Conserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage: cleaning degraded East Asian lacquer

East Asian lacquer (urushi) is a natural, thermosetting polymer, characterised by its durability and gloss. Prolonged exposure to light, however, causes photodegradation, which initiates microcracking in the surface layers. Accumulation of dirt, grease, or non-original materials, such as varnishes applied during attempted restoration, contributes to deterioration of the lacquer’s appearance through discolouration. This build up must be removed in order to conserve affected pieces, and the potential use of solvents to achieve this aim is investigated here. This work presents a review of the chemistry of this unique material, and the distinction between different East Asian lacquers is investigated. Valuable, rare lacquer samples could not be taken from naturally aged museum pieces in order to investigate the applicability of solvents in cleaning conservation processes, and so the damage featured on the models used was recreated artificially. The advantages and limitations of such an approach are assessed in terms of the practical value of the resulting samples as credible models compared to the naturally aged material. In free film studies, solubility parameters were determined for a range of lacquers, and the morphological changes that result from solvent exposure are also investigated to determine potential ‘safe’ solvents for conservation cleaning. These studies show that most solvents are damaging to photodegraded lacquers to some extent, and the possible risks must be assessed against the need for removal of a damaging layer. The findings reported here have implications for the choice of solvents used in conservation cleaning, but other solvent properties and behaviours must be considered along with these data when identifying the least damaging, yet effective solvents

The influence of different irrigation regimes on the cleanliness and physical properties of the root canal walls

PhD ThesisThis thesis describes a series of investigations into the effects of root canal irrigants on dental root dentine. Imaging of human, ovine and bovine root dentine revealed no significant differences in tubule density or diameter. Canal volumes were estimated to be significantly different between human and bovine, but not between human and ovine teeth. EDAX identified significant differences in Ca/P ratios between ovine and bovine, and between ovine and human dentine at points up to 300μm from the root canal lumen. The Ca/P ratio of bovine dentine was significantly lower than human at the canal lumen only. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) revealed human and bovine root dentine to be significantly stiffer than ovine dentine at all depths from the canal lumen; human root dentine was stiffer than bovine dentine up to 300μm from the lumen. Animal teeth were concluded to be imperfect replacements for human teeth in endodontic research. Serial polishing down to 0.05μm aluminium oxide was refined for the gentle removal of laboratory-generated smear layers from sectioned dentine specimens, allowing analysis of subtle surface and sub-surface changes following exposure to root canal irrigants, and AFM analysis of smooth, flat dentine surfaces. A new 5-point scale was developed for scoring root canal cleanliness. NaOCl (5% & 10%) removed pulpal debris and predentine from canal walls after 5 minutes exposure at room temperature, with no evidence of chemical etching (score 4). NaOCl (2.5%) also resulted in a score of 4 in the coronal third, although in middle and apical thirds it was less effective (score 3). AFM analysis revealed no change in surface or sub-surface dentine stiffness after exposure to NaOCl, (5% & 10%, 5 minutes). Significant changes in dentine stiffness after exposure to 17% EDTA and 6% citric acid for 1 minute, were not increased after 2 minutes exposure.Iraqi Embassy, Ministry of Higher Education, the Post Graduate Office and the ICM uni

Pictures in Words - Words in Pictures. Entangled Mnemonics in Kyoto in the Late 15th Century

Beatrice Höller carefully analyzes the distinct and multivalent word-image relations rendered on three inkstone cases created in late fifteenth century Kyoto. The exquisitely designed cases are not only well known; with each one designated as an “important cultural property,” there has been research by lacquer specialists in terms of stylistic, material, technical or poetic and historical aspects. The author focuses on the multiple socio-cultural layers of meaning by employing a number of notions, concepts and paradigms, including “cultural memory”. The inkstone cases were all created during or after the rule of Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1449-1473, d. 1490), the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga House, who is known for his penchant for cultural pursuits rather than military prowess or political cunning. His rule and legacy is also characterized by one of the most devastating civil wars in Japan, the so-called Ōnin War (1467-1477), which destroyed the capital of Kyoto completely. It marked the beginning of a vast and destructive civil war that ended only after roughly one-hundred years towards the close of the sixteenth century. This era of martial strife caused unprecedented social upheaval and saw the construction of new cultural centers outside Kyoto, as well as novel forms of performing, visual and martial arts. It is the latter aspect of the fifteenth century, along with retired Shogun Yoshimasa’s taste and cultural pursuits, and an approach that involves processes of identity formation through poetic allusions and their material re-interpretations with which this book is concerned. The author describes, analyzes, contextualizes, and historicizes the inkstone cases in each of her chapters from a new angle, digging ever deeper into layers of meaning, interpretation and contextualization whilst addressing and exploring different concepts. At the same time, she delves into material and visual properties, the poetics of the intricately rendered classical poems and their multiple levels of interpretations, along with the local and spiritual dimensions of the iconographies rendered or implied, which constitutes an immensely important aspect during this period of military and political conflicts

