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Results for “Biological Science Disciplines”

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PubMed1996

The medicalization of race: scientific legitimization of a flawed social construct.

The term "race" has many definitions, ranging from a family unit to a species, but in common and medical usage, defining "race" has meant separating Homo sapiens into three to six groups. This division of Homo sapiens into race taxons started in the 18th century, when the sciences of genetics and evolutionary biology were not yet invented. These disciplines have since shown that human race taxonomy has no scientific basis. Race categories are social constructs, that is, concepts created from prevailing social perceptions without scientific evidence. Despite modern proof that race is arbitrary biological fiction, racial taxons are still used widely in medical teaching, practice, and research. Human diversity is inconsistently taught in medical schools and erratically presented in medical texts. Race taxons have been "medicalized"; that is, race groupings have been legitimized by their use in medical literature and practice as acceptable descriptive labels that are integral to the proper diagnosis and treatment of disease in humans. Assumptions about disease that are made because a race has been assigned can result in important negative consequences for individual patients and inaccurate genetic inferences for populations. In contrast, ethnicity is a concept that incorporates social, religious, linguistic, dietary, and other variables to identify individual persons and populations. Ethnicity may be able to impart clinical clues to diagnosis if the clinician taking the history is well informed and open minded. Ethnic boundaries are dynamic and imprecise, and a strict methodical approach to ethnicity that is equal to the approach required for the study of other variables is necessary if the concept of ethnicity is to be clinically useful.

Biomedical Research↗

PubMed1984

Experiments on plants grown in space. Status and prospects.

Space flight provides a unique capability to gravitational research by providing an environment in which gravity can be manipulated below the Earth norm of 1 to a state comparable to weightlessness. Although space experiments with seeds and plants have been conducted for almost 25 years, we are only now entering an era that promises the capability of routinely conducting controlled plant experiments in space. Results from experiments with higher plants and seeds flown thus far in both manned and unmanned spacecraft from both the USA and USSR are briefly summarized. An overview of the current status of space biology experimentation as it relates to plants is presented and present and future opportunities to conduct plant experiments under space flight conditions are discussed.

Gravitation↗

PubMed2004

Nomothetic science and idiographic history in twentieth-century Americanist anthropology.

For over a century, Americanist anthropologists have argued about whether their discipline is a historical one or a scientific one. Proponents of anthropology as history have claimed that the lineages of human cultures are made up of unique events that cannot be generalized into laws. If no laws can be drawn, then anthropology cannot be a science. Proponents of anthropology as science have claimed that there indeed are laws that govern humans and their behaviors and cultures, and these laws can be discovered. Interestingly, both sides have the same narrow view of what science is. The same sorts of debates over science and history were played out in evolutionary biology over a half-century ago, and what emerged was the view that that discipline and its sister discipline, paleontology, were both history and science--hence the term "historical sciences." Anthropology and its sister discipline, archaeology, have only recently begun to realize that they too are historical sciences.

Anthropology↗

PubMed2003

Bridging the electrochemical and biological worlds with hybrid nanocomposites.

Recent discoveries arising from a combination of the biological, physical, chemical and materials sciences have resulted in the invention of numerous hybrid molecules that possess strengths inherent to each individual discipline. Nanocomposites that link biological molecules to inorganic moieties have led to a family of new reagents with unique capabilities for cellular imaging and macromolecule detection. A recent report has extended the applications of these hybrid molecules from their use as detection and scaffolding reagents into the realm of a biologically functional molecule.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Analysis of drugs and other toxic substances in biological samples for pharmacokinetic studies.

