Allocating and Funding Universal Service Obligations in a Competitive Network Market

We examine, in a network market open to competition, various mechanisms of allocating and funding ''universal service obligations'' among agents (rival operators and consumers). The obligations we consider are geographic ubiquity and non discrimination. We analyze, from both the efficiency and equity point of views, the respective advantages of a ''restricted-entry'' system (where the entrant is not allowed to serve high cost consumers) and the ''pay or play'' system at work for instance in Australia. We show that the pay or play regulation always dominates the restricted-entry regulation under ubiquity constraint alone. This result no longer holds when the regulator imposes also the non discrimination constraint.

La discrimination systémique dans le système éducatif français

1. IntroductionComme le remarque Patrick Simon (2005), la question des discriminations a subi une transformation assez sensible en France ces dernières années. L’accumulation d’enquêtes convergentes a en effet quelque peu dissipé une perspective qu’on peu qualifier, avec le recul, de « grossièrement morale ». L’approche du racisme s’en est trouvée, elle même, renouvelée : désindexée de la lutte idéologique contre les groupements racistes, elle peut se recentrer sur « cette somme de petites dé..

Dedicated and industrial robotic arms used as force feedback telerobots at the AREVA-La Hague recycling plant

ISBN: 978-1-4244-6635-1/10International audienceCEA LIST and AREVA have been developing remote operations devices, also called telerobotics for 15 years. These tools were designed for interventions in the AREVA nuclear spent fuel facilities hot cells. From these 15 years of joint research and development, several technological bricks have been industrialized and used at the AREVA La Hague facilities. This article presents some of these bricks and their industrial developments. The “TAO2000” CEA LIST telerobotics generic software controller will be first discussed. This controller has been used to teleoperate dedicated slave arms like the MT200 TAO (an evolution of the conventional wall-transmission mechanical telemanipulator (MSM)) as well as industrial robotic arms like the Stäubli RX robots. Both the MT200 TAO and Stäubli RX TAO telerobotics systems provide force-feedback and are now ready to be used as telemaintenance tools at the AREVA La Hague facilities. Two recent maintenance operations using these tools will be detailed at the end of this pape

Les stratégies d'alliances dans I'industrie agro-alimentaire française : des logiques contrastées

*Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Rennes 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc 35042 RENNES CEDEX (FRA) Diffusion du document : Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Rennes 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc 35042 RENNES CEDEX (FRA)The evolution of co-operative inter-firm relations over the last two decades has given rise to profuseliterature, in tl,e form of either theoretical analyses or empirical studies. The food processing industryhas been kept out of these studies and has never been included in any specific work on strategicalliances. As part of an ernpirical approach based on a database of 259 agreements reached between1988 and 1997, this paper confirms that alliances are a significant feature of this industry and that theyfollow two main logics, i.e., a vertical logic of value chain and a horizontal logic taking in account themarket dimension. This analysis offers a novel alliance classification and identifies specific factorscharacterising the practice of alliances within this sector. In particular, it highlights the need to take thespecificities of food processing activities into consideration, as well as the existence of a specifictechnological status and particular innovation practices.Au cours des deux dernières décennies, l'évolution des relations de coopération inter-firmes a suscitéune littérature abondante tant au niveau des analyses théoriques que des études empiriques. L'industrieagro-alimentaire est restée largement en marge de ces travaux et n'a jamais fait I'objet d'analysesspécifiques concernant la pratique des alliances stratégiques. Dans le cadre d'une démarche empirique,fondée sur l'exploitation d'une base de données recensant 259 accords conclus sur la période 1988 -7997, cet article confirme que les alliances constituent une pratique significative dans ce secteur etqu'elles obéissent à deux logiques principales, l'une verticale de chaîne de valeur et l'autre horizontalede marché. Cette analyse permet de proposer une typologie originale des alliances et de repérer lesfacteurs d'identité et de spécificité de cette pratique, dans ce secteur. En particulier, elle rappelle lanécessité de tenir compte des dimensions caractéristiques des métiers et des activités des firmes del'agro-alimentaire, et de l'existence d'un régime technologique et de modes d'innovation particuliers

Long-term results after carinal resection for carcinoma: Does the benefit warrant the risk?

ObjectiveWe sought to determine whether the benefit warrants the risk in patients undergoing carinal resection for carcinoma.MethodsThis was a retrospective single-center study.ResultsBetween June 1981 and August 2004, 119 patients underwent carinal resection for carcinoma in our institution. Carinal pneumonectomy was performed in 103 cases (96 right and 7 left pneumonectomies), carinal resection plus right upper lobectomy in 3, carinal resection after left pneumonectomy in 2, and carinal resection without pulmonary resection in 11. Superior vena caval resection was combined with carinal pneumonectomy in 25 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma (13 patients had complete superior vena caval resection with graft interposition). Nine (7.6%) patients died in the hospital or within 30 days of the operation. Follow-up was complete for 117 (98%) patients up to August 2004 or to the date of death. The 5- and 10-year survivals were 44% and 25%, respectively, for patients with bronchogenic carcinoma (n = 100). However, survival was significantly better in patients with N0 or N1 disease (n = 73) than in those with N2 or N3 disease (n = 27; 53% vs 15% at 5 years, respectively). The 5- and 10-year survivals in the remaining 19 patients reached 66% and 48%, respectively, and were best in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma (100% survival at 10 years) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (69% survival at 10 years).ConclusionsSurgical intervention for carcinoma involving the carina is feasible, with acceptable mortality and good long-term survival in selected patients. The presence of positive N2 disease should, however, be considered a potential contraindication to carinal resection in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma because of the poor long-term survival

