bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive Hair Sampling and Genetic Tagging of Co‐Distributed Fishers and American Martens
Authors: WILLIAMS BRONWYN W. , ETTER DWAYNE R. , LINDEN DANIEL W. , MILLENBAH KELLY F. , WINTERSTEIN SCOTT R. , SCRIBNER KIM T.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Estimation of abundance is important for assessing population responses to management actions. Accurate abundance estimates are particularly critical for monitoring temporal variation following reintroductions when the management goal is to attain population sizes capable of sustaining harvest. Numerous reintroductions have taken place in the Great Lakes region of North America, including efforts to restore extirpated fishers (Martes pennanti) and American martens (M. americana). We used a DNA‐based noninvasive hair‐snaring method based on one trap design and trapping ‐grid configuration, and evaluated capture—mark—recapture (CMR) analytical approaches to simultaneously estimate population size for co‐distributed fishers and American martens in a 671‐km2 area of the Ottawa National Forest in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. We included harvest as a final recapture period to increase probability of recapture and to evaluate potential violations of geographic closure assumptions. We used microsatellite markers to identify target species, eliminate congener species, and provide individual identity for estimation of abundance. Population estimates for fishers and martens on the study area ranged from 35 to 60 and 8 to 28, respectively. Estimators incorporating harvest data resulted in up to a 40% increase in abundance estimates relative to estimators without harvest. We considered population estimates not including harvest data the most appropriate for the study due to timing of sampling and environmental factors, but inclusion of harvested individuals was shown to be useful as a means to detect violations of the assumption of geographic closure. We suggest improvements on future CMR sampling designs for larger landscape scales of relevance to management through incorporation of habitat or historical harvest data. Noninvasive genetic methods that simultaneously estimate the numerical abundance of co‐distributed species can greatly decrease assessment costs relative to traditional methods, and increase resulting demographic and ecological information.
Trial Implantation of Heart Rate Data Loggers in Pinnipeds
Authors: GREEN JONATHAN A. , HAULENA MARTIN , BOYD IAN L. , CALKINS DON , GULLAND FRANCES , WOAKES ANTHONY J. , BUTLER PATRICK J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Pinnipeds are major consumers in marine ecosystems, and understanding their energy budgets is essential to determining their role in food webs, particularly where there is competition with fisheries. Food consumption and energy expenditure have been evaluated in pinnipeds using different methods, but the use of heart rate to estimate energy expenditure is potentially a very powerful tool suited to the life history of these animals. We tested a procedure for the subcutaneous implantation of heart rate data loggers to determine whether heart rate could be recorded for ≥1 year in free‐ranging pinnipeds, as it has been in birds. We implanted 3 captive California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and 3 captive northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) with heart rate data loggers and monitored their recovery and behavior in a controlled environment. In both species, the implantation site allowed for excellent detection of the electrocardiogram, and we observed heart rate signatures characteristic of behaviors such as resting and diving. Although all 3 sea lions recovered well from the implantation surgery, all 3 elephant seals showed a substantial inflammatory response for unknown reasons, and we removed the implanted data loggers. Subcutaneous implantation of data loggers is a powerful technique to study physiology, energetics, and behavior in California sea lions, but more work is required to realize the potential of this technique in northern elephant seals.
Incorporating Estimates of Group Size in Sightability Models for Wildlife
Authors: WALSH DANIEL P. , PAGE CONNIE F. , CAMPA HENRY , WINTERSTEIN SCOTT R. , BEYER DEAN E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Sightability models have been used to estimate population size of many wildlife species; however, a limitation of these models is an assumption that groups of animals observed and counted during aerial surveys are enumerated completely. Replacing these unknown counts with maximum observed counts, as is typically done, produces population size estimates that are negatively biased. This bias can be substantial depending on the degree of undercounting occurring. We first investigated a method‐of‐moments estimator of group sizes. We then defined a population size estimator using the method‐of‐moments estimator of group sizes in place of maximum counts in the traditional sightability models, thereby correcting for bias associated with undercounting group size. We also provide associated equations for calculating the variance of our estimator. This estimator is an improvement over existing sightability model techniques because it significantly reduces bias, and variance estimates provide near nominal confidence interval coverage. The data needed for this estimator can be easily collected and implemented by wildlife managers with a field crew of only 3 individuals and little additional flight or personnel time beyond the normal requirements for developing sightability models.
Effects of Chemical Immobilization on Survival of African Buffalo in the Kruger National Park
Authors: OOSTHUIZEN W. CHRIS , CROSS PAUL C. , BOWERS JUSTIN A. , HAY CRAIG , EBINGER MICHAEL RYAN , BUSS PETER , HOFMEYR MARKUS , CAMERON ELISSA Z.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Capturing, immobilizing, and fitting radiocollars are common practices in studies of large mammals, but success is based on the assumptions that captured animals are representative of the rest of the population and that the capture procedure has negligible effects. We estimated effects of chemical immobilization on mortality rates of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. We used a Cox proportional hazards approach to test for differences in mortality among age, sex, and capture classes of repeatedly captured radiocollared buffalo. Capture variables did not improve model fit and the Cox regression did not indicate increased risk of death for captured individuals up to 90 days postcapture [exp (β) = 1.07]. Estimated confidence intervals, however, span from a halving to a doubling of the mortality rate (95% CI = 0.56–2.02). Therefore, capture did not influence survival of captured individuals using data on 875 captures over a 5‐year period. Consequently, long‐term research projects on African buffalo involving immobilization, such as associated with research on bovine tuberculosis, should result in minimal capture mortality, but monitoring of possible effects should continue.
Use of Video Probe Does Not Affect Burrowing Owl Reproductive Parameters or Return Rates
Authors: GARCIA VICTORIA , CONWAY COURTNEY J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  We tested how repeated use of an infrared video probe influenced burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) reproduction and recruitment. In 2001, we randomly assigned occupied burrows in Washington State, USA, to one of 2 groups: 1) inspected throughout the breeding season with an infrared video probe (n = 38), or 2) never inspected with a probe (n = 41). We did not detect differences between the 2 groups in nesting success, number of fledglings per nest, natal recruitment, or likelihood of adults returning to the same burrow the following year (2002) or to the study area in a subsequent year (2002–2005).
Demography and Genetic Structure of a Recovering Grizzly Bear Population
Authors: KENDALL KATHERINE C. , STETZ JEFFREY B. , BOULANGER JOHN , MACLEOD AMY C. , PAETKAU DAVID , WHITE GARY C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Grizzly bears (brown bears; Ursus arctos) are imperiled in the southern extent of their range worldwide. The threatened population in northwestern Montana, USA, has been managed for recovery since 1975; yet, no rigorous data were available to monitor program success. We used data from a large noninvasive genetic sampling effort conducted in 2004 and 33 years of physical captures to assess abundance, distribution, and genetic health of this population. We combined data from our 3 sampling methods (hair trap, bear rub, and physical capture) to construct individual bear encounter histories for use in Huggins—Pledger closed mark—recapture models. Our population estimate, Ň = 765 (95% CI = 715–831) was more than double the existing estimate derived from sightings of females with young. Based on our results, the estimated known, human‐caused mortality rate in 2004 was 4.6% (95% CI = 4.2–4.9%), slightly above the 4% considered sustainable; however, the high proportion of female mortalities raises concern. We used location data from telemetry, confirmed sightings, and genetic sampling to estimate occupied habitat. We found that grizzly bears occupied 33,480 km2 in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) during 1994–2007, including 10,340 km2 beyond the Recovery Zone. We used factorial correspondence analysis to identify potential barriers to gene flow within this population. Our results suggested that genetic interchange recently increased in areas with low gene flow in the past; however, we also detected evidence of incipient fragmentation across the major transportation corridor in this ecosystem. Our results suggest that the NCDE population is faring better than previously thought, and they highlight the need for a more rigorous monitoring program.
Give Us a Break! A Sceptical Review of Contemporary Discourses of Lifelong Learning
Authors: Gewirtz Sharon
Published: January 2009

