School-Based Extracurricular Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanger, Jeffrey J.

2010-01-01

The International Year of Astronomy in 2009 focused considerable public attention on Astronomy and generated valuable resources for educators. These activities are an effective vehicle for promoting Science to students and to the wider school community. The most engaging practical astronomy activities are best delivered with sustained support from…

Using Virtual Astronomical Observatory Tools for Astronomy 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mighell, Kenneth J.; Garmany, K.; Larson, K.; Eastwood, K. D.

2009-01-01

The Virtual Observatory provides several tools that are useful for educators. With these tools, instructors can easily provide real data to students in an environment that engages student curiosity and builds student understanding. In this poster we demonstrate how the tools Aladin and TOPCAT can be used to enhance astronomy education. The Aladin Sky Atlas is a Virtual Observatory portal from the CDS that displays images, superimposes catalogs, and provides interactive access to data. For illustration, we show an exercise for non-science majors in a college-level astronomy course that introduces students to the HR diagram of star clusters. After launching the pre-loaded Aladin applet, students select their own stars, connecting visual cues of brightness and color to the conceptual meaning behind a quantitative HR diagram. TOPCAT can be linked with Aladin on the desktop to let students analyze their data, perform calculations, and create professional-quality graphs. The basic exercise can be easily expanded to address other learning objectives and provides a launching point for students to access, visualize, and explore multi-wavelength data as they continue in astronomy. As a second example, we show an exercise that uses TOPCAT to do three-dimensional plotting of the positions of open and globular cluster to illustrate galactic structure. Detailed information is available at the following website: http://www.noao.edu/staff/mighell/nvoss2008/ . This research was done at the 2008 U.S. National Virtual Observatory Summer School which was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 3 - 11, 2008 and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Astronomy Books of 1984: The Non-Technical List.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew

1985-01-01

Presents an annotated list of nontechnical astronomy books in these categories: amateur astronomy; children's books; cosmology; galaxies; general astronomy; history of astronomy; life in the universe; physics and astronomy; pseudoscience; quasars and active galaxies; solar system; space exploration; stars/stellar evolution; sun; astronomy…

IGF-1/IGF-1R/hsa-let-7c axis regulates the committed differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla

PubMed Central

Ma, Shu; Liu, Genxia; Jin, Lin; Pang, Xiyao; Wang, Yanqiu; Wang, Zilu; Yu, Yan; Yu, Jinhua

2016-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its receptor IGF-1R play a paramount role in tooth/bone formation while hsa-let-7c actively participates in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the interaction between IGF-1/IGF-1R and hsa-let-7c on the committed differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) remains unclear. In this study, human SCAPs were isolated and treated with IGF-1 and hsa-let-7c over/low-expression viruses. The odonto/osteogenic differentiation of these stem cells and the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were subsequently investigated. Alizarin red staining showed that hsa-let-7c low-expression can significantly promote the mineralization of IGF-1 treated SCAPs, while hsa-let-7c over-expression can decrease the calcium deposition of IGF-1 treated SCAPs. Western blot assay and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction further demonstrated that the expression of odonto/osteogenic markers (ALP, RUNX2/RUNX2, OSX/OSX, OCN/OCN, COL-I/COL-I, DSPP/DSP, and DMP-1/DMP-1) in IGF-1 treated SCAPs were significantly upregulated in Let-7c-low group. On the contrary, hsa-let-7c over-expression could downregulate the expression of these odonto/osteogenic markers. Moreover, western blot assay showed that the JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways were activated in Let-7c-low SCAPs but inhibited in Let-7c-over SCAPs. Together, the IGF-1/IGF-1R/hsa-let-7c axis can control the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of IGF-1-treated SCAPs via the regulation of JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. PMID:27833148

Hormonal activation of let-7-C microRNAs via EcR is required for adult Drosophila melanogaster morphology and function

PubMed Central

Chawla, Geetanjali; Sokol, Nicholas S.

2012-01-01

Steroid hormones and their nuclear receptors drive developmental transitions in diverse organisms, including mammals. In this study, we show that the Drosophila steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and its nuclear receptor directly activate transcription of the evolutionarily conserved let-7-complex (let-7-C) locus, which encodes the co-transcribed microRNAs miR-100, let-7 and miR-125. These small RNAs post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of target genes, and are required for the remodeling of the Drosophila neuromusculature during the larval-to-adult transition. Deletion of three 20E responsive elements located in the let-7-C locus results in reduced levels of let-7-C microRNAs, leading to neuromuscular and behavioral defects in adults. Given the evolutionary conservation of let-7-C microRNA sequences and temporal expression profiles, these findings indicate that steroid hormone-coupled control of let-7-C microRNAs is part of an ancestral pathway controlling the transition from larval-to-reproductive animal forms. PMID:22510985

Universe At Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew, Ed.

The goal of this resource notebook is to provide activities selected by astronomers and classroom teachers, comprehensive resource lists and bibliographies, background material on astronomical topics, and teaching ideas from experienced astronomy educators. The activities are grouped into several major areas of study in astronomy: lunar phases and…

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee brings Astronomy to the Hawaiian Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, Ingeborg; Harvey, J.; Usuda, K. S.; Fujihara, G.

2010-01-01

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC) combines the outreach activities of the 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai`i. For the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 we branded our annual local events, and in addition developed several unique activities and products to bring astronomy to the public during IYA. Our Journey Through The Universe classroom visit and teacher training program was augmented by several evening public events for the whole family. For AstroDay we developed a set of astronomy trading cards, such that people had to visit all the observatory booths to collect the whole set. In collaboration with the local newspapers we produced an astronomy supplement, available both on paper and online, highlighting the work being done at our observatories. A year-long introductory astronomy class for K-12 teachers was held, emphasizing hands-on activities to teach important concepts. In collaboration with a local supermarket we held a poster contest for students, making the connection between astronomy and Hawaiian culture. We also participated in the "100 Hours for Astronomy" webcast. In the fall we celebrated the Galilean Nights with an all-observatories block party, with activities, music, and give-aways.

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee Brings Astronomy To The Hawaiian Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, I.; Harvey, J.; Usuda, K. S.; Fujihara, G.; Hamilton, J.

2010-08-01

The Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC) combines the outreach activities of the 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. For the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 we branded our annual local events, and in addition developed several unique activities and products to bring astronomy to the public during IYA. Our Journey Through The Universe classroom visit and teacher training program was augmented by several evening public events for the whole family. For AstroDay we developed a set of astronomy trading cards, such that people had to visit all the observatory booths to collect the whole set. In collaboration with the local newspapers, we produced an astronomy supplement, available both on paper and online, highlighting the work being done at our observatories. A year-long introductory astronomy class for K-12 teachers was held, emphasizing hands-on activities to teach important concepts. In collaboration with a local supermarket, we held a poster contest for students, making the connection between astronomy and Hawaiian culture. We also participated in the "100 Hours of Astronomy" webcast. In the fall, we celebrated the Galilean Nights with an all-observatories block party, with activities, music, and give-aways.

Astronomy in School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gee, Brian

1979-01-01

Presents a report about astronomy education in the United Kingdom. Some of the views about astronomy activities in schools and the importance of teaching astronomy and space science in British schools are included. (HM)

Expression of microRNA let-7a positively correlates with hepatitis B virus replication in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

PubMed Central

Chen, Jian; Liu, Jie; Luo, Zhongguang; Jiang, Weiru; Huang, Jianping; Qiu, Zhibing; Yue, Wenjie; Wu, Lijun

2017-01-01

Let-7a miRNA is downregulated in various cancers. However, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), the relationship between let-7a and HBV replication has not been fully elucidated. Liver specimens were collected from 23 HCC patients with chronically active HBV. The serum levels of the HBV antigens hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg), and the HBV antibodies, anti-HBs, anti-HBe and anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were measured using the microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Let-7a levels and HBV DNA copy numbers were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and analyzed statistically. A let-7a specific antisense oligonucleotide was introduced to the HBV-producing cell line HepG2.2.15 and a change in HBV DNA copy numbers was assessed by qRT-PCR. HCC patients with highly active HBV replication (>106 DNA copies/mL) showed higher levels of serum HBsAg and anti-HBc than patients with less active HBV replication (<103 DNA copies/mL). The level of let-7a was lower in malignant tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. However, patients with highly active HBV replication demonstrated a significantly higher level of let-7a in hepatocarcinoma tissue than patients with less active HBV replication (P < 0.05). A higher level of let-7a was observed in the HBV-producing cell line HepG2.2.15 than in HepG2 cells (P < 0.05), and let-7a down-regulation by antisense oligonucleotides led to a reduction in HBV DNA copy numbers (P < 0.05), indicating a correlation between the let-7a level and HBV replication. Down-regulation of let-7a reduces HBV replication and could prevent the development of HCC, suggesting it could be an effective therapeutic treatment for HBV infection. Impact statement Although interferon and nucleic acid analogues effectively suppress HBV replication in HBV patients, there is no treatment which eradicates the virus. Moreover, the therapeutic effect can be reduced by virus mutations or drug resistance. Let-7a is a miRNA initially found in the nematode as a master regulator of developmental processes, but also exists in humans. It has been reported that the transcription of let-7a was much lower in HCC than in normal liver tissues and specific miRNA could directly promote virus replication. Therefore we hypothesized that transcription of let-7a promotes HBV replication, which might compromise the therapeutic effects of antivirus treatments. In our present study, we demonstrated a correlation between let-7a transcription and HBV replication in surgical specimens obtained from patients with HCC, as well as in HCC cell lines. Our finding might be the base for a new approach to improve HBV infection treatments in the future. PMID:28440732

Two small ncRNAs jointly govern virulence and transmission in Legionella pneumophila

PubMed Central

Sahr, Tobias; Brüggemann, Holger; Jules, Matthieu; Lomma, Mariella; Albert-Weissenberger, Christiane; Cazalet, Christel; Buchrieser, Carmen

2009-01-01

Summary To transit from intra- to extracellular environments, L. pneumophila differentiates from a replicative/non-virulent to a transmissive/virulent form using the two-component system LetA/LetS and the global repressor protein CsrA. While investigating how both regulators act coordinately we characterized two ncRNAs, RsmY and RsmZ that link the LetA/LetS and CsrA regulatory networks. We demonstrate that LetA directly regulates their expression and show that RsmY and RsmZ are functional in E. coli and are able to bind CsrA in vitro. Single mutants have no (ΔrsmY) or a little (ΔrsmZ) impact on virulence, but the ΔrsmYZ strain shows a drastic defect in intracellular growth in Acanthamoeba castellanii and THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages. Analysis of the transcriptional programs of the ΔletA, ΔletS and ΔrsmYZ strains revealed that the switch to the transmissive phase is partially blocked. One major difference between the ΔletA, ΔletS and ΔrsmYZ strains was that the latter synthesizes flagella. Taken together, LetA activates transcription of RsmY and RsmZ, which sequester CsrA and abolish its post-transcriptional repressive activity. However, the RsmYZ-CsrA pathway appears not to be the main or only regulatory circuit governing flagella synthesis. We suggest that rather RpoS and LetA, by influencing LetE and probably cyclic-di-GMP levels, regulate motility in L. pneumophila. PMID:19400772

Depression of p53-independent Akt survival signals in human oral cancer cells bearing mutated p53 gene after exposure to high-LET radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakagawa, Yosuke; Takahashi, Akihisa; Kajihara, Atsuhisa

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-LET radiation induces efficiently apoptosis regardless of p53 gene status. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examined whether high-LET radiation depresses the Akt-survival signals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-LET radiation depresses of survival signals even in the mp53 cancer cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-LET radiation activates Caspase-9 through depression of survival signals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-LET radiation suppresses cell growth through depression of survival signals. -- Abstract: Although mutations and deletions in the p53 tumor suppressor gene lead to resistance to low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, high-LET radiation efficiently induces cell lethality and apoptosis regardless of the p53 gene status in cancer cells. Recently, it has been suggestedmore » that the induction of p53-independent apoptosis takes place through the activation of Caspase-9 which results in the cleavage of Caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). This study was designed to examine if high-LET radiation depresses serine/threonine protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt) and Akt-related proteins. Human gingival cancer cells (Ca9-22 cells) harboring a mutated p53 (mp53) gene were irradiated with 2 Gy of X-rays or Fe-ion beams. The cellular contents of Akt-related proteins participating in cell survival signaling were analyzed with Western Blotting 1, 2, 3 and 6 h after irradiation. Cell cycle distributions after irradiation were assayed with flow cytometric analysis. Akt-related protein levels decreased when cells were irradiated with high-LET radiation. High-LET radiation increased G{sub 2}/M phase arrests and suppressed the progression of the cell cycle much more efficiently when compared to low-LET radiation. These results suggest that high-LET radiation enhances apoptosis through the activation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and suppresses cell growth by suppressing Akt-related signaling, even in mp53 bearing cancer cells.« less

The Society of Astronomy Students: From the Ground Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rees, Shannon; Maldonado, M.; Beasley, D.; Campos, A.; Medina, A.; Chanover, N. J.

2014-01-01

The Society of Astronomy Students (SAS) at New Mexico State University (NMSU) was founded in October of 2012 and chartered in January 2013. New Mexico State University is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, which is a small city with a population of just over 100,000. The main campus at NMSU has an enrollment of approximately 14,300 undergraduate students and 3,375 graduate students. The NMSU Astronomy Department is a vibrant research environment that offers Ph.D. and M.S. Graduate degrees and serves the undergraduate population through a large number of general education courses. Although there is no undergraduate major in Astronomy at NMSU, students can earn an undergraduate Astronomy Minor. The SAS was conceived as a way to provide undergraduates with an interest in astronomy a way to communicate, network, and provide mutual support. Currently, the SAS is in its second year of being a chartered organization and has about 18 active members, about half of whom are planning on pursuing an Astronomy Minor. The SAS is striving to become one of the most active clubs on the NMSU campus in order to raise awareness about Astronomy and encourage the option of pursuing the Astronomy Minor. One of the main focus areas of the SAS is to be involved in both astronomy-related and non-astronomy-related public outreach and community service events. Since the clubs inception, the SAS members have contributed a total of over 120 volunteer hours. We do many outreach events with the elementary and middle schools around the community; these events are done jointly with the Astronomy Graduate Student Organization at NMSU. In the near future, the SAS is also planning a wide range of activities, including a guest speaker series at weekly club meetings, tours of the Apache Point Observatory, full moon outings, and participation in amateur astronomy events such as the Messier Marathon. This presentation will include an overview of the club's history, accomplishments, and future activities.

Seeing the Sky: 100 Projects, Activities, and Explorations in Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaaf, Fred

1990-01-01

Fourteen astronomy activities are presented including classroom procedures and questions. Topics include different investigations of the moon, planets, stars, sunsets, light pollution, and rainbows and halos. Additional information on measurements used for observations in astronomy, and rainbow characteristics is included. (CW)

Methods of Engaging Preschool-age Children in Science Practices During Astronomy Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plummer, J. D.

2015-11-01

Providing preschool children with science learning experiences may improve their later science literacy. Further, research shows that children are capable of engaging in the same kinds of scientific reasoning as adults. An initial step towards increasing the opportunities for children to engage in science is to improve our understanding of how to support children's engagement in the practices of science in astronomy. To this end, the My Sky Tonight project is developing and evaluating astronomy activities for informal science educators to use with young children. I have gathered video of a series of astronomy workshops that engaged preschool-age children with My Sky Tonight-developed activities. This paper describes features of these museum-based astronomy activities that supported young children in evidence-based science practices.

El Universo a Sus Pies: Actividades y Recursos para Astronomia (Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew, Ed.; Schatz, Dennis, Ed.

The goal of this resource notebook is to provide activities selected by astronomers and classroom teachers, comprehensive resource lists and bibliographies, background material on astronomical topics, and teaching ideas from experienced astronomy educators. Activities are grouped into several major areas of study in astronomy including lunar…

Let-7i-Induced Atg4B Suppression Is Essential for Autophagy of Placental Trophoblast in Preeclampsia.

PubMed

Xu, Yinyan; Huang, Xinyan; Xie, Juan; Chen, Yanni; Fu, Jing; Wang, Li

2017-09-01

Autophagy, identified as type II programmed cell death, has already been known to be involved in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia (PE), which is a gestational disease with high morbidity. The present study aims to investigate the functional role of let-7i, a miRNA, in trophoblastic autophagy. Placental tissue used in this study was collected from patients with severe preeclampsia (SPE) or normal pregnant women. A decreased level of let-7i was found in placenta of SPE. In addition, autophagic vacuoles were observed in SPE and the expression of microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) II/I was elevated. In vitro, let-7i mimics suppressed the autophagic activities in human HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cell line (HTR-8) and human placental choriocarcinoma cell line JEG-3, whereas let-7i inhibitor enhanced the activities. As a potential target of let-7i, autophagy-related 4B cysteine peptidase (Atg4B) had an increased expression level in SPE. As expected, the increased expression of Atg4B was negatively regulated by let-7i using dual luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, these trophoblast-like cells transfected with the let-7i mimic or inhibitors resulted in a significant change of Atg4B in both mRNA and protein level. More importantly, Atg4B overexpression could partly reverse let-7i mimic-reduced LC3II/I levels; whereas Atg4B silencing partly attenuated let-7i inhibitor-induced the level of LC3II/I expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that let-7i is able to regulate autophagic activity via regulating Atg4B expression, which might contribute to the pathogenesis of PE. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2581-2589, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Online Particle Physics Information - Education Sites

Science.gov Websites

General Sites Background Knowledge Physics Lessons & Activities Astronomy Lessons & Activities Ask provides sub-lists of online resources in the following areas: History of Physics and Astronomy; Essays on the interface between science, art, religion and philosophy; Astronomy; Graduate School and Student

Radio astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, R. M.; Manchester, R. N.

1980-01-01

The activities of the Deep Space Network in support of radio and radar astronomy operations during July and August 1980 are reported. A brief update on the OSS-sponsored planetary radio astronomy experiment is provided. Also included are two updates, one each from Spain and Australia on current host country activities.

Let-7b inhibits cancer-promoting effects of breast cancer-associated fibroblasts through IL-8 repression

PubMed Central

Al-Harbi, Bothina; Hendrayani, Siti-Fauziah; Silva, Gabriela; Aboussekhra, Abdelilah

2018-01-01

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major players in the development and spread of breast carcinomas through non-cell-autonomous signaling. These paracrine effects are under the control of several genes and microRNAs. We present here clear evidence that let-7b, a tumor suppressor microRNA, plays key roles in the persistent activation of breast stromal fibroblasts and their functional interplay with cancer cells. We have first shown that let-7b is down-regulated in CAFs as compared to their corresponding normal adjacent fibroblasts, and transient specific let-7b inhibition permanently activated breast fibroblasts through induction of the IL-6-related positive feedback loop. More importantly, let-7b-deficient cells promoted the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process in breast cancer cells in an IL-8-dependent manner, and also enhanced orthotopic tumor growth in vivo. On the other hand, overexpression of let-7b by mimic permanently suppressed breast myofibroblasts through blocking the positive feedback loop, which inhibited their paracrine pro-carcinogenic effects. Furthermore, we have shown that let-7b negatively controls IL-8, which showed higher expression in the majority of CAF cells as compared to their adjacent normal counterparts, indicating that IL-8 plays a major role in the carcinoma/stroma cross-talk. These findings support targeting active stromal fibroblasts through restoration of let-7b/IL-8 expression as a therapeutic option for breast carcinomas. PMID:29707149

RACK-1 regulates let-7 microRNA expression and terminal cell differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Chu, Yu-De; Wang, Wei-Chieh; Chen, Shi-An A; Hsu, Yen-Ting; Yeh, Meng-Wei; Slack, Frank J; Chan, Shih-Peng

2014-01-01

The let-7 microRNA (miRNA) regulates cell cycle exit and terminal differentiation in the C. elegans heterochronic gene pathway. Low expression of let-7 results in retarded vulva and hypodermal cell development in C. elegans and has been associated with several human cancers. Previously, the versatile scaffold protein receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) was proposed to facilitate recruitment of the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC) to the polysome and to be required for miRNA function in C. elegans and humans. Here, we show that depletion of C. elegans RACK-1 by RNAi increases let-7 miRNA levels and suppresses the retarded terminal differentiation of lateral hypodermal seam cells in mutants carrying the hypomorphic let-7(n2853) allele or lacking the let-7 family miRNA genes mir-48 and mir-241. Depletion of RACK-1 also increases the levels of precursor let-7 miRNA. When Dicer is knocked down and pre-miRNA processing is inhibited, depletion of RACK-1 still leads to increased levels of pre-let-7, suggesting that RACK-1 affects a biogenesis mechanism upstream of Dicer. No changes in the activity of the let-7 promoter or the levels of primary let-7 miRNA are associated with depletion of RACK-1, suggesting that RACK-1 affects let-7 miRNA biogenesis at the post-transcriptional level. Interestingly, rack-1 knockdown also increases the levels of a few other precursor miRNAs. Our results reveal that RACK-1 controls the biogenesis of a subset of miRNAs, including let-7, and in this way plays a role in the heterochronic gene pathway during C. elegans development. PMID:24776851

MicroRNA hsa-let-7b suppresses the odonto/osteogenic differentiation capacity of stem cells from apical papilla by targeting MMP1.

PubMed

Wang, Yanqiu; Pang, Xiyao; Wu, Jintao; Jin, Lin; Yu, Yan; Gobin, Romila; Yu, Jinhua

2018-01-31

MicroRNA let-7 family acts as the key regulator of the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the influence of let-7b on biological characteristics of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) is still controversial. In this study, the expression of hsa-let-7b was obviously downregulated during the osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs. SCAPs were then infected with hsa-let-7b or hsa-let-7b inhibitor lentiviruses. The proliferation ability was determined by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. The odonto/osteogenic differentiation capacity was analyzed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, alizarin red staining, Western blot assay, and real-time RT-PCR. Bioinformatics analysis was used to screen out the target of hsa-let-7b and the target relationship was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. Hsa-let-7b was of no influence on the proliferation of SCAPs. Interferential expression of hsa-let-7b increased the ALP activity as well as the formation of calcified nodules of SCAPs. Moreover, the mRNA levels of osteoblastic markers (ALP, RUNX2, OSX, OPN, and OCN) were upregulated while the protein levels of DSPP, ALP, RUNX2, OSX, OPN, and OCN also increased considerably. Conversely, overexpression of hsa-let-7b inhibited the odonto/osteogenic differentiation capacity of SCAPs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a putative binding site of hsa-let-7b in the matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that hsa-let-7b targets MMP1. The odonto/osteogenic differentiation ability of SCAPs ascended after repression of hsa-let-7b, which was then reversed after co-transfection with siMMP1. Together, hsa-let-7b can suppress the odonto/osteogenic differentiation capacity of SCAPs by targeting MMP1. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recent activities in Armenia related to IAU ROAD and strategic plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, Areg M.

2015-08-01

Armenia is one of the candidates to host a Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD), namely in the Middle East region. Armenia is a county of ancient astronomy and is also rich in modern astronomical facilities and infrastructures, hence may serve as a regional center for various activities. Recently we have conducted a number of new activities related to astronomy for development. A meeting “Relation of Astronomy to other Sciences, Culture and Society” (RASCS) was organized by Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) and Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS) in Oct 2014 in Byurakan. Astronomers, philosophers, biologists, historians, archaeologists, philologists, linguists, artists, and other specialists took part in the meeting. The meeting was important from the point of view of increasing the visibility of astronomy as a leader in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary sciences. Activities related to Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture (AAC), as encouraged by a number of international organizations (UNESCO, IAU, ISAAC, SEAC, etc.), were initiated as well. Armenia is especially rich in astronomical heritage issues and this area may strongly support the ROAD project. Discussions on the future Armenian-Iranian collaboration in astronomy were carried out, including an Armenian-Iranian Astronomical Workshop to be held in Oct 2015 in Byurakan.

Making your code citable with the Astrophysics Source Code Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Alice; DuPrie, Kimberly; Schmidt, Judy; Berriman, G. Bruce; Hanisch, Robert J.; Mink, Jessica D.; Nemiroff, Robert J.; Shamir, Lior; Shortridge, Keith; Taylor, Mark B.; Teuben, Peter J.; Wallin, John F.

2016-01-01

The Astrophysics Source Code Library (ASCL, ascl.net) is a free online registry of codes used in astronomy research. With nearly 1,200 codes, it is the largest indexed resource for astronomy codes in existence. Established in 1999, it offers software authors a path to citation of their research codes even without publication of a paper describing the software, and offers scientists a way to find codes used in refereed publications, thus improving the transparency of the research. It also provides a method to quantify the impact of source codes in a fashion similar to the science metrics of journal articles. Citations using ASCL IDs are accepted by major astronomy journals and if formatted properly are tracked by ADS and other indexing services. The number of citations to ASCL entries increased sharply from 110 citations in January 2014 to 456 citations in September 2015. The percentage of code entries in ASCL that were cited at least once rose from 7.5% in January 2014 to 17.4% in September 2015. The ASCL's mid-2014 infrastructure upgrade added an easy entry submission form, more flexible browsing, search capabilities, and an RSS feeder for updates. A Changes/Additions form added this past fall lets authors submit links for papers that use their codes for addition to the ASCL entry even if those papers don't formally cite the codes, thus increasing the transparency of that research and capturing the value of their software to the community.

Astronomy research at the Aerospace Corporation. [research projects - NASA programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paulikas, G. A.

1974-01-01

This report reviews the astronomy research carried out at The Aerospace Corporation during 1974. The report describes the activities of the San Fernando Observatory, the research in millimeter wave radio astronomy as well as the space astronomy research.

Grade 9 Astronomy Study: Interests of Boys and Girls Studying Astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krstovic, Mirjan; Brown, Laura; Chacko, Merin; Trinh, Brenda

In this report, we discuss the interests of Grade 9 boys and girls studying astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. A total of 152 Grade 9 academic students were asked to rate their interest levels in various astronomy topics on a scale of 0 3, where 0 represented no interest and 3 represented a high level of interest. We also asked the students to rate all the in-class activities on the same scale. Our analysis of the data suggests that there are many similarities in interest levels in various astronomy topics between boys and girls. In addition, boys and girls expressed similar preferences for in-class astronomy activities with only minor differences, suggesting similar learning styles in astronomy for boys and girls at the Grade 9 level.

Space-Based Astronomy: A Teacher's Guide with Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help grade 5-8 students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy--astronomical observations made from outside the Earth's atmosphere. The guide begins with a survey of astronomy-related spacecraft that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sent into…

Peer-review Platform for Astronomy Education Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heenatigala, Thilina; Russo, Pedro; Gomez, Edward; Strubbe, Linda

2015-08-01

Astronomy educators and teachers worldwide commonly request and search for high-quality astronomy activities to do with their students. Hundreds of astronomy education activities exist, as well as many resource repositories to find them. However, the quality of such resources is highly variable as they are not updated regularly or limited with content review. Since its launch in 2013, astroEDU has been addressing these issues and more by following a peer-review process. Each activity submitted is reviewed by an educator and a professional astronomer, balancing both the scientific and educational value of the content. Moreover, the majority of the reviewers are invited from IAU commissions related to the field of the activity, as an effort to get IAU members actively involved in the project. The website code, activities and layout design are open-access in order to make them accessible and adoptable for educators around the world. Furthermore the platform harnesses the OAD volunteer database to develop existing astronomy education activities into the astroEDU activity format. Published activities are also pushed to partner repositories and each activity is registered for DOI, allowing authors to cite their work. To further test the activities and improve the platform, astroEDU editorial team organises workshops.

Lin28-let7 Modulates Radiosensitivity of Human Cancer Cells With Activation of K-Ras

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oh, Jee-Sun.; Kim, Jae-Jin; Byun, Ju-Yeon

2010-01-15

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of targeting Lin28-let7 microRNA regulatory network for overcoming the radioresistance of cancer cells having activated K-Ras signaling. Methods and Materials: A549 lung carcinoma cells and ASPC1 pancreatic cancer cells possessing K-RAS mutation were transfected with pre-let7a microRNA or Lin28 siRNA, respectively. Clonogenic assay, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and Western analysis were performed. The effects of Lin28 on SQ20B cells having wild-type K-RAS, and a normal fibroblast were also assessed. Results: The overexpression of let-7a decreased expression of K-Ras and radiosensitized A549 cells. Inhibition of Lin28, a repressor of let-7, attenuated K-Ras expression andmore » radiosensitized A549 and ASPC1 cells. Neither SQ20B cells expressing wild-type K-RAS nor HDF, the normal human fibroblasts, were radiosensitized by this approach. Conclusions: The Lin28-let7 regulatory network may be a potentially useful therapeutic target for overcoming the radioresistance of human cancers having activated K-Ras signaling.« less

Space astronomy and upper atmospheric sounding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, H.

1971-01-01

The discoveries and activities of the Space Science Program are reported. Results of studies are presented for the following areas: gamma and x-ray astronomy, optical geophysics and solar wind, infrared astronomy, radio astronomy, and rocket spectroscopy. Lists of publications, talks, and conferences are included.

Star Week- A Successful Campaign in Japan -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, J.

2006-08-01

In 1995, we started a campaign of the star week as between August 1 and 7 when it is usually expected that most part of Japan should be good weather after the rainy season during the summer holiday. Several hundreds of astronomical facilities for general public in Japan, including planetariums, museums, and public observatories participated in our campaign, together with make good collaborations for education purpose. More than 200 astronomical events such as star parties were coordinated for general public every year. Japan is one of the worst countries for light pollution. Especially most of children have no experience of seeing Milky Way. Let them see the real stars. Let them feel the universe by inviting them to the related astronomical facilities located all over Japan. For realizing this purpose, it is better to set the special week, similar to the "Bird Week" by arranging various astronomical events in these facilities in order to invite all the general public. This is the motivation of the beginning of the star week. Such outreach program should give opportunity for general public to understand the excitement of the astronomy. In this paper, we will introduce present situation of our campaign, along with some statistics.

Down-regulated let-7b-5p represses glycolysis metabolism by targeting AURKB in asthenozoospermia.

PubMed

Zhou, Ran; Zhang, Yan; Du, Guizhen; Han, Li; Zheng, Sinian; Liang, Jian; Huang, Xiaomin; Qin, Yufeng; Wu, Wei; Chen, Minjian; Wu, Di; Song, Ling; Fu, Guangbo; Lv, Shuyan; Xia, Yankai; Lu, Chuncheng; Wang, Xinru

2018-07-15

Glycolysis, through anaerobic respiration, can supply energy for human sperm motility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could participate in the glycolytic pathway through regulating target genes. To investigate the potential role of glycolysis-related miRNAs in asthenozoospermia, TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) was used to screen potentially functional miRNAs, and seven glycolysis-related miRNAs were isolated to be related to asthenozoospermia. After qRT-PCR validation, only one seminal plasma miRNA, let-7b-5p, was found significantly decreased in severe asthenozoospermia cases compared with healthy controls. To further understand whether let-7b-5p is involved in asthenozoospermia by regulating the glycolytic pathway, we carried out gain-and-loss function study of let-7b-5p in GC-2 cells and detected the glycolytic activities. Our results showed that knocking down let-7b-5p could inhibit glycolytic activities. Besides, we also found overexpressed Aurkb (a target gene of let-7b-5p) could recapitulate the effects of knocking down let-7b-5p. Our findings indicated that low expression of let-7b-5p could repress glycolysis in asthenozoospermia by targeting AURKB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving Astronomy Achievement and Attitude through Astronomy Summer Project: A Design, Implementation and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Türk, Cumhur; Kalkan, Hüseyin; Iskeleli', Nazan Ocak; Kiroglu, Kasim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of an astronomy summer project implemented in different learning activities on elementary school students, pre-service elementary teachers and in-service teachers' astronomy achievement and their attitudes to astronomy field. This study is the result of a five-day, three-stage, science school,…

News Quantum physics: German Physical Society spring meeting Journal access: American Physical Society's online journals will be available for free in all US high schools Award: High-school physics teacher receives American award for excellence Teacher training: Fobinet offers coordination of teacher-training activities Astronomy: Astronomy fans see stars at Astrofest Conference: Delegates enjoy the workshops and activities at CPD conference Forthcoming events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-05-01

Quantum physics: German Physical Society spring meeting Journal access: American Physical Society's online journals will be available for free in all US high schools Award: High-school physics teacher receives American award for excellence Teacher training: Fobinet offers coordination of teacher-training activities Astronomy: Astronomy fans see stars at Astrofest Conference: Delegates enjoy the workshops and activities at CPD conference Forthcoming events

Stepwise assembly of multiple Lin28 proteins on the terminal loop of let-7 miRNA precursors

PubMed Central

Desjardins, Alexandre; Bouvette, Jonathan; Legault, Pascale

2014-01-01

Lin28 inhibits the biogenesis of let-7 miRNAs through direct interactions with let-7 precursors. Previous studies have described seemingly inconsistent Lin28 binding sites on pre-let-7 RNAs. Here, we reconcile these data by examining the binding mechanism of Lin28 to the terminal loop of pre-let-7g (TL-let-7g) using biochemical and biophysical methods. First, we investigate Lin28 binding to TL-let-7g variants and short RNA fragments and identify three independent binding sites for Lin28 on TL-let-7g. We then determine that Lin28 assembles in a stepwise manner on TL-let-7g to form a stable 1:3 complex. We show that the cold-shock domain (CSD) of Lin28 is responsible for remodelling the terminal loop of TL-let-7g, whereas the NCp7-like domain facilitates the initial binding of Lin28 to TL-let-7g. This stable binding of multiple Lin28 molecules to the terminal loop of pre-let-7g extends to other precursors of the let-7 family, but not to other pre-miRNAs tested. We propose a model for stepwise assembly of the 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 pre-let-7g/Lin28 complexes. Stepwise multimerization of Lin28 on pre-let-7 is required for maximum inhibition of Dicer cleavage for a least one member of the let-7 family and may be important for orchestrating the activity of the several factors that regulate let-7 biogenesis. PMID:24452802

let-7d-3p is associated with apoptosis and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

PubMed

García-Vázquez, Raúl; Gallardo Rincón, Dolores; Ruiz-García, Erika; Meneses García, Abelardo; Hernández De La Cruz, Olga N; Astudillo-De La Vega, Horacio; Isla-Ortiz, David; Marchat, Laurence A; Salinas-Vera, Yarely M; Carlos-Reyes, Ángeles; López-González, Sullivan; Ramos-Payan, Rosalio; López-Camarillo, César

2018-06-01

Altered expression of microRNAs contributes to the heterogeneous biological behavior of human malignancies and it may correlate with the clinical pathological features of patients. The let-7 microRNA family is frequently downregulated in human cancers and its aberrant expression may be a useful marker for prediction of the clinical response to therapy in patients. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of three members of the let-7 family (let-7a-3p, let-7d-3p and let-7f), which remains largely uncharacterized in ovarian cancer tissues. We also investigated the function of let-7d-3p in the apoptosis and sensitization to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer cells. Our data from stem-loop quantitative RT-PCR showed that expression of let-7a-3p and let-7d-3p, but not let-7f, was significantly (P<0.04) upregulated in ovarian tumors relative to that noted in normal ovarian tissues. Markedly, an increased expression of let‑7d-3p (also known as let-7d-3*) was associated with positive response to carboplatin/paclitaxel treatment in ovarian cancer patients. To investigate the biological relevance of let‑7d-3p, we knocked down its expression in SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cell line using antagomiRs. Loss of function analysis showed that inhibition of let-7d-3p significantly (P<0.05) impaired cell proliferation and activated apoptosis. In contrast, scratch/wound healing and Transwell chamber assays showed that migration and invasion abilities were not affected in the let-7d-3p-deficient SKOV-3 cancer cells. Notably, Annexin V assays showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in cell death of cancer cells treated with the let-7d-3p inhibitor plus carboplatin indicating a synergistic effect of the drug with antagomiR therapy. Gene ontology classification of predicted targets of let-7d-3p identified a number of genes involved in cellular pathways associated with therapy resistance such as ABC transporters, HIF-1, RAS and ErbB signaling. In summary, our findings showed that inhibition of let-7d-3 activates apoptosis and that its upregulation is associated with a positive response of ovarian cancer patients to carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy.

Effects of Stopping Ions and LET Fluctuations on Soft Error Rate Prediction.

DOE PAGES

Weeden-Wright, S. L.; King, Michael Patrick; Hooten, N. C.; ...

2015-02-01

Variability in energy deposition from stopping ions and LET fluctuations is quantified for specific radiation environments. When compared to predictions using average LET via CREME96, LET fluctuations lead to an order-of-magnitude difference in effective flux and a nearly 4x decrease in predicted soft error rate (SER) in an example calculation performed on a commercial 65 nm SRAM. The large LET fluctuations reported here will be even greater for the smaller sensitive volumes that are characteristic of highly scaled technologies. End-of-range effects of stopping ions do not lead to significant inaccuracies in radiation environments with low solar activity unless the sensitivevolumemore » thickness is 100 μm or greater. In contrast, end-of-range effects for stopping ions lead to significant inaccuracies for sensitive- volume thicknesses less than 10 μm in radiation environments with high solar activity.« less

miR-Let7A Modulates Autophagy Induction in LPS-Activated Microglia

PubMed Central

Song, Juhyun; Oh, Yumi

2015-01-01

Microglia regulate the secretion of various immunomediators in central nervous system diseases. Microglial autophagy is the crucial process for cell's survival and cytokine productions. Recent studies have reported that several microRNAs are involved in the autophagy system. miR-Let7A is such a microRNA that plays a role in various inflammation responses, and is magnified as a key modulator particularly in the autophagy system. In present study, we investigated whether miR-Let7A is involved in autophagy in activating microglia. Overexpression of miR-Let7A in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells promoted the induction of the autophagy related factors such as LC3II, Beclin1, and ATG3. Our results suggest a potential role of miR-Let7A in the autophagy process of microglia during CNS inflammation. PMID:26113790

A fascinating adventure: astronomical activities for people with disabilities during IYA 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Gil, A.; Blay, P.; Gallego Calvente, A. T.; Gómez Collado, M.; Guirado, J. C.; Lanzara, M.; Martínez Núñez, S.

2011-11-01

Here we give a brief outline of the activities developed during the International Year of Astronomy specifically addressed to people with various disabilities, both physical and/or intellectual. Among the different activities that we carried out we wish to highlight the publication of an astronomy book in Braille, astronomy talks for the intellectually disabled, a software for people with motor disabilities, and a planetarium show for the blind and visually impaired

Astronomy in Mozambique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, Valério A. R. M.; Paulo, Cláudio M.

2015-03-01

We present the state of Astronomy in Mozambique and how it has evolved since 2009 following the International Year of Astronomy. Activities have been lead by staff at University Eduardo Mondlane and several outreach activities have also flourished. In 2010 the University introduced its first astronomy module, Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics, for the second year students in the Department of Physics. The course has now produced the first students who will be graduating in late 2012 with some astronomy content. Some of these students will now be looking for further studies and those who have been keen in astronomy have been recommended to pursue this as a career. At the university level we have also discussed on the possibility to introduce a whole astronomy course by 2016 which falls well within the HCD that the university is now investing in. With the announcement that the SKA will be split between South Africa with its partner countries (including Mozambique), and Australia we have been working closely with the Ministry of Science and Technology to make astronomy a priority on its agenda. In this respect, an old telecommunications antenna is being converted by the South Africa SKA Project Office, and donated to Mozambique for educational purposes. It will be situated in Maluana, Mozambique.

Development Programs and Activities for Southeast Asia Regional Office of Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Insiri, Wichan

2015-08-01

In recent years, since the establishment of SEA-ROAD in 2012, the office has seen an exponential progress as it has proved to be one of the prominent regional hubs for IAU-OAD. Recent activities over the past years ranging from Winter and Summer Schools Trainings to Astronomy Technology Transfer Camp for high school students to Internship at NARIT are some examples of what promises to be a good sign of progressive leap in astronomy for the entire region. SEA-ROAD will continue to make an impact on astronomy education, popularization and public outreach as the office is vital and imperative to the capacity building of astronomy of the entire region.

Attempts to bring the trained teachers in the schools of Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamsal, Jeevan

2016-07-01

To develop space activities and to industrialize astronomy, base of space education in the high schools must be very effective. This paper highlights the present scenario of space education and discusses the syllabus of astronomy in the different education level of Nepal. Astronomy is included in the curriculum of science book of middle school and high school which contains very few contents of solar system, constellations, galaxy, black holes and formation of stars. There is no any degree for higher studies in astronomy as a separate department in any university of Nepal. This paper also highlights the space activities and national level programs conducting in Nepal to support astronomy education. With the rise of many astronomical clubs and societies in the different regions of Nepal, astronomy education has been more effective in the recent time. Series of Galileo Teacher's Training Program in the different parts of Nepal being organized by Global Hands on Universe in cooperation with local astronomy clubs will be discuss in brief. The attempts to bring more trained and skilled teachers in the classroom by the government and non-government agencies are now gradually increasing. The competition of private schools and their capacity building workshops to their teachers to attract more students is also playing active role to shape the school education effective. The challenges, prospects and the practice of effective astronomy education prevailing in Nepal will be discuss. Key Words: Nepal, Astronomy Education, GTTP, Trained Teachers

Active Galactic Videos: A YouTube Channel for Astronomy Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Carmen; Calahan, Jenny; Resi Baucco, Alexandria; Bullivant, Christopher William; Eckley, Ross; Ekstrom, W. Haydon; Fitzpatrick, M. Ryleigh; Genovese, Taylor Fay; Impey, Chris David; Libby, Kaitlin; McCaw, Galen; Olmedo, Alexander N.; Ritter, Joshua; Wenger, Matthew; Williams, Stephanie

2017-01-01

Active Galactic Videos is an astronomy-focused YouTube channel run by a team at the University of Arizona. The channel has two main purposes: to produce educational content for public audiences, and to learn about astronomy and to open a window into the world of professional astronomy by showcasing the work done at Steward Observatory and in Southern Arizona. Our team consists of faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds including: astronomy, education, film, music, english, and writing. In addition to providing educational content for public audiences, this project provides opportunities for undergraduate students to learn about astronomy content, educational practice, and science communication while developing the practical skills needed to write, film, score, direct, and edit videos that effectively engage and teach viewers about topics in astronomy. The team has produced various styles of video: presentational, interviews, musical/poetic, and documentaries. In addition to YouTube, the Active Galactic Videos team maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These help to widely distribute the content as well as to publicize the main Youtube channel. In addition to providing an overview of our educational work, this poster will present a year's worth of online analytics that we are using to better understand our audience, to examine what videos have been popular and successful and how people are accessing our content. We will present our experience in order to help others learn about improving astronomy education online, and astronomy communication and outreach in general.

Astronomy Patch Day: An Interactive Astronomy Experience for Girl Scouts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, K. A.; McCarthy, D. W.; Schutz, K.

2005-12-01

To help encourage a new generation of women in science, we have created Astronomy Patch Day for the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council in Tucson, Arizona. This all-day event is an interactive experience for Girl Scouts ages 5-18 to learn about astronomical concepts and women in astronomy. Our first Astronomy Patch Day, held on March 19, 2005, in conjunction with the Sahuaro Council's annual Science, Math, and Related Technologies (SMART) program, was very successful, reaching about 150-200 girls and their leaders. Individual troops rotated every half hour among our six activity booths: Earth-Moon, Solar System, Stars, Galaxies, Universe, and Ask an Astronomer, which were staffed by trained Girl Scout Leaders as well as faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students from Steward Observatory. To earn a patch, younger girls (ages 5-12) had to complete activities at three booths and older girls had to complete all six activities. Positive feedback for this event was received from both the girls and leaders. We plan to hold Astronomy Patch Day annually, possibly with different and/or additional activities in future years. K. Knierman is supported by an Arizona/NASA Space Grant Fellowship. This outreach program is supported by NIRCam/JWST E/PO.

Music and Astronomy Under the Stars 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.

2010-08-01

Bring telescopes to where the people are! Music and Astronomy Under the Stars is a three-year NASA-funded astronomy outreach program at community parks during and after music concerts and outdoor family events—such as a Halloween Stars-Spooky Garden Walk. While there have been many astronomy outreach activities and telescope observations at city sidewalks and parks, this program targets a completely different audience: music lovers who are attending summer concerts held in community parks. These music lovers who may never have visited a science museum, planetarium, or star party are exposed to telescope observations and astronomy information with no additional travel costs. Music and Astronomy Under the Stars increased awareness, engagement, and interest in astronomy at classical, pop, rock, and ethnic music concerts. This program includes solar observing before the concerts, telescope observations including a live image projection system, an astronomical video presentation, and astronomy banners/posters. Approximately 500-16,000 people attended each event and 25% to 50% of the people at each event participated in the astronomy program. This program also reached underrepresented and underserved groups (women, minorities, older adults). The target audience (Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York) is 2,900,000 people, which is larger than combined population of Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. Although eleven events were planned in 2009, two were canceled due to rain and our largest event, the NY Philharmonic in the Park (attended by 67,000 people in 2008), was cancelled for financial reasons. Our largest event in 2009 was the Tanglewood Music Festival, Lenox MA, attended by 16,000 people where over 5000 people participated in astronomy activities. The Amateur Observers' Society of New York assisted with the NY concerts and the Springfield STARS astronomy club assisted at Tanglewood. In 2009 over 15,000 people participated in astronomy activities at these events which were attended by approximately 50,000 people.

Proteomics and Pathway Analysis Identifies JNK Signaling as Critical for High Linear Energy Transfer Radiation-induced Apoptosis in Non-small Lung Cancer Cells*S⃞

PubMed Central

Ståhl, Sara; Fung, Eva; Adams, Christopher; Lengqvist, Johan; Mörk, Birgitta; Stenerlöw, Bo; Lewensohn, Rolf; Lehtiö, Janne; Zubarev, Roman; Viktorsson, Kristina

2009-01-01

During the past decade, we have witnessed an explosive increase in generation of large proteomics data sets, not least in cancer research. There is a growing need to extract and correctly interpret information from such data sets to generate biologically relevant hypotheses. A pathway search engine (PSE) has recently been developed as a novel tool intended to meet these requirements. Ionizing radiation (IR) is an anticancer treatment modality that triggers multiple signal transduction networks. In this work, we show that high linear energy transfer (LET) IR induces apoptosis in a non-small cell lung cancer cell line, U-1810, whereas low LET IR does not. PSE was applied to study changes in pathway status between high and low LET IR to find pathway candidates of importance for high LET-induced apoptosis. Such pathways are potential clinical targets, and they were further validated in vitro. We used an unsupervised shotgun proteomics approach where high resolution mass spectrometry coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography determined the identity and relative abundance of expressed proteins. Based on the proteomics data, PSE suggested the JNK pathway (p = 6·10−6) as a key event in response to high LET IR. In addition, the Fas pathway was found to be activated (p = 3·10−5) and the p38 pathway was found to be deactivated (p = 0.001) compared with untreated cells. Antibody-based analyses confirmed that high LET IR caused an increase in phosphorylation of JNK. Moreover pharmacological inhibition of JNK blocked high LET-induced apoptotic signaling. In contrast, neither an activation of p38 nor a role for p38 in high LET IR-induced apoptotic signaling was found. We conclude that, in contrast to conventional low LET IR, high LET IR can trigger activation of the JNK pathway, which in turn is critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Thus PSE predictions were largely confirmed, and PSE was proven to be a useful hypothesis-generating tool. PMID:19168796

Proteomics and pathway analysis identifies JNK signaling as critical for high linear energy transfer radiation-induced apoptosis in non-small lung cancer cells.

PubMed

Ståhl, Sara; Fung, Eva; Adams, Christopher; Lengqvist, Johan; Mörk, Birgitta; Stenerlöw, Bo; Lewensohn, Rolf; Lehtiö, Janne; Zubarev, Roman; Viktorsson, Kristina

2009-05-01

During the past decade, we have witnessed an explosive increase in generation of large proteomics data sets, not least in cancer research. There is a growing need to extract and correctly interpret information from such data sets to generate biologically relevant hypotheses. A pathway search engine (PSE) has recently been developed as a novel tool intended to meet these requirements. Ionizing radiation (IR) is an anticancer treatment modality that triggers multiple signal transduction networks. In this work, we show that high linear energy transfer (LET) IR induces apoptosis in a non-small cell lung cancer cell line, U-1810, whereas low LET IR does not. PSE was applied to study changes in pathway status between high and low LET IR to find pathway candidates of importance for high LET-induced apoptosis. Such pathways are potential clinical targets, and they were further validated in vitro. We used an unsupervised shotgun proteomics approach where high resolution mass spectrometry coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography determined the identity and relative abundance of expressed proteins. Based on the proteomics data, PSE suggested the JNK pathway (p = 6.10(-6)) as a key event in response to high LET IR. In addition, the Fas pathway was found to be activated (p = 3.10(-5)) and the p38 pathway was found to be deactivated (p = 0.001) compared with untreated cells. Antibody-based analyses confirmed that high LET IR caused an increase in phosphorylation of JNK. Moreover pharmacological inhibition of JNK blocked high LET-induced apoptotic signaling. In contrast, neither an activation of p38 nor a role for p38 in high LET IR-induced apoptotic signaling was found. We conclude that, in contrast to conventional low LET IR, high LET IR can trigger activation of the JNK pathway, which in turn is critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Thus PSE predictions were largely confirmed, and PSE was proven to be a useful hypothesis-generating tool.

The let-7 microRNA interfaces extensively with the translation machinery to regulate cell differentiation

PubMed Central

Ding, Xavier C.; Slack, Frank J.; Großhans, Helge

2010-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that regulate numerous target genes through a posttranscriptional mechanism and thus control major developmental pathways. The phylogenetically conserved let-7 miRNA regulates cell proliferation and differentiation, thus functioning as a key regulator of developmental timing in C. elegans and a tumor suppressor gene in humans. Using a reverse genetic screen, we have identified genetic interaction partners of C. elegans let-7, including known and novel potential target genes. Initial identification of several translation initiation factors as suppressors of a let-7 mutation led us to systematically examine genetic interaction between let-7 and the translational machinery, which we found to be widespread. In the presence of wild-type let-7, depletion of the translation initiation factor eIF3 resulted in precocious cell differentiation, suggesting that developmental timing is translationally regulated, possibly by let-7. As overexpression of eIF3 in humans promotes translation of mRNAs that are also targets of let-7-mediated repression, we suggest that eIF3 may directly or indirectly oppose let-7 activity. This might provide an explanation for the opposite functions of let-7 and eIF3 in regulating tumorigenesis. PMID:18818519

Modulation of let-7 miRNAs controls the differentiation of effector CD8 T cells

PubMed Central

Wells, Alexandria C; Daniels, Keith A; Angelou, Constance C; Fagerberg, Eric; Burnside, Amy S; Markstein, Michele; Alfandari, Dominique; Welsh, Raymond M; Pobezinskaya, Elena L; Pobezinsky, Leonid A

2017-01-01

The differentiation of naive CD8 T cells into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes upon antigen stimulation is necessary for successful antiviral, and antitumor immune responses. Here, using a mouse model, we describe a dual role for the let-7 microRNAs in the regulation of CD8 T cell responses, where maintenance of the naive phenotype in CD8 T cells requires high levels of let-7 expression, while generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes depends upon T cell receptor-mediated let-7 downregulation. Decrease of let-7 expression in activated T cells enhances clonal expansion and the acquisition of effector function through derepression of the let-7 targets, including Myc and Eomesodermin. Ultimately, we have identified a novel let-7-mediated mechanism, which acts as a molecular brake controlling the magnitude of CD8 T cell responses. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26398.001 PMID:28737488

The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govender, Kevin

2015-03-01

The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD)†, established in March 2011 as part of the implementation of the IAU Strategic Plan, is currently located in South Africa and serves as a global coordinating centre for astronomy-for-development activities. In terms of structure the OAD is required to establish regional nodes (similar offices in different parts of the world which focus on a particular geographic or cultural region) and three task forces: (i) Astronomy for Universities and Research, (ii) Astronomy for Children and Schools, and (iii) Astronomy for the Public. This paper will describe the progress of the OAD towards the realisation of the vision `Astronomy for a better world'.

How Create an Astronomy Outreach Program to Bring Astronomy to Thousands of People at Outdoor Concerts Astronomy Festivals, or Tourist Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald

2015-08-01

I describe how to create an astronomy program for thousands of people at outdoor concerts based on my $308,000 NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program (60 events 2009 - 2013), and the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM, 10,000 people/yr).MAUS reached 50,000 music lovers at local parks and at the Central Park Jazz, Newport Folk, Ravinia, or Tanglewood Music Festivals with classical, folk, pop/rock, opera, Caribbean, or county-western concerts assisted by astronomy clubs. Yo-Yo-Ma, the Chicago and Boston Symphony Orchestras, Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, Phish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Deep Purple, Tony Orlando, and Wilco performed at these events. AFNM was started in 2010 with co-sponsorship by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. MAUS and AFMN combine solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; large posters/banners; hands-on activities, imaging with a cell phone mount; citizen science activities; hand-outs; and teacher info packet. Representatives from scientific institutions participated. Tyco Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Caroline Herschel made guest appearances.MAUS reached underserved groups and attracted large crowds. Young kids participated in this family learning experience-often the first time they looked through a telescope. While < 50% of the participants took part in a science activity in the past year, they found MAUS enjoyable and understandable; learned about astronomy; wanted to learn more; and increased their interest in science (ave. rating 3.6/4). MAUS is effective in promoting science education!Lessons learned: plan early; create partnerships with parks, concert organizers, and astronomy clubs; test equipment; have backup equipment; create professional displays; select the best location to obtain a largest number of participants; use social media/www sites to promote the events; use many telescopes for multiple targets; project a live image or video; select equipment that is easy to use, store, set-up, and take down; use hands-on astronomy activities; position the displays for maximum visibility (they are teachable moments); have educator hand-outs, show citizen science projects, promote astronomy clubs and science museums.

A pinch of salt goes a long way in communicating astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manxoyi, S.

2008-06-01

The building of the Southern African Large Telescope not only revolutionised the methods of data collection in astronomy as a science in South Africa, but also changed the face, approach and impact of astronomy communication in our country. This presentation examines the various ways in which SALT has been supporting and continues to drive astronomy communication with the public. These include the following strands: learner activities, educator programmes, special events and national events as well general public programmes. The learner activities include SALT tours, space camps, stargazing, astronomy quiz, workshops, science clubs and job shadowing. The educators' strand includes workshops, projects, mini conferences, tours, team and co teaching. The public is catered for through special events, national events, exhibitions, star parties and festivals.

Visual Activities for Assessing Non-science Majors’ Understanding in Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loranz, Daniel; Prather, E. E.; Slater, T. F.

2006-12-01

One of the most ardent challenges for astronomy teachers is to deeply and meaningfully assess students’ conceptual and quantitative understanding of astronomy topics. In an effort to uncover students’ actual understanding, members and affiliates of the Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) Team at the University of Arizona and Truckee Meadows Community College are creating and field-testing innovative approaches to assessment. Leveraging from the highly successful work on interactive lecture demonstrations from astronomy and physics education research, we are creating a series of conceptually rich questions that are matched to visually captivating and purposefully interactive astronomical animations. These conceptually challenging tasks are being created to span the entire domain of topics in introductory astronomy for non-science majoring undergraduates. When completed, these sorting tasks and vocabulary-in-context activities will be able to be delivered via a drag-and-drop computer interface.

Astronomers Without Borders: A Global Astronomy Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, M.

2011-10-01

Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) brings together astronomy enthusiasts of all types - amateur astronomers, educators, professionals and "armchair" astronomers for a variety of online and physicalworld programs. The AWB web site provides social networking and a base for online programs that engage people worldwide in astronomy activities that transcend geopolitical and cultural borders. There is universal interest in astronomy, which has been present in all cultures throughout recorded history. Astronomy is also among the most accessible of sciences with the natural laboratory of the sky being available to people worldwide. There are few other interests for which people widely separated geographically can engage in activities involving the same objects. AWB builds on those advantages to bring people together. AWB also provides a platform where projects can reach a global audience. AWB also provides unique opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration in EPO programs. Several programs including The World at Night, Global Astronomy Month and others will be described along with lessons learned.

Space based astronomy: Teacher's guide with activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Carla B. (Editor); Weiler, Edward; Morrow, Cherilyn; Bacon, Pamela M.; Thorne, Muriel; Blanchard, Paul A.; Howard, Sethane; Pengra, Patricia R.; Brown, Deborah A.; Winrich, Ralph

1994-01-01

This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy - astronomical observations made from outer space. The guide contains few of the traditional activities found in many astronomy guides such as constellation studies, lunar phases, and planetary orbits. Instead, it tells the story of why it is important to observe celestial objects from outer space and how to study the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The guide begins with a survey of astronomy related NASA spacecraft. This is followed by a collection of activities in four units: (1) the atmospheric filter; (2) the electromagnetic spectrum; (3) collecting electromagnetic radiation; and (4) down to Earth. A curriculum index identifies the curriculum areas each activity addresses. The guide concludes with a glossary, reference list, a NASA Resources list, and an evaluation card. It is designed for students in grades 5 through 8.

Launching Astronomy: Standards and STEM Integration (LASSI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Debbie; Burrows, Andrea C.; Myers, Adam D.

2015-01-01

While astronomy is prevalent in the Next Generation Science Standards, it is often relegated to the '4th nine-weeks' in middle and high school curricula. I.e., it is taught at the end of the year, if time permits. However, astronomy ties in many core ideas from chemistry, earth science, physics, and even biology (with astrobiology being an up-and-coming specialization) and mathematics. Recent missions to Mars have captured students' attention and have added excitement to the fields of engineering and technology. Using astronomy as a vehicle to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) connects these disciplines in an engaging way. The workshop entitled, 'Launching Astronomy: Standards and STEM Integration,' (LASSI) is a year-long professional development (PD) opportunity for teachers in grades K-12 to use astronomy as a vehicle to teach STEM and implement science standards through astronomy. Eight teachers participated in a two-week summer workshop and six follow-up sessions are scheduled during the 2014-2015 school year. Additional teachers plan to participate in the upcoming follow-up sessions. We evaluate the effectiveness of the LASSI PD to identify and confront teachers' misconceptions in astronomy, and discuss whether teachers identified topics for which astronomy can be used as a vehicle for standards-based STEM curricula. Teachers from around Wyoming were invited to participate. Participating teachers were surveyed on the quality of the workshop, their astronomy content knowledge before and after listening to talks given by experts in the field, conducting standards-based inquiry activities, developing their own lessons, and their level of engagement throughout the workshop. Two-thirds of teachers planned to incorporate LASSI activities into their classrooms in this school year. Teachers' misconceptions and requests for astronomy-based curriculum were identified in the summer session. These will be addressed during the follow-up session. Ninety percent of teachers reported being highly engaged at least 75% of the time. The majority of teachers also anticipated using activities from LASSI in their classrooms.

Global projects and Astronomy awareness activities in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautam, Suman

2015-08-01

Modern astronomy is a crowning achievement of human civilization which inspires teenagers to choose career in science and technology and is a stable of adult education. It is a unique and cost effective tool for furthering sustainable global development because of its technological, scientific and cultural dimensions which allow us to reach with the large portion of the community interact with children and inspire with our wonderful cosmos.Using astronomy to stimulate quality and inspiring education for disadvantaged children is an important goal of Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) since its inception. NASO is carrying out various awareness activities on its own and in collaboration with national and international organizations like Central Department of Physics Tribhuvan University (TU), International astronomical Union (IAU), Department of Physics Prithvi Narayan Campus Pokhara, Nepal academy of science and technology (NAST), Global Hands on Universe (GHOU), EU- UNAWE and Pokhara Astronomical Society (PAS) to disseminate those activities for the school children and teachers in Nepal. Our experiences working with kids, students, teachers and public in the field of universe Awareness Activities for the school children to minimize the abstruse concept of astronomy through some practical approach and the project like Astronomy for the visually impaired students, Galileo Teacher Training program and International School for young astronomers (ISYA) outskirts will be explained which is believed to play vital role in promoting astronomy and space science activities in Nepal.

Multi-domain utilization by TUT4 and TUT7 in control of let-7 biogenesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faehnle, Christopher R.; Walleshauser, Jack; Joshua-Tor, Leemor

2017-07-03

The uridyl transferases TUT4 and TUT7 (collectively called TUT4(7)) switch between two modes of activity, either promoting expression of let-7 microRNA (monoU) or marking it for degradation (oligoU). Lin28 modulates the switch via recruitment of TUT4(7) to the precursor pre-let-7 in stem cells and human cancers. We found that TUT4(7) utilize two multidomain functional modules during the switch from monoU to oligoU. The catalytic module (CM) is essential for both activities, while the Lin28-interacting module (LIM) is indispensable for oligoU. A TUT7 CM structure trapped in the monoU activity staterevealed a duplex-RNA-binding pocket that orients group II pre-let-7 hairpins tomore » favor monoU addition. Conversely, the switch to oligoU requires the ZK domain of Lin28 to drive the formation of a stable ternary complex between pre-let-7 and the inactive LIM. Finally, ZK2 of TUT4(7) aids oligoU addition by engaging the growing oligoU tail through uracil-specific interactions.« less

A Week-long Summer Programme in Astronomy for High-school Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondim, P.

2016-12-01

The last four years have seen a considerable reduction in the number of candidates for the only Portuguese university degree course in astronomy. As a consequence, a number of measures were taken in order to increase the awareness of astronomy among high school students and to increase the number of students who ultimately decide to apply for the astronomy degree. Here, we present a week-long programme of experimental activities and lectures covering the major fields of astronomy, and an evaluation of its success.

A Sourcebook of Cooperative Learning Activities for Introductory Undergraduate Astronomy for Non-Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Grace L.; Miller, Scott T.; Trasco, John D.

1996-05-01

Students become more interested in learning and retain more in courses that rely on active rather than passive teaching methods. Cooperative learning activities can be structured to engage students toward greater participation in their own education. We have developed a sourcebook containing a variety of cooperative learning methods and activities to aid in the teaching of astronomy at the undergraduate level. Special effort has been made to include activities that can be used within the classroom or as a group homework assignment, in courses with teaching assistants and those without, and in large or small classes. In addition to reinforcing concepts taught in introductory astronomy, the activities are structured to strengthen skills associated with a scientifically literate person. A goal of undergraduate science education is to produce citizens who can understand and share in the excitement of scientific discoveries as well as make informed decisions regarding scientific and technological issues. The sourcebook, available in August, 1996, will contain sections on the advantages/disadvantages of group activities, basic cooperative learning techniques, in class/out of class activities, and how to use peer instruction to expose students to the wonderfaul astronomy resources on the internet. Each activity includes suggestions to the instructor as to how the assignment can be incorporated into an introductory astronomy course. This project funded by NSF DUE-9354503.

Astronomy in Primary and Secondary Education in Slovenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomboc, Andreja

2015-08-01

I will present the status of astronomy in educational system in Slovenia. In primary schools astronomy is offered as an optional course in the last 3 grades (12-15 yrs old), while in secondary schools a few astronomical topics are present only as part of other subjects (e.g. physics, geography). I will describe a pilot project of an astronomy course in secondary schools, which was carried out in the school year 2013/14. The main focus of my presentation will be the experience gained with organisation of the Slovenian National Astronomy Competition. It is organised by the Slovenian Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers since 2009, building on an extensive network of over 200 primary and secondary school teachers who participated in IYA2009 activities, and who now represent majority of mentors for the competition. In 2013, only 5 years after the start of competition, our pupils attended the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics for the first time and with great success. Supporting activities include the Slovenian version of the Portal to the Universe (www.portalvvesolje.si) and translation of Space Scoop astronomy news for children.

Network for Astronomy School Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deustua, Susana E.; Ros, R. M.; Garcia, B.

2014-01-01

The Network for Astronomy School Education Project (NASE) was developed in response to the IAU's most recent 10 Years Strategic Plan to increase the efforts of the IAU in schools. NASE's mission is to stimulate teaching astronomy in schools, through professional development of primary and secondary school science teachers in developing and emerging countries. NASE's organizational principle is to build capacity by providing courses for three years in cooperation with a Local Organizing Committee (Local NASE Group). The Local NASE Group consists of 6-8 local university professors and education professional who will promote astronomy activities and organize future courses in subsequent years in their region of their country. NASE philosophy is to introduce low-tech astronomy, and has thus developed an a suite of activities that can be carried out with inexpensive, quotidian materials. Supporting these activities is a text for teachers, plus a complete set of instructional materials for each topic. These materials are available in English and Spanish, with future editions available in Chinese and Portuguese. We describe and discuss NASE activities in Central and South America from 2009 to the present.

Astronomy Teacher Training: Towards Year 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doddoli, Consuelo

2008-05-01

The Direccion General de Divulgacion de la Ciencia is part of Mexico's National University; its purpose is science outreach. Most of its activities are dedicated to school level audiences; nevertheless due to the speed of science development, courses are given for teachers. The astronomy curricula includes: new results in astronomy research, general astrophysics and tools to teach astronomy. The courses offer twelve two hour long sessions. An astronomy researcher delivers a lecture and teachers are trained to use hands on activity. Beginning last in 2007 it has focused on Galileo. It addressed the way he was modern scientist, he observed and made experiments and wrote his results in common language. Year 2009 is a perfect incentive to carry out activities with teachers and keep them busy organizing telescope construction and observations during and after Galileo's commemoration. A book was written specially for them on the experiments Galileo made. In this book they can find interesting hand-on activities with materials that are readily available. (Los experimentos de Galileo, Silvia Torres y Consuelo Doddoli, Correo del Maestro, 2008, in press.) The magazine Correo del Maestro holds many articles written by the author on astronomical activities aimed to teachers.

