Monthly Archives: June 2012

Astronomy: June astronomy highlights

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Jun 1 2012 By Ninian Boyle

You need to stay up late to get dark skies this month and they are short lived, but don't let that stop you from going out and having a look around at the wonders of the heavens.

So the planet Venus is going to transit the face of the Sun. So what? Well to astronomers the world over this is a big event. It happens once every 105.5 or 121.5 years and then has a gap of 8 years. Why it happens like this is a little complex, but suffice it to say, because of its rarity, it is an interesting event.

We are now in the season of Noctilucent Clouds. The best time to try and see these, if there are any to see that is, will be about an hour after sunset or before sunrise. You'll need clear skies and look towards the northern horizon. They have a distinctive look, having an almost 'electric blue' colour to them and they often occur in herring bone patterns. Check out my blog for more information on these and what you can expect to see.

We have two planets left to view in the evening skies, that of Mars and Saturn. We are moving away quite rapidly from Mars now and it can be disappointing through a telescope due to it showing a very small disc. However, with patient observing through a telescope, it may still show a few dark markings and a polar cap.

The Sun is very active now and is heading towards 'Solar Max' in 2013. You need to take great care if you plan to observe our nearest star and this includes if you plan to see the Transit of Venus across its face. Sunspot counts are rising and if you have access to a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope you will be able to see lots of activity including prominences and filaments.

The constellations and asterisms of Summer are now coming well into view, including the 'Summer Triangle', the 'Keystone' asterism in the constellation of Hercules and the 'Northern Cross' of Cygnus the Swan. Asterisms are a great way of navigating your way around the sky. If you would like to know more about this, then I'll be describing how you can find out how you can use them, next month.

The Moon This Month

We see a Full Moon on the 4th. The Full Moon in June is otherwise known as the Rose Moon, Flower Moon, Strawberry Moon or the Honey Moon. Whatever you may like to call it, it certainly looks impressive. The Full Moon though, is not the best time to go exploring our nearest neighbour in space with a telescope or binoculars, as there is little shadow to make the features such as craters, stand out.

The Planets This Month

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Astronomy: June astronomy highlights

Astronomy: Astronomy summer imaging targets

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Jun 1 2012 By David Moulton

Sadr

The summer months give the opportunity to image some spectacular large Nebulae, some of which span many times the size of the full moon.

The surprise to many is the fact that only very small telescopes are needed to capture these vast dust and gas clouds

On the one hand,imaging the Night Sky during the summer months has the bonus of being warm outside, much more comfortable from the Astronomers perspective . However the nights are very short this time of year and this poses a major challenge for most of us that image the night sky. The problems get worse the further North in the UK you are.

DuringJune the nights not only are very short but just to add difficulty, they dont get completely dark either. For me with my equipment it becomes near impossible to get enough imaging time on an object to producea finished colour picture out of the camera in one sitting, two or three nights are usually required.

The included image I tooklast week usinga Hydrogen Alpha Narrowband filter. The image shows a wide field view of the Sadr region of Cygnus (Sadr being the central foreground star in the cross of Cygnus) .This is a new imaging target for me and this Ha monochrome image shows masses of detail in the Hydrogen gas clouds.

The Nebula itself lies some 3,000 light years away from us and covers a vast area. The foreground Star, Sadr is so bright it is difficult to control and produces large halos when using Narrow band imaging filters. The star itself is not associated with the Nebula in any way and is just a line of sight effect

Ineed at least one more night on this target to get enough data to produce a colour image of the region and I am very keen to get it finished. Hopefully I will get the opportunity and will post up the finished result soon

If you want to learn more about imaging the night sky or any aspect of astronomy you can visit us at our website where we have contact details for anyone that wants to get in touch we are always happy to help

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Astronomy: Astronomy summer imaging targets

Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host viewing for rare transit of Venus

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Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Members of the astronomy club will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Science Museum Oklahoma for a live viewing of the transit of Venus across the sun. Experts say the event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sixty-six million miles away might feel a lot closer Tuesday.

Astronomy fans are in for a once-in-a-lifetime event next week as a transit of the planet Venus will be visible from Oklahoma.

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For more information about the viewing party, call 602-3760 or go to http://www.sciencemuseumok.org.

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Its orbit takes it across the face of the sun, making it visible from Earth as a small, black dot.

The Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host a live viewing of the transit of Venus, starting at 5 p.m. at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52.

