Hypothesis, analysis and synthesis, it's all Greek to me.

The linguistic foundations of science and technology include many terms that have been borrowed from ancient languages. In the case of terms with origins in the Greek language, the modern meaning can often differ significantly from the original one. Here we use the PubMed database to demonstrate the prevalence of words of Greek origin in the language of modern science, and call for scientists to exercise care when coining new terms.

Fake News or Weak Science? Visibility and Characterization of Antivaccine Webpages Returned by Google in Different Languages and Countries.

The 1998 Lancet paper by Wakefield et al., despite subsequent retraction and evidence indicating no causal link between vaccinations and autism, triggered significant parental concern. The aim of this study was to analyze the online information available on this topic. Using localized versions of Google, we searched "autism vaccine" in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Arabic and analyzed 200 websites for each search engine result page (SERP). A common feature was the newsworthiness of the topic, with news outlets representing 25-50% of the SERP, followed by unaffiliated websites (blogs, social media) that represented 27-41% and included most of the vaccine-negative websites. Between 12 and 24% of websites had a negative stance on vaccines, while most websites were pro-vaccine (43-70%). However, their ranking by Google varied. While in Google.com, the first vaccine-negative website was the 43rd in the SERP, there was one vaccine-negative webpage in the top 10 websites in both the British and Australian localized versions and in French and two in Italian, Portuguese, and Mandarin, suggesting that the information quality algorithm used by Google may work better in English. Many webpages mentioned celebrities in the context of the link between vaccines and autism, with Donald Trump most frequently. Few websites (1-5%) promoted complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) but 50-100% of these were also vaccine-negative suggesting that CAM users are more exposed to vaccine-negative information. This analysis highlights the need for monitoring the web for information impacting on vaccine uptake.

The medical and scientific responsibility of pollen information services.

Pollen information as such is highly valuable and was considered so far as a self-evident good free for the public. The foundation for reliable and serious pollen information is the careful, scientific evaluation of pollen content in the air. However, it is essential to state and define now the requirements for pollen data and qualifications needed for institutions working with pollen data in the light of technical developments such as automated pollen counting and various political interests in aerobiology including attempts to finally acknowledge pollen and spores as relevant biological particles in the air worth being considered for pollution and health directives. It has to be emphasized that inadequate pollen forecasts are a considerable health risk for pollen allergy sufferers. Therefore, the responsibility of institutions involved in pollen monitoring and forecasting is high and should be substantiated with respective qualifications and know-how. We suggest here for the first time a portfolio of quality criteria and demand rigorous scientific monitoring and certification of such institutions in the interest and for the protection of persons affected by a pollen allergy.

[Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion should include standards related to acupuncture and moxibustion].

The development of Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion should be in accord with the trend of standardization and internationalization of the science of acupuncture and moxibustion. Based on the arrangement of chapters and sections in the textbook, 29 national standards, 6 standards or guidelines made by World Health Or- ganization(WHO) and 1 standard out of International Standardization Organization (ISO) are classified and intro- duced. It is suggested that the above contents should be considered as the evidence when the textbook is reedited. Also, it is proposed that humanization should be supplemented and the newest research findings should be traced.

[Economic Evaluation of Integrated Care Systems - Scientific Standard Specifications, Challenges, Best Practice Model]. / Ökonomische Erfolgsmessung von integrierten Versorgungsnetzen - Gütekriterien, Herausforderungen, Best-Practice-Modell.

PURPOSE: Transparency of economic performance of integrated care systems (IV) is a basic requirement for the acceptance and further development of integrated care. Diverse evaluation methods are used but are seldom openly discussed because of the proprietary nature of the different business models. The aim of this article is to develop a generic model for measuring economic performance of IV interventions. METHODS: A catalogue of five quality criteria is used to discuss different evaluation methods -(uncontrolled before-after-studies, control group-based approaches, regression models). On this -basis a best practice model is proposed. RESULTS: A regression model based on the German morbidity-based risk structure equalisation scheme (MorbiRSA) has some benefits in comparison to the other methods mentioned. In particular it requires less resources to be implemented and offers advantages concerning the relia-bility and the transparency of the method (=important for acceptance). Also validity is sound. Although RCTs and - also to a lesser -extent - complex difference-in-difference matching approaches can lead to a higher validity of the results, their feasibility in real life settings is limited due to economic and practical reasons. That is why central criticisms of a MorbiRSA-based model were addressed, adaptions proposed and incorporated in a best practice model: Population-oriented morbidity adjusted margin improvement model (P-DBV(MRSA)). CONCLUSION: The P-DBV(MRSA) approach may be used as a standardised best practice model for the economic evaluation of IV. Parallel to the proposed approach for measuring economic performance a balanced, quality-oriented performance measurement system should be introduced. This should prevent incentivising IV-players to undertake short-term cost cutting at the expense of quality.

