Provenance Of Materials Research Articles

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy to investigate production techniques: A focus on fine ware potteries

AbstractThe study of manufacture technologies and provenance of raw materials in archaeological potteries are two fundamental aspects in providing information about sociocultural aspects on past societies. The most acknowledged technique in this field is represented by minero‐petrographic analysis, allowing to describe the compositional features of the artefacts and to link them to geological outcrops and technologic processes. In the case of fine‐grained potteries, minero‐petrographic analysis might sometime give back not clear results, requiring the use of high‐resolved methods. In this framework, information about raw materials and firing techniques might be provided by the support of micro‐Raman spectroscopy, able to supply information on mineral grains not detectable under a microscope and for which powders diffraction methods are not able to provide unique interpretations. In this work, particular attention was devoted to the phases formed during the ceramic body annealing, especially to newly formed feldspars, exhibiting a not natural occurring composition. Their correct identification, important for thermometric studies, is possible only with the use different techniques, due to the different investigated aspects (structure, composition and lattice dynamics).Fine‐grained potteries from the famous site of Volterra, Tuscany (Italy) have been characterized as case study during a comparative evaluation of the results obtained by different techniques (micro‐Raman analysis, optical microscopy [OM], X‐ray diffraction [XRD] and scanning electron microscope energy dispersive spectrometry [SEM‐EDS]) on the same mineral grains. The obtained results demonstrated how micro‐Raman spectroscopy might improve interpretation of data collected with different methods in several aspects, from provenance to firing temperature estimation.

Anatolian chert raw materials: Preliminary results and perspectives

In Central Anatolia, chipped stone at sites such as Çatalhöyük comprises approximately 90% of obsidian and 10% of other raw materials. These other raw materials are not precisely characterized when they show diverse quality, type of raw material and different technical investment for knapping. Speculations about sources and provenance of these raw materials in Central Anatolia are diverse but rarely supported by surveys. This paper proposes the preliminary results concerning surveys in the region of Konya, Karaman and Beyşehir with the site of Çatalhöyük at the centre.To this purpose, this work proposes a new approach combining field observations, petrography and mineralogical study (by using FTIR) for the characterization of raw materials and flint sources. A systematic description of Cretaceous and Ophiolitic formations in Central Anatolia and an evaluation of potential raw materials sources during prehistory is presented here.The fieldwork allows us to observe typical flints of the region, but tectonics and metamorphism have modified their mineralogical characteristics and physical properties making them largely unsuitable for knapping. Jasper sources, in Ophiolitic formations, similar to the poor quality raw material exploited for chipped stone at Çatalhöyük site, are located around the settlement. Flint suitable for the large blade production observed at Çatalhöyük are not available in the area of our study; its provenance remains unknown.

Access to stem cell data and registration of pluripotent cell lines: The Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry (hPSCreg).

The value of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) in regenerative medicine has yet to reach its full potential. The road from basic research tool to clinically validated PSC-derived cell therapy products is a long and winding one, leading researchers, clinicians, industry and regulators alike into undiscovered territory. All stakeholders must work together to ensure the development of safe and effective cell therapies. Similarly, utilization of hPSC in meaningful and controlled disease modeling and drug screening applications requires information on the quality and suitability of the applied cell lines. Central to these common goals is the complete documentation of hPSC data, including the ethical provenance of the source material, the hPSC line derivation, culture conditions and genetic constitution of the lines. Data surrounding hPSC is scattered amongst diverse sources, including publications, supplemental data, researcher lab books, accredited lab reports, certificates of analyses and public data repositories. Not all of these data sources are publicly accessible nor associated with metadata nor stored in a standard manner, such that data can be easily found and retrieved. The Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry (hPSCreg; https://hpscreg.eu/) was started in 2007 to impart provenance and transparency towards hPSC research by registering and collecting standard properties of hPSC lines. In this chapter, we present a short primer on the history of stem cell-based products, summarize the ethical and regulatory issues introduced in the course of working with hPSC-derived products and their associated data, and finally present the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry as a valuable resource for all stakeholders in therapies and disease modeling based on hPSC-derived cells.

