Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia as a Contributory Factor in a Drug‐related Death

Postmortem investigation often reveals various conditions, which may or may not have played a part in the death of the individual. The case of a 32‐year‐old woman is reported, with a long history of drug addiction. She was found dead in her bed. The autopsy revealed diffuse pulmonary edema with congestion of the lungs, brain, liver, and spleen. Microscopic examination of the lungs showed multiple intra‐alveolar and interstitial foamy macrophages and extracellular fat droplets surrounded by polynuclear giant cells. Death was attributed to acute polydrug intoxication. As microscopic examination had revealed severe pulmonary lesions, lipoid pneumonia was considered as a contributing factor to death. Lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon entity with the characteristic radiograph features and histologic findings of alveoli filled with vacuolated, lipid‐laden histiocytes. It can be either exogenous or endogenous in cause, based on the source of the lipid. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia usually results from aspiration or inhalation of fat‐like material, such as mineral oil or petroleum‐based lubricants and decongestants, resulting in pulmonary inflammatory reactions.     

Der Gebiets- und der Artenschutz der FFH-Richtlinie im Lichte der Urteile des EuGH in den Vertragsverletzungsverfahren Rs. C-6/04 gegen das Vereinigte Königreich und Rs. C-98/03 gegen Deutschland

Die Urteile des EuGH in den Vertragsverletzungsverfahren Rs. C-6/04 gegen das Vereinigte K?nigreich von Gro?britannien und Nordirland und Rs. C-98/03 gegen Deutschland enthalten überaus bedeutsame und weitreichende Fortentwicklungen des Rechts der FFH-RL zu den Anforderungen an den Gebietsund den Artenschutz. Mit den Urteilen folgt der EuGH seiner im Severn Estuar-Urteil (Rs. C-371/981) eingeleiteten und im Wattenmeer-Urteil (Rs. C-127/022) fortgesetzten, naturschutzfachlich überaus anspruchsvollen, für den weiteren Vollzug der Richtlinie in den Mitgliedstaaten jedoch überaus problematischen Linie.     

Victor’s Justice: The Next Best Moral Theory of Criminal Punishment?

In this essay, I address one methodological aspect of Victor Tadros’s The Ends of Harm – namely, the moral character of the theory of criminal punishment it defends. First, I offer a brief reconstruction of this dimension of the argument, highlighting some of its distinctive strengths while drawing attention to particular inconsistencies. I then argue that Tadros ought to refrain from developing this approach in terms of an overly narrow understanding of the morality of harming as fully unified and reconciled under the lone heading of justice. In a final and most critical section, I offer arguments for why this reconciliatory commitment, further constrained by a misplaced emphasis on corrective justice, generates major problems for his general deterrence account of the core justification of criminal punishment.     

Time's Up

This study tests general strain theory among a sample of 216 incarcerated women. Incarcerated women cope with many strains in prison. They frequently rely on social support from other inmates as coping mechanisms. Some even form pseudofamilies. Such relationships may impact the level of strain and negative emotions these women experience and the misconduct they engage in. The purpose of this study is to explore what relationship (if any) exists between strain, anger, depression, institutional misconduct, and pseudofamily membership. Findings suggest limited support for general strain theory and highlight the importance of women's past victimizations and impulsivity in predicting their misconduct.     

Book Reviews

The New Politics of British Local Governance. Edited by Gerry Stoker. Macmillan, 2000. Pp.xvii + 294, £16.99 pb.

Local Political Leadership. By Steve Leach and David Wilson. Policy Press, 2000. Pp.v + 228. £17.99.

Structural Reform of British Local Government: Rhetoric and Reality. By Michael Chisholm. Manchester University Press, 2000. Pp.194. £40.

The Careers of Councillors: Gender, Party and Politics. By Catherine Bochel and Hugh M. Bochel. Ashgate, 2000. Pp.143. £37.50 hb.

Communicating Successfully in Groups: A Practical Guide for the Workplace. By Marie Reid and Richard Hammersley. Routledge, 2000. Pp.188. £10.99 pb.

Using Psychology in Management Training: The Psychological Foundations of Management Skills. By David A. Statt. Routledge, 2000. £14.99.

Housing Associations and Housing Policy: A Historical Perspective. By Peter Malpass. Macmillan Press, 2000. Pp.298. £16.99 pb.

The State of UK Housing: A Factfile on Dwelling Conditions. By Philip Leather and Tanya Morrison. The Policy Press, 2000. £15.95 hb.

