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Reviews the Web site Thomas A. Edison Papers from the State University of New Jersey in Piscataway.

Evaluates the microform `Thomas A. Edison Papers: A Selective Microfilm Edition. Part I: 1850-1878.'

Entrepreneurial imagination is core to the entrepreneurial process but hard to study in the present. Methodologically, historians have the advantage of reconstructing entrepreneurs' future thinking in their time. However, traditional historical methodology offers only limited tools to analyse and interpret uncertainty in historical future-oriented sources. In this paper, we suggest that Construal Level Theory (CLT), a theory in social-cognitive psychology, represents a complementary resource to deal with uncertainty and analyse the role of entrepreneurial imagination in evaluating and selecting business opportunities. We elaborate on four manifestations of abstraction suggested by CLT: desirability vs. feasibility, primary vs. secondary aspects, words vs. pictorial representations, and small vs. large categories. We further explain how insights from CLT can raise important questions for source analysis and facilitate comparisons, and then demonstrate it by investigating Thomas Edison's ego-documents. We conclude by sketching a future interdisciplinary dialogue with entrepreneurship scholars and psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of the morphological characteristics of Dahlia leaves (leaves area, the perimeter, the length of the leaves, width of leaf), physiological processes (photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration) and chlorophyll content determined at 5 Dahlia cultivars 'Topmix Red', 'Hy Pimento', 'Babylon Red', 'Marble Ball' and 'Thomas Edison'. The average leaf area has varied from 5.35 cm² ('Topmix Red') to 68.41 cm2 ('Babylon Red'). As for the perimeter, 'Babylon Red' had the highest value (67.49 cm) and 'Topmix Red' had the lowest value (9.72 cm). The length of the leaves was between 14.19 cm for 'Babylon Red' and 4.43 cm for 'Topmix Red'. The width of the leaves was between 10,18 cm for 'Babylon Red' variant and 2.26 cm for 'Topmix Red'.The intensity of photosynthesis varied between 12.85 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 for 'Babylon Red' and 15.24 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 for 'Topmix Red', intensity of transpiration 4.69 mmol H2O m-2s-1 for 'Hy Pimento' and 6.17 mmol H2O m-2s-1 for 'Thomas Edison', intensity respiration 7.46 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 for 'Hy Pimento' and 13.43 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 to 'Marble Ball'. The total chlorophyll content was higher in the case of 'Marble Ball', at a value of 163.90 mg/100g, and the smallest quantity was recorded for the 'Babylon Red' at the value of 102.15 mg/100g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel optimal method of a Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) supported by solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and its simplified topological structure are proposed. DVR is a power-electronic converter-based device, and the objective of the DVR control system is to minimize supply voltage variations at the load terminals. This is attained by generating a compensating voltage at the series injection transformer. Conventional controllers are mathematical model-based; also, the particular system varies widely, and nonlinear factors make the PI controller tuning more challenging to some extent. As a result, an intelligent PI optimization control method is essential. This paper proposes Hybrid PSOGSA to search for optimal values of two PI control parameters for the d – q -axis components by considering a novel bi-objective function. The performance of the test system is analyzed for five test scenarios using the proposed PI controller with SPSO-optimized and Ziegler–Nichols tuning methods. DVR system provides an excellent control performance in the transient and steady states for compensating the sensitive load voltages with almost zero steady-state errors. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can provide improved performance than PSO-optimized and classical PI controllers for the power quality indices measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual adaptations of the Frankenstein myth highlight the role ocularcentrism and scopic power play. By engaging with the concept of the gaze, this paper analyzes remediations of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece and discusses how visual narratives frame potentially monstrous bodies in order to assimilate or question traditional privileged visions and their construction of otherness, as well as to (re) orient spectators towards recognition of or detachment from the onscreen monster. It will address particularly relevant examples: Edison’s Frankenstein, the YouTube series Frankenstein M.D., Whale’s and Branagh’s iconic remediations, as well as the less known Murders of the Rue Morgue and Frankenhooker. Ultimately, this work will vindicate the role of remediations as an arena within which contemporary imaginaries regarding otherness and who holds the visual and narrative power are either legitimized or challenged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast domain of research in business schools may be categorized according to Stokes's four quadrant classification, which uses two dimensions: consideration of use (yes or no) and quest for fundamental understanding (yes or no). Viewing business school research in the context of these quadrants, it becomes clear that all four quadrants are so closely linked that research in each informs and inspires research in the others. It is therefore critical that business schools promote research in all four quadrants. Likewise, researchers in business schools should appreciate the importance of research in every quadrant and the scope of cross-pollination between them, or they will fail to realize their full potential. In order to get the most out of every quadrant, business schools must recruit professors who pursue research in a range of disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and economics, and those who focus on the practical use