The rapid proliferation of 3D volume data, including MRI and CT scans, is prompting the search within computer graphics for more effective volume visualisation techniques. Partially because of the traditional association with medical subjects, concepts borrowed from the domain of scientific illustration show great promise for enriching volume visualisation. This thesis describes the first general system dedicated to creating user-directed, variable-detail, scientific illustrations directly from volume data. In particular, using volume segmentation for explicit abstraction in non-photorealistic volume renderings is a new concept. The unique challenges and opportunities of volume data require rethinking many non-photorealistic algorithms that traditionally operate on polygonal meshes. The resulting 2D images are qualitatively different from but complementary to those normally seen in computer graphics, and inspire an analysis of the various artistic implications of volume models for scientific illustration.

The central figure in this thesis is Robert Jameson (1774-1854), geologist, mineralogist and Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh. Jameson's geological work is examined in relation to the social and intellectual interests of contemporary civil society, and in particular, in terms of the debates in Edinburgh between Huttonians and Wernerians (of which group Jameson was one) concerning the nature of geological evidence and of theory in geological explanation. This thesis is also concerned to bring into sharper focus the state of, and public interest in, the earth sciences in Scotland in the first two decades of the nineteenth century. In this regard, analysis centres upon the conceptual basis and scientific methods behind Jameson's work and upon the making of natural knowledge as a situated intellectual and social concern. The thesis has eight chapters. Following an introduction and literature review they are, respectively, concerned with showing that in societies, teaching, museology, fieldwork, laboratories and through publications, Jameson's scientific 'methodology' conformed in large part to the Baconian taxonomic and descriptive elements of Wernerianism. This thesis also suggests that scholars have hitherto misrepresented and overplayed the 'theoretical' nature of Jameson's work, and in so doing, have only characterised the debate between Huttonians and Wemerians as a conflict between rival theories. In re-examining the several activities and the conduct of Huttonians and Wernerians (in this case Jameson) in a variety of settings, a rather different understanding of the nature of debate is here advanced. Specifically, it is shown that rivalry between Huttonians and Wernerians in the sites stated above might be better understood not in terms of two opposing theories, but, rather, as a rivalry between a vigorously held theory on the one hand (proponents of Huttonianism) and, on the other, a conviction about the prematurity of theory and importance of a Baconian empirical approach. The thesis also suggests that understanding the intellectual contexts to such geological enquiry depends importantly upon knowing something of the social and civic nature of scientific 'ownership', institutional authority, personal reputation and the proprietorial control of local scientific knowledge.

This thesis examines the theory and practice of humanitarian intervention in the early post-Cold War era. Taking as its basis US policy towards Somalia, Rwanda and Haiti between 1992 and 1994, it develops a theory of humanitarian intervention based on constructivist and scientific realist principles. Using identity as the organising concept, the thesis examines the meta-theoretical precepts of constructivism and scientific realism, which are developed into a methodology for analysing questions of foreign policy. Incorporating critical insights from sequential path analysis, morphogenetic social analysis - the notion of a dynamic mutual constitution of structure and agency - and constructivist social theory, the case studies provide a useful new means of conceptualising humanitarian intervention as a foreign policy practice through an identity-driven analysis. The findings of the research shed much light on this practice and its future prospects. They also suggest new directions for a scientific realist/constructivist research agenda.

Research on Viking Age society is a recurrent subject within the scientific literature, and todays modern views of Vikings might not always have been the same as we think, especially when Viking people and who they were and what they did are discussed. Viking Age women are mentioned in scientific literature throughout history up until today, but have they always been studied in the same way? And why did scientists in the past choose to study, highlight or just mention the Viking Age women in the literature? The focus of this essay are directed to the Viking Age women and how they are presented in scientific literature and how archaeologists choose to study them, which also brings in questions about gender research. By focusing on recent research on Viking Age women, the aim is to get an insight on how gender research has influenced archaeology. This study focuses especially on which impact women studies had on research recently, and which perspectives are important today. The starting point of this study is based on an assertion that Viking Age women studies have been affected by the introduction of gender research to archaeology. Also that recent studies, just as older studies, have been affected by contemporary societal norms.

