Ethics as part of a new regulation scheme: global trends and European specificities

"Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Entwicklung der Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik als Teil eines neuen Regulierungsparadigmas in kapitalistischen Marktwirtschaften. Es wird gezeigt, dass formalere Rückgriffe auf ethische Begründungsmuster aufgrund der sinkenden Bedeutung und/ oder der geringen Wirksamkeit anderer Mechanismen von sozialer "Einbettung" des ökonomischen Systems notwendiger werden. Die spezifischen Einflüsse des Europäischen Einigungsprozesses auf diese Entwicklung werden analysiert und es wird aufgezeigt, dass die konstitutive Logik dieses Prozesses dazu führt, individualistische Werte und prozedurale Normen zu befördern." (Autorenreferat)"This paper analyses the development of economic and business ethics as an element of a new regulation scheme of the capitalist economy. It is argued that a more formal recourse to ethical justifications is becoming more indispensable due to a lesser relevance and/ or efficiency of other mechanisms of social 'embeddedness' of the economic system. The paper will then also analyse the specific influence of the European process on this evolution, showing that the constitutive logic of this process tends to promote individualistic values and procedural norms." (author's abstract

Stavin\u27 Change : The Meanest Man In New Orleans

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4056/thumbnail.jp

Les nouvelles dynamiques de la solidarite intergenerationnelle et de la protection contre les risques de la vie en Algerie

Les mutations démographiques (vieillissement de la population, décès des retraités émigrés de la première génération vivant en France ou en Algérie, etc.) et sociales ainsi que l’informalisation importante de l’économie algérienne ne vont-elles pas à l’avenir poser un problème de protection contre les risques de la vie? Que recouvre et comment évolue la solidarité intergénérationnelle en Algérie? Est-elle de nature formelle ou informelle? Est-elle ascendante ou descendante? Nous nous concentrons ici sur une thématique transversale qui est celle de la solidarité intergénérationnelle. Celle-ci peut être le cadre pertinent pour mobiliser des  acteurs autour de projets collectifs susceptibles d’être pilotés avec des critères d’efficacité sociale plutôt que de rentabilité financière. Il s’agit donc d’identifier des pratiques sociales organisées de manière à créer un champ de crédibilité permettant l’intervention de tiers en appui aux projets via, par exemple, la microfinance.MOTS CLEFS: Solidarité intergénérationnelle, mutations sociales, financement des risques de la vie, Algérie

BIRDS AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN MEDITERRANEAN RIPARIAN AREAS: Bird studies in the RIPIDURABLE project

RIPIDURABLE is an INTERREG IIIC European Program involving 10 partners from Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. Scientists, technicians and local/regional authorities worked together to integrate knowledge, knowhow and practice, towards a rational conservation management of riparian zones. Birds can be used to characterize ecosystems, to monitor environmental changes or to assess results of restoration measures. We have conducted field surveys in order to assess breeding bird communities associated to riparian galleries in several watercourses, including issues as the relation with natural vegetation profiles, the influence of the surrounding matrix, the evolution with time or with habitat degradation, the effects of rehabilitation measures, and/or the importance of riparian galleries as ecological corridors for birds. Surveys at different space and time scales were carried out using standardised point count methods, on 8 watercourses in Portugal and France. We focused on different aspects of riparian breeding bird community variation: along a decreasing gradient of vegetal complexity (Tagus Basin), along an upstream-downstream gradient (Allier), with different surrounding landscapes (Sado, Guadiana and Tagus Basin), with time (Alcáçovas at a 10 years interval, Allier at 16 years interval), with management status (Vidourle), with time & management status (Rhône delta at a 12 years intervals), before & after river rehabilitation (Gandum). In addition we studied the dispersal of Barn Owls from upper Tagus Estuary along riparian corridors (TytoTagus Project), and also the importance of riparian habitats of the Guadiana basin on the autumn migration of trans-Saharan birds across the Iberian Peninsula. The RIPIDURABLE project offered the opportunity for further research currently included in national programs such as the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature which allows long term studies on riparian birds. Herein we briefly present some of the preliminary results of the bird studies carried out by partners from Portugal and France

Design and characterization of an instrumented slider aimed atmeasuring local micro-impact forces between dry rough solids

