Use In Medical Sciences Research Articles

Chatbots and Their Applications in Medical Fields: Current Status and Future Trends: A Scoping Review

Background and Aim: Chatbots are computer programs, which are devised to simulate conversations through voice or textual interactive forms. These applications offer multiple benefits in patient education, clinical decision-making, interpersonal communication, research activities, data analysis and administrative affairs. The present scoping review aims to analyse the current role, pitfalls, challenges and future scope of these modalities in diverse fields of medical science. Methods: Literature search was made on 9 April 2024, on five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar). A narrative approach was used for the synthesis of results. Results: Our literature search yielded 1024 studies. After the de-duplication of manuscripts using Endnote, 342 articles were identified. After title and abstract screening, 74 articles were included for the next round of screening. Finally, 14 articles were selected for this scoping review.Diverse chatbot applications have been developed at a growing rate for use in medical science. There is a gradual shift towards employing machine learning-based strategies to develop chatbot programs. Chatbots have a significant potential to revolutionise diverse aspects of medicine including patient care, academic activities, and research endeavours. Conclusion: Artificial Intelligence can be highly effective in streamlining the routine functions and activities in medical care. Chatbots have the potential to meliorate the accessibility, efficiency and standard of medical care. However, the need for further validation through high-quality studies to ensure patient privacy, strategies to conform to patients’ data security, accuracy and precision of the technology and mitigating potential pitfalls in its routine utilisation globally are warranted.

Terahertz emission with remarkable efficiency through spherical nanoparticles using dark-hollow-Gaussian beams

Simultaneous tuning of Terahertz (THz) radiation with respect to its frequency, power and focus is still a challenge for the scientific community, because of which its use is lacking in several areas. To achieve such properties, the present work proposes monodisperse graphite nanoparticles (NPs) of spherical shape dispersed in two orthogonal directions with normal vector of their basal planes parallel and perpendicular to the electric field of the dark-hollow-Gaussian beams (DHGBs) used for the generation of THz radiation. The NPs are impinged upon by two DHGBs of slightly different frequencies, which exert a ponderomotive force on the conduction electrons of the NPs. The motion of these electrons under the action of high intensity laser beams constitutes a macroscopic nonlinear current that produces the THz radiation. The well-structured THz emission occurs with the efficiency reaching 10−2 when the NPs resonate with the beating frequency, and they are arranged in their parallel orientations with respect to the electric field of the lasers. The proposal and the obtained results will contribute to the THz science and technology along with their use in medical science and THz time-domain spectroscopy.

The Assembly Mechanism and Mesoscale Architecture of Protein-Polysaccharide Complexes Formed at the Solid-liquid Interface.

Protein-polysaccharide composite materials have generated much interest due to their potential use in medical science and biotechnology. A comprehensive understanding of the assembly mechanism and the mesoscale architecture is needed for fabricating protein-polysaccharide composite materials with desired properties. In this study, complex assemblies were built on silica surfaces through a layer-by-layer (LbL) approach using bovine beta-lactoglobulin variant A (βLgA) and pectin as model protein and polysaccharide, respectively. We demonstrated the combined use of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and neutron reflectometry (NR) for elucidating the assembly mechanism as well as the internal architecture of the protein-polysaccharide complexes formed at the solid-liquid interface. Our results show that βLgA and pectin interacted with each other and formed a cohesive matrix structure at the interface consisting of intertwined pectin chains that were cross-linked by βLgA-rich domains. Although the complexes were fabricated in an LbL fashion, the complexes appeared to be relatively homogeneous with βLgA and pectin molecules spatially distributed within the matrix structure. Our results also demonstrate that the density of βLgA-pectin complex assemblies increased with both the overall and local charge density of pectin molecules. Therefore, the physical properties of the protein-polysaccharide matrix structure, including density and level of hydration, can be tuned by using polysaccharides with varying charge patterns, thus promoting the development of composite materials with desired properties.

