bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carcinoma Erysipelatoides Resulting from Gastric Adenocarcinoma: An Unusual Clinical Presentation
Authors: Kavgaci Halil , Reis Abdulkadir , Ozdemir Feyyaz , Bektas Ozlem , Arslan Mehmet , Aydin Fazil
Published: December 2004

Objective: To report a rare case of carcinoma erysipelatoides on the laryngeal skin caused by stomach adenocarcinoma. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A 48-year-old male, who had undergone a gastrectomy 18 months prior to admission for stage IIIA gastric adenocarcinoma, presented with a reddish induration of the cervical skin, lymphadenopathy in both supraclavicular areas and widespread subcutaneous nodules. Abdominal computerized tomography and chest radiography did not reveal any organ metastasis or peritoneal carcinomatosis. A biopsy of the induration revealed atypical epithelial cells with edema and dilatation of lymphatics. The patient was given combination chemotherapy of etoposide, adriamycin, and cisplatin, and significant improvement was observed over the cervical area after three courses. The patient tolerated the systemic chemotherapy well and has been followed for two months. Conclusion: We recommend combination chemotherapy in patients with cutaneous metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma as a safe and effective treatment.
Surgical Experience in Symptomatic Congenital Intraspinal Cysts
Authors: Chang I-Chang
Published: December 2004

Symptomatic congenital intraspinal cysts are uncommon but not rare. Since these cysts may have various manifestations, a careful differential diagnosis is needed. We retrospectively reviewed findings in 3 women and 2 men (age range, 10–50 years) with 6 symptomatic cysts of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine. In addition, we statistically analyzed the patients’ Nurick myelopathy grades before and after treatment. Pain and spastic paraparesis were the most frequent manifestations. Radiographs showed the widening of the spinal bony canal in 3 patients with extradural arachnoid cysts. All patients received limited laminectomy and appropriate surgical procedures. Pathology reports indicated neurenteric (n = 1), arachnoid (n = 4), and epidermoid (n = 1) cysts. Their functional status significantly improved by a mean of 2.6 Nurick points (p = 0.0002). Our findings confirm that these cysts have various manifestations. Congenital intraspinal cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients with back pain, radiculopathy, cauda equina syndrome, Brown-Sequard syndrome, or myelopathy. The advent of MR imaging and increased knowledge about the pathogenesis of these cysts have improved the ease and accuracy of their early diagnosis; in addition, postoperative prognoses are excellent if surgery is performed early.
Anaplastic Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytomas
Authors: Tekkök İsmail H. , Sav Aydin
Published: December 2004

Malignancy potential of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) has rather been an underestimated reality. We report the case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with signs of increased intracranial pressure. The child had been epileptic since the age of 2. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance scans revealed a huge left frontal mass. At surgery, a subtotal excision was accomplished. Histopathological diagnosis was anaplastic PXA (grade III; WHO, 2000). The tumor showed an increased mitotic index and minimal endothelial proliferation. The patient died 3.5 months later due to a fatal intracranial hemorrhage. A review of the entire PXA literature revealed 15 well-documented cases of PXA with subsequent malignant transformation and 11 cases of primary anaplastic PXA. The prognosis was grim for both subsets of patients. Anaplastic PXAs clearly represent the transition between the original PXA concept and lipidized giant-cell glioblastoma.
Neck Mass after Catheterization of a Neck Vein in a Child with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
Authors: Cho Ki Hong , Yoon Soo Han , Kim Se Hyuk , Shin Yong Sam , Ahn Young Hwan , Cho Kyung Gi
Published: December 2004

There have been many reports on various mechanical complications after shunt operations in children with hydrocephalus such as catheter fracture, obstruction, disconnection, dislocation and so on. However, there are no previous reports regarding subcutaneous mass formation due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pseudocyst from direct puncture injury. The authors report with a review of the literature a case of a child with ventriculoperitoneal shunt who developed a neck mass after catheterization of the neck vein. The authors also advocate that percutaneous procedures in the vicinity of shunts be avoided whenever possible to prevent the possibility of CSF leakage resulting in pseudocyst formation.
Ventricular Reservoir Migration into the Lateral Ventricle through the Endoscopic Tract after Unsuccessful Third Ventriculostomy
Authors: Fukuhara Toru , Namba Yoichiro , Kuyama Hideyuki
Published: December 2004

We report a case of reservoir migration into the lateral ventricle through an enlarged endoscopic tract. A full-term female infant with a myelomeningocele, which was repaired surgically after birth, came to us with hydrocephalus, and a reservoir was placed after an unsuccessful endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The tract gradually enlarged and the reservoir eventually slipped into the lateral ventricle 16 days after implantation. This complication may be unique to children, in whom the bone is malleable. As endoscopic surgery is being used more often in infants, the risk of this complication may also be increasing with concurrent reservoir implantation. We believe this complication can be avoided with careful attention to several key points during surgery.
Chondromyxoid Fibroma of the Upper Thoracic Spine in a 7-Year-Old Patient
Authors: Meredith Christopher C. , Kepes John J. , Johnson Phillip , Sebastian Cyril T.S. , McMahon Joan K. , Arnold Paul M.
Published: December 2004

