Traditional medicines (TM) have been used for centuries to treat illnesses, but in many cases their modes-of-action (MOAs) remain unclear. Given the increasing data of chemical ingredients of traditional medicines and the availability of large-scale bioactivity data linking chemical structures to activities against protein targets, we are now in a position to propose computational hypotheses for the MOAs using in silico target prediction. The MOAs were established from supporting literature. The in silico target prediction, which is based on the “Molecular Similarity Principle”, was modelled via two models: a Naïve Bayes Classifier and a Random Forest Classifier. Chapter 2 discovered the relationship of 46 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapeutic action subclasses by mapping them into a dendrogram using the predicted targets. Overall, the most frequent top three enriched targets/pathways were immune-related targets such as tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) and digestive system such as mineral absorption. Two major protein families, G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), and protein kinase family contributed to the diversity of the bioactivity space, while digestive system was consistently annotated pathway motif. Chapter 3 compared the chemical and bioactivity space of 97 anti-cancer plants’ compounds of TCM, Ayurveda and Malay traditional medicine. The comparison of the chemical space revealed that benzene, anthraquinone, flavone, sterol, pentacyclic triterpene and cyclohexene were the most frequent scaffolds in those TM. The annotation of the bioactivity space with target classes showed that kinase class was the most significant target class for all groups. From a phylogenetic tree of the anti-cancer plants, only eight pairs of plants were phylogenetically related at either genus, family or order level. Chapter 4 evaluated synergy score of pairwise compound combination of Shexiang Baoxin Pill (SBP), a TCM formulation for myocardial infarction. The score was measured from the topological properties, pathway dissimilarity and mean distance of all the predicted targets of a combination on a representative network of the disease. The method found four synergistic combinations, ginsenoside Rb3 and cholic acid, ginsenoside Rb2 and ginsenoside Rb3, ginsenoside Rb3 and 11-hydroxyprogesterone and ginsenoside Rb2 and ginsenoside Rd agreed with the experimental results. The modulation of androgen receptor, epidermal growth factor and caspases were proposed for the synergistic actions. Altogether, in silico target prediction was able to discover the bioactivity space of different TMs and elucidate the MOA of multiple formulations and two major health concerns: cancer and myocardial infarction. Hence, understanding the MOA of the traditional medicine could be beneficial in providing testable hypotheses to guide towards finding new molecular entities.

Traditional medicine, the use of plants, animals, and minerals for human health needs must be brought toa new scientific level of sustainable development in order to accommodate future global health care needs.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / A dor à uma das principais causas do sofrimento humano, aflige a humanidade desde o inicio de sua existÃncia e, independentemente de seu carÃter agudo ou crÃnico, desencadeia no homem alteraÃÃes nos padrÃes de sono, apetite e libido, irritabilidade, diminuiÃÃo da capacidade de concentraÃÃo, alÃm de dificuldades em atividades familiares, profissionais e sociais. A fibromialgia (FB) à uma sÃndrome musculoesquelÃtica crÃnica caracterizada por dor generalizada, de etiologia ainda nÃo completamente esclarecida, que ocorre predominantemente em indivÃduos de cor branca, afetando 2,5% da populaÃÃo brasileira, com maior incidÃncia no sexo feminino, na fase produtiva (antes dos 50 anos de idade), podendo tambÃm afetar crianÃas e idosos. Na ausÃncia de marcadores especÃficos, o diagnÃstico da FB à baseado em achados clÃnicos conforme critÃrios estabelecidos pelo American College of Rheumatology: dor generalizada presente no esqueleto axial e em ambos os hemicorpos, acima e abaixo da cintura, presenÃa de 11 ou mais dos18 tender points e dor crÃnica por mais de 3 meses. O tratamento da FB tem como objetivo reduzir a dor e os sintomas associados e melhorar a qualidade de vida. Antidepressivos associados a tratamentos nÃo farmacolÃgicos incluindo exercÃcios aerÃbicos de baixo impacto, alongamentos, programas de fortalecimento ou relaxamento muscular, reabilitaÃÃo e fisioterapia tÃm sido usados com resultados nem sempre satisfatÃrios. Outras terapias sÃo recomendadas, como balneoterapia, termoterapia, terapia magnÃtica, homeopatia, manipulaÃÃo manual, dietoterapia, musicoterapia e acupuntura, pelos seus efeitos auto-reguladores, analgÃsicos e antiinflamatÃrios. Na busca de outras opÃÃes terapÃuticas, este estudo objetiva avaliar os efeitos da acupuntura, da