bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproducing Elite Lives
Authors: Ponniah Ujithra
Published: August 2019

This chapter explores the social reproductive roles performed by elite ‘upper’-caste Aggarwal women in family businesses in Delhi. By focusing on women’s associational and familial roles in a South Delhi neighbourhood, three strategies of reproduction are discussed: first, forging inter-strata fictive kinship ties for caste cohesion through women’s ‘social work’; second, forging intra-strata fictive kinship ties for business opportunities through sustained interactions; and third, steering the individuating aspirations of children around marital choices for the unity of the joint family and business. These strategies of elite reproduction highlight the secularizing pulls on gender and caste in urban contexts, despite the dependence of family businesses on caste and family ties. Furthermore, by focusing on women in family businesses, this chapter shows that while they are not passive victims of caste patriarchy neither are they invisible in the male-centric family businesses.
Provincial Autonomy and Its (Anti)Colonial Limits, 1935–8*
Authors: Elangovan Arvind
Published: August 2019

This chapter revisits a pivotal moment in Indian constitutional history, namely, the implementation of the Government of India Act, 1935. In particular, it highlights a hitherto unknown aspect of this history by closely examining the role that Rau played in the implementation of this colonial legislation. Appointed as an Officer on Special Duty, Rau, for the first time acquired national and international prominence by creatively interpreting the idea of a constitution that he argued underlined the 1935 Act. However, both the colonial government and the Indian nationalist forces resisted Rau’s interpretation, thereby evidencing the manifestation of a tension-prone relationship between colonialism, nationalism, and constitutionalism.
Rau’s Constitutional Solutions to the Political Conundrum
Authors: Elangovan Arvind
Published: August 2019

In 1945, Viceroy Wavell requested Rau to return to the Reforms Office and help the process of transitioning power from Britain to India. Aware and working with the knowledge of the political problems between the Congress, which wanted a united India, and the Muslim League, which wanted a divided subcontinent by establishing Pakistan, Rau put forward several constitutional solutions. In drafting these constitutional ideas, Rau drew heavily from his experience of working with the Government of India Act, 1935, which, as in a decade before, brought his ideas into conflict with both the British colonial government as well as the main Indian political parties—the Congress and the League.
Moment of Utopia
Authors: Elangovan Arvind
Published: August 2019

In 1946, Rau was appointed as the Constitutional Advisor to the newly formed Constituent Assembly. In this capacity, Rau collated and solicited constitutional ideas from members of the Constituent Assembly and put forward his own as well. In these drafts, one gets a clear sense of Rau’s constitutional thoughts, which was a direct response to the political conflicts that unfolded outside the Constituent Assembly. Rau saw the constitution only as a means to an end, which was ‘development’. In pursuit of this goal, Rau wished for a largely powerful head of the state with wide discretionary powers and a legislature and executive that would be committed to ideas of development. While protecting minority interests were paramount, perhaps, most controversially, Rau privileged the Directive Principles—ideas that needed to guide the lawmakers—rather than the granting of Fundamental Rights.
Socio-Political and Economic Aspects of Marriage
Authors: Singh Sabita
Published: August 2019

The motive behind marriage which changed from one historical period to another has been examined. This chapter largely pertains to the elite and ruling class for whom the motive behind marriage was mainly political. Throughout the period, we get examples of marriage being entered into for enlarging one’s territory, ending enmity, increasing power and status; familial relations were subordinated to political considerations. It led to the institutionalisation of the practice of polygamy. What motivated the rulers to give their daughters to Muslim kings despite their otherwise strict adherence to caste endogamy is sought to be answered. Finally, it is shown how political marriages came to play a significant role in the consolidation of Mughal rule.
Sati, Widowhood, and Remarriage
Authors: Singh Sabita
Published: August 2019

No work on marriage in Rajasthan would be complete without reference to the practice of Sati and widowhood as Rajasthan still has the dubious distinction of having cases of Sati or bride burning. It is attempted to understand the phenomena of Sati and Jauhar in their historical context as well as the taboo on widow remarriages as these are seen as institutional forms of women’s oppression. What did the term Sati denote; how the practice of Sati in Rajasthan was different from other regions; which castes practiced Sati; whether it was voluntary or obligatory; did it adhere to the ideals of Sati Savitri, that is, the virtuous woman; all these questions have been taken up. The actual political, economic, social, religious factors responsible for this rite have been examined. The extent to which widow remarriage was prevalent among various castes and the property rights exercised by the widows, a crucial aspects determining their position has also been looked into.
‘Promiscuous’ Planting
Authors: Jhala Angma Dey
Published: August 2019

