Using the Big Ideas in Cosmology to Teach College Students

Recent advances in our understanding of the Universe have revolutionized our view of its structure, composition and evolution. However, these new ideas have not necessarily been used to improve the teaching of introductory astronomy students. In this project, we have conducted research into student understanding of cosmological ideas so as to develop effective web-based tools to teach basic concepts important to modern cosmology. The tools are intended for use at the introductory college level. Our research uses several instruments, including open-ended and multiple choice surveys conducted at multiple institutions, as well as interviews and course artifacts at one institution, to ascertain what students know regarding modern cosmological ideas, what common misunderstandings and misconceptions they entertain, and what sorts of materials can most effectively overcome student difficulties in learning this material. These data are being used to create a suite of interactive, web-based tutorials that address the major ideas in cosmology using real data. Having students engage with real data is a powerful means to help students overcome certain misconceptions. Students master the scientific concepts and reasoning processes that lead to our current understanding of the universe through interactive tasks, prediction and reflection, experimentation, and model building.Comment: 2012 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C12102

Head-Worn Displays for NextGen

The operating concepts emerging under the Next Generation air transportation system (NextGen) require new technology and procedures - not only on the ground-side - but also on the flight deck. Flight deck display and decision support technologies are specifically targeted to overcome aircraft safety barriers that might otherwise constrain the full realization of NextGen. One such technology is the very lightweight, unobtrusive head-worn display (HWD). HWDs with an integrated head-tracking system are being researched as they offer significant potential benefit under emerging NextGen operational concepts. Two areas of benefit for NextGen are defined. First, the HWD may be designed to be equivalent to the Head-Up Display (HUD) using Virtual HUD concepts. As such, these operational credits may be provided to significantly more aircraft for which HUD installation is neither practical nor possible. Second, the HWD provides unique display capabilities, such as an unlimited field-of-regard. These capabilities may be integral to emerging NextGen operational concepts, eliminating safety issues which might otherwise constrain the full realization of NextGen. The paper details recent research results, current HWD technology limitations, and future technology development needed to realize HWDs as a enabling technology for NextGen

Effects of Exercise on Glycemic Response after Consumption of Monster Energy

Energy drinks have been anecdotally associated with deleterious cardiovascular health outcomes. These drinks contain ingredients, including but not limited to caffeine, which could affect glycemic response to the carbohydrate ingredients in the drink. Exercise alters insulin sensitivity and could be a factor related to the response to acute energy drink response. The aim of this study was to determine if acute exercise would alter the glycemic and physiological response to the consumption of Monster Energy ©. Following an overnight fast, human subjects (age 19.11±1.39; 30 female; 5 male) were randomized to exercise on a stationary bike at 33% of their predicted VO2 max for 10 minutes with a five minute sitting rest after, or sitting (control) for five minutes prior to ingestion of Monster Energy. Blood glucose, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured 0-, 30-, 60- , and 90-minutes postprandially. Data is represented as LSM ± SE with significance analyzed using a t-test, or multiple comparison test. Significance is assumed when P\u3c 0.05. Blood glucose (mg/dL) for control at 0-, 30-, 60-, and 90-minutes 91.58±1.2, 133.7±4.29, 96.3±4.17, and 82.4±1.82 mg/dL, respectively. For those receiving bike exercise prior to ingestion blood glucose was 92.2±1.2, 126.6±3.79, 92.5±2.27, 84.0±1.77 mg/dL. There were no significant blood glucose differences observed between groups across time, within group significance in both groups was observed between 0 and 30, 30 and 60, and 60 and 90, for control only. Heart rate for control at 0-, 30-, 60-, and 90-minutes was 78.0±3.06, 78.2±2.55, 78.6±2.6, and 74.4±1.85 respectively. For those receiving bike exercise prior to ingestion heart rate was 88.7±3.71, 85.5±2.69, 83.1±2.35, and 80.3±2.89. There were no significant heart rate differences observed between groups across time, within group significance in both groups was observed between 0 and 30, 30 and 60, and 60 and 90, for control only. Blood pressure for control at 0-, 30-, 60-, and 90-minutes was 86.8±2.05, 89.2±2.05, 89.2±2.5, and 87.6±2.6. For those receiving bike exercise prior to ingestion blood pressure was 90.6±3.07, 88.98±2.3, 88.2±1.97, and 86.98±2.08. There were no significant blood pressure differences observed between groups across time, within group significance in both groups was observed between 0 and 30, 30 and 60, and 60 and 90, for control only. In conclusion exercise probably does not alter the glycemic and physiological response to energy drinks.https://openriver.winona.edu/urc2019/1092/thumbnail.jp

