The political economy of employment protection

This paper develops a model of job creation and job destruction in agrowing economy with embodied technical progress, that we use toanalyze the political support for employment protection legislationssuch as the ones that are observed in most European countries.We analyze the possibility of Condorcet cycles due to the fact thatworkers about to become unemployed prefer both an increase and areduction in firing costs over the status quo. Despite this problem, we show the existence of local, and sometimes global majority winners.In voting in favour of employment protection, incumbent employeestrade off lower living standards (because employment protectionmaintains workers in less productive activities) against longer job duration. We show that the gains from, and consequently the politicalsupport for employment protection (as defined by maximunjob tenure) are larger, the lower the rate of creative destruction and the largerthe worker's bargaining power. Numerical simulations suggest a hump-shaped response of firing costs to these variables, as well as negative impact of exogeneous turnover on employment protection.

The political consequences of unemployment

We analyze the channels by which an ill-functioning labor market changes the preferences of the people for public policy and therefore the decisions that are made. We not only discuss labour market reform but other important aspects of policy making such as the size and structure of government spending. Theclass of mechanisms that we highlight can be summarized as the very existence of unemployment generating political support for "sclerosis". This may help to explain the timid pace of reform, in particular the fact that any recovery sends them at the backfront of the political agenda, and the sometimes violent opposition generated by some measures, as we have seen mostly in France.

Employment protection, international specialization and innovation

We develop a model to analyse the implications of firing costs on incentivesfor R&D and international specialization. The Key idea is paying the firingcost, the country with a rigid labor market will tend to produce relativelysecure goods, at a late stage of their product life cycle.Under international trade, an international product cycle emerges where,roughly, new goods are first produced in the low firing cost country willspecialize in 'secondary innovations', that is, improvements in existinggoods, while the low firing cost country will more specialize in 'primaryinnovation', that is, invention of new goods.

Flexibility vs. rigidity: Does Spain have the worst of both worlds?

In this paper we study the structure of labor market flows in Spain and compare them with France and the US. We characterize a number of empirical regularities and stylized facts. One striking result is that the job finding rate is slightly higher than in France, while the jon loss rate is much higher, putting Spain half-way between France and the US. This suggests that while Spain has borne the full cost of its labor market reforms in terms of job precarity, the benefits in terms of job creation have been quite modest. We hypothesize that this has been due to the reform s credibility being imperfect, which leads toexpectation of reversal.

Will EMU increase eurosclerosis?

In this paper we study the relationship between labor market institutions and monetary policy. We use a simple macroeconomic framework to show how optimal monetary policy rules depend on labor institutions (labor adjustment costs, and nominal and real wage rigitidy) and social preferences regarding inflation, employment, and real wages. We also calibrate our model tocompute how the change in social welfare brought about by giving up monetary policy as a result of joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) depends on institutions and preferences. We then use the calibrated model to analyze how EMU affects the incentives for labor market reform, both for reformsthat increase the economy's adjustment potential and for those that affect the long-run unemployment rate.

Notes et extraits de Pierre-François CHIFFLET, concernant principalement la Franche-Comté et la Bourgogne.

