bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EVALUATION OF A TRAINING COURSE ON OPEN VASCULAR SURGICAL TECHNIQUES IN AORTOILIAC PATHOLOGY - 5 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Authors: Stancu Bogdan , Beteg Florin , Mironiuc Aurel , Muste Aurel , Gherman Claudia
Published: April 2015

Introduction. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy of a vascular surgery course (2008-2012), and to verify the viability and the feasibility of the vascular anastomoses.Material and method. Vascular surgical techniques performed simultaneously on pigs were: enlargement prosthetic angioplasty, abdominal aortic interposition graft and aortoiliac bypass. Endpoints of the study were the surgical skills and the technical quality, evaluated on a scale ranging from 1 (satisfactory) to 3 (very good) for our participants.Result. A significant improvement in vascular surgical skills tasks was observed during the study years and we also found a semnificative statistical association between the quality of suture and the surgical technique used (Kendall coefficient=0.71, p=0.001<0.05).Conclusions. Our course contributed to the improvement of technical vascular surgical skills of the operator teams, reproducing in vivo, in pigs, the intraoperative environment as in human patients.
Photodynamic therapy of melanoma using new, synthetic porphyrins and phthalocyanines as photosensitisers - a comparative study
Authors: Baldea Ioana , Ion Rodica- Mariana , Olteanu Diana Elena , Nenu Iuliana , Tudor Diana , Filip Adriana Gabriela
Published: April 2015

Melanoma, a cancer that arises from melanocytes, is one of the most unresponsive cancers to known therapies and has a tendency to produce early metastases. Several studies showed encouraging results of the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in melanoma, in different experimental settings in vitro and in vivo,as well as several clinical reports.Aims. Our study focuses on testing the antimelanoma efficacy of several new, synthetic photosensitisers (PS), from two different chemical classes, respectively four porphyrins and six phthalocyanines. Methods. These PS were tested in terms of cell toxicity and phototoxicity against a radial growth phase melanoma cell line (WM35), in vitro. Cells were exposed to different concentrations of the PS for 24h, washed, then irradiatied with red light (630 nm) 75 mJ/cm2 for the porphyrins and 1 J/cm2 for the phthalocyanins. Viability was measured using the MTS method.Results. Two of the synthetic porphyrins, TTP and THNP, were active photosensitizers against WM35 melanoma in vitro. Phthalocyanines were effective in producing a dose dependent PDT-induced decrease in viability in a dose-dependent manner. The most efficient was Indium (III) Phthalocyanine chloride, a metal substituted phthalocyanine.Conclusions. The most efficient photosensitizers for PDT in melanoma cells were the phthalocyanines in terms of tumor cell photokilling and decreased dark toxicity.
OPERATOR-RELATED RISK FACTORS OF ANASTOMOTIC LEAKS AFTER COLORECTAL SURGERY: AN UP-TO-DATE
Authors: Caziuc Alexandra , Dindelegan George Calin , Mironiuc Aurel
Published: April 2015

Digestive fistulas are a major complication after digestive surgery. Anastomotic leakage increases the hospitalization time, the prognosis and survival rate after colorectal surgical interventions.The factors involved are either systemic (determined by the patients’ co-morbidities), or local (vicious surgical technique or the injuries produced by the disease that requires the anastomosis). Although there are many studies regarding the risk factors of anastomotic leaks, there is no consensus for the role played by each one of them in the healing process of digestive sutures. Most authors sustain that the importance of systemic factors is secondary, the main role being played by the surgeon and the local conditions of the anastomosis.Knowledge of the risk factors can lead to new methods of reducing the incidence of anastomotic leaks by improving vascularization, limiting the tension and the duration of surgery, and by new surgical techniques used for digestive sutures.
Management of endometrial modifications in perimenopausal women
Authors: Nicula Renata , Costin Nicolae
Published: April 2015

Perimenopause has a variable length and time of onset and is characterized by its variability in hormonal levels. The histological changes in the perimenopausal endometrium may be represented by nonproliferative or proliferative benign or malignant lesions. A commonly encountered manifestation of endometrium lesions during menopausal transition is the abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).  The clinical management of AUB must follow a standardized classification system for optimal results. The medical and surgical treatment must be adapted according to age, risk factors, symptoms, and cycle irregularities. Use of alternative therapies and proper diet may result in improved long-term outcomes.
“Magical thinking” and the Emergence of New Social Movements
Authors: Taves Ann
Published: April 2015

