02. School of Sciences and Humanities
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Item Embargo ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AND IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG XINJIANG KAZAKHS IN KAZAKHSTAN(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2022) Saiken, AyikailinWhen shared ethnicity is not enough for co-ethnic migrants to adapt and integrate into the co-ethnic society, considerations of different post-migration adaptation methods and identity formation among Kazakh 'repatriates' of different origins are essential. The thesis focuses on the adaptation strategies and identity formation of Xinjiang Kazakhs. It examines how the social/cultural capital gained in China helps Xinjiang Kazakhs find jobs in local Kazakh society and form their identity. I implement the survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. As an insider, I also use the semi-autoethnography method partly supplement the main results. The main finding indicates that, for Xinjiang Kazakhs, Chinese language skills, social networks, and knowledge gained from China or related to Chinese culture, as their unique cultural and social capital, help them adapt to local Kazakhstan society and help them to find a job. The secondary finding shows that Xinjiang Kazakhs have a hybrid identity; their perceptions of their homeland are torn between their birthplace in China and their living place in Kazakhstan. While some still struggle with feeling 'in-between,' many of them create the 'third' space, defining themselves as 'global citizensItem Embargo ADAPTIVE NANOPORE SEQUENCING FOR INHERITED CARDIAC CONDITIONS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-19) Gabdulkayum, AidanaInherited Cardiac Conditions pose a significant global health burden, described as heart structural or functional anomalies often inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. It is also highly contributing to the mortality rates. Early diagnosis remains challenging, as most of the individuals may have asymptomatic initial stages subsequently leading to sudden cardiac death, therefore diagnostics is of high significance, especially in younger patients. Current genetic testing methods, such as Sanger sequencing and targeted panels, offer limited insight into structural genetic variations, necessitating the exploration of more comprehensive approaches. This study aims to design and study the adaptive sampling sequencing techniques, a method for targeting specific genomic regions without DNA modifications, for future use in genetic diagnosis for individuals with inherited cardiac conditions and compare the efficiency with currently used next-generation sequencing targeted panels. Through multiple sequencing runs and subsequent analysis, our findings revealed challenges in achieving consistent target region enrichment. The short sequence length observed in our study may contribute to the failure in target enrichment, highlighting the need for longer reads to improve coverage uniformity. Variant analysis using the Epi2me labs platform and annotations revealed the absence of pathogenic variants detected by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), in comparison with Illumina. This highlights the imperative for enhancing the variant calling algorithm’s sensitivity and specificity. Adaptive sampling sequencing exhibits promise for diagnosis implementation. However, additional optimization is required to improve target region enrichment, particularly through addressing the limitations posed by sequence length.Item Open Access ALGORITHMIC PROPERTIES OF ROGERS SEMILATTICES(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-25) Tleuliyeva, ZhansayaThe thesis uses various approaches to explore the algorithmic complexity of families of subsets of natural numbers. One of these approaches involves investigating upper semilattices of computable numberings of a given family and their complexity in different hierarchies. These semilattices, known as Rogers semilattices, can help distinguish different structural properties of families of partial computable functions and computably enumerable sets. As a result, by using Rogers semilattices of computable numberings, we can measure the algorithmic complexity of the corresponding family.Item Restricted ALIVE LONG FRIEND: HOW DOES MEREDITH GREY’S EVOLUTION IN GREY’S ANATOMY’S SCREEN NARRATIVE CULTIVATE A SENSE OF ONTOLOGICAL SECURITY AMONGST FANS?(School of Sciences and Humanities, 2023) Zhakupova, AidanaThe idea of "ontological security" is becoming popular in recent years since it describes the sense of constancy and continuity that people feel in their lives. This notion becomes particularly relevant to the fans of Grey’s Anatomy because after watching a popular medical drama they feel safe and stable in their daily life. Ontological insecurity is portrayed in the episode in a way that illustrates how people can become uneasy and confused when their core worldviews are questioned. For instance, the characters in Grey's Anatomy constantly encounter and resolve circumstances in which their morality, interpersonal connections, and professional competency are called into question, which causes vulnerability and anxiety. However, fans facing the same situations do not feel vulnerable or anxious in their real life because of Grey’s Anatomy characters, who are role models to them and provide fans with a sense of ontological security.Item Open Access Alpamys Batyr and Odysseus: Fidelity or Death?