1,723,289 research outputs found
Enhanced Fault Detection in Bearings Using Machine Learning and Raw Accelerometer Data: A Case Study Using the Case Western Reserve University Dataset
Get PDFThis study introduces a novel approach for fault classification in bearing components utilizing raw accelerometer data. By employing various neural network models, including deep learning architectures, we bypass the traditional preprocessing and feature-extraction stages, streamlining the classification process. Utilizing the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) bearing dataset, our methodology demonstrates remarkable accuracy, particularly in deep learning networks such as the three variant convolutional neural networks (CNNs), achieving above 98% accuracy across various loading levels, establishing a new benchmark in fault-detection efficiency. Notably, data exploration through principal component analysis (PCA) and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) provided valuable insights into feature relationships and patterns, aiding in effective fault detection. This research not only proves the efficacy of neural network classifiers in handling raw data but also opens avenues for more straightforward yet effective diagnostic methods in machinery health monitoring. These findings suggest significant potential for real-world applications, offering a faster yet reliable alternative to conventional fault-classification techniques
Oziotelphusa ravi Raj & Kumar & Ng 2017, new species
No full textOziotelphusa ravi, new species (Figs. 1–5, 6A, 7A, B, 8A, B, 9A, B) Material examined. Holotype: male (41.5 × 30.4 mm) (ZSI), in ditches and rice field near Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, 8°18’51.792”N, 77°25’20.111”E, coll. R. Ravineesh & R. S. Albert, 22 March 2017. Paratypes: 1 male (45.4 × 33.5 mm), 2 females (45.0 × 34.0 mm, 44.5 × 32.8 mm) (ZRC 2017.158), 2 females (54.3 × 42.8 mm, 49.6 × 35.7 mm) (DABFUK), same data as holotype. Comparative material. Oziotelphusa biloba Bahir & Yeo, 2005: holotype male (41.8 × 29.8 mm) (ZRC 2003.0246), Kodagara Village on Trissur-Chalakudy road, Kerala, India, 10°21’30.7"N, 076°08’45.0"E, 6 m, coll. 2005. Oziotelphusa kerala Bahir & Yeo, 2005: holotype male (38.3 × 27.8 mm) (ZRC 2003.0244), Kolaththuppuzha-Tenmalai Road, Kerala, India, 08°54’12.7”N, 077°32’7.2”E, 120 m, coll. 2005. Diagnosis. Carapace dorsal surface strongly convex (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A, B, 5A, 6A); cristate margins of median tooth of posterior margin of epistome fused distally, forming distinct bilobed tip in anterior view, more prominent in males (Fig. 3C, 7A, 8A, B); frontal margin straight in dorsal view; epibranchial tooth small, above lateral edge of postorbital crista, level with supraorbital margin (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A, B, 5A, 6A); postorbital region moderately narrow, concave (Figs. 1A, 3A, B, 5A, 6A, 7A); postorbital cristae entire, sharp, gently sinuous (Figs. 3B); branchial region highly inflated (Figs. 1A, 3A, B, 5A, 6A, 7A); frontal median triangle as broad as frontal margin, dorsal margin not fused with lateral margins (Figs. 3C, 7A). Suture between anterior thoracic sternites 2 and 3 visible as a deep, narrow groove barely reaching lateral margins; suture between sternites 3 and 4 distinct as a moderately broad, deep groove reaching lateral borders as barely discernible depression (Figs. 3D, 7B). Male pleon broadly triangular, somite 6 narrowly trapezoidal, slightly wider than long with concave lateral margins (Fig. 3D, E). G1 terminal segment ca. 0.3 × length of subterminal segment, sharply bent outwards at angle of about 45° (along longitudinal axis), conical, tapering gradually to truncate tip, proximal part of outer margin of subterminal segment with prominent deep concavity (Figs. 3G, 4A–E). G2 ca. 1.2 times length of G1, distal segment ca. 0.5 × length of basal segment (Fig. 4F, G). Description of male. Carapace broader than long; dorsal surface strongly convex (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A, B, 6A, 7A; frontal margin straight in dorsal view, frontal median triangle as broad as frontal margin, dorsal margin not fused with lateral margins (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A–C, 6A, 7A); suborbital regions rugose, glabrous; pterygostomial region smooth, glabrous (Fig. 3C, 7A); epigastric cristae distinct, slightly anterior of postorbital cristae; epigastric groove Y-shaped (Fig. 3B); cervical groove deep, narrow; H-shaped groove distinct; external orbital tooth prominent, broadly triangular, tip almost in line with frontal margin, clearly demarcated from epibranchial teeth by a V-shaped notch, outer margin concave, inner margin gently curved, joins supraorbital margin; epibranchial tooth distinct, small, blunt, above lateral edge of postorbital crista, level