The Austrian School on Happiness and Relational Goods

Austrian economists do not directly face the problem of the relationships between economics and happiness. They even rather rarely use the word happiness and do not bother to define the philosophical meaning of it referring to Aristotle or to the Enlightenment. They prefer to speak of human welfare: a comprehensive welfare, not limited to the satisfaction of material needs. The problem that they directly face is whether and in what sense non-instrumental human relationships (that is relational goods) can be considered and dealt with as economic goods increasing human welfare. In this way, they indirectly explore the theme of the relationships between economics and happiness.Austrian School, Economics and Happiness, Well-Being, Relational Goods

Subtotal petrosectomy and cerebrospinal fluid leakage in unilateral anacusis

Objective This study presents a group of patients experiencing recurrent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage associated with ipsilateral anacusis who underwent subtotal petrosectomies with the goal of stopping the CSF leak and preventing meningitis. Materials and Methods Eight patients with CSF leakage were enrolled: three patients with giant vestibular schwannomas had CSF leakage after gamma knife failure and subsequent removal via a retrosigmoid approach; two patients had malformations at the level of the inner ear with consequent translabyrinthine fistulas; two had posttraumatic CSF leakages; and one had a CSF leakage coexisting with an encephalocele. Two patients developed meningitis that resolved with antibiotic therapy. Each patient had preoperative anacusis and vestibular nerve areflexia on the affected side. Results The patients with congenital or posttraumatic CSF leaks had undergone at least one unsuccessful endaural approach to treat the fistula. All eight patients were treated successfully with a subtotal petrosectomy. The symptoms disappeared within 2 months postoperatively. No meningitis, signs of fistula, or other symptoms occurred during the follow-up. Conclusion A subtotal petrosectomy should be the first choice of treatment in patients with recurrent CSF leakage whenever there is associated unilateral anacusis

Meatal Segment of facial nerve and cavernous hemangioma

Cavernous malformations of the internal auditory canal (IAC) are a rare clinical entity. We report a rare case of cavernous hemangioma involving the internal auditory canal and the meatal segment of the facial nerve without any evident lesion to the cerebello-pontine angle and geniculate ganglion. In English language literature several studies have described cavernous malformations of the IAC, but only a few authors have described a facial nerve origin for this type of lesion. Removal of the entire lesion was achieved via the surgical resection of the facial nerve and facial nerve continuity was restored using a great auricular nerve graft. Optimal postoperative facial function recovery was reported

A 1-year follow-up study with C-VEMPs, O-VEMPs and video head impulse testing in vestibular neuritis

The aim of this paper was to evaluate prospectively, in a group of patients affected by VN, a diagnostic protocol employing C-VEMPs, O-VEMPs and vHIT together. The diagnosis of vestibular neurolabyrinthitis was based on the clinical history, absence of associated auditory or neurological symptoms, and a neuro-otological examination with an evaluation of lateral semicircular canal function using the Fitzgerald-Hallpike caloric vestibular test and ice test. Our series revealed an incidence of 55 % of superior and inferior vestibular neurolabyrinthitis, 40 % of superior vestibular neurolabyrinthitis and 5 % of inferior vestibular neurolabyrinthitis. These data, however, comprised different degrees of vestibular involvement considering the evaluation of each single vestibular end-organ with potential different prognosis. Four patients had only deficits of the horizontal and superior semicircular canals or their ampullary nerves. The implementation of C-VEMPs, O-VEMPs and vHIT in a vestibular diagnostic protocol has made possible to observe patients with ampullary VN, unidentifiable with other types of vestibular exams. The effect of age seems to have some impact on the recovery. When recovery firstly involves the utricular and saccular nerves and subsequently the ampullary nerves, it may be reasonable to expect a more favorable and successful outcome

Fighting against atherosclerotic disease: From the endothelium to invasive cardiology

An insight into in vitro strategies to improve endothelial function and response to ischemia and into clinical strategies to improve the outcome after percutaneous interventions

Contact non-localisé entre poutres avec des sections droites circulaires et elliptiques

Numerous materials and structures are aggregates of slender bodies. We can, for example, refer to struts in metal foams, yarns in textiles, fibers in muscles or steel wires in wire ropes. To predict the mechanical performance of these materials and structures, it is important to understand how the mechanical load is distributed between the different bodies. If one can predict which slender body is the most likely to fail, changes in the design could be made to enhance its performance. As the aggregates of slender bodies are highly complex, simulations are required to numerically compute their mechanical behaviour. The most widely employed computational framework is the Finite Element Method in which each slender body is modeled as a series of beam elements. On top of an accurate mechanical representation of the individual slender bodies, the contact between the slender bodies must often be accurately modeled. In the past couple of decades, contact between beam elements has received wide-spread attention. However, the focus was mainly directed towards beams with circular cross-sections, whereas elliptical cross-sections are also relevant for numerous applications. Only two works have considered contact between beams with elliptical cross-sections, but they are limited to point-wise contact, which restricts their applicability. In this Ph.D. thesis, different frameworks for beams with elliptical cross-sections are proposed in case a point-wise contact treatment is insufficient. The thesis also reports a framework for contact scenarios where a beam is embedded inside another beam, which is in contrast to conventional contact frameworks for beams in which penetrating beams are actively repelled from each other. Finally, two of the three contact frameworks are enhanced with frictional sliding, where friction not only occurs due to sliding in the beams’ longitudinal directions but also in the transversal directions