Club President Brad Ferguson said Earth won't be in a position to see the cosmic phenomenon again until December 2117.

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Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host viewing for rare transit of Venus

Crotchety spacecraft | Bad Astronomy

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I have creative friends.

Emily Lakdawalla is a scientist, science journalist, and tireless advocate for space exploration. She also does handcrafts, and recently asked me for my mailing address. Hmmm I thought. Thisll be good.

And I was right! Heres what she sent me:

How cool is that? Its a satellite model made with plastic canvas. Thats a plastic mesh you can cut to size, then stitch yarn in and out of the holes to cover it. I did a live video chat with Emily when Phobos-GRUNT re-entered, and she lamented my not having a good model of a satellite to use for demos. So she made me this one. And look how she signed the letter! I hope you recognize the little guy in her doodle.

I (and many others) suggested she make more spacecraft this way, and she has; she wrote a post at the Planetary Society Blog about them. Shes also created both the patterns and kits for MESSENGER (currently orbiting Mercury) and Dawn (orbiting Vesta, soon to leave for Ceres) which you can buy at her Etsy store (called SpaceCraft, of course). She also has the pattern for the twin GRAIL spacecraft available for free.

Ill add that Emily scolded me that this is not crochet since you dont use a crochet hook. However, the title was too much fun to resist. By the time you read this Ill be at SpaceFestIV; Emily will be there too. I hope shell forgive me.

But either way, I know have this awesome little model to use for the next time I do a live video chat. Thanks, Em!

Related Posts:

- Snapshots from space - Rosettas stunning Mars - What happened to Phobos-Grunt? - Come to SpaceFestIV

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Crotchety spacecraft | Bad Astronomy

Astronomy club offers public the chance to view rare astronomical event

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This image, supplied by Theo Ramakers, shows the path Venus will take as it crosses the Sun on June 5.

The local astronomy club is offering free front row seats to a planetary event which won't occur again until 2117.

On Tuesday, shortly after 6 p.m. Venus orbits directly between the Sun and the Earth, allowing those on the Blue Planet to view Venus as a small dark spot crossing the Sun. The Charlie Elliott Chapter of the Atlanta Astronomy Club is inviting those interested to come take a look through two high-powered telescopes set up at Homer Sharp Stadium, 3109 Newton Drive in Covington.

"It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this and people will not be able to see this for another 105 years and I think this is the key attraction," said Theo Ramakers, education outreach coordinator for the Charlie Elliott Chapter of the Atlanta Astronomy Club. "We estimate over 1 million people will see this all over the world."

Because the orbit of Venus around the Sun is at a slight incline compared to that of Earth, and its orbit is at a different rate, Venus comes into the line of sight from Earth at infrequent intervals. Venus transits occur in pairs, each eight years apart (it last crossed the Sun in 2004), every 105 and 121 years.

The first person to observe Venus crossing the sun was Jeremiah Horrocks in 1639. He watched the transit by projecting an image of the sun onto a piece of paper via a telescope.

"The thing that really fascinates me about this is that at the time he saw the transit, this fellow was 21 and he was able to calculate when the transit was supposed to take place," said Ramakers.

Ramakers said by observing key transit points and paths from different locations on Earth, scientists have calculated the distance from Earth to Venus and from Earth to the Sun. The distance from Earth to the Sun, 93 million miles, has become the standard measurement -- one astronomical unit -- used by scientists to calculate the size of the solar system.

Ramakers said that he and other astronomy club members will set up their telescopes at 5 p.m. so that visitors can observe the Sun for a while before the transit of Venus.

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Astronomy club offers public the chance to view rare astronomical event

Intel inspired by aerospace to make sturdier laptops

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SAN FRANCISCO Engineers at Intel are applying lessons from aircraft design to create sturdier laptops in a bid to reduce the prices of the new ultra-thin computers the top chipmaker is promoting heavily.

Intel is counting on the super-thin laptops, a category it has dubbed ultrabooks, to add some pizzazz to a PC market languishing due to the growing popularity of Apple Inc's iPad.

Combining the best of laptops and tablets, the ultrabooks will have large, touch screens, "instant on" responsiveness and razor-thin dimensions all expensive features that have left some on Wall Street wondering if they might be too expensive for average consumers.