The development of a marine antifouling system using environmentally acceptable and naturally occurring products

Due to legislative pressures and the recent ban of trybutyl tin, alternative environmentally acceptable ship hull antifouling systems are required. This thesis uses a multidisciplinary approach to combine two disparate areas of research namely marine biology and surface engineering, to develop a novel natural product (NP) based antifouling system. The overall objective of this thesis is to transfer a natural marine biological defence mechanism into an engineered antifouling coating system. By combining natural product extraction and incorporation into a trial coating an extensive test programme was able to investigate the antifouling performance and address the issues of bringing this active area of research to the next technological readiness level. By using a stepwise approach to the development of the engineered solution, a suite of techniques were used to fully characterise a NP based system. The biological and surface engineering techniques adapted and developed are described here and their future use to evaluate a novel NP based antifoulant system is critically assessed.After an extensive literature review, an ethanol extract from the red seaweed Chondrus crispus was selected as the natural product source. NP specimens were harvested locally and also purchased as industrially processed dried algae. The industrially processed algae showed good antifoulant activity ( ≤ 25 µg/mL) in laboratory bioassays and had a greater efficacy than the locally harvested samples highlighting its potential as an economically viable solution. The direct incorporation of the NP into a commercial control depletion polymer binder, allowed for the rapid development of characterisation techniques to evaluate the effects this had on the performance of the NP-binder matrix. The feasibility of a range of electrochemical techniques to measure corrosion potential, impedance, resistance and water uptake in the NP coating was critically assessed. A combination of open-circuit potential and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provided a unique and rapid means to non-destructively measure the contribution of incorporated NPs to the degradation and water uptake of the binder film. Studies of biofilm growth were used to successfully measure community viability and structure using fluorescent staining and differential interference contrast microscopy. These techniques were found to be very informative on Southampton water marine biofilm community structure and were cross correlated by Fourier transform infrared measurements. Resistance to biofouling was determined through field trials, an important testing platform for an antifouling system, and specifically trials which test the entire coated system including any primers and substrate preparation requirements. An initial NP antifouling performance greater than the booster biocide (Chlorothalonil) control was documented for one field trial over a period of the first 6 weeks.A key aspect was to determine the potential efficacy of NPs and their viability in a coating system. To achieve this, a range of standard and non-standard techniques were used to assess this novel combination of crude NP extract and commercial binder system. This work has shown that a limited antifoulant activity is achievable. By evaluating the effect of a NP on both the fouling community and a binder system this unique approach helps define key techniques to assess future NP antifoulants and identifies the optimisation required to increase their functionality

The mineralogy and petrology of cement clinker and its influence on the quality of Portland cement

The relationships between the mineralogical, chemical and petrological characteristics of cement clinker minerals and the quality of the resultant Portland cement, is of great interest to producers and users of cement and concrete.To examine these relationships, different types of cement clinkers from wet,semi-dry and dry process production kilns were analysed and then tested for quality using British Standard tests. The mineralogical and petrological properties of the calcium silicates, aluminates, ferrites and alkali sulphates were studied. From several thousand mineral analyses performed with an electron microprobe analysis unit, the substitution systems for the different minerals and polymorphs have been determined. The mineral analyses of the various cement clinkers have been plotted on ternary phase diagrams. The different mineral assemblages of the clinkers have been used to assess the effects of composition and production process on the cement clinkers.All the analyses of the characteristics of the minerals and the quality of the cement have been compared using a trend analysis, developed by the author. This analysis establishes which characteristics have a significant effect on the strength of the Portland cement.The role of potassium in the cement clinker and particularly its substitution into the belite phase, is crucial. The reasons for this influence and a relationship between the potassium substitution in the belite and the 28 day compressive strength of the cement is presented

