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New Attacks (new + attack)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

GENETIC ENHANCEMENT , A THREAT TO HUMAN RIGHTS?

BIOETHICS, Issue 1 2008
ELIZABETH FENTON
ABSTRACT Genetic enhancement is the modification of the human genome for the purpose of improving capacities or ,adding in' desired characteristics. Although this technology is still largely futuristic, debate over the moral issues it raises has been significant. George Annas has recently leveled a new attack against genetic enhancement, drawing on human rights as his primary weapon. I argue that Annas' appeal to human rights ultimately falls flat, and so provides no good reason to object to genetic technology. Moreover, this argument is an example of the broader problem of appealing to human rights as a panacea for ethical problems. Human rights, it is often claimed, are ,trumps': if it can be shown that a proposed technology violates human rights, then it must be cast aside. But human rights are neither a panacea for ethical problems nor a trump card. If they are drafted into the service of an argument, it must be shown that an actual human rights violation will occur. Annas' argument against genetic technology fails to do just this. I shall conclude that his appeal to human rights adds little to the debate over the ethical questions raised by genetic technology. [source]

THE IMPACT OF BRITISH COUNTERTERRORIST STRATEGIES ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND: COMPARING DETERRENCE AND BACKLASH MODELS,

CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
GARY LAFREE
Since philosophers Beccaria and Bentham, criminologists have been concerned with predicting how governmental attempts to maintain lawful behavior affect subsequent rates of criminal violence. In this article, we build on prior research to argue that governmental responses to a specific form of criminal violence,terrorism,may produce both a positive deterrence effect (i.e., reducing future incidence of prohibited behavior) and a negative backlash effect (i.e., increasing future incidence of prohibited behavior). Deterrence-based models have long dominated both criminal justice and counterterrorist policies on responding to violence. The models maintain that an individual's prohibited behavior can be altered by the threat and imposition of punishment. Backlash models are more theoretically scattered but receive mixed support from several sources, which include research on counterterrorism; the criminology literature on labeling, legitimacy, and defiance; and the psychological literature on social power and decision making. In this article, we identify six major British strategies aimed at reducing political violence in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 1992 and then use a Cox proportional hazard model to estimate the impact of these interventions on the risk of new attacks. In general, we find the strongest support for backlash models. The only support for deterrence models was a military surge called Operation Motorman, which was followed by significant declines in the risk of new attacks. The results underscore the importance of considering the possibility that antiterrorist interventions might both increase and decrease subsequent violence. [source]

The challenge of multiple sclerosis: How do we cure a chronic heterogeneous disease?,,

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2009
Howard L. Weiner MD
Multiple sclerosis is (MS) a T-cell autoimmune disease characterized by a relapsing-remitting followed by a progressive phase. Relapses are driven by the adaptive immune system and involve waves of T helper cell 1 (Th1), Th17, and CD8 cells that infiltrate the nervous system and provoke a attack. These cells are modulated by regulatory T and B cells. Infiltration of T cells into the nervous system initiates a complex immunological cascade consisting of epitope spreading, which triggers new attacks, and activation of the innate immune system (microglia, dendritic cells, astrocytes, B cells), which leads to chronic inflammation. The secondary progressive phase is due to neurodegeneration triggered by inflammation and is driven by the innate immune system. Why a shift to the progressive stage occurs and how to prevent it is a central question in MS. Effective treatment of MS must affect multiple disease pathways: suppression of proinflammatory T cells, induction of regulatory T cells, altering traffic of cells into the nervous system, protecting axons and myelin, and controlling innate immune responses. Without biomarkers, the clinical and pathological heterogeneity of MS makes treatment difficult. Treatment is further hampered by untoward adverse effects caused by immune suppression. Nonetheless, major progress has been made in the understanding and treatment of MS. There are three definitions of cure as it applies to MS: (1) halt progression of disease, (2) reverse neurological deficits, and (3) prevent MS. Although the pathways to each of these cures are linked, each requires a unique strategy. Ann Neurol 2009;65:239,248 [source]

Acute anterior uveitis in primary care

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, Issue 2 2007
Ian F Gutteridge MScOptom FAAO
Acute anterior uveitis is an important ocular disease of considerable interest to therapeutically and non-therapeutically qualified optometrists. This review examines the role of optometrists in the primary care setting and gives guidelines for appropriate care of patients with anterior uveitis. Diagnosis and differentiation from other forms of anterior segment inflammation are the initial requirement. In parallel, possible medical conditions associated with acute anterior uveitis must be considered, with appropriate referral to medical practitioners. In uncomplicated cases of recurrent acute anterior uveitis, optometrists can initiate topical treatment and monitor resolution of inflammation, while being aware of possible complications of both the disease and its treatment. It is especially important in new attacks of anterior uveitis to liaise with the patient's general practitioner about medical investigation for underlying disease. Atypical, complicated or severe anterior uveitis should be promptly referred for specialist care. [source]