Real Science, Real Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Becky

2017-01-01

The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) was set up to give science students the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects. Teachers and students can access data and equipment that enable them to tackle real-life issues. As a result, not only do students gain in confidence and experience in their scientific work, they are also able…

Crop improvement using life cycle datasets acquired under field conditions.

PubMed

Mochida, Keiichi; Saisho, Daisuke; Hirayama, Takashi

2015-01-01

Crops are exposed to various environmental stresses in the field throughout their life cycle. Modern plant science has provided remarkable insights into the molecular networks of plant stress responses in laboratory conditions, but the responses of different crops to environmental stresses in the field need to be elucidated. Recent advances in omics analytical techniques and information technology have enabled us to integrate data from a spectrum of physiological metrics of field crops. The interdisciplinary efforts of plant science and data science enable us to explore factors that affect crop productivity and identify stress tolerance-related genes and alleles. Here, we describe recent advances in technologies that are key components for data driven crop design, such as population genomics, chronological omics analyses, and computer-aided molecular network prediction. Integration of the outcomes from these technologies will accelerate our understanding of crop phenology under practical field situations and identify key characteristics to represent crop stress status. These elements would help us to genetically engineer "designed crops" to prevent yield shortfalls because of environmental fluctuations due to future climate change.

Oracle Database 10g: a platform for BLAST search and Regular Expression pattern matching in life sciences.

PubMed

Stephens, Susie M; Chen, Jake Y; Davidson, Marcel G; Thomas, Shiby; Trute, Barry M

2005-01-01

As database management systems expand their array of analytical functionality, they become powerful research engines for biomedical data analysis and drug discovery. Databases can hold most of the data types commonly required in life sciences and consequently can be used as flexible platforms for the implementation of knowledgebases. Performing data analysis in the database simplifies data management by minimizing the movement of data from disks to memory, allowing pre-filtering and post-processing of datasets, and enabling data to remain in a secure, highly available environment. This article describes the Oracle Database 10g implementation of BLAST and Regular Expression Searches and provides case studies of their usage in bioinformatics. http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/index.html.

Research Opportunities Supporting the Vision for Space Exploration from the Transformation of the Former Microgravity Materials Science Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clinton, R. G., Jr.; Szofran, Frank; Bassler, Julie A.; Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Cook, Mary Beth

2005-01-01

The Microgravity Materials Science Program established a strong research capability through partnerships between NASA and the scientific research community. With the announcement of the vision for space exploration, additional emphasis in strategic materials science areas was necessary. The President's Commission recognized that achieving its exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as "enabling technologies." Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were: advanced structures, advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity systems; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis, biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. Mission success may depend upon use of local resources to fabricate a replacement part to repair a critical system. Future propulsion systems will require materials with a wide range of mechanical, thermophysical, and thermochemical properties, many of them well beyond capabilities of today's materials systems. Materials challenges have also been identified by experts working to develop advanced life support systems. In responding to the vision for space exploration, the Microgravity Materials Science Program aggressively transformed its research portfolio and focused materials science areas of emphasis to include space radiation shielding; in situ fabrication and repair for life support systems; in situ resource utilization for life support consumables; and advanced materials for exploration, including materials science for space propulsion systems and for life support systems. The purpose of this paper is to inform the scientific community of these new research directions and opportunities to utilize their materials science expertise and capabilities to support the vision for space exploration.

Empowering pharmacoinformatics by linked life science data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldmann, Daria; Zdrazil, Barbara; Digles, Daniela; Ecker, Gerhard F.

2017-03-01

With the public availability of large data sources such as ChEMBLdb and the Open PHACTS Discovery Platform, retrieval of data sets for certain protein targets of interest with consistent assay conditions is no longer a time consuming process. Especially the use of workflow engines such as KNIME or Pipeline Pilot allows complex queries and enables to simultaneously search for several targets. Data can then directly be used as input to various ligand- and structure-based studies. In this contribution, using in-house projects on P-gp inhibition, transporter selectivity, and TRPV1 modulation we outline how the incorporation of linked life science data in the daily execution of projects allowed to expand our approaches from conventional Hansch analysis to complex, integrated multilayer models.

Interpretive investigation of the science-related career decisions of three African-American college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Bradford F.; Collins, Angelo

2001-05-01

Reports published since 1977 indicate that African Americans are underrepresented among Ph.D.-holding scientists. Although researchers have identified numerous factors that correlate with career choice, they have failed to address students' reasons for choosing or not choosing science and science-related careers. This study examines the career decisions of three African-American college students. All three students began college aspiring toward science-related careers. However, by the end of data collection only one student was working toward a science-related career. Data were collected by means of eight, open-ended, 1-hour interviews conducted over a period of 6 months. Findings indicate that students' interest in a science-related career is directly related to the degree to which they perceive that career as being supportive of deep-seated life goals; and that a deeper view of the nature of science better enables students to perceive a science-related career as supportive of life goals.

Oracle Database 10g: a platform for BLAST search and Regular Expression pattern matching in life sciences

PubMed Central

Stephens, Susie M.; Chen, Jake Y.; Davidson, Marcel G.; Thomas, Shiby; Trute, Barry M.

2005-01-01

As database management systems expand their array of analytical functionality, they become powerful research engines for biomedical data analysis and drug discovery. Databases can hold most of the data types commonly required in life sciences and consequently can be used as flexible platforms for the implementation of knowledgebases. Performing data analysis in the database simplifies data management by minimizing the movement of data from disks to memory, allowing pre-filtering and post-processing of datasets, and enabling data to remain in a secure, highly available environment. This article describes the Oracle Database 10g implementation of BLAST and Regular Expression Searches and provides case studies of their usage in bioinformatics. http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/index.html PMID:15608287

Life sciences interests in Mars missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rummel, John D.; Griffiths, Lynn D.

1989-01-01

NASA's Space Life Sciences research permeates plans for Mars missions and the rationale for the exploration of the planet. The Space Life Sciences program has three major roles in Mars mission studies: providing enabling technology for piloted missions, conducting scientific exploration related to the origin and evolution of life, and protecting space crews from the adverse physiological effects of space flight. This paper presents a rationale for exploration and some of the issues, tradeoffs, and visions being addressed in the Space Life Sciences program in preparation for Mars missions.

The NASA Ames Life Sciences Data Archive: Biobanking for the Final Frontier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rask, Jon; Chakravarty, Kaushik; French, Alison J.; Choi, Sungshin; Stewart, Helen J.

2017-01-01

The NASA Ames Institutional Scientific Collection involves the Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) and a biospecimen repository, which are responsible for archiving information and non-human biospecimens collected from spaceflight and matching ground control experiments. The ALSDA also manages a biospecimen sharing program, performs curation and long-term storage operations, and facilitates distribution of biospecimens for research purposes via a public website (https:lsda.jsc.nasa.gov). As part of our best practices, a tissue viability testing plan has been developed for the repository, which will assess the quality of samples subjected to long-term storage. We expect that the test results will confirm usability of the samples, enable broader science community interest, and verify operational efficiency of the archives. This work will also support NASA open science initiatives and guides development of NASA directives and policy for curation of biological collections.

SANs and Large Scale Data Migration at the NASA Center for Computational Sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salmon, Ellen M.

2004-01-01

Evolution and migration are a way of life for provisioners of high-performance mass storage systems that serve high-end computers used by climate and Earth and space science researchers: the compute engines come and go, but the data remains. At the NASA Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS), disk and tape SANs are deployed to provide high-speed I/O for the compute engines and the hierarchical storage management systems. Along with gigabit Ethernet, they also enable the NCCS's latest significant migration: the transparent transfer of 300 Til3 of legacy HSM data into the new Sun SAM-QFS cluster.

Establishing a distributed national research infrastructure providing bioinformatics support to life science researchers in Australia.

PubMed

Schneider, Maria Victoria; Griffin, Philippa C; Tyagi, Sonika; Flannery, Madison; Dayalan, Saravanan; Gladman, Simon; Watson-Haigh, Nathan; Bayer, Philipp E; Charleston, Michael; Cooke, Ira; Cook, Rob; Edwards, Richard J; Edwards, David; Gorse, Dominique; McConville, Malcolm; Powell, David; Wilkins, Marc R; Lonie, Andrew

2017-06-30

EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource (EMBL-ABR) is a developing national research infrastructure, providing bioinformatics resources and support to life science and biomedical researchers in Australia. EMBL-ABR comprises 10 geographically distributed national nodes with one coordinating hub, with current funding provided through Bioplatforms Australia and the University of Melbourne for its initial 2-year development phase. The EMBL-ABR mission is to: (1) increase Australia's capacity in bioinformatics and data sciences; (2) contribute to the development of training in bioinformatics skills; (3) showcase Australian data sets at an international level and (4) enable engagement in international programs. The activities of EMBL-ABR are focussed in six key areas, aligning with comparable international initiatives such as ELIXIR, CyVerse and NIH Commons. These key areas-Tools, Data, Standards, Platforms, Compute and Training-are described in this article. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Bangladeshi Science Teachers' Perspectives of Scientific Literacy and Teaching Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarkar, Mahbub; Corrigan, Deborah

2014-01-01

In line with a current global trend, junior secondary science education in Bangladesh aims to provide science education for all students to enable them to use their science learning in everyday life. This aim is consistent with the call for scientific literacy, which argues for engaging students with science in everyday life. This paper…

Developing Deep Learning Applications for Life Science and Pharma Industry.

PubMed

Siegismund, Daniel; Tolkachev, Vasily; Heyse, Stephan; Sick, Beate; Duerr, Oliver; Steigele, Stephan

2018-06-01

Deep Learning has boosted artificial intelligence over the past 5 years and is seen now as one of the major technological innovation areas, predicted to replace lots of repetitive, but complex tasks of human labor within the next decade. It is also expected to be 'game changing' for research activities in pharma and life sciences, where large sets of similar yet complex data samples are systematically analyzed. Deep learning is currently conquering formerly expert domains especially in areas requiring perception, previously not amenable to standard machine learning. A typical example is the automated analysis of images which are typically produced en-masse in many domains, e. g., in high-content screening or digital pathology. Deep learning enables to create competitive applications in so-far defined core domains of 'human intelligence'. Applications of artificial intelligence have been enabled in recent years by (i) the massive availability of data samples, collected in pharma driven drug programs (='big data') as well as (ii) deep learning algorithmic advancements and (iii) increase in compute power. Such applications are based on software frameworks with specific strengths and weaknesses. Here, we introduce typical applications and underlying frameworks for deep learning with a set of practical criteria for developing production ready solutions in life science and pharma research. Based on our own experience in successfully developing deep learning applications we provide suggestions and a baseline for selecting the most suited frameworks for a future-proof and cost-effective development. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Conceptual design of a biological specimen holding facility. [Life Science Laboratory for Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, J. K.; Yakut, M. M.

1976-01-01

An all-important first step in the development of the Spacelab Life Science Laboratory is the design of the Biological Specimen Holding Facility (BSHF) which will provide accommodation for living specimens for life science research in orbit. As a useful tool in the understanding of physiological and biomedical changes produced in the weightless environment, the BSHF will enable biomedical researchers to conduct in-orbit investigations utilizing techniques that may be impossible to perform on human subjects. The results of a comprehensive study for defining the BSHF, description of its experiment support capabilities, and the planning required for its development are presented. Conceptual designs of the facility, its subsystems and interfaces with the Orbiter and Spacelab are included. Environmental control, life support and data management systems are provided. Interface and support equipment required for specimen transfer, surgical research, and food, water and waste storage is defined. New and optimized concepts are presented for waste collection, feces and urine separation and sampling, environmental control, feeding and watering, lighting, data management and other support subsystems.

KSC-02pd0758

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in a bunny suit, STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, who is with the Israeli Space Agency, reviews data in Columbia's payload bay for Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments for the mission. FREESTAR comprises Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. Another payload is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

Experimental control requirements for life sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, W. E.; Sharp, J. C.

1978-01-01

The Life Sciences dedicated Spacelab will enable scientists to test hypotheses in various disciplines. Building upon experience gained in mission simulations, orbital flight test experiments, and the first three Spacelab missions, NASA will be able to progressively develop the engineering and management capabilities necessary for the first Life Sciences Spacelab. Development of experiments for these missions will require implementation of life-support systems not previously flown in space. Plant growth chambers, animal holding facilities, aquatic specimen life-support systems, and centrifuge-mounted specimen holding units are examples of systems currently being designed and fabricated for flight.

Japan's patent issues relating to life science therapeutic inventions.

PubMed

Tessensohn, John A

2014-09-01

Japan has made 'innovation in science and technology' as one of its central pillars to ensure high growth in its next stage of economic development and its life sciences market which hosts regenerative medicine was proclaimed to be 'the best market in the world right now.' Although life science therapeutic inventions are patentable subject matter under Japanese patent law, there are nuanced obviousness and enablement challenges under Japanese patent law that can be surmounted in view of some encouraging Japanese court developments in fostering a pro-patent applicant environment in the life sciences therapeutic patent field. Nevertheless, great care must be taken when drafting and prosecuting such patent applications in the world's second most important life sciences therapeutic market.

Life sciences flight experiments program - Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, W. E.; Dant, C. C.

1981-01-01

The considered LSFE program focuses on Spacelab life sciences missions planned for the 1984-1985 time frame. Life Sciences Spacelab payloads, launched at approximately 18-months intervals, will enable scientists to test hypotheses from such disciplines as vestibular physiology, developmental biology, biochemistry, cell biology, plant physiology, and a variety of other life sciences. An overview is presented of the LSFE program that will take advantage of the unique opportunities for biological experimentation possible on Spacelab. Program structure, schedules, and status are considered along with questions of program selection, and the science investigator working groups. A description is presented of the life sciences laboratory equipment program, taking into account the general purpose work station, the research animal holding facility, and the plant growth unit.

NASA-Ames Life Sciences Flight Experiments program - 1980 status report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, W. E.; Dant, C. C.; Macleod, G.; Williams, B. A.

1980-01-01

The paper deals with the ESA's Spacelab LSFE (Life Sciences Flight Experiments) program which, once operational, will provide new and unique opportunities to conduct research into the effects of spaceflight and weightlessness on living organisms under conditions approximating ground-based laboratories. Spacelab missions, launched at 18-month intervals, will enable scientists to test hypotheses from such disciplines as vestibular physiology, developmental biology, biochemistry, cell biology, plant physiology, and similar life sciences.

Europe PMC: a full-text literature database for the life sciences and platform for innovation

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This article describes recent developments of Europe PMC (http://europepmc.org), the leading database for life science literature. Formerly known as UKPMC, the service was rebranded in November 2012 as Europe PMC to reflect the scope of the funding agencies that support it. Several new developments have enriched Europe PMC considerably since then. Europe PMC now offers RESTful web services to access both articles and grants, powerful search tools such as citation-count sort order and data citation features, a service to add publications to your ORCID, a variety of export formats, and an External Links service that enables any related resource to be linked from Europe PMC content. PMID:25378340

KSC-02pd0757

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (right), who is with the Israeli Space Agency, review data in Columbia's payload bay for the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments for the mission. FREESTAR comprises Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. Another payload is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

Preface to Special Topic: Emerging materials for photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitiello, Miriam S.; Razeghi, Manijeh

2017-03-01

Photonics plays a major role in all aspects of human life. It revolutionized science by addressing fundamental scientific questions and by enabling key functions in many interdisciplinary fields spanning from quantum technologies to information and communication science, and from biomedical research to industrial process monitoring and life entertainment.

DATS, the data tag suite to enable discoverability of datasets.

PubMed

Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Alter, George; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Xu, Hua; Fore, Ian M; Lyle, Jared; Gururaj, Anupama E; Chen, Xiaoling; Kim, Hyeon-Eui; Zong, Nansu; Li, Yueling; Liu, Ruiling; Ozyurt, I Burak; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2017-06-06

Today's science increasingly requires effective ways to find and access existing datasets that are distributed across a range of repositories. For researchers in the life sciences, discoverability of datasets may soon become as essential as identifying the latest publications via PubMed. Through an international collaborative effort funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative, we have designed and implemented the DAta Tag Suite (DATS) model to support the DataMed data discovery index. DataMed's goal is to be for data what PubMed has been for the scientific literature. Akin to the Journal Article Tag Suite (JATS) used in PubMed, the DATS model enables submission of metadata on datasets to DataMed. DATS has a core set of elements, which are generic and applicable to any type of dataset, and an extended set that can accommodate more specialized data types. DATS is a platform-independent model also available as an annotated serialization in schema.org, which in turn is widely used by major search engines like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex.

e-Science Partnerships: Towards a Sustainable Framework for School-Scientist Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falloon, Garry

2013-08-01

In late 2006, the New Zealand Government embarked on a series of initiatives to explore how the resources and expertise of eight, small, state-owned science research institutes could be combined efficiently to support science teaching in schools. Programmes were developed to enable students and teachers to access and become involved in local science research and innovation, with the aim being to broaden their awareness of New Zealand science research contexts, adding authenticity and relevance to their school studies. One of these initiatives, known as Science-for-Life, partnered scientists with teachers and students in primary and secondary schools (K-12). A key output from the trial phase of Science-for-Life was the generation of a framework for guiding and coordinating the activities of the eight institutes within the education sector, to improve efficiency, effectiveness and promote sustainability. The framework, based on data gathered from a series of interviews with each institute's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an online questionnaire, and informed by findings from trial partnership case studies published as institute technical reports and published articles, is presented in this paper. While the framework is developed from New Zealand data, it is suggested that it may be useful for coordinating interactions between multiple small science organisations and the school sector in other small-nation or state contexts.

Adapting Practices of Science Journalism to Foster Science Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polman, Joseph L.; Newman, Alan; Saul, Ellen Wendy; Farrar, Cathy

2014-01-01

In this paper, the authors describe how the practices of expert science journalists enable them to act as "competent outsiders" to science. We assert that selected science journalism practices can be used to design reform-based science instruction; these practices not only foster science literacy that is useful in daily life, but also…

The concept of governance in dual-use research.

PubMed

Dubov, Alex

2014-08-01

The rapid advance of life science within the context of increased international concern over the potential misuse of findings has resulted in the lack of agreement on the issues of responsibility, control and collaboration. This progress of knowledge outpaces the efforts of creating moral and legal guidelines for the detection and minimization of the risks in the research process. There is a need to identify and address normative aspects of dual-use research. This paper focuses on the issues of safety and global collaboration in life science research by highlighting the importance of openness, enabling policies and cooperative governance. These safeguards are believed to reduce the risks related to the misuse of science while enabling the important research to move forward. The paper addresses the need for a better definition of dual use concept and, based on the historical precedents, explores the moral concerns and governmental strategies of dual-use research. The three necessary moves in addressing the issue of security in life sciences are suggested: the move from constraining to enabling types of policies, the move from secrecy to openness, and the move from segregation to integration of the public voice.

Enabling New and More Transparent Science via DataONE—a Virtual Data Observation Network for Earth (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michener, W.

2010-12-01

Addressing grand environmental science challenges requires unprecedented access to easily understood data that cross the breadth of temporal, spatial, and thematic scales. From a scientist’s perspective, the big challenges lie in discovering the relevant data, dealing with extreme data heterogeneity, and converting data to information and knowledge. Addressing these challenges requires new approaches for managing, preserving, analyzing, and sharing data. DataONE is designed to be the foundation of new innovative environmental research that addresses questions of relevance to science and society. DataONE will ensure preservation and access to multi-scale, multi-discipline, and multi-national data. Operationally, DataONE encompasses a distributed global network of Member Nodes (i.e., data repositories) that provide open and persistent access to well-described and easily discovered Earth observational data. In addition, a smaller number of Coordinating Nodes (i.e., metadata repositories and service centers) support network-wide services such as data replication and access to an array of enabling tools. DataONE’s objectives are to: make biological data available from the genome to the ecosystem; make environmental data available from atmospheric, ecological, hydrological, and oceanographic sources; provide secure and long-term preservation and access; and engage scientists, land-managers, policy makers, students, educators, and the public through logical access and intuitive visualizations. The foundation for excellence of DataONE is the established collaboration among participating organizations that have multi-decade expertise in a wide range of fields that includes: existing archive initiatives, libraries, environmental observing systems and research networks, data and information management, science synthesis centers, and professional societies. DataONE is a means to serve a broad range of science domains directly and indirectly through interoperability with partnering networks. DataONE engages its community of partners through working groups focused on identifying, describing, and implementing the DataONE cyberinfrastructure, governance, and sustainability models. These working groups, which consist of a diverse group of graduate students, educators, government and industry representatives, and leading computer, information, and library scientists: (1) perform computer science, informatics, and social science research related to all stages of the data life cycle; (2) develop DataONE interfaces and prototypes; (3) adopt/adapt interoperability standards; (4) create value-added technologies (e.g., semantic mediation, scientific workflow, and visualization) that facilitate data integration, analysis, and understanding; (5) address socio-cultural barriers to sustainable data preservation and data sharing; and (6) promote the adoption of best practices for managing the full data life cycle.

Science in the General Educational Development (GED) curriculum: Analyzing the science portion of GED programs and exploring adult students' attitudes toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariharan, Joya Reena

The General Educational Development (GED) tests enable people to earn a high school equivalency diploma and help them to qualify for more jobs and opportunities. Apart from this main goal, GED courses aim at enabling adults to improve the condition of their lives and to cope with a changing society. In today's world, science and technology play an exceedingly important role in helping people better their lives and in promoting the national goals of informed citizenship. Despite the current efforts in the field of secondary science education directed towards scientific literacy and the concept of "Science for all Americans", the literature does not reflect any corresponding efforts in the field of adult education. Science education research appears to have neglected a population that could possibly benefit from it. The purpose of this study is to explore: the science component of GED programs, significant features of the science portion of GED curricula and GED science materials, and adult learners' attitudes toward various aspects of science. Data collection methods included interviews with GED students and instructors, content analysis of relevant materials, and classroom observations. Data indicate that the students in general feel that the science they learn should be relevant to their lives and have direct applications in everyday life. Student understanding of science and interest in it appears to be contingent to their perceiving it as relevant to their lives and to society. Findings indicate that the instructional approaches used in GED programs influence students' perceptions about the relevance of science. Students in sites that use strategies such as group discussions and field trips appear to be more aware of science in the world around them and more enthusiastic about increasing this awareness. However, the dominant strategy in most GED programs is individual reading. The educational strategies used in GED programs generally focus on developing reading skills rather than the internalization of knowledge or influencing attitudes. An interesting finding is that GED science materials do attend to the relevance of science in everyday life but students' appreciation of this depends on the strategies employed.

Functional cDNA expression cloning: Pushing it to the limit

PubMed Central

OKAYAMA, Hiroto

2012-01-01

The 1970s and the following decade are the era of the birth and early development of recombinant DNA technologies, which have entirely revolutionized the modern life science by providing tools that enable us to know the structures of genes and genomes and to dissect their components and understand their functions at the molecular and submolecular levels. One major objective of the life sciences is to achieve molecular and chemical understandings of the functions of genes and their encoded proteins, which are responsible for the manifestation of all biological phenomena in organisms. In the early 1980s, I developed, together with Paul Berg, a new technique that enables the cloning of full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) on the basis of their functional expression in a given cell of interest. I review the development, application and future implications in the life sciences of this gene-cloning technique. PMID:22450538

Integrated bio-photonics to revolutionize health care enabled through PIX4life and PIXAPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jans, Hilde; O'Brien, Peter; Artundo, Iñigo; Porcel, Marco A. G.; Hoofman, Romano; Geuzebroek, Douwe; Dumon, Pieter; van der Vliet, Marcel; Witzens, Jeremy; Bourguignon, Eric; Van Dorpe, Pol; Lagae, Liesbet

2018-02-01

Photonics has become critical to life sciences. However, the field is far from benefiting fully from photonics' capabilities. Today, bulky and expensive optical systems dominate biomedical photonics, even though robust optical functionality can be realized cost-effectively on single photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Such chips are commercially available mostly for telecom applications, and at infrared wavelengths. Although proof-of-concept demonstrations for PICs in life sciences, using visible wavelengths are abundant, the gating factor for wider adoption is limited in resource capacity. Two European pilot lines, PIX4life and PIXAPP, were established to facilitate European R and D in biophotonics, by helping European companies and universities bridge the gap between research and industrial development. Through creation of an open-access model, PIX4life aims to lower barriers to entry for prototyping and validating biophotonics concepts for larger scale production. In addition, PIXAPP enables the assembly and packaging of photonic integrated circuits.

Genome Science and Personalized Cancer Treatment

ScienceCinema

Gray, Joe

2017-12-09

August 4, 2009 Berkeley Lab lecture: Results from the Human Genome Project are enabling scientists to understand how individual cancers form and progress. This information, when combined with newly developed drugs, can optimize the treatment of individual cancers. Joe Gray, director of Berkeley Labs Life Sciences Division and Associate Laboratory Director for Life and Environmental Sciences, will focus on this approach, its promise, and its current roadblocks — particularly with regard to breast cancer.

On the Faceting and Linking of PROV for Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, H.; Manipon, G.; Wilson, B. D.; Tan, D.; Starch, M.

2015-12-01

Faceted search has yielded powerful capabilities for discovery of information by applying multiple filters to explore information. This is often more effective when the information is decomposed into faceted components that can be sliced and diced during faceted navigation. We apply this approach to the representation of PROV for Earth Science (PROV-ES) to facilitate more atomic units of provenance for discovery. Traditional bundles of PROV are then decomposed to enable finer-grain discovery of provenance. Linkages across provenance components can then be explored across seemingly disparate bundles. We will show how mappings into this provenance approach can be used to explore more data life-cycle relationships from observation to data to findings. We will also show examples of how this approach can be used to improve the discovery, access, and transparency of NASA datasets and the science data systems that were used to capture, manage, and produce the provenance information.

BioHackathon series in 2011 and 2012: penetration of ontology and linked data in life science domains

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The application of semantic technologies to the integration of biological data and the interoperability of bioinformatics analysis and visualization tools has been the common theme of a series of annual BioHackathons hosted in Japan for the past five years. Here we provide a review of the activities and outcomes from the BioHackathons held in 2011 in Kyoto and 2012 in Toyama. In order to efficiently implement semantic technologies in the life sciences, participants formed various sub-groups and worked on the following topics: Resource Description Framework (RDF) models for specific domains, text mining of the literature, ontology development, essential metadata for biological databases, platforms to enable efficient Semantic Web technology development and interoperability, and the development of applications for Semantic Web data. In this review, we briefly introduce the themes covered by these sub-groups. The observations made, conclusions drawn, and software development projects that emerged from these activities are discussed. PMID:24495517

Improving life sciences information retrieval using semantic web technology.

PubMed

Quan, Dennis

2007-05-01

The ability to retrieve relevant information is at the heart of every aspect of research and development in the life sciences industry. Information is often distributed across multiple systems and recorded in a way that makes it difficult to piece together the complete picture. Differences in data formats, naming schemes and network protocols amongst information sources, both public and private, must be overcome, and user interfaces not only need to be able to tap into these diverse information sources but must also assist users in filtering out extraneous information and highlighting the key relationships hidden within an aggregated set of information. The Semantic Web community has made great strides in proposing solutions to these problems, and many efforts are underway to apply Semantic Web techniques to the problem of information retrieval in the life sciences space. This article gives an overview of the principles underlying a Semantic Web-enabled information retrieval system: creating a unified abstraction for knowledge using the RDF semantic network model; designing semantic lenses that extract contextually relevant subsets of information; and assembling semantic lenses into powerful information displays. Furthermore, concrete examples of how these principles can be applied to life science problems including a scenario involving a drug discovery dashboard prototype called BioDash are provided.

Genome Science and Personalized Cancer Treatment (LBNL Summer Lecture Series)

ScienceCinema

Gray, Joe [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Life Sciences Division and Associate Lab. Director for Life and Environmental Sciences

2018-05-04

Summer Lecture Series 2009: Results from the Human Genome Project are enabling scientists to understand how individual cancers form and progress. This information, when combined with newly developed drugs, can optimize the treatment of individual cancers. Joe Gray, director of Berkeley Labs Life Sciences Division and Associate Laboratory Director for Life and Environmental Sciences, will focus on this approach, its promise, and its current roadblocks — particularly with regard to breast cancer.

Engineering for Life Sciences: A Fruitful Collaboration Enabled by Chemistry.

PubMed

Niemeyer, Christof M

2017-02-13

"… The interaction of engineering and life sciences has a long history that is characterized by a mutual dependency. The role of chemistry in these developments is to connect the engineers' instrumentation with the life scientists' specimens. This very successful partnership will further continue to produce essential and innovative solutions for future challenges …" Read more in the Guest Editorial by Christof M. Niemeyer. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Symbiosis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bicevskis, Rob

2002-01-01

Exposing today's students to a balance of science and the outside world is critical. The outdoors provides a context for practical applications of science, exposing the relevance of science to everyday life. Outdoor education instills an awareness that the health of the environment is directly coupled with our own health, enabling us to make…

Semantic Web technologies for the big data in life sciences.

PubMed

Wu, Hongyan; Yamaguchi, Atsuko

2014-08-01

The life sciences field is entering an era of big data with the breakthroughs of science and technology. More and more big data-related projects and activities are being performed in the world. Life sciences data generated by new technologies are continuing to grow in not only size but also variety and complexity, with great speed. To ensure that big data has a major influence in the life sciences, comprehensive data analysis across multiple data sources and even across disciplines is indispensable. The increasing volume of data and the heterogeneous, complex varieties of data are two principal issues mainly discussed in life science informatics. The ever-evolving next-generation Web, characterized as the Semantic Web, is an extension of the current Web, aiming to provide information for not only humans but also computers to semantically process large-scale data. The paper presents a survey of big data in life sciences, big data related projects and Semantic Web technologies. The paper introduces the main Semantic Web technologies and their current situation, and provides a detailed analysis of how Semantic Web technologies address the heterogeneous variety of life sciences big data. The paper helps to understand the role of Semantic Web technologies in the big data era and how they provide a promising solution for the big data in life sciences.

The Navajo Learning Network and the NASA Life Sciences/AFOSR Infrastructure Development Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The NSF-funded Navajo Learning Network project, with help from NASA Life Sciences and AFOSR, enabled Dine College to take a giant leap forward technologically - in a way that could never had been possible had these projects been managed separately. The combination of these and other efforts created a network of over 500 computers located at ten sites across the Navajo reservation. Additionally, the college was able to install a modern telephone system which shares network data, and purchase a new higher education management system. The NASA Life Sciences funds further allowed the college library system to go online and become available to the entire campus community. NSF, NASA and AFOSR are committed to improving minority access to higher education opportunities and promoting faculty development and undergraduate research through infrastructure support and development. This project has begun to address critical inequalities in access to science, mathematics, engineering and technology for Navajo students and educators. As a result, Navajo K-12 education has been bolstered and Dine College will therefore better prepare students to transfer successfully to four-year institutions. Due to the integration of the NSF and NASA/AFOSR components of the project, a unified project report is appropriate.

BioCatalogue: a universal catalogue of web services for the life sciences

PubMed Central

Bhagat, Jiten; Tanoh, Franck; Nzuobontane, Eric; Laurent, Thomas; Orlowski, Jerzy; Roos, Marco; Wolstencroft, Katy; Aleksejevs, Sergejs; Stevens, Robert; Pettifer, Steve; Lopez, Rodrigo; Goble, Carole A.

2010-01-01

The use of Web Services to enable programmatic access to on-line bioinformatics is becoming increasingly important in the Life Sciences. However, their number, distribution and the variable quality of their documentation can make their discovery and subsequent use difficult. A Web Services registry with information on available services will help to bring together service providers and their users. The BioCatalogue (http://www.biocatalogue.org/) provides a common interface for registering, browsing and annotating Web Services to the Life Science community. Services in the BioCatalogue can be described and searched in multiple ways based upon their technical types, bioinformatics categories, user tags, service providers or data inputs and outputs. They are also subject to constant monitoring, allowing the identification of service problems and changes and the filtering-out of unavailable or unreliable resources. The system is accessible via a human-readable ‘Web 2.0’-style interface and a programmatic Web Service interface. The BioCatalogue follows a community approach in which all services can be registered, browsed and incrementally documented with annotations by any member of the scientific community. PMID:20484378

BioCatalogue: a universal catalogue of web services for the life sciences.

PubMed

Bhagat, Jiten; Tanoh, Franck; Nzuobontane, Eric; Laurent, Thomas; Orlowski, Jerzy; Roos, Marco; Wolstencroft, Katy; Aleksejevs, Sergejs; Stevens, Robert; Pettifer, Steve; Lopez, Rodrigo; Goble, Carole A

2010-07-01

The use of Web Services to enable programmatic access to on-line bioinformatics is becoming increasingly important in the Life Sciences. However, their number, distribution and the variable quality of their documentation can make their discovery and subsequent use difficult. A Web Services registry with information on available services will help to bring together service providers and their users. The BioCatalogue (http://www.biocatalogue.org/) provides a common interface for registering, browsing and annotating Web Services to the Life Science community. Services in the BioCatalogue can be described and searched in multiple ways based upon their technical types, bioinformatics categories, user tags, service providers or data inputs and outputs. They are also subject to constant monitoring, allowing the identification of service problems and changes and the filtering-out of unavailable or unreliable resources. The system is accessible via a human-readable 'Web 2.0'-style interface and a programmatic Web Service interface. The BioCatalogue follows a community approach in which all services can be registered, browsed and incrementally documented with annotations by any member of the scientific community.

Life Sciences Data Archives (LSDA) in the Post-Shuttle Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitts, Mary A.; Johnson-Throop, Kathy; Havelka, Jacque; Thomas, Diedre

2010-01-01

Now, more than ever before, NASA is realizing the value and importance of their intellectual assets. Principles of knowledge management-the systematic use and reuse of information, experience, and expertise to achieve a specific goal-are being applied throughout the agency. LSDA is also applying these solutions, which rely on a combination of content and collaboration technologies, to enable research teams to create, capture, share, and harness knowledge to do the things they do well, even better. In the early days of spaceflight, space life sciences data were collected and stored in numerous databases, formats, media-types and geographical locations. These data were largely unknown/unavailable to the research community. The Biomedical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch of the Space Life Sciences Directorate at JSC and the Data Archive Project at ARC, with funding from the Human Research Program through the Exploration Medical Capability Element, are fulfilling these requirements through the systematic population of the Life Sciences Data Archive. This project constitutes a formal system for the acquisition, archival and distribution of data for HRP-related experiments and investigations. The general goal of the archive is to acquire, preserve, and distribute these data and be responsive to inquiries for the science communities. Information about experiments and data, as well as non-attributable human data and data from other species' are available on our public Web site http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov. The Web site also includes a repository for biospecimens, and a utilization process. NASA has undertaken an initiative to develop a Shuttle Data Archive repository. The Shuttle program is nearing its end in 2010 and it is critical that the medical and research data related to the Shuttle program be captured, retained, and usable for research, lessons learned, and future mission planning. Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. LSDA works with the HRP community of practice to ensure that we are preserving the relevant research and data they need in the LSDA repository. An evidence-based approach to risk management is required in space life sciences. Evidence changes over time. LSDA has a pilot project with Collexis, a new type of Web-based search engine. Collexis differentiates itself from full-text search engines by making use of thesauri for information retrieval. The high-quality search is based on semantics that have been defined in a life sciences ontology. Additionally, Collexis' matching technology is unique, allowing discovery of partially matching dicuments. Users do not have to construct a complicated (Boolean) search query, but can simply enter a free text search without the risk of getting "no results". Collexis may address these issues by virtue of its retrieval and discovery capabilities across multiple repositories.

An STS Approach to Organizing a Secondary Science Methods Course: Preliminary Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dass, Pradeep M.

The current agenda in science education calls for science instruction that enhances student understanding of the nature of scientific enterprise, enables students to critically analyze scientific information as well as apply it in real-life situations, and sets them on a path of lifelong learning in science. In order to prepare teachers who can…

Broadening the Earthscan Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Law Environmental, Inc. is a professional engineering and Earth sciences consulting firm. When a client, who operates an electricity generating plant required assistance in evaluating the effects of a heated water discharge on aquatic life, Law proposed a Visiting Investigator Program (VIP) to Stennis Space Center (SSC). The VIP is directed toward small companies who could use remote sensing profitably, but do not have the money to explore new technologies. SSC provided remote sensing data to Law enabling it to produce images of the thermal "plume," the water area affected by the discharge. After comparisons of plant and animal life with similar life in an unaffected control area, Law concluded that the discharge effect was not significant.

Enabling Global Lunar Sample Return and Life-Detection Studies Using a Deep-Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, B. A.; Eigenbrode, J. A.; Young, K. E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Trainer, M. E.

2018-02-01

The Deep Space Gateway could uniquely enable a lunar robotic sampling campaign that would provide incredible science return as well as feed forward to Mars and Europa by testing instrument sterility and ability to distinguish biogenic signals.

Teacher change and professional development: A case study of teachers engaged in an innovative constructivist science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akura, Okong'o. Gabriel

This study examined both the changes that elementary school teachers experienced when they implemented a reform-based science curriculum and the impact of professional development on this transformation. The research involved a case study of three purposefully selected teachers implementing the Linking Food and the Environment (LIFE) program during the 2002--2003 school year. The LIFE program is a curriculum designed to enhance science literacy among learners from high poverty urban environments. While the study was grounded in the tradition of critical theory (Carspecken, 1996), the theoretical perspective of hermeneutic phenomenology (van Manen, 1990) guided data collection and analysis. Extensive observations of the teachers were made in order to capture and record the teacher change phenomenon. Data were recorded by means of field notes, audio and videotapes, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video Stimulated Recall (SR) interviews. Emerging themes relating to teacher change, knowledge interests, constructivist pedagogy, and professional development illustrated how teachers grapple with various aspects of implementing a reform-based science curriculum. The teachers in this study were similar to those in earlier investigations, which found that sustained professional development programs involving mentoring and constant reflection enable elementary science teachers to change their instructional strategies from the technical-realist orientation towards the practical-hermeneutic and emancipatory-liberatory orientations. The study has implications for science curriculum developers and designers of professional development programs.

The ethics of smart cities and urban science.

PubMed

Kitchin, Rob

2016-12-28

Software-enabled technologies and urban big data have become essential to the functioning of cities. Consequently, urban operational governance and city services are becoming highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism that is the key mode of production for smart cities. At the heart of data-driven urbanism is a computational understanding of city systems that reduces urban life to logic and calculative rules and procedures, which is underpinned by an instrumental rationality and realist epistemology. This rationality and epistemology are informed by and sustains urban science and urban informatics, which seek to make cities more knowable and controllable. This paper examines the forms, practices and ethics of smart cities and urban science, paying particular attention to: instrumental rationality and realist epistemology; privacy, datafication, dataveillance and geosurveillance; and data uses, such as social sorting and anticipatory governance. It argues that smart city initiatives and urban science need to be re-cast in three ways: a re-orientation in how cities are conceived; a reconfiguring of the underlying epistemology to openly recognize the contingent and relational nature of urban systems, processes and science; and the adoption of ethical principles designed to realize benefits of smart cities and urban science while reducing pernicious effects.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Science 25. Curriculum Guide. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northwest Territories Dept. of Education, Yellowknife.

This science curriculum is an activity-oriented program in which an attempt has been made to provide sufficient information for non-science specialists to enable them to offer an effective course at the grades 10 and 11 levels. This curriculum offers a solution to the unique needs of life in the Canadian Northwest Territories. The role of…

Developing a Science Process Skills Test for Secondary Students: Validity and Reliability Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feyzioglu, Burak; Demirdag, Baris; Akyildiz, Murat; Altun, Eralp

2012-01-01

Science process skills are claimed to enable an individual to improve their own life visions and give a scientific view/literacy as a standard of their understanding about the nature of science. The main purpose of this study was to develop a test for measuring a valid, reliable and practical test for Science Process Skills (SPS) in secondary…

Relay Support for the Mars Science Laboratory and the Coming Decade of Mars Relay Network Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Charles D., Jr.; Arnold, Bradford W.; Bell, David J.; Bruvold, Kristoffer N.; Gladden, Roy E.; Ilott, Peter A.; Lee, Charles H.

2012-01-01

In the past decade, an evolving network of Mars relay orbiters has provided telecommunication relay services to the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and to the Mars Phoenix Lander, enabling high-bandwidth, energy-efficient data transfer and greatly increasing the volume of science data that can be returned from the Martian surface, compared to conventional direct-to-Earth links. The current relay network, consisting of NASA's Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and augmented by ESA's Mars Express Orbiter, stands ready to support the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled to arrive at Mars on Aug 6, 2012, with new capabilities enabled by the Electra and Electra-Lite transceivers carried by MRO and MSL, respectively. The MAVEN orbiter, planned for launch in 2013, and the ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter, planned for launch in 2016, will replenish the on-orbit relay network as the current orbiter approach their end of life. Currently planned support scenarios for this future relay network include an ESA EDL Demonstrator Module deployed by the 2016 ExoMars/TGO orbiter, and the 2018 NASA/ESA Joint Rover, representing the first step in a multimission Mars Sample Return campaign.

CyVerse Data Commons: lessons learned in cyberinfrastructure management and data hosting from the Life Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swetnam, T. L.; Walls, R.; Merchant, N.

2017-12-01

CyVerse, is a US National Science Foundation funded initiative "to design, deploy, and expand a national cyberinfrastructure for life sciences research, and to train scientists in its use," supporting and enabling cross disciplinary collaborations across institutions. CyVerse' free, open-source, cyberinfrastructure is being adopted into biogeoscience and space sciences research. CyVerse data-science agnostic platforms provide shared data storage, high performance computing, and cloud computing that allow analysis of very large data sets (including incomplete or work-in-progress data sets). Part of CyVerse success has been in addressing the handling of data through its entire lifecycle, from creation to final publication in a digital data repository to reuse in new analyses. CyVerse developers and user communities have learned many lessons that are germane to Earth and Environmental Science. We present an overview of the tools and services available through CyVerse including: interactive computing with the Discovery Environment (https://de.cyverse.org/), an interactive data science workbench featuring data storage and transfer via the Data Store; cloud computing with Atmosphere (https://atmo.cyverse.org); and access to HPC via Agave API (https://agaveapi.co/). Each CyVerse service emphasizes access to long term data storage, including our own Data Commons (http://datacommons.cyverse.org), as well as external repositories. The Data Commons service manages, organizes, preserves, publishes, allows for discovery and reuse of data. All data published to CyVerse's Curated Data receive a permanent identifier (PID) in the form of a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or ARK (Archival Resource Key). Data that is more fluid can also be published in the Data commons through Community Collaborated data. The Data Commons provides landing pages, permanent DOIs or ARKs, and supports data reuse and citation through features such as open data licenses and downloadable citations. The ability to access and do computing on data within the CyVerse framework or with external compute resources when necessary, has proven highly beneficial to our user community, which has continuously grown since the inception of CyVerse nine years ago.

The health care and life sciences community profile for dataset descriptions

PubMed Central

Alexiev, Vladimir; Ansell, Peter; Bader, Gary; Baran, Joachim; Bolleman, Jerven T.; Callahan, Alison; Cruz-Toledo, José; Gaudet, Pascale; Gombocz, Erich A.; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra N.; Groth, Paul; Haendel, Melissa; Ito, Maori; Jupp, Simon; Juty, Nick; Katayama, Toshiaki; Kobayashi, Norio; Krishnaswami, Kalpana; Laibe, Camille; Le Novère, Nicolas; Lin, Simon; Malone, James; Miller, Michael; Mungall, Christopher J.; Rietveld, Laurens; Wimalaratne, Sarala M.; Yamaguchi, Atsuko

2016-01-01

Access to consistent, high-quality metadata is critical to finding, understanding, and reusing scientific data. However, while there are many relevant vocabularies for the annotation of a dataset, none sufficiently captures all the necessary metadata. This prevents uniform indexing and querying of dataset repositories. Towards providing a practical guide for producing a high quality description of biomedical datasets, the W3C Semantic Web for Health Care and the Life Sciences Interest Group (HCLSIG) identified Resource Description Framework (RDF) vocabularies that could be used to specify common metadata elements and their value sets. The resulting guideline covers elements of description, identification, attribution, versioning, provenance, and content summarization. This guideline reuses existing vocabularies, and is intended to meet key functional requirements including indexing, discovery, exchange, query, and retrieval of datasets, thereby enabling the publication of FAIR data. The resulting metadata profile is generic and could be used by other domains with an interest in providing machine readable descriptions of versioned datasets. PMID:27602295

Technical Matters: Method, Knowledge and Infrastructure in Twentieth-Century Life Science

PubMed Central

Creager, Angela N. H.; Landecker, Hannah

2010-01-01

Conceptual breakthroughs in science tend to garner accolades and attention. But, as the invention of tissue culture and the development of isotopic tracers show, innovative methods open up new fields and enable the solution of longstanding problems. PMID:19953684

Life sciences Spacelab Mission Development test 3 (SMD 3) data management report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moseley, E. C.

1977-01-01

Development of a permanent data system for SMD tests was studied that would simulate all elements of the shuttle onboard, telemetry, and ground data systems that are involved with spacelab operations. The onboard data system (ODS) and the ground data system (GDS) were utilized. The air-to-ground link was simulated by a hardwired computer-to-computer interface. A patch board system was used on board to select experiment inputs, and the downlink configuration from the ODS was changed by a crew keyboard entry to support each experiment. The ODS provided a CRT display of experiment parameters to enable the crew to monitor experiment performance. An onboard analog system, with recording capability, was installed to handle high rate data and to provide a backup to the digital system. The GDS accomplished engineering unit conversion and limit sensing, and provided realtime parameter display on CRT's in the science monitoring area and the test control area.

Enhancing interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science in an undergraduate life science program through physical chemistry.

PubMed

Pursell, David P

2009-01-01

BIO2010 advocates enhancing the interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science components of the undergraduate biology curriculum. The Department of Chemistry and Life Science at West Point responded by developing a required physical chemistry course tailored to the interests of life science majors. To overcome student resistance to physical chemistry, students were enabled as long-term stakeholders who would shape the syllabus by selecting life science topics of interest to them. The initial 2 yr of assessment indicates that students have a positive view of the course, feel they have succeeded in achieving course outcome goals, and that the course is relevant to their professional future. Instructor assessment of student outcome goal achievement via performance on exams and labs is comparable to that of students in traditional physical chemistry courses. Perhaps more noteworthy, both student and instructor assessment indicate positive trends from year 1 to year 2, presumably due to the student stakeholder effect.

Enhancing Interdisciplinary, Mathematics, and Physical Science in an Undergraduate Life Science Program through Physical Chemistry

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

BIO2010 advocates enhancing the interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science components of the undergraduate biology curriculum. The Department of Chemistry and Life Science at West Point responded by developing a required physical chemistry course tailored to the interests of life science majors. To overcome student resistance to physical chemistry, students were enabled as long-term stakeholders who would shape the syllabus by selecting life science topics of interest to them. The initial 2 yr of assessment indicates that students have a positive view of the course, feel they have succeeded in achieving course outcome goals, and that the course is relevant to their professional future. Instructor assessment of student outcome goal achievement via performance on exams and labs is comparable to that of students in traditional physical chemistry courses. Perhaps more noteworthy, both student and instructor assessment indicate positive trends from year 1 to year 2, presumably due to the student stakeholder effect. PMID:19255133

The ethics of smart cities and urban science

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Software-enabled technologies and urban big data have become essential to the functioning of cities. Consequently, urban operational governance and city services are becoming highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism that is the key mode of production for smart cities. At the heart of data-driven urbanism is a computational understanding of city systems that reduces urban life to logic and calculative rules and procedures, which is underpinned by an instrumental rationality and realist epistemology. This rationality and epistemology are informed by and sustains urban science and urban informatics, which seek to make cities more knowable and controllable. This paper examines the forms, practices and ethics of smart cities and urban science, paying particular attention to: instrumental rationality and realist epistemology; privacy, datafication, dataveillance and geosurveillance; and data uses, such as social sorting and anticipatory governance. It argues that smart city initiatives and urban science need to be re-cast in three ways: a re-orientation in how cities are conceived; a reconfiguring of the underlying epistemology to openly recognize the contingent and relational nature of urban systems, processes and science; and the adoption of ethical principles designed to realize benefits of smart cities and urban science while reducing pernicious effects. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The ethical impact of data science’. PMID:28336794

Bioinformatics for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Kathy A.

2006-01-01

For the purpose of this paper, bioinformatics is defined as the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. It can be thought of as the science of developing computer databases and algorithms to facilitate and expedite biological research. This is a crosscutting capability that supports nearly all human health areas ranging from computational modeling, to pharmacodynamics research projects, to decision support systems within autonomous medical care. Bioinformatics serves to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the life sciences research program. It provides data, information, and knowledge capture which further supports management of the bioastronautics research roadmap - identifying gaps that still remain and enabling the determination of which risks have been addressed.

KSC-02pd1894

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia sits on Launch Pad 39A, atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. The STS-107 research mission comprises experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences, plus the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. Mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch Jan. 16, 2003.

DRIFTER Web App Development Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Derrick D.; Armstrong, Curtis D.

2015-01-01

During my 2015 internship at Stennis Space Center (SSC) I supported the development of a web based tool to enable user interaction with a low-cost environmental monitoring buoy called the DRIFTER. DRIFTERs are designed by SSC's Applied Science and Technology Projects branch and are used to measure parameters such as water temperature and salinity. Data collected by the buoys help verify measurements by NASA satellites, which contributes to NASA's mission to advance understanding of the Earth by developing technologies to improve the quality of life on or home planet. My main objective during this internship was to support the development of the DRIFTER by writing web-based software that allows the public to view and access data collected by the buoys. In addition, this software would enable DRIFTER owners to configure and control the devices.

NASA Johnson Space Center Life Sciences Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahman, Hasan; Cardenas, Jeffery

1994-01-01

The Life Sciences Project Division (LSPD) at JSC, which manages human life sciences flight experiments for the NASA Life Sciences Division, augmented its Life Sciences Data System (LSDS) in support of the Spacelab Life Sciences-2 (SLS-2) mission, October 1993. The LSDS is a portable ground system supporting Shuttle, Spacelab, and Mir based life sciences experiments. The LSDS supports acquisition, processing, display, and storage of real-time experiment telemetry in a workstation environment. The system may acquire digital or analog data, storing the data in experiment packet format. Data packets from any acquisition source are archived and meta-parameters are derived through the application of mathematical and logical operators. Parameters may be displayed in text and/or graphical form, or output to analog devices. Experiment data packets may be retransmitted through the network interface and database applications may be developed to support virtually any data packet format. The user interface provides menu- and icon-driven program control and the LSDS system can be integrated with other workstations to perform a variety of functions. The generic capabilities, adaptability, and ease of use make the LSDS a cost-effective solution to many experiment data processing requirements. The same system is used for experiment systems functional and integration tests, flight crew training sessions and mission simulations. In addition, the system has provided the infrastructure for the development of the JSC Life Sciences Data Archive System scheduled for completion in December 1994.

The NASA Ames Research Center Institutional Scientific Collection: History, Best Practices and Scientific Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rask, Jon C.; Chakravarty, Kaushik; French, Alison; Choi, Sungshin; Stewart, Helen

2017-01-01

The NASA Ames Life Sciences Institutional Scientific Collection (ISC), which is composed of the Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) and the Biospecimen Storage Facility (BSF), is managed by the Space Biosciences Division and has been operational since 1993. The ALSDA is responsible for archiving information and animal biospecimens collected from life science spaceflight experiments and matching ground control experiments. Both fixed and frozen spaceflight and ground tissues are stored in the BSF within the ISC. The ALSDA also manages a Biospecimen Sharing Program, performs curation and long-term storage operations, and makes biospecimens available to the scientific community for research purposes via the Life Science Data Archive public website (https:lsda.jsc.nasa.gov). As part of our best practices, a viability testing plan has been developed for the ISC, which will assess the quality of archived samples. We expect that results from the viability testing will catalyze sample use, enable broader science community interest, and improve operational efficiency of the ISC. The current viability test plan focuses on generating disposition recommendations and is based on using ribonucleic acid (RNA) integrity number (RIN) scores as a criteria for measurement of biospecimen viablity for downstream functional analysis. The plan includes (1) sorting and identification of candidate samples, (2) conducting a statiscally-based power analysis to generate representaive cohorts from the population of stored biospecimens, (3) completion of RIN analysis on select samples, and (4) development of disposition recommendations based on the RIN scores. Results of this work will also support NASA open science initiatives and guides development of the NASA Scientific Collections Directive (a policy on best practices for curation of biological collections). Our RIN-based methodology for characterizing the quality of tissues stored in the ISC since the 1980s also creates unique scientific opportunities for temporal assessment across historical missions. Support from the NASA Space Biology Program and the NASA Human Research Program is gratefully acknowledged.

Biotic games and cloud experimentation as novel media for biophysics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar; Blikstein, Paulo

2014-03-01

First-hand, open-ended experimentation is key for effective formal and informal biophysics education. We developed, tested and assessed multiple new platforms that enable students and children to directly interact with and learn about microscopic biophysical processes: (1) Biotic games that enable local and online play using galvano- and photo-tactic stimulation of micro-swimmers, illustrating concepts such as biased random walks, Low Reynolds number hydrodynamics, and Brownian motion; (2) an undergraduate course where students learn optics, electronics, micro-fluidics, real time image analysis, and instrument control by building biotic games; and (3) a graduate class on the biophysics of multi-cellular systems that contains a cloud experimentation lab enabling students to execute open-ended chemotaxis experiments on slimemolds online, analyze their data, and build biophysical models. Our work aims to generate the equivalent excitement and educational impact for biophysics as robotics and video games have had for mechatronics and computer science, respectively. We also discuss how scaled-up cloud experimentation systems can support MOOCs with true lab components and life-science research in general.

Generating community-built tools for data sharing and analysis in environmental networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Read, Jordan S.; Gries, Corinna; Read, Emily K.; Klug, Jennifer; Hanson, Paul C.; Hipsey, Matthew R.; Jennings, Eleanor; O'Reilley, Catherine; Winslow, Luke A.; Pierson, Don; McBride, Christopher G.; Hamilton, David

2016-01-01

Rapid data growth in many environmental sectors has necessitated tools to manage and analyze these data. The development of tools often lags behind the proliferation of data, however, which may slow exploratory opportunities and scientific progress. The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) collaborative model supports an efficient and comprehensive data–analysis–insight life cycle, including implementations of data quality control checks, statistical calculations/derivations, models, and data visualizations. These tools are community-built and openly shared. We discuss the network structure that enables tool development and a culture of sharing, leading to optimized output from limited resources. Specifically, data sharing and a flat collaborative structure encourage the development of tools that enable scientific insights from these data. Here we provide a cross-section of scientific advances derived from global-scale analyses in GLEON. We document enhancements to science capabilities made possible by the development of analytical tools and highlight opportunities to expand this framework to benefit other environmental networks.

Persistent Identifiers in Earth science data management environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, Tobias; Stockhause, Martina; Lautenschlager, Michael

2014-05-01

Globally resolvable Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) that carry additional context information (which can be any form of metadata) are increasingly used by data management infrastructures for fundamental tasks. The notion of a Persistent Identifier is originally an abstract concept that aims to provide identifiers that are quality-controlled and maintained beyond the life time of the original issuer, for example through the use of redirection mechanisms. Popular implementations of the PID concept are for example the Handle System and the DOI System based on it. These systems also move beyond the simple identification concept by providing facilities that can hold additional context information. Not only in the Earth sciences, data managers are increasingly attracted to PIDs because of the opportunities these facilities provide; however, long-term viable principles and mechanisms for efficient organization of PIDs and context information are not yet available or well established. In this respect, promising techniques are to type the information that is associated with PIDs and to construct actionable collections of PIDs. There are two main drivers for extended PID usage: Earth science data management middleware use cases and applications geared towards scientific end-users. Motivating scenarios from data management include hierarchical data and metadata management, consistent data tracking and improvements in the accountability of processes. If PIDs are consistently assigned to data objects, context information can be carried over to subsequent data life cycle stages much easier. This can also ease data migration from one major curation domain to another, e.g. from early dissemination within research communities to formal publication and long-term archival stages, and it can help to document processes across technical and organizational boundaries. For scientific end users, application scenarios include for example more personalized data citation and improvements in the amount of context available for unfamiliar datasets. We can see how Earth system model data is spatially and temporally transformed to better fit the differing scenarios relevant in consecutive life cycle stages. At the end, users often want to cite and use distinct subsets of data which are disseminated through e-science infrastructures. If actionable collections of fine-granular PIDs are available, much more precise citation and use can be supported. This can also help to establish interoperable input and output references for processing tasks during intermediate life cycle stages. The current working draft API of the Research Data Alliance's working group on PID Information Types combined with more elaborate collection mechanisms can provide the necessary foundations and tools to enable wide-spread use of PIDs for data life cycle management and user applications. This contribution will highlight some of the available mechanisms and existing efforts with particular focus on applications for institutional data management and e-science infrastructures such as the Earth System Grid Federation.

Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitts, M.; Johnson-Throop, Kathy; Thomas, D.; Shackelford, K.

2008-01-01

In the early days of spaceflight, space life sciences data were been collected and stored in numerous databases, formats, media-types and geographical locations. While serving the needs of individual research teams, these data were largely unknown/unavailable to the scientific community at large. As a result, the Space Act of 1958 and the Science Data Management Policy mandated that research data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration be made available to the science community at large. The Biomedical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch of the Space Life Sciences Directorate at JSC and the Data Archive Project at ARC, with funding from the Human Research Program through the Exploration Medical Capability Element, are fulfilling these requirements through the systematic population of the Life Sciences Data Archive. This program constitutes a formal system for the acquisition, archival and distribution of data for Life Sciences-sponsored experiments and investigations. The general goal of the archive is to acquire, preserve, and distribute these data using a variety of media which are accessible and responsive to inquiries from the science communities.

Life Stories of Graduate Students in Chile and the United States: Becoming a Scientist from Childhood to Adulthood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva Fernandez, Marta A.

The purpose of this cross-national study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding about doctoral students in the United States and Chile and how their decisions to pursue a career in the life sciences field occurred throughout their lives. . I interviewed 15 doctoral students from the Seven Lakes University (Chile) and 15 students from the West Coast University (US), using a life history approach. Analyses revealed that the degree of flexibility in the schooling system and the degree of individualism and collectivism of the social groups in which the students were learning science seemed to influence the informants' vocational decisions in three interrelated processes: (1) Deciding the informants' degree of interest and ability in science by the opportunity of choosing science classes and activities. The highly tracked Chilean system socializes students to science at an early age. The more flexible school system in the US enabled the interviewees to gradually decide about pursuing their interest in science; (2) Experiencing science as a collective learning process for the Chilean informants and an individualistic learning process for the US students; (3) Perceiving science differently at each life stage for both groups of interviewees including: Playing science, Studying science, Doing science, Working in science, Practicing Science in their doctoral programs.

