English as an Asian Language

This paper outlines the dimensions of Asia's English, which constitutes a world of its own in linguistic, cultural, interactional, ideological, and political terms. The questions this paper raises are: What conditions must a transplanted colonial language satisfy to be accepted as part of the colonized's linguistic repertoire? Why not consider Asian Englishes as part of a local pluralistic linguistic heritage? Answers to these questions demand redefining the concept of «nativeness» and types of nativeness; this paper advances that proposal by describing the distinction between «genetic nativeness» and «functional nativeness». The remainder of the paper comprises the sections: Asian presence of English; domains of functions; the albatross of mythology; mythology and the Asian context; decolonizing context and text; canonicity, diversity and Asian English; English on Asian terms; and institutionalization of Asian Englishes. In concluding, the paper briefly considers the often repeated question: Where do we go with Asian Englishes?

Volume Stabilization and the Origin of the Inflaton Shift Symmetry in String Theory

The main problem of inflation in string theory is finding the models with a flat potential, consistent with stabilization of the volume of the compactified space. This can be achieved in the theories where the potential has (an approximate) shift symmetry in the inflaton direction. We will identify a class of models where the shift symmetry uniquely follows from the underlying mathematical structure of the theory. It is related to the symmetry properties of the corresponding coset space and the period matrix of special geometry, which shows how the gauge coupling depends on the volume and the position of the branes. In particular, for type IIB string theory on K3xT^2/Z with D3 or D7 moduli belonging to vector multiplets, the shift symmetry is a part of SO(2,2+n) symmetry of the coset space [SU(1,1)/ U(1)]x[SO(2,2+n)/(SO(2)x SO(2+n)]. The absence of a prepotential, specific for the stringy version of supergravity, plays a prominent role in this construction, which may provide a viable mechanism for the accelerated expansion and inflation in the early universe.Comment: 12 page

Modeling M-Theory Vacua via Gauged S-Duality

We construct a model of M-theory vacua using gauged S-duality and the Chan-Paton symmetries by introducing an infinite number of open string charges. In the Bechi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin formalism, the local description of the gauged S-duality on its moduli space of vacua is fully determined by one physical state condition on the vacua. We introduce the string probe of the spatial degrees of freedom and define the increment of the cosmic time. The dimensionality of space-time and the gauge group of the low energy effective theory originate in the symmetries (with or without their breakdown) in our model. This modeling leads to the derived category formulation of the quantum mechanical world including gravity and to the concept of a non-linear potential of gauged and affinized S-duality which specifies the morphism structure of this derived category.Comment: 31 pages, version reflecting the erratum. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1102.460

Anthropic reasoning in multiverse cosmology and string theory

Anthropic arguments in multiverse cosmology and string theory rely on the weak anthropic principle (WAP). We show that the principle, though ultimately a tautology, is nevertheless ambiguous. It can be reformulated in one of two unambiguous ways, which we refer to as WAP_1 and WAP_2. We show that WAP_2, the version most commonly used in anthropic reasoning, makes no physical predictions unless supplemented by a further assumption of "typicality", and we argue that this assumption is both misguided and unjustified. WAP_1, however, requires no such supplementation; it directly implies that any theory that assigns a non-zero probability to our universe predicts that we will observe our universe with probability one. We argue, therefore, that WAP_1 is preferable, and note that it has the benefit of avoiding the inductive overreach characteristic of much anthropic reasoning.Comment: 7 pages. Expanded discussion of selection effects and some minor clarifications, as publishe

Physiological studies on dormancy in grape seeds (Vitis vinifera) 1. On the naturally occurring growth substances in grape seeds and their changes during low temperature after ripening

In order to understand the hormonal factors affecting dormancy in grape seeds, studies were conducted on the endogenous auxins, inhibitcrs and gibberellin-like substances in the seeds stored moist at 5° C and at room temperature .The results show that moist after-ripening at 5° C resulted in an increase in the amount of growth promoting substances similar to auxins, in the extracts of chilled seeds. No correlation was observed between the content of inhibitor and dormancy in grape seeds. The extracts of neither chilled nor non-chilled seeds showed the presence of gibberellin-like substances when tested on D5 dwarf maize mutant plants.In the light of these findings, it is proposed that an increased synthesis of growth promoting substances during stratification may be one of the factors responsible for the termination of dormancy and resumption of germination of grape seeds

Physiological studies on dormancy in grape seeds (Vitis vinifera var. Black Muscat) II. On the effect of exogenous application of growth substances, low chilling temperature and subjection of the seeds to running water

