Water Connection: Everyday Religion and Environments in Kathmandu Valley

This case study aims to explore the relationship between ‘everyday religion’ and prospects for urban sustainability in the context of on-going changes -in Kathmandu. It argues that everyday religion plays a role in furnishing the incentive for urban residents to sustainably manage ‘culturalized nature’ in the city. In particular, I examine water, the practices surrounding its use, and how these practices connect various social realms. I suggest that water in Kathmandu valley plays an important role as a connector encompassing life and death, religion and environment, as well as politics and development

Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs: Can Private Savings Incentives Solve the Problem?

Projects the potential savings of low-income workers if they could save part of their income, tax-free and at an interest rate equivalent to that of Treasury bonds, to assess whether such incentives could help them pay for post-retirement health care

Entry and Competition in the U.S. Brewpub Industry during 2002 - 2011

This study examines product differentiation and market structure in the U.S. brewpub industry. Brewery restaurants are characterized by whether they are singleestablishment or multiple-establishment restaurants. In particular, I investigate how entry behaviors of firms are affected by the existence of opposite type of brewpub in a market. I use data from oligopoly brewpub markets across the United States during 2002 and 2011. The analysis uses a cross sectional data in a discrete dependent variable econometric model to predict the profitability of a market. The results indicate that the existence of one opposite type of firm in a market makes a market unattractive for a new firm, and these effects are diminished when there are two or three opposite of firms present in a market. Finally, the effects of demand characteristics, such as population size, can be large enough to outweigh the effects of differentiation between firms

Belonging and Boundaries: Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights in Canada

This paper explores critical issues surrounding language rights in multicultural Canada and how language rights are connected to ethnic identity, representation, boundaries, and belonging. This paper focuses on language rights of allophones (those whose first language is neither English nor French) from the perspective of Canada’s language policies, including the socioeconomic and political values that allophone immigrants place on Canada’s official languages. Changes to Canada’s language policies since the 1970s have created alternative spaces for allophone groups to challenge the dominant status of English and French and to recreate ethnolinguistic identities and belonging simultaneously from various locations.Increases in international migration, in conjunction with changes to Canadian language policies over recent years, have generated new discussions and debates about language rights and the socioeconomic and political values that allophone immigrants place on English and French, Canada’s official languages. Canada is currently facing new challenges in ensuring that the identities of linguistic groups are recognised and that members of these groups are guaranteed equal participation in all social, economic, and political activities. Accordingly, the Canadian federal government has made important changes to its language policies. This paper will argue that changes to Canada’s language policies since the 1970s provide allophone immigrants with new opportunities to challenge the dominant status of English and French, as well as enabling them to reconstruct new identities and belonging simultaneously from multiple locations. Issues around language rights in multicultural and multilingual societies like Canada are significant, because these rights are connected to ideas about ethnic identity, belonging, representation, and boundaries

Writing Journal to Improve Past Tense Usage in English (As a Second Language)

This action research came to light with the primary focus to improve, particularly, the usage of past tense among grade X students of Gelephu Middle Secondary School, Bhutan. The focus was on finding out the usefulness of JW (journal writing) on understanding and learning of PT (past tense) in English Language. PT usage in both modes of communication (verbal and written) in English is crucial, and its incompetency has always been a hindrance. In total, samples of 19 students were studied from the same grade in a pre-test, followed by intervention measures, and juxtaposition with post-test samples after intervention. Intervention measures period lasted for six weeks; JW and weekly classes of 20 minutes on usage of PT (simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive). The difference between the writings conducted before the intervention measures and after it, was standing; learners’ performance was better than expected  (the usage of all types of PT improved). Along with improvement errors in usage of other constituents of PT surfaced; spelling and subject - verb agreement. Keywords: Journal writing, past tense, simple past, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive, expression. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-24-08 Publication date:August 31st 202

Unravelling the Role of PGPR \u3ci\u3e Pseudomonas fluorescens \u3c/i\u3e in Semi- Arid Soils of the Rio Grande Valley

Chapter 1: In this chapter, we have provided a review on the components of rhizosphere engineering and the potential use of PGPR and its challenges to serve as an efficient component for sustainable agriculture. Chapter 2: In this chapter, we isolated 35 different strains of a PGPR, Pseudmonas fluorescens and characterized various plant growth promoting traits such as production of ammonia, protease, Indole acitic acid (IAA), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC) deaminase, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and souliblization of zinc and phosphate. Chapter 3: In this chapter, we tested the influence of plant beneficial soil microbe, P. fluorescens, on the growth and development of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L., Fabaceae) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L., Moench). Chapter 4: In this chapter, we went through the major challenges in application of PGPR and importance of advanced technologies such as meta-proteomics, nanotechnology, and rhizosphere engineering to produce an effective and eco-friendly PGPR

Core characteristics of Muslim-friendly accommodation service quality in Norway: international visitor’s opinions

Purpose: In the worldwide context, Muslim-friendly accommodation services have suddenly increased competition. This study aims to research the core characteristics of Muslim-friendly accommodation service quality present and what shapes their level of quality service for the international visitor’s opinions visiting Norway. Design/methodology/approach: The study utilizes a mixed-method analysis approach to study 500 reviews using Leximancer software. At the same time, data was gathered from tripadvisor.com using a web data scraper apify.com, an online-based tool. Findings: Qualitative analysis has presented seven different themes, namely accommodation, room, food, staff, location, cleanliness, and facilities. Furthermore, this study contributes to understanding what conceptualized attributes of a Muslim-friendly accommodation are in Norway and whether the perceived service quality in a Muslim-friendly accommodation for international visitors by utilizing themes linked to customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Originality/Value: The study provides an overview of valuable insights regarding the context of Muslim-friendly accommodations in Norway from the perspectives of the international visitors based on user-generated content and identifies dominant themes linked to various values for ratings. Keywords: Muslim-friendly accommodations, Online, Content Analysis, satisfaction, Leximance