Classification of proteins: available structural space for molecular modeling.

PubMed

Andreeva, Antonina

2012-01-01

The wealth of available protein structural data provides unprecedented opportunity to study and better understand the underlying principles of protein folding and protein structure evolution. A key to achieving this lies in the ability to analyse these data and to organize them in a coherent classification scheme. Over the past years several protein classifications have been developed that aim to group proteins based on their structural relationships. Some of these classification schemes explore the concept of structural neighbourhood (structural continuum), whereas other utilize the notion of protein evolution and thus provide a discrete rather than continuum view of protein structure space. This chapter presents a strategy for classification of proteins with known three-dimensional structure. Steps in the classification process along with basic definitions are introduced. Examples illustrating some fundamental concepts of protein folding and evolution with a special focus on the exceptions to them are presented.

Experiences in Teaching a Graduate Course on Model-Driven Software Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekinerdogan, Bedir

2011-01-01

Model-driven software development (MDSD) aims to support the development and evolution of software intensive systems using the basic concepts of model, metamodel, and model transformation. In parallel with the ongoing academic research, MDSD is more and more applied in industrial practices. After being accepted both by a broad community of…

Exploring the evolution of protein function in Archaea.

PubMed

Goncearenco, Alexander; Berezovsky, Igor N

2012-05-30

Despite recent progress in studies of the evolution of protein function, the questions what were the first functional protein domains and what were their basic building blocks remain unresolved. Previously, we introduced the concept of elementary functional loops (EFLs), which are the functional units of enzymes that provide elementary reactions in biochemical transformations. They are presumably descendants of primordial catalytic peptides. We analyzed distant evolutionary connections between protein functions in Archaea based on the EFLs comprising them. We show examples of the involvement of EFLs in new functional domains, as well as reutilization of EFLs and functional domains in building multidomain structures and protein complexes. Our analysis of the archaeal superkingdom yields the dominating mechanisms in different periods of protein evolution, which resulted in several levels of the organization of biochemical function. First, functional domains emerged as combinations of prebiotic peptides with the very basic functions, such as nucleotide/phosphate and metal cofactor binding. Second, domain recombination brought to the evolutionary scene the multidomain proteins and complexes. Later, reutilization and de novo design of functional domains and elementary functional loops complemented evolution of protein function.

Evolutionary ethnobiology and cultural evolution: opportunities for research and dialog.

PubMed

Santoro, Flávia Rosa; Nascimento, André Luiz Borba; Soldati, Gustavo Taboada; Ferreira Júnior, Washington Soares; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

2018-01-09

The interest in theoretical frameworks that improve our understanding of social-ecological systems is growing within the field of ethnobiology. Several evolutionary questions may underlie the relationships between people and the natural resources that are investigated in this field. A new branch of research, known as evolutionary ethnobiology (EE), focuses on these questions and has recently been formally conceptualized. The field of cultural evolution (CE) has significantly contributed to the development of this new field, and it has introduced the Darwinian concepts of variation, competition, and heredity to studies that focus on the dynamics of local knowledge. In this article, we introduce CE as an important theoretical framework for evolutionary ethnobiological research. We present the basic concepts and assumptions of CE, along with the adjustments that are necessary for its application in EE. We discuss different ethnobiological studies in the context of this new framework and the new opportunities for research that exist in this area. We also propose a dialog that includes our findings in the context of cultural evolution.

On the concept of individual in ecology and evolution.

PubMed

Metz, J A J

2013-03-01

Part of the art of theory building is to construct effective basic concepts, with a large reach and yet powerful as tools for getting at conclusions. The most basic concept of population biology is that of individual. An appropriately reengineered form of this concept has become the basis for the theories of structured populations and adaptive dynamics. By appropriately delimiting individuals, followed by defining their states as well as their environment, it become possible to construct the general population equations that were introduced and studied by Odo Diekmann and his collaborators. In this essay I argue for taking the properties that led to these successes as the defining characteristics of the concept of individual, delegating the properties classically invoked by philosophers to the secondary role of possible empirical indicators for the presence of those characteristics. The essay starts with putting in place as rule for effective concept engineering that one should go for relations that can be used as basis for deductive structure building rather than for perceived ontological essence. By analysing how we want to use it in the mathematical arguments I then build up a concept of individual, first for use in population dynamical considerations and then for use in evolutionary ones. These two concepts do not coincide, and neither do they on all occasions agree with common intuition-based usage.

Mathematical modelling as a proof of concept for MPNs as a human inflammation model for cancer development.

PubMed

Andersen, Morten; Sajid, Zamra; Pedersen, Rasmus K; Gudmand-Hoeyer, Johanne; Ellervik, Christina; Skov, Vibe; Kjær, Lasse; Pallisgaard, Niels; Kruse, Torben A; Thomassen, Mads; Troelsen, Jesper; Hasselbalch, Hans Carl; Ottesen, Johnny T

2017-01-01

The chronic Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are acquired stem cell neoplasms which ultimately may transform to acute myelogenous leukemia. Most recently, chronic inflammation has been described as an important factor for the development and progression of MPNs in the biological continuum from early cancer stage to the advanced myelofibrosis stage, the MPNs being described as "A Human Inflammation Model for Cancer Development". This novel concept has been built upon clinical, experimental, genomic, immunological and not least epidemiological studies. Only a few studies have described the development of MPNs by mathematical models, and none have addressed the role of inflammation for clonal evolution and disease progression. Herein, we aim at using mathematical modelling to substantiate the concept of chronic inflammation as an important trigger and driver of MPNs.The basics of the model describe the proliferation from stem cells to mature cells including mutations of healthy stem cells to become malignant stem cells. We include a simple inflammatory coupling coping with cell death and affecting the basic model beneath. First, we describe the system without feedbacks or regulatory interactions. Next, we introduce inflammatory feedback into the system. Finally, we include other feedbacks and regulatory interactions forming the inflammatory-MPN model. Using mathematical modeling, we add further proof to the concept that chronic inflammation may be both a trigger of clonal evolution and an important driving force for MPN disease progression. Our findings support intervention at the earliest stage of cancer development to target the malignant clone and dampen concomitant inflammation.

Development of a pneumatic high-angle-of-attack Flush Airdata Sensing (HI-FADS) system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Stephen A.; Moes, Timothy R.; Leondes, Cornelius T.

1992-01-01

The HI-FADS system design is an evolution of the FADS systems (e.g., Larson et al., 1980, 1987), which emphasizes the entire airdata system development. This paper describes the HI-FADS measurement system, with particular consideration given to the basic measurement hardware and the development of the HI-FADS aerodynamic model and the basic nonlinear regression algorithm. Algorithm initialization techniques are developed, and potential algorithm divergence problems are discussed. Data derived from HI-FADS flight tests are used to demonstrate the system accuracies and to illustrate the developed concepts and methods.

Intelligence as the plasticity of instinct: George J. Romanes and Darwin's earthworms.

PubMed

Morganti, Federico

2011-01-01

In the following article I provide a brief analysis of George J. Romanes' conception of intelligence and its relationship with instincts. Through a careful reading of some key-passages from Mental Evolution in Animals (1883)--Romanes' chief work on the subject--I endeavour to show how the very notion of intelligence was related, in Romanes' thought, to individual adaptation to the environmental novelty. Also, I attempt to clarify in what sense, according to Romanes, this capacity was to be included among the factors of organic evolution. Lastly, I compare Romanes' view with that expressed in Darwin's last book, i.e. The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms (1881). I contend that the two scientists basically shared the same conception of the relationship between instincts and intelligence, which accounted not only for the need of phylogenetic continuity, but also for that of discontinuity due to adaptive divergence.

The Microcircuit Concept Applied to Cortical Evolution: from Three-Layer to Six-Layer Cortex

PubMed Central

Shepherd, Gordon M.

2011-01-01

Understanding the principles of organization of the cerebral cortex requires insight into its evolutionary history. This has traditionally been the province of anatomists, but evidence regarding the microcircuit organization of different cortical areas is providing new approaches to this problem. Here we use the microcircuit concept to focus first on the principles of microcircuit organization of three-layer cortex in the olfactory cortex, hippocampus, and turtle general cortex, and compare it with six-layer neocortex. From this perspective it is possible to identify basic circuit elements for recurrent excitation and lateral inhibition that are common across all the cortical regions. Special properties of the apical dendrites of pyramidal cells are reviewed that reflect the specific adaptations that characterize the functional operations in the different regions. These principles of microcircuit function provide a new approach to understanding the expanded functional capabilities elaborated by the evolution of the neocortex. PMID:21647397

Evolution of a Mars Airplane Concept for the ARES Mars Scout Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Stephen C.; Guynn, Mark D.; Smith, Stephen C.; Parks, Robert W.; Gelhausen, Paul A.

2004-01-01

ARES (Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey of Mars) is a proposed Mars Scout mission using an airplane to provide high-value science measurements in the areas of atmospheric chemistry, surface geology and mineralogy, and crustal magnetism. The use of an airplane for robotic exploration of Mars has been studied for over 25 years. There are, however, significant challenges associated with getting an airplane to Mars and flying through the thin, carbon dioxide Martian atmosphere. The traditional wisdom for aircraft design does not always apply for this type of vehicle and geometric, aerodynamic, and mission constraints result in a limited feasible design space. The ARES airplane design is the result of a concept exploration and evolution involving a number of trade studies, downselects, and design refinements. Industry, university, and NASA partners initially proposed a number of different concepts, drawing heavily on past Mars airplane design experience. Concept downselects were conducted with qualitative evaluation and high level analyses, focused on the most important parameters for the ARES mission. Following a successful high altitude test flight of the basic configuration, additional design refinement led to the current design. The resulting Mars airplane concept enables the high-value science objectives of the ARES mission to be accomplished while also fulfilling the desire for a simple, low-risk design.

"The instincts of motherhood: bringing joy back into newborn care".

PubMed

Odent, Michel

2009-11-01

Although homo sapiens is equipped with subneocortical neuro-endocrine structures comparable to those of all mammals, there is no scientific curiosity about basic behaviours such as the maternal protective aggressive instinct or basic emotional states such as joy. A study of the fetus ejection reflex is an opportunity to present the rational control of the procreative drives as a by-product of human brain evolution, and to clarify the concepts of neocortical inhibitions and cultural conditioning. After referring to recent spectacular advances, we anticipate that in the near future several developing scientific disciplines will have the power to overcome the effects of thousands of years of socialisation of childbirth.

Student concepts of Natural Selection from a resource-based perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamin, Scott Shawn

The past two decades have produced a substantial amount of research about the teaching and learning of evolution; however, recent research often lacks a theoretical foundation. Application of a new theoretical framework could help fill the void and improve research about student concepts of evolution. This study seeks to show that a resource-based framework (Hammer et al., 2005) can improve research into student concepts of natural selection. Concepts of natural selection from urban community college students were assessed via qualitative (interviews, written open-response questions, and write/think aloud procedures) and quantitative methods (coded open response analysis, Concept Inventory for Natural Selection (CINS)(Anderson, Fisher, & Norman, 2002). Results showed that students demonstrate four important aspects of resource-based framework: the multi-faceted construction of concepts, context sensitivity/ concept flexibility, at-the-moment activation of resources, and perceptual frames. In open response assessment, evolutionary-gain responses produced significantly different responses than evolutionary-loss questions with: 1) significantly more correct answers for the gain than loss question (Wilcoxon signed rank test, z = -3.68, p=0.0002); 2) more Lamarckian responses to loss than the gain question (Fisher exact, p=0.0039); and significantly different distributions in expanded need vs basic need answers (Fishers exact, p = 0.02). Results from CINS scores showed significant differences in post activity scores between students that held different naive concepts associated with origin of variation, origin of species, differential reproduction, and limited survival suggesting that some naive ideas facilitate learning. Outcomes also suggest that an everyday or self-experience typological perceptual frame is an underlying source of many incorrect ideas about evolution. Interview and write/think aloud assessments propose four process resources applied by students as they explain evolutionary change: list what I know, why story, compare past to present, mapping self-experience. The study concludes that a resource-based framework is a valuable tool to advance the study student concepts of natural selection.

Self-awareness: a review and analysis of a basic nursing concept.

PubMed

Eckroth-Bucher, Margie

2010-01-01

Self-awareness has long been addressed as fundamental for the professional nurse with the accepted view that self-awareness will lead to greater competence. Therefore, it is important to understand the historical evolution of the concept, attributes, antecedents, and consequences. Rodgers' evolutionary method was used for critical analysis of nursing, social sciences, and education literature. Analysis indicates that self-awareness is a dynamic, transformative process of self. Ultimately, self-awareness is the use of self-insights and presence knowingly to guide behavior that is genuine and authentic to create a healing interpersonal environment. Future research areas within practice and education are identified.

Modularity in developmental biology and artificial organs: a missing concept in tissue engineering.

PubMed

Lenas, Petros; Luyten, Frank P; Doblare, Manuel; Nicodemou-Lena, Eleni; Lanzara, Andreina Elena

2011-06-01

Tissue engineering is reviving itself, adopting the concept of biomimetics of in vivo tissue development. A basic concept of developmental biology is the modularity of the tissue architecture according to which intermediates in tissue development constitute semiautonomous entities. Both engineering and nature have chosen the modular architecture to optimize the product or organism development and evolution. Bioartificial tissues do not have a modular architecture. On the contrary, artificial organs of modular architecture have been already developed in the field of artificial organs. Therefore the conceptual support of tissue engineering by the field of artificial organs becomes critical in its new endeavor of recapitulating in vitro the in vivo tissue development. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2011, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Open System Architecture design for planet surface systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petri, D. A.; Pieniazek, L. A.; Toups, L. D.

1992-01-01

The Open System Architecture is an approach to meeting the needs for flexibility and evolution of the U.S. Space Exploration Initiative program of the manned exploration of the solar system and its permanent settlement. This paper investigates the issues that future activities of the planet exploration program must confront, defines the basic concepts that provide the basis for establishing an Open System Architecture, identifies the appropriate features of such an architecture, and discusses examples of Open System Architectures.

The articulation of integration of clinical and basic sciences in concept maps: differences between experienced and resident groups.

PubMed

Vink, Sylvia; van Tartwijk, Jan; Verloop, Nico; Gosselink, Manon; Driessen, Erik; Bolk, Jan

2016-08-01

To determine the content of integrated curricula, clinical concepts and the underlying basic science concepts need to be made explicit. Preconstructed concept maps are recommended for this purpose. They are mainly constructed by experts. However, concept maps constructed by residents are hypothesized to be less complex, to reveal more tacit basic science concepts and these basic science concepts are expected to be used for the organization of the maps. These hypotheses are derived from studies about knowledge development of individuals. However, integrated curricula require a high degree of cooperation between clinicians and basic scientists. This study examined whether there are consistent variations regarding the articulation of integration when groups of experienced clinicians and basic scientists and groups of residents and basic scientists-in-training construct concept maps. Seven groups of three clinicians and basic scientists on experienced level and seven such groups on resident level constructed concept maps illuminating clinical problems. They were guided by instructions that focused them on articulation of integration. The concept maps were analysed by features that described integration. Descriptive statistics showed consistent variations between the two expertise levels. The concept maps of the resident groups exceeded those of the experienced groups in articulated integration. First, they used significantly more links between clinical and basic science concepts. Second, these links connected basic science concepts with a greater variety of clinical concepts than the experienced groups. Third, although residents did not use significantly more basic science concepts, they used them significantly more frequent to organize the clinical concepts. The conclusion was drawn that not all hypotheses could be confirmed and that the resident concept maps were more elaborate than expected. This article discusses the implications for the role that residents and basic scientists-in-training might play in the construction of preconstructed concept maps and the development of integrated curricula.

Blue Stragglers in Clusters and Integrated Spectral Properties of Stellar Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Yu; Deng, Licai

Blue straggler stars are the most prominent bright objects in the colour-magnitude diagram of a star cluster that challenges the theory of stellar evolution. Star clusters are the closest counterparts of the theoretical concept of simple stellar populations (SSPs) in the Universe. SSPs are widely used as the basic building blocks to interpret stellar contents in galaxies. The concept of an SSP is a group of coeval stars which follows a given distribution in mass, and has the same chemical property and age. In practice, SSPs are more conveniently made by the latest stellar evolutionary models of single stars. In reality, however, stars can be more complicated than just single either at birth time or during the course of evolution in a typical environment. Observations of star clusters show that there are always exotic objects which do not follow the predictions of standard theory of stellar evolution. Blue straggler stars (BSSs), as discussed intensively in this book both observationally and theoretically, are very important in our context when considering the integrated spectral properties of a cluster, or a simple stellar population. In this chapter, we are going to describe how important the contribution of BSSs is to the total light of a cluster.

Image and Morphology in Modern Theory of Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yankovskaya, Y. S.; Merenkov, A. V.

2017-11-01

This paper is devoted to some important and fundamental problems of the modern Russian architectural theory. These problems are: methodological and technological retardation; substitution of the modern professional architectural theoretical knowledge by the humanitarian concepts; preference of the traditional historical or historical-theoretical research. One of the most probable ways is the formation of useful modern subject (and multi-subject)-oriented concepts in architecture. To get over the criticism and distrust of the architectural theory is possible through the recognition of an important role of the subject (architect, consumer, contractor, ruler, etc.) and direction of the practical tasks of the forming human environment in the today’s rapidly changing world and post-industrial society. In this article we consider the evolution of two basic concepts for the theory of architecture such as the image and morphology.

Molecular Phylogenetics: Concepts for a Newcomer.

PubMed

Ajawatanawong, Pravech

Molecular phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms using molecular sequence data. The aim of this review is to introduce the important terminology and general concepts of tree reconstruction to biologists who lack a strong background in the field of molecular evolution. Some modern phylogenetic programs are easy to use because of their user-friendly interfaces, but understanding the phylogenetic algorithms and substitution models, which are based on advanced statistics, is still important for the analysis and interpretation without a guide. Briefly, there are five general steps in carrying out a phylogenetic analysis: (1) sequence data preparation, (2) sequence alignment, (3) choosing a phylogenetic reconstruction method, (4) identification of the best tree, and (5) evaluating the tree. Concepts in this review enable biologists to grasp the basic ideas behind phylogenetic analysis and also help provide a sound basis for discussions with expert phylogeneticists.

Knowing the natural world: The construction of knowledge about evolution in and out of the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Alison Emily Havard

Evolution is a central underlying concept to a significant number of discourses in civilized society, but the complexity of understanding basic tenets of this important theory is just now coming to light. Knowledge about evolution is constructed from both formal and "free-choice" opportunities, like television. Nature programs are commonly considered "educational" by definition, but research indicates the narratives often promote creationist ideas about this important process in biology. I explored how nature programs influenced knowledge construction about evolutionary theory using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Because misconceptions about evolution are common, I examined how students' conceptual ecologies changed in response to information presented in an example of a particularly poor nature film narrative. Students' held a diversity of misconceptions, proximate conceptions, and evolutionary conceptions simultaneously, and many of their responses were direct reflections of the nature program. As a result, I incorporated the same nature program into an experiment designed to examine the effects of narrative and imagery on evolution understanding. After completing an extensive pre-assessment that addressed attitudes and beliefs about science knowledge, students viewed one of four versions of the nature program that varied in the quality of science and imagery presented. The effect of watching different versions was only vaguely apparent in students with a moderate understanding of evolution. The relationship was much more complex among students with a poor understanding of evolution but suggested a negative effect that was more influenced by public discourses about this "controversial" subject than conceptual understanding. The relationships warranted examining learning from the perspective of the consumers of these programs. I surveyed audience beliefs about the educational value of nature programs and found that an overwhelming majority believed the programs were "educational" and designed to teach about nature. The results were particularly alarming because beliefs about the educational value may strongly impact learning outcomes. An informal survey of nature programs aired during a "sweeps" month indicated that poor presentation of science, and specifically evolutionary theory, was indeed the norm. Indeed, nature programs may be contributing to the "deconstruction" of knowledge about evolution both in and out of the classroom.

A brain-based account of “basic-level” concepts

PubMed Central

Bauer, Andrew James; Just, Marcel Adam

2017-01-01

This study provides a brain-based account of how object concepts at an intermediate (basic) level of specificity are represented, offering an enriched view of what it means for a concept to be a basic-level concept, a research topic pioneered by Rosch and others (Rosch et al., 1976). Applying machine learning techniques to fMRI data, it was possible to determine the semantic content encoded in the neural representations of object concepts at basic and subordinate levels of abstraction. The representation of basic-level concepts (e.g. bird) was spatially broad, encompassing sensorimotor brain areas that encode concrete object properties, and also language and heteromodal integrative areas that encode abstract semantic content. The representation of subordinate-level concepts (robin) was less widely distributed, concentrated in perceptual areas that underlie concrete content. Furthermore, basic-level concepts were representative of their subordinates in that they were neurally similar to their typical but not atypical subordinates (bird was neurally similar to robin but not woodpecker). The findings provide a brain-based account of the advantages that basic-level concepts enjoy in everyday life over subordinate-level concepts: the basic level is a broad topographical representation that encompasses both concrete and abstract semantic content, reflecting the multifaceted yet intuitive meaning of basic-level concepts. PMID:28826947

A brain-based account of "basic-level" concepts.

PubMed

Bauer, Andrew James; Just, Marcel Adam

2017-11-01

This study provides a brain-based account of how object concepts at an intermediate (basic) level of specificity are represented, offering an enriched view of what it means for a concept to be a basic-level concept, a research topic pioneered by Rosch and others (Rosch et al., 1976). Applying machine learning techniques to fMRI data, it was possible to determine the semantic content encoded in the neural representations of object concepts at basic and subordinate levels of abstraction. The representation of basic-level concepts (e.g. bird) was spatially broad, encompassing sensorimotor brain areas that encode concrete object properties, and also language and heteromodal integrative areas that encode abstract semantic content. The representation of subordinate-level concepts (robin) was less widely distributed, concentrated in perceptual areas that underlie concrete content. Furthermore, basic-level concepts were representative of their subordinates in that they were neurally similar to their typical but not atypical subordinates (bird was neurally similar to robin but not woodpecker). The findings provide a brain-based account of the advantages that basic-level concepts enjoy in everyday life over subordinate-level concepts: the basic level is a broad topographical representation that encompasses both concrete and abstract semantic content, reflecting the multifaceted yet intuitive meaning of basic-level concepts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Replaying the tape of life in the twenty-first century.

PubMed

Orgogozo, Virginie

2015-12-06

Should the tape of life be replayed, would it produce similar living beings? A classical answer has long been 'no', but accumulating data are now challenging this view. Repeatability in experimental evolution, in phenotypic evolution of diverse species and in the genes underlying phenotypic evolution indicates that despite unpredictability at the level of basic evolutionary processes (such as apparition of mutations), a certain kind of predictability can emerge at higher levels over long time periods. For instance, a survey of the alleles described in the literature that cause non-deleterious phenotypic differences among animals, plants and yeasts indicates that similar phenotypes have often evolved in distinct taxa through independent mutations in the same genes. Does this mean that the range of possibilities for evolution is limited? Does this mean that we can predict the outcomes of a replayed tape of life? Imagining other possible paths for evolution runs into four important issues: (i) resolving the influence of contingency, (ii) imagining living organisms that are different from the ones we know, (iii) finding the relevant concepts for predicting evolution, and (iv) estimating the probability of occurrence for complex evolutionary events that occurred only once during the evolution of life on earth.

Evolution and ecology of retinal photoreception in early vertebrates.

PubMed

Collin, Shaun P

2010-01-01

Visual ecology or the relationship between the visual system of an animal and its environment has proven to be a crucial research field for establishing general concepts of adaptation, specialization and evolution. The visual neuroscientist is indeed confronted with a plethora of different visual characteristics, each seemingly optimised for each species' ecological niche, but often without a clear understanding of the evolutionary constraints at play. However, before we are able to fully understand the influence(s) of ecology and phylogeny on visual system design in vertebrates, it is first necessary to understand the basic bauplan of key representatives of each taxa. This review examines photoreception in hagfishes, lampreys, cartilaginous fishes and lungfishes with an eye to their ecology using a range of neurobiological methods including anatomy, microspectrophotometry and molecular genetics. These early vertebrates represent critical stages in evolution and surprisingly possess a level of visual complexity that is almost unrivalled in other vertebrates. 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Aspects of Complexity in Sleep Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitão, José M. N.; Da Rosa, Agostinho C.

The paper presents a selection of sleep analysis problems where some aspects and concepts of complexity come about. Emphasis is given to the electroencephalogram (EEG) as the most important sleep related variable. The conception of the EEG as a message to be deciphered stresses the importance of the communication and information theories in this field. An optimal detector of K complexes and vertex sharp waves based on a stochastic model of sleep EEG is considered. Besides detecting, the algorithm is also able to follow the evolution of the basic ongoing activity. It is shown that both the ostructure and microstructure of sleep can be described in terms of symbols and interpreted as sentences of a language. Syntactic models and Markov chain representations play in this context an important role.

Vertical cities - the new form of high-rise construction evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akristiniy, Vera A.; Boriskina, Yulia I.

2018-03-01

The article considers the basic principles of the vertical cities formation for the creation of a comfortable urban environment in conditions of rapid population growth and limited territories. As urban growth increases, there is a need for new concepts and approaches to urban space planning through the massive introduction of high-rise construction. The authors analyzed and systematized the list of high-tech solutions for arrangement the space of vertical cities, which are an integral part of the creation of the methodology for forming a high-rise buildings. Their concept differs in scale, presence of the big areas of public spaces, tendencies to self-sufficiency and sustainability, opportunity to offer the new unique comfortable environment to the population living in them.

Algorithms, complexity, and the sciences

PubMed Central

Papadimitriou, Christos

2014-01-01

Algorithms, perhaps together with Moore’s law, compose the engine of the information technology revolution, whereas complexity—the antithesis of algorithms—is one of the deepest realms of mathematical investigation. After introducing the basic concepts of algorithms and complexity, and the fundamental complexity classes P (polynomial time) and NP (nondeterministic polynomial time, or search problems), we discuss briefly the P vs. NP problem. We then focus on certain classes between P and NP which capture important phenomena in the social and life sciences, namely the Nash equlibrium and other equilibria in economics and game theory, and certain processes in population genetics and evolution. Finally, an algorithm known as multiplicative weights update (MWU) provides an algorithmic interpretation of the evolution of allele frequencies in a population under sex and weak selection. All three of these equivalences are rife with domain-specific implications: The concept of Nash equilibrium may be less universal—and therefore less compelling—than has been presumed; selection on gene interactions may entail the maintenance of genetic variation for longer periods than selection on single alleles predicts; whereas MWU can be shown to maximize, for each gene, a convex combination of the gene’s cumulative fitness in the population and the entropy of the allele distribution, an insight that may be pertinent to the maintenance of variation in evolution. PMID:25349382

Ideological principles of Neo-Byurakan Cosmogony

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poghosyan, Samvel

2015-07-01

There exists an insurmountable antagonism between the Classical and the Byurakan approaches on the origins of celestial bodies. The Classical approach states that celestial bodies arise from the condensation of gases, gravitational compression; and according to the Byurakan conception, they come into existence due to the explosions, differentiation of compact, superdense bodies. Rejecting each other, the supporters of these two polarized views do not accept that those two trends, differentiation and integration, dispersion and unity are interconnected and mutually conditioned processes: there are always cases of dispersion and differentiation in integration and unity and vice versa. Neo-Byurakan theory distinguishes two types of physical symmetries: substantial and relational symmetries. The types of substantial symmetry are: Symmetry of positive and negative gravitational charges (masses), Symmetry of particles and antiparticles (matter and antimatter). The types of relational symmetry are: Symmetry of differentiation and integration, Symmetry of homogeneity and inhomogeneity, Symmetry of statics (or stationarity) and dynamics, Symmetry of great unity, of strong and electroweak forces and interactions, Symmetry of electroweak unity, of weak and electromagnetic forces. As the above mentioned examples show, substantial symmetries are related to the basic types of matter; and relational symmetries to the interactions of these types. Both types can be explicit and implicit. Neo-Byurakan cosmogony puts forward a range of new ideas: 1.Being a part of Gc?? Cosmology, it differentiates and identifies the concepts of "Eternal Universe", "our Universe" and "Metagalaxy". Viewing Metagalaxy as a subsystem of our universe, as a unity of all galaxies and their clusters, it defines the basic equations which express the basic physical parameters of Metagalaxy, describes its structure, giving a physical explanation to the homogeneity of the large-scale structure of Metagalaxy, mentioning the laws and peculiarities of its origination and evolution. 2.Admitting the fact of its expansion, Neo-Byurakan theory considers that during evolution all physical parameters of Metagalaxy change, including not only the volume and average density but also the mass of Metagalaxy. And it means that the Friedman-Gamow theory of Fireball cannot be ascribed to Metagalaxy, especially to our Universe. A hypothesis is put forward, according to which the concept of Fireball or Big Bang refers to and accurately describes the differentiation and evaluation of compact, superdense superclusters of galaxies through explosion. The immediate components of the large-scale homogeneity of Metagalaxy are superclusters of galaxies. They are similar physical systems belonging to the same class, which have similar structures, and though they arise at different times, they undergo similar phases of evolution.

Photonic Diagnostic Technique For Thin Photoactive Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, Sarita

1996-01-01

Photonic diagnostic technique developed for use in noninvasive, rapid evaluation of thin paraelectric/ferroelectric films. Method proves useful in basic research, on-line monitoring for quality control at any stage of fabrication, and development of novel optoelectronic systems. Used to predict imprint-prone memory cells, and to study time evolution of defects in ferroelectric memories during processing. Plays vital role in enabling high-density ferroelectric memory manufacturing. One potential application lies in use of photoresponse for nondestructive readout of polarization memory states in high-density, high-speed memory devices. In another application, extension of basic concept of method makes possible to develop specially tailored ferrocapacitor to act as programmable detector, wherein remanent polarization used to modulate photoresponse. Large arrays of such detectors useful in optoelectronic processing, computing, and communication.

The availability and accessibility of basic concept vocabulary in AAC software: a preliminary study.

PubMed

McCarthy, Jillian H; Schwarz, Ilsa; Ashworth, Morgan

2017-09-01

Core vocabulary lists obtained through the analyses of children's utterances include a variety of basic concept words. Supporting young children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop their understanding and use of basic concepts is an area of practice that has important ramifications for successful communication in a classroom environment. This study examined the availability of basic concept words across eight frequently used, commercially available AAC language systems, iPad© applications, and symbol libraries used to create communication boards. The accessibility of basic concept words was subsequently examined using two AAC language page sets and two iPad applications. Results reveal that the availability of basic concept words represented within the different AAC language programs, iPad applications, and symbol libraries varied but was limited across programs. However, there is no significant difference in the accessibility of basic concept words across the language program page sets or iPad applications, generally because all of them require sophisticated motor and cognitive plans for access. These results suggest that educators who teach or program vocabulary in AAC systems need to be mindful of the importance of basic concept words in classroom settings and, when possible, enhance the availability and accessibility of these words to users of AAC.

[Seed geography: its concept and basic scientific issues].

PubMed

Yu, Shun-Li; Wang, Zong-Shuai; Zeren, Wangmu

2010-01-01

In this paper, a new concept 'seed geography' was provided, and its definition, research contents, and scientific issues were put forward. Seed geography is a newly developed interdisciplinary science from plant geography, seed ecology, and phytosociology, which studies the geographic variation patterns of seed biological traits as well as their relationships with environmental factors from macroscopic to microscopic, and the seed formation, development, and change trends. The main research contents would include geography of seed mass, geography of seed chemical components, geography of seed morphology, geography of seed cell biological characteristics, geography of seed physiological characteristics, geography of seed genetic characteristics, and geography of flower and fruit. To explore the scientific issues in seed geography would help us to better understand the long-term adaptation and evolution of seed characteristics to natural environments.

TA [B] Predicting Microstructure-Creep Resistance Correlation in High Temperature Alloys over Multiple Time Scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomar, Vikas

2017-03-06

DoE-NETL partnered with Purdue University to predict the creep and associated microstructure evolution of tungsten-based refractory alloys. Researchers use grain boundary (GB) diagrams, a new concept, to establish time-dependent creep resistance and associated microstructure evolution of grain boundaries/intergranular films GB/IGF controlled creep as a function of load, environment, and temperature. The goal was to conduct a systematic study that includes the development of a theoretical framework, multiscale modeling, and experimental validation using W-based body-centered-cubic alloys, doped/alloyed with one or two of the following elements: nickel, palladium, cobalt, iron, and copper—typical refractory alloys. Prior work has already established and validated amore » basic theory for W-based binary and ternary alloys; the study conducted under this project extended this proven work. Based on interface diagrams phase field models were developed to predict long term microstructural evolution. In order to validate the models nanoindentation creep data was used to elucidate the role played by the interface properties in predicting long term creep strength and microstructure evolution.« less

The Formation and Evolution of the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marov, Mikhail

2018-05-01

The formation and evolution of our solar system (and planetary systems around other stars) are among the most challenging and intriguing fields of modern science. As the product of a long history of cosmic matter evolution, this important branch of astrophysics is referred to as stellar-planetary cosmogony. Interdisciplinary by way of its content, it is based on fundamental theoretical concepts and available observational data on the processes of star formation. Modern observational data on stellar evolution, disc formation, and the discovery of extrasolar planets, as well as mechanical and cosmochemical properties of the solar system, place important constraints on the different scenarios developed, each supporting the basic cosmogony concept (as rooted in the Kant-Laplace hypothesis). Basically, the sequence of events includes fragmentation of an original interstellar molecular cloud, emergence of a primordial nebula, and accretion of a protoplanetary gas-dust disk around a parent star, followed by disk instability and break-up into primary solid bodies (planetesimals) and their collisional interactions, eventually forming a planet. Recent decades have seen major advances in the field, due to in-depth theoretical and experimental studies. Such advances have clarified a new scenario, which largely supports simultaneous stellar-planetary formation. Here, the collapse of a protosolar nebula's inner core gives rise to fusion ignition and star birth with an accretion disc left behind: its continuing evolution resulting ultimately in protoplanets and planetary formation. Astronomical observations have allowed us to resolve in great detail the turbulent structure of gas-dust disks and their dynamics in regard to solar system origin. Indeed radio isotope dating of chondrite meteorite samples has charted the age and the chronology of key processes in the formation of the solar system. Significant progress also has been made in the theoretical study and computer modeling of protoplanetary accretion disk thermal regimes; evaporation/condensation of primordial particles depending on their radial distance, mechanisms of clustering, collisions, and dynamics. However, these breakthroughs are yet insufficient to resolve many problems intrinsically related to planetary cosmogony. Significant new questions also have been posed, which require answers. Of great importance are questions on how contemporary natural conditions appeared on solar system planets: specifically, why the three neighbor inner planets—Earth, Venus, and Mars—reveal different evolutionary paths.

Badminton--Teaching Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Marilyn J.

1988-01-01

Teaching four basic badminton concepts along with the usual basic skill shots allows players to develop game strategy awareness as well as mechanical skills. These four basic concepts are: (1) ready position, (2) flight trajectory, (3) early shuttle contact, and (4) camouflage. (IAH)

Adiabatic invariants in stellar dynamics. 1: Basic concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, Martin D.

1994-01-01

The adiabatic criterion, widely used in astronomical dynamics, is based on the harmonic oscillator. It asserts that the change in action under a slowly varying perturbation is exponentially small. Recent mathematical results that precisely define the conditions for invariance show that this model does not apply in general. In particular, a slowly varying perturbation may cause significant evolution stellar dynamical systems even if its time scale is longer than any internal orbital time scale. This additional 'heating' may have serious implications for the evolution of star clusters and dwarf galaxies which are subject to long-term environmental forces. The mathematical developments leading to these results are reviewed, and the conditions for applicability to and further implications for stellar systems are discussed. Companion papers present a computational method for a general time-dependent disturbance and detailed example.

Microsurgical resection of skull base meningioma-expanding the operative corridor.

PubMed

Raheja, Amol; Couldwell, William T

2016-11-01

A better understanding of surgical anatomy, marked improvement in illumination devices, provision of improved hemostatic agents, greater availability of more precise surgical instruments, and better modalities for skull base reconstruction have led to an inevitable evolution of skull base neurosurgery. For the past few decades, many skull base neurosurgeons have worked relentlessly to improve the surgical approach and trajectory for the expansion of operative corridor. With the advent of newer techniques and their rapid adaptation, it is foundational, especially for young neurosurgeons, to understand the basics and nuances of modifications of traditional neurosurgical approaches. The goal of this topic review is to discuss the evolution of, concepts in, and technical nuances regarding the operative corridor expansion in the field of skull base surgery for intracranial meningioma as they pertain to achieving optimal functional outcome.

Evolution of Quality Assurance for Clinical Immunohistochemistry in the Era of Precision Medicine. Part 3: Technical Validation of Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Assays in Clinical IHC Laboratories.

PubMed

Torlakovic, Emina E; Cheung, Carol C; D'Arrigo, Corrado; Dietel, Manfred; Francis, Glenn D; Gilks, C Blake; Hall, Jacqueline A; Hornick, Jason L; Ibrahim, Merdol; Marchetti, Antonio; Miller, Keith; van Krieken, J Han; Nielsen, Soren; Swanson, Paul E; Vyberg, Mogens; Zhou, Xiaoge; Taylor, Clive R

2017-03-01

Validation of immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays is a subject that is of great importance to clinical practice as well as basic research and clinical trials. When applied to clinical practice and focused on patient safety, validation of IHC assays creates objective evidence that IHC assays used for patient care are "fit-for-purpose." Validation of IHC assays needs to be properly informed by and modeled to assess the purpose of the IHC assay, which will further determine what sphere of validation is required, as well as the scope, type, and tier of technical validation. These concepts will be defined in this review, part 3 of the 4-part series "Evolution of Quality Assurance for Clinical Immunohistochemistry in the Era of Precision Medicine."

Improved importance sampling technique for efficient simulation of digital communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Dingqing; Yao, Kung

1988-01-01

A new, improved importance sampling (IIS) approach to simulation is considered. Some basic concepts of IS are introduced, and detailed evolutions of simulation estimation variances for Monte Carlo (MC) and IS simulations are given. The general results obtained from these evolutions are applied to the specific previously known conventional importance sampling (CIS) technique and the new IIS technique. The derivation for a linear system with no signal random memory is considered in some detail. For the CIS technique, the optimum input scaling parameter is found, while for the IIS technique, the optimum translation parameter is found. The results are generalized to a linear system with memory and signals. Specific numerical and simulation results are given which show the advantages of CIS over MC and IIS over CIS for simulations of digital communications systems.

Principles of Quantitative MR Imaging with Illustrated Review of Applicable Modular Pulse Diagrams.

PubMed

Mills, Andrew F; Sakai, Osamu; Anderson, Stephan W; Jara, Hernan

2017-01-01

Continued improvements in diagnostic accuracy using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging will require development of methods for tissue analysis that complement traditional qualitative MR imaging studies. Quantitative MR imaging is based on measurement and interpretation of tissue-specific parameters independent of experimental design, compared with qualitative MR imaging, which relies on interpretation of tissue contrast that results from experimental pulse sequence parameters. Quantitative MR imaging represents a natural next step in the evolution of MR imaging practice, since quantitative MR imaging data can be acquired using currently available qualitative imaging pulse sequences without modifications to imaging equipment. The article presents a review of the basic physical concepts used in MR imaging and how quantitative MR imaging is distinct from qualitative MR imaging. Subsequently, the article reviews the hierarchical organization of major applicable pulse sequences used in this article, with the sequences organized into conventional, hybrid, and multispectral sequences capable of calculating the main tissue parameters of T1, T2, and proton density. While this new concept offers the potential for improved diagnostic accuracy and workflow, awareness of this extension to qualitative imaging is generally low. This article reviews the basic physical concepts in MR imaging, describes commonly measured tissue parameters in quantitative MR imaging, and presents the major available pulse sequences used for quantitative MR imaging, with a focus on the hierarchical organization of these sequences. © RSNA, 2017.

Shaping innovation in health care: A content analysis of innovation policies in the English NHS, 1948-2015.

PubMed

Farchi, Tomas; Salge, Torsten-Oliver

2017-11-01

Governments around the world seek to design policies that enhance the innovative capacity of public service. Hence, identifying the underlying meanings attributed to innovation concepts in public policies is critical, as these very understandings inform not only the policy discourses, but also the overall institutional landscape regulating innovation activities. This paper examines such fundamental definitional aspects in the specific context of the National Health Service in England. For this purpose, it traces the evolution of the innovation concept in policy discourse based on the analysis of 21 key policy documents published or commissioned by the English Department of Health between 1948 and 2015. Systematic analysis of these texts reveals that policymakers' conception of healthcare innovation broadened considerably over time. English health innovation policy initially focused on basic biomedical research. Subsequently, it entered a transitional period, zeroing in on science- and technology-based innovation. Finally, this focus gradually shifted to a broader conception of innovation translating into health, economic, and service design benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of the Film "My Father and My Son" According to the Basic Concepts of Multigenerational Family Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acar, Tulin; Voltan-Acar, Nilufer

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the basic concepts of multigenerational Family Therapy and to evaluate the scenes of the film ''My Father and My Son'' according to these concepts. For these purposes firstly basic concepts of Multigenerational Family Therapy such as differentiation of self, triangles/triangulation, nuclear family emotional…

Causes and consequences of coagulation activation in sepsis: an evolutionary medicine perspective.

PubMed

Fiusa, Maiara Marx Luz; Carvalho-Filho, Marco Antonio; Annichino-Bizzacchi, Joyce M; De Paula, Erich V

2015-05-06

Coagulation and innate immunity have been linked together for at least 450 million years of evolution. Sepsis, one of the world's leading causes of death, is probably the condition in which this evolutionary link is more evident. However, the biological and the clinical relevance of this association have only recently gained the attention of the scientific community. During sepsis, the host response to a pathogen is invariably associated with coagulation activation. For several years, coagulation activation has been solely regarded as a mechanism of tissue damage, a concept that led to several clinical trials of anticoagulant agents for sepsis. More recently, this paradigm has been challenged by the failure of these clinical trials, and by a growing bulk of evidence supporting the concept that coagulation activation is beneficial for pathogen clearance. In this article we discuss recent basic and clinical data that point to a more balanced view of the detrimental and beneficial consequences of coagulation activation in sepsis. Reappraisal of the association between coagulation and immune activation from an evolutionary medicine perspective offers a unique opportunity to gain new insights about the pathogenesis of sepsis, paving the way to more successful approaches in both basic and clinical research in this field.

Complexity and health professions education: a basic glossary.

