Eternal Youth Research Articles

“Three-Quarters of an Hour to Consume Everything”: Dorian Gray and Commodified Aesthetics

This paper examines the commodification of aesthetics in Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). The novel is most extensively investigated within the artistic context employed, where Wilde’s approach to art, aesthetics and beauty is regarded as surviving on a transcendental ground. Indeed, despite his identity as a decadent of fin de siècle Britain, and his depreciating critique of the middle and working class for their material pursuits, Wilde gets conceptually closer to the capitalist stream of consumption. The novel ostensibly highlights aestheticism, and hence, art living for its sake on the lines of the manner Wilde launches himself to the world of artistry and literature, particularly through the characters of Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry. However, the deep desire to experience artistic pleasure and beauty, as illustrated mainly by Dorian, gets along very well with, and ends up as, the British materialist pursuit. Dorian’s initial position as the embodiment of beauty degenerates due to the same dynamic of beauty commodifying itself, and so, the others implementing it. The very commodities where aesthetic pleasure is sought commodify the aesthete. Wilde's use of ornamental and decorative elements, Dorian’s search for eternal youth, and the whole structuration of aestheticism in the novel necessitate a political reading of the text, calling for the recognition of colonial, material and modernist platform the narrative deeply bases itself on.

The Hydromythological Perspective in Literature on Tuk Bima Lukar: the Source of the Serayu River

Water is not only used for basic life needs such as drinking, bathing, cooking, and washing but also for irrigation and other needs, as it is a source of life. In Javanese society, there are many myths related to water, one of which is the myth of Tuk Bima Lukar, the spring source of the Serayu River. This oral literature myth can be analyzed to gain a deeper interpretation of its contents. Therefore, a multidisciplinary literary approach is needed for a more in-depth discussion. This research employs a hydromythological literary approach. The research reveals that Tuk Bima Lukar is considered holy water, believed to bring eternal youth and blessings to those who use it. Beyond the belief that the water from Tuk Bima Lukar can keep one young, it is also believed to bring its own blessings. This aligns with the concept of hydromythology, which assumes that water is a source of life, implying that the water from Tuk Bima Lukar brings blessings because it provides a source of life to the creatures around it.

Mitochondria-Associated Membranes in Aging and Senescence.

Although the pursuit of eternal youth remains elusive, progress in the fields of medicine and science has greatly extended the human lifespan. Nevertheless, the rising incidence of diseases and their economic impact present notable obstacles. Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs), essential sites for close interaction between mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), are increasingly recognized for their involvement in both normal cellular processes and the development of diseases. Studies suggest that MAMs undergo dynamic alterations, particularly pertinent in the investigation of age-related illnesses. This review highlights the significance of MAMs in age-related conditions, elucidating the morphological and functional alterations in mitochondria and ER during aging. By emphasizing the complex interaction between these organelles, it demonstrates the cell's adaptive responses to combat age-related deterioration. Suggesting MAMs as potential targets for therapeutic interventions holds the potential for attenuating the progression of age-related diseases.

‘The poetry of earth is never dead’: Meteorology and Myth in Keats’s Grasshopper Sonnet

Keats’s 1816 competition sonnet ‘On the Grasshopper and Cricket’ is easily dismissed as juvenilia, but when read with an eye to his interest in Greek mythology, the poem rewards further attention. In particular, the myth of Tithonus, who gained eternal life without eternal youth and was transformed into either a grasshopper or cricket, situates Keats’s immortal ‘poetry of earth’ in an ambivalent context that, in turn, makes sense of otherwise curiously neutral language. This ambivalent framing also encourages a new reading of the poem as a product of 1816, ‘the year without a summer’, building a case for the sonnet as an example of what Nikki Hessell has called Keats’s ‘botany of absence’ in the 1817 Poems volume more broadly.