Protective Effects of Let-7a and Let-7b on Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Induced Endothelial Cell Injuries

PubMed Central

Bao, Mei-hua; Zhang, Yi-wen; Lou, Xiao-ya; Cheng, Yu; Zhou, Hong-hao

2014-01-01

Lectin-like low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1) is a receptor for oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in endothelial cells. The activation of LOX-1 by oxLDL stimulates the apoptosis and dysfunction of endothelial cells, and contributes to atherogenesis. However, the regulatory factors for LOX-1 are still unclear. MicroRNAs are small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expressions at a post-transcriptional level. The let-7 family is the second microRNA been discovered, which plays important roles in cardiovascular diseases. Let-7a and let-7b were predicted to target LOX-1 3′-UTR and be highly expressed in endothelial cells. The present study demonstrated that LOX-1 was a target of let-7a and let-7b. They inhibited the expression of LOX-1 by targeting the positions of 310-316 in LOX-1 3′-UTR. Over-expression of let-7a and let-7b inhibited the oxLDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis, NO deficiency, ROS over-production, LOX-1 upregulation and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) downregulation. Moreover, we found that oxLDL treatment induced p38MAPK phosphorylation, NF-κB nuclear translocation, IκB degradation and PKB dephosphorylation. Let-7a or let-7b over-expression attenuated these alterations significantly. The present study may provide a new insight into the protective properties of let-7a and let-7b in preventing the endothelial dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis. PMID:25247304

“Astronomy for a Better World”: IAU/OAD Task Force One Activities to Develop Astronomy Education and Research at Universities in the Developing World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guinan, Edward Francis; Kolenberg, Katrien

2015-08-01

The Task Force (1) on Astronomy for Universities & Research (TF-1) was established in 2012 as part of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD). This Task Force drives activities related to astronomy education and research at universities mainly in the developing world. Astronomy is used to stimulate research and education in STEM fields and to develop and promote astronomy in regions of the world where there is little or no astronomy. There is also potential for developing research in the historical and cultural aspects of astronomy which may prove important for stimulating an interest in the subject in communities where there is yet no established interest in the science.Since the establishment of the OAD, over 25 TF-1 programs have been funded (or partially funded) to support a wide variety of interesting and innovative astronomy programs in Africa, Asia, South-East Asia, Middle-East, and in South & Central America. Nearly every aspect of development has been supported. These programs include supporting: regional astronomy training schools, specialized workshops, research visits, university twinning programs, distance learning projects, university astronomy curriculum development, as well as small telescope and equipment grants. In addition, a large new program - Astrolab - was introduced (by J-P De Greve and Michele Gerbaldi) to bring starlight” into the class room. In the Astrolab program students carry out and reduce CCD photometry secured by them using remotely controlled telescopes. Results from pilot programs will be discussed.OAD TF-1 programs will be discussed along with future plans for improving and expanding these programs to bring astronomy education and research to a greater number of people and indeed to use Astronomy for a Better World. Information and advice will also be provided about applying for support in the future.

Astronomy Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstone, Sid

This document consists of activities and references for teaching astronomy. The activities (which include objectives, list of materials needed, and procedures) focus on: observing the Big Dipper and locating the North Star; examining the Big Dipper's stars; making and using an astrolabe; examining retograde motion of Mars; measuring the Sun's…

Primary Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstone, Sid; Smith, Murray

Selected materials needed to teach an astronomy unit as well as suggested procedures, activities, ideas, and astronomy fact sheets published by the Manitoba Planetarium are provided. Subjects of the fact sheets include: publications and classroom picture sets available from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and facts and statistics…

Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstone, Sid; Smith, Murray

Selected materials needed to teach an astronomy unit as well as suggested procedures, activities, ideas, and astronomy fact sheets published by the Manitoba Planetarium are provided. Subjects of the fact sheets include: publications and classroom picture sets available from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and facts and statistics…

Intermediate Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstone, Sid; Smith, Murray

Selected materials needed to teach an astronomy unit as well as suggested procedures, activities, ideas, and astronomy fact sheets published by the Manitoba Planetarium are provided. Subjects of the fact sheets include: publications and classroom picture sets available from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and facts and statistics…

Bringing Astronomy Activities and Science Content to Girls Locally and Nationally: A Girl Scout and NIRCam Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, Larry A.; Higgins, M. L.; McCarthy, D. W.; Lebofsky, N. R.

2012-01-01

In 2003, the University of Arizona's (UA) NIRCam E/PO team (NASA James Webb Space Telescope) and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council began a long-term collaboration to bring astronomy activities and concepts to Girl Scout leaders, staff, and volunteers and, in turn, to their councils and girls, i.e., to train the trainers. Nationally, our goal is to reach leaders in all councils. To date, this program has reached nearly 200 adults from 39 councils nationwide (plus Guam and Korea), bringing together leaders, UA graduate students, and NIRCam scientists and educators to experience Arizona's dark skies. Locally, our goal is to provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to girls of all ages throughout southern Arizona. To accomplish this in astronomy, we have additional ongoing collaborations with the Planetary Science Institute, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and, most recently with the Amphitheater School District. One of the programs that we have been recently emphasizing is Family Science and Astronomy Nights. These programs can be run at our local Girl Scout facility or can be incorporated into programs that we are running in local schools. Our near-term goal is to provide a series of interconnected activities that can be done in classrooms, in afterschool programs, as part of the Family Science and Astronomy Nights, or in summer astronomy camps. Our long-term goal is to empower girls ultimately to become leaders who are excited about the night sky and can take lead roles presenting activities and facilitating astronomy nights. Our poster will display a variety of the activities we have refined and developed through this progam: scale models of the Solar System and beyond, classifying Solar System objects, a portable human orrery, observing the night sky with and without telescopes, constellation transformations, and constellation sorting cards.NIRCam E/PO website: http://zeus.as.arizona.edu/ dmccarthy/GSUSA

Active Galactic Videos: A YouTube Channel for Astronomy Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calahan, Jenny; Gibbs, Aidan; Hardegree-Ullman, Melody; Hardegree-Ullman, Michael; Impey, Chris David; Kevis, Charlotte; Lewter, Austin; Mauldin, Emmalee; McKee, Carolyn; Olmedo, Alejandro; Pereira, Victoria; Thomas, Melissa; Wenger, Matthew

2018-01-01

Active Galactic Videos is an astronomy-focused YouTube channel run by a team at the University of Arizona. The channel both produces astronomy-focused educational content for public audiences and opens a window into the world of professional astronomy by showcasing the work done at Steward Observatory and in Southern Arizona. The channel is mainly run by undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds including: astronomy, education, film, music, english, and writing. In addition to providing educational content for public audiences, this project provides opportunities for undergraduate students to learn about astronomy content, general astronomy pedagogy, as well as science communication. This is done through developing the practical skills needed to take on the challenge of creating effective and engaging videos. Students write, film, score, direct, and edit each video while conscious of how each piece can affect the teaching/storytelling of the concept at hand. The team has produced various styles of video: presentational, interviews, musical/poetic, tours, and documentaries. In addition to YouTube, the Active Galactic Videos team maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These help to widely distribute the content as well as to publicize the main Youtube channel. In addition to providing an overview of our educational work, we present 51 videos, or two year's, worth of online analytics that we are using to better understand our audience, to examine what videos have been popular and successful, and how people are accessing our content. We will present our experience in order to help others learn about improving astronomy education online, as well as astronomy communication and outreach in general.We acknowledge the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for grant support of this and related education initiatives

Fine-tuning of chromatin composition and Polycomb recruitment by two Mi2 homologues during C. elegans early embryonic development.

PubMed

Käser-Pébernard, Stéphanie; Pfefferli, Catherine; Aschinger, Caroline; Wicky, Chantal

2016-01-01

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase complex promotes cell fate decisions throughout embryonic development. Its core enzymatic subunit, the SNF2-like ATPase and Helicase Mi2, is well conserved throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and can be found in multiple and highly homologous copies in all vertebrates and some invertebrates. However, the reasons for such duplications and their implications for embryonic development are unknown. Here we studied the two C. elegans Mi2 homologues, LET-418 and CHD-3, which displayed redundant activities during early embryonic development. At the transcriptional level, these two Mi2 homologues redundantly repressed the expression of a large gene population. We found that LET-418 physically accumulated at TSS-proximal regions on transcriptionally active genomic targets involved in growth and development. Moreover, LET-418 acted redundantly with CHD-3 to block H3K4me3 deposition at these genes. Our study also revealed that LET-418 was partially responsible for recruiting Polycomb to chromatin and for promoting H3K27me3 deposition. Surprisingly, CHD-3 displayed opposite activities on Polycomb, as it was capable of moderating its LET-418-dependent recruitment and restricted the amount of H3K27me3 on the studied target genes. Although closely homologous, LET-418 and CHD-3 showed both redundant and opposite functions in modulating the chromatin environment at developmental target genes. We identified the interplay between LET-418 and CHD-3 to finely tune the levels of histone marks at developmental target genes. More than just repressors, Mi2-containing complexes appear as subtle modulators of gene expression throughout development. The study of such molecular variations in vertebrate Mi2 counterparts might provide crucial insights to our understanding of the epigenetic control of early development.

Loss of MYC and E-box3 binding contributes to defective MYC-mediated transcriptional suppression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d in glioblastoma

PubMed Central

Wang, Zifeng; Lin, Sheng; Zhang, Ji; Xu, Zhenhua; Xiang, Yu; Yao, Hong; Ge, Lei; Xie, Dan; Kung, Hsiang-fu; Lu, Gang; Poon, Wai Sang; Liu, Quentin; Lin, Marie Chia-mi

2016-01-01

Previously, we reported that MYC oncoprotein down-regulates the transcription of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in hepatocarcinoma (HCC). Surprisingly, in silico analysis indicated that let-7 miRNA expression levels are not reduced in glioblastoma (GBM). Here we investigated the molecular basis of this differential expression. Using human GBM U87 and U251 cells, we first demonstrated that forced over-expression of MYC indeed could not down-regulate the expression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in GBM. Furthermore, analysis of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d promoter in GBM indicated that MYC failed to inhibit the promoter activity. Pearson's correlation and Linear Regression analysis using the expression data from GSE55092 (HCC) and GSE4290 (GBM) demonstrated a converse relationship of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and MYC only in HCC but not in GBM. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we examined whether MYC could bind to the non-canonical E-box 3 located in the promoter of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d. Results from both chromatin immune-precipitation (ChIP) and super-shift assays clearly demonstrated the loss of MYC and E-box 3 binding in GBM, suggesting for the first time that a defective MYC and E-box3 binding in GBM is responsible for the differential MYC mediated transcriptional inhibition of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and potentially other tumor suppressors. MYC and let-7 are key oncoprotein and tumor suppressor, respectively. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of their regulations will provide new insight and have important implications in the therapeutics of GBM as well as other cancers. PMID:27409345

Junior High Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenstone, Sid; Smith, Murray

Selected materials needed to teach an astronomy unit as well as suggested procedures, activities, ideas, and astronomy fact sheets published by the Manitoba Planetarium are provided. Subjects of the fact sheets include: publications and classroom picture sets available from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and facts and statistics…

Astronomy Education Under Dark Skies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cecylia Molenda-Zakowicz, Joanna

2015-08-01

We have been providing professional support for the high school students and the astronomy teachers since 2007. Our efforts include organizing astronomy events that take from several hours, like, e.g., watching the transit of Venus, to several days, like the workshops organized in the framework of the projects 'School Workshops on Astronomy' (SWA) and 'Wygasz'.The SWA and Wygasz workshops include presentations by experts in astronomy and space science research, presentations prepared by students being supervised by those experts, hands-on interactive experience in the amateur astrophotography, various pencil-and-paper exercises, and other practical activities. We pay particular attention to familiarize the teachers and students with the idea and the necessity of protecting the dark sky. The format of these events allows also for some time for teachers to share ideas and best practices in teaching astronomy.All those activities are organized either in the Izera Dark-Sky Park in Poland or in other carefuly selected locations in which the beauty of the dark night sky can be appreciated.

Participant Perspectives on the ESO Astronomy Camp Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivotto, C.; Cenadelli, D.; Gamal, M.; Grossmann, D.; Teller, L. A. I.; Marta, A. S.; Matoni, C. L.; Taillard, A.

2015-09-01

This article describes the experience of attending the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Astronomy Camp from the perspective of its participants - students aged between 16 and 18 years old from around the world. The students shared a week together during the winter of 2014 in the Alpine village of Saint-Barthelemy, Italy. The camp was organised by ESO in collaboration with Sterrenlab and the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley and offered a rich programme of astronomy and leisure activities. This article focuses on the concept of astronomy camps, and their role as a unique tool to complement formal classroom education, rather than on the astronomy activities and the scientific programme. Thus, it is not an academic review of the implemented methodologies, but rather a reflection on the overall experience. The article was brought together from collaborative accounts by some of the participants who were asked to reflect on the experience. The participants who contributed to this article represent the diversity of the ESO Astronomy Camp's alumni community.

The Educational Activities of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew

1981-01-01

Describes educational activities of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific including learning packets on various astronomy concepts, Morrison lectures, newspaper columns, teacher workshops, cosponsoring astronomy oriented lectures, and providing speakers for various groups. (DS)

Your Face(book) and MySpace: Let's Hook Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, P. L.; Foster, T.

2008-06-01

In the public social network venues of MySpace and Facebook, individuals of all ages and nationalities look for like-minded online denizens with whom they can build relationships. Through social networking sites, it is possible for EPO programs to bring together diverse individuals to laugh, learn, and socialize around pet projects and favorite topics. Astronomy is popular among these people, with over 5000 members of the MySpace community listing ``astronomy'' as an interest. By building interesting MySpace and Facebook profiles for your programs, you can plug into the intellectual and social hunger of these individuals. In this workshop, we will discuss the tricks for creating an interesting profile, how to hide such weirdnesses as age and zodiacal sign, and the proper netiquette for nurturing large friends lists and building large communities. Specific emphasis will be given to using Facebook to build one-on-one relationships with program volunteers and students, and how to use MySpace as a way to distribute program announcements to large populations. We will also address the issues of contacting minors, and coping with stalkers and crazies. Come learn how to reach people who already want to learn and love the cosmos, and are just waiting to hear what you have to share.

Curiosity and the end of discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda

2017-06-01

Systemic discrimination on the basis of gender and race, among other ascribed identities, harms minoritized people. This is a structural problem in society, and astronomy is not immune to it. Although we talk about the challenges faced by 'women and minorities', it is all too rare to acknowledge intersecting realities: some of us are minority women and our experiences are different from both white women and minority men, with sexism and racism compounding in nonlinear ways. Confronting the challenges associated with invoking an intersectional analysis can be daunting if the mainstream community continues to ignore helpful work from the social sciences, which can teach us new ways of understanding how we produce scientific knowledge. Rather than failing to question how science is done, we should let curiosity be our guide.

Education and Public Outreach in the International Year of Astronomy at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbs, M. G.; Manning, J. G.; Gurton, S.; Fraknoi, A.; Berendsen, M.; Hurst, A.; White, V.

2008-11-01

At the forefront of sharing the excitement of our exploration of the universe for 120 years, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is poised to use its networks and services to implement education and outreach programs for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA). The ASP is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the American Astronomical Society (AAS), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Association of Science---Technology Centers (ASTC), and several other astronomical and educational organizations on IYA projects. The ASP will develop and implement four key signature programs, pending funding, for the IYA: a) IYA 2009 Cosmic Companion, with astronomy activities primarily for amateur astronomy clubs; b) Galileo Teacher Training Program, designed primarily for in-service teachers; c) Expanding the Informal Universe, to bring astronomy into smaller museums and nature centers; and d) Cosmic Clearing-House, an online educational resource for the best astronomy outreach resources and activities. The overarching goal for these programs is to bring together scientists, educators, and amateurs astronomers to improve science education and literacy through astronomy. The Society welcomes additional partners who seek to cooperate on IYA programs or work with the networks of formal and informal educators and amateur astronomers the ASP continues to support.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific - Education and Public Outreach in the International Year of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbs, Michael; Manning, J.; Gurton, S.; Fraknoi, A.; Berendsen, M.; Hurst, A.; White, V.

2008-05-01

At the forefront of sharing the excitement of our exploration of the universe for 120 years, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is poised to use its networks and services to implement education and outreach programs for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA). The ASP is working with NASA, the AAS, NOAO, ASTC, and several other astronomical and educational organizations on IYA projects. The ASP will develop and implement four key signature programs, pending funding, for the IYA: a) "IYA Cosmic Calendar: A Year of Outreach Resources” with astronomy activities primarily for amateur astronomy clubs; b) "In the Footsteps of Galileo: A Teacher Training Program,” designed primarily for in-service teachers; c) an expanded "Astronomy from the Ground Up” program in IYA to bring astronomy into smaller museums and nature centers; and d) "The Cosmic Clearing-House,” an online educational resource for the best astronomy outreach resources and activities. The overarching goal for these programs is to bring together scientists, educators, and amateurs astronomers to improve science education and literacy through astronomy. The Society welcomes additional partners who seek to cooperate on IYA programs or work with the networks of formal and informal educators and amateur astronomers the ASP continues to support.

Astronomy in the Initial Formation of Sciences Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Samuel; Euzébio, Geison João; Damasio, Felipe

2016-12-01

Although astronomy is considered one of the older sciences of mankind, its teaching in basic education is facing problems. It is the school responsibility the dissemination of correct scientific concepts, including those related to Astronomy. This study was conducted at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Santa Catarina, Campus Araranguá. In this article, we aimed to present the activities developed to help the formation of teachers, training undergraduate students in Natural Sciences with specialization in Physics to contribute to the dissemination and improvement of the teaching-learning of Astronomy. This paper presents the process and results of the evaluation of that training program. Analyses of the activity from the perspective of the participants are indicated and additional considerations are made regarding its use as a resource for teaching Astronomy and for teacher training.

The Astronomy Workshop: Computer Assisted Learning Tools with Instructor Support Materials and Student Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Grace; Hamilton, D.; Hayes-Gehrke, M.

2006-12-01

The Astronomy Workshop (http://janus.astro.umd.edu) is a collection of interactive World Wide Web tools that were developed under the direction of Doug Hamilton for use in undergraduate classes, as supplementary materials appropriate for grades 9-12, and by the general public. The philosophy of the website is to foster student and public interest in astronomy by capitalizing on their fascination with computers and the internet. Many of the tools were developed by graduate and undergraduate students at UMD. This website contains over 20 tools on topics including scientific notation, giant impacts, extrasolar planets, astronomical distances, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids. Educators around the country at universities, colleges, and secondary schools have used the Astronomy Workshop’s tools and activities as homework assignments, in-class demos, or extra credit. Since 2005, Grace Deming has assessed several of the Astronomy Workshop’s tools for clarity and effectiveness by interviewing students as they used tools on the website. Based on these interviews, Deming wrote student activities and instructor support materials and posted them to the website. Over the next three years, we will continue to interview students, develop web materials, and field-test activities. We are targeting classes in introductory undergraduate astronomy courses and grades 11-12 for our Spring 2007 field tests. We are interested in hearing your ideas on how we can make the Astronomy Workshop more appealing to educators, museum directors, specialty programs, and professors. This research is funded by NASA EPO grants NNG04GM18G and NNG06GGF99G.

Astronomy Activities for the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cain, Peggy W.; Welch, Daniel W.

Presented are middle school level, activity-oriented astronomy activities developed as a result of an earth science workshop for teachers. Topics include: (1) sun and moon position and measurement; (2) daily, yearly, and seasonal changes in the sun's position; (3) shapes and positions of planetary orbits; (4) eclipses; (5) properties of light; (6)…

RU SciTech: Weaving Astronomy and Physics into a University-sponsored Summer Camp for Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Quyen N.

2015-01-01

We present a successful model for organizing a small University-sponsored summer camp that integrates astronomy and physics content with other science disciplines and computer programming content. The aim of our science and technology camp is to engage middle school students in a wide array of critical thinking tasks and hands-on activities centered on science and technology. Additionally, our program seeks to increase and maintain STEM interest among children, particularly in under-represented populations (e.g., Hispanic, African-American, women, and lower socioeconomic individuals) with hopes of decreasing disparities in diversity across many STEM fields.During this four-day camp, organized and facilitated by faculty volunteers, activities rotated through many STEM modules, including optics, telescopes, circuit building, computer hardware, and programming. Specifically, we scaffold camp activities to build upon similar ideas and content if possible. Using knowledge and skills gained through the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors program, we were able to integrate several astronomy activities into the camp, leading students through engaging activities, and conduct educational research. We present best practices on piloting a similar program in a university environment, our efforts to connect the learning outcomes common across all the modules, specifically in astronomy and physics, outline future camp activities, and the survey results on the impact of camp activities on attitudes toward science, technology, and science careers.

Radiation Measured with Different Dosimeters for ISS-Expedition 18-19/ULF2 on Board International Space Station during Solar Minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Dazhuang; Gaza, R.; Roed, Y.; Semones, E.; Lee, K.; Steenburgh, R.; Johnson, S.; Flanders, J.; Zapp, N.

2010-01-01

Radiation field of particles in low Earth orbit (LEO) is mainly composed of galactic cosmic rays (GCR), solar energetic particles and particles in SAA (South Atlantic Anomaly). GCR are modulated by solar activity, at the period of solar minimum activity, GCR intensity is at maximum and the main contributor for space radiation is GCR. At present for space radiation measurements conducted by JSC (Johnson Space Center) SRAG (Space Radiation Analysis Group), the preferred active dosimeter sensitive to all LET (Linear Energy Transfer) is the tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC); the preferred passive dosimeters are thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) sensitive to low LET as well as CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) sensitive to high LET. For the method using passive dosimeters, radiation quantities for all LET can be obtained by combining radiation results measured with TLDs/OSLDs and CR-39 PNTDs. TEPC, TLDs/OSLDs and CR-39 detectors were used to measure the radiation field for the ISS (International Space Station) - Expedition 18-19/ULF2 space mission which was conducted from 15 November 2008 to 31 July 2009 - near the period of the recent solar minimum activity. LET spectra (differential and integral fluence, absorbed dose and dose equivalent) and radiation quantities were measured for positions TEPC, TESS (Temporary Sleeping Station, inside the polyethylene lined sleep station), SM-P 327 and 442 (Service Module - Panel 327 and 442). This paper presents radiation LET spectra measured with TEPC and CR-39 PNTDs and radiation dose measured with TLDs/OSLDs as well as the radiation quantities combined from results measured with passive dosimeters.

Achievements of the Armenian Astronomy and the Present Activities of the Armenian Astronomical Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.

2014-10-01

A report is given on the achievements of the Armenian astronomy during the last years and on the present activities of the Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS). ArAS membership, ArAS electronic newsletters (ArASNews), ArAS webpage, international collaboration, Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO), membership in international organizations, grants, prizes, meetings, summer schools, astronomical Olympiads, other matters related to astronomical education, archaeoastronomy, astronomy outreach and ArAS further projects are discussed.

Astronomy development in Serbia in view of the IAU Strategic Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atanacković, Olga

2015-03-01

An overview of astronomy development in Serbia in view of the goals envisaged by the IAU Strategic Plan is given. Due attention is paid to the recent reform of education at all levels. In the primary schools several extra topics in astronomy are introduced in the physics course. Attempts are made to reintroduce astronomy as a separate subject in the secondary schools. Special emphasis is put to the role and activities of the Petnica Science Center the biggest center for informal education in SE Europe, and to a successful participation of the Serbian team in International astronomy olympiads. Astronomy topics are taught at all five state universities in Serbia. At the University of Belgrade and Novi Sad students can enroll in astronomy from the first study year. The students have the training at the Ondrejov Observatory (Czech Republic) and at the astronomical station on the mountain Vidojevica in southern Serbia. Astronomy research in Serbia is performed at the Astronomical Observatory, Belgrade and the Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade. There are about 70 researchers in astronomy in Serbia (and about as many abroad) who participate in eight projects financed by the Ministry of Education and Science and in several international cooperations and projects: SREAC, VAMDC, Belissima (recruitment of experienced expatriate researchers), Astromundus (a 2-year joint master program with other four European universities), LSST. One of the goals in near future is twinning between universities in the SEE region and worldwide. The ever-increasing activities of 20 amateur astronomical societies are also given.

Astronomy Outreach for Large and Unique Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.; Sparks, R. T.; Pompea, S. M.; Kendall, J. S.; Dugan, C.

2013-04-01

In this session, we discuss different approaches to reaching large audiences. In addition to star parties and astronomy events, the audiences for some of the events include music concerts or festivals, sick children and their families, minority communities, American Indian reservations, and tourist sites such as the National Mall. The goal is to bring science directly to the public—to people who attend astronomy events and to people who do not come to star parties, science museums, or science festivals. These programs allow the entire community to participate in astronomy activities to enhance the public appreciation of science. These programs attract large enthusiastic crowds often with young children participating in these family learning experiences. The public will become more informed, educated, and inspired about astronomy and will also be provided with information that will allow them to continue to learn after this outreach activity. Large and unique audiences often have common problems, and their solutions and the lessons learned will be presented. Interaction with the participants in this session will provide important community feedback used to improve astronomy outreach for large and unique audiences. New ways to expand astronomy outreach to new large audiences will be discussed.

Revealing the Universe to Our Community: NMSU's Society of Astronomy Students' Dedication to Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, Mercedes; Rees, S.; Medina, A.; Beasley, D.; Campos, A.; Chanover, N. J.; Uckert, K.; McKeever, J.

2014-01-01

The New Mexico State University (NMSU) Society of Astronomy Students (SAS) is an undergraduate organization centered on students’ passions for learning and sharing knowledge about the field of astronomy. The SAS strives to become one of the most active clubs on the NMSU campus by their involvement in both astronomy and non-astronomy related public outreach and community service events. NMSU is located in Las Cruces, NM, where Clyde Tombaugh made great contributions both to the field of astronomy and to our local community. He was able to spark the community's interest in astronomy and science in general; this is an aspect of his career that the SAS strives to emulate. To do this, the SAS participates in community outreach events with the goal of stimulating curiosity and providing opportunities for the public to observe and understand exciting phenomenon occurring in our universe. With help from the NMSU Astronomy Department, the SAS is able to volunteer alongside the Astronomy Graduate Student Organization (AGSO) at events for people of all ages. Working jointly with the AGSO allows us to be mentored by the very students who were in our shoes not long ago; they educate us about the wonders of the universe, just as we wish to educate the community. This provides an enlightening and enriching environment for both club and community members. The NMSU Astronomy Department hosts events for the entire community, such as observing nights held at Tombaugh Observatory — which SAS members attend and help advertise — where community members learn about and view objects in the night sky through telescopes. SAS members assist with field trips where local middle and elementary school students attend presentations and participate in astronomy-related activities on the NMSU campus. These hands-on activities are presented in an understandable way, and are meant to increase appreciation for all of the exciting subjects our universe has to offer. Other outreach events include Star Parties, which are observing events held at local schools, as well as volunteering in classrooms. These various events allow the SAS to reach their goals by becoming involved with not only the community, but also the education of students.

Astronomy for a Better World: IAU OAD Task Force-1 Programs for Advancing Astronomy Education and Research in Universities in Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guinan, Edward; Kolenberg, Katrien

2015-03-01

We discuss the IAU Commission 46 and Office for Astronomy Development (OAD) programs that support advancing Astronomy education and research primarily in universities in developing countries. The bulk of these operational activities will be coordinated through the OAD's newly installed Task Force 1. We outline current (and future) IAU/OAD Task Force-1 programs that promote the development of University-level Astronomy at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Among current programs discussed are the past and future expanded activities of the International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA) and the Teaching Astronomy for Development (TAD) programs. The primary role of the ISYA program is the organization of a three week School for students for typically M.Sc. and Ph.D students. The ISYA is a very successful program that will now be offered more frequently through the generous support of the Kavli Foundation. The IAU/TAD program provides aid and resources for the development of teaching, education and research in Astronomy. The TAD program is dedicated to assist countries that have little or no astronomical activity, but that wish to develop or enhance Astronomy education. Over the last ten years, the ISYA and TAD programs have supported programs in Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, South East and West Asia, and South America. Several examples are given. Several new programs being considered by OAD Task Force-1 are also discussed. Other possible programs being considered are the introduction of modular Astronomy courses into the university curricula (or improve present courses) as well as providing access to ``remote learning`` courses and Virtual Astronomy labs in developing countries. Another possible new program would support visits of astronomers from technically advanced countries to spend their sabbatical leaves teaching and advising University Astronomy programs in developing countries. Suggestions for new Task Force -1 programs are also welcomed. Useful information about the participation of IAU members and volunteers in these programs will be discussed and practical information will be provided.

Some Daytime Activities in Solar Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burin, Michael J.

2016-01-01

This century's transits of Venus (2004, 2012) captured significant public attention, reminding us that the wonders of astronomy need not be confined to the night. And while nighttime telescope viewing gatherings (a.k.a. "star parties") are perennially popular, astronomy classes are typically held in the daytime. The logistics of…

Reaching for the Stars in your Golden Years: The Importance of Outreach for Senior Citizens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapson, V.

2014-07-01

Astronomy outreach is often geared towards young children, but rarely towards senior citizens. This article shares the author's experience of conducting astronomy outreach activities at senior living communities and discusses why senior citizens are an equally important demographic to educate about astronomy.

INSA Scientific Activities in the Space Astronomy Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez Martínez, Ricardo; Sánchez Portal, Miguel

Support to astronomy operations is an important and long-lived activity within INSA. Probably the best known (and traditional) INSA activities are those related with real-time spacecraft operations: ground station maintenance and operation (ground station engineers and operators); spacecraft and payload real-time operation (spacecraft and instruments controllers); computing infrastructure maintenance (operators, analysts), and general site services. In this paper, we’ll show a different perspective, probably not so well-known, presenting some INSA recent activities at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) and NASA Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC) directly related to scientific operations. Basic lines of activity involved include: operations support for science operations; system and software support for real time systems; technical administration and IT support; R&D activities, radioastronomy (at MDSCC and ESAC), and scientific research projects. This paper is structured as follows: first, INSA activities in two ESA cornerstone astrophysics missions, XMM-Newton and Herschel, will be outlined. Then, our activities related to scientific infrastructure services, represented by the Virtual Observatory (VO) framework and the Science Archives development facilities, are briefly shown. Radio astronomy activities will be described afterwards, and, finally, a few research topics in which INSA scientists are involved will also be described.

Hands-on astronomy activities for the elementary school

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lutz, T.E.; Horne, J.C.

We held a series of astronomy workshops for local school teachers using astronomy activities from a course we give for Elementary Education majors. The school teachers provide us with feedback about successes and failures. Then we try the revised activities in the classroom. Via this in-service and pre-service feedback, the astronomy laboratory activities in the course have been completely revised over the last three years. The activities we use are almost entirely hands-on. The activities include use of log book (or journal) for describing outside-of-class observations of sunsets, phases of the moon, portable sundial, and the somewhat unique method wemore » use to teach the constellations. In addition, all laboratory activity records are kept in the log book. Laboratory activities cover the use of fists to measure degrees, constellations, phases of the moon, relative distances and size of planets, Invent an Alien, lenses, images and telescopes, and the making of a comet. In our poster, based roughly on the theme of the seasons, we will describe a portable, multi-user sundial, length of the day display using newspaper data, two temperature/season activities, and a model demonstration of why the sundial shadows behave as they do.« less

Down-regulation of let-7 microRNA increased K-ras expression in lung damage induced by radon.

PubMed

Chen, Zhihai; Wang, Dapeng; Gu, Chao; Liu, Xing; Pei, Weiwei; Li, Jianxiang; Cao, Yi; Jiao, Yang; Tong, Jian; Nie, Jihua

2015-09-01

Radon has long been recognized as a human carcinogen leading to lung cancer, but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Recent studies have shown that the let-7 microRNA and K-ras play an important role in the development of various cancers. However, the exact role between let-7 and K-ras in radon induced lung damage has not been explored so far. In the present study, wistar rats and human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells were long-term exposed to radon, and then alterations in histological pathology of rat lung tissue, ROS, antioxidant enzymes activities and clonogenic formation in HBE cells, as well as changes in let-7 and K-ras expression were determined to observe the adverse effects induced by radon. The results showed that long-term exposure to radon produced severe lung damage in rats, significantly increased ROS production and clonogenic formation ratios and decreased SOD activities in HBE cells. In addition, an obvious down-regulation of let-7 and up-regulation of K-ras were also revealed both in mRNA and in protein level in lung tissue of rats and HBE cells exposed to radon. Furthermore, a significant down-regulation of K-ras was then confirmed in both let-7b-3p and let-7a-2-3p transfected HBE cells. Taken together, the present results propose an involvement of let-7 microRNA and K-ras in radon induced lung damage both in vivo and in vitro, which may thus be of potential value in early diagnosis and therapy of radon-induced lung tumorgenesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS) activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.

2016-09-01

A review on the activities and achievements of Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS) and Armenian astronomy in general during the last years is given. ArAS membership, ArAS electronic newsletters (ArASNews), ArAS webpage, Annual Meetings, Annual Prize for Young Astronomers (Yervant Terzian Prize) and other awards, international relations, presence in international organizations, local and international summer schools, science camps, astronomical Olympiads and other events, matters related to astronomical education, astronomical heritage, amateur astronomy, astronomy outreach and ArAS further projects are described and discussed.

Multicultural Astronomy Learning Using Sunrise and Sunset Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massalha, T.

2008-06-01

Effective learning mixed with enjoyable activities needs a suitable environment different from the normal curriculum that we (the teachers) and the students are familiar with. On this note, Astronomy activities are attractive and involving. We believe that there is always room to propose educational projects that are implemented outside the classroom walls. In this conference, we will give practical examples of Astronomy Peace Projects that were implemented in middle schools (for Jews, Christians, Moslems and Druzes) in Israel, during the 2002-2007 school years.

Sorting Tasks and Vocabulary-in-Context Activities for Assessing Introductory Astronomy Understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Loranz, D.; Prather, E. E.

2006-12-01

One of the most ardent challenges for astronomy teachers is to deeply and meaningfully assess students’ conceptual and quantitative understanding of astronomy topics. In an effort to uncover students’ actual understanding, members and affiliates of the Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) Team at the University of Arizona and Truckee Meadows Community College are creating and field-testing innovative approaches to assessment. Leveraging from the highly successful work from physics education research, we are creating a series of tasks where students categorize a list describing common astronomical events or phenomenon; or vocabulary terms into context rich categories or conceptually rich sentences. These intellectually challenging tasks are being created to span the entire domain of topics in introductory astronomy for non-science majoring undergraduates. When completed, these sorting tasks and vocabulary-in-context activities will be able to be delivered via a drag-and-drop computer interface.

Earth-Heart Astronomy: Astronomy-Related Activities to Enhance Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Christopher

2010-01-01

This article outlines a range of engaging outdoor daytime activities to enhance astronomical understanding and our place in the universe. They are practical activities with "soul" which engender environmental and social responsibility on a local (yet planetary) scale. They link astronomical and global considerations with a notion of…

Testing The Scale-up Approach To Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kregenow, Julia M.; Keller, L.; Rogers, M.; Romero, D.

2008-09-01

Ithaca College physics department has begun transforming our general education astronomy courses into hands-on, active-learning courses from the previous lecture-based format. We are using the SCALE-UP model (Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment University Programs) pioneered at North Carolina State University. Expanding on the successes of Studio Physics (developed at RPI), which exchanges traditionally separate lecture/recitation/ laboratory sessions for one dynamic, active-learning environment for approximately 40 students, SCALE-UP extends this model to accommodate 100+ students by using large round tables creating naturally smaller groups of students. Classes meet three times per week with each class blending lecture, hands-on activities, group problem solving, and the use of student polling devices. We are testing whether this mode of teaching astronomy will lead to a better understanding of astronomy and the nature of science. Applying this approach in both the SCALE-UP classroom (90 students) and a traditional lecture classroom (45 students) in spring 2008, we report on our early results and lessons learned after one semester. We also discuss some of our lingering implementation questions and issues, such as: whether to use the same or different instructor in two parallel sections, requiring textbook reading, reading quizzes, on-line homework and activities, how much math to include, development of hands-on activities, and culling the typically overpacked intro astronomy syllabus.

Outreach and Astronomy-Education Activities of the University of Arizona Astronomy Club

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGraw, Allison M.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Walker-LaFollette, A.; Towner, A. P.

2014-01-01

The University of Arizona Astronomy Club provides unique outreach experiences for all ages. Our undergraduates work together to volunteer their time for various types of outreach events. This club uses several techniques to execute astronomy education such as hands-on 3D models, exciting demonstrations of scientific phenomena, and multiple small telescopes for both solar and night-time viewing. The students bring the models and telescopes to locations both on and off campus; from dark sky locations in the desert southwest to elementary schools, our undergraduates are willing to teach astronomy just about anywhere.

Quickly creating interactive astronomy illustrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.

2015-01-01

An innate advantage for astronomy teachers is having numerous breathtaking images of the cosmos available to capture students' curiosity, imagination, and wonder. Internet-based astronomy image libraries are numerous and easy to navigate. The Astronomy Picture of the Day, the Hubble Space Telescope image archive, and the NASA Planetary Photojournal are just a few of the many available.1-3 At the same time, computer video projectors and SMART Boards are becoming ever more commonplace in classrooms. Taken together, it has never been easier to bring astronomy directly into classrooms to actively engage students to improve student understanding and motivate student learning.

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Astronomy: Cosmic Fiction, Drama and Poetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.

2015-09-01

I have spent four decades teaching introductory astronomy to university students whose primary subject of study is not astronomy, as well as developing activities to help the public appreciate astronomical ideas and developments. One of the more effective tools that I have found for capturing the interest of non-scientists has been approaching astronomy through its influence on the humanities. In this article I examine some examples of astronomical inspiration in the humanities, looking at plays, poetry and fiction. A second paper, devoted to music inspired by astronomy, will appear in a future issue of the CAPjournal.

New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2010. Panel Reports New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2010. Report of the Panel on Implementing Recommendations from the New Worlds, New Horizons Decadal Survey, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2010. 2020 Vision: An Overview of New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shapero, Donald C.

The NRC's Astronomy and Astrophysics decadal survey Astro2010 was organized under the umbrella of the BPA and its sister board the Space Studies Board (SSB). NASA, NSF, and DOE are the sponsors of this survey that was asked to evaluate the field of space- and ground-based astronomy and astrophysics, recommending priorities for the most important scientific and technical activities of the decade 2010-2020. The principal goals of this study were to carry out an assessment of activities in astronomy and astrophysics, including both new and previously identified concept, and to prepare a concise report that addresses the agencies supporting themore » field, the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over those agencies, the scientific community, and the public. Over the past 40 years, the Astronomy and Astrophysics decadal reviews have played a vital role in the selection of major astronomical activities and subsequent scientific discoveries. Some decadal survey prioritization highlights include the development of adaptive optics systems, the Very Long Baseline Array, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.« less

Astronomy in the Native-Oriented Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Murray R.

1984-01-01

Outlines background, materials, operation, and evaluation of four activities for grades six-nine designed to illustrate how curriculum activities can enhance astronomy concepts and native awareness: "Were Native People Aware of Milky Way Galaxy?,""Constellation Cans,""Travels of the Big Dipper," and "How Did the…

LncRNA-LET inhibits cell viability, migration and EMT while induces apoptosis by up-regulation of TIMP2 in human granulosa-like tumor cell line KGN.

PubMed

Han, Qingfang; Zhang, Wenke; Meng, Jinlai; Ma, Li; Li, Aihua

2018-04-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease characterized by hyperandrogenism, irregular menses, and polycystic ovaries. Several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in PCOS patients; however, little is known about the effects of the lncRNA-low expression in tumor (lncRNA-LET) on PCOS. We aimed to explore the effects of lncRNA-LET on human granulosa-like tumor cell line, KGN. Expression of lncRNA-LET in normal IOSE80 cells and granulosa cells was determined by qRT-PCR. KGN cell viability, apoptosis and migration were measured by trypan blue exclusion method, flow cytometry assay and wound healing assay, respectively. TGF-β1 was used to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. LncRNA-LET expression and mRNA expressions of TIMP2 and EMT-related proteins were measured by qRT-PCR. Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein expression of apoptosis-related proteins, EMT-related proteins, TIMP2, and the proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling pathways. lncRNA-LET was down-regulated in KGN cells, and its overexpression inhibited cell viability and migration, and promoted apoptosis in KGN cells. Overexpression of lncRNA-LET increased the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin in KGN cells. These effects of lncRNA-LET on KGN cells were reversed by TIMP2 suppression. Overexpression of TIMP2 inhibited cell viability, migration and EMT process, and increased apoptosis by activating the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. Overexpression of lncRNA-LET inhibits cell viability, migration and EMT process, and increases apoptosis in KGN cells by up-regulating the expression of TIMP2 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin and notch signaling pathways. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Cocaine Modulates the Expression of Opioid Receptors and miR-let-7d in Zebrafish Embryos

PubMed Central

López-Bellido, Roger; Barreto-Valer, Katherine; Sánchez-Simón, Fátima Macho; Rodríguez, Raquel E.

2012-01-01

Prenatal exposure to cocaine, in mammals, has been shown to interfere with the expression of opioid receptors, which can have repercussions in its activity. Likewise, microRNAs, such as let-7, have been shown to regulate the expression of opioid receptors and hence their functions in mammals and in vitro experiments. In light of this, using the zebrafish embryos as a model our aim here was to evaluate the actions of cocaine in the expression of opioid receptors and let-7d miRNA during embryogenesis. In order to determine the effects produced by cocaine on the opioid receptors (zfmor, zfdor1 and zfdor2) and let-7d miRNA (dre-let-7d) and its precursors (dre-let-7d-1 and dre-let-7d-2), embryos were exposed to 1.5 µM cocaine hydrochloride (HCl). Our results revealed that cocaine upregulated dre-let-7d and its precursors, and also increased the expression of zfmor, zfdor1 and zfdor2 during early developmental stages and decreased them in late embryonic stages. The changes observed in the expression of opioid receptors might occur through dre-let-7d, since DNA sequences and the morpholinos of opioid receptors microinjections altered the expression of dre-let-7d and its precursors. Likewise, opioid receptors and dre-let-7d showed similar distributions in the central nervous system (CNS) and at the periphery, pointing to a possible interrelationship between them. In conclusion, the silencing and overexpression of opioid receptors altered the expression of dre-let-7d, which points to the notion that cocaine via dre-let-7 can modulate the expression of opioid receptors. Our study provides new insights into the actions of cocaine during zebrafish embryogenesis, indicating a role of miRNAs, let-7d, in development and its relationship with gene expression of opioid receptors, related to pain and addiction process. PMID:23226419

Music and Astronomy Under the Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.

2008-11-01

Bring telescope to where the people are! Music and Astronomy Under the Stars is a public astronomy outreach program at community parks during and after free summer music concerts and outdoor movie nights. This project also includes daytime activities because there are some afternoon concerts and daylight children's concerts, and observations using remotely operated telescopes in cloudy weather. While there have been many astronomy outreach activities and telescope observations at city sidewalks and parks, this program targets a completely different audience---music lovers who are attending free summer concerts held in community parks. The music lovers who may never have visited a science museum, planetarium, or star party will be exposed to telescope observations and astronomy information with no additional travel costs. This program will permit the entire community to participate in telescope observations and view astronomical video information to enhance the public appreciation of astronomy. This program will also reach underrepresented and underserved groups (women, minorities, older adults). The population base for the initial target audience (Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York) is 2,500,000. My partners are the Amateur Observers' Society of New York (AOS) and the Towns of Oyster Bay, Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Huntington. Music and Astronomy Under the Stars is program that should continue beyond the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) and can be expanded into a national program.

The U.S. Program for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009): Outcomes, Lessons Learned, and Legacy Projects (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isbell, D.

2009-12-01

The United States conducted an active and wide-ranging program for IYA2009, thanks largely to support from the American Astronomical Society, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. The U.S. effort included leadership of several international “cornerstone” projects, including the Galileoscope telescope kit, the “From Earth to the Universe” image exhibition, Dark-Skies Awareness, and a variety of creative New Media activities, such as a daily podcast (“365 Days of Astronomy”) and a virtual island in Second Life. In addition, U.S. astronomy educators and outreach professionals played major roles in IYA2009 cornerstone projects designed to promote greater gender equity in astronomy (“She is An Astronomer”); to provide the best astronomy resources for formal education (the Galileo Teacher Training Program); and to conduct global weekend-long celebrations of astronomy involving star parties, several live Webcasts, and special events (“100 Hours of Astronomy” and “Galilean Nights”). NASA led special projects to provide large astronomy images to science centers across the nation, and sent comprehensive exhibits on the major themes of modern astronomy to dozens of libraries in small and medium-sized cities, based on competitive proposals for community impact (“Visions of the Universe”). Underpinning all of these efforts was a variety of methods for informing and engaging the large community of U.S. amateur astronomers, and active communication with our colleagues in Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. This talk will review the outcomes and major success stories from the year, discuss several lessons learned that could be useful for pending efforts such as the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, and provide a look ahead for IYA2009 projects and resources that are expected to continue to be active in 2010 and beyond.

The new Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Char, Farid; Forero-Romero, Jaime

2015-08-01

The Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD) is a new effort in South America to serve several goals in astronomical development. Six countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela) will work together, representing a common language block in the Andean region and focusing on develop strategies to strengthen the professional research, education and popularization of astronomy. Our current Working Structure comprises a ROAD Coordinator and Coordinators per Task Force, as well as Organizing Committees, Collaborators and Volunteers.The participating institutions of this new ROAD have been involved in many projects involving each of the current OAD’s Task Forces: research, schools and children and public, exploring educational activities/material to be shared among the Andean countries, standardizing the knowledge and creating inspirational experiences. We expect to generate many efforts in order to bring a more homogeneous activity in each Andean country, taking into account the special role of Chile in global astronomy, due to its great conditions for astronomy and the involvement of many professional observatories, universities and astronomy institutions.Our current (and upcoming) most relevant activities includes: Andean Schools on Astronomy, Andean Graduate Program and Massive Open Online Courses (TF1); Virtual Training Sessions and Teaching material for the visually impaired students; Annual TF2 meeting to gather all the collaborators (TF2); Development for planetariums and Communicating Astronomy with the Public (TF3). The Andean region, in the other hand, will also be involved in at least two important events: the CAP Meeting in May 2016 and the XV LARIM in October 2016 (both in Colombia); and Chile will bid to host the XXXI IAU GA in 2021, with the aim of show the great advances in astronomical development from the Andean region and South America.

MicroRNA-let-7a regulates cell autophagy by targeting Rictor in gastric cancer cell lines MGC-803 and SGC-7901.

PubMed

Fan, Hao; Jiang, Mingkun; Li, Bowen; He, Yu; Huang, Chi; Luo, Dakui; Xu, Hao; Yang, Li; Zhou, Jundong

2018-03-01

miR-let-7a is the most widely studied miRNA, whose functions have been well-established by scientists in both carcinogenesis and progression of human cancer, including gastric cancer (GC). However, to date there is a lack of information concerning the relationship between miR-let-7a and cellular autophagy. Using western blotting and immunofluorescence, we determined that upregulation of miR-let-7a led to increased cellular autophagic level, whereas miR-let-7a suppression decreased autophagy activity in GC cells. To further elucidate the mechanisms underlying this, we screened potential targets of miR-let-7a using bioinformatics analyses, validated by a series of assays. Our results indicated that Rptor independent companion of mTOR complex 2 (Rictor) was a direct target of miR-let-7a. In addition, rescue experiments in vitro showed that miR-let-7a promoted cellular autophagic level by inhibiting Rictor expression in GC cells. Furthermore, as an upstream executor of Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, we found that Rictor elaborated its effect on autophagy by phosphorylating Akt and mTOR, and this regulatory process could also be mediated by miR-let-7a. Taken together, our results present a novel role for miR-let-7a in GC which modulates autophagy by targeting Rictor, following the regulation of Akt-mTOR signal pathway.

Analytical calculation of proton linear energy transfer in voxelized geometries including secondary protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Parcerisa, D.; Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.; Dolney, D.; Kondrla, M.; Fager, M.; Carabe, A.

2016-02-01

In order to integrate radiobiological modelling with clinical treatment planning for proton radiotherapy, we extended our in-house treatment planning system FoCa with a 3D analytical algorithm to calculate linear energy transfer (LET) in voxelized patient geometries. Both active scanning and passive scattering delivery modalities are supported. The analytical calculation is much faster than the Monte-Carlo (MC) method and it can be implemented in the inverse treatment planning optimization suite, allowing us to create LET-based objectives in inverse planning. The LET was calculated by combining a 1D analytical approach including a novel correction for secondary protons with pencil-beam type LET-kernels. Then, these LET kernels were inserted into the proton-convolution-superposition algorithm in FoCa. The analytical LET distributions were benchmarked against MC simulations carried out in Geant4. A cohort of simple phantom and patient plans representing a wide variety of sites (prostate, lung, brain, head and neck) was selected. The calculation algorithm was able to reproduce the MC LET to within 6% (1 standard deviation) for low-LET areas (under 1.7 keV μm-1) and within 22% for the high-LET areas above that threshold. The dose and LET distributions can be further extended, using radiobiological models, to include radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) calculations in the treatment planning system. This implementation also allows for radiobiological optimization of treatments by including RBE-weighted dose constraints in the inverse treatment planning process.

Analytical calculation of proton linear energy transfer in voxelized geometries including secondary protons.

PubMed

Sanchez-Parcerisa, D; Cortés-Giraldo, M A; Dolney, D; Kondrla, M; Fager, M; Carabe, A

2016-02-21

In order to integrate radiobiological modelling with clinical treatment planning for proton radiotherapy, we extended our in-house treatment planning system FoCa with a 3D analytical algorithm to calculate linear energy transfer (LET) in voxelized patient geometries. Both active scanning and passive scattering delivery modalities are supported. The analytical calculation is much faster than the Monte-Carlo (MC) method and it can be implemented in the inverse treatment planning optimization suite, allowing us to create LET-based objectives in inverse planning. The LET was calculated by combining a 1D analytical approach including a novel correction for secondary protons with pencil-beam type LET-kernels. Then, these LET kernels were inserted into the proton-convolution-superposition algorithm in FoCa. The analytical LET distributions were benchmarked against MC simulations carried out in Geant4. A cohort of simple phantom and patient plans representing a wide variety of sites (prostate, lung, brain, head and neck) was selected. The calculation algorithm was able to reproduce the MC LET to within 6% (1 standard deviation) for low-LET areas (under 1.7 keV μm(-1)) and within 22% for the high-LET areas above that threshold. The dose and LET distributions can be further extended, using radiobiological models, to include radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) calculations in the treatment planning system. This implementation also allows for radiobiological optimization of treatments by including RBE-weighted dose constraints in the inverse treatment planning process.

I Workshop on Science and Astronomy at the DAM of the UB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masana, E.; Ribas, S. J.; Jordi, C.; Gómez, V.

The Department of Astronomy and Meteorology (DAM) of the University of Barcelona organized the I Workshop on Science and Astronomy for Youth in November 2007, with the title The Sun: Radiation and Gravitation, as one of its outreach activities for high school students. About 350 participants took part in four different activities during the Workshop. On one hand, some days before the beginning of the activities, some DAM members went to the different high schools to present the sessions and introduce some key concepts to follow them. On the other hand, during their visit to the facilities of the Physics Faculty and the Astronomy Department of the University of Barcelona, they took part in: an observation of the Sun looking at sunspots, and a short lecture on safety rules on Sun's observations and on the Sun's structure and activity; a lecture with the title Why do stars shine?; and a computer experience named Gravitation: Kepler's 3rd Law.

Astronomy in the streets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kebe, Fatoumata

2015-08-01

The Ephemerides Association was founded last year by a PhD student in Astronomy. The association is devoted to the promotion and advancement of knowledge of the universe through research and education.The main activities of the association are scientific meetings, the planning and realization of scientific projects, the support of the scientific activities of its members, and the dissemination of related information among members and other interested persons.The association targets the disadvantaged zones of the Paris suburbs.The main issue was how to bring astronomy in those places. In the suburbs, since most of the youth are poor, most leisure activities like cinema are out of your reach. Thus, mostly of them will play football or basketball outside.We decided to go to meet young people who find themselves together in the evening. We prepare the telescope as well as the fasicules to start the observation of the planets. The discussion finally lead to their career plans and aspirations. Astronomy has become a tool to address societal issues. We present our results after one year of activity.

Moments of astronomy education in Bucharest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, Mircea V.; Stavinschi, Magda

2008-09-01

Selection from past astronomy education, activities, textbooks and curricula will be presented. Didactic aspects and comparison with physics education will be exemplified. The astronomy/science education along the time in Romania was roughly divided in four directions: very broad information texts for everybody, popular science, school textbooks, science fictions and astronomy/science literature, and exemplified using original texts. All categories were intended to extend literacy in science, but in different ways. The trends for different periods were outlined. The teaching of astronomy and astrophysics in high school and universities, with special attention to the Faculty of Physic from University of Bucharest are presented. Suggestions for future improvement of both related fields, physics and astronomy, will be one of the outcomes of our communication.

Astronomy Outreach for Large, Unique, and Unusual Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald

2015-08-01

My successful outreach program venues include: outdoor concerts and festivals; the US National Mall; churches, synagogues, seminaries, or clergy conferences; the Ronald McDonald Houses of Long Island and Chicago; the Winthrop U. Hospital Children’s Medical Center the Fresh Air Fund summer camps (low-income and special needs); a Halloween star party (costumed kids look through telescopes); a Super Bowl Star Party (targeting women); Science Festivals (World, NYC; Princeton U.; the USA Science and Engineering Festival); and the NYC Columbus Day Parade. Information was also provided about local science museums, citizen science projects, astronomy educational sites, and astronomy clubs to encourage lifelong learning. In 2010 I created Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (co-sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy) with the participation of astronomy clubs, scientific institutions and with Tyco Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Caroline Herschel making guest appearances. My programs include solar, optical, and radio telescope observations, hands-on activities, a live image projection system; large outdoor posters and banners; videos; hands-on activities, and edible astronomy demonstrations.My NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program (60 events 2009 - 2013) reached 50,000 music lovers at local parks and the Central Park Jazz, Newport Folk, Ravinia, or Tanglewood Music Festivals with classical, folk, pop/rock, opera, Caribbean, or county-western concerts assisted by astronomy clubs. Yo-Yo-Ma, the Chicago and Boston Symphony Orchestras, Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, Phish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Deep Purple, Tony Orlando, and Wilco performed at these events. MAUS reached underserved groups and attracted large crowds. Young kids participated in this family learning experience - often the first time they looked through a telescope. While < 50% of the participants took part in a science activity in the past year, they found MAUS enjoyable and understandable; learned about astronomy; wanted to learn more; and increased their interest in science (ave. rating 3.6/4). MAUS is effective in promoting science education

Music and Astronomy Under the Stars - 2009 Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2010-01-01

Bring telescope to where the people are! Music and Astronomy Under the Stars is a three-year NASA-funded outreach program at parks during and after concerts and family events - a Halloween Spooky Garden Walk. While there have been many outreach activities and telescope observations at city sidewalks and parks, this program targets a completely different audience - music lovers who attend summer concerts held in community parks. These music lovers who may never have visited a science museum, planetarium, or star party are exposed to telescope observations and astronomy information with no additional travel costs. Music and Astronomy Under the Stars increased awareness, engagement, and interest in astronomy at classical, pop, rock, and ethnic music concerts. This program includes solar observing before the concerts, telescope observations including a live image projection system, an astronomical video presentation, and astronomy banners/posters. Approximately 500 - 16,000 people attended each event and 25% to 50% of the people at each event participated in the astronomy program. This program also reached underrepresented and underserved groups (women, minorities, older adults). The target audience is 2,900,000 people, which is larger than combined population of Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. Although eleven events were planned in 2009, two were canceled due to rain and our largest event, the NY Philharmonic in the Park (attended by 67,000 people in 2008), was cancelled for financial reasons. Our largest event in 2009 was the Tanglewood Music Festival, Lenox MA, attended by 16,000 people where 5000 people participated in astronomy activities. The Amateur Observers' Society of NY assisted with the NY concerts and the Springfield STARS club assisted at Tanglewood. 1500 people looked through telescopes at the Halloween program (6000 saw the posters). In 2009 over 15,000 people participated in these astronomy activities which were attended by approximately 50,000 people.

Outreach for Families and Girls- Astronomy at Outdoor Concerts and at Super Bowl or Halloween Star Parties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2011-05-01

Bring telescope to where the people are! Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) is a NASA-funded as astronomy outreach program at community parks and music festivals (1000 - 25,000 people/event). While there have been many astronomy outreach activities and telescope observations at sidewalks and parks, this program targets a different audience - music lovers who are attending concerts in community parks or festivals. These music lovers who may not have visited science museums, planetariums, or star parties are exposed to telescope observations and astronomy information with no additional travel costs. MAUS includes solar observing, telescope observations including a live imaging system, an astronomical video, astronomy banners/posters, and hands-on activities. MAUS increased awareness, engagement, and interest in astronomy at classical, pop, rock, and ethnic music concerts. Since 2009 over 50,000 people have participated in these outreach activities including a significant number of families and young girls. In addition to concerts in local Long Island parks, there were MUAS events at Tanglewood (summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Jazz in Central Park, and Astronomy Night on the National Mall (co-sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy). In 2011 MUAS will be expanded to include Ravinia (summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), the Newport Folk Festival, and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (site of the 1969 Woodstock festival). According to our survey results, music lovers became more informed about astronomy. Expanding Hofstra University's successful outreach programs, I propose the creation of a National Halloween Stars event targeting children and a National Super Bowl Star Party targeting girls, women, and the 2/3 of Americans who do not watch the Super Bowl. This can be combined with astronomers or amateur astronomers bringing telescopes to Super Bowl parties for football fans to stargaze during intermission and after the game.

Classroom Planetarium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horia Minda, Octavian

2016-04-01

Teachers,especially at the elementary level, have little or no background in astronomy or astronomy teaching. Astronomy is often considered irrelevant by education authorities because it has no apparent economic value. Astronomy still has practical applications to timekeeping; calendars; daily, seasonal and long-term changes in climate and navigation. It deals with the external environmental influences on the earth: the radiation and articles from the Sun, the gravitational influences of the Sun and Moon, the impacts of asteroids and comets. My poster presents one of the activities I realized with my students . Subject: Space Science Grade: 7-8 years old Duration: Two class periods Objectives: Students will: • Understand the relationship of the nine planets in our solar system to the sun by creating a three-dimensional representation. • Understand the planets' relative distance from the sun and their approximate size in relation to the Earth. It is a interdisciplinary activity: science, handwork, mathematics. The poster presents photos of this activity.

Lin28B promotes Müller glial cell de-differentiation and proliferation in the regenerative rat retinas

PubMed Central

Tao, Zui; Zhao, Chen; Jian, Qian; Gillies, Mark; Xu, Haiwei; Yin, Zheng Qin

2016-01-01

Retinal regeneration and repair are severely impeded in higher mammalian animals. Although Müller cells can be activated and show some characteristics of progenitor cells when injured or under pathological conditions, they quickly form gliosis scars. Unfortunately, the basic mechanisms that impede retinal regeneration remain unknown. We studied retinas from Royal College of Surgeon (RCS) rats and found that let-7 family molecules, let-7e and let-7i, were significantly overexpressed in Müller cells of degenerative retinas. It demonstrated that down-regulation of the RNA binding protein Lin28B was one of the key factors leading to the overexpression of let-7e and let-7i. Lin28B ectopic expression in the Müller cells suppressed overexpression of let-7e and let-7i, stimulated and mobilized Müller glia de-differentiation, proliferation, promoted neuronal commitment, and inhibited glial fate acquisition of de-differentiated Müller cells. ERG recordings revealed that the amplitudes of a-wave and b-wave were improved significantly after Lin28B was delivered into the subretinal space of RCS rats. In summary, down-regulation of Lin28B as well as up-regulation of let-7e and let-7i may be the main factors that impede Müller cell de-differentiation and proliferation in the retina of RCS rats. PMID:27384999

Our Astounding Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Monika

2016-04-01

The philosophy of my life is to keep encouraging children to think beyond they could achieve easily. I understand children are adaptive to change and take things with an open mind. They are ready to experiment with new things and dare to dream big. I am fortunate to being a teacher by profession and thus I always attempt experimenting, observing, and participating with other children and adults. Children learn through play. From birth, children are active participants in building their own understanding. Teachers prepare the environment to help each child build on what they already know. It is such a great pleasure to observe every young kid that becomes excited and curious to know when we show them the Universe pictures and tell them about the strange objects in our Universe. So my aim is to keep them ignited by doing different activities throughout the year related to Space. I am always a firm believer of: Creativity is the key to success in the future, and primary education is where teachers can bring creativity in children at that level. One of my main ways of teaching is to conduct various presentations on The Solar System and beyond and debates on Space explorations. A Planet making project is one of the all-time favorite project for my students where they dare to dream to fly in the universe, and with their imagination, kids make different celestial objects and present them. To inculcate scientific attitude I arrange film screening, simulation exercises and quizzes on various topics of astronomy. Every year we celebrate World Space Week 4th to 10th of Oct. The motivation among all came through different hands-on activities like-painting, slogan competition, topics related to space, poetry and essay writing on various topics related to astronomy, assembly presentations in school. I am indeed overwhelmed when I started the very special Space and Astronomy club where young toddlers are involved in different activities like a star gazing program, conducting lectures by eminent scientists, field trips to science parks, museums and the Indian Space Research Organisation to make them aware about different exploration going on in our Solar system and beyond. We all are so much into it that we feel that we are no less than any space scientist and are discussions normally surround the space and its developmental studies or discoveries. I am a true believer of Science and technology that are leading to a change and India is definitely a part of the change. India has always led the way and we have the capability to absorb new ideas. I definitely want my students to see this dream and live it for the betterment of our country. "DREAM IS NOT WHAT YOU SEE IN SLEEP, DREAM IS SOMETHING WHICH DOES NOT LET YOU SLEEP" MISSILE MAN OF INDIA (LATE DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM)

Pi in the Sky: Hands-on Mathematical Activities for Teaching Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pethoud, Robert

This book of activities was designed to provide students with the opportunity to create mental models of concepts in astronomy while using simple, homemade tools. In addition, these sequential, hands-on activities are to help students see how scientific knowledge is obtained. The introduction describes the rationale for the book and describes the…

Radio astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellermann, Kenneth I.; Heeschen, David; Backer, Donald C.; Cohen, Marshall H.; Davis, Michael; Depater, Imke; Deyoung, David; Dulk, George A.; Fisher, J. R.; Goss, W. Miller

1991-01-01

The following subject areas are covered: (1) scientific opportunities (millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength astronomy; meter to hectometer astronomy; the Sun, stars, pulsars, interstellar masers, and extrasolar planets; the planets, asteroids, and comets; radio galaxies, quasars, and cosmology; and challenges for radio astronomy in the 1990's); (2) recommendations for new facilities (the millimeter arrays, medium scale instruments, and small-scale projects); (3) continuing activities and maintenance, upgrading of telescopes and instrumentation; (4) long range programs and technology development; and (5) social, political, and organizational considerations.

To See the Unseen: A History of Planetary Radar Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butrica, Andrew J.

1996-01-01

This book relates the history of planetary radar astronomy from its origins in radar to the present day and secondarily to bring to light that history as a case of 'Big Equipment but not Big Science'. Chapter One sketches the emergence of radar astronomy as an ongoing scientific activity at Jodrell Bank, where radar research revealed that meteors were part of the solar system. The chief Big Science driving early radar astronomy experiments was ionospheric research. Chapter Two links the Cold War and the Space Race to the first radar experiments attempted on planetary targets, while recounting the initial achievements of planetary radar, namely, the refinement of the astronomical unit and the rotational rate and direction of Venus. Chapter Three discusses early attempts to organize radar astronomy and the efforts at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, in conjunction with Harvard radio astronomers, to acquire antenna time unfettered by military priorities. Here, the chief Big Science influencing the development of planetary radar astronomy was radio astronomy. Chapter Four spotlights the evolution of planetary radar astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA facility, at Cornell University's Arecibo Observatory, and at Jodrell Bank. A congeries of funding from the military, the National Science Foundation, and finally NASA marked that evolution, which culminated in planetary radar astronomy finding a single Big Science patron, NASA. Chapter Five analyzes planetary radar astronomy as a science using the theoretical framework provided by philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn. Chapter Six explores the shift in planetary radar astronomy beginning in the 1970s that resulted from its financial and institutional relationship with NASA Big Science. Chapter Seven addresses the Magellan mission and its relation to the evolution of planetary radar astronomy from a ground-based to a space-based activity. Chapters Eight and Nine discuss the research carried out at ground-based facilities by this transformed planetary radar astronomy, as well as the upgrading of the Arecibo and Goldstone radars. A technical essay appended to this book provides an overview of planetary radar techniques, especially range-Doppler mapping.

Bringing Astronomy Directly to People Who Do Not Come to Star Parties, Science Museums, or Science Festivals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2013-01-01

My successful programs have included telescope observations, hands-on activities, and edible astronomy demonstrations for: outdoor concerts or music festivals; the National Mall; churches, synagogues, seminaries, or clergy conferences; the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island (New Hyde Park, NY), the Winthrop University Hospital Children’s Medical Center (Mineola, NY); the Fresh Air Fund summer camps; a Halloween star party with costumed kids looking through telescopes; a Super Bowl Star Party; the World Science Festival (NYC); the Princeton University Science and Engineering Expo; the USA Science and Engineering Festival; and the NYC Columbus Day Parade. These outreach activities have reached thousands of people including many young girls. Information was also provided about local science museums, citizen science projects, astronomy educational sites, and astronomy clubs to encourage learning after these events. In 2010 I created Astronomy Night on the National Mall (co-sponsored the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy) with the participation of astronomy clubs, Chandra X-Ray Center, STScI, NASA, NOAO, NSF and the National Air and Space Museum. Since 2009 my NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program has brought astronomy to 50,000 music lovers who attended the Central Park Jazz, Newport Folk, Tanglewood, or Ravinia music festivals or classical, folk, rock, pop, opera, or county-western concerts in local parks assisted by astronomy clubs. MAUS is an evening, nighttime, and cloudy weather traveling astronomy program combining solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; a live image projection system; large outdoor posters and banners; videos; and hands-on activities before and after the concerts or at intermission. Yo-Yo-Ma and the Chicago Symphony or Boston Symphony Orchestras, the McCoy Tyner Quartet with Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, the Stanley Clarke Band, Phish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Deep Purple, Patti Smith, Tony Orlando, and Ronan Tynan have performed at these concerts. MAUS attracts large enthusiastic crowds often with young children participating in this family learning experience - often the first time these children looked through a telescope.

Combination treatment with Gua Sha and Blood-letting causes attenuation of systemic inflammation, activated coagulation, tissue ischemia and injury during heatstroke in rats.