During the eighteenth century, the travelogue flourished as a genre and was used to describe peoples both familiar and unfamiliar to the western observer. Chapter 1 examines one such account, the 1798 travelogue of the Scottish doctor Francis Buchanan in the CHT. In his tour diary, he deployed the language of natural history to describe not only the region’s unusual soil quality, topography, and local jhum or swidden agriculture, but also the religious, cultural, and linguistic practices of the various hill tribes he encountered. In the process, he exposed the tumultuous history of this border region, which found itself at the crossroads of imperial ambition by both the East India Company and the kingdom of Burma. He is also an intriguing example of an Enlightenment era man of science and reason in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Measuring Tribal ‘Otherness’
Authors: Jhala Angma Dey
Published: August 2019

The chapter examines the role of enumerative data in defining identity and ethnicity during the late colonial period. Focussing on two surveys of the CHT from 1876 and 1909 by W.W. Hunter and R.H. Sneyd Hutchinson respectively, it investigates how the census created standardized labels, relating to religion, tribe, and caste, which often undermined the region’s porous border-crossing, interethnic, and interreligious history. It reveals the inherent contradictions, vagueness of definitions, and, at times, gross inaccuracies within official bureaucratic documentation. Further, it notes how colonial demographic categories would influence later nationalist determinations of cultural and religious identity based on population numbers.
The Administrator (as) Anthropologist
Authors: Jhala Angma Dey
Published: August 2019

This chapter addresses the ways in which early twentieth century anthropological ideas were applied to administrative policy, particularly the traditional leadership of the three circle chiefs in the CHT. It interprets J.P. Mills’s 1926–7 Tour Diary, the first anthropologically oriented study of the CHT. Mills defined tribal ‘authenticity’ through investigating later layers of cultural accretion; in the process, he reinvented aspects of tradition and ceremonial power. His proposals would influence the later 1935 Government of India Act, which further circumscribed the agency of the local chiefs, and would have implications for their subsequent engagement within the Indian nationalist movement and the partition of east Bengal. In particular, his work reveals how CHT chiefs increasingly saw themselves as transregional and global cosmopolitans, linked to an India-wide and world map, that crossed narrow definitions of language, religion, education, travel, gender, social etiquette, and dress.
Understanding Cinematic Transformations and Neoliberal Culture in India
Authors: Paunksnis Šarūnas
Published: August 2019

The chapter theorizes the emergence of new Hindi cinema and looks at the methodological problems arising from understanding new Hindi cinema as a cinematic phenomenon. What is “new” in new Hindi cinema? How should we understand the emergence of this film form? Is it a mere extension of indie cinema, or is it something else? Is it a part of Bollywood, or is it outside of it? The chapter criticizes the dominant approaches to new Hindi cinema, and provides new theoretical tools for understanding this cinematic phenomenon as the result of neoliberal transformations in India.
Introduction
Authors: Alexander Colin R.
Published: August 2019

The introductory chapter articulates the book’s central argument about colonialism, which it defines as rule by outsiders for the benefit of outsiders, a structure that results in the extreme suppression of a majority for the vast prosperity of a minority. However, the ICS officers who administered colonial rule in India were also vulnerable to the colonial experience because colonialism is a dehumanizing experience for all those engaged with its power structures. Beyond this, the chapter provides initial information around the life and career of Sir Andrew Clow, the book’s main character. Clow was involved in the crucial events before, during, and after World War II in British-ruled India that affected the outcome of the conflict as a whole but also helped set the platform for the subsequent collapse of the age of British imperialism.
Radio Broadcasting in Colonial India
Authors: Alexander Colin R.
Published: August 2019

This chapter discusses the preparations for World War II in relation to advances in radio broadcasting to the Indian public. Responsibility for radio broadcasting in British India became part of the portfolio of the Labour Bureau and thus one of the state’s apparatus surrounding the maintenance of colonial power. The arrangement in India was different from that of radio broadcasting in the UK during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s where the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had been created under Royal Charter with editorial independence from government and commercial interests. In contrast, the British Government of India, and several of Britain’s other colonial territories set up public communications departments that were attached to central government bureaus primarily because the notion of public service broadcasting sat awkwardly against colonial power structures.
India and Bilateral Investment Treaties
Authors: Ranjan Prabhash
Published: August 2019

Many countries have started contesting international investment treaties that allow foreign corporations to sue sovereign states for alleged treaty breaches at international arbitration forums. This contestation has taken the form of either countries terminating their investment treaties or walking out of the investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. India has also jumped on the contestation bandwagon. As a consequence of being sued by more than 20 foreign investors, India terminated close to 60 investment treaties and adopted a new Model bilateral investment treaty (BIT) purportedly to balance investment protection with the host state’s right to regulate. This book critically studies India’s approach towards BITs by tracing the origin, evolution, and the current state of play. The book does so by locating it in India’s economic policy in general and policy towards foreign investment in particular. India’s approach towards BITs and India’s policy towards foreign investment were consistent with each other in the periods of economic nationalism (1947 to 1990) and economic liberalism (1991 to 2010). However, post 2010; India’s approach to BITs has become protectionist while India’s foreign investment policy continues to be liberal. In order to balance investment protection with the state’s right to regulate, India needs to evolve its BIT practice based on the twin framework of international rule of law and embedded liberalism.
Mapping the Backlash
Authors: Ranjan Prabhash
Published: August 2019