eletro- acupuntura e da moxabustÃo sobre a dor e a qualidade de vida em mulheres fibromiÃlgicas. Participaram do estudo 30 mulheres com idades entre 20 e 60 anos (mÃdia 46,90Â9,24), selecionadas segundo critÃrios prÃ-definidos, portadoras de fibromialgia, que apresentavam dor de intensidade moderada a grave (Algometria de Fischer <4kg/cm2). As pacientes foram distribuÃdas aleatoriamente em trÃs grupos (n=10) e tratadas com acupuntura (AC) [G-1], eletroacupuntura (EAC) [G-2] e moxabustÃo (MX) [G-3], durante 8 semanas (sessÃes semanais). Agulhas de aÃo inoxidÃvel foram inseridas em acupontos especÃficos bilateralmente (Neiguan/PC-6, Hegu/IG-4, Yanglingquan/VB-34, Sanyinjiao/BP-6 e Taichong/F-3) em todas as pacientes e retidas por 30 minutos. Adicionalmente, foram aplicadas a EAC (G-2) ou a MX (G-3) durante 30 minutos. Para avaliaÃÃo da intensidade da dor foram utilizados o questionÃrio McGill, a Escala de Faces de Wong-Baker e o AlgÃmetro de Fischer. A qualidade de vida foi avaliada utilizando o questionÃrio The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), traduzido, adaptado e validado para a lÃngua portuguesa em 1999. Os dados foram tabulados utilizando-se o software Excel para Windows 2007 da Microsoft Corporation (U.S.A.) e analisados pelo programa de anÃlise estatÃstica GraphPad Prism v.5.00 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CalifÃrnia, U.S.A). Os resultados mostram que nenhum dos trÃs mÃtodos de tratamento utilizados no estudo (AC, EAC, MX) promove reduÃÃo da dor em mulheres fibromiÃlgicas, apÃs 8 semanas de tratamento. Por outro lado, tanto a EAC como a MX melhoram a saÃde mental; a AC promove a melhora da vitalidade nessas pacientes. / Pain is one of the major causes of human suffering, afflicted humanity since the beginning of its existence and, regardless of its acute or chronic character, triggers in man changes in sleep patterns, appetite and libido, irritability, decreased ability to concentrate, in addition to difficulties in family, professional and social activities. Fibromyalgia (FB) is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, etiology not yet fully clarified, that occurs predominantly in white individuals, affecting 2.5% of the Brazilian population, with higher incidence in females, in the productive phase (before 50 years of age), and may also affect children and the elderly. In the absence of specific markers, the diagnosis of FB is based on clinical findings according to criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology: widespread pain present in the axial skeleton and in both hemibodies, above and below the waist, presence of 11 or more of the 18 tender points and chronic pain for more than 3 months. FB treatment aims to reduce pain and associated symptoms and improve quality of life. Antidepressants associated with non-pharmacological treatments including low impact aerobic, stretching, strengthening programs, or muscle relaxation, rehabilitation and physical therapy have been used with results not always satisfactory. Other therapies such as balneotherapy, thermotherapy, magnetic therapy, homeopathy, manual handling, dietotherapy, music therapy and acupuncture are recommended for its self-regulatory, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. In search of other therapeutic options, this study aims to evaluate the effects of acupuncture, electroacupuncture and moxibu stion on the pain and quality of life in fibromyalgic women. Thirty women aged between 20 and 60 years (mean age 46.90Â9.24), selected according to predefined criteria, with FB, who had pain of moderate to severe intensity (<4kg/cm2) were included in the study. The patients were randomized, distributed in three groups (n=10) and treated with acupuncture (AC) [G-1], electroacupuncture (EAC) [G-2] and moxibustion (MX) [G-3], during 8 weeks (weekly sessions). Stainless steel needles were inserted into specific acupoints bilaterally (Neiguan/PC-6, Hegu/G-4, Yanglingquan/VB-34, Sanyinjiao/BP-6 and Taichong/F-3) in all patients, and retained for 30 minutes. Additionally, EAC (G-2) or MX (G-3) were applied during 30 minutes. To evaluate the intensity of the pain the McGill questionnaire, the Wong-Baker Faces Scale and the Fischer Algometer device were used. The quality of life was assessed using the questionnaire The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), translated, adapted and validated for the Portuguese language in 1999.The data was tabulated using the Excel 2007 software for Windows  from Microsoft Corporation (U.S.A). GraphPad Prism  v. 5.00 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, California, U.S.A) program was used for statistical analysis. The results show that none of the three treatment methods used in the study (AC, EAC, MX) promotes reduction of pain in fibromyalgic women, after 8 weeks of treatment. However, both EAC as MX treatments improve the mental health. Additionally, the AC improves vitality in these patients.

