Descrição comparativa versus Fundamentação: o quinto capítulo de Para Além de Bem e Mal: "Contribuição à história natural da moral"

Resumo Para além de bem e mal, sobretudo o quinto livro, é um texto chave no que diz respeito ao programa nietzschiano de uma "história natural da moral". Em oposição ao projeto de fundamentação da moral que caracterizou a suposta ciência da moral até então, Nietzsche propõe ali, por um lado, um trabalho de reunião de material etnográfico e histórico, realizado a partir de uma análise comparativa das diversas morais, e, por outro, a elaboração de uma tipologia da moral capaz de nos revelar as configurações mais assíduas e recorrentes nos diversos sistemas morais. O que norteia esse programa de renovação da ciência da moral é a ideia de que é preciso retraduzir o homem de volta à natureza, de modo que as diversas configurações morais, heterogêneas e historicamente situadas, poderiam ser interpretadas psicologicamente: elas são uma semiótica dos afetos. Nesse sentido, aspectos psicológicos e histórico-naturais convergem em torno de um tema central: a moral do rebanho e os instintos que nela se expressam. A essa moral Nietzsche contrapõe seu problemático projeto de disciplinação e cultivo de um tipo superior

Ressentimento e Vontade de Nada

Resumo: O que Nietzsche entende como ‘vontade de nada’? Como se relacionam ‘vontade de nada’ e ressentimento? Em que medida se assemelham? O que as diferencia? O que significa a proposição nietzschiana de que é preferível ‘querer o nada a nada querer’? Ela significa, antes de tudo, que é impossível uma auto-negação da vontade. Schopenhauer tentou justificar uma tal auto-negação, na constituição dos santos. Seguindo James Braid, Nietzsche reinterpreta o ‘repouso no nada’: ele é um estado hipnótico e, como tal, não é nem uma auto-negação da vontade no sentido de Schopenhauer, nem ressentimento no sentido de Dühring. Contra o princípio dühringeano da necessidade universal da reação, Nietzsche mantém a necessidade da ação. Ignorar esta necessidade significa, para ele, o indício de uma tendência igualmente universal para a auto-diminuição do homem. Nesta perspectiva, ela mostra a dominação ainda vigente do ideal ascético sobre a vontade de verdade da ciência moderna

Tensión. Figuras y concepto en Nietzsche

Up to now critics have been neglecting the importance the concept of «tension» (Spannung) has for Nietzsche. The complex semantic field with its innumerable synonyms and antonyms displays a remarkable polysemy. (In the natural sciences the word ‘tension’ stands for a series of concepts which although precise are very different from each other, like electric and mechanic tension.) The study of this semantic field is therefore of interest for both the history of concepts and the history of metaphors. Nietzsche’s culturalreferences go from the classics of western philosophy (Heraclitus, Marcus Aurelius) to contemporary psychology and physiology. In his texts multifarious metaphors intertwine and overlap. They stand for very different models (the bow, the tempest, the explosion etc.), whose various connections and interferences the paper reconstructs. The different, positive and negative, connotations of tension are analyzed as well as Nietzsche’s attempt to link to this concept a change of viewpoint. We follow his reflections on classical topics in ethics (the criticism of stoic morals) as well as in aesthetics (the beautiful and the sublime). Particular attention is paid to the complex connection between the concept of «tension» and the concept of «greatness».La importancia del tema de la tensión (Spannung) en Nietzsche no ha sido adecuadamente considerada por la lectura crítica. El complejo campo semántico se caracteriza por innumerables sinónimos y antónimos y muestra una polisemia notable. El estudio del campo semántico es interesante tanto desde el punto de vista de la historia de los conceptos como desde una perspectiva metaforológica. En los textos de Nietzsche se superponen metáforas heterogéneas que remiten a modelos de alguna manera diferentes (el arco, el temporal, la explosión, etc.). Por este motivo, el artículo analiza las múltiples conexiones e interferencias,­ al mismo tiempo que estudia los diversos valores, positivos y negativos, de la tensión y se centra en el cambio de perspectiva que Nietzsche trata de vincular a ello. Se presta particular atención al complejo vínculo entre el concepto de «tensión» y el de «grandeza»

