Explores the practical applicability of the philosophy of science to scientific research, but als... more Explores the practical applicability of the philosophy of science to scientific research, but also considers its relevance to practice within the realms of technology, design, crafts, and even within the world of arts and the humanities. The attempt to engage working scientists with the issues raised by the philosophy of science may profitably be extended to examine its applicability to any other fields of knowledge that encompass a problem-solving dimension. Drawing on his experience as a research and development scientist in the biomedical device industry, the author shows how the principles of the philosophy of science illuminate the research process. The book is structured on the concept of the inspirational text; it consists of short chapters, each of which provides an accessible discussion of an aspect of the philosophy of science. Each chapter concludes with a list of practical pointers towards the development of attitudes and skills which will benefit the student researcher.
The teaching of research methodology to graduate science students places an emphasis on scientifi... more The teaching of research methodology to graduate science students places an emphasis on scientific reasoning and on the generation and evaluation of evidence in support of research conclusions. Very little attention is paid to the teaching of scientific creativity, the processes for generation of new ideas, hypotheses, and theories. By contrast, the teaching of design aims explicitly to develop the creative skills of students. The creative thinking strategies taught to design students may be used to enhance the research skills of science graduate students in ways that complement the evaluative tools that are used by scientific researchers. The introduction of practical tools to develop the use of creative thinking strategies in scientific problem solving would be expected to improve the productiveness of researchers, and the reproducibility of research output. 1. INTRODUCTION There would appear to be something missing from the formal education of science students who will be going on to do research. Consider how graduate students learn the processes of making new contributions to the corpus of scientific knowledge. In order to learn how to do research as a professional, the student will need to establish an apprentice/master relationship with a researcher or advisor who will initiate the apprentice into the competencies and attitudes necessary for successful scientific research. Students will learn the technical skills required in the design of experiments, the operation of equipment and the implementation of specialized techniques. They will be formally taught how to apply statistics in the testing of hypotheses, and how to apply the reasoning and critical skills required for the evaluation of evidence. They will learn how to write and present research papers at scientific meetings. Importantly, they will learn those skills that are not documented in textbooks and manuals, processes that are learned by watching and doing and by a kind of unconscious 'osmosis'. Eventually, graduate students are required to undertake a project that will make a new and significant contribution to their chosen fields. They will be judged on their ability to create and document an original piece of research. In order to do original research, student researchers need to develop the creative thinking skills required to formulate new and interesting hypotheses. It should also be noted that the development of the experimental techniques used to test and evaluate hypotheses also demand significant creativity. Unfortunately, the education of research scientists does not typically provide for the explicit teaching of
Progesterone levels were measured in samples of saliva collected daily throughout the menstrual c... more Progesterone levels were measured in samples of saliva collected daily throughout the menstrual cycle in patients with pronounced cyclical mastalgia and breast nodularity. A control group matched for age, length of menstrual cycle and parity was also studied. No significant differences in progesterone levels were detected between the two groups for the luteal phase of the cycle. These data indicate that cyclical mastalgia is not associated with significant luteal phase progesterone insufficiency, as demonstrated by salivary levels and, by implication, serum levels of progesterone.
A procedure for the quantification of progesterone in saliva has been developed, using gas chroma... more A procedure for the quantification of progesterone in saliva has been developed, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring of the 3-enol heptafluorobutyrate derivative. (2H2)Progesterone is used as internal standard. The detection limit (c. 10 pg ml−1) is sufficiently low to permit the determination of the steroid in the saliva of adolescent girls. Assessment of the procedure indicated good assay linearity and excellent accuracy in the determination of progesterone added to saliva. Comparison of GC/MS and radioimmunoassay data showed good agreement, substantiating earlier immunoassay evidence for the occurrence of episodic increases in salivary progesterone concentrations in perimenarcheal girls.
