bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Cervical Midline Punctate Myelotomy in the Management of Visceral Pain in the Mouse
Authors: Chang Dyi‐Sheng , Lin Chih‐Lung , Lieu Ann‐Shung , Cheng Chi‐Yun , Wu Shu‐Chuan , Hung Mei‐Hsiang , Loh Joon‐Khim , Kuo Tai‐Hong , Howng Shen‐Long , Hwang Shiuh‐Lin
Published: July 2009

Increasing evidence implies the existence of a visceral pain pathway in the dorsal column of the spinal cord. Limited midline myelotomy has been used to treat intractable pelvic cancer pain. However, no obvious evidence has been provided that high cervical punctate midline myelotomy (CPMM) relieves visceral pain originating from the abdomen. This study was designed to examine the pain relief effect of CPMM in a mouse model of visceral pain. Thirty‐six Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were divided into three groups: Group 1, healthy controls; Group 2, treated with CPMM at C1 and C2; and Group 3, a sham group that underwent laminectomy at C1 and C2 without CPMM. All animals were tested for antinociception in the writhing test 24 hours after surgery. Visceral pain‐related behaviors were counted from 5‐20 minutes after intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% acetic acid. Writhing test scores were not significantly different between Groups 1 (56.7 ± 10.7) and 3 (50.7 ± 17.4). However, Group 2 (30.0 ± 14.3) showed more than 40% antinociception after treatment, and writhing test scores were significantly different from those of Groups 1 and 3 (p < 0.001). Our results confirm that midline punctate myelotomy can relieve visceral pain and imply that there is a pathway in the posterior funiculus that signals visceral pain. Punctate midline myelotomy at the cervical or high thoracic level may be an alternative strategy in the management of intractable visceral pain due to abdominal or pelvic cancers.
Clubbed Fingers and Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy in a Patient with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung
Authors: Yang Wen‐Chi , Lin Shih‐Chang , Chen Chung‐Jen , Yen Jeng‐Hsien , Ou Tsan‐Teng , Liu Hong‐Wen , Tsai Wen‐Chan , Liu Ta‐Chih
Published: July 2009

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is characterized by clubbed fingers and periosteal new bone formation. Etiologically, it can be divided into primary and secondary HOA, but its pathogenesis is uncertain. We report a 42‐year‐old male patient who suffered from painful clubbing fingers and toes. Serial examinations revealed periosteal new bone formation in the four limb long bones and a solid mass lesion in the right upper lung field. Pathologic examination of the resected mass lesion showed squamous cell carcinoma. After surgery and chemotherapy, the severity of clubbed fingers decreased and joint pain improved. Follow‐up bone scan also suggested regression of the uptake of radioactivity in the four limb bones. We concluded that the HOA in this case was probably caused by lung cancer.
Diffuse Cutaneous Plasmacytomas Demonstrated on Gallium‐67 Imaging
Authors: Liu Shu‐Hsin , Chan Sheng‐Chieh , Yen Tzu‐Chen , Jung Shih‐Ming
Published: July 2009

Gallium‐67 scanning is a useful tool to search for infectious foci and malignant tumors. Multiple myeloma is one clinical indication for gallium‐67 tumor survey. Here, we report a rare case of diffuse multiple cutaneous plasmacytomas from recurrent multiple myeloma, demonstrated by whole‐body gallium‐67 scan.
Imaging of Renal Tuberculosis in Eastern Taiwan: Correlation with Clinical Course and Different Communities
Authors: Leung Ting‐Kai , Ling Chang‐Ming , Lee Chau‐Chin , Chang Pau‐Nyen , Lee Sea‐Kiat , Yen Pao‐Sheng , Chou Shou‐Bin , Lu Chien‐Tai
Published: July 2009

Hualien, located in eastern Taiwan, is a relatively isolated district. The population is composed of different ethnic communities. Our hospital is the only medical center in eastern Taiwan, so is the most important referral hospital for epidemic diseases. After reviewing our collected cases of renal tuberculosis (TB), we observed a great diversity in staging and outcomes. The aim of this study was to classify different imaging presentations and clinical outcomes in the ethnic communities represented by these cases (non‐aboriginal and aboriginal). We retrospectively reviewed 22 cases from 1991 to 2001. We reviewed laboratory data, radiologic reports, and clinical outcomes. Before TB was proved by biopsy or culture, patients were not treated with an anti‐TB regimen. Roentgenography showed that 68% of patients had renal calcification, 59% had dilated calyces, 55% had lung involvement, and 41% had auto‐nephrectomy. The proportion of mild and severe forms was significantly different between aboriginal and non‐aboriginal groups (0.05 > p ≥ 0.00409). From this series, we recommend routine plain film roentgenography, including chest roentgenography and kidney, ureter, and bladder or abdominal roentgenography, followed by intravenous urography or computerized tomography as investigative tools for renal TB. Based on the significantly different outcomes of the disease between aboriginal and non‐aboriginal groups, a stronger health education program for the isolated district in eastern Taiwan is necessary.
Use of Anti‐Asthmatic Medications in Elderly Taiwanese Patients
Authors: Chen Chi‐Yu , Chiu Hui‐Fen , Yeh Ming‐Kung , Yang Chun‐Yuh
Published: July 2009

