Cognitive Neuroscience: A Very Short Introduction


Richard Passingham - 2016
    This began to change with the devising of methods to try to tap into what was going on in the 'black box' of the mind, and the development of 'cognitive psychology'. With the study of patients who had suffered brain damage or injury to limited parts of the brain, outlines of brain components and processes began to take shape, and by the end of the 1970s, a new science, cognitive neuroscience, was born. But it was with the development of ways of accessing activation of the working brain using imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI that cognitive neuroscience came into its own, as a science cutting across psychology and neuroscience, with strong connections to philosophy of mind. Experiments involving subjects in scanners while doing various tasks, thinking, problem solving, and remembering are shedding light on the brain processes involved. The research is exciting and new, and often makes media headlines. But there is much misunderstanding about what brain imaging tells us, and the interpretation of studies on cognition.In this Very Short Introduction Richard Passingham, a distinguished cognitive neuroscientist, gives a provocative and exciting account of the nature and scope of this relatively new field, and the techniques available to us, focusing on investigation of the human brain. He explains what brain imaging shows, pointing out common misconceptions, and gives a brief overview of the different aspects of human cognition: perceiving, attending, remembering, reasoning, deciding, and acting. Passingham concludes with a discussion of the exciting advances that may lie ahead.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

How to Grow a Human: Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made


Philip Ball - 2019
    This was life—but whose?  In his most mind-bending book yet, Ball makes that disconcerting question the focus of a tour through what scientists can now do in cell biology and tissue culture. He shows how these technologies could lead to tailor-made replacement organs for when ours fail, to new medical advances for repairing damage and assisting conception, and to new ways of “growing a human.” For example, it might prove possible to turn skin cells not into neurons but into eggs and sperm, or even to turn oneself into the constituent cells of embryos. Such methods would also create new options for gene editing, with all the attendant moral dilemmas. Ball argues that such advances can therefore never be about “just the science,” because they come already surrounded by a host of social narratives, preconceptions, and prejudices. But beyond even that, these developments raise questions about identity and self, birth and death, and force us to ask how mutable the human body really is—and what forms it might take in years to come.

The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Fossil Hunters and the Wonders of Evolution


Donald R. Prothero - 2015
    Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous, beautifully preserved fossils in a gripping scientific history of life on Earth. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and fully interpreting their significance within the larger fossil record, Prothero creates a riveting history of life on our planet.The twenty-five fossils portrayed in this book catch animals in their evolutionary splendor as they transition from one kind of organism to another. We witness extinct plants and animals of microscopic and immense size and thrilling diversity. We learn about fantastic land and sea creatures that have no match in nature today. Along the way, we encounter such fascinating fossils as the earliest trilobite, Olenellus; the giant shark Carcharocles; the "fishibian" Tiktaalik; the "Frogamander" and the "Turtle on the Half-Shell"; enormous marine reptiles and the biggest dinosaurs known; the first bird, Archaeopteryx; the walking whale Ambulocetus; the gigantic hornless rhinoceros Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; and the Australopithecus nicknamed "Lucy," the oldest human skeleton. We meet the scientists and adventurers who pioneered paleontology and learn about the larger intellectual and social contexts in which their discoveries were made. Finally, we find out where to see these splendid fossils in the world's great museums.Ideal for all who love prehistoric landscapes and delight in the history of science, this book makes a treasured addition to any bookshelf, stoking curiosity in the evolution of life on Earth.

Wild Nights: How Taming Sleep Created Our Restless World


Benjamin Reiss - 2017
    But for most of human history, practically no one slept this way. Tracing sleep's transformation since the dawn of the industrial age, Reiss weaves together insights from literature, social and medical history, and cutting-edge science to show how and why we have tried and failed to tame sleep. In lyrical prose, he leads readers from bedrooms and laboratories to factories and battlefields to Henry David Thoreau's famous cabin at Walden Pond, telling the stories of troubled sleepers, hibernating peasants, sleepwalking preachers, cave-dwelling sleep researchers, slaves who led nighttime uprisings, rebellious workers, spectacularly frazzled parents, and utopian dreamers. We are hardly the first people, Reiss makes clear, to chafe against our modern rules for sleeping.A stirring testament to sleep's diversity, Wild Nights offers a profound reminder that in the vulnerability of slumber we can find our shared humanity. By peeling back the covers of history, Reiss recaptures sleep's mystery and grandeur and offers hope to weary readers: as sleep was transformed once before, so too can it change today.

Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials


John B. West - 1994
    The Seventh Edition updates and revises material to reflect current advances in respiratory science but does not stray from the proven formula students and faculty have enjoyed since 1974.New updates include physiology of pulmonary capillaries, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, pulmonary edema, surface tension, elastic properties of the lung and chest wall, metabolic functions of the lung, and perinatal respiration. Ample illustrations and pedagogical features help clarify important equations and concepts. USMLE-style review questions at the end of each chapter help students review for class or boards.

Odious Oceans (Horrible Geography)


Anita Ganeri - 1999
    Used Book in good condition. No missing/ torn pages. No stains. Note: The above used product classification has been solely undertaken by the seller. Amazon shall neither be liable nor responsible for any used product classification undertaken by the seller. A-to-Z Guarantee not applicable on used products.

Textbook of Radiographic Positioning and Related Anatomy


Kenneth L. Bontrager - 1987
    It presents positioning and projection information in an easy-to-read, bulleted format on one side of the page spread, with corresponding positioning photos, radiographic images and anatomical drawings on the other side. Expert content covers pathology, geriatric and pediatric patient populations, survey information, and 100 new positioning photographs for the latest in radiographic positioning. The 6th edition contains a new chapter on digital imaging, and digital imaging information is incorporated where appropriate throughout the book. New photographs and redrawn illustrations create a consistent, visual appearance throughout the book.- Characterized by a clear, easy-to-follow organization that features one projection per page. Positioning and projection information is presented in an easy-to-read bulleted format on the left side of the page, and positioning photos, radiographic images and anatomical drawings are aligned on the right. This show and tell style helps students visualize anatomy and understand positioning.- Includes about 200 of the most commonly requested projections. Competency in performing these projections is necessary for all entry-level practitioners. By contrast, Merrill's Atlas includes over 400 projections and much more information on advanced imaging.- Critique Radiographs provide the basis of classroom or lab discussion. The WB/LM contains questions specific to these radiographs.- Pathologic Indications in appropriate chapters - Introducing pathology with positioning helps students understand the whole patient and improves their ability to produce radiographs that make diagnosis easy for the physician.- Pediatric Applications in appropriate chapters prepare technologists to deal competently with the special needs of their pediatric patients.- Geriatric Applications in appropriate chapters - Important information for technologists to understand the varying needs of their patient base.- Alternative Modalities or procedures inform students of which projections can better demonstrate certain anatomical parts or pathology, or which may be necessary if patient is unable to cooperate fully.- Radiographic Criteria on positioning pages help students develop a routine for evaluating radiographic quality.- Pathology Demonstrated provides students with a larger frame of reference, and therefore a greater understanding, of each projectionA new chapter on digital imaging discusses basic principles, applications, and image quality - digital imaging information essential for making appropriate positioning adjustments - to ensure readers are prepared to encounter new technology in clinical practice.Content updates include a totally new section on surgical radiography, new sections in all chapters on digital imaging considerations, an expanded section on bone densitometry, and a new introduction to positron emission tomography (PET).Updated and revised chapters cover angiography and interventional procedures, and computed tomography.More than 150 new positioning photos, in addition to many updated images, complement the new material.

Genetics 101: From Chromosomes and the Double Helix to Cloning and DNA Tests, Everything You Need to Know about Genes


Beth Skwarecki - 2018
    Our genetic makeup determines so much about who we are, and what we pass on to our children—from eye color, to height, to health, and even our longevity. Genetics 101 breaks down the science of how genes are inherited and passed from parents to offspring, what DNA is and how it works, how your DNA affects your health, and how you can use your personal genomics to find out more about who you are and where you come from. Whether you’re looking for a better scientific understanding of genetics, or looking into your own DNA, Genetics 101 is your go-to source to discover more about both yourself and your ancestry.

The Germ Code


Jason Tetro - 2013
    Whether the ailment is a cold, the flu, diabetes, obesity or certain cancers, the likely cause is germs. Our ancient enemies have four families - bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa - and many names: Ebola, E. coli, salmonella, norovirus, gonorrhea. . . Human beings are engaged in a "war on germs," in which we develop ever-more sophisticated weapons and defensive strategies. But it is a war we can never win. Our best plan for staying as healthy is to choose our battles carefully, and try to co-exist with germs as best we can. The Germ Code is a wise, witty and wonderfully readable guide to our relationship with these infinitesimal but infinitely powerful creatures. Microbiologist Jason Tetro takes us outside the lab and shows the enormous influence of germs upon humanity's past, present and future. He unlocks the mysteries of "the germ code" to reveal how these organisms have exploited our every activity and colonized every corner of the earth. From his own research and personal experience, Tetro relates how the most recent flu pandemic happened, how others may have been averted and how more may come about if we aren't careful. He also explains that not every germ is our foe, and offers advice on harnessing the power of good germs to stay healthy and make our planet a better place. The Germ Code is a fascinating journey through an unseen world, an essential manual to living in harmony with germs and a life-enhancing (as well as life-saving!) good read.

