Beyond the Notion of Security Community: What Role for the African Regional Organizations in Peace and Security?

African Union, regional economic communities, integration, multilevel governance, security community

The Social Science Foundations of Public Policy in Africa

Public policy is a window into social sciences’ evolution and the multidisciplinary foundation of policy studies globally, particularly in African universities and research organisations. Training in policymaking was useful for the colonial rule, but specific degree programs became popular only after independence and, more recently, with acute needs in public service delivery. In research, the disciplinary scope of social sciences has widened from anthropology to political economy, development and political science. While the increasing local research competence diversified knowledge production, the underlying academic traditions were not monolithic either. Pluralism of the approaches and links to policymaking-built capacity for ambitious theoretical and critical research. Governments and international development cooperation agencies’ active role in public policy research’s institutionalisation has facilitated besides conditioning its content. The participatory approach has brought the voice of intended target communities to the social research work, enhancing policy planning and implementation. Although freedom of research remains a concern, the instrumental value of public policy education for the governments has remained central.Peer reviewe

Dali server update

The Dali server (http://ekhidna2.biocenter.helsinki.fi/dali) is a network service for comparing protein structures in 3D. In favourable cases, comparing 3D structures may reveal biologically interesting similarities that are not detectable by comparing sequences. The Dali server has been running in various places for over 20 years and is used routinely by crystallographers on newly solved structures. The latest update of the server provides enhanced analytics for the study of sequence and structure conservation. The server performs three types of structure comparisons: (i) Protein Data Bank (PDB) search compares one query structure against those in the PDB and returns a list of similar structures; (ii) pairwise comparison compares one query structure against a list of structures specified by the user; and (iii) all against all structure comparison returns a structural similarity matrix, a dendrogram and a multidimensional scaling projection of a set of structures specified by the user. Structural superimpositions are visualized using the Java-free WebGL viewer PV. The structural alignment view is enhanced by sequence similarity searches against Uniprot. The combined structure-sequence alignment information is compressed to a stack of aligned sequence logos. In the stack, each structure is structurally aligned to the query protein and represented by a sequence logo.Peer reviewe

Using Debates as Assessment in a Physiotherapy Capstone Course: A Case Example

While not a new teaching and learning approach, debating may be considered novel when included in a suite of more traditional teaching and learning activities. Despite the potential benefits of debates for the development of generic skills, their use in physiotherapy education remains unreported. Thus, our aim was to evaluate student satisfaction of a debate assessment item in a physiotherapy capstone course. We recruited students enrolled in a final year physiotherapy course undertaking a group debate assessment. Students were invited to complete two surveys of their expectations regarding the debate assessment, and their satisfaction after completing the debate. Students were further invited to participate in a focus group. All students participated in the debate (n = 20). Six students (30%) completed the first survey, 16 students (80%) completed the second survey, and seven students (35%) participated in the post-debate focus group. We found that before the assessment item students were apprehensive about the debate, however they felt it would be a beneficial learning experience. After the debate, students claimed they enjoyed the novel assessment and were supportive of its continued inclusion in the capstone course, however, students were ambivalent on the inclusion of debates in earlier courses in the program

Voting Without Choosing : Sate Making and Elections in Zimbabwe

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Taking a critical stance toward the literature on democratisation in Africa, this qualitative analysis utilises empirical data on four general elections in Zimbabwe. Elections are approached by looking at their meaning for nation-building and state-building. The 1980 elections in Zimbabwe served to legitimise the transition to independence. The electorate voted according to the ethnic division, which allowed the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union (Patriotic Front), ZANU(PF), to monitor its regional support. Consolidation of government power led to political repression in the region of the main opposition party, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union, ZAPU. The 1985 and 1990 elections reflected the way the government handled conflicts and showed how it learned to use legal and administrative means to hold power. Merging ZAPU with ZANU created a de facto one-party system. “State decay” with economic problems, corruption and concentration of power gave impetus to a new opposition party in 1990, while a large part of the urban voters abstained from voting. Urban apathy was exacerbated in the 1995/96 elections, when the opposition was weak. The ruling party has increasingly depended upon its support in the rural areas, which have become dependent on government aid. Although more vocal, interest groups used the 1990 elections to bargain with the government, rather than to support the opposition, and in 1995 exhibited cynicism toward the whole process. Yet civic groups have taken part in elections, not by competing in them but by working for their democratisation. This has served as compensation for democracy by providing the elite outside of the government an opportunity to criticise the way the leaders have been selected. It is argued that through this space civil society, interest groups and the competing parties have expressed nationhood and that in the context of state decay elections can have a potential to promote nation-building in spite of their undemocratic character