On remarque : « Ex Glossario pervetusto » (f. 3) ; — « Ex chartis ecclesiae de Caritate » (f. 10) ; — « Ex veteri membrana et ex antiquo circulo depicto propè altare Maurimonasterii in Alsatia » (f. 10) ; — « Ex chartis R. P. Stephani Voyrin » (f. 11) ; — « Episcopi Metenses, ex ms. codice Sancti Arnulfi Metensis » (f. 12 v°) ; — Lettre de Hugues Métel à Gerland (f. 14) ; — « Ex variis catalogis sanctorum » (f. 14) ; — « Ex archivio ecclesiae Beatae Magdalenae [Bisuntinae] » (f. 17) ; — « Ex archivio Sancti Vincentii Bisont[ini] » (f. 18) ; — « Ex archivio monasterii Bellaevallis » [Bisuntinae dioecesis] (f. 20) ; — « Ex veteri necrologio Sancti Stephani [Bisuntini], quod est ad margines Martyrologii Bedae perantiqui, ad ejusdem ecclesiae usum accommodati » [cf. ms. de Besançon 712] (f. 23 v°) ; — « Inter martyrologium et regulam, seu librum primum concilii Aquisgranensis, habetur haec sententia absolutionis » (f. 25) ; — « Ante veterem Ordinem Romanum, qui est Liber Pontificalis, habentur sequentes formulae praestandae obedientiae archiepiscopis et ecclesiae Bisuntinae » (f. 25 v°) ; — « Alia ex archivo archiepiscopi [Bisuntini] » (f. 26 v°) ; — « Ex archivio Balernensi » (f. 27 v°) ; — « Ex variis sanctorum historiis manuscriptis » (f. 30) ; — « Extraits concernant Tournus » (f. 34 v°), — notamment : « Ex codice manuscripto Trenorchiensi, membraneo, quod vocare possis Registrum Trenorchiense, incipiens ab anno 1222 et desinens in 1296 ; inscribitur : Feoda ecclesiae Trenorchiensis » (f. 37) ; — « Ex notis R. P. Voyrini » [cf. supra, f. 11] (f. 49) ; — « Inscriptio vetus Luxoviensis » (f. 50 v°) ; — Notes historiques, concernant principalement des abbayes comtoises (f. 51) ; — « Scriptores rerum Burgundicarum » (f. 52) ; — « Ex parvo chartulari Sancti Benigni [Divionensis] » (f. 52 v°) ; — « Ex libro anniversariorum Sancti Benigni [Divionensis] », 1579-1629 (f. 52 v°) ; — « Ex chartulari Sancti Symphoriani Augustodunensis » (f. 53) ; — « Ex chartulari Sancti Marcelli Cabilonensis » (f. 53 v°) ; — « Ex chartulari S. Sequani » [Lingonensis dioecesis] (f. 54 v°) ; — « Ex chartulari Sanctae Capellae Divionensis » (f. 55) ; — « Ex chartulari cathedralis Augustodunensis » (f. 55 v°) ; — « Ex tomo priore chartularis Sancti Stephani Divionensis » (f. 56) ; — « Ex chartulari Cluniacensi » (f. 57) ; — « Ex apographo chartularis Matisconensis, cujus autographum vetus dicebatur Liber catenatus » (f. 57 v°) ; — « Ex chartulari Patriciaci, qui est prioratus dependens a Floriacensi abbatia, situs in comitatu Kadrellensi, dioecesi Augustodunensi » (f. 58 v°) ; — Extraits concernant Autun et les comtes d'Autun (f. 60 v°) ; — « Ex autographis Sancti Benigni Divionensis » (f. 61) ; — « Iterum ex chartulari Sancti Stephani Divionensis » (f. 61) ; — « Ex autographis monasterii puellarum Tartensis » (f. 62) ; — « Iterum ex tabulario Cluniacensi, adnotatis paginis » (f. 62 v°) ; — « Ex majore tabulario ecclesiae Cabilonensis, quod digessit Johannes Germani, Cabilonensis episcopus » (f. 64 v°) ; — « Ex tabulario abbatiae de Buxeria » (f. 65) ; — « Ex autographis monialium Benedictinarum de Pralon » (f. 66) ; — « Ex autographis prioratus Vallis Beatae Mariae juxta Talant, de Ordine Vallis Scholarium, vulgò Bonvau » (f. 66) ; — « Ex kalendario pervetusto Sancti Benigni Divionensis » (f. 66 v°) ; — « Ex martyrologio proprio Sancti Martini Eduensis » (f. 67) ; — « Ex necrologio Sancti Lazari Aeduensis » (f. 67) ; — « Ex chronico Sancti Petri Vivi Senonensis » (f. 67) ; — « Ex chronico S. Medardi Suessionensis » (f. 68) ; — « Ex brevi chronico Sancti Dionysii ad cyclos paschales » (f. 68) ; — « De Saracenis in Gallia profligatis » (f. 69) ; — « Ex necrologio Sancti Augendi Jurensis » (f. 74) ; — « Ex necrologio Sancti Petri Bisuntini » (f. 74) ; — « Ex necrologio veteri Sancti Stephani [Bisuntini] » (f. 74 v°) ; — « Ex registro Innocentii papae VI, anni IX pontificatus, Christi 1361 » (f. 82) ; — « Ex tabulis capituli Sancti Dionysii de Vergeyo, nunc Nuciacensis » (f. 83) ; — « Ex manuscripto codice donationum 208 Joannis, comitis