Over the past 40 years a whole cluster of discourses centred on the ideas of the learning society and lifelong learning has emerged. These discourses have moved from being theoretical and aspirational to become increasingly embedded in international and national policies and professional practices. This article raises some concerns about what happens when the aspirational discourses which abounded in the 1960s and 1970s are translated into real-world practice and policies. The article begins with a brief review of the range of discourses bound up in the theory and practice of the learning society, and some of the sociological explanations for the proliferation of learning society and lifelong learning discourses. It then goes on to ask some questions about the potential risks of specific manifestations of these totalising approaches to education, focusing in particular on threats to ‘learning-rich’ and ‘learning-free’ spaces. In the spirit of lifelong learning, the author develops her arguments by drawing on some reflections on her own experiences as a worker (specifically as a supervisor of doctoral students) and as a parent of young children.
Europe's Universities in the European Research Area
Authors: Smith John H.
Published: January 2009

Universities are placed strategically at the interplay of research and technological development, educational and regional development policies at both national and European level. Universities are also unique environments in which interdisciplinary skills are being developed to tackle the complex challenges facing human, social and economic development in the twenty-first century. Future European research policy should take more account of this unique role of universities in building the ‘knowledge society’. The launching of the European Commission's ‘Green Paper on the Future of the European Research Area’ in 2007 provided scope for a new recognition of the place of Europe's universities as key stakeholders and gave the European University Association an opportunity to bring university needs and perspectives into the policy debate on new instruments and initiatives required.
Contested Aspects of Becoming a Teacher: Teacher Learning and the Role of Subject Knowledge
Authors: Colucci-Gray Laura , Fraser Christine
Published: January 2009

