The Ince Hall Virgin and child is a painting of the Virgin and Child in an interior that was attributed to Jan van Eyck by the leading historians of early Netherlandish art from 1854 to 1956. Between 1956 and 1959 the work was subject to a technical and art historical analysis in Europe, in the re-classification of the work as a copy by a follower of Van Eyck, and possibly a forgery. Subsequently, a number of art historians have suggested that not even the composition of the work is Eyckian, and that the work is a pastiche based on Van Eyck’s paintings. Nevertheless, some authors have doubted the arguments for these reattributions. Some authors maintain the attributions to Van Eyck, and others suggest that the work may be a copy. This thesis is the first comprehensive critical reappraisal of the scientific and art historical analysis to be conducted. In the first chapter it examines the provenance and bibliography of the work. / In the second chapter it examines published and unpublished documents relating to the technical analysis found in Melbourne, Brussels, London and Amsterdam, which have been brought together for the first time. It also contains an interpretation of the work’s infrared reflectography that was produced, for the first time, for this thesis. It is argued that, contrary to the 1950's analysis, there is no technical impediment to an attribution of the work to Van Eyck. Furthermore, technical analysis reveals numerous correspondences to Van Eyck’s works, in the pigments, paint layer structures, underdrawing style and pentimenti. In the third chapter the relationship of the execution, composition and iconography to Van Eyck’s paintings is discussed. It is argued that the execution, composition and iconography are closely related to Van Eyck’s works. In the fourth chapter the attribution of the work as an original painting of Van Eyck, a copy, a pastiche or a forgery is discussed. It is concluded that the balance of the available evidence suggests the attribution of the work to Van Eyck, or his studio, is justifiable. The possibility that the work is a free copy is not excluded, but is undermined by the numerous correspondences to Van Eyck’s materials and technique and its relationship to the versions of the composition by other artists.

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, NY, 2001. / Abstract.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Catholic University of America, 1941. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-154).

Published version of author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn, 2009.

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, NY, 2001. / Abstract.

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, NY, 2001. / Abstract.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Vita. "May 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [213]-221).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Vita. "May 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [213]-221).

The Dolores River in Utah and the Virgin River in Nevada are ecosystems under pressure from increased groundwater withdrawal due to growing human populations, climate change and introduced species such as Tamarix spp. (tamarisk). Tamarisk is reputed to take excessive water from its environment. Controlling tamarisk is of concern in the western United States where plants grow quickly in already fragile and diminishing riparian areas. For this reason, biologic control beetles Chrysomelidae: Diorhabda carinulata were released to weaken the tamarisk population, thus reducing its water use. The studies for this dissertation were conducted between 2010 and 2011. We quantified tamarisk water use over multiple cycles of annual defoliation using sap flow measurements, leaf area index (LAI), well data, allometry and satellite imagery from EOS-1 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensor. Study objectives for the Virgin River were to measure evapotranspiration (ET) before beetles ever arrived and to examine the effects on tamarisk ET in the year after beetle arrival. This site showed plant ET from sap flow averaged about 4.3 mm m⁻² leaf day⁻¹ in 2010. In 2011, ET from sap flow averaged 6.4 mm m⁻² leaf area day⁻¹ pre beetle arrival, but dropped to 3-4 mm m⁻² leaf area day⁻¹ after beetle arrival. Stand level ET measured by MODIS was 2.2 mm d⁻¹ in 2010 and approximately 1.5 mm day⁻¹ when beetle arrival was measured in 2011. Significant visual change was apparent as the trees senesced. Results showed the first year of beetle arrival resulted in reduced ET but did not result in significant water savings. We also compared the reaction of the newly defoliated (in 2011) Virgin River site to the long-term defoliated (since 2007) Dolores River site to explore if all beetle invasions were created equal. This paper views the two sites as fairly extreme examples of tamarisk stand reaction to the beetle. While no mortality was reported at the Dolores River site, the site is much older, less photosynthetically active and covers far less ground when compared to the younger tamarisk monoculture on the Virgin River. Pre-beetle arrival Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values were higher on the Virgin River than on the Dolores River. Beetle arrival at each site was captured with Landsat NDVI and a reduced NDVI signal (13% drop in NDVI at Dolores River, 5% drop at Virgin River) was seen after beetle arrival.

Graphite is used within a reactor as a moderator and a reflector material. During fast neutron irradiation, the physical properties and dimensions of nuclear graphite are changed significantly. Graphite shrinkage could lead to disengagement of individual component and loss of core geometry; differential shrinkage in the graphite component could lead to the generation of internal stresses and component failure by cracking. The latter behaviour is complicated by the irradiation induced changes in Young's modulus and strength. These dimensional and modulus change have been associated with the irradiation-induced closure of many thousands of micro-cracks associated with the graphite crystallites due to crystal dimensional change. Closure of microcracks in nuclear graphite was simulated by external pressure (hydrostatic loading, deviatory stress and dynamic loading) and not by irradiation, whilst Young's modulus was measured to check if there was any correlation between the two mechanisms. A study of the deformation behaviour of polycrystalline graphite hydrostatically loaded up to 200MPa are reported. Gilsocarbon specimens (isotropic) and Pile Grade A (PGA) specimens are (anisotropic in nature) were investigated. Strain measurements were made in the axial and circumferential directions of cylindrical samples by using strain gauges. Dynamic Young's modulus was also investigated from the propagation velocity of an ultrasonic wave. Porosity measurements are made to determine the change in the porosity before and after deformation and also their contribution towards the compression and dilatation of graphite under pressure. Graphite crystal orientation during loading was also investigated by using XRD (X-ray diffraction) pole figures. Effective medium models were also investigated to describe the effect of porosity on graphite elastic modulus. All the graphite specimens investigated exhibited non-linear pressure- volumetric strain behaviour in both direction (axial and circumferencial). In most of the experiments, the deformation was closing porosity despite new porosity being generated. Under hydrostatic loading, PGA graphite initially stiff then it became less stiff after a few percent of volume strain and then after about ~20% volumetric strain they stiffen up again, whist Gilsocarbon showed similar behaviour at lower volumetric strain (~10-13%). Gilsocarbon was stiff than PGA; this behaviour is due to the fact that Gilsocarbon has higher density and lower porosity than PGA. During unloading, a large hysteresis was formed. The stressed grains are relieved; the initial closed pores began to reopen. It is suggested that during this stage, the volume of pore re-opening superseded the volume of pores closing, the graphite sample volume almost fully recovered. In the axial compression test, PGA perpendicular to the extrusion direction (PGA-AG) was less stiff than PGA parallel to the extrusion direction (PGA-WG); in the hydrostatic compaction test, the PGA-WG sample deformed more because it had to undergo a less complicated shape change. This is because the symmetry of their anisotropy is parallel to the symmetry of the sample. The Pole figures showed an evidence of slight crystal reorientation after hydrostatic loaded up to 200MPa. The effective medium model revealed the importance of porosity interaction in graphite during loading.