Sørensen’s (2007) cognitive theory of magic offers more precise tools for analysing the cognitive dimensions of novelty and change across a range of cultural domains if we extract it from academic discussions of “religion” and “magic” and recast it generically in terms of the attribution of non-ordinary powers within temporally structured event-frames. Focusing on the agreements required to generate new collective rituals reveals the chief limitation of Sørensen’s theory of magic and Lawson and McCauley’s theory of ritual for understanding the emergence of new groups with new rituals: neither attends sufficiently to the contestations surrounding the interpretation of presumed originatory events, either when the original attributions are made or when “reformers” reanalyse them. Reformation Era debates over the Eucharist illustrate how subtle shifts in the interpretation of originatory events can signal critical shifts in counterpart connections that in turn lay the foundation for new movements based on new or “reformed” rituals. Although the historical interactions that lead to or preclude such agreements are the basic “stuff” of historical analysis, use of cognitive tools to describe underlying shifts provides a more adequate basis for comparing processes of emergence within and across cultures and time periods.
Christopher Boehm, Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame (New York: Basic Books, 2012), 352pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-46502-048- 5. £18.99 (hbk).
Authors: Wiebe Donald
Published: April 2015

Christopher Boehm, Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame (New York: Basic Books, 2012), 352pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-46502-048- 5. £18.99 (hbk).
Empreendedorismo na Enfermagem: panorama das empresas no Estado de São Paulo
Authors: Andrade Andréia de Carvalho , Ben Luiza Watanabe Dal , Sanna Maria Cristina
Published: April 2015

Objetivo: o presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar e caracterizar as empresas de enfermagem dirigidas por enfermeiros empresários, registradas na Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo até 2011. Método: trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo, cuja coleta de dados, realizada durante o mês de janeiro de 2012, foi efetuada no site da Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo, órgão para-governamental que tem a função de registrar a abertura de empresas e fiscalizar sua situação comercial. Resultados e conclusão: o estudo permitiu identificar que o enfermeiro empreendedor é uma realidade em ascensão a partir da identificação de 196 empresas abertas por esse profissional, posteriormente analisou-se o tempo de existência, a atividade econômica principal da empresa, valor de capital, porcentagem de sócios enfermeiros e a distribuição das empresas por região do Estado de São Paulo.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brazilian version of the Nonarthritic Hip Score
Authors: Castillo Leticia Nunes Carreras Del , Leporace Gustavo , Cardinot Themis Moura , Levy Roger Abramino , Oliveira Liszt Palmeira de
Published: April 2015

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE The Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) is a clinical evaluation questionnaire that was developed in the English language to evaluate hip function in young and physically active patients. The aims of this study were to translate this questionnaire into the Brazilian Portuguese language, to adapt it to Brazilian culture and to validate it. DESIGN AND SETTING Cohort study conducted between 2008 and 2010, at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). METHODS Questions about physical activities and household chores were modified to better fit Brazilian culture. Reproducibility, internal consistency and validity (correlations with the Algofunctional Lequesne Index and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index [WOMAC]) were tested. The NAHS-Brazil, Lequesne and WOMAC questionnaires were applied to 64 young and physically active patients (mean age, 40.9 years; 31 women). RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficient (which measures reproducibility) was 0.837 (P < 0.001). Bland-Altman plots revealed a mean error in the difference between the two measurements of 0.42. The internal consistency was confirmed through a Cronbach alpha of 0.944. The validity between NAHS-Brazil and Lequesne and between NAHS-Brazil and WOMAC showed high correlations, r = 0.7340 and r = 0.9073, respectively. NAHS-Brazil showed good validity with no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSION The NAHS was translated into the Brazilian Portuguese language and was cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian culture. It was shown to be a useful tool in clinical practice for assessing the quality of life of young and physically active patients with hip pain.
Percepção dos gestores sobre o uso de indicadores nos serviços de saúde
Authors: Lima Keler Wertz Schender de , Antunes José Leopoldo Ferreira , Silva Zilda Pereira da
Published: April 2015

Os indicadores de saúde refletem o quadro real das condições de saúde de uma população. Sua utilização pode orientar os gestores de saúde no planejamento e controle das atividades locais. Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever a percepção dos gestores de unidades de saúde quanto ao uso dos indicadores de saúde em suas ações de planejamento e controle dos serviços de saúde. Tratase de estudo descritivo e exploratório, com abordagem de análise qualitativa. O estudo foi realizado na subprefeitura da Aricanduva, a partir de entrevistas com gestores das unidades de saúde. Para a interpretação dos dados levantados utilizouse a análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática. Os trechos das falas dos gestores foram agrupados por temas. Os indicadores de saúde são subutilizados pelos gestores em suas ações de planejamento e controle de serviços. Os sistemas de informações em saúde são apreendidos como instrumentos técnico––burocráticos por parte dos gestores. Alguns entraves foram mencionados pelos gestores em relação ao acesso às informações em saúde. A lentidão dos sistemas foi considerada o principal entrave, seguido pelo escasso número de profissionais capacitados para operar o sistema, falta de oportunidades para formação e atualização dos profissionais, além da pouca integração entre os sistemas. Verifcouse que, em maioria, os gestores entrevistados não se apropriam dos indicadores de saúde para suas ações gerenciais. Recomendase propiciar condições institucionais para uma utilização mais efetiva dos indicadores de saúde como instrumento de gestão das unidades do serviço público de saúde.
Lógica das sensações na atividade física: uma análise dos discursos de academias de ginástica brasileiras e suas projeções na sociedade contemporânea
Authors: Roble Odilon José , Rodrigues Luiza Silva , Lima Karen Adrie de
Published: April 2015

