Where our Women Used to Get the Food" : Cumulative Effects and Loss of Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Practice; Case Study from Coastal British Columbia

Abstract: Knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples relating to local plants used for food, medicine, materials, and other purposes are threatened in many parts of the world. The reasons for declining knowledge and use of traditional resources are complex and multifaceted. We review a series of case examples of culturally valued food plants in British Columbia and identify a suite of interacting social and environmental factors that have resulted in decreased use of and dwindling cultural knowledge about these plants over the past 150 years. Reasons for this loss include compounding influences of changing knowledge systems owing to religious conversion and residential schools, loss of indigenous languages, loss of time and opportunity for traditional practices owing to participation in the wage economy, increasing urbanization of indigenous populations, loss of access to traditional resources, restriction of management practices for sustaining these resources, and most recently, forces of globalization and industrialization. Efforts to renew and restore traditional practices and relationships with plants and environments must recognize the cumulative effects of these factors and find ways to retain and reinforce the knowledge and practices still held by individuals and communities, to reverse some of the negative influences on cultural retention, and to develop new, relevant, and effective ways to revitalize languages, cultures, and ethnobotanical knowledge within contemporary contexts. Key words: indigenous peoples, ethnobotany, British Columbia, traditional food, food security. Résumé : Les connaissances et les pratiques des peuples indigènes, concernant les plantes locales utilisées comme aliments, médicaments, matériaux et autres usages, sont en danger dans plusieurs parties du monde. Les raisons pour le dé-clin des connaissances et de l'utilisation des ressources traditionnelles sont complexes et multiples, Les auteurs revoient une série de cas types de plantes alimentaires culturellement importantes en Colombie Canadienne et identifient un ensemble de facteurs sociaux et environnementaux interactifs, qui ont conduit à une diminution de leur utilisation et à une disparition de la connaissance culturelle au sujet de ces plantes, au cours des 150 dernières années. Les raisons pour cette perte incluent des influences interactives liées au changement de systèmes de connaissance dû à la conversion religieuse et aux écoles résidentielles, à la perte des langages indigènes, à la perte d'opportunité et de temps pour les pratiques traditionnelles liées à la participation à l'économie salariale, l'augmentation de l'urbanisation des populations indigènes, la perte d'accès aux ressources traditionnelles, les restrictions des pratiques d'aménagement pour maintenir ces ressources, et plus récemment, les forces de globalisation et d'industrialisation. Les efforts pour renouveler et restaurer les pratiques traditionnelles, et les relations avec les plantes et l'environnement, doivent tenir compte des effets cumulatifs de ces facteurs et trouver les moyens de retenir et de renforcer la connaissance et les pratiques encore détenues par les individus et les communautés, de renverser certaines des influences négatives sur la tradition culturelle, et de développer de nouvelles façons efficaces et pertinentes pour revitaliser les langages, les cultures et les connaissances ethnobotaniques, dans un contexte contemporain

Epidemiology and Health Policy Imperatives for AIDS

The purpose of this article is to describe the statistics and epidemiological facts about the most virulent epidemic of our age, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The discussion argues for broadened public policy to promote the surveillance of communities in order to enhance the effectiveness of data gathering for epidemiological reasoning, analysis, and control measures. To accomplish these goals, the essential characteristics of epidemiology are defined. The use of deductive and inductive reasoning is applied to describe and analyze known facts concerning the AIDS epidemic. Hypotheses are suggested from current amorphous and continually changing information to assist in further explanations of the epidemic and in the evaluation of methods of prevention and control. Current policies for sexually transmitted diseases are reviewed briefly to identify epidemiological concerns, with the aim of assisting policymakers. Implications for public policy are discussed in the context of seeking epidemiological information for the ultimate protection of the public good

The Iowa Homemaker vol.6, no.3

Table of Contents American Home Economics Association Convention by Katherine L. Goeppinger, page 1 “It Will Be Pleasant to Remember – “ by Marcia E. Turner, page 3 Ellen H. Richards, Pioneer in Home Economics by Cora Rye, page 4 Girls 4-H Club Page, page 5 Home Projects in Food Preparation by Josephine McMullen, page 6 Editorial, page 7 Who’s There and Where, page 8 Where Are You Spending Your Vacation? by Ann Slefke, page 9 Eternal Question, page 1