PubMed

Tu, Wen-zhan; Cheng, Rui-dong; Hu, Jie; Wang, Jie-zhi; Lin, Hai-yan; Zou, En-miao; Wang, Wan-sheng; Lou, Xin-fa; Jiang, Song-he

2015-08-01

Gua Sha and Blood-letting at the acupoints were Chinese traditional therapies for heatstroke. The purpose of present study was to assess the therapeutic effect of Gua Sha on the DU Meridian and Bladder Meridian combined with Blood-letting acupoints at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) and Weizhong (BL 40) on heatstroke. Anesthetized rats, immediately after the onset of heatstroke, were divided into four major groups: Gua Sha group, Blood-letting group, Gua Sha combined with Blood-letting group and model group. They were exposed to ambient temperature of 43 °C to induce heatstroke. Another group of rats were exposed to room temperature (26 °C) and used as normal control group. Their survival times were measured. In addition, their physiological and biochemical parameters were continuously monitored. When rats underwent heatstroke, their survival time values were found to be 21-25 min. Treatment of Gua Sha combined with Bloodletting greatly improved the survival time (230±22 min) during heatstroke. All heatstoke animals displayed and activated coagulation evidenced by increased prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), D-dimer, and decreased platelet count, protein C. Furthermore, the animals displayed systemic inflammation evidenced by increased the serum levels of cytokines interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Biochemical markers evidenced by cellular ischemia and injury/dysfunction included increased plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were all elevated during heatstroke. Core temperatures (Tco) were also increased during heatstroke. In contrast, the values of mean arterial pressure were signifificantly lower during heatstroke. These heatstroke reactions were all signifificantly suppressed by treatment of Gua Sha and Blood-letting, especially the combination therapy. Gua Sha combined with Blood-letting after heatstroke may improve survival by ameliorating systemic inflflammation, hypercoagulable state, and tissue ischemia and injury in multiple organs.

Let-7b Regulates Myoblast Proliferation by Inhibiting IGF2BP3 Expression in Dwarf and Normal Chicken

PubMed Central

Lin, Shumao; Luo, Wen; Ye, Yaqiong; Bekele, Endashaw J.; Nie, Qinghua; Li, Yugu; Zhang, Xiquan

2017-01-01

The sex-linked dwarf chicken is caused by the mutation of growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene and characterized by shorter shanks, lower body weight, smaller muscle fiber diameter and fewer muscle fiber number. However, the precise regulatory pathways that lead to the inhibition of skeletal muscle growth in dwarf chickens still remain unclear. Here we found a let-7b mediated pathway might play important role in the regulation of dwarf chicken skeletal muscle growth. Let-7b has higher expression in the skeletal muscle of dwarf chicken than in normal chicken, and the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), which is a translational activator of IGF2, showed opposite expression trend to let-7b. In vitro cellular assays validated that let-7b directly inhibits IGF2BP3 expression through binding to its 3′UTR region, and the protein level but not mRNA level of IGF2 would be reduced in let-7b overexpressed chicken myoblast. Let-7b can inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest in chicken myoblast through let-7b-IGF2BP3-IGF2 signaling pathway. Additionally, let-7b can also regulate skeletal muscle growth through let-7b-GHR-GHR downstream genes pathway, but this pathway is non-existent in dwarf chicken because of the deletion mutation of GHR 3′UTR. Notably, as the loss binding site of GHR for let-7b, let-7b has enhanced its binding and inhibition on IGF2BP3 in dwarf myoblast, suggesting that the miRNA can balance its inhibiting effect through dynamic regulate its binding to target genes. Collectively, these results not only indicate that let-7b can inhibit skeletal muscle growth through let-7b-IGF2BP3-IGF2 signaling pathway, but also show that let-7b regulates myoblast proliferation by inhibiting IGF2BP3 expression in dwarf and normal chickens. PMID:28736533

Math Academy: Let's Go to the Mall! Explorations in Combinatorics. Book 5: Supplemental Math Materials for Grades 3-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rimbey, Kimberly

2008-01-01

Created by teachers for teachers, the Math Academy tools and activities included in this booklet were designed to create hands-on activities and a fun learning environment for the teaching of mathematics to the students. This booklet contains the "Math Academy--Let's Go to the Mall! Explorations in Combinatorics," which teachers can use to enhance…

Trim25 Is an RNA-Specific Activator of Lin28a/TuT4-Mediated Uridylation.

PubMed

Choudhury, Nila Roy; Nowak, Jakub S; Zuo, Juan; Rappsilber, Juri; Spoel, Steven H; Michlewski, Gracjan

2014-11-20

RNA binding proteins have thousands of cellular RNA targets and often exhibit opposite or passive molecular functions. Lin28a is a conserved RNA binding protein involved in pluripotency and tumorigenesis that was previously shown to trigger TuT4-mediated pre-let-7 uridylation, inhibiting its processing and targeting it for degradation. Surprisingly, despite binding to other pre-microRNAs (pre-miRNAs), only pre-let-7 is efficiently uridylated by TuT4. Thus, we hypothesized the existence of substrate-specific cofactors that stimulate Lin28a-mediated pre-let-7 uridylation or restrict its functionality on non-let-7 pre-miRNAs. Through RNA pull-downs coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified the E3 ligase Trim25 as an RNA-specific cofactor for Lin28a/TuT4-mediated uridylation. We show that Trim25 binds to the conserved terminal loop (CTL) of pre-let-7 and activates TuT4, allowing for more efficient Lin28a-mediated uridylation. These findings reveal that protein-modifying enzymes, only recently shown to bind RNA, can guide the function of canonical ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes in cis, thereby providing an additional level of specificity.

Functional relevance of “seed” and “non-seed” sequences in microRNA-mediated promotion of C. elegans developmental progression

PubMed Central

Zhang, Huibin; Artiles, Karen L.; Fire, Andrew Z.

2015-01-01

The founding heterochronic microRNAs, lin-4 and let-7, together with their validated targets and well-characterized phenotypes in C. elegans, offer an opportunity to test functionality of microRNAs in a developmental context. In this study, we defined sequence requirements at the microRNA level for these two microRNAs, evaluating lin-4 and let-7 mutant microRNAs for their ability to support temporal development under conditions where the wild-type lin-4 and let-7 gene products are absent. For lin-4, we found a strong requirement for seed sequences, with function drastically affected by several central mutations in the seed sequence, while rescue was retained by a set of mutations peripheral to the seed. let-7 rescuing activity was retained to a surprising degree by a variety of central seed mutations, while several non-seed mutant effects support potential noncanonical contributions to let-7 function. Taken together, this work illustrates both the functional partnership between seed and non-seed sequences in mediating C. elegans temporal development and a diversity among microRNA effectors in the contributions of seed and non-seed regions to activity. PMID:26385508

Consecutive Course Modules Developed with Simple Materials to Facilitate the Learning of Basic Concepts in Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okulu, Hasan Zuhtu; Oguz-Unver, Ayse

2015-01-01

From the perspective of teaching, the huge natural laboratory that astronomy provides constitutes the most prominent connection between astronomy and other branches of science. The purpose of this research was to provide educators with activities of observation using simple materials that were developed to facilitate the teaching of basic concepts…

Teaching the Thrill of Discovery: Student Exploration of the Large-Scale Structures of the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneau, Stephanie; Dey, Arjun; Walker, Constance E.; NOAO Data Lab

2018-01-01

In collaboration with the Teen Astronomy Cafes program, the NOAO Data Lab is developing online Jupyter Notebooks as a free and publicly accessible tool for students and teachers. Each interactive activity teaches students simultaneously about coding and astronomy with a focus on large datasets. Therefore, students learn state-of-the-art techniques at the cross-section between astronomy and data science. During the activity entitled “Our Vast Universe”, students use real spectroscopic data to measure the distance to galaxies before moving on to a catalog with distances to over 100,000 galaxies. Exploring this dataset gives students an appreciation of the large number of galaxies in the universe (2 trillion!), and leads them to discover how galaxies are located in large and impressive filamentary structures. During the Teen Astronomy Cafes program, the notebook is supplemented with visual material conducive to discussion, and hands-on activities involving cubes representing model universes. These steps contribute to build the students’ physical intuition and give them a better grasp of the concepts before using software and coding. At the end of the activity, students have made their own measurements, and have experienced scientific research directly. More information is available online for the Teen Astronomy Cafes (teensciencecafe.org/cafes) and the NOAO Data Lab (datalab.noao.edu).

Pushing Glass: Engaging Young People in Astronomy Through Amateur Mirror Making Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.; Slater, K. H.; Drew, B. J. V.

2008-11-01

One of the activities utilized by amateur astronomers to excite the general public about astronomy is mirror making. This activity requires few basic skills other than patience and perseverance, and the proper instruction. This poster reports on the results of a study of mirror making classes conducted by nine amateur astronomy groups in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S., including class organizers' reflections on their successes and challenges in recruiting and retaining young men and women through the completion of a workable telescope mirror.

An Astronomical Time Machine: Light Echoes from Historic Supernovae and Stellar Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rest, Armin

2014-01-01

Tycho Brahe's observations of a supernova in 1572 challenged the dogma that the celestial realm was unchanging. Now, 440 years later we have once again seen the light that Tycho saw as simple reflections from walls of Galactic dust. These light echoes, as well as ones detected from other historical events such as Cas A and Eta Carinae's Great Eruption, give us a rare opportunity in astronomy: the direct observation of the cause (the explosion/eruption) and the effect (the remnant) of the same astronomical event. But we can do more: the light echoes let us look at the explosion from different angles, and permit us to map the asymmetries in the explosion. I will discuss how the unprecedented three-dimensional view of these exciting events allows us to unravel some of their secrets.

Astronomy in Indian Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatia, V. B.

Tradition of astronomy in India goes back to ancient times. Many festivals and rituals are associated with astronomical phenomena. Indian children start learning rudiments of astronomy from primary classes. But primary teachers are not equipped to handle this subject so not much learning actually takes place. The first serious interface with astronomy occurs when children reach class X when they are 15 years old. Till last year astronomy was there in class XII also but it has now been dropped. This is a serious setback for the study of astronomy. In class X astronomy forms part of general science. Since children at this stage are not proficient in physics and mathematics the subject remains descriptive though there are useful activities for children to do. However the teachers are not equipped to handle this subject and there is no help in the form of visual material. So the subject remains neglected. The Indian astronomical community can help by training teachers and providing visual material. It must also urge authorities to reintroduce astronomy in class XII if astronomy is to flourish in India. Moreover India needs to network with developing countries share experiences with them and evolve a strategy that promotes astronomy.

Hsa-let-7c controls the committed differentiation of IGF-1-treated mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulps by targeting IGF-1R via the MAPK pathways.

PubMed

Liu, Gen-Xia; Ma, Shu; Li, Yao; Yu, Yan; Zhou, Yi-Xiang; Lu, Ya-Die; Jin, Lin; Wang, Zi-Lu; Yu, Jin-Hua

2018-04-13

The putative tumor suppressor microRNA let-7c is extensively associated with the biological properties of cancer cells. However, the potential involvement of let-7c in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells has not been fully explored. In this study, we investigated the influence of hsa-let-7c (let-7c) on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DPMSCs) treated with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) via flow cytometry, CCK-8 assays, alizarin red staining, real-time RT-PCR, and western blotting. In general, the proliferative capabilities and cell viability of DPMSCs were not significantly affected by the overexpression or deletion of let-7c. However, overexpression of let-7c significantly inhibited the expression of IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and downregulated the osteo/odontogenic differentiation of DPMSCs, as indicated by decreased levels of several osteo/odontogenic markers (osteocalcin, osterix, runt-related transcription factor 2, dentin sialophosphoprotein, dentin sialoprotein, alkaline phosphatase, type 1 collagen, and dentin matrix protein 1) in IGF-1-treated DPMSCs. Inversely, deletion of let-7c resulted in increased IGF-1R levels and enhanced osteo/odontogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the ERK, JNK, and P38 MAPK pathways were significantly inhibited following the overexpression of let-7c in DPMSCs. Deletion of let-7c promoted the activation of the JNK and P38 MAPK pathways. Our cumulative findings indicate that Let-7c can inhibit the osteo/odontogenic differentiation of IGF-1-treated DPMSCs by targeting IGF-1R via the JNK/P38 MAPK signaling pathways.

[Role of let-7 in maintaining characteristics of breast cancer stem cells].

PubMed

Sun, Xin; Fan, Chong; Hu, Li-juan; Du, Ning; Xu, Chong-wen; Ren, Hong

2012-08-01

To observe the expression of let-7 in breast cancer stem cells and explore the role of let-7 in maintaining the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells. We separated breast cancer stem cells (SP and NSP) from MCF-7 cell line using SP sorting, and observed the expression of let-7a/b/c on SP and NSP cells using quantitative real-time PCR and the expressions of Ras and ERK using Western blotting to study the mechanism by which let-7 maintains the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells. The SP cells accounted for 3.3% in MCF-7 cells, however, the rate dropped to 0.4% when verapamil was added into the process of seperation. The level of Let-7a/b/c in SP cells were lower than that in NSP cells, and among let-7 miRNAs, let-7b/c showed the most obvious difference. The expressions of t-Ras and t-ERK showed no difference between SP and NSP cells, nevertheless, the expressions of p-Ras, p-ERK were higher in SP cells than in NSP cells. SP sorting is an effective method to separate cancer stem cells. There do exist cancer stem cells in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Let-7 is down-regulated in SP cells, and the down-regulation makes let-7 lose the opportunity to restrain Ras mRNA, finally, p-Ras and p-ERK are activated. They play an important role in maintaining the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells.

Astronomy: Minds-on the Universe. Supplemental Teaching Activities for Grades K-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marble, Stephen; Fowler, Marilyn, Ed.

This teachers guide contains activities and materials created to teach astronomy concepts to children from grades K-8. It is organized into four units: (1) Earth and Stars; (2) Spheres and Orbits; (3) Stars and Gravity; and (4) Scales and Measurement. Activities are arranged within each unit around six content topics: (1) Earth; (2) Solar System;…

The IAU Astronomy for Development Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miley, George

2012-08-01

Astronomy is a unique tool for international development because it combines cutting-edge technology with fundamental science and has deep cultural roots. The International Astronomical Union regards furthering the exploitation of astronomy for sustainable global development as an important part of its mission.To realize these aspirations the IAU has developed an ambitious strategic plan for the period 2010-2020. This plan, "Astronomy for the developing world: Building from IYA 2009", endorsed by the IAU General Assembly in 2009, envisages a substantial increase in IAU educational and development activities during the next decade. This article will discuss the content of the plan, the processes that led to its creation and adoption and the setting up of the IAU Global Office of Astronomy for Development at the SAAO in Cape Town, South Africa. We shall also describe the activities envisaged in the plan and argue that such a program is important for its own sake and necessary to generate funding for the next generation of astronomical research facilities.

IAU South West Asian ROAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, Areg; Azatyan, Naira; Farmanyan, Sona; Mikayelyan, Gor

2016-10-01

Armenia is hosting the IAU South West Asian (SWA) Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD). It is a county of ancient astronomy and is also rich in modern astronomical facilities and infrastructures, hence may successfully serve as a regional center for various activities. Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) has 2.6m and 1m Schmidt, as well as a number of smaller telescopes that are an observational basis for joint projects and collaborations. Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO) is hosting astronomical databases, such as the Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) and may also serve as a basis for development of VO structures in this region. Recently we have conducted a number of new activities; a meeting on ``Relation of Astronomy to other Sciences, Culture and Society" (RASCS) was organized by BAO and Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS) in Oct 2014 in Byurakan. Activities related to Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture (AAC) were initiated as well. Discussions on future Armenian-Iranian collaboration in astronomy were carried out, including an Armenian-Iranian Astronomical Workshop held in Oct 2015 in Byurakan. Similar workshops have been carried out between BAO and Abastumani Astronomical Observatory (AbAO, Georgia) since 1974.

The Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS) High School Galaxy Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higdon, Sarah; Higdon, J.; Aguilar, J.

2012-01-01

The Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS) project aims to provide a rigorous and inquiry-based astronomy curriculum to GA's public schools. Exposure to data mining and research activities using the astronomy archives can be the trigger for the next generation of scientists, and it improves a student's ability to solve problems. Students then consolidate their findings and improve their communication skills by writing scientific reports and creating video presentations. The GEARS curriculum has units on the solar system, life in the Universe, stars, galaxies and cosmology. Here we present some of the activities in the Galaxy Unit. The GEARS material is freely available. Please email shigdon_AT_georgiasouthern.edu if you would like more details. NASA Grant NNX09AH83A through the GADOE funds this project.

Astronomy in the City for Astronomy Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ros, Rosa M.; Garc, Beatriz

2016-10-01

Astronomy is part of our culture. Astronomy cannot be isolated in a classroom, it has to be integrated in the normal life of teachers and students. ``Astronomy in the city'' is an important part of NASE (Network for Astronomy School Education) (Ros & Hemenway 2012). In each NASE course we introduce a ``working group session'' chaired by a local expert in cultural astronomy. The chair introduces several examples of astronomy in their city and after that, the participants have the opportunity to discuss and mention several similar examples. After this session all participants visit one or two sites proposed and introduced by the chair. After more than 5 years using this method we visited and discovered several examples of astronomy in the city: •Astronomy in ancient typical clothes. •Archaeological temples oriented according to the sunrise or set. •Petroglyphs with astronomical meaning. •Astronomy in monuments. •Sundials. •Oriented Colonial churches. •Astronomy in Souvenirs. In any case, teachers and students discover that Astronomy is part of their everyday life. They can take into account the Sun's path when they park their car or when they take a bus ``what is the best part in order to be seat in the shadow during the journey?'' The result is motivation to go with ``open eyes'' when they are in the street and they try to get more and more information about their surroundings. In summary, one of the main activities is to introduce local cultural aspects in NASE astronomy courses. The participants can discover a new approach to local culture from an astronomical point of view.

Astronomy for international development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miley, George

2011-06-01

This review deals with the importance of astronomy for international development a nd capacity building. I shall summarize the present global state of astronomical research and education and describe current global astronomy education and development programs being carried out by the IAU and others. A decadal strategic plan will be described that envisages a substantial increase in IAU education and development activities during the next decade.

Science and Mathematics in Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woolack, Edward

2009-01-01

A brief historical introduction to the development of observational astronomy will be presented. The close historical relationship between the successful application of mathematical concepts and advances in astronomy will be presented. A variety of simple physical demonstrations, hands-on group activities, and puzzles will be used to understand how the properties of light can be used to understand the contents of our universe.

Conceptually Centered Astronomy with Actively Engaged Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bisard, Walt; Zeilik, Michael

1998-01-01

Argues that, to revitalize undergraduate education in astronomy, courses must be restructured, particularly at the introductory level. Suggests that the culture of higher education does not often support change. (DDR)

Political astronomy: Comet and meteor observations by Muslim historians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chander Kapoor, Ramesh

2015-08-01

Eclipses and unexpected phenomena like comets, meteors, novae and earthquakes were viewed among various cultures as violating the established order of the heavens. They were considered to be ill omens for kings and emperors and were routinely monitored. The present work looks into the texts of history and literature by Muslim historians and chroniclers in West Asia and India that carry stray references to such phenomena. The accounts often relate the apparitions to specific disastrous events or prognosticate revolts, deaths, epidemics, earthquakes all that that took place in later times. Obviously, the occurrences interested the astrologers more. Comet appearances would last for days and weeks but nearly all the writings lack sequential observations. Meteor showers are annual features but the Islamic calendar being lunar would not easily lead one to notice periodic nature of the incidents, let alone sensing a periodicity in comet appearances. These are non-astronomy texts with little scientific content but being from different ages permit us to see how the astronomical perceptions changed over the times. The recorded details and firm chronology, tested against modern back calculations, can provide valuable information on them, keeping in mind the text and the context in which the original reference was made. We also notice a qualitative change in the Indian writings of the 18th century and later where the authors begin to show up with influence of exposure to the European scientific progress.

Astronomy Education and Popularization Facilities at Guanajuato University in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo-Alfaro, H.; Schroeder, K.-P.; Ramirez, L.

2006-08-01

At the Astronomy Department of Universidad de Guanajuato, 400 km NW of Mexico City, nine professional astronomers do research and teaching at both graduate and undergraduate level. In addition, in the last few years, this group has carried out astronomy popularization activities at three different sites. First, a rudimentary observatory named "La Azotea" (the roof) on the top of the main building of the University (at Guanajuato centre), which includes a 16-cm refractor in a dome, a couple of XIXth century astronomical instruments, and a classroom with capacity for 50 people. The refractor was out of use for about twelve years but will be fully operational before summer 2006. Second, the "Observatorio de La Luz", 20 kms away from Guanajuato centre, includes a professional 0.6m Cassegrain and a 2m radio telescope, with a 21cm receiver. Finally, on the roof of the Astronomy Department headquarters, an optical 0.4m Dobsonian is available. We also dispose of internet connection everywhere and 6 portable 8-inch telescopes (two at each site), devoted to regular astronomical observations for the general public, specially for scholars. Numerous repair works are currently carried out on the building of "La Azotea", and recently a project to establish there a Centre for Popularization of Astronomy has been approved by the Regional Science Council. The main activities, some of them currently developed at these sites are: (1) A permanent program of astronomical observations for a wide audience. (2) Training in Observational Astronomy for physics undergraduate students. (3) Regular talks on astronomy and other science domains. (4) Summer schools in Astronomy for elementary and high-school teachers. (5) In the near future, the foundation of an amateur society of astronomy.

Let-7b Inhibits Human Cancer Phenotype by Targeting Cytochrome P450 Epoxygenase 2J2

PubMed Central

Yang, Shenglan; Gong, Wei; Wang, Yan; Cianflone, Katherine; Tang, Jiarong; Wang, Dao Wen

2012-01-01

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules of 20 to 22 nucleotides that regulate gene expression by binding to their 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). Increasing data implicate altered miRNA participation in the progress of cancer. We previously reported that CYP2J2 epoxygenase promotes human cancer phenotypes. But whether and how CYP2J2 is regulated by miRNA is not understood. Methods and Results Using bioinformatics analysis, we found potential target sites for miRNA let-7b in 3′UTR of human CYP2J2. Luciferase and western blot assays revealed that CYP2J2 was regulated by let-7b. In addition, let-7b decreased the enzymatic activity of endogenous CYP2J2. Furthermore, let-7b may diminish cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis of tumor cells via posttranscriptional repression of CYP2J2. Tumor xenografts were induced in nude mice by subcutaneous injection of MDA-MB-435 cells. The let-7b expression vector, pSilencer-let-7b, was injected through tail vein every 3 weeks. Let-7b significantly inhibited the tumor phenotype by targeting CYP2J2. Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to determine the expression levels of let-7b and CYP2J2 protein from 18 matched lung squamous cell cancer and adjacent normal lung tissues; the expression level of CYP2J2 was inversely proportional to that of let-7b. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that the decreased expression of let-7b could lead to the high expression of CYP2J2 protein in cancerous tissues. These findings suggest that miRNA let-7b reduces CYP2J2 expression, which may contribute to inhibiting tumor phenotypes. PMID:22761738

Activity Based Astronomy for Primary Science Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginns, Ian

Print materials in astronomy such as books, journals, charts, and posters are typically the sources of information for teachers and children about the moon, the sun, lunar and solar eclipses, planetary sizes, distances of planets from the sun, planetary atmospheres, and so on. This paper describes and analyzes a number of activities designed to…

The "Box Universe" of 1 m[superscript 3]: An Activity for Introduction to the Study of Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longhini, Marcos Daniel

2009-01-01

This is a report of an activity of introduction to the study of astronomy developed with a group of future physics teachers at a Brazilian public university. Such activity had the goal of giving privileged emphasis to notions of spatiality, alternative conceptions of the participants, and the process of interaction among peers, with the objective…

Radiosensitivity and Induction of Apoptosis by High LET Carbon Ion Beam and Low LET Gamma Radiation: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Ghorai, Atanu; Bhattacharyya, Nitai P.; Sarma, Asitikantha; Ghosh, Utpal

2014-01-01

Cancer treatment with high LET heavy ion beam, especially, carbon ion beam (12C), is becoming very popular over conventional radiotherapy like low LET gamma or X-ray. Combination of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor with xenotoxic drugs or conventional radiation (gamma or X-ray) is the newer approach for cancer therapy. The aim of our study was to compare the radiosensitivity and induction of apoptosis by high LET 12C and low LET gamma radiation in HeLa and PARP-1 knocked down cells. We did comet assay to detect DNA breaks, clonogenic survival assay, and cell cycle analysis to measure recovery after DNA damage. We measured apoptotic parameters like nuclear fragmentation and caspase-3 activation. DNA damage, cell killing, and induction of apoptosis were significantly higher for 12C than gamma radiation in HeLa. Cell killing and apoptosis were further elevated upon knocking down of PARP-1. Both 12C and gamma induced G2/M arrest although the 12C had greater effect. Unlike the gamma, 12C irradiation affects DNA replication as detected by S-phase delay in cell cycle analysis. So, we conclude that high LET 12C has greater potential over low LET gamma radiation in killing cells and radiosensitization upon PARP-1 inhibition was several folds greater for 12C than gamma. PMID:25018892

LET-99 functions in the astral furrowing pathway, where it is required for myosin enrichment in the contractile ring

PubMed Central

Price, Kari L.; Rose, Lesilee S.

2017-01-01

The anaphase spindle determines the position of the cytokinesis furrow, such that the contractile ring assembles in an equatorial zone between the two spindle poles. Contractile ring formation is mediated by RhoA activation at the equator by the centralspindlin complex and midzone microtubules. Astral microtubules also inhibit RhoA accumulation at the poles. In the Caenorhabditis elegans one-cell embryo, the astral microtubule–dependent pathway requires anillin, NOP-1, and LET-99. LET-99 is well characterized for generating the asymmetric cortical localization of the Gα-dependent force-generating complex that positions the spindle during asymmetric division. However, whether the role of LET-99 in cytokinesis is specific to asymmetric division and whether it acts through Gα to promote furrowing are unclear. Here we show that LET-99 contributes to furrowing in both asymmetrically and symmetrically dividing cells, independent of its function in spindle positioning and Gα regulation. LET-99 acts in a pathway parallel to anillin and is required for myosin enrichment into the contractile ring. These and other results suggest a positive feedback model in which LET-99 localizes to the presumptive cleavage furrow in response to the spindle and myosin. Once positioned there, LET-99 enhances myosin accumulation to promote furrowing in both symmetrically and asymmetrically dividing cells. PMID:28701343

Keep it local (and final): Remnant preferences in "let alone" ellipsis.

PubMed

Harris, Jesse A; Carlson, Katy

2016-01-01

The let alone construction (John can't run a mile, let alone a marathon) differs from standard coordination structures (with and or but) by requiring ellipsis of the second conjunct--for example, a marathon is the remnant of an elided clause [[see text] a marathon]. In support of an ellipsis account, a corpus study of British and American English finds that let alone exhibits a Locality bias, as the second conjunct preferentially contrasts with the nearest lexical item of the same syntactic type. Two self-paced reading studies show that the Locality bias is active during online processing, but must be reconciled with indicators of semantic contrast and discourse information. Further, a sentence-rating study shows that the Locality bias interacts with a Finality bias that favours placing the let alone phrase at the end of a clause, which sometimes necessitates a nonlocal contrast. Together, the results show how a general bias in ellipsis for local contrasts is affected by discourse demands, such as the need for scalar contrast imposed by let alone, thereby offering a window into how possibly divergent syntactic and discourse constraints impact sentence processing.

Current state of Czech astronomy popularization and its potential for enhancing science career interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kříček, Radek

2015-08-01

The Czech Republic has a dense net of observatories, astronomical clubs and other activities for both adults and children. Can we use it to improve skills of our pupils and their motivation to choose their career in science? Does the situation in the Czech Republic differ from abroad? What can we improve in the future? These questions were not answered satisfactorily so far. We decided to contribute to solve this issue.We present our survey of current state based mainly on electronic sources and personal dealings. Besides of 56 observatories working with public and many interest clubs, there are other possibilities to meet astronomy. For example, Astronomical Olympiad attracts thousands of pupils across the country each year to solve both theoretical and practical tasks in astronomy. In other projects, children can visit Dark-Sky Parks, design experiments for a stratospheric balloon, observe with CCD or radio devices or build their own rockets.We outline our ongoing project to examine the link between popularization activities and pupils’ or high school students’ attitude toward science and science career. We plan to create a typology of both popularization activities and life stories of people dealing with astronomy. From the methodological point of view, the mixed method design, combining both the qualitative and quantitative approach, will be used to solve the research problems. The basic research plan will be a case study. So far the project is based on interviews with various subjects. We choose people with different life stories, all connected with astronomy or astronomy popularization in some period. We focus on important moments in their career, similarities between subjects, and various types of possible motivation to participate in astronomy-related activities or to study science at university.Future results can be used to help interested organizations such as universities, observatories or astronomical societies. They will be able to work more effectively with talented youth and stimulate additional interest in science.

The California-Arizona Minority Partnership for Astronomy Research and Education (CAMPARE): Partnering Students to Astronomy at the University of Arizona's Astronomy Camp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldivar, Hector; McCarthy, D.; Rudolph, A. L.

2012-01-01

The California-Arizona Minority Partnership for Astronomy Research and Education (CAMPARE) is an NSF-funded partnership between the Astronomy Program at Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Arizona Steward Observatory designed to promote participation of underrepresented minorities, including women, in astronomy research and education. By means of this program, Cal Poly Pomona undergraduates that are either Physics majors or minors are qualified to participate in the program alongside graduate students from the University of Arizona as a camp counselor at the University of Arizona's Astronomy Camp, one of the elite astronomy programs worldwide. Students that participate in the CAMPARE program are granted an opportunity to work in a hands-on environment by teaching astronomy to students from all over the world in a highly structured environment. The CAMPARE student selected for this program in Summer 2011 worked under the supervision of Dr. Don McCarthy, professor at the University of Arizona and Astronomy Camp director for over 20 years, learning to lead a group of students through daily activities and ensure that the students are learning to their maximum potential. Through this experience, the CAMPARE student learned to capture students’ interest in astronomy and was introduced to real life teaching, which has helped prepare him for future experiences to come. We acknowledge the NSF for funding under Award No. AST-0847170, a PAARE Grant for the Calfornia-Arizona Minority Partnership for Astronomy Research and Education (CAMPARE).

Epstein-Barr Virus EBNA1 Protein Regulates Viral Latency through Effects on let-7 MicroRNA and Dicer

PubMed Central

Mansouri, Sheila; Pan, Qun; Blencowe, Benjamin J.; Claycomb, Julie M.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays multiple roles in EBV latent infection, including altering cellular pathways relevant for cancer. Here we used microRNA (miRNA) cloning coupled with high-throughput sequencing to identify the effects of EBNA1 on cellular miRNAs in two nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines. EBNA1 affected a small percentage of cellular miRNAs in both cell lines, in particular, upregulating multiple let-7 family miRNAs, including let-7a. The effects of EBNA1 on let-7a were verified by demonstrating that EBNA1 silencing in multiple EBV-positive carcinomas downregulated let-7a. Accordingly, the let-7a target, Dicer, was found to be partially downregulated by EBNA1 expression (at the mRNA and protein levels) and upregulated by EBNA1 silencing in EBV-positive cells. Reporter assays based on the Dicer 3′ untranslated region with and without let-7a target sites indicated that the effects of EBNA1 on Dicer were mediated by let-7a. EBNA1 was also found to induce the expression of let-7a primary RNAs in a manner dependent on the EBNA1 transcriptional activation region, suggesting that EBNA1 induces let-7a by transactivating the expression of its primary transcripts. Consistent with previous reports that Dicer promotes EBV reactivation, we found that a let-7a mimic inhibited EBV reactivation to the lytic cycle, while a let-7 sponge increased reactivation. The results provide a mechanism by which EBNA1 could promote EBV latency by inducing let-7 miRNAs. IMPORTANCE The EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contributes in multiple ways to the latent mode of EBV infection that leads to lifelong infection. In this study, we identify a mechanism by which EBNA1 helps to maintain EBV infection in a latent state. This involves induction of a family of microRNAs (let-7 miRNAs) that in turn decreases the level of the cellular protein Dicer. We demonstrate that let-7 miRNAs inhibit the reactivation of latent EBV, providing an explanation for our previous observation that EBNA1 promotes latency. In addition, since decreased levels of Dicer have been associated with metastatic potential, EBNA1 may increase metastases by downregulating Dicer. PMID:25031339

The Development and Implementation of a Model for Teaching Astronomy to Deaf Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolat, Mualla

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and assess a model aimed at teaching astronomy to deaf students. Thus, a 7 day-long project of indoor and outdoor activities was developed. Since the purpose of our study was to teach astronomy to deaf students, our sample was determined by using purposeful sampling technique. The sample of this study…

Astronomical activities with disabled people

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Gil, Amelia; Blay, Pere; Gallego Calvente, A. Teresa; Gómez, Miquel; Guirado, José Carlos; Lanzara, Mariana; Martínez Núñez, Silvia

2011-06-01

As we celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, we have been working on four different projects with the goal of making astronomy more accessible to people with special needs. These projects are 1) an astronomy book and web site for blind people, 2) an open source software for people with motor disabilities, 3) a planetarium program for the visually impaired and 4) educational material for intellectually disabled people.

Impact of Treatment Subsidies and Cash Payouts on Treatment Choices at the End of Life.

PubMed

Finkelstein, Eric; Malhotra, Chetna; Chay, Junxing; Ozdemir, Semra; Chopra, Akhil; Kanesvaran, Ravindran

To examine the extent to which financial assistance, in the form of subsidies for life-extending treatments (LETs) or cash payouts, distorts the demand for end-of-life treatments. A discrete choice experiment was administered to 290 patients with cancer in Singapore to elicit preferences for LETs and only palliative care (PC). Responses were fitted to a latent class conditional logistic regression model. We also quantified patients' willingness to pay to avoid and willingness to accept a less effective LET or PC-only. We then simulated the effects of various LET subsidy and cash payout policies on treatment choices. We identified three classes of patients according to their preferences. The first class (26.1% of the sample) had a strong preference for PC and were willing to give up life expectancy gains and even pay for receiving only PC. The second class (29.8% of the sample) had a strong preference for LETs and preferred to extend life regardless of cost or quality of life. The final class (44.1% of the sample) preferred LETs to PC, but actively traded off costs and length and quality of life when making end-of-life treatment choices. Policy simulations showed that LET subsidies increase demand for LETs at the expense of demand for PC, but an equivalent cash payout was not shown to distort demand. Patients with cancer have heterogeneous end-of-life preferences. LET subsidies and cash payouts have differing effects on the use of LETs. Policymakers should be mindful of these differences when designing health care financing schemes for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

2011 Astronomy Day at McDonald Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, Sandra; Hemeway, M.; Wetzel, M.

2012-01-01

Our philosophy is that everyday is Astronomy Day because the McDonald Observatory's Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is open 362 days a year. So, how did we create a special celebration for the "Astronomy Day” declared by the Astronomical League? During September 26-29 we conducted 20 videoconferences and served 12,559 students with "Astronomy Day” programming. Connect2Texas provides bridging for a network of Texas-based museums and cultural, historical, and scientific organizations that offer educational content to schools throughout the state via videoconferencing. Connect2Texas connected McDonald Observatory to 334 schools; most of these schools were in Texas, but schools in a dozen other states also participated. While most schools had a "view-only" connection, at least 20 of the schools had interactive connections, whereby the students could ask questions of the presenter. Connect2Texas also collects evaluation information from the participating schools that we will use to produce a report for our funders and make modifications to future programs as need be. The videoconferences were offered free of charge. The theme for the 2011 Astronomy Day program was the Year of the Solar System, which aligns with NASA's theme for 2011 and 2012. By aligning with this NASA theme, we could leverage NASA artwork and materials to both advertise and enrich the learning experience. Videoconference materials also included pre- and post-videoconference assessment sheets, an inquiry based activity, and pre- and post-videoconference activities, all of which were made available online. One of the lessons learned from past Astronomy Day videoconferences is that the days the Astronomical League declares as "Astronomy Day” are not always good days for Texas schools to participate. So, we choose an Astronomy Day that meets the needs of Texas schools and our schedule - so any day can be Astronomy Day. 2011 Astronomy Day was made possible by The Meyer-Levy Charitable Trust.

High LET, passive space radiation dosimetry and spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benton, E. V.; Frank, A. L.; Benton, E. R.; Keegan, R. P.; Frigo, L. A.; Sanner, D.; Rowe, V.

1995-01-01

The development of high linear energy transfer (LET), passive radiation dosimetry and spectrometry is needed for the purpose of accurate determination of equivalent doses and assessment of health risks to astronauts on long duration missions. Progress in the following research areas is summerized: intercomparisons of cosmic ray equivalent dose and LET spectra measurements between STS missions and between astronauts; increases LET spectra measurement accuracy with ATAS; space radiation measurements for intercomparisons of passive (PNTD, TLD, TRND, Emulsion) and active (TEPC, RME-111) dosimeters; interaction of cosmic ray particles with nuclei in matter; radiation measurements after long duration space exposures; ground based dosimeter calibrations; neutron detector calibrations; radiation measurements on Soviet/Russian spacecraft; space radiation measurements under thin shielding; and space radiation.

Archaeo- and Cultural Astronomy in Armenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmanyan, Sona V.; Mickaelian, Areg M.

2015-08-01

We present a general overview on Armenian Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture to mention and summarize some activities and related organizations involved. Armenia is rather rich in archaeoastronomy and culture, including calendars, rock art, mythology, etc. Archaeoastronomical issues in Armenia include: Zodiac Constellations (believed to be introduced for the first time in the Armenian Highland); Ancient Observatories; Armenian Rock Art; Ancient Armenian Calendar and other (medieval) calendars; Astronomical Terms and Names; Records of Astronomical Events by ancient Armenians; Anania Shirakatsi’s (612-685) Astronomical Heritage; Medieval Sky Maps and Astronomical Devices. During the recent years, we have organized a number of meetings, where archaeoastronomy was involved: Joint European and National Astronomy Meeting (JENAM-2007), Special Session #6: “Archaeoastronomy” (2007), ArAS VIII Annual Meeting “Astronomy and Society”, Session “Archaeoastronomy” (2009), Archaeoastronomical meeting “Astronomical Heritage in the National Culture” dedicated to Anania Shirakatsi’s 1400th anniversary (2012), Meeting “Relation of Astronomy to other Sciences, Culture and Society” (RASCS), Sessions“Archaeoastronomy” and “Astronomy in Culture” (2014). Along with Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO), there are several other institutions related to Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture: Institute of History, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Institute of Literature, Institute of Language, Matenadaran (Institute of Ancient Manuscripts). We have introduced a section “Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture” in the newsletter of Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS). This is to strengthen ArAS activities and to widen our knowledge in this area, to encourage and establish collaborations with other scientists related to these subjects; historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, philologists, linguists, artists and other representatives of culture.

The Meteor Section of the Visnjan School of Astronomy 1993

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korlevic, K.

In the last five years, the Visnjan Observatory started a new international astronomical summer workshop. Every year, on this educational activity, students have been thought the IMO standards of visual observation. Meteor astronomy was chosen as the leading activity because of its ability to bring people together, and because of the continuous flux of information through the IMO and the journal WGN, in the time when other sources of information were cut off by the war situation. The time of this years's school (August 7-20) covered the exceptional 1993 Perseids maximum. The Visnjan School of Astronomy is also an educational and psychological experiment, and our goal is finding a better means of introducing gifted students to science through astronomy workshops. In that effort we are also trying to increase the number of future meteor observers.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittle, Lauren E.; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Borish, H. Jacob; Burkhardt, Andrew; Firebaugh, Ariel; Hancock, Danielle; Rochford Hayes, Christian; Linden, Sean; Liss, Sandra; Matthews, Allison; Prager, Brian; Pryal, Matthew; Sokal, Kimberly R.; Troup, Nicholas William; Wenger, Trey

2016-01-01

We present updates from our seventh year of operation including new club content, continued assessments, and our fifth annual Star Party. Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) is an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in Central Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts. Our primary focus is hosting an 8-10 week after-school astronomy club at underserved elementary and middle schools. Each week, DSBK volunteers take the role of coaches to introduce astronomy-related concepts ranging from the Solar System to galaxies to astrobiology, and to lead students in interactive learning activities. Another hallmark of DSBK is hosting our Annual Central Virginia Star Party, a free event open to the community featuring star-gazing and planetarium shows.

Trim25 Is an RNA-Specific Activator of Lin28a/TuT4-Mediated Uridylation

PubMed Central

Choudhury, Nila Roy; Nowak, Jakub S.; Zuo, Juan; Rappsilber, Juri; Spoel, Steven H.; Michlewski, Gracjan

2014-01-01

Summary RNA binding proteins have thousands of cellular RNA targets and often exhibit opposite or passive molecular functions. Lin28a is a conserved RNA binding protein involved in pluripotency and tumorigenesis that was previously shown to trigger TuT4-mediated pre-let-7 uridylation, inhibiting its processing and targeting it for degradation. Surprisingly, despite binding to other pre-microRNAs (pre-miRNAs), only pre-let-7 is efficiently uridylated by TuT4. Thus, we hypothesized the existence of substrate-specific cofactors that stimulate Lin28a-mediated pre-let-7 uridylation or restrict its functionality on non-let-7 pre-miRNAs. Through RNA pull-downs coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified the E3 ligase Trim25 as an RNA-specific cofactor for Lin28a/TuT4-mediated uridylation. We show that Trim25 binds to the conserved terminal loop (CTL) of pre-let-7 and activates TuT4, allowing for more efficient Lin28a-mediated uridylation. These findings reveal that protein-modifying enzymes, only recently shown to bind RNA, can guide the function of canonical ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes in cis, thereby providing an additional level of specificity. PMID:25457611

Let's Build a Sailboat: A Differentiated Gifted Education Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forster, Bruce R.

1990-01-01

A rationale is presented for developing gifted education projects that are differentiated from the regular curriculum. A specific activity, called "Let's Build a Sailboat," is described to illustrate guiding principles for success in student project development. The project taught planning and management skills to junior high school gifted…

The outcomes of the Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics as an opportunity to develop successful outreach actions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueiró Spinelli, Patrícia; de Oliveira Costa, Cristiane; Requeijo, Flávia; do Amaral Ferreira, Marcelo Augusto; Torres Perillo, Augusto; Batista Garcia Canalle, João; Reis Neto, Eugênio; Nascimento, Josina

2015-08-01

Every year, hundreds of thousands of students and teachers from all over the country take part in the Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics (OBA). This has the aim of both spreading astronomy and astronautics-related concepts and training teachers about these topics. After being marked some of the exams are sent by participant schools to the Organizing Committee to select candidates for the international competition. The OBA exam archive thereby offers an unique opportunity to evaluate the teaching of astronomy in Brazil in relation to school level and content, as well as over time. Understanding the misconceptions unraveled by the exams is of utmost importance to planning successful outreach activities. In this talk I will present how the analysis of the 2013 OBA event helped the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences to develop an astronomy education kit aimed at teachers and how this cooperation between an academic institution and schools is helping educators in their pedagogical practice to teach astronomy in the classroom.

Dexmedetomidine Protects PC12 Cells from Lidocaine-Induced Cytotoxicity Through Downregulation of COL3A1 Mediated by miR-let-7b.

PubMed

Wang, Qiong; She, Yingjun; Bi, Xiaobao; Zhao, Baisong; Ruan, Xiangcai; Tan, Yonghong

2017-07-01

Safety concerns of some local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, have been raised in recent years due to potential neurological impairment. Dexmedetomidine may protect humans from neurotoxicity, and miR-let-7b is activated by nerve injury; however, the roles of miR-let-7b and its target gene in lidocaine-induced cytotoxicity are not well known. Through bioinformatics and a luciferase reporter assay, COL3A1 was suggested as a direct target gene of miR-let-7b. Here, we confirmed by measuring mRNA and protein levels that miR-let-7b was downregulated and COL3A1 was upregulated in lidocaine-treated cells, an observation that was reversed by dexmedetomidine. Similar to miR-let-7b mimics or knockdown of COL3A1, dexmedetomidine treatment reduced the expression of COL3A1, suppressed cell apoptosis and cell migration/invasion ability, and induced cell cycle progression and cell proliferation in PC12 cells, effects that were reversed by the miR-let-7b inhibitor. Meanwhile, proteins involved in cell apoptosis, such as Bcl2 and caspase 3, were impacted as well. Taken together, dexmedetomidine may protect PC12 cells from lidocaine-induced cytotoxicity through miR-let-7b and COL3A1, while also increasing Bcl2 and inhibiting caspase 3. Therefore, miR-let-7b and COL3A1 might play critical roles in neuronal injury, and they are potential therapeutic targets.

Astronomy from the Moon and International Lunar Observatory Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durst, S.; Takahashi, Y. D.

2018-04-01

Astronomy from the Moon provides a promising new frontier for 21st century astrophysics and related science activity. International Lunar Observatory Association is an enterprise advancing missions to the Moon for observation and communication.

Visual Observing Manual | aavso.org

Science.gov Websites

Institute CCD School Videos Student Projects Two Eyes, 3D Variable Star Astronomy H-R Diagram Plotting Student Projects Two Eyes, 3D Variable Star Astronomy H-R Diagram Plotting Activity Reporting Variable

Appendix.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nature Scope, 1986

1986-01-01

Presents: (1) a glossary with astronomy-related words; (2) a list of 25 questions about astronomy (with answers); and (3) a bibliography, listing children's books, reference books, audiovisual aids, posters, activity sources, software, and articles appearing in "Ranger Rick" magazine. (JN)

Astronomy Education through the NSF GK-12 Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, A. G.

2004-05-01

The National Science Foundation's GK-12 program encourages graduate students in science to be active in public education at the middle school and high school levels. As a GK-12 fellow at the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU), I worked with a local 8th-grade science teacher and his students during the 2003-2004 school year. In the Boulder Valley School District, 8th-grade science covers Earth history, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography. There are many special challenges for this school district and 8th-grade education in Colorado, including a large number of English as a second language (ESL) students and the administration of standardized tests during March, before students have completed much of the relevant material. As a GK-12 Fellow, my responsibilities included work with the Earth history Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit, guest lecturing, aid in hands-on exercises, and the creation of new activities and assignments. Astronomy activities accomplished through this program include sunspot viewing and a field trip to the Colorado Scale Model Solar System on the CU campus. The GK-12 program at CU will continue for at least two more years, possibly placing future GK-12 fellows who are astronomy grad students into classes that are astronomy- or physics-specific.

Results and Implications of Seven Years of the University of Arizona Astronomy Club

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker-LaFollette, Amanda; Towner, A. P.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Brissenden, G.

2014-01-01

Participation in an undergraduate astronomy club or organization, be it social, academic, outreach-, or research-oriented, can be extremely beneficial to astronomy students. In this talk, we present the numerical results of the past seven years of University of Arizona Astronomy Club activities, particularly those relating to published papers, poster presentations, attendance at AAS meetings, and retention within the major. We also discuss less-quantifiable results, such as social, academic, and emotional support for club members. Finally, we highlight the efforts being performed by undergraduates at institutions all around the country, as presented in this Session.

Astronomy and astrophysics for the 1980's. Volume 1 - Report of the Astronomy Survey Committee. Volume 2 - Reports of the Panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recommended priorities for astronomy and astrophysics in the 1980s are considered along with the frontiers of astrophysics, taking into account large-scale structure in the universe, the evolution of galaxies, violent events, the formation of stars and planets, solar and stellar activity, astronomy and the forces of nature, and planets, life, and intelligence. Approved, continuing, and previously recommended programs are related to the Space Telescope and the associated Space Telescope Science Institute, second-generation instrumentation for the Space Telescope, and Gamma Ray Observatory, facilities for the detection of solar neutrinos, and the Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility. Attention is given to the prerequisites for new research initiatives, new programs, programs for study and development, high-energy astrophysics, radio astronomy, theoretical and laboratory astrophysics, data processing and computational facilities, organization and education, and ultraviolet, optical, and infrared astronomy.

Astronomy on Tap: science engagement in the pub

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livermore, Rachael C.; Silverman, Jeffrey Michael

2015-08-01

Astronomy on Tap is a series of free lectures by astronomers in the pub, aimed at disseminating the latest research to the public in an informal setting. Started in New York City in 2013, Astronomy on Tap has now expanded to seven cities across North and South America. Organized by local astronomers, each event features talks by astronomers from local institutions or visitors, or others whose professions or hobbies intersect with astronomy, along with games and opportunities for the public to interact with professional astronomers. The largest Astronomy on Tap events are in Austin, Texas, attracting over 150 people each month, which consists of populations outside of the self-selected groups that might be reached by more formal EPO activities. The organisers of Astronomy on Tap in Austin (AoTATX) will discuss the impact of and feedback from all of the locations, and present information on setting up new satellite locations.

Effects of prenatal irradiation with accelerated heavy-ion beams on postnatal development in rats: III. Testicular development and breeding activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, B.; Murakami, M.; Eguchi-Kasai, K.; Nojima, K.; Shang, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Watanabe, K.; Fujita, K.; Moreno, S. G.; Coffigny, H.; Hayata, I.

With a significant increase in human activities dealing with space missions, potential teratogenic effects on the mammalian reproductive system from prenatal exposure to space radiation have become a hot topic that needs to be addressed. However, even for the ground experiments, such effects from exposure to high LET ionizing radiation are not as well studied as those for low LET ionizing radiations such as X-rays. Using the Heavy-Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) and Wistar rats, effects on gonads in prenatal male fetuses, on postnatal testicular development and on breeding activity of male offspring were studied following exposure of the pregnant animals to either accelerated carbon-ion beams with a LET value of about 13 keV/μm or neon-ion beams with a LET value of about 30 keV/μm at a dose range from 0.1 to 2.0 Gy on gestation day 15. The effects of X-rays at 200 kVp estimated for the same biological end points were studied for comparison. A significantly dose-dependent increase of apoptosis in gonocytes appeared 6 h after irradiations with a dose of 0.5 Gy or more. Measured delayed testis descent and malformed testicular seminiferous tubules were observed to be significantly different from the control animals at a dose of 0.5 Gy. These effects are observed to be dose- and LET-dependent. Markedly reduced testicular weight and testicular weight to body weight ratio were scored at postnatal day 30 even in the offspring that were prenatally irradiated with neon-ions at a dose of 0.1 Gy. A dose of 0.5 Gy from neon-ion beams induced a marked decrease in breeding activity in the prenatally irradiated male rats, while for the carbon-ion beams or X-rays, the significantly reduced breeding activity was observed only when the prenatal dose was at 1.0 Gy or more. These findings indicated that prenatal irradiations with heavy-ion beams on gestation day 15 generally induced markedly detrimental effects on prenatal gonads, postnatal testicular development and male breeding activity in rats, which seemed to be a dose and LET-related event.

The Legionella pneumophila global regulatory protein LetA affects DotA and Mip.

PubMed

Shi, Chunwei; Forsbach-Birk, Vera; Marre, Reinhard; McNealy, Tamara L

2006-02-01

Several genes have been identified in Legionella pneumophila which are necessary for its virulence properties. These genes include the dot/icm type IV secretion system (T4SS), mip and letA. Genes of the dot/icm system, in particular dotA, have been found to be essential for intracellular growth. The macrophage infectivity protein (Mip) is also necessary for full virulence of the bacteria. Although these genes are well characterized, the regulation of such virulence factors is not. The LetA transcriptional activator interacts with the global regulator CsrA in controlling the switch from the replicative, non-infectious to the transmissive, highly infectious form of L. pneumophila. Regulation by LetA of the dot/icm genes has also been previously postulated. Here we show that the letA mutation exerts effects not only on DotA but on a substrate of the secretion system, RalF as well. LetA was found to be necessary for full transcriptional expression of the dotA and ralF genes. Although at the transcriptional level dotA was reduced, this did not result in a decrease of DotA protein in whole cell lysates. The letA mutation, however, does result in decreased amounts of the DotA protein found in the membrane and increased amounts in the culture supernatant. Additionally, the letA mutation dramatically decreased the secretion of Mip. This work demonstrates the participation of the global regulatory protein LetA in the regulation of an essential part of the dot/icm T4SS. Also shown is the presence of secreted Mip and a decrease in this secretion in the letA(-) strain. Exactly how LetA is regulating these virulence factors remains to be elucidated but it obviously occurs at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

C46 `ASTRONOMY Education and Development': a Peculiar Commission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Greve, Jean-Pierre; García, Beatriz; Gerbaldi, Michèle; Ferlet, Roger; Guinan, Edward; Hearnshaw, John; Jones, Barrie; Marschall, Laurence; Miley, George; Pasachoff, Jay; Ros, Rosa; Stavinschi, Magda; Torres-Peimbert, Silvia

2016-04-01

C46 was a Commission of the Executive Committee of the IAU under Division XII (Union-Wide Activities), then after 2012 under Division C (Education, Outreach, and Heritage). It was the only commission dealing exclusively with astronomy education; a previous Commission 38 (Exchange of Astronomers), which allocated travel grants to astronomers who needed them, and a Working Group on the Worldwide Development of Astronomy, have been absorbed by Commission 46.

X-Ray Astronomy Research at the Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, Robert A.

1999-01-01

For at least twenty years, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has played a major role in the development of X-ray astronomy in the United States. MSFC scientists and engineers are currently involved in a wide range of programs which will contribute to the growth of X-ray astronomy well into the next century. Areas of activity include calibration of X-ray astronomy instrumentation using Marshall's world-class X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF), development of high-throughput, replicated X-ray optics, X-ray detector development, balloon-based X-ray astronomy, and analysis of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and clusters of galaxies. Recent milestones include the successful calibration of NASA's premier X-ray Astronomy Satellite - AXAF (recently renamed Chandra), a balloon flight of a large area (1000 sq cm) micro-strip proportional counter, and work on a hard X-ray (30-100 keV) telescope called HERO, capable of high quality spectroscopy and imaging through the use of grazing incidence optics and an Imaging Gas Scintillation Proportional Counter (IGSPC). In my presentation, I will provide a general overview of our research and facilities. I will conclude with a more detailed discussion of our High Energy Replicated Optics (HERO) program and plans for long duration (>100 days) balloon flights which will take place in the near future.

As International as They Would Let Us Be

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trimble, V.

2015-08-01

Astronomy has always crossed borders, continents, and oceans. AAVSO itself has roughly half its membership residing outside the USA. In this excessively long paper, I look briefly at ancient and medieval beginnings and more extensively at the 18th and 19th centuries, plunge into the tragedies associated with World War I, and then try to say something relatively cheerful about subsequent events. Most of the people mentioned here you will have heard of before (Eratosthenes, Copernicus, Kepler, Olbers, Lockyer, Eddington…) others, just as important, perhaps not (von Zach, Gould, Argelander, Freundlich…). Division into heroes and villains is neither necessary nor possible, though some of the stories are tragic. In the end, all one can really say about astronomers' efforts to keep open channels of communication that others wanted to choke off is, "the best we can do is the best we can do."

Detection of Double White Dwarf Binaries with Gaia, LSST and eLISA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korol, V.; Rossi, E. M.; Groot, P. J.

2017-03-01

According to simulations around 108 double degenerate white dwarf binaries are expected to be present in the Milky Way. Due to their intrinsic faintness, the detection of these systems is a challenge, and the total number of detected sources so far amounts only to a few tens. This will change in the next two decades with the advent of Gaia, the LSST and eLISA. We present an estimation of how many compact DWDs with orbital periods less than a few hours we will be able to detect 1) through electromagnetic radiation with Gaia and LSST and 2) through gravitational wave radiation with eLISA. We find that the sample of simultaneous electromagnetic and gravitational waves detections is expected to be substantial, and will provide us a powerful tool for probing the white dwarf astrophysics and the structure of the Milky Way, letting us into the era of multi-messenger astronomy for these sources.

RAB-7 Antagonizes LET-23 EGFR Signaling during Vulva Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Skorobogata, Olga; Rocheleau, Christian E.

2012-01-01

The Rab7 GTPase regulates late endosome trafficking of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) to the lysosome for degradation. However, less is known about how Rab7 activity, functioning late in the endocytic pathway, affects EGFR signaling. Here we used Caenorhabditis elegans vulva cell fate induction, a paradigm for genetic analysis of EGFR/Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) signaling, to assess the genetic requirements for rab-7. Using a rab-7 deletion mutant, we demonstrate that rab-7 antagonizes LET-23 EGFR signaling to a similar extent, but in a distinct manner, as previously described negative regulators such as sli-1 c-Cbl. Epistasis analysis places rab-7 upstream of or in parallel to lin-3 EGF and let-23 EGFR. However, expression of gfp::rab-7 in the Vulva Presursor Cells (VPCs) is sufficient to rescue the rab-7(−) VPC induction phenotypes indicating that RAB-7 functions in the signal receiving cell. We show that components of the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT)-0, and -I, complexes, hgrs-1 Hrs, and vps-28, also antagonize signaling, suggesting that LET-23 EGFR likely transits through Multivesicular Bodies (MVBs) en route to the lysosome. Consistent with RAB-7 regulating LET-23 EGFR trafficking, rab-7 mutants have increased number of LET-23::GFP-positive endosomes. Our data imply that Rab7, by mediating EGFR trafficking and degradation, plays an important role in downregulation of EGFR signaling. Failure to downregulate EGFR signaling contributes to oncogenesis, and thus Rab7 could possess tumor suppressor activity in humans. PMID:22558469

RAB-7 antagonizes LET-23 EGFR signaling during vulva development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Skorobogata, Olga; Rocheleau, Christian E

2012-01-01

The Rab7 GTPase regulates late endosome trafficking of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) to the lysosome for degradation. However, less is known about how Rab7 activity, functioning late in the endocytic pathway, affects EGFR signaling. Here we used Caenorhabditis elegans vulva cell fate induction, a paradigm for genetic analysis of EGFR/Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) signaling, to assess the genetic requirements for rab-7. Using a rab-7 deletion mutant, we demonstrate that rab-7 antagonizes LET-23 EGFR signaling to a similar extent, but in a distinct manner, as previously described negative regulators such as sli-1 c-Cbl. Epistasis analysis places rab-7 upstream of or in parallel to lin-3 EGF and let-23 EGFR. However, expression of gfp::rab-7 in the Vulva Presursor Cells (VPCs) is sufficient to rescue the rab-7(-) VPC induction phenotypes indicating that RAB-7 functions in the signal receiving cell. We show that components of the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT)-0, and -I, complexes, hgrs-1 Hrs, and vps-28, also antagonize signaling, suggesting that LET-23 EGFR likely transits through Multivesicular Bodies (MVBs) en route to the lysosome. Consistent with RAB-7 regulating LET-23 EGFR trafficking, rab-7 mutants have increased number of LET-23::GFP-positive endosomes. Our data imply that Rab7, by mediating EGFR trafficking and degradation, plays an important role in downregulation of EGFR signaling. Failure to downregulate EGFR signaling contributes to oncogenesis, and thus Rab7 could possess tumor suppressor activity in humans.

Developing Astronomy Research and Education in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sese, R. M. D.; Kouwenhoven, M. B. N. Thijs

2015-03-01

In the past few years, the Philippines has been gradually developing its research and educational capabilities in astronomy and astrophysics. In terms of astronomy development, it is still lagging behind several neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, while it is advanced with respect to several others. One of the main issues hampering progress is the scarcity of trained professional Filipino astronomers, as well as long-term visions for astronomy development. Here, we will be presenting an overview of astronomy education and research in the country. We will discuss the history and current status of astronomy in the Philippines, including all levels of education, outreach and awareness activities, as well as potential areas for research and collaborations. We also discuss issues that need to be addressed to ensure sustainable astronomy development in the Philippines. Finally, we discuss several ongoing and future programs aimed at promoting astronomy research and education. In essence, the work is a precursor of a possible white paper which we envision to submit to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the near future, with which we aim to further convince the authorities of the importance of astrophysics. With the support of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), this may eventually lead to the creation of a separate astronomy agency in the Philippines.

8 CFR 214.6 - Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry under NAFTA to engage in business activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology... for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry...

8 CFR 214.6 - Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry under NAFTA to engage in business activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology... for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry...

8 CFR 214.6 - Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry under NAFTA to engage in business activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology... for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry...

8 CFR 214.6 - Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry under NAFTA to engage in business activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology... for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry...

8 CFR 214.6 - Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry under NAFTA to engage in business activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology... for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry...

Some Ideas on Teaching Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, Phil

1980-01-01

Described are several homework activities for use in teaching Astronomy. Topics include optical telescopes, the sun, and facts about the solar system. The format is a series of true-false questions related to diagrams which students must complete. (DS)

Strawberry Square. Song Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Tom

Designed to accompany a series of 33 television programs in music education for kindergarten and first grade children, this song book (containing sheet music) correlates with activities in the teacher's guide. Titles of songs included in the book are: Let a Song Tell a Story (short and long versions); If I Had a Hammer; A Happy Street; Let the…

La Ruta de los Origenes stops in Montsec: observations and other educational activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribas, S. J.

2013-05-01

La Ruta de los Origenes is an European Cooperation Project POCTEFA funded by FEDER- UE. The main objective of this project is to establish a touristic route on both sides of the Pyrenees to approach Origins topic to the public. This project is developed by six partners, three in Catalonia and three in Midi-Pyrenees, and is focused in Astronomy, Paleontology and Archaelogy. Montsec mountains are placed in the Pre-Pyrenees area of Lleida province and they are a very good place for astronomy (dark skies, good seeing, good weather conditions). Parc Astronomic Montsec is the major astronomy project in that area and it includes a research astronomical observatory and an outreach and education center. So Montsec mountains and their Parc Astronomic are one of the stops of this route with an important number of activities to approach astronomy to public.

Using Infiniscope Exploratory Activities in an Online Astronomy Lab Course for Non-Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, Karen; Anbar, Ariel; Tamer, A. Joseph; Hunsley, Diana; Young, Patrick A.; Center for Education Through eXploration

2018-01-01

With the growth of online astronomy courses, it has become necessary to design different strategies for students to engage meaningfully with astronomy content. In contrast to some of the previously designed “cookbook”-style lab exercises, the strategy of these Infiniscope activities is to provide an experience where the students explore and discover the content for themselves. The Infiniscope project was created by ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate as part of the NASA Exploration Connection project. As part of this project, online activities on topics such as asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects, eclipses, and Kepler’s Laws were designed and created for middle school (grades 6-8) and informal education settings. This poster discusses adapting these activities to the undergraduate non-science major setting. In fall 2017, the Infiniscope activities, such as Small Worlds and Kepler’s Laws, will be incorporated into an Arizona State University online astronomy course, AST 113, which is the laboratory component for the Introduction to Solar System Astronomy course sequence. This course typically enrolls about 800-900 students per semester with a combination of students who are online only as well as those who also take in person classes. In this type of class, we cannot have any in-person required sessions and all content must be delivered online asynchronously. The use of the Infiniscope exploratory exercises will provide students with the ability to use NASA data in a hands-on manner to discover the solar system for themselves.

Sky Luminaries in the Space Orienting Activity of Homo Sapiens in the Middle Palaeolithic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaurov, E. N.

Data describing the beginnings of the space orienting activity of Homo sapiens is analysed and systematized: observation of the Pole and the recognition of Ursa Major were used as the basis of the determination of the points of the compass. Data and results from astronomy, history of astronomy, archaeology and palaeoanthropology were used for the reconstruction of the evolution of the space orienting activity of Homo sapiens.

A Radio Astronomy Curriculum for STARLAB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltuch, D.; Hund, L.; Buck, S.; Fultz, C.; Smith, T.; Harris, R.; Castelaz, M. W.; Moffett, D.; LaFratta, M.; Walsh, L.

2005-12-01

We present elements of a curriculum that will accompany the STARLAB module "Sensing the Radio Sky" a portable planetarium program and projection of the radio sky. The curriculum will serve to familiarize high school students to a set of topics in radio astronomy. The curriculum includes lessons and activities addressing several topics related to radio astronomy and the Milky Way that consists of two main resources: a manual and a multimedia website. It is designed to accommodate a wide variety of possible uses and time constraints. The manufacturer of STARLAB, Learning Technologies, Inc. produces a short manual to accompany each presentation for the STARLAB. The "Sensing the Radio Sky" manual we have created includes the mandatory, minimum background information that students need to understand radio astronomy. It briefly discusses waves and electromagnetic radiation, similarities and differences between optical and radio astronomy, probable misconceptions about radio astronomy, how radio images are produced, synchrotron radiation in the Milky Way, and galactic coordinates. It also includes a script that presenters can choose to follow inside the STARLAB, a lesson plan for teachers, and activities for students to complete before and after the STARLAB experience that mirror the scientific method. The multimedia website includes more detailed information about electromagnetic radiation and a more detailed comparison of optical and radio astronomy. It also discusses the life cycles of stars, radiation from a variety of specific sources, and pulsars, as each relates to radio astronomy. The five highly detailed lessons are pulled together in sixth "overview lesson", intended for use by teachers who want to present more than the basic material in the manual, but do not have the classroom time to teach all five of the in-depth lessons. . We acknowledge support from the NSF Internship in Public Science Education Program grant number 0324729.

A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Donald K.; Brittain, S. D.; Cash, J. L.; Hartmann, D. H.; Howell, S. B.; King, J. R.; Leising, M. D.; Mayo, E. A.; Mighell, K. J.; Smith, D. M., Jr.

2009-01-01

A partnership has been established between South Carolina State University (SCSU, a Historically Black College/University), the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Clemson University (CU) under an award from NSF's "Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE)" program. The mission of POCA is to develop an effective, long-term partnership that combines the strengths of the three institutions to increase the scientific and educational output of all the partners with special emphasis on enhancing diversity in the field of astronomy. Components of the program include enhancing faculty and student research in astronomy at SCSU, recruiting and retaining underrepresented minority students into the field, outreach through planetarium programs and museum exhibits and developing web based resources in astronomy education. Activities in the first year of the program are discussed. We have begun developing and testing several new astronomy laboratory exercises. Our first summer internship program has concluded successfully. With PAARE scholarship money, we are now supporting four physics majors at SCSU who have chosen the astronomy option (concentration) for their degree. SCSU undergraduates have acquired observing experience on the KPNO Mayall 4-meter telescope under the guidance of faculty and graduate students from CU. NOAO astronomers have collaborated with SCSU faculty to begin a research program that studies RV Tauri stars. Funds from PAARE are supporting follow-up research to a just-completed doctoral dissertation by E. A. Mayo described elsewhere in these proceedings. Future plans for graduate fellowships and related activities are discussed in addition to summer internships for POCA undergraduates at CU and NOAO. Support for this work was provided by the NSF PAARE program to South Carolina State University under award AST-0750814.

Shedding a New Light on the Universe: An Information and Activity Booklet. Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masetti, Maggie

This activity booklet is divided into two parts. Part One presents basic information about the electromagnetic spectrum and multiwavelength astronomy with an emphasis on X-ray astronomy. Part Two describes X-ray detectors at a more advanced level. An introduction to the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and its contributions to science is…

Learning Physical Science through Astronomy Activities: A Comparison between Constructivist and Traditional Approaches in Grades 3-6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, R. Bruce; Sadler, Philip M.; Shapiro, Irwin I.

