Philosophical clarification, its possibility and point

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com”. Copyright Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s11406-009-9196-2 [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]It is possible to pursue philosophy with a clarificatory end in mind. Doing philosophy in this mode neither reduces to simply engaging in therapy or theorizing. This paper defends the possibility of this distinctive kind of philosophical activity and gives an account of its product—non-theoretical insights—in an attempt to show that there exists a third, ‘live’ option for understanding what philosophy has to offer. It responds to criticisms leveled at elucidatory philosophy by defenders of extreme therapeutic readings and clearly demonstrates that in rejecting the latter one cannot assume Wittgenstein’s approach to philosophy was theoretically based by default.Peer reviewe

Anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy for generalized and localized vulvodynia:a critical review of the literature

<p>Anticonvulsant therapy has occasionally been recommended to treat vulvodynia. However, convincing evidence to support this therapeutic option is lacking. The goal of this study was to critically review studies published on the effectiveness of anticonvulsants for the treatment of vulvodynia. Evaluation of the methodological quality of relevant publications was the main outcome measure. MEDLINE, PubMED and Cochrane were used to identify studies published in English between January 1999 and February 2013. Searches were performed between December 2012 and February 2013. Articles were appraised with the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine - Levels of Evidence. Eight relevant studies were identified: two case reports, three retrospective studies, two non-randomized prospective studies and one open-label pilot trial study. Gabapentin formed the main focus (87.5%) to reduce vulvar pain; success rates ranged from 50 to 82%. Lamotrigine was used in one study (12.5%) to relieve symptoms; satisfaction was reported in 82%. These results seem promising, but the majority of studies have several methodological weaknesses regarding sample size and design. Insufficient evidence was available to recommend anticonvulsants for the treatment of vulvodynia. Further studies are necessary with double-blind, randomized-controlled designs to investigate the effectiveness of anticonvulsant therapy for vulvodynia.</p>

Prevention of occupational skin cancer

Occupational skin cancer induced by natural and artificial UV radiation and ionizing radiation as well as by chemical carcinogens like arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is recognized in many countries worldwide. There is a significant body of evidence available to identify work-related causation of occupational skin cancers. A detailed sequential occupational history and possible exposures are essential to identify cases and distinguish occupational from nonoccupational skin cancers. Legal regulation concerning occupational health and safety as well as prevention programs are country-specific and are being delivered to a different extent. Effective prevention programs will include employer policy, worker education, and environmental controls (PPE)