; Borisenko, A.R.

2006-01-01

Current manual is urged to give wide-scale readers a submission on a key principles and methods of nuclear medicine, and it opportunities and restrictions in diagnostics and treatment of different diseases. Nuclear medicine is differing first of all by combination of diverse knowledge fields: special knowledge of a doctor, knowledge of physical processes bases, related with radiation, grounds of radiopharmaceutics, dosimetry. In the base of the book the 5th edition of 'Nuclear medicine' manual in 2 parts of German authors - Schicha, G.; Schober, O. is applied. In the book publishing the stuff of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan has been worked. Modifications undergo practically all chapters: especially the second one, forth and sixth was enlarged. The 1 part of the book was published due to support of IAEA within the Technical cooperation project 'Implementation of Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics Center' (KAZ/6/007). The manual second part - devoted to applications of nuclear medicine methods for diagnostics and treatment - will be published in 2007

Evaluation of Herbal Medicines: Value Addition to Traditional Medicines Through Metabolism, Pharmacokinetic and Safety Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Thelingwani, Roslyn; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-01-01

The safety and efficacy of herbal medicines remain major issues of concern especially in the developing world where the use is high. The World Health Organisation estimates up to 80% of the population in Africa relies on herbal medicines for treatment of many diseases. Minimum safety evaluations need to be done for both the herbal and conventional drugs, in particular when there is a high likelihood of co-administration. This is particularly important in Africa where there is increased access to antiretrovirals in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, which are being used in a population background characterized by rampant use of herbal medicines. Many techniques used in the discovery and evaluation of conventional drugs can be adapted to herbal medicines. Such evaluations will add value to herbal medicines as doctors and patients will be better informed on which drugs and herbal medicines to take or not take together. This can also lead to the adoption of guidelines by regulatory agents such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and governmental agencies controlling the use of medicines. Of current interest is the evaluation of drug-herb interactions (DHI) involving the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of medicines where there is a promising possibility to adopt the current FDA and EMA guidelines on the evaluation of herbal medicines for drug-drug interactions (DDI). In this review we demonstrate progress made so far in DHI and point to possible future developments that will contribute to the safe use of herbal medicines.

Especial Skills in Experienced Archers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabavinik, Mahdi; Abaszadeh, Ali; Mehranmanesh, Mehrab; Rosenbaum, David A

2017-09-05

Especial skills are skills that are distinctive by virtue of massive practice within the narrow contexts in which they are expressed. In the first demonstration of especial skills, Keetch, Schmidt, Lee, and Young (2005) showed that experienced basketball players are better at shooting baskets from the foul line, where they had massive amounts of practice, than would expected from their success at other locations closer to or farther from the basket. Similar results were obtained for baseball throwing. The authors asked whether especial skills hold in archery, a sport requiring less movement. If the emergence of especial skills depends on large-scale movement, one would expect archery to escape so-called especialism. But if the emergence of especial skills reflects a more general tendency for highly specific learning, experienced archers should show especial skills. The authors obtained evidence consistent with the latter prediction. The expert archers did much better at their most highly practiced distance than would be expected by looking at the overall function relating shooting score to distance. We offer a mathematical model to account for this result. The findings attest to the generality of the especial skills phenomenon.

Tratamentos alternativos no combate à Varroa. Aplicação na apicultura biológica em Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

OpenAIRE

Vilas-Boas, Miguel

2004-01-01

A varroose é urna doença parasitária externa das abelhas causada por um ácaro denominado por Varroa destructor. Este parasita original mente presente nas abelhas melíferas asiáticas Apis cerana, onde coexiste numa relação simbiótica parasita/hospedeiro,foi detectado pela primeira vez em 1963 em colónias de abelhas Appis mellífera. Este salto imediato não Ihes permitiu criar os seus mecanismos de resistência ao parasita, pelo que se verifica actualmente urna mortalidade eleva...

Traditional medicine trade in vulture parts in northern Nigeria | Saidu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We report findings on the vulture trade in northern Nigeria, where it is commonly practised especially to supply the traditional medicine industry. We administered an open-ended questionnaire to 113 traditional, predominantly Hausa medicinal traders in 39 markets within eight states in northern Nigeria. Of the interviewed ...

Imaging of primary bone tumors in veterinary medicine: Which differences?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanel, Maïa, E-mail: maiavanel@yahoo.fr [Diagnostic Imaging Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, PO Box 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC (Canada); Blond, Laurent [Diagnostic Imaging Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, PO Box 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC (Canada); Vanel, Daniel [The Rizzoli Institute, Via del Barbiano 1-10, 40136, Bologna (Italy)

2013-12-01

Veterinary medicine is most often a mysterious world for the human doctors. However, animals are important for human medicine thanks to the numerous biological similarities. Primary bone tumors are not uncommon in veterinary medicine and especially in small domestic animals as dogs and cats. As in human medicine, osteosarcoma is the most common one and especially in the long bones extremities. In the malignant bone tumor family, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are following. Benign bone tumors as osteoma, osteochondroma and bone cysts do exist but are rare and of little clinical significance. Diagnostic modalities used depend widely on the owner willing to treat his animal. Radiographs and bone biopsy are the standard to make a diagnosis but CT, nuclear medicine and MRI are more an more used. As amputation is treatment number one in appendicular bone tumor in veterinary medicine, this explains on the one hand why more recent imaging modalities are not always necessary and on the other hand, that pronostic on large animals is so poor that it is not much studied. Chemotherapy is sometimes associated with the surgery procedure, depending on the agressivity of the tumor. Although, the strakes differs a lot between veterinary and human medicine, biological behavior are almost the same and should led to a beneficial team work between all.

Imaging of primary bone tumors in veterinary medicine: Which differences?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanel, Maïa; Blond, Laurent; Vanel, Daniel

2013-01-01

Veterinary medicine is most often a mysterious world for the human doctors. However, animals are important for human medicine thanks to the numerous biological similarities. Primary bone tumors are not uncommon in veterinary medicine and especially in small domestic animals as dogs and cats. As in human medicine, osteosarcoma is the most common one and especially in the long bones extremities. In the malignant bone tumor family, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are following. Benign bone tumors as osteoma, osteochondroma and bone cysts do exist but are rare and of little clinical significance. Diagnostic modalities used depend widely on the owner willing to treat his animal. Radiographs and bone biopsy are the standard to make a diagnosis but CT, nuclear medicine and MRI are more an more used. As amputation is treatment number one in appendicular bone tumor in veterinary medicine, this explains on the one hand why more recent imaging modalities are not always necessary and on the other hand, that pronostic on large animals is so poor that it is not much studied. Chemotherapy is sometimes associated with the surgery procedure, depending on the agressivity of the tumor. Although, the strakes differs a lot between veterinary and human medicine, biological behavior are almost the same and should led to a beneficial team work between all

Research in Medicine: Essentials for Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuf YAKUPOGULLARI

2014-06-01

Full Text Available (ExtractThe well-being has been the highest topic for humanity throughout the adventure of mankind on the earth. Therefore, extensive efforts have been performed on the science of medicine, and glorious advances have been gained especially in the last two centuries. Research is essential for medicine to develop new therapeutic methods and to monitor the results of the current treatment given to the patient. These are possibly the simplest reasons for investigations in medicine. On the other hand, qualified human resource, research ethics, financial supports, regular data recording and analysis, and publication are important issues for improvement of the medical researches in the developing countries.... 

Medicine utilization review at a university teaching hospital in New Delhi

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M Aqil

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: A prospective medicine usage evaluation based on prescription monitoring was conducted in the medicine OPD of our university teaching hospital to know prescribing trends of different categories of medicines. Materials and Methods: A total of 600 patients were included in the study comprising of 339 (56.5% males and 261 (43.5% females. The data were recorded within the OPD by a registered pharmacist on a medicine usage evaluation form, approved by The University Institutional Review Board (IRB. Results: A total of 2365 medicines were prescribed to 600 patients during the 3 months study period. The mean number of medicines per prescription were found to be 3.94. Medicines were most frequently prescribed as solid dosage forms (85.62%, especially tablets (70.82%, and liquid formulations (14.12%. Oral route (96.17% was the most preferred mode of administration, followed by topical (2.11% and parenteral (1.60% routes. Combination therapy (94.33% was more prevalent than monotherapy (5.66%. An overwhelming tendency for prescribing medicines by brand names (99% was observed by the physicians. The most frequently prescribed class of medicines were antimicrobials > analgesics > cardiovascular > gastrointestinal agents. The most prescribed individual medicines among various therapeutic classes included isoniazid (antimicrobial, amlodipine (cardiovascular, metformin (hypoglycemic, cetirizine (antiallergic, rabeprazole (GI medicine, atorvastatin (hypolipidemic, dextromethorphan (respiratory medicine, alprazolam (sedative-hypnotic, paracetamol (analgesic. Conclusions: There is a considerable scope of improvement in the existing prescribing practice, especially prescribing by generic names, needs to be encouraged and a hospital formulary has to be developed for the purpose. The number of medicines to be included per prescription should be judged rationally and polypharmacy ought to be curbed. Use of antimicrobial also needs to be rationalized as over

Radiological protection and safety in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1998-01-01

Here is presented a book published by ICRP ( International Commission Radiological Protection) that exposes the base principles of radiation protection, especially in medical sector. The exposure to ionizing radiations in medicine concerns the persons that profit by a diagnosis or a treatment but also the medical personnel, the patients family and the public. This publication 'CIPR 73' is more particularly adapted to the physicists and physicians implied in radiotherapy, medical imaging, in nuclear medicine and dentistry. It is also useful for the hospital establishments managers and to concerned national authorities. (N.C.)

[PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND EBM: ETHICAL ASPECTS].

Science.gov (United States)

Radermecker, R P

2015-01-01

More patients are actually treated due to the incredible improvements of medical care, especially in the field of pharmacotherapy. Medical guidelines are based on the results of controlled trials. This kind of medicine, also called Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), is actually the cornerstone of good clinical practice. Nevertheless, it remains a lot of patients disappointed by the fact that they have no medical gain of their treatment. The reason is that each patient has his/her own metabolic characteristics. Better is, the characterization of such patients, better will be the treatment targeting them. It is what is called the personalized medicine. To reach this challenge, pharmacogenetic advances would be helpful. From an antagonism between EBM and personalized medicine, this new medical paradigm has to consider these approaches as partners. To reach this goal, medical doctors, legal authorities and pharmaceutical companies have to be responsible in front of these new ethical challenges.

Analysis of a slow-dissolving medicine by EPMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasayama, Tetsuaki; Kohara, Kiyohiro; Araki, Takeshi

1995-01-01

Along with a dissolution test of a slow-dissolving medicine, the change in distribution of the drug in solution can be observed by using EPMA, and the structual factors and dissolution mechanism which determine the bioavailability of medicine can be clarified. In the evaluation of physical, chemical and pharmaceutical qualities, it is concluded that EPMA is very effective in elemental and state analyses with observation of microscopic areas on the micrometer order. Especially, the color mapping method clarifies the distribution of a drug in the total image field and enables us to analyze the mechanism of a dissolution medicine. (author)

Radiosynoviorthesis in the reflection of Evidence-based Medicine (EbM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kampen, W.U.

2006-01-01

This paper summarizes the literature on clinical efficacy of radiosynoviorthesis with respect to the criteria of evidence-based medicine (EbM). Each therapy has to face up to the success and the costs of other treatment modalities, especially in times of scarce financial resources of our health care system. For many physicians and scientists, evidence-based medicine, which means weighting clinical trials by several quality factors like randomization, blinding or comparison with a placebo seems to be the ''philosophers'stone'' to some extent. Concerning radiosynoviorthesis, the existence of clinical studies with a high quality according to the EbM is sometimes negated. However, this statement cannot be abided after extensive revision of the literature. The nuclear medicine physician practising radiosynoviorthesis should be provided with arguments from the literature supporting his personal experience for successful discussions with referring colleques. This is achieved by listing the respective papers especially of evidence classes Ib and IIa with a short summary of each of them. Some critical remarks on evidence-based medicine if used as the only basis of therapeutic practise complete this paper. (orig.)

Looking for a Person-Centered Medicine: Non Conventional Medicine in the Conventional European and Italian Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Roberti di Sarsina

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In Italy, the use of non conventional medicines (NCMs is spreading among people as in the rest of Europe. Sales of alternative remedies are growing, and likewise the number of medical doctors (MDs who practise NCM/complementary and alternative medicine (CAM. However, in Italy as in other countries of the European Union, at the present time the juridical/legal status of NCM/CAM is not well established, mainly due to the lack of any national law regulating NCM/CAM professional training, practice and public supply and the absence of government-promoted scientific research in this field. This is an obstacle to safeguarding the patient's interests and freedom of choice, especially now that dissatisfaction with biomedicine is inclining more and more people to look for a holistic and patient-centered form of medicine.

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lu; Zhao, Bin-xing; Xiao, Hong-tao; Tong, Rong-sheng; Gao, Chun-ming

2013-09-01

Chinese medicine is a historic cultural legacy of China. It has made a significant contribution to medicine and healthcare for generations. The development of Chinese herbal medicine analysis is emphasized by the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. This study has carried out the experimental analysis of ten kinds of Chinese herbal powder including Fritillaria powder, etc., based on the photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) method. First, a photoacoustic spectroscopy system was designed and constructed, especially a highly sensitive solid photoacoustic cell was established. Second, the experimental setup was verified through the characteristic emission spectrum of the light source, obtained by using carbon as a sample in the photoacoustic cell. Finally, as the photoacoustic spectroscopy analysis of Fritillaria, etc., was completed, the specificity of the Chinese herb medicine analysis was verified. This study shows that the PAS can provide a valid, highly sensitive analytical method for the specificity of Chinese herb medicine without preparing and damaging samples.

Constipation due to Liver Disorder in Iranian Traditional Medicine`s Viewpoint

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R Choopani

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Constipation is one of the most common pediatric disorders.In many cases, there is no anatomic endocrineor metabolic cause in explanation of chronic constipation.More than 85% of them called functional or idiopathic.Constipation is one of the serious disease in Iranian Traditional Medicine. Besides the problem it causes, chronic constipation can be the origin of many disease. That is why, ithas been called Mother of disease.The purpose of this study is to investigate the Constipation in children and the role of other organs such as the liver by view of Iranian Traditional Medicine   Materials and Method: This study is a review through Iranian traditional medicine references. At first, all the main available traditional books were reviewed. All the data about therapies of vaginal discharge in ITM were collected then classified.   Results: In traditional medicine different reasons have been mentioned for constipation especially for childrenwhich most of them are similar to etiology in Modern Medicine.Constipation due to liver disorder is one of the causes of constipation.In Iranian Traditional medicine` viewpoint, one of the mechanism for excretion is existence of secreted bile in intestine.If by any reason,measure or quality of its which secreted in intestine through bile changes or if intestinal mucous secretion becomes barrier for absorbing the food,it will caused disorder in excretion and finally will lead to constipation.Well known Iranian Traditional Medicine scientists, has mentioned all reasons for liver disorders and changing quality& quantity of secreted bile .he has mentioned the solutions as well.   Conclusion: It is hoped that by paying attention to constipation and with advanced clinical research we will be able to explain idiopathic constipation and prepare new ways of treatments for constipation. New researches have approved the effectiveness of these foods and drugs for treating the constipation.   Keywords

Filling the gap between traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine, are we heading to the right direction?

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiuping; Pei, Lixia; Lu, Jinjian

2013-06-01

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the ancient medicine popular in China and surrounding areas, has been recognized as a typical representative of complementary and alternative medicine. Over long period in clinical practice, especially the progress in basic research, data on the effectiveness and beneficial contribution of TCM herbs to public health and disease control have been accumulated while the quality of the evidence is generally poor. The most common clinical practice of TCM herbs is herb combination called formula which consists of several types of medicinal herbs or minerals, which is quite different from modern medicine. Definitely, tens of hundreds of compounds could be identified in even a small formula. With the regained enthusiasm on natural products based new drug R&D, the proposed multi-target drug discovery strategy, the booming of -omics technologies, and the implementation of ambitious plan of TCM modernization in China, attempts have been made to fill the gap between TCM herbs and modern drugs. However, are we heading to the right direction? Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying public health competencies relevant to family medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Bart J; Moloughney, Brent W; Iglar, Karl T

2011-10-01

Public health situations faced by family physicians and other primary care practitioners, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and more recently H1N1, have resulted in an increased interest to identify the public health competencies relevant to family medicine. At present there is no agreed-on set of public health competencies delineating the knowledge and skills that family physicians should possess to effectively face diverse public health challenges. Using a multi-staged, iterative process that included a detailed literature review, the authors developed a set of public health competencies relevant to primary care, identifying competencies relevant across four levels, from "post-MD" to "enhanced." Feedback from family medicine and public health educator-practitioners regarding the set of proposed "essential" competencies indicated the need for a more limited, feasible set of "priority" areas to be highlighted during residency training. This focused set of public health competencies has begun to guide relevant components of the University of Toronto's Family Medicine Residency Program curriculum, including academic half-days; clinical experiences, especially identifying "teachable moments" during patient encounters; resident academic projects; and elective public health agency placements. These competencies will also be used to guide the development of a family medicine-public health primer and faculty development sessions to support family medicine faculty facilitating residents to achieve these competencies. Once more fully implemented, an evaluation will be initiated to determine the degree to which these public health competencies are being achieved by family medicine graduates, especially whether they attained the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to effectively face diverse public health situations-from common to emergent. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction of nuclear medicine research in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inubushi, Masayuki [Kawasaki Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Kurashiki, Okayama (Japan); Higashi, Tatsuya [National Institutes of Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Chiba (Japan); Kuji, Ichiei [Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hidaka-shi, Saitama (Japan); Sakamoto, Setsu [Dokkyo University School of Medicine, PET Center, Mibu, Tochigi (Japan); Tashiro, Manabu [Tohoku University, Division of Cyclotron Nuclear Medicine, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai, Miyagi (Japan); Momose, Mitsuru [Tokyo Women' s Medical University, Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

2016-12-15

There were many interesting presentations of unique studies at the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine, although there were fewer attendees from Europe than expected. These presentations included research on diseases that are more frequent in Japan and Asia than in Europe, synthesis of original radiopharmaceuticals, and development of imaging devices and methods with novel ideas especially by Japanese manufacturers. In this review, we introduce recent nuclear medicine research conducted in Japan in the five categories of Oncology, Neurology, Cardiology, Radiopharmaceuticals and Technology. It is our hope that this article will encourage the participation of researchers from all over the world, in particular from Europe, in scientific meetings on nuclear medicine held in Japan. (orig.)

Complementary and alternative medicine use in Iranian patients with diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem; Heydari, Mojtaba; Mosavat, Seyed Hamdollah; Heydari, Seyyed Taghi; Shams, Mesbah

2015-09-01

There is increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine generally, and especially by those affected by chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. We aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus in Shiraz, southern Iran. Another objective was to explore associated factors for use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with diabetes mellitus. A 19-item semi-structured questionnaire (open- and close-ended) was administered to 239 patients with diabetes mellitus in this cross-sectional study. It was carried out in two outpatient diabetes clinics affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. One hundred and eighty patients (75.3%) used at least one type of complementary and alternative medicine in the last year prior to the interview. Patients with diabetes mellitus who were living in a large family (≥5 members), not taking insulin, and believed that complementary and alternative medicine have synergistic effects with conventional medicine, were independently and significantly (P values: 0.02, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively) more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine. Most of the users (97.7%) reported use of herbal preparations, and 89.4% of users did not change their medication, neither in medication schedule nor its dosage. The use of complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal remedies, is popular among diabetes patients in Shiraz, Iran. This use is associated with patients' family size, type of conventional medications and their view about concomitant use of complementary and conventional medicine.

Occupational exposure of nuclear medicine personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roessler, M.

1982-01-01

The results are given of measurements of the radiation burden of personnel in departments of nuclear medicine in the years 1979 to 1981 using film dosemeters and ring thermoluminescence dosemeters evaluated by the national personnel dosemeter service. The relations are examined of the exposure of hands and the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals and especially their use for examinations. Certain organizational measures are indicated for reducina radiation burden in a laboratory for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. The results of measurements and evaluations of radiation burden of personnel of nuclear medicine departments are confronted with conclusions published in the literature. (author)

Advanced bioanalytics for precision medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Roda, Aldo; Michelini, Elisa; Caliceti, Cristiana; Guardigli, Massimo; Mirasoli, Mara; Simoni, Patrizia

2018-01-01

Precision medicine is a new paradigm that combines diagnostic, imaging, and analytical tools to produce accurate diagnoses and therapeutic interventions tailored to the individual patient. This approach stands in contrast to the traditional "one size fits all" concept, according to which researchers develop disease treatments and preventions for an "average" patient without considering individual differences. The "one size fits all" concept has led to many ineffective or inappropriate treatments, especially for pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Now, precision medicine is receiving massive funding in many countries, thanks to its social and economic potential in terms of improved disease prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. Bioanalytical chemistry is critical to precision medicine. This is because identifying an appropriate tailored therapy requires researchers to collect and analyze information on each patient's specific molecular biomarkers (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites). In other words, precision diagnostics is not possible without precise bioanalytical chemistry. This Trend article highlights some of the most recent advances, including massive analysis of multilayer omics, and new imaging technique applications suitable for implementing precision medicine. Graphical abstract Precision medicine combines bioanalytical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, and imaging tools for performing accurate diagnoses and selecting optimal therapies for each patient.

Update on value-based medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Melissa M; Brown, Gary C

2013-05-01

To update concepts in Value-Based Medicine, especially in view of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act assures that some variant of Value-Based Medicine cost-utility analysis will play a key role in the healthcare system. It identifies the highest quality care, thereby maximizing the most efficacious use of healthcare resources and empowering patients and physicians.Standardization is critical for the creation and acceptance of a Value-Based Medicine, cost-utility analysis, information system, since 27 million different input variants can go into a cost-utility analysis. Key among such standards is the use of patient preferences (utilities), as patients best understand the quality of life associated with their health states. The inclusion of societal costs, versus direct medical costs alone, demonstrates that medical interventions are more cost effective and, in many instances, provide a net financial return-on-investment to society referent to the direct medical costs expended. Value-Based Medicine provides a standardized methodology, integrating critical, patient, quality-of-life preferences, and societal costs, to allow the highest quality, most cost-effective care. Central to Value-Based Medicine is the concept that all patients deserve the interventions that provide the greatest patient value (improvement in quality of life and/or length of life).

Clinical implications of the recent homeopathic medicine and its application to oriental medicine

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Ok-Byung,Choi

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the practical implications of homeopathic medicines, their status, their preparation systems and registration rules, recognized by the European Union and other countries. Contents : This paper covers the background of homeopathic medical principle, homeopathy throughout the world, the medicine status and clinical research, increases of the drug potency, the practical regulation of treatment, preparation techniques of homeopathic drugs and registration rules and the clinical practice. Homeopathy has been currently practised in over eighty countries throughout the world, especially in Europe. It had attracted considerable attentions in South and North America (notably in USA, Brazil, and Argentina, India and Pakistan. Although it is not dominantly popular in North America, constant growth has been nevertheless noted. Over the last thirty years, homeopathy has also developed or appeared in South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Venezuela, Israel, and Australia, etc. Result & suggestion : As over 300 million patients have put their trust in homeopathy, the study of the integration of homeopathy to oriental medicine, its development and feasibility in Korea are urgently needed. The products, substances, compositions of Homeopathic drugs are very similar to those of oriental medicine theory. Therefore their preparations and applications should prescribed and practised exclusively by oriental doctors. Applying the homeopathic theory and its preparation techniques to oriental medicine, the herbal acupuncture preparation should be modernized and various oriental products are to be developed. To this end, government and herbal acupuncture society need to interact each other for the development of oriental medicine.

Medical studies and Nazi medicine: Nazi medicine as perceived by Austrian medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Stefan; Rásky, Éva; Freidl, Wolfgang

2016-02-01

Austrian medical universities have not covered the topic of Nazi medicine in their curricula to any satisfactory degree to date. In the context of medical-ethical education and on-going medical ethics debates, it seems indispensable to be confronted also with the dark chapters of medical history, and especially Nazi medicine. Students should learn to understand controversial discussions, e.g. about euthanasia, in a historical context. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students had, during their studies, been confronted with Nazi medical crime and whether they considered such a confrontation as important. The survey also focused on extant knowledge about this topic. From late 2012 to May 2013, 341 late semester students of the medical universities in Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck were questioned about the coverage of Nazi medicine during their courses, using multiple choice questionnaires. The data were evaluated using a descriptive-statistical approach. The study has shown a low level of knowledge of students about Nazi medicine in the three universities. Only a third of the students had ever heard about "Aktion T4". About 65% of the participants found it important to be comprehensively informed about Nazi medicine during their studies, e.g. with a view to their future career. On average across the three universities, only 43% of the students had been confronted with this topic. The study found a clear wish for more information about Nazi medicine. Universities should, therefore, offer students various opportunities and ways of discussing this issue in the university context.

Copépodos parásitos en Genypterus blacodes (Osteichtes

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Paulina Donoso.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Los peces del género Genypterus son un recurso importante en la industria pesquera, y estos se encuentran expuestos a una serie de ectoparásitos, entre los se encuentran los copépodos los cuales pueden ser muy específicos en sus hospedederos. Una de las especies parásitas corresponde a Sphyrium laevigatum el cual parasita además tres especies de importancia económica en las pesquerías locales chilenas. Se discuten en el presente trabajo la situación de S. laevigatum en G. blacodes, así como aspectos ecológicos y biogeográficos.

Precision medicine: In need of guidance and surveillance.

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Lin, Jian-Zhen; Long, Jun-Yu; Wang, An-Qiang; Zheng, Ying; Zhao, Hai-Tao

2017-07-28

Precision medicine, currently a hotspot in mainstream medicine, has been strongly promoted in recent years. With rapid technological development, such as next-generation sequencing, and fierce competition in molecular targeted drug exploitation, precision medicine represents an advance in science and technology; it also fulfills needs in public health care. The clinical translation and application of precision medicine - especially in the prevention and treatment of tumors - is far from satisfactory; however, the aims of precision medicine deserve approval. Thus, this medical approach is currently in its infancy; it has promising prospects, but it needs to overcome numbers of problems and deficiencies. It is expected that in addition to conventional symptoms and signs, precision medicine will define disease in terms of the underlying molecular characteristics and other environmental susceptibility factors. Those expectations should be realized by constructing a novel data network, integrating clinical data from individual patients and personal genomic background with existing research on the molecular makeup of diseases. In addition, multi-omics analysis and multi-discipline collaboration will become crucial elements in precision medicine. Precision medicine deserves strong support, and its development demands directed momentum. We propose three kinds of impetus (research, application and collaboration impetus) for such directed momentum toward promoting precision medicine and accelerating its clinical translation and application.

An Evidence-Based Review on Medicinal Value of Clays in Traditional Persian Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinkhani, Ayda; Montaseri, Hashem; Hosamo, Ammar; Zarshenas, Mohammad Mehdi

2017-01-01

The use of earths and clays for medical purposes dates back to antiquity. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in researches on traditional remedies in the hope of discovering new drug. Iran is an ancient country with a medical backbone acquired from the experiences of ancient Persian scholars, who had made a great contribution to the development of the medical sciences. Many medical and pharmaceutical books by early Persian scientists still exist and may have the potential of leading researchers to new drug discoveries. Owing to the emergence of new and antimicrobial-resistant infections, present-day medicine has recently begun focusing on medicinal earths and clays especially as mineral antimicrobials. The current study is, therefore, aimed at gathering information regarding medicinal clays in traditional Persian medicine (TPM). Five main Persian materia medica with the key word 'tin' (clay) and current databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched by key words 'white, green, red, maroon, violet, black, grey and pink clays' and 'pharmacological effects'. Twenty three clays were found in Persian manuscripts. Although their mineralogical compositions are unknown, different pharmacological properties have been attributed to these mineral medicaments. Clay's properties were widely used in medieval times for the treatment of infections to poisoning. They were also used in compound formulations, possibly for their pharmaceutical formulation modifying effects. Modern scientific proofs have also been found in many of the medicinal clays reported in Persian manuscripts. Although many of the reported clays are still unknown, their characterization may lead to new medicinal developments. Novel analytical methods available today make it possible to elucidate the chemical compositions of these minerals as parameters responsible for their medicinal effects. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please

Complementary and alternative medicine in pulmonology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, John D; Chung, Youngran

2015-06-01

To provide a comprehensive review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for the treatment of pulmonary disorders in children. The use of complementary medicine (CAM) is commonly used by both children and adults with breathing problems, and especially in chronic pulmonary disorders such as asthma and cystic fibrosis. Many clinics and hospitals now offer CAM, even though most of the conventionally trained health practitioners have little knowledge or education regarding CAM therapies. Research in CAM that demonstrates overall benefit is lacking, especially in children. Often parents do not report CAM use to their child's healthcare provider and this could compromise their overall quality of care. Although many research studies evaluating CAM therapies have methodological flaws, data exist to support CAM therapies in treating children with pulmonary disorders. This review examines the latest evidence of CAM use and effectiveness in children with pulmonary disorders. Physicians should be aware of the many CAM therapy options and the research surrounding them in order to provide their patients with the most current and accurate information available.

[Social Security Needs Social Medicine: Self-image of Physicians Practicing Social Medicine in Statutory Health Insurances and Social Security Systems].

Science.gov (United States)

Nüchtern, E; Bahemann, A; Egdmann, W; van Essen, J; Gostomzyk, J; Hemmrich, K; Manegold, B; Müller, B; Robra, B P; Röder, M; Schmidt, L; Zobel, A; von Mittelstaedt, G

2015-09-01

In January, 2014, the division "Social Medicine in Practice and Rehabilitation" of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention established a working group on the self-image of the physicians active in the field of social medicine (medical expertise and counseling). The result of this work is the contribution presented here after consensus was achieved by specialists of social medicine from different fields and institutions (social security etc.) and in good cooperation with Prof. Dr. Gostomzyk and Prof. Dr. Robra. Based on the importance of an up to date social medicine for claimants and recipients of benefits on the one hand and the social security system on the other, and also on a description of the subjects, objectives and methods the following aspects are presented: · The perspective of social medicine. · Qualification in social medicine, concerning specialist training and continuing medical education. · The fields of duty of experts in social medicine. · The proceedings in social medicine. The working group identified challenges for the specialists in social medicine by a narrowed perception of social medicine by physicians in hospitals and practice, accompanied by an enlarged importance of expertise in social medicine, by the demand for more "patient orientation" and gain of transparency, and concerning the scientific foundation of social medicine. The working group postulates: · The perspective of social medicine should be spread more widely.. · Confidence in experts of social medicine and their independency should be strengthened.. · The not case-related consulting of the staff and executives should be expanded.. · Social medicine in practice needs support by politics and society, and especially by research and teaching.. · Good cooperation and transfer of experiences of the different branches of social security are essential for the impact of social medicine.. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Parasitas em ostras de cultivo (Crassostrea rhizophorae e Crassostrea gigas da Ponta do Sambaqui, Florianópolis, SC Parasites in cultured oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae and Crassostrea gigas from Ponta do Sambaqui, Florianópolis, SC

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R.C. Sabry

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Estudou-se a presença de parasitas e realizaram-se exames macroscópicos e histológicos em ostras (Crassostrea rhizophorae e Crassostrea gigas cultivadas. Entre agosto de 2002 a maio de 2003, 30 indivíduos adultos de cada espécie foram coletados sazonalmente, totalizando 240 ostras. Os animais, provenientes de desova em laboratório, foram mantidos em lanternas de cultivo, em sistema suspenso tipo espinhel, com densidade de 40 ostras/andar. A cada coleta era registrada a mortalidade das ostras, a temperatura e a salinidade da água. A temperatura variou de 19 a 28,5°C e a salinidade, 31 a 35‰. A mortalidade foi de 48,3% para C. gigas e 70,8% para C. rhizophorae. A infestação pelo poliqueta Polydora websteri em C. gigas foi 100% durante todo o período e em C. rhizophorae, 100% em fevereiro e maio. O mal do pé foi observado em novembro (3,3% e maio (23,3% em C. gigas e maio (6,6% em C. rhizophorae. As maiores prevalências do protozoário Nematopsis sp. foram de 70 e 60% em C. gigas e C. rhizophorae, respectivamente. O protozoário Trichodina sp. ocorreu em 1,6% de C. rhizophorae, e larvas do cestóide Tylocephalum sp. foram observadas em 2,5% de C. gigas. Nenhum dos parasitas encontrados foi associado à mortalidade das ostras.Over a 10-month period, cultured oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae and Crassostrea gigas from Ponta do Sambaqui, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina State were evaluated microscopically and histologically for parasite infection. Thirty mature individuals of each species were examined each season, for a total of 240 oysters. The animals, which originated from laboratory spawning, were kept in culture lanterns suspended in long-line systems at a density of 40 oysters per floor. Mortality, water temperature (19 to 28.5 ºC range and salinity (31 to 35‰ were recorded at each sampling. The total amount of dead oysters was 58 (48.3% to C. gigas and 85 (70.8% to C. rhizophorae. All C. gigas individuals were infected with

Una nueva especie de Aragoa

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Romero Castañeda Rafael

1958-09-01

Full Text Available Especie bien caracterizada, fácilmente distinguible de las hasta ahora conocidas, por sus hojas verticiladas de a tres, espatuladas y el tallo completamente glabro lo mismo que las ramas.  Por sus hojas carinadas y el tallo glabro se acerca a Aragoa occidentalis, siendo distinta en lo demás; por las hojas carinadas es afín de A. cupressina. pero presenta con ésta y las restantes especies, notable diferencia.  Especie dedicada al doctor Armando Dugand Gnecco, botánico colombiano cuyos estudios sobre la flora nacional son de gran importancia.

Ipomea hederacea Jacq.: A Medicinal Herb with Promising Health Benefits

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Vincenzo De Feo

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Ipomea hederacea Jacq. (kaladana or ivy leaf morning-glory, a member of the family Convolvulaceae, is used primarily for its seeds and recognized for its medicinal properties, especially in Asian countries. This medicinal herb contains various valuable chemical constituents such as ecdysteriods, steroidal glycosides, aromatic acids, triterpenes, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. A number of pharmacological properties such as diuretic, anthelmintic, blood purifier, deobstruent, laxative, carminative and anti-inflammatory actions have been ascribed to this plant, besides its use to treat abdominal diseases, fevers, headache and bronchitis. This review focuses on compositional, medicinal and therapeutic properties of this plant, as a potential sources of bioactive molecules for medicinal and nutraceutical applications.

Abstracts of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine congress, 26-30 August 1995, Brussels, Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

The issue contains 888 abstracts of lectures and poster sessions of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Congress held in Brussels, Belgium, from August 26 to 30, 1995. The key subjects adressed are diagnostic nuclear medicine techniques, especially scintiscanning, SPET and PET and their applications in diagnostic medicine. There is an alphabetic index of author names. (vhe) [de

Perfil hematológico, bioquímico sérico e sorológico de Felis domesticus com lagochilascariose experimental Hematological, serum biochemical and serological profile of Felis domesticus with experimental lagochilascariosis

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Mariana Félix de Souza Prudente

2008-10-01

Full Text Available No presente trabalho, avaliou-se o hemograma, diversas proteínas e enzimas séricas ou plasmáticas e a produção de anticorpos específicos em Felis domesticus, experimentalmente infectados por Lagochilascaris minor. Verificou-se nos animais infectados aumento de leucócitos totais, principalmente eosinófilos; queda do número de plaquetas; aumento de aspartato-aminotransferase e alanina-aminotransferase; e principalmente a presença de anticorpos IgG específicos para antígenos do parasita. A reação com extrato bruto de parasitas adultos mostrou-se mais específica, permitindo a discriminação de soros de animais: não infectados, com infecção por outros parasitas, e com lagochilascariose. Esta é a primeira descrição da padronização de uma reação sorológica para diagnóstico da lagochilascariose em Felis domesticus.The present study evaluated the hemogram, different proteins, plasma enzymes, serum enzymes and specific antibody production of Felis domesticus experimentally infected by Lagochilascaris minor. The infected animals were seen to present increased total leukocytes (particularly eosinophils, decreased platelet counts, increased aspartate-aminotransferase and alanine-aminotransferase and, especially, the presence of specific IgG antibodies against antigens of the parasite. The reaction with crude extract of adult parasites was shown to be more specific, thereby enabling serum discrimination between the animals: non-infected, infected with other parasites and infected with lagochilascariosis. This is the first description of the standardization of a serological reaction for diagnosing lagochilascariosis in Felis domesticus.

Traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and traditional Korean medicine (TKM): aconstitutional-based concept and comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Young Min; Komakech, Richard; Karigar, Chandrakant Shivappa; Saqib, Asma

2017-06-01

Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) plays an integral role in providing health care worldwide. It is based on sound fundamental principles and centuries of practices. This study compared traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and traditional Korean medicine (TKM) basing on data obtained from peer reviewed articles, respective government institutional reports and World Health Organization reports. Despite the fact that TIM and TKM have individual qualities that are unique from each other including different histories of origin, they share a lot in common. Apart from Homeopathy in TIM, both systems are hinged on similar principle of body constitutional-based concept and similar disease diagnosis methods of mainly auscultation, palpation, visual inspection, and interrogation. Similarly, the treatment methods of TIM and TKM follow similar patterns involving use of medicinal herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture, cupping, and manual therapy. Both T&CM are majorly practiced in well-established hospitals by T&CM doctors who have undergone an average of 6-7 years of specialized trainings. However, unlike TIM which has less insurance coverage, the popularity of TKM is majorly due to its wide national insurance coverage. These two medical traditions occupy increasingly greater portion of the global market. However, TIM especially Ayurveda has gained more global recognition than TKM although the emergence of Sasang Constitutional Medicine in TKM is beginning to become more popular. This comparative analysis between TIM and TKM may provide vital and insightful contribution towards constitutional-based concept for further development and future studies in T&CM.

Sport and medicine in ancient Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelboom, T; Rouffin, C; Fierens, E

1988-01-01

Sport and medicine in ancient Greece were the result of a widespread tradition of liberty, which was at the heart of one of the most brilliant civilizations in history. Whereas war encouraged the development of surgical knowledge springing out of medical experience on the battlefield, peace promoted the burgeoning of sport as an integral part of Greek upbringing, allowing the channeling of young people's aggressiveness into physical competition. Medicine was magical and mythological, especially in the time of Homer (9th century BC); Aesculapius, the mythical god of healing, was its reference point. With Hippocrates (5th century BC), the body of medical experience was to be codified and built up, and was to undergo a novel evolution based on the theory of the balance of the four humors. The athlete's mentality, faced with trauma in the sports ground, underwent a change; injury was no longer considered a punishment by the gods. At the same time, temple offerings tendered in the hope of victory gave way to the athlete's personal preparation based on a specifically modified lifestyle, diet, and training. The resulting progress in medicine and public health, especially from the 5th century BC onward, was not only to favor athletic performances of high quality but also surgical techniques that were very advanced for their time. Thus it can be seen that the medical knowledge associated with the practice of sport progressed during antiquity because of its obligation to follow the warrior and then the athlete.

[Descartes and medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Jeune, Bernard

2004-01-01

The French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes (1596-1650) gave a high priority to medicine and dedicated a great deal of his life to medical studies. Nevertheless his relation to medicine has always been much discussed. However, a number of recent works have contributed to reassessing the earlier critique which nearly wrote him out from medical history. The recent biographical dismissal of a number of earlier allegations and the recent interpretations of the medical contents of his collected writings ought to result in Descartes' reinstatement in medical history. His novel anti-Aristotelian methodology had a crucial influence on the medicine of the subsequent decades. Also his early defense of Harvey's theory of blood circulation had great influence. Especially his thoughts about a mechanical physiology by means of which the functions of the body could be explained without involvement of "occult faculties" influenced that time. His empirical mistakes, including the central role which he ascribed to the corpus pineale, are offset, which already Steno noted, by his brilliant thoughts about the function and importance of the brain. Although he did not make any really new empirical discoveries within medicine, he advanced a number of concrete ideas which later lead to actual discoveries such as visual accommodation, the reflex concept and the reciprocal innervations of antagonistic muscles. Descartes' psychosomatic view of the importance of the interplay between sensations, "the passions of the soul", and the free will in the preservation of health shows in addition that his fundamental soul-body dualism was far more nuanced than is often claimed.

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.

Potent water extracts of Indonesian medicinal plants against PTP1B

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Azis Saifudin

2016-01-01

Conclusions: In contrast to the mainstream solvents currently used in modern herbal manufactures especially Jamu medicine in Indonesia, pure-water-extracted materials should be reconsidered and could be reemerged for future studies and for the manufacture of herbal medicines. In addition, the activity of Jamu components should be confirmed that their antidiabetes and antiobesity activities could be through the inhibition of PTP1B.

Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants: Extraction, Assessment and Resources

OpenAIRE

Xu, Dong-Ping; Li, Ya; Meng, Xiao; Zhou, Tong; Zhou, Yue; Zheng, Jie; Zhang, Jiao-Jiao; Li, Hua-Bin

2017-01-01

Natural antioxidants are widely distributed in food and medicinal plants. These natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols and carotenoids, exhibit a wide range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis and anticancer. The effective extraction and proper assessment of antioxidants from food and medicinal plants are crucial to explore the potential antioxidant sources and promote the application in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and food additive...

[Study on incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xin-sheng; Duan, Jin-ao; Hua, Hao-ming; Qian, Da-wei; Shang, Er-xin; Guo, Jian-ming

2015-04-01

The incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines is related to the clinical medication safety, so has attracted wide attentions from the public. With the deepening of studies on the incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines represented by 18 incompatible herbs, the incompatibility of theory traditional Chinese medicines has raised to new heights. From the origin of incompatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicines, relationship of herbs, harms of incompatible herbs and principle of prevention to toxic effects of specific incompatible medicines, the innovation and development of the traditional Chinese medicine incompatibility theory was explored. Structurally, the incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines refers to the opposition of two herbs based on seven emotions and clinical experience. The combination of incompatible herbs may lead to human harms, especially latent harm and inefficacy of intervention medicines. The avoidance of the combination of incompatible herbs and the consideration of both symptoms and drug efficacy are the basic method to prevent adverse reactions. The recent studies have revealed five characteristics of incompatible herbs. Toxicity potentiation, toxication, efficacy reduction and inefficacy are the four manifestations of the incompatible relations. The material changes can reflect the effects of toxicity potentiation and toxication of opposite herbs. The accumulation of toxicity and metabolic changes are the basis for latent harms. The antagonistic effect of main efficacies and the coexistence of positive and negative effects are the distinctive part of the incompatibility. The connotation of incompatible herbs plays an important role in the innovation of the traditional Chinese medicine incompatibility theory.

An Education Strategy to Respond to Medicine Inequality in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrn, Stephen R; Ekeocha, Zita; Clase, Kari L

2017-07-01

People living in Africa face a heavy and wide-ranging burden of disease that takes an incalculable toll on social and economic development as well as shortening life expectancy (life expectancy in Tanzania is about 60 vs. about 80 in the United States and Europe. Further, the pharmaceutical market in developing countries is immature and may not support quality medicines. In many cases, a tender system is used, and medicines are bought by the government at the lowest price. In addition to access to medicines, a number of pharmaceutical sciences problems are apparent. The availability of infrastructure and especially standard instruments such as HPLC and X-ray diffraction is minimal. Additionally, there is an important need to increase access to advanced education for men and women in Africa, especially access to state-of-the-art scientific education. Utilizing the mandate of Nelson Mandela, Purdue's conceptual approach has been to utilize education to combat these problems. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complementary medicines: When regulation results in revolution

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dates, depending on their classification, e.g. antiviral complementary medicines had to be ... must be written in English and at least one other official language and must indicate the ... able task. Furthermore, the cost of merely applying, especially for ... the nature of the industry will change once the new laws are fully.

Clinical Holistic Medicine: Chronic Pain in Internal Organs

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Søren Ventegodt

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Holistic medicine seems to be efficient in the treatment of chronic pain in internal organs, especially when the pain has no known cause. It is quite surprising that while chronic pain can be one of the toughest challenges in the biomedical clinic, it is often one of the simplest things to alleviate in the holistic clinic. These pains are regarded as being caused by repressed emotions and are explained as psychosomatic reactions. Using holistic medicine, the patients can often be cured of their suffering when they assume responsibility for the repressed feelings. The holistic process theory of healing states that the return to the natural (pain free state of being is possible whenever the person obtains the resources needed for existential healing. This shift is explained by the related quality of life and life mission theories. The resources needed are “holding” or genuine care in the dimensions of awareness, respect, care, acknowledgment, and acceptance with support and processing in the dimensions of feeling, understanding, and letting go of negative attitudes and beliefs. The preconditions for the holistic healing to take place are “love” and trust. Obtaining the full trust of the patient, therefore, seems to be the biggest challenge of holistic medicine, especially when dealing with a patient in pain.

Hierarchy as a barrier to advancement for women in academic medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, Peter; Carr, Phyllis; Knight, Sharon; Renfrew, Megan R; Dunn, Mary B; Pololi, Linda

2010-04-01

Research on barriers to professional advancement for women in academic medicine has not adequately considered the role of environmental factors and how the structure of organizations affects professional advancement and work experiences. This article examines the impact of the hierarchy, including both the organization's hierarchical structure and professionals' perceptions of this structure, in medical school organization on faculty members' experience and advancement in academic medicine. As part of an inductive qualitative study of faculty in five disparate U.S. medical schools, we interviewed 96 medical faculty at different career stages and in diverse specialties, using in-depth semistructured interviews, about their perceptions about and experiences in academic medicine. Data were coded and analysis was conducted in the grounded theory tradition. Our respondents saw the hierarchy of chairs, based on the indeterminate tenure of department chairs, as a central characteristic of the structure of academic medicine. Many faculty saw this hierarchy as affecting inclusion, reducing transparency in decision making, and impeding advancement. Indeterminate chair terms lessen turnover and may create a bottleneck for advancement. Both men and women faculty perceived this hierarchy, but women saw it as more consequential. The hierarchical structure of academic medicine has a significant impact on faculty work experiences, including advancement, especially for women. We suggest that medical schools consider alternative models of leadership and managerial styles, including fixed terms for chairs with a greater emphasis on inclusion. This is a structural reform that could increase opportunities for advancement especially for women in academic medicine.

Cost challenges for laboratory medicine automation in Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Automation in laboratory medicine is inevitable and the only way forward especially in Africa where the staff turnover is high due to migration of experienced staff to Europe and America. Described here are the common issues that laboratory Managers and Directors encounter when upgrading, replacing analytical systems ...

Effects of medicinal plant extracts on growth of Leishmania (L. amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi Efeito de extratos de plantas medicinais no crescimento de Leishmania (L. amazonensis e Trypanosoma cruzi

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Patrícia Shima Luize

2005-03-01

Full Text Available This study describes the screening of extracts obtained from 19 species of plants used in Brazilian traditional medicine for treatment of a variety of diseases. The extracts were tested against axenic amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania (L. amazonensis, and epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, and Tanacetum vulgare showed significant effects against one or both parasites, with a percentage of growth inhibition between 49.5 and 99%. The extracts showed no cytotoxic effect on sheep erythrocytes. These medicinal plants may be sources of new compounds that are clinically active against L. amazonensis and T. cruzi.Este estudo descreve a triagem de extratos obtidos de 19 espécies de plantas usadas na medicina tradicional brasileira para o tratamento de várias doenças. Os extratos foram testados contra formas amastigota axênica e promastigota de Leishmania (L. amazonensis, e formas epimastigota de Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro na concentração de 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, e Tanacetum vulgare apresentaram efeito significante contra um ou ambos parasitas, com a porcentagem de inibição de crescimento entre 49,5 e 99%. Os extratos não mostraram efeito citotóxico em hemácias de carneiro. Essas plantas medicinais podem ser fontes alternativas de novos compostos clinicamente ativos contra L. amazonensis e T. cruzi.

Traditional Indian medicine (TIM and traditional Korean medicine (TKM: aconstitutional-based concept and comparison

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Young Min Kang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM plays an integral role in providing health care worldwide. It is based on sound fundamental principles and centuries of practices. This study compared traditional Indian medicine (TIM and traditional Korean medicine (TKM basing on data obtained from peer reviewed articles, respective government institutional reports and World Health Organization reports. Despite the fact that TIM and TKM have individual qualities that are unique from each other including different histories of origin, they share a lot in common. Apart from Homeopathy in TIM, both systems are hinged on similar principle of body constitutional-based concept and similar disease diagnosis methods of mainly auscultation, palpation, visual inspection, and interrogation. Similarly, the treatment methods of TIM and TKM follow similar patterns involving use of medicinal herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture, cupping, and manual therapy. Both T&CM are majorly practiced in well-established hospitals by T&CM doctors who have undergone an average of 6–7 years of specialized trainings. However, unlike TIM which has less insurance coverage, the popularity of TKM is majorly due to its wide national insurance coverage. These two medical traditions occupy increasingly greater portion of the global market. However, TIM especially Ayurveda has gained more global recognition than TKM although the emergence of Sasang Constitutional Medicine in TKM is beginning to become more popular. This comparative analysis between TIM and TKM may provide vital and insightful contribution towards constitutional-based concept for further development and future studies in T&CM.