[Practice and diversion of acupuncture-moxibustion scientization in modern times: taking ZHU Lian as the center].

By following the acupuncture scholar ZHU Lian's academic thought in modern times, and comparing with other contemporary acupuncture scholars, it is found that since the Republic of China, there has been an obvious practice tendency of scientization among academic thoughts of acupuncture, especially in ZHU Lian. This tendency of scientization continues until the early stage of New China. Accompanied with the process of acupuncture high education, academic thoughts represented by acupuncture-moxibustion textbook are different from scientization that is represented by ZHU Lian, and the basic path of acupuncture-moxibustion education and academic theory changed from here.

Do we really want to REACH out to in vitro?

To comply with international regulations on chemicals, such as REACH (registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals), an enormous amount of toxicity testing is required. Traditional tests will fall short, since these strongly rely on in vivo studies, in particular for neurotoxicity. Therefore, a shift to alternative/in vitro toxicity testing is essential, in particular for neurotoxicity testing. However, the use of in vitro models and in vitro endpoints appears far from well accepted. This brief personal view highlights some of the concerns regarding in vitro research, e.g. using clonal cell lines such as PC12 cells and SH-SY5Y cells, to illustrate that many of these concerns may not be justified. A better characterization of specific in vitro models as well as a better understanding of the motive for using these in vitro models for neurotoxicity testing in the scientific community is necessary. The future of neurotoxicity testing will involve an increased use of in vitro experiments that are carefully designed with respect to compatibility of the exposure paradigm, the in vitro model and the chosen endpoint(s).

Entre as interfaces das racionalidades da saúde: por que terapia floral? / Between the interfaces of the rationalities of health: why floral therapy?

A ciência ocidental, hoje, é a ciência instituída que vem em primeiro lugar, com características como a objetividade, mensuração e o cartesianismo. Este trabalho vem trazer à luz, de certa forma, uma discussão antiga sobre o que é ciência. E, por trás desse pano de fundo, desvela-se a questão central: quais motivos levaram alguns médicos, imersos na racionalidade biomédica e, consequentemente, na racionalidade científica ocidental, a olhar outras racionalidades da saúde, chegando a escolher trabalhar com pelo menos uma delas, a medicina floral, tema central deste estudo. Justo esta, uma medicina embasada em outra racionalidade de saúde, em outra racionalidade científica e, com isso, outra compreensão de sujeito, de doenças, de saúde, de tratamento e de cura. Enquanto a ciência médica ocidental foca seu olhar nas doenças, órgãos e lesões e ainda está a passos lentos, começando a olhar para os sujeitos e sua relação consigo mesmo e com o seu entorno para pensar a cura e a doença, a medicina floral que é uma das medicinas complementares olha o sujeito em todas as suas relações para realizar seu diagnóstico e seu tratamento, sem fragmentar o indivíduo e seu corpo. Através da análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2010), realizada com as oito entrevistas feitas com médicos que também atuam com medicina floral no município de Porto Alegre-RS, foram observadas seis categorias, as quais indicam as diferenças das racionalidades e as influências de cada uma em seus trabalhos e, ainda, os motivos pela escolha da medicina floral como mais uma ferramenta de trabalho no tratamento dos sujeitos doentes, ou melhor, com algum desequilíbrio físico, mental ou emocional. As categorias são: 1. O que é doença?; 2. O que é cura?; 3. O que é saúde?; 4. Como é a medicina ocidental; 5. Como é a medicina floral; 6. Caminho da biomedicina ao floral. Estas categorias indicam a forma de pensar dos médicos durante sua história de vida e sua história profissional, o que os influenciou e até os levou a trabalhar com terapia floral. Alguns deles já possuíam em sua vida fatores e concepções que foram os pilares para aguçar sua curiosidade em relação a outras formas de cuidado com os pacientes, que complementassem o que aprenderam com a medicina. Outros médicos, totalmente imersos na racionalidade científica e médica ocidental, foram pegos de surpresa pelos efeitos do floral em suas vidas ou na vida de pessoas próximas, o que os fez repensar sobre seu agir médico. Todos, no entanto, ao entrar em contato com a medicina floral, disseram ter percebido nesta a possibilidade de ajudar seus pacientes e a si mesmos na arte de curar o sofrimento humano, obtendo assim resultados que foram e são interessantes ou mesmo surpreendentes. Talvez essa surpresa não seja apenas pelos resultados, mas pela maior aproximação que o estudo dos florais possibilitou entre esses médicos e seus pacientes, e, assim, entre esses médicos e a arte de curar, tornando-os, ainda mais, agentes de cura de sujeitos, e não apenas de doenças ou lesões.(AU)

