cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Communicating Mass Spectrometry Quality Information in mzQC with Python, R, and Java
Creators: name: Bielow, Chris
name: Hoffmann, Nils
name: Jimenez-Morales, David
name: Bossche, Tim Van Den
name: Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio
name: Tabb, David L.
name: Bittremieux, Wout
name: Walzer, Mathias
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Mass spectrometry
subject: Peptide identification
subject: Peptides and proteins
subject: Protein identification
subject: Software
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique for analyzing molecules in complex biological samples. However, inter- and intralaboratory variability and bias can affect the data due to various factors, including sample handling and preparation, instrument calibration and performance, and data acquisition and processing. To address this issue, the Quality Control (QC) working group of the Human Proteome Organization’s Proteomics Standards Initiative has established the standard mzQC file format for reporting and exchanging information relating to data quality. mzQC is based on the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format and provides a lightweight yet versatile file format that can be easily implemented in software. Here, we present open-source software libraries to process mzQC data in three programming languages: Python, using pymzqc; R, using rmzqc; and Java, using jmzqc. The libraries follow a common data model and provide shared functionalities, including the (de)serialization and validation of mzQC files. We demonstrate use of the software libraries in a workflow for extracting, analyzing, and visualizing QC metrics from different sources. Additionally, we show how these libraries can be integrated with each other, with existing software tools, and in automated workflows for the QC of mass spectrometry data. All software libraries are available as open source under the MS-Quality-Hub organization on GitHub (https://github.com/MS-Quality-Hub).
Use of Viscous medium to study anthelmintic drug action in Caenorhabditis elegans
Creators: name: Hellinga, Jacqueline R.
name: Krücken, Jürgen
name: Schulenburg, Hinrich
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Caenorhabditis elegans
subject: Anthelmintics
subject: Viscous medium
subject: Larval development
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: Caenorhabditis elegans is an appealing tool for experimental evolution and for working with antiparasitic drugs, from understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug action and resistance to uncover new drug targets. We present a new methodology for studying the impact of antiparasitic drugs in C. elegans. Viscous medium was initially designed for C. elegans maintenance during long-term evolution experiments. Viscous medium provides a less structured environment than the standard nematode growth media agar, yet the bacteria food source remains suspended. Further, the Viscous medium offers the worm population enough support to move freely, mate, and reproduce at a rate comparable to standard agar cultures. Here, the Viscous medium was adapted for use in antiparasitic research. We observed a similar sensitivity of C. elegans to anthelmintic drugs as in standard liquid media and statistical difference to the standard agar media through a larval development assay. Using Viscous medium in C. elegans studies will considerably improve antiparasitic resistance research, and this medium could be used in studies aimed at understanding long-term multigenerational drug activity.
title: Ideological factors in selected fields of policy-making in India.
Creators: name: Allen, Zoe
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: The thesis deals with the relationship between ideology and policy-making. The main concern is the development of agrarian policy in India since Independence, but this topic necessarily has roots and ramifications which extend much further, both backwards into time and laterally into other aspects of policy. The aim is also to consider how relevant are various sociological definitions of, and approaches to, ideology, for dealing with the problem of its relationship to policymaking. The question of whether ideology is to be defined as manifest doctrine, or as underlying and possibly implicit evaluative assumption, is as important as whether ideology is to be interpreted primarily in a psychological, social structural or functional 'systems' context. An application of some of these approaches to the successive stages of political debate in India shows that no one type of approach can by itself adequately account for the nature of prevailing ideology and its relationship to policy or potential policy. But the various approaches may be subdivided and combined to provide ideal-type characterisations of the way in which ideology plays an active role in political situations. It appears, however, that in such ideal-types the elements of a power - or structure - based interpretation of ideology tend to dominate. Finally, there is the problem of how the changing nature of 'official' ideology and policy in India, manifested in the swing from an advocacy of relatively socialist to relatively 'pragmatic' solutions, is to be described. There is a danger of constructing a false dichotomy between 'ideology' on the one hand and 'pragmatism' on the other. This can only be resolved by looking at the way in which the role of ideology has changed over time, and especially in the context of the rising and declining power of Congress and the Government.