Teaching is acknowledged to be complex, multifaceted and dynamic. Curriculum revisions in Scotland, and elsewhere, call for teachers who are adaptable and capable of change. Yet the skills and attributes traditionally valued and acquired by teachers during their education do not necessarily equip them to cope with the shifting landscape of educational change. This article draws on a collaborative review of literature relating to teacher education, undertaken for the Scottish Teachers for a New Era project. It examines the nature of knowledge for teaching generally and in relation to science education in particular to discuss contested aspects and to develop a conceptual framework for future research and development in this area. The main argument for this study is that a reformulation of teacher education is required. This involves changing the way teachers are educated within an accompanying shift in epistemology and a move to interdisciplinarity. It calls for a more egalitarian way of learning as a means to facilitate change within schools for the creation of a more equal and just society.
The Curriculum Workshop: A Place for Deliberative Inquiry and Teacher Professional Learning
Authors: Hansen Klaus-Henning
Published: January 2009

In this article, the curriculum workshop (CW) is elaborated as an approach to professional learning, deliberation and inquiry. It offers a comprehensive framework for school-based deliberation and inquiry, is rooted in curriculum theory, promises a broad range of applications in teacher education and provides tools to assess the trustworthiness of processes and outcomes. The first section of the article discusses the theoretical background of the CW by going back to Joseph Schwab's idea of ‘the practical’, of deliberative inquiry in curricular groups. Building on these ideas, Karl Frey's model of a ‘curriculum conference’ is presented. Elements of Schwab's and Frey's approaches are then modified and adapted to the CW. The second section asks how the CW was enacted in the framework of a European project on good practice in school-based teacher education, presents exemplary outcomes and critically discusses the trustworthiness of the approach. The final section provides a summary of the outcomes and indicates directions for further research.
Researching the Contested Place of Reflective Practice in the Emerging Culture of Performativity in Schools: Views from the Republic of Ireland
Authors: MacRuairc Gerry , Harford Judith
Published: January 2009

This article examines the role of reflective practice in a growing culture of new managerialism and performativity which has emerged in schools in the Republic of Ireland over recent years. Ten student teachers participating in a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and 24 experienced teachers participating in a Master's in Education programme participated in the study. Through a series of open-ended questionnaires and focus group discussions, these teachers' experiences of the evaluative framework which now typifies schooling in Ireland, and their capacity within this paradigm to engage in critical reflection, were examined. The study comments on the extent to which meaningful reflection can be part of a performance-driven agenda, and examines the implications of performativity cultures for initial teacher education and teacher professional development.
The Quality of Vocational Teachers: Teacher Education, Institutional Roles and Professional Reality
Authors: Grollmann Philipp
Published: January 2009

What are quality vocational teachers? This article analyzes the different factors exerting an influence on the professional knowledge, practices and performance of teaching staff involved in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The international variety of vocational teacher education patterns, profiles and recruitment practices is presented. Any assessment of the quality of teachers' work, be it in theory or practice, needs to be considered against the background of the institutional environment in which they practise. Hence, some common trends of institutional change within vocational education are introduced. Most particularly here, the author focuses on the professional reality of vocational teachers as made manifest in the conjoined elements of the knowledge of teachers and professional cultures. In doing so, the author draws on some empirical exemplars. The author shows how closely teacher education and the institutional contexts are entwined in the minds of teachers as well as in professional cultures. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as to what this implies for high-quality vocational teacher education and recruitment.
Magnetism of free and supported clusters: a comparative study
Authors: Å ipr OndÅ™ej , MinÃ¡r JÃ¡n , Ebert Hubert
Published: January 2009

The presented work investigates the differences in magnetic properties of free and supported clusters via ab-initio calculations. The electronic structure of the clusters was calculated using a spin polarized relativistic multiple-scattering Greenâ€™s function formalism. We focus on Fe clusters of 2â€“9 atoms, either free or supported by Ni(001), and on Co clusters of 2â€“7 atoms, either free or supported by Au(111). For the supported clusters, the spin and orbital magnetic moments depend on the cluster size nearly monotonically, while for the free clusters large quasi-oscillations of magnetic moments with the cluster size were observed. Similarly, for supported clusters, the local spin magnetic moments decrease nearly linearly with increasing coordination number, while for free clusters of the same size range the trend is much more complicated. These findings are consistent with the fact that the spectral distribution function contains much sharper features for free clusters than for supported clusters.
Lindsaeoid ferns of Bangladesh
Authors: Mirza Momtaz Mahal
Published: January 2009

The paper deals with two genera of the family Lindsaeaceae, namely, Lindsaea (with 4 species, L. ensifolia, L. odorata, L. lucida and L. doryphora) and Sphenomeris (with only S. chinensis) from Bangladesh. Key words: Lindsaeoid ferns, Pteridophyte, Bangladesh DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v12i2.599 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 12(2): 11-18, 2005 (December)
Four new records of Aroids for Bangladesh
Authors: Ara Hosne , Hassan Md Abul
Published: January 2009

