Academic literature on the topic 'Castles on postage stamps'

Counterfeit and unaccounted postage stamps used on mailings cost postal administrations a significant amount of money each year. Corporate and individual clients become victim to stamp fraud and incur losses when security teams investigate such mailings. The blockchain technology is supposed to be a solution to make postage stamps market transparent and to guarantee invariability of stamps volume produced and used. The blockchain-based supply chain for postage stamps is introduced in the article.

Postage stamps are exclusively made by a country that is recognized by other members of the international community. Governments have always utilized these tiny images as national and international propaganda. By 1949, the Chinese Communist Party effectively controlled the Chinese Mainland and established the People's Republic of China (PRC), while the Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan to resume its Republic of China (ROC). The PRC and the ROC simultaneously asserted their sole legitimate succession to the Chinese regime, and both countries' postal authorities utilized postage stamps to build their own Chinese national identity and engage in a long-term propaganda war. In this thesis, I will firstly analyze both the production and consumption of postage stamps in Chapter Two and Chapter Three. The production of postage stamps is always conducted by the postal authorities, responsible for planning and designing postage stamps. However, it is also inevitably affected by stamp collectors' taste and need as well as by domestic and international stamp markets. Even though ordinary postage stamp users, stamp collectors and stamp merchants are the main agents in the consumption of postage stamps, they are also the marketing targets of the postal authorities. Therefore, my approach to the study of postage stamps coordinates top-down and bottom-up strategies in order to obtain a full picture of this aspect of discourse on Chinese national identity in both countries. Following the study of the historical background both countries' postal services, Chapter Four explores how these two countries drew national leaders and national territory and designed Chinese visual characteristics in postage stamps, discussing the construction of each regime's political, geographical and cultural identity. By comparing five sets of stamp themes, including people, anniversaries, international relations, sport and the overseas Chinese, Chapter Five analyzes political, historical and ethnic identity in postage stamp designs of the 'two Chinas'.