of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas Edison's phonograph was a landmark acoustic invention. In this paper, the phonograph is presented as a tool for education in acoustics. A brief history of the phonograph is outlined and an analogous circuit model that describes its dynamic response is discussed. Microphone and scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) measurements were made on a homemade phonograph for model validation and inversion for unknown model parameters. SLDV measurements also conclusively illustrate where model assumptions are violated. The model elements which dominate the dynamic response are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of multi-physics systems and the visualization of simulation data are crucial and difficult in computational science and engineering. In Korea, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information KISTI developed EDISON, a web-based computational science simulation platform, and it is now the ninth year since the service started. Hitherto, the EDISON platform has focused on providing a robust simulation environment and various computational science analysis tools. However, owing to the increasing issues in collaborative research, data format standardization has become more important. In addition, as the visualization of simulation data becomes more important for users to understand, the necessity of analyzing input / output data information for each software is increased. Therefore, it is necessary to organize the data format and metadata for the representative software provided by EDISON. In this paper, we analyzed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) simulation software in the field of mechanical engineering where several physical phenomena (fluids, solids, etc.) are complex. Additionally, in order to visualize various simulation result data, we used existing web visualization tools developed by third parties. In conclusion, based on the analysis of these data formats, it is possible to provide a foundation of multi-physics and a web-based visualization environment, which will enable users to focus on simulation more conveniently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My paper aims to ask what space characterizes the various constructs of orientalism and othering in the early short films of Thomas Edison. Using Lefebvre’s concept that social space “subsumes things produced, and encompasses their interrelationships in their coexistence and simultaneity” in these early shorts, I will look at three Biograph actualities found at the Library of Congress-American Memory page to show how space is manifested and negotiated onscreen. I will examine Edison’s “Filipinos Retreat From Trenches”, “Capture of Trenches at Candaba” and “U.S. Troops and Red Cross in the Trenches Before Caloocan” which were all released in 1899. These reenacted short films were shot during the tumultuous years of the Spanish-American War. In the Biograph shorts, the privileged positions of both Spanish and American forces in relation to the annexation of a foreign land in world history books is indicative of the tendency to de-emphasize the contribution of the native population in the war. Manthia Diawara has said that “space is related to power and powerlessness, insofar as those who occupy the center of the screen are usually more powerful than those in the background or completely absent from the screen.” The spatial hierarchies and spatially situated images in Edison’s short films show how historically configured power relations encrypted oppression to its external “others” through the cinematic apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants of the Dahlia genus are particularly valued for their wide variety of shapes and colors both as cultivated plants and as cut flowers thus increasing the interest for the introduction in the culture of cultivars with great decorative value and great resistance as cut flowers. The work presents anatomical aspects, but also particularities regarding the life span of cut flowers in preservation solutions for the cultivars 'Topmix Red', 'Hy Pimento', 'Babylon Red', 'Marble Ball' and 'Thomas Edison'. The objective of this study was to analyze dahlia varieties both from the anatomical point of view and the preservation of cut flowers in vases using different preservation solutions to establish a correlation between the diameter of xylem vessels and cut flower life. The diameter of the xylem vessels does not seem to influence the life span of the cut flowers, regardless of the solution used in the conditions of this experiment. The Quick dip and eZDose conservation solution increased the lifespan of the varieties studied compared to the other conservation solutions used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an interpretive framework for understanding the cognitive or mental processes of inventors, and applies this framework to narrating how Thomas Edison developed the kinetoscope, or motion picture. A review of recent developments in the history of technology and cognitive science suggests the need for better conceptual categories for understanding and comparing how inventors approach problems. We show how Edison created a mental model of the kinetoscope from his existing phonograph, and how his assistant William K. L. Dickson (who is often credited with inventing the kinetoscope) developed his own alternative mental model. We further discuss how Edison utilized building blocks or mechanical representations from previous inventions, and what strategies or heuristics he employed, in particular, we examine how Edison divided the project between himself and Dickson. The overall result of applying our framework to this case is to provide a clearer picture of the roles played by Edison and Dickson in this invention. The paper closes with a discussion on the potential relationship between cognitive and sociological approaches to technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the history of the vacuum arc deposition (VAD). Works of scientist Arthur W. Wright in the 19th century that influenced the development of VAD; Application of vacuum arc to the design of the phonogram invented by Thomas A. Edison; Early investigations of the properties of vacuum arc coatings.