Global Forensic Geolocation with Deep Neural Networks

SummaryAn important problem in modern forensic analyses is identifying the provenance of materials at a crime scene, such as biological material on a piece of clothing. This procedure, which is known as geolocation, is conventionally guided by expert knowledge of the biological evidence and therefore tends to be application specific, labour intensive and often subjective. Purely data-driven methods have yet to be fully realized in this domain, because in part of the lack of a sufficiently rich source of data. However, high throughput sequencing technologies can identify tens of thousands of fungi and bacteria taxa by using DNA recovered from a single swab collected from nearly any object or surface. This microbial community, or microbiome, may be highly informative of the provenance of the sample, but data on the spatial variation of microbiomes are sparse and high dimensional and have a complex dependence structure that render them difficult to model with standard statistical tools. Deep learning algorithms have generated a tremendous amount of interest within the machine learning community for their predictive performance in high dimensional problems. We present DeepSpace: a new algorithm for geolocation that aggregates over an ensemble of deep neural network classifiers trained on randomly generated Voronoi partitions of a spatial domain. The DeepSpace algorithm makes remarkably good point predictions; for example, when applied to the microbiomes of over 1300 dust samples collected across continental USA, more than half of geolocation predictions produced by this model fall less than 100 km from their true origin, which is a 60% reduction in error from competing geolocation methods. Moreover, we apply DeepSpace to a novel data set of global dust samples collected from nearly 30 countries, finding that dust-associated fungi alone predict a sample's country of origin with nearly 90% accuracy.

Instrumental Analytical Techniques Applied to Old Gate Tower from Corvins’ Castle

Nowadays, a better understanding of the factors (including environmental) that influence the degradation of materials from different buildings and monuments, is absolutely necessary. In this paper some analytical techniques, as Fourier Transformed IR Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), optical microscopy (OM) and SEM-EDS, have been used for evaluation the structure and chemical composition and the characterization of the degradation products, causes and mechanisms of disintegration / degradation of materials and aging processes. Few samples from the Old Gate Tower of the Corvins’Castle, Hunedoara, have been collected and subjected to be analysed and fruitful conclusions have been obtained referring to the raw materials provenance and weathering / deterioration processes which they supported. Similar minerals with those identified at the other towers from Corvins’Castle have been evidenced: quartz, calcite and dolomite, being majority, and additional apatite minerals. Also, ion chromatography could be used to identify the presence of different ions, responsible for the accelerated process of the monument’s walls.

Geochemistry and mineralogy of the Late Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequence in Złota (near Sandomierz, Poland): Implications for weathering, sedimentary recycling and provenance

In order to determine the provenance of material, the Late Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequence in Złota (Poland) was analysed geochemically (ICP-MS, ICP-ES) and mineralogically (QEMSCAN®), investigating simultaneously the weathering signature and effect of sedimentary sorting. A total number of 39 loess and soil samples were tested for the geochemical composition, and 5 for the mineralogy. The investigated samples, compared to upper continental crust, are enriched with elements such as Si, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Th, U and rare earth elements (especially the heavy rare earth elements) related rather to felsic igneous rocks. The enrichment of only two mafic elements (Ti and Cr) can be explained by heavy minerals admixture. Loess in Złota is strongly mixed and homogenized during transportation and/or sedimentary recycling. For each sample the uniform shape of the chondrite-normalized rare earth elements patterns were found, characterized by steep light rare elements (LaN/SmN = 3.45 – 4.08, avg. 3.81), constant negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.50–0.63; avg. 0.56) and distinctly flat heavy rare earth elements (GdN/YbN = 1.17–1.45, avg. 1.28). The material is not significantly affected by chemical weathering and the post-depositional modifications are not particularly important for the trace element composition both in loess and soils (e.g. Th/U = 3.1–4.65, avg. 3.64; Ce/Ce* = 0.96–1.09, avg. 1.01; LaN/YbN = 6.22–7.93, avg. 6.94). The research reveals that relatively “fresh”, felsic-related parent material has been well-mixed during transportation, but post-depositional alterations (related only to the pedogenesis) have not been intense enough to mask their chemical signature. The investigated material has been probably originated in Scandinavia (likely Norway), but deflated directly from the glacial drift covering the terrain of Poland.

