Inde : entre partenariat et concurrence avec l’Europe

Ces dix dernières années, l’Inde s’est hissée au rang des pays connaissant l’essor le plus important au niveau mondial. Avec une population dépassant le milliard d’habitants, le pays verra son influence augmenter à l’avenir. Mais quels sont les défis majeurs auxquels New Delhi aura à faire face dans les dix ans à venir ? Et quelles seront les conséquences de cette évolution pour l’Union européenne (UE) ? Le présent article propose une analyse d’ensemble de l’état actuel de l’Inde en matière d..

L'Europe et le monde en 2020

Quelle sera l'Europe en 2020 ? Quel sera son rôle sur la scène internationale ? Comment fera-t-elle face aux défis globaux à cet horizon ? Le xxie siècle a commencé par une première décennie de turbulences pour l'Europe : guerre contre le terrorisme, interventions en Afghanistan et dissensions sur le dossier irakien, difficile ratification du traité de Lisbonne, crise économique mondiale. Comment préparer l'avenir lorsque le court terme occupe tout l'horizon ? S'appuyant sur leur expertise et leurs travaux scientifiques, 23 chercheurs allemands et français proposent une analyse inédite sur l'Union européenne et le monde en 2020. Des scénarios prospectifs présentent les futurs que l'Europe peut se donner. Face aux défis de sa crédibilité internationale et de sa cohésion interne, l'Union européenne dispose désormais des moyens de ses ambitions, pourvu qu'elle les mette en œuvre en toute cohérence. Cet ouvrage vise à dessiner, au-delà des crises actuelles, l'Europe du xxie siècle que les Européens pourront, et surtout voudront, construire ensemble

The assessment of biomarkers to detect nephrotoxicity using an integrated database

Groups of industrial workers exposed to heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, and lead) or solvents were studied together with corresponding control groups. The cohorts were collected from several European centers (countries). Eighty-one measurements were carried out on urine, blood, and serum samples and the results of these analyses together with questionnaire information on each individual were entered into a central database using the relational database package Rbase. After the completion of the database construction phase, the data were exported in a format suitable for analysis by the statistical package SAS. The potential value of each test as an indicator of nephrotoxicity was then assessed. Rigorous exclusion criteria were applied which resulted in the elimination of some tests and samples from the dataset. The measurable contributions of smoking, gender, metal exposure, and site were either singly or in combination assessed by biomarkers for nephrotoxicity. The parameters measured included three urinary enzymes, six specific proteins, total protein, two extracellular matrix markers, four prostaglandins and anti-GBM antibodies, and beta(2)-microglobulin in serum. The most sensitive renal tests included the urinary enzymes N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), brush border antigens, and urinary low-molecular-weight proteins. Of the newer tests investigated the prostaglandins were the most promising. Different patterns of biomarker excretion were observed following exposure to lead, cadmium, or mercury. The dataset provides a unique repository of data which could provide the basis of an enlarging source of information on normal human reference ranges and on the effects of exposure to toxins and the use of biomarkers for monitoring nephrotoxicity. (C) 1997 Academic Press

Middle powers in the Indo-Pacific: Potential pacifiers guarantying stability in the Indo-Pacific?

The article examines the potential of middle powers’ cooperation to establish communities of practice to reinforce their ability to influence world affairs. Illustrating the argument with three case studies—Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea—we assert that middle powers play key roles in structuring the world order. We test the following hypotheses: (i) middle powers do not look, nor do they need to look to great powers for leadership, and can influence events by forging new regional relationships; (ii) when leadership topples or tensions emerge between great powers, with a potential or nascent leadership vacuum, the initiative to guarantee the status quo (i.e., a liberal order) can be provided by middle powers. While rooted in IR theories, the research mostly builds upon the framework of communities of practice and management theories, linking them to highlight the importance of existing interactions, the opportunity for and advantage of greater cooperation and its potential systemic impact