Background: We report a case of a 7-year-old white female who presented with acute, progressive bilateral lower extremity weakness over 48 h. Methods: Case report and presentation of clinical, radiological and pathological data on a single case of chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) of the T2 vertebral body. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine revealed an extensive mass invading the lamina of the second thoracic vertebra, causing extensive cord compression and progressive neurological deterioration. Surgical resection and pathologic study of the mass revealed a CMF. Conclusions: A thorough Medline search has revealed that only 25 cases of spinal CMF have been reported, making this lesion an extremely rare bone tumor.
Delayed Persistent Hyperthermia after Resection of a Craniopharyngioma
Authors: Chatzisotiriou Athanasios S. , Selviaridis Panayiotis K. , Kontopoulos Vasilios A. , Kontopoulos Athanasios V. , Patsalas Ioannis A.
Published: December 2004

Objective and Importance: Disorders of thermoregulation are occasionally noticed after operations in the region of the third ventricle. Various factors are usually implicated, but the actual contribution of each of them is rather vague. Apart from the presumed derangement in the functional connections of the hypothalamic region, mechanical reasons of compression should be thoroughly considered. Clinical Presentation: An 8.5-year-old patient was subjected to a radical excision of a craniopharyngioma compressing the third ventricle. Three months after the operation, he presented with a febrile syndrome of unknown origin. All usual investigations proved negative. Intervention: A chronic subdural hygroma was evacuated, an encapsulated CSF cyst of the suprachiasmatic cistern was drained and the lamina terminalis incised resulting in a moderate control of pyrexia. The administration of chlorpromazine contributed to the final resolution of hyperthermia. Conclusion: Postoperative hyperthermia may result following resection of tumors of the hypothalamic floor. It should not be blindly attributed to hypothalamic dysfunction as surgical causes could be implicated as well. Chlorpromazine could be a useful adjunct to the correction of the disorder.
From Randomised Trials to Rational Practice
Authors: van Gijn J.
Published: December 2004

From the age of Enlightenment onwards, philosophical thinking has become increasingly influenced by empiricism: observations lead to theories, but experiments are needed to put the reasoning to the test. However, it was not until the middle of the 20th century that well-designed experiments were at last introduced in medical treatment, in the form of randomised controlled clinical trials. This design is now standard in medicine, but in everyday practice a multitude of management decisions must still be taken without good evidence. There are several reasons for this: there may not be a trial at all or only a single trial; trial results may be equivocal; patients may be different from those enrolled in trials; new procedures require practice, or a trial may not be feasible. ‘Logical reasoning’, with all its fallacies, is still required – not only to fill the gaps in empirical knowledge but also to interpret existing evidence and to plan new trials. In fact, the generation of new knowledge is a continuous, cyclical process in which newly gained insights in pathophysiology give rise to new therapeutic experiments, the results of which generate fresh hypotheses, and so on. Compassion, curiosity and doubt are the essential forces that keep the cycle moving. Conversely, the progress is slowed down by present-day legalism, which distorts investigator accountability and patient autonomy.
Effect of Perindopril on Cerebral and Renal Perfusion on Normotensives in Mild Early Ischaemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Nazir Fozia S. , Overell James R. , Bolster Alison , Hilditch Tom E. , Lees Kennedy R.
Published: December 2004

Background and Purpose: Blood pressure reduction is central to secondary prevention after stroke, but the optimal time to start therapy is unknown. Cerebral autoregulation is impaired early after ischaemic insult, and any changes in systemic blood pressure may be reflected in cerebral perfusion. However, early initiation in hospital may better assure continued long-term treatment. We have investigated the effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril on blood pressure, global and focal cerebral blood flow (CBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in a normotensive acute stroke population. Methods: Twenty-five patients within 4–8 days of mild ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack and with diastolic blood pressure 70–90 mm Hg were randomized to receive perindopril 2 or 4 mg daily versus placebo according to estimated GFR. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), internal carotid artery (ICA) flow and middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) were measured prior to dosing, over the following 24 h and at 2 weeks. Brain hexamethyl propylene amino oxide single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed before dosing and at estimated time of peak drug effect (6–8 h after first dose). GFR measurement using a 51Cr-ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid technique was undertaken prior to medication and repeated at 2 weeks. Results: MABP was reduced throughout the first 24 h with a mean MABP reduction of 9.3 mm Hg (95% CI 7.4–11.3 mm Hg), maximal placebo corrected fall of 12.5 mm Hg at 10 h post-dose, p = 0.005. No significant change occurred in ICA flow, MCAv or CBF measured by SPECT: change from baseline in symptomatic hemisphere CBF was –0.02 (SD 3.11) ml/100 g/min (treated group) compared with 0 (SD 3.01) (placebo group). Similarly, no significant change was observed in cortical CBF. Mean within-group change in GFR was 2.7 ± 10.1 in the treated group and –4.3 ± 6.7 in the placebo group (p = NS). Discussion: Antihypertensive therapy with perindopril may be introduced in the first week after mild ischaemic stroke in normotensive patients without affecting global or regional CBF or affecting GFR.
The –174G/C Polymorphism of the Interleukin 6 Gene Is a Hallmark of Lacunar Stroke and Not Other Ischemic Stroke Phenotypes
Authors: Chamorro A. , Revilla M. , Obach V. , Vargas M. , Planas A.M.
Published: December 2004

