In studies of enzyme kinetics, reaction time courses are often condensed into a single set of initial rates describing the rate at the start of the reaction. This set is then analysed with the Henri-Michaelis-Menten equation. However, this process necessarily removes information from experimental data and diminishes its statistical significance due to a reduction of available data points. Further, if the examined system does not approach steady-state rapidly, the application of the steady-state-assumption can lead to flawed conclusions. Here, the analysis of two complex enzyme systems by numerical integration of kinetic rate equations is demonstrated. DNA polymerase catalyses the synthesis of DNA in a reaction that involves two substrates, DNA template and dNTP, both of which are highly heterogeneous in nature. The tight binding of DNA to DNA polymerase and its polymer properties prohibit the application of the initial-rate approach. By combining an explicit DNA binding step with a steady-state dNTP incorporation on a template of finite length, the DNA binding parameters and the dNTP incorporation steady-state parameters were estimated from processive polymerisation data in a global regression analysis. This approach is described in Chapter 2 and the results are in good agreement with previously published values. Further properties were investigated in studies of the temperature dependence and solvent isotope dependence of the kinetics. The processive polymerisation of DNA template was monitored using the fluorophore PicoGreen in a simple and inexpensive method described in Chapter 3. The catalytic cycle of ethanolamine ammonia lyase involves the homoloysis of the Co-C bond within the intrinsic B12 cofactor. This homolysis results in the formation of a Co(II)-adenosyl radical intermediate, which can be monitored using stopped-flow spectroscopy. The stopped-flow transients observed for EAL and related enzymes have long been difficult to analyse and interpret, possibly due to rapid methyl group rotation on the substrate. In Chapter 4 of this thesis we were able to rationalise this behaviour using numerical integration of the rate equations of a branched 16-state-kinetic model to fit stopped-flow transients in a global regression analysis. We were able to determine some intrinsic rate constants, and showed that the initial hydrogen atom transfer step is unlikely to have an inflated primary kinetic isotope effect, despite previous claims. More generally, this study demonstrates that the numerical integration analysis used here is likely to be applicable to a broad range of enzyme reaction kinetics.

This thesis analyses thirteen key literary texts taken from the last century of Canadian English-language publishing to assess how each text reveals, reinforces, and /or resists narratives of natural-aging, decline, progress and positive-aging. When considered together, these texts illustrate overall patterns in the evolution of age-related beliefs and behaviours. Stories have a potential emotional impact that scholarly readings do not, and thus the reading and study of these texts can serve to promote conscious intellectual consideration of the issues surrounding age and aging. My analysis focuses on how our Canadian literature envisages aging into old age, primarily addressing stories set in late-life-care facilities and comprising what I am naming our ‘nursing-home-narrative genre.’ Although my chapters follow a chronological progression, beginning with Catharine Parr Traill’s 1894 Pearls and Pebbles and concluding with Janet Hepburn’s 2013 Flee, Fly, Flown, I am not arguing that each age-related belief is replaced by a succeeding one. I would assert instead that over time Canadians have accumulated an assortment of age ideologies, some of which mesh and some of which duplicate or even contradict others. For example, although many people have embraced new positive-aging ideologies, aging-as-decline narratives still circulate strongly. Using social and literary theory as support, I argue that the selected literary texts of my analysis (Traill, Wilson, Laurence, Shields, Wright, Barfoot, Munro, Tostevin, Gruen, Hepburn, King) reveal a genre that is evolving quickly in both form and content. The nursing-home-narrative genre begins with gothic stories of fear of the nursing home, of aging and of death, expands to include darkly humorous stories featuring increasingly empowered residents successfully living within care homes, and is introducing, during the twenty-first century, fantastical stories of escape from the home and of return to youthful behaviours and preferable habitats. This most recent narrative joins the earlier ones to create a new master narrative in which aging people can overcome fear with agency and thus ultimately reject the nursing home and old age itself. However, in the most compelling of the new agency and escape narratives, authors lay a thin icing of entertainment over a dark undercurrent of reality.

Diplomová práce se zabývá tématem alternativních ukazatelů vývoje hospodářství, které berou v úvahu úroveň štěstí ve společnosti. Zkoumá, za jakých historických souvislostí v první polovině 20. století vznikal ukazatel HDP a na co tehdy reagoval a snaží se nastínit, co se od té doby změnilo. Cílem je odpovědět na otázky, zda má smysl měřit indexy na základě štěstí a zda již dozrála doba na rozšíření povědomí o nich.

The goal of this essay is analysis of important indicators which will be subject of comparation,their values reflects in competitiveness. This essay contents too recommendation for economic policy for future.Essay is separated to seven chapters.The first discuss about characteristics of comparative economic areas, the second one describes gross domestic product, mainly progress and structure.The third charapter analyses prices from comparative price level, rate of inflation to individual items of consumer price index. The fourth chapter refers to general government financial balance, reflection in government liabilities, changes in interest rates and government interventions in social transfers or subsidies.The fifth chapter deals with current account per GDP and nominal exchange rate. The sixth chapter judges unemployment rate and labour productivity of economic sectors. The last chapter includes ratings of economics by additional indicators like Human Development Index or Corruption Perceptions Index.

This thesis deals with positive and negative effects of technological progress on the music industry. The first part presents important changes during the evolution of the music industry to its current status. Other chapters are trying to analyze current trends and their specific features in the field of production, distribution and promotion of music in the world and the Czech Republic. Special chapter is devoted to new forms of financing music project. The work also deals with the analysis of the current music consumption habits of music consumers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The last chapter deals with the approach of Czech and Slovak musicians to new possibilities in production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for the functioning of their musical projects. Key words:

This thesis addresses this question of why Abbey employed such rhetoric and what resulting effects he hoped to achieve. Examining Abbey's rhetoric in terms of classical Western rhetorical traditions, the genre of the picaresque, and his own ideological stance can aid in understanding what his intentions are in this controversial work.

Because of a greater need to focus on early achievement in mathematics and increased global competition in this area, emphasis is increasingly being placed upon screening and monitoring of math development in early elementary to ensure progress for all students. Although protocols for early literacy assessment exist, research of psychometrically sound and instructionally useful early numeracy assessment methods is still developing. Thus, the current study was undertaken to further develop and examine early numeracy measures. In a two-year investigation, 72 kindergarten and 57 first-grade students completed a set of existing and newly developed early numeracy curriculum-based measurement (EN-CBM) tools. Reliability and validity of these measures were examined both within and across years. The nature of score change across the academic year was also analyzed. Findings were generally similar to those published in previous EN-CBM research. Alternate-form reliability estimates were largely adequate for screening purposes. Although concurrent and predictive validity estimates varied as a function of screening period and the outcome criterion, these estimates were generally moderate to strong. EN-CBM discriminant validity evidence was mixed for the kindergarten measures but more evident for first-grade tools. All measures demonstrated score change that was statistically significant over time with at least moderate to large effect sizes for most measures. Implications for EN-CBM use as screening tools are discussed. Study limitations are presented as are suggestions for future EN-CBM research.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a school-developed continuous-progress program in mathematics in terms of how well students achieved in arithmetic computation, concepts, and applications. The study also investigated the student's attitude toward arithmetic. Conclusions and Recommendations: 1. All students in grades four through six favored the continuous progress program over the conventional program in terms of arithmetic computation and concepts. Grades four through seven favored the continuous progress program in terms of arithmetic applications. A trend was noted that indicated the program was more effective for lower grade levels. It is recommended that the continuous progress be used with all fourth and fifth grade students and that a longitudinal study be developed for the fourth and fifth grades as they continue the experimental program through the eighth grade. 2. Sex is a doubtful factor in determining the effectiveness of the continuous progress program. A trend did appear in the area of arithmetic computation that indicated sex may be a greater factor in this variable than in the other three variables studied. It is recommended that further study be done concerning the relationship of sex to arithmetic achievement when using a continuous progress concept. 3. The third part of the study failed to reveal any trends in terms of grade level comparisons for any of the three twelve-week intervals. It was noted, however, that the middle twelve-week period produced much less variability (fewer significantly different comparisons) than did the first or last periods. It was also noted that the mean gain in computations scores decreased as the year progressed while the mean gain in application scores increased. This suggested that a study should be designed to investigate the relationship of the learning rate of students to the period of the year the material is being studied.

A major consideration in this study has been given to the establishment of the criteria by which the soundness of a testing program could be evaluated as its role in the secondary school. This problem was limited to the planning and administering of a progressive and comprehensive long-range testing program designed to meet the needs and problems common to most school administrators within the economic limits of a small high school. It was not the purpose of this study to anticipate the problems peculiar to particular teachers, high schools, or localities. However, the testing program if properly directed will result in the formation of subsidiary testing programs undertaken by particular teachers or groups of teachers for the purpose of throwing light on the specific problems raised by a large general testing program.