scholarly journals Bioactivity—Symphony or Cacophony? A Personal View of a Tangled Field

Prosthesis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-84
Author(s):  
Brian W Darvell
Keyword(s):  
Active Material ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Personal View ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Real Progress ◽  
Scientific Sense

In the pursuit of better treatments, the concept of a chemically-active material, responding to local conditions by causing reactions, or reacting to produce substances that are deemed beneficial, seems laudable. Ultimately, the goal appears to be to recruit natural biological processes such that a natural ‘repair’ is effected. This goal seems to be the reason for prefixing “bio-” to many terms with a view to advertising the desire, yet without presenting evidence that it has occurred, or indeed that it is capable of occurring, relying instead on non-biological processes to justify the claims. The dogma is such that all work where local ‘responsive’ chemistry is involved must receive the label “bioactive” to legitimize and promote. Nevertheless, the primary evidence adduced is flawed, and the claim must fail. A rethink to restore scientific sense and confidence in the endeavour is essential if real progress is to be made.

Uncertainty In Geology

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. John Mann
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Set Theory ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Possibility Theory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Geologic Repository ◽  
Normal Probability ◽  
Us Epa ◽  
Probability Density Function Pdf ◽  
Scientific Sense

The nuclear waste programs of the United States and other countries have forced geologists to think specifically about probabilities of natural events, because the legal requirements to license repositories mandate a probabilistic standard (US EPA, 1985). In addition, uncertainties associated with these probabilities and the predicted performance of a geologic repository must be stated clearly in quantitative terms, as far as possible. Geoscientists rarely have thought in terms of stochasticity or clearly stated uncertainties for their results. All scientists are taught to acknowledge uncertainty and to specify the quantitative uncertainty in each derived or measured value, but this has seldom been done in geology. Thus, the nuclear waste disposal program is forcing us to do now what we should have been doing all along: acknowledge in quantitative terms what uncertainty is associated with each quantity that is employed, whether deterministically or probabilistically. Uncertainty is a simple concept ostensibly understood to mean that which is indeterminate, not certain, containing doubt, indefinite, problematical, not reliable, or dubious. However, uncertainty in a scientific sense demonstrates a complexity which often is unappreciated. Some types of uncertainty are difficult to handle, if they must be quantified, and a completely satisfactory treatment may be impossible. Initially, only uncertainty associated with measurement, was quantified. The Gaussian, or normal, probability density function (pdf) was recognized by Carl Friedrich Gauss as he studied errors in his measurements two centuries ago and developed a theory of errors still being used today. This was the only type of uncertainty that scientists acknowledged until Heisenberg stated his famous uncertainty principle in 1928. As information theory evolved during and after World War II, major advances were made in semantic uncertainty. Today, two major types of uncertainty are generally recognized (Klir and Folger, 1988): ambiguity or nonspecificity and vagueness or fuzziness. These can be subdivided further into seven types having various measures of uncertainty based on probability theory, set theory, fuzzy-set theory, and possibility theory.

scholarly journals Nature Protection in Denmark

Oryx ◽  
1954 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 376-378
Author(s):  
A. M. V. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Peat Bog ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
The North ◽  
The Government ◽  
First Nature ◽  
Scientific Sense

Nature protection in the scientific sense began in Denmark in 1844 when a peat bog to the north of Copenhagen was protected by royal edict. Throughout the nineteenth century many other areas ranging from dune and heathland to single trees, were acquired by the government for protection. The Danish Association for Nature Protection was founded in 1911, followed in 1917 by the passing of the first nature protection act.

scholarly journals Notes on Idiocy

1861 ◽  
Vol 7 (38) ◽  
pp. 232-252
Author(s):  
P. Martin Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Social System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Scientific Sense ◽  
Made In

It is remarkable, considering the advance which has been made in the study of the diseases of the mind during this century, that so little is still known concerning idiocy and idiots. With an increasing population, there is no decrease in the numbers of these helpless beings; their origin is connected with the, apparently, inevitable results of our social system; their very existence is, in most instances, a natural protest against vexatious and unreasonable interference with those great laws which govern the well-being of communities; and, both in a scientific sense as well as in a philanthropical, they have great claims for consideration.

scholarly journals METHOD OF "SOCIAL WELFARE" OF VILHELM LUNDSTEDT

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-149
Author(s):  
Dmitrii E. Tonkov
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Real World ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Coherence Analysis ◽  
Legal Realism ◽  
Social Purpose ◽  
Legal Method ◽  
Sociological Jurisprudence ◽  
Legal Thinking ◽  
Scientific Sense

