EU accession, crimes and sports: the thematic frame of reciprocal perceptions between Western Balkan countries and EU

The paper outlines the reciprocal perceptions between the Western Balkan countries and the EU against the background of a future EU accession of the region. Based on the rationale that mass media is a crucial platform through which reciprocal perceptions are identified and reciprocal images are formed. A comparative newspaper analysis in 2009 focused on the reciprocal news coverage in two EU countries (Austria and Slovenia) and two Western Balkan countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia) , which also identified the geographical and thematic frame of the reciprocal news coverage of both sides. The paper reveals that the attention paid towards the EU region in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia is significantly higher than that paid towards the Western Balkan region in the EU countries. It also illustrates that EU-related topics are not the only thematic frame shaping the news coverage on both sides when the respective, ‘Other,’ is taken into account

EU accession, crimes and sports: the thematic frame of reciprocal perceptions between Western Balkan countries and EU

The paper outlines the reciprocal perceptions between the Western Balkan countries and the EU against the background of a future EU accession of the region. Based on the rationale that mass media is a crucial platform through which reciprocal perceptions are identified and reciprocal images are formed. A comparative newspaper analysis in 2009 focused on the reciprocal news coverage in two EU countries (Austria and Slovenia) and two Western Balkan countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia) , which also identified the geographical and thematic frame of the reciprocal news coverage of both sides. The paper reveals that the attention paid towards the EU region in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia is significantly higher than that paid towards the Western Balkan region in the EU countries. It also illustrates that EU-related topics are not the only thematic frame shaping the news coverage on both sides when the respective, ‘Other,’ is taken into account

Anterior Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome with Presence of Accessory Deep Peroneal Nerve: Case Report

Entrapment neuropathy of the deep peroneal nerve, also recognized as anterior tibial nerve, typically occurs at the anterior ankle and dorsal foot. Compression of this nerve, which anatomically is inferior to the extensor retinaculum, is commonly referred to as anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome. This syndrome is rare and remains poorly diagnosed among clinical problems. A 25-year-old woman was referred to our outpatient clinic for a second opinion. She presented with a vague pain over the dorsomedial aspect of the foot which occasionally radiated into the first intertarsal space. Electromyography revealed moderate prolongation of distal latency and presence of accessory deep peroneal nerve (ADPN) with partially innervated extensor digitorum brevis. Our diagnosis was anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome, and surgical decompression of the anterior tarsal tunnel was performed. At the follow up three months later the symptoms where almost completely gone. One year after, there were still no symptoms.The ADPN is of great clinical and surgical importance. In the presence of ADPN, the lesion of the deep peroneal nerve spare the lateral portion of the EDB, leading to the possibility of an incorrect conclusion, as it was the case with our patient.</p

Plasmapheresis in neurological disorders: six years experience from University Clinical center Tuzla [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is an extracorporeal blood purification technique that is designed to remove substances with a large molecular weight. The TPE procedure includes removal of antibodies, alloantibodies, immune complexes, monoclonal protein, toxins or cytokines, and involves the replenishment of a specific plasma factor. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical response to TPE in various neurological patients, and to assess the clinical response to this therapy. Methods: The study was retrospective. We analyzed the medical records of 77 patients who were treated at the Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center (UCC) Tuzla from 2011 to 2016.   Results: 83 therapeutic plasma exchanges were performed in the 77 patients. There was a slight predominance of male patients (54.5%), with an average age of 51±15.9 years. The most common underlying neurological diseases were Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) (37.7%), then chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) (23.4%), multiple sclerosis (MS) (11.7%) and myasthenia gravis (10.4%). Less frequent neurological diseases that were encountered were paraneoplastic polyneuropathies (5.2%), neuromyelitis optica (also known as Devic’s disease) (3.9%), motor neuron disease (3.9%), polymyositis (2.6%) and multifocal motor neuropathy (1.2%). Conclusions: Six years experience of therapeutic plasma exchange in neurological patients in our department have shown that, following evidence-based guidelines for plasmapheresis, the procedure was most effective in patients with GBS, CIDP and myasthenia gravis