The development of the Neurath principle: unearthing the Romantic link

Otto Neurath’s thoroughgoing anti-foundationalism is connected to the recognition that protocol sentences are not inviolable, that is they are fallible and their choice cannot be determined: ‘Poincaré, Duhem and others have adequately shown that even if we have agreed on the protocol statements, there is a not limited number of equally applicable, possible systems of hypotheses. We have extended this tenet of the uncertainty of systems of hypotheses to all statements, including protocol statements that are alterable in principle’ (Neurath, 1983, p. 105). Later historiography has called Neurath’s extension of Duhemian holism the Neurath principle. Based on a study of Neurath’s early works on the history of optics, the paper investigates a previously unnoticed influence on the development of this principle, Neurath’s reading of Goethe’s Theory of colours. The historical and polemical parts of Goethe’s tripartite book provided Neurath with ideal examples for the vertical extension of Duhem’s thesis to observation statements. Moreover, Goethe’s critique of the language of science and his views on the theory-ladenness of observation, as well as on the history of science show strong parallels to many of Neurath’s ideas. These demonstrate the existence of surprisingly direct textual links between Romantic views on science and the development of twentieth-century philosophy of science. Neurath’s usage of Goethe’s examples also indicates that the birth of the Neurath principle is more tightly connected to actual scientific practice than to theory-testing, and that by admitting the theory-ladenness of observation reports and fallibility of protocol statements Neurath does not throw empiricism overboard.     

对国外一种大范围、宽滞回带电压监控器的性能分析和改进

分析进口电压监控器的电路性能 ,发现电压适应范围小、无过流保护、可视性低等设计缺陷及实际应用的局限性 .根据工厂实际供电情况 ,应用常用元件 ,对之进行了改进 ,提高了该产品对电源电压波动的适应性和运行稳定性 .根据进口电压监控器的电路及其实现 ,提出了改进国产欠电压继电器的方法     

Postembryonic sensory axon guidance in Drosophila

The peripheral sensory system of the Drosophila adult has been used for the genetic analysis of axon guidance because of its accessibility for experimental manipulation and mutant screens. Wing, leg, antenna, or eye sensory axons are able to pathfind normally under different perturbations, indicating that sensory axon guidance is a highly canalized process. Similarly to other model systems, sensory growth cones seem to use multiple, simultaneous cues for guidance. In addition, sensory axons from peripheral structures seem to be capable of using alternative substrates for pathfinding. Developmental regulation could account for the high stability of axon guidance under experimental and natural perturbation conditions. Despite this flexibility, functional characterization of genes involved in sensory axon guidance is being carried out in situations where there appears to be less system redundancy.     

Preadult lethality in four populations ofDrosophila melanogaster treated with formaldehyde

Summary Samples from 4 populations ofD. melanogaster were treated with formaldehyde by the larval feeding method, and induced lethality was scored. The results showed relevant differences among the populations analyzed.     

Separation of specific fractions of synaptosomes by affinity chromatography

Summary The authors describe a new technique for isolation of specific fractions of synaptosomes, on the basis of their surface glycoproteins, by affinity chromatography using lectin-Sepharose columns.     

Interaction of cocaine and bunaphtide on the3H-norepinephrine uptake mechanism on isolated left atrium of guinea-pig

Summary Bunaphtide induces a blockade in the³H-norepinephrine uptake and retention in the isolated guinea-pig left atrium. However, this blockade does not seems to be related with the cardiodepressant effect of the drug.