Arterial hypoxaemia and its impact on coagulation:significance of altered redox homeostasis

AimsArterial hypoxaemia stimulates free radical formation. Cellular studies suggest this may be implicated in coagulation activation though human evidence is lacking. To examine this, an observational study was designed to explore relationships between systemic oxidative stress and haemostatic responses in healthy participants exposed to inspiratory hypoxia.ResultsActivated partial thromboplastin time and international normalised ratio were measured as routine clinical biomarkers of coagulation and ascorbate free radical (A•−) as a direct global biomarker of free radical flux. Six hours of hypoxia activated coagulation, and increased formation of A•−, with inverse correlations observed against oxyhaemoglobin saturation.ConclusionsThis is the first study to address the link between free radical formation and coagulation in vivo. This ‘proof-of-concept’ study demonstrated functional associations between hypoxaemia and coagulation that may be subject to redox activation of the intrinsic pathway. Further studies are required to identify precisely which intrinsic factors are subject to redox activation.</jats:sec

Visual Advantage of Enhanced Flight Vision System During NextGen Flight Test Evaluation

Synthetic Vision Systems and Enhanced Flight Vision System (SVS/EFVS) technologies have the potential to provide additional margins of safety for aircrew performance and enable operational improvements for low visibility operations in the terminal area environment. Simulation and flight tests were jointly sponsored by NASA's Aviation Safety Program, Vehicle Systems Safety Technology project and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to evaluate potential safety and operational benefits of SVS/EFVS technologies in low visibility Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) operations. The flight tests were conducted by a team of Honeywell, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and NASA personnel with the goal of obtaining pilot-in-the-loop test data for flight validation, verification, and demonstration of selected SVS/EFVS operational and system-level performance capabilities. Nine test flights were flown in Gulfstream's G450 flight test aircraft outfitted with the SVS/EFVS technologies under low visibility instrument meteorological conditions. Evaluation pilots flew 108 approaches in low visibility weather conditions (600 feet to 3600 feet reported visibility) under different obscurants (mist, fog, drizzle fog, frozen fog) and sky cover (broken, overcast). Flight test videos were evaluated at three different altitudes (decision altitude, 100 feet radar altitude, and touchdown) to determine the visual advantage afforded to the pilot using the EFVS/Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imagery compared to natural vision. Results indicate the EFVS provided a visual advantage of two to three times over that of the out-the-window (OTW) view. The EFVS allowed pilots to view the runway environment, specifically runway lights, before they would be able to OTW with natural vision

Enhanced/Synthetic Vision and Head-Worn Display Technologies for Terminal Maneuvering Area NextGen Operations

NASA is researching innovative technologies for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to provide a "Better-Than-Visual" (BTV) capability as adjunct to "Equivalent Visual Operations" (EVO); that is, airport throughputs equivalent to that normally achieved during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations rates with equivalent and better safety in all weather and visibility conditions including Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). These new technologies build on proven flight deck systems and leverage synthetic and enhanced vision systems. Two piloted simulation studies were conducted to access the use of a Head-Worn Display (HWD) with head tracking for synthetic and enhanced vision systems concepts. The first experiment evaluated the use a HWD for equivalent visual operations to San Francisco International Airport (airport identifier: KSFO) compared to a visual concept and a head-down display concept. A second experiment evaluated symbology variations under different visibility conditions using a HWD during taxi operations at Chicago O'Hare airport (airport identifier: KORD). Two experiments were conducted, one in a simulated San Francisco airport (KSFO) approach operation and the other, in simulated Chicago O'Hare surface operations, evaluating enhanced/synthetic vision and head-worn display technologies for NextGen operations. While flying a closely-spaced parallel approach to KSFO, pilots rated the HWD, under low-visibility conditions, equivalent to the out-the-window condition, under unlimited visibility, in terms of situational awareness (SA) and mental workload compared to a head-down enhanced vision system. There were no differences between the 3 display concepts in terms of traffic spacing and distance and the pilot decision-making to land or go-around. For the KORD experiment, the visibility condition was not a factor in pilot's rating of clutter effects from symbology. Several concepts for enhanced implementations of an unlimited field-of-regard BTV concept for low-visibility surface operations were determined to be equivalent in pilot ratings of efficacy and usability

