Democratization via Elections in an African “Narco-state”? The Case of Guinea-Bissau

Recent development cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, focusing on good governance, statebuilding and conflict prevention, did not contribute to democratization nor to the stabilization of volatile political, military and economic structures. The portrayal of Guinea- Bissau as a failed “narco-state”, as well as Western aid meant to stabilize this state, are both based on dubious concepts. Certainly, the impact of drug trafficking could endanger democratization and state-building if continued unchecked. However, the most pressing need is not state-building facilitated by external aid that is poorly rooted in the social and political fabric of the country. Rather, it is grassroots nation-building that is a pre-condition for the creation of viable state institutions.Guinea-Bissau, elections, democratization, informal institutions, aid, nationbuilding, institution building, drug trafficking

Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Circadian Rhythms in Continuous Culture

The circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of organisms. There have been many studies on the circadian rhythms in other model organisms, but not in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To study the rhythm in S. cerevisiae, the levels of GAP dehydrogenase were observed. After the baseline levels were recorded, the conditions were changed to see if the circadian rhythm could be manipulated. The importance of identifying and studying the circadian oscillators in S. cerevisiae is to understand how the circadian rhythm is altered in differing conditions. The purpose of this experiment was to identify how changing the light and dark cycles affected the overall rhythms of S. cerevisiae

Butchered Butcher

In this paper, I explore the murder of Christian H. Schindeldecker and how the police were able to find and prosecute the murderer, Edward Gottschalk. I recount the actions of Chief of Police John O\u27Connor and his men as they follow the clues and with a little luck connect the dots of the mysterious murder. Thirteen days after Schindeldecker was murdered, Gottschalk was arraigned for murder. Solving the murder of Christian Schindeldecker was one of the best cases of detective work ever done in Minnesota. Following the firsthand account of Chief Deputy Sheriff Frank Robert Jr., court papers, and contemporary newspapers, the unfurling of the case was done

Method for Instant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kill of Samples

It is essential when studying the circadian rhythm in cells to be able to effectively stop them in time. In this experiment, we tested what would be the most successful killing agent on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Six different agents were tested at different concentrations and amounts. After the S. cerevisiae was added to the test tube containing the agent, it was streaked on a plate after 5 and 10 minutes. The plates were incubated and then checked for growth. Ethanol was the most efficient killing agent. After an effective killing agent is determined, it can be used in further experiments measuring Gapdehydrogenase activity using a colorimetric assay to examine the circadian rhythm in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gapdehydrogenase results will also be presented

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science Articles Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessment of the Blood-Retinal Barrier

Application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in two- The initial lesions of diabetic retinopathy include retinal capillary pericyte loss, endothelial cell proliferation, and microaneurysm formation. 1 These changes are accompanied by capillary dilatation and increased capillary permeability due to disruption of the inner blood-retinal barrier. While qualitative increases in permeability are demonstrated readily by fluorescein angiography, quantifying fluorescein leakage by vitreous fluorophotometry continues to be subject to several practical problems. These include the age-related reduction in light transmission by the lens, the necessity for clear optic media, 2 " 4 an intact vitreous gel 5 and the restriction with current fluoro

Blood pressure, lipids, and obesity are associated with reteinopathy - The Hoorn study

OBJECTIVE - To study potential risk factors for retinopathy in diabetic and nondiabetic individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - The Hoorn Study is a population-based study including 2,484 50- to 74-year-old Caucasians. A subsample of 626 individuals stratified by age, sex, and glucose tolerance underwent extensive measurements during 1989-1992, including ophthalmologic examination and two-field 45-degree fundus photography. The prevalence of (diabetic) retinopathy was assessed among individuals with normal glucose metabolism (NGM) and impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) and individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (NDM) and known diabetes mellitus (KDM) (new World Health Organization 1999 criteria). RESULTS - The prevalence of retinopathy was 9% in NGM, 11% in IGM, 13% in NDM, and 34% in KDM. Retinopathy worse than minimal nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy was present in 8% in KDM and 0-2% in other glucose categories. The prevalence of retinopathy was positively associated with elevated blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, and triglyceride serum levels in all glucose categories. The age-, sex-, and glucose metabolism category-adjusted odds ratios were 1.5 (95% CI 1.2-1.9), 1.3 (1.0-1.7), and 1.3 (1.0-1.6) per SD increase of systolic blood pressure, BMI, and total cholesterol concentration, respectively, and 1.2 (1.0-1.5) per 50% increase of triglyceride level. Elevated blood pressure and plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels showed associations with retinal hard exudates. CONCLUSIONS - Retinopathy is a multifactorial microvascular complication, which, apart from hyperglycemia, is associated with blood pressure, lipid concentrations, and BMI

