Etat incitateur ou “deuxième ville”: l'animation socioculturelle à Genève

Cet article propose une analyse du paysage hétéroclite de l'animation socioculturelle à Genève. À partir d'un aperçu historique de son développement, les auteurs proposent une typologie, distinguant l'animation “d'allégeance” basée sur des valeurs et des formes d'intervention traditionnelles, l'animation “de gestion” caractérisée par la professionnalisation de l'intervention, l'animation “de conscientisation” en coopération conflictuelle avec les instances étatiques et, enfin, l'animation “indépendante” insérée dans des niches culturelles. Cette typologie nous permet de souligner d'une part des transformations dans l'action de l'Etat, qui développe des activités incitant à l'animation auto-organisée à la place des interventions planificatrices du social et, de relever d'autre part la variété dans la pratique d'animation qui se situe entre dépendance étatique complète et deuxième ville. Les conséquences de ces transformations seront discutées du point de vue de leur contribution à la création de nouveaux espaces publics urbains, ainsi que de l'effet de la diversité dans l'animation sur la diffusion du lieu de la politique dans la société.     

PRICE DISCRIMINATION UNDER EC COMPETITION LAW: ANOTHER ANTITRUST DOCTRINE IN SEARCH OF LIMITING PRINCIPLES?

The main objective of this article is to shed light on the compatibilityof price discrimination with EC competition law. We offer ananalytical framework which distinguishes between different categoriesof price discrimination depending on their effects on competition.Our framework suggests that different tests are needed to assessthe lawfulness of price discrimination practices under EC competitionlaw. A related objective of the article is to show that Article82(c), the main Treaty provision dealing with price discrimination,should only be applied to the limited circumstances where anon-vertically integrated dominant firm price discriminatesbetween customers with the effect of placing one or severalof them at a competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis other customers(secondary line injury price discrimination). In contrast, Article82(c) should not be applied to pricing measures designed toharm the dominant firm's competitors (first line-injury pricediscrimination) or to partition the single market across nationallines.     

The sampling of ignitable liquids on suspects’ hands

In arson cases, the collection and detection of traces of ignitable liquids on a suspect's hands can provide information to a forensic investigation. Police forces currently lack a simple, robust, efficient and reliable solution to perform this type of swabbing.In this article, we describe a study undertaken to develop a procedure for the collection of ignitable liquid residues on the hands of arson suspects. Sixteen different collection supports were considered and their applicability for the collection of gasoline traces present on hands and their subsequent analysis in a laboratory was evaluated. Background contamination, consisting of volatiles emanating from the collection supports, and collection efficiencies of the different sampling materials were assessed by passive headspace extraction with an activated charcoal strip (DFLEX device) followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. After statistical treatment of the results, non-powdered latex gloves were retained as the most suitable method of sampling.On the basis of the obtained results, a prototype sampling kit was designed and tested. This kit is made of a three compartment multilayer bag enclosed in a sealed metal can and containing three pairs of non-powdered latex gloves: one to be worn by the sampler, one consisting of a blank sample and the last one to be worn by the person suspected to have been in contact with ignitable liquids. The design of the kit was developed to be efficient in preventing external and cross-contaminations.     

Angola and Kenya Pavilions in the 2013 Venice Biennale: African Contemporary Art and Cultural Diplomacy in the “Olympics of Art”

A record six African states were awarded a national pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale, the premier venue for showcasing a nation's contemporary art, from which Africa has historically been excluded. While first-time participant Angola won the top prize, Kenya's pavilion was the target of bafflement and ire. Using a cultural diplomacy framework that integrates the insights of leading scholars, this research makes concrete recommendations for practitioners vis-à-vis a comparative case study of the two pavilions. Analysis and recommendations consider the interests of a variety of stakeholders and offer insights relevant to Africa and other emerging regions.     

Disopyramide and Mianserin Intoxication: A Unique Fatal Case – Review of the Literature

Lethal occurrence is exceptional after disopyramide or mianserin poisoning. A case of intentional lethal intoxication with these drugs was reported, as well as a review of the literature. Pre‐ and postmortem blood concentrations of disopyramide or mianserin were assessed in a woman who died from acute cardiac failure after ingestion. The premortem blood concentration of disopyramide alone was considered lethal, and a toxic premortem concentration of mianserin was observed that may have increased cardiovascular failure induced by disopyramide because the metabolism of both drugs is mediated via cytochrome P450. Moreover, it was shown that the postmortem redistribution of disopyramide was limited, as pre‐ and postmortem concentrations were 48 and 65 mg/L, respectively. As regards mianserin, redistribution was observed after death with pre‐ and portmortem concentrations at 0.23 and 0.79 mg/L, respectively. This case illustrates that if postmortem blood concentration of disopyramide is known, the premortem concentration can be deduced.     

Voting in the rain: the impact of rain on participation in open-air assemblies

ABSTRACT

The analysis of how weather conditions influence participation at the ballot and whether bad weather influences ballot decisions has recently gained momentum. This paper analyses the influence of rain on participation in the Landsgemeinde – the main decision-making body of two Swiss cantons, wherein citizens meet on the main square in order to debate and decide bindingly on political matters of all sorts. We rely on a survey with an in-built conjoint experiment that presents citizens with several hypothetical Landsgemeinde situations characterized by randomly varied combinations of weather and other conditions such as outcome favorability, the expected closeness of the vote and the company available during the event. We find that rain not only decreases overall participation but it also lowers participation when votes are expected to be uncontested and for individuals who do not primarily attend the Landsgemeinde for political reasons.     

Die argumentative Logik der Tabakmandate des Alten Bern: Eine historische Policy‐Analyse

Zusammenfassung: Die Analyse dynamischer sozialer Phänomene stellt sowohl für die Sozial‐ als auch die Geisteswissenschaften eine Herausforderung dar. Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, einen auf Dunn (2004) aufbauenden Analyseraster auf seine Durchführbarkeit anhand einer Analyse von Policy‐Argumenten in historischen Dokumenten zu testen. Ein Längsschnittvergleich von Struktur und Form der Policy‐Argumente in den Tabakmandaten der Stadt Bern von 1659 bis 1723 zeigt einen Wandel der Tabakpolitik des Alten Berns in der Ortung der gesellschaftlichen Probleme, ihrer Ursachen, den damit festgelegten Massnahmen und derer Legitimation auf. Insgesamt impliziert dieses Resultat, dass unsere Methode für die Analyse historischer Policy‐Argumente geeignet ist.     

Governing Morality Issues through Procedural Policies

Abstract: Morality issues such as the death penalty, drug consumption, gambling, and same‐sex‐marriage often constitute intractable policy controversies. Classical “morality politics” scholars predict two types of governmental responses to such public problems: either a substantive policy design if there is a broad consensus among electoral constituencies or a non‐decision if there is a fundamental clash of values. We argue that the adoption of a procedural policy design represents a third option. Providing empirical evidence on the plausibility of this hypothesis, we compare the Swiss regulation of four morality issues in the medical field: reproductive medicine and embryo‐related research; abortion; euthanasia; and organ transplant. In fact, “moral values” frames are not always dominant, as the multi‐dimensionality of each morality issue allows for concurrent policy frames promoted by various policy actors.