scholarly journals Laser-stimulated fluorescence reveals unseen details in fossils from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestones

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke A. Barlow ◽  
Michael Pittman ◽  
Anthony Butcher ◽  
David M. Martill ◽  
Thomas G. Kaye

Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) has seen increased use in palaeontological investigations in recent years. The method uses the high flux of laser light of visible wavelengths to reveal details sometimes missed by traditional long-wave ultraviolet (UV) methods using a lamp. In this study, we compare the results of LSF with UV-A-generated fluorescence on a range of fossils from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone Konservat-Lagerstätte of Bavaria, Germany. The methodology follows previous protocols of LSF with modifications made to enhance laser beam intensity, namely keeping the laser at a constant distance from the specimen, using a camera track. Our experiments show that along with making surface details more vivid than UV-A or revealing them for the first time, LSF has the additional value of revealing shallow subsurface specimen detail. Fossil decapods from the Solnhofen Limestone reveal full body outlines, even under the matrix, along with details of segmentation within the appendages such as limbs and antennae. The results indicate that LSF can be used on invertebrate fossils along with vertebrates and may often surpass the information provided by traditional UV methods.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Barlow ◽  
Michael Pittman ◽  
David Martill ◽  
Thomas Kaye ◽  
Anthony Butcher

Abstract Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) has seen increased use in palaeontological investigations in recent years. The method uses the high flux of laser light to reveal details sometimes missed by ultraviolet (UV) and optical wavelengths. In this study, we compare the results of LSF with UV on a range of fossils from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone Konservat-Lagerstätte of Bavaria, Germany. The methodology follows previous protocols with modifications made to enhance laser beam intensity. Our experiments show the value of LSF in revealing shallow subsurface detail of specimens, previously not widely applied to Solnhofen fossils. In particular, fossil decapods from the Solnhofen Limestone reveal full body outlines, even under the matrix, along with details of segmentation within the appendages such as limbs and antennae. The results indicate that LSF can be used on both vertebrate and invertebrate fossils and may surpass the information provided by traditional UV methods in some specimens.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1157-1165
Author(s):  
Taoufik Mnasri ◽  
Adel Abbessi ◽  
Rached Ben Younes ◽  
Atef Mazioud

AbstractThis work focuses on identifying the thermal conductivity of composites loaded with phase-change materials (PCMs). Three configurations are studied: (1) the PCMs are divided into identical spherical inclusions arranged in one plane, (2) the PCMs are inserted into the matrix as a plate on the level of the same plane of arrangement, and (3) the PCMs are divided into identical spherical inclusions arranged periodically in the whole matrix. The percentage PCM/matrix is fixed for all cases. A comparison among the various situations is made for the first time, thus providing a new idea on how to insert PCMs into composite matrices. The results show that the composite conductivity is the most important consideration in the first case, precisely when the arrangement plane is parallel with the flux and diagonal to the entry face. In the present work, we are interested in exploring the solid-solid PCMs. The PCM polyurethane and a wood matrix are particularly studied.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruofeng Rao ◽  
Zhilin Pu

By formulating a contraction mapping and the matrix exponential function, the authors apply linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique to investigate and obtain the LMI-based stability criterion of a class of time-delay Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy differential equations. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to obtain the LMI-based stability criterion derived by a fixed point theory. It is worth mentioning that LMI methods have high efficiency and other advantages in largescale engineering calculations. And the feasibility of LMI-based stability criterion can efficiently be computed and confirmed by computer Matlab LMI toolbox. At the end of this paper, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 201-212
Author(s):  
Shivkumari Panda ◽  
Dibakar Behera ◽  
Tapan Kumar Bastia

This chapter presents the preparation and characterization of some unique properties of nanocomposites by dispersing graphite flakes in commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) matrix. The composite was prepared by a novel method with the use of solvent swelling technique. Three different specimens of UPE/graphite nanocomposites were fabricated with addition of 1, 2 and 3 wt% of graphite flakes. Except mechanical, viscoelastic and thermo gravimetric properties, transport properties like electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and water transport properties were studied for the first time. Graphite flakes propose enhanced properties to the composites suggesting homogeneous distribution of the nanofiller in the matrix and strong interaction with the matrix. 2wt% nanofiller loading showed superior essential characteristics and after that the properties reduced may be due to the nucleating tendency of the nanofiller particles. The XRD pattern showed the compatibility of the graphite flakes by introducing a peak around 26.550 in the nanocomposites. SEM Properties are also in agreement with the compatibility. Nanocomposite with 2wt% graphite also showed remarkable enhancement in transport, mechanical, viscoelastic and thermo gravimetric properties. So by introduction of a small quantity of graphite endow the new class of multiphase nanocomposites with inimitable structure and tremendous application.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-489
Author(s):  
M. Vountas ◽  
T. Dinter ◽  
A. Bracher ◽  
J. P. Burrows ◽  
B. Sierk