Seeing and holding baby: Systematic review of clinical management and parental outcomes following stillbirth

Background - In 2009 there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths worldwide. In the United States, a 2007 systematic review found little consensus about professional behaviours perceived by parents to be most helpful or most distressing. In the United Kingdom a bereaved parents’ organisation has highlighted discordance between parental views and clinical guidelines that recommend clinicians’ do not encourage parents to see and hold their baby. The objective of this review was to identify and synthesise available research reporting parental outcomes relating to seeing and holding. Method(s) - We undertook a systematic review. We included studies of any design, reporting parental experiences and outcomes. Electronic searches (PubMed, PsychINFO) were conducted in January 2014. Three authors independently screened and assessed the quality of the studies, before abstracting data and undertaking thematic analysis. Results - We reviewed 741 records and included 23 studies (10 quantitative,12 qualitative,1 mixed-method). Twenty-one studies suggested positive outcomes for parents who saw or held their baby. Increased psychological morbidity was associated with current pregnancy, choice not to see their baby, lack of time with their baby and/or insufficient mementos. Three themes were formulated “Positive effects of contact within a traumatic life event”, “Importance of role of health professionals”; and “Impact on Mothers and Fathers: Similarities and differences”. Conclusions - Stillbirth is a risk factor for increased psychological morbidity. Parents’ seeing and holding their stillborn baby can be beneficial to their future wellbeing. Since 2007, there has been a proliferation of studies that challenge clinical guidelines recommending clinicians do not encourage parental contact

Rates of referable eye disease in the Scottish National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme

Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The novel link between inflammatory enzyme C2GNT and the shedding of syndecan-1 in podocyte dysfunction

Syndecan-1 is known to be a potential contributor to sub-clinical inflammation in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Loss of syndecan-1 from the surface of podocytes is thought to lead to cell dysfunction, which leads to the detachment of viable podocytes from the glomerulus, an early feature of DN. Although the mechanisms of constitutive syndecan-1 shedding have been addressed by several studies, the pathological mechanisms are less elucidated. The aim of this investigation is to consider the role of the O-glycosylating enzyme C2GNT in syndecan-1 shedding by podocytes. Conditionally immortalised human podocytes were used to study the effect of hyperglycaemia and C2GNT knock-down on syndecan-1 shedding by these cells. Hyperglycaemia induced C2GNT activity in podocytes results in increased O-glycosylation on the surface syndecan-1 in cells treated with high glucose compared to percentage of normal glucose (219.5±145.7 vs . 100%, P<0.05). This increase in O-glycosylation is associated with an increase in the shedding of the syndecan-1 ectodomain by podocytes treated with high glucose compared to percentage of normal glucose (118.2±7.1 vs. 100%, P<0.05). Moreover, podocytes manipulated for C2GNT knockdown show reduced syndecan-1 shedding when treated with high glucose compared to wild type cells treated with high glucose (89.97±11.95 vs. 118.2±7.17, P<0.05). Our findings suggest that the activity of o-glycosylating enzyme C2GNT is raised in podocytes under diabetic conditions. We demonstrate for the first time a novel mecha nism of pathological syndecan-1 shedding induced by C2GNT activity. This excess syndecan-1 shedding by podocytes can contribute to podocyte dysfunction