with supraorbital margin; anterolateral margin strongly convex, smooth (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A, B, 6A). Subhepatic region rugose (Fig. 3C, 7A). Postorbital region moderately narrow, concave; postorbital cristae entire, sharp, gently sinuous; anterior part of branchial regions distinctly inflated (Fig. 7B). Posterolateral margin gently concave, joins straight posterior carapace margin (Figs. 1A, 2E, F, 3A, B, 6A); orbits relatively rounded, infra- and supraorbital margins with short setae; eyes filling up most of orbital space; eye stalk moderately long, stout; cornea moderately large, pigmented (Figs. 3C, 7A). Supraorbital margin gently concave at edges (Figs. 3C, 7A). Suborbital margin concave, complete, lined with very low, rounded granules (Figs. 3C, 7A). Antennae long, reaching cornea of eyes; antennules long folded in narrow fossae (Figs. 3C, 7A). Posterior margin of epistome with median tooth, lateral cristate margins of tooth fused at tip to form distinct bilobed structure with distinct median notch when viewed frontally, bifurcation extending towards posterior surface of tooth as 2 cristae (Figs. 3C, 7A, 8A, B). Third maxillipeds covering most of buccal cavity when closed; ischium subrectangular, surface pitted, with distinct submedian oblique groove; merus subovate; exopod relatively slender, reaching lower third of merus, with distinct long flagellum reaching almost entire width of merus (Fig. 3F). Chelipeds asymmetrical (Figs. 1, 3A, H, I, 6A); dorsal, ventral and lateral margins of merus lined with low granules, appears weakly serrated. Outer surface of carpus rugose; inner distal angle with prominent sharp tooth (Figs. 1A, 3A, 6A). Major chela stouter than minor chela (Fig. 3I); cutting edges of both fingers with variously sized teeth, median tooth largest; fingers of minor chela similar to that of major chela but palm more slender, other teeth on cutting edges relatively smaller (Fig. 3H). Ambulatory legs slender; second pair longest, last pair shortest (Figs. 3A, 6A). Outer surface of merus slightly rugose, dorsal margin weakly serrated to entire without obvious subdistal spine; outer surface of carpus with submedian cristae on first to third legs, that on fourth leg almost smooth; lateral margins of dactylus with short, sharp chitinous spines (Figs. 3A, 6A). Suture between thoracic sternites 2 and 3 distinct, barely reaching lateral margins; suture between thoracic sternites 3 and 4 deep, lateral parts very shallow, barely discernible (Figs. 3D, G, 7B). Sutures between sternites 4/ 5, 5/6, 6/7 medially interrupted; suture between sternites 7/8 complete (Fig. 3D). Pleonal locking mechanism with prominent but low, anteriorly directed tubercle on submedian part of sternite 5 (Fig. 3D). Sternopleonal cavity deep, reaching imaginary line connecting submedian part of coxae of chelipeds (Figs. 3D, 7A). Pleon broadly T-shaped; somites 1, 2 broadly rectangular, reaching to bases of coxae of last ambulatory legs; somites 3–5 trapezoidal, lateral margins of somites 3–5 strongly convex, convex and gently concave, respectively; somite 6 narrowly trapezoidal, proximal part of outer margin wider than distal margin, lateral margins concave (Figs. 3D, E, 7A). G1 with terminal and subterminal segments clearly demarcated by distinct membranous suture; terminal segment ca. 0.3 times length of subterminal segment, sharply bent outwards at angle of about 45° (along longitudinal axis), conical, tapering gradually to truncate tip, distal surface with numerous very small squamiform spines; subterminal segment moderately stout, broad basally, gently tapering distally, proximal part of outer margin with prominent deep concavity (Figs. 3G, 4A–E). G2 ca. 1.2 × length of G1, with long distal segment, ca. 0.5 × length of basal segment (Fig. 4F, G). Females. The largest paratype female specimen (54.3 × 42.8 mm, DABFUK) resembles the holotype in most non-sexual characters. Its pleon is ovate, covering all the surfaces of the thoracic sternites (Fig. 5B). The vulvae on somite 6 are moderately large, ovate and positioned near the posterior margin of sternite 5 (Fig. 5C). Variation. The form of the median tooth on the posterior margin of the epistome varies slightly between sexes. In males, the cristate lateral margins fused at the tip to form a distinct bilobed structure with a clear median notch when viewed frontally (Fig. 8A), but in female specimens, the notch is relatively less distinct. Colour in life. In males, the dorsal carapace surface is brown with distinct patches of pale orange on the various regions; chelipeds and ambulatory legs light brown with ventral surfaces yellowish-white to white (Fig. 1). Females generally have a similar colour and pattern (Fig. 2C, E) although in one specimen (49.6 × 35.7 mm, DABFUK) the orange patches are almost undiscernible with the carapace appearing a more