Multi-Input data ASsembly for joint Analysis (MIASA): A framework for the joint analysis of disjoint sets of variables
Creators: name: Raharinirina, Nomenjanahary Alexia
name: Sunkara, Vikram
name: Kleist, Max Von
name: Fackeldey, Konstantin
name: Weber, Marcus
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Machine learning
subject: Gene regulation
subject: Normal distribution
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::510 Mathematik::510 Mathematik

description: The joint analysis of two datasets and that describe the same phenomena (e.g. the cellular state), but measure disjoint sets of variables (e.g. mRNA vs. protein levels) is currently challenging. Traditional methods typically analyze single interaction patterns such as variance or covariance. However, problem-tailored external knowledge may contain multiple different information about the interaction between the measured variables. We introduce MIASA, a holistic framework for the joint analysis of multiple different variables. It consists of assembling multiple different information such as similarity vs. association, expressed in terms of interaction-scores or distances, for subsequent clustering/classification. In addition, our framework includes a novel qualitative Euclidean embedding method (qEE-Transition) which enables using Euclidean-distance/vector-based clustering/classification methods on datasets that have a non-Euclidean-based interaction structure. As an alternative to conventional optimization-based multidimensional scaling methods which are prone to uncertainties, our qEE-Transition generates a new vector representation for each element of the dataset union in a common Euclidean space while strictly preserving the original ordering of the assembled interaction-distances. To demonstrate our work, we applied the framework to three types of simulated datasets: samples from families of distributions, samples from correlated random variables, and time-courses of statistical moments for three different types of stochastic two-gene interaction models. We then compared different clustering methods with vs. without the qEE-Transition. For all examples, we found that the qEE-Transition followed by Ward clustering had superior performance compared to non-agglomerative clustering methods but had a varied performance against ultrametric-based agglomerative methods. We also tested the qEE-Transition followed by supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods and found promising results, however, more work is needed for optimal parametrization of these methods. As a future perspective, our framework points to the importance of more developments and validation of distance-distribution models aiming to capture multiple-complex interactions between different variables.
title: The Rgvedic Brahmana and Sutra texts pertaining to Agnistomadiksa.
Creators: name: Dasgupta, Aparna
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: The Rgvedic Brahmanas and Srautasutras, important sources for the study of ancient Indian religious ideas, have received the attention of scholars as early as the beginning of last century. Since H. T. Colebrooke's mention of the contents of the AB in 1805, and H. H. Wilson's comparison of the subject-matter of the Rgvedic Samhita and Brahmanas in 1850, followed by R. Roth's observation of the connexion between the AB and the AS in his introduction to Nirukta in 1852, even before the publication of the text-editions and translations, the texts have been studied in considerable detail in articles, monographs, introductory essays of the editions and translations, and chapters of histories of literature. The interpretation of the texts, however, and the views1 expressed on the relative date of the Rgvedic Brahmanas and Srautasutras appear so greatly at variance that the relationship of the four texts remains a matter of great uncertainty. A detailed and thorough investigation of the internal evidence on the basis of a rigorous textual analysis seems necessary, in order to justify, reject, or modify any of the past results. In view of this, the present dissertation aims at presenting a critical analysis of the Agnistomadiksa section of the Rgvedic Brahmanas and Srautasutras. In a short introduction in chapter one I have outlined the consecration ceremony following the Baudhs with some mention of the modem works describing the ceremony in general, which, I hope, will help us to understand the exposition of the Rgvedic sources that are often laconic and even incoherent at places as to the description of the actual procedure of the rite; also an account is given of the editions and translations of the Rgvedic Brahmanas and Srautasutras, and of the opinions of scholars concerning the four Rgvedic texts. In chapter two I have sought to examine the meaning and etymology of the concept diksa on the basis of the material offered by the Rgvedic and other relevant texts with a discussion of past controversy on the subject. In chapter three, which gives a translation of the AS chapter (of which no translation appears to have been published) and a scarcely less requisite re-translation of the AB, KB, and SS passages, an attempt has been made to understand the arguments contained in the component sections, and to trace the large measure of underlying structural unity which may be shown to exist in the complete corpus of the texts (in accordance with the opinion expressed in another context by K. Hoffmann. The notes on the translation in chapter four are intended to clarify points of interpretation and to examine the composition of the text-portions. The discussion in chapter five as to the structural connexion of the four texts in order to determine their mutual relationship is based on the sections of the translation and the notes.
title: The social system of the Banyarwanda.
