Drafts

I am currently taking statistics 240. We have covered topics such as descriptive statistics, simple linear regression and we have just started probability. We have also discussed the difference between qualitative and quantitative statistics, and whether or not they are discrete or continuous. Statistics may be represented in many ways, such as graphs and tables. There may be bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts. Histograms and boxplots also provide details on the distribution of the data. Range, median, mode, mean and standard deviation are useful measures of the data and provide a variety of details about it, such as its general distribution. Chi-Square tests may be used, along with p-value, in order to determine whether there is a relationship between two sets of data. Simple linear regression may be used to determine whether or not two sets of date are correlated. By looking at the regression line and "r" it may be determined if there is a positive, negative, strong or weak correlation. Of course it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation and there be a number of lurking variables which may effect the data, and make the correlation exist.

For our experiment, we will be studying the effects of starvation on Pholcidae spiders and demonstrate how their feeding time can be measured. Pholcidae spiders are cold-blooded and use a low amount of energy when not hunting for prey they remain still in their location to conserve energy and rely on low supply food to maintain metabolic rate. Though low food supply is needed for energy Pholcidae spiders will readily eat any available food when provided though the size of prey will be measured as Pholcidae will only hunt prey it can easily dominate.  

Fruit flies under anesthetic will be used because it ensures that they cannot fly away from the spider and allows capture from cellar spider for feeding. Flies and cellar spiders will be kept in Tupperware containers that allow observations to be observed more clearly through clear containers. Each container will have one cellar spider and variance in the number of fruit flies but the size of the fruit fly will remain small as cellar spiders only predicate flies they can dominate. The importance of this procedure was to ensure the time of feeding could be measured accurately. To measure the amount of time is spent on hunting fruit flies cellar spiders will be timed until fruit flies were attacked completely and could be declared dead.

In our research project we are looking at the affect of radiation on spiders, how they make their webs, where they make their webs, and etc.  One way to collect data would be to set up three different groups of spiders. The first group is the control group they will not be exposed to cellular radiation at all.  The next group is the radiation group that will be exposed to an operating cellphone that is on and using cellular data.  The last group will be exposed to a cellphone but the cellphone will be put into airplane mode and therefore shutting off cellular data.  This data will show the affect of radiation on spiders if there is any, and it will tell us if the cell phone radiates radiation when in airplane mode or only when cellular data is on. 

Within a developing embryo, three germs layers give rise to the various structures of the body. First of which is the endoderm. This is the inner layer of skin within the embryo that gives rise to the lining of most digestive and respiratory tracks. The endoderm is responsible for the glandular material associated with the digestive and respiratory tracks as well. The layer behind the endoderm is the mesoderm. Mesodermal derivations include the appendicular muscles, various connective tissues, and blood vessels. Lastly, the outer germ layer of the embryo is the ectoderm. This layer is responsible for the formation of the epidermis, the nervous system and the neural crest cells. Neural crest cells are a unique cell formed by the remanence of the neural fold after it closes over and establishes the neural tube. The neural crest cells travel through the body and establish the foundation for the visceral skeleton, pigment and photoreceptive cells, sensory and postganglionic neurons, and the dentine producing cells of teeth. Without these germ layers, the remaining structures of the body would be compromised and we would essentially be blobs of flesh and muscle.

I took a statistics class in my sophomore year, and remember it being a very different learning experience compared to the biology classes I was taking. I remember using Excel frequently, and learning lots of formulas to use on the data we entered into the spreadsheet. I remember we focused on simple random sampling, which was the probability that an item is selected for a sample is the same for all population items. We made lots of graphs, including histograms and bar charts to visualize the data we had collected. I remember we learned about the two different types of data, qualitative and quantitative data. We also learned the difference between a discrete and a continuous variable.

Statistics can be applied to a variety of subjects. In statistics, we learned how to read and interpret graphs and other forms of data. Being able to understand and analyze data helps us improve our thinking and analytical skills. Additionally, statistics helps us design effective methods for data collection, analyze that data correctly, and share that data effectively. While it may differ, data analysis is used in many fields and has become an important skill for many jobs.

The main thing I remember from statistics are the probability tests. These tests allows us to see if the data we have has any significance. If the data is significant, that means the results were not just due to chance. Learning how to carry out these tests taught me the importance of sample size, paying attention to detail, and interpreting data. Additionally, outliers can affect the results. These tests are often used in scientific papers, so it is important to understand what those tests mean.

In our example the population is increasing. When lambda is 1 the population remains stable. When it is below 1 the population is decreasing, and when lambda is above 1 the population is increasing. So in our table we know that the population is increasing. Looking at Figure 10.8 B we see that the population size is growing. From year 1 to year 5 it increased by 1037.3 individuals. Our lambda increased by .21 from year 2 to year 5. From year 2 to the next year was the biggest increase in lambda. After the first initial jump lambda continued to increase just by less every year. If we continued our table, we would notice that lambda would eventually reach a constant assuming our survival and fecundity rates remain constant.

In addition to Hotez’s work in providing a healthier community, he did research as to why poverty has been linked to a high disease rate. There are three main reasons as to why neglected diseases have caused an outbreak in poor developments are conflict, poverty, and climate. The most interesting idea that was brought to my attention during this presentation was the fact that when a nation is in conflict, such as a war, the healthcare system crashes. This causes a surge in diseases that had not been present in many years. I never thought to connect the presence of diseases to the political conflicts that were occuring in a nation.

        In later years, a new set of global goals were published. There were seventeen goals, in which one obtained the improvement of healthcare. Although the number of goals that mentioned healthcare decreased, it was more specific in addressing the concerns that needed to be improved. Ultimately, poverty related neglected diseases are an important dilemma that needs more attention and funding in order to improve healthcare worldwide.