PubMed

Mennin, Stewart

2010-08-01

The study of health professions education in the context of complexity science and complex adaptive systems involves different concepts and terminology that are likely to be unfamiliar to many health professions educators. A list of selected key terms and definitions from the literature of complexity science is provided to assist readers to navigate familiar territory from a different perspective. include agent, attractor, bifurcation, chaos, co-evolution, collective variable, complex adaptive systems, complexity science, deterministic systems, dynamical system, edge of chaos, emergence, equilibrium, far from equilibrium, fuzzy boundaries, linear system, non-linear system, random, self-organization and self-similarity.

Planning for Materials Processing in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A systems design study to describe the conceptual evolution, the institutional interrelationshiphs, and the basic physical requirements to implement materials processing in space was conducted. Planning for a processing era, rather than hardware design, was emphasized. Product development in space was examined in terms of fluid phenomena, phase separation, and heat and mass transfer. The effect of materials processing on the environment was studied. A concept for modular, unmanned orbiting facilities using the modified external tank of the space shuttle is presented. Organizational and finding structures which would provide for the efficient movement of materials from user to space are discussed.

Introduction to a special issue on concept mapping.

PubMed

Trochim, William M; McLinden, Daniel

2017-02-01

Concept mapping was developed in the 1980s as a unique integration of qualitative (group process, brainstorming, unstructured sorting, interpretation) and quantitative (multidimensional scaling, hierarchical cluster analysis) methods designed to enable a group of people to articulate and depict graphically a coherent conceptual framework or model of any topic or issue of interest. This introduction provides the basic definition and description of the methodology for the newcomer and describes the steps typically followed in its most standard canonical form (preparation, generation, structuring, representation, interpretation and utilization). It also introduces this special issue which reviews the history of the methodology, describes its use in a variety of contexts, shows the latest ways it can be integrated with other methodologies, considers methodological advances and developments, and sketches a vision of the future of the method's evolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What emergency physicians should know about informed consent: legal scenarios, cases, and caveats.

PubMed

Moore, Gregory P; Moffett, Peter M; Fider, Cyril; Moore, Malia J

2014-08-01

The basic concept of obtaining informed consent is familiar to emergency physicians, and many consider themselves well versed on the topic; however, lack of obtaining proper informed consent is a frequent source of lawsuits. The legal definitions and nuances of informed consent might surprise even the most experienced physician. This article will detail the historical legal evolution of the concept of informed consent. It will also report defining and recent court cases that illustrate the current medical-legal status of informed consent. Special scenarios, caveats, and documentation recommendations are discussed. After reading this article the emergency physician will know how to practice and document the appropriate aspects of informed consent in emergency medicine, as well as understand available legal defenses if a lawsuit should arise. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

[Nursing care systematization in rehabilitation unit, in accordance to Horta's conceptual model].

PubMed

Neves, Rinaldo de Souza

2006-01-01

The utilization of a conceptual model in the Nursing Attendance Systemization allows the development of activities based on theoretical references that can guide the implantation and the implementation of nursing proceedings in hospitals. In this article we examine the option made for the implementation of the Horta's conceptual model in the construction of a nursing attendance system in the Rehabilitation Unit of a public hospital located in the Federal District of Brazil. Through the utilization of these theoretical references it was possible to make available a data collection tool based on the basic human needs. The identification of these needs made possible the construction of the hierarchically disposed pyramid of the neurological patients' modified basic needs. Through this reference paper we intend to elaborate the prescription and nursing evolution based in the concepts and standards of the Horta's nursing process, making possible the inter-relationship of all phases of this attendance methodology.

Analyzing the Relationship between Learning Styles and Basic Concept Knowledge Level of Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balat, Gülden Uyanik

2014-01-01

Most basic concepts are acquired during preschool period. There are studies indicating that the basic concept knowledge of children is related to language development, cognitive development, academic achievement and intelligence. The relationship between learning behaviors (sometime called learning or cognitive styles) and a child academic success…

Applying ecological and evolutionary theory to cancer: a long and winding road.

PubMed

Thomas, Frédéric; Fisher, Daniel; Fort, Philippe; Marie, Jean-Pierre; Daoust, Simon; Roche, Benjamin; Grunau, Christoph; Cosseau, Céline; Mitta, Guillaume; Baghdiguian, Stephen; Rousset, François; Lassus, Patrice; Assenat, Eric; Grégoire, Damien; Missé, Dorothée; Lorz, Alexander; Billy, Frédérique; Vainchenker, William; Delhommeau, François; Koscielny, Serge; Itzykson, Raphael; Tang, Ruoping; Fava, Fanny; Ballesta, Annabelle; Lepoutre, Thomas; Krasinska, Liliana; Dulic, Vjekoslav; Raynaud, Peggy; Blache, Philippe; Quittau-Prevostel, Corinne; Vignal, Emmanuel; Trauchessec, Hélène; Perthame, Benoit; Clairambault, Jean; Volpert, Vitali; Solary, Eric; Hibner, Urszula; Hochberg, Michael E

2013-01-01

Since the mid 1970s, cancer has been described as a process of Darwinian evolution, with somatic cellular selection and evolution being the fundamental processes leading to malignancy and its many manifestations (neoangiogenesis, evasion of the immune system, metastasis, and resistance to therapies). Historically, little attention has been placed on applications of evolutionary biology to understanding and controlling neoplastic progression and to prevent therapeutic failures. This is now beginning to change, and there is a growing international interest in the interface between cancer and evolutionary biology. The objective of this introduction is first to describe the basic ideas and concepts linking evolutionary biology to cancer. We then present four major fronts where the evolutionary perspective is most developed, namely laboratory and clinical models, mathematical models, databases, and techniques and assays. Finally, we discuss several of the most promising challenges and future prospects in this interdisciplinary research direction in the war against cancer.

Student world view as a framework for learning genetics and evolution in high school biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCoy, Roger Wesley

Statement of the problem. Few studies in biology education have examined the underlying presuppositions which guide thinking and concept learning in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the biological world views of a variety of high school students before they take biology courses. Specifically, the study examined student world views in the domains of Classification, Relationship and Causation related to the concepts of heredity, evolution and biotechnology. The following served as guiding questions: (1) What are the personal world views of high school students entering biology classes, related to the domain of Classification, Relationship and Causality? (2) How do these student world views confound or enhance the learning of basic concepts in genetics and evolution? Methods. An interpretive method was chosen for this study. The six student participants were ninth graders and represented a wide range of world view backgrounds. A series of three interviews was conducted with each participant, with a focus group used for triangulation of data. The constant comparative method was used to categorize the data and facilitate the search for meaningful patterns. The analysis included a thick description of each student's personal views of classification, evolution and the appropriate use of biotechnology. Results. The study demonstrates that world view is the basis upon which students build knowledge in biology. The logic of their everyday thinking may not match that of scientists. The words they use are sometimes inconsistent with scientific terminology. This study provides evidence that students voice different opinions depending on the social situation, since they are strongly influenced by peers. Students classify animals based on behaviors. They largely believe that the natural world is unpredictable, and that humans are not really part of that world. Half are unlikely to accept the evolution of humans, but may accept it in other species. Their views on causation of evolution vary widely, focusing on intentional changes made by animals. Students who hold world views which differ from scientific world views may become marginalized unless differences in world view are addressed. Researchers and teachers must be mindful of social pressures which cause students to reject certain ideas which may appear to be in opposition to their existing world view.

What is Basic Research? Insights from Historical Semantics.

PubMed

Schauz, Désirée

2014-01-01

For some years now, the concept of basic research has been under attack. Yet although the significance of the concept is in doubt, basic research continues to be used as an analytical category in science studies. But what exactly is basic research? What is the difference between basic and applied research? This article seeks to answer these questions by applying historical semantics. I argue that the concept of basic research did not arise out of the tradition of pure science. On the contrary, this new concept emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when scientists were being confronted with rising expectations regarding the societal utility of science. Scientists used the concept in order to try to bridge the gap between the promise of utility and the uncertainty of scientific endeavour. Only after 1945, when United States science policy shaped the notion of basic research, did the concept revert to the older ideals of pure science. This revival of the purity discourse was caused by the specific historical situation in the US at that time: the need to reform federal research policy after the Second World War, the new dimension of ethical dilemmas in science and technology during the atomic era, and the tense political climate during the Cold War.

Volcanic stratigraphy: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martí, Joan; Groppelli, Gianluca; Brum da Silveira, Antonio

2018-05-01

Volcanic stratigraphy is a fundamental component of geological mapping in volcanic areas as it yields the basic criteria and essential data for identifying the spatial and temporal relationships between volcanic products and intra/inter-eruptive processes (earth-surface, tectonic and climatic), which in turn provides greater understanding of the geological evolution of a region. Establishing precise stratigraphic relationships in volcanic successions is not only essential for understanding the past behaviour of volcanoes and for predicting how they might behave in the future, but is also critical for establishing guidelines for exploring economic and energy resources associated with volcanic systems or for reconstructing the evolution of sedimentary basins in which volcanism has played a significant role. Like classical stratigraphy, volcanic stratigraphy should also be defined using a systematic methodology that can provide an organised and comprehensive description of the temporal and spatial evolution of volcanic terrain. This review explores different methods employed in studies of volcanic stratigraphy, examines four case studies that use differing stratigraphic approaches, and recommends methods for using systematic volcanic stratigraphy based on the application of the concepts of traditional stratigraphy but adapted to the needs of volcanological environment.

Self-Organization: Complex Dynamical Systems in the Evolution of Speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oudeyer, Pierre-Yves

Human vocalization systems are characterized by complex structural properties. They are combinatorial, based on the systematic reuse of phonemes, and the set of repertoires in human languages is characterized by both strong statistical regularities—universals—and a great diversity. Besides, they are conventional codes culturally shared in each community of speakers. What are the origins of the forms of speech? What are the mechanisms that permitted their evolution in the course of phylogenesis and cultural evolution? How can a shared speech code be formed in a community of individuals? This chapter focuses on the way the concept of self-organization, and its interaction with natural selection, can throw light on these three questions. In particular, a computational model is presented which shows that a basic neural equipment for adaptive holistic vocal imitation, coupling directly motor and perceptual representations in the brain, can generate spontaneously shared combinatorial systems of vocalizations in a society of babbling individuals. Furthermore, we show how morphological and physiological innate constraints can interact with these self-organized mechanisms to account for both the formation of statistical regularities and diversity in vocalization systems.

Concepts and implications of altruism bias and pathological altruism

PubMed Central

Oakley, Barbara A.

2013-01-01

The profound benefits of altruism in modern society are self-evident. However, the potential hurtful aspects of altruism have gone largely unrecognized in scientific inquiry. This is despite the fact that virtually all forms of altruism are associated with tradeoffs—some of enormous importance and sensitivity—and notwithstanding that examples of pathologies of altruism abound. Presented here are the mechanistic bases and potential ramifications of pathological altruism, that is, altruism in which attempts to promote the welfare of others instead result in unanticipated harm. A basic conceptual approach toward the quantification of altruism bias is presented. Guardian systems and their over arching importance in the evolution of cooperation are also discussed. Concepts of pathological altruism, altruism bias, and guardian systems may help open many new, potentially useful lines of inquiry and provide a framework to begin moving toward a more mature, scientifically informed understanding of altruism and cooperative behavior. PMID:23754434

Growing protein crystals in microgravity - The NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herren, B.

1992-01-01

In collaboration with a medical researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, under the sponsorship of the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) at NASA Headquarters, is continuing a series of space experiments in protein crystal growth which could lead to innovative new drugs as well as basic science data on protein molecular structures. From 1985 through 1992, Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiments will have been flown on the Space Shuttle a total of 14 times. The first four hand-held experiments were used to test hardware concepts; later flights incorporated these concepts for vapor diffusion protein crystal growth with temperature control. This article provides an overview of the PCG program: its evolution, objectives, and plans for future experiments on NASA's Space Shuttle and Space Station Freedom.

Examining the process of de novo gene birth: an educational primer on "integration of new genes into cellular networks, and their structural maturation".

PubMed

Frietze, Seth; Leatherman, Judith

2014-03-01

New genes that arise from modification of the noncoding portion of a genome rather than being duplicated from parent genes are called de novo genes. These genes, identified by their brief evolution and lack of parent genes, provide an opportunity to study the timeframe in which emerging genes integrate into cellular networks, and how the characteristics of these genes change as they mature into bona fide genes. An article by G. Abrusán provides an opportunity to introduce students to fundamental concepts in evolutionary and comparative genetics and to provide a technical background by which to discuss systems biology approaches when studying the evolutionary process of gene birth. Basic background needed to understand the Abrusán study and details on comparative genomic concepts tailored for a classroom discussion are provided, including discussion questions and a supplemental exercise on navigating a genome database.

Craft-Art as a Basis for Human Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karppinen, Seija

2008-01-01

This article based on my doctoral thesis examines the Basic Arts Education system in Finland, focusing on Basic Crafts Education and its description through action concepts. The main task of the study was to create a concept model. In the first part of the study a concept map was created from the practice of Basic Crafts Education. The aim of the…

Master Curriculum Guide in Economics for the Nation's Schools. Part I, A Framework for Teaching Economics: Basic Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, W. Lee; And Others

A concise framework of basic concepts and generalizations for teaching economics for K-12 students is presented. The guide summarizes the basic structure and substance of economics and lists and describes economic concepts. Standard guidelines are provided to help school systems integrate economics into their on-going courses of study. Designed to…

Astrobiology Extends Biology into Deep Time and Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desmarais, David

2003-01-01

To understand our own origins and to search for biospheres beyond Earth, we need a more robust concept of life itself. We must learn how to discriminate between attributes that are fundamental to all living systems versus those that represent principally local outcomes of long-term survival on Earth. We should identify the most basic environmental needs of life, chart the distribution of other habitable worlds, and understand the factors that created their distribution. Studies of microbial communities and the geologic record will be summarized that offer clues about the early evolution of our own biosphere as well as the signatures of life that we might find in the heavens.

Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised. Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padula, Janice

1988-01-01

The manual for the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised (1986) is reviewed. The test measures a child's knowledge of relational concepts. The revised version, eliminating some imperfections of the original, will continue to be a useful test of verbal concept acquisition. Cautions necessary while using the test are discussed. (SLD)

The Articulation of Integration of Clinical and Basic Sciences in Concept Maps: Differences between Experienced and Resident Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vink, Sylvia; van Tartwijk, Jan; Verloop, Nico; Gosselink, Manon; Driessen, Erik; Bolk, Jan

2016-01-01

To determine the content of integrated curricula, clinical concepts and the underlying basic science concepts need to be made explicit. Preconstructed concept maps are recommended for this purpose. They are mainly constructed by experts. However, concept maps constructed by residents are hypothesized to be less complex, to reveal more tacit basic…

The Analysis of the Understanding Levels of Teacher Candidates in Different Departments about Basic Astronomy Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durukan, Ümmü Gülsüm; Saglam-Arslan, Aysegül

2015-01-01

Learners face a variety of concepts during the instructional process they experience. These concepts are mostly introduced by teachers; thus, the competences of teachers in terms of teaching concepts are vitally important. The aim of this study is to detect the understanding levels of teacher candidates about basic astronomy concepts. The method…

A new mechatronic assistance system for the neurosurgical operating theatre: implementation, assessment of accuracy and application concepts.

PubMed

Rachinger, Jens; Bumm, Klaus; Wurm, Jochen; Bohr, Christopher; Nissen, Urs; Dannenmann, Tim; Buchfelder, Michael; Iro, Heinrich; Nimsky, Christopher

2007-01-01

To introduce a new robotic system to the field of neurosurgery and report on a preliminary assessment of accuracy as well as on envisioned application concepts. Based on experience with another system (Evolution 1, URS Inc., Schwerin, Germany), technical advancements are discussed. The basic module is an industrial 6 degrees of freedom robotic arm with a modified control element. The system combines frameless stereotaxy, robotics, and endoscopy. The robotic reproducibility error and the overall error were evaluated. For accuracy testing CT markers were placed on a cadaveric head and pinpointed with the robot's tool tip, both fully automated and telemanipulatory. Applicability in a clinical setting, user friendliness, safety and flexibility were assessed. The new system is suitable for use in the neurosurgical operating theatre. Hard- and software are user-friendly and flexible. The mean reproducibility error was 0.052-0.062 mm, the mean overall error was 0.816 mm. The system is less cumbersome and much easier to use than the Evolution 1. With its user-friendly interface and reliable safety features, its high application accuracy and flexibility, the new system is a versatile robotic platform for various neurosurgical applications. Adaptations for different applications are currently being realized. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Control of Breathing During Mechanical Ventilation: Who Is the Boss?

PubMed Central

Williams, Kathleen; Hinojosa-Kurtzberg, Marina; Parthasarathy, Sairam

2011-01-01

Over the past decade, concepts of control of breathing have increasingly moved from being theoretical concepts to “real world” applied science. The purpose of this review is to examine the basics of control of breathing, discuss the bidirectional relationship between control of breathing and mechanical ventilation, and critically assess the application of this knowledge at the patient’s bedside. The principles of control of breathing remain under-represented in the training curriculum of respiratory therapists and pulmonologists, whereas the day-to-day bedside application of the principles of control of breathing continues to suffer from a lack of outcomes-based research in the intensive care unit. In contrast, the bedside application of the principles of control of breathing to ambulatory subjects with sleep-disordered breathing has out-stripped that in critically ill patients. The evolution of newer technologies, faster real-time computing abilities, and miniaturization of ventilator technology can bring the concepts of control of breathing to the bedside and benefit the critically ill patient. However, market forces, lack of scientific data, lack of research funding, and regulatory obstacles need to be surmounted. PMID:21333174

On the use of history of mathematics: an introduction to Galileo's study of free fall motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponce Campuzano, Juan Carlos; Matthews, Kelly E.; Adams, Peter

2018-05-01

In this paper, we report on an experimental activity for discussing the concepts of speed, instantaneous speed and acceleration, generally introduced in first year university courses of calculus or physics. Rather than developing the ideas of calculus and using them to explain these basic concepts for the study of motion, we led 82 first year university students through Galileo's experiments designed to investigate the motion of falling bodies, and his geometrical explanation of his results, via simple dynamic geometric applets designed with GeoGebra. Our goal was to enhance the students' development of mathematical thinking. Through a scholarship of teaching and learning study design, we captured data from students before, during and after the activity. Findings suggest that the historical development presented to the students helped to show the growth and evolution of the ideas and made visible authentic ways of thinking mathematically. Importantly, the activity prompted students to question and rethink what they knew about speed and acceleration, and also to appreciate the novel concepts of instantaneous speed and acceleration at which Galileo arrived.

The Secret of Future Defeat: The Evolution of US Joint and Army Doctrine 1993-2006 and the Flawed Conception of Stability Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-24

The Secret of Future Defeat: the Evolution of US Joint and Army Doctrine 1993-2006 and the Flawed Conception of Stability Operations A...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Secret of Future Defeat: the Evolution of US Joint and 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Army Doctrine 1993-2006 and the Flawed... The Secret of Future Defeat: the Evolution of US Joint and Army Doctrine 1993-2006 and the Flawed Conception of Stability Operations Approved by

Synthetic Foveal Imaging Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoenk, Michael; Monacos, Steve; Nikzad, Shouleh

2009-01-01

Synthetic Foveal imaging Technology (SyFT) is an emerging discipline of image capture and image-data processing that offers the prospect of greatly increased capabilities for real-time processing of large, high-resolution images (including mosaic images) for such purposes as automated recognition and tracking of moving objects of interest. SyFT offers a solution to the image-data processing problem arising from the proposed development of gigapixel mosaic focal-plane image-detector assemblies for very wide field-of-view imaging with high resolution for detecting and tracking sparse objects or events within narrow subfields of view. In order to identify and track the objects or events without the means of dynamic adaptation to be afforded by SyFT, it would be necessary to post-process data from an image-data space consisting of terabytes of data. Such post-processing would be time-consuming and, as a consequence, could result in missing significant events that could not be observed at all due to the time evolution of such events or could not be observed at required levels of fidelity without such real-time adaptations as adjusting focal-plane operating conditions or aiming of the focal plane in different directions to track such events. The basic concept of foveal imaging is straightforward: In imitation of a natural eye, a foveal-vision image sensor is designed to offer higher resolution in a small region of interest (ROI) within its field of view. Foveal vision reduces the amount of unwanted information that must be transferred from the image sensor to external image-data-processing circuitry. The aforementioned basic concept is not new in itself: indeed, image sensors based on these concepts have been described in several previous NASA Tech Briefs articles. Active-pixel integrated-circuit image sensors that can be programmed in real time to effect foveal artificial vision on demand are one such example. What is new in SyFT is a synergistic combination of recent advances in foveal imaging, computing, and related fields, along with a generalization of the basic foveal-vision concept to admit a synthetic fovea that is not restricted to one contiguous region of an image.

The Effective Concepts on Students' Understanding of Chemical Reactions and Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayyildiz, Yildizay; Tarhan, Leman

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the basic concepts related to the unit of "Chemical Reactions and Energy" and the sub-concepts underlying for meaningful learning of the unit and to investigate the effectiveness of them on students' learning achievements. For this purpose, the basic concepts of the unit…

Unders and Overs: Using a Dice Game to Illustrate Basic Probability Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Sandra Hanson

2015-01-01

In this paper, the dice game "Unders and Overs" is described and presented as an active learning exercise to introduce basic probability concepts. The implementation of the exercise is outlined and the resulting presentation of various probability concepts are described.

Radiological Dispersion Devices and Basic Radiation Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bevelacqua, Joseph John

2010-01-01

Introductory physics courses present the basic concepts of radioactivity and an overview of nuclear physics that emphasizes the basic decay relationship and the various types of emitted radiation. Although this presentation provides insight into radiological science, it often fails to interest students to explore these concepts in a more rigorous…

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Sun-Earth-Moon Relative Movements--at a Time of Reform in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumper, Ricardo

2006-01-01

In view of students' alternative conceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, we conducted a series of constructivist activities with future elementary and junior high school teachers aimed at changing their conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and of several characteristics of the Sun-Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases,…

The Effect of Using an Educational Website in Achievement of Bachelor Students in the Course of Basic Concepts in Mathematics at Al al-Bayt University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qudah, Ahmad Hassan

2016-01-01

The study aimed to detect the effect of using an educational site on the Internet in the collection of bachelor's students in the course of basic concepts in mathematics at Al al-Bayt University, and the study sample consisted of all students in the course basic concepts in mathematics in the first semester of the academic year 2014/2015 and the…

AAPM/RSNA physics tutorial for residents. Topics in US: B-mode US: basic concepts and new technology.

PubMed

Hangiandreou, Nicholas J

2003-01-01

Ultrasonography (US) has been used in medical imaging for over half a century. Current US scanners are based largely on the same basic principles used in the initial devices for human imaging. Modern equipment uses a pulse-echo approach with a brightness-mode (B-mode) display. Fundamental aspects of the B-mode imaging process include basic ultrasound physics, interactions of ultrasound with tissue, ultrasound pulse formation, scanning the ultrasound beam, and echo detection and signal processing. Recent technical innovations that have been developed to improve the performance of modern US equipment include the following: tissue harmonic imaging, spatial compound imaging, extended field of view imaging, coded pulse excitation, electronic section focusing, three-dimensional and four-dimensional imaging, and the general trend toward equipment miniaturization. US is a relatively inexpensive, portable, safe, and real-time modality, all of which make it one of the most widely used imaging modalities in medicine. Although B-mode US is sometimes referred to as a mature technology, this modality continues to experience a significant evolution in capability with even more exciting developments on the horizon. Copyright RSNA, 2003

X-ray ptychography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Franz

2018-01-01

X-ray ptychographic microscopy combines the advantages of raster scanning X-ray microscopy with the more recently developed techniques of coherent diffraction imaging. It is limited neither by the fabricational challenges associated with X-ray optics nor by the requirements of isolated specimen preparation, and offers in principle wavelength-limited resolution, as well as stable access and solution to the phase problem. In this Review, we discuss the basic principles of X-ray ptychography and summarize the main milestones in the evolution of X-ray ptychographic microscopy and tomography over the past ten years, since its first demonstration with X-rays. We also highlight the potential for applications in the life and materials sciences, and discuss the latest advanced concepts and probable future developments.

GSFC network operations with Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spearing, R.; Perreten, D. E.

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Network (TN) has been developed to provide services to all NASA User spacecraft in near-earth orbits. Three inter-relating entities will provide these services. The TN has been transformed from a network continuously changing to meet User specific requirements to a network which is flexible to meet future needs without significant changes in operational concepts. Attention is given to the evolution of the TN network, the TN capabilities-space segment, forward link services, tracking services, return link services, the three basic capabilities, single access services, multiple access services, simulation services, the White Sands Ground Terminal, the NASA communications network, and the network control center.

GSFC network operations with Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearing, R.; Perreten, D. E.

1984-01-01

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Network (TN) has been developed to provide services to all NASA User spacecraft in near-earth orbits. Three inter-relating entities will provide these services. The TN has been transformed from a network continuously changing to meet User specific requirements to a network which is flexible to meet future needs without significant changes in operational concepts. Attention is given to the evolution of the TN network, the TN capabilities-space segment, forward link services, tracking services, return link services, the three basic capabilities, single access services, multiple access services, simulation services, the White Sands Ground Terminal, the NASA communications network, and the network control center.

Form and function in the Lower Palaeolithic: history, progress, and continued relevance.

PubMed

Key, Alastair; Stephen, Lycett

2017-12-30

Percussively flaked stone artefacts constitute a major source of evidence relating to hominin behavioural strategies and are, essentially, a product or byproduct of a past individual's decision to create a tool with respect to some broader goal. Moreover, it has long been noted that both differences and recurrent regularities exist within and between Palaeolithic stone artefact forms. Accordingly, archaeologists have frequently drawn links between form and functionality, with functional objectives and performance often being regarded consequential to a stone tool's morphological properties. Despite these factors, extensive reviews of the related concepts of form and function with respect to the Lower Palaeolithic remain surprisingly sparse. We attempt to redress this issue. First we stress the historical place of form-function concepts, and their role in establishing basic ideas that echo to this day. We then highlight methodological and conceptual progress in determining artefactual function in more recent years. Thereafter, we evaluate four specific issues that are of direct consequence for evaluating the ongoing relevance of form-function concepts, especially with respect to their relevance for understanding human evolution more generally. Our discussion highlights specifically how recent developments have been able to build on a long historical legacy, and demonstrate that direct, indirect, experimental, and evolutionary perspectives intersect in crucial ways, with each providing specific but essential insights for ongoing questions. We conclude by emphasising that our understanding of these issues and their interaction, has been, and will be, essential to accurately interpret the Lower Palaeolithic archaeological record, tool-form related behaviours of Lower Palaeolithic hominins, and their consequences for (and relationship to) wider questions of human evolution.

Development of a Multi-experience Approach in Introductory Soil and Vegetation Geography Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Limbird, Arthur

1982-01-01

Describes an introductory college level course in soil and vegetation which uses lecture, audiovisual tutorial, individualized instruction, field trips, films, and games. The course consists of three segments: basic concepts of soils, basic concepts of plants, and soil and vegetation concepts in a spatial context. (KC)

Thinking Developmentally: The Next Evolution in Models of Health.

PubMed

Garner, Andrew S

2016-09-01

As the basic sciences that inform conceptions of human health advance, so must the models that are used to frame additional research, to teach the next generation of providers, and to inform health policy. This article briefly reviews the evolution from a biomedical model to a biopsychosocial (BPS) model and to an ecobiodevelopmental (EBD) model. Like the BPS model, the EBD model reaffirms the biological significance of psychosocial features within the patient's ecology, but it does so at the molecular and cellular levels. More importantly, the EBD model adds the dimension of time, forcing providers to "think developmentally" and to acknowledge the considerable biological and psychological consequences of previous experiences. For the health care system to move from a reactive "sick care" system to a proactive "well care" system, all providers must begin thinking developmentally by acknowledging the dynamic but cumulative dance between nature and nurture that drives development, behavior, and health, not only in childhood, but across the lifespan.

Computer Literacy Project. A General Orientation in Basic Computer Concepts and Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, David R.

This paper proposes a two-part, basic computer literacy program for university faculty, staff, and students with no prior exposure to computers. The program described would introduce basic computer concepts and computing center service programs and resources; provide fundamental preparation for other computer courses; and orient faculty towards…

Learning Genetics with Paper Pets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnerty, Valerie Raunig

2006-01-01

By the end of the eighth grade, students are expected to have a basic understanding of the mechanism of basic genetic inheritance. However, these concepts can be difficult to teach. In this article, the author introduces a new learning tool that will help facilitate student learning and enthusiasm to the basic concepts of genetic inheritance. This…

[Biometric bases: basic concepts of probability calculation].

PubMed

Dinya, E

1998-04-26

The author gives or outline of the basic concepts of probability theory. The bases of the event algebra, definition of the probability, the classical probability model and the random variable are presented.

Identifying Students' Conceptions of Basic Principles in Sequence Stratigraphy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera, Juan S.; Riggs, Eric M.

2013-01-01

Sequence stratigraphy is a major research subject in the geosciences academia and the oil industry. However, the geoscience education literature addressing students' understanding of the basic concepts of sequence stratigraphy is relatively thin, and the topic has not been well explored. We conducted an assessment of 27 students' conceptions of…

Students' Conceptions of Function Transformation in a Dynamic Mathematical Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daher, Wajeeh; Anabousy, Ahlam

2015-01-01

The study of function transformations helps students understand the function concept which is a basic and main concept in mathematics, but this study is problematic to school students as well as college students, especially when transformations are performed on non-basic functions. The current research tried to facilitate grade 9 students'…

Outline of Basic Concepts in Anthropology. Publication No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Anthropology Curriculum Project.

This teaching aid outlines basic anthropological concepts described in the various units of the Anthropology Curriculum Project. The outline of important concepts to be learned is intended to be used by the teacher in conjunction with the other instructional materials in each unit. The introduction defines anthropology, its branches and purposes.…

A Concept Transformation Learning Model for Architectural Design Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Yun-Wu; Weng, Kuo-Hua; Young, Li-Ming

2016-01-01

Generally, in the foundation course of architectural design, much emphasis is placed on teaching of the basic design skills without focusing on teaching students to apply the basic design concepts in their architectural designs or promoting students' own creativity. Therefore, this study aims to propose a concept transformation learning model to…

Protein Secretion Systems in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An Essay on Diversity, Evolution, and Function

PubMed Central

Filloux, Alain

2011-01-01

Protein secretion systems are molecular nanomachines used by Gram-negative bacteria to thrive within their environment. They are used to release enzymes that hydrolyze complex carbon sources into usable compounds, or to release proteins that capture essential ions such as iron. They are also used to colonize and survive within eukaryotic hosts, causing acute or chronic infections, subverting the host cell response and escaping the immune system. In this article, the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is used as a model to review the diversity of secretion systems that bacteria have evolved to achieve these goals. This diversity may result from a progressive transformation of cell envelope complexes that initially may not have been dedicated to secretion. The striking similarities between secretion systems and type IV pili, flagella, bacteriophage tail, or efflux pumps is a nice illustration of this evolution. Differences are also needed since various secretion configurations call for diversity. For example, some proteins are released in the extracellular medium while others are directly injected into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. Some proteins are folded before being released and transit into the periplasm. Other proteins cross the whole cell envelope at once in an unfolded state. However, the secretion system requires conserved basic elements or features. For example, there is a need for an energy source or for an outer membrane channel. The structure of this review is thus quite unconventional. Instead of listing secretion types one after each other, it presents a melting pot of concepts indicating that secretion types are in constant evolution and use basic principles. In other words, emergence of new secretion systems could be predicted the way Mendeleïev had anticipated characteristics of yet unknown elements. PMID:21811488

Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed: A Web-tool for Students and Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, Lisa M.; Mechtley, M.; Cohen, S.; Windhorst, R. A.; Malhotra, S.; Rhoads, J.; Pirzkal, N.; Summers, F.

2006-12-01

Even post-instruction, many high school students and non-science college majors lack a firm understanding of the basic concepts of physics and astronomy necessary to appreciate our expanding universe. To mitigate this trend, we are developing a state-of-the-art Web-tool called "Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed" (AHaH ) that uses the HST Cycle 14 Treasury Project "PEARS" (Probing Evolution And Reionization through Spectra) data. AHaH will span the fully 3-dimensional PEARS database of the GOODS/HUDF galaxy distribution from redshifts z = 0.05 to z = 6.5, spanning nearly 90% of the history of the Universe. The web-tool AHaH will allow students to interactively zoom in/out of this PEARS data base, rotate, and accelerate/decelerate towards a specified target, and travel forward or backwards in time. Hence, students can make a complete interactive journey in look-back time. AHaH will help students learn and visually understand basic concepts of physics and astronomy, and at the same time allow them to explore how galaxies change when traveling back in time, how their light is redshifted, and how they are formed and clustered in the expanding Universe. This poster will describe the features of the web-tool and the services that will be offered to help teachers implement this tool in their classrooms.

Deep Brain Stimulation Frequency—A Divining Rod for New and Novel Concepts of Nervous System Function and Therapy

PubMed Central

Montgomery, Erwin B.; He, Huang

2016-01-01

The efficacy of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for an expanding array of neurological and psychiatric disorders demonstrates directly that DBS affects the basic electroneurophysiological mechanisms of the brain. The increasing array of active electrode configurations, stimulation currents, pulse widths, frequencies, and pulse patterns provides valuable tools to probe electroneurophysiological mechanisms. The extension of basic electroneurophysiological and anatomical concepts using sophisticated computational modeling and simulation has provided relatively straightforward explanations of all the DBS parameters except frequency. This article summarizes current thought about frequency and relevant observations. Current methodological and conceptual errors are critically examined in the hope that future work will not replicate these errors. One possible alternative theory is presented to provide a contrast to many current theories. DBS, conceptually, is a noisy discrete oscillator interacting with the basal ganglia–thalamic–cortical system of multiple re-entrant, discrete oscillators. Implications for positive and negative resonance, stochastic resonance and coherence, noisy synchronization, and holographic memory (related to movement generation) are presented. The time course of DBS neuronal responses demonstrates evolution of the DBS response consistent with the dynamics of re-entrant mechanisms. Finally, computational modeling demonstrates identical dynamics as seen by neuronal activities recorded from human and nonhuman primates, illustrating the differences of discrete from continuous harmonic oscillators and the power of conceptualizing the nervous system as composed on interacting discrete nonlinear oscillators. PMID:27548234

Immunology for physicists

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perelson, A.S.; Weisbuch, G.

1997-10-01

The immune system is a complex system of cells and molecules that can provide us with a basic defense against pathogenic organisms. Like the nervous system, the immune system performs pattern recognition tasks, learns, and retains a memory of the antigens that it has fought. The immune system contains more than 10{sup 7} different clones of cells that communicate via cell-cell contact and the secretion of molecules. Performing complex tasks such as learning and memory involves cooperation among large numbers of components of the immune system and hence there is interest in using methods and concepts from statistical physics. Furthermore,more » the immune response develops in time and the description of its time evolution is an interesting problem in dynamical systems. In this paper, the authors provide a brief introduction to the biology of the immune system and discuss a number of immunological problems in which the use of physical concepts and mathematical methods has increased our understanding. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Influence of surface diffusion on the formation of hollow nanostructures induced by the Kirkendall effect: the basic concept.

PubMed

Fan, Hong Jin; Knez, Mato; Scholz, Roland; Hesse, Dietrich; Nielsch, Kornelius; Zacharias, Margit; Gösele, Ulrich

2007-04-01

The Kirkendall effect has been widely applied for fabrication of nanoscale hollow structures, which involves an unbalanced counterdiffusion through a reaction interface. Conventional treatment of this process only considers the bulk diffusion of growth species and vacancies. In this letter, a conceptual extension is proposed: the development of the hollow interior undergoes two main stages. The initial stage is the generation of small Kirkendall voids intersecting the compound interface via a bulk diffusion process; the second stage is dominated by surface diffusion of the core material (viz., the fast-diffusing species) along the pore surface. This concept applies to spherical as well as cylindrical nanometer and microscale structures, and even to macroscopic bilayers. As supporting evidence, we show the results of a spinel-forming solid-state reaction of core-shell nanowires, as well as of a planar bilayer of ZnO-Al2O3 to illustrate the influence of surface diffusion on the morphology evolution.

Exploring the Relationship between Secondary Science Teachers' Subject Matter Knowledge and Knowledge of Student Conceptions While Teaching Evolution by Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucero, Margaret M.; Petrosino, Anthony J.; Delgado, Cesar

2017-01-01

The fundamental scientific concept of evolution occurring by natural selection is home to many deeply held alternative conceptions and considered difficult to teach. Science teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) and the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) component of knowledge of students' conceptions (KOSC) can be valuable resources for…

Basic Measurement and Related Careers: Level C.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational and Technical Education.

The teaching guide, part of a series of four, consists of learning experiences for use at the levels of grades 3 and 4 in mathematics. It focuses on the basic concepts of measurement and developing measurement skills in the early grades. It progresses to the concept of measurement by comparison and to developing basic volume measurement skills.…

The Effect of Home Related Science Activities on Students' Performance in Basic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obomanu, B. J.; Akporehwe, J. N.

2012-01-01

Our study investigated the effect of utilizing home related science activities on student's performance in some basic science concepts. The concepts considered were heart energy, ecology and mixtures. The sample consisted of two hundred and forty (240) basic junior secondary two (BJSS11) students drawn from a population of five thousand and…

Using a Thyroid Case Study and Error Plausibility to Introduce Basic Lab Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browning, Samantha; Urschler, Margaret; Meidl, Katherine; Peculis, Brenda; Milanick, Mark

2017-01-01

We describe a 3-hour session that provides students with the opportunity to review basic lab concepts and important techniques using real life scenarios. We began with two separate student-engaged discussions to remind/reinforce some basic concepts in physiology and review calculations with respect to chemical compounds. This was followed by…

Bioinspired nanovalves with selective permeability and pH sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Z.; Huang, X.; Schenderlein, M.; Moehwald, H.; Xu, G.-K.; Shchukin, D. G.

2015-01-01

Biological systems with controlled permeability and release functionality, which are among the successful examples of living beings to survive in evolution, have attracted intensive investigation and have been mimicked due to their broad spectrum of applications. We present in this work, for the first time, an example of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs)-inspired controlled release system that exhibits on-demand release of angstrom-sized molecules. We do so in a cost-effective way by stabilizing porous cobalt basic carbonates as nanovalves and realizing pH-sensitive release of entrapped subnano cargo. The proof-of-concept work also consists of the establishment of two mathematical models to explain the selective permeability of the nanovalves. Finally, gram-sized (or larger) quantities of the bio-inspired controlled release system can be synthesized through a scaling-up strategy, which opens up opportunities for controlled release of functional molecules in wider practical applications.Biological systems with controlled permeability and release functionality, which are among the successful examples of living beings to survive in evolution, have attracted intensive investigation and have been mimicked due to their broad spectrum of applications. We present in this work, for the first time, an example of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs)-inspired controlled release system that exhibits on-demand release of angstrom-sized molecules. We do so in a cost-effective way by stabilizing porous cobalt basic carbonates as nanovalves and realizing pH-sensitive release of entrapped subnano cargo. The proof-of-concept work also consists of the establishment of two mathematical models to explain the selective permeability of the nanovalves. Finally, gram-sized (or larger) quantities of the bio-inspired controlled release system can be synthesized through a scaling-up strategy, which opens up opportunities for controlled release of functional molecules in wider practical applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06378c

Muslim Egyptian and Lebanese Students' Conceptions of Biological Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BouJaoude, Saouma; Wiles, Jason R.; Asghar, Anila; Alters, Brian

2011-01-01

In this study, we investigated distinctions among the diversity of religious traditions represented by Lebanese and Egyptian Muslim high school students regarding their understanding and acceptance of biological evolution and how they relate the science to their religious beliefs. We explored secondary students' conceptions of evolution among…

A generative model for scientific concept hierarchies.

PubMed

Datta, Srayan; Adar, Eytan

2018-01-01

In many scientific disciplines, each new 'product' of research (method, finding, artifact, etc.) is often built upon previous findings-leading to extension and branching of scientific concepts over time. We aim to understand the evolution of scientific concepts by placing them in phylogenetic hierarchies where scientific keyphrases from a large, longitudinal academic corpora are used as a proxy of scientific concepts. These hierarchies exhibit various important properties, including power-law degree distribution, power-law component size distribution, existence of a giant component and less probability of extending an older concept. We present a generative model based on preferential attachment to simulate the graphical and temporal properties of these hierarchies which helps us understand the underlying process behind scientific concept evolution and may be useful in simulating and predicting scientific evolution.

A generative model for scientific concept hierarchies

PubMed Central

Adar, Eytan

2018-01-01

In many scientific disciplines, each new ‘product’ of research (method, finding, artifact, etc.) is often built upon previous findings–leading to extension and branching of scientific concepts over time. We aim to understand the evolution of scientific concepts by placing them in phylogenetic hierarchies where scientific keyphrases from a large, longitudinal academic corpora are used as a proxy of scientific concepts. These hierarchies exhibit various important properties, including power-law degree distribution, power-law component size distribution, existence of a giant component and less probability of extending an older concept. We present a generative model based on preferential attachment to simulate the graphical and temporal properties of these hierarchies which helps us understand the underlying process behind scientific concept evolution and may be useful in simulating and predicting scientific evolution. PMID:29474409

[The Basic-Symptom Concept and its Influence on Current International Research on the Prediction of Psychoses].

PubMed

Schultze-Lutter, F

2016-12-01

The early detection of psychoses has become increasingly relevant in research and clinic. Next to the ultra-high risk (UHR) approach that targets an immediate risk of developing frank psychosis, the basic symptom approach that targets the earliest possible detection of the developing disorder is being increasingly used worldwide. The present review gives an introduction to the development and basic assumptions of the basic symptom concept, summarizes the results of studies on the specificity of basic symptoms for psychoses in different age groups as well as on studies of their psychosis-predictive value, and gives an outlook on future results. Moreover, a brief introduction to first recent imaging studies is given that supports one of the main assumptions of the basic symptom concept, i. e., that basic symptoms are the most immediate phenomenological expression of the cerebral aberrations underlying the development of psychosis. From this, it is concluded that basic symptoms might be able to provide important information on future neurobiological research on the etiopathology of psychoses. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

"Blame" Concept in Phraseology: Cognitive-Semantic Aspect (Based on the French Language)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zalavina, Tatyana Y.; Kisel, Olesya V.