Creators: name: Van Der Meeren, Antoine
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: This thesis presents an analysis of the conflict which arose between two groups of people in Rwanda, before it achieved independence from colonial rule in 1962. I have set out to demonstrate that the conflict cannot be understood unless it is seen in relation to the traditional Rwanda social system and the impact of colonial influence on the traditional principles of social organisation. The analysis demonstrates why violent conflict erupted between two major groups of people at that particular moment rather than unifying them in a common attempt to reach independence. It further demonstrates why these two groups aligned themselves in ethnic terms. I have firstly made a functional analysis of traditional Rwanda society as it was operative at the moment it became subject to western colonial rule. Although Rwanda is essentially a social and political unit, I have developed the considerable intracultural and regional variations of an ecological, demographic, political, socio-economic and religious nature to be found within Rwanda. The analysis shows how these variations are reflected in the different social institutions of Rwanda society. The functional analysis demonstrates the existence of elements of competition and conflict in Rwanda society despite a highly complex but centralised political structure. However in the traditional system processes and mechanisms for containing conflict were provided through institutions making for cohesion in different ways. Secondly, I have made a diachronic analysis of the impact of new pressures, during the period of colonial rule, on the principles of social organisation, especially in the political and socio-economic fields. Lastly, I have analysed the ultimate conflict situation and correlated the form it took with the effect of these new pressures on the traditional system.
Rewiring of gene control upon acquisition of cancer drug resistance
Creators: name: Artemov, Pavel
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2024

description: Neoplasia as hypothesised by Dr Virchow is a disease of malfunctioning development, aberrant dif- ferentiation, evolved kinase activity and deregulated gene expression. Noncoding elements such as enhancers provide essential functions in establishing transcriptional gene control. Therapeutic inter- ventions have rarely been successful in treating cancer drug resistance, including non-genetic resistance to Bruton Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors in activated B cell diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Understanding how epigenetic mechanisms are deregulated or rewired to establish an adapted cellular state can be revealed through enhancer-gene regulatory network inference. This project focuses on gene control changes after adaptation to BTK inhibitors. The first part of my results focuses on the development of a method for improved assignment of enhancers to their target genes from high-resolution Capture Hi-C data. The second part focuses on the definition of BTK-response genes and enhancers in a model of healthy B cell activation. The third part capitalises on these results to study transcriptional, epigenetic and signalling changes between BTK inhibitor susceptible and resistant lymphoma cells. I show that the susceptible and resistant cells have distinct gene expression patterns even in the absence of ongoing BTKi treatment. However, the majority of BTK-response genes remain expressed in resistant cells even upon BTKi treatment. Non-coding elements and proteins involved in transcrip- tional regulation are deregulated upon acquisition of resistance. Transcription factor kinase network inference provides a narrowed scope of potential transcription factors and kinases whose activity could rewire the ABC-DLBCL cell model state. Gene regulatory network inference delineates key transcrip- tion factors that could be contributing to ‘stable’ gene regulatory state that drives resistance of cancer cells. Future work could be aimed at understanding key drivers of different regulatory states and at establishment of drug-resistant cancer metaplastic state over time and how it can be perturbed to develop novel therapeutic targets.
Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 17
Creators: name: Raab-Straube, Eckhard Von
name: Raus, Thomas
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: distribution
subject: Euro+Med PlantBase
subject: Europe
subject: Med-Checklist
subject: Mediterranean
subject: new combination
subject: new record
subject: taxonomy
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)

description: This is the seventeenth of a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to both the Med-Checklist and the Euro+Med (or Sisyphus) projects are presented. This instalment deals with the families Aizoaceae, Anacardiaceae, Asparagaceae, Bignoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Cannabaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Casuarinaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Crassulaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Gentianaceae, Gramineae, Iridaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Portulacaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Sapindaceae, Sapotaceae, Solanaceae, Typhaceae, Violaceae and Vitaceae. It includes new country and area records and taxonomic and distributional considerations for taxa in Acer, Ampelopsis, Argania, Blackstonia, Buglossoides, Carduus, Carex, Casuarina, Celtis, Chenopodium, Clematis, Eleusine, Elytrigia, Eucalyptus, Euphorbia, Euphrasia, Fraxinus, Galium, Hibiscus, Hieracium, Iris, Koelreuteria, Lathyrus, Loeflingia, Ludwigia, Malus, Melampyrum, Mesembryanthemum, Muscari, Orobanche, Oxalis, Papaver, Physalis, Podranea, Portulaca, Pseudodictamnus, Pulmonaria, Ranunculus, Schinus, Sedum, Stachys, Typha, Viola and Vitis, and a new combination in Pseudodictamnus.
