THE AU MISSION IN BURUNDI

Abstract

Even though the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA) managed to take firm control of the state as the war ended in 2002, this article contends that its hegemony is not absolute. At the fringes of the state administration, emerging regional elites have established associations that seek to provide a remedy against the centralised system, which essentially deprives regions of political influence and sufficient economic resources. As in many other countries on the African continent, political identities that were legally enforced and institutionally reproduced in colonial times have hardly been transcended in the post-colonial period. Even if the associations' influence today does not yet reach further than bringing some insecurity to an otherwise secure polity dominated by the MPLA, the associations could play a role in reinforcing strong regional solidarity and give political expression to feelings of exclusion. Such sentiments could in turn lead to an increase of exclusivity ideas about citizenship, or even xenophobic violence. Much will depend on the strategies of the MPLA, and to what extent it will accommodate these emergent forces in the post-war era, not the least through the current sub-national state reforms.     

POLITICAL SURVIVAL AND NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION

Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East, by Etel Solingen. Princeton University Press, 2007. 404 pages, $26.95.     

Country survey XII: South Africa

This article examines the relationship between defence expenditure and economic performance in South Africa, both prior to and after that country's first fully democratic election in 1994. Prior to 1994 defence expenditure decisions were largely dominated by non‐economic factors; since then defence spending has declined in reaction to, inter alia, the need to address a number of socio‐economic inequities.

After 1975 in particular, military industrialisation in South Africa placed a disproportionately high burden on the country's industrial resources and natural economic and technical capabilities. However, although this suggests that the opportunity cost of domestic arms production has been fairly high, the country's poor economic and development performance since the mid‐1970s is a function of underlying structural deficiencies and institutional constraints rather than the consequence of inordinately high defence spending levels.     

比例最小偏度单形UKF的RBF神经网络算法

为提高RBF神经网络的建模性能,提出一种基于改进无迹Kalman滤波(UKF)的RBF神经网络训练算法。在该算法中,首先将比例最小偏度单形Sigma点采样策略引入UT,以有效改进UKF,提升其计算效率,然后利用改进的UKF优化估计RBF神经网络的最优参数。仿真结果表明,改进的UKF比EKF具有更高的RBF神经网络模型训练精度,与传统UKF的模型精度大体相当,但速度更快,计算效率更高。     

From adversity to prosperity

This article interrogates the continuing relevance of the contractarian governance paradigm to resource governance and the impact of exploitation on the local population and environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe and Ghana. It highlights the susceptibilities of their governance processes, particularly the roles of the elites of the host communities, the multinational corporations, and the governing authorities in appropriating resources for their personal interests, resulting in tensions and conflicts. This scenario is borne out of inept leadership, as well as the defective and compromised administrative mechanisms operational in these countries. In view of this, the article underscores the need for a ‘new governance management paradigm’ anchored on a communitarian framework, which incorporates all stakeholders, to guarantee sustainable peace and prosperity, particularly in conflict zones. The article therefore concludes that achieving a nexus between forestry, mining activities and economic development in these countries will require a restructuring of the existing governance mechanisms; and advocates for a new governance model capable of curbing the excesses of local and foreign hegemony, including a total overhaul of the seemingly compromised supervising authority.     

一类带容量限制的运输问题

考虑一类带容量限制的运输问题.采用构造辅助网络的方法,将运输网络中的每个配送中心均拆分成两个节点,构造出新弧,形成新的网络,把此类运输问题转换为最小费用流问题来解决.并在此基础上,考虑运输网络中配送中心的容量扩张问题.     

Development programs for one‐shot systems using multiple‐state design reliability models

Design reliability at the beginning of a product development program is typically low, and development costs can account for a large proportion of total product cost. We consider how to conduct development programs (series of tests and redesigns) for one‐shot systems (which are destroyed at first use or during testing). In rough terms, our aim is to both achieve high final design reliability and spend as little of a fixed budget as possible on development. We employ multiple‐state reliability models. Dynamic programming is used to identify a best test‐and‐redesign strategy and is shown to be presently computationally feasible for at least 5‐state models. Our analysis is flexible enough to allow for the accelerated stress testing needed in the case of ultra‐high reliability requirements, where testing otherwise provides little information on design reliability change. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2004     

基于GO法的多阶段共因失效任务系统可靠性评估

为了解决部件阶段依赖性与共因失效给系统可靠性分析带来的复杂性,针对多阶段共因失效任务系统,结合GO法易于处理有时序、含共因失效系统可靠性分析的特点,首先,将前一阶段的输出信号作为后一阶段的输入信号,建模时首尾连接各阶段模型,建立整个任务系统的隐性GO模型;其次,在进行各信号流状态组合运算时,融入阶段代数处理部件的阶段依赖性;再次,用隐性共因失效分析,将共因失效对系统的影响在状态组合的定量分析中表达出来,得到所需系统可靠性指标;最后,与基于二元决策图的算法进行对比验证。结果表明:GO法可以简捷、准确地处理多阶段共因失效任务系统可靠性评估问题。     

基于矩阵变换的坦克驾驶训练数字化记录与评判系统研究

为了解决坦克驾驶训练中因操作状态难以保留、操作细节难以再现而无法实现对训练成果深入分析与客观评价的不足,以坦克驾驶训练数字化记录与评判系统总体设计为切入点,基于基础驾驶动作的分解与组合以及车辆状态信息获取设计了驾驶动作记录仪,实现了坦克驾驶训练过程中动作状态信息的采集与数字化存储,并应用矩阵变换理论,提出了一种基于关键性动作参数查找与判断的方法,对基础驾驶动作进行了过程识别与效果评判。分析表明:该系统的技术能对坦克驾驶动作状态进行数字化记录,而基于状态矩阵变换的方法能实现基本驾驶过程的识别与评判。     

基于IEEE 802.11的无线多跳网络路径容量分析模型

旨在建立一个适用于无线多跳路径性能研究的闭合分析模型。首先对导致多跳路径中流内竞争现象的干扰问题进行了详细分析并给出了定量计算方法,然后通过将多跳路径建模为排队网络,利用扩散近似法建立了路径性能分析模型,最后在网络稳定性约束条件下对多跳路径的容量问题进行了研究。利用该模型可以在无线多跳网络中分析网络传输的吞吐能力,同时有助于研究网络对QoS业务的支持能力。通过仿真实验结果与数值分析结果的对比,验证了分析模型的准确性。