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Copyright of Kant-Studien is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

According to the preface, Pliny’s Natural History belongs to the genre of historia, of which subject is the nature. At the same time, the preface offers other genre classifications as well: encyclios paideia, thaesaurus. Pliny himself points out the novelty of his work: Libros naturalis historiae […] novicium opus (praef. 1.). Regarding Pliny’s peculiar concept of nature, in terms of the genre and literary history, Natural History can be interpreted as a borderline case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whiteness as a construct of ideal skin colour was created at the intersection of the visual arts, literature, natural history and medicine (among others). This paper traces the construction of whiteness through four case studies in sixteenth-century Venice and Rome, examining the works of Agnolo Firenzuola, Lodovico Dolce, Girolamo Mercuriale, and Giulio Mancini. It shows that this construct of whiteness was rooted in ancient medical theories of internal equilibrium and by the seventeenth century had been gradually transferred to the external surface. Notions of beauty, gender dynamics and the emergence of colonial and racial ideologies were closely linked to this ideal. In close interaction with medicine, sixteenth-century art played a crucial role in making complexion a central theme in both visual art and art theory, and in establishing a hierarchy through the ostentatious absence of non-whiteness. Depictions of darker skin tones did not appear until the seventeenth century when attention shifted from a colour mixture of red, white and black to a polarity of light and dark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEINRICH CHRISTIAN MACKLOT studied medicine in heidelberg - after an apprenticeship in pharmacy - and received his doctorate there in 1822. He had already been intensively involved in mineralogy during his studies. Already two months before his doctorate, he took up a position as curator at the rijksmuseum in Leiden. In December 1825, the second group of the Natuur-kundige Commissie, led by HEINRICH BOIE (1794-1827), set out on an expedition to Indonesia, then east india. After BOIE'S death, MACKLOT - partly together with PIERRE-MÉDARD DIARD (1794-1863) - took over the leadership of the group, especially on the exploration of Ambon, New Guinea and timor, in which DIARD was not involved, from June 1826 until his death on 12 May 1832. Contrary to the previous assessment of the entire literature, MACKLOT'S core interest was by no means zoology. Already during his studies of medicine in Heidelberg, he was enthusiastic about mineralogy, which can be clearly documented by the results of his collections already during his first shore leave at the Cape of Good Hope, but also later, especially on Java. it is also more than clear from his special assignments, the exploration of mineral resources, ores and other resources, that mineralogy, i.e. the exploration of mineral resources, starting with gold and silver, through coal to all kinds of rocks, was the actual reason for his admission to the commissie. in this sense, the overall picture of MACKLOT'S must be redrawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent crocodiles have never played a role in Europe, they are of historical importance. The following vignettes are intended to illustrate some of them. This essay is not about presenting illustrations of the first descriptions of crocodiles, but I would like to show the contemporary handling of the strange creature crocodile. The importance of the Nile Crocodiles in the history of ancient Egypt and in the Napoleonic campaigns to Egypt are expressly excluded here. On the one hand, they personified evil, the beast that had to be slain or stabbed. on the other hand, the crocodiles became souvenirs for pilgrims, adventurers and emigrants and are thus directly related to the colonization of foreign countries. In sacred buildings, dried crocodile skins or stuffed crocodiles were displayed in a visible place as a symbol of evil or hung on chains from the ceiling. In cabinets of wonder or nature [Wunderkammern], the crocodiles also had a positive influence on natural science. At fairs, stuffed or live crocodiles satisfied our ancestors' desire to see exotic creatures. With the beginning of scheduled ship traffic, an increasing number of strange, unknown reptiles started to arrive at the ports of London, Amsterdam and later Hamburg. There animal dealers started to offer their exotics to private persons, zoological gardens and menageries. This article is also intended to show, with all due respect, that the crocodiles per se are not bloodthirsty beasts that are to be destroyed by any means possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In analyzing the discussion of fish in Homilia in hexaemeron 7, this article attempts to shed light on the source that Basil of Caesarea used in his exposition of Gen 1:20. It will first critically review the old (but widely accepted) thesis of Jean Levie that Basil's knowledge of natural history comes solely from an Aristotelian epitome. In rejecting this view, this paper will argue that Basil's materials, in fact, draw on a more complex tradition than simply being directly extracted from Aristotle's work. In the second part, four sources that are adduced in relation to Homilia in hexaemeron 7, namely Pliny, Aelian, Oppian, and Plutarch will be examined. By analyzing the similarities and differences between Basil and these sources, I will demonstrate that Oppian's Halieutica is the most likely source that Basil consulted and used as a framework for composing the examples of fish in Homilia in hexaemeron 7,3–6, despite the apparent similarities among the four sources. I will also propose ways of interpreting the apparent similarities between Basil and the three other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on questions of iconography or classification and diagrams used in theological and legal contexts, in genealogy, in natural history, biology, heredity, anthropology and ethnology in Europe.