2008-01-01

We report on an evaluation of the effectiveness of Project ARIES, an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for upper elementary and middle school children. ARIES students use innovative, simple, and affordable apparatus to carry out a wide range of indoor and outdoor hands-on, discovery-based activities. Student journals and comprehensive…

International Heliophysical Year and Astronomy and Space Science Activities in Arab States: Concentration on United Arab Emirates and Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Naimiy, Hamid M. K.; Al-Douri, Ala A. J.

2008-12-01

This paper summarizes International Heliophysical Year (IHY), astronomy and space sciences (ASS) activities in many Arab countries with the concentration on Iraq and UAE. The level and type of these activities differ in each country. -The paper shows also the current activities on topics related to IHY in different countries, following are suggested future Astronomy and Space Science (ASS) plans in some of these countries: -UAE Research Centre for Solar Physics, Astronomy and Space Sciences: A proposal under consideration for building a Solar Physics and Space Research Centre that may contain: Solar, radio and optical observatories, and Very Low Frequency (VLF) Receiver for remote sensing the Ionosphere on UAE region. The proposed research project will facilitate the establishment and conduct of VLF observations in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) as a part of Asia sector, thus providing a basis for comparison to facilitate global extrapolations and conclusions. -Iraqi National Astronomical Observatory (INAO): The Kurdistan Government/Universities planning to rebuilt INAO which has been destroyed during the two wars. Proposed suggestion is to build a 5-6 meters optical telescope and small solar telescope on the tope of Korek Mountain, which has excellent observing conditions.

Freshman Seminars: Interdisciplinary Engagements in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemenway, M. K.

2006-08-01

The Freshman Seminar program at the University of Texas is designed to allow groups of fifteen students an engaging introduction to the University. The seminars introduce students to the resources of the university and allow them to identify interesting subjects for further research or future careers. An emphasis on oral and written communication by the students provides these first-year students a transition to college-level writing and thinking. Seminar activities include field trips to an art museum, a research library, and the Humanities Research Center rare book collection. This paper will report on two seminars, each fifteen weeks in length. In "The Galileo Scandal" students examine Galileo's struggle with the church (including a mock trial). They perform activities that connect his use of the telescope and observations to astronomical concepts. In "Astronomy and the Humanities" students analyze various forms of human expression that have astronomical connections (art, drama, literature, music, poetry, and science fiction); they perform hands-on activities to reinforce the related astronomy concepts. Evaluation of the seminars indicates student engagement and improvement in communication skills. Many of the activities could be used independently to engage students enrolled in standard introductory astronomy classes.

Building on the International Year of Astronomy: The Dark Skies Awareness Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, C. E.; Sparks, R. T.; Pompea, S. M.

2010-08-01

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) offered opportunities to create exemplary educational programs in astronomy, such as those through the cornerstone project, Dark Skies Awareness (DSA). The preservation of dark skies is important for many reasons including astronomy, energy conservation, wildlife conservation, and even human health. Light pollution is a growing concern, yet it is one of the easiest global environmental problems citizen scientists can address on a local level. The Dark Skies workshop imparted the skills necessary for participants to lead activities at their home institution for conserving dark skies. Workshop participants experienced the hands-on activities, which are suitable for use in a variety of settings including museums, science centers, planetariums, schools, university outreach efforts, and astronomy club events. Participants were immersed in activities that illustrate proper lighting, light pollution's effects on wildlife, and how to measure the darkness of your skies. Several citizen science projects were highlighted, including GLOBE at Night, the Great World Wide Star Count, and How Many Stars. These programs enlist the help of students and the general public to collect data on the night sky conditions in their community and contribute to a worldwide database on light pollution. The data can be analyzed using various online tools. A CD of activities, a light shielding demonstration, a book, a two DVD set with a planetarium show, and many other resources are included in a Dark Skies Education Kit, which workshop participants received at the close of the workshop.

A mutant p53/let-7i-axis-regulated gene network drives cell migration, invasion and metastasis

PubMed Central

Subramanian, M; Francis, P; Bilke, S; Li, XL; Hara, T; Lu, X; Jones, MF; Walker, RL; Zhu, Y; Pineda, M; Lee, C; Varanasi, L; Yang, Y; Martinez, LA; Luo, J; Ambs, S; Sharma, S; Wakefield, LM; Meltzer, PS; Lal, A

2015-01-01

Most p53 mutations in human cancers are missense mutations resulting in a full-length mutant p53 protein. Besides losing tumor suppressor activity, some hotspot p53 mutants gain oncogenic functions. This effect is mediated in part, through gene expression changes due to inhibition of p63 and p73 by mutant p53 at their target gene promoters. Here, we report that the tumor suppressor microRNA let-7i is downregulated by mutant p53 in multiple cell lines expressing endogenous mutant p53. In breast cancer patients, significantly decreased let-7i levels were associated with missense mutations in p53. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter luciferase assays established let-7i as a transcriptional target of mutant p53 through p63. Introduction of let-7i to mutant p53 cells significantly inhibited migration, invasion and metastasis by repressing a network of oncogenes including E2F5, LIN28B, MYC and NRAS. Our findings demonstrate that repression of let-7i expression by mutant p53 has a key role in enhancing migration, invasion and metastasis. PMID:24662829

Keep it local (and final): Remnant preferences in ‘let alone’ ellipsis

PubMed Central

Harris, Jesse A.; Carlson, Katy

2015-01-01

The let alone construction (John can't run a mile, let alone a marathon) differs from standard coordination structures (with and or but) by requiring ellipsis of the second conjunct, e.g., a marathon is the remnant of an elided clause [John run a marathon]. In support of an ellipsis account, a corpus study of British and American English finds that let alone exhibits a Locality bias, as the second conjunct preferentially contrasts with the nearest lexical item of the same syntactic type. Two self-paced reading studies show that the Locality bias is active during online processing, but must be reconciled with indicators of semantic contrast and discourse information. Further, a sentence-rating study shows that the Locality bias interacts with a Finality bias that favors placing the let alone phrase at the end of a clause, which sometimes necessitates a non-local contrast. Together, the results show how a general bias in ellipsis for local contrasts is affected by discourse demands, such as the need for scalar contrast imposed by let alone, thereby offering a window into how possibly divergent syntactic and discourse constraints impact sentence processing. PMID:26085004

Albion's Astronomy Club--A Community of Many Faces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganem, Alysandra; Matti, C.; Ciastko, L.; Zellner, N.

2014-01-01

The Albion College Astronomy Club has a bright and rich history, and an even more luminous future. The club has always been and continues to be rooted in educating club members, fellow undergraduates and the community about astronomy. Public observing events are held several times each year, with the support of physics faculty and astronomy club members. In the spring of 2013, the club built and launched its first model rocket. The building of rockets has expanded club membership, which will ensure the continuity of our astronomy club. Additionally, in the 2013-2014 academic year, we plan to work with the local science museum to educate after-school groups about constellations and how much fun can be had observing, sans telescope. All of these activities culminate into a club that is integrative and educationally enriching.

Astronomy4Kids: Utilizing online video forums to teach basic planetary concepts to children (pre-K to 2nd-grade)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Richard L.

2016-10-01

We have developed Astronomy4Kids to help cultivate the next generation of scientists by using technology to reach every interested child in both formal and informal learning environments. This online video series fills the void of effective STEM education tools for children under the age of 8. Our first collection of videos discuss many planetary topics, including the following: planet and moon formation theories, solar and lunar eclipses, and the seasonal effect of the Earth's tilt. As education and outreach become a larger focus of groups such as AAS and NASA, it is imperative to include programs such as Astronomy4Kids to extend these initiatives to younger age groups.Traditionally, this age group has been viewed as too young to be introduced to physics and astronomy concepts. However, child development research is consistently demonstrating the amazing plasticity of a young child's mind: the younger one is introduced to a complex concept, the easier it is to grasp later on. Following the philosophies of Fred Rogers, we present children with a real, relatable, instructor allowing them to focus on the concepts being presented.The format of Astronomy4Kids includes short instruction video clips that usually include a hands-on activity that is easily reproduced at home or in the classroom. This permits flexibility in how the video series is utilized. Within formal classroom or after-school situations, teachers and instructors can lead the discussion and activity with help from the video and supplemental materials (e.g. worksheets, concept outlines, etc.). Informal environments permit the viewer to complete the tasks on their own or simply enjoy the presentation. The video series can be found on YouTube (under "Astronomy 4 Kids") or Facebook (at www.facebook.com/astronomy4kids); we have also expanded to Instagram (www.instragram.com/astronomy4kids) and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/astronomy4kids).

The Lindsay Centennial Symposium. Eric Melvyn Lindsay and Astronomy in Ireland. Report and Selected Contributions from a Conference held in Armagh on 26 January 2007 to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of E.M. Lindsay, Seventh Director of Armagh Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Mark E.

2007-11-01

The Lindsay Centennial Symposium celebrates the wider importance of astronomy in Ireland and its unique role in advancing our understanding of the world in which we all live. Astronomy is an international endeavour that transcends political boundaries and helps to draw people together. Virtually every country in the world - and Ireland is no exception - looks to astronomy as part of its national heritage and as an activity, in common with other nations, that goes back almost to the dawn of civilization. In Ireland, astronomy can be traced back more than five thousand years to the time of the construction of megalithic monuments, such as the famous passage-tomb at Newgrange. More recently, Ireland was home to the largest optical telescope in the world, the so-called ‘Leviathan of Parsonstown’. Lindsay played a major role in advancing Irish astronomy. He recognized, very early on, that astronomy is not merely a national activity, but an international one as well, and one that on the island of Ireland must include close collaboration between the two jurisdictions: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Astronomy attracts people, young and old, into science and to a more scientific way of thinking; it addresses issues of major significance for culture and for our understanding of mankind's place in the Universe; and provides young people with challenges in science and mathematics that are of the utmost technical difficulty and which bring important practical benefits to society. The occasion of the 100th anniversary of Lindsay's birth is a time of great optimism for political and economic developments on the island of Ireland, and especially for the growth of astronomy on both sides of the Border and as part of Ireland's involvement in wider European science.

Establishing the credibility of archaeoastronomical sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggles, Clive L. N.

2015-08-01

This is not a talk about archaeoastronomy per se, but rather about how the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative helps us deal with archaeoastronomical sites as potential World Heritage.In 2011, an attempt to nominate a prehistoric “observatory” site onto the World Heritage List proved unsuccessful because UNESCO rejected the interpretation as statistically and archaeologically unproven. The case highlights an issue at the heart of archaeoastronomical methodology and interpretation: the mere existence of astronomical alignments in ancient sites does not prove that they were important to those who constructed and used the sites, let alone giving us insights into their likely significance and meaning. Advances in archaeoastronomy over several decades have resulted in the development of a substantial body of theory and practice (Ruggles 2014) where the most favoured interpretations depend upon integrating methods from astronomy, anthropology and other disciplines, but individual cases can still engender considerable controversy.The fact that more archaeoastronomical sites are now appearing on national tentative lists prior to their WHL nomination means that this is no longer just an academic issue; establishing the credibility of the archaeoastronomical interpretations is crucial to any assessment of their value in heritage terms.In this talk I shall describe progress that has been made within the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative towards establishing broadly acceptable measures of archaeoastronomical credibility that make sense in the context of the heritage evaluation process. I will focus particularly, but not exclusively, on sites that are included in the Thematic Studies and/or are already included on national Tentative Lists, such as the Portuguese/Spanish seven-stone antas (Neolithic dolmens) and Chankillo in Peru (solar observation device dating to c. 300BC). I will also mention how the recognition of astronomical attributes of potential outstanding universal value (OUV) may affect the Management of Stonehenge.ReferenceRuggles, C., editor-in-chief (2014). Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy (3 vols). Springer, New York.

ATACHI. Astronomy activities and workshops for hospitalized children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso-Floriano, F. J.; Cortés-Contreras, M.; Pereira, V.

2015-05-01

Atachi is an educational project aimed to disclose the Astronomy among hospitalized children between 3 and 16 years old, who remain for short and long periods in the Niño Jesús and 12 de Octubre hospitals of Madrid. With the financial support of the Sociedad Española de Astronomía (SEA) and the help provided by the hospitals, we have introduced Astronomy activities in the educational projects of the hospitals with workshops adapted to the ages and capabilities of the hospitalized children. These workshops have been very welcome from the staff of each center and from the parents, who also showed interest and participated in the activities. But above all, from the children, who tried to take apart their illness and showed great interest and curiosity about Astronomy, which helped to power their imagination and to learn more about our Solar System, the Milky Way and the Universe. On the other hand, this project led to a publication in the ``Astronomía" review, which enhances the divulgation interest of this project, which corresponds to the very positive experience that has resulted for us.

Istoriko-Astronomicheskie Issledovaniya %t Studies in the History of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idlis, G. M.

This collection contains papers covering a wide scope of problems in the history of astronomy, both domestic and worldwide. It includes the following basic subdivisions: Astronomy, cosmology and cosmogony of the 20th century; researches and findings; ancient and medieval astronomy; history of observatories and others. Among the most interesting problems considered in the present issue: the origin of the Earth and the geospheres: a bit of history and the current state of the problem; the Near-Earth Astronomy as an independent astronomical discipline; the problem of visual registration of observations in optical astronomy in the 17th - 18th centuries; evidence of lunar and solar calendars in Russian chronicles; the history of the first observatory of the Moscow University; the history of Pulkovo observatory for the last 50 years; the life and activity of the outstanding Russian astronomer A. A. Belopolsky (for his 150th anniversary); a reconstruction of Philolaus' solar system model; and many others. The book is addressed to professional scientists, astronomy amateurs, pedagogues, and everybody interested in the history of science.

The astronomy education through interactive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Macedo, Josué Antunes; Voelzke, Marcos Rincon

2014-11-01

This study presents results of a survey conducted at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), and aimed to investigate the potentialities of the use of interactive materials in the teaching of astronomy. An advanced training course with involved learning activities about basic concepts of astronomy was offered to thirty-two Licenciate students in Physics, Mathematics and Biological Sciences, using three pedagogical moments. Among other aspects, the viability of the use of resources was noticed, involving digital technologies and interactive materials on teaching of astronomy, which may contribute to the broadening of methodological options for future teachers and meet their training needs

Visiting nursery, kindergarten and after-school day care as astronomy for development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Akihiko

2015-08-01

One of the frontiers of astronomy for development is astronomy education for young children. Note that it is not too-much-going-ahead education nor education for so-called gifted children. It is for all children in various situations. As an example, I present "Uchu no O-hanashi," a visiting activity which includeds slide show, story telling, and enjoying pictures on large sheets for children. Not only just for young children, but this activity also aims at intercultural understanding. Sometimes guest educator from abroad join the activity. Video letter exchange was successful even though there is a language barrier. For assessment of the activity, I have recorded the voice of children. I will present various examples of written records and their analysis of activites, at nursery, kindergarten, preschool, after-school day care for primary school children, and other sites. I hope exchanging the record will make a worldwide connection among educators for very young children.

Astronomy Outreach Activities for Special Needs Children and Their Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2008-05-01

While there are outreach programs for the public and for children, there are few programs for special needs children. Here I describe two NASA-IDEAS/STSc funded outreach programs I created for special needs children using telescope observations (including remote and robotic observations) and hands-on astronomy activities. The target audience is seriously ill children and their families who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island in conjunction the children's surgery and medical treatments or children hospitalized at the Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center at Winthrop University Hospital. These educational activities help children and their families learn about astronomy while providing a diversion to take their minds off their illness during a stressful time. I have also conducted a similar program in camps for special needs children. These programs should be expanded so that special needs children and their families part of the IYA 2009 activities.

Astronomy Outreach Activities for Special Needs Children and Their Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.

2008-11-01

While there are outreach programs for the public and for children, there are few programs for special needs children. Here I describe two NASA-IDEAS/STScI funded outreach programs I created for special needs children using telescope observations (including remote observations) and hands-on astronomy activities. The target audience is seriously ill children and their families who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island in conjunction the children's medical treatments or children hospitalized at the Children's Medical Center at Winthrop University Hospital. These educational activities help children and their families learn about astronomy while providing a diversion to take their minds off their illness during a stressful time. I have also conducted a similar program in camps for special needs children. These programs should be expanded so that special needs children and their families are part of the IYA2009 activities.

Space-Based Astronomy: An Educator Guide with Activities for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogt, Gregory L.

2001-01-01

If you go to the country, far from city lights, you can see about 3,000 stars on a clear night. If your eyes were bigger, you could see many more stars. With a pair of binoculars, an optical device that effectively enlarges the pupil of your eye by about 30 times, the number of stars you can see increases to the tens of thousands. With a medium-sized telescope with a light-collecting mirror 30 centimeters in diameter, you can see hundreds of thousands of stars. With a large observatory telescope, millions of stars become visible. This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy--astronomical observations made from outer space. It is not intended to serve as a curriculum. Instead, teachers should select activities from this guide that support and extend existing study. The guide contains few of the traditional activities found in many astronomy guides such as constellation studies, lunar phases, and planetary orbits. It tells, rather, the story of why it is important to observe celestial objects from outer space and how to study the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Teachers are encouraged to adapt these activities for the particular needs of their students. When selected activities from this guide are used in conjunction with traditional astronomy curricula, students benefit from a more complete experience.

Stakeholders' Opinions on "Let the Schools Become Life" Project in Scope of Lifelong Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karatas, Süleyman

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to find out the opinions of school administrators, teachers, staff, benefiting students and parents and other stakeholders of "Let the Schools Become Life" project being carried out in order to reveal the effectiveness and efficiency of the project. Data in this qualitative research was gathered by…

Artificial intelligence in astronomy - a forecast.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adorf, H. M.

Since several years artificial intelligence techniques are being actively used in astronomy, particularly within the Hubble Space Telescope project. This contribution reviews achievements, analyses some problems of using artificial intelligence in an astronomical environment, and projects current AI programming trends into the future.

Present and future of astronomy in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soonthornthum, Boonrucksar

2018-05-01

Investments in national astronomical facilities and human resources through the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand have led to the rapid growth of astronomy in Thailand. Ongoing activities in key research areas, education and outreach will lead to further sustainable development.

Coyotes, Skunks, and Bears in the Sky --- A Multicultural Approach to Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, N. R.; Lebofsky, L. A.; Canizo, T.

1994-12-01

Staff and teacher/facilitators from the ARTIST (Astronomy-Related Teacher Inservice Training) and ACCESS! (All Children Can Explore the Solar System!) PROJECTS use myths, legends, creative writing, and related activities to augment astronomy lessons. In both elementary and middle school classrooms teachers use an integrated curriculum approach to extend the science lesson into language arts, social studies, fine arts, and math. Reading, writing, storytelling, and art projects blend easily with lessons on constellations, planets, Sun, Moon, and sky. Including myths and legends from a variety of cultures and time periods underscores the universal appeal of both sky-watching and creativity. Through a variety of inservice programs and materials development, the authors provide scientific background and classroom activities for teachers in grades K--8. Project facilitators report marked improvement in primary grade reading and writing skills and improved language acquisition for bilingual students when a high interest topic such as astronomy is introduced and integrated with language arts lessons. Facilitators have used astronomy to empower special education students to share both their knowledge and appreciation of the universe with the general school population. A slide-and-music presentation and samples of student work will highlight activities developed through PROJECT ARTIST. PROJECT ARTIST is funded by the National Science Foundation. PROJECT ACCESS! is funded by the Arizona Board of Regents (Eisenhower Math and Science Program).

Contributions of the Spanish Astronomical Society to the International Year of Astronomy 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montesinos, B.

The Spanish Astronomical Society, SEA in the Spanish acronym of "Sociedad Española de Astronomía", is one of the many institutions contributing to the large number of activities coordinated by the Spanish node of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA-2009). In this paper I describe the activities programmed with a large participation of members of the Society.

Applying Experiments Designed to an Extension Course in Astronomy for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosado, Ricardo Meloni Martins; Mota, Aline Tiara

2015-07-01

This paper presents some experimental activities conducted in an extension course in Astronomy applied to high school students from public and private schools in a town located in the state of Minas Gerais. Seven activities were chosen, among others, to report the impressions of the authors. Some suggestions of application that may be helpful to others teachers are also made.

The space shuttle payload planning working groups. Volume 3: High energy astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The findings of the High Energy Astrophysics working group of the space shuttle payload planning activity are presented. The objectives to be accomplished during space shuttle missions are defined as: (1) X-ray astronomy, (2) hard X-ray and gamma ray astronomy, and (3) cosmic ray astronomy. The instruments and test equipment required to accomplish the mission are identified. Recommendations for managing the installation of the equipment and conducting the missions are included.

Commission 41: History of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggles, Clive; Kochhar, Rajesh; Il-Seong, Nha; Belmonte, Juan; Corbin, Brenda; de Jong, Teije; Norris, Ray; Pigatto, Luisa; Soma, Mitsuru; Sterken, Chris; Xiaochun, Sun

2012-04-01

Commission 41 was created at the VIIth IAU General Assembly in Zürich in 1948. From an inauspicious start-Otto Neugebauer was appointed the first President in his absence, but proceeded to express his conviction that ``an international organization in the history of astronomy has no positive function. . .my only activity during my term of service consisted in iterated attempts to resign''-the Commission quickly assumed a key role in the international development of the history of astronomy as an academic discipline.

Tactile Sun: Bringing an Invisible Universe to the Visually Impaired

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isidro, G. M.; Pantoja, C. A.

2014-07-01

A tactile model of the Sun has been created as a strategy for communicating astronomy to the blind or visually impaired, and as a useful outreach tool for general audiences. The model design was a collaboration between an education specialist, an astronomy specialist and a sculptor. The tactile Sun has been used at astronomy outreach events in Puerto Rico to make activities more inclusive and to increase public awareness of the needs of those with disabilities.

Bringing Astronomy Directly to New Audiences (50,000 People) at Outdoor Concerts and Music Festivals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.

2014-07-01

My NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) has brought astronomy to 50,000 music lovers at the National Mall (co-sponsor OSTP); Central Park Jazz, Newport Folk, Ravinia, or Tanglewood music festivals; and classical, folk, pop/rock, opera, Caribbean, or county-western concerts in parks assisted by astronomy clubs (55 events since 2009). Yo-Yo-Ma, the Chicago and Boston Symphony Orchestras, Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, Phish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Deep Purple, Tony Orlando, and Wilco performed at these events. MAUS combines solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; large posters/banners (From the Earth to the Universe; Visions of the Universe); videos; hands-on activities (Night Sky Network; Harvard-Smithsonian CfA); imaging with a cell phone mount; and hand-outs (info on science museums, astronomy clubs, and citizen science) before and after the concerts or at intermission. MAUS reached underserved groups and attracted large enthusiastic crowds. Many young children participated in this family learning experience-often the first time they looked through a telescope. Outcomes: While < 50% of the participants took part in a science museum or activity in the past year (survey result), they found MAUS enjoyable and understandable; learned about astronomy; wanted to learn more; and increased their interest in science (ave. rating 3.6/4). Taking science directly to people is effective in promoting science education!

The AAS Taskforce on Diversity and Inclusion in Graduate Education: a Proposed White Paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudolph, Alexander L.

2018-06-01

At the January 2017 AAS meeting in Texas, the AAS Council approved the creation of a Graduate Education Taskforce focusing on Diversity and Inclusion. This task force is conducting a review of practices in recruiting, admissions, and retention in PhD programs in astronomy (including astronomy programs in departments of physics and astronomy). It is also engaging the broader astronomical community and selected outside experts in diversity in STEM in a discussion of best practices in these activities, with the goal of promoting diversity (race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, disability status, etc.) and inclusion in astronomy PhD programs. Building on the Nashville Recommendations from the Inclusive Astronomy 2015 meeting, the task force is developing a set of specific recommendations with the aim of endorsement by the AAS, in parallel with a campaign to get them adopted by astronomy departments. Finally, the task force will suggest and push adoption of a set of permanent measurements to be collected by the AAS to track progress on these goals. There is a separate special session at this meeting intended to report on the task force’s progress and to solicit community input on its draft recommendations to date.This presentation will give a brief overview of the task force's charge and activities and their plans to turn their final report into a White Paper for the Decadal Survey.

Building Astronomy Curriculum to Include the Sight Impaired: Week long summer camp activities for Middle School Students adherent to Washington State Curriculum Standards (EALR's)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramien, Natalie; Loebman, S. R.; Player, V.; Larson, A.; Torcolini, N. B.; Traverse, A.

2011-01-01

Currently astronomy learning is heavily geared towards visual aids; however, roughly 10 million people in North America are sight impaired. Every student should have access to meaningful astronomy curriculum; an understanding of astronomy is an expectation of national and state science learning requirements. Over the last ten years, Noreen Grice has developed Braille and large print astronomy text books aimed at sight impaired learners. We build upon Grice's written work and present here a five day lesson plan that integrates 2D reading with 3D activities. Through this curriculum, students develop an intuitive understanding of astronomical distance, size, composition and lifetimes. We present five distinct lesson modules that can be taught individually or in a sequential form: the planets, our sun, stars, stellar evolution and galaxies. We have tested these modules on sight impaired students and report the results here. Overall, we find the work presented here lends itself equally well to a week long science camp geared toward middle school sight impaired taught by astronomers or as supplemental material integrated into a regular classroom science curriculum. This work was made possible by a 2007 Simple Effective Education and Dissemination (SEED) Grant For Astronomy Researchers, Astronomical Society of the Pacific through funds provided by the Planck Mission, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.

Pushing Glass: Engaging Young People in Astronomy Through Amateur Mirror Making Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine; Slater, K.; Drew, B.

2008-05-01

More than any other science, astronomy has benefited from the work of well-trained, enthusiastic and dedicated amateurs. In an online survey of more than 1100 amateur astronomers conducted by Storksdieck et al., 63% of respondents reported being engaged in educational outreach. Such activities aid in the recruitment of young members to amateur associations in an attempt to stem the well-known "graying” of the field. One of the activities utilized by amateur astronomy groups to excite both young people and the general public about astronomy is mirror and telescope making. In 1925, Arctic explorer, architect, and optical and mechanical designer Russell Porter asked an interviewer, "Why not make your own telescope? Astronomy would mean a lot more to you if you did.” Today, the Springfield Telescope Makers of Vermont carry on their founder's tradition of promoting amateur telescope making and the enjoyment of the night sky through regular mirror making classes. Among the target groups included in these classes are young people, some still in elementary school. In doing so, the STMs capitalize on research which demonstrates that interest in astronomy not only peaks around the transition between elementary and middle school, but also that the widely-reported gender gap in achievement and interest in science begins at this crucial juncture. This poster reports on the results of a study of mirror making classes conducted by the STMs and nine other amateur astronomy groups in the Northeast U.S., including class organizers’ reflections on their successes and challenges in recruiting and retaining young men and women through the completion of a workable telescope mirror.

Use of tactile materials for Astronomy teaching for visually- and hearing- impaired public schools in Minas Gerais

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paganotti, A.; Reis, C.; Voelzke, M. R.

2017-12-01

This work deals with the use of tactile materials as a pedagogical tool for the teaching of Astronomy, and this material was used in a didactic activity with 44 students of the public elementary school in Minas Gerais. A visually impaired student and another hearing impaired participated, being these the focus of the research. With the tactile visual material elaborated, the objective was to develop themes such as phases of the Moon, eclipses and Solar System. Two questionnaires were applied and revealed an improvement in the concepts related to Astronomy and in the socialization of disabled students with the group after the didactic activity.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids! Year 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokal, Kimberly R.; Johnson, K. E.; Barcos-Munoz, L. D.; Beaton, R.; Borish, J.; Crawford, S. B.; Corby, J.; Damke, G.; Dean, J.; Dorsey, G.; Jackson, L.; Liss, S.; Oza, A.; Peacock, S.; Prager, B.; Romero, C.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Walker, L.; Whelan, D. G.; Zucker, C.

2013-01-01

Aiming to engage young children's natural excitement and curiosity, the outreach group Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) brings a hands-on approach to astronomy to elementary schools in Virginia. We hope to enhance children's view and understanding of science while exploring the Universe using fun activities. DSBK focuses on rural and underserved schools in Albemarle County and offers a semester-long astronomy club for third through fifth grade students. We believe regular interactions foster personal relationships between students and volunteers that encourage a life-long interest in science. In our fourth year of hosting clubs, we returned to Ivy Creek Elementary School, where we saw wonderful responses from a special group of students with `low-incidence' disabilities. DSBK has grown to realize a broader reach beyond local astronomy clubs; we hope to ignite a spark of interest in astronomy and science more widely- in more children, their families, and their teachers. We also hosted the Second Annual Central Virginia Star Party with an open invitation to the community to encourage families to enjoy astronomy together. Throughout the year, DSBK now holds 'one-off' programs (akin to astronomy field days) for elementary schools and children's groups throughout Virginia. Furthermore, we are in the final stages of a project to create two bilingual astronomy books called "Snapshots of the Universe", in Spanish and French with English translations. This art book will be made available online and we are working to get a copy in every elementary school in the state. DSBK has begun to reach out to elementary school teachers in order to provide them with useful and engaging classroom material. We have adapted our volunteer-created activities into useful and ready-to-use lessons, available online. After improvements based on research through interactions and feedback from teachers, we have explicitly identified the learning goals in terms of Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) and the materials necessary to run each activity.

Southern Africa Regional Office of Astronomy for Development: A New Hub for Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siseho Mutondo, Moola

2015-08-01

A new Astronomy for Development hub needs innovative tools and programs. SAROAD is developing exciting tools integrating Raspberry Pi® technology to bring cost-effective astronomy content to learning centres. SAROAD would also like to report achievements in realising the IAU's strategic plan. In order to manage, evaluate and coordinate regional IAU capacity building programmes, including the recruitment and mobilisation of volunteers, SAROAD has built an intranet that is accessible to regional members upon request. Using this resource, regional members can see and participate in regional activities. This resource also forms the foundation for closer collaboration between SAROAD member countries. SAROAD has commenced with projects in the three Task Force areas of Universities and Research, Children and Schools and Public Outreach. Under the three Task Force areas, a total of seven projects have commenced in Zambia. A further two projects involve the collaboration of Zambia and other regional member countries in order to foster engagement with important regional astronomy facilities (e.g. SKA). SAROAD has identified the IAU’s International Year of Light and a starting point for offering regional support for IAU-endorsed global activities. SAROAD has set up a hub dedicated to regional events and activities about the International Year of Light. SAROAD has a database of regional authorities to enable contact with the region's decision makers and experts. SAROAD will hold an annual event which brings forum for astronomy for development. The creation of the database and the SAROAD Road show is a first step towards this goal. The SAROAD website has helped to advertise upcoming events for astronomy development and education; it is used to provide advice, guidance and information for astronomers in all countries in the Southern Africa. Fundraising is the primary goal for SAROAD in 2015 towards financial self-sufficiency by 2020. We report on the methods that work best for us and the outcomes. We also report on our efforts to promote collaboration between SAROAD and other ROADS.

Astronomy Education Programs at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagy, Katie; de Messieres, G.; Edson, S.

2014-01-01

Astronomy educators present the range of astronomy education programming available at the National Air and Space Museum, including the following. In the Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory, visitors use telescopes and other scientific equipment to observe and discuss the Sun, Venus, and other celestial sights in an unstructured, inquiry-based environment. At Discovery Stations throughout the Museum, staff and volunteers engage visitors in hands-on exploration of a wide range of artifacts and teaching materials. Astronomy-related Discovery Stations include Cosmic Survey, an exploration of gravitational lensing using a rubber sheet, spectroscopy using discharge tubes, and several others. Astronomy lectures in the planetarium or IMAX theater, featuring researchers as the speakers, include a full evening of activities: a custom pre-lecture Discovery Station, a handout to help visitors explore the topic in more depth, and evening stargazing at the Public Observatory. Astronomy educators present planetarium shows, including star tours and explorations of recent science news. During Astronomy Chat, an astronomy researcher engages visitors in an informal conversation about science. The goal is to make the public feel welcome in the environment of professional research and to give busy scientists a convenient outreach opportunity. Astronomy educators also recruit, train, and coordinate a corps of volunteers who contribute their efforts to the programming above. The volunteer program has grown significantly since the Public Observatory was built in 2009.

Communicating astronomy with the public in Cuba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, O.

2008-06-01

Communicating astronomy with the public to produce attractive materials for a broad audience on TV is a difficult job in a third world country. One way of developing effective communication in fields like astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology whilst connecting the professional astronomer with a majority of the people is to combine the knowledge of the scientist with the most spectacular TV production methods of first world countries: integrating, through commentary and analysis, astronomy and science into the public debate of lay citizens. Here I present my ten years of experience of presenting a TV programme devoted to general science outreach. I also comment on the progress of the construction of the new planetarium, a cultural centre for science and technology, to be opened as part of the commemoration activities for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. It is hoped to guide the interest of the people of Cuba towards basic science and astronomy in the most populated and frequented area of the country.

Identification and Support of Outstanding Astronomy Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoev, A. D.; Bozhurova, E. S.

2006-08-01

The aims, organizational plan and syllabus of a specialized Astronomy School with a subject of training students for participation in the International Astronomy Olympiad, are presented. Thematic frame includes basic educational activities during the preparation and self-preparation of the students and their participation in astronomical Olympiads. A model of identification and selection of outstanding students for astronomical Olympiads has been developed. Examples of didactic systems of problems for development of mathematical, physical and astronomical skills are shown. The programme ends with individual training for solving problems on astronomy and astrophysics. Possibilities, which the characteristic, non-standard astronomical problems give for stimulating the creative and original thinking, are specified. Basic psychological condition for development of the students' creative potential - transformation of the cognitive content in emotional one - is demonstrated. The programme of identification and support of outstanding students on astronomy is realized in collaboration with The Ministry of Education and Science, Public Astronomical Observatories and Planetaria, Institute of Astronomy - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and The Union of Astronomers in Bulgaria.

Hvězdářství krále Jana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Černá, Alena M.; Hadrava, Petr; Hadravová, Alena; Stluka, Martin

The critical edition of the collection "King John's Astronomy" is based on the Old Czech manuscript written at the beginning of the 15th century which is preserved at the Library of the National Museum in Prague (ms. II F 14). The collection consists of several separate parts - first of all it contains astronomical and astrological treatises refering to Ptolemy's works. Explanations on the impact of the seven planets and twelve zodiacal signs on the fate of man, who was born under their influence, prevail in the texts. The texts which are connected with Hippocrates and Galenos' doctrines about humoral physiology and humoral pathology are another subject. They are supplemented by a treatise on blood-letting and by pharmaceutical instructions on different weight units. Another treatise deals with God, God's acts and with human fate. The manuscript also contains calendar tools for the calculation of Easter and other feasts during the year. The origin of this Old Czech text coincides with the period of the development of national languages as languages of science. Vocabulary contained in the manuscript is rich. It yields evidence about the formation of terminological systems in various fields involved in the collection. The Old Czech language of this literary monument exhibits unexpectedly archaic features. The present edition is a result of interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers from the fields of diachronic Bohemistics, classical philology, and astronomy. The publication is completed with the critical apparatus, indices, vocabulary, by a list of the chosen literature and other related supplements.

Astronomy Education and Teacher Training in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirbiyik, Halil

In this talk, education in astronomy and space sciences in schools in Turkey as well as activities to create awareness in these subjects will be discussed. A search done among youngsters(ages from 15 to 24) for measuring the scientific literacy showed that most attractive subjects to the Turkish younsters are “internet” and “astronomy”. This result led authorities to take necessary measures to fill the gap especially in teaching material such as books. Another attempt along this is to increase astronomy subjects in the school curricula. Besides TUBITAK National Observatory, universities and Turkish Astronomical Society are giving every efort to create public awareness of space activities and space sciences. As for the teacher training in astronomy and space sciences, much has been done but no success has come yet. Astronomy subjects, in schools, are generally taught not by astronomers but some other substitutes from other branches, such as physics and mathematics. Thus the Ministry of Education prefers training teachers in service. Nevertheless it must be stated that astronomers are pushing forward to formally have the right to train astronomers to become teachers to be hired by the Ministry of Education in schools.

Encouraging a Culture of Outreach in Astronomy Clubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, J.; Berendsen, M.; Schultz, G.; Gurton, S.; Santascoy, J.; White, V.; Frank, K.; Jones, E.; Yocco, V.; John, M. S.; Castori, P.

2014-07-01

Astronomy clubs constitute a “marching army” of knowledgeable, experienced astronomy enthusiasts deployed in a national network: an important resource for engaging the public through educational outreach events and activities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Inverness Research, Inc., has been engaged in a multi-year NSF-supported project focusing on this network and its potential to advance astronomy education and outreach. The project has explored the culture of astronomy clubs, identified impediments to building cultures of outreach within clubs, and developed and introduced new mechanisms to overcome these impediments and enhance clubs' abilities to encourage and sustain cultures that value and promote outreach efforts. This paper shares initial research, development and evaluation findings of the project, and describes ongoing supplemental efforts that continue to advance project objectives.

The Astronomical League

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, J. A.; Stevens, B. L.

2000-10-01

Founded over fifty years ago, the League is the largest general astronomy society in the world. It is a recognized non-profit, educational organization, promoting the science of astronomy. This includes astronomical education, research, individual observing of the heavens and coordination between the amateur and professional astronomy communities. The Astronomical League publishes a quarterly newsletter, the "Reflector", which details amateur activities and amateur collaboration with professional astronomers. The League's Observing Clubs hone the skills of the amateur astronomer in using their telescopes. These clubs provide awards to encourge observing and learning the sky. More general awards are presented to encourage amateur astronomy and the science of astronomy. These include the National Young Astronomer Award, amd the Horkheimer Planetary Imaging Award. They also sponsor conventions on both the National and Regional levels. This year's national is in Ventura, California, next year, near Washington, D.C.

Problems and Projects from Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, H. R.

1991-01-01

Describes activities to stimulate school astronomy programs. Topics include: counting stars; the Earth's centripetal force; defining astronomical time; three types of sundials; perceptions of star brightness; sunspots and solar radiation; stellar spectroscopy; number-crunching and the molecular structure of the atmosphere; the Earth-Moon common…

Blockage of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and upregulation of let 7b are critically involved in ursolic acid induced apoptosis in malignant mesothelioma cell

PubMed Central

Sohn, Eun Jung; Won, Gunho; Lee, Jihyun; Yoon, Sang Wook; Lee, Ilho; Kim, Hee Jeong; Kim, Sung-Hoon

2016-01-01

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPN), which is caused by asbestos exposure, is one of aggressive lung tumors. In the present study, we elucidated the anti-tumor mechanism of ursolic acid in malignant mesotheliomas. Ursolic acid significantly exerted cytotoxicity in a time and dose dependent manner in H28, H2452 and MSTO-211H mesothelioma cells and inhibited cell proliferation by colony formation assay in a dose-dependent fashion. Also, ursolic acid treatment accumulated the sub-G1 population, attenuated the expression of procapase 9, cyclin D1, pAKT, p-glycogen synthase kinase 3-alpha/beta (pGSK3α/β), β-catenin and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB) and also cleaved caspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in mesothelioma cells. Furthermore, ursolic acid treatment blocked epithelial and mesenchymal transition (EMT) molecules by activating E-cadherin as an epithelial marker and attenuating Vimentin, and Twist as mesenchymal molecules. Interestingly, miRNA array revealed that 23 miRNAs (>2 folds) including let-7b and miRNA3613-5p, miRNA134 and miRNA196b were significantly upregulated while 33 miRNAs were downregulated in ursolic acid treated H2452 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of let 7b using let-7b mimics enhanced the antitumor effect of ursolic acid to attenuate the expression of procaspases 3, pro-PARP, pAKT, β-catenin and Twist and increase sub-G1 accumulation in H2452 mesothelioma cells. Overall, our findings suggest that ursolic acid induces apoptosis via inhibition of EMT and activation of let7b in mesothelioma cells as a potent chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of malignant mesotheliomas. PMID:28090191

Activities of the Sociedad Española de Astronomia during the International Year of Astronomy 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montesinos, B.

2011-11-01

In this paper we summarize the activities carried out by the SpanishAstronomical Society during the International Year of Astronomy2009. The Society contributed with several key projects to the overallpool of actions coordinated from the National Node, trying -andachieving- to reach as many people as possible through thepublication and free distribution of the book "Astronomia madein Spain" and a collaboration with the digital edition of El Paisduring the entire year 2009. Other activities and by-products are alsodescribed.

Scopes for Schools: What do students know about light and mirrors?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stassun, K.; Fabian, D.; Brissenden, G.; Lattis, J.

2002-05-01

The 'Scopes for Schools Project is an inquiry- and standards-based program that unites K-12 teachers, students, and professional astronomers to conduct outreach, curriculum development, and teacher professional development in astronomy. The main activities of S4S ('Scopes for Schools) are a teacher professional development workshop to increase teachers' astronomy content and pedagogical content knowledge, provide modeled curriculum activities, and the physical materials needed for doing astronomy in the classroom. We then build low-cost, high-quaility Dobsonian telescopes in the classroom with the students supplemented with fun, collaborative, inquiry-based astronomy activities. Finally, we help support the new teacher partners by assisting with star parties and astronomy club development. Previously, the curriculum development aspects of S4S have focused on post-telescope building activities, but in an attempt to provide a clear understanding of the optical properties of a telescope, we have developed an activity that explores how light interacts with a bare mirror. By grades 6-8, we have observed strongly held alternative conceptions about sight, the nature of light, and its interaction with reflective surfaces. We specifically and rigorously address this problem and the Benchmark ``Something can be "seen" when light waves emitted or reflected by it enter the eye-just as something can be "heard" when sound waves from it enter the ear.'' (Project 2061) with an activity that encourages students to manipulate a mirror and a light source to discover how images are formed. Students also gain experience with multiple variables in an experiment and the idea that it may not be possible to prevent outside factors from influencing the experiment. We discuss how this ``mirror activity'' relates to the cognitive development of students, the standards, and the greater S4S project. The 'Scopes for Schools Project has recieved funding from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and a Chandra EPO grant.

III Astronomy School: the world of stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdivielso, L.

2015-05-01

The Astronomy School is an activity organized by the Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón. It is celebrated every year at the end of the summer or the beginning of autumn with the purpose of bringing Astronomy and Astrophysics to the population from an educational and a training point of view. Its III Edition, held in October 2013, has been financed by the Spanish Astronomical Society and was focused on stellar physics. This contribution describes the School and the results.

The astronomy education through interactive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voelzke, Marcos Rincon; Macedo, Josue

This study presents results of a survey conducted at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), and aimed to investigate the potentialities of the use of interactive materials in the teaching of astronomy. An advanced training course with involved learning activities about basic concepts of astronomy was offered to thirty-two Licenciate students in Physics, Mathematics and Biological Sciences, using the mixed methodology, combined with the three pedagogical moments. Among other aspects, the viability of the use of resources was noticed, involving digital technologies and interactive materials on teaching of astronomy, which may contribute to the broadening of methodological options for future teachers and meet their training needs.

Astronomy education through interactive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voelzke, Marcos Rincon; Antunes de Macêdo, Josué

2015-08-01

This study presents results of a survey conducted at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), and aimed to investigate the potentialities of the use of interactive materials in the teaching of astronomy. An advanced training course with involved learning activities about basic concepts of astronomy was offered to thirty-two Licenciate students in Physics, Mathematics and Biological Sciences, using the mixed methodology, combined with the three pedagogical moments. Among other aspects, the viability of the use of resources was noticed, involving digital technologies and interactive materials on teaching of astronomy, which may contribute to the broadening of methodological options for future teachers and meet their training needs.

Research on the potential use of interactive materials on astronomy education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voelzke, Marcos Rincon; Macedo, Josue

2016-07-01

This study presents results of a survey conducted at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), and aimed to investigate the potentialities of the use of interactive materials in the teaching of astronomy. An advanced training course with involved learning activities about basic concepts of astronomy was offered to thirty-two Licenciate students in Physics, Mathematics and Biological Sciences, using the mixed methodology, combined with the three pedagogical moments. Among other aspects, the viability of the use of resources was noticed, involving digital technologies and interactive materials on teaching of astronomy, which may contribute to the broadening of methodological options for future teachers and meet their training needs.

Exploring Metacogntive Visual Literacy Tasks for Teaching Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, S.; Dwyer, W.

2010-01-01

Undoubtedly, astronomy is a scientific enterprise which often results in colorful and inspirational images of the cosmos that naturally capture our attention. Students encountering astronomy in the college classroom are often bombarded with images, movies, simulations, conceptual cartoons, graphs, and charts intended to convey the substance and technological advancement inherent in astronomy. For students who self-identify themselves as visual learners, this aspect can make the science of astronomy come alive. For students who naturally attend to visual aesthetics, this aspect can make astronomy seem relevant. In other words, the visual nature that accompanies much of the scientific realm of astronomy has the ability to connect a wide range of students to science, not just those few who have great abilities and inclinations toward the mathematical analysis world. Indeed, this is fortunate for teachers of astronomy, who actively try to find ways to connect and build astronomical understanding with a broad range of student interests, motivations, and abilities. In the context of learning science, metacognition describes students’ self-monitoring, -regulation, and -awareness when thinking about learning. As such, metacognition is one of the foundational pillars supporting what we know about how people learn. Yet, the astronomy teaching and learning community knows very little about how to operationalize and support students’ metacognition in the classroom. In response, the Conceptual Astronomy, Physics and Earth sciences Research (CAPER) Team is developing and pilot-testing metacogntive tasks in the context of astronomy that focus on visual literacy of astronomical phenomena. In the initial versions, students are presented with a scientifically inaccurate narrative supposedly describing visual information, including images and graphical information, and asked to assess and correct the narrative, in the form of peer evaluation. To guide student thinking, students are provided with a scaffolded series of multiple-choice questions highlighting conceptual aspects of the prompt.

Dynein-mediated trafficking negatively regulates LET-23 EGFR signaling

PubMed Central

Skorobogata, Olga; Meng, Jassy; Gauthier, Kimberley; Rocheleau, Christian E.

2016-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is essential for animal development, and increased signaling underlies many human cancers. Identifying the genes and cellular processes that regulate EGFR signaling in vivo will help to elucidate how this pathway can become inappropriately activated. Caenorhabditis elegans vulva development provides an in vivo model to genetically dissect EGFR signaling. Here we identified a mutation in dhc-1, the heavy chain of the cytoplasmic dynein minus end–directed microtubule motor, in a genetic screen for regulators of EGFR signaling. Despite the many cellular functions of dynein, DHC-1 is a strong negative regulator of EGFR signaling during vulva induction. DHC-1 is required in the signal-receiving cell and genetically functions upstream or in parallel to LET-23 EGFR. LET-23 EGFR accumulates in cytoplasmic foci in dhc-1 mutants, consistent with mammalian cell studies in which dynein is shown to regulate late endosome trafficking of EGFR with the Rab7 GTPase. However, we found different distributions of LET-23 EGFR foci in rab-7 versus dhc-1 mutants, suggesting that dynein functions at an earlier step of LET-23 EGFR trafficking to the lysosome than RAB-7. Our results demonstrate an in vivo role for dynein in limiting LET-23 EGFR signaling via endosomal trafficking. PMID:27654944

A Network of Chromatin Factors Is Regulating the Transition to Postembryonic Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Erdelyi, Peter; Wang, Xing; Suleski, Marina; Wicky, Chantal

2016-01-01

Mi2 proteins are evolutionarily conserved, ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers of the CHD family that play key roles in stem cell differentiation and reprogramming. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the let-418 gene encodes one of the two Mi2 homologs, which is part of at least two chromatin complexes, namely the Nucleosome Remodeling and histone Deacetylase (NuRD) complex and the MEC complex, and functions in larval development, vulval morphogenesis, lifespan regulation, and cell fate determination. To explore the mechanisms involved in the action of LET-418/Mi2, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen for suppressors of early larval arrest associated with let-418 mutations. We identified 29 suppressor genes, of which 24 encode chromatin regulators, mostly orthologs of proteins present in transcriptional activator complexes. The remaining five genes vary broadly in their predicted functions. All suppressor genes could suppress multiple aspects of the let-418 phenotype, including developmental arrest and ectopic expression of germline genes in the soma. Analysis of available transcriptomic data and quantitative PCR revealed that LET-418 and the suppressors of early larval arrest are regulating common target genes. These suppressors might represent direct competitors of LET-418 complexes for chromatin regulation of crucial genes involved in the transition to postembryonic development. PMID:28007841

A Network of Chromatin Factors Is Regulating the Transition to Postembryonic Development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Erdelyi, Peter; Wang, Xing; Suleski, Marina; Wicky, Chantal

2017-02-09

Mi2 proteins are evolutionarily conserved, ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers of the CHD family that play key roles in stem cell differentiation and reprogramming. In Caenorhabditis elegans , the let-418 gene encodes one of the two Mi2 homologs, which is part of at least two chromatin complexes, namely the Nucleosome Remodeling and histone Deacetylase (NuRD) complex and the MEC complex, and functions in larval development, vulval morphogenesis, lifespan regulation, and cell fate determination. To explore the mechanisms involved in the action of LET-418/Mi2, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen for suppressors of early larval arrest associated with let-418 mutations. We identified 29 suppressor genes, of which 24 encode chromatin regulators, mostly orthologs of proteins present in transcriptional activator complexes. The remaining five genes vary broadly in their predicted functions. All suppressor genes could suppress multiple aspects of the let-418 phenotype, including developmental arrest and ectopic expression of germline genes in the soma. Analysis of available transcriptomic data and quantitative PCR revealed that LET-418 and the suppressors of early larval arrest are regulating common target genes. These suppressors might represent direct competitors of LET-418 complexes for chromatin regulation of crucial genes involved in the transition to postembryonic development. Copyright © 2017 Erdelyi et al.

Multicultural Milky Way: Ethnoastronomy and Planetarium Shows for Under-served Arizonans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, Karen

2018-01-01

The astronomy outreach initiative, Multicultural Milky Way, partners the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at Arizona State University (ASU) with under-served populations in Arizona in learning about our Milky Way and other galaxies. Arizona is home to many diverse populations with rich cultural histories such as Mayan, Navajo, and Apache. Linking astronomy practiced by one’s indigenous culture to that of Western astronomy may increase the interest in science. Through multicultural planetarium shows and associated hands-on activities, under-served students and families will learn how the Milky Way is represented in different cultures and about the science of galaxies. New planetarium shows using the Mesa Community College (MCC) Digital Planetarium and STARLAB portable planetarium explore how the Milky Way is interpreted in different cultures. STARLAB shows and associated new hands-on activities have been featured during school visits, teacher trainings, and Community Astronomy Nights around Arizona. For authentic assessment, evaluation techniques and procedures were developed.

Introducing the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurton, S.; Fienberg, R. T.; Fraknoi, A.; Prather, E. E.

2013-04-01

Newly established by the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the Astronomy Ambassadors program is designed to support early-career AAS members with training in resources and techniques for effective outreach to students and/or the public. A pilot Astronomy Ambassadors workshop will be held at the January 2013 AAS meeting. Workshop participants will learn to communicate effectively with public and school audiences; find outreach opportunities and establish ongoing partnerships with local schools, science centers, museums, parks, and/or community centers; reach audiences with personal stories, hands-on activities, and jargon-free language; identify strategies and techniques to improve their presentation skills; gain access to a menu of outreach resources that work in a variety of settings; and become part of an active community of astronomers who do outreach. Applications are welcome from advanced undergraduates (those doing research and committed to continuing in astronomy), graduate students, and postdocs and new faculty in their first two years after receipt of the PhD. We especially encourage applications from members of groups that are presently underrepresented in science.

Organizing Astronomy Popularization and Teacher Training Workshops in Nigeria: A paradigm shift in Sourcing funds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chukwudi Okpala, Kingsley; Iheanyi Okere, Bonaventure

2015-08-01

Funding for astronomy popularization and workshops has become a huge challenge in recent times especially for developing countries like Nigeria. However, a modification of the primary and secondary school curriculum to include space science topics in the school system has led to a ripe desire by the relevant agencies/corporate bodies to make commitments towards the astronomy popularization activities as part of their social responsibility. Considering the size of Nigeria, there is need for a shift in paradigm for sourcing resources to tackle the dart of funds for organizing educational activities in a sustainable manner. Recently a teacher training and science popularization workshop was organized as a first in a series of subsequent workshops geared towards having a sustainable means of popularizing astronomy for development in Nigeria. Principally, the key lies in the partnership with schools and other corporate bodies in addition to the usual governmental actions. Experiences from this workshop will be enumerated with the hope of inspiring the same success in similar societies.

Elevation of Il6 is associated with disturbed let-7 biogenesis in a genetic model of depression

PubMed Central

Wei, Y B; Liu, J J; Villaescusa, J C; Åberg, E; Brené, S; Wegener, G; Mathé, A A; Lavebratt, C

2016-01-01

Elevation of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been implicated in depression; however, the mechanisms remain elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that inhibit gene expression post-transcriptionally. The lethal-7 (let-7) miRNA family was suggested to be involved in the inflammation process and IL-6 was shown to be one of its targets. In the present study, we report elevation of Il6 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of a genetic rat model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) compared to the control Flinders Resistant Line. This elevation was associated with an overexpression of LIN28B and downregulation of let-7 miRNAs, the former an RNA-binding protein that selectively represses let-7 synthesis. Also DROSHA, a key enzyme in miRNA biogenesis was downregulated in FSL. Running was previously shown to have an antidepressant-like effect in the FSL rat. We found that running reduced Il6 levels and selectively increased let-7i and miR-98 expression in the PFC of FSL, although there were no differences in LIN28B and DROSHA expression. Pri-let-7i was upregulated in the running FSL group, which associated with increased histone H4 acetylation. In conclusion, the disturbance of let-7 family biogenesis may underlie increased proinflammatory markers in the depressed FSL rats while physical activity could reduce their expression, possibly through regulating primary miRNA expression via epigenetic mechanisms. PMID:27529677

Elevation of Il6 is associated with disturbed let-7 biogenesis in a genetic model of depression.

PubMed

Wei, Y B; Liu, J J; Villaescusa, J C; Åberg, E; Brené, S; Wegener, G; Mathé, A A; Lavebratt, C

2016-08-16

Elevation of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been implicated in depression; however, the mechanisms remain elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that inhibit gene expression post-transcriptionally. The lethal-7 (let-7) miRNA family was suggested to be involved in the inflammation process and IL-6 was shown to be one of its targets. In the present study, we report elevation of Il6 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of a genetic rat model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) compared to the control Flinders Resistant Line. This elevation was associated with an overexpression of LIN28B and downregulation of let-7 miRNAs, the former an RNA-binding protein that selectively represses let-7 synthesis. Also DROSHA, a key enzyme in miRNA biogenesis was downregulated in FSL. Running was previously shown to have an antidepressant-like effect in the FSL rat. We found that running reduced Il6 levels and selectively increased let-7i and miR-98 expression in the PFC of FSL, although there were no differences in LIN28B and DROSHA expression. Pri-let-7i was upregulated in the running FSL group, which associated with increased histone H4 acetylation. In conclusion, the disturbance of let-7 family biogenesis may underlie increased proinflammatory markers in the depressed FSL rats while physical activity could reduce their expression, possibly through regulating primary miRNA expression via epigenetic mechanisms.

Mitochondria regulate DNA damage and genomic instability induced by high LET radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bo; Davidson, Mercy M.; Hei, Tom K.

2014-04-01

High linear energy transfer (LET) radiation including α particles and heavy ions is the major type of radiation found in space and is considered a potential health risk for astronauts. Even though the chance that these high LET particles traversing through the cytoplasm of cells is higher than that through the nuclei, the contribution of targeted cytoplasmic irradiation to the induction of genomic instability and other chromosomal damages induced by high LET radiation is not known. In the present study, we investigated whether mitochondria are the potential cytoplasmic target of high LET radiation in mediating cellular damage using a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depleted (ρ0) human small airway epithelial (SAE) cell model and a precision charged particle microbeam with a beam width of merely one micron. Targeted cytoplasmic irradiation by high LET α particles induced DNA oxidative damage and double strand breaks in wild type ρ+ SAE cells. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in autophagy and micronuclei, which is an indication of genomic instability, together with the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and mitochondrial inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) signaling pathways in ρ+ SAE cells. In contrast, ρ0 SAE cells exhibited a significantly lower response to these same endpoints examined after cytoplasmic irradiation with high LET α particles. The results indicate that mitochondria are essential in mediating cytoplasmic radiation induced genotoxic damage in mammalian cells. Furthermore, the findings may shed some light in the design of countermeasures for space radiation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dynan, William S.

The goal of the project was to determine whether high linear energy transfer (LET) space radiation produces the same or different effects as low doses of terrestrial (low-LET) radiation. The work used the Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) as a vertebrate model organism that can be maintained in large numbers at low cost for lifetime studies. To determine whether simulated space radiation produced the same or different effects as low doses of low-LET radiation, medaka embryos were irradiated at doses ranging from 0.1 to 9 Gray (Gy) of high-LET charged particle radiation (1000 MeV/nucleon 56-Fe ions) or 0.1 Gy tomore » 27 Gy of low-LET gamma-rays. To examine the effect of irradiation on potential biomarkers, the population was sampled at intervals from 8 to 28 months post-irradiation and liver tissue was subjected to histological and molecular analysis. Charged particle radiation and aging contributed synergistically to accumulation of lipid oxidation products, which are a marker of chronic oxidative stress. This was mirrored by a decline in mRNA encoding the transcriptional activator PPARGC1A, which is required for mitochondrial maintenance and for defense against oxidative stress. Additionally, mitochondria had an elongated and enlarged ultrastructure. Depending on the endpoint, effects of gamma-rays in the same dose range were either lesser or not detected. Together, results indicate that a single exposure to high-LET, but not low-LET radiation, early in life, leads to increased oxidative stress throughout the normal lifespan of the individual.« less

Using Recent Planetary Science Data to Develop Advanced Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steckloff, Jordan; Lindell, Rebecca

2016-10-01

Teaching science by having students manipulate real data is a popular trend in astronomy and planetary science education. However, many existing activities simply couple this data with traditional "cookbook" style verification labs. As with most topics within science, this instructional technique does not enhance the average students' understanding of the phenomena being studied. Here we present a methodology for developing "science by doing" activities that incorporate the latest discoveries in planetary science with up-to-date constructivist pedagogy to teach advanced concepts in Physics and Astronomy. In our methodology, students are first guided to understand, analyze, and plot real raw scientific data; develop and test physical and computational models to understand and interpret the data; finally use their models to make predictions about the topic being studied and test it with real data.To date, two activities have been developed according to this methodology: Understanding Asteroids through their Light Curves (hereafter "Asteroid Activity"), and Understanding Exoplanetary Systems through Simple Harmonic Motion (hereafter "Exoplanet Activity"). The Asteroid Activity allows students to explore light curves available on the Asteroid Light Curve Database (ALCDB) to discover general properties of asteroids, including their internal structure, strength, and mechanism of asteroid moon formation. The Exoplanet Activity allows students to investigate the masses and semi-major axes of exoplanets in a system by comparing the radial velocity motion of their host star to that of a coupled simple harmonic oscillator. Students then explore how noncircular orbits lead to deviations from simple harmonic motion. These activities will be field tested during the Fall 2016 semester in an advanced undergraduate mechanics and astronomy courses at a large Midwestern STEM-focused university. We will present the development methodologies for these activities, description of the activities, and results from the pre-tests.

The East Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Grijs, Richard; Zhang, Ziping; He, Jinhua

2016-10-01

At the 2012 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Office of Astronomy for Development announced a number of exciting new partnerships to assist with the IAU's decadal strategic plan (2010-2020). These landmark decisions included establishing a new coordinating centre that aims at using astronomy as a tool for development in East Asia. The agreement covers two important functions. One is known as a Regional Node, which entails the coordination of astronomy-for-development activities in countries within the general geographical region of East Asia. The other is known as a Language Expertise Centre which deals with all aspects relating to (mainly) the Chinese language and culture. The impact of the latter may obviously spread well beyond the geographical region to other parts of the world. Here we provide an update of the achievements and aims of the East Asian Office of Astronomy for Development.

The Venus Transit, the Mayan Calendar and Astronomy Education in Guanajuato, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo-Alfaro, H.; Caretta, C. A.; Brito, E. M. S.; Campos, P.; Macias, F.

2015-03-01

In this work we present two aspects of the Astronomy education activities carried out in 2012 by a multidisciplinary group at Universidad de Guanajuato, including specialists in Astronomy, Social Sciences and Environmental Engineering. The first program linked the Venus Transit, occurred in June 2012, with a national campaign of vulgarization of both modern and ancient (Mayan) Astronomy. Professional astronomers all around the country took advantage of the recent myth linked to the end of a large Mayan calendar cycle (13 baktuns, or some 5125 years) happening, after certain authors, in December 2012. In Guanajuato, the Astronomy Department organized live observations of the Venus Transit at two different locations, and complemented with conferences about astronomical events and the fake predictions of disasters linked to the ``end`` of the Mayan calendar. This program was very successful not only in Guanajuato but throughout the country, with several thousands of people attending live observations, conferences, expositions, etc.

Learning radio astronomy by doing radio astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaquerizo Gallego, J. A.

2011-11-01

PARTNeR (Proyecto Académico con el Radio Telescopio de NASA en Robledo, Academic Project with the NASA Radio Telescope at Robledo) is an educational program that allows high school and undergraduate students to control a 34 meter radio telescope and conduct radio astronomical observations via the internet. High-school teachers who join the project take a course to learn about the science of radio astronomy and how to use the antenna as an educational resource. Also, teachers are provided with learning activities they can do with their students and focused on the classroom implementation of the project within an interdisciplinary framework. PARTNeR provides students with firsthand experience in radio astronomy science. Thus, remote radio astronomical observations allow students to learn with a first rate scientific equipment the basics of radio astronomy research, aiming to arouse scientific careers and positive attitudes toward science. In this contribution we show the current observational programs and some recent results.

VE-821, an ATR inhibitor, causes radiosensitization in human tumor cells irradiated with high LET radiation.

PubMed

Fujisawa, Hiroshi; Nakajima, Nakako Izumi; Sunada, Shigeaki; Lee, Younghyun; Hirakawa, Hirokazu; Yajima, Hirohiko; Fujimori, Akira; Uesaka, Mitsuru; Okayasu, Ryuichi

2015-08-19

High linear energy transfer (LET) radiation such as carbon ion particles is successfully used for treatment of solid tumors. The reason why high LET radiation accomplishes greater tumor-killing than X-rays is still not completely understood. One factor would be the clustered or complex-type DNA damages. We previously reported that complex DNA double-strand breaks produced by high LET radiation enhanced DNA end resection, and this could lead to higher kinase activity of ATR protein recruited to RPA-coated single-stranded DNA. Although the effect of ATR inhibition on cells exposed to low LET gamma-rays has recently been reported, little is known regarding the effect of ATR inhibitor on cells treated with high LET radiation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the ATR inhibitor VE-821 in human tumor and normal cells irradiated with high LET carbon ions. HeLa, U2OS, and 1BR-hTERT (normal) cells were pre-treated with 1 μM VE-821 for 1 hour and irradiated with either high LET carbon ions or X-rays. Cell survival, cell cycle distribution, cell growth, and micronuclei formation were evaluated. VE-821 caused abrogation of G2/M checkpoint and forced irradiated cells to divide into daughter cells. We also found that carbon ions caused a higher number of multiple micronuclei than X-rays, leading to decreased cell survival in tumor cells when treated with VE-821, while the survival of irradiated normal cells were not significantly affected by this inhibitor. ATR inhibitor would be an effective tumor radiosensitizer with carbon ion irradiation.

LET-99 functions in the astral furrowing pathway, where it is required for myosin enrichment in the contractile ring.

PubMed

Price, Kari L; Rose, Lesilee S

2017-09-01

The anaphase spindle determines the position of the cytokinesis furrow, such that the contractile ring assembles in an equatorial zone between the two spindle poles. Contractile ring formation is mediated by RhoA activation at the equator by the centralspindlin complex and midzone microtubules. Astral microtubules also inhibit RhoA accumulation at the poles. In the Caenorhabditis elegans one-cell embryo, the astral microtubule-dependent pathway requires anillin, NOP-1, and LET-99. LET-99 is well characterized for generating the asymmetric cortical localization of the Gα-dependent force-generating complex that positions the spindle during asymmetric division. However, whether the role of LET-99 in cytokinesis is specific to asymmetric division and whether it acts through Gα to promote furrowing are unclear. Here we show that LET-99 contributes to furrowing in both asymmetrically and symmetrically dividing cells, independent of its function in spindle positioning and Gα regulation. LET-99 acts in a pathway parallel to anillin and is required for myosin enrichment into the contractile ring. These and other results suggest a positive feedback model in which LET-99 localizes to the presumptive cleavage furrow in response to the spindle and myosin. Once positioned there, LET-99 enhances myosin accumulation to promote furrowing in both symmetrically and asymmetrically dividing cells. © 2017 Price and Rose. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Measurements of LET distribution and dose equivalent onboard the Space Shuttle IML-2 (STS-65) and S/MM#4 (STS-79).

PubMed

Hayashi, T; Doke, T; Kikuchi, J; Sakaguchi, T; Takeuchi, R; Takashima, T; Kobayashi, M; Terasawa, K; Takahashi, K; Watanabe, A; Kyan, A; Hasebe, N; Kashiwagi, T; Ogura, K; Nagaoka, S; Kato, M; Nakano, T; Takahashi, S; Yamanaka, H; Yamaguchi, K; Badhwar, G D

1997-12-01

Space radiation dosimetry measurements have been made onboard the Space Shuttle STS-65 in the Second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2: 28.5 degrees x 300 km: 14.68 days) and the STS-79 in the 4th Shuttle MIR mission (S/MM#4: 51.6 degrees x 300-400km: 10.2 days). In these measurements, three kinds of detectors were used; one is a newly developed active detector telescope called "Real-time Radiation Monitoring Device (RRMD-I for IML-2 and RRMD-II with improved triggering system for S/MM#4)" utilizing silicon semi-conductor detectors and the other detectors are conventional passive detectors of thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and CR-39 plastic track detectors. The main contribution to dose equivalent for particles with LET > 5.0 keV/micrometer (IML-2) and LET > 3.5 keV/micrometer (S/MM#4) is seen to be due to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and the contribution of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is less than 5% (IML-2: 28.5 degrees x 300 km) and 15% (S/MM#4: 51.6 degrees x 400 km) in the above RRMD LET detection conditions. For the whole LET range (> 0.2 kev/micrometer) obtained by TLDs and CR-39 in these two typical orbits (a small inclination x low altitude and a large inclination x high altitude), absorbed dose rates range from 94 to 114 microGy/day, dose equivalent rates from 186 to 207 microSv/day and average quality factors from 1.82 to 2.00 depending on the locations and directions of detectors inside the Spacelab at the highly protected IML-2 orbit (28.5 degrees x 300 km), and also, absorbed dose rates range from 290 to 367 microGy/day, dose equivalent rates from 582 to 651 microSv/day and average quality factors from 1.78 to 2.01 depending on the dosimeter packages around the RRMD-II "Detector Unit" at the S/MM#4 orbit (5l.6 degrees x 400km). In general, it is seen that absorbed doses depend on the orbit altitude (SAA trapped particles contribution dominant) and dose equivalents on the orbit inclination (GCR contribution dominant). The LET distributions obtained by two different types of active and passive detectors, RRMDs and CR-39, are in good agreement for LET of 15 - 200 kev/micrometer and difference of these distributions in the regions of LET < 15 kev/micrometer and LET > 200 kev/micrometer can be explained by considering characteristics of CR-39 etched track formation especially for the low LET tracks and chemical etching conditions.

