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Castillo, Andrea R. (Andrea Redwing). "Assessing computational methods and science policy in systems biology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/51655.
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Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-112).
In this thesis, I discuss the development of systems biology and issues in the progression of this science discipline. Traditional molecular biology has been driven by reductionism with the belief that breaking down a biological system into the fundamental biomolecular components will elucidate such phenomena. We have reached limitations with this approach due to the complex and dynamical nature of life and our inability to intuit biological behavior from a modular perspective [37]. Mathematical modeling has been integral to current system biology endeavors since detailed analysis would be invasive if performed on humans experimentally or in clinical trials [17]. The interspecies commonalities in systemic properties and molecular mechanisms suggests that certain behaviors transcend specie differentiation and therefore easily lend to generalizing from simpler organisms to more complex organisms such as humans [7, 17]. Current methodologies in mathematical modeling and analysis have been diverse and numerous, with no standardization to progress the discipline in a collaborative manner. Without collaboration during this formative period, successful development and application of systems biology for societal welfare may be at risk. Furthermore, such collaboration has to be standardized in a fundamental approach to discover generic principles, in the manner of preceding long-standing science disciplines. This study effectively implements and analyzes a mathematical model of a three-protein biochemical network, the Synechococcus elongatus circadian clock.
(cont.) I use mass action theory expressed in kronecker products to exploit the ability to apply numerical methods-including sensitivity analysis via boundary value formulation (BVP) and trapiezoidal integration rule-and experimental techniques-including partial reaction fitting and enzyme-driven activations-when mathematically modeling large-scale biochemical networks. Amidst other applicable methodologies, my approach is grounded in the law of mass action because it is based in experimental data and biomolecular mechanistic properties, yet provides predictive power in the complete delineation of the biological system dynamics for all future time points. The results of my research demonstrate the holistic approach that mass action method-ologies have in determining emergent properties of biological systems. I further stress the necessity to enforce collaboration and standardization in future policymaking, with reconsiderations on current stakeholder incentive to redirect academia and industry focus from new molecular entities to interests in holistic understanding of the complexities and dynamics of life entities. Such redirection away from reductionism could further progress basic and applied scientific research to embetter our circumstances through new treatments and preventive measures for health, and development of new strains and disease control in agriculture and ecology [13].
by Andrea R. Castillo.
S.M.in Technology and Policy
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Colfax, Erin. "The impact of infusing science poetry into the biology curriculum." Montana State University, 2012. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2012/colfax/ColfaxE0812.pdf.
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As concrete as science is, it is a subject matter that is often difficult to understand because of the multifaceted concepts and technical vocabulary that is deeply rooted in the essence of the subject matter. Frequently, advanced science is studied in a closed environment where access to experiences is limited. This lack of accessibility forces a need for a more tangible means to help learners develop and anchor theoretical constructs. The use of poetry in the science classroom may be one such way to inform, engage and enhance students' understanding of abstract and complex scientific concepts. The descriptive techniques that are shared by science and poetry allow for creative, critical, and metaphoric thinking. Public high school honors biology students from Morristown High School were enrolled as participants in this study. This study was two-fold; Part I focused on determining the impact of infusing science poetry into the biology curriculum. Results were analyzed using a Two-Tailed Independent t-Test at alpha=.05. Part II focused on the use of scientific poetic response as a summative assessment method to replace the traditional essay assessment. Results were assessed using a study-specific rubric and a Two-tailed Dependent t-Test for Paired Samples that compared each student's mean essay scores to their mean poetry scores at alpha=.05. Also, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r) was utilized to establish any relationship between essays and poetic response assessments. This research demonstrated that there are some intersections and interactions across science and poetry that may assist students in comprehension of difficult abstract scientific material. Science poetry appears to be a tangible means to help learners develop and anchor theoretical constructs. The use of poetry in the biology classroom can inform, engage and enhance some students' understanding of abstract/complex scientific theories, concepts, and technical vocabulary. Offering learners an opportunity to reveal their understanding of complex biological concepts through scientific poetic response may just in fact be the much-needed scientific conceptual metacognitive summative assessment that many students and teachers have come to need. It is recommended that future research be conducted with a larger and more diverse population to further confirm affirmation of this study.
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McCall, Madelon J. Conaway Betty J. "Qualities of effective secondary science teachers perspectives of university biology students /." Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5244.
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Parfitt, Ian. "Citizen science in conservation biology : best practices in the geoweb era." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44346.
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Conservation biology emerged as an activist discipline in the 1980s in response to increasing evidence that Earth is undergoing a biodiversity crisis. Building on foundations of biological science and applied resource management methods, this new discipline called upon its practitioners to both undertake scientific research to improve understanding of all species and ecosystems, and to take social and political action to protect and enhance endangered biodiversity. In the current era of declining budgets for biodiversity research and management, volunteer citizen science is gaining recognition as an important strategy for expanding and extending the work of embattled professional conservation biologists. New technologies such as handheld computers, GPS, GIS, interactive map services, and the internet, and the wide-spread availability, adoption and adaptation of these technologies by the general public, have created an environment where citizens can be rapidly mobilized to gather, process, and communicate data in support of conservation biology’s twin goals.
In this thesis I explore citizen science within conservation biology and within the concept of the GeoWeb. I trace the history of citizen science in biology since the late 1800s to the current day, to better understand the practice and its contribution to conservation science. I find that citizen science is often employed to undertake research at large spatial scales, and that often location is a key attribute of the data citizens gather; as a result, the infrastructure and methods of the GeoWeb are fundamental to many citizen science projects.
In the spirit of conservation biology, I pair my research of citizen science with the assembly of a set of best practices for increasing the impact of the practice on the conservation agenda, and then evaluate twelve current citizen science projects currently underway in British Columbia against these practices. I conclude that citizen participation in biological science furthers both of conservation biology’s goals: it both increases our body of knowledge about biodiversity, and helps to develop an informed and empowered constituency for conservation action and ecologically sustainable stewardship.
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Jasper, William Gordon. "Detecting biology teachers' images of teaching about science, technology, and society /." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0002/MQ34964.pdf.
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Lopez, Cristina S. "Difference and gender in evolutionary biology : a feminist rhetoric of science /." The Ohio State University, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1488204276534442.
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Vishnevsky, Nathania Anne. "Selected species: experiments in art and science." The Ohio State University, 1998. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1382710786.
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April, Carolyn W. "From biology to bioethics : can the science of emotion help moral philosophy?" Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.496822.
