http://amser.org/index.php?P=Home AMSER (the Applied Math and Science Education Repository) provides educational resources and services built specifically for use by those in Community and Technical Colleges but free for anyone to use. http://amser.org//SPTUI--CWIS/images/cwis_logo.gif http://amser.org//SPTUI--CWIS/images/cwis_logo.gif 69 21 AMSER Logo en-us ealmasy@scout.wisc.edu ealmasy@scout.wisc.edu Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=12076 The Biomedical Engineering (BME) department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) has taught a microcontroller applications course for many years. In this course, students learn how to program a microcontroller and interface it to hardware to develop biomedical instruments, such as a heart rate monitor and temperature sensor. With the development of a joint BME department at UNC and North Carolina State University (NCSU), the faculty realized that it would be beneficial to teach the class jointly at NCSU, as the students there needed more hands-on opportunities in biomedical instrumentation. The class meets twice each week using videoconferencing equipment. Both classrooms are equipped with multiple screens for viewing video of the distant location, as well as sharing a computer desktop. Students work in the laboratory on weekly homework assignments and miniprojects, in which they program microcontrollers and develop biomedical instruments. The laboratories on each campus have equivalent hardware setups, as well as videoconferencing equipment so that faculty can help the students remotely. The primary teacher for this class is based at UNC, and he occasionally travels to NCSU to work with those students directly. In addition, a faculty member at NCSU is present for most classes, and he is available to provide assistance to the NCSU students outside of class. In this manner, the NCSU students have opportunities to get in-person help from a faculty member. Feedback on this experience was measured at mid-semester and at the end of the semester. This experience can serve as a model for teaching courses jointly at our universities as well as elsewhere. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=11264 This Florida Department of Health web site is part of the Aquatic Toxins Program to protect Florida's citizens and visitors from exposure and illness from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The site summarizes health concerns associated with Cyanobacteria blooms, as well as their threat to water quality, ecosystem stability, and surface drinking water supplies. Links are provided to the PDF monograph "Health Effects of Exposure to Cyanobacteria Toxins: State of the Science" which consists of three panels: Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida, National and International Perspective, and Agency Activities. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=3461 Slide shows a 40X image of prostate adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 3, Score 6 infiltrating between benign prostate glands. Note the larger nuclei with prominent nucleoli in the carcinoma compared to the adjacent benign glands.Specimen Type: cellMagnification: 40Annotated: falseDisease diagnosis: neoplastic Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=10064 Read life stories of inventors who came up with the buckeyball, better solar cells, the maser, laser cooling, and more. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=9453 This lab activity uses computer operated motion detectors and software to generate motion graphs. Students provide the data by walking in front of the motion detector, or rolling balls. Questions are provided to help the students explore the motion concepts. There are also questions asking students to predict the motion graphs before running the experiment. No calculations are needed. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=9791 This website contains an article about a natural nuclear reactor, which was located in Gabon, West Africa. The article contains quotations from researchers plus information about the discovery and how a natural reactor is possible. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=9845 This resource is a free online version of the Benchmarks compiled and published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It is a statement of what all students should know and be able to do in science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. The document is searchable, and contains links to cognitive research for each benchmark category. Benchmarks does not advocate particular teaching methods or curriculum design. It was developed to provide a research-based sequence of specific learning goals that educators can use in curriculum building. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=10579 This website provides information on Pluto, Charon, and the Kuiper Belt. It also discusses important people who have been involved with discovering information on Pluto, possible future missions to Pluto, and the spacecraft that could be used and the people who designed it. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=10622 This site offers information about binary stars. There are many complex computations in this website along with other links to help explain the concepts. They are in the form of websites, articles, software, and visuals. Some of the topics include: a simple model for computing light curves, shape of a rotating star, and many more. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=10629 This web page illustrates the Stern-Gerlach effect on spin 1/2 particles. Movies and an illustration show the time-dependent properties of wavepackets in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. Examples are given for silver atoms, ions, and electrons. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=12905 This course is provided by Nano4Me.org, a product of the National Center for Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK Center) which is based at the Penn State College of Engineering and is funded through the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. This course is provided in PowerPoint and "examines a variety of techniques and measurements essential for testing and for controlling material fabrication and final device performance." Topics include profilometry, ellipsometry, reflective spectroscopy, FTIR, Spectrophotometer, Optical Microscopes, and more. The course includes thorough coverage of each topic and includes a number of examples and illustrations. To access this and other resources on Nano4me.org a free, quick, and simple registration process is required. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=11283 This web paper investigates the influence of humic acids on the microbial degradation of PAHs in fuel and oil products at a contaminated site. Solubility and mobility of PAHs in contaminated aquifers are discussed, evaluation of the potential use of humic acids as a remedial technology to enhance the solubility and biodegradation of residual PAHs. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=11108 This Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal article (PDF) reports the discovery of group II introns in a bacterial mat sample collected from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent near 9°N on the East Pacific Rise. One of the introns was shown to self-splice in vitro. This is the first example of marine bacterial introns from molecular population structure studies of microorganisms that live in the proximity of hydrothermal vents. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=11499 This website features Peter Franks, a Professor of Biological Oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography working in the Marine Life Research Group. He is a phytoplankton ecologist studying physical-biological interactions in the plankton, that is, how the physical processes in the ocean influence the growth and distribution patterns of phytoplankton. The panel at the bottom of the page links to descriptions of Peter's work, descriptions and animations from ongoing projects, and other useful web pages. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600 http://amser.org//index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=3460 Slide shows a 20X image of prostate adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 3, Score 6 infiltrating between benign prostate glands. Note the larger nuclei with prominent nucleoli in the carcinoma compared to the adjacent benign glands.Specimen Type: cellMagnification: 20Annotated: falseDisease diagnosis: neoplastic Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:02 -0600