15 research outputs found
Resisting the resistible:re-writing myths of partition in the works of Ritwik Ghatak
No full textFor all of the individual, collective and national trauma caused by the Indian Partition, perhaps the most significant legacy has been the way the two new nations of India and Pakistan have written the (hi)stories of Partition to serve contemporary political needs. Both countries have a huge amount of investment in their versions of the past, and public dissemination of knowledge of the past amply demonstrates this. This article will examine the way Partition has featured in the work of Bengali cinema-director, author and playwright Ritwik Ghatak and the way Ghatak resists and rewrites in various ways this state-sanctioned version of his country's and his own past. The Bengal Partition provides the context within which all of Ghatak's work is situated. Interestingly, however, Ghatak never depicts the act of partition itself, choosing instead as his subject the streams of refugees who left what was then East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh, and came to Kolkata in West Bengal. Ghatak's most characteristic story, then, is the story of the educated, middle-to-upper-class East Bengali refugee, who has lost everything by having to move west. This story is the story of Ghatak's own family and the family of the thousands of others, including the present writer, and, as such, it is not surprising that it has become the predominant Bengali narrative of Partition. By focusing on Ghatak's oeuvre, then, this article will examine this narrative of partition, thereby showing how Ghatak uses it to resist the most pernicious, and also most permanent myth of the Indian Partition – that it was an act which led to two different, mutually exclusive, heterogeneous but unified nations
Topics in high dimensional statistical estimation and inference
No full textThis thesis deals with three problems. The first two of the problems are related in that they are concerned with estimation of correlation and precision matrix in spectral norm. These two problems are tackled in Chapters 2, 3. The third problem is the construction of chi-squared type test for groups of variables in high dimensional linear regression. In Chapter 2, we study concentration in spectral norm of nonparametric estimates of correlation matrices. We study two nonparametric estimates of correlation matrices in Gaussian copula models and prove that when both the number of variables and sample size are large, the spectral error of the nonparametric estimators is of no greater order than that of the latent sample covariance matrix, at least when compared with some of the sharpest known error bounds for the later. As an application, we establish the minimax optimal rate in the estimation of high-dimensional bandable correlation matrices via tapering off of these nonparametric estimators. An optimal convergence rate for sparse principal component analysis is also established. In Chapter 3, we study the sparse precision matrix estimation procedure in the same Gaussian copula model as in Chapter 2. We employ the scaled Lasso procedure for inversion of nonparametric correlation matrix estimates based on Kendall’s tau. We prove the optimal rate of convergence in estimation of sparse precision matrices under the weaker condition of bound on the spectral norm of the precision matrix. Chapter 4 deals with confidence regions and approximate chi-squared tests for variable groups in high-dimensional linear regression. We develop a scaled group Lasso for efficient chi-squared-based statistical inference of variable groups. We prove that the proposed methods capture the benefit of group sparsity under proper conditions, for statistical inference of the noise level and variable groups, large and small. Oracle inequalities are provided for the scaled group Lasso in prediction and several estimation losses, and for the group Lasso as well in a weighted mixed loss. Some simulation results are also provided in support of the theory.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Ritwik Mitr
Looking back in the rearview: Insights into Queensland’s rear-end crashes
No full textRear-end crashes cost the most out of any crash type to the Compulsory Third Party insurance scheme of Queensland. Rear-end crashes are also one of the most common types of crashes, peaking as the most common type of crash in Queensland in 2019. This study investigated the environmental, driver, and vehicle characteristics associated with rear-end collisions in Queensland, Australia. A totle of 367,230 crashes in the Queensland crash database between 2001 and 2021 were used to identify crash trends in Queensland, particularly related to rear-end crashes. For crashes between 2015 and 2021, additional information was gathered and allowed further analysis of factors contributing to rear-end crashes using the quasi-induced exposure method. Two binary classification tree models were used. Model 1 investigated the environmental characteristics that predicted a crash being a rear-end or not. Model 2 investigated the controller and vehicle characteristics that predict a rear-end crash-involved vehicle to be either the striking (at-fault) or struck (not-at-fault) vehicle. Model 1 indicated that rear-end crashes were overrepresented in urban areas and major cities and where speed limits exceeded 50 km/h. Model 2 indicated that occupants of struck vehicles (not at-fault) were more likely to be severely injured than the striking (at-fault) vehicles in rear-end crashes. License type and vehicle type also influenced the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes. Rear-end crashes can be unjust in that the not-at-fault party is typically more severely injured. Results from the current study suggest that keeping speed limits no higher than 50 km/h could help reduce the severity of rear-end crashes. Increased enforcement of safe following distances could also assist in preventing road trauma as a result of rear-end crashes.</p
Assessing coastal vulnerability at the village level using a robust framework, the example of Canacona in South Goa, India
No full textNigam, R., Luis, A. J., Gagnon, A. S., Vaz, E., Damásio, B., & Kotha, M. (2024). Assessing coastal vulnerability at the village level using a robust framework, the example of Canacona in South Goa, India. ISCIENCE, Article 109129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109129 --- The first author Mr. Ritwik Nigam, a Ph.D student acknowledges the financial support provided by the University Grant Commission (UGC), Govt. of India, New Delhi, to conduct this research. The authors also thank all the administrative authorities of their respective institutions for their support during field surveys. Bruno Damásio acknowledges the financial support provided by Fundac̨ão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT) under the project
