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Accord
Kinds of Accord Selected AbstractsCombination statin,fibrate therapy: safety aspectsDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2 2009R. Franssen Patients with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome remain at high residual risk of cardiovascular events even after intensive statin therapy. While treatment guidelines recommend the addition of a fibrate to statin therapy in this setting, concerns about the potential for myopathy may limit the use of this combination in clinical practice. These concerns are certainly justified for gemfibrozil, which interferes with statin glucuronidation, leading to elevation in statin plasma concentrations and an increased risk of myotoxicity in combination with a range of commonly prescribed statins. However, the available evidence refutes suggestions that this is a class effect for fibrates. Fenofibrate does not adversely influence the metabolism or pharmacokinetics of any of the commonly prescribed statins. This in turn translates to a reduced potential for myotoxicity in combination with a statin. Data are awaited from the ongoing Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fenofibrate plus simvastatin combination therapy in type 2 diabetes patients. [source] Lipid-lowering therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: the case for early interventionDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 4 2008Armin Steinmetz Abstract Chronic complications of type 2 diabetes, in particular, macrovascular complications, confer substantial morbidity and mortality and adversely affect a patient's quality of life. Early intensive intervention to control cardiovascular risk factors is essential in clinical management. Atherogenic dyslipidaemia characterized by elevated triglycerides, a low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and an increase in the preponderance of small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, is a key modifiable risk factor for macrovascular diabetic complications. Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with a statin (or the combination of statin and ezetimibe) is the main focus for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes. However, statins fail to address the residual cardiovascular risk associated with low HDL-C. Fibrates are effective against all components of the atherogenic dyslipidaemia associated with type 2 diabetes. Secondary analyses of the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study suggest a role for early treatment with fenofibrate in improving cardiovascular risk reduction in type 2 diabetes and provide safety data supporting the use of fenofibrate in combination with a statin. Data from the FIELD study suggest that fenofibrate may also have potential to impact on microvascular diabetic complications associated with type 2 diabetes. Data are awaited from the ongoing Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study to evaluate the outcome benefits of combining fenofibrate with a statin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Finally, in view of divergent study results and outstanding data, assessment of the risk of the individual with type 2 diabetes is mandatory to assist clinical decision-making when initiating lipid therapy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is There Accord in ACCORD?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 7 2010Lower Blood Pressure Targets in Type 2 Diabetes Does Not Lead to Fewer Cardiovascular Events Except for Reductions in Stroke First page of article [source] How Far to Reduce Blood Pressure in Patients With Diabetes,Even After ACCORD, Questions RemainJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2010Michael Weber MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Glycemic Targets for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes MellitusMOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009Ole-Petter R. Hamnvik MB Abstract Cardiovascular disease is the predominant cause of death in diabetic patients, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetics has recently been the focus of several highly publicized large trials, including ACCORD (Action To Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes), ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron MR Controlled Evaluation), and VADT (Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial). These studies randomized high-risk diabetic patients into either intensive treatment or standard treatment. The glycemic control arm of ACCORD was terminated 17 months before the planned end of the study because of a finding of significantly increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the intensive treatment group. These findings were not duplicated in either ADVANCE or VADT. Multiple possible explanations have been brought forward, including a higher incidence of death from unrecognized hypoglycemia, effects due to increased exposure to particular antidiabetic medications, adverse effects of rapid correction of hyperglycemia, weight gain, and differences in baseline characteristics. None of these were validated in post hoc analyses of the trial data, and the cause of the increased mortality remains elusive. Subgroup analyses suggest that those who start off with better control of their diabetes or without preexisting cardiovascular disease may have the most to gain from tight glycemic control. Reducing the risk of macrovascular disease and death in diabetic patients requires not only attention to glucose control but also meticulous attention to control of nonglycemic risk factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, lack of exercise, and unhealthy diet as well as timely prescription of medications with proven preventative benefits, such as aspirin and statins. Mt Sinai J Med 76:227,233, 2009. © 2009 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source] Lipids, lipid