Chemistry and Chemical Education Through Text and Image: Analysis of Twentieth Century Textbooks Used in Brazilian Context

Assuming that textbooks give literary expression to cultural and ideological values of a nation or group, we propose the analysis of chemistry textbooks used in Brazilian universities throughout the twentieth century. We analyzed iconographic and textual aspects of 31 textbooks which had significant diffusion in the context of Brazilian universities at that period. As a result of the iconographic analysis, nine categories of images were proposed: (1) laboratory and experimentation, (2) industry and production, (3) graphs and diagrams, (4) illustrations related to daily life, (5) models, (6) illustrations related to the history of science, (7) pictures or diagrams of animal, vegetable or mineral samples, (8) analogies and (9) concepts of physics. The distribution of images among the categories showed a different emphasis in the presentation of chemical content due to a commitment to different conceptions of chemistry over the period. So, we started with chemistry as an experimental science in the early twentieth century, with an emphasis change to the principles of chemistry from the 1950s, culminating in a chemistry of undeniable technological influence. Results showed that reflections not only on the history of science, but on the history of science education, may be useful for the improvement of science education.

Land use/cover change using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems : Pic Macaya National Park, Haiti

A post classification change detection technique based on a hybrid classification approach (unsupervised and supervised) was applied to Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Plus (ETM+), and ASTER images acquired in 1987, 2000 and 2004 respectively to map land use/cover changes in the Pic Macaya National Park in the southern region of Haiti. Each image was classified individually into six land use/cover classes: built-up, agriculture, herbaceous, open pine forest, mixed forest, and barren land using unsupervised ISODATA and maximum likelihood supervised classifiers with the aid of field collected ground truth data collected in the field. Ground truth information, collected in the field in December 2007, and including equalized stratified random points which were visual interpreted were used to assess the accuracy of the classification results. The overall accuracy of the land classification for each image was respectively: 1987 (82%), 2000 (82%), 2004 (87%). A post classification change detection technique was used to produce change images for 1987 to 2000, 1987 to 2004, and 2000 to 2004. It was found that significant changes in the land use/cover occurred over the 17- year period. The results showed increases in built up (from 10% to 17%) and herbaceous (from 5% to 14%) areas between 1987 and 2004. The increase of herbaceous was mostly caused by the abandonment of exhausted agriculture lands. At the same time, open pine forest and mixed forest areas lost (75%) and (83%) of their area to other land use/cover types. Open pine forest (from 20% to 14%) and mixed forest (from18 to 12%) were transformed into agriculture area or barren land. This study illustrated the continuing deforestation, land degradation and soil erosion in the region, which in turn is leading to decrease in vegetative cover. The study also showed the importance of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to estimate timely changes in the land use/cover, and to evaluate their causes in order to design an ecological based management plan for the park.

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 711 - Zu "Image de la France. Un sondage de l'opinion publique allemande" und "Enquête sur l'écoute et les conditions d'efficacité des émissions en langue allemande de la Radiodiffusion Francais à destination de l'Allemangne" sowie "The Effectiveness of Candid versus Evasive German-Language Broadcasts of the Voice of America. Final Report" (p. IX 185.3-22 - IX 186)

3. "Plan d'ensemble d'une enquête sur les attitudes generales de la population allemande a l'egard de la France et leurs consequences en ce qui concerne l'orientation des emissions en langue allemande de la radiodiffusion francaise", 18.05.1953. Typoskript, 7 Blatt; 4. "Note" Über Methode, Forschungsrichtung und Reichweite der Ergebnisse der Untersuchung; 18.05.1953; Typoskript, 7 Blatt; 5. "Note" Über Geschichte und Tätigkeit des Instituts für Sozialforschung; 18.05.1953; Typoskript, 5 Blatt; 6. Memorandum des Instituts zu Verfahren und ergebnissen der Untersuchung; 1954 [?]; Typoskript, 2 Blatt; 7.-17. Décamps, Jacques: Memoranden; 7. Memorandum, 12.09.1953; Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 8. "Memorandum re: Besprechung in Bad Godesberg in Bezug auf die französische Studie, am 04.September 1953", 10.09.1953. Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 9. "Memorandum re: Vorhaben des 'Centre d'Etudes Sociologiques, Paris', eine deutsch-französische Arbeitsgemeinschft für die Durchführung von Gemeindestudien zu gründen", 15.06.1953. Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 10. "Memorandum über den Besuch von M. Jean L. Pelosse, Centre d'Etudes sociologiques Paris", 12.06.1953. Typoskript, 3 Blatt; 11. "Bericht über die 'Journées d'Etudes eurropéennes sur la Population' Paris, 21., 22. und 23. Mai 1953", 01.06.1953; 12. "Bericht über den Stand der Verhandlungen mit dem Französischen Auswärtigen Amt und dem französischem Rundfunk. Besprechungen in Paris am 27. und 28. Mai 1953", 01.06.1953. Typoskript, 2 Blatt; 13. Angaben für Max Horkheimer zur Übergabe von Memoranden, Projektbeschreibungen und Briefentwürfen, Mai 1953; Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 14. "Bericht über das 'Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques'", 07.05.1953. Typoskript, 4 Blatt; 15. "Memorandum re: Methode der Gruppendiskussion", 04.05.1953. Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 16. "Besprechung im 'Institut francaise d'Opinion Publique, Paris' und bei der hohen Behörde Luxemburg" 30.04.1953; 17. "Besprechung im Auswärtigen Amt und bei dem französischen Rundfunk", 29.04.1953. Typoskript, 6 Blatt; 18. Horkheimer, Max: 1 Brief an den französischen Botschafter in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ohen Ort, ohne Datum; Typoskript, 1 Blatt; 19. Radiodiffusion-Télévision Francaise, le Directeur: 1 Briefabschrift an Jacques Décamps, Paris, 09.03.1954; 1 Blatt; 20. Plessner, Helmuth: 1 Brief an den französischen Außenminister, ohne Ort, 18.05.1953; 1 Blatt; 21. Plessner, Helmuth: 1 Brief an Radiodiffusion Francaise, ohne Ort, 18.05.1953; 1 Blatt; 22. Plessner, Helmuth: 1 Brief an den Ministerialrat der Sektion "Agences et Radio" im französischem Außenministerium, ohne Ort, 18.05.1953; 1 Blatt; "The Effectiveness of Candid versus Evasive German-Language Broadcasts of the Voice of America. Final Report", 1953. Typoskript, gebunden, 432 Blatt;