Artificial Intelligence - Future trend in Oral Diagnosis and Radiology

Artificial intelligence in the medical field has gained an immense boost after successful trials in various fields. Artificial intelligence is computer science that is able to replicate human behavior. After its use in medical science, its use has been done in dentistry also. Artificial intelligence is adding new dimensions to dentistry. It has been used in the diagnosis of vital structures, anatomy, etc. This article reviewed the uses of artificial intelligence in the field of oral diagnosis.

Facile synthesis of Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4/carbon nanocomposite for hyperthermia and drug delivery applications

Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 nanopowders as heating agents could be used for hyperthermia due to their magnetic characteristics. However, due to the lack of suitable surface properties, magnetic ferrites do not have proper drug absorption capacity and sometimes show cytotoxicity. These concerns limit their application in medical use. A simple one-step method to synthesize the Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4/carbon nanocomposite is an effective strategy to solve these issues. Metal salts and citric acids were dissolved in water and heated till combustion was taken place. In this procedure, the synthesis of magnetic material and carbonization occurred simultaneously. The results showed that Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles were uniformly engulfed into carbon produced by a self-propagating combustion method. Magnetic properties of Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4/C nanocomposite showed the ferrimagnetic characteristics with the saturation magnetization of about 54 emu/g. The specific loss power (SLP) values of the samples heat-treated at 100 and 400 °C were 14 and 42 W/g, respectively. The produced samples were loaded with cephalexin. The cephalexin-loaded Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4/C nanocomposite demonstrated controlled drug release, efficient antibacterial characteristics against Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, and significant hyperthermia ability. Therefore, the synthesized nanocomposites might open up a way for efficient hyperthermia and drug release applications and have a prospective use in medical science.

Deep learning and spark architecture based intelligent brain tumor MRI image severity classification

The emerging technologies have faster growth in and have acquired a fundamental position in analyzing novel views in the anatomy of brains. The imaging modality has prevalent use in medical science for earlier detection and diagnosis. However, precise and timely diagnosis of brain tumors is a challenging task. This paper presents a novel method, namely Border Collie Firefly Algorithm-based Generative Adversarial network (BCFA-based GAN) using spark framework for effective severity level classification in brain tumor. Here, a set of slave nodes and master node is employed for performing severity classification. Here, the pre-processing is done using Laplacian filter to eradicate clatter present in image. The generated image as a result of pre-processing is segmented wherein Deep Joint model is adapted for generating segments. Thereafter, the feature extraction is performed wherein statistical features, Texton features and Karhunen-Loeve Transform-based features are extracted using slave nodes. Support vector machine (SVM) is fed with the obtained features, wherein tumor classification is done in the master node. Finally, the result is fed to BCFA-based GAN for severity level classification. The devised BCFA is used in tuning the GAN, the devised BCFA is obtained by integrating Border Collie Optimization (BCO) into Firefly Algorithm (FA). The proposed BCFA-based GAN offered the best performance and produced high values of accuracy at 97.515%, sensitivity at 97.515% as well as specificity at 97.515%.

Application of CNN Algorithm Based on Chaotic Recursive Diagonal Model in Medical Image Processing.

With the gradual improvement of people's living standards, the production and drinking of all kinds of food is increasing. People's disease rate has increased compared with before, which leads to the increasing number of medical image processing. Traditional technology cannot meet most of the needs of medicine. At present, convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm using chaotic recursive diagonal model has great advantages in medical image processing and has become an indispensable part of most hospitals. This paper briefly introduces the use of medical science and technology in recent years. The hybrid algorithm of CNN in chaotic recursive diagonal model is mainly used for technical research, and the application of this technology in medical image processing is analysed. The CNN algorithm is optimized by using chaotic recursive diagonal model. The results show that the chaotic recursive diagonal model can improve the structure of traditional neural network and improve the efficiency and accuracy of the original CNN algorithm. Then, the application research and comparison of medical image processing are performed according to CNN algorithm and optimized CNN algorithm. The experimental results show that the CNN algorithm optimized by chaotic recursive diagonal model can help medical image automatic processing and patient condition analysis.