modifying agents and cardiovascular risk: a review of the evidenceCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 6 2009David Preiss Summary It is well-established that serum total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol and calculated indices such as total cholesterol : HDL-cholesterol ratio or less commonly used indices such as non-HDL cholesterol are strongly predictive of cardiovascular events. Serum triglycerides, by contrast, are only modestly associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in multivariate analysis and incorporation of triglycerides into prediction algorithms is therefore unlikely to improve their prediction capability. Meta-analysis of studies including > 90 000 subjects has provided robust evidence that statins reduce important clinical end-points. These included a 12% fall in all-cause mortality, 19% fall in CHD mortality and 23% fall in CHD mortality or myocardial infarction. Furthermore there are high quality data showing additional benefit of intensive statin therapy over standard statin therapy for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, meta-analysis of 10 fibrate trials has shown inconsistent evidence of vascular benefit and non-cardiovascular mortality has been slightly but consistently elevated in most fibrate trials and in meta-analysis. The general use of fibrates for cardiovascular risk reduction can therefore not be supported at present. Other second line agents such as bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid and omega-3 fatty acid supplements have been evaluated in a few randomized controlled studies in which cardiovascular benefit has been found but clearly further data are required to properly establish their use in clinical practice. Ongoing studies such as ACCORD, IMPROVE-IT, ASCEND, ORIGIN and HPS2-THRIVE should assist in answering outstanding questions over the next 5 years. [source] BANK CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS, BUSINESS CYCLE FLUCTUATIONS AND THE BASEL ACCORDS: A SYNTHESISJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 5 2009Ines Drumond Abstract In order to survey the mechanisms through which the introduction of Basel II bank capital requirements is likely to accentuate the procyclical tendencies of banking, this paper brings together the theoretical literature on the bank capital channel of propagation of exogenous shocks and the literature on the regulatory framework of capital requirements under the Basel Accords. We conclude that the theoretical models that revisit the bank capital channel under the new accord generally support the Basel II procyclicality hypothesis and that the magnitude of the procyclical effects essentially depends on (i) the composition of banks' asset portfolios, (ii) the approach adopted by banks to compute their minimum capital requirements, (iii) the nature of the rating system used by banks, (iv) the view adopted concerning how credit risk evolves through time, (v) the capital buffers over the regulatory minimum held by the banking institutions, (vi) the improvements in credit risk management and (vii) the supervisor and market intervention under Basel II. The recent events and instability in financial markets all over the world have led the procyclicality issue to enter the agendas of several political international,fora,and some measures to mitigate procyclicality are being put forward. The bank capital channel literature should now play an important role in evaluating their effectiveness. [source] Looking beyond food aid to livelihoods, protection and partnerships: strategies for WFP in the Darfur statesDISASTERS, Issue 2007Helen Young The humanitarian crisis in Darfur remains extremely serious. The optimism that followed the signing of the Abuja Peace Accord was followed by a rapid deterioration in security on the ground in part associated with increasing factionalism in various rebel movements. This paper briefly reviews the evolution of the crisis, its impact on lives and livelihoods and the response by the World Food Programme (WFP) to June 2006. The major challenges and issues facing the food aid programme in the previous 18 months included: dealing with insecurity while maintaining or even extending programme outreach; the need to link protection with assistance more explicitly; and determining the wider impact of food aid programming on the processes and institutions linked with the conflict. The paper discusses the main strategic issues facing WFP in the future such as: integrating security and protection with needs assessments and operational decisions, broadening response strategies beyond food aid and bringing livelihoods to the fore, the need to review cost-efficiency, promoting partnerships and strengthening national and regional capacities. [source] The New Basel Capital Adequacy FrameworkECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 3 2001Giovanni Carosio The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is about to publish a second consultative paper on the reform of the 1988 Accord on capital adequacy. The new document takes into account the comments received on the June 1999 consultative paper, gives a much clearer picture of crucial aspects of the reform that were only presented in very general terms in the earlier paper, and quantifies most of the parameters that will be needed to calculate the capital requirements. Although considerable progress has been made towards reaching operational status, several aspects of the regulation still need to be worked out and further reflection is needed on the best way to tackle some of the more problematic issues that have been identified. Comments, suggestions, criticisms such as today's seminar will certainly provide, are therefore most welcome. There will be time to take them into consideration, as the final draft of the regulation will not be completed before the end of 2001. My