uniform pale brown (Fig. 2F). Distribution. The species is known only from type locality Keeriparai, near Nagercoil, in Tamil Nadu state, southern India (Fig. 10). Etymology. The species is named after our colleague R. Ravineesh who told us about the rice field crabs in his home village and arranged for family members to help collect material. The name is used as a noun in apposition. Remarks. Oziotelphusa ravi, new species, most closely resembles O. kerala and O. biloba in carapace morphology but can easily be distinguished by its male pleonal and G1 characters. The G1 terminal segment of O. ravi, new species, is relatively stout, cylindrical, gently tapered distally and is distinctly bent laterally outwards at an angle of about 45° along the longitudinal axis, like in O. kerala (Fig. 9F). In O. kerala, however, the G1 terminal segment is relatively longer (Fig. 9F; Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 39B–D); and the G1 subterminal segment is broad with the proximal part of the outer margin gently concave (Fig. 9F; Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 39 B, C), while in O. ravi, new species, the terminal segment is relatively shorter and the subterminal segment is proportionately broader and the proximal part of the outer margin is deeply concave (Figs. 5A, B, 9B). In addition, the male pleonal somite 6 of O. kerala is also proportionately longitudinally more slender than that of O. ravi, new species (Fig. 9E versus Figs. 3E, 9A). The form of the median tooth of the posterior epistomal margin is superficially similar in these two species but in O. kerala, the cristate lateral margins fuse seamlessly at the tip, not forming an bifurcated structure in frontal view, although the inner surface of the tooth does bifurcate (Fig. 8E, F). In O ravi, new species, the tip of the median tooth is distinctly bilobed even in frontal view (Fig. 8A, B). The structure of the median tooth of the posterior epistomal margin in O. biloba and O. ravi, new species, are similar (Fig. 8A–D), but the male pleonal somite 6 of O. biloba is proportionately very slender longitudinally, with the lateral margins prominently concave (Fig. 9C) whereas in O. ravi, new species, it is proportionately broader with less concave margins (Fig. 9A). The G1 structures of O. biloba and O. ravi, new species, are quite different, even though both possess a prominent concavity on the proximal part of the outer margin (Fig. 9B, D). In O. biloba, the G1 terminal segment is more sharply tapering and is prominently bent outwards at almost 90° (Fig. 9D; Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 30 C–H) (G1 terminal segment stouter and bent at only about 45° along the longitudinal axis in O. ravi, new species; Fig. 9B). Oziotelphusa aurantia (Herbst, 1799) and O. bouvieri (Rathbun, 1904) are the other species found in the state of Tamil Nadu and superficially resemble O. ravi, new species, in general carapace features; and both occur in the southeastern part of the state (Bahir & Yeo 2005). Oziotelphusa aurantia can easily be separated from O ravi, new species, in having the tip of the median triangle of the posterior epistomal margin not bilobed (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 9B) (versus tip distinctly bilobed; Fig. 8A); the male pleonal somite 6 is more trapezoidal in shape with barely concave lateral margins (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 9A) (versus male pleonal somite 6 narrowly trapezoidal with lateral margins concave; Figs. 3E, 7B); and the G1 subterminal segment is proportionately much stouter with a smaller concavity on the proximal part of the outer margin with the terminal segment less distinctly bent (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 9C–E, 10A, B) (versus G1 subterminal segment more slender, the proximal part of the outer margin has a prominent deep concavity and the terminal segment is strongly bent 45° along the longitudinal axis; Figs. 4A–E, 9B). Oziotelphusa bouvieri is easily distinguished from O. ravi, new species, in having the epibranchial tooth more prominent and sharper (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 17A) (versus epibranchial tooth low; Figs. 3A, B, 6A); the tip of the median triangle of the posterior epistomal margin is not bilobed (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 17B) (versus tip distinctly bilobed; Fig. 8A); the male pleonal somite 6 is proportionately broader (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 17C) (versus male pleonal somite 6 narrowly trapezoidal with lateral margins concave; Figs. 3E, 7B); and the G1 subterminal proportionately stouter, the proximal part of the outer margin is sinuous without a deep concavity and the terminal segment is relatively shorter and less distinctly bent (Bahir & Yeo 2005: fig. 16A–E) (versus G1 subterminal segment more slender, the proximal