Burgundiae et domini Salinensis, super puteum Salinarum » (f. 89 v°) ; — « Ex archivo Sancti Anatolii Salinensis ; ex magno necrologio chartaceo eique simili membraneo, composito 1390 » (f. 92) ; — « Ex chartis prioratus de Marthereto prope Vesulium » (f. 94) ; — « Ex archivo Sancti Pauli Bisonticensis » (f. 95) ; — « Ex veteri chartulario Sancti Pauli [Bisonticensis] » (f. 95 v°) ; — « Ex veteri manuscripto codice Sancti Pauli [Bisonticensis] » (f. 96) ; — « Ex antiquioribus libris ecclesiae Sancti Stephani [Bisonticensis], scriptis aut in usum adhibitis tempore Hugonis primi, [archiepiscopi Bisonticensis] » (f. 96 v°) ; — « Ex codice Sancti Stephani [Bisonticensis] pervetusto, qui Bisonticensis ecclesiae sacros ritus continet » (f. 97) ; — « Ex antiquis codicibus Sancti Pauli [Bisonticensis] » (f. 98) ; — « Ex antiquo rituum libro » (f. 98) ; — « Ex antiquis letaniis, tempore Hugonis I, [archiepiscopi Bisuntini], in ecclesia Bisontina cani solitis ; ex manuscriptis Sancti Stephani et Sancti Pauli » (f. 99) ; — « Extraits de plusieurs manuscrits de Saint-Paul de Besançon » (f. 99 v°) ; — « Ex manuscripto codice Sanctae Magdalenae [Bisuntinae] » (f. 101) ; — Inscription trouvée à Saint-Ferjeux, en 1627 (f. 101 v°) ; — « Ex antiquis membranis archivii ecclesiae metropolitanae Bisontinae », extraits de bulles pontificales, etc. (f. 102) ; — « Ex archivio Loci Crescentis seu Trium Regum » (f. 105) ; — Notes empruntées, « ut videtur », à Anselme « de Marenchiis » (f. 106) ; — « Ex actis capituli Bisontini » (f. 106 v°) ; — « Ex obitibus adnotatis ad marginem martyrologii cathedralis Aeduensis » (f. 106 v°) ; — Fragment de chronique, 563-1033, tiré « ex veteri membrana monasterii Sancti Augendi » (f. 107) ; — « Ex alia membrana, post chronicon Engolismense » (f. 107) ; — « Ex archivio abbatiae de Aceyo » (f. 108) ; — « Ex archivio abbatiae de Roseriis » (f. 109) ; — « Extrait d'un tome des recognoissances des fiefs du Charolois » (f. 109 v°) ; — « Ex polypthico Sancti Vincentii Cabilonensis » (f. 114) ; — « Ex Aeneae, Parisiensis episcopi, collectione contra Graecos, Biblioth. Thuan., n. 444 » (f. 114) ; — « Consuetudines Cluniacenses, auctore Wdalrico, monacho Cluniacensi » (f. 115) ; — Inscriptions copiées « in pervetusto manuscripto codice, post Persii satyras », etc. (f. 116) ; — Extraits d'une « Vita metrica sancti Eustachii martyris, cognomine Placidae », contenue « in manuscripto codice Cisterciensi », etc. (f. 116 v°) ; — « De archiepiscopis Bisontinis » (f. 119) ; — « Ex archivio capituli Bisontini » (f. 120 v°) ; — « Notitia nostrorum diplomatum » (f. 124-135 r° , 141 r° , 142 v° et 143 r°) ; — « De comitibus Burgundiae in Sancti Stephani basilica Bisontina sepultis, ex veteri membrana archivi ecclesiae metropolitanae » (f. 135 v°) ; — Lettre autogr. de « Pierre-François Chifflet » [à Baluze], Dijon, 18 mars 1657 (f. 161) ; — Fragment de charte, « extrait du thresor de S. Anatoile de Salins » (f. 162) ; — Lettre autogr. de « [fr.] François Du Chemin » à Chifflet, Cîteaux, 16 mai 1657 (f. 167) ; — « Nova regum Francorum series, a quâ Theodericus II et omnes ejus posteri excluduntur, ex manuscripto codice Fontanetensi » (f. 171) ; — « Vita sancti Theutbaldi, Viennensis archiepiscopi », incomplète [Bibliotheca hagiographica latina, 8044 b] (f. 172 et 172 bis) ; — « Ex chartulario Sancti Germani Autisiodorensis », diplômes carolingiens (f. 174) ; — Fragment d'une lettre [adressée vraisemblablement à Chifflet], Paris, octobre 1670 (f. 177) ; — Extraits « ex vitâ sancti Theutbaldi, Viennensis archiepiscopi..., ex manuscripto codice monasterii Sancti Theuderii, ubi sanctus Theobaldus, Viennensis archiepiscopus, requiescit » [extraits de la vie dont un fragment occupe les feuillets 172 et 172 bis] (f. 178) ; — Lettre autogr. de « P[ierre-] F[rançois] Chifflet » [à Baluze], 10 mars (f. 180) ; — Notes sur saint Théobald, archevêque de Vienne (f. 181). Cf. Ulysse Robert, Catalogue des manuscrits relatifs à la Franche-Comté, qui sont conservés dans les bibliothèques publiques de Paris (1878), p. 161-162.

