GI Microbiota and Regulation of the Immune System
This book opens with two general reference chapters, which provide an over-view of current knowledge of gastrointestinal immunology and the commensal microbiology of the gut. Next are two chapters dedicated to current methodologies used to investigate the icrobiota and host: molecular analysis of microbial diver-sity and gnotobiotic research. Both positive and negative interactions between the microbiota and the immune system can take place in the gut, with chapters dedicated to probiotics and intestinal diseases associated with unhealthy rnicrobiota.
Formal Ontology and Conceptual Realism
Theories about the ontological structure of the world have generally been described in informal, intuitive terms, and the arguments for and against them, including their consistency and adequacy as explanatory frameworks, have generally been given in even more informal terms. The goal of formal ontology is to correct for these deficiencies. By formally reconstructing an intuitive, informal ontological scheme as a formal ontology we can better determine the consistency and adequacy of that scheme; and then by comparing different reconstructed schemes with one another we can much better evaluate the arguments for and against them and come to a decision as to which system it is best to adopt.
Evaluation Methods in Biomedical Informatics
This book is a general reference designed for individuals from a broad range of professional backgrounds at various stages of learning about medical information systemsIt attempts to explain why medical information resources should be studied, and why this is a challenging process. It explores the options for conducting such studies, and specifically deciding what topic to study. It also explains how to design, carry out, and interpret a study using a particular set of techniques, how to conduct studies in the context of health care organizations, and how to communicate study designs and study results to the proper audience.


