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Scientific Perspectives (scientific + perspective)
Selected AbstractsLEON GOLDSTEIN AND THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF HISTORICAL KNOWING,HISTORY AND THEORY, Issue 2 2006LUKE O'SULLIVAN ABSTRACT Leon Goldstein's critical philosophy of history has suffered a relative lack of attention, but it is the outcome of an unusual story. He reached conclusions about the autonomy of the discipline of history similar to those of R. G. Collingwood and Michael Oakeshott, but he did so from within the Anglo-American analytic style of philosophy that had little tradition of discussing such matters. Initially, Goldstein attempted to apply a positivistic epistemology derived from Hempel's philosophy of natural science to historical knowledge, but gradually (and partly thanks to his interest in Collingwood) formulated an anti-realistic epistemology that firmly distinguished historical knowledge of the past not only from the scientific perspective but also from fictional and common-sense attitudes to the past. Among his achievements were theories of the distinctive nature of historical evidence and historical propositions, of the constructed character of historical events, and of the relationship between historical research and contemporary culture. Taken together, his ideas merit inclusion among the most important twentieth-century contributions to the problem of historical knowledge. [source] Role of thermodynamic, molecular, and kinetic factors in crystallization from the amorphous stateJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008Chandan Bhugra Abstract Though there is an advantage in using the higher solubility amorphous state in cases where low solubility limits absorption, physical instability poses a significant barrier limiting its use in solid oral dosage forms. Unlike chemical instability, where useful accelerated stability testing protocols are common, no methodology has been established to predict physical instability. Therefore, an understanding of the factors affecting crystallization from the amorphous state is not only important from a scientific perspective but also has practical applications. Crystallization from the amorphous matrix has been linked to the molecular mobility in the amorphous matrix and recent research has focused on developing the link between these two fundamental properties of glass forming materials. Although researchers have been actively working in this area for some time, there is no current review describing the present state of understanding of crystallization from the amorphous state. The purpose of this review therefore is to examine the roles of different factors such as molecular mobility, thermodynamic factors, and the implication of different processing condition, in crystallization from the amorphous state. We believe an increased understanding of the relative contributions of molecular mobility and processing conditions are vital to increased usage of the amorphous state in solid oral dosage forms. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:1329,1349, 2008 [source] Jesus and the eye: New Testament miracles of visionACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 6 2005Ahmad M. Mansour Abstract. Purpose:,To compile and appraise the accounts of the miracles of vision in the New Testament. Methods:,We carried out a critical analysis of the compilation of ocular miracles using past medical knowledge and historical reconstruction based on the accounts of the apostles and of various historians living in the first three centuries ad. Results:,Three blind adult male beggars residing on three different street locations were described. Two had previously had good vision that had declined over a long time and the third had been born blind. The manifestations of the ocular diseases in these cases were meagre, precluding any precise diagnosis. The healing methodology did not rely on physical examination, detailed history, or the use of medicines. Jesus' tools consisted of spitting, touching, praying and the use of words. Visual outcome reported as a complete cure was realized in all three incidents. Conclusions:,The accounts of miracles in the Gospels appear to be historically reliable, yet subject to different interpretations: faith in the miracle (the Christian perspective); sorcery (the Jewish perspective); mythology (the atheist perspective), and scientifically possible human action by a charismatic, compassionate, knowledgeable man (the scientific perspective: psychotherapy or suggestion). [source] A review of drug prevention system development in Romania and its impact on youth drug consumption trends, 1995,2005DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 4 2009CSABA L. DÉGI Abstract Issues. A tremendous growth occurred in the reported drug use