Characterisation of the different hands in the composition of a 14th century breviary by means of portable XRF analysis and complementary techniques

A 14th‐century breviary known as Breviario di San Michele della Chiusa, produced at the disposal of the monks of Sacra di San Michele abbey (near Turin, Italy) has been analysed in order to identify the different authors who contributed in its making. The study aimed at revealing how many scribes composed the text and the musical notations and how many artists worked for miniatures and for the decorations of initials. All inks and decorative features have been analysed by means of portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry for determining elemental distribution and by means of ultraviolet–Visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optic fibres and spectrofluorimetry for identifying colourants. The results on non‐invasive measurements highlighted that at least 11 persons (six scribes for the text, two scribes for the musical notations, two artists for initials and filigrees and one artist for the full‐page miniature at f. 208v) were at work at the Breviario. Moreover, the black inks used for text and notes have an anomalous composition, being iron gall inks with a larger than usual amount of zinc, possibly as a consequence of the use of vitriols made from goslarite; this suggests that the scribes could come from Northern Europe. The presence of traces of bismuth in blue paints also suggested the provenance of azurite from Central or Northern Europe. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local coordination geometry around Cu and Cu ions in silicate glasses: an X-ray absorption near edge structure investigation

We present an X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) study on Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions in silicate glasses at the Cu K-edge, aimed to determine the geometry of the local structure around the metal. This study is based on the comparison between experimental data and theoretical calculations made in the framework of multiple scattering theory. The XANES signals relative to several clusters are simulated on the basis of known crystalline structures involving Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions in silicate matrices. Concerning the Cu²⁺ in glass, the simulations suggest the presence of a square coordination of oxygen atoms around the absorber, with a possible presence of metal ions in the second shell. As for the Cu⁺ ions, the metal clustering is excluded and a linear O-Cu-O coordination is evidenced. Received 30 April 1999     

Spin polarized La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films on silicon

La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ polycrystalline manganite thin films were grown on silicon (Si) substrates covered by SiO_x amorphous native oxide. Curie temperatures of about 325 K were achieved for 70-nm-thick films. Strong room temperature XMCD signal was detected indicating high spin polarization at the surface. Cross-sectional TEM images show sharp interface between SiO_x and manganite without signature of chemical reaction at the interface. Unusual sharp splitting of the manganite film was observed: on the top of a transition layer characterized by low crystalline order, a magnetically robust layer is formed.     

Excess heat capacities and excess volumes of binary liquid mixtures of chloroform with cyclic ethers at 298.15 K

Molar excess heat capacities at constant pressure, C^E_p, of binary liquid mixtures chloroform + oxolane, chloroform + 1,3-dioxolane, chloroform + oxane, and chloroform + 1,4-dioxane have been determined at 298.15 K from measurements of volumetric heat capacities in a Picker flow microcalorimeter. A precision of ±0.04 J K^?1 mole^? was achieved by using the stepwise procedure. Experimental molar excess heat capacities are compared with values derived from H^E results at different temperatures. Excess molar volumes, V^E, for the same systems at 298.15 K have been determined by measuring the density of the pure liquids and solutions with a high-precision digital flow densimeter.     

Reflection of bounded acoustic beams on a fluid-solid interface

The reflection of an acoustic beam onto a fluid-solid interface is studied under the assumption that the solid medium is viscoelastic. The incident beam is represented as a superposition of plane monochromatic homogeneous waves and its profile is assumed to be Gaussian shaped. The outcoming wave field at the interface, and away from it in the fluid, is numerically calculated for different values of the frequency and of the beam width.

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Sommario Si studia la riflessione di un fascio di onde acustiche sulla superficie di separazione fra un liquido ed un solido nell'ipotesi che il mezzo solido sia viscoelastico. Il fascio incidente ha un profilo gaussiano e viene rappresentato mediante la sovrapposizione di onde piane monocromatiche omogenee. Si calcola numericamente il profilo del fascio riflesso sia sull'interfaccia, sia lontano da essa nel fluido, per diversi valori della frequenza e della larghezza del fascio.

     

Masonry structures made of monolithic blocks with an application to spiral stairs

The broad topic of the present work is Statics and Kinematics of masonry structures, made of monolithic blocks, modelled a la Heyman, that is rigid bodies loaded by external forces, submitted to unilateral constraints, and undergoing small displacements, under the simplifying assumption that sliding on rough interfaces is prevented. Specifically, in this work, we study the effect, in terms of internal forces, of specified loads, by using given settlements/eigenstrains to trigger special regimes of the internal forces. Although our scope here is the analysis of masonry structures composed by monolithic pieces, and whose blocks are not likely to break at their inside, the method we propose can also be applied to generic masonry structures, such as those made of bricks or small stones. Heyman’s assumptions translate, for unilateral continua, into a normality assumption which allows to employ the two theorems of Limit Analysis. These continuous structures may actually fracture everywhere at their inside, forming rigid blocks in relative displacement among each other. Such piecewise rigid-body displacements in masonry are physiological, and rather than the result of over-loading, are most likely the direct product of small changes of the displacement type boundary conditions. However, when in a part of the structure a specific piecewise rigid-body displacement nucleates, that part of the structure exhibits a one degree of freedom mechanism, and becomes statically determined. Therefore, the internal forces can be computed, despite the original uncracked structure being abundantly overdetermined, and then admitting infinite many statically admissible stress regimes. With these assumptions, in the present paper we study the equilibrium and the effect of settlements in a masonry structure made of monolithic blocks. In particular, the triple helical stair of the convent of San Domingos de Bonaval, located in the Bonaval district of Santiago de Compostela, is considered as case study.     

Two new sets of ellipse-related concyclic points

Two new circles (denoted by Γ _I and Γ _E ) are shown to be associated with any ellipse. Their analogies with two circles described by Barlotti are described. Two further new circles—denoted by Ω and Γ—are shown to be associated with any general point P of the ellipse. Tight relationships link the circles Ω and Γ with the circle K (previously introduced by the present author), as well as with Monge’s orthoptic circle, with Barlotti’s circles and with the circles Γ _I and Γ _E . In particular, the circle Ω is orthogonal to Monge’s circle. A new special point of the ellipse (the point T) is described. New properties of Fagnano’s point are described.     

On the use of uniaxial tests on the sclera to understand the difference between emmetropic and highly myopic eyes

This study aims at assessing the differences between highly myopic eyes and emmetropic eyes in the biomechanical response to ex vivo uniaxial tests of the human sclera. Scleral strips were collected from two enucleated eyes with markedly different axial length (AXL) of 24 and 31 mm, respectively. Static stress measurements under uniaxial loading were carried out with a Zwicki-Line testing machine, specially designed for low load mechanical testing applications. Although all uniaxial stress–strain curves showed an exponential response typical of biological viscoelastic materials loaded within the physiological strain range, the qualitative behavior was ostensibly different between the two eyes. With respect to the 24 mm AXL eye, the 31 mm AXL eye mm showed a lower stiffness at physiological strains and a more evident stiffening at larger strains. It was concluded that the myopic eye is more compliant at low strains and stiffer at strains larger than the physiological ones. An interpretation of this behaviour is that the higher percentage of small diameter collagen in myopic sclera delays the process of fiber recruitment and shifts the tissue stiffening to higher strains.