Listen, talk, understand. Interpersonal communication in a senior project

Studies carried out around the world on the structure of human populations clearly indicate that modern society is “aging”. Demographic indicators show the dynamism of this process, and thus the trend of population ageing will intensify in the coming years. That is why the activation and activity of older people is so important, this is a condition for functioning in society, playing assigned social roles, meeting bio-psychosocial needs and, above all, communicating. Its absence can cause progressive disability, social isolation, loneliness. That is why activating senior projects aimed at increasing independence and counteracting the risk of social marginalization are so important in the lives of seniors. The aim of the research was to establish the factors that determine proper communication with the elderly people. The study involved 86 seniors, participants of the senior project entitled: "Passion - a recipe for eternal youth". A qualitative strategy was used to collect and analyze the data using partially categorized interviews. In order to supplement the information obtained during the interviews, an analysis of the documents held by the senior project organizer was carried out. The presentation of the results of the study was divided into three areas related to communication: listening, talking, understanding. In order to build effective interpersonal communication with seniors, it is important to understand individual experiences, specific needs, expectations and concerns. For seniors in the process of interpersonal communication important elements are: empathy, patience, commitment, as well as understanding their shortcomings related to the aging process. The openness of expressing desires and needs by seniors is fostered by appreciation and listening. In their family environment, they notice a deficit in the area of active listening, as well as the infantilization of the message addressed to them. They emphasize the very important importance of communication in their lives, and identify its lack with loneliness and isolation. They believe that the activity they undertake in the auditory, motor and cognitive spheres affects the slowing down of the aging process, as well as helps in communication. Taking into account the results of the study, it should be proposed to increase the awareness of people working in senior projects on the specifics of interpersonal communication with seniors through the organization of educational trainings in this area, which should be reflected in legal regulations.

»Kako postanemo stari?« Hrepenenje po mladosti, zdravju in dolgem življenju v 19. in 20. stoletju

The article discusses the changes in the perception of old age and ageing since the end of the 18th century when this phenomenon transformed from a natural and self-evident process leading to imminent death and transition to eternity to a problem for which a solution had to be found through medicalisation and pathologisation. The methods for prolonging life and tackling the issues involved in ageing have remained almost unchanged since Hippocrates and Galen, except that at the beginning of the 20th century, in addition to a healthy lifestyle and the avoidance of vices, it also became possible to influence the course of aging with the help of various (pseudo-)scientific methods that aroused a great deal of optimism and hope. The article describes the most popular medical and surgical methods promising life extension and eternal youth, the dubious preparations of healers that spread thanks to advertising, and points out the specific nature of the information available to Slovenian readers.

Examining Masculinities and Femininity in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire

Examining A Streetcar Named Desire through the lens of Gender and Masculinity Studies is an academically enriching and intriguing pursuit. The play, first performed on Broadway in 1947, continues to captivate with its portrayal of the characters of Stanley and Blanche. Stanley’s aggressive masculinity is pitted against the frailty of Blanche, leading to her breakdown and her ultimate escape into the unreal world of fantasy. This study aims to identify different types of masculinities; from Allan Grey’s closeted identity to Stanley Kowalsky's toxic masculinity, and how each affects Blanche Du Bois. It is intriguing to explore whether her distraught emotional state is entirely due to Stanley’s bestial toxicity or whether she is also a victim of femininity which is synonymous with frailty, beauty, and obsession with eternal youth. R.W. Connell’s Masculinities (1995,2005), and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963) have been used as a framework to evaluate the male and female characters in the play.

Eternal Youth: A Comprehensive Exploration of Gene, Cellular, and Pharmacological Anti-Aging Strategies.

The improvement of human living conditions has led to an increase in average life expectancy, creating a new social and medical problem-aging, which diminishes the overall quality of human life. The aging process of the body begins with the activation of effector signaling pathways of aging in cells, resulting in the loss of their normal functions and deleterious effects on the microenvironment. This, in turn, leads to chronic inflammation and similar transformations in neighboring cells. The cumulative retention of these senescent cells over a prolonged period results in the deterioration of tissues and organs, ultimately leading to a reduced quality of life and an elevated risk of mortality. Among the most promising methods for addressing aging and age-related illnesses are pharmacological, genetic, and cellular therapies. Elevating the activity of aging-suppressing genes, employing specific groups of native and genetically modified cells, and utilizing senolytic medications may offer the potential to delay aging and age-related ailments over the long term. This review explores strategies and advancements in the field of anti-aging therapies currently under investigation, with a particular emphasis on gene therapy involving adeno-associated vectors and cell-based therapeutic approaches.

The Fitzgeraldist

What would you sacrifice for eternal youth and beauty? In a future where a medical procedure can reverse aging in women until they become pregnant, Cybele navigates societal expectations and personal desires. She grapples with the stigma associated with the procedure and the complexities of finding a partner while aging backward. The story explores themes of beauty, societal pressures, and the consequences of manipulating the natural aging process.