part of the outer margin has a prominent deep concavity, and the terminal segment is strongly bent at 45° along the longitudinal axis; Figs. 4A–E, 9B). Ecology. Oziotelphusa ravi, new species, lives in ditches and drainage channels in banana plantations, as well as ponds and rice fields in Tamil Nadu; where the water is slow flowing or stationary (Fig. 2A). The crabs dig relatively deep burrows just above the water level (Fig. 2B), coming out at night to forage on the vegetation in and around the water (Fig. 2C). Many of the adult females collected in the period of study were carrying juvenile crabs underneath their pleon (Fig. 2D). The species faces no immediate threats to its survival as its closely associated with rice fields and other manmade aquatic habitats.Published as part of Raj, Smrithy, Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju & Ng, Peter K. L., 2017, A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Oziotelphusa Müller, 1887 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India, pp. 225-236 in Zootaxa 4363 (2) on pages 226-234, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4363.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/109869
sj-docx-1-pie-10.1177_09544089231159777 - Supplemental material for Experimental investigation on the mechanical performance of the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and ZrO<sub>2</sub> added Al-Mg-Si alloy for structural applications
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-pie-10.1177_09544089231159777 for Experimental investigation on the mechanical performance of the Al2O3 and ZrO2 added Al-Mg-Si alloy for structural applications by Olusegun Adebayo Ogunsanya, Abayomi Adewale Akinwande, R Raj Mohan, Henry Talabi, M Saravana Kumar, M Vignesh and Abhijit Bhowmik in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering</p
Recent Advances in Management of Diabetic Macular Edema
No full text<p>Recent advances in management of diabetic macular edema: Koushik Tripathy, MD; Yog Raj Sharma, MS; Karthikeya R, MBBS; Rohan Chawla, FRCS; Varun Gogia, MD; Subodh Kumar Singh, MD; Pradeep Venkatesh, MD; Rajpal Vohra, MD</p>
<p>Current Diabetes Reviews, 2015, 11, 79-97</p
Limitations and future applications of quantum cryptography Advances in information security, privacy, and ethics (AISPE) book series./ Neeraj Kumar, Alka Agrawal, Brijesh K. Chaurasia, Raees Ahmad Khan.
No full text"Premier Reference Source"--Taken from front coverIncludes bibliographical references and index."This book is for security experts as well as for IoT developers to help them understand the concepts related to quantum cryptography and classical cryptography and providing a direction to security professionals and IoT solution developers toward using approaches of Quantum Cryptography as available computational power increases"--VLSI architecture of substitution box / Abhishek Kumar, Suman Tripathi -- Fundamentals of quantum computing, quantum supremacy and quantum machine learning / Kamaljit Lakhtaria, Vrunda Gadesha -- Quantum security for IoT to secure healthcare applications and it's data / Binod Kumar, Sheetal Prasad -- Data hiding in color image using steganography and cryptography to support message privacy / Sabyasachi Pramanik, Ramkrishna Ghosh, Sneh Kalra, Jayeeta Majumder, Digvijay Pandey, Souvik Pal -- Quantum computing : concept, applications and need of law for its enforcement / Neeraj Kumar, Alka Agrawal -- Quantum algorithms with applications to cryptography : quantum algorithms / Renata Wong, Amandeep Bhatia -- Implications on quantum cryptography : cryptography / Varsha Sahni, Neeraj Kumar, Sujatha Krishnamoorthy -- A contemporary study on quantum-computing security mechanisms in 5G networks / Rydhm Beri -- Define security and privacy using quantum internet / Nilay Mistry, Ankit Dholakiya, Jay Prajapati -- Quantum and visual crypto biometric based secured authentication system transactions, server and locker system in cloud / Nandini C., Jahnavi S. -- The role of quantum computing in software forensics & digital evidence : issues and challenges / Sandeep Sharma, Mazhar Khaliq -- Recent progress in quantum machine learning / Amandeep Bhatia, Renata Wong -- Advances of quantum machine learning / Bhanu Chander -- Image processing using quantum computing : a review / Bably Dolly, Deepa Raj -- Quantum cryptography for securing IoT based healthcare system / Anand Sharma -- Function optimization using IBM Q / Soumyajit Goswami.1 online resource (xxvii, 305 pages)
A Comprehensive Review of Remaining Useful Life Estimation Approaches for Rotating Machinery