Akateeminen vapaus tutkimuskohteena - havaintoja Afrikasta

News about violations of academic freedom have increased with the erosion of civil liberties and the decline of democratization. However, there is little empirical research on the political effects of academic freedom. There is also no consensus on the exact definition of the term. In this article, the meanings of academic freedom are approached through literature and practical advocacy work, and by presenting the indicator published in 2020 by the Varieties of Democracy database. As an example, we examine research results on the link between academic freedom and democracy in Africa, where the university institution has developed in the midst of rapid political changes. Based on interview material, we will focus on the experiences of scholars in Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Research data shows that academic freedom and higher education support democratic development far into the future. That is why they deserve long-term support through development cooperation

The digestibility and nutritive value of sugar beet top silage for sows

The digestibility of beet top silage made from tops harvested with a mower chopper was determined with five adult, pregnant sows. Two rations of 6 kg/day (Trial I) and 2 kg/day (Trial II) were tested, with the dry matter comprising 48 (I) and 20 % (II) of the total dry matter of the barley-based diet. The average digestibilities of silage were 68.6 (I) and 69.3 % (II) for organic matter and 71.0 (I) and 64.4 % (II) for crude protein. The pepsin-solubility of crude protein was 85 %. The calculated energy value was 2.21 Meal. ME/kg DM, corresponding to 0.60 f.u./kg DM (f.u. =C.7 starch units), and the protein value 142 g DCP/kg DM. The amino acid composition of crude protein of both fresh and ensiled tops was better than that reported for beet tops cut at ground level. The composition changed very little during ensilage. Beet top silage is rich in all required minerals except phosphorus. The oxalic acid converts silage Ca and even extra Ca to an indigestible form, but does not impair the digestibility of Mg. The large amounts of K and Na raise the pH of urine to a high level. The trace element contents of beet tops are well above the established requirements for pigs and the excess is secreted in the faeces

COVID-19-infektion neurologiset ilmentymät

Vertaisarvioitu.COVID-19-infektion neurologisista ilmentymistä kertynyt tieto on tapausselostusten ja -sarjojen hallitsemaa. Yleisimmät neurologiset ilmentymät ovat olleet haju- ja makuaistin muutokset. Aivoverenkiertohäiriöt, enkefalopatia ja immuunivälitteiset keskushermoston sairaudet tulevat usein esiin COVID-19-infektion komplikaatioina, mutta toisaalta Guillain-Barrén oireyhtymän osalta yhteys tähän infektioon kumottiin laajemmassa epidemiologisessa kohorttitutkimuksessa. Myös enkefaliitin, epileptisten kohtauksien, ääreishermoston sairauksien ja lihassairauksien on kuvattu liittyvän tähän infektioon. Neuropatologisissa tutkimuksissa tärkeimmät löydökset ovat olleet hypoksis-iskeeminen vaurio, verenvuodot ja epäspesifiset tulehdusmuutokset. Vielä odotellaan varmuutta siitä, aiheutuvatko kudosmuutokset viruksen invaasiosta aivoihin vai onko kyse epäsuorista muutoksista. Mekanismi SARS-CoV2-viruksen pääsylle aivokudokseen näyttäisi olevan olemassa. COVID-19-infektion jälkeisestä pitkittyneestä neurologisesta oireilusta tarvitaan lisää tutkimustietoa.Peer reviewe

Quality of light — is laser necessary for effective photobiostimulation?

Is true laser, with its unique qualities of coherence, collimation and monochromaticity, necessary for effective photobiostimulation, or is a simpler form of light sufficient? Doubt has been cast on the importance of coherence and collimation in influencing biostimulation. It is hypothesised that monochromaticity (or singularity of wavelength) is the only characteristic of laser necessary for photostimulation. If wavelength is the important factor in phototherapy, the clinician must consider which wavelengths are capable of producing specific effects within living tissues. In addition, it is important to distinguish the quality of light provided by a unit and whether it will give the desired results without a large financial outlay. This article reviews the unique properties of laser, discusses their contribution to photobiostimulation and looks at apparatus which provide these properties