Faecal egg count reduction tests and nemabiome analysis reveal high frequency of multi-resistant parasites on sheep farms in north-east Germany involving multiple strongyle parasite species
Creators: name: Krücken, Jürgen
name: Ehnert, Paula
name: Fiedler, Stefan
name: Horn, Fabian
name: Helm, Christina S.
name: Ramünke, Sabrina
name: Bartmann, Tanja
name: Kahl, Alexandra
name: Neubert, Ann
name: Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg Von
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: anthelmintic resistance
subject: sheep
subject: parasite species
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::630 Landwirtschaft::630 Landwirtschaft und verwandte Bereiche

description: Anthelmintic resistance in sheep parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes is widespread and a severe health and economic issue but prevalence of resistance and involved parasite species are unknown in Germany. Here, the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was performed on eight farms using fenbendazole, ivermectin and moxidectin and on four farms using only moxidectin. A questionnaire was used to obtain data on management practices to potentially identify risk factors for presence of resistance. All requirements of the recently revised WAAVP guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the FECRT were applied. Nematode species composition in pre- and post-treatment samples was analysed with the nemabiome approach. Using the eggCounts statistic package, resistance against fenbendazole, ivermectin and moxidectin was found on 7/8, 8/8 and 8/12 farms, respectively. No formal risk factor analysis was conducted since resistance was present on most farms. Comparison with the bayescount R package results revealed substantial agreement between methods (Cohen's κ = 0.774). In contrast, interpretation of data comparing revised and original WAAVP guidelines resulted in moderate agreement (Cohen's κ = 0.444). The FECR for moxidectin was significantly higher than for ivermectin and fenbendazole. Nemabiome data identified 4 to 12 species in pre-treatment samples and treatments caused a small but significant decrease in species diversity (inverse Simpson index). Non-metric multidimensional scaling and k-means clustering were used to identify common patterns in pre- and post-treatment samples. However, post-treatment samples were scattered among the pre-treatment samples. Resistant parasite species differed between farms. In conclusion, the revised FECRT guideline allows robust detection of anthelmintic resistance. Resistance was widespread and involved multiple parasite species. Resistance against both drug classes on the same farm was common. Further studies including additional drugs (levamisole, monepantel, closantel) should combine sensitive FECRTs with nemabiome data to comprehensively characterise the anthelmintic susceptibility status of sheep nematodes in Germany.
Electrolyte selection toward efficient photoelectrochemical glycerol oxidation on BiVO4
Creators: name: Kong, Heejung
name: Gupta, Siddharth
name: Perez-Torres, Andres F.
name: Höhn, Christian
name: Bogdanoff, Peter
name: Mayer, Matthew T.
name: Krol, Roel Van De
name: Favaro, Marco
name: Abdi, Fatwa F.
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Electrolyte selection
subject: efficient photoelectrochemical glycerol oxidation
subject: BiVO4
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften

description: Glycerol, a primary by-product of biodiesel production, can be oxidized into various value-added chemicals, significantly enhancing the techno-economic value of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Several studies have explored various photoelectrode materials and co-catalysts, but the influence of electrolytes on PEC glycerol oxidation has remained relatively unexplored despite its significance. Here, we explore the impact of various acidic (pH = 2) electrolytes, namely NaNO3, NaClO4, Na2SO4, K2SO4, and KPi, on PEC glycerol oxidation using nanoporous thin film BiVO4 as a model photoanode. Our experimental findings reveal that the choice of electrolyte anion and cation significantly affects the PEC performance (i.e., photocurrent, onset potential, stability, and selectivity towards value-added products) of BiVO4 for glycerol oxidation. To explain this interesting phenomenon, we correlate the observed performance trend with the ion specificity in the Hofmeister series as well as the buffering capacity of the electrolytes. Notably, NaNO3 is identified as the optimal electrolyte for PEC glycerol oxidation with BiVO4 when considering various factors such as stability and production rates for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) products, surpassing the previously favored Na2SO4. Glycolaldehyde emerges as the most dominant product with ∼50% selectivity in NaNO3. The general applicability of our findings is confirmed by similar observation in electrochemical (EC) GOR with a polycrystalline platinum anode. Overall, these results emphasize the critical role of electrolyte selection in enhancing the efficiency of EC/PEC glycerol oxidation.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon skin permeation efficiency in vitro is lower through human than pigskin and decreases with lipophilicity
Creators: name: Simon, Konstantin
name: Bartsch, Nastasia
name: Schneider, Lidia
name: Weijgert, Valerie Van De
name: Hutzler, Christoph
name: Luch, Andreas
name: Roloff, Alexander
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Skin migration
subject: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
subject: Stratum corneum
subject: Human skin
subject: Pigskin
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are persistent environmental pollutants, which occasionally appear as contaminants in consumer products. Upon dermal contact, transfer of PAH into the stratum corneum (s.c.) and migration through the skin may occur, resulting in this class of highly toxic compounds to become bioavailable. In this study, dermal penetration through human and porcine skin of 24 PAH, comprising broad molar mass (M: 152–302 g/mol) and octanol-water partition coefficient (logP: 3.9–7.3) ranges, was evaluated via Franz diffusion cell in vitro assays. More lipophilic and potentially more toxic PAH had decreased permeation rates through the rather lipophilic s.c. into the more hydrophilic viable (epi-)dermis. Furthermore, human skin was less permeable than pigskin, a commonly used surrogate in skin penetration studies. In particular, the s.c. of human skin retains a greater share of PAH, an effect that is more pronounced for smaller PAH. Additionally, we compared the skin permeation kinetics of different PAH in pigskin. While small PAH (M < 230 g/mol, logP < 6) permeate the skin quickly and are detected in the receptor fluid after 2 h, large PAH (M > 252 g/mol, logP ≥ 6) do not fully permeate the skin up to 48 h. This indicates that highly lipophilic PAH do not become bioavailable as readily as their smaller congeners when transferred to the skin surface. Our data suggest that pigskin could be used as a surrogate for worst case scenario estimates of dermal PAH permeation through human skin.