The chapter discusses how different actors or stakeholders such as the parliament, the government, civil society etc. started reacting to India’s BITs once India was flooded by ISDS claims. The reactions varied from asking the purpose of BITs, examining do BITs lead to greater FDI inflows, questioning the relationship between BITs and India’s right to regulate. There was a much deeper engagement with BITs in this phase than we saw in the ‘embracement’ phase. India launched the review of BITs in this phase and took certain decisions, which can be described as backlash against BITs. For instance, India terminated some of its BITs and also adopted a new Model BIT. The faith that India had showed towards BITs in the ‘embracement’ phase stood shaken.
Sources on the Life of Chaitanya
Authors: Sen Amiya P.
Published: August 2019

This is a detailed study of the extant sources related to the life and teachings of Chaitanya, most of which were produced shortly after Chaitanya passed away. This survey includes three key aspects connected with Chaitanya hagiographies available in manuscript form: the pressing literary and cultural quest for their discovery, the problem of their interpolation, and their printing history since the mid-19th century. This chapter studies five hagiographers in some detail, implying their intrinsic importance of their work to the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Chaitanya. This includes a critical treatment of the greatly controversial work Govindadaser Kadcha which has come to be seen in intensely polarised ways as possibly the earliest among hagiographies or else a modern forgery.
Chaitanya in His Times and in Ours
Authors: Sen Amiya P.
Published: August 2019

This is a highly critical chapter that joins the twin issues of how Chaitanya was perceived in his own life time and thereafter. Of particular interest here is how Chaitanya was invoked in post-Chaitanya Bengal for a wide variety of reasons and purposes. Dissenting and non-conformist religious cults in post-Chaitanya Bengal cited his life and work to register their protest against Brahmanical and upper-caste excesses; the educated and upper-caste followers, on the other hand, converted him into a symbol of political resistance in a manner that strengthened their own political ambitions under a colonial regime. This chapter brings back the issue of just how the lay reader and the scholar alike need to be clearer about the use of nomenclatures such as ‘Bengal Vaishnavism’ or Gaudiya Vaishnavism. The author argues how in modern Bengal, there were major cultural figures who were Vaishnava by persuasion and yet not affiliated to the Chaitanya camp. This chapter also includes interesting and original studies of Chaitanya’s religion, his approach to the question of women and sexuality, and also how Chaitanya was perceived by the most prominent religious groups in colonial Bengal such as the Brahmos.
Introspection
Authors: Smithies Declan
Published: August 2019

Chapter 5 explores the epistemic role of consciousness in introspection. Section 5.1 presents a simple theory of introspection, which says that some mental states provide introspective justification that puts you in a position to know with certainty that you’re in those mental states. Section 5.2 defends the simple theory against Eric Schwitzgebel’s arguments for the unreliability of introspection. Section 5.3 motivates the simple theory on the grounds that it explains a plausible connection between epistemic rationality and introspective self-knowledge. Section 5.4 argues that all and only phenomenally individuated mental states fall within the scope of the simple theory of introspection. Section 5.5 explores the role of consciousness in explaining our introspective knowledge of what we believe. Section 5.6 concludes with some pessimism about the prospects for explaining the connection between consciousness and introspection in more basic terms.
Luminosity
Authors: Smithies Declan
Published: August 2019

Chapter 11 defends the thesis that some phenomenal and epistemic conditions are luminous in the sense that you’re always in a position to know whether or not they obtain. Section 11.1 draws a distinction between epistemic and doxastic senses of luminosity and argues that some conditions are epistemically luminous even if none are doxastically luminous. Section 11.2 uses this distinction in solving Ernest Sosa’s version of the problem of the speckled hen. The same distinction is applied to Timothy Williamson’s anti-luminosity argument in section 11.3, his argument against epistemic iteration principles in section 11.4, and his argument for improbable knowing in section 11.5. Section 11.6 concludes by explaining why this defense of luminosity is not merely a pointless compromise.
Introduction
Authors: Harp Gillis J.
Published: August 2019

