Gadamers hermeneutik och naturvetenskaplig experimentering

I detta arbete undersöks naturvetenskaplig kunskap ur ett filosofiskt perspektiv. Arbetets centrala ämne är det naturvetenskapliga experimenterandets praktiska aspekter och deras anknytningar till den teoretiska naturvetenskapliga kunskapen. Ämnet behandlas med hjälp av Hans-Georg Gadamers hermeneutiska filosofi i boken Wahrheit und Methode. Gadamers utgångspunkt i denna bok är att hermeneutiken beskriver vad som händer i texttolkning då en tolkare förstår en skriven text, men han antyder också att hermeneutiken har vidare tillämpningsområden, till och med att den universalt beskriver alla former av mänsklig förståelse. Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur Gadamers hermeneutik kan tillämpas på naturvetenskaplig förståelse och vilka ändringar man då måste införliva i hermeneutiken samt att skissa grunddragen för en hermeneutisk modell av naturvetenskaplig kunskap. I arbetet presenteras först de centrala elementen i Gadamers hermeneutiska filosofi, speciellt föromdömens positiva inverkan på tolkandet och den verkningshistoriska effekten bakom varje tolkning. Sedan diskuteras bristerna i Gadamers argument för hermeneutikens universalitet, speciellt hans starka betoning av språket som grunden för all förståelse. Om Gadamers hermeneutik skall kunna tillämpas på naturvetenskapens område måste även observationer kunna vara föremål för tolkning. De dominanta trenderna i vetenskapsfilosofin då Gadamer skrev Wahrheit und Methode är en förklaring till att Gadamer starkt förbinder sig till textförståelsen och oftast diskuterar den naturvetenskapliga kunskapen endast som en negativ motpol till den humanvetenskapliga. Vetenskapsfilosofins utveckling efter Wahrheit und Methode, speciellt det faktum att fullständig objektivitet inte mera anses vara ett realistiskt ideal, höjer förväntningarna på hermeneutikens värde för naturvetenskapernas filosofi. Till följande diskuteras tre bidrag till naturvetenskapernas filosofi som är speciellt värdefulla för en hermeneutiken. Den första av dessa är Sylvain Brombergers analys av ovisshet i vetenskapliga undersökningar. Bromberger hävdar att vetenskaplig forskning riktas mot frågor vars svar forskaren inte kan föreställa sig på förhand. Brombergers analys tyder på att det finns en hermeneutisk dialektik av frågor och svar i naturvetenskapliga experiment där forskaren strävar till att göra observationer för att besvara sina frågor. Det andra bidraget är Michael Polanyis studie av den praktiska och personliga kunskapens betydelse för all vetenskaplig forskning. Här är speciellt det vetenskapliga språkets utveckling i samband med experimentering av intresse. Det tredje bidraget är Robert Creases studie av experimentella observationer som visar att observationstolkning innefattar många element som kan förknippas med hermeneutiken. Analysen av de tre ovannämnda studierna leder till följande slutsatser. Den naturvetenskapliga forskningens hermeneutiska element förväntas vara starkt framför allt i experimentell forskning där forskaren utreder nya frågor i en kontinuerlig dialog av tekniskt prövande, praktisk identifiering och språklig beskrivning av nya fenomen. Speciellt beaktansvärd är skillnaden mellan verifierande och upptäckande naturvetenskapliga undersökningar. Tidigare resultat kan verifieras med hjälp av mätningar som specificeras på förhand, men ingen kan på förhand specificera de tekniska och språkliga steg som krävs för ett framgångsrikt upptäckande experiment. Experimentella upptäckter kräver därför en praktisk kunskap som inte kan reduceras till ren teori eller metodologi. Denna praktiska kunskap kan beskrivas med hjälp av Gadamers hermeneutik. Till sist diskuteras vissa grundläggande drag som kan sägas vara karakteristiska för en hermeneutisk modell av naturvetenskaplig kunskap. Speciellt den naturvetenskapliga kunskapens historiska natur, fördomarnas betydelse i naturvetenskaplig forskning samt vikten av forskarens personliga perspektiv i den naturvetenskapliga observationen är viktiga stöttestenar som gör att den hermeneutiska naturvetenskapsmodellen skiljer sig betydligt från modeller som betonar naturvetenskapernas objektivitet. Men det hermeneutiska perspektivet utesluter inte nödvändigtvis andra perspektiv. Dess huvudsakliga nytta är att den tillåter oss att undersöka sidor av naturvetenskaplig kunskap som objektivitetsbetonande modeller lämnar alltför mycket i skymundan. Till dessa hör speciellt det praktiska arbetet i naturvetenskaplig experimentering.