Higher Order Thinking Skills among Secondary School Students in Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saido, Gulistan Mohammed; Siraj, Saedah; Bin Nordin, Abu Bakar; Al Amedy, Omed Saadallah

2015-01-01

A central goal of science education is to help students to develop their higher order thinking skills to enable them to face the challenges of daily life. Enhancing students' higher order thinking skills is the main goal of the Kurdish Science Curriculum in the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. This study aimed at assessing 7th grade students' higher order…

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, Steve; Siemion, Andrew; De Boer, David; Enriquez, J. Emilio; Foster, Griffin; Gajjar, Vishal; Hellbourg, Greg; Hickish, Jack; Isaacson, Howard; Lebofsky, Matt; MacMahon, David; Price, Daniel; Werthimer, Dan

2018-01-01

The $100M, 10-year philanthropic "Breakthrough Listen" project is driving an unprecedented expansion of the search for intelligent life beyond Earth. Modern instruments allow ever larger regions of parameter space (luminosity function, duty cycle, beaming fraction, frequency coverage) to be explored, which is enabling us to place meaningful physical limits on the prevalence of transmitting civilizations. Data volumes are huge, and preclude long-term storage of the raw data products, so real-time and machine learning processing techniques must be employed to identify candidate signals as well as simultaneously classifying interfering sources. However, the Galaxy is now known to be a target-rich environment, teeming with habitable planets.Data from Breakthrough Listen can also be used by researchers in other areas of astronomy to study pulsars, fast radio bursts, and a range of other science targets. Breakthrough Listen is already underway in the optical and radio bands, and is also engaging with facilities across the world, including Square Kilometer Array precursors and pathfinders. I will give an overview of the technology, science goals, data products, and roadmap of Breakthrough Listen, as we attempt to answer one of humanity's oldest questions: Are we alone?

Data Stewardship throughout the Ocean Research Data Life Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, Cynthia; Groman, Robert; Allison, Molly; Wiebe, Peter; Glover, David

2013-04-01

The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) works in partnership with ocean science investigators to publish data from research projects funded by the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections and the Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems Program (OPP ANT) at the U.S. National Science Foundation. Since 2006, researchers have been contributing data to the BCO-DMO data system, and it has developed into a rich repository of data from ocean, coastal and Great Lakes research programs. The end goals of the BCO-DMO are to ensure preservation of NSF funded project data and to provide open access to those data; achievement of those goals is attained through successful completion of a series of related phases. BCO-DMO has developed an end-to-end data stewardship process that includes all phases of the data life cycle: (1) providing data management advice to investigators during the proposal writing stage; (2) registering their funded project at BCO-DMO; (3) adding data and supporting documentation to the BCO-DMO data repository; (4) providing geospatial and text-based data access systems that support data discovery, access, display, assessment, integration, and export of data resources; (5) exploring mechanisms for exchange of data with complementary repositories; (6) publication of data sets to provide publishers of the peer-reviewed literature with citable references (Digital Object Identifiers) and to encourage proper citation and attribution of data sets in the future and (7) submission of final data sets for preservation in the appropriate long-term data archive. Strategic development of collaborative partnerships with complementary data management organizations is essential to sustainable coverage of the full data life cycle from research proposal through preservation of the final data products. Development and incorporation of controlled vocabularies, domain-specific ontologies and globally unique, persistent identifiers to unambiguously identify resources of interest curated by and available from BCO-DMO have significantly enabled progress toward interoperability with partner systems. Several important components have emerged from early collaborative relationships: (1) identifying a trusted authoritative source of complementary content and the appropriate contact; (2) determining the globally unique, persistent identifier for resources of interest and (3) negotiating the requisite syntactic and semantic exchange systems. An added benefit is the ability to use globally unique, persistent resource identifiers to identify and compare related content in other repositories, thus enabling us to improve the accuracy of content in the BCO-DMO data collection. Results from a recent community discussion at the January 2013 Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) meeting will be presented. Mindful of the NSF EarthCube initiative in the United States, the ESIP discussion was an effort to identify commonalities and differences in the way different communities meet the challenges of data stewardship throughout the full data life cycle and to determine any gaps that currently exist. BCO-DMO: http://bco-dmo.org ESIP: http://esipfed.org/

HCLS 2.0/3.0: health care and life sciences data mashup using Web 2.0/3.0.

PubMed

Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Yip, Kevin Y; Townsend, Jeffrey P; Scotch, Matthew

2008-10-01

We describe the potential of current Web 2.0 technologies to achieve data mashup in the health care and life sciences (HCLS) domains, and compare that potential to the nascent trend of performing semantic mashup. After providing an overview of Web 2.0, we demonstrate two scenarios of data mashup, facilitated by the following Web 2.0 tools and sites: Yahoo! Pipes, Dapper, Google Maps and GeoCommons. In the first scenario, we exploited Dapper and Yahoo! Pipes to implement a challenging data integration task in the context of DNA microarray research. In the second scenario, we exploited Yahoo! Pipes, Google Maps, and GeoCommons to create a geographic information system (GIS) interface that allows visualization and integration of diverse categories of public health data, including cancer incidence and pollution prevalence data. Based on these two scenarios, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these Web 2.0 mashup technologies. We then describe Semantic Web, the mainstream Web 3.0 technology that enables more powerful data integration over the Web. We discuss the areas of intersection of Web 2.0 and Semantic Web, and describe the potential benefits that can be brought to HCLS research by combining these two sets of technologies.

HCLS 2.0/3.0: Health Care and Life Sciences Data Mashup Using Web 2.0/3.0

PubMed Central

Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Yip, Kevin Y.; Townsend, Jeffrey P.; Scotch, Matthew

2010-01-01

We describe the potential of current Web 2.0 technologies to achieve data mashup in the health care and life sciences (HCLS) domains, and compare that potential to the nascent trend of performing semantic mashup. After providing an overview of Web 2.0, we demonstrate two scenarios of data mashup, facilitated by the following Web 2.0 tools and sites: Yahoo! Pipes, Dapper, Google Maps and GeoCommons. In the first scenario, we exploited Dapper and Yahoo! Pipes to implement a challenging data integration task in the context of DNA microarray research. In the second scenario, we exploited Yahoo! Pipes, Google Maps, and GeoCommons to create a geographic information system (GIS) interface that allows visualization and integration of diverse categories of public health data, including cancer incidence and pollution prevalence data. Based on these two scenarios, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these Web 2.0 mashup technologies. We then describe Semantic Web, the mainstream Web 3.0 technology that enables more powerful data integration over the Web. We discuss the areas of intersection of Web 2.0 and Semantic Web, and describe the potential benefits that can be brought to HCLS research by combining these two sets of technologies. PMID:18487092

NASA Life Sciences Data Repositories: Tools for Retrospective Analysis and Future Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, D.; Wear, M.; VanBaalen, M.; Lee, L.; Fitts, M.

2011-01-01

As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle era into the next phase of space exploration, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of its research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP) based at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured, as well as focus current and future research funding on addressing the HRP goal to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. To this end, the Science Management Office and the Medical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch within the HRP and the Space Medicine Division have been working to make both research data and clinical data more accessible to the user community. The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA), the research repository housing data and information regarding the physiologic effects of microgravity, and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH-R), the clinical repository housing astronaut data, have joined forces to achieve this goal. The task of both repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large. This is accomplished via the LSDA s public website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov), which allows access to experiment descriptions including hardware, datasets, key personnel, mission descriptions and a mechanism for researchers to request additional data, research and clinical, that is not accessible from the public website. This will result in making the work of NASA and its partners available to the wider sciences community, both domestic and international. The desired outcome is the use of these data for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future research studies.

Data-Driven Design of Intelligent Wireless Networks: An Overview and Tutorial.

PubMed

Kulin, Merima; Fortuna, Carolina; De Poorter, Eli; Deschrijver, Dirk; Moerman, Ingrid

2016-06-01

Data science or "data-driven research" is a research approach that uses real-life data to gain insight about the behavior of systems. It enables the analysis of small, simple as well as large and more complex systems in order to assess whether they function according to the intended design and as seen in simulation. Data science approaches have been successfully applied to analyze networked interactions in several research areas such as large-scale social networks, advanced business and healthcare processes. Wireless networks can exhibit unpredictable interactions between algorithms from multiple protocol layers, interactions between multiple devices, and hardware specific influences. These interactions can lead to a difference between real-world functioning and design time functioning. Data science methods can help to detect the actual behavior and possibly help to correct it. Data science is increasingly used in wireless research. To support data-driven research in wireless networks, this paper illustrates the step-by-step methodology that has to be applied to extract knowledge from raw data traces. To this end, the paper (i) clarifies when, why and how to use data science in wireless network research; (ii) provides a generic framework for applying data science in wireless networks; (iii) gives an overview of existing research papers that utilized data science approaches in wireless networks; (iv) illustrates the overall knowledge discovery process through an extensive example in which device types are identified based on their traffic patterns; (v) provides the reader the necessary datasets and scripts to go through the tutorial steps themselves.

Data-Driven Design of Intelligent Wireless Networks: An Overview and Tutorial

PubMed Central

Kulin, Merima; Fortuna, Carolina; De Poorter, Eli; Deschrijver, Dirk; Moerman, Ingrid

2016-01-01

Data science or “data-driven research” is a research approach that uses real-life data to gain insight about the behavior of systems. It enables the analysis of small, simple as well as large and more complex systems in order to assess whether they function according to the intended design and as seen in simulation. Data science approaches have been successfully applied to analyze networked interactions in several research areas such as large-scale social networks, advanced business and healthcare processes. Wireless networks can exhibit unpredictable interactions between algorithms from multiple protocol layers, interactions between multiple devices, and hardware specific influences. These interactions can lead to a difference between real-world functioning and design time functioning. Data science methods can help to detect the actual behavior and possibly help to correct it. Data science is increasingly used in wireless research. To support data-driven research in wireless networks, this paper illustrates the step-by-step methodology that has to be applied to extract knowledge from raw data traces. To this end, the paper (i) clarifies when, why and how to use data science in wireless network research; (ii) provides a generic framework for applying data science in wireless networks; (iii) gives an overview of existing research papers that utilized data science approaches in wireless networks; (iv) illustrates the overall knowledge discovery process through an extensive example in which device types are identified based on their traffic patterns; (v) provides the reader the necessary datasets and scripts to go through the tutorial steps themselves. PMID:27258286

Implementing Innovations in Global Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health: Realizing the Potential for Implementation Science.

PubMed

Peterson, Herbert B; Haidar, Joumana; Fixsen, Dean; Ramaswamy, Rohit; Weiner, Bryan J; Leatherman, Sheila

2018-03-01

The launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the new Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health are a window of opportunity for improving the health and well-being of women, children, and adolescents in the United States and around the world. Realizing the full potential of this historic moment will require that we improve our ability to successfully implement life-saving and life-enhancing innovations, particularly in low-resource settings. Implementation science, a new and rapidly evolving field that addresses the "how-to" component of providing sustainable quality services at scale, can make an important contribution on this front. A synthesis of the implementation science evidence indicates that three interrelated factors are required for successful, sustainable outcomes at scale: 1) effective innovations, 2) effective implementation, and 3) enabling contexts. Implementation science addresses the interaction among these factors to help make innovations more usable, to build ongoing capacity to assure the effective implementation of these innovations, and to ensure enabling contexts to sustain their full and effective use in practice. Improving access to quality services will require transforming health care systems and, therefore, much of the focus of implementation science in global health is on improving the ability of health systems to serve as enabling contexts. The field of implementation science is inherently interdisciplinary and academe will need to respond by facilitating collaboration among scientists from relevant disciplines, including evaluation, improvement, and systems sciences. Platforms and programs to facilitate collaborations among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders are likewise essential.

Revolutionary Deep Space Science Missions Enabled by Onboard Autonomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Debban, Theresa; Yen, Chen wan; Sherwood, Robert; Castano, Rebecca; Cichy, Benjamin; Davies, Ashley; Brul, Michael; Fukunaga, Alex; Fukunaga, Alex;

Crowd-funded micro-grants for genomics and "big data": an actionable idea connecting small (artisan) science, infrastructure science, and citizen philanthropy.

PubMed

Özdemir, Vural; Badr, Kamal F; Dove, Edward S; Endrenyi, Laszlo; Geraci, Christy Jo; Hotez, Peter J; Milius, Djims; Neves-Pereira, Maria; Pang, Tikki; Rotimi, Charles N; Sabra, Ramzi; Sarkissian, Christineh N; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Tims, Hesther; Zgheib, Nathalie K; Kickbusch, Ilona

2013-04-01

Biomedical science in the 21(st) century is embedded in, and draws from, a digital commons and "Big Data" created by high-throughput Omics technologies such as genomics. Classic Edisonian metaphors of science and scientists (i.e., "the lone genius" or other narrow definitions of expertise) are ill equipped to harness the vast promises of the 21(st) century digital commons. Moreover, in medicine and life sciences, experts often under-appreciate the important contributions made by citizen scholars and lead users of innovations to design innovative products and co-create new knowledge. We believe there are a large number of users waiting to be mobilized so as to engage with Big Data as citizen scientists-only if some funding were available. Yet many of these scholars may not meet the meta-criteria used to judge expertise, such as a track record in obtaining large research grants or a traditional academic curriculum vitae. This innovation research article describes a novel idea and action framework: micro-grants, each worth $1000, for genomics and Big Data. Though a relatively small amount at first glance, this far exceeds the annual income of the "bottom one billion"-the 1.4 billion people living below the extreme poverty level defined by the World Bank ($1.25/day). We describe two types of micro-grants. Type 1 micro-grants can be awarded through established funding agencies and philanthropies that create micro-granting programs to fund a broad and highly diverse array of small artisan labs and citizen scholars to connect genomics and Big Data with new models of discovery such as open user innovation. Type 2 micro-grants can be funded by existing or new science observatories and citizen think tanks through crowd-funding mechanisms described herein. Type 2 micro-grants would also facilitate global health diplomacy by co-creating crowd-funded micro-granting programs across nation-states in regions facing political and financial instability, while sharing similar disease burdens, therapeutics, and diagnostic needs. We report the creation of ten Type 2 micro-grants for citizen science and artisan labs to be administered by the nonprofit Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance International (DELSA Global, Seattle). Our hope is that these micro-grants will spur novel forms of disruptive innovation and genomics translation by artisan scientists and citizen scholars alike. We conclude with a neglected voice from the global health frontlines, the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, and suggest that many similar global regions are now poised for micro-grant enabled collective innovation to harness the 21(st) century digital commons.

Results of the life sciences DSOs conducted aboard the space shuttle 1981-1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bungo, Michael W.; Bagian, Tandi M.; Bowman, Mark A.; Levitan, Barry M.

1987-01-01

Results are presented for a number of life sciences investigations sponsored by the Space Biomedical Research Institute at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and conducted as Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) on Space Shuttle flights between 1981 and 1986. An introduction and a description of the DSO program are followed by summary reports on the investigations. Reports are grouped into the following disciplines: Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Effects and Fluid Shifts, Equipment Testing and Experiment Verification, Microbiology, Space Motion Sickness, and Vision. In the appendix, the status of every medical/life science DSO is presented in graphical form, which enables the flight history, the number of subjects tested, and the experiment results to be reviewed at a glance.

Chip in a lab: Microfluidics for next generation life science research

PubMed Central

Streets, Aaron M.; Huang, Yanyi

2013-01-01

Microfluidic circuits are characterized by fluidic channels and chambers with a linear dimension on the order of tens to hundreds of micrometers. Components of this size enable lab-on-a-chip technology that has much promise, for example, in the development of point-of-care diagnostics. Micro-scale fluidic circuits also yield practical, physical, and technological advantages for studying biological systems, enhancing the ability of researchers to make more precise quantitative measurements. Microfluidic technology has thus become a powerful tool in the life science research laboratory over the past decade. Here we focus on chip-in-a-lab applications of microfluidics and survey some examples of how small fluidic components have provided researchers with new tools for life science research. PMID:23460772

KSC-02pd1880

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Columbia is poised to begin rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. The STS-107 research mission comprises experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats), plus the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. Mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch Jan. 16, 2003.

Horizon: The Portable, Scalable, and Reusable Framework for Developing Automated Data Management and Product Generation Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, T.; Alarcon, C.; Quach, N. T.

2014-12-01

Capture, curate, and analysis are the typical activities performed at any given Earth Science data center. Modern data management systems must be adaptable to heterogeneous science data formats, scalable to meet the mission's quality of service requirements, and able to manage the life-cycle of any given science data product. Designing a scalable data management doesn't happen overnight. It takes countless hours of refining, refactoring, retesting, and re-architecting. The Horizon data management and workflow framework, developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is a portable, scalable, and reusable framework for developing high-performance data management and product generation workflow systems to automate data capturing, data curation, and data analysis activities. The NASA's Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC)'s Data Management and Archive System (DMAS) is its core data infrastructure that handles capturing and distribution of hundreds of thousands of satellite observations each day around the clock. DMAS is an application of the Horizon framework. The NASA Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) is NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)'s solution for making high-resolution global imageries available to the science communities. The Imagery Exchange (TIE), an application of the Horizon framework, is a core subsystem for GIBS responsible for data capturing and imagery generation automation to support the EOSDIS' 12 distributed active archive centers and 17 Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS). This presentation discusses our ongoing effort in refining, refactoring, retesting, and re-architecting the Horizon framework to enable data-intensive science and its applications.

2015 Army Science Planning and Strategy Meeting Series: Outcomes and Conclusions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-21

modeling and nanoscale characterization tools to enable efficient design of hybridized manufacturing ; realtime, multiscale computational capability...to enable predictive analytics for expeditionary on-demand manufacturing • Discovery of design principles to enable programming advanced genetic...goals, significant research is needed to mature the fundamental materials science, processing and manufacturing sciences, design methodologies, data

Life Science on the International Space Station Using the Next Generation of Cargo Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, J. A.; Phillion, J. P.; Hart, A. T.; Comella, J.; Edeen, M.; Ruttley, T. M.

2011-01-01

With the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the transition of the International Space Station (ISS) from assembly to full laboratory capabilities, the opportunity to perform life science research in space has increased dramatically, while the operational considerations associated with transportation of the experiments has changed dramatically. US researchers have allocations on the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). In addition, the International Space Station (ISS) Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract will provide consumables and payloads to and from the ISS via the unmanned SpaceX (offers launch and return capabilities) and Orbital (offers only launch capabilities) resupply vehicles. Early requirements drove the capabilities of the vehicle providers; however, many other engineering considerations affect the actual design and operations plans. To better enable the use of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory, ground and on-orbit facility development can augment the vehicle capabilities to better support needs for cell biology, animal research, and conditioned sample return. NASA Life scientists with experience launching research on the space shuttle can find the trades between the capabilities of the many different vehicles to be confusing. In this presentation we will summarize vehicle and associated ground processing capabilities as well as key concepts of operations for different types of life sciences research being launched in the cargo vehicles. We will provide the latest status of vehicle capabilities and support hardware and facilities development being made to enable the broadest implementation of life sciences research on the ISS.

Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Mission: Human Research Pilot Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnaud, Sara B. (Editor); Walker, Karen R. (Editor); Hargens, Alan (Editor)

1996-01-01

The Life Sciences, Microgravity Science and Spacelab Mission contains a number of human experiments directed toward identifying the functional, metabolic and neurological characteristics of muscle weakness and atrophy during space flight. To ensure the successful completion of the flight experiments, a ground-based pilot study, designed to mimic the flight protocols as closely as possible, was carried out in the head-down tilt bed rest model. This report records the rationales, procedures, preliminary results and estimated value of the pilot study, the first of its kind, for 12 of the 13 planned experiments in human research. The bed rest study was conducted in the Human Research Facility at Ames Research Center from July 11 - August 28, 1995. Eight healthy male volunteers performed the experiments before, during and after 17 days bed rest. The immediate purposes of this simulation were to integrate the experiments, provide data in a large enough sample for publication of results, enable investigators to review individual experiments in the framework of a multi-disciplinary study and relay the experience of the pilot study to the mission specialists prior to launch.

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure MIRRI: Strength through Coordination

PubMed Central

Stackebrandt, Erko; Schüngel, Manuela; Martin, Dunja; Smith, David

2015-01-01

Microbial resources have been recognized as essential raw materials for the advancement of health and later for biotechnology, agriculture, food technology and for research in the life sciences, as their enormous abundance and diversity offer an unparalleled source of unexplored solutions. Microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRC) provide live cultures and associated data to foster and support the development of basic and applied science in countries worldwide and especially in Europe, where the density of highly advanced mBRCs is high. The not-for-profit and distributed project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure) aims to coordinate access to hitherto individually managed resources by developing a pan-European platform which takes the interoperability and accessibility of resources and data to a higher level. Providing a wealth of additional information and linking to datasets such as literature, environmental data, sequences and chemistry will enable researchers to select organisms suitable for their research and enable innovative solutions to be developed. The current independent policies and managed processes will be adapted by partner mBRCs to harmonize holdings, services, training, and accession policy and to share expertise. The infrastructure will improve access to enhanced quality microorganisms in an appropriate legal framework and to resource-associated data in a more interoperable way. PMID:27682123

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure MIRRI: Strength through Coordination.

PubMed

Stackebrandt, Erko; Schüngel, Manuela; Martin, Dunja; Smith, David

2015-11-18

Microbial resources have been recognized as essential raw materials for the advancement of health and later for biotechnology, agriculture, food technology and for research in the life sciences, as their enormous abundance and diversity offer an unparalleled source of unexplored solutions. Microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRC) provide live cultures and associated data to foster and support the development of basic and applied science in countries worldwide and especially in Europe, where the density of highly advanced mBRCs is high. The not-for-profit and distributed project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure) aims to coordinate access to hitherto individually managed resources by developing a pan-European platform which takes the interoperability and accessibility of resources and data to a higher level. Providing a wealth of additional information and linking to datasets such as literature, environmental data, sequences and chemistry will enable researchers to select organisms suitable for their research and enable innovative solutions to be developed. The current independent policies and managed processes will be adapted by partner mBRCs to harmonize holdings, services, training, and accession policy and to share expertise. The infrastructure will improve access to enhanced quality microorganisms in an appropriate legal framework and to resource-associated data in a more interoperable way.

Drug development and nonclinical to clinical translational databases: past and current efforts.

PubMed

Monticello, Thomas M

2015-01-01

The International Consortium for Innovation and Quality (IQ) in Pharmaceutical Development is a science-focused organization of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The mission of the Preclinical Safety Leadership Group (DruSafe) of the IQ is to advance science-based standards for nonclinical development of pharmaceutical products and to promote high-quality and effective nonclinical safety testing that can enable human risk assessment. DruSafe is creating an industry-wide database to determine the accuracy with which the interpretation of nonclinical safety assessments in animal models correctly predicts human risk in the early clinical development of biopharmaceuticals. This initiative aligns with the 2011 Food and Drug Administration strategic plan to advance regulatory science and modernize toxicology to enhance product safety. Although similar in concept to the initial industry-wide concordance data set conducted by International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI/ILSI), the DruSafe database will proactively track concordance, include exposure data and large and small molecules, and will continue to expand with longer duration nonclinical and clinical study comparisons. The output from this work will help identify actual human and animal adverse event data to define both the reliability and the potential limitations of nonclinical data and testing paradigms in predicting human safety in phase 1 clinical trials. © 2014 by The Author(s).

Supporting Data Stewardship Throughout the Data Life Cycle in the Solid Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrini, V.; Lehnert, K. A.; Carbotte, S. M.; Hsu, L.

2013-12-01

Stewardship of scientific data is fundamental to enabling new data-driven research, and ensures preservation, accessibility, and quality of the data, yet researchers, especially in disciplines that typically generate and use small, but complex, heterogeneous, and unstructured datasets are challenged to fulfill increasing demands of properly managing their data. The IEDA Data Facility (www.iedadata.org) provides tools and services that support data stewardship throughout the full life cycle of observational data in the solid earth sciences, with a focus on the data management needs of individual researchers. IEDA builds upon and brings together over a decade of development and experiences of its component data systems, the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS, www.marine-geo.org) and EarthChem (www.earthchem.org). IEDA services include domain-focused data curation and synthesis, tools for data discovery, access, visualization and analysis, as well as investigator support services that include tools for data contribution, data publication services, and data compliance support. IEDA data synthesis efforts (e.g. PetDB and Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) Synthesis) focus on data integration and analysis while emphasizing provenance and attribution. IEDA's domain-focused data catalogs (e.g. MGDS and EarthChem Library) provide access to metadata-rich long-tail data complemented by extensive metadata including attribution information and links to related publications. IEDA's visualization and analysis tools (e.g. GeoMapApp) broaden access to earth science data for domain specialist and non-specialists alike, facilitating both interdisciplinary research and education and outreach efforts. As a disciplinary data repository, a key role IEDA plays is to coordinate with its user community and to bridge the requirements and standards for data curation with both the evolving needs of its science community and emerging technologies. Development of IEDA tools and services is based first and foremost on the scientific needs of its user community. As data stewardship becomes a more integral component of the scientific workflow, IEDA investigator support services (e.g. Data Management Plan Tool and Data Compliance Reporting Tool) continue to evolve with the goal of lessening the 'burden' of data management for individual investigators by increasing awareness and facilitating the adoption of data management practices. We will highlight a variety of IEDA system components that support investigators throughout the data life cycle, and will discuss lessons learned and future directions.

The EBI search engine: EBI search as a service—making biological data accessible for all

PubMed Central

Park, Young M.; Squizzato, Silvano; Buso, Nicola; Gur, Tamer

2017-01-01

Abstract We present an update of the EBI Search engine, an easy-to-use fast text search and indexing system with powerful data navigation and retrieval capabilities. The interconnectivity that exists between data resources at EMBL–EBI provides easy, quick and precise navigation and a better understanding of the relationship between different data types that include nucleotide and protein sequences, genes, gene products, proteins, protein domains, protein families, enzymes and macromolecular structures, as well as the life science literature. EBI Search provides a powerful RESTful API that enables its integration into third-party portals, thus providing ‘Search as a Service’ capabilities, which are the main topic of this article. PMID:28472374

ENABLE 2017, the First EUROPEAN PhD and Post-Doc Symposium. Session 3: In Vitro to In Vivo: Modeling Life in 3D.

PubMed

Di Mauro, Gianmarco; Dondi, Ambra; Giangreco, Giovanni; Hogrebe, Alexander; Louer, Elja; Magistrati, Elisa; Mullari, Meeli; Turon, Gemma; Verdurmen, Wouter; Cortada, Helena Xicoy; Zivanovic, Sanja

2018-05-22

The EUROPEAN ACADEMY FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE (ENABLE) is an initiative funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 program involving four renowned European research institutes (Institute for Research in Biomedicine-IRB Barcelona, Spain; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences-RIMLS, the Netherlands; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research-NNF CPR, Denmark; European School of Molecular Medicine-SEMM, Italy) and an innovative science communication agency (Scienseed). With the aim to promote biomedical science of excellence in Europe, ENABLE organizes an annual three-day international event. This gathering includes a top-level scientific symposium bringing together leading scientists, PhD students, and post-doctoral fellows; career development activities supporting the progression of young researchers and fostering discussion about opportunities beyond the bench; outreach activities stimulating the interaction between science and society. The first European PhD and Postdoc Symposium, entitled "Breaking Down Complexity: Innovative models and techniques in biomedicine", was hosted by the vibrant city of Barcelona. The scientific program of the conference was focused on the most recent advances and applications of modern techniques and models in biomedical research and covered a wide range of topics, from synthetic biology to translational medicine. Overall, the event was a great success, with more than 200 attendees from all over Europe actively participating in the symposium by presenting their research and exchanging ideas with their peers and world-renowned scientists.

KSC-02pd1890

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia, atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, approaches the top of Launch Pad 39A where it will undergo preparations for launch. The STS-107 research mission comprises experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences, plus the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. Mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch Jan. 16, 2003.

Networking Technologies Enable Advances in Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Marjory; Freeman, Kenneth; Gilstrap, Raymond; Beck, Richard

2004-01-01

This paper describes an experiment to prototype a new way of conducting science by applying networking and distributed computing technologies to an Earth Science application. A combination of satellite, wireless, and terrestrial networking provided geologists at a remote field site with interactive access to supercomputer facilities at two NASA centers, thus enabling them to validate and calibrate remotely sensed geological data in near-real time. This represents a fundamental shift in the way that Earth scientists analyze remotely sensed data. In this paper we describe the experiment and the network infrastructure that enabled it, analyze the data flow during the experiment, and discuss the scientific impact of the results.

Enabling the Continuous EOS-SNPP Satellite Data Record thru EOSDIS Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, A.; Behnke, J.; Ho, E. L.

2015-12-01

Following Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) launch of October 2011, the role of the NASA Science Data Segment (SDS) focused primarily on evaluation of the sensor data records (SDRs) and environmental data records (EDRs) produced by the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), a National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) Program as to their suitability for Earth system science. The evaluation has been completed for Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), and Ozone Mapper/Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir instruments. Since launch, the SDS has also been processing, archiving and distributing data from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Ozone Mapper/Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb instruments and this work is planned to continue through the life of the mission. As NASA transitions to the production of standard, Earth Observing System (EOS)-like science products for all instruments aboard Suomi NPP, the Suomi NPP Science Team (ST) will need data processing and production facilities to produce the new science products they develop. The five Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS): Land, Ocean. Atmosphere, Ozone, and Sounder will produce the NASA SNPP standard Level 1, Level 2, and global Level 3 products and provide the products to the NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) for distribution to the user community. The SIPS will ingest EOS compatible Level 0 data from EOS Data Operations System (EDOS) for their data processing. A key feature is the use of Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) services for the continuous EOS-SNPP satellite data record. This allows users to use the same tools and interfaces on SNPP as they would on the entire NASA Earth Science data collection in EOSDIS.

The critical role of peptide chemistry in the life sciences.

PubMed

Kent, Stephen B H

2015-03-01

Peptide chemistry plays a key role in the synthesis and study of protein molecules and their functions. Modern ligation methods enable the total synthesis of enzymes and the systematic dissection of the chemical basis of enzyme catalysis. Predicted developments in peptide science are described. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Closing in on the limits of life through open-access instrumentation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girguis, P. R.; Hoer, D.

2016-12-01

Put simply, metabolic activity by living organisms can discriminate against elemental isotopes, resulting in an isotopic fractionation that is manifest in their biomolecules, substrates and endproducts. For decades, investigators have used these isotope ratios to make inferences about organismal activity and physiological capacity in modern day and paleo-environments. However, a long standing challenge in the life sciences is identifying and characterizing the limits of life. Whereas the limits of metazoan (animal) life are known to some degree, the extent of microbial life remains unconstrained. For example, we do not know the upper temperature limits of life, nor the lower energy limits of life. Discrete samples and the subsequent geochemical and biological measurements provide a means of bounding these questions, but there are major challenges associated with collecting such samples from the deep sea and other "extreme" habitats. A complementary approach is in situ geo-referenced isotope mapping. To date, we have developed instruments capable of measuring methane-carbon isotope ratios in situ and used the to "map" the activity and influence of anaerobic methanotrophs around natural hydrocarbon seeps (Wankel et al., 2012). While these instruments provide isotopic data in realtime, their greatest value is in producing geo-referenced "maps" of these isotope ratios, enabling investigators to better understand where microbial activity is highest, and the extent to which methane-derived carbon is found in the neighboring sediments and overlying water column. Now, our efforts are aimed at developing a 2nd generation instrument that will be substantially smaller and far more energy efficient, enabling deployment in more challenging environments such as boreholes and beneath ice. Most importantly, we are designing it to be capable of quantifying differences in the isotopes of multiple volatile compounds, e.g. carbon and sulfur, enabling a greater degree of fidelity in detecting biological activity in the subsurface and in other challenging locales. Here we will present our designs and data, and discuss how this and other instruments -such as integrated autonomous sensor and sampling packages- can advance our understanding of the limits of life here on Earth and -potentially- on other bodies.

The NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program: Accomplishments Since 2013

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rask, Jon; Gibbs, Kristina; Ray, Hami; Bridges, Desireemoi; Bailey, Brad; Smith, Jeff; Sato, Kevin; Taylor, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) provides undergraduate students entering their junior or senior years with professional experience in space life science disciplines. This challenging ten-week summer program is held at NASA Ames Research Center. The primary goal of the program is to train the next generation of scientists and engineers, enabling NASA to meet future research and development challenges in the space life sciences. Students work closely with NASA scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology development. In addition to conducting hands-on research and presenting their findings, SLSTP students attend technical lectures given by experts on a wide range of topics, tour NASA research facilities, participate in leadership and team building exercises, and complete a group project. For this presentation, we will highlight program processes, accomplishments, goals, and feedback from alumni and mentors since 2013. To date, 49 students from 41 different academic institutions, 9 staffers, and 21 mentors have participated in the program. The SLSTP is funded by Space Biology, which is part of the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Application division of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The SLSTP is managed by the Space Biology Project within the Science Directorate at Ames Research Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., helps install a Dionex DX-500 IC/HPLC system in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., helps install a Dionex DX-500 IC/HPLC system in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

GeneLab for High Schools: Data Mining for the Next Generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blaber, Elizabeth A.; Ly, Diana; Sato, Kevin Y.; Taylor, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Modern biological sciences have become increasingly based on molecular biology and high-throughput molecular techniques, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. NASA Scientists and the NASA Space Biology Program have aimed to examine the fundamental building blocks of life (RNA, DNA and protein) in order to understand the response of living organisms to space and aid in fundamental research discoveries on Earth. In an effort to enable NASA funded science to be available to everyone, NASA has collected the data from omics studies and curated them in a data system called GeneLab. Whilst most college-level interns, academics and other scientists have had some interaction with omics data sets and analysis tools, high school students often have not. Therefore, the Space Biology Program is implementing a new Summer Program for high-school students that aims to inspire the next generation of scientists to learn about and get involved in space research using GeneLabs Data System. The program consists of three main components core learning modules, focused on developing students knowledge on the Space Biology Program and Space Biology research, Genelab and the data system, and previous research conducted on model organisms in space; networking and team work, enabling students to interact with guest lecturers from local universities and their fellow peers, and also enabling them to visit local universities and genomics centers around the Bay area; and finally an independent learning project, whereby students will be required to form small groups, analyze a dataset on the Genelab platform, generate a hypothesis and develop a research plan to test their hypothesis. This program will not only help inspire high-school students to become involved in space-based research but will also help them develop key critical thinking and bioinformatics skills required for most college degrees and furthermore, will enable them to establish networks with their peers and connections with university Professors that may help them achieve their educational goals.

The NASA Earth Science Program and Small Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neeck, Steven P.

2015-01-01

Earth's changing environment impacts every aspect of life on our planet and climate change has profound implications on society. Studying Earth as a single complex system is essential to understanding the causes and consequences of climate change and other global environmental concerns. NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) shapes an interdisciplinary view of Earth, exploring interactions among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself. This enables scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by Government, other organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The data collected and results generated are accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster prediction and response, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. ESD's Flight Program provides the spacebased observing systems and supporting infrastructure for mission operations and scientific data processing and distribution that support NASA's Earth science research and modeling activities. The Flight Program currently has 21 operating Earth observing space missions, including the recently launched Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, and the International Space Station (ISS) RapidSCAT and Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instruments. The ESD has 22 more missions and instruments planned for launch over the next decade. These include first and second tier missions from the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey, Climate Continuity missions to assure availability of key climate data sets, and small-sized competitively selected orbital missions and instrument missions of opportunity belonging to the Earth Venture (EV) Program. Small satellites (500 kg or less) are critical contributors to these current and future satellite missions. Some examples are the aforementioned Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On (GRACE FO), and the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) microsatellite constellation. Small satellites also support ESD in space validation and risk reduction of enabling technologies (components and systems). The status of the ESD Flight Program and the role of small satellites will be discussed.

KSC-02pd1885

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia rolls towards Launch Pad 39A, sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, which in turn is carried by the crawler-transporter underneath. The STS-107 research mission comprises experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats), plus the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. Mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch Jan. 16, 2003.

GeneAnalytics: An Integrative Gene Set Analysis Tool for Next Generation Sequencing, RNAseq and Microarray Data.

PubMed

Ben-Ari Fuchs, Shani; Lieder, Iris; Stelzer, Gil; Mazor, Yaron; Buzhor, Ella; Kaplan, Sergey; Bogoch, Yoel; Plaschkes, Inbar; Shitrit, Alina; Rappaport, Noa; Kohn, Asher; Edgar, Ron; Shenhav, Liraz; Safran, Marilyn; Lancet, Doron; Guan-Golan, Yaron; Warshawsky, David; Shtrichman, Ronit

2016-03-01

Postgenomics data are produced in large volumes by life sciences and clinical applications of novel omics diagnostics and therapeutics for precision medicine. To move from "data-to-knowledge-to-innovation," a crucial missing step in the current era is, however, our limited understanding of biological and clinical contexts associated with data. Prominent among the emerging remedies to this challenge are the gene set enrichment tools. This study reports on GeneAnalytics™ ( geneanalytics.genecards.org ), a comprehensive and easy-to-apply gene set analysis tool for rapid contextualization of expression patterns and functional signatures embedded in the postgenomics Big Data domains, such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), RNAseq, and microarray experiments. GeneAnalytics' differentiating features include in-depth evidence-based scoring algorithms, an intuitive user interface and proprietary unified data. GeneAnalytics employs the LifeMap Science's GeneCards suite, including the GeneCards®--the human gene database; the MalaCards-the human diseases database; and the PathCards--the biological pathways database. Expression-based analysis in GeneAnalytics relies on the LifeMap Discovery®--the embryonic development and stem cells database, which includes manually curated expression data for normal and diseased tissues, enabling advanced matching algorithm for gene-tissue association. This assists in evaluating differentiation protocols and discovering biomarkers for tissues and cells. Results are directly linked to gene, disease, or cell "cards" in the GeneCards suite. Future developments aim to enhance the GeneAnalytics algorithm as well as visualizations, employing varied graphical display items. Such attributes make GeneAnalytics a broadly applicable postgenomics data analyses and interpretation tool for translation of data to knowledge-based innovation in various Big Data fields such as precision medicine, ecogenomics, nutrigenomics, pharmacogenomics, vaccinomics, and others yet to emerge on the postgenomics horizon.

Crowd-Funded Micro-Grants for Genomics and “Big Data”: An Actionable Idea Connecting Small (Artisan) Science, Infrastructure Science, and Citizen Philanthropy

PubMed Central

Badr, Kamal F.; Dove, Edward S.; Endrenyi, Laszlo; Geraci, Christy Jo; Hotez, Peter J.; Milius, Djims; Neves-Pereira, Maria; Pang, Tikki; Rotimi, Charles N.; Sabra, Ramzi; Sarkissian, Christineh N.; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Tims, Hesther; Zgheib, Nathalie K.; Kickbusch, Ilona

2013-01-01

Abstract Biomedical science in the 21st century is embedded in, and draws from, a digital commons and “Big Data” created by high-throughput Omics technologies such as genomics. Classic Edisonian metaphors of science and scientists (i.e., “the lone genius” or other narrow definitions of expertise) are ill equipped to harness the vast promises of the 21st century digital commons. Moreover, in medicine and life sciences, experts often under-appreciate the important contributions made by citizen scholars and lead users of innovations to design innovative products and co-create new knowledge. We believe there are a large number of users waiting to be mobilized so as to engage with Big Data as citizen scientists—only if some funding were available. Yet many of these scholars may not meet the meta-criteria used to judge expertise, such as a track record in obtaining large research grants or a traditional academic curriculum vitae. This innovation research article describes a novel idea and action framework: micro-grants, each worth $1000, for genomics and Big Data. Though a relatively small amount at first glance, this far exceeds the annual income of the “bottom one billion”—the 1.4 billion people living below the extreme poverty level defined by the World Bank ($1.25/day). We describe two types of micro-grants. Type 1 micro-grants can be awarded through established funding agencies and philanthropies that create micro-granting programs to fund a broad and highly diverse array of small artisan labs and citizen scholars to connect genomics and Big Data with new models of discovery such as open user innovation. Type 2 micro-grants can be funded by existing or new science observatories and citizen think tanks through crowd-funding mechanisms described herein. Type 2 micro-grants would also facilitate global health diplomacy by co-creating crowd-funded micro-granting programs across nation-states in regions facing political and financial instability, while sharing similar disease burdens, therapeutics, and diagnostic needs. We report the creation of ten Type 2 micro-grants for citizen science and artisan labs to be administered by the nonprofit Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance International (DELSA Global, Seattle). Our hope is that these micro-grants will spur novel forms of disruptive innovation and genomics translation by artisan scientists and citizen scholars alike. We conclude with a neglected voice from the global health frontlines, the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, and suggest that many similar global regions are now poised for micro-grant enabled collective innovation to harness the 21st century digital commons. PMID:23574338

The under reporting of recruitment strategies in research with children with life-threatening illnesses: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Hudson, Briony F; Oostendorp, Linda JM; Candy, Bridget; Vickerstaff, Victoria; Jones, Louise; Lakhanpaul, Monica; Bluebond-Langner, Myra; Stone, Paddy

2016-01-01

Background: Researchers report difficulties in conducting research with children and young people with life-limiting conditions or life-threatening illnesses and their families. Recruitment is challenged by barriers including ethical, logistical and clinical considerations. Aim: To explore how children and young people (aged 0–25 years) with life-limiting conditions or life-threatening illnesses and their families were identified, invited and consented to research published in the last 5 years. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Sciences Citation Index and SCOPUS were searched for original English language research published between 2009 and 2014, recruiting children and young people with life-limiting conditions or life-threatening illness and their families. Results: A total of 215 studies – 152 qualitative, 54 quantitative and 9 mixed methods – were included. Limited recruitment information but a range of strategies and difficulties were provided. The proportion of eligible participants from those screened could not be calculated in 80% of studies. Recruitment rates could not be calculated in 77%. A total of 31% of studies recruited less than 50% of eligible participants. Reasons given for non-invitation included missing clinical or contact data, or clinician judgements of participant unsuitability. Reasons for non-participation included lack of interest and participants’ perceptions of potential burdens. Conclusion: All stages of recruitment were under reported. Transparency in reporting of participant identification, invitation and consent is needed to enable researchers to understand research implications, bias risk and to whom results apply. Research is needed to explore why consenting participants decide to take part or not and their experiences of research recruitment. PMID:27609607

Life Sciences Data Archive Scientific Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckey, Jay C., Jr.

1995-01-01

The Life Sciences Data Archive will provide scientists, managers and the general public with access to biomedical data collected before, during and after spaceflight. These data are often irreplaceable and represent a major resource from the space program. For these data to be useful, however, they must be presented with enough supporting information, description and detail so that an interested scientist can understand how, when and why the data were collected. The goal of this contract was to provide a scientific consultant to the archival effort at the NASA-Johnson Space Center. This consultant (Jay C. Buckey, Jr., M.D.) is a scientist, who was a co-investigator on both the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 and Spacelab Life Sciences-2 flights. In addition he was an alternate payload specialist for the Spacelab Life Sciences-2 flight. In this role he trained on all the experiments on the flight and so was familiar with the protocols, hardware and goals of all the experiments on the flight. Many of these experiments were flown on both SLS-1 and SLS-2. This background was useful for the archive, since the first mission to be archived was Spacelab Life Sciences-1. Dr. Buckey worked directly with the archive effort to ensure that the parameters, scientific descriptions, protocols and data sets were accurate and useful.

Science in a Box: An Educator Guide with NASA Glovebox Activities in Science, Math, and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC. Education Dept.

The Space Shuttle and International Space Station provide a unique microgravity environment for research that is a critical part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) mission to improve the quality of life on Earth and enable the health and safety of space explorers for long duration missions beyond our solar system. This…

Enabling Energy Efficiency (A "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" contest entry from the 2011 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum)

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

Coltrin, Mike; Simmons, Jerry

"Enabling Energy Efficiency" was submitted by the EFRC for Solid-State Lighting Science (SSLS) to the "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" video contest at the 2011 Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum. Twenty-six EFRCs created short videos to highlight their mission and their work. SSLS is directed by Mike Coltrin (Acting) and Jerry Simmons at Sandia National Laboratories, and is a partnership of scientists from eight institutions: Sandia National Laboratories (lead); California Institute of Technology; Los Alamos National Laboratoryl; University of New Mexico; Northwestern University; Philips Lumileds Lighting; University of Californiamore » Merced and Santa Barbara. The Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science established the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) in 2009. These collaboratively-organized centers conduct fundamental research focused on 'grand challenges' and use-inspired 'basic research needs' recently identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The overall purpose is to accelerate scientific progress toward meeting the nation's critical energy challenges.« less

Enabling Energy Efficiency (A "Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research" contest entry from the 2011 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum)

ScienceCinema

Coltrin, Mike (Acting Director, EFRC for Solid State Lighting Science); Simmons, Jerry; SSLS Staff

2017-12-09

'Enabling Energy Efficiency' was submitted by the EFRC for Solid-State Lighting Science (SSLS) to the 'Life at the Frontiers of Energy Research' video contest at the 2011 Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) Summit and Forum. Twenty-six EFRCs created short videos to highlight their mission and their work. SSLS is directed by Mike Coltrin (Acting) and Jerry Simmons at Sandia National Laboratories, and is a partnership of scientists from eight institutions: Sandia National Laboratories (lead); California Institute of Technology; Los Alamos National Laboratory; University of Massachusetts, Lowell; University of New Mexico; Northwestern University; Philips Lumileds Lighting; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science established the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) in 2009. These collaboratively-organized centers conduct fundamental research focused on 'grand challenges' and use-inspired 'basic research needs' recently identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community. The overall purpose is to accelerate scientific progress toward meeting the nation's critical energy challenges.

Life Sciences Accomplishments 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnell, Mary Lou (Editor)

1993-01-01

The NASA Life and Biomedical Sciences and Applications Division (LBSAD) serves the Nation's life sciences community by managing all aspects of U.S. space-related life sciences research and technology development. The activities of the Division are integral components of the Nation's overall biological sciences and biomedical research efforts. However, NASA's life sciences activities are unique, in that space flight affords the opportunity to study and characterize basic biological mechanisms in ways not possible on Earth. By utilizing access to space as a research tool, NASA advances fundamental knowledge of the way in which weightlessness, radiation, and other aspects of the space-flight environment interact with biological processes. This knowledge is applied to procedures and technologies that enable humans to live and work in and explore space and contributes to the health and well-being of people on Earth. The activities of the Division are guided by the following three goals: Goal 1) Use microgravity and other unique aspects of the space environment to enhance our understanding of fundamental biological processes. Goal 2) Develop the scientific and technological foundations for supporting exploration by enabling productive human presence in space for extended periods. Goal 3) Apply our unique mission personnel, facilities, and technology to improve education, the quality of life on Earth, and U.S. competitiveness. The Division pursues these goals with integrated ground and flight programs involving the participation of NASA field centers, industry, and universities, as well as interactions with other national agencies and NASA's international partners. The published work of Division-sponsored researchers is a record of completed research in pursuit of these goals. During 1993, the LBSAD instituted significant changes in its experiment solicitation and peer review processes. For the first time, a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) was released requesting proposals for ground-based and flight research for all programs. Areas of particular interest to NASA were defined Proposals due April 29, 1994, will be peer reviewed - externally for scientific merit. This annual NRA process is now the mechanism for recruiting both extramural and intramural investigations. As an overview of LBSAD activities in 1993, this accomplishments document covers each of the major organizational components of the Division and the accomplishments of each. The second section is a review of the Space Life Sciences Research programs Space Biology, Space Physiology and Countermeasures, Radiation Health, Environmental Health, Space Human Factors, Advanced Life Support, and Global Monitoring and Disease Prediction, The third section, Research in Space Flight, describes the substantial contributions of the Spacelab Life Sciences 2 (SLS-2) mission to life sciences research and the significant contributions of the other missions flown in 1993, along with plans for future missions. The Division has greatly expanded and given high priority to its Education and Outreach Programs, which are presented in the fourth section. The fifth and final section, Partners for Space, shows the Divisions Cooperative efforts with other national and international agencies to achieve common goals, along with the accomplishments of joint research and analysis programs.

Damsel: A Data Model Storage Library for Exascale Science

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

Koziol, Quincey

The goal of this project is to enable exascale computational science applications to interact conveniently and efficiently with storage through abstractions that match their data models. We will accomplish this through three major activities: (1) identifying major data model motifs in computational science applications and developing representative benchmarks; (2) developing a data model storage library, called Damsel, that supports these motifs, provides efficient storage data layouts, incorporates optimizations to enable exascale operation, and is tolerant to failures; and (3) productizing Damsel and working with computational scientists to encourage adoption of this library by the scientific community.

Why the Petascale era will drive improvements in the management of the full lifecycle of earth science data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyborn, L.

2012-04-01

The advent of the petascale era, in both storage and compute facilities, will offer new opportunities for earth scientists to transform the way they do their science and to undertake cross-disciplinary science at a global scale. No longer will data have to be averaged and subsampled: it can be analysed to its fullest resolution at national or even global scales. Much larger data volumes can be analysed in single passes and at higher resolution: large scale cross domain science is now feasible. However, in general, earth sciences have been slow to capitalise on the potential of these new petascale compute facilities: many struggle to even use terascale facilities. Our chances of using these new facilities will require a vast improvement in the management of the full life cycle of data: in reality it will need to be transformed. Many of our current issues with earth science data are historic and stem from the limitations of early data storage systems. As storage was so expensive, metadata was usually stored separate from the data and attached as a readme file. Likewise, attributes that defined uncertainty, reliability and traceability were recoded in lab note books and rarely stored with the data. Data were routinely transferred as files. The new opportunities require that the traditional discover, display and locally download and process paradigm is too limited. For data access and assimilation to be improved, data will need to be self describing. For heterogeneous data to be rapidly integrated attributes such as reliability, uncertainty and traceability will need to be systematically recorded with each observation. The petascale era also requires that individual data files be transformed and aggregated into calibrated data arrays or data cubes. Standards become critical and are the enablers of integration. These changes are common to almost every science discipline. What makes earth sciences unique is that many domains record time series data, particularly in the environmental geosciences areas (weathering, soil changes, climate change). The data life cycle will be measured in decades and centuries, not years. Preservation over such time spans is quite a challenge to the earth sciences as data will have to be managed over many evolutions of software and hardware. The focus has to be on managing the data and not the media. Currently storage is not an issue, but it is predicted that data volumes will soon exceed the effective storage media than can be physically manufactured. This means that organisations will have to think about disposal and destruction of data. For earth sciences, this will be a particularly sensitive issue. Petascale computing offers many new opportunities to the earth sciences and by 2020 exascale computers will be a reality. To fully realise these opportunities the earth sciences needs to actively and systematically rethink what the ramifications of these new systems will have on current practices for data storage, discovery, access and assimilation.

Making species checklists understandable to machines - a shift from relational databases to ontologies.

PubMed

Laurenne, Nina; Tuominen, Jouni; Saarenmaa, Hannu; Hyvönen, Eero

2014-01-01

The scientific names of plants and animals play a major role in Life Sciences as information is indexed, integrated, and searched using scientific names. The main problem with names is their ambiguous nature, because more than one name may point to the same taxon and multiple taxa may share the same name. In addition, scientific names change over time, which makes them open to various interpretations. Applying machine-understandable semantics to these names enables efficient processing of biological content in information systems. The first step is to use unique persistent identifiers instead of name strings when referring to taxa. The most commonly used identifiers are Life Science Identifiers (LSID), which are traditionally used in relational databases, and more recently HTTP URIs, which are applied on the Semantic Web by Linked Data applications. We introduce two models for expressing taxonomic information in the form of species checklists. First, we show how species checklists are presented in a relational database system using LSIDs. Then, in order to gain a more detailed representation of taxonomic information, we introduce meta-ontology TaxMeOn to model the same content as Semantic Web ontologies where taxa are identified using HTTP URIs. We also explore how changes in scientific names can be managed over time. The use of HTTP URIs is preferable for presenting the taxonomic information of species checklists. An HTTP URI identifies a taxon and operates as a web address from which additional information about the taxon can be located, unlike LSID. This enables the integration of biological data from different sources on the web using Linked Data principles and prevents the formation of information silos. The Linked Data approach allows a user to assemble information and evaluate the complexity of taxonomical data based on conflicting views of taxonomic classifications. Using HTTP URIs and Semantic Web technologies also facilitate the representation of the semantics of biological data, and in this way, the creation of more "intelligent" biological applications and services.

KSC-02pd0422

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, members of the STS-107 crew run tests on the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments, part of the payload on their mission. A research mission, the primary payload is the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

ScienceOrganizer System and Interface Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Richard M.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

ScienceOrganizer is a specialized knowledge management tool designed to enhance the information storage, organization, and access capabilities of distributed NASA science teams. Users access ScienceOrganizer through an intuitive Web-based interface that enables them to upload, download, and organize project information - including data, documents, images, and scientific records associated with laboratory and field experiments. Information in ScienceOrganizer is "threaded", or interlinked, to enable users to locate, track, and organize interrelated pieces of scientific data. Linkages capture important semantic relationships among information resources in the repository, and these assist users in navigating through the information related to their projects.

Psychophysiological investigations of the biomedical problems of manned spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Final Report on psychophysiological investigations of the biomedical problems of manned spaceflight is presented. In the first project, statistical analyses of human autonomic data were performed. The objectives were the following: to establish a relational data base containing human psychophysiological data obtained from Shuttle flight experiments and ground-based research over a 20 year period; to enable multi-user access and retrieval of these data for subsequent analyses and for possible inclusion in the proposed Life Sciences Data Archive; and to enable/conduct statistical analyses across several experiments on large subject populations which can thereby provide definitive answers to questions on human autonomic and behavioral responses and adaptation to environmental stressors on Earth and in space. The second project studied motion sickness. The objectives were: to test/develop hardware and procedures to be incorporated into preflight training of crewmembers of Spacelab-J; and to examine spin-off applications of AFT. The third project studied orthostatic intolerance. The objective was to test the feasibility of applying autogenic-feedback training as a potential treatment for postflight orthostatic intolerance.

GNSS CORS hardware and software enabling new science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drummond, P.

2009-12-01

GNSS CORS networks are enabling new opportunities for science and public and private sector business. This paper will explore how the newest geodetic monitoring software and GNSS receiver hardware from Trimble Navigation Ltd are enabling new science. Technology trends and science opportunities will be explored. These trends include the installation of active GNSS control, automation of observations and processing, and the advantages of multi-observable and multi-constellation observations, all performed with the use of off the shelf products and industry standard open-source data formats. Also the possibilities with moving science from an after-the-fact postprocessed model to a real-time epoch-by-epoch solution will be explored. This presentation will also discuss the combination of existing GNSS CORS networks with project specific installations used for monitoring. Experience is showing GNSS is able to provide higher resolution data than previous methods, providing new tools for science, decision makers and financial planners.

NCBI2RDF: enabling full RDF-based access to NCBI databases.

PubMed

Anguita, Alberto; García-Remesal, Miguel; de la Iglesia, Diana; Maojo, Victor

2013-01-01

RDF has become the standard technology for enabling interoperability among heterogeneous biomedical databases. The NCBI provides access to a large set of life sciences databases through a common interface called Entrez. However, the latter does not provide RDF-based access to such databases, and, therefore, they cannot be integrated with other RDF-compliant databases and accessed via SPARQL query interfaces. This paper presents the NCBI2RDF system, aimed at providing RDF-based access to the complete NCBI data repository. This API creates a virtual endpoint for servicing SPARQL queries over different NCBI repositories and presenting to users the query results in SPARQL results format, thus enabling this data to be integrated and/or stored with other RDF-compliant repositories. SPARQL queries are dynamically resolved, decomposed, and forwarded to the NCBI-provided E-utilities programmatic interface to access the NCBI data. Furthermore, we show how our approach increases the expressiveness of the native NCBI querying system, allowing several databases to be accessed simultaneously. This feature significantly boosts productivity when working with complex queries and saves time and effort to biomedical researchers. Our approach has been validated with a large number of SPARQL queries, thus proving its reliability and enhanced capabilities in biomedical environments.

Fundamental plant biology enabled by the space shuttle.

PubMed

Paul, Anna-Lisa; Wheeler, Ray M; Levine, Howard G; Ferl, Robert J

2013-01-01

The relationship between fundamental plant biology and space biology was especially synergistic in the era of the Space Shuttle. While all terrestrial organisms are influenced by gravity, the impact of gravity as a tropic stimulus in plants has been a topic of formal study for more than a century. And while plants were parts of early space biology payloads, it was not until the advent of the Space Shuttle that the science of plant space biology enjoyed expansion that truly enabled controlled, fundamental experiments that removed gravity from the equation. The Space Shuttle presented a science platform that provided regular science flights with dedicated plant growth hardware and crew trained in inflight plant manipulations. Part of the impetus for plant biology experiments in space was the realization that plants could be important parts of bioregenerative life support on long missions, recycling water, air, and nutrients for the human crew. However, a large part of the impetus was that the Space Shuttle enabled fundamental plant science essentially in a microgravity environment. Experiments during the Space Shuttle era produced key science insights on biological adaptation to spaceflight and especially plant growth and tropisms. In this review, we present an overview of plant science in the Space Shuttle era with an emphasis on experiments dealing with fundamental plant growth in microgravity. This review discusses general conclusions from the study of plant spaceflight biology enabled by the Space Shuttle by providing historical context and reviews of select experiments that exemplify plant space biology science.

Building an Economical and Sustainable Lunar Infrastructure to Enable Lunar Science and Space Commerce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuniga, A. F.; Turner, M. F.; Rasky, D. J.

2017-10-01

A new concept study was initiated to examine and analyze architecture concepts for an economical and sustainable lunar infrastructure system that can extend the life, functionality, and distance traveled of surface mobility missions.

Array Databases: Agile Analytics (not just) for the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, P.; Misev, D.

2015-12-01

Gridded data, such as images, image timeseries, and climate datacubes, today are managed separately from the metadata, and with different, restricted retrieval capabilities. While databases are good at metadata modelled in tables, XML hierarchies, or RDF graphs, they traditionally do not support multi-dimensional arrays.This gap is being closed by Array Databases, pioneered by the scalable rasdaman ("raster data manager") array engine. Its declarative query language, rasql, extends SQL with array operators which are optimized and parallelized on server side. Installations can easily be mashed up securely, thereby enabling large-scale location-transparent query processing in federations. Domain experts value the integration with their commonly used tools leading to a quick learning curve.Earth, Space, and Life sciences, but also Social sciences as well as business have massive amounts of data and complex analysis challenges that are answered by rasdaman. As of today, rasdaman is mature and in operational use on hundreds of Terabytes of timeseries datacubes, with transparent query distribution across more than 1,000 nodes. Additionally, its concepts have shaped international Big Data standards in the field, including the forthcoming array extension to ISO SQL, many of which are supported by both open-source and commercial systems meantime. In the geo field, rasdaman is reference implementation for the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Big Data standard, WCS, now also under adoption by ISO. Further, rasdaman is in the final stage of OSGeo incubation.In this contribution we present array queries a la rasdaman, describe the architecture and novel optimization and parallelization techniques introduced in 2015, and put this in context of the intercontinental EarthServer initiative which utilizes rasdaman for enabling agile analytics on Petascale datacubes.

