Failure of the fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun: a looming crisis in the multilateral trade system?: a discussion paper

The failure of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun has generated more fears that hopes for the future of the multilateral trade system. It is one more crisis in the world institutional landscape after the serious problem of legitimacy experienced this year by the UN with the war in Iraq. This failure indicates a dark future for any attempt at the balanced regulation of relations between countries. As a result, it is urgent to rethink the instruments of international governance. As regards the WTO, numerous questions remain to be addressed. How can the WTO be reformed to make the negotiation process more effective and fairer? What are the objectives? What subjects should be placed on the negotiating table? Replies to these questions are a prerequisite for overcoming the difficulties encountered in making the implementation of international regulation of trade promote the development of the poorest, and equity in world trade. It is essential that politics should finally take control of economics. Environmental and social standards must not be subordinated to trade rules. A hierarchy of international standards should be drawn up to ensure the primacy of human rights (the right to food for example) over trade law. The WTO must cease taking decisions in isolation from the institutional system of the United Nations and should co-operate more closely with its organisations (UNCTAD, FAO, UNEP, ILO). All is not lost. The Doha round of negotiations has been started and lessons must be drawn from Cancun. It is all a question of political determination, and the political determination of the various states will be tested over the coming months. Although they sometimes rejoiced, the NGOs, and especially those of the North, have a share of the responsibility (and they admit this) for thefailure in Cancun. It is true that they played an important role, side by side with the developing countries, but their influence on their own governments has been weak. During the negotiations, they have a fundamental role to play in order to change the positions of the governments of Northern countries in favour of the interests of developing countries. In particular, it is important that they should incorporate the objectives of the Millennium Declaration and the principles of sustainable development as a joint base for concerted work (NGOs both in the North and the South). They should also help to move discussions away from simplistic patterns and refocus them on real questions. For example, it is necessary in agricultural negotiations to move debate away from subsidies and address the really fundamental questions such as those concerning the remuneration of producers, the regulation of international prices, and the management of supply.The failure of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun has generated more fears that hopes for the future of the multilateral trade system..

Asymmetric Stark Shift in InAs/GaAsP(Q1.18) quantum dots grown on (311)B InP substrate

We present photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy of InAs/InGaAsP (Q1.18) quantum dots (QD) embedded in a PIN diode grown on InP(311)B substrate. From 300K and 77K spectra we deduce the transition energies for ground state of the dots. These energies are sensitive to applied bias and reveal an asymmetric quantum-confined Stark shift (QCSS) attributed to the presence of a strain-induced field in the dots

Hot Carrier Solar Cell: From Simulation to Devices

International audienceSingle junction III-V heterostructures based devices could overtake the Shockley-Queisser limit if thermalisation of photogenerated carriers can be strongly limited as in the hot carrier solar cell concept. Previous modelling and experiments have shown the interest of Multiple Quantum Wells heterostructures in the antimonide system and the importance of very thin structures. In this paper we report new data on the thermalisation rates in antimonide and phosphide heterostructures measured at ambient temperature. For the first time electrical control of hot carrier population is performed on hot carrier heterostructures device

Kinetics of expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism after the last meal in overfed mule ducks

International audienceIn waterfowls, overfeeding leads to a hepatic steatosis, also called "foie gras." We decided to investigate the role of glucose metabolism in steatosis emergence. For this, we measured the expression of genes during the 12 h following the last meal of the overfeeding period. As expected, it showed that the expression of glucose transporter is more precocious in jejunal mucosa, especially for SGLT1, known to be the major transporter at the apical surface. In the liver, GLUT2 and HK1 are upregulated at the same time and seem to work together to import glucose. In peripherals tissues, such as muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), expression of genes of interest occurs later than the one in jejunum and liver. These results are in accordance with the evolution of glycemia. This study allows us to better understand the kinetic treatment of glucose after a meal in overfed ducks. It also will allow researchers to better target their sampling time knowing the optimal point of expression of each gene