(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2020) Myrzabekova, KundyzThis capstone project aims to find the main similar themes raised in the stories “Alpamys” and “Odysseus” and will try to find why these topics, particularly the issues of fidelity were discussed and what is the role of it in each story. The reason for the comparison of these two stories is in the similarity of the topics raised in the text. Both, the story of “Alpamys” and the story of Odysseus present the issues of loyalty and homecoming. Before starting comparison, it was crucial to determine the origin of each story and to identify if they influenced each other. The finds showed that the story of “Odysseus” appeared much before the “Alpamys”, in the 8th century in an isolated island, while “Alpamys” takes its origin from the story of “Bamsi Beyrek” that emerged after 10th century on the Altay mountains. Since both stories have different places and dates of origin, the possibility of their contact and impact on each other is excluded. The analysis of the story shows that fidelity that main heroes kept toward their spouses, toward their friends and land assisted them to survive and return to home, despite the struggles and obstacles they faced on their way. Since Penelope stayed loyal to Odysseus until the end, she avoided marriage to one of the suitors, as well as Gulbarshyn that kept her fidelity to Alpamys. And Odysseus and Alpamys could return home because they were Fidel to their land and to their families since otherwise, Odysseus would live in captivation by Calypso, while Alpamys under captivation of Taycha-Khan.Item Restricted ALTERNATING SCHEME FOR METHOD OF MOMENTS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2021-05) Kozybayeva, KymbatIn the financial market, there is always an unexpected issue between measures of dif ferent obligations, stocks, currency. Big financial companies before doing investments are highly interested in exploring the behavior of a certain market. For such analysis, we use different methods which are calling dimension reduction techniques. This work adopted the principal component analysis and maximum mean discrepancy distance to assess ten different bond yields by calculating their changes. In the beginning, we will explain in detail the nature of our data and show some results from the theorem about the Wiener process. After we will apply the classic method and our new (al ternating to PCA) method. In the end, we will compare graphs of each method and conclude the effectiveness of Maximum Mean Discrepancy distanceItem Restricted ALTERNATING SCHEME FOR METHOD OF MOMENTS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2021-05) Kozybayeva, KymbatIn the financial market, there is always an unexpected issue between measures of dif ferent obligations, stocks, currency. Big financial companies before doing investments are highly interested in exploring the behavior of a certain market. For such analysis, we use different methods which are calling dimension reduction techniques. This work adopted the principal component analysis and maximum mean discrepancy distance to assess ten different bond yields by calculating their changes. In the beginning, we will explain in detail the nature of our data and show some results from the theorem about the Wiener process. After we will apply the classic method and our new (al ternating to PCA) method. In the end, we will compare graphs of each method and conclude the effectiveness of Maximum Mean Discrepancy distanceItem Open Access ANALYSIS OF BACTERIOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN TENGIZ-KORGALZHYN LAKES SYSTEM USING FULL-LENGTH 16S NANOPORE SEQUENCING DATA(School of Sciences and Humanities, 2023) Len, PolinaTengiz-Korgalzhyn Lakes system, designated under the Ramsar Convention and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a unique ecosystem of wetlands inhabited by more than a hundred protected and endemic species. In the context of the constant ecological pressure in the area, it is critical to investigate the lake bacterioplankton species and their relationship with abiotic factors, especially since microbiome studies of the region are practically absent in the literature. This study aims to investigate the role of salinity gradient in shaping bacterial communities in lake ecosystems, as well as the extent to which the overall abiotic factor explains the heterogeneity of microbiome composition across the region. Data on microbial communities is based on the full-length 16S amplicons obtained with the MinION mk1c. Species-level classification and analysis are performed in Emu, R , and R Studio, using packages phyloseq and vegan. Our research has confirmed the importance of the salinity gradient in shaping the microbiome composition in limnetic and oligohaline lakes. We have shown that out of all abiotic factors, salinity exerts the most influence on the composition of microbial communities. The abundance of Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria classes changed in parallel with raising salinity levels across all sampling sites: decreasing and increasing, respectively. Moreover, salinity negatively correlated with the community evenness index across distinct small lakes, implying