Daily progesterone profiles obtained from saliva specimens from 101 peri- and postmenarcheal girl... more Daily progesterone profiles obtained from saliva specimens from 101 peri- and postmenarcheal girls showed episodic 'spikes' which reached up to 600 pmol/l from baselines of approximately 40 pmol/l. The authenticity of progesterone in the 'spike' specimens was established using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 'Spikes' of progesterone occurred in 5.3% of premenarcheal saliva specimens but in only 1-2% of specimens from girls who were 4-6 years postmenarche. Two-hourly specimens from 53 pre- and postmenarcheal girls had 'spike' frequencies similar to those measured in daily specimens.
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 1986
Sub-hourly variations in salivary estriol were measured in women in the last trimester of pregnan... more Sub-hourly variations in salivary estriol were measured in women in the last trimester of pregnancy. the mean and variation of salivary estriol concentrations in specimens collected at 5-min intervals for 30 min were greater on awakening in the morning (when subjects ...
Salivary progesterone concentrations were measured in daily samples collected between 08.00 and 0... more Salivary progesterone concentrations were measured in daily samples collected between 08.00 and 09.00 h throughout the menstrual cycle of women with a history of fertility. The luteal-phase salivary progesterone profiles in these normally menstruating, healthy women were characterized using a computer program based on a cumulative sum procedure. This method of statistical analysis led to the development of a 'progesterone boundary diagram', the inner and outer domains of which distinguished between the profiles of salivary progesterone considered compatible with fertility, and those observed in subfertile women attending an infertility clinic.
Bjog-an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1984
Summary. Profiles of daily salivary oestriol concentrations throughout the third trimester of pre... more Summary. Profiles of daily salivary oestriol concentrations throughout the third trimester of pregnancy have been constructed for 14 normal and 11 abnormal pregnancies. Day-to-day variations were significantly higher than those reported for unconjugated oestriol in plasma or serum. A sustained decline in salivary oestriol concentrations was observed in one pregnancy in which intrauterine death occurred. Sustained falls were also observed in two pregnancies in which a healthy infant was born at term. In all other patients a normal salivary oestriol profile correlated with a favourable outcome. Salivary oestriol measurements provide similar information to plasma unconjugated oestriol measurements while offering the advantages of a simple, non-invasive sample collection procedure.
Explores the practical applicability of the philosophy of science to scientific research, but als... more Explores the practical applicability of the philosophy of science to scientific research, but also considers its relevance to practice within the realms of technology, design, crafts, and even within the world of arts and the humanities. The attempt to engage working scientists with the issues raised by the philosophy of science may profitably be extended to examine its applicability to any other fields of knowledge that encompass a problem-solving dimension. Drawing on his experience as a research and development scientist in the biomedical device industry, the author shows how the principles of the philosophy of science illuminate the research process. The book is structured on the concept of the inspirational text; it consists of short chapters, each of which provides an accessible discussion of an aspect of the philosophy of science. Each chapter concludes with a list of practical pointers towards the development of attitudes and skills which will benefit the student researcher.
The teaching of research methodology to graduate science students places an emphasis on scientifi... more The teaching of research methodology to graduate science students places an emphasis on scientific reasoning and on the generation and evaluation of evidence in support of research conclusions. Very little attention is paid to the teaching of scientific creativity, the processes for generation of new ideas, hypotheses, and theories. By contrast, the teaching of design aims explicitly to develop the creative skills of students. The creative thinking strategies taught to design students may be used to enhance the research skills of science graduate students in ways that complement the evaluative tools that are used by scientific researchers. The introduction of practical tools to develop the use of creative thinking strategies in scientific problem solving would be expected to improve the productiveness of researchers, and the reproducibility of research output. 1. INTRODUCTION There would appear to be something missing from the formal education of science students who will be going on to do research. Consider how graduate students learn the processes of making new contributions to the corpus of scientific knowledge. In order to learn how to do research as a professional, the student will need to establish an apprentice/master relationship with a researcher or advisor who will initiate the apprentice into the competencies and attitudes necessary for successful scientific research. Students will learn the technical skills required in the design of experiments, the operation of equipment and the implementation of specialized techniques. They will be formally taught how to apply statistics in the testing of hypotheses, and how to apply the reasoning and critical skills required for the evaluation of evidence. They will learn how to write and present research papers at scientific meetings. Importantly, they will learn those skills that are not documented in textbooks and manuals, processes that are learned by watching and doing and by a kind of unconscious 'osmosis'. Eventually, graduate students are required to undertake a project that will make a new and significant contribution to their chosen fields. They will be judged on their ability to create and document an original piece of research. In order to do original research, student researchers need to develop the creative thinking skills required to formulate new and interesting hypotheses. It should also be noted that the development of the experimental techniques used to test and evaluate hypotheses also demand significant creativity. Unfortunately, the education of research scientists does not typically provide for the explicit teaching of
Progesterone levels were measured in samples of saliva collected daily throughout the menstrual c... more Progesterone levels were measured in samples of saliva collected daily throughout the menstrual cycle in patients with pronounced cyclical mastalgia and breast nodularity. A control group matched for age, length of menstrual cycle and parity was also studied. No significant differences in progesterone levels were detected between the two groups for the luteal phase of the cycle. These data indicate that cyclical mastalgia is not associated with significant luteal phase progesterone insufficiency, as demonstrated by salivary levels and, by implication, serum levels of progesterone.
