International Standardisation and Local Participatory Dynamics : The INTERNORM Project

This paper presents a pilot project (INTERNORM) funded by the University of Lausanne (2010 - 2013) to support the involvement of civil society organisations (CSO) in international standard setting bodies such as the ISO. It analyses how a distinct participatory mechanism can influence the institutional environment of technical diplomacy in which standards are shaped. The project is an attempt to respond to the democratic deficit attested in the field of international standardisation, formally open to civil society participation, but still largely dominated by expert knowledge and market players. Many international standards have direct implications on society as a whole, but CSOs (consumers and environmental associations, trade unions) are largely under-represented in negotiation arenas. The paper draws upon international relations literature on new institutional forms in global governance and studies of participation in science and technology. It argues that there are significant limitations to the rise of civil society participation in such global governance mechanisms. The INTERNORM project has been designed as a platform of knowledge exchange between CSO and academic experts, with earmarked funding and official membership to a national standardisation body. But INTERNORM cannot substitute for a long- established lack of resources in time, money and expertise of CSOs. Despite high entry costs into technical diplomacy, participation thus appears as less a matter of upstream engagement, or of procedure only, than of dedicated means to shift the geometry of actors and the framing of socio-technical change.

Benchmarking del e-gobierno local: limitaciones de los sistemas de evaluación comparativa

Se introduce la necesidad de evaluar y comparar el desarrollo del e-gobierno y se analizan los instrumentos existentes. En primer lugar se presentan los modelos de evolución del e-gobierno actualmente en uso y se discuten sus características y utilidad. Un análisis de los estudios comparativos muestra el interés que despierta el área de administración electrónica. Seguidamente se analizan los estudios comparativos más relevantes sobre provisión electrónica de servicios públicos en la administración local. Ambos análisis ponen de manifiesto las limitaciones de los estudios existentes en su aplicabilidad en el ámbito local. Algunas son: la escasez de trabajos sobre administración local, la medida de la adopción de los servicios públicos, y el uso de modelos de evolución de e-gobierno que no reflejan las nuevas tendencias en prestación de servicios. Finalmente se señalan mejoras a realizar en futuras evaluaciones comparativas de servicios electrónicos para incrementar su aplicabilidad en la administración local.

Report on the Local Public Health Services Grant administered by the Bureau of Local Public Health Services, a division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention of the Iowa Department of Public Health for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008

Report on the Local Public Health Services Grant administered by the Bureau of Local Public Health Services, a division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention of the Iowa Department of Public Health for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008

Local ocular immunomodulation resulting from electrotransfer of plasmid encoding soluble TNF receptors in the ciliary muscle.

PURPOSE: Plasmid electrotransfer in the ciliary muscle allows the sustained release of therapeutic proteins within the eye. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the ocular production of TNF-alpha soluble receptor, using this nonviral gene therapy method, could have a beneficial local effect in a model of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). METHODS: Injection of a plasmid encoding a TNF-alpha p55 receptor (30 microg) in the ciliary muscle, combined with electrotransfer (200 V/cm), was carried out in Lewis rat eyes 4 days before the induction of EAU by S-antigen. Control eyes received naked plasmid electrotransfer or simple injection of the therapeutic plasmid. The disease was evaluated clinically and histologically. Cytokines and chemokines were analyzed in the ocular media by multiplex assay performed 15 and 21 days after immunization. RESULTS: Ocular TNF-alpha blockade, resulting from the local secretion of soluble receptors, was associated with delayed and significantly less severe uveitis, together with a reduction of the retinal damages. Compared with the controls, treated eyes showed significantly lower levels of IL-1beta and MCP1, higher levels of IL-13 and IL-4, and reduced NOS-2 expression in infiltrating cells. Treatment did not influence TNF-alpha levels in inguinal lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results indicate that local immunomodulation was achieved and that no systemic adverse effects of TNF-alpha blockade observed after systemic injection of TNF-alpha inhibitors should be expected.