A resilient disaster recovery model for Puerto Rico: a qualitative case study
Creators: name: Sobhaninia, Saeideh
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: Environmental disruptions cause various damages to cities and communities. Many Puerto Ricans have endured catastrophes, suffered the loss of friends and family, resided in temporary shelters, and have been uncertain when they could return home. Thus, this study aims to understand the factors that help Puerto Rican communities better respond to and recover from shocks. Through a multiple-case-study design, the study analyses four Puerto Rican communities to identify the indicators that most significantly contribute to resilient disaster recovery. Data is collected via in-person interviews and analysed via qualitative inductive coding. The study results emphasise the role of internal – social cohesion, community engagement, and local leadership – and external factors – political vulnerability, available resources, social participation in preparation planning, and sustainable development – in resilient disaster recovery. This research deepens our comprehension of the critical factors that shape resilient disaster recovery efforts within Puerto Rican communities. It also aids communities in enhancing their preparedness, coping mechanisms, and adaptation strategies and offers guidance for urban planners and policymakers to concentrate on the internal and external factors that bolster the adaptive capabilities and resilience of communities in Puerto Rico. This research proposes a conceptual framework for resilient disaster recovery in Puerto Rico.Details of the framework are discussed across two categories: internal and external resourcesThe internal resources are social cohesion, community engagement, and local leadershipThe external resources are political vulnerability, available resources, and social participation This research proposes a conceptual framework for resilient disaster recovery in Puerto Rico. Details of the framework are discussed across two categories: internal and external resources The internal resources are social cohesion, community engagement, and local leadership The external resources are political vulnerability, available resources, and social participation
title: The Bengali press and literary writing, 1818-1831.
Creators: name: Kamal, Abu H.M.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: This thesis is intended as a study of Bengali literary writing during the period 1818 to 1831, and as part of that study it notes and assesses the contribution made to literary writing by the printing press and the newspaper. It also takes account of the relationship between the literature inherited from the pre-1800 period and that which was developing as a result of the impact of western standards and ways of life on Calcutta society. The period under review was one of transition and an attempt has been made to strike the balance between innovation and tradition. The first two chapters, which are introductory, survey the history of printing in Bengal and the growth of an indigenous Bengali press. Included also is a short historical review of the first origins and early development of the newspaper. In chapters III to VI the principal form of literary writing at the time, namely prose satire, is studied as a literary genre and as a reflection of the condition of Calcutta society. As most of the works examined in these chapters are generally ascribed to Bhabanicaran Bandyopadhyay, it has been necessary to look at his life, his place in society and his religious and social controversies with Rammohan Ray. Chapters VII and VIII are devoted to a more detailed analysis of the literary works themselves, first, from the point of view of metre, and, secondly, from the point of view of Bhabanicaran's technique as a satirist and his success in handling satire. The final chapter (IX) is a conclusion. It draws together the various evaluations which have been made of literary compositions, both prose and verse, it looks at contemporary taste and attempts to set the works produced, and in particular those of Bhabanicaran, in a fuller social, cultural and literary context.
title: Hinduism in a Kangra village.