The paper deals with four taxa of the family Araceae as new records for Bangladesh, namely, Aglaonema commutatum Schott, A. marantifolium Blume, Colocasia mannii Hook. f. and Remusatia vivipara (Roxb.) Schott. An up-dated nomenclature, important synonyms, illustrated description, flowering and fruiting times, specimen citation, ecology and geographical distribution for each species have also been given. Key words Four new records, Araceae, Bangladesh DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v12i2.601 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 12(2): 39-48, 2005 (December)
Hydrobiological studies within the tea gardens at Srimangal, Bangladesh. IV. Desmids (17 genera)
Authors: Islam AKM Nurul , Irfanullah Haseeb Md
Published: January 2009

Fifty nine taxa of desmids under 17 genera, namely Cylindrocystis, Netrium, Spirotaenia, Gonatozygon, Penium Closterium, Pleurotaenium, Triploceras, Triplastrum, Hyalotheca, Groenbladia, Bambusina, Teilingia, Sphaerozosma, Spondylosium, Onychonema and Desmidium have been recorded from different aquatic habitats located within the tea gardens at Srimangal, Maulvi Bazar. Eight taxa are described as new records for Bangladesh including two genera, namely, Cylindrocystis and Spirotaenia. Key words Desmids, acidic habitats, phytoplankton, new records DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v12i2.602 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 12(2): 49-62, 2005 (December)
Three new records of Aroids (Araceae) for Bangladesh
Authors: Ara Hosne , Hassan Md Abul
Published: January 2009

Three aroid species, namely Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook. f., Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. and Scindapsus perakensis Hook. f. under the family Araceae are recorded for the first time for Bangladesh. An updated nomenclature including important synonyms, illustrated descriptions, flowering and fruiting times, specimens examined, ecology, geographical distribution, occurrance within Bangladesh and uses for each species have also been provided. Key words: Colocasia gigantea, Epipremnum pinnatum, Scindapsus perakensis, New records, Araceae, Bangladesh DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v13i2.581 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 13(2): 83-91, 2006 (December)
Some tribal medicinal plants of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Authors: Yusuf Mohammed , Wahab MA , Yousuf Md , Chowdhury Jasim Uddin , Begum Jaripa
Published: January 2009

A survey was carried out in different localities of Rangamati and Bandarban Districts of Bangladesh between 2001 and 2002 to document medicinal plants. A total of 69 medicinal plants under 40 families were documented during this work, which the tribal use to treat about 50 diseases. Scientific names, tribal names of the plants, parts used, names of the diseases and names of the user communities are mentioned. Key words: Hill Tracts, Medicinal plants, Traditional knowledge, Bangladesh DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v14i2.531 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 14(2): 117-128, 2007 (December)
Smoking Cessation Counselling for Pregnant and Postpartum Women among Midwives, Gynaecologists and Paediatricians in Germany
Authors: Röske Kathrin , Hannöver Wolfgang , Thyrian Jochen  René , John Ulrich , Hannich Hans-Joachim
Published: January 2009

The incorporation of guidelines for the treatment of tobacco smoking into routine care requires positive attitudes, counselling skills and knowledge about additional help available for smokers.The study assesses performance of smoking cessation intervention, attitudes, training status and knowledge about additional help for smokers in the care for pregnant and parenting women by midwives, gynaecologists and paediatricians. A survey of all midwives, gynaecologists and paediatricians registered for primary medical care in the federal state Saarland, Germany, was conducted. Participation in the postal questionnaires was 85 %. Depending on profession, 90 % to 100 % see smoking cessation counselling as their assignment, 17 % to 80 % screen for, 48 % to 90 % document smoking status, and 55 % to 76 % offer brief or extensive counselling. 61 % to 87 % consider training to enhance their knowledge and/or counselling skills necessary. The compliance of providers with the necessity to give support in smoking cessation is very high. However, the current status of cessation counselling does not sufficiently correspond to the evidence based requirements. Reports in medical press and advanced training courses should support health care providers and establish smoking as an inherent topic of the anamnesis and treatment of current and former pregnant or parenting smokers.
Design and Implementation of a Web‐Based System for Intraoperative Consultation
Authors: Tamariz Francisco , Merrell Ronald , Popescu Irinel , Onisor Daniel , Flerov Y. , Boanca Cosmin , Lavrentyev Vladimir , Rafiq Azhar
Published: January 2009

Background

With the use of electronic information distribution and telecommunication technologies, surgical teleconsultation is possible as a vehicle for consulting with experts remotely without their physical presence in the operating room (OR). This study evaluated real‐time teleconsultation from the OR to remote consultants in the Russian Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, Russia and the Fundeni Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.

Methods

We evaluated the effectiveness of teleconsultation using a secure website interface where consultants could navigate through multimedia‐based electronic documentation of a surgical procedure and identify the anatomic landmarks underlying the need for consultation. Additionally, management of a remote camera view by consultants was evaluated.

Results

Fifteen thyroidectomies and parathyroidectomies were studied to confirm by teleconsultation the identity of 22 recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs). There was no Internet connectivity interruption or dropped signal, and the bandwidth was consistently greater than 1 Mbps. Consultants spent an average of 6 min to review an average of 35 min of surgical records to identify the 22 RLNs.