Para o filósofo alemão Christoph Türcke, autor de "Sociedade Excitada", de 2010, é possível identificar um novo padrão de comportamento nas sociedades atuais, o da "lógica das sensações". Nessa lógica, buscam-se incessantemente estímulos sensoriais e a espetacularização do cotidiano. Nossa pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar a possibilidade de identificar tal lógica nos discursos sobre saúde e prática de atividades físicas. Para isso, analisamos os discursos de cem academias de ginástica brasileiras, por meio de seus sítios eletrônicos. Como tratamento metodológico utilizamos um processo de codificação no qual agrupamos unidades de registros em unidades de contexto para posteriores inferências. Reunimos cinco unidades de contexto representativas dos discursos das academias sobre atividade física e saúde, envolvidas com a lógica das sensações: promessas de comportamento; sugestões de emoções; propostas de estímulos sensoriais; conceitos holísticos; e projeções estéticas. Com isso, propusemos diversas inferências, a maior parte em torno da premissa de que a atividade física e a saúde vêm se convertendo, no discurso das academias de ginástica, em uma oportunidade para a experiência de sensações estimulantes e para a produção de um estilo de vida espetacularizado, para o qual o próprio espaço da academia seria palco. Dessa forma, corroboramos a hipótese inicial de que as reflexões de Türcke aplicam-se ao campo das atividades físicas na sociedade contemporânea, de que estão presentes no discurso das academias de ginástica brasileiras e de que um setor específico de reflexão emerge-se no contexto da relação entre saúde, atividade física e sociedade: o da filosofia da sensação.
The Ochoa urofacial syndrome: recognize the peculiar smile and avoid severe urological and renal complications
Authors: Rondon Atila Victal , Leslie Bruno , Netto José Murillo Bastos , Freitas Ricardo Garcia de , Ortiz Valdemar , Macedo Junior Antonio
Published: April 2015

Ochoa syndrome is rare and its major clinical problems frequently unrecognized. We describe facial characteristics of six patients to help health professional recognize the inverted smile that these patients present and refer them to proper treatment. Patients’ medical records were reviewed and patients’ urological status clinically reassessed. At last evaluation patients’ mean age was 15.5 years, and age ranged from 12 to 32 years. Mean follow-up was 35 months (12 to 60). Initial symptoms were urinary tract infections in four patients (67%) associated with enuresis and incontinence in three of them (50%). One patient had only urinary tract infection and two lower urinary tract symptoms without infections. Initial treatment consisted of clean intermittent catheterization with anticholinergics for all patients. Four patients (67%) were submitted to bladder augmentation. Two patients had end-stage renal disease during follow-up, one received kidney transplantation and one patient remained on the waiting list for a renal transplantation. Familial consanguinity was present in only one case. This significant condition is rare, but it must be recognized by pediatricians, nephrologists and urologists in order to institute early aggressive urological treatment.
Oral care and nosocomial pneumonia: a systematic review
Authors: Vilela Maria Carolina Nunes , Ferreira Gustavo Zanna , Santos Paulo Sérgio da Silva , Rezende Nathalie Pepe Medeiros de
Published: April 2015

To perform a systematic review of the literature on the control of oral biofilms and the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia, in addition to assessing and classifying studies as to the grade of recommendation and level of evidence. The review was based on PubMed, LILACS, and Scopus databases, from January 1st, 2000 until December 31st, 2012. Studies evaluating oral hygiene care related to nosocomial infections in patients hospitalized in intensive care units were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Full published articles available in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, which approached chemical or mechanical oral hygiene techniques in preventing pneumonia, interventions performed, and their results were included. After analysis, the articles were classified according to level of evidence and grade of recommendation according to the criteria of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. A total of 297 abstracts were found, 14 of which were full articles that met our criteria. Most articles included a study group with chlorhexidine users and a control group with placebo users for oral hygiene in the prevention of pneumonia. All articles were classified as B in the level of evidence, and 12 articles were classified as 2B and two articles as 2C in grade of recommendation. It was observed that the control of oral biofilm reduces the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia, but the fact that most articles had an intermediate grade of recommendation makes clear the need to conduct randomized controlled trials with minimal bias to establish future guidelines for oral hygiene in intensive care units.
O júri simulado como prática para a educação ambiental crítica
Authors: Albuquerque Carolina de ,   Universidade de São Paulo,  Brazil, Vicentini Juliana de Oliveira , Pipitone Maria Angélica Penatti ,   Universidade de São Paulo,  Brazil,   Universidade de São Paulo,  Brazil
Published: April 2015