Creators: name: Sharma, Ursula
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: In this thesis I set out to test the hypothesis that the separation of the pure from the impure is a theme which links all the various aspects of religious activity in village Hinduism, integrating them in spite of their apparent cultural diversity. In the first Chapter I describe some of the recent theoretical approaches to the analysis of Hinduism in anthropological literature, for instance the contributions of Srinivas, Marriott and Mathur. Most of these emphasize the diversity of Hindu religious activities. But Dumont, and more recently Harper, have pointed to the unifying role of the purity-pollution principle which underlies all ritual activity. In Chapter 2 I give a brief description of the village where I carried out field research, giving especial attention to the operation of rules concerning purity and pollution in social life. In Chapter 3 I describe the private religious activities of the villagers. These consist of individual acts of worship addressed to members of a pantheon which includes deities of a local nature along with scriptural deities known all over India, I describe the villagers' conception of their relationships with these gods and the techniques of the ritual they use in order to influence them. In many ways these relationships reflect the relationships between members of different castes in human society. The concern for the separation of the pure from the impure which governs contact between castes also governs contacts between men and deities. Also the relationship between a household or personal deity and his devotee is analogous to that between a powerful jajman and his low caste client. Chapter 4 consists of a description of life cycle rites and other public rituals performed with the aid of a Brahman priest. Many of the public ritual acts conducted on such occasions are directed to the preservation of the pure deities from the threat of pollution arising from contact with their less pure devotees, or from other sources of pollution. In Chapter 5 the festival cycle observed in the village is described. In calendrical rites the concern for purity is shown through activities such as purificatory fasting and bathing, which are recurrent elements in the round of festivals. The last chapter consists of a general discussion of the purity-pollution principle. Not only does this principle give unity to the diverse aspects of religious activity but it also provides continuity between Hindu religion and Hindu social life in general: the hierarchical relations between, men and deities are only an extension of the hierarchical relationships between men themselves, and between men and the other things and creatures in the universe.
title: A study of Thai society: A critique of the "loose structure" concept and an alternative model suggested.
Creators: name: Burr, Angela M.R.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: The 'loose structure' concept was originated by Embree in his article 'Thailand: a loosely structured social system' in 1950. The aim of this thesis is a critique of this article as it relates to Thai society and the school of thought that has grown up around it. Firstly, in order that the reader may familiarise himself with what Embree actually said, and does not have to rely on a possible misinterpretation by the author, Embree's original article, in which he evolved the loose structure concept, has been inserted at the beginning so that Embree may be allowed to speak for himself. Then, after a few of the major methodological issues are discussed in tie introduction, a critique of Embree's article and the major ideas of the loose structure school of thought will be attempted. Finally, an alternative model for the future study of Thai society is suggested. However, before commencing, it must be pointed out that when this thesis was near completion Yale University published a collection of papers entitled 'Loosely Structured Social Systems: Thailand in Comparative perspective' which is a detailed discussion of this particular concept. Obviously such a book is very relevant to this and involves a virtually definitive study of the loose structure concept. Thus many of the points made by the authors of the book overlap with the points made in this thesis. Where this has occurred' it has been noted, and where the Yale Symposium has introduced fresh points, they have, where possible, been included in the discussion. But it must be born in mind that the thesis was in an advanced stage when the Yale articles were published. It has not always therefore -been possible to deal with all the fresh points introduced by the Yale thesis adequately for at this late stage it has been impossible to restructure the thesis in a manner necessary to do so.
title: Surprises in theoretical Casimir physics : quantum forces in inhomogeneous media
Creators: name: Simpson, William M. R.
Publisher: name: University of St Andrews
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/02wn5qz54
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2014

description: This thesis considers the problem of determining Casimir-Lifshitz forces in inhomogeneous media. The ground-state energy of the electromagnetic field in a piston-geometry is discussed. When the cavity is empty, the Casimir pressure on the piston is finite and independent of the small-scale physics of the media that compose the mirrors. However, it is demonstrated that, when the cavity is filled with an inhomogeneous dielectric medium, the Casimir energy is cut-off dependent. The local behavior of the stress tensor commonly used in calculations of Casimir forces is also determined. It is shown that the usual expression for the stress tensor is not finite anywhere within such a medium, whatever the temporal dispersion or index profile, and that this divergence is unlikely to be removed by modifying the regularisation. These findings suggest that the value of the Casimir pressure may be inextricably dependent on the detailed behavior of the mirror and the medium at large wave vectors. This thesis also examines two exceptions to this rule: first, the case of an idealised metamaterial is considered which, when introduced into a cavity, reduces the magnitude of the Casimir force. It is shown that, although the medium is inhomogeneous, it does not contribute additional scattering events but simply modifies the effective length of the cavity, so the predicted force is finite and can be stated exactly. Secondly, a geometric argument is presented for determining a Casimir stress in a spherical mirror filled with the inhomogeneous medium of Maxwell’s fish-eye. This solution questions the idea that the Casimir force of a spherical mirror is repulsive, but prompts additional questions concerning regularisation and the role of non-local effects in determining Casimir forces.
Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bands in a self-assembled kagome lattice of magnetic molecules
Creators: name: Farinacci, Laëtitia
name: Reecht, Gaël
name: Oppen, Felix Von
name: Franke, Katharina J.