The aim of this study was to assess the use of anti‐asthmatic medications in Taiwanese geriatric asthmatic patients. We used computerized prescription databases from the National Health Insurance Program, Taiwan, and classified drugs according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System to analyze the patterns and extent of medication use in people aged over 65 years, and the influence of physician specialty on the prescription of anti‐asthmatics. A total of 708,624 prescriptions for 226,018 patients were analyzed. Oral medications were most often prescribed. Only 3.94% and 7.79% of patients were treated with inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled short‐acting b‐agonists, respectively. Pulmonologists prescribed significantly more inhaled anti‐asthmatics, except for cromolyn, than other types of physicians. More males than females were prescribed each category of anti‐asthmatic medications, except for ketotifen. In conclusion, physicians in Taiwan do not prescribe as many inhaled anti‐inflammatory agents for the treatment of asthma in the elderly as suggested in international treatment guidelines.
Early Diagnosis of Fetal Sacrococcygeal Teratoma: A Case Report
Authors: Sun Der‐Ji , Lee Jau‐Nan , Long Cheng‐Yu , Tsai Eing‐Mei
Published: July 2009

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is a rare fetal neoplasm with an incidence of 1 in 40,000 births. Antenatal diagnosis is usually made after 22 weeks of gestation. Fetuses with this malformation are at risk of significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. Malignant components, coexisting with life‐threatening anomalies, and chromosomal abnormalities are rare. Postulated causes of perinatal death include hydrops, dystocia, tumor rupture, preterm labor secondary to polyhydramnios, and anemia due either to hemorrhage or hemolysis within the tumor. Herein, we present a case of fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma diagnosed as early as 17 weeks of gestation.
Prevalence of Thyroid Cancer in Hyperthyroidism Treated by Surgery
Authors: Lin Chih‐Hsin , Chiang Feng‐Yu , Wang Ling‐Feng
Published: July 2009

The reported prevalence of thyroid cancer with concurrent hyperthyroidism varies from 0.21% to 9.0%. This variability may be due to multiple factors, such as indications for surgery and histopathologic accuracy. However, this condition is not rare and its prevalence has increased in recent surveys, perhaps as a result of more detailed examinations. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of thyroid cancer in hyperthyroid patients at surgery. Forty‐five patients, 34 women and 11 men, underwent surgery for hyperthyroidism in our department between 1989 and 2000. Ages ranged from 14 to 67 years. There were 42 cases of Graves' disease, one of functional multinodular goiter, and two of single toxic nodules. Forty‐three patients underwent total thyroidectomy and two underwent total lobectomy. Six cases (13.3%) of thyroid cancer were found, two men and four women with ages ranging from 19 to 48 years. Final histologic examination revealed three papillary carcinomas, one follicular carcinoma, one follicular carcinoma combined with clear‐cell carcinoma, and one clear‐cell carcinoma. Thus, in our department, the prevalence of thyroid cancer in hyperthyroidism treated using surgery was 13.3%. Our study showed that even a single toxic nodule may occur with concurrent thyroid cancer. Careful evaluation of such patients is needed to exclude the presence of associated malignancy and to determine the most appropriate therapeutic plan.
Streptokinase in the Treatment of Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Case Report
Authors: Yang Yuan‐Han , Liu Ching‐Kuan , Shih Ming‐Chen , Chou Min‐Shon
Published: July 2009

We present a case of cerebral venous thrombosis diagnosed by magnetic resonance venography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography. Selective direct thrombolytic treatment with streptokinase via highly selective venography was successful.
Relationship of Carbon Monoxide Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity to Postoperative Cardiopulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Pneumonectomy
Authors: Wang Jeng‐Shing
Published: July 2009

This retrospective analytic study evaluated whether abnormal diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is a predictor of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing pneumonectomy for lung cancer. The medical records of patients undergoing pneumonectomy at Vancouver General Hospital between January 1992 and December 1997 were reviewed. Postoperative complications occurring within 30 days of resection were classified into mortality, and cardiovascular, pulmonary, and technical complications. A total of 151 pneumonectomy cases were reviewed. There were 100 men (66%) and 51 women (34%) with a mean age of 61 years. Complications occurred in 73 patients (48%), including mortality in eight (5%), cardiovascular morbidity in 50 (33%), pulmonary morbidity in 30 (20%), and technical morbidity in 22 (15%). Arrhythmia (21%) and pulmonary edema (13%) were the two major cardiovascular complications. Patients with complications had a greater smoking history, a longer hospital stay, a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), a lower FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, a lower DLCO, and a lower DLCO/alveolar volume (VA) ratio than patients without complications. A DLCO of 70% predicted was the best functional predictor of postoperative complications, with a complication rate of 94% in patients with a DLCO of less than 70% predicted compared with 27% in patients with a DLCO of at least 70% predicted (sensitivity, 62%; specificity, 96%). However, technical morbidity was not related to preoperative lung function variables, including DLCO. Patients with a DLCO of at least 70% predicted had a low postpneumonectomy complication rate. Although cardiac arrhythmia was the major cause of morbidity, pulmonary edema was the major cause of mortality.
Ropivacaine 0.1% With or Without Fentanyl for Epidural Postoperative Analgesia: A Randomized, Double‐Blind Comparison
Authors: Lee Wai‐Keung , Yu Kwong‐Leung , Tang Chao‐Shun , Lee Lim‐Shen , Fang Hsiao‐Ti , Au Chung‐Fai
Published: July 2009

Epidural analgesia is often considered optimal postoperative analgesia for certain surgical procedures. Ropivacaine is a new local anesthetic that is less toxic than its homologue, bupivacaine. Epidural infusions usually comprise a local anesthetic, an opioid, or a combination of the two to improve analgesic efficacy and reduce unwanted side effects. All 210 patients undergoing lower abdominal or lower extremity surgery received epidural analgesia infusions at 7 mL/hour, 105 with 0.1% ropivacaine and 105 with 0.1% ropivacaine plus 1 μg/mL fentanyl. Pain score and side effects (hypotension, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, paresthesia, urinary retention and motor block) were measured at 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours. There was no statistical difference in patient profile between the groups. Pain relief scores were similar in the two groups in the first hour after the drugs were given. However, pain relief was significantly better in the ropivacaine/fentanyl group after the first hour and this difference lasted for the remaining time. There was no significant difference in adverse events between the two groups during 24 hours of assessment. In conclusion, the quality of analgesia was significantly improved by the addition of fentanyl 1 μg/mL to ropivacaine.
Negative Symptoms and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Wang Carol Sheei‐Meei , Yang Yen‐Kuang , Chen Mitchell , Chiu Nan‐Tsing , Yeh Tzung‐Lieh , Lee I‐Hui
Published: July 2009

There have been few functional imaging studies of negative symptoms in schizophrenia during the resting state, particularly in Asian patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between regional cerebral flood flow (rCBF) and negative symptoms, and to discuss the association between severity and subgroups of negative symptoms and rCBF. Sixteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were evaluated for negative symptoms using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to assess rCBF during the resting state. Results were assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis. Total SANS scores were significantly negatively correlated with bilateral hypofrontality, especially in the left orbital frontal and bilateral superior frontal areas. Subscores for attention were significantly negatively correlated with the left lower frontal‐temporal area and the right cerebellum. Subscores for anhedonia had a negative correlation with the right hemisphere. Subscores for affect were negatively correlated with rCBF in the bilateral prefrontal and bilateral superior frontal areas. There were no associations between rCBF and SANS in alogia and avolition. These results support the notion that frontal lobe dysfunction in schizophrenia is associated with negative symptoms. The left anterior hemisphere may play an important role in attention deficit. These relationships between negative symptoms and neuroanatomy require further clarification.
Relationship Between Social Support and Postnatal Depression
Authors: Heh Shu‐Shya
Published: July 2009

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between social support and postnatal depression. Social support has been shown to be an important variable in buffering the effects of postnatal depression. The availability or level of social support is an important variable in easing a woman's burden and leading to better adjustment to the new demands made on her. Social support should therefore be taken into consideration in any study of postpartum women's psychologic health. It is important that appropriate scales with psychometric qualities are chosen or developed to measure social support and depression postnatally. Only through use of the appropriate instruments can we further understand the social support processes that have an impact on postpartum women's psychologic distress.
Subretinal Mass as a Presenting Sign of Posterior Scleritis: A Case Report
Authors: Wang Jia‐Kang , Lai Pei‐Ching , Yang Chang‐Hao
Published: July 2009

We report a case of an unusual clinical presentation of posterior scleritis. A 40‐year‐old woman suffered from sudden blurred vision in her left eye for 1 day. She had no systemic or autoimmune diseases. Fundus examination revealed a subretinal mass (10.5 × 6 mm in basal diameter) in the nasal‐superior quadrant extending from the optic disc to the periphery. Overlying retinal striae were obvious. Optic disc hyperemia and mild edema were noted. Fluorescein angiography did not show dye leakage or tumor‐feeding vessels. Ultrasonography showed high internal reflectivity of the subretinal mass and thickened sclera with T‐sign. Under the impression of posterior scleritis, corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were given orally and topically. After 4 weeks, the subretinal mass disappeared without any sequelae. The patient recovered full vision. This case suggests that posterior scleritis is among the differential diagnoses for a fundus mass. There has been no other similar report in Taiwan.
Poor Long‐Term Outcome in a Survivor Presenting with the Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion Sequence In Utero: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Chih‐Chen , Hsu Yu‐Hsin , Chan Te‐Fu , Yuan Shyng‐Shiou F. , Su Jinu‐Huang
Published: July 2009

The twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is a very rare complication of multiple gestations and is associated with a high mortality rate, reaching more than 50% in pump twins. The four common complications are preterm labor, polyhydramnios, fetal congestive heart failure, and fetal death of the pump twin in utero. Prenatal diagnosis during early pregnancy is possible using detailed ultrasonographic examination. Therapies, including conservative treatment and invasive procedures, are directed toward achieving optimal maintenance of pump twins based on clinical presentation. Risk factors for pump twin mortality include a high twin‐to‐twin weight ratio, acardiacus anceps, low umbilical artery pulsatility index, and a rapid growth rate in the acardiac twin. Herein, we present a case of TRAP sequence in a patient who underwent conservative treatment and had a poor neurologic outcome during long‐term follow‐up. Although the experience is still limited, early diagnosis of TRAP sequence and more aggressive treatment, instead of an expectant approach, might be a better option.
Intra‐Abdominal Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor with Elevated Serum CA 125: A Case Report
Authors: Yang Sheau‐Fang , Wang Sheng‐Lan , Chai Chee‐Yin , Su Yu‐Chieh , Fu Ou‐Yang , Chen Chau‐Yun
Published: July 2009

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare and highly aggressive tumor usually involving the peritoneum. It occurs more commonly in young males and is characterized by distinctive clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypic features. The histogenesis of DSRCT remains unknown. Coexpression of epithelial, mesenchymal, and neural antigens in the same cell provides evidence that DSRCT may arise from a primitive pluripotent stem cell with divergent differentiation. Recently, according to cytogenetic studies, some authors have proposed that the divergent differentiation of DSRCT may be the result of the fusion of Ewing's sarcoma gene and Wilms' tumor suppressor gene. Clinically, an elevated serum CA 125 concentration is found in some patients with DSRCT. We present the case of a 29‐year‐old man with diffuse intra‐abdominal DSRCT and elevated serum CA 125 concentration and briefly review the relevant literature.
Comparisons Between Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation and Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Adult Hematologic Disease: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Liu Yi‐Chang , Chang Chao‐Sung , Liu Ta‐Chih , Chen Tyen‐Po , Sue Yu‐Chieh , Hsiao Hui‐Hua , Lin Sheng‐Fung
Published: July 2009