presentation is divided into three parts: I first illustrate the objectives of the reform, then describe the essential features of the new regulation, and finally discuss the possible impacts of its implementation. (J.E.L. G21, G28). [source] Incorporating Collateral Value Uncertainty in Loss Given Default Estimates and Loan-to-value RatiosEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2003Esa Jokivuolle Abstract We present a model of risky debt in which collateral value is correlated with the possibility of default. The model is then used to study the expected loss given default, primarily as a function of collateral. The results obtained could prove useful for estimating losses given default in many popular models of credit risk which assume them constant. We also examine the problem of determining sufficient collateral to secure a loan to a desired extent. In addition to bank practitioners, regulators might find our analysis useful in reviewing banks' lending standards relative to current collateral values. In particular, the current proposals for The New (Basel) Capital Accord involve options for the use of banks' own loss given default estimates which might benefit from the analysis in this paper. [source] A Review of the ReviewFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 5 2005By Howard Davies In 1997 a process started to review the 1988 Basel I Accord, which ultimately led to the Basel II Accord of June 2004. In this paper Sir Howard Davies, Director of the London School of Economics and Former Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, provides an analysis of this review process. Several issues related to the complexity and implementability of the Accord are discussed. Although the author thinks that Basel II has many appealing aspects (such as the three-pillar framework), he argues that the outcome is very complicated, it took a very long time, and needs to be adapted in ways not originally envisaged. He calls for a "Review of the Review" to see what lessons can be learnt from the review process which might be helpful for the future. [source] Implementation of Basel IIFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 5 2005by Jaime Caruana In this article Jaime Caruana, Governor of the Bank of Spain and Chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, first discusses the current status of the Basel II Accord. Next, he offers his perspective on macroeconomic issues related to the capital framework, focusing especially on pro-cyclicality. Finally, he discusses three important Basel II implementation issues, namely calibration, validation, and cross-border supervision. [source] Bank Capital Regulation in Contemporary Banking Theory: A Review of the LiteratureFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 2 2001João A. C. Santos This paper reviews the theoretical literature on bank capital regulation and analyzes some of the approaches to redesigning the 1988 Basel Accord on capital standards. The paper starts with a review of the literature on the design of the financial system and the existence of banks. It proceeds with a presentation of the market failures that justify banking regulation and an analysis of the mechanisms that have been suggested to deal with these failures. The paper then reviews the theoretical literature on bank capital regulation. This is followed by a brief history of capital regulation since the 1988 Basel Capital Accord and a presentation of both the alternative approaches that have been put forward on setting capital standards and the Basel Committee's proposal for a new capital adequacy framework. [source] Copenhagen Accord: Main PointsAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 12 2010Article first published online: 9 FEB 2010 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Is There Accord in ACCORD?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 7 2010Lower Blood Pressure Targets in Type 2 Diabetes Does Not Lead to Fewer Cardiovascular Events Except for Reductions in Stroke First page of article [source] THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR OPTIMIZING VALUE-AT-RISK AND DAILY CAPITAL CHARGESJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 5 2009Michael McAleer Abstract Credit risk is the most important type of risk in terms of monetary value. Another key risk measure is market risk, which is concerned with stocks and bonds, and related financial derivatives, as well as exchange rates and interest rates. This paper is concerned with market risk management and monitoring under the Basel II Accord, and presents Ten Commandments for optimizing value-at-risk (VaR) and daily capital charges, based on choosing wisely from (1) conditional, stochastic and realized volatility; (2) symmetry, asymmetry and leverage; (3) dynamic correlations and dynamic covariances; (4) single index and portfolio models; (5) parametric, semi-parametric and non-parametric models; (6) estimation, simulation and calibration of parameters; (7) assumptions, regularity conditions and statistical properties; (8) accuracy in calculating moments and forecasts; (9) optimizing threshold violations and economic benefits; and (10) optimizing private and public benefits of risk management. For practical purposes, it is found that the Basel II Accord would seem to encourage excessive risk taking at the expense of providing accurate measures and forecasts of risk and VaR. [source] World-wide survey of an Accord insertion and its association with DDT resistance in Drosophila melanogasterMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 8 2004F. CATANIA Abstract Previous work showed that insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster is correlated with the insertion of an Accord -like element into the 5, region of the cytochrome P450 gene, Cyp6g1. Here, we study the distribution of the Accord -like element in 673 recently collected D. melanogaster lines from 34 