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It is widely known that such Western institutions as the museum, the university, and the penitentiary shaped Japan’s emergence as a modern nation-state. Less commonly recognized is the role played by the distinctly hybrid institution—at once museum, laboratory, and prison—of the zoological garden. In this eye-opening study of Japan’s first modern zoo, Tokyo’s Ueno Imperial Zoological Gardens, opened in 1882, Ian Jared Miller offers a refreshingly unconventional narrative of Japan’s rapid modernization and changing relationship with the natural world. As the first zoological garden in the world not built under the sway of a Western imperial regime, the Ueno Zoo served not only as a staple attraction in the nation’s capital—an institutional marker of national accomplishment—but also as a site for the propagation of a new “natural” order that was scientifically verifiable and evolutionarily foreordained. As the Japanese empire grew, Ueno became one of the primary sites of imperialist spectacle, a microcosm of the empire that could be traveled in the course of a single day. The meaning of the zoo would change over the course of Imperial Japan’s unraveling and subsequent Allied occupation. Today it remains one of Japan’s most frequently visited places. But instead of empire in its classic political sense, it now bespeaks the ambivalent dominion of the human species over the natural environment, harkening back to its imperial roots even as it asks us to question our exploitation of the planet’s resources.

Universities and creative geniuses may seem strange bedfellows when it comes to art, including literature. Of course, plenty of universities nowadays offer courses on creative writing that are taught by acclaimed writers. Yet the romantic in us wants to believe in geniuses who dwarf the annoyingly erudite in their ivory towers. That romantic belief harks back to the golden age of national literature, an age when literature was separated from academic disciplines and transcended them as a source of knowledge. But in non-Western countries, universities had to play a crucial role in creating a national literature—however unromantic the fact

Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) have been hitherto the most promising high-performance semicrystalline thermoplastic polymers (HPPs) for several biomedical applications. These polymers make a competent replacement to implantable metals due to their biocompatibility, osteointegration properties, substantial bond strength, pliability, radiolucency and a comparable bone-like flexural modulus. Lately, additive manufacturing (AM) of customized 3D-printed patient-specific implants (PSI) using rapid prototyping techniques has been used for several surgical and medical implantations. Also, rapid technological progresses viz ., fused deposition modelling and selective laser sintering in consort with enhanced imaging know-hows have streamlined the critical glitches of conventional HPPs processability with directing them to manufacture medically proficient 3D-PSI. Thus, PAEK and its polymers could not only be tailored into end-use implantable medical devices but also fit into newer AM technology-mediated biomedical arenas for other unexplored HPPs. This review summarizes the till date research on 3D-printed PAEK implant technology and its potential possibilities for their modernization and expansion in diverse musculoskeletal and soft tissue applications. Graphic abstract

Purpose – The empirical modelling of major rapid prototyping (RP) processes such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS) and stereolithography (SL) has attracted the attention of researchers in view of their contribution to the overall cost of the product. Empirical modelling techniques such as artificial neural network (ANN) and regression analysis have been paid considerable attention. In this paper, a powerful modelling technique using genetic programming (GP) for modelling the FDM process is introduced and the issues related to the empirical modelling of RP processes are discussed. The present work aims to investigate the performance of various potential empirical modelling techniques so that the choice of an appropriate modelling technique for a given RP process can be made. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Apart from the study of applications of empirical modelling techniques on RP processes, a multigene GP is applied to predict the compressive strength of a FDM part based on five given input process parameters. The parameter setting for GP is determined using trial and experimental runs. The performance of the GP model is compared to those of neural networks and regression analysis. Findings – The GP approach provides a model in the form of a mathematical equation reflecting the relationship between the compressive strength and five given input parameters. The performance of ANN is found to be better than those of GP and regression, showing the effectiveness of ANN in predicting the performance characteristics of the FDM part. The GP is able to identify the significant input parameters that comply with those of an earlier study. The distinct advantages of GP as compared to ANN and regression are highlighted. Several vital issues related to the empirical modelling of RP processes are also highlighted in the end. Originality/value – For the first time, a review of the application of empirical modelling techniques on RP processes is undertaken and a new GP method for modelling the FDM process is introduced. The performance of potential empirical modelling techniques for modelling RP processes is evaluated. This is an important step in modernising the era of empirical modelling of RP processes.

The research is aimed at modernizing the technology of designing and manufacturing an electrode instrument for electrical processing methods in order to reduce costs in terms of experimental design and individual production. In this regard, the article is aimed at disclosing the possibilities of using modern computer-aided design tools and rapid prototyping technology for the manufacture of a complex profile tool for individual and experimental production. The materials of the article are of practical value for enterprises of the machine-building complex, as they allow making changes in the technology of designing and manufacturing electrode tools for electrical processing methods and using modern computer-aided design systems and additive technologies that reduce the cost and increase the variability of its application.

The topic discussed in this article is related to the efficient use of resources when providing telecommunications services in a cloud environment. Telecommunications companies pay special attention to testing and introducing new digital services, including data networks. And the use of cloud services is one of the promising tasks, the solution and integration of which with existing systems and equipment will significantly increase the efficiency of the devices involved in favor of expanding the range of services provided both in relation to telecommunication networks within the technological process and in the business management of the entire company. And taking into account the currently ongoing global project to organize a multi-service data transmission network and the widespread modernization of individual regions to organize a high-speed transport data transmission network, it will allow modeling and preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of the services provided in such communication networks at the current stage.

