The Iron Man of the Renaissance: the contribution of Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente.

PURPOSE: To highlight the most relevant contributions of the Italian Renaissance surgeon Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente in the field of orthopaedics and traumatology. METHODS: An extensive research on the life and achievements of Girolamo Fabrizi was conducted on University Libraries as well as on electronic databases like PubMed. RESULTS: Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente is known for his embryology and physiology studies, particularly on sensory organs and blood circulation. He founded the world's first permanent anatomical theater established at the University of Padua and inaugurated in 1595. His most notable publications include surgical and definitely orthopedics works such as "De fracturis" (On fractures) and "De luxationibus" (On joint displacement). He outlined some principles of treatment that are still valid nowadays such as anatomical reduction and stabilization of the fracture, that were applied using the equipment available at that time. He described and illustrated maneuvers and instruments, such as pulleys, winches, splint, and bandages. He further depicted the famous "Oplomochlion" ("the armored man"), which is actually a collection of all of the braces used at the time to correct congenital and post-traumatic deformities. CONCLUSION: Bracing and prosthetic replacements have accompanied medical history throughout the centuries, from Ancient Egypt to the present, but it was the ingenuity of Renaissance surgeons that pushed biomedical technology to new heights: Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente was one of the most illustrious contributors to these great achievements.

La modelación matemática y los pedestales de las ciencias biomédicas / Mathematical Modeling and the Pedestals of Biomedical Sciences

En 2020 se cumplen 155 años de lo que Thomas Morgan llegó a llamar …en materia biológica, el más grande descubrimiento de los últimos quinientos años. Fue entonces cuando Gregor Mendel presentó, en la Sociedad de Brno para el Estudio de las Ciencias Naturales (el 8 de febrero y 8 de marzo de 1865) su afamado trabajo Experimentos sobre hibridación de plantas...(AU)

A special issue to mark the 90th Anniversary of College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University.

The College of Life Sciences (CLS) remains one of the most prestigious-and the oldest-colleges in Zhejiang University. This special issue, which includes 16 reviews contributed by our alumni and faculties, is dedicated to mark the 90th Anniversary of CLS. The reviews provide a glimpse of current progresses in the areas of life sciences such as biochemical processes and their association with diseases (Ding et al., 2019; Hu et al., 2019; Jin et al., 2019; Nie and Yi, 2019), cancer biology (Feng, 2019; Huang et al., 2019; Leonard and Zhang, 2019; Zhu F et al., 2019), plant and environmental microbiology (Li et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2019; Zhu XR et al., 2019), cell cycle (Gao and Liu, 2019; Zhang et al., 2019), RNA biology (Gudenas et al., 2019; Luo et al., 2019), and protein structural biology (Yang and Tang, 2019).

[Biophysical double-lives, 1939-1946. Or: spaces of boredom. On 'information discourse' and (dis)continuities in the life sciences]. / Biophysikalisches Doppelleben, 1939-1946. Oder: Räume der Lange-weile. Zur (Nicht-)Zäsur des 'Informationsdiskurses'.

Arguably, few things have shaped the historiography of the mid-twentieth century psy-sciences (and indeed, of the life sciences and science/technology/intellectual life quite generally) more profoundly than the story of cybernetics. This essay aims to undermine this technofuturistic picture of epistemological upheavals, of cyborg regimes of knowing, and of the incipient post-human, by reinserting back into the story the rather dull and unspectacular lives (and occupations) of the great majority of British, 'diverted' biologists during World War II. Instead of Ratio Clubbers or Macy-Conference frequenters, this essay is concerned with a much larger population of would-be biologists and their most pedestrian appropriations of, and exposures to, electronics. What I argue is that the prevalence and systematicity of such exposures in the course of the personnel-hungry radio-war points to a very different--low-key--picture of the war/technology-induced deflections of biological science at mid-century. As an example of how deeply at odds narrations of cybernetic's ascent tend to sit with developments on ground level, special attention will be devoted to the physiologists-turned-radar-scientists Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley, and their war-time, or more properly, spare-time investigations into the biophysics of nerve. The latter--technical, difficult, and utterly unphilosophical--while absent from the cyber-theme-focused historiography, provided the basis for the tremendous impact Hodkgin and Huxley would in fact have on the mainstream, disciplinarily conservative physiological sciences; the larger aim however is to weave these far from peculiar biographical trajectories into a somewhat bigger picture of the intersections between radar electronics and biological science: a picture which does not centre on sensational discourses but on mundane electronic practices; and thus, on the generational experience of those who were known at the time as "ex radar folk with biological leanings".