This dissertation aims to analyze the logic of survival of fishermen from Mem de Sa community Itaporanga D´Ajuda/SE, in the perspective of social and environmental sustainability. The study setting is the community Mem de Sá situated in a river island in the estuary of Vaza-Barris river, (11°29´26´´S and 06´46´´W), located in Itaporanga D´Ajuda, only 26 km away from the seat of the municipality and 53 km from Aracaju, capital of Sergipe state. The specific objectives of the study are: to build sustainability indicators that enable the verification of the possibilities and limitations of fishing activity, to characterize the importance of the environment on the composition of the territory and on the carried fishing practices, to identify the knowledge, rituals and myths surrounded the community and, to perform the monitoring of the fishing community. The main question that the chapters try to answer is: how the logic of survival of fishermen is configured and what is the interference of environmental, social, cultural, political and economic factors on the activities developed in the fishing community in Mem de Sá Itaporanga D´Ajuda/SE. The first chapter describes the research scenario. The second chapter presents the theoretical framework. The third chapter focuses on social and environmental dynamics based on sustainability indicators of social and environmental dimension. In the fourth chapter are included the analysis of political and economic indicator. The fifth chapter covers the cultural/spiritual sustainability indicator. And finally, the sixth chapter expresses the intention to understand the logic of life of fishermen, caught in its essence and understood by its own light. Therefore, the proposed research is inseparable from traditional knowledge originated from relation webs of community Mem de Sá, whether with members of its internal or external community or with environment of their experience, however, social and environmental sustainability being promoted or even limited according to the way of life built. / Esta dissertação tem por objetivo analisar a lógica de sobrevivência dos pescadores artesanais da comunidade Mem de Sá - Itaporanga D Ajuda/Se, na perspectiva da sustentabilidade socioambiental. O cenário do estudo é a comunidade Mem de Sá situada em uma ilha fluvial no estuário do rio Vaza-Barris, (11º29 26 S e 06 46 W), localizada em Itaporanga D Ajuda, distante apenas 23 km da sede municipal e a 53 km de Aracaju, capital do Estado de Sergipe. Os objetivos específicos do estudo são: construir indicadores de sustentabilidade que possibilitem a verificação das possibilidades e limitações da atividade pesqueira; caracterizar a importância do ambiente na composição do território e nas práticas pesqueiras realizadas; identificar os saberes, rituais e mitos envoltos na comunidade, e, realizar o monitoramento da comunidade pesqueira. A questão norteadora que os capítulos tentam responder é: como se configura a lógica de sobrevivência dos pescadores artesanais e quais são as interferências de fatores ambientais, sociais, culturais, políticos e econômicos na atividade pesqueira desenvolvida na comunidade Mem de Sá - Itaporanga D Ajuda/Se? O primeiro capítulo descreve o cenário da pesquisa. O segundo capítulo apresenta o referencial teórico. O terceiro capítulo centra-se na dinâmica socioambiental com base nos indicadores de sustentabilidade da dimensão social e ambiental. No quarto capítulo estão inseridas as análises do indicador econômico e político. O quinto capítulo abarca a dimensão cultural/espiritual dos indicadores de sustentabilidade. E por fim, o sexto capítulo expressa a intenção de entender a lógica de vida dos pescadores artesanais capturada em sua essência e compreendida pela sua própria luz. Portanto, a pesquisa proposta é indissociável do conhecimento tradicional emanado das teias de relações da comunidade Mem de Sá, seja com os membros de sua coletividade interna e externa seja com o ambiente de sua vivência, contudo, sendo a sustentabilidade socioambiental favorecida ou até mesmo limitada de acordo com o modo de vida construído.