Deux approches de l'influence du discours économique sur les phénomènes sociaux

The influence of theoretical discourse on the corresponding field of investigation is an important feature of social science : social scientists shape the world by describing it. This phenomenon has been studied in several ways. Economic sociology has recently focused on the fact that the economy is embedded in the economics through which it is scrutinized. Great names of economic theory have focused on the effects of economists' discourse on agents' behaviours. This article aims to bring out the distinction between these two kinds of contributions which deal with the same object. Finally, it explains the analytical distinction by a difference in the initial problematic. Following trends in the French school of the economics of convention, the social influence of theoretical discourse is analyzed on the strategic side (in connection with economics) and on the interpretative side (in connection with sociology).

The value of selected in vitro and in silico methods to predict acute oral toxicity in a regulatory context: results from the European Project ACuteTox.

ACuteTox is a project within the 6th European Framework Programme which had as one of its goals to develop, optimise and prevalidate a non-animal testing strategy for predicting human acute oral toxicity. In its last 6 months, a challenging exercise was conducted to assess the predictive capacity of the developed testing strategies and final identification of the most promising ones. Thirty-two chemicals were tested blind in the battery of in vitro and in silico methods selected during the first phase of the project. This paper describes the classification approaches studied: single step procedures and two step tiered testing strategies. In summary, four in vitro testing strategies were proposed as best performing in terms of predictive capacity with respect to the European acute oral toxicity classification. In addition, a heuristic testing strategy is suggested that combines the prediction results gained from the neutral red uptake assay performed in 3T3 cells, with information on neurotoxicity alerts identified by the primary rat brain aggregates test method. Octanol-water partition coefficients and in silico prediction of intestinal absorption and blood-brain barrier passage are also considered. This approach allows to reduce the number of chemicals wrongly predicted as not classified (LD50>2000 mg/kg b.w.).

The different types of internal hernia after laparoscopic Roux-En-Y gastric by-pass for morbid obesity: MDCT features [C-419]

Learning Objectives: 1. To provide an overview of the different types of internal hernia (IH) occurring after laparoscopic Roux‑en‑Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) for morbid obesity. 2. To describe correspondent MDCT features in relation with the underlying anatomical landmarks in order to differentiate their localisation and to direct the surgeon during following laparoscopic closure of mesenteric defects. Background: LRYGBP for morbid obesity is associated with less perioperative complications, shorter hospital stay and a more rapid recovery compared with the open surgical procedure. However, a relatively high incidence of IH is seen that may be due to the laparoscopic approach, but also caused by rapid weight loss with consecutive loosening of the mesenteric sutures. Procedure Details: After briefly reviewing the surgical procedure of LRYGBP (ante‑ versus retrocolic), we describe the exact anatomical landmarks of the different types of IH occurring at any time after operation: They are caused by surgical defects at the level of the transverse colon mesentery, at the Petersen's space, which represents an opening between the mesocolon and jejunal mesentery, or at the entero‑enterostomy site. Typical MDCT features of each IH type in axial and coronal planes as well as targeted vascular reconstructions are demonstrated. Conclusion: Exact knowledge about underlying pathophysiology and anatomical landmarks is essential for distinguishing the different types of IH occurring after LRYGBP on MDCT, since radiological features are difficult to recognize and may even overlap. The radiologist should be aware of the potential anatomic sites to ensure subsequent straightforward laparoscopic exploration.