A complexidade da questão ambiental e a dificuldade de tratar deste tema interdisciplinar são problemas que precisam ser encarados no dia a dia dos professores em todos os níveis educacionais. Com a intenção de efetuar uma tentativa de Educação Ambiental Crítica, foi realizada uma atividade de extensão intitulada "O rio e a escola", envolvendo discentes de pós-graduação e do ensino médio de uma escola pública. O objetivo da extensão, por meio de intervenções teóricas e práticas, foi fazer com que os estudantes de ensino médio percebessem a complexidade e a importância da questão ambiental e a relacionassem com o seu cotidiano. Analisaremos aqui a prática de júri simulado como recurso pedagógico para a proposta de Educação Ambiental Crítica, aliada à atividade teórica sobre questões legislativas e ambientais. Concluímos pela necessidade de aliar atividades educativas práticas às atividades teóricas no tratamento de questões ambientais complexas, focando-as em problemas reais, para que os discentes possam emancipar-se e desenvolver a competência para a análise crítica e tomada de decisões em torno da questão ambiental.
The Trilobite Affair of James Hall and James Dwight Dana (1837-1847)
Authors: Ludvigsen Rolf
Published: April 2015

James Hall's 1838 paper on two species of the trilohite Paradoxides in the American Journal of Science, the first paper Hall published in a scientific journal and the first to deal with fossils, was conceived and written by James Dwight Dana. The sequence of events was uncovered by M. L. Prendergast (1978) in an unpublished thesis. The Trilobite Affair, as it was dubbed by Dana, created problems for both participants and it may have been a source of discord 20 years later as Hall and Dana clashed over theories of mountain building. John Clarke and Rudolf Ruedemann, Hall's successors, attempted to exonerate their mentor by shifting the entire blame for the affair to Dana.
Red Earth and Bones: the History of Cave Sediment Studies in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Osborne R.
Published: April 2015

Red earth and bones are an enduring theme in the history of cave sediment studies in New South Wales. Scientific studies of cave sediments began with the discovery of fossil bones in red cave earth at Wellington Caves in the 1830's.

Three distinct phases in the study of cave sediments in New South Wales can be recognised. In the first. Classical, phase, from 1830 to 1900, leading naturalists and geologists visited caves and reported the presence of sediments. Red earth was sought as an indicator of vertebrate fossils, however, neither the sediment itself, nor its stratigraphy was studied to any extent.

In the second, Low Activity, phase, from 1900 till 1966, there was little scientific interest in cave sediments. Some work was done on phosphorites, and mention was made of both palaeokarst and possible correlation of sequences between different cave areas.

The third, Modern, phase began in 1966 with the work of R. M. Frank, who for the first time examined both the composition and stratigraphy of cave sediments in New South Wales. Following Frank, cave sediment studies became specialised with a variety of sedimentological, chemical and stratigraphic approaches being taken.
The Early Exploration of Greenland
Authors: Taagholt Jørgen
Published: April 2015

About 4000 years ago the first immigration of Inuit tribes explorated Greenland, and about 1000 years ago the Norsemen explorated southwest Greenland; and Icelandic sagas describe every-day life. The early search for the Northwest Passage years ago was followed by intensive whaling during 17th and 18th centuries. The connection between Greenland and Scandinavia was re-established by Hans Egede, who started his missionary and explorationary activity in 1721, whereafter polymaths from Denmark and other countries contributed to our scientific knowledge. Several attempts to reach the North Pole resulted in new information about the High Arctic Greenland, while local Inuit, such as Hans Hendrik, played an important role in several expeditions in the Arctic. The growing Danish and foreign scientific expeditions led to the Danish government establishing in 1878 established the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, whose mandate was to coordinate such research.
Follow the Needle: Seeking the Magnetic Poles
Authors: Good Gregory
Published: April 2015

This article examines ideas about the Earth's magnetic poles up to the early 20th century. I first examine the quickening interest in Earth magnetism during the 16th and 17th centuries and lay out some parameters of discourse regarding the magnetic poles during the Scientific Revolution. Primary figures discussed include Robert Norman, William Gilbert, and Edmond Halley. I then discuss the efforts to understand the magnetic poles that came with the revival of interest in Earth magnetism in the 19th century. The central authors in this period were Christopher Hansteen, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and Edward Sabine. I omit most 20th-century events, as they are too extensive and require separate treatment. The discussion ends with Roald Amundsen and Douglas Mawson's empirical studies of the magnetic poles and the setting of the stage for 20th-century investigations.
Defining the Base of the Cambrian: The Hicks-Geikie Confrontation of April 1883
Authors: Pearson Paul , Nicholas Christopher
Published: April 2015