the presence of dominant species. The high degree of variability between isolated water bodies was mainly attributed to the geographical separation.Item Open Access Analysis of Dead Core Phenomena in Reaction-Diffusion Problems(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2020-05-10) Sabit, FarizaFor some semilinear parabolic problems of reaction-diffusion, a dead core - a region of zero reactant concentration - may be formed in finite time. We study the large time behavior of the solution and give an estimate for the asymptotic behavior of the solution of a semilinear heat equation with Robin boundary condition.Item Restricted ANALYSIS OF ELLIOTT WAVE THEORY ON TIME-SERIES DATA FROM FOREX(School of Sciences and Humanities, 2023) Zhalgasbek, AyazThis capstone project analyzes the application of the Elliott wave theory on time-series data from the Forex market. The project uses patternbased probabilistic models to test the validity of the Elliott wave theory and to evaluate its predictive power. The results of our analysis indicate that the pattern-based probabilistic models do not completely support the Elliott wave theory. Specifically, we found that the patterns identified by the Elliott wave theory did not have statistically significant predictive power for daily exchange rates of currencies. This study encourages further research on this topic with different criteria and larger data setsItem Open Access Analysis of Individual Extensive Air Shower using Pulse Shape Information(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2018-04-23) Yessimbet, KamilyaStudy of Ultra-High energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) coming to Earth from the deep cosmos has the potential to open the veil on some remaining mysteries in the field of High Energy Physics and Astrophysics. Horizon-T detector system is constructed to study the nature of UHECR by means of studying its interactions with the Earth atmosphere that result in so-called Extensive Air Showers (EAS). The detector system is based at Tien Shan High-altitude Science Station (TSHSS) of P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is located near the Almaty city, Kazakhstan, at ∼ 3400 meter above the sea level. About 2000 EAS were selected from the Physics Run 1 that has been detected during the period from January 2017 to April 2017 at Horizon-T detector system. The simulation activities indicate the existence of the "invariant" property of the standard EAS as defined by the CORSIKA simulator. In this work, I analyzed single-peaked EAS events in order to use this property as a new approach to EAS data analysis using the fine time resolution feature of Horizon-T detector. The definition of this invariant property, its test using data and the classification of the EAS events from Physics Run 1 are described in this thesis.Item Open Access ANALYSIS OF MAXIMUM MEAN DISCREPANCY GENERATIVE ADVERSARIAL NETWORKS (MMD GAN)(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-28) Kaiyrbekov, TemirlanDeep neural networks can be used to generate new data by sampling from the data distribution without explicitly defining the distribution. These nets heavy rely on optimization for efficient learning, and hence, they need mathematical guarantees for feasibility of learning. Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) were proposed to generate images by the use of a mini-max objective function that is ”played” among two agents - a generator and a discriminator network. Later, Generative Moment Matching Networks (GMMN) were proposed to use a two-sample test instead of a discriminator network. GMMN uses Maximum Mean Discrepancy metric for distinguishing between real and generated images, but it only trains the generator network, and was implemented inefficiently. Lastly, Maximum Mean Discrepancy Generative Adversarial Networks (MMD GAN) were introduced that use adversarial kernel learning that has a mini-max objective function, efficient learning and mathematical guarantees that justify its improved performance. In this work, the mathematical reasoning behind the idea of MMD GAN was analyzed and experiments were made to tweak the parameters of the network. The loss function of MMD GAN is said to enjoy a weak topology - that MMD should tend to zero as two probability distributions converge to each other - and it will be shown empirically. Also, since the network has a loss function that is locally Lipschitz and continuous everywhere, and almost everywhere differentiable, the network was able to learn efficiently. Finally, MMD GAN with changed bandwidth parameters will be introduced that showed improved convergence with less MMD loss during training, although the loss was less smooth over epochs.Item Open Access ANALYSIS OF THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL DESCRIBING THYROID-PITUITARY HORMONAL TRANSPORTATION BY A SYSTEM OF NONLINEAR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2022-05) Baidildayeva, AishaThe main goal of this capstone project is to conduct the analysis of the mathematical model which describes the transportation of the thyroid pituitary axis of the hormones within the endocrine system. The model is constructed by a system of ordinary nonlinear differential equations that represent the fluctuations of the levels of the concentration of thyroxine hormone in the blood and illustrate its