Local Jurisdictions Information, 2010

Directory of county officials and employees

Relação entre o conhecimento local, atributos químicos e físicos do solo e uso das terras

O conhecimento dos agricultores sobre o uso das terras pode auxiliar no levantamento de solos. Este trabalho foi realizado na Fazenda Americana, Norte do Estado de Minas Gerais, com o objetivo de relacionar o conhecimento local do ambiente com os atributos químicos e físicos do solo e com o Sistema de Capacidade de Uso das Terras para fins de reforma agrária. Por meio do conhecimento local, foram identificados sete ambientes: baixada, vereda, chapada, tabuleiro, carrasco, tabuleiro misto e espigão. O conhecimento local sobre o uso das terras mostrou estreita relação com o Sistema de Capacidade de Uso, constituindo uma ferramenta para o parcelamento das terras para fins de reforma agrária.

Towards a global criteria based framework for the sustainability assessment of bioethanol supply chains: application to the Swiss dilemma : is local produced bioethanol more sustainable than bioethanol imported from Brazil?

Biofuels are considered as a promising substitute for fossil fuels when considering the possible reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. However limiting their impacts on potential benefits for reducing climate change is shortsighted. Global sustainability assessments are necessary to determine the sustainability of supply chains. We propose a new global criterion based framework enabling a comprehensive international comparison of bioethanol supply chains. The interest of this framework is that the selection of the sustainability indicators is qualified on three criterions: relevance, reliability and adaptability to the local context. Sustainability issues have been handled along environmental, social and economical issues. This new framework has been applied for a specific issue: from a Swiss perspective, is locally produced bioethanol in Switzerland more sustainable than imported from Brazil? Thanks to this framework integrating local context in its indicator definition, Brazilian production of bioethanol is shown as energy efficient and economically interesting for Brazil. From a strictly economic point of view, bioethanol production within Switzerland is not justified for Swiss consumption and questionable for the environmental issue. The social dimension is delicate to assess due to the lack of reliable data and is strongly linked to the agricultural policy in both countries. There is a need of establishing minimum sustainability criteria for imported bioethanol to avoid unwanted negative or leakage effects.

Adult native septic arthritis: 10 years in review in order to establish local guidelines on empiric antibiotic therapy.

Objective: Antibiotic stewardship includes development of practice guidelines incorporating local microbiology and resistance patterns. In case of septic arthritis (SA), addition of vancomycin to the empiric therapy and broad-spectrum antibiotherapy in some clinical settings are subjects of discussion. Our objective was to review the local epidemiology of native septic arthritis in adults, in order to establish local guidelines for empiric therapy. Methods: Retrospective study based on positive synovial fluid cultures and hospital discharge diagnoses of SA obtained from 1999 to 2008 in patients _16 years. Medical records were reviewed to assess the diagnosis and complete relevant clinical information. Results: During this ten-year period, we identified 233 SA on native joints in 231 patients. 107 episodes (46%) were obtained through positive synovial fluid cultures, and 126 episodes (54%) through the discharge diagnosis. 147 SA (63%) were large joint infections (LJI). 35 SA (15%) occurred in intravenous drug users. Preexisting arthropathy was present in 51% of cases. 42% of patients with small joint infection (SJI) were diabetic, vs. 23% with LJI (p = 0.003). When available, synovial fluid direct examination was positive in 35% of cases. Etiologic agents are reported in the table. Five of the 11 MRSA SA (45%) occurred in known carriers. SJI were more frequently polymicrobial (24% vs. 1%, p<0.001). For LJI, an empiric treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate (A/C) would have been appropriate in 85% of cases. MRSA (8 cases) and tuberculous (7 cases) arthritis would have been the most frequently untreated pathogens. Addition of vancomycin to A/C in MRSA carriers would rise the adequacy to 87%. In contrast, A/C would cover only 75% of SJI (82% if restricted to non-diabetic patients). MRSA (3 cases) and P. aeruginosa (9 cases, 7 monomicrobial) would be the main untreated pathogens. An anti-pseudomonal penicillin would have been appropriate in 94% of cases of SJI (P = 0.002 vs. A/C, p = 0.19 if diabetic patients not included). Conclusions: Treatment with A/C seems adequate for empiric coverage of LJI in our setting. Broad-spectrum antibiotherapy was significantly superior for SJI in diabetic patients, due to different causative bacteria. In an area of low MRSA incidence, our results do not justify a systematic empiric therapy for MRSA, which should be considered in a known carrier.