world-wide populations. We also examine the extent of microsatellite variability along a 180-kilobase (kb) genomic region of chromosome II encompassing the resistance gene. We confirm a 100% correlation of the Accord insertion with insecticide resistance and a significant reduction in variability extending at least 20 kb downstream of the Cyp6g1 gene. The frequency of the Accord insertion differs significantly between East African (32,55%) and nonAfrican (85,100%) populations. This pattern is consistent with a selective sweep driving the Accord insertion close to fixation in nonAfrican populations as a result of the insecticide resistance phenotype it confers. This study confirms that hitchhiking mapping can be used to identify beneficial mutations in natural populations. [source] A Helsinki Accord for the Arab WorldNEW PERSPECTIVES QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2005SAAD EDDIN IBRAHIM No abstract is available for this article. [source] Optimal auditing in the banking industryOPTIMAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS AND METHODS, Issue 2 2008T. Bosch Abstract As a result of the new regulatory prescripts for banks, known as the Basel II Capital Accord, there has been a heightened interest in the auditing process. Our paper considers this issue with a particular emphasis on the auditing of reserves, assets and capital in both a random and non-random framework. The analysis relies on the stochastic dynamic modeling of banking items such as loans, reserves, Treasuries, outstanding debts, bank capital and government subsidies. In this regard, one of the main novelties of our contribution is the establishment of optimal bank reserves and a rate of depository consumption that is of importance during an (random) audit of the reserve requirements. Here the specific choice of a power utility function is made in order to obtain an analytic solution in a Lévy process setting. Furthermore, we provide explicit formulas for the shareholder default and regulator closure rules, for the case of a Poisson-distributed random audit. A property of these rules is that they define the standard for minimum capital adequacy in an implicit way. In addition, we solve an optimal auditing time problem for the Basel II capital adequacy requirement by making use of Lévy process-based models. This result provides information about the optimal timing of an internal audit when the ambient value of the capital adequacy ratio is taken into account and the bank is able to choose the time at which the audit takes place. Finally, we discuss some of the economic issues arising from the analysis of the stochastic dynamic models of banking items and the optimization procedure related to the auditing process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Do markets enhance convergence on international standards?REGULATION & GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2007The case of financial regulation Abstract Why do countries that did not participate in the establishment of international standards converge on them in the absence of external coercion? The market-based perspective asserts that market forces enhance cross-national convergence on international standards. This paper challenges the market-based perspective, focusing on compliance with the 1988 Basel Capital Accord in South Korea and Taiwan. First, it argues that adoption of the Basel Capital Accord by these countries was mainly driven by their regulatory authorities' concern about the potential risk of foreign market closure to noncompliant banks. Second, it demonstrates that enforcement by the two countries' regulatory authorities was crucial in ensuring compliance. These findings suggest that national regulatory authorities are still key actors in voluntary convergence on international standards. [source] Continuous-time stochastic modelling of capital adequacy ratios for banksAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 1 2006Casper H. Fouche Abstract Regulation related to capital requirements is an important issue in the banking sector. In this regard, one of the indices used to measure how susceptible a bank is to failure, is the capital adequacy ratio (CAR). We consider two types of such ratios, viz. non-risk-based (NRBCARs) and risk-based (RBCARs) CARs. According to the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), we can further categorize NRBCARs into leverage and equity capital ratios and RBCARs into Basel II and Tier 1 ratios. In general, these indices are calculated by dividing a measure of bank capital by an indicator of the level of bank risk. Our primary objective is to construct continuous-time stochastic models for the dynamics of each of the aforementioned ratios with the main achievement being the modelling of the Basel II capital adequacy ratio (Basel II CAR). This ratio is obtained by dividing the bank's eligible regulatory capital (ERC) by its risk-weighted assets (RWAs) from credit, market and operational risk. Mainly, our discussions conform to the qualitative and quantitative standards prescribed by the Basel II Capital Accord. Also, we find that our models are consistent with data from FDIC-insured institutions. Finally, we demonstrate how our main results may be applied in the banking sector. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Effectiveness of Incomes Policies, in Australia Bargaining and Inflation Targetting EnterpriseAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 1 2004Jenny N. Lye This paper updates earlier estimates that show the existence of a range of equilibrium rates of unemployment in Australia. Within the range of equilibria framework, the paper goes on to test the effectiveness of incomes policies, enterprise bargaining and inflation-target based monetary policy for influencing the rate of inflation in Australia in the period 1965 to 2001. Incomes policies, especially the Accord, and enterprise bargaining are shown to have caused permanent reductions in the rate of inflation. The inflation-target based monetary policy is shown to be associated with, but is not shown to have caused, a reduced impact on inflation of changes in the level of activity. [source] Decades of Disillusion: Reappraising the ALP-ACTU Accord 1983,1996AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICS AND HISTORY, Issue 4 2007Geoff Dow In this article we review the Accord between the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), in order to address current uncertainty over the role of unions in politics, particularly in the face of both the Coalition Government's 2006 industrial relations legislation and the ALP's apparent repudiation of the country's longstanding institutional leverage over wages and non-wage policies. The Accord exemplified an explicitly corporatist union strategy and it initially attracted extensive and hostile commentary. However, discussion of the experiment, together with other tripartite approaches to policy formation, has waned in recent years, perhaps suggesting that it was a tactic whose time has passed. Reviewing some major criticisms, we argue that critics have dismissed the Accord too hastily. Although serious problems with the Accord process are acknowledged, the articulation of a broad program of social democratic initiatives is always likely to retain support on the political left. Despite changes in union density and workforce composition, the union movement still possesses capacity to mobilise community support and develop a principled program. [source] Litigation in Canadian referendum politicsCANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 3 2003Gregory Tardi The Canada-wide referendum on the Charlottetown Constitutional Accord in 1992, the Quebec sovereignty referendum in 1995, and the British Columbia referendum on aboriginal treaty negotiations in 2002 are the most interesting and the most significant examples. The core issue in each case was determining the political direction a government or a jurisdiction should follow. In each of these instances, interested citizens representing a segment of public opinion sought court injunctions to stop the vote. The focus of this article is the use of the courts on the political process. In each of the three cases, the applications for injunction were denied and the referendum proceeded. Nevertheless, the legal proceedings highlighted the increasing impact of law in politics under the Charter, as well as the greater willingness of political actors to use litigation to achieve political goals. These trends point out lessons for democracy that public administrators ought not ignore. Sommaire: Au cows de la demière dénnie, divers governments au Canada ont organisé des référendums pour déterminer leurs options concemant des questions faisant l'objet de séneuses controversies. Le référendum Canadian de 1992 sur l Accord constitutional de Charlottetown, le référendum de 1995 sur la souverainets du Québec et le refbrendurn qui s'est tenu en 2002 en Colombie-Britan-nique sur les négociations des droits issus de traités des Autochtones sont les référendums les plus intéressants et les plus marquants. Dans chaque cas, le point essential consistait à determiner l'orientation politique que le gouvemement ou une juridiction devrait adopter. Dans chacun de ces examples, des citoyens concernés représentant un segment de l'opinion publique ont tenté d'empêcher la tenue du vote en solicitant des injunctions auprès des tribunaux. Le present article porte sur le recours à des moyens légaux pour influer sur le processus politique. Dans chacun des trois cas, les demandes d'injonctions ont été refusées et le réféerendum a eu lieu. Néanmoins, les actions en justice ont souligné l'impact grandissant du juridique dam le domaine des politiques, sous l'influence de la Charte, et une plus grande acceptance de la part des responsables politiques à recourir à des litiges pour atteindre des objectifs politiques. Ces tendances soulignent pour la démocratie des leçons que les administrateurs publics ne devraient pas ignorer. [source] Responsible alcohol service: lessons from evaluations of server training and policing initiativesDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 3 2001TIM STOCKWELL Abstract Responsible alcohol service programmes have evolved in many countries alongside a general increase in the availability of alcohol and a greater focus on the prevention of alcohol-related road crashes. They also recognize the reality that a great deal of high-risk drinking and preventable harm occurs in and around licensed premises or as drinkers make their way home. Early US efficacy studies of programmes which trained managers and barstaff to limit customers' levels of intoxication and prevent drink driving showed promise. Studies of effectiveness of these programmes in the wider community, and in the absence of the enforcement of liquor laws, found little benefit. The data will be interpreted as suggesting that, in reality, skills deficits in the serving of alcohol are not a significant problem compared with the motivational issue for a commercial operation of abiding by laws that are rarely enforced and which are perceived as risking the goodwill of their best customers. Australian, UK and US experiences with liquor law enforcement by police will be discussed along with outcomes from the Australian invention of Alcohol Accords, informal agreements between police, licensees and local councils to trade responsibly. It will be concluded that the major task involved in lifting standards of service and preventing harm is to institutionalize legal and regulatory procedures which impact most on licensed premises. A number of strategies are suggested also for creating a political and social climate which supports the responsible service of alcohol and thereby supports the enactment and enforcement of appropriate liquor