Chinese Edison pearls, invented and produced in China by the Zhejiang Grace Pearl Jewelry Co., Ltd, are usually large and round with variable but attractive colors. Edison pearls have entered the jewelry market in 2011. However, the fine microstructural characteristics of these pearls remain largely unknown, particularly the thickness of the nacre and the spatial distributions of organic pigment in the nacre. Herein, using X-ray microradiography analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, we comprehensively investigated the internal fine-microstructural characteristics of typical colored Edison pearls. Our results indicated that Edison pearls have a typical core–shell structure, in which the core is the nucellus and the shell is the nacre. Average nacre thicknesses varied from 1.00 to 3.60 mm among specimens. Surprisingly, theoretical calculations showed that nacre accounted for about 50–90% of the whole pearl by volume. In addition, multiple prismatic or irregular structures, almost entirely composed of aragonite, coexisted in the nacre of some Edison pearls; one of these structures was closely adjacent to the nucleus. Interestingly, the average thickness of individual aragonite tablets in the nacre gradually decreased from the inner nacre (near the nucleus) to the outer nacre (near the pearl surface). Finally, the intensity ratios of the two peaks in the Raman spectra (I1124–1134/I1085) were non-uniform across nacre regions, and generally increased with distance from the nucleus. This pattern was directly attributed to variations in pigment content among nacre regions. Our results substantially increase our understanding of nacre biomineralization and the gemological characteristics of colored Edison pearls. More importantly, this study identified certain characteristics that can be used to identify color-treated Edison pearls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dan Berglund's Letter to the Editor offers a practitioner's perspective on my research article comparing the role of industrial policies in Pittsburgh and Cleveland during the 1980s and afterward. Mr. Berglund worked for the State of Ohio's Department of Development and later for Ohio's Thomas Edison Program, one of the policies discussed in the article, during the 1990s. Mr. Berglund suggests that the article "argues that two policy initiatives instituted almost 40 years ago ... are the reason Pittsburgh is stronger economically than Cleveland in 2015" ([4]). Mr. Berglund appears to agree with one of these alternative hypotheses in his letter, which is that the steep decline of Pittsburgh's steel sector could have helped enable Pittsburgh's transformation. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the author's statement regarding the usefulness of flashlights. The author mentions that these flashlights are often taken for granted when the lights are on and notes its usability when electric power is out of service. It highlights that these flashlights where derived from the inventions of Thomas Edison, who invented the bulb, and Carl Gassner on dry cell batteries. Historically, people of long ago have used portable illumination, lanterns, and candles before the invention and introduction of flashlights in the public. Furthermore, the science experiment procedures for these flashlights are also mentioned.

