Eleatic Ontology in Aristotle: Introduction

The introduction summarizes the six new papers collected in Volume 1, Tome 5: Eleatic Ontology and Aristotle. The papers take a fresh look at virtually every aspect of Aristotle’s engagement with Eleaticism. They are particularly concerned with Aristotle’s responses to Parmenidean monism, the Eleatic rejection of change, and Zeno’s paradoxes. The contributions also focus on the ways in which Aristotle developed several of his own theories in metaphysics and natural science partly in reaction to Eleatic puzzles and arguments

Investigação e Paradoxo do Mênon: Aristóteles, Segundos Analíticos II 8

This paper discusses some issues about Aristotle’s theory of scientificinvestigation in Posterior Analytics II 8. Aristotle says that scientific investigationcomes in three stages. My point is that Aristotle’s theory of scientific investigation cannot avoid Meno’s paradox – the paradox about the impossibility ofwhatsoever sort of investigation – unless its second stage, the stage in which oneestablishes that an object exists, is understood in terms of establishing that theobject is a legitimate explanandum in the domain of a given science.Este artigo discute certos problemas que aparecem na teoria aristotélica da investigaçãocientífica no capítulo 8 do livro II dos Segundos Analíticos de Aristóteles. Aristótelesdistingue três estágios de investigação científica. Meu ponto é que a teoria aristotélicada investigação científica consegue evitar o paradoxo de Mênon – sobre a impossibilidadede qualquer investigação – apenas se o segundo estágio reconhecido por Aristóteles, oestágio em que se estabelece que o objeto existe, for entendido como estágio em que seestabelece que o objeto em questão existe a título de explanandum legítimo no domíniode uma dada ciência

Symptomatic Recovery in Miller Fisher Syndrome Parallels Vestibular–Perceptual and not Vestibular–Ocular Reflex Function

Unpleasant visual symptoms including oscillopsia and dizziness may occur when there is unexpected motion of the visual world across the subject's retina (“retinal slip”) as in an acute spontaneous nystagmus or on head movement with an acute ophthalmoplegia. In contrast, subjects with chronic ocular dysmotility, e.g., congenital nystagmus or chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, are typically symptom free. The adaptive processes that render chronic patients asymptomatic are obscure but may include a suppression of oscillopsia perception as well as an increased tolerance to perceived oscillopsia. Such chronic asymptomatic patients display an attenuation of vestibular-mediated angular velocity perception, implying a possible contributory role in the adaptive process. In order to assess causality between symptoms, signs (i.e., eye movements), and vestibular–perceptual function, we prospectively assessed symptom ratings and ocular-motor and perceptual vestibular function, in a patient with acute but transient ophthalmoplegia due to Miller Fisher Syndrome (as a model of visuo-vestibular adaptation). The data show that perceptual measures of vestibular function display a significant attenuation as compared to ocular-motor measures during the acute, symptomatic period. Perhaps significantly, both symptomatic recovery and normalization of vestibular–perceptual function were delayed and then occurred in a parallel fashion. This is the first report showing that symptomatic recovery of visuo-vestibular symptoms is better paralleled by vestibular–perceptual testing than vestibular–ocular reflex (VOR) measures. The findings may have implications for the understanding of patients with chronic vestibular symptoms where VOR testing is often unhelpful

Deaths on board: medical and legal implications for the maritime physician

When death at sea occurs many people are implicated. The assignees of victims often look for detailed circumstances of deaths at sea, and the doctor, besides his preventative role, has to certify the death on board and try to determine the circumstances with a view to a legal investigation if it proves necessary. In this work are presented the main causes, facts, and characteristics of human deaths at sea, and the responsibility of the ship's doctor in case of death on board. Int Marit Health 2010; 61, 1: 24-2

Does outstretching the arms improve postural stability?