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Futamura, Natsuhiko. "Algorithms for large-scale problems in computational biology." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.
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Carroll, William Thomas. "Factors related to the retention of biology knowledge in non-science college students." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.
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Hott, Adam M. "Genetics content in introductory biology courses for non-science majors theory and practice /." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=ucin1022251897.
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RAMIARINA, NATÁLIA TAVARES RIOS. "ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN INITIAL TRAINING OF SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY TEACHERS." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2016. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=28123@1.
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PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIROSão muitos os desafios que se colocam para a educação em Direitos humanos e para educação ambiental na sociedade atual, e a formação de professores é campo estratégico de reflexão. Para pensar estas temáticas no currículo de Ciências e Biologia, buscou-se estabelecer as afinidades teórico-metodológicas entre a vertente crítica da educação ambiental e o discurso contra-hegemônico dos DDHH, a partir de categorias da justiça ambiental, utilizando referenciais da educação popular de Paulo Freire, da ecologia de saberes de Boaventura de Sousa Santos e do ecologismo dos pobres de Martínez-Alier. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar como as Licenciaturas em Ciências Biológicas das Universidades públicas da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO, UERJ e UFRJ) têm abordado as temáticas da Educação ambiental e dos Direitos Humanas. Para tal, optou-se pela triangulação de dados composta pela análise dos Projetos Políticos Pedagógicos dos Cursos, entrevistas com professores e coordenadores e questionário com alunos concluintes. Buscou-se desta maneira caracterizar as concepções que informam os documentos institucionais e os objetivos dos cursos em relação às temáticas, o entendimento dos professores e coordenadores sobre a EA e DDHH, identificando aspectos conservadores e hegemônicos e/ou aspectos críticos e contra-hegemônicos em seus discursos. O questionário com alunos concluintes compôs a análise sobre como estes alunos vêem sua formação e quais suas expectativas de futura atuação docente sobre as temáticas. O estudo indicou uma ampliação nos objetivos da formação de professores de Ciências e Biologia, incorporando a formação humana e social. Neste sentido, a EA é mais amplamente inserida na formação inicial, sobretudo com um enfoque conservacionista, enquanto os DDHH são tratados apenas como pano de fundo, sobretudo para o tratamento de aspectos relacionais, referentes ao respeito e não-discriminação. A inserção das temáticas acontece de acordo com entendimento pessoal dos professores, não havendo uma reflexão coletiva e institucional sobre os propósitos desta dimensão da formação, embora professores e coordenadores sejam unânimes em reconhecer a relevância desta inserção. São potencialidades dos cursos a inserção de alunos de diversos grupos sociais, a vivência e demandas trazidas pelas escolas nos estágios e atividades extra-curriculares.
There are many challenges that arise for education in human rights and environmental education in todays society, and teacher education is a strategic field of reflection. To think these issues in science and biology curriculum, sought to establish the theoretical and methodological similarities between the critical aspect of environmental education and counter-hegemonic discourse of DDHH, from categories of environmental justice, using references to popular education of Paulo Freire, of knowledge ecology of Boaventura de Sousa Santos and the environmentalism of the poor of Martínez-Alier. This study aims to characterize as the graduation in Biological Sciences from the public universities of Rio de Janeiro City (UNIRIO, UERJ and UFRJ) have addressed the issues of Environmental Education and Human Rights. To this end, we opted for the triangulation of data made the analysis of Political Projects Pedagogical Course, interviews with teachers and coordinators and questionnaire to graduating students. He sought in this way to characterize the concepts that inform institutional documents and the objectives of the course in relation to the themes, the understanding of teachers and coordinators on environmental education and human rights identifying conservative aspects and hegemonic and / or critical issues and counter-hegemonic in his speeches. The questionnaire with graduating students composed the analysis of how these students see their training and what their expectations of future teaching performance on the issues. The study indicated an expansion in the objectives of the training of science and biology teachers, incorporating human and social formation. In this regard, EE is more fully inserted in the initial training, especially with a conservationist approach, while human rights are treated only as a backdrop, especially for the treatment of relational aspects, for the respect and non-discrimination. The insertion of the thematic happens according to personal understanding of teachers, and there is a collective and institutional reflection on the purpose of this dimension of training, although teachers and coordinators are unanimous in recognizing the importance of this integration. They are potential courses of the inclusion of various social groups students, the experience and demands brought by schools and extracurricular activities.
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Newson, Shereka Faye. "The Effect of Interactive Notebooks on the Science Proficiency of Biology 1 Students." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6850.
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Local High School, a pseudonym, located in Northwest Mississippi has in place two differing Biology 1 curricula; in one curriculum, the students use interactive notebooks daily and in the other curriculum, they are not used. The purpose of this ex post facto quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact that an instructional tool, such as the interactive notebook, could have on student achievement. Instructional design theory and the materials, methods, environment, collaboration, content, and assessment (MMECCA) framework served as the theoretical framework for this study. The standard measure of science proficiency was provided by the test results from the Biology 1 Subject Area Testing Program assessment (SATP). Using data from 2016-2017 Biology 1 students who took the pretest, CASE 21 assessment, and the posttest, Biology 1 SATP assessment (N = 184), three independent samples t tests were used to analyze the data. The first independent samples t test performed on data from the pretest established that the two groups began the study with similar science proficiencies. The second and third independent samples t tests, conducted using overall mean scores and the mean scores for each of the individual six categories from the SATP Biology 1 assessment, determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the overall science proficiency of the two groups. A position paper was developed recommending the use of the interactive notebook to improve science proficiency. Positive social change is expected to occur as this information can be used to inform educational policy makers and close the achievement gap.
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HOTT, ADAM MATTHEW. "GENETICS CONTENT IN INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY COURSES FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS: THEORY AND PRACTICE." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1022251897.
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Lai, Mei-Chun. "Nature of Science Knowledge and Scientific Argumentation Skills in Taiwanese College Biology Students." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1337969498.
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Mohammadi, Kimia. "Synthetic biology in droplet-based microfluidics." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2016. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/7596/.
