Discovery and Explanation in Biology and Medicine
Discovery and Explanation in Biology and Medicine

Author: Kenneth F. Schaffner

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 654

ISBN-13: 9780226735924

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Kenneth F. Schaffner compares the practice of biological and medical research and shows how traditional topics in philosophy of science—such as the nature of theories and of explanation—can illuminate the life sciences. While Schaffner pays some attention to the conceptual questions of evolutionary biology, his chief focus is on the examples that immunology, human genetics, neuroscience, and internal medicine provide for examinations of the way scientists develop, examine, test, and apply theories. Although traditional philosophy of science has regarded scientific discovery—the questions of creativity in science—as a subject for psychological rather than philosophical study, Schaffner argues that recent work in cognitive science and artificial intelligence enables researchers to rationally analyze the nature of discovery. As a philosopher of science who holds an M.D., he has examined biomedical work from the inside and uses detailed examples from the entire range of the life sciences to support the semantic approach to scientific theories, addressing whether there are "laws" in the life sciences as there are in the physical sciences. Schaffner's novel use of philosophical tools to deal with scientific research in all of its complexity provides a distinctive angle on basic questions of scientific evaluation and explanation.

Discovery and Explanation in Biology and Medicine
Discovery and Explanation in Biology and Medicine

Author: Kenneth F. Schaffner

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1994-02-10

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 9780226735917

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Kenneth F. Schaffner compares the practice of biological and medical research and shows how traditional topics in philosophy of science—such as the nature of theories and of explanation—can illuminate the life sciences. While Schaffner pays some attention to the conceptual questions of evolutionary biology, his chief focus is on the examples that immunology, human genetics, neuroscience, and internal medicine provide for examinations of the way scientists develop, examine, test, and apply theories. Although traditional philosophy of science has regarded scientific discovery—the questions of creativity in science—as a subject for psychological rather than philosophical study, Schaffner argues that recent work in cognitive science and artificial intelligence enables researchers to rationally analyze the nature of discovery. As a philosopher of science who holds an M.D., he has examined biomedical work from the inside and uses detailed examples from the entire range of the life sciences to support the semantic approach to scientific theories, addressing whether there are "laws" in the life sciences as there are in the physical sciences. Schaffner's novel use of philosophical tools to deal with scientific research in all of its complexity provides a distinctive angle on basic questions of scientific evaluation and explanation.

Beyond the Molecular Frontier
Beyond the Molecular Frontier

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2003-03-19

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 0309168392

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Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.

Analyzing Network Data in Biology and Medicine
Analyzing Network Data in Biology and Medicine

Author: Nataša Pržulj

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-03-28

Total Pages: 647

ISBN-13: 1108432239

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Introduces biological concepts and biotechnologies producing the data, graph and network theory, cluster analysis and machine learning, using real-world biological and medical examples.

Magneto-Biology and Medicine
Magneto-Biology and Medicine

Author: Anatoly Buchachenko

Publisher: Nova Science Publishers

Published: 2014-01-12

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781634632560

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Life is controlled by chemistry. Chemistry is not the whole life but the life is totally chemistry. Chemistry is a key to biology. Nothing in biology can be understood without chemistry and chemical reactions. There are many factors controlling biochemical reactions, however the most intriguing is the magnetic field. The ability to respond to magnetic fields is ubiquitous and universal among the five kingdoms of organisms. Magneto-biology is a field of knowledge which considers phenomena accompanying the influence of magnetic fields, permanent and alternating, on the biological systems at all levels: molecular, cellular, and whole organism. There is no doubt that magnetic fields do the human health and feeling of well-being; the latter is a key factor stimulating both social and scientific interest in magneto-biology. This book considers numerous biological and biomedical effects of the two magnetic fields: internal fields created by magnetic nuclei, and external magnetic fields, both permanent and oscillating. It critically summarizes magnetic effects on the biological clocks, biological compass for orientation and navigation of migrating animals, the influence of cells phones on the health. It demonstrates magnetic and isotope effects on the food chains and metabolism, ecology and epidemiology. It explains the origin of trans-cranial magnetic stimulation of cognitive processes to prevent neurodegenerative disorders; it enlightens magnetic stimulation of the ATP synthesis and protein phosphorylation, magnetic control of the DNA synthesis and gene expression. It shows how magnetic fields can be used to eliminate ATP deficiency at cardiac diseases and how to use magnetic stable isotope ions as the medical agents against hypoxia and cardiac insufficiency, as a means for controlling cell proliferation and stimulating destruction and apoptosis of the cancer cells. The uniqueness of this book is that it is focused on the chemical biology and medicine, on the discovery and analysis of chemical magneto-dependent mechanisms. This book gives a collection of scattered information, its critical analysis, generalization and explanation of physics and chemistry of magneto-biological effects as a basis for the deliberate usage in medicine (for the trans-cranial magnetic stimulation of cognitive processes and genetics, in particular).

