Digital Ink Research Articles

Recognizing Digital Ink Chinese Characters Written by International Students Using a Residual Network with 1-Dimensional Dilated Convolution

Due to the complex nature of Chinese characters, junior international students often encounter writing problems related to strokes, components, and their combinations when writing Chinese characters. Digital ink Chinese characters (DICCs) are obtained by sampling the writing trajectory of Chinese characters with a pen input device. DICCs contain rich information, such as the time and space of strokes and sampling points. Recognizing DICCs is crucial for evaluating and correcting writing errors and enhancing the quality of Chinese character teaching for international students. Here, the paper first employs a one-dimensional dilated convolution to digital ink Chinese character recognition (DICCR) and proposes a novel residual network with one-dimensional dilated convolution (1-D ResNetDC). The 1-D ResNetDC not only utilizes multi-scale convolution kernels, but also employs different dilation rates on a single-scale convolution kernel to obtain information from various ranges. Additionally, residual connections facilitate the training of deep one-dimensional convolutional neural networks. Moreover, the paper proposes a more expressive ten-dimensional feature representation that includes spatial, temporal, and writing direction information for each sampling point, thereby improving classification accuracy. Because the DICC dataset of international students is small and unbalanced, the 1-D ResNetDC is pre-trained on the published available dataset. The experiments demonstrate that our approach is effective and superior. This model features a compact architecture, a reduced number of parameters, and excellent scalability.

Sustainable pre-treatment of cellulose knitwear in digital pigment printing processes

PurposeIn the field of research on the application of digital printing to textile materials, there are still many research issues that arise from the very demanding interaction of digital printing technology and the complex, heterogeneous surface system of textile materials. This is precisely why the area of pre-treatment of textile materials is in need of research, and the purpose of this research was to establish the level of influence of physical and chemical activation of the textile surface with plasma and the possibility of improving the quality of the print and colour reproduction.Design/methodology/approachThe paper deals with the possibility of applying argon and oxygen cold low-pressure plasma in the processing of cellulose knitted fabrics, with the aim of improving the quality of the print and colour reproduction in digital pigment inkjet printing. The selected raw material samples were 100% raw cotton and lyocell. After plasma treatment, the samples were printed by digital ink jet printing with water-based pigment printing ink. An analysis of the micromorphological structure of untreated and plasma-treated samples before and after printing was carried out, and a comparative analysis of the colour of the printed elements was carried out depending on the pre-treatment.FindingsThe conducted research showed a positive influence of plasma pre-treatment on the coverage of the fibre surface with pigments, the uniformity of pigment distribution along the fibre surface and the uniformity of the distribution of the polymeric binder layer. This has a positive effect on colour reproduction. Also, certain improvements in colourfastness to washing were obtained.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering the complexity of the topic, although exhaustive, this research is not sufficient in itself, but opens up new questions and gives ideas for further research that must be carried out in this area.Practical implicationsAlso, this kind of research contributes to the possibility of adopting the idea of industrial plasma transformation, as an ecologically sustainable functionalisation of textiles, which has not yet been established.Originality/valueThis research is certainly a contribution to the establishment of acceptable textile pre-treatment methods in the field of digital printing, as one of the key quality factors in digital textile printing (DTP). Considering the still large number of obstacles and unanswered questions encountered in the field of digital printing on textiles, this kind of research is a strong contribution to the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the complex interaction between printing ink and textile.

Handwriting for Text Input and the Impact of XR Displays, Surface Alignments, and Sentence Complexities.

Text input is desirable across various eXtended Reality (XR) use cases and is particularly crucial for knowledge and office work. This article compares handwriting text input between Virtual Reality (VR) and Video See-Through Augmented Reality (VST AR), facilitated by physically aligned and mid-air surfaces when writing simple and complex sentences. In a $2\times 2\times 2$ experimental design, 72 participants performed two ten-minute handwriting sessions, each including ten simple and ten complex sentences representing text input in real-world scenarios. Our developed handwriting application supports different XR displays, surface alignments, and handwriting recognition based on digital ink. We evaluated usability, user experience, task load, text input performance, and handwriting style. Our results indicate high usability with a successful transfer of handwriting skills to the virtual domain. XR displays and surface alignments did not impact text input speed and error rate. However, sentence complexities did, with participants achieving higher input speeds and fewer errors for simple sentences (17.85 WPM, 0.51% MSD ER) than complex sentences (15.07 WPM, 1.74% MSD ER). Handwriting on physically aligned surfaces showed higher learnability and lower physical demand, making them more suitable for prolonged handwriting sessions. Handwriting on mid-air surfaces yielded higher novelty and stimulation ratings, which might diminish with more experience. Surface alignments and sentence complexities significantly affected handwriting style, leading to enlarged and more connected cursive writing in both mid-air and for simple sentences. The study also demonstrated the benefits of using XR controllers in a pen-like posture to mimic styluses and pressure-sensitive tips on physical surfaces for input detection. We additionally provide a phrase set of simple and complex sentences as a basis for future text input studies, which can be expanded and adapted.

A Study on Influencing Factors of Dynamic Chinese Character Stroke Writing Behavior in CFL Beginners Using Digital Ink Technology

Abstract Exploring the intricacies of learning Chinese, this study leverages digital ink technology to observe the stroke writing behaviors of novice learners. We delved into the nuances of stroke order, direction, and the fluidity of writing, scrutinizing 2,131 Chinese characters to uncover the relationship between character structure and writing behavior. Our findings illuminate beginners’ challenges, offering a novel perspective on teaching Chinese characters that caters to the dynamic nature of writing and learning.

Rendering and presentation of 3D digital ink landscape painting

AbstractExplore the digital rendering mode with texturing brush and ink effect, analyze and simulate the brush and ink characteristics of traditional Chinese ink painting, especially the art of landscape painting, and try to integrate the texture of wrinkle method synthesis map and modeling technology based on particle deposition and stacking (overlapping) to render, thus realizing the computer simulation of small freehand brushwork and large freehand brushwork (splash ink) ink effects in traditional landscape painting. This research inherits and develops the esthetic theory and thought of traditional ink painting art, and makes some beneficial exploration in the field of digital freehand ink painting, which has positive reference value and promotion significance for the development of Chinese ink painting.

Cake vs. Pie by Bardhan-Sudipta Quallen

Reviewed by: Cake vs. Pie by Bardhan-Sudipta Quallen Danica Ronquillo Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta Cake vs. Pie; illus. by Stephani Stilwell. Clarion, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780358555605 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs In this sweet and silly story, all the desserts celebrate Cake for being such an admirable friend, and when Pie joins the table, Cake forms a bond with the delectable dish. Things start to crumble, however, when Cake is no longer under the oven spotlight and becomes jealous as Pie is named the Toast of the Town and is literally on fire at the Cherry Jubilee. Overstuffed with fame and fortune, Pie takes the bragging too far, and Cake declares a Food Fight battle against Pie to show which dessert is the best. After a buttery bout, Cake and Pie realize their friendship is more important than being the center of attention. Stilwell’s digital ink illustrations, with a bright color palette and tasty textures, showcase the hilarious and never-ending battle between two popular desserts. Side-by-side spreads track Cake and Pie’s dissolving friendship, with Pie happily celebrating their achievements with trophies and fan letters while Cake is miserably laying back on a recliner, munching on a bag of chips. The mixture of pun-filled text and speech bubbles, sprinkles of delightful descriptions, and curvy line work showcase a variety of each desserts’ best qualities and will have readers’ stomachs rumbling. With desserts spraying whipped cream and flying ice cream scoops, a double-page food fight spread effectively shows how one fiery argument can lead to things toppling out of control. A surprising twist encourages readers to come to the table and overcome salty debates with sweeter friendships. [End Page 320] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Digital ink and differentiated subjective ratings for cognitive load measurement in middle childhood.