Autohesion is defined as the resistance to separation of two bonded identical films that have been joined together for a period of time under a given temperature and pressure. Studies on the autohesion phenomenon can provide fundamental insights into the physical processes of adhesive bond and failure, as well as the practical engineering issues such as crack healing, elastomer tack, polymer fusion, self-healing, and polymer welding. In the first part of this dissertation work, four ethylene/1-octene (EO) copolymers were used in the present study consisting of molecules with linear polyethylene backbone to which hexyl groups are attached at random intervals. These copolymers have similar number-average molecular weight (Mn) and polydispersity, but different 1-octene content. These hexyl groups act as the short branches and hinder the crystallization, reduce density to some extent in the solid state, lower the melting temperature, and decrease the stiffness of the bulk materials. A full understanding of the autohesion behavior of the ethylene/1-octene copolymers involves investigations at three different length scales: 1) the molecular scale which controls the interfacial structure; 2) the mesoscopic or microscopic scale which can provide information on the formation of interfaces and on how the energy is dissipated during a fracture process; and 3) the macroscopic scale at which the mechanical properties such as fracture energy can be obtained for a particular test geometry. In the present study, the effects of the branch content on the formation and fracture of the interface of these ethylene/1-octene assemblies were evaluated at the bonding temperatures (Tb) and bonding times (tb). The correlation among these three length scales was also investigated and modeled. The adhesion strength of these symmetric interfaces of EO copolymers was investigated by T-peel fracture tests. The fracture of the interface is an irreversible entropy creating process which involved a substantial amount of energy dissipation. The results of such mechanical tests with respect to the bonding temperature (Tb), bonding time (tb) and peel rate indicated this energy dissipation is the result of a complicated interplay between the ability of the interface to transfer stress and its plastic and viscoelastic deformation properties. When Tb is much higher than the characteristic temperature (Tc), the interfaces were completely healed and cohesive failure was observed in T-peel tests. In this case, the fracture strength decreased with increasing branch content. In contrast, when Tb is very close to Tc, the fracture strength showed an increase with the branch content with either interfacial failure or cohesive failure being observed depending on the branch content and Tb. At higher peel rates, it is observed that higher peel energies are required to fracture the surfaces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the interfacial/interphase structure changed from amorphous to crystalline with an increase in the Tb. The results from the bonding time effect studies showed that the peel energy is proportional to tb1/2 regardless of Tb. But the branch content and the Tb play an important role on the seal rate. Thus, higher seal rate was found for higher Tb and higher branch content. These results also suggest that the autohesion of ethylene/1-octene copolymers are strongly associated with the interactions of melted chains. The chain compositions of these Zeigler-Natta EO copolymers are highly heterogeneous with the branches concentrated in the lower molecular weight portion. Long linear chain segments could form large, well-ordered crystals that provide strong anchors for the tie molecules and therefore determine the density of inter-crystalline links. Short chains with lots of branches could behave as protrusions along the chain to obstruct chain disentanglement and limit a chain from sliding through a crystal. Due to these reasons, the short chains with branches would contribute much less than the long linear chains to the full peel strength after complete sealing. However, higher peel strengths could be obtained only at the higher temperatures or longer bonding times at which the long linear chains begin to melt and diffuse across the interface. On the other hand, the higher branch content samples have the lower crystallinity and could obtain the higher chain mobility at the lower bonding temperatures and with shorter bonding times. Therefore, higher seal strength was observed for the higher branch content samples at lower Tb. Following T-peel fracture tests of ethylene/1-octene copolymer assemblies which showed interfacial failures, the fractured surfaces were investigated by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and characterized by fractal analysis together with the original films. The AFM images showed strong dependence on the peel rate and branch content. Quantitatively, the fractal analyses demonstrated fractal characteristics at the different finite scales. Two regimes showing fractal features were identified for each surface. In regime I (low magnifications) the fracture test did not change the fractal dimensions much. But there were significant changes in regime II before welding and after T-peel fracture tests. The length scale that separated these two regimes is very close to the size of lamellar structures. The characteristic sizes at which the fractal characteristics emerge were shown to appear at larger scales for surfaces fractured at higher peel rates. This suggests that the appearance of fractal behavior at larger scales requires higher fracture energies. The characteristic sizes and fractal dimensions were shown to depend on the molecular structure. Because the fractal analysis suggests at least some crystalline lamellae on the surfaces still existed during T-peel fracture tests, a â Stitch-weldingâ has been therefore proposed as the autohesion mechanism in which only chains in the amorphous portions could inter-diffuse. In the second part of this dissertation work, a multi-layer lap-shear geometry has been designed and proven as a reliable testing method in evaluation of the dynamical mechanical properties of polyacrylic pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) in paper lamination for postage stamp applications. In-situ testing of four different PSA stamp laminates constructed by laminating water-based polyacrylic PSAs to the stamp face papers were carried out using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) in the temperature range from -50 to 60 oC at frequencies 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 Hz. This geometry requires the tension mode on the DMA, but the results which were recorded as tensile properties were converted to shearing properties of the PSA layers in the laminate. The effect of the thickness (layers of laminates) on the dynamical mechanical properties has been studied and the results suggested that a multi-layer geometry with 5-10 layers could be an appropriate structure to produce enhanced responses. Therefore, the geometry with 8-layer laminates was used for frequency sweep/isothermal temperature and frequency sweep/temperature step tests. The results showed three relaxation responses that is, glassy, transition, and flow regions with respect to the frequencies and temperatures. These results also implied the viscoelastic characteristics of these PSA products. The tensile properties of the face papers were also tested using the same parameters as those of the multi-layer geometry. Significant differences were found between the shearing behaviors of the multi-layer geometry and the tensile behaviors of the elastic face paper. This suggests that the tensile deformation of the face paper in the multi-layer geometry could be ignored and the elastic paper did not contribute to the shearing properties of the PSA layers. Time-temperature superposition curves have been produced with reference temperature set at 23 oC, which can be used to predict the long term and short term performances of these samples at this temperature. This method can be utilized as a standard testing method on the PSA adhesives in the laminate form. In addition to the dynamic mechanical properties, it can also be developed to be a general standard method on testing the rheological properties of adhesives, polymer melts and other viscous materials.<br>Ph. D.