In order to break the dormancy of grape seeds in the minimum possible time, a number of treatments, including stratification, growth substances and subjecting the seeds to running water, were used. It was observed that grape seeds kept in running water for 8 days germinated in the muslin cloth itself (34.00%). The maximum percentage of germination obtained was 73.00% when the seeds were kept in running water for 16 days. However, the seedling stand was best under the 12 day treatment (72.11 %). This was followed by GA3 treatment (2000 ppm) before stratification, whereby grape seeds germinated within 8 days of stratification and maximum germination percentage was 81.05 after one month. Third best result was obtained under stratification for one month and then a treatment with GA3. Further, grape seeds, when soaked in water for 96 hours, leached some water soluble inhibitor. This could antagonize the germination of GA3 treated grape seeds. When this leached water was bioassayed by the cress seed germination test, it showed the presence of inhibitor at R1 0.7 to 0.85. It appears that the water soluble inhibitor might be responsible for masking the effect of growth substances present in the seeds and thereby disturbing the metabolism of germination.Physiologische Untersuchungen zur Dormanz von Rebensamen (Vitis vinifera var. Black Muscat). II. Über den Einfluß äußerlich angewandter Wuchsstoffe, niedriger Temperaturen und des Auswaschens der Samen in fließendem WasserUm die Dormanz von Rebensamen in der kürzestmöglichen Zeit zu brechen, wurden sie stratifiziert, mit Wuchsstoffen behandelt und in fließendem Wasser ausgewaschen. Es wurde beobachtet, daß Rebensamen, die in einem Musselinsäckchen 8 Tage lang ausgewaschen wurden, schon in dem Säckchen keimten (34,00°/o). Der h öchste Keimungsprozentsatz (73,000/o) wurde erzielt, wenn die Samen 16 Tage lang mit fließendem Wasser behandelt wurden. Bei einer 12tägigen Behandlung (72, 11% gekeimter Samen) war die Standfestigkeit der Sämlinge jedoch am besten. Das zweitbeste Resultat wurde mit GS3-Behandlung (2000 ppm) vor der Stratifikation erzielt, wobei die Rebensamen nach 8tägiger Stratifikation keimten; der höchste Anteil gekeimter Samen betrug - nach 30tägiger Stratifikation - 81,05%. 1monatige Stratifikation mit an schließender GS3-Behandlung lieferte das drittbeste Ergebnis. Ferner gaben Rebensamen, die 96 Std. lang in Wasser gequollen waren , einen wasserlöslichen Inhibitor ab. Dieser konnte die Keimung GS3-behandelter Samen hemmen. Mit Hilfe des Kressewurzeltests ließ sich im Einweichwasser ein Hemmstoff mit ein em Rr von 0,70-0,85 nachweisen. Möglicherweise stört der wasserlösliche Inhibitor den Stoffwechsel der Keimung, so daß die Wirkung der Wuchsstoffe in den Samen verdeckt wird

A double-edged sword: the merits and the policy implications of Google Translate in higher education

Machine translation, specifically Google Translate is freely available on a number of devices, and is improving in its ability to provide grammatically accurate translations. This development has the potential to provoke a major transformation in the internationalisation process at universities, since students may be, in the future, able to use technology to circumvent traditional language learning processes. While this is a potentially empowering move that may facilitate academic exchange and the diversification of the learner and researcher community at an international level, it is also a potentially problematic issue in two main respects. Firstly, the technology is at present unable to align to the socio-linguistic aspects of university level writing and may be misunderstood as a remedy to lack of writer language proficiency – a role it is not able to fulfil. Secondly, it introduces a new dimension to the production of academic work that may clash with Higher Education policy and, thus, requires legislation, in particular in light issues such as plagiarism and academic misconduct. This paper considers these issues against the background of English as a Global Lingua Franca, and argues two points. First of these is that HEIs need to develop an understanding and code of practice for the use of this technology. Secondly, three strands of potential future research will be presente

Euclidean N=2 Supergravity

Euclidean special geometry has recently been investigated in the context of Euclidean supersymmetric theories with vector multiplets. In the rigid case, the scalar manifold is described by affine special para-Kahler geometry while the target geometries of Euclidean vector multiplets coupled to supergravity are given by projective special para-Kahler manifolds. In this letter, we derive the Killing spinor equations of Euclidean N=2 supergravity theories coupled to vector multiplets. These equations provide the starting point for finding general supersymmetric instanton solutions.Comment: 12 pages, latex. Minor sign corrections in section

Chiral Zeromodes on Vortex-type Intersecting Heterotic Five-branes

We solve the gaugino Dirac equation on a smeared intersecting five-brane solution in E_8\times E_8 heterotic string theory to search for localized chiral zeromodes on the intersection. The background is chosen to depend on the full two-dimensional overall transverse coordinates to the branes. Under some appropriate boundary conditions, we compute the complete spectrum of zeromodes to find that, among infinite towers of Fourier modes, there exist only three localized normalizable zeromodes, one of which has opposite chirality to the other two. This agrees with the result previously obtained in the domain-wall type solution, supporting the claim that there exists one net chiral zeromode localized on the heterotic five-brane system.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure