Projection crystallography and micrography with digital cameras

With the advent of digital cameras the process of using an enlarger as an improvised low-power transmission microscope merits to be revisited as there are many benefits to be derived from using the digital process for the capture of images under such a microscope but there are also potential pitfalls to be aware of. Added here in March, 2004

Sword and Buckler in Masorah Figurata: Traces of Early Illuminated Fight Books in the Micrography of Bible, BnF, MS héb. 9

Two manuscripts produced in early fourteenth-century German lands reflect similar iconography of the fighting with Sword and Buckler; one is the well-known fencing manual, Leeds, Royal Armouries, MS I. 33, produced ca. 1320, and the other is a Hebrew manuscript of the Bible, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France héb. 9, made in 1304, that will be the focus of this article. This preliminary research intends to demonstrate how Hebrew illuminated manuscripts can shed more light on the study of fight books iconography

Role of direct microbial electron transfer in corrosion of steels

It has recently been discovered that many microbial species have the capacity to connect their metabolism to solid electrodes, directly exchanging electrons with them through membrane-bound redox compounds,nevertheless such a direct electron transfer pathway has been evoked rarely in the domain of microbial corrosion. Here was evidenced for the first time that the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens is able to increase the free potential of 304 L stainless steel up to 443 mV in only a few hours, which represents a drastic increase in the corrosion risk. In contrast, when the bacterial cells form a locally wellestablished biofilm, pitting potentials were delayed towards positive values. The microscopy pictures confirmed an intimate correlation between the zones where pitting occurred and the local settlement of cells. Geobacter species must now be considered as key players in the mechanisms of corrosion

Structural and electrical transport properties of superconducting Au{0.7}In{0.3} films: A random array of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions

The structural and superconducting properties of Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, grown by interdiffusion of alternating Au and In layers, have been studied. The films were found to consist of a uniform solid solution of Au{0.9}In{0.1}, with excess In precipitated in the form of In-rich grains of various Au-In phases (with distinct atomic compositions), including intermetallic compounds. As the temperature was lowered, these individual grains became superconducting at a particular transition temperature (Tc), determined primarily by the atomic composition of the grain, before a fully superconducting state of zero resistance was established. From the observed onset Tc, it was inferred that up to three different superconducting phases could have formed in these Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, all of which were embedded in a uniform Au{0.9}In{0.1} matrix. Among these phases, the Tc of a particular one, 0.8 K, is higher than any previously reported for the Au-In system. The electrical transport properties were studied down to low temperatures. The transport results were found to be well correlated with those of the structural studies. The present work suggests that Au{0.7}In{0.3} can be modeled as a random array of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions. The effect of disorder and the nature of the superconducting transition in these Au{0.7}In{0.3} films are discussed.Comment: 8 text pages, 10 figures in one separate PDF file, submitted to PR

An unconventional approach in polymer wear: online vision system

Tribology which deals with interaction of materials has robust link with surface morphology of contacting bodies. Adequate information on surface state during the interaction is essential for understanding the constructive/destructive nature of wear, especially for polymer composites. Such information can be acquired using recently developed advanced electronic imaging systems to study the morphological changes of moving surface. In the present research, polymer composite is tested against steel counterface under combined rolling/sliding condition. A high speed camera system in conjunction with a reflected light bright field optical microscope is used to acquire contact surface micrographs during testing. The acquired real-time micrographs are post processed in order to quantitatively estimate the area occupied by specific surface scars. Image processing techniques such as blur estimation, segmentation by local thresholding and grey scale granulometry were used to have a quantitative estimate of the surface state. The area of segmented regions from the values of grey scale granulometry validates the self-healing mechanism complemented by resin back transfer phenomena. It is also evident from this study that a substantial contact area should be investigated in wear analysis. The present research clearly points out that a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis of real-time micrographs is indispensable for wear surface investigations

Putting the Text back into Context: A Codicological Approach to Manuscript Transcription

Textual scholars have tended to produce editions which present the text without its manuscript context. Even though digital editions now often present single-witness editions with facsimiles of the manuscripts, nevertheless the text itself is still transcribed and represented as a linguistic object rather than a physical one. Indeed, this is explicitly stated as the theoretical basis for the de facto standard of markup for digital texts: the Guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI). These explicitly treat texts as semantic units such as paragraphs, sentences, verses and so on, rather than physical elements such as pages, openings, or surfaces, and some scholars have argued that this is the only viable model for representing texts. In contrast, this chapter presents arguments for considering the document as a physical object in the markup of texts. The theoretical arguments of what constitutes a text are first reviewed, with emphasis on those used by the TEI and other theoreticians of digital markup. A series of cases is then given in which a document-centric approach may be desirable, with both modern and medieval examples. Finally a step forward in this direction is raised, namely the results of the Genetic Edition Working Group in the Manuscript Special Interest Group of the TEI: this includes a proposed standard for documentary markup, whereby aspects of codicology and mise en page can be included in digital editions, putting the text back into its manuscript context

Morphing surfaces for the control of boundary layer transition

A structure configured to modify its surface morphology between a smooth state and a rough state in response to an applied stress. In demonstrated examples, a soft (PDMS) substrate is produced, and is pre-strained. A relatively stiff overlayer of a metal, such as chromium and gold, is applied to the substrate. When the pre-strained substrate is allowed to relax, the free surface of the stiff overlayer is forced to become distorted, yielding a free surface having a roughness of less than 1 millimeter. Repeated application and removal of the applied stress has been shown to yield reproducible changes in the morphology of the free surface. An application of such morphing free surface is to control a boundary layer transition of an aerodynamic fluid flowing over the surface

Bringing the Visual Arts Classroom Into the 21St Century

Bringing the visual arts classroom into the 21st century technology has become a key component to everyday life and society, especially in education. Although teachers are faced with many barriers that can hinder the integration of technology into the classroom, such as cost/funding, teacher training, and teacher planning time, with some support and planning, teachers will begin to see and use technology as a invaluable resource and tool in the classroom. The purpose of this project was to provide visual arts teachers with the information, background, and tools to begin their journey of integrating technology into the visual arts classroom. A curricular unit was developed to provide visual arts teachers with an example of how technology can be successfully and easily incorporated into their classrooms. Through this curricular unit many tools, ideas, and options were introduced to better equip them for this task

Clockwise–Counterclockwise: Calligraphic Frames in Sephardic Hebrew Bibles and Their Roots in Mediterranean Culture

Most Near Eastern and Sefardi Bible manuscripts feature calligraphic frames around many of their carpet pages, and in Sefardi Iberian manuscripts they are frequently found surrounding the Temple Implement pages, which are unique to the region. The present essay traces the development of this scribal art in the Iberian Peninsula and the way that it evolved into a regional phenomenon that mirrors cultural interests and influences. I also discuss its origins in Hebrew Near Eastern manuscripts and further demonstrate the cultural roots and origins of this scribal phenomenon in the surrounding Byzantine and Islamic cultures