This retrospective study compared the outcomes in 32 adult patients with hematologic diseases (acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, severe aplastic anemia) who received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT, n = 14; median age, 28 years) or allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT, n = 18; median age, 29 years) from human leukocyte antigen‐identical sibling donors. Median follow‐up was 58 months in BMT recipients and 18 months in PBSCT recipients. Neutrophil (median, Day 8 vs Day 13, p < 0.001) and platelet engraftment (median, Day 9 vs Day 17, p < 0.001) was faster in the PBSCT group than in the BMT group. Patients receiving PBSCT required less platelet transfusion than those receiving BMT (median, 54 units vs 144 units, p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in red cell transfusion. At 100 days, there was no difference in the incidence of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) (42.9% vs 33.3%, p = 0.72) or grade II‐IV acute GVHD (14.3% vs 5.6%, p = 0.57), and there was no difference in the cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD (20% vs 33.3%, p = 0.67). No chronic GVHD was noted in any relapsed patients (BMT, 5; PBSCT, 3), and no patients with chronic GVHD during follow‐up had a relapse. Relapse was the most frequent cause of death in both groups (BMT, 5/9, 55.6%; PBSCT, 3/4, 75%; p = 0.25); all relapses occurred within 1 year after transplantation. Overall survival was significantly better in the PBSCT group (35.7% vs 77.8%, p = 0.029), but this difference was lost if only hematologic malignancies were analyzed (30.8% vs 63.6%, p = 0.20). Our results are similar to those reported previously, with faster neutrophil and platelet engraftment and less severe acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD with PBSCT. Allogeneic PBSCT is a feasible and beneficial alternative to allogeneic BMT in adult hematologic disease.
Spinal Process Landmark as a Predicting Factor for Difficult Epidural Block: A Prospective Study in Taiwanese Patients
Authors: Chien I , Lu I‐Chen , Wang Fu‐Yuan , Soo Lee‐Ying , Yu Kwong‐Leung , Tang Chao‐Shun
Published: July 2009

Although epidural anesthesia is a common practice in neuraxial blockade, difficult access to the epidural space is a frequent problem in operating theaters. We designed this study of epidural blocks to determine if the spinal landmark grading system is valuable in predicting a difficult epidural block. Before the epidural block, we collected the following data: demographics, body habitus (normal, thin, obese, pregnant), spinal anatomy (normal, deformed), spinal level (lumbar, thoracic), and spinal landmark grade (grade 1: spinous processes visible; grade 2: spinous processes not seen but easily palpated; grade 3: spinous processes not seen and not palpated but the interval between them is palpated as a low landmark under the thumb; grade 4: other). We performed all 848 epidural blocks initially using a midline approach and an 18‐gauge Touhy needle. We evaluated the technical difficulty of the epidural block using three methods: whether the epidural block was accomplished at the spinal level (first‐level success); the total number of attempts at skin puncture (attempts‐S); and total number of attempts to change ligament puncture direction (attempts‐L) required to complete the epidural block. Of all examined factors, spinal landmark grade correlated best with technical difficulty as measured by all three methods. Deformed spinal anatomy and body habitus both correlated with difficulty, merely from the total numbers of attempts (attempts‐S and attempts‐L). Thoracic epidurals were more difficult than lumbar epidurals by all three measures of difficulty. We concluded that this spinal landmark grading system is valuable in predicting a difficult epidural block and advocate its use as a predictor by anesthesiologists.
Spironolactone‐Induced Agranulocytosis: A Case Report
Authors: Hsiao Shu‐Hwa , Hsu May‐Ying , Lin Yih‐Jyh , Wu Ta‐Jen
Published: July 2009

A 43‐year‐old woman with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted for the chief problem of ascites. Laboratory data revealed a leukocyte count of 3.8 × 109/L on the second day of admission. Spironolactone was prescribed for diuresis beginning on the third day. Routine blood tests on the tenth day disclosed marked leukopenia (1.8 × 109/L). Four days later, the leukocyte count was still 1.8 × 109/L and a differential count revealed agranulocytosis (neutrophils, 0.25 × 109/L). Eight days after withdrawal of spironolactone, the leukocyte count returned to normal (leukocytes, 4.9 × 109/L; neutrophils, 1.76 × 109/L). On review of the patient's clinical condition, concurrent medication, and previous reports, we highly suspected that this episode of agranulocytosis was caused by spironolactone. Unlike four previously reported cases, this one did not involve furosemide, which is reported to be associated with leukopenia and agranulocytosis.
Rotationplasty for Limb Salvage in the Treatment of Malignant Tumors: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Wang Hsien‐Chung , Lu Yen‐Mou , Chien Song‐Hsiung , Lin Gau‐Tyan , Lu Cheng‐Chang
Published: July 2009

Limb salvage is now more common than amputation after radical excision to treat malignant tumors. In a skeletally immature patient who has malignant tumors in a lower extremity, rotationplasty offers a more reliable and durable option than other limb salvage procedures. It is an excellent method of resolving the problem of unequal leg lengths, and preserves best limb function with few complications. Here, we present our experience with rotationplasty for limb salvage in the treatment of malignant tumors, with good functional results seen in follow‐up examination 11 years after surgery.
Science et conscience de la société
Authors: Aron Raymond
Published: July 2009

