SUITABILITY AND UTILITY OF COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS TOOLS: CHARACTERIZATION OF ERYTHROCYTE PARAMETER VARIATION

Contributed equally Systems engineering can provide insights into multivariate regulatory networks and pooling in complex biological networks that cannot be fully interpreted through experiments alone. Herein, we analyzed the use of phase planes, modal and time-lagged correlation (TLC) analyses of the human erythrocyte to explore the utility of these techniques for understanding the effect of single parameter changes on the behavior of a metabolic network. Specifically, several parameters in key regulatory steps in erythrocyte glycolysis, Rapoport-Leubering bypass, pentose phosphate pathway, adenosine metabolism, and membrane transport were perturbed. The most sensitive parameters were identified based on the steady-state metabolite concentration changes and were explored further. Modal analysis identified relevant time scales for each parameter change. These time scales were further explored using phase plane and TLC analyses. Phase plane and TLC both inferred pooling changes, while TLC also identified changes in the regulatory network structure that resulted from various parameter changes. Each method has strengths and weaknesses for exploring and gaining insight into complex biological networks. 1

School alienation and its association with student learning and social behavior in challenging times

Current challenges in the educational sector along with age-related changes during early adolescence contribute to an increased sense of school alienation (SAL) among students. Some of the central concerns of SAL are failure to participate in classroom and socially deviant behaviors. This study examined the change in and cross-lagged relationships among alienation from learning, teachers, and classmates, and different self-reported learning and social behaviors across 508 secondary school students spanning a one-year interval from Grade 7 to Grade 8. The results revealed a slight increase in SAL and a decline in classroom participation. Earlier SAL predicted students’ later in-class participation and delinquent behavior, but not vice versa. The three alienation domains were shown to have different relationships with targeted learning and social behaviors: Alienation from learning and from teachers negatively predicted student classroom participation. Alienation from teachers and from classmates contributed to subsequent delinquent behavior. The study results emphasized the importance of SAL for students’ participation in classroom activities as well as in disruptive behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for educational research and practice are discussed