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PubMed2005

[Scientific standards in parasitology in historical perspective].

An analysis of scientific standards in parasitology was carried out from the perspective of anthropology of knowledge - a new discipline that emerged from non-classical history science in the 1990s. The history of parasitology, its development and limitations, are presented in a broad socio-cultural context, as the answers of scientists to different social needs in historical periods. In parasitological history there are some periods characteristic for all newly emerging disciplines of natural science. The first systematic account of natural phenomena and their interpretations was initiated in the 16th century and continued till the mid 18th century. It was a period when the phenomena could not be explained in a proper way by the existing and accepted theories. The epidemic diseases were one of these phenomena which were interpreted based on ancient ideas, mostly humoral pathology. In the 16th century a new contagium concept of material factors (pathogenes) that could be spread by contact among humans or close association was formed. This hypothesis, however, was not widely accepted because it contradicted the well-established normative concepts in the European academic naturalism. The development of parasitology was stopped because of theoretical barriers and interpretation difficulties (non-materialistic standard of naturalism, humoral pathology and spontaneous theory). In the second half of the 18th century, the theoretical crisis in natural sciences gave a new impulse for many disciplines; among others, parasitology entered in its second stage of development. The collected observations were classified in a new way and in the context of new interpretations. The progress in parasitology was prompted by the intensified urbanization, rapid increase of European population as well as by wars connected with infections and epidemics. It resulted in two competitive research programs (the French and the German). On the basis of the same observations, they advanced different theoretical interpretations. The third period in the history of parasitology lasted from the mid 19th century to the end of World War I. At that time a common agreement was established in all Europe, with regard to interpretation of standards inspired by positivism, i.e. verification of empirical statements through observation. Parasitology emerged as a separate discipline. Theoretical barriers limiting its progress and setting the questions were overcome. The contagion concept was reinstated. The colonial conquests solving demography problem provided the most important social impulse for the progress in parasitology. It was supported by governments interested in having their colonies free from diseases, mainly malaria and other tropical diseases, and thus safe for the European pioneer settlers. There was also development of parasitological scientific institutions (institutes of tropical medicine) and didactics. After World War I parasitology entered the fruitful stage of discipline development which resulted in a division into subdisciplines and a progress of new scientific fields. Its theoretical standards have become fixed and provided a basis for preventive programmes against parasite diseases, supported financially by European goverments, USA and some other countries. Those programmes were executed both in the home countries and in the colonies. After World War II, in the fourth stage of parasitology development, attention was mainly paid to local natural environment in order to diagnose parasites and their vectors. At the same time, parasitology became an applied science practiced in many specialized centres not only at universities. Presently, the main aims of parasitology are studies on biodiversity of parasites and environmental protection in the developed countries, and within tropical medicine as the travel medicine, because of rapid increase of tourism.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Natural progression.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Biological Science Disciplines↗
PubMed2006

Kant on biological teleology: Towards a two-level interpretation.

According to Kant's Critique of the power of judgment, teleological considerations are unavoidable for conceptualizing organisms. Does this mean that teleology is more than merely heuristic? Kant stresses the regulative status of teleological attributions, but sometimes he seems to treat teleology as a constitutive condition for biology. To clarify this issue, the concept of natural purpose and its role for biology are examined. I suggest that the concept serves an identificatory function: it singles out objects as natural purposes, whereby the special science of biology is constituted. This relative constitutivity of teleology is explicated by means of a distinction of levels: on the object level of biological science, teleology is taken as constitutive, though it is merely regulative on the philosophical meta level. This distinction also concerns the place of Aristotelian teleology in Kant: on the object level, the Aristotelian view is accepted, whereas on the meta level, an agnostic stance is taken concerning teleology.

Biological Science Disciplines↗
PubMed2004

Short duration microgravity experiments in physical and life sciences during parabolic flights: the first 30 ESA campaigns.

Aircraft parabolic flights provide repetitively up to 20 s of reduced gravity during ballistic flight manoeuvres. Parabolic flights are used to conduct short microgravity investigations in Physical and Life Sciences, to test instrumentation and to train astronauts before a space flight. The European Space Agency (ESA) has organized since 1984 thirty parabolic flight campaigns for microgravity research experiments utilizing six different airplanes. More than 360 experiments were successfully conducted during more than 2800 parabolas, representing a cumulated weightlessness time of 15 h 30 m. This paper presents the short duration microgravity research programme of ESA. The experiments conducted during these campaigns are summarized, and the different airplanes used by ESA are shortly presented. The technical capabilities of the Airbus A300 'Zero-G' are addressed. Some Physical Science, Technology and Life Science experiments performed during the last ESA campaigns with the Airbus A300 are presented to show the interest of this unique microgravity research tool to complement, support and prepare orbital microgravity investigations.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed2003

[Ecological significance of electromagnetic fields: the 20th century--century of electricity, the 21st--century of magnetism].

INTRODUCTION: The biosphere consists of all ecosystems of earth and is characterized by electromagnetic fields of different frequencies. Physics and natural sciences and disciplines are focused on their origin and characteristics. NATURAL ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS: There is a well defined idea that natural electromagnetic activity of the Earth's atmosphere throughout evolution led to appearance of electromagnetic homeostasis, i.e. maintenance of inner electromagnetic mileu. It can be supposed that during the evolution of living organisms natural electromagnetic fields were associated with biochemical processes and as a result of natural selection became an important information system and obligatory component of life. RESULTS: The results presented here show that there is no reason to doubt that natural electromagnetic fields are an important ecologic factor. On the contrary, we have to emphasize that natural electromagnetic environment is necessary for life on the Earth. Today intensity of artificial electromagnetic fields is ten to hundred times higher than of natural electromagnetic fields. CONCLUSION: Danger from electromagnetic fields is an acute and actual problem which increases knowing that there won't be a spot without artificial electromagnetic field on our planet.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The ESA microgravity database.

