George Day Welsh nas relações entre a Madeira e os Estados Unidos da América (primeira metade do século XIX)

Tendo este trabalho como objecto de estudo a personalidade do cidadão americano George Day Welsh, radicado na Madeira no início do século XIX, pretende-se caracterizar, ao longo desta dissertação, os elementos fundamentais das relações entre a Ilha da Madeira e os Estados Unidos da América, aos níveis político, económico, social e cultural, e apenas no período relativo à primeira metade do século XIX. Organizado em quatro partes fundamentais (onde não se incluem nem a apresentação inicial que se segue, nem os apêndices finais de documentos e de gravuras antigas), este estudo começa por, na primeira parte, descrever as relações de Portugal com a Inglaterra e, em particular, com os Estados Unidos da América, país de origem de George Day Welsh, não deixando também de documentar a ida de marinheiros assim como a presença de madeirenses nos Estados Unidos da América. Na segunda parte, começando a traçar o percurso biográfico de George Day Welsh, descrevem-se os seus negócios e as suas acções em alguns dos concelhos da Madeira, dando igualmente uma especial atenção ao período da Guerra Civil, às relações concorrenciais entre aquele cidadão americano e John Marsh, assim como ao papel cultural de George Welsh na Madeira. As relações familiares de Welsh na Madeira são o assunto da terceira parte, onde se focam as questões relacionados com a sua chegada à Ilha, o seu casamento, a sua descendência, e a sua proximidade em relação a outros madeirenses ilustres, como é o caso do Conde de Carvalhal. Na conclusão final desta dissertação, referem-se não só as ideias principais deste percurso de investigação como algumas pistas para aperfeiçoá-lo e completá-lo.

Uma reavaliação do pensamento lógico de George Boole à luz da história da matemática

The aim of the present study is to reevaluate the logical thought of the English mathematician George Boole (1815 - 1864). Thus, our research centers on the mathematical analysis of logic in the context of the history of mathematics. In order to do so, we present various biographical considerations about Boole in the light of events that happened in the 19th century and their consequences for mathematical production. We briefly describe Boole's innovations in the areas of differential equations and invariant theory and undertake an analysis of Boole's logic, especially as formulated in the book The Mathematical Analysis of Logic, comparing it not only with the traditional Aristotelian logic, but also with modern symbolic logic. We conclude that Boole, as he intended, expanded logic both in terms of its content and also in terms of its methods and formal elaboration. We further conclude that his purpose was the mathematical modeling of deductive reasoning, which led him to present an innovative formalism for logic and, because the different ways it can be interpreted, a new conception of mathematics

Early Miocene bivalves from the Cape Melville Formation, King George Island, West Antarctica

Seven species of marine bivalves, including six new taxa, are described from the Cape early Miocene Melville Formation which crops out on the Melville Peninsula, King George Island, West Antarctica. The bivalve assemblage includes representatives of the families Nuculidae, Ennucula frigida sp. nov., E. musculosa sp. nov.; Malletidae, Neilo (Neilo) rongelii sp. nov.; Sareptidae, Yoldia peninsularis sp. nov.; Limopsidae, Limopsis psimolis sp. nov.; Hiatellidae, Panopea (Panopea) sp. cf. P. regularis; and Pholadomyoida (Periploma acuta sp. nov.). Species studied come from four sedimentary sections measured in the upper part of the unit. Detailed morphologic features of nuculoid and areoid species are exceptionally well preserved and allow for the first time reconstruction of muscle insertions as well as dentition patterns of Cenozoic taxa. Known geological distribution of the species is in agreement with the early Miocene age assigned to the Cape Melville Formation. The bivalve fauna from Cape Melville Formation is the best known from Antarctic Miocene rocks, a time of complex geologic, paleogeographic and paleoclimatic changes in the continent. The new fauna introduces new taxonomic and palaeogeographic data that bear oil the question of opening of sea gateways and distribution of Cenozoic biota around Antarctica.

Spatial variability models of CO2 emissions from soils colonized by grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and moss (Sanionia uncinata) in Admiralty Bay, King George Island

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Invertebrates from the Low Head Member (Polonez Cove Formation, Oligocene) at Vaureal Peak, King George Island, West Antarctica

Eight taxa of marine invertebrates, including two new bivalve species, are described from the Low Head Member of the Polonez Cove Formation (latest early Oligocene) cropping out in the Vaureal Peak area, King George Island, West Antarctica. The fossil assemblage includes representatives of Brachiopoda (genera Neothyris sp. and Liothyrella sp.), Bivalvia (Adamussium auristriatum sp. nov., ?Adamussium cf. A. alanbeui Jonkers, and Limatula (Antarctolima) ferraziana sp. nov.), Bryozoa, Polychaeta (serpulid tubes) and Echinodermata. Specimens occur in debris flows deposits of the Low Head Member, as part of a fan delta setting in a high energy, shallow marine environment. Liothyrella sp., Adamussium auristriatum sp. nov. and Limatula ferraziana sp. nov. are among the oldest records for these genera in King George Island. In spite of their restrict number and diversification, bivalves and brachiopods from this study display an overall dispersal pattern that roughly fits in the clockwise circulation of marine currents around Antarctica accomplished in two steps. The first followed the opening of the Tasmanian Gateway at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, along the eastern margin of Antarctica, and the second took place in post-Palaeogene time, following the Drake Passage opening between Antarctic Peninsula and South America, along the western margin of Antarctica.

Spatial and temporal variability in soil CO2-C emissions and relation to soil temperature at King George Island, maritime Antarctica

Few studies have examined the effects of temperature on spatial and temporal trends in soil CO2-C emissions in Antarctica. In this work, we present in situ measurements of CO2-C emissions and assess their relation with soil temperature, using dynamic chambers. We found an exponential relation between CO2 emissions and soil temperature, with the value of Q10 being close to 2.1. Mean emission rates were as low as 0.026 and 0.072 g of CO2-C m-2 h-1 for bare soil and soil covered with moss, respectively, and as high as 0.162 g of CO2-C m-2 h-1 for soil covered with grass, Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae). A spatial variability analysis conducted using a 60-point grid, for an area with mosses (Sannionia uncianata) and D. antarctica, yielded a spherical semivariogram model for CO2-C emissions with a range of 1 m. The results suggest that soil temperature is a controlling factor on temporal variations in soil CO2-C emissions, although spatial variations appear to be more strongly related to the distribution of vegetation types. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. and NIPR.

Review of economic evaluation of proposed new port at George Town, Cayman Islands

Includes bibliography