Epigenetics is the study of factors that can change DNA and passed to next generation without change to DNA sequence. DNA methylation is one of the categories of epigenetic change. DNA methylation is the attachment of methyl group (CH3) to DNA. Most of the time it occurs in the sequences that G is followed by C known as CpG sites and by addition of methyl to the cytosine residue. As science and technology progress new data are available about individual’s DNA methylation profile in different conditions. Also new features discovered that can have role in DNA methylation. The availability of new data on DNA methylation and other features of DNA provide challenge to bioinformatics and the opportunity to discover new knowledge from existing data. In this research multiple data series were used to identify classes of methylation DNA to CpG sites. These classes are a) Never methylated CpG sites,b) Always methylated CpG sites, c) Methylated CpG sites in cancer/disease samples and non-methylated in normal samples d) Methylated CpG sites in normal samples and non-methylated in cancer/disease samples. After identification of these sites and their classes, an analysis was carried out to find the features which can better classify these sites a matrix of features was generated using four applications in EMBOSS software suite. Features matrix was also generated using the gUse/WS-PGRADE portal workflow system. In order to do this each of the four applications were grid enabled and ported to BOINC platform. The gUse portal was connected to the BOINC project via 3G-bridge. Each node in the workflow created portion of matrix and then these portions were combined together to create final matrix. This final feature matrix used in a hill climbing workflow. Hill climbing node was a JAVA program ported to BOINC platform. A Hill climbing search workflow was used to search for a subset of features that are better at classifying the CpG sites using 5 different measurements and three different classification methods: support vector machine, naïve bayes and J48 decision tree. Using this approach the hill climbing search found the models which contain less than half the number of features and better classification results. It is also been demonstrated that using gUse/WS-PGRADE workflow system can provide a modular way of feature generation so adding new feature generator application can be done without changing other parts. It is also shown that using grid enabled applications can speedup both feature generation and feature subset selection. The approach used in this research for distributed workflow based feature generation is not restricted to this study and can be applied in other studies that involve feature generation. The approach also needs multiple binaries to generate portions of features. The grid enabled hill climbing search application can also be used in different context as it only requires to follow the same format of feature matrix.

It was a literature review of various newspapers between June and October of 2012 published in the city of Lima, taking only the news related to health sciences. The journal can be a primary source of dissemination of research results, and later, the health care professional to find out more about the study in which you are interested. The publication of such news should be supervised by a health care professional to prevent the dissemination of information that may be confusing. Also, these results may encourage professionals and students from health to develop projects to study these results in our country. / Se hizo una revisión de diversos diarios entre los meses de junio y octubre del 2012 publicados en la ciudad de Lima, tomándose solo las noticias relacionadas a temas de ciencias de la salud. El diario puede ser una primera fuente de difusión de resultados de investigaciones, para posteriormente, el profesional de la salud pueda indagar más sobre el estudio en el cual está interesado. La publicación de este tipo de noticias debería estar supervisada por un profesional de la salud para evitar la difusión de información que pueda ser confusa. Asimismo, estos resultados pueden incentivar a los profesionales y estudiantes de la salud a elaborar proyectos para estudiar dichos resultados en nuestro país.

Title: Scientific Literacy of 15-years old pupils in the Czech Republic in the International Survey PISA Author: Pavel Petrášek Department: Department of Physics Education Supervisor: PhDr. Martin Chvál, Ph.D., Department of Physics Education Abstract: My thesis focuses on the results of 15-year old pupils in selected tasks of the international survey PISA. It contains a brief introduction to the methodology of a survey and its realization in our conditions. The thesis presents relations between pupils` success and other variables found out in additional questionnaires, such as sex, parents` education, relation to mathematics or pupils` social and economical backgrounds. Besides the thesis contains the comparison of the importance of individual variables and results from the years 2000 and 2003. The thesis can be used as a theme for further research of mentioned relations and their comparison in a longer time horizon with other results. Electronic form of my thesis is on enclosed CD. Keywords: tests, international survey, scientific literacy

This diploma thesis deals with Bryophyta studies as a part of curriculum at primary schools as well as at lower and upper grammar schools. It determines the field of studies and the expected outcomes in the Human and Nature subject matter, it searches for the link between bryophyta and cross-sectional topics. The relation of pupil's key competences to bryophyta is being reflected, too. It compares the subject range of Bryophyta in school books. Furthermore, the thesis sums up the history of botanical illustration in the world as well as in our country, it inquires into basic rules of botanical illustration and line drawing techniques. The contemporary field guides are completed by the means of the research of students' books, popular and specialist literature and internet portals. Based on the theoretical part, this diploma thesis determines the teaching methodology of bryophyta drawing. The list of bryophyta, which are suitable for line drawings and usable as a teaching aid, is based on the practical part of this diploma thesis. 43 author's drawings with uniform measuring scale are attached.

This thesis is focused on research of style tendencies, which show themselves in Czech scientific texts at the present. The aim of the study is to describe these style tendencies based on detailed analysis of two traditional and two contemporary scientific texts and comparison of each other. The whole thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to development of professional style with respect to the separation of scientific style. The second chapter deals with typologies of traditional culturally different intellectual styles - Teutonic, Saxonic and Gallic - and characteristics of traditional Czech scientific style. The third chapter brings a picture of contemporary scientific discourse in the Czech Republic. In the fourth chapter are subsequently defined methods of research, research questions and research criteria; based on these the selected texts are analyzed in the fifth chapter. The results of research are presented and specified in conclusion of the thesis. Key words: style tendencies, traditional scientific texts, contemporary scientific texts, Teutonic intellectual (scientific) style, Anglo-Saxon intellectual (scientific) style

In Sex Curve, a quirky cast of characters goes to war with oxytosin, the hormone which makes a woman fall in love with the person she sleeps with. Brilliant biochemist, Marissa, puts love to the ultimate test in this biting satire.