Natural Antioxidants in Foods and Medicinal Plants: Extraction, Assessment and Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Dong-Ping; Li, Ya; Meng, Xiao; Zhou, Tong; Zhou, Yue; Zheng, Jie; Zhang, Jiao-Jiao; Li, Hua-Bin

2017-01-05

Natural antioxidants are widely distributed in food and medicinal plants. These natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols and carotenoids, exhibit a wide range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis and anticancer. The effective extraction and proper assessment of antioxidants from food and medicinal plants are crucial to explore the potential antioxidant sources and promote the application in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and food additives. The present paper provides comprehensive information on the green extraction technologies of natural antioxidants, assessment of antioxidant activity at chemical and cellular based levels and their main resources from food and medicinal plants.

Una experiencia educativa acerca de Ginkgo biloba, una especie vegetal con aplicación medicinal

OpenAIRE

Fait, María Elisa; Fangano, I.; Valle, M. del; Moracci, Luis; Beltrami, Franco; Rosella, María Adelaida; Vairo Cavalli, Sandra; Morcelle del Valle, Susana R.

2016-01-01

Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae) —un árbol ornamental popular en parques y veredas de nuestra ciudad— es ideal para la forestación urbana debido a su gran resistencia a pestes y contaminación, así como también por su bajo potencial invasivo. Esta especie, también conocida como “fósil viviente”, es considerada una de las más antiguas, ya que ha sobrevivido durante millones de años en la superficie de nuestro planeta, soportando incluso catástrofes nucleares como la bomba de Hiroshima. Las hojas ...

Computer applications in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lancaster, J.L.; Lasher, J.C.; Blumhardt, R.

1987-01-01

Digital computers were introduced to nuclear medicine research as an imaging modality in the mid-1960s. Widespread use of imaging computers (scintigraphic computers) was not seen in nuclear medicine clinics until the mid-1970s. For the user, the ability to acquire scintigraphic images into the computer for quantitative purposes, with accurate selection of regions of interest (ROIs), promised almost endless computational capabilities. Investigators quickly developed many new methods for quantitating the distribution patterns of radiopharmaceuticals within the body both spatially and temporally. The computer was used to acquire data on practically every organ that could be imaged by means of gamma cameras or rectilinear scanners. Methods of image processing borrowed from other disciplines were applied to scintigraphic computer images in an attempt to improve image quality. Image processing in nuclear medicine has evolved into a relatively extensive set of tasks that can be called on by the user to provide additional clinical information rather than to improve image quality. Digital computers are utilized in nuclear medicine departments for nonimaging applications also, Patient scheduling, archiving, radiopharmaceutical inventory, radioimmunoassay (RIA), and health physics are just a few of the areas in which the digital computer has proven helpful. The computer is useful in any area in which a large quantity of data needs to be accurately managed, especially over a long period of time

Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

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Yan Dong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Atrial fibrillation (AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, which is related to many cardiac and cerebral vascular diseases, especially stroke. It can therefore increase cardiovascular mortality and all-cause death. The current treatments of AF remain to be western drugs and radiofrequency ablation which are limited by the tolerance of patients, adverse side effects, and high recurrence rate, especially for the elderly. On the contrary, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM with long history of use involves various treatment methods, including Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs or bioactive ingredients, Chinese patent medicines, acupuncture, Qigong, and Tai Chi Chuan. With more and more researches reported, the active roles of TCM in AF management have been discovered. Then it is likely that TCM would be effective preventive means and valuable additional remedy for AF. The potential mechanisms further found by numerous experimental studies showed the distinct characteristics of TCM. Some CHMs or bioactive ingredients are atrial-selective, while others are multichannel and multifunctional. Therefore, in this review we summarized the treatment strategies reported in TCM, with the purpose of providing novel ideas and directions for AF management.

Nueva especie del genero Buenoa Kirkaldy (Hemiptera, notonectidae con clave para especies y notas ecológicas

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Padilla Gil Dora N.

1992-06-01

Full Text Available Se incluyen las especies del género Buenoa encontradas en el Departamento de Cundinamarca con un rango altitudinal entre
los 1728 y 3000 m.s.n.m. y descipción de la especie Buenoa cucunubensis n. sp., además clave para determinar especies y algunos datos ecológicos.Four species of genus Buenoa are recorded from Cundinamarca province in Colombia, Buenos cucunubensis nov. spec. is
described. Also included are key to males, data on distribution and ecological information.

Poor representation of Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans in medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, José E; Campbell, Kendall M; Adelson, Wendi J

2015-04-01

In this article, the authors discuss how various systems in medicine are limiting representation of blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans. Flat and decreasing percentages of Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine (URMM), especially in the black and Native American populations, is concerning for family medicine since members from URMM groups care for minority and underserved populations in greater numbers. Underrepresentation is not only noted in the medical community but also in our medical schools when it comes to numbers of URMM faculty. The changing definition of "disadvantaged" in medical school admissions has also played a part in limiting URMM representation. In addition, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) excludes black, Latino, and Native American students in greater numbers. The authors support these arguments with evidence from the medical literature. Although unintentional, these systems effectively limit representation of blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans in medicine. Effective changes are suggested and can be implemented to ensure that URMM individuals have equal representation in careers in medicine.

The Bioload and Aflatoxin Content of Herbal Medicines from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: There is increased reliance on traditional herbal medicines by several millions of people worldwide, especially in West Africa and Nigeria in particular. This is due to escalating cost of good quality drugs and consequent proliferation of faked cheaper drugs. However, non standardization of production and ...

Innovative Approaches to Increase Access to Medicines in Developing Countries

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Hilde Stevens

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Access to essential medicines is problematic for one third of all persons worldwide. The price of many medicines (i.e., drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics is unaffordable to the majority of the population in need, especially in least-developed countries, but also increasingly in middle-income countries. Several innovative approaches, based on partnerships, intellectual property, and pricing, are used to stimulate innovation, promote healthcare delivery, and reduce global health disparities. No single approach suffices, and therefore stakeholders need to further engage in partnerships promoting knowledge and technology transfer in assuring essential medicines to be manufactured, authorized, and distributed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs in an effort of making them available at affordable and acceptable conditions.

[Advances in the application of smart phones in modern medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Hu, Jie; Li, Fei; Wei, Huilin; Li, Ying; Lu, Tianjian; Wang, Shuqi; Xu, Feng

2014-02-01

Since smart phones have been developed, significant advances in the function of mobile phone due to the development of software, hardware and accessories have been reached. Till now, smart phones have been engaged in daily life with an increasing impact. As a new medical model, mobile phone medicine is emerging and has found wide spread applications in medicine, especially in diagnosing, monitoring and screening various diseases. In addition, mo bile phone medical application shows great potential trend to improve healthcare in resource-limited regions due to its advantageous features of portability and information communication capability. Nowadays, the scientific and technological issues related to mobile phone medicine have attracted worldwide attention. In this review, we summarize state-of-the-art advances of mobile phone medicine with focus on its diagnostics applications in order to expand the fields of their applications and promote healthcare informatization.

Medicinal plants in Brazil: Pharmacological studies, drug discovery, challenges and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Rafael C; Campos, Maria M; Santos, Adair R S; Calixto, João B

2016-10-01

This review article focuses on pre-clinical and clinical studies with some selected Brazilian medicinal plants in different areas of interest, conducted by research groups in Brazil and abroad. It also highlights the Brazilian market of herbal products and the efforts of Brazilian scientists to develop new phytomedicines. This review is divided into three sections. The section I describes the Brazilian large biodiversity and some attempts of Brazilian scientists to assess the pharmacological profile of most plant extracts or isolated active principles. Of note, Brazilian scientists have made a great effort to study the Brazilian biodiversity, especially among the higher plants. In fact, more than 10,000 papers were published on plants in international scientific journals between 2011 and 2013. This first part also discussed the main efforts to develop new medicines from plants, highlighting the Brazilian phytomedicines market. Despite the large Brazilian biodiversity, notably with the higher plants, which comprise over 45,000 species (20-22% of the total worldwide), and the substantial number of scientific publications on medicinal plants, only one phytomedicine is found in the top 20 market products. Indeed, this market is still only worth about 261 million American dollars. This represents less than 5% of the global Brazilian medicine market. The section II of this review focus on the use of Brazilian plant extract and/or active principles for some selected diseases, namely: central nervous systems disorders, pain, immune response and inflammation, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal tract and metabolic diseases. Finally, section III discusses in more details some selected Brazilian medicinal plants including: Cordia verbenacea, Euphorbia tirucalli, Mandevilla velutina, Phyllanthus spp., Euterpe oleracea, Vitis labrusca, Hypericum caprifoliatum and Hypericum polyanthemum, Maytenus ilicifolia, Protium kleinii and Protium heptaphylium and Trichilia catigua. Most

Practice of nuclear medicine in a developing country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, M.M.; Karim, M.A.; Nahar, N.; Haque, M.M.

2002-01-01

For more than a half a century nuclear medicine is contributing in the field of medicine. Still nuclear medicine is not widely available in many countries. Especially in developing countries due to many a reasons nuclear medicine could not flourish in that way. Availability of radioisotope, high cost of instrument and sophistication of the branch are the three main reasons behind. Even the countries where nuclear medicine is functioning for quite a long time, the facilities for proper function are still not adequate. Training of manpower, maintenance of instruments, regular supply of isotopes and kit and cost effectiveness are some of the major problems. We have seen some fast developments in nuclear medicine in last few decades. Development of gamma detecting systems with SPECT, positron emission detector (PET), supported computer technology and introduction of some newer radiopharmaceuticals for functional studies are few of the examples. The developing countries also have a problem to go on parallel with these rapid development of nuclear medicine in other part of the world. In last few decades we have also witnessed development of CT, MRI, Ultrasound and other imaging modalities as our competitor. Specially for developing countries these have posed as a major challenge for nuclear medicine. A better understanding between developed and developing nations is the key point of todays ultimate success in any sector. For real development of nuclear medicine and to give the majority of the people the benefit of nuclear medicine a better and more active co-operation is needed between all the countries. The paper presents the difficulties and some practical problems of practicing nuclear medicine in a developing country. And also appeals for global co-operation to solve the problems for better interest of the subject

Personalized medicine and ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Josko, Deborah

2014-01-01

An entire series could be dedicated to the topic of ethics in personalized medicine. Due to the advancements in NGS and genetic testing, personalized medicine is no longer something that will occur in the future, the reality is upon us now. Sequencing an individual's genome can have a substantial impact on the patient's treatment and overall quality of life. However, this can open "Pandora's box" especially if an individual does not want to know the information obtained. In addition, will insurance companies require genetic testing in order to pay for a targeted treatment? If the patient refuses to have the genetic testing, will they have to pay for their treatment out of pocket? In the human interest story presented, the researcher and his team discovered over activity of the FTL3 protein through RNA sequencing which resulted in rapid proliferation of his leukemic cells. He identified a drug marketed for advanced kidney cancer which was a FTL3 inhibitor. However, his insurance company refused to pay for the drug because it was not a known treatment for his condition of ALL. He incurred numerous out of pocket expenses in order to go into remission. Was it unethical for the insurance company to not pay for a treatment that ultimately worked but was not marketed or FDA cleared for his type of leukemia? There are so many questions and concerns when personalized medicine is implemented. Only time will tell the effects next generation sequencing and its role in personalized medicine will have in the future.

Metabolomics in transfusion medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemkov, Travis; Hansen, Kirk C; Dumont, Larry J; D'Alessandro, Angelo

2016-04-01

Biochemical investigations on the regulatory mechanisms of red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) metabolism have fostered a century of advances in the field of transfusion medicine. Owing to these advances, storage of RBCs and PLT concentrates has become a lifesaving practice in clinical and military settings. There, however, remains room for improvement, especially with regard to the introduction of novel storage and/or rejuvenation solutions, alternative cell processing strategies (e.g., pathogen inactivation technologies), and quality testing (e.g., evaluation of novel containers with alternative plasticizers). Recent advancements in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and systems biology, the bioinformatics integration of omics data, promise to speed up the design and testing of innovative storage strategies developed to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of blood products. Here we review the currently available metabolomics technologies and briefly describe the routine workflow for transfusion medicine-relevant studies. The goal is to provide transfusion medicine experts with adequate tools to navigate through the otherwise overwhelming amount of metabolomics data burgeoning in the field during the past few years. Descriptive metabolomics data have represented the first step omics researchers have taken into the field of transfusion medicine. However, to up the ante, clinical and omics experts will need to merge their expertise to investigate correlative and mechanistic relationships among metabolic variables and transfusion-relevant variables, such as 24-hour in vivo recovery for transfused RBCs. Integration with systems biology models will potentially allow for in silico prediction of metabolic phenotypes, thus streamlining the design and testing of alternative storage strategies and/or solutions. © 2015 AABB.

Recovery of gastrointestinal swine parasites in anaerobic biodigester systems Recuperação de parasitas gastrintestinais de suínos em biodigestores anaeróbicos

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William Alberto Cañon-Franco

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Solid and liquid wastes from livestock operations represent important challenges for animal production regarding their impact in the environment and public health. Parasitological tests performed on 80 samples of affluent and effluent waters from three anaerobic biodigestors with flexible structure from swine farms of Caldas - Colombia, showed the presence of Isospora suis (45%, Eimeria suis (42.5%, E. espinosa (35%, Strongyloides ransomi (28.8%, E. perminuta (12.5%, E. cerdonis (3.8%, and E. porci (2.5%. The additional finding of eggs of Taenia spp. in 10% of the samples was probably caused by a connection between the human sewage system and the biodigester. Although we observed a mean decrease of 65.6% of parasites, these levels were insufficient to meet the minimum requirement set by Engelberg's guidelines regarding water quality. This study demonstrates the serious environmental impact that an inadequately treated animal wastewater represents, and has important implications for water resources and human health.Resíduos sólidos e líquidos oriundos da suinocultura representam desafios importantes para a produção animal no que diz respeito ao impacto do meio ambiente e em saúde pública. Testes parasitológicos foram realizados em 80 amostras de águas afluentes e efluentes de três biodigestores anaeróbicos com estrutura flexível em granjas de Caldas - Colômbia, demonstrando a presença de Isospora suis (45%, Eimeria suis (42,5%, E. espinosa (35%, Strongyloides ransomi (28,8%, E. perminuta (12,5%, E. cerdonis (3,8% e E. porci (2,5%. A constatação adicional de ovos de Taenia spp. em 10% das amostras foi provavelmente causada pela conexão entre o sistema de esgoto humano e o biodigestor. Embora fosse observada uma diminuição média de 65,6% dos parasitas, estes níveis são insuficientes para atender ao requisito mínimo estabelecido pelas diretrizes Engelberg em relação à qualidade da água. Este estudo demonstra o grave

Platelet rich plasma in dermatology and aesthetic medicine

OpenAIRE

Neerja Puri

2015-01-01

Platelet rich plasma is a promising therapy in dermatology and aesthetic medicine. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and the usage of PRP in aesthetics. PRP is especially used for conditions like facial and neck rejuvenation, fine lines and wrinkles, abdominal striae and facial scarring.

Introduction to mathematical and informatics methods in Nuclear Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.; Monot, C.; Legras, B.

1975-01-01

Mathematical and statistical methods are widely used in nuclear medicine because of the abundance and precision of the data obtained during morphological and dynamic explorations, and the number and complexity of the calculations involved has led to the use of informatics. Very elaborate techniques may be employed with the help of the computer. In spite of its cost it is closely associated with exploration techniques, especially in conjunction with the scintillation camera. To keep the machine in full-time use and ensure its profitability it is employed in other capacities, for an service management in particular. Each subject is dealt with from its fundamental aspect: nuclear medicine and biomathematics, statistics, informatics; compartment models in nuclear medicine (interpretation of dynamic examinations); quantitive image processing; special computer services (connections with apparatus, service and records management problems) [fr

Platelet rich plasma in dermatology and aesthetic medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neerja Puri

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Platelet rich plasma is a promising therapy in dermatology and aesthetic medicine. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of platelet rich plasma (PRP and the usage of PRP in aesthetics. PRP is especially used for conditions like facial and neck rejuvenation, fine lines and wrinkles, abdominal striae and facial scarring.

"Orobanche ballotae" A. Pujadas ("Oronbanchaceae"), especie nueva

OpenAIRE

Pujadas Salvá, Antonio J.

1997-01-01

Orobanche ballotae A. Pujadas (Orobanchaceae), especie. Se describe para el S de la Península Ibérica una especie nueva del género Orobanche L., de la sección Orobanche, Grex Minores G. Beck. Se destacan sus caracteres morfológicos que permiten diferenciarlo claramente de O. minor Sm., especie con la que presenta ciertas semejanzas.

Lifestyle Medicine: A Crucial Strategy for Optimal Health and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The quality of life of most people in such countries especially among those who live longer than the average life expectancy is poor. The aging process in most people in such countries is associated with many preventable chronic medical problems. Lifestyle medicine offers the evidenced based interventions that will enable ...

Pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions about herbal medicines: A case study of Jos and environs

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Nanloh S Jimam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Due to increased health consciousness among the public, the use of herbal products are on the increase on a daily basis. To achieve optimal benefits, there is a need for pharmacists who are the custodians of knowledge on drugs and drugs-related products to have more understanding and interest in herbal medicine for effective counseling on the products. The purpose of this study was to assess Pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions regarding herbal medicine use. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were administered to 200 pharmacists working within the study areas to fill; after which the collected data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS software programmer, version 20. Results: Only 88.5% of the respondents responded on the questionnaires, and their mean age was 34 years; median year of experience in practice was 8.2 years; and their areas of practice included hospital (56.1%, community (28.1%, academic (8.47%, and industries (4.52%. More than half (76.27% of them believed that herbal products were more efficacious and safer (61.02% than orthodox medicines; with almost all of them (94.92% acknowledging the beneficial effects of incorporating herbal medicines into orthodox medicine practice. However, most of them (72.88% confessed having little knowledge on herbal remedies, especially drug-herbs interactions (81.36%, and their main source of information on herbs was from school (56.50%. Conclusions: The result showed poor level of pharmacists' knowledge on herbal medicine; which might result in poor patients' counseling on herbal therapy, especially regarding their safety and potential interaction with orthodox medicine.

Personalised Medicine and the Economy of Biotechnological Promise.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturdy, Steve

2017-04-01

Rather than seek to distinguish hype from legitimate promise, it may be more helpful to think about personalised medicine as embodying a promissory economy which serves both to mobilize resources for research and - partly at least - to determine the ends to which that research is directed. Personalised medicine is a development of the larger promissory economy of medical biotechnology. As such, it systematically conflates public benefit with the pursuit of commercial and especially pharmaceutical interests. Consequently, research and development in personalised medicine tends to favour the production of expensive new treatments over unprofitable forms of prevention or more effective use of older therapies. A rebalancing of research priorities is needed to favour the pursuit of public benefit, even when it does not deliver private profits. This will in turn require sustained reflection, self-criticism and often self-denial on the part of public research funders and the scientists they support.

The Current Status and Future Perspectives of Nuclear Medicine in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Myung Chul; Oh, So Won; Chung, June Key; Lee, Dong Soo

2010-01-01

Since the introduction of nuclear medicine in 1959, Korea accomplished a brilliant development in terms of both clinical practice and research activities, which was mainly due to the dedication of nuclear medicine specialists, consisting of physicians, technicians, and scientists, and strong support from the Korean Government. Now, Korea has 150 medical institutes, performing approximately 561,000 nuclear imaging procedures and 11.6 million in vitro studies in 2008, and ranked fourth in the number of presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) in 2008. The successful progress in this field has allowed Korea to focus on the international promotion of nuclear medicine, especially in the developing and underdeveloped countries. In consequence, the Asian Regional Cooperative Council for Nuclear Medicine (ARCCNM) was established in 2001, and Seoul hosted the 9th Congress of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB) in 2006. In the future, Korea will strive to sustain its rate of advancement in the field and make every effort to share its progress and promote the exchange of scientific information at the international level.

Herbal Remedies for Functional Dyspepsia and Traditional Iranian Medicine Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Babaeian, Mahmoud; Naseri, Mohsen; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Ghaffari, Farzaneh; Emadi, Fatemeh; Feizi, Awat; Hosseini Yekta, Nafiseh; Adibi, Peyman

2015-01-01

Context: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a functional gastro-intestinal disorder with high prevalence. Among various treatment options, treatment by complementary and alternative medicines especially herbal remedies also practiced. Traditional Iranian medicine (TIM), a valuable resource of valid applied studies of ancient Iranian scholars, recommends numerous medicinal plants to treat dyspepsia symptoms. In this study, through investigation of TIM references, we aimed to identify medicinal plants for treatment of digestion insufficiency. Evidence Acquisition: In this qualitative study, dyspepsia symptoms including fullness, early satiety, bloating, nausea, and belching were checked under reliable sources of traditional medicine. Then medicinal plants recommended for the treatment of the symptoms were extracted from the books. Likewise, for investigating the pharmacological properties of medicinal plants used for the relieving of dyspepsia symptoms, electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and some Iranian databases like SID and IranMedex were employed. Results: The study yielded 105 plants from 37 families which could treat various dyspepsia symptoms; fifty-seven plants, mainly from Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Zingiberaceae had digestive effects. In this research, based on the information in TIM reference texts, we obtained 58 plants effective for bloating, 40 for nausea, 37 for appetite loss and 7 for belching. In human clinical trials conducted on medicinal plants effective for FD symptoms, 7 single plants were used. Conclusions: Finding the medicinal plants effective on digestion insufficiency based on TIM could suggest a better strategy for the relieving of dyspepsia symptoms. Traditional Iranian medicine prescribes medicinal plants based on each patient’s personal characteristics and practices multiple target therapies. PMID:26734483

Potential Medicinal Application and Toxicity Evaluation of Extracts from Bamboo Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Panee, Jun

2015-06-01

Bamboo plants play a significant role in traditional Asian medicine, especially in China and Japan. Biomedical investigations on the health-benefiting effects as well as toxicity of different parts and species of bamboo have been carried out worldwide since the 1960s, and documented a wide range of protective effects of bamboo-derived products, such as protection against oxidative stress, inflammation, lipotoxicity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Some of these products may interfere with male and female reproductive function, thyroid hormone metabolism, and hepatic xenobiotransformation enzymes. The diversity of bamboo species, parts of the plants available for medicinal use, and different extraction methods suggest that bamboo has great potential for producing a range of extracts with functional utility in medicine.

Drug quality in South Africa: perceptions of key players involved in medicines distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Aarti; Norris, Pauline; Gauld, Robin; Rades, Thomas

2009-01-01

Substandard medicines contribute to poor public health and affect development, especially in the developing world. However knowledge of how manufacturers, distributors and providers understand the concept of drug quality and what strategies they adopt to ensure drug quality is limited, particularly in the developing world. The purpose of this paper is to explore pharmaceutical manufacturers', distributors' and providers' perceptions of drug quality in South Africa and how they ensure the quality of drugs during the distribution process. The approach taken was qualitative data collection through key informant interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts were analysed thematically in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, South Africa. Participants were recruited purposefully from a South African pharmaceutical manufacturer, SA subsidiaries of international manufacturers, national distribution companies, national wholesaler, public and private sector pharmacists, and a dispensing doctor. In total, ten interviews were conducted. Participants described drug quality in terms of the product and the processes involved in manufacturing and handling the product. Participants identified purchasing registered medicines from licensed suppliers, use of standard operating procedures, and audits between manufacturer and distributor and/or provider as key strategies employed to protect medicine quality. Effective communication amongst all stakeholders, especially in terms of providing feedback regarding complaints about medicine quality, appears as a potential area of concern, which would benefit from further research. The paper hightlights that ensuring medicine quality should be a shared responsibility amongst all involved in the distribution process to prevent medicines moving from one distribution system (public) into another (private).

[Developing traditional Chinese medicine injection is the need for curing sickness to save patients].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ping; Li, Feng-Jie; Li, Lian-da; Li, Yi-Kui

2017-03-01

Safety issues of traditional Chinese medicine injections has been heated debate. There are two diametrically opposed views: it should be used reasonable and developed healthily or be forbidden to use. Some people have many misunderstandings and prejudices about the safety of traditional Chinese medicine injections. Compared with western medicine,traditional Chinese medicine has its own particularity. Traditional Chinese medicine has complex components. Its research and clinical application is different from western medicine. Adverse reactions of traditional Chinese medicine injections are related to many factors,such as a large number of irrational use,blind use of traditional Chinese medicine injections and western medicine injections,counterfeit and substandard drugs,incorrect methods of intravenous infusion,toxicity of supplementary materials,drug ingredients. Developing traditional Chinese medicine injection is the need for curing sickness to save patients. The purposeful, targeted, organized and planned systematic research of traditional Chinese medicine injections should be strengthened,especially the safety of traditional Chinese medicine. Strengthen supervision and control of rational drug use.Strengthen the examination and approval,supervision and management of all aspects to ensure the safety of patients. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Nuclear techniques in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basson, J.K.

1984-01-01

The use of nuclear techniques in medicine has, also in South Africa, increased enormously, especially as regards diagnosis and reseach. In 1983 in vivo tests with radioisotopes were carried out and also in vitro tests, mainly by radioimmunoassay. Therapy with open and sealed radioactive sources was concentrated mainly on cancer treatments. In 1983 NUCOR supported 83 research projects in the life sciences. Imaging of organs or tissues in the body with nuclear techniques has developed into the most important application of nuclear medicine, with the development of even more specific labelled compounds as the main objective. Radioimmunoassay is at an exciting watershed, now that labelled monoclonal antibodies with high specificity for early diagnosis (also in cancer) and even localised radiotherapy have become available. The establishment of the 200 MeV open-sector cyclotron by the National Accelerator Centre also for medical purposes will, in addition to the large-scale production of the protonrich isotopes, also make a substantial contribution to radiotherapy with nuclear particles such as neutrons, protons and helium-3

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...

From evidence based medicine to mechanism based medicine. Reviewing the role of pharmacogenetics.

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Wilffert, Bob; Swen, Jesse; Mulder, Hans; Touw, Daan; Maitland-Van der Zee, Anke-Hilse; Deneer, Vera

2013-06-01

The translation of evidence based medicine to a specific patient presents a considerable challenge. We present by means of the examples nortriptyline, tramadol, clopidogrel, coumarins, abacavir and antipsychotics the discrepancy between available pharmacogenetic information and its implementation in daily clinical practice. Literature review. A mechanism based approach may be helpful to personalize medicine for the individual patient to which pharmacogenetics may contribute significantly. The lack of consistency in what we accept in bioequivalence and in pharmacogenetics of drug metabolising enzymes is discussed and illustrated with the example of nortriptyline. The impact of pharmacogenetics on examples like tramadol, clopidogrel, coumarins and abacavir is described. Also the present status of the polymorphisms of 5-HT2A and C receptors in antipsychotic-induced weight gain is presented as a pharmacodynamic example with until now a greater distance to clinical implementation. The contribution of pharmacogenetics to tailor-made pharmacotherapy, which especially might be of value for patients deviating from the average, has not yet reached the position it seems to deserve.

Pseudocrepidobothrium eirasi, (Rego e de Chambrier, 1995 gen. n., comb. nov. (Cestoda, Proteocephalidea, parasita de um peixe de água doce da América do Sul, e análise cladística comparativa com Crepidobothriu Pseudocrepidobothrium eirasi (Rego and de Chambrier, 1995 gen. n. and comb. nov. (Cestoda, Proteocephalidea, parasite of a South American freshwater fish, and comparative cladistic analysis with Crepidobothrium spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amilcar Arandas Rego

2001-05-01

Full Text Available Foi revisada a morfologia de Crepidobothrium eirasi Rego and Chambrier, 1995, e feita uma análise cladística das seis espécies de Crepidobothrium Monticelli, 1900 [ viz. C. eirasi, C. gerrardi (Baird, 1860, C. viperis (Beddard, 1913, C. dollfusi Freze, 1965, C. garzoni de Chambrier, 1988 e C.lachesidis (MacCallum, 1921], utilizando-se 23 caracteres e um grupo externo. Obtiveram-se duas árvores com parcimônia e 0,76 de indice de consistência. Ambas as árvores coincidem na posição de C. eirasi, o que sugere que Crepidobothrium é monofilético apenas quando C. eirasi é excluído do gênero. O novo gênero Pseudocrepidobothrium é proposto para alojar C. eirasi, e assim a monofilia de Crepidobothrium pode ser mantida. Pseudocrepidobothrium eirasi comb. n. é a única espécie parasita de peixe que possui ventosas sulcadas, enquanto todas as espécies de Crepidobothrium são parasitas de répteis da América do SulThe morphology of Crepidobothrium eirasi Rego and de Chambrier, 1995 was revised and a cladistic analysis was performed on the six known species of Crepidobothrium Monticelli, 1900, namely, C. eirasi, C. Gerrardi (Baird, 1860, C. Viperis (Beddard, 1913, C. Dollfusi Freze, 1965, C. Garzoni de Chambrier, 1988 and C. Lachesidis (MacCallum, 1921, using 23 characters and one outgroup. This analysis yielded two parsimonious trees with 0.76 consistency index. Both trees concur in the position of C. Eirasi, and suggest that Crepidobothrium is monophyletic only when C. eirasi is excluded from the genus. The new genus Pseudocrepidobothrium has been built to allocate C. Eirasi, so that the monophyly of Crepidobothrium may be maintained. Pseudocrepidobothrium eirasi n. comb. is the only species from a fish with notched suckers, while all Crepidobothrium spp. are parasites of South American reptiles

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...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Una nueva especie de Burmeistera (Campanulaceae de Colombia

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Lozano C. Gustavo

1986-12-01

Full Text Available Esta nueva especie se puede separar fácilmente de las demás especies del género Burmeistera por tener sus hojas profunda y repetidamente pinnatisectas característica nunca antes registrada en este grupo de plantas. Aparte de la especie aquí descrita, la única especie de Burmeistera que presenta la lámina foliar pinnatisecta (laciniada, es B. pteridioides,  Mc Vaugh, descrita de la Cordillera Oriental en Colombia (Mc VAUGH, 1965; sin embargo, las hojas de B. pteridioides tienen divisiones sólo de primer orden (simplemente pinnatisectas, mientras que las hojas de B. multipinnatisecta tienen divisiones hasta de quinto orden (pentapinnatisectas. Aún dentro de la familia Campanulaceae, el presentar la lámina foliar pinnatisecta es una característica  de escasa ocurrencia; en lo que respecta a las especies americanas, este carácter se presenta en las especies ya  mencionadas, B. multipinnatisecta  y B. pteridiodes y en Centropogon dissectus Wimm., una especie endémica del Ecuador (JEPPESEN, 1981.

OXFORD HANDBOOK OF SPORT AND EXERCISE MEDICINE

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Domhnall MacAuley

2007-03-01

Full Text Available DESCRIPTION This flexicover handbook presents a user-friendly overview into the evolving discipline of sports medicine. The growing scientific and research base is summarised and essential views on treatment, preventive strategies, and optimal exercise recommendation are discussed briefly in the relevant chapters. This book has been designed for everyday use for the practitioners working in this medical field. It also has blank pages for the readers' own updates. PURPOSE This guide book aims to display the common problems and diagnoses in sports and exercise medicine and to concentrate on the up-to-date approaches, management plans, and evidence-based procedures of treatment at the same time. AUDIENCE As a comprehensive basic text this guide book could be useful for lecturers, teachers, practitioners and students of exercise and sports medicine as well as GPs, nurses and others who are especially interested in this field. FEATURES This handbook is partitioned into 24 chapters focusing on the needs of the patient and offering an immediate guide to all aspects of diagnosis and treatment, epidemiology, exercise benefits and physiological issues. The chapters are: 1. Immediate care, 2. Sports injury, 3. Benefits of exercise, 4. Physiothrepy and rehabilitation, 5. Hip and pelvis, 6. Knee, 7. Ankle and lower leg, 8. Foot, 9. Shoulder, 10. Elbow and forearm, 11. Wrist and hand, 12. Head and face, 13. Spine, 14. Cardiorespiratory, 15. Abdomen, 16. Infectious disease, 17. Arthritis, 18. Dermatology, 19. Disability, 20. Physiology, 21. Metabolic, 22. Women, 23. Aids to performance, 24. The team physician. ASSESSMENT This is a must-have handbook for all medics practising in sports and exercise medicine, as well as anyone who has a special interest in this area, especially GPs, nurses, physiotherapists; even coaches, trainers, biomechanical experts. I believe they will enjoy making use of this guide book as it is right to the point, easy to read and

Determination of elements in ayurvedic medicinal plants by AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teerthe, Santoshkumar S.; Kerur, B. R.

2015-01-01

India has a rich country for the uses of Ayurvedic medicinal plants for treatment and also the north- Karnataka boasts an unparallel diversity of medicinal plants. The present study attempts to estimate and compare the level of trace and heavy metals in some selected leaves and root samples of Ayurvedic medicinal plants such as Mg, Al, K, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd. The samples are collected from different places of North-Karnataka regions and sample solutions prepared as the ratio of 1:25:25+950ml=1000ppm.the trace and heavy elemental concentration was estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) Method. The average concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn, are ranging from 2ppm to 5250.2ppm and potassium (K) has more concentration as compare to all other. The other elements likes Al, Cr, Cu, and Cd were also estimed and presented in the table. Therefore, these medicinal plants are rich in some essential minerals, especially K, Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn which are essential for human health

Determination of elements in ayurvedic medicinal plants by AAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teerthe, Santoshkumar S.; Kerur, B. R., E-mail: kerurbrk@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, and Karnataka, India – 585106 (India)

2015-08-28

India has a rich country for the uses of Ayurvedic medicinal plants for treatment and also the north- Karnataka boasts an unparallel diversity of medicinal plants. The present study attempts to estimate and compare the level of trace and heavy metals in some selected leaves and root samples of Ayurvedic medicinal plants such as Mg, Al, K, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd. The samples are collected from different places of North-Karnataka regions and sample solutions prepared as the ratio of 1:25:25+950ml=1000ppm.the trace and heavy elemental concentration was estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) Method. The average concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn, are ranging from 2ppm to 5250.2ppm and potassium (K) has more concentration as compare to all other. The other elements likes Al, Cr, Cu, and Cd were also estimed and presented in the table. Therefore, these medicinal plants are rich in some essential minerals, especially K, Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn which are essential for human health.

Technical Developments and Clinical Use of Telemedicine in Sleep Medicine

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Marie Bruyneel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The use of assistive technology and telemedicine is likely to continue to shape our medical practice in the future, notably in the field of sleep medicine, especially within developed countries. Currently, the number of people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS is increasing. Telemedicine (TM can be used in a variety of ways in sleep medicine: telediagnostics, teleconsultation, teletherapy and telemonitoring of patients being treated with positive pressure devices. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent scientific progresses of these techniques and their potential clinical applications and give consideration to the remaining problems related to TM application.

Especially for Teens: You and Your Sexuality

Science.gov (United States)

... QUESTIONS FAQ042 ESPECIALLY FOR TEENS You and Your Sexuality (Especially for Teens) • What happens during puberty? • What ... feelings expressed? There are many ways to express sexuality. Sexual intercourse is one way. Others include masturbation , ...

Are essential medicines in Malaysia accessible, affordable and available?

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Kamaruzaman; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M

2005-12-01

To assess the pharmaceutical sector to know whether people have access to essential medicines. The study was conducted in 20 public health clinics, five public district drug stores and 20 private retail pharmacies selected randomly in five different areas randomly selected (four states and a federal territory). The methodology used was adopted from the World Health Organization study protocol. The degree of attainment of the strategic pharmaceutical objectives of improved access is measured by a list of tested indicators. Access is measured in terms of the availability and affordability of essential medicines, especially to the poor and in the public sector. The first survey in the public health clinics and public district drug stores gathered information about current availability of essential medicines, prevalence of stock-outs and affordability of treatment (except drug stores). The second survey assessed affordability of treatment in public health clinics and private retail pharmacies. Availability, stock-out duration, percent of medicines dispensed, accessibility and affordability of key medicines. The average availability of key medicines in the public health clinics for the country was 95.4%. The average stock-out duration of key medicines was 6.5 days. However, average availability of key medicines in the public district drug stores was 89.2%; with an average stock-out duration of 32.4 days. Medicines prescribed were 100% dispensed to the patients. Average affordability for public health clinics was 1.5 weeks salary and for the private pharmacies, 3.7 weeks salary. The present pharmaceutical situation in the context of essential medicines list implementation reflected that the majority of the population in Malaysia had access to affordable essential medicines. If medicines need to be obtained from the private sector, they are hardly affordable. Although the average availability of essential medicines in Malaysia was high being more than 95.0%, in certain

Potential genotoxicity of traditional chinese medicinal plants and phytochemicals: an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jue; Ouedraogo, Moustapha; Qu, Fan; Duez, Pierre

2013-12-01

In the last decades, cases of poisoning due to herbal medicines have occurred in many countries; Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are occasionally involved. The experience gained from traditional use is efficient to detect immediate or near-immediate relationship between administration and toxic effects but is quite unlikely to detect medium- to long-term toxicities; thorough investigations of herbal medicines (toxicity assessments, active pharmacovigilance) appear then essential for their safe use. Genotoxicity is an especially insidious toxicity that may result in carcinoma development years after exposure; it can arise from multiple compounds, with or without metabolic activation. The present work reviews traditional CHMs and phytochemicals that have been shown to present a genotoxic hazard. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

21st century natural product research and drug development and traditional medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Linh T; Okogun, Joseph I; Folk, William R

2013-04-01

Natural products and related structures are essential sources of new pharmaceuticals, because of the immense variety of functionally relevant secondary metabolites of microbial and plant species. Furthermore, the development of powerful analytical tools based upon genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics and other 21st century technologies are greatly expediting identification and characterization of these natural products. Here we discuss the synergistic and reciprocal benefits of linking these 'omics technologies with robust ethnobotanical and ethnomedical studies of traditional medicines, to provide critically needed improved medicines and treatments that are inexpensive, accessible, safe and reliable. However, careless application of modern technologies can challenge traditional knowledge and biodiversity that are the foundation of traditional medicines. To address such challenges while fulfilling the need for improved (and new) medicines, we encourage the development of Regional Centres of 'omics Technologies functionally linked with Regional Centres of Genetic Resources, especially in regions of the world where use of traditional medicines is prevalent and essential for health.

[German medicine of the age of romanticism (1797-1848) as research problem].

Science.gov (United States)

Płonka-Syroka, B

1997-01-01

In the period between 1797 and 1848, German medicine was considerably influenced by philosophy. It absorbed ideas deriving from neo-Platonism and vitalism, as well as the modern philosophy of nature (Naturphilosophie), especially the ideas of Schelling. The article presents the main tendencies in the German medicine of that period: the distinct character of German medical thought as compared to the rest of Europe, the deductive character of medical theories, the grounding of medical thought in non-materialist philosophy and its close ties with the Protestant religion. The author's aim is investigate how German medicine of the period evolved away from European standards set by the model of medicine as an empirical science, based on the inductive method of research. The article presents the state of German medicine of the first half of the nineteenth century against the background of socio-cultural factors and relates German medical theory of the period to the social awareness of that time.

History of “health risk” and its place in the development of preventive medicine

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Е.Е. Shigan

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The main stages of the introduction and development of preventive medicine and the term HEALTH RISK are described. The “risk” definition is related to the works by Max Fasmer and Frank Knight. The development of preventive medicine was also influenced by the works of scientists and physicians of the ancient world and the Middle Ages. Particular attention is paid to the appearance, formation and development of the medical school of Salerno, and the impact of its work and the activities of scientists and teachers on further development of prevention and treatment. The relationship of these two concepts and their history is shown. The author dwells on the prevention development in Russia, paying particular attention to domestic researchers, especially after the victory of the Great October Revolution. Works by N.A. Semashko, Z.P. Soloviev, G.V. Khlopin, A.N. Sysin and F.G. Krotkov played a huge role in the development of preventive medicine in Russia and in the world. The article also represents the prevention medicine development facts in the post-war years – the creation of large schools of medicine, aimed at the prevention of diseases and epidemiological studies of the risk incurred. The article also pays attention to the foundation of International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, some areas of its work, especially in relation to research on the health risks. The itegration at mathematical modeling and forecasting with medicine in general and health in particular, as well as the study of the health concepts of risks at individual nosological examples are written.

Alternative medicine and anesthesia: Implications and considerations in daily practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajwa, Sukhminder Jit Singh; Panda, Aparajita

2012-10-01

Nowadays, herbal medicines are widely used by most of the people, including the pre-surgical population. These medicines may pose numerous challenges during perioperative care. The objective of the current literature review is to dwell upon the impact of the use of herbal medicines during the perioperative period, and to review the strategies for managing their perioperative use. The data was generated from various articles of different journals, text books, web source, including, Entrez Pubmed, Medscape, WebMD, and so on. Selected only those herbal medicines for which information on, safety, usage, and precautions during the perioperative period was available. Thereafter, the information about safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics from selected literature was gathered and analyzed. The whole review focused on the fact that these commonly used alternative medicines could sometimes pose as a concern during the perioperative period, in various ways. These complications could be due to their direct action, pharmacodynamic effect, or pharmacokinetic effect. In view of the serious impacts of herbal medicine usage in perioperative care, the anesthesiologist should take a detailed history, especially stressing on the use of herbal medicine during the preoperative anesthetic assessment. The anesthesiologist should also be aware of the potential perioperative effects of those drugs. Accordingly, steps should to be taken to prevent, recognize, and treat the complications that may arise due to their use or discontinuation.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by pediatric patients with functional and organic gastrointestinal diseases: results from a multicenter survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlieger, Arine M.; Blink, Marjolein; Tromp, Ellen; Benninga, Marc A.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Many pediatric patients use complementary and alternative medicine, especially when facing a chronic illness for which treatment options are limited. So far, research on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with functional gastrointestinal disease has been

Chinese Herbal Medicine on Cardiovascular Diseases and the Mechanisms of Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cuiqing; Huang, Yu

2016-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the principal cause of death worldwide. The potentially serious adverse effects of therapeutic drugs lead to growing awareness of the role of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used in many countries especially in China from antiquity; however, the mechanisms by which herbal medicine acts in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases are far from clear. In this review, we briefly describe the characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine by comparing with western medicine. Then we summarize the formulae and herbs/natural products applied in the clinic and animal studies being sorted according to the specific cardiovascular diseases. Most importantly, we elaborate the existing investigations into mechanisms by which herbal compounds act at the cellular levels, including vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes and immune cells. Future research should focus on well-designed clinic trial, in-depth mechanic study, investigations on side effects of herbs and drug interactions. Studies on developing new agents with effectiveness and safety from traditional Chinese medicine is a promising way for prevention and treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Community medicine teaching and evaluation: scope of betterment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopalakrishnan, S; Kumar, P Ganesh

2015-01-01

There have been rapid and extensive changes in the way assessment is conducted in medical education. Assessment brings about standardization of the manner in which the syllabus is to be implemented and also gives guidelines regarding the teaching pattern, especially when the student is going to rotate through various departments in a medical college. Community Medicine is an important branch of medicine concerned with the health of populations. Existing forms of assessment of community medicine education mainly consists of internal [formative] assessment and final (summative) examination. Advantages of the present system is the similarity of the methods used for internal assessments and final examinations and is relatively easily done since only the knowledge application and recall ability of the student in theory and practical are assessed. Disadvantages in the current evaluation system are neglecting the assessment of psychomotor, affective and communication skills. Evaluation systems can be improved by implementing techniques to assess psychomotor skills, presentation and communication skills, organizational skills and the student's ability to work in a team. Regular feedback from students should be taken periodically for the betterment of Community Medicine education. This article is meant to sensitise the academic experts in medical education to plan better need based methods of assessment in the subject of Community Medicine, in relation to the new MCI 2012 Regulations, in order to make it a better learning experience for the students.

Experience-based teaching of acute medicine for extra motivated medical students and young physicians – 4th Emergency Medicine Course and 6th AKUTNĚ.CZ Congress

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Petr Štourač

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University (MU, and especially its departments focusing on acute medicine, make an active effort to find and to support extra motivated students by organising courses and congresses with simulation-based learning sessions for them. 4th Emergency Medicine Course (EMC and 6th AKUTNĚ.CZ Congress were organised during 2014. EMC was held during a weekend in mid-April for 80 medical students. The congress was held on 22nd November 2014. A group of more than 700 enthusiastic professionals including physicians, nursing staff and medical students interested in acute medicine met again in Brno at the University Campus Bohunice. We also report the evaluation of effectiveness of different types of sessions, as well as its influence on practical skills and the fixation of memory footprint. The website AKUTNĚ.CZ (www.akutne.cz is freely accessible, and anyone can find and watch all the videos and presentations there.

La especie de los Pulpos

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EDDY JOSEFINA PARIGUAN MARTINEZ

2016-06-01

Full Text Available El objetivo principal de éste trabajo es introducir la especie Oct de los pulpos. Demostraremos además la validez de ciertas ecuaciones combinatorias sugeridas por F. Bergeron y otros.

Involvement of WHO in the improvement of nuclear medicine in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souchkevitch, G.N.

1986-01-01

The World Health Organization's programme on nuclear medicine deals with the organization of nuclear medicine services, the training of personnel, the efficacy and efficiency of nuclear medicine, and quality assurance in nuclear medicine, instrumentation and radiopharmaceuticals. An analysis of the present situation in diagnostic imaging shows that new techniques and especially ultrasonography (US) may successfully compete with nuclear medicine. WHO is therefore concerned to stimulate objective evaluations of the appropriate role of each diagnostic imaging technology and to make relevant recommendations. In diagnostic nuclear medicine, the following main objectives are included in the WHO strategy: to restrict diagnostic nuclear medicine to those diseases where it cannot be substituted by other less costly and complicated methods; to decrease the cost of diagnostic procedures; and to prevent radiation hazard to patients, personnel and the public from the expanded use of radiopharmaceuticals. In the developing world this strategy may be carried out in two stages: (1) implementation of US in diagnostic services and the initiation of a comparative study of the diagnostic value of US and nuclear medicine imaging techniques in common diseases; (2) working out appropriate recommendations on a rational approach in imaging diagnostics and substitution of nuclear medicine by US in appropriate areas. The Intercomparison Study on Quality Performance of Nuclear Medicine Imaging Devices, established by WHO jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the organization of training workshops are examples of a successful approach to quality improvement in nuclear medicine in developing countries. (author)

Sketching together the modern histories of science, technology, and medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Pickstone, John V

2011-03-01

This essay explores ways to "write together" the awkwardly jointed histories of "science" and "me dicine"--but it also includes other "arts" (in the old sense) and technologies. It draws especially on the historiography of medicine, but I try to use terms that are applicable across all of science, technology, and medicine (STM). I stress the variety of knowledges and practices in play at any time and the ways in which the ensembles change. I focus on the various relations of "science" and "medicine," as they were understood for a succession of periods--from mainly agricultural societies, through industrial societies, to our biomedical present--trying to sketch a history that encompasses daily practices and understandings as well as major conceptual and technical innovations. The model is meant to facilitate inquiry across topics and across times, including those to come.

La especie de los pulpos

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Eddy Pariguan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available El objetivo principal de este trabajo es introducir la especie de los pulpos en combinatoria enumerativa. Demostraremos además la validez de ciertas ecuaciones combinatorias sugeridas por Bergeron et al. en [3].

Especies del Fitoplancton Presentes en el Lago Tonatiahua, Morelos, México Especies del Fitoplancton Presentes en el Lago Tonatiahua, Morelos, México

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Roberto Trejo Albarrán

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Se llevó a cabo un reconocimiento de las especies del fitoplancton del Lago Tonatiahua, Morelos, México, registrándose un total de 24 especies, incluidas en las siguientes clases: Chlorophyceae con 4 especies, Chlamydophyceae con 3 especies, Cyanophyceae con 3 especies, Euglenophyceae con 2 especies, Dinophyceae con 1 especie y Bacillariophyceae con 11, se da una descripción de cada una de ellas y la distribución que presentaron en la columna de agua durante el estudio. An examination of the phytoplankton species from the Tonatiahua lake of Morelos, Mexico was carried out. 24species were examinated. They were included in the following classification: Chlorophyceae with 4species, Chlamydophyceae with 3species, Cyanophyceae with 3 species, Euglenophyceae with 2 species, Dinophyceae with 1 species, Bacillariophyceae with 11 species, a description of each are and its distribution in a water column during the test are presented in this paper.

LAS ESPECIES ARGENTINAS DEL GENERO SICYOS (CUCURBITACEAE.