and abuse in Romania from 1995 to 1999. Lack of concern by government and little policy attention contributed to the surprising delay of drug policy and drug prevention system development. General public stigmatize drug users and drug consumption is considered a matter of personal fault and responsibility. There is some but not sufficient research and evaluation on drug use, abuse problem. Approach. Drug use, abuse and prevention are discussed from research-based, user-focused and prevention system development perspectives. Prevalence and trends of drug use, abuse in the past decade (1995,2005) are summarized. Prevention issues are discussed based on research data from adolescents, parents and teachers. The Romanian primary drug prevention system has been evaluated based on our experiences in drug use prevention activities carried out in schools and recreational environments. Key Findings. Public and scientific perspectives on drug consumption in Romania, between 1995 and 1999, were dominated by an idealistic, non-realistic perception. Since 1995, drug use among adolescents increased almost four times in less than 4 years. The first law against drug traffic and consumption was issued only in 2000. Now primary drug prevention strategies are in action, but in general they are lacking standard evaluation procedures. Implications/Conclusion. Conclusions are drafted for new perspectives in prevention activities. More long-term, user-focused, demand-centred prevention activities should be carried out in more and more diversified settings and evaluation should be thoroughly considered.[Dégi CL. A review of drug prevention system development in Romania and its impact on youth drug consumption trends, 1995,2005. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:419,425] [source] Compliance and its evaluation in patients with hypertensionJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2000Tiina S. Lahdenperä MA ,,Compliance has been evaluated from a wide range of scientific perspectives since 1950. The fact that there are many concepts referring to ,compliance' (such as ,adherence' and ,commitment') and that there is no agreement on a commonly accepted definition of the concept complicates evaluation. ,,This paper aims to describe the ways in which the compliance of hypertensive patients has been defined and evaluated in earlier studies. The material was collected from the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases and analysed using content analysis. ,,The review indicates that the concepts used in evaluating compliance of hypertensive patients vary considerably and that the most commonly used is ,compliance'. Regardless of the concept used, the methods of measurement and results of the studies indicate that compliance is conceived as observance of health-related advice given by healthcare personnel. ,,This knowledge can be used in the evaluation of hypertensive patients' compliance in general and in developing the measurement of compliance. [source] Conceptual analysis of complianceJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 1 2000Helvi Kyngäs PhD ,,Compliance has been studied from a wide range of scientific perspectives including medicine, nursing, psychology and health economics. ,,There is no agreement regarding a commonly accepted definition. Lack of consistency in the definition and measurement of compliance is a major problem in research which becomes more complicated in an international study. ,,The response to the confusion over the term compliance has been to suggest and use alternative terms such as adherence, co-operation, mutuality and therapeutic alliance. These terms are ill-defined and often are used as synonyms. ,,The purpose of this paper is to analyse definitions of the concept of compliance. Abstracts from MEDLINE have been analysed in order to identify the types of compliance research that have been carried out. [source] Motor evoked potentials from the pelvic floorNEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 7 2003Søren Brostrøm Proper function of the lower urinary tract depends on the integrity of the central and peripheral nervous pathways on multiple levels, and the complexity of this system leaves it susceptible to even minor lesions. While dysfunction of the lower urinary tract is prevalent amongst patients with nervous system disease, e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS), most women with lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) have no overt neurological cause. Refined neuro-diagnostic approaches are needed to reveal neurogenicity in these patients. A potential method is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is used routinely to test the motor innervation of limb muscles, but also can be applied to test pelvic floor efferents. To resolve the lack of methodological clarity and