Textural and semantic studies in classical yoga

Notwithstanding that the Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali has received more scholarly attention than any other yogic scripture with the notable exception of the Bhagavad-Gita, the existing translations and accounts of the Yoga-Sutra are marred by serious misinterpretations. It is argued that these misapprehensions are due to (a) an almost naive reliance on the Sanskrit exegetists and (b) the want of a critical, in-depth analysis of both the textual structure of Patanjali's work and his conceptual and doctrinal edifice. The present thesis represents an attempt to meet these desiderata by way of a strictly system-immanent interpretation of the teachings of Patanjali, founded on textual criticism. The data are arranged into two major parts. The first part (chapters 2-4) consists in a stringent examination of the textual structure of the Yoga-Sutra on the basis of an explicit methodology postulating, in conscious contrast to the a priori assumptions of previous researchers, the intrinsic homogeneity of the text. This approach proved generative of significant new perspectives. Above all, it established that the Yoga-Sutra is a composite of two sets of tradition, viz, Kriyayoga and Astangayoga, the latter being represented by a series of aphorisms which appear to be ‘quoted’ in the main text rather than arbitrarily interpolated. This crucial finding furnished the starting-point for the critical analysis, attempted in the second part of the thesis (chapters 5-7), of the conceptual framework of Classical Yoga as embodied in the Yoga-Sutra itself. It was possible to cast new light on several key concepts - philosophical, psychological and practical - of PataKjali's system of thought. These analyses clearly evinced the full autonomy of Patanjalayoga as a distinct darsana, thus correcting the popular misconception that Classical Yoga is merely Classical Samkhya transmogrified along theistic lines

Algorithms for the on-line travelling salesman

In this paper the problem of efficiently serving a sequence of requests presented in an on-line fashion located at points of a metric space is considered. We call this problem the On-Line Travelling Salesman Problem (OLTSP). It has a variety of relevant applications in logistics and robotics. We consider two versions of the problem. In the first one the server is not required to return to the departure point after all presented requests have been served. For this problem we derive a lower bound on the competitive ratio of 2 on the real line. Besides, a 2.5-competitive algorithm for a wide class of metric spaces, and a 7/3-competitive algorithm for the real line are provided. For the other version of the problem, in which returning to the departure point is required, we present an optimal 2-competitive algorithm for the above mentioned general class of metric spaces. If in this case the metric space is the real line we present a 1.75-competitive algorithm that compares with a \approx 1.64 lower bound

The Metaphor of Circle: Stanislavski, Phenomenology of Roundness and High Yoga

Stanislavski’s Eastern influence and his persistent fascination with Yoga is an established area of research. Stanislavski has two major yogic influences in the System: Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. The first is about training the body through postures, movements, stances and breathing exercises to make it active, relaxed and energetic. The second includes a range of exclusive practices on concentration and visualization that are an integral part of the actor’s creativity. However, in the current research, there is a clear lack of a comprehensive practical method that informs Stanislavski’s use of yogic practice in the System: what specific yogic exercises were used and what synergies were developed in the training? Scholars have, so far, only explored Stanislavski’s literary legacy of his encounter with yoga, identifying the Sanskrit terms appeared in his writings such as prana for breathing and the Indian anecdotes he used when answering the questions of his students. Focusing on the metaphor of the circle, the phenomenology of roundness and the Deleuzian notions of ‘the invisible forces of sensations’ and ‘the body becomes an event itself’, the present study, for the first time, offers useful insights into the fundamental principles of yoga and their methods of practice as a way of developing a new training to understand the significance of Stanislavski in the 21st century

Community-Based Provision of Statin and Aspirin After the Detection of Coronary Artery Calcium Within a Community-Based Screening Cohort

ObjectivesWe examined the association of coronary artery calcium (CAC) detected on a screening exam with subsequent statin and aspirin usage in a healthy male screening cohort.BackgroundWhether the presence of CAC, an independent predictor of coronary heart disease outcomes, alters clinical management, such as the use of preventive medications, is unknown.MethodsMen (n = 1,640) ages 40 to 50 years (mean 42 years) were screened for coronary heart disease risk factors and CAC. The CAC scores and risk factors were reported to patients, and results were made available in the electronic medical record; however, medications were not prescribed or recommended by the study. During up to 6 years of subsequent annual structured telephone follow-up, we observed the community-based initiation and persistence of aspirin and statin therapy.ResultsA progressive increase in the incidence of pharmacotherapy was noted over time such that those with CAC were 3 times more likely to receive a statin (48.5% vs. 15.5%, p < 0.001) and also significantly more likely to receive aspirin (53.0% vs. 32.3%; p < 0.001) than those without CAC. In multivariable models controlling for National Cholesterol Education Program risk variables and baseline medication use, CAC was strongly and independently associated with use of either statin (odds ratio [OR] 3.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.66 to 4.69), aspirin (OR 3.05; 95% CI 2.30 to 4.05) or both (OR 6.97; 95% CI 4.81 to 10.10).ConclusionsIn this prospective cohort, the presence of coronary calcification was associated with an independent 3-fold greater likelihood of statin and aspirin usage