KSC-03pd0105

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson is happy to being suiting up for launch on mission STS-107. The mission is devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

Basalt: Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, D. S. S.; Abercromby, A.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Kobayashi, L.; Hughes, S. S.; Chappell, S.; Bramall, N. E.; Deans, M. C.; Heldmann, J. L.; Downs, M.; Cockell, C. S.; Stevens, A. H.; Caldwell, B.; Hoffman, J.; Vadhavk, N.; Marquez, J.; Miller, M.; Squyres, S. W.; Lees, D. S.; Fong, T.; Cohen, T.; Smith, T.; Lee, G.; Frank, J.; Colaprete, A.

2015-12-01

This presentation will provide an overview of the BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) program. BASALT research addresses Science, Science Operations, and Technology. Specifically, BASALT is focused on the investigation of terrestrial volcanic terrains and their habitability as analog environments for early and present-day Mars. Our scientific fieldwork is conducted under simulated Mars mission constraints to evaluate strategically selected concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities with respect to their anticipated value for the joint human and robotic exploration of Mars. a) Science: The BASALT science program is focused on understanding habitability conditions of early and present-day Mars in two relevant Mars-analog locations (the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) and the East Rift Zone (ERZ) flows on the Big Island of Hawai'i and the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) in Idaho) to characterize and compare the physical and geochemical conditions of life in these environments and to learn how to seek, identify, and characterize life and life-related chemistry in basaltic environments representing these two epochs of martian history. b) Science Operations: The BASALT team will conduct real (non-simulated) biological and geological science at two high-fidelity Mars analogs, all within simulated Mars mission conditions (including communication latencies and bandwidth constraints) that are based on current architectural assumptions for Mars exploration missions. We will identify which human-robotic ConOps and supporting capabilities enable science return and discovery. c) Technology: BASALT will incorporate and evaluate technologies in to our field operations that are directly relevant to conducting the scientific investigations regarding life and life-related chemistry in Mars-analogous terrestrial environments. BASALT technologies include the use of mobile science platforms, extravehicular informatics, display technologies, communication & navigation packages, remote sensing, advanced science mission planning tools, and scientifically-relevant instrument packages to achieve the project goals.

[Recent Progress in Promoting Research Integrity].

PubMed

Tanaka, Satoshi

2018-01-01

　An increasing number of cases of research misconduct and whistle-blowing in the fields of medicine and life sciences has created public concern about research integrity. In Europe and the United States, there has been a large focus on poor reproducibility in life science research, and poor reproducibility is largely associated with research misconduct. Research integrity is equally crucial in the pharmaceutical sciences, which play an important role in medical and life sciences. Individual cases of research misconduct have not been investigated in detail in Japan, because it was generally believed that only researchers with strong or strange personalities would participate in misconduct. However, a better understanding of research misconduct will enable more in-depth discussions about research integrity, which is now known to be closely associated with normal research activities. Here I will introduce information on various contemporary activities being performed to create a sound research environment, drawn from practices in universities, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies. I will also discuss ways in which individual researchers can promote research integrity.

Developing Smartphone Apps for Education, Outreach, Science, and Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherwax, A. T.; Fitzsimmons, Z.; Czajkowski, J.; Breimer, E.; Hellman, S. B.; Hunter, S.; Dematteo, J.; Savery, T.; Melsert, K.; Sneeringer, J.

2010-12-01

The increased popularity of mobile phone apps provide scientists with a new avenue for sharing and distributing data and knowledge with colleagues, while also providing meaningful education and outreach products for consumption by the general public. Our initial development of iPhone and Android apps centered on the distribution of exciting auroral images taken at the South Pole for education and outreach purposes. These portable platforms, with limited resources when compared to computers, presented a unique set of design and implementation challenges that we will discuss in this presentation. For example, the design must account for limited memory; screen size; processing power; battery life; and potentially high data transport costs. Some of these unique requirements created an environment that enabled undergraduate and high-school students to participate in the creation of these apps. Additionally, during development it became apparent that these apps could also serve as data analysis and engineering tools. Our presentation will further discuss our plans to use apps not only for Education and Public Outreach, but for teaching, science and engineering.

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries

PubMed Central

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-01-01

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century. PMID:21444779

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries.

PubMed

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-04-05

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century.

STS-107 Columbia rollout to Launch Pad 39A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia, framed by trees near the Banana River, rolls towards Launch Pad 39A, sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, which in turn is carried by the crawler-transporter underneath. The STS-107 research mission comprises experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats), plus the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. Mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch Jan. 16, 2003.

The Study Team for Early Life Asthma Research (STELAR) consortium ‘Asthma e-lab’: team science bringing data, methods and investigators together

PubMed Central

Custovic, Adnan; Ainsworth, John; Arshad, Hasan; Bishop, Christopher; Buchan, Iain; Cullinan, Paul; Devereux, Graham; Henderson, John; Holloway, John; Roberts, Graham; Turner, Steve; Woodcock, Ashley; Simpson, Angela

2015-01-01

We created Asthma e-Lab, a secure web-based research environment to support consistent recording, description and sharing of data, computational/statistical methods and emerging findings across the five UK birth cohorts. The e-Lab serves as a data repository for our unified dataset and provides the computational resources and a scientific social network to support collaborative research. All activities are transparent, and emerging findings are shared via the e-Lab, linked to explanations of analytical methods, thus enabling knowledge transfer. eLab facilitates the iterative interdisciplinary dialogue between clinicians, statisticians, computer scientists, mathematicians, geneticists and basic scientists, capturing collective thought behind the interpretations of findings. PMID:25805205

Transformative science education through action research and self-study practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderon, Olga

The research studies human emotions through diverse methods and theoretical lenses. My intention in using this approach is to provide alternative ways of perceiving and interpreting emotions being experienced in the moment of arousal. Emotions are fundamental in human interactions because they are essential in the development of effective relationships of any kind and they can also mediate hostility towards others. I begin by presenting an impressionist auto-ethnography, which narrates a personal account of how science and scientific inquiry has been entrenched in me since childhood. I describe how emotions are an important part of how I perceive and respond to the world around me. I describe science in my life in terms of natural environments, which were the initial source of scientific wonder and bafflement for me. In this auto-ethnography, I recount how social interactions shaped my perceptions about people, the world, and my education trajectory. Furthermore, I illustrate how sociocultural structures are used in different contexts to mediate several life decisions that enable me to pursue a career in science and science education. I also reflect on how some of those sociocultural aspects mediated my emotional wellness. I reveal how my life and science are interconnected and I present my story as a segue to the remainder of the dissertation. In chapters 2 and 3, I address a methodology and associated methods for research on facial expression of emotion. I use a facial action coding system developed by Paul Ekman in the 1970s (Ekman, 2002) to study facial representation of emotions. In chapters 4 and 5, I review the history of oximetry and ways in which an oximeter can be used to obtain information on the physiological expression of emotions. I examine oximetry data in relation to emotional physiology in three different aspects; pulse rate, oxygenation of the blood, and plethysmography (i.e., strength of pulse). In chapters 3 and 5, I include data and observations collected in a science education course for science teachers at Brooklyn College. These observations are only a small part on a larger study of emotions and mindfulness in the science classroom by a group of researchers of the City University of New York. In this context, I explore how, while teaching and learning science, emotions are represented facially and physiologically in terms of oxygenation of the blood and pulse rate and strength.

Compact Holographic Data Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, T. H.; Reyes, G. F.; Zhou, H.

2001-01-01

NASA's future missions would require massive high-speed onboard data storage capability to Space Science missions. For Space Science, such as the Europa Lander mission, the onboard data storage requirements would be focused on maximizing the spacecraft's ability to survive fault conditions (i.e., no loss in stored science data when spacecraft enters the 'safe mode') and autonomously recover from them during NASA's long-life and deep space missions. This would require the development of non-volatile memory. In order to survive in the stringent environment during space exploration missions, onboard memory requirements would also include: (1) survive a high radiation environment (1 Mrad), (2) operate effectively and efficiently for a very long time (10 years), and (3) sustain at least a billion write cycles. Therefore, memory technologies requirements of NASA's Earth Science and Space Science missions are large capacity, non-volatility, high-transfer rate, high radiation resistance, high storage density, and high power efficiency. JPL, under current sponsorship from NASA Space Science and Earth Science Programs, is developing a high-density, nonvolatile and rad-hard Compact Holographic Data Storage (CHDS) system to enable large-capacity, high-speed, low power consumption, and read/write of data in a space environment. The entire read/write operation will be controlled with electrooptic mechanism without any moving parts. This CHDS will consist of laser diodes, photorefractive crystal, spatial light modulator, photodetector array, and I/O electronic interface. In operation, pages of information would be recorded and retrieved with random access and high-speed. The nonvolatile, rad-hard characteristics of the holographic memory will provide a revolutionary memory technology meeting the high radiation challenge facing the Europa Lander mission. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Using and Distributing Spaceflight Data: The Johnson Space Center Life Sciences Data Archive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardenas, J. A.; Buckey, J. C.; Turner, J. N.; White, T. S.; Havelka,J. A.

1995-01-01

Life sciences data collected before, during and after spaceflight are valuable and often irreplaceable. The Johnson Space Center Life is hard to find, and much of the data (e.g. Sciences Data Archive has been designed to provide researchers, engineers, managers and educators interactive access to information about and data from human spaceflight experiments. The archive system consists of a Data Acquisition System, Database Management System, CD-ROM Mastering System and Catalog Information System (CIS). The catalog information system is the heart of the archive. The CIS provides detailed experiment descriptions (both written and as QuickTime movies), hardware descriptions, hardware images, documents, and data. An initial evaluation of the archive at a scientific meeting showed that 88% of those who evaluated the catalog want to use the system when completed. The majority of the evaluators found the archive flexible, satisfying and easy to use. We conclude that the data archive effectively provides key life sciences data to interested users.

INDIGO-DataCloud solutions for Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar Gómez, Fernando; de Lucas, Jesús Marco; Fiore, Sandro; Monna, Stephen; Chen, Yin

2017-04-01

INDIGO-DataCloud (https://www.indigo-datacloud.eu/) is a European Commission funded project aiming to develop a data and computing platform targeting scientific communities, deployable on multiple hardware and provisioned over hybrid (private or public) e-infrastructures. The development of INDIGO solutions covers the different layers in cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), and provides tools to exploit resources like HPC or GPGPUs. INDIGO is oriented to support European Scientific research communities, that are well represented in the project. Twelve different Case Studies have been analyzed in detail from different fields: Biological & Medical sciences, Social sciences & Humanities, Environmental and Earth sciences and Physics & Astrophysics. INDIGO-DataCloud provides solutions to emerging challenges in Earth Science like: -Enabling an easy deployment of community services at different cloud sites. Many Earth Science research infrastructures often involve distributed observation stations across countries, and also have distributed data centers to support the corresponding data acquisition and curation. There is a need to easily deploy new data center services while the research infrastructure continuous spans. As an example: LifeWatch (ESFRI, Ecosystems and Biodiversity) uses INDIGO solutions to manage the deployment of services to perform complex hydrodynamics and water quality modelling over a Cloud Computing environment, predicting algae blooms, using the Docker technology: TOSCA requirement description, Docker repository, Orchestrator for deployment, AAI (AuthN, AuthZ) and OneData (Distributed Storage System). -Supporting Big Data Analysis. Nowadays, many Earth Science research communities produce large amounts of data and and are challenged by the difficulties of processing and analysing it. A climate models intercomparison data analysis case study for the European Network for Earth System Modelling (ENES) community has been setup, based on the Ophidia big data analysis framework and the Kepler workflow management system. Such services normally involve a large and distributed set of data and computing resources. In this regard, this case study exploits the INDIGO PaaS for a flexible and dynamic allocation of the resources at the infrastructural level. -Providing Distributed Data Storage Solutions. In order to allow scientific communities to perform heavy computation on huge datasets, INDIGO provides global data access solutions allowing researchers to access data in a distributed environment like fashion regardless of its location, and also to publish and share their research results with public or close communities. INDIGO solutions that support the access to distributed data storage (OneData) are being tested on EMSO infrastructure (Ocean Sciences and Geohazards) data. Another aspect of interest for the EMSO community is in efficient data processing by exploiting INDIGO services like PaaS Orchestrator. Further, for HPC exploitation, a new solution named Udocker has been implemented, enabling users to execute docker containers in supercomputers, without requiring administration privileges. This presentation will overview INDIGO solutions that are interesting and useful for Earth science communities and will show how they can be applied to other Case Studies.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Second Launch Attempt

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

In the Mission Director's Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Greg Robinson, deputy associate administrator for Programs in the NASA Science Mission Directorate, right, congratulates, Tim Dunn, who was launch director for launch of eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Our school's Earth and Space Sciences Club: 12 years promoting interdisciplinary explorations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margarida Maria, Ana; Pereira, Hélder

2017-04-01

During the past 12 years, we have been engaging secondary level science students (15 to 18 years old) in the extracurricular activities of our school's Earth and Space Sciences Club, providing them with some of the skills needed to excel in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Our approach includes the use of authentic scientific data, project based learning, and inquiry-centred activities that go beyond the models and theories present in secondary level textbooks. Moreover, the activities and projects carried out, being eminently practical, also function as an extension of the curriculum and frequently enable the demonstration of the applicability of several concepts taught in the classroom in real life situations. The tasks carried out during these activities and research projects often require the combination of two or more subjects, promoting an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Outside of the traditional classroom settings, through interdisciplinary explorations, students also gain hands-on experience doing real science. Thereby, during this time, we have been able to promote meaningful and lasting experiences and spark students' interest in a wide diversity of topics.

TRIAD: The Translational Research Informatics and Data Management Grid

PubMed Central

Payne, P.; Ervin, D.; Dhaval, R.; Borlawsky, T.; Lai, A.

2011-01-01

Objective Multi-disciplinary and multi-site biomedical research programs frequently require infrastructures capable of enabling the collection, management, analysis, and dissemination of heterogeneous, multi-dimensional, and distributed data and knowledge collections spanning organizational boundaries. We report on the design and initial deployment of an extensible biomedical informatics platform that is intended to address such requirements. Methods A common approach to distributed data, information, and knowledge management needs in the healthcare and life science settings is the deployment and use of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Such SOA technologies provide for strongly-typed, semantically annotated, and stateful data and analytical services that can be combined into data and knowledge integration and analysis “pipelines.” Using this overall design pattern, we have implemented and evaluated an extensible SOA platform for clinical and translational science applications known as the Translational Research Informatics and Data-management grid (TRIAD). TRIAD is a derivative and extension of the caGrid middleware and has an emphasis on supporting agile “working interoperability” between data, information, and knowledge resources. Results Based upon initial verification and validation studies conducted in the context of a collection of driving clinical and translational research problems, we have been able to demonstrate that TRIAD achieves agile “working interoperability” between distributed data and knowledge sources. Conclusion Informed by our initial verification and validation studies, we believe TRIAD provides an example instance of a lightweight and readily adoptable approach to the use of SOA technologies in the clinical and translational research setting. Furthermore, our initial use cases illustrate the importance and efficacy of enabling “working interoperability” in heterogeneous biomedical environments. PMID:23616879

TRIAD: The Translational Research Informatics and Data Management Grid.

PubMed

Payne, P; Ervin, D; Dhaval, R; Borlawsky, T; Lai, A

2011-01-01

Multi-disciplinary and multi-site biomedical research programs frequently require infrastructures capable of enabling the collection, management, analysis, and dissemination of heterogeneous, multi-dimensional, and distributed data and knowledge collections spanning organizational boundaries. We report on the design and initial deployment of an extensible biomedical informatics platform that is intended to address such requirements. A common approach to distributed data, information, and knowledge management needs in the healthcare and life science settings is the deployment and use of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Such SOA technologies provide for strongly-typed, semantically annotated, and stateful data and analytical services that can be combined into data and knowledge integration and analysis "pipelines." Using this overall design pattern, we have implemented and evaluated an extensible SOA platform for clinical and translational science applications known as the Translational Research Informatics and Data-management grid (TRIAD). TRIAD is a derivative and extension of the caGrid middleware and has an emphasis on supporting agile "working interoperability" between data, information, and knowledge resources. Based upon initial verification and validation studies conducted in the context of a collection of driving clinical and translational research problems, we have been able to demonstrate that TRIAD achieves agile "working interoperability" between distributed data and knowledge sources. Informed by our initial verification and validation studies, we believe TRIAD provides an example instance of a lightweight and readily adoptable approach to the use of SOA technologies in the clinical and translational research setting. Furthermore, our initial use cases illustrate the importance and efficacy of enabling "working interoperability" in heterogeneous biomedical environments.

The EBI search engine: EBI search as a service-making biological data accessible for all.

PubMed

Park, Young M; Squizzato, Silvano; Buso, Nicola; Gur, Tamer; Lopez, Rodrigo

2017-07-03

We present an update of the EBI Search engine, an easy-to-use fast text search and indexing system with powerful data navigation and retrieval capabilities. The interconnectivity that exists between data resources at EMBL-EBI provides easy, quick and precise navigation and a better understanding of the relationship between different data types that include nucleotide and protein sequences, genes, gene products, proteins, protein domains, protein families, enzymes and macromolecular structures, as well as the life science literature. EBI Search provides a powerful RESTful API that enables its integration into third-party portals, thus providing 'Search as a Service' capabilities, which are the main topic of this article. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Recommendations for open data science.

PubMed

Gymrek, Melissa; Farjoun, Yossi

2016-01-01

Life science research increasingly relies on large-scale computational analyses. However, the code and data used for these analyses are often lacking in publications. To maximize scientific impact, reproducibility, and reuse, it is crucial that these resources are made publicly available and are fully transparent. We provide recommendations for improving the openness of data-driven studies in life sciences.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences Lab, Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., transfers material into a sample bottle for analysis. She is standing in front of new equipment in the lab that will provide gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences Lab, Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., transfers material into a sample bottle for analysis. She is standing in front of new equipment in the lab that will provide gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

COEUS: “semantic web in a box” for biomedical applications

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background As the “omics” revolution unfolds, the growth in data quantity and diversity is bringing about the need for pioneering bioinformatics software, capable of significantly improving the research workflow. To cope with these computer science demands, biomedical software engineers are adopting emerging semantic web technologies that better suit the life sciences domain. The latter’s complex relationships are easily mapped into semantic web graphs, enabling a superior understanding of collected knowledge. Despite increased awareness of semantic web technologies in bioinformatics, their use is still limited. Results COEUS is a new semantic web framework, aiming at a streamlined application development cycle and following a “semantic web in a box” approach. The framework provides a single package including advanced data integration and triplification tools, base ontologies, a web-oriented engine and a flexible exploration API. Resources can be integrated from heterogeneous sources, including CSV and XML files or SQL and SPARQL query results, and mapped directly to one or more ontologies. Advanced interoperability features include REST services, a SPARQL endpoint and LinkedData publication. These enable the creation of multiple applications for web, desktop or mobile environments, and empower a new knowledge federation layer. Conclusions The platform, targeted at biomedical application developers, provides a complete skeleton ready for rapid application deployment, enhancing the creation of new semantic information systems. COEUS is available as open source at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/coeus/. PMID:23244467

COEUS: "semantic web in a box" for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Lopes, Pedro; Oliveira, José Luís

2012-12-17

As the "omics" revolution unfolds, the growth in data quantity and diversity is bringing about the need for pioneering bioinformatics software, capable of significantly improving the research workflow. To cope with these computer science demands, biomedical software engineers are adopting emerging semantic web technologies that better suit the life sciences domain. The latter's complex relationships are easily mapped into semantic web graphs, enabling a superior understanding of collected knowledge. Despite increased awareness of semantic web technologies in bioinformatics, their use is still limited. COEUS is a new semantic web framework, aiming at a streamlined application development cycle and following a "semantic web in a box" approach. The framework provides a single package including advanced data integration and triplification tools, base ontologies, a web-oriented engine and a flexible exploration API. Resources can be integrated from heterogeneous sources, including CSV and XML files or SQL and SPARQL query results, and mapped directly to one or more ontologies. Advanced interoperability features include REST services, a SPARQL endpoint and LinkedData publication. These enable the creation of multiple applications for web, desktop or mobile environments, and empower a new knowledge federation layer. The platform, targeted at biomedical application developers, provides a complete skeleton ready for rapid application deployment, enhancing the creation of new semantic information systems. COEUS is available as open source at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/coeus/.

Semantically-enabled Knowledge Discovery in the Deep Carbon Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Chen, Y.; Ma, X.; Erickson, J. S.; West, P.; Fox, P. A.

2013-12-01

The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) is a decadal effort aimed at transforming scientific and public understanding of carbon in the complex deep earth system from the perspectives of Deep Energy, Deep Life, Extreme Physics and Chemistry, and Reservoirs and Fluxes. Over the course of the decade DCO scientific activities will generate a massive volume of data across a variety of disciplines, presenting significant challenges in terms of data integration, management, analysis and visualization, and ultimately limiting the ability of scientists across disciplines to make insights and unlock new knowledge. The DCO Data Science Team (DCO-DS) is applying Semantic Web methodologies to construct a knowledge representation focused on the DCO Earth science disciplines, and use it together with other technologies (e.g. natural language processing and data mining) to create a more expressive representation of the distributed corpus of DCO artifacts including datasets, metadata, instruments, sensors, platforms, deployments, researchers, organizations, funding agencies, grants and various awards. The embodiment of this knowledge representation is the DCO Data Science Infrastructure, in which unique entities within the DCO domain and the relations between them are recognized and explicitly identified. The DCO-DS Infrastructure will serve as a platform for more efficient and reliable searching, discovery, access, and publication of information and knowledge for the DCO scientific community and beyond.

Family and Consumer Sciences Technology-Life-Careers Core Curriculum. A Curriculum Guide. A Family and Consumer Sciences Education Course of Study for Grades 6-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

This curriculum, part of a coordinated exploratory vocational core program, is an activity-oriented instructional course that enables students in grades 6-7 to explore careers and skills related to consumer and occupational roles. The curriculum consists of five units: (1) independent living skills; (2) families; (3) child care; (4) textiles…

LIVIVO - the Vertical Search Engine for Life Sciences.

PubMed

Müller, Bernd; Poley, Christoph; Pössel, Jana; Hagelstein, Alexandra; Gübitz, Thomas

2017-01-01

The explosive growth of literature and data in the life sciences challenges researchers to keep track of current advancements in their disciplines. Novel approaches in the life science like the One Health paradigm require integrated methodologies in order to link and connect heterogeneous information from databases and literature resources. Current publications in the life sciences are increasingly characterized by the employment of trans-disciplinary methodologies comprising molecular and cell biology, genetics, genomic, epigenomic, transcriptional and proteomic high throughput technologies with data from humans, plants, and animals. The literature search engine LIVIVO empowers retrieval functionality by incorporating various literature resources from medicine, health, environment, agriculture and nutrition. LIVIVO is developed in-house by ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences. It provides a user-friendly and usability-tested search interface with a corpus of 55 Million citations derived from 50 databases. Standardized application programming interfaces are available for data export and high throughput retrieval. The search functions allow for semantic retrieval with filtering options based on life science entities. The service oriented architecture of LIVIVO uses four different implementation layers to deliver search services. A Knowledge Environment is developed by ZB MED to deal with the heterogeneity of data as an integrative approach to model, store, and link semantic concepts within literature resources and databases. Future work will focus on the exploitation of life science ontologies and on the employment of NLP technologies in order to improve query expansion, filters in faceted search, and concept based relevancy rankings in LIVIVO.

MY NASA DATA: Making Earth Science Data Accessible to the K-12 Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, L. H.; Alston, E. J.; Diones, D. D.; Moore, S. W.; Oots, P. C.; Phelps, C. S.

2006-12-01

In 2004, the Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and Earth science for Teachers and Amateurs (MY NASA DATA) project began. The goal of this project is to enable K-12 and citizen science communities to make use of the large volume of Earth System Science data that NASA has collected and archived. One major outcome is to allow students to select a problem of real-life importance, and to explore it using high quality data sources without spending months looking for and then learning how to use a dataset. The key element of the MY NASA DATA project is the implementation of a Live Access Server (LAS). The LAS is an open source software tool, developed by NOAA, that provides access to a variety of data sources through a single, fairly simple, point- and- click interface. This tool truly enables use of the available data - more than 100 parameters are offered so far - in an inquiry-based educational setting. It readily gives students the opportunity to browse images for times and places they define, and also provides direct access to the underlying data values - a key feature of this educational effort. The team quickly discovered, however, that even a simple and fairly intuitive tool is not enough to make most teachers comfortable with data exploration. User feedback has led us to create a friendly LAS Introduction page, which uses the analogy of a restaurant to explain to our audience the basic concept of an LAS. In addition, we have created a "Time Coverage at a Glance" chart to show what data are available when. This keeps our audience from being too confused by the patchwork of data availability caused by the start and end of individual missions. Finally, we have found it necessary to develop a substantial amount of age appropriate documentation, including topical pages and a science glossary, to help our audience understand the parameters they are exploring and how these parameters fit into the larger picture of Earth System Science. MY NASA DATA intends to create a community of data explorers. A MY NASA DATA e-mentor network provides opportunities for educators, students, and citizens to engage in dialog about the questions they encounter. The website hosts a collection of data-based lesson plans that have been written by teachers for use in their own classrooms. A new portion of the website, launched this summer, invites submission of student research projects that use our resources. Finally, we are continually seeking additional Earth System Science datasets that can be offered to our audience through the MY NASA DATA LAS interface.

Interactive access to LP DAAC satellite data archives through a combination of open-source and custom middleware web services

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Brian N.; Werpy, Jason; Friesz, Aaron M.; Impecoven, Kevin; Quenzer, Robert; Maiersperger, Tom; Meyer, David J.

2015-01-01

Current methods of searching for and retrieving data from satellite land remote sensing archives do not allow for interactive information extraction. Instead, Earth science data users are required to download files over low-bandwidth networks to local workstations and process data before science questions can be addressed. New methods of extracting information from data archives need to become more interactive to meet user demands for deriving increasingly complex information from rapidly expanding archives. Moving the tools required for processing data to computer systems of data providers, and away from systems of the data consumer, can improve turnaround times for data processing workflows. The implementation of middleware services was used to provide interactive access to archive data. The goal of this middleware services development is to enable Earth science data users to access remote sensing archives for immediate answers to science questions instead of links to large volumes of data to download and process. Exposing data and metadata to web-based services enables machine-driven queries and data interaction. Also, product quality information can be integrated to enable additional filtering and sub-setting. Only the reduced content required to complete an analysis is then transferred to the user.

H3Africa and the African life sciences ecosystem: building sustainable innovation.

PubMed

Dandara, Collet; Huzair, Farah; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Chirikure, Shadreck; Okpechi, Ikechi; Warnich, Louise; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-12-01

Interest in genomics research in African populations is experiencing exponential growth. This enthusiasm stems in part from the recognition that the genomic diversity of African populations is a window of opportunity for innovations in postgenomics medicine, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The recently launched H3Africa initiative, for example, captures the energy and momentum of this interest. This interdisciplinary socio-technical analysis highlights the challenges that have beset previous genomics research activities in Africa, and looking ahead, suggests constructive ways H3Africa and similar large scale science efforts could usefully chart a new era of genomics and life sciences research in Africa that is locally productive and globally competitive. As independent African scholars and social scientists, we propose that any serious global omics science effort, including H3Africa, aiming to build genomics research capacity and capability in Africa, needs to fund the establishment of biobanks and the genomic analyses platforms within Africa. Equally they need to prioritize community engagement and bioinformatics capability and the training of African scientists on these platforms. Historically, the financial, technological, and skills imbalance between Africa and developed countries has created exploitative frameworks of collaboration where African researchers have become merely facilitators of Western funded and conceived research agendas involving offshore expatriation of samples. Not surprisingly, very little funding was allocated to infrastructure and human capital development in the past. Moving forward, capacity building should materialize throughout the entire knowledge co-production trajectory: idea generation (e.g., brainstorming workshops for innovative hypotheses development by African scientists), data generation (e.g., genome sequencing), and high-throughput data analysis and contextualization. Additionally, building skills for political science scholarship that questions the unchecked assumptions of the innovation performers be they funders, scientists, and social scientists, would enable collective innovation that is truly sustainable, ethical, and robust.

Status of High Data Rate Intersatellite Laser Communication as an Enabler for Earth and Space Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heine, F.; Zech, H.; Motzigemba, M.

2017-12-01

Space based laser communication is supporting earth observation and science missions with Gbps data download capabilities. Currently the Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 spacecrafts from the Copernicus earth observation program of the European Commission are using the Gbps laser communication links developed by Tesat Spacecom to download low latency data products via a commercial geostationary laser relay station- the European Data Relay Service- (EDRS) as a standard data path, in parallel to the conventional radio frequency links. The paper reports on the status of high bandwidth space laser communication as an enabler for small and large space science missions ranging from cube sat applications in low earth orbit to deep space missions. Space based laser communication has left the experimental phase and will support space science missions with unprecedented data rates.

The opportunities for space biology research on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Rodney W.; Souza, Kenneth A.

1987-01-01

The life sciences research facilities for the Space Station are being designed to accommodate both animal and plant specimens for long durations studies. This will enable research on how living systems adapt to microgravity, how gravity has shaped and affected life on earth, and further the understanding of basic biological phenomena. This would include multigeneration experiments on the effects of microgravity on the reproduction, development, growth, physiology, behavior, and aging of organisms. To achieve these research goals, a modular habitat system and on-board variable gravity centrifuges, capable of holding various animal, plant, cells and tissues, is proposed for the science laboratory.

The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program – Providing science and geospatial data for California's State Waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochrane, Guy R.; Golden, Nadine; Dartnell, Peter; Hartwell, Stephen; Cochran, Susan; Watt, Janet

2017-01-01

The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program (CSCMP) is a collaborative effort to develop comprehensive bathymetric, geologic, and habitat maps and data for California's State Waters. CSCMP began in 2007 when the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) allocated funding for high-resolution bathymetric mapping, largely to support the California Marine Life Protection Act and to update nautical charts. Collaboration and support from the U.S. Geological Survey and other partners has led to development and dissemination of one of the world's largest seafloor-mapping datasets. CSCMP provides essential science and data for ocean and coastal management, stimulates and enables research, and raises public education and awareness of coastal and ocean issues. Specific applications include:•Delineation and designation of marine protected areas•Characterization and modeling of benthic habitats and ecosystems•Updating nautical charts•Earthquake hazard assessments•Tsunami hazard assessments•Planning offshore infrastructure•Providing baselines for monitoring change•Input to models of sediment transport, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding•Regional sediment management•Understanding coastal aquifers•Providing geospatial data for emergency response

Information Science Panel joint meeting with Imaging Science Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Specific activity in information extraction science (taken to include data handling) is needed to: help identify the bounds of practical missions; identify potential data handling and analysis scenarios; identify the required enabling technology; and identify the requirements for a design data base to be used by the disciplines in determining potential parameters for future missions. It was defined that specific analysis topics were a function of the discipline involved, and therefore no attempt was made to define any specific analysis developments required. Rather, it was recognized that a number of generic data handling requirements exist whose solutions cannot be typically supported by the disciplines. The areas of concern were therefore defined as: data handling aspects of system design considerations; enabling technology for data handling, with specific attention to rectification and registration; and enabling technology for analysis. Within each of these areas, the following topics were addressed: state of the art (current status and contributing factors); critical issues; and recommendations for research and/or development.

Data to Pictures to Data: Outreach Imaging Software and Metadata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levay, Z.

2011-07-01

A convergence between astronomy science and digital photography has enabled a steady stream of visually rich imagery from state-of-the-art data. The accessibility of hardware and software has facilitated an explosion of astronomical images for outreach, from space-based observatories, ground-based professional facilities and among the vibrant amateur astrophotography community. Producing imagery from science data involves a combination of custom software to understand FITS data (FITS Liberator), off-the-shelf, industry-standard software to composite multi-wavelength data and edit digital photographs (Adobe Photoshop), and application of photo/image-processing techniques. Some additional effort is needed to close the loop and enable this imagery to be conveniently available for various purposes beyond web and print publication. The metadata paradigms in digital photography are now complying with FITS and science software to carry information such as keyword tags and world coordinates, enabling these images to be usable in more sophisticated, imaginative ways exemplified by Sky in Google Earth and World Wide Telescope.

Effective Management of Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecological Data: the BCO-DMO Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, C. L.; Groman, R. C.; Allison, M. D.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.; Gegg, S. R.

2012-04-01

Data availability expectations of the research community, environmental management decision makers, and funding agency representatives are changing. Consequently, data management practices in many science communities are changing as well. In an effort to improve access to data generated by ocean biogeochemistry and ecological researchers funded by the United States (US) National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) was created in late 2006. Currently, the main BCO-DMO objective is to ensure availability of data resulting from select OCE and Office of Polar Programs (OPP) research awards granted by the US NSF. An important requirement for the BCO-DMO data management system is that it provides open access to data that are supported by sufficient metadata to enable data discovery and accurate reuse. The office manages and serves all types of oceanographic data (in situ, experimental, model results) generated during the research process and contributed by the originating investigators from large national programs and medium-sized collaborative research projects, as well as researchers with single investigator awards. BCO-DMO staff members have made strategic use of standards and use of terms from controlled vocabularies while balancing the need to maintain flexible data ingest systems that accommodate the heterogeneous nature of ocean biogeochemistry and ecological research data. Many of the discrete ocean biogeochemistry data sets managed by BCO-DMO are still acquired manually, often with prototype sensor systems. Data sets such as these that are not "born-digital" present a significant management challenge. Use of multiple levels of term-mappings and development of an ontology has enabled BCO-DMO to incorporate a semantically enabled faceted search into the data access system that will improve data access through enhanced data discovery. BCO-DMO involves an ongoing collaboration between data managers and marine scientists funded by the US NSF. BCO-DMO staff members work with investigators throughout the data life cycle, beginning with the data management plan that is part of the original proposal, during cruise planning and experimental design, through data reporting to meet funding agency requirements and finally to submission of final data sets for publication and final archive in a permanent data center. It is important to note that support from and continued active involvement of the NSF program managers has been a significant contributor to the success of this developing system. URL: http://bco-dmo.org/

mORCA: ubiquitous access to life science web services.

PubMed

Diaz-Del-Pino, Sergio; Trelles, Oswaldo; Falgueras, Juan

2018-01-16

Technical advances in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have produced an extraordinary increase in their use around the world and have become part of our daily lives. The possibility of carrying these devices in a pocket, particularly mobile phones, has enabled ubiquitous access to Internet resources. Furthermore, in the life sciences world there has been a vast proliferation of data types and services that finish as Web Services. This suggests the need for research into mobile clients to deal with life sciences applications for effective usage and exploitation. Analysing the current features in existing bioinformatics applications managing Web Services, we have devised, implemented, and deployed an easy-to-use web-based lightweight mobile client. This client is able to browse, select, compose parameters, invoke, and monitor the execution of Web Services stored in catalogues or central repositories. The client is also able to deal with huge amounts of data between external storage mounts. In addition, we also present a validation use case, which illustrates the usage of the application while executing, monitoring, and exploring the results of a registered workflow. The software its available in the Apple Store and Android Market and the source code is publicly available in Github. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important in the scientific world due to their strong potential impact on scientific applications. Bioinformatics should not fall behind this trend. We present an original software client that deals with the intrinsic limitations of such devices and propose different guidelines to provide location-independent access to computational resources in bioinformatics and biomedicine. Its modular design makes it easily expandable with the inclusion of new repositories, tools, types of visualization, etc.

Astrobiobound! Search for Life in the Solar System: Scientists and Engineers Bringing their Challenges to K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug Boonstra, S. L.; Swann, J.; Manfredi, L.; Zippay, A.; Boonstra, D.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) brought many dynamic opportunities and capabilities to the K-12 science classroom - especially with the inclusion of engineering. Using science as a context to help students engage in the engineering practices and engineering disciplinary core ideas is an essential step to students' understanding of how science drives engineering and how engineering enables science. Real world examples and applications are critical for students to see how these disciplines are integrated. Furthermore, the interface of science and engineering raise the level of science understanding, and facilitate higher order thinking skills through relevant experiences. Astrobiobound! is designed for the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and CCSS (Common Core State Standards). Students also practice and build 21st Century Skills. Astrobiobound! help students see how science and systems engineering are integrated to achieve a focused scientific goal. Students engage in the engineering design process to design a space mission which requires them to balance the return of their science data with engineering limitations such as power, mass and budget. Risk factors also play a role during this simulation and adds to the excitement and authenticity. Astrobiobound! presents the authentic first stages of NASA mission design process. This simulation mirrors the NASA process in which the science goals, type of mission, and instruments to return required data to meet mission goals are proposed within mission budget before any of the construction part of engineering can begin. NASA scientists and engineers were consulted in the development of this activity as an authentic simulation of their mission proposal process.

[Application of the life sciences platform based on oracle to biomedical informations].

PubMed

Zhao, Zhi-Yun; Li, Tai-Huan; Yang, Hong-Qiao

2008-03-01

The life sciences platform based on Oracle database technology is introduced in this paper. By providing a powerful data access, integrating a variety of data types, and managing vast quantities of data, the software presents a flexible, safe and scalable management platform for biomedical data processing.

Sensor Management for Applied Research Technologies (SMART)-On Demand Modeling (ODM) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, M.; Blakeslee, R.; Hood, R.; Jedlovec, G.; Botts, M.; Li, X.

2006-01-01

NASA requires timely on-demand data and analysis capabilities to enable practical benefits of Earth science observations. However, a significant challenge exists in accessing and integrating data from multiple sensors or platforms to address Earth science problems because of the large data volumes, varying sensor scan characteristics, unique orbital coverage, and the steep learning curve associated with each sensor and data type. The development of sensor web capabilities to autonomously process these data streams (whether real-time or archived) provides an opportunity to overcome these obstacles and facilitate the integration and synthesis of Earth science data and weather model output. A three year project, entitled Sensor Management for Applied Research Technologies (SMART) - On Demand Modeling (ODM), will develop and demonstrate the readiness of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) capabilities that integrate both Earth observations and forecast model output into new data acquisition and assimilation strategies. The advancement of SWE-enabled systems (i.e., use of SensorML, sensor planning services - SPS, sensor observation services - SOS, sensor alert services - SAS and common observation model protocols) will have practical and efficient uses in the Earth science community for enhanced data set generation, real-time data assimilation with operational applications, and for autonomous sensor tasking for unique data collection.

Operational plans for life science payloads - From experiment selection through postflight reporting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccollum, G. W.; Nelson, W. G.; Wells, G. W.

1976-01-01

Key features of operational plans developed in a study of the Space Shuttle era life science payloads program are presented. The data describes the overall acquisition, staging, and integration of payload elements, as well as program implementation methods and mission support requirements. Five configurations were selected as representative payloads: (a) carry-on laboratories - medical emphasis experiments, (b) mini-laboratories - medical/biology experiments, (c) seven-day dedicated laboratories - medical/biology experiments, (d) 30-day dedicated laboratories - Regenerative Life Support Evaluation (RLSE) with selected life science experiments, and (e) Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) - extended duration primate (Type I) and small vertebrate (Type II) missions. The recommended operational methods described in the paper are compared to the fundamental data which has been developed in the life science Spacelab Mission Simulation (SMS) test series. Areas assessed include crew training, experiment development and integration, testing, data-dissemination, organization interfaces, and principal investigator working relationships.

Social and Behavioral Science: Monitoring Social Foraging Behavior in a Biological Model System

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-12

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The aim of this project was to establish instrumentation to record honey bee foraging behavior through a Radio- Frequency...Identification (RFID) monitoring and to train students in the use of this technology and in the science underlying honey bee behavior. This enables...basic scientific advances in how honey bees adapt behaviorally to different stressors. Most notably, it will examine how early life stress and

Science from genes to landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2015-08-26

The quality of life and economic strength in America hinges on healthy ecosystems that support living things and natural processes. Ecosystem science better enables society to understand how and why ecosystems change, to predict and forecast future changes, and to guide actions that can prevent damage to, and restore and sustain ecosystems. It is through this knowledge that informed decisions are made about natural resources that can enhance our Nation's economic and environmental well-being.

60 Years of Studying the Earth-Sun System from Space: Explorer 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurbuchen, T.

2017-12-01

The era of space-based observation of the Earth-Sun system initiated with the Explorer-1 satellite has revolutionized our knowledge of the Earth, Sun, and the processes that connect them. The space-based perspective has not only enabled us to achieve a fundamentally new understanding of our home planet and the star that sustains us, but it has allowed for significant improvements in predictive capability that serves to protect life, health, and property. NASA has played a leadership role in the United States in creating both the technology and science that has enabled and benefited from these new capabilities, and works closely with partner agencies and around the world to synergistically address these global challenges which are of sufficient magnitude that no one nation or organization can address on their own. Three areas are at the heart of NASA's comprehensive science program: Discovering the secrets of the universe, searching for life elsewhere, and safeguarding and improving life on Earth. Together, these tenets will help NASA lead on a civilization scale. In this talk, a review of these 60 years of advances, a status of current activities, and thoughts about their evolution into the future will be presented.

NCBI2RDF: Enabling Full RDF-Based Access to NCBI Databases

PubMed Central

Anguita, Alberto; García-Remesal, Miguel; de la Iglesia, Diana; Maojo, Victor

2013-01-01

RDF has become the standard technology for enabling interoperability among heterogeneous biomedical databases. The NCBI provides access to a large set of life sciences databases through a common interface called Entrez. However, the latter does not provide RDF-based access to such databases, and, therefore, they cannot be integrated with other RDF-compliant databases and accessed via SPARQL query interfaces. This paper presents the NCBI2RDF system, aimed at providing RDF-based access to the complete NCBI data repository. This API creates a virtual endpoint for servicing SPARQL queries over different NCBI repositories and presenting to users the query results in SPARQL results format, thus enabling this data to be integrated and/or stored with other RDF-compliant repositories. SPARQL queries are dynamically resolved, decomposed, and forwarded to the NCBI-provided E-utilities programmatic interface to access the NCBI data. Furthermore, we show how our approach increases the expressiveness of the native NCBI querying system, allowing several databases to be accessed simultaneously. This feature significantly boosts productivity when working with complex queries and saves time and effort to biomedical researchers. Our approach has been validated with a large number of SPARQL queries, thus proving its reliability and enhanced capabilities in biomedical environments. PMID:23984425

Habitable Exoplanet Imager Optical Telescope Concept Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip

2017-01-01

Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is a concept for a mission to directly image and characterize planetary systems around Sun-like stars. In addition to the search for life on Earth-like exoplanets, HabEx will enable a broad range of general astrophysics science enabled by 100 to 2500 nm spectral range and 3 x 3 arc-minute FOV. HabEx is one of four mission concepts currently being studied for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey.

Habitable Exoplanet Imager: Optical Telescope Structural Design and Performance Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip

2017-01-01

Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is a concept for a mission to directly image and characterize planetary systems around Sun-like stars. In addition to the search for life on Earth-like exoplanets, HabExwill enable a broad range of general astrophysics science enabled by 100 to 2500 nm spectral range and 3 x 3 arc-minute FOV. HabExis one of four mission concepts currently being studied for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey.

Project BudBurst: Continental-scale citizen science for all seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, S.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.; Havens-Young, K.; Alaback, P.; Meymaris, K.

2011-12-01

Project BudBurst's (budburst.org) recent move to the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has benefitted both programs. NEON has been able to use Project BudBurst as a testbed to learn best practices, network with experts in the field, and prototype potential tools for engaging people in continental-scale ecology as NEON develops its citizen science program. Participation in Project BudBurst has grown significantly since the move to NEON. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch in February, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst and will report on the results of the 2010 field campaign and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst in 2012 including the use of mobile phones applications for data collection and reporting from the field. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Making continental-scale environmental programs relevant locally for educators with Project BudBurst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Henderson, S.; Wasser, L.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.

2012-12-01

Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage non professionals in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide excellent opportunities for educators and their students to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch, this on-line program has engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent, and in contemplating the meaning of such data in their local environments. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst educational resources and share lessons learned from educators in implementing the program in formal and informal education settings. Lesson plans and tips from educators will be highlighted. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Charlotte Moore Sitterly: A Life of Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Vera C.

2010-01-01

Dr. Charlotte Moore Sitterly was a scientist in an era when it was rare for a woman to have the opportunity to devote her life to forefront science. Following her graduation from Swarthmore College in 1920, she accepted a position at Princeton University as an assistant to Henry Norris Russell. In 1925 she started a study of the solar spectrum. She could then not know that she would devote much of her scientific career to gathering basic atomic data that are invaluable to the scientific community, even today. In 1931 she obtained a PhD degree at U. California, Berkeley, and returned to Princeton as a staff member of the Princeton University Observatory. In 1945 she moved to the National Bureau of Science (NBS), to supervise preparation of the widely used tables of atomic energy levels. Following the successful lunching (1946) of a V2 rocket to obtain the ultra violet spectrum of the sun, Moore started working with Richard Tousey and his group at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Ultimately, they extended the solar spectrum down to 2200 angstroms. She continued her affiliations with NBS and NRL until her death in 1990. Charlotte Moore was rare scientist who devoted her career to obtaining accurate numbers, thus enabling the scientific community to open her tables and know that the data are accurate.

How Fit is Your Citizen Science Data?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, H. A.; Gerber, L. R.; Wentz, E. A.

2017-12-01

Data quality and accuracy is a fundamental concern with utilizing citizen science data. Although many methods can be used to assess quality and accuracy, these methods may not be sufficient to qualify citizen science data for widespread use in scientific research. While Data Fitness For Use (DFFU) does not provide a blanket assessment of data quality, it does assesses the data's ability to be used for a specific application, within a given area (Devillers and Bédard 2007). The STAAq (Spatial, Temporal, Aptness, and Accuracy) assessment was developed to assess the fitness for use of citizen science data, this assessment can be used on a stand alone dataset or be used to compare multiple datasets. The citizen science data used in this assessment was collected by volunteers of the Map of Life- Denali project, which is a tourist-centric citizen science project developed through a partnership with Arizona State University, Map of Life at Yale University, and Denali National Park and Preserve. Volunteers use the offline version of the Map of Life app to record their wildlife, insect, and plant observations in the park. To test the STAAq assessment data from different sources- Map of Life- Denali, Ride Observe and Record, and NPS wildlife surveys- were compared to determined which dataset is most fit for use for a specific research question; What is the recent Grizzly bear distribution in areas of high visitor use in Denali National Park and Preserve? These datasets were compared and ranked according to how well they performed in each of the components of the STAAq assessment. These components include spatial scale, temporal scale, aptness, and application. The Map of Life- Denali data and the ROAR program data were most for use for this research question. The STAAq assessment can be adjusted to assess the fitness for use of a single dataset or being used to compare any number of datasets. This data fitness for use assessment provides a means to assess data fitness instead of data quality for citizen science data.

From the Los Angeles Zoo to the Classroom: Transforming Real Cases via Role-Play into Productive Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherif, Abour H.; Verma, Sujata; Somervill, Christine

1998-01-01

Explains how to transfer a relevant written article into a learning activity involving active role play. Enables the development of critical thinking skills and helps to humanize science by highlighting its importance in everyday life. (DDR)

MOPED 2.5—An Integrated Multi-Omics Resource: Multi-Omics Profiling Expression Database Now Includes Transcriptomics Data

PubMed Central

Montague, Elizabeth; Stanberry, Larissa; Higdon, Roger; Janko, Imre; Lee, Elaine; Anderson, Nathaniel; Choiniere, John; Stewart, Elizabeth; Yandl, Gregory; Broomall, William; Kolker, Natali

2014-01-01

Abstract Multi-omics data-driven scientific discovery crucially rests on high-throughput technologies and data sharing. Currently, data are scattered across single omics repositories, stored in varying raw and processed formats, and are often accompanied by limited or no metadata. The Multi-Omics Profiling Expression Database (MOPED, http://moped.proteinspire.org) version 2.5 is a freely accessible multi-omics expression database. Continual improvement and expansion of MOPED is driven by feedback from the Life Sciences Community. In order to meet the emergent need for an integrated multi-omics data resource, MOPED 2.5 now includes gene relative expression data in addition to protein absolute and relative expression data from over 250 large-scale experiments. To facilitate accurate integration of experiments and increase reproducibility, MOPED provides extensive metadata through the Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance (DELSA Global, http://delsaglobal.org) metadata checklist. MOPED 2.5 has greatly increased the number of proteomics absolute and relative expression records to over 500,000, in addition to adding more than four million transcriptomics relative expression records. MOPED has an intuitive user interface with tabs for querying different types of omics expression data and new tools for data visualization. Summary information including expression data, pathway mappings, and direct connection between proteins and genes can be viewed on Protein and Gene Details pages. These connections in MOPED provide a context for multi-omics expression data exploration. Researchers are encouraged to submit omics data which will be consistently processed into expression summaries. MOPED as a multi-omics data resource is a pivotal public database, interdisciplinary knowledge resource, and platform for multi-omics understanding. PMID:24910945

Making the Earth to Life Connection Using Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haine, D. B.; Berbeco, M.

2016-12-01

From ocean acidification to changes in air quality to shifts in the range of disease vectors, there are many opportunities for educators to make the earth science to life science connection by incorporating the impacts of climate change on organisms and entire ecosystems and by describing how living organisms impact climate. NCSE's study in Science found that 86% of life science teachers are teaching climate, but few admit they have any formal climate science training. This session will introduce activities we developed that utilize the 2014 National Climate Assessment, data visualizations, technology tools and models to allow students to explore the evidence that climate change is impacting life. Translating the NCA into classroom activities is an approach that becomes more pertinent with the advent of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Using the NCA and the NGSS we demonstrate strategies for weaving the concept of climate change into an already packed life science curriculum by enhancing rather than displacing content and ultimately promoting integration of science and engineering practices into instruction. Since the fall of 2014 we have engaged approximately 200 K-12 educators at local, state, regional and national teacher professional development events. Here we will summarize what we have learned from science teachers about how they address life science impacts of climate change and we will summarize evaluation data to inform future efforts to engage life science educators in light of the recent USGCRP Climate and Health Assessment and the upcoming 4th National Climate Assessment.

Semantic Web Applications and Tools for the Life Sciences: SWAT4LS 2010

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

As Semantic Web technologies mature and new releases of key elements, such as SPARQL 1.1 and OWL 2.0, become available, the Life Sciences continue to push the boundaries of these technologies with ever more sophisticated tools and applications. Unsurprisingly, therefore, interest in the SWAT4LS (Semantic Web Applications and Tools for the Life Sciences) activities have remained high, as was evident during the third international SWAT4LS workshop held in Berlin in December 2010. Contributors to this workshop were invited to submit extended versions of their papers, the best of which are now made available in the special supplement of BMC Bioinformatics. The papers reflect the wide range of work in this area, covering the storage and querying of Life Sciences data in RDF triple stores, tools for the development of biomedical ontologies and the semantics-based integration of Life Sciences as well as clinicial data. PMID:22373274

Semantic Web applications and tools for the life sciences: SWAT4LS 2010.

PubMed

Burger, Albert; Paschke, Adrian; Romano, Paolo; Marshall, M Scott; Splendiani, Andrea

2012-01-25

As Semantic Web technologies mature and new releases of key elements, such as SPARQL 1.1 and OWL 2.0, become available, the Life Sciences continue to push the boundaries of these technologies with ever more sophisticated tools and applications. Unsurprisingly, therefore, interest in the SWAT4LS (Semantic Web Applications and Tools for the Life Sciences) activities have remained high, as was evident during the third international SWAT4LS workshop held in Berlin in December 2010. Contributors to this workshop were invited to submit extended versions of their papers, the best of which are now made available in the special supplement of BMC Bioinformatics. The papers reflect the wide range of work in this area, covering the storage and querying of Life Sciences data in RDF triple stores, tools for the development of biomedical ontologies and the semantics-based integration of Life Sciences as well as clinicial data.

CUAHSI Data Services: Tools and Cyberinfrastructure for Water Data Discovery, Research and Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seul, M.; Brazil, L.; Castronova, A. M.

2017-12-01

CUAHSI Data Services: Tools and Cyberinfrastructure for Water Data Discovery, Research and CollaborationEnabling research surrounding interdisciplinary topics often requires a combination of finding, managing, and analyzing large data sets and models from multiple sources. This challenge has led the National Science Foundation to make strategic investments in developing community data tools and cyberinfrastructure that focus on water data, as it is central need for many of these research topics. CUAHSI (The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.) is a non-profit organization funded by the National Science Foundation to aid students, researchers, and educators in using and managing data and models to support research and education in the water sciences. This presentation will focus on open-source CUAHSI-supported tools that enable enhanced data discovery online using advanced searching capabilities and computational analysis run in virtual environments pre-designed for educators and scientists so they can focus their efforts on data analysis rather than IT set-up.

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

John Wooley; Herbert S. Lin

This study is the first comprehensive NRC study that suggests a high-level intellectual structure for Federal agencies for supporting work at the biology/computing interface. The report seeks to establish the intellectual legitimacy of a fundamentally cross-disciplinary collaboration between biologists and computer scientists. That is, while some universities are increasingly favorable to research at the intersection, life science researchers at other universities are strongly impeded in their efforts to collaborate. This report addresses these impediments and describes proven strategies for overcoming them. An important feature of the report is the use of well-documented examples that describe clearly to individuals not trainedmore » in computer science the value and usage of computing across the biological sciences, from genes and proteins to networks and pathways, from organelles to cells, and from individual organisms to populations and ecosystems. It is hoped that these examples will be useful to students in the life sciences to motivate (continued) study in computer science that will enable them to be more facile users of computing in their future biological studies.« less

A journey to Semantic Web query federation in the life sciences.

PubMed

Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Frost, H Robert; Marshall, M Scott; Prud'hommeaux, Eric; Samwald, Matthias; Zhao, Jun; Paschke, Adrian

2009-10-01

As interest in adopting the Semantic Web in the biomedical domain continues to grow, Semantic Web technology has been evolving and maturing. A variety of technological approaches including triplestore technologies, SPARQL endpoints, Linked Data, and Vocabulary of Interlinked Datasets have emerged in recent years. In addition to the data warehouse construction, these technological approaches can be used to support dynamic query federation. As a community effort, the BioRDF task force, within the Semantic Web for Health Care and Life Sciences Interest Group, is exploring how these emerging approaches can be utilized to execute distributed queries across different neuroscience data sources. We have created two health care and life science knowledge bases. We have explored a variety of Semantic Web approaches to describe, map, and dynamically query multiple datasets. We have demonstrated several federation approaches that integrate diverse types of information about neurons and receptors that play an important role in basic, clinical, and translational neuroscience research. Particularly, we have created a prototype receptor explorer which uses OWL mappings to provide an integrated list of receptors and executes individual queries against different SPARQL endpoints. We have also employed the AIDA Toolkit, which is directed at groups of knowledge workers who cooperatively search, annotate, interpret, and enrich large collections of heterogeneous documents from diverse locations. We have explored a tool called "FeDeRate", which enables a global SPARQL query to be decomposed into subqueries against the remote databases offering either SPARQL or SQL query interfaces. Finally, we have explored how to use the vocabulary of interlinked Datasets (voiD) to create metadata for describing datasets exposed as Linked Data URIs or SPARQL endpoints. We have demonstrated the use of a set of novel and state-of-the-art Semantic Web technologies in support of a neuroscience query federation scenario. We have identified both the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies. While Semantic Web offers a global data model including the use of Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI's), the proliferation of semantically-equivalent URI's hinders large scale data integration. Our work helps direct research and tool development, which will be of benefit to this community.

A journey to Semantic Web query federation in the life sciences

PubMed Central

Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Frost, H Robert; Marshall, M Scott; Prud'hommeaux, Eric; Samwald, Matthias; Zhao, Jun; Paschke, Adrian

2009-01-01

Background As interest in adopting the Semantic Web in the biomedical domain continues to grow, Semantic Web technology has been evolving and maturing. A variety of technological approaches including triplestore technologies, SPARQL endpoints, Linked Data, and Vocabulary of Interlinked Datasets have emerged in recent years. In addition to the data warehouse construction, these technological approaches can be used to support dynamic query federation. As a community effort, the BioRDF task force, within the Semantic Web for Health Care and Life Sciences Interest Group, is exploring how these emerging approaches can be utilized to execute distributed queries across different neuroscience data sources. Methods and results We have created two health care and life science knowledge bases. We have explored a variety of Semantic Web approaches to describe, map, and dynamically query multiple datasets. We have demonstrated several federation approaches that integrate diverse types of information about neurons and receptors that play an important role in basic, clinical, and translational neuroscience research. Particularly, we have created a prototype receptor explorer which uses OWL mappings to provide an integrated list of receptors and executes individual queries against different SPARQL endpoints. We have also employed the AIDA Toolkit, which is directed at groups of knowledge workers who cooperatively search, annotate, interpret, and enrich large collections of heterogeneous documents from diverse locations. We have explored a tool called "FeDeRate", which enables a global SPARQL query to be decomposed into subqueries against the remote databases offering either SPARQL or SQL query interfaces. Finally, we have explored how to use the vocabulary of interlinked Datasets (voiD) to create metadata for describing datasets exposed as Linked Data URIs or SPARQL endpoints. Conclusion We have demonstrated the use of a set of novel and state-of-the-art Semantic Web technologies in support of a neuroscience query federation scenario. We have identified both the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies. While Semantic Web offers a global data model including the use of Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI's), the proliferation of semantically-equivalent URI's hinders large scale data integration. Our work helps direct research and tool development, which will be of benefit to this community. PMID:19796394

Intersections of life histories and science identities: the stories of three preservice elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avraamidou, Lucy

2016-03-01

Grounded within Connelly and Clandinin's conceptualization of teachers' professional identity in terms of 'stories to live by' and through a life-history lens, this multiple case study aimed to respond to the following questions: (a) How do three preservice elementary teachers view themselves as future science teachers? (b) How have the participants' life histories shaped their science identity trajectories? In order to characterize the participants' formation of science identities over time, various data regarding their life histories in relation to science were collected: science biographies, self-portraits, interviews, reflective journals, lesson plans, and classroom observations. The analysis of the data illustrated how the three participants' identities have been in formation from the early years of their lives and how various events, experiences, and interactions had shaped their identities through time and across contexts. These findings are discussed alongside implications for theory, specifically, identity and life-history intersections, for teacher preparation, and for research related to explorations of beginning elementary teachers' identity trajectories.

Enabling the Usability of Earth Science Data Products and Services by Evaluating, Describing, and Improving Data Quality throughout the Data Lifecycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Peng, G.; Wei, Y.; Ramapriyan, H.; Moroni, D. F.

2015-12-01

Earth science data products and services are being used by representatives of various science and social science disciplines, by planning and decision-making professionals, by educators and learners ranging from primary through graduate and informal education, and by the general public. The diversity of users and uses of Earth science data is gratifying and offers new challenges for enabling the usability of these data by audiences with various purposes and levels of expertise. Users and other stakeholders need capabilities to efficiently find, explore, select, and determine the applicability and suitability of data products and services to meet their objectives and information needs. Similarly, they need to be able to understand the limitations of Earth science data, which can be complex, especially when considering combined or simultaneous use of multiple data products and services. Quality control efforts of stakeholders, throughout the data lifecycle, can contribute to the usability of Earth science data to meet the needs of diverse users. Such stakeholders include study design teams, data producers, data managers and curators, archives, systems professionals, data distributors, end-users, intermediaries, sponsoring organizations, hosting institutions, and others. Opportunities for engaging stakeholders to review, describe, and improve the quality of Earth science data products and services throughout the data lifecycle are identified and discussed. Insight is shared from the development of guidelines for implementing the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Data Management Principles, the recommendations from the Earth Science Data System Working Group (ESDSWG) on Data Quality, and the efforts of the Information Quality Cluster of the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP). Examples and outcomes from quality control efforts of data facilities, such as scientific data centers, that contribute to the usability of Earth science data also are offered.