The Eternal Youth Fallacy in the Face of a Pandemic: Senior Spending Patterns and the Silver Economy in the United States

Population ageing in the United States has resulted in a substantial increase in retiree households. Understanding consumer behaviour among older individuals is crucial for assessing their well-being and living conditions. This study emphasises the importance of recognising the unique needs and preferences of older consumers, as their consumption patterns have a significant influence on household expenditures. While the stereotype of frugal retirees has evolved and active seniors are now portrayed as high spenders, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted seniors' practical and realistic approach to their spending and challenged the popular notion of a lifestyle of forever-young seniors. Seniors still prioritise essential goods and services. During the pandemic, health-related expenditures increased, and they adapted their leisure activities to home-based alternatives. Our study investigates whether pre-retirees and retirees have shifted from prioritising retirement savings to focusing on essential needs like healthcare and housing, or whether they are allocating resources for experiences and travel to enhance their quality of life before and after retirement. Seniors exhibit distinct consumption patterns, with higher expenditures on health, personal care, and leisure activities than younger age groups. Consequently, businesses and policymakers need to develop strategies that account for the diverse consumption patterns of seniors, rather than assuming they will adopt the preferences of younger generations. The silver economy represents a dynamic and expanding market, particularly in the health and social care sector, offering substantial opportunities for investment.

루마니아 설화에서 카이로스(Καιρός)의 전개 양상

Romanians who had been influenced by ancient myths and Christianity for a long time fabricated tales of destinies, awe, hopes and yearnings. Time spent with God is Kairos and time of humans is Chronos. Kairos goes with humane subjective perspective with intentions in divine category on opportune and critical timing. Opportunity of freedom did not come easily. For that they obeyed the quests of troubled neighbors and accomplished missions. In “Ileana Simziana” the youngest daughter made journey to prove her mettle for his father. She fulfilled her mission by bring the baptism bowl of remote monastery. Kairos as a moment of liberating intentions occurred when their prayers and curses fulfilled by nuns. The most touching storey is “Făt-frumos, prince charming from the tear”. After the advent of christianity in Romania the birth tale of Făt-frumos relied on Virgin Mary and Jesus. In this tale queen prayed with tears in her eyes everyday. The moment of birth of Făt-frumos is the time of liberation and unconditional divine love.
 Kairos is the opportune moment of love permitted by God but also returning to Chronus by violating the divine prohibitions. Men made a blunder by his own follies or by following another’s ill-advised advice and they turned back to Chronus abandoning Kairos. In “Youth without age and life without death” Făt-frumos accomplished his ambition to be young forever and to be immortal. His longing to see his parents made him to leave to his own kingdom. But the castle was ruined and his parents died long time ago. He found eternal youth and immortality at Kairos. At Chronus he turned into old man with grey hair and beard. When Thanatos appeared and pulled his arm he got stiffened to death and turned into dust. His desire to turn to Chronus from Kairos of eternal youth and immortality made him die a humane death.

Celebrating girlish cuteness and eternal youth: the postfeminist aesthetic of womanhood in contemporary China

ABSTRACT This article explores how shaonügan, a media-driven aesthetic of womanhood, is practiced and promoted in contemporary China through a case study of a well-received woman-themed talent show. This article first conceptualizes shaonügan in postfeminist discourses to unpack how a narrowly-constrained female beauty ideal paradoxically both empowers and disciplines women who embrace normatively feminine pursuits in a neoliberal consumer culture. This article then examines how shaonügan is constructed and perpetuated by the celebrity sisters through their bodily performance of girlish cuteness and relentless pursuit of eternal youth in the show. Ultimately, the postfeminist beauty norm embodied by the celebrity sisters rearticulates a heteropatriarchal definition of female beauty and readdresses women’s subjectivities in neoliberal consumerism that is further complicated and enhanced by media techniques in contemporary Chinese society.