New methods are constantly being developed to adapt cognitive load measurement to different contexts. However, research on middle childhood students' cognitive load measurement is rare. Research indicates that the three cognitive load dimensions (intrinsic, extraneous, and germane) can be measured well in adults and teenagers using differentiated subjective rating instruments. Moreover, digital ink recorded by smartpens could serve as an indicator for cognitive load in adults. With the present research, we aimed at investigating the relation between subjective cognitive load ratings, velocity and pressure measures recorded with a smartpen, and performance in standardized sketching tasks in middle childhood students. Thirty-six children (age 7-12) participated at the university's laboratory. The children performed two standardized sketching tasks, each in two versions. The induced intrinsic cognitive load or the extraneous cognitive load was varied between the versions. Digital ink was recorded while the children drew with a smartpen on real paper and after each task, they were asked to report their perceived intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load using a newly developed 5-item scale. Results indicated that cognitive load ratings as well as velocity and pressure measures were substantially related to the induced cognitive load and to performance in both sketching tasks. However, cognitive load ratings and smartpen measures were not substantially related. Both subjective rating and digital ink hold potential for cognitive load and performance measurement. However, it is questionable whether they measure the exact same constructs.

Klasyfikatsiia ta ranzhuvannia chynnykiv, shcho vplyvaiut na yakist taktylnoho spryiniattia shryftu L. Brailia nezriachymy liudmy

Introduction. In the process of educational and work activities, blind people mostly use tactile sensitivity to perceive information, the presentation of which is mainly realized in a six-dot format according to the well-known Braille system. The problems related to the study of the processes of perception and reproduction of relief-dot font attracted the attention of many domestic and foreign scientists. The effectiveness of perception and the durability of the use of L. Braille images depends on the nature of the cognitive interaction of human senses and the tactile surface. In this regard, the determining condition of quality assurance is the maximum consideration of the needs of blind people at the stage of designing and manufacturing a tactile product. The overall result of qualitative perception of information by blind people will ultimately depend on the accuracy of determining the geometric and tactile characteristics of printed products. The aim of the study. To classify and rank the factors affecting the process of designing and reproducing the L. Braille font to ensure the quality of tactile perception of information by blind people. Materials and methods. Samples of pharmaceutical cardboard packages, which are marked with the L. Braille font by embossing, screen printing and Ink jet printing. For research, methods of electron microscopy, modelling and mathematical statistics were used. Results. The analysis of the level of selected factors influence of tactile products design indicates a significant interaction between them. So, for example, the printing method affects the density of signs and their geometric parameters, in particular the diameter and height of the L. Braille dot, and the type of tactile products and the reading experience depend on the protective coating and the base material. This is confirmed by the results of expert evaluations of the quality of Braille inscriptions, reproduced using various printing methods of reproduction (embossing, screen printing, and ink-jet printing), on samples of pharmaceutical product packages, which showed a significant influence of the chosen method of manufacturing printed products for the blind on the quality of its tactile perception. It has been established that the best readability of relief text is achieved when using digital Ink jet printing technology. Conclusions. The process of assessing the quality of perception of relief inscriptions by the blind is a complex technological task. For the optimal selection of materials and technology for reproduction of L. Braille inscriptions, a large number of factors of perception process of tactile information must be taken into account. The constructed cognitive model of the perception of a tactile product by people with visual impairments allows determining the set of factors of the design process based on the analysis of the multi-level system “tactile product – blind person”, which ensures the performance of all basic cognitive functions for the systematization of the process of ensuring the quality of the L. Braille font.

Multi‐modal inadvertent signals enabling the capture of the learning process in real‐time. A new opportunity for preclinical intervention?