Toutes les sociétés ont eu une idée plus ou moins précise de ce qu'elles étaient et de ce qu'elles voulaient être. Les sociétés modernes sont les premieres qui pretendent acquérir d'elles-meêmes une connaissance scientifique. La sociologie a vocation d'être la conscience de sociétés assez ambitieuses ou imprudentes pour s'offrir a l'observation détachée et a, la curiosité sans retenue.
Demokratie und Sozialstruktur in Deutschland
Authors: Dahrendorf Ralf
Published: July 2009

Für den politischen Soziologen, der sich seiner Zeit ver-pflichtet weiß, gibt es heute vor allem zwei Probleme, und beide sind Probleme der Demokratie: das Problem der deutschen Demokratie und das Problem der Demokratie in den Entwicklungslandern. Die meisten anderen Gegenstande der Reflektion und Forschung sind nur Facetten und Aspekte der beiden Fragenkomplexe: Wie konnte die Demokratie in einem industrialisierten, »west-lichen«, »zivilisierten« Land im Nationalsozialismus enden? Welche Elemente sozialer Strukturen werden also vom freundlich verall-gemeinernden Modell der »industriellen Gesellschaft« nicht erfaßt? Und: Kann die Demokratie in Indien, in Ghana, in China funktionieren? Welche Widerstände setzen die Sozialstrukturen industrialisierender Länder der Ausbildung einer wirksamen Demokratie entgegen? Die beiden Fragen scheinen auf den ersten Blick sehr verschiedene Antworten zu verlangen. In beiden Fällen geht es zwar um das Verhältnis von Demokratie und Sozialstruktur. Während aber das Nichtfunktionieren der Demokratie in Entwicklungsländern eher unsere ohnehin zögernden Wünsche als unsere Erwartungen enttäuscht, rührt das Versagen der deutschen Demokratie an die Grundlagen des Selbstverständnisses der westlichen Welt. Um in der handfest ideologischen Sprache der älteren deutschen Ethnologie zu sprechen: Was bei »primitiven Naturvölkern« nicht überrascht, ist bei einem »hochentwickelten Kulturvolk« ein bedrängendes Problem. Es wird noch zu zeigen sein, daB die »Natur-« und die »Kulturvölker«, die beiden Probleme der deutschen und, sagen wir, der chinesischen Demokratie einander so ganz unähnlich nicht sind. Die Formen der Industrialisierung in beiden Ländern haben manches miteinander gemeinsam; in der Tat stellt die deutsche industrielle Revolution von oben so etwas wie einen Modellfall der »verspäteten Industrialisierung« — gemessen am klassischen Beispiel Englands — dar. Doch sind solche Gemeinsamkeiten erst das Ergebnis einer Untersuchung, die sich auf eines der beiden Probleme konzentriert: das Verhältnis von Demokratie und Sozialstruktur in Deutschland.
Aspekte der Ungleichheit in der Gesellschaft
Authors: Dahrendorf Ralf
Published: July 2009

Gewiss war Aristoteles ein Kind seiner Zeit, als er behauptete, es gäbe Herren und Sklaven »von Natur«. Aber solche Ideologiekritik seiner These sagt uns wenig über das Problem, um das es Aristoteles ging, und über den Weg, den er zu seiner Lösung beschritt. Das Erregende an Aristoteles' Überlegungen zur Frage der Ungleichheit unter den Menschen ist, daß er mit ihnen beinahe zum ersten Soziologen geworden wäre — und es dann doch nicht wurde, weil er die Chance der soziologischen Erklärung eines Problems an eine, zudem zweifelhafte, philosophische Anthropologie auslieferte. Es ehrt diesen Irrtum, daß er sich nahezu 2000 Jahre lang unangefochten erhielt und noch heute gelegentlich auftritt. Doch bleiben auch ehrwürdige Fehler falsch, und es bleibt daher wichtig zu ergründen, wie sie zustandekommen konnten.
La définition libérale de la liberté
Authors: Aron Raymond
Published: July 2009

Le livre de F. A. Hayek a été ignoré ou presque en France et beaucoup de ceux, en Grande-Bretagne et aux États-Unis, qui auraient dû le lire, l'ont négligé, hostiles d'avance aux thèses de l'auteur du Road to Serfdom. Personnellement, j'approuve sans réserves la formule du professeur J. W. N. Watkins :
The Welfare State : A Sociological Interpretation
Authors: Marshall T. H.
Published: July 2009

It is the business of sociologists to classify social phenomena and arrange them in categories. They base their operations on concepts which have been rigorously denned and purified to the point at which they resemble prime numbers. The practice has not unnaturally spread into that intermediate area of literature which can be called either popular sociology or intellectual journalism according to taste. But there it is used for tying labels round the necks of highly complex social systems—like “Welfare State”, “Affluent Society” and “Meritocracy”. This is likely to make the purist shrink and shudder. All generalizations are dangerous, and those cunningly expressed in tabloid form are the most dangerous of all. They pass into the language of common speech as familiar truths, instead of being quoted as propositions offered for discussion. One can hardly avoid using a term like the “Welfare State”, and one cannot, when using it, introduce a qualifying parenthesis, since there is no room for parentheses in a catchword. One must either accept it or discard it.
Travail et organisations
Authors: Touraine Alain
Published: July 2009