This work attempts to take a long view of the evolving relationship between certain Protestants and conservative politics. It is primarily a book about American Protestants but it is also about political conservatism. My purpose is to demonstrate the ways in which conservative thought has been formed by religious views associated with different strands of orthodox Protestantism. Secondarily, I also seek to show the ways that Protestants have been influenced by conservatism. This book seeks to answer three interrelated questions within the context of an overview of American history from the colonial period to the recent past. One, what has religion—in particular, Protestant Christianity—done for conservatism? Two, what particular components of these religious beliefs and of conservative thought allowed their convergence in various periods? Three, what effects has this interaction had on American conservatism and on some forms of Protestant Christianity?
The Colonies, 1607–1763
Authors: Harp Gillis J.
Published: August 2019

The Puritans conserved older medieval views in their holy commonwealth conception of church–state relations and in their prioritizing of the common good. Governor John Winthrop articulated a thoroughly conservative defense of social hierarchy and of the state as a divinely ordained moral agent. Meanwhile, many of the towns they first founded in the seventeenth century were extraordinarily stable and homogenous communities. Economic development and the religious upheaval of the Great Awakening threatened some of this social conservatism. Consequently, some criticisms of the revival represented the first examples of a coherent colonial conservatism. These critics fretted about local clerical authority and the threat posed to social cohesion by individualism, or what some termed the danger of the “private Christian.” Despite some differences, colonial Southerners shared much of the stress on hierarchy and deference that characterized their New England cousins.
Stress Amplification/Shielding Phenomena of Spherically Anisotropic and Radially Inhomogeneous Linear Elastic Hollow Spheres
Authors: Chung M Y
Published: August 2019

Exact solutions of radially symmetric deformation of a spherically anisotropic and radially inhomogeneous linear elastic hollow sphere subjected to uniform radial tractions on the surfaces are derived. The power-law function is assumed to represent the radially inhomogeneity. Stress amplification/shielding phenomena are fully investigated and the benefits of using functionally graded materials are indicated. For a solid sphere under external uniform loadings, the conditions in which infinite stresses occur at the centre of the sphere regardless of applied traction magnitudes are specified. Also, circumferential stresses might have opposite sign of the applied loadings. Cavitation and blackhole phenomena at the centre of the sphere are also discussed.
Dinucleotide evolutionary dynamics in influenza A virus
Authors: Gu Haogao , Fan Rebecca L Y , Wang Di , Poon Leo L M
Published: August 2019

Significant biases of dinucleotide composition in many RNA viruses including influenza A virus have been reported in recent years. Previous studies have showed that a codon-usage-altered influenza mutant with elevated CpG usage is attenuated in mammalian in vitro and in vivo models. However, the relationship between dinucleotide preference and codon usage bias is not entirely clear and changes in dinucleotide usage of influenza virus during evolution at segment level are yet to be investigated. In this study, a Monte Carlo type method was applied to identify under-represented or over-represented dinucleotide motifs, among different segments and different groups, in influenza viral sequences. After excluding the potential biases caused by codon usage and amino acid sequences, CpG and UpA were found under-represented in all viral segments from all groups, whereas UpG and CpA were found over-represented. We further explored the temporal changes of usage of these dinucleotides. Our analyses revealed significant decrease of CpG frequency in Segments 1, 3, 4, and 5 in seasonal H1 virus after its re-emergence in humans in 1977. Such temporal variations were mainly contributed by the dinucleotide changes at the codon positions 3-1 and 2-3 where silent mutations played a major role. The depletions of CpG and UpA through silent mutations consequently led to over-representations of UpG and CpA. We also found that dinucleotide preference directly results in significant synonymous codon usage bias. Our study helps to provide details on understanding the evolutionary history of influenza virus and selection pressures that shape the virus genome.
The C2 “Parsicle” Screw
Authors: Kepler Christopher C. , Fang Taolin , Bronson Wesley H. , Russo Glenn S. , Schroeder Gregory D.
Published: August 2019

The instrumentation of C2 is technically challenging given the anatomic complexity of the upper cervical spine. Although the placement of C2 pedicle screws may be safer than transarticular screw placement, the inconsistent location of the transverse foramen and vertebral artery precludes placement of such screws in up to 26% of patients. In cases where vertebral artery anatomy prevents the safe placement of a pedicle screw, a pars screw is an excellent alternative. However, pars screws must stop short of the vertebral foramen, limiting the typical length of these screws to only 14–18 mm. The associated purchase and rigidity are compromised compared with the pedicle screw. A modified C2 fixation technique was developed by our group which we have named the C2 “parsicle” screw reflecting the hybrid nature of the screw incorporating aspects of pars and pedicle screw fixation.
Raymond Hide. 17 May 1929—6 September 2016
Authors: Read P. L.
Published: August 2019