Background and Purpose: The CC genotype of the –174 G/C interleukin (IL)-6 polymorphism has been associated with lacunar stroke. However, it remains unsettled whether this polymorphism is also associated with other ischemic stroke phenotypes. Methods: The –174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism was genotyped in patients with lacunar stroke (n = 89), stroke due to large vessel disease (n = 82), cardioembolism (n = 53), stroke of undetermined cause (n = 49) and in white controls without any history of stroke (n = 105) by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis. Independent predictors of the –174 G/C IL-6 genotypes were assessed using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, risk factors and disease state. Results: The prevalence of the CC genotype was 8.5% in large vessel disease, 7.5% in embolism, 19.1% in lacunar stroke, 14.3% in stroke of undetermined cause and 8.6% in controls. The CC genotype was independently associated with lacunar stroke only (adjusted OR 3.22, 95% CI 9.09–1.12). Contrarily, there were no significant differences in genotype and allele distribution in the remainder of ischemic stroke phenotypes. Pooling of patients with nonlacunar stroke did not show any independent association with the CC genotype as compared with controls (OR 1.01, 95% CI 2.77–0.36). Conclusions: The unique association between the CC genotype of the –174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism and lacunar stroke suggests a particular susceptibility of small deep penetrators of cerebral arteries to IL-6-mediated inflammatory damage.
Benefits of a Prehospital Stroke Code System
Authors: Belvís Robert , Cocho Dolores , Martí-Fàbregas Joan , Pagonabarraga Javier , Aleu Aitziber , García-Bargo María Dolores , Pons Jordi , Coma Eva , García-Alfranca Fernando , Jiménez-Fàbrega Xavier , Martí-Vilalta Josep Lluis
Published: December 2004

Background and Objectives: Hospital admission delay is a main limiting factor for effective thrombolytic therapy in stroke patients. We developed a stroke code system for rapid request of emergency transportation to the hospital and a priority availability of the attending neurologist on the patient’s arrival at the Emergency Department (ED). Methods: Over a 1-year period, a 24-hour telephone hotline between the attending neurologist and the Barcelona public emergency coordination service was established. Priority 1 (P1) was defined as a patient with symptoms suggestive of acute stroke with onset of less than 3 h, in which case immediate transportation service and rapid ED reception was organized. Data from patients in the P1 group (n = 39) and patients without activation of the stroke code (P0) (n = 181) were compared. Results: There were significant differences between P1 and P0 groups in mean time from ED arrival to request for neurologic assessment (4.4 ± 19.5 vs. 194.7 ± 244.9 min, p < 0.001), from arrival to neurologic examination (12.6 ± 21.1 vs. 225.3 ± 258.2 min, p < 0.005), and from arrival to performance of brain CT scan (35.5 ± 34.9 vs.120.3 ± 143.2 min, p < 0.001), and also in the number of patients treated with thrombolytic agents (19 vs. 4.5%, p < 0.003). There were no differences between groups in the time elapsed from stroke onset to ED arrival. Conclusions: Activation of the stroke code was effective in increasing the percentage of patients treated with thrombolytic drugs and also in shortening the delay from ED arrival until neurologic assessment and from ED arrival until brain CT.
Cognitive Impairment after Stroke – Impact on Activities of Daily Living and Costs of Care for Elderly People
Authors: Claesson Lisbeth , Lindén Thomas , Skoog Ingmar , Blomstrand Christian
Published: December 2004

Background and Purpose: The economic burden of stroke is substantial and is likely to increase with an increasing number of elderly individuals in the population. There is thus a need for information on the use of health care resources and costs among these elderly stroke patients. We examined the impact of the cognitive impairments on the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and utilization and costs of health care in a cohort of elderly stroke patients. Methods: One hundred and forty-nine patients aged ≧70 years with acute stroke were included. The patients were assessed regarding their ability to carry out ADL and health resource utilization and cost during the first year after stroke. Cognitive impairments were assessed 18 months after the index stroke. Results: Stroke severity in acute stroke andcognitive impairment at 18 months after stroke onset was associated with impairment in ADL and increased costs for utilisation of care during the first year. Patients with cognitive impairment were more dependent on personal assistance in ADL. Costs per patient during the study were three times higher for patients with cognitive impairment. Hospital care, institutional living and different kinds of support from society accounted forthe highest costs. Conclusions: Costs of care utilisation during the first year after stroke were associated with cognitive impairments, stroke severity and dependence in ADL. The results should be interpreted cautiously as the assessment of cognitive function was made 18 months after stroke onset and costs were estimated for the first year after stroke.
Sustained Homocysteine-Lowering Effect over Time of Folic Acid-Based Multivitamin Therapy in Stroke Patients despite Increasing Folate Status in the Population
Authors: Hankey G.J. , Eikelboom J.W. , Loh K. , Tang M. , Pizzi J. , Thom J. , Yi Q.
Published: December 2004

