Structuring Biological Systems focuses on the important components of biological systems in order to develop genetic algorithms for modeling purposes. The book considers the characteristics of biological systems from the artificial intelligence point of view, examines modeling examples of complex biological systems (such as molecular level modeling, a model of renal hemodynamics, and cognitive aspects of modeling), describes the entropy-based probability distribution for modeling of environmental and biological systems, and presents a detailed analysis of modeling cancer phenomena. Structuring Biologic Systems will benefit students and researchers interested in an interdisciplinary approach to complex problems of biological systems, as well as biologists, chemists, engineers, research physicians, and computer scientists.

Preface p. ix Chapter 1 Biology and Its Philosophy p. 2 1.1 The Rise of Logical Positivism p. 2 1.2 The Consequences for Philosophy p. 4 1.3 Problems of Falsifiability p. 6 1.4 Philosophy of Science Without Positivism p. 8 1.5 Speculation and Science p. 10 Introduction to the Literature p. 11 Chapter 2 Autonomy and Provincialism p. 13 2.1 Philosophical Agendas versus Biological Agendas p. 13 2.2 Motives for Provincialism and Autonomy p. 18 2.3 Biological Philosophies p. 21 2.4 Tertium Datur? p. 25 2.5 The Issues in Dispute p. 30 2.6 Steps in the Argument p. 34 Introduction to the Literature p. 35 Chapter 3 Teleology and the Roots of Autonomy p. 37 3.1 Functional Explanations in Molecular Biology p. 39 3.2 The Search for Functions p. 43 3.3 Functional Laws p. 47 3.4 Directively Organized Systems p. 52 3.5 The Autonomy of Teleological Laws p. 59 3.6 The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Functional Explanation p. 62 3.7 Functional Explanation Will Always Be with Us p. 65 Introduction to the Literature p. 67 Chapter 4 Reductionism and the Temptation of Provincialism p. 69 4.1 Motives for Reductionism p. 69 4.2 A Triumph of Reductionism p. 73 4.3 Reductionism and Recombinant DNA p. 84 4.4 Antireductionism and Molecular Genetics p. 88 4.5 Mendel's Genes and Benzer's Cistrons p. 93 4.6 Reduction Obstructed p. 97 4.7 Qualifying Reductionism p. 106 4.8 The Supervenience of Mendelian Genetics p. 11 4.9 Levels of Organization p. 117 Introduction to the Literature p. 119 Chapter 5 The Structure of Evolutionary Theory p. 121 5.1 Is There an Evolutionary Theory? p. 122 5.2 The Charge of Tautology p. 126 5.3 Population Genetics and Evolution p. 130 5.4 Williams's Axiomatization of Evolutionary Theory p. 136 5.5 Adequacy of the Axiomatization p. 144 Introduction to the Literature p. 152 Chapter 6 Fitness p. 154 6.1 Fitness Is Measured by Its Effects p. 154 6.2 Fitness As a Statistical Propensity p. 160 6.3 The Supervenience of Fitness p. 164 6.4 The Evidence for Evolution p. 169 6.5 The Scientific Context of Evolutionary Theory p. 174 Introduction to the Literature p. 179 Chapter 7 Species p. 180 7.1 Operationalism and Theory in Taxonomy p. 182 7.2 Essentialism--For and Against p. 187 7.3 The Biological Species Notion p. 191 7.4 Evolutionary and Ecological Species p. 197 7.5 Species Are Not Natural Kinds p. 201 7.6 Species As Individuals p. 204 7.7 The Theoretical Hierarchy of Biology p. 212 7.8 The Statistical Character of Evolutionary Theory p. 216 7.9 Universal Theories and Case Studies p. 219 Introduction to the Literature p. 225 Chapter 8 New Problems of Functionalism p. 226 8.1 Functionalism in Molecular Biology p. 228 8.2 The Panglossian Paradigm p. 235 8.3 Aptations, Exaptations, and Adaptations p. 243 8.4 Information and Action Among the Macromolecules p. 246 8.5 Metaphors and Molecules p. 255 Bibliography p. 266 Index p. 273.

