138,958 research outputs found
Ducetia rohinii Tiwari and Diwakar 2023, sp. n.
No full text<i>Ducetia rohinii</i> Tiwari and Diwakar sp. n. <p>(Fig. 4–5, Table 2)</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> <i>Holotype</i>: Male. <b>INDIA</b>, Goa, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, 2016, ~ 840 m a.s.l. Coll. Chandranshu Tiwari, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, 110007 (Delhi), India. <i>Paratype:</i> Goa, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, 2016, ~ 840 m a.s.l. Coll. Chandranshu Tiwari, 2020 (2 ♁).</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, South Goa, Goa, India.</p> <p> <b>Measurements (length in mm)</b>. Body 19.6 (2.3); tegmen 28.24 (2.07); pronotum 4.55 (0.49); pro-femur 7.17 (0.32); meso-femur 10.32 (0.82); post-femur 22.43 (1.22); pro-tibia 7.33 (1.28); meso-tibia 10.09 (0.7); post-tibia 24.66 (1.01); file 1.42 (0.10).</p> <p> <b>Distribution</b>. Crepescular. Found only in undisturbed bushes and, forest understorey. At present only known from the type locality but likely to be distributed in Western Ghats.</p> <p> <b>Seasonal Occurrence.</b> The species was recorded during the dry season following the monsoon.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> This species epithet is in recognition of Prof. Rohini Balakrishnan, who laid the foundation for Orthopteran bioacoustics in India.</p> <p> <b>Differential diagnosis</b>. The species is similar to <i>D. malayana</i> (Heller 2017) but differs in smaller body size and smaller subgenital lobes. <i>D. rohinii</i> exhibited a longer tegmina compared to <i>D. malayana</i> despite the smaller body. <i>D. rohinii</i> had a significantly denser stridulatory comb compared to <i>D. malayana.</i> The two species produced a similar call pattern, however <i>D. rohinii</i> lacked the isolated syllables produced by <i>D. malayana</i> (Heller <i>et al.</i> 2017; Tiwari and Diwakar 2023).</p> <p> <b>Description.</b></p> <p> <b>Male.</b> Medium size and slender bodied. <b>Head.</b> Fastigium verticis narrow conical, dorsally furrowed, apex subacute, separated from fastigium frontis by a rectangular step. Eye ovoid, slightly bulging. <b>Pronotum</b> with disc rounded into paranota, only apical area flat and shouldered. <b>Legs.</b> Anterior coxa with a small spine. Anterior femur slightly compressed. Geniculaer lobes of all legs bispinose. Tibial tympana open on both sides. Femora with following number of spines on ventral margins: profemur 5–6 internal, 8–9 external; mesofemur 1 internal, 10–11 external; posterior femur 8–9 external, no internal. Pro- and mesotibia with 2 and 4 apical spurs respectively and following number of spines: protibia 8–9 ventro-internal, 13–14 ventro-external, 5–6 dorso-internal, 8–9 dorso external; mesotibia 14–15 ventro-internal, 7–8 ventro-external, 7–8 dorso-internal, 7–8 dorso-external. Posterior tibia with 6 apical spurs, 25–27 ventro-internal, 22–23 ventro-external, 35–37 dorso-internal, 38 dorso-external. <b>Wings.</b> Tegmina surpassing hind knee; radius sector branching pectinately before middle of tegmina. Hind wings caudate. <b>Stridulatory file</b> with 138±2 teeth (n=3), which are large and spaced in basal half, gradually becoming narrower and denser towards the apex.</p> <p> <b>Male genitalia.</b> Subgenital plate for most of its length divided into two, little curved, parallel lobes provided along inner margins with numerous minute teeth. Distal lobes contiguous. Cerci long, slender, feebly directed upwards with interno-ventral ridge.</p> <p> <b>Female:</b> Unknown. Supposed to be similar to that of <i>D. malayana.</i></p> <p> <b>Coloration:</b> Green and brown color morphs. Males with a narrow brown medial band starting from head continuing to disc of pronotum and dorsal margin of tegmen. Tegmen with little conspicuous black dots in cells. Antennae pale brown, annulated. Pro- and mid femora brown; posterior femora green with dark dots on dorsal areas, anterior tibia tympanum yellowish brown. Tibial segment brown-black in green morphs and yellow in brown morphs respectively. Tegmen appears green when alive, but is hyaline with veins and veinlets brown. Stridulatory vein brown with brownish file, cerci darkened towards tip.</p> <p> <b>Depositories.</b> The specimen are deposited in the Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Delhi.</p>Published as part of <i>Tiwari, Chandranshu & Diwakar, Swati, 2023, Description of two new species of the Genus Ducetia Stål 1874 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from India, pp. 292-300 in Zootaxa 5296 (2)</i> on pages 297-299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.10, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7973032">http://zenodo.org/record/7973032</a>
Ducetia assamica Tiwari and Diwakar 2023, sp. n.
