A very brief history of respiratory biology

2019 ◽  
pp. 5-8
Author(s):  
Steven F. Perry ◽  
Markus Lambertz ◽  
Anke Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
History Of ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Respiratory Biology

A better understanding of what life is and how living organisms function has always been of crucial importance to humans, but ‘biology’ as a scientific discipline is quite young, the term being coined around 1800. Similarly, ‘respiratory biology’ as a discrete branch of biology is much younger and even today the term is not commonly used. However, the knowledge about life and the discovery and study of respiration as parts of other disciplines accumulated as a mosaic over the centuries. Some of the most important persons and their primary achievements in the field that we now call respiratory biology are summarized in this chapter.

Evolution of Biomineralization

1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz A. Lowenstam ◽  
Stephen Weiner
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Comparative Biology ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Hard Part ◽  
History Of ◽  
Acidic Proteins ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Time And Being

Biomineralization among living organisms is widespread, occurring in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It is diverse with some 60 or so minerals known to be formed by organisms under a wide variety of conditions. They are deposited at many different locations both inside and outside cells. Biomineralization occurs on such an enormous scale that it influences processes in the biosphere itself. It is, therefore, of interest to determine how this all came about—the evolution of biomineralization. The evolutionary history of biomineralization is a fascinating subject in its own right, which is the primary reason for including it in this book. However, a well-substantiated understanding of this subject is also of crucial importance to the interpretation of many aspects of research into the mechanisms of biomineralization in living organisms. An example is the observation by Veis et al. (1986) that antibodies raised against the rat incisor acidic proteins, phosphophoryns, crossreact with proteins extracted from a sea urchin test. The proteins presumably share some similar molecular structures. Did they inherit them from a common ancestor or did they evolve independently from each other to fulfill similar functions? This type of question can be asked about many comparative studies in biomineralization between phyla or even within lower taxa of the same phyla. As long as we do not have answers to these questions, the powerful tool of comparative biology in biomineralization is compromised. Studying the evolution of biomineralization has one enormous advantage over many other topics in evolutionary biology; the very material that we are interested in has the best chance of surviving the vagaries of time and being preserved in the fossil record. The fossil record at least during the last 600 million years or so is, for the most part, a documentation of remnants of the history of mineralized hard part formation by organisms. Thus, the evolution of biomineralization is one topic that can, and that should be based on the direct documentation of the fossil record. This is the way it is presented in this chapter. The corollary of this statement is also worth considering. The fossil record should be interpreted bearing in mind the evolution of biomineralization.

scholarly journals Ernst von Leyden (1832–1910): a pioneer in making oncology a respected medical discipline

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Voswinckel ◽  
Nils Hansson
Keyword(s):  
International Association ◽  
German Society ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Medical Discipline ◽  
History Of ◽  
National Socialists ◽  
New Research ◽  
German Physician

Abstract Purpose This article presents new research on the role of the renowned German physician Ernst von Leyden (1832–1910) in the emergence of oncology as a scientific discipline. Methods The article draws on archival sources from the archive of the German Society of Haematology and primary and secondary literature. Results Leyden initiated two important events in the early history of oncology: the first international cancer conference, which took place in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1906, and the founding of the first international association for cancer research (forerunner of today's UICC) in Berlin in 1908. Unfortunately, these facts are not mentioned in the most recent accounts. Both had a strong impact on the professionalization of oncology as a discipline in its own right. Conclusion Although not of Jewish origin, von Leyden was considered by the National Socialists to be “Jewish tainted”, which had a lasting effect on his perception at home and abroad.

scholarly journals RADIOCARBON DATES FROM THE MONASTERY ON KOM H IN OLD DONGOLA (SUDAN) AND THE CHRONOLOGY OF MEDIEVAL NUBIAN POTTERY

Radiocarbon ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Dorota Dzierzbicka ◽  
Katarzyna Danys
Keyword(s):  
Historical Research ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
14Th Century ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACT The paper presents and discusses a series of radiocarbon (14C) dates from a medieval Nubian monastery found on Kom H of Old Dongola, the capital of the kingdom of Makuria located in modern-day Sudan. The monastery was founded in the 6th–7th century AD and although it probably ceased to function in the 14th century, the site remained occupied until the beginning of the 15th century. The investigated courtyard of the monastery was in use from the 11th to the 14th century, as indicated by the ceramics and 14C analysis results presented here. The dates under consideration are the first published series of 14C dates from this site, which is of crucial importance for historical research on medieval Nubian Christianity and monasticism. They permit to begin building an absolute chronological framework for research on the archaeological finds from the site and region. A group of finds in particular need of such a framework are ceramics, and the implications of the 14C dates for pottery assemblages found in the dated contexts are discussed. The conclusions summarize the significance of the datings for the history of the site.

scholarly journals A Few Issues Surrounding Research into the General History of Chinese Film

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Yaping Ding
Keyword(s):  
Film History ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
History Writing ◽  
Chinese Film ◽  
Comprehensive View ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
History Of

Abstract The practice of film history highlights the value and significance of the researcher. A more comprehensive view of the situation of film history raises several issues. General research into the history of film is directly related to the production of film history. The question of how to reinvent general film history research is necessarily connected to ideologies, cultures, systems and concepts, as well as the broad scope and complexity of film history. Writing a general history of Chinese film demands a combination of innovation and continuing tradition, with an emphasis on the construction of a rational and scientific discipline of film history and historical empiricism. The aim should be a more rational history. The paper expresses my own thoughts and efforts with respect to relevant issues and attempts to deepen and open up general research into the history of Chinese film.