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Raúl Martínez Crovetto

1964-01-01

Full Text Available El autor estudia las especies del género Sicyos que viven dentro del territorio de la República Argentina; señalando que hasta el presente se han hallado seis. Luego de una diagnosis del género, suministra una clave, descripciones y figuras de cada una de ellas, a fin de facilitar su reconocimiento. Las especies estudiadas son S. malvifolius Griseb., S. polyacanthus Cogn., S. Odanellii Mart.-Crov., S. Kunthii Cogn. (nuevo habitante para la flora argentina, S. Warmingii Cogn, S. Warmingii Cogn. var. longispina Mart.-Crov. (nueva variedad y S. ignarus Mart.-Crov. (especie nueva para la ciencia.

Judicialization of access to medicines in Minas Gerais state, Southeastern Brazil.

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Machado, Marina Amaral de Ávila; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; Brandão, Cristina Mariano Ruas; Faleiros, Daniel Resende; Guerra, Augusto Afonso; Cherchiglia, Mariângela Leal; Andrade, Eli Iola Gurgel

2011-06-01

To analyze the profile of claimants and medicines demanded in lawsuits. Descriptive study that examined 827 lawsuits with 1,777 demands of access to medicines in the period between July 2005 and June 2006 in the state of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. There were examined the type of health care provided to claimants and their attorneyship. The medicines were described based on the following: drug registration at the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa); wheter they were essential medicines; supply in the Brazilian Health System programs; and evidence of drug efficacy. More than 70% of the claimants were provided care in the private health system and 60.3% hired private lawyers. The most common diagnosis of claimants was rheumatoid arthritis (23.1%) and the immunosuppressant agents were the most frequent demand medicines (mainly adalimumab and etanercept). Approximately 5% of the medicines demanded were not registered at Anvisa, 19.6% were included in the Brazilian List of Essential Medicine, 24.3% were included in the High-Cost Drug Program and 53.9% showed consistent evidence of efficacy. Among the medicines that were not available in Brazilian Health System, 79.0% had therapeutic alternatives in drug programs. The phenomenon of judicialization of health in Brazil can point out failures in the public health system as some medicines demanded are included in its lists. However, it is a barrier for rational drug use and application of the National Drug Policy guidelines, especially when there are demanded medicines with no evidence of efficacy and that are not included in Brazilian Health System standards.

Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: among Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices.

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Fornaro, Michele; Clementi, Nicoletta; Fornaro, Pantaleo

2009-01-01

While many ancient cultures contributed to our current knowledge about medicine and psychiatry origins, Ancient Greeks were among the best observers of feelings and moods patients could express toward medicine and toward what today referred as "psychopathology". Myths and religious references were used to explain what elsewhere impossible to understand or easily communicated. Most of ancient myths focus on ambiguous feelings patients could have towards drugs, especially psychotropic ones. Interestingly, such prejudices are common yet today. Recalling ancient findings and descriptions made using myths, should represent a valuable knowledge for modern physicians, especially for psychiatrists, and their patients, with the aim of better understanding each other and therefore achieving a better clinical outcome. The paper explores many human aspects and feelings toward doctors and their cures, referring to ancient myths, focusing on the perception of mental illness.

Precision Medicine in Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Leukemias: Lessons from Sequential Mutations.

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Nazha, Aziz; Sekeres, Mikkael A

2017-01-14

Precision medicine can be simply defined as the identification of personalized treatment that matches patient-specific clinical and genomic characteristics. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, significant advances have been made in our understanding of the genetic makeup of diseases, especially cancers. The identification of somatic mutations that can drive cancer has led to the development of therapies that specifically target the abnormal proteins derived from these mutations. This has led to a paradigm shift in our treatment methodology. Although some success has been achieved in targeting some genetic abnormalities, several challenges and limitations exist when applying precision-medicine concepts in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. We review the current understanding of genomics in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and leukemias and the limitations of precision-medicine concepts in MDS.

Radiation management for infectious waste from nuclear medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Yuji; Takeuchi, Yasuyuki; Masumoto, Kazuya

2003-01-01

An industrial waste management service has refused to collect medical waste from our hospital owing to radioactive contamination found in the waste in July 2000. An investigation revealed that the ''three-way stopcock'' and handling diapers used for radioisotope examination were the radioactive contaminants. We therefore reconsidered the system of medical waste maintenance especially for radioactive materials. Since February 2001, we have resumed radiation maintenance by following the manual for the handling diapers of patients administered radiopharmaceuticals issued by five organizations associated with Japan Radiological Society (JRS), Japanese Society of Radiological Technology (JSRT), the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine (JSNM), the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JSNMT), and Japan Association on Radiological Protection in Medicine (JARPM). A major change was to check the radioactive waste at the individual departments and at a centralized check system. This eliminated the problem of dumping radioactive material into medical waste as well as resolving the concerns of the industrial waste management service. (author)

Tomography in nuclear medicine. Proceedings of an international symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is currently being used universally in clinical practice, while positron emission tomography (PET), originally developed as a technique for research, has also gradually moved from the research laboratory to the clinical environment. However, there are significant differences in nuclear medicine capabilities, especially in tomography, between developed and developing countries. The present status and future prospects of nuclear medicine tomography were the main topics of discussion at this latest international symposium, organized by the IAEA in co-operation with the World Health Organization and held in Vienna from 21 to 25 August 1995. The purpose of the meeting was to share experience and information on new developments and clinical applications of two promising tomographic techniques: SPECT and PET. Eight invited papers and 34 regular papers from 23 countries were presented. In addition, there was a panel discussion on the future and direction of tomography in nuclear medicine for developing countries. Refs, figs, tabs

Past, current and future aspects of nuclear medicine in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharmalingam, S.K.

1980-01-01

Nuclear Medicine in Malaysia began initially with the use of radioiodine and radiophosphorous for the investigation and treatment of thyroid and blood disorders around 1960. Following this we went through a phase of organ imaging using radioiodine and radiogold using an early generation Phillips Scanner. In terms of Medical usefulness this proved a big step forward in Malaysian Medicine, basic though the techniques were. The third phase of this speciality came on in the 1970s with the availability of generator scanners. A tremendous spurt in Nuclear Imaging and thyroid function studies took place. We have now together with the University Hospital Gamma Cameras which have considerably widened the scope of Nuclear Medicine especially in the field of cardiovascular studies. Further advances are expected in the future with the availability of medical cyclotrons, positron cameras and emission tomography. However yesterdays problems have not disappeared completely and the training of personnel and provision of up to date Nuclear Medicine laboratories with the latest equipment should be given top priority so as to assure progress in this speciality. (author)

Pharmacokinetic profile of phytoconstituent(s isolated from medicinal plants—A comprehensive review

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Piyush Mehta

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Herbal medicine, the backbone of traditional medicine, has played an important role in human health and welfare for a long period. Traditional therapeutic approaches of regional significance are found in Africa, South and Central America, China, India, Tibet, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. The considerable scientific significance and commercial potential of traditional medicines have resulted in increased international attention and global market demands for herbal medicines, especially Chinese herbal medicines. Herbal medicines currently are the primary form of health care for the poor in the developing countries, and also are widely used as a supplement or substitute for conventional drugs in developed countries. These traditional medicines have a pivotal role in the treatment of various ailments and more than 50% of drugs used in Western pharmacopoeia are isolated from herbs or derived from modifications of chemicals found in plants. Herbal medicines usually contain a complex mixture of various bioactive molecules, which make its standardization complicated, and there is little information about all compounds responsible for pharmacological activity. Several research papers have been published that claim pharmacological activity of herbal medicines but few are discussing the role of the exact phytoconstituent. Understanding the pharmacokinetic profile of such phytoconstituents is essential. Although there are research papers that deal with pharmacokinetic properties of phytoconstituents, there are a number of phytoconstituents yet to be explored for their kinetic properties. This article reviews the pharmacokinetic profile of 50 different therapeutically effective traditional medicinal plants from the year 2003 onward.

The endemic medicinal plants of Northern Balochistan, Pakistan and their uses in traditional medicine.

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Bibi, Tahira; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Mohammad Tareen, Niaz; Jabeen, Rukhsana; Sultana, Shazia; Zafar, Muhammad; Zain-ul-Abidin, Sheikh

2015-09-15

.13). Highest RFC value were calculated for Achillea millefolium (0.19) and least RFC were calculated for Blepharis sindica (0.02). The endemic species with 100% fidelity level was calculated for two plant species i.e. Seriphidium quettense and B. baluchistanica. The Balochistan is rich in endemic and other medicinal plants, still needs more exploration and study. Thus, it is important to document and reconstitute the remainders of the ancient medical practices which exist in Balochistan and other areas of the world, and preserve this knowledge for future generations. The endemic species which are used in traditional medicine in the region lacks phototherapeutic evidence. It is necessary to perform phytochemical or pharmacological studies to explore the potential of plants used for medicinal purposes. Overgrazing, urbanization and unsustainable harvesting of such rare and endemic medicinal plants in this region is facing severe threats of extinction. It is thus recommended that cultivation techniques be formulated, especially for the most important endemic plant medicinal species of the region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medicinal plants used by Itamaraty community nearby Anápolis, Goiás State, Brazil - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v32i2.8155 Medicinal plants used by Itamaraty community nearby Anápolis, Goiás State, Brazil - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v32i2.8155

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Nayane Peixoto Soares

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The use of plants for therapeutic purposes has been reported from ancient in Iran, India and China, especially. Recently, the use of in-natura plants as herbal medicines has grown in a systematic and increasing way, especially when combined with conventional therapy. In Brazil, the knowledge on the use of medicinal plants has been and is primarily derived from the indigenous, with African and European influences, and several studies have been done in order to verify which plants have been used for medicinal purposes by the Brazilian population in several communities from the “cerrado” region. This work performed a survey with the population of Itamaraty nearby Anápolis, Goiás State, Brazil with ethnobotanical focus in order to recover and preserve the ethnobotanical knowledge of this region. In general terms, the use of medicinal plants in this neighborhood follows the cultural aspects reported by other authors on the need for use of alternative therapies for poor communities, beyond the general and common use of leaves and infusions as the main form of preparation, since Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most cited to use as medicinal plants.The use of plants for therapeutic purposes has been reported from ancient in Iran, India and China, especially. Recently, the use of in-natura plants as herbal medicines has grown in a systematic and increasing way, especially when combined with conventional therapy. In Brazil, the knowledge on the use of medicinal plants has been and is primarily derived from the indigenous, with African and European influences, and several studies have been done in order to verify which plants have been used for medicinal purposes by the Brazilian population in several communities from the “cerrado” region. This work performed a survey with the population of Itamaraty nearby Anápolis, Goiás State, Brazil with ethnobotanical focus in order to recover and preserve the ethnobotanical knowledge of this

Problems associated with clinical trials of Ayurvedic medicines

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Ashish K Sharma

Full Text Available Herbal drugs have been used since ancient times as medicines for the treatment of various diseases. Especially in countries like India many of herbal drugs and formulations are used in different practices of treatment like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. It is estimated that about 25% of all modern medicines are directly or indirectly derived from plants sources. The contribution of developing countries in global herbal business is very poor due to lack of quality control and standardization measures. There is lack of common standards and appropriate methods for evaluating Traditional Medicine to ensure the safety, efficacy and quality control. This indicates the importance and necessity to develop a standard operational procedure for the standardization of herbal drugs and formulations. Benchmarking the evaluation protocols including both quality control and quality assurance of herbal drugs would play a major role in providing highly reliable and effective herbals drugs and to attract international trade, thus generating revenue. The article highlights various problems being faced by developing countries and suggests a unique approach for the preparation of SOP/guidelines for the standardization of all herbal based formulations, also there is a need for systematic clinical trials of traditional plant based medicines to enhance global acceptance

Good Deaths, "Stupid Deaths": Humane Medicine and the Call of Invisible Bodies.

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Ryan, Maura A

2016-12-01

Jeffrey Bishop's The Anticipatory Corpse exposes a functional metaphysics at the root of contemporary medical practice that gives rise to inhumane medicine, especially at the end of life. His critique of medicine argues for alternative spaces and practices in which the communal significance of the body, its telos, can be restored and the meaning of a "good death" enriched. This essay develops an alternative epistemology of the body, drawing from Christian theological accounts of the communal or Eucharistic body and linking liturgical practices to the cultivation of solidarity. It argues for an epistemology of the body that makes visible the invisible bodies at medicine's margins and illumines the disparate worlds of health care globally. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sobre una Rodoficea parasita de Gelidiaceas

OpenAIRE

Seoane Camba, Juan Antonio

1982-01-01

En este trabajo se hace un estudio de una Rodofícea parásita, encontrada sobre Gelidium cantabricum Seoane-Camba y Gelidium sesquipedale (Clemente) Thuret. Por sus características generales atribuímos esta planta al género Gelidiocolax. descrito por Gardner en 1927 para un parásito de Gelidium pulchrum Gardner de las costas americanas del Pacífico...

NOTES FOR THE PRIMARY CARE TEACHERS: TEACHING DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION IN FAMILY MEDICINE

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AR Yong Rafidah

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Doctor-patient communication skills are important in family medicine and can be taught and learned. This paper summarisesthe salient contents and main methods of the teaching and learning of doctor-patient communication, especially thoseapplicable to the discipline.

What does «integrative medicine» provide to daily scientific clinical care?

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Bataller-Sifre, R; Bataller-Alberola, A

2015-11-01

Integrative medicine is an ambitious and noble-minded attempt to address the shortcomings of the current public health systems in our Western societies, which is restricted by the limited time available, especially in outpatient clinics. Integrative medicine also does not limit the possibilities of useful therapies that have been tested over the centuries (from China, India, etc.) or of certain resources that do not achieve the level of desired scientific credibility but that present certain therapeutic support in specific cases (homeopathy, acupuncture, etc.) but still require a scientific approach. Finally, the resource of botanical products (phytotherapy) constitutes a wide range of possibilities that universities can (and do) make progress on by providing drug brands for these products through the use of the scientific method and evidence-based medical criteria. This approach will help avoid the irrationality of the daily struggle between conventional scientific medicine (which we apply to the immense majority of patients) and the other diagnostic-therapeutic «guidelines» (natural medicine, alternative medicine, complementary medicine, patient-focused medicine and others). Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Suitable activated stable nuclide tracer technique and its applications in biology and medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Weicheng

1989-01-01

Stable isotopes as tracers in biology and medicine have been more extensively used. Mass spectrometry has been a classic technique in the analysis of stable isotopes because it is very sensitive and precise. Activation analysis has recently been introduced as an analytical tool. Its fast speed and simplicity is a great advantage for handling large batches of samples in isotopic tracer experiments. The combination of enriched stable isotope tracer studies and activation analysis techniques has become an ideal and reliable technique, especially in the fields of biology and medicine. This paper presents a survey of the fundamental principle, the character and the applications in biology and medicine for the suitable activated stable isotope tracer techniques

Nuclear Medicine

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... Parents/Teachers Resource Links for Students Glossary Nuclear Medicine What is nuclear medicine? What are radioactive tracers? ... funded researchers advancing nuclear medicine? What is nuclear medicine? Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses ...

[Biomarkers in emergency medicine and critical care patients: advances and pitfalls for news tools].

Science.gov (United States)

Claessens, Yann-Erick; Mallet-Coste, Thomas; Riqué, Thomas; Macchi, Marc-Alexis; Ray, Patrick; Chenevier-Gobeaux, Camille

2014-01-01

The use of biomarkers has changed approach of diagnosis and treatment procedures in emergency medicine, especially in the field of cardiovascular disorders. Effectiveness of new strategies that integrate biomarkers has precluded development and research in novel tools that may improve safety and efficiency at bedside. This mini-review presents current knowledge on utility of biomarkers in emergency medicine, including data that should be taken into account to avoid misleading utilization. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Traditional uses of medicinal plants in gastrointestinal disorders in Nepal.

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Rokaya, Maan B; Uprety, Yadav; Poudel, Ram C; Timsina, Binu; Münzbergová, Zuzana; Asselin, Hugo; Tiwari, Achyut; Shrestha, Shyam S; Sigdel, Shalik R

2014-12-02

Gastrointestinal disorders cause morbidity and can lead to mortality, especially in the developing world where sanitation is deficient. A large part of the human population relies on medicinal plants for treating various diseases, including gastrointestinal disorders. The present review summarizes the traditional uses of medicinal plants of Nepal used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, and evaluates their bio-efficacy based on a review of the available phytochemical and pharmacological literature. We searched different electronic databases and libraries for the literature on medicinal plants used in Nepal to treat gastrointestinal disorders. For each species, we also searched the literature for information on conservation status, as well as for phytochemical and pharmacological studies in support of the ethnobotanical information. We used principal component analysis to explore the relation among disorders and plant families, plant life forms, plant parts and preparation modes. We also performed permutation tests to determine if botanical families were used more often than expected considering their availability in the Nepali flora. We documented a total of 947 species belonging to 158 families and 586 genera used to treat gastrointestinal disorders in Nepal. Diarrhea was the disorder treated by the highest number of species (348), followed by stomachache (340) and dysentery (307). Among the reported species, five were endemic to Nepal, whereas 16 orchid species were protected under CITES Appendices II and III. The randomization test showed that species belonging to 14 families were used less often than expected, whereas plants belonging to 25 families were used more often than expected. The PCA scatter plot showed distinct groups of gastrointestinal disorders treated with similar plant life forms, plant parts, and/or preparation modes. We found 763 phytochemical studies on 324 species and 654 pharmacological studies on 269 species. We showed the diversity and

Dentistry and internal medicine: from the focal infection theory to the periodontal medicine concept.

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Pizzo, Giuseppe; Guiglia, Rosario; Lo Russo, Lucio; Campisi, Giuseppina

2010-12-01

During past decades the relationship between dentistry and internal medicine and especially the concept of the so-called focal infection theory have long been a matter of debate. The pathogenesis of focal diseases has been classically attributed to dental pulp pathologies and periapical infections. Nonetheless, in recent years, their role is being dismissed while increasing interest is being devoted to the possible associations between periodontal infection and systemic diseases. In fact, periodontal pathogens and their products, as well as inflammatory mediators produced in periodontal tissues, might enter the bloodstream, causing systemic effects and/or contributing to systemic diseases. On the basis of this mechanism, chronic periodontitis has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases associated with atherosclerosis, bacterial endocarditis, diabetes mellitus, respiratory disease, preterm delivery, rheumatoid arthritis, and, recently, osteoporosis, pancreatic cancer, metabolic syndrome, renal diseases and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Various hypotheses, including common susceptibility, systemic inflammation, direct bacterial infection and cross-reactivity, or molecular mimicry, between bacterial antigens and self-antigens, have been postulated to explain these relationships. In this scenario, the association of periodontal disease with systemic diseases has set the stage for introducing the concept of periodontal medicine. This narrative review summarizes the evolution of focal infection theory up to the current pathophysiology of periodontal disease, and presents an update on the relationships between chronic periodontitis and systemic diseases. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Arsenic - Poison or medicine?].

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Kulik-Kupka, Karolina; Koszowska, Aneta; Brończyk-Puzoń, Anna; Nowak, Justyna; Gwizdek, Katarzyna; Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, Barbara

2016-01-01

Arsenic (As) is commonly known as a poison. Only a few people know that As has also been widely used in medicine. In the past years As and its compounds were used as a medicine for the treatment of such diseases as diabetes, psoriasis, syphilis, skin ulcers and joint diseases. Nowadays As is also used especially in the treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has recognized arsenic as an element with carcinogenic effect evidenced by epidemiological studies, but as previously mentioned it is also used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. This underlines the specificity of the arsenic effects. Arsenic occurs widely in the natural environment, for example, it is present in soil and water, which contributes to its migration to food products. Long exposure to this element may lead to liver damages and also to changes in myocardium. Bearing in mind that such serious health problems can occur, monitoring of the As presence in the environmental media plays a very important role. In addition, the occupational risk of As exposure in the workplace should be identified and checked. Also the standards for As presence in food should be established. This paper presents a review of the 2015 publications based on the Medical database like PubMed and Polish Medical Bibliography. It includes the most important information about arsenic in both forms, poison and medicine. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Essential medicines: an overview of some milestones in the last forty years (1975-2013

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José Antonio Pagés

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Despite progress in the last four decades in terms of access to essential medicines, more than a third of the world population especially from the poorest countries have serious difficulties in accessing the medicines they need at an affordable price and with the right quality. Already in 1975 the 28th World Health Assembly discussed the need to set recommendations regarding selection and acquisition of medicines at reasonable prices and proven quality to meet national health needs. Consequently in 1977, the first WHO Model List of Essential Medicines was prepared by an expert committee. Since then, the list has been subjected to a series of updating and dissemination processes, together with discussion about the cost, patents and quality of medicines, as well as information on safety and effectiveness of each drug that is listed. The article addresses how this process has evolved from the beginning to present day.

Effects and Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Ameliorating Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

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Qing Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR injury is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease, which accounts for approximately 450,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Chinese herbal medicine, especially combined herbal formulations, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial infarction for hundreds of years. While the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine is well documented, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we highlight recent studies which are focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms using extracted compounds, single herbs, or herbal formulations in experimental settings. These studies represent recent efforts to bridge the gap between the enigma of ancient Chinese herbal medicine and the concepts of modern cell and molecular biology in the treatment of myocardial infarction.

MicroRNAs and Chinese Medicinal Herbs: New Possibilities in Cancer Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Ming; Wang, Ning; Tan, Hor Yue; Tsao, Sai-Wah; Feng, Yibin

2015-01-01

In recent decades Chinese medicine has been used worldwide as a complementary and alternative medicine to treat cancer. Plenty of studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play fundamental roles in many pathological processes, including cancer, while the anti-cancer mechanisms of Chinese medicinal herbs targeting miRNAs also have been extensively explored. Our previous studies and those of others on Chinese medicinal herbs and miRNAs in various cancer models have provided a possibility of new cancer therapies, for example, up-regulating the expression of miR-23a may activate the positive regulatory network of p53 and miR-23a involved in the mechanism underlying the anti-tumor effect of berberine in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this review, we survey the role of Chinese medicinal herbal products in regulating miRNAs in cancer and the use of mediating miRNAs for cancer treatment. In addition, the controversial roles of herb-derived exogenous miRNAs in cancer treatment are also discussed. It is expected that targeting miRNAs would provide a novel therapeutic approach in cancer therapy by improving overall response and survival outcomes in cancer treatment, especially when combined with conventional therapeutics and Chinese medicinal herbal products

Understanding the Perception of Islamic Medicine Among the Malaysian Muslim Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Khadher; Ariffin, Mohd Farhan Md; Deraman, Fauzi; Ariffin, Sedek; Abdullah, Mustaffa; Razzak, Monika Munirah Abd; Yusoff, M Y Zulkifli Mohd; Achour, Meguellati

2017-10-26

This study was conducted to identify and describe the patients' perceptions of Islamic medicine based on gender, age, marital, educational level and working status among the Malaysian Muslim population. A nationwide interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in 2013. An open-ended questionnaire pertaining to Islamic medicine was used to increase the probability of capturing maximum data. This survey implemented a multistage design, stratified by state, proportionate to the size of the state population and was representative of the Malaysian population. Post-survey classification of results was performed accordingly. Complex data analysis was carried out using SPSS 16.0. The discussion was identified and categorised into various sections. The paper concludes that Islamic medicine has a major influence in the Malaysian Muslim community compared to other alternatives. Further, its potential for growth and importance especially for treating spiritual ailments cannot be denied. The respondents indicated that two factors motivate Islamic medicine in Malaysia: (1) the Muslim community opts for alternative healing because of their dissatisfaction with conventional methods; (2) Islamic medicine focuses only on healing spiritual-related problems. The average perception of respondents is that the function of Islamic medicine in healing physical diseases is undervalued and that it is not suitable to replace the functions of modern health institutions.

MicroRNAs and Chinese Medicinal Herbs: New Possibilities in Cancer Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Ming; Wang, Ning; Tan, Hor Yue [School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China); Tsao, Sai-Wah [Department of Anatomy, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China); Feng, Yibin, E-mail: yfeng@hku.hk [School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)

2015-08-24

In recent decades Chinese medicine has been used worldwide as a complementary and alternative medicine to treat cancer. Plenty of studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play fundamental roles in many pathological processes, including cancer, while the anti-cancer mechanisms of Chinese medicinal herbs targeting miRNAs also have been extensively explored. Our previous studies and those of others on Chinese medicinal herbs and miRNAs in various cancer models have provided a possibility of new cancer therapies, for example, up-regulating the expression of miR-23a may activate the positive regulatory network of p53 and miR-23a involved in the mechanism underlying the anti-tumor effect of berberine in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this review, we survey the role of Chinese medicinal herbal products in regulating miRNAs in cancer and the use of mediating miRNAs for cancer treatment. In addition, the controversial roles of herb-derived exogenous miRNAs in cancer treatment are also discussed. It is expected that targeting miRNAs would provide a novel therapeutic approach in cancer therapy by improving overall response and survival outcomes in cancer treatment, especially when combined with conventional therapeutics and Chinese medicinal herbal products.

Dos especies nuevas de Ouratea Aublet (Ochnaceae de Colombia Dos especies nuevas de Ouratea Aublet (Ochnaceae de Colombia

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Sastre C.

1986-12-01

Full Text Available Two new colombian species of Ouratea Aublet (Ochnaceae are described. Relationships are established with O. gigantophylla (Erhard Engler and O. macrophylla van Tieghem.   Entre el material de Ouratea Aublet (Ochnaceae recolectado recientemente en Colombia, no he podido referir tres especímenes a las especies ya descritas.  Estas plantas pertenecen a dos especies nuevas, sistemáticamente cercanas a O. gigantophylla (Erhard Engler y a O. macrophylla van Tieghem.

[Holistic integrative medicine: application in prevention and treatment of oral mucosal diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, X; Xie, L; Zhao, X; Li, J; Zeng, X; Chen, Q M

2017-08-09

Holistic integrative medicine (HIM), as one of the important ideas in the field of medicine, arouses great concern recently. HIM regards the human body as a whole, turns data and evidence in medical research back to facts, integrates technologies and experience developed in clinical research into medical skills. The repeated practices at the levels of fact, experience, and medical skills will generate true knowledge to solve the wide spread problems brought by linearized thinking and fragmented knowledge. With the development of highly divided medical disciplines, how to utilize and practice HIM has become a common concern of the medical community. Specialization of stomatology, which is a first level discipline like medicine, has also become a trend for years. However, holistic concept cannot be overlooked, especially in the development of oral medicine. This article aims at the communication and exchange of knowledge about HIM among dental professionals. In order to serve the patients better, the authors look forward to practicing the HIM concept in the field of oral medicine through the efforts of us all.

Confronting zoonoses through closer collaboration between medicine and veterinary medicine (as 'one medicine').

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, Laura H; Kaplan, Bruce; Steele, James H

2007-01-01

In the 19th century, the concept of 'one medicine' was embraced by leaders in the medical and veterinary medical communities. In the 20th century, collaborative efforts between medicine and veterinary medicine diminished considerably. While there have been some notable exceptions, such as Calvin W. Schwabe's proposal for unifying human and veterinary medicine and joint efforts by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization to control zoonotic diseases, 'one medicine' has languished in the modern milieu of clinical care, public health, and biomedical research. Risks of zoonotic disease transmission are rarely discussed in clinical care which is of particular concern if humans and/or animals are immunosuppressed. Physicians and veterinarians should advise their patients and pet-owning clients that some animals should not be pets. The risk of zoonotic disease acquisition can be considerable in the occupational setting. Collaborative efforts in biomedical research could do much to improve human and animal health. As the threat of zoonotic diseases continues to increase in the 21st century, medicine and veterinary medicine must revive 'one medicine' in order to adequately address these challenges. 'One medicine' revival strategies must involve medical and veterinary medical education, clinical care, public health and biomedical research.

Medicine and psychiatry in Western culture: Ancient Greek myths and modern prejudices

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Clementi Nicoletta

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract The origins of Western culture extensively relate to Ancient Greek culture. While many ancient cultures have contributed to our current knowledge about medicine and the origins of psychiatry, the Ancient Greeks were among the best observers of feelings and moods patients expressed towards medicine and toward what today is referred to as 'psychopathology'. Myths and religious references were used to explain what was otherwise impossible to understand or be easily communicated. Most ancient myths focus on ambiguous feelings patients may have had towards drugs, especially psychotropic ones. Interestingly, such prejudices are common even today. Recalling ancient findings and descriptions made using myths could represent a valuable knowledge base for modern physicians, especially for psychiatrists and their patients, with the aim of better understanding each other and therefore achieving a better clinical outcome. This paper explores many human aspects and feelings towards doctors and their cures, referring to ancient myths and focusing on the perception of mental illness.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Maonan people in China.

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Hong, Liya; Guo, Zhiyong; Huang, Kunhui; Wei, Shanjun; Liu, Bo; Meng, Shaowu; Long, Chunlin

2015-04-30

This paper is based on an ethnobotanical investigation that focused on the traditional medicinal plants used by local Maonan people to treat human diseases in Maonan concentration regions. The Maonan people have relied on traditional medicine since ancient times, especially medicinal plants. The aim of this study is to document medicinal plants used by the Maonans and to report the status of medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Ethnobotanical data were collected from June 2012 to September 2014 in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, northern Guangxi, southwest China. In total, 118 knowledgeable informants were interviewed. Following statistically sampling method, eighteen villages from 5 townships were selected to conduct field investigations. Information was collected through the approache of participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, ranking exercises, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisals. A total of 368 medicinal plant species were investigated and documented together with their medicinal uses by the Maonans, most of which were obtained from the wild ecosystems. The plants were used to treat 95 human diseases. Grinding was a widely used method to prepare traditional herbal medicines. There were significant relationships between gender and age, and between gender and informants' knowledge of medicinal plant use. Deforestation for agricultural purposes was identified as the most destructive factor of medicinal plants, followed by drought and over-harvest. The species diversity of medicinal plants used by the Maonans in the study area was very rich. Medicinal plants played a significant role in healing various human disorders in the Maonan communities. However, the conflicts between traditional inheriting system and recent socio-economic changes (and other factors) resulted in the reduction or loss of both medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge. Thus, conservation efforts

Current advances in screening for bioactive components from medicinal plants by affinity ultrafiltration mass spectrometry.

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Chen, Guilin; Huang, Bill X; Guo, Mingquan

2018-05-21

Medicinal plants have played an important role in maintaining human health for thousands of years. However, the interactions between the active components in medicinal plants and some certain biological targets during a disease are still unclear in most cases. To conduct the high-throughput screening for small active molecules that can interact with biological targets, which is of great theoretical significance and practical value. The ultrafiltration mass spectrometry (UF-LC/MS) is a powerful bio-analytical method by combining affinity ultrafiltration and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS), which could rapidly screen and identify small active molecules that bind to biological targets of interest at the same time. Compared with other analytical methods, affinity UF-LC/MS has the characteristics of fast, sensitive and high throughput, and is especially suitable for the complicated extracts of medicinal plants. In this review, the basic principle, characteristics and some most recent challenges in UF-LC/MS have been demonstrated. Meanwhile, the progress and applications of affinity UF-LC/MS in the discovery of the active components from natural medicinal plants and the interactions between small molecules and biological target proteins are also briefly summarised. In addition, the future directions for UF-LC/MS are also prospected. Affinity UF-LC/MS is a powerful tool in studies on the interactions between small active molecules and biological protein targets, especially in the high-throughput screening of active components from the natural medicinal plants. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products

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Haidan Yuan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products.

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Yuan, Haidan; Ma, Qianqian; Ye, Li; Piao, Guangchun

2016-04-29

Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

Algunas especies colombianas de Pleurothallis

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Schneider Martín

1958-09-01

Full Text Available Uno de los géneros más interesantes entre las orquídeas americanas es Pleurothallis. Su área de extensión alcanza desde el sur de EE. UU. (Florida: 1 especie y las Antillas hasta Bolivia y la Argentina. Dentro de esta área inmensa, el género ha desarrollado naturalmente un número altísimo de formas distintas, y con aproximadamente mil especies figura entre los géneros más ricos. Del hecho de que se encuentran desde el nivel del mar hasta las cumbres de las montañas y los limites de los páramos resulta que es un género muy polimorfo.  Se deja, sin embargo, subdividir en varias grandes secciones naturales.  La literatura acerca de Pleurothallis es muy abundante, pero falta todavía una amplia monografía que reúna los datos dispersos.

Clinical decision-making and secondary findings in systems medicine.

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Fischer, T; Brothers, K B; Erdmann, P; Langanke, M

2016-05-21

Systems medicine is the name for an assemblage of scientific strategies and practices that include bioinformatics approaches to human biology (especially systems biology); "big data" statistical analysis; and medical informatics tools. Whereas personalized and precision medicine involve similar analytical methods applied to genomic and medical record data, systems medicine draws on these as well as other sources of data. Given this distinction, the clinical translation of systems medicine poses a number of important ethical and epistemological challenges for researchers working to generate systems medicine knowledge and clinicians working to apply it. This article focuses on three key challenges: First, we will discuss the conflicts in decision-making that can arise when healthcare providers committed to principles of experimental medicine or evidence-based medicine encounter individualized recommendations derived from computer algorithms. We will explore in particular whether controlled experiments, such as comparative effectiveness trials, should mediate the translation of systems medicine, or if instead individualized findings generated through "big data" approaches can be applied directly in clinical decision-making. Second, we will examine the case of the Riyadh Intensive Care Program Mortality Prediction Algorithm, pejoratively referred to as the "death computer," to demonstrate the ethical challenges that can arise when big-data-driven scoring systems are applied in clinical contexts. We argue that the uncritical use of predictive clinical algorithms, including those envisioned for systems medicine, challenge basic understandings of the doctor-patient relationship. Third, we will build on the recent discourse on secondary findings in genomics and imaging to draw attention to the important implications of secondary findings derived from the joint analysis of data from diverse sources, including data recorded by patients in an attempt to realize their

[Pai Manoel, African healer, and medicine in Imperial Pernambuco].

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Farias, Rosilene Gomes

2012-12-01

The article tells the story of Pai Manoel, a healer who claimed he had a remedy for cholera. A slave from the Guararapes sugarcane plantation in Recife, Pai Manoel was the center of an episode during the 1856 epidemic outbreak that called into question the work of physicians and the efficacy of the treatments they used. This moment of crisis revealed underlying tensions between those who were authorized to treat the infirm, applying scientific methods, and others, who used traditional knowledge in their treatment. The article discusses such topics as the shaping of the field of medicine in Brazil and, especially, in Pernambuco, and the strategies devised to guarantee the exclusive right to practice medicine and to combat competing forms of healing.

[Evolutionary medicine: A new look on health and disease].

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Bauduer, F

2017-03-01

Evolutionary medicine represents an innovative approach deriving from evolutionary biology. It includes the initial Darwin's view, its actualization in the light of progresses in genetics and also dissident theories (i.e. non gene-based) particularly epigenetics. This approach enables us to reconsider the pathophysiology of numerous diseases, as for instance, infection, and our so-called diseases of civilization especially obesity, type 2 diabetes, allergy or cancer. Evolutionary medicine may also improve our knowledge regarding inter-individual variation in susceptibility to disease or drugs. Furthermore, it points out the impact of our behaviors and environment on the genesis of a series of diseases. Copyright © 2016 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Thinking and practice of accelerating transformation of traditional Chinese medicine from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine.

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Liu, Baoyan; Zhang, Yanhong; Hu, Jingqing; He, Liyun; Zhou, Xuezhong

2011-06-01

The gradual development of Chinese medicine is based on constant accumulation and summary of experience in clinical practice, but without the benefit of undergoing the experimental medicine stage. Although Chinese medicine has formed a systematic and unique theory system through thousands of years, with the development of evidence-based medicine, the bondage of the research methods of experience medicine to Chinese medicine is appearing. The rapid transition and transformation from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine have become important content in the development of Chinese medicine. According to the features of Chinese medicine, we propose the research idea of "taking two ways simultaneously," which is the study both in the ideal condition and in the real world. Analyzing and constructing the theoretical basis and methodology of clinical research in the real world, and building the stage for research technique is key to the effective clinical research of Chinese medicine. Only by gradually maturing and completing the clinical research methods of the real world could we realize "taking two ways simultaneously" and complementing each other, continuously produce scientific and reliable evidence of Chinese medicine, as well as transform and develop Chinese medicine from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine.

Medicines

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Medicines can treat diseases and improve your health. If you are like most people, you need to take medicine at some point in your life. You may need to take medicine every day, or you may only need to ...

An Investigation on Myanmar Traditional Medicine Formulation (TME-12) (Setkupala No.1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shwe Sin; Aye Aye Tun; Daw Hla Ngwe; Kyaw Naing

2011-12-01

Myanmar Traditional Medicine Formulation (TMF-12) (Setkupala No.1) is such a wide use of household medicine in both rural and urban area that it was investigated. This medicine is utilized for treatment of aches and pain, blood impurity, especially eye disorder such as blurring of vision. Elemental role of Myanmar Traditional Medicine is found to be quite limited. The elemental content of TMF-12 was studied by Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (ASS) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) method. A total of 28 elements were detected. Preliminary screening for radical scavenging of various extracts from TMF-12 exhibited the antioxidant activity tested by 1, 1 diphenyl 2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) solution. Antimicrobial activity studies showed the inhibitory activity of the soluble crude extracts against test organisms including Bacillus substilis, Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Mycobacterium species. From phytochemical investigation and FT-IR study, alkaloids, glycosides, alcohol, amino acid, aliphatic, aromatic, phenolic and olefinic compounds were present in TMF-12.

Angiostrongylus vasorum (Baillet, 1866 Nematoda: Prostostrongylidae, em cães de Minas Gerais, Brasil Angiostrongylus vasorum (Baillet, 1866 Nematoda: Prostostrongylidae, in dogs of Minas Gerais, Brasil

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Walter dos Santos Lima

1985-06-01

Full Text Available Foi identificado Angiostrongylus vasorum (Baillet, 1866 colhido da artéria pulmonar de dois cães (Canis familiaris procedentes do município de Caratinga, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. É apresentada a descrição morfológicas do parasita. Esta é a primeira referência desse parasita no Estado de Minas Gerais.For the first time Angiostrongylus vasorum in Canis familiaris in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, is described. The description and measurements of three males and ten females are presented together with a diagram of the parasite.

An analysis of the combination frequencies of constituent medicinal herbs in prescriptions for the treatment of bone and joint disorder in Korean medicine: determination of a group of candidate prescriptions for universal use

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Yoo Kyoung Han

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: This study aimed to select prescriptions (mixtures of medicinal herbs used in the treatment of bone and joint disorders in Korean medicine, and through the analysis of medicinal herb combination frequencies, select a high-frequency medicinal herb combination group for further experimental and clinical research. Methods: We systematically searched for terms related to bone and joint disorder in the “Dongeuibogam (Dong yibaojian”, a seminal Korean medicine book. We reviewed the results of published papers regarding the effects in bone and joint disorders (especially in osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteopenia, rheumatoid arthritis, and degenerative arthritis. Results: In total, 34 candidates of a medicinal herb combination for the treatment of bone and joint disorders(CMHCTBJDs and nine candidates of a medicinal herb for the treatment of bone and joint disorders(CMHTBJDs were selected. Conclusion: : The candidates of a medicinal herb combination for the treatment of bone and joint disorders (CMHCTBJDs and candidates of a medicinal herb for the treatment of bone and joint disorders(CMHTBJDs proposed in this study can be useful material for text mining to develop natural products with the effects in BJDs and also it has the potential to reduce the experimental and developmental time period. Keywords: Dongeuibogam (Dong yi bao gian, Text mining, Bone disorder

General internal medicine at the crossroads of prosperity and despair: caring for patients with chronic diseases in an aging society.

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Larson, E B

2001-05-15

During the past quarter century, general internal medicine has emerged as a vital discipline. In the realm of patient care, it is the integrating discipline par excellence. Ironically, as general internists face the challenge of integrating advances of dizzying speed and complexity, and as their clinical practice becomes increasingly effective, it has become much more difficult for them to earn a living. General internists find themselves at the crossroads of prosperity and despair. Although general medicine research leads the research agenda in many departments of medicine, it is particularly vulnerable. The necessary multidisciplinary "programmatic" infrastructure is expensive, and results often take many years to obtain, particularly in the study of chronic disease. The educational environment in many institutions is particularly difficult for general medicine, both because the current emphasis on technical skills obscures patients' and learners' real needs and because complex patients on general medicine services are now so ill and their turnover so rapid. General internal medicine and geriatrics are synergistic, especially in today's marketplace. A focus on geriatric medicine could help general medicine continue to flourish. General internists are ideally suited to the integrated care of elderly patients with multiple problems, research opportunities are enormous in the geriatric population, and the teaching of geriatrics requires a high level of generalist skills. Problems that plague current generalist practice have unique significance to older patients. Organizations that represent general internists would do well to join forces with many other advocacy groups, especially those representing the interests of elderly patients and geriatric medicine.

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP): Emergence As an Alternative Technology for Herbal Medicine Identification.

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Li, Jing-Jian; Xiong, Chao; Liu, Yue; Liang, Jun-Song; Zhou, Xing-Wen

2016-01-01

Correct identification of medicinal plant ingredients is essential for their safe use and for the regulation of herbal drug supply chain. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a recently developed approach to identify herbal medicine species. This novel molecular biology technique enables timely and accurate testing, especially in settings where infrastructures to support polymerase chain reaction facilities are lacking. Studies that used this method have altered our view on the extent and complexity of herbal medicine identification. In this review, we give an introduction into LAMP analysis, covers the basic principles and important aspects in the development of LAMP analysis method. Then we presented a critical review of the application of LAMP-based methods in detecting and identifying raw medicinal plant materials and their processed products. We also provide a practical standard operating procedure (SOP) for the utilization of the LAMP protocol in herbal authentication, and consider the prospects of LAMP technology in the future developments of herbal medicine identification and the challenges associated with its application.

Inquérito parasitológico na CECAP, distrito-sede de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil Parasitological survey at CECAP, Botucatu County, S. Paulo State, Brazil

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Ednir Salata

1972-12-01

Full Text Available Estudo da prevalência de parasitas intestinais realizado em 370 indivíduos residentes na CECAP, distrito-sede de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, permitiu verificar que 41,62% encontravam-se infestados por uma ou mais espécies de parasitas intestinais. Foram encontrados os seguintes parasitas: Entamoeba histolytica 0,54%, E. coli 6,21%, I. butschlii 0,27%, Giardia lamblia 9,72%, Ancylostomidae 5,94%, Strongyloides stercoralis 6,75%, Trichuris trichiura 17,29%, Ascaris lumbricoides 7,56%, Enterobius vermicularis 3,78%, Hymenolepis nana 5,40% e Taenia sp. 1,62%. Apresentam-se dados sobre a distribuição dos parasitas em relação à idade e ao sexo dos indivíduos. O atributo cor não permite maiores considerações por serem os não brancos significantemente pouco numerosos. Dos indivíduos examinados, 25,67% apresentavam apenas uma espécie de parasita e entre as associações parasitárias mais freqüentes encontramos as de Ascaris lumbricoides - Trichuris trichiura e Trichuris trichiura - Giardia lamblia.A parasitological survey among 370 persons was carried out at CECAP, Botucatu County, S. Paulo State, Brazil. It was found that 41.62% of the examinated persons were infected with one or more species of intestinal parasites. The parasite's prevalence was: Entamoeba hystolytica 0.54%, E. coli 6.21%, I. butschlii 0.27%, Giardia lamblia 9.72%, Ancylostomidae 5.94%, Strongyloide stercoralis 6.75%, Trichuris trichiura 17.29%, Ascaris lumbricoides 7.56%, Enterobius vermicularis 3.78%, Hymenolepis nana 5.40% e Taenia sp. 1.62%. Tables are presented showing the distribution of the parasites according to age and sex. Race was not considered because the number of "not white" was significantly low. Of the examinated persons, 25.67% were infected with only one species of parasite and the parasitic associations most frequently found were Ascaris lumbricoides - Trichuris tricriura and Trichuris trichiura - Giardia lamblia.

Traditional medicines and globalization: current and future perspectives in ethnopharmacology.

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Leonti, Marco; Casu, Laura

2013-01-01

The ethnopharmacological approach toward the understanding and appraisal of traditional and herbal medicines is characterized by the inclusions of the social as well as the natural sciences. Anthropological field-observations describing the local use of nature-derived medicines are the basis for ethnopharmacological enquiries. The multidisciplinary scientific validation of indigenous drugs is of relevance to modern societies at large and helps to sustain local health care practices. Especially with respect to therapies related to aging related, chronic and infectious diseases traditional medicines offer promising alternatives to biomedicine. Bioassays applied in ethnopharmacology represent the molecular characteristics and complexities of the disease or symptoms for which an indigenous drug is used in "traditional" medicine to variable depth and extent. One-dimensional in vitro approaches rarely cope with the complexity of human diseases and ignore the concept of polypharmacological synergies. The recent focus on holistic approaches and systems biology in medicinal plant research represents the trend toward the description and the understanding of complex multi-parameter systems. Ethnopharmacopoeias are non-static cultural constructs shaped by belief and knowledge systems. Intensified globalization and economic liberalism currently accelerates the interchange between local and global pharmacopoeias via international trade, television, the World Wide Web and print media. The increased infiltration of newly generated biomedical knowledge and introduction of "foreign" medicines into local pharmacopoeias leads to syncretic developments and generates a feedback loop. While modern and post-modern cultures and knowledge systems adapt and transform the global impact, they become more relevant for ethnopharmacology. Moreover, what is traditional, alternative or complementary medicine depends on the adopted historic-cultural perspective.

Implementation of Research and Development Based on Patent Natural Ingredients and Potential Utilization of Tradition Medicine

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Tommy Hendrix

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The results of research and development based on natural ingredients for traditional medicines become an interesting topic to discuss at this point; it’s shown from increasing number in utilization. The use of traditional medicine especially on natural ingredients at this moment becomes effective solution to increase the level of market acceptance in herbal extracts, including an affordable purchase from potential utilization of natural resources which are owned. By using Matheo Patent XE Ver 10.2 as methodology of searching, we can know potentials useful through strategy, research and development, patent analysis and patent collaboration among users in utilization of Natural Ingredient for Traditional Medicine. From the data result shows majority in the field of chemistry for human necessity related to Health; Amusement; Medical or Veterinary Science; Hygiene sectors with total patent 108, family 65. The use of patent analysis is a way to find how the development of technology and products that have been produced and how commercial processes connecting with technology users, especially in traditional medicine. From the data that exist in particular of patents, it is critical to identify the number of patents that has been registered through the innovation process development including technology dissemination is used.

Use Medicines Safely

Science.gov (United States)

... Prescription Medicines 1 of 7 sections The Basics: Prescription Medicines There are different types of medicine. The 2 ... medicine are prescription and over-the-counter (OTC). Prescription medicines Prescription medicines are medicines you can get only ...

The use of non-prescription medicines during lactation: A qualitative study of community pharmacists' attitudes and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Sim, Tin Fei; Hattingh, H Laetitia; Sherriff, Jillian; Tee, Lisa B G

2018-05-01

Community pharmacists play a significant role in the provision of non-prescription medicines. There is evidence that women self-medicate and use non-prescription medicines whilst breastfeeding. Studies have demonstrated that breastfeeding women are likely to seek advice from pharmacists, presenting a unique opportunity for pharmacists to provide on-going support of these women especially in relation to the appropriate use of non-prescription medicines. This study aimed to explore community pharmacists' attitudes and perspectives towards the use of non-prescription medicines during breastfeeding. This exploratory study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 30 community pharmacists in Western Australia, between July and September 2013. Transcribed data were analysed using descriptive and qualitative approaches. NVivo ® Version 10.0 was used to organise qualitative data and quotations to facilitate thematic analysis. Four major themes emerged. Despite the positive attitudes and favourable perceived knowledge level, participants often found themselves in a dilemma when required to make clinical recommendations especially in situations where there was a therapeutic need for treatment but clear guidelines or evidence to suggest safety of the medicines or treatment in lactation was absent. Despite the popularity of complementary medicines, participants felt more confident in providing advice in relation to conventional over complementary medicines. Whilst medication safety is within the field of expertise of pharmacists, the absence of information and safety data was seen as a major challenge and barrier to enable pharmacists to confidently provide evidence-based recommendations. This study has enhanced our understanding of the attitudes and perspectives of community pharmacists towards the use of non-prescription, including complementary medicines, during breastfeeding. Future studies are warranted to confirm the safety of commonly used or requested

Toward a more empathic relationship in pain medicine.

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Banja, John D

2008-11-01

Specialists in pain medicine commonly experience psychological assaults on their self-esteem, especially from patients who seem unreasonably demanding, overly critical, or threatening. This article will discuss how these challenges can trigger a professional's self-protective and defensive coping mechanisms that, in turn, can provoke decidedly unempathic responses. Situations that compromise empathy, however, can be particularly worrisome in health delivery practices like pain medicine that are highly relational and that seek to use relationships therapeutically. The article will therefore conclude with two sets of strategies that might be useful in managing these uncomfortable situations more empathically. The first set will focus on certain pragmatics of empathy skill development. The second will discuss the Eastern notion of "bare attention" as an ideal form of empathic engagement that can also counteract an unhealthy degree of defensiveness when self-esteem is threatened.