2016-01-01

Phraseology is one of the basic and most important objects of study in cognitive linguistics. The article deals with verbal fixed phrases in their correlation with the cognitive structure of knowledge--a concept. The used definitional analysis method to identify the basic notions of the conceptual content of the concept of blame and basic…

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Seasonal Changes--at a Time of Reform in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumper, Ricardo

2006-01-01

Bearing in mind students' misconceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, the present study conducted a series of constructivist activities aimed at changing future elementary and junior high school teachers' conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and several characteristics of the Sun-Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases,…

Determination of Secondary School Students' Cognitive Structure, and Misconception in Ecological Concepts through Word Association Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yücel, Elif Özata; Özkan, Mulis

2015-01-01

In this study, we determined cognitive structures and misconceptions about basic ecological concepts by using "word association" tests on secondary school students, age between 12-14 years. Eighty-nine students participated in this study. Before WAT was generated, basic ecological concepts that take place in the secondary science…

Conceptual Hierarchies in a Flat Attractor Network

PubMed Central

O’Connor, Christopher M.; Cree, George S.; McRae, Ken

2009-01-01

The structure of people’s conceptual knowledge of concrete nouns has traditionally been viewed as hierarchical (Collins & Quillian, 1969). For example, superordinate concepts (vegetable) are assumed to reside at a higher level than basic-level concepts (carrot). A feature-based attractor network with a single layer of semantic features developed representations of both basic-level and superordinate concepts. No hierarchical structure was built into the network. In Experiment and Simulation 1, the graded structure of categories (typicality ratings) is accounted for by the flat attractor-network. Experiment and Simulation 2 show that, as with basic-level concepts, such a network predicts feature verification latencies for superordinate concepts (vegetable ). In Experiment and Simulation 3, counterintuitive results regarding the temporal dynamics of similarity in semantic priming are explained by the model. By treating both types of concepts the same in terms of representation, learning, and computations, the model provides new insights into semantic memory. PMID:19543434

Teaching Basic Science Environmentally, The Concept: The cell is basic unit of structure of most organisms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Phyllis S.

1985-01-01

Suggests simple ways to introduce students to the concept that the cell is the basic unit of structure of most organisms. Mentions materials for microscope study that are readily available and easy to handle, e.g., membranes from between the scales of the onion bulb, thin-leaved plants, pond water, and pollen. (JHZ)

Instant Update: Considering the Molecular Mechanisms of Mutation & Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubler, Tina; Adams, Patti; Scammell, Jonathan

2015-01-01

The molecular basis of evolution is an important concept to understand but one that students and teachers often find challenging. This article provides training and guidance for teachers on how to present molecular evolution concepts so that students will associate molecular changes with the evolution of form and function in organisms. Included…

Frameworks of reference: How (some) college students think about biological evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filisky, Michael

1999-12-01

Evolution, a key concept for understanding all of biology, is often misunderstood by students from elementary school to graduate school. In order to teach evolution effectively, as well as to teach the biological concepts necessary for understanding evolution, teachers need to understand the initial ideas that students bring with them to the learning experience. Research has shown that many students are likely to hold alternative conceptions that may block their ability to learn evolution. The goal of this study is to contribute to the effectiveness of teaching evolution at the high school and college levels both by investigating concepts that students bring with them to their first college study of evolution, and by examining the conceptual frameworks that support these students as they construct new understanding. This study was executed in two stages. An initial survey of evolutionary understanding was administered to 203 undergraduate students in two courses at two universities in the area of Boston, MA. The surveys elicited short, written responses to five real and fictitious scenarios about biological inheritance and evolutionary change. Responses were coded into categories of concepts. The data were analyzed for patterns of understanding. Students exhibiting concepts from each of the major categories were randomly selected to participate in the subsequent interview stage of the study. Interviews with six of the students were conducted based on an interview guide employing scenarios similar to those from the survey. Analyses of the interview transcripts included the construction of detailed concept maps for each response followed by narratives of each interviewee's conceptual frameworks. The results of both stages of the study revealed a range of alternative conceptions about evolution, including scientifically acceptable Darwinian ideas and other ideas---including Lamarckian inheritance of acquired characteristics---are not accepted by modern science. The interviews revealed a range of reasoning styles and frameworks that explained how students could find these ideas plausible. The study concludes with recommendations for further research on the understanding of evolutionary topics; for adaptations of the research methods; and for teaching strategies to address the findings.

A comparison of biological and cultural evolution.

PubMed

Portin, Petter

2015-03-01

This review begins with a definition of biological evolution and a description of its general principles. This is followed by a presentation of the biological basis of culture, specifically the concept of social selection. Further, conditions for cultural evolution are proposed, including a suggestion for language being the cultural replicator corresponding to the concept of the gene in biological evolution. Principles of cultural evolution are put forward and compared to the principles of biological evolution. Special emphasis is laid on the principle of selection in cultural evolution, including presentation of the concept of cultural fitness. The importance of language as a necessary condition for cultural evolution is stressed. Subsequently, prime differences between biological and cultural evolution are presented, followed by a discussion on interaction of our genome and our culture. The review aims at contributing to the present discussion concerning the modern development of the general theory of evolution, for example by giving a tentative formulation of the necessary and sufficient conditions for cultural evolution, and proposing that human creativity and mind reading or theory of mind are motors specific for it. The paper ends with the notion of the still ongoing coevolution of genes and culture.

Cosmic vacuum energy decay and creation of cosmic matter.

PubMed

Fahr, Hans-Jörg; Heyl, Michael

2007-09-01

In the more recent literature on cosmological evolutions of the universe, the cosmic vacuum energy has become a nonrenouncable ingredient. The cosmological constant Lambda, first invented by Einstein, but later also rejected by him, presently experiences an astonishing revival. Interestingly enough, it acts like a constant vacuum energy density would also do. Namely, it has an accelerating action on cosmic dynamics, without which, as it appears, presently obtained cosmological data cannot be conciliated with theory. As we are going to show in this review, however, the concept of a constant vacuum energy density is unsatisfactory for very basic reasons because it would claim for a physical reality that acts upon spacetime and matter dynamics without itself being acted upon by spacetime or matter.

Computer Aided Enzyme Design and Catalytic Concepts

PubMed Central

Frushicheva, Maria P.; Mills, Matthew J. L.; Schopf, Patrick; Singh, Manoj K.; Warshel, Arieh

2014-01-01

Gaining a deeper understanding of enzyme catalysis is of great practical and fundamental importance. Over the years it has become clear that despite advances made in experimental mutational studies, a quantitative understanding of enzyme catalysis will not be possible without the use of computer modeling approaches. While we believe that electrostatic preorganization is by far the most important catalytic factor, convincing the wider scientific community of this may require the demonstration of effective rational enzyme design. Here we make the point that the main current advances in enzyme design are basically advances in directed evolution and that computer aided enzyme design must involve approaches that can reproduce catalysis in well-defined test cases. Such an approach is provided by the empirical valence bond method. PMID:24814389

[Basics of early intervention in children with autism spectrum disorders].

PubMed

Zalaquett, Daniela F; Schönstedt, Marianne G; Angeli, Milagros; Herrrera, Claudia C; Moyano, Andrea C

2015-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. They have a prevalence of 0.6% in the general population, although there are no national statistics. Even though their evolution is variable, it has been observed that early intervention is an important factor determining prognosis. The aim of this study is to update concepts regarding the current available evidence on the importance of early intervention. After analyzing the collected information, the importance of early intervention programs for children with ASD is confirmed, as well as the role of pediatricians and other health professionals in the early detection of these disorders. Copyright © 2015. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Lessons from Retinoblastoma: Implications for Cancer, Development, Evolution, and Regenerative Medicine.

PubMed

Dyer, Michael A

2016-10-01

Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer of the developing retina, and studies on this orphan disease have led to fundamental discoveries in cancer biology. Retinoblastoma has also emerged as a model for translational research for pediatric solid tumors, which is particularly important as personalized medicine expands in oncology. Research on retinoblastomas has been combined with the exploration of retinal development and retinal degeneration to advance a new model of cell type-specific disease susceptibility termed 'cellular pliancy'. The concept can even be extended to species-specific regeneration. This review discusses the remarkable path of retinoblastoma research and how it has shaped the most current efforts in basic, translational, and clinical research in oncology and beyond. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fundamentals of Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowrie, William

1997-10-01

This unique textbook presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of geophysics. Unlike most geophysics textbooks, it combines both the applied and theoretical aspects to the subject. The author explains complex geophysical concepts using abundant diagrams, a simplified mathematical treatment, and easy-to-follow equations. After placing the Earth in the context of the solar system, he describes each major branch of geophysics: gravitation, seismology, dating, thermal and electrical properties, geomagnetism, paleomagnetism and geodynamics. Each chapter begins with a summary of the basic physical principles, and a brief account of each topic's historical evolution. The book will satisfy the needs of intermediate-level earth science students from a variety of backgrounds, while at the same time preparing geophysics majors for continued study at a higher level.

Fundamentals in Biostatistics for Research in Pediatric Dentistry: Part I - Basic Concepts.

PubMed

Garrocho-Rangel, J A; Ruiz-Rodríguez, M S; Pozos-Guillén, A J

The purpose of this report was to provide the reader with some basic concepts in order to better understand the significance and reliability of the results of any article on Pediatric Dentistry. Currently, Pediatric Dentists need the best evidence available in the literature on which to base their diagnoses and treatment decisions for the children's oral care. Basic understanding of Biostatistics plays an important role during the entire Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) process. This report describes Biostatistics fundamentals in order to introduce the basic concepts used in statistics, such as summary measures, estimation, hypothesis testing, effect size, level of significance, p value, confidence intervals, etc., which are available to Pediatric Dentists interested in reading or designing original clinical or epidemiological studies.

Transmission as a basic process in microbial biology. Lwoff Award Prize Lecture.

PubMed

Baquero, Fernando

2017-11-01

Transmission is a basic process in biology and evolution, as it communicates different biological entities within and across hierarchical levels (from genes to holobionts) both in time and space. Vertical descent, replication, is transmission of information across generations (in the time dimension), and horizontal descent is transmission of information across compartments (in the space dimension). Transmission is essentially a communication process that can be studied by analogy of the classic information theory, based on 'emitters', 'messages' and 'receivers'. The analogy can be easily extended to the triad 'emigration', 'migration' and 'immigration'. A number of causes (forces) determine the emission, and another set of causes (energies) assures the reception. The message in fact is essentially constituted by 'meaningful' biological entities. A DNA sequence, a cell and a population have a semiotic dimension, are 'signs' that are eventually recognized (decoded) and integrated by receiver biological entities. In cis-acting or unenclosed transmission, the emitters and receivers correspond to separated entities of the same hierarchical level; in trans-acting or embedded transmission, the information flows between different, but frequently nested, hierarchical levels. The result (as in introgressive events) is constantly producing innovation and feeding natural selection, influencing also the evolution of transmission processes. This review is based on the concepts presented at the André Lwoff Award Lecture in the FEMS Microbiology Congress in Maastricht in 2015. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparing Two Forms of Concept Map Critique Activities to Facilitate Knowledge Integration Processes in Evolution Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwendimann, Beat A.; Linn, Marcia C.

2016-01-01

Concept map activities often lack a subsequent revision step that facilitates knowledge integration. This study compares two collaborative critique activities using a Knowledge Integration Map (KIM), a form of concept map. Four classes of high school biology students (n?=?81) using an online inquiry-based learning unit on evolution were assigned…

Concepts in solid tumor evolution.

PubMed

Sidow, Arend; Spies, Noah

2015-04-01

Evolutionary mechanisms in cancer progression give tumors their individuality. Cancer evolution is different from organismal evolution, however, and we discuss where concepts from evolutionary genetics are useful or limited in facilitating an understanding of cancer. Based on these concepts we construct and apply the simplest plausible model of tumor growth and progression. Simulations using this simple model illustrate the importance of stochastic events early in tumorigenesis, highlight the dominance of exponential growth over linear growth and differentiation, and explain the clonal substructure of tumors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Stratified Study of Students' Understanding of Basic Optics Concepts in Different Contexts Using Two-Tier Multiple-Choice Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Hye-Eun; Treagust, David F.; Chandrasegaran, A. L.

2009-01-01

A large scale study involving 1786 year 7-10 Korean students from three school districts in Seoul was undertaken to evaluate their understanding of basic optics concepts using a two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument consisting of four pairs of items, each of which evaluated the same concept in two different contexts. The instrument, which…

Orthodontics for the dog. Bite evaluation, basic concepts, and equipment.

PubMed

Ross, D L

1986-09-01

Evaluation of canine occlusion (an occlusal evaluation table is included), growth patterns of the head, basic concepts of orthodontics such as how teeth move, length of treatment, and limits to movements, and equipment and materials are considered in this article.

Chicano Alternative Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galicia, H. Homero; Almaguer, Clementina

Alternative schooling is challenging some basic notions of curriculum, operation, and structure of traditional schools; it is not challenging the basic concept of schooling. Chicano alternative education, an elusive concept, lacks a precise definition. Chicano alternative schools reflect a vast diversity in structure, focus, and goals. The Chicano…

Muslim Egyptian and Lebanese Students' Conceptions of Biological Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boujaoude, Saouma; Wiles, Jason R.; Asghar, Anila; Alters, Brian

2011-09-01

In this study, we investigated distinctions among the diversity of religious traditions represented by Lebanese and Egyptian Muslim high school students regarding their understanding and acceptance of biological evolution and how they relate the science to their religious beliefs. We explored secondary students' conceptions of evolution among members of three Muslim sects—Sunni, Shiite, and Druze—in two cultural contexts; one in which the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim (Egypt) and another in which there is a sizable Christian community (Lebanon). Data were collected via surveys that examined students' scientific and religious understandings of evolution among 162 Egyptian students (all Sunni Muslims; 63% females and 37% males) and 629 Lebanese students (38.5% Sunni, 38% Shiite, and 23.5% Druze; 49% females and 51% males). Additional data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 30 Lebanese students to allow triangulation of data for accuracy and authenticity. Results indicate that many Egyptian and Lebanese Muslim students have misconceptions about evolution and the nature of science which often lead to rejection of evolution. Also, Lebanese Sunni and Shiite students and Egyptian Sunni students tend to exhibit high levels of religiosity, and these students report that their religious beliefs influence their positions regarding evolution. Finally, Sunni and Shiite Lebanese students have religious beliefs, conceptions of evolution, and positions regarding evolution similar to those of Sunni Egyptian students. These conceptions and positions, however, are substantially different from those of Druze Lebanese students.

The Evolution of Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebbins, G. Ledyard

1973-01-01

Describes the basic logic behind the modern view of evolution theory. Despite gaps in fossil records, evidence is indicative of the origin of life from nonliving molecules and evolution of higher forms of life from simpler forms. (PS)

Dual Character Concepts in Social Cognition: Commitments and the Normative Dimension of Conceptual Representation.

PubMed

Del Pinal, Guillermo; Reuter, Kevin

2017-04-01

The concepts expressed by social role terms such as artist and scientist are unique in that they seem to allow two independent criteria for categorization, one of which is inherently normative (Knobe, Prasada, & Newman, 2013). This study presents and tests an account of the content and structure of the normative dimension of these "dual character concepts." Experiment 1 suggests that the normative dimension of a social role concept represents the commitment to fulfill the idealized basic function associated with the role. Background information can affect which basic function is associated with each social role. However, Experiment 2 indicates that the normative dimension always represents the relevant commitment as an end in itself. We argue that social role concepts represent the commitments to basic functions because that information is crucial to predict the future social roles and role-dependent behavior of others. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Evolutionary theory and teleology.

PubMed

O'Grady, R T

1984-04-21

The order within and among living systems can be explained rationally by postulating a process of descent with modification, effected by factors which are extrinsic or intrinsic to the organisms. Because at the time Darwin proposed his theory of evolution there was no concept of intrinsic factors which could evolve, he postulated a process of extrinsic effects--natural selection. Biological order was thus seen as an imposed, rather than an emergent, property. Evolutionary change was seen as being determined by the functional efficiency (adaptedness) of the organism in its environment, rather than by spontaneous changes in intrinsically generated organizing factors. The initial incompleteness of Darwin's explanatory model, and the axiomatization of its postulates in neo-Darwinism, has resulted in a theory of functionalism, rather than structuralism. As such, it introduces an unnecessary teleology which confounds evolutionary studies and reduces the usefulness of the theory. This problem cannot be detected from within the neo-Darwinian paradigm because the different levels of end-directed activity--teleomatic, teleonomic, and teleological--are not recognized. They are, in fact, considered to influence one another. The theory of nonequilibrium evolution avoids these problems by returning to the basic principles of biological order and developing a structuralist explanation of intrinsically generated change. Extrinsic factors may affect the resultant evolutionary pattern, but they are neither necessary nor sufficient for evolution to occur.

The evolution of the federal funding policies for the public health surveillance component of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS).

PubMed

Pinto, Vitor Laerte; Cerbino Neto, José; Penna, Gerson Oliveira

2014-12-01

Health surveillance (HS) is one of the key components of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). This article describes recent changes in health surveillance funding models and the role these changes have had in the reorganization and decentralization of health actions. Federal law no. 8.080 of 1990 defined health surveillance as a fundamental pillar of the SUS, and an exclusive fund with equitable distribution criteria was created in the Basic Operational Norm of 1996 to pay for health surveillance actions. This step facilitated the decentralization of health care at the municipal level, giving local authorities autonomy to plan and provide services. The Health Pact of 2006 and its regulation under federal decree No. 3252 in 2009 bolstered the processes of decentralization, regionalization and integration of health care. Further changes in the basic concepts of health surveillance around the world and in the funding policies negotiated by different spheres of government in Brazil have been catalysts for the process of HS institutionalization in recent years.

Basic Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer County Community Coll., Trenton, NJ.

Instructional materials are provided for a course that covers basic concepts of physics and chemistry. Designed for use in a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners, the course describes applications of these concepts to real-life situations, with an emphasis on applications of…

A code of ethics for evidence-based research with ancient human remains.

PubMed

Kreissl Lonfat, Bettina M; Kaufmann, Ina Maria; Rühli, Frank

2015-06-01

As clinical research constantly advances and the concept of evolution becomes a strong and influential part of basic medical research, the absence of a discourse that deals with the use of ancient human remains in evidence-based research is becoming unbearable. While topics such as exhibition and excavation of human remains are established ethical fields of discourse, when faced with instrumentalization of ancient human remains for research (i.e., ancient DNA extractions for disease marker analyses) the answers from traditional ethics or even more practical fields of bio-ethics or more specific biomedical ethics are rare to non-existent. The Centre for Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich solved their needs for discursive action through the writing of a self-given code of ethics which was written in dialogue with the researchers at the Institute and was published online in Sept. 2011: http://evolutionäremedizin.ch/coe/. The philosophico-ethical basis for this a code of conduct and ethics and the methods are published in this article. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mission Systems Engineering (MSE) for the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS) Space Telescope Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purves, Lloyd R.

2017-01-01

The basic objectives of the CETUS mission are to significantly improve our understanding of the evolution of galaxies at a redshift (z) of approximately 1 and to meet the cost constraints (1$B) for a NASA Probe-Class mission. What makes these galaxies so interesting is that their light, which has taken about 7 billion years to reach us, comes from a time when star-formation in the observable universe peaked, and the processes behind this peaking are far from well understood. To accomplish its science goals, CETUS needs to get UV spectra of 105 of these galaxies. To help meet its cost constraints, CETUS will only observe galaxies for which VIS spectra are already available, which means that CETUS has to survey a specific portion of the sky. The combination of the CETUS measurement goals and costs constraints strongly influence the design of virtually every aspect of the mission starting from the telescope and instruments, through to orbit and launch vehicle selection, and including the design of most of the SC Bus sub-systems, such as structure, ACS, power, communications, and thermal control.

The evolutions of medical building network structure for emerging infectious disease protection and control.

PubMed

Liu, Nan; Zhang, Hongzhe; Zhang, Shanshan

2014-12-01

Emerging infectious disease is one of the most minatory threats in modern society. A perfect medical building network system need to be established to protect and control emerging infectious disease. Although in China a preliminary medical building network is already set up with disease control center, the infectious disease hospital, infectious diseases department in general hospital and basic medical institutions, there are still many defects in this system, such as simple structural model, weak interoperability among subsystems, and poor capability of the medical building to adapt to outbreaks of infectious disease. Based on the characteristics of infectious diseases, the whole process of its prevention and control and the comprehensive influence factors, three-dimensional medical architecture network system is proposed as an inevitable trend. In this conception of medical architecture network structure, the evolutions are mentioned, such as from simple network system to multilayer space network system, from static network to dynamic network, and from mechanical network to sustainable network. Ultimately, a more adaptable and corresponsive medical building network system will be established and argued in this paper.

Evolution-Based Functional Decomposition of Proteins

PubMed Central

Rivoire, Olivier; Reynolds, Kimberly A.; Ranganathan, Rama

2016-01-01

The essential biological properties of proteins—folding, biochemical activities, and the capacity to adapt—arise from the global pattern of interactions between amino acid residues. The statistical coupling analysis (SCA) is an approach to defining this pattern that involves the study of amino acid coevolution in an ensemble of sequences comprising a protein family. This approach indicates a functional architecture within proteins in which the basic units are coupled networks of amino acids termed sectors. This evolution-based decomposition has potential for new understandings of the structural basis for protein function. To facilitate its usage, we present here the principles and practice of the SCA and introduce new methods for sector analysis in a python-based software package (pySCA). We show that the pattern of amino acid interactions within sectors is linked to the divergence of functional lineages in a multiple sequence alignment—a model for how sector properties might be differentially tuned in members of a protein family. This work provides new tools for studying proteins and for generally testing the concept of sectors as the principal units of function and adaptive variation. PMID:27254668

Mapping biological ideas: Concept maps as knowledge integration tools for evolution education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwendimann, Beat Adrian

Many students leave school with a fragmented understanding of biology that does not allow them to connect their ideas to their everyday lives (Wandersee, 1989; Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 1998; Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 2000a). Understanding evolution ideas is seen as central to building an integrated knowledge of biology (Blackwell, Powell, & Dukes, 2003; Thagard & Findlay, 2010). However, the theory of evolution has been found difficult to understand as it incorporates a wide range of ideas from different areas (Bahar et al., 1999; Tsui & Treagust, 2003) and multiple interacting levels (Wilensky & Resnick, 1999; Duncan & Reiser, 2007; Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007). Research suggests that learners can hold a rich repertoire of co-existing alternative ideas of evolution (for example, Bishop & Anderson, 1990; Demastes, Good, & Peebles, 1996; Evans, 2008), especially of human evolution (for example, Nelson, 1986; Sinatra et al., 2003; Poling & Evans, 2004). Evolution ideas are difficult to understand because they often contradict existing alternative ideas (Mayr, 1982; Wolpert, 1994; Evans, 2008). Research suggests that understanding human evolution is a key to evolution education (for example, Blackwell et al., 2003; Besterman & Baggott la Velle, 2007). This dissertation research investigates how different concept mapping forms embedded in a collaborative technology-enhanced learning environment can support students' integration of evolution ideas using case studies of human evolution. Knowledge Integration (KI) (Linn et al., 2000; Linn et al., 2004) is used as the operational framework to explore concept maps as knowledge integration tools to elicit, add, critically distinguish, group, connect, and sort out alternative evolution ideas. Concept maps are a form of node-link diagram for organizing and representing connections between ideas as a semantic network (Novak & Gowin, 1984). This dissertation research describes the iterative development of a novel biology-specific form of concept map, called Knowledge Integration Map (KIM), which aims to help learners connect ideas across levels (for example, genotype and phenotype levels) towards an integrated understanding of evolution. Using a design-based research approach (Brown, 1992; Cobb et al., 2003), three iterative studies were implemented in ethically and economically diverse public high schools classrooms using the web-based inquiry science environment (WISE) (Linn et al., 2003; Linn et al., 2004). Study 1 investigates concept maps as generative assessment tools. Study 1A compares the concept map generation and critique process of biology novices and experts. Findings suggest that concept maps are sensitive to different levels of knowledge integration but require scaffolding and revision. Study 1B investigates the implementation of concept maps as summative assessment tools in a WISE evolution module. Results indicate that concept maps can reveal connections between students' alternative ideas of evolution. Study 2 introduces KIMs as embedded collaborative learning tools. After generating KIMs, student dyads revise KIMs through two different critique activities (comparison against an expert or peer generated KIM). Findings indicate that different critique activities can promote the use of different criteria for critique. Results suggest that the combination of generating and critiquing KIMs can support integrating evolution ideas but can be time-consuming. As time in biology classrooms is limited, study 3 distinguishes the learning effects from either generating or critiquing KIMs as more time efficient embedded learning tools. Findings suggest that critiquing KIMs can be more time efficient than generating KIMs. Using KIMs that include common alternative ideas for critique activities can create genuine opportunities for students to critically reflect on new and existing ideas. Critiquing KIMs can encourage knowledge integration by fostering self-monitoring of students' learning progress, identifying knowledge gaps, and distinguishing alternative evolution ideas. This dissertation research demonstrates that science instruction of complex topics, such as human evolution, can succeed through a combination of scaffolded inquiry activities using dynamic visualizations, explanation activities, and collaborative KIM activities. This research contributes to educational research and practice by describing ways to make KIMs effective and time efficient learning tools for evolution education. Supporting students' building of a more coherent understanding of core ideas of biology can foster their life-long interest and learning of science.

Negotiation in the Operational Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-06

sentence. The question then becomes what to do? See Robert Axelrod , The Evolution of Cooperation (New York: Basic Books, 1984) and S. J . Brams, Game...33 Robert Axelrod , The Evolution of Cooperation (New York: Basic Books, 1984); S. J . Brams, Game Theory and...1944). 27 Ibid.,75-100. 28 Steven J . Brams, Game Theory and Politics (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications Inc., 1975); and, Morton D. Davis, Game Theory

Teaching Individuals with Developmental Delays: Basic Intervention Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovaas, O. Ivar

This teaching manual for treatment of children with developmental disabilities is divided into seven sections that address: (1) basic concepts; (2) transition into treatment; (3) early learning concepts; (4) expressive language; (5) strategies for visual learners; (6) programmatic considerations; and (7) organizational and legal issues. Among…

Environmental Education: Back to Basics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warpinski, Robert

1984-01-01

Describes an instructional framework based on concepts of energy, ecosystems, carrying capacity, change, and stewardship. Stresses the importance of determining what is really important (basic) for each student to experience or learn in relation to each concept and grade level. Student-centered learning activities and sample lesson on energy…

Computer Interactives for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Mission through NASA's "Project Spectra!"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, E. L.

2014-12-01

"Project Spectra!" is a standards-based E-M spectrum and engineering program that includes paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games, students experience and manipulate information making abstract concepts accessible, solidifying understanding and enhancing retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new interactives. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature. Students design a planet that is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives were pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

Towards an alternative evolution model.

PubMed

van Waesberghe, H

1982-01-01

Lamarck and Darwin agreed on the inconstancy of species and on the exclusive gradualism of evolution (nature does not jump). Darwinism, revived as neo-Darwinism, was almost generally accepted from about 1930 till 1960. In the sixties the evolutionary importance of selection has been called in question by the neutralists. The traditional conception of the gene is disarranged by recent molecular-biological findings. Owing to the increasing confusion about the concept of genotype, this concept is reconsidered. The idea of the genotype as a cluster of genes is replaced by a cybernetical interpretation of the genotype. As nature does jump, exclusive gradualism is dismissed. Saltatory evolution is a natural phenomenon, provided by a sudden collapse of the thresholds which resist against evolution. The fossil record and the taxonomic system call for a macromutational interpretation. As Lamarck and Darwin overlooked the resistance of evolutionary thresholds, an alternative evolution model is needed, the first to be constructed on a palaeontological and taxonomic basis.

Money Matters for the Young Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Andrew T.

2010-01-01

Children's economic reasoning follows a developmental sequence in which their ideas about money and other basic economic concepts are forming. Even children in the early primary grades can learn some basic economics and retain understanding of economic concepts if they are taught in developmentally appropriate ways. Given how important economic…

ECON 12: Teacher's Materials. Units I and II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Suzanne

The objectives of this experimental 12th grade economics course begin with an understanding that "economic analysis applies a set of basic concepts and their interrelationships to problems (involving) economic scarcity." Fifteen basic concepts are to be learned (e. g., want, markets, money, etc.) as well as the definition and vocabulary…

Teaching Young Children Basic Concepts of Geography: A Literature-Based Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannibal, Mary Anne Zeitler; Vasiliev, Ren; Lin, Qiuyun

2002-01-01

This article advocates a literature-based instructional approach as a way of promoting geographic awareness in early childhood classrooms. Instruction focuses on basic geography concepts of location, place, human- environment interaction, movement, and region. Examples of children's picture books are included to show what early childhood teachers…

Lifeline: A Tool for Logistics Professionals

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

proof of concept study is designed to provide a basic understanding of the Supply Corps community, provide a comparative analysis of the organizational...concept study is designed to provide a basic understanding of the Supply Corps community, provide a comparative analysis of the organizational...APPLICATION) ......................................................................................63  G.  DESIGN

Basic Concepts and Conservation Skill Training in Kindergarten Chilren.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasik, Barbara H.; And Others

1980-01-01

The study investigated the effects of basic concepts training on conservation acquisition in 41 kindergarten children (17 White boys, 15 White girls, 6 Black girls, and 5 Black boys). Only the conservation training program resulted in significant effects, and that was for the White students alone. (Author)

Basic College-Level Pharmacology: Therapeutic Drug Range Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laipply, Richelle S.

2000-01-01

Investigations of scientific concepts using inquiry can be included in the traditional college lecture. This lesson uses the Learning Cycle to demonstrate therapeutic drug range, a basic concept in pharmaceutical science. Students use graphing to discover patterns as a part of data analysis and interpretation of provided investigation data.…

Econosense: A Common Sense Approach to the Study of Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPheron, Linda

This student activity book and teacher's guide address specific economic terms and concepts correlated to specific student learning objectives. The concepts presented are those essential to any student developing a basic understanding of economics. Each lesson follows a specific format with a basic core of information, comprehension questions,…

Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication: Selected Readings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Milton J., Ed.

This collection of articles, with a developmental learning focus, explores the core building blocks of intercultural communication. The articles in the collection represent the theory-into-practice school of intercultural communication. The collection's goal is to present basic concepts from a variety of perspectives which, when taken together,…

Using a Self-Administered Visual Basic Software Tool To Teach Psychological Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strang, Harold R.; Sullivan, Amie K.; Schoeny, Zahrl G.

2002-01-01

Introduces LearningLinks, a Visual Basic software tool that allows teachers to create individualized learning modules that use constructivist and behavioral learning principles. Describes field testing of undergraduates at the University of Virginia that tested a module designed to improve understanding of the psychological concepts of…

Environmental Epigenetics and a Unified Theory of the Molecular Aspects of Evolution: A Neo-Lamarckian Concept that Facilitates Neo-Darwinian Evolution.

PubMed

Skinner, Michael K

2015-04-26

Environment has a critical role in the natural selection process for Darwinian evolution. The primary molecular component currently considered for neo-Darwinian evolution involves genetic alterations and random mutations that generate the phenotypic variation required for natural selection to act. The vast majority of environmental factors cannot directly alter DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms directly regulate genetic processes and can be dramatically altered by environmental factors. Therefore, environmental epigenetics provides a molecular mechanism to directly alter phenotypic variation generationally. Lamarck proposed in 1802 the concept that environment can directly alter phenotype in a heritable manner. Environmental epigenetics and epigenetic transgenerational inheritance provide molecular mechanisms for this process. Therefore, environment can on a molecular level influence the phenotypic variation directly. The ability of environmental epigenetics to alter phenotypic and genotypic variation directly can significantly impact natural selection. Neo-Lamarckian concept can facilitate neo-Darwinian evolution. A unified theory of evolution is presented to describe the integration of environmental epigenetic and genetic aspects of evolution. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Evolution in students' understanding of thermal physics with increasing complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langbeheim, Elon; Safran, Samuel A.; Livne, Shelly; Yerushalmi, Edit

2013-12-01

We analyze the development in students’ understanding of fundamental principles in the context of learning a current interdisciplinary research topic—soft matter—that was adapted to the level of high school students. The topic was introduced in a program for interested 11th grade high school students majoring in chemistry and/or physics, in an off-school setting. Soft matter was presented in a gradual increase in the degree of complexity of the phenomena as well as in the level of the quantitative analysis. We describe the evolution in students’ use of fundamental thermodynamics principles to reason about phase separation—a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in soft matter. In particular, we examine the impact of the use of free energy analysis, a common approach in soft matter, on the understanding of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. The study used diagnostic questions and classroom observations to gauge the student’s learning. In order to gain insight on the aspects that shape the understanding of the basic principles, we focus on the responses and explanations of two case-study students who represent two trends of evolution in conceptual understanding in the group. We analyze changes in the two case studies’ management of conceptual resources used in their analysis of phase separation, and suggest how their prior knowledge and epistemological framing (a combination of their personal tendencies and their prior exposure to different learning styles) affect their conceptual evolution. Finally, we propose strategies to improve the instruction of these concepts.

Polymorphic Electronic Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoica, Adrian

2004-01-01

Polymorphic electronics is a nascent technological discipline that involves, among other things, designing the same circuit to perform different analog and/or digital functions under different conditions. For example, a circuit can be designed to function as an OR gate or an AND gate, depending on the temperature (see figure). Polymorphic electronics can also be considered a subset of polytronics, which is a broader technological discipline in which optical and possibly other information- processing systems could also be designed to perform multiple functions. Polytronics is an outgrowth of evolvable hardware (EHW). The basic concepts and some specific implementations of EHW were described in a number of previous NASA Tech Briefs articles. To recapitulate: The essence of EHW is to design, construct, and test a sequence of populations of circuits that function as incrementally better solutions of a given design problem through the selective, repetitive connection and/or disconnection of capacitors, transistors, amplifiers, inverters, and/or other circuit building blocks. The evolution is guided by a search-and-optimization algorithm (in particular, a genetic algorithm) that operates in the space of possible circuits to find a circuit that exhibits an acceptably close approximation of the desired functionality. The evolved circuits can be tested by computational simulation (in which case the evolution is said to be extrinsic), tested in real hardware (in which case the evolution is said to be intrinsic), or tested in random sequences of computational simulation and real hardware (in which case the evolution is said to be mixtrinsic).

Conflicts of interest in translational research

PubMed Central

Parks, Malcolm R; Disis, Mary L

2004-01-01

Translational research requires a team approach to scientific inquiry and product development. Translational research teams consist of basic and clinical scientists who can be members of both academic and industrial communities. The conception, pre-clinical testing, and clinical evaluation of a diagnostic or therapeutic approach demands an intense interaction between investigators with diverse backgrounds. As the barriers between industry and academia are removed, issues of potential conflict of interest become more complex. Translational researchers must become aware of the situations which constitute conflict of interest and understand how such conflicts can impact their research programs. Finally, the translational research community must participate in the dialogue ongoing in the public and private sectors and help shape the rules that will govern conflicts that arise during the evolution of their research programs. PMID:15301694

Fluctuations of conserved charges in relativistic heavy ion collisions: An introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakawa, Masayuki; Kitazawa, Masakiyo

2016-09-01

Bulk fluctuations of conserved charges measured by event-by-event analysis in relativistic heavy ion collisions are observables which are believed to carry significant amount of information on the hot medium created by the collisions. Active studies have been done recently experimentally, theoretically, and on the lattice. In particular, non-Gaussianity of the fluctuations has acquired much attention recently. In this review, we give a pedagogical introduction to these issues, and survey recent developments in this field of research. Starting from the definition of cumulants, basic concepts in fluctuation physics, such as thermal fluctuations in statistical mechanics and time evolution of fluctuations in diffusive systems, are described. Phenomena which are expected to occur in finite temperature and/or density QCD matter and their measurement by event-by-event analyses are also elucidated.

Three-dimensional artificial spin ice in nanostructured Co on an inverse opal-like lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistonov, A. A.; Grigoryeva, N. A.; Chumakova, A. V.; Eckerlebe, H.; Sapoletova, N. A.; Napolskii, K. S.; Eliseev, A. A.; Menzel, D.; Grigoriev, S. V.

2013-06-01

The evolution of the magnetic structure for an inverse opal-like structure under an applied magnetic field is studied by small-angle neutron scattering. The samples were produced by filling the voids of an artificial opal film with Co. It is shown that the local configuration of magnetization is inhomogeneous over the basic element of the inverse opal-like lattice structure (IOLS) but follows its periodicity. Applying the “ice-rule” concept to the structure, we describe the local magnetization of this ferromagnetic three-dimensional lattice. We have developed a model of the remagnetization process predicting the occurrence of an unusual perpendicular component of the magnetization in the IOLS which is defined only by the direction and strength of the applied magnetic field.

Evolution in health and medicine Sackler colloquium: Making evolutionary biology a basic science for medicine.

PubMed

Nesse, Randolph M; Bergstrom, Carl T; Ellison, Peter T; Flier, Jeffrey S; Gluckman, Peter; Govindaraju, Diddahally R; Niethammer, Dietrich; Omenn, Gilbert S; Perlman, Robert L; Schwartz, Mark D; Thomas, Mark G; Stearns, Stephen C; Valle, David

2010-01-26

New applications of evolutionary biology in medicine are being discovered at an accelerating rate, but few physicians have sufficient educational background to use them fully. This article summarizes suggestions from several groups that have considered how evolutionary biology can be useful in medicine, what physicians should learn about it, and when and how they should learn it. Our general conclusion is that evolutionary biology is a crucial basic science for medicine. In addition to looking at established evolutionary methods and topics, such as population genetics and pathogen evolution, we highlight questions about why natural selection leaves bodies vulnerable to disease. Knowledge about evolution provides physicians with an integrative framework that links otherwise disparate bits of knowledge. It replaces the prevalent view of bodies as machines with a biological view of bodies shaped by evolutionary processes. Like other basic sciences, evolutionary biology needs to be taught both before and during medical school. Most introductory biology courses are insufficient to establish competency in evolutionary biology. Premedical students need evolution courses, possibly ones that emphasize medically relevant aspects. In medical school, evolutionary biology should be taught as one of the basic medical sciences. This will require a course that reviews basic principles and specific medical applications, followed by an integrated presentation of evolutionary aspects that apply to each disease and organ system. Evolutionary biology is not just another topic vying for inclusion in the curriculum; it is an essential foundation for a biological understanding of health and disease.

Meeting Basic Needs Is Not beyond Our Reach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haq, Mahbub ul

1978-01-01

Reviews the status of the continuing debate on the concept of "basic needs" in development policy for the world's poorest countries, reprinted from a World Bank report. Discusses "core" basic needs (food and nutrition, drinking water, basic health, shelter, and basic education) and possible operational policies. (MF)

Fractional ultrabasic-basic evolution of upper-mantle magmatism: Evidence from xenoliths in kimberlites, inclusions in diamonds and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litvin, Yuriy; Kuzyura, Anastasia

2017-04-01

Ultrabasic peridotites and pyroxenites together with basic eclogites are the upper-mantle in situ rocks among xenoliths in kimberlites. Occasionally their diamond-bearing varieties have revealed within the xenoliths. Therewith the compositions of rock-forming minerals demonstrate features characteristic for primary diamond-included minerals of peridotite and eclogite parageneses (the elevated contents of Cr-component in peridotitic garnets and Na-jadeitic component in eclogitic clinopyroxenes). High-pressure experimental study of melting equilibria on the multicomponent peridotie-pyroxenite system olivine Ol - orthopyroxene Opx - clinopyroxene Cpx - garnet Grt showed that Opx disappeared in the peritectic reaction Opx+L→Cpx (Litvin, 1991). As a result, the invariant peritectic equilibrium Ol+Opx+Cpx+Grt+L of the ultrabasic system was found to transform into the univariant cotectic assemblage Ol+Cpx+Grt+L. Further experimental investigation showed that olivine reacts with jadeitic component (Jd) with formation of garnet at higher 4.5 GPa (Gasparik, Litvin, 1997). Study of melting relations in the multicomponent system Ol - Cpx - Jd permits to discover the peritectic point Ol+Omph+Grt+L (where Omph - omphacitic clinopyroxene) at concentration 3-4 wt.% Jd-component in the system. The reactionary loss of Opx and Ol makes it possible to transform the 4-phase garnet lherzolite ultrabasic association into the bimineral eclogite assemblage. The regime of fractional Ol, Cpx and Grt crystallization must be accompanied by increasing content of jadeitic component in residual melts that causes the complete "garnetization of olivine". In the subsequent evolution, the melts would have to fractionate for basic SiO2-saturated compositions responsible for petrogenesis of eclogite varieties marked with accessory corundum Crn, kyanite Ky and coesite Coe. Both the peritectic mechanisms occur in regime of fractional crystallization. The sequence of the upper-mantle fractional ultrabasic-basic magmatic evolution and petrogenesis may be controlled by the following melting relations: from Ol, Opx, L field to cotectic curve Ol, Opx, Cpx, L, peritectic point Ol, Opx, Cpx, Grt, L (loss of Opx), cotectic curve Ol, (Cpx+Jd), Grt, L, peritectic point Ol, (Cpx→Omph), Grt, L (loss of Ol), divariant field Omph,Grt,L, cotectic curve Ky, Omph, Grt, L, eutectic point Ky,Coe,Omph, Grt,L, subsolidus assemblage Ky,Coe,Omph, Grt. The fractional ultrabasic-basic evolution of the upper-mantle silicate-carbonate-carbon melts-solutions, which are responsible for genesis of diamond-and-inclusions associations and diamond-bearing peridotites and eclogites, follows the similar physico-chemical mechanisms (Litvin et al., 2016). This is illustrated by fractional syngenesis diagram for diamonds and associated minerals which construction is based on evidence from high pressure experiments. References Gasparik T., Litvin Yu.A (1997). Stability of Na2Mg2Si2O7 and melting relations on the forsterite - jadeite join at pressures up to 22 GPa. Eur, J. Mineral. 9(2), 311-326. Litvin Yu.A. (1991). Physico-Chemical Study of Melting of Materials from the Deep Earth. Moscow: Nauka. 312 p. Litvin Yu.A., Spivak A.V., Kuzyura A.V. (2016). Fundamentals of the mantle-carbonatite concept of diamond genesis, Geochemistry Internat. 34(10), 839-857.