To facilitate and optimise access to the results of previous microgravity experiments, ESA is establishing a Microgravity Database (MGDB). The database will give scientists access to descriptions of all experiments related to microgravity research carried out on ESA and NASA missions since the 1960s. MGDB incorporates both a local database available for PCs and Apple Macintoshes, and a remote database which can be accessed via the ESRIN Data Dissemination Network (DDN) and public X.25 networks.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed2001

Darwin, Cuvier and Geoffroy: comments and questions.

In writing, in the Origin of Species, of 'two great laws' on which organic beings are formed, 'Unity of Type' and 'Conditions of Existence', Darwin was referring to the famous opposition between Cuvier and Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, first stated publicly in the spring of 1830. After a brief statement of the chief points at issue in the debate, I raise the question of Darwin's attitude to the disagreement and the views of the two protagonists. There are numerous earlier, and some later, references to Cuvier and Geoffroy in the Darwin archives, notebooks, marginalia and correspondence. An examination of these materials suggests a shift in Darwin's sympathies, from Geoffroy to Cuvier. However, some of Geoffroy's principles are retained, and, in adopting Cuvier's phrase 'conditions of existence', Darwin partly alters its meaning. Finally, since originally, and in its adoption by such writers as Whewell and Owen, the expression 'conditions of existence' was interpreted as entailing design or final cause, I consider the vexed question of Darwin's attitude to teleology.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recent NASA research accomplishments aboard the ISS.

The activation of the US Laboratory Module "Destiny" on the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2001 launched a new era in microgravity research. Destiny provides the environment to conduct long-term microgravity research utilizing human intervention to assess, report, and modify experiments real time. As the only available pressurized space platform, ISS maximizes today's scientific resources and substantially increases the opportunity to obtain much longed-for answers on the effects of microgravity and long-term exposure to space. In addition, it evokes unexpected questions and results while experiments are still being conducted, affording time for changes and further investigation. While building and outfitting the ISS is the main priority during the current ISS assembly phase, seven different space station crews have already spent more than 2000 crew hours on approximately 80 scientific investigations, technology development activities, and educational demonstrations.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1994

"Every path will end in darkness" or: why psychoanalysis needs metapsychology.

This article focuses on the dialectic of metapsychology and hermeneutics in psychoanalysis. By combining the causal language of the former with the intentional terminology of the latter, Freud's discourse continuously transgresses the narrowly conceived boundaries of scientific disciplines and places its stakes in both the humanities and the natural sciences. The argument is made that attempts to reduce psychoanalytic theory to either causal explanation or interpretation of meaning turn it into a closed thought system and rob it of its vitality. It is argued, moreover, that although Freud understood himself to be a scientist, by eschewing the dichotomous reductionism characteristic of both his orthodox followers and critics who tried and still try to turn psychoanalysis into either a natural-science-like discipline or a hermeneutics, Freud demonstrated that his self-understanding was far more sophisticated than admitted by either of these two groups. This argument is supported by a detailed discussion of Freud's epistemological premises, his conception of science and reality, and especially, the place he allocated to metapsychology in his interdisciplinary science. It is claimed that metapsychology served Freud as a double-edged sword, both enabling creative and metaphorical thought about the mind's hidden reality and revealing the necessary incompleteness of hermeneutics. The article concludes with the claim that psychoanalysis needs metapsychology in order to pursue this dual task.

History, Modern 1601-↗
PubMed2005

Testing the limits of Henriques' proposal: Wittgensteinian lessons and hermeneutic dialogue.

The limits of Henriques' "overarching conceptions" approach to defining psychology is first tested by comparing and contrasting his conceptions to two burgeoning movements within psychology: qualitative research and spiritual therapy strategies. These movements were selected because they represent many other fragments of a fragmented psychology that could fall outside Henriques' disciplinary matrix. This comparison reveals how the broader discipline of psychology resists propositional definitions, such as Henriques' proposal. As the later work of Wittgenstein (1958) reveals, one cannot unite the various language games of a discipline's discourse communities through common overarching features. Next, another approach to unification and definition is outlined--hermeneutic dialogue. Unlike an overarching framework, hermeneutic dialogue does not require "joint points." In fact, it assumes that the richness and vitality of a discipline can be drained away by such "unifying" principles. Instead, hermeneutic dialogue is a way of relating and unifying while preserving the integrity and identity of even incommensurable factions within a discipline.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Putting the International Space Station to work.

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest international cooperative science and technology project ever undertaken. Involving the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and 10 ESA Member States, it is now rapidly becoming a reality in orbit, offering unprecedented access for research and applications under space conditions. Europe has invested heavily in this endeavour and plans to exploit that investment by a vigorous utilisation of the ISS for life and physical sciences research and applications, space science, Earth observation, space technology development, the promotion of commercial access to space, and the use of space for educational purposes. In recent years, ESA has engaged in an intensive promotional effort to encourage potential user communities to exploit the novel opportunities that the ISS offers. It has also made significant financial commitments to develop both multi-user facilities for life and physical sciences studies in the Columbus Laboratory, and observational and technology exposure instruments using the external Columbus mounting locations, as well as giving financial support to promote commercial and educational activities. ESA has now elaborated a European Strategy for the efficient utilisation of the ISS by European scientists and other users, which is being coordinated with the Agency's Member States contributing to the ISS Programme, and with the European Science Foundation (ESF). In cooperation with the European Commission, ESA is also fostering synergy with the European Commission's Framework Programmes in terms of shared R&D objectives. This article describes the plan that has been evolved to integrate all of these various elements.

Astronomical Phenomena↗