Critical Future Studies and Age: attending to future imaginings of age and ageing

This paper draws on cultural gerontology and literary scholarship to call for greater academic consideration of age and ageing in our imaginations of the future. Our work adds to the development of Critical Future Studies (CFS) previously published in this journal, by arguing that prevailing ageism is fuelled by specific constructions of older populations as a future demographic threat and of ageing as a future undesirable state requiring management and control. This paper has two parts: the first considers the importance of the future to contemporary ageist stereotypes. The second seeks potential counter representations in speculative fiction. We argue that an age-aware CFS can allow us not only to imagine newfutures but also to reflect critically on the shape and consequences of contemporary modes of relations of power.

The Application and Usage of Anesthetics in the Surgical Treatment of Orbital Cellulitis

Orbital cellulitis is a condition that can require surgery if severe symptoms progress to an undesirable state. Therefore, it is important for physicians to utilize anesthetics during these procedures to cause minimal harm to the patient. This review will analyze the consequences that the current application of anesthetics has on patients when being utilized in surgeries to eliminate orbital cellulitis. The authors find that when performing surgical intervention to terminate orbital cellulitis, physicians will favor bupivacaine, hyaluronidase, and lignocaine as anesthetics. Hyaluronidase is used to enhance the effects of the other two anesthetics, but can cause mild allergic reactions in certain patients. Additionally, this review seeks to analyze the current treatment of orbital cellulitis when surgical intervention is unnecessary. In mild cases of orbital cellulitis, the use of broad-range IV antibiotics in conjunction with oral antibiotics are sufficient remedies. The authors find that although surgical treatment of orbital cellulitis has improved over the years, there are still many changes that could be made to improve patient outcomes.

The process capability to fulfill specifications with an application in pharmaceutical tablets weights

This research aims to identify one of the methods of statistical quality control, which is represented in the indicators of the Capability Process and explains its importance and how to use it for knowing the extension of the process to fulfill the specifications through several indicators with a statement that through practical application on one of the pharmaceutical products (Paramol Tablets Weights) one of the products of Yemeni Drug Company for Industry and Commerce (YEDCO). Hence, the results showed that the permits of process specifications of the tablet weight are equal to about 5 standard deviations, which is less than the standard practices, which are 8 standard deviations. Therefore, the capacity of the process for tablet weight is Cp<1, which is an undesirable state; because the production process is unable to satisfy the specifications. The CPK indicator shows that the process is decentralized and hence the inability of the process to fulfill the specifications; therefore, the company has to revise the limits of Paramol tablet weights specifications and to expand it as the company adopts numerous pharmacopeias in its operations. It must select the pharmacopeia that gives specifications which can make the process capability indicator and the index of process concentration in their standard state (Cp, Cpk=1.33mg).

Quantifying the parameter dependent basin of the unsafe regime of asymmetric Lévy-noise-induced critical transitions

In real systems, the unpredictable jump changes of the random environment can induce the critical transitions (CTs) between two non-adjacent states, which are more catastrophic. Taking an asymmetric Lévy-noise-induced tri-stable model with desirable, sub-desirable, and undesirable states as a prototype class of real systems, a prediction of the noise-induced CTs from the desirable state directly to the undesirable one is carried out. We first calculate the region that the current state of the given model is absorbed into the undesirable state based on the escape probability, which is named as the absorbed region. Then, a new concept of the parameter dependent basin of the unsafe regime (PDBUR) under the asymmetric Lévy noise is introduced. It is an efficient tool for approximately quantifying the ranges of the parameters, where the noise-induced CTs from the desirable state directly to the undesirable one may occur. More importantly, it may provide theoretical guidance for us to adopt some measures to avert a noise-induced catastrophic CT.

Nonlinear Zero-Dynamics Attacks Targeting Nuclear Power Plants

A zero-dynamics attack allows an attacker to input some control action that results in zero measurable output but nonzero response of the internal states. This paper extends previous works on zero-dynamics attacks to nonlinear system dynamics. This is accomplished using invariant subspace techniques that identify the subspace on which zero dynamics exist. An iterative algorithm is presented to identify both this subspace and the resulting zero dynamics of the system. These methods are implemented on a model of a pressurizer in a nuclear power plant, which is a critical subsystem of pressurized water reactors that monitors and controls the system pressure and coolant inventory. This implementation is done by analyzing all combinations of attackable signals. These attackable signals are the set of all system inputs and outputs. From this analysis, there are eight unique combinations of attacked actuators and sensors that result in zero-dynamics attacks. These combinations are characterized by stability and damage time, where damage time is the time it takes to reach some undesirable state. The damage times range from half a day to sixteen days, depending on the number of signals the attacker has access to. These results demonstrate that the physics of the pressurizer system creates some vulnerabilities to zero-dynamics attacks. This work provides plant designers with tools to identify which subsystems are most susceptible to zero-dynamics attacks and might require additional defenses.