Tracking Concept Development through Semiotic Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronen, Ilana

2015-01-01

A qualitative research focused on a case study aiming to monitor emergent knowledge in a discourse group by tracking the development of the concept "goal." The analysis, based on "Semiotic Evolution" methodology facilitates the description of interactions between personal perceptions in the group discourse, illustrating the…

On the Theory of Evolution Versus the Concept of Evolution: Three Observations

PubMed Central

Paz-y-Miño C., Guillermo

2016-01-01

Here we address three misconceptions stated by Rice et al. in their observations of our article Paz-y-Miño and Espinosa (Evo Edu Outreach 2:655-675, 2009), published in this journal. The five authors titled their note “The Theory of Evolution is Not an Explanation for the Origin of Life.” First, we argue that it is fallacious to believe that because the formulation of the theory of evolution, as conceived in the 1800s, did not include an explanation for the origin of life, nor of the universe, the concept of evolution would not allow us to hypothesize the possible beginnings of life and its connections to the cosmos. Not only Stanley Miller's experiments of 1953 led scientists to envision a continuum from the inorganic world to the origin and diversification of life, but also Darwin's own writings of 1871. Second, to dismiss the notion of Rice et al. that evolution does not provide explanations concerning the universe or the cosmos, we identify compelling scientific discussions on the topics: Zaikowski et al. (Evo Edu Outreach 1:65–73, 2008), Krauss (Evo Edu Outreach 3:193–197, 2010), Peretó et al. (Orig Life Evol Biosph 39:395–406, 2009) and Follmann and Brownson (Naturwissenschaften 96:1265-1292, 2009). Third, although we acknowledge that the term Darwinism may not be inclusive of all new discoveries in evolution, and also that creationists and Intelligent Designers hijack the term to portray evolution as ideology, we demonstrate that there is no statistical evidence suggesting that the word Darwinism interferes with public acceptance of evolution, nor does the inclusion of the origin of life or the universe within the concept of evolution. We examine the epistemological and empirical distinction between the theory of evolution and the concept of evolution and conclude that, although the distinction is important, it should not compromise scientific logic. PMID:26949441

Factors which influence Texas biology teachers' decisions to emphasize fundamental concepts of evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilica, Kimberly Lynn

The teaching of biological evolution in public science classrooms has been mitigated by a lingering and historic climate of controversy (Skoog, 1984; Skoog, 1979). This controversy has successfully stalled attempts to bring authentic science literacy to the American public (Bybee, 1997). The first encouraging signs of the abatement of this controversy occurred during the early 1990s when several prominent science organizations promoted evolution to its appropriate status as a central and unifying concept in biology (National Science Teachers Association, 1992; National Research Council, 1996; American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1990, 1993). The organizations acknowledged that not only should biological evolution be taught, evolution should stand as one of a select group of essential concepts upon which biology curricula should be built. Bandura's Social Learning theory (Bandura, 1997; Lumpe, Haney, & Czerniak, 2000) and Helms' Model of Identity (Helms, 1998) provide the theoretical basis for this study. Both Bandura and Helms explain the actions of teachers by examining the beliefs and values that influence their decisions. The models distinguish between two types of belief systems: capacity beliefs and context beliefs (Lumpe, et al, 2000; Helms, 1998). Both belief types influence and are influenced by individual actions. In this study, the action to be described is the decision that teachers make about the degree of emphasis on evolution in the classroom. The capacity beliefs that will be examined are teachers' beliefs about their capability to teach evolution. The contextual beliefs in this study are perceptions about students' capabilities to learn evolution, the status of evolution in science, the place of evolution in the biology classroom, the influence of textbooks, time, and community/school values. This study contributes to and extends the knowledge base established by studies of evolution education by exploring the relative amount of emphasis that Texas biology teachers currently as well as prefer to place on fundamental evolution concepts in relationship to specific belief factors which influence biology teachers' curricular decisions.

Three Short Films about Water: Presenting Basic Concepts to Students and Stakeholders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrigo, J. S.; Hooper, R. P.; Michel, A.; Wilde, P.; Lilienfeld, L.

2011-12-01

Three short form (3 - 5 minute) movies were produced for CUAHSI, to convey basic concepts such as a hydrologic budget, stores and fluxes of water, and the flowpaths and residence time of water. The films were originally intended to be used by scientists to explain the concepts behind potential environmental observatories, but evolved into serving a broader purpose. The films combine still photos, satellite images, animation and video clips, and interviews with CUAHSI members explaining hydrologic concepts in simple, accessible terms. In producing these films, we have found the importance of engaging scientists in conversation first, to develop a script around key accessible concepts and relevant information. Film and communication professionals play a critical role in distilling the scientific explanation and concepts into accessible, engaging film material. The films have been widely distributed through CD and online to educators for use in courses. Additionally, they provide a way to engage stakeholders, particularly land owners, by conveying basic concepts that are necessary to understand the hydrologic and earth science foundation of many of today's political and environmental issues. The films can be viewed online at the CUAHSI website, which also contains links to other film related resources and programs.

Pre-Service Teachers' Mental Models of Basic Astronomy Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslan, A. Saglam; Durikan, U.

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to determine pre-service teachers' mental models related to basic astronomy concepts. The study was conducted using a survey method with 293 pre-service teachers from 4 different departments; physics education, science education, primary teacher education and early childhood education. An achievement test with…

Item Response Theory: A Basic Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmud, Jumailiyah

2017-01-01

With the development in computing technology, item response theory (IRT) develops rapidly, and has become a user friendly application in psychometrics world. Limitation in classical theory is one aspect that encourages the use of IRT. In this study, the basic concept of IRT will be discussed. In addition, it will briefly review the ability…

Pima College Students' Knowledge of Selected Basic Physical Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iadevaia, David G.

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

Spanish Translation and Validation of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bracken, Bruce A; Fouad, Nadya

1987-01-01

The Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) was translated into Spanish, and 32 preschool and primary age bilingual children were assessed in a counter-balanced format with the English and newly translated Spanish forms to assess the adequacy of the translation. Preliminary content validity of the Spanish BBCS was demonstrated. (Author/JAZ)

Multinational Validation of the Spanish Bracken Basic Concept Scale for Cross-Cultural Assessments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bracken, Bruce A.; And Others

1990-01-01

Investigated construct validity of the Spanish translation of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) in Latino children (n=293) including monolingual Spanish-speaking children from Puerto Rico and Venezuela and Spanish-dominant bilingual Latino children from Texas. Results provided support for construct validity of the Spanish version of the…

Introduction to Chemistry for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators. Water and Wastewater Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Dakota Dept. of Environmental Protection, Pierre.

Presented are basic concepts of chemistry necessary for operators who manage drinking water treatment plants and wastewater facilities. It includes discussions of chemical terms and concepts, laboratory procedures for basic analyses of interest to operators, and discussions of appropriate chemical calculations. Exercises are included and answer…

Introduction to Probability, Part 1 - Basic Concepts. Student Text. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakeslee, David W.; And Others

This book is designed to introduce the reader to some fundamental ideas about probability. The mathematical theory of probability plays an increasingly important role in science, government, industry, business, and economics. An understanding of the basic concepts of probability is essential for the study of statistical methods that are widely…

Getting Back to Basics (& Acidics)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Sam

2006-01-01

This article describes a few novel acid-base experiments intended to introduce students to the basic concepts of acid-base chemistry and provide practical examples that apply directly to the study of biology and the human body. Important concepts such as the reaction between carbon dioxide and water, buffers and protein denaturation, are covered.…

Teacher knowledge of basic language concepts and dyslexia.

PubMed

Washburn, Erin K; Joshi, R Malatesha; Binks-Cantrell, Emily S

2011-05-01

Roughly one-fifth of the US population displays one or more symptoms of dyslexia: a specific learning disability that affects an individual's ability to process written language. Consequently, elementary school teachers are teaching students who struggle with inaccurate or slow reading, poor spelling, poor writing, and other language processing difficulties. Findings from studies have indicated that teachers lack essential knowledge needed to teach struggling readers, particularly children with dyslexia. However, few studies have sought to assess teachers' knowledge and perceptions about dyslexia in conjunction with knowledge of basic language concepts related to reading instruction. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine elementary school teachers' knowledge of basic language concepts and their knowledge and perceptions about dyslexia. Findings from the present study indicated that teachers, on average, were able to display implicit skills related to certain basic language concepts (i.e. syllable counting), but failed to demonstrate explicit knowledge of others (i.e. phonics principles). Also, teachers seemed to hold the common misconception that dyslexia is a visual processing deficit rather than phonological processing deficit. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maximum Likelihood Estimation with Emphasis on Aircraft Flight Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iliff, K. W.; Maine, R. E.

1985-01-01

Accurate modeling of flexible space structures is an important field that is currently under investigation. Parameter estimation, using methods such as maximum likelihood, is one of the ways that the model can be improved. The maximum likelihood estimator has been used to extract stability and control derivatives from flight data for many years. Most of the literature on aircraft estimation concentrates on new developments and applications, assuming familiarity with basic estimation concepts. Some of these basic concepts are presented. The maximum likelihood estimator and the aircraft equations of motion that the estimator uses are briefly discussed. The basic concepts of minimization and estimation are examined for a simple computed aircraft example. The cost functions that are to be minimized during estimation are defined and discussed. Graphic representations of the cost functions are given to help illustrate the minimization process. Finally, the basic concepts are generalized, and estimation from flight data is discussed. Specific examples of estimation of structural dynamics are included. Some of the major conclusions for the computed example are also developed for the analysis of flight data.

Biological Principles and Threshold Concepts for Understanding Natural Selection. Implications for Developing Visualizations as a Pedagogic Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibell, Lena A. E.; Harms, Ute

2017-11-01

Modern evolutionary theory is both a central theory and an integrative framework of the life sciences. This is reflected in the common references to evolution in modern science education curricula and contexts. In fact, evolution is a core idea that is supposed to support biology learning by facilitating the organization of relevant knowledge. In addition, evolution can function as a pivotal link between concepts and highlight similarities in the complexity of biological concepts. However, empirical studies in many countries have for decades identified deficiencies in students' scientific understanding of evolution mainly focusing on natural selection. Clearly, there are major obstacles to learning natural selection, and we argue that to overcome them, it is essential to address explicitly the general abstract concepts that underlie the biological processes, e.g., randomness or probability. Hence, we propose a two-dimensional framework for analyzing and structuring teaching of natural selection. The first—purely biological—dimension embraces the three main principles variation, heredity, and selection structured in nine key concepts that form the core idea of natural selection. The second dimension encompasses four so-called thresholds, i.e., general abstract and/or non-perceptual concepts: randomness, probability, spatial scales, and temporal scales. We claim that both of these dimensions must be continuously considered, in tandem, when teaching evolution in order to allow development of a meaningful understanding of the process. Further, we suggest that making the thresholds tangible with the aid of appropriate kinds of visualizations will facilitate grasping of the threshold concepts, and thus, help learners to overcome the difficulties in understanding the central theory of life.

Molecular evolution: concepts and the origin of disciplines.

PubMed

Suárez-Díaz, Edna

2009-03-01

This paper focuses on the consolidation of Molecular Evolution, a field originating in the 1960s at the interface of molecular biology, biochemistry, evolutionary biology, biophysics and studies on the origin of life and exobiology. The claim is made that Molecular Evolution became a discipline by integrating different sorts of scientific traditions: experimental, theoretical and comparative. The author critically incorporates Timothy Lenoir's treatment of disciplines (1997), as well as ideas developed by Stephen Toulmin (1962) on the same subject. On their account disciplines are spaces where the social and epistemic dimensions of science are deeply and complexly interwoven. However, a more detailed account of discipline formation and the dynamics of an emerging disciplinary field is lacking in their analysis. The present essay suggests focusing on the role of scientific concepts in the double configuration of disciplines: the social/political and the epistemic order. In the case of Molecular Evolution the concepts of molecular clock and informational molecules played a central role, both in differentiating molecular from classical evolutionists, and in promoting communication between the different sorts of traditions integrated in Molecular Evolution. The paper finishes with a reflection on the historicity of disciplines, and the historicity of our concepts of disciplines.

Clinical caring science as a scientific discipline.

PubMed

Rehnsfeldt, Arne; Arman, Maria; Lindström, Unni Å

2017-09-01

Clinical caring science will be described from a theory of science perspective. The aim of this theoretical article to give a comprehensive overview of clinical caring science as a human science-based discipline grounded in a theory of science argumentation. Clinical caring science seeks idiographic or specific variations of the ontology, concepts and theories, formulated by caring science. The rationale is the insight that the research questions do not change when they are addressed in different contexts. The academic subject contains a concept order with ethos concepts, core and basic concepts and practice concepts that unites systematic caring science with clinical caring science. In accordance with a hermeneutic tradition, the idea of the caring act is based on the degree to which the theory base is hermeneutically appropriated by the caregiver. The better the ethos, essential concepts and theories are understood, the better the caring act can be understood. In order to understand the concept order related to clinical caring science, an example is given from an ongoing project in a disaster context. The concept order is an appropriate way of making sense of the essence of clinical caring science. The idea of the concept order is that concepts on all levels need to be united with each other. A research project in clinical caring science can start anywhere on the concept order, either in ethos, core concepts, basic concepts, practice concepts or in concrete clinical phenomena, as long as no parts are locked out of the concept order as an entity. If, for example, research on patient participation as a phenomenon is not related to core and basic concepts, there is a risqué that the research becomes meaningless. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

The evolution of a coupled ice shelf-ocean system under different climate states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosfeld, Klaus; Sandhäger, Henner

2004-07-01

Based on a new approach for coupled applications of an ice shelf model and an ocean general circulation model, we investigate the evolution of an ice shelf-ocean system and its sensitivity to changed climatic boundary conditions. Combining established 3D models into a coupled model system enabled us to study the reaction and feedbacks of each component to changes at their interface, the ice shelf base. After calculating the dynamics for prescribed initial ice shelf and bathymetric geometries, the basal mass balance determines the system evolution. In order to explore possible developments for given boundary conditions, an idealized geometry has been chosen, reflecting basic features of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The model system is found to be especially sensitive in regions where high ablation or accretion rates occur. Ice Shelf Water formation as well as the build up of a marine ice body, resulting from accretion of marine ice, is simulated, indicating strong interaction processes. To improve consistency between modeled and observed ice shelf behavior, we incorporate the typical cycle of steady ice front advance and sudden retreat due to tabular iceberg calving in our time-dependent simulations. Our basic hypothesis is that iceberg break off is associated with abrupt crack propagation along elongated anomalies of the inherent stress field of the ice body. This new concept yields glaciologically plausible results and represents an auspicious basis for the development of a thorough calving criterion. Experiments under different climatic conditions (ocean warming of 0.2 and 0.5 °C and doubled surface accumulation rates) show the coupled model system to be sensitive especially to ocean warming. Increased basal melt rates of 100% for the 0.5 °C ocean warming scenario and an asymmetric development of ice shelf thicknesses suggest a high vulnerability of ice shelf regions, which represent pivotal areas between the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Southern Ocean.

The general/specific breakdown of semantic memory and the nature of superordinate knowledge: insights from superordinate and basic-level feature norms.

PubMed

Marques, J Frederico

2007-12-01

The deterioration of semantic memory usually proceeds from more specific to more general superordinate categories, although rarer cases of superordinate knowledge impairment have also been reported. The nature of superordinate knowledge and the explanation of these two semantic impairments were evaluated from the analysis of superordinate and basic-level feature norms. The results show that, in comparison to basic-level concepts, superordinate concepts are not generally less informative and have similar feature distinctiveness and proportion of individual sensory features, but their features are less shared by their members. Results are in accord with explanations based on feature connection weights and/or concept confusability for the superordinate advantage cases. Results especially support an explanation for superordinate impairments in terms of higher semantic control requirements as related to features being less shared between concept members. Implications for patients with semantic impairments are also discussed.

Concept confusion and concept discernment in basic magnetism using analogical reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemmer, Miriam; Nicodimus Morabe, Olebogeng

2017-07-01

Analogical reasoning is central to all learning, whether in daily life situations, in the classroom or while doing research. Although analogies can aid the learning process of making sense of phenomena and understanding new ideas in terms of known ideas, these should be used with care. This article reports a study of the use of analogies and the consequences of this use in the teaching of magnetism with special reference to misconceptions. We begin by identifying concept confusion and associated misconceptions in magnetism due to in-service physics teachers’ spontaneous analogical reasoning. Two analogy-based experiments that can be used to convert such concept confusion to discernment are then described. These experiments focus on understanding basic principles about sources and interactions of magnetic fields and implement the constructivist learning processes of discrimination and generalization. Lastly, recommendations towards reinforcement of conceptual understanding of basic magnetism in its relation to electricity are proposed.

Current Debates on the Origin of Species

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Paul D.; Gillman, Len N.; Wright, Shane D.

2009-01-01

Students are rarely presented with a diversity of viewpoints about evolution and its mechanisms. The historical background to evolution normally suffices: Darwin's journey on The Beagle, his concepts of natural selection and common descent, and an outline of Mendel's experiments. With supplementary concepts such as ecological niches and the modes…

Tackling the Difficulties in Learning Evolution: Effects of Adaptive Self-Explanation Prompts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neubrand, Charlotte; Harms, Ute

2017-01-01

Teaching and learning evolution is challenging. Biology education research shows that the underlying evolutionary concepts are poorly understood among students. This prevents a meaningful understanding of the central biological concepts. The instructional format of self-explanation prompts seems to be promising to respond to these difficulties.…

An Auto-Configuration System for the GMSEC Architecture and API

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moholt, Joseph; Mayorga, Arturo

2007-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on an automated configuration concept for The Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) architecture and Application Program Interface (API) is shown. The topics include: 1) The Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC); 2) Automated Configuration Concept; 3) Implementation Approach; and 4) Key Components and Benefits.

Effects of Concept Mapping Instruction Approach on Students' Achievement in Basic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogonnaya, Ukpai Patricia; Okafor, Gabriel; Abonyi, Okechukwu S.; Ugama, J. O.

2016-01-01

The study investigated the effects of concept mapping on students' achievement in basic science. The study was carried out in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. The study employed a quasi-experimental design. Specifically the pretest posttest non-equivalent control group research design was used. The sample was 122 students selected from two secondary…

A Short Test for the Assessment of Basic Knowledge in Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peter, Johannes; Leichner, Nikolas; Mayer, Anne-Kathrin; Krampen, Günter

2015-01-01

This paper reports the development of a fixed-choice test for the assessment of basic knowledge in psychology, for use with undergraduate as well as graduate students. Test content is selected based on a core concepts approach and includes a sample of concepts which are indexed most frequently in common introductory psychology textbooks. In a…

Raising native plants in nurseries: basic concepts

Treesearch

R. Kasten Dumroese; Thomas D. Landis; Tara Luna

2012-01-01

Growing native plants can be fun, challenging, and rewarding. This booklet, particularly the first chapter that introduces important concepts, is for the novice who wants to start growing native plants as a hobby; however, it can also be helpful to someone with a bit more experience who is wondering about starting a nursery. The second chapter provides basic...

Geographies of American Popular Music: Introducing Students to Basic Geographic Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClain, Stephen S.

2010-01-01

Popular music can be used to study many subjects and issues related to the social sciences. "Geographies of American Popular Music" was a workshop that not only examined the history and development of select genres of American music, it also introduced students to basic geographic concepts such as the culture hearth and spatial diffusion. Through…

A Framework for Teaching Basic Economic Concepts with Scope and Sequence Guidelines K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Phillip, Ed.; Gilliard, June V., Ed.

This publication is an updated, edited merger of two earlier National Council on Economic Education documents: "A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts" and "Economics: What and When." The combined publication is designed to aid those who construct curricula or who provide economics instruction in U.S. schools. The book…

The Vital Role of Basic Mathematics in Teaching and Learning the Mole Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrotra, Alka; Koul, Anjni

2016-01-01

This article focuses on the importance of activity-based teaching in understanding the mole concept and the vital role of basic mathematical operations. It describes needs-based training for teachers in a professional development programme in India. Analysis of test results before and after the training indicates that teachers improved their…

Master Curriculum Guide in Economics. A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Phillip; And Others

Intended for curriculum developers, this revised Framework presents a set of basic concepts for teaching K-12 economics. The revision reflects the change and development which the field of economics has undergone and includes improvements suggested by users of the first edition. The purpose of teaching economics is to impart a general…

The Effectiveness of Programed Instruction Versus the Lecture-Discussion Method of Teaching Basic Metallurgical Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockman, David Carl

The purpose of this study was to compare the conventional lecture-discussion method and an illustrated programed textbook method when teaching a unit of instruction on the basic concepts of metallurgy. The control group used a portion of a conventional textbook accompanied by lecture, chalkboard illustration, and class discussion. The experimental…

Spatial Thinking Concepts in Early Grade-Level Geography Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthamatten, Peter

2010-01-01

Research in the cognition and learning sciences has demonstrated that the human brain contains basic structures whose functions are to perform a variety of specific spatial reasoning tasks and that children are capable of learning basic spatial concepts at an early age. There has been a call from within geography to recognize research on spatial…

Love, Power, and Conflict: A Systems Model of Interparty Negotiation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slawski, Carl

Some basic hypotheses and corresponding definitions of concepts are presented in an effort to succinctly state the relationship between three of the most basic concepts of social science, namely love, power and conflict. This novel theory is an example of limited reduction. However, it is cast so as to be applicable to both micro and macro levels…

After Almost Half-Century Landing on the Moon and Still Countering Basic Astronomy Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Türkmen, Hakan

2015-01-01

The purpose of study is to investigate the fifth graders' understandings of the basic astronomy concept and, if they have, to define their misconceptions and then to determine what reason/s behind them. For this purpose, two hundred seventy fifth grade students from 6 different schools participated. Randomly selected 45 students performing under…

The Etymology of Basic Concepts in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinsmoor, James A.

2004-01-01

The origins of many of the basic concepts used in the experimental analysis of behavior can be traced to Pavlov's (1927/1960) discussion of unconditional and conditional reflexes in the dog, but often with substantial changes in meaning (e.g., stimulus, response, and reinforcement). Other terms were added by Skinner (1938/1991) to describe his…

Effects of Geographic Information System on the Learning of Environmental Education Concepts in Basic Computer-Mediated Classrooms in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeleke, Ayobami Gideon

2017-01-01

This research paper specifically examined the impact of Geographic Information System (GIS) integration in a learning method and on the performance and retention of Environmental Education (EE) concepts in basic social studies. Non-equivalent experimental research design was employed. 126 pupils in four intact, computer-mediated classrooms were…

Virtual laboratory learning media development to improve science literacy skills of mechanical engineering students on basic physics concept of material measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jannati, E. D.; Setiawan, A.; Siahaan, P.; Rochman, C.

2018-05-01

This study aims to determine the description of virtual laboratory learning media development to improve science literacy skills of Mechanical Engineering students on the concept of basic Physics. Quasi experimental method was employed in this research. The participants of this research were first semester students of mechanical engineering in Majalengka University. The research instrument was readability test of instructional media. The results of virtual laboratory learning media readability test show that the average score is 78.5%. It indicates that virtual laboratory learning media development are feasible to be used in improving science literacy skill of Mechanical Engineering students in Majalengka University, specifically on basic Physics concepts of material measurement.

Evolution across the Curriculum: Microbiology

PubMed Central

Burmeister, Alita R.; Smith, James J.

2016-01-01

An integrated understanding of microbiology and evolutionary biology is essential for students pursuing careers in microbiology and healthcare fields. In this Perspective, we discuss the usefulness of evolutionary concepts and an overall evolutionary framework for students enrolled in microbiology courses. Further, we propose a set of learning goals for students studying microbial evolution concepts. We then describe some barriers to microbial evolution teaching and learning and encourage the continued incorporation of evidence-based teaching practices into microbiology courses at all levels. Next, we review the current status of microbial evolution assessment tools and describe some education resources available for teaching microbial evolution. Successful microbial evolution education will require that evolution be taught across the undergraduate biology curriculum, with a continued focus on applications and applied careers, while aligning with national biology education reform initiatives. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education PMID:27158306

Using Fossil Shark Teeth to Illustrate Evolution and Introduce Basic Geologic Concepts in a High School Biology Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnew, J. G.; Nunn, J. A.

2007-12-01

Shell Foundation sponsors a program at Louisiana State University called Shell Undergraduate Recruitment and Geoscience Education (SURGE). The purpose of SURGE is to help local high school science teachers incorporate geology into their classrooms by providing resources and training. As part of this program, a workshop for high school biology teachers was held at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on June 3-5, 2007. We had the teachers do a series of activities on fossil shark teeth to illustrate evolution and introduce basic earth science concepts such as geologic time, superposition, and faunal succession and provided the teachers with lesson plans and materials. As an example, one of our exercises explores the evolution of the megatoothed shark lineage leading to Carcharocles megalodon, the largest predatory shark in history with teeth up to 17 cm long. Megatoothed shark teeth make excellent evolutionary subjects because they have a good fossil record and show continuous transitions in morphology from the Eocene to Pliocene. Our activity follows the learning cycle model. We take advantage of the curiosity of sharks shared by most people, and allow students to explore the variations among different shark teeth and explain the causes of those variations. The objectives of this exercise are to have the students: 1) sort fossil shark teeth into biologically reasonable species; 2) form hypotheses about evolutionary relationships among fossil shark teeth; and 3) describe and interpret evolutionary trends in the fossil Megatoothed lineage. To do the activity, students are divided into groups of 2-3 and given a shuffled set of 72 shark tooth cards with different images of megatoothed shark teeth. They are instructed to group the shark tooth cards into separate species of sharks. After sorting the cards, students are asked to consider the evolutionary relationships among their species and arrange their species chronologically according to the species first appearance in the fossil record. This is followed by a group discussion of each group's predictions. Next students are given photographs of teeth from different megatoothed sharks, and a geologic time scale with the sharks stratigraphic ranges. Students are asked to describe evolutionary trends in the fossil megatoothed lineage and formulate several hypotheses to explain the observed evolutionary trends. The exercise is concluded with a discussion of the environmental and biotic events occurring between the Eocene and Miocene epochs that may have caused the evolutionary changes in the megatoothed shark's teeth.

John Hughlings Jackson's evolutionary neurology: a unifying framework for cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Franz, Elizabeth A; Gillett, Grant

2011-10-01

John Hughlings Jackson was a pioneer in neurology who thought deeply about the structure of the brain and how that manifested itself in the various syndromes that he saw in the clinic. He enunciated a theory of the evolution and dissolution of neural function based on the idea that basic sensorimotor processes become embedded in networks of connections that relate them in successively more complex ways to allow for performance of more and more nuanced and adaptive functions. Hughlings Jackson noted the curious link between human thought, action and speech. He further recognized that disinhibition or release from control and direction marked neurological damage. His integrative framework remains deeply relevant to the plethora of results being produced by the careful and diverse experimentation currently undertaken with the aid of brain imaging techniques of which he could only dream. In celebration of the memory of John Hughlings Jackson, we revisit his concept of neural evolution and development, which led to what eventually became a leading model of brain organization, whereby a new order of behavioural control--the conscious mind--is created out of simpler elements, in a manner similar to Herbert Spencer's evolutionary theory. By this Hughlings Jackson did not mean anything dualistic but merely that the highest layer of evolution of nervous arrangements was 'highly complicated' and that dissolution of that higher level leaves 'a lower consciousness and a shallower nervous system'.

Genomic potential hypothesis of evolution: a concept of biogenesis in habitable spaces of the universe.

PubMed

Schwabe, Christian

2002-11-01

The new hypothesis of evolution establishes a contiguity of life sciences with cosmology, physics, and chemistry, and provides a basis for the search for life on other planets. Chemistry is the sole driving force of the assembly of life, under the subtle guidance exerted by bonding orbital geometry. That phenomenon leads to multiple origins that function on the same principles but are different to the extent that their nucleic acid core varies. Thus, thoughts about the origins of life and the development of complexity have been transferred from the chance orientation of the past to the realm of atomic structures, which are subject to the laws of thermodynamics and kinetics. Evolution is a legitimate subject of basic science, and the complexity of life will submit to the laws of chemistry and physics as the problem is viewed from a new perspective. The paradigm connects life to the big events that formed every sphere of our living space and that keeps conditions fine-tuned for life to persist, perhaps a billion years or more. The "genomic potential" hypothesis leads to the prediction that life like ours is likely to exist in galaxies that are as distant from the origin of the universe as the Milky Way, and that the habitable zone of our galaxy harbors other living planets as well. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The California Basic Skills Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illowsky, Barbara

2008-01-01

This article describes the evolution and implementation of the California Basic Skills Initiative (CA BSI), a statewide effort to address ongoing basic skills and ESL needs of community college students and of all campus faculty, administrators, and staff who support these students. CA BSI strategies include assisting every college in assessing…

Getting to Evo-Devo: Concepts and Challenges for Students Learning Evolutionary Developmental Biology

PubMed Central

Hiatt, Anna; Davis, Gregory K.; Trujillo, Caleb; Terry, Mark; French, Donald P.; Price, Rebecca M.; Perez, Kathryn E.

2013-01-01

To examine how well biology majors have achieved the necessary foundation in evolution, numerous studies have examined how students learn natural selection. However, no studies to date have examined how students learn developmental aspects of evolution (evo-devo). Although evo-devo plays an increasing role in undergraduate biology curricula, we find that instruction often addresses development cursorily, with most of the treatment embedded within instruction on evolution. Based on results of surveys and interviews with students, we suggest that teaching core concepts (CCs) within a framework that integrates supporting concepts (SCs) from both evolutionary and developmental biology can improve evo-devo instruction. We articulate CCs, SCs, and foundational concepts (FCs) that provide an integrative framework to help students master evo-devo concepts and to help educators address specific conceptual difficulties their students have with evo-devo. We then identify the difficulties that undergraduates have with these concepts. Most of these difficulties are of two types: those that are ubiquitous among students in all areas of biology and those that stem from an inadequate understanding of FCs from developmental, cell, and molecular biology. PMID:24006397

Health, vital goals, and central human capabilities.

PubMed

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-06-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or 'central human capabilities and functionings'. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings-or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

HEALTH, VITAL GOALS, AND CENTRAL HUMAN CAPABILITIES

PubMed Central

Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2013-01-01

I argue for a conception of health as a person's ability to achieve or exercise a cluster of basic human activities. These basic activities are in turn specified through free-standing ethical reasoning about what constitutes a minimal conception of a human life with equal human dignity in the modern world. I arrive at this conception of health by closely following and modifying Lennart Nordenfelt's theory of health which presents health as the ability to achieve vital goals. Despite its strengths I transform Nordenfelt's argument in order to overcome three significant drawbacks. Nordenfelt makes vital goals relative to each community or context and significantly reflective of personal preferences. By doing so, Nordenfelt's conception of health faces problems with both socially relative concepts of health and subjectively defined wellbeing. Moreover, Nordenfelt does not ever explicitly specify a set of vital goals. The theory of health advanced here replaces Nordenfelt's (seemingly) empty set of preferences and society-relative vital goals with a human species-wide conception of basic vital goals, or ‘central human capabilities and functionings’. These central human capabilities come out of the capabilities approach (CA) now familiar in political philosophy and economics, and particularly reflect the work of Martha Nussbaum. As a result, the health of an individual should be understood as the ability to achieve a basic cluster of beings and doings—or having the overarching capability, a meta-capability, to achieve a set of central or vital inter-related capabilities and functionings. PMID:22420910

Historical Evolution of the Field View and Textbook Accounts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pocovi, M. Cecilia; Finley, Fred N.

2003-01-01

Analyzes how two electromagnetism textbooks approach the concept of electric field. Uses historical evolution of the field representation. Indicates that one textbook mixes up the historical and pedagogical reasons for the introduction of the concept of field while the other one presents a sketch that might lead students to understand the field…

The 25 kW power module evolution study. Part 3: Conceptual designs for power module evolution. Volume 4: Design analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Topics covered include growth options evaluation, mass properties, attitude control and structural dynamics, contamination evaluation, berthing concepts, orbit reboost options and growth kit concepts. Systems support elements and space support equipment are reviewed with emphasis on power module operations and technology planning.

Strategic Foresight Process - Improvements for the Hungarian Ministry of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

enough to appropriately prepare for the migration crisis. This thesis introduces the evolution and main concepts of Futures Studies and Foresight. It...to appropriately prepare for the migration crisis. This thesis introduces the evolution and main concepts of Futures Studies and Foresight. It...STRATEGIC FORESIGHT .................................................................................3  A.  FUTURES STUDIES

Thermodynamical Arguments against Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenhouse, Jason

2017-01-01

The argument that the second law of thermodynamics contradicts the theory of evolution has recently been revived by anti-evolutionists. In its basic form, the argument asserts that whereas evolution implies that there has been an increase in biological complexity over time, the second law, a fundamental principle of physics, shows this to be…

A mini-review on econophysics: Comparative study of Chinese and western financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Bo; Jiang, Xiong-Fei; Ni, Peng-Yun

2014-07-01

We present a review of our recent research in econophysics, and focus on the comparative study of Chinese and western financial markets. By virtue of concepts and methods in statistical physics, we investigate the time correlations and spatial structure of financial markets based on empirical high-frequency data. We discover that the Chinese stock market shares common basic properties with the western stock markets, such as the fat-tail probability distribution of price returns, the long-range auto-correlation of volatilities, and the persistence probability of volatilities, while it exhibits very different higher-order time correlations of price returns and volatilities, spatial correlations of individual stock prices, and large-fluctuation dynamic behaviors. Furthermore, multi-agent-based models are developed to simulate the microscopic interaction and dynamic evolution of the stock markets.

The role of government in supporting technological advance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucker, Christopher K.

A broad and poorly focused debate has, for quite some time, raged across the range of social science disciplines and policy related professions. This debate has dealt, in different ways, with the question of the proper role of the government in a mixed economy. Current debates over the appropriate role of government in a mixed economy are largely constrained by a basic set of 'market failure' concepts developed in economics. This dissertation interrogates the histories of the automobile, electrical and aircraft industries in the six decades spanning the turn of the 20th century with a theoretical framework that draws on recent theorizing on the co-evolution of technologies, industrial structure, and supporting institutions. In highlighting institutional and technological aspects of industrial development, this dissertation informs a basis for science and technology policy making that moves beyond 'market failure' analysis.

Evolution of a minimal parallel programming model

DOE PAGES

Lusk, Ewing; Butler, Ralph; Pieper, Steven C.

2017-04-30

Here, we take a historical approach to our presentation of self-scheduled task parallelism, a programming model with its origins in early irregular and nondeterministic computations encountered in automated theorem proving and logic programming. We show how an extremely simple task model has evolved into a system, asynchronous dynamic load balancing (ADLB), and a scalable implementation capable of supporting sophisticated applications on today’s (and tomorrow’s) largest supercomputers; and we illustrate the use of ADLB with a Green’s function Monte Carlo application, a modern, mature nuclear physics code in production use. Our lesson is that by surrendering a certain amount of generalitymore » and thus applicability, a minimal programming model (in terms of its basic concepts and the size of its application programmer interface) can achieve extreme scalability without introducing complexity.« less

Evolution of RFID Applications in Construction: A Literature Review

PubMed Central

Valero, Enrique; Adán, Antonio; Cerrada, Carlos

2015-01-01

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been widely used in the field of construction during the last two decades. Basically, RFID facilitates the control on a wide variety of processes in different stages of the lifecycle of a building, from its conception to its inhabitance. The main objective of this paper is to present a review of RFID applications in the construction industry, pointing out the existing developments, limitations and gaps. The paper presents the establishment of the RFID technology in four main stages of the lifecycle of a facility: planning and design, construction and commission and operation and maintenance. Concerning this last stage, an RFID application aiming to facilitate the identification of pieces of furniture in scanned inhabited environments is presented. Conclusions and future advances are presented at the end of the paper. PMID:26151210

Teaching Two Basic Nanotechnology Concepts in Secondary School by Using a Variety of Teaching Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blonder, Ron; Sakhnini, Sohair

2012-01-01

A nanotechnology module was developed for ninth grade students in the context of teaching chemistry. Two basic concepts in nanotechnology were chosen: (1) size and scale and (2) surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA/V). A wide spectrum of instructional methods (e.g., game-based learning, learning with multimedia, learning with models, project based…

Representational Competence in Chemistry: A Comparison between Students with Different Levels of Understanding of Basic Chemical Concepts and Chemical Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sim, Joong Hiong; Daniel, Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini

2014-01-01

Representational competence is defined as "skills in interpreting and using representations". This study attempted to compare students' of high, medium, and low levels of understanding of (1) basic chemical concepts, and (2) chemical representations, in their representational competence. A total of 411 Form 4 science students (mean age =…

Mapping the Relationships among Basic Facts, Concepts and Application, and Common Core Curriculum-Based Mathematics Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Codding, Robin S.; Mercer, Sterett; Connell, James; Fiorello, Catherine; Kleinert, Whitney

2016-01-01

There is a paucity of evidence supporting the use of curriculum-based mathematics measures (M-CBMs) at the middle school level, which makes data-based decisions challenging for school professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among three existing M-CBM indices: (a) basic facts, (b) concepts/application, and (c)…

Inservice Elementary and Middle School Teachers' Conceptions of Photosynthesis and Respiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krall, Rebecca McNall; Lott, Kimberly H.; Wymer, Carol L.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate inservice elementary and middle school teachers' conceptions of photosynthesis and respiration, basic concepts they are expected to teach. A forced-choice instrument assessing selected standards-based life science concepts with non-scientific conceptions embedded in distracter options was…

Architecture is Elementary: Visual Thinking through Architectural Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Nathan B.

This book presents very basic but important concepts about architecture and outlines some of the most important concepts used by great architects. These concepts are taught at levels of perceptual maturity applicable to adults and children alike and progress from levels one through seven as the concepts become progressively intertwined. The…

Practices and Perspectives of College Instructors on Addressing Religious Beliefs When Teaching Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, M. Elizabeth; Brownell, Sara E.

2016-01-01

Evolution is a core concept of biology, and yet many college biology students do not accept evolution because of their religious beliefs. However, we do not currently know how instructors perceive their role in helping students accept evolution or how they address the perceived conflict between religion and evolution when they teach evolution.…

Variable investment, the Continuous Prisoner's Dilemma, and the origin of cooperation.

PubMed

Killingback, T; Doebeli, M; Knowlton, N

1999-09-07

Cooperation is fundamental to many biological systems. A common metaphor for studying the evolution of cooperation is the Prisoner's Dilemma, a game with two strategies: cooperate or defect. However, cooperation is rare all or nothing, and its evolution probably involves the gradual extension of initially modest degrees of assistance. The inability of the Prisoner's Dilemma to capture this basic aspect limits its use for understanding the evolutionary origins of cooperation. Here we consider a framework for cooperation based on the concept of investment: an act which is costly, but which benefits other individuals, where the cost and benefit depend on the level of investment made. In the resulting Continuous Prisoner's Dilemma the essential problem of cooperation remains: in the absence of any additional structure non-zero levels of investment cannot evolve. However, if investments are considered in a spatially structured context, selfish individuals who make arbitrarily low investments can be invaded by higher-investing mutants. This results in the mean level of investment evolving to significant levels, where it is maintained indefinitely. This approach provides a natural solution to the fundamental problem of how cooperation gradually increases from a non-cooperative state.

The self and the nonself: immunorecognition and immunologic functions.

PubMed

del Guercio, P

1993-01-01

For almost a century self-nonself discrimination has been considered the driving force of the immune system and the dogma of self-tolerance (horror autotoxicus) the essential issue for understanding protective immunity and pathologic autoreactivity. This classical picture has been recently challenged by the discovery that the immune system is influenced by internal activation (amor autocognitus) and autoreactive clones are both present and activated in healthy individuals. Central to the concepts of reactivity and tolerance, in other terms, to physiology and pathology, is the analysis of structures involved in immunorecognition and as they contribute to the outcome of the immune response. The capacity of the immune system to recognize nonself structures and eventually react to them developed during evolution probably before the generation of clonally distributed antigen receptors. The high level of autoreactivity that characterizes the immune system seems to suggest that immunocompetent cells never learned to ignore the self, but rather that, sometime during evolution, they specialized in the function of self-identification, one of the most basic activities of all living cells. Autoimmune diseases would result from a pathologic deviation of a physiologic function, just as many other diseases do.

An MRI Scan of the nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Calem

2017-09-01

In the pursuit of a global description of nuclei, extensive experimental studies on short-lived isotopes have provided a wealth of new empirical information. Such data has been used to test theoretical concepts and in the development of innovative ideas. More directly, a novel device at Argonne National Laboratory, the HELIcal Orbit Spectrometer (HELIOS), was focused on providing detailed single-particle information on the malleability of the nuclear magic numbers. Once thought as immovable pillars in nuclear structure, the shell-gaps in nuclei defining magic numbers of nucleons are now well-known to evolve as proton-to-neutron ratios change. And, determination of the underlying components of the nuclear force driving the evolution is at the forefront of nuclear structure research. Additionally, the HELIOS device mentioned above also carries its own aura being that it is formed by a decommissioned MRI solenoid magnet. In this talk recent highlights and advancements in our description of nuclear shell evolution will be the focus along with a few sidestepping comments on the life-cycle and interplay between basic research and the applications of nuclear physics. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, under Contract Number DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Evolution of neuroarchitecture, multi-level analyses and calibrative reductionism

PubMed Central

Berntson, Gary G.; Norman, Greg J.; Hawkley, Louise C.; Cacioppo, John T.

2012-01-01

Evolution has sculpted the incredibly complex human nervous system, among the most complex functions of which extend beyond the individual to an intricate social structure. Although these functions are deterministic, those determinants are legion, heavily interacting and dependent on a specific evolutionary trajectory. That trajectory was directed by the adaptive significance of quasi-random genetic variations, but was also influenced by chance and caprice. With a different evolutionary pathway, the same neural elements could subserve functions distinctly different from what they do in extant human brains. Consequently, the properties of higher level neural networks cannot be derived readily from the properties of the lower level constituent elements, without studying these elements in the aggregate. Thus, a multi-level approach to integrative neuroscience may offer an optimal strategy. Moreover, the process of calibrative reductionism, by which concepts and understandings from one level of organization or analysis can mutually inform and ‘calibrate’ those from other levels (both higher and lower), may represent a viable approach to the application of reductionism in science. This is especially relevant in social neuroscience, where the basic subject matter of interest is defined by interacting organisms across diverse environments. PMID:23386961

Production process stability - core assumption of INDUSTRY 4.0 concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chromjakova, F.; Bobak, R.; Hrusecka, D.

2017-06-01

Today’s industrial enterprises are confronted by implementation of INDUSTRY 4.0 concept with basic problem - stabilised manufacturing and supporting processes. Through this phenomenon of stabilisation, they will achieve positive digital management of both processes and continuously throughput. There is required structural stability of horizontal (business) and vertical (digitized) manufacturing processes, supported through digitalised technologies of INDUSTRY 4.0 concept. Results presented in this paper based on the research results and survey realised in more industrial companies. Following will described basic model for structural process stabilisation in manufacturing environment.

Constructive neutral evolution: exploring evolutionary theory's curious disconnect.

PubMed

Stoltzfus, Arlin

2012-10-13

Constructive neutral evolution (CNE) suggests that neutral evolution may follow a stepwise path to extravagance. Whether or not CNE is common, the mere possibility raises provocative questions about causation: in classical neo-Darwinian thinking, selection is the sole source of creativity and direction, the only force that can cause trends or build complex features. However, much of contemporary evolutionary genetics departs from the conception of evolution underlying neo-Darwinism, resulting in a widening gap between what formal models allow, and what the prevailing view of the causes of evolution suggests. In particular, a mutationist conception of evolution as a 2-step origin-fixation process has been a source of theoretical innovation for 40 years, appearing not only in the Neutral Theory, but also in recent breakthroughs in modeling adaptation (the "mutational landscape" model), and in practical software for sequence analysis. In this conception, mutation is not a source of raw materials, but an agent that introduces novelty, while selection is not an agent that shapes features, but a stochastic sieve. This view, which now lays claim to important theoretical, experimental, and practical results, demands our attention. CNE provides a way to explore its most significant implications about the role of variation in evolution. Alex Kondrashov, Eugene Koonin and Johann Peter Gogarten reviewed this article.

