- chemweb - imperial.ac.uk

Molecule of the Month
by Paul May 04 Jan '96

04 Jan '96

Hi, >I wonder how we might check to see if a MOTM is operating in the USA? >I do remember seeing something some time ago. Might be >a) nice to link if there is >b) Nice to act as a global centre if there is not! I don't know of one. Maybe we're the first... >Might I also suggest that we try to make available 3D coordinates >for each molecule. Initially, these could be pdb, and we would need to >describe >the chemical/x-pdb MIME type to people so that they can configure their >browser accordingly. It would be nice, but not essential. After all, not everyone (especially students) has access to the databases where these coords are stored. One of the reasons I wrote the aspirin MOTM was that I had access to the 3D structure in alc format, which is compatible with rasmol. I'm in the process now of getting an account with the Daresbury chemical databases so that I can get more pdb and alc files for future MOTM pages. > Shortly, we expect to introduce Java Applets as well > (see http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/clic/pop.html) so that the images will not > necessarily need a separate program and its configuration. Again, that would make the pages look superb. But Java is still quite rare at the moment... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. Archived as: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/chemweb/ To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Molecule of the Month
by Paul May 04 Jan '96

04 Jan '96

Hi, >> I've just created a sort of home page for the MOTMs at: >> >> http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/MOTM/motm.htm >> >> which hopefully will contain a pointer list to all the future MOTMs. >> Henry's one is number one on the list, and I'll be adding the second >> (*aspirin*, which I wrote over Xmas) on Feb 1st. >Is there any reason to wait? I was thinking that EACH site would add >a molecle a month! It all depends on the response we get from the various other chemistry web sites. At least initially, I was expecting the response to be slow, with only a few (enthusiastic) people contributing the occassional MOTM. After all, it does take a few hours and a bit of library work to write a MOTM page. So I thought a month would be about right to give someone else a chance to write a MOTM page. But if some of the ideas put forward on this list (students doing MOTM pages instead of a tutorial, or as a departmental competition,...) start up, then we might have a lot more MOTM pages available - in which case there would be no need to wait a month... >> If you are thinking of contributing to the MOTM, write the page and let me >> know its URL and I'll add it to the list at the beginning of the next >> available month. >Do you want to go ahead and approach say New Scientist? I'd rather wait until we had a few more, say 6 or so, MOTMs, so that the idea looks as if it's working. We're almost half way there now - one MOTM is on-line, another is ready and waiting for Feb 1st, and I've got one prepared for a few month's time. When we've shown the idea has merit, then we could approach New Scientist, say, and see if they want to do a couple of paragraphs on it. That should certainly get us some more people contributing to the MOTMs! Speaking of MOTMs, with the scheme as it currently stands (one new molecule a month) the deadline for the next MOTM submission will be March 1st. Any takers...? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. Archived as: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/chemweb/ To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Molecule of the month
by Paul May 03 Jan '96

03 Jan '96

Hi, Happy New Year to everyone! > We got as far as > getting Nature to allow us to use a gif of one molecule. The idea was > that students would as part of the course contribute protein molecules > they found interesting. That's a good idea. Maybe if it was presented to the undergrads as a sort of competition might get them to create some good pages...? > What addtional info is there with the molecule? Connection table, phys > data, reactions, etc. Whatever you like, really. But I think the aim should be to keep the pages interesting and concise. Pages of dull textbook recitation should be avoided. > Perhaps you should aim to show the diversity of > chemistry as well as the topicality. For example - what (other than H2O) > is the 'commonest molecule?', the cheapest? I agree. We want loads of different types of molecules, from proteins to inorganic crystals, rocks to interstellar gas... > IF you get it going, then people will gather round the successful idea. I hope so... I've just created a sort of home page for the MOTMs at: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/MOTM/motm.htm which hopefully will contain a pointer list to all the future MOTMs. Henry's one is number one on the list, and I'll be adding the second (*aspirin*, which I wrote over Xmas) on Feb 1st. If you are thinking of contributing to the MOTM, write the page and let me know its URL and I'll add it to the list at the beginning of the next available month. I've got another MOTM in preparation (I was bored over Xmas, as you can probably see :-) ), which will be about *diamond*. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. Archived as: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/chemweb/ To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Re: Delivering Chemistry Tutorials using the Web
by Joel Crisp 02 Jan '96