Background and Aims: It is uncertain what impact increasing voluntary folate fortification may be having on the statistical power of randomized trials testing the homocysteine hypothesis of atherothrombosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether there has been a change in folate status between 1998 and 2002 in stroke patients randomized into the VITAmins TO Prevent Stroke (VITATOPS) Study at a single center in Perth, Australia, and what impact this may have had on the magnitude of the homocysteine-lowering effect achieved over time with folic acid-based multivitamin therapy. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 285 patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack who were recruited between 1998 and 2002 and randomized to long-term folic acid 2.0 mg/day, pyridoxine 25 mg/day and cobalamin 0.5 mg/day (active VITATOPS medication) or placebo. Fasting plasma total homocysteine, red cell folate, serum cobalamin and serum pyridoxine levels were measured at baseline and 6 months, and the change in blood levels over 4 time quartiles and differences in levels between the two randomized treatments were examined. Results: Between 1998 and 2002, there was a significant rise in baseline mean red cell folate levels over 4 time quartiles among the entire stroke cohort (723.3, 780.1, 922.6 and 1,023.7 nmol/l in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles, respectively; p < 0.0001), but this was not associated with a spontaneous reduction in mean baseline total homocysteine levels during the same time period (12.7, 14.3, 12.1 and 12.8 µmol/l in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles, respectively; p = 0.55). The homocysteine-lowering effect of the active VITATOPS trial medication at 6 months after randomization also did not change significantly between 1998 and 2002 (difference between randomized groups: –4.1, –4.1, –3.1 and –3.6 µmol/l in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles, respectively; p = 0.56). Conclusions: The homocysteine-lowering effect of the active VITATOPS trial medication has not attenuated significantly in the past 5 years despite increasing voluntary fortification of foods with folic acid as reflected by a progressive rise in baseline folate status. These data suggest that in the continuing absence of a program of mandatory folate fortification of food in populations served by centers participating in the VITATOPS trial, the study will remain adequately powered to test the homocysteine-lowering hypothesis for which it was designed.
Intimal Hyperplasia in Mouse Vein Grafts Is Regulated by Flow
Authors: Österberg Klas , Mattsson Erney
Published: December 2004

Altered flow conditions are presumed to cause stenosis in vein grafts due to exaggerated neointimal formation. The aim of this study was to establish a mouse model of flow-regulated intimal hyperplasia (IH) in vein grafts. The caval vein was grafted into the common carotid artery of 38 mice, followed by modulation of the blood flow, resulting in vein grafts with high (HF) and low flow (LF). The vessel wall thickening was evaluated after 3, 14 and 42 days by morphometric analyses and immunohistochemistry. There was an immediate significant change in flow, which was persistent throughout the time of observation. After 42 days, flow was increased 2.7 times in HF animals compared to LF animals. The vessel wall was composed of two layers where the inner layer was positive for α-actin and considered as IH. The area of neointimal formation was 74% larger in the LF group compared to the HF group. The present study demonstrates that flow regulates IH in vein grafts in mice. This model gives the potential to study the effect of shear stress on vascular biology in genetically modified animals.
Effects Induced by Tityus serrulatus Scorpion Venom and Its Toxins TsTX-I and TsTX-V on the Rat Isolated Retractor Penis Muscle
Authors: Bomfim José Henrique G.G. , de Godoy Márcio A.F. , Giglio José R. , de Oliveira Ana Maria , Arantes Eliane C.
Published: December 2004

The aims of the present study were to investigate the pharmacological effects induced by Tityus serrulatus venom (TsV) and its fractions and to compare with the effects induced by pure α (TsTX-V) and β (TsTX-I) toxins isolated from TsV on rat retractor penis muscle (RPM). TsV, fractions X, XI, XIIa, XIIb (0.01–100 µg/ml) and TsTX-V (1 nmol/l–10 µmol/l) induced concentration-dependent contractions. Prazosin and guanethidine or tetrodotoxin (TTX, 5 µmol/l, 30 min) completely abolished these contractions, suggesting complete dependence on sympathetic nerves. TsV or fractions X, XI, XIIa, XIIb (0.01– 100 µg/ml), TsTX-I and TsTX-V (1 nmol/l–10 µmol/l) induced concentration-dependent relaxations in the precontracted RPM. TTX or Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 µmol/l, 30 min) completely abolished the relaxations. Our results suggest that most of TsV-derivated toxins induce contraction and relaxation on RPM by sympathetic and NANC nitrergic nerve stimulation. Noteworthy, TsTX-I only induces relaxation on RPM suggesting that this protein selectively acts on inhibitory nerves.
Comparison of Effects of Different Heparins on Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor in Hemodialyzed Patients
Authors: Małyszko Jolanta , Małyszko Jacek S. , Hryszko Tomasz , Pawlak Krystyna , Myśliwiec Michał
Published: December 2004