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Nanoscale materials
subject: Surfaces, interfaces and thin films
subject: Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bands
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::530 Physik::530 Physik

description: Kagome lattices constitute versatile platforms for studying paradigmatic correlated phases. While molecular self-assembly of kagome structures on metallic substrates is promising, it is challenging to realize pristine kagome properties because of hybridization with the bulk degrees of freedom and modified electron-electron interactions. We suggest that a superconducting substrate offers an compelling platform for realizing a magnetic kagome lattice. Exchange coupling induces kagome-derived bands at the interface, which are protected from the bulk by the superconducting energy gap. We realize a magnetic kagome lattice on a superconductor by depositing Fe-porphin-chloride molecules on Pb(111) and using temperature-activated de-chlorination and self-assembly. This allows us to control the formation of smaller kagome precursors and long-range ordered kagome islands. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at 1.6 K, we identify Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states inside the superconducting energy gap and track their hybridization from the precursors to larger islands, where the kagome lattice induces extended YSR bands. These YSR-derived kagome bands inside the superconducting energy gap allow for long-range coupling and induced pairing correlations, motivating further studies to resolve possible spin-liquid or Kondo-lattice-type behavior.
A taxonomic backbone for the Plumbaginaceae (Caryophyllales)
Creators: name: Malekmohammadi, Maryam
name: Koutroumpa, Konstantina
name: Crespo, Manuel B.
name: Domina, Gianniantonio
name: Korotkova, Nadja
name: Akhani, Hossein
name: Mering, Sabine Von
name: Borsch, Thomas
name: Berendsohn, Walter G.
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Caryophyllales
subject: EDIT Platform
subject: phylogenetic relationships
subject: Statice
subject: taxon concept
subject: World Flora Online
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)::580 Pflanzen (Botanik)

description: A taxonomic backbone of the Plumbaginaceae is presented and the current state of knowledge on phylogenetic relationships and taxon limits is reviewed as a basis for the accepted taxon concepts. In total, 4,476 scientific names and designations are treated of which 30 are not in the family Plumbaginaceae. The Plumbaginaceae are subdivided in three tribes with 26 genera and 1,179 accepted species. Two subgenera, 17 sections, two subsections and 187 infraspecific taxa are accepted. At the species and infraspecific level 2,782 synonyms were assigned to accepted taxa, whereas 194 names were excluded from the core checklist (i.e., unplaced taxa, infrageneric subdivisions with still uncertain application, names of verified uncertain application, invalid horticultural names, excluded names from other families, other excluded designations, and unresolved names). The EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy was utilized as the tool to compile and manage the names and further taxonomic data under explicit taxon concepts. Secundum references are given in case taxon concepts were taken from the literature, whereas this study serves as reference for newly circumscribed taxa. The family’s division into the tribes Aegialitideae, Limonieae, and Plumbagineae departs from earlier two-subfamily classifications, prompted by recent phylogenetic findings that challenge the subfamilial affinity of Aegialitis. The genus Acantholimon was extended to include Gladiolimon, as currently available phylogenetic and morphological data support this merger. In Limonium, all accepted species could be assigned to sections and subsections or the “Mediterranean lineage”, respectively, making use of the phylogenetic distribution of their morphological characters and states. A new combination and/or status is proposed for Dyerophytum socotranum, Limonium thymoides, Limonium × fraternum, Limonium × rossmaessleri, and Limonium sect. Jovibarba. Special attention is given to nomenclatural issues, particularly for Statice nomen ambiguum to resolve the names under accepted names. The use of artificial groupings like “aggregates”, “complexes” and “species groups” in alpha-taxonomic treatments is discussed. The taxonomic backbone will receive continued updates and through the Caryophyllales Taxonomic Expert Network, it contributes the treatment of the Plumbaginaceae for the World Flora Online.
title: Feud and stratification with special reference to the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Creators: name: Black-Michaud, Jacob
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: After a review of much of what has been written by sociologists and social anthropologists on the typological classification of different forms of violence, feud is provisionally defined, following Peters' work on the Bedouin of Cyrenaica, as a permanent relationship between social groups the changing character of which is expressed in terms of violence or the threatened exercize of violence. Peters' original definition of feud is then expanded to cover a much wider range of social interaction than he initially suggested. It is proposed that the word feud be taken to describe almost any kind of persistent relationship between individuals or groups in which it may be said that the principal motivation on both sides is fear of aggression. It is postulated that the prevalence in social interaction of fear over all other motivations is characteristic of a specific type of social structure which arises in response to a given set of historical and oecological circumstances. A general picture of the structure of such a 'feuding' society emerges from the discussion (in chapters II and III) of what actually happens in the course of individual feuds which, it is argued, despite frequent statements in the literature to the contrary, cannot be concluded and are in practice 'eternal'. In the fourth chapter, the postulate that the occurrence of feud is invariably coincident with a particular constellation of historical, oecological and structural factors is examined in greater depth. An attempt is made to construct a universally valid model of feud which is found to be in all points congruent with a minimal model of society. It is shown, with reference to feuding societies in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, that feud operates to create a form of social stratification - that is, to express changing patterns of dominance and subordination between individuals and groups - and that it may be regarded as a social system per se which evolves as a surrogate for more sophisticated political institutions where oecological conditions inhibit their development. Finally, the dual theme of feud as a relationship and a social system is again central to the last chapter, where it is manipulated in conjunction with a number of current ideas concerning the nature of ritual action to account for the ferocity of attitudes to women in many feuding societies and to provide a tentative explanation of certain details of feuding behaviour the significance of which would otherwise remain obscure.