Conclusions

This study validated a system for real‐time teleconsultation using web‐based surgical records. In addition, the ability of the consultant to manage the camera view remotely without interrupting the surgical procedure was confirmed.
The Emergence of Dalton's Chemical Atomic Theory: 1801-08
Authors: Thackray Arnold W.
Published: January 2009

The slow emergence of Dalton's chemical atomic theory has long been a considerable puzzle to historians of science The lengthy delay between Dalton's early work on mixed gases (September 1801) and particle weights (September 1803) and the eventual publication of the first part of hisNew System of Chemical Philosophy(June 1808) has called forth a variety of explanations. It is now more than half a century since A. N. Meldrum stressed

“…the efforts Dalton had to make, in order to arouse attention to the importance of his ideas regarding atoms. For some nine years (1801-1810), if not longer, he endeavoured to spread abroad his ideas, both by private communications and publicly, by his writings and by lectures in various parts of the country…

“Dalton's chemical theory was formed by the 6th September 1803, and he proceeded forthwith to extend and apply it, and make it known in every direction…”

And though Meldrum's view is now no longer accepted, no systematic and detailed account of Dalton's activities over these years is available to replace Meldrum's assertions.
Changing Records and Changing Realities
Authors: Meadows A. J.
Published: January 2009

A great deal has been written concerning the impact of new technology on traditional publishing processes, leading to new forms of electronic publishing. Much less thought has been given to the effects of computerization on archival material. Yet, increasingly, records previously held in hard-copy form are being stored and handled electronically; this is particularly true of information in the scientific/technological/industrial area. In coming years, this will affect the work both of the archivist and of the historian seeking to use these records. It makes sense to try and anticipate the problems that computerization may create.
Hutton and Werner Compared: George Greenough's Geological Tour of Scotland in 1805
Authors: Rudwick M. J. S.
Published: January 2009

Synopsis

George Greenough (1778–1856) was one of the influential group of early nineteenth-century English geologists who rejected both Hutton's and Werner's attempts to propound all-embracing geological theories, and followed a deliberately empirical approach. He travelled through Scotland in 1805, studying geological phenomena in the light of both the Plutonist and the Neptunist theories, and generally concluded that neither was entirely satisfactory as an explanation of the observable facts. He was also the first to suggest that the ‘Parallel Roads’ of Glen Roy were the successive beach-levels of a former lake: this theory was later attacked by Darwin but ultimately vindicated by Agassiz's glacial theory. The more important geological passages from Greenough's MS. journal of the tour are reproduced and discussed in this paper. They illustrate some of the scientific problems that were involved in accepting either Hutton's or Werner's theory entire.
Faraday, Matter, and Natural Theology—Reflections on an Unpublished Manuscript
Authors: Levere T. H.
Published: January 2009

The publication of L. Pearce Williams's definitive biography of Faraday has led to lively discussion of the influence of Naturphilosophie on Davy and Faraday, and of the role played by Bosco vichean atomism in their scientific development. In a recent article J. Brookes Spencer argued that Boscovich's force law, involving interaction between point atoms independent of surrounding particles, was only compatible with Faraday's view of gravity and not with his views on other forces. This would of course contradict the notion of unity which is absolutely fundamental to Boscovich's Theoria.
The Geometrical Background to the “Merton School”
Authors: Molland A. G.
Published: January 2009

At the end of the last century Paul Tannery published an article on geometry in eleventh-century Europe, which he began with the following statement:

“This is not a chapter in the history of science; it is a study of ignorance, in a period immediately before the introduction into the West of Arab mathematics.”
John Michell and Henry Cavendish: Weighing the Stars
Authors: McCormmach Russell
Published: January 2009

Newton wrote in thePrincipiathat all bodies are to be regarded as subject to the principle of gravitation. Every body, however great or small, is related to every other body in the universe by a mutual attraction. It was this postulated universality of the force of gravity which contributed so greatly to the order and unity of the Newtonian world. This unity was, for its followers, an untested article of faith for nearly a century after thePrincipia. During this time the evidence of gravitational attraction continued to be drawn from the motions of the earth, moon, planets, comets, and falling bodies—phenomena which span an intermediate range of masses, sizes, and distances. In three domains of experience, involving the extreme upper and lower limits of masses and dimensions, the action of gravity had not yet been observed: the gravity of the “fixed” stars; the mutual attraction of terrestrial bodies; and the gravitation of light. The task of deducing observable consequences from each of these supposed instances of universal gravitation fell to the Reverend John Michell (1724–1793), a teacher at Cambridge (1749–1763) and afterwards Rector of Thornhill, Yorkshire. His renowned London friend Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) encouraged him in these researches and became involved in the resulting observational and experimental questions. The immersion of Michell and Cavendish in gravitational studies was an essential feature of their commitment to a unified Newtonian world. Their commitment had yet a broader significance: Newton's theory of gravitation inspired their image of physical reality, and it served as their model of an exact science. This paper is an attempt to relate the personal friendship of Michell and Cavendish, their scientific collaboration, and their common Newtonian philosophy. Its chief focus is on Michell's 1784 plan for weighing the stars by the gravitational retardation of their light; his project of weighing the world by means of a torsion balance is treated by way of an epilogue.
A Medieval Objection to “Ptolemy”
Authors: Kren Claudia
Published: January 2009