Background: Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a regulator of endogenous fibrinolysis. Heparin is used routinely during dialysis sessions to prevent clot formation in the extracorporeal circuit; therefore the aim of the study was to assess whether unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparins affect TAFI concentration and activity in hemodialyzed patients. Methods: Dalteparin (n = 16) or enoxaparin (n = 25) were administered before the second hemodialysis session in the week in a single dose, whereas unfractionated heparin (n = 18) was given first as a bolus, then in a pump. We also evaluated thrombin activity (thrombin-antithrombin complexes, prothrombin fragments 1 + 2), TAFI activator, thrombomodulin, a catalyzer of TAFI activation and a marker of endothelial cell injury, and the degree of plasmin generation (plasmin-antiplasmin complexes). Results: TAFI concentration, activity and markers of ongoing coagulation, i.e. prothrombin fragments 1 + 2 and thrombin-antithrombin complexes, were significantly higher in patients anticoagulated with unfractionated heparin when compared to both enoxaparin and dalteparin groups. Thrombin-antithrombin complexes, plasmin-antiplasmin complexes, prothrombin fragments 1 + 2, and thrombomodulin did not differ between patients anticoagulated with dalteparin and enoxaparin. Conclusions: Our results suggest that low-molecular-weight heparins influence TAFI and other hemostatic parameters in hemodialyzed patients to a lesser degree than unfractionated heparin. Increased TAFI is possibly due to thrombin appearance during hemodialysis with unfractionated heparin.
Legality and Legitimization of Humanitarian Intervention
Authors: Zajadlo Jerzy
Published: December 2004

When does the universality of human rights and freedoms conflict with the legality of humanitarian intervention? This article explores the history of and problems with this issue. In addition, it pursues the problems of when and how to intervene to prevent humanitarian crises and how to reestablish peace after a military intervention. Three key responsibilities are identified: to prevent, to react, and to rebuild. This thorny ethical, political, and legal problem has been one of the most difficult in international law, and the author does not envision it being solved soon; however, the author points to real progress in multilateral conventions as hope for the future.
Will the West Survive?
Authors: Wildstein Bronislaw
Published: December 2004

Will the unity of the West, which has constituted the essential element of world order since World War II, be preserved? This question is immediately followed by questions concerning the fate of the basic institutions that maintain global order: the United Nations, NATO, and the EU. This article indicts the United Nations as an ineffective organization that has lost its purpose and usefulness and advocates its demise because it no longer accomplishes what it was founded to do. NATO too has fractured and also seems to have lost its way. The EU as well presents a leftist and socialist face that is at odds with a true free-market economy. What will become of Europe if these attitudes and organizations do not change? The author imagines dire prospects.
International Terrorism at Sea as a Menace to the Civilization of the 21st Century
Authors: Stankiewicz Wojciech
Published: December 2004

This article posits that the menace of terrorism at sea has traditionally been overlooked, especially since the events of September 11 in New York that were perpetrated by air. Beginning with a general discussion of what motivates a terrorist and the different kinds of terrorism, the article then moves on to maritime terrorism and piracy and their legal and practical distinctions. The Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988, which made great strides in detailing and codifying terrorism at sea, is discussed, as well as the role of the UN International Maritime Organization in combating terrorism at sea. Finally, the article sums up the current state of affairs and what still remains to be accomplished to effectively battle international maritime terrorism, which the author sees as the world’s next great threat.
The Significance of “Ineffective” Methods of Fighting Terrorism
Authors: Salij Jacek
Published: December 2004

This article offers the thesis that the root cause of terrorism—that is, the terrorists’ mistaken beliefs—should be sought out and then cured by means of moral persuasion and that simply using justice and punishment will not change terrorists’ hearts. The author believes that applying legal methods by themselves will ultimately fail in eradicating terrorism and laments the development of genocidal techniques from 1870 onward and the arms race as well as the mistaken justification for killing civilians en masse in war. Even justifying an evil as “lesser” to prevent a greater evil is not permissible and only strengthens the immoral climate that leads to terrorists’ justification for their actions. The article concludes that terrorism is always evil and can never be justified under any circumstances.
International Law and Terrorism
Authors: Galicki Zdzislaw
Published: December 2004