A procedure for the quantification of progesterone in saliva has been developed, using gas chroma... more A procedure for the quantification of progesterone in saliva has been developed, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring of the 3-enol heptafluorobutyrate derivative. (2H2)Progesterone is used as internal standard. The detection limit (c. 10 pg ml−1) is sufficiently low to permit the determination of the steroid in the saliva of adolescent girls. Assessment of the procedure indicated good assay linearity and excellent accuracy in the determination of progesterone added to saliva. Comparison of GC/MS and radioimmunoassay data showed good agreement, substantiating earlier immunoassay evidence for the occurrence of episodic increases in salivary progesterone concentrations in perimenarcheal girls.
Daily progesterone profiles obtained from saliva specimens from 101 peri- and postmenarcheal girl... more Daily progesterone profiles obtained from saliva specimens from 101 peri- and postmenarcheal girls showed episodic 'spikes' which reached up to 600 pmol/l from baselines of approximately 40 pmol/l. The authenticity of progesterone in the 'spike' specimens was established using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 'Spikes' of progesterone occurred in 5.3% of premenarcheal saliva specimens but in only 1-2% of specimens from girls who were 4-6 years postmenarche. Two-hourly specimens from 53 pre- and postmenarcheal girls had 'spike' frequencies similar to those measured in daily specimens.
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 1986
Sub-hourly variations in salivary estriol were measured in women in the last trimester of pregnan... more Sub-hourly variations in salivary estriol were measured in women in the last trimester of pregnancy. the mean and variation of salivary estriol concentrations in specimens collected at 5-min intervals for 30 min were greater on awakening in the morning (when subjects ...
Salivary progesterone concentrations were measured in daily samples collected between 08.00 and 0... more Salivary progesterone concentrations were measured in daily samples collected between 08.00 and 09.00 h throughout the menstrual cycle of women with a history of fertility. The luteal-phase salivary progesterone profiles in these normally menstruating, healthy women were characterized using a computer program based on a cumulative sum procedure. This method of statistical analysis led to the development of a 'progesterone boundary diagram', the inner and outer domains of which distinguished between the profiles of salivary progesterone considered compatible with fertility, and those observed in subfertile women attending an infertility clinic.
Bjog-an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1984
Summary. Profiles of daily salivary oestriol concentrations throughout the third trimester of pre... more Summary. Profiles of daily salivary oestriol concentrations throughout the third trimester of pregnancy have been constructed for 14 normal and 11 abnormal pregnancies. Day-to-day variations were significantly higher than those reported for unconjugated oestriol in plasma or serum. A sustained decline in salivary oestriol concentrations was observed in one pregnancy in which intrauterine death occurred. Sustained falls were also observed in two pregnancies in which a healthy infant was born at term. In all other patients a normal salivary oestriol profile correlated with a favourable outcome. Salivary oestriol measurements provide similar information to plasma unconjugated oestriol measurements while offering the advantages of a simple, non-invasive sample collection procedure.
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