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Droplet microfluidics is an active multidisciplinary area of research that evolved out of the larger field of microfluidics. It enables the user to handle, process and manipulate micrometer-sized emulsion droplets on a micro- fabricated platform. The capability to carry out a large number of individual experiments per unit time makes the droplet microfluidic technology an ideal high-throughput platform for analysis of biological and biochemical samples. The objective of this thesis was to use such a technology for designing systems with novel implications in the newly emerging field of synthetic biology. Chapter 4, the first results chapter, introduces a novel method of droplet coalescence using a flow-focusing capillary device. In Chapter 5, the development of a microfluidic platform for the fabrication of a cell-free micro-environment for site-specific gene manipulation and protein expression is described. Furthermore, a novel fluorescent reporter system which functions both in vivo and in vitro is introduced in this chapter. Chapter 6 covers the microfluidic fabrication of polymeric vesicles from poly(2-methyloxazoline-b-dimethylsiloxane-b-2-methyloxazoline) tri-block copolymer. The polymersome made from this polymer was used in the next Chapter for the study of a chimeric membrane protein called mRFP1-EstA∗. In Chapter 7, the application of microfluidics for the fabrication of synthetic biological membranes to recreate artificial cell- like chassis structures for reconstitution of a membrane-anchored protein is described.
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Aarons, Jeremy P. (Jeremy Peter) 1968. "Thinking locally : a disunified methodology of science." Monash University, Dept. of Philosophy, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8540.
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Allgaier, Joachim. "Representing science education in UK newspapers : a case study on the controversy surrounding teaching the theory of evolution and creationism in science classes." n.p, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/.
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Ulrich, Robert Michael. "RNA Detection Technology for Applications in Marine Science: Microbes to Fish." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5321.
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The accurate identification of taxa from mixed assemblages using genetic analysis remains an important field of molecular biology research. The common principle behind the development of numerous documented genetic detection technologies is to exploit specific nucleotide sequences inherent to each taxon. This body of work focuses on practical applications of real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (RT-NASBA) in marine science, and is presented in four case studies. Each study represents novel work in the genetic identification of respective taxa of interest using RT-NASBA. Two case studies documented the development of an assay targeting mitochondrial 16S rRNA to discern legally salable grouper species in the U.S. from fraudulently mislabeled surrogate fish. This technology was first validated using lab-based, benchtop instrumentation, and was then adapted into a complete field detection system. The third study documented an internally controlled RT-NASBA (IC-NASBA) assay for the detection and quantification of the harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi, by targeting the ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO) large-subunit gene (rbcL). The final section of this dissertation details the preliminary development of an IC-NASBA assay targeting large subunit rRNA for the quantification of Enterococcus, which is a genus of bacteria commonly used as an indicator of fecal pollution in recreational marine water. My results show that RT-NASBA provides a suitable format for the accurate identification of target species from these taxa which include prokaryotes, as well as both unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes.
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Ortiz, Olivia A. "High School Biology NGSS Lesson Sequence for Catalina Island." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10841896.
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Catalina island serves as a unique and diverse setting for K-12 students to complete their science education. Numerous areas of the island provide an opportunity for students to engage in outdoor science education that is enriched in the classroom setting. Research shows that students continue to build on their understanding while establishing connections through outdoor education experiences. Through a grant funded by the Keck Foundation, the Catalina Island Conservancy has made it their goal to provide an engaging, hands-on, NGSS lesson for each grade level on Catalina while promoting stewardship on the island. A partnership between California State University Long Beach and the Catalina Island Conservancy provided the unique opportunity to develop a NGSS conservation mini unit for the high school biology classroom on Catalina Island. The mini unit addresses the three dimensions of the NGSS, Catalina Ecological Principles and includes indoor and outdoor components.
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Blakes, Jonathan. "Infobiotics : computer-aided synthetic systems biology." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2013. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13434/.
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Until very recently Systems Biology has, despite its stated goals, been too reductive in terms of the models being constructed and the methods used have been, on the one hand, unsuited for large scale adoption or integration of knowledge across scales, and on the other hand, too fragmented. The thesis of this dissertation is that better computational languages and seamlessly integrated tools are required by systems and synthetic biologists to enable them to meet the significant challenges involved in understanding life as it is, and by designing, modelling and manufacturing novel organisms, to understand life as it could be. We call this goal, where everything necessary to conduct model-driven investigations of cellular circuitry and emergent effects in populations of cells is available without significant context-switching, “one-pot” in silico synthetic systems biology in analogy to “one-pot” chemistry and “one-pot” biology. Our strategy is to increase the understandability and reusability of models and experiments, thereby avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort, with practical gains in the efficiency of delivering usable prototype models and systems. Key to this endeavour are graphical interfaces that assists novice users by hiding complexity of the underlying tools and limiting choices to only what is appropriate and useful, thus ensuring that the results of in silico experiments are consistent, comparable and reproducible. This dissertation describes the conception, software engineering and use of two novel software platforms for systems and synthetic biology: the Infobiotics Workbench for modelling, in silico experimentation and analysis of multi-cellular biological systems; and DNA Library Designer with the DNALD language for the compact programmatic specification of combinatorial DNA libraries, as the first stage of a DNA synthesis pipeline, enabling methodical exploration biological problem spaces. Infobiotics models are formalised as Lattice Population P systems, a novel framework for the specification of spatially-discrete and multi-compartmental rule-based models, imbued with a stochastic execution semantics. This framework was developed to meet the needs of real systems biology problems: hormone transport and signalling in the root of Arabidopsis thaliana, and quorum sensing in the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our tools have also been used to prototype a novel synthetic biological system for pattern formation, that has been successfully implemented in vitro. Taken together these novel software platforms provide a complete toolchain, from design to wet-lab implementation, of synthetic biological circuits, enabling a step change in the scale of biological investigations that is orders of magnitude greater than could previously be performed in one in silico “pot”.
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Zou, James Yang. "Algorithms and Models for Genome Biology." Thesis, Harvard University, 2014. http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:11280.
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New advances in genomic technology make it possible to address some of the most fundamental questions in biology for the first time. They also highlight a need for new approaches to analyze and model massive amounts of complex data. In this thesis, I present six research projects that illustrate the exciting interaction between high-throughput genomic experiments, new machine learning algorithms, and mathematical modeling. This interdisci- plinary approach gives insights into questions ranging from how variations in the epigenome lead to diseases across human populations to how the slime mold finds the shortest path. The algorithms and models developed here are also of interest to the broader machine learning community, and have applications in other domains such as text modeling.Mathematics
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Smirnov, Oleg. "Formal evolutionary modeling and the problems of political science /." view abstract or download file of text, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3190550.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-131). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Buntting, Catherine Michelle. "Educational issues in introductory tertiary biology." The University of Waikato, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2616.