Giant petrous bone cholesteatoma: combined microscopic surgery and an adjuvant endoscopic approach

Petrous bone cholesteatomas (PBCs) are epidermoid cysts, which have developed in the petrous portion of the temporal bone and may be congenital or acquired. Cholesteatomas arising in this region have a tendency to invade bone and functional structures and the middle and posterior fossae reaching an extensive size. Traditionally, surgery of a giant PBC contemplates lateral transtemporal or middle fossa microscopic surgery; however, in recent years, endoscopic surgical techniques (primary or complementary endoscopic approach) are starting to receive a greater consensus for middle ear and mastoid surgeries. We report the rare case of an 83-year-old Caucasian male affected by a giant cholesteatoma that eroded the labyrinth and the posterior fossa dura and extended to the infralabyrinthine region, going beyond the theca and reaching the first cervical vertebra. The giant cholesteatoma was managed through a combined approach (microscopic and, subsequently, complementary endoscopic approach). In this case report, we illustrate some advantages of this surgical choice

Gli economisti e la cooperazione

The Italian Constitution recognizes the social function of co-operation, considering it worthy of public support. The co-operative movement is instead going through an identity crisis. The crisis stems from the difficulty to apply the text of the Constitution: what is at present the social function of co-operation? In what sense do co-operative firms differ from the capitalistic ones? Are State aids likely to distort free competition? I have been trying in this work to reconstruct the social function of co-operation in the course of time as well as how it has been assessed by great economists. These, together with jurists, have been exerting a great influence on public opinion and legislators, both as advisors and opinion makers. It was not my aim to tell the entire story but simply to depict some features of Italian experience which hopefully may give a hint of the global phenomenon.Co-operation, Economic Democracy, History of Economic Thought

Petrous bone cholesteatoma: clinical longitudinal study.

Abstract The object of this retrospective study was to describe a series of patients with petrous bone cholesteatomas, paying particular attention to classification, diagnosis, surgical strategy, results, complications and recurrences. Furthermore, the study was designed to evaluate the impact of imaging techniques on an early diagnosis. Topographically, the petrous bone cholesteatomas of the present series were grouped using Sanna’s classification and different surgical approaches were used. High resolution CT and/or MRI were used to follow-up the patients. The case notes of 52 patients with petrous bone cholesteatomas who were referred to our hospital for surgery between 1987 and 2003 were reviewed postoperatively. There were 45 primary cases and 7 recurrences. The facial nerve had been inWltrated and compressed by the cholesteatoma in 18 patients. Fourteen were managed with cable grafts using sural nerve or great auricular nerves. About 26 patients with preoperative grade Ivconfirmed their normal facial function in 23 cases. In the other ten patients, the preoperative facial paralysis was due to compression by the cholesteatoma and its removal provided partial recovery of facial function in four patients. Our study compared two observation periods (1987–1996 and 1997–2003) when the diffusion and the availability of imaging techniques in our national health system had considerably increased. Two important factors emerged: firstly, the number of less extensive surgical approaches was higher in the more recent observation period, proving that cholesteatomas smaller in size had been diagnosed. Secondly, preoperative facial paralysis was less frequent in the same period—falling to 25% of cases of total facial paralysis from the 45.8% of the earlier period practically half as much. The partial paralyses instead increased slightly, demonstrating that otologists have become more sensitive to and pay more attention to this symptom

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with osteosarcoma in a true malignant mixed tumor of the submandibular region

True malignant mixed tumor, also known as carcinosarcoma, is a rare tumor of the salivary gland composed of both malignant epithelial and malignant mesenchymal elements. Frequently carcinosarcoma arises in the background of a preexisting pleomorphic adenoma; however, if no evidence of benign mixed tumor is present, the lesion is known as carcinosarcoma "de novo." We reported the first case of true malignant mixed tumor of the submandibular gland composed of high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with osteosarcoma. Case Presentation. A 69-year-old Caucasian male came to our department complaining of the appearance of an asymptomatic left submandibular neoformation progressively increasing in size over 3 months. We opted for surgical treatment. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of carcinosarcoma with the coexistence of high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and osteosarcoma. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, in the true malignant mixed tumor of the submandibular gland, mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with osteosarcoma has never been previously reported