A Look Towards the Future of Eldercare: Lessons Learned from Social Care Models in Japan

The rapidly accelerating trend of population aging is redefining the state of eldercare globally, as every country is currently or will soon face a gap in the excess demand for care versus the scarce supply of caregivers, both formal and informal. Specifically, there is a decrease in the number of elders seeking care through a family member as well as less caregivers in institutions to provide care for elders. Japan is at the vanguard of this caregiving gap, and thus provides key lessons, particularly from two innovative models of eldercare: Ibasho, a grass-roots, non-profit organization, and Japan\u27s Long-Term Care Insurance System. These models are exemplary in adapting to the demographic pattern of population aging, as they both center an elder’s care around the community. This thesis explores what values are foundational in creating ethical care systems for this increasing number of elders worldwide by analyzing these two social care models. The Ibasho organization exemplifies the values of reciprocity and integration, as elders are given opportunities to produce social and economic capital as well as spend time with community members of all ages. Likewise, Japan’s Long-Term Care Insurance system demonstrates how elders can maintain independence through policy that is elder-focused and economical. I advocate for the reciprocity, integration, and independence of elders as we face these new demographic changes, and stress the universality of these values as we continue to create care systems across the world

Transient behaviour of dense membranes of BIMEVOX (Me = Cu, Co) catalysts in the oxidation of propane

ME-doped Bi4V2O11 (BIMEVOX) oxides are highly oxide ion conducting materials and this property may be profitably used in selective oxidation of hydrocarbons. The catalytic properties of BICUVOX and BICOVOX when shaped as dense membranes displayed in catalytic dense membrane reactor are examined in the oxidation of propene and of propane. Mirror-polished BICUVOX and BICOVOX membranes studied previously were poorly active for propene oxidation because of a small number of active sites but showed an excellent stability and reproducibility (lasting more than one month) during which products of mild oxidation (acrolein, hexadiene) and CO were formed. Membranes with depolished surfaces exhibit high conversions of propene (up to 60 mol% ), and also of propane (up to 20 mol%) but – contrary to mirror polished membranes – a complex transient behaviour is observed during which syngas production occurs. The membrane polarization followed by in-situ Solid Electrolyte Potentiometry shows that the oxygen reservoir is far higher than expected on the reaction side which is separated (by the membrane) from the oxidising side where (diluted) oxygen is reduced to O2- specie. The influence of oxygen partial pressure on the catalytic performance suggests that the electronic conductivity of the material is limiting the oxygen flux through the membrane, and thus is determining the catalytic properties and transient behaviours of depolished membranes

Selective oxidation of hydrocarbons in a catalytic dense membrane reactor: Catalytic properties of BIMEVOX (Me = Ta)

Used as dense membranes in a catalytic dense membrane reactor, Bi2V0.8Ta0.2O5.5 (BITAVOX) is more or less active in the oxidation of propane, ethane and propene according to its surface roughness. When the surface roughness is low, membranes are poorly active in the oxidation of propane (Conversion < 2%). CO and propene are the main products and the stability is high over long experimental periods. BITAVOX membranes with increased surface roughness exhibit high conversions in the oxidation of propane, ethane and propene. Activities and selectivities evolve with time. In a first short period (<250s), products are similar to those of polished samples, then mainly H2 and CO are produced and subsequently H2 and coke. These evolutions are probably related to surface and sub-surface restructuring due to an insufficient oxygen supply through the membrane to face the high catalytic activity induced by the increase in surface area. The results suggest that the O2- diffusion is limited by the low electronic conductivity of BIMEVOX materials. Nevertheless the membrane is not reduced irreversibly, even in coking conditions. This is confirmed by ex-situ characterisations carried out on the materials (XRD, SEM, XPS). An improvement of the electronic conductivity of this material is necessary in order to stabilize the intermediate catalytic behaviour which is interesting for syngas or H2 production from light hydrocarbons

Providing Food Assistance in a Pandemic: Views and Lessons Learned from the Frontlines in Northwest Mississippi

The Center for Population Studies (CPS) at the University of Mississippi (UM) has partnered with the Maddox Foundation (Hernando, MS) and the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi (CFNM) to explore changes in communities across an 11-county region as a way to identify funding priorities designed to address challenges and build upon assets in the region. With a grant from the Maddox Foundation, the CFNM launched FEED Northwest Mississippi to provide emergency funding for area food pantries, especially ones located in rural areas (CFNM 2020). This initiative has now expanded with a host of additional contributors to the FEED Fund. Results of research involving the food pantries and similar organizations will inform additional funding priorities of Maddox and the CFNM in response to the impacts of COVID-19 on individuals, families, and their communities