Computational and theoretical tools for understanding biological processes at the molecular level is an exciting and innovative area of science. Using these methods to study the structure, dynamics and reactivity of biomacromolecules in solution, computational chemistry is becoming an essential tool, complementing the more traditional methods for structure and reactivity determination. Modelling Molecular Structure and Reactivity in Biological Systems covers three main areas in computational chemistry; structure (conformational and electronic), reactivity and design. Initial sections focus on the link between computational and spectroscopic methods in the investigation of electronic structure. The use of Free Energy calculations for the elucidation of reaction mechanisms in enzymatic systems is also discussed. Subsequent sections focus on drug design and the use of database methods to determine ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) properties. This book provides a complete reference on state of the art computational chemistry practised on biological systems. It is ideal for researchers in the field of computational chemistry interested in its application to biological systems.

What is a language? What do scientific grammars tell us about the structure of individual languages and human language in general? What kind of science is linguistics? These and other questions are the subject of Ryan M. Nefdt's Language, Science, and Structure. Linguistics presents a unique and challenging subject matter for the philosophy of science. As a special science, its formalisation and naturalisation inspired what many consider to be a scientific revolution in the study of mind and language. Yet radical internal theory change, multiple competing frameworks, and issues of modelling and realism have largely gone unaddressed in the field. Nefdt develops a structural realist perspective on the philosophy of linguistics which aims to confront the aforementioned topics in new ways while expanding the outlook toward new scientific connections and novel philosophical insights. On this view, languages are real patterns which emerge from complex biological systems. Nefdt's exploration of this novel view will be especially valuable to those working in formal and computational linguistics, cognitive science, and the philosophies of science, mathematics, and language.

While structure-function relationships of proteins have been studied for a long time, structural studies of RNA face additional challenges. Nevertheless, with the continuous discovery of novel RNA molecules with key cellular functions and of novel pathways and interaction networks, the need for structural information of RNA is still increasing. This volume provides an introduction into techniques to assess structure and folding of RNA. Each chapter explains the theoretical background of one technique, and illustrates possibilities and limitations in selected application examples.

This volume contains the Proceedings of the Third International EXAFS Conference, hosted by Stanford University and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory on July 16-20, 1984. The meeting, co-chaired by Professors Arthur Bienenstock and Keith Hodgson, was attended by over 200 scientists representing a wide range of scientific disciplines. The format of the meeting consisted of 51 invited presenta tions and four days of poster sessions. This Proceedings is a compilation of 139 contributions from both invited speakers and authors of contributed posters. The last ten years has seen the rapid maturation of x-ray absorption spectrosco pyas a scientific discipline. The vitality of the field is reflected in the diver sity of applications found in the Proceedings. Recent work continues to probe the limits of x-ray spectroscopy, with proven techniques being extended to, for examp le, very low or high energy studies, to very dilute systems, and to studies of surface structure. In fact, the title of the conference does not at all reflect the breadth of the science discussed at this meeting. The number of fields in which x ray absorption spectroscopy is finding applications has increased dramatically even in the two years since the previous International Conference held in Frascati*. The prospects for continued growth and innovation will be even further enhanced if a new generation 6 GeV storage ring is constructed in the next five years.

​​Systemic Structure behind Human Organizations: From Civilizations to Individuals shows how the systemic yoyo model can be successfully employed to study human organizations at three different levels: civilizations, business enterprises, and individuals. This monograph tackles managerial problems from an holistic perspective such as how a business entity grows and dies and how a CEO can manipulate the choices of long- and short-term projects in order to gain more control over the board of directors. By creating a uniform language and logic of reasoning, the book provides examples and convincing results. Additionally the book shows how the same model, thinking logic, and methodology of the systems research can be equally applied to analyze problems and situations considered in natural sciences, social sciences, and humanity areas. Therefore it offers knowledge of a brand new tool to attack organizational problems. By concentrating on difficult, unsettled issues in these varying areas, this monograph thoroughly explains how some laws of nature can be established for the common study of natural and social sciences.​

Steven French articulates and defends the bold claim that there are no objects in the world. He draws on metaphysics and philosophy of science to argue for structural realism—the position that we live in a world of structures—and defends a form of eliminativism about objects that sets laws and symmetry principles at the heart of ontology.