Constructive neutral evolution: exploring evolutionary theory’s curious disconnect

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Abstract Constructive neutral evolution (CNE) suggests that neutral evolution may follow a stepwise path to extravagance. Whether or not CNE is common, the mere possibility raises provocative questions about causation: in classical neo-Darwinian thinking, selection is the sole source of creativity and direction, the only force that can cause trends or build complex features. However, much of contemporary evolutionary genetics departs from the conception of evolution underlying neo-Darwinism, resulting in a widening gap between what formal models allow, and what the prevailing view of the causes of evolution suggests. In particular, a mutationist conception of evolution as a 2-step origin-fixation process has been a source of theoretical innovation for 40 years, appearing not only in the Neutral Theory, but also in recent breakthroughs in modeling adaptation (the “mutational landscape” model), and in practical software for sequence analysis. In this conception, mutation is not a source of raw materials, but an agent that introduces novelty, while selection is not an agent that shapes features, but a stochastic sieve. This view, which now lays claim to important theoretical, experimental, and practical results, demands our attention. CNE provides a way to explore its most significant implications about the role of variation in evolution. Reviewers Alex Kondrashov, Eugene Koonin and Johann Peter Gogarten reviewed this article. PMID:23062217

Learning basic programming using CLIS through gamification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabawa, H. W.; Sutarno, H.; Kusnendar, J.; Rahmah, F.

2018-05-01

The difficulty of understanding programming concept is a major problem in basic programming lessons. Based on the results of preliminary studies, 60% of students reveal the monotonous of learning process caused by the limited number of media. Children Learning in Science (CLIS) method was chosen as solution because CLIS has facilitated students’ initial knowledge to be optimized into conceptual knowledge. Technological involvement in CLIS (gamification) helped students to understand basic programming concept. This research developed a media using CLIS method with gamification elements to increase the excitement of learning process. This research declared that multimedia is considered good by students, especially regarding the mechanical aspects of multimedia, multimedia elements and aspects of multimedia information structure. Multimedia gamification learning with the CLIS model showed increased number of students’ concept understanding.

An Analysis of Teachers' Concept Confusion Concerning Electric and Magnetic Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hekkenberg, Ans; Lemmer, Miriam; Dekkers, Peter

2015-01-01

In an exploratory study, 36 South African physical science teachers' understanding of basic concepts concerning electric and magnetic fields was studied from a perspective of possible concept confusion. Concept confusion is said to occur when features of one concept are incorrectly attributed to a different concept, in the case of this study to…

Evolution of Unit Fraction Conceptions in Two Fifth-Graders with a Learning Disability: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Jessica Heather; Tzur, Ron; Westenskow, Arla

2016-01-01

The literature seems limited in what is known about conceptual processes that underlie evolution of students with learning disabilities (SLD) conceptions of fractions. This exploratory study examines how a foundational scheme of unit fractions (1/n) may evolve through the mathematical activity of two fifth grade girls. We analyze data segments…

Evolution of the Concept of "Human Capital" in Economic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perepelkin, Vyacheslav A.; Perepelkina, Elena V.; Morozova, Elena S.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the researched problem is determined by transformation of the human capital into the key economic resource of development of the postindustrial society. The purpose of the article is to disclose the content of evolution of the human capital as a scientific concept and phenomenon of the economic life. The leading approach to the…

Malthus under a Microscope: Using the Soil Nematode "Coenorhabditis elegans" to Test Darwin's Premises about Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Melinda M.

2007-01-01

Biological evolution is one of the over-arching concepts recommended for student learning by the "National Science Education Standards." As with all such complex concepts, student understanding of evolution is improved when instruction includes hands-on, inquiry-based activities. However, even authors writing in strong support of teaching…

"DNA Re-EvolutioN": A Game for Learning Molecular Genetics and Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miralles, Laura; Moran, Paloma; Dopico, Eduardo; Garcia-Vazquez, Eva

2013-01-01

Evolution is a main concept in biology, but not many students understand how it works. In this article we introduce the game "DNA Re-EvolutioN" as an active learning tool that uses genetic concepts (DNA structure, transcription and translation, mutations, natural selection, etc.) as playing rules. Students will learn about molecular…

Brief Note on the Origins, Evolution, and Meaning of the Qualitative Research Concept "Thick Description"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponterotto, Joseph G.

2006-01-01

The origins, cross-disciplinary evolution, and definition of "thick description" are reviewed. Despite its frequent use in the qualitative literature, the concept of "thick description" is often confusing to researchers at all levels. The roots of this confusion are explored and examples of "thick description" are provided. The article closes with…

K-8 Educators Perceptions and Preparedness for Teaching Evolution Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadelson, Louis S.; Nadelson, Sandra

2010-01-01

Many science education standards mandate teaching evolution concepts in the K-8 curriculum. Yet, not all K-8 certified educators embrace the notion of teaching evolution content Factors influencing K-8 teacher engagement with evolution curriculum include evolution familiarity and personal beliefs conflicts. With this in mind, we investigated the…

Evolution in Health and Disease: The Role of Evolutionary Biology in the Medical Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downie, J. R.

2004-01-01

Recent work has emphasised the relevance of evolutionary processes to medical thinking and practice. However, medical curricular revisions, in reducing basic science content, have often excluded evolution. This study establishes the extent of inclusion of evolution in UK medical courses, reports on the level of medical student rejection of…

Development of a prototype two-phase thermal bus system for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myron, D. L.; Parish, R. C.

1987-01-01

This paper describes the basic elements of a pumped two-phase ammonia thermal control system designed for microgravity environments, the development of the concept into a Space Station flight design, and design details of the prototype to be ground-tested in the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Thermal Test Bed. The basic system concept is one of forced-flow heat transport through interface heat exchangers with anhydrous ammonia being pumped by a device expressly designed for two-phase fluid management in reduced gravity. Control of saturation conditions, and thus system interface temperatures, is accomplished with a single central pressure regulating valve. Flow control and liquid inventory are controlled by passive, nonelectromechanical devices. Use of these simple control elements results in minimal computer controls and high system reliability. Building on the basic system concept, a brief overview of a potential Space Station flight design is given. Primary verification of the system concept will involve testing at JSC of a 25-kW ground test article currently in fabrication.

Innovations in human genetics education. Incorporation of genetics into a problem-based medical school curriculum.

PubMed Central

Swinford, A E; McKeag, D B

1990-01-01

There has been recent interest in the development of problem-based human genetics curricula in U.S. medical schools. The College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University has had a problem-based curriculum since 1974. The vertical integration of genetics within the problem-based curriculum, called "Track II," has recently been revised. On first inspection, the curriculum appeared to lack a significant genetics component; however, on further analysis it was found that many genetics concepts were covered in the biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and clinical science components. Both basic science concepts and clinical applications of genetics are covered in the curriculum by providing appropriate references for basic concepts and including inherited conditions within the differential diagnosis in the cases studied. Evaluations consist of a multiple-choice content exam and a modified essay exam based on a clinical case, allowing evaluation of both basic concepts and problem-solving ability. This curriculum prepares students to use genetics in a clinical context in their future careers. PMID:2220816

Survey of Basic Education in Eastern Africa. UNESCO/UNICEF Co-Operation Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Nairobi (Kenya). Regional Office of Science and Technology for Africa.

A survey of basic education in 13 Eastern African countries (Madagascar, Burundi, Comores, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Somalia) covers basic education programs and UNICEF's supporting role. Basic education is seen as a concept evolved in the region, involving formal school systems and…

Education and Criminal Justice: The Educational Approach to Prison Administration. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morin, Lucien; Cosman, J. W.

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners do not express the basic principle that would support a serious educational approach to prison administration. The crucial missing rationale is the concept of the inherent dignity of the individual human prisoner. This concept has certain basic educational implications,…

Teaching Basic Programming Concepts to Young Primary School Students Using Tablets: Results of a Pilot Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fokides, Emmanuel

2018-01-01

The study presents the results of a project in which tablets and a ready-made application were used for teaching basic programming concepts to young primary school students (ages 7-9). A total of 135 students participated in the study, attending primary schools in Athens, Greece, divided into three groups. The first was taught conventionally. The…

All about Flight. Physical Science for Children[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Up, up and away! A hot air balloon, an airplane and even the space shuttle all defy the force of gravity, but they all do it in different ways. Children will learn about the basic concepts that make flight possible. With clear demonstrations and a hands-on project, students will be able to understand more easily the basic concepts behind various…

Development and Validation of the Life Sciences Assessment: A Measure of Preschool Children's Conceptions of Basic Life Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maherally, Uzma Nooreen

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a science assessment tool termed the Life Sciences Assessment (LSA) in order to assess preschool children's conceptions of basic life sciences. The hypothesis was that the four sub-constructs, each of which can be measured through a series of questions on the LSA, will make a significant…

High-School Students' Conceptual Difficulties and Attempts at Conceptual Change: The Case of Basic Quantum Chemical Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsaparlis, Georgios; Papaphotis, Georgios

2009-01-01

This study tested for deep understanding and critical thinking about basic quantum chemical concepts taught at 12th grade (age 17-18). Our aim was to achieve conceptual change in students. A quantitative study was conducted first (n = 125), and following this 23 selected students took part in semi-structured interviews either individually or in…

The Effect of 3D Computer Modeling and Observation-Based Instruction on the Conceptual Change regarding Basic Concepts of Astronomy in Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kucukozer, Huseyin; Korkusuz, M. Emin; Kucukozer, H. Asuman; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2009-01-01

This study has examined the impact of teaching certain basic concepts of astronomy through a predict-observe-explain strategy, which includes three-dimensional (3D) computer modeling and observations on conceptual changes seen in sixth-grade elementary school children (aged 11-13; number of students: 131). A pre- and postastronomy instruction…

Evolutionary space platform concept study. Volume 2, part B: Manned space platform concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Logical, cost-effective steps in the evolution of manned space platforms are investigated and assessed. Tasks included the analysis of requirements for a manned space platform, identifying alternative concepts, performing system analysis and definition of the concepts, comparing the concepts and performing programmatic analysis for a reference concept.

Flowmeter evaluation for on-orbit operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baird, R. S.

1988-01-01

Various flowmetering concepts were flow tested to characterize the relative capabilities and limitations for on-orbit fluid-transfer operations. Performance results and basic operating principles of each flowmetering concept tested are summarized, and basic considerations required to select the best flowmeter(s) for fluid system application are discussed. Concepts tested were clamp-on ultrasonic, area averaging ultrasonic, offset ultrasonic, coriolis mass, vortex shedding, universal venturi tube, turbine, bearingless turbine, turbine/turbine differential-pressure hybrid, dragbody, and dragbody/turbine hybrid flowmeters. Fluid system flowmeter selection considerations discussed are flowmeter performance, fluid operating conditions, systems operating environments, flowmeter packaging, flowmeter maintenance, and flowmeter technology. No one flowmetering concept tested was shown to be best for all on-orbit fluid systems.

Etymology as an Aid to Understanding Chemistry Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarma, Nittala S.

2004-10-01

Recognition of word roots and the pattern of evolution of scientific terms can be helpful in understanding chemistry concepts (gaining knowledge of new concepts represented by related terms). The meaning and significance of various etymological roots, occurring as prefixes and suffixes in technical terms particularly of organic chemistry, are explained in a unified manner in order to show the connection of various concepts vis à vis the terms in currency. The meanings of some special words and many examples are provided. The interesting aspects of history and culture often involved in the evolution of terms will help sustain an abiding engagement in the study of chemistry.

Progress toward a general species concept.

PubMed

Hausdorf, Bernhard

2011-04-01

New insights in the speciation process and the nature of "species" that accumulated in the past decade demand adjustments of the species concept. The standing of some of the most broadly accepted or most innovative species concepts in the light of the growing evidence that reproductive barriers are semipermeable to gene flow, that species can differentiate despite ongoing interbreeding, that a single species can originate polyphyletically by parallel evolution, and that uniparental organisms are organised in units that resemble species of biparental organisms is discussed. As a synthesis of ideas in existing concepts and the new insights, a generalization of the genic concept is proposed that defines species as groups of individuals that are reciprocally characterized by features that would have negative fitness effects in other groups and that cannot be regularly exchanged between groups upon contact. The benefits of this differential fitness species concept are that it classifies groups that keep differentiated and keep on differentiating despite interbreeding as species, that it is not restricted to specific mutations or mechanisms causing speciation, and that it can be applied to the whole spectrum of organisms from uni- to biparentals. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Crossing the Threshold: Bringing Biological Variation to the Foreground

PubMed Central

Batzli, Janet M.; Knight, Jennifer K.; Hartley, Laurel M.; Maskiewicz, April Cordero; Desy, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Threshold concepts have been referred to as “jewels in the curriculum”: concepts that are key to competency in a discipline but not taught explicitly. In biology, researchers have proposed the idea of threshold concepts that include such topics as variation, randomness, uncertainty, and scale. In this essay, we explore how the notion of threshold concepts can be used alongside other frameworks meant to guide instructional and curricular decisions, and we examine the proposed threshold concept of variation and how it might influence students’ understanding of core concepts in biology focused on genetics and evolution. Using dimensions of scientific inquiry, we outline a schema that may allow students to experience and apply the idea of variation in such a way that it transforms their future understanding and learning of genetics and evolution. We encourage others to consider the idea of threshold concepts alongside the Vision and Change core concepts to provide a lens for targeted instruction and as an integrative bridge between concepts and competencies. PMID:27856553

Death, dignity, and moral nonsense.

PubMed

Pullman, Daryl

2004-01-01

Although the concept of human dignity is widely invoked in discussions regarding end-of-life decision making, the content of the notion is ambiguous. Such ambiguity has led some to conclude that human dignity is a redundant or even useless concept that we would be better off without. This paper argues, to the contrary, that the concept of human dignity is indispensable to moral discourse. Far from dispensing with human dignity, we must work to clarify the concept. The paper outlines two distinct but related conceptions of dignity that are often conflated in contemporary moral discourse. These conceptions are labelled "basic dignity" and "personal dignity", respectively. It is argued that basic dignity functions as a universal meaning constraint on moral discourse in general. Hence, to dispense with the notion could reduce us to speaking moral nonsense. Throughout the discussion, some implications for our understanding of end-of-life decision making are explored.

Testing basic ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographical principles using invasive species

Treesearch

Cynthia D. Huebner

2006-01-01

Sax et al. argue in Species Invasions: Insights into Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeography that species invasion is an on-going experiment and a research tool with which to test fundamental ecology, evolution, and biogeography tenets.

Health as a basic human need: would this be enough?

PubMed

de Campos, Thana Cristina

2012-01-01

Although the value of health is universally agreed upon, its definition is not. Both the WHO and the UN define health in terms of well-being. They advocate a globally shared responsibility that all of us - states, international organizations, pharmaceutical corporations, civil society, and individuals - bear for the health (that is, the well-being) of the world's population. In this paper I argue that this current well-being conception of health is troublesome. Its problem resides precisely in the fact that the well-being conception of health, as an all-encompassing label, does not properly distinguish between the different realities of health and the different demands of justice, which arise in each case. In addressing responsibilities related to the right to health, we need to work with a more differentiated vocabulary, which can account for these different realities. A crucial distinction to bear in mind, for the purposes of moral deliberation and the crafting of political and legal institutions, is the difference between basic and non-basic health needs. This distinction is crucial because we have presumably more stringent obligations and rights in relation to human needs that are basic, as they justify stronger moral claims, than those grounded on non-basic human needs. It is important to keep this moral distinction in mind because many of the world's problems regarding the right to health relate to basic health needs. By conflating these needs with less essential ones, we risk confusing different types of moral claims and weakening the overall case for establishing duties regarding the right to health. There is, therefore, a practical need to reevaluate the current normative conception of health so that it distinguishes, within the broad scope of well-being, between what is basic and what is not. My aim here is to shed light onto this distinction and to show the need for this differentiation. I do so, first, by providing, on the basis of David Miller's concept of basic needs, an account of basic health needs and, secondly, by mounting a defense of the basic needs approach to the right to health, arguing against James Griffin who opposes the basic needs approach. © 2012 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Are we alone? Lessons from the evolution of life on earth.

PubMed

Via, S

2001-12-01

The understanding of life on Earth that we have obtained from the science of evolutionary biology offers clues to the qustion of what life might be like if found elsewhere. After presenting the basics of the evolutionary process, I discuss the factors that determine the outcome of evolution, the role of key innovations and extinction in evolution, and whether the evolution of human life is inevitable.

Impact of a didactic sequence on basic Astronomy concepts for graduates in physics of online and classroom modalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voelzke, M. R.; Barbosa, J. I. L.

2017-07-01

In the transition from elementary school to high school, the topics related to astronomy are studied within the curriculae component of physics. In this context, at some point of time a Physic's teacher at this level of education will be faced with the need to work with the contents related to this science. In this way, it is important to broaden the discussion about teacher education, as well as to apply in practice the means for it. Therefore, this work has the objective to present the results, obtained by application of a questionnaire at the beginning (a pre-test), and at the final stage by a course for physics graduates of online and classroom modalities (completed with a post-test), which was organized through the Potentially Significant Teaching Units - PSTUs; and this work also presents the level of satisfaction of them in relation to the course. It is an applied and descriptive research, and the adopted technical procedures consisted of the survey and a participatory research. The data were organized in spreadsheets and the statistical analyzes were made in the sequence, with the objective of establishing comparisons between the studied groups, of their evolution of acquired knowledge and their level of satisfaction, resulting from the development in the course. The results indicate that there has been an evolution of the student's s basic knowledge with relation to the proposed topics of Astronomy in the didactic sequences, i.e., the activities developed in the administered course created a favorable atmosphere for the learning, which is therefore contributing to the initial formation of these physics teachers.

[Nurse's concept in the managerial conception of a basic health unit].

PubMed

Passos, Joanir Pereira; Ciosak, Suely Itsuko

2006-12-01

This study is part of a larger survey called "Use of indicators in nurses' managerial practice in Basic Health Care Units in the city of Rio de Janeiro", which was carried out in the Basic Health Care Units of the Planning Area 5.3 and whose objectives were to identify nurses' conception regarding the tools required for management in those units and to discuss the role of management in organizing health services. The study is descriptive and data were collected in interviews with seven nurse managers. The results show that health services actions are organized and directed to the purpose of the working process through the relationship established between the object, the instruments and the final product, and that for those nurses the end result to be achieved is client's satisfaction and the quality of medical and nursing care.

Cause and Effect: Testing a Mechanism and Method for the Cognitive Integration of Basic Science.

PubMed

Kulasegaram, Kulamakan; Manzone, Julian C; Ku, Cheryl; Skye, Aimee; Wadey, Veronica; Woods, Nicole N

2015-11-01

Methods of integrating basic science with clinical knowledge are still debated in medical training. One possibility is increasing the spatial and temporal proximity of clinical content to basic science. An alternative model argues that teaching must purposefully expose relationships between the domains. The authors compared different methods of integrating basic science: causal explanations linking basic science to clinical features, presenting both domains separately but in proximity, and simply presenting clinical features First-year undergraduate health professions students were randomized to four conditions: (1) science-causal explanations (SC), (2) basic science before clinical concepts (BC), (3) clinical concepts before basic science (CB), and (4) clinical features list only (FL). Based on assigned conditions, participants were given explanations for four disorders in neurology or rheumatology followed by a memory quiz and diagnostic test consisting of 12 cases which were repeated after one week. Ninety-four participants completed the study. No difference was found on memory test performance, but on the diagnostic test, a condition by time interaction was found (F[3,88] = 3.05, P < .03, ηp = 0.10). Although all groups had similar immediate performance, the SC group had a minimal decrease in performance on delayed testing; the CB and FL groups had the greatest decreases. These results suggest that creating proximity between basic science and clinical concepts may not guarantee cognitive integration. Although cause-and-effect explanations may not be possible for all domains, making explicit and specific connections between domains will likely facilitate the benefits of integration for learners.

Thermal evaluation of advanced solar dynamic heat receiver performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, Roger A.

1989-01-01

The thermal performance of a variety of concepts for thermal energy storage as applied to solar dynamic applications is discussed. It is recognized that designs providing large thermal gradients or large temperature swings during orbit are susceptible to early mechanical failure. Concepts incorporating heat pipe technology may encounter operational limitations over sufficiently large ranges. By reviewing the thermal performance of basic designs, the relative merits of the basic concepts are compared. In addition the effect of thermal enhancement and metal utilization as applied to each design provides a partial characterization of the performance improvements to be achieved by developing these technologies.

A basic recursion concept inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamouda, Sally; Edwards, Stephen H.; Elmongui, Hicham G.; Ernst, Jeremy V.; Shaffer, Clifford A.

2017-04-01

Recursion is both an important and a difficult topic for introductory Computer Science students. Students often develop misconceptions about the topic that need to be diagnosed and corrected. In this paper, we report on our initial attempts to develop a concept inventory that measures student misconceptions on basic recursion topics. We present a collection of misconceptions and difficulties encountered by students when learning introductory recursion as presented in a typical CS2 course. Based on this collection, a draft concept inventory in the form of a series of questions was developed and evaluated, with the question rubric tagged to the list of misconceptions and difficulties.

Representing the "Other": Basic Writers and the Teaching of Basic Writing. Refiguring English Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Bruce; Lu, Min-Zhan

Intended for teachers of basic writing, this book contains a collection of new and updated essays addressing issues surrounding underprepared writers. It maps errors and expectations for basic writing and develops teaching approaches that will be effective in a social and political world. The book considers concepts such as the possibility of…

Basic Science Living Skills for Today's World. Teacher's Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zellers (Robert W.) Educational Services, Johnstown, PA.

This document is a teacher's edition of a basic skills curriculum in science for adult basic education (ABE) students. The course consists of 25 lessons on basic science concepts, designed to give students a good understanding of the biological and physical sciences. Suggested activities and experiments that the student can do are also included.…

Rationalising Sports Policies: I. Outline of a Methodology. European Cooperation For the Development of Sport for All.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paz, Benito Castejon; And Others

The major aim of this study is to devise a model for rationalizing sports policies by defining the basic concepts that should be inherent in any proper sports policy despite the infinite diversity that characterizes actual sport situations. The first part of the study discusses three concepts which are basic to the model: a) the "level of sport"…

Experiencing Economic Concepts: Formal and Informal Concept Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armento, Beverly Jeanne

1980-01-01

This article discusses the feasibility of and the skills needed for teaching basic economic concepts such as supply and demand in an informal learning situation, in this case the simulation of an economic system based on barter. (CJ)

Professionalism as an Organizational Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beam, Randal A.

Although professionalism has been an important concept to American journalists for over a century, no consensus exists regarding what concepts like profession, professionalism, and professionalization mean. Three basic traditions have dominated the sociological literature on professionalism: (1) the phenomenological approach, which advocates…

Exploring the value and role of integrated supportive science courses in the reformed medical curriculum iMED: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Eisenbarth, Sophie; Tilling, Thomas; Lueerss, Eva; Meyer, Jelka; Sehner, Susanne; Guse, Andreas H; Guse Nee Kurré, Jennifer

2016-04-29

Heterogeneous basic science knowledge of medical students is an important challenge for medical education. In this study, the authors aimed at exploring the value and role of integrated supportive science (ISS) courses as a novel approach to address this challenge and to promote learning basic science concepts in medical education. ISS courses were embedded in a reformed medical curriculum. The authors used a mixed methods approach including four focus groups involving ISS course lecturers and students (two each), and five surveys of one student cohort covering the results of regular student evaluations including the ISS courses across one study year. They conducted their study at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between December 2013 and July 2014. Fourteen first-year medical students and thirteen ISS course lecturers participated in the focus groups. The authors identified several themes focused on the temporal integration of ISS courses into the medical curriculum, the integration of ISS course contents into core curriculum contents, the value and role of ISS courses, and the courses' setting and atmosphere. The integrated course concept was positively accepted by both groups, with participants suggesting that it promotes retention of basic science knowledge. Values and roles identified by focus group participants included promotion of basic understanding of science concepts, integration of foundational and applied learning, and maximization of students' engagement and motivation. Building close links between ISS course contents and the core curriculum appeared to be crucial. Survey results confirmed qualitative findings regarding students' satisfaction, with some courses still requiring optimization. Integration of supportive basic science courses, traditionally rather part of premedical education, into the medical curriculum appears to be a feasible strategy to improve medical students' understanding of basic science concepts and to increase their motivation and engagement.

Prolegomenon to patterns in evolution.

PubMed

Kauffman, Stuart A

2014-09-01

Despite Darwin, we remain children of Newton and dream of a grand theory that is epistemologically complete and would allow prediction of the evolution of the biosphere. The main purpose of this article is to show that this dream is false, and bears on studying patterns of evolution. To do so, I must justify the use of the word "function" in biology, when physics has only happenings. The concept of "function" lifts biology irreducibly above physics, for as we shall see, we cannot prestate the ever new biological functions that arise and constitute the very phase space of evolution. Hence, we cannot mathematize the detailed becoming of the biosphere, nor write differential equations for functional variables we do not know ahead of time, nor integrate those equations, so no laws "entail" evolution. The dream of a grand theory fails. In place of entailing laws, I propose a post-entailing law explanatory framework in which Actuals arise in evolution that constitute new boundary conditions that are enabling constraints that create new, typically unprestatable, adjacent possible opportunities for further evolution, in which new Actuals arise, in a persistent becoming. Evolution flows into a typically unprestatable succession of adjacent possibles. Given the concept of function, the concept of functional closure of an organism making a living in its world becomes central. Implications for patterns in evolution include historical reconstruction, and statistical laws such as the distribution of extinction events, or species per genus, and the use of formal cause, not efficient cause, laws. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Significant and Basic Innovations in Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolyasnikov, V. A.

2017-11-01

The article considers the development features of the innovative urban planning in the USSR and Russia in XVIII - XX centuries. Innovative urban planning is defined as an activity on innovations creation and their implementation to obtain a socio-economic, political, environmental or other effect. In the course of urban development history this activity represents a cyclic wave process in which there are phases of rise and fall. The study of cyclic waves in the development of innovative urban planning uses the concept of basic and epochal innovations selection. This concept was developed by scientists for the study of cyclic wave processes in economics. Its adaptation to the conditions of innovative urban planning development allows one to introduce the concept of “basic innovation” and “significant innovation” in the theory and practice of settlement formation and their systems as well as to identify opportunities to highlight these innovations in the history of Russian urban planning. From these positions, six innovation waves committed to the urban development over the past 300 years are being investigated. The observed basic innovations in the domestic urban area show that urban development is a vital area for ensuring the country’s geopolitical security. Basic innovations are translated in time and modernized under new conditions of urban planning development. In this regard, we can predict the development of four basic innovations in post-Soviet Russia.

A guided enquiry approach to introduce basic concepts concerning magnetic hysteresis to minimize student misconceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yajun; Zhai, Zhaohui; Gunnarsson, Klas; Svedlindh, Peter

2014-11-01

Basic concepts concerning magnetic hysteresis are of vital importance in understanding magnetic materials. However, these concepts are often misinterpreted by many students and even textbooks. We summarize the most common misconceptions and present a new approach to help clarify these misconceptions and enhance students’ understanding of the hysteresis loop. In this approach, students are required to perform an experiment and plot the measured magnetization values and thereby calculated demagnetizing field, internal field, and magnetic induction as functions of the applied field point by point on the same graph. The concepts of the various coercivity, remanence, saturation magnetization, and saturation induction will not be introduced until this stage. By plotting this graph, students are able to interlink all the preceding concepts and intuitively visualize the underlying physical relations between them.

Are we prepared to implement a Lean philosophy within cancer-care service in Oman?

PubMed

Mehdi, Itrat; Al Bahrani, Bassim J

2017-07-01

Lean, as it applies to business, has come to signify simplicity, swift response, and efficiency. The concept is to do more with less; namely, to use resources in the most productive way possible through the elimination of all types of waste. The Lean approach can be applied to any field, including healthcare, in which the exponential growth of costs is widespread. Hospitals began experimenting with Lean healthcare in 1990s.  Equal accessibility to healthcare is consistent with the tenets of social justice and a society's duty to ensure basic healthcare to everyone. However, the gap between a state's constitutional responsibility and resource availability is widening, creating a need for an evolution in healthcare provision based on relevance, objectivity, and impartiality. Health-services providers must juggle limited resources to ensure even-handed healthcare availability to all in the era of cost explosion.

Cuticular Lipids as a Cross-Talk among Ants, Plants and Butterflies

PubMed Central

Barbero, Francesca

2016-01-01

Even though insects and plants are distantly related organisms, they developed an integument which is functionally and structurally similar. Besides functioning as a physical barrier to cope with abiotic and biotic stress, this interface, called cuticle, is also a source of chemical signaling. Crucial compounds with this respect are surface lipids and especially cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). This review is focused on the role of CHCs in fostering multilevel relationships among ants, plants and Lepidoptera (primarily butterflies). Indeed, particular traits of ants as eusocial organisms allowed the evolution and the maintenance of a variety of associations with both plants and animals. Basic concepts of myrmecophilous interactions and chemical deception strategies together with chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways and functions of CHCs as molecular cues of multitrophic systems are provided. Finally, the need to adopt a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach in the survey of complex models is discussed. PMID:27886144

Principles, problems, and paradoxes of cosmogony

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treder, H.-J.

The historical development of scientific theories of cosmogony since Newton and Kant is traced, with emphases on the inherent problems and paradoxes and on the evolution of the solar system. The basic conflict between the Newtonian concept of ahistorical physical processes in reversible time and the thermodynamic principle of irreversible entropy increase is seen as only partially resolved by the modern view that microscale events are reversible while macroscale events are not. It is shown that the theory of an adiabatic isentropic expansion of the universe cannot yet explain the genesis of galaxies of 10 billion stars. Kant's cosmogony of the solar system by condensation from a gas cloud is considered qualitatively valid; quantitative corrections, especially for the planets and their satellites, are discussed and related to the hypotheses of La Place. The observations of Barnard's star by van de Kamp, indicating the existence of Jupiter-like planets in almost circular orbits around it, are considered.

Are we prepared to implement a Lean philosophy within cancer-care service in Oman?

PubMed Central

Mehdi, Itrat; Bahrani, Bassim J. Al

2017-01-01

Lean, as it applies to business, has come to signify simplicity, swift response, and efficiency. The concept is to do more with less; namely, to use resources in the most productive way possible through the elimination of all types of waste. The Lean approach can be applied to any field, including healthcare, in which the exponential growth of costs is widespread. Hospitals began experimenting with Lean healthcare in 1990s. Equal accessibility to healthcare is consistent with the tenets of social justice and a society’s duty to ensure basic healthcare to everyone. However, the gap between a state’s constitutional responsibility and resource availability is widening, creating a need for an evolution in healthcare provision based on relevance, objectivity, and impartiality. Health-services providers must juggle limited resources to ensure even-handed healthcare availability to all in the era of cost explosion. PMID:28674713

Cuticular Lipids as a Cross-Talk among Ants, Plants and Butterflies.

PubMed

Barbero, Francesca

2016-11-24

Even though insects and plants are distantly related organisms, they developed an integument which is functionally and structurally similar. Besides functioning as a physical barrier to cope with abiotic and biotic stress, this interface, called cuticle, is also a source of chemical signaling. Crucial compounds with this respect are surface lipids and especially cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). This review is focused on the role of CHCs in fostering multilevel relationships among ants, plants and Lepidoptera (primarily butterflies). Indeed, particular traits of ants as eusocial organisms allowed the evolution and the maintenance of a variety of associations with both plants and animals. Basic concepts of myrmecophilous interactions and chemical deception strategies together with chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways and functions of CHCs as molecular cues of multitrophic systems are provided. Finally, the need to adopt a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach in the survey of complex models is discussed.

Star on the horizon: The emergence of the direct broadcast satellite in American mass communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, J. H.

1984-12-01

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the concept of broadcasting from satellites directly to the viewer equipped with a small, inexpensive receiving antenna, and the evolution of this technology as a means of commercial broadcast. Emphasis is placed on the problems of developing a regulatory framework for DBS by the Federal Communications Commission. The opposition of the existing broadcasters to the unregulated development of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is explored in light of the possible effect that DBS may have on the economic base, audience, and advertising revenue of existing broadcasters. The information for this study was obtained from government documents, legal journals, books and the popular press. Two basic conclusions are drawn from this study: First, that the existing broadcasters have opposed the marketplace development of DBS, and second, that DBS does not pose as great a threat, at least in the near term, as the broadcasters fear.

Network Analysis: Applications for the Developing Brain

PubMed Central

Chu-Shore, Catherine J.; Kramer, Mark A.; Bianchi, Matt T.; Caviness, Verne S.; Cash, Sydney S.

2011-01-01

Development of the human brain follows a complex trajectory of age-specific anatomical and physiological changes. The application of network analysis provides an illuminating perspective on the dynamic interregional and global properties of this intricate and complex system. Here, we provide a critical synopsis of methods of network analysis with a focus on developing brain networks. After discussing basic concepts and approaches to network analysis, we explore the primary events of anatomical cortical development from gestation through adolescence. Upon this framework, we describe early work revealing the evolution of age-specific functional brain networks in normal neurodevelopment. Finally, we review how these relationships can be altered in disease and perhaps even rectified with treatment. While this method of description and inquiry remains in early form, there is already substantial evidence that the application of network models and analysis to understanding normal and abnormal human neural development holds tremendous promise for future discovery. PMID:21303762

Global search and rescue - A new concept. [orbital digital radar system with passive reflectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1976-01-01

A new terrestrial search and rescue concept is defined embodying the use of simple passive radiofreqeuncy reflectors in conjunction with a low earth-orbiting, all-weather, synthetic aperture radar to detect, identify, and position locate earth-bound users in distress. Users include ships, aircraft, small boats, explorers, hikers, etc. Airborne radar tests were conducted to evaluate the basic concept. Both X-band and L-band, dual polarization radars were operated simultaneously. Simple, relatively small, corner-reflector targets were successfully imaged and digital data processing approaches were investigated. Study of the basic concept and evaluation of results obtained from aircraft flight tests indicate an all-weather, day or night, global search and rescue system is feasible.

Star Formation and Exoplanetary Systems in the National Science Olympiad Astronomy Event for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komacek, Thaddeus D.; Young, Donna; Schroeder, Dustin M.; Van Hecke, Mark A.

2014-11-01

Science Olympiad is one of the nation’s largest secondary school science competitions, reaching over 240,000 students on more than 6,000 teams. The competition covers various aspects of science and technology, exposing students to a variety of career options in STEM. 9 of Science Olympiad’s 46 events (with 23 for both middle and high school) have a focus on Earth and Space Science, including process skills and knowledge of a variety of subjects, including: Astrophysics, Planetary Sciences, Oceanography, Meteorology, Remote Sensing, and Geologic Mapping, among others. The Astronomy event is held for students from 9th - 12th grade, and covers topics based upon stellar evolution and/or galactic astronomy. For the 2014-2015 competition season, Astronomy will focus on star formation and exoplanets in concert with stellar evolution, bringing recent and groundbreaking research to light for young potential astronomers and planetary scientists. The event tests students on their “understanding of the basic concepts of mathematics and physics relating to stellar evolution and star and planet formation,” including qualitative responses, DS9 image analysis, and quantitative problem solving. We invite any members of the exoplanet and star formation communities that are interested in developing event materials to contact the National event supervisors, Donna Young (donna@aavso.org) and Tad Komacek (tkomacek@lpl.arizona.edu). We also encourage you to contact your local regional or state Science Olympiad tournament directors to help supervise events and run competitions in your area.

Contexts, concepts and cognition: principles for the transfer of basic science knowledge.

PubMed

Kulasegaram, Kulamakan M; Chaudhary, Zarah; Woods, Nicole; Dore, Kelly; Neville, Alan; Norman, Geoffrey

2017-02-01

Transfer of basic science aids novices in the development of clinical reasoning. The literature suggests that although transfer is often difficult for novices, it can be optimised by two complementary strategies: (i) focusing learners on conceptual knowledge of basic science or (ii) exposing learners to multiple contexts in which the basic science concepts may apply. The relative efficacy of each strategy as well as the mechanisms that facilitate transfer are unknown. In two sequential experiments, we compared both strategies and explored mechanistic changes in how learners address new transfer problems. Experiment 1 was a 2 × 3 design in which participants were randomised to learn three physiology concepts with or without emphasis on the conceptual structure of basic science via illustrative analogies and by means of one, two or three contexts during practice (operationalised as organ systems). Transfer of these concepts to explain pathologies in familiar organ systems (near transfer) and unfamiliar organ systems (far transfer) was evaluated during immediate and delayed testing. Experiment 2 examined whether exposure to conceptual analogies and multiple contexts changed how learners classified new problems. Experiment 1 showed that increasing context variation significantly improved far transfer performance but there was no difference between two and three contexts during practice. Similarly, the increased conceptual analogies led to higher performance for far transfer. Both interventions had independent but additive effects on overall performance. Experiment 2 showed that such analogies and context variation caused learners to shift to using structural characteristics to classify new problems even when there was superficial similarity to previous examples. Understanding problems based on conceptual structural characteristics is necessary for successful transfer. Transfer of basic science can be optimised by using multiple strategies that collectively emphasise conceptual structure. This means teaching must focus on conserved basic science knowledge and de-emphasise superficial features. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

TRI Fotonovela Slideshow - English

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation designed to introduce the basic concepts of the Toxics Release Inventory, including why TRI is an important resource for commmunities and which tool provides the easiest access to basic TRI data.

Basic Electricity--a Novel Analogy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Richard

1996-01-01

Uses the analogy of water flow to introduce concepts in basic electricity. Presents a demonstration that uses this analogy to help students grasp the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance. (JRH)

TRI Fotonovela Slideshow - Spanish

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation designed to introduce the basic concepts of the Toxics Release Inventory, including why TRI is an important resource for commmunities and which tool provides the easiest access to basic TRI data.

Making evolutionary biology a basic science for medicine

PubMed Central

Nesse, Randolph M.; Bergstrom, Carl T.; Ellison, Peter T.; Flier, Jeffrey S.; Gluckman, Peter; Govindaraju, Diddahally R.; Niethammer, Dietrich; Omenn, Gilbert S.; Perlman, Robert L.; Schwartz, Mark D.; Thomas, Mark G.; Stearns, Stephen C.; Valle, David

2010-01-01

New applications of evolutionary biology in medicine are being discovered at an accelerating rate, but few physicians have sufficient educational background to use them fully. This article summarizes suggestions from several groups that have considered how evolutionary biology can be useful in medicine, what physicians should learn about it, and when and how they should learn it. Our general conclusion is that evolutionary biology is a crucial basic science for medicine. In addition to looking at established evolutionary methods and topics, such as population genetics and pathogen evolution, we highlight questions about why natural selection leaves bodies vulnerable to disease. Knowledge about evolution provides physicians with an integrative framework that links otherwise disparate bits of knowledge. It replaces the prevalent view of bodies as machines with a biological view of bodies shaped by evolutionary processes. Like other basic sciences, evolutionary biology needs to be taught both before and during medical school. Most introductory biology courses are insufficient to establish competency in evolutionary biology. Premedical students need evolution courses, possibly ones that emphasize medically relevant aspects. In medical school, evolutionary biology should be taught as one of the basic medical sciences. This will require a course that reviews basic principles and specific medical applications, followed by an integrated presentation of evolutionary aspects that apply to each disease and organ system. Evolutionary biology is not just another topic vying for inclusion in the curriculum; it is an essential foundation for a biological understanding of health and disease. PMID:19918069

An overview of transverse momentum dependent factorization and evolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, Ted C.

I review TMD factorization and evolution theorems, with an emphasis on the treatment by Collins and originating in the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism. Furthermore, I summarize basic results while attempting to trace their development over that past several decades.

Software Architecture Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Jeffrey M.

2013-01-01

Many software systems eventually undergo changes to their basic architectural structure. Such changes may be prompted by new feature requests, new quality attribute requirements, changing technology, or other reasons. Whatever the causes, architecture evolution is commonplace in real-world software projects. Today's software architects, however,…

An overview of transverse-momentum-dependent factorization and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, T. C.

2016-06-01

I review TMD factorization and evolution theorems, with an emphasis on the treatment by Collins and originating in the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism. I summarize basic results while attempting to trace their development over that past several decades.

An overview of transverse momentum dependent factorization and evolution

DOE PAGES

Rogers, Ted C.

2016-06-17

I review TMD factorization and evolution theorems, with an emphasis on the treatment by Collins and originating in the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism. Furthermore, I summarize basic results while attempting to trace their development over that past several decades.

Which Beak Fits the Bill? An Activity Examining Adaptation, Natural Selection and Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darling, Randi

2014-01-01

Evolution is a unifying concept within biology. In fact, Dobzhansky, a noted evolutionary biologist, argued, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" (Dobzhansky, 1973). However, often students have misconceptions about evolution. There are a number of available activities where students use tools (representing…

Conceptual versus Algorithmic Learning in High School Chemistry: The Case of Basic Quantum Chemical Concepts--Part 1. Statistical Analysis of a Quantitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papaphotis, Georgios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2008-01-01

Part 1 of the findings are presented of a quantitative study (n = 125) on basic quantum chemical concepts taught in the twelfth grade (age 17-18 years) in Greece. A paper-and-pencil test of fourteen questions was used. The study compared performance in five questions that tested recall of knowledge or application of algorithmic procedures (type-A…

Aircraft parameter estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iliff, Kenneth W.

1987-01-01

The aircraft parameter estimation problem is used to illustrate the utility of parameter estimation, which applies to many engineering and scientific fields. Maximum likelihood estimation has been used to extract stability and control derivatives from flight data for many years. This paper presents some of the basic concepts of aircraft parameter estimation and briefly surveys the literature in the field. The maximum likelihood estimator is discussed, and the basic concepts of minimization and estimation are examined for a simple simulated aircraft example. The cost functions that are to be minimized during estimation are defined and discussed. Graphic representations of the cost functions are given to illustrate the minimization process. Finally, the basic concepts are generalized, and estimation from flight data is discussed. Some of the major conclusions for the simulated example are also developed for the analysis of flight data from the F-14, highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT), and space shuttle vehicles.