A mathematical analysis of nonlinear waves in a fluid filled visco-elastic tube

Our investigations in this paper are centred around the mathematical analysis of a ldquomodal waverdquo problem. We have considered the axisymmetric flow of an inviscid liquid in a thinwalled viscoelastic tube under certain simplifying assumptions. We have first derived the propagation space equations in the long wave limit and also given a general procedure to derive these equations for arbitrary wave length, when the flow is irrotational. We have used the method of operators of multiple scales to derive the nonlinear Schrödinger equation governing the modulation of periodic waves and we have elaborated on the ldquolong modulated wavesrdquo and the ldquomodulated long wavesrdquo. We have also examined the existence and stability of Stokes waves in this system. This is followed by a discussion of the progressive wave solutions of the long wave equations. One of the most important results of our paper is that the propagation space equations are no longer partial differential equations but they are in terms of pseudo-differential operators.Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen beziehen sich auf die mathematische Behandlung des ldquorModalwellenrdquo-Problems. Die achsensymmetrische Strömung einer nichtviskosen Flüssigkeit in einem dünnwandigen viskoelastischen Rohr, unter bestimmten vereinfachenden Annahmen, wird betrachtet. Zuerst werden die Gleichungen des Ausbreitungsraumes im Langwellenbereich abgeleitet und eine allgemeine Methode zur Herleitung dieser Gleichungen für beliebige Wellenlängen bei nichtrotierender Strömung angegeben. Eine Operatorenmethode mit multiplem Maßstab wird verwendet zur Herleitung der nichtlinearen Schrödinger-Gleichung für die Modulation der periodischen Wellen, und die ldquorlangmodulierten Wellenrdquo sowie die ldquormodulierten Langwellenrdquo werden aufgezeigt. Weiters wird die Existenz und die Stabilität der Stokes-Wellen im System untersucht. Anschließend werden die progressiven Wellenlösungen der Langwellengleichungen diskutiert. Eines der wichtigsten Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit ist, daß die Gleichungen des Ausbreitungsraumes keine partiellen Differentialgleichungen mehr sind, sondern Ausdrücke von Pseudo-Differentialoperatoren.

A Direct Approach to the Problem of Diffraction by a Half-Plane under Mixed Boundary Conditions

A general direct technique of solving a mixed boundary value problem in the theory of diffraction by a semi-infinite plane is presented. Taking account of the correct edge-conditions, the unique solution of the problem is derived, by means of Jones' method in the theory of Wiener-Hopf technique, in the case of incident plane wave. The solution of the half-plane problem is found out in exact form. (The far-field is derived by the method of steepest descent.) It is observed that it is not the Wiener-Hopf technique which really needs any modification but a new technique is certainly required to handle the peculiar type of coupled integral equations which the Wiener-Hopf technique leads to. Eine allgemeine direkte Technik zur Lösung eines gemischten Randwertproblems in der Theorie der Beugung an einer halbunendlichen Ebene wird vorgestellt. Unter Berücksichtigung der korrekten Eckbedingungen wird mit der Methode von Jones aus der Theorie der Wiener-Hopf-Technik die eindeutige Lösung für den Fall der einfallenden ebenen Welle hergeleitet. Die Lösung des Halbebenenproblems wird in exakter Form angegeben. (Das Fernfeld wurde mit der Methode des steilsten Abstiegs bestimmt.) Es wurde bemerkt, daß es nicht die Wiener-Hopf-Technik ist, die wirklich irgend welcher Modifikationen bedurfte. Gewiß aber wird eine neue Technik zur Behandlung des besonderen Typs gekoppelter Integralgleichungen benötigt, auf die die Wiener-Hopf-Technik führt.

