Explorations to the seafloors of Earth and Europa

Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-24).Hydrothermal vents on Earth's seafloor host entire ecosystems that live off energy from chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis. This energy process uses chemical reactions between metals and hot gases from inside Earth's mantle to fuel thriving communities of exotic organisms. Some researchers think life originated at these vents and if they're right, that means there's a chance life could have also originated near similar hydrothermal vents on other planets or moons. One of the most promising places to search is the suspected sub-ice ocean on Jupiter's moon, Europa. This is the story of humankind's efforts to understand the origins of life by looking for it in extreme environments where life thrives without relying on the sun as an energy source. It follows an oceanographic expedition to the Mid-Cayman Rise, led by Chris German of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NASA's efforts to plan a future mission to Europa. By understanding how life can live without the sun, we may discover how life began on our planet and whether or not Earth is the only place in the universe capable of supporting a biosphere.by Garret R. Fitzpatrick.S.M.in Science Writin

ρan-ρan

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A Practical Hardware Implementation of Systemic Computation

It is widely accepted that natural computation, such as brain computation, is far superior to typical computational approaches addressing tasks such as learning and parallel processing. As conventional silicon-based technologies are about to reach their physical limits, researchers have drawn inspiration from nature to found new computational paradigms. Such a newly-conceived paradigm is Systemic Computation (SC). SC is a bio-inspired model of computation. It incorporates natural characteristics and defines a massively parallel non-von Neumann computer architecture that can model natural systems efficiently. This thesis investigates the viability and utility of a Systemic Computation hardware implementation, since prior software-based approaches have proved inadequate in terms of performance and flexibility. This is achieved by addressing three main research challenges regarding the level of support for the natural properties of SC, the design of its implied architecture and methods to make the implementation practical and efficient. Various hardware-based approaches to Natural Computation are reviewed and their compatibility and suitability, with respect to the SC paradigm, is investigated. FPGAs are identified as the most appropriate implementation platform through critical evaluation and the first prototype Hardware Architecture of Systemic computation (HAoS) is presented. HAoS is a novel custom digital design, which takes advantage of the inbuilt parallelism of an FPGA and the highly efficient matching capability of a Ternary Content Addressable Memory. It provides basic processing capabilities in order to minimize time-demanding data transfers, while the optional use of a CPU provides high-level processing support. It is optimized and extended to a practical hardware platform accompanied by a software framework to provide an efficient SC programming solution. The suggested platform is evaluated using three bio-inspired models and analysis shows that it satisfies the research challenges and provides an effective solution in terms of efficiency versus flexibility trade-off

The development and evaluation of a microprocessor-controlled bioreactor for use in developing countries

A laboratory scale fermenter control system, based on a Z80 microprocessor operating at 4 MHz, has been developed. The system has the following features: 1 -" 8 Kbytes of RAM and 4 Kbytes of EPROM (with extra space for another 4 Kbytes); 2 -" Two serial links (RS232c);3-" An analog/digital converter with an 8 channel multiplexer and an opto-triac system for switching control devices (heater, peristaltic pumps); 4 -" Four interface cards to connect the parameter sensors. This system has the advantage that it is based on well established (though not state-of-the-art) microelectronic technology (Z80 chips) widely available in the world at reasonable prices. This, plus the fact that both hardware and software were locally designed, means that it is truly 'portable' in the sense that, with limited resources, copies can easily be constructed in developing countries (the idea is that Mark-II will be built in North East Brazil to support research into yeast fermentation technology). The control system was evaluated in batch and chemostatic growth modes. Both modes were used to investigate the growth kinetics of a genetically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain (BC55) carrying the plasmid pCYG4 which directs 10 fold more NADP-GDH activity than wild type cells. Batch culture experiments showed that the presence of plasmid increased ammonia uptake by the cells but did not improve biomass or ethanol yield compared to wild type cells. Under carbon-limitation NADP-GDH activity was in phase with GOGAT and penicillinase activity. NADP-GDH and GOGAT activities were inversely proportional to intracellular ammonia concentration and proportional to intracellular L-glutamate concentration. Under nitrogen limitation (using ammonia as limiting substrate) GOGAT activity increased, but NADP-GDH and penicillinase activity remained at the same level as under carbon limitation. Using L-glutamate as nitrogen source NADP-GDH activity was very low and GOGAT and penicillinase activities were undetectables with an increase in NAD-GDH activity. Oscillations found in enzyme activities and intracellular metabolite concentration under carbon and nitrogen limitation experiments are a consequence of a mixed culture (the presence of cells with plasmid GDH (gdh+ cells) and cells without plasmid GDH (gdh- cells)) with changing concentrations of the 2 populations

