The Quantity and Quality of Biology Laboratory Work in British Columbia High Schools

The purpose of this research was to survey the quantity and quality of laboratory work conducted by 11th- and 12th-grade biology students in British Columbia high schools to analyze student performance on laboratory-based questions on provincial examinations, and to examine the curriculum for recommended laboratory work. A pilot survey was used to produce a valid survey instrument that identified teachers' use of laboratory activities. Examination and curriculum data were extracted from Ministry of Education documents. The frequency of laboratory work was low, with quantitative activities much less frequent than qualitative. Laboratory exercises were confirmatory rather than investigative. Critical thinking and hypotheses formulation were seldom expected of the students. Many teachers reported that they infrequently or never used laboratory simulations or computer-based data collection. Although laboratories were equipped adequately, teachers claimed that the curriculum and provincial examination limited the scope for an inquiry-based course. Provincial examination results indicated that the frequency and type of laboratory work had no effect on scores on lab-based questions. Analysis of the laboratory activities recommended in the syllabus revealed that fewer laboratory activities were being conducted than are recommended in the curriculum guide outline. This study indicates that while the current philosophy of many biology teachers supports an investigative learning experience, little change in classroom practice has occurred in British Columbia schools.     

Growth of Bose-Einstein condensates from thermal vapor

We report on a quantitative study of the growth process of (87)Rb Bose-Einstein condensates. By continuous evaporative cooling we directly control the thermal cloud from which the condensate grows. We compare the experimental data with the results of a theoretical model based on quantum kinetic theory. We find quantitative agreement with theory for the situation of strong cooling, whereas in the weak cooling regime a distinctly different behavior is found in the experiment.     

Quantum turbulence in condensate collisions: an application of the classical field method

We apply the classical field method to simulate the production of correlated atoms during the collision of two Bose-Einstein condensates. Our nonperturbative method includes the effect of quantum noise, and describes collisions of high density condensates with very large out-scattered fractions. Quantum correlation functions for the scattered atoms show that the correlation between pairs of atoms of opposite momentum is rather small. We also predict the existence of quantum turbulence in the field of the scattered atoms.     

Sets of Harmonicity for Finely Harmonic Functions

Given an open set U in R ⁿ (n3) and a dense open subset V of U, it is shown that there is a finely harmonic function u on U such that V is the largest open subset of U on which u is harmonic. This result, which establishes the sharpness of a theorem of Fuglede, is obtained following a consideration of fine cluster sets of arbitrary functions.     

Experimental observation of high-order quantum accelerator modes

Using a freely falling cloud of cold cesium atoms periodically kicked by pulses from a vertical standing wave of laser light, we present the first experimental observation of high-order quantum accelerator modes. This confirms the recent prediction by Fishman, Guarneri, and Rebuzzini [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 084101 (2002)]]. We also show how these accelerator modes can be identified with the stable regions of phase space in a classical-like chaotic system, despite their intrinsically quantum origin.     

Carleman Approximation for Superharmonic Functions

This paper deals with better-than-uniform approximation by superharmonicfunctions on non-compact sets. An application of the main resultimproves recent work of GowriSankaran and Nersessian concerningapproximation with an error bound that decays arbitrarily quicklyat infinity.     

Solid State Structures and Solution Dynamics of Unsolvated and Diethyl Ether Solvated Dilithium N,N'-Bis(trimethylsilyl)ethylenediamide Complexes

The lithiation of N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)ethylenediamine, 1, by 2 equiv of methyllithium in diethyl ether yields the dimeric diethyl ether adduct [{Li[N(SiMe(3))CH(2)CH(2)NSiMe(3)]Li.OEt(2)}(2)], 2. Recrystallization of 2 from benzene gives quantitatively the unsolvated trimer [{Li[N(SiMe(3))CH(2)CH(2)NSiMe(3)]Li}(3)], 3. The solution dynamics of 2 and 3 in toluene have been investigated using variable temperature multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In solution, 2 is undergoing a rapid exchange process involving an equilibrium between unsolvated and diethyl ether solvated dimers, whereas compound 3 exists in a temperature dependent equilibrium of dimeric and trimeric species, of which the trimer is fluxional and exchanges inequivalent ligands by an intramolecular distortion of the Li(6)N(6) cage structure. Crystals of 2 are monoclinic, of space group P2(1)/n (No. 14), with a = 10.692(9) ?, b = 16.192(2) ?, c = 24.04(4) ?, beta = 101.16(5) degrees, V = 4083(8) ?(3), and Z = 4. Crystals of 3 are trigonal, of space group R&thremacr;m(No. 166), a = 17.765(1) ?, c = 13.394(1) ?, V = 3660.5(5) ?(3), Z = 3.     

