Argument z niedoskonałości i zła w kontekście sporu o ewolucję i inteligentny projekt

Intelligent design theory claims that certain biological and cosmic phenomena were designed by an intelligent being, which could just as well be natural and supernatural, and that this design is scientifically detectable. Critics often point to the imperfection of biological structures and presence of evil in the world of nature, which – according to them – unequivocally bespeaks against the intelligent design theory and, at the same time, for the theory of evolution, which is for them the only reasonable explanation of these phenomena. It turns out, however, that this argument is untenable because intelligent design theory does not exclude imperfect designs and evil in nature. The intelligent being postulated by that theory has neither to be an exquisite designer nor to possess supreme moral attributes, and even if it were the case, then the imperfection and evil could still be justified without any appeal to the theory of evolution.Intelligent design theory claims that certain biological and cosmic phenomena were designed by an intelligent being, which could just as well be natural and supernatural, and that this design is scientifically detectable. Critics often point to the imperfection of biological structures and presence of evil in the world of nature, which – according to them – unequivocally bespeaks against the intelligent design theory and, at the same time, for the theory of evolution, which is for them the only reasonable explanation of these phenomena. It turns out, however, that this argument is untenable because intelligent design theory does not exclude imperfect designs and evil in nature. The intelligent being postulated by that theory has neither to be an exquisite designer nor to possess supreme moral attributes, and even if it were the case, then the imperfection and evil could still be justified without any appeal to the theory of evolution

Spór o możliwość wykrywania projektu w naukach przyrodniczych

According to intelligent design theory, certain biological and cosmic phenomena are designed by an intelligent being and this design is scientifically detectable. However, critics refuse to regard this theory as scientific, thereby suggesting that it does not deserve serious discussion in scientific circles. The article presents main methodological objections to intelligent design theory, indicating its unscientific or pseudoscientific character and impossibility of scientific design detection (at least in specific research areas). Critics try to show that this theory: 1) violates the principle of methodological naturalism (and thus that it is a supernatural, creationist, religious concept); 2) is empirically untestable; 3) it does not invoke natural laws, says nothing about the designer and the designing mechanism; 4) it does not offer predictions; 5) it is an argument from ignorance, and 6) it does not lead to fruitful research program and hence is not useful for science. These objections will be analyzed from the perspective of methodological thesis of design theorists that the sufficient condition of design inference are the characteristic effects (signs, traces) leaved by the activity of the designer, which indicate the final cause, although they do not have to be the basis for determining the designer’s identity. If this thesis is sound, then the objections that intelligent design theory is not scientific are rebutted or weakened. Moreover, it turns out that, basically, detecting design of supernatural beings does not differ from detecting design of natural beings. For that reason, there is no qualitative difference between these two procedures and both can be regarded as scientific.Zgodnie z teorią inteligentnego projektu pewne zjawiska biologiczne i kosmiczne zostały zaprojektowane przez istotę inteligentną, a projekt ten jest wykrywalny metodami naukowymi. Krytycy odmawiają jednak tej koncepcji statusu teorii naukowej, wskazując tym samym, że nie zasługuje ona na poważną dyskusję w środowisku uczonych. W artykule zaprezentowane zostaną główne metodologiczne zarzuty względem teorii inteligentnego projektu, mające wskazywać na jej nienaukowy lub pseudonaukowy charakter i niemożliwość naukowego wykrywania projektu (przynajmniej w określonych obszarach badawczych). Krytycy starają się wykazać, że teoria ta: 1) sprzeniewierza się zasadzie naturalizmu metodologicznego (a więc jest koncepcją nadnaturalistyczną, kreacjonistyczną, religijną); 2) nie jest empirycznie testowalna; 3) nie odwołuje się do praw przyrody, nie mówi nic o projektancie i mechanizmie projektowania; 4) nie formułuje przewidywań; 5) jest argumentem z niewiedzy, a także 6) nie prowadzi do utworzenia płodnego programu badawczego, przez co nie jest użyteczna dla nauki. Zarzuty te zostaną poddane analizie z perspektywy metodologicznej tezy teoretyków projektu, zgodnie z którą warunkiem wystarczającym wnioskowania o projekcie są charakterystyczne skutki (oznaki, ślady) pozostawione przez działanie projektanta, które wskazują na przyczynę celową, choć nie muszą stanowić podstawy do określenia toż- Spór o możliwość wykrywania projektu w naukach przyrodniczych samości projektanta. Uznanie słuszności tej tezy prowadzi do odparcia lub osłabienia zarzutów o nienaukowość teorii inteligentnego projektu. Okazuje się też, że wykrywanie projektu istot nadnaturalnych nie różni się zasadniczo od wykrywania projektu istot naturalnych. Nie ma więc jakościo

