Rein et tabac : revue de la littérature et mise au point [Kidney and smoking: literature review and focus].

Smoking remains a major public health problem. It is associated with a considerable number of deaths in the world's population. Smoking is just like high blood pressure, an independent predictor of progression to any primary renal disease and renal transplant patients. It seems that smoking cessation slows the progression of kidney disease in smokers. The literature data are sometimes contradictory about it because of some methodological weaknesses. However, experimental models highlight the harmful effects of tobacco by hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic factors. The conclusion is that a major effort should be further produced by the nephrology community to motivate our patients to stop smoking.

Do fly parasites of bats and their hosts coevolve?speciation in Trichobius phyllostomae group (Diptera, Streblidae) and their hosts (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) suggests that they do not

We examined whether, like many parasite-host systems of coevolution, a group of obligate parasitic bat flies (Trichobius phyllostomae Kessel and related species) cospeciate with their hosts. We first did a cladistic analysis of the T. phyllostomae group and combined that analysis with a phylogenetic hypothesis from the literature for the Stenodermatinae bats. The cladistic analysis included, as outgroups, one species from each morphological group and complex of Trichobius Gervais, and one species from the following genera: Paratrichobius Miranda-Ribeiro, Megistopoda Macquart, Megistapophysys Dick & Wenzel, Neotrichobius Wenzel & Aitken, Speiseria Kessel and Strebla Wiedemann. The cladogram was rooted with a species of Strebla in the subfamily Streblinae. One cladogram was obtained and which found Trichobius to be polyphyletic. The phylogenetic hypothesis as follows: (Paratrichobius, (Neotrichobius, (Megistopoda, Megistapophysis)))) is the sister-group of the phyllostomae group and the following relationships within the ingroup, (((T. vampyropis Wenzel, Trichobius sp. 2) ((T. hispidus Wenzel, T. petersoni Wenzel) ((Trichobius sp. 1 (T. phyllostomae, T. brennani Wenzel))))). When we compared phylogenies through historical association analyses, cospeciation was uncommon, while host-switching was more common and better explained the association between the phyllostomae group and their bat hosts.

The three strands of intercultural polities: a comprehensive view. A critical review of Bouchard and Cantle recent books on interculturalism

Within the emerging policy debate on interculturalism we critically review two recent books in 2012: Bouchard’s L’interculturalisme: un point de vue quebecois, and Cantle’s Interculturalism: The New Era of Cohesion and Diversity. In my view, both contribute very directly to open a foundational debate on interculturalism. In addressing the point of convergence and the dividing lines of these two contributions, I will claim that in spite of having one core concept of interculturalism, there are, however, at least two basic conceptions that have to be interpreted in complementary ways: Bouchard’s essay represents the contractual strand, Cantle’s book the cohesion strand. At the end I would also suggest that these two strands do not manage to express explicitly that diversity can also be seen as a resource of innovation and creativity, and so can drive individual and social development. This view is based on the diversity advantage literature already informing most of the diversity debate in Europe and elsewhere. This is what I will call the constructivist strand. My ultimate purpose is to defend a comprehensive view, grounded on the argument that no one can have the sole authority to define intercultural policy, since the three strands can be applied at different moments, according to different purposes and policy needs. The challenge now is that policy managers be able to achieve a balance between these three policy drivers.

Arterial hypertension after surgical closure of omphalocele and gastroschisis.

Arterial hypertension has been reported as a complication of surgical closure of an abdominal wall defect. No report studying the incidence, the characteristics and the clinical significance of hypertension after surgical correction of an omphalocele or gastroschisis has been published so far. The medical records of all newborns with surgically corrected gastroschisis or omphalocele identified in two centers were retrospectively evaluated. Arterial hypertension was defined as a mean daily systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure value higher than the 95 percentile for age and/or weight, according to literature data. The timing of surgery, weight gain, plasma creatinine and the use of diuretics or vasoactive drugs were compared between the groups with and without hypertension. Seventy-two patients were identified and included in the study, 29 with omphalocele and 43 with gastroschisis. Those with omphalocele were born at a mean age of 37.3+/-2.6 weeks with a mean birth weight of 2,971+/-715 g, and those with gastroschisis were born at 36.1+/-2.0 weeks with a mean birth weight of 2,527+/-498 g. Blood pressure values of 66 patients were available for analysis. Of the omphalocele patients, 46.2% (12/26) developed systolic hypertension, compared to 17.5% (7/40) of the patients with gastroschisis (P =0.024). Hypertension was always transient, lasting an average of 4 and 1 day in the omphalocele and gastroschisis groups, respectively. Two patients with omphalocele were given anti-hypertensive therapy. There was no difference between patients with or without hypertension regarding weight gain, use of vasoactive drugs or diuretics, mean weekly creatinine values or the timing of surgery. Newborns with an abdominal wall defect frequently present with transient arterial hypertension. Hypertension occurs significantly more often, is more severe and lasts longer in patients with omphalocele than in patients with gastroschisis. In both groups, hypertension is transient and rarely requires therapy. The cause of hypertension remains unclear.