No full textDucetia assamica Tiwari and Diwakar sp. n. (Fig. 2–3, Table 2) Material examined. Holotype: Male. INDIA: Assam, Hollangapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Jorhat ~ 120 m a.s.l. 2015, Coll. Chandranshu Tiwari, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, 110007 (Delhi), India. Paratype: Assam, Hollangapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Jorhat ~ 120 m a.s.l., 2021 Coll. Chandranshu Tiwari (2 ♁). Type locality. Hollangapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Jorhat, Assam, India. Measurements (length in mm): Body 16.99 (1.34); tegmen 22.98 (0.69), pronotum 3.82 (0.57); pro-femur 6.55 (0.35); meso-femur 7.84 (0.46); post-femur 18.85 (0.57); pro-tibia 6.97 (0.58); meso-tibia 7.87 (1.03); post-tibia 20.67 (0.93); file 1.52 (0.13). Distribution. Crepescular - Nocturnal. Bushes and shrubs, fallow land, gardens on the forest edge. In addition to type locality, the new species was also recorded by the collector in ONGC colony, Cinnamara in Jorhat. The collector also heard the same call type in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. The species is likely to be distributed in North-East Himalayas. Seasonal occurrence: The species was observed perennially at the type locality. Etymology. The species is named after Assam where the species was first discovered and recorded from. The species epithet refer to the location of the type locality. Adjective following Ducetia in gender. Differential diagnosis. The new species is allied to Ducetia japonica (Thunberg, 1815) but differs in following characters: significantly smaller size, hind lobes of subgenital plate narrowing from the base towards the tip. The call pattern of D. assamica matches with the calling song of northern type D. japonica but differs in significantly longer call duration and composition of concluding trill segment (Heller et al. 2017; Tiwari and Diwakar 2023). Description: Male: Body small and slender. Head. Fastigium verticis narrow conical, dorsally furrowed, apex subacute, separated from fastigium frontis by a rectangular step. Eye ovoid, slightly bulging. Pronotum with disc rounded into paranota, only apical area flat and shouldered. Legs. Anterior coxa with a small spine. Anterior femur slightly compressed. Genicular lobes of all legs bispinose. Tibial tympana open on both sides. Femora with following number of spines on ventral margins: femur 6–7 external, 5–6 internal; mesofemur 10–12 external, no internal; postfemur 9–10 external, no internal. Pro- and mesotibiae each with 4 apical spurs and following number of spines: protibia 11–12 ventro-internal, 9–10 ventro external, 6–7 dorso-external, 5–6 dorso-interal; mesotibia 1–2 ventro-internal, 7–8 ventro-external, 6–7 dorso-internal, 4–5 dorso-external, posterior tibia with 6 apical spurs possessed 18–20 ventro-internal, 29–31 ventro-external, 33–34 dorso-internal and 30–32 dorso-external spines. Spines on ventral margins scarce near base, close towards apex. Wings. Tegmina surpassing hind knee; Radius sector branching pectinately before middle of tegmina. Hind wings caudate. Stridulatory file. with 121±3 teeth (n=3), which are large and spaced in basal half, gradually becoming narrower and denser towards the apex. Male. genitalia. Subgenital plate without apical teeth, divided from apex for almost half of its length, dorsad and covered on internal surface with small spinules with a medial furrow continuing to the base. Distal lobes contiguous. Cerci long, slender, feebly directed upwards with interno-ventral ridge. Female: Unknown. Supposed to be similar to that of D. japonica. Coloration: Green and brown color morphs. Males with a narrow brown medial band starting from head continuing to disc of pronotum and dorsal margin of tegmen. Tegmen with little conspicuous black dots in cells. Antennae pale brown, annulated. Pro- and mid femora brown; posterior femora green with dark dots on dorsal areas, anterior tibia tympanum yellowish brown. Tibial segments dark brown-black. Tegmen appears green/yellow when live, but is hyaline with veins and veinlets brown. Stridulatory vein brown with brownish-black file, cerci darkened towards tip. Depositories: The specimen are deposited in the Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Delhi.Published as part of Tiwari, Chandranshu & Diwakar, Swati, 2023, Description of two new species of the Genus Ducetia Stål 1874 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from India, pp. 292-300 in Zootaxa 5296 (2) on pages 294-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/797303
India's National Innovation System: Key elements and corporate perspectives