Tabanan Regency, Bali's primary rice-producing region, faces critical sustainability challenges including accelerated agricultural land conversion (2.92% annually) and demographic transitions with 70% of farmers exceeding 60 years of age. This study evaluates rice farming sustainability and develops evidence-based strategies grounded in the Tri Hita Karana (THK) philosophical framework. The research employed Multidimensional Scaling methodology through the Rapid Appraisal for Farm approach to assess sustainability across ecological, economic, social, technological, and institutional dimensions. Data were collected through structured interviews with 15 key informants and field observations in two subaks within the Yeh Empas irrigation system. Results indicate an overall sustainability index of 66.50% (moderately sustainable). Dimensional analysis revealed ecological (63.42%) and social (63.59%) as most vulnerable, while technological dimension achieved highest performance (71.42%). Leverage analysis identified five critical determinants: price stability (4.88), irrigation efficiency (4.53), intergenerational knowledge transfer (4.50),spatialplanningclarity(4.49),andawig-awigcontinuity(4.39).Monte Carlo validation confirmedmodelreliabilitywithdeviationsbelow2%. Five integrated strategies are proposed based on THK principles: institutional strengthening through spatial planning integration, youth engagement with traditional knowledge preservation, formal recognition of customary governance, market stabilization with digital cooperatives, and irrigation modernization with participatory management. This study contributes novel insights by demonstrating balanced sustainability in traditional systems, establishing economic centrality in multidimensional frameworks, and providing replicable methodology for integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific assessment.

This study examines the intricate interplay between species diversity and socio-cultural importance (SCI) in the homestead agroforestry (HAF) systems of Sivasagar, a floodplain district nestled in the upper Brahmaputra Valley Agro-climatic region of Assam, India. Over the past decade, the district has witnessed notable ecological, cultural, and economic shifts propelled by modern  agricultural practices, market-driven economies, recurrent floods, and industrial and infrastructural  activities. Thus, the study endeavors to unravel the main drivers of these changes and their impacts on species diversity and socio-cultural values of the homestead agroforestry, offering insights into the implications for the region’s rural ecology and culture. To achieve its aims, the research employs a range of methodologies, including in-depth field observations, household surveys, oral interviews, participatory rural appraisal, rapid rural appraisal, and focus group discussions to evaluate plant species diversity and their Socio-Cultural Importance (SCI) within HAF systems. The findings indicate a decline in indigenous plant species due to the transition from traditional to market-oriented agriculture, significantly affecting the socio-cultural fabric of the communities. This includes the displacement of traditional practices with market-based alternatives, erosion of traditional knowledge, and a threat to the region’s ecological and cultural integrity. These findings underscore the need for a balanced approach that honors traditions and ecological heritage while addressing challenges arising from modernization and external influences. Thus, this research serves as a crucial foundation for informed decision-making, providing insights to safeguard the unique ecology and culture of rural areas in the Brahmaputra Valley, with a specific focus on the Sivasagar district in Assam, India. It also directs efforts towards forging sustainable solutions to ensure the future well-being of these rural communities, offering valuable lessons for similar regions grappling with ecological and cultural transformations.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has become an essential process in the modernized manufacturing, as it has been applied in diverse applications such as die cavities manufacturing for automotive components, connecting rods, and different intricate shapes. The proper choice of EDM machining conditions is one of the most critical aspects to consider in the die-sinking electrical discharge machining, as they have great influence on machining performance. Among the parameters and conditions that may affect the machining characteristics, the electrode’s initial surface roughness has not been considered in previous researches. In this study for the first time, the effects of the tool initial surface roughness on the EDM performance are investigated. Experiments are conducted on a die-sinking EDM machine with several different tool initial surface roughness values and EDM parameters to find out the effects on the EDMed workpiece surface roughness, tool wear rate (TWR), material removal rate (MRR), and the tool surface roughness after machining. The results show that TWR increases and MRR decreases by increase in tool surface roughness during finish, semi-rough, and rough EDM processes. In addition, workpiece surface roughness after EDM machining slightly depends on initial tool surface roughness, while the tool surface roughness after machining depends greatly on EDM machining parameters.

This conceptual paper aims to concentrate on the transformational development of tools, machines, and software applications used to increase the speed of reading. There has been a need for modernization of the old-fashioned machines in the field of speed reading. Several practical steps have already been taken in the last three decades of the twentieth century, and several outdated speed-reading tools and various equipment types have already been replaced by quite a few speed-reading software programs and mobile applications. The earliest speed-reading tools are reading pacing machines, which work on various simple to advanced technological principles. Different types of machines are also used for tracking the movements of eyes in the form of saccades and fixations during reading. Subsequently, several speed-increasing software tools use the powerful text processing technique called the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). Many of these tools have demonstrated significant productivity gains in the reading speed of learners. However, this transformational development has resulted in a multiplicity of speed-increasing function-specific software applications, there remains a need to choose the right combination of them, considering the diversity among learners and their goals. Though the distance covered in this journey of transformational development of tools, machines and software applications is quite encouraging, there is still room for improvements in terms of making the process of speed reading closer to natural reading.