University of Mannheim

About: University of Mannheim is a education organization based out in Mannheim, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Politics. The organization has 4448 authors who have published 12918 publications receiving 446557 citations. The organization is also known as: Uni Mannheim & UMA.

Adjuvant Imatinib for High-Risk GI Stromal Tumor: Analysis of a Randomized Trial

Abstract: PurposeThree years of adjuvant imatinib therapy are recommended for patients with GI stromal tumor (GIST) with high-risk features, according to survival findings in the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group XVIII/AIO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie) trial. To investigate whether the survival benefits have persisted, we performed the second planned analysis of the trial.Patients and MethodsEligible patients had macroscopically completely excised, KIT-positive GIST with a high risk of recurrence, as determined by using the modified National Institutes of Health criteria. After surgery, the patients were randomly assigned to receive imatinib for either 1 or 3 years. The primary objective was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the secondary objectives included survival.ResultsA total of 400 patients were entered onto this open-label study between February 4, 2004, and September 29, 2008. During a median follow-up of 90 months, 171 recurrences and 69 deaths were detected. Patients assigned to the 3-year gr...

States, the security sector, and the monopoly of violence: A new database on pro-government militias

Abstract: This article introduces the global Pro-Government Militias Database (PGMD). Despite the devastating record of some pro-government groups, there has been little research on why these forces form, under what conditions they are most likely to act, and how they affect the risk of internal conflict, repression, and state fragility. From events in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria and the countries of the Arab Spring we know that pro-government militias operate in a variety of contexts. They are often linked with extreme violence and disregard for the laws of war. Yet research, notably quantitative research, lags behind events. In this article we give an overview of the PGMD, a new global dataset that identifies pro-government militias from 1981 to 2007. The information on pro-government militias (PGMs) is presented in a relational data structure, which allows researchers to browse and download different versions of the dataset and access over 3,500 sources that informed the coding. The database shows the wide proliferation and diffusion of these groups. We identify 332 PGMs and specify how they are linked to government, for example via the governing political party, individual leaders, or the military. The dataset captures the type of affiliation of the groups to the government by distinguishing between informal and semi-official militias. It identifies, among others, membership characteristics and the types of groups they target. These data are likely to be relevant to research on state strength and state failure, the dynamics of conflict, including security sector reform, demobilization and reintegration, as well as work on human rights and the interactions between different state and non-state actors. To illustrate uses of the data, we include the PGM data in a standard model of armed conflict and find that such groups increase the risk of civil war.

An empirical analysis of green supply chain management in the German automotive industry

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is the empirical investigation of the status quo of green supply chain management in the German automotive industry from a practitioner's point of view. Several aspects of green supply chain management, such as the point of time of implementation, the driving forces, the relevance of intended goals and their particular realization and the adoption of eco-programs with suppliers and customers as well as internal and external barriers are analyzed. Furthermore, the link to different performance criteria is tested by inductive statistics in order to show the potential of green supply chain management for competitiveness. For this study, managers from the automotive supply industry in Germany were asked about their estimations in this regard. The main conclusion is that managers express the need for green supply chain management on the one hand but also see corresponding problems in terms of required resources on the other hand. Furthermore, the analyses show that green supply chain management leads to higher performance in terms of several performance criteria. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

DOG1 and CD117 are the antibodies of choice in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

Abstract: Novelli M, Rossi S, Rodriguez-Justo M, Taniere P, Seddon B, Toffolatti L, Sartor C, Hogendoorn P C W, Sciot R, Van Glabbeke M, Verweij J, Blay J Y, Hohenberger P, Flanagan A & Dei Tos A P (2010) Histopathology57, 259–270 DOG1 and CD117 are the antibodies of choice in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumours Aims: The histopathological diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) is typically made based on a combination of clinical and morphological features supported by immunohistochemistry studies. The aim of this study was to examine the staining quality, sensitivity, specificity and utility of antibodies used commonly in GIST diagnosis. Methods and results: Immunohistochemistry with a panel of antibodies [CD117, DOG1, protein kinase C (PKC)-theta, nestin, CD34, smooth muscle actin (SMA), desmin, S100 and CD171] was performed on whole sections from 187 GIST and 29 gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumours, and on several microarrays including 355 GISTs and 120 soft tissue sarcomas. Results showed that DOG1 and CD117 were the most sensitive and specific antibodies used in GIST diagnosis. PKC-theta and nestin were sensitive, but less specific, also staining other spindle cell tumours commonly considered in the differential diagnosis of GIST. CD34 staining was less sensitive than many of the other antibodies and of limited aid in diagnosis. The smooth muscle markers SMA and desmin, together with the neural marker S100, were unhelpful in confirming a diagnosis of GIST, but were particularly useful in the exclusion/diagnosis of other gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumour types. Conclusions: In the majority of histologically suspected GISTs a combination of CD117 and DOG1 immunostaining is sufficient to confirm the histological diagnosis.

Taxation and Capital Structure Choice - Evidence from a Panel of German Multinationals

Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of taxes and lending conditions on the financial structure of multinationals' foreign affiliates. The empirical analysis employs a large panel of affiliates of German multinationals in 26 countries in the period from 1996 until 2003. In accordance with the theoretical predictions, the effect of local taxes on leverage is positive for both types of debt. Moreover, while adverse local credit market conditions are found to reduce external borrowing, internal debt is increasing, supporting the view that the two channels of debt finance are substitutes.