Red clover necrotic mosaic virus replication proteins accumulate at the endoplasmic reticulum

AbstractRed clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) encodes N-terminally overlapping proteins of 27 and 88 kDa (p27 and p88) known to be required for replication. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions were used to visualize the location of p27 and p88 within Nicotiana benthamiana cells. GFP:p27 fusions localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), co-localized with ER-targeted yellow fluorescent protein and caused membrane restructuring and proliferation. Cellular fractionation of virus-inoculated N. benthamiana leaves confirmed the association of p27 with ER membranes. GFP:p88 fusions also localized to the ER and co-localized with GFP:p27. Both fusion proteins co-localize to the cortical and cytoplasmic ER and were associated with invaginations of the nuclear envelope. Independent accumulation in, and perturbation of, the ER suggests that p27 and p88 function together in the replication complex. This is the first report of a member of the Tombusviridae replicating in association with the ER

Prestadores de servicios como promotores de la atención segura del aborto: manual de capacitación

A fin de ampliar el acceso a la atención segura del aborto mundialmente, debemos nutrir un modo de pensar de advocacy entre una variedad de partes interesadas. Los prestadores de servicios de salud tienen fortalezas específicas, estatus y acceso para lograr cambios amplios y de larga duración en los sistemas de salud. Asimismo, se encuentran en una posición única para influenciar a sus pares, el público, los medios de comunicación y los formuladores de políticas en lo que respecta a los servicios de salud y la prestación de servicios de atención segura del aborto para las mujereshttp://www.ipas.org/Publications/asset_upload_file235_5118.pd

Values clarification workshops to improve abortion knowledge, attitudes and intentions: a pre-post assessment in 12 countries

Abstract Background Women’s access to abortion care is often denied or hampered due to a range of barriers, many of which are rooted in abortion stigma. Abortion values clarification and attitude transformation (VCAT) workshops are conducted with abortion providers, trainers, and policymakers and other stakeholders to mitigate the effects of abortion stigma and increase provision of and access to abortion care. This study assesses changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions of VCAT workshop participants. Methods Pre- and post-workshop surveys from 43 VCAT workshops conducted in 12 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America between 2006 and 2011 were analyzed to assess changes in three domains: knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions related to abortion care. A score was created for each domain (range: 0-100), and paired t-tests or Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks tests were used to test for significant differences between the pre- and post-workshop scores overall and by region and participant type (providers, trainers, and policymakers/other stakeholders). We also assessed changes in pre- and post-workshop scores for participants with the lowest knowledge and negative attitudes on the pre-workshop survey. Results Overall, the mean knowledge score increased significantly from 49.0 to 67.1 (p < 0.001) out of a total possible score of 100. Attitudes and behavioral intentions showed more modest, but still statistically significant improvements between the pre- and post-workshop surveys. The mean attitudes score increased from 78.2 to 80.9 (p < 0.001), and the mean behavioral intentions score rose from 82.2 to 85.4 (p = 0.03). Among participants with negative attitudes pre-workshop, most shifted to positive attitudes on the post-workshop survey, ranging from 35.2% who switched to supporting unrestricted access to second-trimester abortion to 90.9% who switched to feeling comfortable working to increase access to contraceptive services in their country. Participants who began the workshop with the lowest level of knowledge experienced the greatest increase in mean knowledge score from 20.0 to 55.0 between pre- and post-workshop surveys (p < 0.001). Conclusions VCAT workshop participants demonstrated improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to abortion care. Participants who entered the workshops with the lowest levels of knowledge and negative attitudes had the greatest gains in these domains

Highly disordered histone H1-DNA model complexes and their condensates.