Review of the Monograph “Linguistic Transformation of Reality” by V.I. Karasik

The monograph discusses the issues of lingua-semiotics, linguaculturology, axiological linguistics and discourse studies. The characteristics of linguistic and cultural concepts, dramatic plots and types of discourse on the material of the Russian, English and German languages are considered. The monograph consists of three sections: “Conceptual Functionality of Language”, “Narrative Functionality of Language” and “Discourse Functionality of Language”. The basic parametric concepts of space and time (infinity and eternity), regulatory concepts of behavior (power, perseverance and stubbornness, style and reputation), the concept of the mastered world (house, garden, merry-go-round) and natural phenomena (fire and ice) are described. As illustrative material, the plots “journey into the past”, “flight into space”, “eternal youth”, “meeting or joint adventures of twins” are considered. When describing the discourse potential of language, the modes of self-expression in communication, the illogical varieties of world perception in different types of discourse (participation), the peculiarities of mystification, discourse accuracy and inaccuracy, the unification of different types of discourse in a speech act (discourse convergence) are shown. It is meant for philologists and a wide range of researchers developing the foundations of the integral science of man.

Ecocidal aspects of the environment in the Shiva trilogy: A perspective

Ecology and sustainability of the environment and the philosophy of conservation are essential parts of the mythology. Amish has raised this issue through his novels based on Hindu mythology. The paper attempts to highlight the ecocidal aspects of the environment and degradation caused by the elixir called Somras produced for attaining eternal youth and longevity in the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi. It focuses on how literature reflects people’s crucial relation to nature, eventually leading to sustainable development. One of the grey sides of the so-called development is the fact that modern societies dispose of different types of pollutants in the air and water discarded by industries that harm flora and fauna. The paper aims to explore this critical problem with an ecocritical perspective, raised in the text through the concept of Somras in the region of the Sapt Sindhu in the Shiva Trilogy.

The Role of SOX Transcription Factors in Ageing and Age-Related Diseases.

The quest for eternal youth and immortality is as old as humankind. Ageing is an inevitable physiological process accompanied by many functional declines that are driving factors for age-related diseases. Stem cell exhaustion is one of the major hallmarks of ageing. The SOX transcription factors play well-known roles in self-renewal and differentiation of both embryonic and adult stem cells. As a consequence of ageing, the repertoire of adult stem cells present in various organs steadily declines, and their dysfunction/death could lead to reduced regenerative potential and development of age-related diseases. Thus, restoring the function of aged stem cells, inducing their regenerative potential, and slowing down the ageing process are critical for improving the health span and, consequently, the lifespan of humans. Reprograming factors, including SOX family members, emerge as crucial players in rejuvenation. This review focuses on the roles of SOX transcription factors in stem cell exhaustion and age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, visual deterioration, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis, and age-related cancers. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ageing and the roles of SOX transcription factors in this process could open new avenues for developing novel strategies that will delay ageing and prevent age-related diseases.

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for wound healing: An update to 2022

The skin is an organ that performs complex functions of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. It serves as the first physical barrier to protect the body from environmental factors. Skin also carries aesthetic value in people's desire for eternal youth. Skin lesions are often unwanted, causing open wounds that can be contagious or permit infection of the body, scars, skin aging, and loss of skin function, with long-term psychological consequences. The application of stem cell therapy based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is constantly developing in the field of skin regeneration, which is highly regarded as a therapy for patients suffering skin lesions from burns, deep wounds, cosmetic surgery, or genetic diseases. MSC therapy has shed light on groundbreaking treatments in immune, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative medicine, including for skin diseases. Additionally, the development of stem cells seems to limit skin aging. It is gradually becoming an integral technique at hospitals as a regular therapy for illness, as well as a cosmetic intervention. This review seeks to introduce the skin system and its related disorders; highlight the common characteristics and mechanisms of MSCs; and analyze updated clinical applications and experiments to date in MSC therapy for regenerative biomedicine and skin diseases.

Eternal Urban Youth? Waithood and Agency in Ethiopian and South African settlements


 
 
 It is often reported that young people in Africa, the Middle East and North African regions are stuck in situations of ‘waithood’, unable to progress to full adulthood. Utilising a series of innovative research methodologies that included life history interviews, surveys, media training and qualitative interviews, the research project’s aim was the co-production of data, in order to delve into the housing and work nexus in two non-central locations in Ethiopia and South Africa. The variety of mixed methods that were used yielded a depth of engagement and allowed the researchers to deepen and nuance ideas of waithood and stuckness. The rich and varied data showed how young people move through moments of stuckness and moments of movement, and that some movement is possible even when faced with difficult and sometimes overwhelming structural challenges. It also demonstrated how co-produced research can assist young people in moving forward and countering the experience of stuckness and waithood.
 