Dictionary of radiation protection, radiobiology and nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sube, R [comp.

1986-01-01

Radiation protection, including aspects of radiobiology, nuclear medicine, and nuclear legislation, has an important role within nuclear research and the use of radioactive materials. Radiation protection comprises all measures and efforts to prevent the unwanted distribution and negative influence of ionizing radiation, especially where the human organism and the living environment are involved. The increasing role of radiation protection is reflected by the foundation of institutes in all industrial countries to control such radiant energy and prevent radiation damage. Nowadays ionizing radiation is employed on a large scale for basic investigations in biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, in soil tests, fertilization problems and pest control in agriculture, as well as for medicinal diagnoses and therapy. This dictionary is a thematic enlargement of the four-language 'Dictionary of Nuclear Engineering', compiled by the same author. It comprises about 12,000 terms in each language.

Una nueva especie amazónica de Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae Una nueva especie amazónica de Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae

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González Favio

1991-12-01

Full Text Available Mediante el estudio de colecciones provenientes de la Amazonia ecuatoriana (Napo y peruana (Huánuco y Loreto, es descrita Aristolochia schunkeana como especie nueva de Aristolochia ser. Thyrsicae; adicionalmente, se presenta una clave ilustrada para diferenciar las especies de la Amazonia noroccidental afines al nuevo taxon. Aristolochia schunkeana, from Ecuador (Napa and Peru (Huánuco and Loreto, is described as a new species of Aristolochia ser. Thyrsicae; in addition, a key and some drawings of the new taxon and their relatives from northwest Amazonia are provided.

Consumers' views on generic medicines: a review of the literature.

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Hassali, Mohamed A A; Shafie, Asrul A; Jamshed, Shazia; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M; Awaisu, Ahmed

2009-04-01

To review the literature on consumers' knowledge, attitudes and opinions of the use of generic medicines. A narrative review of studies conducted from 1970 to 2008 on consumers perceptions and views towards generic medicines was performed. An extensive literature search was undertaken using indexing services available at the authors' institution library. The following keywords were used for the search: brand, generic, multisource, medications, medicines, drugs, pharmaceuticals and consumers, customers, and patients. Electronic databases searched were Medline, Inside Web, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Springer Link, JSTOR, Proquest, Ebsco Host and Google Scholar. These electronic databases were searched for full text papers published in English from 1970 to October 2008. Twenty studies were identified. Eleven were from the USA, four were from Europe, two were from Canada and one each was from Australia, Brazil and Malaysia. In general, consumers showed mixed reactions towards the use of generic medicines. This was evident from the divergence of views observed by country development level, consumers' socioeconomic characteristics, drug product characteristics, pharmaceutical reimbursement system, policy environment, contact with health care professionals, past experience with medications, and knowledge of the seriousness of a medical condition. Patient confidence and knowledge pertaining to generic medicines use have increased over the past four decades, especially in developed countries. Mass educational efforts, financial incentives, and greater communication among patients and health care professionals were seen as major drivers to the uptake of generic medicines among consumers.

Race, money and medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloche, M Gregg

2006-01-01

Taking notice of race is both risky and inevitable, in medicine no less than in other endeavors. On the one hand, race can be a useful stand-in for unstudied genetic and environmental factors that yield differences in disease expression and therapeutic response. Attention to race can make a therapeutic difference, to the point of saving lives. On the other hand, racial distinctions have social meanings that are often pejorative or worse, especially when these distinctions are cast as culturally or biologically fixed. I argue in this essay that we should start with a presumption against racial categories in medicine, but permit their use when it might prolong lives or meaningfully improve health. Use of racial categories should be understood as an interim step; follow-up inquiry into the factors that underlie race-correlated clinical differences is important both to improve the efficacy of clinical care and to prevent race in itself from being misunderstood as a biological determinant. If we pursue such inquiry with vigor, the pernicious effects of racial categories on public understanding can be managed. But perverse market and regulatory incentives create the danger that use of race will be "locked-in," once drugs or other therapies are approved. These incentives should be revisited.

The Brazilian medicinal chemistry from 1998 to 2008 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry [A química medicinal brasileira de 1998 a 2008 nos periódicos Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters e European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Bárbara Vasconcellos da Silva; Renato Saldanha Bastos; Angelo da Cunha Pinto

2009-01-01

In this article we present the Brazilian publications, the research groups involved, the contributions per states and the main diseases studied from 1998 to 2008 in the following periodicals: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Medicinal plants sold at traditional markets in southern Ecuador.

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Tinitana, Fani; Rios, Montserrat; Romero-Benavides, Juan Carlos; de la Cruz Rot, Marcelino; Pardo-de-Santayana, Manuel

2016-07-05

The traditional markets in southern Ecuador and within the Andean region are especially important for plant resource trading among local people, even since before Spanish colonization; therefore, ethnobotanical studies are currently necessary and important. These strategic spaces persist for the traditional medicine cultural value reflected in the higher consumption of medicinal plants, which span all socioeconomic levels of rural and urban people. The purpose of this study includes the following: 1) to create a novel list of medicinal plants sold at 33 traditional markets; 2) to establish medicinal plant use agreement amongst vendors with the Factor of Informant Consensus (FIC); and 3) to determine the most sold medicinal plant species using the Fidelity Level (FL). This study focus on traditional markets ethnobotany utilizes the largest sample of medicinal plants market vendors up to date in Ecuador, interviewing them at 33 traditional markets, located within the Loja province. In order to determine the most sold medicinal plants and their ethnobotanical information, structured questionnaires and personal conversations were conducted with 196 medicinal plant vendors, and voucher specimens were created. Agreement among vendors about the therapeutic use of medicinal plants was measured using the FIC, and the most sold medicinal plant species were assessed with the FL. This research registered 160 medicinal plant species, grouped in 126 genera and 57 families that were sold in 33 traditional markets. The uses of medicinal plants in southern Ecuador are related to a long history of traditional medicine health practices that has persisted until today as well as high plant diversity. The 53 therapeutic uses recorded were grouped into 12 medical categories that were adapted from the World Health Organization. Three medical categories shared the highest value for FIC = 0.92, which showed a high level of agreement of market vendors for 57 medicinal plant species sold

LAS ESPECIES COLOMBIANAS DEL GÉNERO DIGITARIA (POACEAE: PANICOIDEAE: PANICEAE

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GIRALDO-CAÑAS DIEGO

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Se presenta un estudio sistemático, macro y micromorfológico de las especies colombianas del género Digitaria. Se analizan diversos aspectos relativos a la clasificación, la nomenclatura, las afinidades genéricas y la variación macro y micromorfológica de los caracteres, así como algunos aspectos anatómicos de la espiguilla y el antecio superior. El género Digitaria está representado en Colombia por 18 especies distribuidas en cinco secciones: Digitaria sect. Calvulae (una especie, Digitaria sect. Digitaria (siete especies, Digitaria sect. Ischaemum (tres especies, Digitaria sect. Ternatae (cuatro especies y Digitaria sect. Trichachne (tres especies. Dos especies son endémicas de Colombia (Digitaria cardenasiana y Digitaria andicola. Las especies Digitaria argillacea, Digitaria neesiana y Digitaria fragilis se excluyen de la flora de Colombia. Se presentan las claves para reconocer las secciones y las especies presentes en Colombia, así como también las descripciones de éstas, la iconografía, los usos, los nombres vulgares, la distribución geográfica y se comentan algunas observaciones morfológicas y ecológicas. Se documenta la presencia de espiguillas trifloras en el género Digitaria, situación observada en las especies Digitaria dioica y Digitaria nuda.

Heart failure - medicines

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CHF - medicines; Congestive heart failure - medicines; Cardiomyopathy - medicines; HF - medicines ... You will need to take most of your heart failure medicines every day. Some medicines are taken ...

Traditional Medicines and Kidney Disease in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Opportunities and Challenges.

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Stanifer, John W; Kilonzo, Kajiru; Wang, Daphne; Su, Guobin; Mao, Wei; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, La; Nayak-Rao, Shobhana; Miranda, J Jaime

2017-05-01

Traditional medicines are a principal form of health care for many populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and they have gained attention as an important means of health care coverage globally. In the context of kidney diseases, the challenges and opportunities presented by traditional medicine practices are among the most important considerations for developing effective and sustainable public health strategies. However, little is known about the practices of traditional medicines in relation to kidney diseases, especially concerning benefits and harms. Kidney diseases may be caused, treated, prevented, improved, or worsened by traditional medicines depending on the setting, the person, and the types, modes, and frequencies of traditional medicine use. Given the profound knowledge gaps, nephrology practitioners and researchers may be uniquely positioned to facilitate more optimal public health strategies through recognition and careful investigation of traditional medicine practices. Effective implementation of such strategies also will require local partnerships, including engaging practitioners and users of traditional medicines. As such, practitioners and researchers investigating kidney diseases may be uniquely positioned to bridge the cultural, social, historical, and biologic differences between biomedicine and traditional medicine, and they have opportunities to lead efforts in developing public health strategies that are sensitive to these differences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of Nutrition in Children Growth in View of Traditional Medicine.

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Farsani, Gholamreza Mohammadi; Movahhed, Mina

2016-05-01

Growth and development are the basic science in pediatric medicine. Growth disorder in children is one of the important health problems in the world, especially in developing countries. Regardless of the underlying disease, as the main cause of growth disorders, assessment and correction of nutritional status of these children are very important. Given the fundamental importance of this issue and ascending tendency to use complementary medicine in the world, this article discusses the traditional Iranian philosopher's views on the role of nutrition in child development. This study reviews textbooks of traditional medicine, particularly in the field of pediatric medicine with a focus on Canon of Medicine of Avicenna. Temperament is the physiological concept of the human body in traditional medicine and has an important role in health, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Generally, children are born with warm and wet temperament that provides the best condition for growth. However, the personal temperament of each child determines growth, the need for a variety of food groups, and even physical activity. Different appetite and food preferences in children show temperamental variation. Therefore, children need special management regarding special temperament. In Iranian traditional medicine, special lifestyle orders are discussed in detail according to these differentiations and nutritional management is the most important factor considered. In spite of advances in classical medicine in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, there are still a lot of therapeutic challenges in many health problems. Temperamental approach to the human body in traditional medicine provides a different perspective on the medicine. Reflecting on temperamental view in child development may lead to a better understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. On the other hand, further research studies based on the reform of nutrition with respect to temperament should be

Mind-Body Medicine Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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... Visitor Information RePORT NIH Fact Sheets Home > Mind-Body Medicine Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Small Text Medium Text Large Text Mind-Body Medicine Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine YESTERDAY ...

Medicinal plants consumption by patients under psychological treatment in a municipality in Chile

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Rodrigo Ramírez-Tagle

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Context: High levels of mental illness are found today in the population of Chile and the consumption of medicinal herbs could be included in the scope of complementary therapies for the treatment of mental illnesses. In Chile there is no information respect to consumption of medicinal herbs in patients under psychological treatment. Aims: To characterize the consumption of medicinal herbs by patients treated in a mental health clinic. Methods: In this quantitative cross-sectional study (n = 100, patients were administered a closed-response survey to determine the frequency of medicinal plant consumption as complementary treatment and subsequently to characterize such consumption. Results: Among the patients surveyed, 36% consumed medicinal herbs to treat a psychological pathology as a complementary treatment. Among those who consumed medicinal herbs, 65% consumed Cannabis sativa (marijuana either exclusively (42% or in conjunction with other plants (23%, 80% reported that their therapist was aware of this behavior, and 35% consumed medicinal herbs once or twice a day. Conclusions: In the present study, there was significant use of medicinal plants by patients treated at the mental health clinic, especially marijuana consuming. This demonstrates the importance of recognizing citizens´ right to free and equal access to healthcare and acknowledging the responsibility of the state to ensure the safety and quality of the services offered to the population.

Why teach literature and medicine? Answers from three decades.

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Jones, Anne Hudson

2013-12-01

In this essay, I look back at some of the earliest attempts by the first generation of literature-and-medicine scholars to answer the question: Why teach literature and medicine? Reviewing the development of the field in its early years, I examine statements by practitioners to see whether their answers have held up over time and to consider how the rationales they articulated have expanded or changed in the following years and why. Greater emphasis on literary criticism, narrative ethics, narrative theory, and reflective writing has influenced current work in the field in ways that could not have been foreseen in the 1970s. The extraordinary growth of interest and work in the field nationally and, especially since 1996, internationally has included practitioners in many additional areas such as disability studies, film studies, therapeutic writing, and trauma studies. Along with the emergence of narrative medicine, this diverse community of scholars and practitioners-affiliated more through their use of narrative methodologies than the teaching of literature-makes the perennial challenge of evaluation and assessment even more complicated.

[Confused Germanic blasphemy. Jacob Moleschott and materialistic medicine].

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de Liguori, Girolamo

2005-01-01

Starting from the reading of a recent biography of the Dutch materialistic physiologist Jacopo Moleschott (1822-1893), this article proposes a brief survey of the impact, especially in Italy, of the materialistic paradigm, not only in the field of medicine and of the natural sciences, but also in that of philosophy and of literature. From the rejection and ferocious criticisms of the Jesuits, such as Padre Previti, to the harsh ironies of Tommaseo--who, in reference to the academic lessons of Moleschott, spoke of "confused Germanic blasphemy"--, the survey proceeds to a recognition of the role and influence of Moleschott's perspective in the field of medicine, in that of science, and especially in the philosophical and epistemological debate on the relation between the experimental sciences and philosophy. The survey then proceeds to touch on the classical controversy over the Chemische Briefe of Liebig (1844), the dispute with Bufalini on the new way of thinking about the relation between physiology and pathology, and the influence exerted by the Dutch physiologist on Salvatore Tommasi. The article in the end broadens to include a rapid analysis of Moleschott's contribution to the field of literature, as well as to the more complicated debate on the natural sciences and materialism, which still today presents, beyond the outdated models of positivistic scientism, well-grounded themes of interest, if not of validity.

Radioisotopes: problems of responsibility arising from medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupon, Michel.

1978-09-01

Radioisotopes have brought about great progress in the battle against illnesses of mainly tumoral origin, whether in diagnosis (nuclear medicine) or in treatment (medical radiotherapy). They are important enough therefore to warrant investigation. Such a study is attempted here, with special emphasis, at a time when medical responsibility proceedings are being taken more and more often on the medicolegal problems arising from their medical use. It is hoped that this study on medical responsibility in the use of radioisotopes will have shown: that the use of radioisotopes for either diagnosis or therapy constitutes a major banch of medicine; that this importance implies an awareness by the practitioner of a vast responsibility, especially in law where legislation to ensure protection as strict as in the field of ionizing radiations is lacking. The civil responsibility of doctors who use radioisotopes remains to be defined, since for want of adequate jurisprudence we are reduced to hypotheses based on general principles [fr

Below the radar innovations and emerging property right approaches in Tibetan medicine.

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Madhavan, Harilal

2017-11-01

Outside the established legal framework of intellectual property rights, countries have pursued multiple pathways to protect and promote traditional medicine. As Tibetan medicine is a late entrant into commercialization, the proposals to propertize generally fall within the rationale of existing sui-generis paradigms of Intellectual property. In this context, the article enquires the state of innovations in this sector viz-a-viz the property right approaches in place especially in India and China. It argues that beyond the usual complex medical science and technology led-innovations, the pathways of cumulative processes and creative additions through informal experiential learning platforms, where the transfers of knowledge become part of livelihood and social benefits (we call them "below the radar innovations") is ubiquitous in Tibetan medicine. The trends and politics in two recent strategies of protection, that is, Tibetan medicine as economic property (emphasizing patents here among many others) and as a cultural property (intangible cultural heritage) are juxtaposed with these informal innovative attempts. The paper underlines that the productivity-based economic rationale of these protection mechanisms should not obscure sustainability alternatives of "below the radar" (BtR) innovations in Tibetan medicine.

Quality control of nuclear medicine instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-11-01

This document, which gives detailed guidance on the quality control of the various electronic instruments used for radiation detection and measurement in nuclear medicine, stems from the work of two Advisory Groups convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A preliminary document, including recommended test schedules but lacking actual protocols for the tests, was drawn up by the first of these groups, meeting at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna in 1979. A revised and extended version, incorporating recommended test protocols, was prepared by the second Group, meeting likewise in Vienna in 1982. This version is the model for the present text. The document should be of value to all nuclear medicine units, and especially to those in developing countries, in the initiation or revision of schemes for the quality control of their instruments. Its recommendations have provided the basis for instruction in two IAEA regional technical co-operation projects in the subject field, one initiated in 1981 for countries of Latin America and one initiated in 1982 for countries of Asia and the Pacific

An ethnopharmacological investigation of medicinal Salvia plants (Lamiaceae in China

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Minhui Li

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In China, over 40 species of the genus Salvia have been used as medicinal plants for various diseases, some for thousands of years. Recently, research has focused on the biological activities of Salvia medicinal plants used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM. However, to date a scientific survey of the genus Salvia in China has not been carried out. In this paper, we report the results of 10 field surveys of Salvia medicinal plants collected in 17 provinces including detailed information on their local names, growing environment, distribution and therapeutic effects. We also summarize the results of research on the materia medica, phytochemistry and pharmacology of some of the important Salvia medicinal plants. Our study reveals that 35 Salvia plants have been used in TCM in different regions of China, including 20 species used as Danshen to treat heart diseases, and 15 species used to treat a range of other conditions including gynecological diseases, muscular or skeletal problems, hepatitis, urological diseases, and mouth and eye conditions. It is clear that some species of Salvia L. possess significant pharmacological activity in the context of ethnopharmacological knowledge, especially in the treatment of heart disease. Further studies of the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Salvia species will no doubt improve their medical utilization and contribute to the development of new natural drugs.

Precision medicine and traditional chinese medicine of dialogue

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Lou Xin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The precision medicine is more precise individualized medicine, based on the patient’s genes or physiological to formulate the specific treatment plan, for the realization of individualized treatment of various diseases to provide valuable information.But with the progress of modern science and technology, modern medicine dependence on medical instruments are too serious, traditional ways are gradually forgotten.If the machine depends on the instrument test results too serious which don’t combined with the actual diagnosis, the cause of misdiagnosis, so we should pay attention to the overall analysis of diseases and systematic diagnosis and examination, use of the overall treatment concept traced back to find the cause of Traditional Chinese Medicine, finally decide to select a best treatment plan.We should use the dialectical attitude to look at the precise medical. Not blindly requirements according to the road of precision medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine to go, to shine in himself field, form of self characteristic of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Can learn some of the advantages of accurate concept, the good and rejecting the bad, hope the Traditional Chinese Medicine in the modern environment more walk more far.

A Single Medicine for a Disease: Simple Formula of Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine, It's Compilation and Succession.

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Hwang, Imkyung; Kim, Hoyeon

2013-08-01

In this article, we will examine the theory and practice of encounters between oral history and narrative medicine in view of storytelling. Man is a storytelling animal. Our experience is understood, reconstructed and transmitted as a story and we can find the meaning of life through a story. Oral history is a specific practice and method of research. It refers to the process of recording interviews with people who have something to say, transcribing the record and interpretating the written text to conduct the study of the past. Therefore story is a basic tool of oral history. There has been also growing interest regarding the narrative features of medicine. Especially the illness narrative is one of the most powerful tools in this context. An illness narrative is a patient's story about his illness, including the meaning of the illness in his life. Illness as a specific event of life can only be understood through a story of patient. How can we combine oral history and narrative medicine altogether? We propose two subjects, one is 'healing' and the other is 'the social'. The goal of medicine is healing of suffered people. It is well known that storytelling has a healing effect. Conducting oral history is not only 'recovery history' but also is helping people to have a well organized memory and integrate that into his whole life story. The use of oral history as a means of empowerment should be extended referring the healing effect of medicine. On the other hand, modern medicine has a tendency to reduce the problem of health and illness as an individual one. However story of illness can reveal the dominance of modern biomedicine in the contemporary and have political implications. Oral history deals with memory. Personal memory can only be understood in the context of social and cultural backgrounds. Collective memory is necessary in building community history. Medicine should learn from oral history's social dimensions. In this context, life of KIM Hyeongyul who

Patterns of Relating Between Physicians and Medical Assistants in Small Family Medicine Offices

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Elder, Nancy C.; Jacobson, C. Jeffrey; Bolon, Shannon K.; Fixler, Joseph; Pallerla, Harini; Busick, Christina; Gerrety, Erica; Kinney, Dee; Regan, Saundra; Pugnale, Michael

2014-01-01

PURPOSE The clinician-colleague relationship is a cornerstone of relationship-centered care (RCC); in small family medicine offices, the clinician–medical assistant (MA) relationship is especially important. We sought to better understand the relationship between MA roles and the clinician-MA relationship within the RCC framework. METHODS We conducted an ethnographic study of 5 small family medicine offices (having informed by clinicians’ roles in hiring and managing MAs and the social familiarity of MAs and clinicians. Within the RCC framework, these findings can be seen as previously undefined constraints and freedoms in what is known as the Complex Responsive Process of Relating between clinicians and MAs. CONCLUSIONS Improved understanding of clinician-MA relationships will allow a better appreciation of how clinicians and MAs function in family medicine teams. Our findings may assist small offices undergoing practice transformation and guide future research to improve the education, training, and use of MAs in the family medicine setting. PMID:24615311

Mapeamento Epidemiológico das Parasitoses Intestinais em Seis Bairros do Município de Araraquara/SP

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Viviane Ferre de Souza

2015-12-01

Full Text Available No Brasil, grandes inquéritos coproparasitológicos foram realizados até a década de 70. Nos últimos anos, contamos apenas com trabalhos isolados, que nem sempre podem ser comparados. Entretanto, nas regiões com infra-estrutura urbana deficiente, os inquéritos mostram que grande parte da população residente encontra-se parasitada (Gross et al., 1994: Santana et al., 1994. O estudo epidemiológico de quaisquer parasitas intestinais proporciona diversas informações, especialmente quanto à insalubridade do meio, nível e extensão do saneamento básico de uma região e também quanto aos hábitos higiênicos da população em estudo. Desta forma, neste estudo tivemos como objetivo caracterizar a incidência de parasitoses intestinais em moradores de seis bairros do município de Araraquara/SP. Nossos resultados demonstraram a grande incidência de parasitas intestinais. A Endolimax nana foi o parasita intestinal mais encontrado. Embora não sendo patogênico, sua existência revela a exposição destas pessoas a contaminantes fecais. A Giardia lamblia foi o parasita intestinal patogênico mais encontrado. Houve similaridade de acometimento das parasitoses tanto no sexo feminino quanto no masculino. O bairro Selmi Dei obteve o maior índice dessas parasitoses, caracterizando-se como o bairro de maior preocupação para saúde pública do município de Araraquara/SP.

Personalized medicine: a confluence of traditional and contemporary medicine.

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Jafari, Samineh; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Saeidnia, Soodabeh

2014-01-01

Traditional systems of medicine have attained great popularity among patients in recent years. Success of this system in the treatment of disease warrants consideration, particularly in cases for which conventional medicine has been insufficient. This study investigates the similarities in principles and approaches of 3 traditional systems and explores whether conventional medicine is able to exploit the advantages of traditional systems. This study first identifies and explores the advantages of 3 well-known systems-traditional Iranian medicine (TIM), ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-that are similar in their basic principles and methods. Second, it clarifies whether and how conventional medicine could exploit the advantages of traditional systems as it modernizes, to become more personalized. Finally, this study investigates the possibility that conventional medicine could benefit from traditional typology to improve its personalization. The acknowledgment of the unity of humans and nature, applying rational methods, and personalized approaches is fundamentally similar in the 3 systems. Additionally, they all promote the holistic view that health is harmony and disease is disharmony of the body. Other similarities include their recognition of the unique nature of every person and their categorization of people into different body types. Although conventional medicine has mostly failed to incorporate the advantages of traditional medicine, its integration with traditional medicine is achievable. For instance, exploiting traditional typologies in genomic and other studies may facilitate personalization of conventional medicine. From its review, the research team concludes that prospects are bright for the integration of traditional and conventional medicines and, consequently, for a dramatic improvement in health systems.

Traditional medicines and globalization: current and future perspectives in ethnopharmacology

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Marco eLeonti

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The ethnopharmacological approach towards the understanding and appraisal of traditional and herbal medicines is characterized by the inclusions of the social as well as the natural sciences. Anthropological field-observations describing the local use of nature-derived medicines are the basis for ethnopharmacological enquiries. The multidisciplinary scientific validation of indigenous drugs is of relevance to modern societies at large and helps to sustain local health care practices. Especially with respect to therapies related to ageing related, chronic and infectious diseases traditional medicines offer promising alternatives to biomedicine. Bioassays applied in ethnopharmacology represent the molecular characteristics and complexities of the disease or symptoms for which an indigenous drug is used in traditional medicine to variable depth and extent. One-dimensional in vitro approaches rarely cope with the complexity of human diseases and ignore the concept of polypharmacological synergies. The recent focus on holistic approaches and systems biology in medicinal plant research represents the trend towards the description and the understanding of complex multi-parameter systems.Ethnopharmacopoeias are non-static cultural constructs shaped by belief and knowledge systems. Intensified globalization and economic liberalism currently accelerates the interchange between local and global pharmacopoeias via international trade, television, the World Wide Web and print media. The increased infiltration of newly generated biomedical knowledge and introduction of foreign medicines into local pharmacopoeias leads to syncretic developments and generates a feedback loop. While modern and post-modern cultures and knowledge systems adapt and transform the global impact, they become more relevant for ethnopharmacology. Moreover, what is traditional, alternative or complementary medicine depends on the adopted historic-cultural perspective.

RELM: developing a serious game to teach evidence-based medicine in an academic health sciences setting.

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Gleason, Ann Whitney

2015-01-01

Gaming as a means of delivering online education continues to gain in popularity. Online games provide an engaging and enjoyable way of learning. Gaming is especially appropriate for case-based teaching, and provides a conducive environment for adult independent learning. With funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region (NN/LM PNR), the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Library, and the UW School of Medicine are collaborating to create an interactive, self-paced online game that teaches players to employ the steps in practicing evidence-based medicine. The game encourages life-long learning and literacy skills and could be used for providing continuing medical education.

Ethnoveterinary Medicine: The prospects of integrating medicinal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Medicinal plants products are part of the natural products that have been in use in traditional medicine and also a source of novel drugs. Therefore, the use of medicinal plant products would be a rational alternative to synthetic drugs. Ethnobotanical surveys carried out in many parts of Kenya have revealed a lot of plants ...

Medicinal use of plants by the peasant community of San Jacinto, northern Colombia Medicinal use of plants by the peasant community of San Jacinto, northern Colombia

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Bonzani Renée M.

1999-11-01

Full Text Available I studied the medicinal use of plants by the peasant community of the town of San Jacinto, located in the savanna of Bolívar, northern Colombia. Fifty-five families, 138 genera, and 118 species were scientifically identified from 249 specimens collected of the modern-day vegetation of San Jacinto. From these, 198 uses were recorded for 190 (76% of the specimens. The 54 uses recorded for human medicine (27% and the five uses recorded for animal medicine (2% are discussed. Vernacular names, parts used, method of preparation, and medicinal uses are listed.Se presenta un estudio etnobotánico de la comunidad campesina del pueblo de San Jacinto, localizado en las sabanas de Bolívar, norte de Colombia. Se identificaron científicamente 55 familias, 138 géneros, y 118 especies con base en 249 especímenes recolectados de la vegetación de San Jacinto. De esos, se establecieron 198 usos para 190 (76% especímenes. Se presentan 54 usos para medicina humana (27% y cinco usos para medicina animal (2%. Se listan nombres vernáculos, partes usadas, método de preparación, y usos medicinales.

Carcinogens, Teratogens and Mutagens: Their Impact on Occupational Health, Particularly for Women in Veterinary Medicine.

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Milligan, J. E.; And Others

1983-01-01

Pregnant women, especially those working in veterinary medicine, face occupational health/disease risks from mutagens, teratogens, and carcinogens. These hazards can be placed into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological. Each of these hazards is discussed with examples. (Author/JN)

Network pharmacology of medicinal attributes and functions of Chinese herbal medicines: (IV Classification and network analysis of medicinal functions of Chinese herbal medicines

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WenJun Zhang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In present study I used the data from CHM-DATA, the interactive database of 1127 Chinese herbal medicines with 78 medicinal functions (attributes. The relational network for medicinal functions of Chinese herbal medicines was constructed using my earlier data and methods. Results of network analysis showed that the network is a scale-free complex network at the significance level of alpha=0.01. It was demonstrated that Clear away heat, Detoxification, Remove lung-heat or nourish lung, Promote secretion of saliva or body, Relieve pain, Regulate or enhance energy flow (Qi, Nourish or warm spleen / stomach / Qi, and Dispel endogenous wind, are the most influential medicinal functions. Seven main modules, corresponding links and module functions were identified and three of them were (Clear away heat, Detoxification, Relieve pain, Regulate or enhance energy flow (Qi, (Loosen the bowels, Moisten dryness, Tonify blood, Nourish essential fluid (Yin, Inhibit or break energy flow (Qi, and (Relieve external syndrome, Induce perspiration, Relieve muscular spasm, Expose exthanthema or promote eruption. PCA of 78 medicinal functions demonstrated that the medicinal functions 1-50 accounted for 79% of the total variance. There were not absolutely significant components and medicinal functions. The 78 components from PCA were substantially 78 independent and comprehensive medicinal functions. Major medicinal functions for every component can be simply determined by their importance and contribution coefficients in the component. New medicinal definition for some the most important principal components were given. Category characteristics of medicinal functions were described. At a certain level, for example, the medicinal functions -Consolidate or warm kidney, -Whet the appetite or reinforce stomach, Cool blood, -Regulate or enhance energy flow (Qi, -Nourish or warm spleen / stomach / Qi, Clear away heat, Detoxification, and Dispel endogenous cold, are the

Factors influencing career decisions in internal medicine.

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Macdonald, C; Cawood, T

2012-08-01

Numerous factors influence career decisions for internal medicine trainees and Fellows. There is a perception that a greater emphasis is placed on work-family balance by younger physicians. To determine the characteristics of the modern internal medicine workforce and ascertain whether job flexibility is important to career decision-making. We hypothesised that factors which reflect flexibility would be highly influential in decision-making, especially for women and those with young children. A questionnaire was mailed to 250 New Zealand internal medicine trainees and Fellows. It focused on factors, including job flexibility, interest and collegial support, and included demographic details which were primarily aimed at ascertaining family responsibilities. Response rate was 54%. The majority of female physicians are the main person responsible for their children (62%), and the majority of their partners work full-time (80%). This contrasts with male physicians, of whom only 4% are the main person responsible for their children. Flexibility was found to be more influential in women, those with young children, trainees and those working in outpatient-based subspecialties. However, contrary to our original hypothesis, flexibility was not reported to be highly influential in any group, with career choice being most influenced by interest and enjoyment, intellectual challenge and variety within the job. It is hoped that results will inform employers and those involved with training to enable them to better cater for the needs of the workforce and also encourage trainees to consider future family commitments when making career decisions. © 2012 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Responding to the Pandemic of Falsified Medicines

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Nayyar, Gaurvika M. L.; Attaran, Amir; Clark, John P.; Culzoni, M. Julia; Fernandez, Facundo M.; Herrington, James E.; Kendall, Megan; Newton, Paul N.; Breman, Joel G.

2015-01-01

Over the past decade, the number of countries reporting falsified (fake, spurious/falsely labeled/counterfeit) medicines and the types and quantities of fraudulent drugs being distributed have increased greatly. The obstacles in combating falsified pharmaceuticals include 1) lack of consensus on definitions, 2) paucity of reliable and scalable technology to detect fakes before they reach patients, 3) poor global and national leadership and accountability systems for combating this scourge, and 4) deficient manufacturing and regulatory challenges, especially in China and India where fake products often originate. The major needs to improve the quality of the world's medicines fall into three main areas: 1) research to develop and compare accurate and affordable tools to identify high-quality drugs at all levels of distribution; 2) an international convention and national legislation to facilitate production and utilization of high-quality drugs and protect all countries from the criminal and the negligent who make, distribute, and sell life-threatening products; and 3) a highly qualified, well-supported international science and public health organization that will establish standards, drug-quality surveillance, and training programs like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Such leadership would give authoritative guidance for countries in cooperation with national medical regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and international agencies, all of which have an urgent interest and investment in ensuring that patients throughout the world have access to good quality medicines. The organization would also advocate strongly for including targets for achieving good quality medicines in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. PMID:25897060

Parasitas zoonóticos em fezes de cães em praças públicas do município de Itabuna, Bahia, Brasil Zoonotic parasites in dog feces at public squares in the municipality of Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil

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Pedro C. Campos Filho

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Avaliou-se a contaminação de praças públicas da área urbana do município de Itabuna, BA, Brasil, por parasitos zoonóticos presentes em fezes de cães. Foram coletadas 119 amostras fecais de cães em 10 praças. Logo após, estas fezes foram encaminhadas ao Laboratório de Parasitologia da UESC e analisadas pelo método de Mariano e Carvalho. Do total das amostras analisadas, 56,3% continham alguma forma evolutiva parasitária, sendo o parasita mais freqüente Ancylostoma sp. com 47,9%, seguido por 6,7% de Strongyloides stercortalis, 4,2% tanto para ovos de Toxocara canis quanto de Trichuris vulpis, 2,5% para cistos de Endolimax nana, e 0,8% tanto para cistos de Giardia intestinalis quanto para os de Entamoeba coli.The contamination of public squares by zoonotic potential parasites was evaluated at the urban areas in the municipality of Itabuna Brasil. For such, 119 fecal samples of dogs were collected at 10 public squares. After that, these feces samples were transported to the Parasitology Laboratory in the UESC and they were analyzed by Mariano and Carvalho's method. Of the total analized samples, 56.3% show some parasitic evolutive form. Ancylostoma sp. was the most frequently (47.9%, followed by Strongyloides stercortalis (6.7%, Toxocara canis and Trichuris vulpis eggs (4.2% each, Endolimax nana cysts (2.5%, and Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba coli cysts (0.8% each.

Dictionary of radiation protection, radiobiology and nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sube, R.

1986-01-01

Radiation protection, including aspects of radiobiology, nuclear medicine, and nuclear legislation, has an important role within nuclear research and the use of radioactive materials. Radiation protection comprises all measures and efforts to prevent the unwanted distribution and negative influence of ionizing radiation, especially where the human organism and the living environment are involved. The increasing role of radiation protection is reflected by the foundation of institutes in all industrial countries to control such radiant energy and prevent radiation damage. Nowadays ionizing radiation is employed on a large scale for basic investigations in biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, in soil tests, fertilization problems and pest control in agriculture, as well as for medicinal diagnoses and therapy. This dictionary is a thematic enlargement of the four-language 'Dictionary of Nuclear Engineering', compiled by the same author. It comprises about 12,000 terms in each language. (orig.)

CARIOTIPOS DE ESPECIES SUDAMERICANAS DE SERJANIA (SAPINDACEAE, PAULLINIEAE

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Viviana G. Solis Neffa

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Se han estudiado los cromosomas mitóticos de quince especies de Serjania Mill., con 2n = 24, de América del Sur. Los resultados incluyen los primeros recuentos de S. paludosa Cambess. y S. setigera Radlk. Fueron analizados los cariotipos de todas las especies, trece de ellos se describen por primera vez. Aunque no ha habido ningún cambio en el número de cromosomas durante la evolución de Serjania y los cariotipos muestran un moderado grado de asimetría, hay una considerable variabilidad en tamaño de los cromosomas entre las especies. El análisis comparativo de las especies de la misma sección muestra diferencias en la longitud de los cromosomas y la constitución cariotípica. Esto fue también evidente en las dos accesiones de S. laruotteana Cambess. y S. meridionalis Cambess. La variabilidad cariotípica observada en Serjania sería el resultado de reordenamientos cromosómicos estructurales y/o la adición de material genético.

Are patients who use alternative medicine dissatisfied with orthodox medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, W J; Spykerboer, J E; Thong, Y H

1985-05-13

Approximately 45% of asthmatic families and 47% of non-asthmatic families had consulted an alternative-medicine practitioner at some time. The most popular form of alternative medicine was chiropractic (21.1% and 26.4%, respectively), followed by homoeopathy/naturopathy (18.8% and 12.7%, respectively), acupuncture (9.4% and 10.9%, respectively), and herbal medicine (4.7% and 6.4%, respectively), while the remainder (20.3% and 11.8% respectively) was distributed among iridology, osteopathy, hypnosis, faith healing and megavitamin therapy. More families were satisfied with orthodox medicine (87.1% and 93.6%, respectively) than with alternative medicine (84.2% and 75.1%, respectively). Crosstabulation analysis of pooled data both from asthma and from non-asthma groups showed that 76.4% were satisfied both with orthodox and with alternative medicine, and 16.4% were satisfied with orthodox, but not with alternative, medicine. In contrast, only 2.7% were dissatisfied with orthodox medicine and satisfied with alternative medicine (chi2 = 9.33; P less than 0.01). These findings do not support the view that patients who use alternative medicine are those who are disgruntled with orthodox medicine.

Medicines by Design

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... Home > Science Education > Medicines By Design Medicines By Design Spotlight Nature's Medicine Cabinet A Medicine's Life Inside ... hunt for drugs of the future. Medicines By Design in PDF | E-PUB Tell Us What You ...

General Nuclear Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... Resources Professions Site Index A-Z General Nuclear Medicine Nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive ... of General Nuclear Medicine? What is General Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging ...

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 Significance of an Enhanced Concept of the Organism for Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Recent developments in evolutionary biology, comparative embryology, and systems biology suggest the necessity of a conceptual shift in the way we think about organisms. It is becoming increasingly evident that molecular and genetic processes are subject to extremely refined regulation and control by the cell and the organism, so that it becomes hard to define single molecular functions or certain genes as primary causes of specific processes. Rather, the molecular level is integrated into highly regulated networks within the respective systems. This has consequences for medical research in general, especially for the basic concept of personalized medicine or precision medicine. Here an integrative systems concept is proposed that describes the organism as a multilevel, highly flexible, adaptable, and, in this sense, autonomous basis for a human individual. The hypothesis is developed that these properties of the organism, gained from scientific observation, will gradually make it necessary to rethink the conceptual framework of physiology and pathophysiology in medicine. PMID:27446221

Essential medicines in Tanzania: does the new delivery system improve supply and accountability?

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Mikkelsen-Lopez, Inez; Cowley, Peter; Kasale, Harun; Mbuya, Conrad; Reid, Graham; de Savigny, Don

2014-02-01

Objective : Assess whether reform in the Tanzanian medicines delivery system from a central 'push' kit system to a decentralized 'pull' Integrated Logistics System (ILS) has improved medicines accountability. Methods : Rufiji District in Tanzania was used as a case study. Data on medicines ordered and patients seen were compiled from routine information at six public health facilities in 1999 under the kit system and in 2009 under the ILS. Three medicines were included for comparison: an antimalarial, anthelmintic and oral rehydration salts (ORS). Results : The quality of the 2009 data was hampered by incorrect quantification calculations for orders, especially for antimalarials. Between the periods 1999 and 2009, the percent of unaccounted antimalarials fell from 60 to 18%, while the percent of unaccounted anthelmintic medicines went from 82 to 71%. Accounting for ORS, on the other hand, did not improve as the unaccounted amounts increased from 64 to 81% during the same period. Conclusions : The ILS has not adequately addressed accountability concerns seen under the kit system due to a combination of governance and system-design challenges. These quantification weaknesses are likely to have contributed to the frequent periods of antimalarial stock-out experienced in Tanzania since 2009. We propose regular reconciliation between the health information system and the medicines delivery system, thereby improving visibility and guiding interventions to increase the availability of essential medicines.

The global pipeline of new medicines for the control and elimination of malaria

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Over the past decade, there has been a transformation in the portfolio of medicines to combat malaria. New fixed-dose artemisinin combination therapy is available, with four different types having received approval from Stringent Regulatory Authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO). However, there is still scope for improvement. The Malaria Eradication Research agenda identified several gaps in the current portfolio. Simpler regimens, such as a single-dose cure are needed, compared with the current three-day treatment. In addition, new medicines that prevent transmission and also relapse are needed, but with better safety profiles than current medicines. There is also a big opportunity for new medicines to prevent reinfection and to provide chemoprotection. This study reviews the global portfolio of new medicines in development against malaria, as of the summer of 2012. Cell-based phenotypic screening, and ‘fast followers’ of clinically validated classes, mean that there are now many new classes of molecules starting in clinical development, especially for the blood stages of malaria. There remain significant gaps for medicines blocking transmission, preventing relapse, and long-duration molecules for chemoprotection. The nascent pipeline of new medicines is significantly stronger than five years ago. However, there are still risks ahead in clinical development and sustainable funding of clinical studies is vital if this early promise is going to be delivered. PMID:22958514

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.

Radionuclides in biology and medicine-review and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, J.R.

1996-01-01

Radioactivity was discovered by Becquerel in France on March 1, 1896. It is appropriate in this centennial year to review its history, especially its applications in biology and medicine. Its future is currently open-quotes under a cloudclose quotes because of the exaggerated fear of health risks from low-level radioactivity. The author is optimistic about its future, but one will have to wait a few decades for the cloud of ignorance to pass and the sunshine of education about radiation to greatly reduce radiation phobia

Radionuclides in biology and medicine-review and future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron, J.R. [Cameron Consultant, Lone Rock, WI (United States)

1996-12-31

Radioactivity was discovered by Becquerel in France on March 1, 1896. It is appropriate in this centennial year to review its history, especially its applications in biology and medicine. Its future is currently {open_quotes}under a cloud{close_quotes} because of the exaggerated fear of health risks from low-level radioactivity. The author is optimistic about its future, but one will have to wait a few decades for the cloud of ignorance to pass and the sunshine of education about radiation to greatly reduce radiation phobia.

Nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentle, B.C.

1986-01-01

Several growth areas for nuclear medicine were defined. Among them were: cardiac nuclear medicine, neuro-psychiatric nuclear medicine, and cancer diagnosis through direct tumor imaging. A powerful new tool, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was lauded as the impetus for new developments in nuclear medicine. The political environment (funding, degree of autonomy) was discussed, as were the economic and scientific environments

Theoretical basis, application, reliability, and sample size estimates of a Meridian Energy Analysis Device for Traditional Chinese Medicine Research

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Ming-Yen Tsai

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The Meridian Energy Analysis Device is currently a popular tool in the scientific research of meridian electrophysiology. In this field, it is generally believed that measuring the electrical conductivity of meridians provides information about the balance of bioenergy or Qi-blood in the body. METHODS AND RESULTS: PubMed database based on some original articles from 1956 to 2014 and the authoŕs clinical experience. In this short communication, we provide clinical examples of Meridian Energy Analysis Device application, especially in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, discuss the reliability of the measurements, and put the values obtained into context by considering items of considerable variability and by estimating sample size. CONCLUSION: The Meridian Energy Analysis Device is making a valuable contribution to the diagnosis of Qi-blood dysfunction. It can be assessed from short-term and long-term meridian bioenergy recordings. It is one of the few methods that allow outpatient traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, monitoring the progress, therapeutic effect and evaluation of patient prognosis. The holistic approaches underlying the practice of traditional Chinese medicine and new trends in modern medicine toward the use of objective instruments require in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms of meridian energy, and the Meridian Energy Analysis Device can feasibly be used for understanding and interpreting traditional Chinese medicine theory, especially in view of its expansion in Western countries.

Esencialismo, valores epistémicos y conceptos de especie

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Julio Torres

2011-07-01

Full Text Available En el actual contexto científico que forma la concepción darwiniana de las especies aún persisten las interpretaciones esencialistas de los conceptos de especie. ¿Se trata aquí sólo de la ignorancia de la teoría biológica? O, más bien, ¿es posible comprender la persistencia de los enfoques esencialistas sobre la base de la potencialidad de estos enfoques para explicar el logro de ciertos valores epistémicos de los actuales conceptos de especie? Me propongo responder afirmativamente a esta última pregunta y también evaluar en qué medida las intuiciones esencialistas coinciden con las estrategias explicativas de los proponentes de los modernos conceptos de especie.

Contemporary challenges on access to medicines: beyond the UNSG High-Level Panel

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Jorge Bermudez

Full Text Available Abstract Within the context of the recently released United Nations Secretary-General´s Report of the High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, the author reviews issues related to the context and discussions on access to medicines and the conflict between trade and health during the last decades. These issues have been relevant and outstanding in Global Health, especially questioning the current system of innovation, R&D and IP protection. Lessons learned from the HLP Report are highlighted and the need to further discuss and implement concrete actions, as the world has moved from the MDGs to the SDGs, demand strong actions derived from the United Nations and a strong interaction with other key stakeholders. Affordability and unaffordability of new technologies are discussed, making clear that we need to implement bold actions in order to ensure access to medicines as a human right.

Electronics Related to Nuclear Medicine Imaging Devices. Chapter 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ott, R. J. [Joint Department of Physics, Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey (United Kingdom); Stephenson, R. [Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom)

2014-12-15

Nuclear medicine imaging is generally based on the detection of X rays and γ rays emitted by radionuclides injected into a patient. In the previous chapter, the methods used to detect these photons were described, based most commonly on a scintillation counter although there are imaging devices that use either gas filled ionization detectors or semiconductors. Whatever device is used, nuclear medicine images are produced from a very limited number of photons, due mainly to the level of radioactivity that can be safely injected into a patient. Hence, nuclear medicine images are usually made from many orders of magnitude fewer photons than X ray computed tomography (CT) images, for example. However, as the information produced is essentially functional in nature compared to the anatomical detail of CT, the apparently poorer image quality is overcome by the nature of the information produced. The low levels of photons detected in nuclear medicine means that photon counting can be performed. Here each photon is detected and analysed individually, which is especially valuable, for example, in enabling scattered photons to be rejected. This is in contrast to X ray imaging where images are produced by integrating the flux entering the detectors. Photon counting, however, places a heavy burden on the electronics used for nuclear medicine imaging in terms of electronic noise and stability. This chapter will discuss how the signals produced in the primary photon detection process can be converted into pulses providing spatial, energy and timing information, and how this information is used to produce both qualitative and quantitative images.

Islamic medicine and evolutionary medicine: a comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Saniotis, Arthur

2012-01-01

The advent of evolutionary medicine in the last two decades has provided new insights into the causes of human disease and possible preventative strategies. One of the strengths of evolutionary medicine is that it follows a multi-disciplinary approach. Such an approach is vital to future biomedicine as it enables for the infiltration of new ideas. Although evolutionary medicine uses Darwinian evolution as a heuristic for understanding human beings' susceptibility to disease, this is not necessarily in conflict with Islamic medicine. It should be noted that current evolutionary theory was first expounded by various Muslim scientists such as al-Jāḥiẓ, al-Ṭūsī, Ibn Khaldūn and Ibn Maskawayh centuries before Darwin and Wallace. In this way, evolution should not be viewed as being totally antithetical to Islam. This article provides a comparative overview of Islamic medicine and Evolutionary medicine as well as drawing points of comparison between the two approaches which enables their possible future integration.

Chinese medicine education and its challenges in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yihyun

2014-04-01

Over the past 4 decades Chinese medicine (CM) has come increasingly into the spotlight in the United States as the clinical effectiveness of CM has been not only empirically well-tested over a long period of time but also proven by recent scientific research. It has proven cost effectiveness, safety, and is authorized for natural and holistic approaches. In consideration, CM is one of the underutilized health care professions in the United States with a promising future. However, CM faces many challenges in its education and system, its niche in the health care system as an independent profession, legal and ethical issues. This paper discusses the confronting issues in the United States: present education, standards of CM education with shifting first professional degree level, new delivery systems of CM education. Development of new research models, training of evidence-based practice, and implementation of integrative medicine into CM education also are the key issues in the current CM profession. This paper also discusses opportunities for the CM profession going beyond the current status, especially with a focus on fusion medicine.

Aerospace Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Michaud, Vince

2015-01-01

NASA Aerospace Medicine overview - Aerospace Medicine is that specialty area of medicine concerned with the determination and maintenance of the health, safety, and performance of those who fly in the air or in space.

Interventional recanalization combined with chinese traditional medicine in the treatment of fallopian tube obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Lizhe; Liu Hui; He Zhao; Wei Feng; Ma Xuanpeng

2004-01-01

Objective: To observe the curative effect of interventional recanalization combined with chinese traditional medicine in treatment of fallopian tube obstruction. Methods: There were 200 cases in treatment group and 120 cases in control group. In the treatment group patients were given chinese herbal medicine after the intervention. In sixth month a follow up imaging was performed assessing the patency. The follow up also included the pregnancy rate 1 year later. Results: The patency rate was 83% in treatment group, and 81.5% in control group (P>0.05). Re-conjunction rate was 7.6% in the study group and 22% in control group (P<0.01). The pregnancy rate was 67% in study group and 42% in control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: With interventional recanalization combined with chinese traditional medicine, good curative effect obtained in treatment of fallopian tube obstructive infertility. Combined with Chinese traditional medicine, the post-procedure re-conjunction rate is decreased, especially in the case of short fallopian tube obstruction

The Biology of Emergency Medicine: what have 30 years meant for Rosen's original concepts?