Allocating Social Housing: Law and Practice in the Management of Social Housing. By Hal Pawson, David Mullins and Siobhan McGrath. Lemos and Crane, 2000. £18.95 pb.     

China's Energy Policy: from Self-sufficiency to Energy Efficiency

China's energy policy is traditionally based on self-sufficiency. While energy bottlenecks have often been cited as a limitation to China's economic growth, China has been successful at producing energy using its domestic coal – albeit putting a strain on transport and producing a high degree of pollution. Aggressively after 2001, China has started to search for external resources, both to supply its voracious appetite for oil and to insure its economy against possible geopolitical disruptions – including the threat of sanctions. This has given Chinese companies a life of their own, making them large international actors. Today, China is both saddled with new responsibilities for the developing countries in which it owns sizeable exploitation rights, and influenced by a new thinking on energy security, based on the idea of improving energy efficiency before developing resources. This offers opportunities for the West – and Japan – in cooperating with China, a huge energy importer, to lessen the dominance of producers, create business opportunities for energy efficiency equipment, and also to cap CO₂ and other emissions.     

Language as Criticism: Assessing the Merits of Speech Acts and Discursive Formations in International Relations

Much has been written of late about language as a critical tool of research in international relations. Among critical international relations scholars, constructivists and poststructuralists have been the main proponents of using of language as a challenge to structural realist assumptions about world politics. Yet, it is not always clear why these critical scholars decide to turn to linguistic methodologies. This article reveals that there are compelling reasons for choosing language as a critical tool of analysis. But, contrary to current beliefs, it is important to note that constructivist and poststructuralist strategies of language are not always equivalent and compatible. This essay sorts out the divergent epistemological and political stakes involved in one's choice of a linguistic strategy. Different uses of language offer different critiques of mainstream international political practice. To illustrate this argument, the April 2001 US-China diplomatic crisis over the collision between a surveillance plane and a fighter jet is showcased. It is shown that constructivist and poststructuralist linguistic analyses provide challenging but not always complementary interpretations of the policies, diplomatic procedures, and verbal exchanges that took place during this confrontation.     

Rethinking the Europe‐Taiwan relationship

This article attempts to construct an overview of Japan's defence problematique in the post‐cold war era. Its approach is to survey the historical legacies that have shaped Japan's defence policies and perceptions, and to assess how these fit, or do not fit, with the new security environment within which Japan now finds itself. The purpose is to argue that a policy of non‐offensive defence (NOD) could solve many of the difficult defence questions that Japan now faces. As a consequence, the discussion will concentrate mainly on military and political issues, mostly leaving aside questions of economic, societal and environmental security on the grounds that these issues interact less strongly with NOD. Section 1 considers the geopolitics of Japan's security that arise from its being an island country. Section 2 analyses some crucial historical considerations, particularly Japan's status as a great power, and the particular circumstances of its historical relationship with its neighbours. Section 3 looks at Japan's position during the cold war, examining how the legacies of its defeat in the Second World War blended into the demands placed upon it as a front‐line ally of the United States against Chinese and Soviet power. Section 4 surveys the actual and possible changes in Japan's security environment consequent upon the ending of the cold war. It focuses on Japan's relationships with the United States, the East Asian region, the international system as a whole, and finally on Japan's relationship with itself. Section 5 considers the requirements for a Japanese defence and security policy in the post‐cold war era.     

The role of prevention in technological catastrophe

Abstract

This paper discusses the potential for and problems inherent in the prevention of stress resulting from technological catastrophe. Baum, Fleming, and Davidson's (1983) characterization of technological disaster is reviewed. These accidents, which involve the breakdown or failure of human‐made systems, differ from other types of disaster in their psychological impact. These differences are particularly important in accidents involving hazardous substances including radiation and chemical toxins. The continuing threat of future illness resulting from exposure to radiation and toxins contributes to feelings of uncertainty; and the fact that the accident resulted from a failure of human‐made systems means it is likely to be perceived as a loss rather than a lack of control. Because of their unique features, technological catastrophies are likely to result in long term effects including chronic stress in exposed populations. Because failures of human‐made systems would be prevented if the problem was foreseen and preventable, prevention concerns center around reducing stress where possible. Three domains of prevention activity are described. First, assessments aimed at predicting the stress inducing and reducing impact of intervention strategies can contribute to decisions about how to handle the accident once it has occurred. Second, some of the policy implications of these events are described. Finally, the ethics of stress reducing interventions in settings where a real danger is present are discussed.