The unemployment challenge : Labour market policies for the recession

Over the next year another 50,000 people will become unemployed. The number of unemployed will surpass that of the last recession of 1997-98. To address the unemployment challenge New Zealand needs to supplement existing job search assistance with investment in training and business capital to push long term productivity growth. Subsidies to prop up jobs and firms should be avoided. The April 2009 QSBO found that a net 36% of firms intend to cut staff numbers in the next three months. Unemployment will be the worst we have faced since the 1991 global recession. With the peak in unemployment approaching, attention needs to shift now to the challenge of getting the unemployed into work. The temptation will be to artificially protect jobs. But this is short-sighted. The economic imperative should be to ensure New Zealand has the right human capital to prosper when the economy picks up. At first glance, recent initiatives (temporary top-up support for those made redundant and the 9 day fortnight) appear sensible. But they have downsides and should be removed after the crisis has passed. Also, because they are tightly targeted they will have little impact, and do not cater well for many of the 50,000 or so extra unemployed. These will be new entrants to the labour market or those employed by small firms. This policy gap needs to be filled to avoid high and long-term unemployment.Recession, unemployment, New Zealand

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

The unemployment challenge: Labour market policies for the recession

Over the next year another 50,000 people will become unemployed. The number of unemployed will surpass that of the last recession of 1997-98. To address the unemployment challenge New Zealand needs to supplement existing job search assistance with investment in training and business capital to push long term productivity growth. Subsidies to prop up jobs and firms should be avoided. The April 2009 QSBO found that a net 36% of firms intend to cut staff numbers in the next three months. Unemployment will be the worst we have faced since the 1991 global recession. With the peak in unemployment approaching, attention needs to shift now to the challenge of getting the unemployed into work. The temptation will be to artificially protect jobs. But this is short-sighted. The economic imperative should be to ensure New Zealand has the right human capital to prosper when the economy picks up. At first glance, recent initiatives (temporary top-up support for those made redundant and the 9 day fortnight) appear sensible. But they have downsides and should be removed after the crisis has passed. Also, because they are tightly targeted they will have little impact, and do not cater well for many of the 50,000 or so extra unemployed. These will be new entrants to the labour market or those employed by small firms. This policy gap needs to be filled to avoid high and long-term unemployment.Recession, unemployment, New Zealand, labour economics

Mapping an Arabian oasis: first results of the UCOP systematic survey of al-ʿUlā (AlUla) Valley (2019-2021)

peer reviewe

Tumeurs frontières de l'ovaire. Recommandations pour la pratique clinique du CNGOF – Texte court

International audienceThis work was carried out under the aegis of the CNGOF (Collège national des gynécologues et obstétriciens français) and proposes guidelines based on the evidence available in the literature. The objective was to define the diagnostic and surgical management strategy, the fertility preservation and surveillance strategy in Borderline Ovarian Tumor (BOT). No screening modality can be proposed in the general population. An expert pathological review is recommended in case of doubt concerning the borderline nature, the histological subtype, the invasive nature of the implant, for all micropapillary/cribriform serous BOT or in the presence of peritoneal implants, and for all mucinous or clear cell tumors (grade C). Macroscopic MRI analysis should be performed to differentiate the different subtypes of BOT: serous, seromucinous and mucinous (intestinal type) (grade C). If preoperative biomarkers are normal, follow up of biomarkers is not recommended (grade C). In cases of bilateral early serous BOT with a desire to preserve fertility and/or endocrine function, it is recommended to perform a bilateral cystectomy if possible (grade B). In case of early mucinous BOT, with a desire to preserve fertility and/or endocrine function, it is recommended to perform a unilateral adnexectomy (grade C). Secondary surgical staging is recommended in case of serous BOT with micropapillary appearance and uncomplete inspection of the abdominal cavity during initial surgery (grade C). For early-stage serous or mucinous BOT, it is not recommended to perform a systematic hysterectomy (grade C). Follow up after BOT must be pursued for more than 5 years (grade B). Conservative treatment involving at least the conservation of the uterus and a fragment of the ovary in a patient wishing to conceive may be proposed in advanced stages of BOT (grade C). A new surgical treatment that preserves fertility after a first non-invasive recurrence may be proposed in women of childbearing age (grade C). It is recommended to offer a specialized consultation for Reproductive Medicine when diagnosing BOT in a woman of childbearing age. Hormonal contraceptive use after serous or mucinous BOT is not contraindicated (grade C)

Quelle éducation avec la Covid-19

APPEL A CONTRIBUTION : QUE NOUS APPREND LA PANDEMIE? Numéro HS Recherches et Educations (Juillet 2020) (HCERES 70ème section) Qu'est ce que la pandémie nous apprend de nos sociétés, de nos politiques de santé publique, des souverainetés épistémologiques de la recherche et des praxis individuelles et collectives? Solidarités ou/ et d'exclusions? Stratégies d'adaptation au confinement ou de rejet? Comment agit-on dans ce monde incertain, soumis à l'autorité des politiques de gestion d'un virus? Soumission volontaire à l'autorité ou organisation des résistances? Quels sont les savoirs exercés sur quels pouvoirs ? Quelles sont les légitimités et les responsabilités plurielles : individuelles, collectives, politiques et sociales ? Quels sont les usages sociaux et politiques des résultats de la recherche des experts ? Qu’apprenons nous des expériences de prévention individuelles, européennes et internationales ? Comment s’exercent les pouvoirs à partir des savoirs des épistémologies et des évidence-base medecine ? Comment l’histoire des épidémies pourrait répondre à notre présent ? Quel futur pour notre société après la pandémie ? Quelles seront nos inégalités sociales ? Vers quelles écologies ? Quelles résistances ? Quel mode de vie ? Quelles expériences corporelles de l’absence de toucher et de la distanciation ? Quelle croissance ? Quelle décroissance ? Quelles solidarités face à la techno-économique ? La revue Recherches & Educations lance un appel à contribution, multi disciplinaire, sur le « dispositif covid 19 » pendant le confinement imposé aux populations. Elle propose de réunir les textes critiques et réflexifs sur ce que nous apprend l’épidémie et la pandémie de nous même, de notre relation au vivant, à la mondialisation néolibérale, aux souverainetés de santé, au gouvernement des corps, de la psyché et de la vie, aux politiques de prévention, aux représentations de l’épidémie, aux pratiques corporelles visuelles et tactiles, aux modes de résistances et aux praxis du quotidien du présent et de demain. Texte à adresser (avant le 30 mai 2020) en 30.000 signes à [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]