Precision Medicine and the Reinvention of Human Disease

Precision Medicine and the Reinvention of Human Disease
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2018-01-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0128143940

Despite what you may have read in the popular press and in social media, Precision Medicine is not devoted to finding unique treatments for individuals, based on analyzing their DNA. To the contrary, the goal of Precision Medicine is to find general treatments that are highly effective for large numbers of individuals who fall into precisely diagnosed groups. We now know that every disease develops over time, through a sequence of defined biological steps, and that these steps may differ among individuals, based on genetic and environmental conditions. We are currently developing rational therapies and preventive measures, based on our precise understanding of the steps leading to the clinical expression of diseases. Precision Medicine and the Reinvention of Human Disease explains the scientific breakthroughs that have changed the way that we understand diseases, and reveals how medical scientists are using this new knowledge to launch a medical revolution. - Clarifies the foundational concepts of Precision Medicine, distinguishing this field from its predecessors such as genomics, pharmacogenetics, and personalized medicine - Gathers the chief conceptual advances in the fields of genetics, pathology, and bioinformatics, and synthesizes a coherent narrative for the field of Precision Medicine - Delivers its message in plain language, and in a relaxed, conversational writing style, making it easy to understand the complex subject matter - Guides the reader through a coherent and logical narrative, gradually providing expertise and skills along the way - Covers the importance of data sharing in Precision Medicine, and the many data-related challenges that confront this fragile new field

Taxonomic Guide to Infectious Diseases

Taxonomic Guide to Infectious Diseases
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2019-05-31
Genre: Science
ISBN: 012817577X

Taxonomic Guide to Infectious Diseases: Understanding the Biologic Classes of Pathogenic Organisms, Second Edition tackles the complexity of clinical microbiology by assigning every infectious organism to one of 40+ taxonomic classes and providing a description of the defining traits that apply to all the organisms within each class. This edition is an updated, revised and greatly expanded guide to the classes of organisms that infect humans. This book will provide students and clinicians alike with a simplified way to understand the complex fields of clinical microbiology and parasitology. - Focuses on human disease processes and includes numerous clinical tips for healthcare providers - Describes the principles of classification and explains why the science of taxonomy is vital to the fields of bioinformatics and modern disease research - Provides images of prototypical organisms for taxonomic classes - Includes a section that lists common taxonomic pitfalls and how they can be avoided

Evolution's Clinical Guidebook

Evolution's Clinical Guidebook
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2019-04-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128171278

Evolution's Clinical Guidebook: Translating Ancient Genes into Precision Medicine demonstrates, through well-documented examples, how an understanding of the phylogenetic ancestry of humans allows us to make sense out of the flood of genetic data streaming from modern laboratories and how it can lead us to new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. Topics cover evolution and human genome, meiosis and other recombinants events, embryology, speciation, phylogeny, rare and common diseases, and the evolution of aging. This book is a valuable source for bioinformaticians and those in the biomedical field who need knowledge, down to gene level, to fully comprehend currently available data. - Offers an innovative approach, focusing on how disease-associated pathways evolved - Explains how the fields of phylogeny and embryology have become closely tied to the fields of genetics and bioinformatics - Demonstrates how students and biomedical professionals can apply the knowledge obtained in this book to the theory and practice of precision medicine

Logic and Critical Thinking in the Biomedical Sciences

Logic and Critical Thinking in the Biomedical Sciences
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2020-07-03
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 012821371X

Science is not a collection of facts. Science is the process by which we draw inferences from facts. Volume I of Logic and Critical Thinking in the Biomedical Sciences invites readers to linger over a collection of common observations to see what inferences can be drawn, when one applies a bit of deductive logic. If we just think about what we observe, it is often possible to discover profound biomedical insights.Volumes 1 and 2 of Logic and Critical Thinking in the Biomedical Sciences are written for biomedical scientists and college-level students engaged in any of the life sciences, including bioinformatics and related data sciences. - Provides a strong introduction to deductive methods that can be directly applied to the biomedical sciences - Using hundreds of examples, shows how creative scientists draw important inferences from observations that are often ignored by their peers - Discusses complex biological and medical concepts in a relaxed manner, intended to focus the reader's attention on the deductive process, without dwelling excessively on details

Principles and Practice of Big Data

Principles and Practice of Big Data
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2018-07-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0128156104