Natural history of ABC systems: not only transporters

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 19-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie Dassa
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Abc Proteins ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective ◽  
Living Organisms

In recent years, our understanding of the functioning of ABC (ATP-binding cassette) systems has been boosted by the combination of biochemical and structural approaches. However, the origin and the distribution of ABC proteins among living organisms are difficult to understand in a phylogenetic perspective, because it is hard to discriminate orthology and paralogy, due to the existence of horizontal gene transfer. In this chapter, I present an update of the classification of ABC systems and discuss a hypothetical scenario of their evolution. The hypothetical presence of ABC ATPases in the last common ancestor of modern organisms is discussed, as well as the additional possibility that ABC systems might have been transmitted to eukaryotes, after the two endosymbiosis events that led to the constitution of eukaryotic organelles. I update the functional information of selected ABC systems and introduce new families of ABC proteins that have been included recently into this vast superfamily, thanks to the availability of high-resolution three-dimensional structures.

scholarly journals HENRI LÉVY-BRUHL’S DOCTRINE ON LAW AND ON THE FORMATION OF LEGAL SCIENCE OF A NEW TYPE

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
Владимир Пужаев ◽  
Vladimir Puzhaev
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Sociology Of Law ◽  
Legal Anthropology ◽  
Legal Doctrine ◽  
Judicial Practice ◽  
True Source ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Type ◽  
History Of Law

The article is devoted to the investigation of legal ideas of Henri Lévy-Bruhl, a French lawyer and sociologist of the XX century, who is considered to be one of the founders of contemporary sociology of law, legal ethnography and legal anthropology. The author of the article analyzes the late articles of Henri Lévy-Bruhl. The author of the article examines the notion “juristique”, introduced by the French professor, and investigates its methodological and substantial peculiarities. As a scientific discipline, “juristique” was supposed to be shaped through the integration of sociology of law, history of law and comparative law into a body. The author also pays special attention to H. Lévy-Bruhl’s theoretical views on the question of law and mechanisms of its formation, on subjects of law-making and sources of law. In particular, the author considers Lévy-Bruhl’s views of collective opinion as the only true source of law, customs’ priority over legislation among all forms of law, judicial practice as the modality of a custom. The key role of Durkheim’s sociology in the shaping of Henri Lévy-Bruhl’s legal views is also highlighted. Henri Lévy-Bruhl’s particular ideas are compared with the doctrine of historical school of law. The final part of the article is devoted to formulating a series of theses which reflect the peculiarities of Henri Lévy-Bruhl’s legal views and his role in contemporary legal doctrine.

scholarly journals Temptation, Resistance, and Art Objects: On the Lack of Material Theory within Art History before the Material Turn

2019 ◽  
pp. 5-23
Author(s):  
Charolotta Krispinsson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Culture ◽  
Art History ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Simple Fact ◽  
Culture Studies ◽  
Visual Culture Studies ◽  
Art Historians ◽  
History Of ◽  
Material Turn

Niccolò di Pietro Gerini's painting “The Temptation of Saint Anthony” (1390-1400) serves as a point of departure for this essay. It depicts Saint Anthony during a lapse of self-control as he attempts to resist an alluring mound of gold. Since the mound is in fact made of genuine gold leaves applied to the painting's surface, it works both as a representation of temptation as well as an object of desire affecting the beholder. The aim of this essay is to explore different approaches to materiality before the material turn within the art history discipline by examining two opposing directions within the writing and practice of art history:  the tradition of connoisseurship; and the critique of the fetish within the theoretical apparatus of new art history and visual culture studies of the 1980s and 90s. As an expression of positivism within art history, it is argued that connoisseurship be considered within the context of its empirical practices dealing with objects. What is commonly described as the connoisseur's “taste” or “love for art” would then be just another way to describe the intimate relationship formed between art historians and the very objects under their scrutiny. More than other humanist disciplines, art history is, with the possible exception of archaeology, an object-based discipline. It is empirically anchored in the unruly, deep sea of objects commonly known as the history of art. Still, there has been a lack of in-depth theoretical reflection on the materiality of artworks in the writings of art historians before the material turn. The question however, is not ifthis is so, but rather, why?In this essay, it is suggested that the art history discipline has been marked by a complicated love-hate relationship with the materiality of which the very objects of study, more often than not, are made of; like Saint Anthony who is both attracted to and repelled by the shapeless mass of gold that Lucifer tempts him with. While connoisseurship represents attraction, resistance to the allure of objects can be traced to the habitual critique of fetishism of the first generations of visual culture studies and new art history. It reflects a negative stance towards objects and the material aspect of artworks, which enhanced a conceived dichotomy between thinking critically and analytically in contrast to managing documents and objects in archives and museum depositories. However, juxtaposing the act of thinking with the practice of manual labour has a long tradition in Western intellectual history. Furthermore, it is argued that art history cannot easily be compared to the history of other disciplines because of the simple fact that artworks are typically quite expensive and unique commodities, and as such, they provoke not just aesthetic but also fetishist responses. Thus, this desire to separate art history as a scientific discipline from the fetishism of the art market has had the paradoxical effect of causing art historians to shy away from developing methodologies and theory about materiality as an act of resistance. 