This work includes two unrelated areas of research. The first portion of this work involved combusting densified refuse derived fuel (dRDF) with coal and studying the effect that Ca(0H)2 binder had on reducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) emissions. The second area of work was directed at developing nondestructive infrared techniques in order to aid in the analysis of postage stamp adhesives. With Americans generating 150-200 million tons a year of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and disposing of nearly ninety percent of it in landfills, it is easy to understand why American landfills are approaching capacity. One alternative to landfilling is to process the MSW into RDF. There are technical and environmental problems associated with RDF. This work provides some answers concerning the amount of PAH and PCB emissions generated via the combustion of RDF with coal. It was found that the Ca(OH)2 binder greatly reduced both the PAH and the PCB emissions. In fact, PAH emissions at the ten-percent level were reduced more by using the binder than by the pollution control equipment. If the Ca(0H)2 binder can reduce not only PAH and PCB emissions, but also other noxious emissions, such as acid gases or dioxin, RDF technology could soon be the answer to the current landfill problems. The second portion of this work focused on developing a method to analyze stamp adhesives nondestructively. Using this method, it was fairly easy to differentiate among the three different types of adhesives that have been used by the United States Postal Service: gum arabic, dextrin, and polyvinyl alcohol. Differences caused by changes in chemicals added to the adhesives were also detected. Also, forgeries were detected with as much success, if not more, than by conventional methods. This work also led to the construction of equipment that allows large samples to be analyzed by reflectance infrared methods.

碩士<br>國立臺灣師範大學<br>圖文傳播學系<br>93<br>Personalized stamp is an application of digital printing. One part of the stamp with face-value is by lithography printing, and the other part is by digital printing. This is a greater opportunity for users and collectors to design their own postage stamp. Since the personalized stamp is printed at small amount and with many varieties, it can be used at commemorative and public activities. In this research, two encryption methods are applied to personalized stamp by modified digital halftoning techniques. First, a hidden figurative pattern is encrypted in cyan channel by halftone dot displacement, and the hidden information can be retrieved by an optical decoder. Secondly, dot deformation in magenta channel is used to encode data, and the data can be recognized by digital image processing. In this research, we combine digital watermarking with anti-counterfeiting techniques with the consideration of printing condition. It integrates digital watermarking and data hiding techniques in printing security document. By the formation of halftone dots, encrypted data is added in personalized stamp. It can not only to improve counterfeiting ability but also to enhance the value added features. In the future, the watermarked personalized stamps and high quality meter can be combined together and we can verify and track the watermarked postage stamp by machine readable techniques.

碩士<br>國立臺灣師範大學<br>體育學系<br>102<br>Stamps is symbolic token issued by a nation, the image largely presenting history culture,ethnoicity features, which serves as a miniature kaleidoscope of a nation.. Thus, the stamps has been nicknamed as “the name card of the country” and “mini encyclopedia”. In order to understand the development of Taiwan sports postage stamps, this paper focuses on the cause, goal of issuance, and implied socio-political significance of Taiwan sports postage stamps. The results of this study can be concluded as follows. (a) Taiwan issued the first set of the sports postage stamps since 1960. From 1960 to 2012, Taiwan had issued 133 stamps in total, including a variety of sport themes: Olympic games, baseball, sportive games, local sports, sports for all and recreational sports, as the research categorized. (b) To separate the theme of sports stamps from socio-political perspective, it can be separated into commemorative and special stamps, whereas the former genre serves the goal of commemoration of important sports events and promotes R.O.C’s government political objectives, publicizing the government’s value, sports development and sports achievements (c) Protecting the IOC membership, striving to maintain participation in international games, R.O.C’s government attemps to promote sports policy,local sports and recreational sports as we can discovered from stamp image design.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Química Forense apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia<br>A análise de selos, em particular de amostras pioneiras, tem sido objeto de alguns estudos, no entanto a natureza dos pigmentos ou corantes usados para imprimir os primeiros selos postais portugueses permanece desconhecida até aos dias de hoje. Além de não existirem estudos sobre os materiais utilizados para a sua produção, verifica-se também uma total ausência de referência aos corantes utilizados para colorir estes exemplares. Uma menção ao facto de que a 23 de abril de 1853, a Casa da Moeda Portuguesa recebeu uma caixa com tintas sugere a existência de algumas semelhanças entre esses e os selos postais britânicos. A partir de uma análise anterior, de alguns selos postais do Reino Unido sabe-se que o ácido carmínico, a cochonilha, (para os vermelhos) e a icónica mauveína (para lilás / roxo) foram utilizados no período de 1847 a 1901. Neste trabalho, foi realizado um estudo das tintas usadas para as cores vermelha, rosa, roxa e laranja num número selecionado de selos postais portugueses do período 1857-1909. Este estudo foi baseado em análises envolvendo uma variedade de técnicas (fluorescência de raios-X (XRF), espectroscopia ultra vioeta-visivel (UV-VIS), cromatografia liquida de alta eficiência - diode array detection - espectrometria de massa (HPLC-DAD-MS), fluorescência no estado estacionário e resolvida no tempo). Verificou-se que as tintas incluíram, entre outros, pigmentos inorgânicos, tais como o cinábrio (HgS), óxido de chumbo (Pb3O4), cromato de chumbo (PbCrO4), sulfeto de chumbo (PbS) e compostos orgânicos, entre os quais o ácido carmínico e a eosina Y. Este trabalho demonstrou ser possível a utilização de técnicas não-destrutivas para a identificação de algumas “moléculas da cor” envolvendo o XRF (para cinábrio, óxido de chumbo, cromato de chumbo, sulfeto de chumbo), UV-Vis (para ácido carmínico e eosina Y) e espectros de fluorescência, juntamente com rendimentos quânticos e tempos de vida (para eosina Y).<br>The analysis of postage stamps, in particular of pioneer samples, has been an object of some studies, however the nature of the pigments or dyes used to print the first Portuguese postage stamps remain unknown until today. Furthermore, the lack of studies on the materials used for their production, there is also a complete absence of reference to the dyes used to colour these specimens. A mention to the fact that on April 23, 1853, the Portuguese Coin House received a box with paints suggests some similarities between these and the British postage stamps.From a previous analysis some postage stamps of the United Kingdom it is known that Carminic Acid, cochineal, (for reds) and the iconic mauveine (for lilacs / purple) were used in them in the period from 1847 to 1901. In this work, a study has been made of the inks used for red, rose, purple and orange colours in a selected number of Portuguese postage stamps from the period 1857-1909. This is based on the analysis involving a variety of techniques (X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography - diode array detection - mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS), steady and time resolved fluorescence). It was found that the inks included, among others, the inorganic pigments cinnabar (HgS), lead oxide (Pb3O4), lead chromate (PbCrO4), lead sulfide (PbS), and the organic compounds Carminic Acid and Eosin Y. This work demonstrated non-destructive analysis methods for identification of some molecules of colour involving the XRF (for cinnabar, lead oxide, lead chromate, lead sulfide), the UV-Vis (for Carminic Acid and Eosin Y) and fluorescence spectra, together with quantum yields and lifetimes (for Eosin Y).

