A constructivist approach to transnational advocacy network’s pursuit to solve child soldier-related humanitarian issue through establishment of an international norm – the case of Child Soldiers International

This thesis analyses the advocacy of Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers to stop the use of children under the age of 18 in armed conflicts. Since there are organizations that are dedicated to solving the humanitarian issue concerning child soldiers, one could say that the problem is ongoing. In addition to reviewing the actions of the transnational advocacy network the thesis also considers the quality of the additional protocol Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Childen in Armed Conflict that supports the norm. The aim of the thesis is to determine how the norm has developed, how the advocacy network has contributed into the development of the norm and why the norm has not yet been internalized. The analysis revealed that the norm is in cascade phase, having already went through emergence and crossed the so called threshold, because most of the states in the international community have accepted the additional protocol that supports the norm. Furthermore, the analysis of the criteria the norm needs to fulfill to be successful proved that the norm could be considered important to states, norm benefit from being related to other humanitarian norms and the notion of protecting vulnerable groups from har. The only harmful quality of the norm has to do with the wide definitions the additional protocol provides which, in turn, offer states the possibility to interpret child soldiers broadly. One could conclude from the analysis of the different politics transnational advocac network Coalition used, that the network bases it’s advocacy mainly on information politics, because thay are most consentrated on sharing adequate and trustworthy infromation. The least used politics is symbol politics that consists only of pictures in reports. Coalition uses also leverage politics to lobby governements and accountability politics which are directed at governments. Lastly, the success criteria for the network were analysed and it was revealed that Coalition has managed to create the issue and but only partially managed to keep it in the agenda because it is has reduced it’s activity mainly to composing reports and seldom organizing public events. Secondly, it was made clear that Coalition had gained leverage over states’s discoursive positions with the states declaring their support, and procedures when the network was part of the creation of OPAC. Coalition has also been successful in obtaining leverage over politics in those counrties that have ratified the additional protocol because they can use accountability politics to shame them. Finally, it was possible to say that the Coalition has failed to gain leverage over states’ actions, because there are states that have ratified the OPAC but don’t follow it. To conclude, it is possible to say that the norm against the use of children in armed conflict has reached the cascade phase and has still to reach internalization, in which it will no longer be in the international agenda. As for the transnational advocacy network Coalition, it has used most of the politics available to them, altough they could emphasize more symbolism to attract more attention from people. They have concentrated only on lobbying governements and organizations and have failed at drawing attention from ordinary people, which they should put more emphasis on in the future, because this would give them an additional ally in their stand against the use of children in armed conflict.http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2624189~S1*es

Evaluation of the in vivo activity of different concentrations of Clerodendrum umbellatum poir against Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice

Clerodendrum umbellatum Poir (Verbenaceae) is traditionally used in Cameroon for the treatment of many diseases including intestinal helminthiasis. This study was undertaken to assess the in vivo antischistosomal activity of its leaves aqueous extract on a Schistosoma mansoni mice model and to determine the most effective dose of this extract. Mice showing a patent infection of S. mansoni were daily treated with C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract at the doses of 40, 80 or 160 mg/kg body weight for 14 days. Seven days after administration of the extract, schistosomicidal activity was evaluated on the liver and spleen weights, faecal eggs releasing, liver egg count and worm burden. Treatment using C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract resulted in an important reduction in faecal egg output by 75.49 % and 85.14 % for 80 mg/kg and 160 mg/kg of the extract respectively. These reduction rates did not differ significantly from the 100 % obtained in the group of infected mice treated with 100 mg/kg of praziquantel. C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract was lethal to S. mansoni worm. A 100 % reduction rate was recorded in the group of infected mice treated with 160 mg/kg of the extract, as well as in praziquantel-treated mice. An amelioration of the hepatosplenomegaly was noticed in both the extract-treated mice and the praziquantel-treated mice. From these results, we can conclude that C.umbellatum leaves aqueous extract demonstrated schistosomicidal properties in S. mansoni model at doses of at least 80 mg/kg body weight.Key words: Clerodendrum umbellatum, Schistosoma mansoni, faecal egg output, worm burden, mic

Konverents "Digitaalraamatukogu ja selle kasutaja III, 2005"

● Digitaalraamatukogud Eestis - kas kogude või teenuste võrk? / Mihkel Reial ● Kas Eesti teadusraamatukogude koondportaal on võimalik? / Jüri Järs ● Eesti Teadusinfosüsteem / Hannes Alekand ● Teadustekstid on-line / Mare Kõiva ● Mäluastutuste digitaalsed andmekogud: mida teha üheskoos? / Priit Pirsko ● Tarkvaralahendusi raamatukogudele / Andres Jatsa ● Infosüsteemid raamatukogudes, raamatukogude vahel ja raamatukogude ümber - piirangud ja võimalused sidustamisel / Kalju Kill Kas

Evaluation Of The In Vivo Activity Of Different Concentrations Of Clerodendrum Umbellatum Poir Against Schistosoma Mansoni Infection In Mice