The scientific surgeon.

The scientific surgeon begins with Joseph Lister and his seminal work on the development of antiseptic surgery published in 1867 in Lancet. No other significant works of the times compare to Lister's contributions in this particular field of surgery. Lister utilized pristine scientific principles, learned in part from Pasteur, to understand and apply the germ theory of disease to practical surgery. In this regard, in previous publications, we have considered Lister as the "Father of Scientific Surgery." The scientific surgeon as a well-defined professional did not exist until the first residency in surgery was developed. Halsted of Hopkins introduced the first systematic and scientific surgical residency in 1901. This is the time, then, in which the scientific surgeon was formed and educated. Other programs followed Halsted's residency guidelines in surgery. The scientific surgeon is now well integrated and fully based on the science applied to surgery. Halsted's surgery was reproduced by other programs; and with time uniformity was established by all programs offering surgical residencies in the United States and many other parts of the world. The scientific surgeon is a firm reality at this point.

Between clinical medicine and the laboratory: medical research funding in France from 1945 to the present.

By focusing on funding methods, this paper considers the way in which medical research eventually led to the science-based medicine that is prevalent in France today. This process seems to have taken place in three stages during the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1940s and 1950s, two major events occurred. The first was the creation of a national health insurance fund in France, which opened up new reasons for, and ways of, funding medical research. The second was the development of antibiotics, which triggered a revival of clinical medicine. In the 1960s and 1970s, a proactive government science policy allowed the life sciences and medical research to come together in the wake of a burgeoning new science: molecular biology. Thus, in 1964, the creation of the National Health and Medical Research Institute (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale or INSERM), destined to "molecularize" medical research, was seen as the fulfillment of the government's ambitious research policy. Today, with medicine irreversibly embedded in scientific and technical rationality, health has become a major issue in modern societies. This paper therefore touches on some of the key features of biomedical research, including the revival of funding systems for clinical research and the development of a system of research grants that was made possible by patient organizations and the creation of new funding agencies.

Prometeo: regeneración tisular: pifias de la naturaleza y esperanzas de la ciencia / Prometheus: tissue regeneration: natural errors and scientific hope

En el movisimo campo de las células troncales ("stem cell") y la medicina regenerativa, la búsqueda del Santo Grial de la investigación científica, es la recreacion o la inducción del renacimiento de un órgano funcional, llamese hígado, retina o riñon. En un extremo el hígado de Prometeo, de inherente capacidad para regenerarse, la demanda del órgano excede en mucho la disponibilidad de donantes. En Estados Unidos de America, 9% de los pacientes con insuficiencia hepática fallecen a la espera de un trasplante, así que la investigación en tratamientos regenerativos nunca ha tenido más fundamento y adquirido más énfasis que en estos tiempos. En el otro extremo, la retina, inexplicable olvido de la naturaleza, como otras neuronas del sistema nervioso incapaz de regenerarse a sí misma y hasta ahora, inmune a la neuroprotección y reparación después de una injuria. No obstante en un futuro no muy lejano será posible preservar y restaurar la visión en personas en las que se encuentre amenazada o se haya perdido por enfermedad o injuria del nervio óptico

In the newest field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, the quest for the Holy Grail of scientific research is the recreation or induction of rebirth of a functional organism, such as the liver, retina o kidney. At one end liver of Prometheus with its inherent capacity to regenerate, has a demand that greatly exceeds the availability of donors. In the United States of America, 9% of patients with liver failure die waiting for a transplant, so research in regenerative treatment has never had more importance or acquired greater emphasis than at this time. At the other end, the retina, inexplicable oblivion of nature, is, as other neurons of the central nervous system, unable to regenerate itself and so far, immune to neuroprotection and repair after an injury. Nevertheless, in the future it will be possible, however, to preserve and restore vision in people whose optic nerve are threatened or have been lost due to illness or injury

[Science, diplomacy, charity, politics... What is in common?--Academician Serhii Komisarenko].