Layers of meaning: Vietnamese lacquer painting as palimpsest

This thesis elucidates Vietnamese lacquer painting, a unique art form, which came into being due to French and Vietnamese artists meeting in the 1920s, continuing to flourish throughout the ensuing periods of war and independence. The use of layering, combining mixed media and sanding processes differed from lacquer arts in other Asian countries at the time, and also provides a metaphor for this discussion: palimpsest. An analysis of Asian lacquer lays a foundation to examine the inception of Vietnamese lacquer during the colonial era. The following chapters build on the discussions around the practice in relation to art historiography. The final chapter critically assesses significant works of contemporary practitioners. Applying a methodological prism that syntheses ethnography, postcolonial theory and craft studies, Vietnamese lacquer painting as a practice will be analysed in relation to modernist discourse that continues to dominate readings of artefacts categorised as art. This thesis interrogates the specific consequences of international politics on the artistic practice and trade, focusing on the production and reception of Vietnamese lacquer to offer new insights into an under-theorised field

Additive manufacturing of mitral annuloplasty devices

Mitral valve annuloplasty is a common surgical procedure performed on thousands of patients each year across the world. A less invasive and more successful method of resolving mitral valve regurgitation, repair surgeries now outnumber replacement of the mitral valve in its entirety. As a result, a range of supportive annuloplasty ring devices for maintaining the surgical repair are now available for lifelong implantation. However, these devices underserve some populations leading to replacement surgeries, and rely on assumptions made on the natural, healthy anatomy of the mitral valve. Additive manufacturing (AM) has, for the last few decades, become increasingly adopted into the medical industry. With applications ranging from educational aids to surgical instruments and long-term implantable devices, this field is rapidly expanding and encompassing a greater breadth of medical specialities. In particular, the manufacturing of patient-specific products with reasonable cost and high fidelity is a key area of development for medical applications of additive manufacturing methods. Significant research has already been undertaken in the fields of orthopaedics, regenerative medicine, and pharmaceuticals, producing long-term implantable metal devices, complex polymer scaffolds, and novel drug delivery methods. Personalized annuloplasty rings could lead to greater surgery success rates enabling greater repair longevity, reduced reoperation rates, and reduced risk of future valve replacement. This project aimed to investigate the suitability of the AM technique, selective laser melting (SLM), to create annuloplasty rings tailored to each patient. To achieve this goal, this research focussed first on comparing the existing design assumptions applied to commercial annuloplasty devices against human anatomy using cadaveric dissection and measurement. These studies concluded that whilst the assumed 3:4 ratio applied in annuloplasty design was a good average across a population, the ratio was inconsistent between subjects and could lead to difficulties in sizing devices appropriately for an individual patient. Following this, methods of design and manufacturing were investigated, comparing various tools available in commercial medical-CAD software, Materialise Mimics®. The commonly applied “thresholding” method of isolating structures from patient scan data was found to be insufficient for isolation of soft tissue structures such as the mitral valve annulus from the surrounding cardiac tissue due to the similarity in densities reducing contrast on the scan. A method of single-point design using insertion points of the valve leaflets throughout the scan was shown to be sufficient to reproduce a mitral annular structure, which was then manufactured in the Ti6Al4V alloy, which has been shown to be biocompatible in some orthopaedic applications, using SLM. Post-processing techniques appropriate for the specific application of this device into the cardiovascular system were also investigated. The novel electrolyte jet machining process was employed to moderate surface unevenness caused by inherent properties of the powder bed SLM process, such as stepping or loose powder particles. This process was tested with a range of parameter sets producing varying topographies and therefore applied to different needs of the annuloplasty device. Firstly, the process was applied for reduction of coagulation on the surface of Ti6Al4V alloy samples, and then for amplification of fibroblastic cell growth. The primary parameter sets were found to produce a small reduction in platelet adhesion when compared against as-built SLM surfaces, however failed to reduce the platelet activity to that found on conventionally manufactured Ti6Al4V samples. The secondary parameter sets did not produce any improvement in fibroblastic proliferation in short term studies, however SLM samples were found to be significantly more favourable to fibroblast growth than conventionally manufactured surfaces of the same material grade. Finally, future avenues for work are discussed, including next steps for each of the three areas investigated in this thesis and a view to the future of novel annuloplasty devices as a whole. Recommendations for other applications of electrolyte jet machining are provided, including the potential for anti-biofouling surface processing given the lack of cell survivability found in these studies. Further design recommendations are considered, from computational modelling of the valve through to structured surgical prediction integrated with design of the annuloplasty device