the need for normative values for the use of pelvic floor motor evoked potentials (MEPs), 30 healthy women and 16 women with MS were studied. Methods The healthy women underwent MEP studies with various stimulus and recording modalities, and, to test reproducibility, 18 of them were retested at a separate session. The women with MS underwent MEP testing as well as urodynamic studies. Results From the methodological studies of healthy women, the use of invasive concentric needle electrodes was found to be superior to surface electrodes. When applying magnetic stimuli over the sacral region, various methodological problems were encountered. In the healthy women, a large variability of responses was noted, the long-term reproducibility of pelvic floor MEP latencies was poor, and in some cases responses could not be obtained. In the study of women with MS, prolonged central conduction times were found, along with many cases of unevokable responses, and a poor correlation of MEPs to urodynamic findings. The problems of obtaining selective recordings from the inaccessible pelvic floor musculature are discussed, and possible sources of variability in MEPs from the pelvic floor are considered. By relating the findings in the present studies to those of others using different modalities, some reflections are presented on the nature of the neural pathways to the pelvic floor activated by magnetic stimulation. As unevokable responses from the pelvic floor were an occasional finding among the healthy women, it is argued that a pelvic floor non-response in a patient with suspected corticospinal lesion should be interpreted with care, and should not carry the same clinical significance as an absent limb response. Conclusions The inherent limitations of pelvic floor MEPs are discussed, and it is concluded that while there seems to be only limited clinical value of pelvic floor MEP testing, there might be some interesting scientific perspectives in studies that aim to control and explain the variability of responses. Neurourol. Urodynam. 22:620,637, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Beyond Paradise,Meeting the Challenges in Tropical Biology in the 21st CenturyBIOTROPICA, Issue 4 2004Kamaljit S. Bawa ABSTRACT Tropical ecosystems support a diversity of species and ecological processes that are unparalleled anywhere else on Earth. Despite their tremendous social and scientific importance, tropical ecosystems are rapidly disappearing. To help tropical ecosystems and the human communities dependent upon them better face the challenges of the 21st century, tropical biologists must provide critical knowledge in three areas: (1) the structure and functioning of tropical ecosystems; (2) the nature and magnitude of anthropogenic effects on tropical ecosystems; and (3) the socio-economic drivers of these anthropogenic effects. To develop effective strategies for conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of tropical ecosystems, scientific perspectives must be integrated with social necessities. Three principles for guiding tropical biological research are suggested: (1) broadening the set of concerns; (2) integration of biological knowledge with the social sciences and traditional knowledge; and (3) linking science to policy and action. Four broad recommendations are proposed for immediate action in tropical biology and conservation that are fundamental to all biological and social disciplines in the tropics: (1) assemble and disseminate information on life's diversity in the tropics; (2) enhance tropical field stations and build a worldwide network to link them with tropical field biologists at their field sites; (3) bring the field of tropical biology to the tropics by strengthening institutions in tropical countries through novel partnerships between tropical and temperate zone institutions and scientists; and (4) create concrete mechanisms to increase interactions between tropical biologists, social scientists, and policy makers. RESUMEN Los ecosistemas tropicales mantienen una diversidad de especies y procesos ecológicos como ningún otro en la tierra. A pesar de su gran importancia a nivel social y cientifico, los ecosistemas tropicales están desapareciendo rápidamente. Para ayudar a estos y a las comunidades humanas que dependen de ellos a encarar mejor los desafios del siglo 21, los biólogos tropicales deben proveer informacion critica en tres áreas: (1) la estructura y funcionamiento de los ecosistemas tropicales; (2) la naturaleza y magnitud de los efectos antropogénicos sobre los ecosistemas tropicales; y (3) las fuerzas socio-económicas de esos efectos antropogénicos. Para desarrollar estrategias efectivas para la conservación, restauración y manejo sostenible de los ecosistemas tropicales, las perspectivas cientificas deben ser integradas a las necesidades sociales. Tres