Western science, today, is science that has been instituted and comes in the first place, with characteristics such as objectivity, measurement and Cartesianism. This study brings to light, in a way, an old debate about what science is. And, behind that backdrop, reveals itself the central question: what reasons have led some doctors, immersed in the biomedical rationality and, consequently, in the Western scientific rationality, to look at other rationalities of health, getting to choose to work with at least one of them, the floral medicine, main theme of this study. Just this, a medicine based on other rationality of health, on other scientific rationality and, therefore, another understanding of individual, disease, health, treatment and cure. While the Western medical science focuses its gaze on diseases, organs and injuries and it is still slow, floral medicine - which is one of the complementary medicines is starting to look at the individuals and their relation with themselves and their surroundings to think about healing and illness, it looks at the person in all his relations to make his diagnosis and treatment, without fragmenting the individual and his body. Through content analysis of Bardin (2010), held with eight interviews with doctors who also work with floral medicine in the city of Porto Alegre, six categories were observed, which indicate the differences of the rationalities and the influences of each one in their work and also the reasons for the choice of floral medicine as a tool in the treatment of sick individuals, or better, of individuals with some physical, mental or emotional imbalance. The categories are: 1. What is illness? 2. What is healing? 3. What is health? 4. How does Western science work; 5. How does floral medicine work; 6. The path from biomedicine to floral medicine. These categories indicate the way of thinking of doctors during their life history and their professional history, what has influenced them and even led them up to work with floral therapy. Some of them already had in their lives factors and concepts that were the pillars to whet their curiosity about other forms of care with patients that complemented what they learned with medicine. Other doctors, fully immersed in the Western medical and scientific rationality, were caught by surprise by the effects of floral in their lives or in the lives of people nearby, which made them rethink their actions as doctors. All, however, when in contact with floral medicine, claimed to have noticed in this the possibility of helping their patients and themselves in the art of curing human suffering, thereby obtaining results that were and are interesting or even amazing. Maybe this surprise is not only because of the results, but because of the approximation that the study of floral made possible between these doctors and their patients, and thus between these doctors and the art of healing, making them even more curing agents of individuals and not just of illness or injuries.(AU)

Western epistemology: a stranger in a strange land?

Westernization in the Pacific, as in the world, brought with it many old truths and new ideas. It brought new belief systems that were widely accepted and technologies that mostly proved useful. But it also brought something that it never fully put into words, although the brightest of students attending the best of schools may have had a glimpse of it. It's not a secret but, somehow, it's rarely discussed. When Westerners came they claimed to know an awful lot of things. But how did they know what they claimed to know? What was their way of knowing things? This paper discusses the various ways of knowing, with special reference to scientific knowledge and its epistemological basis, and to the nature of the body of knowledge it generates and protects. The objective is to provide a short history of western thought and a foundation for young scientist who need more than the successes of technology to understand how they know the things they claim to know.

Divine intervention? A Cochrane review on intercessory prayer gone beyond science and reason.

We discuss in this commentary a recent Cochrane review of 10 randomised trials aimed at testing the religious belief that praying to a god can help those who are prayed for. The review concluded that the available studies merit additional research. However, the review presented a scientifically unsound mixture of theological and scientific arguments, and two of the included trials that had a large impact on the findings had problems that were not described in the review. The review fails to live up to the high standards required for Cochrane reviews.