Phenotype of dendritic cells generated in the presence of non-small cell lung cancer antigens - preliminary report.

Therapeutic outcomes of definitively treated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are unacceptably poor. It has been proposed that the manipulation of dendritic cells (DCs) as a "natural" vaccine adjuvant may prove to be a particularly effective way to stimulate antitumor immunity. Presently, there is no standardized methodology for preparing vaccines and many questions concerning the optimal source and type of antigens as well as maturation state and activity of DCs are still unsolved. The study population comprised of ten patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC (mean age: 67.63 +/- 6.15 years). Resected small tumor pieces were placed in tissue culture dishes containing different growth factors in order to obtain pure cancer cells. Seven days after the operation, the PBMC were collected and monocytes were purified by the adherence to culture dishes. Monocytes were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% of autologous plasma in the presence of rhIL-4 and rhGM-CSF to generate immature autologous (DCs). TNF-alpha with or without tumor cells' lysate were added to maturation of DCs. After 7 days of culture, DCs were harvested and the expression of CD1a, CD83, CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR antigens were analyzed by flow cytometry. We discovered higher (p=0.07) percentage of semimature DCs in tumor cell lysate culture in comparison with TNF-alpha culture (21.22 +/- 16.82% versus 11.27 +/- 11.64%). The expression of co-stimulatory and maturation markers (CD86, CD83 and HLA-DR) was higher on DCs from the culture with tumor cell lysate compared with TNF-alpha culture as a control. Specimen of NSCLC's culture prepared in this way could generate differences in DCs phenotype, which may have an influence on the therapeutic and protective antitumor immunity of the vaccine. Our research seems to be the next step in the development of DC-based vaccine. We are going to continue the investigation to start the preparation of a pattern of immunological vaccine against lung cancer

Diagnostic value of non-enhanced computed tomography in identifying location of ruptured cerebral aneurysm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Background. In patients with SAH and multiple aneurysms, the ruptured lesion must be identified to prevent recurrent bleeding.Aim of the study. To assess the diagnostic value of non-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) in identifying the rupture site in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and multiple aneurysms.Material and methods. We included patients with SAH revealed by NECT and multiple aneurysms detected on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in whom a ruptured aneurysm was identified during neurosurgery. Two radiologists predicted the location of the ruptured aneurysm based on the distribution of the SAH and location of intracerebral haematoma (ICH) by NECT.Results. Eighty-three patients with a mean age of 55.7 ± 14.4 years were included. Ruptured aneurysms were significantly larger (mean size 7.7 ± 4.7 mm) than unruptured aneurysms (mean size 5.9 ± 4.5 mm; p = 0.014). Interobserver agreement was 0.86 (p < 0.001). Overall sensitivity and specificity of radiological prediction were 78.3% (95% CI, 68.6%-87.1%) and 96.4% (95% CI, 94.3%-97.8%) respectively. Overall PPV and NPV were 78.3% (95% CI, 67.6%-86.3%) and 96.8% (95% CI, 94.8%-98.1%) respectively. The sensitivity and PPV for aneurysms in the anterior communicating, anterior, and middle cerebral arteries appeared to be significantly higher than in other locations (p = 0.015 and 0.019 respectively). Analysis of independent predictive factors of correct radiological location revealed that ICH predisposes to a correct radiological diagnosis with an odds ratio of 8.57 (95% CI, 1.07-68.99; p = 0.03).Conclusions. NECT has a high diagnostic value in identifying the source of bleeding in patients with multiple aneurysms for anterior circulation aneurysms, especially with coexisting ICH. For other locations, NECT is not reliable enough to base treatment decisions upon

Endocrine disorders and fertility and pregnancy: An update

It is estimated that more and more couples suffer from fertility and pregnancy maintenance disorders. It is associated with impaired androgen secretion, which is influenced by many factors, ranging from genetic to environmental. It is also important to remember that fertility disorders can also result from abnormal anatomy of the reproductive male and female organ (congenital uterine anomalies – septate, unicornuate, bicornuate uterus; acquired defects of the uterus structure – fibroids, polyps, hypertrophy), disturbed hormonal cycle and obstruction of the fallopian tubes resulting from the presence of adhesions due to inflammation, endometriosis, and surgery, abnormal rhythm of menstrual bleeding, the abnormal concentration of hormones. There are many relationships between the endocrine organs, leading to a chain reaction when one of them fails to function properly. Conditions in which the immune system is involved, including infections and autoimmune diseases, also affect fertility. The form of treatment depends on infertility duration and the patient’s age. It includes ovulation stimulation with clomiphene citrate or gonadotropins, metformin use, and weight loss interventions. Since so many different factors affect fertility, it is important to correctly diagnose what is causing the problem and to modify the treatment regimen if necessary. This review describes disturbances in the hormone secretion of individual endocrine organs in the context of fertility and the maintenance of pregnancy

Media - popular culture - politics: interactions and new phenomena

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape

Which “Artificialism” Holds as an Epistemic Framework for Science

Artykuł dotyczy koncepcji epistemiczych układów odniesienia, sformułowanej przez Kazimierza Jodkowskiego i bardziej szczegółowo opracowanej przez Krzysztofa Kiliana. Epistemiczny układ odniesienia to założenie nakładane na całą naukę, bez którego nauki nie da się uprawiać. Określa ono, jakie rodzaje przyczyn mogą lub muszą być przywoływane w wyjaśnieniach naukowych. Wyróżniane są trzy możliwe epistemiczne układy odniesienia: naturalizm metodologiczny, nadnaturalizm i artyficjalizm. W artykule skupiam się na analizie artyficjalizmu, ponieważ Jodkowski i Kilian posługują się tym terminem w sposób niejednoznaczny: traktowany jest jako epistemiczny układ odniesienia teorii inteligentnego projektu lub jako epistemiczny układ odniesienia nauki jako całości. Wyjaśniam, jak należy prawidłowo rozumieć ten termin w odniesieniu do całej nauki, wskazując przy tym, jak naukę postrzegają główni zwolennicy artyficjalizmu, to jest teoretycy projektu. Argumentuję również, że przypisywanie epistemicznym układom odniesienia tak zwanych twardych jąder, jak czyni to Kilian, jest błędem i prowadzi do zamieszania.This article concerns the concept of epistemic frameworks as formulated by Kazimierz Jodkowski and then elaborated in more detail by Krzysztof Kilian. An epistemic framework is an assumption imposed on science as a whole, without which the pursuit of the latter would be impossible. It defines what kinds of cause can, or must, be invoked in scientific explanations. Three possible epistemic frameworks are distinguished: methodological naturalism, supernaturalism and artificialism. In this article, I focus on the analysis of artificialism, as Jodkowski and Kilian use this term ambiguously, treating it as something that could be an epistemic framework either for intelligent design theory or for science as a whole. I explain how this term should be understood with reference to science as a whole, indicating at the same time how science is perceived by the main proponents of artificialism — namely, design theorists. Moreover, I argue that ascribing so-called “hard cores” to epistemic frameworks, as Kilian does, is a mistake, and can lead to confusion