La mise en relation de deux ou plusieurs faits, ou séries de faits, ne constitue pas en soi une explication. Celle-ci ne prend naissance que quand la relation est elle-même définie de sorte que les termes soient réduits à l'unité d'un processus. Cette unité n'est jamais que celle d'un mode d'action. Mais elle peut être de deux types. L'histoire constitue des ensembles concrets, situés dans le temps et dans l'espace, des totalités singulières d'autant plus « solides » qu'elles lient plus directement des conduites ouvertes, collectives et organisées. L'unité provient ici du fait, admirablement analysé par Weber, qu'aucune conduite n'est — sauf cas exceptionnels — liée exclusivement à son objet. C'est parce qu'il n'existe pas de conduites purement économiques, politiques ou religieuses qu'une description organised est possible, conduisant l'histoire bien au-delà de son niveau événementiel et de son illusion de départ de reconstituer le passé, wie es geschehen ist, selon le mot de Ranke.
Quelques problèmes des universités françaises
Authors: Aron Raymond
Published: July 2009

Les universités européennes sont des institutions historiques auxquelles la société moderne, de type industriel, impose et imposera de plus en plus des transformations profondes.

Deux faits sont à l'origine de la crise, ressentie à un degré ou à un autre, dans tous les pays d'Occident. Le premier est l'élévation du taux de scolarisation, secondaire et supérieure, c'est-à-dire du rapport entre le nombre des jeunes, garçons et filles, d'un certain âge qui continuent à étudier et le nombre total des jeunes de cet âge. Le taux de scolarisation à 17, 18 et 20 ans s'élève pour de multiples causes, les mêmes dans tous les pays industrialisés, qu'ils soient libéraux ou communistes. Le poste auquel chacun peut prétendre dépend de plus en plus de la formation qu'il a reçue. La quantité des tâches qui exigent une éducation secondaire semble augmenter avec la croissance économique. Les parents sont de plus en plus conscients de cette relation entre formation et position dans la hiérarchie sociale. lis souhaitent de plus en plus fréquemment que leurs enfants fassent des études. A mesure que le niveau de vie s'élève, les parents acceptent mieux de retarder le moment ou les enfants gagneront leur vie. Est-il besoin d'ajouter qu'il s'agit là de tendances générales et que cette attitude à l'égard de l'instruction est loin d'être encore répandue dans tous les milieux sociaux et que des différences substantielles subsistent, entre les pays, les régimes et les classes (1)?
Starre und Offenheit der deutschen Universität: die Chancen der Reform
Authors: Dahrendorf Ralf
Published: July 2009

Von der deutschen Universität wird vielfach entweder gar nicht oder in apokalyptischer Erregung gesprochen (1). Je mehr die Kritiker von der Krise reden und schreiben, desto ungestörter scheinen die Träger der Universität und ihre Dienstherren die ihnen aufgetragenen Geschäfte zu verwalten. Für den, der in die soziale Wirklichkeit der akademischen Institutionen steuernd eingreifen will, ist offenbar weder die eine noch die andere Haltung angemessen: Wäre er der Meinung, daß die Universität in ihrer gegenwärtigen Form alle Wünsche und Aufgaben erfülle, dann bedürfte es seines Eingriffs nicht; glaubte er andererseits, der »Zusammenbruch« der deutschen Universität stünde unmittelbar bevor, dann könnte er sich allenfalls noch als Chronist dieser Katastrophe betätigen. Wenngleich tatsächlich mancher deutsche Soziologe in diesem Sinne erst mit der einbrechenden Dämmerung seinen Flug beginnen möchte, wollen wir hier versuchen, einige Aspekte der deutschen Universität im hellen Licht des Tages auf die Möglichkeit der Reform hin zu prüfen. Und weil dieses Unternehmen nachgerade zum Gemeinplatz geworden ist, soil es hier präziser darum gehen, die Punkte zu lokalisieren, an denen die Institution der deutschen Universität zum Nachteil ihrer Träger und Umwelt erstarrt bzw. für neue Entwicklungen offen ist, indem wir die Richtungen erörtern, in die die Entwicklung der Universität tatsächlich geht und eigentlich gehen sollte.
Lecture actuelle de Durkheim
Authors: Pizzorno Alessandro
Published: July 2009

‘Si vous voulez mûrir votre pensée, attachez-vous à l'étude scrupuleuse d'un grand maître, démontez un système dans ses rouages les plus secrets. C'est ce que j'ai fait et mon éducateur fut Renouvier» (I). C'est le conseil que Durkheim avait donné un jour à un de ses él`ves et qu'il est un peu agaçant pour un sociologue de 1962 de retrouver chez le « père de la sociologie scientifique », chez le « premier sociologue qui ait fait de la véritable recherche empirique ». Simplement parce que, bien souvent, le sociologue européen de 1962 est quelqu'un à qui on avait conseillé, quand il faisait sa classe de philosophie, de faire exactement cela.
Quelques fonctions de la formalisation en sociologie
Authors: Boudon Raymond
Published: July 2009

L'importance du formalisme en sociologie est souvent contestée. Le réquisitoire le plus brutal est celui de Sorokin (i); il est assez connu pour qu'il ne soit pas necessaire d'en rappeler les attendus; pour le résumer brièvement, la formalisation serait soit purement sténographique, soit inutile, soit absurde. Le premier chef d'accusation, s'il est parfois Justifié, ignore l'importance que peut revetir pour le développement d'une théorie ou d'une hypothèse la parcimonie de l'explication et le caractère identifiable des variables utilises; en ce sens, certaines études, bien que ne conduisant à aucune déduction qui ne soit du ressort du raisonnement syllogistique, présentent des systèmes suffisamment clairs et cohérents pour qu'on puisse éventuellement y appliquer un langage plus puissant.
Les arts mécaniques et la science nouvelle
Authors: Rossi Paolo
Published: July 2009