Bi2V1-xMexO5.5-y (Me = Ta, Ni) Membranes for Selective Oxidation of C1-C3 Alkanes in a Catalytic Dense Membrane Reactor

Pure and Me-doped Bi2V1-xMexO5.5-y (BIMEVOX) (Me = Ta, Ni) materials exhibit a transient behaviour during the oxidation of C1-C3 alkanes when shaped as dense membranes separating two compartments fed with diluted hydrocarbon and with air, respectively (catalytic dense membrane reactor). Alkenes are first produced at low conversion and CO and H2 follow at higher conversion. The H2/CO ratio increases up to values close to the stoichiometric ones and continues to increase after a peak of activity during which coke builds up. The same transient phenomena as initially observed happen after burning the coke by replacing diluted hydrocarbon by air. This in situ regeneration of the membrane means that the structure and integrity of the membranes have not been modified, as indeed shown by physicochemical analyses (XRD, SEM, XPS). The catalytic properties are mainly related to the presence of ME which affects the electronic conductivity of the materials. At variance with quite neutral BITAVOX, the behaviour of BINIVOX is close to that of BICOVOX which is also a p-type semiconductor. Only BINIVOX is able to oxidise methane (conversion ca. 22-25 mol%) to syngas at low temperature (650°C) in a quite steady manner

Catalytic dense membranes of doped Bi4V2O11 (BIMEVOX) for selective partial oxidation: chemistry of defects versus catalysis

A catalytic dense membrane reactor (CDMR) is used to physically separate the reaction step from the reoxidation of the catalyst. By decoupling the redox mechanism prevailing in mild oxidation of hydrocarbons, the operating conditions may be optimized resulting in an increase of selectivity. The membranes are made up of BIMEVOX oxides, obtained by partial substitution of V in Γ-Bi4V2O11 by ME (Co, Cu, Ta). Experiments performed on BIMEVOX dense membranes using propene and propane are described in terms of, (i) active sites on polished or unpolished surfaces, (ii) operating conditions (T, pO2 in the high oxygen partial pressure compartment), which determine the selectivity, either to mild oxidation products (acrolein, hexadiene, CO), or to partial oxidation products (CO, H2), and, (iii) nature of ME cations and relative properties. The discussion deals with the respective role of electronic vs. oxide ion conductivities which depend on defects in the structure as well as on the redox properties of cations

Oxygen permeation in bismuth-based materials part I: Sintering and oxygen permeation fluxes

Oxygen permeation measurements were performed on two layered bismuth based oxide ceramics: a rhombohedral phase belonging to the Bi2O3-CaO system, (Bi2O3)0.73- (CaO)0.27 (BICAO) and a BICOVOX phase. Oxygen permeability for these systems was compared to permeability of the cubic fluorite type structure with composition (Bi2O3)0.75(Er2O3)0.25 (BE25). Low oxygen permeability was observed for the pure ceramic. As for BE25, permeability was considerably increased if 40 vol% of silver was added to BICAO. In contrast, permeability was not improved by addition of gold to BICOVOX. For this latter phase, the oxygen molecular exchange at the surface is clearly the limiting step in the oxygen transfer

Transient behaviour of dense membranes of BICUVOX catalysts in the oxidation of propane

Oral

Impedance study of the microstructure dependence of the electrical properties of BIMEVOXes

Sintering conditions were determined for several BIMEVOX compounds. They are a function of the dopant and a careful investigation must be performed for each dopant. BIMEVOXes can be divided into two main groups: MEII doped BIMEVOXes such as Co, Cu, Ni, Zn and those doped with higher valence elements, MeV in particular such as Ta, Nb, Sn. The first group is characterised by low melting point and can be sintered at 750°C. In contrast, high melting point are observed for MeV doped compounds which must be sintered above 850°C. Relative density higher than 95% were obtained in all cases. Impedance spectroscopy revealed the electrical properties of a ceramic can be strongly dependant on its microstructure. Indeed, at low temperature, in the case of BICUVOX.10, lower conductivity was observed for sample with large grains