The so-called "Spanish model" - Tobacco industry strategies and its impact in Europe and Latin America

Background To demonstrate the tobacco industry rationale behind the "Spanish model" on non-smokers' protection in hospitality venues and the impact it had on some European and Latin American countries between 2006 and 2011. Methods Tobacco industry documents research triangulated against news and media reports. Results As an alternative to the successful implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, several European and Latin American countries introduced partial smoking bans based on the so-called "Spanish model", a legal framework widely advocated by parts of the hospitality industry with striking similarities to "accommodation programmes" promoted by the tobacco industry in the late 1990s. These developments started with the implementation of the Spanish tobacco control law (Ley 28/2005) in 2006 and have increased since then. Conclusion The Spanish experience demonstrates that partial smoking bans often resemble tobacco industry strategies and are used to spread a failed approach on international level. Researchers, advocates and policy makers should be aware of this ineffective policy.

Regional structure of wages and external economies in Spain

Regional data on wages for the Spanish economy show that workers who live in developed regions earn more than workers in other regions.Literature on external economies provides a possible explanation of why firms do not move from these regions to others where wages are lower. Previous studies for the Spanish case use aggregated sectoral data to explain in terms of external economies why average wages are different across regions. The originalcontribution of this paper consists of using individual data to detect the existenceand nature of external economies as an explanatory cause of territorial wagedifferences. With this aim, we have used individual data from the EPF 1990-91(INE). This information permits us to control the influence of individual and jobcharacteristics on wages to, first, detect the existence of external economies and,second, to test alternative explanations of their presence. The empirical evidenceobtained confirms the relevance of territorial external economies and their influence on wages, as a result of improvements in the productive efficiency of the firm. In concrete terms, the more relevant external economies are associatedwith the regional human capital stock and geographical productive specialisation

Regional structure of wages and external economies in Spain

Regional data on wages for the Spanish economy show that workers who live in developed regions earn more than workers in other regions.Literature on external economies provides a possible explanation of why firms do not move from these regions to others where wages are lower. Previous studies for the Spanish case use aggregated sectoral data to explain in terms of external economies why average wages are different across regions. The originalcontribution of this paper consists of using individual data to detect the existenceand nature of external economies as an explanatory cause of territorial wagedifferences. With this aim, we have used individual data from the EPF 1990-91(INE). This information permits us to control the influence of individual and jobcharacteristics on wages to, first, detect the existence of external economies and,second, to test alternative explanations of their presence. The empirical evidenceobtained confirms the relevance of territorial external economies and their influence on wages, as a result of improvements in the productive efficiency of the firm. In concrete terms, the more relevant external economies are associatedwith the regional human capital stock and geographical productive specialisation

Clear Zone – A Synthesis of Practice and an Evaluation of the Benefi ts of Meeting the 10-ft Clear Zone Goal on Urban Streets, November 2008

In urban communities, there are often limited amounts of right-of-way available for establishing a large setback distance from the curb for fixed objects. Urban communities must constantly weigh the cost of purchasing additional right-of-way for clear zones against the risk of fixed object crashes. From 2004 to 2006, this type of crash on curbed roads represented 15% of all fatal crashes and 3% of all crashes in the state of Iowa. Many states have kept the current minimum AASHTO recommendations as their minimum clear zone standards; however, other states have decided that these recommendations are insufficient and have increased the required minimum clear zone distance to better suit the judgment of local designers. This report presents research on the effects of the clear zone on urban curbed streets. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a synthesis of practice that included a literature review and a survey of practices in jurisdictions that have developmental and historical patterns similar to those of Iowa. The second phase involved investigating the benefits of a 10 ft clear zone, which included examining urban corridors in Iowa that meet or do not meet the 10 ft clear zone goal. The results of this study indicate that a consistent fixed object offset results in a reduction in the number of fixed object crashes, a 5 ft clear zone is most effective when the goal is to minimize the number of fixed object c ashes, and a 3 ft clear zone is most effective when the goal is to minimize the cost of fixed object crashes.

Batalin-Vilkovisky analysis of covariant and noncovariant actions

The equivalence between the covariant and the noncovariant versions of a constrained system is shown to hold after quantization in the framework of the field-antifield formalism. Our study covers the cases of electromagnetism and Yang-Mills fields and sheds light on some aspects of the Faddeev-Popov method, for both the covariant and noncovariant approaches, which have not been fully clarified in the literature.