The author examines the attempts of studios such as Edison to copyright films as photographs in the period prior to the inclusion of motion pictures in copyright law in 1912. The essay reviews the history of copyright law as it applies to photography, instances of piracy in this period, and Edison's lawsuit against rival producer (and fellow pirate) Siegmund Lubin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas Alva Edison, the most prolific inventor in North America, with over 1000 patents, was the descendant of early settlers from the Netherlands to the Hudson Valley region of New York/New Jersey. However, his genealogical trail encompasses many cities, provinces, states, and countries, including Holland, France, Scotland, New Amsterdam, New York, New Jersey, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Ohio, and Michigan. He was motivated to develop and invent in response to perceived needs of commercial devices and was the creator of the concept of an industrial research laboratory. His activities covered a wide-range of chemical, electrical, medical, metallurgical, entertainment, and communication devices and led to the creation of major worldwide industries. However, his expressed underlying concern was the “service it might give others”. This presentation reviews commercial developments in comparison with the technologies and motivations of the time and is illustrated by material from the Rutgers University ‘Edison Papers Project’, Edison’s personal notes found in the Edison Battery Factory and preserved by Professor Salkind, and records of The Electrochemical Society. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a reprint of the paper "Edison and the Kinetograph (1895)," which appeared in the April 20, 1895 issue of the "Montreal Daily Star." It highlights the author's visit to American inventor Thomas A. Edison for the purpose of getting information concerning the latest and the greatest of his inventions, that is the combination of the phonograph with the kinetoscope.

This article focuses on James McKeen Cattell, who helped in launching the "American Journal of Economics and Sociology." But Cattell should be of interest to everyone concerned with the history of science in America. Cattell was involved in the founding, by Thomas A. Edison, of the journal "Science" in 1880. The paper was later supported by Alexander Graham Bell. But it struggled with financial difficulties until it was acquired by Cattell in 1894. He ran and edited it until his death in 1944, making it the most important and profitable scientific journal in the U.S.

The birth of sound recording technologies was closely connected to a need for the support and improvement of music education from the very beginning. It was Thomas Alva Edison who made the greatest efforts to achieve this goal, and his photograph brought about a worldwide revolution in the way how the sonority of musical compositions was perceived. Shortly after Edison's invention, sound recording technologies started to be used extensively as a didactic tool in music education at various levels. In the early twentieth century in Czechoslovakia, sound recording technologies were used extensively in education programmes broadcast over the radio. Currently are being established as a separate course which forms part of the training of professional audio engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a brief biography of the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) with special reference to his involvement with X-rays. His work involved the invention of the phonograph, the design of an electric power plant, an electric railway, the incandescent light bulb, a fluoroscope, and motion pictures. Selected quotations attributed to Edison complete this biography of this remarkable inventor who took out a total of 1,093 American patents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the phonograph that inventor Thomas Alva Edison left incomplete with the machine failing to record a novel and it also raised questions on difference between spoken and printed texts.

Common contemporary usage of the term intertitle reflects a misunderstanding of the function of title cards up to the early 1910s. Unlike the later role of intertitles as captions placed in between shots within scenes, early title cards were headings, either serving as titles of individual films (and initially presented as lantern slides) or as subtitles naming component scenes within longer individual films like Edison's Uncle Tom's Cabin. This use underscored the systematic alternation of scene and title and the autonomy of the scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the relationship between sight and sound during in the Gilded Age through an analysis of the painting "A Reading" by Thomas Dewing. Particular focus is given to the gendered tropes of listening which the author argues are reflected in the painting. It is suggested that the invention of the phonograph continued and reinforced conceptions of women as listeners and vessels for intellectual and cultural refinement while maintaining men's hegemony as speakers. Details related to women's use of phonographs in the home and the workplace are presented. Other topics include oral reading, inventor Thomas Edison and music.

Probes the validity of a glass test tube on display at the Henry Ford Museum that is claimed to contain the last breath of Thomas Edison. Details of museum artifacts on the subject of death; Claim that Ford convinced Edison's son to capture his father's last breath on a test tube; Overview of documents that support the reliability of the test tube.

The article discusses the making of William Dickson's "Dickson Experimental Sound Film," which is believed to be the earliest surviving effort at creating synchronized sound film. The production was made sometime during the mid-1890s as one of a series of collaborative experiments by Thomas Edison's laboratory staff to perfect the Kineto-Phonograph, a device intended to combine the separate technologies of the Phonograph and the Kinetoscope into a single peephole mechanism for the presentation of motion pictures with synchonised sound. Efforts to reunite the film and sound track for preservation and research purposes, prior to the 1998 Domitor conference, were hampered by a number of obstacles.