On noise processes and limits of performance in biosensors

In this paper, we present a comprehensive stochastic model describing the measurement uncertainty, output signal, and limits of detection of affinity-based biosensors. The biochemical events within the biosensor platform are modeled by a Markov stochastic process, describing both the probabilistic mass transfer and the interactions of analytes with the capturing probes. To generalize this model and incorporate the detection process, we add noisy signal transduction and amplification stages to the Markov model. Using this approach, we are able to evaluate not only the output signal and the statistics of its fluctuation but also the noise contributions of each stage within the biosensor platform. Furthermore, we apply our formulations to define the signal-to-noise ratio, noise figure, and detection dynamic range of affinity-based biosensors. Motivated by the platforms encountered in practice, we construct the noise model of a number of widely used systems. The results of this study show that our formulations predict the behavioral characteristics of affinity-based biosensors which indicate the validity of the model

Psychometrics and test-enhanced learning in a patient-centered learning curriculum

Validity and reliability of scores obtained on Multiple-choice questions (MCQs), as well as the benefits of test-enhanced learning, have been of interest to medical educator scholars. Presented in this dissertation are four composite studies on these themes. The following hypotheses were tested: 1. Increased MCQ distractor functioning increases the validity and reliability of obtained scores. 2. Correction of item writing flaws (along with enhancement of tested cognitive level) and replacement or removal of non-functioning distractors equally improves psychometric characteristics of MCQs. 3. Repeated testing via free-response items enhances the retention of knowledge of human anatomy, compared with repeated or once-testing via multiplechoice questions. Validity and reliability of scores obtained on MCQs was noted to rise as a result of increased MCQ distractor functioning, discrimination amongst high and low performing students was found to be equally improved via removal of flaws and nonfunctioning distractors, and short-term (up to four weeks) retention of human anatomy knowledge was found to be enhanced by repeated testing via free-response questions. Raising MCQ quality by addressing flaws and low distractor functioning, and using nostakes repeated retrieval practice, is advised for improvement in the assessment and learning practices in pre-clinical medical education

PENGARUH MEDIA AUDIOVISUAL TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR LARI JARAK PENDEK (Studi Pada Siswa Kelas VII SMP Negeri 2 Gedangan Sidoarjo)