Proteomics for Biological Discovery
Proteomics for Biological Discovery

Author: Timothy D. Veenstra

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2006-06-12

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0470007737

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Written by recognized experts in the study of proteins, Proteomics for Biological Discovery begins by discussing the emergence of proteomics from genome sequencing projects and a summary of potential answers to be gained from proteome-level research. The tools of proteomics, from conventional to novel techniques, are then dealt with in terms of underlying concepts, limitations and future directions. An invaluable source of information, this title also provides a thorough overview of the current developments in post-translational modification studies, structural proteomics, biochemical proteomics, microfabrication, applied proteomics, and bioinformatics relevant to proteomics. Presents a comprehensive and coherent review of the major issues faced in terms of technology development, bioinformatics, strategic approaches, and applications Chapters offer a rigorous overview with summary of limitations, emerging approaches, questions, and realistic future industry and basic science applications Discusses higher level integrative aspects, including technical challenges and applications for drug discovery Accessible to the novice while providing experienced investigators essential information Proteomics for Biological Discovery is an essential resource for students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers across all fields of biomedical research, including biochemistry, protein chemistry, molecular genetics, cell/developmental biology, and bioinformatics.

Model Organisms in Drug Discovery
Model Organisms in Drug Discovery

Author: Pamela M. Carroll

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2004-04-21

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 047087130X

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Fruit flies are "little people with wings" goes the saying in the scientific community, ever since the completion of the Human Genome Project and its revelations about the similarity amongst the genomes of different organisms. It is humbling that most signalling pathways which "define" humans are conserved in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. Feed a fruit fly caffeine and it has trouble falling asleep; feed it antihistamines and it cannot stay awake. A C. elegans worm placed on the antidepressant flouxetine has increased serotonin levels in its tiny brain. Yeast treated with chemotherapeutics stop their cell division. Removal of a single gene from a mouse or zebrafish can cause the animals to develop Alzheimer’s disease or heart disease. These organisms are utilized as surrogates to investigate the function and design of complex human biological systems. Advances in bioinformatics, proteomics, automation technologies and their application to model organism systems now occur on an industrial scale. The integration of model systems into the drug discovery process, the speed of the tools, and the in vivo validation data that these models can provide, will clearly help definition of disease biology and high-quality target validation. Enhanced target selection will lead to the more efficacious and less toxic therapeutic compounds of the future. Leading experts in the field provide detailed accounts of model organism research that have impacted on specific therapeutic areas and they examine state-of-the-art applications of model systems, describing real life applications and their possible impact in the future. This book will be of interest to geneticists, bioinformaticians, pharmacologists, molecular biologists and people working in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly genomics.

Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery
Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery

Author: Richard S. Larson

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 9781617799655

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Recent advances in drug discovery have been rapid. The second edition of Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery has been completely updated to include topics that range from new technologies in target identification, genomic analysis, cheminformatics, protein analysis, and network or pathway analysis. Each chapter provides an extended introduction that describes the theory and application of the technology. In the second part of each chapter, detailed procedures related to the use of these technologies and software have been incorporated. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory. Thorough and intuitive, Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in the further study of the rapidly expanding field of drug discovery.

Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery
Bioinformatics and Drug Discovery

Author: Richard S. Larson

Publisher: Humana Press

Published: 2005-10-01

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 9781588293466

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A collection of readily reproducible bioinformatic methods to advance the drug discovery process from gene identification to protein modeling to the identification of specific drug candidates. The authors demonstrate these techniques, including microarray analysis, the analysis of genes as potential drug targets, virtual screening and in silico protein design, and cheminformatics, in a variety of practical situations. Because these technologies are still emergent, each chapter contains an extended introduction that explains the theory and application of the technology and techniques described.

Biological Collections
Biological Collections

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2021-01-29

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 0309498538

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Biological collections are a critical part of the nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental resource for understanding the natural world. Biological collections underpin basic science discoveries as well as deepen our understanding of many challenges such as global change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food production, ecosystem conservation, and improving human health and security. They are important resources for education, both in formal training for the science and technology workforce, and in informal learning through schools, citizen science programs, and adult learning. However, the sustainability of biological collections is under threat. Without enhanced strategic leadership and investments in their infrastructure and growth many biological collections could be lost. Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century recommends approaches for biological collections to develop long-term financial sustainability, advance digitization, recruit and support a diverse workforce, and upgrade and maintain a robust physical infrastructure in order to continue serving science and society. The aim of the report is to stimulate a national discussion regarding the goals and strategies needed to ensure that U.S. biological collections not only thrive but continue to grow throughout the 21st century and beyond.