Virtually real : problems of authenticity in religion on the internet

Bibliography: leaves 205-213.This study explores the vexed problem of authenticity in religion. In making that exploration, the study uses for its data the multitude of diverse and disparate religious formations found in the relatively disordered and anarchic spaces created with Internet technologies, formations that I have tentatively called virtual religions. The theoretical framework applied here is developed from the unique and original critical theory of Walter Benjamin. This study is therefore located at a number of important intersections: between religion and popular culture, between religion and politics, between religion and philosophy, and between religion and art. The argument is comprised of three major parts, corresponding to Chapters Two, Three and Four respectively. The first part approaches authenticity from the perspective of empiricism, with its scientific methods of verification and falsification. The keyword here is forensics because it implies both the scientific paradigm and police detection. This second implication is an important addition to the first because it draws attention to power in the vexed problem of religious authenticity

A complex systems approach to education in Switzerland

The insights gained from the study of complex systems in biological, social, and engineered systems enables us not only to observe and understand, but also to actively design systems which will be capable of successfully coping with complex and dynamically changing situations. The methods and mindset required for this approach have been applied to educational systems with their diverse levels of scale and complexity. Based on the general case made by Yaneer Bar-Yam, this paper applies the complex systems approach to the educational system in Switzerland. It confirms that the complex systems approach is valid. Indeed, many recommendations made for the general case have already been implemented in the Swiss education system. To address existing problems and difficulties, further steps are recommended. This paper contributes to the further establishment complex systems approach by shedding light on an area which concerns us all, which is a frequent topic of discussion and dispute among politicians and the public, where billions of dollars have been spent without achieving the desired results, and where it is difficult to directly derive consequences from actions taken. The analysis of the education system's different levels, their complexity and scale will clarify how such a dynamic system should be approached, and how it can be guided towards the desired performance

