Japanese dichotomies and the individual identity in Haruki Murakami’s colourless Tsukuru Tazaki

Japanese indigenous terms such as uchi/soto (inside/outside) and omote/ura (front/back) are common dichotomies employed to understand the differences between expected behaviours associated with group dynamics such as promoting collective harmony rather than individual uniqueness. Haruki Murakami advocates that the Japanese need to move away from these dichotomies in order to embrace the true self and assert an individual voice. This dictum comes after he concluded his observations on the tragic 1995 sarin gas attacks in Japan and noted that individuals should be more assertive in forming their own voice rather than conforming to the collective voice. In his latest novel, Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage (2014), he presents a new narrative on individual negotiations with group consciousness. This article seeks to reveal the sense of individuality presented through the frame of the Japanese dichotomies and the psychological response of the main character, Tsukuru. The character will be analysed in relation to the group that he belongs to: in the context of the Japanese uchi (inside) or soto (outside) and within each context, representations of his omote (front) or ura (back) is examined. The findings expose that both uchi and soto are significant in developing individuality. More importantly, how the individual responds while in these contexts determines his ability to construct his identity. This reading suggests that Murakami fulfills his agenda by empowering the individual to explore various ways in being independent. The novel also indicates that the Japanese society is gradually manifesting a growing sense of individuality by departing from its codes of group consciousness

Green preparation of bract extract (Musa acuminate) doped magnesium oxide nanoparticles and their bioefficacy

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) synthesized by efficient green approach have unique physiochemical properties. In this study, MgONPs are synthesized with bract extract of Musa acuminate , an agro waste. The surface plasmon resonance at 450 nm in UV spectrum and FTIR peaks at 601 and 890 cm −1 confirmed the presence of MgONPs. XRD pattern revealed high crystallinity of the nanoparticles with an intense orientation peak at 111, and the size was 13 nm. The particles were spherical with an average size of 24.85 nm. The elemental percentage of magnesium and oxygen were 68.55% and 31.45%. MgONPs had antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli , Vibrio harveyi , Vibrio parahemolyticus , and Staphylococcus aureus with MIC, 6 μg/mL. The IC 50 value for MCF‐7 cell was 113.56 μg/mL, and the normal cell line was 785.69 μg/mL. The NPs also exhibited hemolytic features in a dose‐dependent manner. The MgONPs exhibited photocatalytic degradation of methyl violet, CBB G‐250, and malachite green in 60 min duration. MgONPs had promising antibacterial, cytotoxic, hemolytic, photocatalytic, and seed germination activity. They have the potential to serve as an additive in a variety of biological applications.Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Structural Basis of the Chromodomain of Cbx3 Bound to Methylated Peptides from Histone H1 and G9a

HP1 proteins are highly conserved heterochromatin proteins, which have been identified to be structural adapters assembling a variety of macromolecular complexes involved in regulation of gene expression, chromatin remodeling and heterochromatin formation. Much evidence shows that HP1 proteins interact with numerous proteins including methylated histones, histone methyltransferases and so on. Cbx3 is one of the paralogues of HP1 proteins, which has been reported to specifically recognize trimethylated histone H3K9 mark, and a consensus binding motif has been defined for the Cbx3 chromodomain.Here, we found that the Cbx3 chromodomain can bind to H1K26me2 and G9aK185me3 with comparable binding affinities compared to H3K9me3. We also determined the crystal structures of the human Cbx3 chromodomain in complex with dimethylated histone H1K26 and trimethylated G9aK185 peptides, respectively. The complex structures unveil that the Cbx3 chromodomain specifically bind methylated histone H1K26 and G9aK185 through a conserved mechanism.The Cbx3 chromodomain binds with comparable affinities to all of the methylated H3K9, H1K26 and G9aK185 peptides. It is suggested that Cbx3 may regulate gene expression via recognizing both histones and non-histone proteins