AbstractBackgroundGold standard episodic memory tests used to detect AD‐related cognitive decline are insensitive to subjective cognitive decline evident in preclinical AD. We believe a breakdown in the healthy learning process may be a cornerstone in preclinical AD cognitive impairment. We demonstrate the ability to capture the learning process in real‐time using strategic test design, inadvertent eye‐movements and digital ink behavior. We show early evidence of previously unseen learning strategies using data from three participants.MethodWe used the Digital Symbol Digit Learning Test (dSDLT) that we designed to explore learning. One condition presents a key that pairs elementary geometric symbols with numbers and a section of symbols alone, and is administered twice. The participant writes the appropriate digit beneath each symbol using a digitizing pen (providing time‐stamped digital ink coordinates) while wearing a lightweight PupilLabs eye‐tracker (permitting unconstrained head movement, reporting gaze position 240 times/sec to ±2 mm). Time‐synchronized signals measure gaze time in the key. Heat maps show fixation points in the key and response boxes.ResultFigure 1 shows gaze time in the key for each administration (by item, in sequence for one subject), revealing no time in key for some items and less total time in the key for the second administration. We interpret no time in key as paired‐learning. Fixation heat maps showed an expected gaze pattern of looking from the stimulus symbol up to and scanning the key. Unexpected gaze patterns also emerged: Targeted gazes from the stimulus symbol directly to the corresponding symbol in the key, Figure 2, (suggesting spatial placement learning); Within‐key symbol comparisons, indicated by looking back‐and‐forth between items, suggesting figure discrimination learning (Figure3); and Referring back to a recently completed response box containing the same symbol, suggesting working memory (Figure 4).ConclusionMultimodal behavior capture combining inadvertent eye‐tracking signals with digital ink enables the capture of real‐time learning and provides insights into what participants are thinking in addition to what they are doing. The identification of unexpectedly rich, previously unseen learning behaviors provides a glimpse of the complex healthy learning process, provides opportunity to identify strategies heralding preclinical AD and potential preclinical intervention targets.

Nubby by Dan Richards

Reviewed by: Nubby by Dan Richards Natalie Berglind Richards, Dan Nubby; illus. by Shanda McCloskey. Knopf, 2023 [40p] Library ed. ISBN 9780593381106 $21.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593381090 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593381113 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Nubby is fed up with his treatment as a beloved stuffed bunny in his household: “He had been carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn.” When the family dog takes Nubby outside, it’s the perfect time to get away and start fresh—especially with these fellow long-eared creatures in the backyard (“The resemblance was uncanny”). Unfortunately, Nubby goes mostly ignored by real bunnies, but he spots an opportunity when a little girl dressed as a magician comes by and puts him in her magic show. His fame doesn’t pan out the way he thinks it will, and his subsequent attempts to find wealth and riches just land him in a pile of dirt. Nubby starts to miss home, and when he eventually travels back (a kid finds him and recognizes him as a missing toy), he appreciates the finer things about living there, like cuddles. While the toy tired of its household is no new concept to picture books (see Wulfekotte’s recent Peanut Gets Fed Up, BCCB 4/22) the play between the text and imagery gives this one its own panache. Throughout the story, Nubby believes he has far more agency than he actually does, and his perception of the world is amusingly constrained: “Nubby was far from home, too far to turn back now” the text boldly proclaims as Nubby sits in the backyard where his family actively searches for him. Nubby’s world is drawn in fairly traditional watercolor with thick pen lines in digital ink, making Nubby a focal point against minimal backgrounds with plenty of negative space—his huge pink nose and grumpy, exaggerated unibrow contrast with the otherwise simple setting. Those who play roughly with their toys may think twice about this story, and the wryness of Nubby’s hopes that fames and riches will solve all his problems is a bonus for older folks reading to younger ones. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Fabrication of flexible carbon heaters and silver interdigitated electrodes using ink-jet printing technology for electro-chemical gas sensor applications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to deal with an identification of a novel ink-jet printing sensor fabrication technology for fabricating flexible carbon heaters of macro and micro sizes, carbon interdigitated (IDT) electrodes and silver IDT electrodes. The technology involved in the proposed ink-jet printing method and materials used for the formulation of homemade nano-conductive inks (digital inks) are discussed in detail. The ink-jet printed flexible carbon heaters of different sizes (macro and micro) and carbon IDT electrodes and flexible silver IDT electrodes can be used as the flexible sensing layers in electrochemical gas sensors for sensitive and selective gas sensing applications. The characterization of ink-jet printed carbon heaters on Kapton substrate and its results are discussed. Similarly, the results of formulation of silver nano-conductive ink and printing of silver IDT electrodes on Kapton and its characterization are reported here for the first time.Design/methodology/approachFlexible carbon heaters of different sizes (macro and micro), carbon micro-IDT electrodes and silver IDT electrodes patterns were developed using AutoCAD 2D and printed on the Kapton (polyimide sheet) flexible substrate using the home-made nano-conductive inks with the help of EpsonT60 commercial piezo-head-based drop-on demand technology printer with standard printing options.FindingsThe proposed novel method is able to print heater patterns and IDT electrode patterns of approximately 12 µm and approximately 1 µm thickness, respectively, on flexible substrate using the home-made nano-conductive inks of carbon and silver by using a commercial low-cost printer. The home-made nano-conductive inks can be re-used for multiple prints up to six months shelf life. The resistance of the carbon heater was measured as 88 O under normal atmospheric condition. The novel flexible carbon heater was tested for its functionality and found to be satisfactory. The resistance of the silver IDT flexible electrodes was measured as 9.5 O which is better than the earlier works carried out in this paper.Research limitations/implicationsThe main challenge is associated with cleaning of printing ink ejection system in the existing commercial printers. The customization of the existing printer in the near future can minimize the printing challenges.Practical implicationsThe novel ink-jet printing technology proposed in this work is cost-effective, capable of achieving bulk production of flexible sensor elements, and consumes the least device fabrication time and high material yielding. The printing can be done with commercial piezo-head-based ink-jet printers with custom-prepared nano-conductive inks. There is a huge market potential for this paper.Originality/valueBoth the carbon heaters and silver IDT electrodes were printed on Kapton flexible substrate by using the commercial printer for the first time. The paper is promising the revolution in flexible low-cost sensor fabrication for mass production, and it is an alternate for thin film and thick sensor fabrication methods. The future of sensor fabrication technology will be the ink-jet printing method. In this paper, the research developments of flexible carbon heaters and flexible silver IDT electrodes for the time are reported. The characterization of carbon heaters and silver IDT electrodes were carried out and confirmed that the results are favourable for gas sensor applications.

