A Unifying Theory Of Evolution Generated By Means Of Information Modelling

Stringent ways of thinking, ‘conceptual frameworks’, are necessary in science. The drawback is that the associated assumptions, concepts, rules and practice may become so deeply entrenched that they turn into tacit knowledge and hence give rise to constraints in scientific thought and practice – that is, a new kind of plethora that seriously blinds and thereby hampers scientific progress. This book, 'A Unifying Theory of Evolution Generated by Means of Information Modelling', presents a methodology for describing complex knowledge domains. It applies a template information model based on a dynamic structure of interrelated functions, called the Mereon Matrix. Application of this template model to the field of evolutionary theories enabled the unification of the sometimes chaotic and competing field of evolutionary theories, large and small, seamlessly in a shared framework. The author has Masters degrees in both biochemistry and computer science, as well as a European Doctorate and PhD in health informatics and has spent 35 years in full-time research. It is her particular combination of professional experience and expertise together with the template information model which has enabled her to write this book. Whilst primarily aimed at a scientific audience, and evolutionary biologists in particular, the book will be of interest to all those looking for new approaches to exploring and explaining phenomena in nature, and because the text is largely non-technical in nature, much of the content will also be accessible to a wider readership.

In this richly illustrated book, the contributors describe the Mereon Matrix, its dynamic geometry and topology. Through the definition of eleven First Principles, it offers a new perspective on dynamic, whole and sustainable systems that may serve as a template information model. This template has been applied to a set of knowledge domains for verification purposes: pre-life-evolution, human molecular genetics and biological evolution, as well as one social application on classroom management. The importance of the book comes in the following ways: The dynamics of the geometry unites all Platonic and Kepler Solids into one united structure and creates 11 unique trefoil knots. Its topology is directly related to the dynamics of the polyhedra. The Mereon Matrix is an approach to the unification of knowledge that relies on whole systems modelling. it is a framework charting the emergence of the Platonic and Kepler solids in a sequential, emergent growth process that describes a non-linear whole system, and includes a process of 'breathing' as well as multiplying ('birthing'); This dynamic/kinematic structure provides insight and a new approach to General Systems Theory and non-linear science, evolving through a new approach to polyhedral geometry. A set of 11 First Principles is derived from the structure, topology and dynamics of the Mereon Matrix, which serve well as a template information model. The Mereon Matrix is related to a large number of systems, physical, mathematical, and philosophical, and in linking these systems, provides access to new relationships among them by combining geometry with process thinking. The new perspective on systems is hypothesized as universal -- this is, applicable in all areas of science, natural and social. Such applicability has been demonstrated for applications as diverse as pre-life evolution, biological evolution and human molecular genetics, as well as a classroom management system for the educational system. Care has been taken to use images and languaging that are understandable across domains, connecting diverse disciplines, while making this complex system easily accessible. Contents: Prologues: Sustainability: Mathematical Elegance, Solid Science and Social Grace (L Dennis and L H Kauffman) Lynnclaire Dennis & R Buckminster Fuller Investigation (R W Gray) The Matrix We Call Mereon (L H Kauffman) First Things First: Building on the Known: A Quintessential Jitterbug (L Dennis, J Brender McNair, N J Woolf and L H Kauffman) Methodology (J Brender McNair and L Dennis) Philosophical Thoughts and Thinking Aloud Allowed (L Dennis) Belonging -- Education as Transformation (L Dennis) Meme, Pattern and Perspective (L Dennis, N J Woolf and L H Kauffman) Including and Beyond the Point: The Context -- Form Informing Function (L Dennis, J Brender McNair, N J Woolf and L H Kauffman) Flow and Scale (L Dennis and L H Kauffman) The Core -- Sharp Distinctions to Elegant Curves (L Dennis and L H Kauffman) Connections, Ligatures and Knots: Mereon Thoughts -- Knots and Beyond (L H Kauffman) The Mereon Trefoil -- Asymmetrical with Perfect Symmetry (L Dennis) Applying Mereon to Knowledge Domains: Exploring the Mereon Matrix (and Beyond) with the CymaScope Technology (L Dennis and P McNair) The Origin of Matter: Life, Learning and Survival (N J Woolf and L Dennis) ATCG -- An Applied Theory for Human MoleCular Genetics (J Brender McNair, P McNair,

Health Information Technology (HIT) continues to increase in importance as a component of healthcare provision, but designing HIT is complex. The creation of cooperative learning processes for future HIT users is not a simple task. The importance of engaging end users such as health professionals, patients and relatives in the design process is widely acknowledged, and Participatory Design (PD) is the primary discipline for directly involving people in the technological design process. Exploring the application of PD in HIT is crucial to all those involved in engaging end users in HIT design and, in collaboration with a wide range of people, a broad repertoire of methods and techniques to apply PD within multiple domains has been established. This book, Participatory Design & Health Information Technology, presents the contributions of researchers from 5 countries, who share their experience and insights into applying PD in the development of HIT. The book begins with a review of PD and HIT research, followed by 10 papers, each of which describes important lessons for HIT designers interested in user participation. The papers are grouped under the themes of participatory processes; participatory reflections; participatory business; and participatory inspiration. The book will be of interest to researchers, students, health professionals, IT designers and managers who work with or are interested in supporting participation in the design of HIT.

