121 research outputs found
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Programs: An Assessment
FSW â Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide
Sovereignty Rupture as a Central Concept in Quantitative Measures of Civil War
Empirical studies of the causes or consequences of civil war often use
measures that do not correspond to theory and results are sensitive to
small changes in the coding of civil wars. Civil war is an instance of
âsovereignty ruptureâ and is inherently a polity-level phenomenon, but
that understanding of civil war is not reflected in data in which civil
war is coded as a dyadic conflictâthe state fighting a domestic
challenger. We demonstrate the consequences of conceptual ambiguity
about which conflicts to code as civil war and when to code the start
and end of a civil war. Using a new data set of civil wars from 1945 to
2016 that is consistent with the concept of sovereignty rupture, we
replicate several studies and find that their results are often
overturned or weakened when we use our data. We advocate for greater
deliberateness in data selection in civil war studies, focusing on the
fit between the question of interest and the concept of civil war that
is underlying a given data set.FSW â Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide
Economic globalization and decentralization : a centrifugal or centripetal relationship?
One of the most significant economic trends in the last decades has been the integration of countries in international markets. What have been the consequences of global economic integration upon the territorial organization of the states? Has it contributed to centralize powers or to further decentralization? The literature so far has provided inconclusive evidence. In this paper we shed new light on the relationship between economic globalization and territorial politics by using a varied source of data such as the Regional Authority Index, and the KOF indices of globalization for the period 1970-2010. Results show that economic globalization is positively associated to decentralization, particularly in those countries with more regionalist parties and where levels of inequality are lower. Conversely, higher levels of regional inequality can revert the effect
Microencapsulated islet allografts in diabetic NOD mice and nonhuman primates
OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess the efficacy of encapsulated allogeneic islets transplanted in diabetic NOD mice and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic nonhuman primates (NHPs).MATERIALS AND METHODS: Murine or NHP islets were microencapsulated and transplanted in non-immunosuppressed mice or NHPs given clinically-acceptable immunosuppressive regimens, respectively. Two NHPs were treated with autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and peri-transplant oxygen therapy. Different transplant sites (intraperitoneal [i.p.], omental pouch, omental surface, and bursa omentalis) were tested in separate NHPs. Graft function was monitored by exogenous insulin requirements, fasting blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance tests, percent hemoglobin A1c (% HbA1c), and C-peptide levels. In vitro assessment of grafts included histology, immunohistochemistry, and viability staining; host immune responses were characterized by flow cytometry and cytokine/chemokine multiplex ELISAS.RESULTS: Microencapsulated islet allografts functioned long-term i.p. in diabetic NOD mice without immunosuppression, but for a relatively short time in immunosuppressed NHPs. In the NHPs, encapsulated allo-islets initially reduced hyperglycemia, decreased exogenous insulin requirements, elevated C-peptide levels, and lowered % HbA1c in plasma, but graft function diminished with time, regardless of transplant site. At necropsy, microcapsules were intact and non-fibrotic, but many islets exhibited volume loss, central necrosis and endogenous markers of hypoxia. Animals receiving supplemental oxygen and autologous MSCs showed improved graft function for a longer post-transplant period. In diabetic NHPs and mice, cell-free microcapsules did not elicit a fibrotic response.CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggested that hypoxia was a major factor for damage to encapsulated islets in vivo. To achieve long-term function, new approaches must be developed to increase the oxygen supply to microencapsulated islets and/or identify donor insulin-secreting cells which can tolerate hypoxia.</p
From low-conflict polity to democratic civil peace: Explaining Zambian exceptionalism
An absence of civil war and other significant sub-state violence makes Zambia an exceptional although not unique case in central-southern Africa. The literature devoted to explaining civil war has grown dramatically in recent years, but while it pays much attention to sub-Saharan Africa only rarely does it investigate counterfactual cases like Zambia. Similarly the growing field of research into post-conflict reconstruction fails to capture the distinct features of persistently low-conflict situations where many of the predisposing conditions for violent conflict might seem to be present. This paper examines Zambiaâs experience against a background of general theories that try to explain conflict. It is an âinterpretative case studyâ. The paper proceeds by substantiating Zambiaâs claim to a relatively peaceful record and introduces ideas of conflict and conflict theories, before arguing that no single general theory dwelling on just one primary âcauseâ will suffice to explain Zambian exceptionalism. The precise mix of arguments differs for each one Zambiaâs three republican eras, as the potential threats to peace have themselves evolved over the period since independence. The paperâs main theoretical claim is that over time the explanation is both multi-layered and dynamic. That said, certain features do stand out, most notably an inherited political culture that is predisposed against the violent resolution of conflict and continues to insulate the country against social and economic traumas and democratic shortcomings
- âŠ