Science.gov (United States)

Zink, Brian J

2011-03-01

In 1979 Peter Rosen, MD, a leading academic figure in the developing field of emergency medicine (EM), wrote an article, "The Biology of Emergency Medicine," in response to criticism from other specialties and medical leaders that there was no unique biology of EM that would qualify it as a legitimate medical specialty. This essay received much attention at the time and served as rallying cry for emergency physicians (EPs) who were trying to find their places in the house of medicine and especially in medical schools and academic teaching hospitals. Thirty years later, the opposition that prompted many of Rosen's strongly worded impressions and observations on the biology of EM, clinical emergency department (ED) practice, education, and research has largely faded. Many of Rosen's predictions on the eventual success of EM have come true. However, core issues that existed then continue to present challenges for academic EM and clinical emergency practice. © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

The presence of medicines and drugs in wastes water; Presencia de farmacos y drogas en aguas residuales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Postigo, C.; Gros, M.; Kuster, M.; Petrovic, M.; Lopez de Alda, M.; Barcelo, D.

2008-07-01

Medicines and drugs are emerging pollutants. The presence of medicines, especially oestrogens, in the aquatic environment has already been much studied; more recently attention has also turned to detecting drugs. Their effect on the aquatic environment is through waste waters, after they have passed through a waste water treatment plant or not. The levels of each of the types of substances considered medicines in general, estrogens and drugs and their subgroups, detected in waste waters are reported together with the relationship between these levels and aspects such as the volume of the substances consumed, their metabolism and where they end up in the environment. (Author) 106 refs.

Rationale and Design of the Women and Inclusion in Academic Medicine Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Emorcia V; Wake, Michael; Carapinha, René; Normand, Sharon-Lise; Wolf, Robert E; Norris, Keith; Reede, Joan Y

2016-04-21

Women of color (WOC) (African American, Hispanic, Native American/Alaskan Native, and Asian American) faculty remain disproportionately underrepresented among medical school faculty and especially at senior ranks compared with White female faculty. The barriers or facilitators to the career advancement of WOC are poorly understood. The Women and Inclusion in Academic Medicine (WIAM) study was developed to characterize individual, institutional and sociocultural factors that influence the entry, progression and persistence, and advancement of women faculty in academic medical careers with a focus on WOC. Using a purposive sample of 13 academic medical institutions, we collected qualitative interview data from 21 WOC junior faculty and quantitative data from 3,127 (38.9% of 8,053 eligible women) respondents via an online survey. To gather institutional data, we used an online survey and conducted 23 key administrative informant interviews from the 13 institutions. Grounded theory methodology will be used to analyze qualitative data. Multivariable analysis including hierarchical linear modeling will be used to investigate outcomes, such as the inclusiveness of organizational gender climate and women faculty's intent to stay. We describe the design, methods, rationale and limitations of one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of women faculty in academic medicine with a focus on WOC. This study will enhance our understanding of challenges that face women, and, especially WOC, faculty in academic medicine and will provide solutions at both the individual and institutional levels.

Myiasis by Philornis spp. (Diptera: Muscidae in Dendroica castanea (Aves: Parulidae in Panama Miasis ocasionada por Philornis spp. (Diptera: Muscidae in Dendroica castanea (Aves: Parulidae en Panamá

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Jorge M. Herrera

2012-09-01

Full Text Available We report the parasitism of an unidentified species of Philornis, extracted from a juvenile Dendroica castanea that was collected from Pipeline Road of the Soberania National Park of Panama. This finding is unusual since Philornis spp. parasitizes nested chicks. On the other hand, this is the first time that this parasite is reported in D. castanea.Registramos el parasitismo de una especie no identificada de Philornis extraída de un juvenil de Dendroica castanea, capturada en el Sendero del Oleoducto del Parque Nacional Soberanía. Este hallazgo es inusual ya que Philornis spp. parasita principalmente polluelos en nidos. Del mismo modo, el presente constituye el primer registro del parásito en D. castanea.

A review of effective herbal medicines in controlling menopausal symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Kargozar, Rahele; Azizi, Hoda; Salari, Roshanak

2017-01-01

Background Acute menopausal syndrome especially hot flashes, is one of the most common gynecological problems during menopause. Due to the side effects of hormone therapy, herbal and complementary medicines are always of immense interest to people in the treatment and management of the symptoms and complications of menopause. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms and effects of medicinal plants employed in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Methods This review article was carried out by examining clinical trial studies between the period of 1994 and 2016. The keywords, which include menopause, climacteric, hot flushes, flashes, herb and phytoestrogens were used to search for herbal medicines used in clinical trials for the treatment of menopausal symptoms using databases such as PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Google scholar, SID and Magiran. Results The results of the study showed that the medicinal plants, which include Sage herb (Salvia officinalis), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Valerina officinalis, Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), Black cumin (Nigella sativa), Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), Ginkgo biloba, Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Hypericum perforatum, Panax ginseng, Pimpinella anisum, Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Passiflora incarnata, Red clover (Trifolium pratense), and Glycine soja were effective in the treatment of acute menopausal syndrome with different mechanisms. Conclusion Medicinal plants can play an imperative role in the treatment of acute menopausal syndrome; however, further studies are required to buttress their efficacy in the treatment of acute menopausal syndrome. PMID:29403626

Traditional medicine for the rich and knowledgeable: challenging assumptions about treatment-seeking behaviour in rural and peri-urban Nepal

Science.gov (United States)

Thorsen, Rikke Stamp; Pouliot, Mariève

2016-01-01

Traditional medicine is commonly assumed to be a crucial health care option for poor households in developing countries. However, little research has been done in Asia to quantify the reliance on traditional medicine and its determinants. This research contributes to filling in this knowledge gap using household survey data collected from 571 households in three rural and peri-urban sites in Nepal in 2012. Questions encompassed household socioeconomic characteristics, illness characteristics, and treatment-seeking behaviour. Treatment choice was investigated through bivariate analyses. Results show that traditional medicine, and especially self-treatment with medicinal plants, prevail as treatment options in both rural and peri-urban populations. Contrarily to what is commonly assumed, high income is an important determinant of use of traditional medicine. Likewise, knowledge of medicinal plants, age, education, gender and illness chronicity were also significant determinants. The importance of self-treatment with medicinal plants should inform the development of health policy tailored to people’s treatment-seeking behaviour. PMID:26130610

Variability of ethics education in laboratory medicine training programs: results of an international survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruns, David E; Burtis, Carl A; Gronowski, Ann M; McQueen, Matthew J; Newman, Anthony; Jonsson, Jon J

2015-03-10

Ethical considerations are increasingly important in medicine. We aimed to determine the mode and extent of teaching of ethics in training programs in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. We developed an on-line survey of teaching in areas of ethics relevant to laboratory medicine. Reponses were invited from directors of training programs who were recruited via email to leaders of national organizations. The survey was completed by 80 directors from 24 countries who directed 113 programs. The largest numbers of respondents directed postdoctoral training of scientists (42%) or physicians (33%), post-masters degree programs (33%), and PhD programs (29%). Most programs (82%) were 2years or longer in duration. Formal training was offered in research ethics by 39%, medical ethics by 31%, professional ethics by 24% and business ethics by 9%. The number of reported hours of formal training varied widely, e.g., from 0 to >15h/year for research ethics and from 0 to >15h for medical ethics. Ethics training was required and/or tested in 75% of programs that offered training. A majority (54%) of respondents reported plans to add or enhance training in ethics; many indicated a desire for online resources related to ethics, especially resources with self-assessment tools. Formal teaching of ethics is absent from many training programs in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine, with heterogeneity in the extent and methods of ethics training among the programs that provide the training. A perceived need exists for online training tools, especially tools with self-assessment components. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Theranostics and metabolotheranostics for precision medicine in oncology

Science.gov (United States)

Bhujwalla, Zaver M.; Kakkad, Samata; Chen, Zhihang; Jin, Jiefu; Hapuarachchige, Sudath; Artemov, Dmitri; Penet, Marie-France

2018-06-01

Most diseases, especially cancer, would significantly benefit from precision medicine where treatment is shaped for the individual. The concept of theragnostics or theranostics emerged around 2002 to describe the incorporation of diagnostic assays into the selection of therapy for this purpose. Increasingly, theranostics has been used for strategies that combine noninvasive imaging-based diagnostics with therapy. Within the past decade theranostic imaging has transformed into a rapidly expanding field that is located at the interface of diagnosis and therapy. A critical need in cancer treatment is to minimize damage to normal tissue. Molecular imaging can be applied to identify targets specific to cancer with imaging, design agents against these targets to visualize their delivery, and monitor response to treatment, with the overall purpose of minimizing collateral damage. Genomic and proteomic profiling can provide an extensive 'fingerprint' of each tumor. With this cancer fingerprint, theranostic agents can be designed to personalize treatment for precision medicine of cancer, and minimize damage to normal tissue. Here, for the first time, we have introduced the term 'metabolotheranostics' to describe strategies where disease-based alterations in metabolic pathways detected by MRS are specifically targeted with image-guided delivery platforms to achieve disease-specific therapy. The versatility of MRI and MRS in molecular and functional imaging makes these technologies especially important in theranostic MRI and 'metabolotheranostics'. Our purpose here is to provide insights into the capabilities and applications of this exciting new field in cancer treatment with a focus on MRI and MRS.

Lista de las especies de Flebotomos (Diptera: psychodidae, phlebotominae de Colombia

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Cristina Ferro

1988-12-01

Full Text Available Se presenta una lista de 133 especies de Phlebotominae encontradas hasta ahora en Colombia S.A. pertenecientes a los géneros Warileya (2 especies, Brumptomyia (6 especies y Lutzomyia (125 especies.

Surveillance for falsified and substandard medicines in Africa and Asia by local organizations using the low-cost GPHF Minilab.

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Albert Petersen

Full Text Available Substandard and falsified medical products present a serious threat to public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Their identification using pharmacopeial analysis is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment and highly trained personnel. Simple, low-cost technologies are required in addition to full pharmacopeial analysis in order to accomplish widespread routine surveillance for poor-quality medicines in low- and middle-income countries.Ten faith-based drug supply organizations in seven countries of Africa and Asia were each equipped with a Minilab of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF, Frankfurt, Germany, suitable for the analysis of about 85 different essential medicines by thin-layer chromatography. Each organization was asked to collect approximately 100 medicine samples from private local medicine outlets, especially from the informal sector. The medicine samples were tested locally according to the Minilab protocols. Medicines which failed Minilab testing were subjected to confirmatory analysis in a WHO-prequalified medicine quality control laboratory in Kenya.Out of 869 medicine samples, 21 were confirmed to be substandard or falsified medical products. Twelve did not contain the stated active pharmaceutical ingredient (API, six contained insufficient amounts of the API, and three showed insufficient dissolution of the API. The highest proportion of substandard and falsified medicines was found in Cameroon (7.1%, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (2.7% and Nigeria (1.1%. Antimalarial medicines were most frequently found to be substandard or falsified (9.5% of all antimalarials. Thin-layer chromatography according to the Minilab protocols was found to be specific and reproducible in the identification of medicines which did not contain the stated API. Since only samples which failed Minilab testing were subjected to confirmatory testing using pharmacopeial methods, this study did not assess the

Overdependence on For-Profit Pharmacies: A Descriptive Survey of User Evaluation of Medicines Availability in Public Hospitals in Selected Nigerian States.

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Ushie, Boniface Ayanbekongshie; Ugal, David Betelwhobel; Ingwu, Justin Agorye

2016-01-01

Lower availability of medicines in Nigerian public health facilities-the most affordable option for the masses-undermines global health reforms to improve access to health for all, especially the chronically ill and poor. Thus, a sizeable proportion of healthcare users, irrespective of purchasing power, buy medicines at higher costs from for-profit pharmacies. We examined user evaluation of medicine availability in public facilities and how this influences their choice of where to buy medicines in selected states-Cross River, Enugu and Oyo-in Nigeria. We approached and interviewed 1711 healthcare users using a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire as they exited for-profit pharmacies after purchasing medicines. This ensured that both clients who had presented at health facilities (private/public) and those who did not were included. Information was collected on why respondents could not buy medicines at the hospitals they attended, their views of medicine availability and whether their choice of where to buy medicines is influenced by non-availability. Respondents' mean age was 37.7±14.4 years; 52% were males, 59% were married, 82% earned ≥NGN18, 000 (US$57.19) per month, and 72% were not insured. Majority (66%) had prescriptions; of this, 70% were from public facilities. Eighteen percent of all respondents indicated that all their medicines were usually available at the public facilities, most (29%), some (44%) and not always available (10%). Reasons for using for-profit pharmacies included: health workers attitudes (43%), referral by providers (43%); inadequate money to purchase all prescribed drugs (42%) and cumbersome processes for obtaining medicines. Lower availability of medicines has serious implications for healthcare behavior, especially because of poverty. It is crucial for government to fulfill its mandate of equitable access to care for all by making medicines available and cheap through reviving and sustaining the drug revolving

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China

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Zhang, Bengang; Xiao, Peigen; Qi, Yaodong; Zhang, Zhao; Liu, Haitao; Li, Xiaojin; Wang, Guoping; Terwei, André

2016-01-01

With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), the Uygur Medicine (UM), and the Kazak Medicine (KM) for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter) as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1) medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2) medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3) CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1), in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2), for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants. PMID:27391239

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

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Liping Li

Full Text Available With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM, the Uygur Medicine (UM, and the Kazak Medicine (KM for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1 medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2 medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3 CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1, in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2, for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants.

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liping; Zhang, Bengang; Xiao, Peigen; Qi, Yaodong; Zhang, Zhao; Liu, Haitao; Li, Xiaojin; Wang, Guoping; Terwei, André

2016-01-01

With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), the Uygur Medicine (UM), and the Kazak Medicine (KM) for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter) as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1) medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2) medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3) CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1), in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2), for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants.

[Monitoring medication errors in an internal medicine service].

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Smith, Ann-Loren M; Ruiz, Inés A; Jirón, Marcela A

2014-01-01

Patients admitted to internal medicine services receive multiple drugs and thus are at risk of medication errors. To determine the frequency of medication errors (ME) among patients admitted to an internal medicine service of a high complexity hospital. A prospective observational study conducted in 225 patients admitted to an internal medicine service. Each stage of drug utilization system (prescription, transcription, dispensing, preparation and administration) was directly observed by trained pharmacists not related to hospital staff during three months. ME were described and categorized according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. In each stage of medication use, the frequency of ME and their characteristics were determined. A total of 454 drugs were prescribed to the studied patients. In 138 (30,4%) indications, at least one ME occurred, involving 67 (29,8%) patients. Twenty four percent of detected ME occurred during administration, mainly due to wrong time schedules. Anticoagulants were the therapeutic group with the highest occurrence of ME. At least one ME occurred in approximately one third of patients studied, especially during the administration stage. These errors could affect the medication safety and avoid achieving therapeutic goals. Strategies to improve the quality and safe use of medications can be implemented using this information.

[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

Molecular hydrogen in sports medicine: new therapeutic perspectives.

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Ostojic, S M

2015-04-01

In the past 2 decades, molecular hydrogen emerged as a novel therapeutic agent, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects demonstrated in plethora of animal disease models and human studies. Beneficial effects of molecular hydrogen in clinical environment are observed especially in oxidative stress-mediated diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, brain stem infarction, rheumatoid arthritis, or neurodegenerative diseases. A number of more recent studies have reported that molecular hydrogen affects cell signal transduction and acts as an alkalizing agent, with these newly identified mechanisms of action having the potential to widen its application in clinical medicine even further. In particular, hydrogen therapy may be an effective and specific innovative treatment for exercise-induced oxidative stress and sports injury, with potential for the improvement of exercise performance. This review will summarize recent research findings regarding the clinical aspects of molecular hydrogen use, emphasizing its application in the field of sports medicine. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

VARIABILIDAD MORFOLÓGICA DE LAS ESPECIES DEL COMPLEJO POA RESINULOSA (POACEAE Y SU RELACIÓN CON LAS ESPECIES DE LA SECCIÓN DIOICOPOA

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M. Gabriela Fernández Pepi

2008-01-01

Full Text Available El complejo Poa resinulosa incluye un grupo de especies conformado por P. calchaquiensis, P. pedersenii y P. resinulosa, de difícil delimitación debido a que las entidades son afines en cuanto a su morfología, aunque presentan distribución disyunta. Para evaluar y analizar a las especies del complejo Poa resinulosa y especies afines al mismo complejo, se midieron 40 caracteres morfológicos y anatómicos en ejemplares de Poa calchaquiensis, P. lanigera, P. pilcomayensis y P. resinulosa. Esos datos se incorporaron a la matriz del conjunto de especies de Poa sección Dioicopoa confeccionada por Giussani (2000, incluyendo también a P. nubensis una nueva especie afín a P. calchaquiensis. Mediante el análisis de componentes principales y pruebas estadísticas, se circunscribió a las especies del complejo Poa resinulosa. Se describió a P. resinulosa como una variedad de P. ligularis, de la que se diferencia por poseer lígula corta, hojas y cañas de menor longitud, menor ancho de la lámina y estomas de menor tamaño. Se presenta una clave para la identificación de Poa ligularis var. resinulosa y taxones afines, y un mapa con la distribución geográfica de ambas variedades de P. ligularis.

Una especie nueva del género Trichomanes Una especie nueva del género Trichomanes

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Murillo Pulido María Teresa

1991-12-01

Full Text Available Se describe una especie nueva del género Trichomanes L., familia Hymenophyllaceae, T.lozanii Murillo coleccionada en la Isla Gorgona, Municipio de Guapí, Departamento del Cauca. A new specie of Trichomanes L. (Hymenophyllaceae, T. lozanii Murillo, is described; it was collected in Isla Gorgona, Municipio de Guapí, Departamento del Cauca.

The main rules regarding the management of solid waste and liquid effluent contaminated during use at nuclear medicine departments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudouin, E.

2011-01-01

This article describes the key requirements applicable to the management of contaminated medical waste and effluent from hospitals and health care centres, and more especially from nuclear medicine departments that use radionuclides for the purposes of diagnosis (in vivo or in vitro) or in patient treatment. It also presents the key management regulations, making a distinction between contaminated solid waste and contaminated liquid waste from such nuclear medicine departments. (author)

[Access to medicines prescribed for acute health conditions in adults in South and Northeast Brazil].

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Paniz, Vera Maria Vieira; Cechin, Isabel Carolina Coelho Flores; Fassa, Anaclaudia Gastal; Piccini, Roberto Xavier; Tomasi, Elaine; Thumé, Elaine; Silveira, Denise Silva da; Facchini, Luiz Augusto

2016-01-01

This was a cross-sectional study within Brazil's Project for the Expansion and Consolidation of Family Health, 2005, with the objective of universal and free access to the medication prescribed in the last medical appointment for acute health problems and to estimate the degree to which access may have improved with inclusion of the medicines in prevailing policies and programs. The sample included 4,060 adults living in the area of primary health care units in 41 municipalities in South and Northeast Brazil. Access was greater in the South (83.2%) than in the Northeast (71%), and free access was similar (37%), with a greater share by the Family Health Program (FHP) when compared to the traditional model, especially in the Northeast. Some 60% of prescribed medicines and 50% of those on the National List of Essential Medicines (RENAME) were paid for. No variation was observed in the proportion of medicines present on the prevailing RENAME list and access. However, 40% of the medicines that were paid for can currently be obtained through the Popular Pharmacy Program. The latter program appears to emerge as a new way to guarantee access to medicines prescribed in the health system.

ADDRESSING ETHNIC INEQUALITIES IN MEDICINE USE IN DENMARK:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cantarero Arevalo, Lourdes; Traulsen, Janine Marie; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig

2016-01-01

with that orientation were selected. Results: A total of 24 studies were selected and analysed. The following successful practices were identified: (i) building trust between the pharmacist and the user/patient; (ii) involving ethnic minorities in all phases of the intervention (design, implementation and follow......‑up); (iii) developing an ethnically sensitive culture among pharmacists based on openness, curiosity and respect; and (iv) when possible, involving family, friends and the close social network of the patient, especially when there is a need for behaviour change related to medicine use or lifestyle habits...

Recent developments in our understanding of the implications of traditional African medicine on drug metabolism.

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Gouws, Chrisna; Hamman, Josias H

2018-02-01

The use of traditional herbal medicines has become increasingly popular globally, but in some countries, it is the main or sometimes even the only healthcare service available in the most rural areas. This is especially true for Africa where herbal medicines form a key component of traditional medicinal practices and there is access to a diversity of medicinal plants. Although many benefits have been derived from the use of traditional herbal medicines, many concerns are associated with their use of which herb-drug interactions have been identified to have a rising impact on patient treatment outcome. One type of pharmacokinetic interaction involves the modulation of drug metabolizing enzymes, which may result in enhanced or reduced bioavailability of co-administered drugs. Areas covered: This review highlights the current information available on drug metabolism-associated information with regards to traditional African medicines related to some of the most prevalent diseases burdening the African continent. Expert opinion: It is clear from previous studies that enzyme modulation by traditional African medicines plays a significant role in the pharmacokinetics of some co-administered drugs, but more research is needed to provide detailed information on these interactions, specifically for treatment of prevalent diseases such as tuberculosis and hypertension.

Management practices to control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep farms in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil Práticas de manejo para controle de parasitas gastrointestinais em fazendas com ovinos em Minas Gerais, Sudeste do Brasil

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Aurora M.G. Gouveia

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Parasite related problems are considered one of the major health problems for sheep breeding, causing considerable economic losses to commercial husbandry. The aim of this study was to determine the technological level and the level of knowledge of farmers regarding management practices to control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep in Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. The analysis was based on 213 questionnaires applied by official veterinarians of the State Government Agency for Animal Health (Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária, IMA, covering 16.6% of all counties. From two hundred and thirteen sheep farms sampled, 117 farms had their technological level determined. From the samples, 0.9% were characterized as high level, 45.3% as medium, and 53.0% as low technological level. The flock size ranged from 2 to 1843 with an average of 80.5 sheep per farm. The majority of the sheep production systems was extensive/semi-extensive (74.5%. The management practices adopted by the farmers to reduce parasitism were: split young and adult animals (5.6%, change pasture after deworm the animals (5.2%, use quarantine for incoming animals (2.3%, deworm newly arrived sheep (1.5%, and have regular technical assistance (31.9%. Although 76.5% of the farmers medicate the animals, treatments were performed without any major technical criteria, with an average interval of 4.6 months. The most commonly used drug families were macrocyclic lactones (38.5% and benzimidazoles (24.9%. The management practices adopted in Minas Gerais are based on old recommendations and may not return in a good set of strategies to prevent parasite infections. Field observations reinforce the finding where farmers have obtained unsatisfactory results in maintaining the health and productivity level of their enterprises.Problemas relacionados com parasitas são considerados um dos principais problemas sanitários na criação de ovinos, causando consideráveis perdas econômicas para

The Stability of Medicinal Plant microRNAs in the Herb Preparation Process

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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.

Indigenous Knowledge of Herbal Medicines among Adolescents in Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Alade, Gideon O.; Okpako, Ese; Ajibesin, Kola’ K.; Omobuwajo, Olanrewaju R.

2016-01-01

Background: The use of herbal medicines in Nigeria is on the increase. Documented Population based data on the use of herbal medicinal products and indigenous knowledge among the younger generations are lacking in Nigeria and Africa at large. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of use and general knowledge of herbal medicines among adolescents in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Methods: The study covered a total of Two hundred and twenty-eight adolescents randomly selected in Senior Secondary Schools (SSS 1-3) in Amassoma using a semi structured questionnaire/Interview and informal conversation on the respondents. Findings: Nearly all (97%) the respondents have had contact with herbs. Less than 1% had contact with herbs through formal education (teachers/literatures). Stimulation of interest was majorly through parents (53%). Grandparents were the highest (46%) of custodian of indigenous knowledge. Parents were the next (39.7%). Only 39% of the respondents would prefer the use of herbal medicine to modern medicine. Fever was the main ailment mentioned followed by eye ailment and stomach ache. Vernonia amygdalina was the main plant for the treatment of fever. Conclusion: The study revealed that parents are the major custodians of knowledge being transferred to the younger generation and little or none is learnt from Schools. There is therefore the need to include the study of herbal medicines in School’s curricula especially at SS 2 and SS 3 since they are matured enough to appreciate the importance of Herbal medicine so as to prepare them for the promotion of herbal medicine in future and to preserve our indigenous knowledge. PMID:26234964

Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine in Colorectal Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspective

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Guoli Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Precision medicine, a concept that has recently emerged and has been widely discussed, emphasizes tailoring medical care to individuals largely based on information acquired from molecular diagnostic testing. As a vital aspect of precision cancer medicine, targeted therapy has been proven to be efficacious and less toxic for cancer treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC is one of the most common cancers and among the leading causes for cancer related deaths in the United States and worldwide. By far, CRC has been one of the most successful examples in the field of precision cancer medicine, applying molecular tests to guide targeted therapy. In this review, we summarize the current guidelines for anti-EGFR therapy, revisit the roles of pathologists in an era of precision cancer medicine, demonstrate the transition from traditional “one test-one drug” assays to multiplex assays, especially by using next-generation sequencing platforms in the clinical diagnostic laboratories, and discuss the future perspectives of tumor heterogeneity associated with anti-EGFR resistance and immune checkpoint blockage therapy in CRC.

Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine in Colorectal Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guoli; Yang, Zhaohai; Eshleman, James R; Netto, George J; Lin, Ming-Tseh

2016-01-01

Precision medicine, a concept that has recently emerged and has been widely discussed, emphasizes tailoring medical care to individuals largely based on information acquired from molecular diagnostic testing. As a vital aspect of precision cancer medicine, targeted therapy has been proven to be efficacious and less toxic for cancer treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and among the leading causes for cancer related deaths in the United States and worldwide. By far, CRC has been one of the most successful examples in the field of precision cancer medicine, applying molecular tests to guide targeted therapy. In this review, we summarize the current guidelines for anti-EGFR therapy, revisit the roles of pathologists in an era of precision cancer medicine, demonstrate the transition from traditional "one test-one drug" assays to multiplex assays, especially by using next-generation sequencing platforms in the clinical diagnostic laboratories, and discuss the future perspectives of tumor heterogeneity associated with anti-EGFR resistance and immune checkpoint blockage therapy in CRC.

Medicinal plants with hepatoprotective activity in Iranian folk medicine

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Majid Asadi-Samani

2015-02-01

Full Text Available There are a number of medicinal combinations in the Iranian traditional medicine which are commonly used as tonic for liver. In this review, we have introduced some medicinal plants that are used mainly for the treatment of liver disorders in Iranian folk medicine, with focus on their hepatoprotective effects particularly against CC14 agent. In this study, online databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched for papers published from January 1970 to December 2013. Search terms consisted of medicinal plants, traditional medicine, folk medicine, hepatoprotective, Iran, liver, therapeutic uses, compounds, antioxidant, CC14, anti-inflammatory, and antihepatotoxic, hepatitis, alone or in combination. Allium hirtifolium Boiss., Apium graveolens L., Cynara scolymus, Berberis vulgaris L., Calendula officinalis, Nigella sativa L., Taraxacum officinale, Tragopogon porrifolius, Prangos ferulacea L., Allium sativum, Marrubium vulgare, Ammi majus L., Citrullus lanatus Thunb, Agrimonia eupatoria L. and Prunus armeniaca L. are some of the medicinal plants that have been used for the treatment of liver disorders in Iranian folk medicine. Out of several leads obtained from plants containing potential hepatoprotective agents, silymarin, β-sitosterol, betalain, neoandrographolide, phyllanthin, andrographolide, curcumin, picroside, hypophyllanthin, kutkoside, and glycyrrhizin have been demonstrated to have potent hepatoprotective properties. Despite encouraging data on possibility of new discoveries in the near future, the evidence on treating viral hepatitis or other chronic liver diseases by herbal medications is not adequate.

The quest for modernisation of traditional Chinese medicine

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an integral part of mainstream medicine in China. Due to its worldwide use, potential impact on healthcare and opportunities for new drug development, TCM is also of great international interest. Recently, a new era for modernisation of TCM was launched with the successful completion of the Good Practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in the Post-genomic Era (GP-TCM) project, the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) coordination action on TCM research. This 3.5-year project that involved inputs from over 200 scientists resulted in the production of 20 editorials and in-depth reviews on different aspects of TCM that were published in a special issue of Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2012; volume 140, issue 3). In this narrative review, we aim to summarise the findings of the FP7 GP-TCM project and highlight the relevance of TCM to modern medicine within a historical and international context. Advances in TCM research since the 1950s can be characterised into three phases: Phase I (1950s-1970s) was fundamental for developing TCM higher education, research and hospital networks in China; Phase II (1980s-2000s) was critical for developing legal, economic and scientific foundations and international networks for TCM; and Phase III (2011 onwards) is concentrating on consolidating the scientific basis and clinical practice of TCM through interdisciplinary, interregional and intersectoral collaborations. Taking into account the quality and safety requirements newly imposed by a globalised market, we especially highlight the scientific evidence behind TCM, update the most important milestones and pitfalls, and propose integrity, integration and innovation as key principles for further modernisation of TCM. These principles will serve as foundations for further research and development of TCM, and for its future integration into tomorrow’s medicine. PMID:23763836

Nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kand, Purushottam

2012-01-01

Nuclear medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive materials to examine organ function and structure. Nuclear medicine is older than CT, ultrasound and MRI. It was first used in patients over 60-70 years ago. Today it is an established medical specialty and offers procedures that are essential in many medical specialities like nephrology, pediatrics, cardiology, psychiatry, endocrinology and oncology. Nuclear medicine refers to medicine (a pharmaceutical) that is attached to a small quantity of radioactive material (a radioisotope). This combination is called a radiopharmaceutical. There are many radiopharmaceuticals like DTPA, DMSA, HIDA, MIBI and MDP available to study different parts of the body like kidneys, heart and bones etc. Nuclear medicine uses radiation coming from inside a patient's body where as conventional radiology exposes patients to radiation from outside the body. Thus nuclear imaging study is a physiological imaging, whereas diagnostic radiology is anatomical imaging. It combines many different disciplines like chemistry, physics mathematics, computer technology, and medicine. It helps in diagnosis and to treat abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease. The information provides a quick and accurate diagnosis of wide range of conditions and diseases in a person of any age. These tests are painless and most scans expose patients to only minimal and safe amounts of radiation. The amount of radiation received from a nuclear medicine procedure is comparable to, or often many times less than, that of a diagnostic X-ray. Nuclear medicine provides an effective means of examining whether some tissues/organs are functioning properly. Therapy using nuclear medicine in an effective, safe and relatively inexpensive way of controlling and in some cases eliminating, conditions such as overactive thyroid, thyroid cancer and arthritis. Nuclear medicine imaging is unique because it provides doctors with

Recommended integrative medicine competencies for family medicine residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Amy B; Gordon, Andrea; Guerrera, Mary P; Gardiner, Paula; Lebensohn, Patricia

2013-01-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and Integrative Medicine (IM) has grown steadily over the past decade. Patients seek physician guidance, yet physicians typically have limited knowledge and training. There is some coverage of IM/CAM topics in medical schools and residencies but with little coordination or consistency. In 2008, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) group on Integrative Medicine began the process of designing a set of competencies to educate Family Medicine residents in core concepts of IM. The goal was creation of a set of nationally recognized competencies tied to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) domains. These competencies were to be achievable by diverse programs, including those without significant internal resources. The group compiled existing curricula from programs around the country and distilled these competencies through multiple reviews and discussions. Simultaneously, the Integrative Medicine in Residency program run by the University of Arizona underwent a similar process. In 2009, these competencies were combined and further developed at the STFM annual meeting by a group of experts. In 2010, the STFM Board approved 19 measurable competencies, each categorized by ACGME domain, as recommended for Family Medicine residencies. Programs have implemented these competencies in various ways given individual needs and resources. This paper reviews the development of IM competencies for residency education in Family Medicine and presents those endorsed by STFM. By educating physicians in training about IM/CAM via competency-based curricula, we aim to promote comprehensive patient-centered care. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What has traditional Chinese medicine delivered for modern medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jigang; Wong, Yin-Kwan; Liao, Fulong

2018-05-11

The field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents a vast and largely untapped resource for modern medicine. Exemplified by the success of the antimalarial artemisinin, the recent years have seen a rapid increase in the understanding and application of TCM-derived herbs and formulations for evidence-based therapy. In this review, we summarise and discuss the developmental history, clinical background and molecular basis of an action for several representative TCM-derived medicines, including artemisinin, arsenic trioxide, berberine and Salvia miltiorrhiza or Danshen. Through this, we highlight important examples of how TCM-derived medicines have already contributed to modern medicine, and discuss potential avenues for further research.

Nuclear Medicine and Application of Nuclear Techniques in Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiharto, Kunto

1996-01-01

The use of nuclear techniques medicine covers not only nuclear medicine and radiology in strict sense but also determination of body mineral content by neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence technique either in vitro or in vivo, application of radioisotopes as tracers in pharmacology and biochemistry, etc. This paper describes the ideal tracer in nuclear medicine, functional and morphological imaging, clinical aspect and radiation protection in nuclear medicine. Nuclear technique offers facilities and chances related to research activities and services in medicine. The development of diagnostic as well as therapeutic methods using monoclonal antibodies labeled with radioisotope will undoubtedly play an important role in the disease control

Evidence-based medicine: the fourth revolution in American medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Kevin C; Ram, Ashwin N

2009-01-01

The use of evidence has become a force in American medicine to improve the quality of health care. Funding decisions from payers will demand studies with high-level evidence to support many of the costly interventions in medicine. Plastic surgery is certainly not immune to this national tidal wave to revamp the health care system by embracing evidence-based medicine in our practices. In scientific contributions of plastic surgery research, application of evidence-based principles should enhance the care of all patients by relying on science rather than opinions. In this article, the genesis of evidence-based medicine is discussed to guide plastic surgery in this new revolution in American medicine.

The value of Avicenna's heritage in development of modern integrative medicine in Uzbekistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilfuza Djamaldinovna Buranova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The heritage of Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah ibn Sina (known in Europe as Avicenna, hereinafter referred to as Avicenna; around 980-1037 cehas been used in the practice of doctors of various specialties in the treatment of various diseases for many centuries. Extensive clinical experience accumulated over a long time is actively used in modern medicine. Avicenna has had an invaluable contribution to world medicine. He is the largest representative of advanced sociohumanitarian ideas among the peoples of Central Asia. He was a philosopher and physician, scientist and mathematician, poet, and specialist in literature. The rich heritage of the scientist takes a worthy place in the history of medicine in particular, and world civilization in general. Avicenna introduced the main contribution to the treasury of the universal culture by his work in medicine. Avicenna brought together the achievements of Hippocrates (c. 460-370 bce,Galen (c. 130-200 ce,and healers of Egypt, Persia, and India, and he supplemented them with own research results, brilliant discoveries, and hypotheses. Avicenna left many works, among them the especially popular Canon of Medicine. He paid great attention to the prevention of diseases rather than their treatment, which is important today. In his works he gives advice on the use of herbal medicines and biologically active points for various diseases. This article highlights some topical issues of multifaceted heritage of Avicenna for modern medicine and identified promising areas for the development of integrative medicine in Uzbekistan.

[Evolutionary medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Wjst, M

2013-12-01

Evolutionary medicine allows new insights into long standing medical problems. Are we "really stoneagers on the fast lane"? This insight might have enormous consequences and will allow new answers that could never been provided by traditional anthropology. Only now this is made possible using data from molecular medicine and systems biology. Thereby evolutionary medicine takes a leap from a merely theoretical discipline to practical fields - reproductive, nutritional and preventive medicine, as well as microbiology, immunology and psychiatry. Evolutionary medicine is not another "just so story" but a serious candidate for the medical curriculum providing a universal understanding of health and disease based on our biological origin. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives.

Science.gov (United States)

Allaire, A D; Moos, M K; Wells, S R

2000-01-01

To determine the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine therapies used by certified nurse-midwives in North Carolina. Surveys were sent to all 120 licensed certified nurse-midwives in North Carolina requesting information concerning their recommendations for use of complementary and alternative medicine for their pregnant or postpartum patients. Eighty-two responses were received (68.3%). Seventy-seven (93.9%) reported recommending complementary and alternative medicine to their pregnant patients in the past year. Forty-seven (57.3%) reported recommending complementary and alternative medicine to more than 10% of patients. The percentage of nurse-midwives who recommended each type of complementary and alternative medicine was as follows: herbal therapy (73.2%), massage therapy (67.1%), chiropractic (57.3%), acupressure (52.4%), mind-body interventions (48.8%), aromatherapy (32.9%), homeopathy (30.5%), spiritual healing (23.2%), acupuncture (19.5%), and bioelectric or magnetic applications (14.6%). The 60 respondents who reported prescribing herbal therapies gave them for the following indications: nausea and vomiting, labor stimulation, perineal discomfort, lactation disorders, postpartum depression, preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage, labor analgesia, and malpresentation. Complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal therapy, is commonly prescribed to pregnant women by nurse-midwives in North Carolina.

[Medicine in sports or sport medicine?] ].

Science.gov (United States)

Heimer, S; Tonković-Lojović, M

2001-01-01

Sports medicine is a profession pertaining to primary health care of sport population (competitors, coaches, referees, participants in sports recreation). It embraces the physical and mental health protection and promotion of participants in relation to a particular sport activity and sport environment, directing athletes to a sport and adapting them to sport and the sport to them. Sports medicine takes part in selection procedure, training process planning and programming, and cares for epidemiological, hygienic, nutritional and other problems in sport. The Republic of Croatia belongs to those world states in which the field of sports medicine is regulated neither by a law or by profession. A consequence is that wide circle of physicians and paramedics work in clubs and various medical units without any legal or/and professional control not being adequately educated nor having licence for it. This review is an appeal to the Croatian Medical Chamber and the Ministry of Health to make efforts to promote the education and medical profession in sports medicine.

[Ambulance in emergency medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Aksoy, Fikret; Ergun, Alper

2002-07-01

The ambulance service is very important in emergency medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the new governing statuate of private ambulance service and to propose some new ideas. We examinated the new governing statuate of private ambulance service, rules of patient transporte between the hospitals and reports written by SSK Goztepe Educational Hospital ambulance drivers. We concluded that SSK Goztepe Educational Hospital ambulance drivers have a iot of problems especially at the rules of patient transport between the hospitals and there are some defiencies at the new governing statuate of private ambulance service. We concluded that it is necesssary to manage all the ambulance services in one center; all the private ambulance services have to have a specialist and all these must be determinated by the special rules. Key words: Regulation ofprivate ambulance, emergency head maintanence, ambulance services

Sasang constitutional medicine as a holistic tailored medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Yeol; Pham, Duong Duc

2009-09-01

Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) is a unique traditional Korean therapeutic alternative form of medicine. Based on the Yin and Yang theory and on Confucianism, humans are classified into four constitutions. These differ in terms of (i) sensitivity to certain groups of herbs and medicines, (ii) equilibrium among internal organic functions, (iii) physical features and (iv) psychological characteristics. We propose that two main axes in the physiopathology of SCM (food intake/waste discharge and consuming/storing Qi and body fluids) are equivalent to the process of internal-external exchange and catabolism/anabolism in modern physiology, respectively. We then used this hypothesis to discuss the physiological and pathological principles of SCM. Constitution-based medicine is based on the theory that some medicinal herbs and remedies are only appropriate for certain constitutions and can cause adverse effects in others. The constitutional approach of SCM share the same vision as tailored medicine; an individualized therapy that can minimize the risk of adverse reaction while increasing the efficacy and an individualized self-regulation that can help prevent specific susceptible chronic disease and live healthily. There is still a long way to this goal for both SCM and tailored medicine, but we may benefit from systems approaches such as systems biology. We suggest that constitutional perspective of SCM and our hypothesis of two main processes may provide a novel insight for further studies.

Sasang Constitutional Medicine as a Holistic Tailored Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong Yeol Kim

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM is a unique traditional Korean therapeutic alternative form of medicine. Based on the Yin and Yang theory and on Confucianism, humans are classified into four constitutions. These differ in terms of (i sensitivity to certain groups of herbs and medicines, (ii equilibrium among internal organic functions, (iii physical features and (iv psychological characteristics. We propose that two main axes in the physiopathology of SCM (food intake/waste discharge and consuming/storing Qi and body fluids are equivalent to the process of internal–external exchange and catabolism/anabolism in modern physiology, respectively. We then used this hypothesis to discuss the physiological and pathological principles of SCM. Constitution-based medicine is based on the theory that some medicinal herbs and remedies are only appropriate for certain constitutions and can cause adverse effects in others. The constitutional approach of SCM share the same vision as tailored medicine; an individualized therapy that can minimize the risk of adverse reaction while increasing the efficacy and an individualized self-regulation that can help prevent specific susceptible chronic disease and live healthily. There is still a long way to this goal for both SCM and tailored medicine, but we may benefit from systems approaches such as systems biology. We suggest that constitutional perspective of SCM and our hypothesis of two main processes may provide a novel insight for further studies.

Traditional medicinal plants in Nigeria--remedies or risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Awodele, O; Popoola, T D; Amadi, K C; Coker, H A B; Akintonwa, A

2013-11-25

Soil pollution due to increasing industrialization is a reality that is taking its toll on mankind today. Considering the population of people that use herbal remedies especially in developing countries and the discharge of industrial waste on surrounding herbal vegetation, it is imperative to determine the heavy metals contamination in some commonly used medicinal plants. Representative samples of five medicinal plants Ageratum conyzoides, Aspilia africana, Alchornea cordifolia, Amaranthus brasiliensis and Chromolaena odorata were collected from Ikpoba-Okha L.G.A, Edo State Nigeria, around a paint company and another set of same plants were collected from a non-polluted source. Dried leaves and roots of collected plants were digested and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for the presence of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn). Soil samples from polluted and non-polluted areas were also analyzed to ascertain the levels of these heavy metals in the environment. Results show that the concentrations of these heavy metals in the leaves and roots of plants collected from polluted soil were significantly higher than those obtained from unpolluted soil. Correspondingly heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher in polluted than in unpolluted soil samples. As part of continuing effort in the standardization of traditional remedies, environmental contamination control and abatement is evident. The source of medicinal plants/herbs should also be a cause for concern since the toxicity of medicinal plants is sometimes associated with environmental sources of the plants. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of members of the German Society for Palliative Medicine toward complementary and alternative medicine for cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, A C; Muenstedt, K; Micke, O; Prott, F J; Muecke, R; Huebner, J

2014-07-01

A high proportion of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). In oncology, risks of CAM are side effects and interactions. Our aim was to conduct a survey on professionals in palliative care regarding attitudes toward CAM. An internet-based survey with a standardized questionnaire was sent to all members of the German Society for Palliative Care. The questionnaire collected data on attitude toward CAM and experiences. Six hundred and ninety questionnaires (19 %) were returned (49 % physicians, 35 % nurses, 3 % psychologists). Acceptance of CAM is high (92 % for complementary and 54 % for alternative medicine). Most participants had already been asked on CAM by patients (95 %) and relatives (89 %). Forty-four percent already had used complementary methods and 5 % alternative methods. Only 21 % think themselves adequately informed. Seventy-four percent would use complementary methods in a patient with advanced tumor, and 62 % would use alternative therapy in patients if there was no other therapy. Even from those who are skeptical 45 % would treat a patient with alternative methods. In order to inform patients on CAM and to further patients' autonomy, evidence on benefits and harms of CAM must be provided. As awareness of risks from CAM is low and critical appraisal especially of alternative medicine missing, but interest on information on CAM is high, experts should provide evidence-based recommendations for CAM in palliative care to members of different professions. This could be done by a curriculum focusing on the most often used CAM methods.

What is legal medicine--are legal and forensic medicine the same?

Science.gov (United States)

Beran, Roy G

2010-04-01

Some consider the terms "forensic" and "legal" medicine to be synonymous but this is counter to the title of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine or the dual strands for progression to fellowship of the Australian College of Legal Medicine. The paper examines a very brief historical background to legal medicine and develops a definition of the strands thereof, namely legal and forensic medicine. It demonstrates that the two are different components of the application of medical knowledge upon the legal system. Legal medicine has greater relevance to civil and tort law, impacting upon patient care, whereas forensic medicine relates to criminal law and damage to, or by, patients.

Precision medicine, an approach for development of the future medicine technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iraj Nabipour

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Precision medicine is an approach in medicine that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyle. This field of medicine redefines our understanding of disease onset and progression, treatment response, and health outcomes through the more precise measurement of molecular, environmental, and behavioral factors that contribute to health and disease. Undoubtedly, the advances in omics technologies including genomics, data collection and storage, computational analysis, and mobile health applications over the last decade produced significant progress for precision medicine. In fact, precision medicine is a platform for the growth of personalized medicine, wearable biosensors, mobile health, computational sciences, genomic singularity, and other omics technologies. In the pathway of precision medicine, mathematics and computational sciences will be revolutionized to overcome the challenges in Big Data. By the birth of precision medicine, novel therapeutic strategies for chronic complex diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancers would be designed in Systems Medicine.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome: From Clinical Findings to Basic Understandings.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tao; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Li; Zhong, Linda

2016-01-01

Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) is one of the less common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Conventional therapy has unsatisfactory response to it so people turn to Chinese medicine for help. Currently, we reviewed the whole picture of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) clinical and basic application in the treatment of FAPS, especially the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, the single herb, and Chinese medicine formulae, thus to provide a solid base to further develop evidence-based study for this common gastrointestinal complaint in the future. We developed the search strategy and set the inclusion and exclusion criteria for article search. From the included articles, we totally retrieved 586 records according to our searching criteria, of which 16 were duplicate records and 291 were excluded for reasons of irrelevance. The full text of 279 articles was retrieved for detailed assessment, of which 123 were excluded for various reasons. The number one used single herb is Radix Ginseng. The most common syndrome was liver qi depression. The most frequently used classic formula was Si-Mo-Tang. This reflected the true situation of clinical practice of Chinese medicine practitioners and could be further systematically synthesized as key points of the therapeutic research for FAPS.

One health-one medicine: unifying human and animal medicine within an evolutionary paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, Russell W; Steele, James H

2011-08-01

One health is a concept since early civilization, which promoted the view that there was no major distinction between animal and human medicine. Although persisting through the 19th century, this common vision was then all but forgotten in the early 20th century. It is now experiencing a renaissance, coincident with an awakening of the role that evolutionary biology plays in human and animal health, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A number of STIs in humans have comparable infections in animals; likewise, both humans and animals have STIs unique to each mammalian camp. These similarities and differences offer opportunities for basic medical and public health studies, including evolutionary insights that can be gleaned from ongoing interdisciplinary investigation--especially with the molecular analytical tools available--in what can become a golden age of mutually helpful discovery. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

The area of nuclear medicine, the development of artificially produced radioactive isotopes for medical applications, is relatively recent. Among the subjects covered in a lengthy discussion are the following: history of development; impact of nuclear medicine; understanding the most effective use of radioisotopes; most significant uses of nuclear medicine radioimmunoassays; description of equipment designed for use in the field of nuclear medicine (counters, scanning system, display systems, gamma camera); description of radioisotopes used and their purposes; quality control. Numerous historical photographs are included. 52 refs

[Social medicine and social engineering].

Science.gov (United States)

Qvarsell, R

1995-01-01

In a rather complicated process starting at the middle of the 19th century and ending hundred years later social medicine was established as a science. Different theories on the social origin of the diseases and even different perspectives on the role of medicine in society did influence and shape the new discipline. The tradition from Rudolf Virchow and Alfred Grotjahn emphasizing the importance of the social causes of the diseases and the tradition from social hygiene with its stress on the hereditarian background of many diseases was mixed together in the early history of social medicine. Many of those trying to establish the new discipline thought that it could be used in order to prevent the spreading of diseases in society and also hinder the development of social maladjustments of different kinds, as for instance criminality and vagrancy. The political framework of social medicine was very much related to what in the Swedish debate later on was to be called social engineering. Both within the tradition of social liberalism and the social democratic party the ideals of a rational society governed by experts was very influential in the period between the two world wars. Some of the advocates for social medicine did even try to formulate a political programme with the new science as a base. The most influential of those was the forensic pspychiatrist Olof Kinberg (1873-1960). In a series of books and articles during the first half of the 19th century Kinberg developed a theory of a society governed by doctors educated within this new branch of science. He thought that almost every kind of social problem could be handled by these experts. Social maladjustment, criminality and even car accidents could be reduced to a minimum if only the new knowledge of the biological and medical causes of human behavior was allowed to influence the social and political organization of the society. Especially during the 1930s some politicians and also social scientists thought

[Medicine in ancient Mesopotamia - part 2].