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The restinga ecosystem has been one of the most impacted in Brazil due to its coastal location, where the housing boom and Unregulated tourism are the main factors degrading. The northern coast of Sergipe is included in this reality, mainly due to the unique beauty of the region. Attempts to conserve species has been scarce and recent, still requiring more structure to the units of local conservation. In order to meet both the conservation of natural resources on improving socioeconomic conditions in the region was created in the municipality of Pirambu, a rural settlement land reform mode agroextractive: Assentamento Agroextrativista São Sebastião. The settlement covers 28 families, who were residents of nearby land currently regulated, and which have as their main economic activities in the extraction of mangaba (Harconia speciosa L.), handicrafts from the straw ouricurizeiro (Siagrus coronata Beccari Matius) and family farming. The objective of this study was to investigate how does the relationship between man and the environment botanist, with the methods and techniques employed by the ethnobotany, in order to raise possible discussions about the sustainability of these resources in the settlement. For better understanding and organization of data, this study is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 presents a brief review of the main authors and themes related to the research , as well as a characterization of the study area, based on available literature and data obtained in the field. Chapter 2 it is a collection of botanical species considered useful by the residents. In this, we performed a general characterization of the study area, based on socioeconomic information provided by residents, associated with the listing of all known species useful. The 106 species listed were grouped into seven categories of use, and some were inserted in more than one category, namely: Food (43), Medical (46), Fuel (22), Craft (3), Mystic-religious (10), Ornamental (6) and Other (5). The species were classified according to their use and value to the category Fuel, we applied the technique of Rapid Spatial Insider. Chapter 3 was a specific study of the homegardens of the town. Twenty-five homegardens have been visited and all species with diameter at ground level were recorded ≥ 3, and computed their heights, canopy and location in space in the homegarden. Was investigated the importance of the yard to keep the family through semi-structured, and the division of labor and management techniques employed. Chapter 4 was a study with the objective of understanding the relation between the children of school-age settlement compatible to the elementary school and the local environment. We used a triangulation of methods to achieve the desired responses: making individual drawings, map-making and collective application of semi-structured interviews. Data from several studies point to a wealth of local biodiversity yet little explored, as opposed to certain species that may be under pressure to use, thus concluding the need for further multidisciplinary studies that value local knowledge in building strategies for sustainable development in the settlement that the name itself shows the proposal to use natural resources rationally, socioeconomic and environmental justice. / O ecossistema de restinga tem sido um dos mais impactados no Brasil devido à sua localização litorânea, onde a expansão imobiliária e o turismo desordenado são os principais fatores degradantes. O litoral norte do estado de Sergipe se inclui nessa realidade, principalmente devido às belezas singulares da região. Tentativas de conservação das espécies têm sido escassas e recentes, ainda necessitando de maior estrutura para as unidades de conservação locais. Com o intuito de atender tanto à conservação dos recursos naturais quanto à melhoria socioeconômica da população foi criado na região, no município de Pirambu, um assentamento rural de reforma agrária de modalidade agroextrativista: o Assentamento Agroextrativista São Sebastião. O assentamento abrange 28 famílias, que já eram residentes das proximidades da terra atualmente regularizada, e que têm como principais atividades econômicas o extrativismo da mangaba (Harconia speciosa L.), o artesanato a partir da palha do ouricurizeiro (Siagrus coronata Matius Beccari) e a agricultura familiar. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi investigar como se dá a relação entre as pessoas e o meio ambiente botânico, através dos métodos e técnicas empregados pela etnobotânica, com o fim de suscitar possíveis discussões acerca da sustentabilidade destes recursos no assentamento. Para melhor compreensão e organização dos dados, este estudo encontra-se dividido em quatro capítulos. O capítulo 1 traz uma breve revisão dos principais autores e temas relacionados à pesquisa, bem como uma caracterização da área de estudo, com base na literatura disponível e em dados obtidos em campo. O capítulo 2 trata-se de um levantamento de espécies botânicas consideradas úteis pelos moradores. As 106 espécies identificadas foram enquadradas em sete categorias de uso, e algumas se inseriram em mais de uma categoria, a saber: Alimentícia (43), Medicinal (46), Combustível (22), Artesanal (3), Místico-religiosa (10), Ornamental (6) Outros (5). As espécies foram classificadas quanto ao seu Valor de Uso e, para a categoria Combustível, foi realizada a técnica do Ordenamento Rápido do Informante. O capítulo 3 foi um estudo específico do uso dos quintais da localidade. Vinte e cinco quintais foram visitados e todas as espécies com diâmetro a nível do solo ≥ 3 foram registradas, e computadas as respectivas alturas, copa e localização espacial no quintal. Foi averiguada a importância do quintal para o sustento familiar através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, bem como a divisão de trabalho e as técnicas de manejo empregadas. O capítulo 4 foi um estudo realizado com o objetivo de conhecer a percepção das crianças do assentamento, em idade escolar compatível ao Ensino Fundamental, do meio ambiente local. Foi utilizada uma triangulação de métodos para se chegar às respostas desejadas, a saber: confecção de desenhos individuais, confecção de mapas coletivos e aplicação de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Os dados obtidos nos diversos estudos apontam para uma riqueza de biodiversidade local ainda pouco explorada, em oposição a determinadas espécies que podem estar sofrendo pressão de uso, deste modo, concluindo pela necessidade de novos estudos multidisciplinares que valorizem o conhecimento local na construção de estratégias para o desenvolvimento sustentável no assentamento, que no próprio nome evidencia a proposta de se utilizar dos recursos naturais de maneira racional, socioeconômica e ambientalmente justa.

Investigação dos conjuntos denominados Bandas de Pífanos ou Zabumbas, atuantes na região do sertão baiano, nas proximidades da cidade de Canudos. Buscamos as fontes bibliográficas sobre o assunto, destacamos as abordagens acadêmicas e realizamos extensa pesquisa de campo na região. Apresentamos um estudo das características ogrnanológicas dos conjuntos com dados da nossa pesquisa de campo. Todos os conjuntos pesquisados utilizam o aerofone longitudinal, a gaita, apesar da denominação pífano também ser utilizada. Procuramos a desambiguação dos termos e tratamos das diferenças entre os aerofones transversais, pifanos, e os longitudinais, gaitas. Apresentamos 40 transcrições musicais realizadas e um estudo das característica musicais dos grupos pesquisados. Analisamos aspectos melódicos, harmônicos, formais e os gêneros musicais praticados pelas Zabumbas do sertão baiano. / Investigation of the bands called Bandas de Pífanos or Zabumbas, operating in the region of Bahia\'s countryside, near the town of Canudos. We draft the academic approaches of the subject, up to now, and present a study of the organological characteristics of the musical instruments based on our field research in the countryside of Bahia. All goups researched utilizes the longitudinal aerofone, the gaita, although the designation fife also be used. We seek the disambiguation of the terms and studied the differences between the transverse aerophones, fifes, and the longitudinal, gaitas. We also presented 40 musical transcriptions and a study of the reserched groups` musical caracteristics. Then, we anilysed the melodical, harmonical and forms aspects as well the musical genres practiced by the Zabumbas of the countryside of Bahia. We highlight our experience in field research and present a study of the characteristics of the musical band of Bendegó, from the Canudos Velho village. We analyze aspects of melodic, harmonic and cadential formula of beginning and termination of transcripts from artists in field research.