Raymond Hide was a physicist who worked at the interfaces between fundamental hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), the geophysics of the Earth's interior, atmosphere and oceans and those of other planets. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, and spent the majority of his career at the Met Office and then the University of Oxford. In laboratory studies of sloping thermal convection carried out at Cambridge in the early 1950s he discovered various regimes of vacillation and other multiply-periodic intransitive flows as well as aperiodic flows, now recognized as a form of geostrophic turbulence. These findings influenced seminal mathematical studies of what came to be known as deterministic chaos, and provided a paradigm for interpreting large-scale flows in the atmospheres of the Earth and other planets. Related contributions include general theoretical results tested by crucial laboratory experiments on boundary layers, Taylor columns and detached shear layers. His contributions to MHD include the concepts of potential magnetic field and magnetic superhelicity. He also initiated research on the dynamo origin of the magnetic fields of Jupiter and other major planets and its implications for their internal structure and dynamics. His extensive research on fluctuations of the Earth's rotation led to new developments in areas as diverse as meteorology and climatology and studies of the structure and dynamics of the Earth's deep interior.
Donald Henry Northcote. 27 December 1921—7 January 2004
Authors: Crompton D. W. T.
Published: August 2019

Don Northcote became eminent in the field of plant biochemistry following his identification of the processes involved in the synthesis and deposition of polysaccharides that constitute the cell wall of plants. His researches spanned lower and higher plant species and he showed by the application of a variety of experimental techniques, including radioautography, electrophoresis, freeze etching and the novel use of electron microscopy, that much of the material of the cell wall is synthesized in cytoplasmic organelles before being transported to the developing wall in vesicles assembled from the membranes of the Golgi body. His findings inspired many colleagues to build on the foundation he laid for understanding the biochemistry of cell morphogenesis. Nearly his entire career was spent in fundamental research and teaching in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, from 1948 until his retirement in 1992. In addition, he was a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, from 1960 to 1976, and he served Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, as master from 1976 to 1992.
Proteomic method to extract, concentrate, digest and enrich peptides from fossils with coloured (humic) substances for mass spectrometry analyses
Authors: Schroeter Elena R. , Blackburn Kevin , Goshe Michael B. , Schweitzer Mary H.
Published: August 2019

Humic substances are breakdown products of decaying organic matter that co-extract with proteins from fossils. These substances are difficult to separate from proteins in solution and interfere with analyses of fossil proteomes. We introduce a method combining multiple recent advances in extraction protocols to both concentrate proteins from fossil specimens with high humic content and remove humics, producing clean samples easily analysed by mass spectrometry (MS). This method includes: (i) a non-demineralizing extraction buffer that eliminates protein loss during the demineralization step in routine methods; (ii) filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) of peptides, which concentrates and digests extracts in one filter, allowing the separation of large humics after digestion; (iii) centrifugal stage tipping, which further clarifies and concentrates samples in a uniform process performed simultaneously on multiple samples. We apply this method to a moa fossil (approx. 800–1000 years) dark with humic content, generating colourless samples and enabling the detection of more proteins with greater sequence coverage than previous MS analyses on this same specimen. This workflow allows analyses of low-abundance proteins in fossils containing humics and thus may widen the range of extinct organisms and regions of their proteomes we can explore with MS.
Bed separation backfill to reduce surface cracking due to mining under thick and hard conglomerate: a case study
Authors: Yin Dawei , Chen Shaojie , Li Bo , Guo Weijia
Published: August 2019

After coal mining, the surface above a goaf may experience the discontinuous deformation under some special geological and mining conditions, such as surface cracking, surface step subsidence and collapse pits. Discontinuous deformation seriously threatens the safety of surface buildings and infrastructures. In this paper, the mechanism of discontinuous surface deformation and surface cracking due to coal mining under thick and hard conglomerate in the Huafeng coal mine was studied using a simulation test on similar materials. Bed separation backfill was then proposed to control surface cracking and to protect the Luli bridge. Because of lithological differences between the conglomerate and relatively weak red strata (beneath the conglomerate), the bed separation occurred between them with the advancement of the working face. When the bed separation span exceeded its breaking span, the conglomerate fractured, causing surface cracking of the downhill area and seriously damaging the stability of the Luli bridge. Three drilling holes were arranged along the strikes of the 1412 and 1613 working faces and nearly 387 000 m
3
of backfill materials (water, fly ash and gangue powder) were injected into the bed separation space to reduce or prevent fracturing of the conglomerate. The compacted backfill body supported the conglomerate and reduced the subsidence of the basin and surface ‘rebound' deformation at the edge of the subsidence basin. Clay in the red strata expanded upon contact with water, and this further backfilled the bed separation zone and supported the conglomerate. The upper and lower structures and foundation of the bridge were reinforced using various methods. It was shown that bed separation backfill effectively controlled conglomerate movement and protected the bridge with a maximum subsidence of 251 mm. No obvious surface cracks were observed near the Luli bridge.
Salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of vitamin D3 in milk samples
Authors: Sazali Nur Hidayah , Alshishani Anas , Saad Bahruddin , Chew Ker Yin , Chong Moi Me , Miskam Mazidatulakmam
Published: August 2019