No full textIn recent years India has emerged as a major destination for corporate research and development (R&D), especially for multinational corporations. India's domestic institutions like Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) have set prestigious milestones of international standards. Not surprisingly, at Governmental levels a number of international cooperation agreements in the field of science and technology have been signed with India. After years of self-imposed seclusion, principally motivated by post-colonial India's insistence on the development of indigenous technology, India finally seems to have joined the global mainstream of innovation. India is in the process of emerging as a major R&D hub for both large and medium-sized multinational companies in various industries. This development is mainly owing to the availability of skilled labor produced in world-class elite institutions. Cost advantages, e.g. in the form of low wages are still present but receding due to substantial wage hikes often ranging between 15 and 25% per annum. The striking finding is however about market-driven factors. Of late, India's market potential, in the meantime ranked as 3rd largest worldwide by the Global Competitiveness Report 2007-08, has emerged as a crucial driver. Rising income levels of India's billion-plus population are creating unique market opportunities for firms, both domestic and foreign. In India the Government has historically played a major and in most cases a singularly positive role in the formation of its innovation system. India, ever since its independence from British rule, has invested much time, resources and efforts in creating a knowledge society and building institutions of research and higher institutions. Despite explosive population growth literacy rate in India grew from 18.3% in 1950-51 to 64.8% in 2001 thanks to concerted Government efforts; female literacy rose from a mere 8.9% to 53.7% in the same period. Moreover the quality of education in India is generally ranked as very good. According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2007-08 the quality of mathematics and science education in India is ranked as 11th best in the world, much ahead of 29th placed Japan, 36th placed Germany, 45th placed United States and 46th placed United Kingdom. Nevertheless, India is faced with major challenges related to infrastructure and bureaucratic hurdles. The quality of education, notwithstanding such excellent rankings as stated above, in many institutions does not reach the standards required for (cutting-edge) R&D efforts. Moreover, a booming economy is leading to shortage of qualified and experienced skilled labor - which result in inflationary wage growth and high attrition rates, which generally lay in a double-digit range. With the Government maintaining a pro-active role many of these problems may however be expected to get resolved to a manageable extent. In its Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) the Government has announced massive investments in infrastructure and education sectors to enhance both the quantity and the quality. Industrial firms in India have recognized their chances and are investing heavily in R&D capacities. India is also a beneficiary of global mobility and exchange of talents, technology and resources as much as the world, especially the developed Western countries, have profited from India's export of brain power. In sum all these developments raise hopes for a further improvement in the conditions of Indi's National Innovation System. --National Innovation System,India,Offshoring,Globalization,Research and Development
Mobile services in banking sector: The role of innovative business solutions in generating competitive advantage
No full textThe wide-ranging economic developments of the previous decade, e.g. the integration of world economies, have made a significant impact towards increasing the mobility of the working populace and their families. At the same time, technological developments especially in the field of telecommunication have made it possible to offer innovative, location sensitive services on ubiquitous basis to customers on the move. Our paper examines innovative mobile solutions in the field of mobile financial services (MFS) by using four case studies from Germany and Switzerland - representing two banks and two different technology solutions. The paper scrutinizes the strategic relevance of MFS to the competitive position of the firm concerned. Finally, we present five propositions about the role of innovative business solutions in the banking sectors and recommend that a large scale empirical study to test these propositions be conducted in the future. --Mobile Banking,Mobile Commerce,Mobile Financial Services,Multi-channel strategy,Innovation in banking sector
R&D internationalisation from and Indo-German perspective
No full textEven though internationalisation of research and development is not a completely new phenomenon with one of its early academic documentations tracing it back to the late 19th century (Dunning 1958), it was long considered to have been effectively centred in the triad of North America, Western Europe, and Japan (cf. Archibugi and Iammarino 1999, Carlsson 2006). R & D activities in the ëemerging economiesí of the developing world by global MNEs is a relatively recent trend, especially regarding the scope of the truly ëinnovativeí work conducted there (Tiwari and Herstatt 2012). Nevertheless, of late, there have been suggestions that the growing and largely unsaturated markets and increasing technological capabilities in some emerging economies are creating lead markets for affordability-driven ëfrugal innovationsí and acting as a ëpullí