There is a changed emphasis in many health services, with conventional pressures such as budget and workforce constraints, combined with the indirect forces of social change and strategic direction, bringing about the need for more flexible approaches for the longer term. By enabling different care models and delivery channels, telehealth offers demonstrably effective and sustainable solutions for issues such as access to and quality of care. This book presents 18 papers delivered at the 5th Global Telehealth Conference, held in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2016. The theme chosen for Global Telehealth 2016 is 'The Promise of New Technologies in an Age of New Health Challenges', and the papers included here cover a wide variety of topics, from theoretical and abstract contributions through to discussions of practical projects and highly specific applied contributions. The book also includes two invited papers which detail recent contributions to two global issues in which telehealth plays a major role: universal health coverage and personal health monitoring. With papers ranging in scope from computer assisted screening technology for diabetic retinopathy to behavior change through computer games, this book will be of interest to all those involved in the design and provision of healthcare services.

Nursing informatics has a long history of focusing on information management and nurses have a long history of describing their computer use. However, based on the technical advances and through the ongoing and consistent changes in healthcare today, we are now challenged to look to the future and help determine what nurses and patients/consumers will need going forward. This book presents the proceedings of the Post Conference to the 13th International Conference on Nursing Informatics, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2016. The theme of the Post Conference is Forecasting Informatics Competencies for Nurses in the Future of Connected Health. This book includes 25 chapters written as part of the Post Conference; a result of the collaboration among nursing informatics experts from research, education and practice settings, from 18 countries, and from varying levels of expertise – those beginning to forge new frontiers in connected health and those who helped form the discipline. The book content will help forecast and define the informatics competencies for nurses in practice, and as such, it will also help outline the requirements for informatics training in nursing programs around the world. The content will aid in shaping the nursing practice that will exist in our future of connected health, when practice and technology will be inextricably intertwined.

Ineffective discharge management can jeopardize the successful completion of hospital treatment; but a well managed transition from hospital care to care at home depends on the efficient exchange of information with out-patient healthcare providers and professionals. This is just one way in which ICT can support healthcare and provide tools which help health professions to identify and communicate relevant data. Such tools will be increasingly important in future healthcare systems, and indeed a Europe-wide ICT infrastructure for information and data exchange may do much to revolutionize the quality of healthcare. It is therefore essential that infrastructures build on well-established standards such as Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), even if this initially takes longer to implement. This book presents the proceedings of the annual Health Informatics meets eHealth conference, held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2017. The special topic chosen for eHealth2017 is Digital Insight – Information-Driven Health & Care, and the conference addressed the increasingly international focus of eHealth and the importance of cross-border health ICT. The papers presented here cover many eHealth topics, from maternity records to rehabilitation and from staff training to information exchange. Future ICT systems will inevitably involve machine learning and predictive analytics in order to provide actionable information to health professionals and support preventive healthcare concepts, and this book provides an insight into current research in health informatics and eHealth, addressing many issues central to the future of health and care. The book will be of interest to all healthcare researchers and practitioners.

Biomedical Informatics is now indispensible in modern healthcare, and the field covers a very broad spectrum of research and application outcomes, ranging from cell to population, and including a number of technologies such as imaging, sensors, and biomedical equipment, as well as management and organizational subjects. This book presents 65 full papers and two keynote speeches from the 2017 edition of the International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare (ICIMTH 2017), held in Athens, Greece in July 2017. The papers are grouped in three chapters, and cover a wide range of topics, reflecting the current scope of Biomedical Informatics. In essence, Biomedical Informatics empowers the transformation of healthcare, and the book will be of interest to researchers, providers and healthcare practitioners alike.

Smart mobile systems such as microsystems, smart textiles, smart implants, sensor-controlled medical devices and innovative sensor techniques have become important enablers for telemedicine and next-generation health services, with social media and gamification adding further to personalized health (pHealth) as an eco-system. This book presents the proceedings of pHealth 2017, the 14th in a series of international conferences for personalized health held in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in May 2017. The conference series, which began in 2003 as a dissemination activity in the framework of a European project on wearable micro and nano technologies for personalized health, presents advances in wearable or implantable micro-, nano- and bio-technologies for healthcare and wellness, and brings together expertise from medical, technological, political, administrative, and social domains, and even from philosophy and linguistics. The book contains keynotes and invited papers, as well as 16 oral presentations and 8 poster presentations. Encompassing diverse fields such as medical services, public health, prevention, social and elderly care, wellness and personal fitness, the book will be of interest to practitioners from various medical and health disciplines, as well as developers and administrators, provider institutions, and patient and citizens representatives.