Translating in the "Tongue of Perrault". The Reception of the "Kinder- und Hausmärchen" in France

To translate the Kinder- und Hausmärchen into French is to confront the spectre of Charles Perrault and his Histoires ou contes du temps passé. Avec des moralités, which have haunted the fairy-tale genre in France since the end of the 17th century. Celebrated for their alleged simplicity and naivety by literary critics and folklorists, Perrault's "contes" have become the paragon of a genre against which fairytales translated into French are implicitly? measured. On the one hand, Perrault has come to play an integrating role, linking foreign texts to the French literary heritage and thereby facilitating their reception. On the other hand, he is simultaneously used as a contrast, to emphasise the originality of foreign authors and emphasise cultural differences. Drawing on contemporary and 19th century examples emphasising the influence of the Histoires ou contes du temps passé on French translations of the KHM, I will show that the Grimms' fairy-tales are translated less in the "tongue of Molière" than in the "tongue of Perrault".

New York versus Tragedy and Oedipus. The Legacy of Sophocles and the Sophists in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors"

Beyond the explicit reference to the Greek tragedy and Oedipus, the aim of this article is to show the clear relationship, in the author's opinion, between what the protagonists of the film maintain and the theories of the Greek Sophists about God, the law, etc. An accurate analysis both of their texts and the screenplay of Crimes and Misdemeanors reveals different sophistic roots, which, in this case, cannot be attributed to the constant presence of the Jewish legacy in W. Allen's work.

Ultraviolet optical and microstructural properties of MgF2 and LaF3 coatings deposited by ion-beam sputtering and boat and electron-beam evaporation

Single layers of MgF2 and LaF3 were deposited upon superpolished fused-silica and CaF2 substrates by ion-beam sputtering (IBS) as well as by boat and electron beam (e-beam) evaporation and were characterized by a variety of complementary analytical techniques. Besides undergoing photometric and ellipsometric inspection, the samples were investigated at 193 and 633 nm by an optical scatter measurement facility. The structural properties were assessed with atomic-force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, TEM techniques that involved conventional thinning methods for the layers. For measurement of mechanical stress in the coatings, special silicon substrates were coated and analyzed. The dispersion behavior of both deposition materials, which was determined on the basis of various independent photometric measurements and data reduction techniques, is in good agreement with that published in the literature and with the bulk properties of the materials. The refractive indices of the MgF2 coatings ranged from 1.415 to 1.440 for the wavelength of the ArF excimer laser (193 nm) and from 1.435 to 1.465 for the wavelength of the F2 excimer laser (157 nm). For single layers of LaF3 the refractive indices extended from 1.67 to 1.70 at 193 nm to ~1.80 at 157 nm. The IBS process achieves the best homogeneity and the lowest surface roughness values (close to 1 nmrms) of the processes compared in the joint experiment. In contrast to MgF2 boat and e-beam evaporated coatings, which exhibit tensile mechanical stress ranging from 300 to 400 MPa, IBS coatings exhibit high compressive stress of as much as 910 MPa. A similar tendency was found for coating stress in LaF3 single layers. Experimental results are discussed with respect to the microstructural and compositional properties as well as to the surface topography of the coatings.

The many uses of regulatory impact assessment: A meta-analysis of EU and UK cases

Research on regulation has crossed paths with the literature on policy instruments, showing that regulatory policy instruments contain cognitive and normative beliefs about policy. Thus, their usage stacks the deck in favor of one type of actor or one type of regulatory solution. In this article, we challenge the assumption that there is a predetermined relationship between ideas, regulatory policy instruments, and outcomes. We argue that different combinations of conditions lead to different outcomes, depending on how actors use the instrument. Empirically, we analyze 31 EU and UK case studies of regulatory impact assessment (RIA) - a regulatory policy instrument that has been pivotal in the so-called better regulation movement. We distinguish four main usages of RIA, that is, political, instrumental, communicative, and perfunctory. We find that in our sample instrumental usage is not so rare and that the contrast between communicative and political usages is less stark than is commonly thought. In terms of policy recommendations, our analysis suggests that there may be different paths to desirable outcomes. Policymakers should therefore explore different combinations of conditions leading to the usages they deem desirable rather than arguing for a fixed menu of variables.

Batalin-Vilkovisky analysis of covariant and noncovariant actions

The equivalence between the covariant and the noncovariant versions of a constrained system is shown to hold after quantization in the framework of the field-antifield formalism. Our study covers the cases of electromagnetism and Yang-Mills fields and sheds light on some aspects of the Faddeev-Popov method, for both the covariant and noncovariant approaches, which have not been fully clarified in the literature.

Directly Elected Mayors and their Parties: The Cases of Genoa and Lausanne

While the literature on directly elected mayors has largely neglected the relationship between mayors and their parties, studies of party transformation have generally ignored how changes in local democratic rules and practices affect parties. This article addresses these questions using a qualitative case study of the relationship between mayors and the three faces of their parties (in local public office, local central office and on the ground) in Genoa and Lausanne. Based on interviews with the mayors, elected representatives and party members, it finds in the two cases that, as long as these mayors can count on high levels of popularity and are not nearing the end of their term, they are 'party detached'. When these factors do not apply and/or party institutionalization increases, the relationship with the party in local central office (although not with the party in local public office or on the ground) becomes more significant.