A taxonomic revision of geoemydid turtles from Siwalik-age of India and Pakistan

Neogene (Siwalik-aged) deposits from India and Pakistan have yielded many vertebrate fossils, of which most were named during the 19th century, including numerous geoemydid turtles. In contrast to many other faunal components from the Siwaliks, geoemydids have not undergone taxonomic revision for more than a century and most fossils have therefore been believed to correspond to recent taxa. In this study, we conduct a taxonomic revision of all previously described geoemydid material from the Siwalik-age. We propose that all specimens of ‘Clemmys’ from the Siwaliks of Punjab, Pakistan should be identified as Melanochelys sivalensis comb. nov.; that Melanochelys tricarinata var. sivalensis represents a valid species, for which we propose the replacement name Melanochelys tapani to avoid homonymy; that specimens originally identified as Batagur cautleyi and Pangshura flaviventer cannot be identified beyond the generic level; and that many fragmentary palatochelydians cannot be identified to any particular species or genus due to the lack of preserved diagnostic osteological characters. With a few exceptions, the Siwalik fauna mostly corresponds in its distribution to that of the recent fauna, indicating a certain amount of geographic stasis. However, as the stratigraphic provenance of most material is poor, it is not possible to discern meaningful temporal patterns.

The identity of Chelodina oblonga Gray 1841 (Testudines: Chelidae) reassessed.

The identity of Chelodina oblonga has been unclear because it has been variously defined to include populations of snake-necked chelid turtle from the southwest of Western Australia, across northern Australia, Cape York and southern New Guinea in its broadest conception, from just the northern part of this range (northern Australia and New Guinea), or restricted to the southwest corner of Western Australia in its narrowest conception. Uncertainty over the identity of the type specimens has added to the confusion. In this paper, we review the historical data on the extent of the type series of Chelodina oblonga, and its potential provenance, and find evidence that resolves some of the inconsistencies in previous literature on the identification of the type. Our analysis casts doubt on the northern Australian provenance of the type material. Hence, we return the name C. oblonga to the south-western species, in accordance with the genetic evidence for the provenance of the type in the Natural History Museum, London, and the external morphology of the type series. We designate a lectotype for the species, and redefine the subgeneric names that apply to the Australasian genus Chelodina, providing a new subgeneric name for one lineage.

Geological constraints on the use of lead isotopes for provenance in archaeometallurgy

The first part of this paper is a brief critical history of the use of Pb isotopes for inferring the geological provenance of archaeological materials, with an emphasis on non‐ferrous metals. The second part examines variation in the Pb isotopic ratios of oxide and sulphide ore minerals in selected regions of the world, and relates these to the geological histories of ore formation in each region. This exercise shows that in regions where most ore deposits are of similar geological age—as in the Andes, Europe and the circum‐Mediterranean—provenance analysis with Pb isotopes is inherently difficult because geographically distant sources often exhibit similar isotopic ratios. Conversely, regions with many periods of ore formation—such as southern Africa—appear to be very promising regions for future studies of provenance with Pb isotopes. The wider implication of this exploratory survey is that archaeologists should carefully consider the range and clustering of geological Pb isotopic ratios in their regions of interest before investing large sums of money into Pb isotopic analysis of artefacts.

Characteristics and provenance of hazardous trace elements in soil from a typical agricultural region in eastern Anhui, China

With the purpose of investigate the characteristics and provenances of the hazardous trace elements (HTEs) in a typical agricultural land in the undulating plain area of eastern Anhui province, China, a total of 1170 soil samples were collected. Six HTEs, including Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and As, were determined. Statistical methods including box plot, Pearson correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis, were conducted to illustrate the provenances of HTEs. Results indicate that Cd and Hg were influenced by human activities (such as traffic transportation for Cd and Pb, and chemical pesticides for Hg). Cr, Ni, and As mainly originated from the parent materials (e.g., red detrital rocks, carbonate rocks, and late Pleistocene loess). Pb is of dual provenances of both human activity and parent material. In a word, regarding highly toxic HTEs, the soil in the study area is almost free from pollution, and only a small amount of soil samples contains slightly higher contents of As, Cd and Pb.

Geochemical characteristics and the provenance of aeolian material in the Hexi Corridor Desert, China