Science.gov (United States)

Martins E Silva, J

2010-01-01

The second part embraces exclusively the main characteristics of the medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia, in its main facets: concept of disease, healers and practice. The disease was considered a divine punishment or resultant from a malign influence. Insofar, the medicine began by being preventive, by the use of appropriate amulets or by offerings or sacrifices intending to pacify those malign forces. The treatment of the generality of the diseases privileged the expulsion of those spirits and malign influences from the patient body, purifying it, which was done by the specific intervention of a approximately shipu (clergymanexorcist); not having results, the treatment was continued by the asû (practical healer) that appealed to a group of physical manipulations, limited surgical acts and the administration or application of prescriptions, resultants of the mixture of organic and inorganic substances. In case of failing, the patients (as well as common healthy individuals or rule leaders) could fall back upon a priest diviner (bârû) that, by examination of the organs of an animal especially sacrificed for, would give a final decision about the disease or the future. Besides this more occult facet, nourished in religious faiths and in the magic, the medicine of Ancient Mesopotamia included rational knowledge, certainly as the result of systematic patients observation and semiotic interpretation. From those observations and knowledge referred to the Sumerian period, carefully logged, refined and transmitted to the following generations, it was built a valuable group of texts with the description of symptoms, signs, diagnosis and prognostic of the most common diseases, still identifiable in the present.

Medicinal plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria in the Chipinge district in Zimbabwe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ngarivhume, T.; van 't Klooster, C.I.E.A.; de Jong, J.T.V.M.; Westhuizen, J.H.

2015-01-01

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Because about 50% of the Zimbabwean population is at risk of contracting malaria each year, the majority of people, especially in rural areas, use traditional plant-based medicines to combat malaria. This explorative ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to document

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in northeastern of Algeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouasla, Asma; Bouasla, Ihcène

2017-12-01

In order to document medicinal uses of plants in the northeastern of Algeria, preserve traditional heritage and highlighted the risks of excessive human exploitation on flora and biodiversity of the region, an inventory of medicinal species existed in the traditional pharmacopoeia in Skikda region (north-east of Algeria) was made. The survey was carried out during the year (2015-2016), through face to face interviews, using pre-prepared questionnaire. The form contains: sociodemorgaphic profile of each respondent (sex, age, educational level and monthly income), local name of medicinal species used, uses, used parts and methods of preparations. A total of 90 species belonging to 42 botanical families, were listed. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the frequency of use of medicinal plants is related to the age, sex, educational level and monthly income of our respondents. It was recorded that the majority of remedies are prepared in the form of a decoctate from the leaves of the different species, in order to treat a wide range of diseases especially those of the digestive tract. Local population has a rich indigenous knowledge, but is always stays not adequately documented. It should be noted that some listed species are suffering from surexploitation which can subjects to the disappearance of the most vulnerable species. It will be urgent and essential to adopt a sustainable management strategy to avoid the degradation of biodiversity of the region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

NON-MUSCULOSKELETAL SPORTS MEDICINE LEARNING IN FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pasqualino Caputo

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Despite the increasing popularity of primary care sports medicine fellowships, as evidenced by the more than two-fold increase in family medicine sports medicine fellowships from a total of 31 accredited programs during the 1998/1999 academic year (ACGME, 1998 to 63 during the 2003/2004 academic year (ACGME, 2006, there are few empirical studies to support the efficacy of such programs. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been conducted to assess the impact of primary care sports medicine fellowships on family medicine residents' learning of non-musculoskeletal sports medicine topics. Rigorous evaluations of the outcomes of such programs are helpful to document the value of such programs to both the lay public and interested medical residents. In order to evaluate such programs, it is helpful to apply the same objective standards to residents trained across multiple programs. Hence, we would like to know if there is a learning effect with respect to non-musculoskeletal sports medicine topics identified on yearly administered American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM in-training exams (ITE to family medicine residents in family medicine residency programs in the United States with and without primary care sports medicine fellowship programs. Review and approval for the research proposal was granted by the ABFM, who also allowed access to the required data. Permission to study and report only non-musculoskeletal sports medicine topics excluding musculoskeletal topics was granted at the time due to other ongoing projects at the ABFM involving musculoskeletal topics. ABFM allowed us access to examinations from 1998 to 2003. We were given copies of each exam and records of responses to each item (correct or incorrect by each examinee (examinees were anonymous for each year.For each year, each examinee was classified by the ABFM as either (a belonging to a program that contained a sports medicine fellowship, or (b not belonging to a program

Core Content for Wilderness Medicine Training: Development of a Wilderness Medicine Track Within an Emergency Medicine Residency.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrading, Walter A; Battaglioli, Nicole; Drew, Jonathan; McClure, Sarah Frances

2018-03-01

Wilderness medicine training has become increasingly popular among medical professionals with numerous educational opportunities nationwide. Curricula for fellowship programs and for medical student education have previously been developed and published, but a specific curriculum for wilderness medicine education during emergency medicine (EM) residency has not. The objective of this study is to create a longitudinal wilderness medicine curriculum that can be incorporated into an EM residency program. Interest-specific tracks are becoming increasingly common in EM training. We chose this model to develop our curriculum specific to wilderness medicine. Outlined in the article is a 3-year longitudinal course of study that includes a core didactic curriculum and a plan for graduated level of responsibility. The core content is specifically related to the required EM core content for residency training with additions specific to wilderness medicine for the residents who pursue the track. The wilderness medicine curriculum would give residencies a framework that can be used to foster learning for residents interested in wilderness medicine. It would enhance the coverage of wilderness and environmental core content education for all EM residents in the program. It would provide wilderness-specific education and experience for interested residents, allowing them to align their residency program requirements through a focused area of study and enhancing their curriculum vitae at graduation. Finally, given the popularity of wilderness medicine, the presence of a wilderness medicine track may improve recruitment for the residency program. Copyright © 2017 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural Medicines Used in the Traditional Tibetan Medical System for the Treatment of Liver Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Li, Hai-Jiao; Xu, Tong; Du, Huan; Huan Gang, Chen-Lei; Fan, Gang; Zhang, Yi

2018-01-01

Liver disease is one of the most risk factors threatening human health. It is of great significance to find drugs that can treat liver diseases, especially for acute and chronic hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver cancer. The search for drugs with good efficacy from traditional natural medicines has attracted more and more attention. Tibetan medicine, one of the China's traditional medical systems, has been widely used by the Tibetan people for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases for hundreds of years. The present paper summarized the natural Tibetan medicines that have been used in Tibetan traditional system of medicine to treat liver diseases by bibliographic investigation of 22 Tibetan medicine monographs and drug standards. One hundred and ninety three species including 181 plants, 7 animals, and 5 minerals were found to treat liver diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine system. The most frequently used species are Carthamus tinctorius , Brag-zhun, Swertia chirayita, Swertia mussotii, Halenia elliptica, Herpetospermum pedunculosum , and Phyllanthus emblica . Their names, families, medicinal parts, traditional uses, phytochemicals information, and pharmacological activities were described in detail. These natural medicines might be a valuable gift from the old Tibetan medicine to the world, and would be potential drug candidates for the treatment of liver diseases. Further studies are needed to prove their medicinal values in liver diseases treatment, identify bioactive compounds, elucidate the underlying mechanism of action, and clarify their side effects or toxicity with the help of modern phytochemical, pharmacological, metabonomics, and/or clinical trial methods.

Natural Medicines Used in the Traditional Tibetan Medical System for the Treatment of Liver Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Li, Hai-Jiao; Xu, Tong; Du, Huan; Huan Gang, Chen-Lei; Fan, Gang; Zhang, Yi

2018-01-01

Liver disease is one of the most risk factors threatening human health. It is of great significance to find drugs that can treat liver diseases, especially for acute and chronic hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver cancer. The search for drugs with good efficacy from traditional natural medicines has attracted more and more attention. Tibetan medicine, one of the China's traditional medical systems, has been widely used by the Tibetan people for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases for hundreds of years. The present paper summarized the natural Tibetan medicines that have been used in Tibetan traditional system of medicine to treat liver diseases by bibliographic investigation of 22 Tibetan medicine monographs and drug standards. One hundred and ninety three species including 181 plants, 7 animals, and 5 minerals were found to treat liver diseases in traditional Tibetan medicine system. The most frequently used species are Carthamus tinctorius, Brag-zhun, Swertia chirayita, Swertia mussotii, Halenia elliptica, Herpetospermum pedunculosum, and Phyllanthus emblica. Their names, families, medicinal parts, traditional uses, phytochemicals information, and pharmacological activities were described in detail. These natural medicines might be a valuable gift from the old Tibetan medicine to the world, and would be potential drug candidates for the treatment of liver diseases. Further studies are needed to prove their medicinal values in liver diseases treatment, identify bioactive compounds, elucidate the underlying mechanism of action, and clarify their side effects or toxicity with the help of modern phytochemical, pharmacological, metabonomics, and/or clinical trial methods. PMID:29441019

Comunidade virtual de educação especial

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, Manuel Jorge

2010-01-01

A Comunidade Virtual de Educação Especial (CVEE) pretende ser uma Comunidade de Prática Online para todos os profissionais da educação que, directa ou indirectamente, estão ligados à Educação Especial. É um projecto desenvolvido no âmbito do Mestrado “As TIC na Educação e Formação”, da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança.

Patterns in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a Maroon village in Suriname.

Science.gov (United States)

Van't Klooster, Charlotte; van Andel, Tinde; Reis, Ria

2016-08-02

for most of these concerns, the use of herbal medicines seems to be a deep rooted cultural preference, especially when concerned with cultural illnesses and health promotion. Locally provided healthcare could be enriched if traditional knowledge, illness concepts, and medicinal plant uses could fit into a larger, community-oriented framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

VALUE-BASED MEDICINE AND OPHTHALMOLOGY: AN APPRAISAL OF COST-UTILITY ANALYSES

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Gary C; Brown, Melissa M; Sharma, Sanjay; Brown, Heidi; Smithen, Lindsay; Leeser, David B; Beauchamp, George

2004-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To ascertain the extent to which ophthalmologic interventions have been evaluated in value-based medicine format. Methods Retrospective literature review. Papers in the healthcare literature utilizing cost-utility analysis were reviewed by researchers at the Center for Value-Based Medicine, Flourtown, Pennsylvania. A literature review of papers addressing the cost-utility analysis of ophthalmologic procedures in the United States over a 12-year period from 1992 to 2003 was undertaken using the National Library of Medicine and EMBASE databases. The cost-utility of ophthalmologic interventions in inflation-adjusted (real) year 2003 US dollars expended per quality-adjusted life-year ($/QALY) was ascertained in all instances. Results A total of 19 papers were found, including a total of 25 interventions. The median cost-utility of ophthalmologic interventions was $5,219/QALY, with a range from $746/QALY to $6.5 million/QALY. Conclusions The majority of ophthalmologic interventions are especially cost-effective by conventional standards. This is because of the substantial value that ophthalmologic interventions confer to patients with eye diseases for the resources expended. PMID:15747756

[From 'triumphalism' to 'postcolonialism': trends in the historiography of tropical medicine].

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Mertens, Myriam

2009-01-01

This article highlights some of the most remarkable trends in the historiography of tropical medicine. Focusing on the literature that deals with the 19th and 20th centuries, it describes how by the 1980's triumphalist, apologetic histories were replaced by critical studies that revealed the less positive sides of tropical medicine. It also talks about the increasing influence in medical historiography of the postcolonial body of thought and its dynamic perspective on colonial categories and relations. This postcolonialism turns out to be a fruitful approach, as is shown especially by recent studies that focus on the production of tropical medical knowledge. In fact, the historiography of tropical medicine increasingly contributes to the growing body of literature on science and imperialism that looks for postcolonial alternatives to the diffusionist paradigm. This concern to reject diffusionism (which views imperialism as the basis for the spread of European science to the non-western world) has been noticeable particularly in the Anglo-Saxon academic world. This article calls for the adoption of similar approaches in other historiographic traditions.

Economic Evaluation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Oncology: Is There a Difference Compared to Conventional Medicine?

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Huebner, Jutta; Prott, Franz J; Muecke, Ralph; Stoll, Christoph; Buentzel, Jens; Muenstedt, Karsten; Micke, Oliver

2017-01-01

To analyze the financial burden of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer treatment. Based on a systematic search of the literature (Medline and the Cochrane Library, combining the MeSH terms 'complementary therapies', 'neoplasms', 'costs', 'cost analysis', and 'cost-benefit analysis'), an expert panel discussed different types of analyses and their significance for CAM in oncology. Of 755 publications, 43 met our criteria. The types of economic analyses and their parameters discussed for CAM in oncology were cost, cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analyses. Only a few articles included arguments in favor of or against these different methods, and only a few arguments were specific for CAM because most CAM methods address a broad range of treatment aim parameters to assess effectiveness and are hard to define. Additionally, the choice of comparative treatments is difficult. To evaluate utility, healthy subjects may not be adequate as patients with a life-threatening disease and may be judged differently, especially with respect to a holistic treatment approach. We did not find any arguments in the literature that were directed at the economic analysis of CAM in oncology. Therefore, a comprehensive approach assessment based on criteria from evidence-based medicine evaluating direct and indirect costs is recommended. The usual approaches to conventional medicine to assess costs, benefits, and effectiveness seem adequate in the field of CAM in oncology. Additionally, a thorough deliberation on the comparator, endpoints, and instruments is mandatory for designing studies. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Integrative medicine is a future medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samosyuk, I.Z.; Chukhraev, N.V.

2001-01-01

An analysis is given of the modern integrative medicine basis which is the synthesis of: 1. Theology, philosophy and sociology; 2. Physico-mathematical sciences, cybernetics, chemistry and astrology; 3. Medico-biological and clinical experience; 4. Traditional and scientific medicine; 5. Use of traditional and new medical technologies. Problems of 'holistic' medicine which considers Man as a unity of biological, emotional, psychological and social phenomena are exposed. Advantages in combining the drug therapy with modern physiotherapy and physioacupuncture methods seem to be obvious. All visible effects of a disease can de represented in the following forms of changes: information-energy - biochemical - ultrastructure - tissue - clinical diseases. Self-regulation of functional systems has a multilevel structure and needs application of different methods for body recovery. Short-wave irradiation (lasers, magnetotherapy) can be used for energy restoration in functional systems or meridians, and acupuncture plays the role of a 'trigger' which activises the body recovery. Integration of Western and Oriental medicines is the way for achieving the qualitative new level of health protection

Folk Medicine

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... lead’s effects on health. How to tell if herbal medicines or folk medicines contain lead You only can ... as high as 90%. Ghasard, an Indian folk medicine, has also been found to contain lead. It is a brown powder used as a tonic. Ba-baw-san is a Chinese herbal remedy that contains lead. It is used to ...

Botanical identification of medicinal roots collected and traded in Morocco and comparison to the existing literature

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background A literature review revealed heavy reliance on a few key publications for identification of medicinal plant species from local or vernacular names and a lack of citation of voucher specimens in many publications. There is a need for more reliable and standardized data on the identity of species used for medicine, especially because local names vary from region to region. This is especially true in the case of medicinal roots, for which identification of species is difficult. This paper contributes to existing data on the species sold as medicinal roots (and other underground plant parts such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in Morocco. Methods Data were collected in collaboration with herbalists in Marrakech and collectors in rural regions near Marrakech where species are collected from the wild. The ethno-medicinal uses of these species were also recorded. Results We identified the vernacular names for 67 medicinal roots (by free listing) used to treat a variety of human diseases. We were able to collect and identify one or more species for 39 of the recorded vernacular names. The ones we were not able to identify were either imported or no longer available in the markets. We collected more than one species for some of the vernacular names for a total of 43 species. We identified six new vernacular names and four species which had not been previously described in the literature. Our botanical identification matched at least one of the names listed in the literature 63% of the time and did not match any species listed in the literature 37% of the time. Of the three most commonly cited pieces of literature we compared to, we found the greatest overlap with the broader, more comprehensive work of Bellakhdar 1997 (as opposed to Benchâabane and Abbad 1997 which worked in a similarly focused geographical area). However there was only 63% agreement between Bellakhdar 1997 and our botanical identifications, and 29% of the time our identification didn�

Botanical identification of medicinal roots collected and traded in Morocco and comparison to the existing literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouarghidi, Abderrahim; Martin, Gary J; Powell, Bronwen; Esser, Gabrielle; Abbad, Abdelaziz

2013-08-15

A literature review revealed heavy reliance on a few key publications for identification of medicinal plant species from local or vernacular names and a lack of citation of voucher specimens in many publications. There is a need for more reliable and standardized data on the identity of species used for medicine, especially because local names vary from region to region. This is especially true in the case of medicinal roots, for which identification of species is difficult. This paper contributes to existing data on the species sold as medicinal roots (and other underground plant parts such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in Morocco. Data were collected in collaboration with herbalists in Marrakech and collectors in rural regions near Marrakech where species are collected from the wild. The ethno-medicinal uses of these species were also recorded. We identified the vernacular names for 67 medicinal roots (by free listing) used to treat a variety of human diseases. We were able to collect and identify one or more species for 39 of the recorded vernacular names. The ones we were not able to identify were either imported or no longer available in the markets. We collected more than one species for some of the vernacular names for a total of 43 species. We identified six new vernacular names and four species which had not been previously described in the literature. Our botanical identification matched at least one of the names listed in the literature 63% of the time and did not match any species listed in the literature 37% of the time. Of the three most commonly cited pieces of literature we compared to, we found the greatest overlap with the broader, more comprehensive work of Bellakhdar 1997 (as opposed to Benchâabane and Abbad 1997 which worked in a similarly focused geographical area). However there was only 63% agreement between Bellakhdar 1997 and our botanical identifications, and 29% of the time our identification didn't match even the genus of any

[Holistic integrative medicine: the road to the future of the development of burn medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, D M

2017-01-20

Holistic integrative medicine is the road to the future of the development of burn medicine. Not only burn medicine, but also human medicine gradually enters the era of holistic integrative medicine. Holistic integrative medicine is different from translational medicine, evidence-based medicine or precision medicine, which integrates the most advanced knowledge and theories in medicine fields with the most effective practices and experiences in clinical specialties to form a new medical system.

Nobel prizes that changed medicine

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

This book brings together in one volume fifteen Nobel Prize-winning discoveries that have had the greatest impact upon medical science and the practice of medicine during the 20th century and up to the present time. Its overall aim is to enlighten, entertain and stimulate. This is especially so for those who are involved in or contemplating a career in medical research. Anyone interested in the particulars of a specific award or Laureate can obtain detailed information on the topic by accessing the Nobel Foundation's website. In contrast, this book aims to provide a less formal and more personal view of the science and scientists involved, by having prominent academics write a chapter each about a Nobel Prize-winning discovery in their own areas of interest and expertise.

Different perceptions of narrative medicine between Western and Chinese medicine students.

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Huang, Chien-Da; Liao, Kuo-Chen; Chung, Fu-Tsai; Tseng, Hsu-Min; Fang, Ji-Tseng; Lii, Shu-Chung; Kuo, Han-Pin; Yeh, San-Jou; Lee, Shih-Tseng

2017-05-10

Western medicine is an evidence-based science, whereas Chinese medicine is more of a healing art. To date, there has been no research that has examined whether students of Western and Chinese medicine differentially engage in, or benefit from, educational activities for narrative medicine. This study fills a gap in current literature with the aim of evaluating and comparing Western and Chinese Medicine students' perceptions of narrative medicine as an approach to learning empathy and professionalism. An initial 10-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was developed to assess fifth-year Western medical (MS) and traditional Chinese medical (TCMS) students' perceptions of a 4-activity narrative medicine program during a 13-week internal medicine clerkship. Exploratory factor analysis was undertaken. The response rate was 88.6% (412/465), including 270 (65.5%) MSs and 142 (34.5%) TCMSs, with a large reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.934). Three factors were extracted from 9 items: personal attitude, self-development/reflection, and emotional benefit, more favorable in terms of enhancement of self-development/reflection. The perceptions of narrative medicine by scores between the two groups were significantly higher in TCMSs than MSs in all 9-item questionnaire and 3 extracted factors. Given the different learning cultures of medical education in which these student groups engage, this suggests that undertaking a course in Chinese medicine might enhance one's acceptance to, and benefit from, a medical humanities course. Alternatively, Chinese medicine programmes might attract more humanities-focused students.

The judgement process in evidence-based medicine and health technology assessment

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Michael P; Moore, Tessa A

2011-01-01

This article describes the judgements used to interpret evidence in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and health technology assessment (HTA). It outlines the methods and processes of EBM and HTA. Respectively, EBM and HTA are approaches to medical clinical decision making and efficient allocation of scarce health resources. At the heart of both is a concern to review and synthesise evidence, especially evidence derived from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of clinical effectiveness. The driver...

Development of a novel sports medicine rotation for emergency medicine residents.

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Waterbrook, Anna L; Pritchard, T Gail; Lane, Allison D; Stoneking, Lisa R; Koch, Bryna; McAtee, Robert; Grall, Kristi H; Min, Alice A; Prior, Jessica; Farrell, Isaac; McNulty, Holly G; Stolz, Uwe

2016-01-01

Musculoskeletal complaints are the most common reason for patients to visit a physician, yet competency in musculoskeletal medicine is invariably reported as a deficiency in medical education in the USA. Sports medicine clinical rotations improve both medical students' and residents' musculoskeletal knowledge. Despite the importance of this knowledge, a standardized sports medicine curriculum in emergency medicine (EM) does not exist. Hence, we developed a novel sports medicine rotation for EM residents to improve their musculoskeletal educational experience and to improve their knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine by teaching the evaluation and management of many common musculoskeletal disorders and injuries that are encountered in the emergency department. The University of Arizona has two distinct EM residency programs, South Campus (SC) and University Campus (UC). The UC curriculum includes a traditional 4-week orthopedic rotation, which consistently rated poorly on evaluations by residents. Therefore, with the initiation of a new EM residency at SC, we replaced the standard orthopedic rotation with a novel sports medicine rotation for EM interns. This rotation includes attendance at sports medicine clinics with primary care and orthopedic sports medicine physicians, involvement in sport event coverage, assigned reading materials, didactic experiences, and an on-call schedule to assist with reductions in the emergency department. We analyzed postrotation surveys completed by residents, postrotation evaluations of the residents completed by primary care sports medicine faculty and orthopedic chief residents, as well as the total number of dislocation reductions performed by each graduating resident at both programs over the last 5 years. While all residents in both programs exceeded the ten dislocation reductions required for graduation, residents on the sports medicine rotation had a statistically significant higher rate of satisfaction of their educational

Stress and medicine use for headache: does sense of coherence modify the association?

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Koushede, Vibeke; Holstein, Bjørn E; Andersen, Anette; Hansen, Ebba Holme

2011-10-01

Medicine use as a strategy for coping with daily stressors is an under-studied issue. Studies show that stress is associated with use of over-the-counter medicine, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine whether sense of coherence (SOC) modifies the association between perceived stress and medicine use for headache. National cross-sectional study in Denmark. men and women aged 25-44 years, n = 990. The survey was conducted by web-based questionnaires and telephone interviews. The outcome measure was medicine use for headache. The independent variable was perceived stress. SOC and gender were investigated as moderators. Social class, headache prevalence and severity, and response method were included as co-variates. Our study showed that SOC modified the association between stress and medicine use for headache (only statistically significant among women). The odds for medicine use among women who felt stressed were 2.30 (1.39-3.79) compared to women who did not feel stressed; among men who felt stressed the equivalent odds were 1.46 (0.80-2.66). In analysis stratified by SOC, the odds for medicine use when stressed were 2.09 (0.71-6.21) among women with high SOC, 2.21 (1.10-4.41) among women with medium SOC and 3.69 (1.09-12.47) among women with low SOC. The equivalent odds for men were 1.29 (0.33-5.04), 1.33 (0.59-3.04) and 2.47 (0.57-10.64), respectively. SOC modifies the association between stress and medicine use especially among women. Individuals with fewer coping resources may be more likely to use medicine beyond indication to treat stress.

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.

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

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... Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts ... Children's Nuclear Medicine? What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging ...

NUEVAS ESPECIES COLOMBIANAS DE PHYLLOPHAGA HARRIS (COLEOPTERA: MELOLONTHIDAE: MELOLONTHINAE

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MIGUEL ÁNGEL MORÓN

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Se describen tres Phyllophaga (s. str.: Phyllophaga velezangeli, nueva especie del grupo “schizorhina” recolectada en una localidad montañosa del departamento de Boyacá, ubicada a 1 989 m de altitud; y P. citarae, nueva especie del grupo “rorulenta” que habita en el bosque tropical perennifolio establecido a 70 m snm en Tutunendo, departamento de Chocó y P. densata chocoana, nueva subespecie del grupo “rugipennis” localizada en bosques tropicales perennifolios de Chocó y Risaralda. Phyllophaga densata densata (Moser se registra por primera ocasión para Colombia. Se incluyen ilustraciones de los caracteres diagnósticos, habitus y comentarios sobre sus diferencias con otras especies de los grupos citados.

Traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine: Focusing on research into traditional Tibetan medicine in China.

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Song, Peipei; Xia, Jufeng; Rezeng, Caidan; Tong, Li; Tang, Wei

2016-07-19

As a form of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM), traditional Tibetan medicine has developed into a mainstay of medical care in Tibet and has spread from there to China and then to the rest of the world. Thus far, research on traditional Tibetan medicine has focused on the study of the plant and animal sources of traditional medicines, study of the histology of those plants and animals, chemical analysis of traditional medicines, pharmacological study of those medicines, and evaluation of the clinical efficacy of those medicines. A number of papers on traditional Tibetan medicines have been published, providing some evidence of the efficacy of traditional Tibetan medicine. However, many traditional Tibetan medicines have unknown active ingredients, hampering the establishment of drug quality standards, the development of new medicines, commercial production of medicines, and market availability of those medicines. Traditional Tibetan medicine must take several steps to modernize and spread to the rest of the world: the pharmacodynamics of traditional Tibetan medicines need to be determined, the clinical efficacy of those medicines needs to be verified, criteria to evaluate the efficacy of those medicines need to be established in order to guide their clinical use, and efficacious medicines need to be acknowledged by the pharmaceutical market. The components of traditional Tibetan medicine should be studied, traditional Tibetan medicines should be screened for their active ingredients, and techniques should be devised to prepare and manufacture those medicines.

Nuclear radiation and its role in general nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kempaiah, A.; Ravi, C.

2012-01-01

Radiation is really nothing more than the emission of energy through space, as well as through physical objects. Nuclear radiations are emitted due to decay of nuclei of radioactive materials and damage cells and the DNA inside them through its ionizing effect. That causes melanoma and other cancers. Nuclear radiation has a number of beneficial uses especially in medical field with low levels of radioactive compounds, better than X-rays. There are some 440 nuclear reactors worldwide, people around will be under the effect of radiation. In nuclear medicine (medical imaging) small amount of radioactive materials were used to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of disease, including many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body it is painless and cost-effective techniques and provides information about both structure and function. Nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures called Gamma camera, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) were discussed in this paper. (author)

Genome Editing Redefines Precision Medicine in the Cardiovascular Field

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Elda Dzilic

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Genome editing is a powerful tool to study the function of specific genes and proteins important for development or disease. Recent technologies, especially CRISPR/Cas9 which is characterized by convenient handling and high precision, revolutionized the field of genome editing. Such tools have enormous potential for basic science as well as for regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, there are still several hurdles that have to be overcome, but patient-tailored therapies, termed precision medicine, seem to be within reach. In this review, we focus on the achievements and limitations of genome editing in the cardiovascular field. We explore different areas of cardiac research and highlight the most important developments: (1 the potential of genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells in basic research for disease modelling, drug screening, or reprogramming approaches and (2 the potential and remaining challenges of genome editing for regenerative therapies. Finally, we discuss social and ethical implications of these new technologies.

Perspective of the Human Body in Sasang Constitutional Medicine

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Junhee Lee

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM, a medical tradition originating from Korea, is distinguished from the traditional Chinese medicine in its philosophical background, theoretical development and especially, the fundamental rationale that analyzes the structure and function of the human body within a quadrifocal scheme. In SCM, the structure of the body is comprehended within the Sasang quadrifocal scheme, and the function of the body is understood within the context of the energy-fluid metabolism and the water-food metabolism controlled by the four main organs (lung, spleen, liver and kidney. Also, the concept of Seong-Jeong is used to explain the structural and functional variations between different constitutional types that arise from the constitutional variations in organ system scheme, which are in turn caused by deviations in the constitutional Seong-Jeong. Therefore, understanding the SCM perspective of the human body is essential in order to fully appreciate the advantages of the constitutional typological system (which focuses on individual idiosyncrasies found in SCM.

Teaching evidence based medicine in family medicine

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Davorka Vrdoljak

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The concept of evidence based medicine (EBM as the integrationof clinical expertise, patient values and the best evidence was introduced by David Sackett in the 1980’s. Scientific literature in medicine is often marked by expansion, acummulation and quick expiration. Reading all important articles to keep in touch with relevant information is impossible. Finding the best evidence that answers a clinical question in general practice (GP in a short time is not easy. Five useful steps are described –represented by the acronym “5A+E”: assess, ask, acquire, appraise, apply and evaluate.The habit of conducting an evidence search “on the spot’’ is proposed. Although students of medicine at University of Split School of Medicine are taught EBM from the first day of their study and in all courses, their experience of evidence-searching and critical appraisal of the evidence, in real time with real patient is inadequate. Teaching the final-year students the practical use of EBM in a GP’s office is different and can have an important role in their professional development. It can positively impact on quality of their future work in family practice (or some other medical specialty by acquiring this habit of constant evidence-checking to ensure that best practice becomes a mechanism for life-long learning. Conclusion. EBM is a foundation stone of every branch of medicine and important part of Family Medicine as scientific and professional discipline. To have an EB answer resulting from GP’s everyday work is becoming a part of everyday practice.

Monographs for medicines on WHO's Model List of Essential Medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Lukas; Adler, Melissa; Jain, Tanvi; Bempong, Daniel

2018-06-01

To raise awareness about the importance of public pharmaceutical standards, identify if and, if so, where current pharmacopeias are falling short in the development of new and complete monographs and foster collaboration among the various pharmacopeias, to prioritize, develop and make available standards for those key medicines for which no complete monographs exist. In August 2017, we mined eight pharmacopeias to identify which of the 669 medicines in the 20th edition of the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines were covered by complete or incomplete monographs. The pharmacopeias we included were the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, the British Pharmacopoeia, the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission, the International Pharmacopoeia, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the Mexican Pharmacopoeia, the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China and the United States Pharmacopeia. For 99 (15%) of the medicines on the Model List, no monographs were available in any of the eight pharmacopeias investigated. Only 3% (1/30) of the cardiovascular medicines listed, but 28% (9/32) of the antiretroviral medicines and 23% (6/26) of the antimalarial medicines lacked monographs. There appear to be no public standards for many so-called essential medicines. To address this shortfall, a greater collaboration in the global health community is needed.

Application of virtual reality technology in clinical medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lan; Yu, Fei; Shi, Dongquan; Shi, Jianping; Tian, Zongjun; Yang, Jiquan; Wang, Xingsong; Jiang, Qing

2017-01-01

The present review discusses the application of virtual reality (VR) technology in clinical medicine, especially in surgical training, pain management and therapeutic treatment of mental illness. We introduce the common types of VR simulators and their operational principles in aforementioned fields. The clinical effects are also discussed. In almost every study that dealt with VR simulators, researchers have arrived at the same conclusion that both doctors and patients could benefit from this novel technology. Moreover, advantages and disadvantages of the utilization of VR technology in each field were discussed, and the future research directions were proposed.

Indigenous knowledge of folk medicines among tribal minorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwestern Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sher, Hassan; Aldosari, Ali; Ali, Ahmad; de Boer, Hugo J

2015-05-26

Mapping ethnomedicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge of folk medicines can provide a comprehensive overview of individual herbs employed in health care. Reliance on medicinal plants in remote parts of northern Pakistan is high, especially among women, but no research has investigated specifically which plants are used. This study investigated indigenous knowledge of folk medicines among tribal minorities in selected sites in upper Swat, Buner and Chitral Districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Interviews were conducted with gender-specific focus groups using questionnaires and standardized data sheets, followed by forest walks in each of the visited areas. General medicinal herb use, preparations, storage, marketing and collection habits for each gender group were ascertained from the questionnaires. In total 168 women and 390 men were interviewed and provided information on 127 different shared medicinal species. Species use consensus among the informants ranged from 2.3% to 83.3%, with Cynodon dactylon, Avena sativa, Celtis australis, Datura stramonium, Solanum nigrum, Skimmia laureola, Spiraea nervosa, Ziziphus jujuba, Rumex hastatus, Plantago lanceolata, Lathyrus aphaca and Ficus palmata having the highest reported consensus. The survey also revealed that a number of medicinal species were exploited by the community for both marketing and personal use, and many of these species were reported as being rare, vulnerable or even endangered. The results revealed that women in all the three districts were important custodians of medicinal plant knowledge, but elder women in general and the women from Buner district in particular had a superior understanding of folk medicine. The forest walks revealed that women׳s traditional medicinal knowledge was based on a more limited diversity of plant species. People in tribal communities have an expressed interest in learning efficient techniques for medicinal plant collection, preparation, storage and

Visualization studies on evidence-based medicine domain knowledge (series 3): visualization for dissemination of evidence based medicine information.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jiantong; Yao, Leye; Li, Youping; Clarke, Mike; Gan, Qi; Li, Yifei; Fan, Yi; Gou, Yongchao; Wang, Li

2011-05-01

To identify patterns in information sharing between a series of Chinese evidence based medicine (EBM) journals and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, to determine key evidence dissemination areas for EBM and to provide a scientific basis for improving the dissemination of EBM research. Data were collected on citing and cited from the Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine (CJEBM), Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine (JEBMc), Chinese Journal of Evidence Based Pediatrics (CJEBP), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). Relationships between citations were visualized. High-frequency key words from these sources were identified, to build a word co-occurrence matrix and to map research subjects. CDSR contains a large collection of information of relevance to EBM and its contents are widely cited across many journals, suggesting a well-developed citation environment. The content and citation of the Chinese journals have been increasing in recent years. However, their citation environments are much less developed, and there is a wide variation in the breadth and strength of their knowledge communication, with the ranking from highest to lowest being CJEBM, JEBMc and CJEBP. The content of CDSR is almost exclusively Cochrane intervention reviews examining the effects of healthcare interventions, so it's contribution to EBM is mostly in disease control and treatment. On the other hand, the Chinese journals on evidence-based medicine and practice focused more on areas such as education and research, design and quality of clinical trials, evidence based policymaking, evidence based clinical practice, tumor treatment, and pediatrics. Knowledge and findings of EBM are widely communicated and disseminated. However, citation environments and range of knowledge communication differ greatly between the journals examined in this study. This finds that Chinese EBM has focused mainly on clinical medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, pediatrics, tumor

Patent Medicine VendorsAND#8217; Clients: Medicine Use Behaviour

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Asa Auta

2012-12-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate some medicine use behaviour of Patent Medicine Vendors’ (PMVs clients including self medication practice and medication sharing behaviour. METHOD: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2011, on 361 undergraduate students of the University of Jos, Nigeria who visited PMVs within a month preceding the study. A pretested questionnaire was administered to participating students. Participants responded to questions on demography, and medicine use behaviour. Data were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 16 to generate descriptive statistics which were represented in percentages. RESULTS: The results showed that majority of the respondents (91.7% visited the PMVs for self-medication with the common classes of medicines procured by PMVs clients including analgesics (38.4%, antimalarials (22.2% and nutrition/blood preparations (14.1%. About 78.5% of the medicines sold to PMVs clients were in their original package and only 45.9% of clients reported checking the expiry date of their procured medicine prior to use. Medication sharing behaviour was common (60.2% among respondents. Although most respondents (70.2% said they had read a medicine information leaflet in the past, majority of them depended on unreliable sources such as friends/relatives (23.2%, media (10.8% and the internet (9.9% for medicine information. CONCLUSION: The study therefore demonstrated that PMV clients are those on self-medication practices and medication sharing behaviour is high among them. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(6.000: 681-686

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

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Full Text Available ... Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts ... Children's Nuclear Medicine? What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging ...

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

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Full Text Available ... Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging uses ... limitations of Children's Nuclear Medicine? What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch of ...

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

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Full Text Available ... News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging ... the limitations of Children's Nuclear Medicine? What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch ...

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

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Full Text Available ... Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging uses small ... of Children's Nuclear Medicine? What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical ...

Toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal medicines commonly used in Ghana.

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Letsyo, Emmanuel; Jerz, Gerold; Winterhalter, Peter; Beuerle, Till

2017-04-18

Herbal medicines have been used for centuries for the management and treatment of various ailments due to the belief that they pose only little or no health risk and side effects, and also, in part, due to their availability, affordability and/or self-supply. However, the increasing information over the recent years on the occurrence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in honey, herbal food and tea products has raised concerns about the safety of herbal medicines with respect to contamination. To this day, little is known on the occurrence of toxic PAs in herbal medicines, especially in tropical West Africa. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the PA content of 70 well-known and widely patronized plant-derived medicinal preparations, which are commercialized in Ghana and some West African countries, in order to ascertain their potential health risk. PAs of the herbal medicinal products, sourced from specialized drugstores and mostly regulatory approved, were analyzed for their PA content by a HPLC-ESI-MS/MS sum parameter method. The results show that a total of 60% of the analyzed herbal products were PA positive, indicating an average PA-concentration of 25.0μg/kg. The maximum PA level (1290.0μg/kg) was attributed to a regulatory-approved herbal medicine not known, according to the list of declared ingredients, to contain PA-plant parts. Interestingly, higher PA content (average, 30.2μg/kg) was detected in regulatory-approved herbal medicines, in contrast to lower amount (average, 8.0μg/kg) detected in non-regulatory-approved products. The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that herbal medicines containing PA plants as ingredients, as well as some of those containing plant species not known to produce PAs, are likely to contain hepatotoxic PA at levels higher than the daily dose in food and herbal medicinal products proposed by the European Medicines Agency (i.e. 0.35μg PA per day for 50kg adult and 0.14μg PA per day for 20kg children

Metabolite Profiling of Feces and Serum in Hemodialysis Patients and the Effect of Medicinal Charcoal Tablets.

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Liu, Sixiu; Liang, Shanshan; Liu, Hua; Chen, Lei; Sun, Lingshuang; Wei, Meng; Jiang, Hongli; Wang, Jing

2018-05-22

Recently, the colon has been recognized as an important source of various uremic toxins in patients with end stage renal disease. Medicinal charcoal tablets are an oral adsorbent that are widely used in patients with chronic kidney disease in China to remove creatinine and urea from the colon. A parallel fecal and serum metabolomics study was performed to determine comprehensive metabolic profiles of patients receiving hemodialysis (HD). The effects of medicinal charcoal tablets on the fecal and serum metabolomes of HD patients were also investigated. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to investigate the fecal and serum metabolic profiles of 20 healthy controls and 31 HD patients before and after taking medicinal charcoal tablets for 3 months. There were distinct metabolic variations between the HD patients and healthy controls both in the feces and serum according to multivariate data analysis. Metabolic disturbances of alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism figured prominently in the serum. However, in the feces, alterations of tryptophan metabolism, lysine degradation and beta-alanine metabolism were pronounced, and the levels of several amino acids (leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, methionine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) were increased dramatically. Nineteen fecal metabolites and 21 serum metabolites were also identified as biomarkers that contributed to the metabolic differences. Additionally, medicinal charcoal treatment generally enabled the serum and fecal metabolomes of the HD patients to draw close to those of the control subjects, especially the serum metabolic profile. Parallel fecal and serum metabolomics uncovered the systematic metabolic variations of HD patients, especially disturbances in amino acid metabolism in the colon. Medicinal charcoal tablets had an impact on the serum and fecal metabolomes of HD patients, but their exact effects still need to be studied further

[The role of German official medicines control laboratories in combating counterfeit medicines].

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Wiegard, Andrea; Heuermann, Matthias

2017-11-01

An official medicines control laboratory (OMCL) provides an important contribution to combat counterfeit and illegal medicines. The OMCL supports the competent authorities in controlling the quality of authorised medicinal products in the legal supply chain. For detecting counterfeit medicines in the legal supply chain, a risk-based approach in choice of products is conducted. Furthermore, the OMCL analyses suspicious medicines from the illegal supply chain for any other authority. The chemical analysis of a suspicious sample is needed to identify such a sample as a counterfeit medicine. The analytical results are fundamental for the evaluation of the legal status of the product and for the assessment of it's inherent hazard to public health. The global market of illegal medicines is rapidly changing. Therefore a good national and international working liaison and co-operation between laboratories and authorities is obligatory to protect public health. The OMCL provides important knowledge of new trends in counterfeit and illegal medicines. Hence, it is an essential part in surveillance of medicinal products. The efficient networking enables prompt official interventions. Thus, risks for the public health by substandard medicines were reduced. Beside the chemical analysis, the OMCL can help to raise public awareness about counterfeit and illegal medicines. In Germany, the risk of counterfeit medicines reaching patients through the legal supply chain is still low, but the possibility cannot be ignored.

Nuclear medicine physics

CERN Document Server

De Lima, Joao Jose

2011-01-01

Edited by a renowned international expert in the field, Nuclear Medicine Physics offers an up-to-date, state-of-the-art account of the physics behind the theoretical foundation and applications of nuclear medicine. It covers important physical aspects of the methods and instruments involved in modern nuclear medicine, along with related biological topics. The book first discusses the physics of and machines for producing radioisotopes suitable for use in conventional nuclear medicine and PET. After focusing on positron physics and the applications of positrons in medicine and biology, it descr

Stem cells and regenerative medicine in domestic and companion animals: a multispecies perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, N N; Ambrósio, C E; Piedrahita, J A

2014-10-01

Since their original isolation, the majority of the work on embryonic stem cells (ESC) has been carried out in mice. While the mouse is an outstanding model for basic research, it also has considerable limitations for translational work, especially in the area of regenerative medicine. This is due to a combination of factors that include physiological and size differences when compared to humans. In contrast, domestic animal species, such as swine, and companion animal species, such as dogs, provide unique opportunities to develop regenerative medicine protocols that can then be utilized in humans. Unfortunately, at present, the state of knowledge related to, and availability of, ESC from domestic animals vary among species such as pig, horse, dog and cat, and without exception lags significantly behind the mouse and human. It is clear that much still needs to be discovered. The 'stem cell-like' cell lines being reported are still not satisfactorily used in regenerative medicine, due to reasons such as heterogeneity and chromosomal instability. As a result, investigators have searched for alternate source of cells that can be used for regenerative medicine. This approach has uncovered a range of adult stem cells and adult progenitor cells that have utility in both human and veterinary medicine. Here, we review a range of stem cells, from ESC to induced pluripotent stem cells, and discuss their potential application in the field of regenerative medicine. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Complementary and alternative medicine in inflammatory bowel disease patients: frequency and risk factors.

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Fernández, Alberto; Barreiro-de Acosta, Manuel; Vallejo, Nicolau; Iglesias, Marta; Carmona, Amalia; González-Portela, Carlos; Lorenzo, Aurelio; Domínguez-Muñoz, J Enrique

2012-11-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine in inflammatory bowel disease patients is progressively increased. To evaluate the use of complementary and alternative medicine in inflammatory bowel disease patients and to know potential risk factors for their use. The subjective response of these therapies and the impact on treatment adherence were also evaluated. Prospective, descriptive and transversal study. Inflammatory bowel disease patients were classified according to demographic and clinical characteristics. A questionnaire about the use of complementary and alternative medicine was collected. 705 patients were included. 126 patients (23%) had used complementary and alternative medicine. The most commonly used was herbal remedies (n=61), homoeopathy (n=36), acupuncture (n=31), kefir (n=31) and aloe vera (n=25). Factors associated with its use were extraintestinal manifestations (OR 1.69, CI 95% 1.11-2.57) and long-term evolution of the disease (OR 2.08, CI 95% 1.44-2.99). Most patients (74%) had the subjective feeling that use of complementary and alternative medicine had not improved their condition, 11 had adverse events related to its use and 11% of patients discontinued their conventional drugs. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in inflammatory bowel disease patients is frequent, especially in those with extraintestinal manifestations and long-term evolution. The use of these therapies was not perceived as a benefit for patients. Copyright © 2012 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of radiology in occupational medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vehmas, T.

2004-01-01

This review discusses the contribution of radiology to occupational medicine as well as work-related problems in radiology dept.s. Research issues are emphasized. Radiology has been used especially when diagnosing occupational respiratory and locomotive system problems and solvent-induced encephalo- and hepatopathy. The aim of research in these areas is usually to characterize occupational diseases and to identify physico-chemical hazards in the work place by comparing between groups of workers and non-exposed controls. Radiological imaging allows an objective characterization of the disease, and it may clarify the pathogenesis of the process and provide a useful epidemiological tool. Advanced statistical methods are often needed to adjust analyses for confounding variables. As the diagnostic requirements are increasing, more sensitive and sophisticated radiological methods, such as high-resolution computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, may be required for the early recognition of occupational health risks. This necessitates good cooperation between occupational health units and well-equipped imaging dept.s. Considering occupational problems in radiology departments, the increasing use of digital radiology requires ergonomic measures to control and prevent locomotive problems caused by work with computers. Radiation protection measures are still worth concern, especially in interventional radiology

LAS ESPECIES DE MUHLENBERGIA (POACEAE: CHLORIDOIDEAE DE ARGENTINA

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Peterson Paul

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Se presenta un estudio taxonómico de las especies nativas argentinas del géneroMuhlenbergia, basado en el análisis de los especímenes depositados en 48 herbarios.Se analizan diversos aspectos relativos a la clasifi cación, la nomenclatura y lavariación morfológica de los caracteres. Muhlenbergia está representado enArgentina por 18 especies nativas. Se proporcionan claves para reconocer lasespecies presentes en el país, así como también descripciones de éstas, sinónimos,ilustraciones, distribución geográfica y algunos comentarios morfológicos yecológicos. Muhlenbergia breviaristata (Hack. Parodi y Muhlenbergia holwayorumHitchc., se reducen como sinónimos del híbrido Muhlenbergia angustata (J. PreslKunth × M. rigida (Kunth Kunth. Muhlenbergia diversiglumis Trin. se cita porprimera vez para la Argentina. Por otra parte, las especies Muhlenbergia tenella(Kunth Trin. y Muhlenbergia tenuissima (J. Presl Kunth se excluyen de la fl orade Argentina.

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

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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.

Is laboratory medicine ready for the era of personalized medicine?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malentacchi, Francesca; Mancini, Irene; Brandslund, Ivan

2015-01-01

Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Therapy (ESPT). The answers of the participating laboratory medicine professionals indicate that they are aware that personalized medicine can represent a new and promising health model, and that laboratory medicine should play a key role in supporting...

Safety classification of herbal medicines used among pregnant women in Asian countries: a systematic review.

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Ahmed, Mansoor; Hwang, Jung Hye; Choi, Soojeung; Han, Dongwoon

2017-11-14

High prevalence of herbal medicines used in pregnancy and the lack of information on their safety is a public concern. Despite this, no significant research has been done regarding potential adverse effects of using herbal medicines during pregnancy, especially among developing Asian countries. Cross-sectional studies were searched up to year 2016 on PubMed/Medline and EMBASE, the data were extracted and quality of studies was assessed using the quality appraisal tool. The findings are reported in accordance to the PRISMA checklist (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Classification on safety of identified herbal medicines was done based on current scientific literature. This study included eight cross-sectional studies (2729 participants) from seven different Asian countries, of which 1283 (47.01%) women used one or more herbal medicines during pregnancy. Peppermint (22.8%), aniseed (14.7%), olibanum (12.9%), flixweed seed (12.2%) and ginger (11.5%) were the most frequently used herbal medicines. Out of the 33 identified herbal medicines, 13 were classified as safe to use, five as use with caution, eight were potentially harmful to use in pregnancy and information on seven herbal medicines was not available in the current literature. Several herbal medicines identified in this review were classified to be potentially harmful or the information regarding safety in pregnancy was missing. It is recommended that contraindicated herbal medicines should be avoided and other herbals should be taken under supervision of a qualified health care practitioner. The classification regarding safety of herbal medicines in pregnancy can be utilized to create awareness on prevention of adverse effects.

[Examples of the use of music in clinical medicine].