dependency on the concentration of certain enzymes. This capstone project will assess the stability of the system by applying the well-known Routh-Hurwitz criteria, conduct nu merical simulations, and use MATLAB with the purpose to visualize the general behaviour of the system. The derivation of the analytical solution separately for normal and degenerate states of the system is also presented in the paper. Lastly, the phenomena of relaxation oscillations that was noticed to take place during the derivation of the analytical solution will be explained. The research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the periodicity in the changes of the levels of thyroxine hormone in the blood and the presence of the symptoms of the schizophrenia. The current capstone project can be improved by modifying the model such that it includes the discrete and distributed delay cases during the trans portation process.Item Restricted ANTIBODY GENERATION FOR DETECTION OF PHOSPHOGLYCEROYL PROTEIN ADDUCTS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-20) Shatkenova, ZariatOne of the reactions of glycolysis, which is controlled by the enzyme GAPDH, results in the synthesis of 1,3- bisphosphoglycerate. A highly reactive intermediate product known as cyclic 1,3-phosphoglycerate (cPGA) can be formed from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate. In previous studies, it was shown that the knock-out of PARK7/DJ1 can cause an accumulation of highly reactive cPGA and its adducts. However, the quantifiable methods to detect cPGA adducts were lacking. We created a novel technique for the detection of cPGA modifications with antibodies specifically recognizing cPGA-modified lysine and cysteine residues. We developed a procedure for the generation of antigens modified by cPGA. We produced antibodies that recognize lysine and cysteine residues modified by cPGA. Finally, we purified these antibodies by negative selection with the help of affinity chromatography. Our results demonstrated that purified antibodies can specifically recognise a diverse range of cPGA-modified proteins and can be used for Western Blot analysis of cell extracts.Item Open Access APPLICATION OF 4-DIMENSIONAL COPULAS IN CALCULATING VALUE-AT-RISK FOR THE PORTFOLIO OF 4 SP500 COMPANIES(School of Sciences and Humanities, 2023) Bolatbekov, KairzhanPortfolio risk management is a process aimed at maintaining profit streams and reducing uncertainties in investment decisions. Value-at-Risk (VaR) is a widely used metric to quantify the potential loss of profits. Although historical simulations and Gaussian distribution are common methods for estimating VaR, modelling the joint multivariate distribution of portfolio investments can be challenging. Copula models offer a solution to these challenges for joint distributions. In this study, we calculated VaR and Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) for a portfolio consisting of the four least correlated stocks among the 15 largest companies in the SP 500 using historical simulations and copula models. We evaluated portfolio based on equal weighting. The optimal ARIMA-GARCH model was selected using Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) values. Furthermore, the performance of the VaR estimations was compared and analyzed using goodness-of-fit tests.Item Embargo APPLICATION OF NOVEL SSDNA APTAMERS FOR THE DETECTION OF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN USING SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2022-06) Zhumabekova, ZhaziraCarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an important Food and Drug Administration approved biomarker in cancer detection, especially in colorectal cancer. This research is based on the development of a real-time rapid detection tool for the detection of CEA employing novel aptamer sequences through Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Aptamers are small single-stranded nucleotides capable of binding to target molecules with high affinity and specificity. SPR is an optical sensor that allows to detect the refractive index on the gold surface of a sensor chip. In this study, a streptavidin (SA) coated sensor chip was functionalized with the biotinylated CEA aptamer sequence (6) to further detect the target protein using the direct SPR aptasensor. The detection limit for direct SPR was determined to be 150 ng/ml. To further enhance the response unit (RU) of the SPR aptasensor, AuNPs – aptamer (8) conjugates were employed as a competitive reagent in the indirect competitive inhibition assay (ICIA) for the detection of CEA. For this purpose, AuNPs were successfully functionalized with a thiol-modified long-linker (HS - (CH2)6 - OP(O)2O - (CH2CH2O)6 - 5 - TTTTT) aptamer (8) against the CEA, which were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometry, measurement of the electrostatic potential, and transmission electron microscopy. In the ICIA, the sensor chip SA surface was first immobilized with the biotinylated aptamer (6) sequence and worked as a sensing surface. When the AuNPs – aptamer (8) conjugates were mixed with the target CEA, it could potentially induce the change in the aptamer structure from ssDNA structure to tertiary structure. This led to the SPR RU increase up to 500 RU at 350 ng/mL concentration of CEA. Here, we showed that novel aptamer sequences against CEA can be employed