The Hexi Corridor Desert is in Gansu Province, northwestern China. The material provenance of desert formation and development is the primary factor of aeolian geomorphology, and it is still not fully understood in the Hexi Corridor Desert. To identify sources of aeolian sand in the formation of dunes in the Hexi Corridor Desert, we investigated 12 sites and collected 70 samples from the dune surface. This study used ratios between Na2O/Al2O3 versus K2O/Al2O3 and SiO2/Al2O3, Ba/Sr versus Rb/Sr and Rb/Sr versus Ce/Sr as well as CaO and Cl composition to identify sediment provenance. CaO was enriched relative to the composition of the upper continental crust (UCC), consistent with a previous study conducted in the Taklamakan and Badain Jaran deserts on adjacent fluvial, lacustrine and gravel deserts, but it differed from one study conducted in the Kumtagh and Tengger deserts. Cl concentrations differed in lacustrine and sand sediments, being higher in lacustrine sediments, followed by sand sediment. Sand sample geochemistry was similar throughout, indicating that sources of sand formation were also similar, which was confirmed by the multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal component analysis (PCA) methods. Additionally, based on regional topography, the Hexi Corridor acts as a sediment sink not only for sediment from the Qilian Mountains but also for sediment from the Beishan Mountains. The MDS and PCA approaches also indicated that sediment provenance was similar in the Hexi Corridor and the Tengger, Badain Jaran and Kumtagh deserts. Therefore, it can be concluded that dry fluvial deposits, alluvial deposits and lacustrine sediments that combined comprised sand dune provenance were the sources of sand in the Hexi Corridor Desert, and these deposits derived from the Qilian Mountains in the southwest and the Beishan Mountains in the north through alluvial processes.

Pūtahitanga: the intersection of western science and mātauranga Māori in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand’s physical oceanography

ABSTRACT Aotearoa New Zealand is a land and cultures surrounded by one of the planet’s larger marine exclusive economic zones per capita. Understanding, living within and utilising this domain requires a well-developed knowledge of the physical oceanography – fate, provenance and transfer of ocean-water, material and energy. In the Aotearoa New Zealand context, understanding and utilising the environment through science also requires that Māori have a stake in the science and a pathway to connecting with their mātauranga. The pūtahitanga (intersection) of mātauranga Māori and western science perspectives brings challenges for implementation of the Vision Mātauranga framework for physical oceanographic science. Here we discuss the drivers and key themes for the pūtahitanga and propose a mahere kaupapa/plan bound by: (i) climate, (ii) decolonisation, (iii) shared language, (iv) data sovereignty, and (v) developing a cohort who can lead the field in the coming decades.

Heterogeneous accretion of Earth inferred from Mo-Ru isotope systematics

The Mo and Ru isotopic compositions of meteorites and the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) hold important clues about the provenance of Earth's building material. Prior studies have argued that non-carbonaceous (NC) and carbonaceous (CC) meteorite groups together define a Mo-Ru ‘cosmic’ correlation, and that the BSE plots on the extension of this correlation. These observations were taken as evidence that the final 10–15% of Earth's accreted material derived from a homogeneous inner disk reservoir with an enstatite chondrite-like isotopic composition. Here, using new Mo and Ru isotopic data for previously uninvestigated meteorite groups, we show that the Mo-Ru correlation only exists for NC meteorites, and that both the BSE and CC meteorites fall off this Mo-Ru correlation. These observations indicate that the final stages of Earth's accretion were heterogeneous and consisted of a mixture of NC and CC materials. The Mo-Ru isotope systematics are best accounted for by either an NC heritage of the late veneer combined with a CC heritage of the Moon-forming giant impactor, or by mixed NC-CC compositions for both components. The involvement of CC bodies in the late-stage accretionary assemblage of Earth is consistent with chemical models for core-mantle differentiation, which argue for the addition of more oxidized and volatile-rich material toward the end of Earth's formation. As such, this study resolves the inconsistencies between homogeneous accretion models based on prior interpretations of the Mo-Ru systematics of meteorites and the chemical evidence for heterogeneous accretion of Earth.

Establishing authenticity and commodifying difference: a social semiotic analysis of Sámi jeans

This article investigates a semiotic phenomenon within the global fashion industry: the branding of designer jeans as ‘authentic’ and ‘genuinely local’, focusing on the Swedish brand Sarva. Drawing on a social semiotics approach, the authors see authenticity as a discursive construct and look at the ways in which Sarva authenticate their jeans as Sámi in multimodal texts. The aim is: (1) to reveal how places and narratives are commodified in texts that accompany the jeans; and (2) to explore how authenticity is materially instantiated in the jeans by using different resources. The article focuses on the connotative provenance and affordances of different semiotic materials for the rendering of authenticity. The analysis of the jeans as semiotic entities reveals how the thickness of the garment, texture and leather details, and the choice of materials, languages as well as iconography, evoke ideas about historical and local ‘Sáminess’, whilst at the same time indexing a global ideology that regiments what quality jeans are. The analysis shows how authenticity can be reinvented and relocated in ways that allow a commodity to travel between the local and the global. It also shows how this movement is not neutral or straightforward, but rooted in power relations that underlie globalization and advanced capitalism.

Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography, and Global Connections ed. by Alok Kumar Kanungo

Reviewed by: Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography, and Global Connections ed. by Alok Kumar Kanungo Heidi Munan Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography, and Global Connections. Edited by Alok Kumar Kanungo. New Delhi: Aryan Books International, 2017. 459 pp., 250 color and 16 b&w illustrations. Hardbound US $90, ISBN-13 978-8173055850. The volume entitled Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia is a compendium of papers presented at a workshop on the history, science, and technology of stone beads at the University of Gandhinagar in August 2015. The event drew together scholars and experts from all over India and other countries and provided a unique learning experience for the students who were invited to attend. Now that the results and findings of this workshop are available in one printed volume, scholars and researchers all over the world can also access the information. As the editor, Alok Kanungo, puts it in the Preface, “most established scholars prefer to write about the result of their research in highly specialized Journals which reach only a few libraries, whereas this subject has an unwritten mandate to create awareness among the people about their rich cultural heritage thus requiring our publications to reach as many enthusiasts as possible” (pp. ix–x). This is a most important point. Information should not only be collected, but made available in permanent form to the widest possible audience. Such archaeological, ethnographic, and scientific research as has been done on the topic of stone beads (or any beads!) has been scattered in diverse publications, many of them long out of print and almost impossible to find. Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia is divided into four thematic sections, the first of which concerns the “Importance and Literature” of beads. One of the great merits of this book is that it collects old and ancient sources, which are digested and used as a basis for presenting modern discoveries. Some of these sources are not just hard to find, they are only accessible to scholars such as Kishor K. Basa, R. S. Bisht, and V. Selvakumar, each of whom is an expert in his field and has deep knowledge of the scripts and symbols of past cultures. The second section on “History, Methodology and Ethnoarchaeology” opens with a paper by Ravi Prasad, V. N. Prabhakar, and Vikrant Jain. Some major contributions in this section are by M. J. Kennoyer, the eminent archaeologist who has devoted over four decades to investigating the ancient technology of India, particularly that of the Harappan civilization. Kennoyer also contributed to a paper by Kuldeep K. Bhan and Massimo Vidale in this volume. Alok Kanungo documents an ethnohistorical research project in the Gujarat region. The paper by Manabu [End Page 490] Koiso and coauthors in this section is of particular ethnographic interest in tracing the development of the ancient bead culture of the Naga people of northeast India and its connections with the stone bead industry and trade into the modern age. The next section, “Case Studies from South Asia,” overlaps the remote past with the present in meticulously documented studies of the provenance of raw materials and various technologies used to process and finish the artifacts in different parts of the subcontinent. The team from the University of Padua (Italy) led by Massimo Vidale covered an important site in Pakistan, Mehrgarh in the Indus Valley. Papers by Kuldeep K. Bhan, P. Ajithprasad, M. Madella, V. N. Prabhakar, Rabindra Kumar Mohanty, K. Rajan, and Bhuvan Vikrama discuss most major bead production techniques located on the subcontinent, while Bunchar Pongpanich presents a study on regional marketing and distribution of this important product of the preindustrial age. The final section, “Scientific Studies,” takes the reader from the field into the laboratory. Here, too, J. M. Kenoyer makes a significant contribution, as do Laure Dussubieux and Mark Golitko and Randall Law. Many important discoveries are being made in the twenty-first century, not only in the field, but also in the lab; we have come a long way from Horace Beck (1928)! Of the 25 contributors to Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia, all of whom spoke at the Stone...

Unveiling the secrets of Roman craftsmanship: mortars from Piscina Mirabilis (Campi Flegrei, Italy)

Aim of this study is the characterisation of ancient Roman mortars collected in Piscina Mirabilis, located in the important geological, archaeological and historical area of the Campania Region (southern Italy): the Campi Flegrei. Goals of this research were (a) improving knowledge of Roman construction techniques by means of detailed microstructural and compositional examination of cementitious binding matrix and aggregates, to point out both mortar mix-design and provenance of raw materials, (b) the study of secondary minerogenetic processes and (c) comparison with modern mortars. Thanks to the permission by the former Soprintendenza Archeologia della Campania (authority of the archaeological heritage) current “Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei”, it was possible to collect small, non-invasive, but representative samples of mortars. Samples were studied by combined methodologies such as optical microscopy (OM) on thin sections, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM), energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), simultaneous thermal analyses (STA) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Results showed that local geomaterials were used in this archaeological site, as they are well consistent with the surrounding geological setting. A relevant characteristic is the hydraulicity of these mortars shown by the reaction rims of pozzolanic materials. Composition of the cementitious binding matrix is characterized by various products of reaction, including amorphous C-A-S-H gel, calcite and Al-tobermorite. Results also highlighted that porosity represents the main difference between ancient Roman mortars and modern hydraulic ones.