Collagen Fiber Arrangement in Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Disks from Human Subjects with Functional Diseases. Scanning Electron Microscopy Investigations

Twelve articular disks from patients with temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) arthropathy were studied and compared with two normal disks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the surfaces and of longitudinal and cross-sections of the disks allowed the observation of the arrangement of the collagen fiber component in different parts of the disk. The superficial part of the articular disks appears to be formed by rather compact fibers. The internal portion is usually formed by bundles of collagen fibers in sheets, alternating with isolated fibers arranged in a parallel or irregular way. In some samples, blood vessels were observed. Our investigations suggested that the appearance of vascularization is the first remarkable histological change that can be observed in functionally abnormal articular disks

chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from the bark of xylopia hypolampra

Hydrodistillation of Xylopia hypolampra Mildbr. stem bark afforded 39 mg (dry weight basis) of a pale yellow fragrant essential oil; gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and gas chromatogra..

Nature-derived compounds modulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway: a preventive and therapeutic opportunity in neoplastic diseases

Abstract The Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a conserved pathway that has a crucial role in embryonic and adult life. Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been associated with diseases including cancer, and components of the signaling have been proposed as innovative therapeutic targets, mainly for cancer therapy. The attention of the worldwide researchers paid to this issue is increasing, also in view of the therapeutic potential of these agents in diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), for which no cure is existing today. Much evidence indicates that abnormal Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in tumor immunology and the targeting of Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been also proposed as an attractive strategy to potentiate cancer immunotherapy. During the last decade, several products, including naturally occurring dietary agents as well as a wide variety of products from plant sources, including curcunim, quercetin, berberin, and ginsenosides, have been identified as potent modulators of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling and have gained interest as promising candidates for the development of chemopreventive or therapeutic drugs for cancer. In this review we make an overview of the nature-derived compounds reported to have antitumor activity by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, also focusing on extraction methods, chemical features, and bio-activity assays used for the screening of these compounds

Endoarticular Loose Bodies and Calcifications of the Disk of the Temporomandibular Joint: Morphological Features and Chemical Composition

We studied articular disks and endoarticular loose bodies taken from patients suffering from different types of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the disks and the endoarticular loose bodies was followed by a chemical-compositional analysis using an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and by characterization of the crystalline phases by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The articular disks were composed of a central radio-opaque area lacking any evident structural features, surrounded by compact bundles of collagen fibers. EDS and XRD analyses showed that endodiscal radio-opaque areas were hydroxyapatite. By SEM, we observed a fibrous network only in circumscribed areas of the endoarticular loose bodies. The chemical-compositional analysis showed that the loose bodies were composed of calcite (CaCO3). The results of this investigation, along with the clinical history of the patients, allow us to formulate some hypotheses regarding the etiopathogenesis of these structural anomalies. The endodiscal calcifications could be the result of a chronic inflammatory process that produces displastic alterations of the articular disk. Moreover, an acute inflammatory process with modifications in the mechanisms of the synovial fluid turnover seems to be the event that leads to the formation of endoarticular loose bodies

