Kemalism and Populism

This article examines the trajectory of populism/halkçilik, one of the least studied principles of Kemalism, from its origins in the ideas of Enlightenment to its practices in modern Turkey. Unlike its commonly perceived negative connotation that is often associated with irrational political objectives, populism is a manifestation of equality premise of Enlightenment. Populism gained popularity among the nineteenth-century American and Russian farmers as well as fin de siècle French intellectuals and politicians. Neither the Russian Narodnik movement nor the American Populist Party were as influential as the French solidarists who were backed by Vatican to carve a middle path between unrefined Capitalism and revolutionary Marxism. Inspired by its earlier counterparts in France and Russia, Kemalist principle of Populism aimed to end inherited socio-economic inequalities that had existed in the former Ottoman Empire. While modern Turkey curbed some inequalities, it has stumbled upon the same core obstacle, unequal distribution of resources. The never-ending human fight for equality will carry on whether it carries the banner of Kemalism or any other ideology.

Zone V Extensor Tendon Repair with a Palmaris Longus Tendon Autograft and Human Umbilical Membrane

Extensor tendon repairs, although common, can be difficult injuries to treat. Their treatment is tailored to the zone of the hand that is affected since varying biomechanical forces are applied to the tendon at each zone. Prompt treatment is necessary to prevent potential complications associated with these injuries. This is particularly true of Zone V extensor tendon injuries, as their mechanism is commonly a highly infectious human bite. We present the case of a human fight bite resulting in a Zone V extensor tendon injury. The delayed presentation of this case resulted in an untreated infection that caused an abscess with associated extensor tendon necrosis and rupture. Given the large gap length between the ends of the tendons, tendon repair was performed using a palmaris longus autograft. Even when these are done in a controlled setting, adhesions are common. The compromised wound bed caused irritation, erosion, and subsequent rupture of the extensor tendon of the hand. In an effort to avoid common complications such as adhesion, the repair was then wrapped with human umbilical membrane (AVIVE® Soft Tissue Membrane, AxoGen Inc., Alachua, FL) to separate adjacent tissue and reduce inflammation. Even without access to formal physical therapy, our patient had excellent functional outcomes at his final follow-up visit. The patient was able to make a loose composite fist, had no extensor lag at the MCP joints, and had extensor lag of 15 degrees at the PIP joints of digits 4-5.

Quantitatively Understanding Malnutrition with ‘Malnutrition-ρ (mal-N-ρ)’, a Statistical Scoring Algorithm (P10-062-19)

Objectives Malnutrition challenges human health worldwide. There is no measurement for the cause-effect relation between 'nutrient intake' and 'sign, symptoms' of malnutrition that made corresponding diagnosis elusive, less with precision. This constrained human fight against malnutrition with precision. Calorie plays important role in malnutrition. In statistics, it's hard to conduct a quantitative analysis with 'total calorie' and any other calorie-non-zero nutrients included in one statistical model due to a strong condition of 'independent and identically distributed (iid)', required by Central Limitation Theorem (CLT). Based on CLT, the common linear Regression method works for estimation, prediction or error reduction. The linear regression method is restricted in malnutrition study because of the (iid) condition. Methods The condition (iid) has been weakened by a breakthrough, published in a dissertation entitled "Parameter Estimation and Interpretation in Spatial Autoregression Models (SAM-p)', MSU library (1998). SAM-p resolved a decades long difficult problem in Social Network Analysis, created 'p' a new measurement in statistics, the correlation coefficient between a vector and a matrix. Results Mal-N-p is a specified version of SAM-p for malnutrition study. Here W(food), a recorded food intake matrix by a subject (an individual or a group of people) over a period can be transformed into W(nutrient) a recorded nutrient intake. An appropriate 'dietary reference intake (DRI)', a vector V(DRI) is selected for the subject. Based on guidelines of SAM-p working on a maximum likelihood function, an estimate of p between (0, + 1) can be obtained, as the correlation coefficient between W(nutrient) and V(DRI). The higher the p is to 1, the subject's diet behavior is 'closer' to the selected DRI and is 'better'. The estimate p is a nutrient-oriented new measurement in malnutrition study. Conclusions The mal-N-p algorithm can help to make DGAC science-based stronger. With a visible estimate p, mal-N-p provides encouragement to the public to self-evaluate their own diet behavior. Funding Sources None.

The Virtues of Exit

Successful democracies rely on an active citizenry. They require citizens to participate by voting, serving on juries, and running for office. But what happens when those citizens purposefully opt out of politics? Exit—the act of leaving—is often thought of as purely instinctual, a part of the human “fight or flight” response, or, alternatively, motivated by an antiparticipatory, self-centered impulse. However, in this eye-opening book, Jennet Kirkpatrick argues that the concept of exit deserves closer scrutiny. She names and examines several examples of political withdrawal, from Thoreau decamping to Walden to slaves fleeing to the North before the Civil War. In doing so, Kirkpatrick not only explores what happens when people make the decision to remove themselves but also expands our understanding of exit as a political act, illustrating how political systems change in the aftermath of actual or threatened departure. Moreover, she reframes the decision to refuse to play along—whether as a fugitive slave, a dissident who is exiled but whose influence remains, or a government in exile—as one that shapes political discourse, historically and today.

After the Therapeutic Revolution

As nation states became concerned about disease in the later eighteenth century, government actors joined the age-old human fight against disease. Given the limitations of medicine’s curative powers before the 1890s, preventive models of disease control were prioritized, and constituted the first line of defense. This changed during the brief era from about 1945-1980, the age of the “therapeutic revolution.” Since then, new strategies of disease control and prevention have been constructed according to the economic and political pressures shaping state policies, and by a new cultural environment where health is linked to lifestyle and individual subjectivity. In the “new public health” environment, state intervention appears permissible only in the face of dire, external epidemic treat. Prevention efforts are limited to attempted manipulations of individual lifestyle choices.

Skyline View of the Metacarpal Head in the Assessment of Human Fight-Bite Injuries

With the fingers extended, the severity of the bony injury from human fight-bite injuries can be underestimated or missed. We describe a “skyline view” of the metacarpal head to highlight the intra-articular damage that can occur.

Human Fight-Bite Injuries of the Hand

100 consecutive patients whose finger had been bitten by another person, or who had cut it on a tooth in a fight, have been studied. 82 healed completely but 18 eventually needed amputation. Early and thorough debridement is required, plus a suitable mixture of antibiotics. Once infection is established in bone or tendon sheath, amputation is often needed, but most infected joints can be saved.