Upstream Supply Chain Visibility and Complexity Effect on Focal Company’s Sustainable Performance: Indian Manufacturers’ Perspective

Understanding supply chain sustainability performance is increasingly important for supply chain researchers and managers. Literature has considered supply chain sustainability and the antecedents of performance from a triple bottom line (economic, social, and environmental) perspective. However, the role of supply chain visibility and product complexity contingency in achieving sustainable supply chain performance has not been explored in depth. To address this gap, this study utilizes a contingent resource-based view theory perspective to understand the role of product complexity in shaping the relationship between upstream supply chain visibility (resources and capabilities) and the social, environmental, and economic performance dimensions. We develop and test a theoretical model using survey data gathered from 312 Indian manufacturing organizations. Our findings indicate that supply chain visibility (SCV) has significant influence on social and environmental performance under the moderation effect of product complexity. Hence, the study makes significant contribution to the extant literature by examining the impact of SCV under moderating effect of product complexity on social performance and environmental performance

Fig. 5 in A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India

Fig. 5. Banareia metiguinotae, new species, fresh colouration, brushed clean but not denuded. A, paratype, female (41.9× 29.2 mm) (CASAU CR 2023-1026); B, male (37.0 × 25.1 mm), (CASAU CR 2018-1041). Scale bars = 10.0 mm.Published as part of <i>Prema, Mani, Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian & Mendoza, Jose Christopher E., 2023, A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India, pp. 387-399 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71</i> on page 394, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-0029, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8006181">http://zenodo.org/record/8006181</a&gt

Fig. 6. Banareia metiguinotae, new species. A, C–E in A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India

Fig. 6. Banareia metiguinotae, new species. A, C–E, male (37.0 × 25.1 mm) (CASAU CR 2018-1041), Tamil Nadu, India; B, holotype, female (40.5 × 27.8 mm) (CASAU CR 2020-1020), Tamil Nadu, India; A, male pleon, external view; B, female pleon, external view; C, left G1, pleonal view; D, distal tip of left G1, sternal view; E, left G2, sternal view. Scale bars: A, B = 10.0 mm; C–E = 5.0 mm.Published as part of <i>Prema, Mani, Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian & Mendoza, Jose Christopher E., 2023, A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India, pp. 387-399 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71</i> on page 395, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-0029, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8006181">http://zenodo.org/record/8006181</a&gt

A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India

Prema, Mani, Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian, Mendoza, Jose Christopher E. (2023): A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71: 387-399, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-002

Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus, right half denuded. A in A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India

Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus, right half denuded. A, Banareia metiguinotae, new species, holotype, female (40.5 × 27.8 mm) (CASAU CR 2020- 1020), Tamil Nadu, India; B, Banareia serenei Guinot, 1976, holotype, male (52.0 × 35.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2014-22606 (= MNHN-B7224)), Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam. Scale bars = 10.0 mm.Published as part of Prema, Mani, Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian & Mendoza, Jose Christopher E., 2023, A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India, pp. 387-399 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71 on page 388, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-0029, http://zenodo.org/record/800618

Fig. 2. A–C in A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India

Fig. 2. A–C, Banareia metiguinotae, new species, holotype, female (40.5 × 27.8 mm) (CASAU CR 2020-1020), Tamil Nadu, India; D–F, Banareia serenei Guinot, 1976, holotype, male (52.0 × 35.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2014-22606 (= MNHN-B7224)), Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam. A, D, carapace, dorsal view; B, E, cephalothorax, anterior view; C, F, anterior cephalothorax, anteroventral view. Scale bars = 10.0 mm.Published as part of <i>Prema, Mani, Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian & Mendoza, Jose Christopher E., 2023, A new species of the xanthid crab genus Banareia A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bay of Bengal, southeastern India, pp. 387-399 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71</i> on page 390, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2023-0029, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8006181">http://zenodo.org/record/8006181</a&gt