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Myskja, A; Lindbaek, M

2000-04-10

Music has been an element in medical practice throughout history. There is growing interest in music as a therapeutic tool. Since there is no generally accepted standard for how, when and where music should be applied within a medical framework, this literature study endeavours to present an overview of central areas of application of music in medicine. It further attempts to find tentative conclusions that may be drawn from existing clinical research on the efficacy of music as a medical tool. Traditionally, music has been linked to the treatment of mental illness, and has been used successfully to treat anxiety and depression and improve function in schizophrenia and autism. In clinical medicine several studies have shown analgetic and anxiolytic properties that have been used in intensive care units, both in diagnostic procedures like gastroscopy and in larger operations, in preoperative as well as postoperative phases, reducing the need for medication in several studies. The combination of music with guided imagery and deep relaxation has shown reduction of symptoms and increased well-being in chronic pain syndromes, whether from cancer or rheumatic origin. Music has been used as support in pregnancy and gestation, in internal medicine, oncology, paediatrics and other related fields. The use of music with geriatric patients could prove to be especially fruitful, both in its receptive and its active aspect. Studies have shown that music can improve function and alleviate symptoms in stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The role of music in medicine is primarily supportive and palliative. The supportive role of music has a natural field of application in palliative medicine and terminal care. Music is well tolerated, inexpensive, with good compliance and few side effects.

Comparison of Patient Health History Questionnaires Used in General Internal and Family Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinics.

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Laube, Justin G R; Shapiro, Martin F

2017-05-01

Health history questionnaires (HHQs) are a set of self-administered questions completed by patients prior to a clinical encounter. Despite widespread use, minimal research has evaluated the content of HHQs used in general internal medicine and family medicine (GIM/FM), integrative medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM; chiropractic, naturopathic, and Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM]) clinics. Integrative medicine and CAM claim greater emphasis on well-being than does GIM/FM. This study investigated whether integrative medicine and CAM clinics' HHQs include more well-being content and otherwise differ from GIM/FM HHQs. HHQs were obtained from GIM/FM (n = 9), integrative medicine (n = 11), naturopathic medicine (n = 5), chiropractic (n = 4), and TCM (n = 7) clinics in California. HHQs were coded for presence of medical history (chief complaint, past medical history, social history, family history, surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, allergies, review of systems), health maintenance procedures (immunization, screenings), and well-being components (nutrition, exercise, stress, sleep, spirituality). In HHQs of GIM/FM clinics, the average number of well-being components was 1.4 (standard deviation [SD], 1.4) compared with 4.0 (SD, 1.1) for integrative medicine (p medicine (p = 0.04), 2.0 (SD, 1.4) for chiropractic (p = 0.54), and 2.0 (SD, 1.5) for TCM (p = 0.47). In HHQs of GIM/FM clinics, the average number of medical history components was 6.4 (SD, 1.9) compared with 8.3 (SD, 1.2) for integrative medicine (p = 0.01), 9.0 (SD, 0) for naturopathic medicine (p = 0.01), 7.1 (SD, 2.8) for chiropractic (p = 0.58), and 7.1 (SD, 1.7) for TCM (p = 0.41). Integrative and naturopathic medicine HHQs included significantly more well-being and medical history components than did GIM/FM HHQs. Further investigation is warranted to determine the optimal HHQ content to support the clinical and preventive

Medicine safety and children

Science.gov (United States)

... it is candy. What to Do If Your Child Takes Medicine If you think your child has taken medicine, call the poison control center ... blood pressure monitored. Preventing Medicine Mistakes When giving medicine to your young child, follow these safety tips: Use medicine made only ...

Essential travel medicine

CERN Document Server

Zuckerman, Jane N; Leggat, Peter

2015-01-01

This 1st edition of Essential Travel Medicine provides an excellent concise introduction to the specialty of Travel Medicine. This core text will enable health care practitioners particularly those new to the clinical practice of Travel Medicine, to gain a fundamental understanding of the diverse and complex issues which can potentially affect the health of the many millions of people who undertake international travel. Jane N Zuckerman is joined by Gary W Brunette from CDC and Peter A Leggat from Australia as Editors. Leading international specialists in their fields have contributed authoritative chapters reflecting current knowledge to facilitate best clinical practice in the different aspects of travel medicine. The aim of Essential Travel Medicine is to provide a comprehensive guide to Travel Medicine as well as a fundamental knowledge base to support international undergraduate and postgraduate specialty training programmes in the discipline of Travel Medicine. The 1st edition of Essential Travel ...

Quality of life in the context of psychology and medicine

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Konrad Kulikowski

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this article various ways to recognize the concept of quality of life are presented. The author attempted to show what factors may influence quality of life, and how this issue is recognized in the context of medicine and psychology. Attention was also paid to the subjective and objective aspects of quality of life. The author attempted to demonstrate that the patient’s quality of life, especially in the context of rheumatology, cannot be considered one-dimensional, only in the field of medicine or psychology. Evaluation and planning of activities designed to improve and maintain the patient’s quality of life require an eclectic approach, taking into account psychological and medical aspects of the patient’s life. The text is divided into three parts: quality of life in medical science, quality of life and happiness in psychological approaches, and quality of life in rheumatology.

[The gender gap in Italian medicine].

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De Simone, Silvia; Podda, Daiana; Lampis, Jessica

2015-01-28

This study is collocated in the debate about the gender gap in Medicine giving voice to female physicians who have damaged the "glass ceiling". Our research offers a contribute to the exploration about the motivations of persistence of gender gap in Medicine despite current changes. This study is based on 21 biographical interviews to female physicians who are managers in Italian hospitals. The themes emerged by data analysis concerned the participants 'discrimination experiences in their hierarchical advancement, the evidences of a persistence of horizontal segregation in some medical specializations, the difficult to find a work-life balance and the effects of this difficult on the female physicians' health. Our research confirmed a persistence of gender gap in the medical world, which disadvantages women in their career choices and in their hierarchical advancement and which appears in the form of invisible barriers impregnated of stereotypes and prejudices that are taken for granted by many men and women, especially those who have the power; these barriers make the female doctors 'health more vulnerable to the event of work-related stress. By the dates emerged the necessity of cultural and institutional interventions, actions for deconstruction of gender stereotypes, and the necessity of intervention for a more flexible and functioning work organization that satisfies the female physicians' needs.

Development of a novel sports medicine rotation for emergency medicine residents

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Waterbrook AL

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Anna L Waterbrook,1 T Gail Pritchard,2 Allison D Lane,1 Lisa R Stoneking,1 Bryna Koch,2 Robert McAtee,1 Kristi H Grall,1 Alice A Min,1 Jessica Prior,1 Isaac Farrell,1 Holly G McNulty,1 Uwe Stolz1 1Department of Emergency Medicine, 2Office of Medical Student Education, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA Abstract: Musculoskeletal complaints are the most common reason for patients to visit a physician, yet competency in musculoskeletal medicine is invariably reported as a deficiency in medical education in the USA. Sports medicine clinical rotations improve both medical students' and residents' musculoskeletal knowledge. Despite the importance of this knowledge, a standardized sports medicine curriculum in emergency medicine (EM does not exist. Hence, we developed a novel sports medicine rotation for EM residents to improve their musculoskeletal educational experience and to improve their knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine by teaching the evaluation and management of many common musculoskeletal disorders and injuries that are encountered in the emergency department. The University of Arizona has two distinct EM residency programs, South Campus (SC and University Campus (UC. The UC curriculum includes a traditional 4-week orthopedic rotation, which consistently rated poorly on evaluations by residents. Therefore, with the initiation of a new EM residency at SC, we replaced the standard orthopedic rotation with a novel sports medicine rotation for EM interns. This rotation includes attendance at sports medicine clinics with primary care and orthopedic sports medicine physicians, involvement in sport event coverage, assigned reading materials, didactic experiences, and an on-call schedule to assist with reductions in the emergency department. We analyzed postrotation surveys completed by residents, postrotation evaluations of the residents completed by primary care sports medicine faculty and orthopedic chief residents, as well as the

[The role of imagination in modern medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Schott, Heinz

2004-06-01

In Renaissance and early modern times, the concept of imagination (Latin imaginatio) was essential for the (natural) philosophical explanation of magic processes, especially in the anthropology of Paracelsus. He assumed that imagination was a natural vital power including cosmic, mental, phychical, and physical dimensions. The Paracelsians criticized traditional humor pathology ignoring their theory of' 'natural magic'. On the other hand, they were criticized by their adversaries as charlatans practicing 'black magic'. About 1800, in between enlightenment and romanticism, the healing concept of, animal magnetism' (Mesmerism) evoked an analogous debate, whether, magnetic' phenomena originated from a real (physical) power (so-called, fluidum') or were just due to fantasy or imagination (German Einbildungskraft). At the end of the 19th century, the French internist Hippolyte Bernheim created-against the background of medical hypnosis (hypnotism') as a consequence of Mesmerism - his theory of suggestion and autosuggestion: a new paradigm of psychological respectively psychosomatic medicine, which became the basis for the concept of, placebo' in modern biomedicine. From now on, all the effects of, alternative medicine' could easily be explained by the, placebo-effect', more or less founded - at least unconsciously - on fraud.

[Personalized medicine, privatized medicine? legal and public health stakes].

Science.gov (United States)

Rial-Sebbag, Emmanuelle

2014-11-01

Personalized medicine is booming. It tends to provide a medical management "tailored" for groups of patients, or for one unique patient, but also to identify risk groups to develop public health strategies. In this context, some radicalization phenomenon can emerge, leading to not only personalized medicine but also privatized medicine, which can lead to a capture of the medical public resource. If the "privatization" of medicine is not limited to producing adverse effects, several potentially destabilizing phenomena for patients still remain. First, some objective factors, like the adjustment of scientific prerequisites, are emerging from personalized medicine practices (clinical trial, public health policy) and are interfering with the medical doctor/patient relationship. Another risk emerges for patients concomitantly to their demand for controlling their own health, in terms of patients' security although these risks are not clearly identified and not effectively communicated. These practices, related to a privatized medicine, develop within the healthcare system but also outside, and the government and legislators will have to take into account these new dimensions in drafting their future regulations and policies. © 2014 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

Prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, and integrated Chinese-Western medicine for allergic rhinitis under the National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Sheng-Kang; Ho, Yu-Ling; Chang, Yuan-Shiun

2015-09-15

Allergic rhinitis has long been a worldwide health problem with a global growth trend. The use of traditional Chinese medicines alone or integrated Chinese-Western medicines for its treatment is quite common in Taiwan. Respiratory diseases account for the majority of outpatient traditional Chinese medicine treatment, while allergic rhinitis accounts for the majority of respiratory diseases. We hereby conduct a comparative analysis between traditional Chinese medicine treatments and western medicine treatments for allergic rhinitis in Taiwan. The results of the analysis on the prescription difference of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine treatments would be helpful to clinical guide and health policy decision making of ethnopharmacological therapy. Patients diagnosed as allergic rhinitis with diagnostic code 470-478 (ICD-9-CM) were selected as subjects from 2009-2010 National Health Insurance Research Database based on the claim data from the nationwide National Health Insurance in Taiwan. This retrospective study used Chi-Square test to test the effects of gender and age on visit of traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, and integrated Chinese-Western medicine treatments. A total of 45,804 patients diagnosed as allergic rhinitis with ICD-9-CM 470-478 were identified from 2009-2010 NHIRD. There were 36,874 subjects for western medicine treatment alone, 5829 subjects for traditional Chinese medicine treatment alone, and 3101 subjects for integrated Chinese-Western medicine treatment. Female patients were more than male in three treatments. 0-9 years children had the highest visit frequency in western medicine and integrated Chinese-Western medicine groups, while 10-19 years young-age rank the highest in traditional Chinese medicine group. The Chi-square test of independence showed that the effects of gender and age on visit of three treatments were significant. The prescription drugs of western medicine treatment alone were almost for

Medicine procurement in hospital pharmacies of Nepal: A qualitative study based on the Basel Statements

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjit, Eurek

2018-01-01

Background Accessibility and affordability of evidence-based medicines are issues of global concern. For low-income countries like Nepal, it is crucial to have easy and reliable access to affordable, good-quality, evidence-based medicines, especially in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters. Availability of affordable and evidence-based high quality medicines depends on the medicine procurement procedure, which makes it an important aspect of healthcare delivery. In this study, we aimed to investigate medicine procurement practices in hospital pharmacies of Nepal within the framework of International Pharmaceutical Federation [FIP] hospital pharmacy guidelines “the Basel Statements”. Method We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital pharmacists or procurement officers in hospital pharmacies of four major regions in Nepal to explore procurement practices. Data were collected until saturation of themes, analysed using the framework approach, and organised around the statements within the procurement theme of the Basel Statements. Results Interviews conducted with 53 participants revealed that the procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were adopted to a certain extent in hospital pharmacies of Nepal. It was found that the majority of hospital pharmacies in Nepal reported using an expensive direct-procurement model for purchasing medicines. Most had no formulary and procured medicines solely based on doctors’ prescriptions, which were heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies’ marketing strategies. Whilst most procured only registered medicines, a minority reported purchasing unregistered medicines through unauthorised supply-chains. And although the majority of hospital pharmacies had some contingency plans for managing medicine shortages, a few had none. Conclusions Procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were thus found to be partially adopted; however, there is room for improvement in current procurement practices in

Medicine procurement in hospital pharmacies of Nepal: A qualitative study based on the Basel Statements.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Mina; Moles, Rebekah; Ranjit, Eurek; Chaar, Betty

2018-01-01

Accessibility and affordability of evidence-based medicines are issues of global concern. For low-income countries like Nepal, it is crucial to have easy and reliable access to affordable, good-quality, evidence-based medicines, especially in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters. Availability of affordable and evidence-based high quality medicines depends on the medicine procurement procedure, which makes it an important aspect of healthcare delivery. In this study, we aimed to investigate medicine procurement practices in hospital pharmacies of Nepal within the framework of International Pharmaceutical Federation [FIP] hospital pharmacy guidelines "the Basel Statements". We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital pharmacists or procurement officers in hospital pharmacies of four major regions in Nepal to explore procurement practices. Data were collected until saturation of themes, analysed using the framework approach, and organised around the statements within the procurement theme of the Basel Statements. Interviews conducted with 53 participants revealed that the procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were adopted to a certain extent in hospital pharmacies of Nepal. It was found that the majority of hospital pharmacies in Nepal reported using an expensive direct-procurement model for purchasing medicines. Most had no formulary and procured medicines solely based on doctors' prescriptions, which were heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies' marketing strategies. Whilst most procured only registered medicines, a minority reported purchasing unregistered medicines through unauthorised supply-chains. And although the majority of hospital pharmacies had some contingency plans for managing medicine shortages, a few had none. Procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were thus found to be partially adopted; however, there is room for improvement in current procurement practices in hospital pharmacies of Nepal. Adoption and

Medicine procurement in hospital pharmacies of Nepal: A qualitative study based on the Basel Statements.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mina Shrestha

Full Text Available Accessibility and affordability of evidence-based medicines are issues of global concern. For low-income countries like Nepal, it is crucial to have easy and reliable access to affordable, good-quality, evidence-based medicines, especially in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters. Availability of affordable and evidence-based high quality medicines depends on the medicine procurement procedure, which makes it an important aspect of healthcare delivery. In this study, we aimed to investigate medicine procurement practices in hospital pharmacies of Nepal within the framework of International Pharmaceutical Federation [FIP] hospital pharmacy guidelines "the Basel Statements".We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital pharmacists or procurement officers in hospital pharmacies of four major regions in Nepal to explore procurement practices. Data were collected until saturation of themes, analysed using the framework approach, and organised around the statements within the procurement theme of the Basel Statements.Interviews conducted with 53 participants revealed that the procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were adopted to a certain extent in hospital pharmacies of Nepal. It was found that the majority of hospital pharmacies in Nepal reported using an expensive direct-procurement model for purchasing medicines. Most had no formulary and procured medicines solely based on doctors' prescriptions, which were heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies' marketing strategies. Whilst most procured only registered medicines, a minority reported purchasing unregistered medicines through unauthorised supply-chains. And although the majority of hospital pharmacies had some contingency plans for managing medicine shortages, a few had none.Procurement guidelines of the Basel Statements were thus found to be partially adopted; however, there is room for improvement in current procurement practices in hospital pharmacies of Nepal

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome: From Clinical Findings to Basic Understandings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS is one of the less common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Conventional therapy has unsatisfactory response to it so people turn to Chinese medicine for help. Currently, we reviewed the whole picture of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM clinical and basic application in the treatment of FAPS, especially the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM syndrome, the single herb, and Chinese medicine formulae, thus to provide a solid base to further develop evidence-based study for this common gastrointestinal complaint in the future. We developed the search strategy and set the inclusion and exclusion criteria for article search. From the included articles, we totally retrieved 586 records according to our searching criteria, of which 16 were duplicate records and 291 were excluded for reasons of irrelevance. The full text of 279 articles was retrieved for detailed assessment, of which 123 were excluded for various reasons. The number one used single herb is Radix Ginseng. The most common syndrome was liver qi depression. The most frequently used classic formula was Si-Mo-Tang. This reflected the true situation of clinical practice of Chinese medicine practitioners and could be further systematically synthesized as key points of the therapeutic research for FAPS.

[Scientific advice by the national and European approval authorities concerning advanced therapy medicinal products].

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Jost, Nils; Schüssler-Lenz, Martina; Ziegele, Bettina; Reinhardt, Jens

2015-11-01

The aim of scientific advice is to support pharmaceutical developers in regulatory and scientific questions, thus facilitating the development of safe and efficacious new medicinal products. Recent years have shown that the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) in particular needs a high degree of regulatory support. On one hand, this is related to the complexity and heterogeneity of this group of medicinal products and on the other hand due to the fact that mainly academic research institutions and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are developing ATMPs. These often have limited regulatory experience and resources. In 2009 the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) initiated the Innovation Office as a contact point for applicants developing ATMPs. The mandate of the Innovation Office is to provide support on regulatory questions and to coordinate national scientific advice meetings concerning ATMPs for every phase in drug development and especially with view to the preparation of clinical trial applications. On the European level, the Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP) of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicinal Agency (EMA) offers scientific advice. This article describes the concepts of national and EMA scientific advice concerning ATMPs and summarizes the experience of the last six years.

Lifestyle medicine curriculum for a preventive medicine residency program: implementation and outcomes.

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Nawaz, Haq; Petraro, Paul V; Via, Christina; Ullah, Saif; Lim, Lionel; Wild, Dorothea; Kennedy, Mary; Phillips, Edward M

2016-01-01

The vast majority of the healthcare problems burdening our society today are caused by disease-promoting lifestyles (e.g., physical inactivity and unhealthy eating). Physicians report poor training and lack of confidence in counseling patients on lifestyle changes. To evaluate a new curriculum and rotation in lifestyle medicine for preventive medicine residents. Training included didactics (six sessions/year), distance learning, educational conferences, and newly developed lifestyle medicine rotations at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and the Integrative Medicine Center. We used a number of tools to assess residents' progress including Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), self-assessments, and logs of personal health habits. A total of 20 residents participated in the lifestyle medicine training between 2010 and 2013. There was a 15% increase in residents' discussions of lifestyle issues with their patients based on their baseline and follow-up surveys. The performance of preventive medicine residents on OSCEs increased each year they were in the program (average OSCE score: PGY1 73%, PGY2 83%, PGY3 87%, and PGY4 91%, p=0.01). Our internal medicine and preliminary residents served as a control, since they did participate in didactics but not in lifestyle medicine rotations. Internal medicine and preliminary residents who completed the same OSCEs had a slightly lower average score (76%) compared with plural for resident, preventive medicine residents (80%). However, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.11). Incorporating the lifestyle medicine curriculum is feasible for preventive medicine training allowing residents to improve their health behavior change discussions with patients as well as their own personal health habits.

Lifestyle medicine curriculum for a preventive medicine residency program: implementation and outcomes

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Nawaz, Haq; Petraro, Paul V.; Via, Christina; Ullah, Saif; Lim, Lionel; Wild, Dorothea; Kennedy, Mary; Phillips, Edward M.

2016-01-01

Background The vast majority of the healthcare problems burdening our society today are caused by disease-promoting lifestyles (e.g., physical inactivity and unhealthy eating). Physicians report poor training and lack of confidence in counseling patients on lifestyle changes. Objective To evaluate a new curriculum and rotation in lifestyle medicine for preventive medicine residents. Methods Training included didactics (six sessions/year), distance learning, educational conferences, and newly developed lifestyle medicine rotations at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and the Integrative Medicine Center. We used a number of tools to assess residents’ progress including Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), self-assessments, and logs of personal health habits. Results A total of 20 residents participated in the lifestyle medicine training between 2010 and 2013. There was a 15% increase in residents’ discussions of lifestyle issues with their patients based on their baseline and follow-up surveys. The performance of preventive medicine residents on OSCEs increased each year they were in the program (average OSCE score: PGY1 73%, PGY2 83%, PGY3 87%, and PGY4 91%, p=0.01). Our internal medicine and preliminary residents served as a control, since they did participate in didactics but not in lifestyle medicine rotations. Internal medicine and preliminary residents who completed the same OSCEs had a slightly lower average score (76%) compared with plural for resident, preventive medicine residents (80%). However, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.11). Conclusion Incorporating the lifestyle medicine curriculum is feasible for preventive medicine training allowing residents to improve their health behavior change discussions with patients as well as their own personal health habits. PMID:27507540

Lifestyle medicine curriculum for a preventive medicine residency program: implementation and outcomes

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Haq Nawaz

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The vast majority of the healthcare problems burdening our society today are caused by disease-promoting lifestyles (e.g., physical inactivity and unhealthy eating. Physicians report poor training and lack of confidence in counseling patients on lifestyle changes. Objective: To evaluate a new curriculum and rotation in lifestyle medicine for preventive medicine residents. Methods: Training included didactics (six sessions/year, distance learning, educational conferences, and newly developed lifestyle medicine rotations at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and the Integrative Medicine Center. We used a number of tools to assess residents’ progress including Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs, self-assessments, and logs of personal health habits. Results: A total of 20 residents participated in the lifestyle medicine training between 2010 and 2013. There was a 15% increase in residents’ discussions of lifestyle issues with their patients based on their baseline and follow-up surveys. The performance of preventive medicine residents on OSCEs increased each year they were in the program (average OSCE score: PGY1 73%, PGY2 83%, PGY3 87%, and PGY4 91%, p=0.01. Our internal medicine and preliminary residents served as a control, since they did participate in didactics but not in lifestyle medicine rotations. Internal medicine and preliminary residents who completed the same OSCEs had a slightly lower average score (76% compared with plural for resident, preventive medicine residents (80%. However, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.11. Conclusion: Incorporating the lifestyle medicine curriculum is feasible for preventive medicine training allowing residents to improve their health behavior change discussions with patients as well as their own personal health habits.

Comparison of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

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Kim, Jong Yeol; Pham, Duong Duc; Koh, Byung Hee

2011-01-01

Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda are three different forms of Asian traditional medicine. Although these traditions share a lot in common as holistic medicines, the different philosophical foundations found in each confer distinguishing attributes and unique qualities. SCM is based on a constitution-based approach, and is in this way relatively more similar to the Ayurvedic tradition than to the TCM, although many of the basic SCM theories were originally derived from TCM, a syndrome-based medicine. SCM and TCM use the same botanical materials that are distributed mainly in the East Asian region, but the basic principles of usage and the underlying rationale are completely different from each other. Meanwhile, the principles of the Ayurvedic use of botanical resources are very similar to those seen in SCM, but the medicinal herbs used in Ayurveda generally originate from the West Asian region which displays a different spectrum of flora. PMID:21949669

Comparison of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

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Jong Yeol Kim

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM and Ayurveda are three different forms of Asian traditional medicine. Although these traditions share a lot in common as holistic medicines, the different philosophical foundations found in each confer distinguishing attributes and unique qualities. SCM is based on a constitution-based approach, and is in this way relatively more similar to the Ayurvedic tradition than to the TCM, although many of the basic SCM theories were originally derived from TCM, a syndrome-based medicine. SCM and TCM use the same botanical materials that are distributed mainly in the East Asian region, but the basic principles of usage and the underlying rationale are completely different from each other. Meanwhile, the principles of the Ayurvedic use of botanical resources are very similar to those seen in SCM, but the medicinal herbs used in Ayurveda generally originate from the West Asian region which displays a different spectrum of flora.

Patient assessment of effectiveness and satisfaction with traditional medicine, globalized complementary and alternative medicines, and allopathic medicines for cancer in Pakistan.

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Tovey, Philip; Broom, Alex; Chatwin, John; Hafeez, Muhammad; Ahmad, Salma

2005-09-01

Virtually no research has been conducted on patient assessments of traditional medicines and allopathic medicines for cancer care in poorer countries marked by pluralistic medical environments. Pakistan represents an excellent case for such a study because of the coexistence of culturally and historically specific indigenous traditional medicine, the strong presence of allopathic medicine, and, to a lesser extent, the availability of some globalized complementary and alternative medicines. To gain a preliminary understanding of cancer patients' perceptions of effectiveness and satisfaction with traditional medicine, globalized complementary and alternative medicine, and allopathy in the context of a pluralistic medical environment. Structured survey of 362 cancer patients, from diverse regions in the Punjab province and Northwest Frontier province, who were being treated in 4 different hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Use of traditional medicine remains high among cancer patients, with traditional healers used by the majority of those surveyed. Although patients' perceptions of the overall effectiveness of traditional medicines for treating cancer are low, those patients who do use traditional medicines still have high levels of satisfaction with these modalities. This is distinct from levels of satisfaction with, and perceptions of effectiveness of, Western cancer treatments, which were synonymous in this group of patients. Important differences in patient perceptions were found within groups (eg, between different forms of traditional healers) as well as between them. This study showed considerable support for complementary and alternative medicine/traditional medicine but also significant variation in usage of and perceptions of local traditional medicines. More research needs to be done to explore the social processes underlying this variation in cancer patients' preferences for particular traditional medicines.

AMCP Partnership Forum: Managing Care in the Wave of Precision Medicine.

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2018-05-23

definitions, thresholds, and standards to guide evidence generation in precision medicine. Second, current information silos are preventing the sharing of valuable data. Collaboration among stakeholders is needed to support better information sharing, awareness, and education of precision medicine for patients. The recommendations brought forward by this diverse group of experts provide a set of solutions to spur widespread use and application of precision medicine. Taken together, successful adoption and use of precision medicine will require input and collaboration from all sectors of health care, especially patients. DISCLOSURES This AMCP Partnership Forum and the development of the proceedings document were supported by Amgen, Foundation Medicine, Genentech, Gilead, MedImpact, National Pharmaceutical Council, Precision for Value, Sanofi, Takeda, and Xcenda.

Integration of Chinese medicine with Western medicine could lead to future medicine: molecular module medicine.

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Zhang, Chi; Zhang, Ge; Chen, Ke-ji; Lu, Ai-ping

2016-04-01

The development of an effective classification method for human health conditions is essential for precise diagnosis and delivery of tailored therapy to individuals. Contemporary classification of disease systems has properties that limit its information content and usability. Chinese medicine pattern classification has been incorporated with disease classification, and this integrated classification method became more precise because of the increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms. However, we are still facing the complexity of diseases and patterns in the classification of health conditions. With continuing advances in omics methodologies and instrumentation, we are proposing a new classification approach: molecular module classification, which is applying molecular modules to classifying human health status. The initiative would be precisely defining the health status, providing accurate diagnoses, optimizing the therapeutics and improving new drug discovery strategy. Therefore, there would be no current disease diagnosis, no disease pattern classification, and in the future, a new medicine based on this classification, molecular module medicine, could redefine health statuses and reshape the clinical practice.

A Survey of Chinese Medicinal Herbal Treatment for Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis

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Gesa Meyer-Hamme

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Oral mucositis is one of the common side effects of chemotherapy treatment with potentially severe implications. Despite several treatment approaches by conventional and complementary western medicine, the therapeutic outcome is often not satisfactory. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM offers empirical herbal formulas for the treatment of oral ulceration which are used in adaptation to chemotherapy-induced mucositis. While standard concepts for TCM treatment do not exist and acceptance by conventional oncologists is still low, we conducted a review to examine the evidence of Chinese herbal treatment in oral mucositis. Eighteen relevant studies on 4 single herbs, 2 combinations of 2 herbs, and 11 multiherbal prescriptions involving 3 or more compounds were included. Corresponding molecular mechanisms were investigated. The knowledge about detailed herbal mechanisms, especially in multi-herbal prescriptions is still limited. The quality of clinical trials needs further improvement. Meta-analysis on the existent database is not possible but molecular findings on Chinese medicinal herbs indicate that further research is still promising for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis.

Fundamentals of risk/benefit analysis in radiation uses in preventive medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stieve, F.E.

1977-01-01

The term 'risk' stems from the insurance branch. It serves to estimate the probability of making statements about future events on the basis of events which have taken place. Risk estimations are increasingly being made in medicine, especially for determining the advantages and dangers brought to the population by preventive measures. The international radiation protection commission has, for some time, been expressing the dangers of ionising radiation in terms of risk and using these terms as basis for the dose limit values it determined for the professional and general population. This paper deals with possibilities of determining risks in preventive medicine. For doing this, acceptable risk values must be determined and risks resulting from diseases, esp. from those which were not recognized in time, must be compared with those resulting from the application of ionising radiation. (orig.) [de

Evaluation of a functional medicine approach to treating fatigue, stress, and digestive issues in women.

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Cutshall, Susanne M; Bergstrom, Larry R; Kalish, Daniel J

2016-05-01

Fatigue, stress, and digestive disorders are common among adults, especially women. We conducted a 28-week pilot study to assess the efficacy of a functional medicine approach to improving stress, energy, fatigue, digestive issues, and quality of life in middle-aged women. Findings showed significant improvements in many stress, fatigue, and quality-of-life measures. The treatment program increased mean salivary dehydroepiandrosterone levels and the cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone ratio. Stool sample analyses suggested that these treatments reduced Helicobacter pylori infections. This study suggests that functional medicine may be an effective approach to managing stress and gastrointestinal symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medicine in the 21st century: recommended essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residents.

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Williams, Brent C; Warshaw, Gregg; Fabiny, Anne Rebecca; Lundebjerg Mpa, Nancy; Medina-Walpole, Annette; Sauvigne, Karen; Schwartzberg, Joanne G; Leipzig, Rosanne M

2010-09-01

Physician workforce projections by the Institute of Medicine require enhanced training in geriatrics for all primary care and subspecialty physicians. Defining essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residents would improve training for primary care and subspecialty physicians. The objectives of this study were to (1) define essential geriatrics competencies common to internal medicine and family medicine residents that build on established national geriatrics competencies for medical students, are feasible within current residency programs, are assessable, and address the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies; and (2) involve key stakeholder organizations in their development and implementation. Initial candidate competencies were defined through small group meetings and a survey of more than 100 experts, followed by detailed item review by 26 program directors and residency clinical educators from key professional organizations. Throughout, an 8-member working group made revisions to maintain consistency and compatibility among the competencies. Support and participation by key stakeholder organizations were secured throughout the project. The process identified 26 competencies in 7 domains: Medication Management; Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Health; Complex or Chronic Illness(es) in Older Adults; Palliative and End-of-Life Care; Hospital Patient Safety; Transitions of Care; and Ambulatory Care. The competencies map directly onto the medical student geriatric competencies and the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competencies. Through a consensus-building process that included leadership and members of key stakeholder organizations, a concise set of essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residencies has been developed. These competencies are well aligned with concerns for residency training raised in a recent Medicare Payment Advisory

Role of Iranian Traditional Medicine in the Prevention of Respiratory Infectious Diseases.

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Soroushzadeh, Sayed Mohammad Ali; Khiveh, Ali; Gerayelimalek, Valiollah

2016-05-01

In order to define appropriate plans for respiratory infectious diseases, in accordance with Iranian traditional medicine, one should cover the topic of "havae vabai". "Havae vabai" is related to the epidemics of respiratory infectious diseases. This study is a review of the role of Iranian traditional medicine in the prevention of respiratory infectious diseases .Resources of traditional medicine with the keyword "havae vabai" were reviewed in Noor digital library. The perspective of traditional medicine for the prevention of disease in "havae vabai" is based on self-recuperation and air modification. Items that are mentioned are; refine the surrounding air, move to a proper space, live in a house with no source of water like fountains and limited flow of air, air-drying, use air freshener, smell fruit sticks, use in-house plants, and place a cloth soaked with vinegar in front of the nose. For self-recuperation, reducing body moisture with proper foods and drugs or with vomiting, diarrhea, phlebotomy, wet-cupping, reduction in food and drink intake, avoiding sexual intercourse, bathing, heavy exercise, inactivity, overeating, hunger, thirst, milk, sweets, fish, fatty foods, fruits especially juicy fruits are recommended. The food that tends to have a sour taste, eating meat cooked with sour taste like vinegar is suggested. The use of the solutions offered in traditional medicine to control air is helpful as it can reduce epidemics, such as influenza; that yearly kills many patients with a heavy financial burden.

Estudos de freqüência, morfologia e diagnóstico de Entamoeba gingivalis, Gros, 1849

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Silvio Favoreto Junior

1995-12-01

Full Text Available Realizamos estudos de freqüência de Entamoeba gingivalis entre 100 pacientes atendidos nos ambulatórios odontológicos da Ufiiversidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU, utilizando-se esfregaços corados pela técnica de Papanicolaou modificado, revelando um expressivo índice de 62% de positividade. A afinidade do corante pelo conteúdo vacuolarfagocítico impede uma nítida visualização das cromatinas central e periférica do núcleo do parasita. Lavados bucais de outros 10 pacientes foram utilizados para avaliar em qual método parasitológico de diagnóstico (a fresco e em coloração por hematoxilina férrica, Giemsa e Papanicolaou ocorre melhor visualização do parasita. O exame afresco do sedimento do lavado bucal revelou 100% de positividade e nítida visualização do parasita. Nenhuma técnica de coloração dos esfregaços se mostrou adequada, apresentando o núcleo freqüentemente mascarado pelos vacúolos fagocíticos. Em preparações coradas por azul de toluidina e na microscopia eletrônica de transmissão pode-se observar caracteres morfológicos típicos do protozoário.

[OMICS AND BIG DATA, MAJOR ADVANCES TOWARDS PERSONALIZED MEDICINE OF THE FUTURE?].

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Scheen, A J

2015-01-01

The increasing interest for personalized medicine evolves together with two major technological advances. First, the new-generation, rapid and less expensive, DNA sequencing method, combined with remarkable progresses in molecular biology leading to the post-genomic era (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics). Second, the refinement of computing tools (IT), which allows the immediate analysis of a huge amount of data (especially, those resulting from the omics approaches) and, thus, creates a new universe for medical research, that of analyzed by computerized modelling. This article for scientific communication and popularization briefly describes the main advances in these two fields of interest. These technological progresses are combined with those occurring in communication, which makes possible the development of artificial intelligence. These major advances will most probably represent the grounds of the future personalized medicine.

A Supramolecular Approach to Medicinal Chemistry: Medicine Beyond the Molecule

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Smith, David K.

2005-03-01

This article focuses on the essential roles played by intermolecular forces in mediating the interactions between chemical molecules and biological systems. Intermolecular forces constitute a key topic in chemistry programs, yet can sometimes seem disconnected from real-life applications. However, by taking a "supramolecular" view of medicinal chemistry and focusing on interactions between molecules, it is possible to come to a deeper understanding of recent developments in medicine. This allows us to gain a real insight into the interface between biology and chemistry—an interdisciplinary area that is crucial for the development of modern medicinal products. This article emphasizes a conceptual view of medicinal chemistry, which has important implications for the future, as the supramolecular approach to medicinal-chemistry products outlined here is rapidly allowing nanotechnology to converge with medicine. In particular, this article discusses recent developments including the rational design of drugs such as Relenza and Tamiflu, the mode of action of vancomycin, and the mechanism by which bacteria develop resistance, drug delivery using cyclodextrins, and the importance of supramolecular chemistry in understanding protein aggregation diseases such as Alzheimer's and Creutzfield Jacob. The article also indicates how taking a supramolecular approach will enable the development of new nanoscale medicines.

Nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, S M [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Radiation Medicine Centre

1967-01-01

The article deals with the growth of nuclear medicine in India. Radiopharmaceuticals both in elemental form and radiolabelled compounds became commercially available in India in 1961. Objectives and educational efforts of the Radiation Medicine Centre setup in Bombay are mentioned. In vivo tests of nuclear medicine such as imaging procedures, dynamic studies, dilution studies, thyroid function studies, renal function studies, linear function studies, blood flow, and absorption studies are reported. Techniques of radioimmunoassay are also mentioned.

Medicinal Plants with Multiple Effects on Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review.

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Rouhi-Boroujeni, Hojjat; Heidarian, Esfandiar; Rouhi-Boroujeni, Hamid; Deris, Fatemeh; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

Hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this systematic review article is to introduce the medicinal plants that exert significant clinical effects on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. In this review article, the international research databases including MEDLINE, Google scholar, EBSCO, Academic Search, Web of Science, SciVerse, Scopus (SCOPUS), EBSCO, Academic Search, Cochrane, Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and a Chinese database (China Network Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI]) were searched using the key words hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, herbal, obesity, and phytomedicine, matched by MESH, from their respective inceptions up to March, 2016. The plants that were effective on one, two, three, or all of four diseases were determined. The doses, side effects, the most important pharmaceutically effective compounds, the used organs, and important points regarding usage were separately recorded. Also known clinically significant interactions were presented. 1023 articles were found to be about medicinal plants and hypertension, 1912 articles about medicinal plants and hyperlipidemia, 810 articles about medicinal plants and obesity, 1174 articles about medicinal plants and diabetes. Of 144 plants included in the analysis, 83 were found to be effective on hyperlipidemia, 100 on hypertension, 66 on obesity, and 72 on diabetes. 43 plants were found to be effective on two diseases, 14 on three diseases, and 34 on all four diseases. Three plants (Tomato, Cranberry and Pomegranate), in food and therapeutic doses, were found to be used to treat cardiovascular diseases especially in pre-eclampsia and hyperlipidemia in pregnancy. Regarding the findings of this study, we can argue that the medicinal plants, other than monotherapy, can be used as poly-therapy, to treat cardiovascular diseases. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any

A Dimensionally Reduced Clustering Methodology for Heterogeneous Occupational Medicine Data Mining.

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Saâdaoui, Foued; Bertrand, Pierre R; Boudet, Gil; Rouffiac, Karine; Dutheil, Frédéric; Chamoux, Alain

2015-10-01

Clustering is a set of techniques of the statistical learning aimed at finding structures of heterogeneous partitions grouping homogenous data called clusters. There are several fields in which clustering was successfully applied, such as medicine, biology, finance, economics, etc. In this paper, we introduce the notion of clustering in multifactorial data analysis problems. A case study is conducted for an occupational medicine problem with the purpose of analyzing patterns in a population of 813 individuals. To reduce the data set dimensionality, we base our approach on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which is the statistical tool most commonly used in factorial analysis. However, the problems in nature, especially in medicine, are often based on heterogeneous-type qualitative-quantitative measurements, whereas PCA only processes quantitative ones. Besides, qualitative data are originally unobservable quantitative responses that are usually binary-coded. Hence, we propose a new set of strategies allowing to simultaneously handle quantitative and qualitative data. The principle of this approach is to perform a projection of the qualitative variables on the subspaces spanned by quantitative ones. Subsequently, an optimal model is allocated to the resulting PCA-regressed subspaces.

General medicine vs subspecialty career plans among internal medicine residents.

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West, Colin P; Dupras, Denise M

2012-12-05

Current medical training models in the United States are unlikely to produce sufficient numbers of general internists and primary care physicians. Differences in general internal medicine (GIM) career plans between internal medicine residency program types and across resident demographics are not well understood. To evaluate the general medicine career plans of internal medicine residents and how career plans evolve during training. A study of US internal medicine residents using an annual survey linked to the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination taken in October of 2009-2011 to evaluate career plans by training program, sex, and medical school location. Of 67,207 US eligible categorical and primary care internal medicine residents, 57,087 (84.9%) completed and returned the survey. Demographic data provided by the National Board of Medical Examiners were available for 52,035 (77.4%) of these residents, of whom 51,390 (76.5%) responded to all survey items and an additional 645 (1.0%) responded to at least 1 survey item. Data were analyzed from the 16,781 third-year residents (32.2%) in this sample. Self-reported ultimate career plans of internal medicine residents. A GIM career plan was reported by 3605 graduating residents (21.5%). A total of 562 primary care program (39.6%) and 3043 categorical (19.9%) residents reported GIM as their ultimate career plan (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.76; 99% CI, 2.35-3.23; P international medical graduates (22.0% vs 21.1%, respectively; AOR, 1.76; 99% CI, 1.50-2.06; P international medical graduates (57.3% vs 27.3%, respectively; AOR, 3.48; 99% CI, 2.58-4.70; P internal medicine residents, including those in primary care training programs, and differed according to resident sex, medical school location, and program type.

The model of Western integrative medicine: the role of Chinese medicine.

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Dobos, Gustav; Tao, Iven

2011-01-01

The basic concept of integrative medicine (IM) is that by combining mainstream (biomedicine) with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), synergistic therapeutic effects can be attained. When the methods of mind/body medicine (MBM) are added to this combination, as in Western countries, a new concept emerges that drastically changes the approach toward illness.It is interesting to note that the joining of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the early days of the Peoples' Republic of China preceded the Western model of IM by almost 50 years. Several elements that make up the key components of IM as practiced today in the West were already present in the Chinese version of IM, and Chinese medicine has played and continues to play an important role in advancing IM. However, one of the major differences between the Chinese and the Western models of IM today, besides MBM and some other treatment options, is that Western integrative medicine (WIM) strictly requires its CAM methods to be supported by scientific evidence.The therapeutic methods of IM and their applications are many and varied. However, they are most frequently employed to treat chronic medical conditions, e.g., bronchial asthma, rheumatic disease, chronic inflammatory bowel disorder and chronic pain. Other fields in which IM may be applied are internal medicine (inflammatory bowel diseases and cardiovascular diseases), musculoskeletal disorders, oncology (chemotherapy-induced side effects), obstetrics and gynecology (dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, infertility and menopausal complaints), pediatrics, geriatrics, neurology (migraine and chronic headache), and psychiatry (anxiety and depression).The concept of WIM is discussed here in detail by reviewing its scope and implications for the practice of medicine and focusing on the role of Chinese medicine in WIM.

A Química Medicinal Brasileira de 1998 a 2008 nos Periódicos Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters e European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

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Renato S. Bastos; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Bárbara V. da Silva; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Angelo C. Pinto; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

2009-01-01

Neste artigo apresentamos as publicações brasileiras, os pesquisadores envolvidos, a contribuição por estado da federação e as principais doenças estudadas no período de 1998 a 2008 nas revistas Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters e European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.  DOI: 10.5935/1984-6835.20090009  In this article we present the Brazilian publications, the research groups involved, the contributions per st...

Monographs for medicines on WHO’s Model List of Essential Medicines

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Adler, Melissa; Jain, Tanvi; Bempong, Daniel

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To raise awareness about the importance of public pharmaceutical standards, identify if and, if so, where current pharmacopeias are falling short in the development of new and complete monographs and foster collaboration among the various pharmacopeias, to prioritize, develop and make available standards for those key medicines for which no complete monographs exist. Methods In August 2017, we mined eight pharmacopeias to identify which of the 669 medicines in the 20th edition of the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines were covered by complete or incomplete monographs. The pharmacopeias we included were the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, the British Pharmacopoeia, the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission, the International Pharmacopoeia, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the Mexican Pharmacopoeia, the Pharmacopeia of the People’s Republic of China and the United States Pharmacopeia. Findings For 99 (15%) of the medicines on the Model List, no monographs were available in any of the eight pharmacopeias investigated. Only 3% (1/30) of the cardiovascular medicines listed, but 28% (9/32) of the antiretroviral medicines and 23% (6/26) of the antimalarial medicines lacked monographs. Conclusion There appear to be no public standards for many so-called essential medicines. To address this shortfall, a greater collaboration in the global health community is needed.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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... for Educators Search English Español Complementary and Alternative Medicine KidsHealth / For Teens / Complementary and Alternative Medicine What's ... a replacement. How Is CAM Different From Conventional Medicine? Conventional medicine is based on scientific knowledge of ...

Over-the-Counter Medicines

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Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are drugs you can buy without a prescription. Some OTC medicines relieve aches, pains and itches. ... medicine is safe enough to sell over-the-counter. Taking OTC medicines still has risks. Some interact ...

INFLUENCE OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE ACHIEVEMENTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORT MEDICINE METHODOLOGY.

Science.gov (United States)

R Yashina, E R; Kurashvili, V A; Turzin, P S

Modern technologies of aerospace medicine develop at rapid pace pulling on its orbit all spheres of the human activity, including sport. Innovations play a major role in the progress of sport medicine areas related to the biomedical support of precontest training. Overview of the most important aerospace medicine achievements and their methodical implications for sport medicine is presented. Discussion is devoted to how the aerospace medicine technologies can raise effectiveness of the biomedical support to different sectors of sport and fitness.

The State of Evaluation in Internal Medicine Residency

Science.gov (United States)

Holmboe, Eric; Beasley, Brent W.

2008-01-01

Background There are no nationwide data on the methods residency programs are using to assess trainee competence. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has recommended tools that programs can use to evaluate their trainees. It is unknown if programs are adhering to these recommendations. Objective To describe evaluation methods used by our nation’s internal medicine residency programs and assess adherence to ACGME methodological recommendations for evaluation. Design Nationwide survey. Participants All internal medicine programs registered with the Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicine (APDIM). Measurements Descriptive statistics of programs and tools used to evaluate competence; compliance with ACGME recommended evaluative methods. Results The response rate was 70%. Programs were using an average of 4.2–6.0 tools to evaluate their trainees with heavy reliance on rating forms. Direct observation and practice and data-based tools were used much less frequently. Most programs were using at least 1 of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)’s “most desirable” methods of evaluation for all 6 measures of trainee competence. These programs had higher support staff to resident ratios than programs using less desirable evaluative methods. Conclusions Residency programs are using a large number and variety of tools for evaluating the competence of their trainees. Most are complying with ACGME recommended methods of evaluation especially if the support staff to resident ratio is high. PMID:18612734

Editorial: in silico drug design and medicinal chemistry).

Science.gov (United States)

Singla, Rajeev K

2015-01-01

Medicinal chemistry is not limited to molecules, their structures and design but also highly cohesive to pharmacological activities. The potency of a molecule varies by its structure. Hence structural activity relationship is the sub-branch which deals with the estimation of ability of a molecule in depicting any pharmacological activity. In silico drug design is a novel technique which is employed in designing a molecule by using computer aided software’s and bringing a superior and potent molecule. In recent years, in silico drug design has been merged with medicinal chemistry especially by the techniques like ligand based strategy to isolate the required structures. By such strategic techniques, there are high chances of delivering high throughput screening which involves of screening large number of molecules in a very less time. Involvement of such techniques would be a boon for development of new drug entity as it can aid in development of newer, safe, effective and potent drug molecules. Hence, the present issue is aimed to emphasize the cohesion between in silico drug design and it significance in medicinal chemistry. The articles which would be published will mainly focus on the role of in silico drug design techniques in the development of molecules to target various disease and disorders. Molecules can from natural/ synthetic/semi synthetic origin. Articles will be a treasure box consisting of employment of computational methods for unprecedented molecules. The issue will be sure an endorsement for international readership and researchers.

Value added medicines: what value repurposed medicines might bring to society?

Science.gov (United States)

Toumi, Mondher; Rémuzat, Cécile

2017-01-01

Background & objectives : Despite the wide interest surrounding drug repurposing, no common terminology has been yet agreed for these products and their full potential value is not always recognised and rewarded, creating a disincentive for further development. The objectives of the present study were to assess from a wide perspective which value drug repurposing might bring to society, but also to identify key obstacles for adoption of these medicines and to discuss policy recommendations. Methods : A preliminary comprehensive search was conducted to assess how the concept of drug repurposing was described in the literature. Following completion of the literature review, a primary research was conducted to get perspective of various stakeholders across EU member states on drug repurposing ( healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies/payers, patients, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry developing medicines in this field). Ad hoc literature review was performed to illustrate, when appropriate, statements of the various stakeholders. Results : Various nomenclatures have been used to describe the concept of drug repurposing in the literature, with more or less broad definitions either based on outcomes, processes, or being a mix of both. In this context, Medicines for Europe (http://www.medicinesforeurope.com/value-added-medicines/) established one single terminology for these medicines, known as value added medicines, defined as 'medicines based on known molecules that address healthcare needs and deliver relevant improvements for patients, healthcare professionals and/or payers'. Stakeholder interviews highlighted three main potential benefits for value added medicines: (1) to address a number of medicine-related healthcare inefficiencies related to irrational use of medicines, non-availability of appropriate treatment options, shortage of mature products, geographical inequity in medicine access

[Comment on the misappropriation of bibliographical references in science. The example of anti-aging medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Cogan, E

2015-01-01

This work constitutes a argued analysis of the publication of the article of Hertoghe et al. "Anti aging medicine, a science based, essential medicine " whose full and unreviewed publication was forced in the framework of the Belgian law on the right of reply to an earlier publication entitled " Anti-Aging Medicine: Science or Marketing? ". We confirm the absence of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of hormonal treatments used in this approach by highlighting the different techniques allowing doctors who promote this approach to make believe in their effectiveness. This is clearly to mix in one sentence established truths and unproven facts, use references inappropriately especially by misappropriation of studies on groups of patients with hormone deficiency in order to justify treatment in healthy subjects, to ignore recent references undermining ancient literature, to betray the authors' conclusions. Our critical analysis is also considering compliance with the guidelines for integrity in scientific publications.