Lorsqu' on entreprend l'étude de la période historique où prend racine la révolution technique et scientifique qui est à la base de notre civilisation, on découvre vite que l'histoire de cette profonde transformation ne peut être réduite ni à la description de techniques envisagées une à une, ni à l'analyse de découvertes particulières, et bien moins encore — contrairement à ce que certains semblent souhaiter actuellement — à une histoire de la dialectique interne de chaque secteur de la connaissance scientifique. S'interroger sur les raisons qui commandent le passage d'une théorie à une autre, à l'intérieur d'une discipline particulière, est assurément une question d'une importance fondamentale et, sur ce terrain, les historiens de la science sont parvenus à des résultats considérables, même pour la période qui nous intéresse ici. Pourtant, l'historien ne pourra guère — ne fût-ce que pour élucider réellement ces «raisons» — éluder des questions également décisives qui portent sur la situation culturelle dans laquelle durent travailler les hommes de science. Nous entendons par là les définitions et les caractérisations différentes, et parfois divergentes, de la «science»; la place occupée par la connaissance scientifique, non seulement dans le monde de la culture et dans les encyclopédies du savoir, mais aussi dans la conscience de milieux et de groupes sociaux déterminés; les diverses finalités et les buts qui furent à tour de role attribués a la science et à la technique, au sein de civilisations et d'époques diffeérentes; la manière dont furent conçus les rapports entre théories et opérations pratiques; la considération qui fut accordée à ces dernières, tantôt reléguées aux marges de la culture et considérées comme indignes d'un homme libre, tantôt placées au centre de cette même culture comme source, non seulement d'effets admirables, mais aussi d'une connaissance plus approfondie du monde réel.
Macht, Power, Puissance: prose démocratique ou poésie démoniaque?
Authors: Aron Raymond
Published: July 2009

Les mots de power et de Macht, en anglais et en allemand, de pouvoir ou depuissance, en français, continuent d'être entourés d'une sorte de halo sacré ou, si l'on préfère, d'être chargés de résonances mystérieuses et un peu terrifiantes. Le caractère démoniaque de la puissance (die Dämonie der Macht) est le titre d'un livre, écrit après l'aventure hitlérienne et suggéré par elle. Les spécialistes des relations internationales emploient le terme de power politics, équivalent de la Machtpolitik, non sans quelque équivoque sur le sens de ce concept qui tantôt désigne l'essence des relations entre États et tantôt une doctrine (le plus souvent condamnée) de ces relations. De l'autre côté de la Manche et de l'Atlantique, on ne se lasse pas de citer Lord Acton: «Le pouvoir corrompt, le pouvoir absolu corrompt absolument.» Et Montesquieu, avant lui, avait écrit: «C'est une expérience éternelle que tout homme qui a du pouvoir est porté à en abuser, il va jusqu'à ce qu'il trouve des limites. Qui le dirait? La vertu même a besoin de limites.» Quand C. Wright Mills a voulu dénoncer la minorité dans l'ombre qui règne sur les États-Unis, il a forgé l'expression power elite, reprenant à la tradition machiavélienne un de ces deux termes, elite, et le combinant avec le terme honni par les marxistes et par les radicaux, power. Car le pouvoir (power) est mauvais en soi, il est doublement mauvais si l'on ajoute qu'il est possédé par une élite, car le petit nombre, dans le climat idéologique américain, par définition ne sera pas composé des meilleurs puisque le pouvoir corrompt ceux qui le possèdent.
The Use of Electronic Computers in the Study of Social Organisation
Authors: Coleman James S.
Published: July 2009

I want, in this paper, to examine several specific ways that electronic computers are being used in the study of social organization. But some of this work constitutes a rather sharp departure from established modes of research and theory-construction in sociology, and therefore leads at the outset to a look at these established modes and at the nature of sociology's subject matter (1).
The Officer Corps: A Fusion of Profession and Organization
Authors: van Doorn Jacques
Published: July 2009

In modern societies profession and formal organization are the most important institutional patterns controlling occupational and administrative decisions and actions. They have many characteristics in common. To use Parsons' pattern variables: in both cases we find universal standards, specificity of expertness, and affective neutrality (I). Bureaucratic as well as professional authority is based on special knowledge and skill (Fachwissen) and may be characterized as functional authority (2). Both professional and bureaucratic status are achieved, not ascribed positions.
Millenarian Movements
Authors: Talmon Yonina
Published: July 2009

The latin termmillenniumand its Greek equivalentchiliasliterally mean a period of a thousand years. According to the millenarian tradition, which is based on Jewish apocalyptic literature and on the Revelations to St. John, Christ will reappear in the guise of a warrior, vanquish the devil and hold him prisoner. He will then build the Kingdom of God and reign in person for a thousand years. Those saints who remained steadfast and gave their life for their faith shall be raised from the dead and serve as his royal priesthood. At the end of this period Satan will be let loose again for a short while and will be finally destroyed. The victory will be followed by the general resurrection of the dead, the last judgement and final redemption (1).
A typology of suicide
Authors: Giddens A.
Published: July 2009