Exhibits in natural history museums, in addition to their value as display and teaching objects, sometimes also have an astonishing provenance. The two large gharials (Gavialis gangeticus Gmelin, 1789) exhibited in the Natural History Museum Vienna (NHMW), were purchased in 1902 by Franz Steindachner, the then Intendant (Director), and are particularly impressive by their enormous size. However, although they have been in the museum's collections for 120 years, little was known about their origin and how they ended up in the museum. In the course of research on the provenance of these crocodiles, it was possible to reconstruct, at least in part, the path of the two unique specimens from South Asia to Vienna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication "On the knowledge of the Japanese leaf turtle, Geoemyda japonica Fan, 1932" provides an overview of the taxonomy, natural history, ecology, habitat, threats, and conservation of the species Geoemyda japonica. The species inhabits the Ryukyu Archipelago in southern Japan and prefers moist primary and older secondary forests as its habitat. The reproductive habits of the turtles have been observed, including the hatching of the juveniles. The species is endangered and is threatened by poaching and habitat loss. There is currently no serious conservation or research program for this turtle, but a non-profit organization called Okinawa Kame Center has been established to study and protect the turtles. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: The investigation of rare diseases is challenging because of the small number of patients and a frequently heterogeneous, multisymptomatic clinical presentation. Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), a progressive, neurodegenerative hereditary disorder, was long considered a pediatric disease. However, in the past decade, this view changed, given that a substantial number of adult NPC patients were diagnosed. Yet, we still know little about the clinical spectrum of adult NPC. This article sheds further light on this topic. For this purpose, we based the disease characteristics of the subpopulations of pediatric versus adolescent and adult NPC patients on the available literature as well as expert opinions regarding epidemiology, genetic mutation pattern, pathology including prodromal symptoms, progression rate, general treatment regime, and treatment effects. As outlined, NPC emerges as a disease continuum based on broadly similar genetic mutation patterns and pathophysiology across age groups. Pediatric and adolescent/adult patients are characterized by diverse facets of progressive neuropsychological manifestations, such as cognitive deficits and marked limitations in their motor abilities (including consideration of prodromal symptoms). NPC progresses similarly in pediatric and adolescent/adult patients, albeit with an accelerated rate of progression and thus a shortened life expectancy the younger the patients are when neurological symptoms first appear. However, the high disease burden of all NPC patients indicates the severity of this metabolic disorder. The treatment of NPC is interdisciplinary, regardless of age. To date, there is no causal therapy option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immanuel Kant is, famously, not only the major philosopher of European enlightenment, but also one of the first philosophers to develop a philosophical theory of "human races". How do these two sides of Kant relate to each other? What is the significance of race in Kant's philosophy? In this article, we aim to discuss these questions by taking (1st) a close look into the conceptual and philosophical presuppositions underlying Kant's understanding of race; relating them (2nd) to the concept of teleology as developed by Kant in the Critique of Judgement and to the idea of natural history that can be derived from there. In the last two chapters (3rd and 4th), we intertwine both perspectives in such a way that, on the one hand, we can determine the philosophical significance of race for Kant, and, on the other hand, show how a race-sensible perspective gives new and critical insight into Kant's concept of reason. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of WestEnd is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent studies suggest insect declines in parts of Europe; however, the generality of these trends across different taxa and regions remains unclear. Standardized data are not available to assess large-scale, long-term changes for most insect groups but opportunistic citizen science data is widespread for some. Here, we took advantage of ‘citizen science’ data to investigate distributional changes of Odonata. We compiled over 1 million occurrence records from different regional databases. We used occupancy detection models to account for imperfect detection and estimate annual distributions for each species during 1980–2016 within 5 x 5 km quadrants. We also compiled data on species attributes that were hypothesized to affect species’ sensitivity to different drivers and related them to the changes in species’ distributions. We further developed a novel approach to cluster groups of species with similar patterns of distributional change to represent multi-species indicators. More species increased (45%) than decreased (29%) or remained stable (26%) in their distribution (i.e., number of occupied quadrants). Species showing increases were generally warm-adapted species and/or running water species, while species showing decreases were cold-adapted species using standing water habitats such as bogs. Time-series clustering defined five main patterns of change – each associated with a specific combination of species attributes, and confirming the key roles of species’ temperature and habitat preferences. Trends in Odonata provide mixed news – improved water quality, coupled with positive impacts of climate change, could explain the positive trends of many species. At the same time, declining species point to conservation challenges associated with habitat loss and degradation. Our study demonstrates the great value of ‘citizen science’ and the work of natural history societies for assessing large-scale distributional change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was born on 18 January 1750 in Kollmen, Electorate of Saxony. He studied philology at the universities of Leipzig, Göttingen, and Straßburg, developing a strong interest in natural history and befriending the naturalist Johann Hermann. In 1776, Schneider began his tenure at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder, moving to Breslau in 1811, where Schneider spent the remainder of his life. In 1817, he was released from his duties as a professor freeing him to take on, full time, the position as Chief Librarian, which he held until his death on 12 January 1822. Schneider’s first contributions to the literature, starting at the age of 20, were strictly philological but he soon began to specialize in translating and commenting upon works dealing with the sciences, publishing Latin translations and commentaries on Aristotle, Nicander and others. Beginning in the 1780s Schneider published original works on natural history and commentaries on Medeival and Modern works in the natural sciences. He made contributions to the study of invertebrates, birds, and mammals, but especially to herpetology and ichthyology. Schneiders most important works on fish were Petri Artedi Synonymia Piscium Graeca et Latina Emendata (Schneider 1789) and Systema Ichthyologiae (Bloch & Schneider 1801). He described more than 430 species of fishes, of which 30 % are considered valid today. His most important herpetological works were Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Schildkröten (Schneider 1783), Amphibiorum Physiologiae (Schneider 1790, 1792c), and Historiae Amphibiorum (Schneider 1799, 1801). Collectively, these works made valuable contributions to all major groups of amphibians and reptiles. Schneider also contributed many journal articles and published his last herpetological paper posthumously in 1824. In all, Schneider described 126 herpetological taxa, of which 45 are considered valid today. His herpetological work bridged the 18th and 19th centuries and marked the beginning of herpetology as a distinctive discipline of study. Of Schneiders > 130 publications, many of them books, his most successful publication was his Kritisches Griechisch-Deutsches Handwörterbuch (Schneider 1797b, 1798), which influenced Greek lexicons well into the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the life and the varied, broad oeuvre of the German cameralist, teacher, lawyer and parliament member Bernhard Sebastian von Nau (1766-1845) who was also active in the field of natural sciences. His herpetological observations and information were so far neither recognized nor analyzed in the relevant literature. It is the aim of the second part of the present publication to close this gap in the early herpetological history of Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salomon Müller’s (1804-1863) life took what was