Description of the Occurrence of Canine Dirofilariasis in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In order to evaluate the prevalence of canine heartworm in the State of Rio de Janeiro, a multicenter survey was carried out in two phases. The survey involved 1376 dogs from two cities: Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, and its surroundings, including the eastern shore and mountain resorts, which were further divided into sections. In the first phase, 795 dog blood samples were examined by the modified Knott test for the detection of microfilariae. A total of 134 samples (16.85%) were microfilaremic: 8.61% from Rio de Janeiro, 21.76% from Niterói and its surroundings, 33.33% from the eastern shore and 30.43% from the mountain resorts. In the second phase, 595 dog blood samples were examined first by the modified Knott test and the amicrofilaremic samples were subsequently examined by an immunoenzymatic test (ELISA) for antigen detection. In summary, 83 samples (13.95%) were microfilaremic and 44 (7.98%) of the amicrofilaremic samples were positive for heartworm antigen (occult infections). In Rio de Janeiro, 13.68% of the dogs were infected (i.e., antigen-and/or microfilaria-positive) and 8.51% of the dogs had microfilaremic infections. In comparison, Niterói and its surroundings showed values of 24.46% and 17.30% and the eastern shore showed values of 52.46% and 31.15%. In contrast the mountain resorts showed 20% microfilaremic only

Trois cantons suisses face aux réformes. Une impossible séparation entre sphères politique et administrative?

Sur la base d'une enquête quantitative et qualitative auprès des hauts fonctionnaires et membres du Gouvernement des cantons du Valais, du Jura et de Neuchâtel, le présent article vise à tester l'hypothèse selon laquelle les réformes inspirées des principes de la nouvelle gestion publique conduisent à la redéfinition des relations entre acteurs politiques et administratifs. Autrement dit, l'introduction des réformes permettrait de séparer plus strictement les activités stratégiques des activités opérationnelles. Or, les constats que nous tirons de nos investigations rendent compte d'une certaine « stabilité » des relations politico-administratives, au-delà des différences constatées dans les stratégies de modernisation menées dans les trois entités cantonales. Des facteurs institutionnels, mais également politiques, peuvent expliquer cette stabilité. De sorte que nos résultats remettent en question la faisabilité et la légitimité d'une séparation entre sphères politique et administrative à un niveau de gouvernance cantonal en Suisse.

L'ethos public en tant que processus social dynamique

Les réformes administratives du secteur public, regroupées sous l'appellation de la Nouvelle gestion publique, affectent durablement le contexte dans lequel travaillent les agents publics, questionnant leurs valeurs et motivations, voire plus fondamentalement leur identité professionnelle. La confrontation actuelle des modes de fonctionnement privé et public a le mérite de soulever l'interrogation sur la spécificité de ce qui anime ces deux domaines d'action humaine. Bien que certaines études fassent état de l'existence d'un ethos spécifique au secteur public, il est souvent réduit aux questions abstraites de valeurs ou aux motivations individuelles des agents. Or l'ethos public est plus qu'une collection de valeurs particulières comme la poursuite de l'impartialité ou l'intégrité. C'est aussi plus que la somme des motivations individuelles. L'ethos public, c'est une conception du vivre ensemble qui permet de concrétiser des valeurs dans l'action et qui peut soutenir une visée éthique du bien commun. Voilà ce qu'une étude exploratoire nous permet d'avancer. Cette recherche vise à comprendre, à partir de récits de vie de gestionnaires publics et du concept d'identité narrative, comment ils en sont venus à comprendre et interpréter la spécificité du secteur public et comment cet ethos se caractérise pour eux en termes de relations et d'interactions sociales avec leur personnel, les politiques, les groupes d'acteurs avec lesquels ils interagissent et les citoyens. Considérant le rôle essentiel exercé par les gestionnaires publics dans le fonctionnement du système politico-administratif, et l'importance des dynamiques sociales pour le fonctionnement et l'intégrité de l'action de l'État, les résultats de cette recherche sont très utiles pour une réflexion approfondie sur les réformes en cours.

Modular analysis of gene expression data with R.