Engineers at Intel's Dupont, Washington R&D center, including former Boeing Co employees, have come up with a design method to make plastic laptop cases as strong as more expensive metal ones. That may cut the cost of future ultrabooks by between $25 and $75, said Ben Broili, head of the team.

Their work is an example of the steps Intel is taking to find ways to make future ultrabooks more affordable without cutting the prices of its processors.

At a meeting with analysts last month, Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini said ultrabooks would be available for as little as $699, but many are expected to be priced nearer to $1,000.

Borrowing from the aerospace industry, the engineers have found that hard drives, motherboards and other components that make up the guts of a PC can be laid out in ways that make the laptops structure much stronger.

"We didn't develop a new material. We are able to use an existing plastic with an existing manufacturing technology," he told Reuters in a telephone interview. "It just requires some more upfront thought initially about how you lay your system out and how you can bring these things together and tie them in."

Different components in the laptop can be leveraged to support its chassis, or even dissipate heat from the processor, he said.

"There is no one size fits all," Broili added. "We're trying to enable the entire industry. You can make trades, move stuff around; and if you don't want your hard drive here, then move it. You have a menu you can pick from and see what you win or lose from a cost and quality standpoint."

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Growing Aerospace Cluster Builds Up Its Own Talent Pipeline

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June 1, 2012, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS An innovative partnership among aerospacecompanies, educational institutions and regional leaders will develop more engineers,scientists and technicians for the growing aerospace industry that is facing a national talentshortage.

The Rockford region, a leading aerospace cluster in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin,has created the Joint Institute of Engineering & Technology-Aerospace (JiET-A). JiET-Aprovides high school and college students in the region a path to engineering degrees,including high-quality paid internships at leading aerospace companies. The initiative wasannounced at a news conference on May 23, 2012 at Kaney Aerospace.

The aerospace cluster includes more than 200 companies, from Boeing's corporateheadquarters in Chicago to four tier-one suppliers in Rockford and numerous companies upand down the supply chain. JiET-A is the latest example of the Rockford areas governmentand educational leaders working with companies to ensure their business success in the 21stcentury. Companies made it clear to community leaders that developing and recruiting qualifiedaerospace engineers, scientists and technicians is a key to their growth.

How it works

The regions new Joint Institute of Engineering & Technology-Aerospace (JiET-A) connectsaerospace companies to four colleges and universities where post-secondary students participate in high-quality internships that are integrated into their academic curriculum. WhenJiET-A students graduate, they bring valuable skills and experience into the regionalaerospace workforce. One-on-one mentors from aerospace companies are also part of JiET-A.Students can also apply for scholarships from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinoisand the participating higher educational institutions. JiET-A enhances students experiencesand guides them to successfully transition from school to the aerospace workforce.The participating colleges and universities are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, NorthernIllinois University, Rockford College and Rock Valley College. Internship opportunities areavailable at B/E Aerospace, Comply365, GE Aviation, Hamilton Sundstrand (a UnitedTechnologies company), Kaney Aerospace, Woodward and more.

Industrys Role

Representatives from the regions two largest tier-ones, Hamilton Sundstrand and Woodward,are part of the JiET-A steering committee. Hamilton Sundstrand provided a loaned executive tohelp coordinate the initiative and recruit companies for internships and mentorships. Thefollowing aerospace company representatives spoke at the May 23 news conference that wasattended by 100 community leaders.

GE Aviation Systems General Manager Carlos Miller said, We are quite impressed with whathas been created, the JiET-A Initiative. As a member of the aerospace industry, we welcomethis innovative and collaborative way of taking control and helping to shape the future. GEAviation is excited about adding interns through this effort and we know it will be good for theentire region.

Hamilton Sundstrand Electric Systems Director of Engineering Tom Gillis added, Theaerospace industry is facing a perfect storm with the engineering shortage and the long-termgrowth mode of the industry. The JiET-A program will enable our region to develop our owntechnical workforce to meet these growth opportunities, and to continue providing the goodpayingjobs that improve our local economy and quality of life.

Woodward Aircraft Turbine Systems Vice President of R & D and Systems Terry Voskuilnoted, Woodward is excited about this initiative. We need to create and fill a pipeline ofengineering talent to propel our future growth in Rockford.

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Can Aerospace Produce Enough Lift For Carpenter Technology?