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The work presented in this thesis focuses on educational issues in first-year biology courses at university. First-year courses are important because they have the potential to influence student retention and subsequent subject selection choices, as well as learning at higher levels. Further, biology is considered to be an important enabling subject in New Zealand because of the Government's drive towards a biotechnology-based knowledge economy. Specifically, the work in this thesis explores the educational implications of the increasingly diverse academic backgrounds of students entering first-year biology courses on teaching and learning in these courses. A social constructivist view of learning is adopted, in which prior knowledge of the learners is considered to have a significant influence on their learning. The social context of learning interactions also is considered to be important. The research involved three phases: identification of prior knowledge assumed by faculty; identification of actual prior knowledge of students; and the implementation and evaluation of an intervention programme based on concept mapping. In order to investigate faculty assumptions of student prior knowledge, 35 faculty from six New Zealand universities were interviewed. Document analysis and classroom observations provided data triangulation. The findings for this phase of the research suggest that faculty were aware of the diverse prior knowledge of students, and reported a tension between teaching from scratch in order to accommodate those with very limited prior knowledge; and the risk of boring those with more extensive relevant backgrounds. A range of concepts that are not explained during teaching (i.e., concepts it is assumed students understand) were identified, including biology-specific concepts and relevant chemical and mathematical concepts. In the second phase, research findings from phase one were used to develop a prior knowledge questionnaire administered in two successive years to all students enrolled in first-year biology courses at one New Zealand university. Data analysis for this phase suggests that although students with more extensive prior biology study were more likely to have a scientifically acceptable understanding of some key concepts, this was not true of all the concepts that were investigated, including chemical and mathematical concepts. The data also point to differences between what faculty expect students to know, and what students actually know. Furthermore, few students, regardless of the extent of prior biology study, were able to demonstrate understanding of the relationships between important biological concepts. In the third phase of the research, an intervention based on concept mapping was implemented and evaluated. Two of the six weekly tutorial classes associated with two first-year biology courses were used for the purposes of the intervention. The intervention differed from the other concept mapping studies reported in the literature in that its implementation was of long duration, viz., a period of 11 weeks. Students who participated in the intervention reported in 'tutorial experience questionnaires' and subsequent interviews that concept mapping helped them to learn the biology content covered during lectures, and to identify links between concepts. A large proportion of participants indicated that they used concept mapping for biology study outside of the intervention tutorial classes, and in some cases in other courses of study. Classroom management strategies appeared to contribute to the positive views about the use of concept mapping during tutorials. Specifically, the tutor modelled the use of concept mapping, but students were also given opportunities to construct their own maps. The role of the tutor in guiding discussions with students and providing feedback was also viewed as being important. Detailed analysis of course assessment tasks suggests that concept mapping enhanced learning for test questions that require understanding of links between concepts. Where tasks require only the recall of facts, concept mapping does not appear to make a statistically significant difference to student performance. The findings from the concept mapping intervention thus suggest that although concept mapping is a strategy that can be used effectively in tertiary biology tutorial classes, it is more worthwhile if the type of deep learning that is encouraged by the use of concept mapping is also the type of learning required to successfully complete assessment tasks. This raises the issue of whether the type of learning faculty specify in course objectives is the type of learning they actually seek to develop in course delivery and associated assessment regimes.
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Bennett, William Drew. "Multimodal representation contributes to the complex development of science literacy in a college biology class." Diss., University of Iowa, 2011. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1203.
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This study is an investigation into the science literacy of college genetics students who were given a modified curriculum to address specific teaching and learning problems from a previous class. This study arose out of an interest by the professor and researcher to determine how well students in the class Human Genetics in the 21st Century responded to a reorganized curriculum to address misconceptions that were prevalent after direct instruction in the previous year's class. One of the components to the revised curriculum was the addition of a multimodal representation requirement as part of their normal writing assignments. How well students performed in these writing assignments and the relationship they had to student learning the rest of the class formed the principle research interest of this study. Improving science literacy has been a consistent goal of science educators and policy makers for over 50 years (DeBoer, 2000). This study uses the conceptualization of Norris and Phillips (2003) in which science literacy can be organized into both the fundamental sense (reading and writing) and the derived sense (experience and knowledge) of science literacy. The fundamental sense of science literacy was investigated in the students' ability to understand and use multimodal representations as part of their homework writing assignments. The derived sense of science literacy was investigated in how well students were able to apply their previous learning to class assessments found in quizzes and exams.
This study uses a mixed-methods correlational design to investigate the relationship that existed between students' writing assignment experiences connected to multimodal representations and their academic performance in classroom assessments. Multimodal representations are pervasive in science literature and communication. These are the figures, diagrams, tables, pictures, mathematical equations, and any other form of content in which scientists and science educators are communicating ideas and concepts to their audience with more than simple text. A focused holistic rubric was designed in this study to score how well students in this class were able to incorporate aspects of multimodality into their writing assignments. Using these scores and factors within the rubric (ex. Number of original modes created) they were correlated with classroom performance scores to determine the strength and direction of the relationship. Classroom observations of lectures and discussion sections along with personal interviews with students and teaching assistants aided the interpretation of the results.
The results from the study were surprisingly complex to interpret given the background of literature which suggested a strong relationship between multimodal representations and science learning (Lemke, 2000). There were significant positive correlations between student multimodal representations and quiz scores but not exam scores. This study was also confounded by significant differences between sections at the beginning of the study which may have led to learning effects later. The dissimilarity between the tasks of writing during their homework and working on exams may be the reason for no significant correlations with exams. The power to interpret these results was limited by the number of the participants, the number of modal experiences by the students, and the operationalization of multimodal knowledge through the holistic rubric. These results do show that a relationship does exist between the similar tasks within science writing and quizzes. Students may also gain derived science literacy benefits from modal experiences on distal tasks in exams as well. This study shows that there is still much more research to be known about the interconnectedness of multimodal representational knowledge and use to the development of science literacy.
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Smith, Jennifer Ann Reid. "Historical short stories and the nature of science in a high school biology classroom." [Ames, Iowa : Iowa State University], 2010. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1476350.
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McKenzie, Woodrow L. "Investigative Learning in an Undergraduate Biology Laboratory: an Investigation into Reform in Science Education." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29381.
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This study examined an innovative, project-based curriculum in a freshman biology laboratory by focusing on how students developed their conceptual understanding of a biological species. A model for learning was posed based on learners working in small groups. This model linked a sociocultural approach to teaching and learning to conceptual change theory. Qualitative research methods were employed to collect a variety of data. Documentation of this innovative curriculum is provided.