What important developments have occurred in multilateral international treaties between the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism of 1937 and the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism of 2002? This article answers this question as well as whether these laws have been an effective legal response in combating terrorism. After differentiating between comprehensive and sectoral conventions and between universal and regional conventions, the article comparatively analyzes them based on definitions of offenses, the extent of criminalization, exceptions concerning scope of application, measures to be taken by the states parties, obligatory and optional jurisdiction, obligations of states in the sphere of legal cooperation and assistance, rights of the offender, extradition, exceptions from extradition or legal assistance, and issues not covered by the conventions. Solutions proved to be the most effective against international terrorism and discrepancies and overlaps between the conventions are discussed.
Notes on Punishment and Terrorism
Authors: Duff R. Antony
Published: December 2004

This article focuses on the question of whether we should see terrorists as criminals, who are both bound and protected, as all citizens are, by the criminal law, or as enemy combatants with whom we are engaged in a war and who are entitled the protection of the rules of war, or as “unlawful combatants”who are entitled to no such protection. It argues that, however terrible their actions, they are minimally entitled to be treated as enemy combatants; and it discusses the dilemma that can be presented by the prospect of using torture to extract essential, life-saving information.
Killing and Terror
Authors: Bratkowski Stefan
Published: December 2004

What is the meaning of the word terror and how has its meaning changed through the ages? This article sets out to show how that meaning changed from ancient Greece to the present day. Murders and massacres were an accepted and normal part of societies, and only very recently in history was the killing of defenseless people universally condemned, hence, the word terror or the concept of terrorism had no meaning in history until the modern era. The author provides numerous detailed examples of different types of killings and murders and how they were viewed by society and maintains that Christianity changed very little and that humankind has always provided a justification for killing and instilling terror in fellow humans.
The United States of America Vis-à-Vis Terrorism
Authors: Bolechów Bartosz
Published: December 2004

Due to international policy and internal sociopolitical factors, America has been the primary target of international terrorism since the 1960s and is seen as a major obstacle to the goals of international terrorism. This article discusses key mistakes made by the Unites States that the author argues have strengthened and given rise to further terrorism, including (a) acceding to terrorists’ demands; (b) funding freedom fighters who later became involved in terrorism against their former benefactors and allies; (c) misunderstanding foreign peoples and cultures and believing all terrorism must be state sponsored; (d) applying force selectively; (e) thinking in error that the United States is safe from terrorism; and (f) faulting U.S. media specifically, exacerbating the problem by inadvertently galvanizing sympathetic public opinion for acceding to terrorists’ demands. The author discusses corrections to these mistakes.
Mediatization of the Net and Internetization of the Mass Media
Authors: Fortunati Leopoldina
Published: December 2004

To measure the impact of the internet on the traditional media, researchers usually begin by considering their presence and use online. The hypothesis of this article is that the most crucial measure of the impact of the internet on the classic media does not depend on the more-or-less forced invasion of the internet by the press, radio and television, but is to be sought in other processes. More exactly, it is to be found in the mediatization of the net, both fixed (computer/internet) and mobile (internet/mobile phone), and in the ‘internetization’ of the classic mass media. These two processes at the same time enable one to measure the impact of traditional media on the internet, making it possible to trace the succession of thrusts and counter-thrusts, modifications and reciprocal incursions, for which the traditional means of communication and the internet have been responsible.
Delivering Ireland
Authors: O’Sullivan John
Published: December 2004

Much of the rhetoric surrounding new media has centred on their potential democratically to reform public communications through more diverse, more open and more accountable journalism and debate. This article details a study of Irish online news, based on observation of a variety of websites and on a series of interviews with journalists, to test whether this potential has begun to be realized and whether practitioners share such a vision. Enhancement of content, interactivity, immediacy, increased depth and new ways of telling stories are some of the possibilities that are present, or at least latent, in online news. But these possibilities are seldom or only partially brought to fruit. What emerges from observation of online news in action, and from discussions with those providing its content, is far from a revolution in media, but an expression of the cautious continuity, if not inertia, of media content and practice.
Anisotropic Deformation and Damage Behavior of Brittle-Ductile Laminated Composites in Bending at High Temperature
Authors: Bao Yiwang , Zhou Yanchun
Published: December 2004

Brittle-ductile alternate laminates with strong interfaces, Al2O3-Ti3SiC2 multilayer composites, are fabricated by hot-pressing thin Al2O3 tapes coated with a mixture of titanium, silicon, and graphite powders at 1550 C. The damage evolution and subcritical growth of macrocracks in these novel composites are investigated by three-point bending tests at high temperatures. By comparing the mechanical response in different loading directions, the anisotropic mechanical properties of the laminated beams are revealed. The experimental results show that, with the stress redistribution and the neutral axis shift toward the compressive surface during the creep damage, increased cracks occur in the Al2O3 layers and slowly extend toward the neutral axis without brittle fracture. It is demonstrated that the creep damage of the Al2O3-Ti3SiC2-laminated composites in bending is governed by a combination of stress relaxation in Ti3SiC2 layers and subcritical crack growth in Al2O3 layers. This result implies that controllable subcritical crack growth and crack arrest in brittle ceramics could be accomplished by means of a ductile-brittle joined structure. This prediction is confirmed by using a bending test on an aluminum beam with a glass coating bonded on the side surface.
Viscous Permeability of Random Fiber Structures: Comparison of Electrical and Diffusional Estimates with Experimental and Analytical Results
Authors: Tomadakis Manolis M. , Robertson Teri J.
Published: December 2004