The Non-Masticatory Use of the Anterior Teeth Among Late Pleistocene Humans

Characteristic patterns of dental wear form through the use of the dentition for non-masticatory manipulative behaviors. The use of “teeth-as-tools” or the dentition as a “third hand” for manipulative behaviors emphasizes the importance of the human dentition in our otherwise extrasomatic tool-kit. The extreme pattern of anterior dental wear found in many Neandertals, together with their large anterior teeth, has led researchers to suggest that the unique craniofacial morphology of Neandertals is the result of functional adaptation to the habitual use of the dentition for manipulative tasks. However, decades of research investigating the adaptive significance and biomechanical properties of Neandertal and modern human craniofacial morphology has not convincingly demonstrated whether non-masticatory behavior was a significant selective force during the Late Pleistocene. Studies addressing non-masticatory behavior among Late Pleistocene archaic and modern humans through the direct study of dental wear are equally equivocal in this regard. The few studies that have attempted to systematically quantify non-masticatory dental wear among Neandertals and early modern humans are constrained by different analytic methods that prevent cross-study comparisons, contain small early modern human samples, and/or differ in conclusion as to the implied patterning and magnitude of behavioral shifts in the Late Pleistocene. The aims of this thesis are to address non-masticatory manipulative shifts in the Middle to Late Pleistocene through the analysis of non-masticatory dental wear using both macroscopic and microscopic techniques. Scaled macrowear gradients, enamel chipping, and instrumental cutmarks on labial tooth surfaces were documented to understand differences in degree, magnitude, and repetition of non-masticatory behaviors between morphologically and temporally partitioned groups of Middle and Late Pleistocene humans. Data from Middle and Late Pleistocene fossils are studied directly rather than using recent human groups as proxies for Pleistocene behavioral variation. Changing technological, cultural, and socioeconomic organization during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition is often used to explain craniodental structural reduction across the morphological transition from archaic to fully modern human morphology during the Late Pleistocene. The results of this thesis challenge this view by documenting a high degree of wear among both archaic and modern human groups in the Pleistocene. Archaic humans benefit from having large anterior dentitions to withstand a lifetime of anterior tooth-use, but there is little evidence from anatomy or dental wear to indicate that the forces exerted, or non-masticatory activities engaged in, differed greatly from those of early modern humans. Instead, a high degree of anterior versus posterior dental wear is characteristic of hunter-gatherers generally. Thus, explanations relying on technological innovation as a means of relaxing selection on the body/dentition for manipulative tasks fall short in this regard. Anterior dental reduction (and craniofacial reduction, generally) occurred despite evidence suggestive of persistent use of the dentition for manipulative tasks throughout the Pleistocene and into the Holocene by modern humans. It is implausible that anterior tooth-use or extreme dental wear would have produced selective pressure on craniodental anatomy in humans since most problems related to extreme tooth-use among hunter-gatherers will affect individual morbidity late in life but not necessarily affect reproductive fitness. There is a paradox in that anterior dental reduction occurred among early modern humans despite high-levels of anterior tooth use. Therefore, we are left with another example of how modern humans are derived with respect to Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic humans

Preserving Tradition in Craft Design Development (Case Studies: Yamanaka Lacquerware, Japan and Tasikmalaya Bamboo Weaving, Indonesia)

13301甲第4219号博士（社会環境学）金沢大学博士論文本文Ful