A Direct Assembly Approach to the Synthesis of N,N′-Bridged Calix[4]pyrroles: The Synthesis of a 1,5-Diazacyclononatriene Locked in a Saddle Conformation

Ring closure of 1,2-bis(1-pyrrolylmethyl)benzene in the acid-catalysed condensation with acetone yields the 1,5-diazacyclononatriene [ O -C₆H₄(CH₂NC₄H₃-2)₂C(CH₃)₂] as the sole identifiable product. The twisted or saddle conformation of the 1,5-diazacyclononatriene, which was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure determination, is conformationally rigid in solution. The conformation of the 1,5-diazacyclononatriene prevents the formation of the target N,N′-bridged calix[4]pyrrole by further acid-catalysed condensation with acetone, the reaction affording unidentified oligomers/polymers instead. The acid-catalysed condensation of 1,3- and 1,4-bis(1-pyrrolylmethyl)benzene with acetone also yields unidentified oligomers/polymers.     

Synthetic and computational studies of the palladium(iv) system Pd(alkyl)(aryl)(alkynyl)(bidentate)(triflate) exhibiting selectivity in C-C reductive elimination

Synthetic routes to methyl(aryl)alkynylpalladium(iv) motifs are presented, together with studies of selectivity in carbon-carbon coupling by reductive elimination from Pd(IV) centres. The iodonium reagents IPh(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)(OTf) (R = SiMe(3), Bu(t), OTf = O(3)SCF(3)) oxidise Pd(II)Me(p-Tol)(L(2)) (1-3) [L(2) = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (dmpe) (1), 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) (2), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) (3)] in acetone-d(6) or toluene-d(9) at -80 °C to form complexes Pd(IV)(OTf)Me(p-Tol)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)(L(2)) [R = SiMe(3), L(2) = dmpe (4), bpy (5), phen (6); R = Bu(t), L(2) = dmpe (7), bpy (8), phen (9)] which reductively eliminate predominantly (>90%) p-Tol-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR above ～-50 °C. NMR spectra show that isomeric mixtures are present for the Pd(IV) complexes: three for dmpe complexes (4, 7), and two for bpy and phen complexes (5, 6, 8, 9), with reversible reduction in the number of isomers to two occurring between -80 °C and -60 °C observed for the dmpe complex 4 in toluene-d(8). Kinetic data for reductive elimination from Pd(IV)(OTf)Me(p-Tol)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CSiMe(3))(dmpe) (4) yield similar activation parameters in acetone-d(6) (66 ± 2 kJ mol(-1), ΔH(?) 64 ± 2 kJ mol(-1), ΔS(?)-67 ± 2 J K(-1) mol(-1)) and toluene-d(8) (E(a) 68 ± 3 kJ mol(-1), ΔH(?) 66 ± 3 kJ mol(-1), ΔS(?)-74 ± 3 J K(-1) mol(-1)). The reaction rate in acetone-d(6) is unaffected by addition of sodium triflate, indicative of reductive elimination without prior dissociation of triflate. DFT computational studies at the B97-D level show that the energy difference between the three isomers of 4 is small (12.6 kJ mol(-1)), and is similar to the energy difference encompassing the six potential transition state structures from these isomers leading to three feasible C-C coupling products (13.0 kJ mol(-1)). The calculations are supportive of reductive elimination occurring directly from two of the three NMR observed isomers of 4, involving lower activation energies to form p-TolC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CSiMe(3) and earlier transition states than for other products, and involving coupling of carbon atoms with higher s character of σ-bonds (sp(2) for p-Tol, sp for C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-SiMe(3)) to form the product with the strongest C-C bond energy of the potential coupling products. Reductive elimination occurs predominantly from the isomer with Me(3)SiC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C trans to OTf. Crystal structure analyses are presented for Pd(II)Me(p-Tol)(dmpe) (1), Pd(II)Me(p-Tol)(bpy) (2), and the acetonyl complex Pd(II)Me(CH(2)COMe)(bpy) (11).