In this study, salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction (SALLE) as a simple and efficient extraction technique followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for the determination of vitamin D3 in milk samples. The sample treatment is based on the use of water-miscible acetonitrile as the extractant and acetonitrile phase separation under high-salt conditions. Under the optimum conditions, acetonitrile and ammonium sulfate were used as the extraction solvent and salting-out agent, respectively. The vitamin D3 extract was separated using Hypersil ODS (250x i.d 4.6 mm, 5 µm) HPLC column that was coupled with diode array detector. Vitamin D2 was used as internal standard (IS) to offset any variations in chromatographic conditions. The vitamin D3 and the IS were eluted in 18 min. Good linearity (
r
2
> 0.99) was obtained within the range of 25–600 ng g
−1
with the limit of detection of 15 ng g
−1
and limit of quantification of 25 ng g
−1
. The validated method was applied for the determination of vitamin D3 in milk samples. The recoveries for spiked samples were from 94.4 to 113.5%.
On the physical origin of linguistic laws and lognormality in speech
Authors: Torre Iván G. , Luque Bartolo , Lacasa Lucas , Kello Christopher T. , Hernández-Fernández Antoni
Published: August 2019

Physical manifestations of linguistic units include sources of variability due to factors of speech production which are by definition excluded from counts of linguistic symbols. In this work, we examine whether linguistic laws hold with respect to the physical manifestations of linguistic units in spoken English. The data we analyse come from a phonetically transcribed database of acoustic recordings of spontaneous speech known as the Buckeye Speech corpus. First, we verify with unprecedented accuracy that acoustically transcribed durations of linguistic units at several scales comply with a lognormal distribution, and we quantitatively justify this ‘lognormality law’ using a stochastic generative model. Second, we explore the four classical linguistic laws (Zipf’s Law, Herdan’s Law, Brevity Law and Menzerath–Altmann’s Law (MAL)) in oral communication, both in physical units and in symbolic units measured in the speech transcriptions, and find that the validity of these laws is typically stronger when using physical units than in their symbolic counterpart. Additional results include (i) coining a Herdan’s Law in physical units, (ii) a precise mathematical formulation of Brevity Law, which we show to be connected to optimal compression principles in information theory and allows to formulate and validate yet another law which we call the size-rank law or (iii) a mathematical derivation of MAL which also highlights an additional regime where the law is inverted. Altogether, these results support the hypothesis that statistical laws in language have a physical origin.
TPR is required for the nuclear export of mRNAs and lncRNAs from intronless and intron-poor genes
Authors: Lee Eliza S. , Wolf Eric J. , Smith Harrison W. , Emili Andrew , Palazzo Alexander F.
Published: August 2019

While splicing has been shown to enhance nuclear export, it has remained unclear whether mRNAs generated from intronless genes use specific machinery to promote their export. Here we investigate the role of the major nuclear pore basket protein, TPR, in regulating mRNA and lncRNA nuclear export in human cells. By sequencing mRNA from the nucleus and cytosol of control and TPR-depleted cells, we provide evidence that TPR is required for the nuclear export of mRNAs and lncRNAs that are generated from intronless and intron-poor genes, and we validate this with reporter constructs. Moreover, in TPR-depleted cells reporter mRNAs generated from intronless genes accumulate in nuclear speckles and are bound to Nxf1. These observations suggest that TPR acts downstream of Nxf1 recruitment, and may allow mRNAs to leave nuclear speckles and properly dock with the nuclear pore. In summary, our study provides one of the first examples of a factor that is required for the nuclear export of intronless and intron-poor mRNAs and lncRNAs.
Phototaxis of the dominant marine pico-eukaryoteMicromonas sp.: from population to single cell
Authors: Henshaw Richard , Jeanneret Raphaël , Polin Marco
Published: August 2019

Micromonas commoda(previouslyMicromonas pusilla, a unicellular photosynthetic picoeukaryote globally dominant in marine ecosystems, has previously been qualified as being strongly phototactic. To date, no detailed quantitative or qualitative description of this behaviour has been reported, nor have thorough studies of its motility been undertaken. This primary producer has only been qualitatively described as utilizing run-and-tumble motion, but such motility strategy is incompatible with its morphology comprising only one propelling flagellum. Moreover, it is still unclear as to howMicromonas sp.detects a light direction due to the lack of a dedicated eyespot; the organism is essentially blind. Here we first perform population-scale phototactic experiments to show that this organism actively responds to a wide range of light wavelengths and intensities. These population responses are well accounted for within a simple drift-diffusion framework. Based on single-cell tracking experiments, we then detail thoroughlyMicromonas sp.’s motility which resembles run-and-reverse styles of motion commonly observed in marine prokaryotes and that we namestop-run or reverse. The associated peculiar microscopic changes upon photo-stimulation are finally described and integrating those into jump-diffusion simulations appears to produce phototactic drifts that are quantitatively compatible with those obtained experimentally at the population level.
Wnt11/Fzd7 signaling compartmentalizes AKAP2/PKA to regulate L-type Ca2+channel
Authors: Csályi Kitti D. , Rharass Tareck , Schulz Maike , Phan Mai H.Q. , Wakula Paulina , Mhatre Ketaki N. , Plotnick David , Werdich Andreas A. , Zauber Henrik , Sury Matthias D. , Selbach Matthias , Heinzel Frank R. , Klußmann Enno , Panáková Daniela
Published: August 2019