OpenMS: a flexible open-source software platform for mass spectrometry data analysis.

PubMed

Röst, Hannes L; Sachsenberg, Timo; Aiche, Stephan; Bielow, Chris; Weisser, Hendrik; Aicheler, Fabian; Andreotti, Sandro; Ehrlich, Hans-Christian; Gutenbrunner, Petra; Kenar, Erhan; Liang, Xiao; Nahnsen, Sven; Nilse, Lars; Pfeuffer, Julianus; Rosenberger, George; Rurik, Marc; Schmitt, Uwe; Veit, Johannes; Walzer, Mathias; Wojnar, David; Wolski, Witold E; Schilling, Oliver; Choudhary, Jyoti S; Malmström, Lars; Aebersold, Ruedi; Reinert, Knut; Kohlbacher, Oliver

2016-08-30

High-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) has become an important tool in the life sciences, contributing to the diagnosis and understanding of human diseases, elucidating biomolecular structural information and characterizing cellular signaling networks. However, the rapid growth in the volume and complexity of MS data makes transparent, accurate and reproducible analysis difficult. We present OpenMS 2.0 (http://www.openms.de), a robust, open-source, cross-platform software specifically designed for the flexible and reproducible analysis of high-throughput MS data. The extensible OpenMS software implements common mass spectrometric data processing tasks through a well-defined application programming interface in C++ and Python and through standardized open data formats. OpenMS additionally provides a set of 185 tools and ready-made workflows for common mass spectrometric data processing tasks, which enable users to perform complex quantitative mass spectrometric analyses with ease.

Liquid-handling Lego robots and experiments for STEM education and research

PubMed Central

Gerber, Lukas C.; Calasanz-Kaiser, Agnes; Hyman, Luke; Voitiuk, Kateryna; Patil, Uday

2017-01-01

Liquid-handling robots have many applications for biotechnology and the life sciences, with increasing impact on everyday life. While playful robotics such as Lego Mindstorms significantly support education initiatives in mechatronics and programming, equivalent connections to the life sciences do not currently exist. To close this gap, we developed Lego-based pipetting robots that reliably handle liquid volumes from 1 ml down to the sub-μl range and that operate on standard laboratory plasticware, such as cuvettes and multiwell plates. These robots can support a range of science and chemistry experiments for education and even research. Using standard, low-cost household consumables, programming pipetting routines, and modifying robot designs, we enabled a rich activity space. We successfully tested these activities in afterschool settings with elementary, middle, and high school students. The simplest robot can be directly built from the widely used Lego Education EV3 core set alone, and this publication includes building and experiment instructions to set the stage for dissemination and further development in education and research. PMID:28323828

Liquid-handling Lego robots and experiments for STEM education and research.

PubMed

Gerber, Lukas C; Calasanz-Kaiser, Agnes; Hyman, Luke; Voitiuk, Kateryna; Patil, Uday; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar H

2017-03-01

Liquid-handling robots have many applications for biotechnology and the life sciences, with increasing impact on everyday life. While playful robotics such as Lego Mindstorms significantly support education initiatives in mechatronics and programming, equivalent connections to the life sciences do not currently exist. To close this gap, we developed Lego-based pipetting robots that reliably handle liquid volumes from 1 ml down to the sub-μl range and that operate on standard laboratory plasticware, such as cuvettes and multiwell plates. These robots can support a range of science and chemistry experiments for education and even research. Using standard, low-cost household consumables, programming pipetting routines, and modifying robot designs, we enabled a rich activity space. We successfully tested these activities in afterschool settings with elementary, middle, and high school students. The simplest robot can be directly built from the widely used Lego Education EV3 core set alone, and this publication includes building and experiment instructions to set the stage for dissemination and further development in education and research.

Creating Value with Long Term R&D: The life science industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloman, Darlene J. S.

2008-03-01

Agilent Laboratories looks to the future to identify, invest and enable technologies and applications that will nurture the world’s people, environment and economies, and help ensure Agilent’s continuing leadership. Following a brief introduction to Agilent Technologies and Agilent Laboratories, Solomon will discuss how innovation and long-term R&D are transcending traditional boundaries. Focusing on the life sciences industry, she will discuss current trends in R&D and the importance of measurement in advancing the industry. She will describe some of the challenges that are disrupting the pharmaceutical industry where significant and sustained investment in R&D has not translated into large numbers of block-buster therapeutics. Much of this gap results from the profound complexity of biological systems. New discoveries quickly generate new questions, which in turn drive more research and necessitate new business models. Solomon will highlight examples of Agilent’s long-range R&D in life sciences, emphasizing the importance of physics. She’ll conclude with the importance of creating sustainable value with R&D.

An on-orbit viewpoint of life sciences research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichtenberg, Byron K.

1992-01-01

As a Payload Specialist and a life science researcher, I want to present several issues that impact life science research in space. During early space station operations, life science and other experiments will be conducted in a time-critical manner and there will be the added duties of both space shuttle and space station systems operation (and the concomittent training overhead). Life sciences research is different from other science research done in space because the crew is involved both as an operator and as a subject. There is a need for pre- and post-flight data collection as well as in flight data collection. It is imperative that the life science researcher incorporate the crew members into their team early enough in the training cycle to fully explain the science and to make the crew aware of the importance and sensitivities of the experiment. During the pre-flight phase, the crew is incredibly busy with a myriad of duties. Therefore, it is difficult to get 'pristine' subjects for the baseline data collection. There are also circadian shifts, travel, and late nights to confound the data. During this time it is imperative that the researcher develop, along with the crew, a realistic estimate of crew-time required for their experiment. In flight issues that affect the researcher are the additional activities of the crew, the stresses inherent in space flight, and the difficulty of getting early in-flight data. During SSF activities, the first day or two will be taken up with rendezvous and docking. Other issues are the small number of subjects on any given flight, the importance of complete and concise procedures, and the vagaries of on-board data collection. Post flight, the crew is tired and experiences a 'relaxation.' This along with circadian shifts and rapid re-adaptation to 1-g make immediate post-flight data collection difficult. Finally, the blending of operational medicine and research can result in either competition for resources (crew time, etc.) or influence on the physiological state of the crew. However, the unique opportunity to conduct research in an environment that cannot be duplicated on Earth outweighs the 'challenges' that exist for space life researchers.

Science gateways for semantic-web-based life science applications.

PubMed

Ardizzone, Valeria; Bruno, Riccardo; Calanducci, Antonio; Carrubba, Carla; Fargetta, Marco; Ingrà, Elisa; Inserra, Giuseppina; La Rocca, Giuseppe; Monforte, Salvatore; Pistagna, Fabrizio; Ricceri, Rita; Rotondo, Riccardo; Scardaci, Diego; Barbera, Roberto

2012-01-01

In this paper we present the architecture of a framework for building Science Gateways supporting official standards both for user authentication and authorization and for middleware-independent job and data management. Two use cases of the customization of the Science Gateway framework for Semantic-Web-based life science applications are also described.

Guidelines for NASA Missions to Engage the User Community as a Part of the Mission Life Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escobar, V. M.; Friedl, L.; Bonniksen, C. K.

2017-12-01

NASA continues to improve the Earth Science Directorate in the areas of thematic integration, stakeholder feedback and Project Applications Program tailoring for missions to transfer knowledge between scientists and projects. The integration of application themes and the implementation of application science activities in flight projects have evolved to formally include user feedback and stakeholder integration. NASA's new Flight Applied Science Program Guidelines are designed to bridge NASA Earth Science Directorates in Flight, Applied Sciences and Research and Development by agreeing to integrate the user community into mission life cycles. Thus science development and science applications will guide all new instruments launched by NASAs ESD. The continued integration with the user community has enabled socio-economic considerations into NASA Earth Science projects to advance significantly. Making users a natural part of mission science leverages future socio-economic impact research and provides a platform for innovative and more actionable product to be used in decision support systems by society. This presentation will give an overview of the new NASA Guidelines and provide samples that demonstrate how the user community can be a part of NASA mission designs.

Alien To Me? Science in Search for Life Beyond Earth and Perceptions of Alien Life in Popular Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capova, K. A.

2013-09-01

The paper will introduce an original piece of research that is devoted to the socio-cultural aspects of scientifi c search for life in outer space and it draws from doctoral research in anthropology of science. In this piece of research the extraterrestrial life hypothesis is conceptualized as a significant part of the general world-view, constantly shaped by the work and discoveries of science. The paper presents data from qualitative ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the UK as well as uses quantitative data from public from the USA, UK and other countries.

Spacelab Life Sciences-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, Bonnie P.; Jahns, Gary; Meylor, John; Hawes, Nikki; Fast, Tom N.; Zarow, Greg

1995-01-01

This report provides an historical overview of the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission along with the resultant biomaintenance data and investigators' findings. Only the nonhuman elements, developed by Ames Research Center (ARC) researchers, are addressed herein. The STS-40 flight of SLS-1, in June 1991, was the first spacelab flown after 'return to orbit', it was also the first spacelab mission specifically designated as a Life Sciences Spacelab. The experiments performed provided baseline data for both hardware and rodents used in succeeding missions.

Replacement of SSE with NASA's POWER Project GIS-enabled Web Data Portal

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-04-30

Replacement of SSE with NASA's POWER Project GIS-enabled Web Data Portal Friday, March ... 2018 Replacement of SSE (Release 6) with NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) Project GIS-enabled Web ... Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) Project funded largely by NASA Earth Applied Sciences program.   The new POWER web portal ...

Design for an 8 Meter Monolithic UV/OIR Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip; Postman, Marc; Hornsby, Linda; Hopkins, Randall; Mosier, Gary E.; Pasquale, Bert A.; Arnold, William R.

2009-01-01

ATLAST-8 is an 8-meter monolithic UV/optical/NIR space observatory to be placed in orbit at Sun-Earth L2 by NASA's planned Ares V cargo launch vehicle. The ATLAST-8 will yield fundamental astronomical breakthroughs. The mission concept utilizes two enabling technologies: planned Ares-V launch vehicle (scheduled for 2019) and autonomous rendezvous and docking (AR&D). The unprecedented Ares-V payload and mass capacity enables the use of a massive, monolithic, thin-meniscus primary mirror - similar to a VLT or Subaru. Furthermore, it enables simple robust design rules to mitigate cost, schedule and performance risk. AR&D enables on-orbit servicing, extending mission life and enhancing science return.

Managing Sustainable Data Infrastructures: The Gestalt of EOSDIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behnke, Jeanne; Lowe, Dawn; Lindsay, Francis; Lynnes, Chris; Mitchell, Andrew

2016-01-01

EOSDIS epitomizes a System of Systems, whose many varied and distributed parts are integrated into a single, highly functional organized science data system. A distributed architecture was adopted to ensure discipline-specific support for the science data, while also leveraging standards and establishing policies and tools to enable interdisciplinary research, and analysis across multiple scientific instruments. The EOSDIS is composed of system elements such as geographically distributed archive centers used to manage the stewardship of data. The infrastructure consists of underlying capabilities connections that enable the primary system elements to function together. For example, one key infrastructure component is the common metadata repository, which enables discovery of all data within the EOSDIS system. EOSDIS employs processes and standards to ensure partners can work together effectively, and provide coherent services to users.

Kindergarten Students' Explanations during Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Karleah

2010-01-01

The study examines kindergarten students' explanations during science learning. The data on children's explanations are drawn from videotaped and transcribed discourse collected from four public kindergarten science classrooms engaged in a life science inquiry unit on the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The inquiry unit was implemented as…

Physics 200, 300 Interim Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manitoba Dept. of Education, Winnipeg.

This guide, developed for the physics 200, 300 program in Manitoba, is designed to articulate with previous science courses; provide concepts, processes, and skills which will enable students to continue in physics-related areas; and relate physics to practical applications in everyday life. It includes a program overview (with program goals and…

Chemistry 200, 300 Interim Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manitoba Dept. of Education, Winnipeg.

This guide, developed for the chemistry 200, 300 program in Manitoba, is designed to articulate with previous science courses, provide concepts, processes, and skills which will enable students to continue in chemistry-related areas, and relate chemistry to practical applications in everyday life. It includes a program overview (with program goals…

Skylab Experiments, Volume 4, Life Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Basic knowledge about Skylab experiments is presented in this book, one of a series, for the purpose of informing high school teachers about scientific research performed in orbit and enabling the teachers to broaden their basis for material selection. This fourth volume is concerned with experiments designed to improve man's understanding of…

Flow management for hydropower extirpates aquatic insects, undermining river food webs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Theodore A.; Muehlbauer, Jeffrey D.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Lytle, D.A.; Miller, S.A.; Dibble, Kimberly L.; Kortenhoeven, Eric W.; Metcalfe, Anya; Baxter, Colden V.

2016-01-01

Dams impound the majority of rivers and provide important societal benefits, especially daily water releases that enable on-peak hydroelectricity generation. Such “hydropeaking” is common worldwide, but its downstream impacts remain unclear. We evaluated the response of aquatic insects, a cornerstone of river food webs, to hydropeaking using a life history–hydrodynamic model. Our model predicts that aquatic-insect abundance will depend on a basic life-history trait—adult egg-laying behavior—such that open-water layers will be unaffected by hydropeaking, whereas ecologically important and widespread river-edge layers, such as mayflies, will be extirpated. These predictions are supported by a more-than-2500-sample, citizen-science data set of aquatic insects from the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and by a survey of insect diversity and hydropeaking intensity across dammed rivers of the Western United States. Our study reveals a hydropeaking-related life history bottleneck that precludes viable populations of many aquatic insects from inhabiting regulated rivers.

NASA Human Health and Performance Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

In May 2007, what was then the Space Life Sciences Directorate, issued the 2007 Space Life Sciences Strategy for Human Space Exploration. In January 2012, leadership and key directorate personnel were once again brought together to assess the current and expected future environment against its 2007 Strategy and the Agency and Johnson Space Center goals and strategies. The result was a refined vision and mission, and revised goals, objectives, and strategies. One of the first changes implemented was to rename the directorate from Space Life Sciences to Human Health and Performance to better reflect our vision and mission. The most significant change in the directorate from 2007 to the present is the integration of the Human Research Program and Crew Health and Safety activities. Subsequently, the Human Health and Performance Directorate underwent a reorganization to achieve enhanced integration of research and development with operations to better support human spaceflight and International Space Station utilization. These changes also enable a more effective and efficient approach to human system risk mitigation. Since 2007, we have also made significant advances in external collaboration and implementation of new business models within the directorate and the Agency, and through two newly established virtual centers, the NASA Human Health and Performance Center and the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. Our 2012 Strategy builds upon these successes to address the Agency s increased emphasis on societal relevance and being a leader in research and development and innovative business and communications practices. The 2012 Human Health and Performance Vision is to lead the world in human health and performance innovations for life in space and on Earth. Our mission is to enable optimization of human health and performance throughout all phases of spaceflight. All HHPD functions are ultimately aimed at achieving this mission. Our activities enable mission success, optimizing human health and productivity in space before, during, and after the actual spaceflight experience of our crews, and include support for ground-based functions. Many of our spaceflight innovations also provide solutions for terrestrial challenges, thereby enhancing life on Earth. Our strategic goals are aimed at leading human exploration and ISS utilization, leading human health and performance internationally, excelling in management and advancement of innovations in health and human system integration, and expanding relevance to life on Earth and creating enduring support and enthusiasm for space exploration.

NASA Human Health and Performance Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

In May 2007, what was then the Space Life Sciences Directorate, issued the 2007 Space Life Sciences Strategy for Human Space Exploration. In January 2012, leadership and key directorate personnel were once again brought together to assess the current and expected future environment against its 2007 Strategy and the Agency and Johnson Space Center goals and strategies. The result was a refined vision and mission, and revised goals, objectives, and strategies. One of the first changes implemented was to rename the directorate from Space Life Sciences to Human Health and Performance to better reflect our vision and mission. The most significant change in the directorate from 2007 to the present is the integration of the Human Research Program and Crew Health and Safety activities. Subsequently, the Human Health and Performance Directorate underwent a reorganization to achieve enhanced integration of research and development with operations to better support human spaceflight and International Space Station utilization. These changes also enable a more effective and efficient approach to human system risk mitigation. Since 2007, we have also made significant advances in external collaboration and implementation of new business models within the directorate and the Agency, and through two newly established virtual centers, the NASA Human Health and Performance Center and the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. Our 2012 Strategy builds upon these successes to address the Agency's increased emphasis on societal relevance and being a leader in research and development and innovative business and communications practices. The 2012 Human Health and Performance Vision is to lead the world in human health and performance innovations for life in space and on Earth. Our mission is to enable optimization of human health and performance throughout all phases of spaceflight. All HH&P functions are ultimately aimed at achieving this mission. Our activities enable mission success, optimizing human health and productivity in space before, during, and after the actual spaceflight experience of our crews, and include support for ground-­- based functions. Many of our spaceflight innovations also provide solutions for terrestrial challenges, thereby enhancing life on Earth. Our strategic goals are aimed at leading human exploration and ISS utilization, leading human health and performance internationally, excelling in management and advancement of innovations in health and human system integration, and expanding relevance to life on Earth and creating enduring support and enthusiasm for space exploration.

iSANLA: intelligent sensor and actuator network for life science applications.

PubMed

Schloesser, Mario; Schnitzer, Andreas; Ying, Hong; Silex, Carmen; Schiek, Michael

2008-01-01

In the fields of neurological rehabilitation and neurophysiological research there is a strong need for miniaturized, multi channel, battery driven, wireless networking DAQ systems enabling real-time digital signal processing and feedback experiments. For the scientific investigation on the passive auditory based 3D-orientation of Barn Owls and the scientific research on vegetative locomotor coordination of Parkinson's disease patients during rehabilitation we developed our 'intelligent Sensor and Actuator Network for Life science Application' (iSANLA) system. Implemented on the ultra low power microcontroller MSP430 sample rates up to 96 kHz have been realised for single channel DAQ. The system includes lossless local data storage up to 4 GB. With its outer dimensions of 20mm per rim and less than 15 g of weight including the Lithium-Ion battery our modular designed sensor node is thoroughly capable of up to eight channel recordings with 8 kHz sample rate each and provides sufficient computational power for digital signal processing ready to start our first mobile experiments. For wireless mobility a compact communication protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard with net data rates up to 141 kbit/s has been implemented. To merge the lossless acquired data of the distributed iNODEs a time synchronization protocol has been developed preserving causality. Hence the necessary time synchronous start of the data acquisition inside a network of multiple sensors with a precision better than the highest sample rate has been realized.

searchSCF: Using MongoDB to Enable Richer Searches of Locally Hosted Science Data Repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knosp, B.

2016-12-01

Science teams today are in the unusual position of almost having too much data available to them. Modern sensors and models are capable of outputting terabytes of data per day, which can make it difficult to find specific subsets of data. The sheer size of files can also make it time consuming to retrieve this big data from national data archive centers. Thus, many science teams choose to store what data they can on their local systems, but they are not always equipped with tools to help them intelligently organize and search their data. In its local data repository, the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) science team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has collected over 300TB of atmospheric science data from 71 missions/models that aid in validation, algorithm development, and research activities. When the project began, the team developed a MySQL database to aid in data queries, but this database was only designed to keep track of MLS and a few ancillary data sets, leving much of the data uncatalogued. The team has also seen database query time rise over the life of the mission. Even though the MLS science team's data holdings are not the size of a national data center's, team members still need tools to help them discover and utilize the data that they have on-hand. Over the past year, members of the science team have been looking for solutions to (1) store information on all the data sets they have collected in a single database, (2) store more metadata about each data file, (3) develop queries that can find relationships among these disparate data types, and (4) plug any new functions developed around this database into existing analysis, visualization, and web tools, transparently to users. In this presentation, I will discuss the searchSCF package that is currently under development. This package includes a NoSQL database management system (MongoDB) and a set of Python tools that both ingests data into the database and supports user queries. I will also highlight case studies of how this system could be used by the MLS science team, and how it could be implemented by other science teams with local data repositories.

Searching for organics on the dwarf planet Ceres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Michael

The Herschel Space Observatory recently detected the presence of water vapor in observations of Ceres, bringing it into the crosshairs of the search for the building blocks of life in the solar system. I present a mission concept designed in collaboration with the NASA Ames Research Center for a two-probe mission to the dwarf planet Ceres, utilizing a pair of small low-cost spacecraft. The primary spacecraft will carry both a mass and an infrared spectrometer to characterize the detected vapor. Shortly after its arrival a second and largely similar spacecraft will impact Ceres to create an impact ejecta "plume" timed to enable a rendezvous and sampling by the primary spacecraft. This enables additional subsurface chemistry, volatile content and material characterization, and new science complementary to the Dawn spacecraft, the first to arrive at Ceres. Science requirements, candidate instruments, rendezvous trajectories, spacecraft design and comparison with Dawn science are detailed.

Identifying ELIXIR Core Data Resources

PubMed Central

Durinx, Christine; McEntyre, Jo; Appel, Ron; Apweiler, Rolf; Barlow, Mary; Blomberg, Niklas; Cook, Chuck; Gasteiger, Elisabeth; Kim, Jee-Hyub; Lopez, Rodrigo; Redaschi, Nicole; Stockinger, Heinz; Teixeira, Daniel; Valencia, Alfonso

2017-01-01

The core mission of ELIXIR is to build a stable and sustainable infrastructure for biological information across Europe. At the heart of this are the data resources, tools and services that ELIXIR offers to the life-sciences community, providing stable and sustainable access to biological data. ELIXIR aims to ensure that these resources are available long-term and that the life-cycles of these resources are managed such that they support the scientific needs of the life-sciences, including biological research. ELIXIR Core Data Resources are defined as a set of European data resources that are of fundamental importance to the wider life-science community and the long-term preservation of biological data. They are complete collections of generic value to life-science, are considered an authority in their field with respect to one or more characteristics, and show high levels of scientific quality and service. Thus, ELIXIR Core Data Resources are of wide applicability and usage. This paper describes the structures, governance and processes that support the identification and evaluation of ELIXIR Core Data Resources. It identifies key indicators which reflect the essence of the definition of an ELIXIR Core Data Resource and support the promotion of excellence in resource development and operation. It describes the specific indicators in more detail and explains their application within ELIXIR’s sustainability strategy and science policy actions, and in capacity building, life-cycle management and technical actions. The identification process is currently being implemented and tested for the first time. The findings and outcome will be evaluated by the ELIXIR Scientific Advisory Board in March 2017. Establishing the portfolio of ELIXIR Core Data Resources and ELIXIR Services is a key priority for ELIXIR and publicly marks the transition towards a cohesive infrastructure. PMID:27803796

Identifying ELIXIR Core Data Resources.

PubMed

Durinx, Christine; McEntyre, Jo; Appel, Ron; Apweiler, Rolf; Barlow, Mary; Blomberg, Niklas; Cook, Chuck; Gasteiger, Elisabeth; Kim, Jee-Hyub; Lopez, Rodrigo; Redaschi, Nicole; Stockinger, Heinz; Teixeira, Daniel; Valencia, Alfonso

2016-01-01

The core mission of ELIXIR is to build a stable and sustainable infrastructure for biological information across Europe. At the heart of this are the data resources, tools and services that ELIXIR offers to the life-sciences community, providing stable and sustainable access to biological data. ELIXIR aims to ensure that these resources are available long-term and that the life-cycles of these resources are managed such that they support the scientific needs of the life-sciences, including biological research. ELIXIR Core Data Resources are defined as a set of European data resources that are of fundamental importance to the wider life-science community and the long-term preservation of biological data. They are complete collections of generic value to life-science, are considered an authority in their field with respect to one or more characteristics, and show high levels of scientific quality and service. Thus, ELIXIR Core Data Resources are of wide applicability and usage. This paper describes the structures, governance and processes that support the identification and evaluation of ELIXIR Core Data Resources. It identifies key indicators which reflect the essence of the definition of an ELIXIR Core Data Resource and support the promotion of excellence in resource development and operation. It describes the specific indicators in more detail and explains their application within ELIXIR's sustainability strategy and science policy actions, and in capacity building, life-cycle management and technical actions. The identification process is currently being implemented and tested for the first time. The findings and outcome will be evaluated by the ELIXIR Scientific Advisory Board in March 2017. Establishing the portfolio of ELIXIR Core Data Resources and ELIXIR Services is a key priority for ELIXIR and publicly marks the transition towards a cohesive infrastructure.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Earth Science Collaboratories Using Best Practices and Breakthrough Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephan, E.

2017-12-01

The objective of published earth science study data results and literature on the Web should be to provide a means to integrate discoverable science resources through an open collaborative-Web. At the core of any open science collaborative infrastructure is the ability to discover, manage and ultimately use relevant data accessible to the collaboration. Equally important are the relationships between people, applications, services, and publications, which capture critical contextual knowledge that enable their effective use. While contributions of either irreproducible or costly data can be a great asset the inability of users being able to use the data intelligently or make sense of it, makes these investments not usable. An ability to describe ad-hoc discoverable usage methodologies, provide feedback to data producers, and identify and cite data in a systematic way by leveraging existing Web-enabled off the shelf technology is needed. Fortunately many break-through advancements in data publication best practices and government, open source, and commercial investments support consumers who can provide feedback, share experiences, and contribute back to the earth science ecosystem.

U-Science (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borne, K. D.

2009-12-01

The emergence of e-Science over the past decade as a paradigm for Internet-based science was an inevitable evolution of science that built upon the web protocols and access patterns that were prevalent at that time, including Web Services, XML-based information exchange, machine-to-machine communication, service registries, the Grid, and distributed data. We now see a major shift in web behavior patterns to social networks, user-provided content (e.g., tags and annotations), ubiquitous devices, user-centric experiences, and user-led activities. The inevitable accrual of these social networking patterns and protocols by scientists and science projects leads to U-Science as a new paradigm for online scientific research (i.e., ubiquitous, user-led, untethered, You-centered science). U-Science applications include components from semantic e-science (ontologies, taxonomies, folksonomies, tagging, annotations, and classification systems), which is much more than Web 2.0-based science (Wikis, blogs, and online environments like Second Life). Among the best examples of U-Science are Citizen Science projects, including Galaxy Zoo, Stardust@Home, Project Budburst, Volksdata, CoCoRaHS (the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network), and projects utilizing Volunteer Geographic Information (VGI). There are also scientist-led projects for scientists that engage a wider community in building knowledge through user-provided content. Among the semantic-based U-Science projects for scientists are those that specifically enable user-based annotation of scientific results in databases. These include the Heliophysics Knowledgebase, BioDAS, WikiProteins, The Entity Describer, and eventually AstroDAS. Such collaborative tagging of scientific data addresses several petascale data challenges for scientists: how to find the most relevant data, how to reuse those data, how to integrate data from multiple sources, how to mine and discover new knowledge in large databases, how to represent and encode the new knowledge, and how to curate the discovered knowledge. This talk will address the emergence of U-Science as a type of Semantic e-Science, and will explore challenges, implementations, and results. Semantic e-Science and U-Science applications and concepts will be discussed within the context of one particular implementation (AstroDAS: Astronomy Distributed Annotation System) and its applicability to petascale science projects such as the LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope), coming online within the next few years.

Translating standards into practice - one Semantic Web API for Gene Expression.

PubMed

Deus, Helena F; Prud'hommeaux, Eric; Miller, Michael; Zhao, Jun; Malone, James; Adamusiak, Tomasz; McCusker, Jim; Das, Sudeshna; Rocca Serra, Philippe; Fox, Ronan; Marshall, M Scott

2012-08-01

Sharing and describing experimental results unambiguously with sufficient detail to enable replication of results is a fundamental tenet of scientific research. In today's cluttered world of "-omics" sciences, data standards and standardized use of terminologies and ontologies for biomedical informatics play an important role in reporting high-throughput experiment results in formats that can be interpreted by both researchers and analytical tools. Increasing adoption of Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies for the integration of heterogeneous and distributed health care and life sciences (HCLSs) datasets has made the reuse of standards even more pressing; dynamic semantic query federation can be used for integrative bioinformatics when ontologies and identifiers are reused across data instances. We present here a methodology to integrate the results and experimental context of three different representations of microarray-based transcriptomic experiments: the Gene Expression Atlas, the W3C BioRDF task force approach to reporting Provenance of Microarray Experiments, and the HSCI blood genomics project. Our approach does not attempt to improve the expressivity of existing standards for genomics but, instead, to enable integration of existing datasets published from microarray-based transcriptomic experiments. SPARQL Construct is used to create a posteriori mappings of concepts and properties and linking rules that match entities based on query constraints. We discuss how our integrative approach can encourage reuse of the Experimental Factor Ontology (EFO) and the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations (OBIs) for the reporting of experimental context and results of gene expression studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DataONE: Gateway to Earth and Environmental Data Repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskela, R.; Michener, W. K.; Vieglais, D.; Budden, A. E.

2017-12-01

DataONE (Data Observation Network for Earth) is a National Science Foundation DataNet project that enables universal access to data and also facilitates researchers in fulfilling their need for data management and in providing secure and permanent access to their data. DataONE offers the scientific community a suite of tools and training materials that cover all aspects of the data life cycle from data collection, to management, analysis and publication. Data repositories affiliated with DataONE are referred to as Member Nodes and represent large regional, national and international research networks, agencies, and other institutions. As part of the DataONE Federation, the repositories gain access to a range of value-added services to support their users. These services include usage tracking and reporting, content replication, and the ability to register the services created by the repository. In addition, DataONE and the California Digital Library manage ONEShare, a repository that accepts content submitted through Dash, a platform allowing researchers to easily describe, deposit and share their research data.

Computer Literacy for Life Sciences: Helping the Digital-Era Biology Undergraduates Face Today's Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolinski, Tomasz G.

2010-01-01

Computer literacy plays a critical role in today's life sciences research. Without the ability to use computers to efficiently manipulate and analyze large amounts of data resulting from biological experiments and simulations, many of the pressing questions in the life sciences could not be answered. Today's undergraduates, despite the ubiquity of…

Coordinating Multiple Spacecraft Assets for Joint Science Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estlin, Tara; Chien, Steve; Castano, Rebecca; Gaines, Daniel; de Granville, Charles; Doubleday, Josh; Anderson, Robert C.; Knight, Russell; Bornstein, Benjamin; Rabideau, Gregg;

TCIA: An information resource to enable open science.

PubMed

Prior, Fred W; Clark, Ken; Commean, Paul; Freymann, John; Jaffe, Carl; Kirby, Justin; Moore, Stephen; Smith, Kirk; Tarbox, Lawrence; Vendt, Bruce; Marquez, Guillermo

2013-01-01

Reusable, publicly available data is a pillar of open science. The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) is an open image archive service supporting cancer research. TCIA collects, de-identifies, curates and manages rich collections of oncology image data. Image data sets have been contributed by 28 institutions and additional image collections are underway. Since June of 2011, more than 2,000 users have registered to search and access data from this freely available resource. TCIA encourages and supports cancer-related open science communities by hosting and managing the image archive, providing project wiki space and searchable metadata repositories. The success of TCIA is measured by the number of active research projects it enables (>40) and the number of scientific publications and presentations that are produced using data from TCIA collections (39).

Text mining resources for the life sciences.

PubMed

Przybyła, Piotr; Shardlow, Matthew; Aubin, Sophie; Bossy, Robert; Eckart de Castilho, Richard; Piperidis, Stelios; McNaught, John; Ananiadou, Sophia

2016-01-01

Text mining is a powerful technology for quickly distilling key information from vast quantities of biomedical literature. However, to harness this power the researcher must be well versed in the availability, suitability, adaptability, interoperability and comparative accuracy of current text mining resources. In this survey, we give an overview of the text mining resources that exist in the life sciences to help researchers, especially those employed in biocuration, to engage with text mining in their own work. We categorize the various resources under three sections: Content Discovery looks at where and how to find biomedical publications for text mining; Knowledge Encoding describes the formats used to represent the different levels of information associated with content that enable text mining, including those formats used to carry such information between processes; Tools and Services gives an overview of workflow management systems that can be used to rapidly configure and compare domain- and task-specific processes, via access to a wide range of pre-built tools. We also provide links to relevant repositories in each section to enable the reader to find resources relevant to their own area of interest. Throughout this work we give a special focus to resources that are interoperable-those that have the crucial ability to share information, enabling smooth integration and reusability. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Text mining resources for the life sciences

PubMed Central

Shardlow, Matthew; Aubin, Sophie; Bossy, Robert; Eckart de Castilho, Richard; Piperidis, Stelios; McNaught, John; Ananiadou, Sophia

2016-01-01

Text mining is a powerful technology for quickly distilling key information from vast quantities of biomedical literature. However, to harness this power the researcher must be well versed in the availability, suitability, adaptability, interoperability and comparative accuracy of current text mining resources. In this survey, we give an overview of the text mining resources that exist in the life sciences to help researchers, especially those employed in biocuration, to engage with text mining in their own work. We categorize the various resources under three sections: Content Discovery looks at where and how to find biomedical publications for text mining; Knowledge Encoding describes the formats used to represent the different levels of information associated with content that enable text mining, including those formats used to carry such information between processes; Tools and Services gives an overview of workflow management systems that can be used to rapidly configure and compare domain- and task-specific processes, via access to a wide range of pre-built tools. We also provide links to relevant repositories in each section to enable the reader to find resources relevant to their own area of interest. Throughout this work we give a special focus to resources that are interoperable—those that have the crucial ability to share information, enabling smooth integration and reusability. PMID:27888231

Enabling Analytics in the Cloud for Earth Science Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Lynnes, Christopher; Bingham, Andrew W.; Quam, Brandi M.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this workshop was to hold interactive discussions where providers, users, and other stakeholders could explore the convergence of three main elements in the rapidly developing world of technology: Big Data, Cloud Computing, and Analytics, [for earth science data].

KNIME for reproducible cross-domain analysis of life science data.

PubMed

Fillbrunn, Alexander; Dietz, Christian; Pfeuffer, Julianus; Rahn, René; Landrum, Gregory A; Berthold, Michael R

2017-11-10

Experiments in the life sciences often involve tools from a variety of domains such as mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing, or image processing. Passing the data between those tools often involves complex scripts for controlling data flow, data transformation, and statistical analysis. Such scripts are not only prone to be platform dependent, they also tend to grow as the experiment progresses and are seldomly well documented, a fact that hinders the reproducibility of the experiment. Workflow systems such as KNIME Analytics Platform aim to solve these problems by providing a platform for connecting tools graphically and guaranteeing the same results on different operating systems. As an open source software, KNIME allows scientists and programmers to provide their own extensions to the scientific community. In this review paper we present selected extensions from the life sciences that simplify data exploration, analysis, and visualization and are interoperable due to KNIME's unified data model. Additionally, we name other workflow systems that are commonly used in the life sciences and highlight their similarities and differences to KNIME. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Next-generation phenomics for the Tree of Life.

PubMed

Burleigh, J Gordon; Alphonse, Kenzley; Alverson, Andrew J; Bik, Holly M; Blank, Carrine; Cirranello, Andrea L; Cui, Hong; Daly, Marymegan; Dietterich, Thomas G; Gasparich, Gail; Irvine, Jed; Julius, Matthew; Kaufman, Seth; Law, Edith; Liu, Jing; Moore, Lisa; O'Leary, Maureen A; Passarotti, Maria; Ranade, Sonali; Simmons, Nancy B; Stevenson, Dennis W; Thacker, Robert W; Theriot, Edward C; Todorovic, Sinisa; Velazco, Paúl M; Walls, Ramona L; Wolfe, Joanna M; Yu, Mengjie

2013-06-26

The phenotype represents a critical interface between the genome and the environment in which organisms live and evolve. Phenotypic characters also are a rich source of biodiversity data for tree building, and they enable scientists to reconstruct the evolutionary history of organisms, including most fossil taxa, for which genetic data are unavailable. Therefore, phenotypic data are necessary for building a comprehensive Tree of Life. In contrast to recent advances in molecular sequencing, which has become faster and cheaper through recent technological advances, phenotypic data collection remains often prohibitively slow and expensive. The next-generation phenomics project is a collaborative, multidisciplinary effort to leverage advances in image analysis, crowdsourcing, and natural language processing to develop and implement novel approaches for discovering and scoring the phenome, the collection of phentotypic characters for a species. This research represents a new approach to data collection that has the potential to transform phylogenetics research and to enable rapid advances in constructing the Tree of Life. Our goal is to assemble large phenomic datasets built using new methods and to provide the public and scientific community with tools for phenomic data assembly that will enable rapid and automated study of phenotypes across the Tree of Life.

NASA's NPOESS Preparatory Project Science Data Segment: A Framework for Measurement-based Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaller, Mathew R.; Schweiss, Robert J.

2007-01-01

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) Science Data Segment (SDS) provides a framework for the future of NASA s distributed Earth science data systems. The NPP SDS performs research and data product assessment while using a fully distributed architecture. The components of this architecture are organized around key environmental data disciplines: land, ocean, ozone, atmospheric sounding, and atmospheric composition. The SDS thus establishes a set of concepts and a working prototypes. This paper describes the framework used by the NPP Project as it enabled Measurement-Based Earth Science Data Systems for the assessment of NPP products.

Data-driven Science in Geochemistry & Petrology: Vision & Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, K. A.; Ghiorso, M. S.; Spear, F. S.

2013-12-01

Science in many fields is increasingly ';data-driven'. Though referred to as a ';new' Fourth Paradigm (Hey, 2009), data-driven science is not new, and examples are cited in the Geochemical Society's data policy, including the compilation of Dziewonski & Anderson (1981) that led to PREM, and Zindler & Hart (1986), who compiled mantle isotope data to present for the first time a comprehensive view of the Earth's mantle. Today, rapidly growing data volumes, ubiquity of data access, and new computational and information management technologies enable data-driven science at a radically advanced scale of speed, extent, flexibility, and inclusiveness, with the ability to seamlessly synthesize observations, experiments, theory, and computation, and to statistically mine data across disciplines, leading to more comprehensive, well informed, and high impact scientific advances. Are geochemists, petrologists, and volcanologists ready to participate in this revolution of the scientific process? In the past year, researchers from the VGP community and related disciplines have come together at several cyberinfrastructure related workshops, in part prompted by the EarthCube initiative of the US NSF, to evaluate the status of cyberinfrastructure in their field, to put forth key scientific challenges, and identify primary data and software needs to address these. Science scenarios developed by workshop participants that range from non-equilibrium experiments focusing on mass transport, chemical reactions, and phase transformations (J. Hammer) to defining the abundance of elements and isotopes in every voxel in the Earth (W. McDonough), demonstrate the potential of cyberinfrastructure enabled science, and define the vision of how data access, visualization, analysis, computation, and cross-domain interoperability can and should support future research in VGP. The primary obstacle for data-driven science in VGP remains the dearth of accessible, integrated data from lab and sensor measurements, experiments, and models, both from past and from present studies, and their poor discoverability, interoperability, and standardization. Other deficiencies include the lack of widespread sample curation and online sample catalogs, and broad community support and enforcement of open data sharing policies and a strategy for sustained funding and operation of the cyberinfrastructure. In order to achieve true data-driven science in geochemistry and petrology, one of the primary requirements is to change the way data and models are managed and shared to dramatically improve their access and re-usability. Adoption of new data publication practices, new ways of citing data that ensure attribution and credit to authors, tools that help investigators to seamlessly manage their data throughout the data life cycle, from the point of acquisition to upload to repositories, and population of databases with historical data are among the most urgent needs. The community, especially early career scientists, must work together to produce the cultural shift within the discipline toward sharing of data and knowledge, virtual collaboration, and social networking. Dziewonski, A M, & Anderson, D L: Physics of the Earth and Planet Interiors 25 (4), 297 (1981) Hey, T, Tansley, S, Tolle, K (Eds.): Redmond, VA: Microsoft Research (2009) Zindler, A, & Hart, S R: Ann. Rev. Earth Plan. Sci. 14, 493 (1986)

IN13B-1660: Analytics and Visualization Pipelines for Big Data on the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) and OpenNEX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhary, Aashish; Votava, Petr; Nemani, Ramakrishna R.; Michaelis, Andrew; Kotfila, Chris

2016-01-01

We are developing capabilities for an integrated petabyte-scale Earth science collaborative analysis and visualization environment. The ultimate goal is to deploy this environment within the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) and OpenNEX in order to enhance existing science data production pipelines in both high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments. Bridging of HPC and cloud is a fairly new concept under active research and this system significantly enhances the ability of the scientific community to accelerate analysis and visualization of Earth science data from NASA missions, model outputs and other sources. We have developed a web-based system that seamlessly interfaces with both high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments, providing tools that enable science teams to develop and deploy large-scale analysis, visualization and QA pipelines of both the production process and the data products, and enable sharing results with the community. Our project is developed in several stages each addressing separate challenge - workflow integration, parallel execution in either cloud or HPC environments and big-data analytics or visualization. This work benefits a number of existing and upcoming projects supported by NEX, such as the Web Enabled Landsat Data (WELD), where we are developing a new QA pipeline for the 25PB system.

Analytics and Visualization Pipelines for Big ­Data on the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) and OpenNEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhary, A.; Votava, P.; Nemani, R. R.; Michaelis, A.; Kotfila, C.

2016-12-01

We are developing capabilities for an integrated petabyte-scale Earth science collaborative analysis and visualization environment. The ultimate goal is to deploy this environment within the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) and OpenNEX in order to enhance existing science data production pipelines in both high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments. Bridging of HPC and cloud is a fairly new concept under active research and this system significantly enhances the ability of the scientific community to accelerate analysis and visualization of Earth science data from NASA missions, model outputs and other sources. We have developed a web-based system that seamlessly interfaces with both high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments, providing tools that enable science teams to develop and deploy large-scale analysis, visualization and QA pipelines of both the production process and the data products, and enable sharing results with the community. Our project is developed in several stages each addressing separate challenge - workflow integration, parallel execution in either cloud or HPC environments and big-data analytics or visualization. This work benefits a number of existing and upcoming projects supported by NEX, such as the Web Enabled Landsat Data (WELD), where we are developing a new QA pipeline for the 25PB system.

Simplify and Accelerate Earth Science Data Preparation to Systemize Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, K. S.; Rilee, M. L.; Oloso, A.

2017-12-01

Data preparation is the most laborious and time-consuming part of machine learning. The effort required is usually more than linearly proportional to the varieties of data used. From a system science viewpoint, useful machine learning in Earth Science likely involves diverse datasets. Thus, simplifying data preparation to ease the systemization of machine learning in Earth Science is of immense value. The technologies we have developed and applied to an array database, SciDB, are explicitly designed for the purpose, including the innovative SpatioTemporal Adaptive-Resolution Encoding (STARE), a remapping tool suite, and an efficient implementation of connected component labeling (CCL). STARE serves as a universal Earth data representation that homogenizes data varieties and facilitates spatiotemporal data placement as well as alignment, to maximize query performance on massively parallel, distributed computing resources for a major class of analysis. Moreover, it converts spatiotemporal set operations into fast and efficient integer interval operations, supporting in turn moving-object analysis. Integrative analysis requires more than overlapping spatiotemporal sets. For example, meaningful comparison of temperature fields obtained with different means and resolutions requires their transformation to the same grid. Therefore, remapping has been implemented to enable integrative analysis. Finally, Earth Science investigations are generally studies of phenomena, e.g. tropical cyclone, atmospheric river, and blizzard, through their associated events, like hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Unfortunately, except for a few high-impact phenomena, comprehensive episodic records are lacking. Consequently, we have implemented an efficient CCL tracking algorithm, enabling event-based investigations within climate data records beyond mere event presence. In summary, we have implemented the core unifying capabilities on a Big Data technology to enable systematic machine learning in Earth Science.

KSC-02pd0755

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, with the Israeli Space Agency, are ready to enter Columbia's payload bay to work on Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments for the mission. FREESTAR comprises Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. Another payload is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

Collaborative WorkBench (cwb): Enabling Experiment Execution, Analysis and Visualization with Increased Scientific Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, Manil; Ramachandran, Rahul; Kuo, Kwo-Sen

2015-04-01

The Collaborative WorkBench (CWB) has been successfully developed to support collaborative science algorithm development. It incorporates many features that enable and enhance science collaboration, including the support for both asynchronous and synchronous modes of interactions in collaborations. With the former, members in a team can share a full range of research artifacts, e.g. data, code, visualizations, and even virtual machine images. With the latter, they can engage in dynamic interactions such as notification, instant messaging, file exchange, and, most notably, collaborative programming. CWB also implements behind-the-scene provenance capture as well as version control to relieve scientists of these chores. Furthermore, it has achieved a seamless integration between researchers' local compute environments and those of the Cloud. CWB has also been successfully extended to support instrument verification and validation. Adopted by almost every researcher, the current practice of downloading data to local compute resources for analysis results in much duplication and inefficiency. CWB leverages Cloud infrastructure to provide a central location for data used by an entire science team, thereby eliminating much of this duplication and waste. Furthermore, use of CWB in concert with this same Cloud infrastructure enables co-located analysis with data where opportunities of data-parallelism can be better exploited, thereby further improving efficiency. With its collaboration-enabling features apposite to steps throughout the scientific process, we expect CWB to fundamentally transform research collaboration and realize maximum science productivity.

Using immersive media and digital technology to communicate Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapur, Ravi

2016-04-01

A number of technologies in digital media and interactivity have rapidly advanced and are now converging to enable rich, multi-sensoral experiences which create opportunities for both digital art and science communication. Techniques used in full-dome film-making can now be deployed in virtual reality experiences; gaming technologies can be utilised to explore real data sets; and collaborative interactivity enable new forms of public artwork. This session will explore these converging trends through a number of emerging and forthcoming projects dealing with Earth science, climate change and planetary science.

Telescience testbedding for life science missions on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasmussen, D.; Mian, A.; Bosley, J.

1988-01-01

'Telescience', defined as the ability of distributed system users to perform remote operations associated with NASA Space Station life science operations, has been explored by a developmental testbed project allowing rapid prototyping to evaluate the functional requirements of telescience implementation in three areas: (1) research planning and design, (2) remote operation of facilities, and (3) remote access to data bases for analysis. Attention is given to the role of expert systems in telescience, its use in realistic simulation of Space Shuttle payload remote monitoring, and remote interaction with life science data bases.

Learning Science through Creating a `Slowmation': A case study of preservice primary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoban, Garry; Nielsen, Wendy

2013-01-01

Many preservice primary teachers have inadequate science knowledge, which often limits their confidence in implementing the subject. This paper proposes a new way for preservice teachers to learn science by designing and making a narrated stop-motion animation as an instructional resource to explain a science concept. In this paper, a simplified way for preservice teachers to design and make an animation called 'slowmation' (abbreviated from 'slow animation') is exemplified. A case study of three preservice primary teachers creating one from start to finish over 2 h was conducted to address the following research question: How do the preservice primary teachers create a slowmation and how does this process influence their science learning? The method of inquiry used a case study design involving pre- and post-individual interviews in conjunction with a discourse analysis of video and audio data recorded as they created a slowmation. The data illustrate how the preservice teachers' science learning was related to their prior knowledge and how they iteratively revisited the content through the construction of five representations as a cumulative semiotic progression: (i) research notes; (ii) storyboard; (iii) models; (iv) digital photographs; culminating in (v) the narrated animation. This progression enabled the preservice teachers to revisit the content in each representation and make decisions about which modes to use and promoted social interaction. Creating a slowmation facilitated the preservice teachers' learning about the life cycle of a ladybird beetle and revised their alternative conceptions.

An evolving Mars telecommunications network to enable exploration and increase science data return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Chad; Komarek, Tomas A.; Noreen, Gary K.; Wilson, Gregory R.

2003-01-01

The coming decade of Mars exploration involves a variety of unique telecommunications challenges. Increasing spatial and spectral resolution of in situ science instruments drive the need for increased bandwidth. At the same time, many innovative and low-cost in situ mission concepts are enabled by energy-efficient relay communications. In response to these needs, the Mars Exploration Program has established a plan for an evolving orbital infrastructure that can provide enhancing and enabling telecommunications services to future Mars missions. We will present the evolving capabilities of this network over the coming decade in terms of specific quantitative metrics such as data volume per sol and required lander energy per Gb of returned data for representative classes of Mars exploration spacecraft.

Improving Reuse in Software Development for the Life Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iannotti, Nicholas V.

2013-01-01

The last several years have seen unprecedented advancements in the application of technology to the life sciences, particularly in the area of data generation. Novel scientific insights are now often driven primarily by software development supporting new multidisciplinary and increasingly multifaceted data analysis. However, despite the…

Broadening the Study of Participation in the Life Sciences: How Critical Theoretical and Mixed-Methodological Approaches Can Enhance Efforts to Broaden Participation

PubMed Central

Metcalf, Heather

2016-01-01

This research methods Essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences. First, I draw on multidisciplinary research to discuss critical theory and methodologies. Then, I demonstrate the benefits of these approaches for researchers who study diversity and inclusion issues in the life sciences through examples from two critical mixed-methods studies of prominent issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation and recognition. The first study pairs critical discourse analysis of the STEM workforce literature, data, and underlying surveys with quantitative analyses of STEM pathways into the workforce. This example illustrates the necessity of questioning popular models of retention. It also demonstrates the importance of intersecting demographic categories to reveal patterns of experience both within and between groups whose access to and participation in STEM we aim to improve. The second study’s critical approach applies research on inequities in prizes awarded by STEM professional societies toward organizational change. This example uses data from the life sciences professional societies to show the importance of placing data within context to broaden participation and understand challenges in creating sustainable change. PMID:27521238

Datalist: A Value Added Service to Enable Easy Data Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Angela; Hegde, Mahabaleshwa; Bryant, Keith; Seiler, Edward; Shie, Chung-Lin; Teng, William; Liu, Zhong; Hearty, Thomas; Shen, Suhung; Kempler, Steven;

Promoting a structural view of biology for varied audiences: an overview of RCSB PDB resources and experiences.

PubMed

Dutta, Shuchismita; Zardecki, Christine; Goodsell, David S; Berman, Helen M

2010-10-01

The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) supports scientific research and education worldwide by providing an essential resource of information on biomolecular structures. In addition to serving as a deposition, data-processing and distribution center for PDB data, the RCSB PDB offers resources and online materials that different audiences can use to customize their structural biology instruction. These include resources for general audiences that present macromolecular structure in the context of a biological theme, method-based materials for researchers who take a more traditional approach to the presentation of structural science, and materials that mix theme-based and method-based approaches for educators and students. Through these efforts the RCSB PDB aims to enable optimal use of structural data by researchers, educators and students designing and understanding experiments in biology, chemistry and medicine, and by general users making informed decisions about their life and health.

A case study: semantic integration of gene-disease associations for type 2 diabetes mellitus from literature and biomedical data resources.

PubMed

Rebholz-Schuhmann, Dietrich; Grabmüller, Christoph; Kavaliauskas, Silvestras; Croset, Samuel; Woollard, Peter; Backofen, Rolf; Filsell, Wendy; Clark, Dominic

2014-07-01

In the Semantic Enrichment of the Scientific Literature (SESL) project, researchers from academia and from life science and publishing companies collaborated in a pre-competitive way to integrate and share information for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults. This case study exposes benefits from semantic interoperability after integrating the scientific literature with biomedical data resources, such as UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB) and the Gene Expression Atlas (GXA). We annotated scientific documents in a standardized way, by applying public terminological resources for diseases and proteins, and other text-mining approaches. Eventually, we compared the genetic causes of T2DM across the data resources to demonstrate the benefits from the SESL triple store. Our solution enables publishers to distribute their content with little overhead into remote data infrastructures, such as into any Virtual Knowledge Broker. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Of responsible research-Exploring the science-society dialogue in undergraduate training within the life sciences.

PubMed

Almeida, Maria Strecht; Quintanilha, Alexandre

2017-01-02

We explore the integration of societal issues in undergraduate training within the life sciences. Skills in thinking about science, scientific knowledge production and the place of science in society are crucial in the context of the idea of responsible research and innovation. This idea became institutionalized and it is currently well-present in the scientific agenda. Developing abilities in this regard seems particularly relevant to training in the life sciences, as new developments in this area somehow evoke the involvement of all of us citizens, our engagement to debate and take part in processes of change. The present analysis draws from the implementation of a curricular unit focused on science-society dialogue, an optional course included in the Biochemistry Degree study plan offered at the University of Porto. This curricular unit was designed to be mostly an exploratory activity for the students, enabling them to undertake in-depth study in areas/topics of their specific interest. Mapping topics from students' final papers provided a means of analysis and became a useful tool in the exploratory collaborative construction of the course. We discuss both the relevance and the opportunity of thinking and questioning the science-society dialogue. As part of undergraduate training, this pedagogical practice was deemed successful. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):46-52, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Mars exploration program analysis group goal one: determine if life ever arose on Mars.

PubMed

Hoehler, Tori M; Westall, Frances

2010-11-01

The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) maintains a standing document that articulates scientific community goals, objectives, and priorities for mission-enabled Mars science. Each of the goals articulated within the document is periodically revisited and updated. The astrobiology-related Goal One, "Determine if life ever arose on Mars," has recently undergone such revision. The finalized revision, which appears in the version of the MEPAG Goals Document posted on September 24, 2010, is presented here.

The ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions element, first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desnos, Yves-Louis; Regner, Peter; Delwart, Steven; Benveniste, Jerome; Engdahl, Marcus; Mathieu, Pierre-Philippe; Gascon, Ferran; Donlon, Craig; Davidson, Malcolm; Pinnock, Simon; Foumelis, Michael; Ramoino, Fabrizio

2016-04-01

SEOM is a program element within the fourth period (2013-2017) of ESA's Earth Observation Envelope Programme (http://seom.esa.int/). The prime objective is to federate, support and expand the international research community that the ERS, ENVISAT and the Envelope programmes have built up over the last 25 years. It aims to further strengthen the leadership of the European Earth Observation research community by enabling them to extensively exploit future European operational EO missions. SEOM will enable the science community to address new scientific research that are opened by free and open access to data from operational EO missions. Based on community-wide recommendations for actions on key research issues, gathered through a series of international thematic workshops and scientific user consultation meetings, a work plan is established and is approved every year by ESA Members States. During 2015 SEOM, Science users consultation workshops have been organized for Sentinel1/3/5P ( Fringe, S3 Symposium and Atmospheric science respectively) , new R&D studies for scientific exploitation of the Sentinels have been launched ( S3 for Science SAR Altimetry and Ocean Color , S2 for Science,) , open-source multi-mission scientific toolboxes have been launched (in particular the SNAP/S1-2-3 Toolbox). In addition two advanced international training courses have been organized in Europe to exploit the new S1-A and S2-A data for Land and Ocean remote sensing (over 120 participants from 25 countries) as well as activities for promoting the first scientific results ( e.g. Chili Earthquake) . In addition the First EO Open Science 2.0 was organised at ESA in October 2015 with 225 participants from 31 countries bringing together young EO scientists and data scientists. During the conference precursor activities in EO Open Science and Innovation were presented, while developing a Roadmap preparing for future ESA scientific exploitation activities. Within the conference, the first EO Hackathon event took place bringing together volunteered programmers with the developers of SNAP. An interactive "Jam" session was also held that discussed and scoped challenging scientific and societal issues (e.g. climate change, quality of life and air quality). The status and first results from these SEOM projects will be presented and an outlook for upcoming SEOM studies and events in 2016 will be given.

Educating the Next Generation of Geoscientists: Strategies for Formal and Informal Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, S.

2013-12-01

ENGAGE, Educating the Next Generation of Geoscientists, is an effort funded by the National Science Foundation to provide academic opportunities for members of underrepresented groups to learn geology in formal and informal settings through collaboration with other universities and science organizations. The program design tests the hypothesis that developing a culture of on-going dialogue around science issues through special guest lectures and workshops, creating opportunities for mentorship through informal lunches, incorporating experiential learning in the field into the geoscience curriculum in lower division courses, partnership-building through the provision of paid summer internships and research opportunities, enabling students to participate in professional conferences, and engaging family members in science education through family science nights and special presentations, will remove the academic, social and economic obstacles that have traditionally hindered members of underrepresented groups from participation in the geosciences and will result in an increase in geoscience literacy and enrollment. Student feedback and anecdotal evidence indicate an increased interest in geology as a course of study and increased awareness of the relevance of geology everyday life. Preliminary statistics from two years of program implementation indicate increased student comprehension of Earth science concepts and ability to use data to identify trends in the natural environment.

Science Alert Demonstration with a Rover Traverse Science Data Analysis System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castano, R.; Estlin, T.; Gaines, D.; Castano, A.; Bornstein, B.; Anderson, R. C.; Judd, M.; Stough, T.; Wagstaff, K.

2005-01-01

The Onboard Autonomous Science Investigation System (OASIS) evaluates geologic data gathered by a planetary rover. This analysis is used to prioritize the data for transmission, so that the data with the highest science value is transmitted to Earth. In addition, the onboard analysis results are used to identify science opportunities. A planning and scheduling component of the system enables the rover to take advantage of the identified science opportunity. OASIS is a NASA-funded research project that is currently being tested on the FIDO rover at JPL for the use on future missions.

Template Interfaces for Agile Parallel Data-Intensive Science

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

Ramakrishnan, Lavanya; Gunter, Daniel; Pastorello, Gilerto Z.

Tigres provides a programming library to compose and execute large-scale data-intensive scientific workflows from desktops to supercomputers. DOE User Facilities and large science collaborations are increasingly generating large enough data sets that it is no longer practical to download them to a desktop to operate on them. They are instead stored at centralized compute and storage resources such as high performance computing (HPC) centers. Analysis of this data requires an ability to run on these facilities, but with current technologies, scaling an analysis to an HPC center and to a large data set is difficult even for experts. Tigres ismore » addressing the challenge of enabling collaborative analysis of DOE Science data through a new concept of reusable "templates" that enable scientists to easily compose, run and manage collaborative computational tasks. These templates define common computation patterns used in analyzing a data set.« less

Australia's TERN: Advancing Ecosystem Data Management in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phinn, S. R.; Christensen, R.; Guru, S.

2013-12-01

Globally, there is a consistent movement towards more open, collaborative and transparent science, where the publication and citation of data is considered standard practice. Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is a national research infrastructure investment designed to support the ecosystem science community through all stages of the data lifecycle. TERN has developed and implemented a comprehensive network of ';hard' and ';soft' infrastructure that enables Australia's ecosystem scientists to collect, publish, store, share, discover and re-use data in ways not previously possible. The aim of this poster is to demonstrate how TERN has successfully delivered infrastructure that is enabling a significant cultural and practical shift in Australia's ecosystem science community towards consistent approaches for data collection, meta-data, data licensing, and data publishing. TERN enables multiple disciplines, within the ecosystem sciences to more effectively and efficiently collect, store and publish their data. A critical part of TERN's approach has been to build on existing data collection activities, networks and skilled people to enable further coordination and collaboration to build each data collection facility and coordinate data publishing. Data collection in TERN is through discipline based facilities, covering long term collection of: (1) systematic plot based measurements of vegetation structure, composition and faunal biodiversity; (2) instrumented towers making systematic measurements of solar, water and gas fluxes; and (3) satellite and airborne maps of biophysical properties of vegetation, soils and the atmosphere. Several other facilities collect and integrate environmental data to produce national products for fauna and vegetation surveys, soils and coastal data, as well as integrated or synthesised products for modelling applications. Data management, publishing and sharing in TERN are implemented through a tailored data licensing framework suitable for ecosystem data, national standards for metadata, a DOI-minting service, and context-appropriate data repositories and portals. The TERN Data infrastructure is based on loosely coupled 'network of networks.' Overall, the data formats used across the TERN facilities vary from NetCDF, comma-separated values and descriptive documents. Metadata standards include ISO19115, Ecological Metadata Language and rich semantic enabled contextual information. Data services vary from Web Mapping Service, Web Feature Service, OpeNDAP, file servers and KNB Metacat. These approaches enable each data collection facility to maintain their discipline based data collection and storage protocols. TERN facility meta-data are harvested regularly for the central TERN Data Discovery Portal and converted to a national standard format. This approach enables centralised discovery, access, and re-use of data simply and effectively, while maintaining disciplinary diversity. Effort is still required to support the cultural shift towards acceptance of effective data management, publication, sharing and re-use as standard practice. To this end TERN's future activities will be directed to supporting this transformation and undertaking ';education' to enable ecosystem scientists to take full advantage of TERN's infrastructure, and providing training and guidance for best practice data management.

The Biophysics of Infection.

PubMed

Leake, Mark C

2016-01-01

Our understanding of the processes involved in infection has grown enormously in the past decade due in part to emerging methods of biophysics. This new insight has been enabled through advances in interdisciplinary experimental technologies and theoretical methods at the cutting-edge interface of the life and physical sciences. For example, this has involved several state-of-the-art biophysical tools used in conjunction with molecular and cell biology approaches, which enable investigation of infection in living cells. There are also new, emerging interfacial science tools which enable significant improvements to the resolution of quantitative measurements both in space and time. These include single-molecule biophysics methods and super-resolution microscopy approaches. These new technological tools in particular have underpinned much new understanding of dynamic processes of infection at a molecular length scale. Also, there are many valuable advances made recently in theoretical approaches of biophysics which enable advances in predictive modelling to generate new understanding of infection. Here, I discuss these advances, and take stock on our knowledge of the biophysics of infection and discuss where future advances may lead.

Enabling a new Paradigm to Address Big Data and Open Science Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramamurthy, Mohan; Fisher, Ward

2017-04-01

Data are not only the lifeblood of the geosciences but they have become the currency of the modern world in science and society. Rapid advances in computing, communi¬cations, and observational technologies — along with concomitant advances in high-resolution modeling, ensemble and coupled-systems predictions of the Earth system — are revolutionizing nearly every aspect of our field. Modern data volumes from high-resolution ensemble prediction/projection/simulation systems and next-generation remote-sensing systems like hyper-spectral satellite sensors and phased-array radars are staggering. For example, CMIP efforts alone will generate many petabytes of climate projection data for use in assessments of climate change. And NOAA's National Climatic Data Center projects that it will archive over 350 petabytes by 2030. For researchers and educators, this deluge and the increasing complexity of data brings challenges along with the opportunities for discovery and scientific breakthroughs. The potential for big data to transform the geosciences is enormous, but realizing the next frontier depends on effectively managing, analyzing, and exploiting these heterogeneous data sources, extracting knowledge and useful information from heterogeneous data sources in ways that were previously impossible, to enable discoveries and gain new insights. At the same time, there is a growing focus on the area of "Reproducibility or Replicability in Science" that has implications for Open Science. The advent of cloud computing has opened new avenues for not only addressing both big data and Open Science challenges to accelerate scientific discoveries. However, to successfully leverage the enormous potential of cloud technologies, it will require the data providers and the scientific communities to develop new paradigms to enable next-generation workflows and transform the conduct of science. Making data readily available is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. Data providers also need to give scientists an ecosystem that includes data, tools, workflows and other services needed to perform analytics, integration, interpretation, and synthesis - all in the same environment or platform. Instead of moving data to processing systems near users, as is the tradition, the cloud permits one to bring processing, computing, analysis and visualization to data - so called data proximate workbench capabilities, also known as server-side processing. In this talk, I will present the ongoing work at Unidata to facilitate a new paradigm for doing science by offering a suite of tools, resources, and platforms to leverage cloud technologies for addressing both big data and Open Science/reproducibility challenges. That work includes the development and deployment of new protocols for data access and server-side operations and Docker container images of key applications, JupyterHub Python notebook tools, and cloud-based analysis and visualization capability via the CloudIDV tool to enable reproducible workflows and effectively use the accessed data.

Biology and data-intensive scientific discovery in the beginning of the 21st century.

PubMed

Smith, Arnold; Balazinska, Magdalena; Baru, Chaitan; Gomelsky, Mark; McLennan, Michael; Rose, Lynn; Smith, Burton; Stewart, Elizabeth; Kolker, Eugene

2011-04-01

The life sciences are poised at the beginning of a paradigm-changing evolution in the way scientific questions are answered. Data-Intensive Science (DIS) promise to provide new ways of approaching scientific challenges and answering questions. This article is a summary of the life sciences issues and challenges as discussed in the DIS workshop in Seattle, September 19-20, 2010. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Kennedy Space Center Launch and Landing Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahlberg, Jennifer

2010-01-01

The presentations describes Kennedy Space Center (KSC) payload processing, facilities and capabilities, and research development and life science experience. Topics include launch site processing, payload processing, key launch site processing roles, leveraging KSC experience, Space Station Processing Facility and capabilities, Baseline Data Collection Facility, Space Life Sciences Laboratory and capabilities, research payload development, International Space Station research flight hardware, KSC flight payload history, and KSC life science expertise.

Nanobiotechnology: synthetic biology meets materials science.

PubMed

Jewett, Michael C; Patolsky, Fernando

2013-08-01

Nanotechnology, the area of science focused on the control of matter in the nanometer scale, allows ground-breaking changes of the fundamental properties of matter that are often radically different compared to those exhibited by the bulk counterparts. In view of the fact that dimensionality plays a key role in determining the qualities of matter, the realization of the great potential of nanotechnology has opened the door to other disciplines such as life sciences and medicine, where the merging between them offers exciting new applications, along with basic science research. The application of nanotechnology in life sciences, nanobiotechnology, is now having a profound impact on biological circuit design, bioproduction systems, synthetic biology, medical diagnostics, disease therapy and drug delivery. This special issue is dedicated to the overview of how we are learning to control biopolymers and biological machines at the molecular- and nanoscale. In addition, it covers far-reaching progress in the design and synthesis of nanoscale materials, thus enabling the construction of integrated systems in which the component blocks are comparable in size to the chemical and biological entities under investigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD): Hosted Payload Accommodation on a Commercial Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lankton, M.; Eastes, R.; McClintock, W. E.; Pang, R.; Caffrey, R.; Krywonos, A.

2013-12-01

The Global-Scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will perform unprecedented imaging of the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere (TI) system from geostationary (GEO) orbit. Flying as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite, GOLD takes advantage of the resource margins available in the early years of the commercial mission's planned 15-year life. This hosted payload approach is a pathfinder for cost-effective NASA science missions. The affordable ride to GEO makes it possible for an Explorer-class Mission of Opportunity to perform Far UltraViolet (FUV) imaging of nearly a complete hemisphere on a 30-minute cadence. This global-scale, high cadence imaging will enable GOLD to distinguish between spatial and temporal variations in the TI system caused by geomagnetic storms, variations in solar EUV, and forcing from the lower atmosphere. The most significant difference between developing instrumentation for a NASA-owned mission and accomplishing the same task for a commercial satellite is that communications satellites are procured on a faster schedule - 24 to 36 months from satellite contract to launch - than the instrument development. GOLD has partnered with SES Government Solutions (SES-GS), the comsat mission owner-operator, to define instrument interfaces and requirements that will be included in the eventual Request for Proposal to candidate spacecraft vendors. SES-GS launches 3 to 4 missions per year, which allows the GOLD-SES-GS partnership to match the instrument's launch readiness date with a suitable mission. In addition to making geostationary orbit accessible to a science instrument at relatively low cost, commercial communications satellites provides a host platform with very high reliability and long life, easy access to continuous high-speed data downlink and near-real-time data delivery, and stable pointing. SES-GS operates their satellite from established Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) centers. The GOLD Science Operations Center at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) will produce instrument command loads for uplink by the TT&C, receive data from the ground station, monitor instrument state of health, and perform quick-look data processing. The GOLD Science Data Center at the University of Central Florida will produce, distribute and archive science data products.

The Synthetic Aperture Radar Science Data Processing Foundry Concept for Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, P. A.; Hua, H.; Norton, C. D.; Little, M. M.

2015-12-01

Since 2008, NASA's Earth Science Technology Office and the Advanced Information Systems Technology Program have invested in two technology evolutions to meet the needs of the community of scientists exploiting the rapidly growing database of international synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. JPL, working with the science community, has developed the InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE), a next-generation interferometric SAR processing system that is designed to be flexible and extensible. ISCE currently supports many international space borne data sets but has been primarily focused on geodetic science and applications. A second evolutionary path, the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) science data system, uses ISCE as its core science data processing engine and produces automated science and response products, quality assessments and metadata. The success of this two-front effort has been demonstrated in NASA's ability to respond to recent events with useful disaster support. JPL has enabled high-volume and low latency data production by the re-use of the hybrid cloud computing science data system (HySDS) that runs ARIA, leveraging on-premise cloud computing assets that are able to burst onto the Amazon Web Services (AWS) services as needed. Beyond geodetic applications, needs have emerged to process large volumes of time-series SAR data collected for estimation of biomass and its change, in such campaigns as the upcoming AfriSAR field campaign. ESTO is funding JPL to extend the ISCE-ARIA model to a "SAR Science Data Processing Foundry" to on-ramp new data sources and to produce new science data products to meet the needs of science teams and, in general, science community members. An extension of the ISCE-ARIA model to support on-demand processing will permit PIs to leverage this Foundry to produce data products from accepted data sources when they need them. This paper will describe each of the elements of the SAR SDP Foundry and describe their integration into a new conceptual approach to enable more effective use of SAR instruments.

Biosecurity in the age of Big Data: a conversation with the FBI

PubMed Central

Kozminski, Keith G.

2015-01-01

New scientific frontiers and emerging technologies within the life sciences pose many global challenges to society. Big Data is a premier example, especially with respect to individual, national, and international security. Here a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation discusses the security implications of Big Data and the need for security in the life sciences. PMID:26543195

Life sciences domain analysis model

PubMed Central

Freimuth, Robert R; Freund, Elaine T; Schick, Lisa; Sharma, Mukesh K; Stafford, Grace A; Suzek, Baris E; Hernandez, Joyce; Hipp, Jason; Kelley, Jenny M; Rokicki, Konrad; Pan, Sue; Buckler, Andrew; Stokes, Todd H; Fernandez, Anna; Fore, Ian; Buetow, Kenneth H

2012-01-01

Objective Meaningful exchange of information is a fundamental challenge in collaborative biomedical research. To help address this, the authors developed the Life Sciences Domain Analysis Model (LS DAM), an information model that provides a framework for communication among domain experts and technical teams developing information systems to support biomedical research. The LS DAM is harmonized with the Biomedical Research Integrated Domain Group (BRIDG) model of protocol-driven clinical research. Together, these models can facilitate data exchange for translational research. Materials and methods The content of the LS DAM was driven by analysis of life sciences and translational research scenarios and the concepts in the model are derived from existing information models, reference models and data exchange formats. The model is represented in the Unified Modeling Language and uses ISO 21090 data types. Results The LS DAM v2.2.1 is comprised of 130 classes and covers several core areas including Experiment, Molecular Biology, Molecular Databases and Specimen. Nearly half of these classes originate from the BRIDG model, emphasizing the semantic harmonization between these models. Validation of the LS DAM against independently derived information models, research scenarios and reference databases supports its general applicability to represent life sciences research. Discussion The LS DAM provides unambiguous definitions for concepts required to describe life sciences research. The processes established to achieve consensus among domain experts will be applied in future iterations and may be broadly applicable to other standardization efforts. Conclusions The LS DAM provides common semantics for life sciences research. Through harmonization with BRIDG, it promotes interoperability in translational science. PMID:22744959

Broadening the Study of Participation in the Life Sciences: How Critical Theoretical and Mixed-Methodological Approaches Can Enhance Efforts to Broaden Participation.

PubMed

Metcalf, Heather

This research methods Essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences. First, I draw on multidisciplinary research to discuss critical theory and methodologies. Then, I demonstrate the benefits of these approaches for researchers who study diversity and inclusion issues in the life sciences through examples from two critical mixed-methods studies of prominent issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation and recognition. The first study pairs critical discourse analysis of the STEM workforce literature, data, and underlying surveys with quantitative analyses of STEM pathways into the workforce. This example illustrates the necessity of questioning popular models of retention. It also demonstrates the importance of intersecting demographic categories to reveal patterns of experience both within and between groups whose access to and participation in STEM we aim to improve. The second study's critical approach applies research on inequities in prizes awarded by STEM professional societies toward organizational change. This example uses data from the life sciences professional societies to show the importance of placing data within context to broaden participation and understand challenges in creating sustainable change. © 2016 H. Metcalf. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). 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).

H3Africa and the African Life Sciences Ecosystem: Building Sustainable Innovation

PubMed Central

Huzair, Farah; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Chirikure, Shadreck; Okpechi, Ikechi; Warnich, Louise; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-01-01

Abstract Interest in genomics research in African populations is experiencing exponential growth. This enthusiasm stems in part from the recognition that the genomic diversity of African populations is a window of opportunity for innovations in postgenomics medicine, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The recently launched H3Africa initiative, for example, captures the energy and momentum of this interest. This interdisciplinary socio-technical analysis highlights the challenges that have beset previous genomics research activities in Africa, and looking ahead, suggests constructive ways H3Africa and similar large scale science efforts could usefully chart a new era of genomics and life sciences research in Africa that is locally productive and globally competitive. As independent African scholars and social scientists, we propose that any serious global omics science effort, including H3Africa, aiming to build genomics research capacity and capability in Africa, needs to fund the establishment of biobanks and the genomic analyses platforms within Africa. Equally they need to prioritize community engagement and bioinformatics capability and the training of African scientists on these platforms. Historically, the financial, technological, and skills imbalance between Africa and developed countries has created exploitative frameworks of collaboration where African researchers have become merely facilitators of Western funded and conceived research agendas involving offshore expatriation of samples. Not surprisingly, very little funding was allocated to infrastructure and human capital development in the past. Moving forward, capacity building should materialize throughout the entire knowledge co-production trajectory: idea generation (e.g., brainstorming workshops for innovative hypotheses development by African scientists), data generation (e.g., genome sequencing), and high-throughput data analysis and contextualization. Additionally, building skills for political science scholarship that questions the unchecked assumptions of the innovation performers be they funders, scientists, and social scientists, would enable collective innovation that is truly sustainable, ethical, and robust. PMID:25454511

Next Generation UAS Based Spectral Systems for Environmental Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, P.; Townsend, P.; Mandl, D.; Kingdon, C.; Ly, V.; Sohlberg, R.; Corp, L.; Cappelaere, P.; Frye, S.; Handy, M.;

Ninth Graders' Learning Interests, Life Experiences and Attitudes Towards Science & Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Shu-Nu; Yeung, Yau-Yuen; Cheng, May Hung

2009-10-01

Students' learning interests and attitudes toward science have both been studied for decades. However, the connection between them with students' life experiences about science and technology has not been addressed much. The purpose of this study is to investigate students' learning interests and life experiences about science and technology, and also their attitudes toward technology. A total of 942 urban ninth graders in Taiwan were invited to participate in this study. A Likert scale questionnaire, which was developed from an international project, ROSE, was adapted to collect students' ideas. The results indicated that boys showed higher learning interests in sustainability issues and scientific topics than girls. However, girls recalled more life experiences about science and technology in life than boys. The data also presented high values of Pearson correlation about learning interests and life experiences related to science and technology, and in the perspective on attitudes towards technology. Ways to promote girls' learning interests about science and technology and the implications of teaching and research are discussed as well.

Managing Sustainable Data Infrastructures: The Gestalt of EOSDIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behnke, J.; Lindsay, F. E.; Lowe, D. R.; Mitchell, A. E.; Lynnes, C.

2016-12-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of the NASA Earth observation program since the 1990's. The data collected by NASA's remote sensing instruments represent a significant public investment in research. EOSDIS provides free and open access to this data to a worldwide public research community. From the very beginning, EOSDIS was conceived as a system built on partnerships between NASA Centers, US agencies and academia. EOSDIS manages a wide range of Earth science discipline data that include cryosphere, land cover change, polar processes, field campaigns, ocean surface, digital elevation, atmosphere dynamics and composition, and inter-disciplinary research, among many others. Over the years, EOSDIS has evolved to support increasingly complex and diverse NASA Earth Science data collections. EOSDIS epitomizes a System of Systems, whose many varied and distributed parts are integrated into a single, highly functional organized science data system. A distributed architecture was adopted to ensure discipline-specific support for the science data, while also leveraging standards and establishing policies and tools to enable interdisciplinary research, and analysis across multiple scientific instruments. The EOSDIS is composed of system elements such as geographically distributed archive centers used to manage the stewardship of data. The infrastructure consists of underlying capabilities/connections that enable the primary system elements to function together. For example, one key infrastructure component is the common metadata repository, which enables discovery of all data within the EOSDIS system. . EOSDIS employs processes and standards to ensure partners can work together effectively, and provide coherent services to users. While the separation into domain-specific science archives helps to manage the wide variety of missions and datasets, the common services and practices serve to knit the overall system together into a coherent whole, with sharing of data, metadata, information and software making EOSDIS more than the simple sum of its parts. This paper will describe those parts and how the whole system works together to deliver Earth science data to millions of users.

Life Sciences Research Facility automation requirements and concepts for the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasmussen, Daryl N.

1986-01-01

An evaluation is made of the methods and preliminary results of a study on prospects for the automation of the NASA Space Station's Life Sciences Research Facility. In order to remain within current Space Station resource allocations, approximately 85 percent of planned life science experiment tasks must be automated; these tasks encompass specimen care and feeding, cage and instrument cleaning, data acquisition and control, sample analysis, waste management, instrument calibration, materials inventory and management, and janitorial work. Task automation will free crews for specimen manipulation, tissue sampling, data interpretation and communication with ground controllers, and experiment management.

KSC-04PD-0005

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., helps install new equipment for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASAs ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASAs Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASAs Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

Architectures Toward Reusable Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, John Firor

2014-01-01

Science Data Systems (SDS) comprise an important class of data processing systems that support product generation from remote sensors and in-situ observations. These systems enable research into new science data products, replication of experiments and verification of results. NASA has been building systems for satellite data processing since the first Earth observing satellites launched and is continuing development of systems to support NASA science research and NOAA's Earth observing satellite operations. The basic data processing workflows and scenarios continue to be valid for remote sensor observations research as well as for the complex multi-instrument operational satellite data systems being built today.

Enabling innovative research by supporting the life cycle of high frequency streaming sensor data in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gries, C.; Read, J. S.; Winslow, L. A.; Hanson, P. C.; Weathers, K. C.

2014-12-01

The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) is an international community of scientists, educators and citizens with the mission to conduct innovative science by sharing and interpreting high-resolution sensor data to understand, predict and communicate the role and response of lakes in a changing global environment. During its almost ten years of existence and continual growth, GLEON has inspired innovative science, new modeling approaches, and accumulated extensive experience in the management of streaming, high resolution, and large volume data. However, a recent 'data task force' identified inhibiting data infrastructure issues, including providing access to data, discovering distributed data, and integrating data into useful data products for scientific research and management. Accordingly, in support of the complete data lifecycle, tools are being developed by the GLEON community and integrated with innovative technology from other groups to improve environmental observations data management in the broader community. Specifically we will discuss raw data handling with tools developed by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences (CUAHSI, Observation Data Model and DataLoader), quality control practices using a newly developed R package (sensorQC), data access with HydroDesktop, or webservices delivering WaterML, data analysis with the R package rLakeAnalyzer, and final storage of the quality controlled, harmonized and value added data product in a DataONE member node. Such data product is then discoverable, accessible for new analyses and citable in subsequent publications. Leveraging GLEON's organizational structure, community trust, extensive experience, and technological talent the goal is to develop a design and implementation plan for a data publishing and sharing system that will address not only GLEON's needs, but also those of other environmental research communities.

The Deep Space Atomic Clock: Ushering in a New Paradigm for Radio Navigation and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ely, Todd; Seubert, Jill; Prestage, John; Tjoelker, Robert

2013-01-01

The Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) mission will demonstrate the on-orbit performance of a high-accuracy, high-stability miniaturized mercury ion atomic clock during a year-long experiment in Low Earth Orbit. DSAC's timing error requirement provides the frequency stability necessary to perform deep space navigation based solely on one-way radiometric tracking data. Compared to a two-way tracking paradigm, DSAC-enabled one-way tracking will benefit navigation and radio science by increasing the quantity and quality of tracking data. Additionally, DSAC also enables fully-autonomous onboard navigation useful for time-sensitive situations. The technology behind the mercury ion atomic clock and a DSAC mission overview are presented. Example deep space applications of DSAC, including navigation of a Mars orbiter and Europa flyby gravity science, highlight the benefits of DSAC-enabled one-way Doppler tracking.

Defining the Relationship of Student Achievement Between STEM Subjects Through Canonical Correlation Analysis of 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neal, Melissa Jean

Canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 achievement databases encompassing information from fourth/eighth grades. Student achievement in life science/biology was correlated with achievement in mathematics and other sciences across three analytical areas: mathematics and science student performance, achievement in cognitive domains, and achievement in content domains. Strong correlations between student achievement in life science/biology with achievement in mathematics and overall science occurred for both high- and low-performing education systems. Hence, partial emphases on the inter-subject connections did not always lead to a better student learning outcome in STEM education. In addition, student achievement in life science/biology was positively correlated with achievement in mathematics and science cognitive domains; these patterns held true for correlations of life science/biology with mathematics as well as other sciences. The importance of linking student learning experiences between and within STEM domains to support high performance on TIMSS assessments was indicated by correlations of moderate strength (57 TIMSS assessments was indicated by correlations of moderate strength (57 < r < 85) stronger correlations (73 < r < 97) between life science/biology and other science domains. Results demonstrated the foundational nature of STEM knowledge at the fourth grade level, and established the importance of strong interconnections among life science/biology, mathematics, and other sciences. At the eighth grade level, students who built increasing levels of cognitive complexity upon firm foundations were prepared for successful learning throughout their educational careers. The results from this investigation promote a holistic design of school learning opportunities to improve student achievement in life science/biology and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects at the elementary and middle school levels. While the curriculum can vary from combined STEM subjects to separated mathematics or science courses, both professional learning communities (PLC) for teachers and problem-based learning (PBL) for learners can be strengthened through new knowledge construction beyond the traditional boundaries of each subject. It is the knowledge transfer across subjects that breaks barriers of future STEM discoveries to improve STEM education outcomes.

Facilitating biomedical researchers' interrogation of electronic health record data: Ideas from outside of biomedical informatics.

PubMed

Hruby, Gregory W; Matsoukas, Konstantina; Cimino, James J; Weng, Chunhua

2016-04-01

Electronic health records (EHR) are a vital data resource for research uses, including cohort identification, phenotyping, pharmacovigilance, and public health surveillance. To realize the promise of EHR data for accelerating clinical research, it is imperative to enable efficient and autonomous EHR data interrogation by end users such as biomedical researchers. This paper surveys state-of-art approaches and key methodological considerations to this purpose. We adapted a previously published conceptual framework for interactive information retrieval, which defines three entities: user, channel, and source, by elaborating on channels for query formulation in the context of facilitating end users to interrogate EHR data. We show the current progress in biomedical informatics mainly lies in support for query execution and information modeling, primarily due to emphases on infrastructure development for data integration and data access via self-service query tools, but has neglected user support needed during iteratively query formulation processes, which can be costly and error-prone. In contrast, the information science literature has offered elaborate theories and methods for user modeling and query formulation support. The two bodies of literature are complementary, implying opportunities for cross-disciplinary idea exchange. On this basis, we outline the directions for future informatics research to improve our understanding of user needs and requirements for facilitating autonomous interrogation of EHR data by biomedical researchers. We suggest that cross-disciplinary translational research between biomedical informatics and information science can benefit our research in facilitating efficient data access in life sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data issues in the life sciences.

PubMed

Thessen, Anne E; Patterson, David J

2011-01-01

We review technical and sociological issues facing the Life Sciences as they transform into more data-centric disciplines - the "Big New Biology". Three major challenges are: 1) lack of comprehensive standards; 2) lack of incentives for individual scientists to share data; 3) lack of appropriate infrastructure and support. Technological advances with standards, bandwidth, distributed computing, exemplar successes, and a strong presence in the emerging world of Linked Open Data are sufficient to conclude that technical issues will be overcome in the foreseeable future. While motivated to have a shared open infrastructure and data pool, and pressured by funding agencies in move in this direction, the sociological issues determine progress. Major sociological issues include our lack of understanding of the heterogeneous data cultures within Life Sciences, and the impediments to progress include a lack of incentives to build appropriate infrastructures into projects and institutions or to encourage scientists to make data openly available.

Data issues in the life sciences

PubMed Central

Thessen, Anne E.; Patterson, David J.

2011-01-01

Abstract We review technical and sociological issues facing the Life Sciences as they transform into more data-centric disciplines - the “Big New Biology”. Three major challenges are: 1) lack of comprehensive standards; 2) lack of incentives for individual scientists to share data; 3) lack of appropriate infrastructure and support. Technological advances with standards, bandwidth, distributed computing, exemplar successes, and a strong presence in the emerging world of Linked Open Data are sufficient to conclude that technical issues will be overcome in the foreseeable future. While motivated to have a shared open infrastructure and data pool, and pressured by funding agencies in move in this direction, the sociological issues determine progress. Major sociological issues include our lack of understanding of the heterogeneous data cultures within Life Sciences, and the impediments to progress include a lack of incentives to build appropriate infrastructures into projects and institutions or to encourage scientists to make data openly available. PMID:22207805

Nanodevices for Single Molecule Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craighead, H. G.; Stavis, S. M.; Samiee, K. T.

During the last two decades, biotechnology research has resulted in progress in fields as diverse as the life sciences, agriculture and healthcare. While existing technology enables the analysis of a variety of biological systems, new tools are needed for increasing the efficiency of current methods, and for developing new ones altogether. Interest has grown in single molecule analysis for these reasons.

Teacher at Sea: Bringing Hands-on Experience to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2007

2007-01-01

Since its inception in 1990, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Teacher at Sea program has enabled more than 460 teachers to gain first-hand experience of science and life at sea. By participating in this program, it becomes possible for teachers to enrich their classroom curricula with a depth of understanding made possible…

Integrating Geoscience and Sustainability: Examining Socio-Techno-Ecological Relationships within Content Designed to Prepare Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Annie E.; Shelton, Catharyn C.; Richter, Jennifer; Archambault, Leanna M.

2017-01-01

Coupling the study of sustainability with geoscience may enable students to explore science in a more sophisticated way by examining the social-technological-ecological relationships that exist between human-nonhuman and flora-fauna-land interactions. Elementary educators are a population capable of making these issues come to life for today's…

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

Pugmire, David; Kress, James; Choi, Jong

Data driven science is becoming increasingly more common, complex, and is placing tremendous stresses on visualization and analysis frameworks. Data sources producing 10GB per second (and more) are becoming increasingly commonplace in both simulation, sensor and experimental sciences. These data sources, which are often distributed around the world, must be analyzed by teams of scientists that are also distributed. Enabling scientists to view, query and interact with such large volumes of data in near-real-time requires a rich fusion of visualization and analysis techniques, middleware and workflow systems. Here, this paper discusses initial research into visualization and analysis of distributed datamore » workflows that enables scientists to make near-real-time decisions of large volumes of time varying data.« less

KSC-03pd0128

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Against a backdrop of blue sky and the blue Atlantic Ocean, launch of Space Shuttle Columbia is reflected in the nearby water. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day STS-107 research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-02pd0736

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Suspended from the overhead crane, the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM) travels across the Space Station Processing Facility to the payload canister waiting at right. The module will be placed in the canister for transport to the Orbiter Processing Facility where it will be installed in Columbia's payload bay for mission STS-107. SHI/RDM is the primary payload of the research mission, with experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Also part of the payload is the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

KSC-02pd0754

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, with the Israeli Space Agency, look at one of the main engines on Columbia. A research mission, STS-107 will carry as the primary payload the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. Another payload is FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) comprising Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

KSC-02pd0753

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (left), with the Israeli Space Agency, and Payload Commander Michael Anderson pause during a payload check in the Orbiter Processing Facility. A research mission, STS-107 will carry as the primary payload the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. Another payload is FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) comprising Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

Earth-Science Data Co-Locating Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Seungwon; Pan, Lei; Block, Gary L.

2012-01-01

This software is used to locate Earth-science satellite data and climate-model analysis outputs in space and time. This enables the direct comparison of any set of data with different spatial and temporal resolutions. It is written in three separate modules that are clearly separated for their functionality and interface with other modules. This enables a fast development of supporting any new data set. In this updated version of the tool, several new front ends are developed for new products. This software finds co-locatable data pairs for given sets of data products and creates new data products that share the same spatial and temporal coordinates. This facilitates the direct comparison between the two heterogeneous datasets and the comprehensive and synergistic use of the datasets.

Facilitating Data-Intensive Education and Research in Earth Science through Geospatial Web Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deng, Meixia

2009-01-01

The realm of Earth science (ES) is increasingly data-intensive. Geoinformatics research attempts to robustly smooth and accelerate the flow of data to information, information to knowledge, and knowledge to decisions and to supply necessary infrastructure and tools for advancing ES. Enabling easy access to and use of large volumes of ES data and…

Evolving the Living With a Star Data System Definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otranto, J.; Dijoseph, M.; Worrall, W.

2003-04-01

NASA’s Living With a Star (LWS) Program is a space weather-focused and applications-driven research program. The LWS Program is soliciting input from the solar, space physics, space weather, and climate science communities to develop a system that enables access to science data associated with these disciplines, and advances the development of discipline and interdisciplinary findings. The LWS Program will implement a data system that builds upon the existing and planned data capture, processing, and storage components put in place by individual spacecraft missions and also inter-project data management systems, such as active archives, deep archives, and multi-mission repositories. It is technically feasible for the LWS Program to integrate data from a broad set of resources, assuming they are either publicly accessible or access is permitted by the system’s administrators. The LWS Program data system will work in coordination with spacecraft mission data systems and science data repositories, integrating them into a common data representation. This common representation relies on a robust metadata definition that provides journalistic and technical data descriptions, plus linkages to supporting data products and tools. The LWS Program intends to become an enabling resource to PIs, interdisciplinary scientists, researchers, and students facilitating both access to a broad collection of science data, as well as the necessary supporting components to understand and make productive use of the data. For the LWS Program to represent science data that is physically distributed across various ground system elements, information about the data products stored on each system is collected through a series of LWS-created active agents. These active agents are customized to interface or interact with each one of these data systems, collect information, and forward updates to a single LWS-developed metadata broker. This broker, in turn, updates a centralized repository of LWS-specific metadata. A populated LWS metadata database is a single point-of-contact that can serve all users (the science community) with a “one-stop-shop” for data access. While data may not be physically stored in an LWS-specific repository, the LWS system enables data access from wherever the data are stored. Moreover, LWS provides the user access to information for understanding the data source, format, and calibration, enables access to ancillary and correlative data products, provides links to processing tools and models associated with the data, and any corresponding findings. The LWS may also support an active archive for solar, space physics, space weather, and climate data when these data would otherwise be discarded or archived off-line. This archive could potentially serve as a backup facility for LWS missions. This plan is developed based upon input already received from the science community; the architecture is based on system developed to date that have worked well on a smaller scale. The LWS Program continues to seek constructive input from the science community, examples of both successes and failures in dealing with science data systems, and insights regarding the obstacles between the current state-of-the-practice and this vision for the LWS Program data system.

Project BudBurst: People, Plants, and Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, S.; Ward, D.; Havens, K.; Gardiner, L. S.; Alaback, P.

2010-12-01

Providing opportunities for individuals to contribute to a better understanding of climate change is the hallmark of Project BudBurst (www.budburst.org). This highly successful, national citizen science program, now in its third year, is bringing climate change education outreach to thousands of individuals. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch in February, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. Project BudBurst has been the subject of almost 200 media outlets including NPR, national and regional television broadcasts, and most of the major national and regional newspapers. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst and will report on the results of the 2009 field campaign and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst in 2010 including the use of mobile phones applications for data collection and reporting from the field. Project BudBurst co managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago botanic Garden. Financial support has been received from the National Science Foundation, UCLA Center for Embedded network Sensors U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey , National Geographic Education Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and NASA.

Life science research and drug discovery at the turn of the 21st century: the experience of SwissBioGrid.

PubMed

den Besten, Matthijs; Thomas, Arthur J; Schroeder, Ralph

2009-04-22

It is often said that the life sciences are transforming into an information science. As laboratory experiments are starting to yield ever increasing amounts of data and the capacity to deal with those data is catching up, an increasing share of scientific activity is seen to be taking place outside the laboratories, sifting through the data and modelling "in silico" the processes observed "in vitro." The transformation of the life sciences and similar developments in other disciplines have inspired a variety of initiatives around the world to create technical infrastructure to support the new scientific practices that are emerging. The e-Science programme in the United Kingdom and the NSF Office for Cyberinfrastructure are examples of these. In Switzerland there have been no such national initiatives. Yet, this has not prevented scientists from exploring the development of similar types of computing infrastructures. In 2004, a group of researchers in Switzerland established a project, SwissBioGrid, to explore whether Grid computing technologies could be successfully deployed within the life sciences. This paper presents their experiences as a case study of how the life sciences are currently operating as an information science and presents the lessons learned about how existing institutional and technical arrangements facilitate or impede this operation. SwissBioGrid gave rise to two pilot projects: one for proteomics data analysis and the other for high-throughput molecular docking ("virtual screening") to find new drugs for neglected diseases (specifically, for dengue fever). The proteomics project was an example of a data management problem, applying many different analysis algorithms to Terabyte-sized datasets from mass spectrometry, involving comparisons with many different reference databases; the virtual screening project was more a purely computational problem, modelling the interactions of millions of small molecules with a limited number of protein targets on the coat of the dengue virus. Both present interesting lessons about how scientific practices are changing when they tackle the problems of large-scale data analysis and data management by means of creating a novel technical infrastructure. In the experience of SwissBioGrid, data intensive discovery has a lot to gain from close collaboration with industry and harnessing distributed computing power. Yet the diversity in life science research implies only a limited role for generic infrastructure; and the transience of support means that researchers need to integrate their efforts with others if they want to sustain the benefits of their success, which are otherwise lost.

Demonstrating Inquiry-Based Teaching Competencies in the Life Sciences--Part 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Stephen

2007-01-01

This set of botany demonstrations is a continuation of the inquiry-based lecture activities that provide realistic connections to the history and nature of science and employ technology in data collection. The demonstrations also provide examples of inquiry-based teaching practices in the life sciences. (Contains 5 figures.) [For Part 1, see…

Progress in Multi-Disciplinary Data Life Cycle Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, C.; Gasthuber, M.; Giesler, A.; Hardt, M.; Meyer, J.; Prabhune, A.; Rigoll, F.; Schwarz, K.; Streit, A.

2015-12-01

Modern science is most often driven by data. Improvements in state-of-the-art technologies and methods in many scientific disciplines lead not only to increasing data rates, but also to the need to improve or even completely overhaul their data life cycle management. Communities usually face two kinds of challenges: generic ones like federated authorization and authentication infrastructures and data preservation, and ones that are specific to their community and their respective data life cycle. In practice, the specific requirements often hinder the use of generic tools and methods. The German Helmholtz Association project ’’Large-Scale Data Management and Analysis” (LSDMA) addresses both challenges: its five Data Life Cycle Labs (DLCLs) closely collaborate with communities in joint research and development to optimize the communities data life cycle management, while its Data Services Integration Team (DSIT) provides generic data tools and services. We present most recent developments and results from the DLCLs covering communities ranging from heavy ion physics and photon science to high-throughput microscopy, and from DSIT.

NEON Citizen Science: Planning and Prototyping (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gram, W.

2010-12-01

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will be a national resource for ecological research and education. NEON citizen science projects are being designed to increase awareness and educate citizen scientists about the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on continental-scale ecological processes as well as expand NEON data collection capacity by enabling laypersons to collect geographically distributed data. The citizen science area of the NEON web portal will enable citizen scientists to collect, contribute, interpret, and visualize scientific data, as well as access training modules, collection protocols and targeted learning experiences related to citizen science project topics. For NEON, citizen science projects are a means for interested people to interact with and contribute to NEON science. Investigations at vast spatial and temporal scales often require rapid acquisition of large amounts of data from a geographically distributed population of “human sensors.” As a continental-scale ecological observatory, NEON is uniquely positioned to develop strategies to effectively integrate data collected by non-scientists into scientific databases. Ultimately, we plan to work collaboratively to transform the practice of science to include “citizens” or non-scientists in the process. Doing science is not limited to scientists, and breaking down the barriers between scientists and citizens will help people better understand the power of using science in their own decision making. In preparation for fully developing the NEON citizen science program, we are partnering with Project BudBurst (PBB), a citizen science project focused on monitoring plant phenology. The educational goals of PBB are to: (1) increase awareness of climate change, (2) educate citizen scientists about the impacts of climate change on plants and the environment, and (3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. Phenology was chosen as the focus of this citizen science campaign because it is a visible and comprehensible way of demonstrating the effects of climate change. In addition, plants are readily accessible in nearly every neighborhood and park, and wild areas across the continent, so people can make observations whether they live near an inner city park or in the rural countryside. Recently, NEON built 3 web tools that enable users to visualize PBB data. The tools include a mapping function that displays selected PBB distributional data on a map, an animated map that shows “green up” through time and space, and a graphing tool that compares number of species flowering or leafing out with day length. This prototyping will help NEON better understand how to engage citizen science participants in “doing science” beyond data collection.

A new chapter in doctoral candidate training: The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellweg, C. E.; Gerzer, R.; Reitz, G.

2011-05-01

In the field of space life sciences, the demand of an interdisciplinary and specific training of young researchers is high due to the complex interaction of medical, biological, physical, technical and other questions. The Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) offers an excellent interdisciplinary training for doctoral students from different fields (biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, physics, psychology, nutrition or sports sciences and related fields) and any country. SpaceLife is coordinated by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne. The German Universities in Kiel, Bonn, Aachen, Regensburg, Magdeburg and Berlin, and the German Sports University (DSHS) in Cologne are members of SpaceLife. The Universities of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Frankfurt, Hohenheim, and the Beihang University in Beijing are associated partners. In each generation, up to 25 students can participate in the three-year program. Students learn to develop integrated concepts to solve health issues in human spaceflight and in related disease patterns on Earth, and to further explore the requirements for life in extreme environments, enabling a better understanding of the ecosystem Earth and the search for life on other planets in unmanned and manned missions. The doctoral candidates are coached by two specialist supervisors from DLR and the partner university, and a mentor. All students attend lectures in different subfields of space life sciences to attain an overview of the field: radiation and gravitational biology, astrobiology and space physiology, including psychological aspects of short and long term space missions. Seminars, advanced lectures, laboratory courses and stays at labs at the partner institutions or abroad are offered as elective course and will provide in-depth knowledge of the chosen subfield or allow to appropriate innovative methods. In Journal Clubs of the participating working groups, doctoral students learn critical reading of scientific literature, first steps in peer review, scientific writing during preparation of their own publication, and writing of the thesis. The training of soft skills is offered as block course in cooperation with other Helmholtz Research Schools. The whole program encompasses 303 h and is organized in semester terms. The first doctoral candidates started the program in spring 2009.

Frontiers of Life Sciences: The Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

North, Regina M.; Pellis, Neal R.

2005-01-01

The rapid development of the productive processes after World War II extended human settlements into new ecological niches. Advances in Life Sciences played a decisive role supporting the establishment of human presence in areas of the planet where human life could have not existed otherwise. The evolution of life support systems, and the fabrication of new materials and technologies has enabled humans to inhabit Polar Regions, ocean surfaces and depths; and to leave Earth and occupy Low Earth Orbit. By the end of the 20 th Century, stations in the Antarctic and Arctic, off shore oil platforms, submarines, and space stations had become the ultimate demonstration of human ability to engineer habitats at Earth extreme environments and outer space. As we enter the 21st Century, the next development of human settlements will occur through the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The major risks of space exploration derive from long exposure of humans and other life systems to radiation, microgravity, isolation and confinement, dependence on artificial life support systems, and unknown effects (e.g., altered magnetic fields, ultrahigh vacuum on bacteria, fungi, etc.). Countermeasures will require a complete characterization of human and other biological systems adaptation processes. To sustain life in transit and on the surface of the Moon and Mars will require a balance of spacecraft, cargo, astronaut crews, and the use of in situ resources. Limitations on the number of crewmembers, payloads, and the barrenness of the terrain require a novel design for the capabilities needed in transit and at exploration outpost sites. The planned destinations have resources that may be accessed to produce materials, food, shelter, power, and to provide an environment compatible with successful occupation of longterm exploration sites. Once more, the advancements of Life Sciences will be essential for the design of interplanetary voyages and planetary surface operations. This presentation delineates the role of Life Sciences and its frontiers, especially Cell Science, in the context of human exploration. Life support systems, food production, and medical equipment encompass many of vital aspects related to the new vision for NASA.

System analysis study of space platform and station accommodations for life sciences research facilities. Volume 2: Study results. Appendix D: Life sciences research facility requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiley, Lowell F.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this requirements document is to develop the foundation for concept development for the Life Sciences Research Facility (LSRF) on the Space Station. These requirements are developed from the perspective of a Space Station laboratory module outfitter. Science and mission requirements including those related to specimens are set forth. System requirements, including those for support, are detailed. Functional and design requirements are covered in the areas of structures, mechanisms, electrical power, thermal systems, data management system, life support, and habitability. Finally, interface requirements for the Command Module and Logistics Module are described.

Life Sciences MIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dittman, R. A.; Marks, V.

1983-01-01

Management Information System, MIS, provides Life Sciences Projects Division at Johnson Space Center with automated system for project managment. MIS utilizes Tektronix 4027 color graphics display terminal and form-fillout capability. User interface with MIS data base is through series of forms.

ENABLE 2017, the First EUROPEAN PhD and Post-Doc Symposium. Session 4: From Discovery to Cure: The Future of Therapeutics.

PubMed

Di Mauro, Gianmarco; Dondi, Ambra; Giangreco, Giovanni; Hogrebe, Alexander; Louer, Elja; Magistrati, Elisa; Mullari, Meeli; Turon, Gemma; Verdurmen, Wouter; Xicoy Cortada, Helena; Zivanovic, Sanja

2018-05-28

The EUROPEAN ACADEMY FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE (ENABLE) is an initiative funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 program involving four renowned European Research Institutes (Institute for Research in Biomedicine-IRB Barcelona, Spain; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences-RIMLS, the Netherlands; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research-NNF CPR, Denmark; European School of Molecular Medicine-SEMM, Italy) and an innovative science communication agency (Scienseed). With the aim of promoting biomedical science of excellence in Europe, ENABLE organizes an annual three-day international event. This gathering includes a top-level scientific symposium bringing together leading scientists, PhD students, and post-doctoral fellows; career development activities supporting the progression of young researchers and fostering discussion about opportunities beyond the bench; and outreach activities stimulating the interaction between science and society. The first European PhD and Postdoc Symposium, entitled "Breaking Down Complexity: Innovative Models and Techniques in Biomedicine", was hosted by the vibrant city of Barcelona. The scientific program of the conference was focused on the most recent advances and applications of modern techniques and models in biomedical research and covered a wide range of topics, from synthetic biology to translational medicine. Overall, the event was a great success, with more than 200 attendees from all over Europe actively participating in the symposium by presenting their research and exchanging ideas with their peers and world-renowned scientists.

BASTet: Shareable and Reproducible Analysis and Visualization of Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data via OpenMSI.

PubMed

Rubel, Oliver; Bowen, Benjamin P

2018-01-01

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a transformative imaging method that supports the untargeted, quantitative measurement of the chemical composition and spatial heterogeneity of complex samples with broad applications in life sciences, bioenergy, and health. While MSI data can be routinely collected, its broad application is currently limited by the lack of easily accessible analysis methods that can process data of the size, volume, diversity, and complexity generated by MSI experiments. The development and application of cutting-edge analytical methods is a core driver in MSI research for new scientific discoveries, medical diagnostics, and commercial-innovation. However, the lack of means to share, apply, and reproduce analyses hinders the broad application, validation, and use of novel MSI analysis methods. To address this central challenge, we introduce the Berkeley Analysis and Storage Toolkit (BASTet), a novel framework for shareable and reproducible data analysis that supports standardized data and analysis interfaces, integrated data storage, data provenance, workflow management, and a broad set of integrated tools. Based on BASTet, we describe the extension of the OpenMSI mass spectrometry imaging science gateway to enable web-based sharing, reuse, analysis, and visualization of data analyses and derived data products. We demonstrate the application of BASTet and OpenMSI in practice to identify and compare characteristic substructures in the mouse brain based on their chemical composition measured via MSI.

Science Goals, Objectives, and Investigations of the 2016 Europa Lander Science Definition Team Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, Kevin P.; Murray, Alison; Garvin, James; and the Europa Lander Science Definition Team, Project Science Team, and Project Engineering Team.

2017-10-01

In June of 2016 NASA convened a 21-person team of scientists to establish the science goals, objectives, investigations, measurement requirements, and model payload of a Europa lander mission concept. The NASA HQ Charter goals, in priority order, are as follows:1) Search for evidence of life on Europa, 2) Assess the habitability of Europa via in situ techniques uniquely available to a lander mission, 3) Characterize surface and subsurface properties at the scale of the lander to support future exploration of Europa.Within Goal 1, four Objectives were developed for seeking signs of life. These include the need to: a) detect and characterize any organic indicators of past or present life, b) identify and characterize morphological, textural, and other indicators of life, c) detect and characterize any inorganic indicators of past or present life, and d) determine the provenance of Lander-sampled material. Goal 2 focuses on Europa’s habitability and ensures that even in the absence of the detection of any potential biosignatures, significant ocean world science is still achieved. Goal 3 ensures that the landing site region is quantitatively characterized in the context needed for Goals 1 and 2, and that key measurements about Europa’s ice shell are made to enable future exploration.Critically, scientific success cannot be, and should never be, contingent on finding signs of life - such criteria would be levying requirements on how the universe works. Rather, scientific success is defined here as achieving a suite of measurements such that if convincing signs of life are present on Europa’s surface they could be detected at levels comparable to those found in benchmark environments on Earth, and, further, that even if no potential biosignatures are detected, the science return of the mission will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of Europa’s chemistry, geology, geophysics, and habitability.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-01-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-07-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

Women Working in Engineering and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luna, Bernadette; Kliss, Mark (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The presentation will focus on topics of interest to young women pursuing an engineering or scientific career, such as intrinsic personality traits of most engineers, average salaries for the various types of engineers, appropriate preparation classes at the high school and undergraduate levels, gaining experience through internships, summer jobs and graduate school, skills necessary but not always included in engineering curricula (i.e., multimedia, computer skills, communication skills), the work environment, balancing family and career, and sexual harassment. Specific examples from the speaker's own experience in NASA's Space Life Sciences Program will be used to illustrate the above topics. In particular, projects from Extravehicular Activity and Protective Systems research and Regenerative Life Support research will be used as examples of real world problem-solving to enable human exploration of the solar system.

Biology and Medicine Division annual report, 1987

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

Not Available

Modern biology is characterized by rapid change. The development of new tools and the results derived from their application to various biological systems require significant shifts in our concepts and the strategies that are adopted to analyze and elucidate mechanisms. In parallel with exciting new scientific developments our organizational structure and programmatic emphases have altered. These changes and developments have enabled the life sciences at LBL to be better positioned to create and respond to new opportunities. The work summarized in this annual report reflects a vital multifaceted research program that is in the vanguard of the areas represented. Wemore » are committed to justifying the confidence expressed by LBL through the new mission statement and reorganizational changes designed to give greater prominence to the life sciences.« less

Time representations in social science

PubMed Central

Schulz, Yvan

2012-01-01

Time has long been a major topic of study in social science, as in other sciences or in philosophy. Social scientists have tended to focus on collective representations of time, and on the ways in which these representations shape our everyday experiences. This contribution addresses work from such disciplines as anthropology, sociology and history. It focuses on several of the main theories that have preoccupied specialists in social science, such as the alleged “acceleration” of life and overgrowth of the present in contemporary Western societies, or the distinction between so-called linear and circular conceptions of time. The presentation of these theories is accompanied by some of the critiques they have provoked, in order to enable the reader to form her or his own opinion of them. PMID:23393420

KSC-03PP-0146

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 David Brown chats with the Closeout Crew during final preparations of his launch and entry suit in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. The hatch is seen in the background right. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0146

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 David Brown chats with the Closeout Crew during final preparations of his launch and entry suit in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. The hatch is seen in the background right. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0145

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Mission Specialist Laurel Clark waves to a camera out of view during final preparations of her launch and entry suit in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. The hatch is seen in the background right. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0144

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla gets help with her launch and entry suit from the Closeout Crew in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. The hatch is seen in the background right. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0147

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson gets help with his launch and entry suit from the Closeout Crew in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. Behind him is Pilot William "Willie" McCool. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0148

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Pilot William "Willie" McCool (center) gets help with his launch and entry suit from the Closeout Crew in the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. In the foreground, left, is Mission Specialist David Brown. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

Time representations in social science.

PubMed

Schulz, Yvan

2012-12-01

Time has long been a major topic of study in social science, as in other sciences or in philosophy. Social scientists have tended to focus on collective representations of time, and on the ways in which these representations shape our everyday experiences. This contribution addresses work from such disciplines as anthropology, sociology and history. It focuses on several of the main theories that have preoccupied specialists in social science, such as the alleged "acceleration" of life and overgrowth of the present in contemporary Western societies, or the distinction between so-called linear and circular conceptions of time. The presentation of these theories is accompanied by some of the critiques they have provoked, in order to enable the reader to form her or his own opinion of them.

Virtual Observatories, Data Mining, and Astroinformatics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borne, Kirk

The historical, current, and future trends in knowledge discovery from data in astronomy are presented here. The story begins with a brief history of data gathering and data organization. A description of the development ofnew information science technologies for astronomical discovery is then presented. Among these are e-Science and the virtual observatory, with its data discovery, access, display, and integration protocols; astroinformatics and data mining for exploratory data analysis, information extraction, and knowledge discovery from distributed data collections; new sky surveys' databases, including rich multivariate observational parameter sets for large numbers of objects; and the emerging discipline of data-oriented astronomical research, called astroinformatics. Astroinformatics is described as the fourth paradigm of astronomical research, following the three traditional research methodologies: observation, theory, and computation/modeling. Astroinformatics research areas include machine learning, data mining, visualization, statistics, semantic science, and scientific data management.Each of these areas is now an active research discipline, with significantscience-enabling applications in astronomy. Research challenges and sample research scenarios are presented in these areas, in addition to sample algorithms for data-oriented research. These information science technologies enable scientific knowledge discovery from the increasingly large and complex data collections in astronomy. The education and training of the modern astronomy student must consequently include skill development in these areas, whose practitioners have traditionally been limited to applied mathematicians, computer scientists, and statisticians. Modern astronomical researchers must cross these traditional discipline boundaries, thereby borrowing the best of breed methodologies from multiple disciplines. In the era of large sky surveys and numerous large telescopes, the potential for astronomical discovery is equally large, and so the data-oriented research methods, algorithms, and techniques that are presented here will enable the greatest discovery potential from the ever-growing data and information resources in astronomy.

Data Mining Citizen Science Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borne, K. D.

2012-12-01

Scientific discovery from big data is enabled through multiple channels, including data mining (through the application of machine learning algorithms) and human computation (commonly implemented through citizen science tasks). We will describe the results of new data mining experiments on the results from citizen science activities. Discovering patterns, trends, and anomalies in data are among the powerful contributions of citizen science. Establishing scientific algorithms that can subsequently re-discover the same types of patterns, trends, and anomalies in automatic data processing pipelines will ultimately result from the transformation of those human algorithms into computer algorithms, which can then be applied to much larger data collections. Scientific discovery from big data is thus greatly amplified through the marriage of data mining with citizen science.

The Europa Mission: Multiple Europa Flyby Trajectory Design Trades and Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lam, Try; Arrieta-Camacho, Juan J.; Buffington, Brent B.

2015-01-01

With potential sources of water, energy and other chemicals essential for life, Europa is a top candidate for finding current life in our Solar System outside of Earth. This paper describes the current trajectory design concept for a multiple Europa flyby mission and discusses several trajectory design challenges. The candidate reference trajectory utilizes multiple Europa flybys while around Jupiter to enable near global coverage of Europa while balancing science requirements, radiation dose, propellant usage, and flight time. Trajectory design trades and robustness are also discussed.

Origins Space Telescope Concept 2: Trades, Decisions, and Study Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisawitz, David; DiPirro, Michael; Carter, Ruth; Origins Space Telescope Decadal Mission Concept Study Team

2018-01-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) will trace the history of our cosmic origins from the time dust and heavy elements began to alter the astrophysical processes that shaped galaxies and enabled planets to form, culminating at least once in the development of a life-bearing planet. But how did the universe evolve in response to its changing ingredients, and how common are planets that support life? The OST, an advancing concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor mission described in the NASA Astrophysics roadmap, is being designed to answer these questions. As envisaged in the Roadmap, Enduring Quests/Daring Visions, OST will offer sensitivity and spectroscopic capabilities that vastly exceed those found in any preceding far-IR observatory. The spectral range of OST was extended down to 6 microns to allow measurements of key biomarkers in transiting exoplanet spectra. Thus, OST is a mid- and far-IR mission. OST Concept 2 will inform the Science and Technology Definition Team’s understanding of the “solution space,” enabling a recommendation to the 2020 Decadal Survey which, while not fully optimized, will be scientifically compelling, executable, and intended to maximize the science return per dollar. OST Concept 1, described in a companion paper, would satisfy virtually all of the STDT’s science objectives in under 5 years. Concept 2 is intentionally less ambitious than Concept 1, but it still includes a 4 K telescope, enabling exquisitely sensitive far-IR measurements. This paper will summarize the architecture options considered for OST Concept 2 and describe the factors that led to the chosen design concept. Lessons from the Concept 1 study influenced our choices. We report progress on the Concept 2 study to date.

STS-58 crewmembers participate in baseline data collection

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-09-29

S93-45375 (29 Sept 1993) --- Astronaut David A. Wolf, STS-58 mission specialist, has blood drawn from his leg for volume measuring. The blood draw was part of the cardiovascular function data collection in preparation for the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) mission. The seven Spacelab Life Sciences crewmembers devoted a full day to miscellaneous biomedical data collection in preparation for next month's two week mission aboard Columbia.

The process leading to affirmation of life with cleft lip and cleft palate: the importance of acquiring coherence.

PubMed

Omiya, Tomoko; Ito, Mikiko; Yamazaki, Yoshihiko

2012-12-01

The objectives of this study were to understand the experiences of people with cleft lip and cleft palate (CLCP) and to describe the processes and factors leading to the acquisition of high self-esteem. Semi-structured interviews were conducted of 19 subjects with CLCP recruited via hospitals and through snowball sampling, and the results were analyzed qualitatively, comparing high and low self-esteem groups. Participants with high self-esteem had gone through the phases of "noticing their difference from others", "knowing about and deepening their understanding of CLCP", "no denial of their life with CLCP" and "affirmation of life with CLCP". Seven factor categories including "received sufficient explanation of CLCP condition (from parents) in the early stage", "have not received negative messages about CLCP" and "feeling the presence of someone who accepts their feelings and supports them" were extracted as factors promoting these processes. Knowing about and understanding CLCP enables individuals to acquire a sense of coherence in their lives, which may be related to gaining a feeling of control over their cleft condition, acquiring a sense of autonomy, and finding a meaning for their lives. Thus, medical professionals should provide explanations that enable patients to understand CLCP, and also facilitate interaction between patients with the same condition. © 2011 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2011 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

International Space Station Research: Accomplishments and Pathways for Exploration and Fundamental Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Julie A.

2007-01-01

Beginning with the launch of the European Columbus module planned for December 2007, we approach a transition in the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) that is of great importance for the sciences. During the following 18 months, we will operate the first experiments in Columbus physical science resource facilities and also launch and commission the Japanese Kibo module. In addition, two Multi-purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) flights will deliver the U.S. Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) and Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) along with their first science experiments. These facilities provide significant new capabilities for basic and applied physical science research in microgravity. New life support technologies will come online throughout 2008, and we will reach the milestone of a 6-person crew planned for April 2009. A larger crew enables significant more scientific use of all the facilities for the life of ISS. Planning for the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory is also maturing as we near the completion of assembly, enabling access to ISS as a research platform for other government agencies and the private sector. The latest updates on National Laboratory implementation will also be provided in this presentation. At the same time as these significant increases in scientific capability, there have been significant ongoing accomplishments in NASA's early ISS research both exploration related and fundamental research. These accomplishments will be reviewed in context as harbingers of the capabilities of the International Space Station when assembly is complete. The Vision for Space Exploration serves to focus NASA's applied investigations in the physical sciences. However, the broader capability of the space station as a National Laboratory and as a nexus for international collaboration will also influence the study of gravity-dependent processes by researchers around the world.

Usability Analysis within The DataONE Network of Collaborators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budden, A. E.; Frame, M. T.; Tenopir, C.; Volentine, R.

2014-12-01

DataONE was conceived as a 10-year project to enable new science and knowledge creation through universal access to data about life on Earth and the environment that sustains it. In Phase I (2009-2014) more than 300 DataONE participants designed, developed and deployed a robust cyberinfrastructure (CI) with innovative services, and directly engaged and educated a broad stakeholder community. DataONE provides a resilient, scalable infrastructure using Member Nodes (data repositories), Coordinating Nodes, and an Investigator Toolkit to support the data access and data management needs of biological, Earth, and environmental science researchers in the U.S. and across the globe. DataONE collaborators, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, University of New Mexico, and the University of Tennessee, perform research to measure both the current data practices and opinions of DataONE stakeholders and the usability of DataONE for these stakeholders. Stakeholders include scientists, data managers, librarians, and educators among others. The DataONE Usability and Assessment Working Group, which includes members from multiple sectors, does research, development, and implementation projects on DataONE processes, systems, and methods. These projects are essential to insure that DataONE products and services meet network goals, include appropriate community involvement, and demonstrate progress and achievements of DataONE. This poster will provide an overview of DataONE's usability analysis and assessment methodologies, benefits to DataONE and its collaborators, and current tools/techniques being utilized by the participants.