Stature Estimation by Index and Ring Finger Length

Background: A series of systemized techniques of measuring quantitatively the dimensions of human body and skeleton is called as Anthropometry and it is often viewed as traditionally the basic tool for biological anthropology and it has a long traditional use in forensic sciences and its findings has increased its use in medical sciences specifically in speciality of Forensic Medicine. Aim and objective: To find out correlation between Index and Ring finger length with stature of the individual and to devise a linear regression equation to determine stature from Index and Ring finger length. Type of Study: Descriptive cross sectional study with analytical and comparative components. Place of Study: Department of forensic medicine and Toxicology Narayana Medical College, Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh State. Material and Method: Stature: using the stadio-meter, the subject was made to stand barefoot in the standard standing position on its baseboard. The length of the Index and ring fingers was measured fromproximal crease to the tip. Observation and Discussion: The Mean±SD age of study samples was 21.41 ± 2.1years. There was no significant difference between themean age of the two genders (P>0.001). Accordingly the Mean±SD height was 164.62 ± 8.56cm intotal cases, 168.12 ± 7.6 cm in males, and 161.1 ± 8.01cm in females, which differed significantly (P<0.0001).The Mean±SD lengths of index and ring fingers were6.55 ± 0.48 cm and 6.6 ± 0.51 cm in total samples,6.72 ± 0.52 cm and 6.78 ± 0.55 cm in males, and6.37 ± 0.37 cm and 6.42 ± 0.38 cm in females, respectively. Conclusion: In our study there exists a significant and positive correlation between stature and Index and ring finger length between both the sexes indicating strong and reliable relationship between the parameters.

Plant antimicrobial peptides: Possibilities in community health

Introduction: Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) are among the first line defense mechanism of a variety of living organisms. The evidence on AMPs has increased considerably during the last two decades, showing they offer more than just antimicrobial activity, and presenting a broad spectrum of physiological functions. Plant AMPs are diverse families of peptides differing in their amino acid structure and composition, displaying broad spectrum antimicrobial activities. AMPs have a high potential for therapeutic use in medical sciences and can be used as alternate to antibiotics, for protection of animals and plants against diseases. Therefore, AMPs are good candidate for their possible beneficial role in public health. The present article reviews the role of plant AMPs in community health setting regarding treatment of cancer, infection control and food safety. Keywords: Antimicrobial peptide, Community health, Host defense peptides.

Early Detection of Cardiovascular Disease using Machine learning Techniques an Experimental Study

Human body prioritizes the heart as the second most important organ after the brain. Any disruption in the heart ultimately leads to disruption of the entire body. Being the members of modern era, enormous changes are happening to us on a daily basis that impact our lives in one way or the other. A major disease among top five fatal diseases includes the heart disease which has been consuming lives worldwide. Therefore, the prediction of this disease is of prime importance as it will enable one to take a proper and needful approach at a proper time. Data mining and machine learning are taking out and refining of useful information from a massive amount of data. It is a basic and primary process in defining and discovering useful information and hidden patterns from databases. The flexibility and adaptability of optimization algorithms find its use in dealing with complex non -linear problems. Machine Learning techniques find its use in medical sciences in solving real health-related issues by early prediction and treatment of various diseases. In this paper, six machine learning algorithms are used and then compared accordingly based on the evaluation of performance. Among all classifiers, decision tree outperforms over the other algorithms with a testing accuracy of 97.29%.

Health and Economy in COVID-19 Era: A Plan for Reconstituting Long-Term Economic Security.

COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving pandemic, which represents a multifaceted global threat. Given the economic consequences, most researchers agree that social distancing measures are an effective strategy relative to the cost. Previous studies indicate that community size as well as viral population risk groups should be considered in forming an effective targeted social distancing strategy. The resultant delay in the occurrence of infections in order to support vaccine development has been shown to be an effective policy. However, a return to normalcy from the current situation would require policy intervention that transforms the American economy along with continued targeted social distancing and the use of medical science as a tool to facilitate gradual personal interactions of low-risk individuals. We believe that the adoption of rapid IgG testing would be best suitable for widespread population-level screening as part of a comprehensive plan for incrementally rebuilding the in-person workforce. As such, this crisis represents an opportunity for the United States to increase automation of the manufacturing sector, shrink supply chains, and create higher-level jobs in order to reduce the dependency on other countries for critical supplies. This economic transition to better utilize technology along with reconstruction of the workforce could improve the standard of living for many Americans as well as better prepare the US for future pandemics.

Polysiloxanes as polymer matrices in biomedical engineering: their interesting properties as the reason for the use in medical sciences

Polysiloxanes have been found to be the most important and commercial family of synthetic inorganic polymers. The unique structure of the siloxane bond provides them with unusual features such as a high bond angle, nearly inexistent torsional barrier and a semi-ionic character due to the difference of electronegativities between the silicon and oxygen atoms. Also, silicon-based polymers have been used for the delivery of pharmaceutical and diagnostic compounds involving the use of nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes, as well as hydrogels, including those based on silicon compounds. Hydrogels based on silicon polyolates are rather promising. Some of them exhibit pronounced anti-inflammatory, regenerating, and protective activity, readily penetrate the organism and facilitate drug penetration into the tissues. Due to these properties, polysiloxanes have encountered a big opportunity as an important material in the area of biomedical engineering; the big influence they have in the area of prosthetic dentistry, tissue engineering, cell growth, wounded skin treatments is noteworthy. For the reasons briefly described above, we consider the fact of doing a review about how the polysiloxanes have been used over the years as polymeric matrices that are used in several applications in the field of biomedical engineering.

Patching Up a Diplomatic Fissure: Reassessing Richard Wunsch, a German Physician to the Korean Court, 1901–1905*

Abstract In 1901 the Korean imperial court invited Greifswald-educated medical doctor Richard Wunsch to be personal physician to Emperor Kojong, only to abandon him upon his arrival in Seoul. Previous scholarship has understood Wunsch’s wasteful four-year engagement as a typical example from an incompetent regime on the cusp of its forceful transformation into Japan’s protectorate in 1905. Based upon careful analysis of hitherto unexplored diplomatic documents from both German and Korean sides, I argue that the appointment of Wunsch needs be understood in the whirlwind of diplomatic tension between Germany and Korea that arose over the issue of a disputed mining concession in 1898. The mutually agreed arrangement to install a German doctor in the Korean court in 1901 was a symbol of the patched-up relationship, with each side harbouring a different agenda—the German government wanted to put a powerful person in the court to gain an edge in imperial politics in Korea, and Koreans wished to have a German doctor who would function as a counterweight to the more dominant presence of American and British doctors in the court. By reconstructing the impact of convoluted factors, both local and global, in the invitation of a German doctor to Korea, this article provides a detailed case study of the use of medical science by the German imperial government as a chip in the global game of influence. It also functions as an overdue corrective to a commercially inspired and prevalent image of Wunsch that has capitalized upon a self-orientalizing tendency in contemporary Korea.