Measurements of LET distribution and dose equivalent onboard the Space Shuttle IML-2 (STS-65) and S/MM#4 (STS-79)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayashi, T.; Doke, T.; Kikuchi, J.; Sakaguchi, T.; Takeuchi, R.; Takashima, T.; Kobayashi, M.; Terasawa, K.; Takahashi, K.; Watanabe, A.;

Impact Crater Experiments for Introductory Physics and Astronomy Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claycomb, J. R.

2009-01-01

Activity-based collisional analysis is developed for introductory physics and astronomy laboratory experiments. Crushable floral foam is used to investigate the physics of projectiles undergoing completely inelastic collisions with a low-density solid forming impact craters. Simple drop experiments enable determination of the average acceleration,…

Dark Skies Awareness Programs for the U.S. International Year of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Constance E.; U. S. IYA Dark Skies Working Group

2009-01-01

The loss of a dark night sky as a natural resource is a growing concern. It impacts not only astronomical research, but also our ecology, health, safety, economics and energy conservation. For this reason, "Dark Skies are a Universal Resource” is one of seven primary themes of the U.S. International Year of Astronomy program in 2009. Its goal is to raise public awareness of the impact of artificial lighting on local environments by getting people involved in a variety of dark skies-related programs. To reach this goal, activities have been developed that: 1) Teach about dark skies using new technology (e.g., an activity-based planetarium show on DVD, podcasting, social networking, Second Life) 2) Provide thematic events on light pollution at star parties and observatory open houses (Dark Skies Discovery Sites, Astronomy Nights in the (National) Parks, Sidewalk Astronomy Nights) 3) Organize an event in the arts (e.g., a photography contest) 4) Involve citizen-scientists in unaided-eye and digital-meter star counting programs, as well as RFI monitoring (e.g., GLOBE at Night and Quiet Skies) and 5) Raise awareness about the link between light pollution and public health, economic issues, ecological consequences, energy conservation, safety and security (e.g., the Dark Skies Toolkit, Good Neighbor Lighting, Earth Hour, National Dark Skies Week, traveling exhibits and a 6-minute video tutorial). To deliver these programs, strategic networks have been established with astronomy clubs (ASP's Night Sky Network's astronomy clubs and the Astronomical League), science and nature centers (Astronomy from the Ground Up and the Association of Science and Technology), educational programs (Project ASTRO and GLOBE) and the International Dark-sky Association. The poster will describe the "know-how” and the means for people to become community advocates in promoting Dark Skies programs as public events at their home institutions. For more information, visit http://astronomy2009.us/darkskies/.

Music and Astronomy Under The Stars after 4 years and 50,000 People

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2013-01-01

Since 2009 my NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program has brought astronomy to 50,000 music lovers at the National Mall (co-sponsor OSTP); Central Park Jazz, Newport Folk, Ravinia, or Tanglewood music festivals; and classical, folk, pop/rock, opera, Caribbean, or county-western concerts in parks assisted by astronomy clubs (55 events; 28parks). MAUS combines solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; live image projection; large posters/banners (From the Earth to the Universe and Visions of the Universe); videos; and hands-on activities (Night Sky Network; Harvard-Smithsonian CfA); imaging with a cell phone mount; and hand-outs(with info on science museums, astronomy clubs, and citizen science before and after the concerts or at intermission. Yo-Yo-Ma, the Chicago and Boston Symphony Orchestras, the McCoy Tyner Quartet, Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, the Stanley Clarke Band, Phish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Deep Purple, Patti Smith, Tony Orlando, and Ronan Tynan performed at these concerts. MAUS reached underserved groups and attracted large enthusiastic crowds. Many young children participated in this family learning experience-often the first time they looked through a telescope. Lessons learned: plan early; create partnerships with parks and astronomy clubs; test equipment; have backup equipment; create professional displays; select the best location to obtain a largest number of participants; use media/www sites to promote the events; use many telescopes for multipletargets; project a live image or video; select equipment that is easy to use, store, set-up, and take down; use hands-on astronomy activities; position the displays for maximum visibility (they became teachable moments); and have educator hand-outs. While < 50% of the participants attended a science museum or took part in astronomy programs in the previous year (based on our survey), they found MAUS enjoyable and understandable; learned about astronomy; wanted to learn more; and increased their interest in science (ave. rating 4.6/5). Taking science directly to people is effective in promoting scienceeducation! Sponsor: NASA grant NNX09AD53G

Aberrant let7a/HMGA2 signaling activity with unique clinical phenotype in JAK2-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms

PubMed Central

Chen, Chih-Cheng; You, Jie-Yu; Lung, Jrhau; Huang, Cih-En; Chen, Yi-Yang; Leu, Yu-Wei; Ho, Hsing-Ying; Li, Chian-Pei; Lu, Chang-Hsien; Lee, Kuan-Der; Hsu, Chia-Chen; Gau, Jyh-Pyng

2017-01-01

High mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is an architectural transcription factor that is negatively regulated by let-7 microRNA through binding to it’s 3′-untranslated region. Transgenic mice expressing Hmga2 with a truncation of its 3′-untranslated region has been shown to exhibit a myeloproliferative phenotype. To decipher the let-7-HMGA2 axis in myeloproliferative neoplasms, we employed an in vitro model supplemented with clinical correlation. Ba/F3 cells with inducible JAK2V617F expression (Ton.JAK2.V617F cells) showed upregulation of HMGA2 with concurrent let-7a repression. Ton.JAK2.V617F cells treated with a let-7a inhibitor exhibited further escalation of Hmga2 expression, while a let-7a mimic diminished the Hmga2 transcript level. Hmga2 overexpression conferred JAK2-mutated cells with a survival advantage through inhibited apoptosis. A pan-JAK inhibitor, INC424, increased the expression of let-7a, downregulated the level of Hmga2, and led to increased apoptosis in Ton.JAK2.V617F cells in a dose-dependent manner. In samples from 151 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, there was a modest inverse correlation between the expression levels of let-7a and HMGA2. Overexpression of HMGA2 was detected in 29 (19.2%) of the cases, and it was more commonly seen in patients with essential thrombocythemia than in those with polycythemia vera (26.9% vs. 12.7%, P=0.044). Patients with upregulated HMGA2 showed an increased propensity for developing major thrombotic events, and they were more likely to harbor one of the 3 driver myeloproliferative neoplasm mutations in JAK2, MPL and CALR. Our findings suggest that, in a subset of myeloproliferative neoplasm patients, the let-7-HMGA2 axis plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of the disease that leads to unique clinical phenotypes. PMID:28057739

Astronomy Outreach Activities for Special Needs Children and Their Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.

2010-08-01

I present the results of two NASA-IDEAS/STScI sponsored astronomy outreach programs for seriously ill children and their families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island (New Hyde Park, NY) and for children hospitalized at the Children's Medical Center, Winthrop University Hospital (Mineola, NY). These programs are designed for children of all ages and include STSCi's Tonight's Sky (monthly guide to the sky); telescope observations of the Moon, Sun, planets, nebulae, and stars; and hands-on activities. During cloudy weather remote/robotic telescope observations are shown. Edible demonstrations using chocolate, marshmallows, and popcorn are used to stimulate interest. The staff at the Ronald McDonald House and Children's Medical Center are being trained to use the telescope and to do demonstrations. These educational activities help children and their families learn about astronomy while providing a diversion to take their minds off their illness during a stressful time.

Let's Poem: The Essential Guide to Teaching Poetry in a High-Stakes, Multimodal World (Middle through High School). Language & Literacy Practitioners Bookshelf

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dressman, Mark

2010-01-01

This cutting-edge guide presents multiple approaches to teaching poetry at the middle and high school levels. The author provides field-tested activities with detailed how-to instructions, as well as advice for how educators can "justify" their teaching within a high-stakes curriculum environment. "Let's Poem" will show pre- and inservice teachers…

Do Villages Still Matter

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

https://prezi.com/qhnedibcdfgo/sanitation-in-dharavi-slums/ 31 felonious activities as illicit drug trafficking, money laundering , the use of...states that today’s “interconnectedness between these various financing sources … has the effect of linking ‘ money , geography, politics, arms, and...relationship with LeT, stating that “in addition to ISI support, LeT also receives funds from the Pakistani civilian government. This money is usually

Physiologic and Functional Responses of MS Patients to Body Cooling Using Commercially Available Cooling Garments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.; Montgomery, Leslie D.; Lee, Hank C.; Luna, Bernadette; Webbon, Bruce W.; Mead, Susan C. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Personal cooling systems are widely used in industrial and aerospace environments to alleviate thermal stress. Increasingly they are also used by heat sensitive multiple sclerosis (HSMS) patients to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. There are a variety of cooling systems commercially available to the MS community. However, little information is available regarding the comparative physiological changes produced by routine operation of these various systems. The objective of this study was to document and compare the patient response to two passive cooling vests and one active cooling garment. The Life Enhancement Technology, Inc. (LET) lightweight active cooling vest with cap, the MicroClimate Systems (MCS) Change of Phase garment, and the Steele Vest were each used to cool 13 male and 13 female MS subjects (31 to 67 yr.) in this study. The subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approximately 22 C), were tested with one of the cooling garments. Oral, fight and left ear temperatures were logged manually every 5 min. An-n, leg, chest and rectal temperatures; heart rate; and respiration were recorded continuously on a U.F.I., Inc. Biolog ambulatory monitor. Each subject was given a series of subjective and objective evaluation tests before and after cooling. The LET and Steele vests test groups had similar, significant (P less than 0.01) cooling effects on oral and ear canal temperature, which decreased approximately 0.4 C, and 0.3 C, respectively. Core temperature increased (N.S.) with all three vests during cooling. The LET vest produced the coldest (P less than 0.01) skin temperature. Overall, the LET vest provided the most improvement on subjective and objective performance measures. These results show that the garment configurations tested do not elicit a similar thermal response in all MS patients. Cooling with the LET active garment configuration resulted in the lowest body temperatures for the MS subjects; cooling with the MCS vest was least effective. For functional responses, the LET test group performed better than the other two vests.

Radiation-induced biologic bystander effect elicited in vitro by targeted radiopharmaceuticals labeled with alpha-, beta-, and auger electron-emitting radionuclides.

PubMed

Boyd, Marie; Ross, Susan C; Dorrens, Jennifer; Fullerton, Natasha E; Tan, Ker Wei; Zalutsky, Michael R; Mairs, Robert J

2006-06-01

Recent studies have shown that indirect effects of ionizing radiation may contribute significantly to the effectiveness of radiotherapy by sterilizing malignant cells that are not directly hit by the radiation. However, there have been few investigations of the importance of indirect effects in targeted radionuclide treatment. Our purpose was to compare the induction of bystander effects by external beam gamma-radiation with those resultant from exposure to 3 radiohaloanalogs of metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG): (131)I-MIBG (low-linear-energy-transfer [LET] beta-emitter), (123)I-MIBG (potentially high-LET Auger electron emitter), and meta-(211)At-astatobenzylguanidine ((211)At-MABG) (high-LET alpha-emitter). Two human tumor cell lines-UVW (glioma) and EJ138 (transitional cell carcinoma of bladder)-were transfected with the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) gene to enable active uptake of MIBG. Medium from cells that accumulated the radiopharmaceuticals or were treated with external beam radiation was transferred to cells that had not been exposed to radioactivity, and clonogenic survival was determined in donor and recipient cultures. Over the dose range 0-9 Gy of external beam radiation of donor cells, 2 Gy caused 30%-40% clonogenic cell kill in recipient cultures. This potency was maintained but not increased by higher dosage. In contrast, no corresponding saturation of bystander cell kill was observed after treatment with a range of activity concentrations of (131)I-MIBG, which resulted in up to 97% death of donor cells. Cellular uptake of (123)I-MIBG and (211)At-MABG induced increasing recipient cell kill up to levels that resulted in direct kill of 35%-70% of clonogens. Thereafter, the administration of higher activity concentrations of these high-LET emitters was inversely related to the kill of recipient cells. Over the range of activity concentrations examined, neither direct nor indirect kill was observed in cultures of cells not expressing the NAT and, thus, incapable of active uptake of MIBG. Potent toxins are generated specifically by cells that concentrate radiohalogenated MIBG. These may be LET dependent and distinct from those elicited by conventional radiotherapy.

The Networks Of The Astronomical Society Of The Pacific And The International Year Of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, Andrew; Manning, J.; Gurton, S.; Gibbs, M.; Hurst, A.; White, V.; Berendsen, M.

2007-12-01

Serious planning has begun for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) in 2009, which will also be the 120th anniversary of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). A key element required for IYA's success in reaching the maximum number of people in the U.S. will be to find effective ways of disseminating the programs and materials that are being developed. The ASP's national networks of educational intermediaries can play a major role in training, dissemination, and organization for IYA. These networks include: the Project ASTRO National Site Network (13 regional sites training professional and amateur astronomers to work with local teachers and families), the Night Sky Network (over 200 amateur astronomy clubs engaged in active outreach), the Astronomy from the Ground Up Network (smaller science and nature centers increasing their offerings in astronomy), and the Cosmos in the Classroom Network (hundreds of instructors of introductory astronomy in community, state, and liberal arts colleges). The ASP also offers "The Universe in the Classroom", a quarterly newsletter for those teaching astronomy in grades 3-12, an extensive web site of educational resources, podcasts, workshops, national conferences, and awards to help improve the public understanding of astronomy. At the Summer 2008 AAS meeting, the ASP will sponsor a major symposium and workshops on preparing for IYA (and working with a range of different audiences.)

Problems facing promotion of astronomy in Arab countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osman, Anas M. I.

Promotion of astronomy in Arab countries is facing many scientific and technical problems. Teaching astronomy starts very late in schools, with very simple and limited courses. Many teachers lack a suitable astronomical background, which can lead to incorrect understanding by students of many astronomical ideas and phenomena. Teaching astronomy at higher levels is also very limited, for example: among the 16 universities in Egypt, astronomy is taught in only two faculties of science, just for two years. Graduate students find many difficulties in obtaining jobs related to astronomical activities and this is a serious limitation on the attraction of the study of astronomy. On the other hand, astronomical institutions are suffering from a serious lack of the new sophisticated equipment, while the budget allotted for maintenance is very small, and there is a serious shortage of technical staff. The training of astronomers and technicians is badly needed, since good research work depends on modern technological equipment and the complicated software used in controlling such equipment and in data analysis. Good libraries are needed for promotion of astronomy especially, the Internet facilities available for the staff is very limited. The effects of culture are very clear; many authorities in developing countries believe that astronomy is a luxury. Finally, most of astronomers are engaged with a lot of administration for all matters, so the free time left for science is very limited.

The LET Procedure for Prosthetic Myocontrol: Towards Multi-DOF Control Using Single-DOF Activations.

PubMed

Nowak, Markus; Castellini, Claudio

2016-01-01

Simultaneous and proportional myocontrol of dexterous hand prostheses is to a large extent still an open problem. With the advent of commercially and clinically available multi-fingered hand prostheses there are now more independent degrees of freedom (DOFs) in prostheses than can be effectively controlled using surface electromyography (sEMG), the current standard human-machine interface for hand amputees. In particular, it is uncertain, whether several DOFs can be controlled simultaneously and proportionally by exclusively calibrating the intended activation of single DOFs. The problem is currently solved by training on all required combinations. However, as the number of available DOFs grows, this approach becomes overly long and poses a high cognitive burden on the subject. In this paper we present a novel approach to overcome this problem. Multi-DOF activations are artificially modelled from single-DOF ones using a simple linear combination of sEMG signals, which are then added to the training set. This procedure, which we named LET (Linearly Enhanced Training), provides an augmented data set to any machine-learning-based intent detection system. In two experiments involving intact subjects, one offline and one online, we trained a standard machine learning approach using the full data set containing single- and multi-DOF activations as well as using the LET-augmented data set in order to evaluate the performance of the LET procedure. The results indicate that the machine trained on the latter data set obtains worse results in the offline experiment compared to the full data set. However, the online implementation enables the user to perform multi-DOF tasks with almost the same precision as single-DOF tasks without the need of explicitly training multi-DOF activations. Moreover, the parameters involved in the system are statistically uniform across subjects.

Charleshenge--An Archeo-Astronomy Exercise for the Elementary Astronomy Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dukes, Robert J. Jr.

1982-01-01

Techniques have been described for using celestial spheres as data-generating devices. Descibes a variation, capitalizing on students' interest in activities related to Stonehenge. Following a movie, students determine whether or not astronomical alignments found at Stonehenge and related structures could arise by chance. Local buildings are used.…

Improving Science Communication and Engaging the Public in Astronomy and Nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arion, Douglas N.

2016-01-01

A partnershipship between Carthage College and the Appalachian Mountain Club has delivered a successful public education and outreach program that merges natural environment topics and astronomy. Over the four years of activity, over 25,000 people have received programming. The effort has trained nature educators, permanent and seasonal AMC staff, and undergraduate physics and astronomy students to integrate diverse topical material and deliver high quality programming to the lay public. Unique to the program is the holistic nature of the material delivered - an 'atypical' astronomy program. Linking observable characteristics of the natural world with astronomical history and phenomena, and emphasizing the unique sequence of events that have led to human life on Earth, the program has changed attitudes and behaviors among the public participants. Successful interventions have included hands-on observing programs (day and night) that link nature content to the observed objects; table-talk presentations on nature/astronomy topics; dark skies preservation workshops; and hands-on activities developed for younger audiences, including schools, camps, and family groups. An extensive evaluation and assessment effort managed by a leading sociologist has demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach, and contributed to continuous improvement in the program content and methods. This work was supported in part by NSF Grant 1432662.

An AGEF-1/Arf GTPase/AP-1 Ensemble Antagonizes LET-23 EGFR Basolateral Localization and Signaling during C. elegans Vulva Induction

PubMed Central

Skorobogata, Olga; Escobar-Restrepo, Juan M.; Rocheleau, Christian E.

2014-01-01

LET-23 Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling specifies the vulval cell fates during C. elegans larval development. LET-23 EGFR localization on the basolateral membrane of the vulval precursor cells (VPCs) is required to engage the LIN-3 EGF-like inductive signal. The LIN-2 Cask/LIN-7 Veli/LIN-10 Mint (LIN-2/7/10) complex binds LET-23 EGFR, is required for its basolateral membrane localization, and therefore, vulva induction. Besides the LIN-2/7/10 complex, the trafficking pathways that regulate LET-23 EGFR localization have not been defined. Here we identify vh4, a hypomorphic allele of agef-1, as a strong suppressor of the lin-2 mutant Vulvaless (Vul) phenotype. AGEF-1 is homologous to the mammalian BIG1 and BIG2 Arf GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which regulate secretory traffic between the Trans-Golgi network, endosomes and the plasma membrane via activation of Arf GTPases and recruitment of the AP-1 clathrin adaptor complex. Consistent with a role in trafficking we show that AGEF-1 is required for protein secretion and that AGEF-1 and the AP-1 complex regulate endosome size in coelomocytes. The AP-1 complex has previously been implicated in negative regulation of LET-23 EGFR, however the mechanism was not known. Our genetic data indicate that AGEF-1 is a strong negative regulator of LET-23 EGFR signaling that functions in the VPCs at the level of the receptor. In line with AGEF-1 being an Arf GEF, we identify the ARF-1.2 and ARF-3 GTPases as also negatively regulating signaling. We find that the agef-1(vh4) mutation results in increased LET-23 EGFR on the basolateral membrane in both wild-type and lin-2 mutant animals. Furthermore, unc-101(RNAi), a component of the AP-1 complex, increased LET-23 EGFR on the basolateral membrane in lin-2 and agef-1(vh4); lin-2 mutant animals. Thus, an AGEF-1/Arf GTPase/AP-1 ensemble functions opposite the LIN-2/7/10 complex to antagonize LET-23 EGFR basolateral membrane localization and signaling. PMID:25329472

An AGEF-1/Arf GTPase/AP-1 ensemble antagonizes LET-23 EGFR basolateral localization and signaling during C. elegans vulva induction.

PubMed

Skorobogata, Olga; Escobar-Restrepo, Juan M; Rocheleau, Christian E

2014-10-01

LET-23 Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling specifies the vulval cell fates during C. elegans larval development. LET-23 EGFR localization on the basolateral membrane of the vulval precursor cells (VPCs) is required to engage the LIN-3 EGF-like inductive signal. The LIN-2 Cask/LIN-7 Veli/LIN-10 Mint (LIN-2/7/10) complex binds LET-23 EGFR, is required for its basolateral membrane localization, and therefore, vulva induction. Besides the LIN-2/7/10 complex, the trafficking pathways that regulate LET-23 EGFR localization have not been defined. Here we identify vh4, a hypomorphic allele of agef-1, as a strong suppressor of the lin-2 mutant Vulvaless (Vul) phenotype. AGEF-1 is homologous to the mammalian BIG1 and BIG2 Arf GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which regulate secretory traffic between the Trans-Golgi network, endosomes and the plasma membrane via activation of Arf GTPases and recruitment of the AP-1 clathrin adaptor complex. Consistent with a role in trafficking we show that AGEF-1 is required for protein secretion and that AGEF-1 and the AP-1 complex regulate endosome size in coelomocytes. The AP-1 complex has previously been implicated in negative regulation of LET-23 EGFR, however the mechanism was not known. Our genetic data indicate that AGEF-1 is a strong negative regulator of LET-23 EGFR signaling that functions in the VPCs at the level of the receptor. In line with AGEF-1 being an Arf GEF, we identify the ARF-1.2 and ARF-3 GTPases as also negatively regulating signaling. We find that the agef-1(vh4) mutation results in increased LET-23 EGFR on the basolateral membrane in both wild-type and lin-2 mutant animals. Furthermore, unc-101(RNAi), a component of the AP-1 complex, increased LET-23 EGFR on the basolateral membrane in lin-2 and agef-1(vh4); lin-2 mutant animals. Thus, an AGEF-1/Arf GTPase/AP-1 ensemble functions opposite the LIN-2/7/10 complex to antagonize LET-23 EGFR basolateral membrane localization and signaling.

New Media Vision for IYA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, P. L.; Koppelman, M.

2008-11-01

The International Year of Astronomy New Media Committee seeks to provide and promote online astronomy experiences in the places that people work, play and learn; create content that will expose people to astronomy, provide them regular content, and create special opportunities for learning; distribute content for active (pull) and passive (push) channels and through guerilla marketing technique; use a diverse suite of technologies to reach people on multiple platforms and in diverse online settings. To make these goals a reality we have brought together a diverse group of astronomy new media practitioners to both mentor grass roots efforts and spearhead national initiatives. You are invited to partner you programs with the New Media Task Group. In this paper we lay out are goals and define our vision.

History of Astronomy Under the Auspices of the IAU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochhar, Rajesh; Sun, Xiaochun; Ruggles, Clive; Avilés, Juan Antonio Belmonte; Corbin, Brenda; Milone, Eugene; Norris, Raymond; Oigatto, Luisa; Sōma, Mitsuru

2016-04-01

International Astronomical Union was formed after the First World War although it became truly international only after the Second World War. Its Commission 41 on History of Astronomy (C41) was set up in 1948 and in a few years established itself as an active and influential unit. It has the distinction of being a joint Commission, the other partner being International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPS). Since IAU is an internationally respected body of professional astronomers, its support for history of astronomy enhances the credibility of the discipline in the eyes of scientists as well as science establishments of individual countries. C41 is committed to advancing objective and rigorous world history of astronomy taking into account all its aspects.

Innovative technology for optical and infrared astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Colin R.; Evans, Christopher J.; Molster, Frank; Kendrew, Sarah; Kenworthy, Matthew A.; Snik, Frans

2012-09-01

Advances in astronomy are often enabled by adoption of new technology. In some instances this is where the technology has been invented specifically for astronomy, but more usually it is adopted from another scientific or industrial area of application. The adoption of new technology typically occurs via one of two processes. The more usual is incremental progress by a series of small improvements, but occasionally this process is disruptive, where a new technology completely replaces an older one. One of the activities of the OPTICON Key Technology Network over the past few years has been a technology forecasting exercise. Here we report on a recent event which focused on the more radical, potentially disruptive technologies for ground-based, optical and infrared astronomy.

Skylab experiments. Volume 1: Physical science, solar astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The basic subject of this volume is the solar astronomy program conducted on Skylab. In addition to descriptions of the individual experiments and the principles involved in their performance, a brief description is included of the sun and the energy characteristics associated with each zone. Wherever possible, related classroom activities have been identified and discussed in some detail. It will be apparent that the relationships rest not only in the field of solar astronomy, but also in the following subjects: (1) physics - optics, electromagnetic spectrum, atomic structure, etc.; (2) chemistry - emission spectra, kinetic theory, X-ray absorption, etc.; (3) biology - radiation and dependence on the sun; (4) electronics - cathode ray tubes, detectors, photomultipliers, etc.; (5) photography; (6) astronomy; and (7) industrial arts.

SOFIA Education/Public Outreach with the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemenway, M. K.; Lacy, J. H.; Jaffe, D. T.; Richter, M. J.; Green, K.; Harkrider, J. L.; Lutsinger, C. L.; Noid, E.; Penn, R.; Shepherd, L.; Suder, R.; Tykoski, M. J.; Willis, M. J.

1998-12-01

The integration of science and technology is maximized in the development of a new scientific instrument for SOFIA like EXES. Many teachers with good science backgrounds have never had an experience in which they can learn first-hand about instrument development. The goal of this program is to prepare a cadre of teachers who will promote astronomy within their communities and who will be prepared eventually for a flight experience on SOFIA. This program provides grade 7-12 Central Texas (i.e., work within 100 miles of UT-Austin) teachers an opportunity to learn not only the principles of astronomy, but also the technology behind instrument development. By spreading the experience out over several years, the group may observe the development and construction of EXES through many phases. In addition to traditional laboratory exercises [e.g. the celestial sphere, optics, optical telescopes, spectroscopy, use of CCD cameras, and error analysis], there will be practice in using equipment such as an interferometer for optical alignment, drill press, mill, and lathe. Simultaneous with the teachers' growing understanding of astronomy and technology through their hands-on activities, their knowledge of scientific research - particularly in the area of infrared astronomy - will be enhanced through regular interactive talks by the co-investigators. With careful planning, several important secondary goals are achieved with this program: 1. The activities are aligned with the National Science Education Standards 2. Many of the traditional astronomy activities have been modified for use by secondary school students 3. Information on careers is developed through activities which emphasize the team-work necessary to build and operate EXES 4. Professional links are forged between the EXES team and the teachers

Teaching Astronomy with Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Carmen; Impey, Chris David; Wenger, Matthew

2015-01-01

Students today are expected to have access to computers and the Internet. Students young and old, in school and out of school, are interested in learning about astronomy, and have computers to use for this. Teach Astronomy is a website with a comprehensive digital astronomy textbook freely available to students and educators. In addition to the textbook, there are astronomy Wikipedia articles, image archives from Astronomy Picture of the Day and AstroPix, and video lectures covering all topics of astronomy. Teach Astronomy has a unique search tool called the wikimap that can be used to search through all of the resources on the site. Astronomy: State of the Art (ASOTA) is a massive, open, online course (MOOC). Over 18,000 students have enrolled over the past year and half. This MOOC has been presented in various forms. First, only to students on the web, with content released weekly on host site Udemy. Then to university students who met formally in the classroom for educational activities, but were also expected to watch lectures online on their own time. Presently, it is available online for students to go at their own pace. In the future it will be available in an extended format on a new host site, Coursera. ASOTA instructors use social media to interact with students. Students ask questions via the course host site, Udemy. Live question and answer sessions are conducted using Google Hangouts on Air, and interesting and relevant astronomy news, or supplementary educational content is shared via the ASOTA Facebook page. Teaching on the Internet may seem impersonal and impractical, but by learning to use all of these tools, instructors have the ability to interact with students, and keep them engaged.

Radio astronomy Explorer-B postlaunch attitude operations analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werking, R. D.; Berg, R.; Brokke, K.; Hattox, T.; Lerner, G.; Stewart, D.; Williams, R.

1974-01-01

The attitude support activities of the Radio Astronomy Explorer-B are reported. The performance of the spacecraft hardware and software are discussed along with details of the mission events, from launch through main boom deployment. Reproductions of displays are presented which were used during support activities. The interactive graphics proved the support function by providing the quality control necessary to ensure mission success in an environment where flight simulated ground testing of spacecraft hardware cannot be performed.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhardt, Andrew Michael; Matthews, Allison M.; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Avilez, Ian; Beale, Luca; Bittle, Lauren E.; Bordenave, David; Finn, Molly; Firebaugh, Ariel; Hancock, Danielle; Hughes, Paul; Rochford Hayes, Christian; Lewis, Hannah; Linden, Sean; Liss, Sandra; Liu, Mengyao; McNair, Shunlante; Murphy, Edward; Prager, Brian; Pryal, Matthew; Richardson, Whitney; Song, Yiqing; Troup, Nicholas; Villadsen, Jackie; Wenger, Trey V.; Wilson, Robert Forrest

2018-01-01

We present updates from the ninth year of operation of Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) including new club content, continued assessments, and our seventh annual Star Party. DSBK is an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts. DSBK’s most fundamental program is an 8-10 week long after-school Astronomy camp at surrounding local elementary schools, where each week introduces new concepts through interactive hands-on activities. Over the past two summers, we have traveled to four rural Virginia locations to bring week-long Astronomy camps to otherwise overlooked elementary school districts. These programs aim to inspire a curiosity for science and include inquiry based activities in topics ranging from the electromagnetic spectrum to the classification and evolution of galaxies. We strive to be self-reflective in our mission to inspire scientific curiosity in the minds of underserved demographics. In this effort, we continually assess the effectiveness of each activity through feedback in student-kept journal pages and observed excitement levels. This self-reflection has initiated the development of new curriculum. In addition, differing from our normal collaboration with local elementary schools, we have found great success partnering with local youth organizations, who may better represent DSBK's target demographics and have infrastructure to support incoming outreach groups.

Astronomy On-Line Programme Enters "hot Week"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1996-11-01

World's Biggest Astronomy WWW-Event Attracts Thousands of Students The Astronomy On-line Programme (See ESO Press Release 09/96 of 18 June 1996) began officially on 1 October and is now about to enter its most intense phase, known as the Hot Week . On 18 - 22 November, an estimated 4000 astronomy-interested, mostly young people in Europe and on four other continents will get together during five days in what - not unexpected - has become the world's biggest astronomy event ever organised on the World Wide Web. This carefully structured Programme is carried out in collaboration between the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE), the European Southern Observatory and the European Commission, under the auspices of the Fourth European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture. The Programme has already had a most visible impact on the school education of natural sciences in various countries; for instance, the Internet-connection of schools has been advanced in some, in order to allow groups to participate. There have been numerous contacts among the groups across the borders and there are clear signs that many Astronomy On-line participants have progressed to use the impressive possibilities of the Web in an efficient and structured way. There has been a lively media interest in Astronomy On-line all over Europe and it is expected to increase during the next week. The current status of Astronomy On-line It is obvious that the pilot function of the Astronomy On-line Programme in the use of the Web has been very effective and that the associated dissemination of astronomical knowledge has been successful. At this time, more than 650 groups have registered with Astronomy On-line. Most come from 31 different European countries and a few dozen groups are located in North and South America as well as in Asia and Australia. Together they have experienced the steady build-up of Astronomy On-line over the past weeks, by means of numerous contributions from a large number of teachers, amateur astronomers and others interested in this field of science. The Astronomy On-line concept is that of a well-structured marketplace with a number of different shops which cater to the participants with a great variety of interesting and educational activities. These range from the availability of useful links to educational and scientific Web sites all around the world, collaborative projects where many participants in different countries work together to achieve an astronomical result and, not the least, the possibility to submit observing programmes to a dozen telescopes at 10 major observatories, including La Silla in Chile. In the early phases of Astronomy On-line , coordinated observations were performed of a lunar eclipse on 27 September and a partial solar eclipse on 12 October. Both events attracted many hundreds of observers from groups in almost all European countries and provisional reports have already been published on the Web. Many beautiful photographs and interesting reports about the activities of the individual groups are also available at their special Web sites. The Hot Week will last from Monday to Friday, 18-22 November and the time interval from 15:00-21:00 UT (16:00 - 22:00 Central European Time) will be the busiest. During this period, a variety of activities will take place. For instance, the groups will have the opportunity to contact professional astronomers at many observatories. They will also be invited to follow the other developments, e.g. the astronomical observations. The resulting images will immediately be made available on the Web. There will also be a Final Event involving all the groups. How to obtain more information about Astronomy On-line Astronomy On-line may be accessed through: http://www.eso.org/astronomyonline/ and http://www.algonet.se/~sirius/eaae.htm. National Astronomy On-line Committees have been established in many European countries. They have set up National Astronomy On-line Web-sites which can be reached directly from the sites indicated above. Information about the individual groups, their participants' interests as well as their postal, E-mail and Web addresses are also available, sorted by country. The addresses of the National organisers of Astronomy On-line may be found at these Web sites. A full report about this unique pilot project will become available before the end of this year. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

Role of autophagy in high linear energy transfer radiation-induced cytotoxicity to tumor cells

PubMed Central

Jin, Xiaodong; Liu, Yan; Ye, Fei; Liu, Xiongxiong; Furusawa, Yoshiya; Wu, Qingfeng; Li, Feifei; Zheng, Xiaogang; Dai, Zhongying; Li, Qiang

2014-01-01

Heavy-ion radiotherapy has a potential advantage over conventional radiotherapy due to improved dose distribution and a higher biological effectiveness in cancer therapy. However, there is a little information currently available on the cellular and molecular basis for heavy-ion irradiation-induced cell death. Autophagy, as a novel important target to improve anticancer therapy, has recently attracted considerable attention. In this study, the effect of autophagy induced by high linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ions was examined in various tumor cell lines. To our knowledge, our study is the first to reveal that high-LET carbon ions could induce autophagy in various tumor cells effectively, and the autophagic level in the irradiated cells increased in a dose- and LET-dependent manner. The ability of carbon ions to inhibit the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway rose with increasing their LET. Moreover, modulation of autophagy in tumor cells could modify their sensitivity to high-LET radiation, and inhibiting autophagy accelerated apoptotic cell death, resulting in an increase in radiosensitivity. Our data imply that targeting autophagy might enhance the effectiveness of heavy-ion radiotherapy. PMID:24731006

Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline.

PubMed

Li, Mai-He; Jiang, Yong; Wang, Ao; Li, Xiaobin; Zhu, Wanze; Yan, Cai-Feng; Du, Zhong; Shi, Zheng; Lei, Jingpin; Schönbeck, Leonie; He, Peng; Yu, Fei-Hai; Wang, Xue

2018-03-12

The low-temperature limited alpine treeline is one of the most obvious boundaries in mountain landscapes. The question of whether resource limitation is the physiological mechanism for the formation of the alpine treeline is still waiting for conclusive evidence and answers. We therefore examined non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and nitrogen (N) in treeline trees (TATs) and low-elevation trees (LETs) in both summer and winter in 11 alpine treeline cases ranging from subtropical monsoon to temperate continental climates across Eurasia. We found that tissue N concentration did not decrease with increasing elevation at the individual treeline level, but the mean root N concentration was lower in TATs than in LETs across treelines in summer. The TATs did not have lower tissue NSC concentrations than LETs in summer. However, the present study with multiple tree species across a large geographical scale, for the first time, revealed a common phenomenon that TATs had significantly lower NSC concentration in roots but not in the aboveground tissues than LETs in winter. Compared with LETs, TATs exhibited both a passive NSC storage in aboveground tissues in excess of carbon demand and an active starch storage in roots at the expense of growth reduction during the growing season. This starch accumulation disappeared in winter. Our results highlight some important aspects of the N and carbon physiology in relation to season in trees at their upper limits. Whether or to what extent the disadvantages of winter root NSC and summer root N level of TATs affect the growth of treeline trees and the alpine treeline formation needs to be further studied.

A classroom activity and laboratory on astronomical scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LoPresto, Michael

2017-10-01

The four basics "scales" at which astronomy is studied, that of (1) the Earth-Moon system, (2) the solar system, (3) the galaxy, and (4) the universe (Fig. 1), are a common place to start an intro astronomy course. In fact, courses and textbooks are often divided into approximately four sections based on these scales.

Invite an Alien to Astronomy Night

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Governor, Donna; Richwine, Pebble

2007-01-01

Dozens of inflatable aliens recently "descended" upon the authors' middle school to kick-off their first school-wide Astronomy night. With an estimated attendance of over 500, their eighth-grade students hosted over a dozen activity-rich sessions designed to entertain and educate students and their families about the wonders of the solar system…

Whiteboard Confessionals: Investigating a New Model Using Student Representations in Teaching Astro 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prather, Edward

2018-01-01

Astronomy education researchers in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona have been investigating a new framework for getting students to engage in discussions about fundamental astronomy topics. This framework is intended to also provide students with explicit feedback on the correctness and coherency of their mental models on these topics. This framework builds upon our prior efforts to create productive Pedagogical Discipline Representations (PDR). Students are asked to work collaboratively to generate their own representations (drawings, graphs, data tables, etc.) that reflect important characteristics of astrophysical scenarios presented in class. We have found these representation tasks offer tremendous insight into the broad range of ideas and knowledge students possess after instruction that includes both traditional lecture and actively learning strategies. In particular, we find that some of our students are able to correctly answer challenging multiple-choice questions on topics, however, they struggle to accurately create representations of these same topics themselves. Our work illustrates that some of our students are not developing a robust level of discipline fluency with many core ideas in astronomy, even after engaging with active learning strategies.

GalileoMobile, sharing astronomy with students and teachers around the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benitez-Herrera, Sandra; Spinelli, Patricia F.

2016-10-01

GalileoMobile is a non-profit, itinerant, science outreach initiative that brings Astronomy closer to young people in areas with little or no access to outreach programs. We perform astronomy-related activities in schools and communities we visit and encourage follow-up activities through teacher training workshops and the donation of telescopes and other educational resources. GalileoMobile also extends its impact to a worldwide audience through deliverable products. Our work is shared worldwide through the production of documentaries, books and a wide range of Internet resources (OfficialWebsite - www.galileo-mobile.org - and Blog, Facebook page, Google+,Twitter, Youtube and Vimeo). GalileoMobile is an unprecedented initiative promoting science knowledge and the interaction beyond borders through Astronomy while raising awareness for the diversity of human cultures, conveying the message of ``unity under the same sky''. We take advantage of the local astronomical culture of the visited communities to establish a dialogue between different ways of understanding the world and to share different types of knowledge (historic, scientific, anthropological . . .), encouraging a process of mutual learning.

Superoxide Dismutase Protects Osteoprogenitors from Irradiation with Low-LET but Not High-LET Species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schreurs, A.-S.; Tran, L.; Alwood, J. S.; Tahimic, C. G.; Globus, R. K.

2016-01-01

Ionizing radiation-induced bone loss appears to be a two-stage process: first an early increase in pro-resorption cytokines and increased bone resorption by osteoclasts, followed by a decrease in bone formation by osteoblasts. This results in a net loss of mass in mineralized bone tissue. The molecular mechanisms underlying the imbalance in bone remodeling caused by exposure to radiation are not fully understood. We hypothesized that the radiation-induced rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS) damages osteoblast progenitors, leading to a decrease in number and activity of differentiated progeny. We have shown that a diet high in antioxidant capacity prevents radiation-induced bone loss in adult mice (Schreurs et al. 2016) by reducing the early increase in pro-resotption cytokines. Here, we investigated the damaging effects of radiation exposure on cells in the osteoblast lineage, testing if addition of the exogenous antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD) can mitigate radiation damage. Osteoprogenitors were grown in vitro from the marrow of 16wk old, male C57Bl/6 mice. Cells were irradiated 3 days after plating (day 0) with either gamma (Cs-137, 0.1-5Gy) or iron (Fe-56, 600 MeV/n, 0.5-2Gy), and then grown until day 10. SOD or vehicle was added 2 hours before irradiation (SOD at 200U/ml), twice a day and up to day 5, for a total of 2 days treatment. Cell behavior was assessed by: (a) colony number (counted on day 7), (b) DNA content (surrogate for cell number) to assess cell growth (percent change between day 3 and day 10) and (c) alkaline phosphatase activity (osteoblast differentiation marker). Results show that SOD protected cells from the adverse effects of low-LET ionizing radiation, but not high-LET radiation. These novel results provide an interesting platform to explore further diverse effects and damages caused by low-LET and high-LET, pointing toward different mechanisms and possible intervention strategies for radiation-induced bone loss.

Scopes for Schools: A Low-Cost Model for Bringing Hands-On Astronomy to the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stassun, K. G.; Lattis, J.

1999-12-01

We present a low-cost, field-tested model for astronomy and space-related outreach aimed at minority and under-serviced populations at the middle-school and high-school levels. The model centers around the creation of an extracurricular astronomy ``club" at a middle school or high school, and an in-service training activity for teachers who will serve as club leaders. Students in the club engage in two hands-on activities: telescope-building and model rocketry. Implementation of the model requires a time investment of 1--2 hours per week over the course of one school year. The primary end products are (1) an ongoing extracurricular school club with trained teacher-leaders, (2) a set of portable Dobsonian telescopes for night-time sky-viewing sessions performed by the club as a service to the community, and (3) basic materials for continued model-rocketry activities. In its ideal implementation, the model brings together teachers and amateur astronomers in a lasting partnership. A specific example for funding an outreach program based on this model is presented. This outreach development was funded by a Special Initiatives outreach grant from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, and by the UW-Madison College Access Program. Additional support was provided by Madison's amateur astronomy organization, the Madison Astronomical Society.

Design of the iSTAR International STudy on Astronomy Reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatge, Coty B.; Slater, Stephanie J.

2015-01-01

Beginning in 2013, a small international collaborative of discipline-based astronomy education researchers began to build the foundation to start the International STudy on Astronomy Reasoning Project, known simply as iSTAR. The project was a direct result of the inability of existing large international investigations into the learning of science, such as the TIMSS and PISA studies, to provide actionable intelligence on either strengths or weaknesses of astronomy teaching across the world. This is not because those studies were flawed; rather, they focused on the general characteristics of teaching and learning across all sciences. Prior to the iSTAR effort, there has been no systematic effort to measure individual's conceptual astronomy understanding across the globe. The goal of studying a widely dispersed international sample is to identify cultural subpopulations that do not conform to our existing knowledge of student misconceptions, highlighting unexpected cultural or educational practices that hint at alternative, and perhaps more effective, means of instruction. As a first step, we are carefully translating the Test Of Astronomy STandards - TOAST multiple-choice assessment instrument and carefully attending to nuances that occur during the translation process as cultural clues to differences in the teaching and learning of astronomy. We are actively welcoming and seeking international partners in this work through the CAPERteam.com website and at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/iSTAR-Registration . This project is sponsored and managed by the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research in collaboration with members of the International Astronomical Union-Commission 46.

Interactive Materials In The Teaching Of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macêdo, J. A.; Voelzke, M. R.

2014-10-01

This study presents results of a survey conducted at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), and aimed to investigate the potentialities of the use of interactive materials in the teaching of astronomy. An advanced training course with involved learning activities about basic concepts of astronomy was offered to thirty-two Licenciate students in Physics, Mathematics and Biological Science. The following steps were to be taken: i) analysis of the pedagogical projects (PPC) of the licenciates at the IFNMG, research locus of its Campus Januária; ii) analysis of students' preconceptions about astronomy and digital technologies, identified by the application of an initial questionnaire; iii) preparation of the course taking into account the students' previous knowledge; iv) application of the education proposal developed under part-time presence modality, using various interactive tools; v) application and analysis of the final questionnaire. The test was conducted with the qualitative and quantitative methodology, combined with a content analysis. The results indicated that in the IFNMG only the licenciate-course in physics includes astronomy content diluted in various subjects of the curriculum; the rates of students prior knowledge in relation to astronomy was low; an evidence of meaningful learning of the concepts related to astronomy, and of viability of resource use involving digital technologies in the Teaching of astronomy, which may contribute to the broadening of methodological options of future teachers and meet their training needs.

Dark Skies are a Universal Resource: Programs Planned for the International Year of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Constance E.; US IYA Dark Skies Working Group

2008-05-01

The dark night sky is a natural resource that is being lost by much of the world's population. This loss is a growing, serious issue that impacts not only astronomical research, but also human health, ecology, safety, economics and energy conservation. One of the themes of the US Node targeted for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) is "Dark Skies are a Universal Resource". The goal is to raise public awareness of the impact of artificial lighting on local environments by getting people involved locally in a variety of dark skies-related events. To reach this goal, activities are being developed that: 1) Teach about dark skies using new technology (e.g., an activity-based planetarium show on DVD, podcasting, social networking) 2) Provide thematic events on light pollution at star parties and observatory open houses (Dark Skies Teaching Sites, Astronomy Nights in the (National) Parks, Sidewalk Astronomy Nights) 3) Organize events in the arts (e.g., a photography contest) 4) Involve citizen-scientists in unaided-eye and digital-meter star counting programs (e.g., GLOBE at Night, "How Many Stars?” and the Great World Wide Star Count) and 5) Raise awareness about the link between light pollution and public health, economic issues, ecological consequences, energy conservation, safety and security (e.g., The Great Switch Out, Earth Hour, National Dark Skies Week, traveling exhibits and a 6-minute video tutorial on lighting issues). To deliver these programs, strategic networks have been established with the ASP's Night Sky Network's astronomy clubs, Astronomy from the Ground Up's science and nature centers and the Project and Family ASTRO programs, as well as the International Dark-Sky Association, GLOBE and the Astronomical League, among others. The poster presentation will outline the activities being developed, the plans for funding, implementation, marketing and the connections to the global cornerstone IYA project, "Dark Skies Awareness".

Encouraging A Culture Of Outreach In Astronomy Clubs: Findings From The Astronomical Society Of The Pacific, The Institute For Learning Innovation, And Inverness Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, Jim; Jones, E.; St. John, M.; Berendsen, M.; Schultz, G. R.; Gurton, S.; Yocco, V.; Castori, P.; Santascoy, J.; White, V.; FRANK, K.

2013-01-01

Astronomy clubs constitute a “marching army” of knowledgeable and experienced astronomy enthusiasts deployed in a national network: an enormously valuable and important resource for engaging the public through educational outreach events and activities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Inverness Research, Inc., has been engaged in a multiyear NSF-supported project focusing on this network and its potential to advance common astronomy education and outreach objectives. The project has explored the culture of astronomy clubs, identified impediments to building cultures of outreach within clubs, and developed and introduced new mechanisms to overcome these impediments and enhance clubs’ abilities to encourage and sustain cultures that value and promote outreach efforts. The presenter will share initial research, development and evaluation findings of the project, and describe ongoing supplemental efforts that continue to advance project objectives.

Encouraging A Culture Of Outreach In Astronomy Clubs: Findings From The Astronomical Society Of The Pacific, The Institute For Learning Innovation, And Inverness Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, Jim; Jones, E.; St. John, M.; Berendsen, M.; Schultz, G.; Gurton, S.; Yocco, V.; Castori, P.; Santascoy, J.; White, V.; Frank, K.

2012-05-01

Astronomy clubs constitute a “marching army” of knowledgeable and experienced astronomy enthusiasts deployed in a national network: an enormously valuable and important resource for engaging the public through educational outreach events and activities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Inverness Research, Inc., has been engaged in a multi-year NSF-supported project focusing on this network and its potential to advance common astronomy education and outreach objectives. The project has explored the culture of astronomy clubs, identified impediments to building cultures of outreach within clubs, and developed and introduced new mechanisms to overcome these impediments and enhance clubs’ abilities to encourage and sustain cultures that value and promote outreach efforts. The presenter will share initial research, development and evaluation findings of the project, and describe ongoing supplemental efforts that continue to advance project objectives.

The East Asian Office of Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Grijs, Richard; Zhang, Ziping

2015-08-01

At the 2012 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) programme announced a number of exciting new partnerships to assist with the IAU's decadal strategic plan (2010-2020). These landmark decisions included establishing a new coordinating centre that aims at using astronomy as a tool for development in East Asia. The agreement covers two important functions. One is known as a Regional Node, which entails the coordination of astronomy-for-development activities in countries within the general geographical region of East Asia (in first instance China, Mongolia and the DPRK, but without placing firm geographical limits on the region). The other is known as a Language Expertise Centre which will deal with all aspects relating to (mainly) the Chinese language and culture. The impact of the latter may obviously spread well beyond the geographical region to other parts of the world. At this next General Assembly, we aim at updating the community of the achievements and aims of the East Asian Office of Astronomy for Development.

Division XII: Commission 46: Education & Development of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ros, Rosa M.; Hearnshaw, John; Stavinschi, Magda; Garcia, Beatriz; Gerbaldi, Michele; de Greve, Jean-Pierre; Guinan, Edward; Haubold, Hans; Jones, Barrie; Marshall, Laurence A.; Pasachoff, Jay

2015-08-01

C46 is a Commission of the Executive Committee of the IAU under Division XII Union-Wide Activities. Aiming at improvement of astronomy education and research at all levels worldwide (through the various projects it initiates),maintains, develops, as well as through the dissemination of information. C46 has 332 members and it was managed by the Organizing Committee, formed by the Commission President (Rosa M. Ros, from Spain), the Vice-Presiden (John Hearnshaw, from New Zealand), the Retiring President (Magda Stavinschi, from Romania), the Vice-President of the IAU (George Miley, from Netherland) and the PG chairs: • Worldwide Development of Astronomy WWDA: John Hearnshaw • Teaching Astronomy for Development TAD: Edward Guinan and Laurence A. Marshall • International Schools for Young Astronomers ISYA; chair: Jean-Pierre de Greve • Network for Astronomy School Education NASE: Rosa M. Ros and Beatriz Garcia • Public Understanding at the times of Solar Eclipses and transit Phenomena PUTSE: Jay Pasachoff • National Liaison and Newsletter: Barrie Jones • Collaborative Programs: Hans Haubold

Astronomy in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moiteiro, Bárbara; Rodrigues, Berta

2016-04-01

The motivation of young students to science is much higher when the theoretical teaching is accompanied by practice and these are engaged in activities that involve real problems of their society and requiring a scientific basis for its discussion. Several activities such as collaboration on current scientific experiments, direct contact with scientists, participation in science competitions, visits to Science Museums, artistic and craft activities, the use of simulators and virtual laboratories, increase the degree of student satisfaction and motivate them in their learning processes. This poster shows some of Astronomy activities with students of schools Agrupamento de Escolas José Belchior Viegas within the Physics and Chemistry classes.

Teaching astronomy with dry erase whiteboards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.

2016-09-01

In the quest to become a great astronomy teacher, one carefully considers what might be the best textbook, what might be the best homework collection and grading system, which classroom policies promote an active learning environment, and which teaching inclinations and strategies might work best with this year's students. But what about teaching equipment? As you are thinking about next year's teaching hardware needs, a surprisingly effective tool to consider adding to your cabinet that consistently encourages more active learning is a stack of small dry erase whiteboards.

GalileoMobile: Interactive astronomy activities in schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasquez, M.; Dasi Espuig, M.

2014-04-01

GalileoMobile is an itinerant science education initiative run on a voluntary basis by an international team of astronomers, educators, and science communicators. Our team's main goal is to make astronomy accessible to schools and communities around the globe that have little or no access to outreach actions. We do this by performing teacher workshops, activities with students, and donating educational material. Since the creation of GalileoMobile in 2008, we have travelled to Chile, Bolivia, Peru, India, and Uganda, and worked with 56 schools in total.

IAU Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion Working Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Gil, A.; García, B.; WG3 of Commission C1 Division C of the IAU

2017-03-01

In this talk we present the aims, goals and activities that have been started by the working group on Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion. This working group is part of Commission 1 ''Astronomy Education and Development'' of Division C ''Education, Outreach and Heritage'' of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The working group was born with the aim of developing new strategies and resources to promote the access to Astronomy, both at the profesional and outreach levels, for persons with special needs or for those who could be excluded because of race or sexual orientation (among other reasons). It is composed of astronomers affiliated with the IAU and other volunteers who work in astronomy, education and special needs, as well as partner organizations like the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), Astronomers without Borders (AWB), the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) or Universe Awareness (UNAWE). To reach those goals we have started different initiatives which are outlined at the working group’s website, like a repository of resources or the creation of a document about good practices, and the establishment of a tight collaboration with the Working Group about Accessibility of the American Astronomical Society, which was formed recently too.

Interdisciplinary Professional Development: Astrolabes for Medievalists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2014-06-01

Astronomers and astronomy educators have significantly broadened the intended audience for their outreach activities, from the traditional venues of public schools, libraries and planetariums to national parks, coffee houses, and concert halls. At the same time, significant attention has been paid to improving the quality and relevance of professional development directed toward preservice and inservice science teachers. Many of our outreach and professional development programs have also become increasingly creative in their use of interdisciplinary connections to astronomy, such as cultural astronomy and the history of astronomy. This poster describes a specific example of interdisciplinary professional development directed at a different audience, humanities faculty and researchers, through hands-on workshops on the basic astronomical background and usage of an astrolabe conducted at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in 2013 and 2014. The goal was to explain the basic astronomy behind astrolabes (as well as their cultural relevance) to medieval scholars in history, literature, and other disciplines. The intention was to increase their comfort with manipulating and explaining astrolabes to a basic level where they could share their knowledge with their own college classes. In this way the relevance of astronomy to myriad human endeavors could be reinforced by humanities faculty within their own courses.

The Hetu'u Global Network: Using the rare June 5th/6th Transit of Venus to Bring Astronomy to the Remote Easter Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faherty, Jacqueline; Rodriguez, D.

2013-01-01

There are rare times in astronomy when a celestial event, visible in broad daylight, can be used to measure a fundamental parameter and inspire a globe full of school age students. The June 5th/6th transit of Venus was one such event. In celebration, nine astronomy postdocs from the Chilean mainland traveled to Easter Island to lead a series of astronomy outreach activities over three days, culminating in a transit-viewing event. Our team dubbed "Equipo Hetu'u" or "Team Star" in the Rapa Nui (Easter Island native) language spent two days giving astronomy talks and doing hands-on demonstrations at the Museo Antropologico P. Sebastian Englert. In the final day-and-a-half leading up to the transit, we visited the science classes in the majority of the schools on the island, in order to spread the message about the once-in-a-lifetime transit event, highlighting how we planned on using it to measure the distance to the Sun. We estimate over 25% 1500 people) of this remote island participated in one or more of our organized activities. Our experience with this project is an excellent lesson on how to organize, lead, and fully execute a major outreach endeavor that inspires hundreds with minimal resources (save the spectacular event provided by the cosmos).

Development of observational and instrumental techniques in hard X-ray and medium energy gamma-ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelling, M.

1985-01-01

The technical activities, scientific results, related space hardware projects and personnel of the high energy astrophysics program are reported. The development of observational and instrumental techniques in hard X-ray (0.001 to 100 keV) and medium energy gamma-ray (0.1 to 10 MeV) astronomy are examined. Many of these techniques were developed explicitly for use on high altitude balloons where most of the scientific results were obtained. The extensive observational activity using balloons are tabulated. Virtually every research activity will eventually result in a major space hardware development effort.

Cultural Cosmos: Calpulli Huey Papalotl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendez, B.

2015-12-01

We describe a partnership to teach astronomy along with traditional Anahuacan cultural practices to local Latino families. Huey Papalotl is a Calpulli (Aztec dance group) in Berkeley California with members of all ages (babies to elders). We held weekly classes split between a first hour of astronomy lessons (presentations, hands-on activities, and outside observations of the sky) and a second hour of lessons on dances connected to the astronomical objects highlighted in the astronomy lessons (e.g. Sun, Moon, Venus, and Orion). We report on our approach to these classes, the partnership, and the efficacy interweaving science instruction with cultural learning.

ESO Science Outreach Network in Poland during 2011-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czart, Krzysztof

2014-12-01

ESON Poland works since 2010. One of the main tasks of the ESO Science Outreach Network (ESON) is translation of various materials at ESO website, as well as contacts with journalists. We support also science festivals, conferences, contests, exhibitions, astronomy camps and workshops and other educational and outreach activities. During 2011-2013 we supported events like ESO Astronomy Camp 2013, ESO Industry Days in Warsaw, Warsaw Science Festival, Torun Festival of Science and Art, international astronomy olympiad held in Poland and many others. Among big tasks there was also translation of over 60 ESOcast movies.

Extragalactic astronomy: The universe beyond our galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, K. C.

1976-01-01

This single-topic brochure is for high school physical science teachers to use in introducing students to extragalactic astronomy. The material is presented in three parts: the fundamental content of extragalactic astronomy; modern discoveries delineated in greater detail; and a summary of the earlier discussions within the structure of the Big-Bang Theory of evolution. Each of the three sections is followed by student exercises (activities, laboratory projects, and questions-and-answers). The unit close with a glossary which explains unfamilar terms used in the text and a collection of teacher aids (literature references and audiovisual materials for utilization in further study).

Astronomy: On the Bleeding Edge of Scholarly Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borgman, Christine; Sands, A.; Wynholds, L. A.

2013-01-01

The infrastructure for scholarship has moved online, making data, articles, papers, journals, catalogs, and other scholarly resources nodes in a deeply interconnected network. Astronomy has led the way on several fronts, developing tools such as ADS to provide unified access to astronomical publications and reaching agreement on a common data file formats such as FITS. Astronomy also was among the first fields to establish open access to substantial amounts of observational data. We report on the first three years of a long-term research project to study knowledge infrastructures in astronomy, funded by the NSF and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Early findings indicate that the availability and use of networked technologies for integrating scholarly resources varies widely within astronomy. Substantial differences arise in the management of data between ground-based and space-based missions and between subfields of astronomy, for example. While large databases such as SDSS and MAST are essential resources for many researchers, much pointed, ground-based observational data exist only on local servers, with minimal curation. Some astronomy data are easily discoverable and usable, but many are not. International coordination activities such as IVOA and distributed access to high-level data products servers such as SIMBAD and NED are enabling further integration of published data. Astronomers are tackling yet more challenges in new forms of publishing data, algorithms, visualizations, and in assuring interoperability with parallel infrastructure efforts in related fields. New issues include data citation, attribution, and provenance. Substantial concerns remain for the long term discoverability, accessibility, usability, and curation of astronomy data and other scholarly resources. The presentation will outline these challenges, how they are being addressed by astronomy and related fields, and identify concerns and accomplishments expressed by the astronomers we have interviewed and observed.

Evolution of the Deep-space Galactic Cosmic Ray Lineal Energy Transfer Spectrum through Tissue Equivalent Plastic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Case, A. W.; Kasper, J. C.; Spence, H. E.; Golightly, M. J.; Schwadron, N. A.; Mazur, J. E.; Blake, J. B.; Looper, M. D.; Townsend, L.; Zeitlin, C. J.

2011-12-01

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation is an energetic particle telescope that resides on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, currently in a 50 km circular lunar polar orbit. The telescope consists of 6 silicon semi-conductor detectors placed in pairs that surround two pieces of Tissue Equivalent Plastic (TEP), which serve to absorb energy from particles as they transit through the instrument. Particles with energies greater than 12 MeV/nucleon can penetrate the outermost shield and be measured by the instrument. The primary measurement made by the instrument is of the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of energetic particles as they transit through the telescope. CRaTER measures the LET spectrum with unprecedented energy resolution and has done so during a period of historically low solar activity that led to record high intensities of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). These LET spectra are used to study changes in the properties of the incoming particles, and to make detailed measurements of the radiation doses human explorers will experience in deep space on missions to the moon, to asteroids, or to Mars. We present LET spectra accumulated during 2009 and 2010. We show how the LET spectrum evolves through the instrument as the GCR interact with the TEP. Due to the importance of these measurements for human effects, our extensive absolute calibration procedures are presented. Of particular note is a significant reduction in the flux of particles with LET greater than 10 keV/um for detectors that lie deeper within the telescope stack, due to the attenuation of high LET particles within the TEP. By measuring this attenuation we can estimate the depth in human tissue where the highest LET particles that are most likely to cause genetic damage pose the greatest threat to humans in space.

Non-Formal education in astronomy: The experience of the University the Carabobo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcón, Nelson

2011-06-01

Since 1995, the University the Carabobo, in Venezuela, has come developing a program of astronomical popularization and learning Astronomy using the Non formal education methods. A synopsis of the activities is presented. We will also discuss some conceptual aspects about the extension of the knowledge like supplementary function of the investigation and the university teaching. We illustrate the characteristics of the communication with an example of lectures and printed material. The efficiency of the heuristic arguments could be evaluated through a ethnology study. In that order of ideas, we show some images of the activities of astronomical popularization. We can see the population and great concurrence with chronological (and cultural) heterogeneity. We conclude that the Non formal education, structured with characteristic different to the usual educational instruction, constitutes a successful strategy in the diffusion and the communicating astronomy.

A let-7-to-miR-125 MicroRNA Switch Regulates Neuronal Integrity and Lifespan in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Chawla, Geetanjali; Deosthale, Padmini; Childress, Sue; Wu, Yen-chi; Sokol, Nicholas S.

2016-01-01

Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) often contain binding sites for multiple, different microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the biological significance of this feature is unclear, since such co-targeting miRNAs could function coordinately, independently, or redundantly with one another. Here, we show that two co-transcribed Drosophila miRNAs, let-7 and miR-125, non-redundantly regulate a common target, the transcription factor Chronologically Inappropriate Morphogenesis (Chinmo). We first characterize novel adult phenotypes associated with loss of both let-7 and miR-125, which are derived from a common, polycistronic transcript that also encodes a third miRNA, miR-100. Consistent with the coordinate upregulation of all three miRNAs in aging flies, these phenotypes include brain degeneration and shortened lifespan. However, transgenic rescue analysis reveal separable roles for these miRNAs: adult miR-125 but not let-7 mutant phenotypes are associated with ectopic Chinmo expression in adult brains and are suppressed by chinmo reduction. In contrast, let-7 is predominantly responsible for regulating chinmo during nervous system formation. These results indicate that let-7 and miR-125 function during two distinct stages, development and adulthood, rather than acting at the same time. These different activities are facilitated by an increased rate of processing of let-7 during development and a lower rate of decay of the accumulated miR-125 in the adult nervous system. Thus, this work not only establishes a key role for the highly conserved miR-125 in aging. It also demonstrates that two co-transcribed miRNAs function independently during distinct stages to regulate a common target, raising the possibility that such biphasic control may be a general feature of clustered miRNAs. PMID:27508495

The downregulation of microRNA let-7a contributes to the excessive expression of type I collagen in systemic and localized scleroderma.

PubMed

Makino, Katsunari; Jinnin, Masatoshi; Hirano, Ayaka; Yamane, Keitaro; Eto, Mitsuhiko; Kusano, Takamitsu; Honda, Noritoshi; Kajihara, Ikko; Makino, Takamitsu; Sakai, Keisuke; Masuguchi, Shinichi; Fukushima, Satoshi; Ihn, Hironobu

2013-04-15

Systemic and localized scleroderma (SSc and LSc) is characterized by excessive deposition of collagen and tissue fibrosis in the skin. Although they have fundamental common characteristics including autoimmunity, little is known about the exact mechanism that mediates the excessive collagen expression in these disorders. In the current study, we tried to evaluate the possibility that microRNAs (miRNAs) play some roles in the pathogenesis of fibrosis seen in these diseases. miRNA expression patterns were evaluated by miRNA array analysis, real-time PCR, and in situ hybridization. The function of miRNAs in dermal fibroblasts was assessed using miRNA inhibitors, precursors, or protectors. In the mouse model of bleomycin-induced dermal sclerosis, the overexpression of miRNAs was performed by i.p. miRNA injection. We demonstrated let-7a expression was downregulated in SSc and LSc skin both in vivo and in vitro, compared with normal or keloid skin. The inhibition or overexpression of let-7a in human or mouse skin fibroblasts affected the protein expression of type I collagen or luciferase activity of collagen 3'-untranslated region. Also, we found let-7a was detectable and quantitative in the serum and investigated serum let-7a levels in patients with SSc or LSc. let-7a concentration was significantly decreased in these patients, especially in LSc patients. Moreover, we revealed that the intermittent overexpression of let-7a in the skin by i.p. miRNA injection improved the skin fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice. Investigation of more detailed mechanisms of miRNA-mediated regulation of collagen expression may lead to new therapeutic approaches against SSc and LSc.