The purpose of this research is to use semiotic and narrative theory to unpack the layered meanings related to postage stamps and handwritten letters and explore their similarities. The theories of Peirce on icon, index and symbol, provide a systematic framework from which to explore the parallel narratives in a personal collection of postage stamps and letters received between 1996 and 1999. Postage stamps and letters are sent as a unit, allowing their public and private narratives to arrive in parallel. Both the practical and theoretical components of this research explore these narratives, treating letters and postage stamps as both personal and impersonal objects of communication. They are archival objects of national and personal history and of an era that is slowly fading. This research does not reinforce the different modes of communication offered by postage stamps and letters, but rather unpacks and compares, from a personal perspective, their many layers of meaning.<br>Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology<br>M.A. (Visual Arts)

碩士<br>國立臺灣大學<br>歷史學研究所<br>105<br>The thesis focuses on postage stamps in post-war Taiwan and the formation of the party-state identity. Postages stamps in post-war Taiwan can be read as officially sanctioned texts that reflect the intention and the ideology of the government of the Republic of China (ROC), which was controlled by the Kuomintang of China (KMT). The first purpose of the thesis was to find out that how postage stamps were issued by the government of the ROC, also known as the government of the KMT. Another aim of the thesis was to investigate themes that reflect the formation of the party-state identity. Finally, roles of the stamps as tools to affect the identity of people in post-war Taiwan were examined in the thesis. In the thesis, it was discovered that postage stamps in post-war Taiwan had played a part in the formation of the party-state identity although a postage stamp was not the only tool to change people’s identity.

The language of the Dalits is one of the most crucial constituents in the distinctiveness of Dalit literature. The language disturbs the posture and orderliness of the status quo. That is to say, the language of the Dalits contest the standard language, which is the language used in higher educationa. Dalits being at a lower end of the caste hierarchy have been traditionally secluded from education, and for this reason their registers differ from those used by upper castes. Dalit literature exposes the discrimination the Dalits face and the oppressions that are committed on these communities. In India, an elder person is generally addressed with respect. But if the elder person is a Dalit, he would be addressed disrespectfully. The Dalits being at the lower end of the caste hierarchy have been kept from education thus influencing their language as different to language employed by the upper castes.