We spontaneously outstretch our arms when standing upon challenging surfaces, yet the effect of stretching the arms upon postural stability is unknown. We investigated whether stretching out the arms laterally improves postural control during tandem stance on a narrow beam. Twelve healthy participants stood upon a beam, right foot in front of the left foot, for 30 seconds with arms outstretched or down to the side, with eyes open and closed. Mediolateral head movement was characterised by root mean square amplitude (RMS), sway path, velocity during the largest excursion and power spectrum. Spectra for lateral forces from a force platform beneath the beam were also recorded. Outstretching the arms significantly reduced RMS, sway path and velocity of maximum displacement of head movement with eyes closed but not with eyes open. A similar trend was present in the power spectra of head motion and sway platform lateral forces. In conclusion, outstretching the arms helps postural stability in challenging situations such as tandem stance on a narrow beam with eyes closed. Although the exact mechanisms require further investigation, the effects are most likely mediated by changes in segmental inertia and the ability to make corrective arm movements

Effects of morphine treatment on pro-opiomelanocortin systems in rat brain

In previous studies to determine whether chronic opiate administration might negatively feedback upon endogenous opioid systems in the CNS, investigators found no changes in steady-state concentrations of opioid peptides following morphine pelleting. However, since only steady-state levels were measured, it was still not clear whether morphine treatment altered the release and/or biosynthesis of opioid-containing neurons. The goal of the present study was to assess the effects of chronic morphine pelleting on the dynamics of [beta]-endorphin ([beta]E) biosynthesis in rats. Hence, at several times during a 7-day morphine treatment, concentrations of total [beta]E-immunoreactivity (-ir), as well as chromatographically sieved forms of [beta]E, were determined by RIA, and mRNA levels of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) were measured by a solution phase protection assay using a mouse or rat POMC 32P-labelled riboprobe. Concentrations of total [beta]E-ir or different forms of [beta]E-ir peptides (i.e. [beta]-lipotropin, [beta]E1-31, or [beta]E1-27/[beta]E1-26) in the hypothalamus or midbrain following either 1 or 7 days of treatment were similar in morphine- and placebo-pelleted animals. However, a significant increase in total hypothalamic [beta]E-ir was observed following 3 days of morphine pelleting; chromatographic analyses indicated that this was primarily due to a selective increase in the opiate inactive forms of [beta]E, i.e. [beta]E1-27/[beta]E1-26. After 7 days of pelleting, morphine-treated animals tended to have lower POMC mRNA levels than those of placebo controls (20 to 50% decrease in different studies). The accumulation of hypothalamic [beta]E-ir at 3 days, and the apparent decline in POMC mRNA levels at 7 days, lend support to the hypothesis that morphine negatively feeds back upon POMC neurons in the brain by inhibiting [beta]E release and biosynthesis.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28522/1/0000319.pd

Stress in seamen and non seamen employed by the same company

Objectives: The aim of this survey was to compare the level of professional stress among seamen – crew members - who work on French oceanographic vessels to the one of technicians and engineers from the oceanographic institute, who board the ships to operate special equipment during sea voyages. Results: two groups of subjects were included: 74 seamen and 74 non seamen, males of comparable ages were questioned. Results showed that there was no significant difference in strain at work and social support between them (41 seamen and 50 non seaman professionals who filled in the questionnaires). There was a very significant difference in the decision latitude: much lower level for seamen as compared to non seamen. 17% compared to zero percent of non seamen were ranked in the heavy strain/low decision latitude category regarded by Karasek as a high risk of stress (compared to 0% of non seaman professionals). 33% of seamen in this group reached a score that indicated psychical stress according to Langner’s total health test. Conclusion: The results of the survey show that the occupation of seamen includes specific elements regarded by Karasek as leading to a risk of stress. Method: Two questionnaires were used for collecting data: - Langner’s total health test (22 items) that investigates the level of psychical stress, - Karasek’s "Job Content Questionnaire" (38 items) used for investigation of strain at work, psychological pressure, decision latitude and social support. Data were processed by a statistical software : Sphinx, using Chi² test. Results: two groups of subjects were included: 74 seamen and 74 non seamen, males of comparable ages were questioned. Results showed that there was no significant difference in strain at work and social support between them (41 seamen and 50 non seaman professionals who filled in the questionnaires). There was a very significant difference in the decision latitude: much lower level for seamen as compared to non seamen. 17% compared to zero percent of non seamen were ranked in the heavy strain/low decision latitude category regarded by Karasek as a high risk of stress (compared to 0% of non seaman professionals). 33% of seamen in this group reached a score that indicated psychical stress according to Langner’s total health test. Conclusion: The results of the survey show that the occupation of seamen includes specific elements regarded by Karasek as leading to a risk of stress