 

Autophagy and pluripotency: self-eating your way to eternal youth.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can self-renew indefinitely in culture while retaining the potential to differentiate into virtually all normal cell types in the adult animal. Due to these remarkable properties, PSCs not only provide a superb system to investigate mammalian development and model diseases, but also hold promise for regenerative therapies. Autophagy is a self-digestive process that targets proteins, organelles, and other cellular contents for lysosomal degradation. Here, we review recent literature on the mechanistic role of different types of autophagy in embryonic development, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and induced PSCs (iPSCs), focusing on their remodeling functions on protein, metabolism, and epigenetics. We present a perspective on unsolved issues and propose that autophagy is a promising target to modulate acquisition, maintenance, and directed differentiation of PSCs.

UNIVERSAL COMPONENTS OF SYMBOLIC IMAGERY IN NARRATIVE OF UKRAINIAN AND ENGLISH FAIRY TALES

Introduction. The paper focuses on the study of fairy-tale narrative with special interest to the universal components of the folk tale symbolic imagery. Semiotic (symbolic) facet in the Ukrainian and English fairy-tales’ narrative analysis contributes to further investigations inthe field of linguosemiotic, linguocultural, literary-semiotic and other cross-disciplinary studies.Purpose. The paper aims at revealing of common archetypes or prototypes of the symbolic images and motifs in Ukrainian and English fairy tales.To achieve this purpose we have applied the integrative methodology based on methods of contextual interpretation analysis, intertextual analysis, elements of the method of comparative analysis of Ukrainian and English fairy tales, as well as elements of the methods of archetypaland narrative analyses.The major results refer to the identifying the similar symbolic properties of the Ukrainian and English fairy tales. We have revealed and described the most widespread symbolic images: a symbol of forest as a boundary space between fantastic worlds and, at the same time, a netherworld, associated with the universal motif of initiation; a symbol of tree manifested bythe symbolic images of oak and apple tree acting both as the character’s assistant and mediator between the worlds; an ambivalent symbol of apple involving the archetypal motifs of eternal youth, earthly desires, temptations and transition to another world. Next recurrent motif is thepersonage’s transformation into an animal or a bird, metaphorically manifesting the archetypal idea of ancestors’ reincarnation in totems. The motif of marriage on animals is no less common in tales together with the motive of the totem assistant. Both the bird and the horse belongto universal mythologems, the former associating with a symbol of the soul and metonymically performing a function of the content of the soul, and the latter acting as an assistant and a mediator between the worlds. The archetypal symbols of fire and water are symbolically reinterpretedin fairy tales as the border between the worlds, manifestations of the idea of good and evil, symbols of purification as well as in paradigms of ambivalent images appearing as the metonymicmanifestations of the basic symbols.Conclusion. Constant images of fairy tales symbolize the unity of man with nature, with animals and birds, elements of being. The fairy-tale symbols appear as a system organization, the paradigm of images, with numerous metonymic and metaphorical derivatives from basic symbols, as well as the syntagmatic symbolic links between archetypal symbols and associatedsymbolic motifs.

Once again on the Empress Zoe: Women, dermatology, cosmetics, and materia medica (medical matter) in the ancient world.

An article published in 2012 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology discussed the historical sources presenting the Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita as an expert in cosmetic and pharmacological remedies that could give their users a youthful appearance and a kind of eternal youth. However, it did not take into account a dermatological recipe attributed to Zoe which text transmission has preserved. To examine some ingredients of Zoe's recipe from a historical medical point of view and contextualize the text in the tradition of ancient medical matter, physiology of aging, and gender pharmacological skills. After contextualizing the recipe from the historical medical point of view, some of its ingredients have been analyzed in relation not only to their use in the most authoritative pharmacological and medical sources of antiquity but also to their symbolic meaning. The analysis of Zoe's dermatological recipe allowed to highlight: The links between cosmetics and medicine in Greek and Roman Antiquity. The reason why ancient sources dealing with medical matter attributed to certain substances and plants the power to save the human body from old age and decay. The consistency between the ingredients of Zoe's recipe and the humoral physiology by genders and by age of Hippocrates. The existence of a female tradition in pharmacological competence. Cosmetic dermatology of antiquity is the perfect point in which survival of the myth and rational pharmacology overlap.