undoubtedly a surprising, almost novelistic turn for his family when, not even 20 years old, he met Heinrich Boie (1794-1827) and Heinrich Macklot (1799-1832) at his parents’ inn in Heidelberg. This fateful encounter led him to start working as a taxidermist at the Rijksmuseum Leiden a short time later, and as early as 1825 he left for Java with the second group of the Natuurkundige Commissie, where they arrived in June 1826. With the prospect of this career, which did not come naturally to him, Müller took private lessons in Latin and also attended seminars in Zoology at Heidelberg University, although he was never officially enrolled. The two future friends Boie and Macklot will have primarily noticed the small zoological collection of stuffed animals in the guest house of his parents. And so it was Müller’s skills as a hunter and taxidermist that got him the job in the second group. Inthisfunctionhewill alsohaveworkedprimarily in the first phase of the expedition on Java, although it may be assumed that he eagerly followed the scientificwork of the othertwo. The first and probably decisive break in this development was Boie’s death in September 1827. Thus the head and scientific leader of the group was no longer present. Despite the by no means complete data situation – many documents will have been lost – it is already evident on the continuation of the voyage of discovery via Ambon (March/April 1828) to New Guinea (end of May to August 1828) how Müller grew into the function of scientist at a literally unbelievable pace. Thisis documented by his handwritten records preserved in the Museum Naturalis (Leiden) and accessible in the online archive of the Natuurkundige Commissie. Of these hundreds of taxonomic descriptions of often still completely unknown species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, the handwritten notes on one horned toad and one rear-fanged snake are presented here as a representative example. Parallel to the handwritten notes, especially the diaries of Pieter van Oort (1804-1834) represent an indispensable treasure trove for accompanying data on the individual stages. Unfortunately, this source fell silent a few months before van Oort’s death in Sumatra in September 1834, so that we have little first-hand data material from the phase in which Müller himself was officially entrusted with the leadership of the group. After his return to the Netherlands as the sole survivor of the first two groups, Müller played a decisive role in documenting the sensational results of the expedition in the three-volume work „Verhandelingen“ (1837-44), the first volume of which, „Land- en Volkenkunde”, he was solely responsible for, and the third volume, “Zoologie”, he co-authored with Hermann Schlegel (1804-1884). Soon after his arrival in his old homeland, Müller was awarded a doctorate in Heidelberg, a process that will be illustrated here with the help of original documents.After the dissolution of the Natuurkundige Commissie in April 1850, Müller moved first to Heidelberg, where he married Amalie Wilhelmine Rummer, and then movedwith herto Freiburg. Unfortunately, little is known about the last phase of his life (1850-1863), although recently examined documents from Freiburg reveal much that is worth knowing. Thus, Müller had not only two legitimate children, but also a daughter from the time on Java, whom he had apparently brought with him to Europe and placed her in a kind of boarding school. It demandsthe highest admiration - and the author of this article absolutely and happily includes himself here -, when one considers the life path of this man: from the son of an inn owner,to a taxidermistto an important, versatile experienced natural scientist with an œuvre that isstill not adequately appreciated today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Doitsu Bungaku is the property of Iudicium Verlag GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde is the property of Schwabe Verlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arcadia -- International Journal for Literary Studies is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article inform that the theoretical physicist Jorge Eduardo Hirsch proposed a new bibliometric index in he used in natural sciences with the self-evidence and conviction as a measure of the influence and relevance of the publication output. Topic include mathematical theorem that the h-index of precise formulation of the theorem in Corollary on the use of bibliometric data that reinforce the criticism in algorithm for determining the h-index.