Establishing a New Information Paradigm

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dail DeWitt Doucette
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
New Information ◽  
Chinese Association ◽  
Academic Information ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Beijing China

This paper suggests a new information paradigm and recommends the establishment of a new academic and scientific discipline, or a metaphysics of information, to be built on the premise that information is also a part of all the universes, elements, systems, and conditions. Therefore, it is also an integral part of all the other individual disciplines and sciences. It is essential to look beyond the limitations of how humans use and perceive information, or even how other living organisms use information. It is proposed that information is in a continuous and dynamic evolutionary process that ranges from simple to complex forms, at every level, across all scientific and academic domains, as well as being a significant element in everything that exists. Information is a trigger mechanism, an emphasis and a nutrient, not only for information activities, but also all physical, and biological elements, systems and activities. Each existing discipline has within it a significant core informational element, which helps formulate and define that discipline. The science of information will bring together core science and academic information elements to correlate, compare and assemble a combined theoretical base. This new discipline should coexist equally with traditional scientific and academic categories such as physical, social science, arts, and humanities. It should not compete with or replace other disciplines but should stand alongside them and assist them to build comparisons and consolidations amongst multiple disciplines regarding information theories, methodologies, practices—by adding new perspectives, resources, and developments. This paper is adapted from a presentation to the Fourth International Conference on the Foundation of Information Science, held in conjunction with the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence at the Huazhiong University of Science and Technology in August 2010 in Beijing, China.

scholarly journals Foundations of the aspect of health care and two hundred years since the birth of Florence Nightingale 1820-1910

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 83-90
Author(s):  
Damir Peličić
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Nursing Profession ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
International Council ◽  
Florence Nightingale ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 19Th Century

Nursery has existed throughout history and it dates back to the very beginning of humankind. It was mentioned in church books and other written texts but not as a skill or science, but as an occupation reserved for the members of monastic orders, and also for women, that is, mothers, and nuns. First, nursing was an occupation, then a skill, but at the end of the 20th century, it became a scientific discipline. Florence Nightingale is certainly one of the most significant women in the history of nursing, medicine, and society in general because she is the pioneer of the nursing profession that has continuity up to nowadays. She was born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy and died on August 13, 1910, in London. Florence Nightingale worked as a nurse, organizer, researcher, statistician, reformer, writer and a teacher. She reformed nursery and public health. In 1860, she established the school for nurses within St. Thomas' Hospital and she took care of every protégé. In spite of all obstacles, which she was faced with, and the unenviable position of women in the 19th century, she made a huge move that changed the context of this profession forever. She had a huge influence on the Swiss philanthropist Henry Dunant (1828-1910), who was the founder of the Red Cross. In 1867, the International Council of Nurses proclaimed that her birthday would be the International Nurses Day. She was the first woman who was awarded the Medal of virtues. In 1908, she was conferred the Order of Merit by King Edward. She wrote more than 200 books and the Pledge.

Westerse filosofie en de koorddans tussen geloof en weten

2021 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-234
Author(s):  
Pieter Pekelharing
Keyword(s):  
Collective Learning ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Western Philosophy ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
The West ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Axial Age ◽  
Modern Thought ◽  
History Of ◽  
Nature And Society

Abstract Western philosophy and the tightrope between faith and knowledge In Auch eine Geschichte der Philosophie (2019), Habermas develops a new view of the history of philosophy. Dating philosophy back to the axial age, he presents its history as the result of a collective learning process, spanning a period of three millennia. In this new approach he highlights the crucial importance of faith and religion which resulted in a specific constellation of belief and knowledge that, though unique to the West, has universal import, and led to greater ‘reasonable freedom (Vernüftige Freiheit). In Habermas’ view The West’s Judeo-Christian heritage was not a passing phase in the emergence of modern thought and politics, but contributed its essential core. Though sympathetic to the idea of learning processes spanning many centuries, one may ask whether reasoning and learning processes always tend to lead, as Habermas claims, in the direction of greater freedom instead of its opposite. In this respect Habermas could have learnt more from the sceptical tradition in philosophy and its persistent interest in the various ways in which reasoning processes are non-cognitively embedded in human nature and society and influence the direction these processes take.

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