In 364 the German Schoolman, Henry Hembuche of Langenstein, or as he is more frequently called, Henry of Hesse, wrote an extremely odd treatise entitledOn the Reprobation of Eccentrics and Epicycles (De reprobatione ecentricorum et epiciclorum) in which he attempted to refute Ptolemaic astronomy. We can be confident of the date, 1364, since Henry himself tells us that he is writing in that year. At that time Langenstein had been an M.A. at Paris for about a year, and was teaching in the arts faculty while pursuing the studies which were ultimately to bring him a doctorate in theology.
Tobias Mayer (1723–62): A Case of Forgotten Genius
Authors: Forbes Eric Gray
Published: January 2009

“Tobias Mayer is universally considered as one of the greatest astronomers not only of the eighteenth century, but of all times and of all countries.” This is how the French astronomer, Jean Delambre, in his posthumously published Histoire de l'astronomie au XVIIIième siècle (Paris, 1827), introduces his readers to the Göttingen professor, whom Leonhard Euler had already recognized in 1760 as “undoubtedly the greatest astronomer in Europe”. Delambre's placing of Mayer in a historical perspective assumes special significance on account of the fact that he had previously written three volumes on ancient and medieval astronomy.
The Changing Role of Young's Ether
Authors: Cantor Geoffrey
Published: January 2009

This paper sets out to examine the changes which took place in Thomas Young's concepts of the ether between 1799 and 1807. During the earlier part of this period he supposed the ether to consist of mutually repelling subtle particles which are attracted to particles of matter. Hence, he considered that the ether is denser within dense bodies than in rare ones. Furthermore, Young proposed that the ether density does not change abruptly at an interface; instead the denser ether extends beyond the geometrical limit of a body to form an atmosphere around it. As this hypothesis of an atmosphere of dense ether surrounding material bodies will be the central subject of this paper, I shall in future refer to it as the ether distribution hypothesis.
Lavoisier and the Caloric Theory
Authors: Morris Robert J.
Published: January 2009

Professional historians of science generally recognize the importance of Lavoisier's theory of heat. However, it commonly receives scant attention in the historical treatment of his chemical theories except perhaps as an example illustrating his conservatism and giving the impression that the caloric theory, although perhaps important in the development of ideas on the nature of heat, is independent of and bears little relationship to his general chemistry or is incidental to an understanding of that chemistry.1 An examination of Lavoisier's writings suggests that the caloric theory is not merely a milestone in the development of physics; and rather than an omittable appendage, his concept of heat forms an integral part of his chemical system and plays a central, necessary role in his oxidation theory in particular. The purpose of this paper is to give a general description of Lavoisier's ideas on the nature and action of heat, the origin of these ideas, their development, and their relation to his general chemistry, pointing out his conservatism as well as his innovations.
A Microscopic Incident in a Monumental Struggle: Huxley and Antibiosis in 1875
Authors: Friday James
Published: January 2009

In 1875 T. H. Huxley discovered that a secretion from the mouldpenicillium glaucumhad an ability, unconnected with oxygen deprivation, to inhibit bacterial growth. He recorded his observations in his notebooks and in a single letter to John Tyndall, who at that time was a friend of Lister and a correspondent of Pasteur. Neither Huxley nor Tyndall looked for an explanation of this phenomenon, and neither told anyone else about it.
Some Early Heat Engine Concepts and the Conservation of Heat
Authors: Pacey A. J.
Published: January 2009

For the historian of thermodynamics, the outstanding events of the eighteenth century were the invention of the Newcomen atmospheric steam engine (1712), the patent of James Watt for a condenser separate from the engine's cylinder (1769), and Watt's further patent for the expansive use of steam (1782). These inventions, along with others concerned with hydraulic machinery, provided Sadi Carnot with the foundation on which he built, in 1824, the first fully general concept of a heat engine.
The Scientists' Declaration: Reflexions on Science and Belief in the Wake ofEssays and Reviews, 1864–5
Authors: Brock W. H. , Macleod R. M.
Published: January 2009

