Husserl and the Truth of Hedonism

The question of the relationship between Husserl and hedonism is a broad one. One might be tempted to say that it is as broad as the question of a phenomenological ethics as such. Accordingly, the aim of this short paper cannot be that of providing a full account—be it historical or systematical—of such a relationship. Rather, we will try to reconstruct, as much as this is possible in the limited space allowed, the strategy behind Husserl’s appraisal and criticism of hedonism in his late Freiburg lectures. We will focus in particular on the way in which Husserl redefines some core tenets of ethical hedonism and unexpectedly integrates within the rationalistic framework of a phenomenological ethics revolving around the central notion of value

Puppy growth rate during early periods of labrador retriever development: role of litter size and photoperiod of birth

Several studies have recently investigated the birth weight of puppies from different pure-bred dogs. In general, birth weight decreased with litter size but there has been limited investigation into factors influencing growth during early development. The first month of life includes three stages of puppy development: neonatal (0–13 days), transitional (14–20 days), and first week of socialisation period (21–28 days). The aim of this study was to evaluate bodyweight and growth rate of 120 Labrador Retriever (LR) puppies during early development. Puppies from 19 show-line bitches under standardised composition of diet during pregnancy and lactation were involved in this study. Puppies were weighed weekly from birth to 28 days using an electronic digital balance. Relative weight gain (ΔW) was calculated for the neonatal period [ΔW1 = (Wday14-Wday0)/Wday0], transition period [ΔW2 = (Wday21-Wday14)/Wday14] and first week of socialisation period [ΔW2 = (Wday28-Wday21)/Wday21]. The effects of covariates on ΔW were assessed using generalised linear mixed models. Sex and photoperiod had no impact on relative weight gain, whereas litter size had a significant effect at ΔW1 (p < .01) but not at ΔW2 and at ΔW3. Relative weight gain was slightly lower in puppies from larger litter born during short photoperiod on ΔW1. A deeper knowledge of the factors that significantly influence weight gain during the first four weeks of life could be useful for physiological and behavioural science as well as for canine breeding management.Highlights 120 Labrador Retriever puppies were weighed weekly from birth to 28 days using an electronic digital balance. Relative weight gain (ΔW) was calculated for the neonatal period (ΔW1), transition period (ΔW2) and first week of socialisation period (ΔW3). Litter size had a significant effect on relative weight gain at ΔW1 but not at ΔW2 and ΔW3. Relative weight gain was slightly lower in puppies from larger litter born during short photoperiod on ΔW1

Correction to: FTIR-ATR analysis of the H-bond network of water in branched polyethyleneimine/TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nano-fiber xerogels

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Structural changes of tissue samples exposed to low frequency electromagnetic field: A FT-IR absorbance study

In the present work, we report on a preliminary Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Absorbance study performed on different kind of rat tissues, such as kidney and heart, exposed to a "non-ionizing" radiation source at low frequency, in the range typical of micro-waves (300 MHz <v< 300 GHz). The data were collected in a wide wavenumber region, from 400 cm−1to 4000 cm−1. The comparison of the absorbance spectra in the case of the normal tissues with the irradiated ones has shown significant differences in the spectral features in accordance with the morphological analysis performed by the optical microscopy

Promyelocytic Sarcoma of the Spine: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Myeloid sarcoma (MS, previously named granulocytic sarcoma or chloroma) is a rare extramedullary tumour of immature myeloid cells. It can be present before, concurrently with, or after the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. MS is extremely uncommon in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In the case described here, MS was the sole site of APL relapse and the cause of spinal cord compression. The patient presented with neurologic symptoms due to a paravertebral mass of MS after 7 years of complete remission. He was treated with excision of the mass followed by local radiotherapy. Systemic treatment was also given with combined arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid and the patient was able to achieve a second prolonged clinical and molecular remission

Wernicke's encephalopathy following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Wernicke's encephalopathy is caused by thiamine deficiency, and is characterized by acute mental confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia. It is also a rare neurologic complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, because of its rare incidence, Wernicke's encephalopathy can easily be overlooked in HSCT patients, and a few misleading steps in the early stage of the disease may result in permanent neurologic disability or even mortality. We recently encountered a case of Wernicke's encephalopathy in a patient who underwent allogeneic HSCT. Based on our own experience and previously published documents, we suggest early radiologic surveillance and treatment for patients with findings compatible with Wernicke's encephalopathy following HSCT

