Ethanol as an antifungal treatment for paper: short-term and long-term effects

In paper conservation ethanol is used as an antifungal agent. However, information on the antifungal efficacy of this alcohol is scarce and often inconsistent. In this study, we clarify if ethanol is effective and safe to use in paper conservation in the short as well as in the long term. None of the tested ethanol concentrations (5–100%) promoted conidia germination, but rather delayed or entirely inhibited it, depending on alcohol concentration and contact time. In a simulation of an interventive treatment of samples colonized by fungi, all the tested ethanolic solutions (30, 70, and 100%) revealed antifungal activity. The best results were obtained with 70% ethanol, showing fungicidal properties on four of the five-tested fungal species (Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Penicillium corylophilum). No deleterious effects of 70% ethanol on the tested paper were observed either in the short or in the long term.     

Lead soaps in paintings: Friends or foes?

The origin(s) and role(s) of metal soaps in paints are a worldwide concern today. These hybrid compounds, containing both fatty acid chains and metals associated with a carboxylate function, are increasingly identified in paints. As reviewed in the first part of this work, the presence of metal soaps in paints is differently interpreted in scientific publications: metal soaps are sometimes considered to play a positive role as anchor points, during paint drying processes; they can also be considered as responsible for many degradation processes (protrusions, efflorescences, darkening, etc.). Their origins are also interpreted in various ways. In some paintings (in particular from the twentieth century), they have sometimes introduced on purpose, as additives, to modify the physical properties of the painting materials. In older paintings, metal soaps are usually thought to result from an uncontrolled reaction of oil with lead-based pigments, in particular lead white, red lead, and lead tin yellow. In the second part of this work, the review of historical recipes of lead-based paint shows an important number of recipes based on controlled mixing of oil with lead driers. In the third part, the experimental reproduction of such traditional recipes using walnut oil and litharge (PbO) shows that lead soaps can be formed, both in about one hour at ～100°C, or in about one month at room temperature. It shows as well that after a few years, litharge is no longer detected in the paint medium, while different lead carbonates are. Finally, the micro-infrared spectroscopy and micro-X-ray diffraction re-analysis of protrusions from a nine-year model painting shows together with lead soaps, the presence of Pb₅(CO₃)₃(OH)₂O (‘synthetic plumbonacrite’), an unusual phase recently observed in a protrusion from a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. This work highlights (i) the multiple origins and roles of metal soaps in paints and (ii) the importance of combining the analysis of fragments from historical paintings with the analysis and reproduction of historical recipes. In particular, we show that the components detected today in historical paintings may severely differ from those originally used or prepared by the painter, complicating the assessment of the painter's intentions. More than the presence of metal soaps, the key questions to be tackled should be about their origins and (re)mobilization.     

NONVERBAL ASPECTS OF CREATIVE THINKING: STUDIES OF DEAF CHILDREN

Pictorial figural representations are of essential importance in the cognitive development of the deaf. Creative abilities of the deaf were studied with regard to five components of classroom behaviour: motivation, socialization, antisocial behaviour, passiveness and level of intelligence. The subjects were a group of 22 deaf pupils aged 13‐15 and a group of hearing children. The Test of Creative Thinking‐Drawing Productions (TCT‐DP), the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices and the Pupil Behaviour Inventory were used to examine main trends. Comparisons indicated that no significant difference was found between the school functioning of the hearing and the nonhearing in achievement motivation and antisocial behaviour. However in socialization and in intelligence level the nonhearing were significantly lower than the hearing. TCT‐DP results showed that the number of thematic solutions and humour responses increased with deafness, and certain elements became more stereotypical, less individual and less original In addition, IQ in deaf pupils was related to the drawing of concrete objects, whereas in the hearing group intelligence level was related to use of abstractions.     

处理好五个关系提高体育教学质量

要全面提高体育教学质量，必须尊重体育教学规律，尤其要研究并尊重其特殊规律，正确处理好如下五个关系：即教与学的关系，教书与育人的关系，课内与课外的关系，场地与器材的关系以及教学与科研的关系。     

Quality incentive based congestion control for multimedia communication over IP networks

In this paper we introduce a framework for using quality as an incentive to promote proper application level congestion control. Through integrating a joint-source channel coder and feedback-based congestion control scheme, we are able to construct accurate and efficient quality incentives. The framework is applicable in all network architectures where end-to-end congestion control may be used, and is as such not specific to either best-effort or traffic class-based architectures. The concept is presented along with preliminary simulations that highlight the resulting rate control accuracy. We also discuss how to implement some well-known congestion control schemes within our framework.     

中学语文教学培养学生动手能力例谈

在语教学中培养学生的动手能力，可从以下几方面进行，引入实验，制作教具，绘制图形，学画插图，动笔多写。     

导言

在2005 年题为<对图书馆和信息资源的认知>(Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources)的环境审视报告导言中我写道:这个报告对我们所了解的图书馆功用、图书馆品牌和日益增长的网络信息服务需求,"证实多于挑战".……     

试论现代大学的性质和功能

研究现代大学的性质和功能 ,其目的在于重新认识为什么要办大学 ,大学是干什么的 ,怎样办大学。本文提出 ,现代大学的性质和功能是 :教育性、学术性、综合性、创造性、社会性、服务性、产业性、自主性、开放性、国际性     

A Review of the Concept of Visual Literacy

Many people from very diverse disciplines have attempted to define the concept of Visual Literacy (VL), but with little general consensus so far. This is probably due to the fact that those representing the different disciplines and paradigms are each wanting to interpret Visual Literacy in a way that reflects and flatters their contribution or way of thinking. As a consequence, a theoretical concept with seemingly little practical value has been created, but cannot be used productively until an agreed definition is established.
It is self evident that if a concept does not have a broadly accepted definition, if the theory behind it is confusing, and if its viability on practical terms is a matter of continuing controversy, then the only reasonable way to cope with it is to abandon it. Nevertheless, with the exception of very few and of minor importance cases, no serious attempt has ever been made towards discarding VL altogether.