BIOL368/F11:Week 3

This journal entry is due on Wednesday, September 21 at midnight PDT (Tuesday night/Wednesday morning). NOTE that the server records the time as Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Therefore, midnight will register as 03:00.

Individual Journal Assignment

• Store this journal entry as "username Week 3" (i.e., this is the text to place between the square brackets when you link to this page).
• Create the following set of links. (HINT: you can do all of this easily by adding them to your template and then using the template on your pages.)
  • Link to your journal entry from your user page.
  • Link back from your journal entry to your user page.
  • Link to this assignment from your journal entry.
  • Don't forget to add the "BIOL368/F11" category to the end of your wiki page.

Preparation for Week 4 Journal Club

"Science... is a process taking place in the minds of living scientists," (Curtis, 1983). The scientific community uses primary research articles as one method of communicating the science within the community (presentations and posters at scientific meetings are others). Primary research articles undergo a process of peer review before they are published, but the quality of papers still vary. "Journal Club" presentations are the means by which scientists with similar research interests learn about, discuss, and evaluate new research. This is the first of three journal club discussions we will have this semester. For this first journal club, the entire class will read and present the Markham et al. (1998) paper referenced above. Each student will create an individual wiki journal page for their Week 3 assignment and also contribute to the shared journal page in preparation for the presentation in class on September 21.

1. Make a list of at least 10 biological terms for which you did not know the definitions when you first read the article. Define each of the terms. You can use the glossary in any molecular biology, cell biology, or genetics text book as a source for definitions, or you can use one of many available online biological dictionaries (links below). List the citation(s) for the dictionary(s) you use, providing a URL to the page where you found the definition is fine.
2. Write an outline of the article. The length should be the equivalent of 2 pages of standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper (you can use the "Print Preview" function in your browser to judge the length). Your outline can be in any form you choose, but you should utilize the wiki syntax of headers and either numbered or bulleted lists to create it. The text of the outline does not have to be complete sentences, but it should answer the questions listed below and have enough information so that others can follow it. However, your outline should be in YOUR OWN WORDS, not copied straight from the article.
   • What is the main result presented in this paper? (Hint: look at the last sentence of the introduction and restate it in plain English.)
   • What is the importance or significance of this work?
   • What were the limitations in previous studies that led them to perform this work?
   • What were the methods used in the study?
   • Briefly state the result shown in each of the figures and tables.
   • How do the results of this study compare to the results of previous studies (See Discussion).
3. Each group of students will be assigned one table or figure. The group will be responsible for explaining the table/figure in detail to the class, including the methods used to obtain that figure/table.
   • Figure 1 & first five data columns of Table 1: Alex and Robert
   • Figure 2 & last three data columns of Table 1: Chris and Nicki
   • Figures 3 & 4: Isaiah, Samantha, Zeb

Online Biological Dictionaries

• biology-online.org dictionary
• Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
• Gene Ontology
• NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

Shared Journal Assignment

• Store your journal entry in the shared BIOL368/F11:Class Journal Week 3 page. If this page does not exist yet, go ahead and create it (congratulations on getting in first :) )
• Link to the shared journal entry from your user page.
• Link the shared journal page to this assignment page.
• Sign your portion of the journal with the standard wiki signature shortcut (~~~~).
• Add the "BIOL368/F11" category to the end of the wiki page (if someone has not already done so).

Reflection

Answer these questions on the shared page:

1. What is your comfort level when working with the online databases and tools during the in-class activity? What would increase your comfort level?
2. What was the easiest aspect of reading/understanding the Markham et al. (1998) article?
3. What was the most difficult aspect of reading/understanding the Markham et al. (1998) article?