An Apology for Philosophical Transgressions

The essay that follows is, in substance, a lecture delivered in Brussels on 7 December 2016 to the 2nd International Conference of the European Network of Japanese Philosophy. In it I argue that the strategy of qualifying nothingness as an “absolute,” which was adopted by Kyoto School thinkers as a way to come to grips with fundamental problems of Western philosophy, is inherently ambiguous and ultimately weakens the notion of nothingness itself. In its place, a proposal is made to define nothingness in terms of “connectedness.” The discussion is bound on both ends by an apology for transgressing established academic boundaries. On one end, I open with a brief digression on a common ground for philosophies East and West as a mestizaje to which no tradition can claim dominance. On the other, I close with an appeal for restoring respect for the role of mythical narration as a way to bridge the connection between theory and practice without having to revert to moral absolutes, particularly as it relates to safeguarding this fragile planet of ours from the ongoing sepsis of economic “progress.

Prevalence and molecular-basis of fluoroquinolone resistance of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica field isolates

Nowadays fluoroquinolones are used in human and veterinary medicine. In the last decade Salmonella isolates with reduced susceptibility to quinolones have been isolated with increasing prevalence. Among these isolates high-level resistant strains were detected. The present study aimed at investigating Salmonella field isolates (n=56) with reduced quinolone susceptibility with respect to comparative susceptibilities to various fluoroquinolones used in human and veterinary medicine and the genetic basis of quinolone resistance