title: The Iban language of Sarawak: A grammatical description.
Creators: name: Omar, Asmah H.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1969

description: This thesis is a grammatical study of Iban, an Austronesian language, spoken in Sarawak, Malaysia. It commences with an account of the background of the people and their language, the aim and scope of the thesis, the collection of data and the method of describing the grammar. Although the theme of the thesis is grammar, a chapter on phonology is included to justify the phonemic transcription of the examples given, and to elucidate certain statements on the morphological characteristics of Iban. Only a brief account of the various intonation types is given. The grammatical description begins in Chapter 3, which treats the morphology of the language. The bound morphemes, comprising prefixes and one suffix, are classified into verbal and nominal morphemes. Reduplication is a morphological characteristics of the verbals and the nominals. Chapter 4 classifies words into verbals, nominals and function words. These classes are divided into subclasses which can undergo further subclassification or cross-classification. Chapter 5 discusses the phrases: endocentric and exocentric, simple and complex. Complex phrases are formed by co-occurrence, embedding and conjoining. The latter two processes result in subordinative and co-ordinative complex phrases. All these phrases are classified into verbal, nominal and adverb phrases, which are then divided into types and subtypes. The simple and complex sentences acct discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. The simple sentences fall into four major types: declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclama-tive. The subordinative complex sentences, formed by embedding, are considered according to the classes their subordinate clauses enter: adjectival, nominal or adverbial. Like the co-ordinative complex phrases, the co-ordinative complex sentences are described in terms of their types of conjoining, by co-ordinating conjunctions or parataxis. Chapter 8 discusses the minor sentences of the con-textual type only. This type consists of ellipses of declarative and non-declarative sentences.
title: The development of Lubwa Mission, Chinsali, Zambia, 1904-1967.
Creators: name: Ipenburg, Arie N.
Publisher: name: SOAS University of London
Year: 1991

description: This dissertation examines the religious, social, political and economic impact of Lubwa Mission of the Livingstonia Mission of the (United Free) Church of Scotland, The Livingstonia Mission stressed the education of Africans in practical skills and in particular qualities which were consonant with the Calvinistic ethic. The provision of education was a major method of evangelization. Lubwa Mission used a different model of evangelization from the rival Roman-Catholic White Fathers' Mission. For Livingstonia salvation was through individual faith in Christ; for the White Fathers the Sacraments, especially baptism, led to salvation. Lubwa Mission used literacy and intellectual agreement with the contents of the catechism as criteria for admission to church membership. New members were incorporated into the structure of the Mission as teachers, evangelists, catechists, or paid employees of the Mission. The converts were initially mainly young men, exhibiting a westernized style of life (use of language, food habits, clothing, house building, hygiene, child-rearing, relationship with their spouses). The period following the First World War saw the rapid expansion of the Mission, stimulated by an increased rivalry with the White Fathers Mission in the area of education. It led to rifts between families and clans and within families. The basic unity of the village, based on the kinship structure, was broken. Existing rifts were strengthened. It was a small elite of teachers and evangelists which tried to implement the demands of the Gospel in their daily lives and that of their families. In the 1940s Lubwa missionaries came under criticism by young mission teachers, who established a Chinsali Branch of the Northern Rhodesia African National Congress at Lubwa. Lubwa 'graduates' opposed plans to amalgamate or federate the Rhodesias. They used the structures of the Chuxch to politicize the district. In 1955 Lubwa was confronted with a break-away movement, the Lumpa Church, led by Alice Lenshina. Lubwa tried to meet this challenge by trying to transform the heavily institutionalized church, with paid offices, into a movement based on voluntary work. The establishment of a strong women's organization, the KBBK, helped to achieve this goal by the late 1960s. By 1967 Lubwa Church had been fully Africanised. It had also relinquished its role in health care and education.