SUMMARY: Large sets of data, such as expression profiles from many samples, require analytic tools to reduce their complexity. The Iterative Signature Algorithm (ISA) is a biclustering algorithm. It was designed to decompose a large set of data into so-called 'modules'. In the context of gene expression data, these modules consist of subsets of genes that exhibit a coherent expression profile only over a subset of microarray experiments. Genes and arrays may be attributed to multiple modules and the level of required coherence can be varied resulting in different 'resolutions' of the modular mapping. In this short note, we introduce two BioConductor software packages written in GNU R: The isa2 package includes an optimized implementation of the ISA and the eisa package provides a convenient interface to run the ISA, visualize its output and put the biclusters into biological context. Potential users of these packages are all R and BioConductor users dealing with tabular (e.g. gene expression) data. AVAILABILITY: http://www.unil.ch/cbg/ISA CONTACT: sven.bergmann@unil.ch

Les réformes de l'administration publique en Suisse

Cet article fait le point sur les réformes de la gestion publique en Suisse. Après avoir montré que ce pays est marqué par une tradition de modernisation qui le rend très réceptif aux nouvelles approches de gestion, l'article analyse en particulier le mouvement de Nouvelle Gestion Publique (NGP) à la mode helvétique. Les principales orientations de la NGP suisse, ainsi que les évaluations qui en ont été faites sous l'angle des autorités politiques, de l'administration et des citoyens, permettent d'esquisser les défis qui attendent le système suisse dans l'ère de l'après-NGP.

Pharmacological administration of the isoflavone daidzein enhances cell proliferation and reduces high fat diet-induced apoptosis and gliosis in the rat hippocampus.

Soy extracts have been claimed to be neuroprotective against brain insults, an effect related to the estrogenic properties of isoflavones. However, the effects of individual isoflavones on obesity-induced disruption of adult neurogenesis have not yet been analyzed. In the present study we explore the effects of pharmacological administration of daidzein, a main soy isoflavone, in cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and gliosis in the adult hippocampus of animals exposed to a very high-fat diet. Rats made obese after 12-week exposure to a standard or high-fat (HFD, 60%) diets were treated with daidzein (50 mg kg(-1)) for 13 days. Then, plasma levels of metabolites and metabolic hormones, cell proliferation in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus (SGZ), and immunohistochemical markers of hippocampal cell apoptosis (caspase-3), gliosis (GFAP and Iba-1), food reward factor FosB and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) were analyzed. Treatment with daidzein reduced food/caloric intake and body weight gain in obese rats. This was associated with glucose tolerance, low levels of HDL-cholesterol, insulin, adiponectin and testosterone, and high levels of leptin and 17β-estradiol. Daidzein increased the number of phospho-histone H3 and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-ir cells detected in the SGZ of standard diet and HFD-fed rats. Daidzein reversed the HFD-associated enhanced immunohistochemical expression of caspase-3, FosB, GFAP, Iba-1 and ERα in the hippocampus, being more prominent in the dentate gyrus. These results suggest that pharmacological treatment with isoflavones regulates metabolic alterations associated with enhancement of cell proliferation and reduction of apoptosis and gliosis in response to high-fat diet.

Accompagner un patient suicidaire

A partir d'un terrain ethnographique réalisé dans une unité d'urgences psychiatriques, cet article s'intéresse en particulier à la prise de décision concernant le suivi des patients ayant des comportements ou des idées suicidaires. Face à l'imprévisibilité du suicide, l'évaluation du potentiel suicidaire permet de donner une assise formelle et scientifique au travail thérapeutique des soignants. Le choix du suivi (hospitalisation ou accompagnement ambulatoire) dépend toutefois de deux dimensions moins explicites : l'autonomie du patient et son adhésion au dispositif psychiatrique. L'analyse des discours des soignants permet ainsi de relever les logiques contradictoires qui sous-tendent cette décision : d'une part la nécessité de garder le lien avec le patient (en privilégiant un accompagnement) et d'autre part l'exigence de protéger sa vie (en optant pour une hospitalisation).

Tractatus de venerabili Eucharistiae sacramento / De Lugo. De sacrosancto missae sacrificio / Benedictus XIV. De sacrificio missae tractatus asceticus / Bona

Collection : Theologiae cursus completus ; 23