Giving and receiving: Organ transplantation in Singapore

Master'sMASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader

Once confined solely to literature and film, science fiction has emerged to become a firmly established, and wildly popular, television genre over the last half century. The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader provides insight into and analyses of the most important programs in the history of the genre and explores the breadth of science fiction programming. Editor J. P. Telotte and the contributors explain the gradual transformation of the genre from low-budget cinematic knockoffs to an independent and distinct televisual identity. Their essays track the dramatic evolution of early hits such as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek into the science fiction programming of today with its more recent successes such as Lost and Heroes. They highlight the history, narrative approaches, and themes of the genre with an inviting and accessible style. In essays that are as varied as the shows themselves, the contributors address the full scope of the genre. In his essay “The Politics of Star Trek: The Original Series,” M. Keith Booker examines the ways in which Star Trek promoted cultural diversity and commented on the pioneering attitude of the American West. Susan George takes on the refurbished Battlestar Galactica series, examining how the show reframes questions of gender. Other essays explore the very attributes that constitute science fiction television: David Lavery’s essay “The Island’s Greatest Mystery: Is Lost Science Fiction?”calls into question the defining characteristics of the genre. From anime to action, every form of science fiction television is given thoughtful analysis enriched with historical perspective. Placing the genre in a broad context, The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader outlines where the genre has been, where it is today, and where it may travel in the future. No longer relegated to the periphery of television, science fiction now commands a viewership vast enough to sustain a cable channel devoted to the genre. J. P. Telotte, professor of literature, communication, and culture at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the author or editor of numerous books. “This well-edited collection offers a richly detailed and critically penetrating overview of science fiction television, from the plucky adventures of Captain Video to the postmodern paradoxes of The X-Files and Lost. Sixteen essays by major scholars in the field address topics ranging from the politics of Star Trek to the mythic resonances of The Twilight Zone, from the complexities of adapting material from other media to the science-fictionality of television itself. Teachers, students, and fans of SFTV will learn much from this engaging, indispensible volume.”--Rob Latham, coeditor of Science Fiction Studies “Telotte’s volume makes clear how much science fiction is on television (and how much television has been the subject of science fiction). The contributors to this volume demonstrate how much this matters. These are well-written, accessible, and informative essays that cover the subject in depth, from Captain Video to Star Trek; from The X-Files to Firefly.”—Robert Kolker, University of Virginia “Recommended for academic libraries with an interest in communication, media, and culture.” --Rosalind Dayen, Library Journal J. P. Telotte, a leading authority in the field of media studies, has compiled an impressive and qualified list of contributors to provide a synthesis of insight and analysis of the most important programs in the history of the genre’s progress. --Paintsville Herald The huge increase in the number of complex, culturally significant series in the last twenty years makes the genre a vital one for close study. --Joe Milicia, The New York Review of Science Fiction Renowned scholar J. P. Telotte explores how animation has confronted the blank template, and how responses to that confrontation have changed. --thebookstallblog.blogspot.com Provides a provocative glimpse into cultural perspectives of space as a method for understanding both a technological and aesthetic history of animation and the evolution from a modern to postmodern mind-set. --Humanitieshttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/1007/thumbnail.jp

Going viral : an integrated view on virological data analysis from basic research to clinical applications

Viruses are of considerable interest for several fields of life science research. The genomic richness of these entities, their environmen- tal abundance, as well as their high adaptability and, potentially, pathogenicity make treatment of viral diseases challenging. This thesis proposes three novel contributions to antiviral research that each concern analysis procedures of high-throughput experimen- tal genomics data. First, a sensitive approach for detecting viral genomes and transcripts in sequencing data of human cancers is presented that improves upon prior approaches by allowing de- tection of viral nucleotide sequences that consist of human-viral homologs or are diverged from known reference sequences. Sec- ond, a computational method for inferring physical protein contacts from experimental protein complex purification assays is put for- ward that allows statistically meaningful integration of multiple data sets and is able to infer protein contacts of transiently binding protein classes such as kinases and molecular chaperones. Third, an investigation of minute changes in viral genomic populations upon treatment of patients with the mutagen ribavirin is presented that first characterizes the mutagenic effect of this drug on the hepatitis C virus based on deep sequencing data.Viren sind von beträchtlichem Interesse für die biowissenschaftliche Forschung. Der genetische Reichtum, die hohe Vielfalt, wie auch die Anpassungsfähigkeit und mögliche Pathogenität dieser Organismen erschwert die Behandlung von viralen Erkrankungen. Diese Promotionsschrift enthält drei neuartige Beiträge zur antiviralen Forschung welche die Analyse von experimentellen Hochdurchsatzdaten der Genomik betreffen: erstens, ein sensitiver Ansatz zur Entdeckung viraler Genome und Transkripte in Sequenzdaten humaner Karzinome, der die Identifikation von viralen Nukleotidsequenzen ermöglicht, die von Referenzgenomen ab- weichen oder homolog zu humanen Faktoren sind. Zweitens, eine computergestützte Methode um physische Proteinkontakte von experimentellen Proteinkomplex-Purifikationsdaten abzuleiten welche die statistische Integration von mehreren Datensätzen erlaubt um insbesondere Proteinkontakte von flüchtig interagierenden Proteinklassen wie etwa Kinasen und Chaperonen aus den Daten ableiten zu können. Drittens, eine Untersuchung von kleinsten Änderungen viraler Genompopulationen während der Behandlung von Patienten mit dem Mutagen ribavirin die zum ersten Mal die mutagene Wirkung dieses Medikaments auf das Hepatitis C Virus mittels Tiefensequenzdaten nachweist