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Carpenter Technology (CRS) has a lot going for it as a company. Few companies can match its technical capabilities (it's just one of three companies capable of making alloys good enough for the demands of jet engines), and there are growth opportunities everywhere for alloys that offer enhanced performance (strength, corrosion resistance, etc.) and less weight. What's more, the company's acquisition of Latrobe and ongoing capacity expansion will significantly boost its capabilities, particularly in premium products.

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Yet, for all of those good points, this is a still a cyclical business tied to major end-markets like aerospace and energy. While the surge in commercial aircraft production will almost certainly boost Carpenter's sales and earnings for the next several years, the question is how much of that is already in the stock and whether investors can really expect outsized gains here.

Aerospace Has a Longer Runway Boeing (BA) and EADS' Airbus are only at the beginning of what should be a multi-year surge in new commercial aircraft production. Not only are these aerospace giants expected to produce quite a few more planes, but these planes are going to include a lot more specialty materials, from carbon fiber from the likes of Hexcel (HXL) to more parts made from specialty alloys supplied by Carpenter, Allegheny (ATI) and Precision Castparts (PCP).

Energy and Transport Are Both EmergingWhile the penetration of specialty alloys and materials into aerospace has been a valid investment theme for more than a decade already, it's an increasingly relevant theme in energy and automotive markets as well. Energy exploration (drilling, in particular) is a highly demanding market where companies like Weatherford (WFT) and National Oilwell (NOV) are increasingly finding that new materials and production methods are necessary to cope with the demands of advanced service needs like fracking and horizontal drilling.

In autos, it's still about power and weight. The more steel a car or truck has, the more horsepower it requires to move that mass around and the more gasoline or diesel it needs. While building a vehicle chassis out of specialty alloy is impractical (though carbon fiber is popular in supercars), high-performance engines, gearboxes and other components increasingly rely on these lighter, stronger alloys to meet performance, efficiency and emissions demands.

Still a Commodity Business at HeartAlthough Carpenter has some relatively rare capabilities, and strong share in segments like aerospace fasteners, it is still a near-commodity business that serves cyclical industries. Carpenter hasn't seen quite the same swings in industry capacity as titanium product producers like Titanium Metals (TIE) or RTI (RTI), but this is nevertheless an industry that has repeatedly swung from over-capacity to under-capacity over the years, with prices and profitability dragged along for the ride.

Given that backdrop, it's not surprising that Carpenter's performance can swing between strong profitability (including double-digit returns on capital) to losses within a decade. Right now, investors are hoping that an extra-long aerospace cycle, combined with growing acceptance in new industrial, energy and medical markets, can smooth out that cyclicality and give Carpenter a more sustainable growth curve. While I suppose it's possible, I don't think it is all that probable.

SEE: Cyclical Versus Non-Cyclical Stocks

The Bottom LineGiven the range of multiples this stock has seen and the probable mid-cycle earnings, it's hard to call Carpenter Technology cheap today. In fact, it looks like it is more or less at fair value. Given that the upswing in titanium seems to be just beginning, it's tempting to call Titanium Metals or RTI a better value.

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Can Aerospace Produce Enough Lift For Carpenter Technology?

Healthy Minute: Got sweat questions, here’s answers

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Some sweat, others glisten either way it can happen at the most inopportune times. But the bottom line, according to dailyglow.com, is sweating is actually an essential part of every person's physiology. Read on to find out why its good for, and how to tell if you sweat too much.

What is sweat? Mostly water and salt, with small amounts of other substances, including minerals and electrolytes.

Does sweat detox the body? Nope, detoxing is the livers job.

Where does sweat come from? From the the 2 million and 4 million sweat glands spread over the entire body. While armpits have one of the highest concentrations, the glands are actually everywhere including the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. Two types of sweat glands are involved in perspiring. Eccrine glands, which respond to heat, are located just about everywhere on the body; they release an essentially odorless sweat directly onto the skin to cool the body. Apocrine glands develop in hair follicles - on the scalp and in armpits, for example - and they respond to heightened emotions as well as to heat. They release a fatty sweat thats broken down by bacteria on the skin, in a process that produces a stink.

Why do we sweat? Sweat glands are activated when the body gets hot or a person is experiencing stress. The sweat glands are under the control of the nervous system, says Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, who is also the medical director of the New York Cosmetic, Skin and Laser Surgery Center. So you can sweat when youre in a flight-or-fight situation and become upset or angry, just as you do when you become hot, such as when youre exercising.

