Organizational Disruption and Change in Mozambique's Peace Process
Mozambique returned to peace after a brutal civil war, despite imperfect disarmament. Many accounts make some appeal to the motivations of the parties to seek peace as a case of ‘political will’. While these explanations are not false, an approach that looks to the Renamo insurgency's organizational structure can flesh out explanations of how changing attitudes moved the insurgency as well as illuminate points at which outside peacekeepers may find leverage. In particular, the UN mission capitalized on Renamo's difficulties and exploited its military focus and narrow political base by widely dispersing Renamo combatants during demobilization and fostering political party structures. These tactics helped to disrupt Renamo's ability to act as a spoiler.
Political Party Transitions in Post-Conflict States: How Political Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique
Miller, Rachel L. M.A., Department of Political Science, Wright State University, 2012. “Political Party Transitions in Post-Conflict States: How Political Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique.” This study argues that political parties in the post-conflict period are adaptable to and capable of changing roles as states transition to peacetime settings. In the aftermath of war in El Salvador, Cambodia and Mozambique and during a democratic transition, changes in political party structures and attitudes, and the influence of external actors emerged as significant factors in the way political parties adapted. National and international political contexts, ideological differences and war time political party origins played a part in incumbent and insurgent political parties’ behaviors and electoral successes in the aftermath of war, which has ultimately affected the democratic transition, in some cases undermining. This study demonstrates the nuance of democratic transition, how each individual case is unique and the importance of internal actors during the transition period and after.
Electrophysiological Studies of Penticainide (CM 7857), a New Antiarrhythmic Agent, in Mammalian Myocardium
The intracellular electrophysiologic properties of a new antiarrhythmic substance, penticainide, were studied in isolated rabbit, dog, and guinea pig myocardial preparations superfused or perfused with oxygenated Tyrode's solution. “Therapeutic” concentrations of penticainide (1.5 to 3 x 10-5 M) had little effect on sinus node automaticity; sinoatrial conduction was slightly delayed. In atrial, Purkinje and ventricular fibers, amplitude, and maximal rate of rise of phase 0 (dV/dtmax) were decreased by penticainide; Purkinje-ventricle conduction velocity was depressed. Penticainide did not significantly modify action potential duration (APD) of rabbit atria and dog ventricle and reduced APD and effective refractory period (ERP) of dog Purkinje and guinea pig ventricular fibers. Penticainide reduced APD heterogeneity of Purkinje-ventricle junction with a preferential effect at the gate and decreased tension amplitude of perfused papillary muscle in dog heart. The effect of penticainide on dV/dtmax was voltage and rate dependent; the resting block was weak. Thus, penticainide is a class 1 antiarrhythmic agent with properties of class 1B agents such as APD reduction and properties of class 1C agents such as slow recovery kinetic of rate-dependent block.