The British geological community in the 1880's was deeply divided between the ‘professionals’ of the Geological Survey and the so-called ‘amateurs’ in the more traditional mode. Perhaps no one paper produced as much hostility between these two camps as Geikie's, ‘On the supposed Precambrian rocks of St. David's’ which was read before the Geological Society of London in the spring of 1883. An intense debate was provoked, the minutes of which were published shortly afterwards in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. Presented here is an unofficial eye-witness account of that meeting, which was taken down in short-hand during the debate itself. It reveals the true vehemence with which the participants exchanged their views, and is fascinating to compare with the published account.
Crisis and Compromise: The Foundation of Marine Stations in Britain During the Late 19th Century
Authors: Deacon Margaret
Published: April 2015

This paper looks at the attempts to found marine stations in Britain during the late 19th century and seeks to show how a fuller understanding of these events, and their success or failure, can be gained by looking both at the scientific background to the movement and at the broadly similar problems that faced their founders. The survival of early marine stations depended largely on how successfully they balanced scientific objectives with the applied work which was the price of government support. Those stations that continued into the twentieth century did so mostly by abandoning pure research in marine zoology and by concentrating on fisheries problems; only these attracted the grants essential for their survival. This was a turn of events unforeseen when the foundation of marine stations was discussed in the 1870's but ideas changed rapidly in the early 1880's when it became apparent that progress could be made only by accepting a different orientation. This paper looks at how official policy towards science in Britain affected oceanography and other aspects of marine science during the late 19th century, and how scientists hoped that the foundation of marine stations would fulfil both a scientific and a practical need for institutional bases for marine research. However, competition for scarce resources created tension and rivalry between institutions from which few escaped unscathed. The underlying reasons for such problems cannot generally be dealt with extensively in the histories of individual stations but they contribute much to our understanding of how such institutions developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The paper concludes with a brief review of individual stations, particularly those in Scotland.
The Historian of Science and Oceanography After Twenty Years
Authors: Mills Eric
Published: April 2015

A little more than twenty years ago, at the First International Congress of History of Oceanography in Monaco, the American historian of science Harold Burstyn attempted to place the history of oceanography in context within the history of science. He pointed out that history of science used as a working principle the increasing quantification of science, and that it was moving toward "externalist" studies of the social and political contexts in which science developed. Oceanography, according to Burstyn, was among the first examples of "big science" and was likely to prove important to historians attempting to link scientific development with its social context. He envisioned two tasks for the historian of oceanography, to develop detailed histories of the science itself, and to explore its response to social, political, financial and cultural forces.

After three more congresses of the history of oceanography, the proliferation of publications, even the birth of a newsletter of the history of oceanography, it still largely remains true that (slightly edited) the field suffers from "lack of focus, publications of all offerings regardless of merit, and conjunction of scientists … and historians and philosophers of science, assembled without any methodological unit or rules of procedure". But all is not lost. Major books have helped to focus attention on interesting historical problems as well as achievements; outstanding work has been published, or is in progress, on marine geophysics, oceanographic institutions, exploration, national science, and the historical relationship of oceanography to its sister fields such as geography and marine biology. Bibliographies have begun to appear, easing the toil of starting new research, and regular contact, formal and informal is increasing among historians of oceanography.

Nonetheless, the history of oceanography is still in a primitive state. We need more internal histories of oceanography's subdisciplines, critical biographies of its practitioners, studies of its institutions in their full contexts, work on differences in national styles, and a thorough examination of its professionalization. Few would now agree that the only canon of the history of oceanography is the increasing quantification of science, but this hybrid discipline remains, as Burstyn perceptively stated, "the most fruitful combination possible of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ problems in the history of science".
The Shumards in Texas
Authors: Young Keith
Published: April 2015

Benjamin Franklin Shumard was appointed State Geologist of Texas in 1858. His brother, George Getz Shumard, served as his Assistant State Geologist; both were experienced field geologists. Benjamin Shumard had served in federally sponsored surveys of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa conducted by Dale David Owen, in Oregon and Washington by John Evans, and in the Missouri Geological Survey. George Shumard had accompanied Captain Randolph B. Marcy into Texas on two of his federally sponsored expeditions of exploration (the Pacific Railroad Survey along the 32nd parallel) to drill wells exploring for water east of the Guadalupe Mountains. George Shumard gave most of the fossils he collected to his brother for description and publication. Although the Geological and Agricultural Survey of Texas ended with the Civil War, the Shumards made three principal contributions to the geology of Texas: 1. They advanced the knowledge of the State's Cretaceous rocks, even though they did not recognize the Balcones Fault Zone and arranged part of the section erroneously; 2. They determined that not all mountains in the Southwest were formed around granite cores; and 3. They discovered the marine Permian in Texas.
Agassiz Vs. Lyell: Authority in the Assessment of the Diluvium-Drift Problem by North American Geologists, with Particular Reference to Edward Hitchcock
Authors: Silliman Robert
Published: April 2015

