First hand accounts of events in the laboratory of Prof. Eduard Pernkopf. Interviews by Seyed Hossein Aharinejad and Stephen W Carmichael.

Eduard Pernkopf was responsible for one of the best anatomy atlases of all time. He was also an active National Socialist during the Third Reich. Some have questioned whether his political affiliation influenced the procurement of anatomic specimens for his Atlas.

Electro--optical simulation of diffraction in solar cells.

A simulation method is presented and evaluated for simulating two- and three dimensional wave optical effects in crystalline silicon solar cells. Due to a thickness in the 100 µm range, optical properties of these solar cells typically are simulated, primarily through the use of ray-tracing. Recently, diffractive elements such as gratings or photonic crystals have been investigated for their application in crystalline silicon solar cells, making it necessary to consider two- and three dimensional wave optical effects.

Color rendering properties of interior lighting influenced by a switchable window.

Switchable windows are being installed into modern buildings. We report on how the variable transmittance of gasochromic and electrochromic switchable windows changes the color rendering properties of the daylight passing through these windows. We present a series of color rendering examples.

Fatty acid composition and preservation of the Tyrolean Iceman and other mummies.

In anthropology, objective parameters to adequately describe storage conditions and the preservation of mummies have yet to be identified. Considering that fatty acids degrade to stable products, we analysed their profile in human mummies and in control samples by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Originating from different epochs and civilizations, samples of the Tyrolean Iceman, other glacier corpses, a freeze dried mummy, corpses from a permafrost region, a corpse mummified immersed in water, and a desert mummy were evaluated.