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Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Names 2012-2013 Board of Directors

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Editors: Please note local interest.

Newswise CHICAGO Seventeen national leaders in nutrition, health and business will serve as the 2012-2013 Board of Directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the worlds largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

The Board is responsible for strategic planning, policy development and fiscal management for the Academy. Members of the Academys Board of Directors will serve from June 1 until May 31, 2013. They are:

Ethan A. Bergman, PhD, RD, FADA, CD, Ellensburg, Wash., President Bergman is associate dean in the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of food science and human nutrition at Central Washington University.

Lucille Beseler, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, Coconut Creek, Fla., Director-at-Large Beseler is president and owner of the Family Nutrition Center of South Florida.

Evelyn F. Crayton, EdD, RD, LD, Auburn, Ala., Director-at-Large Crayton is an extension assistant director in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and a professor in the College of Human Sciences department of nutrition, dietetics and hospitality at Auburn University.

Joseph Derochowski, MBA, Chicago, Ill., Public Member Derochowski is vice president for business development marketing mix, price and promotion, and marketing ROI at Nielsen.

Becky Dorner, RD, LD, Naples, Fla., Speaker, House of Delegates Dorner is president of Becky Dorner & Associates Inc. and Nutrition Consulting Services Inc.

Sylvia A. Escott-Stump, MA, RD, LDN, Winterville, N.C., Past President Escott-Stump is the director of the dietetic internship and didactic programs at East Carolina University.

Linda T. Farr, RD, LD, San Antonio, Texas, House of Delegates Director Farr is the owner of Nutrition Associates of San Antonio.

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Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Names 2012-2013 Board of Directors

Good Health Habits=Longevity

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You've heard the constant drumbeat about the need to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, maintain your proper weight, get enough sleep, drink in moderation, and quit smoking if you want to live long and well. Now scientists have discovered proof positive that this regimen really does work for women.

As reported in the online resource PLoS ONE, a cross-sectional analysis of the now-classic Nurses' Health Study done by Qi Sun, M.D of the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues found that women who led healthy lifestyles had longer telomeres than those who didn't. Telomeres are buffers on the ends of chromosomes that help keep the chromosomes from deteriorating during cell division. If telomeres become too short, cellular senescence, or old age, can result. Previous research has shown that artificial lengthening of telomeres in laboratory mice and worms has successfully reversed signs of aging. The studies have never been replicated in humans, but Dr Sun's work suggests that we don't need to wait for a science fiction style medical miracle to keep our telomeres from shortening over time. Instead, all we have to do is buy into the healthy practices we all know by now are good for us.

As Dr. Sun and his colleagues wrote in their conclusion: "Adherence to a healthy lifestyle, defined by major modifiable risk factors, was associated with longer telomere length." Why not commit right now to making any changes in your health habits that have room for improvement? But don't overwhelm your good intentions by trying to do everything at once. Pick one area as a starting place and work on that until you're successful. Then move on to another goal. Before you know it, you'll be living the long telomere lifestyle and giving yourself the best chance possible of a celebrating many more healthy birthdays to come!

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DNA-wrangling robot performs 200,000 experiments a week

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9 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

When you think of robots in agriculture, you likelythink of automatic threshers, fruit picking machines and corn huskers. But a recent addition at an agricultural research center is doing fiddly lab work all day long -- at 100 times the rate of a full-time researcher.

There is much in science that requires a human touch: designing experiments, collecting field samples, and assessing the health of creatures in a study, for instance. But there are also many tedious portions, like running the same experiment on 50 different dishes of bacteria, and of course the inevitable sterilizing of lab equipment.

These tasks, more manual than intellectual labor (though no less critical to the end product), are beginning to be handed off to more capable, less error-prone hands. Hands that will work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no less.

What the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is looking into is how certain plants, like wheat and rice, activate different genes encoded into their DNA. If they can learn how aplant, say, responds to cold weatherby flowering early, they can use that information to help producean improved plant with a shorter growth period. Dr. Todd Mockler's lab is working on improving biofuel plants like switchgrass, which may be critical to green energy in coming decades.

The experiment being performed is one that has a long history in biology, but has always been performed manually. It's called Yeast 1 hybridizing, and it consists of essentially copying and pasting short strands of plant DNA into yeast's well-known genetic code, and letting the yeast multiply. They can then test the effects of certain moleculeson just those bits of DNA.