Calcium influx through the voltage-gated L-type calcium channels (LTCC) mediates a wide range of physiological processes from contraction to secretion. Despite extensive research on regulation of LTCC conductance by PKA phosphorylation in response to β-adrenergic stimulation, the science remains incomplete. Here, we show that Wnt11, a non-canonical Wnt ligand, through its G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Fzd7 attenuates the LTCC conductance by preventing the proteolytic processing of its C terminus. This is mediated across species by protein kinase A (PKA), which is compartmentalized by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAP). Systematic analysis of all AKAP family members revealed AKAP2 anchoring of PKA is central to the Wnt11-dependent regulation of the channel. The identified Wnt11/AKAP2/PKA signalosome is required for heart development, controlling the intercellular electrical coupling in the developing zebrafish heart. Altogether, our data revealed Wnt11/Fzd7 signaling via AKAP2/PKA as a conserved alternative GPCR system regulating Ca2+homeostasis.
TENSCell: A 3D-Printed Device for High-Magnification Imaging of Stretch-Activated Cells Reveals Divergent Nuclear Behavior to Different Levels of Strain
Authors: Seelbinder Benjamin , Scott Adrienne K. , Nelson Isabel , Schneider Stephanie E. , Calahan Kristin , Neu Corey P.
Published: August 2019

Mechanical cues from the environment influence cell behavior. Mechanisms of cellular mechanosensation are unclear, partially due to a lack of methods that can reveal dynamic processes. Here, we present a new concept for a low-cost, 3D-printed TENSCell (TENSion in Cells) device, that enables high-magnification imaging of cells during stretch. Using this device, we observed that nuclei of mouse embryonic skin fibroblasts underwent rapid and divergent responses, characterized by nuclear area expansion during 5% strain, but nuclear area shrinkage during 20% strain. Only responses to low strain were dependent on calcium signaling, while actin inhibition abrogated all nuclear responses and increased nuclear strain transfer and DNA damage. Imaging of actin dynamics during stretch revealed similar divergent trends, with F-actin shifting away from (5% strain) or towards (20% strain) the nuclear periphery. Our findings emphasize the importance of simultaneous stimulation and data acquisition to capture rapid mechanosensitive processes and suggest that mechanical confinement of nuclei through actin may be a protective mechanism during high strain loads.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Cells can sense and respond to mechanical cues in their environment. These responses can be rapid, on the time scale of seconds, and new methods are required for their acquisition and study. We introduce a new concept for a 3D-printed cell-stretch device that allows for simultaneous high-resolution imaging, while also being low-cost and easy to assemble to enable broad applicability. Using this device, we further demonstrated to importance of simultaneous stimulation and data acquisition to elicit mechanosensitive cell behavior as we observed rapid changes in nuclear size and reorganization of actin filaments around the nuclear border in skin cells. Overall, our results suggest that the rapid reorganization of actin during high loads might protect the genome from strain-induced damage.
The Impact of the Prohibition of Non–Audit Services on the Profitability of Big-4-affiliated Audit Firms in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Md Jahidur , Phllis Mo Lai Lan , Mo Lam
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the prohibition of certain non-audit services by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Bangladesh on the profitability of the audit firms which are affiliated with Big-4 international audit firms. This paper is based on personal in-depth interviews with the Big-4-affiliated audit firms. A qualitative approach, in a way which is descriptive and illustrative, is adopted in this research. This research provides evidence for the fact that audit services are the most significant and stable source of income for an audit firm. Although respondents generally admit that non-audit services might be more profitable, they all agree that audit services are indeed the core operations of an audit firm. Findings in this paper reveal a contemporary picture of the auditing profession in Bangladesh and elucidate the impact that the implementation of Corporate Governance Order 2006 has on an audit firm's profitability. This research is the first in-depth study of the impact of the prohibition of non-audit services on the profitability of the Big-4-affiliated audit firms in Bangladesh. Financial reporting regulatory authorities in Bangladesh or other developing countries may find the findings in this paper useful.
Exploring The Arm's Length Transfer Pricing Strategy for Taxation Purpose: An Ethnographic Study in a Manufacturing Enterprise
Authors: Rahmiati Alfa , Sandi Resti
Published: August 2019