Biomedical programs operations plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walbrecher, H. F.

1974-01-01

Operational guidelines for the space shuttle life sciences payloads are presented. An operational assessment of the medical experimental altitude test for Skylab, and Skylab life sciences documentation are discussed along with the operations posture and collection of space shuttle operational planning data.

The Autonomous Sciencecraft and applications to future science missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, S.

2006-05-01

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Software has operated the Earth Observing One (EO-1) Mission for over 5000 science observations [Chien et al. 2005a]. This software enables onboard analysis of data to drive: 1. production of rapid alerts summary products, 2. data editing, and 3. to inform subsequent observations. This methodology has been applied to more effectively study Volcano, Flooding, and Cryosphere processes on Earth. In this talk we discuss how this software enables new paradigms for science missions and discuss the types of science phenomena that can now be more readily studied (e.g. dynamic investigations, large scale searches for specific events). We also describe a range of Earth, Solar, and Space science applications under concept study for onboard autonomy. Finally, we describe ongoing work to link EO-1 with other spacecraft and in-situ sensor networks to enable a sensorweb for monitoring dynamic science events [Chien et al. 2005b]. S. Chien, R. Sherwood, D. Tran, B. Cichy, G. Rabideau, R. Castano, A. Davies, D. Mandl, S. Frye, B. Trout, S. Shulman, D. Boyer, "Using Autonomy Flight Software to Improve Science Return on Earth Observing One, Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, & Communication, April 2005, AIAA. S. Chien, B. Cichy, A. Davies, D. Tran, G. Rabideau, R. Castano, R. Sherwood, D. Mandl, S. Frye, S. Shulman, J. Jones, S. Grosvenor, "An Autonomous Earth Observing Sensorweb," IEEE Intelligent Systems, May-June 2005, pp. 16- 24.

Biogeography as critical nursing pedagogy: Breathing life into nurse education.

PubMed

Kyle, Richard G; Atherton, Iain M

2016-09-01

Insights from the social sciences, including geography, sociology, and anthropology, have long been incorporated into pre-registration nursing programmes. However, scholars have suggested that their inclusion has been sporadic and lacks clear theoretical rationale. In this paper we argue anew that the social sciences - and particularly, human geography - could be central to nurse education. Specifically, we recast the concept of 'biogeography' drawn from human geography that emphasises the interplay between life (bio) and place (geo) to propose pedagogy that theoretically justifies and practically enables the inclusion of the social sciences in nurse education. Biogeography can breathe new life into nursing curricula by animating our students through the cultivation of three 'spirits of nursing'. First, a 'spirit of empathy' that can shatter patient-professional dualisms by facilitating person-centred and place-sensitive care. Second, a 'spirit of engagement' that situates practice in social structures awakening a desire to effect change by fomenting an acute sense of social justice. Third, a 'spirit of enquiry' that holds in critical tension the theory-practice gap by fostering continual questioning and pursuit of evidence. In so doing, biogeographical pedagogy releases the latent potential of the social sciences to revitalise nurse education, reinvigorate our students, and renew ourselves as nurse educators. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

European Research on life in extreme environments, setting up research priorities and coordinating the community: the CAREX project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rettberg, P.; Ellis-Evans, C.; Prieur, D.; Loreto, F.; Walter, N.; Le Bris, N.; Elster, J.; Amils, R.; Marteinsson, V.

2008-09-01

Life in Extreme Environments is an emerging area of research in which Europe has considerable expertise but a relatively fragmented research infrastructure. The science of such environments has enormous relevance for our knowledge of the diversity and environmental limits of microbial, plant and animal life and the novel strategies employed for survival and growth. Such studies are essential in understanding how life established on the early Earth and in assessing the possibilities for life on other planetary bodies. These environments are also a rich source of novel exploitable compounds. At the European level, there is a need for better coordination of life in extreme environments research, the FP7-funded CAREX project aims to address this need by developing a clearly identifiable, dynamic and durable community. Establishing this community will encourage greater interdisciplinarity and increasing knowledge of extreme environments. It will provide a target for young career scientists and allow a more focussed dialogue with other science areas, with funding agencies, with industrial groups and with international organisations outside Europe. CAREX will last for three years and with a wide scope covering microbial life, plant adaptation and animal adaptation to various marine, polar, terrestrial extreme environments as well as outer space. CAREX's outputs will include a strategic roadmap for European life in extreme environments research (including enabling technologies), diverse opportunities for knowledge transfer, standardisation of methodologies, encouragement and support for early career scientists and a network of links to relevant organisations. These deliverables together with improved community networking, supported by newsletters, promotional leaflets, a series of science publications and an interactive web portal, will help consolidate the community and its identity. Outcomes will be facilitated through science/technology workshops, diverse forums, field/laboratory protocol intercomparisons, a summer school and individual grants to facilitate knowledge transfer. CAREX has evolved with the key players from the highly successful ESF "Investigating Life in Extreme Environments" initiative. For more information: www.carex-eu.org

Situational Awareness Applied to Geology Field Mapping using Integration of Semantic Data and Visualization Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, P. I. Q.

2017-12-01

21st century earth science is data-intensive, characterized by heterogeneous, sometimes voluminous collections representing phenomena at different scales collected for different purposes and managed in disparate ways. However, much of the earth's surface still requires boots-on-the-ground, in-person fieldwork in order to detect the subtle variations from which humans can infer complex structures and patterns. Nevertheless, field experiences can and should be enabled and enhanced by a variety of emerging technologies. The goal of the proposed research project is to pilot test emerging data integration, semantic and visualization technologies for evaluation of their potential usefulness in the field sciences, particularly in the context of field geology. The proposed project will investigate new techniques for data management and integration enabled by semantic web technologies, along with new techniques for augmented reality that can operate on such integrated data to enable in situ visualization in the field. The research objectives include: Develop new technical infrastructure that applies target technologies to field geology; Test, evaluate, and assess the technical infrastructure in a pilot field site; Evaluate the capabilities of the systems for supporting and augmenting field science; and Assess the generality of the system for implementation in new and different types of field sites. Our hypothesis is that these technologies will enable what we call "field science situational awareness" - a cognitive state formerly attained only through long experience in the field - that is highly desirable but difficult to achieve in time- and resource-limited settings. Expected outcomes include elucidation of how, and in what ways, these technologies are beneficial in the field; enumeration of the steps and requirements to implement these systems; and cost/benefit analyses that evaluate under what conditions the investments of time and resources are advisable to construct such system.

From Science to e-Science to Semantic e-Science: A Heliosphysics Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narock, Thomas; Fox, Peter

2011-01-01

The past few years have witnessed unparalleled efforts to make scientific data web accessible. The Semantic Web has proven invaluable in this effort; however, much of the literature is devoted to system design, ontology creation, and trials and tribulations of current technologies. In order to fully develop the nascent field of Semantic e-Science we must also evaluate systems in real-world settings. We describe a case study within the field of Heliophysics and provide a comparison of the evolutionary stages of data discovery, from manual to semantically enable. We describe the socio-technical implications of moving toward automated and intelligent data discovery. In doing so, we highlight how this process enhances what is currently being done manually in various scientific disciplines. Our case study illustrates that Semantic e-Science is more than just semantic search. The integration of search with web services, relational databases, and other cyberinfrastructure is a central tenet of our case study and one that we believe has applicability as a generalized research area within Semantic e-Science. This case study illustrates a specific example of the benefits, and limitations, of semantically replicating data discovery. We show examples of significant reductions in time and effort enable by Semantic e-Science; yet, we argue that a "complete" solution requires integrating semantic search with other research areas such as data provenance and web services.

All about Plant Adaptation. Plant Life for Children[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Plants can survive in even the harshest of environments, from the freezing Arctic to the arid desert. In All About Plant Adaptation, join young plant lovers as they uncover some of the amazing ways that plants have adapted over millions of years enabling them to survive almost anywhere on Earth. Discover how some plants living in cold, arctic…

Physical Sciences Preservice Teachers' Religious and Scientific Views Regarding the Origin of the Universe and Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Govender, Nadaraj

2017-01-01

This paper explores final-year physical sciences preservice teachers' religious and scientific views regarding the origin of the universe and life. Data was obtained from 10 preservice teachers from individual in-depth interviews conducted at the end of the Science Method module. Their viewpoints were analyzed using coding, sorting, and…

Use of Semantic Technology to Create Curated Data Albums

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Kulkarni, Ajinkya; Li, Xiang; Sainju, Roshan; Bakare, Rohan; Basyal, Sabin

2014-01-01

One of the continuing challenges in any Earth science investigation is the discovery and access of useful science content from the increasingly large volumes of Earth science data and related information available online. Current Earth science data systems are designed with the assumption that researchers access data primarily by instrument or geophysical parameter. Those who know exactly the data sets they need can obtain the specific files using these systems. However, in cases where researchers are interested in studying an event of research interest, they must manually assemble a variety of relevant data sets by searching the different distributed data systems. Consequently, there is a need to design and build specialized search and discover tools in Earth science that can filter through large volumes of distributed online data and information and only aggregate the relevant resources needed to support climatology and case studies. This paper presents a specialized search and discovery tool that automatically creates curated Data Albums. The tool was designed to enable key elements of the search process such as dynamic interaction and sense-making. The tool supports dynamic interaction via different modes of interactivity and visual presentation of information. The compilation of information and data into a Data Album is analogous to a shoebox within the sense-making framework. This tool automates most of the tedious information/data gathering tasks for researchers. Data curation by the tool is achieved via an ontology-based, relevancy ranking algorithm that filters out nonrelevant information and data. The curation enables better search results as compared to the simple keyword searches provided by existing data systems in Earth science.

Use of Semantic Technology to Create Curated Data Albums

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Kulkarni, Ajinkya; Li, Xiang; Sainju, Roshan; Bakare, Rohan; Basyal, Sabin; Fox, Peter (Editor); Norack, Tom (Editor)

2014-01-01

One of the continuing challenges in any Earth science investigation is the discovery and access of useful science content from the increasingly large volumes of Earth science data and related information available online. Current Earth science data systems are designed with the assumption that researchers access data primarily by instrument or geophysical parameter. Those who know exactly the data sets they need can obtain the specific files using these systems. However, in cases where researchers are interested in studying an event of research interest, they must manually assemble a variety of relevant data sets by searching the different distributed data systems. Consequently, there is a need to design and build specialized search and discovery tools in Earth science that can filter through large volumes of distributed online data and information and only aggregate the relevant resources needed to support climatology and case studies. This paper presents a specialized search and discovery tool that automatically creates curated Data Albums. The tool was designed to enable key elements of the search process such as dynamic interaction and sense-making. The tool supports dynamic interaction via different modes of interactivity and visual presentation of information. The compilation of information and data into a Data Album is analogous to a shoebox within the sense-making framework. This tool automates most of the tedious information/data gathering tasks for researchers. Data curation by the tool is achieved via an ontology-based, relevancy ranking algorithm that filters out non-relevant information and data. The curation enables better search results as compared to the simple keyword searches provided by existing data systems in Earth science.

Project BudBurst: Citizen Science for All Seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meymaris, K.; Henderson, S.; Alaback, P.; Havens, K.

2008-12-01

Providing opportunities for individuals to contribute to a better understanding of climate change is the hallmark of Project BudBurst (www.budburst.org). This highly successful, national citizen science program, now in its second year, is bringing climate change education outreach to thousands of individuals. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch in February, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent. Thus far, participants from 49 states have submitted data that is being submitted to the USA National Phenology Network (www.usanpn.org) database. Project BudBurst has been the subject of almost 200 media outlets including NPR, national and regional television broadcasts, and most of the major national and regional newspapers. This presentation will provide an overview of Project Budburst and will report on the results of the 2008 field campaign and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst in 2009. Project BudBurst is a Windows to the Universe Citizen Science program managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the Chicago Botanic Garden, University of Montana in collaboration with the USA -National Phenology Network and with financial support from U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, NEON, and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

HRP Data Accessibility Current Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sams, Clarence

2009-01-01

Overview of talk: a) Content of Human Life Science data; b) Data archive structure; c) Applicable legal documents and policies; and d) Methods for data access. Life Science Data Archive (LSDA) contains research data from NASA-funded experiments, primarily data from flight experiments and ground analog data collected at NASA facilities. Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health (LSAH) contains electronic health records (medical data) of all astronauts, including mission data. Data are collected for clinical purposes. Clinical data are analyzed by LSAH epidemiologists to identify trends in crew health and implement changes in pre-, in-, or post-flight medical care.

Earth Science Digital Museum (ESDM): Toward a new paradigm for museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Shaochun; Xu, Shijin; Wu, Gangshan

2006-07-01

New technologies have pushed traditional museums to take their exhibitions beyond the barrier of a museum's walls and enhance their functions: education and entertainment. Earth Science Digital Museum (ESDM) is such an emerging effort in this field. It serves as a platform for Earth Scientists to build a Web community to share knowledge about the Earth and is of to benefit the general public for their life-long learning. After analyzing the purposes and requirements of ESDM, we present here our basic philosophy of ESDM and a four-layer hierarchical architecture for enhancing the structure of ESDM via Internet. It is a Web-based application to enable specimens to be exhibited, shared and preserved in digital form, and to provide the functionalities of interoperability. One of the key components of ESDM is the development of a metadata set for describing Earth Science specimens and their digital representations, which is particularly important for building ESDM. Practical demonstrations show that ESDM is suitable for formal and informal Earth Science education, including classroom education, online education and life-long learning.

Sources of student engagement in Introductory Physics for Life Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, Benjamin D.; Turpen, Chandra; Crouch, Catherine H.

2018-06-01

We explore the sources of student engagement with curricular content in an Introductory Physics for Life Science (IPLS) course at Swarthmore College. Do IPLS students find some life-science contexts more interesting than others, and, if so, what are the sources of these differences? We draw on three sources of student data to answer this question: (1) quantitative survey data illustrating how interested students were in particular contexts from the curriculum, (2) qualitative survey data in which students describe the source of their interest in these particular contexts, and (3) interview data in which students reflect on the contexts that were and were not of interest to them. We find that examples that make interdisciplinary connections with students' other coursework in biology and chemistry, and examples that make connections to what students perceive to be the "real world," are particularly effective at fostering interest. More generally, students describe being deeply engaged with contexts that foster a sense of coherence or have personal meaning to them. We identify various "engagement pathways" by which different life-science students engage with IPLS content, and suggest that a curriculum needs to be flexible enough to facilitate these different pathways.

Advancing Navigation, Timing, and Science with the Deep Space Atomic Clock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ely, Todd A.; Seubert, Jill; Bell, Julia

2014-01-01

NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock mission is developing a small, highly stable mercury ion atomic clock with an Allan deviation of at most 1e-14 at one day, and with current estimates near 3e-15. This stability enables one-way radiometric tracking data with accuracy equivalent to and, in certain conditions, better than current two-way deep space tracking data; allowing a shift to a more efficient and flexible one-way deep space navigation architecture. DSAC-enabled one-way tracking will benefit navigation and radio science by increasing the quantity and quality of tracking data. Additionally, DSAC would be a key component to fully-autonomous onboard radio navigation useful for time-sensitive situations. Potential deep space applications of DSAC are presented, including orbit determination of a Mars orbiter and gravity science on a Europa flyby mission.

Utilizing Remote Sensing Data to Ascertain Soil Moisture Applications and Air Quality Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leptoukh, Gregory; Kempler, Steve; Teng, William; Friedl, Lawrence; Lynnes, Chris

2009-01-01

Recognizing the significance of NASA remote sensing Earth science data in monitoring and better understanding our planet's natural environment, NASA Earth Applied Sciences has implemented the 'Decision Support Through Earth Science Research Results' program. Several applications support systems through collaborations with benefiting organizations have been implemented. The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has participated in this program on two projects (one complete, one ongoing), and has had opportune ad hoc collaborations utilizing NASA Earth science data. GES DISC's understanding of Earth science missions and resulting data and information enables the GES DISC to identify challenges that come with bringing science data to research applications. In this presentation we describe applications research projects utilizing NASA Earth science data and a variety of resulting GES DISC applications support system project experiences. In addition, defining metrics that really evaluate success will be exemplified.

Gravity-Dependent Combustion and Fluids Research - From Drop Towers to Aircraft to the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Singh, Bhim S.; Kohl, Fred J.

2007-01-01

Driven by the need for knowledge related to the low-gravity environment behavior of fluids in liquid fuels management, thermal control systems and fire safety for spacecraft, NASA embarked on a decades long research program to understand, accommodate and utilize the relevant phenomena. Beginning in the 1950s, and continuing through to today, drop towers and aircraft were used to conduct an ever broadening and increasingly sophisticated suite of experiments designed to elucidate the underlying gravity-dependent physics that drive these processes. But the drop towers and aircraft afford only short time periods of continuous low gravity. Some of the earliest rocket test flights and manned space missions hosted longer duration experiments. The relatively longer duration low-g times available on the space shuttle during the 1980s and 1990s enabled many specialized experiments that provided unique data for a wide range of science and engineering disciplines. Indeed, a number of STS-based Spacelab missions were dedicated solely to basic and applied microgravity research in the biological, life and physical sciences. Between 1980 and 2000, NASA implemented a vigorous Microgravity Science Program wherein combustion science and fluid physics were major components. The current era of space stations from the MIR to the International Space Station have opened up a broad range of opportunities and facilities that are now available to support both applied research for technologies that will help to enable the future exploration missions and for a continuation of the non-exploration basic research that began over fifty years ago. The ISS-based facilities of particular value to the fluid physics and combustion/fire safety communities are the Fluids and Combustion Facility Combustion Integrated Rack and the Fluids Integrated Rack.

Low Gravity Materials Science Research for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clinton, R. G., Jr.; Semmes, Edmund B.; Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Bassler, Julie A.; Cook, Mary Beth; Wargo, Michael J.; Sanders, Gerald B.; Marzwell, Neville I.

2004-01-01

On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States announced a new vision for the United States civil space program. The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has the responsibility to implement this new vision. The President also created a Presidential Commission 'to obtain recommendations concerning implementation of the new vision for space exploration.' The President's Commission recognized that achieving the exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as 'enabling technologies.' Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were advanced structures; advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity system; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis; biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. The Commission also recommended realignment of NASA Headquarters organizations to support the vision for space exploration. NASA has aggressively responded in its planning to support the vision for space exploration and with the current considerations of the findings and recommendations from the Presidential Commission. This presentation will examine the transformation and realignment activities to support the vision for space exploration that are underway in the microgravity materials science program. The heritage of the microgravity materials science program, in the context of residence within the organizational structure of the Office of Biological and Physical Research, and thematic and sub-discipline based research content areas, will be briefly examined as the starting point for the ongoing transformation. Overviews of future research directions will be presented and the status of organizational restructuring at NASA Headquarters, with respect to influences on the microgravity materials science program, will be discussed. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Benchmark Comparison of Cloud Analytics Methods Applied to Earth Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Chris; Little, Mike; Huang, Thomas; Jacob, Joseph; Yang, Phil; Kuo, Kwo-Sen

2016-01-01

Cloud computing has the potential to bring high performance computing capabilities to the average science researcher. However, in order to take full advantage of cloud capabilities, the science data used in the analysis must often be reorganized. This typically involves sharding the data across multiple nodes to enable relatively fine-grained parallelism. This can be either via cloud-based file systems or cloud-enabled databases such as Cassandra, Rasdaman or SciDB. Since storing an extra copy of data leads to increased cost and data management complexity, NASA is interested in determining the benefits and costs of various cloud analytics methods for real Earth Observation cases. Accordingly, NASA's Earth Science Technology Office and Earth Science Data and Information Systems project have teamed with cloud analytics practitioners to run a benchmark comparison on cloud analytics methods using the same input data and analysis algorithms. We have particularly looked at analysis algorithms that work over long time series, because these are particularly intractable for many Earth Observation datasets which typically store data with one or just a few time steps per file. This post will present side-by-side cost and performance results for several common Earth observation analysis operations.

Benchmark Comparison of Cloud Analytics Methods Applied to Earth Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynnes, C.; Little, M. M.; Huang, T.; Jacob, J. C.; Yang, C. P.; Kuo, K. S.

2016-12-01

Cloud computing has the potential to bring high performance computing capabilities to the average science researcher. However, in order to take full advantage of cloud capabilities, the science data used in the analysis must often be reorganized. This typically involves sharding the data across multiple nodes to enable relatively fine-grained parallelism. This can be either via cloud-based filesystems or cloud-enabled databases such as Cassandra, Rasdaman or SciDB. Since storing an extra copy of data leads to increased cost and data management complexity, NASA is interested in determining the benefits and costs of various cloud analytics methods for real Earth Observation cases. Accordingly, NASA's Earth Science Technology Office and Earth Science Data and Information Systems project have teamed with cloud analytics practitioners to run a benchmark comparison on cloud analytics methods using the same input data and analysis algorithms. We have particularly looked at analysis algorithms that work over long time series, because these are particularly intractable for many Earth Observation datasets which typically store data with one or just a few time steps per file. This post will present side-by-side cost and performance results for several common Earth observation analysis operations.

Integration and Cooperation in the Next Golden Age of Human Space Flight Data Repositories: Tools for Retrospective Analysis and Future Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, D.; Fitts, M.; Wear, M.; VanBaalen, M.

2011-01-01

As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle era into the next phase of space exploration, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of its research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP) based at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured, as well as focus current and future research funding on addressing the HRP goal to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. To this end, the Science Management Office and the Medical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch within the HRP and the Space Medicine Division have been working to make both research data and clinical data more accessible to the user community. The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA), the research repository housing data and information regarding the physiologic effects of microgravity, and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Repository (LSAH-R), the clinical repository housing astronaut data, have joined forces to achieve this goal. The task of both repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large. This is accomplished via the LSDA s public website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov), which allows access to experiment descriptions including hardware, datasets, key personnel, mission descriptions and a mechanism for researchers to request additional data, research and clinical, that is not accessible from the public website. This will result in making the work of NASA and its partners available to the wider sciences community, both domestic and international. The desired outcome is the use of these data for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future research studies.

Learning with Web Tools, Simulations, and Other Technologies in Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Todd; Wang, Shaing Kwei; Hsu, Hui-Yin; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.

2010-10-01

This position paper proposes the enhancement of teacher and student learning in science classrooms by tapping the enormous potential of information communication and technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools for engaging students in scientific inquiry. This paper serves to challenge teacher-held assumptions about students learning science `from technology' with a framework and examples of students learning science `with technology'. Whereas a high percentage of students are finding their way in using ICTs outside of school, for the most part they currently are not doing so inside of school in ways that they find meaningful and relevant to their lives. Instead, the pedagogical approaches that are most often experienced are out-of-step with how students use ICTs outside of schools and are not supportive of learning framed by constructivism. Here we describe a theoretical and pedagogical foundation for better connecting the two worlds of students' lives: life in school and life outside of school. This position paper is in response to the changing landscape of students' lives. The position is transformative in nature because it proposes the use of cyber-enabled resources for cultivating and leveraging students new literacy skills by learning `with technology' to enhance science learning.

Microbes, metagenomes and marine mammals: enabling the next generation of scientist to enter the genomic era

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The revolution in DNA sequencing technology continues unabated, and is affecting all aspects of the biological and medical sciences. The training and recruitment of the next generation of researchers who are able to use and exploit the new technology is severely lacking and potentially negatively influencing research and development efforts to advance genome biology. Here we present a cross-disciplinary course that provides undergraduate students with practical experience in running a next generation sequencing instrument through to the analysis and annotation of the generated DNA sequences. Results Many labs across world are installing next generation sequencing technology and we show that the undergraduate students produce quality sequence data and were excited to participate in cutting edge research. The students conducted the work flow from DNA extraction, library preparation, running the sequencing instrument, to the extraction and analysis of the data. They sequenced microbes, metagenomes, and a marine mammal, the Californian sea lion, Zalophus californianus. The students met sequencing quality controls, had no detectable contamination in the targeted DNA sequences, provided publication quality data, and became part of an international collaboration to investigate carcinomas in carnivores. Conclusions Students learned important skills for their future education and career opportunities, and a perceived increase in students’ ability to conduct independent scientific research was measured. DNA sequencing is rapidly expanding in the life sciences. Teaching undergraduates to use the latest technology to sequence genomic DNA ensures they are ready to meet the challenges of the genomic era and allows them to participate in annotating the tree of life. PMID:24007365

KSC-03pd0117

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A crowd by the countdown clock watches as Space Shuttle Columbia roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0116

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seconds after launch, Space Shuttle Columbia appears as a flaming tip of the smoke column it trails. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0119

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Seconds after launch, Space Shuttle Columbia appears as a flaming tip of the smoke column it trails. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0115

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Trailing a twisting column of smoke, Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0114

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles through a perfect blue Florida sky following a flawless and uneventful countdown. Liftoff of Columbia on mission STS-107 occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program

The Living with a Star Program: NASA's Role in Assuring Performance in Space and Atmospheric Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barth, Janet L.; LaBel, Kenneth; Brewer, Dana; Withbroe, George; Kauffman, Billy

2001-01-01

NASA has initiated the Living with a Star (LWS) Program to develop the scientific understanding to address the aspects of the Connected Sun-Earth system that affect life and society. A goal of the program is to bridge the gap between science, engineering, and user application communities. This will enable future science, operational, and commercial objectives in space and atmospheric environments by improving engineering approaches to the accommodation and/or mitigation of the effects of solar variability on technological systems. A pre-formulation study determined the optimum combination of science missions, modeling, and technology infusion elements to accomplish this goal. The results of the study are described.

Workshops Without Walls: broadening access to science around the world.

PubMed

Arslan, Betül K; Boyd, Eric S; Dolci, Wendy W; Dodson, K Estelle; Boldt, Marco S; Pilcher, Carl B

2011-08-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astrobiology Institute (NAI) conducted two "Workshops Without Walls" during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange--with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel.

Workshops without Walls: Broadening Access to Science around the World

PubMed Central

Arslan, Betül K.; Boyd, Eric S.; Dolci, Wendy W.; Dodson, K. Estelle; Boldt, Marco S.; Pilcher, Carl B.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astrobiology Institute (NAI) conducted two “Workshops Without Walls” during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange—with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic “Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life.” Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel. PMID:21829326

Application of Ontologies for Big Earth Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, T.; Chang, G.; Armstrong, E. M.; Boening, C.

2014-12-01

Connected data is smarter data! Earth Science research infrastructure must do more than just being able to support temporal, geospatial discovery of satellite data. As the Earth Science data archives continue to expand across NASA data centers, the research communities are demanding smarter data services. A successful research infrastructure must be able to present researchers the complete picture, that is, datasets with linked citations, related interdisciplinary data, imageries, current events, social media discussions, and scientific data tools that are relevant to the particular dataset. The popular Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET) ontologies is a collection of ontologies and concepts designed to improve discovery and application of Earth Science data. The SWEET ontologies collection was initially developed to capture the relationships between keywords in the NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). Over the years this popular ontologies collection has expanded to cover over 200 ontologies and 6000 concepts to enable scalable classification of Earth system science concepts and Space science. This presentation discusses the semantic web technologies as the enabling technology for data-intensive science. We will discuss the application of the SWEET ontologies as a critical component in knowledge-driven research infrastructure for some of the recent projects, which include the DARPA Ontological System for Context Artifact and Resources (OSCAR), 2013 NASA ACCESS Virtual Quality Screening Service (VQSS), and the 2013 NASA Sea Level Change Portal (SLCP) projects. The presentation will also discuss the benefits in using semantic web technologies in developing research infrastructure for Big Earth Science Data in an attempt to "accommodate all domains and provide the necessary glue for information to be cross-linked, correlated, and discovered in a semantically rich manner." [1] [1] Savas Parastatidis: A platform for all that we know: creating a knowledge-driven research infrastructure. The Fourth Paradigm 2009: 165-172

Copernicus: a quantum leap in Earth Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschbacher, Josef

2015-04-01

Copernicus is the most ambitious, most comprehensive Earth observation system world-wide. It aims at giving decision-makers better information to act upon, at global, continental, national and regional level. The European Union (EU) leads the overall programme, while the European Space Agency (ESA) coordinates the space component. Similar to meteorology, satellite data is combined with data from airborne and ground sensors to provide a holistic view of the state of the planet. All these data are fed into a range of thematic information services designed to benefit the environment and to support policy-makers and other stakeholders to make decisions, coordinate policy areas, and formulate strategies relating to the environment. Moreover, the data will also be used for predicting future climate trends. Never has such a comprehensive Earth-observation based system been in place before. It will be fully integrated into an informed decision making process, thus enabling economic and social benefits through better access to information globally. A key feature of Copernicus is the free and open data policy of the Sentinel satellite data. This will enable that Earth observation based information enters completely new domains of daily life. High quality, regularly updated satellite observations become available for basically everyone. To ensure universal access new ground segment and data access concepts need to be developed. As more data are made available, better decisions can made, more business will be created and science and research can be achieved through the upcoming Sentinel data.

Life sciences payload definition and integration study. Volume 1: Management summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The objectives of a study program to determine the life sciences payloads required for conducting biomedical experiments during space missions are presented. The objectives are defined as: (1) to identify the research functions which must be performed aboard life sciences spacecraft laboratories and the equipment needed to support these functions and (2) to develop layouts and preliminary conceptual designs of several potential baseline payloads for the accomplishment of life research in space. Payload configurations and subsystems are described and illustrated. Tables of data are included to identify the material requirements for the space missions.

Building Local Infrastructure for Community Adoption of Science-Based Prevention: The Role of Coalition Functioning.

PubMed

Shapiro, Valerie B; Hawkins, J David; Oesterle, Sabrina

2015-11-01

The widespread adoption of science-based prevention requires local infrastructures for prevention service delivery. Communities That Care (CTC) is a tested prevention service delivery system that enables a local coalition of community stakeholders to use a science-based approach to prevention and improve the behavioral health of young people. This paper uses data from the Community Youth Development Study (CYDS), a community-randomized trial of CTC, to examine the extent to which better internal team functioning of CTC coalitions increases the community-wide adoption of science-based prevention within 12 communities, relative to 12 matched comparison communities. Specifically, this paper examines the potential of both a direct relationship between coalition functioning and the community-wide adoption of science-based prevention and a direct relationship between functioning and the coalition capacities that ultimately enable the adoption of science-based prevention. Findings indicate no evidence of a direct relationship between four dimensions of coalition functioning and the community-wide adoption of a science-based approach to prevention, but suggest a relationship between coalition functioning and coalition capacities (building new member skills and establishing external linkages with existing community organizations) that enable science-based prevention.

NASA Applied Sciences Program. Overview Presentation; Discovering and Demonstrating Innovative and Practical Applications of Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irwin, Daniel

2010-01-01

Goal 1: Enhance Applications Research Advance the use of NASA Earth science in policy making, resource management and planning, and disaster response. Key Actions: Identify priority needs, conduct applied research to generate innovative applications, and support projects that demonstrate uses of NASA Earth science. Goal 2: Increase Collaboration Establish a flexible program structure to meet diverse partner needs and applications objectives. Key Actions: Pursue partnerships to leverage resources and risks and extend the program s reach and impact. Goal 3:Accelerate Applications Ensure that NASA s flight missions plan for and support applications goals in conjunction with their science goals, starting with mission planning and extending through the mission life cycle. Key Actions: Enable identification of applications early in satellite mission lifecycle and facilitate effective ways to integrate end-user needs into satellite mission planning

Land processes distributed active archive center product lifecycle plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daucsavage, John C.; Bennett, Stacie D.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Science Data System Program worked together to establish, develop, and operate the Land Processes (LP) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) to provide stewardship for NASA’s land processes science data. These data are critical science assets that serve the land processes science community with potential value beyond any immediate research use, and therefore need to be accounted for and properly managed throughout their lifecycle. A fundamental LP DAAC objective is to enable permanent preservation of these data and information products. The LP DAAC accomplishes this by bridging data producers and permanent archival resources while providing intermediate archive services for data and information products.

Measurement Frontiers in Molecular Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laderman, Stephen

2009-03-01

Developments of molecular measurements and manipulations have long enabled forefront research in evolution, genetics, biological development and its dysfunction, and the impact of external factors on the behavior of cells. Measurement remains at the heart of exciting and challenging basic and applied problems in molecular and cell biology. Methods to precisely determine the identity and abundance of particular molecules amongst a complex mixture of similar and dissimilar types require the successful design and integration of multiple steps involving biochemical manipulations, separations, physical probing, and data processing. Accordingly, today's most powerful methods for characterizing life at the molecular level depend on coordinated advances in applied physics, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, and engineering. This is well illustrated by recent approaches to the measurement of DNA, RNA, proteins, and intact cells. Such successes underlie well founded visions of how molecular biology can further assist in answering compelling scientific questions and in enabling the development of remarkable advances in human health. These visions, in turn, are motivating the interdisciplinary creation of even more comprehensive measurements. As a further and closely related consequence, they are motivating innovations in the conceptual and practical approaches to organizing and visualizing large, complex sets of interrelated experimental results and distilling from those data compelling, informative conclusions.

Differences in Persistence Patterns between Life and Physical Science Majors: The Role of Grades, Peers, and Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ost, Ben

2010-01-01

Using longitudinal administrative data from a large elite research university, this paper separately analyzes the determinants of persistence for life and physical science majors. My results confirm much of the previous research on major persistence in the sciences, but I document that many findings are solely driven by persistence patterns in the…

KSC-04PD-0006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences Lab, Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., transfers material into a sample bottle for analysis. She is standing in front of new equipment in the lab that will provide gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASAs ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASAs Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASAs Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

The evolving role of data scientist during 20 years of the British Atmospheric Data Centre (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascoe, S.; Parton, G.; Pascoe, C.; Guillory, A.; da Costa, E. D.

2013-12-01

In 2014 The British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC), now part of the Centre of Environmental Data Archival (CEDA), will celebrate its 20th anniversary. During its lifetime, most BADC staff have defined themselves as data scientists by virtue of being scientists by background and "data workers" by practice. However, the definition of data scientist has been ill defined until recently. As the term has become popularised in the world of business and general information technology, we ask ourselves to what extent the popular definition fits our profession. We observe that data science, as practised at CEDA, encompasses several roles which overlap and compliment each other as we strive to be enablers of data exploitation. For us a data scientist's skills include elements of data curation, software engineering, data infrastructure management and data-intensive research. As data science has evolved the balance between these roles has shifted in response to changes in technology, demands of the research community and funding drivers. We have had to balance our role as enablers of data exploitation, by providing services and infrastructure to the geo-science community, with our role as pioneers of data exploitation itself. By telling the story of how these roles have evolved during the 20 year history of the BADC, we aim to explore the maturing role of data scientist as practised within the geo-sciences and contrast that role with its recently popularised usage. Looking forward we will address questions about how centres of expertise, such as CEDA, can best increase the data capabilities of geo-science research as a whole in order to facilitate the transition to data-intensive science.

Accelerating scientific publication in biology

PubMed Central

Vale, Ronald D.

2015-01-01

Scientific publications enable results and ideas to be transmitted throughout the scientific community. The number and type of journal publications also have become the primary criteria used in evaluating career advancement. Our analysis suggests that publication practices have changed considerably in the life sciences over the past 30 years. More experimental data are now required for publication, and the average time required for graduate students to publish their first paper has increased and is approaching the desirable duration of PhD training. Because publication is generally a requirement for career progression, schemes to reduce the time of graduate student and postdoctoral training may be difficult to implement without also considering new mechanisms for accelerating communication of their work. The increasing time to publication also delays potential catalytic effects that ensue when many scientists have access to new information. The time has come for life scientists, funding agencies, and publishers to discuss how to communicate new findings in a way that best serves the interests of the public and the scientific community. PMID:26508643

Ironbound Community Citizen Science Toolbox Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is partnering with Newark’s Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) to design, develop, and pilot a Citizen Science Toolbox that will enable communities to collect their own environmental data and increase their ability to understand local conditions.

Improving the Accessibility and Use of NASA Earth Science Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tisdale, Matthew; Tisdale, Brian

2015-01-01

Many of the NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) multidimensional tropospheric and atmospheric chemistry data products are stored in HDF4, HDF5 or NetCDF format, which traditionally have been difficult to analyze and visualize with geospatial tools. With the rising demand from the diverse end-user communities for geospatial tools to handle multidimensional products, several applications, such as ArcGIS, have refined their software. Many geospatial applications now have new functionalities that enable the end user to: Store, serve, and perform analysis on each individual variable, its time dimension, and vertical dimension. Use NetCDF, GRIB, and HDF raster data formats across applications directly. Publish output within REST image services or WMS for time and space enabled web application development. During this webinar, participants will learn how to leverage geospatial applications such as ArcGIS, OPeNDAP and ncWMS in the production of Earth science information, and in increasing data accessibility and usability.

The LAILAPS search engine: a feature model for relevance ranking in life science databases.

PubMed

Lange, Matthias; Spies, Karl; Colmsee, Christian; Flemming, Steffen; Klapperstück, Matthias; Scholz, Uwe

2010-03-25

Efficient and effective information retrieval in life sciences is one of the most pressing challenge in bioinformatics. The incredible growth of life science databases to a vast network of interconnected information systems is to the same extent a big challenge and a great chance for life science research. The knowledge found in the Web, in particular in life-science databases, are a valuable major resource. In order to bring it to the scientist desktop, it is essential to have well performing search engines. Thereby, not the response time nor the number of results is important. The most crucial factor for millions of query results is the relevance ranking. In this paper, we present a feature model for relevance ranking in life science databases and its implementation in the LAILAPS search engine. Motivated by the observation of user behavior during their inspection of search engine result, we condensed a set of 9 relevance discriminating features. These features are intuitively used by scientists, who briefly screen database entries for potential relevance. The features are both sufficient to estimate the potential relevance, and efficiently quantifiable. The derivation of a relevance prediction function that computes the relevance from this features constitutes a regression problem. To solve this problem, we used artificial neural networks that have been trained with a reference set of relevant database entries for 19 protein queries. Supporting a flexible text index and a simple data import format, this concepts are implemented in the LAILAPS search engine. It can easily be used both as search engine for comprehensive integrated life science databases and for small in-house project databases. LAILAPS is publicly available for SWISSPROT data at http://lailaps.ipk-gatersleben.de.

Promoting a structural view of biology for varied audiences: an overview of RCSB PDB resources and experiences

PubMed Central

Dutta, Shuchismita; Zardecki, Christine; Goodsell, David S.; Berman, Helen M.

2010-01-01

The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) supports scientific research and education worldwide by providing an essential resource of information on biomolecular structures. In addition to serving as a deposition, data-processing and distribution center for PDB data, the RCSB PDB offers resources and online materials that different audiences can use to customize their structural biology instruction. These include resources for general audiences that present macromolecular structure in the context of a biological theme, method-based materials for researchers who take a more traditional approach to the presentation of structural science, and materials that mix theme-based and method-based approaches for educators and students. Through these efforts the RCSB PDB aims to enable optimal use of structural data by researchers, educators and students designing and understanding experiments in biology, chemistry and medicine, and by general users making informed decisions about their life and health. PMID:20877496

Microgravity Fluids for Biology, Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, DeVon; Kohl, Fred; Massa, Gioia D.; Motil, Brian; Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia; Quincy, Charles; Sato, Kevin; Singh, Bhim; Smith, Jeffrey D.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2013-01-01

Microgravity Fluids for Biology represents an intersection of biology and fluid physics that present exciting research challenges to the Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. Solving and managing the transport processes and fluid mechanics in physiological and biological systems and processes are essential for future space exploration and colonization of space by humans. Adequate understanding of the underlying fluid physics and transport mechanisms will provide new, necessary insights and technologies for analyzing and designing biological systems critical to NASAs mission. To enable this mission, the fluid physics discipline needs to work to enhance the understanding of the influence of gravity on the scales and types of fluids (i.e., non-Newtonian) important to biology and life sciences. In turn, biomimetic, bio-inspired and synthetic biology applications based on physiology and biology can enrich the fluid mechanics and transport phenomena capabilities of the microgravity fluid physics community.

Space Science Enterprise Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The 2003 Space Science Enterprise Strategy represents the efforts of hundreds of scientists, staff, and educators, as well as collaboration with the other NASA Enterprises. It reveals the progress we have made, our plans for the near future, and our opportunity to support the Agency's Mission to "explore the universe and search for life." Space science has made spectacular advances in the recent past, from the first baby pictures of the universe to the discovery of water ice on Mars. Each new discovery impels us to ask new questions or regard old ones in new ways. How did the universe begin? How did life arise? Are we alone? These questions continue to inspire all of us to keep exploring and searching. And, as we get closer to answers, we will continue to share our findings with the science community, educators, and the public as broadly and as rapidly as possible. In this Strategy, you will find science objectives that define NASA's quest for discovery. You will also find the framework of programs, such as flight missions and ground-based research, that will enable us to achieve these objectives. This Strategy is founded on recommendations from the community, as well as lessons learned from past programs, and maps the stepping-stones to the future of space science.

Science in the cloud (SIC): A use case in MRI connectomics

PubMed Central

Gorgolewski, Krzysztof J.; Kleissas, Dean; Roncal, William Gray; Litt, Brian; Wandell, Brian; Poldrack, Russel A.; Wiener, Martin; Vogelstein, R. Jacob; Burns, Randal

2017-01-01

Abstract Modern technologies are enabling scientists to collect extraordinary amounts of complex and sophisticated data across a huge range of scales like never before. With this onslaught of data, we can allow the focal point to shift from data collection to data analysis. Unfortunately, lack of standardized sharing mechanisms and practices often make reproducing or extending scientific results very difficult. With the creation of data organization structures and tools that drastically improve code portability, we now have the opportunity to design such a framework for communicating extensible scientific discoveries. Our proposed solution leverages these existing technologies and standards, and provides an accessible and extensible model for reproducible research, called ‘science in the cloud’ (SIC). Exploiting scientific containers, cloud computing, and cloud data services, we show the capability to compute in the cloud and run a web service that enables intimate interaction with the tools and data presented. We hope this model will inspire the community to produce reproducible and, importantly, extensible results that will enable us to collectively accelerate the rate at which scientific breakthroughs are discovered, replicated, and extended. PMID:28327935

Science in the cloud (SIC): A use case in MRI connectomics.

PubMed

Kiar, Gregory; Gorgolewski, Krzysztof J; Kleissas, Dean; Roncal, William Gray; Litt, Brian; Wandell, Brian; Poldrack, Russel A; Wiener, Martin; Vogelstein, R Jacob; Burns, Randal; Vogelstein, Joshua T

2017-05-01

Modern technologies are enabling scientists to collect extraordinary amounts of complex and sophisticated data across a huge range of scales like never before. With this onslaught of data, we can allow the focal point to shift from data collection to data analysis. Unfortunately, lack of standardized sharing mechanisms and practices often make reproducing or extending scientific results very difficult. With the creation of data organization structures and tools that drastically improve code portability, we now have the opportunity to design such a framework for communicating extensible scientific discoveries. Our proposed solution leverages these existing technologies and standards, and provides an accessible and extensible model for reproducible research, called 'science in the cloud' (SIC). Exploiting scientific containers, cloud computing, and cloud data services, we show the capability to compute in the cloud and run a web service that enables intimate interaction with the tools and data presented. We hope this model will inspire the community to produce reproducible and, importantly, extensible results that will enable us to collectively accelerate the rate at which scientific breakthroughs are discovered, replicated, and extended. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

KSC-03PP-0149

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, who represents the Israel Space Agency, chats with the Closeout Crew in the White Room before entering Columbia. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. Ramon is the first Israeli astronaut to fly in the Shuttle. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-03pp0149

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, who represents the Israel Space Agency, chats with the Closeout Crew in the White Room before entering Columbia. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. Ramon is the first Israeli astronaut to fly in the Shuttle. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

Development of a software interface for optical disk archival storage for a new life sciences flight experiments computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartram, Peter N.

1989-01-01

The current Life Sciences Laboratory Equipment (LSLE) microcomputer for life sciences experiment data acquisition is now obsolete. Among the weaknesses of the current microcomputer are small memory size, relatively slow analog data sampling rates, and the lack of a bulk data storage device. While life science investigators normally prefer data to be transmitted to Earth as it is taken, this is not always possible. No down-link exists for experiments performed in the Shuttle middeck region. One important aspect of a replacement microcomputer is provision for in-flight storage of experimental data. The Write Once, Read Many (WORM) optical disk was studied because of its high storage density, data integrity, and the availability of a space-qualified unit. In keeping with the goals for a replacement microcomputer based upon commercially available components and standard interfaces, the system studied includes a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) for interfacing the WORM drive. The system itself is designed around the STD bus, using readily available boards. Configurations examined were: (1) master processor board and slave processor board with the SCSI interface; (2) master processor with SCSI interface; (3) master processor with SCSI and Direct Memory Access (DMA); (4) master processor controlling a separate STD bus SCSI board; and (5) master processor controlling a separate STD bus SCSI board with DMA.

GeneLab: A Systems Biology Platform for Spaceflight Omics Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinsch, Sigrid S.; Lai, San-Huei; Chen, Rick; Thompson, Terri; Berrios, Daniel; Fogle, Homer; Marcu, Oana; Timucin, Linda; Chakravarty, Kaushik; Coughlan, Joseph

2015-01-01

NASA's mission includes expanding our understanding of biological systems to improve life on Earth and to enable long-duration human exploration of space. Resources to support large numbers of spaceflight investigations are limited. NASA's GeneLab project is maximizing the science output from these experiments by: (1) developing a unique public bioinformatics database that includes space bioscience relevant "omics" data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and experimental metadata; (2) partnering with NASA-funded flight experiments through bio-sample sharing or sample augmentation to expedite omics data input to the GeneLab database; and (3) developing community-driven reference flight experiments. The first database, GeneLab Data System Version 1.0, went online in April 2015. V1.0 contains numerous flight datasets and has search and download capabilities. Version 2.0 will be released in 2016 and will link to analytic tools. In 2015 Genelab partnered with two Biological Research in Canisters experiments (BBRIC-19 and BRIC-20) which examine responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to spaceflight. GeneLab also partnered with Rodent Research-1 (RR1), the maiden flight to test the newly developed rodent habitat. GeneLab developed protocols for maxiumum yield of RNA, DNA and protein from precious RR-1 tissues harvested and preserved during the SpaceX-4 mission, as well as from tissues from mice that were frozen intact during spaceflight and later dissected. GeneLab is establishing partnerships with at least three planned flights for 2016. Organism-specific nationwide Science Definition Teams (SDTs) will define future GeneLab dedicated missions and ensure the broader scientific impact of the GeneLab missions. GeneLab ensures prompt release and open access to all high-throughput omics data from spaceflight and ground-based simulations of microgravity and radiation. Overall, GeneLab will facilitate the generation and query of parallel multi-omics data, and deep curation of metadata for integrative analysis, allowing researchers to uncover cellular networks as observed in systems biology platforms. Consequently, the scientific community will have access to a more complete picture of functional and regulatory networks responsive to the spaceflight environment.. Analysis of GeneLab data will contribute fundamental knowledge of how the space environment affects biological systems, and enable emerging terrestrial benefits resulting from mitigation strategies to prevent effects observed during exposure to space. As a result, open access to the data will foster new hypothesis-driven research for future spaceflight studies spanning basic science to translational science.

Earth Science Data Analytics: Bridging Tools and Techniques with the Co-Analysis of Large, Heterogeneous Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steve; Mathews, Tiffany

2016-01-01

The continuum of ever-evolving data management systems affords great opportunities to the enhancement of knowledge and facilitation of science research. To take advantage of these opportunities, it is essential to understand and develop methods that enable data relationships to be examined and the information to be manipulated. This presentation describes the efforts of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation Earth Science Data Analytics (ESDA) Cluster to understand, define, and facilitate the implementation of ESDA to advance science research. As a result of the void of Earth science data analytics publication material, the cluster has defined ESDA along with 10 goals to set the framework for a common understanding of tools and techniques that are available and still needed to support ESDA.

Visualization and Analysis for Near-Real-Time Decision Making in Distributed Workflows

DOE PAGES

Pugmire, David; Kress, James; Choi, Jong; ...

2016-08-04

Data driven science is becoming increasingly more common, complex, and is placing tremendous stresses on visualization and analysis frameworks. Data sources producing 10GB per second (and more) are becoming increasingly commonplace in both simulation, sensor and experimental sciences. These data sources, which are often distributed around the world, must be analyzed by teams of scientists that are also distributed. Enabling scientists to view, query and interact with such large volumes of data in near-real-time requires a rich fusion of visualization and analysis techniques, middleware and workflow systems. Here, this paper discusses initial research into visualization and analysis of distributed datamore » workflows that enables scientists to make near-real-time decisions of large volumes of time varying data.« less

CRISPR-Based Technologies for the Manipulation of Eukaryotic Genomes.

PubMed

Komor, Alexis C; Badran, Ahmed H; Liu, David R

2017-01-12

The CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-guided DNA endonuclease has contributed to an explosion of advances in the life sciences that have grown from the ability to edit genomes within living cells. In this Review, we summarize CRISPR-based technologies that enable mammalian genome editing and their various applications. We describe recent developments that extend the generality, DNA specificity, product selectivity, and fundamental capabilities of natural CRISPR systems, and we highlight some of the remarkable advancements in basic research, biotechnology, and therapeutics science that these developments have facilitated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA Johnson Space Center Biomedical Research Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paloski, W. H.

1999-01-01

Johnson Space Center (JSC) medical sciences laboratories constitute a national resource for support of medical operations and life sciences research enabling a human presence in space. They play a critical role in evaluating, defining, and mitigation the untoward effect of human adaption to space flight. Over the years they have developed the unique facilities and expertise required to perform: biomedical sample analysis and physiological performance tests supporting medical evaluations of space flight crew members and scientific investigations of the operationally relevant medical, physiological, cellular, and biochemical issues associated with human space flight. A general overview of these laboratories is presented in viewgraph form.

Working Towards New Transformative Geoscience Analytics Enabled by Petascale Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodcock, R.; Wyborn, L.

2012-04-01

Currently the top 10 supercomputers in the world are petascale and already exascale computers are being planned. Cloud computing facilities are becoming mainstream either as private or commercial investments. These computational developments will provide abundant opportunities for the earth science community to tackle the data deluge which has resulted from new instrumentation enabling data to be gathered at a greater rate and at higher resolution. Combined, the new computational environments should enable the earth sciences to be transformed. However, experience in Australia and elsewhere has shown that it is not easy to scale existing earth science methods, software and analytics to take advantage of the increased computational capacity that is now available. It is not simply a matter of 'transferring' current work practices to the new facilities: they have to be extensively 'transformed'. In particular new Geoscientific methods will need to be developed using advanced data mining, assimilation, machine learning and integration algorithms. Software will have to be capable of operating in highly parallelised environments, and will also need to be able to scale as the compute systems grow. Data access will have to improve and the earth science community needs to move from the file discovery, display and then locally download paradigm to self describing data cubes and data arrays that are available as online resources from either major data repositories or in the cloud. In the new transformed world, rather than analysing satellite data scene by scene, sensor agnostic data cubes of calibrated earth observation data will enable researchers to move across data from multiple sensors at varying spatial data resolutions. In using geophysics to characterise basement and cover, rather than analysing individual gridded airborne geophysical data sets, and then combining the results, petascale computing will enable analysis of multiple data types, collected at varying resolutions with integration and validation across data type boundaries. Increased capacity of storage and compute will mean that uncertainty and reliability of individual observations will consistently be taken into account and propagated throughout the processing chain. If these data access difficulties can be overcome, the increased compute capacity will also mean that larger scale, more complex models can be run at higher resolution and instead of single pass modelling runs. Ensembles of models will be able to be run to simultaneously test multiple hypotheses. Petascale computing and high performance data offer more than "bigger, faster": it is an opportunity for a transformative change in the way in which geoscience research is routinely conducted.

NASA's Earth Science Flight Program overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neeck, Steven P.; Volz, Stephen M.

2011-11-01

NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) conducts pioneering work in Earth system science, the interdisciplinary view of Earth that explores the interaction among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself that has enabled scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by governments, organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The ESD makes the data collected and results generated by its missions accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster management, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. In addition to four missions now in development and 14 currently operating on-orbit, the ESD is now developing the first tier of missions recommended by the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey and is conducting engineering studies and technology development for the second tier. Furthermore, NASA's ESD is planning implementation of a set of climate continuity missions to assure availability of key data sets needed for climate science and applications. These include a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), OCO-2, planned for launch in 2013; refurbishment of the SAGE III atmospheric chemistry instrument to be hosted by the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2014; and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE FO) mission scheduled for launch in 2016. The new Earth Venture (EV) class of missions is a series of uncoupled, low to moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected, full orbital missions, instruments for orbital missions of opportunity, and sub-orbital projects.

OlyMPUS - The Ontology-based Metadata Portal for Unified Semantics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffer, E.; Gleason, J. L.

2015-12-01

The Ontology-based Metadata Portal for Unified Semantics (OlyMPUS), funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Advanced Information Systems Technology program, is an end-to-end system designed to support data consumers and data providers, enabling the latter to register their data sets and provision them with the semantically rich metadata that drives the Ontology-Driven Interactive Search Environment for Earth Sciences (ODISEES). OlyMPUS leverages the semantics and reasoning capabilities of ODISEES to provide data producers with a semi-automated interface for producing the semantically rich metadata needed to support ODISEES' data discovery and access services. It integrates the ODISEES metadata search system with multiple NASA data delivery tools to enable data consumers to create customized data sets for download to their computers, or for NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility registered users, directly to NAS storage resources for access by applications running on NAS supercomputers. A core function of NASA's Earth Science Division is research and analysis that uses the full spectrum of data products available in NASA archives. Scientists need to perform complex analyses that identify correlations and non-obvious relationships across all types of Earth System phenomena. Comprehensive analytics are hindered, however, by the fact that many Earth science data products are disparate and hard to synthesize. Variations in how data are collected, processed, gridded, and stored, create challenges for data interoperability and synthesis, which are exacerbated by the sheer volume of available data. Robust, semantically rich metadata can support tools for data discovery and facilitate machine-to-machine transactions with services such as data subsetting, regridding, and reformatting. Such capabilities are critical to enabling the research activities integral to NASA's strategic plans. However, as metadata requirements increase and competing standards emerge, metadata provisioning becomes increasingly burdensome to data producers. The OlyMPUS system helps data providers produce semantically rich metadata, making their data more accessible to data consumers, and helps data consumers quickly discover and download the right data for their research.

The use of Second Life as an effective means of providing informal science education to secondary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amous, Haytham

This research study evaluated the use of Second Life and its virtual museums as a means of providing effective informal science education for both junior high and high school students. This study investigated whether the attitudes of students toward science change as a result of scholastic exposure to the science museums in Second Life. The dependence between attitudes and learning styles was also investigated. The data gathered from the experiences and the perceptions of students using Second Life in informal science education were analyzed to address the questions of the study. The researcher used qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to investigate the research questions. The first and second research questions were quantitative and used TOSRA2 research instrument to assess attitude and perceptions and learning style questionnaire scores. The attitudes toward science before and after visiting the Second Life museums showed no significant change. A weak relationship between the attitudes toward science and the participants learning styles was found. The researcher therefore concluded that no relationship existed between the average of the TOSRA scores and the learning styles questionnaire scores. To address questions research three and four, a collective qualitative case study approach (Creswell, 2007), as well as a structured interviews focusing on the students' perspectives about using Second Life for informal science education was used. The students did not prefer informal science education using second life over formal education. This was in part attributed to the poor usability and/or familiarity with the program. Despite the students' technical difficulties confronted in visiting Second Life the perception of student about their learning experiences and the use of Second Life on informal science environment were positive.

NASA's Astrophysics Data Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, H.; Hanisch, R.; Bredekamp, J.

2000-09-01

The NASA Office of Space Science has established a series of archival centers where science data acquired through its space science missions is deposited. The availability of high quality data to the general public through these open archives enables the maximization of science return of the flight missions. The Astrophysics Data Centers Coordinating Council, an informal collaboration of archival centers, coordinates data from five archival centers distiguished primarily by the wavelength range of the data deposited there. Data are available in FITS format. An overview of NASA's data centers and services is presented in this paper. A standard front-end modifyer called `Astrowbrowse' is described. Other catalog browsers and tools include WISARD and AMASE supported by the National Space Scince Data Center, as well as ISAIA, a follow on to Astrobrowse.

Online Analysis Enhances Use of NASA Earth Science Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acker, James G.; Leptoukh, Gregory

2007-01-01

Giovanni, the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure, has provided researchers with advanced capabilities to perform data exploration and analysis with observational data from NASA Earth observation satellites. In the past 5-10 years, examining geophysical events and processes with remote-sensing data required a multistep process of data discovery, data acquisition, data management, and ultimately data analysis. Giovanni accelerates this process by enabling basic visualization and analysis directly on the World Wide Web. In the last two years, Giovanni has added new data acquisition functions and expanded analysis options to increase its usefulness to the Earth science research community.

NASA Tech Briefs, July 1993. Volume 17, No. 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Topics include: Data Acquisition and Analysis: Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences.

Toward genome-enabled mycology.

PubMed

Hibbett, David S; Stajich, Jason E; Spatafora, Joseph W

2013-01-01

Genome-enabled mycology is a rapidly expanding field that is characterized by the pervasive use of genome-scale data and associated computational tools in all aspects of fungal biology. Genome-enabled mycology is integrative and often requires teams of researchers with diverse skills in organismal mycology, bioinformatics and molecular biology. This issue of Mycologia presents the first complete fungal genomes in the history of the journal, reflecting the ongoing transformation of mycology into a genome-enabled science. Here, we consider the prospects for genome-enabled mycology and the technical and social challenges that will need to be overcome to grow the database of complete fungal genomes and enable all fungal biologists to make use of the new data.

Overview of RICOR tactical cryogenic refrigerators for space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riabzev, Sergey; Filis, Avishai; Livni, Dorit; Regev, Itai; Segal, Victor; Gover, Dan

2016-05-01

Cryogenic refrigerators represent a significant enabling technology for Earth and Space science enterprises. Many of the space instruments require cryogenic refrigeration to enable the use of advanced detectors to explore a wide range of phenomena from space. RICOR refrigerators involved in various space missions are overviewed in this paper, starting in 1994 with "Clementine" Moon mission, till the latest ExoMars mission launched in 2016. RICOR tactical rotary refrigerators have been incorporated in many space instruments, after passing qualification, life time, thermal management testing and flight acceptance. The tactical to space customization framework includes an extensive characterization and qualification test program to validate reliability, the design of thermal interfacing with a detector, vibration export control, efficient heat dissipation in a vacuum environment, robustness, mounting design, compliance with outgassing requirements and strict performance screening. Current RICOR development is focused on dedicated ultra-long-life, highly reliable, space cryogenic refrigerator based on a Pulse Tube design

BioFed: federated query processing over life sciences linked open data.