The caenorhabditis elegans CDT-2 ubiquitin ligase is required for attenuation of EGFR signalling in vulva precursor cells

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Attenuation of the EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) signalling cascade is crucial to control cell fate during development. A candidate-based RNAi approach in C. elegans identified CDT-2 as an attenuator of LET-23 (EGFR) signalling. Human CDT2 is a component of the conserved CDT2/CUL4/DDB1 ubiquitin ligase complex that plays a critical role in DNA replication and G2/M checkpoint. Within this complex, CDT2 is responsible for substrate recognition. This ubiquitin ligase complex has been shown in various organisms, including C. elegans, to target the replication-licensing factor CDT1, and the CDK inhibitor p21. However, no previous link to EGFR signalling has been identified. Results We have characterised CDT-2's role during vulva development and found that it is a novel attenuator of LET-23 signalling. CDT-2 acts redundantly with negative modulators of LET-23 signalling and CDT-2 or CUL-4 downregulation causes persistent expression of the egl-17::cfp transgene, a marker of LET-23 signalling during vulva development. In addition, we show that CDT-2 physically interacts with SEM-5 (GRB2), a known negative modulator of LET-23 signalling that directly binds LET-23, and provide genetic evidence consistent with CDT-2 functioning at or downstream of LET-23. Interestingly, both SEM-5 and CDT-2 were identified independently in a screen for genes involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis in oocytes, suggesting that attenuation of LET-23 by CDT-2 might be through regulation of endocytosis. Conclusions In this study, we have shown that CDT-2 and CUL-4, members of the CUL-4/DDB-1/CDT-2 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex attenuate LET-23 signalling in vulval precursor cells. In future, it will be interesting to investigate the potential link to endocytosis and to determine whether other signalling pathways dependent on endocytosis, e.g. LIN-12 (Notch) could be regulated by this ubiquitin ligase complex. This work has uncovered a novel function for the CUL-4/DDB-1/CDT-2 E3 ligase that may be relevant for its mammalian oncogenic activity. PMID:20977703

Look to the Sky. An All-Purpose Interdisciplinary Guide to Astronomy. Grades 4-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBruin, Jerry; Murad, Don

This guide features materials and activities about stars for integration into other academic disciplines. Part one describes how to begin to look to the sky, including usage of the camera, binoculars, and telescope. Part two, "Keep Up to Date," introduces information on resource materials, such as astronomy books, magazines, newsletters,…

Exploring the Solar System with a Human Orrery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newbury, Peter

2010-01-01

One of the fundamental learning goals of introductory astronomy is for the students to gain some perspective on the scale and structure of the solar system. Many astronomy teachers have laid out the planets along a long strip of paper or across a school grounds or campus. Other activities that investigate the motion of the planets are often…

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Seasonal Changes--at a Time of Reform in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumper, Ricardo

2006-01-01

Bearing in mind students' misconceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, the present study conducted a series of constructivist activities aimed at changing future elementary and junior high school teachers' conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and several characteristics of the Sun-Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases,…

Space Activities for the Visually Impaired

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ries, J. G.; Baguio, M.

2005-12-01

To a visually impaired person celestial objects or concepts of space exploration are likely to be more abstract than to other people, but they encounter news about the universe through their daily life. A partnership between Texas Space Grant Consortium, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired provided the opportunity to assist visually impaired students increase their understanding of astronomy and space science. The activities helped visually impaired students activity engage in inquiry-based, hands-on astronomy activities. The experiences provided during the educator workshops, adapted instructional classroom activities, and tactile learning aids will be shared in the hopes that others may be able to incorporate these lessons into their regular teaching activities.

Measuring the Heavens to Rule the Territory: Filipe Folque and the Teaching of Astronomy at the Lisbon Polytechnic School and the Modernization of the State Apparatus in Nineteenth Century Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carolino, Luís Miguel

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on the astronomy teaching at the Lisbon Polytechnic School and its role in building a modern technoscientific state in Portugal during the nineteenth century. It examines particularly the case of Filipe Folque, who taught astronomy and geodesy at the Lisbon Polytechnic from 1837 to 1856, and played a pivotal role in the geodetic survey carried out in the second half of the nineteenth century. As director of the Portuguese Geodetic and Topographical Office, Folque delineated in detail the plan to proceed with the geodetic survey, a plan which involved a significant number of his former students at the Lisbon Polytechnic. Yet, Folque's influence went beyond the geodetic achievement. Folque contributed decisively for shaping the character of astronomy and of the astronomical community in Portugal. In a period in which spherical astronomy raised to the status of an autonomous discipline, Folque became one of the most outstanding proponents of this discipline in Portugal. He conceived a course on spherical astronomy at the Lisbon Polytechnic and published an influential textbook to be adopted as a didactic tool in astronomical classes. By doing so, Folque took active part in a nineteenth century culture of textbooks production, and positively influenced the consolidation and shaping of astronomy as a discipline.

Special Session 4: Astronomy Education between Past and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Greve, Jean-Pierre

2010-11-01

The special session aims at discussing an integrated approach of the different efforts to increase and promote the teaching and learning of astronomy in the world, with emphasis on developing countries. To this end, attention will be given to research on education, specifically in the field of physics, to best practices of the use of astronomy in educational systems (specifically in developing countries), and to innovative learning initiatives other than formal education. The Special Session aims also at creating a universal perspective wherein modern (post-Copernican) astronomy will presented as an intellectual cumulus. The objective of the session is to disseminate best practices in teaching and learning activities of astronomy and to give an opportunity to learn about initiatives in different cultural and socio-economic settings. The special session also wants to give food-for-thought and proposals for reflection for an integrative approach, and for optimization processes, to enhance the interest in astronomy and its role as a trigger towards science education in the educational systems, with emphasis on the developing countries. The outcome should be a sensitization of teachers and students alike to the concept of a universal history of astronomy and creation of some reliable source material which can be used as a teaching aid in a culture-specific context. The outcome could be a set of recommendations for future integrated actions, and eventually recommendations on new initiatives, framed into the new decadal policy plan.

Young Astronomers and Astronomy teaching in Moldavia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, Alex

1998-09-01

Curricular Astronomy is taught in Moldavia , except Transnistria and Gagauzia, in the final (11th class) of the secondary schools and gymnasiums, and in the 12th class of the lyceums. The program takes 35 academic hours. The basic book is by Vorontsov-Veliaminov, used in the former USSR, but the Romanian one is also used, in spite of many criticisms addressed to both by our astronomy teachers. In Transinstria (on the left of the Dniester river)astronomy is taught 17 hours. Extracurricular activities develop at the Real Lyceum, where students and amateur astronomers carry out regular observations. Particularly, photographs of the comet Hale-Bopp have been realized using a Cassegrain 450 mm telescope by young astronomers under supervision of S. Luca and D. Gorodetzky (Gorodetchi). Except the telescope from the Real Lyceum other few telescopes are in construction. Unfortunately, no planetarium exists now in Chisinau, since the old one was returned to church. Astronomy courses are taught at the physical and mathematical departments of the Pedagogical University, Transnistrian Moldavian University in Tiraspol and the State University of |Moldavia. Many efforts were made by the State University lecturers and scientists to popularize Astronomy and Astrophysics in the books and in the press, at the radio and TV. No astronomy is taught at the Gagauzian National University in Comrat. No astronomiucal departments exist in Universities of |Moldavia.

2009 to be the International Year of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-12-01

Yesterday, the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy, with the aim of increasing awareness among the public of the importance of astronomical sciences and of promoting widespread access to new knowledge and experiences of astronomical observation. The year 2009 is chosen to commemorate the 400 years since renowned scientist Galileo Galilei pointed a telescope towards the sky. This led him to discover, among other things, the four major satellites of Jupiter, the mountains and craters on the Moon, as well as sunspots. More importantly perhaps, Galileo's use of the telescope substantiated Copernicus' heliocentric model of our Solar System, paving the way for modern science, and for four hundred years of amazing discoveries in astronomy. Nowadays, telescopes on the ground and in space explore the Universe, 24 hours a day, across the whole electromagnetic spectrum. And indeed, today, astronomy stands out as one of the most modern and dynamic sciences, using some of the most advanced technologies and sophisticated techniques available to scientists. The United Nations Resolution was submitted by Italy, Galileo Galilei's home country, gaining full support of the General Assembly's Second Committee. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009) is an initiative by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO. "This is an important step in furthering the interest of the public in what is arguably the oldest of all sciences: astronomy," says Tim de Zeeuw, the ESO Director General. "I am very proud because ESO and its member states have been actively working together with the IAU and UNESCO to help achieve this result." In addition to a wide array of activities planned both at the local and international level, ESO is also hosting the IYA 2009 Secretariat at its Headquarters in Garching. At the IAU General Assembly held in July 2003 in Sydney (Australia), the IAU proposed to designate 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy. Based on the initiative of Italy, the 2005 General Conference of UNESCO recommended that the UN General Assembly should declare the year 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. The UN has designated "the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as the lead agency and focal point for the Year, and invites it to organize, in this capacity, activities to be realized during the Year, in collaboration with other relevant entities of the United Nations system, the International Astronomical Union, the European Southern Observatory and astronomical societies and groups throughout the world."

Research-Based Astronomy Workshops for Secondary School Students in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rujopakarn, Wiphu; Kirdkao, Thagoon

We present the results of the Learning Center for Earth Sciences and Astronomy (LESA). Thai-land organizes a series of research-based astronomical workshops for secondary school students in the country during 2006 present. The goal of LESA is to apply the research-based learn-ing approach to complement astronomy education, which has been included in the national curriculum since 2002, and to let students gain first-hand experience in astronomical research. Realization of research-based astronomical education in Thailand has long been held back by the limited availability of astronomical facilities in the country. We therefore developed work-shop modules for students using professional astronomical data generously made available to us through various collaborations and on-line archives. Two major difficulties we have overcame in developing these modules are, first, to seek research topics that are meaningful, inspiring, and can demonstrate the process of astronomical research with minimal background in astrophysics, and second, to find the software capable of processing large amounts of astronomical data, yet easily accessible for students. Our workshop modules centered on the basic research methods in observational astronomy, including astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy. Data for these analysis modules were obtained through collaboration with various research groups, such as re-mote robotic telescopes access from the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, archival images from the Catalina Sky Survey, archival spectra from the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, and imaging and spectral data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We adapt the raw data such that they can be accessed and analyzed with freely-available astronomical software such as the Iris or SAOImage ds9 and VSpec for imaging and spectral data, respectively. In each of the past five years, we have organized year-round workshops for students to carry out research projects using these modules and present their work in poster and oral presentations at our annual meetings. Examples of student projects are the search for variable stars and minor planets, light curve analyzes of variable stars and type Ia supernovae, spectral analyzes of stars and galaxies, and exoplanet searches using the radial velocity technique. To date, more than 80 students from 25 schools in Thailand have participated in our workshops. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of adapt-ing astronomical data or remotely available telescopes to carry out research-based education, despite the lack of locally available astronomical infrastructures.

Southern African Office of Astronomy for Development: A New Hub for Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutondo, Moola S.; Simpemba, Prospery

2016-10-01

A new Astronomy for Development hub needs innovative tools and programs. SAROAD is developing exciting tools integrating Raspberry Pi technology to bring cost-effective astronomy content to learning centres. SAROAD would also like to report achievements in realizing the IAU's strategic plan. In order to manage, evaluate and coordinate regional IAU (International Astronomical Union) capacity building programmes, including the recruitment and mobilization of volunteers, SAROAD has built an intranet that is accessible to regional members upon request. Using this resource, regional members can see and participate in regional activities. SAROAD has commenced with projects in the three Task Force areas of Universities and Research, Children and Schools and Public Outreach. Under the three Task Force areas, a total of seven projects have commenced in Zambia (some supported by funds from IAU Annual Call for proposals).

Editorial - A Matter of Continuity, of People, of Ethics, of Vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, Andre

2012-08-01

This editorial presents the book as a continuation, with more emphasis on people, of the earlier prize-winning series "Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy (OSA)", the seven volumes of which described how astronomy research lives: how it is planned, funded and organized, how it interacts with other disciplines and the rest of the world, how it communicates, etc. All those books are a unique medium for scientists and non-scientists (sometimes from outside astronomy) to describe their experience, often for the first time at such a level, on non-purely scientific matters, many of them of fundamental importance for the efficient conduct astronomy-related activities. The editorial tackles also issues regarding ethics and management of people, stressing the need for managers with ad hoc training and a long-term vision of the role of astronomers towards the society at large.

Development and standardization of the "Let's Shop" questionnaire: an assessment of shopping habits and executive functions in people with obesity.

PubMed

Akerman Frid, Sarit; Josman, Naomi; Endevelt, Ronit

2017-05-01

Overweight and obesity are epidemic in Western countries and the literature suggests a relationship between overweight and executive functions (EF). Shopping is a regular, everyday activity that is strongly related to executive functioning. To date, no assessment tool has been developed to evaluate EF in adults with overweight and obesity, with a focus on the activity of shopping. To determine the factorial validity of the newly developed "Let's Shop" questionnaire. A convenience sample which included three groups of 93 men and women aged 35-60 were included in the study. Thirty three overweight participants and 30 obese participants who sought a clinical dietitian constituted the two research groups, and 30 normal weight participants recruited from a physician's waiting room constituted the control group and were matched to the two research groups by age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status. The "Let's Shop" questionnaire was administered to all participants. An exploratory principal factor extraction with oblimin rotation was conducted for the "Let's Shop" questionnaire. Twenty-one items were entered into the equation; the analysis revealed four distinct factors comprised of 17 items. The cumulative percentage of variance accounted for by the four factors was 44.74%. The four factors were as follows: "planning in action" α = 0.63; " planning ahead" α = 0.71; " impulsivity" α = 0.67; and "habits" α = 0.63. The "Let's Shop" questionnaire was reduced to 17 items. This brief questionnaire will enable rapid administration by researchers and practitioners and determine a potential association between EF in the supermarket arena and weight status.

Interactions and Interventions: Current Research on Improving Informal Astronomy Education via the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, James G.; Gurton, S.; Hurst, A.; Berendsen, M.; Storksdieck, M.; Haley-Goldman, K.; Stein, J.; Pompea, S.; Garmany, C.; Sparks, R.; Pollock, W.

2007-12-01

In building national capacity for better informal astronomy education and public outreach (EPO), what sorts of professional development interactions are most effective in what situations--and what interventions for improvement can be effectively applied? Building on previous experience, the ASP, in conjunction with its partners, is conducting two National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects investigating astronomy teaching and learning in informal contexts to explore these questions in both museum-based and amateur astronomy club settings. "Astronomy from the Ground Up" (AfGU) develops capacity for hands-on astronomy education in small and medium-sized science centers and nature centers through on-site and online professional development workshops and the establishment of a "community of practice" network. The ASP, in collaboration with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), is investigating which model--face-to-face or online professional development--works best and will be sustainable for that target group. "Sharing the Universe" (STU) builds on the Night Sky Network in which amateur astronomy clubs, through the ASP with financial and logistical support from NASA and its missions, are provided tools and training to conduct EPO activities with their public audiences. The ASP, in collaboration with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), launched a national survey in late 2007 to investigate the factors that either support or discourage sustained amateur astronomer EPO efforts, followed by an in-depth study of a subset of both successful and struggling clubs, and leading to the development of interventions that support amateur astronomy outreach within the context of a nurturing club environment. The presentation will offer some early and initial results of the AfGU project--which reveal some interesting and unforeseen advantages of the online model over the on-site model--and some insights into the STU national survey of astronomy clubs as this project gets underway.

Crafting an International Study of Students' Conceptual Understanding of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie; Bretones, P. S.; McKinnon, D.; Schleigh, S.; Slater, T. F.; Astronomy, Center; Education Research, Physics

2013-01-01

Large international investigations into the learning of science, such as the TIMSS and PISA studies, have been enlightening with regard to effective instructional practices. Data from these studies revealed weaknesses and promising practices within nations' educational systems, with evidence to suggest that these studies have led to international reforms in science education. However, these reforms have focused on the general characteristics of teaching and learning across all sciences. While extraordinarily useful, these studies have provided limited insight for any given content domain. To date, there has been no systematic effort to measure individual's conceptual astronomy understanding across the globe. This paper describes our motivations for a coordinated, multinational study of astronomy understanding. First, reformed education is based upon knowing the preexisting knowledge state of our students. The data from this study will be used to assist international astronomy education and public outreach (EPO) professionals in their efforts to improve practices across global settings. Second, while the US astronomy EPO community has a long history of activity, research has established that many practices are ineffective in the face of robust misconceptions (e.g.: seasons). Within an international sample we hope to find subpopulations that do not conform to our existing knowledge of student misconceptions, leading us to cultural or educational practices that hint at alternative, effective means of instruction. Finally, it is our hope that this first venture into large-scale disciplinary collaboration will help us to craft a set of common languages and practices, building capacity and leading toward long-term cooperation across the international EPO community. This project is sponsored and managed by the Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research (CAPER), in collaboration with members of the International Astronomical Union-Commission 46. We are actively welcoming and seeking partners in this work.

A Status Report on the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fienberg, Richard Tresch; Fraknoi, Andrew; Gurton, Suzanne; Hurst, Anna; Schatz, Dennis L.

2014-06-01

The American Astronomical Society, in partnership with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), has launched a series of professional-development workshops and a community of practice designed to improve early-career astronomers’ ability to communicate effectively with students and the public. Called AAS Astronomy Ambassadors, the program provides training and mentoring for young astronomers, from advanced undergraduates to beginning faculty; it also provides them access to resources and a network of contacts within the astronomy education and public outreach (EPO) community. Ambassadors are provided with a library of outreach activities and resource materials suitable for a range of venues and audiences. For much of this library we are using resources developed by organizations such as the ASP, the Pacific Science Center, and the Center for Astronomy Education for other outreach programs, though some resources have been created by one of us (AF) specifically for this program. After a period of evaluation and revision, the program’s “Menu of Outreach Opportunities for Science Education” (MOOSE) is now posted on the AAS website at http://aas.org/outreach/moose-menu-outreach-opportunities-science-education.The first two Astronomy Ambassadors workshops were held at AAS meetings in January 2013 and January 2014; each served 30 young astronomers chosen from about twice that many applicants. Web-based follow-up activities are being provided through a website at the ASP designed to keep cohorts of educators trained in their programs in touch with one another. The AAS is exploring ways to fund additional workshops at future winter meetings; suggestions are most welcome. Meanwhile, the Astronomy Ambassadors trained to date have logged more than 150 outreach events, reaching many thousands of children and adults across the U.S. and Canada.

Public Outreach and Educational Experiences in Mexico and Latin American communities in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andres De Leo-Winkler, Mario; Canalizo, Gabriela; Pichardo, Barbara; Arias, Brenda

2015-08-01

I have created and applied diverse methods in public outreach at National Autonomous Univerisity of Mexico (UNAM) since 2001.A student-led volunteer astronomical club has been created, the biggest in Mexico. We serve over 10,000 people per year. We have created public outreach activities for the general audience: archeo-astronomical outings, scientific movie debates, conferences, courses, public telescope viewings. We have also worked with juvenile delinquents to offer them scientific opportunities when released from jail.I've also created and worked the social media for the Institute of Astronomy UNAM, which is currently the biggest social media site on astronomy in Spanish in the world. I've created and organized a mass photo exhibition (over 1 million people served) for the Institute of Astronomy, UNAM which was citizen-funded through an online platform, the first of its kind in the country. Together with my colleages, we created workshops on astronomy for children with the Mexican's government funding.I've participated in several radio and television programs/capsules designed to bring astronomy to the general audience, one in particular ("Astrophysics for Dummies") was very successful in nation-wide Mexican radio.I am currently applying all experiences to develop a new public outreach project on astronomy for the University of California - Riverside and its on-campus and surrounding Latin American communities. We are offering new workshops for blind and deaf children. We want to integrate the Latino community to our outreach activities and offer science in their language in a simple and entertaining fashion. We have also successfully applied astrophotography as a course which brings social-science and arts undergraduate students into natural sciences.Sharing experiences, success and failure stories will help new and experienced educators and public outreach professionals learn and better from past experiences.

Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Opening a New Window on the Universe for Students, Educators and the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavaglia, Marco; Hendry, M.; Ingram, D.; Milde, S.; Pandian, S. R.; Reitze, D.; Riles, K.; Schutz, B.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T.; Ugolini, D.; Thacker, J.; Vallisneri, M.; Zermeno, A.

2008-05-01

The nascent field of gravitational wave astronomy offers many opportunities for effective and inspirational astronomy outreach. Gravitational waves, the `ripples in spacetime' predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity, are produced by some of the most energetic and dramatic phenomena in the cosmos, including black holes, neutron stars and supernovae - and their discovery should help to address a number of fundamental questions in physics, from the evolution of stars and galaxies to the origin of dark energy and the nature of spacetime itself. Moreover, the cutting-edge technology developed to search for gravitational waves is pushing back the frontiers of many fields, from lasers and materials science to high performance computing, and thus provides a powerful showcase for the attractions and challenges of a career in science and engineering. For several years a worldwide network of ground-based laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors, built and run by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, has been fully operational. These detectors are already among the most sensitive scientific instruments on the planet but in the next few years their sensitivity will achieve further significant improvement. Those developments promise to open an exciting new window on the Universe, heralding the arrival of gravitational wave astronomy as a revolutionary, new observational field. In this poster we describe the extensive program of public outreach activities already undertaken by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, and a number of special events which we are planning for IYA2009. These activities include: * programs at Science Centers and Observatory Visitor Centers * programs on gravitational wave astronomy for the classroom, across the K-12 spectrum * interdisciplinary events linking gravitational wave astronomy to music and the visual arts * research experiences for schools and citizens through the highly successful `Einstein@Home' program.

NF-kB activation and its downstream target genes expression after heavy ions exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chishti, Arif Ali; Baumstark-Khan, Christa; Hellweg, Christine; Schmitz, Claudia; Koch, Kristina; Feles, Sebastian

2016-07-01

To enable long-term human space flight cellular radiation response to densely ionizing radiation needs to be better understood for developing appropriate countermeasures to mitigate acute effects and late radiation risks for the astronaut. The biological effectiveness of accelerated heavy ions (which constitute the most important radiation type in space) with high linear energy transfer (LET) for effecting DNA damage response pathways as a gateway to cell death or survival is of major concern not only for space missions but also for new regimes of tumor radiotherapy. In the current research study, the contribution of NF-κB in response to space-relevant radiation qualities was determined by a NF-κB reporter cell line (HEK-pNF-κB-d2EGFP/Neo L2). The NF-κB dependent reporter gene expression (d2EGFP) after ionizing radiation (X-rays and heavy ions) exposure was evaluated by flow cytometry. Because of differences in the extent of NF-κB activation after X-irradiation and heavy ions exposure, it was expected that radiation quality (LET) might play an important role in the cellular radiation response. In addition, the biological effectiveness (RBE) of NF-κB activation and reduction of cellular survival was examined for heavy ions having a broad range of LET (˜0.3 - 9674 keV/µm). Furthermore, the effect of LET on NF-κB target gene expression was analyzed by real time reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). In this study it was proven that NF-κB activation and NF-κB dependent gene expression comprises an early step in cellular radiation response. Taken together, this study clearly demonstrates that NF-κB activation and NF-κB-dependent gene expression by heavy ions are highest in the LET range of ˜50-200 keV/μupm. The up-regulated chemokines and cytokines (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL10, IL-8 and TNF) might be important for cell-cell communication among hit as well as unhit cells (bystander effect). The results obtained suggest the NF-κB pathway to be a promising target for pharmacological modulation of cellular radiation response either to improve tumor cell killing during radiotherapy with heavy ions or to mitigate radiation late effects in astronauts or irradiated healthy tissue.

The Interactive Planetarium: Student-led Investigations of Naked-Eye Astronomy and Planetary Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Emily L.; McCrady, N.

2007-12-01

We have developed a set of interactive, learner-centered planetarium lab activities for the introductory astronomy course for non-majors at UCLA. A planetarium is ideal for the visualization of the celestial sphere as a 2D projection in 3D space and for the direct spatial simulation of geometric relationships. These concepts are fundamental to content areas frequently covered in introductory courses but are notoriously difficult for non-specialists. Opportunities for engaging students in actively learning content and process skills are limited in the traditional "sky show” approach typically employed in a planetarium setting. The novel aspect of our activities is that they actively engage students in learning: students make predictions, design observational tests, and direct the motion of the planetarium sky in order to evaluate their hypotheses. We have also developed complementary, kinesthetic lab activities that take place outside the planetarium with overlapping content and process goals. Several hundred schools, colleges, and universities across the country have immediate access to a planetarium as a classroom, and our method represents a novel way to use the planetarium as interactive lab equipment in college-level introductory astronomy courses.

Documenting the Vocabulary of Astronomy Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Scott; Parrish, M.; Gay, P. L.

2008-05-01

Learning astronomy can be a life-long process, with the seeds of knowledge planted in K-12 classes blossoming in elective college courses to create adults who actively acquire astronomy content. One of the goals of many astronomy 101 courses is to prepare students to be intelligent consumers of mainstream astronomy content, including magazine articles, popular books, and online news. To meet this goal, astronomy educators need to understand what content is being presented in the media and what level vocabulary is being used. The most simplistic way to address this problem is to examine the topics covered and vocabulary used in mainstream astronomy blogs and news feeds. In this study we looked at a selection of prominent blogs and news feeds and we present a statistical study of the frequency different scientific terms are used and topics are addressed. To make this study possible, software to read in RSS feeds was created. This software had to meet the following design specifications: runs in a reasonable amount of time, removes all XML and HTML code from text, sees words with different capitalizations as the same word, ignores end of sentence or phrase punctuation without ignoring hyphens, and has an editable list of "common English words.” This code will be available after the conference at http://www.starstryder.com. Results of this study find that many of the primary topics of Astronomy 101 classes, such as the HR Diagram, are rarely mentioned in blogs and online news, while often de-emphasized topics, such as extra solar planets, cosmology, and high energy astrophysics, show up regularly.

Evaluation of Music And Astronomy Under The Stars: Bringing Science To New Audiences At Music Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.; Torff, B.

2014-07-01

Evaluations were conducted of the 2009-2012 NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program at outdoor concerts (see the separate MAUS poster at this meeting). MAUS promoted lifelong learning by providing opportunities for the public to look through telescopes, participate in hands-on activities, and view posters, banners, and videos at events where large numbers of people are gathered. Surveys were given to 1.6% of the concertgoers at MAUS events with the participants expressing their level of agreement on a four-point scale with the following statements: “The astronomy at this event has been an enjoyable experience;” “It has been easy to comprehend the astronomy at this event;” “This event has helped me learn new things about astronomy;” “This event has made me want to learn more about astronomy;” and “This event has increased my interest in science.” On a scale where 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, and 4 = strongly agree, MAUS received high ratings (>3.34/4) on all outcomes. MAUS successfully reached people at different concerts who had little interest in science. MAUS appealed to concert attendees of both genders, all ages, multiple levels of education, and all musical tastes. MAUS positively influenced the public's knowledge of and interest in astronomy. The high ratings from virtually all respondents indicate that the gains were not restricted to science enthusiasts. The data strongly supports the conclusion that MAUS—bringing astronomy to people at musical events—is effective!

ACDA Thirty Years of Popularization of Astronomy in Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo, W.; Higuera-G., Mario A.

2017-07-01

The Colombian Association of Astronomical Studies (ACDA) is a Non Profit Organization with thirty years of permanent efforts for the popularization of astronomy and related sciences in Colombia. ACDA put together amateur and profesional astronomers, as well as interested people. We surely had left a footprint on uncountable number of attending people to our activities, members and former members, and have supported the process of building a new society, with more awareness on the importance of science. We devote our efforts to our members and general people, to keep them motivated, support them and follow each member own interests in order to expand and spread their knowledge. In order to achieve our goals we have develop several strategies as: acquire of didactic material and optical instruments, video projections and discussion, astronomical observations, visits to observatories and planetariums, attending conferences and events, and mainly a weekly Saturday morning talk at the Bogotá Planetarium. ACDA has had different study teams on several fields including: Planetary Systems, Astrobiology, Space Exploration, Cosmology, History of Astronomy and Radioastronomy. ACDA has a national brandname on Astronomy due to seriousness and quality of its projects. A good list of members have become profesional astronomers. From our experience we can say: astronomy is a fertile field to teach science, in general there is an absence of astronomy culture in the public, our best communication experience are astronomical observations, explained astronomy movies and colloquiums, our best public are kids and aged people and finally, social networks gave dynamics to our astronomy spreading initiative.

Bringing the Universe to the Valley of the Sun: Astronomy Outreach at Arizona State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashcraft, Teresa; Knierman, K. A.; Taylor, W. L.; Rutkowski, M. J.

2012-01-01

The focal point of astronomy outreach at ASU is Astronomy Open House, which has run for more than 3 decades. It is a free event for the local community and provides an opportunity for night sky viewings with telescopes, interactions with scientist, and discussion of contemporary topics. Typically each Open House will also offer a planetarium show, activities for kids, and displays on meteorites, the Moon, and geology. During the 2010-2011 academic year approximately 900 people attended the 6 Open Houses. This was a record attendance and was in part due to targeted advertisement to K-12 student groups. To accommodate this growth we recruited additional undergraduate student volunteers, including those from both science and non-science academic backgrounds. We present here a summary of traditional Open House activities and new partnerships developed as a result of the increased volunteer pool. Through Open House we were able to partner with other programs at ASU and in the Phoenix area and the expanded community presence developed into new events at local schools and museums (e.g., Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Zoo). Additionally, in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy, we hosted two events for local, traditionally under-served students in which the students learned about Galileo and built their own Galileoscopes for free. In June 2011, we visited the Tsaile Public School on the Navajo Reservation to present a series of hands-on astronomy activities including a guided program inside a portable STARLAB planetarium to over 60 Navajo students. T. Ashcraft is supported by an Arizona NASA Space Grant Fellowship. Open House is partially supported by ASU USG. Funding for Galileoscopes provided by ASU GPSA. NASA Summer of Innovation program supports events in Tsaile, AZ.

Nurturing The STEM Pipeline: Graduate Student Leadership In NIRCam's Ongoing E/PO Mission For JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlingman, Wayne M.; Stock, N.; Teske, J.; Tyler, K.; Biller, B.; Donley, J.; Hedden, A.; Knierman, K.; Young, P.

2011-01-01

The Astronomy Camp for Girl Scout Leaders is an education and public outreach (E/PO) program offered by the science team of the Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) for NASA's 6.5-meter James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Since 2003, astronomy graduate students have helped design and lead biannual "Train the Trainer” workshops for adults from the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), engaging these trainers in the process of scientific inquiry and equipping them to host astronomy-related activities at the troop level. These workshops have helped revise the national GSUSA badge curriculum and directly benefitted thousands of young girls of all ages, not only in general science and math education but also in specific astronomical and technological concepts relating to JWST. To date, nine graduate students have become members of NIRCam's E/PO team. They have developed curriculum and activities used to teach concepts in stellar nucleosynthesis, lookback time, galaxy classification, etc. They have also contributed to the overall strategic approach and helped lead more general activities in basic astronomy (night sky, phases of the Moon, the scale of the Solar System and beyond, stars, galaxies, telescopes, etc.) as well as JWST-specific research areas in extrasolar planetary systems and cosmology, to pave the way for girls and women to understand the first images from JWST. The resulting experience has empowered these students to propose and to develop their own E/PO programs after graduation as postdocs and young faculty. They also continue as part of NIRCam's growing worldwide network of 160 trainers teaching young women essential STEM-related concepts using astronomy, the night sky environment, applied math, engineering, and critical thinking. NIRCam and its E/PO program are funded by NASA under contract NAS5-02105.

Developmental regulation of myeloerythroid progenitor function by the Lin28b–let-7–Hmga2 axis

PubMed Central

Rowe, R. Grant; Wang, Leo D.; Coma, Silvia; Pearson, Daniel S.; Nguyen, Phi T.; Wagers, Amy J.

2016-01-01

For appropriate development, tissue and organ system morphogenesis and maturation must occur in synchrony with the overall developmental requirements of the host. Mistiming of such developmental events often results in disease. The hematopoietic system matures from the fetal state, characterized by robust erythrocytic output that supports prenatal growth in the hypoxic intrauterine environment, to the postnatal state wherein granulocytes predominate to provide innate immunity. Regulation of the developmental timing of these myeloerythroid states is not well understood. In this study, we find that expression of the heterochronic factor Lin28b decreases in common myeloid progenitors during hematopoietic maturation to adulthood in mice. This decrease in Lin28b coincides with accumulation of mature let-7 microRNAs, whose biogenesis is regulated by Lin28 proteins. We find that inhibition of let-7 in the adult hematopoietic system recapitulates fetal erythroid-dominant hematopoiesis. Conversely, deletion of Lin28b or ectopic activation of let-7 microRNAs in the fetal state induces a shift toward adult-like myeloid-dominant output. Furthermore, we identify Hmga2 as an effector of this genetic switch. These studies provide the first detailed analysis of the roles of endogenous Lin28b and let-7 in the timing of hematopoietic states during development. PMID:27401346

Cosmic ray LET spectra and doses on board Cosmos-2044 biosatellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dudkin, V. E.; Kovalev, E. E.; Potapov, Y. V.; Benton, E. V.; Frank, A. L.; Benton, E. R.; Watts, J. W. Jr; Parnell, T. A.; Schopper, E.; Baican, B.;

High Frequency Radar Astronomy With HAARP

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

High Frequency Radar Astronomy With HAARP Paul Rodriguez Naval Research Laboratory Information Technology Division Washington, DC 20375, USA Edward...a period of several years, the High frequency Active Auroral Research Program ( HAARP ) transmitting array near Gakona, Alaska, has increased in total...high frequency (HF) radar facility used for research purposes. The basic science objective of HAARP is to study nonlinear effects associated with

Photographs and Classroom Response Systems in Middle School Astronomy Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyunju; Feldman, Allan

2015-01-01

In spite of being readily available, photographs have played a minor and passive role in science classes. In our study, we present an active way of using photographs in classroom discussions with the use of a classroom response system (CRS) in middle school astronomy classes to teach the concepts of day-night and seasonal change. In this new…

Mapping the Future of Non-Formal Education and the Scientific Dissemination of Astronomy in Brazil: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marques, Joana Brás Varanda; de Freitas, Denise

2016-01-01

Non-formal education and the dissemination of science are increasingly gaining importance around the world. Whilst astronomy in Brazil is no exception, its growth has however been slow and dispersed, institutions and activities across the country are uncoordinated, and no source exists that integrates relevant information and knowledge. To address…

Initial Employment Report: Physics and Astronomy Degree Recipients of 2003 & 2004. AIP Report. Number R-282.26

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tesfaye, Casey Langer; Mulvey, Patrick J.

2007-01-01

This report describes the initial employment and educational paths pursued by physics and astronomy degree recipients at the bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels for the classes of 2002-03 and 2003-04. The report includes starting salaries, primary work activities, ratings of professional challenge and other aspects of initial employment. The…

Teaching Future Teachers Basic Astronomy Concepts--Sun-Earth-Moon Relative Movements--at a Time of Reform in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumper, Ricardo

2006-01-01

In view of students' alternative conceptions about basic concepts in astronomy, we conducted a series of constructivist activities with future elementary and junior high school teachers aimed at changing their conceptions about the cause of seasonal changes, and of several characteristics of the Sun-Earth-Moon relative movements like Moon phases,…

Community Plan for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ade, Peter; Akeson, Rachel; Ali, Shafinaz; Amato, Michael; Arendt, Richard; Baker, Charles; Benford, Dominic; Blain, Andrew; Bock, James; Borne, Kirk

2004-01-01

This paper represents the consensus view of the 124 participants in the Second Workshop on New Concepts for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy.We recommend that NASA pursue the vision for far-IR astronomy outlined in the NAS Decadal Survey, which said: A rational coordinated program for space optical and infrared astronomy would build on the experience gained with NGST1 to construct [a JWST-scale filled-aperture far-IR telescope SAFIR, and then ultimately, in the decade 2010 to 2020, build on the SAFIR, TPF, and SIM experience to assemble a space-based, far-infrared interferometer. SAFIR will study star formation in the young universe, the buildup of elements heavier than hydrogen over cosmic history, the process of galaxy formation, and the early phases of star formation, which occur behind a veil of dust that precludes detection at mid IR and shorter wavelengths. The far-infrared interferometer will resolve distant galaxies to study protogalaxy interactions and mergers and the processes that led to enhanced star formation activity and the formation of Active Galactic Nuclei, and will resolve protostars and debris disks in our Galaxy to study how stars and planetary systems form.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009: The Global Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindberg Christensen, Lars

2009-01-01

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is a global collaboration between nations and organisations for peaceful purposes - the search for our cosmic origin, a common heritage that connects everyone. The science of astronomy represents millennia of collaborations across all boundaries: geographic, gender, age, culture and race, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. 1 January 2009 will mark the beginning of the IYA2009 in the eyes of the public. However this immense worldwide science outreach and education event began more than six years earlier, with IAU's initiative in 2003. The IYA2009 aims to unite nations under the umbrella of astronomy and science, while at the same time acknowledging cultural differences and national and regional particularities. Never before has such a network of scientists, amateur astronomers, educators, journalists and scientific institutions come together. When the IYA2009 officially kicks off in Paris on 15 January 2009, it is estimated that more than 5000 people will be directly involved in the organisation of IYA2009 activities across the globe. During this talk we will outline the status of the principal projects and activities that make up the Year.

Overview of the SAMSI year-long program on Statistical, Mathematical and Computational Methods for Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jogesh Babu, G.

2017-01-01

A year-long research (Aug 2016- May 2017) program on `Statistical, Mathematical and Computational Methods for Astronomy (ASTRO)’ is well under way at Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI), a National Science Foundation research institute in Research Triangle Park, NC. This program has brought together astronomers, computer scientists, applied mathematicians and statisticians. The main aims of this program are: to foster cross-disciplinary activities; to accelerate the adoption of modern statistical and mathematical tools into modern astronomy; and to develop new tools needed for important astronomical research problems. The program provides multiple avenues for cross-disciplinary interactions, including several workshops, long-term visitors, and regular teleconferences, so participants can continue collaborations, even if they can only spend limited time in residence at SAMSI. The main program is organized around five working groups:i) Uncertainty Quantification and Astrophysical Emulationii) Synoptic Time Domain Surveysiii) Multivariate and Irregularly Sampled Time Seriesiv) Astrophysical Populationsv) Statistics, computation, and modeling in cosmology.A brief description of each of the work under way by these groups will be given. Overlaps among various working groups will also be highlighted. How the wider astronomy community can both participate and benefit from the activities, will be briefly mentioned.

The Eratosthenes Project: the reproduction of a historical experiment as a resource for the inclusion of Astronomy concepts in High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Jesus Santos, Antônio José; Voelzke, Marcos Rincon; Teixeira de Araújo, Mauro Sérgio

2012-12-01

This investigation was about an educational approach based on the History of Science and experimentation involving scientific concepts in the area of Astronomy, highlighting the reproduction of the original experiment performed by Eratosthenes in the third century B.C., designed to measure the Earth radius. It was found that the realized activities contributed significantly to the success of High School students from two public schools of Sergipe - the State College State Secretary Francisco Rosa Santos in Aracaju, Sergipe and the Federal Institute, campus of São Cristov - since these activities had aroused the students' interest for the construction of new scientific knowledge, and they improved their comprehension of some aspects related to Science and Astronomy in particular, as its empirical character and its historical development, therefore immersed in a specific social, economic and cultural context. The approach allowed for a greater involvement of participating students and it improved student-teacher relationship. The evaluations identified that a significant learning of the discussed concepts involving Physics and Astronomy had occurred, such as latitude, longitude, equinox, solstice, midday sun, among other concepts treated in an interdisciplinary manner with other disciplines such as Geography, History and Mathematics.

Astronomy Meets the Environmental Sciences: Activities for Informal and Formal Educational Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, C. E.; Pompea, S. M.; Sparks, R. T.

2011-09-01

Dark Skies Rangers are a set of activities that address how light pollution affects safety, energy conservation, cost, health and wildlife, as well as our ability to view the stars. The activities were created by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) for grades 3-12, for use both in and out of the classroom. They are downloadable online and available on CD as part of a Dark Skies Kit. The central part of the kit is an interactive light shielding demonstration, which illustrates the reasons for lighting responsibly. Four of the seven activities, including the light shielding demonstration, were presented at four workshops for the 2010 Astronomical Society of the Pacific annual conference. Three of these activities are described here.

Exposure to Heavy Ion Radiation Induces Persistent Oxidative Stress in Mouse Intestine

PubMed Central

Datta, Kamal; Suman, Shubhankar; Kallakury, Bhaskar V. S.; Fornace, Albert J.

2012-01-01

Ionizing radiation-induced oxidative stress is attributed to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to radiolysis of water molecules and is short lived. Persistent oxidative stress has also been observed after radiation exposure and is implicated in the late effects of radiation. The goal of this study was to determine if long-term oxidative stress in freshly isolated mouse intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) is dependent on radiation quality at a dose relevant to fractionated radiotherapy. Mice (C57BL/6J; 6 to 8 weeks; female) were irradiated with 2 Gy of γ-rays, a low-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, and intestinal tissues and IEC were collected 1 year after radiation exposure. Intracellular ROS, mitochondrial function, and antioxidant activity in IEC were studied by flow cytometry and biochemical assays. Oxidative DNA damage, cell death, and mitogenic activity in IEC were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Effects of γ radiation were compared to 56Fe radiation (iso-toxic dose: 1.6 Gy; energy: 1000 MeV/nucleon; LET: 148 keV/µm), we used as representative of high-LET radiation, since it's one of the important sources of high Z and high energy (HZE) radiation in cosmic rays. Radiation quality affected the level of persistent oxidative stress with higher elevation of intracellular ROS and mitochondrial superoxide in high-LET 56Fe radiation compared to unirradiated controls and γ radiation. NADPH oxidase activity, mitochondrial membrane damage, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were greater in 56Fe-irradiated mice. Compared to γ radiation oxidative DNA damage was higher, cell death ratio was unchanged, and mitotic activity was increased after 56Fe radiation. Taken together our results indicate that long-term functional dysregulation of mitochondria and increased NADPH oxidase activity are major contributing factors towards heavy ion radiation-induced persistent oxidative stress in IEC with potential for neoplastic transformation. PMID:22936983

Training Young Astronomers in EPO: An Update on the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.; Fienberg, R. T.; Gurton, S.; Schmitt, A. H.; Schatz, D.; Prather, E. E.

2014-07-01

The American Astronomical Society, with organizations active in EPO, has launched professional-development workshops and a community of practice to help improve early-career astronomers' ability to communicate effectively. Called “Astronomy Ambassadors,” the program provides mentoring and training for participants, from advanced undergraduates to beginning faculty. By learning to implement effective EPO strategies, Ambassadors become better teachers, meeting presenters, and representatives of our science to the public and government. Because young astronomers are a more diverse group than those who now do most outreach, they help the astronomy community present a more multicultural and gender-balanced face to the public, enabling underserved groups to see themselves as scientists. Ambassadors are given a library of outreach activities and materials, including many developed by cooperating organizations such as the ASP, plus some that have been created by Andrew Fraknoi specifically for this program.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittle, Lauren E.; Wenger, Trey; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Angell, Dylan; Burkhardt, Andrew; Davis, Blair; Firebaugh, Ariel; Hancock, Danielle; Richardson, Whitney; Rochford Hayes, Christian; Linden, Sean; Liss, Sandra; Matthews, Allison; McNair, Shunlante; Prager, Brian; Pryal, Matthew; Troup, Nicholas William

2017-01-01

We present activities from the eighth year of Dark Skies Bright Kids (DSBK), an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in Central Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts. Over the past seven years, our primary focus has been hosting an 8-10 week after-school astronomy club at underserved elementary and middle schools, and over the past several years, we have partnered with local businesses to host our Annual Central Virginia Star Party, a free event open to the community featuring star-gazing and planetarium shows. This past summer we expanded our reach through a new initiative to bring week-long summer day camps to south and southwest Virginia, home to some of the most underserved communities in the commonwealth.

The Radio JOVE Project: Inexpensive Radio Astronomy for the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thieman, J. R.; Higgins, C. A.; Pine, W.

2000-12-01

Radio JOVE is an interactive, hands-on educational activity for learning the scientific method through the medium of radio astronomy observations of Jupiter and the sun. Students build a radio telescope from a relatively inexpensive non-profit kit (about \\$125) and use it to record data, analyze the data, and share the results with others. Alternatively, for no cost, the students can record and analyze data from remote radio telescopes connected to the Web. The project is a useful adjunct to activities in optical astronomy since students should recognize that we learn about the Universe through more than just the optical spectrum. In addition to supplementing knowledge of Jupiter and the sun, the project teaches about charged particles and magnetic fields. Building of the kit is also a mini-course in electronics. The Radio JOVE website (http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov) contains science information, instruction manuals, observing guides, software, and education resources for students and teachers.

Teaching Astronomy Classes and Labs in a Smart Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gugliucci, Nicole E.

2017-01-01

Saint Anselm College is a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire with an enrollment of approximately 1900 students. All students are required to take one science course with a laboratory component. Introduction to Astronomy is now being offered in regular rotation in the Department of Physics, taking advantage of the new "smart" classrooms with the technology and set up to encourage active learning. These classrooms seat 25 students and feature 5 "pods," each with their own screen that can be hooked up to a student computer or one of the iPads available to the professor. I will present how these classrooms are used for Introduction to Astronomy and related courses under development for active learning. Since the class requires a laboratory component and New Hampshire weather is notably unpredictable, the smart classroom offers an alternative using freely available computer simulations to allow for an alternative indoor laboratory experience.

Genomic DNA Copy-Number Alterations of the let-7 Family in Human Cancers

PubMed Central

Greshock, Joel; Shen, Liang; Yang, Xiaojun; Shao, Zhongjun; Liang, Shun; Tanyi, Janos L.; Sood, Anil K.; Zhang, Lin

2012-01-01

In human cancer, expression of the let-7 family is significantly reduced, and this is associated with shorter survival times in patients. However, the mechanisms leading to let-7 downregulation in cancer are still largely unclear. Since an alteration in copy-number is one of the causes of gene deregulation in cancer, we examined copy number alterations of the let-7 family in 2,969 cancer specimens from a high-resolution SNP array dataset. We found that there was a reduction in the copy number of let-7 genes in a cancer-type specific manner. Importantly, focal deletion of four let-7 family members was found in three cancer types: medulloblastoma (let-7a-2 and let-7e), breast cancer (let-7a-2), and ovarian cancer (let-7a-3/let-7b). For example, the genomic locus harboring let-7a-3/let-7b was deleted in 44% of the specimens from ovarian cancer patients. We also found a positive correlation between the copy number of let-7b and mature let-7b expression in ovarian cancer. Finally, we showed that restoration of let-7b expression dramatically reduced ovarian tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that copy number deletion is an important mechanism leading to the downregulation of expression of specific let-7 family members in medulloblastoma, breast, and ovarian cancers. Restoration of let-7 expression in tumor cells could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. PMID:22970210

The 2007 National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam: Making Astronomy Accessible to Students Who are Blind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grice, Noreen A.

2008-05-01

In the summer of 2007, nearly two hundred blind and visually impaired high school students participated in a weeklong enrichment program at Johns Hopkins University called the National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam. They spent four days participating in hands-on science and engineering classes and exploring careers previously thought inaccessible to those without sight. The students were separated into "tracks” with each group focusing on a different field. Want to know what happened in the astronomy track? Come by this paper and see examples of accessible astronomy activities, including accessible star parties, from the Youth Slam!

Practical Semantic Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Matthew; Gray, N.; Burke, D.

2010-01-01

Many activities in the era of data-intensive astronomy are predicated upon some transference of domain knowledge and expertise from human to machine. The semantic infrastructure required to support this is no longer a pipe dream of computer science but a set of practical engineering challenges, more concerned with deployment and performance details than AI abstractions. The application of such ideas promises to help in such areas as contextual data access, exploiting distributed annotation and heterogeneous sources, and intelligent data dissemination and discovery. In this talk, we will review the status and use of semantic technologies in astronomy, particularly to address current problems in astroinformatics, with such projects as SKUA and AstroCollation.

Reviews in Modern Astronomy: Vol. 15: JENAM 2001: Astronomy with Large Telescopes from Ground and Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schielicke, Reinhard E.

2002-11-01

This 15th volume in the annual series on recent developments and scientific progress in astronomy and astrophysics contains fourteen invited reviews presented during the Joint European and National Astronomical Meeting JENAM 2001, held in Munich, Germany. Readers also learn about the lecture on macro- and microscopic views of nearby galaxies given by Keiichi Kodaira, Japan, who was awarded the Karl Schwarzschild medal 2001. Further contributions on the topic provide the latest results on the search for extra-solar planets, formation of stars and galaxies, physics of active galactic nuclei, as well as new telescopes and sensor technologies for various wavelengths.

Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide, 6th Edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moché, Dinah L.

2004-02-01

"A lively, up-to-date account of the basic principles of astronomy and exciting current field of research."-Science Digest For a quarter of a century, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has been making students and amateur stargazers alike feel at home among the stars. From stars, planets and galaxies, to black holes, the Big Bang and life in space, this title has been making it easy for beginners to quickly grasp the basic concepts of astronomy for over 25 years. Updated with the latest discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics, this newest edition of Dinah Moché's classic guide now includes many Web site addresses for spectacular images and news. And like all previous editions, it is packed with valuable tables, charts, star and moon maps and features simple activities that reinforce readers' grasp of basic concepts at their own pace, as well as objectives, reviews, and self-tests to monitor their progress. Dinah L. Moché, PhD (Rye, NY), is an award-winning author, educator, and lecturer. Her books have sold over nine million copies in seven languages.

Lessons from X-Ray Astronomy Applied to HST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreier, Ethan J.; Doxsey, Rodger

2000-09-01

Riccardo Giacconi, probably more than any other single individual, established x-ray astronomy as an essential sub-discipline of astronomy. Its incorporation into the mainstream of astronomy was substantially completed with the Einstein Observatory which, with its imaging capabilities and its Guest Observer program, invited non-x-ray astronomers to use the facility. It was therefore perhaps fitting that when optical astronomy moved into space, with the Hubble Space Telescope, it called on Riccardo to oversee the transition. He brought with him lessons about building and operating space observatories, experience working with NASA on large science projects, a business-like approach to attacking tasks, and his unique vision and abilities. Among the guiding principles he brought to HST were: involvement of a strong scientific research staff in all aspects of the program; establishment of a vital, active research environment; attention to "science system engineering" and applying a rational scientific approach to problems; creation of an atmosphere of "ruthless intellectual honesty" and maintenance of the highest regard for process. These formed the basis both for attacking the problems of HST, and for building an Institute to do so.

Intersubject synchronization of cortical activity during natural vision.

PubMed

Hasson, Uri; Nir, Yuval; Levy, Ifat; Fuhrmann, Galit; Malach, Rafael

2004-03-12

To what extent do all brains work alike during natural conditions? We explored this question by letting five subjects freely view half an hour of a popular movie while undergoing functional brain imaging. Applying an unbiased analysis in which spatiotemporal activity patterns in one brain were used to "model" activity in another brain, we found a striking level of voxel-by-voxel synchronization between individuals, not only in primary and secondary visual and auditory areas but also in association cortices. The results reveal a surprising tendency of individual brains to "tick collectively" during natural vision. The intersubject synchronization consisted of a widespread cortical activation pattern correlated with emotionally arousing scenes and regionally selective components. The characteristics of these activations were revealed with the use of an open-ended "reverse-correlation" approach, which inverts the conventional analysis by letting the brain signals themselves "pick up" the optimal stimuli for each specialized cortical area.

Astronomy in the United States: Workforce Development and Public Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, Chris

2012-08-01

Astronomy workforce development and public engagement in the United States are described. The number of professional astronomers has grown by about a third in the past 25 years, to about 4000. Only one in four are faculty in an academic setting; the rest work in a wide range of public and private research institutes. PhD production has remained steady at about 200 per year. Women account for roughly half of BSc degrees and a third of PhD degrees, but their participation declines to about 10% at the level of full professor. Minorities are underrepresented by a substantial factor at all levels of the profession. In terms of public engagement, astronomy has unique advantages associated with its visual appeal and the large and active amateur astronomy community. The are 1400 public planetaria in the US, with another 110 in schools and universities. Astronomers have made good use of new media such as blogs and podcasts and social networks, but the biggest impact has been in the area of citizen science, where people with no technical background contribute directly to a research project by, for example, classifying galaxies. The International Year of Astronomy and the remarkable success of the Galileoscope have inspired large numbers of people to appreciate astronomy, contributing indirectly to the professional vitality of the field.

The Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, K. A.; Hunter, D. A.; Bosh, A. S.; Johnson, M.; Schindler, K.

2012-08-01

We present an overview of the Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program, which is modeled after the ASP's Project ASTRO (Richter & Fraknoi 1994). Since 1996, our missions have been (1) to use the inherent excitement about the night sky to help teachers get Navajo and Hopi students excited about science and education, and (2) to help teachers of Navajo and Hopi students learn about astronomy and hands-on activities so that they will be better able to incorporate astronomy in their classrooms. Lowell astronomers pair up for a school year with an elementary or middle school (5th-8th grade) teacher and make numerous visits to their teachers' classes, partnering with the educators in leading discussions linked with hands-on activities. Lowell staff also work with educators and amateur astronomers to offer evening star parties that involve the family members of the students as well as the general community. Toward the end of the school year, teachers bring their classes to Lowell Observatory. The classes spend some time exploring the Steele Visitor Center and participating in tours and programs. They also voyage to Lowell's research facility in the evening to observe at two of Lowell's research telescopes. Furthermore, we offer biennial teacher workshops in Flagstaff to provide teachers with tools, curricula materials, and personalized training so that they are able to include astronomy in their classrooms. We also work with tribal educators to incorporate traditional astronomical knowledge. Funding for the program comes from many different sources.

A Renewal of Community Outreach by Amherst College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauter, Steven

2008-09-01

Amherst College was left a legacy of an 18 inch Alvin Clark refractor and a Spitz planetarium. We just completed a new Museum of Natural History and have a close relationship with a very active amateur astronomy association. We have taken these assets and recommitted ourselves to community science educational outreach. My poster describes those activities and future plans. Our method is to communicate basic astronomy in a lively presentation that focuses on the current night sky including sun position, planet locations, constellation and stars, current events in space exploration such as ISS, space based telescopes, deep space probes as well as current news in astronomy that has reached the popular press such as extra-solar system planets and galactic structure and evolution. In all our efforts we trace the history of telescopes from Galileo through our own Alvin Clark refractor to current space based telescopes. In the museum, the talks on Valley geology rely on a knowledge of sun position, earth processes born of its formation and position in the solar system. Evolution and extinctions are tied to astronomical events such as asteroid and comet collisions, the possibilities of life and organic compounds being extra-terrestrial, and the role that our galactic orbit may play a role in regular mass extinctions. We seek to reach the following audiences: pre-K-12 school children College classes in observational astronomy Boy and Girl scout troops working on merit achievements in astronomy College alumni general public College dorm student groups Retirement communities

The IAU's East Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Grijs, Richard

2014-09-01

At the 2012 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) programme announced a number of exciting new partnerships to assist with the IAU's decadal strategic plan (2010-2020). These landmark decisions included establishing a new coordinating centre that aims at using astronomy as a tool for development in East Asia. The agreement covers two important functions. One is known as a Regional Node, which entails the coordination of astronomy-for-development activities in countries within the general geographical region of East Asia (in first instance China, Mongolia and the DPRK, but without placing firm geographical limits on the region). The other is known as a Language Expertise Centre which will deal with all aspects relating to (mainly) the Chinese language and culture. The impact of the latter may obviously spread well beyond the geographical region to other parts of the world.

POCA Update: An NSF PAARE Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Donald K.; Brittain, S. D.; Cash, J. L.; Hartmann, D. H.; Howell, S. B.; King, J. R.; Leising, M. D.; Mayo, E. A.; Mighell, K. J.; Smith, D. M., Jr.

2011-01-01

We report on the status of "A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA)” under the NSF's "Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE)" program. This partnership includes South Carolina State University (a Historically Black College/University), Clemson University (a Ph.D. granting institution) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. We have reached the midpoint of this 5-year award and discuss the successes, challenges and obstacles encountered to date. Included is a summary of our summer REU program, the POCA graduate fellowship program, faculty research capacity building, outreach activities, increased use of NSF facilities and shared resources. Additional POCA research presentations by the authors are described elsewhere in these proceedings. Support for this work was provided by the NSF PAARE program to South Carolina State University under award AST-0750814 as well as resources and support provided by Clemson University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

Introducing Interactive Teaching Styles into Astronomy Lectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, G. L.

1997-12-01

The majority of undergraduate students who take an astronomy class are non-science majors attempting to satisfy a science requirement. Often in these "scientific literacy" courses, facts are memorized for the exam and forgotten shortly afterwards. Scientific literacy courses should advance student skills toward processing information and applying higher order thinking rather than simple recall and memorization of facts. Thinking about material as it is presented, applying new knowledge to solve problems, and thinking critically about topics are objectives that many astronomy instructors hope their students are achieving. A course in astronomy is more likely to achieve such goals if students routinely participate in their learning. Interactive techniques can be quite effective even in large classes. Examples of activities are presented that involve using cooperative learning techniques, writing individual and group "minute papers," identifying and correcting misconceptions, including the whole class in a demonstration, and applying knowledge to new situations.

Teaching Astronomy in Extracurricular Study Groups of Armenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khachatryan, Mher; Grigoryan, Avetik

2016-12-01

The report presents the history of activity of Extracurricular Study Groups of Ar¬menia teaching astronomy and related subjects. It mainly refers to the Aerospace Club founded in 1988, which has long been acting as an officially unre¬gis¬tered, but efficiently performing non-governmental organization - Armenian Youth Ae¬ro¬space Society. The Club teaches, provides a truly scientific view of the world, advocates astronomy and other scientific and technical areas, provides interesting lectures and ar¬ticles to schools and mass media, arranges seminars and meetings with renowned experts, publishes scientific ar¬ticles, manuals, books, puts forward important scientific and techno-logical problems and offer students to work together on them, seek for solutions and develop possible appli¬ca¬tions. All this is aimed at maintaining and further development of leading positions of Armenia's scientific potential, particularly in astronomy.

Astronomers Without Borders: An IYA2009 Organizational Node Dedicated to Connecting Groups Worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, M.

2008-11-01

Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) is a new global organization and IYA2009 Organizational Node dedicated to furthering understanding and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries using the universal appeal of astronomy. The AWB network of Affiliates will bring together up to 1000 astronomy clubs, magazines and other organizations involved in astronomy. IYA2009 projects include The World at Night, a Special IYA2009 Project, and coordination of the 100 Hours of Astronomy Global Cornerstone Project. Sharing Telescopes and Resources (STAR) gathers surplus and new equipment in developed countries and donates them to clubs in undeveloped countries, with follow-up programs meant to ensure the best use of the equipment. The AWB website will serve as the basis for all programs including forums, galleries, video conferences and other relationship-building activities. AWB will continue and grow for many years beyond the end of IYA2009.

Poster — Thur Eve — 45: Comparison of different Monte Carlo methods of scoring linear energy transfer in modulated proton therapy beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Granville, DA; Sawakuchi, GO

2014-08-15

In this work, we demonstrate inconsistencies in commonly used Monte Carlo methods of scoring linear energy transfer (LET) in proton therapy beams. In particle therapy beams, the LET is an important parameter because the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) depends on it. LET is often determined using Monte Carlo techniques. We used a realistic Monte Carlo model of a proton therapy nozzle to score proton LET in spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) depth-dose distributions. We used three different scoring and calculation techniques to determine average LET at varying depths within a 140 MeV beam with a 4 cm SOBP and a 250more » MeV beam with a 10 cm SOBP. These techniques included fluence-weighted (Φ-LET) and dose-weighted average (D-LET) LET calculations from: 1) scored energy spectra converted to LET spectra through a lookup table, 2) directly scored LET spectra and 3) accumulated LET scored ‘on-the-fly’ during simulations. All protons (primary and secondary) were included in the scoring. Φ-LET was found to be less sensitive to changes in scoring technique than D-LET. In addition, the spectral scoring methods were sensitive to low-energy (high-LET) cutoff values in the averaging. Using cutoff parameters chosen carefully for consistency between techniques, we found variations in Φ-LET values of up to 1.6% and variations in D-LET values of up to 11.2% for the same irradiation conditions, depending on the method used to score LET. Variations were largest near the end of the SOBP, where the LET and energy spectra are broader.« less

Initial Teacher Training Science Nature and Mathematics and the Teaching of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macedo, Josué Antunes de

2014-11-01

Although Astronomy is part of the National Curriculum Parameters, it is rarely taught adequately in basic education. In this regard, this research has been developed aiming to investigate contributions to the use of traditional resources combined with digital technologies, in order to create autonomy for future teachers of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in relation to themes in Astronomy. The following steps were taken: i) analysis of educational pedagogical projects (EPP) from licentiate courses at the Federal Institution of Education, Science and Technology in the North of Minas Gerais (FINMG); ii) analysis of students' preconceptions on Astronomy and digital technologies; iii) elaboration of the course and application, developed under the education modality of blended learning, using the teaching proposal of methological pluralism; iv) application and analysis of the final questionnaire. The research subjects were constituted by thirty-two students of Physics, Mathematics and Biological Sciences courses. A mixed methodology with a pre-experimental delineation, combined with content analysis, has been used. The results showed the following: at the IFNMG, only the licentiate course in physics includes Astronomy content in several curriculum subjects; students´ rates of previous knowledge of Astronomy are low, and there are indications of meaningful learning of concepts related to Astronomy. This research sought to contribute to initial teacher training, particularly in relation to Astronomy teaching, proposing new alternatives to promote the teaching of this knowledge area. Furthermore, the intention was to respond to requests of institutions for implementation of blended learning or distance courses, since during the survey it was verified that, although discussions in forums are important, there is a need for such courses to promote on-site meetings conducting practical and manipulative activities.

A Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dipen; Mridha, Shahjahan; Afroz, Maqsuda

2015-08-01

In its strategic planning for the "Astronomy for Development Project," the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ecognized, among other important missions, the role of astronomy in understanding the far-reaching possibilities for promoting global tolerance and citizenship. Furthermore, astronomy is deemed inspirational for careers in science and technology. The "Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh"--the first of its kind in the country--aspires to fulfill these missions. As Bangladesh lacks resources to promote astronomy education in universities and schools, the role of disseminating astronomy education to the greater community falls on citizen science organizations. One such group, Anushandhitshu Chokro (AChokro) Science Organization, has been carrying out a successful public outreach program since 1975. Among its documented public events, AChokro organized a total solar eclipse campaign in Bangladesh in 2009, at which 15,000 people were assembled in a single open venue for the eclipse observation. The organization has actively pursued astronomy outreach to dispel public misconceptions about astronomical phenomena and to promote science. AChokro is currently working to build an observatory and Science Outreach Center around a recently-acquired 14-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a soon-to-be-acquired new 16-inch reflector, all funded by private donations. The telescopes will be fitted with photometers, spectrometers, and digital and CCD cameras to pursue observations that would include sun spot and solar magnetic fields, planetary surfaces, asteroid search, variable stars and supernovae. The Center will be integrated with schools, colleges, and community groups for regular observation and small-scale research. Special educational and observing sessions for adults will also be organized. Updates on the development of the Center, which is expected to be functioning by the end of 2015, will be shared and feedback invited on the fostering of international collaboration.

Online Scholarly Conversations in General Education Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Qijie; Wong, Ka-Wah

2018-01-01

In general education astronomy courses, many students are struggling with understanding the foundational concepts and theories in astronomy. One of the possible reasons is that, due the large class size, many of the courses are taught using a lecture mode, where human interactions and active learning are limited (Freeman et al., 2014). To address this challenge, we have applied the knowledge building framework (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006) to design an online collaborative learning component, called Scholarly Conversations, to be integrated into a general education astronomy course at a public, comprehensive university.During Scholarly Conversations, students are treated as scholars to advance knowledge frontiers (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). The whole process involves the creation of new ideas and requires discourse and collective work for the advancement and creation of artifacts, such as theories and models (van Aalst, 2009). Based on the knowledge building principles (Scardamalia, 2002; Zhang, Scardamalia, Reeve, & Messina, 2009), several features have been built into Scholarly Conversations so that students are guided to deepen understanding of the astronomy concepts through three phases: knowledge sharing, knowledge construction and knowledge building, and reflections on learning growth (van Aalst, 2009; Cai, 2017). The online Scholarly Conversation is an extension of the lecture component of the general education astronomy course. It promotes student interactions and collaborative learning, and provides scaffolds for students to construct meanings of the essential concepts in astronomy through social learning and online technology. In this presentation, we will explain the specific design principles of the online Scholarly Conversation, and share the artifacts created to facilitate the online conversations in an general education astronomy course.Note: This project has been supported by the College of Education Research Grant Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Support of research in X-ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garmire, G.

1983-01-01

Activities described include: (1) the evaluation of CCD detectors for X-ray astronomy applications; (2) contributions to the development of an imaging gas scintillation proportional counter; (3) the evaluation of certain metal oxide crystals as potential radiation detectors; (4) optical observations and searches for X-ray sources discovered by the HEAO-1 A2 experiment; and (5) theoretical modeling of nonequilibrium ionization structure of supernova remnants.

Social Media Programs at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, Robert T.; Walker, Constance Elaine; Pompea, Stephen M.

2015-08-01

Observatories and other science research organizations want to share their research and activities with the public. The last several years, social media has become and increasingly important venue for communicating information about observatory activities, research and education and public outreach.The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) uses a wide variety of social media to communicate with different audiences. NOAO is active on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. Our social media accounts include those for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory and our dark skies conservation program Globe at Night.Our social media programs have a variety of audiences. NOAO uses social media to announce and promote NOAO sponsored meetings, observatory news and proposal deadlines to the professional astronomical community. Social media accounts are used to disseminate NOAO press releases, images from the observatory and other science using data from NOAO telescopes.Social media is important in our Education and Public Outreach programs (EPO). Globe at Night has very active facebook and twitter accounts encouraging people to become involved in preserving dark skies. Social media plays a role in recruiting teachers for professional development workshops such as Project Astro.NOAO produces monthly podcasts for the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast featuring interviews with NOAO astronomers. Each podcast highlights the science of an NOAO astronomer, an NOAO operated telescope or instrument, or an NOAO program. A separate series of podcasts is produced for NOAO’s Dark Skies Education programs. All the podcasts are archived at 365daysofastronomy.org.

Let's Play: Learning Games for Infants and Toddlers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Phyllis Jack

2000-01-01

Recommends play activities in which children look, listen, taste, smell, and touch. Includes appropriate ages for activities and gives directions for several games, including peek and seek, water play, bean bags, and hot potato. (DLH)

Let's Get Fit!: Fitness Activities for Children with Severe/Profound Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modell, Scott J.; Cox, Thomas Alan

1999-01-01

Guidelines for developing a physical activity program for students with severe/profound disabilities address medical clearance; levels of participation; staffing; equipment; and program components, including warm-up, range of motion/flexibility activities, aerobics, resistance training, and cool-down. (DB)

Filling the Astronomical Void - A Visual Medium for a Visual Subject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, J.