Principles and Practice of Big Data: Preparing, Sharing, and Analyzing Complex Information, Second Edition updates and expands on the first edition, bringing a set of techniques and algorithms that are tailored to Big Data projects. The book stresses the point that most data analyses conducted on large, complex data sets can be achieved without the use of specialized suites of software (e.g., Hadoop), and without expensive hardware (e.g., supercomputers). The core of every algorithm described in the book can be implemented in a few lines of code using just about any popular programming language (Python snippets are provided). Through the use of new multiple examples, this edition demonstrates that if we understand our data, and if we know how to ask the right questions, we can learn a great deal from large and complex data collections. The book will assist students and professionals from all scientific backgrounds who are interested in stepping outside the traditional boundaries of their chosen academic disciplines. - Presents new methodologies that are widely applicable to just about any project involving large and complex datasets - Offers readers informative new case studies across a range scientific and engineering disciplines - Provides insights into semantics, identification, de-identification, vulnerabilities and regulatory/legal issues - Utilizes a combination of pseudocode and very short snippets of Python code to show readers how they may develop their own projects without downloading or learning new software

Classification Made Relevant

Classification Made Relevant
Author: Jules J. Berman
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2022-01-25
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0323972586

Classification Made Relevant: How Scientists Build and Use Classifications and Ontologies explains how classifications and ontologies are designed and used to analyze scientific information. The book presents the fundamentals of classification, leading up to a description of how computer scientists use object-oriented programming languages to model classifications and ontologies. Numerous examples are chosen from the Classification of Life, the Periodic Table of the Elements, and the symmetry relationships contained within the Classification Theorem of Finite Simple Groups. When these three classifications are tied together, they provide a relational hierarchy connecting all of the natural sciences. The book's chapters introduce and describe general concepts that can be understood by any intelligent reader. With each new concept, they follow practical examples selected from various scientific disciplines. In these cases, technical points and specialized vocabulary are linked to glossary items where the item is clarified and expanded. - Explains the theory and practice of classification, emphasizing the importance of classifications and ontologies to the modern fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and medicine - Includes numerous real-world examples that demonstrate how bad construction technique can destroy the value of classifications and ontologies - Explains how we define and understand the relationships among the classes within a classification and how the properties of a class are inherited by its subclasses - Describes ontologies and how they differ from classifications and explains conditions under which ontologies are useful

Complex Systems in Medicine

Complex Systems in Medicine
Author: David C. Aron
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2019-08-30
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3030245934

This unique title explores complex systems in clinical medicine and the subsequent implementation of that knowledge into practice. Written conversationally and as a reflection on the journey of learning about complex systems, the book explores how knowledge of these systems can be applied to four key roles in academic medicine: clinical practice, education, research, and administration. Further, this title emphasizes how gaining an understanding of complex systems can greatly help a physician deal with the many challenges found in academic medicine. Unlike other books on complexity in medicine, which tend to focus on only one aspect of the management of patients, Complex Systems in Medicine deals with the multifaceted roles of a physician. The approach in this book is uniquely qualitative rather than mathematical, and is written to make it not only of interest to physicians, trainees, and allied health providers, but also to make it more accessible to a non-medical audience. The inclusion of personal anecdotes by the author provides concrete examples of the application of knowledge of complex systems in academic medicine. A first-of-its-kind contribution to the literature, Complex Systems in Medicine: A Hedgehog’s Tale of Complexity in Clinical Practice, Research, Education, and Management is not only a novel reference for medical professionals, it is an accessible tool for the non-medical audience hoping to learn more about complex systems and their direct relevance to medicine, a field that deals with the infinite variety of humans and their ills. It illustrates the consequences of the interactive elements of patient care that make medicine both a science and an art.

Lifestyle Psychiatry

Lifestyle Psychiatry
Author: Douglas L. Noordsy, M.D.
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2019-04-08
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1615371664

Exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, sound sleep: Most practitioners would agree that living well can mitigate the impact of mental disorders. Yet many are unprepared to address lifestyle factors in their care of patients. Lifestyle Psychiatry seeks to instill confidence by collating and analyzing the impressive emerging body of evidence that supports the efficacy of healthy lifestyle practices -- both as the primary intervention and in conjunction with traditional treatments such as psychopharmacology or psychotherapy -- in preventing and managing psychiatric disorders. This volume examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -- from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management -- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Readers can readily find data to support the use of specific lifestyle interventions for a patient presenting with a specific disorder. Detailed descriptions of the mechanisms of each lifestyle intervention also prepare practitioners to educate their patients on the specific neurobiological and psychological effects of these interventions to support their recovery. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, this guide provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes. Additionally, the book discusses the impact of the provider's lifestyle on clinical behavior and the implications of lifestyle medicine and psychiatry for health care systems and population health, offering a broader examination of the important role this new field can play in leading a sophisticated, holistic approach to optimizing wellness.