This investigative curriculum incorporated the research practices that scientists use. A wide range of dynamic interactions with students actively investigating problems and sharing both their findings and thoughts during this time occurred. This essentially modeled the authentic practices of scientists. A direct comparison was made with this learning environment and the model for learning. Peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and most importantly, peer collaboration were observed when students grappled with difficult problems for which there was no single right answer. Teachers served as guides in learning, shifting responsibility to the students.
Analysis of student writing revealed richer, more complex definitions of species after the experience of the laboratory project. Several of the students used knowledge gained directly from their experiences during the laboratory project to help elaborate their definitions.
The electronic discussions showed a range of social interactions and interactivity. High quality discussions were found to be rich in scientific thought, engaging discussants by offering information, questioning, and actively hypothesizing. Mediating and facilitating discussions by the participants was found to be an important factor in their success. Groups exhibiting high quality discussions also had a lower response time than other groups, indicating that more substantive dialogues which are rich in thought proceed at a slower pace.
Significantly, an important connection has been made between the socio-cultural approach to learning and conceptual change theory. A closer examination of how small groups of learners develop conceptual understanding is needed. This approach also needs to be extended into other settings where reform in science education is taking place.Ph. D.
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Harris, Alton Denzil. "Fitmast : a case study of one programme of inservice training for science teachers (biology)." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28057.
Full textAbstract:
A case study was made of FITMAST (Formal Inservice Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers.), an inservice education programme for science teachers in South Africa. The objectives of FITMAST are:
a) to upgrade the academic qualifications of teachers and,
b) to improve the teaching competence of the teachers.
In the case of FITMAST, equal emphasis was initially placed on the acquisition of both the above aims. However, the recognition that teachers wanted from attending the FITMAST courses, was first-year university credits. Such wishes necessitated an emphasis towards more academic content in order for the University of the Western Cape to grant such credits. Consequently less time was devoted to improving the teaching competencies for the participants; a move that the teachers were critical of for they continued expressing the desire to have their teaching competencies improved. FITMAST is thus caught up in a "Catch 22" situation: an emphasis shift in either direction will have to be made each at the expense of the other.
Faced with an apparently unresolvable position, a tension is created insofar as the devotion of time to either of the objectives is concerned. This study, in accepting that the above-mentioned tension exists, will seek to:
a) find how this tension and other problems that surrounds FITMAST manifest themselves in the teachers' perceptions and
, course experiences, as well as within the views of the administrators and,
b) provide in the form of recommendations, a direction for change based on the teachers' course experiences. Four modes of data collection were employed:
a) Interviews were conducted with the Biology teachers that attended FITMAST in June 1987. The administrators were also interviewed during that period.
b) A questionnaire, constructed from the interview data obtained from the teachers, was mailed to all the Biology teachers that had participated in FITMAST since its inception in 1983.
c) Field notes were recorded during the researcher's attendance of the FITMAST session in June 1987.
d) Documents with regard to FITMAST were also consulted. The major findings that emanated from this study were:
1) The teachers' expectations of FITMAST were not met by the programme.
2) The amount of course work encountered during a residential session of FITMAST is too much.
3) A sizeable amount of the course work covered in FITMAST might be familiar to the teachers.
4) The distance teaching component merely evaluates the teachers' understanding of the work covered in the residential component.
5) Teachers believe that didactics should form a major part of the FITMAST programme. The following recommendations were made:
1) Prospective participants should be informed about the exact nature of the FITMAST courses primarily through an orientation session in which former participants can share their experiences with the new recruits.
2) The amount of course work covered during the residential session should be reduced.
3) The distance teaching component should become part of the instructional process.
4) The time devoted to didactics should be extended as an urgent response to a strongly expressed need of the teachers to enrich their didactic experiences.
The researcher further recommends that a feasibility study be undertaken of an alternative format that is proposed should the distance teaching component become part of the instructional process.Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate
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Calderone, Carli E. "Stem Cell Research: Science Education and Outreach." Miami University Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1268751337.
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Lin, Allen. "Retroactivity, modularity, and insulation in synthetic biology circuits." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76989.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-151).
A central concept in synthetic biology is the reuse of well-characterized modules. Modularity simplifies circuit design by allowing for the decomposition of systems into separate modules for individual construction. Complex regulatory networks can be assembled from a library of devices. However, current devices in synthetic biology may not actually be modular and may instead change behavior upon interconnections, a phenomenon called retroactivity. Addition of a new component to a system can change individual device dynamics within the system, potentially making timeconsuming iterative redesign necessary. Another need for systems construction is the ability to rapidly assemble constructs from part libraries in a combinatorial, highthroughput fashion. In this thesis, a multi-site assembly method that permits the rapid reshuffling of promoters and genes for yeast expression is established. Synthetic circuits in yeast to measure retroactivity and to act as an insulator that attenuates such effect are designed and modeled.
by Allen Lin.
M.Eng.
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Doherty, Kevin Eric. "SAGE-GROUSE AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT: INTEGRATING SCIENCE WITH CONSERVATION PLANNING TO REDUCE IMPACTS." The University of Montana, 2009. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-03262009-132629/.
Full textAbstract:
Effective conservation planning in the face of rapid land use change requires knowledge of which habitats are selected at landscape scales, where those habitats are located, and how species ultimately respond to anthropogenic disturbance. I assessed sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) large scale habitat ecology and response to energy development in the winter and nesting seasons using radio-marked individuals in the Powder River Basin, Montana and Wyoming, USA. Landscape scale percent sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) cover at 4-km2 was the strongest predictor of use by sage-grouse in winter. After controlling for vegetation and topography, the addition the density of coal-bed natural gas wells within 4 km2 improved model fit (AIC -6.66, wi = 0.965) and indicated that sage-grouse avoided energy development. Nesting analyses showed that landscape context must be considered in addition to local scale habitat features (wi = 0.96). Findings provide managers a hierarchical filter in which to manage breeding habitats. Twice the amount of nesting habitat at 3, 5 and 10-km scales surrounded active leks versus random locations. Spatially explicit nesting and wintering models predicted independent sage-grouse locations (validation R2 ≥ 0.98). I incorporated knowledge of energy impacts into a study design that tested for threshold responses at regional scales analyzing 1,344 leks in Wyoming from 1997-2007. Potential impacts were indiscernible at 1-12 wells within 32.2 km2 of a lek (~1 well / 640 ac). At higher wells densities a time-lag showed higher rates of lek inactivity and steeper declines in bird abundance 4 years after than immediately following development. I spatially prioritized core areas for breeding sage-grouse across Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah and the Dakotas and assessed risk of future energy development. Findings showed that bird abundance varies by state, core areas contain a disproportionately large segment of the breeding population and that risk of development within core areas varies regionally. My analyses document behavioral and demographic responses to energy development, offer new insights into large scale ecology of greater sage-grouse and provide resource managers with practical tools to guide conservation.