1996-12-01

Astronomy is fundamentally a visual subject. The modern science of astronomy has at its foundation the ancient art of observing the sky visually. The visual elements of astronomy are arguably the most important. Every person in the entire world is affected by visually-observed astronomical phenomena such as the seasonal variations in daylight. However, misconceptions abound and the average person cannot recognize the simple signs in the sky that point to the direction, the hour and the season. Educators and astronomy popularizers widely lament that astronomy is not appreciated in our society. Yet, there is a remarkable dearth of popular literature for teaching the visual elements of astronomy. This is what I refer to as *the astronomical void.* Typical works use illustrations sparsely, relying most heavily on text-based descriptions of the visual astronomical phenomena. Such works leave significant inferential gaps to the inexperienced reader, who is unequipped for making astronomical observations. Thus, the astronomical void remains unfilled by much of the currently available literature. I therefore propose the introduction of a visually-oriented medium for teaching the visual elements of Astronomy. To this end, I have prepared a series of astronomy "comic strips" that are intended to fill the astronomical void. By giving the illustrations the central place, the comic strip medium permits the depiction of motion and other sequential activity, thus effectively representing astronomical phenomena. In addition to the practical advantages, the comic strip is a "user friendly" medium that is inviting and entertaining to a reader. At the present time, I am distributing a monthly comic strip entitled *Starman*, which appears in the newsletters of over 120 local astronomy organizations and on the web at http://www.cyberdrive.net/ starman. I hope to eventually publish a series of full-length books and believe that astronomical comic strips will help expand the perimeter of astronomical awareness.

Skynet Junior Scholars: Bringing Astronomy to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Kate; Williamson, Kathryn; Gartner, Constance; Hoette, Vivian L.; Heatherly, Sue Ann

2016-01-01

Skynet Junior Scholars (SJS), funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to engage middle school youth from diverse audiences in investigating the universe with research quality robotic telescopes. SJS project development goals include: 1) Online access to optical and radio telescopes, data analysis tools, and professional astronomers, 2) An age-appropriate web-based interface for controlling remote telescopes, 3) Inquiry-based standards-aligned instructional modules. From an accessibility perspective, the goal of the Skynet Junior Scholars project is to facilitate independent access to the project by all youth including those with blindness or low vision and those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students have long been an underserved population within STEM fields, including astronomy. Two main barriers include: (1) insufficient corpus of American Sign Language (ASL) for astronomy terminology, and (2) DHH education professionals who lack astronomy background. A suite of vocabulary, accessible hands-on activities, and interaction with trained professionals, are critical for enhancing the background experiences of DHH youth, as they may come to an astronomy lesson lacking the basic "incidental learning" that is often taken for granted with hearing peers (for example, from astronomy in the media).A collaboration between the Skynet Junior Scholars (SJS) project and the Wisconsin School for the Deaf is bringing astronomy to the DHH community in an accessible way for the first time. We follow a group of seven DHH youth over one semester as they interact with the SJS tools and curriculum to understand how they assimilate astronomy experiences and benefit from access to telescopes both directly (on school campus and at Yerkes Observatory) and through Skynet's robotic telescope network (optical and radio telescopes, inquiry-based modules, data analysis tools, and professional astronomers). We report on our first findings of resources and best practices for engaging DHH youth in astronomy in the future.

Astronomy: Social Representations of the Integrated High School Students and Graduates in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa, J. I. L.

The topics related to Astronomy are spread through almost all levels of basic education in Brazil and are also disseminated through the mass media, activities that do not always occur in the proper way. However, their students form their explanations about the phenomena studied by Astronomy, that is, they begin to construct their opinions, their beliefs and their attitudes regarding this object or this situation. In this sense, this work was divided in two fronts, which have the following objectives: (1) To identify the social representations of Astronomy elaborated by students of Integrated secondary education and undergraduate students in Physics; (2) To verify to what extent the social representations developed by the investigated students are equivalent; (3) To Investigate if the social representations designed per undergraduate students in Physics about Astronomy undergo changes after these participate in a course on basic subjects of Astronomy, in comparison with those exposed before the mentioned event. On the first front there is a research of a basic nature, where the data were obtained through of survey, and analysed in accordance with the methodologies pertinent to Central Nucleus Theory, the second front deals with an investigation of an applied nature, and the data obtained were explored through statistical analyses. The results indicate that the researchers have been involved in social representations of the object Astronomy, which are based on elements of the formal education space, and also disclosed in the media, in addition, demonstrate that the students have information about Astronomy and a valuation position in relation to this Science. On the second front, the results indicate that there were changes in the social representations of the undergraduate students in Physics about the term inductor Astronomy, after the course, that is, several elements evoked before the course were replaced by others, which were worked during the event.

World's Biggest Astronomy Event on the World-Wide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1996-06-01

`Astronomy On-Line' will connect students all over Europe Astronomy On-Line is a major, all-European project that will take place in conjunction with the 4th European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture later this year. It is based on intensive use of the World-Wide-Web (WWW) and represents the first large-scale attempt in the world to bring together pupils and their teachers all over one continent to explore challenging scientific questions, using modern communication tools, both for obtaining and for communicating information. The programme will be carried out in a collaboration between the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) [1] and the European Southern Observatory, and together with the European Commission (EC). The active phase of Astronomy On-Line will start on October 1 and reach a climax on November 18 - 22, 1996 . What is `Astronomy On-Line'? In this project, a large number of students and their teachers at schools all over Europe, together with professional and amateur astronomers and others interested in astronomy, will become associated in a unique experience that makes intensive use of the vast possibilities of the World-Wide-Web (WWW). Although the exact number of participants will not be known until the beginning of October, it is expected to run into thousands, possibly many more. The unusual size and scope of Astronomy On-Line will contribute to make it an important all-European media event. The central idea is that the participants, through the WWW, will `meet' in a `marketplace' where a number of different `shops' will be available, each of which will tempt them with a number of exciting and educational `events', carefully prepared to cater for different age groups, from 12 years upwards. The events will cover a wide spectrum of activities, some of which will be timed to ensure the proper progression of this very complex project through its main phases. The benefits In fact, Astronomy On-Line will be the first, internationally organised and fully structured programme which offers a large number of students the possibility to familiarize themselves with the use of this communication tool of the future, unequalled possibilities for fruitful international communication, and at the same time to learn much about the science and technology of astronomy, including the scientific methods now being practiced by the world's scientists. Within this framework, they can actively contribute to co-ordinated sub-programmes that will draw on the combined forces and ingenuity of participants from all areas of Europe. There are many other side benefits, of course, such as stimulating schools to go on-line, prompting international cooperation among the young people, etc. Another important aspect is that the programme will lead to natural involvement of business and industrial partners in local areas of the participating groups. Also its unique character and international implications will be very inviting for extensive media coverage, both in human and scientific/technological terms. The organisation An enormous programme like Astronomy On-Line obviously represents a tremendous challenge to the organisers, and careful planning is crucial to its success. This is ensured by the active participation of experienced educators, scientists and engineers in most European countries, united by the common goal to prepare a well-structured event that is exciting for everybody and which has clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all involved parties. An International Steering Committee (ISC) has been established for the programme. The ICS is responsible for the planning of the main activities, together with National Steering Committees (NSC) which will coordinate the Programme in their respective countries. The NSC's are still in the process of being formed and for the time being, most EAAE National Representatives will act as contact points for the programme in their areas. Full information about the organisational and technical aspects of the Programme is available on two central WWW nodes. They will be continuously updated as the programme is specified in increasing detail. The Astronomy On-Line WWW Homepages can be reached under: http://www.eso.org/outreach/spec-prog/aol/ and http://www.algonet.se/~sirius/eaae.htm Announcements about National WWW Homepages for the Programme, now being set up by the NCS's, will follow on the above WWW Homepages. Participation The NSCs will soon issue a call for participation to interested schools, astronomy clubs and other astronomy-interested persons in their respective areas. The deadline for registration is October 1, 1996 , the day when the first active phase of the Programme will start. Participants must register with the appropriate NSC. Participating groups may consist of at least one teacher and his/her students or of one or more astronomy enthousiasts. Each group must have access to the WWW. If access is not yet available at the school, this may be arranged by `sponsors' in the local area. These may be planetaria, science institutes, business undertakings (e.g. in the field of electronics, computers, communication, etc.), industrial firms or private benefactors. All communication via the WWW will take place in English. Only registered groups can participate actively. The main phases Astronomy On-Line will be divided into three phases, lasting from October 1 to November 22, 1996, and reflecting the gradual progression of the associated activities. Phase 1 will last about six weeks, from early October to the beginning of the 4th European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture. During this period, the participating groups will have the possibility of preparing themselves for the active participation, for instance to familiarize themselves with the hard- and software as well as to consider specific programme opportunities, now becoming available on the WWW pages. Regional or international `clusters of groups' may form at this time. Phase 2 will take place on Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19, 1996. On these and the three following days ( Phase 3 : November 20--22), the `active period' will be in the six-hour interval from 15h to 21h UT [2]. Various events are planned to happen at certain times and in certain places on the WWW, keeping the programme lively and enhancing the interaction by ensuring continued attention and expectation by the participants. During Phases 2 and 3, nine or more `shops' will be available in the Astronomy On-Line WWW `marketplaces' for consultation by the participants. They will display a variety of `goods' (activities) at different levels of complexity in order to attract participants of different age groups, among others: General information; Collaborative projects which require observations by many groups all over the continent; Real astronomical observations to be submitted and executed with telescopes at participating, professional observatories; Prepared exercises which may include guided searches on the WWW; Opportunities to talk to professional astronomers, etc. More details are available at the above mentioned WWW sites. Ideas for further activities are now being actively solicited by the Steering Committees. At the end, the various results will be presented on the WWW in the form of short reports which may be commented upon, as far as possible in real time. A `final event' which will `unite' participants from all over Europe will be planned on the last day. Notes: [1] The EAAE was founded in November 1994 (cf. ESO Press Release 17/94 of 2 December 1994) and now has several hundred members located in virtually all European countries; most are secondary school physics teachers with a particular interest in astronomy. [2] This period of the day has been chosen to allow students to participate outside the the normal school hours, and by taking into account the time zones across Europe (from UT in the West to UT+2h in East). How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

An analytical dose-averaged LET calculation algorithm considering the off-axis LET enhancement by secondary protons for spot-scanning proton therapy.

PubMed

Hirayama, Shusuke; Matsuura, Taeko; Ueda, Hideaki; Fujii, Yusuke; Fujii, Takaaki; Takao, Seishin; Miyamoto, Naoki; Shimizu, Shinichi; Fujimoto, Rintaro; Umegaki, Kikuo; Shirato, Hiroki

2018-05-22

To evaluate the biological effects of proton beams as part of daily clinical routine, fast and accurate calculation of dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET d ) is required. In this study, we have developed the analytical LET d calculation method based on the pencil-beam algorithm (PBA) considering the off-axis enhancement by secondary protons. This algorithm (PBA-dLET) was then validated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) results. In PBA-dLET, LET values were assigned separately for each individual dose kernel based on the PBA. For the dose kernel, we employed a triple Gaussian model which consists of the primary component (protons that undergo the multiple Coulomb scattering) and the halo component (protons that undergo inelastic, nonelastic and elastic nuclear reaction); the primary and halo components were represented by a single Gaussian and the sum of two Gaussian distributions, respectively. Although the previous analytical approaches assumed a constant LET d value for the lateral distribution of a pencil beam, the actual LET d increases away from the beam axis, because there are more scattered and therefore lower energy protons with higher stopping powers. To reflect this LET d behavior, we have assumed that the LETs of primary and halo components can take different values (LET p and LET halo ), which vary only along the depth direction. The values of dual-LET kernels were determined such that the PBA-dLET reproduced the MCS-generated LET d distribution in both small and large fields. These values were generated at intervals of 1 mm in depth for 96 energies from 70.2 to 220 MeV and collected in the look-up table. Finally, we compared the LET d distributions and mean LET d (LET d,mean ) values of targets and organs at risk between PBA-dLET and MCS. Both homogeneous phantom and patient geometries (prostate, liver, and lung cases) were used to validate the present method. In the homogeneous phantom, the LET d profiles obtained by the dual-LET kernels agree well with the MCS results except for the low-dose region in the lateral penumbra, where the actual dose was below 10% of the maximum dose. In the patient geometry, the LET d profiles calculated with the developed method reproduces MCS with the similar accuracy as in the homogeneous phantom. The maximum differences in LET d,mean for each structure between the PBA-dLET and the MCS were 0.06 keV/μm in homogeneous phantoms and 0.08 keV/μm in patient geometries under all tested conditions, respectively. We confirmed that the dual-LET-kernel model well reproduced the MCS, not only in the homogeneous phantom but also in complex patient geometries. The accuracy of the LET d was largely improved from the single-LET-kernel model, especially at the lateral penumbra. The model is expected to be useful, especially for proper recognition of the risk of side effects when the target is next to critical organs. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Let-7 miRNA Precursors Co-express with LIN28B in Cervical Cells.

PubMed

Zamora-Contreras, Aida Margarita; Alvarez-Salas, Luis Marat

2018-01-01

The let-7 microRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in carcinogenic processes, including cervical cancer. LIN28 proteins regulate let-7 biogenesis by binding to conserved sequences within the pre-miRNA structure. Nevertheless, recent research has shown that some let-7 miRNAs may escape LIN28 regulation. Correlate pre-let-7 miRNAs and LIN28B levels in cervical cell lines with different malignancy and HPV content. Pre-let-7 levels were determined by RTqPCR. LIN28B and other let-7 targets were analyzed by immunoblot. In silico tools were used to correlate let-7 and LIN28B expression and to analyze prelet- 7 sequences and structures. Lin28B protein was detected in all tested cell lines although it was more expressed in tumor cell lines. High levels of pre-let-7c/f-1 and pre-miR-98 were present in almost all cell lines regardless malignancy and LIN28B expression. Pre-let-7g/i were mainly expressed in tumor cell lines, pre-let-7e and pre-let-7-a3 were absent in all cell lines and pre-let-7a-2 showed indistinct expression. LIN28B showed positive correlation with pre-let-7i/g/f-1 and pre-miR-98 in tumor cell lines, suggesting escape from regulation. Sequence alignment and analysis of pre-let-7 miRNAs showed distinctive structural features within the preE region that may influence the ideal pre-let-7 structuring for LIN28B interaction. Short preE-stems were present in pre-let-7 that may escape LIN28B regulation, but long preEstems were mostly associated with high-level pre-let-7 miRNAs. The observed differences of pre-let-7 levels in cervical cell lines may be the result of alternative preE structuring affecting interaction with LIN28B thus resulting in differential let-7 regulation. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Long-term Autophagy and Nrf2 Signaling in the Hippocampi of Developing Mice after Carbon Ion Exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Fei; Zhao, Ting; Liu, Xiongxiong; Jin, Xiaodong; Liu, Xinguo; Wang, Tieshan; Li, Qiang

2015-12-01

To explore charged particle radiation-induced long-term hippocampus damage, we investigated the expression of autophagy and antioxidant Nrf2 signaling-related proteins in the mouse hippocampus after carbon ion radiation. Heads of immature female Balb/c mice were irradiated with carbon ions of different LETs at various doses. Behavioral tests were performed on the mice after maturation. Acute and chronic expression of LC3-II, p62/SQSTM1, nuclear Nrf2, activated caspase-3 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were measured in the hippocampi. Secondary X-ray insult was adopted to amplify potential damages. Long-term behavioral changes were observed in high-LET carbon ion-irradiated mice. There were no differences in the rates of LC3-II induction and p62/SQSTM1 degradation compared to the control group regardless of whether the mice received the secondary X-ray insult. A high nuclear Nrf2 content and low apoptosis level in hippocampal cells subjected to secondary X-rays were observed for the mice exposed to relatively low-LET carbon ions. Therefore, carbon ion exposure in the immature mouse led to an LET-dependent behavioral change after maturation. Although autophagy was intact, the persistently high nuclear Nrf2 content in the hippocampus might account for the unchanged behavioral pattern in mice exposed to the relatively low-LET carbon ions and the subsequent increased radioresistance of the hippocampus.

Cosmic ray LET spectra and doses on board Cosmos-2044 biosatellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, J. W., Jr.; Parnell, T. A.; Dudkin, V. E.; Kovalev, E. E.; Potapov, Yu. V.; Benton, E. V.; Frank, A. L.; Benton, E. R.; Beaujean, R.; Heilmann, C.

1995-01-01

Results of the experiments on board Cosmos-2044 (Biosatellite 9) are presented. Various nuclear track detectors (NTD) (dielectric, AgCl-based, nuclear emulsions) were used to obtain the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectra inside and outside the satellite. The spectra from the different NTDs have proved to be in general agreement. The results of LET spectra calculations using two different models are also presented. The resultant LET distributions are used to calculate the absorbed and equivalent doses and the orbit-averaged quality factors (QF) of the cosmic rays (CR). Absorbed dose rates inside (approximately 20 g cm (exp -2) shielding) and outside (1 g cm(exp -2) the spacecraft, omitting electrons, were found to be 4.8 and 8.6 mrad d (exp -1), respectively, while the corresponding equivalent doses were 8.8 and 19.7 mrem d(exp -1). The effects of the flight parameters on the total fluence of, and on the dose from the CR particles are analyzed. Integral dose distributions of the detected particles are also determined. The LET values which separate absorbed and equivalent doses into 50% intervals are estimated. The CR-39 dielectric NTD is shown to detect 20-30% of the absorbed dose and 60-70% of the equivalent dose in the Cosmos-2044 orbit. The influence of solar activity phase on the magnitude of CR flux is discussed.

let-7 Contributes to Diabetic Retinopathy but Represses Pathological Ocular Angiogenesis

PubMed Central

Zhou, Qinbo; Frost, Robert J. A.; Anderson, Chastain; Zhao, Fangkun; Ma, Jing; Yu, Bo

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The in vivo function of microRNAs (miRs) in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains unclear. We report here that let-7 family members are expressed in retinal and choroidal endothelial cells (ECs). In ECs, overexpression of let-7 by adenovirus represses EC proliferation, migration, and networking in vitro, whereas inhibition of the let-7 family with a locked nucleic acid (LNA)–anti-miR has the opposite effect. Mechanistically, silencing of the let-7 target HMGA2 gene mimics the phenotype of let-7 overexpression in ECs. let-7 transgenic (let-7-Tg) mice show features of nonproliferative DR, including tortuous retinal vessels and defective pericyte coverage. However, these mice develop significantly less choroidal neovascularization (CNV) compared to wild-type controls after laser injury. Consistently, silencing of let-7 in the eye increased laser-induced CNV in wild-type mice. Together, our data establish a causative role of let-7 in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and a repressive function of let-7 in pathological angiogenesis, suggesting distinct implications of let-7 in the pathogenesis of DR and AMD. PMID:28584193

Radiation Quality Effects on Transcriptome Profiles in 3-d Cultures After Particle Irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patel, Z. S.; Kidane, Y. H.; Huff, J. L.

2014-01-01

In this work, we evaluate the differential effects of low- and high-LET radiation on 3-D organotypic cultures in order to investigate radiation quality impacts on gene expression and cellular responses. Reducing uncertainties in current risk models requires new knowledge on the fundamental differences in biological responses (the so-called radiation quality effects) triggered by heavy ion particle radiation versus low-LET radiation associated with Earth-based exposures. We are utilizing novel 3-D organotypic human tissue models that provide a format for study of human cells within a realistic tissue framework, thereby bridging the gap between 2-D monolayer culture and animal models for risk extrapolation to humans. To identify biological pathway signatures unique to heavy ion particle exposure, functional gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used with whole transcriptome profiling. GSEA has been used extensively as a method to garner biological information in a variety of model systems but has not been commonly used to analyze radiation effects. It is a powerful approach for assessing the functional significance of radiation quality-dependent changes from datasets where the changes are subtle but broad, and where single gene based analysis using rankings of fold-change may not reveal important biological information. We identified 45 statistically significant gene sets at 0.05 q-value cutoff, including 14 gene sets common to gamma and titanium irradiation, 19 gene sets specific to gamma irradiation, and 12 titanium-specific gene sets. Common gene sets largely align with DNA damage, cell cycle, early immune response, and inflammatory cytokine pathway activation. The top gene set enriched for the gamma- and titanium-irradiated samples involved KRAS pathway activation and genes activated in TNF-treated cells, respectively. Another difference noted for the high-LET samples was an apparent enrichment in gene sets involved in cycle cycle/mitotic control. It is plausible that the enrichment in these particular pathways results from the complex DNA damage resulting from high-LET exposure where repair processes are not completed during the same time scale as the less complex damage resulting from low-LET radiation.

Qualitative Analysis of Collaborative Learning Groups in Large Enrollment Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skala, Chija; Slater, Timothy F.; Adams, Jeffrey P.

2000-08-01

Large-lecture introductory astronomy courses for undergraduate, non-science majors present numerous problems for faculty. As part of a systematic effort to improve the course learning environment, a series of small-group, collaborative learning activities were implemented in an otherwise conventional lecture astronomy survey course. These activities were used once each week during the regularly scheduled lecture period. After eight weeks, ten focus group interviews were conducted to qualitatively assess the impact and dynamics of these small group learning activities. Overall, the data strongly suggest that students enjoy participating in the in-class learning activities in learning teams of three to four students. These students firmly believe that they are learning more than they would from lectures alone. Inductive analysis of the transcripts revealed five major themes prevalent among the students' perspectives: (1) self-formed, cooperative group composition and formation should be more regulated by the instructor; (2) team members' assigned rolls should be less formally structured by the instructors; (3) cooperative groups helped in learning the course content; (4) time constraints on lectures and activities need to be more carefully aligned; and (5) gender issues can exist within the groups. These themes serve as a guide for instructors who are developing instructional interventions for large lecture courses.

An anti-let-7 sponge decoys and decays endogenous let-7 functions

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiangling; Rutnam, Zina Jeyapalan; Jiao, Chunwei; Wei, Duo; Xie, Yizhen; Du, Jun; Zhong, Ling; Yang, Burton B.

2012-01-01

The let-7 family contains 12 members, which share identical seed regions, suggesting that they may target the same mRNAs. It is essential to develop a means that can regulate the functions of all members. Using a DNA synthesis technique, we have generated an anti-let-7 sponge aiming to modulate the function of all members. We found that products of the anti-let-7 construct could bind and inactivate all members of the let-7 family, producing decoy and decay effects. To test the role of the anti-let-7 sponge, we stably expressed the anti-let-7 construct in two types of cells, the breast carcinoma cells MT-1 and the oldest and most commonly used human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa cells. We found that expression of anti-let-7 increased cell survival, invasion and adhesion, which corroborate with known functions of let-7 family members. We further identified a novel target site across all species of the let-7 family in hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2). HAS2 overexpression produced similar effects as the anti-let-7 sponge. Silencing HAS2 expression by siRNAs produced opposite effects to anti-let-7 on cell survival and invasion. The ability of anti-let-7 to regulate multiple members of the let-7 family allows us to observe their multiple functions using a single reagent. This approach can be applied to other family members with conserved sequences. PMID:22871741

Astronomy Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -- A Practical Guide for Those Who Teach and Those Who Don't

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.

2005-05-01

Whether you teach undergraduate astronomy or just do occasional public outreach, you've probably seen personal examples reflecting the disturbing statistics. Roughly half of all freshmen entering the California State Colleges cannot do English or math at the college level and need remedial courses. Only 22% of adults in the U.S. can correctly explain what a molecule is. More people will watch each pseudoscience-filled episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" on television than will be taught an astronomy course by all the people at this AAS meeting combined. In this talk, we will briefly examine the challenges for everyone interested in astronomy education in three arenas: (dwindling) astronomy instruction in grades K-12, the teaching of Astro 101 for non-science majors, and the work of astronomers contributing to the public understanding of science. (For example, with the modern growth of astronomical knowledge, trying to teach ALL of astronomy in one quarter or semester is like trying to buy one of each item at your local Wal-Mart -- your cart will be impressively full, but your ability to get to know and enjoy each purchase will be severely limited.) We'll also look at some surprising result from a survey of the training and work of 400 astronomy instructors at non-research-oriented colleges. We'll then focus on some practical ideas on how all astronomers can contribute to improving the public appreciation of astronomy -- in their classes, in their institution's outreach work, and in the community. Several projects around the country that have found research-based techniques for making a significant difference will be highlighted, from family astronomy community events to experiments with hands-on small-group activities in the midst of large lecture classes. We'll discuss the role of a new electronic journal and web-based communities in facilitating the exchange of information on what works and what doesn't. Participants will receive an annotated resource guide to key readings, research findings, and ongoing projects in astronomy education.

Measurement of LET distribution and dose equivalent on board the space shuttle STS-65

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayashi, T.; Doke, T.; Kikuchi, J.; Takeuchi, R.; Hasebe, N.; Ogura, K.; Nagaoka, S.; Kato, M.; Badhwar, G. D.

1996-01-01

Space radiation dosimetry measurements have been made on board the Space Shuttle STS-65 in the Second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). In these measurements, three kinds of detectors were used; one is a newly developed active detector telescope called "Real-time Radiation Monitoring Device (RRMD)" utilizing silicon semi-conductor detectors and others are conventional detectors of thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and CR-39 plastic track detectors. Using the RRMD detector, the first attempt of real-time monitoring of space radiation has been achieved successfully for a continuous period of 251.3 h, giving the temporal variations of LET distribution, particle count rates, and rates of absorbed dose and dose equivalent. The RRMD results indicate that a clear enhancement of the number of trapped particles is seen at the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) without clear enhancement of dose equivalent, while some daily periodic enhancements of dose equivalent due to high LET particles are seen at the lower geomagnetic cutoff regions for galactic cosmic ray particles (GCRs). Therefore, the main contribution to dose equivalent is seen to be due to GCRs in this low altitude mission (300 km). Also, the dose equivalent rates obtained by TLDs and CR-39 ranged from 146.9 to 165.2 microSv/day and the average quality factors from 1.45 to 1.57 depending on the locations and directions of detectors inside the Space-lab at this highly protected orbit for space radiation with a small inclination (28.5 degrees) and a low altitude (300 km). The LET distributions obtained by two different detectors, RRMD and CR-39, are in good agreement in the region of 15-200 keV/mm and difference of these distributions in the regions of LET < 15 keV/mm and LET > 200 keV/mm can be explained by considering characteristics of CR-39 etched track formation especially for the low LET tracks.

Measurement of LET distribution and dose equivalent on board the space shuttle STS-65.

PubMed

Hayashi, T; Doke, T; Kikuchi, J; Takeuchi, R; Hasebe, N; Ogura, K; Nagaoka, S; Kato, M; Badhwar, G D

1996-11-01

Space radiation dosimetry measurements have been made on board the Space Shuttle STS-65 in the Second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). In these measurements, three kinds of detectors were used; one is a newly developed active detector telescope called "Real-time Radiation Monitoring Device (RRMD)" utilizing silicon semi-conductor detectors and others are conventional detectors of thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and CR-39 plastic track detectors. Using the RRMD detector, the first attempt of real-time monitoring of space radiation has been achieved successfully for a continuous period of 251.3 h, giving the temporal variations of LET distribution, particle count rates, and rates of absorbed dose and dose equivalent. The RRMD results indicate that a clear enhancement of the number of trapped particles is seen at the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) without clear enhancement of dose equivalent, while some daily periodic enhancements of dose equivalent due to high LET particles are seen at the lower geomagnetic cutoff regions for galactic cosmic ray particles (GCRs). Therefore, the main contribution to dose equivalent is seen to be due to GCRs in this low altitude mission (300 km). Also, the dose equivalent rates obtained by TLDs and CR-39 ranged from 146.9 to 165.2 microSv/day and the average quality factors from 1.45 to 1.57 depending on the locations and directions of detectors inside the Space-lab at this highly protected orbit for space radiation with a small inclination (28.5 degrees) and a low altitude (300 km). The LET distributions obtained by two different detectors, RRMD and CR-39, are in good agreement in the region of 15-200 keV/mm and difference of these distributions in the regions of LET < 15 keV/mm and LET > 200 keV/mm can be explained by considering characteristics of CR-39 etched track formation especially for the low LET tracks.

Inhibition of neurotensin receptor 1 induces intrinsic apoptosis via let-7a-3p/Bcl-w axis in glioblastoma.

PubMed

Dong, Zhen; Lei, Qian; Yang, Rui; Zhu, Shunqin; Ke, Xiao-Xue; Yang, Liqun; Cui, Hongjuan; Yi, Liang

2017-06-06

Backgroud:Glioblastoma is a kind of highly malignant and aggressive tumours in the central nervous system. Previously, we found that neurotensin (NTS) and its high-affinity receptor 1 (NTSR1) had essential roles in cell proliferation and invasiveness of glioblastoma. Unexpectedly, cell death also appeared by inhibition of NTSR1 except for cell cycle arrest. However, the mechanisms were remained to be further explored. Cells treated with SR48692, a selective antagonist of NTSR1, or NTSR1 shRNA were stained with Annexin V-FITC/PI and the apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Cytochrome c release was detected by using immunofluorescence. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) loss was stained by JC-1 and detected by immunofluorescence or flow cytometry. Apoptosis antibody array and microRNA microarray were performed to seek the potential regulators of NTSR1 inhibition-induced apoptosis. Interaction between let-7a-3p and Bcl-w 3'UTR was evaluated by using luciferase assay. SR48692 induced massive apoptosis, which was related to mitochondrial cytochrome c release and MMP loss. Knockdown of NTSR1 induced slight apoptosis and significant MMP loss. In addition, NTSR1 inhibition sensitised glioblastoma cells to actinomycin D or doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Consistently, NTSR1 inhibition-induced mitochondrial apoptosis was accompanied by downregulation of Bcl-w and Bcl-2. Restoration of Bcl-w partly rescued NTSR1 deficiency-induced apoptosis. In addition, NTSR1 deficiency promoted higher let-7a-3p expression and inhibition let-7a-3p partly rescued NTSR1 inhibition-induced apoptosis. In addition, let-7a-3p inhibition promoted 3'UTR activities of Bcl-w and the expression of c-Myc and LIN28, which were the upstream of let-7a-3p, decreased after NTSR1 inhibition. NTSR1 had an important role in protecting glioblastoma from intrinsic apoptosis via c-Myc/LIN28/let-7a-3p/Bcl-w axis.

Near-unity thermally activated delayed fluorescence efficiency in three- and four-coordinate Au(i) complexes with diphosphine ligands.

PubMed

Osawa, Masahisa; Aino, Masa-Aki; Nagakura, Takaki; Hoshino, Mikio; Tanaka, Yuya; Akita, Munetaka

2018-05-14

The synthesis and photoluminescence properties of three-coordinate Au(i) complexes with rigid diphosphine ligands LMe {1,2-bis[bis(2-methylphenyl)phosphino]benzene}, LEt {1,2-bis[bis(2-ethylphenyl)phosphino]benzene}, and LiPr {1,2-bis[bis(2-isopropylphenyl)phosphino]benzene} are investigated. The LMe and LEt ligands afford two types of complexes: dinuclear complexes [μ-LMe(AuCl)2] (1d) and [μ-LEt(AuCl)2] (2d) with an Au(i)-Au(i) bond and mononuclear three-coordinate Au(i) complexes LMeAuCl (1) and LEtAuCl (2). On the other hand, the bulkiest ligand, LiPr, affords three-coordinate Au(i) complexes, LiPrAuCl (3) and LiPrAuI (4), but no dinuclear complexes. X-ray analysis suggests that both 3 and 4 possess a highly distorted trigonal planar geometry. Moreover, luminescence data reveal that at room temperature, 3 and 4 exhibit yellow-green thermally activated delayed fluorescence in the crystalline state with maximum emission wavelengths at 558 and 549 nm, respectively. The emission yields are close to unity. Quantum chemical calculations suggest that the emission of 4 originates from the (σ + X) → π* excited state that possesses strong intraligand charge-transfer character. The luminescent properties of four-coordinate Au(i) complex (5) possessing a tetrahedral geometry are discussed on the basis of the emission spectra and decay times measured in a temperature range of 309-77 K.

Physiologic Responses Produced by Active and Passive Personal Cooling Vests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.; Lee, Hank C.; Montgomery, Leslie D.; Luna, Bernadette

2000-01-01

Personal thermoregulatory systems which provide chest cooling are used in the industrial and aerospace environments to alleviate thermal stress. However, little information is available regarding the physiologic and circulatory changes produced by routine operation of these systems. The objectives of this study were to document and compare the subjects' response to three cooling vests in their recommended configurations. The Life Enhancement Tech (LET) lightweight active cooling vest with cap, the MicroClimate Systems Change of Phase garment (MCS), and the Steele Vest were each used to cool the chest regions of 12 male and 8 female Healthy subjects (21 to 69 yr.) in this study. The subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approx. 22 C), were tested for 60 min. with one of the cooling garments. The LET active garment had an initial coolant fluid inlet temperature of 60 F, and was ramped down to 50 F. Oral, right and left ear canal temperatures were logged manually every 5 min. Arm, leg, chest and rectal temperatures; heart rate; and respiration were recorded continuously on a U.F.I., Inc. Biolog ambulatory monitor. For men, all three vests had similar, significant cooling effects. Decreases in the average rectal temperature, oral temperature, and ear canal temperatures were approximately 0.2 C, 0.2 C and 0.1 C, respectively. In contrast to the men, the female subjects wearing the MCS and Steel vests had similar cooling responses in which the core temperature remained elevated and oral and ear canal temperatures did not drop. The LET active garment cooled most of the female subjects in this study; rectal, oral and ear temperature decreased about 0.2 C, 0.3 C and 0.3 C, respectively. These results show that the garment configurations tested do not elicit a similar thermal response in all subjects. A gender difference is evident. The LET active garment configuration was most effective in decreasing temperatures of the female subjects; the MCS vest was least effective. For male subjects, the three vests appear to be more nearly equivalent. The active garment system under study included a cooling cap, which may account for some of the difference in response.

ASP Celebrates IYA, One Month at a Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurton, Suzanne; Berendsen, M.; Hurst, A.; White, V.

2008-05-01

Serving three major networks of educators, the ASP, in coordination with NASA and NOAO and others, is building a comprehensive program to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) by featuring a different astronomy theme during each month of 2009. We will provide a rich array of themed resources, such as activities, tele-conferences, and news stories, to the variety of educators served by the ASP: amateur astronomers, museum educators and teachers. This poster will present our program of monthly themes, along with associated services and resources, to support the diverse public outreach efforts of the members of the NASA Night Sky Network, participants in Astronomy From the Ground Up, and Project ASTRO partners.

Hobbits, Hogwarts, and the Heavens: The use of fantasy literature and film in astronomy outreach and education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2011-06-01

Due in part to recent (and ongoing) film adaptations, the fantasy series of C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials), and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) are being introduced to a new audience. Many astronomers and astronomy educators are unaware of the wide variety of astronomical references contained in each series, and the myriad possible uses of these works in astronomy education and outreach. This paper highlights activities which educators, planetariums, and science centers have already developed to utilise these works in their education and outreach programs.

Expression of NF-kappaB dependent genes in human cells in response to heavy ion beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellweg, Christine; Baumstark-Khan, Christa; Ruland, Rebecca; Schmitz, Claudia; Lau, Patrick; Testard, Isabelle; Reitz, Guenther

Space radiation is a primary concern for manned spaceflight and is a potentially limiting factor for long term orbital and interplanetary missions. Understanding of the cellular and molecular processes underlying cell death and transformation related events by space radiation may allow better risk estimation and development of appropriate countermeasures. The pathway leading to activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and increased transcription of its target gene might modulate cellular radiation response. Previous studies suggest a linear energy transfer (LET) dependency of transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation: high LET radiation activates NF-κB more efficiently than low LET radiation. In this work, the relative expressions of several NF-κB regulated genes (Gadd45β, NFKBIA encoding the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα, and the anti-apoptotic genes XIAP, bcl-2, and bcl-xL) were examined by quantitative real-time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Human embryonic cells with neuronal differentiation potential (HEK/293) were exposed to accelerated heavy ions or to X-rays (200 kV) or incubated in presence of the strong NF-κB activator tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Target gene expression data were normalized to the expression index of several unregulated reference genes (B2M, GAPDH, PBGD, HPRT). NFKBIA expression is enhanced for 24 h after TNF-α treatment, while Gadd45β expression was only temporarily up-regulated. High doses of X-rays (8 and 16 Gy) and of 13 C ions (75 MeV/n, LET 33 keV/µm, 4.7 Gy) up-regulate NFKBIA and Gadd45β expression temporarily. 13 C ion with higher LET (35 MeV/n, 73 keV/µm) enhance NFKBIA expression already after 1 Gy, and a passing up-regulation of Bcl-2, bcl-xL and XIAP expression was observed 2 h after 0.5 Gy. 20 Ne (95 MeV/A, 80 keV/µm) and 36 Ar ions (95 MeV/A, 271 keV/µm) were the strongest inducers of Gadd45β, NFKBIA, and XIAP with doses from 0.5 to 3.8 Gy. 58 Ni (75 MeV/A, 906 keV/µm) and 208 Pb ion exposure (29 MeV/A, 9764 keV/µm) reduced the expression of Gadd45β. NFKBIA expression was enhanced after 58 Ni ion exposure, but down-regulated after 208 Pb ion exposure. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were mostly unaffected by the tested irradiation conditions or only transitorily up-regulated. In conclusion, genes involved in cell cycle regulation (Gadd45β), in inhibition of apoptosis (XIAP, bcl-2, and bcl-xL) and in control of the NF-κB pathway (NFKBIA) show a differentiated expression profile after exposure of human cells to heavy ions of different LET. This might be a step towards understanding of the previously observed LET dependency of cell survival and cell cycle arrest.

Armenian Astronomical Society Annual Activities in 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.

2015-07-01

A report is given on the achievements of the Armenian astronomy during the last year and on the present activities of the Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS). ArAS membership, ArAS electronic newsletters (ArASNews), ArAS webpage, annual meetings, Annual Prize for Young Astronomers (Yervant Terzian Prize) and other awards, international relations, presence in international organizations, summer schools, astronomical Olympiads and other events, matters related to astronomical education, astronomical heritage, astronomy outreach and ArAS further projects are discussed. The present meeting, BAO Science Camp, ArAS School lectures are among 2014 events as well.

Astronomy and Rock Art Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, William Breen

Rock art is often used as evidence for the earliest phases of prehistoric celestial knowledge and sky observation. Like the sky, rock art is a global phenomenon and it is also one of the earliest manifestations of human cognitive awareness. Similarities in iconography and visual context may provide evidence of sky-watching activity, and in some cases, ethnographic analogies, ethnohistoric documentation, and surviving archaeological evidence may confirm that these activities were related to rock art production. Nevertheless, the problem of random matches makes proofs of intentional relation more complicated. Probabilities are measured differently in archaeology and astronomy and can sometimes lead to ambiguous or contradictory conclusions.

Analysis of the track- and dose-averaged LET and LET spectra in proton therapy using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guan, Fada; Peeler, Christopher; Taleei, Reza

Purpose: The motivation of this study was to find and eliminate the cause of errors in dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET) calculations from therapeutic protons in small targets, such as biological cell layers, calculated using the GEANT 4 Monte Carlo code. Furthermore, the purpose was also to provide a recommendation to select an appropriate LET quantity from GEANT 4 simulations to correlate with biological effectiveness of therapeutic protons. Methods: The authors developed a particle tracking step based strategy to calculate the average LET quantities (track-averaged LET, LET{sub t} and dose-averaged LET, LET{sub d}) using GEANT 4 for different tracking stepmore » size limits. A step size limit refers to the maximally allowable tracking step length. The authors investigated how the tracking step size limit influenced the calculated LET{sub t} and LET{sub d} of protons with six different step limits ranging from 1 to 500 μm in a water phantom irradiated by a 79.7-MeV clinical proton beam. In addition, the authors analyzed the detailed stochastic energy deposition information including fluence spectra and dose spectra of the energy-deposition-per-step of protons. As a reference, the authors also calculated the averaged LET and analyzed the LET spectra combining the Monte Carlo method and the deterministic method. Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) calculations were performed to illustrate the impact of different LET calculation methods on the RBE-weighted dose. Results: Simulation results showed that the step limit effect was small for LET{sub t} but significant for LET{sub d}. This resulted from differences in the energy-deposition-per-step between the fluence spectra and dose spectra at different depths in the phantom. Using the Monte Carlo particle tracking method in GEANT 4 can result in incorrect LET{sub d} calculation results in the dose plateau region for small step limits. The erroneous LET{sub d} results can be attributed to the algorithm to determine fluctuations in energy deposition along the tracking step in GEANT 4. The incorrect LET{sub d} values lead to substantial differences in the calculated RBE. Conclusions: When the GEANT 4 particle tracking method is used to calculate the average LET values within targets with a small step limit, such as smaller than 500 μm, the authors recommend the use of LET{sub t} in the dose plateau region and LET{sub d} around the Bragg peak. For a large step limit, i.e., 500 μm, LET{sub d} is recommended along the whole Bragg curve. The transition point depends on beam parameters and can be found by determining the location where the gradient of the ratio of LET{sub d} and LET{sub t} becomes positive.« less

Apollo-Soyuz pamphlet no. 9: General science. [experimental design in Astronomy, Biology, Geophysics, Aeronomy and Materials science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Page, L. W.; From, T. P.

1977-01-01

The objectives and planning activities for the Apollo-Soyuz mission are summarized. Aspects of the space flight considered include the docking module and launch configurations, spacecraft orbits, and weightlessness. The 28 NASA experiments conducted onboard the spacecraft are summarized. The contributions of the mission to the fields of astronomy, geoscience, biology, and materials sciences resulting from the experiments are explored.

High glucose derived endothelial microparticles increase active caspase-3 and reduce microRNA-Let-7a expression in endothelial cells.

PubMed

Bammert, Tyler D; Hijmans, Jamie G; Reiakvam, Whitney R; Levy, Ma'ayan V; Brewster, Lillian M; Goldthwaite, Zoe A; Greiner, Jared J; Stockelman, Kelly A; DeSouza, Christopher A

2017-11-18

The experimental aim of this study was to determine the effects of high glucose-induced endothelial microparticles (EMPs) on endothelial cell susceptibility to apoptosis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured (3rd passage) and plated in 6-well plates at a density of 5.0 × 10 5  cells/condition. Cells were incubated with media containing 25 mM d-glucose (concentration representing a diabetic glycemic state) or 5 mM d-glucose (normoglycemic condition) for 48 h to generate EMPs. EMP identification (CD144 + expression) and concentration was determined by flow cytometry. HUVECs (3 × 10 6  cells/condition) were treated with EMPs generated from either the normal or high glucose conditions for 24 h. Intracellular concentration of active caspase-3 was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Cellular expression of miR-Let7a, an anti-apoptotic microRNA, was determined by RT-PCR using the ΔΔCT normalized to RNU6. High glucose-derived EMPs significantly increased both basal (1.5 ± 0.1 vs 1.0 ± 0.1 ng/mL) and staurosporine-stimulated (2.2 ± 0.2 vs 1.4 ± 0.1 ng/mL) active caspase-3 compared with normal glucose EMPs. Additionally, the expression of miR-Let-7a was markedly reduced (∼140%) by high glucose EMPs (0.43 ± 0.17 fold vs control). These results demonstrate that hyperglycemic-induced EMPs increase endothelial cell active caspase-3. This apoptotic effect may be mediated, at least in part, by a reduction in miR-Let-7a expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The GalileoMobile Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Pilar Becerra, A.&ída; Bhatt, Megha; Kobel, Philippe

2012-07-01

GalileoMobile is a traveling science education project by an international team of PhD students and recent graduates (partnering with the Universe Awareness program) that brings astronomy to young people in remote regions of developing countries. Our primary project goals are: (1) to stimulate students' curiosity and interest in learning, (2) to exchange different visions of the cosmos and cultures, and (3) to inspire a feeling of unity "under the same sky" between people from different parts of the world. In 2009, GalileoMobile traveled to 30 schools in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, bringing hands-on activities and Galileoscopes; the team also produced a documentary movie to share the experiences and culture with the world. In 2012, GalileoMobile plans an expedition to India from the 2nd to the 13th of July in villages between Bangalore and Mysore. We will again bring hands-on astronomy activities and telescopes to the schools, and share our experiences with the world via internet resources. GalileoMobile is also collaborating with the Galileo Teacher Training Program to provide workshops for local teachers, to encourage continuation of astronomy education beyond our visit. In this way, we expect to spark sustainable interest in astronomy in remote areas that have little access to science outreach, and to share the culture of these areas with the world -- "under the same sky."

East African ROAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekle, Kelali

2016-10-01

In the developing world astronomy had been treated as the science of elites. As a result of this overwhelming perception, astronomy compared with other applied sciences has got less attention and its role in development has been insignificant. However, the IAU General Assembly decision in 2009 opened new opportunity for countries and professionals to deeply look into Astronomy and its role in development. Then, the subsequent establishment of regional offices in the developing world is helping countries to integrate astronomy with other earth and space based sciences so as to progressively promote its scientific and development importance. Gradually nations have come to know that space is the frontier of tomorrow and the urgency of preeminence on space frontier starts at primary school and ascends to tertiary education. For this to happen, member nations in east African region have placed STEM education at the center of their education system. For instance, Ethiopian has changed University enrollment strategy to be in favor of science and engineering subjects, i.e. every year seventy percent of new University entrants join science and engineering fields while thirty percent social science and humanities. Such bold actions truly promote astronomy to be conceived as gateway to science and technology. To promote the concept of astronomy for development the East African regional office has actually aligned it activities to be in line with the focus areas identified by the IAU strategy (2010 to 2020).

Astronomy in the Classroom for Mature Lifelong Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, B. E.

2010-08-01

Mature adults are sometimes underserved by the professional astronomical community, which often focuses on K-12/undergraduate education and outreach. Mature adults hold as much interest and enthusiasm for astronomy as their younger cohorts, but often face a greater challenge in obtaining access to adult-level information that is more structured than sporadic public lectures or the occasional popular-science article. I present here my efforts to bring astronomy classes to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UC Berkeley. There are over 120 OLLIs on university and college campuses throughout the United States. These institutes provide adults, age 50 and above, with both a diverse curriculum of study and a stimulating community of peers. Teaching at OLLI has been a straightforward way so share astronomy with this segment of the public—outreach that could be replicated by astronomers at other universities and colleges with associated OLLIs. The OLLI classroom can be challenging because of the wide range of student educational backgrounds. However, teaching at OLLI is extremely rewarding because mature adults bring to the classroom a vast array of life experiences, great curiosity, and immense independence of thought. The OLLI also provides the unique opportunity to inspire other non-traditional astronomy outreach activities by building partnerships both with professors in other disciplines and with the students themselves, as adult students often have the resources and connections to call upon to further explore and share astronomy outside the classroom.

NASA's Universe of Learning: The Integral Role of Research Astronomers and Other Subject Matter Experts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Janice; Universe of Learning Team

2018-01-01

Astronomy seeks to understand the workings of the Universe on its largest scales, and to answer fundamental questions about the story of our origins. The science of astronomy thus naturally lends itself to informal education and public outreach activities, as it broadly captures the human imagination. There are at least three overall goals for investment of resources in Astronomy E/PO: to interest students in pursuing STEM education and careers; to develop Astronomy as context for teaching more basic physical and computer science in service of US National Education Goals; to help motivate continued public support of federally funded Astronomy research and technology development. Providing a full spectrum of opportunities for the public to learn about recent Astronomy discoveries is key to achieving these societal goals. Thus, the E/PO professional community must have an understanding of recent scientific/technological results, and engage with the researchers who are creating new knowledge to explicate that knowledge to the public. It stands to reason that researchers (or “subject matter experts, SMEs”) must be involved in and remain connected to the E/PO endeavor. In this talk, I will describe how research astronomers and other SMEs play an integral role in a full range of informal education programming developed by the NASA Universe of Learning collaboration, and opportunities to get involved.

A Radio Astronomy Curriculum for the Middle School Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J.; Finley, D. G.

2000-12-01

In the summer of 2000, two teachers working on a Masters of Science Teaching program at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, spent eight weeks as interns at the Array Operations Center for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, New Mexico, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. The resulting projects will directly benefit students in the indvidual classrooms, as well as provide an easy-to-access resource for other educators. One of the products is a Radio Astronomy Curriculum for upper middle school classes. Radio astronomy images, based on scientific research results using NRAO's Very Large Array, are featured on trading cards which include an explanation, a ``web challenge'', and in some cases, a comparison of radio and optical images. Each trading card has corresponding lesson plans with background information about the images and astronomy concepts needed to do the lessons. Comparison of optical and radio astronomy is used as much as possible to explain the information from research using visible and radio wavelengths. New Mexico's Content Standards and Benchmarks (developed using national standards) for science education was used as a guide for the activities. The three strands of science listed in the standards, Unifying Concepts and Processes, Science as Inquiry, and Science Content are addressed in the lessons. Higher level thinking and problem solving skills are featured throughout the curriculum. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The NSF's RET program is gratefully acknowledged.

Astronomy on a Landfill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venner, Laura

2008-09-01

Engaging "K-to-Gray” audiences (children, families, and older adults) in astronomical activities is one of the main goals of the NJMC Center for Environmental and Scientific Education and the William D. McDowell Observatory located in Lyndhurst, NJ. Perched atop a closed and reclaimed municipal solid waste landfill, our new LEED - certified building (certification pending) and William D. McDowell observatory will assist in bringing the goals of IYA 2009 to the approximately 25,000 students and 15,000 adults that visit our site from the NY/NJ region each year. Diversifying our traditional environmental science offerings, we have incorporated astronomy into our repertoire with "The Sun Through Time” module, which includes storytelling, cultural astronomy, telescope anatomy, and other activities that are based on the electromagnetic spectrum and our current knowledge of the sun. These lessons have also been modified to bring astronomy to underserved communities, specifically those individuals that have dexterity or cognitive ability differences. The program is conducted in a classroom setting and is designed to meet New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. With the installation of our new 20” telescope, students and amateur astronomers will be given the opportunity to perform rudimentary research. In addition, a program is in development that will allow individuals to measure local sky brightness and understand the effects of light pollution on astronomical viewing. Teaching astronomy in an urban setting presents many challenges. All individuals, regardless of ability level or location, should be given the opportunity to be exposed to the wonders of the universe and the MEC/CESE has been successful in providing those opportunities.

Astronomy on a Landfill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venner, Laura

2008-05-01

Engaging "K-to-Gray” audiences (children, families, and older adults) in astronomical activities is one of the main goals of the NJMC Center for Environmental and Scientific Education and the William D. McDowell Observatory located in Lyndhurst, NJ. Perched atop a closed and reclaimed municipal solid waste landfill, our new LEED - certified building (certification pending) and William D. McDowell observatory will assist in bringing the goals of IYA 2009 to the approximately 25,000 students and 3,000 adults that visit our site from the NY/NJ region each year. Diversifying our traditional environmental science offerings, we have incorporated astronomy into our repertoire with "The Sun Through Time” module, which includes storytelling, cultural astronomy, telescope anatomy, and other activities that are based on the electromagnetic spectrum and our current knowledge of the sun. These lessons have also been modified to bring astronomy to underserved communities, specifically those individuals that have dexterity or cognitive ability differences. The program is conducted in a classroom setting and is designed to meet New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. With the installation of our new 20” telescope, students and amateur astronomers will be given the opportunity to perform rudimentary research. In addition, a program is in development that will allow individuals to measure local sky brightness and understand the effects of light pollution on astronomical viewing. Teaching astronomy in an urban setting presents many challenges. All individuals, regardless of ability level or location, should be given the opportunity to be exposed to the wonders of the universe and the MEC/CESE has been successful in providing those opportunities.

Integrating Astronomy with Elementary Non-Science Curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobrowsky, M.

1996-05-01

A workshop was developed for elementary school teachers to enhance students' understanding of astronomy during the formative years of elementary school by incorporating astronomy into various non-science curricula. Educational material was compiled for teachers and students and training was provided for the teachers in the form of a workshop where both information and hands-on activities were disseminated. In addition, we are producing a video tape from the workshop which will be available not only to those who attended the workshop but to other teachers as well. A useful ``multiplier effect" in this project came from our focus on a school that was hosting a group of teachers in training. After these teachers receive certification, they will end up working in all different schools, thereby reaching large numbers of students for many years. The non-scientific subjects that we will connect to astronomy include history, music, art, language arts, social studies, and mathematics, as well as incidental subjects such as health and public safety. Support for this work was provided by NASA through grant number ED90024.01-94A from the Space Telescope Science Institute which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. under NASA Contract NAS5-26555.

Students Across Texas Celebrate Astronomy Day

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, S.; Wetzel, M.; Hemenway, M. K.

2010-08-01

Over the past three years, McDonald Observatory has offered special Astronomy Day videoconference programs to students across Texas—the second largest state in the U.S. (Only Alaska is larger). Videoconferencing allows many students and teachers access to our Observatory, which is remotely located 180 miles (290 kilometers) from any major city. McDonald Observatory partners with Connect2Texas to advertise the Astronomy Day event. Connect2Texas provides the electronic bridge between schools and the Observatory. They also provide an online evaluation for teachers to complete. In 2009 the Astronomy Day videoconference celebrated the International Year of Astronomy and the historic observations made by Galileo Galilei. During the videoconference, the classes explore the Moon or Venus by making real-time telescopic observations. Students also receive an introduction to the Observatory, an opportunity to perform an activity relating to Galileo's observations, and an interview with an astronomer. A website provides teachers pre-and post-video conference materials, instructions, and a certificate of completion that can be customized for each student. The website also lists content alignment with state science education standards.

International Schools for Young Astronomers Teaching for Astronomy Development: two programmes of the International Astronomical Union

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerbaldi, Michèle; DeGreve, Jean-Pierre; Guinan, Edward

2011-06-01

This text outlines the main features of two educational programmes of the International Astronomical Union (IAU): the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) and the Teaching for Astronomy Development programme (TAD), developed since 1967. The main goal of the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA) is to support astronomy (education and research) in developing countries in organizing a 3-week School for students with typically M.Sc. degrees. The context in which the ISYA were developed changed drastically during the last decade. From a time when access to large telescopes was difficult and mainly organized on a nation-basis, nowadays the archives of astronomical data have accumulated at the same time that many major telescope become accessible, and they are accessible from everywhere, the concept of virtual observatory reinforcing this access. A second programme of the IAU, Teaching for Astronomy Development (TAD), partially based on a School, but also of shorter duration (typically one week) has a complementary objective. It is dedicated to assist countries that have little or no astronomical activity, but that wish to enhance their astronomy education. The fast development of the TAD programme over the past years is emphasized.

UNESCO Thematic Initiative ``Astronomy and World Heritage'': studies and research on technological heritage connected with space exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorenko, Anna

The Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) provides a unique opportunity to preserve exceptional properties world-wide and to raise awareness about the Outstanding Universal Value of these properties. The mission of UNESCO regarding World Heritage consists of assisting the States Parties to this Convention to safeguard properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, to support activities led by States Parties in the preservation of World Heritage, and to encourage international cooperation in heritage conservation. Considering that sites related to science and technology are among the most under-represented on the World Heritage List and recognizing the absence of an integrated thematic approach for such sites, the World Heritage Committee launched the Thematic Initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage”. Developed in close collaboration between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and implemented by the National Focal Points world-wide, the Thematic Initiative on Astronomy and World Heritage aims to establish a link between Science and Culture towards the recognition of scientific values of sites linked to astronomy. It provides an opportunity not only to identify the properties but also to keep their memory alive and preserve them from progressive deterioration. The implementation of this initiative has revealed numerous issues that need to be addressed, and in particular in the domain of technological heritage connected with space exploration. For this reason, the World Heritage Committee during its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012) encouraged cooperation between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, specialized agencies and relevant interdisciplinary scientific initiatives towards the elaboration of a Global Thematic Study on Heritage of Science and Technology, including studies and research on technological heritage connected with space exploration. In light with this, the World Heritage Centre contacted all main Space Agencies inviting them to support and contribute to the development, by ICOMOS, of the above-mentioned Global Thematic Study. Keywords • Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) http://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/ • World Heritage List http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ • Thematic Initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage” http://whc.unesco.org/en/astronomy/ • Space heritage, by David DeVorkin and Mikhail Marov, Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy in the context of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention - A Thematic Study, Chapter 15, pages 229 - 237, ICOMOS/IAU http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/activities/documents/activity-631-1.pdf

Growth and Your 1- to 2-Year-Old

MedlinePlus

... doctor. Encourage activity and exploration by providing a safe environment that lets your child be active every day. ... the area of language. Continue to provide a safe and healthy environment to support your child's growth and development. Talk ...

An Update on the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fienberg, Richard T.; Gurton, S.; Fraknoi, A.; Prather, E. E.; Hurst, A.; Schatz, D. L.

2013-06-01

The American Astronomical Society, partnering with organizations active in science education and public outreach (EPO), has launched a series of professional-development workshops and a community of practice designed to help improve early-career astronomers’ ability to effectively communicate with students and the public. Called Astronomy Ambassadors, the program provides mentoring and training experiences for young astronomers, from advanced undergraduates to beginning faculty; it also provides access to resources and a network of contacts within the astronomy EPO community. By learning how to implement effective education and outreach strategies, Astronomy Ambassadors become better teachers, better presenters at meetings, and better representatives of our science to the public and to government. And because young astronomers are a more diverse group than those who currently do the majority of outreach, they help the astronomical community present a more multicultural and gender-balanced face to the public, enabling members of underserved groups to see themselves as scientists. Ambassadors are provided with a large library of outreach activities and materials that are suitable for a range of venues and audiences and that will grow with time. For much of this library we are using resources developed by organizations such as the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Pacific Science Center, and the Center for Astronomy Education for other outreach programs, though some resources have been created by one of us (AF) specifically for this program. The first Astronomy Ambassadors workshop was held at the 221st meeting of the AAS in January 2013 and served 30 young astronomers chosen from more than 75 applicants. Incorporating feedback from workshop participants and lessons learned from the reports they’ve submitted after conducting their own outreach events, we are now planning the second annual workshop to be held 4-5 January 2014 at the 223rd AAS meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.

The planetarium: A didactic resource to the teaching of astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques Barrio, Juan Bernardino

Even though the advances are sharp in the processes of educational research in some areas of the natural sciences, is not possible to declare the same in the case of the Astronomy, where there is a huge hollow. Therefore, the necessity of innovative research in the teaching and learning of Astronomy is really large because is one of the main ways to break the ignorance barrier. Taking into consideration the fact that the heuristic, communicative and educational values in the use of the history of the Astronomy and its interaction with other areas supply an interesting dynamic view to the teaching effort, that is possible to take advantage of that to become aware of the existence of previous ideas and its possible study, in the first moment of the paper we present a panoramic view of the Astronomy around the world: creational myths, interaction with the culture, etc. Since reflect in a critical way about the educational activity is not only consider our practical activity fruit of the exposure of theories, but also consider the theory as a result of our practices, we have chosen the investigation-action as the methodology to be applied on the lessons. Then, we could verify, with the bibliographic review about the didactic processes used to transmit the astronomical knowledge, the arguable existing theoretical framework and the reasearches about teaching and learning of Astronomy, the scarce research and the need of innovate in this field. On the other hand, the process of investigation-action developed, using the Planetarium as a didactic resource in the teaching process, at the same time allow us to state that the Planetarium cover the three basic functions of a didactic middle---bearer of contents, to motivate and to structure---and also declare, in opposition to the view of some authors, that this middle should be, and in fact it is, a big allied to reach the conceptual contents and not only the attitudinal and contents related to the procedure.

Europe's Astronomy Teachers Meet at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-12-01

European Association for Astronomy Education Formed A joint EU/ESO Workshop (1) on the Teaching of Astronomy in Europe was held at the ESO Headquarters from November 25-30, 1994, under the auspices of the 1994 European Week for Scientific Culture. More than 100 teachers from secondary schools in 17 European countries participated together with representatives of national ministries and local authorities, as well as professional astronomers. This meeting was the first of its kind ever held and was very successful. As a most visible and immediate outcome, the participants agreed to form the "European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE)", uniting astronomy educators all over Europe into one network. A provisional Executive Committee of the EAAE was elected which will work towards the organisation of a constitutional conference within the next year. The participants unanimously adopted a "Declaration on the Teaching of Astronomy in Europe", specifying the overall aims and initial actions needed to achieve them. Astronomy: Science, Technology and Culture At the beginning of the Workshop the participants listened to lectures by several specialists about some of the most active fields of astronomy. The scientific sessions included topics as diverse as minor bodies in the solar system, nucleosynthesis, interstellar chemistry and cosmology. Then followed overviews of various recent advances in astronomical technology, some of which are already having direct impact on highly specialized sectors of European industry. They included the advanced use of computers in astronomy, for instance within image processing and data archiving, as well as a demonstration of remote observing. Discussing the cultural aspects, Nigel Calder (UK) and Hubert Reeves (France) emphasized the important role of astronomy in modern society, in particular its continuing influence on our perceptions of mankind's unique location in time and space. Teaching of Astronomy in European Countries Following this broad introduction to the central themes of the Workshop, representatives of the individual countries presented the current status of astronomy teaching in their respective areas. This was the first time such an exchange of information has ever taken place at a European level, and the participants considered this extremely useful. There are clearly many different approaches to the teaching of astronomy, but it is rarely presented in a global and coherent way. Most often, disparate elements of astronomy are incorporated into other subjects, e.g., geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, the geo-sciences, history and philosophy. Only a few countries have so far established well balanced astronomy courses at the secondary level of education. In some places, students may pass through school and only be exposed to the most rudimentary astronomical terms, or none at all. Nevertheless, these presentations also demonstrated that many changes are taking place in the school curricula in Europe. This opens certain possibilities for future improvements of the teaching of astronomy. According to several participating teachers, now is probably an ideal moment to consider how this basic and exciting subject may best be incorporated. Declaration on the Teaching of Astronomy in Europe After further detailed discussions within a number of ad-hoc Working Groups, the Workshop participants unanimously adopted the "Declaration" that is appended to this Press Release. According to the central statement of this basic document, "astronomy should contribute towards the consciousness that, in a complex society abounding in science and technology, a scientific education is essential for the choices that every citizen has to make in the democratic life. Moreover, students should feel that the Earth is a wonderful place in the Universe, and to be cared for and defended." The Declaration also emphasizes the need to establish an international network which will provide an efficient basis for the future cooperation within the teaching of astronomy in Europe. Another important point is the in-service education of teachers that is still lacking in many places. As an unfortunate consequence many teachers are unfamiliar with the more recent advances in astronomy and also unaware of the associated educational materials now available. Several of these were impressively demonstrated during the Workshop and a first, very useful exchange of materials and ideas took place among the participants. Yet another important subject concerns the wide spectrum of extra-curricular student activities that are possible in connection with astronomy. And last, but not least, the participants established as a desirable long-term goal the development of a unified European astronomy course, optimally incorporating the aims and ideals of astronomy teaching as outlined in this Declaration. The course "would illuminate astronomy as a human endeavour, with associated doubts and lack of answers, the interplay between experiment, observation and theory, the philosophy of science, the scientific method as well as the interaction between science, technology and society". The European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) At the end of the Workshop, the participants by unanimous decision resolved to set up the "European Association for Astronomy Education" which will from now on form the Europe-wide network for this subject and unite all astronomy teachers on this continent. A provisional Executive Committee was elected which will immediately start up a European Newsletter on Astronomy Teaching and also work towards the organisation of a constitutional conference within the next year. The Chairman is D.P. Simopoulos (2) (Athens, Greece) and the other members are L. Abati (Noventa Vicentina, Italy), A.M. Cohen (Bollington, UK), L. Gougenheim (Paris, France), J.G. More (Glenrothes, UK; Treasurer), M. Reichen (Lausanne, Switzerland; Editor of the EAAE Newsletter), R. Szostak (Munster, Germany; Secretary) and M. Winther (Sonderborg, Denmark). ESO has pledged to support the aims and ideals of the EAAE. Notes (1) See also ESO Press Release 15/94 of November 15, 1994. (2) For further information about the EAAE, please contact: Dr. D.P. Simopoulos, Eugenides Foundation, 387, Sygrou Avenue, P.O. Box 79103, Paleo Faliro, GR-17564 Athens, Greece. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

Multiple Functions of Let-23, a Caenorhabditis Elegans Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Gene Required for Vulval Induction

PubMed Central

Aroian, R. V.; Sternberg, P. W.

1991-01-01

The let-23 gene, which encodes a putative tyrosine kinase of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor subfamily, has multiple functions during Caenorhabditis elegans development. We show that let-23 function is required for vulval precursor cells (VPCs) to respond to the signal that induces vulval differentiation: a complete loss of let-23 function results in no induction. However, some let-23 mutations that genetically reduce but do not eliminate let-23 function result in VPCs apparently hypersensitive to inductive signal: as many as five of six VPCs can adopt vulval fates, in contrast to the three that normally do. These results suggest that the let-23 receptor tyrosine kinase controls two opposing pathways, one that stimulates vulval differentiation and another that negatively regulates vulval differentiation. Furthermore, analysis of 16 new let-23 mutations indicates that the let-23 kinase functions in at least five tissues. Since various let-23 mutant phenotypes can be obtained independently, the let-23 gene is likely to have tissue-specific functions. PMID:2071015

Precise let-7 expression levels balance organ regeneration against tumor suppression

PubMed Central

Wu, Linwei; Nguyen, Liem H; Zhou, Kejin; de Soysa, T Yvanka; Li, Lin; Miller, Jason B; Tian, Jianmin; Locker, Joseph; Zhang, Shuyuan; Shinoda, Gen; Seligson, Marc T; Zeitels, Lauren R; Acharya, Asha; Wang, Sam C; Mendell, Joshua T; He, Xiaoshun; Nishino, Jinsuke; Morrison, Sean J; Siegwart, Daniel J; Daley, George Q; Shyh-Chang, Ng; Zhu, Hao

2015-01-01

The in vivo roles for even the most intensely studied microRNAs remain poorly defined. Here, analysis of mouse models revealed that let-7, a large and ancient microRNA family, performs tumor suppressive roles at the expense of regeneration. Too little or too much let-7 resulted in compromised protection against cancer or tissue damage, respectively. Modest let-7 overexpression abrogated MYC-driven liver cancer by antagonizing multiple let-7 sensitive oncogenes. However, the same level of overexpression blocked liver regeneration, while let-7 deletion enhanced it, demonstrating that distinct let-7 levels can mediate desirable phenotypes. let-7 dependent regeneration phenotypes resulted from influences on the insulin-PI3K-mTOR pathway. We found that chronic high-dose let-7 overexpression caused liver damage and degeneration, paradoxically leading to tumorigenesis. These dose-dependent roles for let-7 in tissue repair and tumorigenesis rationalize the tight regulation of this microRNA in development, and have important implications for let-7 based therapeutics. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09431.001 PMID:26445246

MicroRNA let-7c Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Induces Cell Cycle Arrest by Targeting CDC25A in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xiuming; Wu, Lingjiao; Yao, Jian; Jiang, Han; Wang, Qiangfeng; Yang, Zhijian; Wu, Fusheng

2015-01-01

Down-regulation of the microRNA let-7c plays an important role in the pathogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to determine whether the cell cycle regulator CDC25A is involved in the antitumor effect of let-7c in HCC. The expression levels of let-7c in HCC cell lines were examined by quantitative real-time PCR, and a let-7c agomir was transfected into HCC cells to overexpress let-7c. The effects of let-7c on HCC proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed. The in vivo tumor-inhibitory efficacy of let-7c was evaluated in a xenograft mouse model of HCC. Luciferase reporter assays and western blotting were conducted to identify the targets of let-7c and to determine the effects of let-7c on CDC25A, CyclinD1, CDK6, pRb and E2F2 expression. The results showed that the expression levels of let-7c were significantly decreased in HCC cell lines. Overexpression of let-7c repressed cell growth, induced cell apoptosis, led to G1 cell cycle arrest in vitro, and suppressed tumor growth in a HepG2 xenograft model in vivo. The luciferase reporter assay showed that CDC25A was a direct target of let-7c, and that let-7c inhibited the expression of CDC25A protein by directly targeting its 3ʹ UTR. Restoration of CDC25A induced a let-7c-mediated G1-to-S phase transition. Western blot analysis demonstrated that overexpression of let-7c decreased CyclinD1, CDK6, pRb and E2F2 protein levels. In conclusion, this study indicates that let-7c suppresses HCC progression, possibly by directly targeting the cell cycle regulator CDC25A and indirectly affecting its downstream target molecules. Let-7c may therefore be an effective therapeutic target for HCC. PMID:25909324

Estimation of risk based on multiple events in radiation carcinogenesis of rat skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, F. J.; Jin, Y.; Garte, S. J.; Hosselet, S.