Microbiology


Lansing M. Prescott - 2004
    This title is suitable for students preparing for careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health, as well as research, teaching, and industry.

A Guinea Pig's History of Biology


Jim Endersby - 2007
    Looking at the organisms that have made all this possible gives us a new way of understanding how we got here--and perhaps of thinking about where we're going. Instead of a history of which great scientists had which great ideas, this story of passionflowers and hawkweeds, of zebra fish and viruses, offers a bird's (or rodent's) eye view of the work that makes science possible.Mixing the celebrities of genetics, like the fruit fly, with forgotten players such as the evening primrose, the book follows the unfolding history of biological inheritance from Aristotle's search for the "universal, absolute truth of fishiness" to the apparently absurd speculations of eighteenth-century natural philosophers to the spectacular findings of our day--which may prove to be the absurdities of tomorrow.The result is a quirky, enlightening, and thoroughly engaging perspective on the history of heredity and genetics, tracing the slow, uncertain path--complete with entertaining diversions and dead ends--that led us from the ancient world's understanding of inheritance to modern genetics.

Top Knife: The Art and Craft of Trauma Surgery


Asher Hirshberg - 2004
    Full of advice on how surgeons should use their heads as well as their hands - how to think, plan, and improvise - when, for example, operating on a massively bleeding trauma patient. Starts with general principles, continues with specific injuries to abdomen, chest, neck, and peripheral vessels. Generously illustrated throughout, with drawings produced specifically for this book. For residents, general surgeons with an interest in trauma, and for surgeons operating on badly wounded patients in isolated military, rural, or humanitarian settings. Asher Hirshberg and Kenneth L Mattox are trauma surgeons at the Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, and professors at the Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA. Kenneth L Maddox is famous as the lead editor of McGraw Hill's classic text, Trauma, now in its fifth edition. This is going to be a GREAT book!

Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing & Healthcare: A Guide to Best Practice


Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk - 2004
     Develop the skills and knowledge you need to make evidence-based practice (EBP) an integral part of your clinical decision-making and everyday nursing practice with this proven, approachable text. Written in a straightforward, conversational style, Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing & Healthcare delivers real-world examples and meaningful strategies in every chapter to help you confidently meet today’s clinical challenges and ensure positive patient outcomes.NEW! Making Connections: An EBP Exemplar opens each unit, immersing you in an unfolding case study of EBP in real-life practice.NEW! Chapters reflect the most current implications of EBP on health policy and the context, content, and outcomes of implementing EBP competencies in clinical and academic settings.NEW! Learning objectives and EBP Terms to Learn at both the unit and chapter levels help you study efficiently and stay focused on essential concepts and vocabulary.Making EBP Real features continue to end each unit with real-world examples that demonstrate the principles of EBP applied.EBP Fast Facts reinforce key points at a glance.Clinical Scenarios clarify the EBP process and enhance your rapid appraisal capabilities.

Ant Encounters: Interaction Networks and Colony Behavior


Deborah M. Gordon - 2010
    Instead, ants decide what to do based on the rate, rhythm, and pattern of individual encounters and interactions--resulting in a dynamic network that coordinates the functions of the colony. Ant Encounters provides a revealing and accessible look into ant behavior from this complex systems perspective.Focusing on the moment-to-moment behavior of ant colonies, Deborah Gordon investigates the role of interaction networks in regulating colony behavior and relations among ant colonies. She shows how ant behavior within and between colonies arises from local interactions of individuals, and how interaction networks develop as a colony grows older and larger. The more rapidly ants react to their encounters, the more sensitively the entire colony responds to changing conditions. Gordon explores whether such reactive networks help a colony to survive and reproduce, how natural selection shapes colony networks, and how these structures compare to other analogous complex systems. Ant Encounters sheds light on the organizational behavior, ecology, and evolution of these diverse and ubiquitous social insects.

Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins


Maddalena Bearzi - 2008
    Primates and cetaceans, at first they appear very different. Yet both are large brained, intelligent mammals who exhibit complex communication and social patterns. This book studies these animals side by side and comes up with some perhaps surprising results, which teach us about another large brained mammal, man.