Mapping Conceptual Understanding of Algebraic Concepts: An Exploratory Investigation Involving Grade 8 Chinese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Haiyue; Wong, Khoon Yoong

2015-01-01

Conceptual understanding is a major aim of mathematics education, and concept map has been used in non-mathematics research to uncover the relations among concepts held by students. This article presents the results of using concept map to assess conceptual understanding of basic algebraic concepts held by a group of 48 grade 8 Chinese students.…

Mobility on Demand Operational Concept Report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-09-10

This operational concept report provides an overview of the Mobility on Demand (MOD) concept and its evolution, description of the MOD ecosystem in a supply and demand framework, and its stakeholders and enablers. Leveraging the MOD ecosystem framewo...

Building worlds and learning astronomy on Facebook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harold, J. B.; Hines, D. C.

2013-12-01

James Harold (SSI), Dean Hines (STScI/SSI) and a team at the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute are developing an end-to-end stellar and planetary evolution game for the Facebook platform. Supported by NSF and NASA, and based in part on a prototype funded by STScI several years ago ('MyStar'), the game uses the 'sporadic play' model of games such as Farmville, where players might only take actions a few times a day, but continue playing for months. This framework is an excellent fit for teaching about the evolution of stars and planets. Players will select regions of the galaxy to build their stars and planets, and watch as the systems evolve in scaled real time (a million years to the minute). Massive stars will supernova within minutes, while lower mass stars like our sun will live for weeks, possibly evolving life before passing through a red giant stage and ending their lives as white dwarfs. In addition to allowing players to explore a variety of astronomy concepts (stellar lifecycles, habitable zones, the roles of giant worlds in creating habitable solar systems), the game also allows us to address specific misconceptions. For instance, the game's solar system visualization engine is being designed to confront common issues concerning orbital shapes and scales. 'Mini games' will also let players unlock advanced functionality, while allowing us to create activities focused on specific learning goals. This presentation will focus on the current state of the project as well as its overall goals, which include reaching a broad audience with basic astronomy concepts as well as current science results; exploring the potential of social, 'sporadic play' games in education; and determining if platforms such as Facebook allow us to reach significantly different demographics than are generally targeted by educational games.

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's "Project Spectra!"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christofferson, R.; Wood, E. L.; Euler, G.

2012-12-01

"Project Spectra!" is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new "Project Spectra!" interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives are currently being pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

'Desa SIAGA', the 'Alert Village': the evolution of an iconic brand in Indonesian public health strategies.

PubMed

Hill, Peter S; Goeman, Lieve; Sofiarini, Rahmi; Djara, Maddi M

2014-07-01

In 1999, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment in Indonesia worked with advertisers in Jakarta and international technical advisors to develop the concept of 'Suami SIAGA', the 'Alert Husband', confronting Indonesian males with their responsibilities to be aware of their wives' needs and ensure early access if needed to trained obstetrics care. The model was rapidly expanded to apply to the 'Desa SIAGA', the 'Alert Village', with communities assuming the responsibility for awareness of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth, and supporting registered pregnant mothers with funding and transportation for emergency obstetric assistance, and identified blood donors. Based on the participant observation, interviews and documentary analysis, this article uses a systems perspective to trace the evolution of that iconic 'brand' as new national and international actors further developed the concept and its application in provincial and national programmes. In 2010, it underwent a further transformation to become 'Desa Siaga Aktif', a national programme with responsibilities expanded to include the provision of basic health services at village level, and the surveillance of communicable disease, monitoring of lifestyle activities and disaster preparedness, in addition to the management of obstetric emergencies. By tracking the use of this single 'brand', the study provides insights into the complex adaptive system of policy and programme development with its rich interactions between multiple international, national, provincial and sectoral stakeholders, the unpredictable responses to feedback from these actors and their activities and the resultant emergence of new policy elements, new programmes and new levels of operation within the system. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's 'Project Spectra!'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, E. L.

2013-12-01

'Project Spectra!' is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new 'Project Spectra!' interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives were pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

The protein folds as platonic forms: new support for the pre-Darwinian conception of evolution by natural law.

PubMed

Denton, Michael J; Marshall, Craig J; Legge, Michael

2002-12-07

Before the Darwinian revolution many biologists considered organic forms to be determined by natural law like atoms or crystals and therefore necessary, intrinsic and immutable features of the world order, which will occur throughout the cosmos wherever there is life. The search for the natural determinants of organic form-the celebrated "Laws of Form"-was seen as one of the major tasks of biology. After Darwin, this Platonic conception of form was abandoned and natural selection, not natural law, was increasingly seen to be the main, if not the exclusive, determinant of organic form. However, in the case of one class of very important organic forms-the basic protein folds-advances in protein chemistry since the early 1970s have revealed that they represent a finite set of natural forms, determined by a number of generative constructional rules, like those which govern the formation of atoms or crystals, in which functional adaptations are clearly secondary modifications of primary "givens of physics." The folds are evidently determined by natural law, not natural selection, and are "lawful forms" in the Platonic and pre-Darwinian sense of the word, which are bound to occur everywhere in the universe where the same 20 amino acids are used for their construction. We argue that this is a major discovery which has many important implications regarding the origin of proteins, the origin of life and the fundamental nature of organic form. We speculate that it is unlikely that the folds will prove to be the only case in nature where a set of complex organic forms is determined by natural law, and suggest that natural law may have played a far greater role in the origin and evolution of life than is currently assumed.

Introduction to TRI for Communities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation designed to introduce the basic concepts of the Toxics Release Inventory, including why TRI is an important resource for commmunities and which tool provides the easiest access to basic TRI data.

``Physics with a Smile''-Explaining Phenomena with a Qualitative Problem-Solving Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mualem, Roni; Eylon, Bat-Sheva

2007-03-01

Various studies indicate that high school physics students and even college students majoring in physics have difficulties in qualitative understanding of basic concepts and principles of physics.1-5 For example, studies carried out with the Force Concept Inventory (FCI)1,6 illustrate that qualitative tasks are not easy to solve even at the college level. Consequently, "conceptual physics" courses have been designed to foster qualitative understanding, and advanced high school physics courses as well as introductory college-level courses strive to develop qualitative understanding. Many physics education researchers emphasize the importance of acquiring some qualitative understanding of basic concepts in physics as early as middle school or in the context of courses that offer "Physics First" in the ninth grade before biology or chemistry.7 This trend is consistent with the call to focus the science curriculum on a small number of basic concepts and ideas, and to instruct students in a more "meaningful way" leading to better understanding. Studies7-10 suggest that familiar everyday contexts (see Fig. 1) are useful in fostering qualitative understanding.

Teaching basic science to optimize transfer.

PubMed

Norman, Geoff

2009-09-01

Basic science teachers share the concern that much of what they teach is soon forgotten. Although some evidence suggests that relatively little basic science is forgotten, it may not appear so, as students commonly have difficulty using these concepts to solve or explain clinical problems: This phenomenon, using a concept learned in one context to solve a problem in a different context, is known to cognitive psychologists as transfer. The psychology literature shows that transfer is difficult; typically, even though students may know a concept, fewer than 30% will be able to use it to solve new problems. However a number of strategies to improve transfer can be adopted at the time of initial teaching of the concept, in the use of exemplars to illustrate the concept, and in practice with additional problems. In this article, we review the literature in psychology to identify practical strategies to improve transfer. Critical review of psychology literature to identify factors that enhance or impede transfer. There are a number of strategies available to teachers to facilitate transfer. These include active problem-solving at the time of initial learning, imbedding the concept in a problem context, using everyday analogies, and critically, practice with multiple dissimilar problems. Further, mixed practice, where problems illustrating different concepts are mixed together, and distributed practice, spread out over time, can result in significant and large gains. Transfer is difficult, but specific teaching strategies can enhance this skill by factors of two or three.

E-Basics: Online Basic Training in Program Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silliman, Ben

2016-01-01

E-Basics is an online training in program evaluation concepts and skills designed for youth development professionals, especially those working in nonformal science education. Ten hours of online training in seven modules is designed to prepare participants for mentoring and applied practice, mastery, and/or team leadership in program evaluation.…

Developing Basic Math Skills for Marketing. Student Manual and Laboratory Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klewer, Edwin D.

Field tested with students in grades 10-12, this manual is designed to teach students in marketing courses basic mathematical concepts. The instructional booklet contains seven student assignments covering the following topics: why basic mathematics is so important, whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, weights and measures, and dollars…

Back to the Basics: Kansas City, Missouri

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handley, Lawrence R.; Lockwood, Catherine M.; Handley, Nathan

2004-01-01

"Back to the Basics" is an innovation of the WETMAAP Program (Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photography) which offers a series of workshops that provide training in basics ecological concepts, technological skills, and methods of interpretation necessary for assessing geography and earth science topics. The precept of the…

Introducing Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, MA.

The booklet outlines and presents examples of basic economics concepts. Objectives are to help elementary and secondary teachers introduce economic concepts in the classroom and to help teachers grasp some of the fundamentals of economics. The document is divided into seven sections. Each section presents concepts, offers three supporting…

Creatures in the Classroom: Preservice Teacher Beliefs About Fantastic Beasts, Magic, Extraterrestrials, Evolution and Creationism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losh, Susan Carol; Nzekwe, Brandon

2011-05-01

Faculty have long expressed concern about pseudoscience belief among students. Most US research on such beliefs examines evolution-creation issues among liberal arts students, the general public, and occasionally science educators. Because of their future influence on youth, we examined basic science knowledge and several pseudoscience beliefs among 540 female and 123 male upperclass preservice teachers, comparing them with representative samples of comparably educated American adults. Future teachers resembled national adults on basic science knowledge. Their scores on evolution; creationism; intelligent design; fantastic beasts; magic; and extraterrestrials indices depended on the topic. Exempting science education, preservice teachers rejected evolution, accepting Biblical creation and intelligent design accounts. Sizable minorities "awaited more evidence" about fantastic beasts, magic, or extraterrestrials. Although gender, disciplinary major, grade point average, science knowledge, and two religiosity measures related to beliefs about evolution-creation, these factors were generally unassociated with the other indices. The findings suggest more training is needed for preservice educators in the critical evaluation of material evidence. We also discuss the judicious use of pseudoscience beliefs in such training.

Teachers' Conceptions of Tangent Line

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paez Murillo, Rosa Elvira; Vivier, Laurent

2013-01-01

In order to study the conceptions, and their evolutions, of the tangent line to a curve an updating workshop which took place in Mexico was designed for upper secondary school teachers. This workshop was planned using the methodology of cooperative learning, scientific debate and auto reflection (ACODESA) and the conception-knowing-concept model…

Teaching Evolution through the Founder Effect: A Standards-Based Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, William H.; Edmondson, Elizabeth

2003-01-01

Presents an activity called "The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, Founder Effect, and Evolution" to allow students to learn about evolution in an engaging, constructivist manner. The activity also uses the tools of mathematics to learn several related biology concepts. (Author/SOE)

Status of the Space Station environmental control and life support system design concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, C. D.; Humphries, W. R.

1986-01-01

The current status of the Space Station (SS) environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) design is outlined. The concept has been defined at the subsystem level. Data supporting these definitions are provided which identify general configuratioons for all modules. Requirements, guidelines and assumptions used in generating these configurations are detailed. The basic 2 US module 'core' Space Station is addressed along with system synergism issues and early man-tended and future growth considerations. Along with these basic studies, also addressed here are options related to variation in the 'core' module makeup and more austere Station concepts such as commonality, automation and design to cost.

A new dimension in evolution: Impacts of human consciousness on sustainability - and beyond

Treesearch

Charles M. Jr. McKenna

2006-01-01

Starting with the concepts of the “noosphere” -- the sphere of thought -- and the evolution of consciousness developed by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in the first half of the last century, we will introduce a hypothesis declaring the interdependence of the noosphere with global systems, and extrapolate to new perceptions that these concepts, and others which seem to...

Darwinian evolution in the light of genomics

PubMed Central

Koonin, Eugene V.

2009-01-01

Comparative genomics and systems biology offer unprecedented opportunities for testing central tenets of evolutionary biology formulated by Darwin in the Origin of Species in 1859 and expanded in the Modern Synthesis 100 years later. Evolutionary-genomic studies show that natural selection is only one of the forces that shape genome evolution and is not quantitatively dominant, whereas non-adaptive processes are much more prominent than previously suspected. Major contributions of horizontal gene transfer and diverse selfish genetic elements to genome evolution undermine the Tree of Life concept. An adequate depiction of evolution requires the more complex concept of a network or ‘forest’ of life. There is no consistent tendency of evolution towards increased genomic complexity, and when complexity increases, this appears to be a non-adaptive consequence of evolution under weak purifying selection rather than an adaptation. Several universals of genome evolution were discovered including the invariant distributions of evolutionary rates among orthologous genes from diverse genomes and of paralogous gene family sizes, and the negative correlation between gene expression level and sequence evolution rate. Simple, non-adaptive models of evolution explain some of these universals, suggesting that a new synthesis of evolutionary biology might become feasible in a not so remote future. PMID:19213802

Self-Supervised Dynamical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zak, Michail

2003-01-01

Some progress has been made in a continuing effort to develop mathematical models of the behaviors of multi-agent systems known in biology, economics, and sociology (e.g., systems ranging from single or a few biomolecules to many interacting higher organisms). Living systems can be characterized by nonlinear evolution of probability distributions over different possible choices of the next steps in their motions. One of the main challenges in mathematical modeling of living systems is to distinguish between random walks of purely physical origin (for instance, Brownian motions) and those of biological origin. Following a line of reasoning from prior research, it has been assumed, in the present development, that a biological random walk can be represented by a nonlinear mathematical model that represents coupled mental and motor dynamics incorporating the psychological concept of reflection or self-image. The nonlinear dynamics impart the lifelike ability to behave in ways and to exhibit patterns that depart from thermodynamic equilibrium. Reflection or self-image has traditionally been recognized as a basic element of intelligence. The nonlinear mathematical models of the present development are denoted self-supervised dynamical systems. They include (1) equations of classical dynamics, including random components caused by uncertainties in initial conditions and by Langevin forces, coupled with (2) the corresponding Liouville or Fokker-Planck equations that describe the evolutions of probability densities that represent the uncertainties. The coupling is effected by fictitious information-based forces, denoted supervising forces, composed of probability densities and functionals thereof. The equations of classical mechanics represent motor dynamics that is, dynamics in the traditional sense, signifying Newton s equations of motion. The evolution of the probability densities represents mental dynamics or self-image. Then the interaction between the physical and metal aspects of a monad is implemented by feedback from mental to motor dynamics, as represented by the aforementioned fictitious forces. This feedback is what makes the evolution of probability densities nonlinear. The deviation from linear evolution can be characterized, in a sense, as an expression of free will. It has been demonstrated that probability densities can approach prescribed attractors while exhibiting such patterns as shock waves, solitons, and chaos in probability space. The concept of self-supervised dynamical systems has been considered for application to diverse phenomena, including information-based neural networks, cooperation, competition, deception, games, and control of chaos. In addition, a formal similarity between the mathematical structures of self-supervised dynamical systems and of quantum-mechanical systems has been investigated.

Conducting polymer actuators: From basic concepts to proprioceptive systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Gil, Jose Gabriel

Designers and engineers have been dreaming for decades of motors sensing, by themselves, working and surrounding conditions, as biological muscles do originating proprioception. Here bilayer full polymeric artificial muscles were checked up to very high cathodic potential limits (-2.5 V) in aqueous solution by cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical driven exchange of ions from the conducting polymer film, and the concomitant Faradaic bending movement of the muscle, takes place in the full studied potential range. The presence of trapped counterion after deep reduction was corroborated by EDX determinations giving quite high electronic conductivity to the device. The large bending movement was used as a tool to quantify the amount of water exchanged per reaction unit (exchanged electron or ion). The potential evolutions of self-supported films of conducting polymers or conducting polymers (polypyrrole, polyaniline) coating different microfibers, during its oxidation/reduction senses working mechanical, thermal, chemical or electrical variables. The evolution of the muscle potential from electrochemical artificial muscles based on electroactive materials such as intrinsically conducting polymers and driven by constant currents senses, while working, any variation of the mechanical (trailed mass, obstacles, pressure, strain or stress), thermal or chemical conditions of work. One physically uniform artificial muscle includes one electrochemical motor and several sensors working simultaneously under the same driving reaction. Actuating (current and charge) and sensing (potential and energy) magnitudes are present, simultaneously, in the only two connecting wires and can be read by the computer at any time. From basic polymeric, mechanical and electrochemical principles a physicochemical equation describing artificial proprioception has been developed. It includes and describes, simultaneously, the evolution of the muscle potential during actuation as a function of the motor characteristics (rate and sense of the movement, relative position, and required energy) and the working variables (temperature, electrolyte concentration, mechanical conditions and driving current). By changing working conditions experimental results overlap theoretical predictions. The ensemble computer-generator-muscle-theoretical equation constitutes and describes artificial mechanical, thermal and chemical proprioception of the system. Proprioceptive tools and most intelligent zoomorphic or anthropomorphic soft robots can be envisaged.

Case studies in cholera: lessons in medical history and science.

PubMed Central

Kavic, S. M.; Frehm, E. J.; Segal, A. S.

1999-01-01

Cholera, a prototypical secretory diarrheal disease, is an ancient scourge that has both wrought great suffering and taught many valuable lessons, from basic sanitation to molecular signal transduction. Victims experience the voluminous loss of bicarbonate-rich isotonic saline at a rate that may lead to hypovolemic shock, metabolic acidosis, and death within afew hours. Intravenous solution therapy as we know it was first developed in an attempt to provide life-saving volume replacement for cholera patients. Breakthroughs in epithelial membrane transport physiology, such as the discovery of sugar and salt cotransport, have paved the way for oral replacement therapy in areas of the world where intravenous replacement is not readily available. In addition, the discovery of the cholera toxin has yielded vital information about toxigenic infectious diseases, providing a framework in which to study fundamental elements of intracellular signal transduction pathways, such as G-proteins. Cholera may even shed light on the evolution and pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis, the most commonly inherited disease among Caucasians. The goal of this paper is to review, using case studies, some of the lessons learned from cholera throughout the ages, acknowledging those pioneers whose seminal work led to our understanding of many basic concepts in medical epidemiology, microbiology, physiology, and therapeutics. PMID:11138935

What Is Huntington Disease?

MedlinePlus

... have it? For more information... Acknowledgments Concept 15 : DNA and proteins are key molecules of the cell nucleus. Learn the basic chemistry of DNA and proteins. Concept 27 : Mutations are changes in ...

What Is Phenylketonuria (PKU)?

MedlinePlus

... have it? For more information... Acknowledgments Concept 15 : DNA and proteins are key molecules of the cell nucleus. Learn the basic chemistry of DNA and proteins. Concept 27 : Mutations are changes in ...

Subversive Complicity and Basic Writing across the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villanueva, Victor

2013-01-01

What follows is a simple assertion: time for basic writing to get out from under, a call for us to inculcate a Basic Writing Across the Curriculum. It is time yet again to move away from the concept that basic writers are in need of remedies, in part because all composition courses are in some sense remedial, and to a greater degree because the…

An Investigation into the Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction to Present Basic English Grammar Concepts

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

involved in choosing hardware and so-ftware for CAI "are.the lesson objectives and the future needs of the instructor and student" (18:6-2). And...did not cover the graiTmatical errors nighlighted by the survey of subject-matter ’experts. Future research should include an expansion of, or...display any hypertext document. This tutorial covered basic English grammar concepts. Future research should address the possibilities of developing

Project Economic Stew: A Study of Poultry and Rice. A Third-grade Economics Project [and] A Bird's Eye View of an Economic Stew: A Study of Poultry and Rice Production in Arkansas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Penny

An economics project for third grade children is described and lessons for teaching basic economic concepts are provided. In the first semester, students studied basic economic concepts; in the second semester, they learned about the origin, production, and distribution of rice and poultry and how these products affect the local and state…

Advanced Concepts for Sea Control,

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-01

how combinations of some improvements and finally where some of these "basic" concepts into hybrids avenues of reduced cost can be might bring about...the exact definition of the are generally accepted as the "basic" job to be done. Unfortunately, the forms and it is easy to see how hybrid - "job to be...1) first define the job then already hybrids and are really starting define alternative vehicles which might points in thei: general classes. Some do

Conceptual versus Algorithmic Learning in High School Chemistry: The Case of Basic Quantum Chemical Concepts--Part 2. Students' Common Errors, Misconceptions and Difficulties in Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papaphotis, Georgios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2008-01-01

Part 2 of the findings are presented of a quantitative study (n = 125) on basic quantum chemical concepts taught at twelfth grade (age 17-18 years) in Greece. A paper-and-pencil test of fourteen questions was used that were of two kinds: five questions that tested recall of knowledge or application of algorithmic procedures (type-A questions);…

EcoEvo-MAPS: An Ecology and Evolution Assessment for Introductory through Advanced Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Summers, Mindi M.; Couch, Brian A.; Knight, Jennifer K.; Brownell, Sara E.; Crowe, Alison J.; Semsar, Katharine; Wright, Christian D.; Smith, Michelle K.

2018-01-01

A new assessment tool, Ecology and Evolution--Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science or EcoEvo-MAPS, measures student thinking in ecology and evolution during an undergraduate course of study. EcoEvo-MAPS targets foundational concepts in ecology and evolution and uses a novel approach that asks students to evaluate a series of…

Collective Landmarks for Deep Time: A New Tool for Evolution Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delgado, Cesar

2014-01-01

Evolution is a fundamental, organising concept in biology, yet there is widespread resistance to evolution among US students and there are rising creationist challenges in Europe. Resistance to evolution is linked to lack of understanding of the age of the Earth. An understanding of deep time is thus essential for effective biology education.…

Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization: Reviewing Evolution for Prospecting the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebelo, Teresa Manuela; Gomes, Adelino Duarte

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyse the evolution of the concepts of organizational learning and the learning organization and propose guidelines for the future. Design/methodology/approach: The evolution of organizational learning and the learning organization is analysed in the light of the three-stage model of the evolution of…

Teaching and Learning the Concept of Chemical Bonding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy Nahum, Tami; Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Hofstein, Avi; Taber, Keith S.

2010-01-01

Chemical bonding is one of the key and basic concepts in chemistry. The learning of many of the concepts taught in chemistry, in both secondary schools as well as in the colleges, is dependent upon understanding fundamental ideas related to chemical bonding. Nevertheless, the concept is perceived by teachers, as well as by learners, as difficult,…

Economic Concepts for Nebraska's Junior High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Dwain

This booklet identifies 14 basic economic concepts that have been selected for emphasis in junior high social studies classes in Nebraska. The booklet is accompanied by a series of related instructional units (see SO 011 416). In this booklet, the concepts are listed in a sequence from the simplest to the most complex, with concepts one through…

Oh, the Economics You'll Find in Dr. Seuss!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Ben; Watts, Michael

2011-01-01

The authors list economic concepts and issues covered in the children's books published by Theodor Geisel and discuss his treatment of concepts that appear most often and that are treated in greater depth. Some concepts are sophisticated and taught as formal concepts only in college-level economics courses. Others are basic and used in economics…

Visualization: A Tool for Enhancing Students' Concept Images of Basic Object-Oriented Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cetin, Ibrahim

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: to investigate students' concept images about class, object, and their relationship and to help them enhance their learning of these notions with a visualization tool. Fifty-six second-year university students participated in the study. To investigate his/her concept images, the researcher developed a survey…

The Development of the Concept of Suicide in Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normand, Claude L.; Mishara, Brian L.

1992-01-01

Examined development of concept of suicide in 60 children. Found that 10 percent of first, 50 percent of third, and 95 percent of fifth graders had basic understanding of suicide. Attitudes toward suicide were neutral or negative. Concept of suicide was significantly related to concept of death and experiences with death and was also related to…

Educational Spaces of Cultural Capitalism: The Concept of Consumer Culture as a New Framework for Contemporary Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knobloch, Phillip D. Th.

2016-01-01

This article introduces a specific concept of consumer culture into the international and European discussion about new concepts and categories in comparative education. Basic meanings of consumer culture are presented in reference to consumer research, consumer culture theory, and a revisited concept of world polity. In addition to general…

Toward using games to teach fundamental computer science concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edgington, Jeffrey Michael

Video and computer games have become an important area of study in the field of education. Games have been designed to teach mathematics, physics, raise social awareness, teach history and geography, and train soldiers in the military. Recent work has created computer games for teaching computer programming and understanding basic algorithms. We present an investigation where computer games are used to teach two fundamental computer science concepts: boolean expressions and recursion. The games are intended to teach the concepts and not how to implement them in a programming language. For this investigation, two computer games were created. One is designed to teach basic boolean expressions and operators and the other to teach fundamental concepts of recursion. We describe the design and implementation of both games. We evaluate the effectiveness of these games using before and after surveys. The surveys were designed to ascertain basic understanding, attitudes and beliefs regarding the concepts. The boolean game was evaluated with local high school students and students in a college level introductory computer science course. The recursion game was evaluated with students in a college level introductory computer science course. We present the analysis of the collected survey information for both games. This analysis shows a significant positive change in student attitude towards recursion and modest gains in student learning outcomes for both topics.

TRI Fotonovela (Latino/Hispanic novella-style introduction to TRI)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation designed to introduce the basic concepts of the Toxics Release Inventory, including why TRI is an important resource for commmunities and which tool provides the easiest access to basic TRI data.

Accepting Evolution or Discarding Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpes, Donald K.; Peramas, Mary M.

2006-01-01

Challenging basic principles of constitutional law, advocates of intelligent design are undermining educators' ability to teach evolution in their science classrooms. Because US Supreme Court rulings now prohibit creationist accounts of the origin of life in schools, arguments favoring divine intervention, known as intelligent design, have emerged…

What Is Sickle Cell Disease?

MedlinePlus

... have it? For more information... Acknowledgments Concept 15 : DNA and proteins are key molecules of the cell nucleus. Learn the basic chemistry of DNA and proteins. Concept 27 : Mutations are changes in ...

Constraints on pre-main-sequence evolution from stellar pulsations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, M. P.; Zwintz, K.; Guenther, D. B.

2014-02-01

Pulsating pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars afford the earliest opportunity in the lifetime of a star to which the concepts of asteroseismology can be applied. PMS stars should be structurally simpler than their evolved counterparts, thus (hopefully!) making any asteroseismic analysis relatively easier. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily the case. The majority of these stars (around 80) are δ Scuti pulsators, with a couple of γ Doradus, γ Doradus - δ Scuti hybrids, and slowly pulsating B stars thrown into the mix. The majority of these stars have only been discovered within the last ten years, with the community still uncovering the richness of phenomena associated with these stars, many of which defy traditional asteroseismic analysis. A systematic asteroseismic analysis of all of the δ Scuti PMS stars was performed in order to get a better handle on the properties of these stars as a group. Some strange results have been found, including one star pulsating up to the theoretical acoustic cut-off frequency of the star, and a number of stars in which the most basic asteroseismic analysis suggests problems with the stars' positions in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. From this we get an idea of the\\break constraints - or lack thereof - that these results can put on PMS stellar evolution.

Evaluation Research in Basic Skills with Incarcerated Adults. Technical Report No. 303.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Linda A.; And Others

To evaluate the relative effectiveness of traditional versus computer managed instruction (CMI) basic skills programs for incarcerated adults, 359 male inmates from three traditional self-paced and three PLATO/CMI programs were given pretests in the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS). Following three…

Basics of Solar Heating & Hot Water Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Inst. of Architects, Washington, DC.

In presenting the basics of solar heating and hot water systems, this publication is organized from the general to the specific. It begins by presenting functional and operational descriptions of solar heating and domestic hot water systems, outlining the basic concepts and terminology. This is followed by a description of solar energy utilization…

[The basic needs of the spouses of infarct patients in the acute phase of the treatment].

PubMed

Takahashi, E I; da Silva, C A; Guerra, G M

1990-04-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the basic needs of the spouses of patients with myocardial infarction. The concepts of basic needs from Maslow were used as conceptual framework. The data's analysis showed the following needs affections of this population: safety, belongingness and love, esteem.

Teaching Basic Probability in Undergraduate Statistics or Management Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naidu, Jaideep T.; Sanford, John F.

2017-01-01

Standard textbooks in core Statistics and Management Science classes present various examples to introduce basic probability concepts to undergraduate business students. These include tossing of a coin, throwing a die, and examples of that nature. While these are good examples to introduce basic probability, we use improvised versions of Russian…

A Simulation for Teaching the Basic and Clinical Science of Fluid Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawson, Richard E.; Dispensa, Marilyn E.; Goldstein, Richard E.; Nicholson, Kimberley W.; Vidal, Noni Korf

2009-01-01

The course "Management of Fluid and Electrolyte Disorders" is an applied physiology course taught using lectures and paper-based cases. The course approaches fluid therapy from both basic science and clinical perspectives. While paper cases provide a basis for application of basic science concepts, they lack key components of genuine clinical…

Cranial base topology and basic trends in the facial evolution of Homo.

PubMed

Bastir, Markus; Rosas, Antonio

2016-02-01

Facial prognathism and projection are important characteristics in human evolution but their three-dimensional (3D) architectonic relationships to basicranial morphology are not clear. We used geometric morphometrics and measured 51 3D-landmarks in a comparative sample of modern humans (N = 78) and fossil Pleistocene hominins (N = 10) to investigate the spatial features of covariation between basicranial and facial elements. The study reveals complex morphological integration patterns in craniofacial evolution of Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins. A downwards-orientated cranial base correlates with alveolar maxillary prognathism, relatively larger faces, and relatively larger distances between the anterior cranial base and the frontal bone (projection). This upper facial projection correlates with increased overall relative size of the maxillary alveolar process. Vertical facial height is associated with tall nasal cavities and is accommodated by an elevated anterior cranial base, possibly because of relations between the cribriform and the nasal cavity in relation to body size and energetics. Variation in upper- and mid-facial projection can further be produced by basicranial topology in which the midline base and nasal cavity are shifted anteriorly relative to retracted lateral parts of the base and the face. The zygomatics and the middle cranial fossae act together as bilateral vertical systems that are either projected or retracted relative to the midline facial elements, causing either midfacial flatness or midfacial projection correspondingly. We propose that facial flatness and facial projection reflect classical principles of craniofacial growth counterparts, while facial orientation relative to the basicranium as well as facial proportions reflect the complex interplay of head-body integration in the light of encephalization and body size decrease in Middle to Late Pleistocene hominin evolution. Developmental and evolutionary patterns of integration may only partially overlap morphologically, and traditional concepts taken from research on two-dimensional (2D) lateral X-rays and sections have led to oversimplified and overly mechanistic models of basicranial evolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A geomorphic process law for detachment-limited hillslopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turowski, Jens

2015-04-01

Geomorphic process laws are used to assess the shape evolution of structures at the Earth's surface over geological time scales, and are routinely used in landscape evolution models. There are two currently available concepts on which process laws for hillslope evolution rely. In the transport-limited concept, the evolution of a hillslope is described by a linear or a non-linear diffusion equation. In contrast, in the threshold slope concept, the hillslope is assumed to collapse to a slope equal to the internal friction angle of the material when the load due to the relief exists the material strength. Many mountains feature bedrock slopes, especially in the high mountains, and material transport along the slope is limited by the erosion of the material from the bedrock. Here, I suggest a process law for detachment-limited or threshold-dominated hillslopes, in which the erosion rate is a function of the applied stress minus the surface stress due to structural loading. The process law leads to the prediction of an equilibrium form that compares well to the shape of many mountain domes.

Workplace Math II: Math Works!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Nancy; Goschen, Claire

This learning module, a continuation of the math I module, provides review and practice of the concepts explored in the earlier module at an intermediate level involving workplace problems. The following concepts are covered: instruction in performing basic computations, using general numerical concepts such as whole numbers, fractions, decimals,…

The Progression of Prospective Primary Teachers' Conceptions of the Methodology of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivero, Ana; Azcarate, Pilar; Porlan, Rafael; del Pozo, Rosa Martin; Harres, Joao

2011-01-01

This article describes the evolution of prospective primary teachers' conceptions of the methodology of teaching. Three categories were analyzed: the concept of activity, the organization of activities, and the concept of teaching resources. The study was conducted with five teams of prospective teachers, who were participating in teacher…

Evolution of the Treatment Integrity Concept: Current Status and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gresham, Frank M.

2009-01-01

The concept of treatment integrity cuts across a diversity of fields involved with providing treatments or interventions to individuals. In medical treatments, the concept of "treatment compliance" or "treatment adherence" is an important and problematic issue. In the field of nutrition, the concept of "dietary adherence" is important for…

A new concept for creating the basic map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parzyński, Zenon

2014-12-01

A lot of changes have been made to the legislative regulations associated with geodesy during the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive in Poland (amongst others, the structure of databases). There have also been great changes concerning the basic map and the method of its creation and updating. A new concept for creating the basic map is presented in this article Dokonaliśmy wielu zmian w prawnych regulacjach dotyczących geodezji w trakcie implementacji Dyrektywy INSPIRE w Polsce (m.in. struktury baz danych). Bardzo duże zmiany objęły mapę zasadniczą i procedury jej tworzenia i uaktualniania. W artykule jest zaprezentowana nowa koncepcja tworzenia mapy zasadniczej.

Galactic evolution. I - Single-zone models. [encompassing stellar evolution and gas-star dynamic theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, T. X.; Hart, M. H.; Ostriker, J. P.

1975-01-01

The two basic approaches of physical theory required to calculate the evolution of a galactic system are considered, taking into account stellar evolution theory and the dynamics of a gas-star system. Attention is given to intrinsic (stellar) physics, extrinsic (dynamical) physics, and computations concerning the fractionation of an initial mass of gas into stars. The characteristics of a 'standard' model and its variants are discussed along with the results obtained with the aid of these models.

Clinical Correlations as a Tool in Basic Science Medical Education

PubMed Central

Klement, Brenda J.; Paulsen, Douglas F.; Wineski, Lawrence E.

2016-01-01

Clinical correlations are tools to assist students in associating basic science concepts with a medical application or disease. There are many forms of clinical correlations and many ways to use them in the classroom. Five types of clinical correlations that may be embedded within basic science courses have been identified and described. (1) Correlated examples consist of superficial clinical information or stories accompanying basic science concepts to make the information more interesting and relevant. (2) Interactive learning and demonstrations provide hands-on experiences or the demonstration of a clinical topic. (3) Specialized workshops have an application-based focus, are more specialized than typical laboratory sessions, and range in complexity from basic to advanced. (4) Small-group activities require groups of students, guided by faculty, to solve simple problems that relate basic science information to clinical topics. (5) Course-centered problem solving is a more advanced correlation activity than the others and focuses on recognition and treatment of clinical problems to promote clinical reasoning skills. Diverse teaching activities are used in basic science medical education, and those that include clinical relevance promote interest, communication, and collaboration, enhance knowledge retention, and help develop clinical reasoning skills. PMID:29349328

Parallel Evolution in Science: The Historical Roots and Central Concepts of General Systems Theory; and "General Systems Theory,""Modern Organizational Theory," and Organizational Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederman, Linda Costigan; Rogers, Don

The two papers in this document focus on general systems theory. In her paper, Linda Lederman discusses the emergence and evolution of general systems theory, defines its central concepts, and draws some conclusions regarding the nature of the theory and its value as an epistemology. Don Rogers, in his paper, relates some of the important features…

The 25 kW power module evolution study. Part 3: Conceptual designs for power module evolution. Volume 2: Program plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

A plan is presented for the evolutionary development and deployment of the power module system with performance capabilities required to support the 1983 to 1990 user requirements. Aspects summarized include program functional, operational, and hardware elements; program work breakdown and specification items; development plans and schedules for developmental and technology milestones; test concepts and timeliness; and ground and orbit operations concepts.

Case Studies of Physics Graduates' Personal Theories of Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Ke-Sheng

2005-01-01

This paper reports an interview case study with two physics doctoral students designed to explore their conceptions about the theory of evolution. Analysis of interview transcripts reveals that both students mistakenly constructed a "theory of evolution by environmentally driven adaptation" instead of the commonly accepted "theory…

Hydrogen storage and evolution catalysed by metal hydride complexes.

PubMed

Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Suenobu, Tomoyoshi

2013-01-07

The storage and evolution of hydrogen are catalysed by appropriate metal hydride complexes. Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide by hydrogen is catalysed by a [C,N] cyclometalated organoiridium complex, [Ir(III)(Cp*)(4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl-κN(2))benzoic acid-κC(3))(OH(2))](2)SO(4) [Ir-OH(2)](2)SO(4), under atmospheric pressure of H(2) and CO(2) in weakly basic water (pH 7.5) at room temperature. The reverse reaction, i.e., hydrogen evolution from formate, is also catalysed by [Ir-OH(2)](+) in acidic water (pH 2.8) at room temperature. Thus, interconversion between hydrogen and formic acid in water at ambient temperature and pressure has been achieved by using [Ir-OH(2)](+) as an efficient catalyst in both directions depending on pH. The Ir complex [Ir-OH(2)](+) also catalyses regioselective hydrogenation of the oxidised form of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) to produce the 1,4-reduced form (NADH) under atmospheric pressure of H(2) at room temperature in weakly basic water. In weakly acidic water, the complex [Ir-OH(2)](+) also catalyses the reverse reaction, i.e., hydrogen evolution from NADH to produce NAD(+) at room temperature. Thus, interconversion between NADH (and H(+)) and NAD(+) (and H(2)) has also been achieved by using [Ir-OH(2)](+) as an efficient catalyst and by changing pH. The iridium hydride complex formed by the reduction of [Ir-OH(2)](+) by H(2) and NADH is responsible for the hydrogen evolution. Photoirradiation (λ > 330 nm) of an aqueous solution of the Ir-hydride complex produced by the reduction of [Ir-OH(2)](+) with alcohols resulted in the quantitative conversion to a unique [C,C] cyclometalated Ir-hydride complex, which can catalyse hydrogen evolution from alcohols in a basic aqueous solution (pH 11.9). The catalytic mechanisms of the hydrogen storage and evolution are discussed by focusing on the reactivity of Ir-hydride complexes.

The Two Ecologies: Population and Community Perspectives on Organizational Evolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astley, W. Graham

1985-01-01

This paper distinguishes between two ecological perspectives on organizational evolution: population ecology, which limits investigation to evolutionary change in established populations, and community ecology, which focuses on the rise and fall of populations themselves as basic units of evolutionary change. These perspectives produce contrasting…

Infrastructure Task Force Sustainable Infrastructure Goals and Concepts Document

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document outlines the concepts of appropriate infrastructure and sustainable management entities to guide the coordinated federal efforts to achieve greater sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

The Efficacy of Multimedia Modules for Teaching Basic Literacy-Related Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayeski, Kristin L.; Kennedy, Michael J.; de Irala, Sandra; Clinton, Elias; Hamel, Melissa; Thomas, Kristen

2015-01-01

Researchers have found that teacher preparation programs are not universally preparing teacher candidates in concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. Yet, the majority of students with reading disabilities or who struggle with beginning reading have difficulty with phonology and concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. The…

Unified Technical Concepts. Application Modules Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary technician programs. This UTC laboratory textbook, the second of two volumes, consists of 45 learning modules dealing with basic concepts of physics. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: force…

How to Teach Procedures, Problem Solving, and Concepts in Microbial Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bainbridge, Brian W.

1977-01-01

Flow-diagrams, algorithms, decision logic tables, and concept maps are presented in detail as methods for teaching practical procedures, problem solving, and basic concepts in microbial genetics. It is suggested that the flexible use of these methods should lead to an improved understanding of microbial genetics. (Author/MA)

Some Basic Concepts of Wave-Particle Interactions in Collisionless Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakhina, Gurbax S.; Tsurutani, Bruce T.

1997-01-01

The physical concepts of wave-particle interactions in a collisionless plasma are developed from first principles. Using the Lorentz force, starting with the concepts of gyromotion, particle mirroring and the loss-cone, normal and anomalous cyclotron resonant interactions, pitch-angle scattering, and cross-field diffusion are developed.

Understanding the Nature of Science through Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narguizian, Paul

2004-01-01

As the common thread in biology, the topic of evolution and its related historical development can help students make sense of diverse biological concepts. The discussion of evolution provides educators with something else--a significant opportunity to teach important lessons involving the nature of science (NOS). This article addresses strategies…

Evolution for Young Victorians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lightman, Bernard

2012-01-01

Evolution was a difficult topic to tackle when writing books for the young in the wake of the controversies over Darwin's "Origin of Species." Authors who wrote about evolution for the young experimented with different ways of making the complex concepts of evolutionary theory accessible and less controversial. Many authors depicted presented…

Teaching Evolution in the Galápagos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Katherine E.; Horan, Jennifer E.; Kelley, Patricia H.; Galizio, Mark

2009-01-01

Experiential learning can be an effective way to teach many concepts, and evolution is no exception. We describe the pedagogical techniques, class structure and learning objectives, travel logistics, and impact of three undergraduate honors-level experiential learning seminars that combined teaching topics related to evolution with a field trip to…

A Teaching Guide to Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregg, Thomas G.; Janssen, Gary R.; Bhattacharjee, J.K.

2003-01-01

Evolution is considered by virtually all biologists to be the central unifying principle of biology, yet its fundamental concepts are not widely understood or widely disseminated. Teaching evolution--defined as descent with modification from a common ancestor as a result of natural selection acting on genetic variation--has traditionally been a…

The Discovery of "Jelly Bellicus"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tieman, Deborah; Haxer, Gary

2007-01-01

To most students entering today's biology classes, evolution is something that occurred long ago, and is therefore irrelevant to their lives. Examples of evolution that are important concerns in the modern world, such as the resistance of insects to pesticides and antibiotic resistance, do not match students' concept of evolution. In this article,…

Evolution & Intelligent Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staver, John R.

2003-01-01

Advocates of Intelligent Design (ID) theory argue that evolution is a theory in crisis, ID is a legitimate scientific theory, and biology teachers should teach the controversy. Supporters of evolutionary theory testify that ID is a religious, not scientific, concept, and evolution is in no danger of bankruptcy, having survived 140 years of…

Distributed Data Processing in a United States Naval Shipyard.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

25 1. Evolution ........ ..................... 25 2. Motivations for Distributed Processing ... ....... 30 a. Extensibility...51 B. EVOLUTION ...... ........................ ... 51 C. CONCEPTS .... ... ........................ . 55 D. FORM AND STRUCTURE OF THE...motivations for, and the characteristics of, distributed processing as they apply to management information systems. 1. Evolution Prior to the advent of

On the deep structure of social affect: Attitudes, emotions, sentiments, and the case of "contempt".