1994-10-01

In the multistage theory of carcinogenesis, cells progress to cancer through a series of discrete, irreversible, heritable genetic alterations or mutations. However data on radiation-induced cancer incidence in rat skin suggests that some part of an intermediate repairable alteration may occur. Data are presented on cancer induction in rat skin exposed to the following radiations: 1. an electron beam (LET = 0.34 keV/um, 2. a neon ion beam (LET = 25 keV/um and 3. an argon ion beam (LET = 125 keV/um. The latter 2 beams were generated by the Bevalac at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA. About 6.0 cm2 of skin was irradiated per rat. The rats were observed every 6 weeks for at least 78 weeks and tumors were scored at first occurrence. Several histological types of cancer, including squamous and basal cell carcinomas, were induced. The cancer yield versus radiation dose was fitted by the quadratic equation (Y (D) = CLD + BD2), and the parameters C and B were estimated for each type of radiation. Analysis of the DNA from the electron-induced carcinomas indicated that K-ras and/or c-myc oncogenes were activated in all tumors tested, although only a small proportion of neon-induced tumors showed similar activation. In situ hybridization indicated that the cancers contain subpopulations of cells with differing amounts of c-myc and H-ras amplification. The results are consistent with the idea that ionizing radiation produces carcinogenically relevant lesions via 2 repairable events at low LET and via a non-repairable, linked event pathway at high LET; either pathway may advance the cell by 1 stage in the multistage model. The model, if validated, permits the direct calculation of cancer risk in rat skin in a way that can be subjected to experimental testing.

The Caenorhabditis elegans SH2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-2 participates in signal transduction during oogenesis and vulval development

PubMed Central

Gutch, Michael J.; Flint, Andrew J.; Keller, James; Tonks, Nicholas K.; Hengartner, Michael O.

1998-01-01

Src homology-2 (SH2) domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatases (SHPs) have been identified as either positive or negative regulators of signaling events downstream of receptor protein tyrosine kinases (R-PTKs). We describe here our characterization of ptp-2, a Caenorhabditis elegans gene that encodes a 668-amino-acid SHP. We isolated a recessive ptp-2 loss-of-function allele, op194, that lacks the conserved protein tyrosine phosphatase catalytic domain by screening for transposon-mediated deletion mutations. Homozygous ptp-2(op194) hermaphrodites exhibit a completely penetrant zygotic semisterile/maternal effect lethal phenotype, characterized by the presence of abnormally large oocytes in the zygotic semisterile animals. These phenotypes indicate that PTP-2 activity is essential for proper oogenesis. Gain-of-function let-60 ras alleles rescued the defects associated with ptp-2(op194), suggesting that LET-60 Ras acts downstream of, or in parallel to, PTP-2 during oogenesis. Although ptp-2 function is not required for normal vulval development, ptp-2(op194) altered significantly the vulval phenotypes caused by mutations in several genes of the inductive signaling pathway. The penetrance of the multivulva phenotype caused by loss-of-function mutations in lin-15, and gain-of-function mutations in let-23 or let-60 ras, was reduced by ptp-2(op194). Moreover, ptp-2(op194) increased the penetrance of the vulvaless phenotype conferred by a weak loss-of-function sem-5 allele. Taken together, our genetic data positions PTP-2 activity downstream of LET-23 in the vulval induction signaling pathway. Although PTP-2 functions to transmit a requisite signal during oogenesis, PTP-2 function during C. elegans vulval cell differentiation appears to be directed at regulating the overall strength of the inductive signal, which may contribute to the quantitative differences in signaling required for the proper specification of the 1°, 2°, and 3° vulval cell fates. PMID:9472025

Space Culture: Innovative Cultural Approaches To Public Engagement With Astronomy, Space Science And Astronautics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malina, Roger F.

2012-01-01

In recent years a number of cultural organizations have established ongoing programs of public engagement with astronomy, space science and astronautics. Many involve elements of citizen science initiatives, artists’ residencies in scientific laboratories and agencies, art and science festivals, and social network projects as well as more traditional exhibition venues. Recognizing these programs several agencies and organizations have established mechanisms for facilitating public engagement with astronomy and space science through cultural activities. The International Astronautics Federation has established an Technical Activities Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Space. Over the past year the NSF and NEA have organized disciplinary workshops to develop recommendations relating to art-science interaction and community building efforts. Rationales for encouraging public engagement via cultural projects range from theory of creativity, innovation and invention to cultural appropriation in the context of `socially robust science’ as advocated by Helga Nowotny of the European Research Council. Public engagement with science, as opposed to science education and outreach initiatives, require different approaches. Just as organizations have employed education professionals to lead education activities, so they must employ cultural professionals if they wish to develop public engagement projects via arts and culture. One outcome of the NSF and NEA workshops has been development of a rationale for converting STEM to STEAM by including the arts in STEM methodologies, particularly for K-12 where students can access science via arts and cultural contexts. Often these require new kinds of informal education approaches that exploit locative media, gaming platforms, artists projects and citizen science. Incorporating astronomy and space science content in art and cultural projects requires new skills in `cultural translation’ and `trans-mediation’ and new kinds of metrics for impact. Astronomy because of its strong networks of amateur scientists is in a good position to develop innovative public engagement via the arts and culture.

Morro Azul Observatory: A New Center for Teaching and Popularization of Astronomy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretones, Paulo Sergio; Cardoso de Oliveira, Vladimir

2002-08-01

In 1999, the Instituto Superior de Ciências Aplicadas (ISCA Faculdades de Limeira) started a project to build an observatory and initiate several astronomy related activities in the city of Limeira and region (São Paulo state) with the aim of teaching and popularizing astronomy. After contracting teachers, a technician and an intern, the Morro Azul Observatory was inaugurated in March 2000 as a part of the geosciences department of ISCA Faculdades. This poster describes the development phases of the Observatory, the activities initiated by the Observatory, and assesses the impact of the project. Several issues will be discussed such as the criteria for choosing the site, buildings, instruments, group visits, and particularly the goals that were reached. The Observatory, as described here, serves as a model for other centers with the same purpose in the country. The achievements of this project include the creation of two astronomical disciplines for the geography course and liaisons with other courses such as tourism, pedagogy, social communication and engineering. New activities were initiated, educational materials created, and the Observatory is now part of the regions teaching network and is in contact with other Brazilian and foreign centers. This poster presents the results from report analyses, visitor records, the local media, goal strategy assessment, and the current state of the project. It concludes with an evaluation of the social commitment of the Observatory, its initiatives for the constant renewal and growth of the project, its policy of maintaining the activities and interchange with other national and international astronomy centers, and the future perspectives in terms of its contribution for the research in science education.

Landolt-Börnstein: Group 6:2c, 1982. Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology - New Series Group 6: 2C -- "Astronomy and Astrophysics -- Interstellar Matter, Galaxy, Universe"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biermann, P.; Fink, H. H.; Fricke, K. J.; Gliese, W.; Grewing, M.; Huchtmeier, W. K.; Madore, B. F.; Netzer, H.; Rahe, J.; Scheffler, H.; Schmadel, L. D.; Schmid-Burgk, J.; Tammann, G. A.; Trümper, J.; Wielen, R.; Witzel, A.; Zech, G.

The full Landolt-Börnstein Group 6 series contains: VI/1 Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics VI/2a Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Methods, Constants, Solar System VI/2b Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Stars and Star Clusters VI/2c Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Interstellar Matter, Galaxy, Universe VI/3a Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Instruments, Methods, Solar System VI/3b Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Stars and Star Clusters VI/3c Astronomy and Astrophysics · Astronomy and Astrophysics · Interstellar Matter, Galaxy, Universe VI/4B Astronomy and Astrophysics · The Solar System

Let's Celebrate Autumn: Activities for Grades 4-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Bakersfield, Ca. Div. of Instructional Services.

One of a series of activity guides, this publication offers a variety of learning activities and resource materials to help teachers and students celebrate special days and events in autumn. The activities and resources are especially designed to develop communications skills of students in grades 4-8; however, they are easily transferable to…

“Workshop Astronomy” at Dickinson College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Windsor A., Jr.

2006-12-01

Dickinson College, a 2400-student liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is recognized for the development of Workshop Physics. This innovative, calculus-based introductory course combines physics lectures and laboratories with integrated hands-on, small-group sessions. It allows students to do experiments, so that they will make their own observations and, with the guidance of the professor discover the principles of physics themselves. Since spring 2006, I have been developing an introductory solar-system astronomy course in the “Workshop” format at Dickinson. Students participate in discussions with their classmates and investigate astronomical concepts with computer simulations and guided inquiry. I emphasize “practical” astronomy (such as lunar phases, sky motions, and seasons) and physics concepts (such as density and Doppler shift); thus, my students become familiar with the basics of astronomy before developing a better understanding of the solar system. In my paper, I will discuss class activities and will evaluate their efficacy based on a comparison with traditionally-taught astronomy courses.

Astronomy and "Azulejo" Panels in Portuguese Jesuit Colleges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Carvalho, Rosário Salema; Gessner, Samuel; Tirapicos, Luís

2015-05-01

In Portugal the Jesuits used tiles (azulejos) for parietal decoration of various areas of their colleges, especially in the second quarter of the 18th century. Various tile panels are still conserved in the important colleges of Lisbon and Évora. The iconographies address a variety of philosophical, historical and mathematical topics and scenes evoking the gentry's life; but they are to some extent illustrative of the subject matters taught by the different chairs. Astronomy is a major subject in the Aula da Esfera of the Santo Antão College in Lisbon, which was not destroyed during the great earthquake of 1755. In the Espirito Santo College in Évora there is also a hall preserved with astronomy and geometry topics. In this paper we will analyze the iconographical program for these parietal decorations in the context of the Jesuits' activities of teaching and practical astronomy. In particular, we will identify various printed sources from which the compositions on these panels derive.

Editorial - A Matter of Quality of Life, of DOBEs and MEEPs, of Appropriate Recognition, of Targeted Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, Andre

2013-01-01

This editorial presents the book as a continuation of the first volume, both OPSA volumes being themselves in the line, with more emphasis on people, of the earlier prize-winning series "Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy (OSA)", the seven volumes of which described how astronomy research lives: how it is planned, funded and organized, how it interacts with other disciplines and the rest of the world, how it communicates, etc. All those books are a unique medium for scientists and non-scientists (sometimes from outside astronomy) to describe their experience, often for the first time at such a level, on non-purely scientific matters, many of them of fundamental importance for the efficient conduct astronomy-related activities. The editorial tackles also issues regarding ethics and management of people, stressing the need for managers with ad hoc training and a long-term vision of the role of astronomers towards the society at large.

MicroRNA let-7b regulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by targeting nuclear receptor TLX signaling

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chunnian; Sun, GuoQiang; Li, Shengxiu; Lang, Ming-Fei; Yang, Su; Li, Wendong; Shi, Yanhong

2010-01-01

Neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation is orchestrated by precise control of gene expression involving nuclear receptor TLX. Let-7b, a member of the let-7 microRNA family, is expressed in mammalian brains and exhibits increased expression during neural differentiation. However, the role of let-7b in neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation remains unknown. Here we show that let-7b regulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by targeting the stem cell regulator TLX and the cell cycle regulator cyclin D1. Overexpression of let-7b led to reduced neural stem cell proliferation and increased neural differentiation, whereas antisense knockdown of let-7b resulted in enhanced proliferation of neural stem cells. Moreover, in utero electroporation of let-7b to embryonic mouse brains led to reduced cell cycle progression in neural stem cells. Introducing an expression vector of Tlx or cyclin D1 that lacks the let-7b recognition site rescued let-7b-induced proliferation deficiency, suggesting that both TLX and cyclin D1 are important targets for let-7b-mediated regulation of neural stem cell proliferation. Let-7b, by targeting TLX and cyclin D1, establishes an efficient strategy to control neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation. PMID:20133835

MicroRNA let-7b regulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by targeting nuclear receptor TLX signaling.

PubMed

Zhao, Chunnian; Sun, GuoQiang; Li, Shengxiu; Lang, Ming-Fei; Yang, Su; Li, Wendong; Shi, Yanhong

2010-02-02

Neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation is orchestrated by precise control of gene expression involving nuclear receptor TLX. Let-7b, a member of the let-7 microRNA family, is expressed in mammalian brains and exhibits increased expression during neural differentiation. However, the role of let-7b in neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation remains unknown. Here we show that let-7b regulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by targeting the stem cell regulator TLX and the cell cycle regulator cyclin D1. Overexpression of let-7b led to reduced neural stem cell proliferation and increased neural differentiation, whereas antisense knockdown of let-7b resulted in enhanced proliferation of neural stem cells. Moreover, in utero electroporation of let-7b to embryonic mouse brains led to reduced cell cycle progression in neural stem cells. Introducing an expression vector of Tlx or cyclin D1 that lacks the let-7b recognition site rescued let-7b-induced proliferation deficiency, suggesting that both TLX and cyclin D1 are important targets for let-7b-mediated regulation of neural stem cell proliferation. Let-7b, by targeting TLX and cyclin D1, establishes an efficient strategy to control neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Astronomy in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, Michael G.

2010-10-01

Antarctica provides a unique environment for astronomers to practice their trade. The cold, dry and stable air found above the high Antarctic plateau, as well as the pure ice below, offers new opportunities for the conduct of observational astronomy across both the photon and the particle spectrum. The summits of the Antarctic plateau provide the best seeing conditions, the darkest skies and the most transparent atmosphere of any earth-based observing site. Astronomical activities are now underway at four plateau sites: the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Concordia Station at Dome C, Kunlun Station at Dome A and Fuji Station at Dome F, in addition to long duration ballooning from the coastal station of McMurdo, at stations run by the USA, France/Italy, China, Japan and the USA, respectively. The astronomy conducted from Antarctica includes optical, infrared, terahertz and sub-millimetre astronomy, measurements of cosmic microwave background anisotropies, solar astronomy, as well as high energy astrophysics involving the measurement of cosmic rays, gamma rays and neutrinos. Antarctica is also the richest source of meteorites on our planet. An extensive range of site testing measurements have been made over the high plateau sites. In this article, we summarise the facets of Antarctica that are driving developments in astronomy there, and review the results of the site testing experiments undertaken to quantify those characteristics of the Antarctic plateau relevant for astronomical observation. We also outline the historical development of the astronomy on the continent, and then review the principal scientific results to have emerged over the past three decades of activity in the discipline. These range from determination of the dominant frequencies of the 5 min solar oscillation in 1979 to the highest angular scale measurements yet made of the power spectrum of the CMBR anisotropies in 2010. They span through infrared views of the galactic ecology in star formation complexes in 1999, the first clear demonstration that the Universe was flat in 2000, the first detection of polarization in the CMBR in 2002, the mapping of the warm molecular gas across the ~ 300 pc extent of the Central Molecular Zone of our Galaxy in 2003, the measurement of cosmic neutrinos in 2005, and imaging of the thermal Sunyaev Zel’dovich effect in galaxy clusters in 2008. This review also discusses how science is conducted in Antarctica, and in particular the difficulties, as well as the advantages, faced by astronomers seeking to bring their experiments there. It also reviews some of the political issues that will be encountered, both at national and international level. Finally, the review discusses where Antarctic astronomy may be heading in the coming decade, in particular plans for infrared and terahertz astronomy, including the new facilities being considered for these wavebands at the high plateau stations.

Creative Concept Mapping.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, David S.

2002-01-01

Recommends the use of concept mapping in science teaching and proposes that it be presented as a creative activity. Includes a sample lesson plan of a potato stamp concept mapping activity for astronomy. (DDR)

SkyServer Voyages Website - Using Big Data to Explore Astronomy Concepts in Formal Education Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Kate K.; Masters, Karen; Raddick, Jordan; Lundgren, Britt

2015-08-01

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) web interface “SkyServer” has long included online educational materials designed to help students and the public discover the fundamentals of modern astronomy using real observations from the SDSS database. The newly launched SDSS Voyages website updates and expands these activities to reflect new data from subsequent generations of the survey, advances in web technology, and evolving practices in science education. Voyages provides access to quality astronomy, astrophysics, and engineering materials to educators seeking an inquiry approach to fundamental concepts. During this session we will provide an overview of the design and development of Skyserver Voyages and discuss ways to apply this resource at K-12 and university levels.

ASP Celebrates IYA, One Month at a Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurton, S.; Berendsen, M.; Hurst, A.; White, V.

2008-11-01

Serving three major networks of educators, the ASP is working with NASA, NOAO, ASTC and others to build a comprehensive program to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). By featuring a different astronomy theme during each month of 2009, we will provide a rich array of themed resources, such as demonstrations and activities, teleconferences, and news stories to the variety of educators served by the ASP. This poster will present our program of monthly themes, along with associated services and resources, to support the diverse public outreach efforts of the members of the NASA Night Sky Network, museum educators in Astronomy From the Ground Up, and teachers in grades K--12 including Project ASTRO National Network partners and subscribers to Universe in the Classroom.

A Review of Astronomy Education Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Janelle M.; Slater, Timothy F.

The field of astronomy education is rapidly growing beyond merely sharing effective activities or curriculum ideas. This paper categorizes and summarizes the literature in astronomy education research and contains more than 100 references to articles, books, and Web-based materials. Research into student understanding on a variety of topics now occupies a large part of the literature. Topics include the shape of Earth and gravity, lunar phases, seasons, astrobiology, and cosmology. The effectiveness of instructional methods is now being tested systematically, taking data beyond the anecdotal with powerful research designs and statistical analyses. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches have found their places in the researcher's toolbox. In all cases, the connection between the research performed and its effect on classroom instruction is largely lacking.

Stopping Childhood Obesity before It Begins

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzeo, Deborah; Arens, Sheila A.; Germeroth, Carrie; Hein, Heather

2012-01-01

Preschool is a crucial time for obesity prevention, as children are developing eating and physical activity habits. A lack of physical activity at preschool may contribute more to overweight children than parental influences such as modeling and supporting physical activity or providing fitness equipment in the home. Let Me Play is a comprehensive…

ESO takes the public on an astronomical journey "Around the World in 80 Telescopes"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-03-01

A live 24-hour free public video webcast, "Around the World in 80 Telescopes", will take place from 3 April 09:00 UT/GMT to 4 April 09:00 UT/GMT, chasing day and night around the globe to let viewers "visit" some of the most advanced astronomical telescopes on and off the planet. The webcast, organised by ESO for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), is the first time that so many large observatories have been linked together for a public event. ESO PR Photo 13a/09 Map of Participating Observatories ESO PR Photo 13b/09 100 Hours of Astronomy logo Viewers will see new images of the cosmos, find out what observatories in their home countries or on the other side of the planet are discovering, send in questions and messages, and discover what astronomers are doing right now. Participating telescopes include those at observatories in Chile such as ESO's Very Large Telescope and La Silla, the Hawaii-based telescopes Gemini North and Keck, the Anglo-Australian Telescope, telescopes in the Canary Islands, the Southern African Large Telescope, space-based telescopes such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, ESA XMM-Newton and Integral, and many more. "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" will take viewers to every continent, including Antarctica! The webcast production will be hosted at ESO's headquarters near Munich, Germany, with live internet streaming by Ustream.tv. Anyone with a web browser supporting Adobe Flash will be able to follow the show, free of charge, from the website www.100hoursofastronomy.org and be a part of the project by sending messages and questions. The video player can be freely embedded on other websites. TV stations, web portals and science centres can also use the high quality feed. Representatives of the media who wish to report from the "front-line" and interview the team should get in touch. "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" is a major component of the 100 Hours of Astronomy (100HA), a Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. 100HA is on track to be the largest single science public outreach event ever, with more than 1500 events registered in over 130 countries. 100HA will take place over four days and nights, from 2-5 April 2009. It is a worldwide celebration composed of a broad range of activities aimed at involving the public. During this period, people from around the globe will share the experience and wonder of observing the sky. For many, it will be their first glimpse of the marvels of the heavens through a telescope. For others, it is the perfect opportunity to impart their knowledge and excitement, helping unveil the cosmos to fresh and eager eyes. Astronomers at ESO are also organising local public events near their headquarters in Garching, near Munich. In the Munich city centre, ESO astronomers, together with colleagues from the Excellence Cluster Universe, will share their views of the cosmos with members of the public. ESO in Chile is also participating in a series of events to celebrate the 100 Hours of Astronomy. In Antofagasta, an exhibition by international and local astrophotographers will be unveiled at the main mall in the city. Star parties will be organised for the public in the desert outside Antofagasta, in coordination with the local university UCN. In Santiago, ESO is offering, along with other international observatories and the Chilean astronomical community, a complete set of programmes, including public talks, night observations and interactive exhibitions. In San Pedro de Atacama, the ALMA project will install an inflatable planetarium for the local community, and astronomy workshops and star parties will be offered to the public. More information ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO plays also a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in the Atacama Desert region of Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. The vision of the IYA2009 is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day and night-time skies the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society. Ustream.TV is the live interactive video broadcast platform that enables anyone with a camera and an internet connection to quickly and easily broadcast to a global audience of unlimited size. In less than two minutes, anyone can become a broadcaster by creating their own channel on Ustream or by broadcasting through their own site, empowering them to engage with their audience and further build their brand.

Let-7i attenuates human brain microvascular endothelial cell damage in oxygen glucose deprivation model by decreasing toll-like receptor 4 expression.

PubMed

Xiang, Wei; Tian, Canhui; Peng, Shunli; Zhou, Liang; Pan, Suyue; Deng, Zhen

2017-11-04

The let-7 family of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays an important role on endothelial cell function. However, there have been few studies on their role under ischemic conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that let-7i, belonging to the let-7 family, rescues human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) in an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model. Our data show that the expression of let-7 family miRNAs was downregulated after OGD. Overexpression of let-7i significantly alleviated cell death and improved survival of OGD-treated HBMECs. Let-7i also protected permeability in an in vitro blood brain barrier (BBB) model. Further, let-7i downregulated the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), an inflammation trigger. Moreover, overexpression of let-7i decreased matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression under OGD. Upon silencing TLR4 expression in HBMECs, the anti-inflammatory effect of let-7i was abolished. Our research suggests that let-7i promotes OGD-induced inflammation via downregulating TLR4 expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linear energy transfer incorporated intensity modulated proton therapy optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Wenhua; Khabazian, Azin; Yepes, Pablo P.; Lim, Gino; Poenisch, Falk; Grosshans, David R.; Mohan, Radhe

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of incorporating linear energy transfer (LET) into the optimization of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans. Because increased LET correlates with increased biological effectiveness of protons, high LETs in target volumes and low LETs in critical structures and normal tissues are preferred in an IMPT plan. However, if not explicitly incorporated into the optimization criteria, different IMPT plans may yield similar physical dose distributions but greatly different LET, specifically dose-averaged LET, distributions. Conventionally, the IMPT optimization criteria (or cost function) only includes dose-based objectives in which the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is assumed to have a constant value of 1.1. In this study, we added LET-based objectives for maximizing LET in target volumes and minimizing LET in critical structures and normal tissues. Due to the fractional programming nature of the resulting model, we used a variable reformulation approach so that the optimization process is computationally equivalent to conventional IMPT optimization. In this study, five brain tumor patients who had been treated with proton therapy at our institution were selected. Two plans were created for each patient based on the proposed LET-incorporated optimization (LETOpt) and the conventional dose-based optimization (DoseOpt). The optimized plans were compared in terms of both dose (assuming a constant RBE of 1.1 as adopted in clinical practice) and LET. Both optimization approaches were able to generate comparable dose distributions. The LET-incorporated optimization achieved not only pronounced reduction of LET values in critical organs, such as brainstem and optic chiasm, but also increased LET in target volumes, compared to the conventional dose-based optimization. However, on occasion, there was a need to tradeoff the acceptability of dose and LET distributions. Our conclusion is that the inclusion of LET-dependent criteria in the IMPT optimization could lead to similar dose distributions as the conventional optimization but superior LET distributions in target volumes and normal tissues. This may have substantial advantages in improving tumor control and reducing normal tissue toxicities.

Long-term Autophagy and Nrf2 Signaling in the Hippocampi of Developing Mice after Carbon Ion Exposure

PubMed Central

Ye, Fei; Zhao, Ting; Liu, Xiongxiong; Jin, Xiaodong; Liu, Xinguo; Wang, Tieshan; Li, Qiang

2015-01-01

To explore charged particle radiation-induced long-term hippocampus damage, we investigated the expression of autophagy and antioxidant Nrf2 signaling-related proteins in the mouse hippocampus after carbon ion radiation. Heads of immature female Balb/c mice were irradiated with carbon ions of different LETs at various doses. Behavioral tests were performed on the mice after maturation. Acute and chronic expression of LC3-II, p62/SQSTM1, nuclear Nrf2, activated caspase-3 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were measured in the hippocampi. Secondary X-ray insult was adopted to amplify potential damages. Long-term behavioral changes were observed in high-LET carbon ion-irradiated mice. There were no differences in the rates of LC3-II induction and p62/SQSTM1 degradation compared to the control group regardless of whether the mice received the secondary X-ray insult. A high nuclear Nrf2 content and low apoptosis level in hippocampal cells subjected to secondary X-rays were observed for the mice exposed to relatively low-LET carbon ions. Therefore, carbon ion exposure in the immature mouse led to an LET-dependent behavioral change after maturation. Although autophagy was intact, the persistently high nuclear Nrf2 content in the hippocampus might account for the unchanged behavioral pattern in mice exposed to the relatively low-LET carbon ions and the subsequent increased radioresistance of the hippocampus. PMID:26689155

Repair of DNA damage induced by accelerated heavy ions--a mini review.

PubMed

Okayasu, Ryuichi

2012-03-01

Increasing use of heavy ions for cancer therapy and concerns from exposure to heavy charged particles in space necessitate the study of the basic biological mechanisms associated with exposure to heavy ions. As the most critical damage induced by ionizing radiation is DNA double strand break (DSB), this review focuses on DSBs induced by heavy ions and their repair processes. Compared with X- or gamma-rays, high-linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ion radiation induces more complex DNA damage, categorized into DSBs and non-DSB oxidative clustered DNA lesions (OCDL). This complexity makes the DNA repair process more difficult, partially due to retarded enzymatic activities, leading to increased chromosome aberrations and cell death. In general, the repair process following heavy ion exposure is LET-dependent, but with nonhomologous end joining defective cells, this trend is less emphasized. The variation in cell survival levels throughout the cell cycle is less prominent in cells exposed to high-LET heavy ions when compared with low LET, but this mechanism has not been well understood until recently. Involvement of several DSB repair proteins is suggested to underlie this interesting phenomenon. Recent improvements in radiation-induced foci studies combined with high-LET heavy ion exposure could provide a useful opportunity for more in depth study of DSB repair processes. Accelerated heavy ions have become valuable tools to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying repair of DNA DSBs, the most crucial form of DNA damage induced by radiation and various chemotherapeutic agents. Copyright © 2011 UICC.

Introducing astronomy into high school physics curriculum through the use of the University of North Dakota Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolby, Caitlin Marie

Astronomy education is currently lacking in the secondary level classroom. Many programs have been created to remedy this, including research opportunities for students and training workshops for educators. These reach only a small fraction of the population however, while remaining students still lack the opportunity to learn astronomy at the secondary level. This research addresses the creation of a program that will make astronomy education a recurring option for students across North Dakota through implementation of a two-week astronomy course at Grand Forks Central High School (GFCHS) in a class of 19 physics students. During ten class periods from April 16, 2012 through April 27, 2012, instruction included presentation of basic astronomy concepts and observational techniques as well as student participation in demonstrations and in-class activities. Original lesson plans also included a group research project on the astrometry of an asteroid. Students were given the option to visit the University of North Dakota (UND) Observatory the evening of April 20, 2012 for a public "star party" where they received a tour of the university's telescopes and research equipment. Students also took a field trip to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences to tour Aviation and Space Studies facilities at UND on April 25, 2012. Students were given a pre-test at the start of the course, daily exit surveys at the end of each class period, and a post-test at the end of the two weeks. These assessments were used to evaluate student enjoyment, progress, and overall perception of the course. The research also identified common misconceptions in astronomy held by the learners and the most effective teaching methods. It was found that this course was overall successful in promoting the students' learning of astronomy. This analysis has been used to make improvements in future installments of the course and it is now available online to educators for use in the classroom.

Managing Astronomy Research Data: Case Studies of Big and Small Research Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sands, Ashley E.

2015-01-01

Astronomy data management refers to all actions taken upon data over the course of the entire research process. It includes activities involving the collection, organization, analysis, release, storage, archiving, preservation, and curation of research data. Astronomers have cultivated data management tools, infrastructures, and local practices to ensure the use and future reuse of their data. However, new sky surveys will soon amass petabytes of data requiring new data management strategies.The goal of this dissertation, to be completed in 2015, is to identify and understand data management practices and the infrastructure and expertise required to support best practices. This will benefit the astronomy community in efforts toward an integrated scholarly communication framework.This dissertation employs qualitative, social science research methods (including interviews, observations, and document analysis) to conduct case studies of data management practices, covering the entire data lifecycle, amongst three populations: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) collaboration team members; Individual and small-group users of SDSS data; and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) collaboration team members. I have been observing the collection, release, and archiving of data by the SDSS collaboration, the data practices of individuals and small groups using SDSS data in journal articles, and the LSST collaboration's planning and building of infrastructure to produce data.Preliminary results demonstrate that current data management practices in astronomy are complex, situational, and heterogeneous. Astronomers often have different management repertoires for working on sky surveys and for their own data collections, varying their data practices as they move between projects. The multitude of practices complicates coordinated efforts to maintain data.While astronomy expertise proves critical to managing astronomy data in the short, medium, and long term, the larger astronomy data workforce encompasses a greater breadth of educational backgrounds. Results show that teams of individuals with distinct expertise are key to ensuring the long-term preservation and usability of astronomy datasets.

The 2015 Chile-U.S. Astronomy Education Outreach Summit in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, Sandra Lee; Arnett, Dinah; Hardy, Eduardo; Cabezón, Sergio; Spuck, Tim; Fields, Mary Sue; Smith, R. Chris

2015-08-01

The first Chile-U.S. Astronomy Education Outreach Summit occurred March 22-28, 2015. The Summit was organized and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Chile, Associated Universities Inc., Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Image of Chile Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and La Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica. The Summit brought together a team of leading experts and officials from Chile and the U.S. to share best practices in astronomy education and outreach. In addition, Summit participants discussed enhancing existing partnerships, and building new collaborations between U.S. Observatories and astronomy education outreach leaders in Chile.The Summit was an exciting and intense week of work and travel. Discussions opened in Santiago on March 22 with a variety of astronomy education and public outreach work sessions, a public forum, and on March 23 the U.S. Embassy sponsored a Star Party. On Tuesday, March 24, the Summit moved to San Pedro de Atacama, where activities included work sessions, a visit to the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array telescope facilities, and a second public forum. From San Pedro, the team traveled to La Serena for additional work sessions, visits to Gemini and Cerro Tololo, a third public forum, and the closing session. At each stop, authorities and the broader community were invited to participate and provide valuable input on the current state, and the future, of astronomy education and public outreach.Following the Summit a core working committee has continued meeting to draft a “roadmap document” based on findings from the Summit. This document will help to identify potential gaps in astronomy outreach efforts, and how the U.S. facilities and Chilean institutions might work together strategically to address these needs. The first draft of this “roadmap document” will be made available for comment in both Spanish and English in late September 2015.

Under the Radar: The First Woman in Radio Astronomy, Ruby Payne-Scott

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller Goss, W.

2012-05-01

Under the Radar, the First Woman in Radio Astronomy, Ruby Payne-Scott W. Miller Goss, NRAO Socorro NM Ruby Payne-Scott (1912-1981) was an eminent Australian scientist who made major contributions to the WWII radar effort (CSIR) from 1941 to 1945. In late 1945, she pioneered radio astronomy efforts at Dover Heights in Sydney, Australia at a beautiful cliff top overlooking the Tasman Sea. Again at Dover Heights, Payne-Scott carried out the first interferometry in radio astronomy using an Australian Army radar antenna as a radio telescope at sun-rise, 26 January 1946. She continued these ground breaking activities until 1951. Ruby Payne-Scott played a major role in discovering and elucidating the properties of Type III bursts from the sun, the most common of the five classes of transient phenomena from the solar corona. These bursts are one of the most intensively studied forms of radio emission in all of astronomy. She is also one of the inventors of aperture synthesis in radio astronomy. I examine her career at the University of Sydney and her conflicts with the CSIR hierarchy concerning the rights of women in the work place, specifically equal wages and the lack of permanent status for married women. I also explore her membership in the Communist Party of Australia as well as her partially released Australian Scientific Intelligence Organization file. Payne-Scott’s role as a major participant in the flourishing radio astronomy research of the post war era remains a remarkable story. She had a number of strong collaborations with the pioneers of early radio astronomy in Australia: Pawsey, Mills, Christiansen, Bolton and Little. I am currently working on a popular version of the Payne-Scott story; “Making Waves, The Story of Ruby Payne-Scott: Australian Pioneer Radio Astronomer” will be published in 2013 by Springer in the Astronomers’ Universe Series.

High School Astronomical Research at the Army and Navy Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, Pat; Boyce, Grady

2016-06-01

Establishment of a high school astronomy and research program is a difficult task to accomplish in an environment of state mandated high school educational curricula and the task saturation for many teachers today created by their class room and administrative requirements. This environment is most challenging for public schools. The astronomy program we will describe seems to be better suited at least at the present time for private or specialized schools. We will outline how a broad astronomy program was developed over two years at the Army and Navy Academy (ANA), a private boarding school in Carlsbad, California. Starting with no astronomy program in 2013, the Academy now has an astronomy club, a University of California a-g certified two semester high school course, and a college accredited astronomy research seminar with over 20 published high school authors.At ANA the development followed this path: finding a strong proponent at the school who can make actionable decisions; building interest and perceived value to other staff and faculty members; establishing an astronomy club to generate student interest and future student leaders; and designing the a-g certified high school course including the course length, structure and balance of teaching elements. Building on these foundations, the college level astronomy research seminar was then added to provide an avenue for inspired students to undertake actual research and publication of their work in scientific journals in their free time for college credit.Creating a sustainable program with supporting infrastructure comes next. Success with the three foundation steps builds confidence in the program with faculty and staff. Published, tangible successes highlight the value and enable advanced placement and scholarship opportunities for graduates. These successes build enthusiasm. The further keys to sustainability include addressing course credit, instructor compensation and rewards, and integration into the school counseling and curricula. Active assistance from amateur astronomers and parental engagement are critical to sustainability, growth, and outreach. Possibly most important is the continuing leadership of strong advocates at the school.

A Coherent Content Storyline Approach for Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palma, Christopher; Flarend, A.; McDonald, S.; Kregenow, J. M.

2014-01-01

The Earth and Space Science Partnership (ESSP) is a collaboration among Penn State scientists, science educators and seven school districts across Pennsylvania. Part of the multi-faceted ESSP effort includes revising the curriculum of university science classes known to be taken by large numbers of elementary pre-service teachers. By adopting research-based pedagogical approaches in our courses, we hope to expose these pre-service teachers to excellent examples of science teaching. In this presentation, we will discuss changes made in a pilot study to one section of our introductory astronomy survey course. There have been many articles published in the Astronomy Education Review and elsewhere that detail research-based pedagogical practices for introductory astronomy courses. Many of those practices (such as from the Center for Astronomy Education) have been incorporated into introductory astronomy courses at Penn State. However, our work with middle-grades teachers in the ESSP project is based on two key practices: a Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) framework (McNeill & Krajcik 2012) and a coherent science content storyline (Roth,et. al., 2011). As a first step in modeling these practices in our University courses, we reorganized our Astro course using a content storyline approach. We plan to incorporate CER activities into the course next year that advance the storyline described. In this poster, we present the storyline developed by our team, which we believe was successful in its pilot, and was built around a conceptually coherent presentation of the diverse set of phenomena typical of an introductory astronomy course. We adopted as our main learning goal a statement based on the cosmological principle that the physical laws throughout the Universe are identical everywhere. In addition, we organized the class schedule to connect the work done in each class to this storyline. We suggest that a coherent content storyline is a useful tool for others who teach broad survey astronomy courses similar to ours at Penn State. We gratefully acknowledge support from the NSF MSP program award DUE#0962792.

ASTRONET: Strategic Planning for European Astronomy 2005-2025

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, Johannes; Mourard, Denis

2015-08-01

European astronomy, with ESO and ESA, is supported by a wide variety of independent national agencies or similar bodies, which jointly provide ~98% of the total funding (with ~2% EU grants). In 2005 these agencies concluded that common strategic planning would be a more cost-effective approach, so they founded a consortium, ASTRONET (http://www.astronet-eu.org/), to prototype such an effort for all of Europe, with EU support. A bottom-up process resulted in a Science Vision (2007) and Infrastructure Roadmap (2008) for European astronomy, with recent updates (2014).These ASTRONET reports cover all branches of astronomy; infrastructures at all electromagnetic wavelengths as well as particles etc., on the ground and in space; laboratory work, software and archiving; and training, recruitment and public outreach. In short, they are agreed blueprints for what Europe plans to accomplish in the next 1-2 decades.Subsequently, a systematic and sustained pragmatic effort has been made to implement the strategy laid out in the Roadmap, including a common European participation in projects and facilities of global dimensions. Decisions on the organisation and construction of several major research facilities have been taken as foreseen (E-ELT, SKA, CTA,…), and they are on track for completion around 2025. The task for global astronomy is now to optimise the overall scientific returns and cost-effectiveness of these investments across wavelength domains, scientific disciplines, and political and financial borders. Accordingly, ASTRONET is currently transforming itself into a permanent, self-sustaining activity reaching out to the world.The ideal of a fully integrated global astronomy may not be reached until ~2050, but no science is better suited than astronomy to set such an example: One Universe surrounds us all, and one Earth is our platform. The IAU General Assembly is a springboard towards this goal.

IYA2009 and Beyond - Update On "Music and Astronomy Under the Stars” To Bring Telescopes To Where the People Are!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, Donald A.

2009-05-01

This NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars outreach program brings telescopes and astronomy information (via a video display and outdoor exhibit) to community parks during and after music concerts and outdoor family films attended by 500 to 50,000 people. This program will permit the entire community to participate with telescope observations and will enhance the public appreciation of astronomy. The telescopes will be accessible to those with physical disabilities. This program combines music, telescope observations, and astronomy information and targets people who may not attend star parties, planetariums, or science museums. I update this program and discus the lessons learned such as the importance of coordination with local governments, community park districts, and amateur astronomer clubs. This program can be expanded and modified for the local communities. I have expanded this program to large and small venues from New York Philharmonic concert at Heckscher State Park, the boardwalk and a "tail-gate” star party by at pop-music concerts at Jones Beach State Park, and at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, MA, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod2880024). This program is expandable to include outdoor dance or theatre programs, festivals in parks or beaches or amusement parks. Music and Astronomy Under the Stars is program that should continue beyond IYA-2009 beaches. Special events such as a Super Bowl Star Party and Halloween Stars will be presented as will the results form NASA-funded hands-on astronomy activities to children and their families receiving medical treatment at the Children's Medical Center at Winthrop University Hospital (Mineola, NY) and the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island (New Hyde Park, NY).

Results from pre- and post- tests of professional development astronomy workshops for teachers in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deustua, Susana; Ros, Rosa

2015-08-01

Since 2009, the Network for Astronomy School Education (NASE) has held 55+ workshops in countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, training more than 1200 teachers and potentially reaching one million or more students. Like modern professional development programs, NASE’s emphasis is on interactive, hands-on learning. However, our emphasis is on “low-tech” tools that are readily available, and, inexpensive. Teachers are led through a series of activities that cover a wide range of topics in astronomy, more or less equivalent to that covered in the typical 1st year astronomy course in US colleges.In 2014 we adopted the Astronomy Diagnostic Test as pre- and post- workshop tests to guage the change in teachers’ knowledge as a result of participation in this intervention. In this paper we discuss the first results using the Astronomy Diagnostic Test in astronomy workshops in Peru during March 2014 and February 2015. NASE workskhops were held at the facilities of the Observatorio de Radio de Sicaya of the Instituto Geofisico del Peru, in Chupaca, a farming community approximately 20 km from the Andean city, Huancayo. Sponsors of the Chupaca workshop were the IGP, NASE and the UGEL (regional school district). The second workshop was held at the University of Ica, in the coastal city of Ica, 250 km south of Lima, sponsored by the Instituto Geofisico del Peru and the University, and the 3rd workshop in Lima.We will discuss our results, which for the most part do indeed show a positive change in knowledge, but in a couple of areas the change is either null or negative.

“Starry Messengers” help the Community to Observe the Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albarran, Amnerys; Hernaiz, S.; Falcon, C.

2010-01-01

" Astronomy for Everyone" (“La astronomía accessible para todos”) is the motto for the IYA2009 (International Year of Astronomy) in Puerto Rico. During the 2009 the “Starry Messengers”, a group of volunteer college level students which where trained in 2008 during a workshop at the Arecibo Observatoy; have been working with the collaboration of different professionals in the area of Astronomy in order to educate and entertain the whole community. We have organized different activities for people of all ages completely free of cost. Some of the activities include visits to schools, exhibitions of images from the FETTU collection, presentation of the Rover of Mars, exhibitions adapted to Braille for blind people, and invited guest such as the Puertorrican Astronaut Joseph Acaba. The “Starry Messengers” have done a lot of work for the community but we have gain a lot more that what has been given. The “Starry Messengers” also volunteered during the 41st DPS (Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society) Meeting on October 2009 in Puerto Rico. This poster presents some of the activities that we have organized and participated throughout the year.

Beyond Outreach: Expanding the UCI Astronomy Outreach Program to New Heights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smecker-Hane, T. A.; Mauzy-Melitz, D. K.; Hood, M. A.

2010-08-01

The Astronomy Outreach Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has three major components: (1) tours of the UCI Observatory and visits to local K-12 classrooms that bring hands-on activities and telescopes into the local schools, (2) an annual Teacher's Workshop in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and (3) Visitor Nights at the Observatory for the general public that include lectures on astrophysics topics and star gazing with our telescopes. Here we describe the results of our year long partnership with Grade 3-12 teachers to expand the tour and classroom visit portion of our program. We developed curricula and survey tools for Grades 3, 5, and high school that addresses specific California State Science Content Standards and amplify the impact of our outreach visits to their classrooms and their tours of the UCI Observatory. We describe the lessons and hands-on activities developed for the curricula, report on the results of pre- and post-testing of the students to judge how much they learned and whether or not their attitudes about science have changed, and report on teachers' responses to the program. Many of the lessons and activities we developed are available on our website.

Luminal esophageal temperature monitoring with a deflectable esophageal temperature probe and intracardiac echocardiography may reduce esophageal injury during atrial fibrillation ablation procedures: results of a pilot study.

PubMed

Leite, Luiz R; Santos, Simone N; Maia, Henrique; Henz, Benhur D; Giuseppin, Fábio; Oliverira, Anderson; Zanatta, André R; Peres, Ayrton K; Novakoski, Clarissa; Barreto, Jose R; Vassalo, Fabrício; d'Avila, Andre; Singh, Sheldon M

2011-04-01

Luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring is one strategy to minimize esophageal injury during atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. However, esophageal ulceration and fistulas have been reported despite adequate LET monitoring. The objective of this study was to assess a novel approach to LET monitoring with a deflectable LET probe on the rate of esophageal injury in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation. Forty-five consecutive patients undergoing an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure followed by esophageal endoscopy were included in this prospective observational pilot study. LET monitoring was performed with a 7F deflectable ablation catheter that was positioned as close as possible to the site of left atrial ablation using the deflectable component of the catheter guided by visualization of its position on intracardiac echocardiography. Ablation in the posterior left atrial was limited to 25 W and terminated when the LET increased 2°C from baseline. Endoscopy was performed 1 to 2 days after the procedure. All patients had at least 1 LET elevation >2°C necessitating cessation of ablation. Deflection of the LET probe was needed to accurately measure LET in 5% of patients when ablating near the left pulmonary veins, whereas deflection of the LET probe was necessary in 88% of patients when ablating near the right pulmonary veins. The average maximum increase in LET was 2.5±1.5°C. No patients had esophageal thermal injury on follow-up endoscopy. A strategy of optimal LET probe placement using a deflectable LET probe and intracardiac echocardiography guidance, combined with cessation of radiofrequency ablation with a 2°C rise in LET, may reduce esophageal thermal injury during left atrial ablation procedures.

TU-EF-304-09: Quantifying the Biological Effects of Therapeutic Protons by LET Spectrum Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guan, F; Bronk, L; Kerr, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: To correlate in vitro cell kill with linear energy transfer (LET) spectra using Monte Carlo simulations and knowledge obtained from previous high-throughput in vitro proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE) measurements. Methods: The Monte Carlo simulation toolkit Geant4 was used to design the experimental setups and perform the dose, dose-averaged LET, and LET spectra calculations. The clonogenic assay was performed using the H460 lung cancer cell line in standard 6-well plates. Using two different experimental setups, the same dose and dose-averaged LET (12.6 keV/µm) was delivered to the cell layer; however, each respective energy or LET spectrum was different. Wemore » quantified the dose contributions from high-LET (≥10 keV/µm, threshold determined by previous RBE measurements) events in the LET spectra separately for these two setups as 39% and 53%. 8 dose levels with 1 Gy increments were delivered. The photon reference irradiation was performed using 6 MV x-rays from a LINAC. Results: The survival curves showed that both proton irradiations demonstrated an increased RBE compared to the reference photon irradiation. Within the proton-irradiated cells, the setup with 53% dose contribution from high-LET events exhibited the higher biological effectiveness. Conclusion: The experimental results indicate that the dose-averaged LET may not be an appropriate indicator to quantify the biological effects of protons when the LET spectrum is broad enough to contain both low- and high-LET events. Incorporating the LET spectrum distribution into robust intensity-modulated proton therapy optimization planning may provide more accurate biological dose distribution than using the dose-averaged LET. NIH Program Project Grant 2U19CA021239-35.« less

Dose- and LET-painting with particle therapy.

PubMed

Bassler, Niels; Jäkel, Oliver; Søndergaard, Christian Skou; Petersen, Jørgen B

2010-10-01

Tumour hypoxia is one of the limiting factors in obtaining tumour control in radiotherapy. The high-LET region of a beam of heavy charged particles such as carbon ions is located in the distal part of the Bragg peak. A modulated or spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) is a weighted function of several Bragg peaks at various energies, which however results in a dilution of the dose-average LET in the target volume. Here, we investigate the possibility to redistribute the LET by dedicated treatment plan optimisation, in order to maximise LET in the target volume. This may be a strategy to potentially overcome hypoxia along with dose escalation or dose painting. The high-LET region can be shaped in very different ways, while maintaining the distribution of the absorbed dose or biological effective dose. Treatment plans involving only carbon ion beams, show very different LET distributions depending on how the fields are arranged. Alternatively, a LET boost can be applied in multi-modal treatment planning, such as combining carbon ions with protons and/or photons. For such mixed radiation modalities, significant "LET boosts" can be achieved at nearly arbitrary positions within the target volume. Following the general understanding of the relationship between hypoxia, LET and the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER), we conclude, that an additional therapeutic advantage can be achieved by confining the high-LET part of the radiation in hypoxic compartments of the tumour, and applying low-LET radiation to the normoxic tissue. We also anticipate that additional advantages may be achieved by deliberate sparing of normal tissue from high LET regions. Consequently, treatment planning based on simultaneous dose and LET optimisation has a potential to achieve higher tumour control and/or reduced normal tissue control probability (NTCP).

Opposite Roles for p38MAPK-Driven Responses and Reactive Oxygen Species in the Persistence and Resolution of Radiation-Induced Genomic Instability

PubMed Central

Werner, Erica; Wang, Huichen; Doetsch, Paul W.

2014-01-01

We report the functional and temporal relationship between cellular phenotypes such as oxidative stress, p38MAPK-dependent responses and genomic instability persisting in the progeny of cells exposed to sparsely ionizing low-Linear Energy Transfer (LET) radiation such as X-rays or high-charge and high-energy (HZE) particle high-LET radiation such as 56Fe ions. We found that exposure to low and high-LET radiation increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as a threshold-like response induced independently of radiation quality and dose. This response was sustained for two weeks, which is the period of time when genomic instability is evidenced by increased micronucleus formation frequency and DNA damage associated foci. Indicators for another persisting response sharing phenotypes with stress-induced senescence, including beta galactosidase induction, increased nuclear size, p38MAPK activation and IL-8 production, were induced in the absence of cell proliferation arrest during the first, but not the second week following exposure to high-LET radiation. This response was driven by a p38MAPK-dependent mechanism and was affected by radiation quality and dose. This stress response and elevation of ROS affected genomic instability by distinct pathways. Through interference with p38MAPK activity, we show that radiation-induced stress phenotypes promote genomic instability. In contrast, exposure to physiologically relevant doses of hydrogen peroxide or increasing endogenous ROS levels with a catalase inhibitor reduced the level of genomic instability. Our results implicate persistently elevated ROS following exposure to radiation as a factor contributing to genome stabilization. PMID:25271419

MicroRNAs let-7b/i suppress human glioma cell invasion and migration by targeting IKBKE directly

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Yuan; Hao, Shaobo; Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin 300052

We demonstrated that IKBKE is overexpressed in human gliomas and that the downregulation of IKBKE markedly inhibits the proliferative and invasive abilities of glioma cells, which is consistent with the results reported by several different research groups. Therefore, IKBKE represents a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma. In the present study, we verified that the microRNAs let-7b and let-7i target IKBKE through luciferase assays and found that let-7b/i mimics can knock down IKBKE and upregulate E-cadherin through western blot analysis. Moreover, the expression levels of let-7b/i were significantly lower in glioma cell lines than that in normal brainmore » tissues, as determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Furthermore, let-7b/i inhibit the invasion and migration of glioma cells, as determined through wound healing and Transwell assays. The above-mentioned data suggest that let-7b/i inhibit the invasive ability of glioma cells by directly downregulating IKBKE and indirectly upregulating E-cadherin. - Highlights: • Let-7b and let-7i are downregulated in glioma cell lines. • IKBKE is a target gene of let-7b/i. • Let-7b/i inhibit the invasion and migration of glioma cells. • Let-7b/i upregulate E-cadherin by downregulating IKBKE.« less

Highlights of Astronomy, Vol. 16

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montmerle, Thierry

2015-04-01

Part I. Invited Discourses: 1. The Herschel view of star formation; 2. Past, present and future of Chinese astronomy; 3. The zoo of galaxies; 4. Supernovae, the accelerating cosmos, and dark energy; Part II. Joint Discussion: 5. Very massive stars in the local universe; 6. 3-D views of the cycling Sun in stellar context; 7. Ultraviolet emission in early-type galaxies; 8. From meteors and meteorites to their parent bodies: current status and future developments; 9. The connection between radio properties and high-energy emission in AGNs; 10. Space-time reference systems for future research; Part III. Special Sessions: 11. Origin and complexity of massive star clusters; 12. Cosmic evolution of groups and clusters of galaxies; 13. Galaxy evolution through secular processes; 14. New era for studying interstellar and intergalactic magnetic fields; 15. The IR view of massive stars: the main sequence and beyond; 16. Science with large solar telescopes; 17. The impact hazard: current activities and future plans; 18. Calibration of star-formation rate measurements across the electromagnetic spectrum; 19. Future large scale facilities; 20. Dynamics of the star-planet relations strategic plan and the Global Office of Astronomy for Development; 21. Strategic plan and the Global Office of Astronomy for Development; 22. Modern views of the interstellar medium; 23. High-precision tests of stellar physics from high-precision photometry; 24. Communicating astronomy with the public for scientists; 25. Data intensive astronomy; 26. Unexplained spectral phenomena in the interstellar medium; 27. Light pollution: protecting astronomical sites and increasing global awareness through education.

An exemplary developing astronomy movement in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neupane, Sudeep

2015-03-01

Astronomy and space science education had been given least importance by Nepalese government in the past. The modern astronomy movement is believed to have started when an official observation programme of Haley's comet was organized by Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) in 1986. Following the huge pressure from the scientific community, the Nepal government (Kingdom of Nepal at that time) established B.P. Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum Development Board in 1992. Initiatives of the project started with observatory set up and the development of astrophysics syllabus for university students. Astrophysics is included as an elective paper in the Physics masters course. The lead astrophysicist of Nepal Dr. Binil Aryal is running a research group in Tribhuvan University since 2005 which has a significant number of international publications. The developing government initiatives and achievements will be discussed. In 2007, a group of astronomy enthusiastic students along with amateurs working independently in past established Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO), which surprisingly increased the amateur activities and inspired other amateur groups to revive. During IYA 2009, more than 80 outreach and observation events were organized solely by NASO. NASO was able to collaborate with many international programmes and projects like GHOU/GTTP, EurAstro, AWB, UNAWE, SGAC, Star Peace, TWAN etc during and beyond IYA2009. Currently Nepal is recognized as the most eventful country of outreach and astronomy education among the amateur community. The success story of the astronomy movement and the local difficulties while organizing the events will be explained.

AstroFest: A Case Study of an Astronomy Outreach Program at Penn State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palma, C.; Charlton, J. C.

2003-12-01

The Pennsylvania State University Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics has developed a multi-faceted approach to outreach in astronomy. Our programs include In-Service Workshops in Astronomy for middle-school and high-school science teachers, planetarium shows for local elementary school classes, and a series of sponsored, popular level talks, for example. One of our most popular outreach events is called ``AstroFest"; this is a four night festival of astronomy that we hold concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (``ArtsFest"). The AstroFest program was devised by undergraduate students during the summer of 1999, and we continue to hold it annually. Each night of the event, we offer talks at a popular level on subjects such as black holes, life on Mars, and the world's largest telescopes. Throughout the night we also offer planetarium shows, a chance to use our rooftop telescopes, a question & answer table with prizes, kids' activities that include launching bubble rockets, and a number of other demonstrations and tours. In this poster, I present the full complement of astronomy outreach programs offered by Penn State, and I focus in particular on AstroFest as a case study that highlights the challenges we face and the positive outcomes we have realized. Funding for our outreach program has come from several sources, including NASA E/PO supplement grants, the STScI IDEAS program, The Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, and the Pennsylvania State University Eberly College of Science.

The impact of collaborative groups versus individuals in undergraduate inquiry-based astronomy laboratory learning exercises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibbernsen, Kendra J.

One of the long-standing general undergraduate education requirements common to many colleges and universities is a science course with a laboratory experience component. One of the objectives frequently included in the description of most of these courses is that a student will understand the nature and processes of scientific inquiry. However, recent research has shown that learners in traditional undergraduate science laboratory environments are not developing a sufficiently meaningful understanding of scientific inquiry. Recently, astronomy laboratory activities have been developed that intentionally scaffold a student from guided activities to open inquiry ones and preliminary results show that these laboratories are successful for supporting students to understand the nature of scientific inquiry (Slater, S., Slater, T. F., & Shaner, 2008). This mixed-method quasi-experimental study was designed to determine how students in an undergraduate astronomy laboratory increase their understanding of inquiry working in relative isolation compared to working in small collaborative learning groups. The introductory astronomy laboratory students in the study generally increased their understanding of scientific inquiry over the course of the semester and this held true similarly for students working in groups and students working individually in the laboratories. This was determined by the examining the change in responses from the pretest to the posttest administration of the Views of Scientific Inquiry (VOSI) survey, the increase in scores on laboratory exercises, and observations from the instructor. Because the study was successful in determining that individuals in the astronomy laboratory do as well at understanding inquiry as those who complete their exercises in small groups, it would be appropriate to offer these inquiry-based exercises in an online format.

Pascal's Snowshoes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcay, Behiye

2004-01-01

The chief purpose of this activity is to strengthen students' understanding of concepts of floatation such as surface area and pressure (weight per unit area) via snowshoes. Students brainstorm, make predictions, perform calculations, and practice communication skills through interviewing elders and experts. This activity lets students see the…

Breast cancer stem-like cells are sensitized to tamoxifen induction of self-renewal inhibition with enforced Let-7c dependent on Wnt blocking

PubMed Central

Meng, Jinying; Wang, Jichang; Tang, Shou-Ching; Qin, Sida; Du, Ning; Li, Gang

2018-01-01

Let-7 microRNAs have been reported to have tumor suppressive functions; however, the effect of Let-7 when used in combination with chemotherapies is uncertain, but may have potential for use in clinical practice. In this study, we used RT-qPCR, western blot analysis, cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry analysis, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, luciferase assays, cell sorting analysis and xenografted tumor model to explore the role of Let-7 in the chemotherapy sensitivity of breast cancer stem cells. The findings of the current study indicated that Let-7 enhances the effects of endocrine therapy potentially by regulating the self-renewal of cancer stem cells. Let-7c increased the anticancer functions of tamoxifen and reduced the ratio of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), sensitizing cells to therapy-induced repression in an estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent manner. Notably, Let-7 decreased the tumor formation ability of estrogen-treated breast CSCs in vivo and suppressed Wnt signaling, which further consolidated the previously hypothesis that Let-7 decreases the self-renewal ability, contributing to reduced tumor formation ability of stem cells. The suppressive effects exerted by Let-7 on stem-like cells involved Let-7c/ER/Wnt signaling, and the functions of Let-7c exerted with tamoxifen were dependent on ER. Taken together, the findings identified a biochemical and functional link between Let-7 and endocrine therapy in breast CSCs, which may facilitate clinical treatment in the future using delivery of suppressive Let-7. PMID:29336465

Virtual Space Exploration: Let's Use Web-Based Computer Game Technology to Boost IYA 2009 Public Interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussey, K.; Doronila, P.; Kulikov, A.; Lane, K.; Upchurch, P.; Howard, J.; Harvey, S.; Woodmansee, L.

2008-09-01

With the recent releases of both Google's "Sky" and Microsoft's "WorldWide Telescope" and the large and increasing popularity of video games, the time is now for using these tools, and those crafted at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to engage the public in astronomy like never before. This presentation will use "Cassini at Saturn Interactive Explorer " (CASSIE) to demonstrate the power of web-based video-game engine technology in providing the public a "first-person" look at space exploration. The concept of virtual space exploration is to allow the public to "see" objects in space as if they were either riding aboard or "flying" next to an ESA/NASA spacecraft. Using this technology, people are able to immediately "look" in any direction from their virtual location in space and "zoom-in" at will. Users can position themselves near Saturn's moons and observe the Cassini Spacecraft's "encounters" as they happened. Whenever real data for their "view" exists it is incorporated into the scene. Where data is missing, a high-fidelity simulation of the view is generated to fill in the scene. The observer can also change the time of observation into the past or future. Our approach is to utilize and extend the Unity 3d game development tool, currently in use by the computer gaming industry, along with JPL mission specific telemetry and instrument data to build our virtual explorer. The potential of the application of game technology for the development of educational curricula and public engagement are huge. We believe this technology can revolutionize the way the general public and the planetary science community views ESA/NASA missions and provides an educational context that is attractive to the younger generation. This technology is currently under development and application at JPL to assist our missions in viewing their data, communicating with the public and visualizing future mission plans. Real-time demonstrations of CASSIE and other applications in development will be shown. Astronomy is one of the oldest basic sciences. We should use one of today's newest communications technologies available to engage the public. We should embrace the use of web-based gaming technology to prepare the world for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liss, Sandra; Troup, Nicholas William; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Barcos-Munoz, Loreto D.; Beaton, Rachael; Bittle, Lauren; Borish, Henry J.; Burkhardt, Andrew; Corby, Joanna; Dean, Janice; Hancock, Danielle; King, Jennie; Prager, Brian; Romero, Charles; Sokal, Kimberly R.; Stierwalt, Sabrina; Wenger, Trey; Zucker, Catherine

2015-01-01

Now entering our sixth year of operation, Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) is an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in central Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts beyond Virginia's Standards of Learning. Our primary focus is hosting an 8-10 week after-school astronomy club at underserved elementary and middle schools. Each week, DSBK volunteers take the role of coaches to introduce astronomy-related concepts ranging from the Solar System to galaxies to astrobiology, and to lead students in interactive learning activities. Another hallmark of DSBK is hosting our Annual Central Virginia Star Party, a free event open to the community featuring star-gazing and planetarium shows.DSBK has amassed over 15,000 contact hours since 2009 and we continue to broaden our impact. One important step we have taken in the past year is to establish a graduate student led assessment program to identify and implement directed learning goals for DSBK outreach. The collection of student workbooks, observations, and volunteer surveys indicates broad scale success for the program both in terms of student learning and their perception of science. The data also reveal opportunities to improve our organizational and educational practices to maximize student achievement and overall volunteer satisfaction for DSBK's future clubs and outreach endeavors.

Let's Explore Aviation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvin, Jean

1977-01-01

Presents an intermediate level social studies unit dealing with air education, social aspects of aviation, and the importance of aviation to industry and transportation. Includes objectives, twelve activities, and evaluative procedures. (SL)

Minimizing the Threat of Light Pollution on Observatories through Education: the Quality Lighting Teaching Kit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Constance E.; M, Pompea, Stephen

2018-01-01

Poor quality lighting impedes astronomy research and our right to see a starry night sky. It creates safety issues, affects human circadian sensitivities, disrupts ecosystems, and wastes billions of dollars/year in energy consumption. It also leads to excess carbon emissions. How do you change the mindset of society that is used to turning night into day? You educate the next generation on quality lighting.As an outcome of the International Year of Light 2015, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s Education and Public Outreach group has produced a Quality Lighting Teaching (QLT) Kit. The kits are designed around problem-based learning scenarios. The kit’s six activities allow students to address real lighting problems that relate to wildlife, sky glow, aging eyes, energy consumption, safety, and light trespass. The activities are optimized for 11-14 year olds but can be expanded to younger and older. All materials are in both English and Spanish. Most of the activities can be done within in a few minutes during class or afterschool and as stations or as stand-alones. Everything you need for the six activities is included in the kit. Tutorial videos on how to do the activities can be found at www.noao.edu/education/qltkit.php. Ninety-two out of one hundred kits have been distributed in thirty-two countries through SPIE (the International Society for Optical Engineering), CIE (the International Commission on Illuminations), OSA (the Optical Society), IDA (the International Dark Sky Association), and the IAU OAD–Office of Astronomy Development. Successful feedback is promoting a choice between commercializing the kit or gaining further grants to build more kits. A plan is being considered to distribute kits to observatories around the world, hence helping to reduce the effects of one of the three threats to observational astronomy through awareness and action.

Host-Nation Operations: Soldier Training on Governance (HOST-G) Training Support Package

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

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Teaching and Learning Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay; Percy, John

2005-12-01

Preface; Part I. Astronomy in the Curriculum Around the World: Preface; 1. Why astronomy is useful and should be included in the school curriculum John R. Percy; 2. Astronomy and mathematics education Rosa M. Ros; 3. Astronomy in the curriculum around the world; 4. Engaging gifted science students through astronomy Robert Hollow; 5. Poster highlights: astronomy in the curriculum around the world; Part II. Astronomy Education Research: Preface; 6. Astronomy education research down under John M. Broadfoot and Ian S. Ginns; 7. A contemporary review of K-16 astronomy education research Janelle M. Bailey and Timothy F. Slater; 8. Implementing astronomy education research Leonarda Fucili; 9. The Astronomy Education Review: report on a new journal Sidney C. Wolff and Andrew Fraknoi; 10. Poster highlights: astronomy education research; Part III. Educating Students: Preface; 11. Textbooks for K-12 astronomy Jay M. Pasachoff; 12. Distance/internet astronomy education David H. McKinnon; 13. Educating students with robotic telescopes - open discussion; 14. Poster highlights - educating students; Part IV. Educating teachers: Preface; 15. Pre-service astronomy education of teachers Mary Kay Hemenway; 16. In-service education of teachers Michèle Gerbaldi; 17. Poster highlights: educating teachers; Part V. Astronomy and Pseudoscience: Preface; 18. Astronomy, pseudoscience and rational thinking Jayant V. Narlikar; 19. Astronomical pseudosciences in North America John R. Percy and Jay M. Pasachoff; Part VI. Astronomy and Culture: Preface; 20. Teaching astronomy in other cultures: archeoastronomy Julieta Fierro; 21. Poster highlights: astronomy and culture; Part VII. Astronomy in Developing Countries: Preface; 22. Astronomy Curriculum for developing countries Case Rijsdijk; 23. Science education resources for the developing countries James C. White II; Part VIII. Public Outreach in Astronomy: Preface; 24. What makes informal education programs successful? Nahide Craig and Isabel Hawkins; 25. The role of science centers and planetariums Nick Lomb; 26. Science education for the new century - a European perspective Claus Madsen; 27. Communicating astronomy to the public Charles Blue; 28. Poster highlights: public outreach in astronomy; Part IX. The Education Programs of the IAU: Preface; 29. A short overview of astronomical education carried out by the IAU Syuzo Isobe; Part X. Discussion; Index.