Emerging bioenergy business at Finnish independent industrial sawmills

Finnish forest industry is in the middle of a radical change. Deepening recession and the falling demand of woodworking industry´s traditional products have forced also sawmilling industry to find new and more fertile solutions to improve their operational preconditions. In recent years, the role of bioenergy production has often been highlighted as a part of sawmills´ business repertoire. Sawmilling produces naturally a lot of by-products (e.g. bark, sawdust, chips) which could be exploited more effectively in energy production, and this would bring more incomes or maybe even create new business opportunities for sawmills. Production of bioenergy is also supported by government´s climate and energy policies favouring renewable energy sources, public financial subsidies, and soaring prices of fossil fuels. Also the decreasing production of domestic pulp and paper industry releases a fair amount of sawmills´ by-products for other uses. However, bioenergy production as a part of sawmills´ by-product utilization has been so far researched very little from a managerial point of view. The purpose of this study was to explore the relative significance of the main bioenergy-related processes, resources and factors at Finnish independent industrial sawmills including partnerships, cooperation, customers relationships and investments, and also the future perspectives of bioenergy business at these sawmills with the help of two resource-based approaches (resource-based view, natural-resource-based view). Data of the study comprised of secondary data (e.g. literature), and primary data which was attracted from interviews directed to sawmill managers (or equivalent persons in charge of decisions regarding bioenergy production at sawmill). While a literature review and the Delphi method with two questionnaires were utilized as the methods of the study. According to the results of the study, the most significant processes related to the value chain of bioenergy business are connected to raw material availability and procurement, and customer relationships management. In addition to raw material and services, the most significant resources included factory and machinery, personnel, collaboration, and geographic location. Long-term cooperation deals were clearly valued as the most significant form of collaboration, and especially in processes connected to raw material procurement. Study results also revealed that factors related to demand, subsidies and prices had highest importance in connection with sawmills´ future bioenergy business. However, majority of the respondents required that certain preconditions connected to the above-mentioned factors should be fulfilled before they will continue their bioenergy-related investments. Generally, the answers showed a wide divergence of opinions among the respondents which may refer to sawmills´ different emphases and expectations concerning bioenergy. In other words, bioenergy is still perceived as a quite novel and risky area of business at Finnish independent industrial sawmills. These results indicate that the massive expansion of bioenergy business at private sawmills in Finland is not a self-evident truth. The blocking barriers seem to be connected mainly to demand of bioenergy and money. Respondents´ answers disseminated a growing dissatisfaction towards the policies of authorities, which don´t treat equally sawmill-based bioenergy compared to other forms of bioenergy. This proposition was boiled down in a sawmill manager´s comment: “There is a lot of bioenergy available, if they just want to make use of it.” It seems that the positive effects of government´s policies favouring the renewables are not taking effect at private sawmills. However, as there anyway seems to be a lot of potential connected to emerging bioenergy business at Finnish independent industrial sawmills, there is also a clear need for more profound future studies over this topic.

A Study on the Success Potential of Multiple Mobile Payment Technologies

Payment systems all over the world have grown into a complicated web of solutions. This is more challenging in the case of mobile based payment systems. Mobile based payment systems are many and consist of different technologies providing different services. The diffusion of these various technologies in a market is uncertain. Diffusion theorists, for example Rogers, and Davis suggest how innovation is accepted in markets. In the case of electronic payment systems, the tale of Mondex vs Octopus throws interesting insights on diffusion. Our paper attempts to understand the success potential of various mobile payment technologies. We illustrate what we describe as technology breadth in mobile payment systems using data from payment systems all over the world (n=62). Our data shows an unexpected superiority of SMS technology, over other technologies like NFC, WAP and others. We also used a Delphi based survey (n=5) with experts to address the possibility that SMS will gain superiority in market diffusion. The economic conditions of a country, particularly in developing countries, the services availed and characteristics of the user (for example number of un-banked users in large populated countries) may put SMS in the forefront. This may be true more for micro payments using the mobile.

Repositórios institucionais de acesso livre no Brasil : estudo Delfos

A filosofia do acesso livre ao conhecimento científico surgiu da dificuldade das bibliotecas universitárias de todo mundo em manter atualizadas as assinaturas das coleções de periódicos científicos. Os repositórios institucionais são uma das ferramentas que se mostram como alternativa para a comunicação da Ciência livre de barreiras de acesso. A pesquisa tem por objetivo verificar quais são as perspectivas futuras das atuais políticas de implementação de repositórios institucionais de acesso livre no Brasil na opinião de especialistas na área, tendo como base a análise do estado da arte das implementações de Repositórios Institucionais no Brasil. Neste trabalho, a pesquisa é dividida em três etapas: a primeira consiste na coleta de dados descritivos dos repositórios institucionais da Universidade de Brasília (RIUnB) e do Superior Tribunal de Justiça (BDJur-STJ); já na segunda etapa de pesquisa, procede-se à consulta aos especialistas indagando-os acerca da situação atual das implementações de repositórios institucionais no Brasil; e, por fim, na terceira etapa de pesquisa consultamos estes mesmos especialistas sobre os desdobramentos futuros destas políticas no País. Utilizamos da técnica Delfos de pesquisa, onde os especialistas são consultados através de questionários constituídos de perguntas abertas, possibilitando assim chegar a um consenso das opiniões no final da pesquisa. Como resultado da pesquisa, é elaborado um quadro com a tabulação das respostas dos especialistas consultados revelando o panorama das perspectivas futuras das implementações de repositórios institucionais no Brasil na opinião dos especialistas que fazem parte da nossa amostra de pesquisa.