Toward the middle of the nineteenth century in North America, as in Europe, the most vexatious problem of physical geology was to explain the widespread occurrence of erratic boulders, polished bedrock with furrows and scratches, and thick surface deposits of unsorted clay, sand, and gravel. By 1870 the problem had been resolved by a general adoption of Agassiz's glacial theory, which effectively accommodated all these varied phenomena. Agassiz had proposed his theory thirty years earlier, and from the beginning it had been well publicized. Why was its adoption so long delayed? An important consideration is the fact that glacialism had to compete with other, established theories. Although by 1840 it was no longer fashionable to ascribe drift deposits to Noah's Flood, diluvialism in various forms still had its supporters. The more serious contender, however, was Lyell's iceberg theory. In North America the debate had a personal dimension in which, however implicitly, the authority of one immensely prestigious scientist was pitted against that of another. During the period when the debate was most intense Lyell made four visits to North America and Agassiz settled here permanently. Both symbolized European leadership in science and were received with extraordinary respect and enthusiasm. Although Agassiz caught the imagination of the public in a way Lyell did not, Lyell, author of the geology textbook "highest in authority in the English language," had the more solid reputation among professional geologists. The high regard for Lyell and a deepening commitment to Lyellian uniformitarianism helped sustain the iceberg theory. This had the effect of delaying a resolution of the drift problem via the glacial theory.
Charles Frederic Hartt and the ‘Geological Commission of Brazil’ (1875-1877)
Authors: De M. Figueirôa Silvia
Published: April 2015

The Geological Commission of Brazil (GCB) was created on April 30, 1875, within the Ministry of Agriculture in order to promote a systematic survey of Brazilian territory. Despite the fact that other scientific traditions were already present in Brazilian geology-e.g., the German and the French ones-the GCB model was inspired by the North American Geological Surveys. As the North American Surveys usually combined geology, topography, and agriculture, this model fit very well into Brazilian needs at that moment, for the country was experiencing intense economic development caused by the coffee agriculture boom, creating a strong demand for land with the appropriate soil for growing coffee. For the organization of the GCB the Brazilian government accepted a proposal made by the Canadian-born Charles Frederic Hartt (Fredericton, New Brunswick 1840-Rio de Janeiro, 1878), who was familiar both with Brazil and the North American Geological Surveys. Hartt had visited Brazil in 1865 as a member of the Thayer Expedition with Louis Agassiz. During the 32 month existence of the Commission, Hartt and the GCB staff covered a large part of the Brazilian Empire, collecting thousands of samples and preparing dozens of papers and reports most of which, unfortunately, remained unpublished. The demise of the GCB was ordered in 1878 by a new ministry for budgetary reasons. Nevertheless, it provided an institutional model which inspired the later Geographical and Geological Commission of Sao Paulo (1886) as well as the Geological and Mineralogical Survey of Brazil (1907), which, in various manifestations, has continued to the present day.
Clinchers of the Basalt Controversy: Empirical and Experimental Evidence
Authors: Den Tex Emile
Published: April 2015

The 18th century basalt controversy had two aspects: its sedimentary versus volcanic nature, and its superficially combustive versus deeply derived origin. The neptunistic answer to the first question prevailed around the middle of the century owing to the general validity of the Wernerian lithostratigraphy at that time. Clinching evidence for the volcanic nature of basalt came forward in the final quarter of the century, essentially from countries with active or recently extinguished volcanoes-like Italy and France-while fusion experiments and chemical bulk analyses proved the similarity of basalt and basic lavas. Throughout the 18th century, the origin of basalt was held to be due to the superficial combustion of coal, bitumen, oil, sulphur, etc., even by confirmed Vulcanists. At the very end of the century Werner's lithostratigraphic system became liable to serious doubts. Basaltic volcanoes were found to have derived their material from underneath Werner's oldest formation: the granitoid ‘Urgebirge’, where neither combustible matter nor air could have been available. Also the melting temperatures of lava and basalt were experimentally shown to be higher than the temperatures of burning combustible materials. Thus a firm link was established between the hypotheses of Vulcanism and Huttonian Plutonism.
Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924) and the "Highlands Controversy": New Archival Sources for the History of British Geology in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Oldroyd David
Published: April 2015

With the help of new archival material relating to Archibald Geikie, discovered fairly recently at the Haslemere Educational Museum, some revisions are offered to my account of the "Highlands Controversy" (relating to the structure of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland), published in 1990.1 Also further light is thrown on the so-called "Archaean Controversy," especially with regard to the debates about the rocks at St. David's, Pembrokeshire. It is shown that Geikie did visit the north coast of Scotland before 1884, but made no observations there that had a bearing on the Highlands Controversy. He was, however, well prepared for a change of mind before he actually examined the rocks at Loch Eriboll in 1884. It appears that Geikie's chief "bête noire" was the petrologist Thomas Bonney, and to a lesser extent Charles Callaway. Some new information about Edward Greenly is revealed, and also the procedures of the Wharton Committee which looked into the affairs of the Survey in 1900, and led to Geikie's retirement.
Geological Society of America Election of 1921: A Reprise
Authors: Weiss Malcolm , White Russell
Published: April 2015

Charles Schuchert, of Yale, was in 1921 the nominee for President of the Geological Society of America for 1922. A campaign to prevent his election was mounted in Washington, D. C., principally by members of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The campaign and its failure have been described by Weiss. Schuchert's own records of that campaign have been discovered recently, and from them we have learned how he discovered the attack on his candidacy, how he felt about the matter, and his opinons of the principals behind the campaign.
Oceanography, but not As A Profession: Its Status in Greece During the Late 19th and the Early 20th Centuries
Authors: Vlahakis George
Published: April 2015

Although oceanography in Greece reached international standards only recently, it has its origins as an independent scientific practice in the late 19th century due to the work of Andreas Miaoulis, a brilliant officer of the Hellenic Navy who cooperated with the English admiral Arthur Mansel for the solution of the Euripus problem.

During the early 20th century oceanographic studies took a more systematic character under the supervision of the Hellenic Thalassographic Committee and several reports and books were published before World War II, which interrupted the evolution of oceanography in Greece.
Earth And Heaven, 1750-1800: Enlightenment Ideas About The Relevance To Geology Of Extraterrestrial Operations And Events
Authors: Taylor Kenneth
Published: April 2015

A conceptual and methodological tension can be discerned among Enlightenment advocates of earth science, as regards extraterrestrial events and processes. True to the fundamental traditions of Theories of the Earth, many scientific thinkers exhibited clear recognition of the Earth's planetary status, as a member of a celestial family. To some this legitimated integration of a geological perspective into that of cosmology and astronomy. In extreme instances it even entailed an ideal of establishing earth science by deduction from principles of celestial mechanics. However, this integrative aspect of Theories of the Earth ran counter to another important element in the geological thinking of this era, one which asserted the overriding value of empirical investigation. In the minds of many empirical-minded champions of a natural history of the Earth, a true geology could only be built up through inductive discovery focussed exclusively on accessible terrestrial phenomena. Sometimes explicitly, often by merely tacit exclusion of extraterrestrial considerations, much geological investigation before 1800 tended to identify the integrity of the emerging science with the distinctively Earth-bound nature of the objects of study. The ideal of an autonomous geological science thus tended to be intertwined with a concept of terrestrial autonomy.
Middle Nineteenth-Century Crinoid Studies Of Thomas Austin, Sr. And Thomas Austin, Jr.: Newly Discovered Unpublished Materials
Authors: Ausich William , Sevastopulo George , Torrens Hugh
Published: April 2015

Thomas Austin, Sr. (1794-1881) and to a lesser extent his son Thomas Austin, Jr. (1817-before 1881) are recognized as important early students of both Carboniferous and Jurassic crinoids. However, the extent of their understanding of crinoids was not appreciated until the recent discovery of unpublished materials of Austin, Sr., including a manuscript dated 1855, plates indicating the intended continuation of their never finished 1843-1849 systematic monograph, and photographs of fossil crinoids.

Within at most three and one-half decades after Johann Samuel Miller (1779-1830) first named the class Crinoidea in 1821, Austin, Sr. accurately summarized the broad outline of crinoid evolutionary history. Furthermore, Austin had a post-natural-historical interpretation of fossil crinoids. Fossil crinoids were not just ancient organisms to be described and classified, but Austin tried to interpret the biology of these fossils. Furthermore, he considered questions of taphonomy, functional morphology, paleoecology, processes controlling evolutionary trends, and crinoid deposits—still topics of interest to paleobiologists 150 years later; and he also discussed crinoid "evolution" and extinction. Other discussion is present on the history of crinoid studies from a middle-1800's perspective and on the superstitious and medicinal uses of crinoid fossils.

But fain Saint Hilda's nuns would learn If, on a rock by Lindisfarne, Saint Cuthbert sits, and toils to frame The sea-born beads that bear his name: Such tales had Whitby's fishers told, And said they might his shape behold, And hear his anvil sound; A deaden'd clang,-a huge dim form Seen but, and heard, when gathering storm And night were closing round. But this, as tale of idle fame, The nuns of Lindisfarne disclaim.
Becoming A Geologist: Florence Bascom In Wisconsin, 1874-1887
Authors: Arnold Lois
Published: April 2015

Florence Bascom (1862-1945) was a petrologist and field geologist at Bryn Mawr College who provided a basic description and interpretation of major areas of Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. This paper is the first of a two-part study that explores the question of how Bascom became a geologist. The initial phase of this process took place in Wisconsin, to which she moved at the age of twelve when her father became president of the University at Madison. Both of her parents supported women's education, rights, and suffrage.