[The methods of Western medicine in on ancient medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Ban, Deokjin

2010-06-30

The treatise On Ancient Medicine attests that questions of method were being debated both in medicine and in philosophy and is important evidence of cross-discipline methodological controversy. The treatise On Ancient Medicine is the first attempt in the history of Greek thought to provide a detailed account of the development of a science from a starting point in observation and experience. The author of it criticizes philosophical physicians who attempt to systematized medicine by reducing it to the interaction of one or more of the opposites hot, cold, wet, and dry, factors. He regards the theory of his opponents as hypothesis(hypothesis). Medicine has long been in possession of both an archē and a hodos, a principle and a method, which have enabled it to make discoveries over a long period of time. As far as method is concerned, the traditional science of medicine attained the knowledge of the visible by starting from observation and experience, but it recommended the use of reasoning and analogies with familiar objects as a means of learning about the invisible. It also utilized inference from the visible to the visible(epilogismos) and inference from the visible to the invisible(analogismos). The use of analogy as a means of learning about the obscure was also part of the common heritage of early philosophy and medicine. But the author's use of the analogical method distinguishes it from Empedocles' well-known analogy comparisons of the eye to a lantern and the process of respiration to the operations of a clepsydra. According to the author, traditional science of medicine used functional analogy like wine example and cheese example to know the function of humors within the body and utilized structured analogy like a tube example and a cupping instrument example to acknowledge an organ or structure within the body. But the author didn't distinguish between the claim that medicine has a systematic method of making discoveries and very different claim that it

Botanical Provenance of Traditional Medicines From Carpathian Mountains at the Ukrainian-Polish Border.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlowska, Weronika; Wagner, Charles; Moore, Erin M; Matkowski, Adam; Komarnytsky, Slavko

2018-01-01

Plants were an essential part of foraging for food and health, and for centuries remained the only medicines available to people from the remote mountain regions. Their correct botanical provenance is an essential basis for understanding the ethnic cultures, as well as for chemical identification of the novel bioactive molecules with therapeutic effects. This work describes the use of herbal medicines in the Beskid mountain ranges located south of Krakow and Lviv, two influential medieval centers of apothecary tradition in the region. Local botanical remedies shared by Boyko, Lemko, and Gorale ethnic groups were a part of the medieval European system of medicine, used according to their Dioscoridean and Galenic qualities. Within the context of ethnic plant medicine and botanical classification, this review identified strong preferences for local use of St John's-wort ( Hypericum perforatum L.), wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium L.), garlic ( Allium sativum L.), gentian ( Gentiana lutea L.), lovage ( Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch), and lesser periwinkle ( Vinca minor L.). While Ukrainian ethnic groups favored the use of guilder-rose ( Viburnum opulus L.) and yarrow ( Achillea millefolium L.), Polish inhabitants especially valued angelica ( Angelica archangelica L.) and carline thistle ( Carlina acaulis L.). The region also holds a strong potential for collection, cultivation, and manufacture of medicinal plants and plant-based natural specialty ingredients for the food, health and cosmetic industries, in part due to high degree of biodiversity and ecological preservation. Many of these products, including whole food nutritional supplements, will soon complement conventional medicines in prevention and treatment of diseases, while adding value to agriculture and local economies.

Botanical Provenance of Traditional Medicines From Carpathian Mountains at the Ukrainian-Polish Border

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weronika Kozlowska

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Plants were an essential part of foraging for food and health, and for centuries remained the only medicines available to people from the remote mountain regions. Their correct botanical provenance is an essential basis for understanding the ethnic cultures, as well as for chemical identification of the novel bioactive molecules with therapeutic effects. This work describes the use of herbal medicines in the Beskid mountain ranges located south of Krakow and Lviv, two influential medieval centers of apothecary tradition in the region. Local botanical remedies shared by Boyko, Lemko, and Gorale ethnic groups were a part of the medieval European system of medicine, used according to their Dioscoridean and Galenic qualities. Within the context of ethnic plant medicine and botanical classification, this review identified strong preferences for local use of St John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum L., wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L., garlic (Allium sativum L., gentian (Gentiana lutea L., lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch, and lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor L.. While Ukrainian ethnic groups favored the use of guilder-rose (Viburnum opulus L. and yarrow (Achillea millefolium L., Polish inhabitants especially valued angelica (Angelica archangelica L. and carline thistle (Carlina acaulis L.. The region also holds a strong potential for collection, cultivation, and manufacture of medicinal plants and plant-based natural specialty ingredients for the food, health and cosmetic industries, in part due to high degree of biodiversity and ecological preservation. Many of these products, including whole food nutritional supplements, will soon complement conventional medicines in prevention and treatment of diseases, while adding value to agriculture and local economies.

Market survey on traditional medicine of the third month fair in Dali Prefecture in Yunnan Province, South West China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dequan; Duan, Lizhen; Zhou, Nong

2014-01-01

The Third Month Fair in Dali is a historical festival and fair. The market of traditional medicine (TM) is one of the main parts in the fair, which has important influence on local and peripheral people. In this study, approaches of ethnobotany, pharmacognosy, and participatory rural appraisal were used in market survey. Twenty-six druggists were selected randomly as informants and their TMs were recorded. As a result, 427 TMs were recorded including 362 plant medicines, 33 animal medicines, 13 mineral medicines and 19 unidentified medicines. Xinyi, Shanza and Gancao were the most popular medicines due to their popular usages, whereas Sanqi, Tianma and Renshen were relatively fewer in this investigation probably owing to high price and limited output. The plant medicines were from medicinal plants of 117 families belonged to Angiosperm, Gymnospermae, Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, Lichenes and Fungi. Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Fabaceae provided the maximum numbers of TMs successively. Moreover, these TMs were mainly from the cultivated especially familiar TMs, which reflected significant progress in utilization and conservation of medicinal resource in China. Medicinal market in the Third Month Fair is the most important traditional bazaar in Yunnan province. This study systematically surveyed TMs in the fair for the first time, analyzing and revealing resource compositions and current market situations. These newly gathered data provided precious information for development of medicine cultivation, resource protection and market management as well as further pharmacognostical, pharmacological and clinical researches.

Personalized laboratory medicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pazzagli, M.; Malentacchi, F.; Mancini, I.

2015-01-01

diagnostic tools and expertise and commands proper state-of-the-art knowledge about Personalized Medicine and Laboratory Medicine in Europe, the joint Working Group "Personalized Laboratory Medicine" of the EFLM and ESPT societies compiled and conducted the Questionnaire "Is Laboratory Medicine ready...... in "omics"; 2. Additional training for the current personnel focused on the new methodologies; 3. Incorporation in the Laboratory of new competencies in data interpretation and counselling; 4. Improving cooperation and collaboration between professionals of different disciplines to integrate information...

Imaging of Muscle Injuries in Sports Medicine: Sports Imaging Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Guermazi, Ali; Roemer, Frank W; Robinson, Philip; Tol, Johannes L; Regatte, Ravindar R; Crema, Michel D

2017-03-01

In sports-related muscle injuries, the main goal of the sports medicine physician is to return the athlete to competition-balanced against the need to prevent the injury from worsening or recurring. Prognosis based on the available clinical and imaging information is crucial. Imaging is crucial to confirm and assess the extent of sports-related muscle injuries and may help to guide management, which directly affects the prognosis. This is especially important when the diagnosis or grade of injury is unclear, when recovery is taking longer than expected, and when interventional or surgical management may be necessary. Several imaging techniques are widely available, with ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging currently the most frequently applied in sports medicine. This state of the art review will discuss the main imaging modalities for the assessment of sports-related muscle injuries, including advanced imaging techniques, with the focus on the clinical relevance of imaging features of muscle injuries. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Use and maintenance of nuclear medicine instruments in Southeast Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-02-01

Nuclear medicine instruments are rather sophisticated. They are difficult to maintain in effective working condition, especially in developing countries. The present document describes a survey conducted in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand from October 1977 to March 1978, on the use and maintenance of nuclear medicine equipment. The survey evaluated the existing problems of instrument maintenance in the 8 countries visited. The major instruments in use were (1) scintillation probe counters, (2) well scintillation counters and (3) rectilinear cameras. Gamma camera was not widely available in the region at the time of the survey. Most of the surveyed instruments were kept in a detrimental environment resulting in a high failure rate, that caused the relatively high instrument unavailability of 11%. Insufficient bureaucratic handling of repair cases, difficulties with the supply of spare- and replacement parts and lack of training proved to be the main reasons for long periods of instrument inoperation. Remedial actions, based on the survey data, have been initiated

TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ZHU, YP; WOERDENBAG, HJ

1995-01-01

Herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, and massage and the three major constituent parts of traditional Chinese medicine. Although acupuncture is well known in many Western countries, Chinese herbal medicine, the mos important part of traditional Chinese medicine, is less well known in the

Data acquisition and treatment unit for use in nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annaix, C; Prieur, G; Vilayleck, S; Jallet, P [C.H.R., Angers (France)

1981-01-01

Here is below a one-channel data acquisition unit piloted through a minicomputer programmed by means of an advanced language of the Basic type. This unit allows, especially in nuclear medicine, pulse counts from a spectrometer according to a programmed sequence. Moreover, it provides treatment of measures as well as printing and filing of interpreted results. The acquisition unit is linked to the minicomputer through a RS 232 C serial mode, which ensures both easy operation and universal use of the system here described. Accuracy of measurement is also examined.

Proceedings of the forty third annual conference of Society of Nuclear Medicine India: empowering modern medicine with molecular nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

Theme of the 43rd Annual Conference of the Society of Nuclear Medicine India is 'empowering modem medicine with molecular nuclear medicine'. Keeping the theme in mind, the scientific committee has arranged an attractive and comprehensive program for both physicians and scientists reflecting the multimodality background of Nuclear Medicine and Metabolic Imaging. During this meeting the present status and future prospects of Nuclear medicine are discussed at length by esteemed faculty in dedicated symposia and interesting featured sessions which are immensely facilitate in educating the participants. Nuclear Medicine has come a long way since the first applications of radioiodine in the diagnosis of thyroid disease. The specialty of nuclear medicine in India is growing very rapidly. Technology continues to push the field in new directions and open new pathways for providing optimal care to patients. It is indeed an exciting time in the world of imaging and in the field of nuclear medicine. Innovative techniques in hardware and software offer advantages for enhanced accuracy. New imaging agents, equipment, and software will provide us with new opportunities to improve current practices and to introduce new technology into the clinical protocols. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Herbal Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are one type of dietary supplement. They are ... extracts, and fresh or dried plants. People use herbal medicines to try to maintain or improve their health. ...

Analysis - what is legal medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Beran, Roy G

2008-04-01

Legal medicine addresses the interface between medicine and law in health care. The Australian College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) established itself as the peak body in legal and forensic medicine in Australia. It helped establish the Expert Witness Institute of Australia (EWIA), the legal medicine programme at Griffith University and contributes to government enquiries. Public health, disability assessment, competing priorities of privacy verses notification and determination of fitness for a host of pursuits are aspects of legal medicine. Complementing the EWIA, the ACLM runs training programmes emphasising legal medicine skills additional to clinical practice, advocating clinical relevance. Assessment of athletes' fitness and ensuring that prohibited substances are not inadvertently prescribed represent a growing area of legal medicine. Ethical consideration of health care should respect legal medicine principles rather than armchair commentary. International conventions must be respected by legal medicine and dictate physicians' obligations. The NSW courts imposed a duty to provide emergency medical care. Migration and communicable diseases are aspects of legal medicine. Police surgeons provide a face to legal medicine (which incorporates forensic medicine) underpinning its public perception of specialty recognition. Legal medicine deserves its place as a medical specialty in its own right.

Reflections on preventive medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Miettinen, Olli S

2014-10-01

Having thought much about medicine in my career-long effort to understand it and the research for its advancement, I have come to views rather different form the now-prevailing ones in respect to what preventive medicine is about; what epidemiology is in relation to preventive medicine; what distinguishes preventive medicine in preventive healthcare at large; the relation of preventive medicine to public health; the concept of health promotion; and also the core principles of preventive medicine. All of these views I set forth in this article, for the readers' critical reflection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary molecular medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesse, Randolph M; Ganten, Detlev; Gregory, T Ryan; Omenn, Gilbert S

2012-05-01

Evolution has long provided a foundation for population genetics, but some major advances in evolutionary biology from the twentieth century that provide foundations for evolutionary medicine are only now being applied in molecular medicine. They include the need for both proximate and evolutionary explanations, kin selection, evolutionary models for cooperation, competition between alleles, co-evolution, and new strategies for tracing phylogenies and identifying signals of selection. Recent advances in genomics are transforming evolutionary biology in ways that create even more opportunities for progress at its interfaces with genetics, medicine, and public health. This article reviews 15 evolutionary principles and their applications in molecular medicine in hopes that readers will use them and related principles to speed the development of evolutionary molecular medicine.

[Design of traditional Chinese medicines with antihypertensive components based on medicinal property combination modes].

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Su-Fen; Yan, Su-Rong; Guo, Wei-Jia; Luo, Ji; Sun, Jing; Dong, Fang; Wang, Yun; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2014-07-01

Multi-component traditional Chinese medicines are an innovative research mode for traditional Chinese medicines. Currently, there are many design methods for developing multi-component traditional Chinese medicines, but their common feature is the lack of effective connection of the traditional Chinese medicine theory. In this paper, the authors discussed the multi-component traditional Chinese medicine design methods based on medicinal property combination modes, provided the combination methods with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine for the prescription combinations, and proved its feasibly with hypertension cases.

Substance and materiality? The archaeology of Talensi medicine shrines and medicinal practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Insoll, Timothy

2011-08-01

Talensi materia medica is varied, encompassing plant, mineral, and animal substances. Healing, medicines, and medicinal practices and knowledge can be shrine-based and linked with ritual practices. This is explored utilising ethnographic data and from an archaeological perspective with reference to future possibilities for research both on Talensi medicine and, by implication, more generally through considering the archaeology of Talensi medicine preparation, use, storage, spread, and disposal. It is suggested that configuring the archaeology of medicine shrines and practices more broadly in terms of health would increase archaeological visibility and research potential.

Medicinal Plants in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzaei, Mohammad Hosein; Shahpiri, Zahra; Mehri, Mohammad Reza; Bahramsoltani, Roodabeh; Rezaei, Mahdi; Raeesdana, Azade; Rahimi, Roja

2018-01-01

Neurodegenerative diseases are a progressive loss of structure and/or function of neurons. Weak therapeutic response and progressive nature of the diseases, as well as a wide range of side effects caused by conventional therapeutic approaches make patients seek for complementary and alternative medicine. The aim of the present paper is to discuss the neuropharmacological basis of medicinal plants and their principle phytochemicals which have been used in traditional Persian medicine for different types of neurodegenerative diseases. Medicinal plants introduced in traditional Persian medicine perform beneficial effects in neurodegenerative diseases via various cellular and molecular mechanisms including suppression of apoptosis mediated by an increase in the expression of anti-apoptotic agents (e.g. Bcl-2) as well as a decrease in the expression and activity of proapoptotic proteins (e.g. Bax, caspase 3 and 9). Alleviating inflammatory responses and suppressing the expression and function of pro-inflammatory cytokines like Tumor necrosis factor α and interleukins, as well as improvement in antioxidative performance mediated by superoxide dismutase and catalase, are among other neuroprotective mechanisms of traditional medicinal plants. Modulation of transcription, transduction, intracellular signaling pathways including ERK, p38, and MAPK, with upstream regulatory activity on inflammatory cascades, apoptosis and oxidative stress associated pathways, play an essential role in the preventive and therapeutic potential of the plants in neurodegenerative diseases. Medicinal plants used in traditional Persian medicine along with their related phytochemicals by affecting various neuropharmacological pathways can be considered as future drugs or adjuvant therapies with conventional pharmacotherapeutics; though, further clinical studies are necessary for the confirmation of their safety and efficacy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at

Round table discussion: Quality control and standardization of nuclear medicine software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

In summary the round table came to the following important conclusions: Nuclear medicine software systems need better documentation, especially regarding details of algorithms and limitations, and user friendliness could be considerably improved. Quality control of software is an integral part of quality assurance in nuclear medicine and should be performed at all levels of the software. Quality control of applications software should preferably be performed with assistance of generally accepted software phantoms. A basic form of standardization was welcomed and partly regarded as essential by all participants. Some areas such as patient study files could be standardized in the near future, whereas other areas such as the standardization of clinical applications programs or acquisition protocols still present major difficulties. An international cooperation in the field of standardization of software and other topics has already been started on the European level and should be continued and supported. (orig.)

Depression from the perspective of modern and Persian medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Anushiravani, Majid; Manteghi, Ali Akhondpour; Taghipur, Ali

2018-01-01

Background Depression is one of the five most-common diseases globally, and is expected to be the second leading cause of disability by 2020 and its economic and social burden is a major problem worldwide Objective The aim of this research was to elucidate the causes and symptoms of depression according to Persian Medicine (PM) and classic medicine. Methods In this study, works that were investigated were the Canon of Medicine, Al-Hawi Fi Teb, Kamel Al-Sina’a, Zakhireh Kharazmshahi and Exir A’azam. Classic medicine sources investigated were Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry and related articles in the Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, SID and Magiran. Research was done from January through April 2017, using keywords. Results To explain the biologic causes, various factors including humoral dystemperaments, cold and hot dystemperaments of chief organs especially heart and brain and some qualitative and quantitative changes in medical spirit should be considered. According to manuscripts some mental-emotional events in life can cause these changes. They independently may cause depression. Semiologically some symptoms and signs happen consequently to in the above-mentioned causes which are in common with depression signs and symptoms including grief, crying, low libido, weight loss, appetite and sleep disorders, exhaustion, slow cognitive processing, indecisiveness and willingness to die. Conclusion The major biological causes of depression is a group of dystemperamental syndromes (hot, cold, dry, and wet) on different bodily structures (humors, organs, and spirits). So preventive and therapeutic strategies for depression couldn’t be the same for all patients and the treatment should be designed according to the exact diagnosis. PMID:29629061

Me medicine vs we medicine reclaiming biotechnology for the common good

CERN Document Server

Donna

2013-01-01

Personalized healthcare—or what the award-winning author Donna Dickenson calls “Me Medicine"—is radically transforming our longstanding, “one-size-fits-all" model. Technologies such as direct-to-consumer genetic testing, pharmacogenetics in cancer care, private umbilical cord blood banking, and neurocognitive enhancement claim to cater to an individual's specific biological character. In some cases, these technologies have shown powerful potential, yet in others, they have produced negligible or even negative results. Whatever is behind the rise of Me Medicine, it isn't just science. So why is Me Medicine rapidly edging out We Medicine, and how has our commitment to collective health suffered as a result? In her balanced, provocative analysis, Dickenson examines the economic and political factors fueling the Me Medicine phenomenon and explores whether it may, over time, damage our individual health as well as our collective well-being. Historically, it is the measures of “We Medicine," such as vaccinatio...

Diabetes Medicines

Science.gov (United States)

Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. If you can't control your diabetes with wise food choices and physical activity, you may need diabetes medicines. The kind of medicine you take depends ...

Four cases of dysthymic disorder and general malaise successfully treated with traditional herbal (kampo) medicines: kamiuntanto.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogure, Toshiaki; Tatsumi, Takeshi; Oku, Yuko

2010-01-01

Traditional herbal (Kampo) medicines have been used since ancient times to treat patients with mental disorders. In the present report, we describe four patients with dysthymia successfully treated with Kampo medicines: Kamiuntanto (KUT). These four patients fulfilled the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for dysthymic disorder with easy fatigability and sleeplessness, but did not fulfill the criteria for major depressive disorder. Treatment with KUT relieved depressive status, fatigue and sleeplessness in these patients. As a result, their QOL (quality of life) was considerably improved. KUT may be useful as an additional or alternative treatment for dysthymia, especially in the field of primary health care.

REVISIÓN DE LAS ESPECIES COLOMBIANAS DEL GÉNERO SCHWARTZIA (MARCGRAVIACEAE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GIRALDO-CAÑAS DIEGO

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Se presenta un estudio taxonómico de las especies colombianas del géneroSchwartzia de la familia neotropical Marcgraviaceae. Se analizan diversos aspectosrelativos a la clasificación, la nomenclatura, las afinidades genéricas y la variaciónmorfológica de los caracteres. El género Schwartzia está representado en Colombiapor seis especies, cinco de las cuales son endémicas de este país. De las seisespecies consideradas, dos se describen como nuevas: Schwartzia andina Giraldo-Cañas y Schwartzia antioquensis Giraldo-Cañas. Se presentan las claves para reconocerlos géneros afines a Schwartzia y para separar las especies del género presentesen Colombia, así como también las descripciones de las especies, sus sinónimos,su distribución geográfica y se comentan algunas observaciones morfológicasy ecológicas. Todas las especies están ilustradas.

Food Reduction in Avicenna's View and Related Principles in Classical Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nozad, Aisan; Naseri, Mohsen; Safari, Mir Bahram; Abd Al Ahadi, Azam; Ghaffari, Farzaneh

2016-06-01

Traditional Iranian medicine (TIM) is a rich and valuable school of thought that believes medications are not the only effective approach for the treatment of diseases but that nutrition is also important. Our study includes two parts; the first is a book review of the Canon of Medicine by Avicenna (10th and 11th centuries), in which we focus on finding and understanding Avicenna's point of view. In the second part, we searched for "food reduction" as a key word from 2000 to 2015 in databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Copernicus, DOAJ, EBSCO-CINAHL, and the Iranian search database Iranmedex for principles of food reduction in classical medicine. The main methods of treatment in traditional medicine include changes in lifestyle, especially diet, the use of medications, and the use of manipulation methods. For diet, the individual may be prohibited from eating or food amounts may be decreased or increased. Centuries ago, Avicenna was making use of methods of food reduction as an important therapeutic approach in the treatment of diseases. According to him, food reduction, to the extent that it does not cause energy loss helps to cure disease. Avicenna has proposed food reduction as an aid to treating a variety of ailments such as headaches and reflux. Today, a variety of basic and clinical research has shown that food reduction or calorie restriction to a standard level can effectively prevent and treat a variety of diseases such as neoplasms, diabetes, and kidney disease. Practical principles explained by traditional Iranian medicine, in particular Avicenna, could open important and quite uncomplicated strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases.

Production of hydrocarbons, especially ethylene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1952-01-17

The invention has for its object a process for the production of gaseous nonsaturated hydrocarbons, particularly ethylene and aromatic hydrocarbons, by starting with hydrocarbon oils entirely of paraffinic nature or their fractions, which consists in putting the separated products in contact with solid inert material especially with porous nonmetallic inert material or of heavy metals or their alloys, maybe in a finely divided state or in the form, of pieces or chips, at a temperature above 500/sup 0/C, or better between 600 and 700/sup 0/C at a velocity per hour of 0.6 to 3.0, and preferably 0.75 to 1.5 parts per volume of products per each part of space volume of catalyst.

Ecological Roles of Coleoptera Associated with Carcasses in Caatinga

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wellington Santos

2013-12-01

Resumo. O papel ecológico da coleopterofauna associada a carcaças de porcos em uma área de Caatinga foi examinado. Para captura desses insetos foram utilizadas armadilhas do tipo bandeja, pitfall e Shannon modificada, durante duas estações (seca e chuvosa. 4.851 coleópteros foram coletados, pertencentes a 19 famílias e 88 espécies. A categoria ecológica mais abundante foi predador/parasita (72,7%, seguida por onívoro (15,1%, necrófago (10,9% e incidental (1,3%. Futuros estudos sobre biologia das espécies predadoras/parasitas são necessários para se determinar sua possível utilidade forense na estimativa do intervalo pós-morte.

Una nueva especie de Calyptranthes Sw. (Myrtaceae de Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parra Osorio Carlos Alberto

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Calyptranthes (Myrtaceae de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta de Colombia. Se discuten las afinidades taxonómicas de la nueva especie y su distribución en los Andes del norte de Suramérica.A new species of Calyptranthes (Myrtaceae from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in Colombia, is described and illustrated. The taxonomic affinities and the distribution of the new species in the Andes of the northern part of Southamerica are discussed.

Selection and Training of Personnel for the New Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy Centre in Bariloche

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, M.P.

2016-01-01

Full text: A basic strategy for the development of a new organization is the selection of personnel, especially if it is an institute that offers a technological and professional innovation. This work aims to define specific profiles for the Centre for Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy, Bariloche, and to design a plan for selecting and training professionals. (author

Statutory instruments: 1984 No. 1261 Medicines - The Medicines (Committee on Radiation from Radioactive Medicinal Products) (Revocation) Order 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This Order, which came into force on 6 September 1984, revokes the Medicines (Committee on Radiation from Radioactive Medicinal Products) Order 1978 thereby abolishing the Committee, which was established for the purpose of giving advice on safety, quality and efficacy in relation to radiation involving any substance or article for human use to which the Medicins Act 1968 is applicable. (NEA) [fr

Why physical medicine, physical disability and physical rehabilitation? We should abandon Cartesian dualism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Derick

2006-03-01

Adjectives are supposed to describe the associated noun more fully or definitively, and the adjective physical is sometimes added to words such as medicine, rehabilitation and disability. What increase in description does its use allow? The adjective was probably added when rehabilitation started to develop for several reasons: it contrasted the mode of treatment with pharmacology and surgery; it contrasted the nature of the supposed aetiology with emotionally generated disorders, especially shell-shock; and it justified the presence of rehabilitation within the profession of medicine. Its continued use, however, perpetuates a Cartesian, dualist philosophy. This editorial uses the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning (WHO ICF) model of illness to analyse its continued use, and concludes that its continued use may disadvantage both patients and the practice of rehabilitation.

Medicinal Herbs Affecting Gray Hair in Iranian Traditional Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Rameshk, Maryam; Khandani, Shahram Kalantari; Raeiszadeh, Mahboobeh

2016-05-01

The presence of hair plays an important role in people's overall physical appearance and self-perception. As a result of increased life expectancy, the desire to look youthful plays a bigger role than ever.The use of medicinal plants is as old as mankind and the market will face many new products containing natural oils and herbs in coming years. In traditional Iranian medicine, many plants and herbal formulations are reported for hair growth as well as the improvement in hair quality. The aim of this article is to introduce effective medicinal plants in traditional Iranian medicine to prevent gray hair and advocate them as the new products. The present investigation is an overview study and has been codified by library search in the main sources of traditional Iranian medicine. In traditional Iranian medicine, three types of formulations are proposed to prevent gray hair, namely (i) treatment compounds, (ii) preventive compounds, and (iii) hair dyes to color gray hairs. Our search showed that the main parts of a plant that is used in the treatment and preventive compounds are seeds and fruits. These are primarily in the form of topical oil or oral compound (electuary). The majority of plant parts used in hair dyes is from the fruit and/or leaves. Natural products are highly popular and the use of plant extracts in formulations is on the rise. This is because synthetic based product may cause health hazards with several side effects. Considering the increased popularity of herbal drugs in hair care, it is worthwhile to conduct systemic investigation on the production and efficacy of these drugs. We trust that our investigation would encourage the use of traditional Iranian medicine in future hair care products.

Value-based medicine and interventions for macular degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Melissa M; Brown, Gary C; Brown, Heidi

2007-05-01

The aim of this article is to review the patient value conferred by interventions for neovascular macular degeneration. Value-based medicine is the practice of medicine based upon the patient value (improvement in quality of life and length of life) conferred by an intervention. For ophthalmologic interventions, in which length-of-life is generally unaffected, the value gain is equivalent to the improvement in quality of life. Photodynamic therapy delivers a value gain (improvement in quality of life) of 8.1% for the average person with classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization, while laser photocoagulation for the same entity confers a 4.4% improvement in quality of life. Preliminary data suggest the value gain for the treatment of occult/minimally classic choroidal neovascularization with ranibizumab is greater than 15%. The average value gain for statins for the treatment of hyperlipidemia is 3.9%, while that for the use of biphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis is 1.1% and that for drugs to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia is 1-2%. Interventions, especially ranibizumab therapy, for neovascular macular degeneration appear to deliver an extraordinary degree of value compared with many other interventions across healthcare.

The future of nuclear medicine; El futuro de la medicina nuclear

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrera, J. L.

2003-07-01

Nuclear Medicine (NM) is dedicated to medical applications of molecules labeled with radionuclides. The NM diagnostic images can surpass or complement other diagnostic imaging techniques in some clinical situations. The clinical usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography is more and more evident, especially in Oncology. PET-TAC and PET{sub N}MR hybrid images after new chances in diagnosis and Radiotherapy planning and new relations between the radiological specialties. Radio guided surgery and radionuclide therapy are other development techniques of the NM. (Author) 11 refs.

Residents' views about family medicine specialty education in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uzuner Arzu

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Residents are one of the key stakeholders of specialty training. The Turkish Board of Family Medicine wanted to pursue a realistic and structured approach in the design of the specialty training programme. This approach required the development of a needs-based core curriculum built on evidence obtained from residents about their needs for specialty training and their needs in the current infrastructure. The aim of this study was to obtain evidence on residents' opinions and views about Family Medicine specialty training. Methods This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The board prepared a questionnaire to investigate residents' views about some aspects of the education programme such as duration and content, to assess the residents' learning needs as well as their need for a training infrastructure. The questionnaire was distributed to the Family Medicine Departments (n = 27 and to the coordinators of Family Medicine residency programmes in state hospitals (n = 11 by e-mail and by personal contact. Results A total of 191 questionnaires were returned. The female/male ratio was 58.6%/41.4%. Nine state hospitals and 10 university departments participated in the study. The response rate was 29%. Forty-five percent of the participants proposed over three years for the residency duration with either extensions of the standard rotation periods in pediatrics and internal medicine or reductions in general surgery. Residents expressed the need for extra rotations (dermatology 61.8%; otolaryngology 58.6%; radiology 52.4%. Fifty-nine percent of the residents deemed a rotation in a private primary care centre necessary, 62.8% in a state primary care centre with a proposed median duration of three months. Forty-seven percent of the participants advocated subspecialties for Family Medicine, especially geriatrics. The residents were open to new educational methods such as debates, training with models, workshops and e

Sharing medicine: the candidacy of medicines and other household items for sharing, Dominican Republic.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael N Dohn

Full Text Available People share medicines and problems can result from this behavior. Successful interventions to change sharing behavior will require understanding people's motives and purposes for sharing medicines. Better information about how medicines fit into the gifting and reciprocity system could be useful in designing interventions to modify medicine sharing behavior. However, it is uncertain how people situate medicines among other items that might be shared. This investigation is a descriptive study of how people sort medicines and other shareable items.This study in the Dominican Republic examined how a convenience sample (31 people sorted medicines and rated their shareability in relation to other common household items. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to produce association maps in which the distances between items offer a visual representation of the collective opinion of the participants regarding the relationships among the items. In addition, from a pile sort constrained by four categories of whether sharing or loaning the item was acceptable (on a scale from not shareable to very shareable, we assessed the degree to which the participants rated the medicines as shareable compared to other items. Participants consistently grouped medicines together in all pile sort activities; yet, medicines were mixed with other items when rated by their candidacy to be shared. Compared to the other items, participants had more variability of opinion as to whether medicines should be shared.People think of medicines as a distinct group, suggesting that interventions might be designed to apply to medicines as a group. People's differing opinions as to whether it was appropriate to share medicines imply a degree of uncertainty or ambiguity that health promotion interventions might exploit to alter attitudes and behaviors. These findings have implications for the design of health promotion interventions to impact medicine sharing behavior.

Extended family medicine training

Science.gov (United States)

Slade, Steve; Ross, Shelley; Lawrence, Kathrine; Archibald, Douglas; Mackay, Maria Palacios; Oandasan, Ivy F.

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine trends in family medicine training at a time when substantial pedagogic change is under way, focusing on factors that relate to extended family medicine training. Design Aggregate-level secondary data analysis based on the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry. Setting Canada. Participants All Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were registered in postgraduate family medicine training programs within Canadian faculties of medicine from 1995 to 2013. Main outcome measures Number and proportion of family medicine residents exiting 2-year and extended (third-year and above) family medicine training programs, as well as the types and numbers of extended training programs offered in 2015. Results The proportion of family medicine trainees pursuing extended training almost doubled during the study period, going from 10.9% in 1995 to 21.1% in 2013. Men and Canadian medical graduates were more likely to take extended family medicine training. Among the 5 most recent family medicine exit cohorts (from 2009 to 2013), 25.9% of men completed extended training programs compared with 18.3% of women, and 23.1% of Canadian medical graduates completed extended training compared with 13.6% of international medical graduates. Family medicine programs vary substantially with respect to the proportion of their trainees who undertake extended training, ranging from a low of 12.3% to a high of 35.1% among trainees exiting from 2011 to 2013. Conclusion New initiatives, such as the Triple C Competency-based Curriculum, CanMEDS–Family Medicine, and Certificates of Added Competence, have emerged as part of family medicine education and credentialing. In acknowledgment of the potential effect of these initiatives, it is important that future research examine how pedagogic change and, in particular, extended training shapes the care family physicians offer their patients. As part of that research it will be important to measure the breadth and uptake of

Una nueva especie de Adesmia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae para la Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilio A. Ulibarri

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Se describe e ilustra Adesmia australis (serie Frigidae, una nueva especie de la provincia de Santa Cruz, que se distingue de su especie más afín, A. frigida, por el número y tamaño de los folíolos, el tamaño de las flores y estípulas isomorfas.

Music and medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Lippi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Donatella Lippi1, Paolo Roberti di Sarsina2, John Patrick D’Elios11History of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Forensic Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; 2Health Local Unit, Department of Mental Health, Bologna, ItalyAbstract: Healing sounds have always been considered in the past an important aid in medical practice, and nowadays, medicine has confirmed the efficacy of music therapy in many diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the curative power of music, in the frame of the current clinical relationship.Keywords: history of medicine, medical humanities, healing music

Personalized Herbal Medicine? A Roadmap for Convergence of Herbal and Precision Medicine Biomarker Innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomford, Nicholas Ekow; Dzobo, Kevin; Chimusa, Emile; Andrae-Marobela, Kerstin; Chirikure, Shadreck; Wonkam, Ambroise; Dandara, Collet

2018-06-01

While drugs remain the cornerstone of medicine, herbal medicine is an important comedication worldwide. Thus, precision medicine ought to face this clinical reality and develop "companion diagnostics" for drugs as well as herbal medicines. Yet, many are in denial with respect to the extent of use of traditional/herbal medicines, overlooking that a considerable number of contemporary therapeutic drugs trace their discovery from herbal medicines. This expert review underscores that absent such appropriate attention on both classical drug therapy and herbal medicines, precision medicine biomarkers will likely not stand the full test of clinical practice while patients continue to use both drugs and herbal medicines and, yet the biomarker research and applications focus only (or mostly) on drug therapy. This asymmetry in biomarker innovation strategy needs urgent attention from a wide range of innovation actors worldwide, including governments, research funders, scientists, community leaders, civil society organizations, herbal, pharmaceutical, and insurance industries, policymakers, and social/political scientists. We discuss the various dimensions of a future convergence map between herbal and conventional medicine, and conclude with a set of concrete strategies on how best to integrate biomarker research in a realm of both herbal and drug treatment. Africa, by virtue of its vast experience and exposure in herbal medicine and a "pregnant" life sciences innovation ecosystem, could play a game-changing role for the "birth" of biomarker-informed personalized herbal medicine in the near future. At this critical juncture when precision medicine initiatives are being rolled out worldwide, precision/personalized herbal medicine is both timely and essential for modern therapeutics, not to mention biomarker innovations that stand the test of real-life practices and implementation in the clinic and society.

Japan's advanced medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sho, Ri; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Murakami, Masayasu

2013-10-01

Like health care systems in other developed countries, Japan's health care system faces significant challenges due to aging of the population and economic stagnation. Advanced medicine (Senshin Iryou) is a unique system of medical care in Japan offering highly technology-driven medical care that is not covered by public health insurance. Advanced medicine has recently developed and expanded as part of health care reform. Will it work? To answer this question, we briefly trace the historical development of advanced medicine and describe the characteristics and current state of advanced medical care in Japan. We then offer our opinions on the future of advanced medicine with careful consideration of its pros and cons. We believe that developing advanced medicine is an attempt to bring health care reform in line rather than the goal of health care reform.

Nuclear Medicine in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durak, H.

2001-01-01

Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that uses radionuclides for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and it is one of the most important peaceful applications of nuclear sciences. Nuclear Medicine has a short history both in Turkey and in the world. The first use of I-131 for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis in Turkey was in 1958 at the Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School. In 1962, Radiobiological Institute in Ankara University Medical School was established equipped with well-type counters, radiometers, scalers, external counters and a rectilinear scanner. In 1965, multi-probe external detection systems, color dot scanners and in 1967, anger scintillation camera had arrived. In 1962, wet lab procedures and organ scanning, in 1965 color dot scanning, dynamic studies (blood flow - renograms) and in 1967 analogue scintillation camera and dynamic camera studies have started. In 1974, nuclear medicine was established as independent medical specialty. Nuclear medicine departments have started to get established in 1978. In 1974, The Turkish Society of Nuclear Medicine (TSNM) was established with 10 members. The first president of TSNM was Prof. Dr. Yavuz Renda. Now, in the year 2000, TSNM has 349 members. Turkish Society of Nuclear Medicine is a member of European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB) and WFNMB Asia-Oceania. Since 1974, TSNM has organized 13 national Nuclear Medicine congresses, 4 international Nuclear Oncology congresses and 13 nuclear medicine symposiums. In 1-5 October 2000, 'The VII th Asia and Oceania Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology' was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Since 1992, Turkish Journal of Nuclear Medicine is published quarterly and it is the official publication of TSNM. There are a total of 112 Nuclear Medicine centers in Turkey. There are 146 gamma cameras. (52 Siemens, 35 GE, 16 Elscint, 14 Toshiba, 10 Sopha, 12 MIE, 8 Philips, 9 Others) Two cyclotrons are

Fundamentals of nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alazraki, N.P.; Mishkin, F.S.

1984-01-01

This guidebook for clinical nuclear medicine is written as a description of how nuclear medicine procedures should be used by clinicians in evaluating their patients. It is designed to assist medical students and physicians in becoming acquainted with nuclear medicine techniques for detecting and evaluating most common disorders. The material provides an introduction to, not a textbook of, nuclear medicine. Each chapter is devoted to a particular organ system or topic relevant to the risks and benefits involved in nuclear medicine studies. The emphasis is on presenting the rationales for ordering the various clinical imaging procedures performed in most nuclear medicine departments. Where appropriate, alternative imaging modalities including ultrasound, computed tomography imaging, and radiographic special procedures are discussed. Comparative data between nuclear medicine imaging and other modalities are presented to help guide the practicing clinician in the selection of the most appropriate procedure for a given problem.

[Research progress of Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine resulting in liver injury].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jingli; Zhou, Chaofan

2011-12-01

The adverse reactions caused by Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine are reported increased in recent years, among which the acute liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicine accounts for 21.5% of total liver injuries. Despite the misuse of traditional Chinese medicine not in accordance with differentiation of symptoms and signs, the adverse reaction of Chinese herbal medicine itself can't be little to these adverse events. The paper summarizes the most common categories of traditional Chinese medicine resulting in liver injury, the mechanism, pathological characteristics, clinical symptom of liver injury, the reasons of the reaction and how to prevent. The research aims to enhance the clinical physician recognition of liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicine, in order to ensure the safe and rational usage of traditional Chinese medicine.

Medicinal claims

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, van der Bernd

2017-01-01

Under EU medicinal law, substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease are medicinal products by virtue of their presentation. EU food law prohibits attributing to any food the property of preventing, treating or curing a disease. However, if certain conditions are

The remote supervisory and controlling experiment system of traditional Chinese medicine production based on Fieldbus

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Jinliang; Lu, Pei

2006-11-01

Since the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products are affected by raw material, machining and many other factors, it is difficult for traditional Chinese medicine production process especially the extracting process to ensure the steady and homogeneous quality. At the same time, there exist some quality control blind spots due to lacking on-line quality detection means. But if infrared spectrum analysis technology was used in traditional Chinese medicine production process on the basis of off-line analysis to real-time detect the quality of semi-manufactured goods and to be assisted by advanced automatic control technique, the steady and homogeneous quality can be obtained. It can be seen that the on-line detection of extracting process plays an important role in the development of Chinese patent medicines industry. In this paper, the design and implement of a traditional Chinese medicine extracting process monitoring experiment system which is based on PROFIBUS-DP field bus, OPC, and Internet technology is introduced. The system integrates intelligence node which gathering data, superior sub-system which achieving figure configuration and remote supervisory, during the process of traditional Chinese medicine production, monitors the temperature parameter, pressure parameter, quality parameter etc. And it can be controlled by the remote nodes in the VPN (Visual Private Network). Experiment and application do have proved that the system can reach the anticipation effect fully, and with the merits of operational stability, real-time, reliable, convenient and simple manipulation and so on.

Travel medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Aw, Brian; Boraston, Suni; Botten, David; Cherniwchan, Darin; Fazal, Hyder; Kelton, Timothy; Libman, Michael; Saldanha, Colin; Scappatura, Philip; Stowe, Brian

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To define the practice of travel medicine, provide the basics of a comprehensive pretravel consultation for international travelers, and assist in identifying patients who might require referral to travel medicine professionals. Sources of information Guidelines and recommendations on travel medicine and travel-related illnesses by national and international travel health authorities were reviewed. MEDLINE and EMBASE searches for related literature were also performed. Main message Travel medicine is a highly dynamic specialty that focuses on pretravel preventive care. A comprehensive risk assessment for each individual traveler is essential in order to accurately evaluate traveler-, itinerary-, and destination-specific risks, and to advise on the most appropriate risk management interventions to promote health and prevent adverse health outcomes during travel. Vaccinations might also be required and should be personalized according to the individual traveler’s immunization history, travel itinerary, and the amount of time available before departure. Conclusion A traveler’s health and safety depends on a practitioner’s level of expertise in providing pretravel counseling and vaccinations, if required. Those who advise travelers are encouraged to be aware of the extent of this responsibility and to refer all high-risk travelers to travel medicine professionals whenever possible. PMID:25500599

Study of dose levels absorbed by members of the public in the nuclear medicine departments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabral, Geovanna Oliveira de Mello

2001-03-01

In nuclear Medicine, radioisotopes are bound to various compounds (called radiopharmaceuticals) for use in various diagnostic and therapeutic applications. These unsealed sources are administered in various forms to patients, who remain radioactive for hours or days, and represent a source of potential radiation exposure for others. Thus, in nuclear medicine departments, radiation protection of workers and members of the public, especially persons accompanying patients, must consider, this exposure. In Brazil, the Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) establishes that, in nuclear medicine departments, the patients and persons accompanying should be separated each other. However, this rule is not always followed due to many factors such as physical and emotional conditions of patients. In this context, the aim of this study was the investigation of dose levels, which the persons accompanying patients are exposed to. For monitoring, thermoluminescent dosimeters were employed. The dosimeters were given to 380 persons who were accompanying patients in nuclear medicine departments. Exposure results were lower than 1 mSv. On the basis of CNEN rules, issues regarding stay conditions for members of the public in these departments are discussed. (author)

Traditional Medicine in Developing Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Rikke Stamp

or spiritual healer and self-treatment with herbal medicine or medicinal plants. Reliance on traditional medicine varies between countries and rural and urban areas, but is reported to be as high as 80% in some developing countries. Increased realization of the continued importance of traditional medicine has......People use traditional medicine to meet their health care needs in developing countries and medical pluralism persists worldwide despite increased access to allopathic medicine. Traditional medicine includes a variety of treatment opportunities, among others, consultation with a traditional healer...... led to the formulation of policies on the integration of traditional medicine into public health care. Local level integration is already taking place as people use multiple treatments when experiencing illness. Research on local level use of traditional medicine for health care, in particular the use...

The influence of traditional medicine and religion on discontinuation of ART in an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Unge, Christian; Ragnarsson, Anders; Ekström, Anna Mia; Indalo, Dorcus; Belita, Alice; Carter, Jane; Ilako, Festus; Södergård, Björn

2011-07-01

The objective of this study was to explore the influence of traditional medicine and religion on discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in one of Africa's largest informal urban settlement, Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 patients discontinuing the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) ART program in Kibera due to issues related to traditional medicine and religion. Traditional medicine and religion remain important in many people's lives after ART initiation, but these issues are rarely addressed in a positive way during ART counseling. Many patients found traditional medicine and their religious beliefs to be in conflict with clinic treatment advice. Patients described a decisional process, prior to the actual drop-out from the ART program that involved a trigger event, usually a specific religious event, or a meeting with someone using traditional medicine that influenced them to take the decision to stop ART. Discontinuation of ART could be reduced if ART providers acknowledged and addressed the importance of religious issues and traditional medicine in the lives of patients, especially in similar resource-poor settings. Telling patients not to mix ART and traditional medicine appeared counter-productive in this setting. Introducing an open discussion around religious beliefs and the pros and cons of traditional medicine as part of standard counseling, may prevent drop-out from ART when side effects or opportunistic infections occur.

Social Justice as the Moral Core of Family Medicine: A Perspective from the Keystone IV Conference.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Steven A

2016-01-01

A recurring conference theme was the essential place of social justice within family medicine, especially the need to focus on denominator populations, exalt the personal and caring qualities of doctoring, and address social determinants of health. Many expressed solidarity with "community," but it is not always easy to define community in our large and diverse nation. Exhortations for health advocacy were frequently voiced, but putting these into meaningful action agendas is a challenge. There was general agreement that medicine is in flux and that the many expressions of "commodity-centered consumerism" have altered organization and financing. The increasing demands by "consumers", who want low cost, instant availability, and shared decision-making, and yet change doctors when health plans alter coverage also differentially impact high-volume, low-margin specialties such as family medicine. Additional challenges were the electronic health record and calibrating an appropriate work/life balance. Five action steps are recommended: 1) speak out on the important social and moral issues; 2) be the experts on personal care; 3) make common cause with potential allies; 4) help institutions perceive the value of generalism; and 5) help find ways to enrich generalist disciplines to increase the joy of medicine and decrease the threat of burn out. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Medicinal electrochemistry: integration of electrochemistry, medicinal chemistry and computational chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, M O; Maltarollo, V G; de Toledo, R A; Shim, H; Santos, M C; Honorio, K M

2014-01-01

Over the last centuries, there were many important discoveries in medicine that were crucial for gaining a better understanding of several physiological processes. Molecular modelling techniques are powerful tools that have been successfully used to analyse and interface medicinal chemistry studies with electrochemical experimental results. This special combination can help to comprehend medicinal chemistry problems, such as predicting biological activity and understanding drug action mechanisms. Electrochemistry has provided better comprehension of biological reactions and, as a result of many technological improvements, the combination of electrochemical techniques and biosensors has become an appealing choice for pharmaceutical and biomedical analyses. Therefore, this review will briefly outline the present scope and future advances related to the integration of electrochemical and medicinal chemistry approaches based on various applications from recent studies.

La carpeta de aprendizaje: una innovación docente en la asignatura de Radiología y Medicina Física Especial The portfolio: an innovate educational project on the subject of Radiology and Special Physical Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.D. Berná

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivo. Presentar una innovación docente desarrollada en la asignatura de Radiología y Medicina Física Especial durante el curso académico 2006-2007. Sujetos y métodos. Los alumnos realizaron una rotación durante dos semanas en los servicios de Radiodiagnóstico y Medicina Nuclear, en grupos pequeños. La metodología docente utilizada fue la carpeta de aprendizaje o portafolio. Se describen los aspectos fundamentales para la elaboración de la carpeta y de los casos clínicos, así como del sistema de evaluación. Dentro del ciclo de mejora continuada se llevó a cabo una encuesta de satisfacción. Resultados. Los resultados académicos obtenidos fueron excelentes. La mayoría de los alumnos consideraron que la asignatura fue interesante. También señalaron una valoración positiva de la rotación, de los seminarios y del sistema de evaluación. Asimismo, la opinión de los alumnos acerca de la experiencia docente realizada fue muy favorable. Conclusión. La satisfacción global de los alumnos ha sido muy alta con la metodología docente implantada en la asignatura.Aim. To introduce a learning innovation on the subject of Radiology and Special Physical Medicine along the academic year 2006/2007. Subjects and methods. Working in small groups, students carried out a two-week rotation in the departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. The portfolio was the educational methodology used. The main aspects to elaborate the portfolio, the case reports, as well as the evaluation system are described. A satisfaction survey within the continuous improvement course was performed. Results. The academic results achieved were excellent. The subject was considered interesting by most of the students. A positive evaluation about the rotation made by the students, the seminaries and the evaluation system was made. Students’ opinion about the educational experience performed was also, very favourable. Conclusion. The educational methodology