principios para orientar la investigación en biologia tropical son sugeridos: (1) ampliación del grupo de interés; (2) integración del conocimiento boilógico con las ciencias sociales y el conocimiento traditional; y (3) enlazar la ciencia con las politicas y la acción. Para una acción inmediata en biologia tropical y la conservación, se proponen cuatro recomendaciones amplias que son fundamentales a todas la disciplinas boilógicas y sociales en los trópicos: (1) recopilar y diseminar información sobre diversidad boilógica en los trópicos; (2) mejorar las facilidades para la investigación en los trópicos (estaciones biológicas) y construir una red mundial que las una con los biólogos tropicales; (3) apoyar el campo de la biologia tropical fortaleciendo las instituciones de 10s paises tropicales a travts de la colaboraci6n con instituciones y cienrificos de zonas ternpladas; y (4) crear rnecanismos concretos para incrementar la interacci6n entre bi6logos rropicales, cientificos sociales y tomadores de decisiones. RESUMO Os ecossistemas tropicais abrigam uma diversidade de espécies e de processes ecológicos sem paralelo em qualquer outro lugar da Terra. Apesar de sua tremenda importa,ncia social e cientifica, os ecossistemas tropicais esta,o desaparecendo rapidamente. Para ajudar os ecossistemas tropicais e as populaço,es humanas que dependem deles a melhor enfrentar os desafios do século 21, os biólogos tropicais precisam gerar conhecimentos cruciais em tr,s áreas: (1) a estrutura e o funcionamento dos ecossistemas tropicais; (2) a natureza e a magnitude dos efeitos antrópicos sobre os ecossistemas tropicais; e (3) as diretrizes sócio-econo,micas destes efeitos antrópicos. Para se desenvolver estratégias efetivas para a conservação, restauracao e manejo sustentável dos ecossistemas tropicais, as perspectivas cientificas tem que ser integradas às necessidades sociais. Tr,s principios norteadores da pesquisa em biologia tropical são indicados: (1) ampliar o conjunto de interesses; (2) integrar o conhecimento boilógico com o conhecimento tradicional e as ci,ncias sociais; e (3) unir ci,ncia com politica e tomada de decisão. Quatro amplas recomendaço,es são propostas para açã imediata na biologia tropical e conservação e que são fundamentals para todas as disciplinas boilógicas e sociais nos trópicos: (1) organizar e disseminar informação sobre a diversidade boilógica nos trópicos; (2) consolidar as estaço,es de pesquisa de campo nos trópicos e construir uma rede mundial para ligar estaço,es e os biólogos tropicais atuando nelas; (3) levar o campo da biologia tropical para os trópicos pelo fortalecimento das instituiço,es nos paises tropicais e através de novas parecerias entre estes pafses e seus cientistas com os cientistas e as instituiço,es de paises da região temperada; e (4) criar mecanismos concretos para aumentar as interaço,es entre os biólogos tropicais, os cientistas sociais e os politicos tomadores de decisão. [source] Beyond Paradise,Meeting the Challenges in Tropical Biology in the 21st CenturyBIOTROPICA, Issue 3 2004Kamaljit S. Bawa ABSTRACT Tropical ecosystems support a diversity of species and ecological processes that are unparalleled anywhere else on Earth. Despite their tremendous social and scientific importance, tropical ecosystems are rapidly disappearing. To usher tropical ecosystems and the human communities dependent upon them through the environmental transformations of the 21st century, tropical biologists must provide critical knowledge in three areas: 1) the structure and function of tropical ecosystems; 2) the nature and magnitude of anthropogenic effects on tropical ecosystems; and 3) the socio-economic drivers of these anthropogenic effects. To develop effective strategies for conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of tropical ecosystems, scientific perspectives must be integrated with social necessities. A new set of principles built on a framework for pursuing relevant tropical biological research will facilitate interdisciplinary approaches, integrate biological knowledge with the social sciences, and link science with policy. We propose four broad recommendations for immediate action in tropical biology and conservation that are fundamental to all biological and social disciplines in the tropics: 1) assemble and disseminate information on life's diversity in the tropics; 2) enhance tropical field stations and build a worldwide network to link them with tropical field biologists at their field sites; 3) bring the field of tropical biology to the tropics by strengthening institutions in tropical countries through novel partnerships between tropical and temperate zone institutions and scientists; and 4) create concrete mechanisms to increase interactions between tropical biologists, social scientists, and policy makers. [source] | ||||||||||