Get PDFThis review paper comprehensively analyzes the prognosis of rotating machines (RMs), focusing on mechanical-flaw and remaining-useful-life (RUL) estimation in industrial and renewable energy applications. It introduces common mechanical faults in rotating machinery, their causes, and their potential impacts on RM performance and longevity, particularly in wind, wave, and tidal energy systems, where reliability is crucial. The study outlines the primary procedures for RUL estimation, including data acquisition, health indicator (HI) construction, failure threshold (FT) determination, RUL estimation approaches, and evaluation metrics, through a detailed review of published work from the past six years. A detailed investigation of HI design using mechanical-signal-based, model-based, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques is presented, emphasizing their relevance to condition monitoring and fault detection in offshore and hybrid renewable energy systems. The paper thoroughly explores the use of physics-based, data-driven, and hybrid models for prognosis. Additionally, the review delves into the application of advanced methods such as transfer learning and physics-informed neural networks for RUL estimation. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed in detail, providing a foundation for optimizing condition-monitoring strategies. Finally, the paper identifies open challenges in prognostics of RMs and concludes with critical suggestions for future research to enhance the reliability of these technologies
Figure 3 in Description of Elthusa aquabio sp. n. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae), a branchial fish parasitic isopod from Indian waters
No full textFigure 3. Elthusa aquabio sp. n. ovigerous female holotype (minimally dissected) (Reg. No. ZSI/WGRC/I. R./INV. 23886). A, antennula; B, antenna; C, mandible; D, maxilla; E, maxillula; F, maxilliped.Published as part of Aneesh, Panakkool Thamban, Helna, Ameri Kottarathil, Raj, Smrithy & Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju, 2023, Description of Elthusa aquabio sp. n. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae), a branchial fish parasitic isopod from Indian waters, pp. 1193-1205 in Journal of Natural History 57 (21-24) on page 1198, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2023.2242099, http://zenodo.org/record/827096
NMR based clinical metabolomics study revealed disturbed glucose-alanine metabolism in Gestational Diabetes
No full textBackground and Aim: Altered gluconeogenesis from alanine (i.e. glucose-alanine cycle) that increases the levels of
serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are linked to the development of type II diabetes (T2DM) [1,2]. A recent study also revealed that elevated serum ALT levels in early pregnancy are associated with the risk of subsequent development of gestational
diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia in late pregnancy [3]. So based on this, we hypothesized that the circulatory
alanine and alanine to glucose ratio (AGR) would be altered in GDM and may serve as an indicative biomarker to improve
the clinical diagnosis of GDM. Methods: The circulatory levels of alanine and glucose were estimated for 50 GDM patients and 49 age matched healthy female subjects using 800 MHz NMR spectroscopy. The NMR spectra were analyzed using NMR suite of commercial software (CHENOMX). The estimated circulatory levels of alanine and glucose were used to determine the circulatory
AGR levels as [Alanine in µM]/[Glucose in mM] and the values are reported as Mean ± SEM (SEM is standard error in mean).
Results: The present study aims to compare the serum metabolic profiles of alanine (Ala) and alanine to glucose ratio (AGR)
between age and sex matched GDM patients (N=50; pre term =32, post term=18) and healthy normal control (NC) female
subjects (N=49). The comparison revealed that the circulatory levels of alanine and AGR are significantly decreased in GDM
patients (Ala=397.5 ± 28.12| AGR=94.65 ± 9.06) compared to NC subjects (Ala =515.1 ± 24.03 | AGR=166.3 ± 7.577) (Figure 1A and 1B). The respective p-values for comparison of alanine and AGR found to be 0.002 (**) and <0.0001, ****). The disturbed glucose-alanine metabolic cycle in GDM patients was further corroborated through performing metabolic Pearson r correlation analysis between alanine and glucose (Figure 1C and 1D). For NC subjects, the circulatory metabolites alanine and glucose found to be strongly correlated (r=0.61, 95% CI=0.40 to 0.76; R square =0.37) with two-tailed p-value <0.0001 (see Table depicted in Figure 1E). Whereas for GDM subjects, the circulatory metabolites alanine and glucose found to be moderately correlated (r=0.45, 95% CI=0.19 to 0.64; R square =0.20, Fig. 1E) with two tailed p-value =0.002 suggesting that the glucose-alanine metabolic cycle is altered in GDM. Overall, the observed changes in circulatory metabolites and metabolic ratios clearly suggested that the gluconeogenesis from alanine is disturbed in GDM and this abnormal glucose-alanine metabolism is possibly associated with the development of disease and its progression.