The importance of the role of analysis of drugs and other toxic substances in biological samples (bioanalysis) in medicine, toxicology, pharmacology, forensic science, environmental research and other biomedical disciplines is self-evident. Among these disciplines, bioanalysis plays a special pivotal role in pharmacokinetics. The pharmacokinetic parameters, such as half-life, volume of distribution, clearance and bioavailability, of drugs and other compounds are derived from the concentrations of these analytes assayed in the biological samples collected at specified time points. The capability of analysts to develop sensitive and specific analytical methods for the assay of low concentrations of drugs and other toxic compounds in small amounts of biological samples has contributed significantly to the theoretical advances in pharmacokinetics and its applications in clinical pharmacology and the management of drug therapy in patients. The increased demands for pharmacokinetic applications in turn have stimulated the innovation and improvement in bioanalytical technologies. The reliability of the pharmacokinetic conclusions depends on the accuracy and precision of the analytical methods employed to assay the biological samples. Factors that affect the integrity of the bioanalytical data should therefore be controlled in analysis of biological samples for pharmacokinetics studies. The biological samples for drug concentration determination should be collected as specified in the study protocol with respect to the time and site of sampling. These samples should be processed to avoid extraneous interactions between the analytes and sampling devices or additives resulting in the redistribution of the analytes between components of the biological samples, such as displacement of drug binding and changes in the distribution of the analytes between plasma and red blood cells. The stability of the drugs and other analytes in the samples should also be evaluated to establish the conditions suitable for the transportation and storage of the samples to avoid chemical, photochemical and enzymatic degradation of the analytes. Various technologies have been utilized to assay biological samples for pharmacokinetic studies. The most frequently used are chromatography (high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and thin-layer chromatography), immunoassays and mass spectrometry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Body Fluids↗

PubMed2004

New approaches to shock and trauma research: learning from multidisciplinary exchange.

BACKGROUND: Our understanding of the complex network of pathophysiology after multiple injury is limited. It is proposed to overcome the limitations of the traditional linear reductionism approach by merging the expertise of biology and medicine with other disciplines such as mathematics, physics and computer science. METHODS: We organized a two-days-workshop, where surgeons and surgical scientists explained the problem from the medical (pathophysiological) perspective to a well selected group of German applied mathematicians and computer scientists. Vice versa they presented and discussed their approaches to complex system analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Physicians found it difficult to develop questions and concepts that go beyond the classic mechanistic thinking. Well formulated questions are the most important prerequisites for successful application of mathematical tools. The possibilities and borders of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Hidden Markow Models (HMM), Agent Based Models (ABM), differential equations for problem solving were discussed. There is no master model for all aspects of pathophysiology, however, application of the models to specific problems is mandatory. CONCLUSIONS: Future breakthroughs can only be expected if we overcome language problems between disciplines. This cross talk was considered by all participants as a most important step.

Communication↗

PubMed2003

A need for a 'whole-istic functional genomics' approach in complex human diseases: arthritis.

'Genomic tools', such as gene/protein chips, single nucleotide polymorphism and haplotype analyses, are empowering us to generate staggering amounts of correlative data, from human/animal genetics and from normal and disease-affected tissues obtained from complex diseases such as arthritis. These tools are transforming molecular biology into a 'data rich' science, with subjects with an '-omic' suffix. These disciplines have to converge and integrate at a systemic level to examine the structure and dynamics of cellular and organismal function ('functionomics') simultaneously, using a multidimensional approach for cells, tissues, organs, rodents and Zebra fish models, which intertwines various approaches and readouts to study the development and homeostasis of a system. In summary, the postgenomic era of functionomics will facilitate narrowing the bridge between correlative data and causative data, thus integrating 'intercoms' of interacting and interdependent disciplines and forming a unified whole.

Arthritis↗

PubMed2001

High-throughput interpretation of pathways and biology.

The genomics revolution is opening many diverse pathways in science. In the midst of the tidal wave of information being generated by the new "omics" disciplines, bioinformatics is meeting the challenge to decipher and organize the data mountain. The endeavor to integrate diverse biological data into a common vocabulary will be an essential part of the "biotechnological age" leading to a new understanding of complex biological systems. This potential promises to revolutionize medicine as knowledge is translated into novel therapies. The Integrated Bioinformatics meeting held in Zurich January 2426, 2001, provided an insight into the cutting edge of bioinformatics and its central role in the genomics revolution. The evolution of bioinformatics will act as a guide in 21st century biological sciences.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

The return of science to education in clinical psychology: a reply to Snyder and Elliott.