UIDB/04152/2020 Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC).Climate change poses a significant threat to coastal regions worldwide. This study presents and applies a modified CVI to assess coastal vulnerability at the village level, focusing on Canacona, a taluka in South Goa, India. It adapts the existing CVI methodology by incorporating additional variables to represent the various dimensions of vulnerability better, resulting in 21 variables split into a Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) and a Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI). The results show spatial variability in coastal vulnerability across the studied villages, with Agonda and Nagercem-Chaudi found to be highly vulnerable and Loliem to be the least vulnerable. A hydrological modeling approach is also used to compare the CVI of every village with their susceptibility to inundation due to rising sea levels. The result demonstrates the influence of local factors on vulnerability, challenging previous taluka-level assessments given the typical scale upon which adaptation typically takes place.publishersversionpublishe
Measuring the viscous flow behaviour of molten metals under shear
No full textThis thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The flow behaviour of liquid metals (Sn, Pb and Sn-Pb eutectic) under different shearing conditions is investigated. Experiments were performed with two designs of concentric cylinder viscometers: rotating the inner cylinder (Searle) and rotating the outer cylinder (Couette). The latter technique is uncommon and the equipment was optimised with standard oils. The flow behaviour for the metals differs in the two systems. The curves of “apparent” viscosity versus shear rate may be divided into two regimes: I. At lower shear rates (<200 s-1): a reduction of “apparent” viscosity with shear was observed with both viscometers. It is suggested that the high density and high surface tension of the metals and eccentricity between the cylinders at low shear rates, leads to instabilities. Results at low shear rates were therefore discarded and further detailed analysis would be required for a fuller understanding of this behaviour. II. At higher shear rates: a steady, shear-independent behaviour of “apparent” viscosity with shear rate is observed in the Couette system (upto 600 s-1) whereas in the Searle system the “apparent” viscosity increases with shear rate (upto 2600 s-1). From hydrodynamic theory about Newtonian fluids, it is suggested that in the Searle type viscometer, the fluid is unstable and Taylor vortices are expected at low shear rates (~80 s-1). This gives rise to an increase in the “apparent” viscosity with shear rate. Whereas, in the Couette type, the flow is more stable, resulting in a steady “apparent” viscosity. This interpretation is consistent with liquid metals behaving as Newtonian fluids, but further research is required to confirm this. The author suggests further experiments, with the prime one being the investigation of the fluid with counter and co-rotation of the cylinders in order to observe more complex flows. The results are expected to have implications in the modelling of flow for liquid metal processes, especially the initiation of Taylor vortices under the unstable flow conditions produced by rotating the inner cylinder
Shared intention and shared awareness for conditional automated driving: An online, randomized video experiment
No full text
Is my AV crashing?:An online photo-based experiment assessing whether shared intended pathway can help AV drivers anticipate silent failures
No full textThe shared responsibility between conditional AVs drivers demands shared understanding. Thus, a shared intended pathway (SIP)-a graphical display of the AV's planned manoeuvres in a head-up display to help drivers anticipate silent failures is proposed. An online, randomised photo experiment was conducted with 394 drivers in Australia. The photos presented traffic scenarios where the SIP forecast either safe or unsafe manoeuvres (silent failures). Participants were required to respond by selecting whether driver intervention was necessary or not. Additionally, the effects of presented object recognition bounding boxes which indicated whether a road user was recognised or not were also tested in the experiment. The SIP led to correct intervention choices 87% of the time, and to calibrating self-reported trust, perceived ease of use and usefulness. The bounding boxes found no significant effects. Results suggest SIPs can assist in monitoring conditional automation. Future research in simulator studies is recommended. Practitioner summary: Conditional AV drivers are expected to take-over control during failures. However, drivers are not informed about the AV's planned manoeuvres. A visual display that presents the shared intended pathway is proposed to help drivers mitigate silent failures. This online photo experiment found the display helped anticipate failures with 87% accuracy. </p
One-stage Revision ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft results in satisfactory outcome
No full textObjectives: Revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is associated with poorer outcomes and higher rerupture rates when compared to primary ACL reconstruction. There is also a significant heterogeneity in surgical technique, number of stages, and graft options. We report a large single surgeon case series with hamstring autograft as a graft option. Methods: Observational series of revision ACL reconstructions performed by the senior author between 2005 and 2015 was carried out. Chart reviews and clinic follow-ups were performed with the following recorded – re-rupture rate, radiographic grading of osteoarthritis, KT-1000 arthrometer test, IKDC outcome scores and knee range of motion. All patients underwent single bundle four-strand hamstring autograft performed in one stage with use of new tunnels in majority of the cases. Results: 66 patients underwent hamstring autograft one-stage revision ACL reconstruction by Dr Jens Buelow. Chart review was carried out on all patients, and 26 (39%) were followed up in clinic and/or by phone with a mean follow up of 4.7 years. Outcomes included re-rupture rate of 4.5%, reoperation rate of 12%, mean visual analogue scale score of 7.6, mean side-to-side difference of 2.6 mm for KT-1000 arthrometer test, and mean IKDC score of 79. Of the 17 patients with radiographs, 40% had moderate osteoarthritis (grade 2 or 3) at follow-up. Conclusion: Revision ACL reconstruction can result in a satisfactory outcome when performed with a hamstring autograft in one stage. </jats:sec