Nanoparticle Black Ceramic Pigment Obtained by Hydrotalcite-like Compound Microwave Treatment

Development of ceramic pigments with controlled particle sizes below 1 µm is essential for the preparation of ceramic inks used in inkjet digital decoration that is currently being applied in the ceramics sector. A black ceramic pigment based on NiCoCrFe composition has been prepared using thermal decomposition of hydrotalcite-like compounds. The stoichiometry ratio between different cations was studied to obtain the blackest pigment, giving Ni0,5Co0,5CrFeO4 the better cation ratio, also the thermal treatment, comparing traditional firing in an electric furnace with microwave treatment. Samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Lab colour measurement. Microwave treatment showed the best way to obtain a pigment with spinel-type structure and a homogeneous size distribution near to 150 nm, with a high intensity and colorimetric data, reducing drastically the temperature and energy consumption to obtain a black ceramic pigment suitable to be utilized in digital ceramic inks.

Improvement of UV-curable ink adhesion onto melamine faced board using dual silane treatments

ABSTRACT The application of UV digital inkjet printing onto melamine-faced board (MF) has attracted increasing attention as an efficient and environmentally benign surface decoration method. However, the interface bonding between UV coating and melamine-formaldehyde surface is weak, resulting in poor printing durability. In this study, the MF surface is grafted with 3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl isocyanate (ICPTES) via a urea cross-linking process, and then condensed with γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane (KH570) to improve its compatibility with the polyacrylate-based UV ink. A combination of physical (surface polishing) and chemical (dual-silane treatments) activations of MF surface enhances its interface bonding strength with UV coating up to 2.24 MPa, 966.7% and 119.6% higher than those of the untreated and the conventional adhesion promotor treated surface, respectively. FTIR results confirm that effectual chemical bonds are established between MF surface and UV coating by the ICPTES and KH570 dual-silane treatments. SEM imaging shows that a seamless connection between MF and UV coating forms. Thus, MF surface modified by silane is a facile and effective strategy to enhance the adhesion of UV digital ink and this printing method shows enormous potentials in a wide range of applications.