Der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg. El tema de la lid de los poetas y su recepción literaria en Novalis, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué y Richard Wagner

282 págs.Correo electrónico: bea.muro@gmail.com

Development of appropriateness explicit criteria for cataract extraction by phacoemulsification

Background: Consensus development techniques were used in the late 1980s to create explicit criteria for the appropriateness of cataract extraction. We developed a new appropriateness of indications tool for cataract following the RAND method. We tested the validity of our panel results. Methods: Criteria were developed using a modified Delphi panel judgment process. A panel of 12 ophthalmologists was assembled. Ratings were analyzed regarding the level of agreement among panelists. We studied the influence of all variables on the final panel score using linear and logistic regression models. The explicit criteria developed were summarized by classification and regression tree analysis. Results: Of the 765 indications evaluated by the main panel in the second round, 32.9% were found appropriate, 30.1% uncertain, and 37% inappropriate. Agreement was found in 53% of the indications and disagreement in 0.9%. Seven variables were considered to create the indications and divided into three groups: simple cataract, with diabetic retinopathy, or with other ocular pathologies. The preoperative visual acuity in the cataractous eye and visual function were the variables that best explained the panel scoring. The panel results were synthesized and presented in three decision trees. Misclassification error in the decision trees, as compared with the panel original criteria, was 5.3%. Conclusion: The parameters tested showed acceptable validity for an evaluation tool. These results support the use of this indication algorithm as a screening tool for assessing the appropriateness of cataract extraction in field studies and for the development of practice guidelines.

Análisis del perfil formativo en tecnologías de la información y comunicación del alumnado universitario y su adecuación a las necesidades empresariales en el ámbito de la CAPV

III, 438 p.

Implementation of a nursing competency assessment system in public hospitals

Numerous problems are frequently observed when nursing competency assessment systems (NCAS) are implemented. How to effectively implement a nursing competency assessment system, according to academic and practical contributions, is poorly reported in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of recommendations for public hospitals and nursing management in order to facilitate the implementation of a NCAS. To achieve this objective we have revised the existing literature and conducted a Delphi study with nursing managers and human resource managers of the public hospitals of the Basque Health Service. The results are that the implementation of a NCAS requires a well-planned strategy that managers must consider before implementing any NCAS. This strategy must include, at minimum, the following aspects: communication, training, leadership, and content where the NCAS is concerned. The context of the organisations and the cultural dimensions may also influence the results of the application of the system.

A rapid and simple method for the determination of Formaldehyde in Fishery Products

The content of free formaldehyde (FA) in minced fish muscle was measured by the following procedure: A mixture of minced fish muscle and water was deproteinized by means of the Carrez reagent. The FA content of the filtrate was determined reflectometrically using the Reflectoquant test strips and the RQflex. The results agreed well with the colorimetrically (Nash test) measured FA content. Der Gehalt an freiem Formaldehyd (FA)in Fischerzeugnissen wurde mit folgender Methode bestimmt: Zerkleinertes Fischfleisch wurde mit Wasser homogenisiert und mit Carrez-Reagenz enteiweißt. Der Formaldehydgehalt des Filtrates wurde reflektometrisch unter Verwendung von Reflectoquant-Teststätbchen und des RQflex ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse stimmten gut mit kolorimetrisch (Nash Test) gemessenen FA-Gehalten überein.