Multiples hyperplasies nodulaires focales hépatiques associées à une agénésie congénitale de la veine porte [Multiple focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver associated with congenital absence of the portal vein]

We report the 32nd case of congenital absence of portal vein in an 18-year-old female adult associated with multiple focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. The association of various hepatic tumors has been observed in half of the publications about congenital absence of portal vein. Hepatic tumors seem to result from systemic diversion of portal vein flow with a resultant increase of arterial flow causing important vascular and nutritif changes the liver and consequent parenchymal transformation.

Influence of operator experience on performance of ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy.

The purpose was to evaluate the influence of radiologist's experience on the diagnostic yield and complications of a percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) method. Six hundred patients underwent an ultrasound-guided PLB by an inexperienced operator in 25.2% of cases (experience of less than 15 percutaneous liver biopsies performed alone--group I) or by an experienced operator (experience of more than 150 percutaneous liver biopsies--group II). The two groups were well-matched with respect to sex, age, percentage with viral hepatitis without histological cirrhosis, number of needle passes, history of liver biopsy and pain before the biopsy. A histological diagnosis was available in 97.3% of cases without any significant difference between the two groups ( P=0.25). However, group II samples were significantly longer and contained more portal tracts ( P=0.01). Pain was mild immediately and 6 h after the biopsy, without significant difference between both groups. Eight vasovagal reactions (five in group II) and one arteriobiliary fistula (in group II) occurred. With the method of PLB used for this study, operator's experience did not influence either the final histological diagnosis or the degree of pain suffered.

MR features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

We report on two patients presenting with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The important tumor size and the marked tissular hypersignal seen on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) should be considered as magnetic resonance (MR) features strongly indicating diagnosis of GIST.