Clinical psychology currently exists in a state of isolation from the other scientific domains. This disconnect is explained, in part, by the continued adherence to mind-body dualism by many clinical psychologists and the rift between researchers and practitioners within the discipline. However, natural science researchers are reasserting the connection between physical and biological properties and psychological phenomena. As a result, knowledge and skill pertaining to the scientific method will become increasingly important in the education of future clinical psychologists. Modifications to both undergraduate and graduate training are suggested.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1994

Social and economic factors in prosthodontic practice and education.

Prosthodontics represents a highly developed body of knowledge and skill that spans multiple disciplines. Numerous studies can be cited that address biologic, mechanical, or materials science factors that influence decisions about patient care. On a daily basis as clinicians, teachers, or patients, we experience an interplay of social, economic, and psychologic conditions that similarly influence treatment decisions. This article explored a rationale for including a clear, explicit emphasis on knowledge and skill development for prosthodontic practice and education related to social, psychologic, and economic factors.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

What can geography tell us about prostate cancer?

One of the most striking characteristics of prostate cancer is the degree of geographic variation in its patterns of occurrence and progression; this variation is apparent at local, national, and international levels. Although geographic theory, methods, and data are increasingly utilized for public health research, epidemiologic research in prostate cancer etiology and progression has not taken full advantage of the spatial sciences as partner disciplines. This article reviews the known factors influencing the biology and epidemiology of prostate cancer and some of the ways in which findings to date have benefited from geography. A model is presented for geographically integrated research in prostate cancer, with discussion of how spatially referenced data and methods could enhance approaches to answering remaining questions in prostate cancer.

Demography↗

PubMed1998

Toward a plant genomics initiative: thoughts on the value of cross-species and cross-genera comparisons in the grasses.

Comparative genomics offers unparalleled opportunities to integrate historically distinct disciplines, to link disparate biological kingdoms, and to bridge basic and applied science. Cross-species, cross-genera, and cross-kingdom comparisons are proving key to understanding how genes are structured, how gene structure relates to gene function, and how changes in DNA have given rise to the biological diversity on the planet. The application of genomics to the study of crop species offers special opportunities for innovative approaches for combining sequence information with the vast reservoirs of historical information associated with crops and their evolution. The grasses provide a particularly well developed system for the development of tools to facilitate comparative genetic interpretation among members of a diverse and evolutionarily successful family. Rice provides advantages for genomic sequencing because of its small genome and its diploid nature, whereas each of the other grasses provides complementary genetic information that will help extract meaning from the sequence data. Because of the importance of the cereals to the human food chain, developments in this area can lead directly to opportunities for improving the health and productivity of our food systems and for promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Molecular biology in ophthalmology. A review of principles and recent advances.

Molecular biology is a young scientific discipline that has already had a profound impact on biomedical science, including basic and clinical eye research. In the coming years, molecular advances will increasingly influence aspects of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in clinical ophthalmology. Our current understanding of ocular pathophysiology and classification of eye disease will be advanced and challenged by new discoveries in molecular biology. A knowledge of genotype can clarify apparent phenotype. At the present time, diagnostic tests in ophthalmology for both acquired and inherited diseases are being revolutionized by molecular technology. The molecular genetics of ocular disease is currently the subject of intense investigation using techniques of gene mapping and isolation. Rapid progress in understanding the molecular basis of eye diseases will advance the treatment of these conditions, including the potential for gene therapy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

The quality of medical science.