Aktuelle Möglichkeiten und Risiken der Fischerei im Nordost-Atlantik

Vom 24. August bis 02. September 1993 trafen sich in Kopenhagen Wissenschaftler aus Norwegen, Russland, Spanien, Kanada, Grönland und Deutschland, um Bestandsberechnungen (Assessments) für das Jahr 1993 an den Nordost-atlantischen Beständen des Kabeljau, Schellfisch, Seelachs, Rotbarsch und Schwarzen Heilbutt durchzuführen. Für die Bestandberechnungen standen der Arbeitsgruppe Daten des Jahres 1992 aus der kommerziellen Fischerei verschiedener Länder sowie Ergebnisse und Indices norwegischer und russischer Forschungsschiffe zur Verfügung. Die Assessments wurden mit der V.P.A. (Virtual Population Analysis), mit XSA (Extended Survivors Analysis) und der ADAPT-Methode gerechnet. Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse dieser Bestandberechnungen sowie die im November veröffentlichte Stellungnahme des ACFM (Advisory Committee on Fishery Management) sollen im nachfolgenden dargestellt werden.

Untersuchungen zur Aufzucht von Dorschen (Gadus morhua morhua) der Westlichen Ostsee. Teil I: Methodik der Gewinnung und Befruchtung von entwicklungsfähigem Eimaterial

Im Rahmen von Untersuchungen zur Aufzucht von Ostseedorschen war es notwendig zu analysieren, welche Methoden unter den vorgegebenen technischen und hydrographischen Voraussetzungen für die Gewinnung und Befruchtung von Eizellen geeignet sind. Anwendung fand die künstliche Befruchtung nach der Trockenmethode bei Wildfängen und die Methode der natürlichen Befruchtung, basierend auf einen gehälterten Laicherbestand. Es ist bekannt, daß für Aufzuchtexperimente die kontinuierliche Bereitstellung von Eimaterial guter Qualität über einen längeren Zeitraum notwendig ist. Diese Anforderungen können nur durch den Aufbau eines Laicherbestandes als Voraussetzung für die Anwendung der Methode der natürlichen Befruchtung erfüllt werden.

Desarrollo de una metodología para la innovación en Latinoamérica

La sociedad actual cada vez cambia con más rapidez, por lo tanto para que los países sigan siendo competitivos en el mercado mundial y el desarrollo del país vaya en aumento es necesario llevar a cabo una innovación de calidad. A lo largo de este trabajo hemos identificado y analizado los principales factores que influyen a la innovación en dos países latinoamericanos, Chile y México. De esta forma, el objeto de este trabajo consiste en Desarrollar un Plan de Acción que permita a los gobiernos de los países analizados desarrollar su capacidad innovadora. Para ello, se ha utilizado una metodología denominada Delphi, mediante la cual hemos conocido la opinión y percepción que tienen algunos expertos, que se dedican al estudio de la innovación. Los resultados obtenidos indican que tanto la educación como la financiación de las actividades de investigación y educación son los factores que determinan el plan innovador de un país. Asimismo, mediante dicho plan los Gobiernos podrían llegar a ser más eficientes y aprovechar las oportunidades que poseen para mejorar la calidad de la innovación que se lleva a cabo en Chile y México.

Etika finantzetan: ikertutako gaien analisia

Ondoren aurkezten den lana bi helburu nagusi ditu. Alde batetik, Etika Finantzarioak gaur egun duen egoera aztertzea, eta bestalde analizatzea egin diren ikerketak zertan zentratu diren. Horretarako, lan hau oinarrituko da 205 ISI artikuluetan, Leire San-José (UPV/EHU) irakasleak zuzendutako Delphi baten parte direnak. Beraz lan honen zati adierazgarriena bi bloke nagusitan bananduko da. Lehenengoan, artikuluetatik atera ahal diren datu guztiz teknikoak analizatuko dira, esate baterako: publikazio urtea, zein herrialdeetan idatzi diren, zein hizkuntzetan, etab; batez ere ondorengo galderei erantzuna eman ahal izateko: noiz ikertu da gehien? Zein herrialdeetan? Zein gaiei eman zaie garrantzia handiagoa?... Bigarren atalari dagokionez, Etika Finantzarioa osatzen duten gaien gehiengoei buruz egin diren ikerketen azalpen eta komentarioak jorratuko dira. Baina aurrekoaz aparte, mapa kontzeptual bat aurkeztuko da, gai honen azpi-gai eta kontzeptu klabe bilduz; eta horrela, modu argiago batean ikusi ahal izateko Etika Finantzarioa zertan datzan, zeintzuk diren bere barnean dauden gai garrantzitsuenak, eta zein faktore nagusiak dauden gai honetan. Azkenengoz, ondorio batzuk aurkeztuko dira, horien artean gai honek etorkizunean ikertzeko duen ibilbidea egongo delarik.