PubMed

Hasnain, Ali; Mehmood, Qaiser; Sana E Zainab, Syeda; Saleem, Muhammad; Warren, Claude; Zehra, Durre; Decker, Stefan; Rebholz-Schuhmann, Dietrich

2017-03-15

Biomedical data, e.g. from knowledge bases and ontologies, is increasingly made available following open linked data principles, at best as RDF triple data. This is a necessary step towards unified access to biological data sets, but this still requires solutions to query multiple endpoints for their heterogeneous data to eventually retrieve all the meaningful information. Suggested solutions are based on query federation approaches, which require the submission of SPARQL queries to endpoints. Due to the size and complexity of available data, these solutions have to be optimised for efficient retrieval times and for users in life sciences research. Last but not least, over time, the reliability of data resources in terms of access and quality have to be monitored. Our solution (BioFed) federates data over 130 SPARQL endpoints in life sciences and tailors query submission according to the provenance information. BioFed has been evaluated against the state of the art solution FedX and forms an important benchmark for the life science domain. The efficient cataloguing approach of the federated query processing system 'BioFed', the triple pattern wise source selection and the semantic source normalisation forms the core to our solution. It gathers and integrates data from newly identified public endpoints for federated access. Basic provenance information is linked to the retrieved data. Last but not least, BioFed makes use of the latest SPARQL standard (i.e., 1.1) to leverage the full benefits for query federation. The evaluation is based on 10 simple and 10 complex queries, which address data in 10 major and very popular data sources (e.g., Dugbank, Sider). BioFed is a solution for a single-point-of-access for a large number of SPARQL endpoints providing life science data. It facilitates efficient query generation for data access and provides basic provenance information in combination with the retrieved data. BioFed fully supports SPARQL 1.1 and gives access to the endpoint's availability based on the EndpointData graph. Our evaluation of BioFed against FedX is based on 20 heterogeneous federated SPARQL queries and shows competitive execution performance in comparison to FedX, which can be attributed to the provision of provenance information for the source selection. Developing and testing federated query engines for life sciences data is still a challenging task. According to our findings, it is advantageous to optimise the source selection. The cataloguing of SPARQL endpoints, including type and property indexing, leads to efficient querying of data resources over the Web of Data. This could even be further improved through the use of ontologies, e.g., for abstract normalisation of query terms.

e-Science and biological pathway semantics

PubMed Central

Luciano, Joanne S; Stevens, Robert D

2007-01-01

Background The development of e-Science presents a major set of opportunities and challenges for the future progress of biological and life scientific research. Major new tools are required and corresponding demands are placed on the high-throughput data generated and used in these processes. Nowhere is the demand greater than in the semantic integration of these data. Semantic Web tools and technologies afford the chance to achieve this semantic integration. Since pathway knowledge is central to much of the scientific research today it is a good test-bed for semantic integration. Within the context of biological pathways, the BioPAX initiative, part of a broader movement towards the standardization and integration of life science databases, forms a necessary prerequisite for its successful application of e-Science in health care and life science research. This paper examines whether BioPAX, an effort to overcome the barrier of disparate and heterogeneous pathway data sources, addresses the needs of e-Science. Results We demonstrate how BioPAX pathway data can be used to ask and answer some useful biological questions. We find that BioPAX comes close to meeting a broad range of e-Science needs, but certain semantic weaknesses mean that these goals are missed. We make a series of recommendations for re-modeling some aspects of BioPAX to better meet these needs. Conclusion Once these semantic weaknesses are addressed, it will be possible to integrate pathway information in a manner that would be useful in e-Science. PMID:17493286

The Galaxy platform for accessible, reproducible and collaborative biomedical analyses: 2016 update

PubMed Central

Afgan, Enis; Baker, Dannon; van den Beek, Marius; Blankenberg, Daniel; Bouvier, Dave; Čech, Martin; Chilton, John; Clements, Dave; Coraor, Nate; Eberhard, Carl; Grüning, Björn; Guerler, Aysam; Hillman-Jackson, Jennifer; Von Kuster, Greg; Rasche, Eric; Soranzo, Nicola; Turaga, Nitesh; Taylor, James; Nekrutenko, Anton; Goecks, Jeremy

2016-01-01

High-throughput data production technologies, particularly ‘next-generation’ DNA sequencing, have ushered in widespread and disruptive changes to biomedical research. Making sense of the large datasets produced by these technologies requires sophisticated statistical and computational methods, as well as substantial computational power. This has led to an acute crisis in life sciences, as researchers without informatics training attempt to perform computation-dependent analyses. Since 2005, the Galaxy project has worked to address this problem by providing a framework that makes advanced computational tools usable by non experts. Galaxy seeks to make data-intensive research more accessible, transparent and reproducible by providing a Web-based environment in which users can perform computational analyses and have all of the details automatically tracked for later inspection, publication, or reuse. In this report we highlight recently added features enabling biomedical analyses on a large scale. PMID:27137889

Do Biology Students Really Hate Math? Empirical Insights into Undergraduate Life Science Majors’ Emotions about Mathematics

PubMed Central

Wachsmuth, Lucas P.; Runyon, Christopher R.; Drake, John M.; Dolan, Erin L.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate life science majors are reputed to have negative emotions toward mathematics, yet little empirical evidence supports this. We sought to compare emotions of majors in the life sciences versus other natural sciences and math. We adapted the Attitudes toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory to create an Attitudes toward the Subject of Mathematics Inventory (ASMI). We collected data from 359 science and math majors at two research universities and conducted a series of statistical tests that indicated that four AMSI items comprised a reasonable measure of students’ emotional satisfaction with math. We then compared life science and non–life science majors and found that major had a small to moderate relationship with students’ responses. Gender also had a small relationship with students’ responses, while students’ race, ethnicity, and year in school had no observable relationship. Using latent profile analysis, we identified three groups—students who were emotionally satisfied with math, emotionally dissatisfied with math, and neutral. These results and the emotional satisfaction with math scale should be useful for identifying differences in other undergraduate populations, determining the malleability of undergraduates’ emotional satisfaction with math, and testing effects of interventions aimed at improving life science majors’ attitudes toward math. PMID:28798211

Real-time science operations to support a lunar polar volatiles rover mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heldmann, Jennifer L.; Colaprete, Anthony; Elphic, Richard C.; Mattes, Greg; Ennico, Kimberly; Fritzler, Erin; Marinova, Margarita M.; McMurray, Robert; Morse, Stephanie; Roush, Ted L.; Stoker, Carol R.

2015-05-01

Future human exploration of the Moon will likely rely on in situ resource utilization (ISRU) to enable long duration lunar missions. Prior to utilizing ISRU on the Moon, the natural resources (in this case lunar volatiles) must be identified and characterized, and ISRU demonstrated on the lunar surface. To enable future uses of ISRU, NASA and the CSA are developing a lunar rover payload that can (1) locate near subsurface volatiles, (2) excavate and analyze samples of the volatile-bearing regolith, and (3) demonstrate the form, extractability and usefulness of the materials. Such investigations are important both for ISRU purposes and for understanding the scientific nature of these intriguing lunar volatile deposits. Temperature models and orbital data suggest near surface volatile concentrations may exist at briefly lit lunar polar locations outside persistently shadowed regions. A lunar rover could be remotely operated at some of these locations for the ∼ 2-14 days of expected sunlight at relatively low cost. Due to the limited operational time available, both science and rover operations decisions must be made in real time, requiring immediate situational awareness, data analysis, and decision support tools. Given these constraints, such a mission requires a new concept of operations. In this paper we outline the results and lessons learned from an analog field campaign in July 2012 which tested operations for a lunar polar rover concept. A rover was operated in the analog environment of Hawaii by an off-site Flight Control Center, a rover navigation center in Canada, a Science Backroom at NASA Ames Research Center in California, and support teams at NASA Johnson Space Center in Texas and NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We find that this type of mission requires highly efficient, real time, remotely operated rover operations to enable low cost, scientifically relevant exploration of the distribution and nature of lunar polar volatiles. The field demonstration illustrated the need for science operations personnel in constant communications with the flight mission operators and the Science Backroom to provide immediate and continual science support and validation throughout the mission. Specific data analysis tools are also required to enable immediate data monitoring, visualization, and decision making. The field campaign demonstrated that this novel methodology of real-time science operations is possible and applicable to providing important new insights regarding lunar polar volatiles for both science and exploration.

Real-Time Science Operations to Support a Lunar Polar Volatiles Rover Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heldmann, Jennifer L.; Colaprete, Anthony; Elphic, Richard C.; Mattes, Greg; Ennico, Kimberly; Fritzler, Erin; Marinova, Margarita M.; McMurray, Robert; Morse, Stephanie; Roush, Ted L.;

Provenance through Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, C. L.; Groman, R. C.; Shepherd, A.; Allison, M. D.; Kinkade, D.; Rauch, S.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.

2014-12-01

The ability to reproduce scientific results is a cornerstone of the scientific method, and access to the data upon which the results are based is essential to reproducibility. Access to the data alone is not enough though, and research communities have recognized the importance of metadata (data documentation) to enable discovery and data access, and facilitate interpretation and accurate reuse. The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) was first funded in late 2006 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) Biology and Chemistry Sections to help ensure that data generated during NSF OCE funded research would be preserved and available for future use. The BCO-DMO was formed by combining the formerly independent data management offices of two marine research programs: the United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (US JGOFS) and the US GLOBal Ocean ECosystems Dynamics (US GLOBEC) program. Since the US JGOFS and US GLOBEC programs were both active (1990s) there have been significant changes in all aspects of the research data life cycle, and the staff at BCO-DMO has modified the way in which we manage data contributed to the office. The supporting documentation that describes each dataset was originally displayed as a human-readable text file retrievable via a Web browser. BCO-DMO still offers that form because our primary audience is marine researchers using Web browser clients; however we are seeing an increased demand to support machine client access. Metadata records from the BCO-DMO data system are now extracted and published out in a variety of formats. The system supports ISO 19115, FGDC, GCMD DIF, schema.org Dataset extension, formal publication with a DOI, and RDF with semantic markup including PROV-O, FOAF and more. In the 1990s, data documentation helped researchers locate data of interest and understand the provenance sufficiently to determine fitness for purpose. Today, providing data documentation in a machine interpretable form enables researchers to make more effective use of machine clients to discover and access data. This presentation will describe the challenges associated with and benefits realized from layering modern Semantic Web technologies on top of a legacy data system. http://bco-dmo.org/

Report on GeoData 2011 Workshop - Data Life Cycle, Integration and Citation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Signell, R.; Fox, P.

2012-04-01

The U.S. GeoData 2011 was inspired by a joint NSF-USGS identification of the need to hear from the broader 'geo' community on a variety of data related matters. While increasing attention needed to be paid to full life cycle of data, in the process of preparing and scoping the workshop two other hot issues were identified: integration and citation, giving the workshop three subject areas to delve into as well as to explore connections among them. Invited participants were drawn from all 'Geo' disciplines, and beyond, from information, computer and library science, from academia, agency and commercial organizations, and from student to senior faculty/ administrators. The workshop diversity provided a rich exchange of ideas, experiences and challenges for GeoData. Many key findings and recommendations have been extracted from the detail breakout discussions and syntheses during and after the workshop. Topical categories included: metadata, standards, standards-based tools, culture, collaboration and workforce. Key points that cut across all three-subject areas were: - A shift is needed within agencies to provide longer-term funding support, for communities to come together, remain coherent and to enable data stewardship, integration and citation within their communities and across to other communities (to the extent possible). - Agencies like USGS, NASA and NOAA must also play a key role in sustaining geoscience cyberinfrastructure by moving research advances into operations. - Community-wide standards and practices should build from demonstrated successes, be widely disseminated, and tools need to be developed to support them. - Education is critical to broader adoption. Marketing studies need to be conducted to provide the business case for full stewardship, integration and citation, and incentives are needed to encourage everyone to participate in making data integratable, citable, etc. While technology gaps are still evident across the three topic areas, there is recognition that human factors dominate, and often limit progress and effectiveness. Organizational and resource factors that would lead to a solid understanding of the business case behind, for example, making data preservable and integratable, come at a cost that is not well documented or supported when resource (funds and people) decisions are made. This presentation will report on the data life cycle findings and recommendations from the workshop. Recommendations: - Create an interagency working group to foster data life cycle management practices, support coordination and informatics science initiatives, and to develop a high level shared vision and strategy for data life cycle management - Create and fund a coordination office that works with the "working" level of agencies and academic institutions to facilitate working groups and workshops, adoption of standards and tools, and creation of sustainable archives - Support and actively participate in existing coordination groups, and create where needed, new communities of practice in data life cycle management across agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector - Establish an NSF working group to address the issue of incentives and cultural change needed to facilitate implementation of data life-cycle management http://tw.rpi.edu/web/Workshop/Community/GeoData2011, #geodata2011

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial in the field of planetary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frigeri, A.

2012-12-01

Information technology applied to geospatial analyses has spread quickly in the last ten years. The availability of OpenData and data from collaborative mapping projects increased the interest on tools, procedures and methods to handle spatially-related information. Free Open Source Software projects devoted to geospatial data handling are gaining a good success as the use of interoperable formats and protocols allow the user to choose what pipeline of tools and libraries is needed to solve a particular task, adapting the software scene to his specific problem. In particular, the Free Open Source model of development mimics the scientific method very well, and researchers should be naturally encouraged to take part to the development process of these software projects, as this represent a very agile way to interact among several institutions. When it comes to planetary sciences, geospatial Free Open Source Software is gaining a key role in projects that commonly involve different subjects in an international scenario. Very popular software suites for processing scientific mission data (for example, ISIS) and for navigation/planning (SPICE) are being distributed along with the source code and the interaction between user and developer is often very strict, creating a continuum between these two figures. A very widely spread library for handling geospatial data (GDAL) has started to support planetary data from the Planetary Data System, and recent contributions enabled the support to other popular data formats used in planetary science, as the Vicar one. The use of Geographic Information System in planetary science is now diffused, and Free Open Source GIS, open GIS formats and network protocols allow to extend existing tools and methods developed to solve Earth based problems, also to the case of the study of solar system bodies. A day in the working life of a researcher using Free Open Source Software for geospatial will be presented, as well as benefits and solutions to possible detriments coming from the effort required by using, supporting and contributing.

Advanced Information Technology Investments at the NASA Earth Science Technology Office

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clune, T.; Seablom, M. S.; Moe, K.

2012-12-01

The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) regularly makes investments for nurturing advanced concepts in information technology to enable rapid, low-cost acquisition, processing and visualization of Earth science data in support of future NASA missions and climate change research. In 2012, the National Research Council published a mid-term assessment of the 2007 decadal survey for future spacemissions supporting Earth science and applications [1]. The report stated, "Earth sciences have advanced significantly because of existing observational capabilities and the fruit of past investments, along with advances in data and information systems, computer science, and enabling technologies." The report found that NASA had responded favorably and aggressively to the decadal survey and noted the role of the recent ESTO solicitation for information systems technologies that partnered with the NASA Applied Sciences Program to support the transition into operations. NASA's future missions are key stakeholders for the ESTO technology investments. Also driving these investments is the need for the Agency to properly address questions regarding the prediction, adaptation, and eventual mitigation of climate change. The Earth Science Division has championed interdisciplinary research, recognizing that the Earth must be studied as a complete system in order toaddress key science questions [2]. Information technology investments in the low-mid technology readiness level (TRL) range play a key role in meeting these challenges. ESTO's Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) program invests in higher risk / higher reward technologies that solve the most challenging problems of the information processing chain. This includes the space segment, where the information pipeline begins, to the end user, where knowledge is ultimatelyadvanced. The objectives of the program are to reduce the risk, cost, size, and development time of Earth Science space-based and ground-based systems, increase the accessibility and utility of science data, and to enable new observation measurements and information products. We will discuss the ESTO investment strategy for information technology development, the methods used to assess stakeholder needs and technology advancements, and technology partnerships to enhance the infusion for the resulting technology. We also describe specific investments and their potential impact on enabling NASA missions and scientific discovery. [1] "Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Midterm Assessment of NASA's Implementation of the Decadal Survey", 2012: National Academies Press, http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13405 [2] "Responding to the Challenge of Climate and Environmental Change: NASA's Plan for a Climate-Centric Architecture for Earth Observations and Applications from Space", 2010: NASA Tech Memo, http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/07/01/Climate_Architecture_Final.pdf

Project BudBurst: Citizen Science for All Seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, S.; Brewer, C.; Havens, K.; Meymaris, K.

2007-12-01

Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. Project BudBurst launched a pilot program in the Spring of 2007. The goals of Project BudBurst were to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From April through mid-June 2007, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of ~60 easily identifiable, broadly distributed wild and cultivated species found across the continent. We will report on the results of the pilot project and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst as it becomes a year round event beginning in 2008. A broad consortium of collaborators, representing the Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Alliance, ESRI, the USA-National Phenology Network, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Arizona, University of Montana, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, came together to design and implement Project BudBurst with seed funding from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the National Phenology Network (through a RCN grant from the NSF), and the Plant Conservation Alliance.

A Hybrid-Cloud Science Data System Enabling Advanced Rapid Imaging & Analysis for Monitoring Hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, H.; Owen, S. E.; Yun, S.; Lundgren, P.; Moore, A. W.; Fielding, E. J.; Radulescu, C.; Sacco, G.; Stough, T. M.; Mattmann, C. A.; Cervelli, P. F.; Poland, M. P.; Cruz, J.

2012-12-01

Volcanic eruptions, landslides, and levee failures are some examples of hazards that can be more accurately forecasted with sufficient monitoring of precursory ground deformation, such as the high-resolution measurements from GPS and InSAR. In addition, coherence and reflectivity change maps can be used to detect surface change due to lava flows, mudslides, tornadoes, floods, and other natural and man-made disasters. However, it is difficult for many volcano observatories and other monitoring agencies to process GPS and InSAR products in an automated scenario needed for continual monitoring of events. Additionally, numerous interoperability barriers exist in multi-sensor observation data access, preparation, and fusion to create actionable products. Combining high spatial resolution InSAR products with high temporal resolution GPS products--and automating this data preparation & processing across global-scale areas of interests--present an untapped science and monitoring opportunity. The global coverage offered by satellite-based SAR observations, and the rapidly expanding GPS networks, can provide orders of magnitude more data on these hazardous events if we have a data system that can efficiently and effectively analyze the voluminous raw data, and provide users the tools to access data from their regions of interest. Currently, combined GPS & InSAR time series are primarily generated for specific research applications, and are not implemented to run on large-scale continuous data sets and delivered to decision-making communities. We are developing an advanced service-oriented architecture for hazard monitoring leveraging NASA-funded algorithms and data management to enable both science and decision-making communities to monitor areas of interests via seamless data preparation, processing, and distribution. Our objectives: * Enable high-volume and low-latency automatic generation of NASA Solid Earth science data products (InSAR and GPS) to support hazards monitoring. * Facilitate NASA-USGS collaborations to share NASA InSAR and GPS data products, which are difficult to process in high-volume and low-latency, for decision-support. * Enable interoperable discovery, access, and sharing of NASA observations and derived actionable products, and between the observation and decision-making communities. * Enable their improved understanding through visualization, mining, and cross-agency sharing. Existing InSAR & GPS processing packages and other software are integrated for generating geodetic decision support monitoring products. We employ semantic and cloud-based data management and processing techniques for handling large data volumes, reducing end product latency, codifying data system information with semantics, and deploying interoperable services for actionable products to decision-making communities.

Next Generation Cloud-based Science Data Systems and Their Implications on Data and Software Stewardship, Preservation, and Provenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, H.; Manipon, G.; Starch, M.

2017-12-01

NASA's upcoming missions are expected to be generating data volumes at least an order of magnitude larger than current missions. A significant increase in data processing, data rates, data volumes, and long-term data archive capabilities are needed. Consequently, new challenges are emerging that impact traditional data and software management approaches. At large-scales, next generation science data systems are exploring the move onto cloud computing paradigms to support these increased needs. New implications such as costs, data movement, collocation of data systems & archives, and moving processing closer to the data, may result in changes to the stewardship, preservation, and provenance of science data and software. With more science data systems being on-boarding onto cloud computing facilities, we can expect more Earth science data records to be both generated and kept in the cloud. But at large scales, the cost of processing and storing global data may impact architectural and system designs. Data systems will trade the cost of keeping data in the cloud with the data life-cycle approaches of moving "colder" data back to traditional on-premise facilities. How will this impact data citation and processing software stewardship? What are the impacts of cloud-based on-demand processing and its affect on reproducibility and provenance. Similarly, with more science processing software being moved onto cloud, virtual machines, and container based approaches, more opportunities arise for improved stewardship and preservation. But will the science community trust data reprocessed years or decades later? We will also explore emerging questions of the stewardship of the science data system software that is generating the science data records both during and after the life of mission.

In-Situ Propellant Supplied Lunar Lander Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donahue, Benjamin; Maulsby, Curtis

2008-01-01

Future NASA and commercial Lunar missions will require innovative spacecraft configurations incorporating reliable, sustainable propulsion, propellant storage, power and crew life support technologies that can evolve into long duration, partially autonomous systems that can be used to emplace and sustain the massive supplies required for a permanently occupied lunar base. Ambitious surface science missions will require efficient Lunar transfer systems to provide the consumables, science equipment, energy generation systems, habitation systems and crew provisions necessary for lengthy tours on the surface. Lunar lander descent and ascent stages become significantly more efficient when they can be refueled on the Lunar surface and operated numerous times. Landers enabled by Lunar In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) facilities will greatly ease constraints on spacecraft mass and payload delivery capability, and may operate much more affordably (in the long term) then landers that are dependant on Earth supplied propellants. In this paper, a Lander concept that leverages ISPP is described and its performance is quantified. Landers, operating as sortie vehicles from Low Lunar Orbit, with efficiencies facilitated by ISPP will enable economical utilization and enhancements that will provide increasingly valuable science yields from Lunar Bases.

malERA: An updated research agenda for basic science and enabling technologies in malaria elimination and eradication

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Basic science holds enormous power for revealing the biological mechanisms of disease and, in turn, paving the way toward new, effective interventions. Recognizing this power, the 2011 Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication included key priorities in fundamental research that, if attained, could help accelerate progress toward disease elimination and eradication. The Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) Consultative Panel on Basic Science and Enabling Technologies reviewed the progress, continuing challenges, and major opportunities for future research. The recommendations come from a literature of published and unpublished materials and the deliberations of the malERA Refresh Consultative Panel. These areas span multiple aspects of the Plasmodium life cycle in both the human host and the Anopheles vector and include critical, unanswered questions about parasite transmission, human infection in the liver, asexual-stage biology, and malaria persistence. We believe an integrated approach encompassing human immunology, parasitology, and entomology, and harnessing new and emerging biomedical technologies offers the best path toward addressing these questions and, ultimately, lowering the worldwide burden of malaria. PMID:29190277

The NASA Earth Science Flight Program: an update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neeck, Steven P.

2015-10-01

Earth's changing environment impacts every aspect of life on our planet and climate change has profound implications on society. Studying Earth as a single complex system is essential to understanding the causes and consequences of climate change and other global environmental concerns. NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) shapes an interdisciplinary view of Earth, exploring interactions among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself. This enables scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by government, other organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The data collected and results generated are accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster prediction and response, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. ESD's Flight Program provides the space based observing systems and infrastructure for mission operations and scientific data processing and distribution that support NASA's Earth science research and modeling activities. The Flight Program currently has 21 operating Earth observing space missions, including the recently launched Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, and the International Space Station (ISS) RapidSCAT and Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instruments. The ESD has 22 more missions and instruments planned for launch over the next decade. These include first and second tier missions from the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey, Climate Continuity missions and selected instruments to assure availability of key climate data sets, operational missions to ensure sustained land imaging provided by the Landsat system, and small-sized competitively selected orbital missions and instrument missions of opportunity belonging to the Earth Venture (EV) Program. Some examples are the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT), ICESat-2, SAGE III on ISS, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On (GRACE FO), Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), and Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar missions. An overview of plans and current status will be presented.

Collaboratively Architecting a Scalable and Adaptable Petascale Infrastructure to Support Transdisciplinary Scientific Research for the Australian Earth and Environmental Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyborn, L. A.; Evans, B. J. K.; Pugh, T.; Lescinsky, D. T.; Foster, C.; Uhlherr, A.

2014-12-01

The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) at the Australian National University (ANU) is a partnership between CSIRO, ANU, Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and Geoscience Australia. Recent investments in a 1.2 PFlop Supercomputer (Raijin), ~ 20 PB data storage using Lustre filesystems and a 3000 core high performance cloud have created a hybrid platform for higher performance computing and data-intensive science to enable large scale earth and climate systems modelling and analysis. There are > 3000 users actively logging in and > 600 projects on the NCI system. Efficiently scaling and adapting data and software systems to petascale infrastructures requires the collaborative development of an architecture that is designed, programmed and operated to enable users to interactively invoke different forms of in-situ computation over complex and large scale data collections. NCI makes available major and long tail data collections from both the government and research sectors based on six themes: 1) weather, climate and earth system science model simulations, 2) marine and earth observations, 3) geosciences, 4) terrestrial ecosystems, 5) water and hydrology and 6) astronomy, bio and social. Collectively they span the lithosphere, crust, biosphere, hydrosphere, troposphere, and stratosphere. Collections are the operational form for data management and access. Similar data types from individual custodians are managed cohesively. Use of international standards for discovery and interoperability allow complex interactions within and between the collections. This design facilitates a transdisciplinary approach to research and enables a shift from small scale, 'stove-piped' science efforts to large scale, collaborative systems science. This new and complex infrastructure requires a move to shared, globally trusted software frameworks that can be maintained and updated. Workflow engines become essential and need to integrate provenance, versioning, traceability, repeatability and publication. There are also human resource challenges as highly skilled HPC/HPD specialists, specialist programmers, and data scientists are required whose skills can support scaling to the new paradigm of effective and efficient data-intensive earth science analytics on petascale, and soon to be exascale systems.

The 2nd Generation Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blakeslee, Richard; Goodman, Michael; Meyer, Paul; Hardin, Danny; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn; Conover, Helen; Smith, Tammy; Lu, Jessica;

MODIS Science Algorithms and Data Systems Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, Robert E.; Ridgway, Bill L.; Patt, Fred S.; Masuoka, Edward J.

2009-01-01

For almost 10 years, standard global products from NASA's Earth Observing System s (EOS) two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors are being used world-wide for earth science research and applications. This paper discusses the lessons learned in developing the science algorithms and the data systems needed to produce these high quality data products for the earth sciences community. Strong science team leadership and communication, an evolvable and scalable data system, and central coordination of QA and validation activities enabled the data system to grow by two orders of magnitude from the initial at-launch system to the current system able to reprocess data from both the Terra and Aqua missions in less than a year. Many of the lessons learned from MODIS are already being applied to follow-on missions.

Foundations of data-intensive science: Technology and practice for high throughput, widely distributed, data management and analysis systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, William; Ernst, M.; Dart, E.; Tierney, B.

2014-04-01

Today's large-scale science projects involve world-wide collaborations depend on moving massive amounts of data from an instrument to potentially thousands of computing and storage systems at hundreds of collaborating institutions to accomplish their science. This is true for ATLAS and CMS at the LHC, and it is true for the climate sciences, Belle-II at the KEK collider, genome sciences, the SKA radio telescope, and ITER, the international fusion energy experiment. DOE's Office of Science has been collecting science discipline and instrument requirements for network based data management and analysis for more than a decade. As a result of this certain key issues are seen across essentially all science disciplines that rely on the network for significant data transfer, even if the data quantities are modest compared to projects like the LHC experiments. These issues are what this talk will address; to wit: 1. Optical signal transport advances enabling 100 Gb/s circuits that span the globe on optical fiber with each carrying 100 such channels; 2. Network router and switch requirements to support high-speed international data transfer; 3. Data transport (TCP is still the norm) requirements to support high-speed international data transfer (e.g. error-free transmission); 4. Network monitoring and testing techniques and infrastructure to maintain the required error-free operation of the many R&E networks involved in international collaborations; 5. Operating system evolution to support very high-speed network I/O; 6. New network architectures and services in the LAN (campus) and WAN networks to support data-intensive science; 7. Data movement and management techniques and software that can maximize the throughput on the network connections between distributed data handling systems, and; 8. New approaches to widely distributed workflow systems that can support the data movement and analysis required by the science. All of these areas must be addressed to enable large-scale, widely distributed data analysis systems, and the experience of the LHC can be applied to other scientific disciplines. In particular, specific analogies to the SKA will be cited in the talk.

Conducting Closed Habitation Experiments: Experience from the Lunar Mars Life Support Test Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Edeen, Marybeth A.; Henninger, Donald L.

2004-01-01

The Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project (LMLSTP) was conducted from 1995 through 1997 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) to demonstrate increasingly longer duration operation of integrated, closed-loop life support systems that employed biological and physicochemical techniques for water recycling, waste processing, air revitalization, thermal control, and food production. An analog environment for long-duration human space travel, the conditions of isolation and confinement also enabled studies of human factors, medical sciences (both physiology and psychology) and crew training. Four tests were conducted, Phases I, II, IIa and III, with durations of 15, 30,60 and 91 days, respectively. The first phase focused on biological air regeneration, using wheat to generate enough oxygen for one experimental subject. The systems demonstrated in the later phases were increasingly complex and interdependent, and provided life support for four crew members. The tests were conducted using two human-rated, atmospherically-closed test chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC) and the Integrated Life Support Systems Test Facility (ILSSTF). Systems included test articles (the life support hardware under evaluation), human accommodations (living quarters, kitchen, exercise equipment, etc.) and facility systems (emergency matrix system, power, cooling, etc.). The test team was managed by a lead engineer and a test director, and included test article engineers responsible for specific systems, subsystems or test articles, test conductors, facility engineers, chamber operators and engineering technicians, medical and safety officers, and science experimenters. A crew selection committee, comprised of psychologists, engineers and managers involved in the test, evaluated male and female volunteers who applied to be test subjects. Selection was based on the skills mix anticipated for each particular test, and utilized information from psychological and medical testing, data on the knowledge, experience and skills of the applicants, and team building exercises. The design, development, buildup and operation of test hardware and documentation followed the established NASA processes and requirements for test buildup and operation.

Conducting Closed Habitation Experiments: Experience from the Lunar Mars Life Support Test Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Edeen, Marybeth A.; Henninger, Donald L.

2006-01-01

The Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project (LMLSTP) was conducted from 1995 through 1997 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) to demonstrate increasingly longer duration operation of integrated, closed-loop life support systems that employed biological and physicochemical techniques for water recycling, waste processing, air revitalization, thermal control, and food production. An analog environment for long-duration human space travel, the conditions of isolation and confinement also enabled studies of human factors, medical sciences (both physiology and psychology) and crew training. Four tests were conducted, Phases I, II, IIa and III, with durations of 15, 30, 60 and 91 days, respectively. The first phase focused on biological air regeneration, using wheat to generate enough oxygen for one experimental subject. The systems demonstrated in the later phases were increasingly complex and interdependent, and provided life support for four crew members. The tests were conducted using two human-rated, atmospherically-closed test chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC) and the Integrated Life Support Systems Test Facility (ILSSTF). Systems included test articles (the life support hardware under evaluation), human accommodations (living quarters, kitchen, exercise equipment, etc.) and facility systems (emergency matrix system, power, cooling, etc.). The test team was managed by a lead engineer and a test director, and included test article engineers responsible for specific systems, subsystems or test articles, test conductors, facility engineers, chamber operators and engineering technicians, medical and safety officers, and science experimenters. A crew selection committee, comprised of psychologists, engineers and managers involved in the test, evaluated male and female volunteers who applied to be test subjects. Selection was based on the skills mix anticipated for each particular test, and utilized information from psychological and medical testing, data on the knowledge, experience and skills of the applicants, and team building exercises. The design, development, buildup and operation of test hardware and documentation followed the established NASA processes and requirements for test buildup and operation.

EarthLabs Modules: Engaging Students In Extended, Rigorous Investigations Of The Ocean, Climate and Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manley, J.; Chegwidden, D.; Mote, A. S.; Ledley, T. S.; Lynds, S. E.; Haddad, N.; Ellins, K.

2016-02-01

EarthLabs, envisioned as a national model for high school Earth or Environmental Science lab courses, is adaptable for both undergraduate middle school students. The collection includes ten online modules that combine to feature a global view of our planet as a dynamic, interconnected system, by engaging learners in extended investigations. EarthLabs support state and national guidelines, including the NGSS, for science content. Four modules directly guide students to discover vital aspects of the oceans while five other modules incorporate ocean sciences in order to complete an understanding of Earth's climate system. Students gain a broad perspective on the key role oceans play in fishing industry, droughts, coral reefs, hurricanes, the carbon cycle, as well as life on land and in the seas to drive our changing climate by interacting with scientific research data, manipulating satellite imagery, numerical data, computer visualizations, experiments, and video tutorials. Students explore Earth system processes and build quantitative skills that enable them to objectively evaluate scientific findings for themselves as they move through ordered sequences that guide the learning. As a robust collection, EarthLabs modules engage students in extended, rigorous investigations allowing a deeper understanding of the ocean, climate and weather. This presentation provides an overview of the ten curriculum modules that comprise the EarthLabs collection developed by TERC and found at http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs/index.html. Evaluation data on the effectiveness and use in secondary education classrooms will be summarized.

New modes of electron microscopy for materials science enabled by fast direct electron detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minor, Andrew

There is an ongoing revolution in the development of electron detector technology that has enabled modes of electron microscopy imaging that had only before been theorized. The age of electron microscopy as a tool for imaging is quickly giving way to a new frontier of multidimensional datasets to be mined. These improvements in electron detection have enabled cryo-electron microscopy to resolve the three-dimensional structures of non-crystalized proteins, revolutionizing structural biology. In the physical sciences direct electron detectors has enabled four-dimensional reciprocal space maps of materials at atomic resolution, providing all the structural information about nanoscale materials in one experiment. This talk will highlight the impact of direct electron detectors for materials science, including a new method of scanning nanobeam diffraction. With faster detectors we can take a series of 2D diffraction patterns at each position in a 2D STEM raster scan resulting in a four-dimensional data set. For thin film analysis, direct electron detectors hold the potential to enable strain, polarization, composition and electrical field mapping over relatively large fields of view, all from a single experiment.

The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, M. D.; Chandler, C. L.; Groman, R. C.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.; Gegg, S. R.

2011-12-01

Oceanography and marine ecosystem research are inherently interdisciplinary fields of study that generate and require access to a wide variety of measurements. In late 2006 the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Directorate Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) funded the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). In late 2010 additional funding was contributed to support management of research data from the NSF Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems Program. The BCO-DMO is recognized in the 2011 Division of Ocean Sciences Sample and Data Policy as one of several program specific data offices that support NSF OCE funded researchers. BCO-DMO staff members offer data management support throughout the project life cycle to investigators from large national programs and medium-sized collaborative research projects, as well as researchers from single investigator awards. The office manages and serves all types of oceanographic data and information generated during the research process and contributed by the originating investigators. BCO-DMO has built a data system that includes the legacy data from several large ocean research programs (e.g. United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study and United States GLOBal Ocean ECosystems Dynamics), to which data have been contributed from recently granted NSF OCE and OPP awards. The BCO-DMO data system can accommodate many different types of data including: in situ and experimental biological, chemical, and physical measurements; modeling results and synthesis data products. The system enables reuse of oceanographic data for new research endeavors, supports synthesis and modeling activities, provides availability of "real data" for K-12 and college level use, and provides decision-support field data for policy-relevant investigations. We will present an overview of the data management system capabilities including: map-based and text-based data discovery and access systems; recent enhancements to data search tools; data export and download utilities; and strategic use of controlled vocabularies to facilitate data integration and to improve data system interoperability.

Summary Report of Cable Aging and Performance Data for Fiscal Year 2014.

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

Celina, Mathias C.; Celina, Mathias C.; Redline, Erica Marie

2014-09-01

As part of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, science - based engineering approaches were employed to address cable degradation behavior under a range of exposure environments. Experiments were conducted with the goal to provide best guidance for aged material states, remaining life and expected performance under specific conditions for a range of cable materials. Generic engineering tests , which focus on rapid accelerated aging and tensile elongation , were combined with complementar y methods from polymer degradation science. Sandia's approach, building on previous years' efforts, enabled the generation of some of the necessary data supporting the development of improvedmore » lifetime predictions models, which incorporate known material b ehaviors and feedback from field - returned 'aged' cable materials. Oxidation rate measurements have provided access to material behavior under low dose rate thermal conditions, where slow degradation is not apparent in mechanical property changes. Such da ta have shown aging kinetics consistent with established radiati on - thermal degradation models. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We gratefully acknowledge ongoing technical support at the LICA facility and extensive sample handling provided by Maryla Wasiolek and Don Hans on. Sam Durbin and Patrick Mattie are recognized for valuable guidance throughout the year and assistance in the preparation of the final report. Doug Brunson is appreciated for sample analysis, compilation and plotting of experimental data.« less

Pitfalls of Ontology in Medicine.

PubMed

Aldosari, Bakheet; Alanazi, Abdullah; Househ, Mowafa

2017-01-01

Much research has been done in the last few decades in clinical research, medicine, life sciences, etc. leading to an exponential increase in the generation of data. Managing this vast information not only requires integration of the data, but also a means to analyze, relate, and retrieve it. Ontology, in the field of medicine, describes the concepts of medical terminologies and the relation between them, thus, enabling the sharing of medical knowledge. Ontology-based analyses are associated with a risk that errors in modeling may deteriorate the results' quality. Identifying flawed practices or anomalies in ontologies is a crucial issue to be addressed by researchers. In this paper, we review the negative sides of ontology in the field of medicine. Our study results show that ontologies are perceived as a mere tool to represent medical knowledge, thus relying more on the computer science-based understanding of medical terms. While this approach may be sufficient for data entry systems, in which the users merely need to browse the hierarchy and select relevant terms, it may not suffice the real-world scenario of dealing with complex patient records, which are not only grammatically complex, but also are sometimes documented in many native languages. In conclusion, more research is required in identifying poor practices and anomalies in the development of ontologies by computer scientists within the field of medicine.

Taking Another Look at the Data Management Life Cycle: Deconstruction, Agile, and Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, J. W.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Parsons, M. A.; Benedict, K. K.

2014-12-01

The data life cycle has figured prominently in describing the context of digital scientific data stewardship and cyberinfractructure in support of science. There are many different versions of the data life cycle, but they all follow a similar basic pattern: plan, collect, ingest, asses, preserve, discover, and reuse. The process is often interpreted in a fairly linear fashion despite it being a cycle conceptually. More recently at GeoData 2014 and elsewhere, questions have been raised about the utility of the data life cycle as it is currently represented. We are proposing to the community a re-examination of the data life cycle using an agile lens. Our goal is not to deploy agile methods, but to use agile principles as a heuristic to think about how to incorporate data stewardship across the scientific process from proposal stage to research and beyond. We will present alternative conceptualizations of the data life cycle with a goal to solicit feedback and to develop a new model for conceiving and describing the overall data stewardship process. We seek to re-examine past assumptions and shed new light on the challenges and necessity of data stewardship. The ultimate goal is to support new science through enhanced data interoperability, usability, and preservation.

[Applications of synthetic biology in materials science].

PubMed

Zhao, Tianxin; Zhong, Chao

2017-03-25

Materials are the basis for human being survival and social development. To keep abreast with the increasing needs from all aspects of human society, there are huge needs in the development of advanced materials as well as high-efficiency but low-cost manufacturing strategies that are both sustainable and tunable. Synthetic biology, a new engineering principle taking gene regulation and engineering design as the core, greatly promotes the development of life sciences. This discipline has also contributed to the development of material sciences and will continuously bring new ideas to future new material design. In this paper, we review recent advances in applications of synthetic biology in material sciences, with the focus on how synthetic biology could enable synthesis of new polymeric biomaterials and inorganic materials, phage display and directed evolution of proteins relevant to materials development, living functional materials, engineered bacteria-regulated artificial photosynthesis system as well as applications of gene circuits for material sciences.

Using project life-cycles as guide for timing the archival of scientific data and supporting documentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, E.; Glassy, J. M.; Fowler, D. K.; Khayat, M.; Olding, S. W.

2014-12-01

The NASA Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups (ESDSWG) focuses on improving technologies and processes related to science discovery and preservation. One particular group, the Data Preservation Practices, is defining a set of guidelines to aid data providers in planning both what to submit for archival, and when to submit artifacts, so that the archival process can begin early in the project's life cycle. This has the benefit of leveraging knowledge within the project before staff roll off to other work. In this poster we describe various project archival use cases and identify possible archival life cycles that map closely to the pace and flow of work. To understand "archival life cycles", i.e., distinct project phases that produce archival artifacts such as instrument capabilities, calibration reports, and science data products, the workig group initially mapped the archival requirements defined in the Preservation Content Specification to the typical NASA project life cycle. As described in the poster, this work resulted in a well-defined archival life cycle, but only for some types of projects; it did not fit well for condensed project life cycles experienced within airborne and balloon campaigns. To understand the archival process for projects with compressed cycles, the working group gathered use cases from various communities. This poster will describe selected uses cases that provided insight into the unique flow of these projects, as well as proposing archival life cycles that map artifacts to projects with compressed timelines. Finally, the poster will conclude with some early recommendations for data providers, which will be captured in a formal Guidelines document - to be published in 2015.

Characteristics of the Navy Laboratory Warfare Center Technical Workforce

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-29

Mathematics and Information Science (M&IS) Actuarial Science 1510 Computer Science 1550 Gen. Math & Statistics 1501 Mathematics 1520 Operations...Admin. Network Systems & Data Communication Analysts Actuaries Mathematicians Operations Research Analyst Statisticians Social Science (SS...workforce was sub-divided into six broad occupational groups: Life Science , Physical Science , Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science and Information

KSC-03pd0122

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As billows of smoke and steam roll across the landscape, the fiery launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-107 is reflected in nearby water. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0120

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Silhouetted against the blue Atlantic Ocean, Space Shuttle Columbia breaks free of the launch pad as it roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0121

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A twisting column of smoke points the way to Space Shuttle Columbia at its tip as the Shuttle hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0129

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Pulling free of Earth's gravity, and leaving a trail of smoke behind, Space Shuttle Columbia roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0127

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. Headed for a 16-day research mission, Columbia's crew will be taking part in more than 80 experiment, including FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0134

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia seems to leap from amid the trees as it roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. [Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews

KSC-03pp0142

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A closeup camera view shows Space Shuttle Columbia as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0125

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - All eyes in the VIP stand at KSC focus on Space Shuttle Columbia as it roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0111

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Photographers and spectators watch from across the turn basin as Space Shuttle Columbia begins a perfect launch from Pad 39A following a flawless and uneventful countdown. Liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0130

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia seems to leap from amid the trees as it roars toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0118

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Competing with the brilliant blue sky, flames behind Space Shuttle Columbia trail a column of smoke as the Shuttle hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pp0139

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Columbia leaps off Launch Pad 39A and the clouds of smoke and steam as it races toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0123

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A twisting column of smoke points the way to Space Shuttle Columbia at its tip as the Shuttle hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pd0113

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Through a cloud-washed blue sky above Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pp0143

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --Framed by branches across from Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia leaps toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

KSC-03pp0141

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Viewed from among branches across from Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia leaps toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

Engaging in science inquiry: Prospective elementary teachers' learning in an innovative life science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Leigh Boardman

2001-10-01

This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about science inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course that engaged them in an original science investigation. Eleven elementary education majors participated in the study. A multiple case study approach that was descriptive, interpretive, and framed by grounded theory was employed. Primary data sources included transcripts of semi-structured interviews, text associated with online threaded discussions, and course project documents, such as lesson plans and written reflections. Secondary data sources included videotaped class sessions and field notes. Data were analyzed using analytical induction techniques, and trustworthiness was developed through the use of multiple data sources, triangulation of data, and the use of counterexamples to the assertions. Three major findings emerged from the cross-case analysis. First, engaging in an original science investigation assisted prospective teachers in becoming more attentive to the processes of science and developing more elaborated and data-driven explanations of how science is practiced. Second, when prospective teachers struggled with particular aspects of their investigations, those aspects became foci of change in their thinking about science and doing science. Third, as prospective teachers came to place a greater emphasis on questions, observations, and experimentation as fundamental aspects of doing science, they became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include the need to re-conceptualize teacher preparation programs to include multiple opportunities to engage prospective teachers in learning science as inquiry, and attend to connections among subject matter knowledge, subject-specific pedagogy and experiences with children.

Effectiveness of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme to improve digital age literacy of students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asrizal; Amran, A.; Ananda, A.; Festiyed; Khairani, S.

2018-04-01

Integrated science learning and literacy skills are relevant issues in Indonesian’s education. However, the use of the integrated science learning and the integration of literacy in learning cannot be implemented well. An alternative solution of this problem is to develop integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme by integrating digital age literacy. Purpose of research is to investigate the effectiveness of the use of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme to improve knowledge competence, attitudes competence and literacy skills of students. This research was a part of development research which has been conducted. In the product testing stage of this research and development was used before and after design of treatment for one sample group. Instruments to collect the data consist of learning outcomes test sheet, attitude observation sheet, and performance assessment sheet of students. Data analysis techniques include descriptive statistics analysis, normality test, homogeneity test, and paired comparison test. Therefore, the important result of research is the use of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme is effective in scientific approach to improve knowledge competence, attitudes competence, and digital age literacy skills of grade VIII students at 95% confidence level.

Synthetic Biology as an Enabling Technology for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

Human exploration off planet is severely limited by the cost of launching materials into space and by re-supply. Thus materials brought from Earth must be light, stable and reliable at destination. Using traditional approaches, a lunar or Mars base would require either transporting a hefty store of metals or heavy manufacturing equipment and construction materials for in situ extraction; both would severely limit any other mission objectives. Long-term human space presence requires periodic replenishment, adding a massive cost overhead. Even robotic missions often sacrifice science goals for heavy radiation and thermal protection. Biology has the potential to solve these problems because life can replicate and repair itself, and perform a wide variety of chemical reactions including making food, fuel and materials. Synthetic biology enhances and expands life's evolved repertoire. Using organisms as feedstock, additive manufacturing through bioprinting will make possible the dream of producing bespoke tools, food, smart fabrics and even replacement organs on demand. This new approach and the resulting novel products will enable human exploration and settlement on Mars, while providing new manufacturing approaches for life on Earth.

Synthetic biology meets bioprinting: enabling technologies for humans on Mars (and Earth)

PubMed Central

Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

Human exploration off planet is severely limited by the cost of launching materials into space and by re-supply. Thus materials brought from Earth must be light, stable and reliable at destination. Using traditional approaches, a lunar or Mars base would require either transporting a hefty store of metals or heavy manufacturing equipment and construction materials for in situ extraction; both would severely limit any other mission objectives. Long-term human space presence requires periodic replenishment, adding a massive cost overhead. Even robotic missions often sacrifice science goals for heavy radiation and thermal protection. Biology has the potential to solve these problems because life can replicate and repair itself, and perform a wide variety of chemical reactions including making food, fuel and materials. Synthetic biology enhances and expands life's evolved repertoire. Using organisms as feedstock, additive manufacturing through bioprinting will make possible the dream of producing bespoke tools, food, smart fabrics and even replacement organs on demand. This new approach and the resulting novel products will enable human exploration and settlement on Mars, while providing new manufacturing approaches for life on Earth. PMID:27528764

The Cluster Science Archive: from Time Period to Physics Based Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson, A.; Escoubet, C. P.; Laakso, H. E.; Perry, C. H.

2015-12-01

Since 2000, the Cluster spacecraft relay the most detailed information on how the solar wind affects our geospace in three dimensions. Science output from Cluster is a leap forward in our knowledge of space plasma physics: the science behind space weather. It has been key in improving the modeling of the magnetosphere and understanding its various physical processes. Cluster data have enabled the publication of more than 2000 refereed papers and counting. This substantial scientific return is often attributed to the online availability of the Cluster data archive, now called the Cluster Science Archive (CSA). It is being developed by the ESAC Science Data Center (ESDC) team and maintained alongside other science ESA archives at ESAC (ESA Space Astronomy Center, Madrid, Spain). CSA is a public archive, which contains the entire set of Cluster high-resolution data, and other related products in a standard format and with a complete set of metadata. Since May 2015, it also contains data from the CNSA/ESA Double Star mission (2003-2008), a mission operated in conjunction with Cluster. The total amount of data format now exceeds 100 TB. Accessing CSA requires to be registered to enable user profiles and CSA accounts more than 1,500 users. CSA provides unique tools for visualizing its data including - on-demand particle distribution functions visualization - fast data browsing with more than 15TB of pre-generated plots - inventory plots It also offers command line capabilities (e.g. data access via Matlab or IDL softwares, data streaming). Despite its reliability, users can only request data for a specific time period while scientists often focus on specific regions or data signatures. For these reasons, a data-mining tool is being developed to do just that. It offers an interface to select data based not only on a time period but on various criteria including: key physical parameters, regions of space and spacecraft constellation geometry. The output of this tool is a list of time periods that fits the criteria imposed by the user. Such a list enables to download any bunch of datasets for all these time periods in one go. We propose to present the state of development of this tool and interact with the scientific community to better fit its needs.

An evidential reasoning-based AHP approach for the selection of environmentally-friendly designs

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

NG, C.Y., E-mail: ng.cy@cityu.edu.hk

Due to the stringent environmental regulatory requirements being imposed by cross-national bodies in recent years, manufacturers have to minimize the environmental impact of their products. Among those environmental impact evaluation tools available, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often employed to quantify the product's environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle. However, owing to the requirements of expert knowledge in environmental science and vast effort for data collection in carrying out LCA, as well as the common absence of complete product information during product development processes, there is a need to develop a more suitable tool for product designers. An evidentialmore » reasoning-based approach, which aims at providing a fast-track method to perform design alternative evaluations for non-LCA experts, is therefore introduced as a new initiative to deal with the incomplete or uncertain information. The proposed approach also enables decision makers to quantitatively assess the life cycle phases and design alternatives by comparing their potential environmental impacts, thus effectively and efficiently facilitates the identification of greener designs. A case application is carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.« less

Life sciences.

PubMed

Martin-Brennan, Cindy; Joshi, Jitendra

2003-12-01

Space life sciences research activities are reviewed for 2003. Many life sciences experiments were lost with the tragic loss of STS-107. Life sciences experiments continue to fly as small payloads to the International Space Station (ISS) via the Russian Progress vehicle. Health-related studies continue with the Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) aboard the Odyssey spacecraft, collecting data on the radiation environment in Mars orbit. NASA Ames increased nanotechnology research in all areas, including fundamental biology, bioastronautics, life support systems, and homeland security. Plant research efforts continued at NASA Kennedy, testing candidate crops for ISS. Research included plant growth studies at different light intensities, varying carbon dioxide concentrations, and different growth media. Education and outreach efforts included development of a NASA/USDA program called Space Agriculture in the Classroom. Canada sponsored a project called Tomatosphere, with classrooms across North America exposing seeds to simulated Mars environment for growth studies. NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research released an updated strategic research plan.

Barriers to Considering Ethical and Societal Implications of Research: Perceptions of Life Scientists.

PubMed

McCormick, Jennifer Blair; Boyce, Angie M; Ladd, Jennifer M; Cho, Mildred

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: As part of an empirical study investigating how life scientists think about ethical and societal implications of their work, and about life science research in general, we sought to elucidate barriers that scientists might face in considering such implications. METHOD: Between 2005 and 2007, we conducted a study consisting of phone interviews, focus groups, and a national survey of life scientists at biomedical research institutions. The study population included graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, clinical instructors, and research staff. We analyzed data through qualitative and quantitative methods. RESULTS: In analyzing the data, we found that life scientists do, in fact, face barriers to considering ethical and societal implications of research. We categorized these barriers as falling into four broad domains: (1) lack of awareness of ethical and societal implications; (2) lack of relevance of such concerns to their specific research; (3) self-confidence in their ability to resolve such concerns; and (4) aspects of the daily practice of science itself. CONCLUSIONS: Life science researchers experience elements inherent in their training and in the conduct of science as barriers to thinking about ethical and societal implications related to their work. These findings suggest areas in which research ethics educators, bioethicists, and the scientific community can focus their efforts to improve social and ethical accountability in research.

ldentifying Episodes of Earth Science Phenomena Using a Big-Data Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, Kwo-Sen; Oloso, Amidu; Rushing, John; Lin, Amy; Fekete, Gyorgy; Ramachandran, Rahul; Clune, Thomas; Dunny, Daniel

2014-01-01

A significant portion of Earth Science investigations is phenomenon- (or event-) based, such as the studies of Rossby waves, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, mesoscale convective systems, and tropical cyclones. However, except for a few high-impact phenomena, e.g. tropical cyclones, comprehensive records are absent for the occurrences or events of these phenomena. Phenomenon-based studies therefore often focus on a few prominent cases while the lesser ones are overlooked. Without an automated means to gather the events, comprehensive investigation of a phenomenon is at least time-consuming if not impossible. We have constructed a prototype Automated Event Service (AES) system that is used to methodically mine custom-defined events in the reanalysis data sets of atmospheric general circulation models. Our AES will enable researchers to specify their custom, numeric event criteria using a user-friendly web interface to search the reanalysis data sets. Moreover, we have included a social component to enable dynamic formation of collaboration groups for researchers to cooperate on event definitions of common interest and for the analysis of these events. An Earth Science event (ES event) is defined here as an episode of an Earth Science phenomenon (ES phenomenon). A cumulus cloud, a thunderstorm shower, a rogue wave, a tornado, an earthquake, a tsunami, a hurricane, or an El Nino, is each an episode of a named ES phenomenon, and, from the small and insignificant to the large and potent, all are examples of ES events. An ES event has a duration (often finite) and an associated geo-location as a function of time; it's therefore an entity embedded in four-dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal space. Earth Science phenomena with the potential to cause massive economic disruption or loss of life often rivet the attention of researchers. But, broader scientific curiosity also drives the study of phenomena that pose no immediate danger, such as land/sea breezes. Due to Earth System's intricate dynamics, we are continuously discovering novel ES phenomena. We generally gain understanding of a given phenomenon by observing and studying individual events. This process usually begins by identifying the occurrences of these events. Once representative events are identified or found, we must locate associated observed or simulated data prior to commencing analysis and concerted studies of the phenomenon. Knowledge concerning the phenomenon can accumulate only after analysis has started. However, as mentioned previously, comprehensive records only exist for a very limited set of high-impact phenomena; aside from these, finding events and locating associated data currently may take a prohibitive amount of time and effort on the part of an individual investigator. The reason for the lack of comprehensive records for most of the ES phenomena is mainly due to the perception that they do not pose immediate and/or severe threat to life and property. Thus they are not consistently tracked, monitored, and catalogued. Many phenomena even lack precise and/or commonly accepted criteria for definitions. Moreover, various Earth Science observations and data have accumulated to a previously unfathomable volume; NASA Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) alone archives several petabytes (PB) of satellite remote sensing data, which are steadily increasing. All of these factors contribute to the difficulty of methodically identifying events corresponding to a given phenomenon and significantly impede systematic investigations. We have not only envisioned AES as an environment for identifying customdefined events but also aspired for it to be an interactive environment with quick turnaround time for revisions of query criteria and results, as well as a collaborative environment where geographically distributed experts may work together on the same phenomena. A Big Data technology is thus required for the realization of such a system. In the following, we first introduce the technology selected for AES in the next section. We then demonstrate the utility of AES using a use case, Blizzard, before we conclude.

Advanced Life Support Project Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Life support systems are an enabling technology and have become integral to the success of living and working in space. As NASA embarks on human exploration and development of space to open the space frontier by exploring, using and enabling the development of space and to expand the human experience into the far reaches of space, it becomes imperative, for considerations of safety, cost, and crew health, to minimize consumables and increase the autonomy of the life support system. Utilizing advanced life support technologies increases this autonomy by reducing mass, power, and volume necessary for human support, thus permitting larger payload allocations for science and exploration. Two basic classes of life support systems must be developed, those directed toward applications on transportation/habitation vehicles (e.g., Space Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS), next generation launch vehicles, crew-tended stations/observatories, planetary transit spacecraft, etc.) and those directed toward applications on the planetary surfaces (e.g., lunar or Martian landing spacecraft, planetary habitats and facilities, etc.). In general, it can be viewed as those systems compatible with microgravity and those compatible with hypogravity environments. Part B of the Appendix defines the technology development 'Roadmap' to be followed in providing the necessary systems for these missions. The purpose of this Project Plan is to define the Project objectives, Project-level requirements, the management organizations responsible for the Project throughout its life cycle, and Project-level resources, schedules and controls.

Enabling Discoveries in Earth Sciences Through the Geosciences Network (GEON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seber, D.; Baru, C.; Memon, A.; Lin, K.; Youn, C.

2005-12-01

Taking advantage of the state-of-the-art information technology resources GEON researchers are building a cyberinfrastructure designed to enable data sharing, semantic data integration, high-end computations and 4D visualization in easy-to-use web-based environments. The GEON Network currently allows users to search and register Earth science resources such as data sets (GIS layers, GMT files, geoTIFF images, ASCII files, relational databases etc), software applications or ontologies. Portal based access mechanisms enable developers to built dynamic user interfaces to conduct advanced processing and modeling efforts across distributed computers and supercomputers. Researchers and educators can access the networked resources through the GEON portal and its portlets that were developed to conduct better and more comprehensive science and educational studies. For example, the SYNSEIS portlet in GEON enables users to access in near-real time seismic waveforms from the IRIS Data Management Center, easily build a 3D geologic model within the area of the seismic station(s) and the epicenter and perform a 3D synthetic seismogram analysis to understand the lithospheric structure and earthquake source parameters for any given earthquake in the US. Similarly, GEON's workbench area enables users to create their own work environment and copy, visualize and analyze any data sets within the network, and create subsets of the data sets for their own purposes. Since all these resources are built as part of a Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), they are also used in other development platforms. One such platform is Kepler Workflow system which can access web service based resources and provides users with graphical programming interfaces to build a model to conduct computations and/or visualization efforts using the networked resources. Developments in the area of semantic integration of the networked datasets continue to advance and prototype studies can be accessed via the GEON portal at www.geongrid.org

Spaceflight Ka-Band High-Rate Radiation-Hard Modulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaso, Jeffery M.

2011-01-01

A document discusses the creation of a Ka-band modulator developed specifically for the NASA/GSFC Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This flight design consists of a high-bandwidth, Quadriphase Shift Keying (QPSK) vector modulator with radiation-hardened, high-rate driver circuitry that receives I and Q channel data. The radiationhard design enables SDO fs Ka-band communications downlink system to transmit 130 Mbps (300 Msps after data encoding) of science instrument data to the ground system continuously throughout the mission fs minimum life of five years. The low error vector magnitude (EVM) of the modulator lowers the implementation loss of the transmitter in which it is used, thereby increasing the overall communication system link margin. The modulator comprises a component within the SDO transmitter, and meets the following specifications over a 0 to 40 C operational temperature range: QPSK/OQPSK modulator, 300-Msps symbol rate, 26.5-GHz center frequency, error vector magnitude less than or equal to 10 percent rms, and compliance with the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) spectral mask.