The article offers briefs related to Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung (DMV). Topics include concern of Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians (GDNÄ) as an the interdisciplinary exchange between natural scientists and physicians right from the start with Dietrich von Engelhardt; and professor emeritus for the history of science has been dealing with the history of founding personalities around the natural philosopher Lorenz Oken on culture and society.

The present article purports to locate Gray’s and Wordsworth’s journals in a transnational culture, which culminates with Humboldt, whose effort was to combine scientific and poetic language in the discovery of landscape. The two poets shared scientific interests, which they show not only in their lexical choice but also in the reproduction of their experience of the territory, based on the material circumstances of their apprehension of reality. Historical studies in the natural sciences enabled them to perceive phenomenons. Still, their pictorial sensibility and mastery of the language gave them the tools useful to communicate the uniqueness of the re-discovery of familiar paths, meadows and mountains.

Many of Marco Aurelio Severino’s works were published in Germany, thanks to the intercession of his pupils. The prestigious Nürnberg physician Johann Georg Volkamer was Severino’s closest pupil. A relevant manuscript letter (transcribed in the appendix) of Severino to Volkamer sheds new light on the context of the edition of Severino’s Zootomia democritaea. The correspondence between Severino and Volkamer was firstly studied by Luigi Amabile in the Ninteenth-century, and it was fully exploited by Maurizio Torrini about a century later.

Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer (1768- 1795) was a medical doctor and a versatile natural scientist. he was a student at the universities of Braunschweig, Rostock and Göttingen and was later the first university teacher who gave lessons on zoology in Göttingen. Next to numerous medical, zoological and mineralogical papers he published also literary essays. In the present paper the focus is laid on his herpetological contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that practical-theological reflections on Duns Scotus and Bonaventure with Franciscan impulses of faith. Topics include noticeable impetus in Europe through the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries in natural science; and possibilities of technology, the emergence of the historical and later the social and human sciences.

This article contends that woodcuts in a partial German translation of Pliny’s Naturalis historia function as what Aby Warburg called Bilderfahrzeuge (image vehicles). Translated and compiled by Johann Heyden, illustrated by Jost Amman, Virgil Solis, and others, and published by Sigmund Feyerabend in 1565, 1571, and 1584, Bücher und schrifften von der Natur art und eigentschafft der Creaturen […] features “description” and “ornament,” but rarely epistemological rigor. Specifically, its zoological images are “true” for their aesthetic, pragmatic, and theological value. That most of these images previously appeared in other books published by Feyerabend, in Thierbuch Albert Magni (1545) and Gessner’s Historia animalium (1551–1557), confirms their mobility was prized more than their accuracy.

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since the 1990s Judith Butler has shaped the debate on gender internationally and especially in Germany. Her publications enabled the integration of recent findings in the natural sciences into sociological gender studies. This article retraces this connection and locates it in the past and present discussions of gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists literatures works of authors in the periodics of historical countryside of Westphalia, Germany for the year 2019 on the topics including Iron Age settlement by I. Jons, natural history exploration of Westphalia by B. Tenbergen and excavations in Munster by H. Jakobi.

The article focuses on relations between science and technology from the opposite perspective, that of science, and more specifically of science policy. It mentions how the demand by industry and the state for knowledge that could be applied for technical purposes shaped, and actually generated, a German scientific policy in the aftermath of World War I. It also mentions German perception of the natural sciences in this period and process of technical development.

Zunächst erscheinen Soziologie und Neurowissenschaft als ungleiche Partner im Hinblick auf das Untersuchen einer Funktion von Kunst. Diese Arbeit zeigt jedoch, dass beide Disziplinen gemeinsame Ausgangspunkte und Schnittstellen hinsichtlich einer Erfassung künstlerischer Wahrnehmungspraxen bieten. Das empirische Untersuchungsdesign integriert Methoden beider Fachbereiche, um neue Erkenntnisse zur Kunstwahrnehmung zu erzielen. Eine Analyse der durchgeführten empirischen Untersuchungen bietet Aufschluss sowohl über neuronale als auch soziale Aspekte der Wahrnehmung von Kunst. Durch eine Verknüpfung differenzierungstheoretischer Argumente und neuronaler Ergebnisse wird schließlich herausgearbeitet, dass das Potential der Kunst darin zu sehen ist, dass durch sie ein neuer Fokus auf die Welt und deren Perspektivität gewonnen werden kann. Beide Untersuchungen machen deutlich, dass es nicht ausreicht, die Wahrnehmung von Kunst als binäre Beziehung zwischen Objekt und Betrachter zu verstehen. Der soziale Kontext ist als weitere Determinante zu betrachten, die das künstlerische Wahrnehmen bestimmt. Die Relevanz der Ergebnisse reicht über den bildungstheoretischen Kontext hinaus, indem die Kunst als politisch-soziale Praxis erklärt wird, die auch in anderen Lebensbereichen Bedeutsamkeit entfalten kann. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]