It's a well-known technique, but not without its weaknesses. The main problem is that if you have a lot of material to check, you're looking at thousands upon thousands of experiments as you exhaust every possible combination of DNA snippet and activating molecule. This means months of mind-numbing work as lab technicians pipette substances from one test tube to another. On the other hand, as Dr. Mockler told me,it's very valuable when you get results, because they're not simulated; it's real DNA reacting as it would in the wild.

A perfect match for a tireless machine, then. A human researcher working 40 hours a week can perform the monotonous testing at a rate of about 2000 per week. But in April, they installed a robot arm and a number of other automated machines, which work together to perform 200,000 such tests weekly. Dr. Mockler said he hoped to bring about desired changes in plants, such as improved yield per plant or better resistance to drought, within a few years rather than a decade or two.

But although the robot is powerful and never sleeps, it's still just a robot. Even this highly sophisticated machine can only do what it's told. Dr. Mockler explains:

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Posted in DNA

DNA suggests Utica firefighter was driving in near-fatal crash

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DNA samples recovered from a serious car collision in 2010 indicate that an off-duty Utica firefighter was behind the wheel at the time of the allegedly alcohol-related crash, prosecutors said Friday.

While prosecutors argue this is compelling evidence that Travis Maurine misled police when he initially said his unconscious girlfriend at the time, Kate Rizzo, was driving and not him, Maurines defense attorney said its no surprise that his DNA would be found in a vehicle they both used together.

The prosecutor, however, said that has nothing to do with DNA that was found on an airbag that deployed after the two-car collision on Route 233 in Rome on Dec. 18, 2010.

Once an airbag is deployed, its never used again, Assistant District Attorney Stacey Paolozzi said following a brief proceeding Friday in Oneida County Court.

Maurine, 25, of Waterville, was supposed to report whether he wanted to accept or reject a plea offer in connection to charges of second-degree and third-degree assault, second-degree vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right.

But when Maurines attorney, George Aney, asked for more time to review Maurines hospital records and Rizzos blood results, Judge Michael L. Dwyer said Maurine will have until Tuesday, June 19, to make a final decision on the offer.

At this time, Aney said plea discussions have included the possibility of jail punishment.

Maurine is accused of moving his severely injured girlfriend into the drivers seat after the crash. Maurines blood alcohol level was not tested at the time, because first responders believed Rizzo had been driving, prosecutors said.

But once the near-fatal crash made the news, at least one person came forward to report that he or she might have seen the vehicle moments before the crash and that what they witnessed didnt coincide with what police were saying, Aney said.

Somebody may have called and said they might have observed something, and I think thats where the tide may have turned and police turned their investigation to both people in the vehicle, Aney said.

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DNA suggests Utica firefighter was driving in near-fatal crash

Posted in DNA

Big day for high school teacher

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An International Baccalaureate biology teacher at Schenectady High School has been named 2012 Schenectady City School District Teacher of the Year.

Annie Chien was surprised Thursday morning with news of the award in her classroom. She was nominated by co-worker Agnes Phillips, according to a statement released by Schenectady City School District.

"Annie Chien epitomizes the IB teacher," said Phillips, in the nomination letter. "She challenges her students to think, to produce and critique, not just reproduce knowledge."

Chien was up against 16 other nominees for the award. What made Chien standout from the others was the way she challenged her students to succeed, while learning in an exciting program, Phillips said.

Chien has been teaching IB biology since 2008 with a 100 percent passing rate on the internal assessment and 80 percent of her students scoring at the highest level, according to the school.

The IB diploma program is an internationally recognized, rigorous pre-university course of studies that surpasses New York state requirements. The program has also seen an enrollment increase of an average of 24 percent since 2009.

"Ms. Chien demonstrates the qualities of not just a great teacher, but a fantastic teacher who is extremely dedicated in guiding her students to success," said Jessica Sheremet, a senior at Schenectady High School who has been in Chien's classroom for two years.

Chien, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and biology from Barnard College of Columbia University, and a master's degree in education and technology from New York University.

Chien will be eligible to compete for this year's New York State Teacher of the Year contest.

Jackson Wang, a College of Saint Rose junior, is a Times Union intern. He can be reached at Jwang@timesunion.com.

