Book reviews

Roland Axtmann, Liberal democracy into the twenty‐first century: Globalization, integration and the nation‐state (Manchester University Press, Manchester, 1996), 198 pp., ISBN 0–7190–4304–2 (hb), 0–7190–4305–0 (pb)

Paul Kapteyn, The Stateless Market: The European Dilemma of Civilization (Routledge, London and New York, 1996), 194 pp., ISBN 0–415–12232–5 (hb), 0–415–12233–3 (pb)

Richard Werbner and Terence Ranger (eds), Postcolonial Identities in Africa (Zed Books, London & New Jersey, 1996), 292 pp., ISBN 1–85649–415–2 (hb), 1–85649–416–0 (pb)

Mark Wheeler, Politics and the Mass Media (Blackwell, Oxford, 1997), 274 pp., ISBN 0–631–19783–4 (hb), 0–631–19784–2 (pb)

Nigel Harris, The New Untouchables: Immigration and the New World Worker (Penguin Books, London, 1995), 254 pp., ISBN 0–14–014689‐X (pb)

Gilles Kepel, Allah in the West (Polity Press, Cambridge, 1997), 273 pp., ISBN 0–7456–1557–0 (hb), 0–7456–1558–9 (pb)

Leonard Weinberg, The Transformation of Italian Communism (Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1995), 147 pp., ISBN 1–56000–180–1 (hb)

Brian Jenkins and Spyros A. Sofos (eds), Nation and Identity in Contemporary Europe (Routledge, London, 1996), x + 294pp., ISBN 0–415–12312–7 (hb), 0–415–12313–5 (pb)

Stuart Parkes, Understanding Contemporary Germany (Routledge, London, 1997), 247 pp., ISBN 0–415–14123–0 (hb), 0–415–14124–9 (pb)     

Fatal decompression sickness following therapeutic hyperbaric environment (author's transl)

In Hannover/Germany in 1976 a so called "Society for Regenerative Hyperbaric Therapy" (Gesellschaft für Regenerative Uberdruck-Therapie) subjected 20 patients within two coupled multi-place chambers to a simulated hyperbaric environment, equivalent to a maximum of 4 ata, followed usually by gradual reductions of the pressure. The patients were of an average age of 67.2 years and were afflicted by various disorders. During one of the "dives" a patient developed air embolism of the central nervous system. During ensuing confusion of the chamber was opened suddenly, with resultant explosive reduction of the high pressure. This resulted in five letal accidents of decompression sickness. Post mortem examination revealed diffuse distribution of gas bubbles throughout the entire body. By elecronmicroscopy each bubble was covered by an osmiophilic coat. Post mortem findings are discussed and correlated with well-known and new clinical symptomes. These observations present for the first time fatal accidents of decompression sickness in humans, associated with hyperbaric air-therapy.     

Pitfalls in the diagnosis of drug smuggler's abdomen

Narcotics "body packing" can be detected in abdominal X-rays by the ring shadow caused by air trapped in the packs. In a series of 82 cases admitted for abdominal X-ray in Helsinki, Finland, in 1982 through 1988, we encountered 9 (11.0%) true positives, 3 (3.6%) false positives, and 1 (1.2%) false negative. The false positives were due to the constipation often associated with the narcotics abuse. The false negative X-ray diagnosis was attributable to an inexperienced radiologist. False negatives may also be associated with packets containing marijuana, packs with few wrappings, aluminum-foil coated packs, and machine-packed narcotics. Searching for trapped air in radiographs, repeated X-raying by an experienced radiologist, use of computed tomography, or combined urinary drug screening may be applied to diminish false findings and to avoid unnecessary arrest for the purpose of fecal screening over several days.     

Negotiating Identities: The Party of Democratic Socialism between East German Regionalism, German National Identity and European Integration

For many East Germans, the Party of Democratic Socialism has been a political and social environment in which German national identity, GDR biographies, post-unification East German experiences and European integration could be successfully negotiated. The PDS enabled GDR identifiers to arrive at a critical evaluation of GDR history while maintaining self-respect for their individual biographies and avoiding the temptations of GDR nostalgia. As it found its place in the regionalized pluralism of the new German party system, PDS supporters came to terms with the dual transformation that ended the post-1945 socialist experiment as well as GDR statehood. Far from deepening the continuing cultural divisions between East and West Germans, the expression of regional East German interests and identity by the PDS contributed to the integration of post-unification German society.     

