Can Religion Overcome Violence? A mimetic perspective

¿Puede la religión superar la violencia? Una perspectiva miméticaMorris AntonysamyDepartamento de Estudios Cristianos, Universidad de M adras, ChennaiResumen: La íntima relación entre la religión y la violencia ha sido una cuestión perenne en el ámbito de la armonía social y la paz. Se han intentado muchos enfoques para explicar este enigmático vínculo. Sin embargo, este vínculo sigue siendo exploratorio y plantea siempre nuevos retos. Este artículo aborda esta relación desde el punto de vista de la teoría mimética de René Girard. Desde una perspectiva antropológica, la teoría mimética trata de explorar las raíces de la violencia en la evolución de las culturas. Nos lleva a la cuestión más profunda de cómo definimos y entendemos la religión. Desde una teorización universal, nos fijamos en el escenario indio, que ofrece bastantes perspectivas, así como ciertos desafíos. La historia de la India, al igual que la del mundo, gira en torno al tejido mimético del conflicto y la violencia. A la luz de esta discusión, el autor propone ciertos medios para superar los conflictos miméticos y la violencia. Finalmente, trata de abordar la cuestión de la divergencia entre religión y política.Can Religion Overcome Vio­lence? A Mimetic PerspectiveMorris AntonysamyD ept o f C hristian Studies,U n iv e r s ity o f M adras, ChennaiA bstract: The intimate relationship between religion and violence has been a perennial question in the realm of social harmony and peace. Many approaches have been attempted to explain this enig­matic link. However, this linkage is still exploratory and brings forth ever new challenges. This paper approaches this relationship from the viewpoint of mimetic theory of Rene Girard. From an an­thropological perspective, mimetic theory tries to explore the roots of violence in the evolution of cultures. It takes us to the deeper question of how we define and understand religion. From a univer­sal theorization we look at the Indian scenario which offers quite many insights as well as certain challenges. Indian history, just like the world history, revolves around the mimetic fabric of conflict and violence. In the light of this discussion, the author proposes certain means of overcoming mimetic conflicts and violence. Eventually it tries to address the question of divergence between religion and politics.post-print24 p

Biopsychosocial Facets of Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Pondicherry: A Preliminary Study

Background: Physical and mental health are interrelated and influenced by various factors. Infertility is a physical condition that impacts the mental health of individuals experiencing it. It is a well-established fact that all over the world millions of couples are affected by infertility. In India many couples are infertile. Discovering that one is infertile is more than just another stressful event in one’s life. Being confronted by failure and helplessness, one feels increasingly anxious and immobilized. Aim: To understand the psychosocial problems faced by women due to infertility. Methodology: A Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Women attending the clinic for treatment of infertility were the respondents. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to obtain the data. Results: Majority of the educated women married at a young age and sought treatment within five years of the marriage. They had menstrual problems and were referred by their families for treatment. Most of them had identified the problems and were into treatment. They were anxious, yet hopeful of success. They experienced problems of stigmatization in their own families and society and desired acceptance. Conclusion: This study highlighted the situation of couples facing infertility and the need for awareness of the condition of infertility. Support for couples by the multidisciplinary team inclusive of the Social Worker through the process of diagnosis and treatment, to maintain their health and mental health as they overcome the challenge of infertility is the need of the hour. Keywords: Infertility, psychosocial problems, stigm

Revelation of Nano Topology in Cech Rough Closure Spaces

The concept of Cech closure space was initiated and developed by E. Cech in 1966. Henceforth many more research scholars set their minds in this theory and developed it to a new height. Pawlak.Z derived and gave shape to Rough set theory in terms of approximation using equivalence relation known as indiscernibility relation. Further Lellis Thivagar enhanced rough set theory into a topology, called Nano Topology, which has at most five elements in it and he also extended this into multi granular nano topology. The purpose of this paper is to derive Nano topology in terms of Cech rough closure operators. In addition to this, we also establish the continuous functions on Cech rough closure space and its properties. From these, we evolve a Cech nano topological space that satisfies the topological axioms on infinite universe

Crack path selection at the interface of wrought and wire+arc additive manufactured Ti–6Al–4V

Crack propagation deviation tendency in specimens containing an interface between wrought alloy substrate and Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture (WAAM) built Ti–6Al–4V is investigated from the viewpoints of microstructure, residual stress and bi-material system. It is found that a crack initiated at the interface tends to grow into the substrate that has equiaxed microstructure and lower resistance to fatigue crack propagation. Experimental observations are interpreted by finite element modelling of the effects of residual stress and mechanical property mismatch between the WAAM and wrought alloy. Residual stresses retained in the compact tension specimens are evaluated based on measured residual stress in the initial WAAM built wall. Cracks perpendicular to the interface kept a straight path owing to the symmetrical residual stress distribution. In this case the tangential stress in bi-material model is also symmetric and has the maximum value at the initial crack plane. In contrast, cracks parallel to the interface are inclined to grow towards the substrate due to the mode II (or sliding mode) stress intensity factor caused by the asymmetric residual stress field. Asymmetric tangential stress in the bi-material model also contributes to the observed crack deviation trend according to the maximum tangential stress criterion

Do additive manufactured parts deserve better?

