Nitrogen cycling in western India as revealed by nitrogen isotopes,and the historic production of saltpetre

Saltpetre (KNO₃) manufacture was a principal monopoly industry in early Modern India when the United Kingdom governed the social and economic systems. The process represented microbial transformation of excrementitious livestock and human wastes deposited around habitats, resulting in formation of salt efflorescence at an economic scale. Low caste people collected these wastes for extraction and production of rough saltpetre under the administrative control of British India. Stable isotope composition (δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O) was used to trace details of the microbial transformation processes, often involving the isotopic fractionation of nitrogen and oxygen. Marked elevation in δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values for nitrates in soils and deposits, relative to those of primary organic nitrogen in diets and water sources, characterizes the unique processes of historic saltpetre manufacture in British India.     

An Encounter between the Qing Dynasty and Khoqand in 1759-1760： Central Asia in the Mid-Eighteenth Century

This paper examines negotiations involving the exchange of envoys between the Qing dynasty and Khoqand in 1759-60. The Qing made contact with Khoqand in order to bring rapid stabilization to the newly acquired western territories. Khoqand, on the other hand, established a relationship with the Qing in order to expand their authority over the Kirghiz, and to advance toward Bukhara. Irdana tried to take advantage of Qing authority for the purpose of expanding his territories, but at the same time, he appealed to the other Central Asian Muslims to engage with him in a ＂holy war＂ against the Qing. It is true that each power in Central Asia shared a sense of crisis in reaction to the Qing＇s sudden expansion to the west. However, we also need to examine the competition for hegemony among the powers under the pretext of opposition to the Qing＇s advance.     

International origin and development of nationalism: Generational transformation of East Timorese nationalism under Indonesia's occupation (1975–1999)

East Timorese nationalism experienced a unique generational transition during Indonesia's occupation hinging onto internationalism in the changing world. In contrast to the existing literature on nationalism, which is overwhelmingly focused on earlier construction of nationalism and post-independence nation building, this article offers a theoretical account of the transformation of nationalism from an older to newer generation through a socio-historical analysis. In light of interactions between nationalism and internationalism, it argues that while the older generation relied on a Lusophone cosmology of anti-colonialism derived from counterparts in Portuguese colonies in Africa in the 1960s, the younger generation took advantage of universal human rights advocacy in the 1990s in its aspiration for independence. In doing so, this study demonstrates both generational continuity and change in the construction, development and transformation of East Timorese nationalism.     

Analysis of ancient Japanese society through mitochondrial DNA sequencing

In this study, DNA was extracted from human bones recovered from a 2000-year-old archaeological site located in northern Kyushu in southwestern Japan. Part of the mitochondrial control region was amplified by a polymerase chain reaction. Mitochondrial DNA sequences determined from 55 individuals were classified into 16 different types. Comparing the location of the burial site and the sequence types, people buried at separate sites were shown to have different maternal lineages. Our palaeomolecular biological findings strengthen the opinion that social differentiation began during this period in Japan, a fact that is generally accepted among archaeologists. The results of this study show that intensive analysis of ancient DNA from archaeological sites is a useful tool for investigating the social systems of vanished populations.     

Salt weathering of sandstone at the Angkor monuments,Cambodia: identification of the origins of salts using sulfur and strontium isotopes

The Angkor monuments in northwestern Cambodia, which are primarily made of sandstone, are suffering from deterioration due to salt weathering. In order to elucidate the sources of the salts and salt weathering process, this paper analyzed bulk chemical compositions and S (sulfur) and Sr (strontium) isotopic ratios for the salts and surrounding environmental materials. At places where bats inhabit the structures, various kinds of sulfate and phosphate salts are formed on the surface of the sandstone. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the S and P (phosphorus) components in the salts are primarily derived from bat guano. Moreover, Ca (calcium), which is the major element in the salts, is suggested to be derived from both bat guano and the sandstone. The isotopic data strongly suggests that bat guano is related to salt weathering. Removal of these animal excrements is essential for future conservation of these monuments. On the other hand, exfoliation of sandstone commonly occurs due to crystallization of calcite (CaCO₃) on platform surfaces of pyramid-type monuments. A large amount of Ca in calcite is suggested to be derived from calcite cement of the building sandstone.