The paper is dedicated to the history of creation and development of a new trend of scientific investigations in Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of NAS of Ukraine and Ukraine as a whole, - molecular immunology - in the context of scientific, scientific-organizational, pedagogical, social and political activity of Serhiy Vasyliovych Komisarenko. Professor S. V. Komisarenko, Director of Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, Full Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Biochemical Society (since 1999), editor-in-chief Ukrainian Biochemical Journal (1989-1992 and since 1998), Academician-Secretary and Member of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (since April 2004) is a physician by education, molecular biologist by the calling, biochemist-immunologist by profession. He was one of the first researchers in our country who started systematic investigations in the field of molecular immunology, created a powerful world-famous scientific school, and made great contribution to solution of the acute problems of public health. He has proposed a new anti-tumor preparation MEBIFON which is produced at pharmaceutical firm Farmak in Kyiv. He was one of the first in the former USSR who introduced a hybridom technique for obtaining monoclonal antibodies. S. Komisarenko was awarded the State Prize of the Ukr. SSR (1979) for immunochemical investigation of milk for babies. He proved that small doses of total radiation cause essential inhibition of natural immunity, which he called "the Chernobyl AIDS". The collective of scientific workers of the Department of Molecular Immunology headed by S. Komisarenko was awarded the O. V. Palladin Prize of NAS of Ukraine (2003) for a cycle of works Immunochemical Analysis of Fibrin and Fibrinogen Polymerization Mechanisms. Serhiy Komisarenko combines successfully scientific, scientific-organizing activity with pedagogical work; he leads the division BIOTECHNOLOGY of the Department of Biochemistry at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. Under his supervision 6 doctors and 18 candidates of science have been prepared. He has above 400 scientific articles in the field of Biochemistry and/or Immunology, and more than 100 publications on Ukrainian culture and politics. Serhiy Komisarenko has performed great social and political work at the post of the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine responsible for humanitarian sector (1990-1992), Ambassador of independent Ukraine in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland (1992-1998). He is a trustee of activity of charitable organization of disabled children Special Olympics - Ukraine (since 2002). He was awarded a Diploma of the Supreme Council of Ukraine (2003), State Order of Merit (III degree - 1996, II degree - 1998), State Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (V degree - 2005). Serhiy Komisarenko was elected the Honorary Doctor of Kingston and North London Universities (1997). He has the Rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine.

Além do mecanicismo e do vitalismo: a normatividade da vida em Georges Canguilhem / Beyond mechanism and vitalism: the normativity of life according to Georges Canguilhem

Discutimos a epistemologia das ciências da vida e das ciências da saúde de Georges Canguilhem, revendo sua crítica à concepção mecanicista da normalidade e da patologia e seu posicionamento frente ao vitalismo. Sugerimos que, enfatizando o conceito de "normatividade da vida", Canguilhem teria apontado para uma superação da oposição entre mecanicismo e vitalismo. Para tal, fazemos uma breve comparação da "normatividade da vida" com o conceito contemporâneo de auto-organização de Michel Debrun, argumentando que a emergência da norma vital se situa num estágio secundário de um processo de (auto-)organização da vida e, portanto, tal normatividade não teria a conotação vitalista, erroneamente atribuída a Canguilhem.

We discuss the epistemology of the sciences of life and health elaborated by Georges Canguilhem. First we review his criticism to mechanicist concepts of normality and pathology, and his position regarding vitalism. We suggest that, when emphasizing the concept of "normativity of life", Canguilhem goes beyond the dichotomy of mechanism and vitalism. We make a brief comparison of his concept of "normativity of life" with the contemporary concept of "self-organization" proposed by Michel Debrun, arguing that the emergency of the vital norm occurs on the second stage of the process of life self-organization and therefore such normativity does not have the vitalist connotation erroneously attributed to Canguilhem.

Reflexiones en torno al desarrollo histórico de las ciencias biomédicas en Chile y el rol que jugó la Revista Médica de Chile: un homenaje al cumplir 130 años / Reflections about the historical development of biomedical sciences in Chile and the role of Revista Médica de Chile: an homage on 130-years old

When Revista Médica de Chile turns to be 130 years old, the author reflects about the difficulties that scientific and technological creativity faces in Chile, considering that there was a 70 years gap between its historical origin in Chile compared to developed countries. The scientific progress erases the boundaries between Biomedicine and science and technology. This progress has resulted in an improvement in the quality of scientific publications in Revista Medica de Chile. The editorial work has also contributed to this improvement. Revista Medica de Chile has obtained international recognition and stands in a good position as a medical journal in Latin America and Chile.

Evocaçäo de Walter Oswaldo Cruz / Evocation of Walter Oswaldo Cruz

Evoca fatos marcantes da trajetória profissional de Walter Oswaldo Cruz, pesquisador respeitado mundialmente por seus trabalhos de pesquisa na área das Ciências Biológicas.(MAM)