Local Letting Information, April 4, 2011

Local letting information

Valores de referência local e avaliação da contaminação por zinco em solos adjacentes a áreas mineradas no município de Vazante-MG

A contaminação dos solos por metais pesados é um problema atual que requer abordagem adequada, tendo em vista as necessidades da sociedade moderna. Em áreas de mineração, a avaliação da contaminação de solos constitui ferramenta importante para o gerenciamento de áreas degradadas. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de estabelecer valores de referência local (VRL) para Zn em solos adjacentes a áreas mineradas no município de Vazante-MG, tendo em vista avaliar a contaminação ambiental. Foram coletadas amostras de perfis de solos remanescentes em área mineralizada, a jusante e montante dessa, nas profundidades de 0-2, 2-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-50, 50-100 e 100-150 cm. Foram determinados os teores totais de Zn, bem como as formas disponíveis (Mehlich-3 e DTPA). Optou-se por determinar o VRL a partir da média ponderada dos teores de Zn nas camadas de 0 - 20 cm dos perfis a montante. De posse desse valor, calcularam-se o fator de contaminação (FC) e o índice de geoacumulação (IGeo) para cada perfil. O VRL obtido para Zn foi de 1.262 mg kg-1, que é muito alto em relação aos padrões de qualidade, sugerindo monitoramento e restrição ao uso agrícola e residencial dos solos na área. Não obstante, esse valor é inferior aos valores de intervenção (VI´s) para as áreas industriais adotados no Estado de São Paulo, EUA e Canadá. Os solos das áreas mineralizadas apresentaram maiores valores para o fator de contaminação, com destaque para o perfil 5 localizado na área mineralizada em exploração (área minerada). De acordo com o IGeo, os perfis de solo a jusante foram classificados como não poluídos a moderadamente poluídos.

Lobbying, political competition, and local land supply: recent evidence from Spain

We analyze whether local land supply is influenced by the degree of political competition, and interpret the findings as being indicative of the influence wielded by land development lobbies. We use a new database including both political and land supply data for more than 2,000 Spanish municipalities for the period 2003-2007. In Spain, land use policies are largely a local responsibility with municipalities having periodically to pass compre- hensive land use plans. The main policy variable in these plans, and the one analyzed here, is the amount of land classified for potential development. We measure local political competition as the margin of victory of the incumbent government. We instrument this variable using the number of votes obtained by parties represented in local government when standing at the first national legislative elections following the re-establishment of democracy, and the number of votes they actually obtained regionally at the national legislative elections. The results indicate that stiffer political competition does indeed reduce the amount of new land designated for development. This effect is found to be most marked in suburbs, in towns with a high percent of commuters and homeowners, and in municipalities governed by the left.

Citizens' control and the efficiency of local public services

Està àmpliament acceptat que la descentralització fiscal incrementa el control dels ciutadans sobre els polítics, fomenta el rendiment de comptes i augmenta l¿eficiència. Aquest treball té per objectiu identificar les característiques socio-econòmiques dels ciutadans (votants potencials) que generen un major control sobre els responsables polítics locals provocant, així, un major nivell d'eficiència en un context descentralitzat.També s'analitzen les característiques fiscals dels governs locals que fomenten aquest control i eficiència. L'estudi s'ha aplicat a una mostra de municipis catalans seguint la metodologia convencional basada en l'estimació en dues etapes. A la primera etapa s'estima l'eficiència en que operen els municipis mitjançant la tècnica DEA. La novetat rau en el càlcul d'una nova versió d'indicador global d¿output municipal. En la segona etapa, a través d¿una estimació tipus Tobit (models censurats) i de mètodes bootstrap, es mostra com els factors abans comentats poden influir sobre l¿eficiència. Els resultats suggereixen que la forta presencia de comerciants, jubilats i persones amb dret a vot afavoreixen el control dels ciutadans, el rendiment de comptes i l¿eficiència. Un factor que facilita aquest control, i per tant una major eficiència, és la presència de baixos costos d'oportunitat d'obtenir informació sobre la gestió local dels serveis públics.