CMKb: a web-based prototype for integrating Australian Aboriginal customary medicinal plant knowledge

Background: The customary medicinal plant knowledge possessed by the Australian Aboriginal people is a significant resource. Published information on it is scattered throughout the literature, in heterogeneous data formats, and is scattered among various Aboriginal communities across Australia, due to a multiplicity of languages. This ancient knowledge is at risk due to loss of biodiversity, cultural impact and the demise of many of its custodians. We have developed the Customary Medicinal Knowledgebase (CMKb), an integrated multidisciplinary resource, to document, conserve and disseminate this knowledge. Description: CMKb is an online relational database for collating, disseminating, visualising and analysing initially public domain data on customary medicinal plants. The database stores information related to taxonomy, phytochemistry, biogeography, biological activities of customary medicinal plant species as well as images of individual species. The database can be accessed at http://biolinfo.org/cmkb webcite. Known bioactive molecules are characterized within the chemoinformatics module of CMKb, with functions available for molecular editing and visualization. Conclusion: CMKb has been developed as a prototype data resource for documenting, integrating, disseminating, analysing multidisciplinary customary medicinal plant data from Australia and to facilitate user-defined complex querying. Each species in CMKb is linked to online resources such as the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), NCBI Taxonomy, Australia's SpeciesLinks-Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) and Google images. The bioactive compounds are linked to the PubChem database. Overall, CMKb serves as a single knowledgebase for holistic plant-derived therapeutics and can be used as an information resource for biodiversity conservation, to lead discovery and conservation of customary medicinal knowledge.8 page(s

CMKb: a web-based prototype for integrating Australian Aboriginal customary medicinal plant knowledge

Background: The customary medicinal plant knowledge possessed by the Australian Aboriginal people is a significant resource. Published information on it is scattered throughout the literature, in heterogeneous data formats, and is scattered among various Aboriginal communities across Australia, due to a multiplicity of languages. This ancient knowledge is at risk due to loss of biodiversity, cultural impact and the demise of many of its custodians. We have developed the Customary Medicinal Knowledgebase (CMKb), an integrated multidisciplinary resource, to document, conserve and disseminate this knowledge. Description: CMKb is an online relational database for collating, disseminating, visualising and analysing initially public domain data on customary medicinal plants. The database stores information related to taxonomy, phytochemistry, biogeography, biological activities of customary medicinal plant species as well as images of individual species. The database can be accessed at http://biolinfo.org/cmkb webcite. Known bioactive molecules are characterized within the chemoinformatics module of CMKb, with functions available for molecular editing and visualization. Conclusion: CMKb has been developed as a prototype data resource for documenting, integrating, disseminating, analysing multidisciplinary customary medicinal plant data from Australia and to facilitate user-defined complex querying. Each species in CMKb is linked to online resources such as the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), NCBI Taxonomy, Australia's SpeciesLinks-Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) and Google images. The bioactive compounds are linked to the PubChem database. Overall, CMKb serves as a single knowledgebase for holistic plant-derived therapeutics and can be used as an information resource for biodiversity conservation, to lead discovery and conservation of customary medicinal knowledge.8 page(s

The Role of spinal manipulation, soft-tissue therapy, and exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : a review of the literature and proposal of an anatomical explanation

The premise that lung function can regulate chest wall mobility is an accepted concept. Descriptions of the primary and accessory respiratory structures do not usually include spinal components as a part of these classifications. The case for including these components as a part of the respiratory mechanism and their role in the development of dyspnea and chest wall rigidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is reviewed. Mechanical impairment of the chest wall is a contributing factor in the prognosis of COPD. Reducing this impairment improves prognosis. Because spinal manipulation and soft-tissue therapy increase joint mobility and decrease muscle hypertonicity, respectively, applying these interventions to the chest wall in COPD could reduce chest wall rigidity, thereby improving breathing mechanics. Improvements in breathing mechanics reduce the work of the respiratory muscles and delay the onset of dyspnea. Exercise capacity is reliant on the ability to overcome activity-limiting dyspnea, which usually occurs prior to maximum exercise capacity being reached. Delaying the onset of dyspnea permits more exercise to be performed before dyspnea develops. Spinal manipulation and soft-tissue therapy have the potential to deliver such a delay. Because exercise tolerance is considered to be a strong predictor of quality of life and survival in COPD, any increase in exercise capacity would therefore improve prognosis for the disease.5 page(s

Progression to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Could it be prevented by manual therapy and exercise during the 'at risk' stage (stage 0)?

3 page(s

Infection and infectious diseases

33 page(s

Disorders of respiratory system

32 page(s