La Cueva del León, Chalatenango: Arte rupestre en una región de confines

Los pueblos que ocupaban las montañas de Chalatenango en el momento de la llegada de los españoles y antes de este suceso, siguen envueltos en las nieblas de la historia. La información brindada al respecto por las fuentes etno-históricas es muy limitada; no obstante, provee valiosos indicios que pueden ayudar a determinar la afiliación cultural y lingüística de los autores del arte rupestre de la Cueva del León. Por medio de una alianza entre la Universidad de El Salvador, la Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural y el Centro de Estudios Mexicanos y Centroamericanos, se realizó una visita al sitio de la Cueva del León en febrero de 2010 para investigar un aspecto particular del patrimonio prehispánico de La Montañona: el arte rupreste. Luego de haber expuesto algunos datos etnohistóricos referentes al actual departamento de Chalatenango, en el sigueinte artículo, se presentará una síntesis de las diversas investigaciones que ya se llevaron a cabo sobre el rico arte rupestre de la región, antes de abordar el estudio del sitio y los petroglifos de la Cueva del León

Moderate Champagne consumption promotes an acute improvement in acute endothelial-independent vascular function in healthy human volunteers

Epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse correlation between red wine consumption and the incidence of CVD. However, Champagne wine has not been fully investigated for its cardioprotective potential. In order to assess whether acute and moderate Champagne wine consumption is capable of modulating vascular function, we performed a randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over intervention trial. We show that consumption of Champagne wine, but not a control matched for alcohol, carbohydrate and fruit-derived acid content, induced an acute change in endothelium-independent vasodilatation at 4 and 8 h post-consumption. Although both Champagne wine and the control also induced an increase in endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity at 4 h, there was no significant difference between the vascular effects induced by Champagne or the control at any time point. These effects were accompanied by an acute decrease in the concentration of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9), a significant decrease in plasma levels of oxidising species and an increase in urinary excretion of a number of phenolic metabolites. In particular, the mean total excretion of hippuric acid, protocatechuic acid and isoferulic acid were all significantly greater following the Champagne wine intervention compared with the control intervention. Our data suggest that a daily moderate consumption of Champagne wine may improve vascular performance via the delivery of phenolic constituents capable of improving NO bioavailability and reducing matrix metalloproteinase activity

Design and acceptability assessment of a new reversible orthosis

International audience— We present a new device aimed at being used for upper limb rehabilitation. Our main focus was to design a robot capable of working in both the passive mode (i.e. the robot shall be strong enough to generate human-like movements while guiding the weak arm of a patient) and the active mode (i.e. the robot shall be able of following the arm without disturbing human natural motion). This greatly challenges the design, since the system shall be reversible and lightweight while providing human compatible strength, workspace and speed. The solution takes the form of an orthotic structure, which allows control of human arm redundancy contrarily to clinically available upper limb rehabilitation robots. It is equipped with an innovative transmission technology, which provides both high gear ratio and fine reversibility. In order to evaluate the device and its therapeutic efficacy, we compared several series of pointing movements in healthy subjects wearing and not wearing the orthotic device. In this way, we could assess any disturbing effect on normal movements. Results show that the main movement characteristics (direction, duration, bell shape profile) are preserved

Increased production of soluble CTLA-4 in patients with spondylarthropathies correlates with disease activity

International audienceINTRODUCTION: Spondylarthropathies (SpA) are characterized by abnormal immune responses including T cell activation. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated molecule-4 (CTLA-4) is involved in down-regulating immune responses. A soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4), resulting from an alternative splicing, has been identified and was found increased in several autoimmune diseases. Here, we evaluated circulating levels of sCTLA-4 as a marker of immune dysregulation in SpA. Intracellular CTLA-4 and levels of CTLA-4 transcript expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were also studied. METHODS: Sera from 165 patients with SpA were evaluated for sCTLA-4 measurements. Results were compared with those from 71 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 88 healthy subjects. In 32 patients with SpA, 22 patients with RA and 15 healthy controls, we analyzed the intracellular CTLA-4 expression in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, activated (HLA-DR+Foxp3-) CD4+ T cells, CD4+ regulatory (CD25+Foxp3+) T cells and in CD3 negative cells by flow cytometry. Expression of the full length (coding for membrane CTLA-4) and spliced form (coding for sCTLA-4) of CTLA-4 transcripts in PBL were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). RESULTS: High levels of sCTLA-4 were found in the SpA group compared to the RA group and healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Soluble CTLA-4 serum levels strongly correlated with clinical index of disease activity BASDAI (r = 0.42, P < 0.0001) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (r = 0.17, P = 0.037). In contrast to RA patients, SpA patients did not exhibit changes in intracellular CTLA-4 expression in the different PBL subsets tested. Finally, the SpA group showed a preferential expression of the spliced CTLA-4 mRNA (P = 0.0014) in PBL. CONCLUSIONS: SpA patients exhibit high levels of circulating sCTLA-4 that may result from an alternative splicing of CTLA-4 transcripts. This may influence immune activation and regulation in SpA