The Catalytic Effect of IMF Lending: Evidence from Sectoral FDI Data

Our study contributes to the search for the elusive catalytic effect of International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending on inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Recent scholarship has found that the catalytic effect is conditional on political regime and program stringency. We contribute to this literature by developing and testing a theory which describes how the catalytic effect also varies by economic sector. This is a departure from existing studies, which have tended to focus on aggregate FDI flows after crises. Our findings corroborate previous research, which finds that in general IMF lending has a substantial and negative effect on FDI. However, we find that the negative effect is concentrated in sectors that are highly dependent on external capital and have low sunk costs in the host country. Our findings are robust to several alternative explanations common in IMF literature, namely the importance of IMF program design and the ability of governments to make credible commitments to reform. Substantively, our findings suggest that investors are more likely to use IMF lending as an escape hatch in countries where FDI is dependent on external capital and has low sunk costs.     

Against Localism: Does Decentralising Power to Communities Fail Minorities?

The continued decline in levels of political engagement among British citizens has led many politicians, commentators and academics from across the political spectrum to advocate a move toward a more direct form of democracy via some kind of localism. The claim is that citizens feel increasingly estranged from the democratic process, and from those organisations on which they have historically relied to represent them within the political system. Consequently, localists argue, there now exists a gap between the people, the institutions which are supposed to work on their behalf, and the decisions made in their name, so the system needs to be reformed in such a way as to give individuals and local communities more of a direct input into the decision-making process. Calls for a more direct form of democracy via localism are popular among members of the progressive left and the 'new Conservative' right, and have become so dominant in political discourse that it is often suggested that 'we are all localists now'. This article raises questions about the localist agenda, and suggests that the adoption of a more direct form of democracy in Britain may not only fail to address the decline in political engagement, but may also result in the exclusion, marginalisation, and oppression of minority groups.     

天然药物化学课程教学方法的探讨

随着当前对天然药物开发研究的不断深入,天然药物化学课程的重要性也越来越受到重视。而传统的天然药物化学教学方式多为教师讲授,学生被动地听、甚至靠死记硬背,学生的学习兴趣没有得到激发,效率不高,普遍反映枯燥难学。因而全面提高天然药物化学的学习水平和教学质量具有重要意义。为此,作者结合自己的教学经验谈一些感受。     

第二次世界大战后武力使用规范的演进

在国际法体系中,武装冲突法可谓编纂得最为完备的一个分支。经过数百年的积累和铺垫,第二次世界大战后武力使用规范逐渐发展成为完整的规范体系并呈现出四大特征:即为了适应国际关系的新变化武装冲突法扩大了适用范围;使用核武器是否合法成为国际法的重要问题;出现了在武装冲突中"反向"使用武力以达到实现和平目的的新方式——联合国维持和平行动以及在武装冲突中出现了大量作为作战手段而使用的性暴力行为等。然而进入21世纪以后,武装冲突的形态与样式均发生了重大变化,一方面,以无人机、自主作战机器人、纳米生物武器和网络战为代表的新型作战手段方法层出不穷;另一方面,非国家行为体在武装冲突中使用武力的情况有所增加,更出现了私人军事安保公司等法律地位在国际法上尚处于空白的交战主体。以朝核危机为标志,核武器对于国际和平与安全的巨大的潜在甚至是现实的威胁再次凸显,迅速成为国际政治和国际法中的热点核心议题。值得注意的是,即使武装冲突法的基本原则依然相对稳定,但是不断出现的新作战手段和方法,仍然给国际法和国际安全提出了一系列亟须应对的新挑战。     

新生猪胰腺干细胞培养方法的建立

通过对不同饲养层和培养基以及细胞因子进行筛选,比较了各种培养基和细胞生长因子对细胞传代时间和增殖细胞比例的影响,选择最佳分离条件,建立了新生猪胰腺干细胞体外培养的最佳体系。结果显示,以成纤维细胞为饲养层,在含100 mL/L胎牛血清的L-DMEM中添加表皮生长因子、干细胞因子、白血病抑制因子的培养液中培养,细胞能快速增殖,多突起、多角形、小圆形、长梭形4种类型干细胞的增殖比例适中,而且各种类型的细胞都能长期传代培养。     

诱惑侦查对我国司法实践的启迪

随着社会的发展。犯罪行为日趋多样化、复杂化,侦查手段也应顺应实践的发展,才能更有效地打击犯罪,维护社会的良好秩序．诱惑侦查是案件侦查过程中的一种特殊侦查手段,尽管很多学者对此提出质疑,但实践中其具有合理性、合法性,是打击犯罪所不可缺少的．我国应建立诱惑侦查制度。     

犯罪对象概念的反思与重构

刑法学者之所以在不同场合赋予犯罪对象不同含义,是因为我国刑法理论中的传统犯罪对象概念存在一定的缺陷。有必要重构犯罪对象概念,将“犯罪行为直接作用的具体人和物”与“犯罪客体的直接物质承担者”两种含义适当分离,在理论上区分为直接犯罪对象与间接犯罪对象,二者作为犯罪实行行为指向的事物,有时可发生部分重合,但功能上并不相同,不可相互替代。     

论正确处理人民内部矛盾的方法——纪念毛泽东《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》发表50周年

毛泽东在《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》中,针对人民内部矛盾的不同表现,具体阐述了处理人民内部矛盾的各种方法,对于处理新形势下的人民内部矛盾具有重要的现实指导意义。对于我国社会当前存在的人民内部矛盾,必须运用经济、教育、法律等方面的方法来加以解决。     

司法实证分析

纯理性的、纯思辨的分析在法学研究中的局限性越来越明显,司法实践越来越需要实证分析的方法.实证分析的方法,就是如何获得知识的知识,怎样获得一个研究成果的过程和方法.实证分析强调三个意识:样本意识、量化意识、半知意识,还必需具备三个条件:理论资源、案例资源、量化分析手段.     

习惯法研究中的“实用主义”倾向之反思

当前我国习惯法研究中充满着日益强烈的实用主义价值诉求与愈益精细的制度设想．这固然有其积极的实践意义和制度优化作用，但也存在“实用主义”倾向等诸多偏颇，制约了我国习惯法研究的深层次发展。究其原因在于大多数的习惯法研究者过于简单化地以西方的“实用主义”为依据和标准．既忽略了对“实用主义”内涵的深层理解和消化吸收，又没有把握习惯法的内在理路。为此，在今后的习惯法研究中，应结合全球化的时代背景，回到“实用主义”哲学的生成语境，从习惯法的内在理路来进行研究。