laws. [source] Transitional credit modelling and its relationship to market value at risk: an Australian sectoral perspectiveACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 3 2009David E. Allen G1; G21 Abstract Internal credit risk modelling is important for banks for the calculation of capital adequacy in terms of the Basel Accords, and for the management of sectoral exposure. We examine Credit Value at Risk (VaR), Conditional Credit Value at Risk (Credit CVaR) and the relationship between market and credit risk. Significant association is found between different Credit CVaR methods, and between market and credit risk. Simpler Credit CVaR methods are found to be viable alternatives to more complex methodology. The relationship between market and credit risk is used to develop a new model that allows banks to incorporate industry risk into transition modelling, without macroeconomic analysis. [source] "Quasi Track-One" Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli,Palestinian Conflict,INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2010Amira Schiff The diversity of unofficial diplomacy activities in the last three decades has led to extensive attention in theoretical literature to the role of unofficial diplomacy in conflict resolution processes and to the development of a broad range of concepts used to describe different types of unofficial diplomatic activities. Yet certain unofficial activities, such as the process that preceded the Geneva Accords, do not neatly conform to the prevailing unofficial diplomacy concepts. This study seeks to contribute to the theoretical development of the unofficial diplomacy theory through an examination of the assumptions underlying models and concepts relating to unofficial diplomacy as applied to the process leading to the drafting of the Geneva Accords. The study suggests that the unofficial diplomacy process leading to the Geneva Accords was in fact "a quasi track-one" diplomacy,a diplomacy characterized by unique features, some of which weakened its potential contribution to the policy-making process. [source] BANK CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS, BUSINESS CYCLE FLUCTUATIONS AND THE BASEL ACCORDS: A SYNTHESISJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 5 2009Ines Drumond Abstract In order to survey the mechanisms through which the introduction of Basel II bank capital requirements is likely to accentuate the procyclical tendencies of banking, this paper brings together the theoretical literature on the bank capital channel of propagation of exogenous shocks and the literature on the regulatory framework of capital requirements under the Basel Accords. We conclude that the theoretical models that revisit the bank capital channel under the new accord generally support the Basel II procyclicality hypothesis and that the magnitude of the procyclical effects essentially depends on (i) the composition of banks' asset portfolios, (ii) the approach adopted by banks to compute their minimum capital requirements, (iii) the nature of the rating system used by banks, (iv) the view adopted concerning how credit risk evolves through time, (v) the capital buffers over the regulatory minimum held by the banking institutions, (vi) the improvements in credit risk management and (vii) the supervisor and market intervention under Basel II. The recent events and instability in financial markets all over the world have led the procyclicality issue to enter the agendas of several political international,fora,and some measures to mitigate procyclicality are being put forward. The bank capital channel literature should now play an important role in evaluating their effectiveness. [source] Police Reform and the Peace Process in Guatemala: the Fifth Promotion of the National Civilian PoliceBULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH, Issue 4 2001Marie-Louise Glebbeek After 36 years of mostly authoritarian rule and often bitter civil conflict in Guatemala, the December 1996 Peace Accords prepared the ground for a new phase of reconstruction, democratisation and social and institutional reform. Prior to the Peace Accords, policing in Guatemala had been often violent, repressive and subordinated to the counterinsurgency logic of the military. Security sector reform intentions included the abolition of existing police forces and the creation of a new National Civil Police (PNC). The PNC was meant to give substance to a new way of policing in tune with the building of democratic governance and effective law enforcement. This paper examines the general background of the reforms, discusses the limitations of the results so far, and takes a particular and critical look at one of the key components of the police reform: the recruitment and training of PNC aspirants, using the case of the 1999 Fifth Promotion that entered the Academy of the PNC. [source] Experimental study on the extraction and distribution of textual domain keywordsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 16 2008Xiangfeng Luo Abstract Domain keywords of text play a primary role in text classifying, clustering and personalized services. This paper proposes a term frequency inverse document frequency (TFIDF) based method called TDDF (TFIDF direct document frequency of domain) to extract domain keywords from multi-texts. First, we discuss the optimal parameters of TFIDF, which are used to extract textual keywords and domain keywords. Second, TDDF is proposed to extract domain keywords from multi-texts, which takes document frequency of domain into account. Finally, the distribution of domain keywords on scientific texts is studied. Experiments and applications show that TDDF is more effective than the optimal TFIDF in the extraction of domain keywords. Domain keywords accord with normal distribution on a single text after deleting the ubiquitous domain keywords. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||