Practices of transfer pricing in among companies having “special relationship” (hubungan istimewa in Bahasa Indonesia, this study uses a term of ‘related party’) to others are very common nowadays. However, the complexity of transfer pricing strategy and practices in many companies made the use of individual level data become insufficient, therefore we conduct an ethnographic study to explore how taxpayer determines the reasonable transfer pricing based on five methods (i.e. Comparable uncontrolled Price/CUP, Resale Price/RPM, Cost Plus, Transactional Net Margin Method/TNMM and Profit Split Method/PSM).This research aims to execute a tax strategy based on those methods, which finally derive the amount of product price according to arm.s length transfer pricing rule. We collected the data through interviews, observation and literatures. They are based on several months of personal experience of field research in and around the manufacturing enterprise. The results showed that the tax expense could be reduced by using Cost Plus Method, but practically, the application of this method requires more in-depth analysis and a very reliable & comparative data so the company must spend a lot of cost and time to process it. The Transactional Net Profit Method is proved to be the best application for the enterprise to optimize tax expenses because the data used for the analysis were more accessible which saved time and costs.
The adaptation of business process management maturity models to the context of the knowledge economy
Authors: Szelagowski Marek , Berniak-Woźny Justyna
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the current business process management (BPM) maturity models meet the requirements of evaluating organizations in the knowledge economy (KE) which manage processes in a dynamic way.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a content analysis of the OMG (2008) Business Process Maturity Model and ten research papers on the practical application of business process management maturity models was conducted. The nature of the study is descriptive and based solely on information from secondary data sources.

Findings

The research results reveal that the current BPM maturity models do not correspond with the knowledge-based organizations and take into account knowledge-intensive (usually dynamic) processes in a very limited way. That is why the adaptation of the current BPM maturity models to the KE is needed.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the BPM theory and practice in two ways. First, it provides an enhanced insight into the requirements of the KE toward BPM and BPM maturity models by distinguishing between static and dynamic processes. Second, it formulates the recommendations on possible ways of adapting the current BPM maturity models to the requirements of the KE.
Supply chain coordination of biomass moulding fuel under random supply and cyclical demand
Authors: Li Xinning , Fan Kun , Wang Lu , Zhou Lang
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a contract to coordinate the biomass molding fuel supply chain consisting of a supplier with uncertain supply and a producer with cyclical demand as well as improve the profit of this supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the supply chain model was build and all the variables and assumptions are set. Stackelberg game model was used to analyze and solve the problem. Furthermore, the authors give numerical examples and result analysis on the basis of data coming from field study and online information about a real biomass fuel supply chain.

Findings

The wholesale price with shortage penalty contract the authors proposed can coordinate the supply chain. And as the dominator of the supply chain, the producer can realize the redistribution of profits within the supply chain by determine the contract parameters.

Research limitations/implications

This one-to-one supply chain is a basic of complex supply chain system. Multi-to-one, one-to-multi and multi-to-multi supply chain can be studied in the future.

Originality/value

The results obtained in this paper can be used as a reference for enterprises in biomass energy supply chain to make contracts and realize the long-term co-operations among supply chain members.
Generation of fashionable clothes using generative adversarial networks
Authors: Singh Montek , Bajpai Utkarsh , V. Vijayarajan , Prasath Surya
Published: August 2019

Purpose

There are various style options available when one buys clothes on online shopping websites, however the availability the new fashion trends or choices require further user interaction in generating fashionable clothes. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on generative adversarial networks (GANs) from the deep learning paradigm, here the authors suggest model system that will take the latest fashion trends and the clothes bought by users as input and generate new clothes. The new set of clothes will be based on trending fashion but at the same time will have attributes of clothes where were bought by the consumer earlier.

Findings

In the proposed machine learning based approach, the clothes generated by the system will personalized for different types of consumers. This will help the manufacturing companies to come up with the designs, which will directly target the customer.

Research limitations/implications

The biggest limitation of the collected data set is that the clothes in the two domains do not belong to a specific category. For instance the vintage clothes data set has coats, dresses, skirts, etc. These different types of clothes are not segregated. Also there is no restriction on the number of images of each type of cloth. There can many images of dresses and only a few for the coats. This can affect the end results. The aim of the paper was to find whether new and desirable clothes can be created from two different domains or not. Analyzing the impact of “the number of images for each class of cloth” is something which is aim to work in future.

Practical implications

The authors believe such personalized experience can increase the sales of fashion stores and here provide the feasibility of such a clothes generation system.

Originality/value

Applying GANs from the deep learning models for generating fashionable clothes.