Disordered proteins play an essential role in a wide variety of biological processes, and are often posttranslationally modified. One such protein is histone H1; its highly disordered C-terminal tail (CH1) condenses internucleosomal linker DNA in chromatin in a way that is still poorly understood. Moreover, CH1 is phosphorylated in a cell cycle-dependent manner that correlates with changes in the chromatin condensation level. Here we present a model system that recapitulates key aspects of the in vivo process, and also allows a detailed structural and biophysical analysis of the stages before and after condensation. CH1 remains disordered in the DNA-bound state, despite its nanomolar affinity. Phase-separated droplets (coacervates) form, containing higher-order assemblies of CH1/DNA complexes. Phosphorylation at three serine residues, spaced along the length of the tail, has little effect on the local properties of the condensate. However, it dramatically alters higher-order structure in the coacervate and reduces partitioning to the coacervate phase. These observations show that disordered proteins can bind tightly to DNA without a disorder-to-order transition. Importantly, they also provide mechanistic insights into how higher-order structures can be exquisitely sensitive to perturbation by posttranslational modifications, thus broadening the repertoire of mechanisms that might regulate chromatin and other macromolecular assemblies

Global Estimates of Prevalent and Incident Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infections in 2012

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection causes significant disease globally. Adolescent and adult infection may present as painful genital ulcers. Neonatal infection has high morbidity and mortality. Additionally, HSV-2 likely contributes substantially to the spread of HIV infection. The global burden of HSV-2 infection was last estimated for 2003. Here we present new global estimates for 2012 of the burden of prevalent (existing) and incident (new) HSV-2 infection among females and males aged 15-49 years, using updated methodology to adjust for test performance and estimate by World Health Organization (WHO) region.We conducted a literature review of HSV-2 prevalence studies world-wide since 2000. We then fitted a model with constant HSV-2 incidence by age to pooled HSV-2 prevalence values by age and sex. Prevalence values were adjusted for test sensitivity and specificity. The model estimated prevalence and incidence by sex for each WHO region to obtain global burden estimates. Uncertainty bounds were computed by refitting the model to reflect the variation in the underlying prevalence data. In 2012, we estimate that there were 417 million people aged 15-49 years (range: 274-678 million) living with HSV-2 infection world-wide (11.3% global prevalence), of whom 267 million were women. We also estimate that in 2012, 19.2 million (range: 13.0-28.6 million) individuals aged 15-49 years were newly-infected (0.5% of all individuals globally). The highest burden was in Africa. However, despite lower prevalence, South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions also contributed large numbers to the global totals because of large population sizes.The global burden of HSV-2 infection is large, leaving over 400 million people at increased risk of genital ulcer disease, HIV acquisition, and transmission of HSV-2 to partners or neonates. These estimates highlight the critical need for development of vaccines, microbicides, and other new HSV prevention strategies

La atención postaborto centrada en la mujer: manual de referencia

Este manual sirve de guía para el participante y forma parte de un currículo destinado a preparar a los trabajadores de salud para la prestación de servicios de APA de alta calidad. El manual abarca todos los aspectos de la APA, incluidos los principios rectores de la atención centrada en la mujer, la consejería y los servicios de anticoncepción, y la práctica del procedimiento de evacuación endouterina con el aspirador Ipas AMEU Plus y las cánulas Ipas EasyGrip®.http://www.ipas.org/~/media/Files/Ipas%20Publications/PACREFS04.ash

Global and Regional Estimates of Prevalent and Incident Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infections in 2012

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) commonly causes orolabial ulcers, while HSV-2 commonly causes genital ulcers. However, HSV-1 is an increasing cause of genital infection. Previously, the World Health Organization estimated the global burden of HSV-2 for 2003 and for 2012. The global burden of HSV-1 has not been estimated.We fitted a constant-incidence model to pooled HSV-1 prevalence data from literature searches for 6 World Health Organization regions and used 2012 population data to derive global numbers of 0-49-year-olds with prevalent and incident HSV-1 infection. To estimate genital HSV-1, we applied values for the proportion of incident infections that are genital.We estimated that 3709 million people (range: 3440-3878 million) aged 0-49 years had prevalent HSV-1 infection in 2012 (67%), with highest prevalence in Africa, South-East Asia and Western Pacific. Assuming 50% of incident infections among 15-49-year-olds are genital, an estimated 140 million (range: 67-212 million) people had prevalent genital HSV-1 infection, most of which occurred in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific.The global burden of HSV-1 infection is huge. Genital HSV-1 burden can be substantial but varies widely by region. Future control efforts, including development of HSV vaccines, should consider the epidemiology of HSV-1 in addition to HSV-2, and especially the relative contribution of HSV-1 to genital infection