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Wright, Dale. "Evaluating a citizen science research programme : understanding the people who make it possible." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10904.
Full textAbstract:
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-110).
Citizen science is increasingly recognised as a useful tool for conducting scientific research and public outreach, producing multiple positive benefits for biodiversity conservation and the volunteers involved in such research.
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Svanberg, Kerstin. "Nature of Science (NOS) som innehållsbärande idé i gymnasieskolans biologiundervisning." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för naturvetenskap, NV, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-11725.
Full textAbstract:
Med en ständigt ökande stoffmängd inom gymnasieskolans biologiämne är det en nyckeluppgift för läraren att prioritera undervisningsinnehåll för att ge utrymme/möjlighet till fördjupning och progression. Styrdokumenten anger att eleverna förutom ämneskunskap av faktakaraktär även ska tillägna sig kunskap om "naturvetenskapens karaktär", Nature of science (NOS). Syftet med mitt examensarbete är att utifrån skolans praktik belysa och diskutera förutsättningarna för att använda NOS som innehållsbärande idé där NOS-aspekter utgör ett instrument (bland flera) för stoffurval. Kvalitativa intervjuer har genomförts med fem gymnasielärare i biologi rörande deras uppfattningar om och värderingar av NOS i undervisningen samt om hur de ställer sig till NOS som innehållsbärande idé. Aktuella styrdokument har analyserats med avseende på skrivningar om NOS utifrån vedertagna NOS-aspekter. Genomgången av styrdokumenten har visat att de innehåller talrika skrivningar med koppling till NOS. I intervjuerna uppgav lärarna dock att explicit NOS-undervisning förekom endast i mycket begränsad omfattning. Möjliga underliggande faktorer som kan utgöra hinder för NOS i undervisning träder fram i lärarnas utsagor, exempelvis: • NOS tillmäts inte uppmärksamhet i nämnvärd omfattning vid tolkning av styrdokumenten. • Organisatoriska och administrativa hinder för att genomföra undervisning på ett alternativt sätt. • Brist på lättillgängligt undervisningsmaterial passande en undervisningsuppläggning med NOS. • Omedvetenhet hos lärarna om vad som är känt om NOS-undervisning. Utifrån resultaten i denna pilotstudie anser jag att det finns argument som talar för att vidare undersöka möjligheten att låta NOS bilda en struktur som likt en röd tråd får löpa genom undervisningsplaneringen. Examensarbetet har mynnat ut i ett diskussionsunderlag för fördjupad ventilering av NOS som möjlig innehållsbärande idé i biologiundervisningen samt i ett exempel på undervisningsplanering enligt denna idé.
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Foor, Brandon. "The biology and macroparasites of the sixgill sawshark Pliotrema warreni." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25303.
Full textAbstract:
Thirty-two specimens of the sixgill sawshark, Pliotrema warreni, were trawled near Bird Island in Algoa Bay on the Eastern coast of South Africa in April and May 2015. The specimens were examined for anatomical proportions, reproductive characteristics, diet, and parasite assemblages. Several external measurements were collected including mass, total length, standard length, girth, rostrum length, interoccular to pre-caudal length, first dorsal origin to second dorsal origin, first dorsal origin to pre-caudal origin, and mouth width. The equation for mass (g) vs. total length (mm) was ln(Mass)=0.2997*ln(TL)+2.0383 for females and ln(Mass)=0.3321*ln(TL)+1.941 for males. 1st Dorsal to 2nd dorsal origin length (DD) to total length equations for females and males were DD=0.2451*TL-26.677 and DD=0.2598*TL-34.535, respectively. Mean lengths and masses were 11.5% greater and 50.3% heavier in females than males, respectively. Females were on average, 994 mm (759 mm – 1283 mm) in length while males were 891.8 mm (763 mm – 1015 mm). Average mass for females was 1702.5 g (602.5 g – 3478.5 g) whereas males it was 1132.6 g (687 g – 1593.5 g). Based on these data both sexes display isometric growth. Males were determined to reach sexually maturity around 850 mm which is similar to that reported by Ebert et al., (2013) around 830 mm. Females were found to reach sexual maturity at 1000 mm which is 100 mm smaller than what is reported by Ebert et al., (2013). Stomach mass increased with total mass and total length regardless of sex (female R² = 0.507; male R² = 0.213 for length and female R² = 0.6123; male R² = 0996 for mass). Females consumed larger prey items in terms of mass and length as well as a higher quantity of prey than males presumably because they are the larger sex and have an increased need for nourishment to provide for pregnancy. Prey items were redeye round herring, Etrumeus whiteheadi (64.96% of the diet), a benthic shrimp species not identified (7.69%), and Cape horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus capensis (0.85%). Despite strict adherence to the guidelines for age determination for elasmobranchs provided in the literature, the conventional method used which involved extensive cleaning of the vertebral centra with an array of chemicals, setting and cutting in an epoxy resin, and staining for microscopy, did not yield readable results which could be used to determine the ages of these sharks. The highest abundance of parasites were found in the stomachs. Three specimens of a cymothoid isopod was found externally. Two specimens of Ascaris sp. nematode were found in the visceral cavity. The remaining 18 parasites consisted of three Neoechinorhynchidae sp. of acanthocephalan and 15 Proleptus obtusus nematodes all of which were found inside the stomachs. Given the results of the parasite survey, males and females do not have the same parasites as females have four different species while males only have one. More collections from other areas and times of year are necessary to obtain a better description of the species.
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Li, Xiaohua. "NMR of group 2 element quadrupolar nuclei and some applications in materials science and biology." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/30998.
Full text
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Lewis, Jeffrey William. "Continuity in German science, 1937-1972 : genealogy and strategies of the TMV/molecular biology community." Connect to resource, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view.cgi?acc%5Fnum=osu1259777082.
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McAnulty, John. "Concept development in relation to the biology of reproduction in secondary science : a Vygotskyan perspective." Thesis, Open University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.275095.
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Kim, Bo S. (Bo Sung). "Robust network calibration and therapy design in systems biology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62422.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-123).