Sliding motion between two rough solids under light normal loading involves myriad micro-impacts between antagonist micro-asperities. Those micro-impacts are at the origin of many emerging macroscopic phenomena, including the friction force, the slider's vibrations and the noise radiated in the surroundings. However, the individual properties of the micro-impacts (e.g. maximum force, position along the interface, duration) are essentially elusive to measurement. Here, we introduce an instrumented slider aimed at measuring the position and the normal component of the micro-impact forces during sliding against a rough track. It is based on an array of piezoelectric sensors, each placed under a single model asperity. Its dynamical characteristics are established experimentally and compared to a finite elements model. We then validate its measurement capabilities by using it against a track bearing simple, well-defined topographical features. The measurements are interpreted thanks to a simple multi-asperity contact model. Our slider is expected to be useful in future studies to provide local insights into a variety of tribological questions involving dry rough sliding interfaces.Comment: Contents are identical to that of the published pape

Outcome of Poor-Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage as Determined by Biomarkers of Glucose Cerebral Metabolism

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if the measurement of blood biomarkers of glucose cerebral metabolism, performed with retrograde jugular catheter, could predict the outcome of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. Methods: This study was conducted in 68 poor-grade aSAH patients. A total of 4,024 blood samples obtained from jugular and radial catheters were analyzed for glucose, lactate, and oxygen content every 8h for 10±0.5days. Metabolic ratio (MR) and lactate-oxygen index (LOI) were obtained by ratios using arterio-jugular differences. Functional outcome was evaluated at 12months with the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Results: Outcome was unfavorable in 40 patients. In this group of patients, the MR was significantly lower (p<0.0001) and the LOI was significantly higher (p=0.0001) than in the group with favorable outcome. The MR cutoff value, below which the patients are likely to have an unfavorable outcome, was determined to be 3.35. More interestingly, the data obtained in this study demonstrated that the patients achieving an unfavorable outcome were distinguished from those with a favorable outcome by having at least three events of MR inferior to 3.35 (sensitivity=90%, specificity=82.1%). Moreover, in patients who developed cerebral vasospasm, we observed a significant decrease in the MR. Conclusion: Our data provide additional support to the view that the MR is a reliable marker for predicting the outcome of poor-grade aSAH patients. Prospective studies are needed to confirm its value in multimodal monitorin

Radiofrequency conical emission from femtosecond filaments in air

International audienceWe show that the broadband conical emission associated with filaments in air extends down to the radiofrequency region. This rf emission which originates from the longitudinal oscillation of charged ions formed during filamentation is strongly enhanced by the presence of a longitudinal static electric field

RNY-derived small RNAs as a signature of coronary artery disease

International audienceBackgroundData from next generation sequencing technologies uncovered the existence of many classes of small RNAs. Recent studies reported that small RNAs are released by cells and can be detected in the blood. In this report, we aimed to discover the occurrence of novel circulating small RNAs in coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsWe used high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs from human and mouse apoptotic primary macrophages, and analyzed the data by empirical Bayes moderated t-statistics to assess differential expression and the Benjamini and Hochberg method to control the false discovery rate. Results were then confirmed by Northern blot and RT-qPCR in foam cells and in two animal models for atherosclerosis, namely ApoE −/− and Ldlr −/− mouse lines. Quantitative RT-PCR to detect identified small RNAs, the RNY-derived small RNAs, was performed using sera of 263 patients with CAD compared to 514 matched healthy controls; the Student t-test was applied to statistically assess differences. Associations of small RNAs with clinical characteristics and biological markers were tested using Spearman’s rank correlations, while multivariate logistic regressions were performed to test the statistical association of small RNA levels with CAD.ResultsHere, we report that, in macrophages stimulated with pro-apoptotic or pro-atherogenic stimuli, the Ro-associated non-coding RNAs, called RNYs or Y-RNAs, are processed into small RNAs (~24–34 nt) referred to as small-RNYs (s-RNYs), including s-RNY1-5p processed from RNY1. A significant upregulation of s-RNY expression was found in aortic arches and blood plasma from ApoE −/− and Ldlr −/− mice and in serum from CAD patients (P <0.001). Biostatistical analysis revealed a positive association of s-RNY1-5p with hs-CRP and ApoB levels; however, no statistical interaction was found between either of these two markers and s-RNY1-5p in relation to the CAD status. Levels of s-RNY1-5p were also independent from statin and fibrate therapies.ConclusionOur results position the s-RNY1-5p as a relevant novel independent diagnostic biomarker for atherosclerosis-related diseases. Measurement of circulating s-RNY expression would be a valuable companion diagnostic to monitor foam cell apoptosis during atherosclerosis pathogenesis and to evaluate patient’s responsiveness to future therapeutic strategies aiming to attenuate apoptosis in foam cells in advanced atherosclerotic lesions