Social and personal aspects of single motherhood: pedagogical and social contexts

The article addresses the issue of single motherhood for women in individual, social and pedagogical aspects. The personality and social conditions of single motherhood were analysed. Two main contexts of experiencing motherhood by contemporary women were pointed out, which are social norms and cultural patterns as well as individual, intrapsychic conditions of perceiving oneself as a mother. Social references and pedagogical conditions of single motherhood were shown. It was pointed out that the way women experience motherhood depends to a large extent on family, professional, colleague situations and random events. While discussing the issues of loneliness and solitude, the pedagogical aspect of this phenomenon and the multitude of possible attitudes and references to motherhood experienced were pointed out. The article indicates that social expectations for single mothers imply how women perceive their motherhood and how it affects the pedagogical dimension of its implementation. Motherhood as a conscious decision of a woman and as an undesirable state, as a consequence of events over which the woman-mother has no influence – these are other versions of motherhood described and analysed in the article. The article ends with considerations on the pedagogical dimension of the implementation of motherhood, and therefore on the role and place of children and family as the closest environment of women-mothers. The final part also indicates the need for institutional support for single mothers and their families.

Hunger increases delay discounting of food and non-food rewards

How do our valuation systems change to homeostatically correct undesirable psychological or physiological states, such as those caused by hunger? There is evidence that hunger increases discounting for food rewards, biasing choices towards smaller but sooner food reward over larger but later reward. However, it is not understood how hunger modulates delay discounting for non-food items. We outline and quantitatively evaluate six possible models of how our valuation systems modulate discounting of various commodities in the face of the undesirable state of being hungry. With a repeated-measures design, an experimental hunger manipulation, and quantitative modeling, we find strong evidence that hunger causes large increases in delay discounting for food, with an approximately 25% spillover effect to non-food commodities. The results provide evidence that in the face of hunger, our valuation systems increase discounting for commodities, which cannot achieve a desired state change as well as for those commodities that can. Given that strong delay discounting can cause negative outcomes in many non-food (consumer, investment, medical, or inter-personal) domains, the present findings suggest caution may be necessary when making decisions involving non-food outcomes while hungry.

The Global Rise of Female Entrepreneurship: Introducing the Self- Elevation Hypothesis

Female entrepreneurs are fast increasing in number, and economic and social importance. In addition to their impressive rate of growth in the United States over the last few decades, their growth has been noted in many countries, particularly in Australia, Britain, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, according to the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI). This trend is likely to continue, and even to accelerate, with changes in societal attitudes and old stereotypes as well as with the improvement in female education, and women’s rights and gender equality laws. The purpose of this paper is to: (1) provide an overview of the growth and current state of female entrepreneurship, (2) survey the relevant literature, and (3) introduce the “self-Elevation” hypothesis that points to the inner needs that propel some women to attempt to raise their status by establishing new businesses. We propose this hypothesis in the hope that it would be a subject of future scholarly research and debate. It is important to add that, for this study, we define “self-elevation” as the individual’s inner drive to move or contribute to the movement from an undesirable state of affair to a more desirable one, like a better financial standing, and a more prosperous community.

The Vulnerability of Integrity in Early Confucian Thought

The Vulnerability of Integrity in Early Confucian Thought is about the necessity, and even value, of vulnerability in human experience. In this book, Michael Ing brings early Chinese texts into dialogue with questions about the ways in which meaningful things are vulnerable to powers beyond our control; and more specifically, how relationships with meaningful others might compel tragic actions.Vulnerability is often understood as an undesirable state; and as such, invulnerability is preferred over vulnerability. While recognizing the need for adopting strategies of reducing vulnerability in various situations, The Vulnerability of Integrity demonstrates that vulnerability is far more enduring in human experience, and that it enables values such as morality, trust, and maturity. Vulnerability also highlights the need for care (care for oneself and for others). The possibility of tragic loss stresses the difficulty of offering and receiving care; and thereby fosters compassion for others as we strive to care for each other.This book is structured to explore the plurality of Confucian thought as it relates to the vulnerability of integrity. The first two chapters describe traditional and contemporary views that argue for the invulnerability of integrity in early Confucian thought. The remaining five chapters investigate alternative views. In particular these later chapters give attention to neglected voices in the tradition, which argue that our concern for others can, and even should, lead to us compromise our integrity. In these cases we are compelled to do something transgressive for the sake of others; and in these situations our integrity is jeopardized in the transgressive act.

Hunger increases delay discounting of food and non-food rewards

How do our valuation systems change to homeostatically correct undesirable psychological or physiological states, such as those caused by hunger? There is evidence that hunger increases discounting for food rewards, biasing choices towards smaller but sooner food reward over larger but later reward. However, it is not understood how hunger modulates delay discounting for non-food items. We outline and quantitatively evaluate six possible models of how our valuation systems modulate discounting of various commodities in the face of the undesirable state of being hungry. With a repeated-measures design, an experimental hunger manipulation, and quantitative modeling, we find strong evidence that hunger causes large increases in delay discounting for food, with an approximately 25% spillover effect to non-food commodities. The results provide evidence that in the face of hunger, our valuation systems increase discounting for commodities, which cannot achieve a desired state change as well as for those commodities that can. Given that strong delay discounting can cause negative outcomes in many non-food (consumer, investment, medical, or inter-personal) domains, the present findings suggest caution may be necessary when making decisions involving non-food outcomes while hungry.