School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences

About: School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences is a facility organization based out in Villejuif, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Politics. The organization has 1230 authors who have published 2084 publications receiving 57740 citations. The organization is also known as: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales & EHESS.

“The antiAtlas of Borders, A Manifesto”

Abstract: The antiAtlas of Borders is an experimentation at the crossroads of research, art and practice. It was launched in 2011 at the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (Aix Marseille University), and has been co-produced by the Higher School of Art (Aix en Provence), PACTE laboratory (University of Grenoble-CNRS), Isabelle Arvers and La compagnie. Since then, it has gathered researchers (social and hard scientists), artists (web artists, tactical geographers, hackers, filmmakers, etc.) and professionals (customs, industry, military, etc.). The encounter of people coming from these different fields of knowledge and practice aims to create a radical shift of perspective in the way we apprehend both 21 st century borders and the boundaries separating fields of knowledge, art and practice.

GPs and the social amplification of BSE-related risk: An empirical study

Abstract: Social studies of risk have consistently shown that physicians and health professionals are viewed by the general public as a trustworthy source of information and communication regarding risks. However, few if any empirical investigations have focused on the role physicians, particularly general practitioners (GPs), may play as a ‘social station’ in the processes of amplification or attenuation of risks to health that Kasperson et al described in their framework. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether French GPs acted as amplifiers or attenuators in the BSE (‘mad cow disease’) crisis. A sample of 602 general practitioners completed a questionnaire aimed at assessing in a variety of ways their cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to BSE. Results show that, (1) GPs expressed moderate concern about BSE-related risks: Mad cow disease only ranked tenth in averaged ratings of 14 current risks to health. (2) However, about 90% of respondents reported having recommended one or sever...

How to Design a Border Adjustment for the European Union Emissions Trading System

Abstract: Border adjustments are currently discussed to limit the possible adverse impact of climate policies on competitiveness and carbon leakage. We discuss the main choices that will have to be made if the European Union implements such a system alongside with the EU ETS. Although more analysis is required on some issues, on others some design options seem clearly preferable to others. First, the import adjustment should be a requirement to surrender allowances rather than a tax. Second, the general rule to determine the amount of allowances per ton imported should be the product-specific benchmarks that the European Commission is currently elaborating for a different purpose (i.e. to determine the amount of free allowances). Third, this obligation should apply when the exported product is registered at the EU border, and not after the end of the year as is the case for domestic emitters. Fourth, the export adjustment should take the form of a rebate on the amount of allowances a domestic emitter has to surrender. Five, this rebate should equal the above-mentioned product-specific benchmarks, not the emissions of the particular exporting plant or firm. Finally, the adjustment does not have to apply to consumer products but mostly to basic products.

COMT Val158Met Polymorphism Modulates Huntington's Disease Progression.

Abstract: Little is known about the genetic factors modulating the progression of Huntington's disease (HD). Dopamine levels are affected in HD and modulate executive functions, the main cognitive disorder of HD. We investigated whether the Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which influences dopamine (DA) degradation, affects clinical progression in HD. We carried out a prospective longitudinal multicenter study from 1994 to 2011, on 438 HD gene carriers at different stages of the disease (34 pre-manifest; 172 stage 1; 130 stage 2; 80 stage 3; 17 stage 4; and 5 stage 5), according to Total Functional Capacity (TFC) score. We used the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale to evaluate motor, cognitive, behavioral and functional decline. We genotyped participants for COMT polymorphism (107 Met-homozygous, 114 Val-homozygous and 217 heterozygous). 367 controls of similar ancestry were also genotyped. We compared clinical progression, on each domain, between groups of COMT polymorphisms, using latent-class mixed models accounting for disease duration and number of CAG (cytosine adenine guanine) repeats. We show that HD gene carriers with fewer CAG repeats and with the Val allele in COMT polymorphism displayed slower cognitive decline. The rate of cognitive decline was greater for Met/Met homozygotes, which displayed a better maintenance of cognitive capacity in earlier stages of the disease, but had a worse performance than Val allele carriers later on. COMT polymorphism did not significantly impact functional and behavioral performance. Since COMT polymorphism influences progression in HD, it could be used for stratification in future clinical trials. Moreover, DA treatments based on the specific COMT polymorphism and adapted according to disease duration could potentially slow HD progression.

Concordance between two linear orders: The Spearman and Kendall coefficients revisited

Abstract: This paper discusses the two classic measures of concordance between two linear orders L and L′, the Kendall tau and the Spearman rho, equivalently, the Kendall and Spearman distances between such orders We give an expression for ρ(L,L′)−τ(L,L′) as a function of the parameters of the partial order L∪L′, which allows the determination of extremal values for this difference and an investigation of when tau and rho are equal This expression for ρ(L,L′)−τ(L,L′) is derived from a relation between the Kendall and Spearman distances between linear orders that is equivalent to both the Guilbaud (1980) formula linking rho, tau, and a third coefficient sigma, and Daniels’s (1950) inequality We also prove an apparently new monotonicity property of rho In the conclusion we point out possible extensions and add general historical comments