Statistics and Intuition for the Classroom

Examples and case studies are presented of statistical reasoning, thinking and intuition that may arise in perception of randomness and in particular for random walks. The relationship between art and science can be explored through various notions of the statistical concepts of randomness.     

Our experience with experimental<Emphasis Type="Italic">Wuchereria bancrofti</Emphasis> infection in Indian langur (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Presbytis entellus</Emphasis>)

Thyroid antibodies are commonly utilized in the assessment and diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disorders. We compared the measurements of antithyroglobulin and antithyroidperoxidase antibodies by enzyme immunoassay with that of the conventional agglutination method. This fully automated enzyme immunoassay is more specific and cost effective than the agglutination method. Further this is a very quantitative and rapid method producing results in two hours as compared to at least twenty=four hours required by the conventional method. Antithyroidperoxidase antibodies determined by enzyme immunoassay are more specific and sensitive in the diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis than the antithyroglobulin antibodies.     

Polymorphisms of CYP1A1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 Loci as the Genetic Predispositions of Oral Cancers and Other Oral Pathologies: Tobacco and Alcohol as Risk Modifiers

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of tobacco require activation by phase I enzymes, such as cytochrome-P4501A1 (CYP1A1) to become an ultimate carcinogen, which are subjected to detoxification by phase II enzymes, especially glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). A study was designed to find whether genetic predisposition are risk modifiers of oral pathologies. The study included 102 cases with Oral Cancers (OCs), 68 cases with nonmalignant pathologies, 100 cases as control group. GSTM1 null genotype was associated with increased risk of OCs but not with benign pathologies. Deleted GSTT1 was associated with all pathologies. Both m1m2 and m2m2 polymorphisms of CYP1A1 were associated with oral pathologies.     

No Evidence for Mutations that Deregulate GARS–AIRS–GART Protein Levels in Children with Down Syndrome

GARS–AIRS–GART is crucial in studies of Down syndrome (DS)-related mental retardation due to its chromosomal location (21q22.1), involvement in de novo purine biosynthesis and over-expression in fetal DS brain postmortem samples. GARS–AIRS–GART regions important for structure–function were screened for mutations that might alter protein levels in DS patients. Mutation screening relied on multiplex/singleplex PCR-based amplification of genomic targets followed by amplicon size determination/fingerprinting. Serum protein samples were resolved by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotted with a GARS–AIRS–GART monoclonal antibody. No variation in amplicon size/fingerprints was observed in regions encoding the ATP-binding, active site residues of GARS, the structurally important glycine-rich loops of AIRS, substrate-binding, flexible and folate-binding loops of GART or the poly-adenylation signal sequences. The de novo occurrence or inheritance of large insertion/deletion/rearrangement-type mutations is therefore excluded. Immunoblots show presence of GARS–AIRS–GART protein in all patient samples, with no change in expression levels with respect to either sex or developmental age.     

What Works in the Architecture Studio? Five Strategies for Optimising Student Learning

Good teaching requires pedagogical dynamism: a willingness to vary one’s teaching approach relative to the context (and cohort) at hand, and to any new challenges that may arise from that context. This requires that teachers obtain a broad knowledge of teaching strategies and tactics. Given the demands of contemporary higher education, finding the time to obtain this knowledge can pose a challenge to full‐time academics. This is exacerbated in the case of part‐time and practitioner‐teachers who often work in varying degrees of isolation from the communities of learning to which they contribute. An analysis of the teaching practices of eight high‐performing practitioner‐teachers, alongside data obtained from 74 students, within a master’s‐level architectural course at a large Australian university, has been used to delineate five strategies for optimising student learning within the architecture studio. These include: setting up a challenge that clearly articulates the role of the student within it; early and frequent assessment tasks to assist students in rapid skill development and reflective practice; communicating clear expectations around performance; facilitating a strong peer culture; and enhancing motivation via high expectations. This article details the tactics by which these strategies can be achieved. This article delivers directly applicable advice for architectural educators, but it also provides practical insight into the specifics of architectural teaching that may assist educators working in other disciplines.     

Mathematics in engineering—Part II

In this part of the article I begin with somewhat more advanced mathematics as compared to the first part. I then move on to discuss insights, hierarchies of models, levels of approximation, models that are plain bad, and finally the role of truth. Anindya Chatterjee is in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IISc. His interests are in dynamics, in particular non-linear dynamics.     

Anthropogenic emission is the main contributor to the rise of atmospheric methane during 1993–2017

Atmospheric methane (CH₄) concentrations have shown a puzzling resumption in growth since 2007 following a period of stabilization from 2000 to 2006. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the temporal variations in CH₄ growth, and attribute the rise of atmospheric CH₄ either to increases in emissions from fossil fuel activities, agriculture and natural wetlands, or to a decrease in the atmospheric chemical sink. Here, we use a comprehensive ensemble of CH₄ source estimates and isotopic δ¹³C-CH₄ source signature data to show that the resumption of CH₄ growth is most likely due to increased anthropogenic emissions. Our emission scenarios that have the fewest biases with respect to isotopic composition suggest that the agriculture, landfill and waste sectors were responsible for 53 ± 13% of the renewed growth over the period 2007–2017 compared to 2000–2006; industrial fossil fuel sources explained an additional 34 ± 24%, and wetland sources contributed the least at 13 ± 9%. The hypothesis that a large increase in emissions from natural wetlands drove the decrease in atmospheric δ¹³C-CH₄ values cannot be reconciled with current process-based wetland CH₄ models. This finding suggests the need for increased wetland measurements to better understand the contemporary and future role of wetlands in the rise of atmospheric methane and climate feedback. Our findings highlight the predominant role of anthropogenic activities in driving the growth of atmospheric CH₄ concentrations.