Objective investigation into suicide as a social and psychological phenomenon dates back to the opening of the nineteenth century (1). Few other areas of human behaviour, in fact, can have attracted the same measure of continuous interest on the part of students in several disciplines. H. Rost'sBibliographie des Selbstmords, published in 1927, lists well over 3,000 items (2). Today the total must be something over 5,000 (3). The reader surveying this voluminous literature, however, is impressed by several notablelacunae: 1) most of this literature is descriptive rather than explanatory; the great bulk of it consists of surveys of the distribution of suicide, or of clinical descriptions of individual cases (4); 2) there is a marked degree of disciplinary “compartmentalisation”. It has been evident for many years that both sociology and psychology have complementary contributions to make to the explanation of suicide (5); but theory and research into suicide in these two disciplines has tended to proceed separately with little more than a token acknowledgement of the potential relevance of one to the other (6). The object of this paper is to establish a schematic typology upon which a bridge between sociological and psychological theory might be built.
The Structure and Functions of a Research Institute: TheAnnée sociologique
Authors: Clark Terry N.
Published: July 2009

Research institutes are nearly as varied as the results they produce. The term itself generally implies the continuing cooperation of two or more persons in order to conduct research of one kind or another. Beyond these minimal conditions, however, innumerable variations are possible. The research institute as such is a recent phenomenon, one that did not arise, or at any rate did not become widespread, until the nineteenth century. Research institutes grew with the idea of research and while, of course, research has been conducted for centuries, the idea that academic scholarship should be combined with creative research became widespread only in the nineteenth century.
Social Science and Political Commitments in the Young Max Weber
Authors: Dibble Vernon K.
Published: July 2009

In 1892 the Verein für Sozialpolitik (Association for Social Policy) published six studies of agricultural workers in Germany (1). Five of the six authors were Karl Kaerger, H. Losch, Kuno Frankenstein, Friedrich Grossman, and Otto Auhagen. The sixth author was Max Weber. He was only 28 years old. But his study of agricultural workers touched on many themes that he developed in his more mature scholarship, and on some of the dilemmas that he faced in his later political writings and political activities.
Notes for a general theory of secularisation
Authors: Martin David
Published: July 2009

A General theory of secularisation is closer to realisation in the sociology of religion than might be expected, in spite of the field being poorly developed. However, the sociology of religion has the advantage of being able to draw in a synthesising manner on neighbouring areas which are more developed, and in so doing will be able in return to suggest broad schemata of interpretation for use in those fields, especially political sociology. No doubt the notion of a general theory of secularisation remains premature, but premature statements do elicit more precise or even alternative formulations incorporating and subsuming wider ranges of material. In any case what follows is less a complete statement of a general theory than a specification of some of its components. Yet in another sense it is a theory, since it could be reduced to sets of overarching propositions and their integrally related sub-propositions, with appropriate qualifications and marginal rubrics.
Dix ans de planification dans les pays sous-développés
Authors: Bobrowski Czeslaw
Published: July 2009

Au Début dela décennie 1960–1970 on pouvait légitimement croire que la planification dans les pays sous-développés était en train d'accomplir un progrès décisif. Plusieurs dizaines de pays ont établi des plans pluri-annuels et, le plus souvent, il ne s'agissait pas là de plans ou programmes sectoriels mais de plans embrassant toute l'économie d'un pays donné. La voie bloquée par l'attitude des États-Unis fut en apparence ouverte par L'Alliance pour le progrés; la planification qui, en Amérique latine, pendant des années, se réduisait à un travail en chambre, grâce a la nouvelle position du président Kennedy devait devenir – semblait-il – une réalité. La planification française s'offrait comme modèle à la plupart des ex-colonies françaises. L'exemple de la planification indienne, dont les faiblesses n'ont été perçues que plus tard, constituait un encouragement pour les ex-colonies anglaises. Les economistes occidentaux (dont on ne saurait surestimer l'influence puisque c'est à l'Occident que furent formés les techniciens de l'économie des pays du tiers monde) se sont prononcés unanimement pour la planification dans ces pays même s'ils en etaient adversaires dans leur propre patrie. Plus diffuse, et somme toute moins importante, fut l'influence de la planification socialiste, peu connue, souvent mal interprétée et ne trouvant pas de faveur auprés de toutes les tendances politiques. Néanmoins, même pour ses adversaires, cette planification, à l'époque, était parée d'un prestige indéniable. En effet, pendant la décennie précédente, les cadences élevées de croissance de l'URSS et de la plupart des démocraties populaires contrastaient avec la quasi-stagnation de l'économie britannique ou de celle des États-Unis, tandis que le programme soviétique à long terme (dont on a cessé de parler depuis) promettait un rattrapage rapide du niveau de production américain.
Réponse de M. Devereux a monsieur conté
Authors: Devereux Georges
Published: July 2009

Tout dialogue entre un néo-platonicien et un aristolélicien étant d'emblée impossible, je crois inutile d'ouvrir ici un débat sur des problèmes de base avec monsieur Conté, dont j'apprécie la courtoisie plus que la compréhension de mon livre. Je me contenterai donc d'indiquer un certain nombre d'erreurs de fait importantes — erreurs qui me font penser que M. Conté ne connaīt pas suffisamment les sciences exactes qui constituent l'armature de mon raisonnement pour bien rendre compte de la teneur de mon livre.
A pleading for revolution: a rejoinder to Z. Bauman
Authors: Kolakowski Leszek
Published: July 2009

Bauman's Schumpeter-like forecast concerning the prospects of revolution in socialist societies calls for a reply which takes issue not only with the details of his analysis of the tensions within these societies, but also with some semantic aspects of his conceptual framework: the very concept of revolution and of political legitimacy as applied to these systems.