scholarly journals Constructing the persona of the Naturwissenschaftler – German book reviews on galvanism

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 681-709
Author(s):  
Alexander Stoeger

Scientific book reviews were an important genre in late-18thcentury German journals. The mostly anonymous reviewers regarded themselves as voices of the scientific community, judging the quality of new publications for its benefit. However, as this paper shows, some reviewers aspired to more than judging the books’ content. The reviewers of Christian Heinrich Pfaff ’s, Alexander von Humboldt’s, and Johann Wilhelm Ritter’s monographs on galvanism, published between 1796 and 1805, used the language of epistemic virtues and vices to present their readership with their ideal scientific persona meant to support the development of the empirical sciences.

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilia Estevam Cornélio ◽  
Neusa Maria Costa Alexandre ◽  
Thaís Moreira São-João

This was a systematic review aimed at identifying and characterizing measuring instruments, developed in the context of cardiology, which were adapted into Portuguese language of Brazil. Systematic searches were performed in six databases. Information extracted included cultural adaptation process and measurement properties. To assess the methodological quality of studies, criteria based on international guidelines for cultural adaptation of instruments were used. Among the 114 articles found, 14 were eligible for review. Of these, most evaluated quality of life (35.7%) and health knowledge/learning (28.6%). Most studies followed all stages of the adaptation process recommended in the literature. With respect to measurement properties, internal consistency, verified by Cronbach’s alpha, was the property reported in the majority of the studies, as well as construct and criterion validity. This study is expected to provide to the scientific community a critical evaluation of adapted questionnaires available in the context of cardiology.



2003 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1020-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Ventegodt ◽  
Joav Merrick

Existing standard statistical procedures do not seem to fulfill the needs of the researcher in global quality-of-life (QOL) research, because the most interesting question seems to be the exact size of statistical covariations. A method is necessary if we are to isolate the most important factors connected to quality of life among the thousands of possible factors in life. We have developed a new procedure we call �weight-modified linear regression�. Unfortunately as demonstrated in the discussion, the procedure is not totally without problems and weaknesses. In spite of the critique, we believe the procedure to be valid for the purpose of estimating the size of the covariation in population studies including psychometric measures of global quality of life. As we need to be certain that the procedure is valid, we hereby invite the scientific community to give us further critique of the method and suggestions for its improvement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-70
Author(s):  
Snjezana Prijic-Samarzija

The new and vibrant field of the epistemology of democracy, or the inquiry about the epistemic justification of democracy as a social system of procedures, institutions, and practices, as a cross-disciplinary endeavour, necessarily encounters both epistemologists and political philosophers. Despite possible complaints that this kind of discussion is either insufficiently epistemological or insufficiently political, my approach explicitly aims to harmonize the political and epistemic justification of democracy. In this article, I tackle some fundamental issues concerning the nature of the epistemic justification of democracy and the best theoretical framework for harmonizing political and epistemic values. I also inquire whether the proposed division of epistemic labour and the inclusion of experts can indeed improve the epistemic quality of decision-making without jeopardizing political justification. More specifically, I argue in favour of three theses. First, not only democratic procedures but also the outcomes of democracy, as a social system, need to be epistemically virtuous. Second, democracy?s epistemic virtues are more than just a tool for achieving political goals. Third, an appropriate division of epistemic labour has to overcome the limitations of both individual and collective intelligence.


10.28945/2459 ◽  
2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Cerrato

There is an increasing demand for what we can call pop-science that is pertinent scientific information dedicated to the non-specialists. This demand comes both from professional categories and the general public. Simultaneously in the scientific community there is an increasing consciousness that diffusion of the scientific information is an asset the scientific community cannot afford to overlook. The Internet is a perfect tool to meet this demand. It reaches a large and ever-increasing number of people and permits an interactive and detailed exchange of information. As an experiment of how to combine high quality services and the information technology, we have set up Ulisse - In the net of science (http://ulisse.sissa.it), an innovative Italian project for the popularisation of science via the Internet. Its main purpose is to establish a connection between scientists and the general public. Ulisse is based on three major characteristics: a) high technology to create an efficient and friendly system, b) customisation of the services, c) a network of scientists, which guaranteed the quality of the materials.


2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-792

Edwin S. Mills of Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University reviews “Lectures on Urban Economics” by Jan K. Brueckner. The EconLit abstract of the reviewed work begins: Presents a rigorous but nontechnical treatment of major topics in urban economics. Discusses why cities exist; analyzing urban spatial structure; modifications of the urban model; urban sprawl and land-use controls; freeway congestion; housing demand and tenure choice; housing policies; local public goods and services; pollution; crime; and urban quality-of-life measurement. Brueckner is Professor of Economics at the University of California, Irvine. Index.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1160
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Skourtis ◽  
Dimitra Stavroulaki ◽  
Varvara Athanasiou ◽  
Panagiota G. Fragouli ◽  
Hermis Iatrou

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, representing one third of global mortality. As existing therapies still have limited success, due to the inability to control the biodistribution of the currently approved drugs, the quality of life of these patients is modest. The advent of nanomedicine has brought new insights in innovative treatment strategies. For this reason, several novel nanotechnologies have been developed for both targeted and prolonged delivery of therapeutics to the cardiovascular system tο minimize side effects. In this regard, nanoparticles made of natural and/or synthetic nanomaterials, like liposomes, polymers or inorganic materials, are emerging alternatives for the encapsulation of already approved drugs to control their delivery in a targeted way. Therefore, nanomedicine has attracted the attention of the scientific community as a potential platform to deliver therapeutics to the injured heart. In this review, we discuss the current types of biomaterials that have been investigated as potential therapeutic interventions for CVDs as they open up a host of possibilities for more targeted and effective therapies, as well as minimally invasive treatments.


2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 776-777

Matthew J. Kotchen of Yale University reviews “Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future” by Matthew E. Kahn. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Explores how cities will adapt to the challenges of climate change, focusing on how geographical and socioeconomic factors will affect the quality of urban life in a hotter world. Discusses too much gas; what we've done when our cities have blown up; king of the hill; the case of Los Angeles; whether Manhattan will flood; whether China's cities will go green; effects and adaptations in developing countries; seize the day--opportunities from our hotter future; and the future of cities. Kahn is Professor with the Institute of the Environment, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. Index.”


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