Who's the Boss? Patterns of Perceived Control in Adolescents' Friendships

This study examined the nature and correlates of different patterns of perceived control in adolescents' relationships with their best friends. Participants included firstborn adolescents (M = 14.94 years), their younger siblings (M = 12.44 years) and both their mothers and fathers in 163 families as well as a best friend of each adolescent (M = 15 years). Data were collected from family members during home visits regarding adolescents' family relationships, friendships, and psychosocial adjustment; time use data were gathered during a series of 7 nightly phone interviews. Information was obtained from best friends during a brief phone interview. We developed a typology of 3 different patterns of perceived friendship control based on the combination of adolescents' and their best friends' ratings of relational control. Patterns of control in adolescents' friendships were associated with the distribution of control in both parents' marriages and adolescents' sibling relationships. Further analyses, designed to test developmental predictions, revealed connections between friendship control and other qualities of adolescents' friendships (i.e., intimacy, conflict, perspective-taking).     

Beinahe-Gleichzeitigkeit. Die europäische Anti-Gentechnik-Welle und das Öffentlichkeitsdefizit der EU

Massenöffentlichkeiten spielen in der Geschichte des internationalen Gentechnikkonflikts seit dessen Einsetzen vor nunmehr drei Jahrzehnten eine entscheidende Rolle. Die Rekonstruktion dieses Konflikts lässt indes die nationale Situiertheit dieser Öffentlichkeiten erkennen: Die in ihnen stattfindenden Gentechnikkonflikte verlaufen voneinander unabhängig, in nationalem Rahmen und nationaler Selbstbezüglichkeit. Gleichzeitig wird in der zweiten Hälfte der 1990er Jahre aber auch eine andere bemerkenswerte Entwicklung deutlich: der Übergang von einem asynchronen Nebeneinander nationaler Kontroversen zu deren annähernd gleichzeitiger Mobilisierung. Theoretische Relevanz erhält diese Erscheinung vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Diskussion um die Transnationalisierung politischer Systeme und die demokratietheoretischen Implikationen dieses Vorgangs. In der entstehenden ?postnationalen Konstellation“ bricht eine Kluft auf zwischen nationalen Massenöffentlichkeiten und supranationalen Entscheidungsabläufen. Am deutlichsten zu Tage tritt dieses Problem im ?Öffentlichkeitsdefizit“ der Europäischen Union. Der internationale Konflikt um die Gentechnik lässt jedoch darauf schließen, dass, obwohl es kein Anzeichen eines ?Verschmelzens“ nationaler Massenöffentlichkeiten zu einer gemeinsamen europäischen Öffentlichkeit gibt, der dargestellte Synchronismus ein funktionales Äquivalent einer solchen europäischen Öffentlichkeit bilden könnte.     

Regulating Vertically Integrated Utilities When Transfers are Costly but Revenues are Beneficial

This paper considers regulating a vertically integratedutility under asymmetric information about efficiency gainsdue to integration. The benchmark case – benevolentregulation – implies a divestiture of a technically efficientintegration, unless the cost savings due to integrating aresubstantial. This highlights how private information causes adeviation from the standard perfect information framework.This result is at odds with the worldwide experience withpublic utilities that remained integrated almost throughoutthe 20th century despite that integration offered meager or nosavings as now becomes evident. Of course, this divergencebetween normative analysis and facts is no surprise for publicchoice. Indeed, a rather mild kind of a Leviathan motive –regulators dislike transfers to the utility, and by symmetry,like revenues – coupled with the `secrecy' only integrationoffers due to private information explains why a regulator hasan interest to keep even economically inefficiently integratedfirms integrated. This is in line with Crew and Rowley (1988)that public regulation serves to `milk' rather than to imposeefficiency.     

经行政程序处理完的事情，当事人能否请求司法救济

请求司法救济是公民、法人运用法律武器保护自己合法权益的手段,但在司法实践中有些当事人不能正确运用法律武器保护自己的权利,且将行政程序处理完的事情请求司法救济。本文作者从几个方面分析了该案当事人的脱法行为,阐述了行政程序与法律程序在该案中适用范围及一事不再理原则在实践中的运用。     

Austria

European Journal of Political Research -