Mathematical modeling of biological networks is under active research, receiving attention for its ability to quantitatively represent the modeler's systems-level understanding of network functionalities. Computational methods that enhance the usefulness of mathematical models are thus being increasingly sought after, as they face a variety of difficulties that originate from limitations in model accuracy and experimental precision. This thesis explores robust optimization as a tool to counter the effects of these uncertainty-based difficulties in calibrating biological network models and in designing protocols for cancer immunotherapy. The robust approach to network calibration and therapy design aims to account for the worst-case uncertainty scenario that could threaten successful determination of network parameters or therapeutic protocols, by explicitly identifying and sampling the region of potential uncertainties corresponding to worst-case. Through designating individual numerical ranges that uncertain model parameters are each expected to lie within, the region of uncertainties is defined as a hypercube that encompasses a particular uncertainty range along each of its dimensions. For investigating its applicability to parameter estimation, the performance of the optimization method that embodies this robust approach is examined in the context of a model of a unit belonging to the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. For its significance in therapeutic design, the method is applied to both a canonical mathematical model of the tumor-immune system and a model specific to treating superficial bladder cancer with Bacillus Calmette-Guirin, which have both been selected to examine the plausibility of applying the method to either discrete-dose or continuous-dose administrations of immunotherapeutic agents. The robust optimization method is evaluated against a standard optimization method by comparing the relative robustness of their respective estimated parameters or designed therapies. Further analysis of the results obtained using the robust method points to properties and limitations, and in turn directions for improvement, of existing models and design frameworks for applying the robust method to network calibration and protocol design. An alternative mathematical formulation to solving the worst-case optimization problem is also studied, one that replaces the sampling process of the previous method with a linearization of the objective function's parameter space over the region of uncertainties. This formulation's relative computational efficiency additionally gives rise to a novel approach to experimental guidance directed at improving modeling efforts under uncertainties, which may potentially further fuel the advancement of quantitative systems biological research.
by Bo S. Kim.
Ph.D.
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Burrows, Andrea C. "A social study of women in contemporary biological sciences." Diss., This resource online, 1991. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07282008-135540/.
Full text
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Gallagher-Jones, Marcus. "New science exploration from XFEL : a new paradigm for structural visualisation of macromolecules." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2014. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/2002601/.
Full textAbstract:
X-rays have a long-standing history as an investigative probe in the sciences, and in particular their application to the biological and biomedical sciences has provided an enormous contribution to these fields. Indeed structural biology, the study of the molecules of life at an atomic scale via macromolecular crystallography, has been a major benefactor of advances in x-ray radiation sources. Currently two major bottlenecks exist within this field, the need for well diffracting crystals and radiation damage limitations. The advent of fourth generation x-ray sources, X-ray Free-electron Lasers (XFEL) heralds a shift in the way such experiments are performed. XFELs, due to their high brilliance and ultra short (fs) pulses, hope to decouple radiation dose limitations from spatial resolution by outrunning this radiation damage in short exposures, ‘diffraction before destruction’. This thesis is concerned with exploring experimental methodologies made possible by XFELs, including establishing the experimental infrastructure required at the worlds second XFEL, SACLA, and performing initial experiments. Firstly the potential of performing gas-phase small angle x-ray scattering experiments (gSAXS) is investigated. The current need for gas-phase structural information will be presented and the experimental parameters and projected signal requirements will then be explored. The results of experiments at a synchrotron radiation source with various biomolecules will be presented. It is shown that with the current experimental set-up experiments are fundamentally limited by the signal to noise ratio (SNR) pointing to the necessity of XFEL. Secondly the application of coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) to biological systems at synchrotron and XFEL sources is explored, and the development of experimental systems at both sources is outlined. A method for combining complimentary scattering experiments at both sources is demonstrated and the results of its application to the assembly mechanism of the self-assembling, non-crystalline, macromolecule, the RNAi microsponge, are presented. The microsponge is found to have a nucleating origin leading to a core-shell like nanostructure in the fully formed molecule.
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Patrick, William Graham S. M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Growing a second skin : towards synthetic biology in product design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98918.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 111-120).
Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing engineering discipline widely used in biotechnological applications. However, there are few examples of using synthetic biology in product design and there are even fewer - perhaps no - examples of incorporating fluids containing synthetic organisms and biomolecules into a product. The goals of this thesis are two-fold. First, the author investigates how to contain and control fluids in 3D printed fluid channels. 3D printing methods are characterized by their ability to create fluidic channels that are compatible with biochemistry and culturing microorganisms. Second, the author explores how to design the materiality and geometry of the fluid channels to affect biological function. These goals are pursued in two distinct projects: DNA assembly in 3D printed fluidics and Mushtari, a fluidic wearable designed to contain cyanobacteria and E. coli cultures. Contributions include (1) characterizing the resolution of three 3D printing methods for creating fluidic channels, (2) demonstrating compatibility of 3D printing methods with cell culture and DNA assembly biochemistry, (3) demonstrating the capability to print wearable-scale millifluidic networks up to 58 meters in length, and (4) developing approaches for fabricating geometrically complex fluidic systems.
by William Graham Patrick.
S.M.
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Hamilton, Andrew. "Laws, causes, and kinds toward a solution to the biology problem /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2006. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3198868.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2005.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed May 30, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-160).
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Nguyen, Quoc Tuan. "Using the genetic algorithm to optimize Web search: Lessons from biology." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27160.
Full textAbstract:
Searching for information on the Web is a relatively inefficient process. My goal is to develop a method that optimizes web search queries without user intervention. Developing intelligent ways to automate this process includes the development of algorithms that automatically manipulate the use of keywords to produce the desired output. Genetic algorithms (GA) provide a potentially useful approach in this area. However, these approaches have not fully exploited the biological concepts associated with genetic reproduction and evolution. I hypothesize that an approach that uses GA but modifies it to include the biological concepts of structural and regulatory gene types and the use of a combination of deletion operator and silent genes will improve GA performance in optimizing Web search. In this paper, I describe this approach and its implementation in simulations of Web search tasks using three popular Web search engines (Google, Yahoo and Netscape). The results of this implementation are presented and are compared to the performance of a similar, but unmodified GA in the same tasks. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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Burke, Ian Cristofer. "Biology, Physiology, and Pollen Expression of ACCase Resistance in Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)." NCSU, 2005. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-07172005-093207/.
