The Prospects for Democracy in Iran

Streaming video requires RealPlayer to view.The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.Why did Iran's pro-democracy movement fail? Mark Gasiorowski, director of the International Studies Program at Louisiana State University, argues the movement failed because its leaders opted to pursue incremental, gradual change from within rather than directly confronting the Islamic regime.Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security StudiesEvent webpage, streaming video, photos, lecture summar

Bioactive films produced from self-assembling peptide amphiphiles as versatile substrates for tuning cell adhesion and tissue architecture in serum-free conditions

The development of versatile bioactive surfaces able to emulate in vivo conditions is of enormous importance to the future of cell and tissue therapy. Tuning cell behaviour on two-dimensional surfaces so that the cells perform as if they were in a natural three-dimensional tissue represents a significant challenge, but one that must be met if the early promise of cell and tissue therapy is to be fully realised. Due to the inherent complexities involved in the manufacture of biomimetic three-dimensional substrates, the scaling up of engineered tissue-based therapies may be simpler if based upon proven two-dimensional culture systems. In this work, we developed new coating materials composed of the self-assembling peptide amphiphiles (PAs) C16G3RGD (RGD) and C16G3RGDS (RGDS) shown to control cell adhesion and tissue architecture while avoiding the use of serum. When mixed with the C16ETTES diluent PA at 13 : 87 (mol mol-1) ratio at 1.25 times 10-3 M, the bioactive {PAs} were shown to support optimal adhesion, maximal proliferation, and prolonged viability of human corneal stromal fibroblasts ({hCSFs)}, while improving the cell phenotype. These {PAs} also provided stable adhesive coatings on highly-hydrophobic surfaces composed of striated polytetrafluoroethylene ({PTFE)}, significantly enhancing proliferation of aligned cells and increasing the complexity of the produced tissue. The thickness and structure of this highly-organised tissue were similar to those observed in vivo, comprising aligned newly-deposited extracellular matrix. As such, the developed coatings can constitute a versatile biomaterial for applications in cell biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine requiring serum-free conditions

Democracia vs. eficiência: como alcançar equilíbrio em tempo de crise financeira

Resumo A administração pública é forçada a encontrar um equilíbrio entre eficiência e democracia na definição da sua agenda e curso de ação. Uma das características da administração pública é que todas as decisões devem refletir valores democráticos, para além de serem eficientes. No entanto, a reforma administrativa, motivada por dificuldades financeiras, tende a destacar a importância do desempenho financeiro, em detrimento dos aspetos democráticos nas políticas de gestão pública. Esta pesquisa visa analisar a relação e tensão entre a eficiência e a democracia à luz da mais recente crise financeira global. O trabalho utiliza uma abordagem quantitativa e recolhe dados de governos locais portugueses para testar o argumento de uma relação linear inversa de desempenho financeiro e procedimentos democráticos. Os resultados confirmam o argumento de uma relação inversa, definida por Waldo (1948). Adicionalmente, os resultados também permitem concluir que a crise financeira evidenciou o efeito negativo dos procedimentos democráticos no desempenho financeiro

Op-Ed The Causes and Consequences of Iran's June 2005 Presidential Election; Strategic Insights: v.4, issue 8 (August 2005)

This article appeared in Strategic Insights (August 2005), v.4 no.8Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardline conservative Islamist, scored a stunning victory in the second round of Iran's June 2005 presidential election. Many observers have described Ahmadinejads victory as a key turning point for Iran, predicting that it will produce a new era of radical, puritanical rule at home and greater militancy in Iran's foreign policy. However, Iran's new president will face important political obstacles that will limit his ability to act, so it is not clear whether, and to what extent, he will be able to carry out such drastic changes. This article examines why Ahmadinejad achieved such a decisive victory and what consequences his victory may have for Iranian politics and for Irans domestic and foreign policy. Its main conclusion is that domestic and international political realities will place substantial limitations on Ahmadinejad, making it harder for him to pursue his agenda in some policy areas than in others. Ahmadinejad's victory probably will have a fairly big impact on domestic economic policy and political conditions inside Iran, but its impact on socio-cultural conditions and foreign policy probably will be more limited