Satellite image mosaic of the Terra Nova Bay area (Victoria Land, Antarctica)

This work has been carried out as part of "Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide" and was supported financially be ENEA through a joint reasearch-program on Antarctic Earth Science with the University of Siena (Italy). The geopmorphological and glaciological research, of which this work forms a part, is coordinated by Prof. Giuseppe Grombelli.

Say The Word! Celebrate National Poetry Month with Inman E. Page Library

National Poetry Month is in full effect at Inman E. Page Library (April 2016)! Get ready to write, perform, and dialogue about the written word. We look forward to hearing your voice on the microphone.

Three-dimensional image reconstruction of dephosphorylated smooth muscle heavy meromyosin reveals asymmetry in the interaction between myosin heads and placement of subfragment 2

Regulation of the actin-activated ATPase of smooth muscle myosin II is known to involve an interaction between the two heads that is controlled by phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain. However, the three-dimensional structure of this inactivated form has been unknown. We have used a lipid monolayer to obtain two-dimensional crystalline arrays of the unphosphorylated inactive form of smooth muscle heavy meromyosin suitable for structural studies by electron cryomicroscopy of unstained, frozen-hydrated specimens. The three-dimensional structure reveals an asymmetric interaction between the two myosin heads. The ATPase activity of one head is sterically “blocked” because part of its actin-binding interface is positioned onto the converter domain of the second head. ATPase activity of the second head, which can bind actin, appears to be inhibited through stabilization of converter domain movements needed to release phosphate and achieve strong actin binding. When the subfragment 2 domain of heavy meromyosin is oriented as it would be in an actomyosin filament lattice, the position of the heads is very different from that needed to bind actin, suggesting an additional contribution to ATPase inhibition in situ.

Image recognition: Visual grouping, recognition, and learning

Vision extracts useful information from images. Reconstructing the three-dimensional structure of our environment and recognizing the objects that populate it are among the most important functions of our visual system. Computer vision researchers study the computational principles of vision and aim at designing algorithms that reproduce these functions. Vision is difficult: the same scene may give rise to very different images depending on illumination and viewpoint. Typically, an astronomical number of hypotheses exist that in principle have to be analyzed to infer a correct scene description. Moreover, image information might be extracted at different levels of spatial and logical resolution dependent on the image processing task. Knowledge of the world allows the visual system to limit the amount of ambiguity and to greatly simplify visual computations. We discuss how simple properties of the world are captured by the Gestalt rules of grouping, how the visual system may learn and organize models of objects for recognition, and how one may control the complexity of the description that the visual system computes.

Delft, Netherlands, ca. 1695 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Delfi Batavorum vernacule Delft, F. de Wit excudit. It was published ca. 1695. Scale [ca. 1:3,800]. Covers a portion of Delft, Netherlands. Map in Latin and Dutch. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Dutch National Grid: RD (Rijksdriehoekstelsel) GCS Amersfoort (Bessel 1841) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, fortifications, ground cover, and more. Includes also index.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Dordrecht, Netherlands, ca. 1695 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Dordracum vulgo Dortt, F. de Wit excudit. It was published ca. 1695. Scale [ca. 1:4,830]. Covers a portion of Dordrecht, Netherlands. Map in Latin and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Dutch National Grid: RD (Rijksdriehoekstelsel) GCS Amersfoort (Bessel 1841) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, fortifications, ground cover, and more. Includes also index.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Haarlem, Netherlands, ca. 1695 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Harlemum vulgo Haerlem, F. de Wit excudit. It was published ca. 1695. Scale [ca. 1:3,862]. Covers a portion of Haarlem, Netherlands. Map in Latin and Dutch. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Dutch National Grid: RD (Rijksdriehoekstelsel) GCS Amersfoort (Bessel 1841) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, fortifications, canals, ground cover, and more. Includes also index.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Leiden, Netherlands, ca. 1695 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Lugduni Batavorum vulgo Leyden sic ultimo amplificati delineatio, F. de Wit excudit. It was published ca. 1695. Scale [ca. 1:3,490]. Covers a portion of Leiden, Netherlands. Map in Latin and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Dutch National Grid: RD (Rijksdriehoekstelsel) GCS Amersfoort (Bessel 1841) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, fortifications, canals, ground cover, and more. Includes also index.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.