"The fruits of independence": Satyajit Ray, Indian nationhood and the spectre of empire

Challenging the longstanding consensus that Satyajit Ray's work is largely free of ideological concerns and notable only for its humanistic richness, this article shows with reference to representations of British colonialism and Indian nationhood that Ray's films and stories are marked deeply and consistently by a distinctively Bengali variety of liberalism. Drawn from an ongoing biographical project, it commences with an overview of the nationalist milieu in which Ray grew up and emphasizes the preoccupation with colonialism and nationalism that marked his earliest unfilmed scripts. It then shows with case studies of Kanchanjangha (1962), Charulata (1964), First Class Kamra (First-Class Compartment, 1981), Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970), Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991) and Robertsoner Ruby (Robertson's Ruby, 1992) how Ray's mature work continued to combine a strongly anti-colonial viewpoint with a shifting perspective on Indian nationhood and an unequivocal commitment to cultural cosmopolitanism. Analysing how Ray articulated his ideological positions through the quintessentially liberal device of complexly staged debates that were apparently free, but in fact closed by the scenarist/director on ideologically specific notes, this article concludes that Ray's reputation as an all-forgiving, ‘everybody-has-his-reasons’ humanist is based on simplistic or even tendentious readings of his work

Optimum-Wavelength Forcing Of A Bluff Body Wake

Three-dimensional forcing of the wake of a circular cylinder was studied experimentally to determine the optimal spatial-forcing-wavelength for drag reduction. Dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuators were mounted on a cylinder in a square-wave pattern to create the three-dimensional forcing. Six spatial wavelengths (1d-6d) and two blowing ratios (Uj/U∞ = 0.2 and 0.6) were tested at a Reynolds number of 4700. For most spatial wavelengths and blowing ratios, the segmented plasma actuators produced streamwise vorticity that altered the wake development, formation length, and drag. A spatial wavelength of 4d emerged as the optimum wavelength for the high-blowing-ratio case. Forcing with this optimum wavelength significantly attenuated vortex shedding, leading to maximum drag reduction in the high-blowing-ratio case. This optimum wavelength of 4d exists because longer wavelengths reduce the spatial extent of induced velocity and shorter wavelengths inhibit the development of streamwise vorticity

Control Of Tip-Leakage Vortices Using Segmented Plasma Actuators: An Experimental And Numerical Study

A combined experimental and numerical investigations were conducted to understand the effect of forcing by Dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma actuators on the strength of the tip-leakage vortices formed in the tip-gap of a single NACA 65 airfoil. A proof-of-concept experiment was conducted, where the airfoil was mounted with variable tip gaps in the test-section of a suction-type wind tunnel. The objective was to understand the difference of three-dimensional (3D) forcing over regular two-dimensional (2D) actuation. The continuous 3D forcing was generated by using segmented DBD actuators, where the buried electrodes were designed to generate secondary vortices along the tip gap flow, and across the tip gap flow. The flow field was investigated experimentally by dynamic-pressure measurements, and by stereo-particle-image-velocimetry (SPIV). Numerical study was conducted by using RANS computations for different forcing configurations. With a tip gap of 2 mm and free stream velocity of 2.7 m/s, the strength of the tip leakage vortex was significantly attenuated for a blowing ratio of approximately 1. For the segmented forcing cases, the location of the tip-leakage vortex was altered, however no perceptible change in the strength of the vortex was observed compared to the steady forcing. Overall, the effectiveness of forcing decreased with increasing tip-gaps and free-stream velocity

Two-tier morpho-chemical defense tactic in Aethionema via fruit morph plasticity and glucosinolates allocation in diaspores

Bhattacharya S, Mayland-Quellhorst S, Müller C, Mummenhoff K. Two-tier morpho-chemical defense tactic in Aethionema via fruit morph plasticity and glucosinolates allocation in diaspores. Plant, Cell & Environment. 2019;42(4):1381-1392.Fruit dimorphism and the production of glucosinolates (GSLs) are two specific life‐history traits found in the members of Brassicales, which aid to optimize seed dispersal and defense against antagonists, respectively. We hypothesized that the bipartite dispersal strategy demands a tight control over the production of fruit morphs with expectedly differential allocation of defensive anticipins (GSLs). In dimorphic Aethionema, herbivory by Plutella xylostella at a young stage triggered the production of more dehiscent (seeds released from fruit) than indehiscent fruit morphs (seeds enclosed within persistent pericarp) on the same plant upon maturity. Total GSL concentrations were highest in the mature seeds of dehiscent fruits from Ae. arabicum and Ae. saxatile among the different ontogenetic stages of the diaspores. Multivariate analyses of GSL profiles indicated significantly higher concentrations of specific indole GSLs in the diaspores, which require optimal defense after dispersal (i.e. seeds of dehiscent and fruit/pericarp of indehiscent fruit). Bioassays with a potentially co‐inhabitant fungus, Aspergillus quadrilineatus, support the distinct defensive potential of the diaspores corresponding to their GSL allocation. These findings indicate a two‐tier morpho‐chemical defense tactic of Aethionema via better‐protected fruit morphs and strategic provision of GSLs that optimize protection to the progeny for survival in nature