A feature fusion sequence learning approach for quantitative analysis of tremor symptoms based on digital handwriting

Essential tremor and Parkinson's disease are common movement disorders, and early diagnosis and evaluation are critical to managing these diseases. Currently, laboratory tests are the only way to diagnose and assess tremor symptoms. Analysis of a patient's fine motor control, especially handwriting, is a powerful tool for disease assessment. However, traditional visual assessment methods by neurologists typically lead to biased diagnostic results due to some subjective factors. Therefore, it is necessary to automatically identify and quantify the captured motion events with the help of artificial intelligence in combination with the various dynamic attributes encapsulated in the digital ink features, such as pen pressure, stroke speed, handwriting variability, etc. In this paper, a novel Transformer deep-learning model is developed for sequence learning of electronic handwriting to effectively evaluate its potential in aiding the diagnosis of tremor symptoms. The one-dimensional convolution with an ingenious fusion attention mechanism is applied to the original pen sensor signal sequences and derived features are used as the embedding layer of the Transformer encoder part, and the global dynamic features are fused before the decision layer. Our proposed system performs excellent on private datasets and outperforms state-of-the-art methods on the PaHaW dataset.

DIGITAL INK- EMERGING TREND OF CONTRACTS: Enforceability and Validity of Online Contracts and Electronic Signatures

DIGITAL INK- EMERGING TREND OF CONTRACTS: Enforceability and Validity of Online Contracts and Electronic Signatures

Modelling of the Motion and Interaction of a Droplet of an Inkjet Printing Process with Physically Treated Polymers Substrates

This study examines the effect of energetic surface treatment on the adhesion strength of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The purpose of this work is to determine the surface wettability of polymers suitable for food contact. These plastics have been treated with various pre-treatment methods to improve surface tension and good adhesion for inkjet printing and avoid any visual changes. It is important to determine the adhesion of the ink to the polymer surface to improve post-consumer recycling. Digital inks have been tested on various treated plastics to analyse coating properties and adhesion forces in accordance with DIN ISO 2409 standards. The impact of the inkjet droplet on the treated and non-treated surface was also investigated using the COMSOL computer simulation software.

Off-The-Shelf Stylus: Using XR Devices for Handwriting and Sketching on Physically Aligned Virtual Surfaces

This article introduces the Off-The-Shelf Stylus (OTSS), a framework for 2D interaction (in 3D) as well as for handwriting and sketching with digital pen, ink, and paper on physically aligned virtual surfaces in Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR, AR, MR: XR for short). OTSS supports self-made XR styluses based on consumer-grade six-degrees-of-freedom XR controllers and commercially available styluses. The framework provides separate modules for three basic but vital features: 1) The stylus module provides stylus construction and calibration features. 2) The surface module provides surface calibration and visual feedback features for virtual-physical 2D surface alignment using our so-called 3ViSuAl procedure, and surface interaction features. 3) The evaluation suite provides a comprehensive test bed combining technical measurements for precision, accuracy, and latency with extensive usability evaluations including handwriting and sketching tasks based on established visuomotor, graphomotor, and handwriting research. The framework’s development is accompanied by an extensive open source reference implementation targeting the Unity game engine using an Oculus Rift S headset and Oculus Touch controllers. The development compares three low-cost and low-tech options to equip controllers with a tip and includes a web browser-based surface providing support for interacting, handwriting, and sketching. The evaluation of the reference implementation based on the OTSS framework identified an average stylus precision of 0.98 mm (SD= 0.54 mm) and an average surface accuracy of 0.60 mm (SD= 0.32 mm) in a seated VR environment. The time for displaying the stylus movement as digital ink on the web browser surface in VR was 79.40 ms on average (SD= 23.26 ms), including the physical controller’s motion-to-photon latency visualized by its virtual representation (M= 42.57 ms,SD= 15.70 ms). The usability evaluation (N= 10) revealed a low task load, high usability, and high user experience. Participants successfully reproduced given shapes and created legible handwriting, indicating that the OTSS and it’s reference implementation is ready for everyday use. We provide source code access to our implementation, including stylus and surface calibration and surface interaction features, making it easy to reuse, extend, adapt and/or replicate previous results (https://go.uniwue.de/hci-otss).