Abstract. Methods enabling the retrieval of oceanic parameter from the space borne instrumentation Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric ChartographY (SCIAMACHY) using Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) are presented. SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT measures back scattered solar radiation at a spectral resolution (0.2 to 1.5 nm). The DOAS method was used for the first time to fit modelled Vibrational Raman Scattering (VRS) in liquid water and in situ measured phytoplankton absorption reference spectra to optical depths measured by SCIAMACHY. Spectral structures of VRS and phytoplankton absorption were clearly found in these optical depths. Both fitting approaches lead to consistent results. DOAS fits correlate with estimates of chlorophyll concentrations: low fit factors for VRS retrievals correspond to large chlorophyll concentrations and vice versa; large fit factors for phytoplankton absorption correspond with high chlorophyll concentrations and vice versa. From these results a simple retrieval technique taking advantage of both measurements is shown. First maps of global chlorophyll concentrations were compared to the corresponding MODIS measurements with very promising results. In addition, results from this study will be used to improve atmospheric trace gas DOAS-retrievals from visible wavelengths by including these oceanographic signatures.


Author(s):  
Monica HARMANESCU

Principal Components and Classification Analysis (PC&CA) represents one of the most utilised multivariate chemometric techniques, having the advantage to use many measurements for a single sample in the same time, being recommended for understanding better the complexity of one phenomenon. The aim of this paper was to use PC&CA to study the effects of different types of fertilizers on polyphenols content of forages harvested in autumn from permanent grassland. Gravimetrically was established the matrix of floristic composition. The experimental field was fertilized first time in 2003, organic and/or NPK mineral. The determination of polyphenols contents was made using UV-VIS SPECORD 205 spectrophotometer, in conformity to chemical Folin and Ciocalteu colorimetric method. The highest polyphenols content was identified in forages from unfertilized variant (108 µM gallic acid/g). PC&CA can be a useful tool in describing the modification of polyphenols contents of forages under the effects of organic and/or mineral fertilisation of permanent grassland.


Science ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 240 (4860) ◽  
pp. 1790-1790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wellnhofer

A new specimen of the primordial bird Archaeopteryx is reported from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone of Bavaria. This "Solnhofen specimen" is the largest of now six skeletal specimens and shows dose similarities with the London specimen. It is therefore assigned to Archaeopteryx lithographica Meyer. Clear impressions of the feather shafts of the left wing are preserved.


2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Wei ◽  
Dong Ren

Abstract Although cockroaches were the dominant insects in various Paleozoic and Mesozoic insect assemblages, their general morphology was extremely conservative. One of the most common of them, the Jurassic-Cretaceous family Mesoblattinidae, is described here for the first time on the basis of completely preserved specimens. Ninety-two specimens of Perlucipecta aurea gen. et sp. n. reveal details of head, mandible, male tergal glands and terminal hook; cercal, leg and antennal sensilla. Its congener, P. vrsanskyi is described from the same sediments of the Yixian Formation (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous). The forewing venation variability of P. aurea, analysed for the first time in this family is nearly identical (CV = 6.23 %) with variability of two species of family Blattulidae that occur at the same locality (CV = 6.22 %; 5.72 %). The transitional nature of morphological characters represented by asymmetry between left and right wings (simple/branched forewing SC and hind wing M) in P. aurea documents the phylogenetic relation between the families Mesoblattinidae and Ectobiidae


2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Miranian

AbstractIn the work presented below the classical subject of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle is discussed in the matrix setting. An explicit matrix representation of the matrix valued orthogonal polynomials in terms of the moments of the measure is presented. Classical recurrence relations are revisited using the matrix representation of the polynomials. The matrix expressions for the kernel polynomials and the Christoffel–Darboux formulas are presented for the first time.


Mathematics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Santiago Artidiello ◽  
Alicia Cordero ◽  
Juan R. Torregrosa ◽  
María P. Vassileva

A secant-type method is designed for approximating the inverse and some generalized inverses of a complex matrix A. For a nonsingular matrix, the proposed method gives us an approximation of the inverse and, when the matrix is singular, an approximation of the Moore–Penrose inverse and Drazin inverse are obtained. The convergence and the order of convergence is presented in each case. Some numerical tests allowed us to confirm the theoretical results and to compare the performance of our method with other known ones. With these results, the iterative methods with memory appear for the first time for estimating the solution of a nonlinear matrix equations.


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