Essays in the Non-Science Major Astrobiology Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Cruz, Noella L.

2014-06-01

The non-science major "Life in the Universe" class offers students many opportunities to explore topics such as whether or not to send manned missions to Mars, which jovian moon is a suitable candidate for harboring life, etc. Some of these topics are suited to being offered as projects. At Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL, we offer this general education class every semester to around 40 students. We expect our students to complete three short essays in a semester, instead of doing one or two large projects. The essays enable students to be engaged more deeply with some aspects of the course than is usually possible in the classroom. Some of our essay topics are based on suggestions in the textbook, others have been developed by us. In this poster, we will report on the essay topics and the attitudes of our Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 students to such essays.

BioServe space technologies: A NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), was established in 1987. As is characteristic of each CCDS designated by NASA, the goals of this commercial center are aimed at stimulating high technology research that takes advantage of the space environment and at leading in the development of new products and services which have commercial potential or that contribute to possible new commercial ventures. BioServe's efforts in these areas focus upon space life science studies and the development of enabling devices that will facilitate ground-based experiments as well as the conversion of such to the microgravity environment. A direct result of BioServe's hardware development and life sciences studies is the training of the next generation of bioengineers who will be knowledgeable and comfortable working with the challenges of the space frontier.

Bioethics for Technical Experts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Shigetaka

Along with rapidly expanding applications of life science and technology, technical experts have been implicated more and more often with ethical, social, and legal problems than before. It should be noted that in this background there are scientific and social uncertainty elements which are inevitable during the progress of life science in addition to the historically-established social unreliability to scientists and engineers. In order to solve these problems, therefore, we should establish the social governance with ‘relief’ and ‘reliance’ which enables for both citizens and engineers to share the awareness of the issues, to design social orders and criterions based on hypothetical sense of values for bioethics, to carry out practical use management of each subject carefully, and to improve the sense of values from hypothetical to universal. Concerning these measures, the technical experts can learn many things from the present performance in the medical field.

Increasing Interest, Confidence and Understanding of Ethical Issues in Science through Case-Based Instructional Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundeberg, Mary A.; Bergland, Mark; Klyczek, Karen; Mogen, Kim; Johnson, Doug; Harmes, Nina

Software designed to promote the use of open-ended investigations in science education was evaluated in a study of whether using case-based simulation enhances students' understanding of ethical issues and data interpretation in science. The software was a DNA gel electrophoresis simulation that enabled students to conduct simulated genetic tests.…

Broad horizons SETI, SF and education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, Martin

2004-04-01

Science fiction (SF) is often perceived as a ‘fringe’ form of entertainment that excites the socially challenged. This misperception detracts from the critical, scientific and interpretive nature of the genre which can be directed into science teaching at school and university levels as an innovative way of exploring the cultural background, politics, leitmotif and themes of society, science and their operation. One example is the ‘alien’ theme in SF; it is perceptually one of the driving factors in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Such a topic can become an introduction to current technology, the motives and politics of science and the sociological implications inherent in a confrontation with the ideal of man's uniqueness in the cosmos. When applied to the SETI, SF engenders a constructive convergence in studies such as biological determinism, the evolution of life, communication, interstellar travel and methods of contact, thus enriching the consideration of possible life in the cosmos. Adopting elements of SF in lifelong learning therefore enables informed, imaginative reflection and debate that educates, trains and instructs, broadening the potential of students and their future roles by invoking an analysis of vital public, scientific and humanistic fields.

Benefits and challenges of incorporating citizen science into university education.

PubMed

Mitchell, Nicola; Triska, Maggie; Liberatore, Andrea; Ashcroft, Linden; Weatherill, Richard; Longnecker, Nancy

2017-01-01

A common feature of many citizen science projects is the collection of data by unpaid contributors with the expectation that the data will be used in research. Here we report a teaching strategy that combined citizen science with inquiry-based learning to offer first year university students an authentic research experience. A six-year partnership with the Australian phenology citizen science program ClimateWatch has enabled biology students from the University of Western Australia to contribute phenological data on plants and animals, and to conduct the first research on unvalidated species datasets contributed by public and university participants. Students wrote scientific articles on their findings, peer-reviewed each other's work and the best articles were published online in a student journal. Surveys of more than 1500 students showed that their environmental engagement increased significantly after participating in data collection and data analysis. However, only 31% of students agreed with the statement that "data collected by citizen scientists are reliable" at the end of the project, whereas the rate of agreement was initially 79%. This change in perception was likely due to students discovering erroneous records when they mapped data points and analysed submitted photographs. A positive consequence was that students subsequently reported being more careful to avoid errors in their own data collection, and making greater efforts to contribute records that were useful for future scientific research. Evaluation of our project has shown that by embedding a research process within citizen science participation, university students are given cause to improve their contributions to environmental datasets. If true for citizen scientists in general, enabling participants as well as scientists to analyse data could enhance data quality, and so address a key constraint of broad-scale citizen science programs.

Benefits and challenges of incorporating citizen science into university education

PubMed Central

Triska, Maggie; Liberatore, Andrea; Ashcroft, Linden; Weatherill, Richard; Longnecker, Nancy

2017-01-01

A common feature of many citizen science projects is the collection of data by unpaid contributors with the expectation that the data will be used in research. Here we report a teaching strategy that combined citizen science with inquiry-based learning to offer first year university students an authentic research experience. A six-year partnership with the Australian phenology citizen science program ClimateWatch has enabled biology students from the University of Western Australia to contribute phenological data on plants and animals, and to conduct the first research on unvalidated species datasets contributed by public and university participants. Students wrote scientific articles on their findings, peer-reviewed each other’s work and the best articles were published online in a student journal. Surveys of more than 1500 students showed that their environmental engagement increased significantly after participating in data collection and data analysis. However, only 31% of students agreed with the statement that “data collected by citizen scientists are reliable” at the end of the project, whereas the rate of agreement was initially 79%. This change in perception was likely due to students discovering erroneous records when they mapped data points and analysed submitted photographs. A positive consequence was that students subsequently reported being more careful to avoid errors in their own data collection, and making greater efforts to contribute records that were useful for future scientific research. Evaluation of our project has shown that by embedding a research process within citizen science participation, university students are given cause to improve their contributions to environmental datasets. If true for citizen scientists in general, enabling participants as well as scientists to analyse data could enhance data quality, and so address a key constraint of broad-scale citizen science programs. PMID:29091933

Agile Data Curation Case Studies Leading to the Identification and Development of Data Curation Design Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict, K. K.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Young, J. W.; Gordon, L. C.; Hughes, S.; Santhana Vannan, S. K.

2017-12-01

The planning for and development of efficient workflows for the creation, reuse, sharing, documentation, publication and preservation of research data is a general challenge that research teams of all sizes face. In response to: requirements from funding agencies for full-lifecycle data management plans that will result in well documented, preserved, and shared research data products increasing requirements from publishers for shared data in conjunction with submitted papers interdisciplinary research team's needs for efficient data sharing within projects, and increasing reuse of research data for replication and new, unanticipated research, policy development, and public use alternative strategies to traditional data life cycle approaches must be developed and shared that enable research teams to meet these requirements while meeting the core science objectives of their projects within the available resources. In support of achieving these goals, the concept of Agile Data Curation has been developed in which there have been parallel activities in support of 1) identifying a set of shared values and principles that underlie the objectives of agile data curation, 2) soliciting case studies from the Earth science and other research communities that illustrate aspects of what the contributors consider agile data curation methods and practices, and 3) identifying or developing design patterns that are high-level abstractions from successful data curation practice that are related to common data curation problems for which common solution strategies may be employed. This paper provides a collection of case studies that have been contributed by the Earth science community, and an initial analysis of those case studies to map them to emerging shared data curation problems and their potential solutions. Following the initial analysis of these problems and potential solutions, existing design patterns from software engineering and related disciplines are identified as a starting point for the development of a catalog of data curation design patterns that may be reused in the design and execution of new data curation processes.

Semantics of data and service registration to advance interdisciplinary information and data access.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, P. P.; McGuinness, D. L.; Raskin, R.; Sinha, A. K.

2008-12-01

In developing an application of semantic web methods and technologies to address the integration of heterogeneous and interdisciplinary earth-science datasets, we have developed methodologies for creating rich semantic descriptions (ontologies) of the application domains. We have leveraged and extended where possible existing ontology frameworks such as SWEET. As a result of this semantic approach, we have also utilized ontologic descriptions of key enabling elements of the application, such as the registration of datasets with ontologies at several levels of granularity. This has enabled the location and usage of the data across disciplines. We are also realizing the need to develop similar semantic registration of web service data holdings as well as those provided with community and/or standard markup languages (e.g. GeoSciML). This level of semantic enablement extending beyond domain terms and relations significantly enhances our ability to provide a coherent semantic data framework for data and information systems. Much of this work is on the frontier of technology development and we will present the current and near-future capabilities we are developing. This work arises from the Semantically-Enabled Science Data Integration (SESDI) project, which is an NASA/ESTO/ACCESS-funded project involving the High Altitude Observatory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), McGuinness Associates Consulting, NASA/JPL and Virginia Polytechnic University.

Exploring Science Through Polar Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfirman, S. L.; Bell, R. E.; Zadoff, L.; Kelsey, R.

2003-12-01

Exploring the Poles is a First Year Seminar course taught at Barnard College, Columbia University. First Year Seminars are required of incoming students and are designed to encourage critical analysis in a small class setting with focused discussion. The class links historical polar exploration with current research in order to: introduce non-scientists to the value of environmental science through polar literature; discuss issues related to venturing into the unknown that are of relevance to any discipline: self-reliance, leadership, preparation, decisions under uncertainty; show students the human face of science; change attitudes about science and scientists; use data to engage students in exploring/understanding the environment and help them learn to draw conclusions from data; integrate research and education. These goals are met by bringing analysis of early exploration efforts together with a modern understanding of the polar environment. To date to class has followed the efforts of Nansen in the Fram, Scott and Amundsen in their race to the pole, and Shackleton's Endurance. As students read turn-of-the-century expedition journals, expedition progress is progressively revealed on an interactive map showing the environmental context. To bring the exploration process to life, students are assigned to expedition teams for specific years and the fates of the student "expeditions" are based on their own decisions. For example, in the Arctic, they navigate coastal sea ice and become frozen into the ice north of Siberia, re-creating Nansen's polar drift. Fates of the teams varied tremendously: some safely emerged at Fram Strait in 4 years, while others nearly became hopelessly lost in the Beaufort Gyre. Students thus learn about variability in the current polar environment through first hand experience, enabling them to appreciate the experiences, decisions, and, in some cases, the luck, of polar explorers. Evaluation by the Columbia Center for New Media, Teaching and Learning shows that combining historical texts with current data/simulations is an extremely powerful way of engaging non-scientists in science, and explaining the role of science and the environment in decision-making.

Research opportunities with the Centrifuge Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funk, Glenn A.

1992-01-01

The Centrifuge Facility on Space Station Freedom will consist of a 2.5-meter diameter Centrifuge accommodating two concentric rings of habitats and providing variable g-forces between 0.01 g and 2.0 g; modular habitats providing housing and lifesupport for rats, mice, and plants; a habitat holding system providing power, water, airflow and other utilities to several modular habitats; and a life sciences glovebox, an isolated work volume accommodating simultaneous operations by at least two scientists and providing lighting, airflow, video and data access, and other experiment support functions. The centrifuge facility will enable long-duration animal and plant microgravity research not previously possible in the NASA flight research program. It will offer unprecedented opportunities for use of on-board 1-g control populations and statistically significant numbers of specimens. On orbit 1-g controls will allow separation of the effects of microgravity from other environmental factors. Its selectable-g and simultaneous multiple-g capabilities will enable studies of gravitational thresholds, the use of artificial gravity as a countermeasure to the effects of microgravity, and ready simulation of Lunar and Martian gravities.

Commercial investigation results for the generic bioprocessing apparatus flown on United States Microgravity Laboratory-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stodieck, Louis S.; Robinson, M. C.; Luttges, M. W.

1994-01-01

The Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (BPA) payload was developed by BioServe to support the commercial flight development needs of our specialized consortia comprised of business, academic, and government entities. The consortia have commitments to explore commercial opportunities in bioprocessing, biomedical models, and closed agricultural systems. In addition, some members of BioServe have interests in the development and/or qualification of enabling flight hardware used in life sciences space flight testing. Some business and academic entities have interests in more than one of these consortia. To aid in payload development, flight, and analysis, each consortium member contributes resources ranging from proprietary expertise and materials, to hardware and cash. Professionals from business, academia, and government often interact with each other via graduate research assistants who do much of the 'hands-on' payload preparation and subsequent data analyses. The GBA supported research, testing, and development activities for each different BioServe consortium. It produced an environment in which professionals from diverse backgrounds came together with a single focus. And, it provided a truly novel learning environment for a youthful new cadre of space professionals committed to the exploration of commercial opportunities presented by space. Since the GBA supported a large number of different experiments, this paper briefly describes the payload characteristics and the essential operations of the payload. A summary of the experiments is presented. Finally, a few of the experiments are described in detail highlighting some novel effects of space flight on life science systems. Portions of the reported work have or will appear in appropriate archival journals as cited in the bibliography. In several instances, data collected from USML-1 have been supplemented with related data collected on more recent STS missions.

The relationship between quality of work life and job satisfaction of faculty members in Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Kermansaravi, Fatihe; Navidian, Ali; Navabi Rigi, Shahindokht; Yaghoubinia, Fariba

2014-10-29

Quality of work life is one of the most important factors for human motivating and improving of job satisfaction. The current study was carried out aimed to determine the relationship between quality of work life and job satisfaction in faculty members of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive-analytic study, 202 faculty members of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2012 were entered the study through census. The job satisfaction questionnaire of Smith and Kendall and Walton Quality of Work Life questionnaire were used for data collection. Validity and reliability of questionnaires were confirmed in previous studies. Data analysis was done using SPSS 18. The Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression tests were used for data analysis. The mean score of quality of work life was 121/30±37/08 and job satisfaction was 135/98 ±33/78. There was a significant and positive correlation between job satisfaction of faculty members and their quality of work life (P=0.003). In addition, two components of quality of work life "adequate and fair compensation" (β=0.3) and "Social Integration" (β=0.4) can predict job satisfaction of faculty members. According to correlation between job satisfaction and quality of work life in faculty members, job satisfaction can be improved through the changing and manipulating the components of quality of work life and in this way; the suitable environment for organization development should be provided.

English Collocation Learning through Corpus Data: On-Line Concordance and Statistical Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohtake, Hiroshi; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Kawamoto, Takeshi; Morren, Brian; Ugawa, Yoshihiro; Kaneko, Shuji

2012-01-01

We developed an English Collocations On Demand system offering on-line corpus and concordance information to help Japanese researchers acquire a better command of English collocation patterns. The Life Science Dictionary Corpus consists of approximately 90,000,000 words collected from life science related research papers published in academic…

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, C. S. (Editor); Donnelly, K. L. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Research in exobiology, life sciences technology, space biology, and space medicine and physiology, primarily using data gathered on the Salyut 6 orbital space station, is reported. Methods for predicting, diagnosing, and preventing the effects of weightlessness are discussed. Psychological factors are discussed. The effects of space flight on plants and animals are reported. Bioinstrumentation advances are noted.

Autonomous Onboard Science Image Analysis for Future Mars Rover Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V. C.; Morris, R. L.; Ruzon, M. A.; Roush, T. L.

1999-01-01

To explore high priority landing sites and to prepare for eventual human exploration, future Mars missions will involve rovers capable of traversing tens of kilometers. However, the current process by which scientists interact with a rover does not scale to such distances. Specifically, numerous command cycles are required to complete even simple tasks, such as, pointing the spectrometer at a variety of nearby rocks. In addition, the time required by scientists to interpret image data before new commands can be given and the limited amount of data that can be downlinked during a given command cycle constrain rover mobility and achievement of science goals. Experience with rover tests on Earth supports these concerns. As a result, traverses to science sites as identified in orbital images would require numerous science command cycles over a period of many weeks, months or even years, perhaps exceeding rover design life and other constraints. Autonomous onboard science analysis can address these problems in two ways. First, it will allow the rover to transmit only "interesting" images, defined as those likely to have higher science content. Second, the rover will be able to anticipate future commands. For example, a rover might autonomously acquire and return spectra of "interesting" rocks along with a high resolution image of those rocks in addition to returning the context images in which they were detected. Such approaches, coupled with appropriate navigational software, help to address both the data volume and command cycle bottlenecks that limit both rover mobility and science yield. We are developing fast, autonomous algorithms to enable such intelligent on-board decision making by spacecraft. Autonomous algorithms developed to date have the ability to identify rocks and layers in a scene, locate the horizon, and compress multi-spectral image data. Output from these algorithms could be used to autonomously obtain rock spectra, determine which images should be transmitted to the ground, or to aid in image compression. We will discuss these and other algorithms and demonstrate their performance during a recent rover field test.

Spacelab Life Sciences 1, development towards successive life sciences flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, B. P.; Jahns, G.; Hogan, R.

1992-01-01

A general review is presented of flight data and related hardware developments for Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS) 1 with an eye toward applying this knowledge to projected flight planning. Specific attention is given to the Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF), the General Purpose Work Station (GPWS), the Small Mass Measuring Instrument (SMMI), and the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM). Preflight and in-flight testing methods are detailed including biocompatibility tests, parametric engineering sensitivity analyses, measurements of environmental parameters, and studies of operational interfaces. Particulate containment is demonstrated for some of the equipment, and successful use of the GPWS, RAHF, AEM, and SMMI are reported. The in-flight data are useful for developing more advanced hardware such as the AEM for SLS flight 2 and the modified RAHF for SLS flight 3.

The Effects of STS Issue Investigation and Action Instruction Versus Traditional Life Science Instruction on Seventh Grade Students' Citizenship Behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiesenmayer, Randall L.; Rubba, Peter A.

1999-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of employing an STS instructional model that addresses each of the four goal levels of STS education versus an instructional model containing only life science content, on seventh grade students' participation in citizenship action on STS issues. A modified version of the non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research design was used with seventeen intact seventh grade life science classes, ten of which received STS instruction ( N = 264) and seven of which received life science instruction ( N = 136) over 20 school days. The STS instruction sequentially addressed each of the four goal levels for STS education. Data were collected using the Actions Taken on Public Issues instrument to measure citizenship behaviors. ANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA were employed to analyze data. It was concluded from the findings that employment of an STS issue investigation with an action instructional model that addressed the four goal levels of STS education significantly increased seventh grade students' participation in citizenship actions on STS issues. Implications and recommendations are provided.

Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Center (GES DISC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steve

2016-01-01

The GES DIS is one of 12 NASA Earth science data centers. The GES DISC vision is to enable researchers and educators maximize knowledge of the Earth by engaging in understanding their goals, and by leading the advancement of remote sensing information services in response to satisfying their goals. This presentation will describe the GES DISC approach, successes, challenges, and best practices.

Controversies on the beginning of human life - science and religions closer and closer.

PubMed

Kurjak, Asim

2017-04-01

One of the most controversial topics in modern bioethics, science, and philosophy is the beginning of individual human life. In the seemingly endless debate, strongly stimulated by recent technologic advances in human reproduction, a synthesis between scientific data and hypothesis, philosophical thought, and issues of humanities has become a necessity to deal with ethical, juridical, and social problems. Furthermore, in this field there is a temptation to ask science to choose between opinions and beliefs, which neutralize one another. The question of when human life begins requires the essential aid of different forms of knowledge. Here we become involved in the juncture between science and religion, which needs to be carefully explored.

NASA Tech Briefs, October 1994. Volume 18, No. 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Topics: Data Acquisition and Analysis; Computer-Aided Design and Engineering; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences; Books and Reports

The Quantitative Methods Boot Camp: Teaching Quantitative Thinking and Computing Skills to Graduate Students in the Life Sciences

PubMed Central

Stefan, Melanie I.; Gutlerner, Johanna L.; Born, Richard T.; Springer, Michael

2015-01-01

The past decade has seen a rapid increase in the ability of biologists to collect large amounts of data. It is therefore vital that research biologists acquire the necessary skills during their training to visualize, analyze, and interpret such data. To begin to meet this need, we have developed a “boot camp” in quantitative methods for biology graduate students at Harvard Medical School. The goal of this short, intensive course is to enable students to use computational tools to visualize and analyze data, to strengthen their computational thinking skills, and to simulate and thus extend their intuition about the behavior of complex biological systems. The boot camp teaches basic programming using biological examples from statistics, image processing, and data analysis. This integrative approach to teaching programming and quantitative reasoning motivates students’ engagement by demonstrating the relevance of these skills to their work in life science laboratories. Students also have the opportunity to analyze their own data or explore a topic of interest in more detail. The class is taught with a mixture of short lectures, Socratic discussion, and in-class exercises. Students spend approximately 40% of their class time working through both short and long problems. A high instructor-to-student ratio allows students to get assistance or additional challenges when needed, thus enhancing the experience for students at all levels of mastery. Data collected from end-of-course surveys from the last five offerings of the course (between 2012 and 2014) show that students report high learning gains and feel that the course prepares them for solving quantitative and computational problems they will encounter in their research. We outline our course here which, together with the course materials freely available online under a Creative Commons License, should help to facilitate similar efforts by others. PMID:25880064

The quantitative methods boot camp: teaching quantitative thinking and computing skills to graduate students in the life sciences.

PubMed

Stefan, Melanie I; Gutlerner, Johanna L; Born, Richard T; Springer, Michael

2015-04-01

The past decade has seen a rapid increase in the ability of biologists to collect large amounts of data. It is therefore vital that research biologists acquire the necessary skills during their training to visualize, analyze, and interpret such data. To begin to meet this need, we have developed a "boot camp" in quantitative methods for biology graduate students at Harvard Medical School. The goal of this short, intensive course is to enable students to use computational tools to visualize and analyze data, to strengthen their computational thinking skills, and to simulate and thus extend their intuition about the behavior of complex biological systems. The boot camp teaches basic programming using biological examples from statistics, image processing, and data analysis. This integrative approach to teaching programming and quantitative reasoning motivates students' engagement by demonstrating the relevance of these skills to their work in life science laboratories. Students also have the opportunity to analyze their own data or explore a topic of interest in more detail. The class is taught with a mixture of short lectures, Socratic discussion, and in-class exercises. Students spend approximately 40% of their class time working through both short and long problems. A high instructor-to-student ratio allows students to get assistance or additional challenges when needed, thus enhancing the experience for students at all levels of mastery. Data collected from end-of-course surveys from the last five offerings of the course (between 2012 and 2014) show that students report high learning gains and feel that the course prepares them for solving quantitative and computational problems they will encounter in their research. We outline our course here which, together with the course materials freely available online under a Creative Commons License, should help to facilitate similar efforts by others.

Do Biology Students Really Hate Math? Empirical Insights into Undergraduate Life Science Majors' Emotions about Mathematics.

PubMed

Wachsmuth, Lucas P; Runyon, Christopher R; Drake, John M; Dolan, Erin L

2017-01-01

Undergraduate life science majors are reputed to have negative emotions toward mathematics, yet little empirical evidence supports this. We sought to compare emotions of majors in the life sciences versus other natural sciences and math. We adapted the Attitudes toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory to create an Attitudes toward the Subject of Mathematics Inventory (ASMI). We collected data from 359 science and math majors at two research universities and conducted a series of statistical tests that indicated that four AMSI items comprised a reasonable measure of students' emotional satisfaction with math. We then compared life science and non-life science majors and found that major had a small to moderate relationship with students' responses. Gender also had a small relationship with students' responses, while students' race, ethnicity, and year in school had no observable relationship. Using latent profile analysis, we identified three groups-students who were emotionally satisfied with math, emotionally dissatisfied with math, and neutral. These results and the emotional satisfaction with math scale should be useful for identifying differences in other undergraduate populations, determining the malleability of undergraduates' emotional satisfaction with math, and testing effects of interventions aimed at improving life science majors' attitudes toward math. © 2017 L.P. Wachsmuth et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). 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).

USSR Space Life Sciences Digest, issue 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, L. R.; Radtke, M.; Rowe, J. E.

1985-01-01

The first issue of the bimonthly digest of USSR Space Life Sciences is presented. Abstracts are included for 49 Soviet periodical articles in 19 areas of aerospace medicine and space biology, published in Russian during the first quarter of 1985. Translated introductions and table of contents for nine Russian books on topics related to NASA's life science concerns are presented. Areas covered include: botany, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cybernetics and biomedical data processing, endocrinology, gastrointestinal system, genetics, group dynamics, habitability and environmental effects, health and medicine, hematology, immunology, life support systems, man machine systems, metabolism, musculoskeletal system, neurophysiology, perception, personnel selection, psychology, radiobiology, reproductive system, and space biology. This issue concentrates on aerospace medicine and space biology.

Grid-enabled measures: using Science 2.0 to standardize measures and share data.

PubMed

Moser, Richard P; Hesse, Bradford W; Shaikh, Abdul R; Courtney, Paul; Morgan, Glen; Augustson, Erik; Kobrin, Sarah; Levin, Kerry Y; Helba, Cynthia; Garner, David; Dunn, Marsha; Coa, Kisha

2011-05-01

Scientists are taking advantage of the Internet and collaborative web technology to accelerate discovery in a massively connected, participative environment--a phenomenon referred to by some as Science 2.0. As a new way of doing science, this phenomenon has the potential to push science forward in a more efficient manner than was previously possible. The Grid-Enabled Measures (GEM) database has been conceptualized as an instantiation of Science 2.0 principles by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) with two overarching goals: (1) promote the use of standardized measures, which are tied to theoretically based constructs; and (2) facilitate the ability to share harmonized data resulting from the use of standardized measures. The first is accomplished by creating an online venue where a virtual community of researchers can collaborate together and come to consensus on measures by rating, commenting on, and viewing meta-data about the measures and associated constructs. The second is accomplished by connecting the constructs and measures to an ontological framework with data standards and common data elements such as the NCI Enterprise Vocabulary System (EVS) and the cancer Data Standards Repository (caDSR). This paper will describe the web 2.0 principles on which the GEM database is based, describe its functionality, and discuss some of the important issues involved with creating the GEM database such as the role of mutually agreed-on ontologies (i.e., knowledge categories and the relationships among these categories--for data sharing). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Terra - 15 Years as the Earth Observing System Flagship Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thome, K. J.

2014-12-01

Terra marks its 15th year on orbit with an array of accomplishments and the potential to do much more. Efforts continue to extend the Terra data record to make its data more valuable by creating a record length to examine interannual variability, observe trends on the decadal scale, and gather statistics relevant to climate metrics. Continued data from Terra's complementary instruments will play a key role in creating the data record needed for scientists to develop an understanding of our climate system. Terra's suite of instruments: ASTER (contributed by the Japanese Ministry of Economy and Trade and Industry with a JPL-led US Science Team), CERES (NASA LaRC - PI), MISR (JPL - PI), MODIS (NASA GSFC), and MOPITT (sponsored by Canadian Space Agency with NCAR-led Science Team) are providing an unprecedented 81 core data products. The annual demand for Terra data remains with >120 million files distributed in 2011 and >157 million in 2012. More than 1,100 peer-reviewed publications appeared in 2012 using Terra data bringing the lifetime total >7,600. Citation numbers of 21,000 for 2012 and over 100,000 for the mission's lifetime. The power of Terra is in the high quality of the data calibration, sensor characterization, and the complementary nature of the instruments covering a range of scientific measurements as well as scales. The broad range of products enable the community to provide answers to the overarching question, "How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences for life on Earth?" Terra continues to provide data that: (1) Extend the baseline of morning-orbit collections; (2) Enable comparison of measurements acquired from past high-impact events; (3) Add value to recently-launched and soon-to-be launched missions, and upcoming field programs. Terra data continue to support monitoring and relief efforts for natural and man-made disasters that involve U.S. interests. Terra also contributes to Applications Focus Areas supporting the U.S. National Objectives for agriculture, air quality, climate, disaster management, ecological forecasting, public health, water resources, and weather.

Earth Science Datacasting v2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bingham, Andrew W.; Deen, Robert G.; Hussey, Kevin J.; Stough, Timothy M.; McCleese, Sean W.; Toole, Nicholas T.

2012-01-01

The Datacasting software, which consists of a server and a client, has been developed as part of the Earth Science (ES) Datacasting project. The goal of ES Datacasting is to provide scientists the ability to automatically and continuously download Earth science data that meets a precise, predefined need, and then to instantaneously visualize it on a local computer. This is achieved by applying the concept of podcasting to deliver science data over the Internet using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) XML feeds. By extending the RSS specification, scientists can filter a feed and only download the files that are required for a particular application (for example, only files that contain information about a particular event, such as a hurricane or flood). The extension also provides the ability for the client to understand the format of the data and visualize the information locally. The server part enables a data provider to create and serve basic Datacasting (RSS-based) feeds. The user can subscribe to any number of feeds, view the information related to each item contained within a feed (including browse pre-made images), manually download files associated with items, and place these files in a local store. The client-server architecture enables users to: a) Subscribe and interpret multiple Datacasting feeds (same look and feel as a typical mail client), b) Maintain a list of all items within each feed, c) Enable filtering on the lists based on different metadata attributes contained within the feed (list will reference only data files of interest), d) Visualize the reference data and associated metadata, e) Download files referenced within the list, and f) Automatically download files as new items become available.

A core observational data model for enhancing the interoperability of ontologically annotated environmental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schildhauer, M.; Bermudez, L. E.; Bowers, S.; Dibner, P. C.; Gries, C.; Jones, M. B.; McGuinness, D. L.; Cao, H.; Cox, S. J.; Kelling, S.; Lagoze, C.; Lapp, H.; Madin, J.

2010-12-01

Research in the environmental sciences often requires accessing diverse data, collected by numerous data providers over varying spatiotemporal scales, incorporating specialized measurements from a range of instruments. These measurements are typically documented using idiosyncratic, disciplinary specific terms, and stored in management systems ranging from desktop spreadsheets to the Cloud, where the information is often further decomposed or stylized in unpredictable ways. This situation creates major informatics challenges for broadly discovering, interpreting, and merging the data necessary for integrative earth science research. A number of scientific disciplines have recognized these issues, and been developing semantically enhanced data storage frameworks, typically based on ontologies, to enable communities to better circumscribe and clarify the content of data objects within their domain of practice. There is concern, however, that cross-domain compatibility of these semantic solutions could become problematic. We describe here our efforts to address this issue by developing a core, unified Observational Data Model, that should greatly facilitate interoperability among the semantic solutions growing organically within diverse scientific domains. Observational Data Models have emerged independently from several distinct scientific communities, including the biodiversity sciences, ecology, evolution, geospatial sciences, and hydrology, to name a few. Informatics projects striving for data integration within each of these domains had converged on identifying "observations" and "measurements" as fundamental abstractions that provide useful "templates" through which scientific data can be linked— at the structural, composited, or even cell value levels— to domain terms stored in ontologies or other forms of controlled vocabularies. The Scientific Observations Network, SONet (http://sonet.ecoinformatics.org) brings together a number of these observational data efforts, and is harmonizing their models. The specific observational data models currently under consideration include the OGC's Observations and Measurements Encoding Standard, O&M; the ecological community's Extensible Observation Ontology, OBOE'; the evolutionary community's Entity-Quality model, EQ; and the VSTO core classes, intended for describing atmospheric and solar-terrestrial phenomena, VSTO.OWL. These models all share high structural similarities, expressed in different languages (e.g. UML or OWL), and are intended for use with very different forms of data. The main focus of this talk will be describing these Observational Data Models, and more importantly, how harmonizing these will catalyze semantically enhanced access to large additional data resources across the earth and life sciences.

DCO-VIVO: A Collaborative Data Platform for the Deep Carbon Science Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Chen, Y.; West, P.; Erickson, J. S.; Ma, X.; Fox, P. A.

2014-12-01

Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) is a decade-long scientific endeavor to understand carbon in the complex deep Earth system. Thousands of DCO scientists from institutions across the globe are organized into communities representing four domains of exploration: Extreme Physics and Chemistry, Reservoirs and Fluxes, Deep Energy, and Deep Life. Cross-community and cross-disciplinary collaboration is one of the most distinctive features in DCO's flexible research framework. VIVO is an open-source Semantic Web platform that facilitates cross-institutional researcher and research discovery. it includes a number of standard ontologies that interconnect people, organizations, publications, activities, locations, and other entities of research interest to enable browsing, searching, visualizing, and generating Linked Open (research) Data. The DCO-VIVO solution expedites research collaboration between DCO scientists and communities. Based on DCO's specific requirements, the DCO Data Science team developed a series of extensions to the VIVO platform including extending the VIVO information model, extended query over the semantic information within VIVO, integration with other open source collaborative environments and data management systems, using single sign-on, assigning of unique Handles to DCO objects, and publication and dataset ingesting extensions using existing publication systems. We present here the iterative development of these requirements that are now in daily use by the DCO community of scientists for research reporting, information sharing, and resource discovery in support of research activities and program management.

Reusing Joint Polar Satellite System (jpss) Ground System Components to Process AURA Ozone Monitoring Instrument (omi) Science Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moses, J. F.; Jain, P.; Johnson, J.; Doiron, J. A.

2017-12-01

New Earth observation instruments are planned to enable advancements in Earth science research over the next decade. Diversity of Earth observing instruments and their observing platforms will continue to increase as new instrument technologies emerge and are deployed as part of National programs such as Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system (GOES), Landsat as well as the potential for many CubeSat and aircraft missions. The practical use and value of these observational data often extends well beyond their original purpose. The practicing community needs intuitive and standardized tools to enable quick unfettered development of tailored products for specific applications and decision support systems. However, the associated data processing system can take years to develop and requires inherent knowledge and the ability to integrate increasingly diverse data types from multiple sources. This paper describes the adaptation of a large-scale data processing system built for supporting JPSS algorithm calibration and validation (Cal/Val) node to a simplified science data system for rapid application. The new configurable data system reuses scalable JAVA technologies built for the JPSS Government Resource for Algorithm Verification, Independent Test, and Evaluation (GRAVITE) system to run within a laptop environment and support product generation and data processing of AURA Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) science products. Of particular interest are the root requirements necessary for integrating experimental algorithms and Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) data access libraries into a science data production system. This study demonstrates the ability to reuse existing Ground System technologies to support future missions with minimal changes.

Finding meaning in science: Lifeworld, identity, and self

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozoll, Richard H.; Osborne, Margery D.

2004-03-01

Despite the many hours students spend studying science, only a few relate to these subjects in such a manner that it becomes a part of their essential worldview and advances their education in a larger sense - one in which they make a connection to the subject matter so that it becomes a source of inspiration and occupies a formative position in their life. Using the hermeneutic/phenomenological sense of lifeworld as our being in the world, we explore questions of identity in the teaching and learning of science. We suggest that by taking the notion of identity in science to include students' identities in their collective, inclusive of an orientation toward both who the student is and who he wants to become, we can enable this broader educative process. Science's link to lifeworld, identity, and self as well as the literature surrounding each are treated separately in the context of empirical case studies drawn from interviews with young college-aged migrant agricultural workers. This population of students is living within a distinct culture where ideological systems are spread across lines of ethnicity, class, and vocation that place this population of students at risk of dropping out of school. Given the nature of their circumstances and their desire to leave the life of migration behind, these students show how their perceptions of science are embedded within particular issues of lifeworld, identity, and self while illustrating their interrelationships.

NASA Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Development Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairelli, J. E.

1995-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has recently initiated a three-year project to develop the advanced refrigerator/freezer (R/F) technologies needed to support future life and biomedical sciences space experiments. Refrigerator/freezer laboratory equipment, most of which needs to be developed, is enabling to about 75 percent of the planned space station life and biomedical science experiments. These experiments will require five different classes of equipment; three storage freezers operating at -20 C, -70 C and less than 183 C, a -70 C freeze-dryer, and a cryogenic (less than 183 C) quick/snap freezer. This project is in response to a survey of cooling system technologies, performed by a team of NASA scientists and engineers. The team found that the technologies, required for future R/F systems to support life and biomedical sciences spaceflight experiments, do not exist at an adequate state of development and concluded that a program to develop the advanced R/F technologies is needed. Limitations on spaceflight system size, mass, and power consumption present a significant challenge in developing these systems. This paper presents some background and a description of the Advanced R/F Technology Development Project, project approach and schedule, general description of the R/F systems, and a review of the major R/F equipment requirements.

Unique life sciences research facilities at NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulenburg, G. M.; Vasques, M.; Caldwell, W. F.; Tucker, J.

1994-01-01

The Life Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center has a suite of specialized facilities that enable scientists to study the effects of gravity on living systems. This paper describes some of these facilities and their use in research. Seven centrifuges, each with its own unique abilities, allow testing of a variety of parameters on test subjects ranging from single cells through hardware to humans. The Vestibular Research Facility allows the study of both centrifugation and linear acceleration on animals and humans. The Biocomputation Center uses computers for 3D reconstruction of physiological systems, and interactive research tools for virtual reality modeling. Psycophysiological, cardiovascular, exercise physiology, and biomechanical studies are conducted in the 12 bed Human Research Facility and samples are analyzed in the certified Central Clinical Laboratory and other laboratories at Ames. Human bedrest, water immersion and lower body negative pressure equipment are also available to study physiological changes associated with weightlessness. These and other weightlessness models are used in specialized laboratories for the study of basic physiological mechanisms, metabolism and cell biology. Visual-motor performance, perception, and adaptation are studied using ground-based models as well as short term weightlessness experiments (parabolic flights). The unique combination of Life Science research facilities, laboratories, and equipment at Ames Research Center are described in detail in relation to their research contributions.

Compassion and Vigilance: Investigators' Strategies To Manage Ethical Concerns in Palliative and End-of-Life Research

PubMed Central

Cartwright, Juliana C.; Nelson, Christine A.; Knafl, Kathleen

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Ethical concerns were identified as a potential barrier to advancing palliative and end-of-life science at the 2004 National Institutes of Health State of the Science Meeting. However, data are lacking about the nature of ethical concerns and strategies for balancing the need to advance science with human subjects protections. Methods A qualitative case-study design was used to follow 43 end-of-life studies from proposal development through the review process and implementation. Investigators participated in semi-structured telephone interviews and provided document data regarding their experiences with grant and IRB reviews. Using constant comparative analysis within and across cases, the investigators identified commonly encountered and unique concerns and strategies for managing these concerns. Findings Investigator strategies fell into two broad categories: 1) Recruitment and consent strategies related to subject identification and enrollment; and 2) Protocol-related strategies related to the process of data collection. These strategies shared the overarching meta-themes of compassion, as evidenced by a heightened sensitivity to the needs of the population, coupled with vigilance, as evidenced by close attention to the possible effects of study participation on the participants' well-being, clinical care, and the needs of research staff. Conclusions Ethical concerns have led to the development of compassionate and vigilant strategies designed to balance the potential for risk of harm with the need to advance the science of palliative and end-of-life care. These strategies can be used by investigators to address ethical concerns and minimize barriers to the development of palliative and end-of-life care science. PMID:22731516

Compassion and vigilance: investigators' strategies to manage ethical concerns in palliative and end-of-life research.

PubMed

Hickman, Susan E; Cartwright, Juliana C; Nelson, Christine A; Knafl, Kathleen

2012-08-01

Ethical concerns were identified as a potential barrier to advancing palliative and end-of-life science at the 2004 National Institutes of Health State of the Science Meeting. However, data are lacking about the nature of ethical concerns and strategies for balancing the need to advance science with human subjects protections. A qualitative case-study design was used to follow 43 end-of-life studies from proposal development through the review process and implementation. Investigators participated in semi-structured telephone interviews and provided document data regarding their experiences with grant and IRB reviews. Using constant comparative analysis within and across cases, the investigators identified commonly encountered and unique concerns and strategies for managing these concerns. Investigator strategies fell into two broad categories: 1) Recruitment and consent strategies related to subject identification and enrollment; and 2) Protocol-related strategies related to the process of data collection. These strategies shared the overarching meta-themes of compassion, as evidenced by a heightened sensitivity to the needs of the population, coupled with vigilance, as evidenced by close attention to the possible effects of study participation on the participants' well-being, clinical care, and the needs of research staff. Ethical concerns have led to the development of compassionate and vigilant strategies designed to balance the potential for risk of harm with the need to advance the science of palliative and end-of-life care. These strategies can be used by investigators to address ethical concerns and minimize barriers to the development of palliative and end-of-life care science.

Educators Who Work in Science: The Narratives of Women Negotiating Careers in Academic Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tullos, Kimberly C.

2011-12-01

The purpose of this life story narrative study was to explore how women scientists develop views of self that enable them to negotiate careers within academic science. I framed the study using feminist standpoint theory as my theoretical foundation, and used possible selves theory as my conceptual framework. Eight women scientists working in academe described their journey regarding their views of self and career-related experiences. The study produced two key findings. First, seven themes emerged from my data analysis; these themes suggest that these women shared significant experiences in their quest to become scientists. Second, my feminist analysis of the participants' narratives indicates that distinct, but submerged gender-related tensions shaped their views of themselves as scientists and their science career decisions. These tensions include career choice and advancement constrained by family obligations, work environments that do not recognize or undervalue their skills and contributions to the profession, and perceived pressure to de-feminize their behavior to blend in to their work environment. Not unlike other women negotiating careers in academic science, they generally accepted their status as women to be an inherent part of their career pursuits and viewed workplace challenges as an opportunity to prove their competency. Seven of the eight women did not attribute their challenges to gender differences. However, the combined narratives revealed underlying conflicts between their views of self as women and as scientists resulting from their experiences in, and perceptions of, academic science environments. The study's principal theoretical contribution, from the feminist standpoint perspective, highlights the pervasive and unseen influence of gender dynamics. In this study, the participants developed views of themselves, not as scientists, but as "educators who work in science." This critical distinction enabled these participants, perhaps unknowingly, to accommodate conflicting gender /role demands and establish meaningful, but arguably 'less than' status within the academic scientific community. Future studies could examine the accommodation/legitimization process to increase our understanding of how women may negotiate gender perceptions and roles within a science career. Additionally, research and educational practice that actively disrupt constraining gender beliefs may be an integral piece of helping women expand their vision regarding what it is possible for them to achieve in their academic science careers.

U.S. Geological Survey community for data integration: data upload, registry, and access tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

As a leading science and information agency and in fulfillment of its mission to provide reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ensures that all scientific data are effectively hosted, adequately described, and appropriately accessible to scientists, collaborators, and the general public. To succeed in this task, the USGS established the Community for Data Integration (CDI) to address data and information management issues affecting the proficiency of earth science research. Through the CDI, the USGS is providing data and metadata management tools, cyber infrastructure, collaboration tools, and training in support of scientists and technology specialists throughout the project life cycle. One of the significant tools recently created to contribute to this mission is the Uploader tool. This tool allows scientists with limited data management resources to address many of the key aspects of the data life cycle: the ability to protect, preserve, publish and share data. By implementing this application inside ScienceBase, scientists also can take advantage of other collaboration capabilities provided by the ScienceBase platform.

"Why bother so incredibly much?": student perspectives on PISA science assignments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serder, Margareta; Jakobsson, Anders

2015-09-01

Large-scale assessment, such as the Programme for International Assessment (PISA), plays an increasingly important role in current educational practice and politics. However, many scholars have questioned the validity and reliability of the tests and the extent to which they actually constitute trustworthy representations of students' knowledge. In the light of such critical voices the present article adopts a sociocultural perspective of human knowledge and action in order to explore the encounters between students and the science test assignments with which their knowledge is tested. Of particular interest in this study are the described "real-life situations" presented as the relevant background in which scientific literacy is assessed in PISA. According to the sociocultural theoretical onset the methodology used to approach the students' meaning making of the image of science as portrayed in the test were collaborative situations in which students work in small groups with units of PISA assignments, enabling a study of student-assignment encounters in action. The data we worked with consists of video-recordings from 71 Swedish 15-year-old students working with three released units from the PISA science test. According to our analysis, the "real-life situations" described in the test emerge as problematic in the students' meaning-making. This is demonstrated for instance by the students' positioning themselves as being different from and opposed to the fictional pictured students who appear in the backstories of the test. This article provides examples of how the scientific and academic language used by the fictional students in the assignments mediates distance and resistance among the students. The fictional students' use of strict scientific language and methods in day-to-day life situations leads them to be perceived as "little scientists" and as elite stereotypes of the scientific culture. We conclude that, by using assignments of this type, measurements of students' knowledge in science run the risk of becoming a measurement of cultural consistency regarding how well students will overcome the hurdles of scientific cultures. We mean that all though understanding the scientific culture is an important goal for science education, there is a problem that the assessment organizations communicate the results as representations of students' knowledge in science. This study adheres to research that advises caution in not over-interpreting the PISA results and stresses that understanding students' "knowledge" about science is much more complex than what is communicated by the international assessment organizations.

Real-Time Mapping Spectroscopy on the Ground, in the Air, and in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, D. R.; Allwood, A.; Chien, S.; Green, R. O.; Wettergreen, D. S.

2016-12-01

Real-time data interpretation can benefit both remote in situ exploration and remote sensing. Basic analyses at the sensor can monitor instrument performance and reveal invisible science phenomena in real time. This promotes situational awareness for remote robotic explorers or campaign decision makers, enabling adaptive data collection, reduced downlink requirements, and coordinated multi-instrument observations. Fast analysis is ideal for mapping spectrometers providing unambiguous, quantitative geophysical measurements. This presentation surveys recent computational advances in real-time spectroscopic analysis for Earth science and planetary exploration. Spectral analysis at the sensor enables new operations concepts that significantly improve science yield. Applications include real-time detection of fugitive greenhouse emissions by airborne monitoring, real-time cloud screening and mineralogical mapping by orbital spectrometers, and adaptive measurement by the PIXL instrument on the Mars 2020 rover. Copyright 2016 California Institute of Technology. All Rights Reserved. We acknowledge support of the US Government, NASA, the Earth Science Division and Terrestrial Ecology program.

BingEO: Enable Distributed Earth Observation Data for Environmental Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, H.; Yang, C.; Xu, Y.

2010-12-01

Our planet is facing great environmental challenges including global climate change, environmental vulnerability, extreme poverty, and a shortage of clean cheap energy. To address these problems, scientists are developing various models to analysis, forecast, simulate various geospatial phenomena to support critical decision making. These models not only challenge our computing technology, but also challenge us to feed huge demands of earth observation data. Through various policies and programs, open and free sharing of earth observation data are advocated in earth science. Currently, thousands of data sources are freely available online through open standards such as Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS). Seamless sharing and access to these resources call for a spatial Cyberinfrastructure (CI) to enable the use of spatial data for the advancement of related applied sciences including environmental research. Based on Microsoft Bing Search Engine and Bing Map, a seamlessly integrated and visual tool is under development to bridge the gap between researchers/educators and earth observation data providers. With this tool, earth science researchers/educators can easily and visually find the best data sets for their research and education. The tool includes a registry and its related supporting module at server-side and an integrated portal as its client. The proposed portal, Bing Earth Observation (BingEO), is based on Bing Search and Bing Map to: 1) Use Bing Search to discover Web Map Services (WMS) resources available over the internet; 2) Develop and maintain a registry to manage all the available WMS resources and constantly monitor their service quality; 3) Allow users to manually register data services; 4) Provide a Bing Maps-based Web application to visualize the data on a high-quality and easy-to-manipulate map platform and enable users to select the best data layers online. Given the amount of observation data accumulated already and still growing, BingEO will allow these resources to be utilized more widely, intensively, efficiently and economically in earth science applications.

Enabling Earth Science Measurements with NASA UAS Capabilites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albertson, Randal; Schoenung, Susan; Fladeland, Matthew M.; Cutler, Frank; Tagg, Bruce

2015-01-01

NASA's Airborne Science Program (ASP) maintains a fleet of manned and unmanned aircraft for Earth Science measurements and observations. The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) range in size from very large (Global Hawks) to medium (SIERRA, Viking) and relatively small (DragonEye). UAS fly from very low (boundary layer) to very high altitude (stratosphere). NASA also supports science and applied science projects using UAS operated by outside companies or agencies. The aircraft and accompanying data and support systems have been used in numerous investigations. For example, Global Hawks have been used to study both hurricanes and atmospheric composition. SIERRA has been used to study ice, earthquake faults, and coral reefs. DragonEye is being used to measure volcanic emissions. As a foundation for NASA's UAS work, Altair and Ikkana not only flew wildfires in the Western US, but also provided major programs for the development of real-time data download and processing capabilities. In early 2014, an advanced L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) also flew for the first time on Global Hawk, proving the utility of UAVSAR, which has been flying successfully on a manned aircraft. In this paper, we focus on two topics: 1) the results of a NASA program called UAS-Enabled Earth Science, in which three different science teams flew (at least) two different UAS to demonstrate platform performance, airspace integration, sensor performance, and applied science results from the data collected; 2) recent accomplishments with the high altitude, long-duration Global Hawks, especially measurements from several payload suites consisting of multiple instruments. The latest upgrades to data processing, communications, tracking and flight planning systems will also be described.

Ensuring Credibility of NASA's Earth Science Data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiden, M. E.; Ramapriyan, H. K.; Mitchell, A. E.; Berrick, S. W.; Walter, J.; Murphy, K. J.

2013-12-01

The summary description of the Fall 2013 AGU session on 'Data Curation, Credibility, Preservation Implementation, and Data Rescue to Enable Multi-Source Science' identifies four attributes needed to ensure credibility in Earth science data records. NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program has been working on all four of these attributes: transparency, completeness, permanence, and ease of access and use, by focusing on them and upon improving our practices of them, over many years. As far as transparency or openness, NASA was in the forefront of free and open sharing of data and associated information for Earth observations. The US data policy requires such openness, but allows for the recoup of the marginal cost of distribution of government data and information - but making the data available with no such charge greatly increases their usage in scientific studies and the resultant analyses hasten our collective understanding of the Earth system. NASA's currently available Earth observations comprise primarily those obtained from satellite-borne instruments, suborbital campaigns, and field investigations. These data are complex and must be accompanied by rich metadata and documentation to be understandable. To enable completeness, NASA utilizes standards for data format, metadata content, and required documentation for any data that are ingested into our distributed Earth Observing System Data and Information System, or EOSDIS. NASA is moving to a new metadata paradigm, primarily to enable a fuller description of data quality and fit-for-purpose attributes. This paradigm offers structured approaches for storing quality measures in metadata that include elements such as Positional Accuracy, Lineage and Cloud Cover. NASA exercises validation processes for the Earth Science Data Systems Program to ensure users of EOSDIS have a predictable level of confidence in data as well as assessing the data viability for usage and application. The Earth Science Data Systems Program has been improving its data management practices for over twenty years to assure permanence of data utility through reliable preservation of bits, readability, understandability, usability and reproducibility of results. While NASA has focused on the Earth System Science research community as the primary data user community, broad interest in the data due to climate change and how it is affecting people everywhere (e.g. sea level rise) by environmental managers, public policymakers and citizen scientists has led the Program to respond with new tools and ways to improve ease of access and use of the data. NASA's standard Earth observation data will soon be buttressed with the long tail of federally-funded research data created or analyzed by grantees, in response to John Holdren's OSTP Memorandum to federal departments and agencies entitled 'Increasing Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research'. We fully expect that NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program will be able to work with our grantees to comply early, and flexibly improve the openness of this source of scientific data to a best practice for NASA and the grantees

Improvements to the Ontology-based Metadata Portal for Unified Semantics (OlyMPUS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linsinbigler, M. A.; Gleason, J. L.; Huffer, E.

2016-12-01

The Ontology-based Metadata Portal for Unified Semantics (OlyMPUS), funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Advanced Information Systems Technology program, is an end-to-end system designed to support Earth Science data consumers and data providers, enabling the latter to register data sets and provision them with the semantically rich metadata that drives the Ontology-Driven Interactive Search Environment for Earth Sciences (ODISEES). OlyMPUS complements the ODISEES' data discovery system with an intelligent tool to enable data producers to auto-generate semantically enhanced metadata and upload it to the metadata repository that drives ODISEES. Like ODISEES, the OlyMPUS metadata provisioning tool leverages robust semantics, a NoSQL database and query engine, an automated reasoning engine that performs first- and second-order deductive inferencing, and uses a controlled vocabulary to support data interoperability and automated analytics. The ODISEES data discovery portal leverages this metadata to provide a seamless data discovery and access experience for data consumers who are interested in comparing and contrasting the multiple Earth science data products available across NASA data centers. Olympus will support scientists' services and tools for performing complex analyses and identifying correlations and non-obvious relationships across all types of Earth System phenomena using the full spectrum of NASA Earth Science data available. By providing an intelligent discovery portal that supplies users - both human users and machines - with detailed information about data products, their contents and their structure, ODISEES will reduce the level of effort required to identify and prepare large volumes of data for analysis. This poster will explain how OlyMPUS leverages deductive reasoning and other technologies to create an integrated environment for generating and exploiting semantically rich metadata.

Challenges and Successes Managing Airborne Science Data for CARVE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardman, S. H.; Dinardo, S. J.; Lee, E. C.

2014-12-01

The Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) mission collects detailed measurements of important greenhouse gases on local to regional scales in the Alaskan Arctic and demonstrates new remote sensing and improved modeling capabilities to quantify Arctic carbon fluxes and carbon cycle-climate processes. Airborne missions offer a number of challenges when it comes to collecting and processing the science data and CARVE is no different. The biggest challenge relates to the flexibility of the instrument payload. Within the life of the mission, instruments may be removed from or added to the payload, or even reconfigured on a yearly, monthly or daily basis. Although modification of the instrument payload provides a distinct advantage for airborne missions compared to spaceborne missions, it does tend to wreak havoc on the underlying data system when introducing changes to existing data inputs or new data inputs that require modifications to the pipeline for processing the data. In addition to payload flexibility, it is not uncommon to find unsupported files in the field data submission. In the case of CARVE, these include video files, photographs taken during the flight and screen shots from terminal displays. These need to captured, saved and somehow integrated into the data system. The CARVE data system was built on a multi-mission data system infrastructure for airborne instruments called the Airborne Cloud Computing Environment (ACCE). ACCE encompasses the end-to-end lifecycle covering planning, provisioning of data system capabilities, and support for scientific analysis in order to improve the quality, cost effectiveness, and capabilities to enable new scientific discovery and research in earth observation. This well-tested and proven infrastructure allows the CARVE data system to be easily adapted in order to handle the challenges posed by the CARVE mission and to successfully process, manage and distribute the mission's science data. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator: enabling science through a transatlantic lightpath

PubMed Central

Ellisman, M.; Hutton, T.; Kirkland, A.; Lin, A.; Lin, C.; Molina, T.; Peltier, S.; Singh, R.; Tang, K.; Trefethen, A.E.; Wallom, D.C.H.; Xiong, X.

2009-01-01

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator project has been designed to enable concurrent and remote usage of world-class electron microscopes located in Oxford and San Diego. The project has constructed a network consisting of microscopes and computational and data resources that are all connected by a dedicated network infrastructure using the UK Lightpath and US Starlight systems. Key science drivers include examples from both materials and biological science. The resulting system is now a permanent link between the Oxford and San Diego microscopy centres. This will form the basis of further projects between the sites and expansion of the types of systems that can be remotely controlled, including optical, as well as electron, microscopy. Other improvements will include the updating of the Microsoft cluster software to the high performance computing (HPC) server 2008, which includes the HPC basic profile implementation that will enable the development of interoperable clients. PMID:19487201

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator: enabling science through a transatlantic lightpath.

PubMed

Ellisman, M; Hutton, T; Kirkland, A; Lin, A; Lin, C; Molina, T; Peltier, S; Singh, R; Tang, K; Trefethen, A E; Wallom, D C H; Xiong, X

2009-07-13

The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator project has been designed to enable concurrent and remote usage of world-class electron microscopes located in Oxford and San Diego. The project has constructed a network consisting of microscopes and computational and data resources that are all connected by a dedicated network infrastructure using the UK Lightpath and US Starlight systems. Key science drivers include examples from both materials and biological science. The resulting system is now a permanent link between the Oxford and San Diego microscopy centres. This will form the basis of further projects between the sites and expansion of the types of systems that can be remotely controlled, including optical, as well as electron, microscopy. Other improvements will include the updating of the Microsoft cluster software to the high performance computing (HPC) server 2008, which includes the HPC basic profile implementation that will enable the development of interoperable clients.

Cloud Pedagogy: Utilizing Web-Based Technologies for the Promotion of Social Constructivist Learning in Science Teacher Preparation Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barak, Miri

2017-01-01

The new guidelines for science education emphasize the need to introduce computers and digital technologies as a means of enabling visualization and data collection and analysis. This requires science teachers to bring advanced technologies into the classroom and use them wisely. Hence, the goal of this study was twofold: to examine the…

A VO-Driven Astronomical Data Grid in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, C.; He, B.; Yang, Y.; Zhao, Y.

2010-12-01

With the implementation of many ambitious observation projects, including LAMOST, FAST, and Antarctic observatory at Doom A, observational astronomy in China is stepping into a brand new era with emerging data avalanche. In the era of e-Science, both these cutting-edge projects and traditional astronomy research need much more powerful data management, sharing and interoperability. Based on data-grid concept, taking advantages of the IVOA interoperability technologies, China-VO is developing a VO-driven astronomical data grid environment to enable multi-wavelength science and large database science. In the paper, latest progress and data flow of the LAMOST, architecture of the data grid, and its supports to the VO are discussed.

Enabling Near Real-Time Remote Search for Fast Transient Events with Lossy Data Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vohl, Dany; Pritchard, Tyler; Andreoni, Igor; Cooke, Jeffrey; Meade, Bernard

2017-09-01

We present a systematic evaluation of JPEG2000 (ISO/IEC 15444) as a transport data format to enable rapid remote searches for fast transient events as part of the Deeper Wider Faster programme. Deeper Wider Faster programme uses 20 telescopes from radio to gamma rays to perform simultaneous and rapid-response follow-up searches for fast transient events on millisecond-to-hours timescales. Deeper Wider Faster programme search demands have a set of constraints that is becoming common amongst large collaborations. Here, we focus on the rapid optical data component of Deeper Wider Faster programme led by the Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. Each Dark Energy Camera image has 70 total coupled-charged devices saved as a 1.2 gigabyte FITS file. Near real-time data processing and fast transient candidate identifications-in minutes for rapid follow-up triggers on other telescopes-requires computational power exceeding what is currently available on-site at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. In this context, data files need to be transmitted rapidly to a foreign location for supercomputing post-processing, source finding, visualisation and analysis. This step in the search process poses a major bottleneck, and reducing the data size helps accommodate faster data transmission. To maximise our gain in transfer time and still achieve our science goals, we opt for lossy data compression-keeping in mind that raw data is archived and can be evaluated at a later time. We evaluate how lossy JPEG2000 compression affects the process of finding transients, and find only a negligible effect for compression ratios up to 25:1. We also find a linear relation between compression ratio and the mean estimated data transmission speed-up factor. Adding highly customised compression and decompression steps to the science pipeline considerably reduces the transmission time-validating its introduction to the Deeper Wider Faster programme science pipeline and enabling science that was otherwise too difficult with current technology.