Critical attitude of Axel Hägerström was enthusiastically carried by his follower Vilhelm Lundstedt, who, according to Scandinavian legal realism, sought to make jurisprudence a science based on verifiable facts. He sharply criticized any inclusion of metaphysics into law, especially considerations of justice. In V. Lundstedt’s opinion, law is an intricate machinery which is kept going by means of psychological impulses of man, his senses, instincts and emotions and which is controlled by legislation, administration of law, courts, administrative activities on the part of persons elected or appointed to fulfill certain functions in society and the application of some other measures of coercion. Traditional legal theories, including positivism and sociological jurisprudence, V. Lundstedt considered to be unscientific and completely irrational, based on ideological conceptions unrelated to verifiable facts. According to him, concepts of traditional jurisprudence do not correspond to the real world and exist only as feelings in our mind: these "false ideas" can only be used as "labels" denoting certain realities. However, V. Lundtstedt’s concept consisted not only of criticism but also offered constructive elements for improving jurisprudence and legal method in a more natural-scientific sense. Instead of the rejected ideologized "method of justice", that uses only different concepts of objectively non-existent justice, V. Lundstedt offers his "method of social welfare", that is understood as the encouragement in the best possible way of that which people in general actually strive to attain. According to this method the reason for the existence and operation of law is the satisfaction of social needs: law creates new and changes old legal relations for a social purpose, that is, for the benefit of society, or "social welfare". Despite V. Lundstedt’s rather extensive presentation and passionate defense of constructed method, it caused reasonable criticism regarding its originality, sufficient elaboration and coherence. Analysis of the content of the method of "social welfare" and its criticism in relation to utilitarianism, the falsity of the highlighted human strivings, insufficiency of the method in some judicial cases, as well as the impossibility of solving simultaneously theoretical and practical problems, raises doubts about the success of V. Lundstedt’s desirable "basic reshaping of legal thinking", but inspires for further researches in the field of law.

scholarly journals USE OF SIMULATORS FOR LABORATORY EQUIPMENT IN ACTIVITY OF INVESTIGATIVE PLAYFUL EXPERIMENTATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

2011 ◽  
Vol 08 (16) ◽  
pp. 32-41
Author(s):  
N. OLIVEIRA ◽  
F.E. BENEDETI ◽  
A.R. FIORUCCI ◽  
L.P. dos S. BENEDETTI ◽  
M.R.M. de O. BELOTO
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Acid Base ◽  
Individual Activity ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Separation Of Mixtures ◽  
Scientific Sense

This article relates the construction and the use of simulators of laboratory materials in activities of simple experimentation, using material and alternative reagent. Apart from not residually interfering with the environment, the manipulation of the aforementioned materials does not expose students to any risk. Thereby, such activities can be developed especially in those schools in which a laboratory is not available. The simulators perfectly responded to the expected purposes of the activities, demonstrating the possibility of becoming an excellent didactic resource. The 50 minutes period was enough to develop each individual activity; furthermore, the classroom was the physical space used for the execution of such activities. At the beginning, a study case was presented and students were encouraged to formulate and discuss their hypothesis. In the course of the activities, it was possible to bring students to deconstruct concepts of common sense related to the themes discussed – acid, base, separation of mixtures, amongst others – reconstructing them from the scientific sense. This reconstruction took place in a relaxed atmosphere in which mistakes were corrected without resulting in embarrassments. Meanings were not imposed; instead, they were built by all. Some students reconsidered their initial concepts – incorrect knowledge they had about a specific phenomenon – welcoming the ideas from other students who were better able to explain such phenomenon.

scholarly journals Formação Gerontológica: narração crítica em torno do aprendizado de alunos em casas de longa permanência

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agostinho Both ◽  
Mara Regina Viecili Azambuja
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Social Interventions ◽  
Social Events ◽  
De Se ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The University ◽  
Scientific Sense

Resumo: O texto apresenta-se em narrativas críticas a partir dos relatórios de uma prática de aprendizado em casas asilares, na Disciplina de Psicologia do Desenvolvimento III, produzidas pelas alunas do curso de psicologia da Universidade de Passo Fundo, no ano de 2000. A idéia central reside na crítica em torno do aprendizado acadêmico, o qual se realiza sem a preocupação de desenvolver o sentido das responsabilidades éticas face aos conhecimentos gerontológicos. O propósito das narrativas pretende evidenciar a importância de um aprendizado que aproxima o senso científico ao desenvolvimento ético dos alunos. A intenção deste texto reside no fato de se aperfeiçoar o aprendizado acadêmico, o qual possui, como regra fundamental, a racionalidade atenta aos problemas, enquanto metodologicamente correta. A análise qualitativa do relato das alunas, pretendeu desenvolver um perfil universitário vinculado à moralidade e, como conseqüência, à busca de costumes sociais mais justos. Em conclusão, pode-se dizer que as alunas revelam perplexidade e impotência diante de um quadro social de muito sofrimento e de pouco aprendizado prático no espaço acadêmico. Evidenciou-se a necessidade de intervenções sociais mais convenientes junto às casas asilares. Palavras-chave: Formação. Ética e Velhice. Abstract: The text consists in a critical narration of a learning practice in old assistant houses, in Development Psychology III subject, produced by the psychology´s students from the University of Passo Fundo, in the year of 2000. The main idea is the critique on academic learning which takes place without worrying about developing the meaning of ethical responsibilities facing the gerontology knowledge. The narration intends to make evident the importance of a learning which approximates the scientific sense and the ethical development of the students. The intention of the analysis is to improve the academic learning, that has as a rule, the rationality looking for the problems, while this is methodologically correct. The qualitative analysis of the students effort was, by seeing the elderly more closely, and staying with them for a long time, to try to develop a university profile linked to morality and, as a result, to get correct social events. To close, the students revealed perplexity and impotence facing a social picture of suffer, and about the practical learning, they get almost nothing. It became evident the need of more convenient social interventions in the old assistant houses. Keywords: Formation. Ethics and Old Age.

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