Assessing the historical turn in IR: an anatomy of second wave historical sociology

This article reassesses what is at stake in the historical turn in international relations (IR) and the attendant debate between the Second Wave of neo-Weberian historical sociology (WHS) and Political Marxism (PM). Firstly, it endeavours to recast what is at stake in the ‘historical turn’ in IR: the critique of reification and chronocentrism. Secondly, it examines WHS's argument against reductionism in the light of Weber's own work. We show how the Weberian dualism between the politics and the economics inhibits its capacity to complete its project of historicizing IR. Finally, it explains why recent Weberian's defence of multicausalism creates even more obstacles on the road towards an ontologically consistent historical turn.     

Fatal intoxication following self-administration of a massive dose of buprenorphine

Several drug packages, including Subutex (high-dose buprenorphine, as sublingual tablets) boxes, were found near the corpse of a 25-year-old male drug addict, who apparently had committed suicide. The autopsy revealed a fatal respiratory depression. The toxicological investigations concluded that death resulted from massive burpienorphine intoxication. The determination of buprenorphine (BU) and norbuprenorphine (NBU) in all biological specimens was performed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ES-MS) after hydrolysis (for solid tissues), deproteinization of the matrices, and solid-phase extraction of the compounds. Exceptionally high concentrations of BU and NBU were found in blood (3.3 and 0.4 mg/L, respectively), urine (3.4 and 0.6 mg/L), bile (2035 and 536 mg/L and brain (6.4 a nd 3.9 microg/g). The high concentration of BU (899 mg/L) and the absence of NBU in gastric liquid suggested oral intake. High concentrations of amino-7-flunitra/epam, the main metabolite of flunitra/epam, were also found in blood, urine and gastric liquid. This benzodiazepine may have been a co-factor in the toxic effects of BU.     

A local money to stabilize capitalism: the underestimated case of the WIR

As a result of the current financial crisis, economists have paid increased attention to local monies designed in an effort to create a new kind of economy, as well as new ways to develop social links. This paper seeks to shed light on the WIR money, a local money that has been in existence in Switzerland since the 1930s. We argue that it provides a shield against crises for two significant and connected reasons. First, from a ‘horizontal’ perspective, the WIR is a coherent economic, as well as social, project that relies on the ‘melting money’ principle. Second, from a ‘vertical’ perspective, it is based on a banking model that is anchored to a specific ‘attitude’ designed to manage the monetary common good. The mix between these ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ perspectives is likely to be insightful for other projects like the WIR.     

Thiodicarb and methomyl tissue distribution in a fatal multiple compounds poisoning

Abstract:  Thiodicarb is a nonsystemic carbamate insecticide whose acetylcholinesterase activity is related to its main methomyl degradation product. A 40-year-old woman was found dead in her car. Empty packages of medicines and an open bottle of Larvin^® containing thiodicarb were found near her body. No signs of violence nor traumatic injuries were noticed upon autopsy, and police investigations strongly suggested a suicide. Systematic toxicological analysis performed on postmortem specimens revealed the presence of various sedatives, hypnotics, and antipsychotic drugs in blood, urine, and gastric content. Some of the compounds identified were determined at blood concentrations well above the known therapeutic concentrations: zolpidem (2.87 mg/L), bromazepam (2.39 mg/L), nordazepam (4.21 mg/L), and levopremazine (0.64 mg/L). Specific analysis of thiodicarb and of its methomyl metabolite was then performed on all fluids and tissues collected during autopsy by liquid chromatography ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). The anticholinesterase capacity of blood, urine, and gastric content collected at autopsy was 83%, 82%, and 32%, respectively (normal value: 0%). The presence of thiodicarb in the bottle found near the body corroborates the hypothesis of an intake of that compound. Although thiodicarb was only detected in gastric content (24.3 mg/L), its methomyl metabolite was quantified in most postmortem tissues and fluids: gastric content (19.9 mg/L), peripheral blood (0.7 mg/L), urine (8.5 mg/L), bile (2.7 mg/L), liver (0.7 mg/kg), kidney (1.7 mg/kg), lung (1.5 mg/kg), brain (9.3 mg/kg), and heart (3.6 mg/kg).     

China’s Integration in East Asia:Production Sharing, FDI & High-Tech Trade

China has taken advantage of the globalisation process and has become an assembly country for firms in Asia, which have extended their production and trade networks to China. China’s position in the segmentation of the production processes has fostered its trade in high-technology products. However the rapid technological upgrading of China’s trade is associated with an increasing dependence on foreign capital and technology. The emergence of China has led to the reorganisation of production in Asia and to a triangular trade pattern: firms in advanced Asian economies use China as an export base and instead of exporting finished goods to the US and Europe, now export intermediate goods to their affiliates in China.     

Researching urban poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

Poverty and the way in which it is researched are major preoccupations for many social scientists. This article presents different ways of researching urban poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on qualitative methods and the different ways in which these can be used to collect data. Examples are drawn from field research conducted in urban areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre) to illustrate the ways in which different research methods and techniques are used in the field, and ways in which a researcher might organise data collection.     

Fatal intoxications with chloral hydrate.

An alcoholic man, treated with chloral hydrate (CH) syrup to which he was dependent, was discovered comatose and in respiratory arrest. Death occurred on the ninth day of hospitalization following cerebral oedema. A woman, alcohol addicted, depressed, and epileptic was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit with heart and respiratory failure following CH absorption. She died three days later after a deep coma. In these two cases, CH intoxication was confirmed by toxicological analysis: CH and its major metabolite, trichloroethanol (TCE), were identified and determined in serum and urine using headspace-capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentrations measured were compared with those found in previously published fatalities. The analytical method used can be proposed for both clinical and forensic cases.     

Débat sur la Parité: Introduction Controversy about Parity: Introduction

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique -