A structural interpretation of measurement and some related epistemological issues

Measurement is widely applied because its results are assumed to be more reliable than opinions and guesses, but this reliability is sometimes justified in a stereotyped way. After a critical analysis of such stereotypes, a structural characterization of measurement is proposed, as partly empirical and partly theoretical process, by showing that it is in fact the structure of the process that guarantees the reliability of its results. On this basis the role and the structure of background knowledge in measurement and the justification of the conditions of object-relatedness (“objectivity”) and subject-independence (“intersubjectivity”) of measurement are specifically discussed.     

On the possibilities of estimating the approximate age of macedonian opium by means of a simple colour reading

Résumé L'intensité de la coloration jaune des extraits aqueux tamponnés d'opium macédonien est directement liée à l'âge de l'opium, ce qui permet d'évaluer approximativement l'année de la production de cet opium par un procédé colorimétrique très simple. L'accroissement de la teneur en pigments jaunes semble être accompagné d'une diminution parallèle de l'acide méconique au cours du vieillissement de l'opium.     

Case study research in the social sciences

In this paper, we offer an introduction to case study research in the social sciences. We begin with a discussion of the definition of case study research. Next, we point to various purposes that case study research may serve in the social sciences and then turn to outline the main philosophical issues raised by case study research. Finally, we briefly present the papers in this special issue.     

Lipaemia clearing effect of chlorpromazine

Zusammenfassung Bei Hunden ergibt Chlorpromazinin vivo eine Klärung des lipämischen Plasmas. Dieser Effekt des Präparates wird durch vorausgehende, intravenöse Protaminsulfat-injektionen aufgehoben. Es darf angenommen werden, dass diese Wirkung durch Mobilisierung von endogenem Heparin vermittelt wird. Möglicherweise ist dieser Mechanismus an den thromboembolischen Komplikationen nach Chlorpromazinbehandlung beteiligt.