PubMed

Gervais, Matthew M; Fessler, Daniel M T

2017-01-01

Contempt is typically studied as a uniquely human moral emotion. However, this approach has yielded inconclusive results. We argue this is because the folk affect concept "contempt" has been inaccurately mapped onto basic affect systems. "Contempt" has features that are inconsistent with a basic emotion, especially its protracted duration and frequently cold phenomenology. Yet other features are inconsistent with a basic attitude. Nonetheless, the features of "contempt" functionally cohere. To account for this, we revive and reconfigure the sentiment construct using the notion of evolved functional specialization. We develop the Attitude-Scenario-Emotion (ASE) model of sentiments, in which enduring attitudes represent others' social-relational value and moderate discrete emotions across scenarios. Sentiments are functional networks of attitudes and emotions. Distinct sentiments, including love, respect, like, hate, and fear, track distinct relational affordances, and each is emotionally pluripotent, thereby serving both bookkeeping and commitment functions within relationships. The sentiment contempt is an absence of respect; from cues to others' low efficacy, it represents them as worthless and small, muting compassion, guilt, and shame and potentiating anger, disgust, and mirth. This sentiment is ancient yet implicated in the ratcheting evolution of human ultrasocialty. The manifolds of the contempt network, differentially engaged across individuals and populations, explain the features of "contempt," its translatability, and its variable experience as "hot" or "cold," occurrent or enduring, and anger-like or disgust-like. This rapprochement between psychological anthropology and evolutionary psychology contributes both methodological and empirical insights, with broad implications for understanding the functional and cultural organization of social affect.

Biomedical Simulation: Evolution, Concepts, Challenges and Future Trends.

PubMed

Sá-Couto, Carla; Patrão, Luís; Maio-Matos, Francisco; Pêgo, José Miguel

2016-12-30

Biomedical simulation is an effective educational complement for healthcare training, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. It enables knowledge, skills and attitudes to be acquired in a safe, educationally orientated and efficient manner. In this context, simulation provides skills and experience that facilitate the transfer of cognitive, psychomotor and proper communication competences, thus changing behavior and attitudes, and ultimately improving patient safety. Beyond the impact on individual and team performance, simulation provides an opportunity to study organizational failures and improve system performance. Over the last decades, simulation in healthcare had a slow but steady growth, with a visible maturation in the last ten years. The simulation community must continue to provide the core leadership in developing standards. There is a need for strategies and policy development to ensure its coordinated and cost-effective implementation, applied to patient safety. This paper reviews the evolutionary movements of biomedical simulation, including a review of the Portuguese initiatives and nationwide programs. For leveling knowledge and standardize terminology, basic but essential concepts in clinical simulation, together with some considerations on assessment, validation and reliability are presented. The final sections discuss the current challenges and future initiatives and strategies, crucial for the integration of simulation programs in the greater movement toward patient safety.

[Attributes of forest infrastructure].

PubMed

Gao, Jun-kai; Jin, Ying-shan

2007-06-01

This paper discussed the origin and evolution of the conception of ecological infrastructure, the understanding of international communities about the functions of forest, the important roles of forest in China' s economic development and ecological security, and the situations and challenges to the ongoing forestry ecological restoration programs. It was suggested that forest should be defined as an essential infrastructure for national economic and social development in a modern society. The critical functions of forest infrastructure played in the transition of forestry ecological development were emphasized. Based on the synthesis of forest ecosystem features, it was considered that the attributes of forest infrastructure are distinctive, due to the fact that it is constructed by living biological material and diversified in ownership. The forestry ecological restoration program should not only follow the basic principles of infrastructural construction, but also take the special characteristics of forests into consideration in studying the managerial system of the programs. Some suggestions for the ongoing programs were put forward: 1) developing a modern concept of ecosystem where man and nature in harmony is the core, 2) formulating long-term stable investments for forestry ecological restoration programs, 3) implementing forestry ecological restoration programs based on infrastructure construction principles, and 4) managing forests according to the principles of infrastructural construction management.

The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis.

PubMed

Kutschera, Ulrich; Niklas, Karl J

2004-06-01

In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwin's Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwin's perspective. Weismann's neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwin's dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the "modern synthesis" is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance and molecular evolution, experimental bacterial evolution, and computer simulations (in silico evolution of digital organisms). In addition, we discuss the expansion of the modern synthesis, embracing all branches of scientific disciplines. It is concluded that the basic tenets of the synthetic theory have survived, but in modified form. These sub-theories require continued elaboration, particularly in light of molecular biology, to answer open-ended questions concerning the mechanisms of evolution in all five kingdoms of life.

The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutschera, Ulrich; Niklas, Karl J.

In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwin's Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwin's perspective. Weismann's neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwin's dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the ``modern synthesis'' is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance and molecular evolution, experimental bacterial evolution, and computer simulations (in silico evolution of digital organisms). In addition, we discuss the expansion of the modern synthesis, embracing all branches of scientific disciplines. It is concluded that the basic tenets of the synthetic theory have survived, but in modified form. These sub-theories require continued elaboration, particularly in light of molecular biology, to answer open-ended questions concerning the mechanisms of evolution in all five kingdoms of life.

A Small-Scale Low-Cost Gas Chromatograph

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gros, Natasa; Vrtacnik, Margareta

2005-01-01

The design and application of a small-scale portable gas chromatograph for learning of the basic concepts of chromatography is described. The apparatus consists of two basic separable units, which includes a chromatographic unit and an electronic unit.

Polymer Basics: Classroom Activities Manipulating Paper Clips to Introduce the Structures and Properties of Polymers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umar, Yunusa

2014-01-01

A simple and effective hands-on classroom activity designed to illustrate basic polymer concepts is presented. In this activity, students build primary structures of homopolymers and different arrangements of monomers in copolymer using paper clips as monomers. The activity supports formation of a basic understanding of polymer structures,…

BASIC MATHEMATICS I FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MCCARTHY, CHARLES T.; AND OTHERS

THE COURSE IS GEARED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS ENTERING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL WITH A MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL BELOW SIXTH GRADE. SINCE TWO PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES IN ARITHMETIC ARE A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE DECIMAL SYSTEM OF NOTATION AND A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF ARITHMETIC, BASIC CONCEPTS MUST BE…

Beyond Passive Learning: Problem-Based Learning and Concept Maps to Promote Basic and Higher-Order Thinking in Basic Skills Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Regina O.

2014-01-01

Research into the best practices for basic skills education, national bridge programs, the new GED® assessment, and accelerated developmental education indicated that contextualized instruction was most effective when preparing adult literacy students for college and work. Nevertheless, "remedial pedagogy" with a sole focus on the…

WORKING WITH STUDENTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BRAZZIEL, WILLIAM F.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION OF THE ADULT HARD-CORE UNEMPLOYED OFTEN FAILS BECAUSE OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND BASIC EDUCATION AND CULTURAL LACKS. A BROAD CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL TO PROGRAMS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL SKILLS. A COLLEGE PROJECT DESIGNED TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS IS PRESENTED. A COMBINATION OF BASIC AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH THE…

Nondestructive Testing Eddy Current Basic Principles RQA/M1-5330.12 (V-I).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL. George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.

As one in the series of programmed instruction handbooks, prepared by the U.S. space program, home study material is presented in this volume concerning familiarization and orientation on basic eddy current principles. The subject is presented under the following headings: Basic Eddy Current Concepts, Eddy Current Generation and Distribution,…

Learning Computers, Speaking English: Cooperative Activities for Learning English and Basic Word Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quann, Steve; Satin, Diana

This textbook leads high-beginning and intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students through cooperative computer-based activities that combine language learning with training in basic computer skills and word processing. Each unit concentrates on a basic concept of word processing while also focusing on a grammar topic. Skills are…

A Simple Case Study of a Grid Performance System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aydt, Ruth; Gunter, Dan; Quesnel, Darcy; Smith, Warren; Taylor, Valerie; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This document presents a simple case study of a Grid performance system based on the Grid Monitoring Architecture (GMA) being developed by the Grid Forum Performance Working Group. It describes how the various system components would interact for a very basic monitoring scenario, and is intended to introduce people to the terminology and concepts presented in greater detail in other Working Group documents. We believe that by focusing on the simple case first, working group members can familiarize themselves with terminology and concepts, and productively join in the ongoing discussions of the group. In addition, prototype implementations of this basic scenario can be built to explore the feasibility of the proposed architecture and to expose possible shortcomings. Once the simple case is understood and agreed upon, complexities can be added incrementally as warranted by cases not addressed in the most basic implementation described here. Following the basic performance monitoring scenario discussion, unresolved issues are introduced for future discussion.

Short Lesson Plan Associated with Increased Acceptance of Evolutionary Theory and Potential Change in Three Alternate Conceptions of Macroevolution in Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Joel K.; Perez, Kathryn E.; Downey, Nicholas; Herron, Jon C.; Meir, Eli

2012-01-01

Undergraduates commonly harbor alternate conceptions about evolutionary biology; these alternate conceptions often persist, even after intensive instruction, and may influence acceptance of evolution. We interviewed undergraduates to explore their alternate conceptions about macroevolutionary patterns and designed a 2-h lesson plan to present…

On the Concepts of Quantity and Quality in the History of Western Thought

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Stephen R.

2004-01-01

This paper charts a cognitive history of the concepts of quantity and quality from three inter-related and inter-dependent perspectives of mathematics, logic, and physics. In so doing, other notions associated with the evolution of these concepts are identified and explicated. It is argued that the concepts of quantity and quality, considered in…

Revealing the long-term landscape evolution of the South Atlantic passive continental margin, Brazil and Namibia, by thermokinematic numerical modeling using the software code Pecube.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stippich, Christian; Glasmacher, Ulrich Anton; Hackspacher, Peter

2015-04-01

The aim of the research is to quantify the long-term landscape evolution of the South Atlantic passive continental margin (SAPCM) in SE-Brazil and NW-Namibia. Excellent onshore outcrop conditions and complete rift to post-rift archives between Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre and in the transition from Namibia to Angola (onshore Walvis ridge) allow a high precision quantification of exhumation, and uplift rates, influencing physical parameters, long-term acting forces, and process-response systems. Research will integrate the published and partly published thermochronological data from Brazil and Namibia, and test lately published new concepts on causes of long-term landscape evolution at rifted margins. The climate-continental margin-mantle coupled process-response system is caused by the interaction between endogenous and exogenous forces, which are related to the mantle-process driven rift - drift - passive continental margin evolution of the South Atlantic, and the climate change since the Early/Late Cretaceous climate maximum. Special emphasis will be given to the influence of long-living transform faults such as the Florianopolis Fracture Zone (FFZ) on the long-term topography evolution of the SAPCM's. A long-term landscape evolution model with process rates will be achieved by thermo-kinematic 3-D modeling (software code PECUBE1,2 and FastScape3). Testing model solutions obtained for a multidimensional parameter space against the real thermochronological and geomorphological data set, the most likely combinations of parameter rates, and values can be constrained. The data and models will allow separating the exogenous and endogenous forces and their process rates. References 1. Braun, J., 2003. Pecube: A new finite element code to solve the 3D heat transport equation including the effects of a time-varying, finite amplitude surface topography. Computers and Geosciences, v.29, pp.787-794. 2. Braun, J., van der Beek, P., Valla, P., Robert, X., Herman, F., Goltzbacj, C., Pedersen, V., Perry, C., Simon-Labric, T., Prigent, C. 2012. Quantifying rates of landscape evolution and tectonic processes by thermochronology and numerical modeling of crustal heat transport using PECUBE. Tectonophysics, v.524-525, pp.1-28. 3. Braun, J. and Willett, S.D., 2013. A very efficient, O(n), implicit and parallel method to solve the basic stream power law equation governing fluvial incision and landscape evolution. Geomorphology, v.180-181, 170-179.

Student Teachers' Attitudes towards and Willingness to Teach Evolution in a Changing South African Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrie, A. L.

2010-01-01

This article investigates the attitudes of South African student teachers towards the theory of evolution and their willingness to teach it. The teaching of evolution has been excluded from the South African school curriculum for most of the 20th century. In 2008, Grade 12 learners were for the first time exposed to the concept of evolution in the…

Brain Representations of Basic Physics Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Just, Marcel Adam

2017-09-01

The findings concerning physics concepts build on the remarkable new ability to determine the neural signature (or activation pattern) corresponding to an individual concept using fMRI brain imaging. Moreover, the neural signatures can be decomposed into meaningful underlying dimensions, identifying the individual, interpretable components of the neural representation of a concept. The investigation of physics concepts representations reveals how relatively recent physics concepts (formalized only in the last few centuries) are stored in the millenia-old information system of the human brain.

Starchitect: Building Worlds and Learning Astronomy on Facebook and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harold, J. B.; Hines, D. C.

2014-12-01

Our team at the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute has developed Starchitect, an end-to-end stellar and planetary evolution game available both on Facebook and externally. Supported by NSF and NASA, the game uses the "sporadic play" model of games such as Farmville, where players might only take actions a few times a day, but continue playing for months. This framework is an excellent fit for teaching about the evolution of stars and planets. Players select regions of the galaxy to build their systems, and watch as they evolve in scaled real time (a million years to the minute). Massive stars will supernova within minutes, while lower mass stars like our sun will live for weeks, possibly evolving life before passing through a red giant stage and ending their lives as white dwarfs. Starchitect provides a wide variety of opportunities for communicating astronomy concepts, targeting known misconceptions, and encouraging players to dig deeper through external sites. The game directly addresses stellar lifecycles, habitable zones, and the roles of giant worlds in creating habitable solar systems as part of its core design. Meanwhile minigames can focus on additional concepts. For instance, the game's solar system visualization engine allows players to "fake" planetary scales to create more attractive images of their systems (which can then be posted to their Facebook wall), but this ability must be unlocked through completion of a minigame that looks at the relative scales of planets, moons, and solar system distances. Starchitect also incorporates current science through links to external content, science "Factlets", all-sky maps generated by missions, and more. Finally, the game is heavily instrumented to allow us to analyze the resulting gameplay in conjunction with Facebook's demographic data. This presentation will focus on the release, evaluation, and ongoing refinement of the game as well as its overall goals, which include reaching a broad audience with basic astronomy concepts as well as current science results; exploring the potential of social, "sporadic play" games in education; and determining if platforms such as Facebook allow us to reach significantly different demographics than are generally targeted by educational games.

Faculty Performance on the Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory.

PubMed

Read, Catherine Y; Ward, Linda D

2016-01-01

To use the newly developed Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI) to evaluate faculty understanding of foundational genomic concepts, explore relative areas of strength and weakness, and compare the results with those of a student sample. An anonymous online survey instrument consisting of demographic or background items and the 31 multiple-choice questions that make up the GNCI was completed by 495 nursing faculty from across the United States in the fall of 2014. Total GNCI score and scores on four subcategories (genome basics, mutations, inheritance, genomic health) were calculated. Relationships between demographic or background variables and total GNCI score were explored. The mean score on the GNCI was 14.93 (SD = 5.31), or 48% correct; topical category scores were highest on the inheritance and genomic health items (59% and 58% correct, respectively), moderate on the mutations items (54% correct), and lowest on the genome basics items (33% correct). These results are strikingly similar to those of a recent study of nursing students. Factors associated with a higher total score on the GNCI included higher self-rated proficiency with genetic/genomic content, having a doctoral degree, having taken a genetics course for academic credit or continuing education, and having taught either a stand-alone genetic/genomic course or lecture content as part of nursing or related course. Self-rated proficiency with genetic/genomic content was fair or poor (70%), with only 7% rating their proficiency as very good or excellent. Faculty knowledge of foundational genomic concepts is similar to that of the students they teach and weakest in the areas related to basic science information. Genomics is increasingly relevant in all areas of clinical nursing practice, and the faculty charged with educating the next generation of nurses must understand foundational concepts. Faculty need to be proactive in seeking out relevant educational programs that include basic genetic/genomic concepts. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Basic Concepts and Principles of Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beder, Hal

1986-01-01

Presents an overview of marketing concepts and principles. These include (1) organizational objectives, (2) exchange, (3) value, (4) market segmentation, (5) market position, (6) consumer analysis, (7) product, (8) promotion, (9) place, and (10) price. (CH)

Ciencia en Espanol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schon, Isabel

1992-01-01

A guide for teachers and librarians covering over 50 Spanish-language books that introduce children to various animals; the world around them; colors, shapes, and numbers; the universe; basic science concepts; and the process of conception, pregnancy, and birth. (MDH)

A Concept-Mapping Strategy for Assessing Conceptual Change in a Student-Directed, Research-Based Geoscience Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebich, S.

2003-12-01

The concept mapping technique has been proposed as a method for examining the evolving nature of students' conceptualizations of scientific concepts, and promises insight into a dimension of learning different from the one accessible through more conventional classroom testing techniques. The theory behind concept mapping is based on an assumption that knowledge acquisition is accomplished through "linking" of new information to an existing knowledge framework, and that meaningful (as opposed to arbitrary or verbatim) links allow for deeper understanding and conceptual change. Reflecting this theory, concept maps are constructed as a network of related concepts connected by labeled links that illustrate the relationship between the concepts. Two concepts connected by one such link make up a "proposition", the basic element of the concept map structure. In this paper, we examine the results of a pre- and post-test assessment program for an upper-division undergraduate geography course entitled "Mock Environmental Summit," which was part of a research project on assessment. Concept mapping was identified as a potentially powerful assessment tool for this course, as more conventional tools such as multiple-choice tests did not seem to provide a reliable indication of the learning students were experiencing as a result of the student-directed research, presentations, and discussions that make up a substantial portion of the course. The assessment program began at the beginning of the course with a one-hour training session during which students were introduced to the theory behind concept mapping, provided with instructions and guidance for constructing a concept map using the CMap software developed and maintained by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition at the University of West Florida, and asked to collaboratively construct a concept map on a topic not related to the one to be assessed. This training session was followed by a 45-minute "pre-test" on the topic of global climate change, for which students were provided with a list of questions to guide their thoughts during the concept map construction. Following the pre-test, students were not exposed to further concept mapping until the end of the course, when they were asked to complete a "post-test" consisting of exactly the same task. In addition to a summary of our results, this paper presents an overview of available digital concept-mapping tools, proposed scoring techniques, and design principles to keep in mind when designing a concept-mapping assessment program. We also discuss our experience with concept map assessment, the insights it provided into the evolution in student understanding of global climate change that resulted from the course, and our ideas about the potential role of concept mapping in an overall assessment program for interdisciplinary and/or student-directed curricula.

Improving basic math skills through integrated dynamic representation strategies.

PubMed

González-Castro, Paloma; Cueli, Marisol; Cabeza, Lourdes; Álvarez-García, David; Rodríguez, Celestino

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the effectiveness of the Integrated Dynamic Representation strategy (IDR) to develop basic math skills. The study involved 72 students, aged between 6 and 8 years. We compared the development of informal basic skills (numbers, comparison, informal calculation, and informal concepts) and formal (conventionalisms, number facts, formal calculus, and formal concepts) in an experimental group (n = 35) where we applied the IDR strategy and in a Control group (n = 37) in order to identify the impact of the procedure. The experimental group improved significantly in all variables except for number facts and formal calculus. It can therefore be concluded that IDR favors the development of the skills more closely related to applied mathematics than those related to automatic mathematics and mental arithmetic.

Theory of buckling and post-buckling behavior of elastic structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budiansky, B.

1974-01-01

The present paper provides a unified, general presentation of the basic theory of the buckling and post-buckling behavior of elastic structures in a form suitable for application to a wide variety of special problems. The notation of functional analysis is used for this purpose. Before the general analysis, simple conceptual models are used to elucidate the basic concepts of bifurcation buckling, snap buckling, imperfection sensitivity, load-shortening relations, and stability. The energy approach, the virtual-work approach, and mode interaction are discussed. The derivations and results are applicable to continua and finite-dimensional systems. The virtual-work and energy approaches are given separate treatments, but their equivalence is made explicit. The basic concepts of stability occupy a secondary position in the present approach.

Identifying Opportunities for Vertical Integration of Biochemistry and Clinical Medicine.

PubMed

Wendelberger, Karen J.; Burke, Rebecca; Haas, Arthur L.; Harenwattananon, Marisa; Simpson, Deborah

1998-01-01

Objectives: Retention of basic science knowledge, as judged by National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) data, suffers due to lack of apparent relevance and isolation of instruction from clinical application, especially in biochemistry. However, the literature reveals no systematic process for identifying key biochemical concepts and associated clinical conditions. This study systematically identified difficult biochemical concepts and their common clinical conditions as a critical step towards enhancing relevance and retention of biochemistry.Methods: A multi-step/ multiple stakeholder process was used to: (1) identify important biochemistry concepts; (2) determine students' perceptions of concept difficulty; (3) assess biochemistry faculty, student, and clinical teaching scholars' perceived relevance of identified concepts; and (4) identify associated common clinical conditions for relevant and difficult concepts. Surveys and a modified Delphi process were used to gather data, subsequently analyzed using SPSS for Windows.Results: Sixteen key biochemical concepts were identified. Second year medical students rated 14/16 concepts as extremely difficult while fourth year students rated nine concepts as moderately to extremely difficult. On average, each teaching scholar generated common clinical conditions for 6.2 of the 16 concepts, yielding a set of seven critical concepts and associated clinical conditions.Conclusions: Key stakeholders in the instructional process struggle to identify biochemistry concepts that are critical, difficult to learn and associated with common clinical conditions. However, through a systematic process beginning with identification of concepts and associated clinical conditions, relevance of basic science instruction can be enhanced.

The Power of Algebra.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boiteau, Denise; Stansfield, David

This document describes mathematical programs on the basic concepts of algebra produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Programs included are: (1) "Inverse Operations"; (2) "The Order of Operations"; (3) "Basic Properties" (addition and multiplication of numbers and variables); (4) "The Positive and Negative…

Unified Technical Concepts. Application Modules Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

Unified Technical Concepts (UTC) is a modular system for teaching applied physics in two-year postsecondary technician programs. This UTC laboratory textbook, the first of two volumes, consists of 56 learning modules dealing with basic concepts of physics. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: force, work,…

Social Concepts and Judgments: A Semantic Differential Analysis of the Concepts Feminist, Man, and Woman

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, W. David; Sydie, R. A.; Stratkotter, Rainer

2003-01-01

Male and female participants (N = 274) made judgments about the social concepts of "feminist," "man," and "woman" on 63 semantic differential items. Factor analysis identified three basic dimensions termed evaluative, potency, and activity as well as two secondary factors called expressiveness and sexuality. Results for the evaluative dimension…

A Demonstration of the Analysis of Variance Using Physical Movement and Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, William J.; Siakaluk, Paul D.

2011-01-01

Classroom demonstrations help students better understand challenging concepts. This article introduces an activity that demonstrates the basic concepts involved in analysis of variance (ANOVA). Students who physically participated in the activity had a better understanding of ANOVA concepts (i.e., higher scores on an exam question answered 2…

Teaching Conceptually Oriented Social Science Education Programs in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahlios, Marc C.

Approaches to elementary social studies education that focus on concept and inquiry learning are outlined. The basic goal of the teacher in concept teaching is to aid the student in developing relationships among factual learning, conceptualization, and personal behavior. Learning activities should focus on the process concept (i.e., one that is…

The Conservation of Energy Concept in Ninth Grade General Science, Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shockley, William; And Others

Discussed is an instructional approach, "concept-distillation," which involves experiences, games, and puzzles that have the "distilled essence" of the basic concepts of the physical sciences. This approach is designed to impart a vivid and dramatic meaning and structure of the sciences for transfer in scientific thinking. The…

Plastic Solar Cells: A Multidisciplinary Field to Construct Chemical Concepts from Current Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Rafael; Segura, Jose L.

2007-01-01

Examples of plastic solar-cell technology to illustrate core concepts in chemistry are presented. The principles of operations of a plastic solar cell could be used to introduce key concepts, which are fundamentally important to understand photosynthesis and the basic process that govern most novel optoelectronic devices.

Development and Evaluation of Computerized Problem-based Learning Cases Emphasizing Basic Sciences Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abate, Marie A.; Meyer-Stout, Paula J.; Stamatakis, Mary K.; Gannett, Peter M.; Dunsworth, Teresa S.; Nardi, Anne H.

2000-01-01

Describes development and evaluation of eight computerized problem-based learning (PBL) cases in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutics concepts. Case versions either incorporated concept maps emphasizing key ideas or did not. Student performance on quizzes did not differ between the different case versions and was similar to that of students who…

Measuring social science concepts in pharmacy education research: From definition to item analysis of self-report instruments.

PubMed

Cor, M Ken

Interpreting results from quantitative research can be difficult when measures of concepts are constructed poorly, something that can limit measurement validity. Social science steps for defining concepts, guidelines for limiting construct-irrelevant variance when writing self-report questions, and techniques for conducting basic item analysis are reviewed to inform the design of instruments to measure social science concepts in pharmacy education research. Based on a review of the literature, four main recommendations emerge: These include: (1) employ a systematic process of conceptualization to derive nominal definitions; (2) write exact and detailed operational definitions for each concept, (3) when creating self-report questionnaires, write statements and select scales to avoid introducing construct-irrelevant variance (CIV); and (4) use basic item analysis results to inform instrument revision. Employing recommendations that emerge from this review will strengthen arguments to support measurement validity which in turn will support the defensibility of study finding interpretations. An example from pharmacy education research is used to contextualize the concepts introduced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Mediational Role of Psychological Basic Needs in the Relation Between Conception of God and Psychological Outcomes.

PubMed

Costa, Sebastiano; Gugliandolo, Maria C; Barberis, Nadia; Larcan, Rosalba

2016-02-01

Relatively few studies have examined the relationship between conception of God and psychological outcomes in a self-determination theory (SDT) framework. The aim of this study was to examine the role of basic psychological needs as a mediator of the association between conception of God and psychological outcomes. In a sample of 210 religious young adults, we found that the concept of a controlling God was positively associated with feelings of need frustration and depression, whilst the concept of an autonomy-supporting God was positively associated with feelings of need satisfaction and vitality. In turn, need satisfaction promoted feelings of vitality, whereas need frustration led to feelings of depression. The satisfaction of needs was a full mediator of the relationship between autonomy-supporting God and vitality, whilst the frustration of needs was a full mediator of the relationship between controlling God and depression. These findings are discussed in terms of SDT. We also discuss how future research may further increase our understanding of the dynamics involved in concepts of God and psychological outcomes.

[Theory of V.A. dogiel on polymerization and oligomerization as a general integration concept].

PubMed

Makmaev, Iu V

2010-01-01

The theory of V.A. Dogiel on the significance of polymerization and ligomerization processes in the evolution of Protozoa and Metazoa is compared with the paper of I.I. Schmalhauisen (1972) on factors and steps of aromorph evolution. Dogiel's theory is considered as a general integration conception. Four steps are distinguished in the evolution of biological systems: (1) formation of morphofunctional system by units of the lower structural level, (2) polymerization of morphofunctional units of a system, (3) oligomerization of morphofunctional units of system by means of their reduction, uniting, or differentiation, (4) integration and stabilization of a system owing to development of morphofunctional connections between its parts.

Presenting Global Warming and Evolution as Public Health Issues to Encourage Acceptance of Scientific Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Shawn K.; McArthur, Laurence B.; Mabry, Michelle L.

2013-01-01

Although evidence supporting anthropogenic global warming and evolution by natural selection is considerable, the public does not embrace these concepts. The current study explores the hypothesis that individuals will become more receptive to scientific viewpoints if evidence for evolution and implications of global warming are presented as issues…

Skulls and Human Evolution: The Use of Casts of Anthropoid Skulls in Teaching Concepts of Human Evolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gipps, John

1991-01-01

Proposes the use of a series of 11 casts of fossil skulls as a method of teaching about the theory of human evolution. Students explore the questions of which skulls are "human" and which came first in Homo Sapien development, large brain or upright stance. (MDH)

Experimental evolution in budding yeast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Andrew

2012-02-01

I will discuss our progress in analyzing evolution in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We take two basic approaches. The first is to try and examine quantitative aspects of evolution, for example by determining how the rate of evolution depends on the mutation rate and the population size or asking whether the rate of mutation is uniform throughout the genome. The second is to try to evolve qualitatively novel, cell biologically interesting phenotypes and track the mutations that are responsible for the phenotype. Our efforts include trying to alter cell morphology, evolve multicellularity, and produce a biological oscillator.

Evolution of viral virulence: empirical studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kurath, Gael; Wargo, Andrew R.

2016-01-01

The concept of virulence as a pathogen trait that can evolve in response to selection has led to a large body of virulence evolution theory developed in the 1980-1990s. Various aspects of this theory predict increased or decreased virulence in response to a complex array of selection pressures including mode of transmission, changes in host, mixed infection, vector-borne transmission, environmental changes, host vaccination, host resistance, and co-evolution of virus and host. A fundamental concept is prediction of trade-offs between the costs and benefits associated with higher virulence, leading to selection of optimal virulence levels. Through a combination of observational and experimental studies, including experimental evolution of viruses during serial passage, many of these predictions have now been explored in systems ranging from bacteriophage to viruses of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrate hosts. This chapter summarizes empirical studies of viral virulence evolution in numerous diverse systems, including the classic models myxomavirus in rabbits, Marek's disease virus in chickens, and HIV in humans. Collectively these studies support some aspects of virulence evolution theory, suggest modifications for other aspects, and show that predictions may apply in some virus:host interactions but not in others. Finally, we consider how virulence evolution theory applies to disease management in the field.

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters

PubMed Central

Creanza, Nicole; Kolodny, Oren; Feldman, Marcus W.

2017-01-01

Human cultural traits—behaviors, ideas, and technologies that can be learned from other individuals—can exhibit complex patterns of transmission and evolution, and researchers have developed theoretical models, both verbal and mathematical, to facilitate our understanding of these patterns. Many of the first quantitative models of cultural evolution were modified from existing concepts in theoretical population genetics because cultural evolution has many parallels with, as well as clear differences from, genetic evolution. Furthermore, cultural and genetic evolution can interact with one another and influence both transmission and selection. This interaction requires theoretical treatments of gene–culture coevolution and dual inheritance, in addition to purely cultural evolution. In addition, cultural evolutionary theory is a natural component of studies in demography, human ecology, and many other disciplines. Here, we review the core concepts in cultural evolutionary theory as they pertain to the extension of biology through culture, focusing on cultural evolutionary applications in population genetics, ecology, and demography. For each of these disciplines, we review the theoretical literature and highlight relevant empirical studies. We also discuss the societal implications of the study of cultural evolution and of the interactions of humans with one another and with their environment. PMID:28739941

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters.

PubMed

Creanza, Nicole; Kolodny, Oren; Feldman, Marcus W

2017-07-24

Human cultural traits-behaviors, ideas, and technologies that can be learned from other individuals-can exhibit complex patterns of transmission and evolution, and researchers have developed theoretical models, both verbal and mathematical, to facilitate our understanding of these patterns. Many of the first quantitative models of cultural evolution were modified from existing concepts in theoretical population genetics because cultural evolution has many parallels with, as well as clear differences from, genetic evolution. Furthermore, cultural and genetic evolution can interact with one another and influence both transmission and selection. This interaction requires theoretical treatments of gene-culture coevolution and dual inheritance, in addition to purely cultural evolution. In addition, cultural evolutionary theory is a natural component of studies in demography, human ecology, and many other disciplines. Here, we review the core concepts in cultural evolutionary theory as they pertain to the extension of biology through culture, focusing on cultural evolutionary applications in population genetics, ecology, and demography. For each of these disciplines, we review the theoretical literature and highlight relevant empirical studies. We also discuss the societal implications of the study of cultural evolution and of the interactions of humans with one another and with their environment.

New Principles and Basic Approaches for the Curricula of Engineering Degree Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gargione, Luiz Antonio

This paper presents new principles and basic approaches for the curricula of engineering degree courses. The accentuated evolution of engineering, the fast technological transformations and, still, the impact provoked by government regulations in the field of education in Brazil have called attention to these issues. Following these changes, it…

Consistency and Change: The (R)Evolution of the Basic Communication Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valenzano, Joseph M., III; Wallace, Samuel P.; Morreale, Sherwyn P.

2014-01-01

The basic communication course, with its roots in classical Greece and Rome, is frequently a required course in general education. The course often serves as our "front porch," welcoming new students to the Communication discipline. This essay first outlines early traditions in oral communication instruction and their influence on future…

Evolution of engine cycles for STOVL propulsion concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bucknell, R. L.; Frazier, R. H.; Giulianetti, D. J.

1990-01-01

Short Take-off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) demonstrator concepts using a common ATF engine core are discussed. These concepts include a separate fan and core flow engine cycle, mixed flow STOVL cycles, separate flow cycles convertible to mixed flow, and reaction control system engine air bleed. STOVL propulsion controls are discussed.

Alternative Conceptions of Wisdom: An Onion-Peeling Exercise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard-Fields, Fredda; And Others

1987-01-01

Discusses contextualistic and integrative approaches to the concept of wisdom, and the evolution of the concept from an independent construct of intelligence to a component of intelligence, i.e., practical intelligence. Suggests operationalization of wisdom as the ability to integrate cognition and affect. Illustrates the integrative approach with…

Using History to Teach Contemporary Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beins, Bernard C.

2011-01-01

Gaining a perspective on the evolution of psychological concepts can show students the power of theory and societal perspective in shaping scientific ideas across time. In this article, the author uses two constructs, the broad concept of intelligence and the narrow concept of combat stress reaction, to illustrate how psychologists have grappled…

New Simulation Methods to Facilitate Achieving a Mechanistic Understanding of Basic Pharmacology Principles in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grover, Anita; Lam, Tai Ning; Hunt, C. Anthony

2008-01-01

We present a simulation tool to aid the study of basic pharmacology principles. By taking advantage of the properties of agent-based modeling, the tool facilitates taking a mechanistic approach to learning basic concepts, in contrast to the traditional empirical methods. Pharmacodynamics is a particular aspect of pharmacology that can benefit from…

Implementing Communication Studies into General Education: The Basic Course as General Education (Or, How We Made It Work for Us).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckrop, Jacquelyn J.

At Ball State University in Indiana, the basic course (COMM 210) focuses communication concepts and skills with the goals of helping students understand basic communication principles, providing them with the opportunity to improve their communication skills, and enhancing their awareness of communication's role in culture. Special emphasis is…

The Evolution of Enterprise Imaging and the Role of the Radiologist in the New World.

PubMed

Petersilge, Cheryl A

2017-10-01

The concept of enterprise imaging is part of the next frontier in the evolution of health care technology. Incorporating all medical images into a single location integrated with electronic medical records supports care coordination and the ideal of a comprehensive longitudinal medical record. Radiologists have tremendous value to offer in support of the new concept of enterprise imaging, which extends outside the radiology department to encompass all image producers in a health care enterprise.

Evolution of Oxide Inclusions in Si-Mn Killed Steels During Hot-Rolling Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wen; Guo, Changbo; Zhang, Lifeng; Ling, Haitao; Li, Chao

2017-10-01

The evolution of oxide inclusions in Si-Mn killed steels refined by slags of different basicity during a four-pass industrial hot-rolling process was investigated using an automated microscopy system. High-basicity refining slag induced the formation of CaO- and Al2O3-containing inclusions, while refining slag with 0.8 basicity induced dominant inclusions of SiO2 and MnO-SiO2. CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 inclusions mainly formed endogenously during solidification and cooling of Ca-containing steels, where Ca originated from slag-steel reactions. However, the larger-sized higher-CaO inclusions originated from slag entrainment. Different inclusions presented different hot-rolling behaviors. The inclusion composition changed by deformation and new phase formation. The dominant oxide types were unchanged under refinement by low-basicity slag; however, they changed under refinement with high-basicity slag. The deformation index of inclusions decreased with increasing accumulated reduction (AR) of the steel. The difference in deformation index between different inclusion types was the largest in the first rolling stage and decreased in subsequent stages. SiO2-CaO and SiO2-MnO-CaO inclusions had larger deformation indices during hot rolling but smaller indices in the last two stages. High-basicity slag increased inclusion complexity; from the perspective of cold-drawing performance, low-basicity refining slag is better for the industrial production of tire-cord steels.

The Variscan calc-alkalic plutonism of western Corsica: mineralogy and major and trace element geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocherie, A.; Rossi, Ph.; Le Bel, L.

1984-10-01

Petrographic and structural observations on the calc-alkalic plutonism of western Corsica revealed the existence of several successively emplaced units associated with large basic bodies. The present mineralogical and geochemical study deals with the genesis, evolution and relationships of these different units. Basic plutonism is represented by three genetically linked types of rock: norites and troctolites with cumulate textures characterized by low REE contents and either no Eu anomaly or a positive Eu anomaly; gabbros with enriched LREE relatively to HREE patterns, probably close to an initial basaltic liquid; and diorites ranging up to charnockites which represent liquids evolved to varying degrees, mainly by fractional crystallization. Trace element data and studies on the evolution of pyroxene pairs demonstrate the consanguinity of these calc-alkaline basic rocks which are derived from a high alumina basaltic melt. The various granitoids (granodiorites, monzogranites and leucocratic monzogranites, i.e., adamellites) have distinct evolution trends as shown by the composition of their mafic minerals and by trace element distributions. They cannot be considered as being derivatives of the basic suite and they cannot be related by a common fractionation sequence. Rather, they represent distinctive batches of crustal anatexis. In addition, hybridization phenomena with the basic melt are noticed in granodiorites. The particular problem of the low La/Yb, Eu/Eu∗ and the high U, Th, Cs leucocratic monzogranites is discussed in detail. In addition to more conventional trace element diagrams, the simultaneous statistical treatment of all the geochemical data by correspondence factor analysis is shown to be a very use tool in distinguishing between the different units and to classify the elements according to their geochemical properties.

Microscopic Virtual Media (MVM) in Physics Learning: Case Study on Students Understanding of Heat Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, F. C.; Suhandi, A.; Rusdiana, D.; Darman, D. R.; Ruhiat, Y.; Denny, Y. R.; Suherman; Fatah, A.

2016-08-01

A Study area in physics learning is purposeful on the effects of various types of learning interventions to help students construct the basic of scientific conception about physics. Microscopic Virtual Media (MVM) are applications for physics learning to support powerful modelling microscopic involving physics concepts and processes. In this study groups (experimental) of 18±20 years old, students were studied to determine the role of MVM in the development of functional understanding of the concepts of thermal expansion in heat transfer. The experimental group used MVM in learning process. The results show that students who learned with virtual media exhibited significantly higher scores in the research tasks. Our findings proved that the MVM may be used as an alternative instructional tool, in order to help students to confront and constructed their basic of scientific conception and developed their understanding.

The unit field sanitation team: a square peg in a round hole.

PubMed

Bosetti, Timothy; Bridges, Davin

2009-01-01

Basic field sanitation and hygiene is a lost art in today's modern Army. Today, more than ever, there is a need for the unit field sanitation team (FST) to serve as advisors to unit commanders in the area of basic field sanitation and hygiene. Soldiers should know how to construct field latrines, construct waste disposal devices, conduct pest management and control activities, disinfect field water supplies, and practice personal hygiene under field conditions. The current unit FST concept is centered on company-sized formations operating in open terrain. This concept does not support current operations, transformed formations, rapidly changing doctrine, and the expeditionary nature of the Army. This article does not present a new concept, but rather a new look at an existing concept and practice based upon the lessons-learned and after-action reports from the Global War on Terrorism to support the Army in transformation during an era of persistent conflict.

Contrasting effects of feature-based statistics on the categorisation and basic-level identification of visual objects.

PubMed

Taylor, Kirsten I; Devereux, Barry J; Acres, Kadia; Randall, Billi; Tyler, Lorraine K

2012-03-01

Conceptual representations are at the heart of our mental lives, involved in every aspect of cognitive functioning. Despite their centrality, a long-standing debate persists as to how the meanings of concepts are represented and processed. Many accounts agree that the meanings of concrete concepts are represented by their individual features, but disagree about the importance of different feature-based variables: some views stress the importance of the information carried by distinctive features in conceptual processing, others the features which are shared over many concepts, and still others the extent to which features co-occur. We suggest that previously disparate theoretical positions and experimental findings can be unified by an account which claims that task demands determine how concepts are processed in addition to the effects of feature distinctiveness and co-occurrence. We tested these predictions in a basic-level naming task which relies on distinctive feature information (Experiment 1) and a domain decision task which relies on shared feature information (Experiment 2). Both used large-scale regression designs with the same visual objects, and mixed-effects models incorporating participant, session, stimulus-related and feature statistic variables to model the performance. We found that concepts with relatively more distinctive and more highly correlated distinctive relative to shared features facilitated basic-level naming latencies, while concepts with relatively more shared and more highly correlated shared relative to distinctive features speeded domain decisions. These findings demonstrate that the feature statistics of distinctiveness (shared vs. distinctive) and correlational strength, as well as the task demands, determine how concept meaning is processed in the conceptual system. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The AAPM/RSNA physics tutorial for residents. Basic physics of MR imaging: an introduction.

PubMed

Hendrick, R E

1994-07-01

This article provides an introduction to the basic physical principles of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Essential basic concepts such as nuclear magnetism, tissue magnetization, precession, excitation, and tissue relaxation properties are presented. Hydrogen spin density and tissue relaxation times T1, T2, and T2* are explained. The basic elements of a planar MR pulse sequence are described: section selection during tissue excitation, phase encoding, and frequency encoding during signal measurement.

Determining the Feasibility of an Annual Commissioner's Report of the Mastery of Basic Skills by Florida Citizens. Basic Literacy and Basic Skills Technical Report No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, William R.; And Others

This report recommends that an annual report be made to the citizens of Florida about the state of literacy in Florida. The concept of literacy is defined in terms of levels of literacy and basic skills required to achieve the different levels. A review of the literature on literacy is the basis for three suggested levels of literacy: (1)…

New thinking, innateness and inherited representation.

PubMed

Shea, Nicholas

2012-08-05

The New Thinking contained in this volume rejects an Evolutionary Psychology that is committed to innate domain-specific psychological mechanisms: gene-based adaptations that are unlearnt, developmentally fixed and culturally universal. But the New Thinking does not simply deny the importance of innate psychological traits. The problem runs deeper: the concept of innateness is not suited to distinguishing between the New Thinking and Evolutionary Psychology. That points to a more serious problem with the concept of innateness as it is applied to human psychological phenotypes. This paper argues that the features of recent human evolution highlighted by the New Thinking imply that the concept of inherited representation, set out here, is a better tool for theorizing about human cognitive evolution.

Evolution of a Simulation Testbed into an Operational Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Kapil; Bilimoria, Karl D.; Sridhar, Banavar; Sterenchuk, Mike; Niznik, Tim; O'Neill, Tom; Clymer, Alexis; Gutierrez Nolasco, Sebastian; Edholm, Kaj; Shih, Fu-Tai

2017-01-01

This paper describes the evolution over a 20-year period of the Future ATM (Air Traffic Management) Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) from a National Airspace System (NAS) based simulation testbed into an operational tool. FACET was developed as a testbed for assessing futuristic ATM concepts, e.g., automated conflict detection and resolution. NAS Constraint Evaluation and Notification Tool (NASCENT) is an application, within FACET, for alerting airspace users of inefficiencies in flight operations and advising time- and fuel-saving reroutes.It is currently in use at American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, TX. The concepts assessed,research conducted, and the operational capability developed, along with the NASA support and achievements are presented in this paper.