During the decades following the publication of Darwin'sOrigin of speciesin 1859, religious belief in England and in particular the Church of England experienced some of the most intense criticism in its history. The early 1860s saw the appearance of Lyell'sEvidence of the antiquity of man(1863), Tylor's research on the early history of mankind (1863), Renan'sVie de Jésus(1863), Pius IX's encyclical,Quanta cura, and the accompanyingSyllabus errarum, John Henry Newman'sApologia(1864), and Swinburne's notoriousAtalanta in Calydon(1865); it was in this period also that Arthur Stanley was appointed Dean of Westminster, and that Bills were introduced in Parliament to amend or repeal the ‘Test Acts’ as they affected universities. They were the years that witnessed Lyell present the case for geology at the British Association at Bath (1864), the first meeting of the X-Club (1864), and the award of the Royal Society's Copley Medal to Charles Darwin. These were the years in which, as Owen Chadwick has put it, ‘the controversy between “science” and “religion” took fire’.
The Rivalry between Charles Lyell and Roderick Murchison
Authors: Page Leroy E.
Published: January 2009

There existed between Charles Lyell and Roderick Impey Murchison, the two most prominent British geologists of the mid-nineteenth century, a rivalry that was personal, professional, and theoretical. This rivalry, which was for the most part friendly, was most keenly felt by Murchison, who was always envious of the popular and professional success of Lyell's theories. Although both were born in Scotland and raised in England, where they lived most of their lives, their early lives were considerably different. Murchison's early career as an army officer and fox hunter contrasts rather strongly with Lyell's academic life at Oxford and as a law student. Each was the eldest child of a well-to-do Scottish family. Although Lyell's family was much the wealthier, Murchison personally always had more money than Lyell since Murchison ultimately inherited the estates of his father, father-in-law, and uncle, while Lyell's inheritance waited until his father's death in 1849, at which time the estate was left in trust for the many Lyell children.
The First Spanish Translation of Lyell's Elements of Geology
Authors: Ordaz J.
Published: January 2009

The Geological discoveries made during the early nineteenth century resulted in a series of general, predominantly didactic studies, the chief purpose of which was the compilation of large amounts of data. Many of these books were quickly translated from one language into another, and the work of Sir Charles Lyell was, naturally enough, no exception.
The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1737–1747
Authors: Emerson Roger L.
Published: January 2009

Several essays, articles, and papers have appeared during the last fifteen years which have shed light on the place and function of science in the intellectual life of eighteenth-century Scotland. Some have concentrated on ideological factors such as the increasing concerns with polite culture, improvement, and the reaction of the Scottish élite to the Act of Union. Others have noted the roles of Jacobites and Whigs in the production of a culture which was unique to Scotland. The generalist educational ideals held by Scots have been explored, as have their philosophical, methodological, and mathematical traditions. Another set of papers has fruitfully examined ‘the social role of knowledge’ and has attempted through studies of the politics of Scottish science and a consideration of its audience to show how the characteristics of local provincial society could influence if not ‘determinescientific activity, its social organization or intellectual structure’. Concerns with the institutionalization of scientific activities and the acceptance of new values have also led to studies of the universities, medical corporations, and societies (both adult and student) which provided focuses for scientific enquiry. All of these studies have emphasized the aspects of science north of the Tweed between about 1690 and 1830 which seem uniquely Scottish. No one would deny the value of these works but perhaps it is now time to redress the balance and to notice howtypicalmuch of the scientific work of the Scots was, and how easily it and the institutions through which it was pursued can be fitted into the wider context of the European Enlightenment.
Ampère, the Etherians, and the Oersted Connexion
Authors: Caneva Kenneth L.
Published: January 2009

In 1826 André-Marie Ampère published the ‘Mathematical theory of electrodynamic phenomena, uniquely derived from experiment’, in which he showed how the mathematical law for the force between current elements could be derived from four ingenious equilibrium experiments. He made a great show of following a Newtonian inductivist methodology, and his law, like Newton's for gravitation, was presented as a purely descriptive mathematical expression for a certain class of phenomena, one for which its author did not provide any causal or ontological justification. Ampère's electrodynamics would accordingly seem to have been a solid contribution to the Laplacian-Newtonian approach to physics so actively pursued in France during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. It does not surprise us to read that his electrodynamic force law and his molecular-currents theory of magnetism were immediately and widely accepted by his French contemporaries. Ampère was, in this view, just another of the many great French mathematical physicists of the period.
The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1748–1768
Authors: Emerson Roger L.
Published: January 2009

