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Using data from the SAHWA Youth Survey 2016 (2017), this paper presents a study of the degree and types of political and religious participation - as well as the links that connect one to the other - among the youth of five Arab Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon). In politics, four types of participation are distinguished: official, everyday, community and protest. Between 5% and 17% of those surveyed could be considered hyperactivists, in that they participate in three or four of these types; in around a third, there was no participation at all. On the other hand, the majority of the young people considered themselves to be highly religious and, in three of the countries, a third attended the mosque at least three times a week. But the levels of religiosity did not influence political participation, as even the majority of the highly religious supported separating politics from religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a fundamental issue for Mediterranean protohistory during the Bronze Age: where did the tin of the bronze objects come from? In reality, there are only two options: either the far East (Afghanistan and the Oxus region along its northeastern border) or the far West (Erzgebirge, Brittany, Cornwall, or Galicia). It will be argued that tin from a western source is the more likely candidate for the bronze industry of Minoan Crete and of Cyprus during the Middle and Late Bronze Age. At least such an inference seems deducible from the given overview of the relevant epigraphical and archaeological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance This paper speaks to the theme of the boundaries of food and medicine as constructed in the Greek and Roman worlds. It examines how physicians developed innovative ways of thinking about the body that did not attribute health and sickness to the intervention of gods. Ancient physicians and natural historians conceived of new potencies for substances and described their impact on the body׳s physiology between the late fifth century BC and the early third century AD. The legacy of these ideas and practices had great traction in the Mediterranean world and survived into Early Modern Times, and until the rise of new forms of science. Materials and methods This article analyses texts transmitted from the ancient world and considers how substances were attributed nutritional and medical potency. The texts relevant to this analysis include medical and philosophical treatises as well as cookery books. The article highlights discussions about the nature of food and drugs and the herbs thought to cross the boundaries between them. It interrogates different contexts within which foods were thought good or bad for the body, and the social and moral connotations attached to those perceptions. Conclusion Much of the analysis is devoted to understanding the flavours that were a key marker in the nutritional potencies attributed to foodstuffs. However there are clear and influential moral boundaries set by Plato in the discourse around food and pleasure. While every physician should be a chef, and many wrote cookery books that have been lost, a chef׳s talent was located in increasing pleasure, and therefore a less valuable skill. However the different literary genres show overlapping terminology and concerns, particularly with the quality of ingredients. Poor taste was not only a culinary concern. With regard to the setting of boundaries between foods and medicines, the transition between one category and another is frequently determined by the preparation and strengthening of a food׳s potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of medical application of propolis (also known as bee glue) dates back to the times of ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians and Egyptians. Honey and other bee products, including propolis, occupy an important place in Polish folk medicine. Scientific research on propolis in Poland began in the early 1960s in Zabrze and continues until now. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of information on Polish research on propolis and its medical application with particular emphasis on studies concerning wound healing. Consequently, our goal is also to shed a new light on therapeutic potential of Polish propolis in order to support future research in the field. A systematic review of scientific literature on propolis and its medical application was performed by using the literature databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar). We paid special attention to papers describing the effect of propolis on skin wound healing as well as to Polish contribution to research on propolis. Professor Stan Scheller was the first Polish scientist dealing with propolis and its medical potential. His legacy was continued by several research teams that studied the topic in various aspects. They analyzed propolis composition, its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiapoptotic and anticancer properties as well as its application in dentistry and wound treatment. Burn wound healing physiology after propolis administration was thoroughly studied on pig model, whereas research on patients proved the efficacy of propolis in chronic venous leg ulcer treatment. Polish scientists have made a significant contribution to the research on propolis, its biological properties and influence on wound healing. Propolis ointments can effectively accelerate the healing process and improve healing physiology, so they can be recommended as a promising topical medication for wound treatment in the future clinical and preclinical trials. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]