Clerodendrum Umbellatum Poir (Verbenaceae) is traditionally used in Cameroon for the treatment of many diseases including intestinal helminthiasis. This study was undertaken to assess the in vivo antischistosomal activity of its leaves aqueous extract on a Schistosoma mansoni mice model and to determine the most effective dose of this extract. Mice showing a patent infection of S. mansoni were daily treated with C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract at the doses of 40, 80 or 160 mg/kg body weight for 14 days. Seven days after administration of the extract, schistosomicidal activity was evaluated on the liver and spleen weights, faecal eggs releasing, liver egg count and worm burden. Treatment using C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract resulted in an important reduction in faecal egg output by 75.49 % and 85.14 % for 80 mg/kg and 160 mg/kg of the extract respectively. These reduction rates did not differ significantly from the 100 % obtained in the group of infected mice treated with 100 mg/kg of praziquantel. C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract was lethal to S. mansoni worm. A 100 % reduction rate was recorded in the group of infected mice treated with 160 mg/kg of the extract, as well as in praziquantel-treated mice. An amelioration of the hepatosplenomegaly was noticed in both the extract-treated mice and the praziquantel-treated mice. From these results, we can conclude that C. umbellatum leaves aqueous extract demonstrated schistosomicidal properties in S. mansoni model at doses of at least 80 mg/kg body weight

Efficacy of Sida pilosa Retz aqueous extract against Schistosoma mansoni – induced granulomatous inflammation in the liver and the intestine of mice: histomorphometry and gastrointestinal motility evaluation

Abstract Background The macerate of Sida pilosa aerial parts is used empirically for the treatment of intestinal helminthiasis. Previous studies have shown that Sida pilosa aqueous extract (SpAE) has schistosomicidal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activities in Schistosoma mansoni infection. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of SpAE on the granulomatous inflammation induced by S. mansoni in the liver and the intestine of mice by histomorphometry; as well as on the gastrointestinal motility. Methods To study the effect of SpAE on the liver and intestine histomorphometry and on the gastrointestinal motility, SpAE was administered at 200 mg/kg per os to S. mansoni-infected mice for 4 weeks. Praziquantel was used as reference drug. Prior to carrying out sacrifice, a batch of mice was subjected to gastrointestinal transit evaluation with 3% charcoal meal. After sacrifying another batch of mice, we performed histological and morphometric analyses of the liver and the ileum. We measured the following: total proteins, transaminases, malondialdehyde, nitrites, superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione. The effect of SpAE (4, 8, 16 and 32 mg/mL) on the ileum contractile activity was evaluated either in the absence or in the presence of pharmacological blockers. Results SpAE induced a significant reduction of hepatosplenomegaly and intestine enlargement. The number of granulomas was reduced by 52.82% in the liver and 52.79% in the intestine, whereas the volume of hepatic granulomas decreased by 48.76% after SpAE treatment. SpAE also reduced (p < 0.001) the ileal muscular layer thickness. The levels of total proteins, transaminases, malondialdehyde, nitrites, superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione were restored after treatment of infected mice with SpAE. A normalization of the gastrointestinal transit was also recorded after SpAE treatment. The effect of SpAE on intestinal motility was mediated via intracellular and extracellular calcium mobilization. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that SpAE improves granulomatous inflammation induced by S. mansoni both in the liver and in the intestine, as well as it re-establishes normal gastrointestinal transit. SpAE may be used for the development of alternative medicine against S. mansoni infection

In Vitro Assessment of the Cercaricidal Activity of Sida acuta Burm. F. and Sida rhombifolia Linn. (Malvaceae) Hydroethanolic Extracts, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Studies

Membe Femoe U, Kadji Fassi JB, Boukeng Jatsa H, et al. In Vitro Assessment of the Cercaricidal Activity of Sida acuta Burm. F. and Sida rhombifolia Linn. (Malvaceae) Hydroethanolic Extracts, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Studies. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2022;2022: 7281144.Despite the global efforts, schistosomiasis remains a public health problem in several tropical and subtropical countries. One of the major challenges in the fight against schistosomiasis is the interruption of the parasite life cycle. Here, we evaluated the anticercarial, cytotoxicity, and phytochemical profiles of Sida acuta (HESa) and Sida rhombifolia (HESr) hydroethanolic extracts (Malvaceae). Schistosoma mansoni cercaria was collected from fifteen Biomphalaria pfeifferi-infected snails. Twenty-five cercariae were incubated in duplicate with different concentrations (31.25-1,000mug/mL) of HESa or HESr. The cercaria viability was monitored at 30min time intervals for 150min, and the concentration-response curve of each plant extract was used to determine their respective lethal concentration 50 (LC50). Additionally, the cytotoxicity profile of each plant extract was evaluated on the Hepa 1-6cell line at a concentration range of 15.625-1,000g/mL using the WST-8 assay method and its inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) was calculated. Moreover, phytochemical characterization of each plant extract was carried out by HPLC-MS. Both extracts exhibited cercaricidal activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. At 30min time point, HESa (LC50=28.41±3.5g/mL) was more effective than HESr (LC50=172.42±26.16g/mL) in killing S. mansoni cercariae. Regarding the cytotoxicity effect of both extracts, the IC50 of HESa (IC50=109.67g/mL) was lower than that of HESr (IC50=888.79g/mL). The selectivity index was 3.86 and 5.15 for HESa and HESr, respectively. Fifteen compounds were identified from HESa and HESr after HPLC-MS analysis. N-Feruloyltyramine, a polyphenol, and thamnosmonin, a coumarin, were identified in both extracts. HESa and HESr displayed cercaricidal activity and were not toxic on Hepa 1-6 cell line. Based on the selectivity index of these extracts, S. rhombifolia extract could be more effective on S. mansoni cercariae than S. acuta extract. This study could provide baseline information for further investigations aiming to develop plant-based alternative drugs against S. mansoni. Copyright © 2022 Ulrich Membe Femoe et al