The Politics of Network Governance in Europe: The Case of Energy Regulation

Networks are considered increasingly important for policy-making. The literature on new modes of governance in Europe suggests that their horizontal coordination capacity and flexible and informal structures are particularly suitable for governing the multilevel architecture of the European polity. However, empirical evidence about the effects of networks on policy-making and public policies is still quite limited. This article uses the case of the European network of energy regulators to explore the determinants of the position of network members and, in turn, the domestic adoption of soft rules developed within this network. The empirical analysis, based on multivariate statistics and semi-directive interviews, supports the expectation that institutional complementarities increase actors' centrality in networks, while arguments based on organisational resources and age are disproved. Furthermore, results show that the overall level of adoption is considerable and that centrality might have a small positive effect on domestic adoption.

Transnational Senegalese Politics in France

Newsletter for Study of Islam in the Modern World (Leide/NL)

Religious identity and intercultural dialogue

(Résumé de l'ouvrage) In a world society ruled by economic globalisation, by political interests and theories such as Huntington's «clash of civilisations» that widen the gap between the North and the South, the question should be asked of the role of the religion. To what extent religion and politics can work together? Can faith still be thought as a means of saving the world? Considering that Christianity, Islam and Judaism have much in common, this collection of miscellanies wonders if these religions can join their forces for public benefit. Senior and junior scholars from all over the world, gathered for an interdisciplinary seminar, analyse the contemporary international relationships and geopolitics through the prism of religion, discussing whether it can provide practical solutions to solve conflicts and increase the respect of human rights.

TNF-alpha blockers in inflammatory bowel diseases: practical consensus recommendations and a user's guide.

More than seventy years after their initial characterisation, the aetiology of inflammatory bowel diseases remains elusive. A recent review evaluating the incidence trends of the last 25 years concluded that an increasing incidence has been observed almost worldwide. A north-south gradient is still found in Europe. Genetic associations are variably reproduced worldwide and indicate a strong impact of environmental factors. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). TNF-alpha blockers are biological agents that specifically target this key cytokine in the inflammatory process and have become a mainstay in the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases. This paper reviews the necessary investigations before using such agents, the use of such agents in pregnancy and lactation, the role of co-immunosuppression, how to monitor efficacy and safety, dose-adaptation, and the decision as to when to switch to another TNF-alpha blocker. Finally it gives recommendations for special situations. Currently there are three TNF-alpha blockers available for clinical use in IBD in Switzerland: infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira) and certolizumab pegol (Cimzia). Infliximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody composed of a human IgG1 constant region and a murine variable region and is administered intravenously. Adalimumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody, with both human IgG1 constant and variable regions. Certolizumab pegol is a pegylated, humanised monoclonal anti-TNF fragment antigen binding fragment. Both adalimumab and certolizumab pegol are administered by subcutaneous injection. The efficacy and safety of TNF-alpha blockers in Crohn's disease has been reviewed. The authors conclude that the three above-mentioned agents are effective in luminal Crohn's disease. In fistulizing Crohn's disease, TNF-alpha blockers other than infliximab require additional investigation.

Dilatation pyélocalicielle chez le nouveau-né: attitude pratique pour le pédiatre [Antenatally detected hydronephrosis: practical approach for the pediatrician]

Approximately 1% of the fetuses present some dilatation of their urinary tract in utero. More than 50% of these antenatally detected hydronephrosis will disappear spontaneously after birth. The other 50% comprises ureteropelvic junction obstruction, vesico-ureteral reflux and primary megaureters. Postnatal radiological evaluation (renal ultrasonography and VCUG) is performed in every infant with a significantly dilated renal pelvis (> 8 mm between 20 and 30 weeks or > 10 mm after 30 weeks in utero). Renal nuclear scan should be done in every child with significant/worsening post-natal hydronephrosis. Antibioprophylaxis will be started from birth to prevent urinary tract infection. Medical or surgical approach will be chosen in the light of the uroradiological exam results and the clinical progress.

Violence, deuil, politique (violence, mourning, politics) (trad. de l'anglais E.U.)

Cet article soutient l'idée que le travail du deuil peut être riche de possibilités pour repenser la communauté et les relations internationales, et que la " guerre préventive " ainsi que la déréalisation de la perte concourent à miner les liens humains fondamentaux. L'expérience du deuil est à même de révéler les modes sur lesquels le self est fait de relations intériorisées, si bien que lorsque nous perdons des êtres, nous perdons et altérons une part de nous-mêmes. Faire le deuil pourrait déboucher sur une option : la non-violence. A soutenir l'insoutenable quand nous perdons quelqu'un, nous pouvons devenir capables d'une plus grande sollicitude envers les pertes subies par les autres, et en particulier, les pertes causées par notre propre recours à la violence. La distinction entre des vies " qui valent la peine d'être pleurées " et d'autres " qui ne valent pas une larme " est révélatrice de la distribution géopolitique différentielle de la mélancolie, ainsi que des cadres raciaux et ethniques qui font et défont l'humain en sa possibilité d'être pleuré. Voici qui laisse entrevoir une manière de faire le lien entre un concept psychanalytique de la formation du sujet, concept pétri de politique, et une politique soucieuse de tout ce qu'il y a d'inacceptable à mourir sous les frappes militaires. La théorie féministe est centrale à cette conception, dans la mesure où elle met tout particulièrement l'accent sur un sujet incarné, vulnérable à la violence, qui ne peut émerger que dans le contexte d'une dépendance physique fondamentale.

Practical signal-to-noise ratio quantification for sensitivity encoding: Application to coronary MR angiography.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a practical method for the quantification of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on coronary MR angiograms (MRA) acquired with parallel imaging.Materials and Methods: To quantify the spatially varying noise due to parallel imaging reconstruction, a new method has been implemented incorporating image data acquisition followed by a fast noise scan during which radio-frequency pulses, cardiac triggering and navigator gating are disabled. The performance of this method was evaluated in a phantom study where SNR measurements were compared with those of a reference standard (multiple repetitions). Subsequently, SNR of myocardium and posterior skeletal muscle was determined on in vivo human coronary MRA.Results: In a phantom, the SNR measured using the proposed method deviated less than 10.1% from the reference method for small geometry factors (<= 2). In vivo, the noise scan for a 10 min coronary MRA acquisition was acquired in 30 s. Higher signal and lower SNR, due to spatially varying noise, were found in myocardium compared with posterior skeletal muscle.Conclusion: SNR quantification based on a fast noise scan is a validated and easy-to-use method when applied to three-dimensional coronary MRA obtained with parallel imaging as long as the geometry factor remains low.