Pro-poor development performance of livestock projects: analysis and lessons from projects' documentation

The importance of livestock as a pathway out of poverty is widely recognised, but the effectiveness of pro-poor livestock development projects has been questioned. This study examines a sample of livestock development projects to draw lessons about their effectiveness and identify best practice. A large proportion of projects (60 per cent) were categorised as having not been successful. Project success is found to be positively associated with size of project, diversity of direct project beneficiaries, institution development activities in projects, and effective monitoring and evaluation activities. Lack of reliability of government partners, and inclusion of other agricultural activities together with livestock activities in projects, undermine success.

Résultats en matière de développement pro-pauvres des projets basés sur l’élevage : analyse et enseignements tirés de la documentation de projets

L'importance de l’élevage comme moyen d’échapper à la pauvreté est largement reconnu, mais l'efficacité des projets de développement pro-pauvres basés sur l’élevage a été mise en cause. Cette étude examine un échantillon de projets de développement basés sur l’élevage pour en tirer des enseignements concernant leur efficacité et identifier les meilleures pratiques. Un considérable pourcentage des projets (60 pour cent) ont été catégorisés comme n'ayant pas réussi. Le succès des projets se révèle être positivement associé à la taille du projet, à la diversité des bénéficiaires directs du projet, aux activités de développement des institutions dans le cadre des projets, et à des activités efficaces de suivi et d’évaluation. Le manque de fiabilité des partenaires gouvernementaux et l'inclusion d'autres activités agricoles dans les activités d’élevage dans le cadre des projets ont aussi une incidence négative sur le succès.

Desempeño de los proyectos de desarrollo ganadero en pro de los pobres: análisis y aprendizajes a partir de la documentación de los proyectos

Es ampliamente reconocida la importancia que tiene el ganado como un medio para salir de la pobreza. Sin embargo, se ha cuestionado la efectividad de algunos proyectos de desarrollo ganadero en pro de los pobres. El presente estudio examina una muestra de proyectos de desarrollo ganadero, con el fin de obtener aprendizajes sobre su efectividad y de identificar las mejores prácticas. Un elevado porcentaje (60%) de los proyectos fue clasificado como no exitoso. Se encontró que el éxito del proyecto se asocia positivamente a su tamaño, a la diversidad de los beneficiarios directos, a las actividades de desarrollo llevadas a cabo por las instituciones participantes en el proyecto, así como a actividades de monitoreo y de evaluación efectivas. El éxito de los proyectos se ve disminuido por la falta de formalidad de las contrapartes gubernamentales y por la incorporación de otras actividades agrícolas en los proyectos ganaderos.

Desempenho de projetos sobre gado pra o desenvolvimento dos pobres: análise e lições extraídas da documentação de projetos

A importância da criação de gado como um caminho para sair da pobreza é altamente reconhecida, mas a efetividade de projetos sobre a criação de gado para o desenvolvimento de pessoas pobres tem sido questionada. Este estudo examina uma amostra de projetos sobre criação de gado para o desenvolvimento visando extrair lições sobre sua efetividade e identificar as melhores práticas. Uma grande proporção dos projetos (60 por cento) foi classificada como não tendo sido bem-sucedida. Constatou-se que o sucesso do projeto está positivamente associado ao seu tamanho, diversidade dos seus beneficiários diretos, atividades de desenvolvimento institucional nos projetos e monitoramento efetivo e atividades de avaliação. A falta de confiança de parceiros do governo e a inclusão de outras atividades agrícolas, juntamente com as atividades de criação de gado nos projetos, impossibilitam o seu sucesso.     

Sharīʻa,Islamism and Arab support for democracy

ABSTRACT

The Arab Spring and its aftermath reignited the debate over the relationship between Islamism and democracy. This analysis improves upon previous research by demonstrating the crucial contribution which a more precise understanding of the multiple meanings of the concept of Sharī?a can have on our assessment of the future of democracy in the Arab world. While support for the Sharī?a-conformity of laws has a positive impact on the preference for democracy, the insistence that Sharī?a represents the word of God as opposed to the human attempt to interpret it reduces support for democracy. These findings are of considerable significance for academics and policy-makers interested in the future of democracy in the Arab world as it suggests that generic expressions of support for Sharī?a are less relevant in explaining support for democracy than what Arab women and men consider to be its essence.     