A tutorial on information retrieval: basic terms and concepts

PubMed Central

Zhou, Wei; Smalheiser, Neil R; Yu, Clement

2006-01-01

This informal tutorial is intended for investigators and students who would like to understand the workings of information retrieval systems, including the most frequently used search engines: PubMed and Google. Having a basic knowledge of the terms and concepts of information retrieval should improve the efficiency and productivity of searches. As well, this knowledge is needed in order to follow current research efforts in biomedical information retrieval and text mining that are developing new systems not only for finding documents on a given topic, but extracting and integrating knowledge across documents. PMID:16722601

Basic concepts and techniques of dental implants.

PubMed

Tagliareni, Jonathan M; Clarkson, Earl

2015-04-01

Dental implants provide completely edentulous and partial edentulous patients the function and esthetics they had with natural dentition. It is critical to understand and apply predictable surgical principles when treatment planning and surgically restoring edentulous spaces with implants. This article defines basic implant concepts that should be meticulously followed for predictable results when treating patients and restoring dental implants. Topics include biological and functional considerations, biomechanical considerations, preoperative assessments, medical history and risk assessments, oral examinations, radiographic examinations, contraindications, and general treatment planning options. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Basic Nuclear Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

Basic concepts of nuclear structures, radiation, nuclear reactions, and health physics are presented in this text, prepared for naval officers. Applications to the area of nuclear power are described in connection with pressurized water reactors, experimental boiling water reactors, homogeneous reactor experiments, and experimental breeder…

Firewalking: A Lesson in Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, John R.

1989-01-01

Emphasizes firewalking as a good illustration of basic concepts in thermodynamics. Describes the basic principles of firewalking and other factors including the cooling of the surface embers, moisture of the feet, thick skin on the feet, tolerance for pain, and other uncontrolled factors. (YP)

MAVEN at Mars Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-18

This artist concept depicts NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN MAVEN spacecraft near Mars. MAVEN is in development for launch in 2013 and will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

Hopper on wheels: evolving the hopping robot concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schell, S.; Tretten, A.; Burdick, J.; Fuller, S. B.; Fiorini, P.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the evolution of our concept of hopping robot for planetary exploration, that combines coarse long range mobility achieved by hopping, with short range wheeled mobility for precision target acquisition.

Creatures in the Classroom: Preservice Teacher Beliefs about Fantastic Beasts, Magic, Extraterrestrials, Evolution and Creationism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losh, Susan Carol; Nzekwe, Brandon

2011-01-01

Faculty have long expressed concern about pseudoscience belief among students. Most US research on such beliefs examines evolution-creation issues among liberal arts students, the general public, and occasionally science educators. Because of their future influence on youth, we examined basic science knowledge and several pseudoscience beliefs…

Preliminary Evolutionary Explanations: A Basic Framework for Conceptual Change and Explanatory Coherence in Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampourakis, Kostas; Zogza, Vasso

2009-01-01

This study aimed to explore secondary students' explanations of evolutionary processes, and to determine how consistent these were, after a specific evolution instruction. In a previous study it was found that before instruction students provided different explanations for similar processes to tasks with different content. Hence, it seemed that…

Teaching Evolution to Non-English Proficient Students by Using Lego Robotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittier, L. Elena; Robinson, Michael

2007-01-01

This article describes a teaching unit that used Lego Robotics to address state science standards for teaching basic principles of evolution in two middle school life science classes. All but two of 29 students in these classes were native Spanish speakers from Mexico. Both classes were taught using Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol…

Towards an ontogenetic understanding of inflorescence diversity

PubMed Central

Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine; Bull-Hereñu, Kester

2013-01-01

Backgrounds and Aims Conceptual and terminological conflicts in inflorescence morphology indicate a lack of understanding of the phenotypic diversity of inflorescences. In this study, an ontogeny-based inflorescence concept is presented considering different meristem types and developmental pathways. By going back to the ontogenetic origin, diversity is reduced to a limited number of types and terms. Methods Species from 105 genera in 52 angiosperm families are investigated to identify their specific reproductive meristems and developmental pathways. Based on these studies, long-term experience with inflorescences and literature research, a conceptual framework for the understanding of inflorescences is presented. Key Results Ontogeny reveals that reproductive systems traditionally called inflorescences fall into three groups, i.e. ‘flowering shoot systems’ (FSS), ‘inflorescences’ sensu stricto and ‘floral units’ (FUs). Our concept is, first, based on the identification of reproductive meristem position and developmental potential. The FSS, defined as a seasonal growth unit, is used as a reference framework. As the FSS is a leafy shoot system bearing reproductive units, foliage and flowering sequence play an important role. Second, the identification of two different flower-producing meristems is essential. While ‘inflorescence meristems’ (IMs) share acropetal primordia production with vegetative meristems, ‘floral unit meristems’ (FUMs) resemble flower meristems in being indeterminate. IMs produce the basic inflorescence types, i.e. compound and simple racemes, panicles and botryoids. FUMs give rise to dense, often flower-like units (e.g. heads). They occur solitarily at the FSS or occupy flower positions in inflorescences, rendering the latter thyrses in the case of cymose branching. Conclusions The ontogenetic concept differs from all existing inflorescence concepts in being based on meristems and developmental processes. It includes clear terms and allows homology statements. Transitional forms are an explicit part of the concept, illustrating the ontogenetic potential for character transformation in evolution. PMID:23445936

Exaptation in human evolution: how to test adaptive vs exaptive evolutionary hypotheses.

PubMed

Pievani, Telmo; Serrelli, Emanuele

2011-01-01

Palaeontologists, Stephen J. Gould and Elisabeth Vrba, introduced the term "ex-aptation" with the aim of improving and enlarging the scientific language available to researchers studying the evolution of any useful character, instead of calling it an "adaptation" by default, coming up with what Gould named an "extended taxonomy of fitness". With the extension to functional co-optations from non-adaptive structures ("spandrels"), the notion of exaptation expanded and revised the neo-Darwinian concept of "pre-adaptation" (which was misleading, for Gould and Vrba, suggesting foreordination). Exaptation is neither a "saltationist" nor an "anti-Darwinian" concept and, since 1982, has been adopted by many researchers in evolutionary and molecular biology, and particularly in human evolution. Exaptation has also been contested. Objections include the "non-operationality objection".We analyze the possible operationalization of this concept in two recent studies, and identify six directions of empirical research, which are necessary to test "adaptive vs. exaptive" evolutionary hypotheses. We then comment on a comprehensive survey of literature (available online), and on the basis of this we make a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the adoption of the term among scientists who study human evolution. We discuss the epistemic conditions that may have influenced the adoption and appropriate use of exaptation, and comment on the benefits of an "extended taxonomy of fitness" in present and future studies concerning human evolution.

Shuttle derived vehicle analysis solid booster unmanned launch vehicle concept definition study, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The technical effort associated with the selection and definition of the recommended SRB-X concept is documented. Included are discussions concerning the trades leading to the selected concept, the analysis that established the concept's basic subsystem characteristics, selected configuration description and performance capabilities, launch site operations and facility needs, development schedule, cost characteristics, risk assessment, and a cursory comparison with other launch systems.

Back to basics--how the evolution of the extracellular matrix underpinned vertebrate evolution.

PubMed

Huxley-Jones, Julie; Pinney, John W; Archer, John; Robertson, David L; Boot-Handford, Raymond P

2009-04-01

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex substrate that is involved in and influences a spectrum of behaviours such as growth and differentiation and is the basis for the structure of tissues. Although a characteristic of all metazoans, the ECM has elaborated into a variety of tissues unique to vertebrates, such as bone, tendon and cartilage. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular evolution of the ECM. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ECM genes represent a pivotal family of proteins the evolution of which appears to have played an important role in the evolution of vertebrates.

University and Secondary School Students' Misconceptions about the Concept of "Aromaticity" in Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topal, Giray; Oral, Behcet; Ozden. Mustafa

2007-01-01

Aromaticity concept is given incorrect or incomplete to the student in secondary education and knowledge based on this basic concept has been caused to another misconception in future. How are the achievement levels relating to the comprehension of various characteristics of aromatic compounds for the first and third grade students attending…

Students' Alternative Conceptions about Electricity and Effect of Inquiry-Based Teaching Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afra, Nada Chatila; Osta, Iman; Zoubeir, Wassim

2009-01-01

This study attempted to investigate the alternative conceptions that a group of 12 Lebanese students in a grade 9 class hold about electricity. It also attempted to evaluate learning outcomes of implementing in that class an inquiry-based module for the acquisition of conceptual understanding of basic concepts in electricity. Fourteen mostly…

Consumer Economics (Secondary): Teaching Strategies. Master Curriculum Guide in Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clow, John E., Ed.

Designed to build up concepts presented in the Master Curriculum Guide volume "A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts," this collection of teacher guidelines and classroom lessons focuses on how economic concepts and an economic way of thinking can be incorporated into various units in consumer education courses or in courses at the secondary…

Time as a Basic Concept for Theory Building in Social Gerontology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pastorello, Thomas

A typology of time-related concepts is put forth as a step toward the building of comprehensive theory in aging. The concepts derive from statistics (age, cohort, period effects), the theoretical writings of Sorokin (life course role sequences, durations and rates), the writings of Riley (on the synchronization of life course socialization and…

The Mediating Effect of Context Variation in Mixed Practice for Transfer of Basic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulasegaram, Kulamakan; Min, Cynthia; Howey, Elizabeth; Neville, Alan; Woods, Nicole; Dore, Kelly; Norman, Geoffrey

2015-01-01

Applying a previously learned concept to a novel problem is an important but difficult process called transfer. Practicing multiple concepts together (mixed practice mode) has been shown superior to practicing concepts separately (blocked practice mode) for transfer. This study examined the effect of single and multiple practice contexts for both…

Generalizations Related to Concepts Important for Youth Orientation to the World of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Mary A.; And Others

A basic first step in building a curriculum contributing to the orientation of youth to world of work is identification of concepts important to that orientation. In this study, the generalizations within the concept framework were identified through a developmental process of analysis and synthesis, including a review of current literature, a…

Safety evaluation of high-speed rail bogie concepts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

The study defines the basic design concepts required to provide a safe, reliable, high-speed bogie for the next generation PRIIA passenger locomotive. The requirements and conditions for the U.S. market create unique design challenges that currently ...

Legislative Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution: The Science Educators' Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wavering, Michael; Duggan-Haas, Don

The mandate to teach the theory of evolution and evolution-related concepts in biology and other appropriate science classes in public schools is relatively clear in 31 states and the District of Columbia. In the most recent state legislative sessions, some legislators made attempts to use the legislative processes to restrict the teaching of…

Student Conceptions of Natural Selection and Its Role in Evolution, Research Series No. l65.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Beth A.; Anderson, Charles W.

Pretests and posttests on the topic of evolution through natural selection were administered to students in a college nonmajors' biology course. Analysis of test responses revealed that most students understood evolution as a process in which species respond to environmental conditions by changing gradually over time. Student thinking differed…

An Industrially Developed Basic Chemistry Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, L. W.; Haws, L. D.

1979-01-01

Describes a practical, job-related, 3 1/2 month long, basic chemistry course developed by Monsanto Research Corporation to train laboratory technicians and service employees. The course, centered around 31 chemistry topics, is designed to supplement university courses and stresses application of concepts. (BT)

Sociolinguistics and the Counselling Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conville, Richard L.; Ivey, Allen E.

1975-01-01

Sociolinguistics is the study of language as part of culture and society. Counselling, basically a linguistic-communicative process, has too often failed to consider systematic knowledge from related fields. This article discusses basic concepts of sociolinguistics and considers their relation to the counselling process. (Author)

Workplace Math I: Easing into Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Nancy; Goschen, Claire

This basic skills learning module includes instruction in performing basic computations, using general numerical concepts such as whole numbers, fractions, decimals, averages, ratios, proportions, percentages, and equivalents in practical situations. The problems are relevant to all aspects of the printing and manufacturing industry, with emphasis…

A simple rule of direct reciprocity leads to the stable coexistence of cooperation and defection in the Prisoner's Dilemma game.

PubMed

Zheng, Xiu-Deng; Li, Cong; Yu, Jie-Ru; Wang, Shi-Chang; Fan, Song-Jia; Zhang, Bo-Yu; Tao, Yi

2017-05-07

The long-term coexistence of cooperation and defection is a common phenomenon in nature and human society. However, none of the theoretical models based on the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) game can provide a concise theoretical model to explain what leads to the stable coexistence of cooperation and defection in the long-term even though some rules for promoting cooperation have been summarized (Nowak, 2006, Science 314, 1560-1563). Here, based on the concept of direct reciprocity, we develop an elementary model to show why stable coexistence of cooperation and defection in the PD game is possible. The basic idea behind our theoretical model is that all players in a PD game prefer a cooperator as an opponent, and our results show that considering strategies allowing opting out against defection provide a general and concise way of understanding the fundamental importance of direct reciprocity in driving the evolution of cooperation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do-or-die life cycles and diverse post-infection resistance mechanisms limit the evolution of parasite host ranges.

PubMed

Sieber, Michael; Gudelj, Ivana

2014-04-01

In light of the dynamic nature of parasite host ranges and documented potential for rapid host shifts, the observed high host specificity of most parasites remains an ecological paradox. Different variants of host-use trade-offs have become a mainstay of theoretical explanations of the prevalence of host specialism, but empirical evidence for such trade-offs is rare. We propose an alternative theory based on basic features of the parasite life cycle: host selection and subsequent intrahost replication. We introduce a new concept of effective burst size that accounts for the fact that successful host selection does not guarantee intrahost replication. Our theory makes a general prediction that a parasite will expand its host range if its effective burst size is positive. An in silico model of bacteria-phage coevolution verifies our predictions and demonstrates that the tendency for relatively narrow host ranges in parasites can be explained even in the absence of trade-offs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

BORE II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bore II, co-developed by Berkeley Lab researchers Frank Hale, Chin-Fu Tsang, and Christine Doughty, provides vital information for solving water quality and supply problems and for improving remediation of contaminated sites. Termed "hydrophysical logging," this technology is based on the concept of measuring repeated depth profiles of fluid electric conductivity in a borehole that is pumping. As fluid enters the wellbore, its distinct electric conductivity causes peaks in the conductivity log that grow and migrate upward with time. Analysis of the evolution of the peaks enables characterization of groundwater flow distribution more quickly, more cost effectively, and with higher resolutionmore » than ever before. Combining the unique interpretation software Bore II with advanced downhole instrumentation (the hydrophysical logging tool), the method quantifies inflow and outflow locations, their associated flow rates, and the basic water quality parameters of the associated formation waters (e.g., pH, oxidation-reduction potential, temperature). In addition, when applied in conjunction with downhole fluid sampling, Bore II makes possible a complete assessment of contaminant concentration within groundwater.« less

Lateral gene exchanges shape the genomes of amoeba-resisting microorganisms.

PubMed

Bertelli, Claire; Greub, Gilbert

2012-01-01

Based on Darwin's concept of the tree of life, vertical inheritance was thought to be dominant, and mutations, deletions, and duplication were streaming the genomes of living organisms. In the current genomic era, increasing data indicated that both vertical and lateral gene inheritance interact in space and time to trigger genome evolution, particularly among microorganisms sharing a given ecological niche. As a paradigm to their diversity and their survival in a variety of cell types, intracellular microorganisms, and notably intracellular bacteria, were considered as less prone to lateral genetic exchanges. Such specialized microorganisms generally have a smaller gene repertoire because they do rely on their host's factors for some basic regulatory and metabolic functions. Here we review events of lateral gene transfer (LGT) that illustrate the genetic exchanges among intra-amoebal microorganisms or between the microorganism and its amoebal host. We tentatively investigate the functions of laterally transferred genes in the light of the interaction with their host as they should confer a selective advantage and success to the amoeba-resisting microorganisms (ARMs).

Spectral transfers and zonal flow dynamics in the generalized Charney-Hasegawa-Mima model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lashmore-Davies, C.N.; Thyagaraja, A.; McCarthy, D.R.

2005-12-15

The mechanism of four nonlinearly interacting drift or Rossby waves is used as the basic process underlying the turbulent evolution of both the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima-equation (CHME) and its generalized modification (GCHME). Hasegawa and Kodama's concept of equivalent action (or quanta) is applied to the four-wave system and shown to control the distribution of energy and enstrophy between the modes. A numerical study of the GCHME is described in which the initial state contains a single finite-amplitude drift wave (the pump wave), and all the modulationally unstable modes are present at the same low level (10{sup -6} times the pump amplitude). Themore » simulation shows that at first the fastest-growing modulationally unstable modes dominate but reveals that at a later time, before pump depletion occurs, long- and short-wavelength modes, driven by pairs of fast-growing modes, grow at 2{gamma}{sub max}. The numerical simulation illustrates the development of a spectrum of turbulent modes from a finite-amplitude pump wave.« less

Three-Dimensional Path Planning for Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicle Based on Predator-Prey Pigeon-Inspired Optimization in Dynamic Environment.

PubMed

Zhang, Bo; Duan, Haibin

2017-01-01

Three-dimension path planning of uninhabited combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is a complicated optimal problem, which mainly focused on optimizing the flight route considering the different types of constrains under complex combating environment. A novel predator-prey pigeon-inspired optimization (PPPIO) is proposed to solve the UCAV three-dimension path planning problem in dynamic environment. Pigeon-inspired optimization (PIO) is a new bio-inspired optimization algorithm. In this algorithm, map and compass operator model and landmark operator model are used to search the best result of a function. The prey-predator concept is adopted to improve global best properties and enhance the convergence speed. The characteristics of the optimal path are presented in the form of a cost function. The comparative simulation results show that our proposed PPPIO algorithm is more efficient than the basic PIO, particle swarm optimization (PSO), and different evolution (DE) in solving UCAV three-dimensional path planning problems.

Feeling the right force: How to contextualize the cell mechanical behavior in physiologic turnover and pathologic evolution of the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Pesce, Maurizio; Santoro, Rosaria

2017-03-01

Although traditionally linked to the physiology of tissues in 'motion', the ability of the cells to transduce external forces into coordinated gene expression programs is emerging as an integral component of the fundamental structural organization of multicellular organisms with consequences for cell differentiation even from the beginning of embryonic development. The ability of the cells to 'feel' the surrounding mechanical environment, even in the absence of tissue motion, is then translated into 'positional' or 'social' sensing that instructs, before the organ renewal, the correct patterning of the embryos. In the present review, we will highlight how these basic concepts, emerging from the employment of novel cell engineering tools, can be linked to pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system, and may contribute to understanding the molecular bases of some of the major cardiovascular diseases like heart failure, heart valve stenosis and failure of the venous aorto-coronary bypass. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Size-dependent variation in plant form.

PubMed

Niklas, Karl J; Cobb, Edward D

2017-09-11

The study of organic form has a long and distinguished history going at least as far back as Aristotle's Historia Anima¯lium, wherein he identified five basic biological processes that define the forms of animals (metabolism, temperature regulation, information processing, embryo development, and inheritance). Unfortunately, all of Aristotle's writings about plant forms are lost. We know of them only indirectly from his student Theophrastus's companion books, collectively called Historia Plantarum, wherein plant forms are categorized into annual herbs, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees. The study of plant forms did not truly begin until the romantic poet and naturalist Goethe proposed the concept of a hypothetical 'Plant Archetype', declared "Alles ist Blatt", and first coined the word morphologie, which inspired the French anatomist Cuvier (who established the field of comparative morphology), the English naturalist Darwin (who saw his theory of evolution reinforced by it), and the Scottish mathematician D'Arcy Thompson (who attempted to quantify it). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational modelling of genome-scale metabolic networks and its application to CHO cell cultures.

PubMed

Rejc, Živa; Magdevska, Lidija; Tršelič, Tilen; Osolin, Timotej; Vodopivec, Rok; Mraz, Jakob; Pavliha, Eva; Zimic, Nikolaj; Cvitanović, Tanja; Rozman, Damjana; Moškon, Miha; Mraz, Miha

2017-09-01

Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have become increasingly important in recent years. Currently, GEMs are the most accurate in silico representation of the genotype-phenotype link. They allow us to study complex networks from the systems perspective. Their application may drastically reduce the amount of experimental and clinical work, improve diagnostic tools and increase our understanding of complex biological phenomena. GEMs have also demonstrated high potential for the optimisation of bio-based production of recombinant proteins. Herein, we review the basic concepts, methods, resources and software tools used for the reconstruction and application of GEMs. We overview the evolution of the modelling efforts devoted to the metabolism of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. We present a case study on CHO cell metabolism under different amino acid depletions. This leads us to the identification of the most influential as well as essential amino acids in selected CHO cell lines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Common sense, science and philosophy: the links of knowledge necessary for promoting health care].

PubMed

Rios, Ediara Rabello Girão; Franchi, Kristiane Mesquita Barros; da Silva, Raimunda Magalhães; de Amorim, Rosendo Freitas; Costa, Nhandeyjara de Carvalho

2007-01-01

In its evolution, humanity has accumulated data which were systematized as knowledge. Philosophy through self examination helps us in its practical and theoretical functions to reach a concept of the universe. Common sense helps science evolve. People's daily difficulties stir up the need for research, for deepening data interpretation and to propose solutions to overcome the population's problems. Science exists to explain difficult aspects of common sense, to support questions, as well as to substantiate knowledge produced as a response to demands. Thus, knowledge involved in this reflection sets out to foster an articulation between basic forms of knowledge and to develop a satisfactory understanding of the health care process, through a shared and critically consciousness view of the changes in the health system's paradigm. We understand that health education is an essential component within this process, provided that it is focused primarily on an individual belonging to a community with its multiple relationships, especially between the community context and the subjective dimension, which can provide citizenship empowerment redemption.

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options. Volume 4, attachment 1: Task 2 and 3 mission implementation and cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Mission scenario analysis and architectural concepts, alternative systems concepts, mission operations and architectural development, architectural analysis trades, evolution, configuration, and technology development are assessed.

Planets Under a Red Sun Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-08

This artist concept illustrates a young, red dwarf star surrounded by three planets. NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer is helping to identify young, red dwarf stars that are close to us by detecting their ultraviolet light.

Remediation for Students With Mathematics Difficulties: An Intervention Study in Middle Schools.

PubMed

Moser Opitz, Elisabeth; Freesemann, Okka; Prediger, Susanne; Grob, Urs; Matull, Ina; Hußmann, Stephan

As empirical studies have consistently shown, low achievement in mathematics at the secondary level can often be traced to deficits in the understanding of certain basic arithmetic concepts taught in primary school. The present intervention study in middle schools evaluated whether such learning deficits can be reduced effectively and whether the type of instruction influences students' progress. The sample consisted of 123 students in 34 classes, split among one control group and two intervention groups: (a) small group instruction and (b) independent work partially integrated into regular classrooms. Over a period of 14 weeks, students were taught basic concepts, such as place value and basic operations. In addition, they practiced fact retrieval and counting (in groups). Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated that the interventions can be used to reduce given deficits.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ketterer, S.P.

This manual is designed as a comprehensive hands-on instructional manual for learning the T{sub E}X* computer typesetting program in a classroom environment. Each section presents a new concept in careful detail, concluding with an exercise (T{sub E}Xercise) to reinforce the learning of the concept. The manual introduces the novice T{sub E}X user to the program's basic command structure, along with the concepts of grouping, producing accents, making font changes, and generating mathematical symbols. The T{sub E}Xercises guide the new user in generating text containing footnotes, multilevel lists, and hanging indentations, as well as in magnifying text for viewgraphs. Once themore » basic text generation is defined, the more advanced topics of formatting math equations and tables are explained. A full range of math capabilities is presented --- beginning with simple one-line equations, progressing through complex numbered and aligned equations, and concluding with matrices. The sections on table generation present the basic concepts in T{sub E}X's table-formatting program and then build on them. The new user first learns to construct simple tables, and with careful explanations and guidance, learns to add one new table enhancement at a time. By the conclusion of these sections, the user can construct tables with horizontal and vertical rules and with column entries that are paragraphs. 1 ref.« less

Multidimensional Generalized Functions in Aeroacoustics and Fluid Mechanics. Part 1; Basic Concepts and Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farassat, Fereidoun; Myers, Michael K.

2011-01-01

This paper is the first part of a three part tutorial on multidimensional generalized functions (GFs) and their applications in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics. The subject is highly fascinating and essential in many areas of science and, in particular, wave propagation problems. In this tutorial, we strive to present rigorously and clearly the basic concepts and the tools that are needed to use GFs in applications effectively and with ease. We give many examples to help the readers in understanding the mathematical ideas presented here. The first part of the tutorial is on the basic concepts of GFs. Here we define GFs, their properties and some common operations on them. We define the important concept of generalized differentiation and then give some interesting elementary and advanced examples on Green's functions and wave propagation problems. Here, the analytic power of GFs in applications is demonstrated with ease and elegance. Part 2 of this tutorial is on the diverse applications of generalized derivatives (GDs). Part 3 is on generalized Fourier transformations and some more advanced topics. One goal of writing this tutorial is to convince readers that, because of their powerful operational properties, GFs are absolutely essential and useful in engineering and physics, particularly in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics.

Basic principles, methodology, and applications of remote sensing in agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moreira, M. A. (Principal Investigator); Deassuncao, G. V.

1984-01-01

The basic principles of remote sensing applied to agriculture and the methods used in data analysis are described. Emphasis is placed on the importance of developing a methodology that may help crop forecast, basic concepts of spectral signatures of vegetation, the methodology of the LANDSAT data utilization in agriculture, and the remote sensing program application of INPE (Institute for Space Research) in agriculture.

The Concept of Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jesser, David L.

Prepared as a part of the Career Education Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the paper reviews the varying definitions of the term "career education" and describes the evolution of the concept, schema, and models. Evidence of acceptance and support of the career education concept by education agencies is examined.…

Systems concepts: Lectures on contemporary approaches to systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, R. F., Jr.

1973-01-01

Collection of papers dealing with the application of systems concepts to a wide range of disciplines. The topics include systems definitions and designs, models for systems engineering, the evolution of the JPL, systems concepts in lunar and planetary projects, civil systems projects, and Apollo program evaluation. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Teaching Evolution: The Blog as a Liminal Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkaraju, Shylaja; Wolf, Alexander

2016-01-01

A "threshold concept" is a challenging concept that acts as a doorway leading to deeper understanding and a dramatic shift in perception. A learner that is involved in grasping a threshold concept is said to be undergoing a threshold experience within a "liminal space" or learning environment. We used the blog as a liminal…

Origin of the moon - The collision hypothesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, D. J.

1987-01-01

Theoretical models of lunar origin involving one or more collisions between the earth and other large sun-orbiting bodies are examined in a critical review. Ten basic propositions of the collision hypothesis (CH) are listed; observational data on mass and angular momentum, bulk chemistry, volatile depletion, trace elements, primordial high temperatures, and orbital evolution are summarized; and the basic tenets of alternative models (fission, capture, and coformation) are reviewed. Consideration is given to the thermodynamics of large impacts, rheological and dynamical problems, numerical simulations based on the CH, disk evolution models, and the chemical implications of the CH. It is concluded that the sound arguments and evidence supporting the CH are not (yet) sufficient to rule out other hypotheses.

The Life Sciences program at the NASA Ames Research Center - An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernikos-Danellis, Joan; Sharp, Joseph C.

1989-01-01

The research projects planned for the Life Sciences program have a goal of answering basic questions concerning the nature of life itself and its evolution in the universe from basic elements, as well as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The program also includes studies of the evolution and development of life on the planet earth, and the global changes occurring today that affect life on the earth. The paper describes the simulation models developed to study the effects of space, the flight projects of the program, and the biomedical program, which currently focuses on the physiological changes in the human body that are associated with space flights and the interactions among these changes.

Material failure modelling in metals at high strain rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panov, Vili

2005-07-01

Plate impact tests have been conducted on the OFHC Cu using single-stage gas gun. Using stress gauges, which were supported with PMMA blocks on the back of the target plates, stress-time histories have been recorded. After testing, micro structural observations of the softly recovered OFHC Cu spalled specimen were carried out and evolution of damage has been examined. To account for the physical mechanisms of failure, the concept that thermal activation in material separation during fracture processes has been adopted as basic mechanism for this material failure model development. With this basic assumption, the proposed model is compatible with the Mechanical Threshold Stress model and therefore in this development it was incorporated into the MTS material model in DYNA3D. In order to analyse proposed criterion a series of FE simulations have been performed for OFHC Cu. The numerical analysis results clearly demonstrate the ability of the model to predict the spall process and experimentally observed tensile damage and failure. It is possible to simulate high strain rate deformation processes and dynamic failure in tension for wide range of temperature. The proposed cumulative criterion, introduced in the DYNA3D code, is able to reproduce the ``pull-back'' stresses of the free surface caused by creation of the internal spalling, and enables one to analyse numerically the spalling over a wide range of impact velocities.

Chaos in World Politics: A Reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Manuel Alberto Martins; Filipe, José António Candeias Bonito; Coelho, Manuel F. P.; Pedro, Isabel C.

Chaos theory results from natural scientists' findings in the area of non-linear dynamics. The importance of related models has increased in the last decades, by studying the temporal evolution of non-linear systems. In consequence, chaos is one of the concepts that most rapidly have been expanded in what research topics respects. Considering that relationships in non-linear systems are unstable, chaos theory aims to understand and to explain this kind of unpredictable aspects of nature, social life, the uncertainties, the nonlinearities, the disorders and confusion, scientifically it represents a disarray connection, but basically it involves much more than that. The existing close relationship between change and time seems essential to understand what happens in the basics of chaos theory. In fact, this theory got a crucial role in the explanation of many phenomena. The relevance of this kind of theories has been well recognized to explain social phenomena and has permitted new advances in the study of social systems. Chaos theory has also been applied, particularly in the context of politics, in this area. The goal of this chapter is to make a reflection on chaos theory - and dynamical systems such as the theories of complexity - in terms of the interpretation of political issues, considering some kind of events in the political context and also considering the macro-strategic ideas of states positioning in the international stage.

A New Replicator: A theoretical framework for analysing replication

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Replicators are the crucial entities in evolution. The notion of a replicator, however, is far less exact than the weight of its importance. Without identifying and classifying multiplying entities exactly, their dynamics cannot be determined appropriately. Therefore, it is importance to decide the nature and characteristics of any multiplying entity, in a detailed and formal way. Results Replication is basically an autocatalytic process which enables us to rest on the notions of formal chemistry. This statement has major implications. Simple autocatalytic cycle intermediates are considered as non-informational replicators. A consequence of which is that any autocatalytically multiplying entity is a replicator, be it simple or overly complex (even nests). A stricter definition refers to entities which can inherit acquired changes (informational replicators). Simple autocatalytic molecules (and nests) are excluded from this group. However, in turn, any entity possessing copiable information is to be named a replicator, even multicellular organisms. In order to deal with the situation, an abstract, formal framework is presented, which allows the proper identification of various types of replicators. This sheds light on the old problem of the units and levels of selection and evolution. A hierarchical classification for the partition of the replicator-continuum is provided where specific replicators are nested within more general ones. The classification should be able to be successfully applied to known replicators and also to future candidates. Conclusion This paper redefines the concept of the replicator from a bottom-up theoretical approach. The formal definition and the abstract models presented can distinguish between among all possible replicator types, based on their quantity of variable and heritable information. This allows for the exact identification of various replicator types and their underlying dynamics. The most important claim is that replication, in general, is basically autocatalysis, with a specific defined environment and selective force. A replicator is not valid unless its working environment, and the selective force to which it is subject, is specified. PMID:20219099

Unifying concepts in the high school biology curriculum, one or many: An investigation of rural, suburban, and urban schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Judith Ann

2000-10-01

Nine high school biology teachers from rural, suburban, and urban school settings, were interviewed about what idea, topic, or concept, if any, they use to unify their high school biology curriculum. Professional scientists and educational organizations have proposed that high school biology teachers use "biological evolution" as a unifying concept of their curriculum. Interviews, concept maps, and classroom syllabi and outlines were provided as data for these nine case studies. Each teacher was asked what topics were included in their curriculum to determine if a wide enough content was taught to warrant unification. The teachers' responses were compared to content and concepts listed in the National Science Content Standards, the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements for Science, and a paper (Hurd, Bybee, Kahle, and Yager, 1980) that proposed what and how topics should be taught in the high school biology class by the year 2000. The nine teachers were asked to draw a concept map showing how these topics were interrelated and what concept, if any, "unified" them. A unifying concept is defined as a concept introduced early in the year and referred back to whenever new topics are introduced illustrating how the new topic is related to the previous ones through this unifying concept. Seven of the nine teachers did use at least one unifying concept. Two use evolution or natural selection, two use the web of life, two use the characteristics of life, and one uses scientific inquiry. The data collected in this study indicate high school teachers use these concepts such as the web of life and the characteristics of life because they believe they are easily understood by their students and less controversial than the theory of evolution. This study also presents evidence that school setting has minimal influence on what concept teachers use to unify their curriculum and that teachers have a significant amount of academic freedom to choose what they want to teach and how they want to teach it. The data suggests that teachers choose their unifying concept based on their personal beliefs of what their students will accept and on their past interactions with parents, students, and administrators when various unifying concepts were used.

Using concepts from biology to improve problem-solving methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, Erik D.; Rothwell, Edward J.; Averill, Ronald C.

2011-06-01

Observing nature has been a cornerstone of engineering design. Today, engineers look not only at finished products, but imitate the evolutionary process by which highly optimized artifacts have appeared in nature. Evolutionary computation began by capturing only the simplest ideas of evolution, but today, researchers study natural evolution and incorporate an increasing number of concepts in order to evolve solutions to complex engineering problems. At the new BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, studies in the lab and field and in silico are laying the groundwork for new tools for evolutionary engineering design. This paper, which accompanies a keynote address, describes various steps in development and application of evolutionary computation, particularly as regards sensor design, and sets the stage for future advances.

Urban Evolution: the Role of Water

EPA Science Inventory

The structure, function, and services of urban ecosystems evolve over time scales from seconds to centuries as Earth's population grows, infrastructure ages, and sociopolitical values alter them. In order to systematically study changes over time, the concept of "urban evolution...

FORWARD: DESERTIFICATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION: A SECURITY ISSUE

EPA Science Inventory

The Workshop focused on two basic concepts: security and desertification and their linkages. Since the end of the Cold War, traditional security concepts based on national sovereignty and territorial security have increasingly been brought under review. Currently, a broader defin...

Application of thermochemical modeling to aircraft interior polymeric materials

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-06-01

This report summarizes the results from a twelve-month study of the feasibility of applying certain basic concepts in the thermochemical modeling to aircraft cabin fire safety. The concepts developed earlier on a NASA-sponsored program were applied t...

Didactic Problems in the Concept of Electric Potential Difference and an Analysis of Its Philogenesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Enrique Jimenez; Duran, Eugenio Fernandez

1998-01-01

Analyzes didactic problems related to the inseparability of electric charge from the mass, the impossibility of its direct observation, and the meaning associated with the basic concepts of electricity. Contains 44 references. (DDR)

Patterns of thinking about phylogenetic trees: A study of student learning and the potential of tree thinking to improve comprehension of biological concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naegle, Erin

Evolution education is a critical yet challenging component of teaching and learning biology. There is frequently an emphasis on natural selection when teaching about evolution and conducting educational research. A full understanding of evolution, however, integrates evolutionary processes, such as natural selection, with the resulting evolutionary patterns, such as species divergence. Phylogenetic trees are models of evolutionary patterns. The perspective gained from understanding biology through phylogenetic analyses is referred to as tree thinking. Due to the increasing prevalence of tree thinking in biology, understanding how to read phylogenetic trees is an important skill for students to learn. Interpreting graphics is not an intuitive process, as graphical representations are semiotic objects. This is certainly true concerning phylogenetic tree interpretation. Previous research and anecdotal evidence report that students struggle to correctly interpret trees. The objective of this research was to describe and investigate the rationale underpinning the prior knowledge of introductory biology students' tree thinking Understanding prior knowledge is valuable as prior knowledge influences future learning. In Chapter 1, qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews were used to explore patterns of student rationale in regard to tree thinking. Seven common tree thinking misconceptions are described: (1) Equating the degree of trait similarity with the extent of relatedness, (2) Environmental change is a necessary prerequisite to evolution, (3) Essentialism of species, (4) Evolution is inherently progressive, (5) Evolution is a linear process, (6) Not all species are related, and (7) Trees portray evolution through the hybridization of species. These misconceptions are based in students' incomplete or incorrect understanding of evolution. These misconceptions are often reinforced by the misapplication of cultural conventions to make sense of trees. Chapter 2 explores the construction, validity, and reliability of a tree thinking concept inventory. Concept inventories are research based instruments that diagnose faulty reasoning among students. Such inventories are tools for improving teaching and learning of concepts. Test scores indicate that tree thinking misconceptions are held by novice and intermediate biology students. Finally, Chapter 3 presents a tree thinking rubric. The rubric aids teachers in selecting and improving introductory tree thinking learning exercises that address students' tree thinking misconceptions.

PACS—Realization of an adaptive concept using pressure actuated cellular structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gramüller, B.; Boblenz, J.; Hühne, C.

2014-10-01

A biologically inspired concept is investigated which can be utilized to develop energy efficient, lightweight and applicational flexible adaptive structures. Building a real life morphing unit is an ambitious task as the numerous works in the particular field show. Summarizing fundamental demands and barriers regarding shape changing structures, the basic challenges of designing morphing structures are listed. The concept of Pressure Actuated Cellular Structures (PACS) is arranged within the recent morphing activities and it is shown that it complies with the underlying demands. Systematically divided into energy-related and structural subcomponents the working principle is illuminated and relationships between basic design parameters are expressed. The analytical background describing the physical mechanisms of PACS is presented in concentrated manner. This work focuses on the procedure of dimensioning, realizing and experimental testing of a single cell and a single row cantilever made of PACS. The experimental outcomes as well as the results from the FEM computations are used for evaluating the analytical methods. The functionality of the basic principle is thus validated and open issues are determined pointing the way ahead.

Current Practices in Teaching Introductory Epidemiology: How We Got Here, Where to Go

PubMed Central

Keyes, Katherine M.; Galea, Sandro

2014-01-01

The number of students and disciplines requiring basic instruction in epidemiologic methods is growing. As a field, we now have a lexicon of epidemiologic terminology and particular methods that have developed and become canonical through the historical development of the field. Yet, many of our basic concepts remain elusive to some students, particularly those not pursuing a career in epidemiology. Further, disagreement and redundancy across basic terms limit their utility in teaching epidemiology. Many approaches to teaching epidemiology generally start with labeling key concepts and then move on to explain them. We submit that an approach grounded not in labels but in foundational concepts may offer a useful adjunct to introductory epidemiology education. We propose 7 foundational steps in conducting an epidemiologic study and provide examples of how these steps can be operationalized, using simple graphics that articulate how populations are defined, samples are selected, and individuals are followed to count cases. A reorganization of introductory epidemiology around core first principles may be an effective way forward for educating the next generation of public health scientists. PMID:25190677

Basic concepts for the design of high-efficiency single-junction and multibandgap solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fan, J. C. C.

1985-01-01

Concepts for obtaining practical solar-cell modules with one-sun efficiencies up to 30 percent at air mass 1 are now well understood. Such high-efficiency modules utilize multibandgap structures. To achieve module efficiencies significantly above 30 percent, it is necessary to employ different concepts such as spectral compression and broad-band detection. A detailed description of concepts for the design of high-efficiency multibandgap solar cells is given.

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Properties of the Electrochemical Cell.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Donald E.

1983-01-01

Describes basic characteristics of the electrochemical cell. Also describes basic principles of electrochemical procedures and use of these concepts to explain use of the term "primarily" in discussions of methods primarily responsive to equilibrium cell potential, bulk ohmic resistance, and the Faradaic impedance. (JN)

Report on the CDE Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haga, Enoch J.

1971-01-01

The Certificate in Data Education (Basic) examination is designed to certify that successful candidates are academically proficient in those principles and concepts of automation, computing, and data processing (including social and user implications) which are usually taught in basic introductory courses at the college or university level. (CK)

Teaching Basic Science Environmentally, Concept: Water that Comes Down as Rain Is Used Over and Over Again.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Phyllis S.

1985-01-01

Provides directions for basic science experiments which demonstrate the rain cycle, fundamentals of cloud formation, and testing for the presence of acidity in local rainwater. Describes materials required, step-by-step instructions, and discussion topics. (NEC)

Origins and Evolution of Social Medicine and Contemporary Social Medicine in Korea.

PubMed

Han, Dal Sun; Bae, Sang-Soo; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Choi, Yong-Jun

2017-01-01

Social medicine is recognized as one of medical specialties in many countries. However, social medicine has never been formally introduced to Korea, presumably because the term and its principles were not accepted for some years in the past in American medicine, which has strongly influenced Korean medicine. This paper describes the origins and evolution of social medicine and briefly discusses contemporary social medicine in Korea. Social medicine was initiated in France and Germany in 1848. Since then, it has expanded globally and developed in diverse ways. Included in core principles of social medicine is that social and economic conditions have important effects on health and disease, and that these relationships must be subjected to scientific investigation. The term 'social medicine' is rarely used in Korea, but many of its subject matters are incorporated into preventive medicine which, besides prevention, deals with population health that is inescapably social. However, the Korean preventive medicine directs little attention to the basic concepts and principles of social medicine, upon which systematic development of social medicine can be based. Thus, it is necessary to supplement the social medicine contents of preventive medicine through formalizing the linkages between the two fields. One way of doing so would be to change the title of 'preventive medicine' course in medical colleges to 'preventive and social medicine,' as in many other countries, and to adjust the course contents accordingly.

Dynamic EROI Assessment of the IPCC 21st Century Electricity Production Scenario

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neumeyer, Charles; Goldston, Robert

Abstract: The Energy Return on Investment (EROI) is an important measure of the energy gain of an electrical power generating facility that is typically evaluated based on the life cycle energy balance of a single facility. The EROI concept can be extended to cover a collection of facilities that comprise a complete power system and used to assess the expansion and evolution of a power system as it transitions from one portfolio mix of technologies to another over time. In this study we develop a dynamic EROI model that simulates the evolution of a power system and we perform anmore » EROI simulation of one of the electricity production scenarios developed under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) covering the global supply of electricity in the 21st century. Our analytic tool provides the means for evaluation of dynamic EROI based on arbitrary time-dependent demand scenarios by modeling the required expansion of power generation, including the plowback needed for new construction and to replace facilities as they are retired. The results provide insight into the level of installed and delivered power, above and beyond basic consumer demand, that is required to support construction during expansion, as well as the supplementary power that may be required if plowback constraints are imposed. In addition, sensitivity to EROI parameters, and the impact of energy storage efficiency are addressed.« less