02 Jan '96

Hi > From chemweb(a)ic.ac.uk Thu Dec 21 13:15:40 1995 > Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 13:24:29 GMT > Originator: chemweb(a)ic.ac.uk > From: "Stuart J. Fairall" <sfairall(a)dmu.ac.uk> > To: Multiple recipients of list <chemweb(a)ic.ac.uk> > Subject: Re: Delivering Chemistry Tutorials using the Web > X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas > X-Comment: Chemistry Webmasters Discussion list > > > For the past year, our Educational Technology Service have been developing a > > system to deliver multiple-choice tutorial questions using the web. It's > > based on an HTML-compatible language called TML (Tutorial Markup Language), > > and allows several different question types, with automatic logging of > > the student's score, etc. > > Very impressed with the scope TML allows. Its structured > format would allow easy generation of source, all be it with > a fair amount of typing. Thanks ;-) We are working on specification of a '<DEFAULTS>' tag for answers and scoring. > But would its primary role be to assess or to instruct. ie. > should wrong answers yield an informative response. If the Each possible answer may have its own response message - see the <RESPONSES> tag. A typical use of this from our Obs & Gyn department is to point to the web resource containing the correct answer, and give a line of description informing the student why the answer choosen was incorrect. > instructional element is missing then its appeal to users > would be low and probably only for required testing. If an > instructional role is expected then I think users will be > put of by the thought of logged scoring. Logged scoring will be an option in future. The system may already be used in an anonymous fashion by automatically generating a new random UID for each session. > > Password access would also greatly reduce the number of users > and really might well restrict it to the realms of LAN based > CAL packages. We have a password administration program for the CERN web server which will allow a very flexible setup. As already mentioned, you can use it in a non-password anonymous mode. > > > > I've just written an example tutorial in TML using Chemistry-based > > questions and it's now on-line on our ETS server at: > > > > http://www.ets.bris.ac.uk/ets/resource/tutorial/tutorial.htm > > A nice demonstration. Even though the original demo illustrated > the styles available having, the material in context shows the > potential more. > I didnt realise toluene would nitrate in the meta position. > ----- > chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. > To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; > unsubscribe chemweb > List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk) > > If you have any more questions/suggestions/comments, please feel free to mail me ( I am the author of the system... ;-) ) BTW, if anyone authors a tutorial, please let me know so I can start to build a links page to all the ones out there ;-) Joel ---- Joel.Crisp(a)bris.ac.uk | ets-webmaster(a)bris.ac.uk Joel Crisp, Software Engineer, Educational Technology Service, University of Bristol, UK ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. Archived as: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/chemweb/ To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Delivering Chemistry Tutorials using the Web
by Paul May 21 Dec '95

21 Dec '95

Hi, For the past year, our Educational Technology Service have been developing a system to deliver multiple-choice tutorial questions using the web. It's based on an HTML-compatible language called TML (Tutorial Markup Language), and allows several different question types, with automatic logging of the student's score, etc. I've just written an example tutorial in TML using Chemistry-based questions and it's now on-line on our ETS server at: http://www.ets.bris.ac.uk/ets/resource/tutorial/tutorial.htm I'd be interested to hear what you think of it... Any comments about TML itself should go to joel.crisp(a)bris.ac.uk, who wrote it! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Re: Molecule of the Month
by h.rzepa＠ic.ac.uk 21 Dec '95

21 Dec '95

>What's the general feeling on this as a concept? Would people >be willing to create a new MOTM page, say, once a year? If the only people >willing to have a go are me and Henry, the idea won't fly, but if a few >more seem enthusiastic it could become quite a nice (fun) resource... It might be an idea to send the URLs to a) Netropolitan of New Scientist b) John Emsley. This way, we could get a bit more publicity and momentum! Dr Henry Rzepa, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, LONDON SW7 2AY; rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk via Eudora Pro 2.1.3; Tel (44) 171 594 5774; Fax: (44) 171 594 5804. World-Wide Web URL: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/ ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. Archived as: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/chemweb/ To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Molecule of the Month
by Paul May 21 Dec '95

21 Dec '95

Hi, I liked the your MOTM, Henry. I haven't got round to doing my own, yet, but will do it over Xmas. If we can generate some interest in this as an idea, I might try and set up an archive web page which points to all the MOTMs that will hopefully be made over the next year. At the start of each month I'll add the new MOTM (created by one of the Chemistry webmasters out there) to the top of the list. What's the general feeling on this as a concept? Would people be willing to create a new MOTM page, say, once a year? If the only people willing to have a go are me and Henry, the idea won't fly, but if a few more seem enthusiastic it could become quite a nice (fun) resource... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Re: Delivering Chemistry Tutorials using the Web
by Paul May 21 Dec '95

