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11 – 20 of over 3000
Book part
Publication date: 16 August 2023

Kugara Stewart Lee, Mdhluli Tsetselelani Decide, Sekgothe Mokgoatšana and Amaechi Kingsley Ekene

Indigenous health care models have continued to play significant roles in the development and sustenance of livelihoods in African communities. Such models are used not only to…

Abstract

Indigenous health care models have continued to play significant roles in the development and sustenance of livelihoods in African communities. Such models are used not only to provide affordable community health care services but also as an employment resource for traditional practitioners within African communities. Yet, for lack of documentation and lack of discussion in the management and Indigenous Knowledge System literature, the models are hardly incorporated into the official health care services of African countries. This chapter addresses this problem by documenting the benefits and merits of the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the Tsonga traditional health care practice. First, it highlights how the unique indigenous traditional model is used for administering health care in a selected Tsonga-speaking community in South Africa. Second, it analyses the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the model. Finally, it discusses how such principles have been used as tools for entrepreneurship and enhancing the economic upkeep of the traditional health care practitioners (THPs). The chapter's main argument is that even though the Tsonga traditional health care practice model is complex, mystical, and in most cases challenging to explain to a non-native, it presents a great entrepreneurial opportunity for South Africa.

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Belay Haile, Kumera Neme and Tefera Belachew

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is an expression of different Mediterranean food cultures and lifestyles. It is characterized by high consumption of olive oil, vegetables, legumes…

1026

Abstract

Purpose

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is an expression of different Mediterranean food cultures and lifestyles. It is characterized by high consumption of olive oil, vegetables, legumes, whole grain products, fruits and nuts. This paper aims to emphasize on the evolution of human diet from earliest human ancestors to current civilization, the effect of MD on human health and the role of globalization to shift traditional diet, particularly MD to processed foods.

Design/methodology/approach

Different published papers were collected from the internet by using the following phrases: evolution of human diet, human ancestors, the effect of globalization on a regional diet, Mediterranean diet, healthy food, food pyramid, evolution of human diet and effect of globalization on diet. Finally, the papers were read and summarized as a review paper.

Findings

MD has been accepted worldwide owing to its health impact such as prevention and control of type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammatory effects and decrease in the risk of cardiovascular diseases and incidence of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. However, in conjunction with this discordance between our ancient, genetically determined biology and the nutritional, cultural and activity patterns of contemporary Western populations, many of the so-called diseases of civilization have emerged. Particularly, the food staples and food-processing procedures introduced during the Neolithic and Industrial periods have fundamentally altered nutritional characteristics of ancestral hominin diets. MD is currently under the risk of extinction for a result of the effects of globalization.

Originality/value

The review paper focuses on the evolution of human diet as an effect of globalization on the regional diet with emphasis on the MD. It specifically focuses on the link between diet and earliest human ancestors, about MD and its health benefit, diet pyramid and effect of globalization on regional diet.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 47 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2018

Chen Chi Chang

The purpose of this paper is to explore the data connection, spatial distribution characteristics and trends in genealogical information. First, it implements a spatial-temporal…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the data connection, spatial distribution characteristics and trends in genealogical information. First, it implements a spatial-temporal visualization of the Hakka genealogical information system that makes these individual family pedigree charts appear as one seamless genealogy to family and researchers seeking connections and family history all over the world. Second, this study applies migration analysis by applying big data technologies to Hakka genealogies to investigate the migration patterns of the Hakka ethnic group in Taiwan between 1954 and 2014. This innovative library service enhances the Hakka genealogical migration analysis using big data.

Design/methodology/approach

The platform is designed for the exchange of genealogical data to be used in big data analysis. This study integrates big data and geographic information systems (GIS) to map the population distribution themes. The general procedure included collecting genealogical big data, geographic encoding, gathering the map information, GIS layer integration and migration map production.

Findings

The analytical results demonstrate that big data technology is highly appropriate for family migration history analysis, given the increasing volume, velocity and variety of genealogical data. The spatial-temporal visualization of the genealogical research platform can follow family history and migration paths, and dynamically generate roadmaps to simplify the cartographic steps.

Practical implications

Technology that combines big data and GIS is suitable for performing migration analysis based on genealogy. A web-based application for spatial-temporal genealogical information also demonstrates the contribution of innovative library services.

Social implications

Big data play a dominant role in library services, and in turn, provide an active library service. These findings indicate that big data technology can provide a suitable tool for improving library services.

