The Gravity of Arms

The aim of this paper is to investigate the determinants of international arms transfers in a gravity model framework. By distinguishing between the decision to export arms (extensive margin) and the value of the arms exported (intensive margin), while also considering its interdependence, is what differentiates this paper from previous research. A theoretically justified gravity model of trade augmented with political and security motives is estimated using a two-stage panel data approach for 104 exporting countries over the period from 1950 to 2007. In addition to the usual gravity variables related to the economic mass of the trading countries and the trade cost factors, the model is extended with political and security factors. The level of democracy in both trading partners, political differences between trading partners and voting similarity with the United States in the UN General Assembly of the countries engaged in trade are the main political factors, whereas the existence of conflicts, military pacts, and embargoes are taken as security motives. The key result indicates that both political and security motives are an important determinant of an arms trade, but their effects on the extensive margin of exports (the decision to order a transfer) differs from their effect on the intensive margin (average value of exports). Moreover, the relative importance of the factors under study has changed since 1989. In the post-cold war period, countries that are less democratic are more likely to export arms, military pacts are less relevant and embargoes play a role.     

Optimal allocation of minimal repairs in parallel and series systems

In reliability engineering, the concept of minimal repair describes that the repair brings the failed unit (eg, system or component) to the situation which is same as it was just before the failure. With the help of the well‐known Gamma‐Poisson relationship, this paper investigates optimal allocation strategies of minimal repairs for parallel and series systems through implementing stochastic comparisons of various allocation policies in terms of the hazard rate, the reversed hazard rate, and the likelihood ratio orderings. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate these findings as well. These results not only strengthen and generalize some known ones in the seminal work of Shaked and Shanthikumar, but also solve the open problems proposed by Chahkandi et al.'s study and Arriaza et al.'s study.     

加强和改进大学生思想政治工作的思考

新形势下的大学生思想政治工作面临着许多新的挑战,如何在新形势下开展大学生思想政治工作是广大高校工作者必须思考的一个重要课题。分析大学生思想政治工作面临的新情况、新问题,提出相关对策对加强和改进大学生思想政治工作具有重要的现实意义。     

对学员思想政治教育针对性的调查与思考

学员思想政治教育存在观念、内容、方式、队伍建设等方面诸多问题,急需有针对性地加以解决。应本着发现问题、分析问题和解决问题的思路,透过现象看本质,提出加强学员思想政治教育策略,着力在突出变、精、活、实、新上下功夫。     

When are strategic narratives effective? The shaping of political discourse through the interaction between political myths and strategic narratives

Most research on strategic narratives has explored their creation, and their interaction with other elements of national power in the conduct of foreign policy. Yet, the issue of how the targeted political communities receive those strategic narratives, and thus how those narratives are likely to have a political impact, is understudied. This article argues that in order to understand the ways strategic narrative are received within a political community, political myths must be taken into account. It introduces a typology of political myths based on their degree of universality and their degree of coherence with other myths, and shows how those factors influence the reception of strategic narratives. These mechanisms are illustrated through a study of the reception of the Russian strategic narrative in France. This approach offers opportunities to assess the differentiated impact strategic narratives have on political communities.     

谈高校校报思想政治教育的作用

高校校报既是高校思想宣传工作的重要阵地,又是高校进行思想政治教育的重要平台。深入分析、挖掘校报的思想政治教育作用,对校报提高办报质量,有针对性地为高校发展提供舆论支持具有深远意义。只有充分发挥高校校报在思想政治工作中的作用,才能稳固校园主流媒体的地位。     

新形势下学员思想政治教育创新研究

推动学员思想政治教育创新发展,必须找准切入点和结合点,强化首位意识、主导意识、主体意识、政治意识、德育意识、创新意识、法规意识、责任意识、军校意识、人本意识,树牢育人为本、德育为先的理念,改进学员思想政治教育的方式方法,健全学员思想政治教育的制度机制,切实增强思想政治教育的主动性、针对性和有效性。     

思想政治教育对高校突发事件的防范功能研究

为维持高校和社会的和谐稳定,必须防范高校突发事件的发生。思想政治教育对高校突发事件有着特殊而重大的防范功能,它不但能为防范突发事件提供可靠的思想保证和精神动力,而且其本身就是防范突发事件的重要手段。思想政治教育在思想引导、心理干预、利益协调、情绪宣泄、预防文化教育和预警等方面都具有对高校突发事件的防范功能。     

Properties of a mean residual life function arising from renewal theory

The present article discusses the properties of the mean residual life function in a renewal process. We examine the relationship this function has with the failure rate function and the conventional mean, variance and coefficient of variation of residual life. We also discuss some monotonicity properties of the mean residual life function. A partial order based on the renewal mean residual function is introduced along with its interrelationship with some existing stochastic orders. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2010     

“和谐社会”理念对大学生思想政治教育的启示

和谐社会是一种理想状态。建设社会主义和谐社会是一个重大课题。加强和改进大学生思想政治教育,服务和谐社会建设,是当前的重大任务。本文从构建“和谐社会”的角度,提出加强和改进大学生思想政治教育应坚持以人为本理念、积极探索思想政治教育的方法,全面提升大学生的综合素质,不断适应和谐社会发展的要求。