Genes involved in the establishment of hepatic steatosis in Muscovy, Pekin and mule ducks

International audienceOur main objectives were to determine the genes involved in the establishment of hepatic steatosis in three genotypes of palmipeds. To respond to this question, we have compared Muscovy ducks, Pekin ducks and their crossbreed the mule duck fed ad libitum or overfed. We have shown a hepatic overexpression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and di-acyl glycerol acyl transferase 2 (DGAT2) in overfed individuals, where DGAT2 seemed to be more regulated. This increase in lipogenesis genes is associated with a decrease of lipoprotein formation in Muscovy and mule ducks, especially apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein (MTTP), leading to lipid accumulation in liver. In Pekin ducks, MTTP expression is upregulated suggesting a better hepatic lipids exportation. Regarding lipids re-uptake, fatty acid-binding protein 4 and very-low-density-lipoprotein receptor are overexpressed in liver of mule ducks at the end of the overfeeding period. This phenomenon puts light on a mechanism unknown until today. In fact, mule can incorporate more lipids in liver than the two other genotypes leading to an intensified hepatic steatosis. To conclude, our results confirmed the genotype variability to overfeeding. Furthermore, similar observations are already described in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in human, and ask if ducks could be an animal model to study hepatic triglyceride accumulation

Pre- and post-prandial expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism at the end of the overfeeding period of mule ducks

In palmipeds, overfeeding leads to hepatic steatosis, also called ‘‘foie gras’’ which is the result of many metabolic mechanisms. In order to understand these mechanisms, we decided to measure the expression of genes implicated in lipid metabolism during 12 hours (h) following the last meal of the overfeeding period. We have shown that there is a precocious expression (within 2 h) of fatty acid synthase and acyl CoA synthetase longchain 1 in liver and muscle of mule ducks in addition with a later peak. Furthermore, di-acyl glycerol acyl transferase presents the highest induction of expression in liver and it is overexpressed quite a long time, positioning this enzyme as a key factor in hepatic steatosis. These observations are quite similar in muscle. Lipoprotein secretion is upregulated later in postprandial period, with an upregulation of apolipoprotein and microsomal triglycerides transfer protein beginning at 5 h in liver or muscle. Regarding hepatic re-uptake of lipid, lesser variations are observed, suggesting that fatty acid binding protein and very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) are already at their maximum expression specifically in these tissues. In muscle, VLDLR and LDLR upregulation is observed 5 h after the meal, associated with an overexpression in the adipose tissue of lipase maturation factor 1 involved in the maturation of lipoprotein lipase. These findings will allow us to better understand the kinetic treatment in lipid metabolism after a meal in overfed ducks. This first report on kinetic expression will allow researcher to better target their sampling time knowing the optimal point of expression of each gen

Influence des paramètres de croissance de l'homoépitaxie silicium par UHV- CVD sur la reconstruction de surface du silicium

International audienceLe développement de composants III-V monolithiquement intégrés sur silicium nécessite la maitrise des défauts cristallins générés à l’interface III-V/Si. La qualité de la surface du substrat de silicium et la structuration des dimères de silicium semblent jouer un rôle prépondérant dans la formation de certains défauts cristallins, tels que les parois d’antiphase. Nous verrons que la préparation de surface du substrat de silicium ainsi que l’épitaxie d’un buffer de silicium par UHV-CVD sont indispensables pour contrôler les défauts générés à l’interface III-V/Si. Après une présentation de l’équipement UHV-CVD et de ses possibilités, nous montrerons l’influence des paramètres de croissance sur le réarrangement des dimères de silicium en surface. Nous verrons qu’il est possible de favoriser la formation de marches monoatomiques ou biatomiques, selon la désorientation du substrat. Nous présenterons également des essais d’optimisation de dopage d’homoépitaxies silicium, en vue de la réalisation de jonction P-N silicium

Maxillary sinus fungus ball due to Rhizomucor pusillus : an uncommun clinical presentation of mucormycosis

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InAs/InP quantum dot laser grown on (113)B InP substrate

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