factor for FDI in R & D (Asakawa and Som 2008, Tiwari 2013). Even more recent, and still somewhat scattered, is the trend of MNEs from developing countries like India to indulge in outward FDI in the industrialised world for R & D purposes (Dachs and Pyka 2010, Sauvant et al. 2010). Not surprisingly, the issue of probable differences in the motives of the two sets of MNEs and the resultant implications of overseas R & D for the respective home countries require further research for a comprehensive understanding. For, the internationalisation of R & D may lead to a new division of labour in R & D within multinational companies, and different tasks may be shifted to locations abroad. This might, in some instances, have negative implications for the home country, but on the other hand may also help increase R & D activities in the home country; for example when the headquarter activities can benefit from a higher overall demand due to expansion into new markets
FIGURE 3. D in Description of two new species of the Genus Ducetia Stål 1874 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from India
No full textFIGURE 3. D. assamica sp. nov. (a) pronotum depicting Plectrum (P) and Mirror (M); (b) stridulatory file; (c) lateral view of cercus; (d) ventral view of subgenital plate; (e) scanning electron microscope image of stridulatory file.Published as part of Tiwari, Chandranshu & Diwakar, Swati, 2023, Description of two new species of the Genus Ducetia Stål 1874 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from India, pp. 292-300 in Zootaxa 5296 (2) on page 295, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/797303
Transcriptional control of epithelial to mesenchymal transition by regulatory factors and epigenetic mechanisms
No full textThe World Health Organization (WHO) states cancer to be a leading cause of death worldwide accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) and is projected rising to over 11 million in 2030. This is an alarming call to researchers for putting more effort into the analysis of the underlying patho-mechanisms. In a very simplified manner, cancer represents the destruction of healthy tissues and organs by uncontrolled cell proliferation and subsequent formation of a tumor. One key feature of solid tumors that marks the mostly deadly feature of the disease is the acquisition of the potential to invade into the surrounding tissue and form secondary tumors at distant sites, a process called ‘metastasis’. To gain migratory and invasive properties, cancer cells undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) where epithelial cells lose epithelial properties, e.g. their polarized organization and cell-cell junctions, and thus undergo changes in cytoskeleton organization and cell shape and acquire mesenchymal characteristics. Importantly, besides the formation of metastatic lesions, EMT is also involved during development as well as wound healing.
To gain insights into the complex process of EMT and to identify new potential markers for ongoing metastasis, we established different in vitro EMT model systems. Global expression profiling during TGF-β-induced EMT revealed genome-wide transcriptome reprogramming during EMT and identified Krupple-like factor 4 (Klf4) and the SRY-Related HMG-Box Gene4 (Sox4) as one of the key transcription factors that were modulated and may possibly contribute to transcriptional changes during EMT.
We investigated the role of Klf4 and Sox4 during EMT by employing two different in vitro systems of EMT, using normal murine mammary gland (NMuMG) and Polyoma middle T- breast cancer (Py2T) cells, which undergo a progressive EMT upon transforming growth factor (TGF-β) treatment. We further validated the role of Sox4 in breast cancer carcinogenesis in vivo by orthotropic injection of Sox4-depleted cells into the mammary fat pad of nude mice. In addition, we also investigated whether such TGF-β-induced EMT accompanies epigenetic reprogramming and revealed how Polycomb group (PcG) complex-mediated H3K27me3 modification modulates transcription of key genes underlying this process, thereby regulating EMT.
Klf4 is a zinc-finger protein, known to be abnormally expressed in various cancers. It can act as a tumor suppressor or as an oncogene in context dependent manner in different carcinomas. Klf4 is downregulated during TGF-β-induced EMT. Our data reveal a tumor suppressor role for Klf4 in breast carcinogenesis. Klf4 is essential for the maintenance of an epithelial phenotype during EMT, and forced expression of Klf4 leads to blockage of epithelial differentiation. Furthermore, Klf4 is inhibitory to EMT-driven cell migration and also behaves as a survival factor during TGF-β-induced EMT. Genome-wide location analysis by next generation ChIP-seq analysis revealed that Klf4 directly occupies the promoter of many key EMT genes such as N-cadherin, Vimentin, β-catenin and Mapk8. Moreover, one of these Klf4 targets, Mapk8, encoding Jnk1, is upregulated during EMT and a double-knockdown of Klf4 and Jnk1 is able to overcome Klf4 knockdown-induced EMT, migration and apoptosis. These observations underscore a role of Klf4 during EMT by targeting and regulating crucial EMT genes.