An investigation of the permeability for viscous flow through random fiber structures used as preforms in composite fabrication processes is presented. A method derived from the electrical conduction principles is employed to predict the viscous permeability of the fiber structures directly from their formation factor, specific surface area, and porosity. The recent Brownian diffusion random-walk simulation results on the molecular survival time are used to derive an upper bound and an approximation to the viscous permeability of these structures. The results are compared to experimental data and theoretical models of the literature. It is found that the conduction-based method provides very good permeability estimates in most cases, resulting in an overall ratio of the theoretical prediction to experimental measurement in the proximity of 1 for the over 500 experimental points utilized. This is one of the most comprehensive experimental validations of the conduction-based method to date and its first validation for anisotropic particle beds. A tortuosity analysis indicates a stronger pore-geometry effect on viscous flow relative to any type of diffusional flow, enhancing the understanding of the differences between pressure-driven and diffusion-driven composite manufacturing techniques.
American journalism and the politics of diversity
Authors: Benson Rodney
Published: December 2004

Ethnic-identity professional organizations, such as Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., have become among the most prominent journalistic voices in contemporary US newsrooms. Supported by major foundations and media companies, this diversity journalism movement has focused on two primary goals: increased employment of non-white journalists and more news attention to ‘communities of color’. While these goals have been partially achieved, the movement has paradoxically also contributed - by providing ‘progressive’ political cover to marketing-driven transformations of the media industry - to actually reducing the diversity of ideological perspectives in the news. Drawing on research on US news coverage of immigration between the 1970s and 1990s, linkages are made between the increased journalistic valorization of ethnic/racial identities, the rise of multi-cultural marketing, and a sharp decline in media attention to economic inequalities and labor perspectives.
Obsessed with the audience: breakfast television revisited
Authors: Wieten Jan , Pantti Mervi
Published: December 2004

Breakfast TV identifies with the world of the television viewer. Though television as a whole is faced with the fact that viewing is mostly casual and intermittent, in the case of morning TV this is a much more fundamental aspect. Therefore breakfast television has consciously adopted the role of structuring and sustaining household routines, in order to become part of them. To find out how the diverse needs and interests of the morning audience are met, the authors have looked more closely at three building blocks of breakfast television programmes: scheduling, styling and setting. We have chosen as our main subjects of study three commercial breakfast magazines from three different countries (the United Kingdom, the United States and Finland).
Selling learning: towards a political economy of edutainment media
Authors: Buckingham David , Scanlon Margaret
Published: December 2004

This article provides an analysis of the emerging market for ‘edutainment’ media in the UK. It covers three main sectors: print publishing, software and on-line learning. In each case, it argues that the development of the market is towards concentration of ownership; and that this is reinforced by the influence of contemporary educational policy. This results in a narrowing in the diversity of material available to the consumer and in the forms of learning that are promoted. However, the article also suggests that there is a considerable degree of instability in the market, as different sectors expand and contract in response to economic, technological and political change; and it argues that attempts to target both parents and children by combining ‘education’ and ‘entertainment’ are bound to prove problematic.
The Jerry Springer Show as an emotional public sphere
Authors: Lunt Peter , Stenner Paul
Published: December 2004

The public sphere debate in social theory has been a topic of considerable interest amongst scholars analysing the talk show genre. Habermas attached great importance to the potential of rational critical discussion to create consensus and thereby legitimation in democratic society. He was concerned that the media gave a false impression of engagement in a public sphere while managing rights of access and speech in a manner that was inimical to open public discussion. In contrast, cultural commentators on the talk show genre have been impressed by the richness and spontaneity of interactions on the shows, suggesting that they might have a positive role in public participation despite not meeting Habermas’s criteria for a public sphere. In consequence, the literature is moving away from the public sphere debate and focusing on issues of voice and expression in analyses of talk shows. This article, however, makes the argument that many of Habermas’s concerns are still highly relevant to the genre. This is demonstrated through an analysis of The Jerry Springer Show. On the surface, this show seems to have little to do with rational critical discussion. The analysis reveals a number of parallels between the conception of the rational critical public sphere and The Jerry Springer Show, leading to a revision of the received view of Habermas’s work in the analysis of mediated discussion. A range of implications for the mediation of deliberation, participation and expression are explored.
Narrative and ideology: 50 years of film-making in Zimbabwe
Authors: Hungwe Kedmon Nyasha
Published: December 2004