in the development of SPR aptasensor that could be either in the direct or ICIA based mode that is real-time and label-free.Item Open Access APPLICATIONS OF NOVEL SILICON AND ALUMINUM BASED SUBSTRATES FOR THE SURFACE-ENHANCED SPECTROSCOPIES: SERS AND SEF(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2021-05) Sultangaziyev, AlisherThis Master’s thesis investigates the applicability of non-traditional substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced fluorescence. The use of silicon wafer for sandwich SERS immunoassay and aluminum foil for SEF in bacteria labeling with quantum dots were assessed. Perhaps the first application of silicon wafer for sandwich immunoassay resulted in an analyte limit of detection of 30 pM with a dynamic range of 0.03-4 nM. In comparison to gold film, it produced a signal intensity that was one order of magnitude lower, which was compensated for by a significantly lower standard deviation in the blank signal. The experiment on E.coli bacteria labeled with CdSeS/ZnS composite quantum dots yielded a high level of surface enhancement for all three substrates including uncommon aluminum foil and aluminum film. When the laser excitation source was changed, the results remained consistent, and there was a clear distinction between labeled and unlabeled cells. Overall, both silicon wafer and aluminum foil showed comparable results to conventional gold film and silver film substrates in different applications. Both of these substrates were found to be less expensive and produced more reproducible results than conventional substratesItem Restricted ARCHAEOLOGISTS’ APPROACH TO GENDER AND BIOLOGICAL SEX WITH CONCENTRATION ON IRON AGE ERA IN KAZAKHSTAN(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-24) Saktaganova, GaliyaThis research explores whether archaeologists in a specific Kazakhstani concept have utilized and applied the concepts around gender and biological sex, and whether current perceptions of gender have influenced their conceptions. The researcher has conducted interviews with anthropologists working in Kazakhstan, as well as has done some participant observations on lectures centered around gender and anthropological methodologies. This research has examined the current state of the debate revolving around concepts of gender and sex in Iron Age archaeology, and explored one of the many conversations centered around the ways gender and sex is being discussed in Kazakhstani archaeology.Item Embargo ARSENIC TRIOXIDE AND D-VITAMIN C DRUG COMBINATION INDUCES OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ALTERS ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN ACTIVITY OF KRAS-MUTANT CANCER CELLS(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2024-04-19) Raish, KristinaMutation in Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) protooncogene is implicated in about 25-30% of all human cancers. It is usually associated with aggressive tumor progression and poor prognosis. Until now targeting KRAS-mutant cancer remains quite challenging even though several approaches were applied. However, all such strategies led to drug resistance which makes it even more challenging to specifically target KRAS-mutant cancer. Arsenic trioxide and D-Vitamin C (ATO/D-VC) is a novel approach to targeting KRAS-mutant cancer cells using vulnerabilities in their metabolism. These cells are highly sensitive to oxidative imbalance which makes them a perfect target for ATO/D-VC drug combination as it can trigger so-called suicidal reactive oxygen species production by mitochondria (SPRM). In the current study the molecular aspects of ATO/D-VC mechanism of action was explored. It was shown that downregulation of succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) of the electron transport chain might be the primary cause of SPRM triggered by the action of ATO/D-VC synergetic drug combination. Understanding the mechanism behind SRPM is essential for comprehending the potent cytotoxicity against KRAS-mutant cancers. ATO/D-VC oxidative drug combination showed effectiveness during Phase 1 and currently undergoes Phase 2 of clinical trials in Kazakhstan.Item Restricted ART BAZAAR: A NEW "RESIDENCY" FOR ARTISTS AT THE TIME OF COVID-19(Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities, 2021-06) Jampeissova, AiganymThis study focuses on Kazakhstani art. It aims to comment particularly on the impact COVID 19 had on the artistic community, whose chance to earn income decreased with the introduction of countrywide lockdown due to global pandemic. The emergence of an anti-crisis project Art Bazaar in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan appeared as a response to the pandemic and a platform to help not only Kyrgyzstan but Central Asian artists. Notably, Kazakhstani participants constitute a majority of the participants in this initiative. I argue that Art Bazaar's online presence allowed artists to continue earning income and enabled customers to acquire art pieces. Art pieces in turn serve as the third animated body, allowing artists to connect with others, while COVID 19 serves as the backdrop and, at the same time, a subject for artists to convey political and social messages. This study also offers an insight on how members' bonds expanded beyond a feeling of connection to a Facebook group, and they formed unions to interact, encourage, and network