Additive manufacturing of metallic components is regarded as one of the more exciting developments in engineering. The combined attractions of near net shape, tailored composition, and geometry optimisation have led to much interest in the various processes used and a drive to improve the mechanical properties to match those of wrought parts. In this paper, we reflect on the apparent lack of ambition in optimising the structural integrity of parts made using these new manufacturing processes. The current research focus seems to be either on largely irrelevant static properties, or on quantifying the fatigue response in a way that would be familiar to engineers in the 19th Century. Given the work on the role of microstructure and fatigue, which dates back to Ewing and Humphrey in 1903 reaching its zenith in the 1980s and 90s with Keith Miller in the vanguard, and recent developments in both imaging technologies and sophisticated numerical modelling, all the elements are in place for a much more rigorous, and ultimately more fruitful, approach to understand the structural integrity of additive manufactured components

Mediating Wor(l)ds: Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in English in Malaysia

This study investigates the implementation of ETeMS (English for the Teaching of Mathematics and Science) policy in Malaysia. Teachers, who learnt mathematics and were trained to teach mathematics in Bahasa Melayu, have had to teach mathematics in English since the implementation of ETeMS. This study observes two teachers and their teaching of mathematics in English to ten-year-old students. The study draws on sociocultural and sociolinguistic theories of classroom research which strongly advocate that education is a process of interaction. Both theories place importance on the joint construction of meaning through classroom interaction. The research mainly seeks to understand how teaching and learning is mediated in classrooms through the new medium of instruction. Adapting Erickson’s (1982) proposed constructs: academic and social participation structures, the study investigates the academic world and social world of linguistically altered mathematics classrooms. Sinclair and Coulthard’s (1975) discourse analysis tool has been adapted to study the teaching and learning of mathematics in English. Principles from conversation analysis and critical discourse analysis have been drawn upon to study the social world of linguistically altered classroom. Analysis of the classroom interaction showed that the academic world of linguistically altered classrooms is still heavily reliant on triadic dialogue. Despite that, teacher talk, through various discursive practices, was found to be an important mediating tool for mathematical content and mathematical English. Mathematical content and mathematical English were also shown to be jointly constructed through the use of several other mediating tools. The study revealed that there is more of an emphasis on teaching for testing than teaching for understanding, hence more attention to procedural fluency than to conceptual understanding, thus more emphasis on calculation discourse than on conceptual discourse. However, once the content and concept has been jointly constructed, students take some ownership of the classroom interaction. As well as the academic world, the study investigates how the new language of instruction mediates the social world of the classroom. The study found that the new medium (re)creates the social world of the classroom as teachers and students position and (re)position themselves and each other, and (re)establish their identities and sense of agency through the new language. From the insights gleaned from this study, the inter-relationship between ETeMS policy on paper and ETeMS policy in practice is explored. Some important implications for policy, practice and inter-disciplinarity in mathematics education and applied linguistics are discussed. The thesis concludes by proposing an adapted and extended model of mathematics education and directions for future research

Spectroscopic profile as pharmacognostic criteria to distinguish the medicinally important Plumbago Species

The root of the Plumbago species were examined phytochemically and their potentials are well studied. The spectrometric and chromatographic screening methods could provide the needed preliminary observations to select crude plant extracts with potentially useful properties for further chemical and pharmacological investigations. Objective: The present study was aimed to reveal the inter-specific similarity and variation among the selected Plumbago species viz., Plumbago zeylanica Linn, Plumbago auriculata Lam, Plumbago rosea Linn. using UV-VIS and FTIR profiles. Methods: To know the various phytoconstituents and functional groups and similarity and variation present in the Plumbago species aerial parts, the UV-VIS spectroscopic analysis and FTIR analysis was carried out using Shimazdu and Perkin Elmer spectrophotometer respectively. Result: The UV-VIS spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of various functional compounds and groups and similarity and variation in the aerial parts of studied Plumbago species. The FTIR analysis identified various functional groups like alcohols, phenols, alkanes, alkynes, alkyl halides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, aromatics, nitro compounds and amines presence in the crude powder of Plumbago species aerial parts. Conclusion: The results of the present study paved a way to predict and compare the phytoconstituents presence in all the three selected Plumbago species which can be used for further characterization. In addition it provides the pharmacognostical marker to distinguish the medicinally important Plumbago species using relatively simple, cost-effective spectroscopic profile