Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Mathematics: Culture Shock – Mathematical Symbols, Language, and Reasoning

Author(s):  
Andrijana Burazin ◽  
Miroslav Lovric
Author(s):  
Joseph Mazur

While all of us regularly use basic mathematical symbols such as those for plus, minus, and equals, few of us know that many of these symbols weren't available before the sixteenth century. What did mathematicians rely on for their work before then? And how did mathematical notations evolve into what we know today? This book explains the fascinating history behind the development of our mathematical notation system. It shows how symbols were used initially, how one symbol replaced another over time, and how written math was conveyed before and after symbols became widely adopted. Traversing mathematical history and the foundations of numerals in different cultures, the book looks at how historians have disagreed over the origins of the number system for the past two centuries. It follows the transfigurations of algebra from a rhetorical style to a symbolic one, demonstrating that most algebra before the sixteenth century was written in prose or in verse employing the written names of numerals. It also investigates the subconscious and psychological effects that mathematical symbols have had on mathematical thought, moods, meaning, communication, and comprehension. It considers how these symbols influence us (through similarity, association, identity, resemblance, and repeated imagery), how they lead to new ideas by subconscious associations, how they make connections between experience and the unknown, and how they contribute to the communication of basic mathematics. From words to abbreviations to symbols, this book shows how math evolved to the familiar forms we use today.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Jayme Montiel ◽  
Ma. Elizabeth J. Macapagal

The featured articles in the section on cultural diversity across the Pacific address important cultural issues in psychology as applied to psychopathology (Marsella & Yamada, 2011), intercultural relations and acculturation (Berry, 2011) and the phenomenon of culture shock (Furnham, 2011). We appreciate how the three articles offer a wide multidisciplinary lens and view mental problems from this broader vantage point. Beyond narratives of biology and individual personality dispositions, the authors include an anthropologists' eye to viewing mental illness (Marsella & Yamada, 2011), use sociological explanations of intergroup relations in a multicultural model of acculturation (Berry, 2011) and refer to demographic migration patterns to elucidate culture shock among foreign students (Furnham, 2011). The contribution of this set of writings lies in its insightful emphasis on how culture interfaces with one's subjective life. Our essay unpacks the cultural lens used in the psychological accounts, points out conceptual spaces that are largely unexplored in cross-cultural psychology (something that is observed and lamented by these authors in their articles here and elsewhere) and suggests avenues for future research about cultural diversity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-113
Author(s):  
Steven Meisel
Keyword(s):  

1988 ◽  
Vol 253 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Domenicucci ◽  
H A Goldberg ◽  
T Hofmann ◽  
D Isenman ◽  
S Wasi ◽  
...  

Osteonectin, extracted from foetal porcine calvariae with 0.5 M-EDTA, was purified to homogeneity by using gel filtration and polyanion anion-exchange fast protein liquid chromatography under dissociative conditions without the need of reducing agents. The purified protein migrated with an Mr of 40,300 on SDS/polyacrylamide gels and was similar to bovine osteonectin in both amino acid composition and in its ability to bind to hydroxyapatite in the presence of 4 M-guanidinium hydrochloride (GdmCl). However, unlike the bovine protein, porcine osteonectin did not bind selectively to hydroxyapatite when EDTA tissue extracts were used. In addition, purified porcine osteonectin did not show any apparent affinity for either native or denatured type I collagen, but did bind to serum albumin. Primary sequence analysis revealed an N-terminal alanine residue, with approximately one-half of the subsequent 35 residues identified as small hydrophobic amino acids and one-quarter as acidic amino acids. The only significant difference between the N-terminal sequences of the bovine and porcine proteins was the deletion of the tripeptide Val-Ala-Glu in porcine osteonectin. In contrast with bovine osteonectin, far-u.v.c.d. of porcine osteonectin revealed considerable secondary structure, of which 27% was alpha-helix and 39% was beta-sheet. Cleavage of the molecule with CNBr under non-reducing conditions generated five fragments, of which two major fragments (Mr 27,900 and 12,400) stained blue with Stains All, a reagent that stains sialic-acid-rich proteins/phosphate-containing proteins and/or Ca2+-binding proteins blue while staining other proteins pink. The 12,400-Mr fragment bound 45Ca2+ selectively, indicating a Ca2+-binding site in this part of the molecule. The 27,900-Mr fragment did not bind Ca2+, and since biosynthetic studies with 32PO4(3-) did not show phosphorylation of porcine osteonectin, this fragment is likely to be highly acidic. The incomplete cleavage of the molecule with CNBr and the ability of the molecule to regain its secondary structure after exposure to 7 M-urea are features consistent with the molecule having a compact structure that is stabilized by numerous disulphide bridges. The chemical and binding properties of porcine osteonectin are closely similar to the recently described ‘culture shock’, SPARC and BM-40 proteins, indicating that these are homologous proteins.


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