Personalizm tomistyczny wobec nowoczesnej i ponowoczesnej antropologii

Thomistic personalism against modernand postmodern anthropologySummaryThe article is divided into four parts which discuss the following subjects:1) Anthropology of the late 19th and mid-19th century – consisting in the evolutionaryunderstanding of not only the genesis of man but also his personality,psyche, culture and morality. This approach contrasted with the Thomistictheory of man as a person, which was developed also at this time. Man understoodas a person can be characterized by the intellectual perception ofthe surrounding reality, the freedom to act, and the love for others which goesbeyond purely physical relations. A human being understood in such a waystands in opposition to every form of reductionism: biological, sociological,cultural, economic, and legal. Man as a person grows above the physical, alsoabove his body which – despite being an integral part of human existence –does not fall within the definition of a person. According to this view, mancannot be reduced to his body, which is obvious, but also carnality does notconstitute a central theme of anthropology, that being a person. As a consequence,the problem of the origin of the body becomes secondary and fromthis perspective, even the acceptance of the evolutionary origin of the bodilyorgans does not constitute a ground for negating the creative role of God inthe formation of man.2) Anthropology of postmodernism is characterized by the “fluidity” of thedefinition of man. This is caused by the “contingency” of man, which pointsto individuality, diversity and lack of one metaphysics that could cover allobjects. A postmodern man believes in historicism (looking at phenomenafrom the point of view of their historical evolution) and nominalism (thereare only individuals and their conventional names), so he can abandon anymetanarrative attempts to describe the essence of things. He creates hisown language of metaphors which he can use absolutely freely. Accordingto the theory of man as a person, postmodernism appears as a reaction to thebiological and socio-cultural reductionism that the science of the 19th and20th century – with its scientism and technocracy – offered to man. It seemsthat in this context one can pay attention to the typical characteristics of a person (constitutiva personae), such as individuality, intellectual characterand freedom of the human being, which all give rise to its subjectivity andfar-reaching autonomy.3) Anthropology of transhumanism advocates the widespread use of medicalscience (including manipulation of the DNA code) and advanced technologyin human development, leading to the transformation of man into theposthuman and beginning a new epoch of history called posthumanism.Posthumans will be beings with far greater capabilities than human beingstoday. In a discussion with transhumanism, the article referred to the fundamentalparadigms of philosophical thinking – Platonism and Aristotelianism.It was considered that transhumanism is a form of Platonism with itsdream of making man angelic or divine. It results from the concept of manas only the set of attributes and relations “mechanically” added to each other.According to Aristotelianism, the form of human being is immutable in itsessence, and it is only the properties and relationships of a human being thatchange. The Thomistic theory of a person belongs to a group of philosophiesoriginating from the Aristotelian school and – allowing for a great variabilityof features and relationships – it does not consider them to be able to changetheir subject – a human being into something else.4) Social philosophers and philosophical sociologists record a number of negativeanthropological phenomena related to the already existing postmodernand transhumanist “project”. These include primarily nihilism, scientism,materialism, and identity loss, all of which results in the infantilization ofthe human culture, and – in the economic field – in the economy of excessand lack, i.e. the continuous deepening of financial differences (fortificationsof the rich and ghettos of the poor), while in the area of health it leads to thedeterioration of the mental condition of man. It is suggested that the subjectiveand personal approach to man be opposed to extreme scientism, nihilism andthe objective and utilitarian use of man for the benefit and pleasure. Findingoneself as a person can be a way for people to get to know themselves andovercome a deepening identity crisis. Emphasizing the dignity of the personand concern for the common good may be an attempt to leave the civilizationof excess and lack. Establishing personal relationships and caring for otherscan inhibit the breakdown of interpersonal relationships, loneliness and theloss of a sense of security, and it may help improve the deteriorating spiritualcondition of the postmodern human.

She Wears the Pants: The Reform Dress as Technology in Nineteenth-Century America.

This article examines the American dress-reform movement, detailing the ways in which reformers conceptualized clothing as a social and bodily technology. In the mid-nineteenth century, women began making and wearing the "reform dress"-a costume consisting of pants and shortened, lightweight skirts-as an alternative to burdensome feminine fashions. When ridiculed in public for wearing overtly masculine garments, dress reformers insisted their clothing was healthful, functional, and natural. This article discusses women's use of medical science and technical knowledge in their rejection of fashion, promotion of sexual equality, and efforts to change mainstream clothing practices. When approached from a technological perspective, the reform dress reveals broader tensions in an industrializing American society, such as changing gender relations and new understandings of the relationship between humans and technology.