References:
[1] N. Sattar, O. Scherbakova, I. Ford, D.S. O'Reilly, A. Stanley, E. Forrest, P.W. MacFarlane, C.J. Packard, S.M. Cobbe, J.
Shepherd, Elevated alanine aminotransferase predicts new-onset type 2 diabetes independently of classical risk
factors, metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein in the west of Scotland coronary prevention study, Diabetes 53
(2004) 2855-2860.
[2] N.H. Cho, H.C. Jang, S.H. Choi, H.R. Kim, H.K. Lee, J.C. Chan, S. Lim, Abnormal liver function test predicts type 2
diabetes: a community-based prospective study, Diabetes care 30 (2007) 2566-2568.
[3] S.M. Lee, J.S. Park, Y.J. Han, W. Kim, S.H. Bang, B.J. Kim, C.W. Park, M.Y. Kim, Elevated alanine aminotransferase in
early pregnancy and subsequent development of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, Journal of Korean Medical
Science 35 (2020)Compared to normal healthy female subjects, the decreased circulatory levels of alanine and alanine-to-glucose ratio (AGR) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients suggested that the disturbed glucose-alanine cycle (or gluconeogenesis from alanine) in GDM possibly underlies the development of gestational diabetes and its progression during pregnancy
Bollywood cinema: A critical genealogy
Get PDF"Bollywood" has finally made it to the Oxford English Dictionary. The 2005 edition defines it as: "a name for the Indian popular film industry, based in Bombay. Origin 1970s. Blend of Bombay and Hollywood." The incorporation of the word in the OED acknowledges the strength of a film industry which, with the coming of sound in 1931, has produced some 9,000 films. (This must not be confused with the output of Indian cinema generally, which would be four times more). What is less evident from the OED definition is the way in which the word has acquired its current meaning and has displaced its earlier descriptors (Bombay Cinema, Indian Popular Cinema, Hindi Cinema), functioning, perhaps even horrifyingly, as an "empty signifier" (Prasad) that may be variously used for a reading of popular Indian cinema. The triumph of the term (over the others) is nothing less than spectacular and indicates, furthermore, the growing global sweep of this cinema not just as cinema qua cinema but as cinema qua social effects and national cultural coding. Although Indian film producers in particular, and pockets of Indian spectators generally, continue to feel uneasy with it (the vernacular press came around to using "Bollywood" only reluctantly), its ascendancy has been such that Bombay Dreams (the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical) and the homegrown Merchants of Bollywood both become signifiers of a cultural logic which transcends cinema and is a global marker of Indian modernity. As the Melbourne (March 2006) closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games showed, Bollywood will be the cultural practice through which Indian national culture will be projected when the games are held in Delhi in 2010. International games (the Olympics, World Cup Soccer, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and so on) are often expressions of a nation's own emerging modernity. For India that modernity, in the realm of culture, is increasingly being interpellated by Bollywood
STRENGTHENING DECENTRALIZATION - Augmenting the Consolidated Fund of the states by th Thirteenth Finacnce Commission: A NORMATIVE APPROACH
Get PDFOne of the terms of reference of the Thirteenth Finance Commission (ThFC) calls upon the Finance Commission to look at ‘Measures needed to augment the consolidated fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats and Municipalities in the State on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State’. In view of this, the present study examines issues related to fiscal federalism at the third tier in general and grants to local bodies in particular. It is well documented in the literature that the state of finances of local bodies, both urban and rural, displays a dismal picture in India. In contrast, the finances of the Central and State Governments are on a healthier track with the implementation of the rule based fiscal framework. The study opines that there is a need to fine tune the micro design of grants for local bodies (both urban and local) and their devolution across the States.
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