Recent acquisition of Helicobacter pylori by Baka Pygmies

Both anatomically modern humans and the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori originated in Africa, and both species have been associated for at least 100,000 years. Seven geographically distinct H. pylori populations exist, three of which are indigenous to Africa: hpAfrica1, hpAfrica2, and hpNEAfrica. The oldest and most divergent population, hpAfrica2, evolved within San hunter-gatherers, who represent one of the deepest branches of the human population tree. Anticipating the presence of ancient H. pylori lineages within all hunter-gatherer populations, we investigated the prevalence and population structure of H. pylori within Baka Pygmies in Cameroon. Gastric biopsies were obtained by esophagogastroduodenoscopy from 77 Baka from two geographically separated populations, and from 101 non-Baka individuals from neighboring agriculturalist populations, and subsequently cultured for H. pylori. Unexpectedly, Baka Pygmies showed a significantly lower H. pylori infection rate (20.8%) than non-Baka (80.2%). We generated multilocus haplotypes for each H. pylori isolate by DNA sequencing, but were not able to identify Baka-specific lineages, and most isolates in our sample were assigned to hpNEAfrica or hpAfrica1. The population hpNEAfrica, a marker for the expansion of the Nilo-Saharan language family, was divided into East African and Central West African subpopulations. Similarly, a new hpAfrica1 subpopulation, identified mainly among Cameroonians, supports eastern and western expansions of Bantu languages. An age-structured transmission model shows that the low H. pylori prevalence among Baka Pygmies is achievable within the timeframe of a few hundred years and suggests that demographic factors such as small population size and unusually low life expectancy can lead to the eradication of H. pylori from individual human populations. The Baka were thus either H. pylori-free or lost their ancient lineages during past demographic fluctuations. Using coalescent simulations and phylogenetic inference, we show that Baka almost certainly acquired their extant H. pylori through secondary contact with their agriculturalist neighbors

Nietzsche en perspectiva

En este texto se reúne un conjunto de ensayos recientes e inéditos casi todos, de reconocidos estudiosos de la obra de Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), que fueron presentados con motivo de la celebración del primer centenario de la muerte de este gran filósofo alemán durante el Encuentro Internacional: Nietzche en perspectiva. / Contenido. Preliminares; Capítulo 1 - A manera de introducción: el amor por el saber en Nietzsche; Capítulo 2 - Subjetividad y ontología de la fuerza; Capítulo 3 - Cuerpo y superación de la metafísica; Capítulo 4 - Arte; Capítulo 5 - Estilo; Capítulo 6 - Resonancias; Anexos

Antimicrobial and toxicological activities of five medicinal plant species from Cameroon Traditional Medicine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infectious diseases caused by multiresistant microbial strains are on the increase. Fighting these diseases with natural products may be more efficacious. The aim of this study was to investigate the <it>in vitro </it>antimicrobial activity of methanolic, ethylacetate (EtOAc) and hexanic fractions of five Cameroonian medicinal plants (<it>Piptadeniastum africana</it>, <it>Cissus aralioides, Hileria latifolia, Phyllanthus muellerianus </it>and <it>Gladiolus gregasius) </it>against 10 pathogenic microorganisms of the urogenital and gastrointestinal tracts.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The fractions were screened for their chemical composition and <it>in vivo </it>acute toxicity was carried out on the most active extracts in order to assess their inhibitory selectivity.</p> <p>The agar well-diffusion and the micro dilution methods were used for the determination of the inhibition diameters (ID) and Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) respectively on 8 bacterial species including two Gram positive species (<it>Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis)</it>, and six Gram negative <it>(Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhi) </it>and two fungal isolates (<it>Candida albicans, Candida krusei)</it>. The chemical composition was done according to Harbone (1976), the acute toxicity evaluation according to WHO protocol and the hepatic as well as serum parameters measured to assess liver and kidney functions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The chemical components of each plant's extract varied according to the solvent used, and they were found to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, triterpens, sterols, tannins, coumarins, glycosides, cardiac glycosides and reducing sugars. The methanolic and ethylacetate extracts of <it>Phyllanthus muellerianus </it>and <it>Piptadeniastum africana </it>presented the highest antimicrobial activities against all tested microorganisms with ID varying from 8 to 26 mm and MIC from 2.5 to 0.31 mg/ml. The <it>in vivo </it>acute toxicity study carried out on the methanolic extracts of <it>Phyllanthus muellerianus </it>and <it>Piptadeniastrum africana </it>indicated that these two plants were not toxic. At the dose of 4 g/kg body weight, kidney and liver function tests indicated that these two medicinal plants induced no adverse effect on these organs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results showed that, all these plant's extracts can be used as antimicrobial phytomedicines which can be therapeutically used against infections caused by multiresistant agents.</p> <p>Phyllanthus muellerianus, Piptadeniastum africana, antimicrobial, acute toxicity, kidney and liver function tests, Cameroon Traditional Medicine</p