Near-Infrared Dyes and Their Use in Medical Science

Targeted imaging (diagnosis) and therapy using near-infrared (NIR) dyes can be accomplished with the help of the data obtained from fluorescence emission of the fluorophores and play an important role particularly in deep tissue imaging. The area NIR dyes absorb and emit light is defined as NIR spectroscopy (NIRS, 650–850 nm). Although NIR dyes are widely used for imagining purposes, they also find application in photodynamic therapy. In preclinical studies, phthalocyanine (Pc), chlorine, porphyrin, bacteriochlorin, cyanine, Alexa-fluor, and various BODIPY dye series are used as NIR fluorescent dyes/agents. When compared to other dyes, one of the most promising NIR dye is Pc because of their photophysical and chemical properties particularly for the imaging applications. Although NIR dyes have several advantages, their toxicity limits their usage in clinics. Indocyanine green, having negligible side effects, is the only FDA approved NIR dye used in clinics. It is used for controlling of cardiac function, liver output, and retinal angiography. In conclusion, the development of new generation NIR dyes with improved chemical, photophysical, and photochemical properties that are more appropriate for the aforementioned applications is inevitable. Nevertheless, the NIR dyes that have been developed and will be developed should be combined with the nanoparticular systems and/or targeting moieties to make them more advantageous for NIRS and therapy.

Effect of nucleating agents and stabilisers on the synthesis of Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles-XRD analysis

Iron nanoparticles were made by using the modified coprecipitation technique. Usually the characteristics of synthesised particles depend upon the process parameters such as the ratio of the iron ions, the pH of the solution, the molar concentration of base used, type of reactants and temperature. A modified coprecipitation method was adopted in this study. A magnetic stirrer was used for mixing and the morphology and nature of particles were observed after synthesis. Nanoparticles were characterised through XRD. Obtained nanoparticles showed the formation of magnetite and maghemite under citric acid and oxalic acid as stabilisers respectively. The size of nanoparticle was greatly affected by the use of different types of stabilisers. Results show that citric acid greatly reduced the obtained particle size. Particle size as small as 13 nm was obtained in this study. The effects of different kinds of nucleating agents were also observed and two different types of nucleating agents were used i.e. potassium hydroxide (KOH) and copper chloride (<TEX>$CuCl_2$</TEX>). Results show that the use of nucleating agent in general pushes the growth phase of nanoparticles towards the end of coprecipitation reaction. The particles obtained after addition of nucleating agent were greater in size than particles obtained by not utilising any nucleating agent. These particles have found widespread use in medical sciences, energy conservation and electronic sensing technology.

Laser assisted microdissection, an efficient technique to understand tissue specific gene expression patterns and functional genomics in plants.

Laser assisted microdissection (LAM) is an advanced technology used to perform tissue or cell-specific expression profiling of genes and proteins, owing to its ability to isolate the desired tissue or cell type from a heterogeneous population. Due to the specificity and high efficiency acquired during its pioneering use in medical science, the LAM technique has quickly been adopted for use in many biological researches. Today, it has become a potent tool to address a wide range of questions in diverse field of plant biology. Beginning with comparative transcriptome analysis of different tissues such as reproductive parts, meristems, lateral organs, roots etc., LAM has also been extensively used in plant-pathogen interaction studies, proteomics, and metabolomics. In combination with next generation sequencing and proteomics analysis, LAM has opened up promising opportunities in the area of large scale functional studies in plants. Ever since the advent of this technique, significant improvements have been achieved in term of its instrumentation and method, which has made LAM a more efficient tool applicable in wider research areas. Here, we discuss the advancement of LAM technique with special emphasis on its methodology and highlight its scope in modern research areas of plant biology. Although we put emphasis on use of LAM in transcriptome studies, which is mostly used, we also discuss its recent application and scope in proteome and metabolome studies.

The proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer and its use in medical science: applications to drug assays and the monitoring of bacteria

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) enables monitoring of trace gases in air with high sensitivity without major gases interfering. In this paper, we present the potential use of a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer for two medical applications; the monitoring of drugs and bacterial infection. The first study illustrates a feasibility trial to monitor the intravenous anaesthetic agent 2,6-di-isopropyl phenol (propofol), and two of its metabolites, on the breath of patients in real-time during surgery. Propofol is a commonly used intravenous anaesthetic. However, there is no method of instantaneously monitoring the plasma concentration of the agent during surgery, and therefore determining whether or not the plasma level is of such a value to ensure that the patient is correctly anaesthetized. That propofol and its metabolites were monitored in real-time using the PTR-MS suggests possibilities for routine intravenous anaesthesia monitoring analogous to that for volatile anaesthetic agents. In addition to the above work we also investigated proton transfer to another anaesthetic, sevoflurane. Comparisons between PTR-MS and selected ion flow tube (SIFT) investigations are presented. The second study presented in this paper investigated the volatile organic compounds emitted by microbial cell cultures. The objective was to show that different microbial cultures could be readily distinguished from the resulting mass spectra recorded using the PTR-MS. The initial results are encouraging, which taken together with the real-time analysis and high sensitivity of the PTR-MS, means that proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry has the potential to characterise bacterial infection rapidly.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH'S HEALING MINISTRY? BIBLICAL AND GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

E. ANTHONY ALLEN [*] One of the church's foremost missions is also one of its most neglected. This is the ministry of healing. An examination of this neglected ministry brings us closer to the reason why the spiritual life and vitality of too many churches seem to be at such a low ebb. Perhaps the greatest reason for this neglect is the ignoring by Western-influenced churches of the biblical theological foundations of the church's call to a healing ministry. The purpose of this article is to examine these biblical perspectives and to suggest some practical implications. Luke chapter 9, verses 1-4, summarizes very well the theological challenge to a commitment to the understanding of and involvement in the church's healing ministry: When Jesus had called the Twelve together, gave them power and authority to drive all demons and to cure diseases, and them to the of God and to the He told them: Take nothing for the journey -- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. (NIV) According to the above passage, the challenge to the church today is a threefold one. God's people are being called to be: * Healers who proclaim and demonstrate a total gospel of forgiveness and healing, * Healers of the whole person, * Healers in a healing community. If the church, through its local congregations, can come to grips with these theological cornerstones of healing, then we can be assured that this ministry will truly be transformed from a neglected imperative to an all initiative, from a maybe to a must. This should be a priority task for the church as we face the alienation and increasing marginalization of persons in the new millennium. Healers who proclaim and demonstrate a total gospel The total gospel according to Luke 9:2, is to preach the of God, and to the sick... (NIV). Traditionally, Western-influenced churches have abandoned healing and health care delivery to the medical establishment. Even those involved in medical missions have relied on medical professionals to do the job as separate from the day-to-day mission of the local congregation. Thus we in the church have tended to be guilty of a schizophrenic or split mind approach whereby we isolate our members' use of medical science, as well as psychology, from the realities of spirituality and the need of the church to be a healing community. However, health is not only the business of the professionals -- medical, psychological, or any other. It is also the business of the church. If we are to take scripture as the basis of our functioning, then it becomes apparent from the verses in Luke that one theological cornerstone of a commitment to the church's ministry of healing is that it is a mandate of Christ and one that should be obeyed. This mandate comes from the very will and love of Christ. Thus, when Jesus called his twelve disciples, he them out as disciples, not only to preach the kingdom but also to heal the sick. As apostles of healing, we are sent. The Greek word for he sent is apesteilen. We can see that it has the same root as the word apostle. The apostles were ones sent, and so, as ones sent, all in the church are to be apostles of healing. Once we make a commitment to Christ, we are taking up the challenge to be involved in a ministry of reconciliation and healing. This is also a commitment to those to whom Christ himself is committed. John the Baptist questioned Jesus, saying, Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Notice how Jesus replied: Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me. …