Full textAbstract:
Greenhouse dose-response experiments were conducted on a biotype of johnsongrass from Washington County, Mississippi to determine the level of purported resistance to the aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicide fluazifop-P and cyclohexanedione herbicides clethodim and sethoxydim. Both seedling and rhizome plants were evaluated. Resistant/susceptible ratios (R/S) were 11.0, 5.7, and 5.5 for clethodim, fluazifop-P, and sethoxydim, respectively, for seedling plants. R/S ratios were 15.6, 22.7, and 22.3 for clethodim, fluazifop-P, and sethoxydim, respectively, for rhizome plants. There was no difference between the resistant and susceptible biotypes in the absorption, translocation, or metabolism of 14C-clethodim in the resistant and susceptible biotypes. Specific activity of acetyl Co-A carboxylase (ACCase) from the susceptible and resistant johnsongrass biotypes (means of 0.221 and 0.223 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively) were similar. ACCase from the susceptible biotype was sensitive to clethodim, with an I50 value of 0.29 mM clethodim. ACCase from the resistant biotype was less sensitive, with an I50 value of 1.32 mM clethodim. The resultant R/S ratio for clethodim was 4.5. These results indicate that resistance to clethodim in this johnsongrass biotype resulted from an altered ACCase enzyme. The relative competitiveness and non-competitive productivity of R and S johnsongrass were assessed in greenhouse and growth chamber experiments. When grown in noncompetitive conditions in growth chamber experiments, photosynthetic rate, net assimilation rate, leaf number, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry biomass, and shoot dry biomass were similar for R and S biotypes 21, 27, and 35 days after planting. The biotypes were similar in terms of plant height and leaf number. Relative crowding coefficients for above ground dry biomass similar, and a combined t-test indicated that the resistant and susceptible biotype did not differ for above ground dry biomass (tlof=0.54, 1.3; P=0.38, 0.23, respectively). There does not appear to be a fitness penalty associated with the resistance. A seedling bioassay was developed for the determination of resistance to clethodim and fluazifop-P in johnsongrass. The assay was based on differences in the coleoptile length of R and S seedlings exposed to clethodim and fluazifop-P in petri dishes for 5 d. A bioassay concentration of 0.09 mg/L clethodim and 0.18 mg/L fluazifiop-P where chosen as discriminant based on rate responses of each biotype to increasing herbicide dose. At 5 DAT, the R:S ratio for clethodim was 18.7, and the R:S ratio for fluazifop was 35.4. A study was conducted to determine the nuclear state and develop a suitable medium and culture method for in vitro germination of johnsongrass pollen. Johnsongrass pollen was trinucleate, and in vitro tests for pollen viability using Alexander?s stain and a fluorochromatic reaction method indicated johnsongrass pollen was viable (92.6-98.4%). A factorial treatment of four concentrations of sucrose, two concentrations of boric acid, and two concentrations of calcium nitrate was used to determine the optimum pollen germination media. The factorial study was conducted using three different cultural methods: suspension culture, agar culture, and cellophane membrane culture. Germination was highest in a suspension culture with media containing 0.3 M sucrose, 2.43 mM boric acid, and 3 mM calcium nitrate. In a second study, pollen germination using the above media was 78.9% when harvested from flowers just before anthesis. Three studies were conducted to develop pollen tests for the screening of ACCase target-site resistance in a biotype of johnsongrass using the developed germination media. Pollen from the susceptible biotype of johnsongrass was strongly inhibited by increasing concentrations of clethodim, with a GR50 of 25.8 (standard error of ±0.6) mM and GR50 of 16.4 (standard error of ±1.7) mM clethodim by visual assessment and spectrophotometric assessment, respectively. Minimum R/S values were >3.9 by visual assessment and >6.1 by spectrophotometric assessment. Both assessment methods differentiated the susceptible and resistant biotypes, and ACCase target-site resistance is expressed in johnsongrass pollen.
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Silajdzic, Edina. "The role of complex gangliosides in glial cell biology." Thesis, Connect to e-thesis, 2008. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/297/.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2007.Ph.D. theses submitted to the Faculty of Medicine, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, 2007. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Rudnick, David Jr. "Hyperadaptation - Another Missing Term in the Science of Form." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36886.
Full textAbstract:
In a 1982 paper, Gould and Vrba argue that a conflation of the two components of adaptation of a feature, historical development of the feature and present utility, has caused evolutionists to overlook a missing term in the science of form, which they call 'exaptation'. In the present project, I show that evolutionary biology still contains a confusion in the use of 'adaptation' due to an inappropriate perception of the interaction between the two components of adaptation. Because of the confusion, evolutionists have missed another term in the science of form. Evolutionary theory, specifically the treatment of adaptation, would profit from the introduction of a term referring to features that have a selective history which causes them to appear overly well adapted to their present function. I suggest we refer to these features as hyperadaptations, since they appear to be hyperbolized adaptations. By introducing hyperadaptation into the conceptual framework of adaptation, we can sharpen our understanding of related concepts (adaptation to function, exaptation, maladaptation, etc.) and remove or reduce some confusion regarding the interplay between analysis of historical pathways and ascriptions of (current) function in the diagnosis of adaptation. Furthermore, the improved framework should allow evolutionists to more adequately explain biological phenomena.Master of Arts
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Vyshemirsky, Vladislav. "Probabilistic reasoning and inference for systems biology." Thesis, Connect to e-thesis. Move to record for print version, 2007. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/47/.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2007.Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Information and Mathematical Sciences Faculty, Department of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, 2007. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Kim, Daniel D. 1982. "A biological simulator using a stochastic approach for synthetic biology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33307.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-59).
Synthetic Biology is a new engineering discipline created by the development of genetic engineering technology. Part of a new engineering discipline is to create new tools to build an integrated engineering environment. In this thesis, I designed and implemented a biological system simulator that will enable synthetic biologists to simulate their systems before they put time into building actual physical cells. Improvements to the current simulators in use include a design that enables extensions in functionality, external input signals, and a GUI that allows user interaction. The significance of the simulation results was tested by comparing them to actual live cellular experiments. The results showed that the new simulator can successfully simulate the trends of a simple synthetic cell.
by Daniel D. Kim.
M.Eng.
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Ahn, Andrew In-Kyun 1979. "Fast Phase Dispersion Microscope : a new instrument for cellular biology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87867.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-144).
by Andrew In-Kyun Ahn.
M.Eng.
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Wertheimer, Jeremy M. (Jeremy Michael). "Reasoning from experiments to causal models in molecular cell biology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/11050.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1996.Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83).
by Jeremy M. Wertheimer.
Ph.D.