“We are not only here to die” – living in a spiritual old age home in Varanasi (India)

The current living situation of elderly people in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is discussed in this paper based on ethnographic research, which is part of my PhD thesis to be published. Fieldwork over a period of six years in several old age homes in urban North India was conducted around the topics of aging and dying with respect to the ideal of the ashrama concept as well as the importance of Varanasi as a holy place for Hindus in this last stage of life. The changing family patterns und living situations in urban India will be presented below as well as the rise of old age homes (OAHs) and similar institutions as an alternative living arrangement. The emphasis of this paper is on the presentation of one home for the aged to give an account of who the residents are, why they have chosen, and how they deal with, their new living situation. The establishment of new roles in an unknown, often called 'non-Indian' environment with a focus on social interaction and the creation of networks in an almost total institution will be discussed. Data was collected through various research methods, mainly participant observation and one to one, group and 'expert' semi-structured interviews as well as through the distribution of questionnaires. The results show, that Varanasi is a quite unique case when it comes to old age homes, because here they are not so much a safe haven for the aged urban middle class but more an idealized or 'modernized', adapted and mixed version of the life in the vanaprastha (the third life stage as a hermit) and samnyasa (the final stage as a renunciant

Appalachian Kentucky\u27s Economy During the Mid 70\u27s and Early 80\u27s

The 49 Appalachian counties of Kentucky have undergone significant economic changes in recent years. This research examines recent economic performance of both Appalachian Kentucky as a whole and its component area development districts. Topics covered include: population, employment, income, retail sales, and education

Argument For The Absurd

Feed, The Society of the Spectacle, and The Myth of Sisyphus help answer the question: how do you live authentically in an inauthentic world? As modernity and trends occupy us in different ways, we must decide how to use our time fruitfully. Keeping up with latest trends, news, and social media not only is exhausting but disjointing from meaningful experience. Total rejection of technology and norms can lead to isolation from those who do keep up with them. In other words, alienating your self from others leads to a lack of socialization, something that makes us happy members of society. Being totally engrossed in technology and social media can have the very same effect, being so connected that you are without authenticity. Feeling as though the things you participate in along with most members of society can be compared to Albert Camus’ ideas on the absurd. Seeing that there is no meaning in the things you do can be a terrifying experience. It can be said that being a reasonable and happy member of society requires neither total rejection nor total acceptance of its norms but a middle ground that balances the two. Following people on social media and liking pictures may not have any inherent value but it keeps you involved enough that you can make meaningful connections with others. Posting pictures of yourself allows people to see what you are doing and stay involved in your life. By making small concessions, you lead a more fulfilling life that keeps you meaningfully connected in a disconnected world

Property Tax Ellort in Eastern Kentucky Counties: Implications lor Financing Public Services

The eastern portion of Kentucky has long had insufficient tax revenues available to provide quality public services for local residents. Frequently, the response by legislators and others within the region has been to request additional resources from the state and federal levels of government for service provision. Particularly in present times of limited resources, the higher units of government would do well to ask the question: Is this region truly poor, or are its residents simply unwilling to tax themselves at the same level as the rest of the state? The purpose of this report is to provide a method for answering that question that can help officials at a higher level of government decide whether a local area merits resource redistribution for public service provision

Measuring the export potential of urban regions: A case study from Appalachia, USA

The economic benefits from exporting can be very significant for a region. New research shows U.S. export-related jobs pay 20 percent above the national average, productivity growth is three times the national average, and export-related jobs provide the best long-run security. The Southern Appalachian region of the U.S. provides an excellent case study. It has an economic base rich in the production of agricultural, mining, and manufactured goods which are easily exported. This paper investigates the extent to which the local population is benefiting from exporting of these products. Foreigh trade zones are a special legal status granted to airports, warehouses and manufacturing plants. This status provides a wide range of cost and administrative benefits to firms engaged in international commerce. The U.S. government has recently released two studies on export-related employment and the value of exports originating in metropolitan areas. These data sources will be used to measure the export performance for several MSAs within the Southern Appalachia. Site visits will be done for two MSAs - Tri-Cities, TN-VA and Huntsville, AL. The measures of export potential developed from data provided from the new studies can identify regions where export activity continues to hold signifcant potential or where the current level of exports may be at their maximum. Supplemented by site visits, this preliminary information can be verified or revised. The greatest benefits attached to the operation of an FTZ were found to be indirect rather than associated with the operation of the FTZ itself. The major impact of the FTZ is felt through the creation of a Customs service office and the creation of Subzones. FTZs may hold significant promise for the promotion of export activity in interior cities of Europe as well. This study was recently funded as "An Emerging Issues Paper" by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.

