Les parias des houillères du Chikuhō : assimilation ou surdiscrimination ?

La région du Chikuhō (Kyūshū) reste fortement associée à l’histoire du charbon. Les liens entre communautés de parias (burakumin) et l’industrie de la houille y sont moins connus, l’historiographie d’après-guerre ayant peu abordé cette question. Les communautés buraku sont pourtant bien présentes dans le Chikuhō, le plus souvent à proximité des anciennes mines. Nous montrons ainsi qu’il existe un lien organique, entre la présence buraku dans le Chikuhō et l’industrie du charbon, procédant de facteurs historiques et sociaux. L’industrialisation des houillères à la fin du xixe siècle aurait pu conduire à l’intégration de ces burakumin au sein de la classe ouvrière émergente. Mais la discrimination a pourtant perduré au sein du prolétariat minier et fit même partie des stratégies de certains groupes industriels pour la gestion des populations ouvrières. Cette question de la spécificité buraku s’est aussi posée au mouvement ouvrier, au sein des syndicats et dans les stratégies du Parti communiste japonais. La nature et l’évolution du rapport des groupes de défense des burakumin aux autres syndicats de mineurs ont ainsi évolué, selon les impératifs du moment et les rapports de force, entre solidarité, alliance et subordination.The region of Chikuhō (Kyūshū) remains strongly associated with a long history of coal mining. The links between outcast communities (burakumin) and the coal industry are less well known, as post-war historiography has hardly broached the subject. However, buraku communities are well represented in Chikuhō, most often in the vicinity of former mines. We show that there is an organic link, between the buraku presence in Chikuhō and the coal industry, stemming from historical and social factors. The industrialization of the coal mines at the end of the 19th century could have led to the integration of these burakumin into the emerging working class. But discrimination persisted within the mining proletariat and was even part of the strategies of some industrial groups for the management of the working-class populations. This question of buraku specificity has also been raised within the workers’ movement, the labor unions and in the strategies of the Japanese Communist Party. The nature and evolution of the relationship between burakumin defense groups and other miners’ unions has thus evolved, in accordance with punctual imperatives and the balance of power, between solidarity, alliance and subordination

The Coal-mining Pariahs of Chikuhō. Assimilation or Over-Discrimination?

The Chikuhō region of northern Kyūshū remains strongly associated with coal-mining history. Much less well known, however, is the link between coal mining and the outcast burakumin communities, as post-war historical research has been relatively silent on the issue. And yet, Chikuhō has a particularly high concentration of buraku communities, often living in close vicinity to disused mines. This paper will show a direct link between the buraku presence in Chikuhō and the coal-mining industry, essentially resulting from historical and social factors. The industrialisation of the mines at the end of the nineteenth century could have led to the integration of burakumin into the nascent working class. Instead, discrimination persisted within the mining proletariat and was even leveraged by certain industrial groups as a means of managing working-class populations. The issue of buraku specificity was also addressed within the labour movement, by the unions and in the strategies of the Japanese Communist Party. Relations between burakumin defence groups and the other mining unions thus fluctuated according to the shifting balance of power, ranging from solidarity and alliance to subordination.La région du Chikuhō (Kyūshū) reste fortement associée à l’histoire du charbon. Les liens entre communautés de parias (burakumin) et l’industrie de la houille y sont moins connus, l’historiographie d’après-guerre ayant peu abordé cette question. Les communautés buraku sont pourtant bien présentes dans le Chikuhō, le plus souvent à proximité des anciennes mines. Nous montrons ainsi qu’il existe un lien organique, entre la présence buraku dans le Chikuhō et l’industrie du charbon, procédant de facteurs historiques et sociaux. L’industrialisation des houillères à la fin du xixe siècle aurait pu conduire à l’intégration de ces burakumin au sein de la classe ouvrière émergente. Mais la discrimination a pourtant perduré au sein du prolétariat minier et fit même partie des stratégies de certains groupes industriels pour la gestion des populations ouvrières. Cette question de la spécificité buraku s’est aussi posée au mouvement ouvrier, au sein des syndicats et dans les stratégies du Parti communiste japonais. La nature et l’évolution du rapport des groupes de défense des burakumin aux autres syndicats de mineurs ont ainsi évolué, selon les impératifs du moment et les rapports de force, entre solidarité, alliance et subordination

Current status and challenges of cytokine pharmacology

The major concern of pharmacology about cytokines has originated from plentiful data showing association between gross changes in their production and pathophysiological processes. Despite the enigmatic role of cytokines in diseases, a number of them have become a subject of cytokine and anti-cytokine immunotherapies. Production of cytokines can be influenced by many endogenous and exogenous stimuli including drugs. Cells of the immune system, such as macrophages and lymphocytes, are richly endowed with receptors for the mediators of physiological functions, such as biogenic amines, adenosine, prostanoids, steroids, etc. Drugs, agonists or antagonists of these receptors can directly or indirectly up- and down-regulate secretion of cytokines and expression of cytokine receptors. Vice versa, cytokines interfere with drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics through the interactions with cytochrome P450 and multiple drug resistance proteins. The aim of the review is to encourage more intensive studies in these fields of cytokine pharmacology. It also outlines major areas of searching promising candidates for immunotherapeutic interventions