Abstrak Pendidikan merupakan kegiatan yang sangat penting bagi penyiapan anak-anak untuk menghadapi kehidupannya dimasa mendatang. Pendidikan ialah proses pengubahan sikap dan tata laku seseorang atau kelompok orang dalam usaha mendewasakan manusia melalui upaya pengajaran dan pelatihan. Jadi pendidikan merupakan kegiatan yang sangat penting bagi anak-anak dalam pengubahan sikap dan tingkah laku melalui upaya pengajaran dan pelatihan. Salah satunya yaitu pendidikan jasmani olahraga dan kesehatan yang memberikan kesempatan pada anak didik untuk terlibat langsung dalam pengalaman belajar melalui aktivitas jasmani, bermain dan berolahraga yang dilakukan secara sistematis. Secara umum kegiatan pembelajaran pendidikan jasmani olahraga dan kesehatan melibatkan aktivitas fisik, salah satunya dalam belajar lari jarak pendek. Untuk menunjang pelaksanaan pambelajaran lari jarak pendek tersebut, dibutuhkan kreativitas seorang guru. Sehingga proses pembelajarannya dapat memberi hasil belajar yang baik kepada anak didik. Namun, dalam pelaksanaan pembelajaraan di sekolah yang diutamakan bukanlah hasil waktu kecepatan lari, melainkan yang paling diutamakan adalah hasil belajar lari jarak pendek, anak didik harus dapat mengetahui teknik-teknik dasar lari jarak pendek, misalnya teknik dasar start, teknik lari dan masuk finish. Untuk itu, salah satu cara agar hasil belajar anak didik nanti hasilnya maksimal digunakanlah media sebagai sumber belajar salah satunya adalah media audiovisual. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah (1) untuk mengetahui pengaruh media audiovisual terhadap hasil belajar lari jarak pendek di SMPN 2 Gedangan. (2) Untuk mengetahui besarnya pengaruh media audiovisual terhadap hasil belajar lari jarak pendek di SMPN 2 Gedangan.Berdasarkan hasil penelitian tentang pengaruh media audiovisual terhadap hasil belajar lari jarak pendek dalam pembelajaran penjasorkes, diketahui bahwa media audiovisual dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar lari jarak pendek dalam pembelajaran penjasorkes sebesar 14,06%. Untuk hasil belajar lari jarak pendek  ada peningkatan dari hasil pre-test dan post-test dengan hasil uji-t sampel berpasangan dengan t-hitung lebih besar dari t-tabel (8,341 > 1,69). Sehingga dengan kata lain dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada pengaruh yang signifikan melalui media audiovisual untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar lari jarak pendek dalam pembelajaran penjasorkes pada siswa kelas VII-G di SMP Negeri 2 Gedangan Sidoarjo. Kata Kunci: Pengaruh, Media Audiovisual, Hasil Belajar Lari Jarak Pendek   Abstract Education is a very important activity for preparing children to face the future life. Education is the process of changing attitudes and code of conduct of a person or group of people in a mature business man through teaching and training efforts. So education is completely important activity for children in changing attitudes and behavior through teaching and training efforts. In general, sports physical education learning activities involve physical activity and health, one of them in learning sprint. Those activities are carried out systematically. In general, physical education learning activities involve sports and health physical activity. It also happens in learning sprinting. To support the implementation of learning sprint, the teacher’s creativity is needed. So that the learning process can provide good learning result for students. However, in the implementation of learning in schools is not the result of time preferred running speed, but the main concern is the sprinting learning result. Students should be able to know the basic techniques of sprinting, for example, the basic techniques how do“start”, “run” and “enter” the finish. Therefore, one way to make the result of students’ becomes maximum, the use of learning media is needed. So the researcher applied a media to teach sprint which is called as audiovisual media. The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the effect of audiovisual media on sprinting learning result in Gedangan 2 junior high school (2) To determine the influence of audiovisual media on sprinting learning result in Gedangan 2 junior high school.Based on the results of research on the effects of audiovisual media on sprinting learning result, it is known that the audiovisual media to improve sprinting learning result of 14.06%. For sprinting learning result there is an improvement from the pre-test and post-test with the results of paired samples t-test with t-count is greater than t-table (8.341> 1.69). So in other words it can be concluded that there is significant influence through audiovisual media to improve sprinting learning result in class VII-G in the Gedangan 2 junior high school Sidoarjo. Keywords: Effects, Audiovisual Media, Sprint Learning Resul

HAKIKAT TUJUAN PENDIDIKAN ISLAM PERSPEKTIF IMAM AL-GHAZALI

Pendidikan sebagai upaya untuk membangun sumber daya manusia memerlukan wawasan yang sangat luas. karena pendidikan menyangkut seluruh aspek kehidupan manusia baik dalam pemikiran maupun dalam pengalamannya. Oleh karena itu, pembahasan pendidikan tidak cukup berdasarkan pengalaman saja, melainkan dibutuhkan suatu pemikiran yang luas dan mendalam. Salah satunya adalah Imam Al-Ghazali merupakan seorang pemikir besar, sufi dan praktisi pendidikan di dunia Islam. Dalam kajian ini akan dijelaskan tentang hakikat tujuan pendidikan Islam menurut Imam Al-Ghazali. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian literatur dengan mengkaji tentang hakikat tujuan pendidikan Islam Perspektif Imam Al-Ghazali. Hasil temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa; taqarrub (mendekatkan diri) kepada Allah adalah tujuan pendidikan Islam yang terpenting. Menguasai ilmu bagi Imam Al-Ghazali adalah sebagai media untuk taqarrub kepada Allah dimana tak satupun bisa sampai kepadanya tanpa ilmu

