Youssef Oumeish

Skin disorders in patients with diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels. It is also accompanied with a variety of multisystem complications that include the blood vessels, nervous system, eyes, kidneys, and skin. The main cutaneous complications are discussed.

Marching in the army: common cutaneous disorders of the feet

To trample or to march is the characteristic walk of military personnel, whether they are assigned to ordinary training in the camp, in performing a maneuver, or heading for war. The feet and the legs are the most vulnerable parts of the soldier’s body. They are used, exhausted, and overstrained during marching. Army veterans are prepared to engage in combat with the enemy, but they are also subjected to many events. The soldier is exposed to a variety of environmental and climatic hazards, including sun, heat, humidity, rain, cold, dry weather, and sand storms, which could cause dermatologic problems. Military personnel during their career suffer from many cutaneous disorders of the feet and their legs, not to mention other parts of the body. They are also exposed to unfamiliar hazardous infective agents. In addition, there might be a higher incidence of several skin problems of the feet than civilians might experience. Environmental and climatic factors can also affect the feet badly. Exposure to cold and heat and marching through streams and rivers, into muddy land, over snow, through the desert, and up mountain trails and down into valleys all take their toll. The net result leads to hot, sweaty feet, which are easily macerated, ulcerated, and secondarily infected.

Nuclear terrorism: health and environmental hazards and threats from ionizing and nuclear radiation

After the atrocities of September 11, 2001, Jordan, which has an established reputation for moderation and stability and has itself been a target for terrorism, immediately condemned the attacks against innocent people and confirmed its support for the international coalition against terrorism. His Majesty King Abdullah II has been vocal in denouncing terrorism on the international scene and moved swiftly to join the fight against this phenomenon. King Abdullah II was the first Arab and Muslim leader to foresee that the world’s realities had changed after September 11. He launched a campaign to highlight the true face of Islam in the wake of the terrorist attacks and was adamant in conveying the genuine religious principles of Islam, pointing out that this monotheistic religion of peace, tolerance, and equality had been “hijacked” by the perpetrators of the September 11th events. In its international humanitarian efforts of peacekeeping around the world, Jordan was the first and only Arab and Islamic country to deploy a medical mission to Mazzar Al Sharif in Afghanistan. Over a period of 6 months, the Jordanian Armed Forces Medical Services team, composed of 400 army personnel of physicians, nurses, and medical technicians, treated almost 48,000 patients. A state-of-the-art field hospital containing 70 beds, equipped with two operating rooms, and having intensive-care units was established. It also contains sections for men, women, pediatrics, maternity, and various specialties, including dermatology, with a capacity of 10 surgeries and 500 outpatient visits daily. At the same time the hospital runs a training program for doctors, nursing staff, and technicians. This mission is indicative of Jordan’s commitment to help and assist all people who suffered from and were victims to the scourge of terrorism. Jordan has been and will cotinue to be a moderating and trusted force in the search for global peace.

Dedication: gearing up for war

The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, that targeted the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, awakened the entire world to the absolute horror of megaterrorism. These were the most barbarous acts committed against the United States of America since December 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, “a day that will live in infamy.” The assault against America and the free world was so massive, so unimaginable, and so unprecedented that even on the publication of this special issue of Clinics in Dermatology we find the events difficult to fathom. Several thousands of innocent victims of terrorism perished in the crash of planes, in the destruction of buildings, and in the aftermath of the devastation. Such horrid terrorist attacks were immediately recognized by the vast majority of the world community as vicious. These were evil-doing acts against civilization, freedom, and most of all, humanity. These actions contravene all sensible religious and human values. In the weeks after the September tragedy, we have seen that persons in leading positions with significant responsibilities, regardless of race, color, or religion, must not only denounce and condemn every type of terrorism but also fight this evil and eliminate its roots and motives from the face of the earth. We now know that we must acknowledge the possibility of more catastrophic terrorist acts, including the use of weapons of mass destruction, be they chemical, biologic, or nuclear, and that we must be prepared. We must deny potential terrorists access to facilities and to technology that they might use in their evil doings. They should be held accountable for their crimes. What happened on September 11, 2001, concerns the entire world as one community, Scientists and physicians are committed to helping mankind; they need the moral voice of every nation and have the commitment to speak out on this important issue. They have the obligation to be at the forefront of the dedicated efforts to protect the health and life of everyone. Dermatologists, in particular, should have the full knowledge of megaterrorist weapons and learn how to handle their hazardous effects. We must stay alert and have the expertise to deal with any crisis. The cardinal challenge facing civilized nations is the preservation of the integrity of their values and the ethical standards of respect for human dignity. Allowing disrespect for human rights and the violation of international law will play into the hands of the terrorists. We, as the guest editors, and our contributors dedicate this special issue of Clinics in Dermatology to the memory of the innocent victims of 9/11. We must ensure that the continuation of our message of hope and our responsibility toward humanity and future generations will continue. We are committed to promoting knowledge, to developing scientific research and continuing medical education, and to solving community health problems. All of this will contribute to building stable and solid societies so that the September tragedies must never occur again. From the Amman Clinic, Amman, Jordan, and the Department of Dermatology, Tulane University, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; the Department of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv, Israel; and the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Address correspondence to Oumeish Youssef Oumeish, MD, FRCP (Glasgow), PO Box 65, Prince Rashid Suburb, Amman 11831, Jordan. E-mail: oumeishdermatol@hotmail.com