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Big day for high school teacher

Biology class chemical makes students sick

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WESTERLY, R.I. --

It was an unexpected end to the school day for more than a dozen students at Westerly High School on Friday, after they apparently got sick from fumes in a biology classroom.

The first incident happened at about 8 a.m. when two students fainted within a few minutes of each other.

About an hour later, more students complained of symptoms and everyone in the science wing was moved to the auditorium.

"We had an evacuation at like 9 o'clock this morning," one student said.

A total of 17 students and one teacher were affected, and seven people were transported to Westerly Hospital.

"There was something related to a chemical in the biology lab. They shut down the science wing, and they're not letting any of the kids go in there," said student Jordan Degiacomo.

All of the students who felt sick were either in the biology classroom or adjacent to it. The class had planned to dissect a cow's heart and other specimens, preserved with a chemical called formalin.

"For a lay person, formalin perhaps could be watered down formaldehyde," said Chief David Sayles of the Westerly Fire Department.

Sayles called in the Hope Valley-Wyoming hazardous materials team and the Department of Environmental Management as a precaution.

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Biology Meets Typography With DNA Sans

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[Credit: Peng Yin, Bryan Wei, and Mingjie Dai]DNA is pretty incredible stuff, but who thought it could be turned into a font--and one thats still nicer than Comic Sans at that?

Three Harvard Medical School students--Peng Yin, Bryan Wei, and Mingjie Dai--created the font, nicknamed DNA Sans, by using DNA "tiles." These tiles, like tiny canvases, allow each single strand of DNA to fold into a rectangular tile. When the tiles are mixed together, they stick to each other and form something that resembles a miniature brick wall.

So how does a tiny brick wall make all the shapes needed for a font? As a wall, the tiles are pretty tiny--each is around 64-by-103 nanometers in size. The team discovered that it could make complex shapes by simply leaving out specific tiles. From there, the researchers made 107 two-dimensional shapes comprising of numbers, letters, Chinese characters, symbols, and random objects, like an eagles head and smiley face. They were also able to make different sized tiles using this method.

The tile project proved that you dont need long scaffolds to create DNA structures. Previous work required scaffolds for the structure to retain its shape, because new sets of strands were needed for each structure. With the tiles technique, you can use the same set repeatedly, due to the way tiles are left out--you just need to pick molecules carefully. The team created a robot to perform this task--the bot can pick the tiles and mix the required strands for each shape.

It's pretty fascinating stuff, really. Of course, you wont be seeing DNA Sans in the next edition of Microsoft Word, but it will be interesting to see how else the trios technique can be used.

Check out Discover Magazines post made entirely out of DNA Sans. You can see the full work and detailed explanation of the research team's method published on Nature.

[Nature News via Gizmodo]

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University News 6/2/2012

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Hardin-Simmons University commencement awardsSeveral awards were presented at the May 12 commencement exercises at Hardin-Simmons University:

Melissa Rosales of Mission was presented with the Minnie L. Anderson Award. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of behavioral science degree in social work. The Minnie L. Anderson Award is presented to a senior woman who has spent three or more years in residence at HSU, and who has excelled in character, personal development and service to the university.

Erin James-Brown of Garland was presented with the Hemphill Graduate Honor Award. She received her master of divinity degree. The Hemphill Graduate Honor Award is presented by the HSU graduate school to recognize the student who excels in academic studies, possesses character and behavior consistent with the university's purpose, and exhibits potential for significant contribution to his or her chosen field.

Lyndsay Mathews of Henrietta was presented with the Julius Olsen Medal. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in Bible and political science. The Olsen Medal is awarded annually to the graduate who has the highest grade average, has exemplified the highest scholarly achievement, and has completed at least 90 semester hours of residence credit at HSU.

Kyle Timmermann of Rockwall was presented with the George Skiles Anderson Award. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor of business administration degree, majoring in economics and finance. The George Skiles Anderson Award is presented to the senior man, who having spent three or more years in residence at HSU, has excelled in character, personal development and service to the university.Tarleton State University students inducted into honors societiesSeveral area residents were recently inducted into honors societies at Tarleton State University.

Todd Byers of Coleman, Keaton Hancock of Comanche, Dillon O'Dell of Woodson, Maria Pina of Comanche and Shandale Riley of Comanche were inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma national honor society.

