Subjective Well-Being in Two Himalayan Communities, Post Road Development

Although the first road to ever be built into Humla, Nepal is still under construction, it has already spurred numerous sociocultural and economic changes, including an increased integration into the market economy, changing access to market-purchased foods, and new kinds of health-seeking behavior. This paper is part of a larger research project where we examined changing health and nutrition outcomes co-synchronous with the arrival of this road. In this paper, we focus on whether and how the road is affecting villagers’ subjective well-being (SWB). We studied this while living and working with people from two Humli villages, one that is on the road, and one that is far from it. In these villages, we developed two local models of SWB, using the villagers’ own conceptual frameworks and sense of the factors that play a role in wellbeing. Our analyses showed that villagers’ conceptualization of SWB varied substantially according to road proximity. Additionally, we quantified indices from villagers’ SWB assessments and tested which variables were significant determinants of wellbeing. We discovered a significant relationship between an individual’s well-being level and two variables: available resources per household and levels of social support. The purpose of this paper is threefold: to better understand how villagers from Upper Humla define SWB, to identify which subset of the population is not benefitting in terms of their SWB from the new road, and to present a mixed-methods, anthropologically-based approach for the development of a locally meaningful measure of SWB

Microgravity, Mesh-Crawling Legged Robots

The design, fabrication, and microgravity flight-testing are part of a continuing development of palm-sized mobile robots that resemble spiders (except that they have six legs apiece, whereas a spider has eight legs). Denoted SpiderBots (see figure), they are prototypes of proposed product line of relatively inexpensive walking robots that could be deployed in large numbers to function cooperatively in construction, repair, exploration, search, and rescue activities in connection with exploration of outer space and remote planets

AI: Integrity, Ethics and the Common Good

Higher education teaching staff are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits and pitfalls regarding the use of AI by our undergraduate and graduate students. This interactive session will offer real-life examples and suggestions of best practices using AI as an effective learning tool. The presentation will also cover the improper use of AI for assignments and why direct instruction of its ethical use is critically important

Depiction of Blacks in the Works of Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, is one of America\u27s outstanding literary figures. Criticism of his work has been voluminous--ranging from bitterly derogative to superlative--with most of it focusing upon the famous \u27Hemingway code hero,\u27 upon his crisp, concise writing style, and upon his much-publicized personal life. One example of negative assessment by critics is the one concerning black portraiture in Hemingway\u27s fiction. However, no work deals exclusively with this aspect of his writing. The purpose of this thesis is, first, to present a general discussion on the nature of prejudice and examination of black stereotypes--their functions, categories, and effects. With this framework, we can turn to a detailed examination of the black characters in Hemingway\u27s fiction, to determine which characters are stereotypic, as indeed some are, and which ones receive individualized treatment. The significance of this study, then, is to offer insight into an, as yet, unexplored area in the works of Ernest Hemingway

Comparison of Two Dark Chocolate and Their Effect on Blood Pressure

This study was designed to determine if dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and if the concentration of the dark chocolate varies the result. Currently, one in four Americans has high blood pressure. The recommended treatment may include medicine or a diet referred to as DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This study followed a within-subjects design having all participants receive each type of dark chocolate. Twenty-seven participants started the study to measure their blood pressure while consuming dark chocolate for a week at a time. Results showed that Hershey\u27s Special Dark Chocolate did not lower blood pressure significantly over the span of a week. Ghirardelli\u27s 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate was shown to statistically lower diastolic blood pressure after a week. The higher concentration of dark chocolate was the only one that had statistically significant results within the measure of blood pressure

Reducing Septic-Reliant Households: How a Comprehensive Legal Scheme Could Improve Water Quality, Environmental, and Human Health

Considering the [...] concerns of septic reliance in Virginia, this paper will present and explicate three issues pertaining to the Maryland Sustainable Growth and Preservation Act (the “Septic Law”). Maryland\u27s Septic Law represents an effort at a statewide legal scheme for approaching the issue of rapid development on septic. It may function as a useful starting point for Virginia to approach the danger that failing septic poses to Virginian citizens and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, a vital contributor to the state economy and cultural heritage. Part II opens with an overview of Maryland’s Septic Law. Part III evaluates three issues with the law: (1) the effects of the limited scope of the Septic law; (2) the impact of geography on the Septic Law with an exploration of current scientific breakthroughs and understanding of pollution methodology; and (3) the lack of enforcement due to the voluntary nature of the Septic Law. In Part IV, this paper discusses and presents statutory schemes from other jurisdictions as examples of how to bulwark the identified weaknesses in Maryland’s Septic Law. Part V identifies some observations and elucidates implications for Virginia should the Commonwealth consider implementing the presented legislative and statutory schemes. Finally, Part VI offers a brief conclusion. This abstract has been taken from the authors\u27 introduction