On Joseph Fourier: the man,the mathematician and the physicist

In 1793 Lord Macartney arrived in China as ambassador of King George III. The aims of his embassy were largely directed towards the enlargement of British trade with the far east, and especially with China. The embassy also had a diplomatic and cultural mission, to impress the Chinese with British achievements. They were to do so largely by distributing presents of British manufactures, chief among them being scientific instruments. The Chinese refused the embassy's requests, and clearly regarded the gifts of instruments as merely ingenious toys. This paper describes the role of instruments in the embassy, and contrasts British expectations with Chinese attitudes to scientific instruments. The embassy's failure is shown to reveal fundamental differences in British and Chinese eighteenth-century responses to science, and has wide cultural implications.     

Body fat, body water, and total caloric value of Uinta ground squirrels

The weight of body water and fat-free dry weight of Uinta ground squirrels ( Spermophilus armatus ) is given as a function of body weight. Body fat is presented as a function of body weight and body length. An equation for calculating the total caloric content of Uinta ground squirrels is given. Fat index (weight of fat/fat-free dry weight) values of juveniles increased from 0.11 to 0.22 from 5 June to 28 July. In male yearlings and adults the fat index increased about 8 to 9 times in the latter half of June and early July.         

Catastrophic wildfire and number of populations as factors influencing risk of extinction for Gila trout ( Oncorhynchus gilae )

We used the computer program RAMAS to explore the sensitivity of an extinction-risk model for the Gila trout ( Oncorhynchus gilae ) to management of wildfires and number of populations of the species. The Gila trout is an endangered salmonid presently restricted to very few headwaters of the Gila and San Francisco river tributaries in southwestern New Mexico. Life history data for 10 extant populations were used to examine sensitivity of the species viability to changes in a variety of factors including population size, fecundity, life stage structure, number of populations, severity and probability of forest fires, and a regulated fishery. The probability and severity of forest fires and number of populations had the greatest effect on viability. Results indicate that successful conservation of Gila trout requires establishment of additional populations and reduction of the severity of forest fires through a program incorporating more frequent, but less severe, fires.     

Richard Watson

The development of the circular dividing engine in England is traced from Henry Hindley and Jesse Ramsden through the improvements introduced by Ramsden's successors to the self-acting engine of William Simms. Particular emphasis is given to the invention, evolution and transmission of the methods used to achieve accuracy in: dividing the wheel; ratching the teeth and matching them to the endless screw; and mounting the cutter. The procedures adopted by Ramsden and Troughton for correcting initial dividing marks are also described.     

Vaccination against and treatment of tuberculosis, the leishmaniases and AIDS: perspectives from basic immunology and immunity to chronic intracellular infections

The occurrence of infectious disease represents a failure of the immune system, a failure that must be prevented by effective vaccination or remedied by treatment. Vaccination against acute diseases such as smallpox and polio are very effective, due to the rapid and increased immune response of vaccinated individuals upon natural infection. In contrast, effective vaccination against intracellular pathogens that cause chronic diseases, such as the leishmaniases, tuberculosis and AIDS, has not been achieved. Clinical observations suggest cell-mediated, Th1 responses, exclusive of antibody production and the generation of Th2 cells, are optimally protective against these intracellular pathogens. Effective vaccination must ensure the generation of such a protective response. We explore here whether understanding very broad features of the regulation of the immune response can accommodate modern findings on the immunological features of these diseases, and provide a perspective within which strategies for effective vaccination and treatment can be developed.     

A survey of breeding and migratory birds southwest of Farmington, New Mexico

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The relative abundance and habitat affinities of breeding and migratory waterfowl were documented for a 16,556 ha (40,880 acre) area of the Navajo Indian Reservation, San Juan County, New Mexico. The objective of the 1973 – 1974 study was to obtain baseline data for use as part of an environmental assessment for coal gasification plants and an associated strip mine proposed for an area not previously described in ornithological journals. Roadside breeding - bird surveys resulted in the observation of 26 species of birds, of which the horned lark was most abundant. Additional breeding - bird observations were made during afternoon reconnaissance surveys around stock ponds and arroyos, and by a helicopter survey of cliff - nesting raptors. Nine of 30 raptor nests located were active. Migratory waterfowl surveys were made in September and November at four stock ponds and a marsh on the study area. Peak waterfowl numbers were present in September, when teal and shovelers were the most abundant species. The importance of stock ponds to breeding and migratory birds and the significance of cliffs to nesting raptors were discussed. Details of observations made for five species of birds designated ";threatened"; or ";status undetermined"; were presented.        

Food and habitat relationships of Claassenia sabulosa (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in the Upper Colorado River, Colorado

Streambed surveys were conducted along the upper Colorado River, Colorado, to describe the distributions of Claassenia sabulosa larvae in relation to current speed and to determine their diets. We also addressed diel feeding periodicity by sampling during both day and night. Claassenia sabulosa was more abundant in riffle habitats than in runs. A positive relationship existed between C. sabulosa abundance and stream current, with larval size increasing with current speed. Chironomidae, Baetidae, and Simulidae collectively accounted for 93% of the prey found in stonefly guts; however, these categories were not consumed equally by all C. sabulosa . Smaller C. sabulosa primarily ate chironomids, and larger individuals consumed more baetids. Only a slight difference existed in the percentage of empty guts between night- and day-collected stoneflies, and ranges of prey per gut at night were higher than those in the day, suggesting that these stoneflies may forage more intensively at night.     

Effect of Si on austenite stabilization,martensite morphology,and magnetic properties in Fe-26%Ni-x%Si alloys

The effect of Si on the austenite stabilization, martensite morphology, and magnetic properties in Fe-26%Ni-x%Si (x=3.5, 5, and 6) alloys have been studied by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and M?ssbauer spectroscopy techniques. TEM observations reveal that the martensite morphology is closely dependent on the Si content. The volume fraction changes of martensite and austenite phases, the hyperfine magnetic field, and isomer shift values have been determined by Mssbauer spectroscopy. The M?ssbauer study reveals that the hyperfine magnetic field, the isomer shift values and the volume fraction of martensite decrease with increasing Si content.