A unified model of settlement and trial expenditures: The Priest–Klein model extended

Settlement and trial expenditures are crucially interrelated. The literature on settlement, however, takes no account of models of trial. In this paper, we develop a unified model of settlement and trial expenditures. We do this by discarding the usual assumption of settlement models that trial costs are constant across cases. Instead, we follow the literature on trial by permitting trial costs to vary with the legal merit of the plaintiff's case. Our approach can be used to extend standard models of settlement such as the well-known Priest–Klein model as well as models based on asymmetric information. As a demonstration, we extend the Priest–Klein model and generally overturn that model's canonical results. In particular, we show that even in a fully symmetric model, predicted win rates at trial can deviate substantially from 50 percent. Furthermore, win rates will vary in response to legal reforms that shift the decision standard.     

Development and validation of the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Direct PCR Amplification Kit: a multiplex assay for the direct amplification of single-source samples

Abstract: The AmpF?STR^® Identifiler^® Direct PCR Amplification Kit is a new short tandem repeat multiplex assay optimized to allow the direct amplification of single‐source blood and buccal samples on FTA^® card without the need for sample purification and quantification. This multiplex assay has been validated according to the FBI/National Standards and SWGDAM guidelines. Validation results revealed that slight variations in primer concentration, master mix component concentration, and thermal cycling parameters did not affect the performance of the chemistry. The assay’s sensitivity was demonstrated by amplifying known amounts of white blood cells spotted onto FTA^® cards, and the assay’s specificity was verified by establishing minimal cross‐reactivity with nonhuman DNA. No effect on the age of the sample stored on the FTA^® substrate was observed and full concordance was established in the population study. These findings of the validation study support the use of the Identifiler^® Direct Kit for forensic standards and database samples genotyping.     

集体行动困境的应对之道--以广州市老旧小区加装电梯工作为例

老旧小区加装电梯是一项面向特定空间、特定人群的准公共产品,居民协商是实现这一公共产品供给的集体行动,但居民的个体理性会导致实施时出现集体行动困境。广州是国内较早开展这项工作的城市,通过访谈和政策内容分析梳理广州市老旧小区加装电梯的工作历程,结合集体行动理论分析老旧小区加装电梯面临的协商规模和价值偏好的困境,并在此基础上进一步探讨居民协商集体行动困境的破解之策。广州市的经验不仅为其他城市老旧小区加装电梯提供了借鉴,也为今后通过制度设计促成居民集体行动、推进城镇老旧小区改造工作,形成社区治理的长效机制提供了有益的启示。     

公共政策绩效损失的实证分析--以G省农业水价综合改革政策为例

绩效管理的核心目的是改进绩效,而绩效损失这一分析视角业已成为审视绩效生产与绩效提升的一个重要维度。以G省农业水价综合改革政策为例,对“治理缺陷型”和“价值偏离型”两类绩效损失的生成机理与影响因素进行分析。研究发现:两类绩效损失是在公共政策组织管理系统和公共价值建构系统中交互形成的,其公共价值因素与组织管理因素相互影响,共同作用于整体绩效损失的生成;其中,社会价值建构缺失构成了整体绩效损失生成的逻辑起点。此外,在绩效损失的生成过程中,经济发展水平和自然区位要素与其他影响因素耦合互动,并对绩效损失产生“放大效应”。未来应进一步开展相关的定量研究以探索绩效损失形成的关键区域,并提出具有针对性与可行性的矫正策略和治理路径。     

镇眩汤对梅尼埃病大鼠血管加压素的影响

目的 探讨中药复方镇眩汤治疗梅尼埃病的机制。方法 采用阻塞前庭导水管的方法复制梅尼埃病模型，观察大鼠用药前后听觉诱发电位听阈的变化及大鼠血浆中血管加压素的含量。结果 与假手术组比较，模型组大鼠听觉诱发电位听阈和血浆血管加压素水平显著升高；与模型组比较，镇眩汤高、中剂量组大鼠听阈和血管加压管水平显著降低（P＜0.05）。结论 镇眩汤治疗梅尼埃病的机制与其调节血浆血管加压素有关。