Data-Link and Surface Map Traffic Intent Displays for NextGen 4DT and Equivalent Visual Surface Operations

By 2025, U.S. air traffic is predicted to increase 3-fold and may strain the current air traffic management system, which may not be able to accommodate this growth. In response to this challenge, a consortium of industry, academia and government agencies have proposed a revolutionary new concept for U.S. aviation operations, termed the Next Generation Air Transportation System or "NextGen". Many key capabilities are being identified to enable NextGen, including the concept of "net-centric" operations whereby each aircraft and air services provider shares information to allow real-time adaptability to ever-changing factors such as weather, traffic, flight trajectories, and security. Data-link is likely to be the primary source of communication in NextGen. Because NextGen represents a radically different approach to air traffic management and requires a dramatic shift in the tasks, roles, and responsibilities for the flight deck, there are numerous research issues and challenges that must be overcome to ensure a safe, sustainable air transportation system. Flight deck display and crew-vehicle interaction concepts are being developed that proactively investigate and overcome potential technology and safety barriers that might otherwise constrain the full realization of NextGen

External Vision Systems (XVS) Proof-of-Concept Flight Test Evaluation

NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program, High Speed Project is performing research, development, test and evaluation of flight deck and related technologies to support future low-boom, supersonic configurations (without forward-facing windows) by use of an eXternal Vision System (XVS). The challenge of XVS is to determine a combination of sensor and display technologies which can provide an equivalent level of safety and performance to that provided by forward-facing windows in today's aircraft. This flight test was conducted with the goal of obtaining performance data on see-and-avoid and see-to-follow traffic using a proof-of-concept XVS design in actual flight conditions. Six data collection flights were flown in four traffic scenarios against two different sized participating traffic aircraft. This test utilized a 3x1 array of High Definition (HD) cameras, with a fixed forward field-of-view, mounted on NASA Langley's UC-12 test aircraft. Test scenarios, with participating NASA aircraft serving as traffic, were presented to two evaluation pilots per flight - one using the proof-of-concept (POC) XVS and the other looking out the forward windows. The camera images were presented on the XVS display in the aft cabin with Head-Up Display (HUD)-like flight symbology overlaying the real-time imagery. The test generated XVS performance data, including comparisons to natural vision, and post-run subjective acceptability data were also collected. This paper discusses the flight test activities, its operational challenges, and summarizes the findings to date

Synthetic and Enhanced Vision System for Altair Lunar Lander

Past research has demonstrated the substantial potential of synthetic and enhanced vision (SV, EV) for aviation (e.g., Prinzel & Wickens, 2009). These augmented visual-based technologies have been shown to significantly enhance situation awareness, reduce workload, enhance aviation safety (e.g., reduced propensity for controlled flight -into-terrain accidents/incidents), and promote flight path control precision. The issues that drove the design and development of synthetic and enhanced vision have commonalities to other application domains; most notably, during entry, descent, and landing on the moon and other planetary surfaces. NASA has extended SV/EV technology for use in planetary exploration vehicles, such as the Altair Lunar Lander. This paper describes an Altair Lunar Lander SV/EV concept and associated research demonstrating the safety benefits of these technologies

Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic Simulation Evaluation

A Collision Avoidance for Airport Traffic (CAAT) concept for the airport Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA) was evaluated in a simulation study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. CAAT is being designed to enhance surface situation awareness and provide cockpit alerts of potential conflicts during runway, taxi, and low altitude air-to-air operations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pilot reaction to conflict events in the TMA near the airport, different alert timings for various scenarios, alerting display concepts, and directive alerting concepts. This paper gives an overview of the conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) concept, simulation study, and test result