Local provenance of raw materials for prehistoric pottery production at the Spasovine tin placer site (Western Serbia)

Archaeological finds at Spasovine, on the south flank of Mt Cer, near the town of Milina, indicate that it was settled in the Eneolithic and seasonally inhabited for tin placer mining in the Late Bronze Age. The site is highly disturbed and abraded domestic pottery is the most common material found. An analysis of the mineralogical assemblages that comprise the temper sand in a subset of the prehistoric pottery sherds from the site indicate that the sand was obtained from the adjacent Milinska River. Key minerals that link the pottery to on-site production from local materials include almandine-spessartine series garnets, the tin-bearing mineral cassiterite (SnO2) and a microlite group mineral ([Ca,Sn,U]2[Ta,Nb]2O6(OH,F]). The unusually common occurrence of cassiterite within the pottery sherds relative to the abundance in the Milinska today suggests that the tin ore grade in the Milinska River may have been significantly higher in prehistory.

Hydration of α-UO3 following storage under controlled conditions of temperature and relative humidity.

Changes in chemical speciation of uranium oxides following storage under varied conditions of temperature and relative humidity are valuable for characterizing material provenance. In this study, subsamples of high purity α-UO3 were stored under four sets of controlled conditions of temperature and relative humidity over several years, and then measured periodically for chemical speciation. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy confirm hydration of α-UO3 to a schoepite-like end product following storage under each of the varied storage conditions, but the species formed during exposure to the lower relative humidity and lower temperature condition follows different trends from those formed under the other three storage conditions (high relative humidity with high or low temperatures, and low relative humidity with a high temperature). Thermogravimetry coupled with XRD analysis was carried out to distinguish desorption pathways of water from the hydrated end products. Density functional theory calculations discern changes in the structure of α-UO3 following incorporation of 1, 2 or 3 H2O molecules or 1, 2 or 3 OH groups into the orthorhombic lattice, revealing differences in lattice constants, U-O bond lengths, and U-U distances. The collective results from this analysis are in contrast to analogous studies that report that U3O8 is oxidized and hydrated in air during storage under high relative humidity conditions.

Anatomical characteristics of <i>Tectona grandis</i> L.f from different sites in Mato Grosso state

The anatomical characteristics of the wood are influenced by the quality of the sites of the material provenance, which, consequently, leads to alterations in its physical and mechanical properties. The aim of this paper was to assess and characterize the organoleptic and anatomical properties of the teak (Tectona grandis) from different sites in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Regarding the anatomical characteristics the length, width, diameter and the thickness of the wall for fiber were assessed; the length and diameter of the vessels; the length, width and frequency of the rays. The results obtained showed that the organoleptic properties do not present variations between the different sites. The effect of the site, where the teak plantation is established, produced significant variations in the parameters of the fibers (length, width of the fiber, lumen diameter and thickness of the wall) and in the rays (length, width and frequency). However, no significant vessel-related changes were seen.

Blockchain-Based Trust Mechanism for IoT-Based Smart Manufacturing System

Integrated and collaborative manufacturing system develops as massive data are obtained by the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. However, the “trust tax” imposed on manufacturers during their countless collaborations with customers, suppliers, distributors, governments, service providers, and other manufacturers is very high. Blockchain is an emerging technology that can lead to more transparent, secure, and efficient transactions. It represents a new paradigm, as well as new thinking, of how data can be securely stored, integrated, and communicated among different stakeholders, organizations, and systems that unnecessarily trust each other. Blockchain is greatly useful for reducing the “trust tax,” especially beneficial for the small- and medium-sized enterprises that must tolerate much heavier trust tax than the established manufacturers. This paper investigates the blockchain-based security and trust mechanism and elaborates a particular application of blockchain for quality assurance, which is one of the strategic priorities of smart manufacturing. Data generated in a smart manufacturing process can be leveraged to retrieve material provenance, facilitate equipment management, increase transaction efficiency, and create a flexible pricing mechanism. The dairy industry is used to instantiate the value propositions of blockchain for quality assurance.