The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh which had flourished for a few years after 1738 was as good as dead in 1748. Lord Morton, its President, now lived most of the time in London whence he wrote to Sir John Clerk in 1747 that he regarded the Society as ‘annihilated’, apparently thinking that the death of Colin MacLaurin in 1746 and the temporary retirement to the countryside of its other Secretary, Andrew Plummer, had put an end to it. Sir John had hoped to revive it through association with the Royal Society of London, but Morton did not encourage him in this scheme, about which he had ‘great doubts’. The Society needed a mathematician and an experimenter who could carry on the consulting work which MacLaurin had done, but Morton glumly wondered if ‘the new professor of Mathematics [Matthew Stewart] will be as zealous as MacLaurin had been.’ The Society's other officers, Dr John Clerk and Alexander Lind, are not known to have tried to revive the Society. Perhaps they were discouraged by the fact that ten (22%) of the members of the Society were dead, and that six more (1396) had left the kingdom. At least three others (7%) were likely to have been habitually absent from meetings because they lived some distance from Edinburgh. Of the remaining forty-five known members in 1748, nine (20%) were over sixty-one years of age with four being between seventy-one and seventy-six. In 1737 the average age of thirty-eight of the founders had been 46.0, but by 1748 it had risen to 53.9 for the thirty-three men for whom it can be calculated. Disruption, death, and age had diminished enthusiasm for the Society and jeopardized its survival. Only two meetings are known to have been held in 1746. Sir John's letter to Morton about affiliation with the Royal Society is the only clear sign of life in 1747. We may well ask why this floundering body survived, to whom and to what it owed its revival? The answers to these questions tell us something about the intellectual needs and interests of the Edinburgh intelligentsia of the mid-eighteenth century.
Twelfth-century matter for metaphor: the material view of Plato's Timaeus
Authors: Stiefel Tina
Published: January 2009

Much has been made of Plato's influence of medieval minds, yet as Raymond Klibansky reminds us, much remains to be learned. The twelfth-century Platonist writings are notably various: Brian Stock and Winthrop Weatherbee have examined the effect of Platonic tradition on twelfth-century poetry and Tullio Gregory and Richard Lemay have added to our understanding of its effect on philosophical and theoretical thought in this period. The rich accretions of Hermetic and astrological material have been studied along with the older Plotinian interpretations and the whole complicated orchestration of these various themes has received minute attention. Moreover, in this diversity of Platonic writings, a strongly imaginative quality is often present. Indeed, as Peter Dronke says,

They are achievements not only of the rational intellect but of the active imagination. Their cosmological insights are nourished by imaginative springs as much as by the disciplined sources of abstract thinking. Theirs is a realm where sacred visions and profane myth can combine with analytic thought, poetic fantasy with physical and metaphysical speculation. In terms of scholarship it is a realm which, because it is at the borders of several genres, is still in many ways a neglected one.
Resources for the History of Science in the Science Museum Library
Authors: Day L. R.
Published: January 2009

The basic guidelines for the Science Museum Library, which determine the nature of the collections and the ways they are placed at the service of the public, were stated in the Government White Paper on the British Library of 1971: ‘The Library will be developed both as a reference library of the history of science and technology and for the provision of specialist services for the staff of the Science Museum’.
Appreciating Key Experiments
Authors: Robinson Joseph D.
Published: January 2009

Gilbert and Mulkay, in their paper ‘Experiments Are the Key’, present responses of scientists to questions about the development of the chemiosmotic hypothesis of energy coupling in oxidative and photophosphorylation, and infer from these responses both the meaninglessness of the concept ‘key experiment’ and the hopelessness of searching for any data as a bedrock for historical analysis. Gilbert and Mulkay's nihilism is, however, rooted in a lack of understanding of the specific scientific issues involved. A closer look at a proposed ‘key experiment’ shows certain obvious characteristics that could be criteria for a ‘key experiment’ moreover, the actual scientific response to that experiment demonstrates its pivotal role in the development of the field. Instead of demonstrating the lack of empirical bases for scientific judgment, Gilbert and Mulkay demonstrate the necessity for identifying the crucial issues and pursuing them, in questioning the scientists as well as in examining other sources.
The Scottish Enlightenment and the End of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh
Authors: Emerson Roger L.
Published: January 2009

The story of the end of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh (P.S, E.) in 1783, is linked with that of the founding of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (S.A.S.) (1780) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (R.S.E.), both of which were given Royal Charters sealed on 6 May 1783. It is a story which has been admirably told by Steven Shapin. He persuasively argued that the P.S.E. was a casualty of bitter quarrels rooted in local Edinburgh politics, in personal animosities and in disputes about the control of cultural property and intellectual leadership. In all this he was surely correct just as he was in finding the principal actors in this controversy to be: David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan; the Reverend Dr John Walker, Professor of Natural History in Edinburgh University; Dr William Cullen, Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Vice-President of the P.S.E.; Mr William Smellie, Printer to the Society of Antiquaries; Henry Home, Lord Kames, S.C.J. and President of the P.S.E.; Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, Vice-President of the P.S.E.; John Robison, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Secretary to the P.S.E.; Edinburgh University's Principal, William Robertson; the Curators of the Advocates Library: Ilay Campbell, Robert Blair, Alexander Abercromby, Alexander Fraser Tytler, Professor of Public Law; Henry Dundas, Lord Advocate (1775–August 1783) and M.P. for Midlothian. In a peripheral way, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons were probably also involved; so too were Lord Buchan's brothers, Henry and Thomas Erskine, Foxite Whigs who opposed Dundas politically. Henry Erskine displaced Dundas as Lord Advocate in August 1783. After the change of ministry on 18 December 1783 he was ousted, but became Dean of the Faculty of Advocates in 1785. National as well as burgh politics touched these disputes and gave the parties of the Erskines and Dundas and his friends some leverage in London.