Originality/value

Online genealogy and family trees are linked with large-volume, growing data sets that are complex and have multiple, autonomous sources. The migration analysis using big data has the potential to help genealogy researchers to construct minority ethnic history.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 July 2021

Daniel William Mackenzie Wright

By drawing on current reports, this paper positions that Homo sapiens could in the near future be faced with an increasingly uninhabitable planet. It emphasises the importance of…

3254

Abstract

Purpose

By drawing on current reports, this paper positions that Homo sapiens could in the near future be faced with an increasingly uninhabitable planet. It emphasises the importance of adventure tourism and its associated activities as a means of supporting individuals to develop more outdoor survival skills.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies a scenario narrative approach in exploring and presenting potential future ideas. The significance of narratives lies at the essential examination of current trends and drivers that could be shaping future scenarios. This paper, through the exploration of past and current trends supports the researcher in presenting future views. The scenario narratives in this research are established via desk-based research and inspection of academic journals, industry reports, ideas and knowledge.

Findings

If society is pushed to the brink of extinction due to a catastrophic event(s), people will require survival skills, similar to those shared by our hunter-gather nomad ancestor. Thus, this paper highlights the value and importance of the industry in encouraging soft and hard outdoor adventure in the coming years. It recognises how different adventure travel activities can support people in rekindling with our more basic instincts and ultimately, surviving in different natural environments.

Originality/value

This paper offers original theoretical knowledge within the adventure tourism literature. Offering original consideration to the value of exploring the past as a method of understanding the future, the paper presents an original spectrum of soft and hard skills-based adventure tourism activities.

Details

Journal of Tourism Futures, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-5911

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 May 2008

E. Christian Wells and Karla L. Davis-Salazar

This chapter examines the historical relationship between Honduran Lenca worldview and how ecological resources are managed through ritual practice. The way in which the Lenca…

Abstract

This chapter examines the historical relationship between Honduran Lenca worldview and how ecological resources are managed through ritual practice. The way in which the Lenca conceive of the biophysical environment is an active process of meaning-making that takes place through their interaction with the environment. The Lenca codify this relationship in the compostura, a complex set of ceremonial performances linked to economic practices that mediate human needs and desires with those of the ancestors who animate the landscapes surrounding households and communities. Through an examination of contemporary, historical, and archeological cases in western Honduras, this chapter explores how ritual economy shapes, and is shaped by, environmental worldview.

Details

Dimensions of Ritual Economy
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-546-8

Article
Publication date: 24 January 2020

Mourad Chelik and Rachid Beghdad

Many synchronization approaches are based on low-level time capturing, causing a tight integration with the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. Alternatively, this study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Many synchronization approaches are based on low-level time capturing, causing a tight integration with the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. Alternatively, this study aims to present a hybrid approach combining both receiver–receiver and sender–receiver schemes to reduce the variation of two-way message exchange durations, in heavy-load networks. To achieve network-wide synchronization, a variant of Prim’s algorithm (Cormen et al., 2009) is used to build a spanning tree, guaranteeing the minimum number of ancestors and limited error propagation. The simulation results show that the proposed approach is very competitive with a set of the most-cited synchronization protocols. In addition, a new synchronization simulator SynSim was developed using C++ language

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve network-wide synchronization, a variant of Prim's algorithm (Cormen et al., 2009) is used to build a spanning tree, guaranteeing the minimum number of ancestors and limited error propagation.

Findings

Simulation results show that the proposed approach is very competitive with a set of the most-cited synchronization protocols. In addition, a new synchronization simulator SynSim was developed using in C++ language.

Research limitations/implications

It can be concluded from the experiments that MDSP is suitable for WSNs especially if MAC layer timestamping is not possible. So, the mean delays synchronization protocol (MSDP) is suitable to achieve time synchronization in single-hop and multi-hop networks without the MAC layer timestamping in large wireless sensor network (WSN) deployments.

Practical implications

A future enhancement of MDSP could be switching between the traditional timestamping and the new proposed timestamping based on a given threshold, which is the number of nodes in the neighborhood and the load of the network. It will be also interesting to test it in a prototype. The proposed solution can be used in practice to implement the Time-division multiple access (TDMA) protocol in a WSN. In addition, the proposed simulator can be used in a computer network synchronization protocols course.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study’s contribution is original. In addition, the authors implemented a new synchronization simulator

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1987

Charles Clement, editor, American Library Association, Chicago & London, 1986, 59 pages, ISBN 0–8389–3328–9 More Americans are searching for their ancestors than ever before in…

Abstract

Charles Clement, editor, American Library Association, Chicago & London, 1986, 59 pages, ISBN 0–8389–3328–9 More Americans are searching for their ancestors than ever before in our history, a fact that is directly attributed to a number of reasons: the 1976 American Bicentennial, Alex Haley's novel Roots and its subsequent highly rated television series, the increasing number of people of all ages, especially retirees, who have the leisure to engage in such a pursuit, and the growing pride in one's ethnic origins. Add to this the enormous popularity of computers and the expanding number of owners of PC's and you have an unbeatable combination. Not only are people anxious to find their ancestors, they are turning to technical means to assist them in their search. The field is wide open for good tools that can really help both the beginner and those who have been ancestor‐hunting for years.