Bascom graduated from the coeducational university in 1882 and, in a series of fits and starts in which scientific study alternated with social pleasures and non-scientific pursuits, she began to take a serious interest in geology. In 1883-84 she studied under two well known geologists there, Roland D. Irving and his student Charles R. Van Hise, obtaining a B.S. degree. Although she did not participate in field work, she conducted laboratory research on the gabbros of Lake Superior using the petrographic microscope and thin sections. She obtained a Master's degree from the University in 1887 on the basis of this investigation.
‘Plains-Type Folds’ in the Midcontinent Region (U.S.A.): Chronicling A Concept
Authors: Merriam D.
Published: April 2015

‘Plains-type folds’ are those folds formed in gently dipping sediments overlying a crystalline basement in cratonic areas of the world. They are the result of differential compaction of sediments over rigid basement fault blocks. Trends of the folds in the sedimentary section thus coincide with trends of basement features. Plains-type folds generally are (1) small in areal extent, (2) increase in closure downward, (3) without a corresponding depression, and (4) asymmetric and associated with faulting. The features were developed intermittently through time by differential compaction of the sediments over an inherent structural pattern of uplifted fault blocks in the basement. Plains-type folds were recognized early in the twentieth century in the Midcontinent (USA) as containing petroleum. They were the object of much speculation on their origin and development and were studied intensively in the 1920s and 1930s. Most of the studies were concentrated in Kansas and Oklahoma and revolved around the relation of the structures as mapped in the sediments to the configuration of the Precambrian crystalline basement, relation of structure and temperature, and the effect of sediment compaction over ‘buried hills.’
William Maclure and the Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
Authors: Sinkankas John
Published: April 2015

William Maclure (1763-1840) established a reputation as a geologist and mineralogist in the United States, based largely on his well-known geological map of eastern North America, published in 1809. This research note discusses the important library of over 5,000 scientific books amassed by Maclure. Many of these books are now in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. [Editor's note: The on-line catalog of the Academy's library is at http://www.acnatsci.org/library.]
Extracts from Agassiz's Lectures on Geology and Paleontology (1856-1861)
Authors: Dexter Ralph
Published: April 2015

Selected passages, typical of Agassiz's teaching of geology and paleontology, are presented from his students' notes to illustrate what he was teaching at the Museum of Comparative Zoology during the period of 1856-61. Included are remarks on coral reefs, ancient rocks, geological periods, fossil records, mountain building, and river valleys. Personal comments are also included.
Aikitu Tanakadate and the Controversy over Vertical Electrical Currents in Geomagnetic Research
Authors: Yoshida Haruyo
Published: April 2015

Aikitu Tanakadate (1856-1952) was a pioneer in geomagnetic research in Japan. This paper focuses on Tanakadale's investigation of vertical, electrical currents between the Earth and his atmosphere and his role in a controversy over these currents. This controversy arose after Adolf Schmidt (1860-1944) hypothesized these vertical currents in 1895. Debate was aroused over this question for two reasons: firstly it might upset the premise of the Gaussian theory of geomagnetic potential; and secondly it seemed to provide a key to revealing the mechanism of geomagnetism. Tanakadale did not doubt the existence of such currents, but he was skeptical about the method with which the hypothesis was tested. After 1939 the controversy died down, but never ended. The recent solution of this problem in 1992 shows that Tanakadate was far-sighted in criticizing the validity of the method which others used to test the hypothesis.
The Krakatoa Event and Associated Phenomena: A Historical Review
Authors: Schröder Wilfried
Published: April 2015

Various aspects of atmospheric phenomena relating to the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883 are briefly described and some of the highlights in the literature are pointed out. This event was a milestone in atmospheric physics (noctilucent clouds, twilight phenomena) and caused world-wide atmospheric pollution.
International Science ‘Down Under’: The British Association Meeting in Australia, August 1914, with Special Reference to Related Activities in Adelaide
Authors: Twidale C. , Bourne Jennie
Published: April 2015

From 8-12 August 1914, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, meeting in Australia, descended on Adelaide. The meeting included delegates from a dozen overseas countries, including many from the United Kingdom. Amongst the visiting geologists were Arthur Philemon Coleman (1852-1939) and William Morris Davis (1850-1934), Rollin Thomas Chamberlin (1881-1948) and John Walter Gregory (1864-1932), Albrecht Penck (1858-1945) and Johannes Walther (1860-1937), Alexander du Toit (1878-1948) and Hartley Travers Ferrar (1879-1932), George William Lamplugh (1859-1926) and Sydney Hugh Reynolds (1867-1949), as well as the home-based T. W. Edgeworth David (1858-1934) and Ernest Willington Skeats (1875-1953). The proceedings created immense public interest and brought science to the people in a way never before achieved in Australia. That the meeting proceeded at all is a tribute to the Australian Government, the Association, and the conference organisers, as well as the participants, for the First World War had been declared only a few days before the meeting. The interactions between the home population and the delegates, and between delegates, provide an enlightening commentary on the values and standards of our world almost a century ago.