Analisis Makna pada Status BBM (Blackberry Messenger) Di Kalangan Remaja: Tinjauan Semantik

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memaparkan (1) jenis makna pada status BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) di kalangan remaja dan (2) makna kalimat yang terkandung dalam status BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) di kalangan remaja. Objek penelitian ini adalah status BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) di kalangan remaja, sedangkan subjek penelitian mengenai analisis makna dengan menggunakan tinjauan semantik. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan teknik simak dan catat. Data dalam penelitian ini berupa kalimat pada status BBM di kalangan remaja. Sumber data dalam penelitian ini adalah aplikasi BBM. Analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu menggunakan metode padan referensial. Hasil penelitian ini ada 2 yaitu (1) ditemukan 14 jenis makna antara lain, makna sempit (49 bentuk), makna luas (73 bentuk), makna kognitif (157 bentuk), makna konotatif (46 bentuk), makna emotif (90 bentuk), makna referensial (3 bentuk), makna konstruksi (9 bentuk), makna leksikal (490 bentuk), makna gramatikal (49 bentuk), makna idesional (13 bentuk), makna proposisi (2 bentuk), makna pusat (50 bentuk), makna piktorial (4 bentuk), dan makna idiomatik (5 bentuk). (2) Hasil dari menganalisis ungkapan makna pada kalimat status BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) di kalangan remaja tersebut diharapkan dapat memberi pemahaman mengenai isi serta tujuan yang terkandung di dalamnya. Sehingga, tidak terjadi kesalahpahaman dalam mengartikan makna yang ingin disampaikan penulis

Investigating power, interdependence and struggle in the employment relationship: a psychological contract perspective

This thesis explores the implications of power in relation to the psychological contract. The majority of the psychological contract literature, because of its underpinning assumptions of mutuality and reciprocity, largely downplays the dynamics of power in the employment relationship. The key objective of the current study therefore is to make further empirical and theoretical developments in relation to the psychological contract by exploring these power dynamics in the relationship between employees and employer. Concerning power, the complex interdependencies and the associated workplace struggles characterizing the employment relationship between employees and the different representatives of the organization are investigated. From an empirical perspective, the research contributes in a twofold manner as the results not only highlight the complex interdependencies and the workplace struggles in the employment relationship but also offer new knowledge about work and management in Pakistan. This context of employment relations based on underlying power dynamics that are embedded into the complex and interdependent relationships between employees and organizational representatives is globally significant in terms of workplace research, yet generally neglected in the relevant studies. The current study has a qualitative orientation and follows a critical realist research philosophy. Using data collected from 43 interviewees in three call centre organizations, the research additionally makes a theoretical contribution to the psychological contract from the perspectives of mutuality, reciprocity and agency. The results illustrate that, in comparison to mutuality and reciprocity, interdependence and negotiation play a critical role in the psychological contracts of employees. Largely acknowledging the implications of power dynamics, these concepts highlight that employees, based on their perceptions of interdependence (rather than mutuality) in the employment relationships, tend to focus primarily on negotiation (rather than reciprocation) in their psychological contracts with employers. Concerning agency, different classifications of human agents are highlighted (i.e. primary agents, secondary agents, multiple agents, incumbent agents). The current research extends the concept of agency beyond the boundary of human agents into the domain of the electronic agents of the organization. The results highlight that it is not only the perceived capability to reward or punish but also the perceived tendency to actively use that capability which significantly influences employees’ assumptions to consider particular organizational members as the agents of the organization. From the viewpoint of relational interdependence in the employment relationship, the efforts made by employees to decrease their dependence on employers and increase the employer’s dependence on them are illustrated. The research findings demonstrate that these efforts are largely motivated by the employees’ objective of promoting their bargaining power in employment relationship