Is the quality of science aimed at understanding and treating disease inferior to more basic investigations of basic biology, or does the different quality of medical science reflect a distinct nature? This duality in the meaning of quality is central to any critique of the quality of medical science. The nature of medical science, which deals with the dysfunction of integrated genetic, epigenetic, environmental, or stochastic phenomenon, is distinct from that of basic science which seeks to describe discrete biological processes. In physical sciences it is generally accepted that there are practical boundaries between disciplines such as quantum physics, thermodynamics, and chemistry even though, in theory, such investigations are related. In meteorology, the development of chaos theory establishes that there are even theoretical limits to the ability to predict large scale processes from their essential, constituent processes. So too, the quality of medical science may be distinct from that of basic biology.

Attitude↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Change in diagnostic and therapeutic viewpoints: integrated perspectives].

Child and juvenile psychiatry is, as a medical discipline, made up of many fields. Explanatory models and attempts at understanding based on the natural and biological sciences and on the humane sciences call for a high degree of integrative willingness and ability. The same is particularly true within the field for the area of therapy. Following references to the development of the discipline and of the possible misunderstandings involved in an interpretation of the term "integration", the author makes reference to the dialogue-like structure of integration. The variety within and over-all structure of the field cannot be regarded as a unit by changing the level of perception, but they can be linked in an integrated whole.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The bioethics as a new paradigm].

The word "bioethics" is a key to understand the nature and the origins of this new discipline. Made up of bios and ethiké (life and ethics), that it conjugates biology and moral in paradigmatic synthesis of science and it makes aware, facts and values, to be and duty to be. If there is "two cultures" that seem unable to speak one to the other one, science and humanities, and if this is part of the reason for which the future is shown so uncertain, then we should spread a "bridge toward the future" building the discipline of the bioethics like a bridge among the two cultures. To what bios and to what ethos does the the bioethics refer? By definition, it is biology or biomedicine and of ethics applied to the human behavior. The bioethics, bridge toward the future and among the two cultures, he or she responds to the challenge of the crisis bioethics of the technological era, crisis at the same time vital and normative in whose warp stands out the ecological catastrophe, the new biology and the medicalization of the life.

Bioethics↗

PubMed2002

Advanced high school biology in an era of rapid change: a summary of the biology panel report from the NRC Committee on Programs for Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in American High Schools.

A recently released National Research Council (NRC) report, Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools, evaluated and recommended changes in the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and other advanced secondary school science programs. As part of this study, discipline-specific panels were formed to evaluate advanced programs in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Among the conclusions of the Content Panel for Biology were that AP courses in particular suffer from inadequate quality control as well as excessive pressure to fulfill their advanced placement function, which encourages teachers to attempt coverage of all areas of biology and emphasize memorization of facts rather than in-depth understanding. In this essay, the Panel's principal findings are discussed, with an emphasis on its recommendation that colleges and universities should be strongly discouraged from using performance on either the AP examination or the IB examination as the sole basis for automatic placement out of required introductory courses for biology majors and distribution requirements for nonmajors.

Advisory Committees↗

PubMed2006

Medical informatics and bioinformatics: integration or evolution through scientific crises?

OBJECTIVES: To contribute a new perspective on recent investigations into the scientific foundations of medical informatics (MI) and bioinformatics (BI). To support efforts that could generate synergies and new research directions. METHODS: MI and BI are compared and contrasted from a philosophy of science perspective. Historical examples from MI and BI are analyzed based on contrasting viewpoints about the evolution of scientific disciplines. RESULTS: Our analysis suggests that the scientific approaches of MI and BI involve different assumptions and foundations, which, together with largely non-overlapping communities of researchers for the two disciplines, have led to different courses of development. We indicate how their respective application domains, medicine, and biology may have contributed to these differences in development. CONCLUSIONS: An analysis from the point of view of the philosophy of science is characteristic of established scientific disciplines. From a Kuhnian perspective, both disciplines may be entering a period of scientific crisis, where their foundations are questioned and where new ideas (or paradigm shifts) and a progressive research programme are needed to advance them scientifically. We discuss research directions and trends both supporting and challenging integration of the subdisciplines of MI and BI into a unified field of biomedical informatics (BMI), centered around the evolution of information cybernetics.

Computational Biology↗