Details

Online Review, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-314X

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2007

Dunren Che

Tree pattern is at the core of XML queries. The tree patterns in XML queries typically contain redundancies, especially when broad integrity constraints (ICs) are present and…

Abstract

Purpose

Tree pattern is at the core of XML queries. The tree patterns in XML queries typically contain redundancies, especially when broad integrity constraints (ICs) are present and considered. Apparently, tree pattern minimization has great significance for efficient XML query processing. Although various minimization schemes/algorithms have been proposed, none of them can exploit broad ICs for thoroughly minimizing the tree patterns in XML queries. The purpose of this research is to develop an innovative minimization scheme and provide a novel implementation algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

Query augmentation/expansion was taken as a necessary first‐step by most prior approaches to acquire XML query pattern minimization under the presence of certain ICs. The adopted augmentation/expansion is also the course for the typical O(n4) time‐complexity of the proposed algorithms. This paper presents an innovative approach called allying to effectively circumvent the otherwise necessary augmentation step and to retain the time complexity of the implementation algorithm within the optimal, i.e. O(n2). Meanwhile, the graph simulation concept is adapted and generalized to a three‐tier definition scheme so that broader ICs are incorporated.

Findings

The innovative allying minimization approach is identified and an effective implementation algorithm named AlliedMinimize is developed. This algorithm is both runtime optimal – taking O(n2) time – and most powerful in terms of the broadness of constraints it can exploit for XML query pattern minimization. Experimental study confirms the validity of the proposed approach and algorithm.

Research limitations/implications

Though the algorithm AlliedMinimize is so far the most powerful XML query pattern minimization algorithm, it does not incorporate all potential ICs existing in the context of XML. Effectively integrating this innovative minimization scheme into a fully‐fledged XML query optimizer remains to be investigated in the future.

Practical implications

In practice, Allying and AlliedMinimize can be used to achieve a kind of quick optimization for XML queries via fast minimization of the tree patterns involved in XML queries under broad ICs.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel scheme and an efficient algorithm for XML query pattern minimization under broad ICs.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2007

Bradford Keeney

Aims to define the conceptual tools of Gregory Bateson's epistemology – the nature of difference, logical typing, and recursion – and to apply this to understanding how we can…

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to define the conceptual tools of Gregory Bateson's epistemology – the nature of difference, logical typing, and recursion – and to apply this to understanding how we can approach the analysis of ethnographic reports of the Bushman n/om‐kxaosi (shamans) and the Bushman rock art of Southern Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper argues that kinesthetic interaction with n/om‐kxaosi provides a vehicle for learning their way of construing the world.

Findings

The n/om‐kxaosi have a kinesthetic lexicon and a set of dominant metaphors rooted to their ecstatic body expression that provide coherence to their ways of healing and spiritual understanding. The previously assumed incoherent nature of Bushman religious views noted by anthropologists is argued to have been the consequence of underestimating the importance Bushman thinking gives to circularity and transformation of all aspects of their experience.

Originality/value

Illuminates the analysis of the Bushman culture.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 36 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 April 2008

Sheau‐yueh J. Chao

This paper seeks to discuss the genealogical sources for Chinese immigrants as well as the settlement of Chinese in the USA and the historical evolution of Chinese names, their…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to discuss the genealogical sources for Chinese immigrants as well as the settlement of Chinese in the USA and the historical evolution of Chinese names, their origins, arrangement and development. It aims to cover the origins of various classes of Chinese surnames, followed by the content description of a traditional genealogical book for jiapu.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper researches the various ways that a Chinese person can find out about their ancestry.

Findings

The paper reveals the roles of libraries, including serving the needs of patrons interested in genealogical research, preserving and interpreting information through oral and family history projects and collaborating with other libraries through interlibrary loan, document delivery, library consortia, collection management and international resource‐sharing.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides information on where and how to locate the genealogical resources for researching the genealogy of a Chinese family.

Originality/value

The paper analyzes the value of genealogical research as a documentary source for population history, life expectancy in a clan, marriages and family connections, as well as lineage organizations and inter‐lineage relations.

Details

Collection Building, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0160-4953

Keywords

11 – 20 of over 3000