Philosophy of Education Reflection

https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/covid-journal-prose/1011/thumbnail.jp

The Effect of Cytoskeletal Crowding on the Mobility and Conformational Dynamics of Circular and Linear DNA

In order to carry out key processes such as gene transcription and cell replication, DNA must diffuse through a highly crowded cellular environment. Previous studies aimed at understanding intracellular DNA transport have mainly focused on the effect of small mobile crowders. However, the cytoskeleton, composed of filamentous proteins such as semiflexible actin and rigid microtubules, has been identified as a key factor suppressing viral transfection and gene delivery. Here, we investigate the effect that cytoskeletal proteins have on the transport properties of linear and circular DNA. Specifically, we use fluorescence microscopy and custom single-molecule tracking algorithms to measure center-of-mass transport and time-varying conformational changes of single DNA molecules diffusing in in vitro composite networks of actin and microtubules. We determine the role that DNA topology (linear vs circular), as well as cytoskeletal filament rigidity (actin vs microtubules), has on DNA transport and conformational states. We specifically quantify DNA diffusion coefficients, degrees of anomalous diffusion, and conformational sizes and shapes for protein networks with varying concentrations and polymerizations states of actin and microtubules

Master of Science

thesisAbove elbow prosthesis control has trended toward increasing the number of control channels in the human-prosthetic system, to provide simultaneous joint control. Several methods have had varying success, such as Targeted-Muscle-Reinnervation (TMR) and Electromyograph (EMG) pattern recognition. While the number of control channels is increased, the fundamental control loop is still based on amputees placing the prosthetic end effector through visual feedback. In most clinical uses prosthetic joints are driven with a standard proportional EMG antagonistic muscle controller (S). The S controller can be difficult for the amputee as nonintuitive muscle contractions are needed to overcome internal joint and induced external torques, in particular from gravity. To address these issues, two new controllers, which use gravity and friction compensation techniques, have been developed to share the control of the prosthetic elbow joint and reduce control effort on prosthetic users. The new controllers were tested against the S proportional control by having 10 test subjects reach to 6 targets in their user workspace utilizing a Utah Arm 2 testbed. Motion capture cameras recorded the reaching motions. The controllers were compared using quantitative metrics which define the approach, time to target and smoothness (jerk), and holding, steady state error and variance, stages of a reaching motion. A qualitative metric was also used which surveys a test subject's effort in performing a reach. It was found that when considering the new controllers using the combined data for all test subjects at all targets they outperformed the S controller, except in smoothness. It was also found that the new controllers statistically performed best over the S controller at target locations where the humerus was in flexion at approximately 45o, except in smoothness. Smoothness is predicted to be more influenced by the joint friction in the elbow joint. Only one friction compensation method was tested. Further studies on friction affects by varying joint impedance is suggested. Considering these findings, including gravity compensation in the control for active prosthetic elbow joints is found to improve the control over the standard proportional control, as captured in the majority of the physical metrics and in test subject ratings

Effects Of Intertidal Position On The Response To Oxygen And Desiccation Stress In The Common Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Glandula

Sessile invertebrates in the rocky intertidal experience intermittent periods of air exposure due to tidal flux, presenting risks of temperature extremes, hypoxia, nutrient limitation, and most dangerously, desiccation. Microscale variation in severity and frequency of these risks is widely dependent on vertical position within the intertidal zone. Common acorn barnacles (Balanus glandula) have a wide vertical distribution in the intertidal, creating large differences in microhabitat between the highest and lowest individuals in the population. This study set out to explore whether tidal position dependent differences exist in the response to oxygen and desiccation stress in B. glandula. We hypothesized that B. glandula from relatively high tidal heights, which are exposed to the air for a greater duration, will be better suited to tolerate anoxic and desiccation stress than conspecifics from lower tidal heights. To explore this, we compared responses of B. glandula collected from high and low intertidal positions to A) anoxia (0 mg O2/L) and hypoxia (≤ 2 mg O2/L) on survival, behavior (closed opercular plates, cirral beating, pneumostome formation), enzyme activity (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD)), and tissue-lactate accumulation, in addition to B) the effects of humid (98% RH) and dry (32% RH) air emersion (at 17˚C) on survival, opercular behavior (open/closed), evaporative water loss (EWL) rates, and tissue-lactate accumulation. Relative to barnacles from the low intertidal, we found that barnacles from the high intertidal survive longer during anoxia and air emersion stress, close their operculum sooner in dry air, lose more water during air exposure at any humidity level, and tend to accumulate less D-lactate. We suspect that high intertidal B. glandula can survive desiccation longer by ejecting stores of mantle cavity fluid, thereby creating a moist lung-like, air-filled internal environment, then remaining largely closed and metabolically inactive when in air to avoid drying out and becoming anoxic. These differences may reflect plasticity or selective pressure in response to environmental stress during development and highlight the potential importance of microscale stress heterogeneity in influencing species climate change tolerance and potential distribution patterns