Sox4 is also known to be deregulated in many cancers. Sox4 is upregulated during TGF-β-induced EMT. We show that Sox4 is required for maintaining mesenchymal identity and depletion of Sox4 prevents TGF-β-induced EMT. Sox4 reduction further impairs the migratory capacity of cells. Moreover, Sox4 provides a survival advantage to cells during breast carcinogenesis. In addition, Sox4 contributes towards TGF-β-induced tumorigenicity and metastatic spread. Gene expression profiling after Sox4 depletion in complementation with Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed many key EMT genes such as Spred1, Edn1, Palld, Cyr61, Ereg, Areg and Yap1 which are directly targeted by Sox4 for transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, Sox4 also controls many genes which are shown to regulate various other features of EMT as well as cancer development such as angiogenesis, adhesion, migration, morphogenesis, cell cycle and cytoskeleton re-modeling. Ezh2, a catalytic subunit of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), has been also found to be transcriptionally regulated by Sox4. To delineate the role of Ezh2 during EMT, a loss of function approach has been used to demonstrate that Ezh2 is required for proper acquisition of EMT and EMT-driven processes such as migration and apoptosis. Taken together, our data provides a role of Sox4 during EMT via transcriptional regulation of key genes, including the Polycomb component, Ezh2.
We also studied the role of two prominent epigenetic modifications- DNA methylation and histone 3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3) during TGF-β-induced EMT in a mammary epithelial cell line. Our data revealed no evidence of a reprogramming of DNA methylation during this process. To assess the role of H3K27me3 during EMT, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation using H3K27me3-specific antibodies followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) on 6 different stages of EMT progression. This analysis revealed that many key EMT genes are regulated by H3K27me3 mark including Mcam, Pdgfrb and Itga5 which are repressed by this mark in epithelial cells and loose it during EMT as they get activated conversely, Cdh1, Ocln and Cdx2 gain this mark during EMT and get repressed in mesenchymal cells. We further illustrated that the coordinated activities of Ezh1 and Ezh2 are required for H3K27me3-mediated repression of the gene expression and their co-depletion de-represses target genes and blocks EMT. This study provides novel insights into the important regulatory role of the Polycomb machinery during EMT.
In summary, our findings demonstrate how transcription factors, such as Klf4 and Sox4 and the epigenetic machinery, such as PcG proteins, regulate EMT by directly contributing to the transcriptional reprogramming underlying this process
Barriers to innovation in SMEs: Can the internationalization of R&D mitigate their effects?
No full textTechnological advancements, especially in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have enhanced greatly the competition spurred by the globalization of the world economies. Even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are no more immune to the challenges that the globalization brings about. It is a remarkable, and in certain instances worrisome, situation since SMEs play a key-role in most economies, in that they constitute the largest business block and provide the bulk of employment. However, opportunities presented by the globalization and the entwined, simultaneous pressure to innovate opens for SMEs new arenas to engage in what we may call are global innovation activities so as to gain, retain, and further strengthen the competitive position. This pressure to go for global innovation is enhanced by given socio-demographic factors, e.g. shortage of skilled labour, in many industrialized countries. This paper presents the findings of a survey by the authors carried out in the Metropolitan Region of Hamburg in Germany to identify barriers to innovation in selected industries and to work out solutions. The project RIS-Hamburg was initiated by the State Ministry of Economic and Labour Affairs in Hamburg and co-financed by the European Union (EU). The findings of this survey are here matched against perceived opportunities and challenges presented by global innovation. --Innovation Management,Barriers to Innovation,Globalization of Innovation,Research and Development,SME, Globalization,Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME),Internationalization of R&D,Research &Development
The emergence of Indian multinationals: An empirical study of motives, status-quo and trends of Indian investments in Germany
No full textGermany has advanced to the position of a key destination for Indian multinational enterprises in their spirited pursuit of growth opportunities overseas. In 2008, Indian firms invested an estimated amount of US$ 1.8 billion in Germany while 16 acquisitions by Indian firms were monitored, up from 7 in 2007. In fact, Indian FDI stock in Germany seems to have surpassed German FDI stock in India. Our research shows that, as of October 2008, 123 Indian MNEs with 167 subsidiaries were active in Germany and had approx. 20,000 full-time employees on their pay-rolls. However, there has been hardly any independent, academic research, so far, on Indian investments in Germany, especially on the motives, experiences, and employment effects on the host and home economies. The present study, presumably the only empirical study of Indian firms overseas to date, provides unique insights into the motives, operations, experiences, and future plans of Indian firms. It shows that Indian firms have generally performed well and intend to further strengthen their operations, including in research & development activities, in Germany. Nonetheless, firms are also faced with several challenges, including but certainly not limited to cross-cultural issues, which need to be mastered. There are also sectoral differences in the motives, experiences, and location selection criteria of Indian MNEs. --Globalization,Multinational Enterprises,Foreign Direct Investments,Mergers & Acquisitions,India
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
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