La Sémiotique simulée

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Recycling offenders: Re-incarceration trends in Québec federal penitentiaries

Résumé Les statistiques fédérales au Canada comme aux états-Unis démontrent une croissance alarmante des retours en détention, au cours de la mise en liberté sous condition. Le modèle de gestion du risque qui émerge actuellement dans le contexte d’une ?nouvelle pénologie? semble mener inévitablement à l’augmentation de ces taux de retour. L’étude présentée dans cet article examine le processus de libération et le taux de retour qui en découle, enprivilégiant l’analyse desprises de décision et les mécanismes de gestion des détenus. Dans cette optique, les auteurs ont suivi, pour une période d’un an, tous les hommes libérés des pénitienciers du Québec en 1993. L’analyse a mis en évidence que le modèle de gestion de risque est à base du processus de gestion des détenus et semble avoir uneffet notable sur le ?recyclage? des délinquants. De plus, le type de libération et le type des condition de libération, plut?t que le nombre de condition, font de certains détenus des candidats plus vulnérables aux mécanismes de gestion derisque. Les ?retours? à la suite de manquements aux conditions de mise en liberté sont importants et le système carcéral s’alimente donc de plus en plus de ses propres libérés.      

Apport de l'immunoelectrophorese pour l'expertise des taches de sang en medecine legale

Conclusive evidence was obtained in this study that immunoelectrophoresis could be used in the identification of blood-stains in two particular cases: for diagnosis or approach to diagnosis of the age of a blood-stain, and for diagnosis of the human origin of a blood-stain that had been treated with petroleum products.Although many aspects should be investigated in more detail, it is certain that this method can be employed in combination with other methods.     

The Consistency of WTO Rules: Can the Single Undertaking Be Squared with Variable Geometry?

The diversity of countries that negotiate commitments in theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), and the distinctions betweentheir legal and constitutional systems, implies important differencesin how agreements are approved, implemented, and enforced. Althoughconsistency is among the desirable attributes to which the multilateraltrading system should strive, it cannot be achieved at the expenseof all other desiderata. Among the reasons for relaxation ofthis goal is the need to accommodate the different legal systemsand levels of economic development among Member States, as wellas the demands for flexibility in negotiations. This paper reviewsthe development and current status of the debate over consistencyin the multilateral system, with special emphasis on the perspectivesof three different sets of participants: the United States,the European Union (EU), and developing countries. In the trade-offbetween the depth and the width of the trading system, the paperasks whether WTO Members should be more interested in expandingthe scope of globally agreed rules or in securing countries’adherence to them? It explores the possible consequences forthe Doha Development Agenda (DDA) if the US Congress cannotbe convinced to make a new grant of trade promotion authority(TPA) after the current one expires. It also discusses whetherthe single undertaking should continue to shape the terms ofthe DDA. In discussing the WTO’s approach to decision-makingand the possible need for reforms thereto, the paper also considershow best and on what grounds should new issues be introducedon the negotiating agenda. The paper argues that whether ornot the DDA is conducted on the basis of a single undertaking,and with or without TPA, the multilateral trading system willcontinue to provide for less than full consistency.     

Morphological and spectroscopic measurements of plastic bags for the purpose of discrimination

The discrimination of noncolored transparent polyethylene bags was studied by several nondestructive and semidestructive analytical methods. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and optical microscopy (differential interference contrast microscopy and phase contrast microscopy) were applied to polyethylene films. X-ray diffraction was used to distinguish variations in the crystalline phase, infrared spectroscopy was used to distinguish variations in the molecular components, and optical microscopy was used to distinguish the different surface morphologies. The results show that X-ray diffraction classifies the crystalline phase of the film depending on whether it is made from low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, or high-density polyethylene; that infrared spectroscopy is useful to distinguish the molecular components and it is the most discriminating technique; and that optical microscopy discriminate films easily by their morphological differences.     

Cognizance and Consultation of Randomized Controlled Trials among Ministerial Policy Analysts

Consultation of scientific evidence by policy actors has been the foci of attention of knowledge utilization scholars for decades. The present study questioned the extent to which randomized controlled trials (RCTs)—generally seen as the gold standard of scientific research—are known and consulted by policy analysts in ministerial settings. Using cross‐sectional data collected in 17 ministries in Québec (Canada), our study showed that fairly high levels of policy analysts report never having heard of RCTs, thus possibly hindering effective communication of scientific results to relevant policy makers. Statistical analyses reveal the importance of cognitive factors in explaining both phenomena.     

Environmental cooperation: ratifying second-best agreements

As an alternative to the environmental cartel approach, we assume that an international environmental agreement aims simply at providing a collective response to a perceived threat. Given this less demanding concept of cooperation and considering that most treaties become enforceable only after ratification by a sufficient number of participants, we examine the set of self-enforceable agreements. This set contains first-best but also second-best agreements that do not maximize the collective welfare of members but meet environmental and/or participative requirements. We study the properties of this set and discuss admissible values of targets and thresholds that favour economics over environmental objectives and vice versa.