21 Dec '95

Hi, > > Very impressed with the scope TML allows. Its structured > format would allow easy generation of source, all be it with > a fair amount of typing. Our ETS Dept are working on that too. Hopefully there should be a version of their CalScribe software (based on MS Toolbook), which can prompt the Question-setter with questions such as: 'Please type text of question', 'Please type correct answer', Please type 1st incorrect answer', etc. That way the question-setter needn't have to know much about the mechanics of TML at all, the program formats the whole tutorial for him. CalScribe does this already to a certain extent, but soon it'll be able to export the finished tutorial as a TML file. Watch this space... > But would its primary role be to assess or to instruct. ie. > should wrong answers yield an informative response. If the > instructional element is missing then its appeal to users > would be low and probably only for required testing. If an > instructional role is expected then I think users will be > put of by the thought of logged scoring. Both, but not at the same time, for the reasons mentioned above. It can be used as a teaching aid, with *very* detailed questions and answers, including large images, multiple pages of text, and hopefully rotatable molecules, etc, but this requires a lot of initial input from the question- setter who has to write it all! Alternatively it can be used as a quick and easy assessment method, where the scores are password protected for each student, and logged. > > Password access would also greatly reduce the number of users > and really might well restrict it to the realms of LAN based > CAL packages. > > Each student gives himself his own password, so we know it's him each time he uses the system for different tutorials. > > > I've just written an example tutorial in TML using Chemistry-based > > > questions and it's now on-line on our ETS server at: > > > > http://www.ets.bris.ac.uk/ets/resource/tutorial/tutorial.htm > > A nice demonstration. Even though the original demo illustrated > the styles available having, the material in context shows the > potential more. Glad you liked it. It took me about 7 hours in total. > I didnt realise toluene would nitrate in the meta position. Neither did I till I looked it up! (I'm a Physical Chemist). But apparently it nitrates at all 3 positions in the ratio of about ortho=35% meta=5% para=60% (or something like that...) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Paul May, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK tel: +44 (0)117 9287667, fax: +44 (0)117 9251295 email: paul.may(a)bris.ac.uk WWW: http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/pwm.htm "Another squashed hedgehog in the gutter of the information superhighway" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Molecule of the Month
by h.rzepa＠ic.ac.uk 20 Dec '95

20 Dec '95

Although our archive is quite young, I already cannot find the posting which suggested a "Molecule of the Month". Anyway, I have put ours up on http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/motm/perkin.html For those interested, it was the last week of term, and I was trying to find something to do with my tutorial group other than eat mince pies. Finally, I decided to shoot off to the College archives, where we have a sample of Perkin's Mauve. Hence the above! When I have time, I will scan the silk sample, and put that up as well. As a matter of interest, has anyone else produced a MOTM? If so, I will link to it. Also, the trip to the archives reminded me that one of the oldest chemical samples I have seen dates from 1828, being Ballard's Bromine. Does anyone know of older interesting samples of synthetically prepared chemicals? Best wishes for the festive season to all! Dr Henry Rzepa, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, LONDON SW7 2AY; rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk via Eudora Pro 2.1.3; Tel (44) 171 594 5774; Fax: (44) 171 594 5804. World-Wide Web URL: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/ ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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Publishing chemical structures on the Web: The ACS Policy
by h.rzepa＠ic.ac.uk 13 Dec '95

13 Dec '95

The following is an extract of a recent policy decision by the ACS regarding 3D coordinates, and other information published on a Web site. The "I" is not me, but someone else. "The posting of work on an electronic bulletin board constitutes prior publication and such work cannot be accepted for publication in JACS. I recently requested clarification from a Senior Research Associate at the ACS and received the folowing response. The current Notice to Authors for JACS states 'the work reported therein has not received prior publication and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere in any medium, including electronic journals and computer data bases of a public nature.' The revision that you mentioned they plan to add of 'electronic bulletin boards' only makes it more clear that JACS won't print items previously posted. " This produced extensive disucussion, which is archived on http://www.unige.ch/crystal/w3vlc/dis-wwwpub.html Curiously, the ACS edict does not mention WWW, but refers to "electronic journals or bulletin boards". I might add from my own experience with the recent ECCC-2 conference, that informal approaches to ACS journal editors seemed to imply that if the electronic material was only up for <30 days, it might not count! Hence, ECCC-2 as a chemistry conference, ran for <30 days!! Finally, I might mention that the ECTOC conference CD is the entity that will be abstracted by CAS, not the electronic version. Dr Henry Rzepa, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, LONDON SW7 2AY; rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk via Eudora Pro 2.1.3; Tel (44) 171 594 5774; Fax: (44) 171 594 5804. World-Wide Web URL: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/ ----- chemweb: A list for Chemical Applications of the Internet. To unsubscribe, send to listserver(a)ic.ac.uk the following message; unsubscribe chemweb List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (rzepa(a)ic.ac.uk)

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