Michelle Phillips and Ronald Wheless, both from Abilene, were inducted into the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society in Business Administration.Howard Payne University students inducted into Sigma Beta DeltaTwo area residents were recently inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta International Business Honor Society at Howard Payne University's School of Business. They are Timber Curtis of Olden and Tina Fuentes of Bangs.Des Moines University graduateCaleb Dickison of Abilene recently received a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Des Moines University.

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University News 6/2/2012

Grey's Anatomy's Chyler Leigh Finally Speaks About Her Heartbreaking Exit

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MORE: First Look: The Mob Doctor

"Earlier this year, I made the decision that season eight would be my last onGrey's Anatomy. I met with Shonda and we worked together to give Lexie's story appropriate closure. I am very lucky to have worked with this amazing cast and crew for five seasons. My experience onGrey's Anatomyis something that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I want to take this time to say thank you to the fans. Your unconditional love and support have made these last five years very special for me. I look forward to my next chapter and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey."

After the finale aired and the screen faded to black, Shonda took toTwitterto confirm that both Lexie and Teddy would not be returning next season.

"This finale was incredibly hard to write. I did not enjoy it. It made me sick and it made me sad. We end the season not knowing ANYTHING about the future. Except for two things. We know we are definitely saying goodbye to two of my favorite people: Chyler Leigh (Lexie) andKim Raver(Teddy)."

She continued:

"I love Chyler and I love the character of Lexie Grey. She was an important member of my Grey's family. This was not an easy decision. But it was a decision that Chyler and I came to together. We had a lot of thoughtful discussion about it and ultimately we both decided this was the right time for her character's journey to end. As far as I'm concerned Chyler will always remain a part of the Shondaland family and I can't wait to work with her again in the future."

Feel better, Lexie fans? Or will no kind words from Chyler close the wounds caused by her heartwrenching death in the finale?

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Grey's Anatomy's Chyler Leigh Finally Speaks About Her Heartbreaking Exit

UC Davis work in humanities receives $150,000 in UC-wide grants

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June 1, 2012

Rewarding UC Daviss work at the forefront of humanities research and teaching, faculty and graduate students have received a round of more than $150,000 in grants for 2012-13 from the University of California. The grants will enrich studies and outreach in areas ranging from human rights to digital tools for education.

This recognition of the work of UC faculty and graduate students shows the range and vitality of the humanities at UC Davis, said Jessie Ann Owens, professor of musicology and dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies at UC Davis.

The UC Presidents Faculty Research Fellowship in the Humanities, which comes with a $40,000 grant, went to Colin Milburn, an associate professor of English, for Mondo Nano: Fun and Games in the World of Digital Matter. Milburns research focuses on the cultural relations between literature, science, and technology.

Another grant, for $34,000, went to Keith Watenpaugh, an associate professor and director of the UC Davis Human Rights Initiative, for the creation of a UC multi-campus research group on human rights and the humanities. The grant was awarded by the UC Humanities Network. The new research group will be led by Watenpaugh and Alison Brysk, a professor of Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. The project, titled Re-envisioning the Human: Human Rights and Humanitarianism across the Humanities and Social Sciences: The UC Human Rights Collaboration, will coordinate research on human rights among various UC campuses to enrich human rights research and study across disciplines, Watenpaugh said.

Christina Cogdell, associate professor of design at UC Davis, received renewed funding of $10,000 from the UC Humanities Network for a multicampus research group, the Consortium on California Architecture and Design. The research group is studying the influence of design on culture and the role of California as a site for innovative design. More information on the project is available at: http://www.californiadesign.ucdavis.edu

Social Media, Insecure Work and New Conceptions of Labor Solidarity will be the focus of another new UC Davis-led working group, funded by $25,000 from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the UC Humanities Network on Humanities and [the Changing Conceptions of Work. This grant was awarded to two associate professors at UC Davis: Chris Benner, from the Department of Community & Human Development and Jesse Drew, from the technocultural studies program. Among other efforts, their working group will host a public forum and blog on the changing nature of work.More information on this grant is available at http://www.humanitiesandwork.org

The following UC Davis projects also received awards from the UC Humanities Research Institute:

These projects, led by UC Davis faculty and graduate students, received awards through the UC California Studies Consortium, which aims to bring together scholars to look at comprehensive critical mappings and re-mappings of California and its cultures. (www.californiastudies.org)

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 32,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget that exceeds $684 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

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UC Davis work in humanities receives $150,000 in UC-wide grants