5 research outputs found
Navigating the South China Sea Cauldron: A Study of Vietnam's Middle Power Diplomacy
No full textOutside traditional middle-ranking powers, e.g., Canada and Australia, there stands Vietnam, whose middle-power credentials are increasingly discernible despite little literature on its middle-sized legitimacy and relative practice. The author argues that Vietnam\ue2s medium power status remains embedded not in declaratory but behavioral settings. Taking the South China Sea (SCS) as a case study, this thesis seeks to enrich understandings of Vietnam\ue2s middle power diplomacy and to highlight how the practice of such diplomatic strategy could help frame public perceptions of Vietnam as an emerging and responsible second-tier power. The author contends that Vietnam\ue2s foreign policy approaches towards the SCS are shaped amply by low resource availability and a high-threat strategic environment. Driven by these distinct variables, Vietnam goes for middle power diplomacy characterized by a balanced hybrid of functional and behavioral strategy. The primary conclusion reached is that Vietnam has been largely successful in navigating the SCS cauldron, with the preferable adoption of functional strategy. In years to come, \ue2middle power diplomacy\ue2 is expected to continue to help Vietnam navigate the disputed sea given lingering tensions in the SCS
Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used as Anti-Obesity Remedies in the Nomad and Hunter Communities of Burkina Faso
No full textBackground: Obesity is a global epidemic that affects both developed and developing countries. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, over 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Burkina Faso, like other countries, faces the problem of obesity, with a prevalence of 7.3%. The main cause is excessive intake of caloric foods combined with low physical activity, although genetic, endocrine and environmental influences (pollution) can sometimes be predisposing factors. This metabolic imbalance often leads to multiple pathologies (heart failure, Type II diabetes, cancers, etc.). Drugs have been developed for the treatment of these diseases; but in addition to having many side effects, locally these products are not economically accessible to the majority of the population. Burkina Faso, like the other countries bordering the Sahara, has often been confronted in the past with periods of famine during which populations have generally used anorectic plants to regulate their food needs. This traditional ethnobotanical knowledge has not been previously investigated. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Burkina Faso in the provinces of Seno (North) and Nayala (Northwest) to list the plants used by local people as an anorectic and/or fort weight loss. Methods: The survey, conducted in the two provinces concerned traditional healers, herbalists, hunters, nomads and resourceful people with knowledge of plants. It was conducted over a period of two months and data were collected following a structured interview with the respondents. The approach was based on dialogue in the language of choice of the respondent and the use of a questionnaire. The data have been structured and then statistically analyzed. Results: The fifty-five (55) respondents of the survey were aged between 40 and 80 years. Sixty-one (61) plant species, belonging to thirty-one (31) families were listed as appetite suppressants and/or for their anti-obesity properties. The main families of plants are Mimosaceae, Rubiaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Cesalpiniaceae. Fruits are the most used part of the plant organs. Consumption in the raw state or as a decoction are the two main forms of preparation. Conclusion: The great diversity of plants cited by informants demonstrates the existence of rich local knowledge to address obesity in Burkina Faso. Evaluation of the biochemical activity of the extracts of the most cited species could allow the development of a phytomedicine economically accessible to the majority of the population. This could allow for the preservation of biodiversity in this region which is weakened by climate change because some of the species cited are in fragile state or are threatened with extinction
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Caralluma Acutangula (Decne.) N.E.Br Extracts, a Medicinal Plant from Burkina Faso
No full textPlants have always played an important role in health care in Africa. The stress, a situation of imbalance between oxidizing and antioxidant systems in favor of the prooxidants is responsible for the installation of several pathologies such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes ... The objective of this study was to highlight the presence Secondary metabolites in C. acutangula extract and determine its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.
For the determination of the acute toxicity of the extract, a dose of 2000 mg / kg was administered to the NMRI Mouse. The methods of screening were used to detect secondary metabolites like tannins, steroids and terpen, flavonoids, coumarins. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated in vitro by determining the ability of the extract to inhibit lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, degradation of deoxyribose. The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated on lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase. Acute toxicity evaluated in NMRI mice showed that the ethanolic extract of C. acutangula show no toxicity. Tannins, steroids and terpen, flavonoids, coumarins have been detected in the extracts. C. acutangula showed good activity with an inhibition of 50.71 ± 2.51% at 100 μg / ml on lipid peroxidation, of 66.105 ± 1.26% on deoxyribose degradation and 8.625 ± 1.09% on hydrogen peroxide. It showed good activity on xanthine oxidase with an 81.5 ± 5.5% inhibition. For the effect on lipoxygenase it gave an inhibition of the enzyme at 43.11 ± 3.4%. This potential could be used in the fight against inflammatory diseases and that due to oxidative stress.
Keywords: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidatio
How to attract Chinese tourists to Poland in the aftermath of Covid-19 market collapse.
No full textThis thesis focused on determining more efficient ways to attract Chinese tourist to Poland and used mostly qualitative methods to achieve its goal. In this thesis, after a thorough literature research, the author justified the topic of this thesis by proving why tourism is important. Next, she sketched the history of the Chinese outbound tourist market to better understand its current state and characteristic as well as attempted to break down a profile of Chinese tourists. Understanding his behavior and decision-making process is necessary to create an attractive tourist product that will convince him to visit Poland. In the next part, the view of Chinese tourist concerning Poland was examined. The most important finding of this thesis is that although Chinese tourists might be familiar with Poland, the local tourist market doesn\ue2t meet the tourists\ue2 expectations mostly in technical and organizational aspect. Therefore, the last chapter was dedicated to introducing author\ue2s ideas and solutions that in her opinion \ue2 would increase interest of Chinese tourists in coming to Poland
Caralluma Acutangula Prevents Body Weight Gain in Rats Feed on Hyperlipidic Diet
No full textCaralluma acutangula (Decne.) (CA) (Asclepiadaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Burkina Faso for the management of weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of extract of CA on body weight, food intake, blood biochemistry parameters on experimental obesity rat model. One group received CA 400 mg/kg b.w. per day and was fed on hyperlipidic diet (HD), while the control group received HD only for three weeks long. The phytochemical investigation of extract showed a high total phenolic content (36.21±1.36 mg GAE/100mg of extract) and total flavonoids (4.98 ±0.31 QE/100 mg of extract). In the end, CA-HD treated group had a body weight loss of 2%, compared to HD group who presented a body weight gain of 15%. The CA-HD treated group showed also a lower levels of plasma triglyceride (136.57±13.82 mg/dL) and glycemia (187.74±31.16 mg/dL) compared to HD (206.02±23.82 and respectively 230.96±79.07 mg/dL) (p<0.05). CA extract also showed a good anti-oxidant activity in vivo (effect on antioxydant enzyme (MDA, GPX, SOD) and in vitro (inhibition of DPPH radical, ferric ion reduction). This study showed that CA is a potential natural remedy for the control of body weight and alleviation of obesity related disease