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

Reviewed by: Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse April Spisak Escabasse, Sophie Witches of Brooklyn; written and illus. by Sophie Escabasse. Random House Graphic, 2020 [240p] (Witches of Brooklyn) Library ed. ISBN 9780593119280 $23.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593125281 $20.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9780593119273 $12.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593119297 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-7 Her mom has recently died, but soon Effie is right at home with her two elderly aunts, who are absolutely more than the herbalists they claim to be. Indeed, these are witchy women with impressive powers, and Effie herself might have some awakening abilities. Understanding and harnessing her strengths is about far more than magic, however, and that's the gentle nudge of this graphic novel: whatever one's talents, it's important to stay humble about them and use them for good. A note describes the author/illustrator's use of purple and blue pencils as sketching tools (with digital inking and coloring), and those shades are effective in evoking the mystery of a curious home with untold secrets that will help heal this emotionally bruised girl. The aunts have clearly been partners for a long time, and it's a cozy relationship with room for a child who desperately needs family, friends, and home. It may all slot in a bit too cleanly that she instantly meets two terrific friends, discovers she has magical powers and loving, powerful aunts, and ultimately saves a spoiled celebrity from herself, but the smooth path allows for a focus on growth and change rather than struggle, and a kiddo like Effie could use some ease. An anticipated sequel will likely be welcomed by fantasy and graphic novel fans eager to see what adventures await the young witch. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Plasma pre-treatment and digital ink jet technology: A tool for improvement of antimicrobial properties and colour performance of cellulose knitwear

The purpose of this research was to analyse the influence of a plasma treatment on the surface properties of cellulose-based knitwear, especially on the hydrophilicity of raw cotton material. The influence of oxygen and argon low-pressure plasma pre-treatment was analysed from the aspect of antimicrobial properties as well as in the context of applying digital ink jet printing technique, researching the interaction and mutual impact of these two approaches. Colour spectral parameters of printed textile surfaces were explored and described, as well as the characteristics of colour yield. The effectiveness of antimicrobial treatment conducted by deposition of silver nanoparticles on plasma-activated surface was investigated. It is certain that plasma pre-treatment increases the hydrophilic properties of textile materials and impacts the colour spectral parameters of printed area. An increase in the colour yield and fastness, as well as handle of ink jet printed samples was observed on plasma pre-treated sample materials. Antimicrobial analyses showed that the silver nanoparticles, as active compounds of antimicrobial agent, were partially blocked with polymer, which contributed to limiting effect of antimicrobial effectiveness, while the printed area of the sample exhibited better antimicrobial protection and visible inhibition zone was observed.

Back to the future? Chinese artistic tradition and topologies of urban modernity

Abstract The radical nature of China's urban transformation has become a key subject in contemporary Chinese art. The ruthless eradication of material remnants of the past, moreover, has reinvigorated an urgency in Chinese art to look to the past for inspiration in the envisioning of a better future. This article examines three works that combine these two important strands of artistic production in China as they negotiate contemporary urban transformation via a return to China´s artistic tradition. This article will look at the imaginary and fantastical topologies of modernity in both analogue and new media, including the installation and oil painting of Shen Yuan and Wang Mingxian, respectively, and the digital ink painting of Miao Xiaochun. In examining closely the artists' choices of medium and their representations of architecture and urban space, this article probes some of the key social, environmental and aesthetic predicaments that underlie China's developmental process. It will argue that responses in Chinese art counter the officially sanctioned grand narrative that equates urbanization, urban renewal and modernization with unequivocal social betterment. Instead, these works create in-between spaces that lie between the material and the idealistic.