This article reviews film-making in Zimbabwe over the period 1948-2000. During this time, the country made the transition from British colony to independent nation in 1980. The dominant source of funding for Zimbabwe’s film production has been external, beginning with the founding of the Central African Film Union in 1948 by the British government. Over the 50-year period under review, the political history of the country has been turbulent and democratic practices have been at best, fragile. An economic and political governance crisis, which began to unfold at the end of the 1990s, has further undermined prospects. The article provides insights into the problems and prospects of African countries as global players in the production of media.
Retrieving public service broadcasting: treading a fine line at TVNZ
Authors: Comrie Margie , Fountaine Susan
Published: December 2004

When New Zealand led the world in its deregulation of broadcasting in the late 1980s, the publicly owned but commercially oriented Television New Zealand (TVNZ) became uniquely popular, attracting two-thirds of the national audience and returning substantial profit dividends to the government. However, in 1999, partly in response to concerns about quality, an incoming centre-left government decided to reverse the trend and reinstate public service values in television through a controversial charter. This article examines the three-year battle to establish the Charter in the mixed broadcasting sector and looks at the possibilities of success in New Zealand’s small market. TVNZ continues to rely on advertising funding and may have been assigned an impossible task, given the government’s commitment to supporting private creative industries combined with an arguably tardy response to the structural and funding challenges imposed by Charter obligations in the new configuration of state-owned television.
The Use of Suramin, an Antifibrotic Agent, to Improve Muscle Recovery after Strain Injury
Authors: Chan Yi-Sheng , Li Yong , Foster William , Fu Freddie H. , Huard Johnny
Published: December 2004

Background

Muscle strain injuries are extremely common in sports medicine. Muscle healing often is hindered by scar tissue formation after injury.

Hypothesis

Suramin can prevent scar tissue formation and improve muscle healing after injury because of its ability to antagonize transforming growth factor– β1, a fibrotic cytokine.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Materials and Methods

In vitro, muscle-derived fibroblasts (a potential cell source of muscle fibrosis) were incubated with suramin and/or transforming growth factor– β1; a cell growth curve was obtained. In vivo, mouse gastrocnemius muscles were strain injured. Suramin or sham/control intramuscular injections were performed after injury at various time points. Mice were sacrificed at various time points after injury, and skeletal muscle tissue was evaluated by using histological and physiological tests. Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance and Fisher tests.

Results

Suramin decreased the stimulating effect of transforming growth factor– β1 on the growth of muscle-derived fibroblasts in vitro. Significantly less fibrous scar formation was observed in suramin-treated muscles than in sham-injected muscles. The fast-twitch and tetanus strength of suramin-treated muscles was also significantly greater relative to that of control muscles.

Conclusions

Suramin blocked the stimulatory effect of transforming growth factor– β1 on muscle-derived fibroblasts in vitro. Suramin also reduced fibrous scar formation in muscle and enhanced muscle strength in strain-injured skeletal muscle.

Clinical Relevance

These results may facilitate the development of strategies to enhance muscle healing after injury.
In Vivo Articular Cartilage Contact Kinematics of the Knee
Authors: Li Guoan , DeFrate Louis E. , Park Sang Eun , Gill Thomas J. , Rubash Harry E.
Published: December 2004

Background

Quantifying the in vivo cartilage contact mechanics of the knee may improve our understanding of the mechanisms of joint degeneration and may therefore improve the surgical repair of the joint after injury.

Objective

To measure tibiofemoral articular cartilage contact kinematics during in vivo knee flexion.

Study Design

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods

Orthogonal fluoroscopic images and magnetic resonance image–based computer models were used to measure the motion of the cartilage contact points during a quasi-static lunge in 5 human subjects.

Results

On the tibial plateau, the contact point moved in both the anteroposterior and the mediolateral directions during knee flexion. On the medial tibial plateau, flexion angle did not have a statistically significant effect on the location of the contact points. The total translation of the contact point from full extension to 90° of flexion was less than 1.5 mm in the anteroposterior direction, whereas the translation in the mediolateral direction was more than 5.0 mm. In the anteroposterior direction, the contact points were centered on the medial tibial plateau. On the lateral tibial plateau, there was a statistically significant difference between the location of the contact point at full extension and the locations of the contact points at other flexion angles in the anteroposterior direction. No significant difference was detected between the location of the contact points at other flexion angles. The overall range of contact point motion was about 9.0 mm in the anteroposterior direction and about 4.0 mm in the mediolateral direction. The contact points were primarily on the inner half of the medial and lateral tibial plateaus (the half closest to the tibial spine). The contact points on both femoral condyles were also on the inner half of the condyles (near the condylar notch).

Conclusions

The tibiofemoral contact points move in 3 dimensions during weightbearing knee flexion. The medial tibiofemoral contact points remained within the central portion of the tibial plateau in the anteroposterior direction. Both the medial and lateral tibiofemoral contact points were located on the inner portions of the tibial plateau and femoral condyles (close to the tibial spine), indicating that the tibial spine may play an important role in knee stability.

Clinical Relevance

The results of this study may provide important insight as to the mechanisms contributing to the development of osteoarthritis after ligament injuries.