Combining Raman and infrared spectroscopy as a powerful tool for the structural elucidation of cyclodextrin-based polymeric hydrogels

A detailed experimental and theoretical vibrational analysis of hydrogels of b-cyclodextrin nanosponges (b-CDNS), obtained by polymerization of b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) with the cross-linking agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), is reported here. Thorough structural characterization is achieved by exploiting the complementary selection rules of FTIR-ATR and Raman spectroscopies and by supporting the spectral assignments by DFT calculations of the spectral profiles. The combined analysis of the FTIR-ATR spectra of the polymers hydrated with H2O and D2O allowed us to isolate the HOH bending of water molecules not involved in symmetrical, tetrahedral environments. The analysis of the HOH bending mode was carried out as a function of temperature, showing the existence of a supercooled state of the water molecules. The highest level of cooperativity of the hydrogen bond scheme was reached at a value of the b-CD/EDTA molar ratio n = 6. Finally, the connectivity pattern of ‘‘uncoupled’’ water molecules bound to the nanosponge backbone was found to be weakened by increasing T. The temperature above which the population of non-tetracoordinated water molecules becomes predominant turned out to be independent of the parameter n

Fertility outcome after medically treated pyometra in dogs

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex (CEH/P) is a challenge in canine reproduction. Present study aimed to assess fertility after medical treatment. One-hundred-seventy-four bitches affected by CEH/P received aglepristone on days 1, 2, 8, then every 7 days until blood progesterone &lt; 1.2 ng/mL; cloprostenol was administered on days 3 to 5. Records were grouped according to bodyweight (BW): small (&lt; 10 kg, n = 33), medium (10 65 BW &lt; 25 kg, n = 44), large (25 65 BW &lt; 40 kg, n = 52), and giant bitches (BW 65 40 kg, n = 45). Age; success rate; aglepristone treatments number; relapse, pregnancy rates; diagnosis-relapse, -first, -last litter intervals; litters number after treatment, and LS were analyzed by ANOVA. Overall age was 5.14 \ub1 1.75 years, without difference among groups. Treatment was 100% successful, without difference in treatments number (4.75 \ub1 1.18), relapse (15/174, 8.62%) and pregnancy (129/140 litters, 92.14%) rates, intervals diagnosis-relapse (409.63 \ub1 254.9 days) or -last litter (418.62 \ub1 129.03 days). The interval diagnosis-first litter was significantly shorter (163.52 \ub1 51.47 days) and longer (225.17 \ub1 90.97 days) in small and giant bitches, respectively. Overall, 1.47 \ub1 0.65 litters were born after treatment. Expected LS was achieved in each group, as shown by \u394LS (actual-expected LS by breed, overall 120.40 \ub1 1.62) without differences among groups. Concluding, CEH/P affects younger dogs than previously described. Relapses were rarer than previously reported. Medical treatment with aglepristone+cloprostenol is effective and safe, preserving subsequent fertility, as demonstrated by negligible changes in LS

Reduced intensity conditioning with thiotepa, fludarabine and melphalan for allogeneic transplantation in multiple myeloma.

The reduced intensity conditioning regimen described is feasible, well tolerated in heavily pre-treated patiens. An objective response was obtained in 80% of the patients, 30% achieved a complete response

Spectroscopy 16 (2002) 245-250 245 IOS Press Recent results on biomedical problems: A Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) study

Abstract. In the present work, we report on a vibrational study performed on rat encephalon samples and on human tissue affected by cancer, using Fourier Transform Infrared absorbance spectroscopy. As the brain rat tissue is concerned, the FT-IR measurements, performed in the CH-OH vibrational stretching region (2400-3800 cm −1 ), permitted us to reveal the presence of a very diffuse commercial benzodiazepine: VALIUM R . The comparison between the spectral features of normal brain and the ones of samples with administrated substance has unambiguously showed that the CH stretching region seems not to be affected by any change for the pharmacological treatment, instead the OH band is strongly modified probably due to the presence of a new spectral contribution characteristic of diazepam molecule. In the case of skin tissue the investigation was addressed to characterize the presence of two different pathologies, namely epithelioma and basalioma, and to show clear different spectral features passing from the normal tissue to the malignant one in particular in the region (1500-2000 cm −1 ) which is typical of the lipids vibrational bands