Semiotics of corruption: ideological complexes in Mexican politics

ABSTRACT

This article analyses a complex text and event to examine the role of ramifying contradictions in strategic social semiotics analysis. The focus was a paradoxical intervention into corruption by then-Mexican President Peña, who responded to an unprecedented wave of popular criticisms of corruption by simultaneously launching an Anticorruption System and apologizing for his own corruption. We asked: how did this contradiction work, in this conjuncture, with what effects, and how analyse them? We combined the concepts of the Ideological Complex and Wittgenstein’s “duck-rabbit” to explain unstable contradictions in a multiscalar, multimodal analysis of a diachronic corpus, to expose discursive strategies and identify points of vulnerability.     

Terrorists and Laser Weapons Use: An Emergent Threat

The trends leading to the emergent threat of terrorist laser weapons use are that a military weaponry transition from conventional to Directed Energy Weapons is taking place; that laser weapons offer clear tactical and operational advantages over conventional weapons; that laser prices are dropping while laser performance is increasing; that criminals, criminal-soldiers, and foreign militaries have all utilized laser devices and weapons for counteroptical purposes; and that criminal-soldiers are evolving and getting more sophisticated from both an organizational and weaponry use perspective. This article will look at the aforementioned trends, analyze them, and then offer some concluding thoughts concerning terrorist laser weapons use futures.     

Fatal case of Rapunzel syndrome in neglected child

Rapunzel syndrome is very extreme form of trichobezoar formation where the tail of the trichobezoar extends from the stomach into the small intestine. Death resulting from this condition is rare and is usually associated with gastric or intestinal perforation. We report a fatal case of Rapunzel syndrome in a 3 years and 10 months old girl. Review of the literature indicates that this case involves the youngest child to have died from this syndrome. Furthermore, this case is unique due to the clear association with the parent's neglect with failure to provide the child with adequate health care.     

Validation of the MiniFiler™ Kit in archaeological samples

We evaluate the usefulness of MiniFiler™ Kit in the field of ancient DNA. A set of samples belonging to different locations from Iberian Peninsula, with ages ranging from Neolithic to XVII century, was tested. Results could be replicated in only one burial site, probably due to the taphonomic conditions. Other cases could only produce partial or none genetic profiles.     

Forensic evaluation of sudden death due to tuberculosis

Abstract:  The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) poses a major threat to TB control efforts. We report a case of a 50-year-old man with pulmonary TB. The scene investigation had initially suspected for homicide; however, the result of medico-legal autopsy demonstrated natural cause of death. Statistical data suggest that the rates of national mortality by respiratory TB decreased in the last decades in Hungary; however, an increasing TB mortality was detected in the capital Budapest. Facing a new mortality trend in TB, the forensic scene investigation and determination of manner of death represent new challenges for practitioners.     

Planerische Steuerung von privilegierten Vorhaben im Außenbereich

Durch das Europarechtsanpassungsgesetz (EAG Bau) werden die planerischen Steuerungsmöglichkeiten von Außenbereichsvorhaben unter Übernahme des Darstellungsprivilegs in § 35 Abs. 3 S. 3 BauGB um einen Teilflächennutzungsplan (§ 5 Abs. 2b BauGB) und Zurückstellungsmöglichkeiten (§ 15 Abs. 3 BauGB) ergänzt. Der Beitrag stellt die gesetzlichen Neuregelungen vor und behandelt die Frage, welche Verbindlichkeit die planerischen Ausweisungen für die Betroffenen haben und ob die Flächennutzungspläne und Raumordnungspläne (Gebietsentwicklungspläne) damit zu unmittelbar geltenden Rechtsnormen werden. Zugleich wird über die Rechtsprechung zu Windkraftanlagen berichtet. *) Bernhard Stüer lehrt an den Universitäten Münster und Osnabrück das Öffentliche Baurecht, Fachplanungsrecht, Raumordnungsrecht, Umweltrecht und Kommunalrecht und ist Richter im Nebenamt am Anwaltsgerichtshof des Landes NRW. Eva Stüer ist in anwaltlicher Beratung und Prozessvertretung mit Fragen der planungsrechtlichen Zulässigkeit von Außenbereichsvorhaben befasst, vgl. auch die Schrift der Verfasserin Außenbereichsbebauung: Entwicklung und geltendes Recht (§ 35 BauGB 1998), Beiträge zum Siedlungs- und Wohnungswesen und zur Raumplanung, Bd. 177, Münster 1997.

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