This project examines the conservative evangelical response to 1960s era sexual revolution in order to explain how and why evangelicals both resisted and adapted tenets of sexual modernity in a process that transformed the theological foundations underlying the conception of Christian marriage and sexuality. Though evangelicals and conservatives are typically portrayed as resistors to cultural and sexual change, my research reveals the ways in which conservative evangelicals agreed with key critiques of the sexual status quo in the 1960s, and deliberately worked to change Christian teachings and attitudes to keep them vibrant and attractive to postwar generations. Previous examinations of evangelical thought on sexuality has focused on rhetorical analysis and social history to the exclusion of examinations of the close ties between evangelical marital theology, sexual practice, and political activism. This project seeks to integrate all three into a cohesive historical framework that reveals evangelical response to sexual revolution as more complex and adaptive than it is typically described. Close readings of conservative evangelical texts from 1960 to 1980 combine the long term editorial trajectory of Christianity Today magazine with ideological and theological texts from the 1960s with popular, practical texts from the 1970s to demonstrate that the evangelical marriage project was deliberate, deeply rooted in a modern hermeneutic of Biblical interpretation, and nimble in its ability and willingness to adapt changing sexual attitudes to accommodate Christian theology and practice. The resulting portrait of evangelical response to sexual revolution is more complex, contextualized, and nuanced than previous narratives.

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology Candidate: Martina Vítková Supervisor: RNDr. Jitka Vytlačilová, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: The biological activity of the selected drugs of traditional Chinese medicine The subject of this diploma thesis was to prepare aqueous extracts of five selected drugs from traditional Chinese medicine and deal with their biological effects. Namely it was Magnoliae officinalis cortex, Houttuyniae herba, Paeoniae radix alba, Psoraleae fructus and Typhae pollen. These drugs have a high potential for use in our medicine due to their beneficial effects on the human organism. The theoretical part contains a description of individual drugs and their therapeutic effects. Also there are described methods of toxicity testing. The experimental part describes the course of the acute toxicity test of used drugs on the model organism Artemia salina. LC50 was used as the endpoint. Testing with Artemia salina showed low toxicity of the tested drugs. For Magnoliae officinalis cortex the LC50 was found to be 0,6613 mg/ml, Psoraleae fructus 1,777mg/ml, Houttuyniae herba 4,079 mg/ml and Typhae pollen 4,34 mg/ml. No toxicity was detected for Paeoniae radix alba even at the highest measured concentration which was 15...

This paper examines the impact of traditional Chechen culture, especially the continued practice of blood feuds, on violence in the republic. First, an in depth discussion of clannish society is used to show how and why such traditional characteristics and ancient customs have been allowed to thrive among the Chechen people, especially those living in the highlands. The focus then turns to the strong concept of honor that flourishes in Chechen society as the main motivator of blood feuds. The more detailed discussion of blood feud itself and its ancient and modern practice show the potential for and realization of widespread violence in Chechnya. The Chechens are a people with deep historical roots and a strong collective memory. The events of the past, especially conflict with Russia, greatly influence the events of the present and future. The modern Chechen identity is a unique mentality, which combines role of teip and its strong influence on society with the rise of nationalism, and later Islamic nationalism. The recent wars in Chechnya have also had a defining characteristic on the Chechen people and their psyche. When this kind of crisis is combined with the traditional Chechen culture and a propensity for violence, the outcome can be devastating, especially when violence is radicalized and...

M.A. / This study sought to provide guidelines for the development of strategies for the socio economic empowerment of traditional leaders. Traditional leaders have performed the development function even prior to the establishment of local government structures. The Constitution of the country does not clearly state the role of traditional leaders. It, however, gives clear disposition of the role of local municipalities and thus creates a vacuum between the two structures. The research explored the socio economic issues in KwaZulu-Natal and also the role that could be played by traditional leaders to enhance sustainable development in rural areas. A qualitative research approach was applied with purposive sampling strategy in this study. Structured questionnaires were formulated and used with focus groups. Two focus groups were conducted with traditional leaders and one with a professional group. The findings of the study confirmed that there were problems experienced by traditional leaders when performing the development function. This had resulted in traditional leaders not being sure of what role they could play in relation to the functions of municipal councils. It also revealed the tension that existed between traditional leadership structures and municipalities. However, the study also indicated the training of traditional leaders to become effective in developmental strategies of the province KwaZulu-Natal and also gave an exposition of the strategies for the socioeconomic empowerment of traditional leaders. / Prof. J.B.S. Nel